As we begin 2025, let us focus our hearts and minds on the message of hope for this Jubilee year. It is a time of spiritual renewal and commitment to a world where peace and hope reign.
We can adapt the message of hope to our personal relationships, our relationship with God, and our practical, everyday choices.
Making cemetery prearrangements displays a sign of hope and represents a gift to your loved ones.
Call 650-756-2060 to speak with a qualified, caring Family Service Advisor.
HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CEMETERY
THE CATHOLIC CEMETERIES I ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO
www. holycrosscemeteries. com
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery
Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery
St. Anthony Cemetery
St. Mary Magdalene Cemetery
Tomales Catholic Cemetery
1500 Mission Road, Colma, CA
1975 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, CA
270 Los Ranchitos Road, San Rafael, CA
926 Miramontes St., Half Moon Bay, CA
Stage Road, Pescadero, CA
16 Horseshoe Hill Road, Bolinas, CA
1400 Dillon Beach Road, Tomales, CA
650-756-2060
650-323-6375
415-479-9020
650-712-1679
650-712-1679
415-479-9021
415-479-9021
PUBLISHER
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone
CSF MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Fr. Patrick Summerhays
Vicar General & Moderator of the Curia
Ryan Mayer Catholic Identity Assessment & Formation
Peter Marlow (415) 614-5636
Valerie Schmalz Human Life & Dignity
Rod Linhares Mission Advancement
Mary Powers (415)
“Do everything for
1 Corinthians 10:31
Dear Friends in Christ,
I hope you enjoyed a very happy and holy Christmas, and I wish you many blessings in 2025.
I thank you for your generosity, your deeds and your commitment to our Catholic faith. We often demonstrate this commitment to our faith by serving others for the glory of God. And one way we serve and assist others is by participating in the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. On behalf of everyone who depends on the ministries and services of the Archdiocese, I thank you for your generosity to the AAA over the years.
This year, we are recognizing our commitment to serve others through our Annual Appeal theme - “Do Everything for the Glory of God.” Through the AAA, you support parish ministries, youth and young adults, social ministries, priestly formation, our diaconate program and ecumenical efforts, to name a few. You also support archdiocese departments such as finance and human resources. Through some centralization of these and other services, you help decrease costs to our parishes.
A couple of specific ways you impact lives through the Annual Appeal are:
Adventures in Marriage Couples Workshop – In the words of an attendee, “It was down-to-earth, relatable and compassionate. Others’ willingness to speak about their marriages helped us let down our guard. We left feeling hopeful that we’d revitalize our marriage…and the week before the workshop felt dire.”
• Diaconate Ministry – As one of our deacons described, “A terminally ill man I met with spoke of his suffering…his regret at not being able to see his daughters get married. I asked if he’d like a priest to hear his confession; he did. That man died the next day but was able to receive the Eucharist. Sometimes what I do as a deacon can appear routine, but often it has a deep impact on another’s life. Isn’t that what ministry is all about?”
Think about your impact on the people who benefit from your support of the Annual Appeal - the marriages that are revitalized…the people whose lives are touched by our deacons…or touched by our programs and ministries…
Through the Annual Appeal, the more than 90 parishes in our Archdiocese unite as one. Our shared mission as a Church and people of the Catholic faith continues, so I invite you to participate in this year’s AAA. Your contribution enhances our ability to spread our Catholic faith, and it impacts the lives of countless individuals.
On behalf of everyone who benefits from the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal, I thank you for your support and your desire to serve and assist those in need. You are an inspiration to me in my ministry.
I pray God may accompany you throughout this year with many blessings of peace and happiness. With my prayerful best wishes, I am,
Archbishop of San Francisco
Photo by Dennis Callahan
LET’S SUPPORT THE AAA
Only you can decide what gift amount is right for you in light of your circumstances and the blessings God has given you.
You may make your contribution over the course of the year. Please see below.
ONLINE AT SFARCH.ORG/AAA
(by credit card or checking account):
Please note that you can take full advantage of the benefits offered by your credit card, such as bonus points and airline miles.
STOCKS,
BONDS OR MUTUAL FUNDS:
Donations of stock offer a way to make a charitable gift without having to utilize cash funds. In addition, a stock donor may benefit from capital gains tax savings. For more information on how to donate stocks, bonds or mutual funds, contact the Office of Mission Advancement: (415) 614-5580, development@sfarch.org.
MATCHING GIFTS:
Many employers have matching gift programs that provide employees with the opportunity to enhance their charitable contributions. Please contact your company’s Human Resource professional to find out whether your company has a matching gift program.
SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION, or contact your parish or the Office of Mission Advancement at (415) 614-5580 or email: development@sfarch.org
gifts of any amount can be paid through Dec. 31, 2025.
few examples of pledges are:
Isn’t it time WE take care of him?
BR. DOUGLAS DRAPER, SJ, served St. Ignatius College Preparatory, San Francisco in many roles, but he is best remembered as the school’s “long arm of the law” during his time as Dean of Students. Now retired, Br. Draper lives at the Jesuit West Province’s healthcare/retirement facility in Los Gatos, CA.
HONOR HIS LIFE of service and his fellow senior Jesuits by making a gift to Jesuits West’s Senior Care TODAY!
CONTACT : Barbara Harris Regional Director of Advancement Northern California
bharris@jesuits.org
How well do you know the Catholic faith?
The Ultimate Catholic Quiz by Catholic Answers’ founder, Karl Keating.
Excerpted with permission and available for purchase from
There are no trick questions, but there are questions that will trip you up if you fail to read carefully. An answer is counted as wrong if any part of it — such as a date or name — is wrong. Your goal is not to find the answer that is least wrong, but the one answer that is wholly right, which may be “none of the above.” On average, most informed Catholics score 50%. How well did you do?
1. Which answer includes one or two sins that are not among the seven deadly sins?
a. anger and wrath
b. peevishness and lust
c. greed and avarice
d. pride and envy
e. none of the above
2. The human soul
a. becomes at death an angelic spirit.
b. is a simple substance.
c. is composed of an infinite number of parts and therefore can extend throughout space.
d. is the same as an animal soul except that it is immortal.
e. none of the above
3. When a property or activity of God that is common among the three Persons is attributed to an individual Person, it is called which of the following?
a. division of labor
b. separation of powers
c. appropriation
d. analogy
e. none of the above
4. Which pope was a significant figure during the Counter-Reformation?
a. Sixtus V
b. Fiftus VI
c. Sylvester IV
d. Pius VII
e. none of the above
5. Who were the Montanists?
a. an ancient sect that promoted moral laxity
b. a second-century movement of those who said it was obligatory to make a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai, the movement’s name deriving from mons, the Latin word for mountain
c. followers of Montanus, bishop of Constantinople in the fifth century
d. followers of female visionaries named Prisca and Maximilla
e. none of the above
Answer highlights can be found on page 38.
OPEN THIS QR CODE FOR COMPREHENSIVE ANSWERS or visit https://sfarchdiocese.org/ february-2025-catholic-quiz/
Learning how to be married
Photo courtesy of George and Maureen Arriola
Photos by Christina Gray
George and Maureen Arriola
Paul and Maria Campa
Deacon Daniel Kaatz and Lupe Gil
Ongoing formation for Catholic couples can help marriages thrive
BY CHRISTINA GRAY
Lead
writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org
George and Maureen Arriola have been married for 19 years. Their easy smiles and affectionate manner together suggests those years have been good.
The Arriolas don’t take their wedded bliss for granted, however. The Star of the Sea parishioners are one of more than a dozen Catholic couples from around the state — long married, newly married and engaged — who signed up for a daylong marriage communications skills workshop this past fall at St. Bartholomew Church in Redwood City. Hosted by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the workshop is one example of the ongoing marriage formation workshops for couples that will be offered over the coming years utilizing a national, skillbased program called Adventures in Marriage.
Fifty years ago we didn’t hear about ongoing formation for marriage. But there is now tons of research that shows the link between so many of our societal problems and the breakdown of marriages and family life.”
MARIO MARTINEZ
AIM effectively teaches couples “how to be married,” according to the program’s website by helping them discover how different personality styles can impact relationships for better or worse. The model was developed by a Christian couple who were able to save their own “painful” marriage and have devoted their life to helping married couples learn the practical skills and resources to resolve conflicts, express anger and more. Workshops are led by real couples whose marriages have benefited from the workshops and who’ve been trained in its methodologies.
“When I began working in marriage ministry 16 years ago, I was struck by the absence of ongoing formation
and enrichment for married couples in almost all Catholic churches,” said Ed Hopfner, director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Marriage and Family Life. The Catholic Church excels at marriage preparation, he said, but from the standpoint of ongoing marriage formation, it has effectively left couples at the altar. Most Christian churches have ongoing classes and workshops for married couples, he said, “but Catholics have tended to view such opportunities as only for couples with problems.”
Hopfner said he wants to help “change the DNA” here when it comes to ongoing formation for marriage. Ongoing formation is a necessary and required part of all vocations, he said, except, inexplicably, for marriage, which he considers “the most important vocation.”
