December 24, 1999

In this issue . . .

On The

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Where You L ive

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Thoug ht

Evangelization advocate to deliver keynote address

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Campaign

Pilot parishes exceed goals, receive funds

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Music

'Millennium Mass ' to ring in New Year

19 Death Penalty:

10 Family opposes executing killer

j j Christmas 1999:

1T: 'Open wide the doors to Christ '

i H Bi-ritualism:

11 Eastern and western Catholicism

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

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

Business Office: Maita Rebagliati, assistant business manager; Gus Pena, advertising and subscriber services; Karcs.sa McCartney, executive assistant.

Advisory Board: Noemi Castillo, Sr. Rosina Conrotto, PBVM , Fr. Thomas Daly, Joan Frawley Desmond, James Kell y, Fr. John Penebsky, Kevin Starr, Ph.D., Susan Winchefl.

Editorial offices are located at 441 Church St., Sail Francisco, CA 94114 Telephone: (415) 565-369" News fax: (415) 565-3631 Circulation: 1-800-563-0008. Advertising fax : (415) 565-3681 Catholic San Francisco (ISSN 15255295) is published weekly except the last Friday in December and bi-weekly during the months of June, July and August by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco , 1595 Mission Rd., South San Francisco, CA 94080-1218. Annual subscription rates are $10 within the Archdiocese of San Francisco and $22.50 elsewhere in the United States. Periodical postage paid at South San Francisco, California and at additional mailing offices.

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by Tom Burke Prayers and good thoughts, p lease , for Msgr. James Keane , retired pastor, Our Lady of Loretto Parish , Novato , who is recovering from stomach surgery at his sister 's home in San Mateo not far from his regular Serra Clergy House digs. Fellow clergy house residents , Fathers Bill Worner, retired pastor of St. Gregory, San Mateo; Patrick McCarth y, retired pastor of Epiphany; Bill Quinn , retired pastor of Holy Name; and Jim Atkins , a longtime parochial vicar at Our Lady of Loretto visited and concelebrated a home Mass with Msgr. Keane recently coming away with high hope for his full recovery....

More than a few parishes are holding their own new year 's bashes including Star of the Sea; Nativity, Menlo Park; St. Hilary , Tiburon; St. Kevin; St. Rita , Fairfax ; St. Mark , Belmont; St Anthony , Novato....Father Richard Deitch , pastor, St. Mary Star of the Sea, Sausalito said the birthday party throw n for him by parishioners was "a wonderfu l surprise " and that he is gratefu l "to be a part of this parish community ."...A little exhortation from St. Kevin Parish to live our lives so those looking up to us can know we stood for something and acted on it....

The 1999 Junipero Serra Award, given to alumni of the San Mateo school who have used their Catholic education to benefit the community, was recentl y presented to Russ Bertetta , a 1967 graduate and a teacher at the school since 1977.

A 197 1 USF grad , Russ, with his wife, Linda , and their sons, Chris and Patrick, belongs to St. Charles Parish, San Carlos.

Older son, Josh, a Serra alum Russ Bertetta and 1998 UC Berkeley grad, lives in Texas...An all hats off for Salesian Sister Antoinette Mazzia who died at her community 's motherhouse in San Antonio, Texas on Nov. 17. Sister, who was 84 years old, taught at Sts. Peter and Paul Elementary from 1950-70 and had been a religious for 60 years...2" graders at San Anselmo 's San Domenico School had some fun in November making pies with ingredients grown right in the school garden. The pies were made from squash but everything from tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins and more are raised organically at the site. Yield between August and October was 700 pounds of vegetables earmarked for meals in the school dining hall and some area charities. The school's almost century old, Tableaux, a

From top: Kate Smith, Charlotte Butti, June Sullivan and Greg Rassio make pies with home grown squash.

Peeking from left corner is Danica Liongson.

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SVDP District Council president Ed Dollard presents the Bob Baldocchi award to St. Vincent de Paul parishioner Nadine Pfirter as Lois Baldocchi , Mr. Baldocchi's widow, looks on. choreographed version of the Nat ivity with carols, hymns and other wonderful stuff , went off terrificall y on Dec. 10....

Archbishop Riordan High School students gave more than 4,000 canned goods as well as cash during a Thanksgiving drive at their now-50 year-old school. Food went to Potrero Hill 's St. Teresa Parish for distribution in their holiday food campaign, and money went to Seton Medical Center's Mother and Infant Wellness Program.

Hats off to Riordan 's young men and to St. Teresa pastor, Father Peter Sammon, a priest for 52 years and a social justice advocate for even longer. Caps doffed, too, for the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul who founded Seton, naming it for one of their own, American St. Elizabeth Seton.... A toy drive at Mercy High School, Burlingame , was expected to raise 200 play-things for Catholic Charities in San Mateo. A food drive sent a carload of provisions there....A Notre Dame, Belmont , blood drive gathered 53 pints of the stuff and a food drive at the school netted 5,000 pounds of edibles and paper goods for the needy.

High honors in the WordMasters Challenge , a reading and analysis competition , went to ND's Alison Conte and Kathrina Manalac. Lexi Sange was one of only a hundred nationwide to earn a perfect score....Serra students ravaged local pantries to boost deposits at Second Harvest Food Bank and Samaritan House. A thousand dollars donated by

Maritz a Kraynik portrayed Mary and Ylan Hunt, Joseph , in San Domenico High School' s annual "Tableaux ".

Padres will also help the two local good works. A Very Serious Toybox, a group making Christmas merrier for seriously ill children , was beneficiary of the school's recent toy campai gn and a blood drive raised 41 life saving pints....

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco celebrated its annual "Mass and Simple Supper" at Corpus Christi Parish hall several weeks ago. Father Bernard Dabbene, vicar for parishes and the organization 's spiritual director, presided. The meal of soup and a bit of bread is a reminder of the meager diet of those SVDP hel ps.

Conference presidents in attendance included Mike Fahey, Epiphany; Lois Baldocchi , St. Vincent de Paul; Jack Kiernan , Holy Name; Julia Paul , St. Phili p; Tom Mullaney, St. Emydius; Chris Hills , St. James; Louise Molinari , AH Hallows; Steve Maraccini , Corpus Christi; Liz Bell , Our Lady of Lourdes; Barbara Wilbrand , St. Finn Barr; Stan Raggio, St. Stephen; Ed Dollard , St. Brendan; Lilli an Villatoro , St. Charles; Madeline Davies, St. Ignatius...A major Santa hats off to everyone including parents, santas, elves, uncles, aunts , friends , clergy, parish staff, retail store personnel , sons , daughters , brothers , sisters and all who helped bring this joyous holiday closer to us all. It couldn 't have happened without ya '.

Remember, no Catholic San Francisco next week and from all of us here at CSF, have yourself a merry little Christmas!

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Subject of Controversy Courage suppo rt group s seek to hel p homosexuals lead chaste lives Is the Church asking any more of homosexuals than of peop le think of it as Catholic hom ophobia — a way to sing le heterosexuals? "That 's a cheap phrase ," said change us all to heterosexuals."

Although the Catholic organization called "Courage" was Halsall. "First , there are lots of heterosexuals cohabiting Noted another member, "I think what upsets the homostarted 20 years ago and has 85 chapters in seven countries, it and are not being driven out of the Church. The Church sexual community is reference to the homosexual acl as ' still does not have a hi gh profile and its mission often is mis- does not drive a campai gn that fornicators are illegal. The 'intrinsicall y evil ,' and they see that as anti-gay. But it 's the understood or misrepresented by critics.

Church is not consistent." same position the Church takes on stealing - it 's anti-stealThis argument has been used by critics of a recent Vatican ing, not anti-the-person."

Courage describes itself as a sp iritual support group for men and women who experience same sex attraction and , order to Salvatorian Father Robert Nugent and Sister of Father Goode acknowled ges, "We (the Church) may not by grace, choose to follow Jesus Christ Notre Dame de Namur Jeannine Gramick always be politicall y correct in our terminology and the gay according to Catholic sp iritual and moral to discontinue pastoral work with homosex- community may be hurt by those things we say. We say teaching. ual Catholics. Father Nugent and Sister them because we believe what we say.

Courage ori ginated in 1978 when Gramick cited inconsistency in the I believe the Church in San Francisco demonstrates its Terence Cardinal Cooke invited Oblates of Church's approach to various ministries in love of the homosexual person by the many services we have St. Francis de Sales Father John F. Harvey their responses to the order. and continue to provide for them. When the chips are down to come to the Archdiocese of New York to Defenders of the Vatican action take a - we prove we just may be their best friend." establish a spiritual support system for men different view : ". . . they supported the posiFather Goode admits before officially taking the chap lain and women with homosexual inclinations tion , contrary to Church teaching, that sexu- position for Courage in 1997, he had some pre-conceived who desire to live chaste lives. With the al relations between two people of the same ideas about the organization. He was not sure if he was right hel p of Franciscan Friar Benedict sex were moral, provided there was a com- for the ministry. "It's been a great learning experience for Groeschel and others, the first Courage mitted relationship," according to Father me. These men and women want to live as Catholics. It is meeting took place in the fall of 1980. The Milton Walsh , assistant professor of system- their decision. We, as a group, support each other 's struggles.

San Francisco Chapter of Courage was atic theology at St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Courage exists for those who want it." started in 1994.

Park . Father Walsh added , "To allow such a Father Lawrence Goode During its 20 years of existence , ministry to continue under Catholic ausCourage has been praised by supporters as a means to help pices would be a dereliction of duty." individuals who are struggling with human feelings and Morrison doesn 't see the Vatican action as unusual. searching for answers; and it has been derided by critics "You can believe if a heterosexual group was meeting on who view Courage as an attempt to change a person 's sex- Church property and supporting a position contrary to

By Franciscan Father John Harvey ual orientation.

Church teachings , it wouldn 't be sanctioned by the David Morrison, author of Beyond Gay, a book that Church either," he argued.

1. To live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman chronicles his emotional journey from former gay activist Attendees at Courage meetings , which are held in a variCatholic Church's teaching on homosexuality. and critic of Church teachings to Catholic convert and ety of formats, voluntaril y share their difficulties , insights 2. To dedicate one 's life to Christ through service Courage member said , "Courage is a spiritual support group and thoughts in confidentiality and anonymity. Courage also to others , spiritual reading, prayer, meditation , to hel p people in the way of Christ. It is not an orientation- seeks to provide support to members through fellowshi p and individual spiritual direction , frequent attenchange organization." individual counseling. dance at Mass, and the frequent reception of the An adversary of Courage and a professor of medieval Courage members interviewed about the organization sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist. history at the University of North Florida , Paul Halsal l, asked to remain anonymous because famil y members, 3. To foster a spirit of fellowshi p in which all may disagrees: "Courage is essentiall y based on an old idea and friends , and employers did not have knowledge of their share thoug hts and experiences , and so ensure outdated sexually. It is no more than Catholic homophobia same-sex attraction. that no one will have to face the problems of at its worst."

One member said, "Courage is totall y misunderstood. homosexuality alone.

Father Lawrence Goode, pastor of St. Finn Barr Parish, Some of the rumors and accusations I've heard are ridicuwho conducts weekly Courage group meetings as chaplain lous - like, we insult homosexuals and it 's another Church 4. To be mindful of the truth that chaste friendof the San Francisco Courage Chapter, views the controver- organization that promotes hate . I have never seen a sign ships are not only possible but necessary in a sy as, "People being extremel y intolerant. If a person wants in church that said , 'gays need not confess.' Courage is celibate Christian life and in doing so provide to struggle and live by the Church teachings and remain very compassionate. I don 't know where I would be if it encouragement to one another in forming and were not for Courage^' chaste, that should be his or her privilege." sustaining them.

Halsall , who describes himself as a gay and a Catholic Another participant added , "No one ever said living by 5. To live lives that may serve as good examples convert claims, "Catholics who attend Courage meetings the Church teachings would be easy. I find my struggles of to others. are self-hating, victims of loneliness , people who have living a chaste life are much easier with the support of been treated badl y and try ing to shake off something in Courage members and the priests."

And another offered , "The purpose of Courage is giving their childhood. " Morrison disagrees. "I would say I'm self-loving. I don 't support to each other who chose to live a chaste life. hate that I have the attraction - it is not the biggest part of me Believing you can change your same-sex attraction is not - by far my Christianity is most important. To take myself out what it is about — that 's for a therapist."

One member of Courage believes "the controversy is of a way of life that was making me unhappy, on a path that purely a misunderstanding of what Courage represents. A lot promises me eternal life is not self-hating."

