May 4, 2012 by Catholic San Francisco

May, the month of Mary In May “our petitions more readily find access to her compassionate heart.” Page 17.

Catholic san Francisco

Archbishop’s jubilee Mass Archbishop George Niederauer greets worshippers April 30 after entering St. Mary’s Cathedral to celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving for his 50 years as a priest – a career in which he has been much praised for his gifts as a pastor and as a friend. Pages 12-13.

Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

(PHOTO BY JOSE LUIS AGUIRRE/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

Censures highlight divisions in Catholic Ireland By Sarah MacDonald DUBLIN (CNS) – A series of censures has brought to the fore the divisions within the Irish church between those who seek a leaner and smaller church that adheres more strictly to the magisterium and those who seek space to discuss church issues. Up to 250 nuns, priests and laypeople held a silent protest outside the Vatican Embassy April 29 to protest the doctrinal congregation’s censure of five Irish priests over their stance on issues such as the ordination of women, the ban on artificial birth control, mandatory clerical celibacy and homosexuality. A spokesman for the Irish bishops’ conference declined to comment on the situation of the five priests, saying it was a matter for their congregations. However, Auxiliary Bishop Donal McKeown of Belfast, Northern Ireland, has recognized that a “real gulf” now exists within the Irish church. In an article submitted to the Sunday Independent

newspaper for publication April 29, he wrote: “On the one hand there are those who champion the assumed optimism, creativity and relational vision of the Second Vatican Council. These look askance as the smaller number of very active and more conservative young members who, for their part, blame that very lack of clarity for the current problems that afflict most churches. Truth and love risk being depicted as alternatives rather than as two complementary principles, dedicated to journey in an inseparable covenant, whatever the tensions.” Father Kevin Hegarty, former editor of the Irish bishops’ magazine, Intercom, wrote in March that the Vatican is increasingly seen “as a cold place for liberals.” Father Hegarty was removed as Intercom editor in 1994 after assigning articles on subjects like clerical sexual abuse, women priests and compulsory celibacy. In late April the story broke that Passionist Father Brian D’Arcy, one of Ireland’s best-known media priests and

a regular contributor to BBC Radio, was censured by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in March 2011. His writing must be cleared by his superiors before publication. Four other Irish priests have also been censured: Redemptorist Fathers Tony Flannery and Gerard Moloney, Marist Father Sean Fagan and Capuchin Father Owen O’Sullivan. Officials of We Are Church Ireland, the lay group that organized the rally outside the Dublin home of the papal nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown, said they were looking for a meeting with him to discuss the seriousness of the situation. Archbishop Brown worked at the doctrinal congregation for nearly 18 years before being named nuncio to Ireland earlier this year, and the group said it wanted to know if he played any role in the investigations of the five Irish priests. A letter handed in by the group and seen by Catholic News Service stated that their actions – which included gagging their IRELAND, page 19

Difference and dialogue 56-year timeline of Vatican relations with US sisters. Page 18.

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION On the Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 News in brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Local news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Scripture reflection . . . . . . . 16 Father Rolheiser . . . . . . . . . 20

Little charity’s global reach ~ Page 3 ~ May 4, 2012

Sudan, South Sudan veering toward war? ~ Page 10 ~

Enduring appeal of Catholic tradition ~ Page 14 ~

ONE DOLLAR

Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Service Directory . . . . . . . . 23

www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 14

•

No. 15

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

On The Where You Live By Tom Burke Mercy High School, San Francisco celebrated its 60th anniversary with a gala drawing more than 325 guests March 24. Mercy, SF has more than 9,000 graduates and is proud of each and every one of them, the school said. “Mercy’s strength comes from the conviction that girls’ schools do make a difference for women in our society.” • Sts. Peter and Paul School in North Beach celebrated reading with “Read Mercy, SF class of ’72 Across America Day” on grads Sue Devine and March 2. More than 50 adults Mercy Sister Mary volunteered to read to small groups of students from all Gemma O’Keefe. nine grades. The readers included parents, grandparents, community members, as well as Salesian Father John Itzaina, pastor; Salesian Father Harold Danielson, and Annette Brown of the Archdiocese of San Francisco Department of Catholic Schools. Activities included a 45- minute read aloud, birthday cake and sing-along to Dr. Seuss on his 108th birthday. • St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin raises an “all hats off” for longtime Vincentian, Al DeMello, who died Feb. 1. Al joined SVDP in 1955 at St. Brendan Parish in San Francisco later moving to St. Patrick Parish in Larkspur in 1957 and working with the SVDP conference there for the rest of his life. Al is a former president of the SVDP District Council of Marin and in 2002 was awarded the society’s highest honor, the Ozanam Service Medallion. Al was a retired grocer and started picking up food for the society’s Sts. Peter and Paul Free Dining Room in San third graders Abby Rafael in 1989 starting before Burrell and Gabriella 7 a.m. each day. He constantly Kelly at school refined his list of over 50 locacelebration of reading. tions throughout Marin so that a variety of fresh, high quality food was available to the diners seven days per week. For decades, Al’s diligent efforts have

LIVING TRUSTS WILLS

PROBATE

MICHAEL T. SWEENEY ATTORNEY AT LAW 782A ULLOA STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127

(415) 664-8810 www.mtslaw.info FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION

Donate Your Car 800-YES-SVDP (800-937-7837)

• FREE FREE AND PICKUP sameFAST day pickup • MAXIMUM DEDUCTION • Maximum TAX Tax Deduction • WE• DO PAPERWORK We THE do DMV paperwork • RUNNING OR NOT, • Running or not,NO noRESTRICTIONS restrictions • DONATION COMMUNITY • 100%HELPS helps YOUR your community Serving the poor since 1845

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

www.yes-svdp.org www.yes-svdp.com

Serving the poor since 1860

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS 415-614-5504

This number is answered by John Norris, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by John Norris

415-614-5503

If you wish to speak to a non-archdiocesan employee please call this nunmber. This is also a secured line and is answered only by a victim survivor.

Bill Duggan and Dan Duggan, here with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and city Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, accept a certificate honoring their late mom, Madeline Duggan, at raising of the Irish Flag at City Hall March 9 in anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 17 in which Madeline Duggan was named posthumously honorary Grand Marshall. The young lady in the photo is Bill Duggan’s granddaughter, Jacqueline Sullivan.

St. Philip School seventh graders Rebecca Zumaeta and Maeve Clayton took first place in the school science fair and went on to win first place in a Randall Museum Science Fair for their age group. Their project analyzed colors people associate with happy and sad. The data said yellow is happy and blue is sad. Pictured are science teacher, Koji Yao, Rebecca and Maeve, and principal Remy Everett.

been essential to SVDP’s ability to fulfill its mission of helping the poor and hungry every day of the year. Thanks to Christine Paquette, SVDP communications manager, for the fine and deserved words about Al, who is survived by his wife, Amelia, as well as their children and grandchildren. Sacramental, Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmations and RCIA Gifts

ITALIAN IMPORTS, GIFTS & RELIGIOUS ITEMS Official Gift Shop of the National Shrine of Saint Francis & Porziuncola Nuova

• On April 21, 525 alumnae from St Rose Academy gathered in San Francisco for an all school reunion. Mass opened the celebration at St. Dominic Church and was offered for the school’s deceased alumnae with Dominican Father Xavier Lavagetto, pastor, presiding. “Father Xavier let us know that St. Rose alums are always welcome at St. Dominic’s,” said classmate Maryanne Kavanaugh Murray, class of ’54. “Every class from 1943 through 1993 was represented and committee members included Maureen Finnigan Horan, ‘69, Dominican Sister Karen Marie Franks, ‘45, Kit Mustola, ‘73, DeeDee Bovone, ‘65, Karen Mondon Scarpulla, ‘72, Barbara Labagh, ‘69, MaryKay Ferdon Leveron, ‘72 and Peggy Kays O’Brien, ‘69. “ It was a wonderful afternoon of laughter, shared memories and catching up with old friends,” Maryanne said. • John Paul Naughton, Walter Gazave and Marco Garcia were named Eagle Scouts by Troop 343 in ceremonies March 24. John Paul is a sophomore at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, Walter graduated from Mother of Divine Grace Home School in 2011 and is a member of St. Thomas More Parish, Marco is a 2011 alum of Stuart Hall High School. • Email items and electronic pictures – jpegs at no less than 300 dpi – to burket@sfarchdiocese.org or mail to Street, One Peter Yorke Way, SF 94109. Include a follow-up phone number. Street is toll-free. My phone number is (415) 614-5634.

AUFER’S

RELIGIOUS SUPPLIES

Serving The Catholic – Christian Community since 1904

Your complete resource for Religious Goods

624 Vallejo Street, San Francisco CA 94133 Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. www.knightsofsaintfrancis.com

1455 Custer Avenue, San Francisco 94124 415-333-4494 • FAX 415-333-0402 Hours: M-F 9 am – 5 pm Sat. 10am – 2 pm e-mail: sales@kaufers.com www.kaufers.com

West Coast Church Supplies

Donate Your Vehicle

Phone: 415-983-0213

369 Grand Avenue South San Francisco

1-800-767-0660 Easy access: 3 blocks west of 101 Bibles, Books, Rosaries,Statues, Jewelry, Medals, Crucifixes, Baptism and Christening Gifts

Mon – Fri 9:30 to 5:30 Sat 9:30 – 5

GOOD IND of San

&Marin Count

TAX DEDUCTION FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK or SUV

D O N AT E O N L I N E

vehiclesforcharity.com

1.800.574.0888

BETTER HEALTH CARE FOR SENIORS WITH SPECIAL NEED OF CARE

We Provide reliable & experienced caregivers to help seniors in their own home. *Companionship, Bathing, Alzheimer, Dementia & more.

Long hrs. - $10, Short hrs. - $18, Live-in - $170

(650) 580-6334 / (925) 330-4760

Easy freeway access. Call for direct²ns.

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

Little San Francisco charity reaches needy in 20-plus countries By Valerie Schmalz La Madre de los Pobres is the little charity you never heard of. The organization founded by Franciscan Father Alfred Boeddeker and some pals in 1982 operates on a shoestring – providing direct aid to projects in more than 20 countries, from the Czech Republic and Albania and Guatemala to the Congo, Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and Eritrea. “Father Alfred was a man of great faith,” said Frank Clark, president and one of the founders of La Madre de los Pobres (Mother of the Poor) who worked with the former pastor of St. Boniface Parish. Father Boeddeker, who died in 1994, is best known for founding St. Anthony’s Dining Room. “He would say ‘Don’t worry about the money. Feed the hungry and the money will come.’” La Madre is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a dinner May 10 at Caesar’s Restaurant in San Francisco, one of two fundraising dinners each year. La Madre gives away about 95 percent of its donations in small grants that average $2,000 to $3,000 a year. “It’s a very small-scale operation and we try to work with people who help people on a small scale effectively,” said board member Gregory Gollnick, a retired airline pilot. “We’ve got a project in Eritrea where we gave them a cow and she had a calf and they named the cow Madre,” said Gollnick. A Dec. 16, 2010, letter from Capuchin Franciscan Father Zerayakob O. Michael enclosed photos of the cow with the little school community in Dekemhare, Eritrea. “Thanks to your esteemed organization we are getting enough milk (for) all members of our community,” wrote Father Michael. “All of us are very, very happy. … May the child Jesus bless you all.” La Madre helps those who provide direct aid, usually but not always professed Catholic religious, said board member Paul Crudo, a retired dentist.

Mary Clark is pictured treating a gunshot wound victim, above, and holding an infant. The photos were taken at Kuron Medical Clinic in South Sudan, where Clark spent four weeks each in 2009 and 2010 volunteering as a medical provider for the charity La Madre de los Pobres.

A little money goes a long way if spent directly by those who need it. Mary Clark, a nurse, is involved on the ground in developing countries with La Madresupported groups. She returned in December from Gimbie, Ethiopia, where the midwife and nurse practitioner conducted a 10-week midwife training program and then traveled to Nairobi to review a nurse training project.

“She was helping with very basic health problems, they don’t have a health system like we would think of,” said Gollnick, adding at one point Clark, one of the widowed Frank Clark’s nine children, was working in 117-degree heat. “They had a nurse from Uganda … who later had to take some

months off because she was shot. It’s rough territory.” One of those Mary Clark works with is Ugandan Sister Angela Limiyo who last year moved her medical clinic and nurse training school from Kuron, South Sudan, to Uganda because of the violence in Sudan. In a note accompanying a photo of her work with Sister Angela, a Missionary Sister of Mary Mother of the Church, Mary Clark wrote: “… we had our share of treating warriors’ battle wounds in the Kuron Medical Clinic.” After patching up the young warrior, Mary Clark said they sent him on to the hospital. “He lived. The Toposa warriors of South Sudan are very tough,” she said. The idea is a little money can go a long way if it is spent directly by those who need it. La Madre provided satellite phones for a remote mission school in Sierra Leone and equipped a radio station for Dominicans in the Czech Republic. It supports orphans from the Kosovo-Albanian war in Albania and sends money to help HIV/AIDS orphans in Tanzania. It sends money to a health clinic run by Presentation Sisters in Guatemala and to a home in Jamaica for children living with HIV/AIDS. La Madre is paying tuition for a young woman attending teachers college in Guatemala and last year paid for another to receive nurse’s training. La Madre sends money to a Salesian running a technical school in Lahore, Pakistan, in an area beset with religious strife, Frank Clark said. “They’re blowing each other up. They’re killing the Catholics. We send money for the technical school,” Clark said. “One priest sent a note apologizing because the school snack price ran from four cents to five cents,” said Gollnick of a grant recipient. “How can you lose giving money to someone like that?” For more information: lamadre.org or contact Gregory Gollnick at (925) 8467031 or Frank Clark at (415) 661-7878.

Ultimate Southern California Package Quality Inn

The hotel is located on three acres of lush gardens, & located one block from Disneyland Park. They offer a deluxe continental breakfast daily as well as a microwave and fridge in each room! Savings based on 4 night stay.

Tickets 2 Adult 3-Day Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper® BONUS Tickets are included in every package! Add on additional discounted tickets for your kids.

Magical Extras:

Magic Morning Early Entry, Strive Today Power Bands (strivetoday.com) and Lanyard, Backpacks, Coupons & More! Up to $350 in extras!

Vacations from

$49 Per Night

As to Disney photos, logos, properties: ©Disney

For more packages, call 800-523-6116 or go to getawaytoday.com

Holiday Inn Anaheim

$107 $107 $107 $107 $64 $73 $60

$224 $224 Regular Price

1st Night

$49 2nd Night

$49

3rd Night

$49

4th Night

$49 FREE Breakfast Tax

$44 FREE

Strive Today Power Bands

Our Price

$196 Our Price

$1,073 $632

Hilton Suites

Our Price

$624 3 Nights

$734 3 Nights

Free hot breakfast

1-6 guests

Popular family friendly hotel. Great Value!

Free hot breakfast buffet and free parking!

