April 18, 2019 by Catholic San Francisco

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Youth adoration night encourages friendship with God

Parochial school ‘rebooting,’ not closing, says pastor

Reverence Eucharist as church’s heart, archbishop says

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO Newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco

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APRIL 18, 2019

Atheist to Catholic: One young woman’s unexpected conversion CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Never underestimate the power of asking a blue-haired atheist to come to church with you. At the Easter Vigil on April 20, Georgia Westfall will be baptized, confirmed and receive her first Communion at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church just months after childhood friend Christina Vella, an altar server at the Mill Valley parish, invited her to Mass for the first time. It is something the 18-year-old high school senior did not see coming. “I guess I was so surprised by what I felt,” Westfall told Catholic San Francisco April 8. “I felt something more than I think I really ever felt before in my life, I guess like love and acceptance.” Westfall, a senior at Tamiscal High School in Larkspur, said she “didn’t really believe in anything” after being raised by parents who were atheist. She admits Vella’s devout Catholic faith was “a part of our friendship I didn’t really understand.” She enjoyed the preaching of pastor Father Patrick Michaels and said the community is “very nice.” But SEE ATHEIST TO CATHOLIC, PAGE 16

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Fire ravages Notre Dame Cathedral; both towers saved CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

(PHOTO BY CHRISTINA GRAY/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Georgia Westfall, an 18-year-old high school senior, will receive the sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Mill Valley, culminating her conversion from atheism.

PARIS – A major blaze engulfed the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral April 15, sending pillars of flame and billowing smoke over the center of the French capital. Catholic News Agency reported late Monday that the fire was under control and the main bell towers and historic front of the building were safe. The fire erupted about 6:30 p.m. local time. Authorities said the cause was not certain, but that it could be linked to renovation work that the cathedral was undergoing, the BBC reported. Officials ordered an evacuation of the area around the 850-year-old cathedral that has withstood world wars and political turmoil throughout France’s history. Le Monde, a Paris daily newspaper, reported that the fire erupted in the attic of the cathedral. Televised images showed the church’s iconic steeple was ablaze. In 2018, the Catholic Church in the SEE NOTRE DAME, PAGE 21

Water: Parish outreach brings water to homes of poor Navajo families CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Four Navajo families in Thoreau, New Mexico, can now wash their hands, brush their teeth and flush a toilet thanks in part to the parishioners of St. Dominic Church who poured their Lenten alms into a nonprofit that defends access to fresh water as a basic human right. The San Francisco parish raised $18,000 for the Navajo Water Project during last year’s “Be Living Water” Lenten campaign and relaunched it again this year for the same pur-

‘The way fresh water flows depends upon not only the weather and the water sources in a region, but also on the ways the infrastructure is constructed to give access to some users rather than others.’ CHRISTIANA ZENNER

Author and theology professor pose. On March 29 they invited the project’s founder to a parish hall soup supper where he told a packed parish hall about his shock at learning that almost two million Ameri-

cans do not have access to clean, safe water. “I knew nothing about these neighbors of mine whose first waking thoughts are, ‘How am I going

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to get enough clean water today just to survive?’” said George McGraw, a Loyola University graduate with a background in international law and human rights who founded DigDeep. org in order to bring water to those Americans. In partnership with organizations like St. Dominic, corporate and individual donors and a network of volunteers, DigDeep.org builds low-cost, community-managed water systems to homes, schools and businesses without access to water or SEE WATER, PAGE 16

INDEX On the Street . . . . . . . . 4 National . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . 27

2 ARCHDIOCESE NEED TO KNOW BISHOPS SEEK ‘NO’ VOTE ON SB360: California Senate Bill 360, sponsored by Democrat Sen. Jerry Hill of San Mateo, would remove the right to privacy between a penitent and confessor during the sacrament of reconciliation and other spiritual counseling. The bill cleared the Senate Public Safety Committee and is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations on April 22. The Catholic Legislative Network is urging constituents to help stop the bill from going to the Senate Floor for a vote. Learn more: www. cacatholic.org, Latest News. CELEBRATE HOLY WEEK AND EASTER WITH EWTN: Learn more about your faith during the holiest time of the year with EWTN’s movies, documentaries, children’s programs, and more. Join in the celebration of Mass from Rome with Pope Francis and also from the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Program details at ewtn.com. EWTN can be viewed locally at Comcast 229. ATT 562, Astound/Wave 80, Dish satellite 261. CELEBRATE WITH ST. CATHERINE CHURCH: All are welcome to St. Catherine of Siena Church, 1310 Bayswater Ave., Burlingame, April 28 for chaplet and confessions at 2:30 p.m., Mass at 3 with Father Alvin Yu, followed by Benediction and veneration of Christ’s image, and concluding with the rosary. Contact Judy Miller, (650) 342-1988. ST. BRENDAN’S ‘ELECTRIC MASS’ SUNDAYS AT 5: Join St. Brendan Parish, 29 Rockaway Ave., every Sunday at 5 for an ‘Electric Mass with high-energy contemporary Christian music, dynamic presentations and modern lighting. Visit www.stbrendanparish.org.

ARCHBISHOP CORDILEONE’S SCHEDULE APRIL 18: Chancery and Priest Personnel Board meetings; Holy Thursday Mass, cathedral, 7:30 p.m. APRIL 19: Good Friday liturgy, cathedral, 3 p.m. APRIL 20: Easter Vigil, cathedral, 9 p.m. APRIL 21: Easter Sunday Mass, cathedral, 11 a.m. APRIL 24: Chancery meetings APRIL 25: Chancery meetings; Restorative Justice Awards Dinner, cathedral APRIL 30-MAY 1: California Catholic Conference meeting, Sacramento MAY 2: Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep board meeting; chancery meetings; Loaves & Fishes Dinner and Gala MAY 3: Confirmations, Marin Catholic High School, 9:30 a.m. MAY 4: Confirmations, cathedral, 10 a.m.

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Precious medals: Designer shares faith, connects Catholics with religious jewelry CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Since the opening of her first retail space in the sunny loft of a San Anselmo home furnishings store last summer, jewelry designer Belinda Wickwire has witnessed her collection of heirloomquality jewelry fashioned with vintage holy medals of Mary, Jesus, saints and guardian angels transfix customers, Catholic or not. Belinda “People always stop and look Wickwire at the religious jewelry,” Wickwire told Catholic San Francisco April 6 from behind her work table covered with bowls and boxes and trays of rare, vintage holy medals that date as far back as the Napoleonic era. “I find that so interesting that this is where they stop and where they keep returning to.” Though the shop is not marketed as “religious jewelry,” the Marian statues, crosses, antique rosaries and a two-foot tall Infant of Prague statue make Wickwire’s faith beautifully obvious. “I’m spreading the faith basically,” said Wickwire, a St. Anselm parishioner who described herself as a “born and dipped” Catholic. She began making jewelry at 15 while a student at a Catholic high school in Anaheim and considered entering the convent after graduation. Instead she went to work for Tiffany in Los Angeles and eventually an estate jeweler. Privately, she “found joy” in collecting vintage religious medals, particularly Mary medals. “I feel very connected to Mary,” said Wickwire, who received the name Mary at her baptism. “There is a sweetness and a sadness that I can relate to.” It was never her intention to sell religious jewelry, said Wickwire, who lives in San Rafael with her husband Brad and their children Arianna and Jacob. But friends and acquaintances who saw her work started to ask her to make baptismal, first Communion, confirmation and graduation gifts. “For most of my life I have only worn a simple small wooden cross,” said Ernesto Diaz, a Jesuit-educated St. Raphael parishioner who told Catholic San Francisco in an email that Wickwire designed a necklace for him that combined a medal of St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuit order, his own wooden cross and small image of the Santiago de Compostela. “These three symbols are deeply rooted in my beliefs and background, and it is the only jewelry I wear other than my wedding ring.” “There are a lot of Catholics in this area, I’m discovering,” said Wickwire, and they are finding their way to her shop.

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www.smcsf.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. 04/21 Jeanette Wilkin Tietze, piano. 04/28 David Ball (Orange, CA), organ. 05/05 Gail Archer (New York), organ. 05/12 Festival of Marian Hymns: Rebekah Wu directing the Benedict Sixteen 05/19 Spring Concert of the St. Bridget School Honor Choir 05/26 Hans Uwe Hielscher (Germany), organ.

(PHOTO BY CHRISTINA GRAY/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Belinda Wickwire displays an assortment of vintage religious medals she uses in her work as a jewelry designer, some dating as far back as the Napoleonic era. ”Religious medals and jewelry is a physical way to take your faith with you,” said Wickwire, a parishioner at St. Anselm in Ross. “When there is a tough moment, it is something you can physically hold on to and a reminder of where to turn.”

St. Anselm parishioner Patty Conway told Catholic San Francisco that she dropped in not long after the shop opened and showed Wickwire a guardian angel necklace she had purchased years before from a store that sold first Communion dresses in Greenbrae. “That’s one of mine,” Wickwire told her. Twice a week since then, Conway and Wickwire have become “fast friends,” sorting through medals and talking about their kids, schools and church. “There is something soulful and beautiful about the medals,” said Conway, who wears her Catholic identity around her neck. “It’s just part of who I am.” Wickwire has also designed and produced graduation medals for St. Hilary School in Tiburon and San Domenico School in San Anselmo. ”Religious medals and jewelry is a physical way to take your faith with you,” Wickwire said. “When there is a tough moment, it is something you can physically hold on to and a reminder of where to turn.”

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO 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

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

NEED TO KNOW SVDP SAN MATEO “HEARTS AND HANDS”: Join the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Mateo May 9 for the Vincentians’ “Hands & Hearts Making a Difference” event, at Draeger’s San Mateo. The event honors retired Bishop William J. Justice for his dedication to SVdP throughout the years. For more information to and to buy tickets, contact Krissy Lagomarsino, (650) 373-0637, www.svdpsm.org. MOTHER’S DAY HYMNS: The Benedict XVI Institute chorus with its new deacons’ choir will sing songs for Mother’s Day with Mary in mind, May 12, 4 p.m., St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, free admission, www.sfarchdiocese. org/events/marianhymns. (PHOTO BY NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Young adults active in the Couples for Christ youth ministry in San Jose performed April 5 at St. Ignatius Church at XLT, a night of eucharistic adoration and praise and worship music. One of the music leaders, Andrew Bugarin, said worship music “is giving honor to God who put everything on Earth.”

Youth adoration night encourages friendship with God NICHOLAS WOLFRAM SMITH CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

During World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, in 2016, Maisie Rivera went to XLT, a night of eucharistic adoration and praise and worship music that became a “pivotal moment” for her faith and discerning her call to serve the church. Praying before the Eucharist with 100,000 pilgrims from around the world showed her “our faith is so universal that even if we are Maisie Rivera disconnected by language we are all rooted in community in Christ.”

Three years later, on April 5, Rivera brought the same program – on a smaller scale – to St. Ignatius Parish in San Francisco for their youth ministry group. Created by Lifeteen, the Catholic youth ministry organization, the XLT program features adoration and upbeat worship music, along with a talk on faith and time for socializing. Rivera, a junior at University of San Francisco and a member of the parish’s faith formation council and formation commission, told Catholic San Francisco she wanted the XLT night to show the different parts of Catholicism. Catholicism is “not just about Mass but about adoration, the rosary, building community and camara-

Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul. - Dorothy Day

SEE YOUTH, PAGE 19

MISSION DOLORES CONCERT: Second Sunday series at Mission Dolores Basilica, 16th Street at Dolores, San Francisco, May 12, 4 p.m., featuring Jerome Lenk on the organ and Emil Miland, cello. $10 donation suggested. music@missiondolores.org; (415) 621-8203. MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER: Encounter weekends will be held May 17-19 in San Jose, and Aug. 9-11 in San Francisco. Details available from applications@sanjosewwme.org; (408) 782-1413, www.sanjosewwme.org. INSTITUTE DAY FOR TEACHERS: The McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame University and the Archdiocese of San Francisco invite teachers to a one-day workshop May 20 where participants will gain insights for educating at the interface of science and religion. “Science transformed the world but at the expense of philosophy and theology,” an announcement about the event states. The event will be held at the archdiocesan Pastoral Center, One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco. The presenter is Stacy Trasancos, executive director of the St. Philip Institute of Catechesis and Evangelization founded by Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas. The day is free for teachers who register by May 11. Late registration fee is $25. Google “Science and Religion Institute Days” to access the McGrath Institute web page for the event and the registration form, or call (574) 631-1379.

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4 ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

This scribe is takin’ a break TOM BURKE CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

“On the Street Where You Live” has appeared in every issue of Catholic San Francisco during its now 20 years of publication. My love of the theater and its music is what led me to suggest the title, grabbing the idea from “My Fair Lady’s” Freddy Eynsford-Hill solo of the same name. The product of the number of CSF issues until now times the usual word count of Street puts me Tom Burke at having the pleasure and opportunity so far to gab here 600,000 words worth. Sad to say, especially for me, that’s where the number will stay for a bit as I move into a period of disability having been diagnosed with cancer. The doctors are hopeful and so am I. Church Goods Candles Religious Gifts & Books While I’ll&be in treatment when this issue hits the streets my weeks leading up to the chemo and raBRRRRR: Antarctica is the new home of flags designed by kindergartners from Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton. “Each class designed diation have been a whirlwind. Kaiser has taken me and painted an SHS and penguin-themed flag which was mailed to Antarctica, and displayed by researchers at the remote Cape Royds well under its wing and their cancer team has kept Penguin Colony,” the school said. The project accompanied the students’ study of Antarctica. The research station invites school children me busy preparing for the therapy. I am grateful, from around the world to submit flags. “Students know it’s cold, that penguins live there, that there are no cities or regular houses, that too, to our Human Resources team right here at Peit’s basically scientists studying penguins, plants, climate, and the atmosphere,” said kindergarten teacher Carol DeZutti. “This year we ter Yorke Way for holding5my handinthrough locations Californiaall the steps in the disability process, and my teammates at built on that,” said kindergarten teacher Megan DeRitis, “explaining how this is a peaceful place – people from all over the world come to work and live there together.” Penguin researcher Jean Pennycook signed the flags before returning them on the 10,000-mile journey Your Local Store: Catholic San Francisco for their support and care. back to Sacred Heart Schools. The kindergartners are pictured with one of their flags and teachers Megan DeRitis, left, and Carol DeZutti. My mind369 runsGrand to Broadway often and even this Ave., S.San Francisco,650-583-5153 illness in the Near second act of my life takes me there. SF Airport - Exit 101 Frwy @ Grand to teaching,” the sisters said. In Among Broadway’s many great contributors are the Archdiocese of San FranJohn Kander and Fred Ebb who brought us “Cabawww.cotters.com cotters@cotters.com cisco, Sister Susan taught at St. ret,” “Chicago,” and other hits including the more Peter, San Francisco; All Souls, recent “Curtains” which I actually saw in New South San Francisco; and Holy York. My turn on that is the candor and ebb I am Family School, a work of the now knowing. The diagnosis and realities of cancer St. Francis Center in Redwood are stark and I feel, however hope-filled, that I am City. She currently resides at St. going more out to sea than coming in. I told my Dominic Villa in Hazel Green, brother, Joe, that there must be a time coming Sister Susan Wisconsin. when I’ll have a good cry over this. I’m looking Ostrowski forward to it. WHO’S CALLING? Still trying to fit into FaceThat said, I’m also looking forward to thousands book. It’s interesting that people I’ve known are not of words more from my hand right here on this contacting me, their lawyers are. page. It has been my delight to write Street and I am grateful to have been able to grind out a now-35 year During Tom Burke’s absence, email career as a chancery grunt from knowing the parts UP TO DATE CONGRATS: I have been remiss in not anitems and high-resolution images of a sentence. nouncing the good work of, from left, Atticus, Lachlan and Xavier to CSF staff at csf@sfarch.org and I always ask people I interview to tell me their Morello. The brothers, all students at St. Pius School, Redwood or mail to Street, One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco favorite or most uplifting experiences in the post City and shown here with principal, Rita Carroll, held a lemonade 94109. Include a follow-up phone number. If requesting a they hold. It seems only fair to ask myself the same sale donating the $60 earned to the St. Pius Parish St. Vincent de thing. The answer is you: every man, woman, priest, Paul Society. On another note, congrats and thanks to Rita who will calendar listing, put “Calendar” in the subject line. religious, church worker, teacher, everyone who retire after some 35 years as principal at St. Pius in June. OOPS! Monica Williams, director of cemeteries treads the streets of this fine archdiocese. I feel like for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, has been apJUBILEE: Congratulations and thank you to I’ve met all of you in the items we’ve moved through pointed secretary of the Catholic Cemetery ConDominican Sister Susan Ostrowski who celStreet over the years. Thank you. Gotta’ say I am ference, a national organization founded in 1949 ebrates her 40th year as a Sinsinawa Dominican grateful to be facing the cancer during Lent and, as to support leadership of Catholic cemeteries. The at the sisters’ motherhouse chapel July 14. you read this, Holy Week. “Be with me Lord, when I April 4 Street reported the appointment in error. “Sister Susan’s ministry has been dedicated am in trouble; be with me Lord, I pray.”

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Archbishop’s Circle addresses critical needs, cultivates relationships CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Andrew and Tess Bussa have come to their deep, vibrant Catholic faith by different routes. Although Andrew was raised Catholic and attended Marquette University (Class of 2006), he describes his family’s involvement with the church as “somewhat perfunctory.” Also raised Catholic, Tess recalls in her family an initial burst of faith that waned in her teenage years. An impetus for change came at her high school graduation, when her godfather (who had worked with Mother Teresa), encouraged her to “… go to Mass your first weekend in college (at her home state University of Colorado) and every one after.” Tess attended Mass that first weekend and all that followed. She also immersed herself in the school’s vibrant Catholic ministry program, sible Study, and more -- her faith was reignited. Andrew and Tess met after college and dated for two years. They married in July 2017 and moved from Colorado to the Bay Area later that year, settling in San Mateo. Now members of St. Timothy Parish in San Mateo, they enjoy its “… humble nature, wonderful music ministry, and authentic cultural events.” They were attracted to the Archbishop’s Circle because “it’s a way of living your faith. The Circle provides the chance to help, and it also offers a sense of community. We’ve had many impactful conversations with our fellow members and love the events, like the retreats and social gatherings.”

SF HOME OWNERSHIP FOR NON-MILLIONAIRES

The Office of Human Life & Dignity of the Archdiocese of San Francisco is partnering with St. Ignatius Parish to have a Catholic couple share how they purchased a below-market rate home in San Francisco. The free public event with Catholic, Harvard grad and entrepreneur Christopher Colosi and his Stephanie is June 2, 10:45 a,m., St. Ignatius Church, 50 Parker Ave, San Francisco.

(COURTESY PHOTO)

Andrew Bussa, Tess Bussa and their daughter Gianna Bussa are members of St. Timothy Parish, San Mateo. The Bussas are among more than over 70 households who have joined the Archbishop’s Circle, an initiative Archbishop Cordileone started in 2016 to help parishes “become even more vibrant, alive with the Spirit and growing in faith, hope and charity.”

