November 12, 1999 by Catholic San Francisco

'L ittk Flower' taking world by storm, say devotees By Carol Zimmermann

WASHINGTON (CNS) St. Therese of Lisieux, whom Pope Pius X called the "greatest saint of modern times ," was hailed as "one of us" during one of the initial U.S. stops on a tour that is taking her relics all over the world. The massive crowds that have gathered to see the relics have surprised even the planners of the nationwide event . "Therese has taken the world by storm," said retired Auxiliary Bishop Patrick V. Ahem of New York, one of the organizers of the U.S. segment of the relics' international tour. "What common sense she had, what down-to-earth spirituality, suited for the likes of us who are little souls the same as she," said Bishop Ahern during an Oct. 7 homily at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. LITTLEFLOWER continued on page 11 Members of the Carmelite order carry the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux into the chapel of the Carmelite Monastery in Washingto n, D.C., on Oct. 6.

$30 million endowment campaign rolls past halfway mark

The archdiocesan campai gn to generate $30 million for long-term Catholic school tuition assistance, Today's Students — ' Tomorrow's Leaders, rolled by its halfway mark last week and even shows signs of picking up steam, according to those involved in the effort. As of early last week nearly $17 million in pledges and gifts had been received — about 56% of the goal, according to the Office of Stewardship and Development. The campaign 's ultimate goal is total funding of the Archdiocese of San Francisco's Catholic Education Endowment Fund. Its estimated eventual income of roughly $2 million annually would be used in perpetuity to pro-

vide tuition assistance for students seeking to attend local Catholic schools. "Without this campaign , hundreds if not thousands of young people would be denied the opportunity of a Catholic education," said Dominican Sister Glenn Anne McPhee, superintendent of Catholic Schools. She said school officials across the Archdiocese are "very excited" about the campaign 's progress and were grateful for the support from "parish communities, private donors, foundations and corporations." The educator said the typical recipient of the endowment's tuition assistance "would probably be a youngster of color, a

new immigrant or the son or daughter of a new immigrant, struggling financially and beginning to make their way in our American culture and our American Catholic culture as well." The total number of donors as of last week had passed 2,600, according to Scott Vachon, campaign director. He also noted that five individuals had made gifts of $1 million each. "In fact," he said, "the first 19 (major donor) commitments to the campaign totaled nearly $7.5 million — almost half of the total given so far." Nearly $2.5 million has already been paid in cash, he said. "We know that the students of low-income families and ENDOWMENT, page 7

In this issue.. .

A p ian

Good Shepherd School community makes building unity a priority

8-9 Grief

Those suffering loss need ministry and understanding

Stage

Dominican campus hosting West Coast debut of Chekhov's 'Platonov' staging

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10 When grandparents must parent

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by Tom Burke Nothing trivial about the hard work recently put in by almost a dozen schools competing in Junipero Serra High Schools 15th annual Trivia Contest. Winners of the 14-category minutia melee were Redwood City 's St. Pius Elementary with San Mateo's St. Timothy Elementary right behind. St. Pius ' team members are 8th graders Brandon Blair, Conor Burke, Amanda Hartzer, Jessica Harvey, Maureen Clardy, Conor Driscoll, Julie Zappelli, Michael Harabaglia, Josh Mix, John Cantahipi, Rebecca Sullivan, Joseph Data, Giovanna Circosta, and 7th graders Colin Jordan, Patrick McKenna , Robbie Sacher, Andrea Armanino. Team coach Sally Lockie said the toughest question was finding the location of a hotel with rooms named Desert Gold and Rainbow Trails. It turned out to be The Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel on Catalina Island with room monikers coining from die roughwriter 's mote than 50 books about the once wild West. This is St. Pius ' thud trivia win in a row and Sally says they're gearin' up for a 4th in the year 2000. St. Tim 's entry was coordinated by Jerry Wong whose sons Scott and Spencer are students at the school. 8th graders Jeremy Bautista, Kimmy Nice and Matthew O'Connor submitted the completed tests but the whole school took part. St. Pius and St. Tim 's were the only schools to come up with a ticket stub from a Giants game at Seals Stadium, one of 15 "scavenger hunt" items the schools had to track down. Also at St. Tim's, the welcome mat 's out for new 1st grade teacher Aileen Healy, 2nd grade teacher Monica Samaniego, 3rd grade teacher Lisa Bocker, PE teacher Meghan Perritt and teacher 's aide Maureen Sheehan. Hats off to Al Sickle who received the St Vincent de Paul Society's Ozanam Service Medal on Oct. 29...Mercy, Burlingame students sponsored a Soup Supper on Oct. 26 raising $1,200 for Casa Guadalupe, a refuge for battered women and their children. More than 200 people turned out for the evening that was coordinated by Mercy campus minister Sandy Flaherty. Among chefs were Lidia De Lipski, whose daughter, Catherine, attends the school, and Mercy religion teacher, Sarah Rowan, with her mom, Nellie Aurich, and sister, Yvonne Aurich. Student helpers included Natalie Cirigliano, Jamie Jweinat and Laura Williams. Much a doin 'at Nativity Elementary in Menlo Park where a recent book drive benefiting a pre-school in East Palo Alto

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; Evel yn Zappia, feature editor; Tom Burke, "On the Street" and Datebook; Sharon Abercrombie, Kam i lie 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, Jod y Werner, consultants; Laurie Maglione , intern. Business Office: Marta Rebagliati, assistant business manager; Gus Pena, adverti sing and subscriber services; Karessa McCartney, executive assistant. Advisory Board: Noemi Castillo , Sister Rosina Conrotto, PBVM , Father Thomas Daly, Joan Frawtcy 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) 565-3604 News fax: (415) 565-3631 Circulation: 1-800-563-0008. Advertising fax: (415) 565-3681 Catholic San 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, Jul y and August by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. 1595 Mission Rd., South San Francisco, CA 94080-1218. Animal subscription rales are $10 within the Archdiocese of San Francisco and $22.50 elsewhere in (lie United Stales. Periodical postage paid al South San Francisco, California. Postmaster: Send address changes to Catholic San Francisco, 1595 Mission Rd„ South San Francisco , CA 94080-1218 Corrections II" there is an error in tlu: mailing label affixed lo this newspaper, call Cariiulk San Bosnia) al I-KO0-56.1-0008 . Ii is helpful to reler to the enrrem mailing label. Also, please let as knew if the household is receistng dopHeate copies. Thank you.

Michael Boland and his mom , Mary Ann, at Nativity Elementary book drive.

was a huge success, said principal Janet Schwarz. The school's outreach program touched many with Halloween creations that embellished homes for the elderly and treat bags distributed by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Janet says the program lets students put "their Catholic values into practice."...At San Rafael's St. Isabella Elementary, a Halloween Carnival and other activities raised money for the people of earthquake-torn Turkey and Greece. The students were praised for their efforts in a Bouquets! section of the parish bulletin. St. Luke's, Foster City gives Pats on the Back in their bul-

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letin, including a recent thanks to Ana Arqueta, Cyndie Cammack, Jude Fontes, John Kaufer, Pat Kiser, Anne Shaefer, Brad and Ken Rachko for chaperoning a youth dance at the parish. What a nice idea....Retired Msgr. John Foudy says George Weigel's new book about the pope is worth the effort of working through its 900 pages....Many generations of Mercy, SF were represented in September when 10 young women who followed their moms to the school were inducted as Little Anchors. Carrying on the tradition are Theresa Halloran, Erica Hernandez, Suzanne Short, Shea Montarano, Tiffany Ribero, Alejandra Marracq, Jennifer Lawrence, Shawna Vesco, Jennifer and Jacqueline Moylan, Cassandra Terry."...Torch, the yearbook of Notre Dame High School, Belmont , has been honored by several scholastic press groups. Congrats to 1999 editors Erin Povey, now at Sacramento State, Kendra Gorrie, now at St. Mary's, Moraga, Valerie Pizzorno, now at USF and all who worked on it. Yearbook adviser is Peggy Brady who said she loves Catholic San Francisco. Thank you , Peggy, because we Iove tumin' it out... Mike Murray, a St. Catherine of Siena, Burlingame parishioner, says Catholic high schoolers have been major contributors in local blood drives. Almost 300 donated at campaigns at Riordan, Mercy, SF, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Immaculate Conception Academy, and drives are coming up at St Ignatius, Marin Catholic, Serra and Notre Dame. Mike, who 's with Blood Centers of the Pacific, which includes Irwin and Peninsula, says we older folks could learn a lesson here. He can be reached at (415) 749-6660.... A stitch in time helps and Project Linus, a volunteer organization providing handmade personal blankets to children in need, can use blanketeers. Adrianne Gambucci is the person to needle about becoming part of the group. Call (650) 5896767. They're named, of course, for the Peanuts character who's never without his baboo or schmoozy or whatever you called your blanket when you were a kid....Speaking of blankets, St Dominic Parish at Bush and Steiner asks you to share the warmth of extra blankets you might have with families who can use them. Drop them off at any of the weekend Masses this week or next....St Benedict Parish for the Deaf has a sign language class they say will increase both your skills and your laugh lines. Call Jane Lampe at (415) 567-9855, voice, or 567-0438, TDD....St Raymond Parish , Menlo Park regularly assists families who are in need recently helping a mom, dad, and two children stave off eviction. Hats off to their generous hearts....John McDonnell, longtime music director at Star of the Sea Parish, was honored and prayed for at a special Mass at the Richmond District church last month. He's retiring to the Sunshine State. When I was a kid, my dad's folks visited Florida bringing back bubble gum shaped like oranges and packaged in littla orange crates. Great tastin ' stuff....Daly City's Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish will be 75 years old next year. Big doin 's planned for next June around the time of the parish feast. Msgr. John R. Pernia is pastor....St Cecilia Elementary's Class of 1950 is planning a Golden Jubilee. Call Doris Grimley at (415) 664-2247....Father John Glogowski was installed as pastor of Redwood City's St. Matthias Parish by Bishop John C. Wester on Sept. 26. A picnic celebration followed. Music director Matthew Stenquist-Mattei shared his gifts with a recent production of Forever Plaid in Palo Alto....

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"Networking workshops'

Marri age and famil y life leaders to share ideas , challenges

"After our gathering of family life ministers at Si. Mary 's Cathedral on Sept. 1," Chris Lyford said, "most people asked the same question: Why don 't we do more of these?" The director of the Office of Marriage and Famil y Life said his office plans to do just that , adding that one of many meetings on famil y life issues now scheduled will be Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the archdiocesan Pastoral Center, 441 Church St., San Francisco. Titled "Networking workshops ," Lyford said , the gathering will encourage "all marriage preparation 'Lead Couples' and 'family life ministers ' who work in marriage preparation to share their expertise with

Advent retreat

each other. It 's been several years since a meeting like this has taken place in the Archdiocese and I'm quite sure we're going to learn a lot from each other." Partici pants will become better acquainted , share resources and information , and discuss challenges, Lyford said. Lyford is also working on an Internet

Web site for the Office of Marriage and Famil y Life which will include listings of upcoming events and opportunities. "At present , the site is under construction," he said, "but we hope to have it up and running by Thanksg iving. " The address is www.Catholicfamil ylife2000.com . Events planned by Lyford' s office

include: "A Solemn Eucharistic Celebration " in honor of couples married 25 , 50, or more years, Feb. 12; and a marriage and family life conference, "Catholic Family Life 2000 ," March31-A pril 2. For further information , contact the Office of Marriage and Family Life, (415) 565-3680.

Assumpta Awards to Evelyn Eaton, Leonore and Frank Heffernan

Three individuals who have made a significant contribution to the life of the Archdiocese of San Francisco" were named recipients of this year's Assumpta Awards by the Board of Regents of St. Mary 's Cathedral and honored during Oct. 21 dinner program . Evelyn T Eaton, Lenore B. Heffernan and Frank M. Heffernan were presented the Awards and recognized for "discipleship" that has J r_ "brought the love of God to countless people," cr, stated part of the program citation. c o Eaton , a third-generation Californian, : spent many years as an educator in the United States and assisting in the formation c. of young lay women here, in Asia and At Assumpta Award progra m, from left: Frank and Leonore Heffernan; David Belg ium. She served as director of the Simmons , Cathedral director of development ; Evelyn Eaton , and Archbishop Respect Life Commission and also the William J. Levada. Natural Family Planning Office for the Archdiocese. Eaton earned a doctorate in sociology at Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose regent of the University of Santa Clara. He earned a law degree from Stanford the Catholic University of America in foundation , the Serra Club, the Olympic Washington, D.C. and is one of the found- Club and the Marianist Province of the University. The couple has three children ing regents of the Cathedral. Pacific. He is a Knight of Malta and a and several grandchildren. Lenore and Frank Heffernan, both San Francisco natives, are also founding members of the Cathedral Board of Regents and were lauded for their longtime "love for St. Mary's and their generous commitment of time and financial resources to see that the Eight San Francisco religious congregations celebrating their 150 anniversaries vision which brought our Cathedral into will co-host a concert of sacred music Nov. 21 beginning at 3:30 p.m. at St. Mary's being will animate its existence into the Cathedral, llUGough St. new millennium." The individual faith communities will not only present their own particular music Lenore Heffernan serves on the board of but music of other faiths as well to "showcase (he rich diversity of San Francisco," the League of Women Voters. She is a A reception will follow the concert. according to planners. Dame of Malta and a docent at the De The congregations founded in 1849, the year of the Gold Rush, and marking their Young Fine Arts Museum. She also served are: First Baptist Church ; First Congregational sesquicentennial anniversaries as a trustee of Queen of the Holy Rosary ; St. Mark's Lutheran Church ; Old First Church; Congregation Emanu-El College and Mission San Jose. Church; National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi; Congregation Shenth Presbyterian She holds a master 's degree in education and First Unitarian Universalist Church. Israel; from San Francisco State University. tickets will be required; call Sister Elizabeth Padilla the concert is free, Although Frank Heffernan was involved in the (415) 474-1321. at the San Francisco Interfaith Council: recovery and planning for a new Cathedral after a 1962 fire destroyed the former Cathedral on Van Ness Avenue. He served as an officer of the ;>¦;

"Accepting the Embrace of God: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina " will be the theme of an Advent retreat sponsored by the School of Pastoral Leadership at St. Vincent Chapel in Marin County Nov. 27, 1-5 p.m. The retreat will be directed by Father Luke Dysinger, a Benedictine monk and prior of St. Andrew 's Abbey, Valyermo. An acclaimed speaker and retreat master, Father Luke is both a medical doctor and doctoral candidate in patristics at Oxford University. Lectio Divina is a slow, contemplative praying of Scripture which seeks to enable the Bible to become a means of union with God. The retreat will conclude with an Advent carol service sung by the Schola Cantorum of the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi. Cost is $5 in advance , $10 at the door. For information: (415) 242-9087.

Eight 150-year-old congregations p lan interreligious concert of sacred music

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CRS steps up India help

BALTIMORE — Catholic Relief Services announced Nov. 5 it is committing an additional $250,000 in private funds to relief efforts in India following a cyclone on Oct. 29 that battered Orissa state. According to CRS staff on the ground in India , assistance is now reaching the many victims. "This is the worst storm to hit India in 50 years and we are committed to mobilizing whatever resources are available and needed to help the hundreds of thousands of peop le who remain without food and shelter, " said Catholic Relief Services Executi ve Director Kenneth Hackett. It is estimated that close to 5,000 people were killed and that 12 millionpeop le were directl y affecte d by the storm. For information about CRS and its programs around the world , visit its Web site at www.catholicrelief.org.

Pope: teach truth compassionately

Folklore, dancing, singing, and varied languages marked an Oct. 16-17 Sacramento gathering of more than 200 mostly lay leaders to celebrate cultures and to unite ethnic groups from California, Nevada and Hawaii. The gathering was held as part of the preparation process for the national Encuentro 2000 to be held in Los Angeles July 6-9. Theme will be "Many Faces in the House of God: One Catholic Vision for the Third Millennium." The San Francisco archdiocesan contingent included, front row left: Franciscan Sister Graciela Martinez, coordinator for Hispanic catechetics; Salvador Martinez, Talavao Pita, Agnes Wu, Mary Yap, Jacintha Chew, and Ofa Po 'oi. Standing, from left: Cecilia Arias-Rivas , coordinator of Hispanic ministry; Mario E. Cuellar, Deacon Faiva Po'oi, Anavilma Aquino, Dan Tu'ipulotu, Mario R. Cuellar, Eduardo Vesquez, Sosefo Penitan, Jose Hernandez , Pilimi Halai, Sione Folau, and Louis Ngwe.The event "brings together all God's people to learn to live in the unity of Christ amidst this cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity," said U.S. bishops ' president Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza of Galveston-Housto n in a Nov. 1 letter to all pastors. Encuentro 2000 will be the first national celebration of the U.S. Church's ethnic diversity and broad multicultural perspective.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Church must speak the truth in a more compassionate way th at recognizes that not everyone agrees with Catholic teaching, Pope John Paul II told Canadian bishops. In promoting the dignity of human life and moral teachings, the Church should reach out to "those who see things differently and do not share our assumptions," the pope said Oct. 30. The pope said this new way of explaining the faith should show a spirit of "compassionate humility which understands people 's anxieties and questions and which is not quick to presume in them ill will or bad faith. "

ried couples, defended the traditional famil y and said it must not be equated with irregular unions. "I once again ask civil authorities to insure that the family founded on marri age be promoted and protected , without being confused with other very different forms of union ," the pope said Oct. 31, during a visit to a parish on the outski rts of Rome. A law passed by the Latium region in October offers financial "assistance to famil y groups ," including couples with children who are registered civill y.

