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50-48 final in third annual clergy hoops match
Helping San Francisco’s invisible homeless
Parishioners sustained by prayer, sacrament, service
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO Newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
www.catholic-sf.org
SERVING SAN FRANCISCO, MARIN & SAN MATEO COUNTIES
MARCH 28, 2019
$1.00 | VOL. 21 NO. 6
San Bruno’s Catholic Worker House: Welcoming those with ‘nowhere else to go’
Pope: Mary inspires those seeking their vocation
NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
A few dozen people were gathered in the dining room of the Catholic Worker Hospitality House in San Bruno for breakfast on a drizzly Wednesday morning. Tables were filled with guests chatting and enjoying company or taking quiet time to eat breakfast alone, while volunteers served breakfast and stopped to talk with guests. Pausing his work for a moment in the dining room, Peter Stiehler, the house’s director, told Catholic San Francisco, “You can see what we do here is serious, but it’s lighthearted too. It reflects the joy here.” On April 1, the Catholic Worker Hospitality House in San Bruno will celebrate its 23rd anniversary. Five days a week, the Catholic Worker dining room serves breakfast to between 70 and 80 people. Over the years, the house has added more services: A few years after the breakfast program began, Stiehler was able to start an overnight emergency shelter housing up to nine.
CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
(PHOTO BY NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
Judy Pena, a guest at the San Bruno Catholic Worker Hospitality House dining room, laughs during breakfast March 20. Pena said she enjoys chatting with friends over breakfast. “Everyone comes here with their memories,” she said. The Hospitality House will celebrate the dining room’s 23rd anniversary in April. Since then, the house has been able to offer permanent supportive housing to needy residents in two homes. “All of our work, one thing has grown out of another,” Stiehler said.
The house also acts as a hub for other services. Showers are available every day, medical professionals stop
VATICAN CITY – Signing his document dedicated to young people, faith and discernment, Pope Francis said Mary, the mother of God, is a source of inspiration and strength for everyone who seeks to understand their vocation and remain faithful to it. Greeting some 10,000 people, many of them families and young people, in Loreto, Italy, on the feast of the Annunciation, the pope said Mary can help all believers dedicate themselves to “the path of peace and fraternity, founded on welcoming and forgiving, on respect for others and on love as a gift of oneself.” “Mary is the model of every vocation and the inspiration of every vocational pastoral program: Young people who
SEE CATHOLIC WORKER, PAGE 5
SEE POPE, PAGE 30
Anti-gun violence group working to change culture of ‘disposable life’ CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
Mass shootings like the one that claimed the lives of 50 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand March 15 continue to dominate headlines, but a St. Brendan parishioner who is part of a national gun violence prevention group said that gun reform is in fact happening at the state level. “Change very much can happen and is happening,” Elizabeth Moore, the San Francisco chapter community outreach coordinator for Moms Demand Action, told a group of St. Dominic parishioners at a Lenten soup supper talk on gun violence and Catholic principles March 15. The talk, sponsored by the parish’s Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation committee, took place incidentally on the same day as the Christchurch shooting by a self-proclaimed white supremacist armed with an arsenal of legally acquired firearms. Citing a U.S. Centers for Disease Control report
‘The more life is considered disposable, the more people are inclined to buy guns and to not worry about what unintentional or even intentional consequences there might be.’ ELIZABETH MOORE
St. Brendan parishioner covering incidents from 2013-17, Moore said that 100 Americans are killed every day by guns. Firearm deaths are the second-leading cause of death for American children and teens, just behind motor vehicle deaths. For African-American children and teens, it is the leading cause of death.
The deaths include suicide and what Moms Demand Action calls “unintentional” deaths from “irresponsible gun ownership.” “If you live in the U.S. you are 25 times more likely to be shot than citizens of other developed countries in the world,” Moore said. Many Americans have “stopped even raising an eyebrow” at the headlines about gun violence, Moore said. But others, especially youth and students, are helping to close gun law loopholes, particularly at the state level, by exerting pressure on lawmakers, she said. “We are now birthing a new generation of gun sense advocates,” she said, noting as an example last year’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Before the shooting, only five states had some version of what is called a “red flag” law, or an “Extreme Risk Protection Order,” Moore said. Such measures permit police or family members to petition a state SEE VIOLENCE, PAGE 25
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INDEX On the Street . . . . . . . . 4 National . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2 ARCHDIOCESE
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Stolen sacrament ledgers returned to St. Dominic
NEED TO KNOW VOCATION DINNERS: Priesthood discernment monthly dinner meetings continue April 4, May 2 and June 6, 6:15-8:30 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 826 Vienna St., San Francisco. The program each time is eucharistic adoration in the church, followed by dinner and discussion in the rectory. For information or to RSVP, Father Cameron Faller, (415) 333-7630, ext. 16, faller.cameron@sfarch.org. Meetings with similar a format continue April 1, May 6 and June 3, 6:15 – 8:30 pm St. Pius Church, 1100 Woodside Road, Redwood City. For information or to RSVP, Father Tom Martin, martin.thomas@sfarch.org. FIRST SATURDAY MASS: First Saturday Mass with healing service, April 6, 11 a.m., Holy Cross Cemetery, 1500 Mission Road, Colma, Holy Cross Mausoleum. Monica Williams, (650) 756-2060; mjwilliams@holycrosscemeteries.com; holycrosscemeteries.com. 2-DAY PARISH MISSION: “Lenten Journey with Jesus,” led by Bishop Carlos A. Sevilla, SJ, retired bishop of Yakima, April 1, 2, 7-8:30 p.m., St. Pius Church, 1100 Woodside Road, Redwood City. Free admission. For more information elvira@pius.org. ACCW RETREAT: Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women’s Day of Recollection, Holy Name of Jesus convent chapel, 1555 9th Ave., San Francisco, April 7, starting with Mass at 1 p.m. followed by luncheon and talk by Father Arnold Zamora. Cost $25 per person. For more info, call (650) 438-0773. ‘EVENING WITH C.S. LEWIS’: British actor David Payne in what has been called “an enthralling one-man show.” The run is co-sponsored by the C. S. Lewis Society of California. April 25, 26, 27, 8 p.m.; April 27, 4 p.m.; April 28, 2 p.m., 6 p.m. Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco. C.S. Lewis Society members’ tickets $39.50 with Code NARNIA, marinesmemorialtheatre.com.
ARCHBISHOP CORDILEONE’S SCHEDULE MARCH 29-31: World Congress of Families, Verona, Italy APRIL 4: Presbyteral Council, Priest Personnel Board and chancery meetings; homilist, 7 p.m., Vespers, Greek Orthodox Church of Holy Cross, Belmont
CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
The records of generations of Catholics who received the sacraments of baptism, Communion, confirmation and marriage at St. Dominic Parish in San Francisco were back in the hands of the Dominican parish three days after the safe in which they were kept at the priory was stolen in an early morning break-in. “This is a holy moment of grace,” said pastor Dominican Father Michael Hurley in an announcement on the parish Facebook page March 15. He also asked for prayers for the perpetrators of the crime. In a phone call with Catholic San Francisco, Dominican Father Isaiah Mary Molano described ebullient clergy and staff as large plastic bags holding the 20 leather-bound ledgers were carried back into the priory. A woman who came to the parish earlier in the day claimed that she found the books in a dumpster outside the Safeway on Webster Street. The parish had posted a $10,000 reward for the return of the books. “We are grateful for this Good Samaritan,” Father Hurley said.
(PHOTO COURTESY ST. DOMINIC PARISH)
Dominican Father Michael Hurley, pastor of St. Dominic Parish in San Francisco, is pictured March 15 with sacramental records recovered after the safe in which they were kept was stolen March 12. The records, dating to 1873, were returned to the parish after being found in a nearby dumpster. “Anyone who help close the ongoing investigation is welcome to come forward.” The thieves boldly rolled the refrigerator-sized safe out of the priory without attracting the notice of sleeping friars and novices and cut it open before discarding it in the Bayview District, where
ARCHDIOCESAN LENTEN GUIDELINES The Archdiocese of San Francisco provided the following guidance on Lenten regulations for archdiocesan institutions. ABSTINENCE: Everyone 14 years of age and older is bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday. FAST: Everyone 18 years of age and older but under the age of 60 is also bound to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these two days, the law of fast allows only one full meal a day, but does not prohibit taking some food during the day,
so long as this does not constitute another full meal. Drinking liquids during the day is permitted. When health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige. In doubt concerning fast or abstinence, a priest assigned to pastoral ministry or confessor should be consulted. In the spirit of penance, the faithful should not lightly excuse themselves from this obligation. RECONCILIATION: In addition, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone with the Presbyteral Council has announced “The Light is on for
CONCERTS
stmarycathedralsf.org The following Sunday recitals are free to the public. Unless otherwise indicated, all recitals begin at 4:00 pm, and a free-will offering will be requested at the door. There is ample free parking. 03/31 Muich Trio (Germany): Friedrich Ebelmann, bassoon; Rebecca Rust, cello; and Monica Chew, piano. Works by Schiffelholtz, J.S. Bach, Mozart, Bloch, and Glinka. 04/07 Hanna Tarley, violin. 04/14 Thomas Mellan, organ, and Espen Aas, clarinet. Works by Webern, Bach, Berg, and Liszt 04/28 David Ball (Orange, CA), organ.
You” campaign. The Lenten effort makes the sacrament of reconciliation available at all parishes of the archdiocese on all Tuesdays of Lent from 6-8 p.m. In his letter to pastors, Archbishop Cordileone said: “We hope this archdiocesan-wide effort will be a sign to our people of our shared belief in the power of this sacrament as well as a witness of our desire to be readily available to them.” Parish listings are available from the archdiocesan website sfarchdiocese. org as well as the directory of the archdiocese at catholic-sf.org.
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
St. Mary’s Cathedral
1111 Gough St. at Geary, San Francisco 415-456-2020, ext. 213
04/21 Jeanette Wilkin Tietze, piano.
it was located by police. Parish administrator Michael Rossi told Catholic San Francisco the day after the break-in that the safe contained no cash or items of monetary value other than $9,000 in gift cards the parish keeps on hand to give to the poor. He said the sacramental records, dating back to 1873, while worthless to a thief were “invaluable” to the parish. “My dad was baptized here in 1912,” he said. “He is in the books.” Sacramental records are required for parishioners who want to get married in the church or have a marriage annulled, and for other purposes. They are also a valuable historical record of a parish. Rossi joked that the thieves must not have been Catholic if they expected to find money in the safe on a Tuesday. “They would have known that the money collected at Sunday Mass goes directly into the bank on Monday,” he said. In his Facebook post, Father Hurley said “we acknowledge that our church needs to upgrade our security efforts, and we are working on that straightaway. Thank you for your patience and care.”
HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS (415) 614-5506 This number is answered by Rocio Rodriguez, , LMFT, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by Rocio Rodriguez. (415) 614-5503 If you wish to speak to a non-archdiocesan employee please call this number. This is also a secured line and is answered only by a victim survivor.
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone Publisher Mike Brown Associate Publisher Rick DelVecchio Editor/General Manager EDITORIAL Christina Gray, associate editor grayc@sfarchdiocese.org Tom Burke, senior writer burket@sfarchdiocese.org Nicholas Wolfram Smith, reporter smithn@sfarchdiocese.org Sandy Finnegan, administrative assistant finnegans@sfarchdiocese.org ADVERTISING Mary Podesta, director Chandra Kirtman, business manager PRODUCTION Karessa McCartney-Kavanaugh, manager Joel Carrico, assistant HOW TO REACH US One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA 94109 Phone: (415) 614-5639 | Fax: (415) 614-5641 Editor: (415) 614-5647 delvecchior@sfarchdiocese.org Advertising: (415) 614-5642 advertising.csf@sfarchdiocese.org Circulation: (415) 614-5639 circulation.csf@sfarchdiocese.org Letters to the editor: letters.csf@sfarchdiocese.org
ARCHBISHOP 3
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
50-48 battle as Clericus decided in final seconds NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
Priests, seminarians and associates of the archdiocese played an entertaining and competitive basketball game March 22 at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. The third annual Clericus Classic, featuring two teams of clergy, seminarians and archdiocesan staff, pitted Team White, captained by Father Mark Reburiano of St. Isabella, against Team Black, captained by Father Alvin Yu of St. Matthew in San Mateo. Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone did the honorary tip-off. The audience cheered their favorites, especially Father Larry Goode of St. Francis of Assisi in East Palo Alto, who was greeted with applause and chants as he entered the game. Team White lagged behind Team Black much of the game but made a strong push after halftime to tie with less than a minute to go at 48-48. A pair of free throws by Father Alvin Yu put Team Black safely ahead, though, and made the final score 50-48.
(PHOTOS BY DEBRA GREENBLAT/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
Archbishop Cordileone stands with Team White and Team Black after the Third Annual Clericus Classic March 22 at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. Below left, Father Larry Goode, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in East Palo Alto, brings the ball up the court with transitional Deacon Romple Emwalu from the Diocese of Honolulu and Father Narcis Kabipi, administrator of St. John of God Parish in San Francisco. Below right, seminarian Jerick Rea kisses the trophy at the end of a hard-fought 50-48 game.
SAINT RITA LENTEN LECTURE SERIES 2019
“The Future of Life on Earth” Reflections on the 4th Anniversary of Laudato Si’ Father Alvin Yu, parochial vicar at St. Matthew Parish in San Mateo, defends against Father Cameron Faller, parochial vicar at San Francisco’s Church of the Epiphany.
12 March, Tuesday
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
“The Triple Cries of Poor, Women, & Earth: Interlocking Oppression”
“How to Carry the Cross in an Anesthetized World”
Christina Astorga, Ph.D.
Archbishop John Wester, D.D.
19 March, Tuesday
9 April, Tuesday
Professor of Theology Portland University
7:00 PM
Archbishop of Santa Fe
7:00 PM
“Just Water: Pope Francis, Science, and Fresh Water Ethics”
“Laudato Si ’: Why We May Resist, How We Might Resist our Resistance”
Christiana Zenner , Ph.D.
Barbara Green, O.P. , Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Theology, Science, and Ethics Fordham University
26 March, Tuesday
7:00 PM
“Integral Ecology: Care for the Earth and for the Poor”
Alexandre Martins, MI, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Theological Ethics Marquette University
Sponsored by Duggan’s Serra Mortuary 500 Westlake Avenue, Daly City 650-756-4500 ● www.duggansserra.com
2 April, Tuesday
Professor of Biblical Studies Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
16 April, Tuesday
7:00 PM
“Classical Music and Quiet Reflection in Holy Week”
Michael McCarty, grand piano Peter Chase, violin
The evenings begin with a Lenten Soup Supper at 6:15 PM in the Parish Hall, followed by the Lenten Lecture. Location:
Saint Rita Catholic Church, 100 Marinda Drive, Fairfax CA 94930
All are invited. For further information and Soup Supper reservations please call: 415-456-4815
4 ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
‘God guide to religious education post,’ St. Dominic staffer says TOM BURKE CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
Kathy Folan came to her position as director of Family and Children/Youth Ministries at San Francisco’s St. Dominic Parish after more than 20 years as a stay-at-home mom. She’s been in the new job since the feast of St. Dominic, Aug. 8, 2017. “My husband and I have directed our own children’s faith formation as we raised them,” Kathy told me via email. “We chose Catholic schools for their education, Kathy Folan as we believe our faith life is an integral part of a well-rounded education.” The couple’s sons were confirmed through the confirmation program at St. Dominic’s. “I knew the program well from the perspective of a parent and what my boys received from their experience.” Kathy holds a degree in philosophy from the University of San Francisco studying at Oxford in her senior year, and a certificate from the St. Ignatius Institute, a Great Books program. “Our parish is large and vibrant,” Kathy said. Sunday mornings include a nursery available for children aged 1-5 at a 9:30 Mass, and children’s faith formation classes for pre-school through sixth grade. “We have two first Communion classes – one for second graders, and another for third-sixth graders,” Kathy said. The parish uses Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based approach, for preschool and kindergarten children. “This is one of my favorite aspects of our program, allowing each child to truly experience Christ and the liturgy in a prayerful, hands-on environment,” Kathy said. “The true teacher in this catechesis is the Holy Spirit.” Kathy herself has taken instruction in the good shepherd method to better understand it. “It has transformed my spiritual life,” she said. “We should all be like children, and see Jesus through their eyes.” The parish Confirmation and Youth Ministry program is for seventh and eighth graders. “We are hoping to get a new program started for high schoolers,” Kathy said. Kathy said “God” was her guide to the job. After receiving bills for their daughter’s college tuition and their son’s high school tuition on the same day, she and her husband decided that one more income would help. Kathy sent an email to St. Dominic pastor, Dominican Father Michael Hurley, and adult faith formation director, Michael O’Smith, asking for prayers on her job pursuit. “That same day, the director of
DECATHLON CHAMPS: The decathlon team from St. Raymond School, Menlo Park, took the overall prize in the Archdiocese of San Francisco Academic Decathlon competitions March 2 at St. Pius School, Redwood City. Competitors included students in sixth-eighth grade from 14 schools. Sections of the competition include team logic and a super quiz plus eight individual events testing knowledge of Roman Catholic doctrine, English, literature, science, mathematics, current events, social studies and fine arts. The team goes on to state decathlon contests in April. Back from left: Mary Catherine Murphy-Stroth, Yaiza Fernandez-Munoz, Will Avina, Kara Merkert, Patrick Boyd, Blake Zieger, Adam Karr, Tatum Schultz, Kate Ward, Annika Porteous; front from left: Anna Thieman, Milun Kalidindi, Nelson Harris. Not available for photo was team coach Blair Porteous, dad of team member Annika. Kathy said “connecting with our parishioners, and helping them draw nearer to Christ,” is special to her. “I have found lifelong friends in the Bible Chicks, which I started in 2014 and now they are some of the moms in our program. I love going to work every day, stopping by the tabernacle to say ‘hi’ to Jesus, and everyone I work with. It is a delight to work here.” Religious education directors in the archdiocese take part in regular training sessions. Kathy jumped right into the classes and said she is learning a lot and meeting others in the field with whom she now consults. “I feel like my entire life experience led me to this job, and I can’t wait to see what the future will bring for our program and life of the church.”
LENTING A HAND: It was all-hands at work at St. Mark Parish, Belmont where parishioners encouraged by the Ladies Guild donated new and gently used items for distribution by Catholic Worker House in Redwood City. The bags in the truck show only some of what was donated. “The smiles say it all,” the parish said. Pictured are Larry Purcell and Susan Crane from Catholic Worker House. Family and Youth Ministries announced that she was engaged and leaving the country in less than two weeks,” Kathy said. “We put two and two together, and the rest is history. I found the perfect job, in the parish I already love.”
‘MOSAIC’: For more than 40 years, the archdiocese and KPIX have teamed in producing “Mosaic,” airing Sunday mornings at 5:30 a.m. on Channel 5. On April 7, host J.A Gray, speaks with Maggie Gallagher, director of The Benedict XVI Institute, at work to provide “resources for more beautiful sacred music in parishes” and “to energize a Catholic culture of the arts,” John said. Past episodes of Mosaic are archived and viewable at sfarch.org/ mosaic-tv. Learn about the institute at sfarchdiocese.org/events/benedict-xvi-institute. Email items and electronic pictures – hi-res jpegs - to burket@ sfarch.org or mail to Street, One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco 94109. Include a follow-up phone number. Street is toll-free. Reach me at (415) 614-5634; email burket@sfarch.org.
