September 12, 2014

Page 1

Gay rights money funds archbishop’s critics Faithful America part of national progressive advocacy network

CSF Special Report PART 1 OF 3

VALERIE SCHMALZ CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Many Catholics in the San Francisco Bay Area were surprised by the strong negative reaction to Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone’s decision to give a talk about traditional marriage at a June 19 Washington, D.C., rally organized to support marriage. A national online petition from Faithful America and a nationally publicized June 10 letter from 78 politicians and others urged the archbishop to withdraw from the March for Marriage in Washington, D.C. The letter and petition citing “hate” speech by the National Organization for Marriage and the labeling participant Family Research Council as a “hate group” created a media storm

and disturbed many local Catholics and pastors. Most are used to attacks on the archbishop for his strong advocacy of the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and family, but the reaction seemed disproportionate to the event – which was a talk at a rally by a Catholic Church leader who has given many talks in support of marriage and family across the country and in the media. The cause for surprise among Catholics may be they assumed the powerful reaction was spontaneous. Now there is abundant evidence the reaction was both well planned and financed by Faithful America, an organization that is supported directly and indirectly by politically powerful and wealthy men and by grantmaking foundations who have devoted

millions of dollars to promoting acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) behavior. In this three-part series, Catholic San Francisco will analyze Faithful America, the funding of groups that call themselves Catholic or faithbased and attack Catholic leaders and teaching, and the concept of “hate groups” and “hate speech.” The first part of the series, published here, focuses on Faithful America. The second will focus specifically on the tactic of funding organizations which use the language of faith to attack Catholic teaching. The third part of the series will address the “hate” tactic by opponents of Catholic teaching on human sexuality. SEE FAITHFUL AMERICA, PAGE 14

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Anger, tears, hope shared at USF prayer service for Michael Brown CHRISTINA GRAY

$1.00 | VOL. 16 NO. 22

Latin American families challenged by poverty, violence EZRA FIESER

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Almost a month after the Aug. 9 death of Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager shot by a white patrolman in Ferguson, Missouri, University of San Francisco students, faculty and staff gathered at the school’s Privett Plaza on Sept. 3 to pray together for what incoming USF president and Jesuit Father Paul Fitzgerald called the “radical equality” of every human person. “Michael Brown’s death is a death in the family,” he said. “It evokes suffering in us as it does in his more immediate family. We can only ask God to help us make the suffering meaningful instead of meaningless.” Moments after the St. Ignatius Church bell rang in the noon hour, the subdued crowd bowed their heads to listen to a prayer written and read by alumnus Michael Tadesse-Bell, director of student persistence and mentorship programs and a former USF basketball player. “We come to you today Lord, with sorrow, regret and questions. Sorrow, because as a world we continue to struggle to see each other’s worth; regret, because our actions do not truly reflect who we are and what you’ve placed in us,” he said. Tadesse-Bell said the prayer service SEE PRAYER, PAGE 18

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Poverty, violence and changing social norms are causing the disintegration of the family structure across Latin America, church workers in the region said in advance of the October gathering of bishops in the Vatican to discuss pressures families face. From liberalizing marriage laws and persistent domestic violence to migration trends sending a record number of unaccompanied minors to the U.S. border, the threats to families vary across the region. “It is abundantly clear that the issues of contemporary family life and marriage deserve special attention from the Catholic Church and from society as a whole,” said Archbishop Jose Ulloa Mendieta of Panama. SEE LATIN AMERICA, PAGE 18

LEADERSHIP: New principals begin service at Catholic schools (PHOTO BY CHRISTINA GRAY/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Participants at a USF prayer service for Michael Brown observe a minute of silence Sept. 3.

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PAGE 5

INDEX On the Street . . . . . . . . .4 National . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Faith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . .26

2 ARCHDIOCESE

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

NEED TO KNOW

Holy Spirit Conference at St. Mary’s Cathedral Sept. 20

A CAPPELLA PERFORMANCE: Cappella SF, directed by Ragnar Bohlin, performs Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco. Tickets at $35 and $55 are available at www.eventbrite.com. Cappella SF is a professional chamber choir created to bring a cappella music from all stylistic periods to the Bay Area and beyond at the highest artistic level. The fall program will reflect the change of seasons, moving into fall, and perhaps a more pensive state of mind. Visit www. cappellasf.org.

VALERIE SCHMALZ CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

The gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit are a powerful tool to bring back those who have discarded their Catholic faith, and that evangelization will be a primary focus of this year’s Holy Spirit Conference in San Francisco. James J. Archer The title of this year’s archdiocesan Holy Spirit Conference Sept. 20 at St. Mary’s Cathedral is “Gifts and Graces for the Church,” and is open to all. The number of Catholics attending weekly Mass at Archdiocese of San Francisco parishes has dwindled to an average of 25 to 30 percent, said Father Raymund Reyes, liaison for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and vicar for clergy for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. “No matter how beautiful or vibrant our parishes are, they only touch the

C.S. LEWIS’S ‘THE GREAT DIVORCE’ ON STAGE: From the producers of the hit “C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters on Stage” comes a theatrical adaptation of Lewis’s Christian novel “The Great Divorce,” playing at the California Theatre, San Jose, Oct. 10-11. A meditation on good and evil, grace and judgment, the play shows that the gates of hell really are locked from the inside. Oct. 10, 8 p.m.; Oct. 11, 4 p.m., 8 p.m. Ticket discounts available from the C.S. Lewis Society of California. (510) 635-6892; info@lewissociety.org.

lives of the few,” said Father Reyes, although for most Catholics they are the only place they go for prayer, instruction in the faith, or support. “The Catholic Charismatic Renewal hopes to augment this support for the rest of the faithful – including those who have dropped the name ‘Catholic’ and claim no religious affiliation of any kind – through its various ministries, such as the prayer meetings, healing services, Bible study, conferences or big gatherings of praise and worship, and listening to testimonies of people who have been transformed by the grace of the Holy Spirit,” he said. The Holy Spirit Conference Sept. 20 will feature keynote speaker James J. Archer, a charismatic since 1975. Archer will explore how to recognize the gifts and graces of the Spirit and how to share them for the good of the whole church, said Deacon Ernie von Emster, one of the organizers and a deacon at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in San Carlos. Gifts and graces can be simple, von Emster said. “The gifts of the Holy Spirit include

giving you the words to speak to somebody who maybe has a question or need or is in turmoil. It is a gift of wisdom,” von Emster said. “It is also a gift of giving you the courage to go ahead and do something when you are afraid you are going to fail, when you think you are inadequate.” Archer says he hopes to bring the more than 600 expected participants to ways to build unity in the whole body of Christ. “It’s time to reach out to our younger folks. Our 18- to 25-year-olds, if they go to Mass once a month, we’re lucky,” said Archer. “We need that encounter with Jesus. We’re going to offer them many chances for encounter,” said Archer. The conference will be held from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. in the lower floor of the cathedral, with a healing service at 6 p.m. and closing Mass open to the public at 7 p.m. in the cathedral. Pre-registration cost is $25 and includes lunch and dinner; $40 at the door. Contact John Murphy, (650)-261-0825; Emil Lucero, (415) 994-2194; or Letty Ramos, (415) 469-5912. Access registration forms at www.sfspirit.com

Slain SHC freshman’s grieving classmates, family receive support CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

After an incoming freshman was fatally knifed on Sept. 2 outside a Mission District convenience store, at the end of his first day of classes at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, the school community has surrounded classmates with emotional and spiritual support and is raising money for the grief-stricken family. Michelle Forshner, a spokeswoman for SHC, said the victim, 14-year-old Rashawn Williams, a 4.0 student from Buena Vista Horace Mann School and freshman football player was an ‘outstanding person.’ The school is in mourning,” she said. Williams was stabbed outside Rubin Market at 26th and Folsom streets at around 7 p.m. by another juvenile male after buying some candy there, San Francisco Police Department spokesman Officer Gordon Shyy said.

LIVING TRUSTS WILLS

Rashawn was able to find his mother, he said, who rushed her son to St. Luke’s campus of California Pacific Medical Center. He was transferred to the city’s trauma center, San Francisco General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A 13-year-old suspect believed to be a former middle school classmate is in custody according to Shyy who said he could not identify the suspect because of his age. The following morning, after students assembled for their second day of classes of the new school year, they were notified by teachers of Rashawn’s murder. Principal Gary Cannon informed school families by email. The school chapel was open all day for reflection and prayer and counselors and members of the Community Life Team were available to anyone who sought comfort, solace and support. At the end of the school day, a

short prayer service for Rashawn Williams was held. Early media reports following the murder stated that a “social media dispute” between the victim and the suspect was involved. Shyy declined to confirm saying the investigation is ongoing. In an email to Catholic San Francisco, Cannon also stated that it is not clear what role social media played in Rashawn’s murder and how significant the role was in the tragic turn of events. “I speculate that while it may have been used, it was not the reason or a major contributing factor to the incident,” he said. Forshner, who spoke to Catholic San Francisco on Sept. 4, said the school’s immediate focus was on supporting students and the family. Cannon, school president Christian Brother Ronald Gallagher and chaplain Father Mark Doughery met with Rashawn’s family on Sept. 3.

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“We shared the love, prayers and support of the entire SHC community with them and assured them of our ongoing support and assistance,” said Cannon on the school’s website. No funeral or memorial plans were immediately available, but the school has set up the Rashawn Williams Memorial Fund at Wells Fargo Bank in response to numerous requests from school families who wanted to help. According to Forshner, anyone wishing to help the Williams family can call or walk into any branch to make a donation. “We ask that all keep this young man, his family and the entire SHC community in your prayers,” added Cannon. As a Catholic, Christian community, he said, “We also keep the young person who committed this act of violence in our prayers.”

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Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone Publisher Rick DelVecchio Editor/General Manager EDITORIAL Valerie Schmalz, assistant editor Tom Burke, On the Street/Calendar Christina Gray, reporter

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ARCHDIOCESE 3

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

‘Broken soul’: Sisters’ work guides addict’s prayerful healing CHRISTINA GRAY

‘Even though I didn’t know how to pray when I got here, I learned to pray with the sisters. And at night I thank God for waking me up.’

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Deborah Jackson was born 49 years ago and raised in Butte County. But where she grew up, she says, is at Gracenter, a transitional, licensed recovery residence run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd of San Francisco. Three years ago, when the recovering addict and former felon arrived at the ranch-style home on University Mound, a gentle rise on the west side of Highway 101 in San Francisco’s Portola District where the sisters have lived and operated programs for young women since 1932, she was clean and sober. But after spending nearly her entire adult life thus far in addiction, prison and then recovery, Jackson so lacked practical life skills and the self-conďŹ dence that goes with them that she almost didn’t show up. “I didn’t know what to do or how to do it,â€? she told Catholic San Francisco Sept. 3 in the comfortable living quarters of the residence she shares with 10 other women and the staff dedicated to their recovery: Gracenter executive director Good Shepherd Sister Marguerite Bartling, and Sandra Munoz, case manager. Less visible but prayerfully involved on a daily basis in each woman’s recovery are the seven Good Shepherd sisters in the adjacent convent.

(PHOTO BY CHRISTINA GRAY/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Deborah Jackson credits her recovery from drug addiction to Gracenter, a transitional, licensed recovery residence run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd of San Francisco. “I knew in my heart that I would have found my way back to the nogood,� Jackson said. “I needed more help.� Good is what she found, though. At Gracenter, she learned how to live and interact with others, she began

studying for her GED exam and got a job helping youth aging out of the foster care system. Most importantly, she learned to have faith in herself, others and God again. Sister Marguerite points to a board in the common area where

in September for National Recovery Month, the women each posted messages about what their recovery means to them. Gracenter is guided by the values of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd community – compassion, reconciliation, zeal and mercy – and the belief in the dignity and worth of every person as a child of God. The program, funded by donations, grants and the volunteer efforts of the Gracenter Women’s Guild and others, is open to any woman who demonstrates a commitment to clean and sober living and a strong will to reclaim their lives. An annual fundraising event, “An Art and Food Soireeâ€? will be held at SomArts Gallery in San Francisco Sept. 13 to beneďŹ t Gracenter. Typically, applicants to Gracenter have completed a primary recovery program and are seeking to reestablish employment and healthy relationships. Gracenter’s program integrates the 12-step (Alcoholics Anonymous) long-term recovery model for drug and alcohol addiction. Residents have private rooms but share meals, prayers, chores and struggles, while Sister Marguerite and Munoz help each woman articulate goals and create individual action plans. They also provide access to education, paid SEE BROKEN SOUL, PAGE 7

“...they left everything and followed Him.� - Luke 5:11

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PRIESTS’ RETIREMENT FUND Archdiocese of San Francisco One Peter Yorke Way z San Francisco, CA 94109 Phone: (415) 614-5580 Email: development@sfarchdiocese.org

4 ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

SVdP: ‘Helping others at hardest times in their lives’ TOM BURKE CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Selena Chaisson’s interest in the poor began with good example. “My mom was a single parent who raised me along with my sister and four brothers,” Selena told me in an email. “She was always active in the church and volunteered for the help desk at SVdP in New Iberia, Louisiana.” When her mom took ill in 2012, Selena began to volunteer with St. Selena Chaisson Vincent de Paul, currently with the group’s Marin County council. A portfolio manager with an MBA and medical degree from Stanford University, Selena said she wanted to give back to the community. “I have enjoyed my work career but did not feel that I had contributed enough to society in general and the poor in particular.” Selena’s work with SVdP clients has allowed her “to get involved in specific situations where I know my contribution is going to make an impact,” she said. “I also feel a real connection to my mom thru SVdP being involved in the same work she devoted so much of her life to.” Selena says she’s happier as a Vincentian. “There is a connection to others that I felt I was missing. When I think about the people and families I have helped I feel much more fulfilled in my life.” Selena believes SVdP is an organization that truly cares about the needs of its clients and allows volunteers to choose their level of involvement. “Everything you do here is very rewarding,” she said. Selena’s mom died 18 months ago and two weeks later her younger brother, a graduate of Stanford Law School and workers rights activist, also died. “It was a very difficult time for me, but the joy I have gotten from working with SVdP has helped me to heal.” Her brother’s last project was a documentary “Our Lady of the Bayous,” about nuns from France who brought their good work to Louisiana in 1955. The film and a few others he developed were a way of “promoting his belief in the power of unconditional acts of kindness,” Selena said. She is seeing to the film’s completion. “SVdP has given me the joy of giving and the peace in knowing that through their work I am able to do what God intended to help others at some of the hardest times in their lives,” Selena said. LOTS OF MEMORIES: San Francisco’s Our Lady of the Visitacion School marks its 50th anniversary Oct. 18. The day begins with Mass at 10 a.m. in the parish church. Father Thuan Hoang, pastor, will join Visitacion alumnus Bishop Tom Daly on

PEERS: Middle school students at St. Raymond’s in Menlo Park held a bake sale raising $500 for the benefit of St. John the Baptist School in Napa to help with any expense the Wine Country’s recent earthquake might have caused. “The entire school and parish pray for Napa’s safety and peace of mind,” the school said. Pictured from left are some of the fundraisers: Mia Cheng, Sayuri Ryan, Danielle McNair, Porsche Trinidad, Siena Bundy, Ella Urton. olvsf.org; call (415) 239-7840 to let them know you’ll be there. Watch Calendar for all the reunions and anniversaries we get notice of and there are many.

SPECIAL GUEST: Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, here with Handicapables founder Nadine Calliguri, celebrated Mass for the group’s monthly assembly Aug. 16 in the St. Mary’s Cathedral Conference Center. “It was wonderful having Archbishop Cordileone with us,” Nadine told me in a phone call. “He stayed for lunch and spent time with us and we are grateful.” Handicapables has met monthly for prayer, lunch and friendship for more than 40 years. the altar. A reception follows. The occasion is “to celebrate and connect with all who are connected with the school in any way,” said Daughter of Charity Sister Marianne Olives. Send pictures from your time at OLV to pictures@olvsf.org. They will be used to create a slide show. Visit www.olvsf.org and click on the alumni and friends link; email cdame@

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Catholic San Francisco (ISSN 15255298) is published (three times per month) September through May, except in the following months: June, July, August (twice a month) and four times in October by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, 1500 Mission Rd., P.O. Box 1577, Colma, CA 94014. Periodical postage paid at South San Francisco, CA. Postmaster: Send address changes to Catholic San Francisco, 1500 Mission Rd., P.O. Box 1577, Colma, CA 94014

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UNMASKED: It’s a birthday party for the Knights of St. Francis of Assisi Oct. 2 on the North Beach plaza of their beloved Porziuncola and the National Shrine of St. Francis. The group is now six years old and still busy just doing good. On hand to entertain at the gala will be Franc D’Ambrosio, known to thousands as the Phantom of the Opera as well as Al Pacino’s son in “GodFranc father III.” Proceeds benefit the D’Ambrosio transforming of the banquet site into a permanent Piazza St. Francis. Congrats too to the Knights on the new location of their Francesco Rocks gift shop to 1351 Grant Ave. The store has everything Francis, including Papa Francesco T-shirts, and almost everything else. Visit www. knightsofsaintfrancis.com and www.piazzasf.org.