The Archbishop’s Circle began in 2016, arising out of Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone’s vision for an expanding and dynamic Catholic Church in the archdiocese. The archbishop’s aim is that “… our parish communities become even more vibrant, alive with the Spirit, and growing in faith, hope and charity.” This vision is reflected in the Archbishop’s Circle projects. Circle members fund such programs as The Colosis wanted to establish roots in San Francisco as they prepare to start a family. They will tell the story of how they navigated San Francisco’s complex below-market rate housing program to buy their first home. Below-market ownership programs help firsttime homebuyers who are low- to middle-income. BMR homes are specified units in San Francisco sold at below-market prices. They are also resold

a Deacon’s Assistance Fund, support for Seminarians, Youth and Young Adults, the Walk for Life, Marriage & Family Life, Catholic schools, a ministry at Most Holy Redeemer in San Francisco that feeds the homeless and near homeless, and others. Many of these initiatives would not be funded without Circle members’ support. The Circle now includes over 70 households (100 members), who range in age from their 20s to over 90. Members are teachers, business people, attorneys, technology professionals, law enforcement personnel, retirees, and others. “Each year, the Circle projects will be a combination of ongoing efforts and new initiatives,” said archdiocesan development director Rod Linhares states. “Taken together, the projects advance the interests of the archdiocese and evangelize within it.” Whether at work, church, engaging in their pastime of visiting microbreweries, or other activities, Andrew and Tess Bussa focus on “making our faith impactful every day.” There is now a third person they impact daily by their faith and example, a third person who accompanies them at church, the microbreweries (“…there are lots of kids at microbreweries …” according to Tess), and wherever they go. She is one of our newest Circle members, born on May 14, 2018, Gianna Maria. To learn more about the Archbishop’s Circle, contact Rod Linhares at the Development Office (415) 6145581 or linharesr@sfarch.org, or online at sfarchdiocese.org/Circle. at below-market prices to future eligible buyers. These homes are typically condominium units in mixed-income buildings, with monthly homeowner’s association. Learn more at https://sfmohcd.org/bmr-ownership. For more information on the event, contact Martin Ford, social action coordinator for the Office of Human Life & Dignity, at fordm@sfarch.org .

SUMMER RECREATION 2019

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Hit the basketball and volleyball courts this summer with camps and leagues for kids and adults!

6 ARCHDIOCESE

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Shock, sadness as Star parents, staff absorb news of temporary closing CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Star of the Sea School parents and staff expressed shock and sadness at news that the more than century-old parochial school in San Francisco’s Richmond District will temporarily close at the end of this school year. An announcement by the school and the archdiocese late in the day April 3 cited “unforeseen circumstances” stemming from the school’s transition to a classical education model. “I’m disheartened they made a final decision about this without talking to parents about it first,” Ashwin Bhat told Catholic San Francisco at the start of the school day April 4. “The kids are the losers in this.” His daughter graduated from the K-8 school and his son is now in the sixth grade. “I’m Hindu but I send my children here because the community is so strong,” Bhat said. Two mothers who had just dropped off their children spoke to the paper but declined to give their names. “We heard this might be coming but we didn’t think it would really happen,” one commented. “Sad for teachers and staff.” “I was surprised it got to this point,” the other parent said. Monica Hallquist, who was dropping off her third grader at the school door, said she knew nothing about the closing but was circumspect about the news. “There is a reason for everything,” she said, adding that she homeschooled her daughter after her first school, St. Charles Borromeo School, closed in 2017 because of low enrollment. She decided to send her daughter to Star this year but will be looking for another school for fourth grade in the fall. Hallquist said she supports the classical academy concept. Common Core has “no business” at a Catholic school, she said, adding that many

(PHOTO BY CHRISTINA GRAY/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Star of the Sea School principal David Gallagher spoke to Catholic San Francisco after school recessed April 4, a day after Star pastor Father Joseph Illo and the archdiocese announced that the K-8 school would suspend operations at the end of the school year to give time to develop a classical education model. Catholic moms have chosen to homeschool rather than send their kids to school with a Common Core curriculum. “What God puts into your head in Catholic school, Common Core takes out,” she said. She sees a “right order” to educating students regardless of faith. Star principal David Gallagher appeared at the door as the paper was speaking with Hallquist. Still surprised by the news, he had just come from a school general assembly and parents and teachers were seen leaving the front door with tears in their eyes. Gallagher and Hallquist hugged as he explained to her that the parish would do a feasibility study to see if there was a market for a classical

education academy in San Francisco. He said financial assistance might be available from the parish for a year if she wants to enroll her daughter in another Catholic school. “People could see this coming,” Gallagher said. “Students have been trickling out and trickling out. The writing was on the wall.” He said the archdiocese “made the final call and said this is not going to work right now.” “Yes, I’m disappointed,” Gallagher said, noting that he will be out of work on July 1 when his contract ends. He said the school’s 15 other teachers will be, too. “We love you and will miss you,” Hallquist said to the principal. Two preschool parents - a father and a mother, both Catholic - stopped to

drop their kids off and agreed to be interviewed without giving their names or being photographed. “One person is to blame,” shouted the father from the school gate. The woman said the announcement was “extremely sad” and that her family had been part of the school for seven years. “It is a wonderful community of amazing families and wonderful teachers who are close to one another,” she said. She described a schoolyard “packed with happy parents and happy students” every day. “Then Father Illo came.” “One person destroyed a community of over 100 years,” she said, referring to Star pastor Father Joseph Illo. The preschool father said he had no issue with the curriculum change but rejected what he called the authoritarian manner of handling it. “Our position is that it is not a rejection of faith but of the manner it has been forced upon us,” he said. Both parents said that they would be sending their kids to public schools in the fall. In response to a request for comment from Catholic San Francisco, Father Illo said, “Much of what has been posted on social media, especially about the March 7 parents’ meeting, is inaccurate, out of context, or simply false, and much of it from anonymous sources. “Many parishioners and other parents eagerly want what the parish has to offer in the way of Catholic education,” he added. “They are expressing hurt and frustration over the negativity that has led to the suspension of classes.” Father Illo also said that many parents were excited about a classical curriculum “but what some could simply not accept was reintegrating the school as a ministry of the parish.” In a blog post April 6 at http://frilloblog.com, Father Illo commented on some families’ “acute unhappiness” over his approach.

Star of the Sea ‘rebooting,’ not closing, pastor says in update RICK DELVECCHIO CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Star of the Sea School, a 110-year-old Catholic neighborhood institution in San Francisco’s Richmond District, will suspend classes at the end of the school year in June amid “unforeseen challenges” as the parish K-8 school attempts to adopt a classical education curriculum. Star pastor Father Joseph Illo and the Archdiocese of San Francisco jointly announced the decision today in an April 3 post on the archdiocesan website. “The school will continue its preschool classes uninterrupted and will build greater collaboration between the fully enrolled preschool and the elementary school,” the announcement said. “After much consultation, the decision has been made to take the necessary time to develop an Integrated Classical Program, including curriculum development, marketing strategy, and effective business model.” In an April 12 blog post, Father Illo said the school is “not closing but ‘rebooting.’ It is not what I would have

wanted, and in fact many of us spent ten months, and sustained a $700,000 deficit, trying to maintain classes uninterrupted as enrollment sank. “The deal breaker, for at least a vocal group of parents (who do not attend the parish), was restoring the school as a ministry of the parish. For many years the school had run itself functionally independent of the parish. One parent posted on social media, for example, that ‘Star of the Sea School and the adjoining church share a name and real estate, but not leadership and members. The two organizations are technically separate, and most of the students and their parents are not members of the church.’ Exactly. The fact that some parents would think a parish school was “technically separate” from its parish called for some healthy reintegration. “It is quite understandable how, in such a situation, some would resist parish oversight,” Father Illo continued. “In the end, those opposed to integration were vocal enough to sink enrollment. My heart goes out to students and families who must find another school, especially those who wanted to stay at Star of the Sea.

“But, God willing, it is not the end of our school,” Father Illo concluded. “The search has begun for an educator with experience in starting a classical school eager to meet the particular challenges at Star of the Sea. We are welcoming resumes, and, with God’s help, will build on our fully-enrolled preschool to resume upper classes with an Integrated Classical Program beginning August 2020.” View the blog post at http://www.frilloblog.com/blog/closing-the-school-not. In a statement to parents earlier on the day the suspension was announced, Father Illo said the parish “has done everything possible to maintain classes uninterrupted during this time of transition. Due to unforeseen challenges, however, we now see that it is wiser to take additional time to properly study, design, market and fund this new model. We regret that we must suspend classes because of projected low enrollment for the upcoming school year. “This has been a difficult and uncertain period for many school parents, some of whom have strongly expressed their concerns and reluctance to this development,” Father Illo said. “There

has also been a good deal of positive interest in moving forward with this new model.” Father Illo said he is “looking forward to working with people who are eager to develop this kind of school in San Francisco.” He expressed gratitude to school faculty and staff for their work with parish staff to develop the new program. “I also continue to be grateful to the Department of Catholic Schools for the expertise they bring to help us develop this exciting education format,” he said. Pamela Lyons, superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese, said, “While I am saddened by the suspension of classes at Star of the Sea School, I agree that moving to a new model of education takes careful strategic planning in order to offer a quality Catholic program that benefits our students and families.” She said “it would have been ideal” if the transition could have taken place with enough students to financially sustain the school. “However, that just isn’t the case,” SEE STAR SCHOOL, PAGE 20

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Archbishop: Stay faithful through reverence for the Eucharist CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

(PHOTOS BY DENNIS CALLAHAN/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

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Archbishop Cordileone celebrated Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion at St. Mary’s Cathedral April 14, imploring worshippers in his homily at the beginning of Holy Week to remain faithful to the church through the centrality of the Eucharist. The path to the Eucharist is the sacrament of penance, the archbishop said. Most Christians can relate to the apostles’ abandonment of the condemned Jesus out of fear. At the same time, all Christians can emulate the apostles in their courageous return and ultimate martyrdom, he said. Return through confession and receive the Eucharist worthily and reverently, the archbishop said, and don’t be like the crowd who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem only to turn on him. The archbishop noted retired Pope Benedict XVI’s recent essay on the clergy abuse crisis and the state of the church. The retired pope “cautions us away from humanengineered solutions and back to the real solutions” in the centrality of the Eucharist. “Let us lose no time to repent and return to the Lord so that we may hear him speak to us the words he spoke on the cross to the thief on his right, ‘Today you will be with me in Paradise,’” the archbishop concluded.

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

(PHOTOS BY DENNIS CALLAHAN/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Archbishop blesses holy oils at annual chrism Mass The preparation, blessing and distribution of oils are central to the Catholic Church’s sacraments and rites – and are among some of the church’s most ancient traditions and rituals witnessed in preparation for Easter. In the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the annual ritual of the chrism Mass was re-enacted April 11 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. In the presence of the gathered priests of the archdiocese, the archbishop blessed three oils to be used in the administration of the sacraments in the coming year: the oil of the sick, used in the anointing of the sick; the oil of catechumens, which is for those preparing to be baptized; and the chrism oil, a mixture of olive oil and balsam which is consecrated and used for baptism, confirmation and holy orders. In the ancient ritual, the bishop or archbishop breathes on the chrism, recalling Jesus breathing on his disciples after the resurrection: “ … he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20-22).

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Holocaust survivor, refugees tell their stories to Mercy SF students CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco’s Mercy High School, in partnership with The Helen and Joe Farkas Center for the Study of the Holocaust in Catholic Schools, honored Holocaust survivor Ralph Samuel during the annual Courage and Spirit Assembly March 26. Samuel, who was sent alone at age 7 from his parents’ home in Dresden, Germany, on a Kindertransport to England to escape the Holocaust, was joined by refugees from Central America, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe who gave their testimonies about making a harrowing journey from a native country in crisis to find a safer home in America. Middle schoolers from St. Vincent de Paul School sat in the audience with Mercy students to gain a better understanding of the broader refugee narrative. Many of the refugee speakers had personal connections with Mercy High. “I heard the story of Samah Damanhouri, a Saudi who followed her dreams and her ambitions despite her father and her culture desperately trying to hold her back,” said Kyliah Trujillo, a Mercy freshman. “(Samah’s) inspiring and tearjerking projects that represent her journey, and the struggles of every refugee, has inspired me to contribute to the world’s communities and the future of the Earth”

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(PHOTO COURTESY MERCY HIGH SCHOOL SAN FRANCISCO)

Samah Damanhouri, a refugee from Saudi Arabia, speaks to a class at Mercy High School San Francisco March 26 during the school’s annual Courage and Spirit Assembly. She lives in the Bay Area and is one of many Saudi women in the news who are resisting male control of their movements and decisions, known as the “mahram” or guardian system, the school said. Throughout the day, students heard firsthand testimony of killings, aggression against women, unjust and inhumane immigration acts and racism leading to genocide. Providing the connections between Holocaust survivor testimonies, like Samuel’s, to present day people’s stories, like that of Damanhouri’s, fulfills part of the Farkas Center’s mission to inspire people today to act locally and globally so

Hope elementary schools in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, including St. James and St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception in San Francisco’s Mission District. Doors open 10 a.m., first race 11:45 a.m. Valet parking included with tickets. Reservation deadline May 3. Visit www.visionofhope.org or call (510) 533-5768.

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that the slogan, “Never again!” can become a reality for all. Since 2007, through the Farkas Center’s three annual programs, Kristall Nacht, International Ho-

locaust Day and the Courage and Spirit Assembly, Mercy students and other junior and senior high guests are exposed to the need to focus on the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy. During this year’s Courage and Spirit breakout sessions, the students heard first-hand testimony of killings, (nonviolence), aggression against women, (women) unjust and inhumane immigration acts, (immigration), and racism leading to genocide (racism). Students and presenters also discussed the history of the areas where these situations are currently taking place, reasons why history repeats itself and what young people can do to prevent these actions in the future. “All students agreed to speak up when witnessing injustice and to stay informed of human rights crises around the world,” the school said. “Today in the news we read of massive injustices happening around the globe,” said Mercy Senior, Leilani Trujillo, who is also a student member on the Farkas Center’s board of directors. “The only way to stop hate is to get enough people to actively stop it. With Mercy’s education and the opportunities that the Farkas Center has given me, the future will safely be restored by the hands of today’s students.”

Join Us in Prayer and Almsgiving this Lent MMCF’s Mission is to help with the health care, educational, pastoral, and humanitarian needs of people like this mother and child. They live in the city of Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Everyday, more than a million people in Ebonyi State are in need of basic nutrition, safe drinking water, medical care, and a proper education. Hunger is a daily reality. A Nigerian mother and child’s health care is among the worse in Africa. But thanks to you, our supporters, we are making a difference. MMCF has raised enough funds to begin the first phase of installation of solar panels in the lab department and in one of the two operating rooms at Mater Misericordiae Hospital. This will reduce the hospital’s operating costs and channel the savings into the medical needs of the local community. These needs of the community in rural Nigeria are great and we ask for your continued support. As spring begins and flowers bloom, we are reminded that Lent is a “ Season of Renewal and Hope”. With your continued support, we hope to complete installing enough solar panels for the entire hospital!

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Please donate on our website at www.mmcharitablefoundation.org. Your donation to MMCF will help the plight of families like this mother and child. Your gift will bring Hope, Healing, and Peace. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of this mother and child and a multitude of the people like them in Nigeria. You are always in our prayers. For further information, you may contact Angela Testani @ 415 347-1866

10 NATIONAL

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Cambodian genocide survivor to enter church KELLY SANKOWSKI CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON – Phally Budock, who will enter the church this Easter at St. Andrew Apostle Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, has always believed in God, but for a long time she did not understand why God allowed terrible things to happen, such as the atrocities she witnessed during the Cambodian genocide in the late 1970s. “I didn’t understand, if there is a God who is almighty and so powerful, why did he let so many of my family members die during the war?” she said. “I didn’t understand, if God was good and God was almighty, why didn’t he intercede and save us?” Budock was just 5 when the communist regime, the Khmer Rouge, forced her family out of their home. The regime was trying to eliminate all educated citizens, and Budock’s father, who was educated in the U.S., had a high-profile job as a president of an agricultural bank. Her family was forced to march to a camp in the jungle in the northern part of the country, and even before they arrived, the Khmer Rouge soldiers took away several members of her family, starting with her father. She vividly remembers running after her father when the soldiers told him to come with them. Her mother scooped her up and told her that he would come back. He never did. Over the next three years, she saw both her brother and her sister die in front of her, and watched her mother bury them. Before the war, they were a family

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of 12. After the war, only their mother and five of the children were still alive, two of whom had been out of the country attending college.

A Catholic doctor’s medical view of Christ’s passion, crucifixion TOM DERMODY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Jesus likely died from excessive blood loss, a Catholic surgeon said April 4 during a talk that examined the 18 hours of Christ’s passion and crucifixion from a medical perspective. “Christ emptied himself,” Dr. Timothy Millea told about 100 people at his home parish of St. Paul the Apostle in Davenport. “As a surgeon, two words that make Dr. Timothy our hair stand on end are ‘bleeding Millea out,’” he said. “If you can’t stop it, you can’t keep that patient alive.”

Millea, an orthopedic surgeon with offices in Iowa and Illinois, is president of a local chapter of the Catholic Medical Association for members in those two states. He said an adult male has about 1.5 gallons of blood and that the loss of 40 percent of that blood can lead to hypovolemic shock, a life-threatening condition. Jesus likely surpassed that threshold after repeated beatings through the night, an intense scourging at the hands of Roman soldiers that included wearing a crown of thorns and having nails driven through his upper wrists and feet. “Some people ask, did Jesus really die of physical factors, or did he – as God – say, ‘OK, my work is done,’” said Millea. After taking his audience hourby-hour through Jesus’ physical and emotional suffering from the Agony in the Garden to his death on the cross, Millea countered that “how he lived this long is one of the biggest divine mysteries.” He said his interest in researching this topic began in 1986 when he read an article “On the

EARTH DAY

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(CNS PHOTO/MIHOKO OWADA, CATHOLIC STANDARD)

Phally Budock, a survivor of the Cambodian genocide, will enter the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Silver Spring, Md.

When the South Vietnamese Army freed them, Budock’s brother sponsored her, her mother and two of her sisters to come to the United States, and they arrived Nov. 30, 1980, after spending a year in a Thai refugee camp awaiting approval to come to the country. Because she had trouble understanding how God could allow such terrible things to happen, Budock said she was indifferent about wanting to know more about God or to pray. But through it all, her mother, who was raised Catholic, never lost her faith. “Before, I knew about (Jesus) through my mother, but I didn’t know him personally,” Budock told the Catholic Standard, Washington’s archdiocesan newspaper. Around 2007, after going through some setbacks, she prayed for guidance and began her journey toward reconciliation. “I came to realize what my mother knew all along. ... God had been working his miracles for us many times already when he brought us safely out of the jungle after the war and all the way over to the U.S.,” she said. Budock said she knows a lot of Cambodians will disagree with her: “ ... Those who have not come to Christ, they don’t understand that forgiveness is such a big part of rebuilding humanity; restoring the hurt and the loss. It cleanses your heart. It is like detoxing the poison from your system. “Forgiveness is not going to do away the sins, the crime (they) committed, but it is handing over to God to do what is his responsibility to do; to bring justice to the injustice. ... Your job is to let go and forgive.”

Physical Death of Jesus Christ” in the Journal of the American Medical Association. His subsequent research showed that Jesus’ medical condition has been discussed since the 16th century. Among the latest sources he quoted was the 2014 book “A Doctor at Calvary: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” by Dr. Pierre Barbet. Millea also referenced modern research on the Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be Jesus’ burial cloth. For example, he said the man whose image is seen on the shroud was 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed about 175 pounds. While tradition says Jesus was whipped 39 times in his scourging, nearly 400 wound marks are counted on the shroud and “every one of them (was) bleeding” on the day of his death. While he promised his talk would not be “like watching Mel Gibson’s movie again” – a reference to the graphic depictions of Jesus’ sufferings in the 2004 biblical drama “The Passion of the Christ” – there came a time in his description of the crucifixion when he paused and asked his audience to “bear with me, we’re going to get through this. I don’t like this part, either, but it’s pretty important.” SEE DOCTOR, PAGE 20

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NATIONAL 11

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Many focused on what DC’s archbishop will say about race RHINA GUIDOS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON – Whether it was deliberate or by accident, the Archdiocese of Washington announced on the 51st anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. the selection of its new leader, set to become its first black archbishop. Various news stories noted the date and a reporter asked Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory – whose new appointment by Pope Francis was Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory announced during an April 4 news conference – about the civil rights icon, a question that almost certainly would not have been asked of a white counterpart. “It was a turning point in my life to have seen this extraordinary American, this preacher of the Gospel, this great humanitarian cut down in his youth and what that loss meant to our nation and indeed what it meant to the world,” Archbishop Gregory answered during the news conference in Hyattsville, Maryland, adding that he was 20 when Rev. King, 39, was assassinated April 4, 1968. “It was a turning point that allowed me to see a

GEORGETOWN STUDENTS VOTE FOR SLAVERY REPARATIONS FEE

WASHINGTON – Undergraduate students at Jesuit-run Georgetown University voted overwhelmingly April 11 to pay a new student fee that would be for reparations to the descendants of slaves owned and later sold by the school. The fee would be $27.20 per semester and the figure represents the 1838 sale of 272 enslaved individuals by the Maryland province of the Society of Jesus province for the benefit of Georgetown University. According to the Georgetown University Student Association Elections Commission, which announced the results April 12, of the nearly 60 percent of undergraduates who voted, 2,541 supported the measure and 1,304 opposed it. The vote was part of a nonbinding student referendum. Approximately 66 percent of students voted in favor. USA Today quoted a statement from university administrator Todd Olson, who did not commit to the fund’s establishment but said the vote provided “valuable insight into student perspectives.”