J^ff fiiHffi tn^^H^I Halsall views Courage as an example of the Church's double standard — one for the heterosexuals and the other ggfw^^^Jg-ft' fl W^lnfl for homosexuals.

By Evel yn Zappia

Goals and purpose , of Courage

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of conflict and division which was thus imposed on the minds and hearts of the Bohemian people," he said.

The pope 's words came in a Dec. 17 speech to participants of an international John Hus conference, sponsored by the Vatican 's jubilee committee and the Czech bishops ' conference.

Contest winner

Cardinal vows he Svill not give up '

Rules g irl needn 't ha\e abortion

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — An Italian court ruled that a pregnant 13-year-old mentall y handicapped girl need not have an abortion , reversing an earlier recommendation by a court-appointed guardian. Father Oreste Benzi , a local priest who supported the Sicilian girl' s wish to have the child , called the Dec. 16 decision "a hymn to life."

Bishop Giuseppe Malandrino of Nolo, Ita ly, and several Italian politicians had asked the court to re-examine the case following a court-appointed guardian 's decision that "Laura" undergo an abortion. Ignazio Ruffino , who is also the family 's doctor, recommended Dec. 11 that the girl have an abortion , despite the girl' s willingness to have the baby. Ruffino said pregnancy would "seriously compromise her psychic condition. "

Combined Oakland p arishes

Two Fremont parishes — St. Leonard and Santa Paula — will merge in January with Father Larry Silva as pastor, Oakland Diocesesan officials announced Nov. 22. The consolidated parish , with a membership totaling 4,000 families , will continue to use both churches for the sacraments. The merger resulted from a shortage of priests available to be pastors , according to a Nov. 21 letter from Bishop John Cummins.

Father Pascual Ramirez, pastor of Santa Paula , had died in a September auto accident , while Father Josep h Cantillon , pastor of St. Leonard, had retired for health reasons in November, according to a Dec. 13 story in Oakland 's, The Catholic Voice.

Pop e p lans trip to Jordan

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II plans an overnight visit to Jordan as part of his Holy Land trip next March , church sources said. Tentative plans call for the pope to celebrate Mass at the Jordan River where Christ was baptized , pray on Mount Nebo where Moses saw the promised land , and meet with Jordanian church and civil authorities , the sources said.

A Vatican advance team met with Jordanian officials Dec. 14-15 to discuss details of the papal itinerary. The pope would make the visit March 20-21 as the first leg of a trip that would also take him to Jerusalem and holy places in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Regrets fo r burning of p riest

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II offered an apology for the Catholic Church's treatment of 15th-century Czech priest and theolog ian John Hus , who was burned at the stake as a heretic. "Today, on the eve of the great jubilee , I feel the need to express deep regret for the cruel death inflicted on John Hus and for the consequent wound

NEW YORK (CNS) — Cardinal John J. O'Connor, after two Sundays in which weakness left him unable to preach or celebrate Mass at St. Patrick ' s Cathedral , wrote in his column that "at this point I simp ly do not know myself what the immediate future brings."

"I have total trust in my physicians," he said in commenting on his illness in the Dec. 16 issue of Catholic New York, weekly publication of the Archdiocese of New York.

He said they had agreed to "provide me with top-drawer medical help," and he would "provide them with top-drawer spiritual support. " LAFAYETTE, La. (CNS) — Bishop Edward J. O'Donnell of Lafayette urged no violence or "spilling of blood by either side" in a standoff that began Dec. 13 between prison authorities and Cuban inmates holding hostages.

In a Dec. 15 statement , the bishop also called for a fair hearing for the complaints behind the prisoners ' uprising, saying one form of violence is "the perpetuation of an unjust situation." Five Cuban inmates at the St. Martin Parish jail in St. Martinsville took Warden Todd Louvierre and three deputies hostage at knife point Dec. 13 to force an end to their status of indefinite detention.

Married fo rmer minister ordained

CHANHASSEN, Minn. (CNS) — As Lawrence Blake lay face down in front of the altar, his arms cradled under his forehead , he listened as more than 1,000 voices sang the Litany of Saints. His mind lingered on his namesake, St. Lawrence, and then on St. Maximilian Kolbe, the 20th-century Polish priest who sacrificed his life in a Nazi death camp so a married prisoner could live to support his family. Moments later, the 48-year-old family man and former Lutheran minister was ordained a priest — the first married Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and in Minnesota. Archbishop Harry J. Flynn presided at the ordination Mass Dec. 11 at St. Hubert in Chanhassen, where Father Blake is business administrator.

It is also his family's parish.

Cuban bishops on fate of boy

HAVANA (CNS) — The Cubaj^ Catholic bishops say the custody battle over a 6-year-old Cuban boy should be resolved in favor of parental rights. The boy, Elian Gonzalez , has been living with relatives in Florid a since he survived an attempt to reach the United States by boat. He was found Nov. 25, clinging to an inner tube off the Florida coast. His mother and stepfather drowned after an accident aboard the boat on which they left Cuba. The boy 's father, who remained in Cuba and said the child's mother kidnapped him, was seeking custody.

A Dec. 8 statement issued by the Cuban bishops ' conference said the case should be resolved according to the universally accepted recognition that minor children belong with their parents. "We regret that emotional or political involvements are obstructing the prompt solution of this conflict , a solution provided for by the very basic norms of rights," they said.

Assure pi lgrims' safety

A woman walks past a lone statue in a destroyed plaza along Venezuela 's Caribbean coast Dec. 19.

Floods and mudslides left at least an estimated 5,000 people dead and thousands more homeless in midDecember.

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Urges no violence in prison crisis

BETHLEHEM , West Bank (CNS) — Palestinian authorities said they could assure the safety of the 60,000 pil grims who are expected to descend on Bethlehem around Christmas despite a recent U.S. State Department warning about possible terrorist attacks. "We have taken the necessary measures, and we believe our security preparations are quite adequate ," said Nabeel Kassis , a Palestinian minister and coordinator of the Bethlehem 2000 project. He noted that U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright had visited the city in early December. "I believe it is not useful to exaggerate," said Kassis.

Agree to civilian saf ety zone

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNS) — The Sri Lankan army and Tamil rebels reportedly have agreed to set up a new civilian safety zone encompassing the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, recently hit by a mortar shell that left 38 dead. The English-language daily The Island quoted the International Committee of the Red Cross as say ing that the agreement was reached to facilitate the transport of humanitarian aid to the embattled jung le area. The earl y December report said more than 300,000 people living in the area now held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

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"Jesus of the People," a painting by Vermont a rtist Janet McKenzie , was selected as winner of an art contest sponsored by National Catholic Reporter seeking an image of Christ for the new millennium. The winning image was one of nearly 1,700 entries. McKenzie said her image of Christ was one that simply came through her and she is " only a vehicle for its existence. "

have not received food , medicine and other essential supplies since the rebels regained control of strategic areas of the Vanni jung le region in northern Sri Lanka in November.

Says Muslims have new tent

JERUSALEM (CNS) — A church spokesman in Nazareth said Islamic militants have erected a new tent next to Nazareth 's Basilica of the Annunciation , contrary to an agreement reached with Israel in October. Muslims say the lent was erected to protect them from the rain during prayers.

But the churc h spokesman, who asked that his name not be used, said Dec. 15, "Today it is not raining here and it is still up." According to the agreement reached between Israel and the militants , they were to remove the tent and would be permitted to construct a small mosque on the plot of land adjacent to the basilica. The agreement followed almost two years of controversy over the site.

Rules on same-sex unions

The Vermont Supreme Court ruled Dec. 20 that "samesex couples must be granted the full legal benefits of marriage" in Vermont.

The decision reads, "the state is constitutionall y required to extend to same-sex couples common benefits and protections that flow from marriage under Vermont law." Chief Justice Henry Amestoy, writing for the majority, described the extension of benefits to gay and lesbian couples committed to an "intimate and lasting human relationship " as "simply, when all is said and done , a recognition of our common humanity."

Welcomes new p resident and CEO

Catholic Family Radio welcomed new President and CEO Gary McCausland, a fonner executive of Domino 's Pizza International. Outgoing CFR president and CEO John Lynch retired from the post he had held since 1998, when he came out of semi-retirement to jumpstart the new radio network.

"Unfortunatel y, we knew this was coming," explained former Chief Operating Officer McCausland in a Nov. 23 press release. "As the first president and CEO of the network, John took Catholic Famil y Radio from a dream and a concept into reality. The network has a team of hard working people who are very dedicated to the mission of evangelizing Catholicism." Lynch will continue raising funds and acting as advisor to the network. CFR began broadcasting on Jan. 4 and is heard locally at 1640 on the AM dial. Its headquarters are located in San Diego.

For more information about CFR, call Sean McCabe at (703) 683-5004 ext. 110.

O RDINARY T IME Embrace a global vision of humanity in Christ Everyone 's talking about the Internet. I stand by with wide eyes and open ears, for once not having the least opinion , so little do I know about it.

Consider this from the New York Times this week.

"It is probabl y too early to judge whether an Internet revolution is underway. Historians say the Internet should be viewed . . . more as a technolog ical step than a leap forward . Still , whether labeled a revolution or an evolution , the Internet 's impact on the economy seems destined to become greater and greater."

The Internet seems poised to provide the engine for globalization in so many aspects of human society as we enter the new millennium. But I want to look at the phenomenon of globalization from the perspective of another T word : not Internet , but Incarnation. The time is not the beginning of the third millennium , but the first.

This Christmas marks the beginning of the 2,000th year of a different sort of revolution — or was it evolution?

That God should take flesh and assume our human nature, his own creation — that surely is a revolution. That is what we celebrate each year at Christmas: God became man, the Eternal Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

Yet this Son of God was born of a virgin named Mary. Was he not known as the carpenter 's son? His relatives were not part of a global village , but the village of Nazareth. The prophets had foretold the coming of the Messiah. Faithful people longed to see him , and prepared a straight path in the desert . It was an evolution , the fulfillment of the hope of Israel.

The Christmas faith of some is a personal revolution. They remember the day and the hour when they first consciousl y accepted Jesus as Savior and Redeemer, and have sought never to look back before that moment of conversion.

For others , bapti zed as infants and reared in faith 's family, the personal journey as a pilgrim disci ple is an evolution , a growth in knowledge of Jesus and the One whom he reveals, a loving Father who is God of the universe, a growth in the love of God and nei ghbor that is the commandment Jesus gives to every chosen disci ple.

In either case, to follow Jesus is to embrace a global vision of humanity as family, to see in every man or woman a child of God , and a brother or sister to Jesus.

He is called Prince of Peace. Rightl y so. For the global vision he brings to the world as Incarnate Son of God on the first Christmas is one of peace, rooted in ori ginal justice; in God's original design, before the fall from grace we call original sin.

The Jubilee Year we celebrate all this coming year is about this global vision of Christ for humanity. It is about the possibility of recapturing that original design and plan of God through reconciliation and redemption.

On Christmas Pope John Paul II will open the Hol y Door in St. Peter 's, a Holy Year tradition. Many of us will imitate that solemn gesture locall y, as I will at the six o ' clock , evening vigil Mass in St. Eugene 's Cathedral in Santa Rosa, and then at midnight Mass in St. Mary 's Cathedral in San Francisco.

The Holy Door has a double significance. It opens in to let in to Christ the pil grim who seeks reconciliation and redemption , who knows that in Christ and his sacraments , celebrated and received in the Church , alone can he gain true and lasting reconciliation with God and neighbor.

The door opens out as well, symbolizing the doors of our hearts. As our Holy Father urges us in the motto for the Jubilee Year: "Open the doors to Christ!" Yes, we must invite Christ into our hearts in order to be trans-

Marianists' j ubilee year agenda

As part of its observance of the Jubilee , the Marianisl Center in Cupertino will host a supper and lecture series on the last Wednesday of each month throughout the year 2000.

It will also establish an award honoring people who work for justice.

The "Building Communities of Salt and Light " series will feature presentations exploring justice themes: "let the land lie fallow," "atonement and reconciliation ," "liberty and freedom ," and "forg iveness of debts."

Scheduled topics include "Developing a Spirituality of Justice'" "Parishes: Tools for Justice'" "A Spirituality for Leadership in the New Millennium," "Always our Children: Reconciliation with the Gay/Lesbian Community,'" "Atoning for the Sin of Racism," "Develop ing a Spirituality of Forgiveness," among others.

Partici pants are asked to bring a non-

perishable food item to be donated to the Food and Nutrition Services Program of ARIS , serving people impacted by HIV and AIDS in Santa Clara County.