Get Away Today® is the largest provider of Southern California vacations in the world. We send millions of people on vacation! This volume means bigger savings for your family. We have the lowest prices and exclusive offers—we guarantee it!

Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel Save Up To

30% Exclusive Amenities

Best location! Disney Magic surrounds you!

For Stays Before June 9th, 2012

Tracking Code: 54391. Pricing is subject to change and is based on availability. $20 handling fee applies to each package. Peak rates and dates may apply.

Catholic San Francisco

NEWS

in brief

Priests must live holy lives to be effective VATICAN CITY – Ten years after a historic papal response to clerical sex abuse, the Vatican urged priests to strive for greater holiness in their own lives so that they might effectively minister to others and reverse the tide of atheism. In its annual letter to priests for 2012, the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy focused on Blessed John Paul II’s 2002 Holy Thursday letter to clergy, in which the late pope responded to the growing revelations and scandal of sexual abuse of minors by priests. The congregation’s letter also gave priests a guideline for examining their consciences concerning everything from how they celebrate Mass to how well they are living a pure, humble and generous life detached from consumerism. Signed by the congregation’s prefect, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, and secretary, Archbishop Celso Morga Iruzubieta, the letter was dated March 26 and recently published on the congregation’s website. The letter marks the annual World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, celebrated in many dioceses June 15 – the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Priests are entrusted with the task of challenging and helping people become more holy and obey God’s will more fully, it said. “We cannot be sanctified without working on the holiness of our brothers, and we cannot work on the holiness of our brothers unless we have first worked on and continue to work on our own holiness,” it said.

Wikipedia head seeks ‘more thoughtful world’ VATICAN CITY – The co-founder of Wikipedia told a Vatican audience that his online encyclopedia could contribute to peace by promoting “a more thoughtful world,” even as the site was under fire for how it referred to those who oppose and support legalized abortion. Jimmy Wales, who co-founded Wikipedia

May 4, 2012

Nigeria’s mourning Relatives of victims of a gun attack mourn at a hospital in Nigeria’s northern city of Kano April 29. That day gunmen killed at least 21 people and injured many others in coordinated attacks on Sunday services at a university campus in Kano and a Protestant chapel in Maiduguri.

in 2001, was invited to address the annual assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. The meeting at the Vatican April 27-May 1 focused on Blessed John XXIII’s 1963 encyclical “Pacem in Terris” and continuing challenges to promoting peace and justice in the world. In an interview after his speech, Wales also spoke about Wikipedia’s arbitration process to determine the correct Wikipedia use of the terms “pro-choice,” “pro-life,” “abortion rights” and “anti-abortion” to describe individuals and movements. Wikipedia, which allows almost all entries to be initiated, updated and edited by almost anyone, had received complaints about an inconsistent use of the terms, which some people felt unfairly tended to use the negative “anti-abortion” to describe the prolife position while almost always using the positive “pro-choice” label to describe those who support legal abortion. The online site conducted a “community consultation” of users March 23-April 23, asking them to discuss the terms, their implications and list in order of preference the terms they thought were most appropriate. Wikipedia administrators were scheduled to review the discussion and votes before issuing a final ruling May 1 that would be binding for three years.

Bishops’ May 1 prayers ROME – A group of U.S. bishops began their “ad limina” visits to Rome praying for workers and for families. The bishops of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming concelebrated Mass in

(CNS PHOTO/REUTERS)

the Basilica of St. Mary Major May 1, marking the beginning of the month traditionally devoted to Mary, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the Worker’s Day public holiday in Italy and many other countries. Bishop Ricardo Ramirez of Las Cruces, N.M., the main celebrant and homilist at the Mass, said that on the holiday, “our thoughts turn to workers everywhere. We should pray for workers today, especially those who are having a difficult time in their job, for those who are not paid a just wage or a living wage, for those single moms who try to raise their children” by working both outside and inside the home. The bishop also prayed for those who work “in sweatshops, who are paid just a pittance, who may be working standing, maybe for 18 hours a day.”

Britain probes charges pupils signed petition MANCHESTER, England – The British government is investigating claims that Catholic schools have acted illegally by circulating a letter allegedly inviting students to sign a petition in support of traditional marriage. It is against British law for children under the age of 16 to sign political petitions, but the text of the letter, circulated in nearly 400 schools for children ages 11-16, invites the faithful to sign the petition organized by the Coalition for Marriage, a group of organizations opposed to government proposals to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples. The government’s Department for

Education is now investigating complaints by campaigners for gay marriage that students under the age of 16 years were encouraged to break the law. It is seeking a meeting with officials from the Catholic Education Service, an agency of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. “Schools have a responsibility under law to ensure children are insulated from political activity and campaigning in the classroom,” the department said April 29. The Catholic Education Service has denied any wrongdoing. “Catholic state schools have always been permitted by law to teach matters relating to sex and relationships education, including the importance of marriage, in accordance with the teaching of the Catholic Church,” the organization said April 26.

Will Northeast states resist assisted suicide? BOSTON – Opponents of legislation that would legalize physician-assisted suicide in Massachusetts hope the commonwealth will follow Vermont’s lead and kill the measure. By an 18-11 vote April 12, Vermont senators defeated a proposal to legalize assisted suicide in the state. “We’re obviously elated that the Senate in Vermont did the right thing, not only to defeat this onerous bill but also to defeat the political shenanigans that were going on to try to get this bill passed. The whole thing was politics at its worst,” said Kristian Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute. First introduced in 2011, Vermont’s Patient Choice and Control at End of Life legislation failed to make it out of committee by the 2012 legislative deadline. In what Mineau described as a “last-ditch, desperate effort,” the Health and Welfare Committee attached the bill to an anti-tanning bill. That bill was defeated after two hours of debate about doctor-prescribed death. Mineau warned that the battle in Massachusetts will be tougher than the one in Vermont since the measure will almost certainly appear on the November ballot in Massachusetts. Polls have shown slight support of the bill. If the legislature fails to act on the bill by May 2, proponents would need to gather nearly 11,500 certified signatures to put the measure before voters in November. – Catholic News Service

SI SUMMER PROGRAMS www.siprep.org/summer

Academic Programs, Sports Spo Camps, Fine Arts Camps, Other Non-Sports Camps, Swim Program Online registration starts March 1, 2012 Onli FFREE! Early drop-off 8–9 a.m. and proctored lunch hour noon–1 p.m.

Catholic san Francisco Newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco

Most Reverend George H. Niederauer, publisher George Wesolek, associate publisher Rick DelVecchio, editor/executive editor/general manager Editorial Staff: Valerie Schmalz, assistant editor: schmalzv@sfarchdiocese.org; George Raine, reporter: raineg@sfarchdiocese.org; Tom Burke, “On the Street”/Datebook: burket@sfarchdiocese.org

Advertising: Joseph Pena, director; Chandra Kirtman, advertising & circulation coordinator; Mary Podesta, account representative Bill Applegate, account representative Production: Karessa McCartney-Kavanaugh, manager; Joel Carrico, assistant Business Office: Joseph Pena, manager Advisory Board: Fr. John Balleza; Deacon Jeffery Burns, Ph. D.; James Clifford; Nellie Hizon; James Kelly; Sr. Sheral Marshall, OSF; Deacon Bçl Mitchell; Teresa Moore.

Catholic San Francisco editorial offices are located at One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109. Tel: (415) 614-5640;Circulation: 1-800-563-0008 or (415) 614-5640; News fax: (415) 614-5633; Advertising: (415) 614-5642; Advertising fax: (415) 614-5641; Advertising E-mail: penaj@sfarchdiocese.org Catholic San Francisco (ISSN 15255298) is published weekly (four times per month) September through May, except in the week following Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, and twice a month in June, July and August by the Roman Catholic Archd²cese of San Francisco, 1500 Miss²n Rd., P.O. Box 1577, Colma, CA 94014. Per²dical postage paid at South San Francisco, CA. Annual subscript²n price: $27 within California, $36 outside the state. Postmaster: Send address changes to Catholic San Francisco, 1500 Miss²n Rd., P.O. Box 1577, Colma, CA 94014 If there is an error in the maçing label affixed to this newspaper, call 1-800-563-0008. It is helpful to refer to the current maçing label.

for subscriptions or cancellations please call 1-800-563-0008

May 4, 2012

Catholic San Francisco

Report: Mexican migration to US has come to a halt, or reversed WASHINGTON (CNS) – Fewer Mexicans are entering the U.S. – down by about half, from 3 million to 1.4 million – and more are returning to their homeland – nearly doubling in the fiveyear period of 2005-2010 to almost 1.4 million, from 667,000 the previous five years, according to a study by the Pew Hispanic Center. “The largest wave of immigration in history from a single country to the United States has come to a standstill,” the center said in the April 23 report, citing tougher border enforcement, the weak U.S. economy and improving job prospects in Mexico as among the reasons behind the shift. Groups working in the municipalities abandoned by Mexican migrants found validity in the study, but called for a nuanced reading of the data and cautioned against concluding that outward migration had collapsed or that the trend would not be reversed. “Without doubt, immigration has gone down a little, but that doesn’t mean it’s now collapsed,” said Scalabrini Sister Leticia Gutierrez, director of the Mexican bishops’ human mobility ministry. “The numbers (in the report) are in line with what we’re seeing here,” said Ellen Calmus, who directs The Corner Project, which works

MEXICAN MIGRATION TO THE U.S. in the five-year period of 2005-2010 is down by more than half. In the same time frame, the number of Mexicans returning to their homeland has increased.

2.9 million

1.39 million

1.37 million

670,000

1995-2000

2005-2010

1995-2000

2005-2010

Source: Pew Hispanic Center

with migrant families in Malinalco, southwest of Mexico City. “Zero or less total immigration is actually an averaged-out number: It doesn’t mean that people are not going north, only that the total new arrivals are equal or less than the total who are leaving,” she added. Outward migration has marked Mexico for generations as young men would come and go, crossing the border with ease to take temporary jobs – often in agriculture and construction. The

migration exploded during the 1990s and early 2000s, and Mexicans abroad began sending home increasing amounts of money – more than $20 billion, according to the Bank of Mexico. The money propped up villages left behind and maintained families. The numbers then started declining, for numerous reasons. The Pew report and immigration observers cited factors for the decline such as the U.S. economic downturn in 2008 and decimation of the construction industry that employed so many Mexican migrants. Other factors cited include an increased fortification along the U.S.-Mexico border, increased immigration enforcement and a surge in laws deemed unfriendly to undocumented migrants. Calmus said migrants from her area now stay longer in the United States, instead of working for a year or two, then rejoining their loved ones. The change is “causing tremendous difficulties to families here, who never expected their migrant relatives to be gone for so long,” she said. The Mexicans returning south express less of a desire to return than those deported during past years. The Pew report found: 60 percent

of those surveyed in 2010 wanted to head back north, a drop from 83 percent in 2005. The composition of those being returned also changed with many Mexicans arriving with U.S.-born children. “We are definitely seeing evidence of an increasing number of returnee families in the growing numbers of U.S.-born children in the schools,” Calmus said. The report cited improvements in Mexico over the past decade and demographic changes – fertility rates have dropped – as other possible reasons for diminished migration. “The fact is that it’s due to various factors because we’re creating employment opportunities in Mexico, training and educational opportunities for young people and health services,” President Felipe Calderon said of the Pew findings April 24 in Washington. Per capita gross domestic product has grown 22 percent in Mexico since 1980, Pew said, compared with 66 percent growth north of the border. But Mexico has had macroeconomic stability in recent years marked by low interest rates, low inflation and an expansion of credit. David Agren in Mexico, and Catholic San Francisco, contributed to this story.

Despite danger, poverty and violence driving flight from Central America MEXICO CITY (CNS) – A recent Pew Hispanic Center Report found a leveling in the number of Mexicans arriving in the United States and those heading back to Mexico, but omitted another group: Central Americans, who are heading north in ever larger numbers, despite dangers along the route. “During this season the flow of Central American migrants out of Central America has increased in an exaggerated way,” said Scalabrini Sister Leticia Gutierrez, director of the Mexican bishops’ human mobility ministry.

z Pettingell Book Bindery Klaus-Ullrich S. Rötzscher Bibles, Theses, Gold Stamping. Quality Binding with Cloth, Leather or Paper. Single & Editions. Custom Box Making

2181 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94704 (510) 845-3653

Visit us at catholic-sf.org For your local & international Catholic news, datebook, On the Street Where you Live, website listings, advertising information, “Place Classified Ad” Form and more

The trend reflects difficulties in Central America, where poverty and violence have led to an outflow of migrants who, Sister Leticia said, would rather run the risk of being kidnapped, robbed or raped along the road than starve back home. Additional challenges include crossing an increasingly fortified Mexico-U.S. border and anti-immigrant attitudes in the United States. The migrants “aren’t scared anymore,” she said, referring to the chill after an August 2010 massacre of 72 undocumented Central and South Americans by Los Zetas,

the soldiers-turned-cartel toughs. Los Zetas and other criminal groups kidnap migrants for ransom and recruitment reasons, often with the collusion of crooked public officials, Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission has reported. Central Americans – especially Hondurans – know the risks, but head north, anyway. “An indication of what’s happening in the country is that 40,000 people were deported (back here) from various countries,” said Ileana Morales, researcher with the Tegucigalpabased Honduras Social Forum on Foreign

“The Most Compassionate “The Most Compassionate Care In Town” Care In Town”

he Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus presents: A Novena in honor of St. Peregrine (patron saint against cancer) June 1 - 9, 2012

St. Dominic’s Catholic Church 2390 Bush St. (@ Steiner St), San Francisco, CA Masses: Mon. - Sat., 8:00 am & 5:30 pm Sun., 11:30 am Novena Preacher: Fr. Xavier Lavagetto, OP Pastor, St. Dominic’s Church

Debt and Development. “It speaks of the flow of people that are trying to leave the country.” Numbers are difficult to come by, but Sister Leticia and others working with migrants say shelters in southern parts of Mexico are receiving double the number of guests as last year, and northbound trains have been carrying 1,500 migrants at a time. The number of Central American migrants arriving at Belen Inn of the Migrant shelter in Saltillo, some 190 miles from the Texas border at Laredo, has tripled since December, going from 80 guests to more than 240.

Irish Owned And Operated Licensed • Bonded • Insured

Supple Senior Care

We Provide Qualified Staff Quality-Care In Your Home Full Time Or Part Time Full Payroll Service www.suppleseniorcare.com

415-573-5141 415-573-5141• 650-993-8036 • 650-993-8036 650-993-8036

For further info, contact the Shrine: (415) 931-5919 Ɣ www.stjude-shrine.org Send petitions to: Fr. Allen Duston, OP Shrine of St. Jude Ɣ P.O. Box 15368 2390 Bush Street, SF, CA 94115-0368 Chçdren reflect the strains of chçdhood within and outside of the famçy

Famçy Systems Therapy Murray Bowen, M.D. Founder, Georgetown Famçy Center

A chçd may be suffering from: The bully at school, adolescent adjustment, A separat²n /divorce or a new“blended famçy” They are withdrawn, angry, acting out, Façing in school or just sad or too quiet. The famçy gathers together to understand, support and heal. Single parents and couples have their issues. Depress²n, infidelity, gambling, substance abuse , often unspoken in the famçy, take their toll. Famçy Systems Therapy has guided famçies for nearly 50 years. If you would like to talk over your famçy issues call for a free phone consultat²n.

