NOVENA:
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Archbishop urges faithful to pray against SB 24
Student’s project exposes plight of Rohingya Muslims
On the street and finding comfort in faith and friends
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO Newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
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El Paso bishop: Lack of compassion is ‘the great sickness of our time’ CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
A woman reacts after a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, Aug. 3, 2019. The Catholic dioceses of El Paso, and neighboring Las Cruces, New Mexico, have joined in prayer after the shooting left more than 20 dead and many injured.
Saying his “heart was breaking,” El Paso, Texas, Bishop Mark J. Seitz joined mourners at an interfaith prayer service for the victims of the Aug. 3 Walmart massacre and decried lack of compassion, generosity and humanity as “the great sickness of our time.” “As a minister I am called to be present to those who suffered this attack and to their families. I need to do so with a sense of composure,” Bishop Seitz said in a statement posted on the diocesan website. “But as I visited with victims and those they love my heart was breaking within me,” he said. “Their questions are mine as well. Why the innocent children? Why the mothers with babes in their arms? Why should any human being ever be subjected to such violence? “Once again in our nation,” the bishop added, “we see the face of evil. We see the effects of a mind possessed by hatred. We see the effects of the sinful and insipid conviction that some of us are better than others of us because of race, religion, language or nationality. ‘He waited for judgment, but see, bloodshed! For justice, but hark, the outcry!’ (Isaiah.5:7). “In the last several months,” Bishop Seitz said, “the borderlands have shown the world that generosity, compassion and human dignity are more powerful than the forces of division. The great sickness of our SEE EL PASO BISHOP, PAGE 13 (CNS PHOTO/CARLOS SANCHEZ, REUTERS)
NJ suicide law called ‘utter failure’ of government, society CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
METUCHEN, N.J. – New Jersey’s new law allowing assisted suicide, effective Aug. 1, “points to an “utter failure” on the part of government and indeed all society, said Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen. It is the failure “to care truly, authentically and humanely for the suffering and vulnerable in our midst especially those living with an incurable disease as well as the frail elderly, the infirm and those living with disabilities,” he wrote in a July 29 letter to the 650,000 Catholics in his four-county diocese. “Assisted suicide is a grievous affront to the dignity of human life and can never be morally justi-
Ill Act – the elderly “could feel undue pressure to view this as an option to prevent being a burden to others and young people will begin to think that people can and should be disposable.” “Indeed,” he added, “with this law there will be a further desensitization of the value of human life.” Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, a Catholic, signed the assisted suicide bill into law April 12. It passed the Assembly 41-33 and the Senate 21-16 March 25. As the measure awaited Murphy’s sigNEWARK CARDINAL JOSEPH W. TOBIN nature, pro-life groups and other opponents urged state residents to contact the governor and ask him fied,” he said. “The legal permission now granted to A personal way to honor your loved one’s patriotism to our country. not to sign the bill into law. this practice does not change the moral law.” If you have received a flagunder honoring your loved one's Bishop Checchio said that the new law – military service and would like to donate it the Medical cemetery toAid be flown as part for of anthe “Avenue of Flags" on Memorial Day, 4th of July and Veterans' Day, calledtothe in Dying Terminally SEE UTTER, PAGE 7
“What legislatures now refer to as ‘death with dignity’ is legal permission for one to end their own life with a lethal overdose of prescription drugs.”
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
NEED TO KNOW GOOD SHEPHERD GRACENTER ANNUAL FUNDRAISER: The Good Shepherd Sisters invite all to the annual fundraiser for Good Shepherd Gracenter, whose mission is to help women without resources to break free of drug and alcohol addiction and create a hopeful future for themselves and others. The event is Sunday, Sept. 15, noon-3, at Gracenter’s Patio Español at 1310 Bacon St., San Francisco. It will include lunch, a DJ, photo booth, silent auction, raffle and live auction. The theme is “Stepping Stones to Success,” as Gracenter will honor the board of Stepping Stone – San Francisco Women’s Rehabilitation Foundation – for their support. For ticketing/sponsorship info, visit http://GSG19.givesmart.com, or contact Sister Marguerite Bartling at sr.marguerite@gsgracenter.org or (628) 224-2050.
Archbishop urges faithful to join novena to defeat state pro-abortion measure CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone asked the faithful of the Archdiocese of San Francisco to join a statewide novena for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe Aug. 3–11, to defeat a “dangerous and unprecedented” piece of legislation, Senate Bill 24, which would require California State and University of California college health centers to supply medication abortion. The archbishop’s request for support in Our Lady’s “powerful intercession” was communicated to pastors of the archdiocese July 30 in a letter from Valerie Schmalz, director of the Office of Human Life RESPECT LIFE ESSAY CONTEST: Do you have & Dignity. a young writer, videographer or artist in your famSB 24 is on the verge of passage when the legisily? This year’s archdiocesan Respect Life Essay lature returns from its summer recess on Aug. 12, Contest offers creative opportunities for students Schmalz wrote. It would then go to Gov. Gavin Newin grades one-12 in the Archdiocese of San Fransom for his signature. cisco. Public and independent school students, A similar bill was passed last year but vetoed by home-schoolers and Catholic school students are then-Gov. Jerry Brown. all welcome to enter. And high school students can If SB 24 becomes law, the state’s public colleges and Church Goodsit & Religious Gifts & Books change upCandles this year – they can submit videos universities would have to provide RU-486, a chemical or artwork instead of written essays. The 2019compound that, taken in pill form, can induce abor2020 contest theme is, “Loving everyone from tion in women up to 10 weeks pregnant by blocking the conception until natural death, little babies and hormone progesterone needed to sustain a pregnancy. people who are old or sick, is what Jesus calls us It involves two types of medication: RU-486 itself, to do.” The guidelines, questions and forms are all which is mifepristone, and a prostaglandin, known as downloadable at https://sfarchdiocese.org/essaymisoprostol, that stimulates uterine contractions, and 5 locations in California contest. Deadline for essays is Oct. 31, 2019. On is taken two days after the first pill to expel the fetus. Your Store: Jan. 13, 2020, winners will be Local posted at sfarch. The archbishop will celebrate a Mass for the conorg/essay-contest. A special Mass and awards clusion 369 Grand Ave., S.San Francisco,650-583-5153 of the novena at 9 a.m., Aug. 11, at St. Mary’s ceremony with reception will be-held earlyFrwy 2020.@ Grand Cathedral. Near SF Airport Exitin101 FEAST VIGIL OF ST. PADRE PIO: On Sept. 22 www.cotters.com cotters@cotters.com at 5 p.m. the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi will bless and dedicate a new statue of Pio of Pietrelcina in the historic church at 610 Vallejo St., San Francisco. Visit shrinesf.org for more details or call (415) 986-4557.
ARCHBISHOP CORDILEONE’S SCHEDULE AUG. 8: Chancery meetings AUG. 9: Presbyteral Council executive committee meeting; Benedict XVI Institute board meeting AUG. 11: Mass, Novena conclusion, cathedral, 9 a.m. AUG. 12-16: Seminarian Retreat Week AUG. 17: Handicapables Mass, cathedral, noon AUG. 19: Catholic Charities executive committee meeting AUG. 21-22: Chancery meetings
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A pro-life sign is displayed during the 2019 annual March for Life rally in Washington Jan. 18. Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone asked the faithful of the Archdiocese of San Francisco to join a statewide novena to a proposed California law that would provide an abortion-inducing drug to state colleges and universities. The initiative was begun by Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and dioceses of San Jose, Stockton, Orange and San Bernardino are among those participating. A special web page, Novena To Stop SB 24, has more information, including downloadable versions of the novena, a fact sheet and a link to a Catholic Legislative Network letter to lawmakers. Catholic News Service contributed.
Resources on living the Marian consecration CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
The Archdiocese of San Francisco is offering the faithful updated resources to live the consecration of the archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in daily life. Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, in response to a request from some of the faithful of the archdiocese, consecrated the archdiocese on Oct. 7, 2017. The day marked the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the year was the centennial of the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal, in which the Blessed Mother asked for devotion to her Immaculate Heart. “The purpose of the consecration was to rededicate ourselves to responding to God’s call to holiness in our lives by living our vocations faithfully and well, and opening our minds and hearts to God’s grace through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” the archbishop says in an introduction to updated resources on the archdiocesan website at https://sfarch.org/living-the-consecration.
“For this act of devotion to bear fruit we must continue to live out its meaning in our lives, and, in particular, must observe the practices that Our Lady requested at Fatima,” he continues. The archbishop encourages all the faithful to observe the following practices to live the consecration in daily life: pray the rosary daily (for families, at least once a week together); receive the sacrament of penance at least month; observe Fridays, the day of our Lord’s death, as a day of penance by abstaining from eating meat, and by doing some other form of fasting or work of charity; pray before the Blessed Sacrament, spending at least one hour a week in prayer before the Eucharist in the tabernacle or exposed in the monstrance on the altar. “At this critical time in the history of the world and our Church, we need to avail ourselves of the spiritual resources at our disposition, to plead for God’s mercy upon us, and to ask for the grace of authentic renewal in our lives as His disciples,” the archbishop concludes in his message.
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HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS (415) 614-5506 This number is answered by Rocio Rodriguez, , LMFT, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by Rocio Rodriguez. (415) 614-5503 If you wish to speak to a non-archdiocesan employee please call this number. This is also a secured line and is answered only by a victim survivor.