Pontiff appeals for clemency

Web site documents persecution

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo , apostolic nuncio to the United States , appealed in the name of Pope John Paul II for clemency for Texas and Ohio death-row inmates. The Oct. 27 letter to the governors of Ohio and Texas asked for clemency for David Hicks in Texas and Kenny Richey in Ohio. Texas has scheduled the execution of David Hicks for Jan . 20. Hicks, who maintains his innocence, has been on death row since 1989, when he was convicted of raping and murdering his grandmother. Richey has been on Ohio's death row since 1987 for the murder of a 3-year-old girl, who died in a fire he was convicted of setting.

UK still fo rbids Catholic monarch

LONDON (CNS) — The British government has refused to change a law that forbids an English monarch to marry a Catholic or become a Catholic. In response to calls from politicians , Prime Minister Tony Blair announced he has no plans to repeal the 1700 Act of Settlement as part of reforms of the British Constitution. The process has so far seen some political authority transferred to Scotland and Wales and the voting ri ghts stripped from hereditary peers in the House of Lords.

NEW YORK (CNS) — A group of New York Catholics has started a Web site detailing reli gious persecution in China , which includes a video and photos of the destruction of a Catholic church. The Web site at www.freechurchforchina.org opened in September and has been receiving five hits per minute , according to Ann Noonan , a founder of the site and New York coordinator of the Laoghai Research Center. The centerp iece is video footage of the destruction of St. Joseph's Church near Fuzhou in southwest China , which was built several years ago with $250,000 raised by Chinese Catholics in the New York metropolitan area.

Jarantino succeeds Giraudo at USF

SAN FRANCISCO — Former Price Waterhouse chairman Dominic Tarantino has been named chairman of the University of San Francisco Board of Trustees , announced USF President Jesuit Father John P. Schlegel. Class of 1970 alumna Maureen Clark , president of the

Pop e defe nds marriage

ROME (CNS) — Pope John Paul II, reacting to a recenl Italian regional law that provides child support to unmar-

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Diocese aids crash \ictims

PROVIDENCE , R.I. (CNS) — Bishop Robert E. Mulvee of Providence called upon the Catholics of Rhode Island to provide hel p to the families of victims of the crash of EgyptAir Flig ht 990. All parishes were asked to offei prayers Nov. 6-7 for the victims and their loved ones and for the people working to recover the remains of victims and investi gate what went wrong. In addition , Father John E. Watterson has been designated to coordinate Catholic participation in an interfaith clergy response coalition available to family members who were gathering in the Newport area to await word of their loved ones.

Reject p artial-birth abortion ban

PORTLAND, Maine (CNS) — The defeat of a ballot measure that would have banned partial-birth abortions in Maine will not keep the Catholic Church from speaking out on public issues of moral importance , a spokesman for the Diocese of Portlan d said Nov. 3. Marc R. Mutty, the spokesman , said in a statement that the defeat of the partialbirth abortion ban by a 45 percent to 55 percent margin was "very disappointing to us." But , he added , "we take great solace in the fact that this process has afforded the opportunity to speak to the issue of this horrible procedure and tc inform and educate thousands of individuals. "

Synod stresses Gospel y alues

Decries neglect of p enance

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Fewer Catholics worldwide are going to confession , leading to "distressing and worrying " abuses in the reception of the Eucharist , the Vatican's top official for Church law said. Church norm s require that those "who have violated any of God's commandments in a grave manner must purif y themselves of the sin through the sacrament of penance before approaching eucharistic Communion ," said Archbishop Julian Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts.

Tarantino is a San Francisco native who worked 41 years for the Price Waterhouse accounting firm. He received his B.S. in accounting from USF in 1954. A USF trustee from 198 1 until 1990, Tarantino returned in 1996. He is also an executive-in-residence at the McLaren School of Business. He succeeds attorney and business executive Lou Giraudo '68, JD '74, chairman from 1992 until his retirement this fall.

Dominic Tarantino

Lou Giraudo

organizational consulting firm Clark Associates, has been elected vice-chair of the board . Father Schlegel has also announced the additions of Jesuit Father Phili p Boroughs , rector of the Seattle University Jesuit Community ; attorney Ricky Curotto '53, JD '58; Jesuit Father John Fitzgibbons , English professor at Creighton University; and Herbert von Rusten , D.D.S., '55, as trustees.

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ROME (CNS) — The Synod of Bishops for Europe , in a final set of recommendations , said the Church should turn new pastoral attention to the baptized and unbaptized of the continent , emphasizing the positive values the Gospel can bring to economic , family and interrelig ious issues. The recommendations defended priestl y celibacy, called for greater recognition of women 's role in the Church and society, and denounced abortion. They recognized a worsening shortage of priests and religious, but said this should not impair the missionary nature of the Church in Europe. The 40 Latin-language recommendations, called propositions , were voted on before the close of the synod Oct. 22. They were published Nov. 2 b y the Italian news agency Adista.

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Jubilee 2000: year of charity "It will be necessary, especiall y during this year (1999), to emphasize the theological virtue of charity, recalling the significant and lapidary words of the First Letter of John: 'God is love' (4:8 ,16). Charity, in its twofold reality as love of God and neighbor, is the summing up of the moral life of the believer. It has in God its source and its goal. " In these words from his apostolic letter "On the Coming Third Millennium " Pope John Paul II commented on the third of the three years of immediate preparation for the Jubilee of the Year 2000 as the "year of charity." Each of these three years was placed under the patronage of one of the Persons of the Most Blessed Trinity, the God of Eternity and of Time. The first of these three years, we may recall , was dedicated to the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ , the God-man , whose coming among us in the course of time marks the reason for a year of jubilee , anno Domini 2000 (in the year of the Lord 2000). To offer a plan for renewal in antici pation of the Jubilee , in 1997 the pope recommended a focus on the theolog ical virtue of faith , and on the Church' s sacrament of baptism. The second of the three years of preparation was dedicated to the Third Person of Trinity, the Hol y Spirit. In 1999 we were invited in a special way to renew our focus on — and pray for an increase o f — the theolog ical virtue of hope. Al the same time , the Church was invited to a renewal of the gifts of the Holy Spirit by understanding and reviving the grace of the sacrament of confirmation. In this third year of immediate preparation , dedicated to God the Father , the sacrament of penance is proposed as an essential means of achieving the personal and ecclesial reconciliation which is the promise of the Jubilee. And the theological virtue of charity is the necessary dimension of entering into a deeper relationshi p with God our heavenl y Father. I was reminded of this important invitation to Jubilee by severa l events which converged last week. On Monday, Tiffany and Company presented to Catholic Charities its eighth annual Tiffany Award in recognition of CCASF as "a premiere human services provider meeting the needs of

children , families and individuals of all fa iths in San Francisco, Marin , and San Mateo Counties. " It was my privilege as chair of the board to accept the award in the name of dedicated fellow board members , and no less dedicated and very competent staff , at a graciou s reception offered by the company to many Catholic Charities friends and supporters. On Wednesday I hosted the annual Mass and dinner for the Ring of Charity, the women and men who sustain the work of Catholic Charities year after year throug h their donations of $ 1,000or more each year. They are a wonderful , loyal and committed choir of supporters , without whom Catholic Charities could never hope to maintain the outstanding outreach to the hungry, the homeless, those suffering with chronic illness such as AIDS, the emotionally needy, children in need of adoption , families in need, refugees and immigrants and so forth. The quality service our social service agency provides in the name of the Church — to persons of all faiths and none — is today, as it has been since the 1906 earthquake, a sourc e of blessing and of pride to all San Franciscans. Preparations for next week's meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington also put the issue to me. We bishops will be asked to review, possibl y amend , and adopt a pastoral message on charity. With this statement , prepared by an ad hoc committee for this purpose, it is hoped the bishops will provide new impetu s to lift up the Jubilee themes of justice and charity for our celebration of the year 2000 as a "year of favor from the Lord ." It is astonishing to think as we conclude this 20th century in a society with such unprecedented prosperity, there are still so many who do not share decentl y in the bounty of God' s creation. We have both an individual and a shared responsibility to address these needs. We do so throug h political action and organization , and we do so through charitable action and organization. Nor can we assure that the need for the works of the Catholic Charities and agencies like it will soon disappear.

Archbishop William J. Levada But even if all our efforts to achieve the perfect , well-ordered society — based on the common good of all — did achieve success, we would still have, as Jesus said, "the poor always with us." We would still encounter the sick , the bereaved , those whom personal calamity befalls , or those overtaken by natural disaster. The charity which the Lord has enjoined on us is called a theolog ical virtue. Theological, as the pope said , because it has in God both its source and its goal. God is love , and our ability to love both God and neighbor is his gift. Furthermore , when we love our nei ghbor, we imitate God's own love, and the goal of our existence, to become "like" God , is achieved. And virtue , because this love of charity must become a habit , a graduall y acquired perfection of our humanity, if we are to achieve over the course of our lives the imitation of Christ, the "likeness" of God which is our true goal. For this reason the Second Vatican Council reminded us that the true vocation of our baptism is the holiness of life. And this is summed up in the First Letter of John, "if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us" (4:12).

j- Lf liLa^p ^ (^^J- * Most Rev. William J. Levada Archbishop of San Francisco

Nazareth mosque at issue Holy Land Christians to close holy sites as protest of providing a Catholic presence and min- Nazareth ," they said. In their statement they istry at the holy sites and shrines. noted Christians and Muslims have existed "We trust that we do not need to take peacefully in Nazareth since the Ottoman any further steps in the near future and that period some 500 years ago. "The common bonds that link the government will rise to the challenge by applying law and order for all," the state- Christianity and Islam in this city are firm ment said. and have made the City of the Annunciati on The Christian officials described an examp le of traditional harmony and Israel' s decision as "clear discrimination " peace," titey said. 'This sense of peaceful coagainst the Christian community and existence and confident harmony has recentcharged the government had abandoned ly been shaken by a series of sad events that the rule of law by giving in to Muslim fun- have been painful and counterproductive for damentalists ' demands in hopes of elec- the majority of both faith communities." toral gains. They said they viewed the deciTwo years ago Muslim fundamentalists sion with "grave concern ." took over a plot of land in front of the basil"Desp ite the ruling of the court of law in ica intended for an Italian-styled piazz a as Israel that the lan d adjacent to the Basilica part of the city 's preparations for thousands of the Annunciation is state land, the gov- of Christian pilgrims expected during the ernment has supported a small group of jubilee year. The fundamentalists claimed fundamentalists who are inten t on building the land belonged to the Waqf, or Islamic a mosque only a few (feet) away from the historical Church of the Annunciation in

By Judith Sudilovsky JERUSALEM (CNS) — The heads of Christian churches in the Hol y Land announced they would close all Christian holy sites to protest an Israeli government decision to allow a mosque next to a Catholic basilica in Nazareth. "To express the disapprobation of all the churches at the way that their ri ghts have been summarily violated . . . all the sanctuaries of the Hol y Land will be closed on Nov. 22-23," said the Nov. 4 statement signed, "with a heavy heart ," by Latin-rite Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem; Franciscan Father Giovanni Battistelli of the Franciscan Custod y of the Holy Land; and the Greek Orthodox and Armenian patriarchs. The Custod y of the Hol y Land functions as a Middle East province of the Franciscans , but with the specific mission

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Reli gious Trust. They erected a protest tent and declared their intent to build a mosque that would tower over the basilica. In October, an Israeli court ruled the land belonged to the Israeli government but , in an attempt to reach a compromise , the government decided to permit a much smaller mosque on part of the disputed land. The remaining land will be given to the Nazareth municipality, which was to build the piazza. As promised, on Nov. 8 Muslims in Nazareth dismantled the makeshift mosque they had set up next to the basilica two years ago. Nevertheless, they vowed to keep praying at the site until the mosque was built. A cornerstone laying ceremony for the mosque is slated for Nov. 23. Construction is not to begin unti l after March , which has been discussed as a time MOSQUE, page 17

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Pro tests f izz le, good will p revails du ring p op e's Ind ia visit

By John Thavis . NEW DELHI , India (CNS) — Despite much talk of fundamentalist Hindu protests and the potential for extremist violence, Pope John Paul IPs visit to India went off without a hitch — much to the delight of Church planners and government hosts. Those expecting an interreligious battle in New Delhi were disappointed. In the end , protests fizzled and good will prevailed during the Nov. 5-8 visit. That 's not headline news, perhaps. But many Indians appeared tired of what they saw as "media hype " over the Hindu extremist agenda, with its demand for a freeze on Christian conversions and a papal apology for historical Church misdeeds. "This is a free country, a democracy, and there are small groups of protesters . I don 't think it goes beyond that ," Margaret Alva, one of 22 Christians in India 's Parliament , said as she waited for the pope's arrival at the presidential palace Nov. 6. Even Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee , whose Hindu nationalist coalition has links to some of the most strident Hindu organizations , told the pope it was the "intolerant fringes" of Indian society who were causing problems. The government allowed demonstrations but banned them near papal event sites, saying the pope should be welcomed as a guest and a holy man. That was a prevailing sentiment among Indians , according to Divine Word Father Dominic Emmannuel, spokesman for the Indian bishops ' conference. "The people making protests have managed to get a lot of attention because of the way they handled the media," he said. The much-ball y hooed cross-country caravan of Hindus protesting the Church's history of missionary work in India rolled throug h the streets of New Delhi Nov. 4 "without many people noticing it ," according to The Times of India. The caravan involved only 20 peop le, and about 300 others attended a closing rally. A handful of demonstrators were arrested when they shouted slogans outside a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi , where the pope was making a visit . Reporters, meanwhile, ran up big taxi bills hunting for protest banners. Contrary to press reports , security was less stringent than during most papal trips , Although long-forgotten, the Hindu protests during the pope 's visit in 1986 were actually bigger. During that visit , death threats were made against the pope , thousands of Hindus marched through the capital and police arrested at least 300 demonstrators , including those who burned an effigy of the pope. This year, the protests have received more attention for several reasons, according to Church sources. For one thing, the Hindu objections have been preceded by more than 100 sporadic acts of violence against Christian missionaries in a few Indian states. For another, the ruling political coalition has encouraged a national debate about Christian conversion. Some of the Hindu requests made during the pope 's visit bordered on the silly. For example, the National

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Hindu holy man Shankaracharya Madhavananda Saraswati greets Pope John Paul II at an interreligious meeting in New Delhi Nov. 7. Despite talk of Hindu protests and potential violence , the pope 's four-day visit to India went off without a hitch, writes John Thavis.

Volunteer Corps asked the pope to refrain from saying or doing anything "reli gious" during his visit to India. However, deep differences were respectfully aired. Many Hindus, who regard their religion as "non-aggressive," have a hard time accepting the Christian idea of conversion. So when the pope defended the Church' s "call to ;onversion " in a speech to bishops , Indian television preiicted a new flare-up in the simmering controversy. "The Indi an people mi ght misunderstand this call, aecause they have not understood quite clearly what is the neaning of conversion in the Christian sense," said Father Emmannuel. "They have understood conversion only as a change of religion. But for the Church, conversion means first of all a change of heart," he said. But if local Catholics were speaking gentl y about conversion , the pope was more blunt. At an interrel igious encounter Nov. 7, he told Hindu , Muslim , Buddhist , Sikh , Jain, Jewish and other reli gious representatives that churches must have the freedom to make a "respectful appeal" to peop le's consciences, and individuals must have the "right even to change their religion , if their conscience so demands." The interfaifh event was a great success that disp layed India's overwhelming sense of religious tolerance. The The Auxiliary of the Little Sisters of the Poor ST. ANNE'S HOME

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pope and Christianity were praised , commitments to dialogue were renewed and songs of prayer were sung for the pope 's health. But afterward , some of the partici pants voiced mixed feelings about Christianity 's emphasis on evangelization. "Everyone is free to be converted if he likes , but no one should press anybody," said Bhai Manjit Singh, the Sikh representative. Samdhong Rinpoche, a Buddhist monk , said persuasion and motivation were unacceptable forms of conversion for Buddhism. The Hindu representative , Shankaracharya Madhavananda Saraswati , while stressing the "love " that prev ails between Hindus and Christians , said he thoug ht that one 's original religion "remains inside the person forever," even after outward conversion. The Jain speaker, Acharya Mahaprajna , said it was too bad that religions seemed more busy "increasing the number of their followers" than responding to the common challenges. Ironicall y, the only reported security incident at a papal event came at the interreli gious meeting. The blue-turbaned Sikh representative took his place near the pope 30 minutes late because police did not want him to enter with his fulllength silver sword. He eventuall y convinced them that it was a symbol of his reli gious authority, not a security risk. "I carry it with me all the time," he said.