Lila Caffery, MA, CCHT Graduate, Georgetown Famçy Center 415-337-9474 InnerChçdHealing.com

Who are we? Since 1883, W hothearYoung e w e?Men’s Institute (YMI) has operated as a fraternal Catholic order supporting its motto of “Pro Deo, Pro Patria” (For God, For Country). Today, over 2500 members (called brothers) honor this motto by working together on worthwhile programs & activities for our Catholic faith & for our communities. Besides doing good deeds, YMI brothers and their families enjoy a variety of fun social events (e.g., dinners, tournaments, picnics, etc), as well as membership benefits (e.g., scholarships, death benefits).

Can I Join? Yes, we are looking for new members to join us. If you are a Catholic adult male, simply email us at ymius@aol.com or call us at 1-650-588Ca n I J oi n? 7762 or 1-800-964-9646. You can also visit our website for more info at www.ymiusa.org. We will provide you brief simp ly a m a il YMI us atapplication form to complete and the location of the nearest YMI council. ym ius@a ol.c om or ca ll us d uring [ M- F 9 a mMembership to 5 fees are pm] very aaffordable (about $42or$5 t 1 -6 5 0- 58 8- 7 76 or 1-per 8 00month) -9 6 4- 96 46 . visit o ur website for mor e info at www. ym The YMI . . . iusa.or . . Joing. the Brotherhood!

The YMI.....J oi n the Brotherhood!

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

By Dennis Sadowski WASHINGTON (CNS) – When Father Robert Rien, flanked by the staff of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish, showed up at the Bank of America branch in Antioch (Contra Costa County), in 2009 to close out the church’s account – all of $135,000 – the only thing on his mind was the plight of two dozen families in his flock struggling with their mortgages against the $2.3-trillion behemoth. “We know it wasn’t much,” he said of the parish’s savings. “But it sent a message and it started a movement.” Creating a movement was hardly on the minds of the parish council members who approved the divestment. They simply wanted to see the parish’s cash assets invested locally to help their middle-class city of 102,000 residents, Father Rien said. But word of the divestment spread quickly and soon other congregations were taking the same step as California’s housing crisis careened onward. Since then, religious congregations have withdrawn about $40 million nationwide from the country’s largest banks, including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup, said Tim Lillienthal, lead organizer with the PICO National Network, the largest

(CNS PHOTO/ROBERT GALBRAITH, REUTERS)

Growing divestment campaign among churches targets biggest US banks 24 in a standing-room-only meeting. faith-based organizing network in the Led by a group of faith leaders, includUnited States. ing several Catholic priests, the peaceful “We’re trying to get the banks to protest called for a moratorium on home listen to us to try to keep people in their foreclosures and for the company to pay homes,” Lillienthal told Catholic News its fair share of taxes. Service April 24. “People are asking, ‘If Father Jose Lucero, parochial they won’t listen, what can we do? What vicar of Corpus Christi Parish in San level of action will get their attention?’” Francisco, helped organize the event, The divestiture campaign has hardly which he said served to “raise awareplaced a dent in the banks’ deposits. In ness of the fact that banks are very fact, one of the targets, Wells Fargo, unfair after they received fair treatment” which services more mortgages than any thanks to government-backed bailouts U.S. bank, has seen deposits increase worth billions of dollars. for several quarters running, a company Demonstrators protest outside of the Wells Fargo “There’s an injustice when all over spokeswoman said. shareholders meeting in the Financial District in San Still, Father Rien, the administrator Francisco April 24, calling for bank officials to be more people are out of work, people are underwater on their mortgages and they of St. Ignatius, justified the action, sayresponsive to homeowners facing foreclosure. see companies like Wells Fargo get ing large banks must be held responsible profits in the billions and give CEOs for the “ruthlessness of what they have Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act salaries in the millions,” he said, citing the situadone to families.” tion of several parishioners who face foreclosure. The campaign to boost bank accountability passed in 2010. “It’s important for us as faith leaders to Highly touted as a needed step to limit some has gained wider awareness across the country as hundreds of faith-based and grass-roots organiza- of the banking practices that led to the 2007-2008 raise the issue that people are being treated very tions began working alongside the Occupy Wall financial crisis, Dodd-Frank’s impact has been unjustly and very unfairly,” he said. Mary Eshet, Wells Fargo’s corporate media Street movement. The groups have succeeded far less than expected by consumer advocates in calling attention to executive compensation, as the rulemaking process has slowed to a crawl relations manager, defended the company’s secrecy in financial dealings and the banks’ because of opposition from most segments of the actions, saying the bank has worked to help struggling borrowers stay in their homes. lobbying efforts to water down rules governing financial industry. She pointed to the 740,000 mortgage modifiIn one of a long series of grass-roots financial reform under the Dodd-Frank Wall responses, a vocal contingent of several hundred cations and $4.1 billion in principle reduction the people marched from a prayer service at Harry company has offered to homeowners since 2009. Bridges Plaza to Wells Fargo’s San Francisco The bank also has conducted 720 home preserheadquarters where shareholders gathered April vation workshops around the country, she said.

Police name elderly suicide victim

Is God calling you? If you are a single Catholic woman ages 18-40…

Come and See!

An elderly man who a witness said shot and killed himself in front of Mission Dolores on the morning of April 26, after he was awakened by a parish maintenance worker, has been identified as James Olds, 85, of San Francisco. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City and County of San Francisco made the identification, although the examination is continuing and the cause of death had not been formally determined by April 27, said Bill Ahern, deputy director administrator of the office. Sgt. Daryl Fong of the San Francisco Police Department said the medical examiner has

jurisdiction and the Police Department cannot comment on the case. The maintenance worker said he encountered a person he took to be homeless on the morning of April 26 and woke him. He said the man pulled a gun from his belongings and shot himself. The Archdiocese of San Francisco will celebrate a Mass for Olds at a later date and, if necessary, will make burial arrangements at Holy Cross Cemetery, said George Wesolek, director of Public Policy & Social Concerns. – George Raine

Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Totally Given to God in Community in a Spirit of Humility, Simplicity and Charity for the Service of those who are Poor since 1633.

Religious Vocation Discernment Retreat September 14-16, 2012 Los Altos Hills, California

RETREATS

Sr. Lisa Laguna, D.C. SrLisaDC@aol.com 213-210-9903 650-949-8890 DaughtersOfCharity.com Daughters-Of-Charity.com

Retreats s Conferences s Meetings s Workshops

MAY 25-27 (28)

HEALING & WHOLENESS Carol Mitchell, Ph.D. Tom Gorham, M.A., CADC II

JUN. 1-3

THE PASSION OF JESUS Fr. Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P.

JUN. 8-10

DREAMS RETREAT Dr. Jeremy Taylor

JUN. 11-15

SILENT CONTEMPLATIVE Sr. Ishpriya

JUN. 15-17

HENRI NOUWEN RETREAT Wil Hernandez, Ph.D. SAN DAMIANO RETREAT

PO Box 767 • Danville, CA 94526 925-837-9141 • www.sandamiano.org

ST. CLARE’S RETREAT

VALLOMBROSACENTER A Ministry of the Archdiocese of San Francisco

“Mother’s Day Mass and Brunch” May 13, 2012 at 10:30AM Fr. Kevin Gaffey will be our celebrant as members of the Vallombrosa Choir lead us in song in a celebration of ALL MOTHERS. Following mass a delicious Champagne Brunch will be served. See our website for our full brunch menu, details and registration. Space ﬁlls quickly. Make your reservation now.

Vallombrosa... an ideal location for your next parish retreat or conference. Private accommodations and historic meeting spaces make Vallombrosa a place like no other.

Santa Cruz 2381 LAUREL GLEN ROAD SOQUEL CA 95073 E-mail: stclares@sbcglobal.net Web site: www.nonprofitpages/stclaresretreat Reservations for weekends must be made by mail and accompanied by a $10 non-refundable deposit per person. Suggested retreat donation $120.00 private room, $110.00 per person double room.

MAY 18-20 LEGION OF MARY, Fr. Michael Barry, SS. CC. 25-27 CHINESE RETREAT

JUNE 1-3 4-8

Be part of our growing community on Facebook

www.facebook.com/VallombrosaCenter

250 Oak Grove Avenue, -ENLO 0ARK #! s (650) 325-5614 s www.vallombrosa.org

MEN & WOMEN, Fr. Michael Barry, SS. CC. OBLATES of ST. JOSEPH RETREAT (Closed)

11-15 OFM Capuchin Chapter (Closed) 18-25 SISTERS’ Retreat, Fr. Bruce Lamb, OFM Conv. 25-29 OFM Conventual Provincial Assembly (Closed) 28- OPUS ANGELORUM.org JULY 1 Fr. Wolfgang

(831) 423-8093 • Fax: (831) 423-1541

May 4, 2012

Catholic San Francisco

Court considers state/federal lines of authority in immigration law WASHINGTON (CNS) – Arizona’s attempt to manage its population of undocumented immigrants by stepping into enforcement of federal laws led the Supreme Court April 25 to try to parse where the lines lie between state and federal authority. During oral arguments in the case Arizona v. United States, questions from the justices focused largely on sections of the 2010 law that require law enforcement officers to investigate the immigration status of anyone they stop for any reason if the officer suspects the person might not be in the country legally. Central to the case being made in oral arguments by Arizona’s attorney, former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, was his repeated insistence that the state is not seeking to do anything more than enforce federal laws that the U.S. government isn’t managing. He argued that the law provides only for possible immigration law violators to be held to give the federal government the chance to step in and prosecute them. “There is no interference with enforcement priorities by simply giving the federal government information on which to bring their enforcement priorities to bear,” Clement said. Clement also suggested that the provision making it a state crime to seek work without government authorization was no more than an extension of what Congress did in imposing sanctions on employers who hire undocumented workers. Meanwhile, outside the court, a multi-day prayer vigil sponsored by faith-based organizations evolved into a news conference, then into a rally on the sidewalk and a protest walk around the court building. Four provisions of the law were challenged by the Obama administration, under the argument that immigration laws and enforcement are the purview of the federal government and

(CNS PHOTO/NANCY PHELAN WIECHEC)

By Patricia Zapor

Maria Uribe of Arizona prays the rosary outside the Supreme Court building in Washington April 25 as the court prepared to hear arguments in a case challenging Arizona’s tough immigration law.

that Arizona’s law, S.B. 1070, takes that federal authority unto itself. All four challenged provisions have been blocked pending court review. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, arguing for the Justice Department, disputed Clement’s attempts to portray the Arizona law “as an aid to federal immigration enforcement,” saying “the very first provision of the statute declares that Arizona is pursuing its own policy of attrition through enforcement and that the provisions of this law are designed to work together to drive unlawfully present aliens out of the state.” Questions from the justices suggested some strong doubts about the arguments being made by both sides. Justice Antonin Scalia proposed that perhaps Arizona should have the right to close its borders to all immigrants if it chooses.

And Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned Verrilli to stop trying to make the same point about it being wrong for the state to require all law enforcement officers to cooperate in the immigration effort. “You can see it’s not selling very well.” Sotomayor at another point seemed to be trying to help Verrilli emphasize that the 10-minute background check that Clement described was for some people much more complicated. People who lack the kind of documentation of legal status required by the law may still be in the country legally, Verrilli noted. “If you have come into the country unlawfully, but you have a pending application for asylum, a pending application for temporary protective status because you would have to

Business Card Directory Construction

Health Care Agency

MARCHETTI

BETTER HEALTH CARE

be removed to a country to which you can’t be removed because of the conditions in the country,” Verrilli said, “if you have a valid claim for relief under the Violence Against Women Act based on your treatment, if you have a valid claim for relief because you are a victim of human trafficking, if you have a valid claim for relief because you are the victim of a crime or a witness to a crime, all of those persons are in technical violation” of federal law, but entitled to remain in the country. S.B. 1070 served as a model for laws passed by other states in the past couple of years, adding to the importance being placed on the outcome of this case. The Supreme Court’s ruling on these four provisions is unlikely to resolve even that state’s situation completely, however, as evidenced by Chief Justice John Roberts’ opening question to Verrilli, clarifying that the federal government’s case is not based on racial or ethnic profiling claims. Verrilli confirmed that. But that area of litigation still could reach the high court through other challenges. The court heard the case without the participation of Justice Elena Kagan, who recused herself, presumably because she was U.S. solicitor general when the administration decided to sue Arizona over S.B. 1070. Without a ninth vote among the court, a 4-4 ruling would mean that lower court rulings blocking these provisions would stand. At the news conference before the hearing, several Arizonans spoke, including 75-year-old Jim Shee, a plaintiff in the case who said he and his Japanese-American wife never leave home without their passports now, because of being stopped for questioning since the new law passed. Dulce Matuz, 27, president of the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition, is a recent Arizona State University graduate who said her real estate license was revoked because she’s not in the country legally. She was recently named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.

For Advertising Information, Please Call 415-614-5642

Garage Doors

FOR SENIORS WITH SPECIAL NEED OF CARE

CONSTRUCTION INC.

Serving the needs of the San Francisco Archdiocese Since 1969 State License 270088

G ARAGE D OOR R EPAIR We Provide reliable & experienced caregivers to help seniors in their own home. *Companionship, Bathing, Alzheimer, Dementia & more.

Same price 7 days Cellularized Mobile Shop

650-588-3893

Long hrs. - $10, Short hrs. - $18, Live-in - $170

(415) 931-1540 24 hrs.

(650) 580-6334 / (925) 330-4760

Lifetime Warranty on All Doors + Motors

Real Estate

INSURANCE

Event Center Rental

Al Zeidler Insurance Agency, Inc.

St. Stephen Parish Event Center

RICHARD J. HUNT, G.R.I. Broker Associate

(415) 682-8544 richhuntsr@cs.com Homes & Income Properties Sales and Exchanges

Serving all your needs from A to Z

San Francisco: 415-753-1936 Novato: 415-895-1936 Website: zeidlerinsurance.com

x 20,000-square feet x Dual level x A unique setting for your next event!