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ARCHDIOCESE 5

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Meet the 10 new leaders at Catholic K-12 schools in the archdiocese BROTHER RONALD GALLAGHER, FSC

President, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco

A former president of his congregation’s St. Mary’s College, Moraga, Brother Ronald holds a graduate degree in comparative literature from San Francisco State and a doctorate in the subject from the University of Washington. “Catholic education has been and continues to be a cornerstone in the city of San Francisco,” Brother Ronald said. “We graduate students who are both Gospel-inspired Christians and engaged and productive citizens.” JERRY LEE

Principal, St. Mary’s School, San Francisco

Jerry Lee attended St. Mary’s School as did three generations of his family. He is a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep with an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley. He holds a graduate degree from San Jose State University in secondary education and mass communications as well as a law degree from the University of San Francisco. He attends St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Burlingame as well as Old St. Mary’s Cathedral and Holy Family Chinese Mission in San Francisco. “At St. Mary’s, we are committed to build character, social consciousness, and the ‘whole’ student as they take their place as responsible world citizens,” Lee said. BARBARA MOODIE

Principal, St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception School, San Francisco

Barbara Moodie’s 34-year teaching career includes 12 years at SAIC as well as six years at Epiphany School, San Francisco. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona in psychology and child development and education as well as a graduate degree from the University of San Francisco in private school administration and Notre Dame de Namur University in public school

Brother Ronald Gallagher, FSC

Jerry Lee

Barbara Moodie

Father Edwin Harris, SJ

Kim Orendorff

Marie Bordeleau

John Berry

Carrie Robley

Kate Reeser

Francesca Brake

administration. She has been a member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, San Francisco for 26 years. “We are family here – a family that prays together, learns from each other and supports one another,” Moodie said about SAIC. “We are a Catholic community in action.” FATHER EDWIN HARRIS, SJ

President, St. Ignatius College Preparatory, San Francisco

ity and modern European history. In 1985, he began three years at SI working as a college counselor, celebrating Mass, serving on retreats and teaching. “I felt my calling to the priesthood and to secondary education completely and absolutely confirmed during those three years of teaching,” he noted. “Teaching and, later, counseling gave me a chance to deal with students on a personal level as a pastor and not just deal with academic concerns.”

Father Harris is an alumnus of SI and was ordained in 1975. He holds graduate degrees in divin-

SEE LEADERS, PAGE 6

The Knights of Saint Francis GALA SIXTH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION OF THE KNIGHTS OF SAINT FRANCIS AND

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6 ARCHDIOCESE

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

LEADERS: 10 new principals, presidents at Catholic K-12 schools MARIE BORDELEAU

FROM PAGE 5

KIM ORENDORFF

Principal, St. Anselm School, San Anselmo

Kim Orendorff holds a graduate degree in education from Dominican University of California, San Rafael and a multiple subject teaching credential from California State University, Monterey. She completed undergraduate work in political science at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. She has served as vice principal at St. Anselm and St. Rita School, Fairfax. “I am honored to be a part of such an extraordinary school that provides a rigorous education and strong sense of Catholic values,� Orendorff said. “The whole community is working toward a common goal of providing a well-rounded education which makes St. Anselm school such an exceptional place to be.� Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows

St Clare s Retreat St Clare’s Retreat

22381 Laurel Glen Road, Soquel, CA. 95073 Tel (831) 423-8093 E-mail: stclaresretreatcenter@gmail.com Website: www.stclaresretreatcenter.com

Marie Bordeleau holds a graduate degree in educational administration from Santa Clara University and is a former principal of St. Leo the Great School in San Jose and vice principal of St. Simon School, Los Altos. “Parents choose a Catholic school to nurture a balance between personal growth and achievement in a socially responsible community,� Bordeleau said. “This value guides our vision to teach to the whole child in a spiritually enriching and academically engaging way.�

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Fr. Mark Wiesner

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October

+ Married Couples Fr. Women Serge Propst, Silent Retreat OP Fr. Bruce Lamb, OFM. Conv. +Lenten San Jose Men Cursillo (English) Sojourn with St. Francis + A.A. & Al-Anon Women Fr. Pat Mullen Silent Women Retreat +Fr. A.A. & Al-Anon Women Bruce Lamb, OFM. Conv. Lenten Fr. PatSojourn Mullenwith St. Francis + San Jose Women Cursillo (English)

John Berry holds a graduate degree in educational administration from Columbia University with teaching and administrative credentials from San Francisco State. “Effective schools are constantly searching for stability and renewal,â€? Berry said. Berry said he strives “to teach maturing children that an understanding of the various disciplines and their interconnectedness is only a precursor to living thoughtfully. Having young

+ Silent Women Retreat Fr. Bruce Lamb, OFM. Conv. Lenten Sojourn with St. Francis

OCT. 3-5

Sept. 19-21

GATHERING OF VETERANS Sr. Peggy Dwyer, CSJ Ret. Lt. Col. Byrne Sherwood Br. Mike Minton, OFM

OCT. 11

PRAYING WITH ICONS Fr. Leo Arrowsmith

Sept. 26-28

Feb. 21-23

Oct. 3-5 28-March 2

TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH Fr. Patrick Foley, Ph.D Joyce Mikal-Flynn, Ed.D., RN

OCT. 4 Feb 13 -16

Oct. 9-12 Feb. Oct. 17-19

Carrie Robley has been in education for 18 years, 13 at San Domenico. She has served as the middle school dean of students and lead English teacher. Robley served as the yearbook advisor for ďŹ ve years and started the student newspaper, The Paw Print. She has a secondary teaching certiďŹ cate in English and journalism and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Angelo State University in Texas.

JOHN BERRY

September

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CARRIE ROBLEY,

Principal, San Domenico Middle School, San Anselmo

KATE REESER

Principal, San Domenico Upper School, San Anselmo

Catholic San Francisco + Silent Women Fr. Serge Propst, OP San Jose Women + Silent WomenEnglish Cursillo Fr. Serge Propst, OP Married Couples (Knights of Columbus)

people endeavor to live with integrity and spirituality is a categorical imperative.�

Principal, St. Hilary School, Tiburon

OCT. 24-26 INTERFAITH SPIRITUALITY Fr. Thomas P. Bonacci, CP

Oct. 24-26 March 7-9

Oct. 30-Nov. 2

10 #PY t %BOWJMMF $" t XXX TBOEBNJBOP PSH

Principal, San Domenico Lower School, San Anselmo

Kate Reeser has been working as an educator for nearly 20 years and at San Domenico for 10 years. Currently, she serves as the middle school academic dean and the director of the High School Advising program. She has also served as the high school academic dean and English department chair in both the high school and the middle school. “Kate works with faculty to mentor, support, and facilitate professional opportunities and engagement throughout the school year,� the school said. FRANCESCA BRAKE

Principal, Sacred Heart Lower and Middle Schools, Atherton

Francesca Brake holds a Bachelor of Arts in education and graduate degrees in education and educational administration from St. Mary’s College, Moraga. “Catholic education is important because it is grounded in tradition and values that will sustain these children well beyond their years here,� Brake said.

RETREATS DIRECTORY TO ADVERTISE IN CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO CALL (415) 614-5642 | FAX (415) 614-5641 VISIT www.catholic-sf.org

March 14 -16

St. Paul of the Shipwreck cordially invites you to Join Us as we welcome back

Father Ken Hamilton, SVD presider & Homilist

SEPTEMBER 14,

2014

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 10:45 am Gospel Mass

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Creating a “New Normal� after Cancer with Cynthia McDonald, Ph.D.

Saturday, October 18, 2014, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm The treatments are done and you expect to get back to the life you had before the diagnosis. But did you know cancer and its treatments can change your experience of “normal� living even after treatment is completed? That it can affect your emotions, thoughts, how you engage with life, and even your spiritual outlook? Join Cynthia McDonald, Ph.D. at Vallombrosa Center for a one-day introductory workshop on Psychospiritual Integrative Therapy (PSIT), a set of tools and processes designed to get you on the road to a “new normal� after cancer. Cost: $50.00 per person and includes lunch.

To learn more about Dr. McDonald and to register visit www.vallombrosa.org or contact Rachel Alvelais at 650.325.5614.

VALLOMBROSACENTER

250 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025 • 650-325-5614

www.vallombrosa.org

ARCHDIOCESE 7

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

‘BROKEN SOUL’: Sisters’ work guides addict’s prayerful healing FROM PAGE 3

internships, employment networking and links to primary physical and mental health care clinics. Each woman makes a six-month minimum commitment to the program and pays a small monthly fee. They may stay up to two years to complete their goals. Jackson’s three-year stay was exceptional, but so was her progress, said, Sister Bartling who extended Jackson’s program. Part-Choctaw Indian, Jackson came from a loving, affluent home in Oroville, near Redding. Her addiction to crystal methamphetamine “just happened one day,â€? and she said, “it spiraled out of control fast.â€? Jackson said she “pretty much gave my daughter to my mother,â€? stole money to keep her habit going and went to prison on felony charges. “I was a broken soul,â€? she said. “I knew that if I didn’t seek help I would die.â€? Jackson’s story conďŹ rms what is known about addiction: People from

any kind of background can become drug- or alcohol-addicted. “Once it gets into your mind and body, you’ve found your answer to whatever pain you’ve got,� said Jackson. “It’s very had to give that up.� Jackson’s “treatment� came in the form of a long prison term. She’s never relapsed since leaving prison, but she did continue to struggle. “Drugs are not the only problem. Your thinking behavior, your actions, is the problem,� she said. One day, a woman that she had never seen before or since and whose memory brings Jackson to tears, said: “You can be anything you want to be,� and she believed her. “You learn to live your life here,� said Jackson, who will leave Gracenter in mid-September to spread her wings. Ninety-seven percent of graduates to go on to full-time employment or volunteer work. “Even though I didn’t know how to pray when I got here, I learned to pray with the sisters. And at night I thank God for waking me up,� she said. Visit www.gsgracenter.org.

RETREATS DIRECTORY

Daughters of Charit of St. Vincent de Paul A y c e t Sis ?

C n S ! Join us for a Religious Vocation Discer ment Ret eat October 10-12, 2014 Los Altos Hills, Ca.

Walk with us! Talk with us! Pray with us! RSVP TO

S . Lis La n , D.C.

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8 NATIONAL

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

DIOCESE ASKS HIGH COURT TO HEAR CASE INVOLVING CONFESSIONAL SEAL

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Diocese of Baton Rouge has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Louisiana Supreme Court decision that a priest may be compelled to testify as to what he heard in the confessional in 2008 concerning an abuse case. The legal step is the latest in a case involving Father Jeffrey Bayhi, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Zachary, Louisiana, and the sanctity of the seal of confession. The petition to the U.S. Supreme Court comes after a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling in May outlining arguments that priests are subject to mandatory reporting laws regarding abuse of minors if the person who made the confession waives confidentiality. The state Supreme Court opened the door for a hearing in which the priest would testify about what he heard in the confessional.

US BISHOPS RECALL ‘HEROIC’ CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

WASHINGTON – In a statement marking the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called the legislation a “monumental step forward” but added that there is “still much work to do.” “The act itself did not eradicate racial discrimination and injustice. In fact, there are reminders across our nation today that the embers of racial discrimination still smolder,” said the Sept. 9 statement issued by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky. The statement was issued on the memorial of St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest canonized in 1888 as the patron of African missions and interracial justice because of his work with slaves in Colombia.

Sheen’s sainthood cause suspended CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON – The canonization cause of Archbishop Fulton Sheen has been suspended indefinitely, according to a statement issued Sept. 3 by the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, where the archbishop was born. The suspension was announced “with immense sadness,” the diocese said. “The process to verify a possible miracle attributed to Sheen had been going extremely well, and only awaited a vote of the cardinals and the approval of the Holy Father. There was every indication that a possible date for beatification in Peoria would have been scheduled for as early as the coming year.” Archbishop Sheen, who gained fame in the 1950s with a prime-time television series called “Life Is Worth Living,” died in New York in 1979. The diocesan statement said the Archdiocese of New York denied a request from Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria, president of the Archbishop Sheen Foundation, to move the archbishop’s body to Peoria. Deacon Greg Kendra, in a Sept. 3 posting on his blog The Deacon’s Bench, said the reason for the request was for “official inspection and to take firstclass relics from the remains.” A Sept. 4 statement from Joseph Zwilling, communications director for the New York archdiocese, said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York “did express a hesitance in exhuming the body” absent a directive from the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes and family approval. The statement added that Archbishop Sheen’s “closest surviving family members” asked that the archbishop’s wishes be re-

spected and that he had “expressly stated his desire that his remains be buried in New York.” Zwilling said Cardinal Dolan “does object to the dismemberment of the archbishop’s body,” but, were it to be exhumed, relics that might have been buried with Archbishop Sheen might be “reverently collected” and “shared generously” with the Peoria diocese. A subsequent statement Sept. 5 from the Peoria diocese said it had received a “shocking statement” June 27 from an attorney for the New York archdiocese saying the archdiocese “would never allow the examination of (CNS FILE PHOTO) the body, the securing Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen of relics or the transfer is pictured at a pulpit in an of the body.” undated file photo. The new statement said Bishop Jenky had been assured in 2002 by Cardinal Dolan’s predecessor, now-retired Cardinal Edward M. Egan, that New York had “no interest” in pursuing Archbishop Sheen’s sainthood cause. A 2005 request to transfer the body to Peoria received a response from the Vatican congregation that it was not yet an appropriate time. “With this inquiry complete and a miracle being attributed to Sheen, now is an appropriate time,” the Sept. 5 Peoria statement said. It added, “Clearly Archbishop Sheen’s wishes for his final resting place could not have anticipated that he would go through a canonization process led by his native Diocese of Peoria, after it was turned down by the Archdiocese of New York.” If the Peoria diocese’s decision is final to suspend Archbishop Sheen’s cause and to assign it to the Vatican congregation’s historical archives, Zwilling said, “the Archdiocese of New York would welcome the opportunity to assume responsibility for the cause in an attempt to move it forward.”

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SAVE THE DATE Saturday, Sep. 27, 2014 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A Conference on Reentry best practices, resources and a Call to Action, JOIN US! Our goals: Engage and learn about a call to action to support the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, a California ballot initiative. Network and build positive relationships among bay area participants supporting reentry services. Offer reentering people the best resources available to support their needs. Discuss social reintegration challenges, opportunities and steps to support people in Reentry. Convene concerned people and present recommendations to key law enforcement officials to reduce recidivism, prevent crime and increase public safety.

Please register online at: www.ReEntryAction.org Or register by calling Carolina Parrales at 415 614-5570

EVENT CENTER St. Mary’s Cathedral 1111 Gough St., S.F., California

WHO SHOULD ATTEND Concerned people (formerly incarcerated adults and teens); Non-profit advocates and providers working with incarcerated people; law enforcement professionals, probation and corrections staff; victim services; educational; religious and social institutions; department of justice agencies; health services; housing employment and legal relations.

SPONSORED BY The San Francisco Archdiocese Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns Restorative Justice Ministry and co-sponsors.

