Adoration: San Francisco’s Star parish dedicates chapel
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‘Benedict Option’:
Jubilarians:
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Women religious celebrate anniversaries
Author’s proposal to save Christianity
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO Newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
Serving San Francisco, Marin & San Mateo Counties
www.catholic-sf.org
April 6, 2017
$1.00 | VOL. 19 NO. 7
Author: Church leadership a joint effort
Exhibit explores Botticelli’s spiritual journey Carol Zimmermann
Mark Pattison
Catholic News Service
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The culture wars of today have nothing on those from Renaissance times. In Florence, Italy, in 1497 – after people had been repeatedly warned that some instruments, books, sculptures, paintings and clothes could lead them away from their faith – thousands of these items were thrown into a huge pile in the center of the city and burned in the famous Bonfire of the Vanities. Among the works of art said to be set afire were some of the paintings of nudes or characters from mythology by Sandro Botticelli, who was a contemporary and friend of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci and who painted a number of religious images and the famous paintings “Birth of Venus” and “Primavera.” A current U.S. exhibition of Botticelli’s works, many of them appearing in this country for the first time, places the modern audience right in the middle of this tumultuous period and also shows how this time of intense spiritual scrutiny impacted the artist. “Botticelli and the Search for the Divine: Florensee botticelli, page 14
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Catholic News Service
(CNS/Bridgeman Images)
The “Risen Christ” is depicted in a 15th-century painting by Sandro Botticelli. Easter, the chief feast in the liturgical calendars of all Christian churches, commemorates Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Easter is April 16 this year.
WASHINGTON – The Catholic Church could suffer from millions of people walking away from it unless all of its members, from ordained clergy to laity and everyone in between, take part in leadership to revitalize the church and its parishes, according to author Chris Lowney, the board chair of Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the United States’ largest hospital systems – religious or secular. “I would have to confess to feeling at various times over these years, as a lifelong Catholic myself, that we have some challenges,” Lowney told Catholic News Service. “We’re not coming to grips as forthrightly as we might need. ... We can’t gloss over these things, and we’ll be better off confronting these things squarely, and overcoming some of the challenges.” But rather than write a book that’s 80 percent negative – which is what Lowney had in an early draft – he instead penned a book that he said is 80 percent “hopeful, positive” in “Everyone Leads: How to Revitalize the Catholic Church,” to be published April 4. see author, page 27
Consecrating the archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
e Jongleur de Notre Dame” (The Tumbler and the Lady) is a story by Anatole France based on a 12th-century legend about a poor minstrel who becomes a monk in the Cistercian Abbey in Clairvaux, France. With no education or sophistication, the minstrel soon finds himself utterly unsuited for the life of work and prayer in the monastery. Despondent, he stumbles into the crypt one evening where he sees a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary seated on a throne. Her face is suffused with such gentleness and compassion father charles that he feels comforted in his puthota sorrows. He spontaneously takes his cowl off and begins to tumble, leap and dance, the only art he knows, and begs Mary to accept it as his unworthy offering of affection and veneration. This
goes on for days until one day some monks quietly follow him down into the crypt and witness his Prayer of the Archdiocese of San Francisco antics of leaping and dancing in front of the statue. to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Exhausted, the minstrel falls to the ground unconO Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when you apscious. Lo and behold, the Blessed Mother descends peared in Fatima 100 years ago, you desired from her throne and wipes the beads of sweat from that the Church should take refuge in your his brow in a tender gesture of acceptance of his Immaculate Heart as a means that leads to love and devotion. Jesus, who is the way to the Father. Heeding On Oct. 7, 2017, when Archbishop Salvatore J. your call, we entrust ourselves, our families, Cordileone will consecrate the Archdiocese of San and our Archdiocese to the care and protecFrancisco to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, at tion of your Immaculate Heart. As we preSt. Mary’s Cathedral, as part of the annual Ropare ourselves, through humble expressions sary Rally, he will be spiritually uniting us all in a of devotion, for the Consecration of our Archgesture of love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin diocese to your Immaculate Heart, inspire in Mary. She will accept and embrace us as her chilus the longing to know, love, and follow your dren, comfort us in our sorrows, strengthen us in beloved son Jesus Christ. We seek that you our faith, and lead us to her son Jesus Christ. In his help us imitate your spirit of generosity in letter to priests of the archdiocese, the archbishop doing God’s will and your example of serving says: “In response to numerous requests from the others selflessly so that, having found God’s A personal way to honor your loved one’s patriotism to our country. faithful I will consecrate our archdiocese to the Imabundant grace here on earth, we may one If you have received a flag honoring your loved one's military service likethe to donate it dayand bewould led to everlasting joys in Heaven. to the cemetery be flown as part of an seetoconsecration, page 23“Avenue of Flags" on Memorial Day, 4th of July and Veterans' Day,
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Index On the Street . . . . . . . . 4 National . . . . . . . . . . . .10 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . 31