CARDINAL: ASSISTED-SUICIDE LAW ‘UNACCEPTABLE’

NEWARK, N.J. – Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark called New Jersey’s new law allowing assisted suicide regrettable, saying “whatever its motives and means, it is “morally unacceptable.” “Every gift of human life is sacred, from conception to natural death, and the life and dignity of every person must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condition,” the cardinal said in a statement April 12, the day Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act, effective Aug. 1. “Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or disabled persons

modern-day martyr for the cause of justice, peace, unity and to see the impact that both his life and death have had on people.” Many eyes, ears and questions, as well as expectations, directed at the new archbishop of Washington have been and will be focused on what he says about race and racism when he officially takes up his new post at his May 21 installation. “This is a very historic and vibrant black Catholic community in D.C., and I do think it’s quite significant that we’re finally going to have our first African American archbishop,” particularly during a time of rising racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in the country, said John Gehring, Catholic program director for the Washington-based Faith in Public Life. The incoming Washington archbishop is not new to those issues, said Sister Patricia Chappell, executive director of the Washington-based Pax Christi USA, who has worked with Archbishop Gregory on various church initiatives dealing with race and racism. He has been a member of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus and most recently, Sister Chapell said, he was involved with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love – A Pastoral Letter Against Racism,” approved by the bishops when they gathered as a body in Baltimore in November.

Archbishop Gregory mentioned the document during an April 9 news conference in Atlanta, one of the last with local media as he gets to ready to wrap up 14 years as archbishop there. The bishops’ statement, he said, “for the first time specifically identified racism as a difficultly that is certainly rooted in the black American experience but is now also an expression that our Latino friends have experienced, continue to experience, as well as well as other immigrant minority people, the Islamic community.” In places such as Atlanta, he said, while addressing the relationship between Catholics and the Jewish community there, being part of minority communities helped build a bridge between the two. “Certainly, we faced bigotry together, whether addressed to Catholics or Jews, or African Americans, so that bond links us,” he said during the Atlanta news conference, where he also was peppered with questions about race. “We need to expand our horizons, not to neglect the fact that racism has a unique voice, unique presence within the African American community, but racism has also tainted our relationship with other groups who have suffered at the hands of those who hate rather than those who love and welcome,” he continued.

should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible,” Cardinal Tobin said. Under the new law, which goes against the Catholic Church’s fundamental teaching on the sanctity of all human life, adults who receive a terminal diagnosis would be allowed to obtain selfadministered medication to end their lives. Murphy is Catholic. In his statement the day of the signing, Murphy said that “allowing residents with terminal illnesses to make end-of-life choices for themselves is the right thing to do.”

ated allegations of child sexual abuse against any diocesan priest ordained in the past 30 years.” In a second statement, the Buffalo diocese asked area media to respect the privacy rights of abuse victims.

BUFFALO BISHOP REGRETS ‘NOT BEING MORE TRANSPARENT’

BUFFALO, N.Y. – In a pair of statements issued April 11, the Diocese of Buffalo both asserted greater transparency in its handling of clergy sex abuse claims and urged respect for the privacy of abuse victims. The former statement, from Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, was issued to “correct some of those errors” about the diocese’s response to the crisis that Bishop Richard had cropped up from the “intense J. Malone media coverage.” But he also used the statement to address “the times when I personally have fallen short.” “I also regret not being more transparent about claims involving abuse against adults,” Bishop Malone added. “As you know from the manner in which we have been addressing more recent claims involving conduct between adults, we are handling those matters differently now. Lessons have been learned.” He also said that there “have been no substanti-

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WASHINGTON – Lawyers for The Washington Post filed a motion in federal court April 9 seeking the dismissal of the $250 million defamation lawsuit filed against the newspaper by Nick Sandmann, a student at Kentucky’s Covington Catholic High School. The student was thrown into the center of a national spotlight in January when videos of him and his classmates interacting with Native Americans and others near Washington’s Lincoln Memorial went viral. In the Feb. 19 lawsuit, the 16-year-old student alleged that the Post’s coverage of the incident was biased, claiming there were “no less than six false and defamatory articles” in the newspaper about the Jan. 18 encounter. In its defense, in the motion filed in U.S. District Court in Covington, The Washington Post’s legal team said its stories of that day’s interaction were accurate and noted that even if they weren’t “flattering of the Covington Catholic students” who were involved, they “do not give rise to a defamation claim by Sandmann.” The Post’s legal team also said the “story was an emerging one” and that readers would not have “understood the initial article as having told the whole story.” CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

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12 FAITH

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

SUNDAY READINGS

Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord, Mass of Easter Day ACTS 10:34A, 37-43 Peter proceeded to speak and said: “You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”

“The right hand of the Lord has struck with power; the right hand of the Lord is exalted. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

PSALM 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

Sequence Christians, to the Paschal Victim Offer your thankful praises! A Lamb the sheep redeems; Christ, who only is sinless, reconciles sinners to the Father. Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous: The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal. Speak, Mary, declaring what you saw, wayfaring. “The tomb of

COLOSSIANS 3:1-4 Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

Christ, who is living, the glory of Jesus’ resurrection; bright angels attesting, The shroud and napkin resting. Yes, Christ my hope is arisen; to Galilee he goes before you.” Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining. Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning! Amen. Alleluia. JOHN 20:1-9 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

Out of the tomb and into life

n Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize winning play “Our Town,” set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners in New Hampshire, the narrator, pointing to the graves of familiar people in the cemetery, says: “Yes, an awful lot of sorrow has sort of quieted down up here. People just wild with grief have brought their relatives up to this hill… Now there are some things we all know, but we don’t take ‘m out and look at ‘m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars … everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. FATHER CHARLES All the greatest people ever PUTHOTA lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always losing hold of it. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being. … They’re waitin’. They’re waitin’ for something that they feel is comin’. Something important, and great. Aren’t they waitin’ for the eternal part in them to come out clear?”

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

At Easter, as we gather joyfully and gratefully, having completed the Lenten practices and vigils with the suffering Christ, we are relieved into the truth that the dear departed share in the eternal with the Risen Christ. Thanks to the power and glory of the Risen Christ, we know that there is something eternal in us and that eternal part in us will come out clear more and more and manifest itself fully at the end of our journey. The more the eternal shines forth in us, the more we have let the resplendent light of the Risen Christ permeate our lives. Christ is Risen, Alleluia! We shall too rise now and forever, Alleluia! The Word of God this Easter Sunday offers us such joy, hope and conviction about life and eternity. Life is not in snapshots but against the backdrop of eternity. The spiritual masters have asked the question: “What is it for eternity?” Our present quests and endeavors gain perspective in light of the eternal. Peter in his sermon to the Gentiles in the Acts summarizes brilliantly once again the life of Christ in just a few words. It is Christology (who Jesus is) and Soteriology (our salvation). Jesus went about doing good. They put him to death, but God raised him. Jesus lives. We are witnesses. We are to preach and proclaim. He is judge of the living and dead. Belief in him will result in forgiveness and new life. Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are ushered into Christ-like be-attitudes

and do-attitudes. That is how the eternal shrines through us. The Gospel sees Mary of Magdala as the first proclaimer of the Resurrection, a reminder for us to uphold the dignity and roles of women in society and religion. The empty tomb calls us to come away from the tombs of our making into the heart of life where the Risen Christ is present and active – and Easters. We need, therefore, to oppose the death-dealing forces and nurture all life-enhancing possibilities in families, communities, and at the larger social and international levels. The “other disciple,” who is not named deliberately, “saw and believed” and thus represents all disciples who through love can see life in the context of the eternal by recognizing the Risen Christ. The eternal in us waiting to come out clear is affirmed by Paul in Colossians. We are exhorted to rise above the levels we have settled for. We are to “seek what is above” because we have died with Christ and are “hidden with Christ in God.” Thanks to the resurrection of Christ, we are capable of transcendence. We are made of the eternal and destined for it. This Easter truth could become clearer and brighter this season through our love and light, our selflessness and service, and our happiness and hope.

ACTS 4:1-12. PS 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a. PS 118:24. JN 21:1-14.

ACTS 4:32-37. PS 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5. JN 3:14-15. JN 3:7b-15. JN 3:7b-15.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27: Saturday in the Octave of Easter. ACTS 4:13-21. PS 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21. PS 118:24. MK 16:9-15.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1: Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter. Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker. ACTS 5:17-26. PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9. JN 3:16. JN 3:16-21.

FATHER CHARLES PUTHOTA is pastor of St. Veronica Parish, South San Francisco, and director of pastoral ministry for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

LITURGICAL CALENDAR, DAILY MASS READINGS MONDAY, APRIL 22: Monday in the Octave of Easter. ACTS 2:14, 22-33. PS 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11. PS 118:24. MT 28:8-15. TUESDAY, APRIL 23: Tuesday in the Octave of Easter. ACTS 2:36-41. PS 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22. PS 118:24. JN 20:11-18. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24: Wednesday in the Octave of Easter. ACTS 3:1-10. PS 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9. PS 118:24. LK 24:13-35. THURSDAY, APRIL 25: Thursday in the Octave of Easter. ACTS 3:11-26. PS 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9. PS 118:24. LK 24:35-48. FRIDAY, APRIL 26: Friday in the Octave of Easter.

SUNDAY, APRIL 28: Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy). ACTS 5:12-16. PS 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-2. REV 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19. JN 20:29. JN 20:19-31. MONDAY, APRIL 29: Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor. ACTS 4:23-31. PS 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9. COL 3:1. JN 3:1-8. TUESDAY, APRIL 30: Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter. Optional Memorial of St. Pius V, pope.

THURSDAY, MAY 2: Memorial of St. Athanasius, bishop and doctor. ACTS 5:27-33. PS 34:2 and 9, 1718, 19-20. JN 20:29. JN 3:31-36. FRIDAY, MAY 3: Feast of Sts. Philip and James, apostles. 1 COR 15:1-8. PS 19:2-3, 4-5. JN 14:6b, 9c. JN 14:6-14. SATURDAY, MAY 4: Saturday of the Second Week of Easter. ACTS 6:1-7. PS 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19. JN 6:16-21.

OPINION 13

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

What we haven’t got right about sex

everal years ago, in the question and answer period after a public lecture, a rather disgruntled young man asked me a question that carried with it a bit of attitude: “You seem to write a lot about sex,” he said, “do you have a particular problem with it?” My lecture had been on God’s mercy and had never mentioned sex so his question obviously had its own agenda. My answer: “I write 52 columns a year and have been doing that for over 30 years. On average, I write one column on sex every second year, so that means I write on sex, on average, FATHER RON every 104 times I write. That’s ROLHEISER slightly less than 1 percent of the time. Do you think that’s excessive?” I highlight this exchange because I’m quite conscious that whenever a vowed celibate writes about sex this will be problematic for some, on both sides of the ideological spectrum. Be that as it may, by referring here to two insightful quotes by Gary Gutting, I want to suggest that our culture would do well to courageously examine its views on sex to see where our current ethos regarding sex might be not serving us well. Here are the quotes: Writing in an issue of Commonweal (Sept. 23, 2016), Gutting says: “We do, however, need an ethics of sexuality, and the starting point should be the realization that sex is not ‘fun.’” That is, it’s not an enjoyable activity that we can safely detach from things that really matter. Sex isn’t like telling a joke, drinking good wine, or watching a basketball

game. It’s not just that sex is more intense; it also taps emotional and moral depths that ordinary pleasures don’t. Core human values such as love, respect, and self-identity are always in play. ‘Casual sex’ is a dangerous illusion. Sex is a problem for us mainly because we conflate it with fun.” Two years later, in another issue of Commonweal (March 19, 2018), commenting on the moral outrage that sparked the #MeToo movement, he writes: “Our outrage may seems anomalous, particularly in the Hollywood context, because the entertainment industry – along with advertising, the self-help industry and the “enlightened’ intellectual” – is a primary source of the widely accepted idea that sex should be liberated from the seriousness of moral strictures and recognized as just another way that modern people can enjoy themselves. … I’m not a cynic, but I do think it’s worth reflecting on the tension between moral outrage over sexual harassment and the ethics of liberated sexuality. The core problem is that this ethics endorses the idea that sex should typically be just another way of having fun. … This ethics is open of course to the idea that sex can also be an expression of deep, committed, monogamous intimacy, but it still sees no problem with sex that begins and ends as just fun.” Can sex begin and end as just fun? Many within our culture today would say yes. It seems this is what we have evolved to. In the short space of a half century we’ve witnessed a number of paradigm shifts in how our culture valuates sex morally. Until the 1950s, our dominant sexual ethos tied sex to both marriage and having children. Sex was considered moral when it was shared inside of a marriage and was open to conception. The 1960s excised the part

about sex being tied to having children as birth control became acceptable within the culture. But sex still needed to be within a marriage. Pre-marital and extra-marital sex, though prevalent, were still not seen as morally acceptable. The ‘70s and ‘80s changed that. Our culture came to accept sex outside of marriage, providing it was consensual and loving. Sex, in effect, became an extension of dating. Today’s generation was born and raised inside that ethos. Finally the 1990s and the new millennium brought still a more radical shift, namely, “hook-up” sex, sex where soul, emotion, and commitment, are deliberately excluded from the relationship. For many people today, sex can be understood as purely recreational – and still moral – purely for fun. What’s to be said about this? Can sex be purely for fun? My answer is the same as Gutting’s. Sex purely for fun doesn’t work because, try as might, we cannot extricate sex from soul. In the end, sex just for fun is not fun – except in fantasy, in ideology divorced from reality, and in naive novels and movies. For the sensitive, it invariably brings heartache, and to the insensitive it invariably brings hard-heartedness. To everyone it brings sexual exploitation. Most seriously, it leads to a certain loss of soul. When soulfulness is not given its rightful place within sexuality, worse still when it is deliberately excluded, we end up selling ourselves short, not properly honoring ourselves or others, and at the end of the day this results in neither happiness within ourselves nor proper respect of others. Soul is a commodity worth protecting, particularly in sex. OBLATE FATHER RON ROLHEISER is president of the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas.

LETTERS Brothers and sisters

Father Coleman’s article about Catholic schools who have turned away students because of their parents’ sexual orientation (“Catholic school bans same-sex couple’s kindergartner,” April 4) struck a discordant note with me because nowhere did the article mention the injury such actions cause to the children involved and to the schools deprived of their presence; nor was there mention of the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:13: “Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” Nor did the article condemn the imprecation of gay and lesbian parents implied by such actions. I know gay and lesbian parents who are terrific people; who raise responsible, adjusted, loving children, and who have been pillars in their children’s schools. These people and their children are our brothers and sisters. Father Coleman’s article is important and meritorious because 1) it makes us aware that some church leaders are ostracizing children because of their parent’s sexuality; 2) it also offers a solution for those church leaders obsessed by gay and lesbian couples in their congregations to nonetheless provide a Catholic education for their children; and 3) it gives hope by reporting that some of our church leaders have found a Christ-like way to embrace gay and lesbian Catholic families. James D. Biernat San Carlos

Transparency on school finance

To this longtime San Franciscan, Star of the Sea’s fate is troubling on many levels. The problem extends beyond one pastor’s actions. The schools superintendent and others within the Archdiocese surely have access to long-range plans/projections for every single Catholic school – curriculum, anticipated enrollment numbers, plus possible closure/lease/sale scenarios. As local Catholic schools are shut down, there has been a clear pattern of higher-cost private institutions purchasing/leasing vacated buildings – Corpus Christi, Most Holy Redeemer, St. Agnes, St. Charles, St. Elizabeth, St. Emydius, St. James-Boys, St. Joseph, Star of the Sea Academy, and more. A brand-new replacement school for St. Mary’s was constructed on Kearny Street in 2011, but in a distressing lack of foresight, it was closed just five years later due to low enrollment – with a private

school now occupying the building. Will Star’s $300,000-plus science lab – built in 2011 after parishioner/parent/student fundraising efforts – also go to some wealthy private institution? As funds continue to be raised for earthquake retrofits (one school’s recently stated goal is a whopping $12 million), the time has come for answers: 1) What is the projected enrollment/future viability for each Catholic school at a time when San Francisco’s student-age population is shrinking? 2) What is today’s Archdiocesan business model – sustaining Catholic school education activities or simply offering high-value, parishionerimproved real estate to private institutions for financial gain? All of us who continue supporting San Francisco Catholic schools financially are entitled to such forthright disclosures at once. Frank Dunnigan Phoenix, Arizona

Oh, really, Gov. Newsom?

Re “California bishops: Death penalty moratorium provides welcome pause for ‘civil dialogue,’” March 14: Mr. Newsom has pontificated on his decision to halt enforcement of California’s death penalty. He claims that taking a life “is inconsistent with our bedrock values. ...” Oh, really, governor? Where are your “bedrock values” on human life vs abortion? He is nothing more than a chameleon. Whether it is the death penalty, abortion or same-sex marriage, he conveniently changes color so as to blend with the issue as he wishes. I was dismayed that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops praised Newsom’s death penalty stance as he continues his strong anti-church policies when it comes to abortion and marriage. Newsom should not be allowed to cherry pick his own beliefs at the expense of his Catholic faith. The bishops, equally, should not praise cherry-picking Catholic politicians. Peter J. Fatooh San Francisco

SF services for homeless without children

One piece of information to add to your March 28 story about the fine work of the Catholic Charities Bayview Access Point outreach team: In addition to the Family Coordinated Entry access points mentioned at the end of the article (for family groups containing one or more children and/or a pregnant woman), there are also Adult Coordinated Entry access points for homeless people without children. The Adult Coordinated Entry access points are at 2111 Jennings (Bayview) and 123 10th St. (South of Market). See http://hsh.sfgov.org/services/adultcoordinated-entry for open hours. Victoria Tedder San Francisco

Star School coverage in CSF

The San Francisco Chronicle carried prominent stories on Thursday and Friday, April 4 and 5, including reference to an April 3 statement from the archdiocese. There are quotes from a meeting that that occurred on March 7, nearly a month ago. Is it too much to ask that our official Archdiocesan newspaper, Catholic San Francisco, would provide some news in the April 4 edition to explain the closure of Star of the Sea school and whatever it is that is going on in that parish? Stephen St Marie San Francisco Editor’s note: Through catholic-sf.org and our Facebook news feed, we published two prominent stories, one last Thursday, the other Friday. Our first story was out ahead of the Chronicle’s. The news broke as our latest print issue (April 4, and it went to press April 1) was out and two weeks from the next one. Had it occurred on our deadline, we would have featured it prominently, but print had to wait until the current issue. You can access our latest at https://catholic-sf.org/san-francisco. We publish a lot on the web before the paper, or in addition to it, and putting “Catholic San Francisco” into Google News search will retrieve many of our items almost as soon as they go up. We are a registered news source on Google, no different than the Chronicle. We post news of high interest on our Facebook feed as well.