In addition to the lecture series, the Center will inaugurate a new "Voices of Freedom" award, to "acknowledge individuals and groups in the San Francisco Bay Area who are committed to working for justice. " Each November the Center will present the award to a member of the Bay Area community who has "demonstrated a commitment to the poor and marginalized , worked to empower others and strugg led to bring a great level of justice , dignity and respect to members of the community."

Lecture and supper programs run 5:30 to 9 p.m. at 22622 Marianist Way in Cupertino. For more information , call (408) 253-6279.

Archbishop William J. Levada

formed into that: new and global humanity that St. Peter calls "a chosen race, a royal priesthood , a holy nation , God's own people" (1 Peter 2:9). And we must be the bearers of this newborn Christ in our hearts into the world of the new and third millennium as true Good News.

Our transformation in Christ is both evolution and revolution. In this Christmas time let us join the angels we have heard on high in the joy of the first "Internet ": a promise of peace instead of war and violence , of love instead of hatred , of pardon instead of injury, of faith in God's goodness instead of doubt and despair.

Merry Christmas is our prayer for one and all.

Merry Christmas is our prayer for you , and for all our brothers and sisters — God's beloved children in his beloved son — everywhere in this global village of ours.

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Most Rev. William J. Levada Archbishop of San Francisco

Detention Ministry volunteers needed for La Honda facilities Three correctional facilities in the month ly communion services at each of the Archdiocese are "in desperate need" of vol- facilities , which are located just south of La unteer eucharistic ministers and lectors to Honda, off of Hwy 84 on Alpine Road.

In addition , a men 's minimum security run communion services, according to Detention Ministry Director Ray McKeon . jail has openings for communion services Two boys ' juvenile facilities , Camp on the first and fifth Sundays. The adjacent Glenwood and Log Cabin Ranch House, medium security facility also requires a have no services at all. Log Cabin hasn 't weekly service, provided by the same volseen a regular ministry for ten years , unteer.

About 200 men live in San Mateo McKeon said.

The detention centers house about 100 County Jai l La Honda Honor Camp. long-term incarcerated j uveniles, about 25 Volunteers would serve the 20-25 percent percent of whom reportedly identif y as who are assumed to be Roman Catholic.

Catholic, according to McKeon. The boys Women volunteers would work in teams, range in age from about 12 to late teens and McKeon told Catholic San Francisco.

"We are looking for persons who are stay at the facilities from six months to a year.

Spanish speaking volunteers are encour- comfortable presiding at a service and sharaged to apply for the youth facilities , as a ing their faith with the less fortunate incargood percentage of the youth are primarily cerated ," McKeon explained.

For more information , contact McKeon Spanish-speaking.

Volunteer lay ministers would run at (415) 844-4718.

Presentation sisters oppose death penalty

The Sisters of the Presentation (San Francisco) recently affirmed their decision to publicly oppose the death penalty. To arrive at the corporate stance, the Sisters spent six months learning about the death penalty and social teachings of the Roman ——: Catholic Church. „ See related ki

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t in corporate stance opposition to the death penalty," said Presentation Sister Nancy McLaughlin, justice coordinator. "It is our hope that possibly former students and/or 'friends of the Sisters ' might rethink their stance , if we publicly state our position."

The public statement agreed upon throug h an individual balloting process

reads, "We Sisters of the Presentation and Associates, support a consistent ethic of life, believing that life is sacred. We believe that all persons are redeemable and loved by God. We believe that the death penalty is immoral and should be abolished." Noting the death penalty is "state-sanctioned death," the sisters and associates committed themselves to "renewing our society in its very heart so that violence will be no more."

"The educational process undertaken by the sisters led to a deeper understanding that vengeance begets vengeance - mercy bets mercy. We Christians sometimes forget how Jesus died. Capital punishment was not right then, it is no better now," said Sister McLaughlin.

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Religious Education Institute Evange lization advocate to deliver keynote address To hel p bring the document into the pews, Father Hurley coordinated the creation of a new directory titled , "A Time Mention "evangelization " to many U.S. Catholics , and to Listen . . . A Time to Heal, A Resource Directory for they reluctantl y imag ine themselves having to spend Reaching Out to Inactive Catholics."

Intended to implemen t the pope 's call for reconciliation Saturday mornings ringing people 's doorbells to hand out in preparation for jubilee year 2000, the source has four pamphlets , books and invitations to visit their parish.

That 's only one style of evangelization. There are many parts: articles on the evangelization of inactive Catholics; other inventive ways for reaching out to souls , believes parish , diocese and national models that give 12 approachPaulist Father John E. Hurley, associate director of the sec- es for reaching out to inactive Catholics; six faith sharing retariat for evangelization and missions of the National guides for use in small group reflection on Gospel stories of reconciliation ; and a bibliography of resources.

Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington , D.C. Inactive Catholics — estimated at 17 million — have The most effective strategy is "live your faith so that it becomes contagious. Your enthusiasm will attract other been called the second largest denomination in the U.S., people. They will want to know what makes you tick ," said said Father Hurley. There is a tendency to think they probFather Hurley, former pastor of Old St. Mary 's Parish in ably have some agenda of disagreements with the Church , San Francisco. He served there from 1991 to 1997. but most do not, he said.

Father Hurley will return to San Francisco Feb. 5, as "Many drop away with the hope that someone will keynote speaker for the Archdiocese 's annual Religious notice," he pointed out , "and with large congregations in Education Institute at St. Mary 's Cathedral , 1111 Gough many parishes, often no one does."

St. He will speak at 2:30 p.m. on "Nurturing Discipleship."

So the object of evangelization jubilee 2000-style is to A special youth track will be held at nearby La Salle invite people back to a Churc h th at is different than the one Campus of Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School. they left , he said. This is a different goal than the traditionHe recommends combining enthusiasm with an attitude al concept of evangelization , which desires to convert of reconciliation and hospitality. His advice applies to someone of another faith to one 's own.

Still, reconciliation , enparishes as well as individual thusiasm, and welcoming can Catholics , he notes. In trul y be applied to people of other active parishes, evangelization and reconciliation denominations, as well as to become a way of life and Catholics of differen t ethnic traditions. hospitality is a hallmark.

"People are hungering for At the ecumenical level, community," he said during a parishes offer cards to visitors, letting them know the recent telephone interview.

Since his move to names, addresses, and worWashington , D.C, three ship times of nei ghboring years ago, Father Hurley has worked to implement the U.S. churches and synagogues, he said. The NCCB is using its Bishops ' 1992 document, "Go and Make Disciples: a Web site as an outreach tool , Father Hurley explained. The National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in site, which offers daily Scripture readings, gets more than the United States." a million hits each year.

In that document, the bishops called on Catholics to Also, rather than knocking on doors, parishes can get to "reach those who have given up the practice of their people 's dining room tables by offering letters of welcome Catholic faith for one reason or another" and said "every to neighborhood newcomers, listing all the churches in the Catholic can be a minister of welcome, reconciliation area and times for worship. and understanding to those who have stopped practicing their faith ."

By Sharon Abercrombie

Every Catholic can be a minister

of welcome, reconciliation and understanding to those who have stopped p racticing their faith. "

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For those who decide to visit a parish , many of them decide to stay and go through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults , he said.

According to the most recent statistics made available in 1998, about 161,000 people nationwide joined the Church through RCIA. As many as 73,000 adults were baptized , while another 88,000 candidates received full communion through the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.

In California, there were 8,249 adult baptisms in 1997, and another 8,112 candidates received into full communion. Within the Archdiocese of San Francisco, there were 464 adult baptisms that year, and 262 candidates.

Another significant outreach population is Catholics from other countries , especially those of Asia. "How can we respect and welcome them?" Father Hurley asked. "I believe we have to think beyond ethnicity."

Registration deadline for the institute is Jan. 11. Fees are $18 per person, with group rates of $16 each for 15 or more and $15 each for groups of 25. The cost of lunch is $5.00. Send fees to the Office of Religious Education/ Youth Ministry, 443 Church St., San Francisco, 941 14.

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Santa Rosa Diocese Rep ort shows fi nancial decline Canon law statutes regarding bud gets and financial activities were ignored by the diocesan administration which ended in Jul y with the resignation of former Santa Rosa Bishop Patrick Ziemann , according to a report by the interim diocesan administration and the finance council appointed by Archbishop William J. Levada.

In the report , the new diocesan finance council concluded there was "mismanagement, neglect and poor judgement " on the part of the previous diocesan administration. The 16-page report included a financial summary and the independent auditor 's report with financial statements for the past two years . The report was made available to parishioners Dec. 18 at all 43 parishes in the Santa Rosa Diocese and placed on the diocesan web site.

According to the report, the diocese had not prepared a budget for the diocese as a whole at least since 1992, and it ignored the warnings of independent auditors that failure to curb spending would place the diocese at risk.

The diocese "was in a precipitous financial situation" in Jul y when pooled cash was near zero while parishes, schools and other organizations showed millions of dollars on deposit in the unrestricted account at the Santa Rosa Chancery.

Aboul $16 million of unrestricted funds , restricted funds and chancery

reserves were used by the Chancery to cover huge overruns in expenditures.

The independent audit shows that problems escalated in the past three years, as the chancery 's operating deficit exceeded $5 million , including the bishop 's discretionary account which totaled $1.9 million between 1994 and this past Jul y. Other expenses included a net amount of $3.5 million for legal settlements related to priest misconduct; a $1 million subsid y to one school; losses from risky investments; and an over commitment in construction.

Reflecting the pattern of over spending, total sources of funds amounted to $9.3 million in the year ended June 30, 1999, while expenses were $15 million. The previous year, income was $9.4 million , while

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New Year's interfaith celebration planned While some people head for New Year's parties and others head for the hills to avoid the Y2K computer bug, a growing number of religious leaders and communities around the world are choosing to begin the new Millennium together, with moments of prayer, reconciliation and community service.

An interfaith celebration in San Francisco's downtown Union Square is planned New Year's Eve. The event , called "San Francisco 2000: Celebrating Life, Compassion and Diversity," begins at 10 p.m., and runs until shortly after midnight.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco, the San Francisco Mayor's Office , Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, the United Muslims of America ,the Jewish community and BillGrahamPresentsare presenting the family-oriented, spiritual celebration.

Free tickets must be obtained in advance by calling (415) 771-0661 or (415) 771-6300.

A plan to build an assisted living facility on a portion of the grounds of Brotherhood Way 's St. Thomas More Church was approved by the San Francisco Planning Commission by a vote of four to two on Dec. 16. San Francisco 's Board of Supervisors also affirmed the project by their unanimous passage on Dec. 20 of a resolution introduced by Supervisor Sue Bierman , putting the panel on record in support of the 134-room facility.

"The Planning Commission 's vote and the support of the Board of Supervisors gives us reason to be optimistic ," said Matt Lonncr, a spokesperson for Elder Care Alliance , the group that will manage the new facility. Lonner said the group hopes to "break ground in June " with the entire project taking about 18 months to complete .

expenses were $13 million.

Since July, when Archbishop William Levada was named apostolic administrator for the Santa Rosa diocese , a $5 million banks loan was arranged to deal with a liquidity crisis; the consolidated banking system was eliminated; construction projects were reduced by half; the chancery budget was cut by $2.7 million; and a $6 million loan commitment was sought from other dioceses.

While the Santa Rosa Diocese faces a long process of rebuilding, said (he finance council report , "steps have been taken to establish an infrastructure that assures adequate oversight , control and checks and balances," citing new structures of accountability both within the diocese and throug h external oversight.

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Today's Students Pilot p arishes exceed goals , receive refunds

By Evel yn Zapp ia Representatives of the five pilot parishes that partici pated in the Today's Students -Tomorrow's Leaders Campaign met with Archbishop William J. Levada Dec. 16 to receive refund checks from monies the parishes raised over and above their education fund targets.

"Thank you for all you've done ," Archbishop Levada said to the guests. "This is a great achievement in your parishes. It is a tribute to all the hard work that went into the campai gn.

Congratulations to all of you. " The pilot parishes comp leted their campai gns in Jul y and received reimbursement checks for exceeding their campai gn goals: Church of the Epiphany, San Francisco , $489,708; Holy Angels , Colma , $63,829; Our Lady of Lourdes , San Francisco , $7,055; St. Francis of Assisi , East Palo Alto , $7,249; and St. Gabriel , San Francisco , $33,359.

"We always work together as a famil y and we care," said Kathy Parish-Reese of Epiphany.

Steve Balestieri added, "When peop le care, things flow naturally."