The Archdiocese has hosted a daytime retreat for couples each year for the past several years, said Hopfner. A “small handful” of parishes offer ongoing marriage enrichment for their parishioners, including apostolates such as the Movimiento Familiar Cristiano Catolico and Couples for Christ. A Pastoral Familiar also offers an annual weekend retreat for couples in Spanish, and Marriage Encounter is trying to resurrect itself here. But the need far outweighs the supply.
A “MARRIAGE-BUILDING” REGIONAL HUB
Hopfner applied for and received a three-year grant from the Catholic Marriage Initiative in 2024 shortly after the California Conference of Catholic Bishops announced its Radiate Love campaign for the 2024-25 pastoral year. The yearlong initiative invites all Catholics to celebrate the goodness of marriage with resources for reflection, action and prayer for spouses, families and clergy. The workshops for couples are also a response to the call of Radiate Love, according to Hopfner.
Hopfner outlined five distinct categories of marriage ministry in the Archdiocese of San Francisco that will benefit from the grant. These include marriage preparation, support for newly married couples, ongoing marriage enrichment, support for marriages in crisis and ministry to families who are separated or divorced. After learning more about efficacy of AIM workshops and other Catholic dioceses using them in their marriage ministries, Hopfner made ongoing marriage formation the cornerstone of his grant proposal.
“A robust program of marriage enrichment and ongoing formation could be literally life-changing for many couples,” he wrote in his application. “If an enemy inflicted the same havoc on people as divorce does, we ›
Marriage is GOOD
The bishops of California created the Radiate Love marriage initiative for the 2024-25 pastoral year, to remind Catholics that marriage is good for couples, for children and for society as a whole. Research bears out that:
Marriage is GOOD FOR COUPLES
Stability in marriage contributes to mental, physical and financial health and well-being. There is a clear link between marriage and longevity, especially for men.
Marriage is GOOD FOR CHILDREN
In all indicators of well-being, children being raised by both biological parents do best, with fewer behavioral problems and lower rates of delinquency. Marriage also protects the unborn, as nearly 90% of abortions are procured by unmarried women.
Marriage is GOOD FOR SOCIETY
Although many single parents raise successful, well-adjusted children, it remains true that predominantly single-parent households suffer from low median household income, high crime rates and low upward mobility. Marriage and family help counteract loneliness and the lack of purpose in life, contributing greatly to the crisis of mental health.
SCAN TO DISCOVER RADIATE LOVE RESOURCES, or visit cacatholic. org/radiatelove/
would marshal all of our resources to defeat them.…Yet, divorces that occur all around us barely register, unless we are directly or indirectly affected.”
Marriage enrichment could help couples or families avoid a crisis that might end divorce or separation, he said.
The $50,000 grant will be divided over three years. A requirement of the award, said Hopfner, is that he must match the funds he uses each year for his programs.
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone generously matched the grant for the 2024-25 pastoral year with funds from the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. He is seeking new donors that share his vision for the Archdiocese serving as a “marriage-building” Catholic regional hub.
SCIENCE SAYS IT WORKS
“When a couple comes to me and says, we need help, one of our first questions is, when was the last time you dreamed together?” Mario Martinez told couples participating in the workshop at St. Bartholomew. “When we stop sharing mutual goals, dreams for what we want to accomplish together, don’t be alarmed, but you should know it’s a red flag.”
Martinez and his wife Paola are Hopfner’s marriage and family life counterparts for the Diocese of San Bernardino. The couple completed the AIM workshop together and they were trained to lead the workshops for their diocese. Hopfner brought them up to lead the first workshops for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
The AIM workshop model is that workshops are peer-led. In the Archdiocese of San Francisco, married Catholic couples will be helping other married couples transform their marriages and families. Hopfner hopes local couples — perhaps deacons and their wives — who have completed the workshop and training will
AIM workshop leaders Mario and Paola Martinez.
Photo by Christina Gray
It’s good to know the ways your spouse feels loved and supported.”
MAUREEN ARRIOLA
agree to lead marriage workshops in local parishes.
“Fifty years ago, we didn’t hear about ongoing formation for marriage,” Martinez told participants. “But there is now tons of research that shows the link between so many of our societal problems and the breakdown of marriages and family life.”
The AIM workshop curriculum is effective, he said, with measurable outcomes.
Research done by the University of Florida with AIM workshop participants nationwide found that 91% of participants reported some kind of improvement in their marriage. Another 76% reported improvement in their communication, 67% reported improved conflict resolution, and 81% had higher marital satisfaction.
A NEW LOVE LANGUAGE
Maureen Arriola told Catholic San Francisco that one of her main takeaways from the workshop was that individual spouses have different ways of showing love and affection. “It’s good to know the ways your spouse feels loved and supported,” she said.
Participants answered questions about personality “type.” The types were categorized with unique attributes under the headings of Lion, Golden Retriever, Otter and Beaver.
“This was fun for us,” she said. It explained why a spouse might react to or perceive certain situations in a different way than the other.
George found the session on unhealthy patterns of communication helpful.
“They had two sessions we really enjoyed called ‘Trash Talking’ and ‘Dirty Fighting,’” he said. “When you can see patterns of unhealthy behavior, you can evaluate how to improve communication.”
Newlyweds Paul and Maria Campa enjoyed meeting other married couples at the workshop. Paul is the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s new director of evangelization and stewardship.
“We are brand new to marriage,” said Paul. “It was good hearing from Catholic couples who had been married a lot longer than we have.” ■
Funds raised in the annual AAA campaign help support a variety of vital ministries like this one. Make an an online gift today at sfarchdiocese.org/aaa.
SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OFFICE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE, or visit sfarchdiocese.org/ marriage-and-family-life.
Wedding Anniversary Celebration
All husbands and wives are invited to attend and celebrate their sacramental wedding anniversaries in 2024.
Couples celebrating “5 year anniversaries” (5, 10, 15, 20…) will be recognized during the Mass.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2025 10 am Mass followed by reception $20 suggested donation per family Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption 1111 Gough Street, San Francisco Principal Celebrant: His Excellency Salvatore J. Cordileone Archbishop of San Francisco
www.anniversarymass.info or call (415) 614-5574
Please register by: February 14, 2025
Questions/information: (415) 614-5574
The vocation of Spiritual Motherhood
BY MARY POWERS Assistant director of communications and media relations. Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco
The love of a mother is powerful. Mothers often go to great lengths to protect and care for their children, such as when they are sick or in danger.
Women were created to partner with God to bring life into the world and restore life in the world as mothers - physically and spiritually. Pope St. John Paul II wrote in his 1995 Letter to Women that:
“Perhaps more than men, women acknowledge the person, because they see persons with their hearts… They see others in their greatness and limitations; they try to go out to them and help them. In this way the basic plan of the Creator takes flesh in the history of humanity and there is constantly revealed, in the variety of vocations, that beauty – not merely physical, but above all spiritual – which God bestowed from the very beginning on all.” (paragraph 12)
Spiritual mothers live this out in many ways. Consecrated women religious dedicate their lives as spouses of Christ to serving Him in His children. Through their different charisms, women religious reveal Jesus’ heart to humanity through intercessory prayer, teaching, nursing the sick, serving the poor and vulnerable, and working in parishes, among other ministries. They look to Our Lady as an example in living out their vocation—the woman in whom virginity and motherhood came to fruition.
We are blessed with many orders of
women religious in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. I recently visited with the Missionaries of Charity to experience part of their community’s work.
“I THIRST”
Called to serve the “poorest of the poor,” St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950. Caring for the poor, the sick, the dying and the forgotten of Calcutta brought worldwide attention to the needs of so many—the need to be seen, loved and cared for.
St. Mother Teresa changed the way the world saw those living in the margins of society. They were human beings made in the image and likeness of God. They uniquely reflected God’s splendor. They were precious to Him. He thirsted for their love and to be loved in them. To this day, the words “I thirst” are placed under the crucifix in every Missionary of Charity chapel and church as a constant reminder of their mission and call.
“That Jesus who becomes the Bread to satisfy your hunger also becomes that homeless and lonely and unwanted person, that drunkard or drug addict or prostitute, so that we can satisfy His hunger to be loved by us through the love we show them,” St. Mother Teresa once said.
Since 1982, the Missionaries of Charity have served the “poorest of the poor” of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, caring for AIDS patients, supporting pregnant women in need, serving the poor in the city, running a soup kitchen in the Mission District, teaching catechism and many other forms of outreach. Today their ministries can be found in San Francisco, Pacifica and Oakland. ›
The Missionaries of Charity serve the poorest of the poor in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Sister Salvina, MC, pictured here, attempts to visit David who lives near the railroad tracks.