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone Publisher Mike Brown Associate Publisher Rick DelVecchio Editor/General Manager EDITORIAL Christina Gray, associate editor grayc@sfarchdiocese.org Tom Burke, senior writer burket@sfarchdiocese.org Nicholas Wolfram Smith, reporter smithn@sfarchdiocese.org Sandy Finnegan, administrative assistant finnegans@sfarchdiocese.org ADVERTISING Mary Podesta, director Chandra Kirtman, business manager PRODUCTION Karessa McCartney-Kavanaugh, manager Joel Carrico, assistant HOW TO REACH US One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA 94109 Phone: (415) 614-5639 | Fax: (415) 614-5641 Editor: (415) 614-5647 delvecchior@sfarchdiocese.org Advertising: (415) 614-5644 podestam@sfarchdiocese.org Circulation: (415) 614-5639 circulation.csf@sfarchdiocese.org Letters to the editor: letters.csf@sfarchdiocese.org
ARCHDIOCESE 3
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
State’s bishops issue parental guide on sex education CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
Students can be excused from any part of a school’s sexual health curriculum if it conflicts with their parent or guardian’s religious or moral beliefs, the California Catholic Conference said in guidance for parents issued Aug. 2. In a primer published on its website about the California Healthy Youth Act, the conference covered parents’ legal rights regarding their child’s comprehensive sexual health education in public schools. According to the conference, which represents the state’s 12 dioceses on public policy, the law has become increasingly concerning for Catholic families because some state-recommended curricula that may be taught include graphic instructions and morally objectionable ideas and behavior. “The start of every school year is a great opportunity for families to be aware of the practices and policies of the California public schools their children attend regarding sexual health education – and advocate for their parental rights,” Raymond Burnell, the conference’s director of education, told Catholic San Francisco. “Because of parents’ legal option to excuse policy, they’re responsible for asserting their right for information and their right to ‘opt-out’ of certain objectionable instruction.” Since the law took effect Jan. 1, 2016, California public school districts must provide students in grades seven-12 with comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention information. School districts may also choose to offer “age-appropriate” instruction earlier than seventh grade. While each school district can determine its own curriculum, the instruction must meet certain standards, such as being medically accurate and objective; being appropriate for use with students of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds; affirmatively recognizing different sexual orientations and including same-sex relationships in discussions; and teaching about gender, gender expression, gender identity, and the harm of negative gender stereotypes.
guardians are allowed to review materials in advance of the instruction; and they are permitted to excuse their children from participation in all or part of the sexual health education, HIV prevention education and assessments related to that education. The conference also noted there were ambiguities around the extent of the “opt out” provision, particularly over whether the provision applies to any class discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation. Since the law states the opt-out provision does not apply to information on sexuality and gender that does not discuss reproductive organs and functions, some district boards of education have concluded that as long as those are not discussed parents cannot excuse their children from sexual education lessons. The conference called that reading “flawed,” and argued the opt-out provision applies to all material covered in comprehensive sexual education, including sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. “Given the Act’s requirement to provide instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression as part of a school’s ‘comprehensive sexual health education’ program – even if this instruction is presented in ‘separate modules’ without reference to reproductive organs or functions – the only reasonable conclusion is that parents must be given the opportunity to excuse their children from all or part of that program,” the conference said. The conference emphasized that since “the scope of parental rights under the CHYA is unclear, parents should use this as an opportunity to contact their schools and school districts to request clarification and to advocate for parental rights to be protected to the fullest extent.”
PARENTAL RIGHTS UNDER CALIFORNIA’S SEX ED LAW Each school district in the state implements its own version of sexual health education. Since the content and potential concerns can vary for each district, the California Catholic Conference encourages parents to make sure they are notified about their children’s sexual health education by the school district. Once parents have been notified, the conference encourages parents to review the curriculum and keep the following points in mind:
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– Ask the school district how and when all sexual education course materials can be reviewed. – Do the teaching materials support the values parents want to pass on their children? – What is taught about gender identity and sexual orientation and who will be the instructor? – Are the materials and instruction age appropriate, and who decides that? If parents or guardians object to part or all of the sexual education program, they must complete a signed opt-out form.
The conference said the CHYA recognizes parents’ right to supervise sexual health education. The Healthy Youth Act states that “the Legislature recognizes that while parents and guardians overwhelmingly support medically accurate, comprehensive sex education, parents and guardians have the ultimate responsibility for imparting values regarding human sexuality to their children.” The Catholic conference highlighted that the law requires three things: Schools must notify parents and guardians about the planned instruction; parents and
The Archdiocese of San Francisco is sponsoring two upcoming presentations on parental rights and sexual education. A Spanish language presentation will be held Sunday, Sept. 8 from 2-4 p.m. at St. Anthony Parish in Menlo Park. An English language presentation will also be held at St. Dominic Parish in San Francisco, Thursday, Sept. 12 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. For more info, visit sfarchdiocese.org/myfamilyrights or cacatholic.org.
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
Student’s project exposes plight of Rohingya Muslims CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
When the time came for Sandy Grees, an incoming junior at Sacred Heart High School in Atherton, to do her final class project in social ethics class this year, she remembered the 2017 Sandy Grees headlines about the humanitarian crisis in Southeast Asia caused by the violent displacement of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country. In her research of the longstanding conflict between the religious and social minority, Grees learned that almost a million Rohingya people are currently “stateless,” living in refugee camps on the border of Myanmar and Bangladesh – the fastest–growing and densest refugee settlement in the world according to the United Nations. Whole Rohingya villages were systematically torched in a 2017 government and military “clearance” campaign, with men beaten and killed, women and girls raped and children orphaned. “They have had their civic rights and human dignity stripped from them,” she said in a July letter to Catholic San Francisco weeks after her project was completed. Grees’ school project wove together a history of the conflict, reallife stories of Rohingya refugees, an analysis of social structures that have emboldened the ethnic cleansing campaign, and Catholic theological reflection. “The Catholic Church teaches us care for all of God’s creation and I believe that mainstream media has forgotten about the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who are starving, homeless, and impoverished,” she said. “I wish to spread awareness about the long journey of recovery still ahead for the Rohingya Muslims.” While her school project is done,
Betty and Jim Steidel
(CNS PHOTO/DANISH SIDDIQUI, REUTERS)
Rohingya refugees rest after arriving Sept. 14, 2017, at a makeshift refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Grees’ fight for justice for the Rohingya seems to be just getting started. Grees said that most people she knows don’t know about the Rohingya and the media has largely moved on to other stories. She appealed to the paper to help her spread her message of awareness and action. Grees said she believes that the American public’s short attention span and “desensitization to human rights injustices” shown in unrelenting news cycles is to blame for the lack of media attention and public awareness about the Rohingya, rather than “Islamophobia.”
She hopes Catholics will write their congressman and advocated for a long-term solution for the repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar. She included a link for making donations to the U.N. program that protects refugees and forcibly displaced communities and stateless people, and assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country. https://donate. unhcr.org/int/rohingya/~mydonation. “I hope that readers will get involved in any way possible,” she said.
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A 50-YEAR VOCATION: Betty and Jim Steidel of St. Anthony Parish in Menlo Park celebrate 50 years of marriage this summer. Daughter Ann Greenberg wrote to share her parents’ love story with Catholic San Francisco. Both grew up in St. Louis and entered religious life young. Betty entered the Maryknoll Order at age 18 and Jim became a priest with the Diocese of Jefferson City. Both served in Peru for over a decade. Though they met briefly there, it wasn’t until both had left their orders and relocated to Los Angeles in the late 1960s that their paths crossed again and they fell in love. They were married on Aug. 2, 1969, and had three children -- Ann, Maria and Mark. Both parents have “continued their life of service” according to Ann. Jim retired after 40 years as a professor at Cañada College in Redwood City and now spends his time as a volunteer in the free dining room at St. Anthony, their longtime parish. Betty was office manager there for over 30 years and still runs the Christmas toy drive for children in need. They love to spend time with their friends and family, especially with their grandchildren Nicole, Kelly, Catherine, Gabriel, Jacob, Joseph and Benjamin. During Tom Burke’s absence, email items and highresolution images to CSF staff at csf@ sfarch.org and/or mail to Street, One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco 94109. Include a follow-up phone number. If requesting a calendar listing, put “Calendar” in the subject line.
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ARCHDIOCESE 5
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
Homeless and hanging on with faith and friends CHRISTINA GRAY
‘I can survive without money, I can get food somewhere, but I can’t get spiritual guidance and someone to pray with me.’
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
More than 8,000 people were identified as being homeless in San Francisco’s biennial homeless population census report released in May. Shelby may or may not be one of them. “I’ve never been counted once, I’ve never been asked,” he said after meeting Catholic San Francisco on the steps of St. Mary’s Cathedral July 30. Shelby could pass for any middleage tourist in San Francisco, which is what he was when he arrived here three summers ago, an Ohio farm boy looking for a new life on the West Coast. But his “fresh start” turned to what it is today – mere survival. He’s neatly dressed with an organized backpack that holds, among other things, three blankets and a folded slab of cardboard that does double duty as a sleeping pad, and on days when he must beg for a meal, a panhandling sign. On July 11, Shelby wrote on the newspaper’s Facebook page that many of the homeless including himself are hungry for more than just food. “Catholics need to come out on the street and pray with us because we lose faith sometimes,” he said. “Please don’t forget about us … we are homeless but some of us are Catholic.” Shelby, 52, represents the largest and fastest-growing segment of the
SHELBY
(PHOTO BY CHRISTINA GRAY/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
Shelby, a 52-year-old who has lived on the streets since being robbed three years ago on his first day in San Francisco, prays at a shrine inside St. Mary’s Cathedral July 30. He contacted Catholic San Francisco via Facebook this summer to share his experience of being homeless and Catholic. city’s homeless population – single adults over 25. Just two years ago, 4,983 people were counted as homeless in that bracket; in 2019, 6,254. Shelby, who asked that his full name and photo not be published, said he feels at home at St. Mary’s, and with good reason. He has routinely bedded down in the cathedral’s downstairs halls, which serve
as temporary shelter for homeless men run, during the cold and rainy season and has worked in the kitchen serving meals. He gets by on roughly $500 a month thanks to “odd jobs,” he said, a small circle of trusted friends and associates, and his faith – the only positive remnant of a childhood spent in a Catholic orphanage in Cleveland.