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The Good Shep herd Learning Connection p roject builds community, sp reads ideas

By Victoria J . Coe Parental involvement has a powerful , positive effect on children 's education. In fact , the U.S. Secretary of Education has made strengthening the connection between families and schools one of eight National Education Goals for the year 2000. Archdiocesan Superintendent of Catholic Schools Dominican Sister Glenn Anne McPhee says an underl ying tenet of Catholic education is "that parents are the primary educators of their children , working in partnership with schools." Given the demands on today 's families, however, is this lofty concept realistic? Good Shepherd School in Pacifica has discovered an innovative way to respond. "I was looking for new ideas to incorporate learning into everyday life ," remembers Rose Innes , a voice systems administrator and Good Shepherd -school parent. "I was wishing there was a way to make it easier." "I didn 't want the school to start a new program or host a series of workshops. So I asked Mrs. (Patricia) Volan (princi pal) and the parish school board if there was something more creative we could do — and they just ran with it." The Good Shepherd Learning Connection was launched by the parish school board in March 1998. The uni que project is composed of two complementary components . The first is distribution of the school curriculum each spring to support the parents ' role as primary educators . Innes explains that knowing what children will be studying in school in the fall helps families plan summer activities to augment learning. "Summer's the time when we 're in charge," she points out. The second component is a sing le-page monthl y newsletter that provides an ongoing forum for sharing between parents and teachers. "As parents, we're going through uncharted waters," Innes points out. "Heating tips from other parents and teachers is so terrific." Parents say they keep the newsletter on

Endowment

¦ Continued from page 1 of single parents will receive the tuition assistance, and this is gratify ing," commented Cathy Gee, chairperson of the Archdiocese's Board of Education . While some parishioners "have mixed feelings about the campaign" in light of the wide variety of demands on resources, she said, "they always express the importance of a Catholic education and that they care about the future of our youth." Total campaign target amount for all parishes is $10 million. The balance of $20 million is being sought from major donors. In a five-parish "pilot" run of the campaign earlier this year, each of the parishes significantly exceeded its target

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their refri gerator or bulletin board for quick reference. "I tried some ideas that ended up working for us and some that didn ' t," says Good / Shepherd parent Tina Fruehe. / / > "But it gave us other options." Dennis Spadini; a member of / ./, the Good Shepherd Parish / / , Council , a claims manager at / ^x AAA ana ratner or two daug hters, notes, "We become parents without , a set of instructions or / an operations manual. / The Learning Con- / nection is a practi- / », cal, handy refer- / ^ ^¦ ence to ideas / **£*> other parents / m^st, have sue- / ¦ *?*&*& cesstull y / %£>w used. It / 4S?!S c a n / **§?« 4? -"»/ ' pro:>•>*. * vide alter"^-^ nati ves to the way I ^S>

was parented and thu s would naturally gravitate to." "It's great to hear that you are not alone on parenting issues," says parent Gwyn McCormack. "The Learning Connection has provided some great ideas , specifically homework tips, summer activities and how to keep a positive attitude toward school. 1 shared these ideas with the family and we decided to tone down the after-school activities to reduce family stress." "Recently, I used how to encourage good study habits and how to get kids up and moving in the morning," says Gail Schwall , a research scientist. Sister McPhee sees The Learning Connection as a welcome innovation. "Any positive collaboration among parents , faculty and staff community is outstanding, " she remarked. "Because families ' lives are so complex today, schools need to find creative ways to bring people together," notes Good Shepherd

goal. Funds raised in parishes over and above their targets, campaign officials emphasized , will remain in the parish. "We have been gratified by the leadership of the pastors and the success of the parish volunteer committees," said Mike DeNunzio, director of the Stewardship and Development Office which has overall oversight responsibility for the campaign. "Interesting ly," he added, "response to the campaign has increased as more and more parishioners fully recognize that all funds raised will be restricted solely to providing tuition assistance for disadvantaged students. " He credited "the leadership of Archbishop (William J.) Levada and of the campaign chairs, Lou and Suzanne Giraudo" for the effectiveness of the campaign 's major donor efforts.

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^ \. ^«^ *?£ ' « cipal Patricia * N/ ' ' ^ Volan. "Throug h The Learning Connection, ^\ ^ our school board is actively supporting our educational policy and building community." Each month , The Learning Connection offers real-life success stories from school families and tips from teachers and staff on topics such as social studies, reading, homework, language arts, math, science, art, projects and reports and more. "The Learning Connection allows us an opportunity to share wisdom and helpful information with families ," says parish school board vice president Mary McCollow. "Our board is proud that we ' ve found a uni que way to make a difference." Good Shepherd School counselor Suzanne Valla explains The Learning Connection 's appeal is that both topics and advice come from the community. "The parents are die ones out there in the field, faced with issues day to day. They 're not just talking the talk, they're walking the walk. The suggestions are not just coming from authorities, but someone who's actually been involved." Another key is the newsletter's userfriendl y layout , which comes courtesy of Good Shepherd parent Jill Scerri. "She makes it fun to receive," says Innes. "It's personalized so you can read tips and stories from people you know." "The Learning Connection gives you practical ideas on how to help your children learn in a fun way," says Mary Ann Folan , a registered nurse who has four children at Good Shepherd. "And if something

'.V / works •aS".* / for me, -//*«• / 1.m only >!" / too happy / to share." * ' / As for / receiving the / curriculum in I the spring, Nancy O'Brien says, "It's so helpful to know what to expect in the *$ / coming year. There are *'• / many activities we can ' / incorporate into our roii/ tine to prepare children for / school. And if we ' re particularly clever, we can do it without their even knowing it , so it seems more like a game." Teachers also see value in sharing ideas. "I'm hoping to work togethZr with parents to help kids learn," says eighth grade teacher Michael Clardy. "Since students are more independent by the time they get to eighth grade, I don't get to see parents that often. The Learning Connection reinforces the notion they still have a role in their child's learning ." "As a teacher, I feel The Learning Connection is a valuable way to reach out, not just to our own class," explains first grade teacher Lucy Neary. "It hel ps me stop and think and bring out things I' ve learned to share. It's important that within our school community we see ourselves as whole , not separate. We're all connected." Rose Innes agrees. "The beauty of The Learning Connection is it makes connections and triggers conv ersations that we wouldn 't have had otherwise. A parent who 's read something I' ve shared in The Learning Connection and is facing a similar situation with her child will cal l me to discuss it. It's brought our community closer." "I am grateful for The Learning Connection. It's sort of a dream come true," says Innes. "I' m thankful for all who contribute , edit , read and use the informati on that makes life better for teachers , parents and especially children. "It's a simple yet powerful idea. That 's the miracle of it . " A freelance writer, Victoria J. Coe is pr esident of the Good Shepherd Parish School Board.

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CONTINUING OUR SACRED HEART TRADITION. . .

Stress, mourning 'Good Grief ministry grows at Mt. Carmel

cies such as senior centers. Finall y, a third committee was formed: "Good Grief ," a weekly support group with about 10 regular attendees and five rotating facilitators. "We are always trying to find new ways \ < ':}:. that we can serve the community, " xl ¦¦ ¦ w ¦ McMaster said. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is located at 300 Fulton St.; phone (650) 366-3802.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Redwood City serves the bereaved of its community with a comprehensive grief ministry. Having grown from two volunteers to 18 in two years, the ministry includes three committees , which help families plan liturg ies, meet practical needs, and find support . "Some peop le are amazed we have so many peop le in our group, " explained grief ministry coordinator Dave McMaster. "It's all about inviting people to join you ," added McMaster, who, with fellow parishioner Barbara Britschg i, started the ministry program two years ago. McMaste r discovered the importance of grief ministry when his mother died seven years ago in Chicago. He wanted very much to plan a personal funeral service for her and he found the priest "very pleased to find out the family was interested in being involved. " Often families do not realize they can personalize the Mass of Christian Burial with chosen music and readings , McMaster pointed out. "It 's the last gift you can give your loved one , " he maintains. Wanting to help families at his parish in Redwood City to plan this "last gift,"he began the grief ministry with Britsch gi. They started with a liturgy committee, then soon added a phone committe e, which offers follow-up help and referrals to agen-

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should be encouraged to talk about the death . "If you won 't talk about it , they won't," she explains. * Do something different. "Take the kids to Club Med in Bora Bora. If that 's not in the budget , work at one of the soup kitchens. lust do something where you don 't have the person who's gone staring you in the face." The Archdiocese's Grief Care Program has been offering holiday season workshops at parishes throug hout the Archdiocese. A schedule of remaining gatherings follows:

"If you are dealing with a loss this holiday season, above all, take care of yourself ," admonishes Mamie Huber, a marriage, famil y and child therap ist and volunteer minister of consolation at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Redwood City. Most Holy Redeemer, 100 Diamond St., San Francisco, Nov. "Take some time to rest. Don 't spend too much. Lay off the 13, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.;contact: Kathy Carey (415) 863-6259. booze and the food 1. Calm it down." Huber says holidays in the United States can be a time of St. Gabriel, 2559 40th Ave., San Francisco, Nov. 16, 10:30 to great stress, but can become overwhelming with the crushing noon, or 7 to 9 p.m.; contact: Barbara Elordi (415) 564-7882. effect of a loved one's death . She offers several tips to navigate St. Robert, 1380 Crystal Springs Rd., San Bruno , Nov. 14, 1:30 the season: to 3 p.m.; contact: Sister Ita Cleary (650) 583-2544. • Take care of yourself. "Keep your eye on the live person , St. Hilary, 761 Hilary Dr., Tiburon, Nov. 17, 3 to 4:30 p.m.; you. Go to one party instead of the 18 you were invited to." • Address the death . "You can 't pretend it doesn 't exist." contact: Sister Colette (415) 435-7659. Huber suggests starting a holiday meal with a simple prayer or More information is also available from Barbara Elordi , comment to remember the dead loved one. Also, children Grief Care Program coordinator , (415) 564-7882.

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Ministers of consolation for a grief ministry program at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel , Redwood City, include: seate d —Dave McMaster and parochial vicar Father Felix ISIamocatcat; standing, from left: Delores Centis , Angela Devlin , Jean Harrison , Mary Frances Adams , Rose Marie Ferrando , Marguerite Richardson , Linda Olson , and Mary Ann Gonzales.

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Comfort those who mourn Gri ef ministry 's goal: 'that no one grieve alone ' By Kamille Maher "1 was so frozen with grief that I couldn 't even cry, oi laugh or do anything, " recalls Rosemary Kennedy, who sought hel p from a parish grief support group after she buried 14 famil y members in one year. "For a long time I wasn 't able to talk (at the meetings). Finall y one day I was able to speak about all that had happened. Kennedy is describing a four-yeais-running support group offered at Burl ingame's Our Lady of Angels, one of several ongoing groups operating within the Archdiocese's Grief Care Program. Ministers of consolation , who are volunteers with special training developed by program coordinator Barbara Elordi , help grieving family members cope with everything from planning funeral liturgies to addressing practical needs immediJk ately after a death. Jm They also run several support groups like the one th at hel ped Kenned y. At this time , grief ministers are Jl also offering special workshops to jfl help bereaved individuals survive fl the upcoming holiday season (see related story). Based on belief in the Rpsiirrprtinn Resurrection and on the ministerial call to com- j| ¦ fort , the program has the following goals , according to Elordi: * To promote awareness of grief and the needs of those grieving. • To prepare comforters with tools and education on how to visit the sick and be pre sent to the bereaved. • To develop parish-based programs tailored to local needs. • To support ongoing parish visiting-of-the-sick programs and grief care programs throug h continuing education. •To care for grieving people by sponsoring support groups and individual grief counseling. Elordi , a marriage and family therapist , served with an original group of 12 persons organized in 1982 by Lowell Greathouse from Catholic Charities to create a support program for lay ministers working with parish staffs to help grieving peop le. Pilot parishes were St. Gabriel, St. Dunstan, St. Cecilia, Epiphany and St. Gregory. Now, the program boasts 39 participating parishes and more than 200 trained ministers of consolation, according to Elordi. The Archdiocese 's program began before the United States bishops promulgated the "Order of Christian Funerals" in 1989. The instruction has become a map for ministers of consolation , Elordi explained. The "Order " states in its introduction : " 'If one member suffers in the body of Christ which is the Church , all the members suffer with that member ' (1 Corinthians Barbara 12:26). For this reason, those who are baptized into Christ and nourished at the same table of the Lord are responsible for one another... The Church calls each member of Christ 's body - priest, deacon, lay person - to care for the dying , to pray for the dead, to comfort those who mourn ." The goal of Catholic Charities' program is that no member of the parish community grieve alone, Elordi said. Parish grief ministry programs vary, she noted, and

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The Ministry of Consolation program is a joint effort of parishes, Catholic Charities and Catholic Cemeteries. Training for ministers occurs throug h the School of Pastoral Leadership or individual parishes. Parish staff and pastors support the program. "A lot of times in today 's society we do not allow people the time to grieve," said Matthew Shea, pastoral associate at St. Gabriel , San Francisco. "With the grief ministry program, they have the support they need to grieve in their own way. We let them know their community is there for them." St. Gabriel pastor, Father John Ryan described grief ministers as "a great group of people." "There is such a thing as good grief ," pointed out Marnie Huber, lead facilitator of a support group at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Redwood City. "Good grief is in resolving the grief process. It takes some people the rest of their lives and it takes some people six months. Unresolved grief issues sit and wait for you. They direct your whole life." Support groups offer opportunities to avoid unresolved grief, according to a minister of consolation and support group facilitator at Burlingame's Our Lady of Angels, Elordi "People tell me, 'You don 't know how much you helped,'" said Sarah DiMare. "The listening and the right words and the little service we have—just being in the group is so helpful. Some people can 't talk. Some people can 't cry. Some people just want to be in the group." DiMare said the group welcomes people from other parishes and other faiths. They welcome families and individuals. Participants generally stay up to one year. She and other consolation ministers at Our Lady of (Tifirik j f t f L- Wchard Gold/Pafti CarHsi *¦ a%i WiPn W" Sales Associate esSS Sales Assistant ^ ^f= &Xn Alliance ¦ ¦ I^M^HM—

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H Partici pating in a group ¦ made a world of difference for Kennedy. "Just knowing what the B rough spots on the path were made it easier for me to walk my own path ," Kenned y explained . "What I liked about it was if you wanted to talk that was line. If you didn ' t , that was fine, too. They reall y and trul y listened and became very good friends. I came to understand I didn ' t need a psychological review and I didn 't need a sleeping pill. I just needed to realize what ¦LI|liPwas happening to me." Additional information and a list of parish groups are available from Barbara Elordi , (415) 564-7882.

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Angels recently formed a separate support group for parents who have lost children. "People who have not lost a child do not understand how deeply this grief is experienced ," explained group facilitator Ina Potter, whose daug hter Lori died suddenl y 14 years ago at the age of 23. "In losing a child it was such a painful experience and now I find a reason to make sense of it. Through my pain I can better understand what others ' needs are." Potter said the support group helps overcome the isolation many grieving peop le experience over lime. "Very often ," she pointis ed out , "friends will stop talking about the ¦L subject because they think it 's painful , while the person who is experiencing the Bk grief wants to talk about the grief. They K won 't want to give you a call. They K feel awkward because they don 't Ik want to make you cry again. But what you need is to address it. You k just can't bury it. You can learn to k integrate it into your life and

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Charities' 'Network' program promotes 'Adoption Month' Thinking about providing a caring, nurturing home by adopting a child? November is National Adoption Awareness Month and The Adoption Network of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese can help with the decision by answering the many questions about adoption, according to a spokesperson for the Network. "San Francisco has one of the highest number of foster children per population of any city in the state," said Terry Watters of The Adoption Network. According to state statistics, more than 10,000 of the 102,000 foster children in California today are waiting for families to adopt them. A 20-hour preparation course provides prospective parents with answers from experienced adoptive families, and also addresses the stages and process of adoption . No longer do prospective parents need to own a home, a car, make lots of money, or have their own children. They must have tolerance , patience, energy, and a good sense of humor and enjoy children. For more than 90 years, the primary purpose of The Adoption Network of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese has been to provide homes for children who need a permanent home other than with their birth family, Watters said. The agency places children from unstable homes into stable and supportive environments on a temporary or permanent basis. For answers to commonly asked questions on adoption , Watters encourages persons to visit Charities' Web site: www.ccasf.org. For those interested in more detailed information about adoption in general or specific services provided by The Adoption Network, information meetings are held on second Wednesdays of every month at 814 Mission St ., Fifth Floor, San Francisco at 7 p.m. For information, call (415) 844-4781.