Photo by Mary Powers
SPOUSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
While the Missionaries of Charity operate homeless outreach missions in the Tenderloin in San Francisco and in Oakland, there is a specific mission that focuses on one-on-one, long-term outreach beyond those missions. The ministry, run by Sister Salvina, is a stable resource to those who are chronically homeless. Most of the individuals she visits have one or more mental illnesses, primarily schizophrenia, and have fallen through the cracks of the “system” in San Francisco.
The Missionary of Charity sisters who work in in homeless outreach truly exemplify the heart of the Good Shepherd. Sister Salvina knows the name of each person she visits, including family history, medical history, how long and where they have lived on the street, even their favorite food, birthday and other details. To the world, these human beings are overlooked and forgotten. To her, each person she works with is truly known, seen and loved.
Sister Salvina explained that much of the work she and the Missionaries of Charity do on the street is like that
of Our Lady under the cross—being present to others in their suffering, often having to surrender situations and people to God as there is only so much that they can do.
I recently traveled with her, another sister and a 20-year volunteer, Albert Kohler. Sister had already been out that morning with a retired barber who volunteers his time cutting the hair of the homeless. During our visits that day, she told me she hoped we would see a man named William to check on him, as he had told her that he tried to take his life earlier in the week.
Driving through the city in their big white van packed with supplies, we prayed the rosary for those we would meet that day. Sister Salvina would break in to share the story of every person she expected to visit as we came close to their makeshift homes.
At our first stop, while sharing hot coffee, sandwiches, new clothes and a new blanket to help a woman stay warm, the van drew more men and women hoping for the same.
One such person was Dale, who had just gotten out of jail that day. Sister Salvina rejoiced when she
spotted him. With tears in his eyes, he told her that he was heading to his family’s house and that he had just had his birthday two weeks prior. It was evident that he was thirsting for love.
After giving him some food and hot coffee, she gave him a birthday present—a St. Benedict medal cross. They prayed together before she gave it to him, and he wore it proudly. She then asked what his next steps were and how he intended to get back on his feet. She invited him to the soup kitchen for food and fellowship.
We next went to visit a man named Renner, who lives in a tent under an overpass. We parked across the street and made our way down the hill into an open area surrounded by bushes. The area around the tent had burnt trash, old clothes and various food boxes. Sister Salvina caught sight of a tin that was empty, happy that the meal she had given him earlier in the week was eaten.
“So often if we don’t bring them food, they don’t eat,” she explained. Renner was not home, so we got back into the van and headed to another spot down the street. As we drove under another overpass, Sister
Sister Salvina, MC, shows the van with the many resources she gives to those in need.
Sister Salvina, MC, helps William wash his head with a warm washcloth.
M uch of the work the Missionaries of Charity do on the street is like that of our Lady under the cross—being present to others in their suffering, often having to surrender situations and people to God as there is only so much that they can do.”
SISTER SALVINA
Salvina told me about the people living in the small pockets of pillars of the bridge. When we arrived, we walked toward the reservoir behind the freeway, tapping on tents as we passed by to let residents know the van was there with food.
We came to a dirt path above the reservoir, and Sister Salvina began calling out to William. This was where he lived—under an overpass near a giant metal pipe. She showed me where she had previously crawled, under the freeway, to try and find him and others to check on them. As we were looking into the cracks to find him, she turned, spotted William behind us, and joyfully invited him to come to the van.
There, along with several other men, William received love and food from the sisters and Albert. Sister Salvina gave William hot cloths with soap to wash his hands and she helped him wash his head. It was still
bruised from his attempted suicide.
“Don’t you just love our children?” Sister Salvina exclaimed as we finished at this location. It was hard not to. They were all so beautiful in their own way.
We next met three men who were living in an encampment with their dogs. Upon seeing one of the men, Daniel, Sister Salvina remembered that he had wanted juice the last time they met. She went into what could be described as her Mary Poppins van and found everything they needed, including Daniel’s juice.
Our next attempted visit, to a man named David, failed when we could not find him near his home next to the railroad tracks.
We then visited Michael who lived down the street in a tent. He playfully showed the sisters his new dinosaur mask as they handed him food. We prayed with him and left him with a solar-powered flashlight.
The last man we visited was Serion. He has schizophrenia and autism. We gave him a flashlight and hot food and prayed with him before we left. He silently smiled and gratefully accepted the kindness of Sister Salvina.
As we prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy on the way home, I couldn’t help but reflect on Isaiah 49:15:
“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.”
It was hard not to think of the love of the Good Shepherd, calling us by name, especially His lost sheep. If Sister Salvina knew these men and women so well, how much more does God know us and call out to us when we’re lost? In doing so, the Missionaries of Charity quench the thirst for love in those in need. It is in this self-gift that they find their spouse, loving Him in others. ■
Sister Salvina, MC, offers a solarpowered flashlight to Daniel for his tent.
Demystifying the Diaconate Deacons serve a vital but commonly misunderstood role in the Church
BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org
Iasked several Mass-going Catholics to tell me what a deacon does. One person nailed it. Most responses, however, revealed a foggy, false or only partially accurate understanding of the role: “A deacon is a layman that performs some of the jobs of a parish priest.” “Deacons bring the sacraments to homebound parishioners.” Even this: “The deacon is a sort of a liturgical butler for the priest.”
How is it that the outlines of the ancient office of deacon, a religious role with a foreshadowing that predates the New Testament, is still so vague or misunderstood in the minds of so many people?
In the Prayer of Ordination for deacons, the “sons of Levi” are recalled. Moses, instructed by God, established those men from the tribe of Levi who were outside of direct line of Aaron to represent the people in service to the priests and to minister in the former tabernacle of the Old Covenant (Nm 18:2-6).
Deacon Arthur Sanchez, director of the office of the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, was not surprised by the results of my random, informal poll.
“Even within the diaconate community there can still be confusion as to what a deacon ought to be or do to fully serve their parish under the pastor’s direction,” he said. Likewise, there may be many more ways priests can work with deacons to revitalize the life of their parishes.
He said there is “no easy answer to that other than to continue to educate people about the diaconate like we are doing with this story.”
Let’s look back at Church history and the role of the deacon.
A ROLE BORN OF NECESSITY
Deacon Sanchez said the history of the diaconate is an “ancient and rich” one that was born out of necessity.
Traditionally, the Church interpreted the selection of the “seven reputable men” in the Acts of the Apostles 6:1-6 as marking the origin of the spirit of the diaconate as a distinct ministry of Christian service. The apostles appointed these men to attend to the needs of the Greek-speaking widows of the early Church in Jerusalem.
The office of the order of deacons by the apostles arose from an early necessity of service in the Church that was too demanding for them to manage alone. The solution was to appoint seven men to assist them in their daily ministries.
One of the seven, St. Stephen, was stoned to death because of his bold preaching of the Gospel, and he is the first recognized martyr of the Church.
In a history of the diaconate, Deacon Don Warner, director of the diaconate in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, writes that “we can ascertain from texts in the New Testament
rweisswald - stock.adobe.com
Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as the image of the Father, and the presbyters as the Senate of God and the Assembly of the Apostles. For without them, one cannot speak of the Church.”
that deacons in the early Church preached (St. Stephen, Acts 6-7), baptized (St. Philip, Acts 8), and served the early Church community.” With the spread of the faith in the early Church, deacons — whether they were called deacons at that time — began to have a liturgical function.
The Greek word that became the designation for the office of deacon, “diakonia,” loosely means “service,” and was grounded in Jesus who offered Himself in total service to His Father. The deacon is an icon of this servanthood in the Church.
The deacon in the early Church assisted the bishop during the sacred liturgy, handled administrative tasks and distributed alms to the poor. St. Ignatius of Antioch, in his Letter to the Trallians, wrote that a Church without the three distinct orders of bishop, priest and deacon was unthinkable:
“Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as the image of the Father, and the presbyters as the Senate of God and the Assembly of the Apostles. For without them, one cannot speak of the Church.”
As the order of deacon became more prominent throughout the early centuries of the Church, the deacon became the functional arm of the local ›
A Byzantine fresco in the altar space of the Church of St. Sophia in North Macedonia depicts patriarchs, bishops and deacons together in a liturgical scene.
Deacon Tom Kramer baptizes a child at St. Charles Parish in Belmont.
Photo courtesy of Deacon Art Sanchez
bishop, said Deacon Warner. Deacons assisted the diocesan bishop during the sacred liturgy, exercised responsibility for the financial affairs and goods of the Church and distributed alms to the poor. He was often the logical choice to succeed the diocesan bishop upon his death, after receiving priestly and episcopal ordination.
One measure of the importance of the deacon in the early Church is the number of deacons elected pope in the early Middle Ages, according to a 2018 story on the history of the permanent diaconate by the Catholic Telegraph, a newspaper of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Of the 37 men elected pope between 432 and 684, only three are known to have been ordained to the priesthood before their election.
The diaconate began to experience a gradual decline in the West after the fifth century. Conflicts with priests over abuse of power and social changes in the Church contributed to the decline.
“One important factor was simply a failure on the part of both presbyters and deacons to understand the unique value of the diaconate as a distinct order in its own right,” according to the Telegraph article.