He goes to Mass and confession, mostly at St. Patrick Church on Mission Street or St. Boniface on Golden Gate Avenue because they are aren’t far from the Embarcadero where he often sleeps. Shelby said that a lot of homeless people do believe in God, “maybe even more than the people who live in the towers.” But walking into a church to pray is not something most homeless people feel welcome to do. He said if he’s approached, it’s usually with a sense of “the homeless guy is going to steal the candlesticks or something.” Shelby wonders why more Catholic priests don’t go out among the homeless to hear confessions. “Do you know how many people on the streets would love to confess their sins?” he asked. As Shelby tells it, his life literally began on the street. He was abandoned as an infant and left in the backseat of a parked Shelby Mustang, a high-performance 1960s sports car. SEE HOMELESS, PAGE 12
Become Part of the Shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes In 2018, a benefactor attending one of our retreats offered to reconstruct the humble Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, originally built in the early 50’s. The Vision grew, and now we hope to add gardens and a plaza – named for the beloved, late Fr. Kevin Gaffey – a priest in residence at Vallombrosa who had a great devotion to Our Lady. There will be a Fountain of St. Bernadette, a “Path of Spiritual Works”, and two formal gates and numerous benches. All these will surround the Shrine and create a quiet and sacred space for prayer, reflection and devotion. There will also be an outdoor altar for Mass at the Shrine in Gaffey Plaza.
A donation of any size will help this project come to life. Please visit Vallombrosa.org/shrine, email david@vallombrosa.org or call to speak with Dave Fencl at 650-325-5614.
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
Homilist: ‘Bishop Christian’s life was a journey toward God’ CHRISTINA GRAY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
Auxiliary Bishop Robert F. Christian, OP, was eulogized by a longtime friend and fellow Dominican as a world traveler who “lived for others,” intentionally seeking out new experiences and encounters with others as he moved toward his ultimate destination with God. “Connecting with the locals, be it in the Dominican community or with a graduate student priest, he would always say it was a wonderful way to get a sense of our own destination,” said Dominican Father Alejandro Crosthwaite, homilist at Bishop Christian’s funeral Mass July 23 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. “This fundamental connection between love and friendship was essential in understanding who Robert Christian was and how he journeyed with Christ throughout his life and throughout the world,” he said. Bishop Christian, 70, died unexpectedly July 11 at his home at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park. He was ordained June 5, 2018, as the 18th auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and had served as the seminary’s rector-president since January.Cardinal William J. Levada, 11 bishops and nearly 100 priests and deacons joined the Christian family, members of the Dominican community, interfaith leaders and others at the morning Mass celebrated by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone. Archbishop Cordileone offered his condolences to Bishop Christian’s family including brothers Joseph, James, Michael, John and Thomas and sister Mary Gloria Christian. “You shaped the person he was,” he said. Father Crosthwaite, an academic dean at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome where Bishop Christian taught for more than 30 years, said the two shared a zest for traveling together to exotic places such as the Galapagos Islands, Istanbul and Machu Picchu in Peru. He noted the difference between a traveler and a tourist and emphasized that Bishop Christian was the former in his journeys and in his life. Travelers, he said, intentionally choose the unknown over the familiar while tourists tend to be “pleasure seekers” who generally prefer comfortable, made-to-order experiences. “The word travel comes from the same root as the word, ‘travail,’ which means trouble, work, and sometimes even torment,” he said. He called travel “the Christian life in miniature.” “As we travel, we have a spiritual purpose and we grow in friendship and community with others,” he said. “We encounter, sometimes in surprising and unexpected ways, Jesus, along our journey.” Father Crosthwaite said his friend’s way of traveling and life journey serves as an invitation to consider whether we are “engaged travelers” or “passive tourists” on the journey of life God has given us. “We should keep our sights always fixed not just on our next destination here on our earth, but we must keep our eyes fixed as Bishop Christian did, on the fact that our destiny is eternal life and not just death,” he said. At a reception following the service, Juan Carlos, a seminarian at St. Patrick’s, told Catholic San Francisco he considered Bishop Christian a “great role model as a priest.” He said Bishop Christian encouraged seminarians to include prayer whenever and wherever they can. “I appreciated all that he gave to us,” Carlos said. St. Patrick’s classmate Gerardo Vasquez said Bishop Christian was a “joyful” man who was straightforward and optimistic. Every two weeks, he said, he held a rector’s conference where he sat down with students and gave his thoughts on the priesthood. Father Charles Onubogo from Our Lady of the Pillar Parish in Half Moon Day recalled Bishop Christian’s talk on “forgiveness” to priests on retreat at Vallombrosa Retreat Center in Menlo Park just a few weeks before his death. “He told a story about someone who wrote something about him that wasn’t true,” said Father Onubogo, and choosing to “let that go.” Father Anthony Rosevear, novice master for the Western Dominican Province in Oakland, said Bishop Christian in-
(PHOTOS BY DEBRA GREENBLAT/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
Members of Bishop Robert F. Christian’s family are surrounded by bishops and mourners as his casket is blessed with holy water after his funeral Mass July 23 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco.
Left: Dominican Father Alejandro Crosthwaite traveled from Rome to deliver the homily, where he remembered his longtime friend and travel mate as a person who “lived for others.” Right: Cardinal William J. Levada, 11 bishops and nearly 100 priests and deacons attended Bishop Christian’s funeral Mass celebrated by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone.
Dominicans and other priests lined the cathedral plaza to pay they respects. troduced him to the Dominican order. They met as college students studying abroad in Italy, neither on a priestly track at the time. After both completed their degrees and Bishop Christian entered the novitiate at St. Albert’s Priory in Oakland, Bishop Christian wrote his new friend a three-page typewritten letter detailing why he was well-suited to become a Dominican. “He listed point-by-point and he was right all the way through,” Father Rosevear said. Deacon Chuck McNeil of St. Dominic Parish said Bishop Christian “was grounded in
tradition but in many ways embraced the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.” And, Deacon McNeil added, “He was the most organized priest I have ever met.” In addition to his siblings Bishop Christian is survived by a large extended family that includes his brothers’ spouses, dozens of cousins and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. Bishop Christian was laid to rest on July 24 at the St. Dominic Cemetery in Benicia, Calif.
FROM THE FRONT 7
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
‘UTTER FAILURE’: Bishops condemn NJ assisted suicide law FROM PAGE 1
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.” “By signing this bill today, we are providing terminally ill patients and their Bishop James F. families with the Checchio humanity, dignity and respect that they so richly deserve at the most difficult times any of us will face,” he said, and thanked the legislature “for its courage in tackling this challenging issue.” In his letter, Bishop Checchio said he and the other New Jersey bishops as well as the Catholic faithful and others from across the state “fought for over seven years to oppose this law.” At the time Murphy signed the measure, all the Catholic bishops of the state, the New Jersey Catholic Conference and pro-life groups decried his action. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark called the new law regrettable, saying “whatever its motives and means,” it is “morally unacceptable.” In a July 31 statement, the cardinal said: “What legislatures now refer to as ‘death with dignity’ is legal permission for one to end their own life with a lethal overdose of prescription drugs.”
He said the new state law “has become an answer to addressing one’s fear of affliction or suffering. What is more, in a for-profit industry like health care, there is the real danger that euthanasia will be seen as a costcutting measure.” The cardinal also stressed that the law puts “immense pressure on Catholics in health care ministries to follow their conscience instead of being coerced into providing assistance that is immoral.” Bishop David M. O’Connell of Trenton also issued a July 31 statement on the new law, which he described as “morally wrong on so many levels.” He said the legislation is a “tragic example of human hubris, re-creating God in our own image; imposing our own limits upon God’s law and will and wisdom; exhausting God’s otherwise inexhaustible mystery and merciful companionship in our journey through the natural, fully human life God alone can give.” The bishop said that when “sickness comes to those we love, it is our obligation to care even when there is no cure.” He said he was offering his reflections as a bishop but also personally as a son who stood with his brothers while his parents died. “Now that it has become law in New Jersey to bring about the end of life, it is an option and a choice that we should never make,” he said. Under the law, competent New Jersey residents over age 18 who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and have six months or less to
live – and have medical confirmation of their situation – can get a prescription for a lethal medication to end their life. Patients will be required to make two separate requests to be approved for the lethal dosage; they also will have the opportunity to rescind their request at any point after receiving approval. “With the passage of this law by the legislature and the signing by our governor, we are facing dark times,” wrote Bishop Checchio in his July 29 letter. “As a church, we will not stop from advocating for the sanctity of human life, in all stages, and we will continue to educate our legislators, our fellow Catholics and the general public about the dangers of legalized
physician-assisted suicide.” St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, which is sponsored by the Metuchen Diocese, will not cooperate with the new law, said a diocesan news release issued with the text of Bishop Checchio’s letter. The hospital complies with the U.S. bishops “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,” which clearly state that “Catholic health care institutions may never condone or participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide in any way.” “As Catholics, we are called to show a different approach to death and the dying; one which accompanies every person as they are dying and allows them to love and to be loved to the very end,” wrote Bishop Checchio.
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8 NATIONAL FATHER BUCKLEY, NOTED THEOLOGIAN AND A ‘JESUIT’S JESUIT,’ DIES AT 87
LOS GATOS – Jesuit Father Michael J. Buckley, a noted theologian and retired Bea professor of theology at Santa Clara University, died July 25 at the Jesuit retirement home in Los Gatos after a long illness. He was 87. His funeral Mass was celebrated Aug. 2 at the Santa Clara Mission Church on the campus of Santa Clara University. The priest leaves a “lasting legacy Jesuit Father for his contributions to studies in Michael J. theology, the origins of modern Buckley atheism, the mutually beneficial relations between science and religion, and Jesuit spirituality and education,” said a news release about his death issued by the Jesuits’ West province. He was a member of the Society of Jesus for almost 70 years. His work was especially noted for an intense and critical alignment of rigorous theological inquiry with in-depth studies in Christian spirituality. A San Francisco native, he was born Oct. 12, 1931, into a large family. His father was an Army colonel and the family moved often. After graduating from high school, including a stint at Yokohama High School in Japan, he entered the Society of Jesus in August 1949. He served as a Jesuit scholastic at Bellarmine College Preparatory and later studied philosophy at St.