For sponsorship or more information contact Julio Escobar at 415 861-9579, Email: escobarj@sfarchdiocese.org

SCRIPTURE SEARCH Gospel for September 14, 2014 Numbers 21:4b-9; John 3:13-17 Following is a word search based on the First and Gospel readings for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle. AGAINST GOD NO FOOD SINNED A POLE HEAVEN LIFTED UP ONLY SON

MOSES WATER PRAYED BITTEN EXCEPT ETERNAL WORLD

EGYPT SERPENTS LORD NO ONE SON OF MAN SO LOVED SAVED

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© 2014 Tri-C-A Publications www.tri-c-a-publications.com

Sponsored by DUGGAN’S SERRA MORTUARY 500 Westlake Avenue, Daly City 650-756-4500 ● www.duggansserra.com

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

‘The Amazing Parish’ explores ways to revitalize Catholic communities NISSA LAPOINT CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

DENVER – Catholic heavyweights behind a Denver-launched parish revitalization movement shared with evangelizers ideas on how to convert the unchurched into front-pew regulars. Some 140 parishes and organizations from as far as New York and Canada gathered for the invitation-only Amazing Parish Conference Aug. 27-28 in Denver to help churches become more vibrant centers for an encounter with Christ. Funded by the Denver-based VINE Foundation, the conference drew Catholic leaders such as speaker and author Jeff Cavins; Curtis Martin, president and founder of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students; Chris Stefanick, president of Real Life Catholic; and businessman Patrick Lencioni to discuss seven identified traits of an “amazing parish” – a reliance on prayer, a real leadership team, clear vision, the Sunday experience, compelling formation, small group discipleship and missionary zeal. What is missing is not the sacraments, according to conference organizers, but what is needed is a church filled with hearts on fire for Christ and parishioners helpful to fallen-away Catholics navigating their way back to church. “Yes, the Eucharist is enough, but so many people need more to understand that,” Lencioni, an author and leadership consultant, told a packed conference room. “Those people out there who are former Catholics or Catholics going other places, they’re hungry for what you have. We know the most important part. This conference is about all the other things.” Founders are calling it a Holy Spirit-inspired movement that began on the day Pope Francis was selected pontiff in March 2013. Co-founder John Martin of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Denver told the Denver Catholic Register, the archdiocesan newspaper that the group wants attendees to have “a zeal to take their parish to a level where parishioners are active disciples for Christ.” This personal zeal is necessary for a transformation, Auxiliary Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of St. Paul and Minneapolis said during a talk on evangelization. “If we don’t have the fire in us, it’s because we’re living a lukewarm and superficial existence,” he told the gathering. Bishop Cozzens suggested the best incentive for sharing the Gospel message comes from inside and contemplating Christ in love. “The fire begins to grow as I spend time with the one I love and when that fire grows, then the Holy Spirit can use me,” he said. Other conference talks were built on the idea that a parish is where most people come to know Christ. An alarming number of Americans are missing such an opportunity, according to the Pew Research Center. “Nones” or those with no religious identity are a growing 19 percent or one-fifth of the population – and one-third of adults younger than 30 – researchers found in a 2012 poll. Father Michael White, pastor of Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland, and associate Tom Corcoran shared how they shifted focus to these unchurched people. Instead of adding more programs and ministries, the parish prioritized the Sunday experience and mobilized the help of regular parishioners. People in the pews were no longer approached as customers, he said. “We were not leading people and we were not

Presence of a paid ad does not necessarily indicate that the Archdiocese of San Francisco endorses or opposes any propositions.

Instead of adding more programs and ministries, one Maryland parish prioritized the Sunday experience and mobilized the help of regular parishioners. People in the pews were no longer approached as customers. making disciples, but we were creating religious consumers in our parish,” Father White said about the programs and activities his parish labored to provide. “So much of it was a waste of time.”

Together, Father White and Corcoran authored two books – “Rebuilt” and “Tools for Rebuilding” – about the lessons they learned. They asked attendees to brainstorm on ways to reach the unchurched by reevaluating their worship music, the message given during homilies and how ministers affect the Sunday experience. “I want to see the average parishioner reawakened,” said Cathy Gold, parishioner at the 5,000-family St. Patrick Church in Yorktown Heights, New York. “Everyone should be sitting on the edge of their seat.” The Amazing Parish movement provides free resources for Catholic leaders, clergy and laity to achieve the seven traits at www.amazingparish.org. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

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10 NATIONAL

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

SAN DIEGO BISHOP FLORES DIES AT 66

SAN DIEGO – Bishop Cirilo B. Flores of San Diego died Sept. 6 of complications from prostate cancer. He was 66. On Sept. 4, Bishop Flores had been transferred from the cancer center of Bishop Flores the University of Southern California to Nazareth House in San Diego for hospice care. The bishop’s prostate cancer was disclosed Aug. 25 by the diocese. Bishop Flores had been ailing since mid-April, when he suffered a stroke four days before Easter. Bishop Flores was one of the growing number of “late vocationsâ€? – men who had established careers in other ďŹ elds before hearing the call to priesthood. He had spent one year in a seminary after graduating from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, spent a brief time teaching, then went to law school and spent 10 years as a lawyer before reconsidering a priestly vocation. When Bishop Robert H. Brom of San Diego turned 75 last year, Bishop Flores automatically succeeded him. However, Bishop Flores spent less than one year as diocesan bishop before he died.

Courts strike down 2 same-sex marriage bans, but uphold another CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON – A federal judge upheld an amendment to Louisiana’s state constitution in early September that deďŹ ned marriage as the union of one man and one woman, but later that same week, a federal court struck down same-sex marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana. In the Louisiana case, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman said Sept. 3 the state did not overstep its authority in adopting a constitutional amendment approved in 2004 by 78 percent of the voters that banned same-sex marriage. It was the ďŹ rst such decision by a federal court since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act last year. “The defendants (the state) maintain that marriage is a legitimate concern of state law and policy, that it may be rightly regulated because of what for centuries has been understood to be its role,â€? Feldman wrote in his 32-page decision. The plaintiffs were six same-sex couples who had wed in other states and wanted Louisiana to recognize their marriages. A seventh couple living in Louisiana sought the right to marry in the state.

Feldman said for gays to have rights superior to the democratic process, they must constitute a protected class, and no court has bestowed that status on them. “In light of still-binding precedent, this court declines to fashion a new suspect class. To do so would distort precedent and demean the democratic process,â€? he wrote. Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, lauded the decision in a Sept. 3 statement. “The federal court rightly declared that Louisiana’s marriage laws ‘serve a central state interest of linking children to an intact family formed by their biological parents,’â€? Archbishop Cordileone said. “The federal court affirmed that the voters of Louisiana who overwhelmingly chose to deďŹ ne marriage as the union of one man and one woman in their state constitution made a rational decision by embracing the deďŹ nition of marriage ‘that has endured in history for thousands of years, and prevails in a majority of states today.’â€? He added, “Those who are arguing to redeďŹ ne marriage based upon the desires and interests of adults were presented by this court with obvious questions raised by the logical consequences of their arguments to which they were unable to give an answer, including: ‘Must marriage be limited to only two people?’ Indeed, all who work to promote and defend marriage

should be encouraged by this federal court decision.â€? But on Sept. 4, a three-judge federal appeals courts in Chicago overturned same-sex marriage bans in both Indiana and Wisconsin, calling the bans unconstitutional. States cannot justify gay marriage bans on the grounds of the tradition of marriage being for one man and one woman, the U.S. 7th Circuit court of Appeals said. “Tradition per se therefore cannot be a lawful ground for discrimination – regardless of the age of the tradition,â€? the court said, citing the “historical realitiesâ€? of “bad traditionsâ€? as cannibalism, foot-binding and suttee – the practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre – as well as traditions that are neither good nor bad, such as Halloween trickor-treating. After separate courts in Wisconsin and Indiana overturned the same-sex marriage bans in their respective states in June, the cases were combined before the federal panel. Noting that the ruling “follows the trend of similar decisions across the nation,â€? the Wisconsin Catholic Conference said in a Sept. 5 statement, “These opinions focus on opposition and animus, rather than the state’s recognition of the nature of marriage. We now await a determination by the U.S. Supreme Court on whether a state and its citizenry retain the power and right to deďŹ ne civil marriage.â€?

The Nuns of the Carmel of Cristo Rey invite you to attend the annual Novena for 20014 in honor of 67 7+(5(6( 2) 7+( &+,/' -(686 September 23 ~ October 1st

I.U.O.E.

STATIONARY ENGINEERS Local 39 - San Francisco

Happy Labor Month

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Daily Masses 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Jerry Kalmar Business Manager-Secretary International Vice President

Daily Rosary: 6:30 p.m. Benediction Service: Sunday, September 288th 4:00 p.m. If your are unable to attend, you may send your prayer intentions to: Carmelite Monastery of Cristo Rey 721 Parker Ave. San Francisco CA 94118

NATIONAL 11

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Parish fights to guard dignity of homeless NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

BALTIMORE – Father Dick Lawrence doesn’t see homeless people through rose-colored glasses, but he doesn’t close his eyes to them either. “They didn’t get there overnight and you’re not going to get them out (of Father Dick homelessness) overLawrence night,� said the pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in downtown Baltimore. “Sometimes the best you can do is to treat them like human beings and provide effective support services to keep them from declining further and faster.� Father Lawrence and the congregation of his urban parish, in partnership with the congregation of suburban Our Lady of the Fields Church in Millersville, Maryland, have been doing that for more than 20 years. Every Friday night, St. Vincent de Paul hosts a dinner for anyone who wants a hot meal. Deacon Ed Stoops and his cadre of volunteers from Our Lady of the Fields bring the food and join St. Vincent parishioners in setup and cleanup each week. “Tonight we are expecting to serve about 150 poor and homeless,� Deacon Stoops told Catholic News Service on a recent Friday. “Last week at the end of the month we had 316 people, but now it’s the beginning

of the month and the checks are in, so we’ll have fewer people.â€? The deacon, along with his wife and daughter, started the weekly meals for poor and homeless people 22 years ago. “It’s been our great privilege to meet Jesus in his poor and homeless people,â€? he said. But the meals are just a small part of the services provided at St. Vincent de Paul for the poor and homeless. When the city of Baltimore put a small park next to the church up for sale, the parish bought it and it has now become what outreach worker Dwayne Tony Simmons calls “a safe zoneâ€? for the homeless. “This church is like our safe haven,â€? said Simmons, who is himself homeless but operates a street newspaper called Word on the Street and works for an organization called Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau. “If you’re hungry, you can come here,â€? he added. “If you need clothing, you can come here. People are very generous and they know they can ďŹ nd people if they come to this park. And it protects you. It gives you a sense of peace when you’re sitting in this park.â€? Backed by the Baltimore Archdiocese, Father Lawrence stood up to the city when officials threatened to arrest anyone who slept overnight in the parish-owned homeless encampment. The priest said he told Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, “You have your choice of who you lock up ďŹ rst, but I guarantee you who the second person will be.â€? A compromise reached with the city requires that the park be cleared for

cleaning from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. each day and that no tents or permanent structures can be set up on the site. Father Lawrence said the no-tents policy is safer for everyone, because some tents had been taken over for drug dealing or other illicit activities. Although those at the park are encouraged to go to the city-run homeless shelter when the temperature drops, “even on the coldest night we won’t tell people they have to leave and we won’t lock them up,â€? Father Lawrence said. “Giving people a place to sleep is one of the basic human needs.â€? The parish also provides clothing for the homeless and helps to ďŹ nd furniture and household goods when someone is able to ďŹ nd housing. Homeless people are welcome at Masses and at the parish’s Sunday coffee hours, although there are two rules: “You can’t leave with more than two doughnuts and a cup of coffee, and we don’t ask each other for money,â€? Father Lawrence said. Simmons said there are 4,088 homeless people in Baltimore on any given night. Nationwide, the ďŹ gure is 610,042, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Many of them are employed, and more than 220,000 of them are people in families, the alliance says.

CARDINAL BACKS ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE COMMITTEE

NEW YORK – Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York said he continues to support the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee after it lifted a ban prohibiting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups from marching openly in the annual event. The cardinal, who will be the grand marshal of the 254th St. Patrick’s Day parade in March, said in a statement Sept. 3 that neither he nor his predecessors determined who could or could not march in the parade. He said he has “always appreciated the cooperation of parade organizers in keeping the parade close to its Catholic heritage.� The parade committee’s decision comes in an effort to defuse the controversy that arose prior to this year’s parade over the exclusion of gay banners in the annual celebration of Irish and Catholic heritage. The ban led New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to refuse to march earlier this year. Guinness also withdrew its sponsorship. The NBC television network, which has broadcast the parade for years, also was prepared to drop coverage of the event unless a compromise was reached to allow a group of the network’s gay employees to march under a banner identifying the organization, Irish Central reported.

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12 WORLD

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

IRISH VINCENTIANS HAND OVER JACKIE KENNEDY’S LETTERS TO FAMILY

DUBLIN – Letters between former U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy and a Dublin-based priest have been handed over to the Kennedy family. In a statement issued Sept. 5, the Vincentians said the order wished “to confirm that private letters, written by the late Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy to our deceased confrere, Father Joseph Leonard, have been transferred to the Kennedy family.” “This has taken place with regard to the respect due to what is correspondence of a private nature,” the statement said before adding that the Vincentians will be making no further comment on the matter. The letters exchanged by Kennedy and Father Leonard were set to be auctioned in Dublin earlier this year to raise funds for struggling All Hallows College. However, the letters were later withdrawn for sale on the insistence of the Vincentian order amid public controversy about the private nature of the correspondence. The college later announced that it would have to close down due to a lack of funds and had hoped the sale of the letters would plug the gap.

New Irish primate sees role as servant ARMAGH, Northern Ireland – The new primate of All Ireland has pledged to be a “servant leader” whose aim is to bring the Irish Catholic Church through a process of “humble renewal.” Archbishop Eamon Martin, 52, succeeded Cardinal Sean Brady as primate of All Ireland, a leadership role that covers the 26 dioceses in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. For nearly 17 months, Archbishop Martin had served as Cardinal Brady’s coadjutor in Armagh, and his succession was automatic when Pope Francis accepted Cardinal Brady’s resignation Sept. 8. The new Irish primate told Catholic News Service that his priorities would be “to get to know my people and to facilitate a movement that will allow people to be confident in their faith without being polemical and condemnatory.” Dismissing those who see the role of primate as “some kind of massive CEO position” he said it is a figurative and honorary position because of Armagh’s significance as the see of St. Patrick. “It is a kind of a servant leader-

‘People still need God in their lives, and they need their church.’ ARCHBISHOP EAMON MARTIN ship rather than any big hierarchical leadership or position of power,” he told CNS. He said that even though people are living in a very fast world with many commitments pulling them this way and that, he believed “people still need God in their lives, and they need their church.” “There is still a lot of hope in people that they would like a renewal of their church,” he said, but he cautioned against being overly optimistic. “I am only one person. I wouldn’t want to give any impression that somehow I can work miracles for the church in Ireland,” he said. Explaining his concept of “humble renewal” he said it was not about

“building up some big edifice or some triumphalist church or trying to make sure that it dominates politics and the state.” He added, “A church that is humble is a church on our knees, hopefully in prayer, recognizing the terrible things that have happened in the past and the need to ask God’s mercy and to ask forgiveness of people.” Archbishop Martin said he also would work quietly with the other bishops to encourage the faithful. “To encourage is to put fresh heart into people. If I can in some way give people new heart, then I’ll feel that I am fulfilling what God is calling me to do,” he said. “Please God I will be given the strength and the guidance that will help to build the church up in the days ahead,” Archbishop Martin said. In a statement, Archbishop Martin referred to his predecessor as a “gentle and humble man who is never fully comfortable in the limelight.” He also paid tribute to Cardinal Brady’s “tireless commitment to representing the Catholic Church in Ireland.”