By the year 800, the diaconate evolved to be a transitional step toward the priesthood in the Latin Church. In Germany during the 1950s, a proposal was stirring to restore the diaconate as a permanent order within the Latin Church. On June 18, 1967, Pope Paul VI issued the apostolic letter, “Sacrum Diaconatus
Deacons 101
‘Deacon’ means ‘servant.’
The word “deacon” comes from the Greek word “diakonos,” which translates to “servant.”
Deacons are an ordained order.
Bishops, priests and deacons are the three degrees of ordained ministers in the Catholic Church.
Deacons serve three distinct functions.
Deacons are typically assigned to serve local parishes by a diocesan bishop or archbishop. They have a threefold role of service to the word, liturgy and charity. They proclaim the Gospel during Mass, assist on the altar, preach homilies, lead prayers and conduct funeral and burial services. They also
The misconception that deacons are like ‘mini priests’ is not only not true, but overlooks the broad ways the deacons can be called to serve in today’s Church.”
DEACON ARTHUR SANCHEZ
baptize new Catholics, witness marriages and distribute Communion. They also serve a broadly pastoral function in parish, hospital or prison ministries.
What deacons don’t do.
Deacons cannot consecrate bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, so they don’t celebrate the Mass — though they may assist at the altar in various ways. They do not hear confessions or anoint the sick.
Some deacons become priests.
The diaconate (the office of a deacon, or the body of deacons collectively) has two tracks –the transitional diaconate and the permanent diaconate. The difference is not in the ministerial identity and their commitment to service, but rather in how they are called to serve going forward. Transitional deacons have eventual
Photo by Dennis Callahan
Top, the Rite of Acceptance to the Candidacy in 2024 for those entering their second year of diaconate formation. Inset, Deacon Mario Zuniga, left, serves with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone at St. Peter Parish.
Ordinem,” a document that re-established the permanent diaconate for the Latin Church. In May 1968, the Catholic bishops of the United States petitioned to the Holy See for permission to restore the permanent diaconate.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MODERN DIACONATE
Deacon Sanchez said the diaconate has always met the needs of the Church in its time. With the clustering of parishes due to the shortage of priests, and staffing shortages in the Church, the ministry of the diaconate offers a lifeline to the future vitality of parish life.
He said the misconception that deacons are like “mini priests” is not only “not true,” but overlooks the broad ways the deacons can be called to serve in today’s Church.
“Our ministry at the altar is just one part of what we do,” he said. “We come from different walks of life,” he said, noting that many have managerial or business experience that can be helpful to the administrative responsibility of a parish priest.
The Archdiocese of San Francisco currently has more than 70 deacons in active ministry, mostly within parishes. Deacon Sanchez said support for the permanent diaconate is critical.
“More than 70 seems to be a lot, but it’s really not,” he said, with about 60% of them over the age of 65. “So, we really need to encourage more men who feel called to consider diaconate ministry.” ■
ordination to the priesthood as the end goal. Permanent deacons do not.
Deacons often have other jobs.
Many deacons have regular “day jobs” while also serving in their parishes. Their professional experience in banking, management, administration and other careers can be a significant asset to priests in the administration of a parish. Deacons may serve part or full time; their service to a parish is unpaid. They may hold other paid positions in the Church, such as director of religious education, as one example.
Some deacons can be married.
Men aged 35 and older who are already married before beginning the formation process can be permanent deacons. Transitional deacons who are destined for the priesthood cannot be or get
married. Unmarried permanent deacons cannot marry after ordination and must accept the obligation of celibacy.
Becoming a deacon takes five years.
Becoming a permanent deacon is a process consisting of five years of formation with a diocesan diaconate program followed by a lifelong commitment.
Deacons are a gift to the Church.
Deacons, rightly defined and deployed, are a gift and Godsend to the Church and the faithful, now perhaps more than ever.
SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SUPPORTING THE PERMANENT DIACONATE, or visit sfarchdiocese. org/permanent-diaconate.
“Do
everything for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
YOUR GIFTS CHANGE LIVES
Your gift to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal allows us to provide ministries, programs and services that benefit parishes and people throughout the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The Annual Appeal is an opportunity for all in the Archdiocese to come together as one community to support one another and everyone we serve.
“For almost a quarter of a millennium, the Church in San Francisco has been a beacon of hope, spreading the light of Christ to all in our community. I ask you to be generous with your prayers and with your material support for the mission of the Church here in our Archdiocese.”
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone
Photo by Brother Chris Garcia
$1,358,167
$2,331,813
PARISH MINISTRY & SCHOOLS
The Archdiocese provides additional funding for its parish schools, varied educational programs, and financial aid. Supported offices and ministries include: Department of Pastoral Ministry, Faith Formation, Youth & Young Adult, Office of Worship, Marriage and Family Life, Teacher Incentive Grants, Alliance for Mission District Schools and Child and Youth Protection.
22,950 Catholic School Students • 2,576 Teachers & Staff • 70 Teacher Incentive Grants • Premarital & Marriage Support • Office of Faith Formation • Office of Worship
SOCIAL MINISTRY
Through its variety of social ministries, the Archdiocese is able to thoughtfully engage with its diverse communities. Supported offices and ministries include: Hospital Chaplains, the Tribunal, Youth and Young Adult Ministries, Human Life & Dignity, Prison Ministry, Ethnic Ministry, Chinese Ministry, Ministry for the Spanish Speaking, Filipino Ministry, Ecumenical and Interreligious Programs.
Hospital & Prison Chaplains • Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministries • Respect Life • Restorative Justice • Ecumenical & Interreligious Programs • Ministry Support in 22 Languages
CHANCERY BUDGET FOR 2025 SOURCES OF INCOME: $17,200,000
CLERGY SUPPORT
Clergy Support helps those who care for us. It supports priests, deacons and seminarians in their ministry. This ministry includes: Council of Priests, Vicar General, Vicar for Clergy, Clergy Education, Priests’ Education Fund, Permanent Diaconate, Diaconate Formation, Office of Consecrated Life, Office of Vocations, Priests’ Retirement Fund, Serra Clergy House and Priests’ Elder Care.
Active Priests’ Support • Retired Priests’ Support • Seminarian Formation • Diaconate Formation
UNIVERSAL CHURCH & COMMUNICATIONS
The Universal Church supports the larger work of the California Conference of Catholic Bishops, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Holy See. The Office of Communications provides internal constituent communications and external communications that fund media relations, public information and special projects.
The Holy See • Catholic San Francisco • San Francisco Católico • SFArchdiocese.org & Social Media • California Catholic Conference of Bishops • U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Photo by Dennis Callahan Photo by Dennis Callahan
Photo by Dennis Callahan
Photo by Christina Gray
Sacrament fosters loving, lasting unions
BY LIDIA WASOWICZ Award-winning journalist Wasowicz, former West Coast science editor and senior science writer for United Press International, has been writing for Catholic San Francisco since 2011.
The secret to success in marriage starts with a Church wedding that binds earthly spouses to the divine.
Just ask Katherine Ambrose and her fiancé Mark Prine as they finalize decor and travel details for the June 14 Christ-centered celebration they see as a launch to a healthy, holy partnership.
Or newlyweds Leland and Summer Joyce, who bucked trends of civil ceremonies and cohabitation without benefit of clergy and opted instead for a nuptial Mass last summer to up the odds of an eternally happy ending to their love story.
Or Sugey and Jimi Netniss, convinced their selection of a spiritual covenant over a secular contract firmed the foundation for 20 endearing, enduring years together.
Following prescribed steps from
meeting to starting a family leads to clearer discernment of “choosing your spouse, the greatest single decision you’ll make,” said Ambrose, who plans to walk down the aisle at St. Bartholomew Church in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, her childhood parish.
“By choosing not to live together, we are able to practice sacrificial love, which we will need in marriage,” added the 35-year-old occupational therapist and parishioner at St. Philip the Apostle Church in San Francisco who is moving to her new home in Oregon.
A past failure makes fellow Catholic Prine, 46, a general contractor in Yamhill, Oregon, agree all the more.
“Since I’ve been in a previous marriage that was not sacramental/valid, I’ve experienced the struggle of sustaining a marriage without God’s grace,” he said. “What I am looking forward to the most is drawing from God’s grace to help us through the difficult times and amplify the good times.”
Desiring to draw from God’s grace, the Joyces — both inspired by faith-filled family and teachers since their formative years — considered only one option for cementing their commitment.
Leland & Summer Joyce married at St. Patrick’s Church by Msgr. Michael Padazinski.
Photos by Cammy Marie
With more than 100 well-wishers looking on, they exchanged their “I dos” before Msgr. Michael Padazinski at St. Patrick Parish in Larkspur, where the bride attended school.
Almost in unison, Summer, 27, a project manager for a Japanese trading house, and Leland, 33, a service manager now residing in Houston, declared, “I didn’t even consider marrying outside the Church!”
The decision came with equal alacrity for the Netnisses.