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO Catholic San Francisco (ISSN 15255298) is published 26 times per year 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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FROM THE FRONT 5
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
CATHOLIC WORKER: Welcoming those with ‘nowhere else to go’ FROM PAGE 1
by every Thursday, and haircuts are offered once a month. The house also hands out toiletries, hats and gloves. As people left the dining room during a recent visit by Catholic San Francisco, Christine Baker, the assistant director, handed out rain ponchos. While rest and repose are important gifts, Stiehler said the sense of community is the most important offering. “It gives people a place to be with others,” he said. “That’s my most important job, after opening in the morning and making sure we have enough food.” Stiehler and his wife Kate Chatfield founded the Hospitality House when they moved to the Bay Area, inspired by their experience living in a Catholic Worker home in Los Angeles. The Catholic Worker movement, founded as a loose collection of communities in 1933 by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, embraces radical hospitality and nonviolence and aims to “live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ,” according to its website. There are over 200 Catholic Worker communities in the U.S., four in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. One San Bruno guest, who gave his first name as Harold, was homeless when he first visited the Hospitality House 20 years ago. Now stably housed, he continues to visit regularly and tell people about the dining room. “I know a lot of people wouldn’t have a place to go otherwise,” he said. “People who don’t have anywhere else to go, this is where they talk and mingle. They can’t afford to go to restaurants, they’re getting kicked out of Starbuck’s all the time,” he said. All have found a warm welcome at the Hospitality House, regardless of their situation in life. “People are saints here,” he said. Gathered at a table at the tail end of breakfast, a few guests and volunteers chatted over coffee, including Leoba Moulton, one of the saints Harold mentioned. She cooks breakfast three times a week. Guests praised her cooking and mentioned their favorite dishes she’s made. Moulton brings more than hot meals to the dining room by giving her attention to the guests who come through. “There’s so many people who come here alone, and I’m a widow, so I know what it means to be alone,” she said. Judy Pena, a former volunteer and staff member who first visited the house 19 years ago, said, “And they appreciate that, it helps them feel less alone. And of course she doesn’t let them get away with hell.” “Common courtesy still applies,” Moulton agreed, laughing. The dining room runs on donations of not only food and goods but the time volunteers spend there. About three to four volunteers help every day. On Wednesday, volunteer Lorraine Murphy was washing dishes during breakfast. At 94 years old, “she’s one of our most faithful volunteers,” said Christine Baker, the assistant director of house. “Rain or shine, she shows up.”
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(PHOTO BY NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
From left, Dean Varchetto, Lorraine Murphy and Barbara Cox work in the San Bruno Catholic Worker Hospitality House dining room March 20. The Hospitality House will celebrate the dining room’s 23rd anniversary in April. Many former guests become volunteers or are hired to operate the overnight shelter. Jonathan, who volunteers as a cleaner after breakfast ends, said he first came as a guest around 10 years ago and found himself helping more and more often. Now, he said, he tries to come every day. “They really believe in the spirit of helping
people,” he said. “It provided a place for me to rest and get my head together. It’s just great for a springboard, a foundation.” For more information about the San Bruno Catholic Worker Hospitality House, visit http://catholicworkerhospitalityhouse.org or call (650) 827-0706
6 ARCHDIOCESE
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Helping San Francisco’s invisible homeless CHRISTINA GRAY
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunter’s Point neighborhood is the city’s “forgotten place,” say Catholic Charities outreach workers who walk the area daily to offer hope and support for those without homes or living in makeshift housing. The need is greatest around the former naval shipyard site north of Candlestick Park, five miles from downtown, where the city’s largest population of homeless or near-homeless outside the Tenderloin lives in tents, vehicles and abandoned buildings. Although relatively free from the gaze of the public, property owners and police, this mixed population of San Francisco residents and transients also is invisible. Catholic San Francisco accompanied a Catholic Charities Bayview Access Point team to the former shipyard area on March 13.
(PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE GRAY/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
‘Left out of the beauty’
A homeless man is seen on debris-strewn railroad tracks. Desperate families and others live in fear and isolation in the surrounding neighborhoods, said Rob Strahan, program manager of Bayview Access Point. The project works in partnership with the city to help families obtain or maintain housing. “This really is an area that’s been forgotten,” Strahan said. “The people here feel left out of the beauty of San Francisco.”
Living on the street
A chain of dilapidated campers and cars are parked on both sides of a street in the Bayview, forming a neighborhood of sorts for homeless families and individuals who are hiding in plain sight. “We’ve seen families living in RVs outside of a home they can no longer afford,” said Cynthia Thomas, an outreach worker and a one-time Bayview resident as she drove the red Catholic Charities outreach minivan loaded with shoes, toys, baby formula, backpacks, personal toiletries and other necessities. Once they’ve gained the trust of homeless families, outreach workers help them find appropriate housing and provide rental assistance including the payment of some security deposits and housing application fees. They also find short-term remedies, such as buying groceries, paying utility bills and mediating disputes between tenants and landlords, to support those at high risk of homelessness.
‘Most are surprised anyone cares’
Shame and fear
Many homeless families live under cover out of shame or fear of being separated from their children or deportation, Catholic Charities’ Sean Strahan said. This could mean that the city’s count of 618 homeless family members reported in its most recent homeless census is a gross undercount, he said. Here on Quint Street outside an abandoned business, someone’s living space is a tent fashioned from tarps and secured by bricks. “The newly homeless are the most vulnerable,” Strahan said. “They don’t know what to do and are scared they might be in this situation forever.” The goal of the outreach workers is to have homeless family members enter the Access Point process, a required city gateway to obtaining services. There are localized Access Points for the Bayview, Mission and Central City.
“It’s Catholic Charities and we’re here to see if you need any help,” Catholic Charities’ Strahan called out through the entrance to an apartment in a boarded-up public housing complex in a predominantly African-American neighborhood known as Double Rock. A young woman cautiously parted the shower curtain that served as her front door. She told Strahan she had essentially been squatting there alone without power or water since her release from jail. She wanted to be reunited with her 5-month-old baby who is in protective custody. She accepted some personal care items and agreed to come into the Access Point for an assessment. “We don’t really know what to expect when we go out,” Strahan said. “Building rapport is the biggest thing to make people feel comfortable. Despite their caution, most are surprised that anyone is looking for them or cares about them.”
ARCHDIOCESE 7
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
One woman’s story Catholic Charities’ Strahan knocked on the rickety door of an RV and Christine “Spirit” Woehler, 41, stepped out. She said she lives in the vehicle with her husband. She assured Strahan that they are OK and do not need anything but began to cry. “They took my dog away last week and put him to sleep,” she said. Spirit said she and her husband were faithful, churchgoing Roman Catholics until their long streak of sobriety ended and they moved into their camper to be close to a nearby methadone clinic.
A little help. A big difference.
A hopeful goodbye Catholic Charities’ Strahan said that he and other outreach workers have to be creative in helping the people they meet. He noticed Spirit’s expired vehicle registration tags and offered to pay the fees so her camper home would not be towed. He notified the city’s Homeless Outreach Team, which focuses on homeless adults. Catholic Charities’ outreach worker Cynthia hugged Spirit as the outreach team said goodbye. “Most people I know are out here because they’ve been done wrong,” Spirit told Catholic San Francisco, or have done themselves wrong. She said she “hopes to be a social worker one day like my granny.” For more information on the city’s Access Point program, visit http://hsh.sfgov.org/ services/family-coordinated-entry/.
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019 PAID ADVERTISEMENT
African Priest Who Sacrificed to Serve Kenya’s Drought-Stricken Poor Seeks Help From U.S. Catholics As the nephew of an ailing tribal chief, Fabian Hevi stood next in line to lead his community in Ghana, West Africa. He had the skill set for the job — intelligence, a winsome personality and a knack for peacemaking — but rather than take the easy route, the young Catholic chose a surprising path. He committed his life to the priesthood and to serving the poorest of the poor.
Father Fabian. Today, Father Fabian of the Society of African Missionaries is facing an incredible challenge in a region of Kenya plagued by drought and famine. His mission: to rescue and restore Turkana families struggling through drought and extreme heat. “Fr. Fabian Hevi has undertaken an almost impossible task, so we feel compelled to help him and to rally other Catholics around the world to do the same. He’s surrounded by people desperate for water, and he
is eager to serve them, but he can’t achieve his noble aims without our help,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a U.S.based Catholic charity specializing in supporting missions in the developing world. Cross Catholic Outreach seeks out and empowers priests and nuns like Fr. Fabian because the charity believes dedicated Catholic leaders serving the poor should be encouraged and empowered. “They have sacrificed their lives to benefit others. Supporting their missions is the least we can do,” Cavnar said. “Our work is to go and evangelize,” Fr. Fabian said. “We talk about the love of God, but some of these poor people find it very difficult to understand. ‘What are you talking about? What is love? I am here suffering every day. I don’t even have food to eat, and you’re telling me about the love of God?’ Trying to relieve their sufferings gives them a better understanding that there is a God who loves them.” Right now, Fr. Fabian is working to supply the Turkana with clean, abundant water to satisfy their thirst and save their livestock. He has relied on help from Cross Catholic Outreach before and is now asking the ministry to help him install water systems that are a safe and reliable alternative to scooping dirty water from hand-dug pits. Thankfully, Fr. Fabian need not face this most recent challenge alone. Cross Catholic Outreach has stepped forward to assist him, and
Turkana tribespeople must scoop dirty water out of hand-dug holes to satisfy their thirst. the charity is currently mobilizing U.S. Catholics to add their support to his transformative work. Donations made to Cross Catholic Outreach for water projects will help the African priest in profound ways. Cross uses its water fund to hire well-drilling rigs, purchase pumps, and cover the other expenses of the job. In the end, this cooperative effort by Cross Catholic Outreach, local parishes and American Catholics will transform impoverished communities and — in many cases — save lives. “My hope and prayer is that American Catholics will become more involved in the work of Catholic heroes like Fr. Fabian,” Cavnar said. “As a Catholic who regularly sees the sacrifices our priests and nuns make overseas,
I’m awed by their selflessness and the incredible challenges they face. To have an even greater impact on missionaries like these, we encourage people to become Mission Partners and contribute a set amount monthly. Those gifts are particularly helpful.” Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach can use the brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to: Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01453, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168. The ministry has a special need for partners willing to make gifts on a monthly basis. Use the inserted brochure to become a Mission Partner or write Monthly Mission Partner on mailed checks to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.
Cross Catholic Outreach Endorsed by More Than 100 Bishops, Archbishops Cross Catholic Outreach’s range of relief work to help the poor overseas continues to be recognized by a growing number of Catholic leaders in the U.S. and abroad. “We’ve received more than 100 endorsements from bishops and archbishops,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach (CCO). “They’re moved by the fact that we’ve launched outreaches in almost 40 countries and have undertaken a variety of projects — everything from feeding the hungry and housing the homeless to supplying safe water and supporting educational opportunities for the poorest of the poor. The bishops have also been impressed by Cross Catholic Outreach’s direct and meaningful response to emergency situations, most recently by providing food, medicines and other resources to partners in Haiti, El Salvador and areas of Belize impacted by natural disasters.” Archbishop Thomas Rodi of
Mobile, Alabama, supported this mission in a recent endorsement, writing: “It is a privilege for me to support Cross Catholic Outreach. This organization funds ministries to our neighbors in need in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and the Pacific. Through the generosity of so many, the love of God is made visible to many who are coping with the most difficult of daily living conditions.” In addition to praising CCO’s accomplishments, many of the bishops and archbishops are encouraged that Pontifical canonical status was conferred on the charity in September 2015, granting it approval as an official Catholic organization. This allows CCO to participate in the mission of the Church and to give a concrete witness to Gospel Charity, in collaboration with the Holy Father. “Your work with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is a strong endorsement
of your partnership with the work of the Universal Church,” Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco said. “By providing hope to the faithful overseas by feeding the hungry,
clothing the naked, delivering medical relief to the sick, shelter to the homeless, and through self-help projects, you are embodying the Papal Encyclical Deus Caritas Est.”
CCO’s Outreach Priests visit U.S. parishes to share what the ministry is accomplishing.
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
American Catholics Have Exciting Opportunities to Help Impoverished Areas With the Blessing of Safe Water “Roughly 10 percent of the world’s population lives without ready access to clean water. As a result, about 700,000 children die every year from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation — that’s almost 2,000 children a day. And about 90 percent of the deaths caused by diarrheal diseases are among boys and girls under 5 years old. “No one would deny the importance of water to sustain life, but few of us realize just how critical the need for this blessed resource has become in some parts of the developing world. It’s literally a matter of life and death.” With his recent statement, Cross Catholic Outreach president Jim Cavnar put the stark statistics of UNICEF and the World Health Organization into terms every American Catholic can easily understand. A serious water crisis threatens the world’s poorest countries, and it should be a major concern to those of us who value the sanctity of life. Thankfully, the Catholic Church is aware of this problem and has stepped forward to act on behalf of the poor, according to Cavnar. “Priests and nuns serving in developing countries are identifying the areas of greatest need and are creating plans to help solve the problems,” he said. “All they lack is funding. If we can empower them with grants of aid and with other resources, amazing things can be accomplished.” Cavnar’s own ministry, Cross Catholic Outreach, was launched in 2001 with this specific goal in mind. It rallies American Catholics to fund specific projects overseas, and many safe water initiatives have been successfully implemented as a result. In one case, tapping a spring in Haiti allowed Cross Catholic Outreach to reduce infant mortality in a poor, remote part of the country. “Catholic leaders in the village of Cerca reported children were dying at an alarming rate. If you visited, you could see the funeral processions carrying the tiny coffins. They discovered contaminated water was the problem, and they asked us to help find a solution. Working together, we were able to tap a spring and provide clean, safe water,” Cavnar explained. Because every area’s water problem is different, Cross Catholic Outreach needs to be flexible. Over the years, its projects have included everything from digging wells to channeling water from springs to installing filtration systems to providing large holding tanks for purchased water. They also work worldwide and have done water projects in Africa, South and Central American countries, the Caribbean and elsewhere. “This year, some of our biggest water projects are planned for
ABOVE: Women in the Santa Rosa de Lima Diocese currently spend hours filling their buckets with contaminated water before taking the long walk home. Catholic benefactors supporting Cross Catholic Outreach’s water project can provide safe, abundant water to impoverished communities like these. BELOW: In many areas of the developing world, the poor depend on contaminated water sources like this for their drinking water. Zambia, Kenya and Guatemala,” Cavnar said. “Of course, our ability to take on that work will depend on getting contributions here in the U.S.” Cavnar is clearly grateful to American Catholics who choose to support Cross Catholic Outreach’s work with their prayers and gifts, and he emphasizes their role often, describing them as the real heroes in every success story. “Take the water project needed in the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima, Guatemala, for example. Drilling for water wasn’t an option due to the terrain. So it’s an ambitious plan that will develop a complex water and distribution system to pump clean water to every home in a community currently relying on contaminated lakes and streams for survival. The Catholic priest in the area desperately needs it and its impact will be profound — but it takes outside funding to turn that dream into a reality. So, when our Catholic benefactors support a project like this, they are literally an answer to prayer.” The same has been true in other important outreaches too. Over the years, Cross Catholic Outreach donors have built homes, schools and clinics — and have further blessed those outreaches with gifts to fund medicines, school supplies, teacher salaries and more. “It is possible to bless people, save lives and transform communities,” Cavnar said. “It just takes concerned Catholics working together to achieve those goals.”
How to Help To fund Cross Catholic Outreach’s effort to help the poor worldwide, use the postage-paid brochure inserted in this newspaper or mail your gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01453, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168. The brochure also includes instructions on becoming a Mission Partner and making a regular monthly donation to this cause. If you identify a specific aid project with your gift, 100% of the proceeds will be restricted to be used for that specific project. However, if more is raised for the project than needed, funds will be redirected to other urgent needs in the ministry.
10 ARCHDIOCESE
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Parishioner stories: Sustained by prayer, sacrament and service Editor’s note: This is the second in a 2019 series of brief profiles of Massgoing Catholics in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. In this installment, we spoke with parishioners from St. Paul, Church of the Epiphany and St. Bruno. The first installment, in the Jan. 31 issue, featured stories about what keeps Catholics anchored in their faith despite challenges in the church and in their personal lives. To comment or suggest a story idea, contact San Francisco-Marin reporter Christina Gray at grayc@sfarch.org or San Mateo reporter Nicholas Wolfram Smith at smithn@sfarch.org.
(PHOTO BY CHRISTINA GRAY/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
(PHOTO BY NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
Miguel Gonzalez grew up in San Francisco at a time when it seemed nearly everyone was Catholic. “True Catholics cannot lose their faith,” said the longtime St. Paul parishioner. If the sins and human failings of men cause a person to lose their faith in God, “Then they didn’t really have faith to begin with.” For Church of the Epiphany parishioner Carol Maldonado, “Lent means nothing goes to waste.” She noted that the palms used on Palm Sunday are turned into ashes for next year’s Lent. “There is sacrifice, there are things that are hard, there are things that as a Catholic are hard, but Jesus went through a lot harder.”
Miguel Gonzalez
Norma Griffitts
Carol Maldonado
‘True Catholics cannot lose their faith’
‘He’s the one, he’s the answer’
‘Lent means nothing goes to waste’
San Francisco’s Miguel Gonzalez was born 88 years ago in a city so Catholic that the first time he heard about a Presbyterian he thought it was a type of drink. “Everybody was Catholic,” said Gonzalez, born to a Native American father and a Mexican-born mother in the Mission District. Or at least so it seemed to him at the time. On Good Friday, he told Catholic San Francisco, “the whole city closed down for three hours.” While that and much else has changed about his hometown, Gonzalez’s Catholic roots are deep and as central to who he is as it was when he was a young boy growing up in St. Peter Parish. Over his almost nine decades he has had his ups and downs. Gonzalez was removed for a time from his parents’ care as a child and went to live in a group home. He was the lone survivor of a grenade attack on a Jeep as a young Army soldier in the Korean War. He has looked death in the eye more than once and has buried his firstborn child. But personal suffering, scandals or schisms in the church have never made him doubt his place in it, he said. “True Catholics cannot lose their faith,” said the longtime St. Paul parishioner. If the sins and human failings of men cause a person to lose their faith in God, he said, “then they didn’t really have faith to begin with.” He recalled an experience serving as an impromptu altar boy for a priest in a snowy battlefield Mass during the Korean War as a turning point in his faith. When the Eucharist tumbled from a trembling soldier’s mouth, Gonzalez dove for the spiraling host like an outfielder and caught it with the Communion plate. He believes his improbable survival from the Jeep blast months later was God’s way of saying, “You saved me from hitting the dirt, now I save you.”
