December 10, 1999

Guadalupepifyrimage Nearly 400 persons walked the 12 miles from South San Francisco 's All Souls Church to St. Mary's Cathedral Dec. 4 in a pilgrimage to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe , whose feast day will be celebrated Sunday. Pilgrims included Auxiliary Bishop John C. Wester (above) who also presided and preached at the concluding Mass at the Cathedral shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Below, Jessica Gomez Garcia portrayed the saint of the Americas , and a member of the Xiuhcoatl dance troupe pre^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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b y Tom Burke Lean on Me could be (he anthem of the 200 or so volunteers from St. Ignatius Parish who prepared and served meals for homeless persons for Iwo weeks around Thanksgiving and are ready to repeat the feat, with help from the parish confirmation class in January. Their good work is part of the movable feast that follows the SF Interfaith Council's emergency shelter for men that sets up at various churches including St. Mary 's Cathedral and St. Boniface during the winter months. Help, in the form of "donated materials" or "deep discounts " lias come from more than a few vendors , said Julia Dowd, director of social ministries at the parish. Up to 100 appetites are sated nightl y with entrees so far including London Broil , Lasagna, Lemon Herb Chicken and a traditional Thanksgiving banquet. Head volunteer chef is Joy D'Ovidio and leadership team members are Maria Bacigalupo , Ann McElwain , Therese Cannata , Mary Kane, Rita Livezey, Gretchen Reidy, Wanda Licktei g. Hats off to USF and the Jesuit community for donating use of the idle kitchen at Xavier Hal l which , until the Jesuits ' recent move to new quarters on Lone Mountain , fumed out some tasty daily chow. If your parish would like info on signing up, call Rita Semel at (415) 673-2190. If you 'd like to be among St. Ignatius ' disciples, call Julia at (415) 422-5901....

It's unanimous! Holy Namer Elisa Kennedy has been working at the polls longer than anybody in San Francisco.

The retired IRS worker was recognized for her 52 years of service at a City Hall reception in February. Of course she was there in 1960 when the nation elected its first £ Catholic prez, remembering how, as a Kennedy fan , p it was hard to "hold her tongue" as people passed C, . to cast their vote , "We are not allowed to utter a A §i r ,j word about candidates or ballot items ," Elisa said from Laguna Honda Hospital where she has volunteered for 18 years and her husband Tom for 20. The two celebrated 50 years of marriage at their Sunset £ parish five years ago....Thanks to Presentation Sister Monica Miller for information about her community's "Journey to the Mountain", a lectionary-based series of reflections on Advent and Christmas Time prepared by members of community and associates. It's the Sisters third book of reflections and available from a limited suppl y. Send your

I CATHOLIC

SAN FRANCISCO

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

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

Editorial offices are located at 441 Church St., San Francisco, CA 94 114 Telephone: (415) 565-3699 News fax: (415) 565-363 1 Circulation: 1-800-563-0008. Advertising fax: (415) 565-368!

Catholic San Francisco (ISSN 15255298) is published weekly except Thanksgiving week and the last Friday in December, and is published bi-weekl y during the months of June, July and August by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, 1595 Mission Rd., South San Francisco, CA 94080-1218. Annual subscription rates are $10 within the Archdiocese of Sat) Francisco and $22.50 elsewhere in the United Slates. Periodical postage paid at South San Francisco, California.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Catholic San Francisco, 1595 Mission Rd., South San Francisco, CA 94080-1218 Corrections: If there is an error in the mailing label affixed lu ihis newspaper, call Catholic Sim Francisco at 1-800-563 0008. [t is helpful to refer to the current mailing label. Also, p lease let us know if the household is receiving dup licate copies. Thank you.

From left: St. Ignatius volunteers Joy D'Ovidio , Cecilia Benedett, Kim Davis , and Louise Fu. request quick , with a check for $4, to "Journey to the Mountain ", Sisters of the Presentation , 2340 Turk Blvd., SF 94118. It 's a keeper and will fit right in with other Christmas keepin 's for use from year to year.... // was a p leasure running into Deacon Jerry Friedman and [earning he and his 1979 ordination class celebrated their 20th anniversary in April with Mass and a reception at SF's St. Anne 's Home where classmate Deacon Felix Soo is a resident. Jerry is a chaplain at San Rafael's Nazareth House and continues to preach and teach at his home parish of St. Isabella. The rest of the '79ers are Deacons Anger Aguilar, Roger Hernandez, Russell Holm, Robert Karp, Mar Tano, and Gary West. Former SF Archbishop John R. Quinn , who ordained the bunch , presided....It was also in 1979 that Mary Wakefield O'Neal, Silvia Herrero Duvaras , and Annette Adamis Bucher graduated from Notre Dame Hi gh School. On Nov. 6, they shared memories and "whatcha ' been doin 's?" with more than two dozen classmates at a reunion brunch in the dining room of their Belmont alma of themater. Princi pal Rita Gleason, a 1966 grad school , and alumnae director, Donna j| ^ Westwood , a 1964 alum , were there to wel•J^>\ come them home. Most are still Golden J?^%i>\ \.

Staters with Joan Fitzgerald ' Fountain , Dena Bastasini |gt V P|S|L / McKelvey, and Sue Wallace Kip' / Dedmond coming from other ' stars on the flag for the Ww / SP / fest....Deacon Bob Kahn of f' / Belmont 's Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish presided at his parents ' / renewal of vows at St. Rita Church, Fairfax, on Nov. 28. Hats off to Clare and Alan Kahn for whom the bells chimed in \. / SF's St. Dominic Church on Nov. 18, 1944. . >/ At St. Rita Elementary School the Web site is up and running at www.stritas.com . St. Dominic 's Young Adult Group just raised $2,000 for Catholic Charities' St. Joseph's Village with a swing dance fundraiser that drew more than 150 rug-cutters... .The Young Adult Office of the Archdiocese published the first issue of its quarterl y newsletter in October. It contains some great information about young adults by young adults. Hats off to Dominican Sister Christine Wilcox, director, and assistant Mary Jansen. If you want to get on the mailing

From left: Notre Dame High School alumnae Nerissa Hsia , Carrie Borgardt Sichley, Amy Fleischer, Jacqueline Durant, Suzanne Tyson Cambron , Lotti Gory Michelli, Jennifer Hopkins.

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list, call (415) 565-3629 or email sfyam@juno.com....

Longtime St. Monica 's parishioner and avid golfer, Joe Zappia, affirmed recently that some things are for sure.

Asked by a younger links lover to partner on an upcoming tournament , Joe, who is 81 and plays 18 holes dail y, suggested he ask someone younger. "You 're not old ," the young putter responded. "Don 't confuse me," Joe shot back. "I'm old."... Arthur Barrett of St. Raymon d Parish , Menlo Park , received a St. Vincent de Paul Society Ozanam Service Medal in October. Congrats and more congrats to the helpful octogenarian who recentl y celebrated his 85th birthday. He and his wife, Jane, volunteer "all the time" at the parish , St. Ray 's told us.. . .Valerie Meehan , a graduate of SF's Notre Dame des Victoires Elementary School , has recently joined the downtown school 's public relations and development staff. Valerie is a former chemistry instructor at SF City College and a well-known volunteer at SF's Martin de Porres Kitchen and St. Anne of the Sunset Parish where she teaches religious education and serves as lector and eucharistic minister. Princi pal , Mary Ghisolfo, is glad to have Valerie back, saying she "brings with her a warm sense of continuity emerging from Catholic education and tradition and adds a famil y feeling to the office." NDV celebrates its 75th year on Jan. 29. ...Father Mike Harriman , pastor, St. Cecilia Parish , has announced that new multi-purpose buildings at the Parkside District community will be called Durocher Pavilion. Marie Rose Durocher founded the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and the name is a "tribute to their extraordinary ministry " in "our parish school for 69 years," Father Harriman said. Pix of the project 's progress are available at the parish web site, www.stcecilia.com... .Washington 's federal types are encouraging consumers to be wary of the "free " or "low cost" computer offers currently about. Info on how these deals are often structured can be found in a Consumer Alert at www.ftc.gov ....Local free-lance writer and mom, Vickie Coe, filled us in on how students at Pacifica 's Good Shepherd Elementary "pooled their spare change " amassing almost $2,800. The money will go to the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Pacifica Resource Center and the Good Shepherd scholarshi p fund. Kudos to these kids....If you 're looking for an opportunity to help with kids, Catholic Charities ' St. Joseph Village can use you in their children 's activity program. Call Denise Botcheos at (415) 575-4920, ext. 218....

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Faith, science, government needed

Compas sion key in HIV/AIDS battle, confe rence goers told

By Sharon Abercrombie Abstinence. Condoms. Clean needles. Sex education .

Access to good health care, housing and food. More money to assist AlDS-ravaged countries. It will take all of these and more to curb the world-wide HIV-A1DS epidemic , a group of speakers told 400 people attending a state-wide conference on HIV disease at Most Hol y Redeemer Church in San Francisco Dec. 1-4.

During "A Call to Oneness: a Conference on Compassion and HIV Disease," partici pants heard a basic message from experts representing a variety of disciplines: Even though the idea of sex outside marriage challenges traditional reli gious beliefs, compassion must take precedence over moral stances.

Compassion must serve as the healing glue binding a diversity of solutions together.

Also see Archbishop Levada's column, "Ordinary Time," on page 5.

Sponsored by the Multicultural AIDS Resource Center of California (M ARCC), the conference brought together representatives from the government, science and religious communities to explore how they can be partners in the prevention, care and treatment of HIV and AIDS. Catholics, Presbyterians, Buddhists , Hindus , social workers, physicians, and disease control experts at both the state and national levels shared ideas, insi ghts and expertise.

"We need you," acknowledged Dr. Ronald Valdesseri, deputy director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta , GA., to the faith community. "It is the right th ing to do for us to work together to end this very serious global pro blem."

Although there has been a significant downturn in AIDS deaths in the U.S. - a 73 percent decrease from 1991 — the epidemic is not going away, he warned . While deaths have declined, they are not doing so at the same rate as they did in 1996-97. "This a signal that we may be seeing a leveling off of benefits from new medications ," he said.

Dr. Valdesseri said new bio-medical treatments can have a downside. "They are not a cure. Not everyone can tolerate them , either."

He provided current statistics on the disease in the U.S. As of 1998, there were nearly 700,000 people diagnosed with AIDS. Another 650,000-900,000 are living with HTV infection. An additional 40,000 people are being infected every

year. Another 200,000 Americans are HIV-infected and don 't know it.

"If they don 't know, what inducement is there to practice safer sex?" he pointed out. Dr. Valdesseri postulated that a significant number of infections among women could be attributed to this segment of the population. Sixty-four percent of new infections are among African American women, and 18 percent are among Hispanic women.

Dr. Valdesseri said the Center for Disease Control endorses abstinence, but not to the exclusion of other methods to hinder spread of HIV. "We all know that sooner or later, we act on our sexual feelings, because we are sexual beings. We also know that our young people are sexuall y active. So we must give them peer education programs to increase their knowledgeable skills around condom use. For those young people who do want to practice abstinence, they need help to teach them how to resist pressure to have sex."

It is a "both-and" approach , he told partici pants, because "there is no single intervention th at works for everyone."

Thomas Coates,Ph.D., professor of medicine and epidemiology and director of the AIDS Research Institu te at the University of California San Francisco, talked about the meshing of science and faith. Citing from the Old Testament, the Most Holy Redeemer parishioner observed that God was "not very nice" to his little tribe of nomads. He asked Abraham to kill his child. He wouldn 't let Moses enter the Promised Land, even though the patriarch had shepherded his people through the Sinai for 40 years.

But as perceptions evolved , Jews after Abraham and Moses grew to appreciate the importance of knowledge and

Priest honored for AIDS work A priest who headed up the Archdiocese of San Francisco 's first AIDS education program from 1988-93, received a "Commendation of Compassion" at the Dec. 2 evening session of the state-wide conference on AiDS/HTV at Most Holy Redeemer Church, San Francisco.

Father Rodney DeMartini received the honor for his work as executive director of the National Catholic AIDS Network, based in Santa Rosa. Father DeMartini has said he was pulled toward AIDS ministry H? the 1980s after the death of a friend from AIDS. Now a priest of the Santa Rosa Diocese, Father DeMartini said NCAN serves as a "prophetic voice" within the Church,

Prayer Service for Macao scheduled for Dec. 18 Sponsored by the archdiocesean Office of Ethnic Ministries , a prayer service for Macao as it passes from Portuguese to Chinese administration on Dec. 20 will be held Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. at Holy Name of Jesus Church , 3240 Lawton St., San Francisco.

The services will beg in with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Mass in Chinese will be celebrated at 3 p.m.

"When we face dramatic changes in our lives. We feel a little nervous about what lies ahead," said Conossian Sister Maria Hsu, coordinator of the service and director of Chinese Ministry for the Archdiocese. "We pray that God continues his blessings on the peop le and the Church in Macao."

the inherent value of each individual , Coates said. In later centuries , the Irish expressed their appreciation for ancient classical thoug ht , and advocated the importance of learning.

In doing so, they laid the groundwork for the compatibility of science and spirituality Today, HIV and AIDS are bringing the two worlds even closer together, he said, forcing people to grapple with "things we have never dealt with before."

Coates said a fundamental challenge "is to admit we are slouching toward progress in combating the spread of HIV. Europe looks at us like we're crazy." Coates said methadone and heroin can be obtained by prescri ption there, clean needle exchanges are available , and condom ads on TV are normal.

Coates maintained that "we could cut infections by one hal f, if we did all these things."

He called for the faith community to insist that HIV/AIDS go the way of smallpox . "The fact that we have moral hang ups is keeping the rest of this world from getting what it needs in the way of health care for AIDS." Franciscan Father Louis Vitale, pastor of St. Boniface in San Francisco, also deplored that the U.S. is only spending $145 million on AIDS prevention in developing countries, and criticized a government perception that countries like the Sub Sahara , where 60 percent of the population is dying from AIDS, are irrelevant.

Father Vitale encouraged conference goers to extend their sense of compassion. "Everyone responds to someone who is compassionate. We've got to integrate our spirituality with implementing the good health care techniques it is going to take to get rid of this epidemic. We've got to listen to the experts."

Sister Hsu has personal attachment to Macao, she said, because it was there she began thinking about converting to Catholicism. "The Catholic Portuguese influence is everywhere in Macao," Sister said. "It was witnessing the people 's devotion to their faith and the many processions in the streets to Fatima, Corpus Christi and others , th at enchanted me to the Catholic Church." She became a Conossian Sister in 1958.

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challenging the faithful to respond compassionately to HTV disease and those affected by it. In partnership with Catholic Charities USA and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, NCAN publishes a national resource directory which lists 550 Catholic organizations engaged in HIV/AIDS-related social, medical and pastoral work.