Sugey, a former Central Valley and San Francisco Bay Area real estate agent now living in Modesto and tending to the couple’s seven children, has a faith-seeped perspective that infuses “every part of my life.”
“I married in the Catholic Church 20 years ago because I fell in love,” she recalled. “Having a sacramental marriage meant I was committing ‘till death do us part’ before God, the highest form of commitment and expression of love.”
Her husband Jimi, 46, general manager of a utility company in Turlock, committed and expressed love by trading dates at a wedding and pursuing his dream partner with the assistance of a persuasive priest, jobs and religion — from leading Bible study in a Protestant church to returning to his roots and teaching Scripture to young adults and aspiring Catholics in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program.
Then, Sugey said, “Yes.”
Catholics to marry in accordance with the laws of the Church is a major crisis,” said Father Bill Thornton, pastor of St. Sebastian Church in Greenbrae, which has hosted no weddings in the past year.
With some exceptions under special circumstances, any baptized, unmarried Catholic who has reached the age of 18 is free to marry in the Church, Hopfner said. Yet only 500 couples chose to do so in the three-county archdiocese in 2023.
As a countermeasure, California bishops have dedicated the 2024-2025 pastoral year to promoting, protecting and promulgating the sacrament of marriage and empowering, embracing and encouraging married couples and families through a campaign dubbed “Radiate Love.” Highlights include monthly reflections, prayers and educational resources touting Holy Matrimony.
“I felt God was telling me I didn’t deserve this beautiful, gorgeous woman, but once I came back, we were rooted and grounded in our faith, so we got married in the Church rather than living together or going to Las Vegas,” Jimi reminisced.
The latter two alternatives have gained popularity, even among Catholics, fueled in part by a secularized, hypersexualized culture that promotes selfishness; derides faith; accepts, at times even celebrates, divorce; breeds isolation and loneliness and oversells independence and self-sufficiency, noted Ed Hopfner, director of the archdiocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life.
“It is certainly true that the failure of so many young
“Despite what the culture pushes, we should not aim at relationships that are empty of friction but rather ones that are full of faith,” said Father Michael Hurley, pastor of St. Dominic Church in San Francisco.
He described the ideal as a triangular relationship, with God at the top.
“The closer you get to God, the closer you get to each other,” he added.
Without God, the couple can grow farther apart, Father Hurley said.
“They should know that in a sacramental marriage (between a baptized man and woman) Jesus is personally present with His graces to help them to be faithful, to love and to raise children,” said Father Mark Mazza, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Belmont.
Such a union is better described as a covenant, said Sean Sullivan, a parishioner at Star of the Sea in San Francisco.
“To get married civilly or just live together is to state the relationship is sentimental,” said the 39-year-old Sebastopol union millwright.
When the personal benefits run out, one or both parties can terminate the contract. In contrast, the Godinclusive covenant stays intact even at times of sin.
“We may be away from Him for decades, but He loves us and wills our best throughout our lives,” ›
Sean and Christina Sullivan
Sullivan said. “Marriage reflects this and encourages perseverance over retreating to self despite hurt.”
His wife of nearly 13 years, Christina, 40, a home educator, views living together as a misogynistic “copout.”
“So often (women) are used, frequently abused and left to pick up the pieces while the man moves on to his next conquest,” said the youngest of 11 children of parents who have been together for more than 60 years.
Couples cohabitating as a “test run” for marriage are setting themselves up for failure, she insisted, noting that reconciliation and healing are most effectively brought about through the sacraments.
Her fellow parishioner at Star of the Sea, Maureen Arriola, 48, a South San Francisco nurse practitioner married in April 2005, agrees options outside the Church appear unsure and unstable.
“So why would I put myself in that situation?” she wondered. “No, thank you!”
Arriola enumerated three main benefits of sacramental marriage over civil unions or living together:
• Security, “We vow to be in this marriage for the long haul.”
• Fidelity, “We know we are exclusive to each other.”
• Fruitfulness, “We are open to however many children the Lord blesses us with.”
The Lord has blessed her with four.
her children’s questions, Kristina Victor, a 34-year-old management consultant married in 2015, cited numerous examples of how her faith fashions her family life.
Her daughters, ages 1 and 3, love to visit “Jesus’ house” on the Santa Clara University campus where Victor studied, met, fell in love with and married her husband Andy and continues to worship at the mission.
While attending the Stations of the Cross, little Madeleine worried about the “bad guys” crucifying Jesus. On their next visit, she brought bandages to heal His “boo-boos,” Victor related.
At bedtime, the 3-year-old asks Mommy to pray the Hail Mary and sing a hymn she learned at the devotion.
Kristina and Andy Victor with Father Jack Treacy, who married the couple and baptized both their daughters, Madeleine Rose, now 3, and Isabella Grace, now 1, at St. Clare Parish in Santa Clara.
“From a purely sociological perspective, the hard data are abundant that people in lifelong monogamous marriages are happier, live longer, make more money, are physically healthier and (enjoy) a host of other benefits (including) a better chance at eternal happiness,” said Father Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea.
Additional advantages accrue when children arrive on the scene, he added.
“Life is crazy, marriage seems impossible, and I need as much help as possible! That’s where the Church’s guidance and grace bestowed upon us through the sacraments give us the ability to survive this mess that is life and dare I say find joy in it,” Christina Sullivan said. “Kids will eventually ask questions and it sure is nicer to lean on 2,000-plus years of wisdom than to have to invent my own answers.”
Relying on 2,000-plus years of wisdom to answer
The family often discusses heaven where we pray Victor’s father and infant niece reside, paving the path to such serious conversations with the youngsters earlier than expected, “letting them know there are family members with God who loves and watches over us.”
“I don’t believe our church wedding on its own has impacted this, but rather the way we’ve chosen to live by our vows to one another from that day forward,” Victor said. “We’ve built a solid foundation of love and partnership that has had a visible impact on how our children understand and show love.”
In character, Madeleine willingly gave her Halloween and Christmas candy “for the kids who didn’t get any.”
Enamored of her parents, the youngster already is planning her wedding, practicing several times a week during dress-up time.
“When Madeleine asked if one day she can get married, I told her yes, but first she has to find a partner as loving as her daddy when she grows up,” Victor said.
In dealing with their daily lives, couples have found useful what they picked up during the required prenuptial preparation process.
In the San Francisco Archdiocese, according to Hopfner, it includes an introductory meeting with the priest or deacon to ascertain freedom to marry and ability to consent to do so, an informational class on the sacrament and its practical applications, and a compatibility survey on topics ranging from finances, joint accounts, jobs and pets to in-laws, sex, friends and children.
Photo courtesy of the Victor family
St. Dominic Church’s six-month program of retreats, online catechesis, discussions with Father Hurley and a professional therapist and group talk with other couples has garnered such renown, it attracts non-Catholics and non-parishioners willing to travel a distance to attend.
While always warm and welcoming, “we want full engagement, (not someone aiming) to check the box because Grandma wants it,” Father Hurley said. “My pastoral experience says meet them where they are, but don’t lower the bar; rather raise the bar and give them a stepping stool.”
The Netnisses needed no stepping stool, taking the preparation at their Modesto parish so seriously, they felt as ready for their nuptial Mass and 10-and-a-half-hour dinner-dance reception for 450 guests as they did for the two decades that followed.
“We met many couples who shared their stories, advice and wisdom with us,” Sugey recalled. “We hold those talks dear to our hearts today and still have relationships with some of those couples.”
They also have retained recommendations on how to center their family life around God, eating meals together, praying the rosary daily, attending Mass every Sunday, ensuring their offspring receive the sacraments, avoiding distractions like social media and following the faith through such memorable activities as washing the children’s feet on Holy Thursday.
Recognizing its value, the Vatican recently called for more extensive marriage preparation. As one response, the San Francisco Archdiocese encourages parishes to ask engaged couples to select a sponsor to accompany them before and after the wedding, Hopfner said.
“There is a certain amount of ‘figure it out for yourself’ in any marriage, but there are also a lot of good tools that almost every couple would benefit from,” he noted. “Every significant vocation — doctors, lawyers, teachers, priests — generally requires ongoing education and formation, but in the Catholic Church, for some reason, one of the most important vocations of all, marriage, is often not given the support it needs.”
Among resources he recommended: “Unveiled,” sponsored by the John Paul II Healing Center in Tallahassee, Florida, https://jpiihealingcenter.org/ unveiled/, and the “Online Gottman Method Couples Therapy in California,” https://shorturl.at/FmbE5.
“The whole point of marriage is to better prepare your spouse for the gift of eternal life in heaven,” said Christina Sullivan, who helps run a marriage and family apostolate at Star of the Sea.
“Romance lasts only a short time, but marriage, while it requires more work and sacrifice, pays out much greater dividends over the long run,” said Father Illo. “Are you a short-term investor/adventurer or do you want to build up lifelong security and happiness, not to mention eternal life?” ■
The Isenheim Altarpiece (1512-1516), displayed at Unterlinden Museum in Colmar, France, depicts the 12th Station of the Cross, Jesus dies on the cross.