Holy Angel's Virginia Simon said, "It's a case of recognizing the importance of education. The people of our parish affirmed the importance for the Archdiocese."

"The vast majority of our parish know the value of educati on and are willing to donate and di g deeper for such an important cause," said Terry Oertel , Our Lady of Lourdes.

"The campai gn was explained well and the message was unders tood," said Verna Winston , St. Francis of Assisi.

"I've been with St. Gabriel' s for 38 years," said Sean Spiers. Its a parish that 's always been concerned with the

Bishop Wester Guest on Jan. 2 Mosaic Program

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importance of education . The support of our priests is what gives us such success."

Most parishes exceeding their campaign goals will use the excess pledges to address parish-based Catholic education and school needs.

The campaign 's Clergy Committee chaired by Bishop John Wester recommended that parishes would receive all monies raised over their education fund targets and that parishes would receive reimbursement checks twice a year as pledges are fulfilled, according to Scott Vachon, campaign director.

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Most Reverend John C. Wester , Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco will be interviewed by host Tom Burke on Mosaic - KP1X Channel 5 on Sunday, Jan 2.

This program will air at 5 a.m., an hour earlier than usual because of New Year's programming.

The program will be repeated on Jan 23 at 6 a.m.

A Musical Celebration Jnlm gg ¦ Live On Stage : '•;. -, , ^

Holy Angels Parish Leadershi p Team (I to r) Art Mischeaux , Virginia Simon, Sister Therese Improgo , and Archbishop William J. Levada.

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Today's Students - Tomorrow's Leaders Campaign is a $30 million campaign for tuition aid endowment , and an opportunity for parishes to address some of their local needs.

Of the 65 parishes currently conducting or who have conducted the campai gn , 42 (65%) have identified specific needs to benefit from the campaign; 27 of those 42 (64%) identified education or the local parish school will benefit; 15 of those 27 (55%) identified the parish "education endowment" or "school financial aid program " will be beneficiaries; and 4 indicated parish reli gious education programs.

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World Day of Peace, January 1, 2000

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P NATO SOLDIER LOOKS OVER JAIL CHAMBER A British paratrooper looks over the weapons and implements of torture found in a Pristina jail in Kosovo. NATO troops discovered massive amounts of explosives, implements of torture,

By John Norton

drugs and pornography at the station.

VATICAN CITY (Catholic News Service)

'The earth's resources X JL "complete change of perspective " in international political and economic structures will be necessary to build lasting world peace , Pope John Paul II said.

"There will be peace only to the extent that humanity as a whole rediscovers its fundamental calling to be one family," he said in a message for the World Day of Peace, Jan . 1, 2000.

The 22-page message was released Dec. 13 at a Vatican press conference.

Pointing out that these were the pope 's first words of the year 2000 , Archbishop Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan , president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said the message went to the heart of jubilee celebrations.

"It is not an exaggeration to call this a globalization message , not of economic globalization, but of humanity, " he said.

In his message, the pope said that the process of globalization , for all its risks, offers opportunities to enable humanity to become a single family.

"For this to happen , a complete change of perspective will be needed: It is no longe r the wellbeing of any one political , racial or cultural community that must prevail, but rather the good of humanity as a whole," he said.

In an editorial, Father Bernardo Cervellera, director of Fides, the Vatican 's missionary news service, called the pope 's message an "examination of conscience of die 20th century."

The pope outlines the evils of the past 100 years, including war, genocide, totalitarianism , but also condemns modem errors;, like powerful nations that "weaken the role and credibility of international organizations like the United Nations , " the priest said.

"One reads between the lines the pope 's condemnation of the NATO and U.S. interventions in Kosovo and Iraq, which took place outside of V.N. mandate , " Father Ceivelfera said.

In his message, the pope said military intervention was sometimes necessary, and even obligatory, to defend civilian populations against unjust aggressors, after political negotiations fail.

"These measures, however, must be limited in lime and precise in their aims ," the pope said.

"They must be carried out in full respect for international law, guaranteed by an authority that is internationally recognized."

Full use must be made of all the provisions of the U.N. Charter , he said. He said the United Nations "must offer all its member states an equal opportunity to be part of the decision-making process, eliminating privileges and discriminations which weaken its role and credibility.

"What is needed without delay is a renewal of international law and international institutions , " he said, whose "basic organizing principle should be the primacy of the good of humanity and of the human person over .every other consideration. " The pope praised the establishment of an Internati onal Criminal Court because "crimes against humanity cannot he considered an internal affair of a nation. " The Fides editorial said the pope was referring to nations like China , Indonesia, Russia and Vietnam which reject international human rights pressure as meddling in their internal affairs.

The pope , noting a worldwide increase in armed internal conflicts in which civilian populations suffer greatly, said nations have a duty "to guarantee the right to humanitarian aid to suffering civilians and refugees. " He called it a "paradox of contemporary warfare" that "as recent conflicts have shown, armies enjoy maximum security, while the civilian population lives in frightening situations of danger."

Peace-making necessarily involves caring for the development needs of the poor, he said.

"At the beginning of a new century, the one issue which most challenges our human and Christian consciences is the poverty of countless millions of men and women , " he said. He noted that more than 1.4 billion people worldwide live in extreme poverty. The earth's resources are not destined for a select few, but for the good of all its inhabitants , he said.

This basic principle "is widely disregarded , as shown by the persistent and growing gulf in the world between a North fill ed with abundant commodities and resources and increasingly made up of older people, and a South where the great majority of younger people now live, still deprived of credible prospects for social , cultural and economic development."

The pope suggested a re-thinking of what the economy and its puiposes are. He invited economists and financial professionals to "recognize the urgency of the need to ensure that economic practices and related political policies have as their aim the good of every person and of the whole person."

He said there was an urgent need to reconsider the models that inspire development policies, to include greater participation of the poor as agents of their own development.

"When seen as a sowing of peace, cooperation cannot be reduced to aid or assistance, especially if given with an eye to the benefits to be received in return for the resources made available," he said.

Fides said that the pope was criticizing self-serving international aid policies of rich countries like the United States, Japan and European nations.

CNS PHOTOS FROM REUTERS

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There will be peac e only to the extent that humanity as a whole rediscovers its fundamental calling to he onefam il y .3

U.S. OFFICIAL SURVEYS SANCTIONS EFFECT IN IRAQ SANCTIONS SURVEY U.S. congressional aide Phyllis Bennis visits an Iraqi mother and her sick baby in a Baghdad hospital. Bennis and a team of U.S. representatives were in Iraq to investigate the effect of U.N.

JOHN PAUL II

sanctions on the nation.

Iraq and human rights groups have blamed sanctions for the deaths of thousands of Iraqis due to malnutrition and inadequate medical services.

MILLIONS RALLY FOR PEACE IN COLOMBIA Carrying banners calling for peace, millions demonstrate against violence in Colombia during a mass protest march in Bogota. Guerrilla warfare, including rebel kidnappings and massacres, have plagued the country since the 1960s.

HOMELESS BOY A homeless boy begs for money in central Kiev, Ukraine.

An average of 15,000 abandoned or runaway children are taken in by authorities in Ukraine every year.

JCATHOLIC

The Family Circus

By BIL KEANE

SAN FRANCISCO

Keep ers of the lig ht

One hundre d and thirty years ago, British poet Matthew Arnold wrote "Dover Beach ," a poem that capture d the sad diminishmenl of confidence in reli g ious faith that marked the end of the nineteenth century. On Eng land' s coast at Dover Beach, the poet looks across to the European continent: "The sea is calm tonight. / The tide is full , the moon lies fair/ U pon the straits; on the French coast , the li ght / Gleams and is gone;" "The sea of faith / Was once , too, at the full , and round earth 's shore / Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled. / But now I onl y hear / Its melanchol y, long, withdrawing roar, / Retreating, to the breath / Of the night-wind , down the vast edges drear / And naked shingles of the world."

"Ah , love , let us be true / To one another! for the world , which seems / To lie befo re us like a land of dreams , / So various , so beautifu l , so new, / Hath reall y neither joy, nor love , nor light , / Nor certitude , nor peace , nor hel p for pain ; / And we are here as on a darkling plain / Swept with confused alarms of struggle and fli ght , / Where ignorant armies clash by ni ght. " Arnold's poem is an appropriate herald for the twentienth century in which humanity was twice swept by catastrop hic world wars and suffered terrible episodes of barbarism. It was a century, described by Pope John Paul II , "of great calamities for man , of great devastations, not only material ones , indeed perhaps above all moral ones."

History, of course , does not arrange itself into neat 100 year packages, and the beginnings and endings of eras are not coincident with the change from one century to the next. Some have suggested that the twentieth century began post-Freud , but the weakening of faith and resulting chaos in the worl d — lamented

by Arnold in "Dover Beach" — seems a more apt marker for the beginning of the twentienth century.

What marks the beg inning of the new millennium? What heralds the start of the twenty-first century?

In spirit , the new century may actually have begun 20 years ago, soon after Karol Wojtyla was named to become a successor to St. Peter, and as Pope John Paul II issued the first encyclical of his papacy, Redemptor Hominis (The Redeemer of Man). The new pope, in March 1979, took as his theme Christ 's message, "Be not afraid , for I am with you always ," and began restoring confidence in faith and bring ing vitality to a new evangelization.

He began his first encyclical in this way : "1. At the close of the second Millennium: The redeemer of man, Jesus Christ is the center of the universe and of history . . . .

We are already approaching that date [2000J which will recall and reawaken in us in a special way our awareness of the key truth which Saint John expressed at the beg inning of his Gospel: 'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us ,' and elsewhere , 'God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. '" "We also are in a certain way in a season of a new Advent , a season of expectation . . . . What should we do, in order that this new advent of the Church , connected with the approaching end of the second millennium, may bring us closer to him whom Sacred Scripture calls 'Everlasting Father.' ...Our response must be: Our spirit is set in one direction, the only direction for our intellect , will and heart is towards Christ our Redeemer."

"The God of creation is revealed as the God of redemption , as the God who is 'faithful to himself and faithful to his love for man and the world, which he revealed on the day of creation. He is a love that does not draw back from anything that justice requires in him . . . . Above all a love that is greater than sin, than weakness, than the 'futility of creation,' it is stronger than death; it is a love always ready to raise up and forgive, always ready to meet the prodigal son . . . . This revelation of love is also described as mercy; and in man 's history this revelation of love and mercy has taken a name: that of Jesus Christ."

Each of us are keepers of the light of revelation that has been passed to us. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus , the Incarnation of the Word of God, let us also commit ourselves anew to extending God 's love and peace far into the coming century and the third millennium.

MEH The staff of Catholic San Francisco wishes you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We have enjoyed sharing the past year with you and look to the future with hope for a holy and blessed jubilee year. | | \

"Arnold Roth Is lucky. His mother 's Christmas and his father 's Hanukkah." [teproducud wMl pcmilssion of Bil Kfinn<i C KWO BKI

On 'derivative' feasts.. .

Let me comp liment Vivian Dudro on her Dec. 10 Famil y Life column affirming our Jewish roots. Indeed , Jews do not celebrate Hanukkah instead of Christmas , a chauvinistic notion to be sure . The Jewish sp iritual tradition justified celebrating before we Hanukkah long Catholics invented Christmas , or ourselves , for that matter. In families such as mine , simultaneously blessed by both traditions , it is mere ly coincidence , and not assimilation , which places our menorah and manger together on the mantle at the same time each December.

Rather , it is Christmas which is the "derivative " feast. As continues in the Eastern Catholic tradition , the ori ginal focus of Christ 's Coming is the Feast of the Circumcision , Christ 's "bris," celebrating his consecration to the Covenant as a Jew. Infant mortality being what it was , birthdays weren 't a bi g deal back then. It was onl y much later that the Roman Church invented Christmas to supplant their local pagan celebration of the Saturnalia , by all reports , a decidedl y un-Christian bash!

While we are at it, we should acknowled ge that it is we Catholics who celebrate Hol y Thursday and the Last Supper instead of the Passover Seder , which , after all , was what Christ and his Apostles were about when those historical events look place. Catholics who have experienced the meaning of Jewish liturg ical tradition s, perhaps hearing a congregation recite verbatim prayers we thought were uniquely "Catholic ," cannot be but humbled by the realization that our "One True Faith" is a lot more Jewish than our pre-Vat ican II catechisms lead us to believe! And rightl y so.