Pope appoints 14 couples to attend synod on family CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY – More than 250 participants, including 14 married couples from around the world, were expected to attend October’s extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family. In addition to 114 presidents of national bishops’ conferences, 13 heads of Eastern Catholic churches and 25 heads of Vatican congregations and councils, the pope appointed 26 synod fathers to take part in the Oct. 5-19 synod. A list of the appointments was released Sept. 9 by the Vatican. Almost all of the 26 papally appointed voting members are from Europe. Of these, none of the 14 cardinals, eight bishops and four priests appointed by the pope is from North America or other English-speaking countries. Some of the papal appointees include German Cardinal Walter Kasper, Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, and Italian Cardinal Elio Sgreccia, as well as Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro,

director of La Civilta Cattolica journal, and Msgr. Pio Pinto, dean of the Roman Rota, a Vatican-based tribunal that deals mainly with marriage cases. However, among the nonvoting members of 38 observers and 16 experts appointed by the pope, the majority are laymen and laywomen, including 14 married couples, and they are more geographically diverse, with several coming from Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas, as well as Europe. Voting synod members include officials from the Roman Curia, heads of the Eastern churches, and archbishops of churches “sui iuris,” including Byzantine Archbishop William C. Skurla of Pittsburgh. Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature, the Vatican’s highest court, were to attend as officials of the Roman Curia. Among those attending who are part of the synod’s ordinary council

include U.S. Cardinals Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Donald W. Wuerl of Washington. The theme of the extraordinary synod is: “The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization,” and synod members will be called upon to find ways to improve the pastoral application of church teachings, ways to explain it and to help Catholics live it. Many of the 38 papally appointed observers and experts are lay and religious women and men active in family ministries and pastoral care, canon law and moral theology. Among those invited to attend include: – Jeffrey and Alice Heinzen, respectively director of the Office for Marriage and Family Life and natural family planning coordinator for the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin. – Steve and Claudia Schultz, U.S. executive members of the International Catholic Engaged Encounter, ministering to engaged couples. – Joan Clements, co-director of the

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WORLD 13

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Church cracks down on Catholics ensnared in lethal code of revenge CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY – Hidden beneath Albania’s long legacy of interreligious harmony and peace lie the turmoil and bloodshed of an ancient vigilante code that affects thousands of families, many of them Catholic. Called “blood feuds,” they stem from a traditional Albanian code or “kanun” that sanctions murder to restore a family’s honor after a member experiences an affront, injustice or killing. The feud can start with a quarrel or offense, which then triggers the murder of any male member, even teenagers, in the perpetrator’s family. When Pope Francis visits Tirana Sept. 21, he is expected to highlight the nation’s Muslim-Christian cooperation as a successful model for the rest of the world. But one expert anticipates the pope will also chastise the Balkan nation for its lingering social strife, political corruption and barbaric honor code of revenge. “We’re really good when it comes to collaboration and coexistence among religions, but we’re not that great from the social-issues point of view,” said Luigj Mila, secretary-general of the Albanian bishops’ peace and justice commission. This established right to spill blood in return for bloodshed has meant the practice has cycled and spanned over generations. At least 7,000 people have been killed in the past 20 years alone and some 1,500 families have members living as virtual prisoners in their house since the code considers the home sacred ground, exempt from an avenger’s intrusion. But even voluntary confinement wreaks havoc as the person is unable to work or go to school and the whole family can suffer from fear, trauma and depression. An extensive set of rules, the “kanun” is thought to date back to prehistoric times and was codified in the 15th century to offer law, order and a system of justice. Its practice was squelched during the oppressive Stalinist regime from 1944 to the 1990s, but gained a resurgence with the nation’s newfound freedoms. The blood feud practice had been isolated in the mountainous northern region, but has slowly trickled down to nearby cities as villagers flocked to urban areas for better opportunities or to flee vengeance back home, Mila said. An estimated 70 percent of the murders involve Catholics. Mila said that’s because Catholics make up the majority in the mountains, where they fled during the Ottoman incursions beginning in the 14th century. It’s estimated that among Albania’s 3 million inhabitants, Catholics make up 16 percent of the total population, Muslims about 65 percent and Orthodox 20 percent. The killings have been “a scourge” and “very painful” for the Catholic Church, Mila said, as incidents of Catholics killing Catholics call into question the sincerity and truth behind the Christian message of love and peace. “It doesn’t work in the church’s favor,” he said.

v

(CNS PHOTO/ARMANDO BABANI, EPA)

Albanian girls hold portraits of a 17-year-old girl who was killed in 2012 with her grandfather in what was called a “blood feud.” Blood feuds stem from a traditional Albanian code that sanctions murder to restore a family’s honor. Priests and religious, especially Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, he said, spent years “walking into the mountains trying to reconcile the feuding families.” The task was made even harder because “the justice system in Albania doesn’t work very well,” he said, so the traditional code of honor and retaliation was often seen as the only viable law of the land. With Mila’s help, the three Albanian bishops in the North decided to take the situation into their own hands. Led by Archbishop Angelo Massafra of ShkoderPult, the bishops published a decree in September 2012 declaring that any Catholic who does not obey God’s commandment of “Do not kill,” faced automatic excommunication. Such a drastic measure was necessary, the bishops’ letter said, because church teachings have been ignored. “Now it is time to apply the penalties that the holy church and the (canon law) foresees in such cases,” that is, the most severe of church sanctions. Mila, a lawyer, said the impact was immediate.

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CSF SPECIAL REPORT

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

FAITHFUL AMERICA: Wealthy gay rights advocates fund group that pressured archbishop FROM PAGE 1

Faithful America

Faithful America, which organized the letter from political leaders including California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, and an online petition, describes itself as a grass-roots citizens’ organization. However, Faithful America exists almost entirely online and counts its members by those who sign its online petitions. It has received funding from the nation’s two top gay political philanthropists, the founder of software publisher Quark Inc. Colorado’s Tim Gill and Michigan medical technology company heir, billionaire Jon Stryker. Both men’s foundations, the Gill Foundation and the Arcus Foundation, were created primarily to promote acceptance of homosexuality. Both men have also contributed millions to candidates and organizations who advocate homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Faithful America has also received significant funding from progressive philanthropist George Soros, via his foundations. In addition, it received funding from the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund, a San Francisco-based foundation that lists acceptance of homosexuality as one of the tenets of its mission statement. Faithful America, whose website states it is “dedicated to reclaiming Christianity from the religious right,” has launched more than 30 online national petition drives since 2013. The campaign directed at Archbishop Cordileone was one of more than a dozen online Faithful America petitions that collected signatures from a nationwide base to criticize individual local U.S. bishops, Catholic pastors or Catholic schools, most around issues related to homosexuality.

What happened in San Francisco

In San Francisco on June 17, about 75 people marched to the archdiocesan offices to present Faithful America’s petition, while the executive director of Faithful America emailed a letter to Archbishop Cordileone signed by 78 politicians and representatives of gay rights groups, including Lt. Gov. Newsom and Mayor Lee. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sent the archbishop her own letter. Gregg Cassin, who emceed the San Francisco anti-Proposition 8 rally on the eve of the U.S. Supreme Court arguments last year, spoke with Catholic San Francisco and with the archdiocesan director of communications when the group delivered its petition. However, when Catholic San Francisco later asked about his affiliation with Faithful America, Cassin said he was not part of any organized group. In the letter to Archbishop Cordileone, Faithful America wrote, “We respect freedom of religion and understand that you oppose

civil marriage for same-sex couples. But the actions and rhetoric of … the event’s speakers and co-sponsors fundamentally contradict Christian belief in the fundamental human dignity of all people.” In its online petition, Faithful America wrote “By speaking alongside these extremists, Archbishop Cordileone risks lending the church’s authority to their vitriol and hatred – and undermining Pope Francis’s call for a more compassionate church.” Archbishop Cordileone, who was a keynote speaker at the rally on the national mall, wrote an 830-word response addressed to “Dear Citizens,” saying “The March for Marriage is not ‘antiLGBT’ (as some have described it); it is not anti-anyone or antianything. Rather, it is a pro-marriage march.” As bishop, Archbishop Cordileone wrote, he must proclaim “the whole truth about the human person and God’s will for our flourishing … including especially the truth about marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife. That is what I will be doing on June 19.” “I am grateful to the archbishop for standing up for marriage and the rights and needs of children,” said Father John Jimenez, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo parish in San Francisco. “I have been a teacher both in public and Catholic schools for

‘It is unbelievable any Catholic would have a problem with what the archbishop did.’ MARY ELLEN PELOSO

Parishioner at Church of the Nativity, Menlo Park over 20 years. This is a most vital and fundamental issue.” “It is unbelievable any Catholic would have a problem with what the archbishop did,” said Mary Ellen Peloso, a parishioner at Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park. “Good for him, and to be expected of him.” By their demonstration and open letter, Faithful America suggested ordinary Catholics were upset about the archbishop’s decision to participate in the March for Marriage, and that

it was a “hate” event. However, the rally was not directed against homosexuals but for marriage and the archbishop did not speak against gays, noted Jesuit Father John Piderit, Archdiocese of San Francisco moderator of the curia and vicar for administration. “To operate successfully in the public sphere, American Catholics need clear knowledge about the forces arrayed against them,” said Father Piderit. “Similar to other groups, Faithful America is a well-funded pressure group that espouses a variety of viewpoints contrary to Catholic teaching. Informed Catholics are aware that such groups regularly promote their viewpoints in the media,” Father Piderit said.

‘Gay marriage’ advocates fund Faithful America

Disagreement about the definition of marriage and traditional sexual morality is more than a struggle over legalizing “same sex marriage,” said Anne Hendershott, a sociology professor at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and author of a June Crisis magazine column titled “Marginalizing Catholic teaching one grant at a time,” and “Renewal: How a New Generation of Faithful Priests and Bishops Is Revitalizing the Catholic Church” (Encounter Books 2013). “It’s not just law,” Hendershott said, saying the fight over marriage goes beyond legalizing same-sex marriage. Gay rights activists want more, she said: “It’s changing hearts and minds. It’s changing the culture.” Faithful America is partially financed by three of the country’s top gay rights activists and nonprofit foundation funders of LGBT initiatives, Colorado multimillionaire political activist Gill and Michigan billionaire Stryker as well as by progressive billionaire Soros. Gill, Soros and Stryker are not Catholic and do not live in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. “Catholics should treat these people with dignity, but Catholics also should be aware of their agenda and their tactics,” said Father Piderit. “These funders are looking out at society, and seeing where there is resistance to the agenda they seek to promote and how they can best change that,” said Jeff Walton, spokesman for The Institute on Religion and Democracy, a Christian advocacy group in Washington, D.C. “They look at these institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church as obstacles to what they would call full inclusion of LGBT persons in the life of the nation. They have essentially gone ahead and sought to change that voice so it is not resistant to the proposals that they have,” Walton said.

15

Faithful America’s finances

Faithful America describes itself on its website as “the largest and fastest growing online community of Christians putting faith into action for social justice.” It is “an independent grassroots organization made up of more than 300,000 Christians from a variety of denominations,” Faithful America executive director Michael Sherrard said. But Faithful America is not independently incorporated so its financials are not public. It accepts tax deductible donations via Citizen Engagement Laboratory Education Fund, an arm of Citizen Engagement Laboratory. This latter group provides technical and administrative support not only to Faithful America but also to about a dozen progressive online entities, according to its website and Sherrard. Citizen Engagement Laboratory Education Fund is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization, which gave one grant of $1.7 million, worth 98 percent of its budget, to Citizen Engagement Laboratory, according to CEL Education Fund’s 990 tax return for 2012, its only publicly available tax return. Citizen Engagement Laboratory is a tax-exempt 501 (c) (4) organization so contributions to it are not tax deductible. As a 501 (c) (4), Citizen Engagement Laboratory can contribute to political candidates, run phone banks and contribute to independent fundraising committees known as Super Political Action Committees (Super PACs), according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Its 990 tax return for 2012 shows revenue of $6.2 million. Neither type of nonprofit is required to list most donors. The normal activities Faithful America and Citizen Engagement Laboratory undertake are legal for a political advocacy organization. But they operate as political advocacy organizations, and are incorporated that way, not as religious or faith organizations. Faithful America lists no affiliation with a church or denomination. “As is the case for any other group, the group can get its message out,” said Father Piderit. But he said, it is important to note: “The message is part of a larger strategy, and the appearance of open letters and demonstrators is planned, not spontaneous.”

Faithful America’s website history

Faithful America’s website was first created in 2004, and at that time the domain was owned by the National Council of Churches, according to domaintools.com. Ownership of the faithfulamerica.org domain name was transferred in 2008 to Faith in Public Life, where it remained until mid-2013. In mid2013, FaithfulAmerica.org was registered to a Panama based company, WhoisGuard, Inc., the same third-party company to which Citizen Engagement Laboratory’s engagementlab.org SEE FAITHFUL AMERICA, PAGE 16

Supporters of traditional marriage hold up signs on the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington June 19 at the second annual March for Marriage.

(PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE)

Participants in the March for Marriage in Washington, D.C.

Church teaching ED HOPFNER ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO

ON MARRIAGE

The Catholic Church teaches that marriage was established by God “from the beginning,” as a sign of his love for us, of his gift to us of himself. In the complete gift of self (body and soul) of husband to wife and wife to husband, which is designed to be open to creating new life and new love, we see an image of God’s own gift of love to us, which is always life-giving. The marriage vows reflect the love of God shown us in the person of Jesus Christ – freely given, faithfully and completely given, and fruitful (life-giving). Furthermore, through his life, death and resurrection, Christ has elevated marriage to a sacrament, which gives us the grace to overcome our lust – our disordered desire, our tendency to use others, even our spouse, instead of love them – and love our spouse in the way they deserve. No other kind of “love relationship” (parent-child, sibling, friendship, same-sex couple, polygamous ... ) has these features – thus no other kind can be a marriage in our understanding. While many states have legalized same-sex marriage, the church cannot recognize them as such. Pope Francis, while reminding us that we cannot judge the heart, only actions, with his famous “Who am I to judge?” quote, has reiterated the church’s teaching on the unique character of ‘traditional’ marriage, calling same-sex legal marriage a “destructive attack on God’s plan,” since it omits a key element of marriage, openness to new life. The distinguishing feature of Christian marriage is that it is the one kind of love relationship which, because of its very nature, has the possibility of creating new life, as well as new love.

ON HOMOSEXUALITY

The church teaches that we are created in love, for love, by God (love himself) – the basic orientation of all human persons is to love and be loved. We are also created as sexual beings, “from the beginning” (Genesis 1:26-28), who are attracted to each other. To safeguard against a misuse of our sexual powers, we are all called to chastity as well (chastity is the virtue of directing our sexual powers to love another, not to use them). Sexual union, the “fulfillment” of that attraction, is designed to unite one man and one woman in a permanent, irrevocable, life-giving and love-giving relationship, which we call marriage. Other sexual expressions, whether solitary or between persons, are unchaste – disordered by their very nature, because they are not ordered to a complete expression of love (irrevocable, life- and lovegiving). While all persons are loved by God and of infinite worth, sexual acts (including those of same-sex couples) outside of marriage actually harm us, because they do not conform to God’s design for sexuality. HOPFNER is director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life, Archdiocese of San Francisco (CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN)

16 CSF SPECIAL REPORT

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

FAITHFUL AMERICA: Wealthy gay rights advocates fund group Citizen Engagement Lab Education Fund “for the Faithful America project to mobilize Christians to support gay equality.” New Media Ventures gave $25,000 to Faithful America as part of its first ever set of grants to support “nonprofit entrepreneurs that are using media and technology to drive progressive change,” according to its website. Representatives of the Arcus Foundation and the Gill Foundation declined to comment for this story.

FROM PAGE 15

is registered. WhoisGuard, Inc. is a third-party purchaser of domains which enables the actual owner to hide its identity. “Faithful America has never really existed. It’s a website name that’s been owned by various organizations,” said Jack Smith, editor of The Catholic Key, the newspaper of the Diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph in Kansas. In July Faithful America launched an online campaign to get Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City to reinstate a parish food pantry worker who lost her Catholic Church job after her marriage to another woman was publicized by a local newspaper. “In its various campaigns Faithful America deceives by pretending to be local Catholics to pressure other Catholics to be silent about the truth and beauty of marriage,” Smith said. Very few of the signatures on the Kansas petition came from local Catholics, Smith said. He notes that Faithful America, Faith in Public Life, and the Citizen Engagement Laboratory were and/or are funded by Soros’ foundations. “If you’ve got a Soros organization email list, you can get 20,000 signatures for anything,” Smith said.