San Francisco's Cristo Rey Monastery

Local cloistered Carmelites know meaning of liiaiLksgMng'

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and private devotions. When asked whether they ever fall asleep at prayer, Mother JL S Thanksg iving draw s near, one recalls the Pilgrims who sailed to North America to laughed, "Of course. We have to fig ht falling asleep and getting distracted. Like you , we freel y practice their relig ion. The United States has been a beacon to the victims of religious have to keep working at it. The mystic has been given special graces, but they are not necintolerance ever since, includin g scores of Mexican nuns who crossed the U.S. border d uressary, only faith." anti-Catholic government. ing the 1920s to escape the wrath of an Vivian W. Dudro hotos by Story and p All throug h the year, the sisters abstain from meat, except Among these were the founders of the Carmelite Monastery of during times of illness. They fast from Sept. 14, the Feast of the Cristo Rey in San Francisco. Exultation of the Cross, until Easter, but not on Sundays or solemnities. "Fasting and On Nov. 28, 1924, the Mexican government confiscated the 300-year-old prayer go together," Mother said. "They are our contribution to the sacrifice of Christ on Monastery of St. Teresa of Avila in Guadalajara and dispersed the cloistered sisters. The antibehalf of souls. Church clauses of the Mexican Constitution , which had been The Cristo Rey Carmelites keep silence throug hout most of the drafted seven years earlier in the wake of the Mexican Revolution, day, talking only when necessary and at recreation time. They outlawed monastic orders such as the Carmelites. The sisters clanown no personal possessions, wear the traditional habit and veil, destinely continued their consecrated way of life , living in groups and sleep on wooden cots with a thin mattress. of twos and threes in private homes, but not for long. The lifestyle of a Carmelite "is not easy," Mother said, "but we In 1926, while they all were gathered in one house, the are happy because this is our vocation. Christ died on the cross, secret police broke in and arrested them. Fortunately, they were not and we have consecrated ourselves to him. We have responded to jailed as other sisters had been, but the disturbing event demonhis call, "Take up my cross and follow me," because we are very strated the difficulty of their situation. After another year of hinmuch in love with Christ." dered efforts to follow their rule of life, the Carmelite community One of the ways the sisters show their love for Christ is sent three sisters to California in search of a place to live and pray through adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which is important to together withou t state interference. Carmelite spirituality. Mother told this story about a sister 's After several unsuccessful months in Los Angeles, the valiant effort to save the Blessed Sacrament from desecration dursisters were about to return to Mexico when they met Jesuit Father ing the persecution in Mexico: Dennis J. Kavanagh. The priest took them under his wing and "Once when the sisters were in hiding, the soldiers helped them establish a foundation on Parker Street across from came into the house. One of the sisters ran to hide the ciborium , but the campus of St. Ignatius College (now the University of San a soldier went after her and demanded that she give it to him. He Francisco). Archbishop Edward J Hanna greeted the newly arrived grabbed her by the arm (holding the ciborium), but she did not let refugees on Oct. 9, 1927 by saying, "The Jesuit Fathers will be it go. With that elbow she held this big man against the wall, while your chaplains and in case they should be unable to attend you , here am I." she consumed the Blessed Sacrament as quickly as possible. One of Father Kavanagh named the new home of the commuthe soldiers said, 'Shoot her!' But no one moved . When the hosts nity Cristo Rey, which is Spanish for Christ the King, in honor were gone, her strength gave out, and her wrist was bruised and of the Mexican Catholics being hunted down for practicing their painful. One of the soldiers said, 'She is either a witch or a saint. ' faith in defiance of the government. She did not know where she got the strength from. " Carmelites: an austere life Many died with "Viva Cristo Rey" upon their lips, and Accordingly, the tabernacle in the Chapel ot Cristo Father Kavan agh wanted particularly to memorialize the most Rey is in a central place of honor, above the main altar and beneath of penance and prayer famous of these martyrs, Jesuit Father Miguel Pro. After being a carved and gilded baldacchino. The chapel is open to the public , convicted without trial of an assassination attempt, Father Pro for the love of God, for priests, and is known as a sanctuary of peace amid the noisy, busy city. was executed by firing squad a month after the sisters had safely Visitors can attend Mass with the sisters, hear them and for the salvation of souls. arrived in the United States. recite the Office , or even speak with them during visiting hours . It took 30 years for a permanent monastery and chapel Because they are cloistered, the sisters remain behind a grill at all to be built here for the Carmelites, whose vow of poverty requires them to depend upon the times, a reminder th at they have been set apart from the world. charity of others. During those early years of adjustment to their new country, the communi"The purpose of the grill is not to keep people away or to keep us inside," Mother ty seemed like "a little Mexico," according to the current mother superior. Today, the 17 sisexplained with a smile, "but to keep us closer to the Lord ." ters are culturally mixed and speak both English and Spanish. The Carmelites do not come out, and no one goes in, except in cases of While the atmosphere of the monastery has changed somewhat, the sisters still necessity. They have no television, radio, magazines or newspapers. Yet they do not feel adhere faithfully to the rule established for them by the great refonner of the Carmelites, St. isolated, Mother said, adding, "We are surrounded b y what we must pray for." She listed Teresa of Avila. "It's not exactly like 16th century Spain," Mother said, because the Second the nearby hospitals, the Jesuits and the University of San Francisco, the families in the surVatican Council called upon monastic orders to revise rounding neighborhood , the priests and people of the Archdiocese, and the poor and hometheir constitutions. But theirs remains an austere life less in Golden Gate Park. of penance and prayer for the love of God, for priests, "Most other Carmels are located outside of city limits," Mother explained, "away and for the salvation of souls. from the hustle and bustle. But I love living here in the center of San Francisco, where we When the relics of St. Therese of Lisieu x can be accessible to everyone." visit the Carmelite Monastery of Cristo Rey in Several years ago, she said, a man came to their door asking them to intercede for January, the public will have a unique opportunity to his sick son. " 'My little boy is dying in the hospital,' he said. 'I am not a Catholic, but I share in the spiritual life of the sisters. On Saturday, was told that you would pray for him.' Jan. 8, there will be a 7:30 p.m. Mass with the relics "We did pray for him, and I understand that the little boy got better. If we were present. "We will bring her into the cloister to spend not here, people could not bring us their needs and intentions as that man did. And that is the night with us," Mother said excitedly, as if she our mission, to be here for the people." were a school girl referring to a slumber party. Then in the morning there will be three more Masses at 6:30, 8:00 and 10, before the reliquary is taken to St. Mary 's Cathedral. The sisters rise at 4:30 a.m.and pray until Mass at 6:25. They continue to pray at intervals throughout the day, both the Liturgy of the Hours Monastery of Cristo Rey altar

Mother Superior: 'We are happy because this is our vocation. Christ died on the cross, and we have consecrated ourselves to him. We have responded to his call, "Take up my cross and follow me, " because we are vent much in love with Christ.'

LITTLE FLOWER

ÂŚ Continued from page 1 The bishop hardly needed to convince the crowd of 4,500, who filled the cavernous church and stood in the shrine 's side aisles and chapels. One of the most popular saints, the Carmelite nun died 102 years ago from tuberculosis at the age of 24. Worshippers began filling the church hours before St. Th erese 's relics arrived , and were there several hours later hop ing to get near the saint 's reli quary at the front of the church. The U.S. segment of the tour of St. Therese 's relics, began in Washington in October and will finish in Hawaii at the end of January 2000 as part of a world- p m . wide tour that began in 1995 and K*, will continue through 2001. The jÂŁ. Northern California segment of the tour begins in San Francisco on Jan. 8 (see page 11). What viewers get to see is a 3O0-pound reliquary, made of wood and silver gilt enclosed in plexi glass and mounted on a wooden platform . Bishop Ahern , who has written about St. Therese , pointed out in his homily that she had "lived a life that was in no way spectacular. " "She had neither visions nor ecstasies, as other saints had , nor did she ever hear the voice of Jesus speaking to her," he said of the saint , who was canonized in 1925 and declared a doctor of the church in 1997. "By all the rules of history no one should know her name," the bishop added. Instead, she is known worldwide because of the autobiography she wrote at her superior 's prompting . The autobiography, Story of a Soul , has been printed in more than 60 languages and has become a spiritual classic. Therese also wrote hundreds of letters , poems and plays and has been the subject of nearly 900 biographies. Bishop Ahern told Catholic News Service that St. Therese is known as a "universal saint " because of her ability to relate to everyone no matter where they are in their spiritual walk and bring them closer to God. He said th at her writing describes God not in terms of measuring, punishing or judg ing, but as "nothing but mercy and love." And for those who have the opportunity to view the relics of St. Therese, the bishop said, "you ju st know you 're in the presence of the bones of someone who understood , knew and loved God totally." Preparing for the relics to arrive at the Whitefriars Hall in Washington, Carmelite Father Patrick McMahon said panic was starting to set about the number of people who might visit. He said the saint 's life, the suffering she endured and the spirituality she embraced , touches people. The relics themselves , he added provide a means for believers to connect with the saint in some way. "As Catholics, we're people who need to touch things tiiat are tangible," he said. "We rise to the knowledge of our creator through creation." Relics have long been central to Catholicism, but Church teaching stipulates relics are to be venerated, not worshipped (see "Question Corner," page 14).

Sisters of Perpetual Adoration also cloistered in San Francisco By Vivian W. Dudro The Carmelites were not the only Mexican reli gious refugees to end up in San Francisco during the persecution of the 1920s. A year after the Carmelites arrived , 45 Sisters of Perpetual Adoration moved into a building at 771 Ashbury St., which was later converted into a monastery and chapel. Ninety-nine-year-old Mother Maria de la Purisima was among the original group of sisters who fled Mexico. To avoid government harassment after the Mexican Revolution , she said, their bishop instructed them to tempora ril y give up the contemp lative life and become teachers. But in 1925 , troops stormed their school for girls in an attempt to round them up.They escaped arrest by fleeing throug h a secret passage into the garden of a neighbor and went into hiding. They discreetly lived in small groups of twos and threes in private homes, but the political situation mad e it impossible to live according to their rule of life. In 1928 they came to San Francisco with the help of Jesuit Father Dennis J. Kavanagh, the same priest who helped bring the Carmelites here . All 20 sisters currentl y living in the heart of the Haight-Ashbury District are from Mexico. They take turns before the Blessed Sacrament, offering prayers of adoration , thanksgiving, and intercession 24 hous a day. Their chapel is open to the public , with daily Mass at 7 a.m. and Benediction every Sunday at 5 p.m.

St. Therese relics tour dates for Northern California The tour of St. Therese of Lisieux arrives in California at San Diego on Christmas eve, and will stop at several sites in southern California and Nevada before arriving in San Francisco on Jan. 8. Following is a tour schedule for Northern California. A complete schedule can be obtained on the Internet at www.there.s,ere)ic$nsa.Qrg: or fu rther information is available by calling (800) 621-2806 or (877) 843-7373. San Francisco: Saturday, Jan. 8, Carmelite Monastery, 721 Parker Ave.; 7:30 p.m. Mass. Sunday, Jan . 9, Masses at 6:30 a.m. mid 8 a.m.; 10 a.m. departure for St. Mary's Cathedral, 1111 Gough St. (415) 567-2020. Masses at 11 a.m. (choir) and 1 p.m. (Spanish). Santa Clara : Sunday, Jan . 9, Carmelite Monastery, 1000 Lincoln St. 4:30 p.m. welcome; 5 p.m. Mass with Bishop Pierre DuMaine. Pray with Therese until 9:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10, 6 a.m. veneration; 7:15 a.m. Mass and holy hour; 9:30 a.m. visits by school children; 11 a.m, departure ceremony. Menlo Park: Monday, Jan . 10, Corpus Christi Monastery, 215 Oak Grove Ave. Noon arrival ceremony and procession; 12:30 p.m. Mass. Veneration with theme "Contemplative Life: the Heart of the Church." 2:30 p.m. departure. San Jose: Monday, Jan. 10, Mount St. Joseph, 12455 Clayton Rd. (408) 251-1361. 3:30 p.m. arrival ceremony and Mass with Bishop DuMaine ; 7:30 p.m. conference. Pray with Therese until 9 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 11, 7 a.m, Mass for vocations; 8:30 a.m, departure. Seaside: Tuesday, Jan. 11, St. Francis Xavier Church, 1475 LaSalle Ave. (831) 394-8546. 11:30 a.m. arrival, prayer service; veneration of reliquary until 1:30 p.m. departure. Special escort by Kni ghts of Columbus, Knights of St. Gregory, Knights of Malta , and Knights of Holy Sepulchre to Carmel Mission Basilica , 3080 Rio Rd. (831) 624-1271. 2 p.m. arrival. The relics of the co-patroness of the missions will rest near relics of Blessed Junipero Serra. Prayer service for vocations and the missions; 3:30 p.m. departure. Carmel : Tuesday, Jan . 11, Carmelite Monastery, 27601 Highway 1.4 p.m. welcome. Pray with St, Therese until 6 p.m.; Wednesday, Jan. 12, 8 a.m. Eucharist with Bishop Sylvester D. Ryan; 11 a.m, departure. Oakland: Wednesday, Jan. 12, St. Theresa Church, 30 Mandalay Rd. (510) 547-2777. 3 p.m. welcome and visit with school children; 4 p.m. rosary with St. Therese; 5 p.m. evening prayer; 5:30 p.m. Mass with Bishop John S. Cummins; 7:30 p.m. departure. San Rafael : Wednesday, Jan. 12, Carmelite Monastery, 530 Blackstone Dr.; 9:30 p.m. arrival, conference, rosary; 10 p.m. exposition of Blessed Sacrament. Pray all night and following morning before Blessed Sacrament, Thursday, Jan. 13, 11 a.m. Mass with San Domenico Chamber Singers; veneration, 1 p.m.; conference, 2 p.m. Napa: Thursday, Jan. 13, St. Apollinaris Church, 3700 Lassen St. (707) 257-2555. 3:30 p.m. welcome by school children; 4 p.m. pray with St. Therese; 6 p.m. Mass; 8 p.m. departure for Oakville's Carmelite House of Prayer, 20 Mt. Carmel Dr. (707) 944-2454. 8:30 p.m. arrival, night prayer. Friday, Jan. 14, 8 a.m. Mass; 10 a.m. departure for Napa 's St. John the Baptist Church, 981 Napa St. (707) 226-9379. 10:30 a.m. arrival; noon Mass. 1:30 p.m. departure . Fairfield : Friday, Jan. 14, Our Lad y of Mt. Carmel Church, 2700 Dover Ave. (707) 422-7767. 3 p.m. arrival; prayer with Therese until 7 p.m. Mass. Saturday, Jan. 15,9 a.m. Mass, then departure. Sacramento: Saturday, Jan. 15, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, 1017 11th St, (916) 444-3071. 11 a.m. arrival ceremony and Eucharist with Bishop William K. Weigand. Veneration of reliquary until 1:30 p.m. departure. Georgetown: Satu rday, Jan . 15, Carmelite Monastery, 6981 Teresian Way; 3:30 p.m. reception of reliquary and Eucharist. Pray with St. Therese. Sunday, Jan. .16, 10 a.m. Eucharist.