473 Eucalyptus Drive San Francisco

Contact Event Coordinator for reservations (415) 681-2444

OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Authorized to offer AARP Auto and Home Insurance Program from The Hartford

1390 Noriega Sreet San Francisco, CA 94122

AL ZEIDLER, AGENT LIC # 0B96630 TONY CRIVELLO, AGENT LIC # 0G32731

WWW.SFEVENTSCENTER.ORG

insurance

Boilers & Plumbing

Pet Grooming

ThePetPGrooming awberSalon Shop Creative Classic & Custom Grooms www.pawbershop.com 323 West Portal Ave., San Francisco

415-668-3992

J.B. SHEA

INSURANCE AGENCY (Serving the Bay Area Since 1968)

JACK SHEA SERVING THE BAY AREA OVER 40 YEARS Auto Insurance from the Hartford - Home Business - Workers Comp - Health - Life LICENSE # 0708733 jbsheains@comcast.net CELL (415) 710-1086

2390 - 15TH AVENUE SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116-2502 (415) 661-4777 FAX 661-1223

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

Couple bake cakes for each parish child making first Communion A hobby turned into a parish tradition at St. Matthias in Redwood City: Jim Brunsmann and his wife Linda Rodriguez bake individual cakes for every child making their first Communion, and have done so for 16 years. “I always did bake cakes as a hobby,” said Brunsmann, who was on the parish council when his wife was events coordinator. “It kind of caught on and we’ve been doing it ever since,” Brunsmann said. The two start baking on the Monday before first Communion. “We empty our fridge the week before so I can stack the cakes in there. “ Half of the 6-inch cakes are chocolate and half are white. All of the frosting is the same but each cake is individualized with the child’s name. The filling varies, too. “I sort of mix them up so you never know what you’re getting,” Brunsmann said. This year 28 second graders will make their first Communion the weekend of May 5-6. “They’re a kick to watch them,” Brunsmann said of the children. “If somebody would have said 16 years ago this would still be going on, I wouldn’t have believed them.” –Valerie Schmalz

St. Joseph Sisters mark 100th The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange helped mark their 100th anniversary with a visit April 25 to Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Daly City which they helped found in 1933. On hand for the visit were students and staff of the school and 25 alumni from years past. Father Joseph Gordon, retired pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in East Palo Alto, and a graduate of OLPH, holds the sisters’ work close to his heart. He noted that the community has benefited many, including himself, through their 54 years at the school. The sisters’ ministries now, Father Gordon said in remarks at the gathering, include spiritual direction and retreat work, job-training programs in underemployed communities, catechetical ministries, campus ministry, social justice and community outreach projects, and parish leadership ministries. “Thanks to their beloved senior citizen sisters, a ministry of ongoing prayer for the intentions of all of the sisters and

Left, St. Matthias Parish children are pictured in 2007 receiving their first Communion gifts of boxed cakes baked by parish member Jim Brunsmann and his wife Linda Rodriquez. Brunsmann is pictured at right in a 2009 photo.

the communities with whom they work is a vital part of the St. Joseph Sisters’ enthusiasm and deep-rooted dedication to the Lord and his people,” Father Gordon told those assembled.

Archbishop names 2 pastors Archbishop George Niederauer announced on April 26 that he has made two pastoral appointments: Father Brian L. Costello will be pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Church in San Francisco, and Father Piers M. Lahey will be pastor of St. Andrew Church in Daly City. Both appointments are effective July 1. In addition, the archbishop announced that Father Honesto D. Gile has been appointed administrator of Our Lady of Loretto Church in Novato, and Father Francisco J. Gamez has been appointed parochial vicar at Our Lady of Loretto. Those appointments are also effective July 1.

Pacific Rowing Club LAKE MERCED

udents

Summer Camps

4 LEARN-TO-ROW Summer Camps for pre-8th to 12th grade students June 18-22 • June 22 & June 25 - 29 • July 9-13 July 16-20 • July 23-27 • July 30 - Aug. 3 • Aug. 6-10 • Aug. 13-17

Sessions: 8:30 - 12 noon

Epiphany beach cleanup day Seventh grade students from Epiphany School in San Francisco helped clean up Ocean Beach on April 25. Following the good work the youth had a prayer service. Johnny Tran remembered the day as a “retreat.” The students picked up more than 130 gallons of refuse. “We helped the beach by picking up trash, had fun playing games, and performed a prayer service we planned,” he said in a written recall of the activity.

Charismatic convention The Northern California Renewal Coalition, which represents the seven Northern California Catholic dioceses, will present “Celebrate Jesus – 25 years of Unity in the Spirit” on Pentecost weekend, May 25-27, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Keynote speaker Ralph Martin, newly appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, will join 15 other speakers from North and Central America who will minister to English, Hispanic and Vietnamese Catholics including children, youths and young adults. San Jose Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Daly, Monterey Bishop Richard Garcia and Msgr. James Tarantino, vicar for administration and moderator of the curia for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, will preside at daily Mass, which is open to all. Visit www.sfspirit.com.

Cost: $325 per session pacificrowingclub.org Contact Bob Maclean at 415-242-0252 or rtmaclean@earthlink.net

S u m m e r G AT E

2012 Summer @ Archbishop Riordan High School! For 2nd - 8th Grade Boys and Girls X

Academic Programs

Camp Crusader

Afternoon Sports Camps

x x x x

Star in a Movie Polish Your Math Skills Build a Radio

www.summergate.org

Simply the best summer academy for K-8 students in San Francisco, for over 30 years. Include this ad with your registration for $10 off before or after care!

DaveFromerSoccer.com

Dave Fromer’s 14th Annual

SAN FRANCISCO SOCCER CAMP 2012 TOP PROFESSIONAL COACHING STAFF

For boys and girls, ages 5-13 Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced August 6-10, 9 am - 3 pm Moscone Recreation Center ADDITIONAL SUMMER LOCATIONS:

Building skills, character, and community through soccer

Mill Valley • Corte Madera • San Rafael San Anselmo • No. Lake Tahoe info@davefromersoccer.com 415.383.0320

101 Taylor Blvd. Millbrae, CA 94030 1906

Joseph W. Bronzini, D.D.S. J. Rey Bronzini, D.D.S. Christopher J. Bronzini, M.S., D.D.S.

Schedules & Registration: www.riordanhs.org

Nicolas Bronzini, D.D.S., Pediatric Dentistry www.bronzinidds.com

650.697.9405

May 4, 2012

Catholic San Francisco

CCCYO’s newly opened short-term housing in former convent already helping women move past homelessness By George Raine Star Community Home, a project at a former convent to provide short-term housing and services to homeless single mothers and their children, has only been up and running for four months and there’s already talk of forming an alumni association. It’s designed to be a one-time, 18-month project in San Francisco’s Richmond District to give shelter, food and assistance to single mothers so they can find work or enroll in school – help them take a step, make some progress with finding their own housing, bringing more stability to their family. But there are bonds forming at the home – the former convent of the St. Joseph Sisters of Carondelet at Star of the Sea Church on Geary Boulevard – as moms and kids living in the 12 small very convent-like rooms have the shared experience of having been homeless. Now, they’re putting that behind them. “We are trying to support them in figuring out how to come up with a plan by which they can see themselves progressing,” said Ellen Hammerle, the program director at Star Community Home, a project of Catholic Charities CYO. “We can lend a helping hand now, but we will let go and they will know the direction they will need to move in,” she said. There’s no specific social service model for this hybrid service – in fact, there’s a fair amount of improvisation going on at the convent. Star Community Home is not a shelter, it is not transitional housing. It is a home where there’s a goal of getting people stabilized and out in three to six months, with the help of close attention to case management and activities and a comfortable and engaging place for the kids, from infants to teens, who have been “in transition” and have had discomfort in their young lives, said Amy Chamberlain, the child program activities coordinator. There have been trips to the Lawrence Hall of Science, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and lots of painting, reading and socialization, which the kids embrace, said Chamberlain. But it’s not a longtime address. “They are not going to move in” for the long term, said Hammerle. “They are not going to get too comfy. The whole goal is to help you move out.” The short history of Star Community Home is a perfect storm of good fortune and teamwork: On Dec. 4, 2011, philanthropist Lynne Benioff read a story by reporter Jill Tucker in

The interior of Star Community Home in a former convent at Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco

the San Francisco Chronicle, describing the life of 10-year-old Rudy Nguyen, one of 2,200 homeless children enrolled in San Francisco public schools. Rudy and the others, “often come to class cold, hungry and sleep-deprived, making learning difficult if not impossible,” Tucker wrote. Benioff told her husband, Marc, the chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com, how moved she was by Rudy’s crisis and those of homeless families. The Benioffs wanted to help, do something meaningful, and do it by the holidays. They approached city officials, who brought Catholic Charities CYO into the conversation, and whose executive director, Jeff Bialik, knew that Father Brian Costello, the pastor of Star of the Sea, wanted to use as a ministry the empty convent of the St. Joseph Sisters of Carondelet, who had founded Star of the Sea School in 1909 and had held forth at the parish until 2012. That first meeting was Tuesday, Dec. 6. Within a few days, everyone signed on, including Msgr. James Tarantino, the vicar of administration, and Les McDonald, of Real Property Support Corp., at the archdiocese. A lease was written, 85 volunteers from Salesforce.com were gathered, to assemble the bunk beds and other furniture, clean and garden, and within three weeks, from concept to move in, Star Community Home came to be. Marc Benioff co-founded Salesforce.com in 1999 with the idea that integrated philanthropy would be a core value. All employees have six days off annually, beyond their vacation dates, during which time they can do volunteer work. Volunteerism is part of what the software company calls the 1/1/1 model: The company donates 1 percent of products, one percent of employees’ time and one percent of equity to support philanthropic efforts, said Barbara Kibbe, the chief operating officer at Salesforce Foundation. The Benioff family and Salesforce Foundation contribution to the home was $1.8 million, but with the stipulation that there is an 18-month sunset, as they did not want to start something that someone else had to finish or continue, said Kibbe. Moreover, they hope for a decline in the waiting list for shelter space by homeless families in San Francisco – and Star Community Home and other efforts are paying off. There were 263 families on the list last December and 191 today. Five of the single homeless moms with kids who have been clients at Star Community Home since the first of the year have transitioned into permanent housing, and the home hopes to exceed the original goal of serving 18 families. The families are not going to be moving into high-end Zip codes. But it’s a start, “a stepping stone,” said Hammerle. “It is rare that we are given such a clear path for addressing a community need in a way that is at the core of our mission of charity and justice,” said Bialik. “This is one of those rare times. Star Community Home will serve as a beacon of hope and a measure of Catholic Charities CYO’s commitment to strengthening families, building community and reducing poverty.” The clients are a vulnerable lot. The women are here for multiple reasons, including separation and divorce, immigration issues, raw poverty and, often, because of a history of domestic violence. No one enters unless they’ve been clean and sober for from three to six months and have been free of domestic violence for the same period of time. It’s a safe house. No men are allowed on the floor with living quarters. “There is some crisis” in the lives of the women, said Hammerle. “Divorce. Domestic violence. Something happened

Summer Camps

The BASIC Fund is a privately funded program dedicated to broadening the educational opportunities for children by helping low-income families afford the cost of tuition at private schools. SCHOLARSHIPS ARE FOR A MAXIMUM OF $1,600 ANNUALLY PER CHILD. For information and Application Please Call Bay Area Scholarships for Innercity Children 268 Bush Street, No. 2717 / San Francisco, CA 94104 Phone: 415-986-5650 / Fax: 415-986-5358 www.basicfund.org

along the way and derailed them. But they are highly motivated and smart and capable, and this is really a catalyst to move them forward.” There’s a payoff for Hammerle and the others on the staff, too, she said. “It is a reward in seeing a woman go from the pain of not having any shelter and having a child, given that responsibility, to the level of gratitude and appreciation and amazement that they have actually been able to get an apartment and that there is hope they can build their lives,” said Hammerle. “And to see a child come in, dirty and sad, and be happy and read a book and find another way. It is very satisfying.” Contact Danielle Green at dgreen@cccyo.org to discuss inkind donations to Star Community Home. Monetary donations should go through Maggie Weadick at mweadick@cccyo.org or by calling Catholic Charities CYO at (415) 972-1276.

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

Religious leaders worry Sudan, South Sudan headed toward all-out war VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Late April aerial bombardments, ground-force skirmishes and especially the increasingly hostile rhetoric of the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan had religious leaders worried about the possibility of all-out war. The key problems are conflicting claims over oil revenues and the lack of a firm, internationally recognized border between Sudan and South Sudan, which became independent last July. “The international community must help us to demarcate the border,” Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro of Juba, South Sudan’s capital, told the Vatican’s Fides news agency April 24. “The situation in Juba is not quiet. The population is very concerned about what is happening on the border,” the archbishop said. While South Sudanese troops withdrew April 21 from the Heglig, a city at the center of a key oil-producing area on the disputed border, “the South Sudanese government has mobilized more troops to be sent to the border. There are movements of soldiers around Juba,” Archbishop Lukudu Loro said. The Sudanese military continued to bomb border towns in late April, sowing fear among the South Sudanese people, he said, and the situation is made worse by “the irresponsible speeches by President (Omar al) Bashir of Sudan.” Visiting his troops in Heglig after they regained control of the town, Bashir was quoted as saying, “We will not negotiate with the South’s government because they don’t understand anything but the language of the gun and ammunition.” South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir said April 25 that Sudan effectively had declared war on his country.

(CNS PHOTOS/GORAN TOMASEVIC, REUTERS)

By Cindy Wooden

Above, a man gestures at a market burned following an airstrike by the Sudanese air force in Rubkona, South Sudan, April 23. Recent combat and hostile political rhetoric have religious leaders worried about all-out war. Right, a South Sudan soldier walks on the front line in Panakuach April 24.

Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based organization of Catholic charities around the world, said April 24 it “fears that a full-scale war is imminent between Sudan and South Sudan,” which would have “dire humanitarian consequences for both.” Recent clashes over the disputed border and over how to divide oil revenues “have now brought the two countries to the brink,” Caritas said. The international community had prom-

Summer Camps

ised to help the two countries resolve the issues under the peace agreement that ended decades of civil war and led to the independence of South Sudan. Caritas said, “The international community has failed to act decisively to prevent an escalation toward war. They must follow through with their commitments to ensure all outstanding issues are resolved peacefully.” The U.N. Security Council April 24 called for an immediate end to fighting between Sudan and South Sudan, condemned the Sudanese military’s bombard-

ment of southern towns and urged the governments of both countries to return to the bargaining table. Retired Bishop Paride Taban of Torit, South Sudan, said the conflict over oil and the fighting along the border were hampering the support that Sudan and South Sudan need from investors and international development funds. He urged negotiation and compromise, saying “we are better off accepting a reasonable share” of oil revenues so the situation could be stabilized and the two countries could “avoid further conflicts and bloodshed.” Making his comments during an April visit to Norway, Bishop Taban said he did not believe the dispute would lead to allout war. “Neither Sudan nor South Sudan can afford a full-scale war, meaning that the ongoing conflict most likely will only continue in the border area and create instability, loss of lives and insecurity for the people in the region,” he said. “They are living in fear and are already suffering heavily from the ongoing conflict.” The Anglican archbishop responsible for both Sudan and South Sudan issued a statement April 23 saying the citizens of both countries “want peace, have no grudges against each other, (and) are the losers when war breaks out.” But the leadership on both sides of the border “has escalated close to leading their respective armed forces to a full-blown war,” said Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak, the Anglican primate of Sudan and bishop of Juba. He told citizens of both countries, “Refuse to be incited to return to war by your respective leaderships,” and he pleaded with the international community to uphold its commitments to broker a peaceful settlement between the two sides.