In a phone interv iew, Father DeMartini credited the Catholic Church for play ing an important role in responding to the AIDS crisis. The U.S. bishops, he said, have taken a "both-and" stance in communicating with Catholics.

Many Catholic facilities around the country, for example, are providing information on how the virus is spread, he said, while at the same time the Church underscores the importance of compassion as well as encourages individuals to live the teaching of sexual abstinence.

Father DeMartini advocates the teaching of human sexuality in Catholic parishes. "Otherwise our young people are going to learn it on the Internet."

In addition to Father DeMartini , two others were honored: the Rev. Yvette Flunder of the United Church of Christ for her work with the City of Refuge Community Church; and "Sister Ruth" for her work with Famil y Link.

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A mosaic of St. Peter hangs over the Hol y Door in this view from the interior of St. Peter 's Basilica. Pope John Paul II will unseal and open the door on Christmas Eve. Likewise , San Francisco 's Archbishop William J. Levada will break a seal on symbolic holy doors at St. Mary 's Cathedral at midnight Mass on Christmas _ eve to inaugurate to Jubilee 2000 Holy Year.

committed to promoting Christian unity, Pope John Paul II told the spiritual leader of the world' s Orthodox Christians.

"The Catholic Church is prepared to do everything possible to remove the obstacles , to support the dialogue and to collaborate in every initiative aimed at making progress toward full communion in faith and in witness ," the pope wrote to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinop le. The papal message was released Nov. 30 at the Vatican .

Gen-X 'vocationall y inclined '

ST. LOUIS (CNS) — The first collection of researc h in a five-year project stud y ing Generation X Catholics suggests they are open to the possibility of ministerial service to the Churc h , and that students involved in campus ministry are more likel y to consider a vocation than others. It suggests men are more inclined than women to pursue a reli g ious vocation. The research also showed college-age Catholics have relatively well-establishe d pattern s of worshi p retained from their high school days. The researc h information , which was released in November , is part of the St. Louis-based A quinas Institute of Theology ' s project "Generation X: Good Ground for a New Call to Ministry. "

Receives Church report on Chiapas

Priest and nun defend ministry

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The U.S. priest and nun barred by the Vatican from pastora l ministry to homosexual s have issued new statements defending their work and rep lying to a recent defense of the Holy See decision by the president of the U.S. bishops ' con ference. In a Dec. 1 statement , Salvatorian Father Robert Nugent said he was "deeply disappointed that the U.S. bishops chose to reject a request from 4,551 faithful Catholic laity, clergy and religious that the (National Conference of Catholic Bishops) collegiall y ask the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to reconsider their decision." Father Nugent and Sister ieannine Gramick, a School Sister of Notre Dame , were told by the Vatican congregation in Jul y they were permanentl y barred "from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons."

Priest turned down as chap lain

WASHINGTON (CNS) — A Catholic priest who was hi ghl y recommended by a bi partisan committee to be the new chaplain for the House of Representatives was ultimately rejected , and many in Washington say it might be the result of anti-Catholic bias. Father Timothy O'Brien , a Milwaukee archdiocesan priest and professor of political science at Jesuit-run Marquette University, was one of three candidate s, narrowed down from more than 40, whose name was presented to House leaders for the role as chap lain. And althoug h the three finalists were not ranked , House leaders were told that the 18-member bipartisan committee that spent about six months screening candidates, considered Father O'Brien best for the job.

Looking at tax money for schools

WASHINGTON (CNS) —With a case over Louisiana's use of federall y funded educational materials in parochial schools , the Supreme Court Dec. 1 once again waded into the murky question of just where tax money and religious schools can intersect. In oral arguments, the justices prodded attorneys for both sides in Mitchell vs. Helms to say

Scholars laud Dorothy Day a

A group of Church historians and theologians chose Dorothy Day as the 20th century 's most outstanding lay Catholic. Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, spent her adult life as an advocate for the poor and the rights of workers.

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where the constitutional line should be drawn separating acceptable tax-supported benefits in parochial schools from those that are unconstitutional. At issue is the way Louisiana spends its share of federal Chapter 2 funds , which provide instructional materials and equipment for use by childre n in public , private or reli gious schools.

Bishop s OK civil disobedience

Burlingame, CA 94010-5599

Israeli off icial rejects accusation

ROME (CNS) — Israel's ambassador to the Vatican rejected a Vatican accusation his government was stirring up religious antagonisms by its approval of a new mosque next to a major Christian shrine. Ambassador Aharon Lopez said the Israel i government had effectivel y defused Christian-Muslim tensions by allowing a smaller mosque to be built adjacent to the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth . The whole episode was being "overdramatized ," Lopez said Nov. 26.

SAN JUAN , Puerto Rico (CNS) — The Puerto Rican bishops conference has supported nonviolent civil disobedience to protest the U.S. Navy 's use of Vieques Island for target practice. The Church also will offer counseling services on making decisions of conscience to peop le interested in participating in civil disobedience , the bishops added. Their Dec. 1 statement came as many Puerto Ricans were planning massive civil disobedience campai gns if President Clinton allows the Navy to resume using portions of the inhabited island off Puerto Rico 's eastern coast for training exercises.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Portuguese bishops and Vatican sources said it was likel y Pope John Paul II would visit Fatima, Portugal , next May to beatif y two shepherd children who had visions of Mary in 1917. Although papal travel will be kept to a minimum during the jubilee year, it appeared the pope would visit the Marian shrine on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13.

Pop e: Cuba has nothing to f ear

Two named to Mercy Housing board

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Cuba has nothing to fear from the Catholic Church and granting the Church greater freedom would improve Cuba 's standing in the international community, Pope John Paul II said. Full respect for human rights "is fundamental for being able to win credibility on the international scene," the pope said in a message Dec. 2 to Cuba 's new ambassador to the Vatican .

Pap al Fatima trip said likel y

Partial-birth abortion bans blocked

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pro-lifers expressed disappointment N ov. 30 at an order by U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens temporarily blocking enforcement of partial-birth abortion bans in Illinois and Wisconsin. "The real losers in the delay are babies who can continue to be killed in the process of being born right here in Wisconsin ," said Barbara Lyons, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life.

Blames 'exclusion' fo r WTO violence

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The violent demonstrations th at disrupted the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle show that the world bod y is doing too little to involve civil society in its decisions , a Vatican official said.

"It is very clear that all over the world there is immense anxiety at globalization ," Bishop Diarmuid Martin , secret ary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace , told Cath olic News Service Dec. 1;

Church 'committed to Christianunity'

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church is

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The Second Half of Life—Seniors and those who minister to the aging are invited to a daylong journey exploring heart, meaning, and creative fire in the later years . Monday, January 10, 2000. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m .Cost: $45 including lunch and workbooks. Led by Ariel Abramsky and Sandi Peters. Registration Deadline January 2.

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MEXICO CITY (CNS) — During a five-day tour of Mexico , the U.N. human rights commissioner received a Church report on rights abuses in the troubled southern state of Chiapas and urged renewed peace talks in the state .

Mary Robinson , U.N. Hi g h Commissioner for Human Ri ghts , met Nov. 27 in Tuxtla Gutierrez , Chiapas , with 6 Bishops Samuel Ruiz Garcia of San Cristobal de las Casas 6x and Felipe Aguirre Franco of Tuxtla Gutierrez. The 20A. Ut page report says abuses were being aggravated by a "lowJ intensity war " by the government against the mostl y m Z U indi genous Zapatista National Liberation Army.

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SAN FRANCISCO—Two San Franciscans have been appointed to the board of trustees of Mercy Housing, Inc.: Jack Burgis, senior vice president of financial services and chief financial officer of Catholic Healthcare West, and Daughter of Charity Sister Eileen Kenny, executive director of Mount St. Josep h-St. Elizabeth Home. The two were chosen because of their interest and experience in the areas of affordable housing, finance and resource development , said Mercy Sister Lillian Murp hy, president and CEO of Mercy Housing, a national not-for-profit housing development and management organization headquartered in Denver.

Founded in 1981, Mercy Housing has 5,500 units that serve 11 ,000 people including low-income families , people with HIV/AIDS , senior citizens, formerl y homeless, and persons with mental and physical impairments.

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O RD I NARY T IME Compassion: communion with the suffering Following is the text of the address delivered Dec. 4 by Archbishop Levada to participants in "A Call to Oneness: A Conference on Compassion and HIV Disease " a state-wide gathering held at Most Holy Redeemer Church.

As Ihc leader of the Catholic community in San Francisco , I am grateful to be invited to take part in this interfaith conference on our response lo the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I have been asked to speak with you about "the sacred teachings on compassion that can be applied to people with AIDS" from the Catholic tradition.

Jesus Christ, the Compassion of God made visible At the core of Catholic faith we find , not a text or teaching, but the Person of Jesus Christ. This truth was eloquentl y pro claimed by our Holy Father when he visited San Francisco in 1987. Meeting with those suffering with AIDS at Mission Dolores , Pope John Paul said: "The love of God is so great that it goes beyond the limits of human language , beyond the grasp of artistic expression, beyond human understanding. And yet it is concretel y embodied in God's son, Jesus Christ , and in his body the Church.... God loves you , without distinction , without limit.

He loves those of you who are elderly, who feel the burden of the years. He loves those of you who are sick , those who are suffering from AIDS and from AIDS-related comp lex.

He loves the re latives and friends of the sick and those who care for them. He loves us all with an unconditional and everlasting love."

Jesus Christ manifested this compassion of his Father through his miraculous healings and the hope he imparted to those who felt they were beyond the mercy of God. St. Peter sums up succinctl y the whole mission of Jesus with this description: "He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil , for God was with him." (Acts 11:38) Jesus himself points out that these healings are the signs that he has come from God to usher in the Kingdom.

When John the Baptist sends messengers with the question , "Are you the one who is to come, or should we wail for another?" Jesus responds: "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard : the blind receive their sight , the lame walk , the lepe rs are cleansed , the deaf hear, the dead are raised , the poor have the good news brought to them." (Lk 7:22) But Christ came among us to do more than heal the sick.

He came to identif y with us in our weakness, to travel the road of suffering and death with us, and to lead us through death to new life. He taught us that compassion is far more than simply giving assistance to another. In the words of the American bishops in their 1989 statement on AIDS , "Compassion is much more than sympathy. It involves an experience of intimacy by which one partici pates in another 's life."

Jesus not only healed the sick; he also ate with tax collectors and sinners, and took the part of those who were avoided by others because of their illness or their behavior. Whiie in his earthly ministry he confined his ministry almost exclusivel y to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. After his resurrection he sent his disciples to preach the Good News to all peoples , and to tear down the bairiers between people which divide and isolate.

Jesus so fully identified with those whom others would isolate that he himself was driven out of the holy city and put to death between two criminals. He shared the fate of those who find themselves rejected , and in his agony sought the support of friends. He wanted his chosen disci ples to be with him as he endured his Agony in the Garden, and took comfort from the presence of his mother and the few disciples who stood by him in his dying hour. hi all this , Jesus reveals the compassion of God to us and provides the model of compassion for his followers in every age. To bring healing and strength , certainl y, but more deepl y to identif y with those who suffer and to recognize a true solidarity with them .

Inspired by this example, Pope John Paul stresses that true

acts of charily are never unilateral. In his encyclical on the mercy of God , the Hol y Father observes: "An act of merc i fu l love is onl y really such when we are deep ly convinced at the moment that we perform it that we are at the same time receiving mercy from the people who are accepting it from us."

True charity after the examp le of Christ is not limited tc providing hel p, dispensing a kind of largesse which ma) improve I he lot of others but which avoids any personal comArchbishop William J. Levada munion with those who suffer. Christ did not save us by his miraculous healings , but by identifying with us full y in every facet of human life , including suffering and rejection . communion which unite s those who suffer and those who Christian compassion must always contemp late the person hel p. We must be led by God into one another 's company. and examp le of Jesus Christ.

The challenge of the compassion which unites St. Francis, the mirror or Christ Illness and suffering always bring in their wake a certain We can study (he person of Christ by reading the text of the isolation; this is all the more tru e in the case of HIVancI AIDS , Gospels. But in our Catholic tradition there is another way to where illness often carries a moral stigma. All the more neclearn the way of Christ: from the example of the saints. essary is it to exercise a compassion which stresses the mutuProminent among them for the purpose of our meeting today is ality between th ose who suffer and their careg ivers. Given the that great saint who is the patron of our City, Francis of Assisi. moral teaching of the Catholic Church regarding homosexual St. Francis is undoubtedl y one of the most attractive fi gures activity, and the conflicts this teaching encounters in the politin the history of the Church. That very attractiveness can mis- ical climate of today, the call to compassion creates uni que lead us into conjuring up a romanticized version of the poor challenges. Since the epidemic of AIDS first hit our city in the man of Assisi. As a reality check , wc would do well to recall early eighties, many Catholic individuals and organizations , what Francis himself considered to be the turning point of his together with a host of our civic and religious groups, have life. Francis begins his Testament, written a year before his sought to provide compassionate care for those suffering from death , with these words: "This is how God insp ired me, Brother HIV/AIDS. Francis, lo embark upon a life of penance. When 1 was in sin, While we give thanks that in many part s of our communithe sight of lepers nauseated me beyond measure; but then God ty the tide of the epidemic has ebbed , and that medical breakhimself led me into their company, and I had pity on them." throughs have made it easier for many to live with HIV/AIDS , Very quickl y, this encounter between Francis and the leper we can onl y view with grave concern the rap id spread of these took on a very dramatic quality. The first Life of Francis writ- illnesses among the economicall y disadvantaged in our counten just a few years afte r his death quotes his Testament and try, and its horrendous impact in other parts of the world. The speaks of the care Francis gave to lepers . By the time Thomas danger is that in a society which tends to marg inalize the poor , of Celano writes his second Life 20 years later, he describes those who suffer will not be visible to us , and for this reason an encounter Francis has with a particular leper, whom he we will not recognize that we are, to use the word s of St. kisses. Thomas of Celano relates that after riding on a little Francis, "in their company." distance , Francis turn s to look back clown the road - but the But we are in their company. Is it possible , given all of the leper has disappeared. energy and resources we have poured into combat ing AIDS in The medieval mind would quickl y draw the lesson from San Francisco, to summon the compassion to deal with this Thomas 's second version of the Life of St. Francis: in the suffering as it hides in our poorer communities and wreaks leper , Francis encountered Christ. Stories of Christ appearing havoc beyond our shores? Would we not be justified in saying, in the guise of a poor man or leper were common in the "We have done our share; let someone else take their turn?" Is Middle Ages, and are founded on the words of Christ himself, compassion a diminishing resource? who says in Matthew 's Gospel that whenever we do an act of If compassion is an expression of love, its supply is inexkindness for anyone, we do it for hum (Cf Mt 25) haustible. This is a point Pope John Paul highli ghts in his 1 would suggest that we can draw an important lesson from reflection on the meaning of human suffering:"...we could say the first Life, and from the testimony of Francis himself , a les- that suffering, which is present under so many different forms son which has a particular import when reflecting on our in our human world, is also present in order to unleash love in theme of compassion in response to HIV and AIDS. Not only the human person, that unselfish gift of one 's Ton behalf of does Francis say that he had pity on lepers, but that God led other people, especially those who suffer. The world of human him into their company. The first discovery our saint made suffering unceasingly calls for , so to speak , another world: the was not that Christ was present in the leper, but that he and the world of human love...." leper were in the same company. Here again it is the compastUV/AIDS has challenged the city of St. Francis for almost sion of Christ, which recognizes a profound communion 20 years to unleash love, to enter into the company of those between those who suffer and those who help. Beneath the who suffer, and so to overcome the isolation which this illness veneer of Francis ' well-to-do background and privileged sta- can bring. This ordeal has been draining, emotionally and tus he came to recognize the common humanity which united physically. But it has called forth from us the world of human him with the lepers. Like them , he too was weak, poor and in love, which our Catholic tradition affirms is also the world of need of mercy. divine love, since the Son of God has irrevocabl y united himWe should not unde restimate how revolutionary this self to us when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. insight was for Francis of Assisi. In " the words of G. K. May no barriers — of sexual orientation , poverty, or geograChesterton , "Francis Bernardone saw his fear coming up the phy — ever permit us to seal up these wellsprings of love . road toward him ; the fear that comes from within and not from without... For once in the long rush of his life his soul must . * IdhtLayS^kl^^J-^ have stood still."