Seamless life ethic

Policies that divide Christian and Muslim The controversy regarding Israeli approval of a mosque to be built next to the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth (see page 5), where Christian tradition says the Angel Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus, is an indication of broader religious tensions in the Holy Land. Present divisions threaten to stimulate an increase in Christian emigration from Israel , resulting in the rapid disappearance of the Christian population fro m the land of Jesus. They also exacerbate relationships among the three monotheistic religions of the region. Jesuit Father Drew Christiansen, in a briefing to members of the U.S. Congress last April, said the mosque issue was begun and is driven by Muslim fundamentalists and has divided Muslims as well as the wider Arab community in Israel. The heads of Christian churches in the Hol y Land have criticized the Israeli government for countering a court decision and bowing to demands of a fundamentalist minority in an attempt to promote electoral interests at the expense of the national unity of the Palestinian people. Christian leaders announced last week that they would close all Christian holy sites Nov. 22-23 to protest the Israeli government 's decision to allow constmction of the mosque. Nazareth has been sacred to the Christian world for 2,000 years and Christians and Muslims have lived in peaceful coexistence for 500 years - with the freedoms , rights and obligations of both parties studiously observed by all. However, this sense of harmony has been shaken by events , which Christian leaders call "painful and counter-productive for the majority of both faith communities." They note the level of tension and intolerance hei ghtened when violent incidents occurred in Nazareth last Easter and Israeli police were slow to intervene to stop insults and injuries directed at many Christians. Elsewhere in the Holy Land, many of the same issues are apparent . In Jerusalem, a variety of Israeli policies , at the local and national levels, have both directly and indirectly diminished the Christian population of the holy city. Chief among these, according to Father Christiansen, have been the withdrawal from Palestinians of Jerusalem residency permits and the denial of building permits for constmction, expansion and repair of housing in the Old City and East Jerusalem. The deterioration of the housing stock has led to patterns of late marriage and emigration, which have prevented the n atural growth of the Christian community and accelerated its reduction. In an Easter Message earlier this year, the Latin Patriarcate in Jerusalem said, "A serious source of worry for us is the dwindling number of Christians in Jerusalem." He identified forced emigration as a major cause, citing an "unjust law which decrees the withdrawal of identity cards from Palestinian residents of Jerusalem who are away from Jerusalem for any reason [such as] jobs or housing difficulties , and so depriving them from their right to return to the city." Three weeks ago Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, Vatican secretary for relations with states, said concern for holy places is tied to the church's concern for communities with a living connection to those places. He noted that attempts to separate access to holy places from the broader questions related to the status of Jerusalem were "unacceptable to the Holy See." Archbishop Tauran said holy places gain meaning from their place in the environment - a place that is not only geographical but one that also involves communities. "Without the dynamic aspect of those communities, the holy places as static entities could become "mere museums or tourist attractions ," he said. It is for this reason , the archbishop noted, "... the Holy See is not only concerned with the reli gious aspect of the city. It also has the right and duty to concern itself with the political and tenitorial aspect insofar as this remains unresolved, or even more, when it becomes a cause of conflict, injustice, violations of human rights, fear or insecurity for its people." He said the political aspect of the situation "becomes an obstacle for the free expression of faith. " For some years, the Holy See has sought a "special statute" for Jerusalem, which would preserve the city 's historic and religious character; assure equality of ri ghts and services for all residents; guarantee the freedom of religious communities; and afford protection of holy places and freedom of access to all. In the Jubilee Year 2000, all parties with a stake in the Holy Land should work together toward the goals of truth, unity and peace. MEH

In the Nov. 5 Catholic San Francisco, Deacon Nate Bacon eloquentl y and coherently articulates Catholic positions on abortion , the death penalty, euthanasia and other life issues. Two pages later readers are confronted with an advertisement for a show on Catholic Family Radio hosted by former California Attorney General Dan Lungren , who has openly and arrogantl y disagreed with the pope 's clear teaching against the death penalty. In a society as self-driven as ours, it takes hard work to be consistent on the crucial life issues we confront. Life-respecting views cannot be expected to prevail until we hold ourselves and our associates to tougher standard s than Dan Lungren 's. Until Mr. Lungren has a change of spirit on the death penalty, I hope Catholic San Francisco stops promoting his message. This week there was excruciating moral beauty in the decision of the parents of Matthew Shepard to advocate for life in prison , instead of death , for the killer of their son. They acknowleged they still do not forgive his killers. And yet they could not contribute to the killing of another. I hope Mr. Lungren and people who support the death penalty will make an effort to learn from this admirable example. Barbara Berman San Francisco

Hel p asked

Catholic San Francisco welcomes letters from its readers. Please: >¦ Include your name, address and daytime phone number. *- Sign your letter. >• Limit submissions to 250 words. >¦ Note that the newspaper reserves the right to edit for clarity and length. Send your letters to; Catholic San Francisco 441 Church St. San Francisco, CA 94114 Fax: (415) 565-3633 E-mail: dyoung@catholic-sf.org

Great obligation

While disagreeing with most of broadcaster Bemie Ward 's opinions, we find his work as a reporter to be factu al and valuable in exposing corruption inside the Church. Your editorial attack on the man is completel y off-key for a religious publication. Bemie may be full of it, but your response to him only underlines the need for more critics to shed light on things which have gone astray. You, not Mr. Ward, are speaking from the pul pit. You have the greater obli gation to love your enemies and to do good to those who offend you. The "madman" quote seems hateful. S. M. Verdino San Carlos

L E T T E E S

I am the Catholic Chaplain here at Salinas Valley State Prison , Soledad , Cal., which houses at present more than 4,500 inmates, both Eng lish and Spanish-speaking. Approximatel y 30 percent of these inmates are Roman Catholic, 40 percent Protestant , 10 percent Islamic , 5 percent various other faiths , and 15 percent not committed to any faith. Most of these inmates are maximum security, and they are confined most of the time, allowing much time for introspect and reading. We have recently become aware of your publication and many of the inmates here formerly resided in the San Francisco area. Information of Church activities in your area is desirable. These inmates are secluded most of the time, with much time to read, and personal contact is severely limited. Catholic literature is not as readily available as it could be. Your help is needed. As a result, we are soliciting your donations of Catholic devotional, spiritual, and educational publications and/or audio/visual materials. These are sorely needed as instruments by which the message of the Church can reach out, be taught, and exemplified throughout this institution. We earnestly thank you for your generosity and consideration. Materials may be

Letters welcome

sent c/o Catholic Chaplain , Salinas Valley State Prison, P.O. Box 1020, Soledad, Cal., 93960. Father Michael-Anthony Bethancourt Soledad

Tone deaf?

I read with interest the editorial on Jubilee Spirituality, particularly the range of Jubilee activities in the Archdiocese — a Jubilee Pledge for Charity, Justice and Peace; a national Day of Reconciliation and several others . The editorial closed stating that "The coming Jubilee Year offers us the opportunity to open wide the " door to Christ Then 1 read "A madman 's ranting " and , as hard as I tried, I failed to find any connection to the charity, justice and peace mentioned in the prior editorial , let alone reconciliation. The whole tone of this editorial hard ly seemed to "open wide the door to Christ", but maybe we are waiting for the Jubilee Year to begin before we do this. Broth er George Cherrie, OFM Conv. San Francisco

Religi on and p olitics

After discussion in our RENEW group, we write with real concern about the guest commentary of Father Gerald D. Coleman in the Oct. 22 Catholic San Francisco. Perhaps Father Coleman missed the historical fact about John F. Kennedy that he chose his words carefully, and always had reason for his statements. The statement quoted b y Father Coleman, "not limited or conditioned by any religious oath, ritual or obligation" is a good example. The media of that election year, 1960, couectly interpreted this statement to mean that candidate Kennedy promised not to have the pope rule the country just because a Catholic was elected president. No one at the time interpreted this statement as implying that Kennedy would exclude the moral teachings of his Catholic faith from his daily life as president. Indeed , by his acknowledgment of his Catholic faith , Kennedy set a standard for government that was a hard act to follow. It was part of his charisma that he acted on what he believed, and expecte d it of others. His ability to motivate individuals, and the whole U.S. population , depended on this credibility. In this season of RENEW, he should be used as an example of evangelization by examp le. Everyone knew Kennedy was a Catholic. Those who liked what they saw in his actions seriously considered Catholicism. Father Coleman then blames the "privatization of religion" on this Kennedy statement. Perhaps those who are already strongly in favor of this privatization would use the Kennedy statement in support of their cause. Rather, aS Catholics, let the blame fall where it should. The privatization of Catholicism is more closely related LETTERS, page 17

The CatholicDifference

'Witness to Hope': some surp rises

George Weigel .Diographers are constantl y asked, "Did anything surprise you?" The honest answer is, yes, I was surprised by several things in the three years I worked to prepare Witness to Hope: The Biograp hy of Pope John Paul If (HarperCollins). When 1 started, I thought 1 knew something about Karol Wojtyla 's years as archbishop of Cracow. But as I dug into the record of his episcopate, I was struck by the numerous continuities between his style and priorities as Archbishop of Cracow and his style and pastoral priorities as Bishop of Rome. Very little in the pontificate of

Vatican, even today. One of his closest associates said to me, "He was elected as an outsider, he has governed as an outsider, and he will die an outsider. " This is true , I think , but it shouldn ' t be over-dramatized. The pope has very deftl y dep loyed the considerable resources of the Roman Curia to achieve his goals. At the same time, he has tried to teach the Curia a more evangelical concept of the papacy: the pope as the Church' s first evangelist and pastor, not the Church's chief executive officer. Some curialists have understood that. Others are on a more shallow learning curve , 21 years into the pontificate. On a related front , I was surprised at the degree to which many Italians in the Church s central bureaucracy are still uncomfortable with the papacy having been assumed by a "forei gner." There are no "foreigners " in the Church, Cardinal Giovanni Benelli of Florence said just after the election of John Paul II, and that is, of course, true theological ly. But what is true theological ly is not always internalized emotionally and psychologically. In this respect , perhap s the most amazing thing I saw during my Rome-based work on Witness to Hope was a November 1997 memorial address for Pope Paul VI, given on the centenary of the late pope 's birth by Cardinal Agostino Casaroli , who had served Pope Paul as Vatican "forei gn minister" and John Paul II as Vatican secretary of state. Casaroli's encomium, delivered with John Paul sitting a dozen feet away, was a lengthy discourse on Pau l VI as the perfectly prepared pope. It was not hard to detect , just beneath the surface, the suggestion that , while this Slavic inter-regnum had been an interesting experience , it would be time to return to "(he way we do things here" (as curialists often say) when the inter-regnum was over. I was surprised to learn the vast amounl of time John Paul II has put into meeting with the world's bishops. During the pontificate of Paul VI, a bishop on his quinquenni a] ad limina visit to Rome had a single, 15-minute encounter with the pope. John Paul quadrup led the number of encounters to four - a private , one-on-one meeting; a meal together; a concelebrated Mass; and, until 1995, a papal address to all the bishops making the ad limina from a given country or region (since 1995, the address has been delivered in

Very little in the p ontificate offohn Paul II was not p refigu red in Cracow, where Wojty la was one of the most effective diocesan bishop s of his time. John Paul II was not prefigured in Cracow, where Wojtyla was one of the most effective diocesan bishops of his time. The pope 's reflections on the continuities between Cracow and Rome, between being the successor to St. Stanislaus and the successor to St. Peter, make for one of the most revealing moments in Witness to Hope. J was surprised to learn how much Pope John Paul II remains an outsider to the institutional culture of the

Archbishop Wojtyla in 1967

written form to each bishop, as a kind of personal letter from the pope). The charge that John Paul is out of touch with the world's bishops is going to have to conjure a bit more with the empirical evidence â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which is that , during his pontificate , John Paul has invested more time meeting with the world' s bishops , during ad limina visits and Synods, than in meeting any oth er group of peop le. Finall y, 1 was moved by the way in which the pope has kept his youthful friendshi ps green. When you become Karol Wojtyla's friend, you are his friend for life. The stories of some of those friendshi ps , including previously unpublished letters fro m Father Wojty la reflecting to a young friend on what it means to fall in Jove , are among my favorite parts of Witness to Hope. George Weigel is a senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington , D. C.

Backgrounder

At 68, Rita Banks thoug ht she was finis hed p arenting ...

By Marilou Cristina Homework papers clutter the kitchen table and two young boys play outside as their grandmother prepares theii dinner. After raising four children of her own, Rita Banks thou g ht she was finished parenting. But her daughter 's alcoholism has prevented her from being able to care for her two sons and Rita, at the age of 68, has become a mother again. While her daughter goes throug h the recovery process, Rita has assumed the role of guardian to keep her grandsons from being placed in foster care . While most women her age are enjoying the freedom of retirement and an empty nest, Rita has gone back to the world of grass stains , , permission slips , Part I in a two-part series and lunch pails. Rita is not alone. on Kinship Care More and more relatives are stepp ing in to raise grandchildren , nieces, nephews , siblings and other kin whose biological parents are no longer able to care for them. Increasing cases of substance abuse, death, incarceration, abandonment, teen pregnancy, divorce, and/or HIV/AIDS have made "kinship care" a growing phenomenon. The 1990 US Census reports that 5.4 million children nationwide live in households headed by a relative and over 2.15 million of these children live in the care of relatives without a biological parent present. This is a 44 percent increase from 1980 , foreshadowing an even higher rate of increase estimated for the 1990s. Catholic Charities is deeply concerned about this trend

and the tremendous burden being placed on grandparents and other "kinship" caregivers. In California, 673,000 children now live in the household of a grandparent. In most cases, it is in the best interest of the child to remain in the care of family members with whom they are comfortable , rather than being placed in the overburdened foster care system. Kinship care, however, is extremely challenging. The children involved typically suffer from abuse, neglect , and/or exposure to drugs and alcohol. Complex financial, emotional , and legal issues often overwhelm caregivers , especiall y when combined with the stress of having to mediate between the biological parent and child. Unfortunatel y, support for kin providers has often been lacking. This is in part due to both the newness of the phenomenon and a lack of awareness. It is also due to a bias which blames grandparents for a failure as parents which has led to their new caregiving role. The victims of this bias, of course, have been the children. Given the tremendous needs of the children involved , caregivers typically find themselves needing to cut back or quit their regular jobs. Financially, however, children in these situ ations have not been eligible for support unless they formall y joined the fos t er care system, and so many of these families have relied instead on welfare, which offers only subsistence level support . In California , organizations like Catholic Chanties have worked with organizations , such as the California Children 's Lobby, to raise public awareness around the issues faced by relative caregivers and worked locall y to

offer services to help meet the needs of families in kinshi p care situations. California policy makers hav e begun to take notice, as evidenced by the governor 's recent signing of several "kinfriendly" bills. Effective Jan. 1, relative caregivers who have guardianship will be eligible to receive the hi gher foster care rate of payment. New funding has also been identified to provide local, family support services to kinship caregivers and children in their care. California is now one of three states leading the nation in addressing this issue, althoug h much still remains to be done to better support kin caregivers. The explosion of kinshi p care arrangements also calls us to address causes of the crisis. Better availability and more proactive intervention with substance abuse treatment , for example, could prevent a number of families from disintegrating to the point where other kin need to step in. Increased resources , which create opportunity for at-risk youth, could have a significant impact in reducing teen pregnancy. For policy makers, the question becomes one of addressing these issues upstre am or downstream. Our ability as a state to assertivel y address the current crisis , will affect the fate of tens of thousands of families in California such as Rita Banks ' . Ma rilou Cristina is directo r of the Famil y Services Division , Catholic Charities , Diocese of San Jose. Ne xt month 's insta llment will examine the array of services which a loca l Catholic Charities agency offers to kinship caregivers in their region.

LITURGY & SCRIPTURE The light of Evening Prayer illumines our hearts The lights in the church are low as parishioners gather in the early Sunday evening dusk. Only a few lights are on but the path is so familiar , like entering the house of a friend , like coming home. The murmuring of low conversations as people greet each other mixes with the murmuring of the water flowing from the baptismal font. The fragrance of incense from morning Masses lingers in the air. The solitary candle of the sanctuary light flickers as we gather for Evening Prayer. The first great act of this prayer is the gathering, leaving all other interests and duties and pleasures to join the other disciples of Christ and to gather as his Body for praise and intercession at the end of the day. And so our community gathers: from visiting relatives , from soccer practice, from fixing dinner, leaving aside homework , gardening, the wrap-up after the football game, long conversations with friends. The community gathers for Evening Prayer. The greetings subside, all the li ghts are tu rned off , and we settle into the peaceful silence that pervades this holy space. The support we give one another by our silent prayer is tangible. Without a word being spoken , we encourage each other in our dedication to Christ by the very fact of our mutual presence and prayer. The acolyte enters the darkness first , swinging the thurible from which arise clouds of sweet incense which smell like roses. Behind her is the pastor, holding high the evening candle whose bright light illumines the darkness. We watch in silence as the light approaches. We watch in gratitude for the light which is Christ , entering our darkness, dispelling the shadows of sin and death .

Sister Sharon McMillan , SND Placing the evening candle in its stand in the center aisle, the pastor 's voice is strong as he sings: "Light and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord ." And we sing from the heart: "Thanks be to God!" One of my favorite moments occurs at this point. Still in darkness lit only by the Christ candle, the pastor and acolyte light their candles and move into the assembly to share the light of Christ. The family in front of me receives the light and hel ps each other with their candles. Christopher guides James, the youngest, who is so careful and reverent with his very own candle. His sister Kristen turns around to share the light with me as I then turn to the

high school students standing behind me. And the hymn begins, putting words to the prayer and praise in our hearts. "Christ , be our light. Shine in our hearts , shine throug h the darkness." Soon the church is glowing with li ght, each person a source of Christ 's own light, each person a witness to the transforming power of Christ who dwells within. The hymn prays in gratitude and in petition that we who know this saving light may spread it to all in need. This beautiful and prayerful beginning to Evening Prayer is called the lucema Hum. It is an ancient practice which grew from the simp le and practical act of lighting the evening lamps so that everyone could see. It is from this ritual that the service of light at the Easter Vigil developed. I offer this description to those parishes preparing to celebrate Evening Prayer on the Sundays of Advent. The end of the day and the beginning of the week, the end of the year, the century and the millennium â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all are ideal times for the community to gather in praise and prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. As we in the northern hemisphere prepare to celebrate the coming of the Sun of Justice in the darkness of winter and as Christians in the southern hemisphere greet the light of Christ in the full brightness of summer, the time is right to light the evening candle in the midst of one another and turn grateful hearts to the Christ who dwells within. Notre Dame Siste r Sharon McMillan is assistant professor of sacramental theology and liturgy at St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park.