LETTERS POLICY EMAIL letters.csf@sfarchdiocese.org WRITE Letters to the Editor, Catholic San Francisco, One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109

NAME, address and daytime phone number for verification required. SHORT letters preferred: 250 words or fewer

14 OPINION

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

A frightened people HOSFFMAN OSPINO

know. “Frightened” is a provocative term. It evokes many feelings and reactions. It demands asking why a person or a group feels that way. It invites analysis into the causes and consequences of situations that are frightening. Let me say it at the outset: Many, perhaps millions, of Hispanics are frightened. Yes, today, in the United States of America, many of our Hispanic Catholic sisters and brothers live in a permanent state of fear. The Collins Dictionary says this about the word “frightened”: “If you are frightened, you are anxious or afraid, often because of something that has just happened or that you think may happen.” The definition captures well what I hear increasingly from many Hispanics in my travels throughout the United States. Their reasons to be frightened are many, and I do not pretend to exhaust them in a short column, yet allow me to mention a few. Countless Hispanic children and spouses, mostly women, are frightened when faced with the deportation of a loved one who provides for them. It is frightening to know that one’s family may be separated and perhaps never reunited. It is frightening when many Hispanic children realize that they may end up in the foster care system and never see their parents or relatives again. It is frightening to arrive in a country as a child, like the tens of thousands of Latin American children in recent years, and spend months, perhaps years in a detention center. Hundreds of thousands of young Hispanics whose entire lives depend on provisions like the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are frightened because their entire futures depend on the whims of a few, usually wealthy and privileged politicians, playing partisan roulette in the comfort of their offices. About a quarter-million Hispanics

(CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN)

Delegates pray Sept. 23, 2018, during Mass at the Fifth National Encuentro in Grapevine, Texas. Pope Francis said Sept. 30 during his Sunday Angelus address that Jesus invites people to stop labeling others as being either “friends” or “enemies” or being “with us” or “against us.” with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the majority Salvadorans, are frightened because after living in this country for decades, forming families and contributing to this society, their lives will be disrupted if the program ends abruptly, forcing them to return to countries where they have not lived for long – and many do not even know. Many Hispanics, immigrant and U.S.-born, are frightened as we witness our society grow too comfortable with bouts of anti-Hispanic rhetoric and even actions. Our wellbeing – and that of our children – is at stake. Hispanics are frightened when unusually questioned – twice, thrice, more – for what we do. It is frightening to live and work in environments

when one’s efforts are not trusted or never considered good enough. In some states, many Hispanics whose migration status is irregular are frightened and avoid going to church, restaurants or malls. Many even avoid stepping outside of their homes for fear of being targeted by immigration or law enforcement officers. It is frightening for many Hispanic Catholics to realize that some of their pastoral leaders are guided more by partisan politics and ideology than by a commitment to Gospelinspired pastoral care. Sometimes they receive the scraps of what is offered to other Catholics; other times they are not even welcomed. Although such negative examples are not the norm, they do exist.

All circumstances leading people to live in a permanent state of fear constitute a direct affront to their dignity as children of God and to their most essential rights as human beings. Nearly two-thirds of Hispanics are Roman Catholic. The fear of these sisters and brothers is the fear of the church in this country. We need to talk about these matters as a community of faith. Being Catholic in the U.S. demands standing in solidarity with those who are frightened. OSPINO, a guest columnist for Catholic News Service, is professor of theology and religious education at Boston College. This column was first published Jan. 31, 2019.

From shame to hope EDITH AVILA OLEA

recently read a column titled “A Frightened People” by Hosffman Ospino. He writes about Latinos’ reality in the U.S. and gives a voice to Latinos who are living in the shadows. The infamous, broken immigration system in this country is hurting Latinos, and, therefore, the church hurts as well. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. I have been reflecting on this article for a few weeks now. I was challenged by this piece. It almost hit too close to home for me. It made me completely uncomfortable. It brought my shame to light, but it gave me hope. I am a young Latina working in the administration of the Catholic Church. I constantly find myself in living two extremes. On one end, I am running around trying to prove to the world that I deserve to be here. On the other hand, I am trying to prove to others that I am still one of them. If you’ve seen the movie, “Selena,” my life can be summarized in one

scene. Remember Selena’s father explaining to her why she couldn’t interview in Mexico? “Being Mexican-American is tough. Anglos jump all over you if you don’t speak English perfectly. Mexicans jump all over you in don’t speak Spanish perfectly. We’ve got to be twice as perfect as anybody else.” Abraham goes on to continue to discuss the complexity of having two cultures. He ends by exclaiming, “It’s exhausting!” I realized why I’ve been so exhausted. I’ve been trying to live in two very different realities. I’ve been living out of fear. Truly, the political rhetoric and obvious division in our church is hurtful. Over the past few weeks, I have had to ask myself once again, where is my hope? Coincidently, I had recently purchased Brené Brown’s audiobook, “Dare to Lead.” I was in need of something other than news for my commute. It was a double whammy. One week, I was learning about the depth of fear, reflecting about how it had

paralyzed me. The next week, I was learning how fear can be a result of shame. I think it is safe to say, God was calling me to dive into something deep with him. Inspired by Brené, I decided to unveil the shame I’ve been carrying around. My shame is directly associated with my Latina-ness. I am an immigrant and a daughter of immigrants. I am also a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient. My family’s future is uncertain, and my own future is uncertain. Being an immigrant became my source of shame. I believed that I had to prove my worth. For the past two years, I walked with my head down low, hoping that no one would notice the incredible pain coming from my fears. Hosffman Ospino pointed out that living in the shadows is a dark and scary place. It is no place for any child of God. It is no place for our youth. It is no place for our immigrants. It is no place for our church. Brené Brown teaches that shame has its greatest power when it’s

unspoken. Silence is its strength. However, we can overcome shame. We, Latinos, have to actively choose not to be defined by fear of an uncertain future. I am a young adult professional. I am a graduate student. I am an employee. Yet still, my future is uncertain. And, I choose not to be defined by these not-so-dark and quite hopeful realities. Instead, I choose to be defined by God’s love, to be embraced by his grace, and to dare to hope for the future. I hope we, as church, choose to live in solidarity with millions who have to live the Latino reality of today. We might not be able to fix the broken system tomorrow, but we can certainly help others feel not so alone. We must dare to walk with the wounded of today. Dare to be like Christ. EDITH AVILA OLEA, a guest columnist for Catholic News Service, is associate director of the justice and peace ministry in the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. She is completing a master’s degree in public policy at DePaul University in Chicago.

OPINION 15

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

The Easter Effect today

ome two millennia ago, a ragtag bunch of nobodies learned what their tortured and executed friend, the rabbi Jesus from Nazareth, meant by “rising from the dead” (Mark 9:9-10) — because they met him again, the same but utterly transformed, as the Risen Lord. The Easter Effect upturned all they had once thought GEORGE WEIGEL about time, history, and God’s promises to Israel; it also transformed these nobodies into extraordinary evangelists, for the missionary project they launched converted perhaps as much as half the Mediterranean world over the next two and a half centuries. That Easter Effect is worth keeping in mind in this season of Catholic discontent. Even amidst anger and embarrassment, Christians can do the work of evangelization because the first Easter told us that, for the truly converted disciple who has met the risen Lord, despair never gets the final word: God will vindicate his plan for the salvation of the world. And if we momentarily filter out media bias, political posturing, and social media vitriol, Catholics can see the Easter Effect at work in the Church in 2019. The best sign of Catholic vitality will be found at the Easter Vigil on April 20 when tens of thousands of adults, fully aware of the current crisis, will be baptized or will enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. Their primary act of faith is in the Risen Lord. By accepting baptism or reception into the Catholic Church today, however, these

Eucharistic and Marian piety, serious grappling with the fullness of Catholic truth, and an apostolic determination to be Christ’s healing presence in a society where addiction and suicide rates are rising ominously. Catholic intellectual life is flourishing — if not always on big-brandname Catholic campuses — thanks to initiatives like the Thomistic Institute, sponsored by Washington’s Dominican House of Studies. Over the past five years, the Institute’s strategy of bringing top-notch, vibrantly orthodox Catholic scholarship to high-leverage campuses has met an enthusiastic response, demonstrating that, while Catholic Lite is dying, the symphony of Catholic truth speaks powerfully to today’s cultural confusions. This month alone, the Institute is sponsoring events at Carnegie Mellon, UC-Berkeley, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Hillsdale, Kansas, George Mason, Ole Miss, New York University, Ohio State, Princeton, South Carolina, SMU, Stanford, Tulane, UCLA, West Point, and Yale. And then there are our reformist bishops. Let me invite those who groan at the very thought of a bishop to spend four minutes with the Bishop of Spokane, Thomas Daly (https://vimeo. com/286946305). Here is the Easter Effect manifest in bracing honesty, clear analysis, pastoral concern, and zero clericalism. These signs of renewal and reform are as much a part of today’s Catholic story as the things that make us angry, or disgusted, or desperate. Think on them this Easter with gratitude and hope.

QUESTION CORNER

they must go out. God’s voice is in a child’s tears.” As in many things, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Congregations do have a special responsibility to welcome children, and parishioners need to be patient with small children’s occasional outbursts. (As one adage has it, “Your parish is dying if no baby is crying.”) But crying that is constant and loud can hold a congregation hostage and, as the letter writer says, “ruin the Mass experience for the rest of us.” The answer lies in balance and discretion; parents need to be sensible and take their child for a “walk” when they recognize behavior that is seriously distracting. Certainly no celebrant should go suddenly silent, focusing attention on a disruptive child and the offending family; but perhaps an occasional bulletin announcement, prudently stated and in a kindly fashion, can remind parents that the Mass should be, as far as possible, a positive experience of prayer.

My daughter went away to college last year and now chooses not to attend Mass – although there is a Catholic parish just a couple of miles from her school. When she comes home (every few months), she attends church with me. Should I tell her not to receive Communion – since she has not been to confession and has been consciously neglecting her Sunday obligation? (I want to encourage her to stay with the church, so I am not sure how to proceed.) (Richmond, Virginia)

Your question, as I view it, is more one of strategy than of theology – and reasonable minds could well differ as to how to respond. Everyone’s goal, of course, is the same: to get your daughter back to regular practice of the sacraments. The teaching of the church is clear; the Catechism of the Catholic Church says this: “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants). ... Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin” (No. 2181). Gravity of matter, though, is just one of three necessary conditions for a mortal sin – the others being complete consent of the will and full knowledge of the sinful character of the act or omission. In that light, I would not be certain that your daughter has been committing mortal sin because I don’t presume to know the state of her mind (how fully she recognizes her duty to be at Sunday Mass.) So I don’t think that I would tell her directly that she can’t receive Communion. I would, though, find a way – in a low-key manner that is not confrontational – to explain to her from time to time what the sacraments mean in your own life and to suggest that she might find a similar benefit in her own.

ne summer, a young deacon preparing for the priesthood helped us at Mass. I remember standing outside of church after his first homily and watching the congratulations pour out and his face beaming with joy. Then along came a dour-looking parishioner FATHER EUGENE who blurted HEMRICK out, “I could not disagree with you more on what you said. You sure missed the point.” His chin suddenly dropped to his chest and his cheerfulness darkened. As we walked back to the rectory, all he could remember was that negative comment. My homiletics teacher taught us, “Do not let that woman pass, but gently inquire why she was disturbed. Often it is not us that disturbs a person but something in what we said triggered off a bad memory we had nothing to do with.” Here, the virtue of understanding implores us to look more deeply into an incident like the above; to seek the roots of the problem so as to be on the same wavelength with another and to work toward reconciliation. There is a passage in the Gospels in which Christ counsels us to drop everything when there is a dispute with another and to go to him or her and work toward reconciliation. “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). One way to read the Bible is through the eyes of reconciliation in which God is forever reconciling his people. After Peter had denied Christ, we have that beautiful scene in which Christ asks Peter, “Do you love me?” – an example of heartfelt reconciliation, empathy and sympathy par excellence. Today, dialogue is needed to renew the church and create greater unity. Prudence prompts us to put ourselves into the world of another and see it from his or her side. Often this mollifies a dispute by unveiling why people do what they do or say what they say. Reconciliation is at the heart of mended marriages, family feuds, the avoidance of wars, wholesome treaties and returning to God. When it is missing, so are peace, joy, forgiveness and love. At times, reconciliation is a bitter pill to swallow. When it is the route taken, the results often lead to us say, “Why didn’t I do this earlier?”

FATHER KENNETH DOYLE at askfatherdoyle@ gmail.com and 30 Columbia Circle Dr., Albany, New York 12203.

FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK writes for the Catholic News Service column “The Human Side.”

GEORGE WEIGEL is Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C.

Crying babies/ My daughter and holy Communion

I love children, and I know that babies will cry at inopportune times. That said, I am puzzled at the young parents in our parish who allow their children to cry loudly in church for extended periods of time. I tend to believe that it might be part of our American culture of “freedom.” But freedom comes with responsibility; in our church of 700 congregants, those three or four babies are FATHER ruining the KENNETH DOYLE Mass experience for all the rest of us. (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) St. John Chrysostom, more than 1500 years ago, wrote this: “Nothing so becomes a church as silence and good order. Noise belongs to theaters, and baths, and public processions, and marketplaces; but where doctrines … are the subject of teaching, there should be stillness and quiet and calm reflection and a haven of much repose” (Homily 30 on the Acts of the Apostles). On the other hand, Pope Francis, celebrating Mass in 2014 at a parish in Rome, said this: “Children cry, they are noisy, they don’t stop moving. But it really irritates me when I see a child crying in church and someone says

men and women are also making an act of faith in the Church and its capacity for reform. Let the desperate among us take heart and courage from that. There are also great conversion stories being written today. If you’re feeling glum about the Catholic future, try Sohrab Ahmari’s memoir, From Fire By Water: My Journey to the Catholic Faith (Ignatius Press). My friend Sohrab, one of the brightest young lights in the contemporary commentariat, has already lived a few lifetimes, six years short of his 40th birthday: ex-pat Iranian atheist becomes Marxist (of sorts) in Utah (I’m not making this up) before discovering the beauty of the Mass and the intellectual magnetism of all-in Catholicism. His story, told with verve and good humor, ought to make anyone despondent about the current Catholic situation think again. This Easter, there is also good news at the contentious crossroads where Catholic truth meets the ever-moreaggressive sexual revolution: St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Christianity’s most compelling response to that cultural and social upheaval, is now being “translated” into educational tools for elementary and secondary schools. Check out the materials being produced by Ruah Woods Press in Cincinnati (www.ruahwoodspress.com) and the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team (http://tobet.org). Then suggest that your local Catholic school or parish religious education program adopt them. Catholics stuck in the slough of despond might also visit one of America’s many reformed seminaries, or the novitiate of one of its growing religious orders (the Dominican Sisters of Nashville; the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan; the Sisters of Life in New York). There, you’ll find deep

‘Be reconciled with your brother’

16 FROM THE FRONT

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

WATER: Parish outreach brings water to homes of poor Navajo families FROM PAGE 1

sewer lines. It is the first system of its kind in the United States according to its website, digdeep.org. “Be Living Water” asked parishioners to abstain from all beverages other than water and donate the money they would have spent to DigDeep.org. It also included daily prayer for the Navajo nation and others lacking access to safe, accessible water. People in “every state of the country” live without what most of us take utterly for granted, McGraw told a packed parish hall. But Navajo communities have been historically water-deprived and many live without clean water to drink or for basic hygiene and sanitation. The Navajo are 67 times more likely than other Americans to live without running water or a toilet, he said. “That’s an injustice.” DigDeep.org also has researchers in water-poor parts of the country to uncover what combination of factors lead to water inequity in these populations so they can become part of the solution. “Some people wake up and walk to a nearby livestock pond for their day’s water, despite the presence of bacteria or even uranium,” he said, a toxic metal that is a byproduct of mining and other industry. “That’s all they have access to.” DigDeep’s Navajo clients use and reuse about one gallon per person per day, he said, if they are lucky. “You and I use on average 100 gallons per person per day,” said McGraw. “We have no idea what life would be like without that easy access to clean water when we just turn our tap.” Like Pope Francis, the United Nations and some Catholic ethicists, McGraw believes that access to water is a basic human right. “Access to this good is a funda-

‘Some people wake up and walk to a nearby livestock pond for their day’s water, despite the presence of bacteria or even uranium,’ a toxic metal that is a byproduct of mining and other industry. ‘That’s all they have access to.’ GEORGE MCGRAW DigDeep.org founder

(PHOTO BY CHRISTINA GRAY/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

St. Dominic parishioner Elizabeth Skelton, DigDeep.org founder George McGraw and St. Dominic pastor Father Michael Hurley, OP, are pictured after a March 29 presentation on a parish initiative to bring fresh water to Navajo communities in the Southwest. mental human right, which must be respected,” the pope said in his message to the United Nations on World Water Day, March 22. The annual observance was created by the U.S. in 1993 to bring awareness to the significance of fresh water to human populations worldwide. The pope’s message on water echoed “Laudato si’,” his 2015 encyclical letter on the environment, where he wrote that those denied access to water due to scarcity, poverty and a “growing tendency to turn it into a commodity subject to the laws of the market” are denied the right to a “life consistent with their unalienable dignity.” St. Dominic parishioner Elizabeth Skelton heard about DigDeep. org’s George McGraw when he was interviewed by Raymond Arroyo

last year on Good Shepherd Catholic Radio. She brought him to the attention of the parish as a possible Lenten almsgiving project. “I’ve always had a personal interest in Native American welfare,” said Skelton, who traveled last month with two other parishioners to New Mexico for the installation of the water systems. It was “humbling and gratifying” to be present to the families who received water systems, said Skelton. Water poverty is problem that is “completely solvable,” said McGraw. “A few people in this room, myself included have been lucky enough to see that solution in person with their own eyes and work on it with their own two hands,” he said. “With the right investment and know-how, we can solve

this problem within the next 15-20 years.” Water accessibility as a social justice issue was also the topic of a Lenten talk March 19 at St. Rita Church in Fairfax. “Twenty-first century moral reflection on fresh water requires not just attention to individual practices of conservation but also to the political and economic frameworks within which fresh water is withdrawn from its sources, valued, exchanged and distributed,” said speaker Christiana Zenner, associate professor of theology, science and ethics at Fordham University and the author of “Just Water: Theology, Ethics, and the Global Fresh Water Crisis” (Orbis, 2018). Fresh water is the most important part of the pope’s encyclical analysis and reflects crucial Catholic values of dignity of life and care for creation, Zenner said. “The way fresh water flows depends upon not only the weather and the water sources in a region, but also on the ways the infrastructure is constructed to give access to some users rather than others,” she said.

ATHEIST TO CATHOLIC: One young woman’s unexpected conversion FROM PAGE 1

that wasn’t what moved her that that day, she said. “It was something else.” Westfall began meeting privately with parish religious education director Daniel O’Regan to prepare for entrance into the church since the regular Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults group was already well underway at the time of her conversion experience. Approximately 174 Catechumens and 144 candidates throughout the Archdiocese of San Francisco are expected to enter the church this year at the Easter Vigil Mass according to Laura Bertone of the office of worship. “Georgia is a young woman who has been touched by God in the most beautiful way,” O’Regan said in an April 8 email. “Her awareness of God has filled in so many missing pieces in her life. To see her new awareness and profound awakening is truly inspiring for all of us at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.” As an atheist, Westfall had attempted to make sense of the suffering in the world but with little satisfaction. She said her own suffering after a traumatic event she declined to describe and her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder figured largely in her faith journey. “Just learning how to forgive has been a huge part of my conversion process,” she said. “I’ve held on to a lot of anger that I’ve never really been given the opportunity or the advice or the support to forgive and move forward.”