Robert J. Cleek Novato

that Christianity is derivative f rom the Jewish faith. Ad vent readings make clear that Jesus was a Jew , "One of the great achievements of the Second Vatican Council...is the bishops ' exp lanation of our sp iritual bond with the Jews ," Vivian Dudro noted. "The God who saves us revealed himself f irst to them, the Council pointed out, and their scriptures are indis pensable to our faith." One of the key mandates from Vatican II is for Catholics to embrace a genu ine respect for other faiths. Specula tion as to the time of the year of Christ 's birth dates f rom the early third century. Celebration of the anniversary does not appear to have been general until the fourth century. The earliest mention of the observance on Dec. 25th is in the year 336. Popular observance of the feast has always been marked by the joy and merrymaking characteristic of the Roman Saturnalia and other pagan festivals it rep laced. Fin ally, Catholics do not celebrate Holy Thursday instead of Passover.

Jesus and his discip les went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover and in so doing instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist , which is the focus of Holy Thursday. The death of Christ was the fulfillme nt of the sacrifice foreshadowed by the Passover.

L E T T E E S

Ed. Note : We appreciate thai Catholic roots in Judaism have not always been recognized , but scholars readily concede

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Listen to each other

In Archbishop Levada 's Oct. 22 Ordinary Time, "Voice of reason and religion needed ," he writes , "Stable marriages are the best guarantor of stable families. I believe thoug htful gays and lesbians should realize the importance of this goal and support it no less than husbands and wives , mothers , and fathers. " I trust most peop le — heterosexual and homosexual , alike — seek the life , security, and joy which committed , stable relationships and families foster. To imp ly ' persons are less thoug htfu l , reflective or even reli gious because they mi ght intellectuall y, emotionall y or spirituall y differ with the local Church' s support of the Protection of Marriage Initiative seems unfair. Use of "thoug htful" and "should" run the risk of appearing patronizing and polarizing.

Traditional marriage and famil y life are experiencing difficult challenges and transitions in both society and the Church.

Instead of scapegoating gay men and lesbian women for these social problems , could it not be time for all of us to look honestl y within our institutions and ourselves to discover our shadows being projected onto others ?

The $310,000 contributed to the initiative b y the California Catholic Conference would have been more productivel y and creativel y used had it hel ped gather Catholics to discern and act on ways to strengthen and support all committed , stable relatio nshi ps and families , be they heterosexu al or homosexual .

Could we not assemble thoughtfu l peop le of faith to listen to each other, understand each other, and work together lovingl y for the common good of all?

Father Paul Rossi San Rafael Ed. Note: The California Conference of Catholic Bishops has voiced strong sup port for Proposition 22 , which will appear on the March 2000 ballot. Propositio n 22 limits recognized marriages in California to those between a man and a woman. The Church teaches that marriag e is a sacra ment in which a man and a woman make a commitment before God to each other and to any children that may result from their union.

Death penalty Murdered woman 's family opposes executing killer

By Andy Telli NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) — Mary Catherine Strobel' s four children opposed the death penalty for her murderer because that 's what she would have done.

"That was just the way we were raised ," said Father Charles Strobel of Nashville , one of her sons. "You don 't return evil for evil."

Mary Catherine Strobel' s children — Strobel , Jerry Veronica StrobelSeigenthaler , Father Strobel , and Alice Eadler — met in the offices of the Tennessee Register , Nashville diocesan newspaper, to give their firs t joint interview .since their mother 's death in 1986.

At the time of the interview in early December, Tennessee was preparing for its first executions since 1960. The U.S. Supreme Court had just turned down the latest appeals of death-row inmates Robert Glen Coe and Philip Workman and the state attorney general's office was seeking a new execution date.

The Strobel children described their mother as a warm , fun-loving, people-oriented person who was always helping others. Her husband died in 1947 when they were young, and she raised them alone while also caring for two elderly aunts.

After she retired from her job at the

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g After Mary Catherine Strobel was murdered in 1986 in Nashville , her children, from left, Alice Eadler, Father Charles Strobel, Jerry Strobel and Veronica StrobelSeigenthaler opposed the death penalty for her killer. The murderer was sentenced to life in prison.

Metro Fire Department , she filled her days with volunteer work for the homeless and needy, they said.

That was what she was doing Dec. 9, 1986, when she was kidnapped and mur-

dered by William Scott Day, an escapee from a Michigan psychiatric hospital .

She had delivered some sweet potatoes to Holy Name Church in East Nashville , where her son was pastor, and she was

planning to bring more to the Union Rescue Mission downtown.

On the way, she stopped at a Sears store, and as she walked back to her car, Day kidnapped her. Within hours he had killed her.

They found her car about 1 a.m. Dec. 11. Her bod y was in the trunk .

The grief clouded their lives for years like a fog, Jerry Strobel said.

Father Strobel runs the Room at the Inn program , providing assistance for the homeless. At his mother 's funeral, he told mourners who packed the church, "Why speak of anger and revenge? Those words were not compatible with the very thought of our mother. So, I say to everyone, we are not angry or vengeful , just deeply hurt."

He also said that day, "We know the answers are not easy and clear, but we still believe in the miracle of forg iveness. And we extend our arms in that embrace."

Despite the Strobels ' opposition , prosecutors sought the death penalty for Day, who had confessed to several other murders in a killing spree that started with their mother 's death. But the jury deadlocked on the death penalty and Day was sentenced to life in prison.

Said Slrobel-Sei genthaler: "Giving forgiveness for something like that gives you peace."

Pope asks jubilee year end to capital punishment VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Hol y Year 2000 represents a great opportunity for the world to abolish the death penalty, Pope John Paul II said.

"The great jubilee is a privileged occasion to promote throughout the world increasingly mature forms of respect for life and for the dignity of every person ," said the pope during his Dec. 12 Angelus address.

Citing Church teaching on capital punishment, the pope renewed his appeal for

an international consensus on outlawing the practice.

His message was then re-broadcast at Rome 's Colosseum , where an anti-death penalty initiative started later in the day.

Once the site of sacrifices of Christians to lions , the ancient amp hitheater has been transformed into a symbol of life and mercy.

During the year 2000 the Colosseum 's lights will turn from white to gold for 48

hours every time a death sentence is commuted or a country abolishes capital pun ishment.

In a ceremony markin g a decision by Albania two days earlier to wipe capital punishment from its books , golden li ght bathed the Colosseum the evening of Dec. 12 for the first time since the beginning of the campaign.

Sponsors of the 2000 project include the City of Rome, the Italian Ministry of

Culture , Amnesty International and the Catholic lay group San Egidio.

The pope has repeatedly called for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, say ing that instances where it is necessary to protect society are "very rare, if not practicall y nonexistent."

Ninety countries still practice capital punishment, while 68 have abolished it. In 1998, the U.S. ranked third in number of executions, with 68. China was first with 1,067.

Guest Commentary,

When the death penalty fails

Father Gerald Coleman JL he November issue of The Atlantic Monthly published a startling article on the number of innocent persons who have been executed in the U.S. This claim creates the probability that an increasing number of innocent people will face this same injustice as the number of executions in the U.S. (and California) are likely to increase.

Undoubtedl y, the country 's prisons contain many dangerous predato rs who are in fact guilty of the crimes for which they were convicted; and most of those sentenced to death committed unspeakable acts.

At the same time, however, innocent people have been found on death row. For example, James Richardson was sentenced to death in Florida for murdering his seven children. His innocence was established only after it was demonstrated that the state had suppressed evidence of his innocence and that key witnesses, including the local sheriff , had lied under oath.

Richardson spent 21 years in prison for a crime he did not commit .

Since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, more than 80 death row inmates have been freed from prison, their convictions overturned by evidence of innocence. This number is equal to almost 15 percent of those actually executed (since 1977, more than 570 men and women have been executed in the U.S.) Death penalty supporters deny these figures, claiming that "There is no documented case of a factually innocent person who has been executed for at least the last 50 years" (Paul G. Cassell , Professor of Law, University of Utah).

What , then , are some of the facts?

First, a Chicago Tribune investigation published earlier this year found that since 1963 at least 381 homicide convictions nationwide have been overturned because prosecutors concealed evidence or presented evidence they knew to be false.

Second , a 1996 Justice Department report found that in 8,048 rape and rape-and-murder cases referred to the FBI lab from 1988 to mid-1996, a staggering 2,012 of the primary suspects were exonerated owing to DNA evidence alone. Had DNA analysis not been available (as it wasn't 10 years ago), several hundred of the 2,012 would probably have been tried , convicted, and sentenced for crimes they did not commit. Nationwide , DNA testing has been used to secure the release of 62 men sentenced for crimes they didn 't commit, including eight on death row.

New York and Illinois have found these recent DNA-assisted cases so compelling they have enacted laws allowing any inmate who feels he or she has a legitimate claim of innocence to demand post-conviction DNA testing.

Third, potential j urors in a capital case are questioned , often for days on end, about their willingness to impose the death penalty (in order to attain a so-called "death-qualified" jury). They must demonstrate their ability to call for the death penalty to be seated. This procedure creates an atmosphere in which jurors go into the courtroom assuming the defendant is guilty and their role is to decide on the appropriate sentence.

Fourth, three-fourths of state prison inm ates and half of federal inmates have taxpayer-financed , court-appointed counsel. Lawyers end up handling huge caseloads that would be considered unconscionable and certainly impractical in the private sector.

In addition , most public defenders are so poorly paid that most lawyers tend to shy away from this sort of practice. Some states assign these lawyers randomly from a general list, a system that almost ensures that lawyers lacking appropriate qualifications will be assigned to cases.

One major study has demonstrated that a major cause of wrongful convictions in the U.S. was due to incompetent attorneys who even neglected to examine the pro secution's forensic evidence; or failed to have it tested .

As only one example, a Kentucky investigation by the Department of Public Advocacy found that 25 percent of death-row inmates had been represented at trial by lawyers who had since been disbarre d or had resigned to avoid disbarrment.

The pervasiv e inadequacy of defense counsel in capital cases is the major reason the American Bar Association 's House of Delegates approved a 1997 resolution calling for a moratorium on executions.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1984 that "The government COLEMAN, page 15

SCRIPTURE ŠL ITURGY Christmas 1999: 'Open wide the doors to Christ

this Jubilee "the threshold of hope."

Moving from one space of time to another is like moving from one room to the next. Standing on the threshold we are betwixt and between , neither in the place where we were nor the place we are going. The threshold represents a unique opportunity for conversion and progress for each of us and for all of us , the Church and all humanity by virtue of Christ 's redemptive birth. During this Christmas season and throug hout the Jubilee Year, take time to stand on the threshold whether in your home or at Church , and pray the prayer that the Archbishop will pray when he has opened the Hol y Door on Christmas Eve:

As the beginning of the great Jubilee Year 2000, this Christmas is extraordinary. Many have asked why the Church marks the beg inning of the Holy Year on Christmas. Wh y not the beginning of the civil year on Jan. I or the beginning of the Church year on the First Sunday of Advent? Still others ask why we celebrate the Jubilee at the beginning of the year 2000 and not at the end.

The Jubilee begins on Christmas The Holy Year begins on Christmas because Jubilees celebrate significant anniversaries of the Incarn ation , Christ 's saving birth. Our history is now measured in years that refer all time to the birth of Jesus , Son of God and Son of Mary. Ordinary Jubilees mark Christ 's birthday every quarter century not with a day or a season but with an entire year which opens and closes on Christinas day as symbolized by the opening and closing of a special Holy Door.

When the Hol y Year traditions were still being formed , it was customary in Rome to change the number of the year on Dec. 25 not on Jan. 1. When doing some research on the ori gins of the Holy Door, I found this fact confirmed by the diary of John Burchardus, the papal master of ceremonies who firs t created the ritual for opening a J ubilee door exactly 500 years ago. His journal speaks of all the final details being arranged on Dec. 24, 1499 and his next entry is dated Dec. 25, 1500.

need as we recall Jesus ' words "knock and it shall be opened to you." On Ihe other hand it represents our openness to God as the Book of Revelation has Jesus declaring, "Behold , I stand at the door and knock." Thus it is Christ himself , both human and divine, who declares, "I am the door, whoever enters through me will be saved." Seen in this way, the Holy Door reminds us just what the Jubilee is all about.

The Jubilee begins with the opening of a door At Midni g ht Mass on Christmas Eve, the pope will open the Holy Door at St. Peter 's Basilica in Rome. Along with bishops all over the world, Archbishop Levada will do the same at Midni ght Mass here at Saint Mary 's Cathedral. In essence the Holy Door represents God meeting his people.

It is the celebration of the saving birth of Christ , through whom God has access to us and we to him.