Salesian Day Camp 2012 Camp starts June 11th - August 3rd Age requirement: 3-1/2 - 9 years of age Activities: Art & crafts, a academics, martial arts, field trips twice a week, special events, sports, games, dance, yoga 415-397-3 cooking & baking, and stage production.

415.397.3067 email: jstaley@salesianclub.org "Salesians serving children worldwide"

Friends Fun

SI SUMMER PROGRAMS

& frogs! CYO SUMMER CAMP 2012 ADVENTURES FOR YOUTH & TEENS

dates & info @

www.cyocamp.org IM?CC?D= 97DE;?D= >?A?D= 7H9>;HO 97CF<?H;I 9EEA?D= =7H:;D?D= 7HJI 9H7<JI IA?JI :7D9?D= OCCIDENTAL, SONOMA COUNTY 707.874.0240

A PROGRAM OF

Catholic Charities CYO

San Francisco, San Mateo & Marin

www.siprep.org/summer

Academic Programs, Spo Camps, Fine Arts Camps, Sports Other Non-Sports Camps, Swim Program Online registration starts March 1, 2012 Onli FFREE! Early drop-off 8–9 a.m. and proctored lunch hour noon–1 p.m.

May 4, 2012

Catholic San Francisco

At Georgetown, Ryan defends budget as fruit of Catholic teaching WASHINGTON (CNS) – Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryan defended his party’s 2013 federal budget, which has drawn Catholic criticism, as a way to help all Americans gain a better life, free of government intrusion and overreach, in a speech at Georgetown University. Citing principles of Catholic social teaching that promote the full involvement of people in the decisions that affect their lives, Ryan invited “well-informed public discourse” on the direction of the country as it debates how best to meet current and future needs in health care, Social Security and job creation. “As a Catholic in public life, my own personal thinking on these issues has been guided by my understanding of the church’s social teaching,” Ryan said in delivering the annual Whittington Lecture sponsored by the Georgetown Public Policy Institute April 26. “Simply put, I don’t believe the preferential option for the poor means a preferential option for big government.” Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, acknowledged to the Gaston Hall audience that the church’s social teaching can lead Catholics to arrive at different conclusions on the role of government in society. He said his understanding of church teaching requires that he work to ensure that the country remains financially solvent and unburdened by debt that would lead to severe austerity measures in the future. The Republican budget, drafted by Ryan and approved by the House of Representatives in a largely party-line vote March 29, delineates a decade-long plan to reduce spending on nonmilitary programs as a step toward significantly reducing the country’s $15 trillion budget deficit. The budget calls for simplifying the tax code by closing loopholes and lowering individual and corporate tax rates. Under the plan the highest tax rates would be set at 25 percent, down from 35 percent. Ryan maintained that under the plan the country would see increased revenues from those who take advantage of loopholes and tax shelters, ensuring “a level playing field for all.” The plan has been criticized by a wide cross section of Catholics, including two committee chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, theologians, social justice advocates and college faculty members. GEORGETOWN, page19

(CNS PHOTO/BOB ROLLER)

By Dennis Sadowski

Edward Montgomery, dean of the Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University, right, looks on as Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., a Catholic who chairs the House Budget Committee, speaks at the university in Washington April 26.

details online at shcp.edu san francisco, ca 415.775.6626

s a c r e d h e a rt c at h e d r a l p r e pa r ato ry

Summer Institute An Innovative Summer Program for Motivated Students & Athletes Ages 8-14

Education Summer THE LAUREL SCHOOL DAY CAMP

sacred heart cathedral preparatory Celebrating Founder’s Week

Camp Laurel: 3-Week session FOR STUDENTS ENTERING GRADES 1-7 June 11 - June 29 / 8:30am - 3:30pm After Care / 3:30pm - 5:30pm Daily Includes: Occupational Therapy Group Social Learning Drama Group Project Based Academics Ball Skills / Sports Art Experience Tuition : $2,800 After Care: $180 Financial Aid avaliable

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

ST. LOUISE DE MARILLAC

ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE

Transition to Middle School: 1-Week Session FOR STUDENTS ENTERING GRADES 6-8 August 20 - August 24 / 9:00am - 12:00pm Includes Tune up for Middle School “What I need to do, to do my best work in middle school: focus, attend and self-regulate.” Occupational Therapy and social skills therapy will provide the necessary skills to enter middle school with confidence and success. Tuition: $675 1:5 staff to camper ratio No materials fee Registration open from January 25 to May 18, 2012 For updated information about and application for The Laurel School Summer Day Camp 2012 Please check our website www.thelaurelschool.com or contact 415-752-3567

We prepare our students to become service-oriented leaders with a commitment to living the Gospel.

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

Catholic San Francisco

2,000 attend Archbishop Niederauer’s jubilee Mass 13 brother bishops, 130 priests join celebration

(PHOTOS BY JOSE LUIS AGUIRRE/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

By George Raine Archbishop George Niederauer on April 30 celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving on the occasion of his golden jubilee of ordination as a priest, and was honored by some 2,000 Catholic faithful at St. Mary’s Cathedral for a life of service. Even as an honoree, however, the eighth archbishop of San Francisco still gave thanks: “Thanks to God for calling me to 50 years of service to him in his church to his people,” he said. It was a cross section of the faithful of the archdiocese and beyond that came to honor Archbishop Niederauer: Religious women and men, the Orders of Malta and Holy Sepulcher, students from the archdiocese’s schools including all of the high schools, leaders of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, 13 bishops, clergy of the Greek Orthodox Church, family and friends, deacons, more than 130 priests and other faithful. They honored him, not only for his six years of service here, but for making service his hallmark for 50 years. Indeed, if a handful of words can capture the essence of a priestly career, his fellow priests said, they are found in the archbishop’s own episcopal motto: “To Serve and To Give.” The archbishop’s longtime friend, Cardinal William J. Levada, the former archbishop here and now the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, was the homilist. He recalled the scene April 30, 1962, at the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana in Los Angeles, when priest-to-be Niederauer answered the “call to humility” and prostrated himself on the floor as a sign of humility. It was “to signify priestly service,” he said. Archbishop Niederauer’s Gospel selection at the Mass – fittingly, said Cardinal Levada – was from Luke 22 which in part describes Jesus’ disciples getting into an argument about which of them should be regarded as the greatest. “Jesus tells them they are not to seek power, not to seek praise, but rather to be in the midst of his people … as a shepherd” and to serve, said Cardinal Levada. Cardinal Levada gave a short history of Archbishop Niederauer’s 50 years of service, most notably his 27 years as a professor of English literature, as well as serving as spiritual

‘A true example of faith in action’

Archbishop Niederauer processes toward the altar at St. Mary’s Cathedral as schoolchildren look on in the pews.

Brother bishops from Northern and Southern California and Utah congratulate Archbishop Niederauer.

Cardinal William J. Levada, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Archbishop Niederauer’s predecessor as San Francisco archbishop, noted in his homily that both he and Archbishop Niederauer were ordained at a time when it fell on them to help usher the changes brought by the Second Vatican Council.

Archbishop Niederauer’s cousin Anne Arthofer, left, is pictured with Presentation Sister Rosina Conrotto. Along with Canossian Sister Maria Hsu and Sister of Social Service Celeste Arbuckle, they presented the gifts during the Mass.

director and rector, at St. John’s Seminary College in Camarillo, where he oversaw the formation of many future priests, and on to challenges in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, where he was bishop for 11 years, before heading the Archdiocese of San Francisco, where he was installed Feb. 15, 2006. Cardinal Levada noted that both he and Archbishop Niederauer were ordained at a time when it fell on them to help usher the changes brought by the Second Vatican Council. They were “priests whose task it would be to guide the church through a difficult period of change in a way that let the face of Jesus appear more clearly than ever in a world more in need than ever of his sacred words and grace,” said Cardinal Levada. Both are expected to retire in the near future, and Cardinal Levada found a poetic reference to the day they look forward to, from Robert Browning: “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in his hand who saith, ‘A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!’” In interviews at a reception after Mass, several bishops spoke of Archbishop Niederauer’s contributions: “The archbishop brought a clarity on the importance of priestly ministry, a strong emphasis on vocations and the families of our archdiocese, so that the people would have the shepherd they deserve,” said Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Daly of the Diocese of San Jose, and formerly a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. “His motto ‘To Serve and to Give’ is perfect because that is what he does,” said Bishop John C. Wester of the Diocese of Salt Lake City and also formerly of San Francisco. “He is a real servant of Christ. He loves people. He is good to people. He is a real pastor. He has been an inspiration to me in my own ministry as someone with a great heart,” said Bishop Wester. “He has such great respect from the priests and that is very, very significant – when the priests recognize that and honor you,” said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of the Diocese of Stockton. “I think he brought a gift of wisdom” to the Archdiocese of San Francisco, said Bishop Blaire. “He brought an ability to communicate with a public which is very, very diverse, and he brought the ability to speak the Gospel very, very forthrightly.”

Cardinal Levada and Archbishop Niederauer react during a musical tribute at the 15th annual Catholic Charities CYO Loaves and Fishes dinner April 28 in San Francisco. Before 400 guests at The Palace Hotel, the archbishop received the award as “a man of spirituality, a teacher and a leader. He is a true example of faith in action.” Cardinal Levada and CCCYO Executive Director Jeff Bialik presented the award. On being a part of the CCCYO community, the archbishop said, “I feel more a part of it than I feel a part of anything that I have had. Just to be able to be here, to witness it, to contribute to it, as so many people have, is a great experience.” Archbishop Niederauer serves as board chairman of CCCYO.

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

New generation, old rite: The enduring appeal of Catholic tradition ROME (CNS) – Of all the Catholic Church’s modernizing reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council, none was more evident to ordinary members of the faithful than changes to the liturgy. Latin gave way to local languages, women ceased to wear veils in church, and Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony and 19th-century hymns were replaced by devotional music in popular contemporary styles. Most Catholics embraced these changes or at least accepted them without dissent. But a minority persisted in their devotion to the traditional Tridentine Mass, and eventually the church accommodated them. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI lifted practically all restrictions on celebration of what is now known as the extraordinary form of the Roman rite. In the near future, the Vatican is expected to announce results of reconciliation talks with the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, which broke from Rome almost 25 years ago in protest against several elements of the legacy of Vatican II, including the liturgical reform.

(CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING)

By Francis X. Rocca

Father Joseph Kramer

According to Father Joseph Kramer, pastor of Rome’s Church of the Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims, the enduring appeal of traditional worship is in large part a matter of aesthetics. Classical liturgical music has an “uplifting, energizing effect, it really moves people to prayer,” said Father Kramer. “Both Gregorian chant and polyphony highlight the texts of the liturgy. When you’re listening to them, you meditate on the words and internalize their meaning.” A large segment of Father Kramer’s flock is people born decades after the Tridentine Mass ceased to be the norm. He said they are frequently drawn by the older liturgy’s empha-

Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

Gabriel article inspiring Thank you so much for publishing Lidia Wasowicz’s fine article about the works of our Gabriel Project volunteers (“Gabriel Project ‘angels’ watch over troubled moms, families,” April 20). Lidia did a marvelous job conveying the need for our angels’ services, their joy in serving and the effect their works of love have on pregnant mothers, their families and the angels themselves. Three weeks ago Archbishop George Niederauer sent a letter of gratitude to all Gabriel Project volunteers within the archdiocese. Part of his message to them was: “Thank you for answering God’s call to assist pregnant mothers in need through the ministry of The Gabriel Project. Like Gabriel, you announce to them the same comforting message that nothing is impossible with God. Like Mary, you put your personal concerns aside to visit them and offer them friendship and various means of assistance. I heartily commend you for your authentic Christian discipleship and for enabling our archdiocese to successfully participate in the national ministry of The Gabriel Project.” Hopefully your publishing of Lidia’s article will inspire many others to serve God by serving their neighbors. The Gabriel Project provides such an opportunity. A great deal of information is available on our website, http://sfgabrielproject.wordpress. com. We hope to expand well beyond our current 15 parish Gabriel teams. Fredi D’Alessio Program Coordinator for The Gabriel Project Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns

Why is Speier newsworthy? Can you please tell me why Catholic San Francisco is in the tank for Rep. Jackie Speier? First we had a fawning article about

Letters welcome Catholic San Francisco One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA 94109 Fax: (415) 614-5641 delvecchior@sfarchdiocese.org, include “Letters” in the subject line.

how she was starving herself by going on a food stamp diet. Last week we were treated to her wisdom while at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo (“Be grateful, optimistic in face of challenges, rep tells students.” Rep. Speier has been a consistent enemy of the Catholic Church by surrounding herself with leftists, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the like. You can judge people by the company they keep, and the groups they receive money from. She’s been duped all her life by clinging to people who do nothing but kill babies for a living. But when there is a chance for a publicity photo op, she is right there. I’ve written to her office a number of times asking her to answer very specific questions. I have given up because she refuses to answer any questions at all. S. Hart Redwood City Editor’s note: The first name of the writer has been withheld at the writer’s request.

Commentary questionable My heart goes out to the Trayvon Martin family for their tragic loss. This should not have happened. It’s bad enough that the media did its utmost to convict George Zimmerman long before the evidence was in. Now Catholic News Service has to pile on (“Stand your ground,” Guest Commentary, April 20, written by the editors of America magazine and redistributed without added comment by Catholic News Service to member publications). I got a kick out of their descriptions where Mr. Martin was 6 feet 4 inches, and only 140 pounds. Actually it was reported that he was 160 pounds, and CNS didn’t think to mention that Mr. Zimmerman is 5 feet 8 or 9, and 170 pounds. I love the way the article quotes Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson where he speaks of the bull’s-eye on the backs of black men, and never, ever being caught on the wrong side of the street. Did he consider the white tourist being on the wrong side of the street in Baltimore, when a gang of black men severely beat, robbed, and stripped the man naked, while others laughed, jeered and took pictures, and then sent them off to YouTube? Were any of those perps tried and convicted in the press, or had a dead-or-alive bounty put on the their heads by race-baiting whites? Why were the New Black Panther Party, Jesse Jackson, and Al

sis on the sacrificial dimension, which makes it “more obvious that Christ is pouring out his blood for the forgiveness of sins.” The 59-year old priest said that Catholic clergy of his generation, reacting to the severe moralizing that prevailed before Vatican II, were “very reluctant to talk about the punishments for sin.” But the “new generation,” recoiling from the more libertine mores with which it grew up, “needs to talk about sin and how the problem of sin is resolved,” he said. Younger people also are “more sophisticated than they used to be, and they’re looking for something at a higher level,” Father Kramer said. “And I think that is connected with finding the great tradition and richness of the last 2,000 years.” The Tridentine Mass is a link to the church’s vast treasures of art, architecture, literature and music. “These are all things that we need to rediscover,” Father Kramer said. “No other institution has anything like it.” More specifically, he said, the liturgy offers an education in the faith itself. Familiarity with the traditional liturgy can thus help the vast majority of Catholics who attend the ordinary form understand it better, Father Kramer said;

and such exposure might also help priests who celebrate the newer liturgy to focus on its essential meaning. “In the old Mass the idea was that the personality of the priest should disappear and that the Mass would have an objective value,” he said. “The new Mass could learn something from that principle ... that it’s not about the priest, it’s about Christ the priest and the priest acting in his stead.” Yet the church’s experience with the newer liturgy also holds lessons for celebration and appreciation of the older, Father Kramer said. Thanks to the influence of Vatican II, Father Kramer said, “we’re not celebrating the old rite as it was celebrated in the 1950s, which tended to be a very mechanical, rather perfunctory way of saying Mass, a bit cold and legalistic” – as well as frequently inaudible to the congregation. The “mutually enriching” relationship that Pope Benedict has written should exist between the two forms of the Mass can help resolve the church’s internal tensions over interpretations of Vatican II, refuting what the pope has called the “hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture,” Father Kramer said.