‘Georgia is a young woman who has been touched by God in the most beautiful way.’ DANIEL O’REGAN Parish RCIA director

Biblical characters she read about for the first time helped her see her own challenges differently and embrace the long history of the faith into which she was entering. “I can see that whatever I’m going through, so many other people have gone through things like this before me,” she said. Westfall’s decision to become Catholic was met with joy by Christina and another friend, Conor Kuczkowski. Both the Vella and Kuczkowski families had taken Georgia “under their wing,” Father Michaels said. “The love they have shared with her, that they exhibit as families and share with friends seem to be a significant witness to her of what Christianity is all about,” he said. Father Michaels, who presides over an historic Catholic community in a what over the decades has become a notably religiously disaffiliated county on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, said he was “moved almost to tears” one Sunday when he found Westfall and Vella sitting at the back of the church at Mass in support of another young woman whose yearning to practice the Catholic faith was not supported by her own family. Westfall understands this. Her own parents,

whom she said she does not live with, are mystified by her call to Catholic faith, as are some of her friends. “They just do not understand why I would do this,” she said. Some suggested that she would have to choose between her robin’s egg blue-colored hair and being a Catholic. Catholics were not the ones who said these things to her, she said, “but people who had preconceived ideas of what it means to be Catholic.” Westfall said she has had her own misconceptions about being Catholic. “I had this belief that you could only be Catholic if you grew up that way and if you grew in a different way it wouldn’t make any sense,” she said “I was surprised I could find faith just by going to Mass and reading the Bible and being around other Catholics.” The parish does not have a youth group currently and she and her friends are talking about starting one. “I see other young faces, not a lot, but a few every Sunday,” she said. “Maybe I can do something to bring us all together.” Westfall is one of more than 300 people who will enter the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil through receiving the sacraments of initiation. Approximately 174 are catechumens who enrolled their names at the Rite of Election in March seeking baptism at the Easter Vigil. There are 144 candidates who are already baptized Christians and are coming into full communion with the Catholic Church.

WORLD 17

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

At retreat for South Sudan leaders, pope literally begs for peace CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY – At the end of a highly unusual spiritual retreat for the political leaders of warring factions, Pope Francis knelt at the feet of the leaders of South Sudan, begging them to give peace a chance and to be worthy “fathers of the nation.” “As a brother, I ask you to remain in peace. I ask you from my heart, let’s go forward. There will be many problems, but do not be afraid,” he told the leaders, speaking without a text at the end of the meeting. “You have begun a process, may it end well,” he said. “There will be disagreements among you, but may they take place ‘in the office’ while, in front of your people, you hold hands; in this way, you will be transformed from simple citizens to fathers of the nation.” “The purpose of this retreat is for us to stand together before God and to discern his will,” he said in his formal remarks April 11, closing the two-day retreat in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican guesthouse where he lives. The retreat participants included South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and four of the nation’s five designated vice presidents: Riek Machar, James Wani Igga, Taban Deng Gai and Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior. Under the terms of a peace agreement signed in September, the vice presidents were to take office together May 12, sharing power and ending the armed conflict between clans and among communities. The retreat was the idea of Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, who attended the final part of the gathering. He and Pope Francis have been supporting the peace efforts of the South Sudan Council of Churches and, the pope said again April

OFFICIAL MARKS BENEDICT’S BIRTHDAY, COMMENTING ON LETTER

VATICAN CITY – Marking retired Pope Benedict XVI’s 92nd birthday, the editorial director of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication insisted what the retired pope wrote about facing the clerical sexual abuse crisis is essentially what Pope Francis has said, too. “Celebrating Joseph Ratzinger’s birthday, it can be useful to underline the approach that both Benedict XVI and his successor, Francis, have maintained in the face of the scandals and the abuse of minors,” Andrea Tornielli, the editorial director, wrote. The approach of the two popes, he said in an April 15 article, cannot be “reduced to a slogan.” The retired pope’s birthday is April 16 and just five days earlier, several media outlets published what Pope Benedict described as “some notes” that could help Catholics understand and address the abuse crisis. For both the pope and retired pope, Tornielli wrote, it is not enough for the church to trust new emergency norms, “although necessary,” or the “indispensable” formulation of “more detailed and precise protocols for guaranteeing the safety of children.” The response of Pope Benedict when he was pope and Pope Francis now, he said, “is a profoundly and simply Christian response” that insists all efforts to respond to the crisis must be supported by prayer and true penance. Tornielli did not go into the retired pope’s explanation that the roots of the abuse crisis were to be found in the cultural and sexual revolution of the 1960s and in a progressive loss of certainty about right and wrong. Instead, Tornielli focused on Pope Benedict’s insistence that “we do not need another church of our own design,” but rather repentance and a renewal of faith.

VATICAN SYMPOSIUM: ‘WE ARE ALL AFRICAN AND ALL MIGRANTS OUT OF AFRICA’

VATICAN CITY – As a follow-up to a 2013 symposium on the origin and evolution of humans, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences held a workshop discussing the latest discoveries about humanity’s earliest ancestors – where they lived and what they may have looked like millions of years ago. This gathering, however, was taking “a different

(CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA VIA REUTERS)

Pope Francis kisses the feet of South Sudan President Salva Kiir April 11, 2019, at the conclusion of a two-day retreat at the Vatican for African nation’s political leaders. The pope begged the leaders to give peace a chance. At right is Vice President Riek Machar. 11, they hope to visit South Sudan together when there is peace.

approach by inviting the discoverers themselves” to tell the academy about their historic findings and the new questions emerging from these new discoveries, said Yves Coppens, a French anthropologist and member of the papal academy who helped organize the workshop at the Vatican April 12-13. Coppens was involved with the 1974 discovery in Ethiopia of Lucy, the 3.2-million-year-old partial skeleton of a female hominin – a “prehuman” or human-like species. She now seems young, compared to Toumai, the nickname for a 7-million-yearold small cranium unearthed in Chad in 2001 by Michel Brunet, who told the academy that Toumai is – for now – probably the earliest known member of the human family. With these and so many more ancient ancestors being found in Africa, “we are all African and we are all migrants out of Africa,” he said.

10-YEAR SUSPENSION IMPOSED FOR LEGIONARIES PRIEST

VATICAN CITY – The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has banned a Legionaries of Christ priest from publicly exercising his priestly ministry for 10 years after he was convicted in Chile of sexually abusing a young girl. Irish-born Legionaries Father John O’Reilly was convicted in Chile in 2014 and sentenced to four years of “supervised liberty.” When the four years expired in December, he was told to leave the country or face deportation. He moved to Rome, where he still lives, according to the Legionaries. In accordance with church law, he also underwent a trial by a tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which also found him guilty of child sexual abuse, the Legionaries of Christ press office said in a statement April 11. In addition to suspending him from ministry, the Legionaries said, the doctrinal congregation imposed “the perpetual obligation to establish residency outside Latin America and the perpetual prohibition of voluntary contact with minors,” as well as recommending he seek “psychological and spiritual accompaniment. The sentence concludes with the mention of the right to appeal,” the Legionaries said.

POPE: CHRISTIANS MUST TREAT ALL AS BROTHERS, SISTERS

VATICAN CITY – Treating all other people as brothers and sisters “is not fashionable now,” Pope Francis said, but it is a clear “calling card” of a Christian. “We know that brothers and sisters often

Pope Francis told the politicians and members of the Council of Churches that “peace” was the first word Jesus said to his disciples after the resurrection. “Peace is the first gift that the Lord brought us, and the first commitment that leaders of nations must pursue,” he told them. “Peace is the fundamental condition for ensuring the rights of each individual and the integral development of an entire people.” When South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 after years of war, the people were filled with hope, the pope said. Too many of them have died or been forced from their homes or face starvation because of five years of civil war. After “so much death, hunger, hurt and tears,” the pope said, the retreat participants “have clearly heard the cry of the poor and the needy; it rises up to heaven, to the very heart of God our father, who desires to grant them justice and peace.” “Peace is possible,” the pope told the leaders. They must tap into “a spirit that is noble, upright, strong and courageous to build peace through dialogue, negotiation and forgiveness.” As leaders of a people, he said, those who govern will have to stand before God and give an account of their actions, especially what they did or didn’t do for the poor and the marginalized. Pope Francis asked the leaders to linger a moment in the mood of the retreat and sense that “we stand before the gaze of the Lord, who is able to see the truth in us and to lead us fully to that truth.” The leaders, he said, should recognize how God loves them, wants to forgive them and calls them to build a country at peace. Jesus, he said, calls all believers to repentance. “We may well have made mistakes, some rather small, others much greater,” but Jesus always is ready to forgive those who repent and return to serving their people.

argue and fight over many things, but even when that happens, they know how to keep alive that search for a good that cannot prevent peace and harmony between them,” Pope Francis said April 12, meeting members of the Confraternity of Nuestra Senora de la Cinta (Our Lady of the Ribbon) from Tortosa, Spain. The group was celebrating its 400th anniversary as an association dedicated to promoting devotion to Mary, supporting the church and serving the poor in Tortosa. Belonging to the group, the pope said, is not just about keeping a part of Catalonian history alive; “You call yourselves brothers and sisters, and by doing so you reveal the fundamental reality of our lives: we are all children of God.” In a world that seems increasingly divided, the pope said, it is not enough for Christians to call themselves brothers and sisters, they must do the hard work of acting like they really are children of the same God.

POPE MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S

ROME – Drawing attention to the special needs of people with Alzheimer’s disease, Pope Francis made an afternoon visit to a community of group homes designed to keep residents active and living as normal a life as possible. The pope’s visit April 12 to Emanuele Village on the northern edge of Rome was part of his continuing series of “Mercy Friday” visits, which he began during the Holy Year of Mercy in 2015-16 to highlight the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Emanuele Village consists of 14 group homes, each with six residents, as well as a small supermarket, hair salon, coffee bar and restaurant, “allowing the residents to live as normally as possible, reproducing many of the little aspects of daily life,” and helping them maintain ties with others. Pope Francis surprised many of the residents and staff who were in the village courtyard when he arrived, the Vatican said. He also visited some residents who were resting in their rooms and others who were involved in various recreational activities. “With this visit, the Holy Father wanted to give attention to the conditions of exclusion and solitude that a disease like Alzheimer’s risks creating” and the obligation to respect the dignity of people living with the disease, the Vatican said. CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

18 WORLD

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Carrying the cross on Jerusalem’s Via Dolorosa is family tradition JUDITH SUDILOVSKY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

(CNS PHOTO/DEBBIE HILL)

Mousa Kamar, front right, and his son, Youssef, left, carry the large wooden cross during the Good Friday procession on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem’s Old City March 25, 2016. Mousa Kamar and his sons are carrying on the tradition of his grandfather and father, carrying the cross on Good Friday. Dolorosa, Kamar said he is able to find a space within himself where he can reflect on the significance of the moment and on the life of Jesus. “When I am carrying the cross I remember Jesus, how he died for us and how he walked all this way by himself,” said Kamar. “We are 20 people carrying it, and he carried it by himself. Especially as we stop at each station and it is mentioned where he fell (or other detail), it makes me feel like I am following the footsteps of Jesus.” Kamar’s parents had run a family grocery store near the eighth station of the cross, and Graciella Matulleh Kamar, today 83, recalled the pride she felt as she would stand in the

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doorway of their shop on Good Friday and watch as her husband carried the cross during the procession. Her husband, Kamar’s father, was killed during the 1967 war in which Israel took over control of Jerusalem from the Jordanians. “After he was killed, I couldn’t watch the procession anymore. It was too painful,” she said. Only when Kamar, at age 15, stepped in to fill his father’s place was she able to once again watch the procession, she said. Kamar was 5 when his father was killed. “Especially on Good Fridays, my mother would tell me about how my father carried the cross and that one day I would carry it, too,” he said. “The first time I carried it I couldn’t sleep the night before, I was so excited about carrying the cross and filling that space my father had had.” Several years ago, Kamar’s oldest son, Youssef, 20, also joined the group of men carrying the cross, but during the procession, he steps aside to let others take their turn. More recently,

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JERUSALEM – For four decades, Mousa Kamar has taken his place at the head of the heavy wooden cross used during the Franciscan Good Friday procession on the Via Dolorosa. Kamar, 55, can be seen every year at the front left of the cross, the same position where his father used to carry the cross. His grandfather also helped carry the front of the cross. The scores of old black-and-white pictures, color photographs and magazine photos Kamar has collected and uploaded onto his Facebook page attest to the long-held family tradition. “We do this not only because it is the tradition, but because we are religious and we truly believe in it,” said Kamar, looking over some of the photographs scattered on a coffee table as he sat in his mother’s living room in Jerusalem’s Old City, near the ninth station of the cross. This is the home where he grew up and where his paternal grandmother was born. It takes about 20 men to carry the 3-meter (3.3-yard) cross on Good Friday, and traditionally each position on the cross was taken by a representative of a different family. Kamar is the only one who has continued with the tradition. As the older generation died off, the younger members of the other families did not continue with the tradition, he said. The cross, though still large and heavy, is smaller than the one used generations ago, he said. Even in the pushing and shoving of the procession, which sees local Catholics and pilgrims packing the cobblestone streets of the Old City as they make their way along the Via

Kamar’s youngest son, Ramez, 15, began taking part in the carrying of the cross. One of the pictures shows a 13-year-old Ramez at the end of the cross, his head barely peeping over the top of the cross among the crowd of men surrounding it. With his dark curly hair and full cheeks he looks just like his father did in earlier pictures. “It was very exciting to be able to carry the cross,” said Youssef Kamar. “In the future maybe I and my (future) sons will continue the family tradition. Although this is a tradition, it also helps me feel closer to Jesus and what he went through before being crucified. “It is also a burden and an honor to do this,” he added. “Since I was young, I heard stories about this family tradition and, since my father, and his father and his grandfather have done this, I think it is important to keep the tradition and to keep our religion alive.” In preparation for the procession, Mousa Kamar spends Holy Week in prayer, visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher every day after work and participating in the liturgical ceremonies, including the traditional veneration of the pillar of Jesus’ flagellation, the washing of the feet pilgrimage to the Cenacle, and holy hour on Holy Thursday at Gethsemane. He said he uses the time to meditate and pray for Christian unity and a strengthening of Christian religious identity, which he feels is being lost. “All week I am praying, preparing to carry the cross, linking how Jesus suffered for us to the Palestinian situation. He fought for us, sacrificed himself for us but, unfortunately, we are losing our Christianity. I always pray for that, that people will return to the foundations of Christianity,” he said noting that Christians in the Middle East are living a difficult reality with close to 50 percent of the Christian population having emigrated. “We love Jesus and we feel we are a part of Jesus. Every corner, every stone in Jerusalem is directly about Jesus.”

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WORLD 19

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Abuse crisis rooted in ‘egregious’ social changes, retired pope says CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY – The clerical sexual abuse crisis is rooted in the “egregious event” of the cultural and sexual revolution in the Western world in the 1960s and a collapse of the existence and authority of absolute truth and God, retired Pope Benedict XVI writes in an article outlining his thoughts on what must be done now. The retired pope said the primaRetired Pope ry task at hand is to reassert the Benedict XVI joyful truth of God’s existence and of the church as holding the true deposit of faith. “When thinking about what action is required first and foremost, it is rather obvious that we do not need another church of our own design. Rather, what is required first and foremost is the renewal of the faith in the reality of Jesus Christ given to us in the Blessed Sacrament,” he wrote. The pope’s remarks, presented as a compilation of “some notes,” were to be published in Klerusblatt, a German-language Catholic monthly journal for clergy in Bavaria. Several news outlets released their translations of the text early April 11. Given the February Vatican gathering of presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences “to discuss the current crisis of faith and of the church,” and given his role as pope during “the public outbreak of the crisis,” the retired pope felt it ap-

propriate he also help contribute “to a new beginning,” he said. Pope Benedict added that he contacted Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, before releasing the article. The retired pope, who turns 92 April 16, led the universal church from 2005 to 2013 and for 23 years before that headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is charged with handling cases of the abuse of minors by priests. He also served as a theological consultant during the Second Vatican Council, between 1962 and 1965. Beginning in the late 1960s, while Western society at large was facing the “death” or disappearance of God and any moral compass, he said, the church’s own moral theology suffered “a collapse that rendered the church defenseless against these changes in society.” A misreading of the Second Vatican Council, he said, shifted the church’s understanding of revelation, resulting in a diluted or shape-shifting morality that was no longer grounded in natural law and the existence of absolute good and evil; morality could only make “relative value judgments” contingent on the moment and circumstances, he wrote. “Indeed, in many parts of the church, conciliar attitudes were understood to mean having a critical or negative attitude toward the hitherto existing tradition, which was now to be replaced by a new, radically open relationship with the world,” he wrote. The retired pope emphasized the importance of

recognizing, embracing and defending the most essential and foundational principles of faith and of protecting the authority of the church, particularly in matters of morality. In fact, he said the original meaning behind the verse (Mk 9:42) in which Jesus says it would be better to toss out to sea, weighed down with a millstone, whoever causes “one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,” refers to those who are intellectually arrogant and cause the “little ones” – the common believer – to become confused in the faith. “What must be done?” the retired pope asked. Creating “another church” will not work because “that experiment has already been undertaken and has already failed.” “Only obedience and love for our Lord Jesus Christ can point the way. So, let us first try to understand anew and from within what the Lord wants, and has wanted with us,” he wrote. “The crisis caused by the many cases of clerical abuse” must not lead to taking the church “into our own hands” and redesigning it. The church is like a fishing net that catches both good and bad fish, like a field where good grain and bad weeds grow, he wrote. “The field is still God’s field and the net is God’s fishing net. And at all times, there are not only the weeds and the evil fish, but also the crops of God and the good fish.” The idea that people can create a better church, he wrote, “is in fact a proposal of the devil, with which he wants to lead us away from the living God, through a deceitful logic by which we are too easily duped.”

YOUTH: Adoration night encourages community, friendship with God FROM PAGE 3

derie,” she said. Evenings like XLT can also show the church “how to come together as a community. “San Francisco is a unique city: it’s so small but everyone feels so spread apart. If we can come together as a community to worship God, that’s really important. This is our way of reviving, working against decline, showing that youth are here, alive, thriving and hungry for learning more about their faith,” Rivera said. Part of that revival involves praying through music. Andrew Bugarin, the guitarist and singer for the band, taught the audience two songs to sing later in the evening. Praise and worship music, he explained, “is giving honor to God who put everything on Earth.” In her talk to the youth group, Rivera explained adoration to the youth group as an opportunity to be close to God when he is present on the altar. For the evening’s main theme, “ache for deeper relations,” she discussed friendship with God, drawing an analogy for youth to how their own close friendships probably began – with uncertainty or a little awkwardness before becoming something they depend on in their lives.

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Just like their other friendships, “it can be awkward beginning a relationship with God, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you get,” Rivera said. “Being awkward is a result of walls we’ve built around ourselves, our lack of trust. If you trust in God then you’ll see your life in a different perspective.” The relation of youth to their faith has become more urgent as religious disaffiliation has grown across every denomination. The Pew Research Center surveys have shown that identifying with a religion, believing in God, or participating in religious practices are less likely among younger adults. From her perspective, Rivera said she sees Catholic youth interested in exploring different pathways to faith and what it means to be Catholic. “A lot of these youth are curious, they go to Catholic school and go to Mass, and they have questions but don’t know how to ask them or what the answers are. And sometimes they can be intimidated from learning more through peer pressure,” she said. Events like XLT, she hoped, can help youth find some of those answers in a com-

munity and connect them more deeply to Christ. Aside from adoration and benediction, young adults led the evening. Rivera said it was important for youth to have peer models they can relate to, “to see that it’s not just an old person thing, there are youth that are striving for holiness and curious to build a deeper relationship with Christ.” Having young adults leading youth ministry can also make youth less shy about asking questions, she said, because they are treated more like peers. As a long-term goal, Rivera said she hoped to spark more archdiocesan events where youth could gather as a community. “I feel like parishes in San Francisco have their own internal events but haven’t branched out of the ‘lower c’ church,” she said. “Hopefully with events like this, we can branch out and help each other in building the greater church.”