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
Michael’s Institute in Spokane, Washington. After theological studies at the Jesuit’s Alma College, he was ordained to the priesthood June 8, 1962, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco. After his ordination, he was accepted for doctoral studies at the University of Chicago, where he completed his work in three years. His dissertation led to his first book, “Motion and Motion’s God: Thematic Variations in Aristotle, Cicero, Newton and Hegel” (Princeton, 1971). This laid the foundation for further works on atheism, including “At the Origins of Modern Atheism” (Yale, 1987). He also wrote several papers on the relationship between science and religion.
JUDGE DISMISSES COVINGTON CATHOLIC STUDENT’S SUIT AGAINST NEWSPAPER
WASHINGTON – A federal judge July 26 dismissed a $250 million lawsuit against The Washington Post by a Kentucky Catholic high school student, ruling the newspaper’s articles and tweets about the student’s actions after the annual March for Life in January were protected by the First Amendment. Nick Sandmann, a student at Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky, sued the newspaper five months ago, claiming its coverage of what transpired at the Lincoln Memorial Jan. 18 – when Sandmann, wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat smiled just inches away from Nathan Phillips, a Native American leader, as he chanted and beat a drum – was biased. The suit claimed there were “no less than six false and defamatory articles” in the newspaper about the encounter, which had gone viral almost immediately. In his 36-page ruling, U.S. District Judge William Bertelsman examined each of the 33 statements in question and found none of them to be defamatory and the vast majority to be quoting opinion, which is protected free speech. “The statements that Sandmann challenges constitute protected opinions that may not form the basis for a defamation claim,” he wrote. The student, then a junior, claimed in the lawsuit
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ABORTION RATE FALLING IN SOUTH CAROLINA; PRO-LIFE ADVOCATES WELCOME TREND
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The number of abortions occurring annually in South Carolina continues to fall, a trend welcomed by advocates who credit pro-life legislation and increased public awareness for the decline. According to a report released in late June by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 466 fewer abortions occurred in the state in 2018 compared to the number in 2017. This was the lowest number of abortions since 1975, according to the state health agency’s statistics. Holly Gatling, executive director of S.C. Citizens for Life Columbia, said declining abortion numbers in South Carolina are the product of three factors: an ongoing push for pro-life legislation, the dedicated work of pregnancy care centers around the state, and more people becoming educated about pro-life issues. CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
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that a Jan. 19 article of The Washington Post indicated that he “assaulted” or “physically intimidated” Phillips and also had “engaged in racist conduct” and jeers. “This is not supported by the plain language in the article, which states no such thing,” the judge wrote. He also stressed that many of the statements in the articles referred to the group of students, not to Sandmann specifically. By quoting Phillip’s account of what occurred that day, the newspaper may have been inaccurate, Bertelsman said, but to be sued for libel, the Post’s reporting had to be both false and defamatory. The judge also looked at both sides of the Jan. 18 incident and said even if Sandmann’s intent during the incident that day was to “calm the situation and not impede or block anyone,” he pointed out that “Phillips did not see it that way.” The judge wrote that Phillips told the Post he felt he was being “blocked” and not allowed to “retreat.” His observations may have been erroneous, the judge wrote, but he said they are opinions “protected by the First Amendment.”
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10 FAITH
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
SUNDAY READINGS
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time WISDOM 18:6-9 The night of the passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage. Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes. For when you punished our adversaries in this you glorified us whom you had summoned. For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution. PSALM 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22 Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. 2 HEBREWS 11:1-2, 8-19 Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because
of it the ancients were well attested. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age – and Sarah herself was sterile – for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy. So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore. All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol. LUKE 12:32-48 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear
out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Hope for the realization of things unseen
I
n her poem “God Knows,” British poet Minnie Louise Haskins says: “I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown!’ And he replied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’” King George VI quoted these comforting words of faith in his 1939 Christmas broadcast to a troubled nation of Great Britain at the outbreak of World War II. In the midst of war, terror, and evil, when everything seemed lost, people felt reassured by the call to put their hand into the hand of God. It seemed the only way forward. FATHER CHARLES Abraham, the Father of PUTHOTA Faith, is held up by the author of the letter to the Hebrews as an example of such a trusting relationship with God. He put his hand into the hand of God and walked into the unknown. Obeying God’s call, “he went out, not knowing where he was to go.” Abraham sensed the eschatological fulfillment, “for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
whose architect and maker is God.” In unlikely circumstances, “by faith” Abraham “received power to generate,” because he knew “that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.” The possibility of the future blessings could be felt already now and the unseen things could in some mysterious way be seen here and now. Mysteriously, the future is the present. The Kingdom of God is not-yet but it is here already! Hence the author of Hebrews summarizes in eminently quotable words Abraham’s faith: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Abraham’s descendants, facing oppression and powerlessness in Egypt, put their hand into the hand of God. The first reading from Wisdom is part of a series of examples of God’s wondrous providence to them, all of which would lead to Exodus. As they kept their “divine institution” of the Passover that night, they possessed a “sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith,” awaiting “the salvation of the just.” Their faith in what God could do for them seemed active, unassailable – and almost tangible. God would be faithful to his promises. The Gospel passage, evoking a hint of Advent, speaks of readiness and vigilance at the coming of the Son of Man. Being prepared to receive Jesus “at an hour you do not expect,” would mean that we are on a constant alert to encounter Jesus with a sustained disposition of experiencing him in life’s diverse happenings. We are called to a lively faith by
putting our hand into the hand of Jesus as he walks with us, speaking to us and revealing himself. Then we will get up and go – to share hope for the realization of things unseen. Reflecting on our lives, we may feel helpless that things are not as we had hoped. Our choices may have brought on things we never expected. There may be a touch of evil in the world around us. Sadness and darkness may have cast a pall. Death and disease can distress us for decades. Failure may have brought on ominous overtones. Trapped by circumstances, we may feel hopeless. People may have let us down. Relationships may have broken down. How could we have gotten to where we are? Lack of peace and harmony might affect us deeply, causing sleepless nights. Through it all, we are to hope against hope – almost prophetically – that things we hope for are being realized and that there is evidence already for things of our longings and desires. In faith, we have to cling to that hope. God will come through. He is trustworthy. Always! Mary, “our tainted nature’s solitary boast,” whose glorious Assumption we celebrate joyfully on Aug. 15, is a powerful paradigm of our faith-filled surrender to God’s ways. “Be with us, Mary, along the way; guide every step we take.” FATHER CHARLES PUTHOTA, PH.D., is pastor of St. Veronica Parish, South San Francisco, and director of the archdiocesan Office of Pastoral Ministry.
LITURGICAL CALENDAR, DAILY MASS READINGS MONDAY, AUGUST 12: Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time. Optional Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, religious. Dt 10:12-22. Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20. See 2 Thes 2:14. Mt 17:22-27. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13: Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time. Optional Memorial of Saints Pontian, pope and martyr and Hippolytus, priest and martyr. Dt 31:1-8. Dt 32:3-4ab, 7, 8, 9 and 12. Mt 11:29ab. Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14: Memorial of St. Maxi-
milian Mary Kolbe, priest and martyr. Dt 34:1-12. Ps 66:1-3a, 5 and 8, 16-17. 2 Cor 5:19. Mt 18:1520. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mass During the Day. Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab. Ps 45:10, 11, 12, 16. 1 Cor 15:20-27. Lk 1:39-56. FRIDAY, AUGUST 16: Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time. Optional Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary. Jos 24:1-13. Ps 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22 and 24. See 1 Thes 2:13. Mt 19:3-12.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17: Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time. Jos 24:14-29. Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 11. See Mt 11:25. Mt 19:1315. SUNDAY, AUGUST 18: Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jer 38:4-6, 8-10. Ps 40:2, 3, 4, 18. Heb 12:1-4. Jn 10:27. Lk 12:49-53. MONDAY, AUGUST 19: Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time. Optional Memorial of St. John Eudes, priest. Jgs 2:11-19. Ps 106:34-35, 36-37, 3940, 43ab and 44. Mt 5:3. Mt 19:16-22.