MosfRev. William J. Levada Christian compassion teaches that it is not enough to help Archbishop of San Francisco those in need , not even enough to show our love for .

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Indifference 'because we are black?

Exhiled bishop accuses West of 'a silence that kills

By Kamille Maher

• Assistance offered onl y to those willing to convert to Islam; • Nuba women frequently raped and used as soldiers ' concubines; • Nuba childre n sold into slavery; • Adults conscripted into militias to fi ght their own peop le; • Catechisls torture d and killed.

Bishop Gassis ' congregation resides in an area in central Sudan that is part ly under government con————¦—•——— tro | ant ] partl y under the control of the bi ggest rebel group in the Sudan. Its —Bishop Gassis p hysical isolation combines with political indifference to effect "disast rous consequences ," he told the Atherton gathering. .

According to a Sept. 14 U.S. Consular Information Sheet , the United States suspended its di plomatic presence in Sudan in February 1996. Visits by U.S. officials based elsewhere in the reg ion were suspended following August 1998 U.S. air strikes against .a terrorist-associated facility in Sudan .

In August 1998,the United States bombed the Al Shifa pharmaceutical p lant in Sudan. Intelli gence report s indicated the p lant was associated with international terrorist Usama bin Ladin and was a site for manufacturing chemical weapons , according to Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering, who spoke to journalist J ames Zogby during a Nov. 17 Middle East Broadcasting Center call-in show.

Prior to the U.S. bombings, terrorists had destroyed two American embassies in East Africa , according to Pickering. The Unite d States Department of State supp lied

An exiled bishop of Sudan made an emphatic plea for hel p in fi ghting the subjugation of his people who , he said , are "the target of a deliberate policy of ethnic eradication " and victims of a renewed slave trade.

Bishop Macrain Max Gassis made the charges and issued his plea Nov. 16 to an audience of about 30 during mmmm~~"""" an address at Atherton 's Sacred Heart Prep.

Shown after his presentation was a film titled , "A Hidden Gift: War and Faith in Sudan. " The Gabriel Meyer film documents the bishop 's accounts of slave trading, Christmas Day bomb raids , and other forms of persecution by the Khartoum reg ime of Sudan.

It was Bishop Gassis ' second visit to the Bay Area in six months as he continues a worldwide campaign to focus attention on the Sudan. His stops include several U.S. cities, nations of Africa, and the United Nations.

In his talk and his writing, Bishop Gassis has criticized the West for ignoring (he plight of his people.

Comparing the Sudanese experience with that of Europeans , 'Bishop Gassis wrote in a Jul y 19 Boston Globe, commentary, "The West is try ing so hard to save the Kosovars , spending treasure and blood , taking enormous political risks , and demonstrating great moral resolve and coura ge in opposing 'ethnic cleansing.' Meanwhile it has abandoned other people, my peop le, to the same fate. We do not understand. " He continued , "I pray that the reason for the indifMISSION DOLORES BASILICA CHOIR ference, for the silence that PRESENTS "MAGNIFICAT!" kills , is not that we are black while the Kosovars San Frniie.irieu's Holiday Season Gels Underway with are white, not that we are Mission Dolores Jiasilicei Choir 's Annual Christmus Concert Africans rather th an When: Sunday* December 12, 1999 at 7:00 pm Europeans. But I do not What* The Bay Area's Christmas .season kick off on Sunday, u nderstand."

Decmeber 12 , 1999 with the anneal chora l celebration by "Human rights were not the Basilica Choir of Mission Dolores. invented by any political Where* MissionDolores Basilica , 332] 16lli Slrci-l and Dolores, party," Bishop Gassis told Snn Francisco. The Basilica is easily accessible via MUNI , BART and SA.MTRANS. 1-W. parking is available , though the Atherton audience . limited , at Mission Dolores Grammar School.

"They are not the monopol y How: Tickets an- $15.00 lor adults and $8.00 for senior and students. of any government or any Tickets may be purchased at the Old Mission Gift Shop, in reg ime. They are Godfront of the Basilica on Sundays through December 12, at the door on the ni ght of tin; concert or throug h any choir member. given rights."

Bishop Gassis asserted For Ticket ami (intiip Sales, please call: 415/621-8203 that members of an Islamic fundamentalist regime which came to power in 1989 are oppressing his people, mostly Catholics from the Nuba congregation of the Ei Obeid Diocese in South Sudan.

"For years now, the regime has refused to allow the United Nations and other relief organizations , particularl y Operation Lifeline Sudan , to .deliver food in so-called 'rebel-held' areas of southern Kordofan ," ¦ ¦ ¦^¦' wrote Meyer, a poet and l$if\ : ' -: [ $A$V journalist who has taken on Wm the cause of the Nuba peoExtensive selection of exquisite jewelery and rings. ¦ pie as his own.

Or, let us help design your own.

According to Meyer and Compare at Prices 40% to 50% below market. other activists, ethnic and 111 Sutter Street reli gious persecution in San Francisco, CA. 94 104 Sudan takes several forms (415)781-7371 (800)781-7371 www.cresaliajewelers.com including: • Food used as a "weaValidated parking one block at 233 Sutter. pon of war";

'When we don't have the guts, we are not following Christ '

Bishop Macram Max Gassis addresses Nov. 16 audience at Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton.

this information on its Web site: www.usia.gov / top ical /p ol/terror/99111903.htm Reli g ious orders and relief agencies have been reluctan t to send assistance, according to Bishop Gassis.

He said he has contacted 150 reli gious orders to send relief workers , and has received one "semi-positive" response. The rest have told him it is too dangerous.

"I tell them, 'Of course it 's dangerous.

That's why we need you. Is your life more important than the people you are helping?'" . "The Church should stand up and point its finger at the cul pri t," he told the Sacred Heart audience. "When we don 't have the guts , we are not following Christ. " Bishop Gassis gave one examp le of "the guts" needed to free his peop le: buying BISHOP GASSIS , next page

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Church persecution on increase

Pri ests charged in Sudan refuse governmen t amnes ty

By John Norton ROME (CNS) — Two priests charged by Sudan with terrorism have refused to accept a government amnesty because it would imp ly confession of guilt, said MISNA , a missionary new service based in Rome.

Fathers Hilary Boma and Lino Sebit of

Bishop Gassis

¦ Continued from previous page back Christian slaves at $50 per child and $ 100 per adolescent or adult. Gassis said he has drawn criticism from organizations such as UNICEF for possibl y creating a profitable industry.

He defended the practice during his talk , remarking, "If the way of redeeming these children is wrong, please give us the solution."

"How much is the life of a child worth?" he asked the group of mostly Sacred Heart Prep parents. "Is it $50? You are parents here. Wh at would you pay ? Parents are ready to pay anything to redeem their children. Children say, 'Pay anything to get me back to my parents ' ."

On issues beyond the slave question , international supporte rs include Catholic Relief Services , Medecins sans Frontiere s, U.S. Agency for International Development , UNICEF: Sudan Emergency, International Committee for the United Red Cross, Methodist Committee on Relief , The American AntiSlavery Group, and the U.S. Committee for Refugees.

Still , Bishop Gassis perceives Westerners are ignoring the slaughter in Sudan.

In the Boston Globe commentary, he wrote , "The radical Islamic regime in Khartoum has announced many times that its plans for us are total disappearance.

It has killed many more of us - nearly 2 million - than the population of Kosovo. It has chased more than 4 million of us off our land , making us the bi ggest refugee population in the world. It has used man-made famine to starve hundreds of thousands to death."

He continues , "Is it that the West is indifferent to our suffering because it doesn 't see the strateg ic importance of Sudan ? Take a look at a map . Sudan sits just south of Egypt , just West of Saudi Arabia, just north of Kenya. It is the fulcrum between Africa and the Middle East."

At the conclusion of his ' 50-minute talk , Bishop Gassis instructed the Atherton audience not to pity his people.

"Love us," he suggested.

"Love is the virtue of the strong. Love is the virtue of the courageous. Love means sacrifice, caring and sharing."

I

the Archdiocese of Khartoum , Sudan , have decided to continue with their trial in the hope of receiving "full absolution " from the terrorism charges, MISNA reported Nov. 26.

The two priests were arre sted in July and August 1998 after a series of bombings in Khartoum , the cap ital of Sudan. Initially, they were on trial with more than a dozen Donations can be sent to Sudan Relief and Rescue, P.O. Box 1877, Washington , DC 20013- 1 877. The telephone number is (202) 966-8367 .

Web site s suppl y ing additional information are www.petersvoice.org and www.homestead.com/sudancrisis/organizations.html.

Sudan Relief and Rescue is a not-forprofit organization formed under Bishop Gassis ' leadership. Its purpose is to promote education about Sudan.

defendants before a military court. Earlier this year', their case was transferred to a local civil tribunal .

Sudanese President Omar Hassan el Bashir offered the pair amnesty in late November , MISNA said.

The priests ' decision to refuse the amnesty is share d by "all members of Sudan ' s Church , including Archbishop Gabriel Zubeir Wako " of Khartoum , MISNA said.

Archdiocesan officials and Catholic missionaries have called the trial a government propaganda ploy and say the priests were tortured into signing confessions.

The priests are accused of involvement in a series of attempted bombings in the capital. However, almost all of the ordnance were identified and defused by security forces well in advance of their timed explosion , MISNA said.

In early November , MISNA said gov-

ernment intimidatio n attacks on Churc h property and personnel had increased in recent months. Citing onl y some examples of a "new cycle of acts of oppression , " the news agency said government security forces: • Broke into the Catholic Secretariat of Khartoum in late October , beating up the office 's security guard and stealing computers and other equi pment.

• Confiscated the main sports field of Comboni College , a Catholic school , in August.

• Prohibited the celebration of Mass Aug. 15 in the Dorushab section of Khartoum.

• Expelled without explanation Canadian Father Gilles Poirier, a member of the Foreign Mission Society of Quebec , in August.

• Confiscated the Catholic secretariat 's radio transmitter and antenna in May .

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Brown and Ammiano

May oral hop ef uls claim to champ ion Catholic issues

By Kami lie Maher Both San Francisco mayoral candidates for next Tuesday 's run-off election have conceded the "Catholic vote " may be something to court , at the same time neither campaign admits to a specific strategy to attract Catholic voters .

Althoug h candidate Tom Ammiano has clashed with Catholic constituencies about domestic partnership laws and an Easter-day parade mocking religious women , he maintains he has much to offer Catholic San Franciscans.

"M y commitment to ending the unfair evictions th at are harming our communities throug h reform of the Ellis Act and the imp lementation of protections for our seniors and disabled fro m eviction , is well known and important to the Catholic Community, " the president of the Board of Supervisors said in a written response to Catholic San Francisco from his campaign office, Ammiano, a gay man born and raised as a Catholic to adulthood , has also championed the "living wage" cause which Archbishop William J. Levada and other Catholics also support.

"All my stands offer the Catholic community the access, openness and fairness that are so crucial to keeping San Francisco a city where we all can stay and raise our families," Ammiano said.

On the other hand , incumbent Mayor Willie L. Brown enjoys the major advantage of not having acted or spoken against Catholics , according to Brown 's campaign press secretary.

"Ammiano's problem is that he is extremely concerned about insensitive comments or actions when they concern gay and lesbian or obese people," Brown Press Secretary P.J. Johnston told Catholic San Francisco, "but he doesn 't seem to show the same concern for Catholics. Many people find that troubling. " "What Supervisor Ammiano is finding is he has said a lot of things and done a lot of things that catch up to you when you run for mayor," Johnston added.

Mayor Brown has cooperated with Catholic groups on several issues, Johnston noted , specificall y mentioning how as a member of the General Assembly, Brown helped pass legislation protecting local churches from restrictive "landmark" statu s on historic buildings.

As mayor, Brown helped broker a domestic partner health benefi ts agreement with the Archdiocese.

"Based on princi ples that most Catholics share, which is mercy and the good of all people, I think it was an argument that moved away from the acrimony that Supervisor Ammiano had in fact created," Johnston said.

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The mayor also met regularly with members of San Francisco Organizing Project to champion civic causes such as senior services and health care . In addition , students from Immaculate Conception Academy received Brown 's support in their fi ght to install cameras on Muni buses, Johnston added.

Neither campaign admitted a specific strategy to attract Catholic votes.

Ammiano said his approach appeals to everyone. "I stand for honesty and accountability and my message does not change depending on whom I'm addressing," he said.

"Our campaign is galvanizing people across the city including Catholic folks from the Mission to the Sunset who 've felt shut out of City Hall."

Brown's campaign has implemented a "specific plan to make the mayor available and approachable to all voters in San Francisco," Johnston said. "The mayor has attended as many community events, neighborhood festivals , street

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Supervisor Ammiano

fairs , church bazaars , and bingo nights as possible ," he added. "Not simp ly to go out and glad hand but to have the opportunity to interact and get feedback. " A fl yer circulating at pari shes has condemned Ammiano on severa l fronts. Produced by "Residential Builders Education Fund " and circulated by a group describing themselves as "concerned Catholic women " from several parishes the announcement contends Ammiano led a demonstration against Pope John Paul II during his 1987 visit to San Francisco; tried to pit the Greek Orthodox and Catholic churches against one another to defeat a senior assisted-living project at St. Thomas More Church; and attacked the Archbishop over the issue of domestic partner benefits.