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

DOCTOR: A Catholic medical view of Christ’s passion, crucifixion FROM PAGE 10

He described Jesus’ passion and death as “a tragic story, a horrible story, a painful story,” but ended his presentation by showing an image of the resurrected Christ on the screen to illustrate that “this story doesn’t end with where we finish tonight.” The surgeon acknowledged that other physicians and historians have suggested that Jesus might have died from asphyxiation because breathing was so difficult on the cross. Others say perhaps he had a heart attack after the hours of physical exertion and trauma. But Millea feels the blood loss theory is not only medically likely but it also corresponds with the theological teachings of atoning sacrifice, with Jesus taking the place of the slaughtered lambs of the Old Testament. Sacrificed animals also died from blood loss. “Jesus was literally the sacrificial lamb,” he said. Other medical and historical evidence the surgeon cited included:

(CNS PHOTO/NANCY WIECHEC)

The sixth station in Arizona artist’s Ted DeGrazia’s Way of the Cross series shows St. Veronica’s veil awash in red. Jesus likely died of blood loss, not asphyxiation or a heart attack as commonly believed, says Catholic doctor Ted Millea.

– A rare medical condition that matches the description in the Gospel of Luke that Jesus’ sweat during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane “became like drops of blood.” The condition, called hematohidrosis, causes blood to be released through the skin and “is almost always associated with intense emotion or physically challenging episodes.” – The whip used in the scourging was likely a flagrum, with leather cords 2 feet long that contained metal objects, glass and lead balls. “It was a very diabolically effective means of harming the tissues down to muscle depth,” said Millea. – The crown of thorns likely more resembled a helmet than the laurel wreath depicted in art. “Every time the soldiers hit the thorns, they impaled in his scalp,” said Millea. “If you’ve ever had a cut on your scalp, you know it bleeds like crazy.” – Jesus probably only carried the horizontal beam of the cross, because both beams would have weighed 300 pounds.

“You’ve got a 175-pound man who has been beaten, he’s bleeding, he hasn’t eaten or slept or had anything to drink, and he’s going to carry 100 pounds for 600 yards,” he said. “He fell three times? It’s a miracle he didn’t fall more often.” – The nails in Jesus’ hands likely would not have been in the palms, which could not have held his weight. There is a space in the upper wrist where ligaments are strong. “The problem, for those of you who have had carpal tunnel problems, is that the median nerve travels through there,” said Millea, meaning the pain would have been intense. Millea went through Jesus’ last seven recorded phrases – including “I thirst” and “It is finished” – which he said were necessarily short because of the difficulty in breathing that Jesus was experiencing. He said the crucifixion was a public spectacle and Jesus’ followers most likely thought it was the worst thing that could have happened not knowing that it would later prove to “be the best thing that ever happened.”

STAR SCHOOL: ‘Rebooting,’ not closing, pastor says FROM PAGE 6

she said. “Star of the Sea School has a rich history of educating the Catholic children of San Francisco and I see no reason why that history will not continue in the near future.” The announcement provided no details about finances or enrollment. However, the San Francisco Examiner reported April 2 that only 40 to 50 students had committed to re-enrolling , less than a quarter of 2017-2018 enrollment. In a letter to faculty and staff, Father Illo said, “I can scarcely imagine the difficulty in maintaining a stable classroom environment in the confusion that ensued this year, and especially as you saw your students leaving throughout the school year.” The archdiocese will work to assure that displaced students are relocated to other schools in the archdio-

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cese, “as well as assuring that our beloved faculty can secure teaching positions within our school system if they so desire,” Father Illo said in his letter to parents. “I much regret the upset this suspension of classes will cause families, and had hoped to avoid it,” he said. “Knowing that God will provide for us all, I wish you and your children the best education the Catholic Church can provide.” The new curriculum was featured in an article in the Jan. 11, 2019, issue of Catholic San Francisco. The article described classical education as a traditional educational model that seeks truth, goodness and beauty through the study of the liberal arts and literature’s “great books.” It said a classical model typically teaches subjects including the study of Latin in ways that are developmentally appropriate for children at different ages. The article quoted Star principal David Gallagher as saying the merits of a classical school education in both public and private schools have been largely “pushed aside” by progressive education programs championed by philosopher John Dewey (1859-1952), Gallagher, a longtime teacher at Star, was hired last summer after the death of longtime principal Terrence Hanley in 2017. “Catholic schools, all of them, do a great job with reading, writing and mathematics,” Gallagher said in the article. “I think we’ve always done that and we will always continue to do that. Where a classical education differs is that we are trying to create virtue in our students. We are not just trying to point students toward a career but providing them with a knowledge base where they can go on to any career area they want.” In a March 4 letter posted on the school’s website, Gallagher provided an update on curriculum development toward a classical framework. “The first of our efforts to move in this direction will be integrating the Humanities: Religion, Language Arts, and History,” he wrote. “We believe that the integration of content from one subject to another will give our students a wide comprehension of history and the achievements of mankind.” As a parish, Star of the Sea has become a success story in terms of Mass attendance, ministry activity, physical upkeep and finances, Father Illo wrote in the cover story for the March 22 edition of the Catholic Herald, a national magazine. He reposted the article on his blog March 27. “Four years ago the Archbishop of San Francisco assigned me to the Star of the Sea, a large and beautifully Catholic building. Its statues, stained glass, marble altar and altar rail were still intact, but, like the entire parish, languishing in dilapidation. Mass attendance had dropped precipitously since the Italians and Irish began moving to the suburbs in the 1980s,” he wrote. “The aggressive secularism of the last decade seemed to seal the fate of this once thriv-

ing parish, and the archdiocese began talking about a ‘merger.’ “The other day a priest who had served 10 years ago at Star of the Sea remarked on the parish’s ‘amazing revival,’” Father Illo continued. “Mass attendance has been growing annually at 12 per cent, and income has more than doubled. We’ve planted flowers and shrubs, installed new lighting, restored the marble sanctuary and flung the doors wide open to the city. The parish school begins an Integrated Classical Curriculum (consisting of grammar, logic and rhetoric) this autumn, and parishioners are caring for the homeless and advocating for the elderly and unborn.” An anonymous website called welovestarsf.com provides a different perspective, detailing conflicts between Father Illo and some parents surrounding and predating the curriculum shift. A “vibrant and flourishing school” with 250 students five years ago eventually dwindled to 60, as “families were handed the heavy burden of having to uproot their children to find a new school that would better educate and protect their children,” according to a March 5 post on the website. A March 31 post titled “Killing our School” tagged a National Catholic Reporter article detailing struggles at Star, including a contentious parent meeting March 7. The article references a “formal complaint” submitted to the archdiocese by an anonymous parent group. The March 11 complaint cites a “well documented turbulent history” with Father Illo and the school community, saying his approach “has decimated the student population at the school in the last two years.” In response to media questions about the complaint, archdiocesan spokesman Mike Brown said “there won’t be a formal public response, largely because the complainants chose to be anonymous (so who do you respond to?)” He said many attendees at the meeting were interviewed by the schools department and “it seems clear that there was a brief, loud disagreement during the meeting and that no one was seriously threatened by either side, as some complainants charged. The conclusion seems to be that the meeting was a loosely organized and contentious meeting but nothing more dramatic.” In response to a request for comment from Catholic San Francisco, Father Illo said, “Much of what has been posted on social media, especially about the March 7 parents’ meeting, is inaccurate, out of context, or simply false, and much of it from anonymous sources. “Many parishioners and other parents eagerly want what the parish has to offer in the way of Catholic education,” he added. “They are expressing hurt and frustration over the negativity that has led to the suspension of classes.”

FROM THE FRONT 21

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

(NAN PALMERO/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

(CNS PHOTO/BENOIT TESSIER, REUTERS)

Flames and smoke billow from the Notre Dame Cathedral after a fire broke out in Paris April 15. Officials said the cause was not clear, but that the fire could be linked to renovation work.

The iconic stained glass rose windows in the cathedral, in a photo from October 2012. Right, altar servers process out after Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Nov. 15, 2015.

(CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING)

NOTRE DAME: Fire ravages 850-year-old Paris cathedral FROM PAGE 1

Archdiocese of Paris opened an urgent fundraising appeal to save the cathedral, which was starting to crumble. The Associated Press reported that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said about an hour after the fire started that firefighters were attempting to contain a “terrible fire” at the cathedral. An AP reporter at the scene said the roof at the back behind the cathedral, behind the nave, was in flames and yellowbrown smoke and ash filled the sky. City officials cordoned off the area around the Gothic-style church and urged people to evacuate the immediate surroundings. As the sun set over Paris, the fire consumed the upper portion of the cathedral and the main steeple was filled with flames. It eventually collapsed into the church. “Everything is burning. The framing, which dates from the 19th century on one side and the 13th on the other, there will be nothing left,” Andre Finot, a spokesman for the cathedral, told Agence France-Presse. At one point, emergency responders entered the cathedral in an attempt to preserve priceless art and statues from destruction. The blaze elicited emotional responses from throughout France as Christians began the observance of Holy Week. “I had a scream of horror. I was ordained in this cathedral,” Bishop Eric Moulin-Beaufort of Reims, president of the French bishops’ conference, said in reaction to the disaster. “For a Parisian, our lady is a kind of obvious,” he said. “I’ve been here this afternoon. This tragedy reminds us that nothing on this earth is made to last forever. I think a lot about the Diocese of Paris. The chrism mass will not be celebrated. It is a part of our flesh that is damaged. But I hope this will create a new momentum, a universal movement.” French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, “Our Lady of Paris in flames. It is emotional for a whole nation. Thoughts for all Catholics and for all French. Like all our countrymen, I’m sad tonight to see this part of us burn.” The magnitude of the fire resonated with church

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leaders as well as those involved in preserving culturally important sites around the world. “The horrific fire that is engulfing the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is shocking and saddens us all, for this particular cathedral is not only a majestic church, it is also a world treasure,” said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Noble in architecture and art, it has long been a symbol of the transcendent human spirit as well as our longing for God,” the cardinal said in a statement April 15. “Our hearts go out to the archbishop and the people of Paris, and we pray for all the people of France, entrusting all to the prayers and intercession of the Mother of God, especially the firefighters battling the fire. “We are a people of hope and of the resurrection, and as devastating as this fire is, I know that the faith and love embodied by this magnificent cathedral will grow stronger in the hearts of all Christians,” he added.

Notre Dame was built on the ruins of two earlier churches which were themselves built over a temple dedicated to the Roman God Jupiter. Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone for the cathedral in 1163, and the high altar was consecrated 26 years later. The 223 foot-high towers were built between 1210 and 1250, and the church was officially completed in 1345. The central spire – the epicenter of the April 15 fire – was added during a 19th-century renovation. Though it suffered damage, the cathedral escaped possible destruction during the French Revolution, when Napoleon crowned himself king of France in 1804. It survived two world wars largely unscathed. Relics in the cathedral include a crown of thorns believed to have been worn by Christ before his crucifixion and a piece of wood believed to be part of the cross on which Christ was crucified. Initial reports say these relics were spared from damage during the fire. CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY CONTRIBUTED.

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

OBITUARIES

SISTER MARIETTA MCGANNON, RSM

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Around the archdiocese 1

ST. CECILIA CONFIRMATIONS: Sixty-three candidates from St. Cecilia School and faith formation program were confirmed April 6 by Auxiliary Bishop Robert F. Christian. St. Cecilia’s pastor is Father Rene Ramoso, with associate priests Father Sebastine Bula and Father Michael Liliedahl; Father Joseph Landi, in residence; and Deacon Rory Desmond. Deacon Rich Foley was master of ceremonies.

ST. CECILIA YOUNG MEN’S INSTITUTE RED AND WHITE MASS, SAN FRANCISCO: The Young Men’s Institute of St. Cecilia Parish celebrated its 136th anniversary on March 9 with a Red and White Mass honor current and past members. The Young Men’s Institute is a Catholic fraternal organization dating back to 1883. A 4:30 p.m. banner procession was followed by Mass celebrated by pastor and the council’s grand chaplain Father Agnel de Heredia, and dinner in The Requested Funeral Directors in The Most Most Requested Funeral Directors in the the Archdiocese Archdiocese of of San San Francisco Francisco the church hall. From left, Tom Fourie, Mike Amato, Fr. Agnel de Heredia, Mike Dimech, Bob Bartoli. OF MIKE DIMECH) Duggan's SerraRequested Mortuary, Daly City andDirectors Sullivan's & in Duggan's Serra Funeral Services, San Francisco The Most Funeral the Archdiocese of(PHOTO SanCOURTESY Francisco

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Sister Marietta McGannon, RSM, died on March 15 at age 87 at Marian Oaks Life Center in Burlingame. The youngest of the five children of Matthew McGannon and Dorothy Richardson McGannon, Eleanor Jane was born in Chicago. The family moved to San Francisco and she attended Holy Name Grammar School, Mercy High School Burlingame, and the Sister Marietta Ursuline Academy in San FrancisMcGannon, RSM co. She was professed in 1952 taking the religious name Sister Marietta. For the next 30 years Sister Marietta ministered in education, teaching at St. Gabriel School, Holy Name School and St. Peter School in San Francisco; St. Anthony School Oakland; Our Lady of Angeles and St. Catherine School in Burlingame. She was on the founding faculty of St. Bartholomew School, San Mateo, and also taught at schools in Bakersfield, Whittier and San Diego. Sister also served for seven years as education coordinator for the Sisters of Mercy elementary schools. After spending a year in the spirituality program at Gonzaga University, followed by another year at the Institute for Spiritual Leadership in Chicago, Sister Marietta joined the staff at Mercy Center in Burlingame as a spiritual director and spirituality program coordinator. In addition to her spiritual ministry, Marietta also volunteered at the Sister Mary Philippa Clinic at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco. In 2016 she retired to Marian Oaks Life Center. A vigil service was held at Marian Oaks Life Center, 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame on March 31, and the Mass of Christian Burial on April 1 followed by burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma. Memorial gifts may be made to the Sisters of Mercy, 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010.

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CYO Hall of Famers honored for athletic leadership CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Barney Barron, Jim Keenan and Joanne McDonnell were honored for their contributions to CYO Athletics at the annual Hall of Fame Awards dinner held March 23 at the Father O’Reilly CYO Center at the St. Emydius School Gymnasium in San Francisco. The trio were recognized for their distinguished, decades-long leadership as coaches, athletic directors and board members of CYO Catholic Charities Athletics. Barney Barron was instrumental in developing the St. Paul of the Shipwreck program as athletic director and coach. Jim Keenan was a St. Cecilia athlete-turned coach who went on to become the longtime athletic director and coach at St. Anne

‘CONTEMPORARY, MINIMALISTIC’ LIVE STATIONS AT SF WATERFRONT

A “contemporary, minimalistic” Stations of the Cross will be performed at noon Good Friday, April 19, along the Embarcadero in San Francisco between Pier 39 and Maritime National Historical Park, one in a series of Holy Week events by Mission Youth SF. Director Stuart Mast and playwright Angie Lorang, who both studied theater at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, are collaborating on the outdoor production.“This year will be a little more contemporary, minimalistic, with hints of impressionism – I want it to be more of an intimate matter rather than a textbook stations,” he said. “That’ll create an ambiance and attract people to see what’s going on.”

(PHOTO COURTESY CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO)

Pictured from left at the CYO Athletics Hall of Fame awards dinner March 23 are Catholic Charities CEO Jilma Meneses, Joanne McDonnell, honoree Barney Barron’s daughter and wife, who accepted the award in his absence; honoree Jim Keenan; and director of Catholic Charities CYO Athletics Kevin Finn.

He said his aim is to “give it a little bit of a human tone.” To participate in the production, email a headshot, resume and reason for participating to stuartmast92@gmail.com with “Stations of the Cross 2019” as the subject. For more on Mission Youth SF and the group’s Holy Week schedule, visit www.missionyouthsf.com/.

OUR LADY OF ANGELS INVITES CATHOLICS TO RECONNECT

Disaffiliated or disenchanted Catholics: Thinking about reconnecting with the church? Our Lady of Angels in Burlingame offers Landings, a program designed to provide returning Catholics with a safe and welcoming passage home. “Landings is for listening and for being heard,” the parish says on its website. “It is for asking questions and finding answers.”

and St. Thomas the Apostle schools. Both Barron and Keenan served on the original CYO Athletics Board. Joanne McDonnell is currently in her 22nd year as St. Brendan girls athletic director and served nine years on the CYO Athletics advisory board. Leo Cinco of St. Stephen School, Dan Mauer of St. Peter School in Pacifica, Lynda Simpson of St. John the Evangelist School and Erick Solares of St. Elizabeth School were recognized the same evening as “Coaches in the Spotlight.” CYO Athletics provides healthy growth and development through games, practices and the life lessons that sports teach, according to its website at catholiccharitiessf.org. It serves more than 11,000 youth in three counties through 54 programs.

WOMEN’S DAY RETREAT

The 10-week program meets weekly and features spiritual reflections and small group discussions on topics including, “Who is God?”, “Why follow Jesus?” and “The Holy Spirit and the Church.” The reflection and reconciliation process “trains compassionate lay people to reach out to those who have been away from the Church for any number of reasons,” Landings International says on its website. Landings offers a safe place to tell one’s story, discern a place in the Church, and find a way home.”

The archdiocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life will host a women’s day retreat, presented by Endow, May 4, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Star of the Sea Church, 4420 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco. Endow brings women into small group communities “that transmit the depth of our Catholic faith to awaken each participant’s particular genius.” The retreat, based on John Paul II’s “Letter to Women,” will provide time for reflection and small group discussions, introduce participants to Endow, and offer OLA offers Landings three times a year further resources for those interested and the next session begins in May. to bring it to their parish. Learn more Email Landings@olaparish.org. Learn RegistraTERMS AND CONDITIONS / TOUR CONTRACT Pentec titution Tour 91009 at www.sfarch.org/endow. Pentecost Tours, Inc. is not a participantTour in the 90917 California Travel Consumer Re Restitu titution Fund. Thisincluded. transaction is notChild covered by the California Travel Consum more: https://landingsintl.org/what-istion $45. Lunch care of Pent Restitution Fund. You are not eligible to file a claim against that Fund in t ac event of Pentecost Tours, Inc.’s default. However, Pentecost Tours, Trust Inc. do landings/. available. maintain a Trust account for tour deposits at MainSource Bank in Batesville,

TOUR TOUR PRICE: Based on tariffs and currency exchange rates in effe fect o on 11/12/2018 and subject to change without notice should the there be a revision in rates prior to departure of tour. The tour price price based on a minimum of 36 passengers. Should there be fewer, the fewer could be a surcharge. ACCO ACCOMMODATIONS: In first class hotels (except Cruise XA) side t to join in the following pilgrimages better, based on double or triple occupancy with private facilitie with p Single-room supplement is $89 per night and based on availabili and b Requests for a roommate are assigned on a first-come, firston serve a basis and are not guaranteed. The single-room supplementsingle will b assessed if a roommate is not available when the group is finalize availa Greece & Turkey MEALS: Ten full hot breakfasts and ten dinners throughoutMEAL the b (including a 4-day Aegean Cruise) tour (continental breakfasts in hotels only where full breakfas the b 11-daysic arepilgrimage not available). Extra charge for beverage not includedbreak in th menu of the day. clude TIPS AND TAXES: Those normally appearing on hotel and restaurant b TIPS as “service” are included, as are all governmental and local taxes on hote restau and meals. Airport fees, departure taxes, and fuel surcharges are estimate and lo on the original invoice and adjusted at ticket time. and f SIGHTSEEING: By modern motorcoach, including servicesadjust of E glish-speaking guides and entrance fees to places included in th SIGHT itinerary. Masses at churches indicated are subject to availability. glishitinera NOT INCLUDED: : Airport fees, departure taxes and fuel su charges (est. - $559); : tips to guides and drivers, meal servers an NOT A luggage handlers ($158.50); and : optional travel insurance. amount to cover these items will be added to your original charg invoic andlau lu Also not included: airline baggage fees, passport and visa fees, An am dry, wines, liquors, meals not included in the itinerary, sightseeing voice. services other than those specifically mentioned and items of a pe coacl sonal nature. NOTE: Due to limited storage space on motorfees, sights es, Pentecost Tours entitles each passenger to one checked ba and it and one carry-on bag that meets airline “size/weight” allowance space Baggage fees, overweight baggage charges, and fees for addition gerwh to bags fall under the responsibility of the passenger. Be aware, you may agree to pay fees for additional luggage, there may“size/ not b charg room on the motor coach. of the ASSISTANCE: Pilgrims who require personal assistance must be a additi companied by a paying passenger who will provide that assistanc ASSIS DEPOSIT AND CANCELLATION: A deposit of $600 per person required to secure reservations, which sum will be appliedcompa to th price of the tour, with the balance to be paid in full no later tha DEPO 7/8/2019. Payment of remaining balance received after 7/8/201 is req will incur a $50 penalty. Reservations made within 92 days ofthe depa pr ture may be subject to a late charge. er tha 6/17/ In the event of cancellation, refund will be made up to o days 5/31/2019 [PENALTY PHASE ONE] with a $150 administrative fee plus any airline cancellation penalties.  5/ From 5/31/2019 to 7/8/2019 [PENALTY PHASE TWO] thetr cancellation penalty is $600 plus any airline cancellation penalties.  th $3,999 .00 Early reg. price per person If cancellation is received after 7/8/2019 [PENALTY PHASEla THREE], refund will be subject to a minimum 40% cancellation from San Francisco before 5-31-19 fee plus any airline cancellation penalties, or an amount equal Base fare $4,099 after 5-31-19 PH expenses to the tour per operator, whichever is greater. Earlytoregistration price person 40 from San Francisco deposit is paid by 6-9-19within 45 days oftie There willifbe no refund for cancellations +$ 559.00* Estimated air taxes to departure.