Sharpton not arrested for incitement, while the facts were still being gathered? Now if that tourist had been allowed to carry .... The author obviously didn’t look at the state and federal stats where firearm use in the United States has prevented or stopped crimes against persons and property, and the vast majority without firing a shot, and it happens hundreds of times per day. The article mentions Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Gabby Gifford as examples of tragic events, and they were. It forgot to add the story where two students, at a Virginia Law school, went out to their cars, retrieved their firearms and stopped a shooter who was intent on killing. The story line went something like this: Students stop carnage ... but not mentioning that they did this with a firearm, and without firing a shot. Funny that wasn’t mentioned. Philip Feiner San Carlos

Jesus was a Jew, or that Mary gave birth after a pregnancy and delivered her child in the usual way. I find it significant that God asked for her consent, which should have been a permanent example to all mankind but is too often ignored. Rosemary K. Ring Kentfield

Put Bishop Jenky’s remarks in context Hitler and Stalin references are thrown around haphazardly all the time as a synonym for “bad person.” However, this was not the context in which Peoria, Ill., Bishop Daniel Jenky referenced Hitler in his April 14 homily (“Peoria bishop’s Hitler, Stalin references in homily stir controversy,” April 27.) He was merely analyzing history and making people aware of what happened in the past when governments encroached on religious liberty. Bishop Jenky did not call Obama a Nazi or Hitler, but was just explaining what impact policies like the ones advocated by the Obama administration had on the world. People must get over their feigned outrage whenever someone cites the actions of Hitler, Stalin and other despots because society can learn a lot from world history. As the saying goes, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Bishop Jenky didn’t invent these tragic historical events and he certainly shouldn’t be condemned for mentioning them. Brent Villalobos San Bruno

Power of prayer I boarded the 38 Geary bus recently. The driver had “hurry” in her head. I bobbed and weaved my way to the back of the bus only to discover the herky-jerky movement almost threw me to the ground. I finally secured myself to a strap and a pole and was nervously awaiting the next major movement in this cacophony of public travel. Much to my surprise a young lady looked up at me, after removing the cell phone from her ear, and kindly offered me her seat. Off went the “old age” alarm in my brain. I thanked her and began to stare into space thinking this might be the beginning of the end. It was only 10 days after my colon cancer surgery and I was upbeat and positive. After all, my surgeon had told me only a few days before, “You’re cancer free, no need to see me again.” In 1954 when they cut open my father, they simply sewed him up again and said “You have six weeks to live.” In 1960, when they finally found cancer in my mother, doctors did pretty much the same thing. Having experienced their deaths and cancer of my two brothers and my sister, I felt that God had much more work for me to do, even though I am now retired from the chancery office as vicar general. That’s the story behind the real story. The truth is that I found from a routine colonoscopy that I had colon cancer. I fretted for a short time, and then prayed. My prayer was to let family and friends know that I was begging for prayer. You really don’t have to ask. People volunteer when they hear the dreaded word “cancer.” The heavens heard. I could never thank all who did pray as there were cards and letters, telephone calls, emails and personal greetings. The power of prayer has once again come to the fore. I, for one, am grateful. I can now return to the television Mass reinvigorated to pray for all the sick, the suffering, incarcerated, and elder care residents who cannot go to their parish church for many reasons. “Excuse me, sir, can I offer you my seat?” No thanks, young lady. Thanks to prayer I have much more work to do: I can’t sit down now. I’ll have to hang on and make the best of the rest of the trip. But again, thank you. Msgr. Harry Schlitt San Francisco

L E T T E R S

Mary’s example May returns in all its glory and our annual devotion to Mary, the mother of God, ought to remind us that Mary was a young Jewish girl, probably a teenager, who consented to become the instrument of change in her world by saying “Be it done unto me according to thy word,” and setting in motion the basis of our faith. Jesus thus was also a Jew, born of an indisputably Jewish mother, even according to contemporary Jewish rabbinical definitions of who is considered a Jew. Alas, some people still seem to be uncomfortable with the fact that

May 4, 2012

Catholic San Francisco

Guest Commentary

How to solve the bully problem It is very difficult indeed to watch the new documentary “Bully” without experiencing both an intense sadness and a feeling of helplessness. The film opens with the heartbreaking ruminations of a father whose son committed suicide after being brutally bullied by his classmates. We hear a number of similar stories throughout the film, and we also are allowed to watch and listen as very real kids are pestered, belittled, mocked, and in some cases, physically assaulted, just because they are in some sense different. The most memorable figure in the movie is a young man, around 12, named Alex. He seems to be a good-natured kid, happy in the embrace of his family, but because he’s a bit uncoordinated, geeky, and odd-looking (his brutal nickname is “fish face”), his fellow students mercilessly pick on him. Alex’s daily ride on the school bus is like something out of Dante’s Inferno. What would be funny, if it weren’t so tragic, is the cluelessness of the school officials – and of the adults in general. We get to watch the vice principal of Alex’s school as she deals with aggressive students, and as she tries to mollify Alex’s parents. What we hear is a pathetic mixture of bromides, self-serving remarks, boys-will-be-boys platitudes, and, worst of all, a marked tendency to blame the victim. I will admit, however, that I sympathized with her confusion when, at one point, she gazed into the camera lens and sighed, “I just don’t know what to do.” A lot of the adults in the documentary seemed to share that sentiment. Well, I know someone who knows what to do. Some time ago, I reviewed a book by Dr. Leonard Sax called “Why Gender Matters,” an incisive study of why boys and girls benefit from very different approaches to education and character formation. Just recently, Sax sent me a copy of his 2007 study titled “Boys Adrift: The Five Factors

Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men.” As the subtitle indicates, the book examines the problem of the “slacker dude,” the teenager who would rather watch video games than attend class, or the 20-something who would rather lounge around his parents’ home than start an ambitious career. With the problem of bullying in mind, I would like to focus on one chapter of “Boys Adrift,” titled “The Revenge of the Forsaken Gods.” Echoing in many ways the reflections of Joseph Campbell and Richard Rohr, Sax bemoans the fact that our culture has largely forgotten the subtle art of transforming boys into men. Despite, or perhaps because of, our scientific predilection, we think that this process just happens naturally. Our “primitive” ancestors knew that it did not and this is why they developed sophisticated rituals of initiation, designed to shock boys out of their natural narcissism and habits of self-protection into moral and spiritual maturity. Whether we are talking about the Navajo, Masai warriors, or Orthodox Jews, traditional cultures understand that boys have to be brought through a period of trial – some test of skill and endurance – during which they learn the virtues of courage and self-sacrifice. Sometimes these initiation rituals are accompanied by a kind of ceremonial scarring, for the elders want the boys to know, in their bodies, that they’ve been tested and permanently changed. Sax astutely observes that many of the great American authors – Faulkner, Hemingway, Dos Passos, Studs Terkel, James Dickey – wrote passionately and persuasively about this very topic. Many great films, from “The Hustler,” “On the Waterfront” and “Rebel Without a Cause” to “Braveheart” and “Gladiator,” dramatically display the process by which a boy becomes a heroic man of selflessness and courage.

The principal element in the initiation process – whether real or fictionally presented – is a mature man who embodies the virtues to which the boy aspires. Finally, men of valor, charity, ambition Father and grace transform boys into men of valor, charity, Robert Barron ambition and grace. When this mentoring dynamic is lost, Sax argues, the result is boys adrift. One reason boys turn into bullies is that they have no one around to turn them into men. Boys are filled with energies meant to be channeled in a positive direction, toward protecting the innocent and building up the society. Without strong male role models, and without a disciplined process of initiation into maturity, these energies remain either unfocused or directed toward violence and the exploitation of the weak. Sax comments that you might not be able to turn a bully into a flower child, but with the right male mentoring, you could certainly turn him into a knight. If a son of yours is either bullied or becoming a bully, I would strongly recommend that you read “Boys Adrift” and, above all, that you introduce your son to a strong, morally upright, focused and courageous male mentor. Father Robert Barron is the founder of the global ministry Word on Fire and the Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Ill.

Looking Around

What’s new in the ‘new evangelization’? We have plenty of time to prepare for the Oct. 11 opening of the Year of Faith announced by Pope Benedict XVI. In making the announcement, the Holy Father called for a new evangelization. I’ve been mining his apostolic letter “Porta Fidei” (“The Door of Faith”), which carried the announcement, to discover what might be new about this new evangelization. The Year of Faith is scheduled to begin on the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The opening date also marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Hence the documents of Vatican II and the catechism (both referenced by Pope Benedict) might be presumed to be sources for discovery of what is new in the new evangelization. Indeed, the Holy Father seems to be suggesting that it is desirable for all Catholics to review those source documents again; perhaps for many that will mean seeing them for the first time. The Year of Faith will begin with a world Synod of Bishops in Rome. Pope Benedict has given that meeting a theme, namely “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.”

Presumably, the bishops will be talking to one another about ways and means of getting the message across. The message is old, of course, as old as the Gospels, but the transmission – the delivery system, like an automobile transmission – has to be replaced or renewed. It isn’t working now. At least, that’s how the pope seems to view the situation. The content has been in place for centuries, but the delivery system needs attention. Attention must be paid to the pulpit, the lecture hall, our publishing houses and new media – especially the Internet – if the delivery system is going to be improved. Any parish that doesn’t have a library or website should set up one. Any diocese that wants to reach the baptized but uncatechized should be working now on a good strategic plan. It won’t be necessary to reinvent the wheel. But it will be necessary to find out what works and where it is working, and then put it to work locally. Pastors would do well to convene committees now to contribute ideas and derive ideas from the mix that will begin to emerge next October. Parish-based committees made up of journalists, teachers, religious educators, tech- and media-savvy

younger folks, marketing people and anyone else who wants to participate can dot the diocesan landscape and form a national network ready to implement the new evangelization. Father William If the bishops have J. Byron, SJ a successful synod in October, material will emerge that will be ready for transmission. If parish committees do their job, the mechanism will be in place for something new to start to move. The salt has lost its savor. Restoring it is what the new evangelization hopes to achieve. Jesuit Father William J. Byron is university professor of business and society at St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia. His column is carried by Catholic News Service.

The Human Side

Look for joy in the same old places If you are looking for greater joy in life, take to heart this sage insight by the German poet and scientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “There is no such thing as a trifle; a simple detail may reveal a universe.” At times, our life can seem humdrum, routine and monotonous, lacking exuberance and joy. To counter this, Goethe would encourage us to take a second look at the ordinary in search of its hidden wonders. Years ago, I was driving home on a farm road I traveled routinely. Suddenly, the sun burst forth and highlighted a picturesque church in the distance. It was among a grove of pine trees. The church and its background suddenly became a country scene worthy of a magnificent painting. A scene I had seen numerous times now took on a beautiful new form, revealing a universe I had not noticed before. From that day on, my drive was filled with the added joy of seeing that picturesque church.

This holds true for much of what we experience. Within each experience, no matter how insignificant it may seem, something new is waiting to be discovered. This is a lesson I have learned when playing Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus” on the violin. No matter how often I have played it, I discover nuances that make it more delightful. Perhaps it is holding onto a note a moment longer or softening another more gently. Each time this happens, the joy of playing music is heightened, giving me something to look forward to next time I play. The late Pope Paul VI wrote a beautiful treatise on joy in which he points us to three of its qualities: exalting the beauty of God’s creation, enjoying a work well done and the joy of sacrificing for another. Goethe would add that we need to re-examine the seemingly unimportant, routine experiences and look more deeply into them. It’s true that familiarity breeds contempt. We may live or work with others in the same environment

day in and day out, taking things for granted. We may even get bored with the whole situation and no longer find joy in it. Although sudden unexpected joys can arise in our lives, joy Father Eugene needs cultivation. This requires that we reassess Hemrick the seemingly trifle in our lives and ask whether we have explored its depths to unearth the beautiful universes it contains. A silver lining surrounds us and is waiting to be mined. Father Eugene Hemrick’s column is carried by Catholic News Service.

Catholic San Francisco

A READING FROM THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ACTS 9:26-31 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him. And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus. The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers. RESPONSORIAL PSALM PS 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32 I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the Lord. The lowly shall eat their fill; they who seek the Lord shall praise him: “May your hearts live forever!” When I first began teaching middleschool religion many years ago, I was fired up. What young teenager wouldn’t be fascinated learning about God, Scripture, the sacraments, eternity and all kinds of other intriguing things? I was confident it could almost teach itself. Imagine my chagrin when I realized it might be a bit more difficult than I thought. I got my first clue when I started talking to my students about Jesus and their eyes sort of glazed over. I got my second clue as I talked about the Holy Spirit and they all slumped deeper into their seats. They perked up a bit when we discussed stuff like hell, because devils and pits of fire can be fascinating and cool, but overall there wasn’t a great deal of excitement. I hated to admit it, but the problem was me. Well, at least the way I was trying to teach religion. I was doing it all wrong, because I was attempting to teach it the same way I taught everything else. I used definitions and textbooks, justifications and reasoned logic. I felt if I could just explain it well enough, students would have no choice but to accept it. The trouble is, that’s just not true. As a teacher, I sometimes like to blame the students – actually, I always like to blame the students – but in reality, this was my fault. I’ve come to believe it’s nearly impossible to reason or argue someone into the faith, be they young or old. While things like the catechism, encyclicals, and the

May 4, 2012

Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32; I John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8 I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; all the families of the nations shall bow down before him. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. To him alone shall bow down all who sleep in the earth; before him shall bend all who go down into the dust. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. And to him my soul shall live; my descendants shall serve him. yet the coming generation be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice he has shown.