Ammiano responded: "The Mayor 's allies in big business will stop at nothing, not even lies like the claim that I 'attacked the Catholic community,' in their attempts to paint me as 'out there,' despite my deep respect for all our city 's traditions , including our Catholic traditions."

Johnston said the fl yers had not originated in the Brown campaign but he did "not think any of the statements were false."

Catholics comprise about 25 percent of the city 's population. Whether they vote as a bloc remains an open question.

Ammiano told Catholic San Francisco, "of course" there is a Catholic vote. Brown aide Johnston expressed less certainty.

"We need to be careful about describing communities as monolithic , whether Catholic or gay or east side/ west side.

Certainl y, there are a great many voters who are Catholic and who do vote," Johnston said.

A History of the Archdiocese of San Francisco UIVLl

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Includes shipping & handling

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

RENEW 2000

Faith-sharing group s 'stir up the troop s ', say p articip ants

By Sharon Abercrombie Recentl y Marge Al quist of St. Cecilia Parish in San Francisco ran into one of her friends following their respective RENEW faith-sharing meetings that evening at the church.

"We all look so happy when we walk out of here ," observed the friend.

Al quist agreed comp letel y. "When we 're together, and feel the support of other people, it 's like having famil y ties," said the 77-year-old . "You can discuss things and say what you think. " Alquist and her friend are among 14,000 lo 15,000 in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to have taken part in the third "season" of RENEW which recentry concluded.

For Alquist , support from the seven other members of her RENEW group has been particularl y important this past year.

Withi n the past 12 months , she has suffered two strokes and two heart attacks. In spite of occasional bouts of sadness over the sudden bad health , Alquist appreciates the blessings she has in her life. She has five sons who hel p her on a dail y basis.

They, plus the concern of her group "make me feel God's lov e and help me to realize that the whole world isn 't bad."

An estimated 1,400- 1,500 groups have been meeting this fall throughout the Archdiocese with ei ght to 20 peop le partici pating in each one, according to Presentation Sister Antonio Heaphy who directs the archdiocesan Office of Evangelization and RENEW. An international movement started in the Archdiocese of Newark in 1976, RENEW brings Catholics and others together in small faith-sharing groups to pray and reflect upon Scripture and then apply the experience to their own lives to make a difference in society.

As the third six-week season came to a close, participants said they cherished the opportunities to become friends with people they 've only seen from a distance on Sundays at Mass.

It s good tor our faith to listen to one another s points of view," said Louise Fatimah, 79, a St. Cecilia parishioner and member of Alquist 's group.

Louise Souza , a member of St. Rita Parish , Fairfax , said she was impressed with this "season" because of its introduction to other faiths. "There are a lot of other ways to get

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At a recent RENEW faith-sharing session at the home of Apolonia Risano were, from left: Robert Shelly, Amy Risano , Lily Grajera , Cora Cabal , Apolonia Risano , Carmeiita Aoay, Violeta Shelly.

to heaven ," said Souza. She had just arrived home from her morning session. The group had looked at Islam and Hinduism. Souza was deli ghted to learn both reli gions also have a supreme being and the Golden Rule.

Her friend , Ethel Brushini , a convert 40 years ago, said RENEW has underscored for her that giving time throug h volunteer work is a form of praising God. Since Brushini has served as a long-time volunteer , formerl y at the Presidio Hospital , and now with Hel ping Hands , that 's encourag ing to her, she said.

These and other similar experiences are good feedback for Sister Antonio Heaphy. The program is desi gned to produce such results, she said.

St. Cecilia had 220 peop le gathering in 18 groups , said Dr. Carol Braga , parish coordinator for the program . St. Rita 's had 120 people meeting in 14 groups , according to Kathleen Silverthorne , parish coordinator .

There are two more six-week "seasons" to go — one which begins Ash Wednesday of 2000 and one " set for the fal l of 2000. In the most current season , titled "The Call to Evangelization ," ecumenism was touched upon and will be further emphasized in the spring. However, it will be paired with the theme of reconciliation. The final season will hel p people to reach beyond themselves , and even beyond volunteerism , "to question the flawed systems in our society which make it necessary to have soup kitchens, clothing pantries , and literacy training, in the first place," said Sister Heaphy.

For many peop le the group experience is a continuation .

Agnes DePatta, St. Rita 's group facilitator , partici pated in a smal l RENEW group at her parish over 18 years ago. "We had to scrounge around for materi als," she recalled. In 1987, when the first official RENEW began in the RENEW, page. 14

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'It's like living right next door to heaven' little Sisters who staff St Anne 's include Mother Maria Christine lynch and Sisters tkkne Maz ier, Irene Caliag han , Margaret Teresa, Margaret Patricia lennon, Germaine Regina, Mary Emiiie Simon, Michel Brodeur , Reg ina Kolb , Marguente f erber, ¦Denise Heffe rnan and Virginia Brooks, 86, enjoys the exercise room frequently.

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St. Anne 's Home readies to celebrate nearl y a century of Christmases and ministry I] Story and photos by Evelyn Zappia

Shrine in Lourdes. In addition to St. Anne residents, the Kni ghts also invite other On any given day a student can be seen brushing a resident 's hair, pushing wheelBay Area elderl y. chairs so residents can enjoy the garden, play ing the piano , feeding a disabled resident, The dozen Little Sisters perform their ministry with great "humility of heart." and conversing in languages from Cantonese and Arabic lo Russian and Spanish. "'.-.] nside St. Anne 's Home on Lake Street, memories of Christmases past encompass ' It s witnessed daily and described by Maria Chambers, a six-year resident, "They Volunteer students often first find their way to St. Anne 's Home to fulfill j "the horse and buggy days " to the present. It 's a place where the youngest person are compassionate and patient ladies, bvery day 1 watch them required community service hours. Yet the Little Sisters point out is 71 and the oldest is 106. It 's a place where memories of historic significance walking hand-in-hand with someone in great need down the that many return on days they are not scheduled. A young man are recounted first-hand. hallways, never letting anyone stumble." showed up one weekend because it was warm and, he thought, | It is also a place where the Little Sisters of the Poor dedicate their lives to the True to the tradition of being "hidden by humility in all God "The ladies might like a wheelchair push through the garden." elderl y and help them continue making dreams for the future . wants from you ," the Sisters find it difficult to accept acknowlThe mother of one teen volunteer note d, "I thought I'd never "The main focus for the Sisters during the Christmas season is .giving more edgement and praise for their ministry — often leaving the hear it, but today she said to me, 'Hurry up, mom, I'll be late for attention to the individual needs of the residents because Christmas can be diffiroom when kind words are spoken about them.

Mass!'" cult for them," said Mother Mari a Christine, responsible for the 85 residents.

"The Sisters at St. Anne 's Home work so hard - 24 hours a Students from St. Ignatius , Sacred Heart Cathedral , Riordan , "Often the elderly are reminded of family members they lost. Many have no rela" "This day, said Helen Adela , receptionist for over 20 years.

Mercy, Washington High , Wallenburg, Convent of the Sacred tives left in their lives and the Sisters are here to provide whatever it takes to place is truly a home, a home for everyone."

Heart , and Lowell high schools "interact with the residents on ]| bri ghten their holidays."

"It 's like living ri ght next door to heaven ," said 86-year-old many levels," said Mother Maria Christine. "One young Jewish Blessed Jeanne Jugan founded the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor resident Virginia Brooks. lad even came to St. Anne 's to fulfill his hours before his Bar nearly 160 years ago (1839). The initial inspiration of Blessed Jeanne Jugan Elen Totah, 71 , a native of Palestine said, "The Sisters ' sinMitzvah." requires from each Little Sister "a daily living of poverty, simplicity, humility of cerity is given freely to everyone. I will love them always."

In addition , confirmation candidates from Star of the Sea, St. heart , vibrant faith and loyalty to their missionary tradition and Youngest of the residents, Totah is blind. Yet, Thomas Apostle and St. Anne 's have contributed talents and i 1 family spirit. Remain little , hidden by humility in all God wants she can often be found in the craft room knittime.

Sister Margaret Patricia from you , as being only the instruments of his work." ting beautiful sweaters.

More than 1,978 hours of service to St. Anne 's Home of stuThe Little Sisters have done that since 1902 on Lake Street. ," "They are so humble, so kind and considerate said Haniet dent volunteer hours were recorded for the summer months of 1999.

Three of the 12 Little Sisters in residence at St. Anne 's have For nearly a centu ry, The Little Sisters of the Poor have been welcoming the Coyne, 83. "I feel fortunate to be so happy and well taken care six biological sisters who also are members of the Congregation elderly and receiving them as members of their own family. "It 's our life on Lake of at my age." of the Little Sisters of the Poor. And this Christmas Eve , Little Street — the wonderful elderly make our lives so worthwhile," smiled Mother Mother Maria Christine explained that caring for the elderly "No longer Sister Helene will celebrate her 100th birthday." are our reshas changed a great deal over the years.

Maria Christine.

Annually, the Little Sisters visit parishes to "beg" (for alms) There are many volunteer opportunities available at St. Anne's Home. The idents in their 60s or 70s. Most are 80 years or older and still — keeping in tradition with their ministry — to continue their Sisters need painters, gardeners, office help and more. To inquire or to contribute quite active. They keep in shape in our exercise room and attend service to the elderly. Also, they "beg" daily at the Farmers to the Little Sisters of the Poor ministry, write 300 Lake St., San Francisco , 94118, physical therapy classes."

Produce Market in South San Francisco to provide vegetables to ' a resident, describes 78, Twigg-Porter, or call (415) 751-6510.

Jesuit Father George ' the balanced meals they serve the residents.

St. Anne s as "an encapsulated United Nations mpm "The vendors at the market are remarkable," said Mother without the rancor , fights , genocides, hatred , Christine. "We never know what we are going to receive, but it 's bias , or bigotry that is often seen in many of the always good quality. Our residents certainl y get a variety." member countries of the U.N." Mother Maria Christine tor on ^reparations Lake Street are keeping resi"How wonderful it would be it the u.IN . visitChristmas dents, staff and volunteers busy. Residents are currentl y rehearsing their Christmas ed St. Anne's Home," the priest added. "We have 20 nations repreproduction , a millennium play based on Church history. "It begins with the birth sented here from our staff and residents . The life of prayer and the of Christ and continues through the lives of the saints. It will be presented at our congenial atmosphere of our surroundings help to bring about famil y and staff Christmas party on Dec. 19," said Mother. peace, even among divergent ideas, even beyond politics."

Another Christinas project is the "Christmas wish list " based on a list providThe global and cultural diversity is impressive and includes ed by each resident. The Ladies Auxiliary of St. Anne 's purchases and wraps the Algeria, Bosnia , El Salvador, England, China, India, Peru, Russia , gifts. "Everything the Auxiliary does for us is with a personal touch," said Mother.

Yugoslavia, and the United States.

"We greatl y appreciate their hands-on approach with the residents. " The Ladies The backgrounds of residents are equally varied, among them Auxiliary has supported St. Anne 's since 1982. an actor turned priest, an opera singer, a chef, a homemaker, a The Kni ghts and Dames of Malta are also on Mother Maria Christine's apprecischool teacher. ation list. "They share the same hospitaller spirit of service to the poor as the Little Mother Maria Christine attributes St. Anne 's success to its staff Sisters," she said. "Several times a year they host holiday parties complete with onand volunteers. "Our people don 't just work here," Mother said, site gourmet meals. They prepare the meals in the kitchen and serve the elderly." "they are committed to the elderly. And I can 't say enough about For the last tirree years, the Order of Malta members have shared with St. our student volunteers ."

Anne 's a capsulated version of their tradition of bringing the sick and disabled to Peeling apples for applesauce are St. Anne 's residents, Lourdes , France. The annual event, "Day at Lourdes ," is a p ilgrimage presented at from left: Eva Kelly, 92, Alby Huntt/97, and Mary Kelly,89. the Grotto site in the backyard of the home which closely resembles the Marian ¦WIIIMHII IHIIIIIIIIIIIIH I

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Funds ' source clarified

S top delays and app rove assisted-care f acility The San Francisco Planning Commission on Dec. 16 will consider approval of an elder care facility that a Catholic/Lutheran partn ership has proposed to build on available land at St. Thomas More Newman Center on Brotherhood Way. The proposed project is a 132-room assisted-care facility to be constructed by a nonprofi t developer and managed by Elder Care, a nonprofit entity co-sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Burlingame Regional Community, and the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Elder Care operates other facilities including the Mercy Retirement Care Center in Oakland.

The idea of building an assisted living facility on the St. Thomas More site arose several years ago, and can be traced to former Auxiliary Bishop P.J. McGrath and others . Two and a half years ago, the Archdiocese approached Elder Care and invited the alliance to submit an application to the City of San Francisco for the 107,000 square-foot retirement center. The facility would reserve 12 rooms for aging Catholic priests, and 15 rooms with 24 beds would be set aside as an Alzeimer care unit.

Archbishop William J. Levada has expressed unwavering support for the Elder Care facility, noting, "The Archdiocese of San Francisco is anxious to do what we can to assist our ever-growing population to be taken care of and assisted in their later years."

The assisted-care facilty also enjoy s the support of more than 30 elder care agencies, housing groups and local neighborhood associations, including the Commission on Aging for the City and County of San Francisco, the Goldman Institute on Aging, On Lok, and Meals on Wheels. In addition, City officials have stated that the project has no potential for a negative environmental impact and city planners have issued favorable parking and traffic impact reports.

The pastor of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (also on Brotherhood Way), Father Anthony Kosturas, lends his strong support to the project because the endeavor is nonprofit and will remain under Church control on Church property.

Yet, at two previous hearings this year, the San Francisco Planning Commission has delayed voting on the proposed assisted care facility, largely due to opposition from a group whose members say they number about 100 people. Also challenging the facility is San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano. In a letter to the Planning Commission, Ammiano mis-stated facts behind the City's role in establishing the .nature of Brotherhood Way. Ammiano did not do his homework nor did he speak with Elder Care, the Mercy Sisters or anyone at the Archdiocese before taking his position.