Who is giving

In her column “Marginalizing Catholic teaching one grant at a time,” Crisis Magazine columnist Hendershott says proponents of gay marriage are aware that “the biggest stumbling block to ‘speeding equality’ for the LGBT community is the Catholic Church.” She notes that wealthy activists are using their foundations to fund nonprofits that work by using the language of faith to persuade Catholics to take positions contrary to their faith. Faithful America receives large grants from people and groups who are diametrically opposed to some core teachings of the Catholic faith. In March, Stryker’s Arcus Foundation announced a $75,000 grant to Faithful America in a press release that stated: “Faithful America, in partnership with the CEL Education Fund, plans to support ‘Faithful America’s’ public campaigns to promote greater media visibility for Christians who denounce the abuse of religious-freedom arguments to oppose full equality for LGBT persons.” Stryker has contributed millions to Democratic causes and gave $1 million to defeat California’s Proposition 8 in 2008. According to Funders for LGBTQ Issues, the Arcus Foundation for years has been the top grant-making foundation for advancing gay rights in the U.S. It is probably the biggest donor to LGBT-oriented groups working to influence religious belief, Hendershott said. Another organization working to influence religious belief is the Gill Foundation, which according to its website contributed $20,000 in 2012 to Faithful America. Gill founded the Gill Foundation in 1996 to advance gay rights. He is a major Democratic and gay rights political campaign money bundler and was described by online news site Politico May 2 as “the most influential gay donor most people have never heard of” for his role in advancing the gay rights agenda through state and local elections.

Moveon.org connection

(PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE)

Supporters at the national March for Marriage in Washington, D.C., June 19.

LETTER SIGNERS CHASTISED A nationally publicized June 10 letter from 78 politicians and others urged Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone to withdraw from the June 19 March for Marriage in Washington, D.C. The following Catholic identified signers and/or organizations were earlier chastised by church authorities for opposing church teaching. NEW WAYS MINISTRY: This organization was specifically disavowed by the U.S. bishops twice, in 2010 and in 2011, with the 2011 statement from the head of the U.S. bishops committee on doctrine Washington D.C. Cardinal Donald Wuerl and then-Oakland Bishop Cordileone, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage, stating: “ … in no manner is the position proposed by New Ways Ministry in conformity with Catholic teaching and in no manner is this organization authorized to speak on behalf of the Catholic Church or to identify itself as a Catholic organization.” SISTER JEANNINE GRAMICK: New Ways founder was “permanently prohibited” in 1999 “from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons” by the Vatican. CALL TO ACTION: In 2006, the Vatican sent a letter supporting thenLincoln, Nebraska, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz’s ruling excommunicating anyone who belongs to or supports the group. MARYKNOLL FATHER RAY BOURGEOIS: In 2013 the Vatican’s Con-

Based on tax returns and reviews of grant-making foundations, perhaps the biggest individual funder of Faithful America is George Soros. Soros’ Open Society Institute awarded $150,000 in grants to Faithful America via the CEL Education Fund, according to the Open Society Institute’s 2012 990 tax return and Bill Vandenberg, director of special initiatives for U.S. Open Society Foundations. The 2012 grant was for Faithful America “to build a faith-based online advocacy project,” according to the grant description and coincides with Faithful America’s new website that launched in mid-2013. Soros’ Foundation to Promote an Open Society gave more than $1.1 million to Faith in Public Life, the previous home for Faithful Amer-

gregation for the Doctrine of the Faith dismissed Father Bourgeois from the priesthood because of his support for women’s ordination. MARY E. HUNT: Co-director of Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual. In 2000, Arlington, Virginia, Bishop Paul S. Loverde cancelled a speaker series at the Dominican Retreat House in McLean, Virginia, stating that Hunt and two other speakers “hold positions contrary to the formal teachings of the church, positions clearly expressed in their writings, presentations, addresses and visual arts.” He cited a 1998 article by Hunt in which she refers to herself “as a Catholic feminist liberation theologian, pro-choice and lesbian.” DIGNITY USA: In 1997, Boston Bishop William Murphy sent a letter to 750 priests, bishops and deacons forbidding Archdiocese of Boston personnel from participating in a Dignity USA national convention in Boston writing Dignity “espoused a position contrary to Catholic moral teaching supporting that (sic) moral correctness of sexual relations between two persons of the same sex in a ‘faithful and loving relationship.’

ica, according to tax returns for 2009, 2010 and 2011. “Faithful America to us seemed a very compelling opportunity to use online tools to allow tens of thousands and now hundreds of thousands of people to express their perspective on the issues of the day,” Vandenberg said. “We’ve made no conditions on our grant” regarding specific issues, he said. “This is up to the organizations to determine what their priorities are.” Faithful America also received grants from New Media Ventures and from the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund in 2013, Sherrard said. The Haas Jr. Fund, which lists “equal marriage rights and other protections for gays and lesbians” as one of its five priorities, gave $30,000 to

Faithful America operates using many of the same techniques perfected by Democratic organizing and fundraising organization Moveon.org and has informal connections to Moveon.org. Moveon.org was created in 1998 with an online petition to “Censure President Clinton and Move On to Pressing Issues Facing the Nation.” The goal was to move the nation past President Clinton’s impeachment on perjury and obstruction of justice charges, which were related to his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. It is a political action committee. Faithful America’s executive director Sherrard says, “We don’t have any formal or financial relationship” with Moveon.org, and its petition to Archbishop Cordileone was posted on the Moveon.org site “as a way to reach membership.” However, there are informal connections to the political action committee. Sherrard worked as a Moveon. org campaigner/online organizer for more than four years, from May 2008 until February 2013, before taking his current position, according to Sherrard’s Linkedin.com profile. Citizen Engagement Laboratory – the umbrella organization for Faithful America – is modeled on Moveon.org, and several Citizen Engagement Laboratory staff worked previously for Moveon.org, according to engagementlab.org, and interviews in an Oct. 13, 2013, article in The Nation. Faithful America financial supporter Soros contributed $2.5 million to Moveon.org in 2003-04, according to Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports, part of his effort to defeat President George W. Bush.

Criticism of archbishop

Sherrard said what is important is Faithful America’s criticism of Archbishop Cordileone. “We’re disappointed that the archdiocese seems more interested in scrutinizing Faithful America than in listening to the thousands of Catholics saddened that Archbishop Cordileone chose to appear alongside hate groups at an anti-gay rally,” Sherrard said in a July 10 email to Catholic San Francisco. However, it is hard to tell if thousands of Catholics were actually saddened by the archbishop’s appearance at the March for Marriage. Catholic San Francisco did not examine the reported 30,000-plus signatures on the Faithful America online petition. But, the eight self identified Catholics who signed the letter to the archbishop espouse views the Catholic Church has declared SEE FAITHFUL AMERICA, PAGE 17

CSF SPECIAL REPORT 17

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Letter to Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone Faithful America Faith in Public Life $20,000

Citizen Engagement Laboratory Education Fund $150,000

(2012)

(2012-2013)

$75,000

Other $

(2014)

Gill Foundation

Open Society Institute

Arcus Foundation

Tim Gill

George Soros

Jon Stryker

Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. $30,000 (2013) New Media Ventures $25,000 (2013)

FAITHFUL AMERICA: Wealthy gay rights advocates fund group FROM PAGE 16

dissident. Many have been publicly reprimanded by church authorities and several of the organizations they represent have been singled out as having no right to call themselves Catholic. Ten percent of those who signed the letter to Archbishop Cordileone publicly have identified themselves as Catholic at one point or another, based on Catholic San Francisco research using Google’s search engine. All of them oppose Catholic teaching on sexuality and marriage. That includes the only signer who identifies as Catholic and lives in the archdiocese: Lt. Gov. Newsom, who presided over the first California same-sex marriages as mayor of San Francisco. Perhaps 20 of the 78 signers of the letter to Archbishop Cordileone, including Newsom, reside in Marin, San Mateo or San Francisco counties, based on Google search. The other seven apparently Catholic signers of the letter to Archbishop Cordileone are vocal opponents of Catholic teaching on homosexuality. Six of the seven of signers and organizations have been specifically renounced or chastised by Catholic Church authorities at one point or another. The seventh self-identified Catholic signer is executive director of a non-Catholic organization which opposes Catholic teaching. The six self-identified Catholic signers who were personally chastised or criticized or whose organizations were chastised or disavowed by Catholic Church authorities are: excommunicated and defrocked Maryknoll Father Roy Bourgeois; Dignity USA executive director Marianne Duddy-Burke; Call to Action executive director Jim FitzGerald ; co-founder of New Ways Ministry Sister of Loretto Jeannine Gramick; executive director of New Ways Ministry Francis DeBernardo; and self-identified lesbian theologian Mary E. Hunt, co-director of Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual. The seventh self-identified Catho-

(CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN)

Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, addresses supporters of traditional marriage during the second annual March for Marriage on the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington June 19.

WHAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHES ABOUT CONSCIENCE The Catholic Church does teach the primacy of individual conscience. It’s like a compass God has given us, to make moral decisions. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that we must always obey our consciences. However it also tells us we have an obligation of proper formation of conscience, since we are all “tempted by sin to prefer … (our) own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings.” Just like a compass can point in the wrong direction if a magnet is nearby, so our conscience can be pulled in the wrong direction, and make errors in judgment. The catechism tells us this is particu-

lic signer is Jody Huckaby, executive director of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). He leads an organization that promotes same sex marriage and homosexual adoption, but does

larly true when we are subject to “bad example by others ... (by) a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, (or) rejection of the church’s authority and her teaching.” Such errors in judgment can have serious consequences, affecting even life and death. For the conscience to work correctly, it absolutely must be properly directed. In other words, those who speak of the primacy of conscience must also speak of the necessity to properly inform it, particularly through the teachings of the church. – ED HOPFNER, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE, ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO

not identify as religious although he personally calls himself both gay and Catholic. “We’ve come to the perspective that there really needs to be dialogue in the Catholic Church about the

morality of same-sex relationships,” said DeBernardo, who said New Ways supports civil same-sex marriage. People should decide whether to be in a “committed” same-sex relationship themselves, he said. “Primacy of conscience even if the conscience disagrees with the church’s position is of the utmost importance,” DeBernardo told Catholic San Francisco. Archdiocese of San Francisco marriage and family life director Ed Hopfner said primacy of conscience comes with obligations. “In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we are taught that we must always obey our consciences,” Hopfner said, but adds that the catechism also says we have a duty to inform our conscience particularly through the teaching of the church. The catechism states that people can make erroneous judgments, due to the bad example of others or as the Catechism states, “assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, (or) rejection of the church’s authority and her teaching.” Faithful America is funded by people who oppose the church’s most fundamental beliefs about the dignity of the human person, marriage, and family – and are using the tools of political activism to promote their erroneous views, falsely presenting them as alternative teachings of the Catholic Church, Father Piderit said. But, “once one knows the social and political commitments of people donating funds that eventually are received by Faithful America and similar groups, the strategy of these groups is fairly straightforward,” said Father Piderit. “It only deceives those who do not acquaint themselves with the funding sources for the organization. Catholics who are ‘wise as serpents’ understand the difference between a spontaneous reaction and a well-orchestrated one.”

COMMENTS We welcome comments on the series. Please write letters.csf@sfarchdiocese.org.

18 FROM THE FRONT

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

PRAYER: Anger, tears, hope shared at USF reflection for Michael Brown FROM PAGE 1

symbolized the desire to work for a more just and humane world, and that the community must join together to form “a new normal.” Conflicting reports continue to follow the shooting of Michael Brown, which prompted almost two weeks of violent protest in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis. Police Chief Joe Belmar said in a news conference on Aug. 10 that Brown physically assaulted Officer Darren Wilson of the Ferguson police department through the window of his patrol car after he Jesuit Father stopped Brown and a friend followPaul Fitzgerald ing reports of a convenience store robbery. The first shot was fired inside the patrol car, said the police, while the pair struggled for the officer’s gun. A chase ensued and the deadly shot was fired when Brown stopped running and turned around. Eyewitnesses, including Brown’s companion, reported that Wilson chased the 18-year-old on foot and fired multiple shots in his direction. As he fled Brown stopped, turned around and was standing with his hands up when the fatal shots were fired. Mary Wardell Ghirarduzzi, vice provost of USF’s Office of Diversity Engagement and Community Outreach, told Catholic San Francisco that the campus prayer service for Michael Brown was organized by her department, university ministry and Father Fitzgerald.

“‘My first thought was, ‘Oh no, not again.’” USF SENIOR NEKO MILTON

President of USF’s Brotherhood Connection

When Brown was shot in early August, she said, some 2,000 USF students were traveling to campus from all over California, the U.S. and the world to settle in before classes started on Aug. 18. She knew that transition would make it difficult for many to deal with their feelings of anger and despair. As soon as classes started, she and Alejandro Covarrubias, assistant director of USF’s Intercultural Center, organized student discussions around the Michael Brown shooting. “The students saw how Michael Brown and others like him have become real symbols and a manifestation of an oppressive ideology and force against males: boys, teens and men who are black and brown in disproportion to males who are non-black or brown,” she said.

The prayer service included a half-dozen speakers including Covarrubias; Tadesse-Bell, a senior academic advisor; Janina Walker, USF professor of psychology; Ron Sundstrom, professor of philosophy; USF seniors Hector Martinez and Neko Milton, and Father Fitzgerald. Sundstrom spoke about “the peculiar sense of looking at oneself through the eyes of others,” so common to people of color. “All of this contempt is rotten,” he said. “It festers like an open sore, stinks like rotten meat, apart from the devastation it creates on victims, it eats away at our communities and institutions.” Covarrubias, a self-described Chicano, said that he and Michael Brown share a certain identity. “We have both experienced harassment and violation from authority figures, not just from police but from teachers, professors and doctors. Because men of color, AsianAmerican men, women of color and the trans community of color exist in a system which sees their bodies as less than human.” He also said that anger in proper measure is necessary to change. “Anger is like salt,” he said. Just as a little bit of salt enhances our sense of taste, he added, a little anger enhances our ability to call out injustice in the world and taste the oppressive violence as if “it was blood in our own mouth.” Like too much salt, he said, too much anger can choke the heart. “It will keep us from seeing the humanity in one another,” Covarrubias said. “Even the humanity in the officer that killed Michael Brown.”

LATIN AMERICA: Families challenged by poverty, violence, social norms FROM PAGE 1

In early August, Panama hosted a first-of-itskind regional congress on family values. Attendees emerged from that conference pledging to strengthen the church’s work in promoting the role of family in society. The Panama meeting was seen as preparation for the Oct. 5-19 extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family, a prelude to next year’s worldwide Synod of Bishops on the family. At this year’s gathering, bishops are expected to analyze answers to a questionnaire sent to dioceses in November. In a document published in June, the Vatican said that among those issues, poverty posed a challenge to regions like Latin America, where “the family has to struggle for subsistence, a struggle to which the family has to devote most of its energy.” In other cases, single mothers are living in poverty with small children. “This phenomenon poses a pastoral challenge, particularly for the churches of Latin America and Asia where, not infrequently, these mothers are forced to entrust the upbringing of their children to other members of their family,” the document said. Latin Americans said the church should work fastidiously to help families stay together. “The church needs to be organized in its work through the dioceses to better prepare couples for marriage,” said Dora Ileana de Antillon, who, with her husband, Julio, oversees the department of wedding coordinators for the Guatemalan bishops’ conference. Antillon said the church should work to educate couples and young people about the benefits of marriage and family. In Brazil, the country with the world’s largest Catholic population, the church seeks to build Catholic communities by holding meetings with five to 10 families every two weeks. “They share things as a group and as families, turning these communities into support networks of friendship,” said Bishop Joao Petrini of Camacari, president of the family ministry at the Brazilian bishops’ conference. But getting at the root cause of the threats is more difficult. Underlying many of the issues is persistent and cyclical poverty, said church workers and laypeople working on the issue. “What I see is one great big huge problem, and it’s a culture of poverty,” said Christine de Marcellus de Vollmer, a former member of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and current president of Venezuela-based Latin America Alliance for the Family. Latin American poverty has diminished in recent years as the economies of countries like Brazil and

(CNS PHOTO/PAUL JEFFREY)

A Weenhayek indigenous girl is seen outside her home near Villamontes, Bolivia, Aug. 24.