OPINION 11
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
Our grandiosity and our wounds
W
e wake up into life with the incurable sense that we’re special, that we’re the center of the universe. And, subjectively, we are! In our awareness we’re the center of the universe and life does revolve around us. Our own being is what’s most massively real to us. As Descartes famously said, the only thing that we know for sure is real is our own selves; I think, therefore, I am. We may be dreaming everything else. Spirituality has perennially judged this negatively. Egocentricity, feelings of grandiosity, self-centeredFATHER RON ness, and pride were seen as ROLHEISER the result of the corruption of human nature through original sin. We called it The Fall. Our first parents attempted to overreach, to be more than God intended them to be, and this irrevocably corrupted their nature and we, their children, inherit this. So we, adult children of Adam and Eve, too instinctually tend to overreach, to puff up in self-importance, to fill with pride and think first about ourselves. That doctrine of original sin has something important to say, but it isn’t first of all to shame us in our natural pride and sense of specialness. The real reason why pride and grandiosity are incurably ingrained inside us is because God built us that way, and that, of itself, is not a fault or a corruption but instead constitutes what’s highest and most precious inside us. Both Christianity and Judaism take as dogma that we’re born, every one of us, in the image and likeness of God. That’s
not to be imagined piously as some beautiful icon stamped inside our souls but rather as fire, divine fire, which because it is godly brings with it a sense of the preciousness, dignity and uniqueness, of our lives. But with that too comes (as part of the same package) pride and grandiosity. Simply put, we can’t have godliness inside us and not feel ourselves as special. And that makes for a less-than-serene situation for the planet. We’re now seven and half billion people on this earth, each one with the same innate sense that he or she is the center of the universe and that his or her own reality is what’s most real. That’s the real cause behind what you see happening on the world news each night, for worse and for better. Grandiosity is the source of human strife, but equally the source of human greatness. Important in our understanding of this is that our innate sense of godliness is also the place where we suffer our deepest wounds. What most wounds the image and likeness of God inside us? These things: humiliation, lack of adequate selfexpression, the perennial frustration of bumping up against the limits of life, and the martyrdom of obscurity. Each of us, by our nature, possesses a divinelygiven uniqueness and dignity and thus nothing wounds us more than being humiliated and shamed in our struggle to live this out. A shameful humiliation, even as a very young child, can scar us for the rest of our lives. It’s one of the reasons why we have mass killings. Likewise, as Iris Murdoch once said, the greatest human pain is the pain of inadequate self-expression. There’s a great artist, composer, teacher, athlete and performer inside each of us, but few people can ever give that satisfying expression. The rest of us have to live with peren-
nial frustration because what’s deepest in us lies unexpressed. As well, we’re forever bumping up against the real limits of our own lives and limits of life itself. In Karl Rahner words: In the torment of the insufficiency of everything attainable, we ultimately learn that here in this life there is no finished symphony. In the end, all of us die with a life that was never fully consummated. And that isn’t easily accepted! Everything inside us militates against this. Finally, almost all of us live a certain martyrdom of obscurity, recognized and famous only inside our own daydreams, our greatness hidden from the world. That, too, isn’t easily accepted. What’s to be taken away from this? Since we secretly nurse thoughts of specialness should we also nurse a secret shame? Is our innate pride something that sets us against holiness? Is our grandiosity a bad thing? Is our frustration with the limits and inadequacy of our lives something that displeases God? Are our daydreams of uniqueness and greatness something which taints our contemplation and prayer? Is our nature, of itself, somehow corrupt? Must we somehow step outside of our own skin to be saints? Each of these questions can be answered in two ways. Grandiosity, pride, shame, frustration and daydreams of greatness can indeed be our downfall and turn us into awful persons, selfish, jealous, spiteful and murderous. But they can also be the source of greatness, of nobility of soul, of generosity, of selflessness, of generativity, of true prayer, and can turn us into selfless martyrs of faith, hope and charity. Our godliness is a very mixed blessing; but it is, no doubt, our greatest blessing. OBLATE FATHER RON ROLHEISER is president of the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas.
LETTERS Terrorists and abortionists
Recalling the 9/11 incident, which is worse – terrorists or abortionists? Both kill innocent victims. For what? Passing a bill to legalize abortion, in my opinion, is worse. They are helpless babies who are not given the gift of life, the gift of love from the creator of this beautiful, wonderful world we live in. My grandfather once told me politics is dirty and politicians are crooked, but not all. Where are those who can change the world with their conversion of heart, whatever religion they belong to, as Father Ron Rolheiser wrote? Rose M. Jardin San Bruno
‘Love it or leave it’
“America, love it or leave it,” was a slogan that exposed communists in the 1950s and decried hippies in the 1960s. In our time, it is an expression of patriotic love of country; respect for the rule of law and shared decision-making; and, gratitude to those who utilized free markets to build this country. In contrast, socialists express love for humanity; utilize power to create a “more perfect” world of environmental sustainability and social justice; and, confiscate and redistribute of wealth. “Politically correct” speech permits radical rage; while, “love it or leave it” is a cry of defiance. Michael F. McCarthy Hayward
The accuser bears the burden of proof
JR Hermann’s letter of July 8 clearly lays out his unwillingness to consider being actually tolerant of same-sex attraction and transgender youths. His kind of “tolerance” is of the “be thankful we don’t excommunicate you” variety. Lesbian and gay men stand accused as a group by the likes of Hermann of being a corrupting influence in society, a threat to the effectiveness of the military, underminers of family values, dangerous role models for children. There are arguments and anecdotal evidence for such views. I think that the arguments can be refuted and that the evidence to the contrary is a great deal stronger. The point is that in this dispute, as in the case of any defendant charged with any kind of antisocial behavior, the burden lies with the prosecution. In the absence of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, it is unfair (and, may I say unchristian) to
continue heaping disabilities and disadvantages (not to speak of contempt and defamation) upon a whole class of people who are asking nothing more than equal treatment for themselves as persons. Jim McCrea Piedmont
Theft case exposes accountability issues
As a former bank auditor and 15-year resident of Santa Rosa, I was appalled to read about the lax cash-handling procedures in that diocese, where dozens of sacks of unaccounted-for money were found unsecured in a priest’s car as well as in a church office and adjacent rectory. Were there no procedures in place to ensure that weekly collection funds were being properly deposited into the correct bank accounts in a timely manner? Were there no verifications that those “second collection” funds were disbursed for intended purposes? Is there not a designated financial officer within that diocese who is responsible for oversight of cash handling and accounting controls in parishes and the chancery office? Most other nonprofits would insist on a full audit – not just in the few parishes where that priest was assigned, but a thorough review of all financial records and procedures throughout the diocese. The fact that the local bishop is so clearly reluctant to call for such an outside examination is a huge red flag to any accounting professional. Just as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops now demands reporting of sex abuse cases to local law enforcement first, church authorities might wish to follow the same standard and allow civil justice to handle the criminal aspects of this situation – the bishop’s role being limited to internal disciplinary action – rather than go down the old, failed Catholic Church path of “we can take care of this matter internally.” Frank Dunnigan Phoenix, Arizona
An excellent letter
The letter “Pro-life must come first” (July 11) was excellent. It was to the point and addressed all the current important issues. Mary L. Zgraggen San Francisco
Vatican should be transparent on China deal
On June 28, 2019, the Vatican released a press statement that it had made a “deal” with the Communist Chinese state to encourage Chinese Catholics (estimated to be about 12 million) to register and acknowledge their religion as Catholics with the Communist government. The Vatican press statement was vague and incomplete with the terms of the settlement and the reasons why such an agreement was reached at this time. Such a “deal” raises questions as to: 1) Why would the Curia Romana negotiate with a Communist state that has a history of religious intolerance? China in the recent decades has persecuted the Monks in Tibet, imprisoned the Muslim Uighurs peoples and cut down all religious symbols from churches, mosques, etc. 2) Why would the Curia Romana subject millions of Catholic Chinese (many from the underground church) to discrimination and possible imprisonment? Previously, in September 2018, the Curia Romana signed an agreement with the same Chinese Communist government to be a partner is the selection of future bishops. 3) Why would the Curia Romana award a Communist country, intolerant of religion, a vote in the selection of future bishops when we in the free democratic societies have no involvement in the selection of bishops? Almost a year later and the Vatican still has not made public to the world Catholics the terms of the foregoing “deals.” It is time for the Vatican to be transparent. Charles Wallace Novato
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
HOMELESS: On the streets of SF, hanging on with faith and friends FROM PAGE 5
He was named, though by whom exactly he does not know, after the car and a Cleveland police officer named “Alan” who found the baby boy. He was sent to an orphanage in Cleveland but ran away at age 11. “You have no idea how miserable I am now,” he said. “But I was more miserable as a child. I can never be that miserable again.” He ended up on the doorsteps of a farm run by a couple. He lived with them and worked on the farm for most of his adult life. They were the closest thing to a family he ever knew. When the couple got old and the farm was sold, Shelby was given a small share. It was all the money he had to his name and he said it was stolen on his first day in San Francisco. “I thought you go in someplace and say you’re homeless and they give you shelter,” he said. “Well you know, it just ain’t that way.” He described the shock of seeing “needles, the people, the poop” in the Tenderloin district where he was directed for services. It was the first night he slept on the street. Most days he rises early and sets off to look for work, and “try to figure out what I’m going to eat that day.”
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HOMELESSNESS IN SAN FRANCISCO The city’s 2019 homeless head count found homelessness on the rise, predominantly among individuals 25 and over. Among the key findings: Since 2017, homelessness in San Francisco has increased 17 percent. The point-in-time survey counted 8,011 people experiencing homelessness, up from 6,858 in 2017. More than two-thirds (6,254) of the homeless population were single adults over 25, with almost half aged 41-60. The homeless population is concentrated in supervisorial Districts 6 and 10, which include downtown, the Tenderloin, South of Market, Potrero Hill and Bayview-Hunters Point. 35 percent of homeless individuals were sheltered, and 65 percent had experienced homelessness for more than a year.
Shelby said that his biggest daily challenges, aside from finding food, are finding a bathroom to use when he needs one, a place to charge his cellphone – a gift from a formerly homeless man – and drinking water. “Right now, where would you and I get a drink of water if we had no money?” he asked.
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Shelby’s survival appears to be the result of the trust he has earned in the homeless community and outside of it. A security guard at a local grocery store lets him use the bathroom because, “he knows I don’t steal and I won’t mess it up.” A Good Samaritan pays for a $17.50 a month YMCA membership where Shelby showers some days in exchange for him detailing the man’s car. A local librarian packed him a “really nice” lunch one day. A bar owner lets him sleep in the relative safety of her doorway in exchange for cleaning the bar windows. Most days he is able to feed himself thanks to a number of church and nonprofit organizations, but occasionally he does panhandle. “I don’t steal, what else am I going to do?” he asked. He called “cardboard the number one friend of a homeless person.” “If you put a battery on cement, it drains it,” he said, and that’s what it does to your body. “That’s why you always see homeless people digging in the garbage for cardboard.” He believes that most homeless people do drugs to cope with the rigors of homelessness, rather than becoming homeless because they do drugs. And “once they’re on the dope it changes them.” “I take my misery out in different ways,” he said, admitting he’s living “day-by-day” in a city where he can’t save up enough money to leave. He used to pray the rosary until someone stole his beads. He is grateful to all the organizations and individuals who hand him a sandwich or a pair of socks but said he longs for something else. “I can survive without money, I can get food somewhere,” he said. “But I can’t get spiritual guidance and someone to pray with me.”