Archbishop Levada, Auxiliary Bishop John C. Wester and Vicar for Administration Father Harry Schlitt all have met with members of the opposition group. Elder Care, the Archdiocese, and the developer have held numerous meetings with the group and have been responsive to parking and traffic concerns related to both the church and St. Thomas More School. Parking spaces in the new facility have been set aside for the church and the school and a traffic expert has designed a flow for the delivery and pick-up of school children. Dominican Sister Glenn Anne McPhee, superintendent of Catholic schools, has attended virtually every meeting on the issue and the Department of Catholic Schools is 100 percent in support of the project.

The assisted-care facility would be built on land curren tl y unused except for parking on Sundays. To take care of the Sunday parking issue, the Archdiocese has suggested that the St. Thomas More schoolyard could be used for this purpose. But the group opposes this idea, despite the fact 75 percent of the parishes with schools in the Archdiocese use schoolyards for parking with no significant problems.

The Elder Care facility is an excellent use of available land, a use that retains the reli gious nature of Brotherhood Way. It provides opportunities for ministerial outreach to ailing elders in the community and allows interaction among residents, their families and school children at liturgies at the St. Thomas More Church. It is time for the San Francisco Planning Commission to end the delays and approve this needed and worthwhile resource for elders.

MEH

There has been some confusion regarding the source of archdiocesan funds used to make a contribution to the committee that is organizing and promoting the Protection of Marriage Initiative , which will appear on the Marc h 2000 ballot in California.

Earlier this year California bishops adopted a position in favor of the initiative , which would add to the California Famil y Code the sentence: "Onl y marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. " This action put the Catholic Church on record in support of legislation that guarantees an important point about the meaning and puipose of marriage , a key element of Christian and Catholic doctrine.

In addition , each of the 12 Catholic dioceses of California made a contribution to the campai gn based upon a prorated amount of their annual assessments to the California Catholic Conference.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco funded its $31,724 contribution from a bequest made many years ago for the purpose of training the laity in the princi ples of Catholic action , including the Church' s social teaching. The ordinary bud get contribution from parishes was not at all affected.

Father Harry Schlitt Vicar for Administration Archdiocese of San Francisco Ed. note: State Attorney General Bill Lockyer has reportedly ordered the title of the March initia tive on marriage to he changed from "Definition of Marriage " to "Limit on Marriage " in response to a formal comp laint filed by opponents of the proposed law who argued the orig inal title was misleading.

"I would've been here sooner, but I was busy eating my vegetables , doing my homework and minding my parents."

Š1999 CNS Graphics

with peop le in countries having different cycles of luck , to the benefit of all.

John A. Wills San Francisco

L

Mechanics of recovery

Meetings or meaning?

In your Nov. 19 issue George Weigel pauses between puff pieces promoting his canonizing biograp hy of Pope John Paul 11 to do a little deconstructing of Vatican Council II which, he insists , was summoned by John XXIII to turn Catholicism into an "evangelical movement ". He dismisses Cardinal Martini 's plea for collegiality as a "passion for more meetings " when it is obvious that the Cardinal hopes for real consultation by the pope with his fellow bishops instead of sham synods with pre-planned exclusive agendas and preordained conclusions.

The concept of colleg ial ity, so prominent in the documents of Vatican II and so scrupulousl y avoided in Rome, is not realized by consultations between the Hol y Father and Cardinal Ratzinger. An ongoing consultative process among the bishops including the Bishop of Rome in this age of instan t communication is not only possible but likel y will be necessary if the Gospel is to be "taught compelling ly" and the cause of Christian unity is to be advanced in this multicultural world.

If restorationists like Mr. Weigel really want to know how a consultation among the bishops can further collegiality in the day-to-day life of the Church , they should consult the writings of Archbishop John Quinn (especially "The Exercise of the Primacy ", Commonweal , July 12 , 1996 , and Reform of the Papacy: The Costly Call to Christian Unity to be published next month by Crossroads) where there are very specific examp les offered. Perhaps then , their terror over a possible Vatican Council 111 can be ameliorated. Perhaps not.

Robert M. Rowden , M.D. San Rafael

T T E E S

Let me contribute to the dialogue started by Tara Carr regarding relief from hunicane strikes (and, by implication , other disasters), a he describes direct aid and, to build up a more resilient economy, Grameen-style banks.

So far so good, although I wish the banks could he replaced by some kind of equityinvestment system.

How is North Carolina recovering from its own hurricane disaster?

Firstly, there are federal subventions , direct aid from the rest of the United States acting throug h the federal government.

Secondly, there is the more resilient economy. Thirdly, there is property and casualty insurance .

The Central American states are not in any U.S.-style federation , so the kind of insurance available from belonging to a superstate is not available to them. But the clergy and other church-related workers might do well to point out the sinfulness of Central American leaders in fouling up every attempt at teaeration. Ut course , all the Central American states are at present poor, whereas all the U.S. states, even Alabama, are rich , But insurance should be available.

I do not know what insurers are active in each Central American state , but it would be worthwhile to ask them to give quotations for insurance of poor people 's property. The amounts insured would be small , and so therefore should the premiums be, except for the problem of administration , which does not become much smaller because of smallness of the property insured.

Better off organizations(such as the parish) would do well to take out insurance , and th is would indirectl y help everyone.

And perhaps parishes could form co-operatives to insure parishioners ' property jointly, reducing the administrative costs. In that way the parishioners could share their luck

Letters welcome

Catholic San Francisco welcomes letters from its readers. Please: >- Include your name, address and daytime phone number, >* Sign your letter. >- Limit submissions to 250 words. >ÂŚ 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 941 14 Fax: (415) 565-3633 E-mail: dyoung@catholic-sf.org

The CatholicDiff erence

Culture of death at Princeton

George Weigel W hat do you call someone who argues that a chicken has more moral value th an a baby and proposes a four-week waiting period during which parents can, with legal impunity, commit infanticide on their newborn child?

Weird? Morally-challenged? Deranged?

What do you do with people like that? Get them into counseling, quickly? Lock them up?

Well, at Princeton , they 've given Peter Singer, who has made precisely that argument and precisely that proposal , a chair in bioethics at the university 's Center foi Human Values.

The furor over Singer 's appointment has raged since the Australian philosopher and animal rights activisl arrived in New Jersey earlier this year. But now the two faculty members most instrumental in Singer 's appointment, Amy Gutman and George Kateb, have written Princeton 's board of trustees, whining that complaints about Singer 's chair constitute an "attack on academic freedom " that has "shuck , at the heart of Princeton."

Moreover, they and other Singer acolytes argue, the Australian 's presence on campus is a blow for "intellectual diversity."

All ot which demonstrates , graphical ly, the depths to which serious argument has sunk at what was once a crown jewel of American higher education.

Imagine, Jody Bottom wrote recently in the Weekly Standard , something different: "There exist distinguished thinkers with views opposed to Singer 's — the British p hilosopher G.E.M. Anscombe, for instance, who since the 1950s has translated Wittgenstein , written on moral theory, and defended pro-life positions. Suppose Anscombe were to argue (as she has not) that doctors who perform abortions have ceased to be human beings and we have a duty to assassinate them. Now there is a wrongheaded view that 's currently unrepresented amid the ostensible diversity of thought at Ivy League schools. But can anyone imagine the faculty and trustees rising in the name of academic freedom to defend the ri ght of someone to pronounce it from a chair at Princeton University ?"

The appointment of Peter Singer — a man who has argued that there is no such thing as an inherent inviolability to human life — to a new chair of bioethics at Princeton is not about diversity. It is a deliberate provocation. What was once understood to be an unshakable first principle of morality is now, according to the tenured relativists at Princeton , to be considered an arguable point. In making this appointment and then defending it in the terms it has, Princeton has further cheapened the notion of academic freedom, reducing it to a clumsy slogan with which to frighten the university 's critics..

Whether Peter Singer lasts at Princeton , though, is almost beside the point. For, as Jody Bottum goes on to observe, "there is a sense in which Singer 's promoters have already won . His presence at Princeton compels

presidential candidates to take a position against infanticide. It forces columnists and pundits to explain that they are personally opposed to baby-killing, thoug h they can 't quite say why.

"Even if, after extended discussion , we answer as a nation that Singer is wrong, it is too late. His appointment transforms the slaughter of the innocents into a debatable moral question rather than an undebatable moral princ iple — the touchstone by which we ate able to j udge the Tightness or wrongness of other moral claims."

Some years ago, when Pope John Paul II first began using the phrase "the culture of death" to describe the utilitarian ethics that Peter Singer has publicized , reporters asked me whether I didn 't think the pope had gone a bit over the top. I responded, then, that the phrase might be a little sharp for American ears, but that it pointed to some serious problems in our moral culture.

Today, I wouldn ' t hesitate a moment. There is no other way to describe Peter Singer accurately than as an avatar of the culture of death. His Princeton appointment, and the terms in which the university administration has defended it, are further confirmation (as if any were needed) that American higher education is in deep, deep trouble on the threshold of a new century. And because of the impact our culture has on world culture, the effects of this "debonair nihilism," as Father Ernest Fortin once aptly called it, are sure to spread globally.

The withering of the ivy in the Ivy League has implications far beyond the Princeton faculty club.

Singer's appointmen t transforms the slaughter of the innocents into a debatable moral question rather than an undebatahle

moral p rincip le.

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

On Being Catholic

St. John the Baptist and Avent

Father Milton T. Walsh

by the popular image of John , the best role we could pick for him would be that of a fanatical street preacher, warning us of the imminent end of the world. Earnest, zealous, uncompromising.... and joyful?

Surprisingly, the Gospels describe John as joyful , indeed as filled with joy even before his birth. When Mary, carrying the unborn Christ, entered the home of Elizabeth, the elderly woman told her young cousin , "The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby leapt in my womb for joy."

(Lk 1:44) At the end of his life, John himself spoke of the happiness he felt in the presence of Christ: "It is the groom who has the bride. The best man waits there listening for him and is overjoyed to hear his voice. That is my joy, and it is complete." (Jn 3:29) It seems that John did enjoy a party after all, provided it was the wedding feast of Christ and his bride.

Jesus was John 's joy. He teaches us that the asceticism and zeal of the saints are fueled , not by hatred of the world, but by a greater love. I am reminded of St. John of the Cross, whose self-denial unsettled even St. Teresa of Avila. "So many crosses! So many skulls!" she exclaimed when she saw his poor hut at Duruelo. And yet John could write with unmatched lyricism of the beauty of creation, when that creation is received — as it should be — from God as a gift, rather than snatched by us in our desire to make gods of ourselves.

John the Baptist gives us the secret of joy and the path to holiness by a simple formula: "Christ must

increase, I must decrease." (Jn 3:30) Christ in me, my truest self, must grow, and this can happen only if my egotistical, grasping false self diminishes. So elementary, and yet so central, is this teaching that the Church finds it reflected in nature itself. We celebrate the birth of John the Baptist in late June , and from his birthday on the days grow shorter and shorter. We celebrate the birth of Jesus m late December, and from his birthday on the days grow longer and longer.

John was privileged to be the last of the prophets, the one whom the eastern Church calls "the Forerunner" because he prepared the way for Christ. This vocation is his still, and will be until the return of the Lord in glory. Amidst all the twinkling lights which distract us, the artificial suns which promise a new dawn but always burn out, John continues to cry out as he did 2,000 years ago: "Behold the Lamb of God!" He is not the light, but the one who bears witness to the Light, not the Bridegroom but the Bridegroom's friend.

At the other end of this holiday season, when the brittle Christmas tree and shreds of gift-wrap proclaim how passing are all earthly celebrations , this prophetic figure will still point out to us the Joy that no one can take away, Jesus Christ.

J o hn the Bap tist gh/es us the secret of joy: . . .

"Chris t must increase, I must decrease."

J- here is no season of the year when the contrast between the Church and the world is more pronounced than Advent. Everywhere we go, we hear Christmas carols and see twinkling lights. Yet in our churches we find the somber hues of violet, plaintive chants of expectation and a few candles flickering in the Advent wreath.

And there is no greater example of such dissonance than John the Baptist. This fiery, austere figure would hardly be at the top of our guest list for a yuletide party.

The latter-day Elijah reminded his contemporaries of the uncompromising prop het who was consumed with zeal for the Lord of Hosts, the one who called down fire from heaven to destroy his enemies. Hardly in the holiday spirit.

That John had something of a "PR" problem Jesus himself points out: "John appeared neither eating nor drinking, and people say, 'He is mad!'" (Mt 11:18) To go

Father Milton T. Walsh is dean of students and an assistant professor of systematic theology at St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park.

Family Lif e

History of Jews is ours, too

During my grammar school years, some of my Jewish them their hope in the Messiah , were almost extinclassmates told me a little about Hanukkah and its eight guished. If that had happened , Jesus would not have candles commemorating a miraculous intervention of God been born , and I would still be dead in my sins.

One of the great achievement s of the Second in their history. But my understanding remained sketchy Vatican Council , it seems to me, is the bishops ' explanastory of the the until I became a Catholic and at Mass heard tion of our spiritual bond with Maccabee s for the first time.

In the last 200 years 6 | $ 4 § Y the Jews. The God who saves us revealed himself first to before the birth of Christ , the j them, the Council pointed Syrian king who ruled over , and their Scriptures are ? out Judea outlawed the Jewish JL, O indispensable to our faith. relig ion. Many faithful Jews W W Because God's call is irrevoI\ \\ resisted this tyrant, including cable, the Jews remain his peo// a widow and her seven sons. \\ V Vivian W. Dudro pie forever. Though seen dimly They were arrested , and the f ^jgk through different lenses, the God woman encouraged her sons to ^k. whose coming both they and we ^i remain resolute while they were awa 'l is the same . | killed before her eyes. tortured and V V hile Christmas shopping last year, I overheard a . \—-^£r ^ When some American young people young girl ask her mother about some menorahs for sale. Finally she, too, was put to death . After are flirting with neo-Nazism and setting synamany such martyrdoms, Judas Maccabeus led "Those are for Hanukkah ," the mother said. gogues ablaze, the duly lo teach our children about an anned revolt against the foreign king 's occu"What is Hanukkah?" the girl continued. their link to the Old Testament becomes all the more "Hanukkah is what the Jews celebrate instead of pying forces. Though greatly outnumbered , the important. Advent is the perfect season for families Maccabees drove the enemy troops from Christmas," was the reply.

A mother pressed in on all sides by time, a curious Jerusalem. They rededicated the Temple to the one , true to reflect upon God's entrances into human events and to realize that the history of the Jews is the history of us all. child and numerous other harried , holiday shoppers can- God and then joyfully celebrated for eight days. , the more The more 1 learn about my Catholic faith abbreviated answer.

But the not be faulted for such an exchange prompted me to consider what we Catholics I appreciate the perseverance of the Jews. From the call should be teaching our children about Hanukkah and the of Abraham to the fiat of Mary is about 2,000 years, and Vivian Dudro is the mother of four (ages three to 12) and a member of St. Mary 's Cathedra l Parish. at many points along that timeline, the Jews, and with peop le who celebrate it.