Lighting the way to Easter
A brief history of the Way of the Cross
BY AARON LAMBERT
Writer from Denver
As the Lenten season guides the path to Easter, the Church offers a beautiful tradition of prayerfully entering into Christ’s passion and retracing His steps on the road from Gethsemane to Golgotha.
The Way of the Cross, more commonly called the Stations of the Cross, brings to
vibrant and somber life the final hours of Jesus’ life as He endured His passion and death. It invites the faithful to walk alongside Him and bear the weight of His cross, carrying it with Him, as Simon of Cyrene did, and meditating on each moment of His passion to allow each lash, thorn and nail that Jesus endured for our sake to pierce our own hearts and souls during the Lenten season.
Parishes generally hold a Way of the Cross prayer service on each Friday during Lent as a means of anticipating and honoring Jesus’ sacrifice that is commemorated on Good Friday. At parishes, the stations are generally located on the walls surrounding the nave of the church, though this is
The Lenten journey finds its purpose in the Way of the Cross. As a penitential season, Lent grants us an opportunity to unite our penances and sufferings to Christ on the cross and open our hearts to the redemption that only He can offer.”
not always the case. The most common form of the devotion has 14 stations in total, but this number has fluctuated throughout history. The stations usually come in the form of artwork depicting each moment, or station, whether they be paintings, icons, sculptures, engravings or even stained-glass windows.
The origins of the Way of the Cross can be traced all the way back to fourth-century Jerusalem, which one might call the original Way of the Cross, for as history recounts, it was there that Jesus was led up Mount Calvary to His crucifixion. After the Roman emperor Constantine came into power and legalized Christianity in the year 313, he erected the Church of the Holy Sepulcher over the site where tradition held Jesus’ tomb was located. Around this time, pilgrims began flocking to Jerusalem, especially during Holy Week, to walk along the path Jesus walked on Good Friday. This way can still be walked today, of course, but it is this pilgrimage that the modern Way of the Cross devotion still imitates in spirit at churches all around the world.
This route through Jerusalem is also called the Via Dolorosa, Latin for the “Sorrowful Way.” It is along this route that each moment of Jesus’ passion, which later became more commonly known as the stations, can be found. Though the devotion finds its roots in ancient times, it was not until the medieval ages, around 1200, that the Way of the Cross began to grow in popularity. Various saints of the Middle Ages such as St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Bonaventure had strong devotions to the Via Dolorosa and laid the spiritual groundwork for the devout practice to grow.
In 1342, the Franciscan order was given tutelage over the pious shrines and other holy sites of devotion in the Holy Land, which included the various sites along the Via Dolorosa. Over the next several centuries, the modern and most common form of the 14 stations were developed by the Franciscans. The stations are as follows:
Jesus is condemned to death.
Jesus carries the cross.
Jesus falls the first time.
Jesus meets His mother.
Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross.
Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
Jesus falls the second time.
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. Jesus falls the third time.
Jesus is stripped of His garments.
Jesus is nailed to the cross.
Jesus dies on the cross.
Jesus is taken down from the cross.
Jesus is laid in the tomb.
While earlier versions of the devotion vary in number and include variations of each station (either in order or in moment of Jesus’ passion), the Church has prescribed the above 14 stations to be those which comprise the devotion. However, not all of the stations are recorded in the Gospels but are included based on the traditional stations that had been included since the early days of the devotion’s development. St. John Paul II sought to provide an alternative version of the stations more closely aligned with biblical accounts, and on Good Friday in 1991, he introduced the Scriptural Way of the Cross, which was approved by Pope Benedict XVI for meditation and public celebration in 2007. It was also then that a yearly tradition, which continues today, of the Holy Father praying this particular form of the stations at the Roman Colosseum on Good Friday began.
Over the years, prayers and hymns to accompany the stations have been composed as a means to encourage deeper devotion to and practice of the Way of the Cross by the faithful. The most popular of these, and the one that’s used at most parishes around the world during Lent, was composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori and published in 1750. Another popular version of these prayers is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. They are comprised of 14 prayers that correspond to each station and are generally led by a deacon or a priest on Fridays during Lent. The congregation follows behind from station to station in a solemn procession, stopping to pray and meditate on each one using the prayers as a guide.
The Lenten journey finds its purpose in the Way of the Cross. As a penitential season, Lent grants us an opportunity to unite our penances and sufferings to Christ on the cross and open our hearts to the redemption that only He can offer. By walking the Way of the Cross and meditating on each station of Jesus’ passion, that sorrowful way lights the path to experiencing joy — the true, triumphant and everlasting joy that Easter brings. ■
Can I go green with my funeral?
BY REV. VINCENT WOO, J.C.D.
Priest-secretary to Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and assistant professor of pastoral studies at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, Menlo Park, Calif.
The content of this piece is drawn from Father Woo’s article titled “Cremation and Beyond: The Pastoral Accompaniment of Families of Deceased Catholics Who Choose Illicit Funeral Alternatives,” which was originally published in “Studia Canonica” in 2024.
For nearly 2,000 years, Catholics were only permitted to bury their bodies. Cremation, on the other hand, was strictly prohibited until 1963. The current discipline of the Church allows both: the burial of the body is earnestly recommended, while cremation is permitted as long as it is not chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine (canon 1176.3).
However, in recent years, some “green” funeral technologies that contradict the Catholic faith have emerged. The aim of this article is to provide a brief overview of some of these “green” funeral technologies so that you may make an informed decision when arranging a Catholic loved one’s funeral or your funeral.
Before evaluating these methods, let us recall the three reasons for the Church’s insistence on the proper burial of bodily remains (cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s instruction “Ad resurgendum cum Christo, ” 2016):
1. Doctrine of the resurrection of the body: Death is not the definitive annihilation of the person. Our bodies will rise on the last day at the second coming of Christ.
2. Respect for human bodies: Since our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, proper burial corresponds to the piety and respect owed to the bodies of the deceased.
3. Prayer for the dead: The burial of the faithful departed in cemeteries encourages the whole Christian community to pray for the dead.
Consequently, the remains of the faithful should be reserved in a sacred place, such as a gravesite, a mausoleum or a columbarium. This ensures that the deceased are not excluded from the prayers and remembrance of their family or the Christian community. Now, let us evaluate some of the new funeral methods that are in vogue.
ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS
Alkaline hydrolysis is an unacceptable technology because human remains are treated as wastewater or fertilizer. In 2023, the USCCB Committee on Doctrine criticized this practice, stating: “The body is placed in a metal tank containing about 100 gallons of a chemical mixture of water and alkali and then subjected to both high temperature and high pressure in order to speed decomposition.” Within hours, the body is dissolved, except for some bone material. This liquid is then “treated as wastewater and poured down the drain into the sewer system; in certain cases, it is treated as fertilizer and spread over a field or forest.” This method should not be used by Catholics because it does not show adequate respect for the body nor express hope in the resurrection.
HUMAN COMPOSTING
Human composting is similarly unacceptable. According to the USCCB, “the body is laid in a metal bin and surrounded ›
The burial of the faithful departed in cemeteries encourages the whole Christian community to pray for the dead.”
Photo
by plant material (such as alfalfa, wood chips, straw, etc.) that fosters the growth of microbes and bacteria to break down the body.” The entire body decomposes into soil after about a month, yielding a single mass of compost. The family of the deceased can then spread this compost — about a cubic yard in size — “on a lawn, in a garden or in some wilderness location.” No respect is shown to the body, which becomes disintegrated and indistinguishable from the compost. As a result, it is not possible for the Christian faithful to visit and pray for the deceased.
IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF ASHES
Scattering ashes in the air, on land or at sea is not permissible for Catholics. These practices should be avoided to prevent any appearance of pantheism, naturalism or nihilism. Some individuals choose these methods as a way of fusing themselves with Mother Nature, which directly contradicts the Christian belief in the resurrection of the body. Such practices should be avoided.
Others may choose to preserve ashes in mementos, jewelry or other objects. However, this carries the risk of forgetfulness or a lack of respect over time, particularly after the first generation has passed. Consider what might happen to these mementos 100 years after the deceased has passed away.
USE OF BIODEGRADABLE URNS
The use of biodegradable urns is not a good idea either. Urns are made of biodegradable materials so that the ashes will assimilate into the land or ocean within a reasonable period of time. Although the ashes are initially stored in an urn, this method is effectively no different from scattering the ashes. Once assimilated, it becomes impossible to distinguish the cremated remains from the environment, making it impossible to pay tribute to the deceased.
BURIAL AT SEA
Burial at sea should only be utilized in cases of real necessity. For example, it may be employed for members of the Navy who die while on a ship. A military chaplain may perform a burial at sea by placing the body in a casket and lowering it into the sea. The liturgical text of the Order of Christian Funerals prescribes: “As we commit the body of our brother (sister) N. to the deep, grant him (her) peace and tranquility….” The prayer explicitly refers to depositing the body of the deceased into the sea, not the ashes. It does not foresee the possibility of depositing ashes into the sea, even in a watertight urn. If a Navy member is cremated on
the ship, the ashes can be kept on board until the ship returns home. Clearly, there is no provision in the universal law for burying cremated remains at sea.