Learning about her faith has been a lifelong process for Norma Griffitts. “My mother never pushed us to go to church,” she told Catholic San Francisco. In her catechism classes, she remembered “learning about God and that’s it.” Even after her marriage at the former St. Joseph Parish in San Francisco, “I didn’t know very much about my religion.” Griffitts said. Going to Mass at St. Bruno Parish was a turning point in her faith, she said. Listening to the Gospel readings at Mass, and the way homilies connected Jesus’ time to contemporary life, deepened her understanding of Catholicism. “That’s when I started getting what religion is all about. Most of what I’ve learned is through listening to the Gospels. I believe because of the Gospels,” Griffitts said. Griffitts said she feels closely connected to God through prayer and bringing her burdens to him. “When I have problems and I pray, he answers them,” she said. At 85 years old, after daily Mass at St. Bruno Griffitts walks across the church plaza to help clean up after breakfast at the Catholic Worker House on the grounds. The work is joyful, but can be heartbreaking. “A lot of parents come and ask, have I seen their son? It’s so hard to see a mother looking for her kids here,” she said. “I tell my kids, in here is reality.” Griffitts said she occasionally hears critical comments about the Catholic Church. “People tell me, oh, your religion, your priests are this and that. I say, I don’t go to church because of the priests. I listen to them because they teach us the Gospel. I go because of God, because he gave up his son for us. That’s why I come every day, and from each priest I learn a lot I did not know.” Age has given Griffitts a clear understanding of her life. “I have lived ups and downs, and the only thing you can do is do good to God and Jesus,” she said. “For me, he’s the one, he’s the answer. I tell my kids, I know my age, I don’t know when the Lord is going to come for me, but you have to do good deeds in this life, and don’t expect anything in return.”
Church of the Epiphany in San Francisco was a spiritual home for Carol Maldonado years before she became Catholic. She first started going there when she was 15, after a friend’s mother invited her to Mass and to youth group events. “It felt like family,” she said. Over the years, she drew closer to becoming Catholic, always coming to the same parish. “Every time I wanted to look for God, I came here,” she said. As she was wondering how to join the church, she heard an announcement about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at the parish. Five years later and a member of her parish’s RCIA team, Maldonado said one of her favorite parts of her ministry is seeing whole families come in, and the way joy and faith spread through them. Maldonado’s sister and nieces joined the church after her conversion. Since they’ve joined, Maldonado said she’s been amazed to see the way her nieces minister to each other and to their mom, and to hear “the Holy Spirit speak through them,” she said. Maldonado said building a community is an important part of the church’s work. Reflecting back on when she was 15 years old, finding generosity and hospitality in the church, prompts her to look at what’s being done today for their youth. “I pray for them, and I’m concerned for them because it’s hard growing up, especially with social media,” she said. Maldonado added she is encouraged by Pope Francis’ outreach to youth through social media and World Youth Day. As the church prepares for Easter, Maldonado said she draws comfort from Lent. “Lent means nothing goes to waste,” she said, where old palms from Palm Sunday are turned into ashes for Lent. “There is sacrifice, there are things that are hard, there are things that as a Catholic are hard, but Jesus went through a lot harder.”
CHRISTINA GRAY
NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH
NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH
St. Paul Parish
St. Bruno Parish
Church of the Epiphany
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Bishops: Death penalty moratorium welcome pause for ‘civil dialogue’ CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in the state, a step the state’s Catholic bishops said provides a welcome pause for “civil dialogue” on alternatives to capital punishment. “The death penalty has been an abject failure,” Newsom said in a March 13 Twitter post. “It discriminates based on the color of your skin or how much money you make. It’s ineffective, irreversible, and immoral. It goes against the very values that we stand for – which is why CA is putting a stop to this failed system.” Newsom signed an executive order placing a moratorium on the death penalty, withdrawing California’s lethal injection protocols and immediately closing the execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison. The order does not provide for the release of any individual from prison or otherwise alter any current conviction or sentence. “The intentional killing of another person is wrong and as governor, I will not oversee the execution of any individual,” Newsom said in a press release. “Our death penalty system has been, by all measures, a failure. It has discriminated against defendants who are mentally ill, black and brown, or can’t afford expensive legal representation. It has provided no public safety benefit or value as a deterrent. It has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars. Most of all, the death penalty is absolute. It’s
2005 study that found that those convicted of killing whites were more than three times as likely to be sentenced to death as those convicted of killing blacks and more than four times as likely as those convicted of killing Latinos. He said at least 18 of the 25 people executed in the U.S. in 2018 had one or more of the following impairments: significant evidence of mental illness; evidence of brain injury, developmental brain damage, or an IQ in the intellectually disabled range; chronic serious childhood trauma, neglect, and/or abuse. He said the governors of three other states – Oregon, Colorado and Pennsylvania – have suspended WILLET HAUSER STANDARDS enforcement of the death penalty. He noted that in 2018,logo the Washington state Supreme Court struck (CNS PHOTO/COURTESY OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS) down the death penalty as unconstitutional and This undated photograph shows a close-up of the table where “racially biased.” executions are carried out by lethal injection at San Quentin Innocent people have been sentenced to death in State Prison in California. California, the governor said. “Since 1973, 164 condemned prisoners nationirreversible and irreparable in the event of human wide, including five in California, have been freed error.” from death row after they were found to have been Newsom said there are 737 people currently on ™ wrongfully convicted,” he said. “No person has been death row in California, the largest death-row popuASSOCIATED ® lation in the Western Hemisphere. One in four people executed since 2006 because California’s execution protocols have not been lawful. Yet today, 25 Califoron death row in theAMERICA’S UnitedPREMIER States are in California. ® where light learnsrow totospeak nia death inmates have exhausted all of their He said the deathSTAINED penalty unevenly and unfairly GLASSis STUDIO where light learns speak state and federal appeals and could be eligible for an applied to people of color, people with mental disWILLET HAUSER STANDARDS execution date.” abilities, and people who cannot afford costly legal repairs & restoration n representation. “More than six in 10 people on California’s death new designs SEE n DEATH PENALTY, PAGE 25 row are people of color,” Newsom said, noting a fabrication n PRIMARY LOGO
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Retired Bishop Francis A. Quinn, 97; was oldest US prelate MICHAEL BROWN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
TUCSON, Ariz. – Retired Bishop Francis A. Quinn, who was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1946, headed the Diocese of Sacramento from 1980 to 1994 and later spent 13 years ministering to Native Americans Bishop Francis in the Diocese of A. Quinn Tucson, died March 21 at age 97. Vespers and a rosary will take place the evening of March 31. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at noon April 1. All services will be at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento. The seventh bishop to head the Diocese of Sacramento, he was a much beloved figure in the Sacramento community. “Bishop Quinn, at the time of his death, was the oldest Catholic bishop in the United States. A status he enjoyed
sharing with the many who visited him,” Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento said in a March 22 statement. “In his quieter moments though, Bishop Quinn was ready and eager to meet the Good Shepherd whom he had served faithfully during his 73 years as a priest, 41 of which as bishop.” “As he approached the divine threshold,” he said, “Bishop Quinn’s heart resonated with the words of Paul to the Philippians: ‘It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.’” Many admired and loved Bishop Quinn, “Catholics and non-Catholics alike,” Bishop Soto said. “He was always accompanied by friends and family throughout his long stay at Mercy McMahon (an assisted living residence). I am grateful to all those who were his companions during the final part of his sojourn. “Let us continue to accompany him with our prayers. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. May perpetual light
shine upon him.” Francis Anthony Quinn was born Sept. 11, 1921, in Los Angeles. He attended St. Joseph Seminary in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, where he was ordained a priest June 15, 1946. He earned a master’s in education from The Catholic University of America in 1947 and a doctorate in education from the University of California- Berkeley in 1962. He taught in archdiocesan high schools until becoming assistant superintendent of Catholic schools in 1955. From 1962 to 1972, he was editor of the archdiocesan newspaper, the San Francisco Monitor. From 1970 – 1978 he was pastor of St. Gabriel Parish, San Francisco. Pope Paul VI appointed him as an auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese, and he was consecrated on June 29, 1978. Bishop Quinn was appointed by St. John Paul II to Sacramento and was installed there in 1980. While Bishop Quinn served 13 years
as Sacramento’s bishop, he made national news for his advocacy on behalf of the poor. He was known for giving money to the homeless, serving meals and washing dishes in a soup kitchen and visiting migrant labor camps in the summer. He helped spearhead a civic ecumenical partnership to build 1,000 homes for Sacramento’s homeless population. The Sacramento Bee newspaper lauded Bishop Quinn as “Sacramento’s conscience.” “When he speaks for the poor and the homeless, he speaks with the authority of a bishop who ordered the sale of the church mansion and moved into the maid’s quarters in the basement” of the cathedral rectory, said a Bee editorial. Throughout his tenure, he also supported school choice legislation and support for Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and development agency. SEE FRANCIS QUINN, PAGE 28
THE LOGOS AND THE DAO: JOHN C. H. WU’S CATHOLIC WITNESS TO CHINA’S SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS John C.H. Wu was a scholar, jurist, and cultural ambassador who, among other accomplishments, translated the Dao De Jing for a Western audience. A convert to Catholicism, he also wrote a number of important works furthering the engagement of spirituality East and West. Robert Gimello, Professor Emeritus of Theology at Notre Dame University and a former student of Wu, will speak about Wu as a Catholic guide for appreciating the contribution that Chinese thought can make to Christianity.
Talk & reception - Free and open to the Public. Wednesday 10 April 2019 at 5:30 PM
Santa Clara University, Charney Hall – Room 103 | Santa Clara, CA 95050 Please register so the organizers will know how many to expect: www.uscatholicchina.org/JohnWu
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Polls shows rise in Catholics questioning church affiliation CAROL ZIMMERMANN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – A new Gallup Poll revealed that 37 percent of U.S. Catholics, up from 22 percent in 2002, said the abuse scandal in the church has led them to question whether they would remain Catholic. The poll’s results are based on interviews with 581 U.S. Catholics from Jan. 21 to 27 and Feb. 12 to 28. Gallup conducted a similar poll in 2002 after The Boston Globe reports on clergy abuse gained widespread attention. In this new poll, responses from practicing Catholics differed from the overall Catholic population. Forty-six percent of Catholics who seldom or never attend Mass say they have questioned whether they would remain in the faith, while 37 percent of monthly Massgoers say they have considered this and 22 percent of weekly Massgoers have thought about this. The same pattern existed in 2002, but this year more practicing and nonpracticing Catholics said they were likely to question their place in the church. Seventeen years ago, only one in eight weekly Massgoers asked this question compared to 24 percent of semi-regular Massgoers and 29 percent of those who seldom attend Mass. The report indicates that the responses to the poll don’t reveal if Catholics questioning their church membership will actually decide to leave. “Many Catholics may consider leaving the church but ultimately decide not to do so, or they may have no intention of leaving” but are responding to the question out of frustration with how the church has responded to this crisis, the report says. “There is a substantial difference between
SURVEY: MORE CATHOLICS CONCERNED ABOUT PERSECUTION
NEW YORK – More than half of U.S. Catholics – 58 percent – say they are very concerned about the persecution of Christians around the world, an increase of 17 percent from a similar poll a year ago. When asked to rank their concerns about global issues, respondents considered persecution of Christians as a slightly more important problem than climate change (57 percent), but less important than human trafficking (82 percent), poverty (74 percent) and the refugee crisis (60 percent). U.S. Catholics were asked for their views on Christian persecution in a survey conducted by Aid to the Church in Need-USA, a pontifical foundation based in New York, and McLaughlin & Associates, a national survey research company. The nationwide poll of 1,000 Catholic adults was conducted online with survey invitations distributed randomly within predetermined geographic units. Forty-six percent of respondents said the global persecution of Christians is “very severe,” an increase of 16 percent compared to the 2018 poll. They ranked Iran as the country where Christians are most severely persecuted. Next were Iraq, Syria, China, North Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
CHANGE LIFESTYLES TO PROTECT EARTH, SAY CHURCH, INDIGENOUS LEADERS
WASHINGTON – Guatemalan Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini said he notices when he visits family in the U.S. that almost anywhere he goes, the lights seem to be on – even in the daytime, even if there’s enough natural light to illuminate a space. To him, it signals a culture that he says has to change. Bishop Ramazzini and others who gathered at Georgetown University March 19-21 said the planet can no Cardinal Claudio longer deal with the environmental disruptions such actions proHummes duce, leaving vulnerable populations reeling from their adverse consequences. And soon, they said, if nothing is done to curb those actions, no one will escape the consequences that result from such a culture of waste. Bishop Ramazzini, along with other church leaders, members of indigenous communities, and environmental organizations related to the Catholic Church and other faith-based institutions, gathered in Washington in mid-March ahead of the October
(CNS PHOTO/ED LANGLOIS, CATHOLIC SENTINEL)
A woman prays during a Mass for victims and survivors of clergy sex abuse at St. Mary Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Oregon, Aug. 26, 2018. According to a March 13 Gallup poll, 37 percent of U.S. Catholics say the clergy abuse scandal has led them to question if they will remain Catholic.
considering leaving and leaving. It is also the case among those who do leave, some come back,” said Mark Gray, director of Catholic polls and a senior research associate at Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, or CARA. “When you think about the question about considering leaving, I am frankly surprised the percentage isn’t higher. Given the realities of the scandal I think it is natural to ask oneself questions about membership and identity,” he told Catholic News Service in a March 14 email. Gray, who takes the long view, said that “religious identity and affiliation is much more nuanced over the course of a lifetime than many assume.”
Synod of Bishops on the Amazon at the Vatican. Prelates and others at the synod will consider environmental situations in the Amazon and chart a plan of action. Patricia Gualinga, a member of the Kichwa indigenous community of Sarayaku, Ecuador, told those gathered not to say “those poor people,” when referring to indigenous communities or disenfranchised groups such as the poor, who are now facing the consequences of environmental problems. “Think of yourselves,” she warned, because “those poor people” may refer to them and their neighbors someday soon when environmental problems arrive at their doorstep. Communities want action, he said, not just documents that will sit on bookshelves, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, president of the Pan-Amazonian Church Network, said during a March 20 press conference. They want a church that will walk with them, one that is close to them, and an effort to help the planet and humanity requires exactly that kind of solidarity, Cardinal Hummes said. Yes, sometimes it feels as if such an effort is much like David facing Goliath, especially given the resources, and the grip a consumerist culture has on the world, Cardinal Hummes said. “But there’s an important detail: David won,” he said.
BISHOPS: EQUALITY ACT’S ‘SWEEPING REGULATIONS’ WILL HARM SOCIETY
WASHINGTON – In a joint letter to Congress March 20, the chairmen of three committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said they oppose to the Equality Act because while it is meant to provide protections to those who identify as LGBT, it would impose “sweeping regulations to the detriment of society as a whole.” The measure would add the new terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the definition of “sex” in federal civil rights laws, they said. Such a move would have “wide-reaching impacts” on health care, women and girls’ legal protections, charitable services to needful populations, schools, personal privacy, athletics, free speech, religious liberties and potentially parental rights, the prelates said. The Equality Act was introduced in the House and Senate March 13. It also is known as H.R. 5 and S. 788. The letter was signed by Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the Committee on
He also pointed out that most Catholics are recognizing that the abuse crisis is “not a current event but the scandal is. They are also likely to realize that there is a difference between their faith and the individuals who committed these awful crimes.” But Gray also cautioned that “something feels different about the current situation than in 2002.” “It’s almost as if this is a second strike” and any further scandal related to sex abuse could have a stronger impact on church membership, he added. The Gallup Poll showed no major difference in Catholics’ opinions about their church membership by age or gender. The poll also revealed that 40 percent of Catholics say they have a great deal of confidence in Pope Francis and 18 percent have quite a lot of confidence in him. These surveyed Catholics expressed similar views about their own parish priests: 41 percent have a great deal of confidence in them and 18 percent have quite a lot of confidence. But the poll showed that Catholics are less confident overall about priests, U.S. bishops and other Catholic leaders. About one in four U.S. Catholics said they have very little or no confidence in those two groups. Catholics who go to Mass each week are the most confident in priests and church leaders in general and infrequent Massgoers are the least confident. The widest gaps in confidence appears at the parish level with 86 percent of weekly Massgoers expressing confidence in their own priests, compared with 39 percent of those who seldom or never attend church. The Gallup Poll, which questioned adults throughout the country via landline and cellphones, has a sampling error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
Domestic Justice and Human Development; Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty; and Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. Regarding individuals who identify as LGBT, “each and every person should be treated with dignity and respect, the chairmen said. “Part of that dignity, as Pope Benedict stated, is every person’s right to gainful and decent employment free of unjust discrimination. Also included is each person’s right to services that address their needs for health and safety.” However, “rather than offering meaningful protections for individuals,” the Equality Act “would impose sweeping regulations to the detriment of society as a whole,” they explained. “The act’s definitions alone would remove women and girls from protected legal existence,” the prelates said. “Furthermore, the act also fails to recognize the difference between the person – who has dignity and is entitled to recognition of it – and the actions of a person, which have ethical and social ramifications.”
CATHOLICS MUST LOOK TO GOD FOR LIGHT IN DIFFICULT TIMES, SAYS ARCHBISHOP
BISMARCK, N.D. – Defending our Catholic beliefs is important, but Catholic discipleship also is “about advancing the Gospel, not merely sustaining or protecting it,” Philadelphia’s archbishop said in an evening keynote address at the University of Mary in Bismarck March 20. “No matter where or when or under what conditions we live, we have a mandate from Jesus Christ to preach the Gospel to all nations,” said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. “That’s a duty for all of us – there are no exceptions; but much more importantly, it’s a joy and a privilege.” The archbishop spoke during the university’s Vocations Jamboree. He also received the school’s Lumen Vitae medal (“The Light of Life”), given to “those who are champions of Catholic education and who bring others closer to Christ and his church.” “We live in a difficult time,” he said, urging his listeners to look to God for light in a world of darkness. “There’s some good in the world, and it’s worth fighting for. That’s a pretty good description of the vocation God asks from each of us in a difficult time.” CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
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Cardinal warns against being silent, in error about Catholic faith CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Faith
Ministry (PHOTO BY DENNIS CALLAHAN/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
Chinese Catholics venerate ancestors in welcoming New Year
Bishop Ignatius Wang, born in Beijing and ordained in Hong Kong before his long service as priest and auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, leads the Ancestor Veneration Rite at Chinese New Year Mass Feb. 9 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The veneration prayer asks God “to renew all creation” and in “following the tradition handed down to us, we reverently offer you incense, flowers, fruits and wine.”
SEE CARDINAL, PAGE 16
Conference explores laity’s responsibility for church
Future
NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
New Millennium holds challenge and promise for Bay Area Catholics The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake did more than shake the landscape. In a real sense, its aftershocks forced the beginning of change and spiritual renewal in Continued on page 16 FEBRUARY 12, 1999
VATICAN CITY – To keep silent about the truths of the Catholic faith or to teach the contrary is a form of religious deception that comes from the antiChrist, said Cardinal Gerhard Muller. The purpose of the church and its members, he said, is to lead people to Jesus, so all Catholics, but especially priests and bishops, “have a responsibility to recall these fundamental truths” and to strengthen the faith “by confessing the truth which is Jesus Christ himself.” The German theologian, who was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2012 to 2017, wrote what he called a “Manifesto of
VOLUME 1 • No. 1
February 12, 1999 Volume 1, No. 1
While lay men and women have taken on more roles in the church, a recent conference in Berkeley took a deeper look at the vocation of the laity and their connection to the mission of the church. At the annual convocation of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology’s College of Fellows Feb. 1 and 2, participants discussed the ways the laity are active in the church today, and how their role could be expanded. The conference’s theme – “The Role of the Laity in the Church Today” – was selected early last year, the school’s communications direc-
‘The parish has always been the place where Catholic community thrives, but this is becoming less and less the case. Faith formation is not happening well from the pulpit, within the parish or in our Catholic schools.’ DOMINICAN FATHER MICHAEL SWEENEY tor Heidi McKenna told Catholic San Francisco, but the clergy abuse scandals made the theme “even more timely.” The convocation every year brings together Catholic laity to discuss issues facing the church from a multidisciplinary perspective.