Antidote to millennium madness in this week's readings While millennium madness , dire predictions about our self-eng ineered doom, and a spate of motion picture s graphically depicting the ultimate explosion and consequent nothingness focus our attention on the end of all , the Liturgy of the Word for this Sunday respectfully directs our eyes and hearts to the present. It dares to suggest that we will enter end-time gloriously, if we are genuinel y "busy " as disciples right now. At first , we may be put off by our fust reading from Proverbs , describing the "worthy wife," who is her husband 's "unfailing prize. " But if we recall that Proverbs begins by describing Wisdom as a woman come from God who enters human hearts and empowers them to live according to God's heart, then this ideal woman , eulogized at the book's end, becomes lived out Wisdom. She speaks to us all and declares that once God's Wisdom penetrates and permeates us we can declare ourselves to God from every nook and cranny of our lives and so be a source of glory for God and upbuilding for his People. Psalm 28 becomes our response in which we acknowledge how enri ched we are with strong married life in our communities and with those who create extended families. Such a portrai t of an active woman stands in sharp contrast with the wimpy male servant in Matthew. Says he upon his master 's return "after a long time": "Master, I knew you were a demanding person , harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scat-

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; Psalm 128: I Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30

Father David M. Pettingill ter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back." Does he get thanked for being cautious? Is he praised for being "prudent "? Judge for yourself: "You wicked , lazy servant ! .. . Throw this useless servant in the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." So during this "long time" of delay before Jesus ' return , we are supposed to be taking some risks, interacting with each other, rehearing the words of Vatican II

Religious communities j oin 'rolling fast ' on forgiving debt

The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary of Los Gatos, the Sisters of Mercy Burlingame, and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur based in Saratoga are joining a national fast for debt relief . Each community, whose members serve throughout California, will fast for 24 hours. The actions are intended to raise awareness of Third World debt, largely owed to the United States, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The Sisters of Mercy will fast Nov. 18, the Sisters of the Holy Names on Dec. 7, and the Sisters of Notre Dame on Dec. 10. Each of the religious communities is committed to working with the world's poor and marginalized, a

spokesperson for the fast said , adding that each of the communities has members ministering in Third World countries suffering from the effects of the debt. The fast, organized by the Religious Working Group on the World Ban k and the IMF as part of Jubilee 2000, began Sept. 21 and extends to Dec. 31 with individuals and organizations around the U.S. responsible for one day. The debt relief action is predicated on the biblical tradition of a Jubilee every 50 years, in which social inequalities are rectified and debts are canceled (Leviticus 25: 8-10; 23-28). Forty-one countries described by the World Bank as "heavily indebted" owe $213 billion.

(which the pope calls "the gift of the Spirit to the Church"), reaching out to our world with the Gospel of peace and justice. There is something about Jesus ' catapulting himself into end-time glory by risking the cross that sticks to us who gather around the Sunday table of Word and Eucharist. That something which rubs off on us makes us risk telling Scripture 's dangerous stories , in which the values of this world are reversed; that something makes us willing to update our dangerous stories so they have the mud of the 20th and 21st centuries on them; that something makes us suspect that our conversion is not comp lete unless we are almost compelled to blab our experiences to others. That is wh y Paul tells the Thessalonians they waste their time wondering when Jesus will return ; it will be a surprise: "Concerning times and seasons...you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night." But it will not be a total surprise for active disciples: "But you...are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the li ght and children of the day." Sharing as we do already, in the end-time Spirit and glory of the returning Jesus, we unleash into our world behaviors belonging to the kingdom , previews and first installments of endtime glory. We risk living out even now a way of life that will be the "natural" order of things on the final day. We give thanks then for those truly active disciples in our parishes , especially for women who do over 80 percent of the ministry. We give thanks that they point the way to meaningful life now. We give thanks that they proclaim that the "surprising " future will be perfectly more of the same.

Father David Pettingill directs the archdiocesan Office of Parish Life.

Family Life

On pink eye and prayer

Christine Dubois JL-j ucas looked warily at his littl e brother ' s puffy, red eyes. "Mom , is there a medicine you can give me so 1 won 't get what Gabe ' s got? I don 't want to be sick." "Sorry, " I said , "there 's not. The best thing to do is wash your hands a lot. And be sure to take your vitamins and get enoug h sleep so your resistance isn 't down. " The cold and flu season has arrived at our house. Most illnesses start with 5-year-old Gabe. Then 9-yearold Lucas start s sniffling. Next I notice my throat is scratchy. Finally, my husband Steve wakes up coughing. Then the cycle starts over. Despite our devotion to echinacea, chicken soup, and vitamin C, the winter months generally find at least one of us under the weather. When I tucked Lucas in that night , he was still thinking of ways to avoid the dreaded pink eye. "Mom,

would you pray that my eyes don 't get sick?" he asked. "God listens to your prayers the most." "Of course I will , but God listens to your prayers, too." "I think he listens to yours more," he said. "1 prayed for a Game Boy, and I still don ' t have one." I laid my hand on his head and prayed that he would be protected and stay in good health. Back in Gabe 's room, I smeared ointment on ' Gabe s eyelashes. "Let 's pray for your eyes to get better," I suggested. He sniffed. "OK." "Thank you, Lord, that you love Gabe so much," I prayed. "I know you want him to feel good and be happy. Please heal him and make him feel better soon." I gave him a dri nk and read him a coup le of our favorite books: The Grouchy Ladybug and Goodnight Moon. He leaned against me, his small body warmer and smaller than usual . "I love you so much, Mom," he said. Like any parent, 1 hate to see my kids sick. And it's never easy or convenient to rearrange my schedule. But there is a silver lining. When they 're sick, I sense a certain peace and holiness among us that isn 't there when we're out running errands or arguing over homework. They ' re

forced to depend on me. I' m forced to depend on God. Jesus spent a lot of time healing the sick. Blind beggars, lepers , people suffering from mental disorders , even a girl given up for dead — all were restored with his touch. He healed to relieve suffering, of course, but also to show us something about God. God is the source of all healing. The time we spend taking temperatures , spooning Jell-O , and propp ing p illows on the couch is never wasted. It is another chance to witness God among us and share in God 's work of healing and restoring our own small corner of the world. When I' m rocking a sick child , I don 't have to wonder what I' m supposed to be doing.' I know I'm where God wants me. Deadlines will wait, dinner will happen somehow. The problems of the world will find other people to solve them. 1 am needed here.

The time we sp end taking temperatures, spooning Jell-O, and p ropp ing p illows on the couch is . . . another chance to witness God among us and share in God's work of healing and restoring our own small corner of the world.

•m 1 ^

Christine Dubois is a widely published freelance writer who lives with her family near Seattle. Contact her at: chriscolumn@juno.com.

What are relics? Q. When I was a child at St. Margaret of Scotland Church, our religion teacher told us our church housed a relic (a bone) of St. Margaret. It made a huge impression on me. While I don 't doubt the church had the relic, /- have wondered about its validity. Where did this idea start? Does every church have a relic of its saint? How do church officials evaluate the authenticity of a relic ? Our own children have never heard of them. (New York)

f I T A A source oft prestige „ U U jealously guarded for churches andA monasteries. When St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican, died in the Cistercian monastery of Fossa Nuova, the monks there reportedl y decapitated his body to be certain of keeping his remains. The tug of war between the Cistercian monks and Dominican s for Thomas' body continued for decades. Transfer of relics became a major international business. The Church finds it necessary even to this day to forbid transfer of major relics from one place to another without the pope s permission (Canon 1190). Not surprisingly, this strange sort of dealing with the bodies of saints was reflected in popular piety in the Middle Ages and beyond. Veneration of relics gave rise to all kinds of feasts, shrines and pilgrimages — such as the one described in Chaucer 's Canterbury Tales, for example. Possession of relics became a mark of affluence and power. During a banquet in 1392, King Charles VI of France presented his guests with parts of the ribs of his sainted ancestor, St. Louis. Even popes eventually became nearly powerless to discourage these practices. Mishandling, and the sale, of relics became one of the major abuses attacked by leaders of the Protestant Reformation. In 1563, the Council of Trent offered three positive reasons for honoring the bodies of saints. They were living members of the body of Christ, they were temples of the Holy Spirit and they are desti ned for resurrection (Session XXV). Obviousl y, these motives remain valid. Honoring the relics of Christian heroes who have gone before us can be therefore, as it has been, an authentic

QUESTION » - CORNER

A. It 's perhaps understandable that many Catholics, like your children , don 't hear much about relics today. The veneration of the relics of saints (some clothing, something they used, even sometimes parts of their bodies) or of Our Lord (parts of the cross, for example), is one of those areas of Christian belief which are theologically solidly founded , but which, as history proves, have an almost built-in temptation for misunderstanding and even abuse. The answer to your questions requires explaining a little of that experience. As most of us know, very early on the Christian people began to honor the bodies of saints, especially the _ martvrs who save their lives rather than deny See related stories their faith. Sometimes, pages 10-11 for example, the blood of those who had been beheaded was collected on a cloth to be kept as a reminder of that individual' s fidelity and courage in professing belief in Christ. In time the Eucharist was celebrated, and churches were built , over their tombs. Later, however , the custom assumed some bizarre features. Possession of the bodies of certain saints became a

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Father John Dietzen means of praising the goodness of God as it is manifested in the saints. Today the Roman Congregation for the Liturgy and the Sacraments is responsibl e for preserving that focus in governing the use of relics. By the late Middle Ages it was customary, and finall y required, to insert a saint's relic in every altar, the old "altar stone." Relics may still be placed in altars now, but onl y under certain conditions, one of which is that the relic be large enough to be recognizable as part of a human body (Rite of Dedicating a Church, 5). For genuine relics, an authentication is normall y issued by a Church agency or reli gious order declaring that , as far as it is possible to determine, a particular relic is actually what it is reported to be. (Questions for Father Dietzen may be sent to him at Box 325, Peoria, IL 61651 or e-mail jjdietzen @aol.com. This column is copyrighted by Catholic New Service.)

Oriental Catholic Arts p|H West Coast Church Supplies] Silk Religious Paintings r flfa^ l Carvings Rosaries Frames I Hjj# I(p Cards & Embroidery c: nacc&and>'f 7 l my@ 0 ^^ PO Box 320430 San Francisco, CA 94132 Tel: (415) 661-1182 FAX: (415) 664-1182

Cal! or FAX for leaflets & information

369 Grand Avenue South San Francisco (Easy access: 3 blocks west of the 101 freeway) H800>767-0660 Bibles, Books, Rosaries, Bible Studies, Statues Jewelry, Medals, Crucifixes , Pictures, Teaching Aids . Hi .Baptism, Wedding and Anniversary Gifts Tmmm^ ;M ;

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School of Pastoral Leadership Nov. 27: "Praying with Scripture - Lectio Divina," an afternoon of dialogue with Benedictine Father Luke Dysinger at St. Vincent Chapel, San Rafael. Includes "Ceremony of Lessons and Carols for Advent" by choir of St. Francis of Assisi Shrine. Jan. 29: Mass and SPI student recognition ceremonies preceded by a keynote address by Alexie Torres of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice , 10 a.m. at St. Mary Cathedral, Gough and Geary Blvd., SF. Torres spoke at the recent Jubilee Justice Conference in Los Angeles. All are welcome. For registration materials and additional information, call Joni Gallagher at (415) 242-9087.

Retreats/Days of Recollection Nov. 26-28: A weekend opportunity to explore monastic life at Queen of Angels Monastery, Mt. Angel, Ore. Geared for single Catholic women ages 18-55. For information , call Dominican Sister Marietta Schindler, (503) 845-6141; or e-mail smarietta@juno.com . Dec. 17-19: Annual HIV/AIDS Christmas Retreat at the East Bay's San Damiano Retreat in Danville. Intended for people wanting to deepen their relationship with God as they struggle with the challenges this disease presents. $25 suggested donation. Call (925) 837-9141. Silver Penny Farm 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.

VALLOMBR OS A CENTE R 250 Oak Gro ve Ave., Menlo Park. For fees and times call (650) 325-5614. Nov. 13: "Great Things Can Happen When East Meets West" with Melkite Father James Graham. Prayer, exploration, reflection while looking at several Eastern saints through icons used for feast days. 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. $30 fee includes lunch.

MARIANIST CENTER 22622 Marianist Way, Cupertino. For fees and times, call (408)253-6279. Dec. 2: An invitation to spend the first Thursday of the month in prayer and reflection.

Ecumenical& Interreligious Dec. 1-4: "A Call to Oneness , A Confe rence on Compassion and HIV Disease " sponsored by the Multicultural AIDS Resource Center of California. Call (415) 777-3229. 72 Hours is an interfaith peace-building project set to take place on Dec. 31, 1999 and Jan.1-2, 2000. People of faith are invited to mobilize their communities around five specific actions including a Peace Vigil and Call to Political Leaders. For information, call (415) 561-2300.

Social Justice/Respect Life Nov. 16: "Night of Culture" at La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, 6:30 p.m. An evening of Latin American inspired food, music , art, solidarity. Call (510) 893-4648, ext. 201. $4-$10 fee. Nov. 21: Procession commemorating the victims of the School of the Americas in Golden Gate Park beginning at SF's Panhandle, Masonic between Oak and Page St. Sponsored by SOA Watch West. Call Laetitia Bordes at (650) 359-6635.

Consolation Ministry 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 Mt. 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., Burlingame; 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., Novate evenings or afternoons available. Call Sister Jeanette at (415) 897-2171. St. Isabella Parish, One Trinity Way, San Rafael, evenings. Call Pat Sack at (415) 479-1560. For Parents Who Have Lost a Child: Our Lady of Angels Parish, 1721 Hillside Dr., Burlingame , 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 offe ring 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.

Young Adults Nov. 16: Informational meeting regarding young adults and World Youth Day 2000 in August. Itinerary, cost, how to register and expectations about the trip will be discussed. 7:30-8:30 p.m. at St. Raphael Parish, Kennedy Room, 1104 5th Ave., San Rafael. Call (415) 565-3629. Youth between the ages of 16-18 years are also invited. Call (415) 565-3630, ext. 2003.

Datebook Adult Group to St. Joseph's Village. Entertainment by Frankie Flambe and the Leftover Lovers with swing dance lessons from Gary Bergero and Mary Lozich. 7:30 p.m. - 1 a.m., St. Dominic parish hall, Bush and Steiner St., SF. $15 donation. Call Joe Bernabe at (415) 6618018; Susan Guevara at (415) 584-5587 ; Chris McFadden at (415) 6645840 or Marie Quintanilla at (415) 563-1876 . Nov. 27: Post-than ksgiving Day Party; Dec. 18: Young Adult Mass and Christmas Party; Dec. 31: Y2K New Year 's Eve Party, St. Andrew Church, Daly City. Contact www.jps.net/standrew/liQht

Prayer/Devotions For information about events sponsored by the Office of Charismatic Renewal of the Archdiocese, call (415) 564-7729. Nov. 21: Sung Latin Mass with Gregorian Chant, St. Mary Sta r of the Sea Church, 180 Harrison Ave., Sausalito, 5 p.m. Call Gerald Holbrook at (415) 332-1765. Dec. 31: Mass and Blessing of City, 11 p.m., St , Francis of Assisi National Shrine, Columbus and Vallejo St., SF. Call (415) 983-0405.

Nov. 12, 13, 19, 20: "Midsummer Night's Dream" at Mercy High School , SF. Opening night gala Nov. 12. Featuring talent from Mercy, St. Ignatius , Riordan and Sacred Heart Cathedral. Call (415) 334-0525 for curtain times and tickets .

China praesidia, after 9 a.m. Mass at Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Flanagan Center, 39th Ave. and Lawton, SF. Call (415) 331-9279. 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. Through Jan. 5, 2000: The work of illustrator and printmaker David Lance Goines at USF' s Thacher Gallery and Donohue Rare Book Room , 1 st and 3rd fl. of school's Gleeson Library. Artist speaks at USF Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. Call (415) 422-2434. Dec. 3: Jesuit Father Tony Sauer, President, St. Ignatius College Preparatory, prays and speaks with the Marin Catholic Breakfast Club. Call (415) 4610704 for reservation and information. Through Nov. 14: "The Treasury of St. Francis Assisi," includes 70 rare works of art , many from the time of the great saint, at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, 34th and Clement St., SF. Tues.- Sun., 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults $8/Seniors $6/Youth $5/under 12 free. Call (415) 863-3330

Food & Fun Nov. 13-14: Christmas Bazaar, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in auditorium at 17 Buena Vista Ave., Mill Valley. Popular cake booth complemented by toy booth, gift items, collectibles, antiques, and crafts. Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., lunch available; Sun. 9 a.m.-noon. Call (415) 388-4332.