I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF JOHN 1 JN 3:18-24 Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment is

Scripture reflection DEACON MICHAEL MURPHY

Show, don’t tell documents of Vatican II are all lovely, they’re also limited. They’re great starting points and can help guide and focus us, but that’s really all they can do. To touch someone, to change someone, to transform someone, you have to come from a different direction, use a different language. Jesus, of course, understood this perfectly. It’s why he never wrote anything down and never gave us an instruction manual. Instead, he used people’s own language, their own experiences, making it possible for them to be open to the incredible reality of God. We see a great example in our Gospel this week, as Jesus uses the beautiful analogy of the

vine and the branches. There’s nothing formal or academic about it, yet it captures perfectly the interrelationship, the love, the intimacy between God and us. Jesus used the experience and knowledge of his listeners to bring them to God, helping them understand and allowing them to be touched in their own way, in their own lives and hearts. Of course, unless we work in Napa growing grapes, even a wonderful story such as this loses some of its impact. So now it’s our turn to step up. As we bring the reality of God’s unlimited love, mercy, and forgiveness into people’s lives, into our own lives, we need to do as Jesus did. We need to translate and deliver the

this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us. A READING FROM THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN JN 15:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” good news in ways that we and people today can understand and relate to. We can use poetry, music, the Internet, Twitter, tweeter, whatever, to communicate God’s amazing presence in our world. We need to look into I’ve come our own everyday lives, find God at to believe work, them share our experiences with others. It’s it’s nearly how Jesus taught, and it’s a great impossible model for us. Let’s start this to reason week. Our Lord’s given us some ter- or argue rific material with which to work. As someone we share our own personal God sto- into the ries, stories that tell of resurrection, redemption, faith. love and joy, people will hear and people will understand. Ultimately, people will be transformed and the good news of Easter will fill and touch our lives once again. Mike Murphy is a permanent deacon serving at St. Charles Parish, San Carlos. He teaches religion at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton.

Question Corner

Confessing past sins Question: Some weeks ago, when explaining the concept of a general confession, you said in your column, “Surely any serious sin not already forgiven should be mentioned.” Please tell me what I should do. I am 75 years old and have been a Catholic all my life. I first married a Catholic girl in a church wedding, but after 23 years we were divorced. I then met another Catholic girl, and we were married in a civil ceremony. Sometime later, we both had our first marriages annulled by the church and were married in a Catholic service. Now comes the troubling part. After our annulments were granted, we met with our parish priest in his office. He asked whether we would like to go to confession. I was uncomfortable doing this with my wife present (and I know that she was, too). I told the priest the things I had done wrong that my wife already knew about, but I skipped some of the really bad sins from years gone by. The priest said that all of our sins were forgiven. My wife and I go to church every Sunday and during holy days and receive Communion. But I’ve always wondered whether I need to confess the sins that I skipped over that day in our pastor’s office. A couple of years ago, at

my Easter confession, I asked a retired priest about this, and he said not to worry because those sins had already been forgiven. Please give me some advice. (My current parish priest knows me well, and I’d rather not ask him about this.) (Central Wisconsin) Answer: First, let me say that what the parish priest did in his office – invite you and your wife to confess your sins together – is irregular and unwise. The whole point of the sacred seal of confession is to give penitents the confidence that only the priest and God have heard their sins and that the priest is strictly prohibited from disclosing them. Having said this, it is still true that in nearly every circumstance, serious sins must be confessed to a priest. In speaking of the sacrament of penance, the church’s Code of Canon Law says, “A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and number all grave sins committed after baptism” (No. 988). In practice, an exception may be granted by a priest to someone with an overly scrupulous conscience who shows the required contrition but has great difficulty distinguishing the relative gravity of sins. (For that particular individual, a specific recitation of sins might be upsetting and virtually endless.)

It’s possible that the retired priest to whom you made your Easter confession made that judgment in your regard, dispensed you from the “integrity” of confession and absolved you of any past sins in that same Father Easter confession. Since you have Kenneth Doyle already done your duty by bringing your question to a priest in confession and have been assured of forgiveness, I would say that the prudent thing to do is to look forward, not back, and to continue as you are, worshipping God, praying each day and living the Christian life. Father Doyle’s column is carried by Catholic News Service. Send questions to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@gmail.com and 40 Hopewell St., Albany, NY 12208.

(CNS PHOTO/NANCY PHELAN WIECHEC)

Catholic San Francisco

(CNS PHOTO/NANCY WIECHEC)

May 4, 2012

Visions of Mary: Left, the face of Mary is shown in a detail, side view of “The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception,” a painted and gilded statue attributed to Juan Martinez Montanes. Above left, painting of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre is seen in a museum of Catholic artifacts and artwork at the cathedral in Santiago, Cuba, Feb. 10. Above right, Mary and the Christ Child are depicted in this detail view of the painting of Our Lady of Brezje at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

(CNS PHOTO/COURTESY OF NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART)

May, the month of Mary A month for deepest prayer Popular piety has long dedicated the month of May to Mary, the Mother of God. The month is a powerful incentive to offer more frequent and fervent prayers. It is a month when “our petitions more readily find access to her compassionate heart.” Pope Paul VI, “Mense Maio,” April 29, 1965 Surpassing grace and humanity Mary has a unique position among the saints – “exalted, yet still one of us.” The Blessed Virgin is the Mother of the Son of God, the daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit, and her gift of grace “far surpasses all creations” in heaven and on earth. “At the same time, because

she belongs to the offspring of Adam she is one with all those who are to be saved.” USCCB, “Popular Devotional Practices: Basic Questions and Answers” Mother and son’s work of salvation Mary’s role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. This union of mother and son in the work of salvation is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion, where she endures with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering. After her Son’s Ascension, Mary “aided the beginnings of the church by her prayers.” From the “Catechism of the Catholic Church”

Guest Commentary

Our Lady of uncertain times By Ginny Kubitz Moyer On my back patio is a white statue of Mary. She stands with her arms outstretched, her face calm and gentle. I love this statue, and the peace that I feel when I look at it. But these serene images of Mary can lead us to make some pretty big assumptions. It’s tempting to look at her calm demeanor and think, This is someone for whom everything was easy. We wonder how Mary can relate to our raw struggles, to all the disorienting uncertainties of life. Does she have any idea how it feels to lose a job, have a depleted bank account, or get a terrifying medical diagnosis? Several years ago, I was reflecting on Mary, and it hit me that her own life was anything but smooth sailing. Over and over, she had to navigate challenging situations when a positive outcome must have seemed elusive at best. Take the birth of Jesus: just when she probably wanted to hunker down at home and wait for her baby to arrive, she had to get on a donkey and travel far from the comfort of the familiar. Ask any pregnant woman what she

hopes for her delivery, and odds are good it involves a comfortable bed and a supportive, nurturing environment. Mary had to accept a pile of straw, and the company of animals. Even after the birth, Mary could hardly relax and nest back at home. The Gospel of Matthew tells how she had to flee to Egypt because someone was trying to kill her baby – an experience that, for a mom, is about as terrifying as they come. Aside from the danger and fear, she and her little family also had to adjust to the disorienting experience of being refugees in a foreign country. And it can’t have been easy for Mary when Jesus was out preaching. He was doing and saying things that were stirring the pot, things that were putting him on the radar of powerful and merciless people. As a mom, I suspect that a little part of Mary wished that he could stay quietly at home and be a carpenter. She had to accept a new normal – her son’s public profile, and its attendant danger – and I have a hunch it wasn’t easy. This is why, when I look at Mary, I see more than just a serene smile. Any time we struggle with an uncertain future, anytime we feel that normal life has been kicked out from underneath

us, we can ask for Mary’s prayers in the full knowledge that she gets it. She’s been there herself. But as we pray, we can also ask for a bit of her faith, the faith she articulated so beautifully in the Magnificat. “He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty” (Luke 1:52-53). Mary must have felt uncertain and confused by many events in her life, but the counterweight to those feelings was her faith that somehow, in the end, all would be well. Because of God’s love, the hungry would be well-fed, the lowly would be raised up, and the stressed-out would be filled with peace. Mary understands our struggles, for sure. But she also understands that there is something that lies beyond them. And that makes her a woman worth celebrating, every month of the year. Ginny Kubitz Moyer is the author of “Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God.” www.blog.maryandme.org.

Spirituality for Today

Think big when honoring Mary in May By Father John Catoir God wants us to honor Mary on earth as she is honored in heaven, not merely in our private devotions, but also by creating public gatherings in her honor. As we enter the month of May, we may want to think of ways to show honor to Mary. Remember: We worship God, but we honor Mary. Why? Because Jesus honors her, and because everything she does is designed to call us back to him. She is honored around the world in various ways and many flock to pilgrimages at some of the many shrines where she is venerated. Pilgrimages to her shrines, the sites of Marian apparitions, are ways some around the world show honor. In Mexico, Mary receives the homage of Catholics as “Our Lady of Tepeyac,” where she appeared to Juan Diego on a hill. The year was 1531 when Mary asked the indigenous Juan Diego to build a chapel on the site, just outside

Mexico City, so she could show compassion and love to her devoted people. The chapel grew to become a magnificent basilica visited annually by millions from around the world who venerate Our Lady of Guadalupe on that site. Various shrines in France honor her in a variety of ways, also at spots where she appeared. In 1830, Sister Catherine Laboure, a postulant of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, awoke from her sleep to see a small child by her bedside who said, “Come to the chapel now because the holy Virgin is waiting for you.” Catherine went to the chapel and found it lit. A beautiful lady appeared and said to her, “My child, God wishes you to undertake a mission.” Our Lady wanted a medal made with the picture of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the front, and an oval frame on the back with the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

Miracles of healing have been associated with that medal. On Feb. 11, 1858, Mary appeared in Lourdes to a poor, sickly girl named Bernadette. Bernadette said the lady wanted a chapel built in her honor. Disbelievers spoke out against her. Bernadette was directed to ask the lady her name. On the last of 19 appearances, Mary gave her name in these words: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Our private devotions are good. So, too, our liturgical prayers, but we can do more. The laity, after obtaining permission from their respective bishop, can organize a Marian event anywhere they choose. Hold it in her honor and open it to everyone for free. Think big and choose a site, a public stadium, perhaps, and publicize it widely, sing her praises, and, of course, honor Jesus with a Mass at the end. Heavenly hosts will join you and the world will see your love shining forth.

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

Latin American religious recall tough decisions, emphasis on dialogue By Ezra Fieser SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CNS) – The decision to take over leadership of the largest U.S. group of Catholic nuns for its “serious doctrinal problems” was not the first time the Vatican reined in a group of religious. Two decades ago, the Vatican appointed a bishop to oversee the work of the Latin American Confederation of Religious, known by its Spanish acronym as CLAR. At the time, the confederation represented 160,000 men and women religious in the region. “It was a very difficult moment for the confederation,” said Father Gabriel Naranjo Salazar, a Vincentian priest involved in CLAR at the time and who is now secretary-general of the organization. “It was not only difficult because it affected the (CLAR’s) ecclesial independence and its mentality, but also because it seemed completely unjustified,” Father Naranjo told Catholic News Service in mid-April. Now CLAR, which currently represents about 130,000 religious, has a strong relationship with the Vatican and the Latin American bishops’ council, or CELAM, Father Naranjo said. Father Naranjo said the transition, while painful at the time, was made easier by a good working relationship with the Vatican delegates. In 1989, the Vatican decided to directly supervise the confederation’s “Word-Life” evangelization plan after it was criticized for its “reductionist” readings of the Scripture and for relying too heavily on Marxist analysis of social ills. Shortly thereafter, the Vatican took over the group’s leadership committee. Two years later, the Vatican suspended CLAR’s procedures for electing leadership and appointed its own delegates to lead the confederation.

Villafuerte, provincial superior of the Institute of Maria Reparadora in Mexico, told CNS in 1991. News reports from 1989 state that then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation, recommended wholesale changes to the “Word-Life” plan. The Vatican had first suggested CLAR make revisions to the plan. However, after receiving a report from Cardinal Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict XVI – it decided to take the added step of demanding preapproval of yearly pastoral operations, according to news reports. Taking over the organization’s leadership “was a difficult decision,” Bishop Lopez said. “But I think it was important that the new leadership worked with the organization to try to make the transition” easier. “Today, it’s fair to say that it is more conservative, but I don’t think that was entirely because of the changes that took place in the early 1990s,” Bishop Lopez said. “Society has changed.” Father Naranjo said the process made clear the importance of dialogue between institutions. In Rome April 22, Archbishop Sartain told Catholic News Service that his main role in the reform process would be to “facilitate relationships and understanding.” The archbishop expressed his “personal appreciation for the role of religious women in the United States” and “all the extraordinary things that they’ve done.” Saying that he hoped he could “help the sisters and the LCWR recognize that we are all in this together,” the archbishop called the reform a “great opportunity” for women religious, U.S. bishops and the Vatican to “strengthen and improve all of our relationships on every level.”

“The new directors named by the Vatican, who were very faithful to the spirit of the CLAR, worked for and encouraged the return of the (confederation) to its normal function in less than the three-year period” that had been mandated, Father Naranjo said. The leadership of the Maryland-based Leadership Conference of Women Religious had a similar reaction in the days following an April 18 doctrinal assessment of its agenda. The assessment cited the conference’s failures to adhere to Catholic teaching in areas including abortion, euthanasia, women’s ordination and homosexuality. The conference, which represents some 80 percent of the United States’ 57,000 women religious, responded with a statement saying it was “stunned by the conclusions,” adding conference leaders were “taken by surprise by the gravity of the mandate.” The Vatican appointed Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle to provide “guidance and approval, where necessary, of the work” of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. The archbishop will be assisted by Bishops Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, and Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Ill., and draw on the advice of fellow bishops, women religious and other experts. In the early 1990s, Bishop Hector Lopez Hurtado, now bishop of Girardot, Colombia, was the Vatican’s delegate to the Latin American confederation. He told CNS that the Vatican took action against CLAR because of growing controversy. “There were a lot of differing and strong opinions,” he said. At the time, those involved in the transition spoke of deep divisions between the church’s hierarchy and the religious. “There are those who fear that the religious are becoming radicalized, that we will become extremists, siding with the poor and against the rich,” Sister Maria Evangelina

Contributing to this story was Francis X. Rocca in Rome.

WASHINGTON (CNS) – Here is a timeline of major events related to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the Vatican: – 1956: The Conference of Major Superiors of Women was founded as the sole canonical conference for U.S. superiors of women religious. – 1970-71: The Conference of Major Superiors of Women is restructured and changes its name to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. – 1971: Some nuns who disapprove of LCWR’s new directions create a new organization, the Consortium Perfectae Caritatis. They are concerned that what they consider necessary, distinctive elements of religious life – such as a common identifying garb, community life and religious obedience to a superior as traditionally understood – are disappearing among American sisters. In the early 1970s the consortium seeks recognition from Rome as an alternative conference to the LCWR. – 1974: The Vatican Congregation for Religious A religious calls representatives of the two groups to Rome group’s painful for a three-day meeting to try to sort out differences and improve dialogue. transition was The Vatican rules that LCWR will remain the made easier by sole canonical conference for U.S. superiors of a good working women religious. – 1974: The Institute relationship on Religious Life is established to promote vocawith Vatican tions and religious life in the United States. The Chicago-based organizadelegates. tion is open to laity, priests and men religious as well, but women religious – most of them linked with the consortium – make up the bulk of its membership. – 1979: Welcoming Pope John Paul II to a meeting with 7,000 U.S. women religious in Washington, Mercy Sister Theresa Kane, then LCWR president, raises the issue of the church’s prohibition of women priests by asking that women be allowed to participate in “all ministries of the church.” Several days before, the pope had reaffirmed that an all-male priesthood is part of God’s plan. – 1983: Archbishop John R. Quinn of San Francisco is named by Pope John Paul to conduct a Vatican-mandated study of U.S. religious life. He transforms the study into a nationwide dialogue over the next three years. The study is completed in 1986 with a 152-page report to Rome. – 1987: As a follow-up to the Quinn study, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and the LCWR decide to reinforce strengthened bishop-religious relations on an ongoing basis with a new Tri-Conference Commission of Religious and the NCCB.