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In his opening talk, Dominican Father Michael Sweeney, the school’s past president, spoke about two paradigms of the church’s mission: care for souls and proclamation of the Gospel. Care for souls, which focuses on the parish as the center of the church’s mission, removes any significant role
for the laity, said Father Sweeney. “All agency is in the hands of sacramental ministers, since they control the means of saving souls,” he said. As a result, he said, lay Catholics tend to identify the church with the hierarchy. But significant changes have occurred in parishes, Father Sweeney said. “The parish has always been the place where Catholic community thrives, but this is becoming less and less the case. Faith formation is not happening well from the pulpit, within the parish or in our Catholic schools.” The Second Vatican Council and subsequent papal documents such as Pope John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
The Child and Youth Protection Program in the Archdiocese of San Francisco is part of a much larger program that extends to dioceses, archdioceses, and eparchies across the United States – all under the guidance of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Every diocese, archdiocese, and eparchy provides annual training for adults, including priests and deacons who interact with children; and the children themselves.
Father Charles Puthota
In 2018, the Archdiocese of San Francisco once again completed its annual audit for the national firm of Stonebridge Business Partners, which specializes in determining whether compliance is present within the norms for avoiding, detecting, and reporting child abuse. These norms were established by the USCCB in 2002 and have been updated numerous times in the past 16 years. Additionally, the Archdiocese successfully and satisfactorily completed its required once-every-three-year on-site audit with Stonebridge in September 2018.
Twyla Powers
2018 also marked the first full year of the Archdiocese’s use of the VIRTUS program for student training on abuse prevention and awareness, and fingerprinting of adults adults trained working with and children trained ministering to minors. Information about the VIRTUS program is available online at www.VIRTUS.org.
2,531,872 4,117,869
Ten Tips for Protecting Children
Since 2002, the bishops of the United States have carried out their ministries to protect and heal within all dioceses, archdioceses, and eparchies through the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, most recently revised in June 2018. The Charter gives direction on the following matters:
and Offering Outreach to Victims/Survivors
✦ Outreach and healing to victims and survivors
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✦ Prompt and effective responses to allegations of abuse
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Sexual abuse is about the victim. Many people are affected by abuse but the individual most impacted is the victim who has suffered a violation of trust that can affect his or her entire life.
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There are behavioral warning signs of child abusers. Some abusers isolate a potential victim by giving him or her undue attention or lavish gifts, others allow young people to participate in activities which their parents or guardians would not approve, such as watching pornography, drinking alcohol, using drugs, and excessive touching, such as wrestling and tickling.
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Common sense is not all that common.
People can be taught to identify grooming behavior. Grooming behaviors are the actions which abusers take to project the image that they are kind, generous, caring people, while their intent is to lure a minor into an inappropriate relationship. Offenders can be patient and may groom their victim, his or her family, or community for years.
Dioceses, schools, parishes, and especially families, must educate themselves and others on how to protect children.
Child sexual abuse can be prevented. It is critical to build safety barriers around children and young people to keep them from harm—such as protective guardians, codes of conduct, background evaluations, policies and procedures, and safety training programs.
You cannot always predict who will be an abuser. Experience shows that most abuse is committed by someone who has gained the trust of a victim/survivor and his/ her family.
No one has the right to have access to children. No one, no matter who they are, has an automatic right to be around children or young people who are in the care of the Church without proper screening and without following the rules.
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The residual effects of having been abused can last a lifetime. The sense of violation goes deep into a person’s psyche and feelings of anger, shame, hurt and betrayal can build long after the abuse has taken place. Those who have been abused can heal, but it often takes time, therapy, and the support of loved ones.
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and concerns are taken seriously, and a victim/survivor’s suffering, pain, and anger are acknowledged.
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Feeling heard leads toward healing. Relief from hurt and anger often comes when one feels heard, when one’s pain
Copyright © 2018, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.
Background checks are important. Background checks in churches, schools and other organizations keep predators away from children both because they scare off some predators and because they uncover past actions which should ban an adult from working or volunteering with children.
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
✦ Cooperation with public authorities ✦ Removal of offenders from ministry
Director of Pastoral Ministry (415) 614-5504
A PRAYER FOR HEALING VICTIMS OF ABUSE
197 U.S. dioceses/
Rocio Rodriguez, LMFT Victim Assistance Coordinator (415) 614-5506
Safe Environment Coordinator for Adults (non-clergy) (415) 614-5576
eparchies have
a victim assistance coordinator to obtain assistance and provide support for those abused.
God of endless love, ever caring, ever strong, always present, always just: You gave your only Son to save us by his blood on the cross. Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace, join to your own suffering the pain of all who have been hurt in body, mind, and spirit by those who betrayed the trust placed in them. Hear the cries of our brothers and sisters who have been gravely harmed, and the cries of those who love them. Soothe their restless hearts with hope, steady their shaken spirits with faith. Grant them justice for their cause, enlightened by your truth.
Karen Guglielmoni Safe Environment Coordinator for Children (415) 614-5578 Additional information regarding the Church’s response to the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults may be found at http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youthprotection/index.cfm
100% of U.S. diocese/ eparchies require
Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts, heal your people’s wounds and transform brokenness into wholeness. Grant us the courage and wisdom, humility and grace, to act with justice. Breathe wisdom into our prayers and labors. Grant that all harmed by abuse may find peace in justice.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
allegations of sexual abuse to be reported to public authorities.
Copyright © 2014, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. To order publication no. 7-495, visit usccbpublishing.org or call 877-978-0757.
What to do if you suspect abuse
Anyone who has reason to believe or suspects that a child has been or is being abused should report their suspicions first to civil authorities and then to the Archdiocese’s Victim Assistance Coordinator, Rocio Rodriguez, LMFT, at (415) 614-5506. Investigation should be left to duly appointed professionals. State law requires persons in certain positions (called “mandated reporters”) to make such reports. Others (called “ethical reporters”) should do so.
✦ Safe environment training programs for clergy, employees, volunteers, children, and youth that include information on prevention, identification, and response and reporting of abuse
Every allegation will be treated seriously and immediate steps taken to protect the alleged victim(s). These actions will be taken discreetly so as to protect the confidentiality and the rights of both the victim and the accused.
✦ Fingerprinting for all clergy, employees, and volunteers that have regular contact with children
Cases of alleged abuse in which the abuser and the victim are members of the same household are to be reported to Child Protective Services (CPS), while cases in which the victim and the accused do not share a household should be reported to law enforcement authorities (Sheriff’s Department or City Police). If in doubt, just report to the most convenient agency. They will help ensure the message reaches the proper agency.
✦ Annual audits of dioceses, archdioceses, and eparchies to ensure compliance with Charter guidelines The goal is that all children involved in Archdiocesan programs through Faith Formation, Parochial Schools, sports programs, youth ministry programs and other programs receive training each year. Additionally, the adults who either volunteer or are employed in those programs are trained and cleared to work with children before background checks they begin their ministries for clerics, employees with the children, and are and volunteers retrained every three years.
2,515,411
If you are an individual who either volunteers with children or are a paid employee of the Archdiocese who works with children and have not gone through Safe Environment training, you should immediately consult with your pastor and he will direct you to the correct person. Those with questions about compliance, victim assistance, or the Bishops’ charter are welcome to contact the following personnel at the Archdiocese Chancery offices:
Reporting Instructions by County
Marin Children & Family Services . . . . . . . . . . . (415) 473-7153 or www.marinhhs.org/children-family-services-emergency-response Sheriff’s Department . . . . . . . . . . . (415) 473-7250
San Francisco Child Protective Services . . . . . . . . . . . (800) 856-5553 or www.sfhsa.org/services/protection-safety/child-abuse Police Department . . . . . . . . . . . (415) 553-0123 (non-emergency line)
San Mateo Children & Family Services . . . . . . . . . . . (800) 632-4615, (650) 595-7922 or https://hsa.smcgov.org/children-family-services Sheriff’s Department . . . . . . . . . . . (650) 216-7676 or (650) 363-4911 (after hours non-emergency) Note: You can also report abuse directly to your local Police Department.
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18 CHURCH IN CRISIS
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Pell judge: ‘Egregious, callous, brazen, breathtakingly arrogant’ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
MELBOURNE, Australia – Cardinal George Pell, 77, Australia’s most powerful Catholic prelate and until recently a top official at the Vatican, was sentenced to six years in prison March 13, three months after a jury convicted him of sexually offending two young boys in the Melbourne cathedral in 1996 and 1997. Cardinal Pell, who continues to maintain his innocence, will try to appeal the verdict. The court has set June 5-6 as the dates to consider the basis for the appeal. The jury unanimously found that Cardinal Pell, shortly after being named archbishop of Melbourne in 1996, sexually assaulted two choirboys in the sacristy of Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The guilty verdict regarded one count of “sexual penetration,” in this case oral sex, and four counts of indecent acts with or in the presence of a minor under 16 years of age. Judge Peter Kidd said his sentencing decision balanced the seriousness of crimes against the cardinal’s “otherwise blameless life.” He said he deplored the “witch hunt” or “lynch mob” mentality in relation to Cardinal Pell and called the courts “a bulwark against such irresponsible behavior.” The judge said his sentencing decision also weighed the cardinal’s age and health problems, noting that the stress of imprisonment would exacerbate his hypertension and heart condition. He said he realized that “each year you spend in custody” would represent a large portion of the remainder of his life. “You may not live to be released from prison,” he said. The cardinal will be eligible for parole after three years and eight months. Cardinal Pell was present for the sentencing; he wore an open-necked black shirt with a beige blazer, but no clerical collar. The assembled victims, supporters, legal teams and media respected the judge’s call for silence throughout the proceeding; he spent more than an hour explaining the reasoning behind his sentencing.
Cardinal signs sex offenders’ register
The cardinal displayed no emotion and avoided eye contact during proceedings, before using a handrail to help him stand to hear the final sentence, reporters in the courtroom noted. After sentencing, the cardinal was ordered to sign the Victoria state sex offenders’ register before he was taken away in a prison van. Victims’ rights advocates outside the court cheered the verdict but said only a small piece of justice had been done and thousands more victims were waiting for justice. The judge spent more than one hour explaining the reasoning behind his sentencing and the factors he considered. He repeatedly referred to the cardinal’s position of authority over the choirboys and the breach of trust his actions caused. “You were a pillar of St. Patrick’s Cathedral by virtue of your position,” Kidd told the cardinal. “The brazenness of your conduct is indicative of your power over the victims,” he said.
(CNS PHOTO/DANIEL POCKETT, AAP IMAGES VIA REUTERS)
Australian Cardinal George Pell arrives at a court in Melbourne Feb. 27, 2019. Right, a woman puts a ribbon on the fence of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Ballarat, Australia, Feb. 27, 2019. The ribbons raise awareness and show support for victims of abuse. The powerful prelate’s actions “involved multiple different activities and actions,” the judge wrote. “You moved from one victim to the other,” he wrote. “Your dialogue with the two victims during the first episode was both purposeful and responsive. You continued to offend, with callous indifference to the victims’ obvious distress and objections. At one point during this episode, you even told your victims to be quiet because they were crying.” The cardinal’s behavior was “so egregious that it is fanciful to suggest that you may not have fully appreciated this,” the judge wrote. If the cardinal felt his powerful position enabled him to control the situation, such a state of mind would have been “breathtakingly arrogant,” the judge wrote.
‘Absolute dominance’
The judge stressed the “stark” power differential between the cardinal and the choirboys in the structured, disciplined cathedral environment. The cardinal had “absolute dominance” over the choirboys, who were performing to please him and moreover were required to attend choir as part of their school scholarship conditions, the judge wrote. The judge said one victim suffered “significant and long-lasting impact” on his well-being and ability to form relationships. The second victim is now deceased, although the judge noted that his death was unrelated to the abuse. The surviving victim, referred to as “victim J” in the judge’s sentence, said in a statement read by his lawyer, “I respect what the judge said. It was meticulous, and it was considered.” But, he said, “it is hard for me, for the time being, to take comfort in this outcome.” “I appreciate that the court has acknowledged what was inflicted upon me as a child. However, there is no rest for me. Everything is overshadowed by the forthcoming appeal,” the statement said. The victim, who has never been named, also rebutted criticism of the guilty verdict, saying he had spent more than two days giving evidence
(CNS PHOTO/JONATHAN BARRETT, REUTERS)
and was cross-examined by Cardinal Pell’s defense lawyer – vigorously, sources told Catholic News Service – while the cardinal did not take the stand at all. “A jury has unanimously accepted the truth of my evidence; Pell chose not to give evidence; the jury did not hear from him,” his statement said. The father of the deceased victim, who is suing Pell, described the sentence as a “joke” in a statement issued by his lawyers. “Today we witnessed history with one of the world’s most senior Catholic figures jailed for child sexual offenses,” said Lisa Flynn, representing the father’s law firm. “Our client is disappointed with the short sentencing and has expressed sadness over what he believes is inadequate for the crime.”
Victims ‘waiting to be heard’
Victims of abuse have been “waiting to feel heard,” she said. “Pell’s sentencing moves that progress forward, even if only a few small steps. I admire the courage of my client to keep fighting on behalf of his deceased son. To him, this battle is not over,” Flynn added. “The criminal justice system has only partially satisfied our client’s pursuit for justice today,” she said. “It’s now on us as his civil litigators to keep pushing for more just outcomes.” Flynn said her client is suing the cardinal “knowing that civil action has the power to disrupt an institution and impact meaningful change to prevent more tragedies from occurring.” The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Melbourne archdiocese declined to comment on the sentence. “I would just ask Australians today to get around those who have been victims of child sexual abuse,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Melbourne only minutes before the verdict. “Let them know we know it happened, that we want to help you be stronger and to survive what is the most abominable you could think that could happen to an individual with a breach of trust,” he said.
Bill Shorten, leader of the opposition Labor Party who will face Morrison in an election in May, said, “We can never underestimate the courage and resilience it takes for a survivor of child abuse to seek justice.” Noting that the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found that survivors were rarely believed, Shorten said, “instead, against the weight and power of both church and the state, they were marginalized, shamed and re-abused.”
Conviction appealed on four grounds
The cardinal’s legal team has lodged an appeal that will be heard by the Victorian Supreme Court (Appeal Division) on three grounds. The first is that the conviction by a 12-person jury is “unreasonable” because it relied on the “word of one complainant alone.” The second ground for appeal is a complaint from his defense team that it was stopped from using a visual aid it wanted to use to show it was impossible for the sexual activities to have taken place in the back rooms of the cathedral. A final ground is that there was a “fundamental irregularity” by the judge that saw Cardinal Pell not physically enter a not-guilty-plea in front of the jury. Lawyers said this was likely because he had done so in a previous trial where the jury was dismissed after being unable to reach a verdict, and the judge advised the new jury of the cardinal’s plea. On the last two grounds – which are of legal error – the appeals judge can overturn the verdict but must order a fresh trial. The Australian cardinal took a leave of absence from his post as prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy in June 2017 to return to Australia to face the charges. The cardinal’s five-year term as head of the secretariat expired Feb. 24. On Feb. 27, just after the verdict was published and Cardinal Pell was taken to jail, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced that it was beginning a canonical investigation of the cardinal. The congregation handles the church process for allegations of child sexual abuse by members of the clergy.
CHURCH IN CRISIS 19
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
German cardinal calls for debate on celibacy, role of women RITA BALLINGER FLETCHER CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
The Catholic Church in Germany is at a point where serious debate -- including on priestly celibacy and the role of women -- and openness to doing things in a new way must encouraged, said the president of the German bishops’ conference. “Shakeups demand special proceedings,” Cardinal Reinhard Marx, conference president, said March 14 at the end of the bishops’ spring meeting in Lingen. The sexual abuse scandal and demands for reform have changed the German church, the cardinal said. “The church in Germany is experiencing a break. The faith can only grow and deepen if we are liberated from blocked thinking, in order to pursue free and open debates and the ability to take new positions and go down new paths. “The church needs a synodal advancement. Pope Francis encourages this,” said Cardinal Marx. “We will create formats for open debates and bind ourselves to proceedings that facilitate a responsible participation of women and men from our dioceses. “We know about the cases of clerical abuses of power. It betrays the trust of people searching for firm footing and religious orientation. What must be done to achieve the necessary reduction of power and to construct a fairer and legally bound order will be to clarify a synodal path.” Germany’s bishops said they are still working on how to move forward following the sexual abuse scandal and other pressing issues. “Many voices can be heard saying
(CNS PHOTO/HARALD OPPITZ, KNA)
Demonstrators stand outside the German bishops’ spring meeting in Lingen March 11, 2019. The sexual abuse scandal and demands for reform have changed the German church, Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich said March 14. that there must be a concrete list of measures. I can only say in reply that we have this catalog and we are still working on the points named there,” Cardinal Marx said. During the meeting, the bishops heard the analyses and opinions of theology professors, female administrators within the church and church officials on issues pertaining to the sexual abuse crisis, church law, women in church administration and Catholic sexual morality. He said debates on celibacy require further study. “We treasure celibacy as an expression of religious commitment to God. How far it must adhere to the witness
of priests in our church, we will find out,” he said. Cardinal Marx also said Catholic sexual morality is in need of development. “We perceive that we are often not versed in questions regarding modern sexual behavior,” he said. The cardinal said he was aware that the results of the conference would not satisfy many people. “Not all of the findings of our discussions will meet with your understanding,” he said. “For this reason, we ask for your accompaniment in prayer, your support and your critical voice. Only thus can we advance together as the people of God.” He also acknowledged the wide-
spread disillusionment among German Catholics. “At this assembly, we have seen, heard and experienced that you, the believers in whose service we stand and with whom we feel bound in community, accompany our consultations with criticism,” said Cardinal Marx. He thanked the faithful for their prayers and their criticism. “We would like to tell you that we see and hear you. Your criticisms, worries, hardships, doubts and your demands,” he said. “I tell you sincerely -- we understand it.” Cardinal Marx also commented on his experience attending the Vatican summit on protection of minors, convened by Pope Francis. “It (the conference) was not about a hastily assembled list of measures, but rather a globally realistic view and the awareness: We bear responsibility to the victims across the whole world,” he said. “None of us can negate or completely taboo the problem any longer.” During the conference, the bishops revealed that one of the steps in sexual abuse reform mandated by Germany’s federal government has been postponed. “We have postponed work regarding monitoring areas of intervention and prevention in recent months, not least of all because we just held a major Catholic-oriented symposium last November on the theme of monitoring,” said Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier, spokesman for the bishops’ conference on child abuse issues. Bishop Ackermann explained that church officials, diocesan abuse prevention staff and an independent commission had participated in the previous year’s discussion.