On the one hand it represents God's openness to us in our

The Jubilee is a "threshold of hope" Many comp lain that the new millennium does not actu all y start at the beginning of the year 2000 but at the end.

Whether or not this is technically accurate, no one can deny that the beginning of the year 2000 is a significant calendar change. In a sense it is a year in between. No longer the 1900s, it is not yet the 21" century either. What better symbol than the threshold we cross onl y during the Jubilee year when the Holy Door is open? Thus Pope John Paul calls

God of all ages , in the fullness of time , you sent your only begotten Son , Jesus Christ , as the door to the Kingdom of God , the sheep gate to life eternal , and the portal to eternal peace.

May this door be for us , a reminder of the Great Jubilee of our Redemption. Here may we enter your presence as humble worshippers; From here may we go forth as servants of your Holy Gospel.

At the end of our daysmay we be found worthy to enter the gates of heaven and rejoice forever at the nuptia l feast of our Bridegroom and Lord.

Through him for whom we wait and for whom we long, may all glory and praise be to you , Father, in the unity of the Holy Sp irit, one God , for ever and ever. Amen.

Father John Talesfore

Father John Talesfore directs the Office of Worship.

Dine on a Christmas Feast of the Word

As you can see, the Church nourishes us with a rich feast of God's Word as we celebrate Christmas in our pari sh communities. Each set of readings lights up our human experience, showing us what God has accomplished in Christ once and for all now ripp les and echoes in us and our world; each set of readings call s us together as God's people, moving us to approach the eucharistic table with praise and thanksgiving; each set of readings colors the way in which we will choose to live out what we have celebrated.

Perhaps , then, it will be helpful to consider the Gospel selections for each of the Christmas liturgies and so be more prepared to participate in the community celebration you choose to join.

At the Vigil Mass (Matt. 1:1-25): If you think your fam ily tree has some strange branches , behold the cast of characters in the "genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David , the son of Abraham ," that Matthew offers . He sees the ministry of Jesus and of the Church previewed in his three-fold division of the Old Testament characters: 1) The patriarchs (Abraham to David); 2) The kings (David to the Babylonian Exile); 3) The otherwise unknown people (from the Bab ylonian Exile to Joseph).

In division one, we behold the strange choice of God who includes cheats and liars in the ancestry of the Messiah and hear in advance Jesus ' own love for the sinner over the j ust.

In division two, we see the heights of David's reign yield to the low point of the exile, and hear in advance Jesus preaching of the "kingdom of the heavens," in which this world's values are reversed, and to be a king is to be a child. In division three, we see unknown figures who have not "made it " into historical records, and hear in advance Jesus ' choice of fishermen , tax collectors, and have-nots who will form the community his death and resurrection will create into Church.

A mere look around you at the parish community assembled for Christmas celebration will show you God still chooses in the same way, Jesus is still "Emmanuel," "God is with us," this whole interesting gathering is the intervention of God, and you are part of it.

At midnight (Luke 2:1-14): Let us reflect on a "manger" and on "shepherds " and see where we get. Isaiah voices God's heart-felt lament at the outset of the book named after him: "Children have I raised and reared , but they have disowned me! An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master's manger, but Israel does not know, my people have not

Christmas

At the Vigil Mass: Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 89; Acts 13:16-17 , 22-25; Matthew 1:1-25 At Midnight: Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 At Dawn : Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20 During the Day: Isa iah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18

Father David M. Pettingill understood." (1:2-3) Three times within a few verses Luke mentions that the child Jesus is in a manger (2:7, 12, 16) and that shepherds come to discover him there .

Throug h God's grace and favor, Israel and the nations will see in Jesus the Lord , now grown- up, indeed , raised from the dead, a nourishment that the table of the Word and of the Eucharist offers us. Here the new world permeates us , sustains us , and enables us to be nourishing presences. Shepherds are the first to be invited into the li ght , music , and song of Jesus ' orbit , but they repre sent the whole parad e of favored peop le Luke will list throughout the rest of the gospel as Jesus reaches out to them with such love and who offer only what they can give him, the acceptance of this gift, "manger" and "shepherds" encourage us to bask in God's nourishing favor.

At dawn (Luke 2:15-20): "Let us go, then , to Bethlehem to see this thing (literall y, this word) that has taken place which the Lord has made known to us ," say the shepherds.

These outcasts are favored with an experience of Jesus and are made into proclaimers of the Lord even to Mary. "All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by

the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things , reflecting on them in her heart."

We are invited not to exclude anyone, especiall y ourselves, as gospel heralds because we consider them/us to be in states of disrepair that should render them/us mute.

God's obvious preference embraces "messes" who know they have been favored.

During the day (John 1:1-18): The awesome (an instance where this word is appropriate) prologue of the fourth gospel exposes what our community assembled for worship embodies. It begins with the Word at home with God , proceeds to picture this Word presiding over the creation of the world , moves on to see this Word active in Israel, God's People, and finall y amazes us with the notice that this Word has become flesh in Jesus of Nazareth and "p itched his tent among us."

It goes on to say, "From his fullness we have all received;" in other words, as Oscar Cullman observed, it traces a strai ght line from Jesus of Nazareth in whom the Word became flesh to each community of believers (that 's us) in whom the Word continues to become flesh.

What a feas t we are seryed at each Christmas liturgy.

May you be well fed and rejoice.

Bon appetit!

We are invited not to exclude anyone, esp ecially ourselves ,

as Gospel heralds

Father Davi d Pettingill directs the archdiocesan Office of Parish Life.

Family Lif e.

All those kids yours?

Vivian W. Dudro W hen out in public with my four children , I am frequently asked , "Are all of these kids yours?" Many other mothers I know also receive rude questions about the size of their families.

"One hardly kn ows what to say," lamented a friend recently. Exasperated , she told one busybody, "These children are the only ones I have with shoes."

According to my mother-in-law, animosity toward growing families has been around awhile. She vividl y remembers when, pregnant and walking down the side-

walk with a few youngsters, a passerby yelled at her, "Hey lady, don 't you know where babies come from?"

- He was neither the first, nor the last, misanthrope to view with disfavor a scene bursting with human life. The Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses looked out upon his Hebrew slaves and saw too many.

Ebenezar Scrooge, that miserly masterpiece of Charles Dickens, inveighed against the "surp lus population " in 19th century London. And today 's rich and influential warn there are too many of us on this planet , meaning some people (not them , mind you, but other inconsequential people) should never have been bom.

"What about the population crisis?" you might ask.

"I am not convinced there is one," I will answer.

From Thomas Malthus in Dickens ' day to Paul Erlich in our own, has any pro phet of population doom been correct in his predictions?

I am not a statistician , but I have eyes in my head.

Every year in America, tons of rejected produce are left in the fields or dumped in the sea. Some farmers are paid by the government not to plant. And our refuse is full of the leavings of an over-fed society. I

do not deny the human race has its problems , but they have less to do with how many peop le we are and more to do with what kind of people we are.

When I am confronted by strangers for having, in their eyes , too many children , 1 wish I could persuade them that every child is a gift.

Though they arrive empty handed , children give far more than they take away. Alas , there is never the opportunity to say all of this.

Fortunately, there was one couple who said it for all time.

They were far from home when the wife went into labor, yet no one would welcome them and the child about to be born . They ended up in a cave where livestock were stabled , and there the baby was delivere d and laid to rest in a feeding trough.

If we would only make room for this lowly child , we would find , to our surprise , there is more than enough of what we need to go around.

Though they arrive empty handed , children give far more than they take away.

Vivian Dudro is the mother of four (ages three to 12) and a member of St. Mary 's Cathedral Parish.

Agreement Between Catholics and Lutherans Q. When I was growing up, several good friends were Lutherans. Some of us are still close. At that time we Catholics would never dream of going into the Lutheran church , and they would never come to ours, though we never quite understood why.

So you can understand why the recent agreement between Catholics and Lutherans is so surprising.

What exactly is this new agreement about?

(Pennsy lvania) A. The convergence that has occurred between these two faiths is historic. The new document deals with the subject of justification , one of the most crucial doctrinal elements in the division between i /^ M i v u n TBHn < J&^ Lutherans — and manyI other g Protestants — and Catholics Jics for the last 500 years.

J ^ What is justification , g and how does it happen? 1 What is it that "justifies " us , ^k forgives our sins and brings us ^^^ holiness by the gift of new life ife ^/ ^ " in Jesus Christ?

Put very simply and succinctly, Luther and his followers claimed that this gift was purel y from God's gennrc rnnlH erosity. No actions of ours could merit it; we receive it and accept it only by faith ("sole fide ") in the compassionate mercy of God. Catholic theology, on the other hand , while insisting that justification is an unmerited favor from God , tended to put more emphasis on the importance of human actions.

The Council of Trent (1545-1563) was the great Catholic event attempting to counter the Protestant Reformation. It taug ht , for example, that individuals dispose themselves for ju stification by penitence , hope, faith , keep ing God' s commands and intending to begin a "new life " (Session 6, Chapter 6 and Canon 9).

True, the church had insisted for centuries, against heresies like the Pelag ians and semi-Pelagians, that even those initial steps toward God are possible only by his grace. Nevertheless, there appeared to be a deep division between the two positions.

There 's an unhappy human inclination th at when we disagree with others , especially in a climate of hostility, we try to bolster our side by putting the most negative possible interpretation on their words. This is the story of whatever "dialogue " took place during most of the past 500 years.

In recent decades another princip le has taken control. If you genuinely seek the truth , it says, and not just the upper hand , before you disagree with someone be uubiv to \ him n u n ,, to *-' you \- his satisfaction , H-'MV-'Cll. back ^"H repeat ^^ sure J' - - can what he has said. Often , our antagon antagonist will respond: No , that 's not exactly what I mean; let me make it more clear.

Such a discourse follows the pattern urged by Pope John Paul II in his encycli"Ut cal Unum Sint " ("That They Be May One "). "Theological dialogue," he directed ," must take account of the ways of thinking and historical experiences of the other party."

Purs u ing their theological exchanges with this in mind , Catholics and Lutherans involved in the dialogue graduall y discovered that their ideas on this subject were not that far apart; they are simply arrived at from different directions.

B y grace alone, by faith in Christ 's saving work and not because of any merit on our part , states the agreement, "we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit , who renews our heart s while equipp ing and callOU1

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.QUESTION m CORNER

Coleman . . . ¦ Continued from page 15 is not responsible for, and hence not able to prevent, attorney errors." Consequently, lawyers routinel y handle matters they know little or nothing about with the full comp licity of the courts. (It is something akin to a hospital assigning a cosmetic surgeon to perform a heart-bypass operation without the hospital being held accountable.)

What are my conclusions?

• The steady accumulation of wrongful convictions and

Father John Dietzen

death sentences in the U.S. constitutes a p rima facie case that we are dealing with a systemic flaw in the administration of justice; and • We are not able to guarantee that no innocent person will be executed; therefore, • The death penalty should be abolished. As Voltaire wrote, "It is better to risk saving a guilty person th an to condemn an innocent one."

Sulp ician Father Gerald D. Coleman is president and rector of St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park.

ing us to good works." God's grace is total gift; we live out that gift by our good works.

Interestingly, the close friendshi p between the late leader of the Bavarian Protestant Church , Bishop Hanselmann , and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , was a significant factor in overcoming final obstacles to the agreement.

Major hurdles remain between the churches , not least of which is "selling " the agreement to many Catholics, and to many Lutheran theologians who are not yet comfortable with it.

That the consensus is an ecumenical breakthrough of monumental proportions , however, cannot be denied .

As little as 30 years ago, it would hav e been thought impossible. Where the Hol y Spirit will take us next remains to be seen.

(A free brochure answering questions Catholics ask about ecumenism, intercommunion , and other ways of sharing with people of other faiths, is available by sending a stamped , self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen , Box 325, Peoria , 111. 61651.

(Questions for this column may be sent to Father Die tzen at the same address, or e-mail jjdietzen@aol.com.) © 1999 by Catholic News Service

West Coast Church Supp lies 369 Grand Avenue South San Francisco (Easy access: J blocks west of the 101 freeway) H800)-767-0660 Bibles , Books, Rosaries, Bible Studies, Statues Jewelry, Medals, Crucifixes, Pictures, Teaching Aids M: Baptism , Wedding and Anniversary Gift * «J L I

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

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

Jan. 27-March 2(Thursdays, 7:30-9:30 p.m.): 'The History and Theology of the Mass" with Father James Aylward, includes 2-session practicuum for lectors with Susan Sikora and for eucharistic ministers wit h Father Bill Cipriani al St. Hilary Church, 761 Hilary Dr., Tiburon.