II

Please exp lain 'haggadic midrash' Q. My question is about the three magi. One priest told us that the story of the wise men is only a fable , someth ing he called "midrash " If this is so, why all the details about Herod , the killing of the innocents and so on? How can the ordinary person know what to believe ? (Missouri) A. First, let 's be clear that we arei not / *" speaking here of anything which iss part of required belief for y * Catholics or other Christians. | Particularl y, it does not V ^ involve belief in "three ^N kings" or wise men. The Gospel according to Matthew, the only one that tells the story (2:1-12), does not call them kings — they were probabably astrologers — nor does it say how many there were.

Tradition in the Eastern Catholic churches , for example, speaks of 12 men coming "from the east," or from the rising sun, not three.

The answer to your question entails certain technicalities of Scripture interpretation dealing with the literary forms , or styles of writing, Matthew used in this Gospel.

As your priest hinted , we are fairly certain, from study of this Gospel and other writings of that period, that Matthew contains several examples of what is called "haggadic midrash."

These are stories, typical in Jewish tradition , employed to spin out and clarify the meaning of a particular event or teaching. Sometimes these narratives are quite long and complicated , depending on the skill and intentions of the teacher.

They were not meant by the author to be taken literally in our sense of that word , but to flesh out and illustrate the truth being considered. cons Often I have ireferred readers, who wish to enlarge their knowledge of Scripture, to the New American Bible. Published under the auspices of the American bishops , the text and notes are a good starting place for gaining insights into subjects like this.

The NAB, recalling that this Gospel was written much later in the first century when Jesus had been rejected by Israel and had begun to be accepted by the gentiles, explains that the magi story projects this rejection and acceptance back in time to the infancy of Jesus.

There is no room here to go into detail , but several elements of the story hearken back to Moses, the exodus and prophecies that God would establish a new "star," or king, for his people. Thus , the magi narrative wraps together a major theme of Matthew 's Gospel and locates it early in the life of Jesus.

Several levels of understanding are therefore open for

QUESTION

--• CORNER

RENEW

¦ Continued from page 9 Archdiocese, she participated once more. This time there were better materials.

"And we're still meeting," she laughed.

St. Cecilia's Dr. Carol Braga is no stranger to small groups , either. Ten years ago she became involved in a Bible study.

"We were really doing faith sharing," she pointed out.

Braga said groups have taught her much.

In both, the bottom line question that continually challenges her, she said, is "What would Jesus do?"

For other Catholics, like Carroll and Elmer Lobre, RENEW is a new and uplifting experience. It even inspired the St. Cecilia couple to join the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

"We need something (like RENEW) to

Father John Dietzen us. One may accept the tale of the magi as happening exactly as it is nanated in the Gospel. Or one may believe it is partly fictional , but based on some actual journey of "wise men" to Jerusalem about the time of the birth of Jesus. Or one may see the story as wholly made up, intended to call attention to the fulfillment of ancient prop hecies about the coming and the mission of the Messiah.

Any of these explanations is compatible with the Catholic understanding of the meaning and divine inspiration of the Bible .

(Questions for this column may be sent to Father Dietzen at Box 325, Peoria, III. 61651, or e-mail jjdietzen@aol.com.) © 1999 by Catholic News Service

stir up the troops. People are so apathetic. people, she noted, adding: "It's important Heaphy said. Where it takes hold in a genMaybe this is a start in the right direction," to create materials for everybod y." uinely deep way, people report how vibrant said Carroll Lobre. Soon after becoming By the end of RENEW 2000, however, their parishes become, she said. "Liturgies involved with St. Vincent de Paul, Lobre people who want to continue their groups become more alive. People feel a much experienced a bit of real-life apostolic ecu- will have more latitude to grow "into where deeper sense of belonging, and the small menism. In her retired nurses' group, she they want to go," she said. groups ultimately end up strengthening and met a woman who volunteers with a similar "RENEW is a definite process," Sister serving the larger faith community." program sponsored by Episcopal ians.

The two engineered a mutually beneficial exchange. "She got us men's suits, and we gave her some women's dresses."

Lobre, however, isn 't 100 percent pleased with RENEW 's reading materials.

For 50 to 5000 people 5 lAA lll'l^ "The books leave a lot to be desired ," : Lobre said, explaining she hoped they Since 1978 serving K of C, Parish S BU l JP ' W" would go more deeply into the topics. / Councils, Youth Groups, Businesses %%^~^m& ^ ^ Sister Heaphy said she understands 408-378-4118 Fax 408-374-2727 v&^J| Lobre's concerns. However, RENEW materials need to be user-friendly and middle of the road enough to reach the majority of

New Years 2000 Party Favors U^A f

Juan Diego canonization said on track

By Jim Hod gson MEXICO CITY (CNS) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mexican bishops say the canonization process for Blessed Juan Diego is on track, in spite of a letter sent to the Vatican that questioned the indi genous peasant 's historical existence .

"We still have no date for the canonization of Juan Diego," said Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City Dec. 3. "If the studies end , it will be in May; if they are delayed , it won 't be because of that letter but because they (Vatican Congregation for Sainthood Causes) have asked for another stud y."

In late September the retired abbot of the Basilica of Guadalupe , Father Guiilermo Schulenburg Prado, wrote to the Vatican secretary of state to express doubts about the historical existence of Juan Diego. The letter was also signed by the present temporary rector of the basilica , Father Carlos Warnholtz.

Cardinal Rivera said Father Schulenburg 's letter put a temporary hal t to the canonization process and that this was the reason for his late-November visit to Rome. He added that the Vatican had decided to continue the process.

Pope John Paul 11 beatified Juan Diego in 1990 during his second visit to Mexico.

In August the Mexican bishops ' conference launched a book by three priests who examined evidence for and against Blessed Juan Diego's cause and came down firmly in support of his historical existence.

Father Warnholtz told reporters Dec. 2 that he joined Father Schulenburg in signing the letter out of concern for history and the pope 's reputation.

"The pope would seem ridiculous if he canonized a person without being clear about his existence ," he said. "We fell the conscientious obli gation to express our objections."

"We made the Congregation for Sainthood Causes stud y the fact that there is a lack of historic, decisive and strongly credible documentation that proves the supposition" of Juan Diego 's existence, he said.

He said the first written account of the Marian apparitions was made 117 years afterward.

Canonization proponents say Mary appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on three occasions in December 1531, 10 years after Spain 's conquest of the Aztec empire.

Sr. Rita Rose Coleman, BVM Sister Rita Rose Coleman, a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, died at her community 's in Marian Hall Dubuque , Iowa on Dec. 6. The San Francisco native, who taug ht for 17 years at Noe Valley 's St. Paul Elementary School and almost a decade at San Francisco schools including St. Brigid and St. Philip, was 91. She also taug ht in the Diocese of Santa Rosa and the states of Montana , Iowa and Illinois.

A funeral Mass was celebrated in .Dubuque on Dec. 9 with burial in the community cemetery. Sister Coleman is survived by nephews and the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary with whom she shared life for 72 years. Memorials may be sent to the community 's retirement fund at 1100 Carmel Dr., Dubuque , Iowa 52003.

Our Lady of Guadalupe reflection

Juan Dieg o story illuminates lay ap ostolate

great work may first come to a lay person , and that the chosen person then cooperates with the competent authorities.

In the Guadalupe event , God chose to give the miraculous image Juan Diego's humble compliance with an unwelcome and of Holy Mary to a humble , lonel y widower. The engag ing, simp le embarrassing mission paved the way for an abundant bestowal of story of Our Lady and Juan Diego touches hearts, and disposes God 's blessings. In addition the event clearl y indicates that a layman pushed his point with a hierarch. The bishop needed convincthem for the grace of baptism. This is a special chapter in the evangelization of the world. ing, and Mary herself told Juan to go back and try again.

The feast day of Juan Diego was yesterday. The feast of Our Mary told Juan Diego he was necessary for the execution of Lady of Guadalupe is Dec. 12. heaven's plan. When he protested and urged Mary to send a person Like Juan Diego, all the faithful are called to spread the frabetter known and respected, her answer was: "Listen, least of my grance of the roses of Tepeyac wherever we are, whatever we do. In sons. You must try to understand I have many messengers and sera very real way, this humble man shines forth as a model for lay vants whom I could charge with the delivery of my message and leadership and partici pation in the cause to do my will. But it is altoChurch. gether necessary that you yourself Today we find much interest in should undertake this entreaty and the unchurched , the alienated , and that through your own mediation the disenchanted. Faster travel and and assistance my purpose should easier global communication porbe accomplished." tend a new fullness of time in spreadThe importance of the most ing the Gospel. Today there is a humble person carrying out the desire for unity among Christians. divine plan can hardly be more clear.

The Hol y Spirit is bringing us Mary did not go directl y to together in prayer, love and works of Bishop-designate Juan Zumarraga. charity.

Nor did she choose a messenger In our century Pope Pius XI and more suited according to convenPope Pius XII have emphasized the tional standards. Mary chose one role of the laity. Long before John particular , unknown , middle-aged XXIII convened the Second Vatican widower who would have preferred Council to renew all in Christ, the to be left alone. lay apostolate was already a point of Juan Diego was wholehearted emphasis and concern . and without guile. He was a living One of the 16 documents of example of sincerity and simplicity.

Vatican II is the Decree on the Laity When children and adults hear about (Apostolicam Actousitatem , 1965), him they are fascinated, and love to and the role of the laity is treated in hear the story retold. Juan Diego's conversations with Mary have a rare several of the other documents. quality of tenderness, immediacy, Some years later Pope Paul VI genuineness , and uniqueness. call to evangesounded a prophetic Translated into any language they lization with the apostolic exhortawill possess a special appeal. In the tion Evanglii Nuntiandi. Our present Aztec Indian idiom, Mary called pontiff , John Paul II, has preached a Juan her xocoyte, her favorite son, new evangelization. And following a the least of her sons. He addressed Synod of Bishops issued an aposher as xocoyata, his littlest daughter, tolic exhortation on The Lay his lady, and his child. Hearing this Members of Christ 's Faithful People The part of Juan Diego was played by Jesus conversation one cannot help loving (Christifideles Laici, 1989).

Hernandez , a member of St Timothy Parish, at the both Juan and his Lady.

Our times need dedicated Dec. 5 "All God's Children " stage production at the Christian lay persons more than ever Peoples of emerging nations are Palace of Fine Arts. before. All fields ot human progress able to identify easily with Juan are directed by the laity. Social, commercial and political spheres Diego. He was humble and poor, not enmeshed in political or culare largely in the hands of the laity. They are charged with bringing tural history. With increased communication, we can expect the the Gospel into these arenas. In the words of Paul VI, lay persons Church will proclaim its primary message more widely and wisely.

And lay persons should be the primary field workers. Juan Diego are "the bridge to the modern world."

Recognizing the ancient and the new, Vatican II issued a decree would be an inspiration for them and an example for those with on the apostolate of the laity. For the first time in the history of the whom they work.

Church a conciliar document expounded the concept that the lay His life story is a wonderful example of how God's plans often person is indispensable to the mission of the Church, that to be a require lay apostles, and how far-reaching the results can be. Our real Christian is to be an apostle.

Lady promised, "I will make you worthy of the trouble you have The Vatican II Decree on the Laity sets forth as the perfect examtaken." On Jan. 9, 1987, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints declared him Venerable Juan Diego in acknowledgment of his herop le of the spiritual and apostolic life the Virgin Mary, Queen of ic virtue. When visiting Mexico City in 1990 Pope John Paul II Apostles. "While leading on earth a life common to all , one filled beatified him on May 6. Presently a movement is in progress under with famil y concerns and labors, she was always intimately united with her Son and cooperated in the work of the Savior in a manner the ausp ices of the Archdiocese of Mexico City to nominate Blessed Juan Diego as Patron of Lay Apostles. altogether special. Now that she has been taken up into heaven, with The results of his work remain with us. His simple and human her maternal charity she cares for the brothers and sisters of her qualities touch us all. He is truly worthy to be Patron of Lay Son." Apostles, for he was the only person on earth to whom the greatest It is appropriate , then , that the model for the laity be one who laywoman of all time gave her own picture. will lead others to Mary, who in turn will lead them to Christ. Juan The actual result of Our Lady of Guadalupe's message, in which Diego 's life story exemplifies the meaning of the lay apostolate. He Juan Diego played a key role, brought belief in Jesus Christ and the leads with singular and irresistible charm to our spiritual mother. continues today grace of baptism to countless persons of Aztec heritage. In the seven Juan Diego s story as something living and the long lines of years following Mary 's appearance at Tepeyac (1532-1538) eight pilgrims, the most numerous enduring. It lives in lives in the faith of a whole million were baptized into Christ. for any shrine. It nation , and is celeDuring that period Blessed Juan Diego lived near the marvelous western hemisphere.

It endures in the continubrated in the entire quietl y caring for it as Joseph had cared for Mary herself. human hands, picture, ing portrait not painted by but as Pius XII explained, " He is part of the story of the magnificent Lady, her representative, a brushes not of this world. "by heaven had smiled on the poor and the lowl y. As with " living proof that union with those whom the Holy Vatican II taught Spirit we do not know all the details. But we do know the qualGod's rule St. Joseph, Church is an essential element of the has assigned lo 's charity was magnetic. "By this will all know layman ity of this Juan Diego apostolate." received Christian the charism. He was disciples, if you have love for one another" (Jn that you are my "Go to the bishop of Mexico Mary: called by and tell him that I sent ' "singing eagle" telling her story over and s Mary breathed on Juan, 13:35).

He was but jud The Spirit gment and command were you." over to his fellow citizens. reserved to the bishop, as it still is today.

Marianist Brother Samaha is a well-known Bay Area educator The Holy Spirit usuall y breathes in less dramatic ways. But the of Juan Diego shows that the and retreat master. experience inspirational grace for a

By Brother John Samaha, S.M.

SCRIPTURE & LITURGY Recognize Christ and respond to his presence with j oy A friend of yours all but foams at the mouth raving about a new movie. You go to see it expecting a searing revelation. You are anesthetized with boredom and suspect thai either you saw the wrong film or that your friend was using mind-altering substances while seeing the film.

Hearing the Scri pture chosen for this Sunday 's Liturgy of the Word may have a similar effect upon us. We hear celebrated the glory and power of our Spirit-filled parish communities and yet may experience little of this glory or power when we assemble for worshi p on Sunday.

Since liturgy ritualizes human life (as all the introductions to the rites of the sacraments revised in the li ght of Vatican II tell us), perhaps these texts will drive us to search for what is missing, to create atmosphere s in which the Spiri t 's gifts may surface and be shared , and to submit to the Advent process of long ing, waiting, needing, and creating. Perhaps , indeed!