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

Nov. 13-14: 21st Annual Christmas Boulique and Bake Sale, Our Lady of the Pillar Church Hall, Church St. and Kelly Ave., Half Moon Bay. Handmade items include toys, dolls, quilts, decorations, Christmas items with something for everyone. Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Call JoAnne Bustichi at (650) 726-2269.

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.

Nov. 23: 1999 Red Tie Gala benefiting Little Sisters of the Poor and St. Anne 's Home at Nieman Marcus Union Square, 7 p.m. Five floors of fantastic foods , music and more. Entertainers include Rich Olsen Orchestra, and Pride & Joy. For information , call Bernice O'Brien at (415) 334-0345 or Phyllis Lavelle at (415) 221-9091 .

Mass in American Sign Language is celebrated each Sun. at 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.), KentfiekJ. For information, call St. Benedict at (415) 567-9855 (voice) or (415) 567-0438 (TDD) .

Dec. 1: "Christmas at Kohl", Mercy High School, Burlingame's annual alumnae Holiday Boutique, 5-9 p.m., at Kohl Mansion on the Mercy Campus, 2750 Adeline Dr. More than 35 vendors will display unique holiday treasures including jewelry, clothing and holiday decorations. Entertainment with holiday food and drink, too. Admission $5. Call (650) 343-3631.

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

Blessed Sacrament Exposition Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park, 24 hours every day, (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 to 10 a.m., (415) 487-8560. Our Lady of Angels Church, 1721 Hillside Dr., Burlingame, M- F after 8 a.m. Mass until 7 p.m. St. John the Evangelist Church, 98 Bosworth St., SF, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. M -F. in Parish Center Chapel, (415) 334-4646. 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, F.ri. 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 every day, 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 SL 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 Christ! Monastery, 215 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park, daily from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call (650) 3221801.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. Finn Barr Church, 415 Edna St., SF, Thurs. 7-8 p.m. and 1st Fri. 8:30 a.m.-7;30 p.m.

Single, Divorced, Separated Nov. 12: Monthly meeting; Nov. 20: 5 p.m. Mass at Star of the Sea, Sausalito; Nov. 25: If you're alone for Thanksgiving and want to share the day with other Catholic Adult Singles Assn. members; Nov. 27: Christmas tree cutting in Petaluma. For details on these and other activities, call Bob at (415) 897-0639. Nov. 20: Mass of Thanksgiving hosted by Separated and Divorced Catholics, Archdiocese of San Francisco, 4:30 p.m.in USF's Xavier Hall Chapel. All separated, divorced, widowed persons with their friends and families are invited. Reception will follow. Call Theresa at (415) 273-5521. For information about additional ministries available to divorced and separated persons in the Archdiocese, call (415) 273-5521. Catholic Adult Singles Association of Marin meets for support and activities.

New Wings at St. Thomas More Church meets Nov. 14: Young Life Liturgy at 6 p.m. followed by on 3rd Thursdays. Call Claudia Devaux at (408) Thanksgiving Dinner. Dec. 15: Christmas Caroling. 447-1200 or e-mail stmchurch@hotmail.com. Our Lady of Angels Parish , 1721 Hillside Dr., '. trainersusan@yahoo.com. Burlingame. E-mail Nov. 19: "Annual Swing Dancing Fundraiser" benefiting ongoing contribution by St. Dominic's Young

adults/$5 senior citizens and students. Call (650) 345-8207.

Lectures/ClassBsMxhibits

Nov. 13: Legion of Mary, OL Guadalupe and OL

Dec. 3: Christmas Dinner sponsored by Committee to Save St. Brigid's, 6 p.m. at SF Athletic Club, 1639 Stockton St., SF. Entertainment by St. Brigid Elementary School choir. Call (415) 364-1511. Dec. 10: Archbishop Riordan High School Band Boosters' Christmas Boutique during the band's winter concert. Open 6-7:30 p.m. and 8:45-9:30 p.m. with concert in between. Call (415) 586-8915. Knights of Columbus of the Archdiocese meel 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 Stilmari at (415) 752-3641. Second Sat.: Handicapables gather for Mass and lunch at St. Mary Cathedral,-Gough and Geary St. SF, at noon. Volunteer drivers always needed. Cal (415) 584-5823.

Reunions "Milestone Class Reunions " lor 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 alumnaeÂŽ pdhs.pvt.k12.ca.us. Attention Alumni and former students of Good Shepherd Elementary School , Paciflca. 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. Nov. 21: Mass commemorating the "200th Anniversary of the Founding of the Society of the Religious of the Sacred Heart" with Archbishop William J. Levada presiding, 5:30 p.m., St. Mary Cathedral, Gough and Geary Blvd., SF.Were you "or your children educated by the Religious of the Sacred Heart? Please join alumni/ae and friends for this special Mass. For more information , call Janice Toohey Vela at (415) 292-3114. Dec. 3: Class of 1940 , St. John' s Grammar School, SF. Call (415) 566-7716. Our Lady of Angels Elementary School , Burlingame: 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.

About Health

Nov. 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20: "The Visions of Simone Machard" by Bertold Brecht at USF's Gill Theatre near Fulton St. between Parker and Masonic, SF. Curtain at 8 p.m. $5/$3; Call (415) 422-5070. Nov. 18: Benefit concert featuring vocalist Teresa Proano and keyboardist Sean Aloise with Christmas sing-along and selections from their new CD. Holy Angels Church, 107 San Pedro Rd., Colma, 7 p.m., $5/person or $15 per family. Proceeds benefit St. Vincent de Paul and Operation Santa Claus. Call (415) 219-4996. Nov. 21: Recital by Fr. Paul Perry on the new Rogers 960 organ at St. Hilary Church, Hilary Dr., Tiburon. Music from Bach, Chopin, Beethoven and others . All invited. Nov. 21: Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers at Sts. Peter and Paul Churc h, 4 p.m., 666 Filbert St , SF, 2:30 p.m. Call (415) 421-0809. Nov. 18: St. Luke Productions returns to St. Anne Home, 300 Lake St., SF with "John of the Cross: Living Flame of Love" starring Leonardo Defilippis who has been performing lives of the saints since 1980. $8 adults/$4 children. For more information , call Sister Margaret Patricia at (415) 751-6510. Dec. 17: Christmas Concert by Marin Children's Choir, Martha Wall , director, St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, 180 Harrison Ave., Sausalito. $8 adults/$5 students , seniors. Call Gerald Holbrook at (415) 332-1765. Sundays in November, 7:30 p.m.: Concerts at St. Mary Cathedral featuring various artists; Nov. 21: Interfaith Concert , 3:30 p.m. Gough and Geary Blvd., SF. Call (415) 567-2020 ext. 213. Sundays in November: 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. Also Dec. 19: Carol Concert; Dec. 26: Three Sopranos Christmas Concert; Dec. 31: New Year's Eve Organ recital by John Renke , 10:15 p.m. Call (415) 983-0405.

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 history 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 justice, respect life, advocacy and other areas. Call (415) 565-3673. Help special needs children with The Learning Tree Center , a non-profit organization that will train, supervise and provide ongoing feedback to you in a unique home-based program. Learn how to share energy, enthusiasm and acceptance. Call Arlene (415) 457-2006. Most Holy Redeemer AIDS Support Group is looking for volunteers to provide practical and emotional support-to people living with AIDS. For information, call Harry Johnson at (415) 863-1581. St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco invites you to join them in service to the poor: (415) 977-1270, ext 3003. Women in Community Service, seeks people to assist women making the transition from public assistance to the workforce. Call Gwen at (415) 397-3592. Bernal Heights Neighborhood Elders Support Team helps seniors remain at home with rides, food delivery and companionship. Interested volunteers should call Lisa Lopez Coffey at (415) 206-9177. Project Linus, a group supplying special blankets for seriously ill and traumatized children, needs blanketeers to knit , crochet and quilt. Call (650) 589-6767. California Pacific Medical Center is always in need of volunteers. Call (415) 750-6038. Catholic Charities' St. Joseph Village needs volunteer facilitators for its new TGIF program. Call Andrea Brady at (415) 575-4920 , ext . 255. Volunteers are also needed for the computer lab. All levels of computer experience welcome. Call Kristen Rauda at (415) 575-4920, ext. 223. San Francisco's St. Anthony Foundation needs volunteers for its many outreach programs to the poor: (415) 241 .2600. Birthright needs people to work with women faced with unplanned pregnancies. For more information, call Mary Alba at (415) 664-9909. San Mateo County's Volunteer Center: call (650) 342-0801. For San Francisco Volunteer Center, call (415) 982-8999. Laguna Honda Hospital , SF is in need of volunteers to serve as eucharistic ministers , lectors and chapel escorts at Tues. and Sun. morning Masses. Call Sister Miriam at (415) 664-1580, ext. 4-2422.

flKHHH

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

Perf ormance Nov.12. 13: "Scapino" , a merry, slapstick evening from Tri-schools Junipero Serra , Notre Dame and Mercy, Burlingame. Curtain at 7:30 p.m. in Serra theatre, 20th Ave. and Stratford Way, San Mateo, $6

Datebook is a free listing for parishes, schools and non-profit groups. Please include event name, time, date, place, address and an information phone number. Listing must reach Catholic San Francisco at least two weeks before the Friday publication date desired. Mail your notice to: Datebook , Catholic San Francisco, 441 Church St., S.F. 94114, or f a x it to (415) 565-3633.

New Finance Council for Santa Rosa to 'raise difficult issues'

An 18-member Finance Council has been appointed for the Santa Rosa Diocese that, according to Archbishop William J. Levada, "will be able to review all aspects of the financial operations " as well as "raise difficult issues and ask the tough questions " as the diocese searches for ways to recover from a debt of over $15 million. Appointed apostolic administrator of the Santa Rosa Diocese after Bishop G. Patrick Ziemann resigned in Jul y, Archbishop Levada said in a press release: "The appointment of a strong, qualified and active Diocesan Finance Council is one of the key measures we are putting into place

to prevent in the future the kind of financial problems that the diocese is now facing." Those financial problems developed during the seven-year tenure of Bishop Ziemann , who resigned after a priest of the diocese, Father Jorge Hume, filed suit against the bishop and the diocese claiming sexual harassment and coercion. He seeks $8 million in damages. Bishop Ziemann admitted to consensual relations, but denies coercion. The Finance Council includes at least one representative from each of the sprawling diocese 's six counties and is made up of 13 laity, three priests , a permanent deacon , and a religious sister.

Membership of the group was announced Nov. 3 after a three-hour meeting between them and Archbishop Levada in Santa Rosa. Members are Robert Armanino, Ukiah; Dominican Sister Mary Ann Breidenich , Santa Rosa; Msgr. John Brenkle, diocesan finance officer and pastor of St. Helena Parish, St. Helena; Clem Carinalli, Santa Rosa; William Comelison , Cobb, Lake County; James Dillon , Calistoga; Peggy Furth, Healdsburg; Msgr. James Gaffey, pastor of St. Eugene Parish, Santa Rosa; Deacon Jim Hercher, MD, Cutten, Humboldt County; John Klein , Santa Rosa; John Moynier, Napa; Msgr. James Pulskamp, chancellor and pastor

of Holy Spirit Parish, Santa Rosa; David Robinson , Lakeport; Dirk Roper, Rohnert Park; Rick Rosa, Sebastopol; Josep h Schunk, American Canyon; Henry Trione, Santa Rosa; and Ray Wood, Crescent City. In September Archbishop Levada announced p lans to address the financial crisis in a number of ways, including establishment of the Finance Council. He also ordered changes in the diocese 's financial procedures, froze most building projects, approved some staffing cutbacks, and launched an exhaustive review of the Santa Rosa Diocese 's financial situation. According to chancery officials , the audit is still in progress.

Letters

entire assessment of the Archdiocesan Appeal of a single parish , to finance a ballot initiative , is both morall y and financially irresponsible. We should expect and demand better behavior and leadership. Frank J. Leykamm San Francisco

gling districts. Then 1 would know that it is trul y justice and equal opportunity for education that are at the heart of this campaign and not a perpetuation of the attitude that students in Catholic schools matter more than other students. Cathy Baird San Carlos

families, like those of all people, that define us. Please stop making us invisibl e and therefore subject to harassment and discrimination. Other publications no longer hide us in the closet and this is a better city for it. Our Church claims gay behavior is "evil". That does not mean we do not exist. The credibility of your publication and the safety of our fellow citizens depends on it. If you do not believe me, ask any gay person who has been ostracized and threatened by family members in the name of the pope, the Catholic Church , the Bible , or Jesus Christ. I assure you , there are thousands of us who have been subjected to hate-filled rage, death threats and violence. And this has been tacitly rationalized in li ght of the Church claiming that our relationships are invalid and "intrinsicall y evil. " Michael A. Siani San Francisco

¦ Continued from page 12 to what is done and not done in the pul pit. The Catholic bishops make valiant statements in political arenas. These statements rarely reach the faithful in the pews. Even the statements of our own Archbishop Levada, in Ordinary Time, are never echoed from the pulpit. Hence the credibility of the Church , as representing Catholicism in the political arena, is a negligible force. What Father Coleman says about John F. Kennedy may be much more true of politicians today. They express their private beliefs as opposing their voting records. We know that the Church cannot officiall y name these politicians during campaigns. But the principles of separation of belief from action need be presented as an important issue in every election year from every pulpit. Peiling Chenhansa Paula Reid Alex M. Saunders, MD San Carlos

Bach ministry

Catholics of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, not only gay Catholics , should be outraged our Archdiocese gave $31 ,724 to a ballot initiative. That money, given by the hard-working people of our parishes into the collection baskets on Sundays , should be going to do the good work of the Gospels, such as feeding the hungry, clothing and sheltering the poor and needy, or providing jobs for people out of work. At the very least it should be used to support the upkeep of the Archdiocese. But to use that money, which could represent the

Underly ing assump tions?

Did anyone think throug h the messages that are conveyed by the campaign called "Today 's Students —Tomorrow's Leaders"? The underl ying assumption is that Catholic education is better than public education. Sometimes that 's true; sometimes it 's not. In our parish , there are more than twice as many religious education students as parish school students . I can imagine how offensive it is to essentially be told you have chosen inferior education for your children , but please fork over so other people 's children can go to Catholic school. I can also imagine how offensive it is to be a Catholic public school teacher and be told you teach in an inferior system and that Catholic school teachers care more about their students than you do, but please fork over. Finally, I can imagine how offensive it is to be told there is no room for your children at your parish school , but please fork over. If the goal of the campaign is to make sure that children (I distinctly heard the video say "all children , not only Catholic children") have the opportunity to have a good education , then I would like to see the Archdiocese commit the same amount of time, talent, and money that they are spending in this campaign to work for the improvement of public education in strug-

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Convenient omission?

While I find it amazing and wonderful your paper is mentioning gay and lesbian issues, and debating whether saying our behavior is "intrinsicall y evil" or not, I wonder why nothing ever good is said about gay people, outside of your Letters. It really does seem like only gay people with AIDS deserve recognition. Maybe it is that you do recognize gay and lesbian people, but conveniently omit any mention of their families. You see it is our

Mosque

Christians and Muslims and as a stimulus for the peace which the Holy Land needs so ¦ Continued from page 5 much," the statement said. for a potential papal visit. An Israeli official expressed regret over According to the agreement, Israel is to the churches' decision and said Israel was transfer some $95,000 to the shopkeepers in committed to freedom of religion for all . the area whose shops would have to be torn In a Nov. 5 interview with Vatican down, and the Waqf is to receive another 2.5 Radio, Patriarch Sabbah said it was unclear acres of land from the government for the whether the government's decision to allow construction of other institutions. the mosque would compromise a possible The Christian leaders called on Muslims papal visit to Nazareth. to support their decision to close the "The pope's visit depends on what conchurches. crete situation there will be in Nazareth . If "We pray to the Almighty that the the population will really be in division , if wounds of Nazareth will soon be healed, there will be disturbances — we don ' t and th at it can re-discover its special role as know yet, nor can we predict. The story is a symbol of the traditional and centuries- not yet concluded , the last word has not yet long peaceful coexistence between been said," he said.