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

Retreats/Days of Recollection VALLO MBROSA CENTE R 250 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park. For fees, times and other offerings call (650) 325-5614. Presentation Sister Rosina Conroffo, Program Director.

Jan. 7-9: "Discover/Recover Your Soul: Living Passionately in an Anxious World", a retreat for young adults in their 20s and 30s with Presentation Sister Monica Miller and Holy Names Sister Molly Neville.

Jan. 9: "Beatitudes for the 21st Century" with Father Jack Bonsor , Jesuit Father Bill Wood , Capuchin Father Gerald Barro n and other presenters. This is a continuing monthly series through Sept. 2000. Rstreatants may attend one or more and still benefit .

Jan. 15: "Getting a Fresh Start in the New Millennium", a retreat for single parents with marriage and family counselor Carol Kaplan. Childcare available.

MERCY CENTER 2300 Adeline Dr., Burlingame. For fees, 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 them.

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

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

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

1st Thurs. at 5:30 p.m. at Old St. Mary 's Cathedral, 660 California St. at Grant , SF. Call (415) 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. Call Sister Monica Miller, PBVM at (415) 751-0406, ext .

22; and at 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke Parish, 1111 Beach Park Blvd., Foster City. Call (650) 345-6660. ts\ Fri. at 8 p.m. at Mercy Center , 2300 Adeline Dr., Burlingame. Call Mercy Sister Suzanne Toolan at (650) 340-7452.

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

Consolation Ministry Jan. 18: 21st annual meeting of Mission Hospice, San Mateo County at 7 p.m.at the MH office , 151 W. 20th Ave., San Mateo. All invited. Please respond to (650) 554-1000.

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

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

Ongoing Sessions: Our Lady of 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) 347-

Datebook

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7768. 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 Jeanelte 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 who have experienced the death of a child, meet on 2nd Wed . at 7:30 p.m. St. Anne of the Sunset Parish, 850 Judah St. at Funston, SF Call Marianne Lino at (415) 892-7969.

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

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

At the Cemetery Jan. 1:1st Sat . of the month Mass in All Saints Mausoleum Chapel. All liturgies begin at 11 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Cofma. Father Thomas Seagrave , presiding. For more information , call (650) 756-2060.

Vocations Jan. 15: A morning of reflection for women considering religious life at Mater Dolorosa Convent, 377 Willow Ave., SSF. If you plan to attend or have questions, call Sister Agnes Haddock at (650) 5835817. Sponsored by Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.

Prayer/Devotions For information about events sponsored by the Office of Charismatic Renewal of the Archdiocese , call (415) 564-7729.

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

Jan 1: Special Blessed Sacrament March fro m St. Peter Church , Florida and 24th St., SF, covering about 12 blocks of its Mission Distrct neighborhood after a 1:30 p.m. Mass. Sing and pray along the way.

Call (415) 282-1652. Sponsored by St. Peter's Viva Cristo Rey Committee.

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

Call (415) 282-0861.

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.

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

Thursday : The laity prayer cenacie 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).

Blessed Sacrament Exposition Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park , 24 hours everyday, (650) 322-3013. St. Sebastian Church, corner of Bon Air Rd. and Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Greenbrae, M - F 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Adoration Chapel, (415) 461-0704. St. Agnes Churc h, 1025 Masonic (near Page) SF, Fri., 9 a.m. to 10 am, (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 for 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 for Spanish speaking, facilitated by three married couples and a priest. Milpitas location. For detailed information , call Guillermo or Maria Elena Canjura at (415) 585-5428.

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 an outstanding lineup of speakers 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.

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

Meetings are held at Catholic Charities , 814 Mission St., 5th Ffâ&#x20AC;&#x17E; 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 Catholic Adult Singles Assoc, of Marin meets for support and activities. Call Bob at (415) 8970639.

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

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

Dec. 31: New Wings liturgy at 7:30 p.m. followed

by New Year's Eve party in B'game home. RSVP to Cathy Arnold at (650) 299-4187 or Ron Landucci at (650) 583-6016.

Lectures/ Classes/Exhibits City College of San Francisco announces spring semester electives in English and the Humanities beginning Jan. 18. $11 per unit for all CA residents including degreed individuals. Call (415) 239-3285.

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

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 Thaoher 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.

Novato, 9 p.m. - 1 a.m., Adults $10. No host bar.

Bring appetizer or dessert for 8. Dancing and prizes with complimentary champagne at midnight. Call (415) 382-7828.

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

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

Reunions 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.

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

Performance Dec. 19: The Parish Choir of St. Sebastian Church will present its Christmas Musicale at 4 p.m. in the church at 373 Bon Air Road, Greenbrae. Call (415) 461-0704.

Jan. 16: Epiphany Concert by Coro Hispano and Conjunto Nueva Mundo at Mission Dolores Basilica, 16th and Dolores St., SF. $15 general/$12 seniors and students; under 16 free. Call (415) 431-4234.

The Archdiocesan Priests ' Choir will perform Dec. 19, 4 p.m. at St. Cecilia Church , 17th Ave. at Vicente , SF. This is a free 75 minute concert. All donations benefit the Priests Retirement Fund.

Jan. 2: Epiphany Lessons and Carols with the St. Mary Cathedral Boys and Girls Choir 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 the 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.

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. 12 noon 6 p.m.

Women in Community Service, seeks people to assist women making the transition fro m public assistance to the workforce. Call Gwen at (415) 397-3592.

Jan. 11 through May 30: Ten-session course on "Shepherding Small Church Communities" offered

by St. Augustine Parish. Background and hands-on experience for present and future leaders and coordinators of parish-based Small Christian Communities provided by Betsy Lamb, Pastoral Associate. Meets Tuesday evenings 7:30-9:30 p.m. at St. Augustine Parish Hall, 3700 Callan, SSF. $25 tuition includes text. For details or to register, call Betsy Lamb at (415) 821-0419.

Datebook is a free listing for parish es, schools and non-profit groups. Please include event name, time, date , p lace, address and an information pho ne number. Listing must reach Catholic San Francisco at least two weeks before the Friday publi cation date desired.

Mail your notice to: Datebook, CathoJic San Francisco, 441 Church St., S.F. 94114, or f a x it to (415) 565-3633 .

Food & Fun Dec. 31: Millennium New Year's Eve Party, St. Anthony of Padua Hall, 1000 Cambridge St. ,

Bi-ritual priests share spirit of eastern and western Catholicism

By Sharon Abercrombie Jesuit Father Mark Ciccone still remembers his first visit to an eastern church. He was five years old .

"Our family was out for our weekl y Sunday drive and we passed the Orthodox Church of Saint Sophia in downtown Los Angeles. Since I was already p lay ing Mass, my mother thought I'd enjoy seeing it."

When they walked inside, Father Ciccone recalls the gleaming candles, the smell of incense , the singing, and the beautiful egg shell tempura paintings of Jesus, Mary and the saints on the icon screen surrounding the altar. "I was stunned. I thought I was in heaven."

Father Ciccone looks back on that afternoon as a moment of grace. As he grew, Mark attended Byzantine and Orthodox churches whenever he had the opportunity.

While he was in high school , a Byzantine Catholic priest visited his parish of St. Matthias once per year. Those visits set the stage for his unusual ministry within the Catholic Church.

Father Ciccone, who is Irish and Italian , is a priest with bi-ritual faculties. Currently a campus chaplain at the University of San Francisco, he is authorized to celebrate the liturgy in both the western Roman Catholic and Byzantine Catholic churches.

Byzantine churches are examp les of the 22 independent churches throug hout the world that make up the Catholic communion of churches.

Bi-ritualism is a small part of the larger world of eastern Catholicism. In North America , there are more than a million eastern Catholics , with more than a thousand parishes.

Eastern Catholics are Christians who share liturg ical, cultural , theolog ical and canonical traditions of orthodox and other eastern churches , but are in full communion with Rome. In many places , for example in several eastern European areas, the Middle East , Ethiop ia, Eritrea and India, the majority of Catholics are eastern, not western.

Nevertheless, in Northern California, contact with a Roman Catholic priest who assists in the work of one of the eastern % Catholic churches , is often the first time western Catholics encounter their brothers and sisters of the Catholic East.

Althoug h a small part of eastern Catholicism , Roman bi-ritual priests provide considerable service to priests in eastern Catholic churches. When priests in any of Northern California 's 15 eastern Catholic communities go on vacations or retreats , attend conferences , or become ill , Father Ciccone and other bi-ritual priests fill in for them.

In doing so, they temporari ly leave the realm of altars facing the congregation and contemporary guitar hymns, and enter into the world which first captured Father Ciccone's heart as a small boy. "It is a tremendous sensual liturgy, filled with color and fragrance ," he said. Embodied prayer, bowing, frequent making of the sign of the cross, and congregational call and response singing add to the ambiance. The icon screen, the Iconostas , is considered "a door through which we unite our prayer with the liturgy of heaven."

Father Steven Armstrong, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Byzantine Catholic Church , the eastern Catholic center of San Francisco, also uses imagery to describe his affection.

"Each Christian 's heart has a deep center where he or she is trul y at home. This is mine."

Like Father Ciccone , Father Armstrong grew up in the Roman Catholic tradition , but unlike his fellow Jesuit, Father Armstrong switched to the Byzantine Catholic Church during his Jesuit training.

Father Armstrong is a bi-ritual priest in the opposite direction from Father Ciccone. Ordained in the Byzantine Catholic Church, he has faculties for the Roman Catholic Church so that he can minister in the western church.

He adds Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach , superior general of the Society of Jesus, is a priest in the Armenian Catholic Church , not the Roman Catholic , although he too has western faculties for cases of necessity.

Father Ciccone has served as a bi-ritual priest for the past 15 years. In his native LA, he combined it with his AIDS Hospice and bereavement work , and for the past two years , in campus ministry at the University of San Francisco. He will leave in January for a year of renewal in Sydney, Australia , before taking his final vows as a Jesuit.

Father Armstrong, a Phoenix native, has been pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Byzantine Catholic parish for the past 13 years. Unlike Father Ciccone, he was ordained in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, (one of the Byzantine churches) and his ministry is exclusivel y identified with the Christian East.

Byzantine refers to the fact that the traditions of the church ori ginate in the Christian life of Constantinople , ancient Byzantium. This path is shared by both eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics.

Some Byzantine churches were nicknamed "Melkite" in the fifth century because they remained loyal to the imperial theology of Constantinople and Rome.

As the Millennium approaches , the priests stand at a pivotal point in the Church.

In a recent Vatican document , Cardinal Achille Silvestrini , prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches , asserted the Hol y Year renewal of the Catholic Church must include the recovery of traditions Eastern Catholic churches have allowed to lapse.

During an Oct. 21 press conference , he presented a handbook , "The Great Jubilee 2000 and the Eastern Catholic Churches."

Msgr. Claudio Gugerolti , undersecretary of the congregation , said, "The most important way to live the jubilee well is by celebrating the liturgy with solemnity and intensity."

In addition , Msgr. Gugerolti emphasized , "Latinization " has led lo the almost complete abandonment of eastern

eastern Catholics at all , grew up hearing of the Byzantine, "rite ," the Marionite "rite" and more than a dozen other Catholic "rites." Each of these ecclesial communities is not a "rite " at all , but truly a Catholic churc h on its own.

Most eastern Catholics have their own bishops in Nort h America. Father Armstrong 's parish , however, is part of a very small community, the Russian-Byzantine Catholics.

The three such parishes in North America, unlike most other Byzantines , are shepherded by other bishops. In the case of Our lady of Fatima Church that shepherd is Archbishop William Levada.

Althoug h the kernel of faith is the same in both the western and eastern churches , the way in which that faith is lived out and expressed varies from tradition to tradition.

For example, if these men had been Byzantine Catholic diocesan seminarians instead of Jesuits , canon law affirms they would have been able to marry before ordination to the diaconate.

Many eastern Catholic priests wear beards and don 't cut their hair. Again, this is a matter of ethnic customs, reflecting the particularl y church's cultural origin , such as Russia.

These and other differences in customs continue to be a source of misunderstandings between the many Catholic churches , said Father Ciccone.

"We have to learn to rejoice — even revel — in this divine gift of spirit-filled diversity," Father Armstrong emphasized. "Most people see the Christian world as divided between Latin Catholics and Protestants. In reality, those issues are purel y internal to the West. Orthodox and other eastern Christians are the second largest group of Christians in the world . In the third millennium , being ignorant of the Christian East is no longer an option for the West."