In an artfu l editing of the first chapte r of John , the Church presents John the Bapt ist , first in his role in the history of creation and Israel: "He came for a testimony, to testify to the light.... He was not the li ght , but came to testif y to the li ght. " Then the Baptist 's testimony reaches our ears: "J baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do iiot recognize , the one who is coming after me...." Over against the water-bath that John performs , he presents the person of the yet unrecognized Jesus. The rest of the fourth gospel will follow this lead and have Jesus , the Word made flesh, replacing the temp le, the Jewish feasts, even the Passover. For Jesus , lifted up as the Son of Man on the cross, creates a renewed People of God who need only him and need to realize that he can go unrecognized in their midst.

To recognize this Christ and to respond to his presence with joy, Paul invite s the Thessalonians to come together on every level. Isolation and anonymity defeat gathering. "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances.

Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 61:l-2a, 10-11; ResponseSelections from M ary ' s Song: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-2 4; John 1:6-8 , 19-28

Father David M. Petting ill Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil." Coming together, listening to each other , identif y ing the Spirit 's gifts, ordering them to the use of all , being guided by the tradition , the community can approach the return of the Lord with utmost confidence: "The One who calls you is faithfu l , and he will also accomplish it. " Indeed , the community hears the words from Isaiah (our first reading) in much the same way Jesus did at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30) and can say with him as well , "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:21) Like lesus who has completed his Spirit-filled exodus (Luke 9:31) to the cross and right hand of God, we are driven by his Spirit to continue his exodus-journey of freedom by reaching out to the real celebrities of God's kingdom , according to Isaiah, "the poor," the brokenhearted ," "the captives ," and "the prisoners ," and to make every year a Jubilee year. In

another artfull y edited text following the first section of the reading, Isaiah and we rejoice in our graced mission and fruitfulness and in our response lo the reading, we join Mary in seeing God's works coming from us to our world.

But these beautifu l readings ring true onl y if we do come together as parish communities who strive to recognize in our midst the unrecognized "li ght ," Jesus the Lord.

As pastoral staffs , parish councils , liturgy committees, finance boards , and as parish members , we must feel the need to interact with each other, to pray together , to identify needs that our gifts of the Spirit can meet , to envision our community 's outreach to our world in the indubitable deeds of the kingdom. Then when the Word lead s us to the hol y table, we can acknowled ge with praise and gratitude that our community 's life is part of the larger story of God' s king dom , ever coming and ever striving for completion.

RENEW 2000 Questions: 1. How can the RENEW process give new life to existing parish groups?

2. What process can we devise to bring our parish together as a community?

3. What are the cry ing needs of our neighborhood and how can we meet them?

Father David Pettingill directs the archdiocesan Office of Parish Life.

Proclaiming the Advent of Christmas past , present and fu ture Charles Dickens ' A Christmas Carol ranks among the most beloved traditions at this time of year. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his three Christmas ghosts is justl y regarded as a classic tale of one man 's dramatic change of heart and the discovery of what Christmas really means. Yet the liturgy of Advent reminds us that such insi ght and conversion are not the work of three mere ghosts from Christmas Past, Present and Future. Such new life and meaning are found alone in Christ Yesterday, Today and Forever.

The coming of Christ in the past and future As is already well known "Advent " derives from the Latin word for "coming " which most Catholics associate with Christ 's first arriva l as an infant in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago. However the Church would have us look not onl y to the past but also to the future during this season of preparation. As the General Norms for the Liturg ical Year and the Calendar state: Advent has a twofold character: as a season to prepare us for Christmas when Christ 's first coming to us is remembered; as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ 's Second Coming at the end of lime. Advent is thus a period of devout and joyful expectation.

When we listen very closely to the scriptures and prayers of Advent , we realize that the emphasis of the season is on the future coming of Christ. It is only from December 17 onward that the focus really shifts to his past coming as a child born of Mary.

While these two focal points in the past and the future are expressed with particular emphasis in the beautiful scri ptures and prayers chosen for the liturgy during Advent itself , the past and the future are always on our minds and li ps in the ordinary parts of the Mass throug hout the rest of the year. The Church is always looking to the past with faith and to the future with joyful hope.

Take as only one examp le the third Eucharistic Prayer.

In proclaiming the mystery of faith we look back to the past and forward to the future in the same breath: "Christ has died , Christ is risen, Christ will come again." Immediatel y following this proclamation of Christ 's past victory and

Father John Talesfore future return , the priest continues in the same way. "Father, call ing to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation, his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven and ready to greet him when he comes again , we offer you this holy and living sacrifice."

The coming of Christ in the present Still we do not proclaim Christ in the past and future alone. We announce him also here among us in the present.

In fact the Church recognizes him and acclaims him "present" in a number of ways. As the General Instruction of

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the Roman Missal puts it: "Christ is reall y present to the assembly gathered in his name; he is present in the person of the minister , in his word and indeed substantiall y and permanentl y under the eucharistic elements."

Thus we acclaim Christ past , present and future in the liturgy during Advent and throughout the year. With this in mind , it is particularl y fitting that the priest or deacon mi ght pray the second set of invocations provided for the penitential rite : "Lord Jesus , you came to gather the nations into the peace of God' s kingdom (Past). Lord , have mercy."

"Lord Jesus , you come in word and sacrament to strengthen us in holiness (Present) . Christ , have mercy." "Lord Jesus, you will come again with salvation for your people (Future). Lord , have mercy."

Unlike Ebenezer Scrooge who was forced to contemplate his miserable past , the emptiness of his present existence, and the prospect of a hopeless future , we celebrate the glory of Christ as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. In this Advent spirit each of us would do well to take up the words of Scrooge when he has finall y understood the lesson of his three visitors: 1 will honor Christmas in my heart , and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present and the Future. The Spirit of all three shall strive within me. 1 will not shut out the lessons they teach.

Father John Talesfore directs the Office of Worship

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Jan. 29: Mass and SPL student recognition ceremonies preceded by a keynote address by Alexie Torres oi Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, 1C a.m. al St. Mary Cathedra l, Gough and Geary Blvd..

SF. Torres spoke at the recent Jubilee Justice Conference in Los Angeles. All are welcome.

Retreats/Days of Recollection VALLOMBR O SA CENTER 250 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park. For fees, times and other offerings call (650) 325-5614. Presentation Sister Rosina Conrotto, Program Director.

Dec. 11: "Advent '99: An Ending and a Beginning", being open to these grace filled days, with Sister Toni Longo.

MERCY CENTER 2300 Adeline Dr., Burlingame. For tees, times and other offerings call (650) 340-7474.

Jan. 9: "Dreams and Spiritual Exercises" connects the movement of dreams with the map given to us from the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius. Mainly for those familiar with the exercises.

Jan 10: "The Second Half of Life", a day-long journey exploring heart, meaning and creative fire in later years for seniors and those ministering to to them.

MARIANIST CENTER A Place of Discovery

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

JESUIT RETREAT HOUSE 300 Manresa Way, Los Altos. For fees, times and other offerings call (650)948-4491.

May 5-7: "Y2K Why Not Today?" with Jesuit Father Leo Holmbach. Preparing for the most important day of our lives, our death.

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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.

Take Prayer Around the Cross 3rd Tues. at 8:30 p.m., St. Dominic Church , 239C Bush St., SF. Call Delia Molloy at (415) 563-4280.

1st Thurs. at 5:30 p.m. at Old St. Mary 's Cathedral , 660 California St. at Grant , SF. Call (415; 288-3809.

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

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

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

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

Ecumenical & Interreligious Jan. 28: 21st Paul Wattson Lecture, featuring Yale History Professor Jaroslav Pelikan on "Comprehensiveness or Catholicity", 8 p.m., al University of San Francisco's Pacific Rim Room, 1st floor, Lone Mtn. Campus, 2800 Turk St., SF. Call (415) 422-5555.

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.

Justice/Advocacy/ Respect Life Jan. 21-23: "Releasing the Captives", a Jubilee 2000 weekend retreat featuring "Dead Man Walking" author Sister Helen Prejean at San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville. Call (925) 837-9141.

May 2: 2nd Annual Catholic Lobby Day sponsored by the California Catholic Conference and the Archdiocesan Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns. Save the date.

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., Novato, 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 offering friendship and support to families

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who have experienced the death of a child , meet on 2nd Wed. at 7:30 p.m. St. Anne of the Sunset Parish , 850 Judali St. at Funston, SF. Call Marianne Lino al (415) 892-7969.

Young Adults Dec. 15: Christmas Caroling, Our Lady of Angels Parish, 1721 Hillside Dr., Burlingame. Contact trainersusan@yahoo.com.

Dec. 31: Y2K New Year's Eve Party, St. Andrew Church , Daly City. Call www.jps. net/standrew/light.

At the Cemetery .

Dec. 11: Christmas Remembrance Service , Father John Talesfore, presiding; Mass is celebrated on the 1st Sat. of the month in All Saints Mausoleum Chapel. All liturgies begin at 11 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma. For more information, call (650) 756-2060.

Prayer/ Devotions Dec. 11: 2nd annual bilingual Mariachi Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Rita Church , 100 Marinda Dr., Fairfax , 11 a.m., followed by traditional music and refreshments in church hall. Call (415) 456-4815.

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

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

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

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

Single, Divorced, Separated Dec. 18: New Wings Advent liturgy, 6:30 p.m. with potluck dinner following. From 8:30 - 11 p.m. join a caroling tour of the City by motorized cable car with stops at shelters and Union Square. Call Ron Landucci at (650) 583-6016.

Weekdays: Radio Rosary, 7 p.m., 1400 AM KVTO, includes prayer, meditation , news , homilies.

Call (415) 282-0861.

Catholic Adult Singles Assoc, of Marin meets for support and activities. Call Bob, unless otherwise noted , for information about additional activities and those named below, at (415) 897-0639". Dec. 11: Christmas Dinner Dance sponsored by Catholic Alumni Club at Clarion Hotel, 401 E. Millbrae Ave .

Millbrae. Call Edward Altouney at (650) 967-5096; Dec. 17: Monthly planning meeting.

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.

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

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.

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

Dec. 31: Mass and Blessing of Cily, 11 p.m., St, Francis of Assisi National Shrine, Columbus and Vallejo St., SF. Call (415) 983-0405.

Thursday: The laity prayer cenacle of Marian Movement of Priests meets at 7 p.m., St. Mary Star of the Sea Church , 180 Harrison Ave., Sausalito.

Call (415) 331-3306.

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

For information about events sponsored by the Office of Charismatic Renewa l of the

Archdiocese , call (415) 564-7729,

Blessed Sacrament Exposition Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave., Men/o Park, 24 hours everyday, (650) 322-3013. St. Sebastian Church, corner of Bon Air Rd. and Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Greenbrae , M - F 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Adoration Chapel, (415) 461-0704. St. Agnes Church, 1025 Masonic (near Page) SF, Fri., 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., (415) 487-8560. Our Lady of Angels Church, 1721 Hillside Dr., Burlingame, MF 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) 3344646. St. Isabella Church, One Trinity Way, San Rafael, Fri., 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Our Lady of Loretto Church, 1806 Novato Blvd., Novato, Fri. 9:30 a.m. 6 p.m., 1st Fri. 9:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sat. St. Bruno Church , 555 W. San Bruno Ave., San Bruno, 24 hours everyday, Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel. St. Francis of Assisi Shrine , 610 Vallejo St. at Columbus, SF, Fri. following 12:15 p.m. Mass until 4:15 p.m. 2nd Sat . at St. Matthew Church, One Notre Dame Way, San Mateo with Nocturnal Adoration Society of San Mateo County. Call Lynn King at (650) 349-0498 or Jim McGill at (650) 5743918 tor times. Corpus Christi Monastery, 215 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park , daily from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call (650) 322-1801 .St. Bartholomew Church , 300 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, 1st Fri. from after 8 a.m. Mass until just before next day 's 8 a.m. Mass.; St. Dominic Church, Bush and Steiner St., 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 6-7 p.m. each Mon. and Wed. (415) 567-7824. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 3 Oakdale Ave., Mill Valley, Tuesdays, 8:15 a.m. - 5 p.m. St. John of God Church, 1290 5th Ave. at Irving, SF. Mondays after 12:10 p.m. Mass , (415) 566-5610.

Family Life Jan. 28-30: Marriage Encounter Weekend tor Spanish speaking, facilitated by three married couples and a priest. For detailed information , call Guillermo or Maria Elena Canjura at (415) 5855428.

Feb. 12: Anniversary Mass for couples celebrating 25 , 50 or more years of marriage in the Jubilee Year.

March 31-April 2: "Catholic Family Life 2000" at the SSF Conference Center, with and outstanding lineup of speake rs on topics including marriage and marriage prep. Call Office of Marriage and Family Life (415) 565-3680.

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

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

Through Jan. 5, 2000: The work of illustrator and printmaker David Lance Goines at USF's Thacher Gallery and Donohue Rare Book Room , 1st and 3rd fl. of school's Gleeson Library. Artist speaks at USF Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. Call (415) 422-2434.

Through Dec. 18: "The Face of Labor: Portraits of Working People, a photo documentary at the Upstairs Gallery of Alemany Library at Dominican College, 50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael , call (415) 4574440. Mon - Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sun. noon - 6 p.m.

Food & Fun Dec. 11-18: Mt. Carmel Shop Half-Price Sale. All merchandise sold at 1/2 off . Hours : Mon - Sat. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Benefits Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish , Mill Valley. Call (415) 388-4332.

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 Stilman at (415) 752-3641.

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

Reunions Dec. 22: "Home for the Holidays" a holiday reunion for alumnae and former students of classes 1995-99 at Notre Dame High School , Belmont from 6-7:30 p.m. followed by an Alumnae vs. Varsity basketball game. RSVP to the alumnae office at (650) 595-1913 , ext. 351; email alumnae@ndhsb.org.

SF's St. Cecilia Elementary School's class of 1950 is preparing to celebrate its golden jubilee.

Class members should call Doris Grimley at (415) 664-2247.

"Milestone Class Reunions" for Notre Dame High School, Belmont, classes 1939 through 1994, are being planned now. For information, call Donna Westwood, '64 , alumnae relations director, at (650) 595-1913, ext. 351 or e-mail alumnae@ndhs.pvt. k12.ca.us.

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

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

Performance The Archdiocesan Priests' Choir will perform Dec. 12, 4 p.m., at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 1040 Alameda de las Pulgas af Ralston, Belmont;

Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Blithedale and Oakdale Ave., Mill Valley; Dec. 19, 4 p.m. at St. Cecilia Church, 17th Ave. at Vicente, SF. These are free 75-minute concerts. All donations benefit the Priests Retirement Fund.