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Capsule movie reviews... NEW YORK (CNS) — Following are recent capsule movie reviews issued by the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Film and Broadcasting. "The Bone Collector" (Universal) Grim thriller in which a quadriplegic police forensics expert (Denzel Washington) relies on a rookie cop (Angelina Jolie) to gather evidence and clues to the identity of a serial killer who is taunting the bedridden cop with a series of increasing ly grotesque murders. Directed by Philli p Noyce, the police procedural slides from engrossing to disappointing with its unsatisf ying revelations and gory wrap-up. Grisly violence, an implied affair, occasional profanity and recurring roug h language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV — adults , with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restri cted. "Dogma" (Lions Gate) Sophomoric religious satire in which a heavenl y messenger (Alan Rickman) persuades the last descendant (Linda Florentine) of Joseph and the Virgin Mary to leave her job in an abortion clinic and go to a New Jersey church to stop a pair of fallen angels (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) from regaining heaven by means of a plenary indulgence. Writer-director Kevin Smith fools around with updating biblical characters and jabbing at Christian stereotypes in a work without narrative coherence or comic consistency, relying instead on a mindless mix of irreverence and absurdity that has more to do with hostility than humor. Anti-religious, some intense violence, sexual references, substance abuse, assorted vulgarities , proBepJ

Sacraments: A New Understanding for a New Generation, by Ray R. Noll, Ph.D., associate professor of theology at the University of San Francisco and a deacon in the Santa Rosa Diocese , was published last month by Twenty-Third Publications. A "passionate love for catechetics " — especially adult education — and more than 25 years of teaching systematic motivated Noll to write the book, he said. The book is accompanied by a CD Rom disc of more than 250 pages of resources , many classic articles and other documentation highlighting the developments described in the text. Each chapter features review questions, discussion ideas, project suggestions , a glossary, and a related bibliography. The author sees the book and disc as a teaching aid for a new understanding of sacraments for collegians in upper division courses , deacon candidates, maste r catechist programs , adult study groups and as a resource in the parish RCIA process.

"The Suburbans" (TriStar) Trite comedy in which the love lives of four guys from a once-popular early 1980s rock band are complicated when they move in together to attempt to produce a comeback album. As directed by co-star Donal Lardner Ward, the characters are sophomoric , their romantic problems dull and the humor fiat. Sexual situations , intermittent rough language and minimal profanity. USCC classification is A-III — adults . MPAA rating is R — restricted. "Train of Life" (Paramount Classics) Bittersweet Holocaust fairy tale in which the village idiot persuades his Jewish nei ghbors to buy a train , dress some of them as Nazis and pretend they are being sent to the camps while they are actuall y attempting to get to freedom and Palestine. Writer-director Radu Mihaileanu creates an occasionall y poignant fable of hope flawed by contrived humor. Subtitles. Fleeting violence, implied sexual encounters, brief shower-room nudity and an instance of rough language. USCC classification is A-III — adults. MPAA rating is R — restricted. "-es:

CLASSIFIEDS

St. Gabriel's Parish in San Francisco has an opening for a parish organist. Position includes the responsibility of directing the parish choir. Resumes and/or information request to Fr. John Ryan, 2559-40a Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94116

41 5) 565-3699 CAUL ( OR 41 5)565-368 1 FAX (

415-731-6161 Resumes should be received by Nov. 30 , 1999.

New understanding

"House on Haunted Hill" (Warner Bros.) Formula horror film in which a murderous married coup le (Geoffrey Rush and Famke Janssen) and five strangers are locked overnight in a former insane asylum whose spirits rise, intent on killing all within its walls by dawn. Director William Malone 's uninsp ired remake of the 1958 original offers more gore than goose bumps and some nasty characters to boot. Sporadic violence, brief nudity, frequent profanity and recurring rough language. USCC classification is A-III — adults. MPAA rating — restricted .

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HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL The Archdiocese of Sante Fe is seeking applications for a Catholic principal for St. Pius X High School, Albuquerque, New Mexico for the 2000-2001 school year. The candidate must be a practicing Catholic, have at least five years of high school administrative experience, preferably a Catholic high school, a master's degree and be able to obtain a New Mexico administrative license. For an application, please contact the Archdiocesan Catholic School Office at (505) 831-8173. Deadline for submission of complete application is December 17, 1999.

fanity and recurring rough language. USCC classification is 0 — morall y offensive. MPAA rating is R — restricted.

Position opens January 16, 2000.

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO CLASSIFIED AD FORM

The Archdiocese of San Francisco has an opening for a top level Administrative Assistant in the office of the Vicar for Administration at its central offices (adjacent to Mission Dolores). The successful applicant will provide administrative and secreta rial support to the office by displaying strong organization skills and the ability to multi-task and prioritize the work on an ongoing basis while receiving a minimum of detailed supervision or guidance. The successful app licant will possess strong interpersonal skills, excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) and must demonstrate a high level of computer competence including recent experience on MS Word , Excel, and Outlook. A minimum of 5 years experience in a professional office environment and a typing speed of 60 wpm is required. Must be Roman Catholic in good standing with the Church and have a basic knowledge of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and its organizational structure . To be considered, please submit a cover letter with salary history and a resume to: Archdiocese of San Francisco, Attn: Rose Brown, 445 Church Street, San Francisco, CA 94114 or FAX to (415) 565-3648.

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New A.C.T. play takes up life choices, soul-searching By Annette Lust Young p laywri ght David Hirson 's award-winning "Wrong Mountain " starts off with the head y polemics of a pompous poet strugg ling with himself , his family, and others about the value of playwriting, which he scorns as a facile art. When , on a bet, he succeeds in winning a play competition and having his own play produced on Broadway, the conflict deepens. How important is his success if he does not respect the art form which brought thai success? Or has he wasted his life thinking poetry is superior to theater â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and therefore climbing the wrong mountain? This artistic and moral self-examination which poet Henry Dennett undergoes is symbolized in the opening scene in which a doctor informs him that a 40-pound worm in his intestines is devouring him and then only advises him not to eat corn. His soul-searching continues at a family dinner during which his ex-wife's successful playwright husband challenges Dennett to write a play. Dennett enters a playwriting contest, attends rehearsals of enthusiastic actors, and, after he wins, continues to debate the pros and cons of playwriting with his confrontational family and playwright friend. Althoug h the play 's content may appear restricted to literary-bent audiences , it leaves one wondering about one's own life choices and how they morally affect others. Have we also spent a lifetime climbing the wrong mountain because of pretentious or self-indulgent jud gments which led to wrong choices? The play 's theme may also seem overly serious and humorless. Yet, Hirson gets us through each verbose debate with a

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PRINCIPAL:

Parochial K-6 school in Ketchikan, Alaska needs Principal, starting 200001 academic year. School has 10 staff and 100 students. Prof, certification, admin./teaching exp. req 'd. Mail app. letter and resume to Principal Search Comm., Holy Name School, 433 Jackson St, Ketchikan, AK 99901-5715

TEACHER:

Parochial K - 6 school in Ketchikan, Alaska needs Teacher, starting 2000-01 academic year. Lifestyle must exemplify Catholic values. Teaching certificate w/elementary endorsement , and willingness to earn Alaska state certification, req 'd. Mail app. letter and resume to leather Search Coram., Holy Name School, 433 Jackson St., Ketchikan, AK 99901-5715

comical turn that lightens and objectifies some meaningful soul-searching. Directed by theater and opera director

Richard Jones, the production moves with a quick pace through indoor and outdoor scenes with "fantastical" sets by London-

On Dominican campus

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Anton Chekhov's Platonov will be performed at Dominican College 's Meadowlands Assembly Hall, between Acadia and Palm Avenues , San Rafael , on weekends Nov. 19 through Dec. 5: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. The cast of Bay Area actors and Dominican students will enact a modern English translation of the Russian classic farce directed by Sasha Litovchenko and Annette Lust. Above , Audrey Tijerina and Albert Martin Starr rehearse. General admission is $10; students and seniors $7; children, $3. For information: (415) 457-4440.

CLASSIFIEDS

CALL-

based Giles Cadle th at lend a comic touch to the ensemble. Tony awardee Ron Rifkin plays the self-indulgent , blase poet-playwright naturally. Daniel Davis is the histrionic stage director who brig htens the piece with extravagant humor, counterbalancing some of the more serious moments. Bruce Norris interprets the sensitive young writer, Adam , who probes the author to more soul-searching. The remainder of the cast are up to the task of enlivening a wordy text. Premiering such p lays as Hirson 's "Wrong Mountain " is another examp le of A.C.T.'s aim to discover and hel p develop original creations by upcoming playwrights as well as to provide a classical and modern repertory staged in new and innovative ways. "Wrong Mountain " will debut on Broadway next month at the Eugene O'Neill Theater. "Wrong Mountain " plays locally through Nov. 21. For information, call (415) 749-2228, A.C.T. is located at 405 Geary. Annette Lust is a member of the Dominican College faculty and the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.

Mosaic reminder

KPlX-TV' s "Mosaic" program that focuses on religious and valueoriented issues, airs Sundays at 6 a.m. The half-hour Channel-5 production rotates religious tradition s, and is cunently featuring a Lutheran perspective.

(4 1 5) 565-3699 OR FAX (4 1 5) 565-368 1

Director Mercy Center

DIRECTOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Human Resources, Sisters of Mercy 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010; FAX: (650) 347-2550; E-mail: HRCherie@aol.com

Non profit organization seeks FT individual to operate and maintain the local area networks of the Sisters of the Mercy Administration offices (25-30 workstations; 2 network servers) and Mercy Cente r (12-15 workstations; 1 server) and related equipment by providing installation , ongoing maintenance and support of all personal computer desktop hardware and software technologies and network services. Provides "help desk" support for system(s) voice and data user base. Bachelor of Science/Information Technology or related technical certification of personal computer software and hardware training courses preferred. Directly related work experience may be substitute d for college degree. Proficiency and demonstrated knowledge of computer systems and information technology including operating systems and their applications required. Ability to effectively work with a wide range of internal staff and external stakeholders with various levels of computer skills and knowledge, and ability to achieve results through influence versus direct authority. Demonstrates advanced knowledge of PC and Server hardware arch itecture and associated devices. Submit Resume by November 24th to: Human Resources, Sisters of Mercy, 2300 Adeline Drive, CA 94010; FAX: (650) 347-2550, E-mail: HRCherie@aol.com

CAMPUS EXECUTIVE DIRECTO R

HUMAN RESOURCE GENERALIST

Nonprofit organization on beautiful campus seeks FT individual to provide leadership for a team of professionals and volunteers to achieve the Mission of Mercy Center. The Director serves as chief administrative officer responsible for prpgram integration, collaborative leadership, and financial stewardship. MA Degree in Theology/ Contemporary Spirituality or related field required. Minimum 5 years administrative, financial management and program oversight, fund raising and public relations experience. Minimum 2 - 3 years supervisory experience. Demonstrates a pastora l presence in ministry and interpersonal sensitivity to matters of faith and welcomes the disciplines of Eastern and Western Spirituality, the Arts, active and contemplative ministry. The Director supports programs that attend to the whole person and enables progra m colleagues to be innovative.

Submit Resume by November 15 to:

Non profit organization seeks FT individual to be responsible for the overall management planning for the Sisters of Mercy campus; provides leadership and direction to management in a manner consistent with the Mission of the Sisters of Mercy, the Campus Direction Statement, and goals of the organization. Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or related field required; Masters degree preferred. Comparable experience may be substituted for degree. Minimum of five to seven years in an executive management position with a strong operations background. Previous experience in a not-for-profit and/or religious organization preferred. Ability to effectively coach multi-disciplinary teams and possess a commitment to employee empowerment. Able to work as a member of a team with a collaborative style of decision making. Ability to work with various constituents (i.e., civic community, vendors , consultants, religious community members and residents, etc.) Submit Resume by November 24th to: Human Resources, Sisters of Mercy, 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame,CA 940 1 0;FAX:(650) 347-2550,E-mail:HRCherie@aol.com

Nan profit organization seeks FT individual to provide administrative support to the Human Resources Department with specific responsibility for the coordination of training and orientation logistics; proposing, improving and maintaining Human Resources administrative processes , preparing reports and written materials , and follow-up an specific Human Resources tasks as assigned. Assumes primary responsibility for maintaining and updating the ADP/HR HRIS and for reconciliation of the insurance benefit billings. Works closely with Director of Human Resources in performing a variety of human resource functions including employee relations , development and interpretation of policies, consulting with supervisors on employment related problems , and follow-up on workers compensation and unemployment claims. Bachelor 's Degree in Human Resources Management or related field preferred. Minimum 3 to 5 years experience in all disciplines of Human Resources preferred. Submit Resume by November 24th to: Human Resources, Sisters of Mercy, 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame , CA 94010; FAX (650) 347-2550; E-mail: HRCherie@aol.com

First-person

Exiled bishop to speak

Hu rricane Mitch anniversary : will its victims be f o rgotten ?

Tara Carr traveled to Honduras and Nicaragua Oct. 24-30 as a representative o/Catholic San Francisco as part of a team of journalists hosted by Food for the Poor, a U.S.-based charitable organ ization that raises funds to provide materials to the poor of Latin America and the Caribbean. The first of her reports follows. Story and p hoto b y Tara Carr Just over a year ago — in late October — Hurricane Mitch struck Central America, the most devastating storm to hit the region in modern memory. For five days, Mitch dumped torrents of rain on the region. Survivors tell how the first rains came late at night as they slept; how the homes around them slipped down mountainsides; how they almost lost their lives in the flooding. The avalanches of houses and earth that tumbled down hills into rivers, ravines , and streams formed dams. As a result, lowerlying lands were flooded , destroying more homes and fields. It is impossible to determine how many people have died, but body counts alone have reached nearl y 10,000 in the region. Just as many have never been seen again. Nicaragua and Honduras were the hardest hit, and they are second- and third poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere, respectively, following Haiti. Prior to Mitch, Honduras' coffee and banana exports accounted for about 60 per-

cent of its 1997 exports. It lost 100 percent of its banana crop, and suffered staggering loses throughout the balance of its agricultural industry. Nicaragua, devastated by years of war, corruption, and international debt payment, simply lacked the infrastructure and funds to respond to immediate needs of its people as Mitch tore through the nation. No reliable numbers on immigration either within Central America or to the U.S. as a result of Mitch have been tabulated. Certainly the Bay Area, with a vibrant immigrant community and a history of welcoming the stranger, will absorb some of those fleeing the emotional losses of family and livelihood, as well as economic hardship. Hurricanes Floyd and Irene, earthquakes in Taiwan, Turkey, Mexico, mudslides in Latin America: How can middle-America Catholics begin to respond? Is the need simply too overwhelming to chip away at it? Are we made apathetic by the constant need? Do the disasters begin to run together? How do we react as we are constantly drawn by the media from one catastrophe to the next? Is there hope for those affected?

Hope for us? These questions guided me through a week immersion in post-Mitch Central America. Our Oct. 24-30 itinerary included a variety of projects — Catholic, interdenominational , and secular in sponsorship. Individual parishes , non-governmental groups, and other sectors of civil society have been assigned the bulk of reconstruction, employment, and economic development projects by their governments. Primarily, our delegation focused on the physical rebuilding of the countries and efforts to move displaced Hondurans and Nicaraguans from temporary, emergency shelters into individual famil y homes. We visited eight separate shelter and project sites. For example, in one community outside Chinandega, Nicaragua, near the Honduran border, 50 families lost homes and crops to Mitch. Food for the Poor, in collaboration with the American Nicaraguan Foundation, has over the past year purchased land, built homes, and provided beds, blankets," a well, kerosene stoves, and other necessities. In every site we visited, Food for the Poor responded to the pressing, immediate needs of the community, and sought in small ways — donations of sewing machines, material, and com grinders — for more lasting sustainability. The beauty of Food for the Poor is the direct pathway between a donor's contribution and the intended destination. Agency representatives make community visits to ask individuals what they need. This list of needs is passed to headquarters in Florida and a check is cut or materials are sent. Ferdinand Mahfood , Food for the Poor founder, commented, "We see every request as an emergency." As proof , no reasonable request thus far in its 17-year history has been denied, he said. Food for the Poor works with existing charitable and church agencies in each of the countries and sends supplies and donations through them, thereby reducing overhead costs. There remains a mountain of challenges: expanded employment, access to education , sustainability, planning for infrastructure and the future. An Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras Caritas representative commented, "Mitch is just a small part of the problems Hondurans face. Most essentially the problem is the lack of equal access to wealth." However, from a glimpse of the accompaniment of the international community, support of the developed world, and the initiative and knowledge of those affected, in a one week period I saw several thousand people achieving improved conditions. I spoke to dozens about their hopes and faith. My fear is that as world attention is, rightfully, drawn to the next catastrophe, the Mitchaffected communities will be forgotten. Jose Vargas and his family live in El Limonal ("the lemon grove"), Nicaragua , a post-Mitch community constructed between a trash dump and a cemetery. He said to me, "Take these pictures of our children home with you. Show them to other North Americans. Show them our children have to play in the dirt." I can't forget these words, ringing both with hope and desperation, and my responsibility to share them.

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Bishop Macram Gassis from the Nuba region of the Sudan, Africa will speak Nov. 16 on the plight of Christians in his country, where civil war and persecution have devastated religious minorities. A short documentary film will accompany the bishop's 7 p.m. presentation at the Sigall Building at Sacred Heart Prep, 150 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton. For more information on situation in the Sudan go to Internet site http://www.homestead.com/sudancrisis/. Leader of the El Obeid Diocese in the center-south of Sudan, Bishop Gassis lives in exile in Kenya and journeys into his diocese at risk to his life.

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