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FROM THE FRONT 13
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
EL PASO BISHOP: Lack of compassion is ‘the great sickness of our time’ FROM PAGE 1
time is that we have forgotten how to be compassionate, generous and humane. Everything is competition. Everything is greed. Everything is cold. Tenderness and the love that knows no borders are crucified in a whirlwind of deadly selfseeking, fear and vindictiveness.” Police arrested 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, of Allen, Texas, in connection with the shooting, which left 22 people dead and 24 wounded. Several news organizations said local and federal authorities are investigating whether the shooting was a possible hate crime since the suspected gunman may be linked to a manifesto that speaks of the “Hispanic invasion” of Texas. El Paso Sheriff Richard Wiles said the shooter traveled to the border city “to kill Hispanics.” “What happened today is beyond comprehension,” he said in a Facebook post. “This Anglo man came here to kill Hispanics. I’m outraged and you should be too. This entire nation should be outraged. In this day and age, with all the serious issues we face, we are still confronted with people who will kill another for the sole reason of the color of their skin. “I fear things will not get better,” Wiles said. “Not pointing out anyone
(CNS PHOTO/BRYAN WOOLSTON, REUTERS)
A woman becomes emotional during a vigil in Dayton, Ohio, Aug. 4, 2019. Pope Francis joined Catholic Church leaders expressing sorrow after back-to-back mass shootings in the United States left at least 29 dead and dozens injured in Texas and Ohio Aug. 3 and 4. in particular, but I’m sick of people jumping in front of the cameras offering prayers and condolences as things just keep getting worse. “It’s time to rise up and hold our representatives accountable at all levels. I want representatives who
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will stand up against racism,” Wiles said. “Who will stand up and support the diversity of our nation and our state. Who will stand up for a strong criminal justice system that holds criminals responsible and keeps
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violent individuals locked up and off our streets. Who support robust community mental health services. Who support keeping guns out of the hands of people who are just waiting for an opportunity to kill others.” The FBI said the attack “underscores the continued threat posed by domestic violent extremists and perpetrators of hate crimes.” The agency warned that “U.S.-based domestic violent extremists could become inspired by these and previous high-profile attacks to engage in similar acts of violence.” The U.S. Justice Department is treating the massacre as a domestic terrorism case, said John Bash, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas. “We’re going to do what we do with terrorists in this country – deliver swift and certain justice,” he said on Twitter Aug. 4. Pope Francis joined Catholic Church leaders expressing sorrow for El Paso and the killing of nine people 13 hours later at a bar in Dayton, Ohio. After the prayer called the Angelus in St Peter’s Square on Aug. 4, the pope said he wanted to convey his spiritual closeness to the victims, the wounded and the families SEE EL PASO BISHOP, PAGE 14
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14 FROM THE FRONT
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
EL PASO BISHOP: Lack of compassion is ‘the great sickness of our time’ FROM PAGE 13
affected by the attacks. He also included those who died a weekend earlier during a shooting at a festival in Gilroy. “I am spiritually close to the victims of the episodes of violence that these days have bloodied Texas, California and Ohio, in the United States, affecting defenseless people,” he said. Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, tweeted Aug. 4: “More senseless gun killings ... more white nationalism ... more disregard for the sanctity of human life. ... We need to create the beloved community Jesus envisions now.” Mexico’s foreign secretary announced a series of diplomatic, legal and protective actions for the community and said justice will be sought for the victims of the attack. “Mexico is outraged, but we are not proposing to meet hate with hate,” Marcelo Ebrard said in a statement posted Aug. 4 on Mexico’s government website. “We will act reasonably and firmly, in accordance to the law,” he said. He said the foreign ministry has provided information to Mexico’s attorney general in preparation for possible legal action for terrorism against Mexican nationals in the United States. “If appropriate, the Attorney General’s Office will evaluate if the necessary elements exist to request the extradition of the perpetrator or perpetrators of this act,” Ebrard said. “This should come as no surprise, because for Mexico, this individual is a terrorist.” He said the foreign ministry would send a diplomatic note to the U.S. government Aug. 5, respectfully but firmly asking it to take a clear and forceful position against hate crimes. U.S. President Donald Trump issued a series of tweets on the El Paso and Dayton tragedies.
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(CNS PHOTO/CARLOS SANCHEZ, REUTERS)
Shoes are seen piled in the rear of Ned Peppers Bar Aug. 4, 2019, after a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio. “We cannot let those killed in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, die in vain,” President Trump said. “Likewise for those so seriously wounded. We can never forget them, and those many who came before them. Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks, perhaps marrying this legislation with desperately needed immigration reform. We must have something good, if not GREAT, come out of these two tragic events!”
In a separate tweet, President Trump said “the Media has a big responsibility to life and safety in our Country. Fake News has contributed greatly to the anger and rage that has built up over many years. News coverage has got to start being fair, balanced and unbiased, or these terrible problems will only get worse!” Catholic News Service contributed.
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In letter, pope encourages priests dejected by abuse crisis JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis acknowledged the shame and frustration felt by priests who are discouraged by the actions of fellow clergy members who betrayed the trust of their flock through sexual abuse and abuse of conscience and power. In a letter addressed to priests around the world Aug. 4, the pope said that many priests have spoken or written to him expressing “their outrage at what happened” and the doubts and fears the sexual abuse crisis has caused. “Without denying or dismissing the harm caused by some of our brothers, it would be unfair not to express our gratitude to all those priests who faithfully and generously spend their lives in the service of others,” he said. Commemorating the 160th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests, the pope praised those priests who, like their patron, carry out their mission “often without fanfare and at personal cost, amid weariness, infirmity and sorrow.” However, he also shared his concern that many priests “feel themselves attacked and blamed for crimes they did not commit.” The revelations of sexual abuse and cover-up by clergy members, he explained, has “been a time of great suffering in the lives of those who experienced such abuse, but also in the lives of their families and of the entire people of God.” The pope added that priests have not been immune to the pain felt by the faithful and “embody a spiritual fatherhood capable of weeping with those who weep.” “Countless priests make of their lives a work of mercy in areas or situ-
(CNS PHOTO/STEFANO RELLANDINI, REUTERS)
Pope Francis uses incense to bless new priests before their ordination Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican May 11, 2014. In a letter addressed to priests around the world Aug. 4, 2019, Pope Francis acknowledged the shame and frustration felt by priests who are discouraged by the actions of fellow clergy members who betrayed the trust of their flock through sexual abuse and abuse of conscience and power. ations that are often hostile, isolated or ignored, even at the risk of their lives,” he said. “I acknowledge and appreciate your courageous and steadfast example; in these times of turbulence, shame and pain, you demonstrate that you have joyfully put your lives on the line for the sake of the Gospel.” Nevertheless, the pope said, the current crisis is a time of “ecclesial purification” that “makes us realize that without (God) we are simply dust.” “He is rescuing us from hypocrisy, from the spirituality of appearances. He is breathing forth his spirit in order to restore the beauty of his bride, caught in adultery,” he said. “Our humble repentance, expressed in silent tears before these atrocious
sins and the unfathomable grandeur of God’s forgiveness, is the beginning of a renewal of our holiness.” Pope Francis also encouraged priests to find the strength to persevere while warning them not to succumb to the temptation of despair “amid trials, weakness and the consciousness of our limitations.” Gratitude for all the ways God has shown love, patience and forgiveness “is always a powerful weapon” that can “renew – and not simply patch up – our life and mission,” he said. The pope also called on priests to not be tempted by sadness which can turn into a habit and “lead us slowly to accept evil and injustice by quietly telling us: ‘It has always been like this.’” That sadness, he said, “stifles every
‘Countless priests make of their lives a work of mercy in areas or situations that are often hostile, isolated or ignored, even at the risk of their lives. I acknowledge and appreciate your courageous and steadfast example; in these times of turbulence, shame and pain, you demonstrate that you have joyfully put your lives on the line for the sake of the Gospel.’ POPE FRANCIS effort at change and conversion by sowing resentment and hostility.” Pope Francis said that by establishing a personal relationship with Christ and the people they serve, priests will “never lose the joy of knowing that we are ‘the sheep of his flock’ and that he is our Lord and shepherd.” The pain “of so many victims, the pain of the people of God and our own personal pain cannot be for naught,” he said. “Jesus himself has brought this heavy burden to his cross and he now asks us to be renewed in our mission of drawing near to those who suffer, of drawing near without embarrassment to human misery, and indeed to make all these experiences our own, as Eucharist.”
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Sep 3 - 8, 2019: Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe Mexico Sep 23 - Oct 5, 2019: Marian Pilgrimage to Fatima Portugal, Avila - Spain, Lourdes & Nice - France, Rome & Loreto - Italy & Medjugorje. Nov 23 - Dec 3, 2019: Experience walking through the pages of the Bible in the Holy land & Jordan Feb 5 - 15, 2020: Walking through the footsteps of the Saints in Italy - Rome, Assisi, St. Catherine of Siena, Loreto, Padua, San Giovanni - Padre Pio and the Grotto of Archangel Michael. Apr 23 - May 3, 2020: Practicing the presence of God in the Holy land & Jordan FEATURING THE FAMOUS 2020 OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY Departures: June 5-16; Sep 5 -16, 2020: Experience the most awaited once in every 10 years Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany with a combination of Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic & Poland pilgrimage to celebrate the 100th yr anniversary of Pope John Paul II (Seats are limited. Register early as registration is on a first come first serve basis.) Sep 23 - Oct 5, 2020: Marian Shrine Pilgrimage PLEASE CALL KRI8 TOURS 1-800-917-9829 or text 1-323-875-8818, email: ruby@kri8tours.com for more info and reservations. We have limited seats and booking is on a first come first serve basis.