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Calling the Faithful and Marian devotees… Follow the footsteps of the Saints, walk through the pages of the Bible and experience a life changing journey.

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$138.75 in tips are collected upfront Cancellation must be in writing and the effective date will be Th th andthat paid out on Tours, your behalf. of date Pentecost Inc. receives it. In the event 15 passe

gers do not book the tour within 130 days of departure, the age Cance right to theafter tour.6-9-19 NOTE: Any change reques Base pricereserves $4,429the + $499* percancel person date t

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For a FREE brochure on this pilgrimage contact: Catholic San Francisco 415.614.5640 Please leave your name, mailing address and your phone number

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24 COMMUNITY

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Looking back: St. Cecilia Church, early-1950s CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

CSF reader Frank Dunnigan shared this glimpse of Catholic life in San Francisco at its mid-century height, circa 1952. St. Cecilia pastor (1946-76) Msgr. Harold Collins presides at an open parish meeting to kick off a fundraising campaign for the new church that opened in 1956. The monsignor had already built a school expansion in 1948, and again had the entire parish on board just a few years later because everyone bought in on the goal, Dunnigan recalled. “He was one of the few pastors who gave ‘State of the Parish’ sermons every January, openly discussing things from the pulpit like PG&E bills, SF Water Dept. bills (“You think you pay a lot for water at home? I have 800 kids in that school – all of them flushing a couple of times a day,”) grocery bills for the convent and rectory, school enrollment numbers, plus parish membership figures, including new households, and annual counts for baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc. It was total transparency for the faithful who loved it and supported whatever he wanted.” Many people thought that had Msgr. Collins gone into politics he would have made the finest governor the state ever had, Dunnigan wrote in a blog post years ago. Dunnigan identifies the man with Msgr. Collins as parishioner Martin Ruane.

FOUR SEMINARIANS TO BE ORDAINED TRANSITIONAL DEACONS

The diaconate ordination of thirdyear seminarians from the archdioceses of San Francisco and Agana, Guam, takes place April 27, 10 a.m., St. Pius Church, 1100 Woodside Road, Redwood City. The seminarians are Ian Quito, Archdiocese of San Francisco; Benjamin Rosado, Archdiocese of San Francisco; Honorio Valdeavilla Pagan, Archdiocese of Agana; Junee Valencia,

(COURTESY PHOTO)

Circa 1952: St. Cecilia pastor Father Harold Collins kicks off fundraising for the new church building that would open in 1956.

Archdiocese of Agana. They will be ordained through the laying on of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit by Archbishop Michael J. Byrnes, STD, coadjutor archbishop of Agana. “The transitional diaconate is not really a step toward [priestly] ordination, but rather an ordination itself into the Order of Deacons,” St. Patrick’s Seminary & University spokesperson Stephen Terlizzi explained. “The apostles established this order in Acts 6:1-6 so that a group of men could con-

centrate on the ministry to the widows while they focused on prayer and the ministry of the word. “Deacons today (whether permanent deacons or transitional deacons) are tasked with the proclamation of the Gospel, service in the liturgy, and administration of charitable works.” “Even after becoming ordained a priest, the deacon functions remain as an important part of a joyous life as a priest,” Terlizzi said. “There are several differences between the

transitional and permanent deacons, such as the promise of celibacy in the case of married permanent deacons, the tradition of wearing clerical attire for transitional deacons, and daily requirements in praying the liturgy of the hours – permanent deacons only need to offer morning and evening prayers.” For more information, contact Stephen Terlizzi, (650) 289-3320, stephen.terlizzi@stpsu.edu.

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO CLASSIFIEDS

TO ADVERTISE IN CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO CALL (415) 614-5644 | VISIT www.catholic-sf.org

help wanted ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITION AVAILABLE

ST. BRENDAN CHURCH

St. Brendan Catholic Church in San Francisco, California has an immediate opening for an Administrative Assistant. The person in this position will perform a full-range of clerical and office reception functions, including greeting and referring visitors, word processing, data entry, routine accounting, mail processing, updating the parish database and sacramental records, and facilities scheduling. Previous office and word processing experience is required. A successful candidate will be well-organized and have strong communication skills, the ability to collaborate with volunteers and other staff members, a friendly and welcoming demeanor, and working knowledge of Word, Excel, and other relevant computer-related programs. An ideal candidate will also share a passion for the mission of the Church. This position will report directly to the Parish Manager. Wages are commensurate with experience and education. Please send a cover letter and resume to Lisa Rosenlund at 29 Rockaway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127, or lisa@stbrendanparish.org. St. Brendan Church and School does not unlawfully discriminate against any applicant for employment on the basis of age, sex, disability, race, color and national and/or ethnic origin. Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified candidates with criminal histories considered

Temporary Cemetery Caretaker, Colma, CA HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CEMETERY is currently seeking applications for Temporary Cemetery Caretakers to provide seasonal work assistance during Spring and Summer.

Duties: The Temporary Cemetery Caretaker performs jobs requiring

mainly manual skills and physical strength such as cleaning and clearing cemetery grounds of debris, weeding, mulching, using power trimmers, shovels, rakes, blowers, etc.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Qualifications:

• Valid California Driver’s License with an insurable driving record • Must be able to follow written and verbal instructions.

Applications available at: Holy Cross Cemetery, 1500 Mission Road, Colma, CA 94014 Or email: kbonillas@holycrosscemeteries.com Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified candidates with criminal histories considered.

OLA Catholic Identity Director

Seeking a Catholic community builder with contagious Catholic zeal and strategic leadership qualities, working in a unique position within a large, vibrant Franciscan parish. Proven track record of creating, marketing and managing large scale, successful volunteer events. Working with a dynamic Franciscan Pastor & coordinating with an energetic Tri-School Liaison.

Sunday Gospel Liturgy Enhance Sunday Mass meaning & relevance through engaging  Sunday Gospel themed programs

Small Faith Groups Grow current 40 small groups using multi-media tool & content

Full-time, competitive compensation package.  Send resume & inquiries to   Our Lady of Angels, Burlingame, CA  parishofﬁce@olaparish.org  www.ola.community

Stewardship Grow volunteer discipleship through Stewardship Sundays, Mass kiosks & partnering with volunteers.

Seasonal Events Design and encourage participation during 4 key welcoming   seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent & Easter/Pentecost Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified candidates with criminal histories considered.

available Spiritual Direction Available Fr. Rene Iturbe, SM TRAINED AND CERTIFIED

Call 415-244-2748 Marist Community

625 Pine Street San Francisco

Elderly Care Giver Seeking Live-in or Live-out Position Experienced, Reliable, Honest with Excellent References 415-766-1514

help wanted Duggan’s Serra Mortuary, Daly City Customer Service Funeral Arranger Full-Time Position A family owned funeral home, is looking for a person with kind and warm people/customer service skills for a funeral arranger position. Funeral experience a plus but not required. Training will be provided. Professional appearance and demeanor. SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: A.A. degree. Minimum of two years of office/ customer service experience. Strong work ethics, able to multi-task, needs to be a kind, compassionate, friendly, detail-oriented, well organized person with excellent communication, phone and computer skills. California driver’s license, clean D.M.V. driving record report must be provided. Must be able to lift 50 pounds or more. FULL-TIME WORK includes every other weekend. SOME RESPONSIBILITIES include: answering phone inquiries/meeting with families to plan funeral service arrangements, coordinate, assist, drive on services.

DUGGAN’S SERRA MORTUARY

Please email resumes with cover letter to JobApplicant500@gmail.com. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified candidates with criminal histories considered.

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR OF PARISH FAITH FORMATION St. Ignatius Parish is seeking applications for the role of Director of Parish Faith Formation. The DFF is responsible for a comprehensive parish religious education program for children, teens, adults and seniors including sacramental preparation programs and youth ministry. The DFF assesses the faith formation needs of the Parish; plans programs for all age groups in collaboration with the Formation Commission and ministry volunteers; recruits, trains and supervises volunteers and in-classroom catechists; evaluates program curricula; determines appropriate assessment methods and measures of program effectiveness; and acts as a resource in catechetical methods and theology. The DFF is also the director of “The Shop at St. Ignatius,” the bookstore and gift store of the Parish. This is a full-time exempt position, comparable to an ADSF level E-4 position. Education and job requirements: Practicing Catholic with a degree in theology, pastoral studies, religious education or a related field (Master’s Degree preferred). Current knowledge of educational and Catechetical trends and practices. Master Catechist certification or equivalent, or the ability to complete it within the first year of hiring. Leadership and team building abilities to direct religious education and Sacramental preparation programs. For a full job description or to apply, please send a cover letter and résumé to Gary Price – Director of Parish Operations, grprice@usfca.gov or go to http://bit.ly/SIP-DFF Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified candidates with criminal histories considered.

26 COMMUNITY

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

Around the archdiocese

ST. PATRICK’S SEMINARY & UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ATTEND “UNPLANNED”: More than 20 seminarians, plus local parishioners and the family of a seminarian, attended the opening weekend of “Unplanned” in Redwood City March 29. The movie tells the story of how a lifechanging experience converted a Planned Parenthood clinic director into an anti-abortion activist. Courtesy Archdiocese of San Francisco Office of Human Life & Dignity.

SALESIAN FATHER ARMAND OLIVERI’S 99TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: Gathering for the March 30 celebration following 5 p.m. Mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in North Beach were, from left, Father Gael Sullivan, SDB; Father Oliveri, SDB; Father Al Mengon, SDB; Father Jose Lucero, SDB. Salesian Sisters joining in the celebration were, from left, Sister Elizabeth Villanueva, FMA; Sister Kathleen Gibson, FMA; Sister Antoinette Pollini, FMA; Sister Josephine Ochoa, FMA. Sixty family members of all ages and hundreds of parishioners attended the celebratory Mass. Ordained a priest July 2, 1950, Father Oliveri still concelebrates the 9 a.m. Mass daily and concelebrates the 11:45 a.m. Sunday Italian Mass and gives blessings to visitors from all over the world when they visit the rectory, or when he is going around North Beach in his wheelchair.

(COURTESY PHOTO)

RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL AND MERCY SAN FRANCISCO RAISE $4,000-PLUS FOR WINTER SHELTER: The high schools joined together to raise more than $4,000 for the SF Interfaith Council’s WinterFaith Shelter Walk April 7. Proceeds from this walk support the SFIC’s program that provides dinner, lodging and breakfast to 80-100 men during the winter months at five alternating sites, including St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Boniface Church. Kudos to Riordan freshman Jack Burrous who was the top fundraiser from both schools and No. 3 fundraiser overall. He is pictured with interfaith council executive director Michael Pappas, left, and Riordan teacher John Ahlbach.

(COURTESY PHOTO)

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

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.

CATHEDRAL HOLY WEEK, EASTER LITURGIES

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.

HOLY THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 7:30 P.M.: Lent ends at sundown on Holy Thursday and the celebration of the Paschal Triduum begins with Mass of the Lord’s Supper with washing of feet, 7:30 p.m., St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, principal celebrant and homilist.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 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.

HOLY GROUND: “Walking on Holy Ground with your Dominican Sisters,” April 28, May 5, 2-4 p.m., Dominican Center, 43326 Mission Circle, Fremont. Register by April 19, http:// bit.ly/2019HolyGround or (510) 9336360. Freewill offering. “Dominican Sisters will share their story and lead you through this Holy Ground.”

TUESDAY, APRIL 30

GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 3 P.M.: Liturgy of the Passion and Death of the Lord, Archbishop Cordileone presiding, 3 p.m. Rite includes Liturgy of the Word, adoration of the cross and Holy Communion.

THURSDAY, APRIL 25 ‘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.

CONSOLATION MINISTER RETREAT: Day of reflection and gratitude for consolation ministers, Holy Name of Jesus Parish, San Francisco, 9:30-11:45 a.m. Presenters are Mercy Sisters Eloise Rosenblattt and Toni Lynn Gallagher, tlgallagher@mercywmw.org. RSVP Sister Cristina Ovejer, crisfdcc2016@yahoo.com.

THE EASTER VIGIL, APRIL 20, 9 P.M.: Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, Archbishop Cordileone, principal celebrant and homilist. EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 11 A.M.: Archbishop Cordileone, principal celebrant and homilist of Easter Mass, with cathedral choir leading song.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27 ‘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.

ments after Mass. Father Raymund Reyes, pastor, principal celebrant. JR Ronquillo, (650) 952-8238; Elvie Niz (650) 703-1252; Nelly Sarmiento, (415) 939-3678.

OUR LADY OF MANAOAG: Mass, St. Augustine Church, 3700 Callan Blvd., South San Francisco, preceded by rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy, 1:30 p.m., with refresh-

SUNDAY, APRIL 28 CONCERT: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Geary Boulevard at Gough Street,

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SATURDAY, MAY 4 PEACE MASS: All Hallows Chapel, 1715 Oakdale Ave., San Francisco, 9 a.m., Father Dan Carter, pastor, principal celebrant. (650) 580-7123; zoniafasquelle@gmail.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 11

VOCATION DINNERS: Priesthood Discernment Monthly Dinner Meetings continue 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 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.

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 contacting Diane Prell, activities coordinator, (415) 452-3500; www.Handicapables.com. Dates are subject to change.

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CONSOLATION MINISTER RETREAT: Day of reflection and gratitude for consolation ministers, St. Hilary Parish, Tiburon, 9:3011:45 a.m. Presenters are Mercy Sisters Eloise Rosenblattt and Toni Lynn Gallagher, tlgallagher@mercywmw. org. RSVP Sister Dolores Maguire, doloresmaguire@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 2

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Catholic Charities Loaves and Fishes Dinner honoring Lloyd H. Dean, president/CEO of Dignity Health. All proceeds support Catholic Charities programs and services serving the poor and protecting the dignity of vulnerable communities. Contact Pat Gallagher, (415) 972-1231, www. catholiccharitiessf.org.

SATURDAY, MAY 25 ROSARY: San Francisco Civic Center Plaza, Carlton B. Goodlett Place, right across from City Hall, noon. Juanita Agcaoili, (415) 647-7229.

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | APRIL 18, 2019

In Remembrance of the Faithful Departed Interred In Our Catholic Cemeteries During the Month of March HOLY CROSS, COLMA Anthony Vincent Acosta Jr. Armida C. Adan Gerald A. Adan Christine G. Aguila Maria Teresa Andrade Filemon C. Aquino Antonio Aragon Nemesia Madrid Arnobit Lourdes Sanchez Arriola Pierre Ausquy Irma Banovic Angela Lucia Barbagelata Emilia Basich Mary Carmen Batiza Louis Beliso Annette H. Bishop Henry George Black John Joseph Bogue, Jr. Carol Bowling John Brosnan John “Jack” Buckley Deirdre Burke Michael Byrne Estelita S. Cariaso David Miller Orbigoso Castillo Saturnina G. Castro Francis Cavallero Gerardo Cillo Carol Ann Conklin Kathleen A. Corcoran Donald Richard Cordo Marilyn Jane Cowhig Robert L. Cunningham Con Cunningham James P. Daly, Jr. Remedios M. De Castro Dorothy Constance Dempsey Cynthia G. Diaz Alice Dickson Fred Christ Domerofski Kathleen M. Drury Elsie Ann Egri Refugio Elizarraraz Joseph G. Essaff Samuel Fernandez Fallejo Stephen Charles Flahavan Teresita Fonseca James A. Gillis Remedios Gobaleza M. Jeanne Godsoe Robert J. Gonzales Benito Aquino Gonzalez Jr. Joseph P. Haggarty Victoria Ann Healy Barbara Jeanne Higgins William Lacey Jamison Francis J. Jasinski Conching B. Jose Loretta V. Koman

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APRIL 18, 2019

$1.00 | VOL. 21 NO. 8

(CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING)

Young people wait for Pope Francis’ arrival at the World Youth Day vigil at St. John Paul II Field in Panama City Jan. 26, 2019.

Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis 2|

The Vatican provided a detailed synthesis of Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation, “Christus vivit!” (“Christ is Alive!”). The book-length document was signed March 25 at the Holy House of Loreto, Italy, an ancient shrine of Marian pilgrimage. In the exhortation, composed of nine chapters divided into 299 paragraphs, the pope explains that he allowed himself to be “inspired by the wealth of reflections and conversations” of the synod on young people celebrated in the Vatican in October 2018. This version is further redacted for space, with chapter references noted for those with access to full document, which may be ordered online at http://store.usccb.org/christ-is-alive-p/7-628.htm, or accessed at http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/ apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20190325_christus-vivit.html.

What does the Word of God have to say about young people?

Francis recalls that “in an age when young people were not highly regarded, some texts show that God sees them differently” (6). He briefly presents figures of young people from the Old Testament: Joseph, Gideon (7), Samuel (8), King David (9), Solomon and Jeremiah (10), the very young Jewish servant of Naaman, and the young Ruth (11). Then he moves on to the New Testament. The pope recalls that “Jesus, who is eternally young, wants to give us hearts that are ever young” (13) and adds: “Let us also keep in mind that Jesus had no use for adults who looked down on the young or lorded it over them. On the contrary, he insisted that “the greatest among you must become like the youngest” (Luke 22:26). For him age did not establish privileges, and being young did not imply lesser worth or dignity.” Francis affirms: “We should never repent of spending our youth being good, opening our heart to the Lord, and living differently” (17).

The exhortation recognizes that there are young people who feel the presence of the church ‘a nuisance, even an irritant.’ This attitude that has its roots “in serious and understandable reasons: sexual and financial scandals; a clergy ill-prepared to engage effectively with the sensitivities of the young; … the passive role assigned to the young within the Christian community; the church’s difficulty in explaining her doctrine and ethical positions to contemporary society” (40).