Panama have grown rapidly, lifting millions into the lower rungs of the middle class. But more than a third of the population – 200 million people – currently earns between $4 and $10 per day and sits on the razor’s edge of falling back into poverty, underscoring how tenuous the situation is for families across the region. As economies have grown, households have had to balance the difficulties of raising families with both parents working. “The positive side to the movement (both parents working outside the home) is that there is a greater appreciation of the role of women in society; she is no longer just a mother and wife, she is also part of what makes the economy move forward,” said Auxiliary Bishop Sergio de Deus Borges, coordinator of family pastoral ministry for the Archdiocese of Sao Paulo. However, today, “there is a frailty in family ties; (it is) much easier to separate at the first tough situation the couple gets into,” he said. Disintegration of families further feeds the cycle of poverty, migration and violence, church workers said. “The family is fundamental to the challenges we face in society, whether it be reversing the violence or reducing migration. Preserving the family is key,” Antillon said. Many of the threats are not new. Since the early decades after Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors colonized the region and created a patriarchal society, “the family structure has always been fairly weak in Latin America,” Vollmer said. “Colonization left us with a violent system, one in which domestic abuse and violence against women and the poor was common,” said Jose Guadalupe Ruelas Garcia, national director of Casa Alianza Honduras, part of the Covenant House network that works with street children and receives funding from Catholic organizations. “What you see in Latin America today is related to the legacy left by colonization.”

But in recent decades, pressures on the family structure have only intensified as the region has undergone a process of rapid urbanization. The rural, poor family – often reliant on farming – now only represents a fraction of the region’s residents. Since 1950, the percentage of Latin Americans living in cities has grown from 40 percent to more than 80 percent, making it the world’s most urbanized region. The United Nations estimates that by 2050 nearly 90 percent of the population will live in urban areas. Urbanization, according to Bishop Petrini, had important consequences for family life. “Living in a big city, one’s life has several centers, which reduces time the family spends among other family members,” he said. “On the positive side, urban centers have greater opportunities in terms of culture, activities, jobs, etc. but on the negative side they are points of dispersion” among families, he said. As a consequence, children in cities like Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where Ruelas works, are often left with little guidance. “You’ve seen the rise of gangs, after massive deportations from the United States, that have attracted youths and led to violence becoming more commonplace,” he said. Honduras has the world’s highest murder rate; fueled by drug trafficking, gang violence and largely overwhelmed state security forces. A toxic mix of gangs, poverty and few social opportunities has led young people to flee Honduras and neighboring El Salvador and Guatemala in record numbers. So far this year, more than 60,000 children traveling without family members – the vast majority from Central America – have been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border, causing consternation in Washington and highlighting how poverty can tear apart families. But the plight of tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors this year is only the most visible representation of deep-seated threats to the family structure. In other areas of the region, such as the Southern Cone, economically well off compared to Central American countries, church workers eye liberalized marriage and abortion laws as the most significant threats. Mexico City and three South American countries have passed laws legalizing same-sex marriages since 2009, putting the region behind only Western Europe in the number of countries where the practice is permitted. Archbishop Ulloa, who called the threat to family an “urgent worry” for the church, said that “attempts to redefine marriage will impact the way that people understand family life.”

OPINION 19

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Remembering the great Fouad Ajami

I

n a year replete with devastating news, the June 22 death of Middle East scholar Fouad Ajami hit especially hard. For decades, Fouad, a man of genius I was honored to call a friend, was an invaluable mentor in matters involving the Arab world and its often lethal discontents. It was a cauldron of self-destrucGEORGE WEIGEL tive passions he knew well, this Lebanese Shiite who came to the United States because he found here a model of the civility and tolerance he wished for his people. Fouad Ajami described the pathologies of the Arab world with singular clarity and literary grace. His was not the carping of the exile who despises what he has left; it was the sharp, penetrating, and ultimately compassionate (because true) critique of one who mourned the catastrophic condition of contemporary Arab civilization, the hijacking of Arab politics by self-serving dictators, virulent anti-Semites, and Islamist fanatics, and the untold lives warped or lost in consequence. That deep, moral passion about the corruptions of Arab culture was never more eloquently expressed than in the column he wrote for The Wall Street Journal, a month after 9/11: “A darkness, a long winter, has descended on the Arabs. Nothing grows in the middle between an authoritarian political order and populations given to perennial flings with dictators, abandoned to their most malignant hatreds. Something is

The Middle East that Fouad Ajami longed to help bring to birth was a region that would honor its many religious traditions and cherish the cultural gifts each faith offered its neighbors. (CNS PHOTO/RODI SAID, REUTERS)

A woman who fled the violence in the Iraqi town of Sinjar sits with a child inside a tent at a camp in Syria’s northern town of Qamishli Aug. 17. Returning from a visit to the Kurdish region of Iraq, Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan called the Islamic State invasion “pure and simple religious cleansing and attempted genocide.” amiss in an Arab world that besieges American embassies for visas and at the same time celebrates America’s calamities. Something has gone terribly wrong in a world where young men strap themselves with explosives, only to be hailed as ‘martyrs’ and ‘avengers.’” Some months ago, I got an email from Fouad, expressing his enthusiasm for what he had seen of Pope Francis and teasing me that, under these circumstances, he might become a Catholic. It was a lighthearted comment with a serious undertone. For years, Fouad had told me of his respect for John Paul II and Benedict XVI; he had also invited me to address his seminar at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies on the role of the Catholic Church in shaping world politics. That role, Fouad understood, had changed. The power the church deployed today was not the political power it once wielded;

it was now moral power, the power of persuasion and reason, both of which Fouad believed essential to the Arab world’s recovery from the intellectual morass into which it had sunk centuries ago. Thus while the herd of independent minds was having a field day condemning Benedict XVI for his 2006 Regensburg lecture, Fouad understood that the Bavarian pope had correctly identified the two critical challenges that contemporary history posed to 21st-century Islam: The challenges of finding, within authoritative Islamic sources, Islamic warrants underwriting religious tolerance and distinguishing religious and political authority in public life. The answer to political Islamism and jihadism, Fouad knew, was not turning hundreds of millions of Muslims into good secular liberals; that simply wasn’t going to happen, the fantasies of secular foreign policy strategists notwithstanding.

But there was an alternative. The Catholic Church had retrieved lost elements of its own tradition, and learned some new things along the way, in coming to terms with religious freedom and political modernity. That’s what Islam would have to do. Fouad Ajami would have been heartbroken over Mosul being emptied of its Christians by the homicidal maniacs of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The Middle East he longed to help bring to birth was a region that would honor its many religious traditions and cherish the cultural gifts each faith offered its neighbors. The incomprehensible carelessness of Americans in washing their hands of Iraq in recent years deeply saddened him. So, I expect, did the tendency of Christian leaders in the Middle East to curry favor with the dictator in power, in the vain hope that their communities would be left alone. That was strategic folly, Fouad knew, because it helped empower the criminals and the haters. May the great soul of this man of reason and decency rest in peace. WEIGEL is a senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C.

May your kingdom come, but not yet

A

friend of mine likes to humor about his struggles in growing up. When I was in my 20s, he quips, I felt that by the time I was 40 I would have grown up enough to let go of my bad habits. But, when I turned 40, I gave myself an extra 10 years, promising myself that by age 50, I’d have FATHER RON conquered ROLHEISER these habits. Well, now I’m my 50s and I’ve promised myself that by age 60, I’ll be more mature and more serious about the deeper things in life. Most of us, if we are honest, have a similar story. We’re well-intentioned, but we keep pushing the things we need to change in our lives off into the future: Yes, I need to do this, but I’m not ready yet. I want more time. Sometime in the future I’ll do this. That’s a near-universal sentiment, and for good reason. The tension we experience between our desire to grow-up and our perennial procrastination and infinite stalling in doing that, reflects in fact a ten-

sion that lies at the heart of Jesus’ message, a tension between God’s promises as being already here and God’s promises as still coming. Simply put: Everything Jesus promised is already here and everything Jesus promised is still coming. We’re already living the new, resurrected life, even as we’re waiting for it still to come. What lies inside this paradox? Biblical scholars and theologians tell us that everything Jesus came to bring us (the reign of God, the kingdom of God, the new age, the final age, the reign of justice on this earth, new life, the resurrection, eternal life, heaven) is already here, except that it’s also still coming. It’s here now, but not fully; a present reality, but in tension. And it’s still coming, in its fullness; still to arrive, in ecstasy. It’s already here and it’s still to be realized. For instance, when Jesus says that he has come to bring us new life, he is not talking simply about our future lives in heaven; he is also talking about our lives here, already now. The new life is already here, he assures us. Heaven has already begun. Jesus preached this very clearly and the problem was not that his hearers didn’t understand him. They understood; but, almost universally, they resisted that message. Much as they yearned for God’s kingdom to

be already here, like my friend who keeps asking for another ten years to get his life in order, they preferred to push things into the future. Having God become concrete in their lives was far too threatening. Gerhard Lohfink, the renowned biblical scholar, aptly articulates both the resistance that Jesus’ hearers had to this part of his message and the reason for that resistance: “Jesus’ hearers prefer to push everything off into the future, and the story comes to no good end. The reign of God announced by Jesus is not accepted. The ‘today’ offered by God is denied. And that, that alone, is why ‘already’ becomes ‘not yet’. .... It is not only in Nazareth that the ‘today’ of the Gospel was not accepted. Later also, in the course of the church’s history, it has again and again been denied or rendered toothless. The reason was the same as in Nazareth: apparently it goes against the human grain for God to become concrete in our lives. Then people’s desires and favorite notions are in danger, and so are their ideas about time. It can’t be today, because that would mean that our lives have to change today already. Therefore it can lie, hygienically and snugly packed, at rest, inconsequential.” I suspect that all of us can relate to that: It’s very threatening to have God become “concrete” in our lives,

as opposed to God simply being a reality that will one day become very real. Because if God is “concrete” already now that means that our worlds have to change now and we have to stop pushing things into the indefinite future. This isn’t so much a fault in faith as it is a procrastination, a stalling, wanting of a little more time before we need to get serious. We’re like the guests in the Gospel parable who are invited to wedding banquet. We too want to go to the feast, intend to go to the feast; but, first, we need to attend to our marriages, our businesses, our ambitions. We can get serious later. There’s time. We fully intend to take Jesus seriously; it’s just that we want a little more time before we do that. We are all, I suspect, familiar with St. Augustine’s infamous prayer. After converting to Christianity at age 25, he struggled for another nine years to bring his sexuality into harmony with his faith. During those nine years, he prayed this way: Lord, make me a chaste Christian ... but not yet! To his credit, unlike many of us, at least eventually he stopped pushing things into the indefinite future. OBLATE FATHER ROLHEISER is president of the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas.

20 OPINION

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

‘The Giver’ and the fading memory of Christianity

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ois Lowry’s 1993 novel “The Giver” has garnered a very wide audience over the past two decades, since it has become a standard text in middle schools and high schools across the English-speaking world. With the enormous success of the “Harry Potter,” “Twilight,” and “Hunger Games” films, Hollywood has been busy adapting books written for the young adult audience. The most recent example is the movie version of “The Giver,” which was produced by Jeff Bridges and which stars Bridges and Meryl Streep. Having never FATHER ROBERT even heard of the novel, I BARRON came at the film with no expectations, and I confess I was quite surprised both by the power of its societal critique and by its implicit Christian themes. The story is set in the near future, in a seemingly utopian city, where there is no conflict, no inequality, and no stress. The streets are laid out in a perfectly symmetrical grid, the domiciles and public buildings are clean, even antiseptic, and the people dress in matching outfits and ride bicycles so as not to pollute the environment. The “elders,” the leadership of the community, artificially arrange families and carefully assign vocations, all for the sake of the common good. In order to eliminate any volatile emotions that might stir up resentment or compromise the perfect equilibrium of the society, each citizen is obligated to take a daily injection of a kind of sedative. If someone’s speech veers even mildly in the direction of suggesting self-assertion or individuality, he is corrected with a gentle but firm admonition: “precision of language, please.” Most chillingly, the elderly and unacceptable children are eliminated, though the people have been conditioned not to think of this as killing but only as a peaceful transition to “Elsewhere.” The calm “sameness” of the city is maintained, above all, through the erasing of memory: No one is permitted to remember the colorful but conflictual world that preceded the present utopia. No one, that is, except the Giver, an elder who retains memories of the previous world for the sole purpose of consulting them in case an emergen-

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(CNS PHOTO/COURTESY THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY)

Brenton Thwaites and Odeya Rush star in “The Giver.”

cy arises and specialized knowledge is called for. Utopian societies, maintained through totalitarian control, have been dreamed about at least since the time of Plato, and, to be sure, many attempts have been made over the centuries to realize the dream. The 20th century witnessed quite a few of them: Mao’s China, Stalin’s Soviet Union, Hitler’s Third Reich, Pol Pot’s Cambodia. Indeed, there are echoes of all of these social arrangements in The Giver’s version of utopia, but I think what “The Giver’s” city most readily calls to mind is modern liberalism, especially in its European incarnation. We find the fierce enforcement of politically correct speech, the manic attempt to control the environment, coldly modernist architecture, the prizing of equality as the supreme value, the rampant use of drugs, the denial of death, and the wanton exercise of both euthanasia and abortion. Will all of this produce a balanced and peaceful society? Well, it might bring about a kind of equilibrium, but at a terrible cost. The plot of “The Giver” centers on a young man named Jonas who was chosen by the elders to become the sole recipient of the suppressed memory of the previous world. Through a sort of telepathy, the Giver communicates to Jonas all of the richness, color, drama and joy of the pre-utopian society. The most beguiling image he receives is of himself sledding down a snowy hill and coming upon a cottage from which he hears emerging the strains of a song he had never heard before (in fact, both snow and

Back to school and starting over

ecently, my husband and I took our two young boys shopping for school supplies. Pencils, crayons, Elmer’s glue, pink erasers: It all went into the basket. Then came the excitement of choosing a new backpack, a decision which caused great deliberation on the part of my kids (they finally settled on basic black and on Spiderman). And it took me back, as it always does, to my own memories of the start of the school year. I always loved buying school supplies. The pocket folders were pristine, not GINNY KUBITZ yet creased and torn. The MOYER crayons still had pointed tips, not yet blunted by constant use. And everything seemed to say “It’s time for a new start!” If you are a teacher or a parent (or in my case, both), the beginning of the school year is a very definite milestone. And while it’s hard to say goodbye to my family’s more relaxed summertime state of being, I love the implicit promise of the new school year. It’s a reminder that there are always fresh beginnings in life, that we don’t have to stay fixed in one place. I don’t know about you, but that’s a lesson I always need to re-learn. I remember when I was student-teaching many years ago. We were reading the second scene of “Macbeth,” a scene that features some of Shakespeare’s most vivid descriptions of gruesome battle injuries. You’d think a teenage audience would go for the gore, but my students were bored and unresponsive. I didn’t need Macbeth’s three witches to

predict the future: This play would be a tough sell indeed. Later that evening, I told an experienced teacher about my lack of success. I’d have to change my approach, and significantly. She smiled encouragingly. “That’s the good thing about teaching,” she said. “Every day is a chance to start again.” She was right, and her insight applies to family life as well. Every day is an opportunity to press the “reset” button, if we choose to do so. Resolving to complain less, being more present for our kids, unplugging from the Internet to pray or read a book – these are positive changes that we can make not just at the end of summer, but anytime we feel the need. We can change anytime we realize that something we’re doing, or failing to do, is keeping us from the life that God desires for us. The older I get, the more I realize that, as Socrates said, the unexamined life is not worth living. Knowing what to change is an ongoing process of discernment. It involves paying attention to our own lives, to the promptings of our souls, to the spoken and unspoken feedback we gather from the people closest to us. And I can usually tell when a habit or routine needs to change, for my benefit and my family’s. As we settle back into the school year, as the kids and I tote our shiny new notebooks and pencils to our respective classrooms, I know it’ll take some time to settle into our new reality. I know there will be things I do that need tweaking, parts of our routine that just don’t work anymore. It’s good to know that I don’t have to have it all figured out on the first day of school. In this classroom called life, every day is a chance to start again. MOYER is the author of “Random MOMents of Grace: Experiencing God in the Adventures of Motherhood,” (Loyola Press). She blogs at RandomActsofMomness.com.

music had been excluded from his world). In time, the Giver fills out the picture, communicating to the young man the pain and conflict of the previous world as well. Though at first he is horrified by that experience, Jonas realizes that the colorful world, even with its suffering, would be preferable to the bloodless and inhuman dystopia in which he had been raised. As the story moves to its climax, Jonas escapes from the city and ventures out into the forbidden wilderness. The weather turns fiercely cold and he wanders through the snow until he comes to a clearing where he spies the sled that he had previously seen in memory. Following the prompts of the recollection, he rides the sled down a snowy hill, comes to the quaint cottage, and listens to the song. It is only then that we hear that they are singing the best-known and best-loved Christmas hymn, “Silent Night.” And now we see that what makes the society in “The Giver” most like contemporary Europe is precisely the forgetfulness of Christianity. What the story suggests, quite rightly, is that suppression of the good news of the Incarnation is in fact what conduces to dysfunctional and dangerous totalitarianism. The source of the greatest suffering throughout human history is the attempt to deal with original sin on our own, through our political, economic, military or cultural efforts. When we try to eliminate conflict and sin through social reform, we inevitably make matters worse. As Pascal said long ago, “He who would turn himself into an angel, turns himself into a beast.” The key to joy at the personal level and justice at the societal level is in fact the conviction that God has dealt with original sin, by taking it on himself and suffering with us and for us. This belief allows us to embrace the world in both its beauty and its tragedy, for we see salvation as God’s project, not our own. It is the Incarnation – the event celebrated by the singing of “Silent Night” – that frees us from our self-importance and gives the lie to our programs of perfectibility. I can’t help but think that the recovery of this lost memory – so key to the authentic renewal of contemporary society – is what “The Giver” is finally about. FATHER BARRON is the founder of the global ministry Word on Fire and the rector/president of Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, Ill.