For further information about eastern Christianity, go to Our Lady of Fatima Parish's web site at http://www.byzantinecatholic.org/.

'Most pe ople see the Christian worl d as divided

between Latin Catholics and Protestants. In reality, those issues are p urely internal to the West.' practices: baptism by immersion and the Eucharist under the species of both bread and wine , for examp le.

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington , D.C, is focusing on the issue as well.

They have issued a new 38-page booklet, "Eastern Catholics in the United States of America," intended to help Roman or Latin Catholics understand more about those fellow Catholic churches which share the same basic faith and sacraments, but whose liturg ical , artistic, cultural , spiritual , sacramental , and theological expressions differ considerably.

The booklet might come as news for the majority of American Roman Catholics, who, if they were aware of

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'Millennium Mass' to ring in New Year at St. Dominic Chu rch "The New Millennium Mass ," an ambitious new work by composer Dmitri Maiheny in collaboration with Ted Hall , will be performed at St. Dominic Church , 2390 Bush St., on Dec. 31 at 10:30 PM. The work will bring in the New Year with a scintillating, rhythmic recessional , followed by a fanfare at the stroke of midni ght that draws on jazz , Gospel , and world music. The performance and service are free to the public.

Written for organ, vocal soloist , choir , brass sextet and percussion , the work will feature musicians including jazz vocalist Clairdee , drummer Curt Moore , percussionist Ian Dogole , New York-based French horn p layer Mark Tay lor , and the St. Dominic 's Choir.

David Schofield , Ph.D., the newl y arrived St. Dominic music director , will conduct the Mass. An accomp lished

organist , he was m o s t recentl y m u s i c director of Notre D a m e

Clairdee Chapel and a chap lain at Columbia University in

New York City.

The Mass will be celebrated by Dominican Father Xavier Lavagetto, St, Dominic pastor. The performance will be recorded live under the guidance of Grammy Award-winning producer , Frank Dorrittie.

Matheny, an accomplished flugel horn player and recording artist on Monarch Records , has composed many works for jazz ensemble , including performances featuring his work at Carneg ie Hall.

designed for fourth and fifth graders ' music experience.

Founded in 1873. St. Dominic 's Church is served by the Dominican order and is home to the Shrine of St. Jude. Fr. Xavier Lavagetto , pastor at St. Dominic 's, said , "This is a wonderfu l gift to our parish and our community. Thanks to the insp iration of Dmitri and Ted , and the support of my predecessor , Fr. Roberto Corral , we will greet the new millennium united in a celebration of the fullness of life."

The Mass is being dedicated to the memory of Timoth y Walter Francis Hall , the late son of Ted and Laddie Hall.

Timothy, a graduate of St. Dominic 's relig ious education program and a talented student and p ianist , died three years ago at the age of 13.

For further information , call St. Dominic Parish: (415) 567-7824.

However , this is his most ambitious composition and his first sacre d work .

"1 was insp ired by the idea that the dawn of the new millennium should be greet " Dmitri Matheny ed with optimism , creativity, and spiritual contemp lation , not with the popular reci pe of fear and excess, " said Matheny.

Vocalist Clairdee has performed for groups as diverse as the Count Basie Orchestra , Glad ys Kni ght , Johnny Mathis , and Dionne Warwick. Clairdee has been active with the San Francisco Symp hony 's Adventures in Music (AIM ) series

'Unscrambling ' the Symp hony's December program completel y inaudible — we can be gratefu l first of all for the transcri ption and then for At fi rst glance the program of the the superb play ing of oboist William Symphony subscri ption series for the second Bennett. The piece itself was one of those week in December was oddl y constructed. It minor marvels that Bach tossed off repeatbegan with Bach , jumped to Stravinsk y, and edly; whether they cost him much or little , leapt back again to Verdi. But once demon- we are eternall y in his debt.

The immediate connection between the strated , the connection between the father of modern symphonic music and the 20* centu- Concerto and Stravinsk y 's Symp hony in C ry genius harking back lo his roots was plain was quite obvious: the prominent role of indeed. Verdi 's place on the program is a the oboe , especiall y in the first movement of the Symphony made it seem an extenfirebird of quite a different feather.

Michael Steinberg 's program note s sion of the earlier work.

But the real link is both deeper and more unscramble as far as possible the highl y involved process, common in Bach's time, important. In 1940 Stravinsky was living in by which a composition for one set of exile in Beverl y Hills (don 't laugh) and instruments is transcribed (reconstructed) reviewing his whole sense of his calling in for a different set. What we heard as the 20th century music. His early modernism Concerto for Oboe and Violin was (proba- was behind him and he had not yet engaged in his (happily brief) flirtation with 12-tone bly) once played by two harpsichords .

Since the very presence of a harpsichord techniques. The title alone is evidence he was in a large modern concert hall is silly — it 's looking to classical models for guidance.

By Father Basil DePinto

CLASSIFIEDS CALL (4 15) 565-3699 OR FAX (4 1 5) 565-368 1

together, are simp ly an illustration of a great master at repose, composing for the sheer joy of it. They also provide a measure of a different kind of drama , one calculated to whip an audience into operatic enthusiasm , especiall y when joined by the Sanctus from the Requiem Mass, given as an encore.

The San Francisco Symphony Choru s did its usual sterling job , althoug h it could be argued that singers fewer in number might offer greater clarity of line while still projecting the complexity of the music.

It was doubtless uninte ntional , but since the first concert in the series took p lace on Dec. 8, it was especiall y fitting that thre e of the Four Pieces were dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.

Of course Stravinsk y was not one to allow himself simp ly to follow. If he took counsel from the old masters he also bent and shaped their ideas to suit his own. The Symp hony in C is recognizabl y Hay dnesque and yet totally, fascinatingl y Stravinskian. The vibrant , syncopated rhythms and the coolness of the tone color belong to no one else.

Maestro Thomas is genuinel y committed , even identified with this music , and he drew from the orchestra , as he did only a year ago, the verve and vitality it deserves.

Why Verdi on the second half of this concert? He had explicitl y rejected German influences on his music; for Verdi, not Bach but Palestrina was the fountainhead of Italian music. And as for Stravinsk y, if Verdi had lived long enough to hear the younger man 's work , he would have been totally mystified by it.

The Four Sacred Pieces, composed at different times and never intended to be played

Father Basil De Pinto is a frequent commentator on the Bay Area fin e arts

scene.

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Postmodern Ovid at Berkeley Rep

By Annette Lust

In the opening tale of Midas , humor is intermixed with pathos as the hero , wearing a modern suit , sits upon his throne changing all he touches to gold, includin g his daug hter. Midas then prays to the gods , who appear in ancienl costumes , to have his power withdrawn and his daughter restored.

The tale of Aicyon and Ceyx l yrically depicts the tragic mytholog ical heroine who so sorrowfull y mourn s the loss of her husband Ceyx , perished at sea, that she is transformed into a king fisher bird to join him.

One of the most humorous dramatizations features Phaeton , in which the hero reclines on a rubber raft afloat on a swimming pool and tells his psychiatrist , who is sitting in a deck chair , how he attempted to borrow the keys of his father 's sun chariot.

This , according to legend , would have set heaven and earth on fi re because of his careless driving had Zeus not slain him with a thunderbolt before he carried out the plan.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre is featuring the Wesl Coast premiere of Mary Zimmerman 's Metamorphoses until Jan. 16.

Based on Ovid' s poetic myths , and originall y written in hexameter verse in 15 books , Metamorphoses consists of ei ght tales rang ing from the Midas legend to that of Pomona , Eros and Psyche , Myrrha and other well-known lores.

Presented in association with the Seattle Repertory Theatre, the originall y conceived stage production invites us to rediscover the wit , wisdom, and whimsy of Ovid's wondrous mythological revelations.

As the title suggests, the underl ying theme of these dramatized comical , trag ic, realistic , and l yrical myths is that of transformation with a moral lesson.

Rewarded or punished by the gods for their deeds, the heroes and heroines are transformed into a tree, bird , star or wolf.

Capsule review

other even as a dup licilous general p lots to kill the king and all his heirs . After a sluggish start, director And y Tennant goes beyond sumptuous visuals in exploring contrasting East-West cultures and beliefs while maintaining suspense about the assassination p lot.

Sporadic violence and references to polygamy and concubines. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents are strong ly cautioned some materi al may be inappropriate for children under f 3.

NEW YORK (CNS) — Following is a recent capsule movie review issued by the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Film and Broadcasting: "Anna and the King" (20th Century Fox) Lavish historical drama set in 1862 Siam where the absolute monarch (Chow Yun-Fat) and the widowed Eng lish schoolteacher (Jodie Foster) he hired to teach his 58 children about the West learn much from each

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Cast members depict one of the scenes from a Berkeley Repertory Theatre production of Metamorp hoses , which is based on the work of Ovid. It runs until Jan. 16.

In the ending tale of the old peasants Baucis and Philemon , who offered shelter to the gods Zeus and Hermes , we learn a lesson of generosity and kindness.

Mary Zimmerman creative ly directs a cast of ten actors , many of whom are members of or have performed with Chicago 's Lookingglass Theatre Company, a multidisci plined , 20-person ensemble utilizing a collaborative rehearsal process and dedicated to develop ing new works for the American stage.

Innovative sets by Daniel Ostling adapt to the staging 's postmodern blending of ancient and modern elements. Spectators are seated in Zellerbach Playhouse on three sides of a good-sized pool of water, which serves as ocean , river, bedroom , and other localities. The action of each tale takes

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p lace in the pool and on the walk around it.

Behind the pool , the gods appear above a flat of painted clouds while other characters enter through a set of ancient portals and a short stairway. This variety of playing areas provides the diversity required for the dramatic action of eight different tales.

Costumes by Mara Blumenfield, mixing the modem and ancient , are tastefull y postmodern .

Desp ite the difficulty of emotionall y involving an audience in ei ght short narratives , Zimmerman has met the challenge of rendering them dramatically compelling as well as current and accessible.

For infonnation call (510) 845-4700.

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

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Christmas Seal art honorees

Andrea Weiland

Eighth-grader Viola Choi of St. Thomas More School and Andrea Weiland , a St. Brendan elementary graduate and current freshman at San Francisco 's Mercy High School , had their a rtwork selected from among 10,000 submissions to appear on the Holy Childhood Assocation 's annual Christmas; Seals. In addition to appearing on HCA's 1999 seals packet , the art has been on display at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. HCAi is a 156-year-old pontifical organization that educates young people about their counterparts in developing nations. For information on HCA , contact the archdiocesan Mission Office: (415) 565-3676.

Viola Choi

St. Therese relics to tour Archdiocese starting Jan . 8

The tour of St. Therese of Lisieux arrives in San Francisco Jan. 8, and will visit several sites throughout California after its brief tour in the Archdiocese.

The reliquary of St. Therese, containing some of her bones , will have been brought to almost every region of the United States by January 28, 2000.

St. Therese of Lisieux , the highly popular saint known as the "Little Flower " is now being commemorated on the Internet. Thousands of Catholic greeting card s with an icon image of St. Therese have been sent around the world. The St. Therese e-card was created by artist Robert Lentz and can be found on the web site of St. Anthony Messenger Press, www.AmericanCatholic.org .

Following is a tour schedule for the Archdiocese. A comp lete schedule can be obtained on the Internet at www.thereserelicsusa.org or further information is available by calling (800) 621-2806 or (877) 843-7373.

San Francisco: Saturday, Jan . 8, Carmelite Monastery, 721 Parker Ave.; 7:30 p.m. Mass. Sunday, Jan. 9, Masses at 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m.; 10 a.m. departure for St. Mary 's Cathedral, 1111 Gough St. (415) 567^2020. Masses at 11 a.m. (choir) and 1 p.m.

Menlo Park: Monday, Jan 10, Corpus Christi Mo nastery, 215 Oak Grove Ave. Noon arrival ceremony and procession; 12:30 p.m. Mass. Veneration with theme "Contemplative Life: The Heart of the Church." 2:30 p.m. departure .

5 1 San Rafael: Wednesday, Jan. 12, Carmelite Monastery, 530 Blackstone Dr.; 9:30 p.m. arrival, conference , rosary; 10 p.m. exposition of Blessed Bj D. Sacrament. Pray all night and following morning before Blessed Sacrament.

V3 K U Thursday, Jan . 13, 11 a.m. Mass with San Domenico Chamber Singers; veneration, 1 p.m.; conference 2 p.m.

I

A woman prays at the reliquary of St. Therese of Lisieux at the Carmelite Monastery in Washington. The relics will be displayed in churches across the country through January 2 000.