German Catholics’ spiritual conviction tested, lay leader says ZITA BALLINGER FLETCHER CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
The German Catholic Church is “in deep distress,” said Thomas Sternberg, president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, the coordinating body of official German Catholic lay organizations. “The trust of many Catholics in their church is deeply shaken. They are wondering how they can live their faith in light of the current situation and share it with others,” Sternberg told Catholic News Service. “They live in the feeling of passing through a deep valley.” The Catholic faith in Germany was strong enough to survive the Protestant Reformation, several bitter religious wars and the Nazi era. Now, Germany’s Catholics are struggling to keep their faith amid an atmosphere of mistrust and confusion in the church owing to recent financial scandals, an acute priest shortage and restructuring of parishes, demands for modern interpretations of the Gospel, high numbers of Catholics leaving the church, and the recent sexual abuse cover-up. Nearly 30 percent of Germans are Catholic, and although the nation’s Catholic population does not often appear in large turnout for regular weekly Mass, German Catholics are deeply rooted in principle, said Sternberg. “There is a strong spiritual life of the Catholic Church in our country,” said Sternberg, adding that Germans today adhere to the Catholic faith due to in-
(CNS PHOTO/LEON KUEGELER, REUTERS)
Bishop Felix Genn of Munster, Germany, swings a censer as he celebrates Mass during Catholic Church Day May 10, 2018. The German Catholic Church is “in deep distress,” said Thomas Sternberg, president of the Central Committee of German Catholics. ner belief rather than out of feelings of cultural or social obligation. “Those who are active in the church do so out of deep inner conviction; that is an immovable foundation.” That strong spiritual conviction is now being sorely tested, said Sternberg. “Especially the church’s handling of the horrifying crimes of abuse has led to a hard-hitting, deep loss of faith in the church – even among the ranks of
the most loyal church members,” said Sternberg. The search for solutions to address the unique challenges facing the church in Germany and provide concrete forms of redress following the sexual abuse crisis has led to increasing fragmentation and dissent among the German clergy. Some priests and bishops, including Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg, have expressed openness to the
future ordination of women to the priesthood. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, head of the bishops’ conference, has come under fire for his leadership style during the various crises facing the church. In mid-March, at the end of the bishops’ general meeting, the cardinal said the Catholic Church in Germany is at a point where serious debate – including on priestly celibacy and the role of women – and openness to doing things in a new way must be encouraged. “His agenda is certainly more sociological than theological,” said Father Frank Unterhalt, spokesman for the Paderborn-based priest association Communio Veritatis, which recently made a public demand for Cardinal Marx’s resignation. “He speaks and behaves often like a left-liberal politician and not like a shepherd of the holy church of God. Whoever sets the cross aside and wishes to serve the dictatorship of relativism should accept the consequences.” The Communio Veritatis association was founded Feb. 22, 2018, the feast of the throne of St. Peter, by 10 priests from the Diocese of Paderborn in response to the current unrest in the German church. The group, according to Father Unterhalt, is a free association of priests who meet monthly to pray and write theological publications together in response to current issues. Thomas Throenle, spokesman for the Diocese of Paderborn, said the Communio Veritatis priest association is a private group not affiliated with or endorsed by the diocese. SEE GERMANY, PAGE 30
20 FAITH
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
SUNDAY READINGS
Fourth Sunday of Lent JOSHUA 5:9A, 10-12 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.” While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month. On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land on the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan. PSALM 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the Lord; the lowly will hear me and be glad. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Glorify the Lord with me, let us together extol his name. I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17-21 Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: The old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through
Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. LUKE 15:1-3, 11-32 Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be
called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, “Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.” Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, “Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.” He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
Making mountains out of molehills of God’s grace
I
n the first reading, we read that to sustain them during their long journey in the wilderness, God provided the Israelites with manna from heaven. In the second reading, Paul reminds us that there are no reversals in life without a redeeming purpose. In the Gospel of the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the story of the prodigal son has a surprise ending. We realize that the “good son” who stayed at home and did everything right was both bitter and critical. The father in today’s Gospel has two sons. The younger of the two boys has been named the “prodigal” son. The word “prodigal” simply mean “wasteful” DEACON – an adjective that aptly FAIVA PO’OI describes the younger son. He had wasted his inheritance and was broke. To his credit, however, he acknowledged and accepted responsibility for his failings. He turned his life around, returned home, and repented, determined to start anew. Most of us like and perhaps identify with this prodigal son. He gives us hope. He serves as a reminder that no matter how badly we have failed, God’s mercy is above and bigger than our failings. The prodigal son helps us to have faith in God’s mercy and love.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Every day of our lives, we are surrounded by the mountain of God’s grace, and yet, always with us, is the tendency to take his grace and his gifts for granted. Let’s take a look at the two sons. The older son was as solid as a rock. He was obedient to the father and always did the right thing. On the other hand, the younger son was wild and reckless. He had left home in pursuit of freedom and adventure. Unfortunately, his life became a disaster, and he found himself in some far-away place, with no money, food, or friends. Finally, in sheer desperation, he headed back home, a sorry but much wiser young man. He was willing to relinquish his “freedom” and accept a job as a hired hand. As parents can understand, the father in the Gospel was truly overjoyed when his son returned home – safely! A party was planned and took place to celebrate the boy’s return. Everyone was in a festive mood – everyone except the older brother! He refused to come to the party. The father went in search of his older son, found him outside, and inquired as to the reason he was not at the party. The son’s response? “All of these years I have slaved for you, yet you never gave me a small goat to celebrate with my friends. Then, when this son of yours returns after having gone through your property with loose women, you kill the fatted calf for him.”
Here we see a man, a supposedly good and decent man, a supposedly good and obedient son. And what is happening? He is overcome with anger because his father had never given him a party nor celebrated him! Talk about making mountains out of molehills. The older son obviously had no thought for anyone other than himself. This fellow looks strangely familiar to me. On many occasions, I have seen him at family celebrations. Worse yet, I have caught glimpses of him inside my own soul. All of us, at one time or another, can relate to the older brother. He, like us, was a good person, but not perfect! Every day of our lives, we are surrounded by the mountain of God’s grace, and yet, always with us, is the tendency to take his grace and his gifts for granted. And what makes it even worse is that we can convince ourselves that we deserve more and are being deprived of something which is rightfully ours! The only remedy that I know for this distorted view of life is a genuine sense of gratitude. There is an old song I know that says: “Count your blessings, name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” Give that a try. Somewhere, sometime, this very day, just take the time to count your blessings. Then we will not make mountains out of the molehills of our virtues. Nor molehills out of the mountains of God’s grace. DEACON FAIVA PO’OI serves at St. Timothy Parish, San Mateo.
LITURGICAL CALENDAR, DAILY MASS READINGS MONDAY, APRIL 1: Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent. IS 65:17-21. PS 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b. AM 5:14. JN 4:43-54.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3: Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent. IS 49:8-15. PS 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 1718. JN 11:25a, 26. JN 5:17-30.
TUESDAY, APRIL 2: Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent. Optional Memorial of St. Francis of Paola, hermit. EZ 47:1-9, 12. PS 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9. PS 51:12a, 14a. JN 5:1-16.
THURSDAY, APRIL 4: Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent. Optional Memorial of St. Isidore, bishop and doctor. EX 32:7-14. PS 106:19-20, 21-22, 2. JN 3:16. JN 5:31-47.
FRIDAY, APRIL 5: Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent. Optional Memorial of St. Vincent Ferrer, priest. WIS 2:1a, 12-22. PS 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23. MT 4:4b. JN 7:1-2, 10, 25-30. SATURDAY, APRIL 6: Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent. JER 11:18-20. PS 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12. SEE LK 8:15. JN 7:40-53.
OPINION 21
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
LETTERS Holy orders real in church governance
I recently read the article “Church renewal needs shared clergy-lay leadership, say experts” in your March 14 edition. The article presented a recent talk given by Ms. Jennifer Haselberger, a philosopher and canon lawyer. Ms. Haselberger essentially argued that the link between the power of orders and the power of governance was no more than a legal fiction and should be eliminated. However, that link was made explicitly by the Second Vatican Council itself and relies on centuries of church teaching, stretching back to the lay investiture controversies of the 11th century. In its document on the church, “Lumen Gentium,” the conciliar fathers made clear that the munus regendi flows from the apostles and is received by those in sacramental succession to them. It is precisely that apostolicity that has always linked governance in the church with the receipt of sacred orders. This is why the current Code of Canon Law, described by St. John Paul II as the last document of the Second Vatican Council, states that “Those who have received sacred orders are qualified…for the power of governance….” (can. 129 §1). One can sympathize with Ms. Haselberger’s frustration over allegations of abuse that were mishandled by those in authority. However, the solution cannot be to redesign radically the fundamental structure of the church, in contradiction to her nature as has been revealed by centuries of authoritative teaching and sacred tradition. It calls to mind the great Cardinal Cajetan’s response to Martin Luther, namely that he did not want to reform, but wanted to construct a new church. Father Pius Pietrzyk, OP, STL, JD, JCD Chairman, Department of Pastoral Studies Assistant Professor of Canon Law St. Patrick Seminary & University Menlo Park
Pope must listen to the victims
If the pope truly wants to make a difference in how the church handles cases of child abuse, he will have to follow the advice from the victims of child abuse. He has not done this so far. They want him to have a zero tolerance of clergy who abuse children, and they want him to have a zero tolerance of any cover-up by the authorities. In addition, Pope Francis should encourage local church authorities to engage with local law enforcement as a neutral, outside entity to pursue an investigation. The church can’t seem to do it itself. Finally, a larger question is enforced celibacy. The pope should open a discussion on whether it is a good idea to continue requiring priests and brothers to remain celibate, leaving them with no sexual outlet. Adults are sexual human beings. When is the church going to understand that so-called celibacy might be at the crux of this problem for the Catholic Church. Richard Morasci San Francisco
Always treat abuse as a crime
With months of woe and sorrow regarding the clergy scandal and its cover up there has been many, many opinions, suggestions, excuses and blame. The meetings, prayers, penance and worldwide shame have done nothing to solve this problem. Pope Francis had his big meeting with the bishops and princes of the church to discuss the situation and pray for help. All of this is redundant and unnecessary because the solution is and has been here all along. In almost every jurisdiction, worldwide, the laws regarding child abuse consider it a crime. In the United States it is a felony. Failure to report a felony is also a crime, but not always a felony. The rules are not complicated. When an incident is reported to the proper authorities (police), it is investigated by professionals who know how to conduct an investigation, secure evidence, protect the victims and protect the rights of the accused. Nowhere in theological training are any of these subjects taught. Having bishops investigate bishops is absurd and pointless. They do not have a clue about what should be done. Pope Francis wants to promulgate new guide-
lines and procedures for the clergy to follow in the event of a reported child abuse. The laws are already on the books. Prayer and lighting candles will not help. In California, as in most other states, the laws specifically state that anyone in authority over minors “shall” report any suspected abuse of a minor. These include: teachers, coaches, scout leaders, nurses, firefighters, police officers and clergy. We all realize that the worst crime is the cover-up. Who is responsible for that? The clergy is the culprit by imposing rules and regulations on how to deal with such a situation. Why the cover-up? Could it be that they are trying to cover their “ass-ets”). Children should be taught a very early age (probably first grade) what improper conduct by an adult is and who to report it to. Jack McCloskey Colma
Welcome comment but troubles remain
Cardinal William J. Levada’s article (“Pope Francis’ summit: A cardinal’s comment,” March 14) contained many encouraging facts about the U.S. church’s response since the founding of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002. It is heartening to read about positive steps and improving statistics. His words do not conceal many of the same old troubles, though. In light of Cardinal Daniel Di Nardo’s not removing a credibly accused priest with half-a- dozen accusers and civil authorities becoming involved, the issues of trust are still in play. This is the Cardinal DiNardo, head of the USCCB, spouting the same encouraging upward movement in the abuse crisis. The words about “zero tolerance” and the reality are still at odds. We can imagine the agony that bishops have in dealing with these issues and sometimes coming down on the side of the priests they know versus accusers. It happened to Pope Francis last summer in Chile. They have to realize that victims coming forward do so at tremendous personal pain and cost. They have to remember that priests left alone may go on to hurt more people. In San Diego recently, Bishop Robert McElroy, formerly of this diocese, removed three credibly accused priests who no longer have that chance. One of those priests abused a family member of mine and more victims after that. Zero tolerance should be just that and no less. Mary Salim San Mateo
Dialogue on difficult subjects appreciated
The letter by Ted Kirk (Feb. 28) commenting on my letter of Feb. 14 indicates dialogue is possible on difficult subjects and is much appreciated. Perhaps Mr. Kirk has another set of questions on difficult readings different than mine. Both need teaching from the pulpit and the Scripture reflections column in CSF, or PIP (people in the pews) will continue uninformed. Regarding Ted Kirk’s descriptive, generalizing euphemism, he implies that desiring “non-existence” is wrong. Certainly, it is wrong for suicide and the like. However, the church sanctioned practice of natural family planning has that exact intent. Given the same intent it is an appropriate subject for preaching and the CSF Scripture reflections column, to show (if possible) the moral difference between NFP and methods that would work in male dominated developing cultures, where NFP is impossible, where women are sorely in need of protection, and where overpopulation is a real concern. Paul R. Ehrlich, in “The Population Bomb,” used data available to him in 1968 to make his projections. He did not make predictions! As a scientist he carefully stated that his projections may be wrong! Ehrlich may have exaggerated, but his scenarios are playing out in real life (and death)
in developing countries today. Or are the pictures of starving children we see in Catholic Charities advertising also part of an attitude, conspiracy or fake news? (Should love of neighbor not extend to nonexisting humans who otherwise would fall by the wayside?) Alex M. Saunders, MD San Carlos
Stop condemning Jesus’ church
Re “Crisis calls for prophetic laity: St. Anselm group,” March 14: My thoughts after reading about the folks at St. Anselm thinking that the church should be controlled by a panel of lay people and clergy so that they can have the things in church go the way they want. But this is not the way God set up the church. Jesus is the head and he has told us what we must do to be saved. After all, that is the main job of the church. We must love God above all things. We must love each other as we love ourselves. We must not judge others (let him who is without sin cast the first stone). We must obey all of God’s commandments, not just the ones we like. The church has been teaching this for over 2,000 years and is still going strong. Yes, we have had many crises in the life of the church, mostly because people have tried to change God’s teachings or laws for their own benefit. This new crisis that is going on now is being worked on by the magisterium of the church and things will be worked out. Sure, there are sinners in the church, including each one of us, by do some of our brothers and sisters want to condemn the whole church for the sins of a few? Yes, there are religious who have sinned seriously but there are millions of good bishops and priests and religious who are doing the work of Jesus’ church faithfully. And to those brothers and sisters who are leaving the church because of the sins of a few, who will they turn to, who will be their savior? Let us remember that Jesus warned us that his church would be persecuted. And he will be with us till the end of time. So, we must be aware that there are those who will blame the whole church for anything that seems wrong because a few have sinned. This is not to excuse the winner, but when we have to go back almost 80 years to dig out dirt when most of the culprits have passed on to eternity seems to me to be that the enemies of God are trying to destroy the church. Let us stop condemning the church that Jesus gave us to lead us to salvation and start praying for these sinners that they will repent the sinfulness and return to God. Vincent Brogan San Francisco
Fond farewell to Father O
We are disappointed at learning that our dear Father Cyril (O’Sullivan) will be leaving St. Cecilia Parish (Lagunitas) in July. Father O is a dynamic, thoughtful and good-humored priest who brings meaning to our church services. Our parish community is strong and vital because of him. We don’t understand why he has to be shuffled away from our church. With many people leaving the church, we would like to think that a strong church like St. Cecilia would like to continue in that manner. Allison and David Puglisi Lagunitas Editor’s note: Vicar for clergy Father Raymund Reyes shares that Father Cyril O’Sullivan is completing his second full term as pastor of St. Cecilia in Lagunitas on June 30, 2019. Archbishop Cordileone has named him as the next pastor of St. Isabella Church in San Rafael effective July 1, 2019. Also prior to beginning his pastorate in 2007 at St. Cecilia, he initially served as its parish administrator for a year, i.e., from 200607. His successor hasn’t been named yet by the archbishop.
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22 OPINION
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Lessons through failure
W
hat’s to be learned through failure, through being humbled by our own faults? Generally that’s the only way we grow. In being humbled by our own inadequacies we learn those lessons in life that we are deaf to when we are strutting in confidence and pride. There are secrets, says John Updike, which are hidden from health. This lesson is everywhere in scripture and permeates every spirituality in every religion worthy of the name. Raymond E. Brown, offers an illustration of this from Scripture: Reflecting on how FATHER RON at one point in its history, ROLHEISER God’s chosen people, Israel, betrayed its faith and was consequently humiliated and thrown into a crisis about God’s love and concern for them, Brown points out that, long-range, this seeming disaster ended up being a positive experience: “Israel learned more about God in the ashes of the Temple destroyed by the Babylonians than in the elegant period of the Temple under Solomon.”
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The church can learn more about God in the ashes of the clerical sexual abuse crisis than it did during its elegant periods of grand cathedrals, burgeoning church growth and unquestioned acquiescence to ecclesial authority. What does he mean by that? Just prior to being conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, Israel had just experienced what, to all outside appearances, looked like the high point of her history (politically, socially, and religiously). She was in possession of the promised land, had subdued all her enemies, had a great king ruling over her, and had a magnificent Temple in Jerusalem as a place to worship and a center to hold all the people together. However, inside that apparent strength, perhaps because of it, she had become complacent about her faith and increasing lax in being faithful to it. That complacency and laxity led to her downfall. In 587 BCE, she was overrun by a foreign nation who, after taking the land, deported most of the people to Babylon, killed the king, and knocked the temple down to its last stone. Israel spent the next nearly half-century in exile, without a temple, struggling to reconcile this with her belief that God loved her. However, in terms of the bigger picture, this turned out to be a positive. The pain of being exiled and the doubts of faith that were triggered by the destruction of her temple were ultimately offset by what she learned through this humiliation and crisis, namely, that God is faithful even when we aren’t, that our failures open our eyes to us our own complacency and blindness, and that what looks like success is often its opposite, just as what looks like failure is often its opposite. As Richard Rohr might phrase it, in our failures we have a chance to “fall upward.” There’s no better image available, I believe, by which to understand what the church is now undergoing through the humiliation thrust on it through the clerical sexual abuse crisis within Roman Catholicism and within other churches as well. To re-
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cast Raymond Brown’s insight: The church can learn more about God in the ashes of the clerical sexual abuse crisis than it did during its elegant periods of grand cathedrals, burgeoning church growth and unquestioned acquiescence to ecclesial authority. It can also learn more about itself, its blindness to its own faults, and its need for some structural change and personal conversion. Hopefully, like the Babylonian exile for Israel, this too will be for the churches something that’s positive in the end. Moreover, what’s true institutionally for the church (and, no doubt, for other organizations) is also true for each of us in our personal lives. The humiliations that beset us because of our inadequacies, complacencies, failures, betrayals, and blindness to our own faults can be occasions to “fall upward,” to learn in the ashes what we didn’t learn in the winner’s circle. Almost without exception, our major successes in life, our grander achievements, and the boost in status and adulation that come with that generally don’t deepen us in any way. To paraphrase James Hillman, success usually doesn’t bring a shred of depth into our lives. Conversely, if we reflect with courage and honesty on all the things that have brought depth and character into our lives we will have to admit that, in virtually every case, it would be something that has an element of shame to it – a feeling of inadequacy about our own body, some humiliating element in our upbringing, some shameful moral failure in our life, or something in our character about which we feel some shame. These are the things that have given us depth. Humiliation makes for depth; it drives us into the deeper parts of our soul. Unfortunately, however, that doesn’t always make for a positive result. The pain of humiliation makes us deep; but it can make us deep in two ways: in understanding and empathy but also in a bitterness of soul that would have us get even with the world. But the positive point is this: Like Israel on the shores of Babylon, when our temple is damaged or destroyed, in the ashes of that exile we will have a chance to see some deeper things to which we are normally blind. OBLATE FATHER RON ROLHEISER is president of the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas.