Dec. 12: St. Mary Cathedral Boys and Girls Choir concert , St. Dominic Church , call Cristina Guinot at (415) 396-3332.

Dec. 12: "8th Annual Christmas Praises and Buffet" featuring Sacred Heart Gospel Choir and benefiting Sacred Heart Churc h, Fell and Fillmore St., SF. Buffet at 5 p.m. $15/ adults; $7.50 children.

Call Velma V Gaines-Miller at (415) 558-8501 or (510) 222-2409.

Dec. 12: Mission Dolores' Basilica Choir sings Christmas music at Mission Dolores, 16th St. and Dolores, SF, 7 p.m. $15 adults/$8 seniors and students. Call (415) 621-8203.

Dec. 12: Concert by St. Mary Cathedral Boys and Girls Choir, St. Dominic Church , Bush and Steiner St., SF, 7:30 p.m. Call (415) 567-2020 , ext. 213.

Dec. 17: Christmas Concert by Marin Children's Choir, Martha Wall , director, St. Mary Star of the Sea Church , 180 Harrison Ave., Sausalito. $10general/$5 children under 18; 7:30 pm. Call Gerald Holbrook at (415) 332-1765.

Dec. 18: Christmas Concert by St. Philip's Choir and Musical Group at St. Philip Church, 725 Diamond St., SF. 7:30 p.m., $5. Call Anne at (415) 826-4929.

Dec. 19: "Sing-along Carol Concert" featuring Sts. Peter and Paul Chorale and Strings, at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, 666 Filbert St. at Washington Square, SF. Call (415) 421-0809.

Music at St. Dominic Church , Bush and Sleiner St., SF — Dec: 12: St Mary Cathedral Children's Choir, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 19: SF Boys Chorus, 3 p.m., $12/$10. Call (415) 674-0430.

Sundays in December: Concerts at St. Mary Cathedral featuring various artists , 3:30 p.m. Gough and Geary Blvd., SF. Call (415) 567-2020 ext. 213.

Sundays in December: 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 Ihe cathedral at (415) 5672020.

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 St. Mary Cathedral 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 ongoing volunteers for its children's activity program and offers a variety of opportunities in gardening, cooking, clerical and maintenance. Contact Denise Botcheos at (415) 575-4920, ext. 218.

San Francisco's St. Anthony Foundation needs vo lunteers for its many outreach programs to the poor: (415) 24*1.2600.

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.

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

Cap sule movie reviews...

NEW YORK (CNS) — Following are recent capsule movie reviews issued by the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Film and Broadcasting.

"Cradle Will Rock" (Touchstone) Ambitious political drama set in 1936 New York follows a struggling, federall y funded theater group under congressional inv estigation as being communist-influenced while rich industrialists plot to profit on the coming war. Writer-director Tim Robbing' fact-based story of greed — and artistic integrity at the mercy of government censorshi p — is a well-acted ensemble effort but one whose numerous characters and fragmented story nearly overwhelm the choppy narrative. Brief violence, discreet sexual situations and some profanity and roug h language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.

"The End of the Affair" (Columbia) London-based World War fl-era romantic triangle involves an unfaithful wife (Julianne Moore), her dullard husband (Stephen Rea) and the adoring lover (Ral ph Fiennes).She leaves her lover without exp lanation as part of her vow to God when his life is spared after an apparently fatal bombing injury. Adapted from the 1951 Graham Greene novel, and written and directed by Neil Jordan , the very adult drama is a thoughtful character study about

sexual jealousy, spirituality, forg iveness and redemption. Several extramarital encounters with extended nudity. USCC classification is A-IV — adults , with reservations. MPAA rating is R — restricted.

"Sweet and Lowdown" (MGM) Modest comedy-drama about a brilliant but utterl y egotistical Depression-era jazz guitarist (Sean Penn) who callousl y dumps his adoring mute girlfriend (Samantha Morton) only to marry a sop histicate (Uma Thurman) who betrays him with a common gangster. Writer-director Wood y Allen hi ghlights an extensive jazz soundtrack as he amusingl y mocks the artist who feels he is above pedestrian morality. A live-in relationship, brief recreational drug abuse and some profanity. USCC classification is AIfl — adults. MPAA rating is PG-J 3 — parents cautioned some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Agnes Browne" (USA Films) Seriocomic tale chronicles the trials and triump hs of a poor widow (Anjelica Huston) trying to raise seven children in 1967 Dublin where she loses her best friend (Marion O'Dwyer) to breast cancer, tries to fend off a brutal loan shark (Ray Winstone) and winds up with pop singer Tom Jones in a fancy, fantasy ending. Also directed by Huston , the result is an uneven collection of comical anecdotes centered around the title character, though the picture stumbles over scenes intended to be touching and foul Ian-

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Stephen Rea plays Henry Miles in the drama "The End of the Affair," based on a Graham Greene novel. guage robs the proceeding s of charm.

Sty lized violence , sexual references and innuendo as well as recurring roug h language and profanity. USCC classification is A-IV — adults , with reservations. MPAA rating is R — restricted.

"Being John Malkovich" (USA Films) Surreal tale in which a jobless puppeteer (John Cusack) goes to work for a company strangel y located between floors in a building where he discovers a passageway leading into the mind of actor John Malkovich (p lay ing himself) which a co-worke r

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SATURDAY* 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM SUNDAY • 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM & 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Funerals • Weddings • Holy Days DUTIES INCLUDE: - Opening & Closing Church - Setting up church for liturgies - Ensure safe environment during services - Other duties as required

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TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD CALLL 415-565-3699

(Catherine Keener) opens to those willing to pay for 15 minutes with a celebrity.

Directed by Sp ike Jonze , the odd proceedings grow progressivel y more bizarre as the co-worker becomes sexuall y attracted to the puppeteer 's wife (Cameron Diaz) and an old man (Orson Bean) prepares to inhabit the actor 's body, but the endless complications grow tiresomely unamusing long before the ending 's final twist. Several sexual encounters, many sexual references , some rough language and occasional profanity. USCC classification is A-IV — adults , with reservations. MPAA rating is R — restricted.

Reliable individual needed evenings to provide minimaL care for elderly man in exchange for room.

No smoking/pets.

Credit check/refe rences required.

Call 415-753-2483 after 6 p.m.

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO CLASSIFIED AD FORM PRIVATE PARTY RATE: 4 line minimum: $20.00. Each additional line: S4.00 Applies to individual selling items, garage sales , wanted ads, shared housing ads, autos, vans, trucks , boats. Private Party Ads are payable in advance by credit card, check , or money order.

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CHURCH SEXTON MONDAY - FRIDAY • 7:45 AM - 11:45 AM DUTIES INCLUDE: - Opening & Closing Church for daily masses - Setting up church for liturgies (mass, funerals and weddings - Cleaning , janitorial and maintenance of the church building - Gardening and maintenance of church yard and parking lots - Ensure safe environment during services

- Other duties as required

This is an ideal position for an assertive , self motivated individual who requires limited supervision . The person must be fluent in English and have great people skills.

These jobs will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. No phone calls please . We would like to thank all interested individuals for applying, but only those selected to be interviewed will be contacted.

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Catholic San Francisco: 441 Church Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114

Berkeley Rep 's 'Beau ty Queen of Leenane' well conceived B y Annette Lust

Young Irish Martin playwri ght McDonag h's Tony-award winning "The Beauty Queen of Leenane " offers a moving, romantic , and suspensefti l thriller-comed ydrama all rolled into one with each element balancing the other in an action-packed play at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

The action , which abides by the rules of the well-constructed play containing unity of plot , space and time, takes place in rural western Ireland where 40-year-old Maureen Folan lives caring for Mag, her 70-year-old ailing and imperative mother.

When Maureen is given her "last chance" to be courted , in this case by laborer Pato, and is offered an opportunity to escape from tediously caring for her devious and self-centered mother, the latter attempts every means to deprive Maureen of her good fortune.

Throug h Mag 's underhandedness and Maureen 's persp icacity, the two enter into a

duel or clever wits that provides a dramati- tries , especially America , and yet resentlul call y tingling outcome. Aside from being of Yankee as well as English influences.

And to dramatize his characters in a well constructed , McDonagh' s p lay balrepressive section of ances prolific dialogue Ireland , the p laywri ght with moments of silence does not spare the use of and movement. Scenes in brutal violence or outwhich Maureen and her bursts of repressed emomother banter insults back tion. and forth in their Irish The production is brogues are interspersed Bay expertl y directed by with silent ones such as Area award-winning directhose in which old Mag ' tor Richard Seyd. Angela plots to prevent Maureen s Paton lives the part of Mag flight , well expressed to the hilt, spurring the throug h the elderl y Michelle Morain plays action on , through her fine 's woman eye and hand Maureen and Jeffrey King , to its characterization movements . is Pato in Berkeley electrif climax.

McDonagh , of Irish ying Repertory Theatre 's "The Michelle Morain depicts a origin, satirically and real- Beauty Queen of Leenane. ' fiery Maureen , resentful istically dep icts throug h his characters ' conflicts his view of today 's and vindictive of her burdensome mother rural Ireland , proud peasant and working whom she curses for remaining alive. So peop le cling ing to traditions in spite of the subtle are other aspects of her characterizafact they are immigrating to other coun- tion that we wonder whether her past so-

called dementia is real or no more than a nervous breakdown.

Jeffrey King is well cast as the all-male , kind Pato , who offers hope of escape to Maureen. Brandon Karrer 's Ray is nervously energetic and up to the challenge of playing with the fine characterizations of three veterans of San Francisco and other stages.

Mary Benjamin is responsible for coaching the actors ' brogues, at moments so genuine they are a littl e difficult to understand.

Colorful sets by William Bloodgood and attenuated lighting by Jack Carpenter successfull y evoke the modest rural interior of an Irish home. Costumes by Candice Cain are well done.

"The Beauty Queen of Leenane" plays through Jan . 7. For information call (510) 845-4700.

And yet the touch was lig ht , never ponderous. It was fleet and tri m but not skimpy.

It was wonderful lo see a conductor deliver such a torrent of sound with so few gyrations. If Mr. Berglund does not reduce his gestures to the "vest pocket" motions of Fritz Reiner , he is still very economical in his movements and gets great results nonetheless.

Truth to tell, if I had my druthers I would prefer the more expansive treatment of this music given by Furtwangler in his famous 1951 recording with the Berlin Philharmonic. But Mr. Berglund 's way is just as valid and proved its rightness in the outcome .

When the slow opening gave way to the main allegro in the first movement , the music shone with the particular sunnyness which is so characteristic of Schubert. This brightness is not hollow optimism but a trul y spiritual vision of beauty. Schubert could express pain when he had to, but this symphony is a hymn to the sun.

Mr. Berglund took all the repeats, and he could have done them a third time so far as I'm concerned. The strings and brasses were superbl y in balance , with the trombones resounding but not dominating. And always those golden, mellow horns. It was unfortunate that Mr. Berglund did not single out the individual groupings for bows at the end.

The dizzy ing exuberance of the finale never got out of control and one could read in the faces of the musician s enormous satisfaction at their pouring forth all this wondrous stuff. In fact about the middle of the scherzo I became aware that I myself had been smiling broadly and uninterruptedl y for the past half hour. It was that kind of event. Thanksg iving indeed.

Annette Lust is a member of Bay Area Theatre Critics ' Circle and the Dominican College faculty.

'The Great' symphony at Davies Hall lives up to its name the first rank but seemed so because or the performer 's peruasive power.

Mr. Bell is wise at this stage of his career to hone his skills on the less demanding works, graduall y building up his inner strength for the ascent of I he Beethoven and Brahms concertos. He has played them before , but he seems to be holding their repetition for newer and more mature readings. What a treat it will be when he gets around to them again.

Paavo Berglund is better known in Europe than here. The Finnish conductor has made many distinguished appearances in Scandinavia , in England and on the continent. His reading of the Schubert Symphony in C was clearl y the fruit of deep immersion and profound reflection on this work, whose glory has universally labeled it "The Great."

From the first notes of the famous horn call that begins the symphony it was clear this performance would reflect the largeness of concept intended by the composer.

By Father Basil DePinto There was the brilliant young star, modest but secure in the abundance of his talent; and there was the canny old maestro whose minimal gestures and una ssuming demeanor could not disguise the genial control and interpretive depth he brought to the music.

These were the featured performers at the San Francisco Symphony subscri ption series over the Thanksg iving weekend, violinist Joshua Bell and conductor Paavo Berglund, In two very different works, the Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 and the Schubert Symp hony in C, "The Great," they gave the kind of winning performances that sent audiences home very happy.

There is no need to repeat here the encomium I delivered last April at Joshua Bell's solo recital . He brought to the SaintSaens the technical rigor and lyric sweetness that are his hallmark qualities. He transformed a piece that in itself is not of

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Song, movement and color were abundant in the Dec. 5 staging of "All God's People: A Celebration of Many Faces in God's House " at the Palace of Fine Arts.

Produced by the Archdiocese of San Francisco 's Office of Ethnic Ministries,the elaborate program included performances representative of nearly a dozen ethnic and cultural communities , among them , clockwise from upper left: Slovian songs by Diana Fir; Korean Chusuk Rite dancing by Young-Soo Park; dance by the Archdiocesan Multicultural Dance Group; and song by the Igbo Catholic Foundation choir.

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AbOUt the COVer: Father Liam O'Byrne , 83, does "bike and beads" in the St. Anne 's Home exercise facility. Little Sister Michel and volunteer Patrick Lynch prepare a St. Anne meal. See story on pages 10-11. Photos

by Evel yn Zapp ia.

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Members of the Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bell Ringers prepare for an upcoming international concert tour.

First, however, they will take part in a Dec. 19 fundraising event , a traditional holiday English Feast at San Francisco 's Mark Hopkins Hotel. The meal will feature an actual boar 's head and a Wassail bowl , accompanied by the singing boys serving a five-course prime rib dinner. The "full evening of pageantry desi gned to transport guests back to medieval England" will benefit the choir.

Entertainment will include a trumpet trio, a concert by the bell ringers , singing by the boys, carols, readings by costumed actors and strolling minstrels.

Late this month , the choir will leave for Rome where members will sing for the pope in St. Peter 's Square on Jan. 2 in a millennium concert by choirs from around the world. Director Steve Meyer will lead 12 choirs from the United States. The concert will be televised live. The tri p will mark the group 's 10th tour abroad in 11 years. The non-denominational organization teaches boys and young men music , teamwork and self-disci pline. Rehearsals are held in San Francisco, Hayward , Oakland and Danville.

Cost for the Dec. 19 dinner is $ 100 per adult , and $60 petchild. The meal begins at 4:30 p.m. For more information , call (5 10) 887-4311.

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