LETTERS Finally, some common sense

A Federal judge finally got it right. The court decision came from Louisiana last week and its reasoning was as welcome as the decision itself. Federal District Court Judge Martin Feldman declared in his 32-page decision that the state of Louisiana had every right to decide on the legal definition of marriage. (78 percent of Louisiana voters voted legal marriage as between one man and one woman). Judge Feldman’s decision articulated what we who believe the Catholic Church’s teaching have been trying to say. In one of his more poignant portions of his decision he wrote, “The federal court decisions thus far (on the definition of marriage) exemplify a pageant of empathy; decisions impelled by a response of innate pathos. Louisiana’s laws are directly related to achieving marriage’s historical preeminent purpose of linking children to their biological parents.” Amen, and thank you Judge Feldman for your courage. Peter J. Fatooh San Francisco Editor’s note: See news article on Page 10 of this issue.

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FAITH 21

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

SUNDAY READINGS

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. JOHN 3:13-17 NUMBERS 21:4B-9 With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” In punishment the Lord sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the Lord and you. Pray the Lord to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord said to Moses, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.” Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. PSALM 78:1BC-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38 Do not forget the works of the Lord! Hearken, my people, to my teaching; incline

your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter mysteries from of old. Do not forget the works of the Lord! While he slew them they sought him and inquired after God again, remembering that God was their rock and the Most High God, their redeemer. Do not forget the works of the Lord! But they flattered him with their mouths and lied to him with their tongues, though their hearts were not steadfast toward him, nor were they faithful to his covenant. Do not forget the works of the Lord! But he, being merciful, forgave their sin and destroyed them not; often he turned back his anger and let none of his wrath be roused. Do not forget the works of the Lord! PHILIPPIANS 2:6-11 Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied

himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. JOHN 3:13-17 Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Milestones of history and eternity

O

n Sept. 11, 2014, the nation remembered the 13th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the U.S., in which more than 3,000 people lost and gave their lives at the hands of evil men. It is a milestone in our history when, as a nation we united against a common foe and resolved to overcome such hateful enemies for the sake of the safety and security of all. Unfortunately, as time has passed, the attacks of 9/11 have become a distant memory for many citizens, and the resolve of our nation has waned in the face of new threats against innocent people, including Christians, and will no doubt eventually affect the world at large. FATHER WILLIAM Three days later, Sept. NICHOLAS 14, 2014, will be the 200th anniversary of the end of the Siege of Fort McHenry, concluding the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812; an event remembered for the continued presence of the “Star Spangled Banner,” the American flag, over the besieged fort, despite continued

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

POPE FRANCIS NEW WINE NEEDS FRESH WINESKINS

Do not be afraid to let go of obsolete structures, because Jesus has brought new wine that needs fresh wineskins, the pope said in a homily Sept. 5 in Vatican City. The homily centered on the day’s Gospel reading in which the scribes and Pharisees questioned Jesus about his disciples not following laws concerning fasting. The pope continued with a parable underlining the need to use new vessels or wineskins to hold new wine – a new message of renewed life. He said Jesus brought a new freedom in which the Christian is not “the slave to many tiny laws,” but follows with an open heart a new commandment of love and the rules of the beatitudes.

bombardment by ships of the world’s strongest navy. The event so inspired one observer, Francis Scott Key, that he put his thoughts to poetry, which were soon set to music and became, in 1931, the national anthem of the U.S. Our national anthem is a fixture at social events, from sports competitions to civic observances, and the flag, of which the anthem sings, is an enduring symbol for a people who, recognizing the equality of all, ruled over by no single dominant entity or monarchy, celebrate the great freedom and liberty of self-governance, and independence from oppressive rule. Unfortunately, as the War of 1812 is commonly known as America’s “forgotten” war, due to the lack of knowledge of our nation’s history among the general population, as well as the opinion of some that our national anthem is more a song about war and destruction than of endurance and perseverance against all odds, the 200th anniversary of such an important milestone in the early years of our nation’s history will more than likely be passed over with little or no mention or acknowledgment. Catholics, however, also celebrate on the 14th day of September the annual solemnity of another great milestone, not of American history, or even recent history, but, rather, of salvation history –the triumph and exaltation of the cross of Christ. While originally commemorating the finding of the

true Cross by St. Helena, this feast also celebrates the dedication in 335 A.D. of the original shrine and basilica marking the places of Christ’s crucifixion and burial. Destroyed and rebuilt numerous times throughout the first millennium, the present Church of the Holy Sepulcher was constructed by the Crusaders in 1009 A.D. Traditionally the day is preceded by three days of preparation, called Ember Days, beginning on Sept. 11. Beyond history, however, the church celebrates in the exaltation of the cross the eternal triumph brought forth by the ultimate tragedy – the victory over the oppression of sin and death by the crucifixion of the son of God. In his death and resurrection, Jesus won for us a victory that, for frail humanity, was against all odds; that took nothing less than God himself – the father’s giving of his only son – to suffer an historical crucifixion, and so win an eternal victory. Under that “banner” of the cross, we are united in our common mission to proclaim that victory, set to poetry, hymns and anthems too numerous to count; a unity which the passing of years will never diminish, and an eternal victory that will never be “forgotten.” FATHER NICHOLAS, a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, is on temporary assignment as parochial vicar at St. Rose of Lima Parish, Simi Valley. His website is frwcnicholas.com.

LITURGICAL CALENDAR, DAILY MASS READINGS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15: Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. 1 COR 11:17-26, 33. PS 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17. JN 19:25-27 or LK 2:33-35.

CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE c. 200-258 Sept. 16

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16: Memorial of Sts. Cornelius, pope and martyr and Cyprian, bishop and martyr. 1 COR 12:12-14, 27-31a. PS 10:1b-2, 3, 4, 5. LK 7:11-17.

One of the first great theologians in the church, this Latin father is remembered for his writings, which are quoted in the documents of Vatican II. He is the patron saint of North Africa and Algeria.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17: Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time. Optional Memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine, bishop and doctor. 1 COR 12:31-13:13. PS 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22. LK 7:31-35. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18: Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time. 1 COR 15:1-11. PS 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28. LK 7:36-50. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19: Friday of the Twentyfourth Week in Ordinary Time. Optional Memorial of

St. Januarius, bishop and martyr. 1 COR 15:12-20. PS 17:1bcd, 6-7, 8b and 15. LK 8:1-3. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20: Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs. 1 COR 15:35-37, 42-49. PS 56:10c-12, 13-14. LK 8:4-15.

22 ARTS & LIFE

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Poetic graphic novel of growing up in the Great Depression MARK JUDGE CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

NEW YORK – Sometimes the best story is a simple autobiography simply told. Such is the case with “How the World Was: A California Childhood” (First Second) by Emmanuel Guibert and the late Alan Cope. This is a powerful and poetic graphic novel about what it was like for Cope to grow up during the Great Depression. Guibert illustrates Cope’s memories in black and white. This is the second volume to result from the two men’s collaboration. The first, “Alan’s War,” was a highly acclaimed account of Cope’s service in World War II. There is no violence, nudity or profanity in “How the World Was.” In one scene, the narrator recalls that his mother warned him to avoid self-gratification, a religiously grounded admonition that fell, for the most part, on deaf ears. Still, the subject is treated with sensitivity, if not in strict adherence to moral principle. Millions of Americans struggled to survive during the economic depression ushered in by the stock market crash of October 1929. But “How the World Was” depicts just how difficult times really were. The Copes, for example, lived in 14 different houses before Alan’s father got a job teaching high school shop class in Pasadena.

Without Social Security or Medicaid, only the rich could afford to go to the doctor. The poor, like Cope’s grandfather, “just stayed sick and waited to die.” These events are recounted in a straightforward manner that avoids hyperbole. The understated tone adds to the emotional depth of the story, and Guibert’s art is elegant and subtle. Guibert often uses a lot of white space, with the characters almost lost in a corner of the panel. This approach conjures a sense of vulnerability, skillfully conveying that this was a time when people were much more exposed to death, disease and the elements. Yet people in the 1930s also had simple joys, were less accepting of sexual immorality and senseless violence, and enjoyed an experience of nature that was much more unfiltered than ours is today. “How the World Was” opens with the Copes driving from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. There are few skyscrapers and no smog, and Cope recalls the smell of lemons from the groves in the California hills. These were the days not only before iPods but

even before television, and Cope remembers gasping in awe when the last reel of a movie he was watching – 1934’s “The House of Rothschild” – unspooled in color. Children also had the seemingly boundless ability to use their imagination while playing outdoors for hours on end. The climax of “How the World Was” comes with the untimely death of Cope’s mother after a botched surgical procedure. Cope’s fearless honesty allows him to recall his reaction when he heard the news: He asked his babysitter if they were still going to go to the movie they had planned to see. Cope explains, convincingly, that this was not the behavior of a heartless brat but rather the denial of a child who simply could not confront the reality that he had lost his mother. After his wife’s death, Cope’s father stopped going to church; not so his son. For the next two years, Cope tells us, he talked to his mother in prayer, requesting her guidance. The novel ends with a long quotation from French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) about the artist’s ability to create beauty out of pain. This is a theme that obviously dovetails with the Catholic theology of redemptive suffering – the notion, rooted in the Cross, that tragedy, patiently endured, can give rise to wisdom, virtue and spiritual growth.

Focus on people brings history of English Catholic ‘recusants’ to life REVIEWED BY BRIAN WELTER CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

“GOD’S TRAITORS: TERROR AND FAITH IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND” BY JESSIE CHILDS. Oxford University Press (New York, 2014). 464 pp., $29.95. In “God’s Traitors,” author Jessie Childs tells the history of Catholics in 16th-century Protestant England by following the lives of individuals and family connections. While one could accuse the author of not seeing the forest for the trees, the close-up action, including extensive use of letters and other source materials, brings this history to life. With the focus on people more than on sweeping political and theological trends, the book offers a very good understanding of just what the English “recusants” were put through after the death of Henry VIII, with most of the action from Eliza-

beth’s reign and the following decade under King James I. The Latin “recusare” means “to refuse” or “to protest,” characterizing English Catholics’ rejection of the laws that forced them to appear at an establishment church a certain number of times per year and to avoid partaking in Catholic culture, including owning and using sacramentals such as rosaries and relics. Punishments varied from reign to reign, but became increasingly heavy during Elizabeth’s rule, to the point of becoming economically ruinous. Childs shows us how recusancy affected the finances, status, religious life and psychological health of the various leading aristocratic recusants. They were hounded, limited in their travels and attacked by mobs of Protestants. The author could be criticized for keeping us focused on the upper classes, but she points out repeatedly that the Jesuits and other priests coming over

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from the continent-based English seminaries tended to work within the upper classes, as these latter could provide the monetary, logistical and intellectual support so necessary to the cause. So while it is true that we see only glimpses of the lower classes and their struggle with the Protestant establishment, the real fight concerned the hearts and minds of the educated and the gentry, with the hope that this would then filter down. The history focuses on the Vaux clan (pronounced “Vorx”), who through their increasing suffering attested to their great faith. Often the reader is surprised by what people were willing to undergo for their creed, including public humiliation, torture, and death by various terrible means, including having weights placed on top of one’s body in order to crush the lungs and rib cage.

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

‘RECUSANTS’: Focus on people brings history of English Catholics to life FROM PAGE 22

Despite this religious-based violence, readers will not have to put up with the common hue and cry over the supposed violence of religion. Childs shows great respect for all beliefs at play at this time. While Childs mainly focuses on the local level and on individuals, she covers enough of the wider political scene to show the fear that drove Queen Elizabeth to put increasing pressure on her Catholic subjects. In Europe, the author observes, “the counterReformation was rampant. Protestants were massacred in France and the Low Countries, Armadas were launched from Inquisition Spain, rebellion was

fomented in Ireland and, from across the Scottish border, a rival queen with Tudor blood pitched up and became the willing instrument of Elizabeth’s enemies. Militant religious orders were sent on missions to save souls, both in the New World and in the old. The queen and her council felt under siege from Catholic Europe. This was the age of assassination; with every attempt on Elizabeth’s life, fears for national security grew and increasingly draconian laws were passed to protect it.” Childs connects the international situation to the one in England. With Spain-led Catholic Europe threatening and on the offensive, a growing antiHispanic feeling spread throughout the

land. Catholics were seen as traitors, favoring the pope and perhaps even the Spanish crown over the queen. Yet Childs hints that this antagonism did not define the whole social structure. Puritans and Catholics on the whole did tend to get along, as country gentlemen tended to care more about the welfare of their own class than anything else. This could lead to awkward situations, where a Catholic such as Lord Vaux had in previous years worked with local gentry on legal issues, and now those same peers

were holding Lord Vaux for rather tough questioning about his recusant activities, such as supporting the underground Jesuits and holding Masses at his estates. Perhaps more on how the Protestants and Catholics got along in Elizabethan England would have given an even richer view of events, but on the whole, “God’s Traitors” offers a memorable story on the drama of that time. WELTER has degrees in history and theology and teaches English in Taiwan.

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SISTERS OF MERCY: Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community celebrated jubilees with Mass at the Mercy Chapel in Burlingame Aug. 10. Back from left: Sister Celeste Marie Nuttman, RSM, Sister Madonna Marie Bolton, RSM, Sister Jean Evans, RSM, Sister Victoria Brady, RSM, Sister Melanie O’Brien, RSM, Sister Gloria Avila, RSM, Sister Katie O’Hanlon, RSM, Sister Kathleen Kearney, RSM, 50 years; Sister Cindy Kaye, RSM, Sister Patricia Ann Galli, RSM, 25 years. Front from left: Sister Mary Leonita Metoyer, RSM, Sister Lorraine Mullins, RSM, 60 years; Sister Mary Edith Hurley, RSM, 75 years; Sister Sheila Devereux, RSM, 70 years; Sister Carol Baetz, RSM, 60 years. Jesuit Father Kevin Dillworth celebrated the liturgy and Mercy Sister Jean Evans gave a reflection.

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EPIPHANY CENTER: Daughter of Charity Sister Estela Morales has been coming to the aid of mothers and children at risk at her community’s Epiphany Center for 25 years. Sister Estela has been executive director of the Masonic Avenue hallmark of care since 2008. She seems to have been on her way to moms and their kids all along having earned an undergraduate degree in early childhood education and a graduate degree in social work to Sister Estela prepare for the mission. Sister Estela Morales, DC has 18 years of experience working with special needs infants and their parents and served on a primary health care project in Lima, Peru.

www.HolyLandPilgrimages.org • info@HolyLandPilgrimages.org

USF HOSTS FOLK ART FESTIVAL SEPT. 28

SEND CSF AFAR! Spread the good news through a Catholic San Francisco

gift subscription – perfect for students and retirees and others who have moved outside the archdiocese. $27 a year within California, $36 out of state. Catholics in the archdiocese must register with their parish to receive a regular, free subscription. Email circulation.csf@sfarchdiocese.org or call (415) 614-5639.