BODY DONATION
The act of donating one’s body for scientific research is praiseworthy, but those who choose to do so should ensure that their bodies will be properly disposed of after the research is finished. For example, the Willed Body Program at the UCSF Medical School does not allow family members to retrieve the body. According to its policy: “After studies are completed, the remains are cremated and scattered at sea . . . cremated remains are not returned for private disposition, and no notification of final disposition will be sent to the family. No exceptions can be made to this policy.” If there is no guarantee from the institution that the cremated remains will be properly disposed of in a sacred place, Catholics should refrain from donating their bodies to that institution.
NATURAL BURIAL
Natural burial can be problematic if the body is not interred in a sacred place. The concept of natural burial is that the body is not embalmed. It is usually placed in a bamboo casket, although some may choose to wrap the body in shrouds. These practices allow the body to decompose and return to the earth more quickly. Instead of a traditional headstone, a rock lying flat next to the body may be used to identify the deceased. In some cases, there is no physical identification, and GPS coordinates are used to mark the grave’s location. The Church insists that the bodies of the Christian faithful be buried in cemeteries, whether Catholic or civil (c. 1240). If this type of burial does not take place in a cemetery or if there is no physical identification of the gravesite, a Catholic should not choose this method.
In summary, if you are a Catholic planning your funeral, keep this in mind: the burial of the body is earnestly recommended and preferred, while cremation is permitted as long as it is not chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine. Live green in your daily life but be sure to respect your body when making funeral plans! ■
Photo by Joel Carrico
Holy Thursday
Editor’s Note: The following excerpt on the Eucharist is taken from Father Romano Guardini’s book titled “The Lord.” Father Guardini, a Catholic priest who died in 1968, was designated “servant of God” when his canonization process was opened in 2017. The following brief Eucharistic reflection is one of many that will be published by Catholic San Francisco magazine as part of the U.S. Catholic Church’s Eucharistic Revival (eucharisticrevival.org) that began on June 19, 2022, on the feast of Corpus Christi, and continues through Pentecost 2025.
Jesus is with His disciples for the last time.
The hour is heavy with the premonition of parting and all the pain and dark to come. The little group had not assembled by chance, but to celebrate the Pasch together, solemn reminder of the chosen people’s exit from Egypt, when God’s final and most dreadful plague, the smiting of the firstborn, forced Pharaoh to let the captives go. The Easter supper was instituted to commemorate this “high deed” of God. Upon this memorial supper of the Old Covenant, Christ founds the mystery of the new: the “mysterium fidei.”
During the meal, Jesus said to them, “I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, for I will eat of it no more until it has been fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
What Jesus passes on to them is no longer mere pieces of unleavened Easter bread or the sacred drink-offering of the Pasch, but the mystery of the New Covenant just established. And all that takes place is not only the celebration of one high, fleeting hour; it is a sacred rite instituted for all time and constantly to be renewed until God’s kingdom comes and the Lord Himself celebrates it again with His own in the unveiled glory of the new creation.
For 2,000 years, people have prayed and probed and fought over the meaning of these words. Hence, when we ask what they mean, let us first be clear as to how they should be taken. There is only one answer: literally. The words mean precisely what they say.
El Greco’s oil painting c.1595 ‘The Resurrection’.
It is certain that the disciples did not grasp the full meaning of what their Lord had done. But it is equally certain that they did not interpret it merely as a symbol of community and surrender, or as an act of commemoration and spiritual intervention, but rather along the lines of the first Passover in Egypt, of the paschal feast they had just completed and of the sacrificial rite celebrated day after day in their temples.
Human action is part of time, and when its hour has passed, the act is also a thing of the past. With Jesus it was different. He was man and God in one, and what He did was the result not only of His human and temporal decision, but also of His divine and eternal will. Thus, His action was not merely a part of transitory time but existed simultaneously in eternity.
Jesus’ passion, which actually had started with the crisis in Galilee and was both temporal history and divine eternity, He now molded into liturgical rite. As He spoke over the bread and wine, He Himself, the soon-to-be-slaughtered one, with His love and His fate, was word and gesture. He was instituting something that was to remain to the end of time. Hence, as often as those authorized to do so say these words, make this gesture, the identical mystery takes place and the passion, whose stand is in eternity, is caught and ‘brought down’ in liturgical rite.
In all truth may be said: This is His body and His blood — this is Jesus Christ in His propitiatory dying! The liturgy is a commemoration, yes, but divine commemoration, not human imitation and memorial, not pious invoking of the past by a faithful congregation, but divine in memoriam.
What then is the Eucharist? Christ in His selfsurrender, the eternal reality of the suffering and death of the Lord immortalized in a form that permits us to draw from it vitality for our spiritual life as concrete as the food and drink from which we draw our physical strength. Let this stand as it is. Any attempt to “spiritualize” or “purify” it must destroy it. It is presumption and incredulity to try to fix the limits of the possible. God says what He wills, and what He wills is. He alone “to the end” sets the form and measure of His love (Jn 13:1).
The institution of the Eucharist is also revelation. It reveals the true relation of the believer to his God: not before him, but in him. Words that must scandalize and revolt those closed to faith, but that to others are “words of everlasting life” (Jn 6:68; Mk 9:24). ■
We are an Irish-Owned family business with decades of experience in the Home Care industry.
In a beautiful and peaceful park setting that includes many prayer and meditations spots*, we will host your group’s retreat or conference. You may also sign up for a private retreat. We especially invite you to attend one of our five-day silent retreats which are very powerful and reasonably priced.
For group reservations or a private retreat: call 650-325-5614 Or email jaynie@vallombrosa.org. For our five-day retreat, call Deacon Dominick Peloso, (650) 269-6279
*The meditation spots available include: Lourdes, Fatima, St. Joseph, St. Mother Theresa, St. Francis, Spiritual Works, Corporal Works, Adoration Chapel, and (coming fall of 2024), a large (50’ x 12’) crucifixion scene by Timothy Schmaiz.
Cardinal Robert McElroy appointed to lead Archdiocese of Washington
BY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
On Jan. 6, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy to head the Archdiocese of Washington, succeeding Cardinal Wilton Gregory.
Ordained by Archbishop John Quinn for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1980, Cardinal McElroy went on to serve at St. Cecilia parish, St. Pius X parish and St. Gregory parish. He was also appointed to serve as vicar general of the Archdiocese in 1995. He was named auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 2010 and was appointed Bishop of San Diego in 2015. Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2022.
“The Archdiocese of Washington is a splendid community of faith, love and service,” said Cardinal McElroy in his Jan. 6 statement. “I feel graced to be your bishop, and I thank God that your journey of faith and mission is my journey also from this moment forward.”
The Archdiocese of San Francisco congratulates Cardinal McElroy on his appointment and prays for him as he begins his new ministry this spring.
First steps and leaps of faith. Whispered hopes and daring dreams. New beginnings and familiar comfort. This is life. This is home.
SRES certified, I am an expert in trusts, helping seniors and families of seniors with their real estate needs. All of my services include estate sales, donations, shipping, prepping the home for market, landscaping, staging, and most importantly, listening to the individual needs of my clients. I also provide both art and furniture appraising services. My purpose is to serve my clients with dedicated professionalism.
Emily Smith-Silvestri
REALTOR ® | 2021 Top Producer, Peninsula Region 650.346.1361
The Knights of Columbus held their annual Clergy Night Dinner on Friday, Jan. 24 supporting local clergy and vocations, and recognizing priests and deacons who have supported the Knights and their parishes in their work. Father Michael Konopik from Star of the Sea parish and Deacon James Dewan from the Church of the Visitation were the awardees for the 2025 event that drew more than 250 attendees.
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone presented the awardees with special recognition. In his remarks to attendees, he emphasized the important work of women religious, priests, deacons, and the Knights in serving the most vulnerable. The evening event at St. Mary’s Cathedral took place on the eve of the West Coast Walk for Life.
“We conducted a special collection tonight to support those victims of the California fires, said John Paes, President of the St. Francis Chapter. “There were many families affected by the fires including several Knights. We thank all the attendees tonight who contributed nearly $4,000 to those in most need. We’re very thankful for their generosity.”
Tens of thousands of pro-lifers rally in 21st annual Walk for Life West Coast
BY VALERIE SCHMALZ Director, Office of Human Life & Dignity
A high school student from Turlock summed it up: “I am here to prevent abortion.”
Elizabeth, a mother from Milipitas, said it a different way: “We want all babies to have a future.”
Dylan, his group of friends from Sacred Heart Parish in Turlock, and Elizabeth from St. Elizabeth de Portugal Parish were among tens of thousands of people who came from San Francisco, Berkeley and the San Joaquin Valley and from as far away as southern California and Oregon to demonstrate publicly for life and against abortion.