Greece & Turkey
TRAVEL TO ADVERTISE IN CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
(including a 4-day Aegean cruise)
with St. Thomas More and Msgr. Thomas Fryar
In the Footsteps of St. Paul October 8-19, 2019
Tour 91009
CALL
(415) 614-5644
VISIT
www.catholic-sf.org
podestam @sfarchdiocese.org
$3,999.00 + $559.00* + $169.00* + $158.50 $4,885.50
Early reg. price per person from San Francisco Base fare $4,099 after 5-31-19 Estimated air taxes Estimated port taxes Actual tips Estimated San Francisco TOTAL
Greece & Turkey (including a 4-day Aegean Cruise)
* Estimated airline taxes and final surcharges subject to increase/decrease at 30 days prior
For a FREE brochure on this pilgrimage contact:
Catholic San Francisco 415.614.5640 with St. Thomas More and California Registered Seller of Travel Registration Number CST-2037190-40 Msgr. Thomas Fryar (Registration as a Seller of Travel does not constitute approval by the State of California) Please leave your name, mailing address and your phone number
16 WORLD
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
POPE URGES FAMILIES BUILD A BETTER FUTURE THROUGH STRONGER PRAYER LIFE
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has asked families to set aside time to pray both individually and together as a family. His prayer intention for the month of August invites people to pray that “families, through their life of prayer and love, become ever more clearly schools of true human development.” At the start of each month, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network releases a short video of the pope offering his specific prayer intention at www.thepopevideo.org. Focusing on the church’s mission of evangelization, the pope asked in the short video, “What kind of world do we want to leave for the future?” The answer is a “world with families,” he said, because families are “true schools for the future, spaces of freedom, and centers of humanity. Let us care for our families” he said, because of this important role they play. And let us reserve a special place in our families for individual and communal prayer.”
Migrant mother prays at border Guatemalan migrant Ledy Perez embraces her son, Anthony, while praying to ask a member of the Mexican National Guard to let them cross into the United States in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, July 22, 2019.
(CNS PHOTO/JOSE LUIS GONZALEZ, REUTERS)
BURKINA FASO CHURCH APPEALS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST TERROR ATTACKS
The bishop said 20 Christians had been killed in OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso – A bishop leadunprovoked attacks since January. He said in the er in Burkina Faso called on the world to stop the most recent incident, June 27 in Beni, villagers massacre of Christians by foreign-backed Islamist were forced to lie face-down by armed attackers, groups that are “better armed and equipped” than who found four wearing crucifixes and killed them government forces. “because they were Christians. After murdering “If the world continues to do nothing, the result them, the Islamists warned the other villagers that will be the elimination of the Christian presence,” they too would be killed if they did not convert to said Bishop Laurent Dabire of Dori, president of Islam,” Bishop Dabire said. the bishops’ conference of Burkina Faso and Niger. “They’ve slowly moved into the interior of our country, attacking the army, civil structures and THOUSANDS OF PHILIPPINE CATHOLICS the people,” he said of the nongovernment forces. MARCH TO DEFEND CHURCH LEADERS “Today their main target appears to be Christians. MANILA, Philippines– Catholics in a northern I believe they are trying to trigger an interreligious Philippines archdiocese marched in support of conflict.” church leaders accused of conspiring to overthrow The appeal was published Aug. 1 by Aid to the President Rodrigo Duterte. Church in Need as nongovernmental organizations About 3,000 church workers, students and parishin the country launched a program to help 250,000 ioners from the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan people displaced by attacks throughout the landJuly 31 carried placards with messages expressing The Most Requested Funeral in of Francisco The Most Funeral Directors Directorssupport in the theforArchdiocese Archdiocese of San San Francisco locked west AfricaRequested nation. Archbishop Socrates Villegas and other
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accused church leaders during a July 31 prayerful demonstration, ucanews.com reported. The country’s Justice Department is set to open a preliminary investigation the week of Aug. 5 into sedition and cyber libel charges against the leaders, which other than Archbishop Villegas include Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, and retired Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr. of Novaliches. Others facing the same charges are Divine Word Father Flaviano Villanueva, Jesuit Father Albert Alejo, Father Robert Reyes, and Lasallian Brother Armin Luistro. At least 36 other people also were charged for allegedly orchestrating a series of online videos alleging that Duterte and his family members were involved in the illegal drug trade. The bishops’ conference has called the allegations “beyond belief.”
POLISH CHURCH LEADER CONDEMNS ‘WORSENING ATTACKS’ ON CLERGY, CHURCHES
WARSAW, Poland – The president of the Polish bishops’ conference condemned attacks on clergy and places of worship in the traditionally Catholic country as the church countered media accusations of inciting violence against LGBTQ groups. Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki of Poznan said that “ever more frequent attacks of hatred against believing people and priests” were a growing concern for church officials. “So does the profanation of sacral buildings, places and objects of faith so important to Catholics,” the archbishop said. “Although differences of worldview are evident in any pluralist society, they cannot justify such inhuman conduct.” His comments followed an assault July 28 on Father Aleksander Ziejewski in the sacristy of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist in the northern city of Szczecin during an attempted robbery. Three men have been arrested in connection with the incident. Authorities said the attack occurred after the men broke into the basilica before evening Mass and demanded vestments to hold a same-sex wedding. The incident was the latest in a wave of events that included the stabbing of priest at a church in Wroclaw and the parodying of Catholic rites and images of Mary by LGBTQ campaigners in Czestochowa, Gdansk, Krakow and other cities.
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
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novenas Prayer to the Blessed Mother
Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, Fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me, here. You are my Mother, Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity. (Make request.) There are none that can withstand your power. O, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 x). Holy Mother, I place this cause in your hands (3 x). Say this prayer 3 consecutive days and publish it. D.O.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin never known to fail. Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assist me in my need. Help me and show me you are my mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in this need. Oh Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us (3X). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3X). Say prayers 3 days. M.L.
help wanted
PRO-LIFE MINISTRY COORDINATOR – New position in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This position will lead the Project Rachel healing ministry for those affected by abortion AND oversee the parish outreach to women in crisis pregnancies via Gabriel Project. 25 hours a week and competitive pay (includes health benefits, vacation and a very nice group of coworkers). Socialworkorequivalentbackground, Spanishfluency required.
More info and apply at sfarch.org/employment-opportunities All employees of the Archdiocese of San Francisco shall be employed without regard to race, color, sex, ethnic or national origin and will consider for employment, qualified applicants with criminal histories.
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help wanted ST. GABRIEL PARISH – SAN FRANCISCO Custodian / Janitorial Position
Seeking a full-time janitorial position for St. Gabriel Parish. We are seeking an individualwithexperienceintheupkeepofParishbuildingsandgrounds.He/shewillbetaking directionfromthePastorandStaffbutwillbeworkingindependentlyattimes.Candidatemust bepunctual,reliable,trustworthy,self-motivated,observant,helpfulandcourteousaswellas workwellwithavarietyofageandethnicgroups.He/shemustmaintainanddemonstratea cooperativeattitudeandeffectiveworkingrelationshipwithallgroups,employees,volunteers andparishioners.Candidatemusthavegoodbasicfix-itskills.Candidatemustbeabletodrive andhaveuseofhis/herowncar.Salarywillbecommensuratewithexperience.Pleasecontact secretary@sgparish.org for full job description.
Resume, cover letter and two references should be submitted to: Fr. Thomas Hamilton, St. Gabriel Church, 2559 40th Avenue, San Francisco, California 94116 Phone: (415) 731-6161 | Fax: (415) 731-1270 | E-mail: mattshea@sgparish.org All employees of the Archdiocese of San Francisco shall be employed without regard to race, color, sex, ethnic or national origin. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered.
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Catholic San Francisco marked its 20th anniversary in February. In April, after months of planning, we began a regular publishing schedule on our website and on Facebook. We remain committed to our historic role of publishing a full-service print product twice monthly with free home delivery to registered parishioners. We continue to improve and expand the paper. At the same time, we’re developing a new role to serve the growing number of Catholics who receive their news on screen. If you receive the print paper or if you don’t, we invite you to connect in any or all of these three ways.
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Make a positive difference in the lives of children in this great part-time or full-time opportunity. No experience driving large vehicles is required. CHP Certification Training provided at no cost. $3,000 signing bonus for applicants with a commercial license and school bus certificate. Excellent benefits package and competitive pay. CATHOLIC CHARITIES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER and is committed to providing equal employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, legal domicile status, disability, Aids/HIV status or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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18 COMMUNITY
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
Marianist brother, priest celebrate jubilees The Society of Mary announced the first vows anniversaries of two Marianists this summer.
70 YEARS
BROTHER FRANCIS T. SPAETH, SM, professed his first vows to the Marianist order on Aug. 23, 1949. The Cincinnati native and former Marine Corps radar-radio tech entered the Society of Mary in Dayton, Ohio while Father Raymond earning an underMalley, SM graduate degree in education. He later earned a master’s
60 YEARS
and taught high school for one year at Archbishop Riordan High School before his ordination. Father Malley returned to Archbishop Riordan as a teacher and chaplain and went on to serve other high schools and universities in Washington and Hawaii. He served the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai until 2007 as vicar forane. Father Malley is currently in residence at the Marianist community in Cupertino. Father Malley offered this personal reflection on the occasion of his jubilee: “The pastor of my home parish of St. John the Evangelist made the liturgy an important part of Catholic life and gave that sentiment to parishioners.”