The University of San Francisco Sept. 28 hosts the “Community Folk Art Festival for the Family” as part of a cooperative effort of USF and The Mexican Museum. Showcasing works from a number of Mexico’s internationally recognized artists and collectors, the free festival celebrates

live music, dance, hands-on arts demonstrations and bilingual tours. USF’s Thacher Gallery, inside the school’s Gleeson Library at 2495 Golden Gate Ave., is the event site. Hours are 12:30-2:30 p.m. Visit http://bit.ly/1oNiqSl. To learn more about the Mexican Museum, visit www.mexicanmuseum.org

Catholic San Francisco and Pentecost Tours, Inc. EASTERN EUROPE

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Visit: Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Caesarea, Netanya, Mt. Carmel, Upper Galilee, Jericho, Jerusalem, Bet Shean,Masadar Tiberias

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25

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The Archdiocese of San Francisco will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background investigation. The Archdiocese of San Francisco will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

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NOVENA Prayer to the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit, you who make me see everything and who shows me the way to reach my ideal. You who give me the divine gift of forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank you for everything and confirm once more that I never want to be separated from you no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with you and my loved ones in your perpetual glory. Amen. You may publish this as soon as your favor is granted. M.T.

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26 CALENDAR

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

FRIDAY, SEPT. 12 ‘CHILDREN AT THE BORDER’: A presentation on the immigration crisis and a Christian response at St. Dominic Parish hall, 2390 Bush St. at Steiner, San Francisco, 6:30 p.m.; (415) 567-7824; info@stdominics.org. ‘GOLD RUSH FAIR’: Our Lady of Angels school’s fun fair featuring rides, entertainment, games, prizes, and food, Friday 6-10 p.m. and Saturday 2-11 p.m. Silent auction and barbecue dinner are also part of the event. (650) 5330121 for tickets. Amusement ride tickets are available for purchase at www. ourladyofangelsk8.com/events. Event is in OLA schoolyard, 1721 Hillside Drive off El Camino Real, Burlingame.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 13

silica’s Second Sunday Organ Recital Series, Robert Train Adams, director of music, St. Stephen Episcopal Church, Orinda, 4 p.m., free admission, Mission Dolores Basilica, 3321 16th St. at Dolores, San Francisco. (415) 621-8203; www.missiondolores.org. Suggested donation $10.

tude and a joy-filled heart as well as reflections on Pope Francis “Joy of the Gospel,” 9-10 a.m., Marian Room of St. Stephen Church, 451 Eucalyptus Drive at 23rd Avenue, San Francisco; SaintStephenSF.org; vwong-ststephen@att.net.

‘CONVERSATIONS WITH JESUITS’: The message and mysticism of Julian of Norwich with Veronica Mary Rolf, a lecturer and author of “Julian’s Gospel: Illuminating the Life and Revelations of Julian of Norwich.” Julian of Norwich was a 14th-century mystic from England. Talks are in St. Ignatius Church, Parker Avenue at Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, Fromm Hall just behind the church, 10:50-11:45 a.m. Talks are free and open to the public with free parking in all USF lots; Dan Faloon, (415) 422-2195; faloon@ usfca.edu.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17

FUTURE SAINT BIO: Talk on life and work of Opus Dei’s Venerable Alvaro del Portillo, who will be beatified Sept. 27 in Spain, 7:30 p.m., Showcase Theater at the Marin Civic Center, followed by a 30-minute video and interview with John Coverdale, professor, Seton Hall University Law School and author of “Saxum,” a biography of the future saint. For more information, contact Michael Sangervasi msangervasi@gmail.com; (650) 592 0292; Menlough Study Center, (650) 327-1675.

GUEST PREACHER: Divine Word Father Ken Hamilton is presider and homilist at 10:45 a.m. Gospel Mass at St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, Jamestown Avenue near Third Street, San Francisco on feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Parking lot entrance is on Jennings Street. (415) 468-3434; www.stpauloftheshipwreck.org; www.facebook.com/SPShipwreck.

2-DAY SALE: St. Peter antique and collectibles show, St. Peter Church, 700 Oddstad Blvd., turn at Linda Mar Boulevard, Pacifica, offering a variety of high quality antiques and collectibles including costume jewelry, kitchen collectibles, furniture, coins and silver, Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is free, donations accepted, and free parking. www.stpeterantiqueshow. com. Call Dale or Charleene Smith, (650) 359-6910. or email at stpeterantiqueshow@gmail.com.

MONDAY, SEPT 15 GRIEF SUPPORT: Moving Through the Loss of A Loved One: The Next Step, a focused support group intended for those progressing through a personal grief journey meets Monday evenings, St. Pius parish center, Woodside Road at Valota, Redwood City, 7 p.m. St. Pius Grief Ministry, (650) 361-0655; griefministry@pius.org.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 16

SUNDAY, SEPT. 14 ORGAN RECITAL: Mission Dolores Ba-

SCRIPTURE STUDY: Mercy Sister Toni Lynn Gallagher on achieving grati-

DIVORCE SUPPORT: Meeting takes place first and third Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m., St. Stephen Parish O’Reilly Center, 23rd Avenue at Eucalyptus, San Francisco. Groups are part of the Separated and Divorced Catholic Ministry in the archdiocese and include prayer, introductions, sharing. It is a drop-in support group. Jesuit Father Al Grosskopf, (415) 422-6698, grosskopf@usfca. edu. GRIEF SUPPORT: Free monthly grief support, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, third Wednesday of each month, 10:30-noon, Msgr. Bowe Room, on the west side of the parking lot level of the cathedral. These sessions provide information on the grief process, and tips on coping with the loss of a loved one. Facilitator is Deacon Christoph Sandoval. Mercy Sister Esther, (415) 567-2020, ext. 218.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18 DON BOSCO TALKS: The Sts. Peter and Paul Don Bosco Study group continues to study his remarkable life 7-8:45 p.m. in church auditorium across from Washington Square. St. Frances de Sales spirituality moved Don Bosco to call his congregation Salesians. No reading is necessary for attendance and participation, although copies of the book used are available in the Don Bosco book store downstairs from the church. Frank Lavin, franklavin@comcast.net; (415) 310-8551.

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ROSARY RALLY: A Call to Prayer, noon at San Francisco’s U.N. Plaza, Market and Seventh Streets. Keynote speakers and prayer leaders include Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and Franciscan Father Andrew Apostoli of EWTN and other outlets. Program includes Benediction, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and opportunities for confession. www.RosaryRallySF.com; (415) 272-2046. Rally is sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Ignatius Press, Immaculate Heart Radio, archdiocesan ministry for the Spanish speaking, Legion of Mary and Knights of Columbus.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 19 WEEKEND ENGAGED ENCOUNTER: San Francisco Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend at Vallombrosa Retreat Center, Menlo Park. Take time to prepare for your marriage. All faiths welcome; scholarships available. Visit www.sfcee.org; email or catholicsfee@ gmail.com. Dave and Lorraine Hayes, (650) 619-0689.

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SOLEMN HIGH MASS: Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is principal celebrant of a Pontifical Mass, 6:30 p.m., Star of the Sea Church, 4420 Geary Blvd., Archbishop San Francisco. Salvatore J. Arranged by Cordileone the Traditional Latin Mass Society of San Francisco. Email TLMofSF@gmail.com.

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CALENDAR 27

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

YOUTH ACTIVITIES HTTP://SFOREYM.ORG/NODE/317 SATURDAY, SEPT. 20: OnFire NorCal Jam, 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. NorCal kickoff for youth and young adult ministry with Mass, speakers, a concert, and access to rides at the park. Registration: www.onfirenorcal.com/ SATURDAY, NOV. 1: Youth Rally and Youth Mass, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Anne of the Sunset Church, Judah at Funston, San Francisco, Auxiliary Bishop a day of fun William J. Justice and prayer for youth focusing on the lives of the saints. Mass is at 2:30 with San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop William Justice as principal celebrant and homilist. Families are welcome to attend. Registration: http:// sforeym.org/node/317. FRIDAY, NOV. 21: Faith Formation Conference, Santa Clara Convention Center, liturgy, workshops, and exhibits for catechists, parish leaders, parents, youth and young adults. Registration: www.faithformationconference.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 20 RUMMAGE SALE: St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception School, 299 Precita Ave. with entrance on Shotwell, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Vintage and new merchandise, including furniture, clothing, jewelry, household items plus food booths. Neighborhood residents/businesses invited to participate; tables $20. (415) 648-2008. Visit www.saicsf.org.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 21 CHAMPAGNE BINGO: Sts. Peter and Paul Parish gym under church at 666 Filbert St. across from Washington Square Park, 1-5 p.m. Doors open 12:30 p.m., free parking. Tickets at $25 include champagne, hot lunch and two bingo cards. No tickets sold at door, adults only. Gig, (415) 370-5851; church bookstore, (415) 421-0809. Sponsored by Holy Name Society.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 23 PUBLIC DISCUSSION: St. Matthias Social Justice Ministry hosts the League of Women Voters who will present the pros and cons for propositions on the November ballot, 7:30 p.m. St. Matthias Church, 1685 Cordilleras Road off Edgewood, Redwood City. Evie Dwyer, (650) 368-9372 for more information and directions.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 26

FRIDAY, OCT. 24 RETIRED PRIESTS’ LUNCH: Luncheon and program honoring retired priests of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and retired priests of religious Father Lawrence orders serving Finegan in the ADSF, St. Mary’s Cathedral Patrons Hall, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $125 with proceeds benefiting the Priests’ Retirement Fund. (415) 614-5580; email Development@sfarchdiocese.org. Retired Father Larry Finegan is former pastor of St. Agnes Parish, San Francisco.

434 Alida Way, South San Francisco, one block from El Camino Real at Ponderosa Road, Friday 6-10 p.m.; Saturday, 11a.m.-11p.m.; Sunday noon-6:00 p.m. Entertainment and fun the whole weekend long includes live mariachi kick-off, rock band, Ballet Folklorico, Aztec dancers, martial arts demonstrations, carnival rides with prepaid all day wristbands and all kinds of food. (650) 588-1455.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27 GRIEF SUPPORT: Learning to Live With Grief, a session led by Mercy Sister Toni Lynn Gallagher, 9:30-noon, All

3-DAY FESTIVAL: St. Veronica Fiesta,

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PHANTOM CONCERT: Franc D’Ambrosio, longest running star in the title role of “Phantom of the Opera,” performs an outdoor “Concert for the Piazza,” an evening celebrating the sixth anniversary of the Knights of St. Francis of Assisi on Vallejo Street in front of the National Shrine of St. Francis and the Porziuncola Nuova, 7:30 p.m. The singer has played the Phantom more than 2,300 times. Watch for ticket information on www.knightsofsaintfrancis.com as well as Knights of Saint Francis and Francesco Rocks on Facebook.

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PARISH ANNIVERSARY: Holy Angels Parish, Colma, celebrates 100 years with a centennial dinner in the Parish Hall, $50.00 per person. Celebration also includes festival with food, games, and entertainment Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and a Mass of Thanksgiving Oct. 5, 1 p.m. with San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop Robert W. McElroy, principal celebrant. (650) 755-0478, visit www. holyangelscolma.com.

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POST-INCARCERATION: San Francisco ReEntry Bay Area conference 8 a.m.-3 p.m., St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, on the problem recently released inmates have with continuing to commit crimes. Offenders and their families are invited, admission is free. Register at www.ReEntryAction.org, escobarj@sfarchdiocese. org or call Julio Escobar, (415) 614-5570.

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28 COMMUNITY

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Marriage prep leader: Meet engaged couples where they are VALERIE SCHMALZ CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Marriage preparation is not only critically important to helping couples remain happy – and married – it is a window to bring or keep an entire family in the Catholic Church. When 90 percent of couples who come to marriage preparation are openly sleeping with each other and somewhere between 60 and 80 percent are already sharing the same address, the Catholic Church’s teaching on abstinence, and its prohibition on artificial contraception, are tough sells, says Christian J. Meert of Agape Catholic Ministries. Agape Catholic Marriage Prep begins by connecting with the actual couple, setting each couple up with a mentor instructor couple who works with them – not dumping a weekend’s worth of Catholic Church teaching and assorted life lessons on communication and finance on them and moving on, Meert said.

“It’s a matter of relating to the engaged couple,” said Meert. “Every couple is different. We have to reach out to them where they are.” “Marriage preparation is a time of conversion,” said Meert, who with his wife Christine directs the office of marriage and family life for the Diocese of Colorado Springs as well as running Agape Catholic Ministries and its associated CatholicMarriagePrep.com. “We treat them respectfully where they are. We give them all the information. It is up to them to make up their mind what they want to do,” he said. Christian and Christine Meert will present their style of marriage preparation 7-9 p.m. Sept. 25 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in English at the same time as their colleagues, Rudy and Carmen Lopez, will make the presentation in Spanish. The presentation is designed for deacons, marriage preparation instructors and others interested in marriage preparation. It is not intended for engaged couples, although they are welcome to attend, said Ed Hopfner, director of the Archdiocese of San Francisco

Office of Marriage and Family Life. The Meerts offer marriage preparation online, offering individual instruction to each couple over the Internet based on a one-on-one relationship between the engaged couples and a trained married instructor couple “faithful to the magisterium who live what they teach,” he said. Since 2004, Agape Marriage Prep has prepared 15,000 couples for marriage via the online program, Meert said. In addition, Agape offers live classes. They also will begin teaching live classes at the Archdiocese of Denver pastoral center, as the primary marriage preparation program for the Denver archdiocese, he said. The Meerts don’t water down Catholic Church teaching on marriage, they just begin at the beginning, Meert said. Literally. They start with the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis and present St. John Paul’s theology of the body, he said. “There is an incredible longing for the unchanging truth because we live in a world of moral relativism which is destroying our society under the cover of respect or whatever,” said Meert.

St. Anthony of Padua relic touring archdiocese From Oct. 26-Nov. 2, St. Anthony will visit Northern California in the form of the very relic that Pope Francis venerated 14 years ago in Argentina. The much loved 13th-century friar was a contemporary of St. Francis and one of the earliest members of the Franciscan order founded by St. Francis in 1209. When, in 2000, Pope Francis was Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio of Anthony of Padua Buenos Aires, he blessed the faithful gathered in the city’s cathedral with a reliquary containing St. Anthony’s floating rib. This

relic will be accompanied by Father Mario Conte, a Franciscan friar from Padua, Italy, where the saint is buried. “There is nothing superstitious about relics,” Father Mario said in a Sept. 9 press release. “The real meaning of a relic is love – they are a link of love between the person who venerates and the saint.” Here is the relic tour schedule in the archdiocese: Oct. 28, St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco, 12:10 p.m. and 6 p.m. Masses with veneration. Oct. 29, St. Dominic Church, San Francisco, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Masses with veneration.

Oct. 30, St. Anne of the Sunset Church, San Francisco, 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Masses with veneration. Oct. 31, National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, San Francisco, 12:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. Masses with veneration. Nov. 1, St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, San Francisco, 12:30 p.m. Mass with veneration. Nov. 2, St. Bruno Church, San Bruno, 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. Masses with veneration. Visit www.saintanthonyofpadua.net.

HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CEMETERY A Place to Grieve – A Place to Heal

LEARNING TO LIVE WITH GRIEF Saturday, September 27, 2014, 9:30am-12 noon All Saints Mausoleum Chapel Facilitated by Sr. Toni Lynn Gallagher, RSM Bereavement Ministry Coordinator Archdiocese of San Francisco Open to all who have had a loss in their lives. This workshop will help answer What’s happening inside me? What do others expect of me? How do I cope?

Call Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery – 650.756.2060 for more information All Saints Mausoleum Chapel is located across the street from the SSF BART Station a $125 contribution to the “Avenue of Flags” program to purchase a flag.

Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery Santa Cruz Ave. @Avy Ave., Menlo Park, CA 650-323-6375

Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery 1500 Mission Road, Colma, CA 650-756-2060

Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery 270 Los Ranchitos Road, San Rafael, CA 415-479-9020

Tomales Catholic Cemetery 1400 Dillon Beach Road, Tomales, CA 415-479-9021

St. Anthony Cemetery Stage Road, Pescadero, CA 650-712-1679

Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery Miramontes St., Half Moon Bay, CA 650-712-1679

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