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OPINION 23
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
our Eminence: I noted with interest your recent announcement of a “binding synodal process” during which the church in Germany will discuss the celibacy of the Latin-rite Catholic priesthood, the church’s sexual ethic and clericalism, these being “issues” put on the table by the crisis of clerical sexual abuse. Perhaps the following questions will help sharpen your discussions. 1) How can the “synodal process” of a local church produce “binding” results on GEORGE WEIGEL matters affecting the entire Catholic Church? The Anglican Communion tried this and is now in terminal disarray; the local Anglican churches that took the path of cultural accommodation are comatose. Is this the model you and your fellow-bishops favor? 2) What does the celibacy of priests in the Latinrite have to do with the sexual abuse crisis? Celibacy has no more to do with sexual abuse than marriage has to do with spousal abuse. Empirical studies indicate that most sexual abuse of the young takes place within (typically broken) families; Protestant denominations with a married clergy also suffer from the scourge of sexual abuse; and in any event, marriage is not a crime-prevention program. Is it cynical to imagine that the abuse crisis is now being weaponized to mount an assault on clerical celibacy, what with other artillery having failed to dislodge this ancient Catholic tradition? 3) According to a Catholic News Agency report, you suggested that “the significance of sexuality to personhood has not yet received sufficient attention from the church.” Really? Has St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” not been translated into German? Perhaps it has, but it may be too long and
complex to have been properly absorbed by German-speaking Catholics. Permit me then, to draw your attention to pp. 347-358 of Zeuge der Hoffnung (Ferdinand Schoeningh, 2002) the German translation of “Witness to Hope,” the first volume of my John Paul II biography. There, you and your colleagues will find a summary of the “Theology of the Body,” including its richly personalistic explanation of the church’s ethic of human love and its biblically-rooted understanding of celibacy undertaken for the kingdom of God. 4) You also note that your fellow-bishops “feel ... unable to speak on questions of present-day sexual behavior.” That was certainly not the case at the synods of 2014, 2015 and 2018, where German bishops felt quite able to speak frequently to these questions, albeit in a way that typically mirrored today’s politically correct fashions. And I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering just when the German episcopate last spoke to “present-day sexual behavior” in a way that promoted the church’s ethic of human love as life-affirming and ordered to human happiness and fulfillment, at least in the years since its massive dissent from “Humanae Vitae” (Pope St. Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical on the ethics of family planning)? But that, as I understand Pope Francis, is what he is calling us all to do: Witness to, preach, and teach the “Yes” that undergirds everything to which the church must, in fidelity to both revelation and reason, say “No.” 5) The CNA report also noted that your “synodal process” (which, in a nice tip of the miter to Hegel, you described as a “synodal progression”) would involve consultations with the Central Committee of German Catholics. My dear Cardinal Marx, this is rather like President Trump consulting with Fox News or Speaker Pelosi consulting with the editors
of The New York Times. If you’ll pardon the reference to Major Heinrich Strasser in Casablanca, even we blundering Americans know that the ZdK, the Zentralkomitee der Deutschen Katholiken, is the schwerpunkt, the spearhead that clears the ground to the far left so that the German bishops can position themselves as the “moderate” or “centrist” force in the German church. You know, and I know, and everyone else should know that consultations with the ZdK will produce nothing but further attacks on celibacy, further affirmations of current sexual fads, and further deprecations of “Humane Vitae” (based, in part, on the ZdK’s evident ignorance of the “Theology of the Body” and German hostility to John Paul II’s 1993 encyclical on the renovation of Catholic moral theology, “Veritatis Splendor”). Your Eminence, the German church -- the Catholicism of my ancestors -- is dying. It will not be revitalized by becoming a simulacrum of moribund liberal Protestantism. I wish you a fruitful Lent and a joyful Easter.
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24 OPINION
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Sexual abuse of children and the seal of confession
O
curtailing religious freedom and opening the door to a slippery slope of corroding other civil protections. People who confess their sins to a priest express their sorrow, resolve not to sin again, and ask for God’s mercy. Pedophiles and ephebophiles who sexually abuse children commit evil and unspeakable criminal acts. These people are notorious the admission of sinfulness on the Canon Law (983 and 984) states that for hiding their crimes. They do part of the penitent is made to God the sacramental seal is inviolable; it not self-report. It is naive to believe through the priest, and not the is absolutely forbidden for a confesthat a person who sexually abuses a priest’s right to reveal. This makes sor to betray in any way a penitent child will go to confession and seek confession a precious ministry in words or in any manner and for forgiveness by telling the confessor of mercy. SB 360 aims at forcing any reason. The Catechism of the his or her name. Nonetheless, SB priests to violate this seal and Catholic Church (no. 1467) teaches 360 forces the priest to reveal what promise. that every priest who hears conhe most likely will never hear. SB The bill was introduced the same fessions is bound to keep absolute 360 appoints itself an expert on reliweek that Pope Francis called to secrecy regarding the sins that his gious practices about which it shows the Vatican 190 Catholic bishops penitents have confessed to him. no insight, while not doing a thing and religious superiors to study the Canon 1388 states that a confessor to improve the safety of children. “brazen, aggressive and destructive who violates the seal of confession The confessional is a sphere of evil” in the church created by the is automatically excommunicated. sacred confidentiality. We must resexual abuse of children by priests. The 1973 Rite of Penance also resist the intrusion of civil authorities Francis held that even one case of minds the priest, “As a minister of into this sacred domain of personal abuse is an “atrocity” and people God the confessor comes to know conscience and religious practice. are justified in their anger, a fury the secrets of another’s conscience; SB 360 is a bad law which does nothwhich is a “reflection of the wrath and he is bound to keep the sacraing to protect children and loses of God, betrayed and insulted by mental seal of confession as absothe very rare possibility that a sex these deceitful consecrated perlutely inviolable.” offender might repent, thus allowsons.” The confessional seal safeguards ing the priest to counsel him to seek An enormous and clear-headed the absolute right of an individual help from police and trained persontask is urgent to confront the clerito secrecy about one’s own sins and nel, making the world a bit safer cal abuse tragedy. However, SB 360 guarantees that the church will for vulnerable children. A civil law is not a wise or helpful way to bring hold this secret inviolable, that is, requiring a priest to breach the seal this about. If passed into law, SB never to be broken, infringed upon of confession in unjust (contrary 360 could jeopardize other civil laws or dishonored. Sacramental confesTERMS AND CONDITIONS / TOUR CONTRACT celerates to a minimum PHASE TWO penalty leve to divine law and freedom of reliin California which provide for and sion is understood as being made Pentecost Tours, Inc. is not a participant in the California Travel Consumer Reslevel whichever is greater. Once the change req TERMS AND CONDITIONS / TOUR CONTRACT rangements final by and NOT Travel be changed back to the group titution Fund. This transaction is notare covered thecan California Consumer is made, those arrangements are final and can NO Pentecost Tours, Inc. is is not there a participant in the 90917 California Travel Consumer ResTour gion), ineffectual (as history amply protect confidential communication to God.titution TheFund. priest acting in cancellation of the transportation or travel Restitution Fund. Youarrangement. are not eligible toUpon file a claim against that Fund in the event This transaction is not covered by the California Travel Consumer back to the group arrangement. Upon cancellatio services, you, the customer, are not at fault and have not of Pentecost Tours, Inc.’s default.where However, Pentecost Tours, Inc. does maintain a Restitution Fund. You are not eligible to file a claim against that Fund in the portation or travel services, where you, the custo testifies, priests are willing to suffer such as those involving attorneythe person of Christ. Consequently, cancelled in violation of the terms and conditions of this contract account for tour deposits at MainSource Bank in Batesville, IN. event of Pentecost Tours, Inc.’s default. However, Pentecost Tours, Trust Inc. does fault and have not cancelled in violation of the t fordoctor-patient transportation or travel services, allcivil sums paid to Pentecost maintain a Trust account for tour deposits at MainSource Bankclient in Batesville, IN. sanctions rather than break the privilege, of this contract for transportation or trav TOUR PRICE: Based onInc. tariffs currency rates efTours, forand services not exchange received by youinwill be promptlyditions resums paid to Pentecost Tours, Inc. for services n TOUR PRICE: Based on tariffs and currency exchangeprivilege, rates in effect fect on 11/12/2018 and subject to change without notice should funded by Pentecost Tours, Inc. to you unless you otherwise ad(ensuring privilege protectyou will be promptly refunded by Pentecost Tou on 11/12/2018 and subject to change without notice should there there be spousal a revision rates prior to departure of tour. seal), The tour and self-defeating viseinPentecost Tours, Inc. in writing. unless you otherwise advise Pentecost Tours, Inc. be a revision in rates prior to departure of tour. The tourone price is isbased testifying price on a minimum of 21 passengers. Should child there bemolesters ing from against one’s AIR Round trip San Francisco/Thessalonikiwill never confess based on a minimum of 36 passengers. Should there be fewer, there fewer, there could beTRANSPORTATION: a surcharge. and Athens/San Francisco on economy their class jet via Turkish or AIR any TRANSPORTATION: Round trip San Francisc sins). spouse. Even though these examples invite you could be a surcharge. Rome/San Francisco on economy class jet via De ACCOMMODATIONS: In first class Based hotels on (except - outother IATA member. 6-dayferry minimum/21-day maximum ACCOMMODATIONS: In first class hotels (except Cruise XA) or er side twin cabins) or better, based on double or triple occupancy advanced purchase fare, subject to participation of ten persons onIATA member. Based on 6-day minimum/21allow for exceptions, they are wellto join in the following pilgrimages better, based on double or triple occupancy with private facilities. advanced purchase fare, subject to participation with private facilities. supplement is $69 per night entire Single-room flight itinerary. If cancellation is effected by passenger after GERALD COLEMAN Single-room supplement is $89 per night and based established on availability. privileges California on entire D. flight itinerary.isIf cancellation is effected and based on availability. for tickets a roommate are SULPICIAN assigned 7/8/2019, Requests orin after air are written, whicheverFATHER comes first, Requests for a roommate are assigned on a first-come, firston served of airfare willand be are forfeited by passenger the 6/17/2019, or after air tickets are written, wh a first-come, 100% first served basis not guaranteed. Thein addition toafter adjunct professor, Graduate law. single-room SB 360 presents a basis and are not guaranteed. The OP single-room supplement will be first, 100% of airfareDepartwill be forfeited by passenge penalties mentioned above.ifAll airfares are subject government supplement willmonumenbe assessed a roommate is not to Fr. Patrick Baikauskas, assessed if a roommate is not available when the group is finalized. theMinistries, penalties mentioned above. All airfares are s approval and change without available when the group is finalized. Santa Clara tal constitutional issue about the notice. ment of Pastoral Greece & Turkey ernment approval and change without notice. MEALS: Ten full hot breakfasts and ten dinners throughoutMEALS: the ba- Nine full TRAVEL PROTECTION: Travel Protection is NOT included in the hot breakfasts and seven dinners throughout University. separation of church and state by (including a 4-day Aegean Cruise) sic tour (continental breakfasts in hotels only where full breakfasts tour price. We highly suggest thatonly all participants the basic tour (continental breakfasts in hotels where full purchase a plan TRAVEL PROTECTION: Travel Protection is NOT i
n Feb. 20, 2019, California Democratic State Senator Gerald “Jerry” Hill introduced SB 360, “Removing Clergy Exemption from Child Abuse and Neglecting Reporting.” The bill would remove an exemption in California’s “mandated reporter” law and would require all Catholic priests to reFATHER GERALD veal suspected D. COLEMAN, PSS sexual abuse of a child (ages 1-17) if the priest hears of this abuse in “penitential communication,” that is, confession. SB 360 also applies to confidential communication between a person and his or her religious minister, such as a rabbi or other clergy. Hill believes that the “seal of confession” protects abusers and places children at risk. He insists that there should be no recognition in the law of the privileged nature of confession. A fundamental problem with SB 360 is that the proposed exception frustrates the privilege, and could swallow the rule and undermine the very reason for its Tour 91009 existence. The Catholic Church’s Code of
The confessional seal safeguards the absolute right of an individual to secrecy about one’s own sins and guarantees that the church will hold this secret inviolable, that is, never to be broken, infringed upon or dishonored.
Catholic San Francisco and Pentecost Tours, Inc.
with St. Thomas More and Msgr. Thomas Fryar
In the Footsteps of St. Paul October 8-19, 2019
11-dayarepilgrimage not available). Extra charge for beverage not includedbreakfasts in the are not to help protect yourcharge trip and investment. available). Extra foryour beverage not in-Plans offer benetour price. We highly suggest that all participan menu of the day.
fits for tripday. cancellation/interruption, accident & sickness medical cluded in the menu of the plan to help protect your trip and your investme September 17-27, 2019 expense, emergency evacuation & repatriation, and more. benefits You for trip cancellation/interruption, accide TIPS AND TAXES: Those normally appearing on hotel and restaurant bills
TIPS AND TAXES: Those normally hotel and will be mailed a travelappearing protectionon brochure along with a waiver medical expense, emergency evacuation & rep as “service” are included, as are all governmental and local taxes on hotels bills as restaurant “service” included, as are all governmental form, in theare event that you choose to decline coverage. The Plan more. You will be mailed a travel protection broch and meals. Airport fees, departure taxes, and fuel surcharges are estimated and local taxes on hotels andwill meals. Airport fees, departure taxes, Document be provided, upon purchase. Read through athis waiver form, in the event that you choose to on the original invoice and adjusted at ticket time. and fuel surcharges are estimated onitthe original and document carefully as contains fullinvoice plan and benefit details age. and The Plan Document will be provided, upon p & limitations. Please note that Medicare does not protime. through this document carefully as it contains full SIGHTSEEING: By modern motorcoach, including servicesadjusted of En- at ticketexclusions vide coverage outside of the United States. Check with your own efit details and exclusions & limitations. Please n glish-speaking guides and entrance fees to places included in the SIGHTSEEING: By modernprovider motorcoach, includingwhether services or of not En- you are covered insurance to determine care does not provide coverage outside of the itinerary. Masses at churches indicated are subject to availability. glish-speaking guides and outside of entrance the U.S. fees to places included in the Check with your own insurance provider to dete itinerary. NOT INCLUDED: : Airport fees, departure taxes and fuel sur- Masses at churches indicated are subject to availability. or not you are covered outside of the U.S. RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY: Land arrangements including charges (est. - $559); : tips to guides and drivers, meal servers and surface transportation: Pentecost Tours, Inc., and the participating NOT INCLUDED: 1: Airport fees, departure taxes and fuel surluggage handlers ($158.50); and : optional travel insurance. An RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY: Land arrangem Tour Operators operateand the drivers, land tours offered under this program 2: tips to guides meal servers amount to cover these items will be added to your original charges invoice. (est. - $499); surface transportation: Pentecost Tours, Inc., and only as($138.75); agents ofand the3:railroads, car rental contractors, steamship andlaunluggage handlers optional travel insurance. Also not included: airline baggage fees, passport and visa fees, ing Tour Operators operate the land tours offe lines, hotels, bus operators, sightseeing contractors and others An amount to cover these items will be added to your original indry, wines, liquors, meals not included in the itinerary, sightseeing or program only as agents of the railroads, car ren that provide thebaggage actual land for voice. Also not included: airline fees,arrangements passport andand visaare not liablesteamship services other than those specifically mentioned and items of a perlines, hotels, bus operators, sightseei any act, omission, delay, injury, loss, damage or nonperformance fees, laundry, wines, liquors, meals not included in the itinerary, sonal nature. NOTE: Due to limited storage space on motor coachand others that provide the actual land arrange occurring in connection these land arrangements. Turkish sightseeing or services other than those with specifically mentioned es, Pentecost Tours entitles each passenger to one checked bag not liable for any act, omission, delay, injury, lo and othernature. IATA carriers, lines and other transportation Due to limited storage and items of a personal NOTE: steamship and one carry-on bag that meets airline “size/weight” allowances. nonperformance occurring in connection with companies whose services are featured in these tours are not to space on motor coaches, Pentecost Tours entitles each passenBaggage fees, overweight baggage charges, and fees for additional rangements. Delta and other IATA carriers, steam be held for anybag act,that omission event during the time gerwhile to one checked bag responsible and one carry-on meetsorairline bags fall under the responsibility of the passenger. Be aware, other transportation companies whose services passengers are not on board their conveyance. The passage con“size/weight” allowances. Baggage fees, overweight baggage you may agree to pay fees for additional luggage, there may not be tours are not to be held responsible for an in use by these companies when issued shall constitutethese the charges, and feestract for additional bags fall under the responsibility room on the motor coach. or event during the time passengers are not on b between the companies and thefor purchaser of these of the passenger.sole Becontract aware, while you may agree to pay fees veyance. The passage contract in use by these co ASSISTANCE: Pilgrims who require personal assistance must be actours and/or passage. additional luggage, there may not be room on the motor coach. issued shall constitute the sole contract between companied by a paying passenger who will provide that assistance. and the purchaser of these tours and/or passage. MISCELLANEOUS FEES: Allassistance changes must must be beacin writing and may ASSISTANCE: Pilgrims who require personal DEPOSIT AND CANCELLATION: A deposit of $600 per person is incur a per-person charge for each revision. Deposits received passenger who will provide that assistance. required to secure reservations, which sum will be appliedcompanied to the by a paying within 92 days of departure may incur a late registration fee. MISCELLANEOUS FEES: All changes must be in w incur a per-person charge for each revision. Dep price of the tour, with the balance to be paid in full no later than AND CANCELLATION: A deposit of $500 per person DEPOSIT LAND ARRANGEMENTS: The tour operator reserves the right to 92 days of departure may incur a late regis within 7/8/2019. Payment of remaining balance received after 7/8/2019 is required to secure reservations, which sum of willemergencies be applied to change the itinerary because or extenuating cirwill incur a $50 penalty. Reservations made within 92 days ofthe deparprice of the cumstances tour, with the balance to be paid in full no latLAND ARRANGEMENTS: The tour operator reserv beyond our control. ture may be subject to a late charge. er than 6/17/2019. Payment of remaining balance received after change the itinerary because of emergencies or e 6/17/2019 will incur a $50The penalty. Reservations made within 92 to provide cumstances ERRORS: Pentecost Tours staff does its best you beyond our control. In the event of cancellation, refund will be made up to of departure days may be subject to abrochures, late charge. with accurate billing, etc. However, in the event of com5/31/2019 [PENALTY PHASE ONE] with a $150 administrative puter error, verbal or written human errors, we reserve the right to ERRORS: The Pentecost Tours staff does its best fee plus any airline cancellation penalties. In the event of cancellation, will becorrected made upmaterials. to invoice, re-invoice,refund or forward with accurate billing, brochures, etc. However, i 5/20/2019 [PENALTY PHASE ONE] with a $100 adminiscomputer error, verbal or written human errors, From 5/31/2019 to 7/8/2019 [PENALTY PHASE TWO] thetrative fee plus any airline cancellation CALIFORNIA REGISTERED penalties.SELLER OF TRAVEL right to invoice, re-invoice, or forward corrected m cancellation penalty is $600 plus any airline cancellation penREGISTRATION NUMBER: CST-2037190-40 (REGISTRATION AS A SELLER OF TWO] TRAVEL DOES NOT alties. CALIFORNIA REGISTERED SELLER OF TRAVEL From 5/20/2019 to 6/17/2019 [PENALTY PHASE REGISTRATION NUMBER: CST-2037190-40 CONSTITUTE APPROVAL BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA) the cancellation penalty is $500 plus any airline cancel(REGISTRATION AS A SELLER OF TRAVEL DOES N If cancellation is received after 7/8/2019 [PENALTY PHASElation penalties. CONSTITUTE APPROVAL BY THE STATE OF CALIFOR THREE], refund will be subject to a minimum 40% cancellation fee plus any airline cancellation penalties, or an amount equalIf cancellation is received after 6/17/2019 [PENALTY Travel Arrangements by: PHASE THREE], refund will be subject to a minimumby: expenses to the tour per operator, whichever is greater. Travel Arrangements Earlytoregistration price person 40% cancellation fee plus any airline cancellation penalPentecost Tours, Inc. from San Francisco deposit is paid by 6-9-19within 45 days ofties, or an amount equal to expenses to the tour Pentecost Tours, Inc. operaThere willifbe no refund for cancellations PO Box 280, Batesvil tor, whichever is greater. PO Box 280, Batesville, IN 47006 departure.