Participants in the 21st annual Walk for Life West Coast filled the plaza in front of City Hall and walked, singing, chanting and holding signs for more than a mile along Market Street to the Embarcadero, behind the Walk’s banner “Abortion hurts women.”
“Babies are life. I have my baby—he is my everything,” said Elizabeth of Young Adults for Christ of St. Elizabeth de Portugal Church in Milpitas, who came with her husband, toddler and friends.
The outlook for life in California is worse now than it was when a group of Bay Area residents came together to start the Walk for Life West Coast in 2005. California enshrined abortion until birth in its constitution in a statewide vote five months after the U.S. Supreme Court’s
2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade and the state pours billions into support for abortion.
For the those who came by bus, by car and by public transport from around the state and from San Francisco, the day was one of joyful connection with fellow believers in the sacred right of every human being to life, from conception to natural death. It was also a time to stand up for life.
“These babies don’t have a voice, and they are being killed,” said Dylan.
The Walk speakers said the abortion industry cloaks evil in the garb of false compassion, and they called for hope, for healing and courage.
Walk speaker Kelly Lester said as an abortion clinic worker: “We did everything to make sure the woman’s choice was abortion.” Lester was a ranked tennis player with a bright academic future whose abortion at 15 upended her life. “I walked out and ran from everything good in my life.” Drugs, crime with a cartel, more abortions and work at an abortion clinic followed. Now a married mother of six, Lester works with an organization of former abortion workers, And Then There Were None, as well Pro-Love Ministries and Maps Global.
“If you turn to the Lord, he will heal you,” Lester said.
Speaker Ryan Bomberger, co-founder of The Radiance Foundation, told the crowd: “Life is everything. Without it we are literally nothing.” Conceived in rape and adopted into a large family, Bomberger’s organization is based on the belief that every human life has purpose.
“Our opposition doesn’t want us to speak up. Our opposition doesn’t want us to stand up. But who will speak up and stand up for the innocent here?”
Photo by Jamil Dababneh/Walk for Life West Coast
Bomberger asked a cheering crowd. “Don’t let the enemy derail you.”
Also speaking was Sister Deirdre “Dede” Byrne, a former Army surgeon and member of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who talked about the dangers and evils of IVF.
The Walk’s final speaker was Walter Hoye, Black American pro-life activist and co-founder of Issues4Life Foundation. He rallied the crowd as they set out to walk along Market Street: “Now is the time to stand up for life. Now is the time to walk for life.”
The Walk draws people largely from Northern California, but participants also travel from the south and from neighboring states. Bishops in Monterey and San Jose dioceses offer Walk for Life Masses. The day before, Hoye leads a Stand4Life rally in Oakland focused on abortion against black babies. On Friday evening, a prayer vigil is held at St. Dominic Church in San Francisco where this year the celebrant and homilist was EWTN host Father Mark Mary, MFVA. The day always begins with the Walk for Life Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.
In his homily at the packed Walk for Life Mass that morning, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said the pro-abortion narrative has devolved from ‘necessary evil’ until now abortion is celebrated as a positive good, “to the point that anyone who would hold the opposite opinion is subject to a sort of persecution.” But the deceptive ‘empowerment’ mantras are hollow, he said, and trust in God is crucial.
“We do this for love of God and love of neighbor: mothers, their babies, and all those who are neediest and most vulnerable among us. If you want to do this for worldly credit, to receive accolades from society and kudos from the influencers of popular culture, forget it. The true heroes do this knowing that, for the most part, people will not hear about it. But God knows, and our greatest – and, really, only – concern should be to please Him,” Archbishop Cordileone said.
“It is important that we try to be witnesses to the Gospel of Lfe and that we do that in a joyful, courageous way,” said Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto, who has joined the Walk almost every year along with thousands from his diocese, and joined his brother bishops, Archbishop Cordileone, and Santa Rosa Bishop Robert Vasa and Auxiliary Bishop of Military Affairs Joseph Coffey, at the Walk for Life Mass that morning. At the Walk, Archbishop Cordileone presented the Walk’s St. Gianna Molla Award for Prolife Heroism to Bishop Coffey.
“Doing this walk in the City of St. Francis, we bring a joyful noise into the city,” said Bishop Soto.
“Our presence here, we are pilgrims of hope.”
More information at walkforlifewc.com
OPEN THIS QR CODE FOR MORE CATHOLIC Q&A or visit https:// sfarchdiocese.org/february2025-catholic-quiz/
1. Which answer includes one or two sins that are not among the seven deadly sins?
b. Correct. While lust is one of the seven deadly sins, peevishness is not.
2. The human soul
b. This is the right answer. When we say the human soul is a simple substance, we don’t mean that understanding it is simple, nor do we mean that the human soul is a material substance. We are using a philosophic term that means that the human soul is not made of parts. This is true of every spirit, and this simplicity is why spirits can’t die. Our bodies, in contrast, are made of parts, countless numbers of them, right down to the subatomic level. When we die, our bodies fall apart; they cease to be unities. This can’t happen to spirits.
3. When a property or activity of God that is common among the three Persons is attributed to an individual Person, it is called which of the following?
c. Right. Appropriation is the attributing of names, qualities or operations to one of the three Persons of the Trinity without excluding the other two. For example, we normally consider omnipotence to be an attribute of the Father (which it is), but the Son and the Holy Spirit are omnipotent also. When we think of wisdom, we might think more of the Son or the Holy Spirit, but all three Persons are equally wise. We associate love with the Holy Spirit, but we know that the Father and the Son love equally. This equality of attributes arises from the fact that the three Persons have one nature and therefore must be equal in omnipotence, wisdom, and love.
4. Which pope was a significant figure during the Counter-Reformation?
a. Not a particularly likable man, Sixtus V (reigned 1585-1590) accomplished much during his short pontificate, which occurred during the CounterReformation. Under his direction, many architectural projects were completed in Rome, including the dome of St. Peter’s and repairs to the Quirinale, Lateran and Vatican palaces. He limited the College of Cardinals to 70 members and increased the number of Vatican congregations in order to make the bureaucracy function more efficiently.
5. Who were the Montanists?
d. Prisca (also known as Priscilla) and Maximilla were colleagues of Montanus. Some scholars consider them to be co-founders of Montanism. They were known for ecstatic visions and achieved wide followings. Thus, it is proper to say that Montanists were followers not just of Montanus but of Prisca and Maximilla.
Appraisals for estate planning, gifting, private lending, dispute resolution, DoD valuations and estate settlement.
MICHAEL TOGNOTTI, PRINCIPAL APPRAISER
650-572-8258
Serving Select Bay Area Markets for over 37 years.
JOIN FRANCISCAN FR. MARIO DICICCO FOR HIS 2025 PILGRIMAGES
Following the Footsteps of St. Paul in Greece
April 25-May 9
Ireland and Scotland May 24-June 8
Turkey October 11-25
For a brochure, write or call: Fr. Mario DiCicco, O.F.M. 110 West Madison St Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 888-1331 mmdicicco@gmail.com FrMarioTours.weebly.com
SAVE THE DATES! Come out and join us
SCAN TO SEE THE COMPREHENSIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS or visit sfarch.org/events
February 22: Immigration Workshop and Listening Session at Mission Dolores Basilica in San Francisco from 1 to 5 p.m.
March 5: Ash Wednesday
March 8: Men’s Conference
Men of the Archdiocese are invited to attend the San Francisco Bay Area Catholic Men’s Conference on March 8 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Pius Catholic Church in Redwood City. Come be inspired, challenged and encouraged by Archbishop Cordileone, our outstanding speakers, and your brother Catholics. Learn more and register at: https://sfarch.org/event/ catholic-mens-conference/
March 8:
Spiritual Warfare Conference
The 17th annual Spiritual Warfare Conference will take place on March 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Nativity School’s Sobrato Pavilion. Speakers include Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, Father Gary Thomas, Sister Dede Byrne, POSC, M.D. and Father Dennis McManus. Find more information and register at: https://www. heartsoflove.shop/
March 17:
Solemnity of St. Patrick, co-patron of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
by Dennis Callahan
Feb. 22: Wedding Anniversary Mass
All married couples in the Archdiocese are invited to attend and celebrate their sacramental wedding anniversaries at a Mass and reception with Archbishop Cordileone on Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Those celebrating five-year anniversaries (5, 10, 15, 20, etc.) will be recognized during the Mass.
March 19:
Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and co-patron of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
Prepare your St. Joseph’s Table! https://www.sfarchdiocese. org/st-josephs-day/
March 20:
Salutations of the Holy Cross Join Archbishop Cordileone and Metropolitan Gerasimos for
Salutations of the Holy Cross at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross in Belmont on March 20 at 7 p.m. This is an opportunity for Catholic and Orthodox communities to join together in prayer and to venerate a relic of the True Cross of Jesus.
March 30: Immigration Fair at St. Peter Church in San Francisco from 12:30 to 5 p.m.