SISTER LILLIAN MURPHY, RSM
tic about her future as a sister. “You won’t last two weeks. You can’t stand anybody telling you what to do.” That quality proved to be one of her greatest strengths as she came to assume leadership positions. Sister Lillian honed her administrative skills as business office manager for St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, for eight years and then as assistant administrator for St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco for seven. Her duties there included the 1983 rehabilitation of the former Southern Pacific hospital building into what is now Mercy Terrace. The project, 158 units of subsidized housing for very low income and handicapped seniors, won several design and historic preservation awards. Services for Sister Lillian were scheduled at Our Lady of Angels Church, 1721 Hillsdale Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010. The vigil was set Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. and the funeral Mass Aug. 6 at 10:30 a.m.
degree in education at University of San Francisco in 1961. It was in California where Brother Spaeth began his decades-long Marianist teaching ministry. He taught at St. Joseph High School in Alameda from 1951-1954 and at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco from 1954-1957 and again from 1974-1978. Brother Spaeth taught at other Catholic high schools in California, Washington and Hawaii before returning to California where he is retired and in residence at the Marianist community in Cupertino. Brother Spaeth offered a personal reflection on his religious and educational vocation: “Young men, do you want a great career serving God and guiding students? Become a Marianist teacher!”
FATHER RAYMOND MALLEY, SM, took his first vows with the Society of Mary on Aug. 15, 1959. Father Malley, who celebrated his 50th ordination jubilee in 2018, was born and raised in San Francisco. He Brother Francis attended St. John the T. Spaeth, SM Evangelist elementary school and Archbishop Riordan High School, which was administered by the Marianists of the Pacific Province. He earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy at Chaminade University in Honolulu
on leadership, she returned to California for sabbatical where she’d end up living the rest of her life. She often joked that her heart was full when in San Francisco and, as the song goes, she didn’t want to leave it there. In 1987, Sister Sheila was named the vice president of mission services of Mercy Healthcare in Sacramento. She was then invited to San Francisco in 1993 to serve as the associate director and administrator of Mercy Volunteer Corps. Her former teaching skills proved to be invaluable as she worked with college-age Mercy volunteers from across the country for almost 20 years. Sister Sheila rounded out her years of active ministry by serving as a volunteer for St. Mary Medical Center Foundation in San Francisco from 2011 until 2016. Funeral services were held at Marian Oaks Life Center in Burlingame on June 30 and a Celebration of Life was held in Omaha at Mercy Villa.
Mercy Sister Lillian Murphy, former CEO of Mercy Housing, Inc., died at age 78 on July 25 in San Francisco. Sister Lillian saw that stable housing was the basis of a healthy life and committed her life to creating it for those in need – from single Sister Lillian moms living in their Murphy, RSM cars to mentally ill elders on the streets. “People sometimes think of notfor-profit housing as charity,” said Sister Lillian at one of the many Mercy Housing property dedications. “It’s not charity. It’s justice. The seventh of eight children, Sister Lillian was taught by Mercy sisters in San Francisco and entered the Sisters of Mercy in Burlingame, California, at age 19. Her mother was pessimis-
OBITUARIES SISTER SHEILA DEVEREUX, RSM
Mercy Sister Sheila Devereux died June 24 at age 92. Born June 25, 1927, in Adair, Iowa, and baptized Patricia Anne, she was influenced by her Mercy teachers in her decision to choose a religious vocation. At age 17, she Sister Sheila entered the Sisters Devereux, RSM of Mercy at Mount Loretto in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She earned a bachelor’s and a master’s in music education. She influenced many students for more than 30 years while teaching primary grades and music in Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado and California. Sister Sheila left teaching when she was called to the Omaha area to serve as a councilor of the Provincial Administration Team. After her six-year term
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CALENDAR 19
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019
‘WHAT IS STEWARDSHIP?’ WORKSHOP: Speaker Traci Welliver will explain “everyday stewardship in everyday language for everyday people” in this workshop at Holy Name of Jesus Church Flanagan Center, 1555 39th Ave., San Francisco. Geared to “ordinary Catholics,” the workshop runs from 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes breakfast and lunch. Secure a spot with an RSVP to the Holy Name Stewardship Council at (415) 664-6780.
TUESDAY, AUG. 13 SVDP OF SAN MATEO COUNTY TWILIGHT FASHION SHOW: Benefit fashion show fundraiser benefiting SVdP Catherine Center for women reclaiming their lives after prison at Trinity Church, 330 Ravenswood Ave., Menlo Park. From 5:30-7:30 p.m., residents will model fashions from SVdP thrift stores. Tickets are $75 per person. For more information call (650) 343-1272 or email klang@svdpsm.org.
SATURDAY, AUG. 17 HANDICAPABLES MASS AND LUNCHEON: Handicapables was founded in San Francisco in 1965 to give the disabled and their caregivers an opportunity for monthly Mass, lunch and fellowship. Both the noon Mass and the lunch following are held in the lower halls of St. Mary’s Cathedral at 1111 Gough St., San Francisco. RSVP by contacting Diane Prell at (415) 452-3500. Visit www.handicapables. com. Dates are subject to change.
Mill Valley, supporting a Jesuit educational program for the Santal children outside Kolkata, India is holding a fundraiser at the Marin Country Club in Novato, Aug. 22. Tickets can be purchased at triberisinggala.eventbrite.com or by check mailed to Tribe Rising India 35 Miller Ave., #185 Mill Valley, CA, 94491.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, SEPT. 6-8 FRIDAY-SUNDAY, AUG. 23-25 GUIDED AUTOBIOGRAPHY RETREAT AT MERCY CENTER: Mercy Center Burlingame at 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame will host a three-day retreat on writing autobiography led by Liz Dossa and Mercy Sister Bernadette Hart. For more information and to register visit mercy-center.org or call (650) 340-7474.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, AUGUST 24-25 YOUTH LEADERSHIP TRAINING RETREAT: “The Calling” is a weekend workshop for young Catholics interested in leading retreats or youth group events for parishes or schools. Held at Point Bonita YMCA Center, 981 Fort Barry, Sausalito, the workshop has trained hundreds of young people to hone their skills in servant leadership, witness talks, small group discussions, public speaking and more. Enrollment fee per attendee including necessary chaperones is $50 and includes lodging, meals and materials. Contact Chris Mariano at (415) 614-5594 or marianoc@sfarch.org.
SATURDAY, AUG. 31 THURSDAY, AUG. 22 TRIBE RISING INDIA GALA FUNDRAISER: A project that started out of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish,
4 p.m. Led by Mercy Sister Janet Chau who facilitates personal spiritual direction, individual and group retreats, especially in Cantonese, in Northern California. The $25 registration per person includes lunch. Please register by Aug. 24 at mercy-center.org or call (650) 340-7474.
SUMMER DAY OF PRAYER IN CANTONESE: Mercy Center Burlingame at 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame will host a workshop called “Living in God’s Loving Presence” in Cantonese from 9:30 a.m.-
JESUIT RETREAT CENTER-12-STEP REC0VERY RETREAT FOR WOMEN: A non-silent retreat for women led by Jesuit Father Tom Weston at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, 300 Manresa Way, Los Altos. For more information visit jrclosaltos@org or call (650) 917-4000.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 LITURGICAL TRANING FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS: One-day workshop on the “hows and whys” of liturgical ministries from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Augustine Parish, 3700 Callan Blvd., South San Francisco. Contact Chris Mariano at (415) 614-5594 or marianoc@sfarch.org. FIRST SATURDAY MASS FOR REPARATION AND PEACE: Father Joseph Illo will celebrate an 8:30 a.m. Mass for Reparation and Peace in the World at Star of the Sea Parish, 4420 Geary Blvd., San Francisco. For more information contact Zonia Fasquelle, (650) 269-2121 or zoniafasquelle@gmail.com.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 8 ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA TALK: The Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose’s Center for Education and Spirituality is hosting a presentation on St. Teresa of Calcutta, “Example of Undemanding Love,” 2-4 p.m., Dominican Center, 43326 Mission Circle, Fremont. $20. Register by Sept. 4 at http://bit.ly/2019_StTeresa or call (510) 933-6360.
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SATURDAY, SEPT. 14 HANDICAPABLES MASS AND LUNCHEON: Handicapables was founded in San Francisco in 1965 to give the disabled and their caregivers and opportunity for monthly Mass, lunch and fellowship. Both the noon Mass and the lunch following are held in the lower halls of St. Mary’s Cathedral at 1111 Gough Street, San Francisco. RSVP by contacting Diane Prell at (415) 452-3500. Visit www.handicapables.com. Dates are subject to change. ON FIRE NORCAL JAM FOR YOUTH: A one-day Catholic event at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, 1001 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo, with concerts, talks, Mass and more. Sponsored by the dioceses of Sacramento, Stockton, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Monterey, Reno, Fresno and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Tickets can be purchased at onfirenorcal.com. For more information contact Amanda George at (415) 614-5595. SAN FRANCISCO GUILD OF THE CATHOLIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: The aim of the guild is to form and support current and future physicians and health care professionals who wish to live and promote the principles of the Catholic faith in the practice of medicine. All Catholic health care professionals are welcome; clergy also invited to the guild meeting 10 a.m. noon at St. Dominic Catholic Church, 2390 Bush St., San Francisco. RSVP to SanFranCMA@gmail.com or visit sfguild.cathmed.org.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, SEPT. 13-15 JESUIT RETREAT CENTER-PRAYING WITH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: An opportunity to pray with the major themes of Luke which offer a blueprint for living the faith at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, 300 Manresa Way, Los Altos. For more information visit jrclosaltos@org or call (650) 917-4000.
TO ADVERTISE IN CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO VISIT www.catholic-sf.org | CALL (415) 614-5644 EMAIL podestam@sfarchdiocese.org
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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | AUGUST 8, 2019