Jesus, ever young

The pope addresses the theme of Jesus’ youthful years and remembers the Gospel story that describes Jesus “as an adolescent, when he had returned with his parents to Nazareth, after being lost and found in the Temple” (26). We should not think, Francis writes, that “Jesus was a withdrawn adolescent or a self-absorbed youth. His relationships were those of a young person who shared fully in the life of his family and his people,” “no one regarded him as unusual or set apart from others” (28). The pope points out that, “thanks to the trust of his parents,” the adolescent Jesus, “can move freely and learn to journey with others” (29). These aspects of Jesus’ life should not be ignored in youth ministry, “lest we create projects that isolate young people from their family and the larger community, or turn them into a select few, protected from all contamination.” Rather, we need “projects that can strengthen them, accompany them and impel them to encounter others, to engage in generous service, in mission ” (30). Francis then speaks of the youth of the Church and writes: “Let us ask the Lord to free the Church from those who would make her grow old, encase her in the past, hold her back or keep her at a standstill. But let us also ask him to free her from another temptation: that of thinking she is young because she accepts everything the world offers her, thinking that she is renewed because she sets her message aside and acts like everybody else. No! The Church is young when she is herself, when she receives ever anew the strength born of God’s word, the Eucharist, and the daily presence of Christ and the power of his Spirit in our lives” (35). The pope goes back to one of the teachings most dear to him and, explaining that the figure of Jesus must be presented “in an attractive and effective SEE CHRIST IS ALIVE, PAGE C2

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way,” says: “the Church should not be excessively caught up in herself but instead, and above all, reflect Jesus Christ. This means humbly acknowledging that some things concretely need to change” (39). The exhortation recognizes that there are young people who feel the presence of the church “a nuisance, even an irritant.” This attitude that has its roots “in serious and understandable reasons: sexual and financial scandals; a clergy ill-prepared to engage effectively with the sensitivities of the young; … the passive role assigned to the young within the Christian community; the church’s difficulty in explaining her doctrine and ethical positions to contemporary society” (40). There are young people who “want a church that listens more, that does more than simply condemn the world. They do not want to see a church that is silent and afraid to speak, but neither one that is always battling obsessively over two or three issues. To be credible to young people, there are times when she needs to regain her humility and simply listen, recognizing that what others have to say can provide some light to help her better understand the Gospel” (41). For example, a church that is too fearful can be constantly critical of “efforts to defend the rights of women, and constantly point out the risks and the potential errors of those demands,” while a church that is “a living church, can react by being attentive to the legitimate claims of women,” while “not agreeing with everything some feminist groups propose” (42).

(CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING)

You are the ‘now’ of God

We cannot just say that “young people are the future of our world,” says Pope Francis. “They are its present; even now, they are helping to enrich it.” For this reason it is necessary to listen to them even if “there is a tendency to provide prepackaged answers and ready-made solutions, without allowing their real questions to emerge and facing the challenges they pose.” “Today, we adults can often be tempted to list all the problems and failings of today’s young people … But what would be the result of such an attitude? Greater distance, less closeness, less mutual assistance” (66). Whoever is called to be a father, pastor and youth guide should have the ability “to discern pathways where others only see walls, to recognize potential where others see only peril. That is how God the Father sees things; He knows how to cherish and nurture the seeds of goodness sown in the hearts of the young. Each young person’s heart should thus be considered “holy ground” (67). Francis also invites us not to generalize, because “the worlds of today’s ‘youth’ are so many” (68). The pope warns against today’s culture that presents the youthful model of beauty and uses young bodies in advertising: “it has very little to do with young people. It only means that adults want to snatch youth for themselves” (79). Referring to “desires, hurts, and longings,” he speaks about sexuality and its “essential importance” for young peoples’ lives and for their “process of growth in identity.” The pope writes that: “in a world that constantly exalts sexuality, maintaining a healthy relationship with one’s body and a serene affective life is not easy.” For this and other reasons, sexual morality often tends to be a source of “incomprehension and alienation from the church, inasmuch as she is viewed as a place of judgment and condemnation,” despite the fact there are young people who want to discuss these issues (81). Faced with developments in science, biomedical technologies and neuroscience, the pope recalls how these can “make us forget that life is a gift, and that we are creatures with innate limits, open to exploitation by those who wield technological power” (82). The exhortation then turns to the theme of the “digital world” which has created “a new way to communicate,” and which can “facilitate the circulation of independent information.” In many countries, the web and social networks “already represent a firmly established forum for reaching and involving young people” (87). But they can also be a place of “loneliness, manipulation, exploitation and violence, up to the extreme case of the ‘dark web.’ Digital media can expose people to the risk of addiction, isolation and gradual loss of contact with concrete reality … New forms of violence are spreading through social media, for example cyber-bullying. The internet is also a channel for spreading pornography and the exploitation of persons for sexual purposes or through gambling” (88). It should not be forgotten that in the digital world “there are huge economic interests,” capable of creating “mechanisms for the manipulation of consciences and of

A young couple wake up before Pope Francis’ celebration of Mass for World Youth Day pilgrims at St. John Paul II Field in Panama City Jan. 27, 2019.

“Let us never forget that we must not abandon our Mother when she is wounded” (101) but stand beside her, so that she can summon up all her strength and all her ability to begin ever anew. This dark moment, with the help of the young people, “can truly be an opportunity for a reform of epoch-making significance,” opening us to a new Pentecost (102).

the democratic process.” There are closed circuits that “facilitate the spread of fake news and false information, fomenting prejudice and hate … The reputation of individuals is put in jeopardy through summary trials conducted online. …” The pope noted clergy sexual abuse as a scandal, but not the only sin in the church. “Our sins are before the eyes of everyone; they appear all too clearly in the lines on the age-old face of the church, our Mother and Teacher,” but the church does not resort to any cosmetic surgery, “she is not afraid to reveal the sins of her members.” “Let us never forget that we must not abandon our Mother when she is wounded” (101) but stand beside her, so that she can summon up all her strength and all her ability to begin ever anew. This dark moment, with the help of the young people, “can truly be an opportunity for a reform of epoch-making significance,” opening us to a new Pentecost (102). Pope Francis reminds young people that “there is a way out” in all dark and painful situations. He recalls the Good News given on the morning of the Resurrection. He explains that even though the digital world can expose us to many risks, there are young people who know how to be creative and brilliant in these areas. Like the venerable Carlo Acutis, who “knew how to use the new communication technologies to transmit the Gospel” (105), he did not fall into the trap and said: “Everyone is born as an original, but many people end up die as photocopies.” “Don’t let that happen to you” (106), warns the pope. “Don’t let them rob you of hope and joy, or drug you into becoming a slave to their interests” (107), seek the great goal of holiness.”

A great message for all young people

To all young people the pope announces three great truths. A “God who is love.” “God loves you, never doubt this” (112). You can “find security in the embrace of your heavenly Father” (113). Pope Francis affirms that the memory of the Father “is not a ‘hard disk’ that ‘saves’ and ‘archives’ all our data. His memory is a heart filled with tender compassion, one that finds joy in ‘deleting’ from us every trace of evil… Because he loves you. Try to keep still for a moment and let yourself feel his love” (115). His love is one that “has to do more with raising up than knocking down, with reconciling than forbidding, with offering new changes than condemning, with the future than the past” (116). The second truth is that “Christ saves you.” Never forget that “He forgives us seventy times seven. Time and time again, He bears us on his shoulders” (119). Jesus loves us and saves us because “only what is loved can be saved. Only what is embraced can be transformed. The Lord’s love is greater than all our SEE CHRIST IS ALIVE, PAGE C3

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problems, frailties and flaws” (120). And “His forgiveness and salvation are not something we can buy, or that we have to acquire by our own works or efforts. He forgives us and sets us free without cost” (121). The third truth is that “He is alive!” “We need to keep reminding ourselves of this … because we can risk seeing Jesus Christ simply as a fine model from the distant past, as a memory, as someone who saved us two thousand years ago. But that would be of no use to us: it would leave us unchanged, it would not set us free” (124). If He lives, “there can be no doubt that goodness will have the upper hand in your life … then we can stop complaining and look to the future, for with him this is always possible” (127). In these truths, the Father appears and Jesus appears. And where they are, there is also the Holy Spirit. “Invoke the Holy Spirit each day … You have nothing to lose, and He can change your life, fill it with light and lead it along a better path. He takes nothing away from you, but instead helps you to find all that you need, and in the best possible way” (131).

Paths of Youth

“The love of God and our relationship with the living Christ do not hold us back from dreaming; they do not require us to narrow our horizons. On the contrary, that love elevates us, encourages us and inspires us to a better and more beautiful life. Much of the longing present in the hearts of young people can be summed up in the word ‘restlessness’” (138). Thinking of a young person, the pope sees him or her as someone “who wants to fly on their two feet, always with one foot forward, ready to set out, to spring ahead. Always racing onward” (139). Youth cannot remain “on hold,” because it is the “age of choice” in the professional, social, political spheres, and also in the choice of the partner or in having one’s first children. “Anxiety can work against us by making us give up whenever we do not see instant results. Our best dreams are only attained through hope, patience and commitment, and not in haste. At the same time, we should not be hesitant, afraid to take chances or make mistakes” (142). Pope Francis invites young people not to observe life from the balcony, not to spend their lives in front of a screen, not to be reduced to abandoned vehicles and not to look at the world as tourists: “Make a ruckus! Cast out the fears that paralyze you…live!” (143) He invites them to “live the present” enjoying with gratitude every little gift of life without “being insatiable” and “obsessively seeking new pleasures” (146). In fact, living the present “is not the same as embarking irresponsibly on a life of dissipation that can only leave us empty and perpetually dissatisfied” (147). The pope then speaks of being “young and committed,” stating that young people can sometimes be “tempted to withdraw into small groups… They may feel that they are experiencing fraternity and love, but their small group may in fact become nothing other than an extension of their own ego. This is even more serious if they think of the lay vocation simply as a form of service inside the Church… They forget that the lay vocation is directed above all to charity within the family and to social and political charity” (168). Pope Francis proposes that young people “go beyond their small groups and to build social friendship, where everyone works for the common good. Social enmity, on the other hand, is destructive. Families are destroyed by enmity. Countries are destroyed by enmity. The world is destroyed by enmity. And the greatest enmity of all is war. Today we see that the world is destroying itself by war” because we are unable to sit down and speak” (169). “Social engagement and direct contact with the poor remain fundamental ways of finding or deepening one’s faith and the discernment of one’s vocation” (170). The pope cites the positive example of young people from parishes, schools and movements who “often go out to spend time with the elderly and the infirm, or to visit poor neighborhoods” (171). “Other young people take part in social programs that build houses for the homeless, or reclaim contaminated areas or offer various kinds of assistance to the needy. It would be helpful if this shared energy could be channeled and organized in a more stable way.” University students “can apply their knowledge in an interdisciplinary way, together with young people of other churches or religions” (172). Pope Francis encourages young people to make this commitment: “I have been following news reports of the many young people throughout the world who have taken to the streets to express the desire for a more just and fraternal society ... The

Pope Francis invites young people not to observe life from the balcony, not to spend their lives in front of a screen, not to be reduced to abandoned vehicles and not to look at the world as tourists: “Make a ruckus! Cast out the fears that paralyze you…live!” (143) He invites them to “live the present” enjoying with gratitude every little gift of life without “being insatiable” and “obsessively seeking new pleasures” (146).

young want to be protagonists of change. Please, do not leave it to others to be protagonists of change!” (174). Young people are called to be “courageous missionaries,” witnessing everywhere to the Gospel with their own lives, which does not mean “speaking about the truth, but living it” (175). The word, however, must not be silenced: “Learn to swim against the tide, learn how to share Jesus and the faith he has given you” (176). Where does Jesus send us? “There are no borders, no limits: he sends us everywhere. The Gospel is for everyone, not just for some. It is not only for those who seem closer to us, more receptive, more welcoming. It is for everyone” (177). And one cannot expect “the mission to be soft and easy” (178).

Young people with roots

Pope Francis says that it hurts him to see “young people sometimes being encouraged to build a future without roots, as if the world were just starting now” (179). “If someone tells young people to ignore their history, to reject the experiences of their elders, to look down on the past and to look forward to a future that he holds out, doesn’t it then become easy to draw them along so that they only do what he tells them? He needs the young to be shallow, uprooted and distrustful, so that they can trust only in his promises and act according to his plans. That is how various ideologies operate: they destroy (or deconstruct) all differences so that they can reign unopposed” (181). The manipulators also use the cult of youth: “The youthful body becomes the symbol of this new cult; everything associated with that body is idolized and lusted after, while whatever is not young is despised. But this cult of youth is simply an expedient that ultimately proves degrading to the young” (182). “Dear young friends, do not let them exploit your youth to promote a shallow life that confuses beauty with appearances” (183). Because there is beauty in the laborer who returns home grimy and unkempt, in the elderly wife who takes care of her sick husband, in the fidelity of couples who love each other in the autumn of life. Today instead we promote “a spirituality without God, an affectivity without community or concern for those who suffer, a fear of the poor, viewed as dangerous and a variety of claims to offer a future paradise that nonetheless seems increasingly distant” (184). The pope invites young people not to allow themselves to be dominated by this ideology which leads to “cultural colonization” (185) which eradicates young people from the cultural and religious affiliations from which they come and tends to homogenize them by transforming them into “a new line of malleable goods” (186). Fundamental is “your relationship with the elderly,” SEE CHRIST IS ALIVE, PAGE C4

(CNS PHOTO/CHAZ MUTH)

Indigenous World Youth Day pilgrims do a traditional dance during an opening-day performance in a Panama City park Jan. 22, 2019.

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says the pope, which helps young people to discover the living richness of the past. “The Word of God encourages us to remain close to the elderly, so that we can benefit from their experience” (188). “This does not mean having to agree with everything adults say or approving all their actions.” “It is really a matter of being open to receiving a wisdom passed down from generation to generation” (190).

Youth ministry

The pope explains that youth ministry has been affected by social and cultural changes and “young people frequently fail to find in our usual programs a response to their concerns, their needs, their problems and issues” (202). The young people themselves “are agents of youth ministry. Certainly they need to he helped and guided, but at the same time left free to develop new approaches, with creativity and a certain audacity.” We need to help young people to “use their insight, ingenuity and knowledge to address the issues and concerns of other young people in their own language” (203). Youth ministry needs to be flexible, and it is necessary to invite “young people to events or occasions that provide an opportunity not only for learning, but also for conversing, celebrating, singing, listening to real stories and experiencing a shared encounter with the living God” (204). Youth ministry has to be synodal, that is, capable of shaping a “journey together” and this involves two broad lines of action: the first is outreach, the second is growth. For the first, Pope Francis trusts in the ability of young people themselves to “find appealing ways to come together.” “They only have to be encouraged and given the freedom to be enthused.” What is most important, though, “is that each young person can be daring enough to sow the seed of the message on that fertile terrain that is the heart of another young person” (210). Priority should be given to “the language of closeness, the language of generous, relational and existential love that touches the heart.” Young people need to be approached “with the grammar of love, not by being preached at” (211). Pope Francis describes “Youth ministry in educational institutions,” affirming that schools are in “urgent need of self-criticism.” He recalls that “some Catholic schools seem to be structured only for the sake of self-preservation … A school that becomes a ‘bunker’, protecting its students from errors ‘from without’ is a caricature of this tendency.” When young people leave, they feel “an insurmountable disconnect between what they were taught and the world in which they live,” while “one of the greatest joys that any educator can have is to see a student turn into a strong, well-integrated person” (221). By focusing on a “pure and perfect youth ministry, marked by abstract ideas, protected from the world and free of every flaw, we can turn the Gospel into a dull, meaningless and unattractive proposition. Such a youth ministry ends up completely removed from the world of young people and suited only to an elite Christian youth that sees itself as different, while living in an empty and unproductive isolation” (232). “Youth ministry is always missionary” (240). Young people need to have their freedom respected, “yet they also need to be accompanied.” The family should be the first place of accompaniment (242), and then the community.

Vocation

“The first thing we need to discern and discover is this: Jesus wants to be a friend to every young person” (250). Vocation is a call to missionary service to others, “for our life on earth reaches full stature when it becomes an offering” (254). “To respond to our vocation, we need to foster and develop all that we are. This has nothing to do with inventing ourselves or creating ourselves out of nothing. It has to do with finding our true selves in the light of God and letting our lives flourish and bear fruit” (257). “This ‘being there for others’ normally has to do with two basic issues: forming a new family and working” (258). As for “love and family,” the pope writes that: “Young people intensely feel the call to love; they dream of meeting the right person with whom they can form a family” (259). The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony “envelops this love in the grace of God; it roots it in God Himself” (260). God created us as sexual beings. He himself created sexuality, which is a marvelous gift. “It is not taboo.” It is a gift the Lord gives us. It has “two purposes: to love

(CNS PHOTO/DIVYAKANT SOLANKI, EPA)

Indian children watch a movie on a cellphone on the roadside in Mumbai Jan. 20, 2016. While digital communications and social media can be used as a tool of evangelization and a place of dialogue with others, they also can be lonely environments where young people fall prey to humanity’s worst vices, Pope Francis wrote in his new apostolic exhortation to young people, “Christus Vivit” (“Christ Lives”).

A school that becomes a ‘bunker,’ protecting its students from errors ‘from without’ is a caricature of this tendency.” When young people leave, they feel “an insurmountable disconnect between what they were taught and the world in which they live,” while “one of the greatest joys that any educator can have is to see a student turn into a strong, wellintegrated person’ (221).

and to generate life. It is passion… True love is passionate” (261). Pope Francis observes that the “increase of separations, divorces… can cause great suffering and a crisis of identity in young people. Sometimes they must take on responsibilities that are not proportioned to their age” (262). Despite all the difficulties, “it is worth your every effort to invest in the family; there you will find the best incentives to mature and the greatest joys to experience and share. Don’t let yourselves be robbed of a great love” (263). “To think that nothing can be definitive is a deceptive lie … I ask you, instead, to be revolutionaries, I ask you to swim against the tide” (264).

Discernment

The pope recalls that: “Without the wisdom of discernment, we can easily become prey to every passing trend” (279). “A particular form of discernment involves the effort to discover our own vocation. Since this is a very personal decision that others cannot make for us, it requires a certain degree of solitude and silence” (283). “A vocation, while a gift, will undoubtedly also be demanding. God’s gifts are interactive; to enjoy them we have to be ready to take risks” (289). Three sensitivities are required of those who help young people in their discernment. “The first kind of sensitivity is directed to the individual. It is a matter of listening to someone who is sharing his very self in what he says” (292). “The second kind of sensitivity is marked by discernment. It tries to grasp exactly where grace or temptation is present” (293). “The third kind of sensitivity is the ability to perceive what is driving the other person,” discerning “the direction in which that person truly wants to move” (294). “When we listen to others in this way, at a certain moment we ourselves have to disappear in order to let the other person follow the path he or she has discovered. We have to vanish as the Lord did from the sight of his disciples in Emmaus” (296). We need “to encourage and accompany processes, without imposing our own roadmaps. For those processes have to do with persons who remain always unique and free. There are no easy recipes” (297). The exhortation concludes with “a wish” from Pope Francis: “Dear young people, my joyful hope is to see you keep running the race before you, outstripping all those who are slow or fearful. Keep running, “attracted by the face of Christ, whom we love so much, whom we adore in the Holy Eucharist and acknowledge in the flesh of our suffering brothers and sisters. The church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith… And when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us.”

Order of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy

While we are all sinners, God calls us to holiness and redemptive While we are allthe sinners, God calls us toVirgin holiness and redemptive love under mantle of Our Blessed Mary of Mercy. While we are all sinners, God calls us to holiness and redemptive

Our motto is Our motto is “My life for your freedom” Our motto is

love under the mantle of Our Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy. love under the mantle of Our Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.

“My life for your freedom” “My life for your freedom”

Join the Mercedarian Friars USA

Rev. Daniel Bowen, O. de M. Join the Mercedarian Friars USA Joinfrdanielbowen@gmail.com the Mercedarian• 727-348-4060 Friars USA

Rev. www.orderofmercy.org Daniel Bowen, O. de M. Rev. Daniel Bowen, O. de M. frdanielbowen@gmail.com • 727-348-4060 frdanielbowen@gmail.com • 727-348-4060

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