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that Pentecost Tours, Inc. receives it. In the event 15 paswww.pentecosttours.com alterations to the group flight itinerary, requests for airlinedate deviasengers book the tour within 120 days of departure, the automatically accelerates to reserves a do not the *Estimated tions Airlineand/or Taxes added & Fuel domestic Surchargesflights, are subject to agent right to cancel the tour. NOTE: Hours: Monday-Friday, 9Any AM -change 5 PM E.S.T. minimum PHASE TWO penalty level or the current level whichever increase/decrease at ticketing (30 days prior) request/alterations to the group flight itinerary, requests for airis greater. Once the change request/alteration is made, those arline deviations and/or added domestic flights, acTourautomatically 91009
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Nov. 23- Dec 3, 2019: Experience walkingHours: through the 9 AM - 5 PM E.S. Monday-Friday, pages of the Bible - Holy Land & Jordan Tour 90917 2020 Oberammergau PASSION PLAY in Germany with a combination of Switzerland and Eastern Europe. PLEASE CALL KRI8 TOURS 1-800-917-9829 or text 1-323-875-8818, email: ruby@kri8tours.com for more info and reservations. We have limited seats and booking is on a first come first serve basis.
FROM THE FRONT 25
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
VIOLENCE: Group working to change culture of ‘disposable life’ FROM PAGE 1
court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or to themselves. Just over a year later, 14 states have enacted some version of these precautionary laws. “Had Florida had a red flag law in place it is very possible that the Parkland shooting would have never happened,” Moore said. Nikolas Cruz was able to purchase the guns he used in the massacre despite the opposition of mental health counselors. Moore, a San Francisco native who attended St. Cecilia School, said she got involved in Moms Demand Action following the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Connecticut in 2012. She was as horrified as anyone else and thought that “now change is going to happen.” “But then it didn’t,” Moore said. After each successive mass shooting she said she felt “now things would change, but they didn’t.”
Moore said Moms Demand Action, which includes men and women, gun owners and veterans, is emphatically neither “anti-gun” nor opposed to the Second Amendment. The group supports common sense, reasonable measures to violence and describes itself as “pro-gun sense.” “It is important that we use the term gun sense because it’s not about seizing guns,” she said. “It’s much bigger than that.” Group volunteers write letters to lawmakers, attend hearings, help elect candidates with a “gun sense” perspective and promote public awareness. Moore said the group’s San Francisco chapter raised money for signs and other marketing materials with a “Bake America Great Again” bake sale and public awareness campaign on March 8. Moore said a “gun sense” approach is a natural fit with Catholic teaching. The easy availability of guns in the U.S. has resulted in a culture of “disposable life,” perpetu-
ating what St. John Paul II called “a culture of death” in his 1995 encyclical “Evangelium Vitae,” she said. “The more life is considered disposable, the more people are inclined to buy guns and to not worry about what unintentional or even intentional consequences there might be,” Moore said. St. Dominic director of adult faith formation Michael O’ Smith cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church in remarks preceding Moore’s talk. “Catholic moral tradition has allowed for the use of limited force in the case of protecting one’s own life or the life of another, but only as a last resort and under many restraints,” he said. “In the U.S. context over the last several decades, the U.S. bishops have called for greater regulation of access to guns, gun safety measures, and greater mental health resources.” For more information visit momsdemandaction.org.
DEATH PENALTY: Moratorium a welcome pause for ‘civil dialogue’ FROM PAGE 12
Newsom said that since 1978 the state has spent $5 billion on a death penalty system that has executed 13 people. San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, in whose archdiocese the San Quentin death chamber is located, has issued the following statement on behalf of the California Catholic Conference. “We appreciate this recognition that the state has the adequate means to defend human dignity and public safety without recourse to capital punishment,” Archbishop Cordileone said. “We ask the governor to urge the legislature to find a permanent legislative solution that will end the practice of capital punishment in our state for good.” He said the bishops also “also encourage the governor to use well the time of the moratorium to promote civil dialogue on alternatives to the death penalty, including giving more needed attention and care to the victims of violence and their families. Capital punishment is not a cure for the suffering and turmoil inflicted by violent crime; the restorative healing of victims and their families to the extent possible is an essential part of justice.” He said it has long been apparent that capital punishment “is not necessary in a modern society” and noted that “repeated studies have proven that it does not serve as a deterrent, that too many innocent people are condemned, and that sentencing is too often influenced by racial, economic and other discriminatory factors.” He said the Catholic Church has long recognizing these realities, with Pope Francis recently changing the Catechism of the Catholic Church to assert that the death penalty is “inadmissible” as an affront to the dignity of every human life.
Prisoners’ reaction
In an article posted March 19 on the website of America magazine, San Quentin chaplain Jesuit Father George Williams commented on prisoners’ reactions to the governor’s decision. “When you walk up to the entrance to death row,
for the reprieve,” Father Williams wrote. “One man, the first thing you see are the large letters on the sitting in a small, gray, padlocked holding cell, said black metal doors that read “CONDEMNED,” Father Williams wrote. “Everything about the death penalty that he thought the governor’s action was courageous and that it was a positive first step toward abolsystem seemed to be designed to deny hope. ishing the death penalty. “On Wednesday morning, then, I was surprised “I have never had the impression that the men on at first by how subdued their reactions seemed,” he death row feared executions,” Father Williams addcontinued in the America article. I think they were ed. “What they (and most prisoners) fear the most is initially trying to process the news. After years of dying sick and old, all alone in a dark cell, forgotten uncertainty and resignation, they were grappling by all who mattered to them. This is why I believe life with a very unfamiliar feeling in the death house – without the possibility of parole is even crueler than hope. These are men who life has not treated very the death penalty.” well to begin with. My impression was that they didn’t want to ‘jinx’ the good news by getting too View the full article on America’s website at www. enthused about it. americamagazine.org/faith/2019/03/19/san-quentins“We are only at the beginning of our mission to The Most Requested Funeral Directors in The Requested Funeral Directorschaplain-californias-death-penalty-moratorium-hasin the the Archdiocese Archdiocese of of San San Francisco Francisco correct theMost injustices in our criminal justice system. given-us-hope. “Nonetheless, everyone I spoke with was grateful Duggan's SerraRequested Mortuary, Daly City andDirectors Sullivan's & in Duggan's Serra Funeral Services, Francisco The Most Funeral the Archdiocese of San San Francisco
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Polish church releases first report on clerical sex abuse JONATHAN LUXMOORE CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
WARSAW, Poland – A top Polish Catholic leader, named the first bishops’ conference delegate for child protection, welcomed a church report on sexual abuse by clergy in his country and vowed efforts to combat it. Archbishop Wojciech Polak of Gniezno spoke at a March 14 news conference launching the abuse report, compiled from dioceses and religious orders by the Polish church’s Statistics Institute and Child Protection Center. The report listed 382 cases of sexual abuse between 1990 and 2018, involving 625 minors: 58 percent boys and 42 percent girls. “Every one of these victims should awaken pain, shame and guilt, both among clergy and in me as a leader,” said Archbishop Polak. “We can never do enough.” The report said canonical procedures had been followed by the church in 95 percent of instances, with three-quarters of cases brought to completion. However, it added that only a quarter of cases had seen the defrocking of abusers; 40 percent ended in restrictions on priestly ministry. Work transfers, suspensions and acts of penance had been ordered in 12 percent of cases, while 13 percent of cases had been discontinued and 10 percent of suspected abusers acquitted. The report said “differences of reliability” among Polish dioceses and religious orders in responding to enquiries had necessitated
(CNS PHOTO/ADAM STEPIEN, AGENCJA GAZETA VIA REUTERS)
Polish bishops attend a news conference to release the church’s first clerical sex abuse report March 14. In zucchettos, from left, are Bishop Artur Mizinski, secretary-general of the Polish bishops’ conference; Archbishops Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow; Stanislaw Gadecki, bishops’ conference president; and Wojciech Polak of Gniezno. “additional monitoring and data verification,” while there had been “a certain ignorance” about church rules on abuse. Last September, Poland’s bishops responded to accusations of failure to tackle clerical abuse by setting out plans for new child protection guidelines, as well as prevention programs and data collection. All 43 Polish dioceses now have child protection officers, and more than 3,000 clergy have been trained in prevention, as well as in psycho-
logical, legal and spiritual help for victims. Meanwhile, Poland’s archdioceses criticized an independent February report by a foundation representing abuse victims. The report accused 24 serving and retired bishops and archbishops of covering up crimes and allowing convicted priests to continue parish work. The report, which was presented to Pope Francis, listed 85 convicted priests in a “map of clerical abuse,” but said most victims had not been
included because of fears of “social ostracism.” It alleged that Poland’s bishops had violated secular regulations and canon law in handling abuse, while avoiding meeting or offering help to survivors. Speaking March 14, Archbishop Polak said all Polish bishops had agreed abuse data should be made public, adding that the new church report would assist further training and prevention and ensure no crimes were “swept under the carpet.” However, Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, conference president, said sexual abuse was a “global problem,” adding that preoccupations with abuse in the church had diverted government attention from need to tackle it in wider society. “This is a key problem for the church, given its moral authority, but it doesn’t only affect the church,” Archbishop Gadecki said. “We’ve got used to thinking the church is the only party guilty of such crimes. But worldwide data show the violence also occurs at home, among neighbors, in schools and sports circles.” The church report said 63 percent of abuse cases had been reported by victims or their relatives, compared to 11 percent reported by state officials or the media, and 5 percent by parishioners. It said 44 percent of accusations against clergy had been investigated by state prosecutors, of which around half had resulted in convictions. Only a small fraction had seen damages awarded to victims.
WORLD 27
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
BISHOP CRITICIZES ‘FAITH-FILLED’ CATHOLICS WHO SPREAD FEAR OF MUSLIMS
DUBLIN – An Irish bishop has criticized Catholics who identify as “faith-filled” while spreading fear and mistrust of immigrants, particularly those who are Muslims. Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin, chairman of the Council for Life of the Irish bishops’ conference, told The Irish Catholic newspaper: “I’ve found that people who would classify themselves in some cases as traditional Catholics and faithfilled people seem to, in relation Bishop Kevin to migration and care of asylumDoran seekers and stuff, they’ll say ‘oh well these Muslims are putting our civilization at risk and they pose a threat to us.’” Bishop Doran spoke in the wake of what he described as a “savage attack” on two mosques in New Zealand that left at least 50 people dead. “All of us, of whatever religious tradition, can identify with what that might mean for a congregation gathered to worship,” the bishop said. Bishop Doran said it was wrong of people to demonize Muslims for the actions of terrorism claiming to be inspired by Islam. “To define a whole category of people, or a whole nation, or a whole religious group as being in some way more prone to terrorism than any other group is irresponsible,” he said. In his experience, he said, Muslim people living in Irish society do so “peacefully and participate fully.” “We have large numbers of Muslim children in our Catholic schools, and they contribute to the ethos in many ways. “One of the interesting things about Muslims is while they are of a different faith, they tend to have a level of commitment to faith that in many ways we might well sit up and pay attention to,” he said.
IRELAND CONSIDERS PLANS FOR SEMINARIANS TO SPEND MORE TIME IN PARISHES
DUBLIN – Under new plans being considered, Irish seminarians would spend most of their time working in parishes rather than in the traditional seminary environment. The plans would allow for more time involved in active pastoral work alongside priests and lay pastoral workers and would, according to one bishop, give them a more realistic insight into priesthood in contemporary Ireland. A committee appointed by the Irish bishops’ conference is currently drawing up a new program for the formation of priests in Ireland. It is part of what Archbishop Eamon Martin, primate of all Ireland, has called “courageously moving the whole formation experience beyond past and present methods so that priests will be suitably prepared to engage with, and evangelize, the secularized contemporary culture.” The document is known as the “Ratio Nationalis” and builds on “Ratio Fundamentalis” guidelines on priestly formation published by the Vatican in 2016. Bishop Fintan Monahan of Killaloe told The Irish Catholic newspaper he believed seminarians being formed in parishes “would be more practical” than the current model. He said it would give them “firsthand experience of working together with priests and laypeople.” “The seminaries (at present) are almost monastic in character, and it is a shock to the system for newly ordained priests when they come to the parish. “Something based in the parish would help make it a more seamless transition,” Bishop Monahan said.
POPE: CONVERSION ‘NECESSARY NOW,’ NOT NEXT LENT
VATICAN CITY – God is patient and merciful, but people should not put off their conversion because they never know how long they will live, Pope Francis said. “We can have great trust in God’s mercy, but we must not take advantage of it. We must not justify spiritual laziness but increase our commitment to quickly responding to that mercy with a sincerity of heart,” Pope Francis said March 24 before reciting the midday Angelus prayer. In his Angelus address, the pope focused on the parable of the fig tree from the day’s Gospel reading. In the story, a landowner wants to chop down a fig tree that has borne no fruit in three years, but the gardener persuades him to allow him to fertilize it and give the tree another year. “The landowner symbolizes God the father and the gardener is the image of Jesus while the fig tree is the symbol of an indifferent and arid humanity,” the pope said. “Jesus intercedes with the Father on behalf of
humanity – and he always does – and he begs him to wait and give more time so that the fruits of love and justice emerge.” Lent is a time for all Christians to take the needed steps in their ongoing conversion, the pope said. But “the possibility of conversion is not limitless. It is necessary to do it now, otherwise it could be lost forever.” “We might think in Lent this year, ‘What do I need to do to draw closer to the Lord, to convert, to ‘prune’ those things that aren’t right? But, no, no, I’ll wait until next Lent.’” Such people, he said, also should ask, “But will I be alive next Lent?
PANEL: POLICIES TO EMPOWER WOMEN MUST PROTECT FEMININITY, HUMAN DIGNITY
(CNS IMAGE/COURTESY HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE) S
Pope to beatify martyrs
This is the logo for Pope Francis’ trip to Romania in late May to call for unity and a greater focus on the common good. The theme of the visit is “Let’s walk together” and shows Mary, the Mother of God, protecting the people of God in Romania, a country St. John Paul II visited in 1999. The trip will include visits to the Romanian Orthodox and Roman Catholic cathedrals, celebration of a Latinrite Mass and an Eastern-rite Divine Liturgy, as well as separate meetings with political leaders, young people and families as well as members of the Roma community.
UNITED NATIONS – Women should not be required to divest themselves of femininity to achieve empowerment and gender equality, according to panelists at a March 19 event at the United Nations. Women’s dignity and distinctiveness also must not be sacrificed to win social protections, public services and sustainable infrastructure, they said. Speakers addressed “Protecting Femininity and Human Dignity in Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality Policies Today” at a side event to the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The program was co-sponsored by the Vatican’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations. “True respect for woman starts with accepting, indeed reverencing, her according to all aspects of her humanity,” said Msgr. Tomasz Grysa, who is first counselor at the Vatican’s U.N. mission. “It involves creating the social conditions for her to live freely and fully, without discrimination, according to her feminine genius, the special wisdom she has in caring for the intrinsic dignity of everyone, in nurturing life and love and in developing others’ gifts.” CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
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Deadline for space reservation and copy: 14 days prior Lent, a season observed by Christians, will begin with Ash Wednesday on March 6th and end before Easter Sunday, April 21. Recent research found that 24 percent of consumers observe Lent. Abstaining from meat on Fridays is a common Lenten tradition. Restaurants are taking note and promoting seafood-centric dishes. Advertise your Lent-friendly options and make sure your message gets out. fish burgers • fried-fish sandwiches • shrimp scampi • clam risotto • fish-fry dinners salmon dishes • crab cakes • lobster • crayfish • sushi • fried shrimp Reach over 51,000 households, 100 churches, schools and centers in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo Counties. Each publication becomes an eEdition on our website at www.catholic-sf.org Call Today for More Information Mary Podesta (415) 614-5644 • Fax: (415) 614-5641 • podestam@sfarchdiocese.org
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Hibernian-Newman Club hosts 55th annual St. Patrick’s Day luncheon On March 15 the HibernianNewman Club held its 55th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon at the Westin St. Francis Hotel, with more than 800 in attendance. Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone was among the dignitaries attending and gave the invocation. The Hibernian-Newman Club, established in 1964 by Archbishop Joseph McGucken, provides financial support for Newman Centers and other worthy charitable organizations in the archdiocese. Club president Anthony Cuadro presented a donation to the archbishop on behalf of the club’s board of directors to be used in support of the Newman Center programs at San Francisco State University. Donations were also presented to the CYO Caritas Creek program and the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center. San Francisco native John Ring was honored as the 2019 Hibernian of the Year. Ring was recognized for his years of service on charitable boards including the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center, the Holy
(COURTESY CHLOE JACKMAN PHOTOGRAPHY)
Members of the Hibernian-Newman Club gathered at the Westin St. Francis Hotel March 15 for the club’s 55th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon. San Francisco native John Ring was honored as the 2019 Hibernian of the Year, recognized for his service on charitable boards.
followed up by a highly entertaining narrative about his years growing up Irish in the Sunset District. “The humor was very West of Twin Peaks and totally enjoyed and understood, particularly by anyone who went to St. Cecilia, Holy Name, St. Gabriel, St. Brendan and SI during that time,” the club’s Jim Horan told Catholic San Francisco. “Every-
Family Day Home and the Pomeroy Center, among others. He was also recognized for his outstanding work as former alumni director at St. Ignatius High School and his current role as development director at Archbishop Riordan High School. In his acceptance speech, Ring acknowledged those who have helped him achieve his many successes,
SAN FRANCISCO CATÓLICO San Francisco Católico is the Spanish language newspaper for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. It is distributed twenty Sundays of every year at the Hispanic Mass celebrations in our Archdiocese.
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one seemed to know everyone in the neighborhood, which is so San Francisco no matter which neighborhood you grew up in.” San Francisco native Shannon Rowbury was the event keynote speaker. A graduate of Sacred Heart Cathedral High School and Duke University, Rowbury also spoke of growing up Irish in the Sunset and how Irish step dancing contributed to her tremendous success as a longdistance runner. She is a three-time Olympian, a two-time world champion bronze medalist and an American record holder in three distances. Currently a volunteer track coach at the University of San Francisco, she is also training for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Rowbury is also a co-founder of “Imagining More,” a nonprofit that focuses on encouraging young women in education, sports and art. Additional information about the Hibernian Newman Club, including membership information, can be found at hiberniannewman.com.
FRANCIS QUINN: Oldest US prelate; was 97 FROM PAGE 13
He often invited faith leaders from other denominations to services at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, including a joint baptism on Pentecost in 1989, and in 2000 delivered a benchmark address outlining “Beatitudes for an Ecumenical Era.” He also issued in 1991 a new “Beatitudes for Elected Officials.” He retired in 1993, and the priests of the diocese game him a recreational vehicle as a retirement gift. He retired at age 73, two years before the age canon requires bishops to turn in their resignation to the pope. He was in good health and said his reason for early retirement was that “I’ve done all the things I can think of.” A year later, he moved to Arizona to minister to the Yaquis and the Tohono O’odham in the San Solano Missions. “A vocation is not a profession from which you retire,” he said in 1994. “A vocation never ends.” Even in retirement he maintained a simple lifestyle, living in a trailer behind the residence of Tucson’s bishop. In 1999, he was one of eight bishops who signed a petition published in The New York Times calling for international debt relief in line with Pope John Paul II’s designation of the year 2000 as a jubilee year. In 2007, he stepped away from active ministry and returned to Sacramento. On that occasion, Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, then head of the Tucson Diocese, wrote: “What a blessing his presence has been! He is beloved among the people he served with such dedication and commitment, especially the people of the Pascua Yaqui Nation. ... I know all of us feel profound respect for Bishop Quinn and cherish his gentle, loving and unassuming manner. He is a deeply spiritual man who has left a permanent impact on all of us.” “It’s been a very happy 13 years,” Bishop Quinn said. Bishop Quinn still was not done in the public spotlight. In 2015, at age 93, he became a first-time author, penning a “fictional memoir” called “Behind Closed Doors: Conflicts in Today’s Church.” He wrote the book during his first six years in Arizona. Proceeds from sales benefited a facility for the homeless, newly released prisoners and those just out of drug rehabilitation. Bishop Quinn is survived by his sister-in-law, Betty Quinn, two nieces and numerous grandnephews and grandnieces and their families
29
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
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DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR/ EVENT SPECIALIST Reports to: Director of Development FSLA Status: Exempt Full time The Development Coordinator performs a wide range of activities to assist the Office of Development’s outreach to donors and parishes. This position is involved in Department planning and fundraising activities and also involves some evening and weekend responsibilities.
• Successfully convey the mission and vision of the Archdiocese • Special event planning, preparation, and involvement • Planning, materials development, and implementation of the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal • Develop relationships with Archdiocese parishes and schools and assist them with their fundraising needs and plans
KEY COMPETENCIES: • Demonstrated skills in capital, annual, and endowment fund raising and event management • Ability to handle confidential financial and personal information with discretion and sensitivity • Excellent verbal and written communication skills • Premium on customer service and donor relations • Highly motivated and organized with the ability to prioritize and multi-task
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: • Bachelor’s Degree • Strong computer skills, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Raiser’s Edge • At least four years of experience in fund raising
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Prayer to St. Jude
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Oh, Holy St. Jude, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near Kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition. In return I promise to make you be invoked. Say three our Fathers, three Hail Marys and Glorias. St. Jude pray for us all who invoke your aid. Amen. This Novena has never been known to fail. This Novena must be said 9 consecutive days. Thanks. D.G.
help wanted ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Department: Office of the Archbishop & Office of Vocation Reports to: Executive Assistant to the Archbishop FSLA Status: Hourly – Non-Exempt POSITION SUMMARY: The Development Coordinator performs a wide range of activities to assist the Office of Development’s outreach to donors and parishes. This position is involved in Department planning and fundraising activities and also involves some evening and weekend responsibilities.
TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Answers, screens and transfers inbound phone calls on behalf of the Archbishop and the Executive Assistant to the Archbishop • Performs general clerical duties including mail, photocopying, fax • Processes all invoices and check requests for goods and services consumed by the Office of the Archbishop, reconciles office credit card monthly • Maintains office supply inventories and orders supplies • Daily review and coordination of the Archbishop’s calendar • Receives the Archbishop’s visitors and the Executive Assistant’s visitors • Maintains confidential electronic and hard copy filing systems for the Office of the Archbishop • On an annual or as needed basis, assists in managing special projects including the Christmas party and the Chrism Mass, including arranging catering service and issuing invitations • Proactively contacts parishes and organizes the logistics of presentations for the Assistant Vocation Directors, helping to get the most out of this team-approach of promoting vocations diocese-wide • Setup and support of summer seminarian supplemental formation and housing presentation • Assist in scheduling Director of Vocation visits, cultivating good relationships with diocesan schools, youth ministers and parish staff
• Assist in securing private foundation support • Donor cultivation and solicitation • Oversee adherence to Archdiocesan Development policy by all Catholic entities engaged in fundraising in the Archdiocese • Support all development department efforts as necessary • Priests Retirement Luncheon - planning, preparation, and implementation
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
• Proven ability to work independently and accomplish projects with limited supervision • Desktop publishing – ability to create and produce printer-ready materials • Effective problem solver and consensus builder • Displays commitment and urgency • Attention to detail and accuracy • Committed to collaboration
KEY COMPETENCIES:
• At least three years of experience working with nonprofit organizations • Knowledge of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the community served • Database management • Extensive customer interaction
To apply, please send cover letter, resume, and completed Employment Application to
Ms. Christine Escobar, Human Resources Manager, Archdiocese of San Francisco, One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109 or careers@sfarch.org. Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified candidates with criminal histories considered.
Prayer to St. Jude
Oh, Holy St. Jude, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near Kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition. In return I promise to make you be invoked. Say three our Fathers, three Hail Marys and Glorias. St. Jude pray for us all who invoke your aid. Amen. This Novena has never been known to fail. This Novena must be said 9 consecutive days. Thanks. C.K.
• Bachelor’s Degree • Practicing Catholic in full communion with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church • Knowledge of organization and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, including services and ceremonies • Proficient with Computer skills and knowledge of relevant software (Microsoft Office Suite) • Proficient in clerical and administrative procedures, systems and standard office equipment • Ability to maintain strictest confidentiality in all matters • Communication skills – Professional level of written and verbal communication • High level of diplomacy in dealing with individuals interacting with the Office of the Archbishop • Highly organized with the ability to prioritize and multi-task • Must be a quick learner with the ability to manage time and work independently • High level of customer service orientation • Problem assessment and problem solving • Attention to detail and accuracy • Teamwork and an attitude of collaboration • Punctual • Spanish (helpful but not essential)
To apply, please send cover letter, resume, and completed Employment Application to Ms. Christine Escobar, Human Resources Manager, Archdiocese of San Francisco, One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109 or careers@sfarch.org. Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified candidates with criminal histories considered.
30 FROM THE FRONT
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
GERMANY: Catholics’ spiritual conviction test, lay leader says FROM PAGE 19
In its open letter to Cardinal Marx publicized Jan.14, the group leveled sharp criticism at the cardinal: “We reject the instrumentalization of our religion. You use this in a falsifying secularization for the spread of mainstream left-liberal political ideology.” “We want to approach the challenges together to remain true to the Lord amid the great abandoning of belief and a widespread secularized situation,” said Father Unterhalt. “Therefore, the association of priests is an answer to the crisis of our time.” Invoking St. John Paul II, Communio Veritatis opposes changes to church tradition. “We have positioned ourselves clearly against giving communion to Protestant spouses of Catholics in interchurch marriages and have rejected a corresponding directive from our archbishop as unacceptable,” said Father Unterhalt, who said that the group also opposes changes to priestly celibacy. Meanwhile, Sternberg and the Central Committee of German Catholics propose different ideas for solutions.
“We in the (central committee) are convinced that trustworthiness can only be restored through sustainable steps in reform,” said Sternberg. “Against a backdrop of numerous demands, we are in favor of the supplementary consecration of married men and opening consecrated offices – presently, the diaconate – to women, for fair administrative structures, for a church management and criminal penal jurisdiction system, and last but not least for more of a synodal leadership responsibility among all believers in the church.” Sternberg said the proposals for reform address more than the issue of sexual abuse. “These are questions for the future sustainability of the church as a space for the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ in our time,” he said. He said the sexual abuse cover-up in Germany’s church, leaked in a confidential church study document to the media Sept. 12, has brought Germany’s Catholic Church to a point of no return. “The church in Germany has taken an irreversible turn toward sexual abuse reforms due to this study. This study has shown everyone what structures in the church have fostered abuse, how the church it-
self committed sins here,” he said. “These structures – false clericalism, intransparency, an absence of conscience and much more – must now be changed.” Although many different opinions abound, there is one thing that all parties involved seem to agree on – Germany’s Catholic Church, scattered and divided, is beginning to fall apart at the seams. “Many believers are very disturbed about the glaring spread of confusion in Germany and worldwide,” said Father Unterhalt. In addition to faith dilemmas, Sternberg says local Catholic communities are now being by threatened by widespread parish restructuring “due to a catastrophic lack of priests and a tendency to centralize in the vicariates of the dioceses.” He said Catholic believers in Germany are ready and willing to take a stand to rebuild their crumbling church, but, rather than leave it to the higher-ups, they want to achieve this by working with their own hands. “They (laity) want to share responsibility in the body of the church and are ready to win back lost trust together in a community,” said Sternberg. “As to whether this will be achieved, many people are skeptical.”
POPE: Mary inspires, assists those seeking their vocation FROM PAGE 1
are seeking or questioning their future can find Mary to be the one who helps them discern God’s plan for them and find the strength to follow it.” The pope chose to visit the Italian seaside town of Loreto on the March 25 feast day to sign his postsynodal apostolic exhortation – titled in Spanish, “Vive Cristo, esperanza nuestra,” (“Christ, Our Hope, Lives”). The document, based on discussions and input garnered from the world Synod of Bishops on “young people, faith and vocational discernment,” was to be released to the public April 2, the anniversary of the death of St. John Paul II. The intention was “to connect two pontificates, so loved and close to the younger generations,” said Alessandro Gisotti, interim director of the Vatican press office.
The pope said the postsynodal document has three sections, mirroring the three phases of the synod process: listening, discernment and decision. In the first phase, he urged quiet and stillness and “descending to a deeper level, where moral and spiritual forces act. It is there that Mary invites young people to come down and tune in to God’s action.” The final phase must lead, in the footsteps of Mary, to “the ‘yes’ of full trust and total openness to God’s will,’ the pope said. God always makes the first move, offering people the gift of his love, the pope said. “One must be ready and willing to listen and welcome God’s voice,” which is hard to recognize if life is too “noisy” or agitated, he said. Quiet and extended reflection is necessary, he said, if one is going to be able to go below the surface and discover the “moral and spiritual forces” at work in one’s life.
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And God is always at work, giving and providing for his disciples no matter how “poor and small” they may be, he added. Because young people and families are not two separate realities, he said, pastoral programs and outreach must be dedicated to both at the same time because “very often young people are what their family gave them with their upbringing.” “It is necessary to rediscover God’s plan for the family,” he said, which is “founded on marriage between a man and a woman,” and to emphasize the family’s “great and irreplaceable” role in serving life and the community. The pope prayed that God, through Mary’s intercession, would help the faithful bring the “Gospel of peace and life to our peers, who are often distracted, caught up in material interests” or surrounded by a spiritual desert.
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CALENDAR 31
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
THURSDAY, MARCH 28
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3
‘ASHES TO ASHES’: What makes a funeral Catholic with Monica Williams, director of cemeteries for Archdiocese of San Francisco on where to start, theology behind the tradition, new doctrine regarding scattering of ashes. St. Sylvester Church, 1115 Point San Pedro Road, San Rafael, 12-1:30 p.m., $8/one friend free, light lunch 11 a.m.
SUPPORT GROUP FOR ILL: For people with life threatening illness, 10 a.m.-noon, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, Msgr. Bowe Room. Deacon Christoph Sandoval facilitates, (415) 567-2020, ext. 218; csandoval@ stmarycathedralsf.org.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6 FIRST SATURDAY MASS: First Saturday Mass with healing service, 11 a.m., Holy Cross Cemetery, 1500 Mission Road, Colma, Holy Cross Mausoleum, Father Father Perrone Vito Perrone, Contemplatives of St. Joseph, principal celebrant, homilist. The Benedict XVI Institute Schola will lead song. Monica Williams, (650) 756-2060; mjwilliams@holycrosscemeteries. com; holycrosscemeteries.com.
THURSDAY, APRIL 4
FRIDAY, MARCH 29 CATHEDRAL FISH FRY: Lenten Fish Fry at St. Mary’s Cathedral Friday, March 29, 5-8 p.m., Event Center Halls A, B and C St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco. All are welcome to enjoy fried fish and seafood, traditional side dishes, beverages, and dessert. Tickets $15 ($10 age 15 and under). Advance tickets highly recommended, and can be purchased on the new parish website, SMCSF.org on the Donate page, look for the words Lenten Fish Fry. If not sold out in advance, tickets will be available at the door. Jolie Velazquez, (415) 5672020, ext. 228, JVelazquez@smcsf.org.
VOCATION DINNERS: Priesthood Discernment Monthly Dinner Meetings continue April 4, May 2, and June 6, 6:15 – 8:30 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 826 Vienna St., San Francisco. The program each time is Eucharistic Adoration in the church, followed by dinner and discussion in the rectory. For information or to RSVP, Father Cameron Faller (415) 333-7630, ext. 16, faller.cameron@sfarch.org. Meetings with similar format continue April 1, May 6, and June 3, 6:15 – 8:30 p.m. St. Pius Church, 1100 Woodside Road, Redwood City. For information or to RSVP, Father Tom Martin, martin. thomas@sfarch.org.
SUNDAY, MARCH 31
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
YLI LUNCH: Young Ladies Institute Dolores #7 fundraiser with delicious lunch, raffle, silent auction, 1-4 p.m., Lower Church Hall St. Cecilia Parish, 17th Avenue at Vicente, San Francisco, $25. RSVP to Jeannie King (415) 4122222. Proceeds benefit seminarians, scholarships and local charities.
PEACE MASS: St. Finn Barr, 415 Edna St., San Francisco, 10 a.m., Father William McCain, pastor, principal celebrant. (650) 580-7123; zoniafasquelle@ gmail.com.
CONCERT: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Geary Boulevard at Gough Street, San Francisco, 4 p.m., featuring local and international artists, free parking, freewill donation requested at door. (415) 567-2020, ext. 213, Visit SMCSF.org.
MONDAY, APRIL 1 2-DAY PARISH MISSION: “Lenten Journey with Jesus,” led by Bishop Carlos A. Sevilla, SJ, retired bishop of Yakima, 7-8:30 p.m., St. Pius Church, 1100 Woodside Road, Redwood City. Free admission. For more information elvira@pius.org.
Benedict XVI Institute with director Maggie Gallagher, 5:30 a.m., KPIX Channel 5. The many activities of the institute and its contributions and achievements in liturgy, sacred music and the arts are among the day’s topics. Past episodes of Mosaic are archived and viewable at sfarch.org/mosaic-tv. sfarchdiocese.org/ events/benedict-xvi-institute.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7 P
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‘LADIES’ TEA’: St. Robert Parish, San Bruno “Ladies Tea” in Hennessy Hall, an afternoon of fun, and friendship. $20 adults, children under 10, $8. (650) 589-2800, PPCC5@SaintRoberts.org.
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‘SHELTER WALK’: WinterFaith Shelter Walk benefiting Interfaith Winter Shelter, 1:30 p.m., Lake Merced, meet at parking circle at Sunset Boulevard and Lake Merced Boulevard, San Francisco, Cynthia Zamboukos (415) 474-1321, cynthiaz@sfinterfaithcouncil. org. To register and/or donate http:// winterfaithshelterwalk.dojiggy.com/. MOSAIC: Host J.A. Gray discusses the
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RIBS AND CHILI: Rib and chili competition, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Pius Church 1100 Woodside Road, Redwood City. More than 30 teams competing. Enjoy competition-style ribs and chili. $2 each item. For more information hognheat@gmail.com.
CONCERT: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Geary Boulevard at Gough Street, San Francisco, 4 p.m., featuring local and international artists, free parking, freewill donation requested at door, (415) 567-2020, ext. 213, Visit SMCSF.org.
SUNDAY, APRIL 14 ST. JOHN REUNION: St. John Ursuline High school all class reunion begins
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‘EVENING WITH C.S. LEWIS’: British actor David Payne in what has been called “an enthralling one-man show.” The run is co-sponsored by the C. S. Lewis Society of California. April 25, 26, 27, 8 p.m.; April 27, 4 p.m.; April 28, 2 p.m., 6 p.m. Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco. C.S. Lewis Society members’ tickets are just $39.50 with Code NARNIA. www.marinesmemorialtheatre.com/ tickets.
‘BINGO LUNCH’: Our Lady of Angels gym, Burlingame, noon-3:30 p.m., $25 ticket includes hot dog lunch with all trimmings, must be over 18 to attend, Lori Clyne loriscooking@gmail.com.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 25
HANDICAPABLES MASS: Mass at noon then lunch, both in lower halls, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, Gough Street entrance. All disabled people, caregivers invited. Please RSVP by conI O S tacting Diane N Prell, activities coordinator, (415) 452-3500; www.Handicapables. com. Dates are subject to change.
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FASHION SHOW LUNCH: No. Marin Aux. SVDP Luncheon and Fashion Show, Marin Country Club, 500 Country Drive, Novato, $45. For reservations, Shirley Genetin, (415) 883-6739.
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32
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | MARCH 28, 2019
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery 1500 Mission Road, Colma | 650-756-2060 Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery Santa Cruz Ave. @ Avy Ave., Menlo Park | 650-323-6375 Tomales Catholic Cemetery 1400 Dillon Beach Road, Tomales | 415-479-9021 St. Anthony Cemetery Stage Road, Pescadero | 650-752-1679 Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery 270 Los Ranchitos Road, San Rafael | 415-479-9020 Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery Miramontes St., Half Moon Bay | 650-712-1679 St Mary Magdalene Cemetery 16 Horseshoe Hill Road, Bolinas | 415-479-9021