(CNS PHOTO)

Difference and dialogue: Timeline of Vatican relations with US sisters since 1950s

Mercy Sister Theresa Kane, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, is blessed by Pope John Paul II at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington during the pope’s 1979 visit to the U.S. Sister Kane, earlier in the service, had challenged the pope to include women in all ministries of the church.

– 1988: The Forum of Major Superiors, a new organization of women superiors formed in 1987 by the Institute on Religious Life, unsuccessfully petitions the bishops for a place on the commission. – February 1989: In a letter to the U.S. bishops responding to the Quinn study, the pope expresses concern about the “polarization” among U.S. women religious and calls for dialogue to resolve their divisions. – March 1989: At a Rome summit of U.S. archbishops with the pope and top Vatican officials, Cardinal James A. Hickey of Washington gives a talk on the “crisis” in U.S. religious life. He says women who do not belong to LCWR “desire some representation with the Holy See.” – May 1989: The former Vatican Congregation for Religious, now called the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, appoints Cardinal Hickey to a three-year term as official liaison between non-LCWR women religious in the United States and the Holy See.

– Fall 1991: A group of women’s superiors, led by Mother Vincent Marie Finnegan of the Carmelite Sisters of The Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, decides to try to form a new council that will receive canonical recognition from the Vatican. – Early 1992: Mother Vincent Marie, on behalf of herself and 43 other superiors, petitions the pope for recognition of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious and approval of its proposed statutes as a new canonical conference in the United States. According to sources, Cardinal Hickey personally intervenes with the pope and the religious congregation on behalf of the new group. – April 1992: Reacting to rumors about the new council, representatives of the LCWR, CMSM and the U.S. bishops meet with top officials of the religious congregation. They report back to LCWR members that congregation officials “affirmed that there will continue to be one canonically recognized, national conference of women religious leaders in the U.S., namely LCWR (and that)... the proposed entity is not a parallel conference nor is it an alternative to LCWR.” – June 1992: Cardinal Hickey and Mother Vincent Marie jointly announce that the new council has been approved by the Vatican and that the superiors of 84 religious congregations, with a combined membership of 10,113 sisters, have applied for membership. LCWR and CMSM say they are “profoundly disappointed” with the Vatican decision. LCWR says its members represent 94 percent of the 99,894 sisters in the United States. – October 1994: The world Synod of Bishops addresses the topic of consecrated life. A past president of LCWR who attended the sessions says the synod “did not suggest that the direction taken by religious life since Vatican (Council) II can or should be reversed” and “wisely chose not to attempt specific solutions to local problems.” – June 2004: Archbishop (later Cardinal) Franc Rode, newly appointed to head the Vatican religious congregation, says in a talk in Canada that the “secularization of society and religious communities,” and Catholic families having fewer children, have contributed to the declining membership of Canadian religious communities. – April 2008: Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, is named by the Vatican doctrinal congregation, to carry out a “doctrinal assessment” of the “activities and initiatives” of LCWR. – January 2009: Cardinal Rode initiates an apostolic visitation to determine why the number of members in religious communities of women in the U.S. had declined since the late 1960s and to examine the quality of life in U.S. communities. – July 2010: Bishop Blair completes an eight-page report on LCWR and submits it to the Vatican. – January 2012: The apostolic visitation team completes its work and submits its report to the Vatican. – April 2012: Vatican announces major reform of LCWR, citing “serious doctrinal problems which affect many in consecrated life.” Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle is named to provide “guidance and approval, where necessary,” of the organization’s work. LCWR now says it represents 80 percent of the 57,000 women religious in the United States.

May 4, 2012

Ireland . . . mouths in the papal colors to symbolize the silencing of the priests – was meant to show solidarity with the five who are “articulating the views of the majority of Irish Catholics” as evidenced in a recent nationwide survey. The group demanded the revocation of the doctrinal censure, which it claimed “punished these men without due process and through secretive procedures with no right of appeal.” The doctrinal action against Father D’Arcy, who celebrates 50 years in religious life this year, followed an anonymous complaint in relation to four articles he wrote for The Sunday World, for which he has been writing a weekly column for almost 38 years. The Passionist superior general, Father

Georgetown. . . ■ Continued from page 11 Ryan said his inspiration for shaping his budget plan is taken from Catholic social teaching and Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”). He cited the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity as keys to securing a future in which everyone has the opportunity to achieve and to preserving the public safety net for those citizens who are truly in need. The principle of subsidiarity as found in Catholic social teaching calls for decisions to be made and actions taken at the most local level possible. “As we end welfare for those who don’t need it, we strengthen welfare programs for those who do,” Ryan said. “Government safety net programs have been stretched to the breaking point in recent years, failing the very citizens who need help the most.” Ryan criticized President Barack Obama for what he called a failure to lead the country out of fiscal crisis and said that the economic model the administration has followed has caused unparalleled growth in the nation’s budget deficit. The Wisconsin representative also called for the end of Washington-based decision making that “takes from hardworking Americans and gives to politically connected companies and privileged special interests.” He said his view of the role of government seeks to return decision making to local

(CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING)

■ Continued from cover

Archbishop Charles J. Brown, the newly named apostolic nuncio to Ireland, is pictured at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican last Dec. 6.

Ottaviano D’Egidio, was summoned by Cardinal William Levada, head of the doctrinal congregation, in March 2011. Cardinal

communities so people can have a say in the policies that affect their lives. Ryan’s appearance at Georgetown was met with protests both before his campus visit and during it. Halfway through his speech, nine Georgetown students stood in the balcony of Gaston Hall and unfurled a banner that read: “Stop the war on the poor; no social justice in Ryan’s budget.” The students stood silently through the remainder of the hourlong program. One of the student protesters, senior Gina Bull, 22, said she was concerned that the House-passed budget would decimate programs that help poor and vulnerable people while allowing the wealthiest Americans to reduce their tax share. “If you look at Paul Ryan’s plan, he does not help the deficit in the long run,” Bull said. “He’s going to make our deficit worse because of the cuts to the wealthiest tax rates. If we really want to build the economy we have to help the people who are suffering the most, the people who are worse off because of this economic downturn.” A group of 88 Georgetown University faculty and staff members sent a letter to Ryan April 24 outlining their concerns over his “misuse of Catholic teaching” to defend his budget plan. The letter pointed to Ryan’s reference to the principle of subsidiarity, which he has used to justify reduced expenditures in nonmilitary areas of the budget and an overhaul of the tax code. “I don’t think he can get away with

TRAVEL DIRECTORY

Catholic San Francisco

because the five had been very committed to the church and had given their lives to it and had been a great inspiration to many people. He said they were now being treated “as pariahs or as a cancer ... that has to be shut away.” He said the main issue for him now was how the church authorities deal with people who are asking questions and want discussion around issues such as women priests and contraception and clerical celibacy. John Murray, a lecturer in moral theology at Mater Dei Institute in Dublin, said in an interview with BBC Ulster that he was “bitterly disappointed in these priests who are trying to make things difficult for the church.” He added that he expected priests of the Catholic Church “to be people who will promote the teachings of the Catholic Church” because there was already “plenty of criticism of the church and no shortage of critics.”

Catholic social teachings as a cover for his budget cutting,” said Jesuit Father Thomas Reese, who organized the distribution of the letter on campus. “Since Ryan is coming to our campus, the faculty felt that he couldn’t just come and leave, but we should initiate a dialogue, a challenge to him because frankly we don’t agree with his interpretation of Catholic social teaching,” Father Reese said. Along with the letter, the group included a copy of the official Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Father Reese said. Ryan acknowledged receiving the letter and thanked the writers for a new copy of

the compendium because his had become well worn. In response to a question from Edward Montgomery, dean of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute who moderated the program, Ryan brushed aside talk that he was being considered a possible nominee for the vice presidency on the Republican ticket in the fall election. “Look, I’ve got an important job where I am right now,” he said. “I’m content with this job. I feel that America is at a very unique moment. Don’t underestimate the importance of Congress in all this. Who knows about all those things? Quite frankly, we’ve got some important work to do in the House.”

Ignatian Pilgrimage to China October 26 - November 7, 2012

Tour Leaders: Fr. Jerry Martinson, S.J., and Fr. Albert DiUlio, S.J. r The Forbidden City r Tiananmen Square r Great Wall of China r Terra Cotta Army r Other sites of historical, cultural, and religious significance.

Departs San Francisco 12-Day Pilgrimage with Most Revered Donald J. Hying

3,199 per person

only $

($3,299 after Aug. 8, 2012)

Visit: Rome, Catania, Taormina, Etna, Syracuse, Florence, Assisi (Rome-Papal audience)

For a FREE brochure on these pilgrimages contact: Catholic San Francisco (415) 614-5640

Please leave your name, mailing address and your phone number

California Registered Seller of Travel Registration Number CST-2037190-40 (Registration as a Seller of Travel does not constitute approval by the State of California)

For information or reservations, please contact Francine Brown (408) 884-1632, fbrown@calprov.org This trip is co-sponsored by:

www.jesuitscalifornia.org/chinatrip

Spend the Night in a Mission!

to join in the following pilgrimages Nov. 26 - Dec. 7, 2012

Levada conveyed his dismay at the content of the articles, which Father D’Arcy revealed dealt with the church’s handling of clerical sexual abuse, why U.S. Catholics were leaving the church and homosexuality. In an RTE Radio interview broadcast April 28, Father D’Arcy said he could not be silent about the protection of children. “I speak strongly about this and I will make no apologies. I don’t mean it to be an offense to anybody when I say this, but if people expect me, who was abused twice in my life, to be silent about issues and about the protection of children, I can’t do that,” he said. He was abused as a 17-year-old seminarian, a fact he revealed in his bestselling autobiography, “A Different Journey,” last year. Meanwhile, a leading campaigner on social justice, Jesuit Father Peter McVerry, told CNS that the doctrinal congregation’s censure of the priests was distressing

invites you

of SICILY & CENTRAL ITALY Basilica St. Francis

Catholic San Francisco

Pacific Mission Tours Offering All Inclusive Group Tours of the California Missions The Missions We Visit:

Trips Include: -guided tours of the Missions

San Juan Bautista

-morning mass

San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo

-all transportation

Nuestra Senora de la Soledad

-all meals

San Antonio de Padua

-local accommodations

San Miguel Archangel

-admission fees to all Missions

San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

-all taxes, service charges, and gratuities Two Day Six Mission Pilgrimage -local deli lunches -sit down dinner and breakfast -accommodations in Paso Robles

Visit the Blessed Junipero Serra -local deli lunch

Two Day Four Mission Tour

$200

$275

Monterey and Jardin's in SJB

per person

-breakfast, dinner, and overnight

double occupancy

at Mission San Antonio de Padua

One Day Three Mission Tour

$75 per person

- guided Mission Tour

Departure Dates:

-lunch on Fisherman's Warf in

Includes San Juan Bautista, Soledad, Carmel

3 Mission Tour

6 Mission Pilgrimage

4 Mission Retreat

May 26th June 23rd July 21st

May 24th June 28th July 26th

May 22nd

Pacific Mission Tours LLC www.pacificmissiontours.com Pacific Mission Tours LLC www.pacificmissiontours.com

415-413-8687

952 Geneva Ave., SF, CA, 94112

415-413-8687 Geneva SF, CA, 94112 tours offered in 952 English, Spanish,Ave., Mandarin tours offered in English, Spanish, Mandarin

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

Spirituality for Life

To live in the light Several years ago, I was approached by a man who asked about where I would go at night. I functioned decently within my me to be his spiritual director. He was in his mid-40s and almost work and my relationships, but my mind, heart and real attention everything about him radiated a certain health. As we sat down were focused on something else – my addictions, my next hit. to talk, I mentioned that he seemed to be in a very good space. I’m not sure what the exact trigger was since there were a numHe smiled and replied that, yes, this was so, but it hadn’t always ber of things that hit me at a point (my father’s death, a couple of been so. His happiness had its own history ... and its own pre- near escapes in terms of being discovered, some real shame, some history. Here’s how he told his story: graced moments of clarity when I sensed both my hypocrisy and the dead-end road I was on), “I haven’t always been in a but three years ago I went on a good space in my life; in fact, Spiritual health lies in honesty retreat to a monastery and had it’s been a long struggle to get the courage to have a long talk where I am today. For more and transparency. We live in the with the abbott. He suggested than 20 years, from the time that I go into two recovery I left high school until three years ago, I struggled with light when we lay open every part programs, one to deal with alcohol and the other to deal two addictions: alcohol and sex. I took his advice and sex. I had them enough under of our lives to those who trust us. with all I can say is that it has comcontrol that I could essentially pletely turned my life around. hide them from my family, my friends and my colleagues. As well I never acted out in very I’ve been ‘sober’ now for three years and the best way that I can dangerous ways. I was addicted, but still had good control in my describe it is that now ‘I see color again.’ Nothing feels as great as life. The problem was that I was living a double life – showing honesty! I have never been this happy! I’m now living in the light!” one life to my family and friends and living another life secretly We’re called to live in the light, but we tend to have an overly (alcohol, pornography, and pick-up bars) on the side. I never once romantic idea of what that should mean. We tend to think that missed a day of work and was always able to function at a high to live in the light means that there should be a kind of special level professionally, but my life slowly began to fixate around my sunshine inside of us, a divine glow in our conscience, a sunny addictions – hiding them, lying about my activities, fiercely pro- joy inside us that makes us constantly want to praise God, an tecting my privacy, resentment toward anything or anybody who ambience of sacredness surrounding our attitude. But that’s stood between me and my addictions, and daily anxiety, scheming unreal. What does it mean to live in the light?

To live in the light means to live in honesty, pure and simple, to be transparent, to not have part of us hidden as a dark secret. All conversion and recovery programs worthy of the name are based on bringing us to this type of Father Ron honesty. We move toward Rolheiser spiritual health precisely by flushing out our sickest secrets and bringing them into the light. Sobriety is more about living in honesty and transparency than it is about living without a certain chemical, gambling, or sexual habit. It’s the hiding of something, the lying, the dishonesty, the deception, the resentment we harbor toward those who stand between us and our addiction, that does the real damage to us and to those we love. Spiritual health lies in honesty and transparency and so we live in the light when we are willing to lay every part of our lives open to examination by those who need to trust us. To live in the light is to live in such a way that, for those who know us, our lives are an open book. Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is president of the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas. www.ronrolheiser.com.

The Leading Catholic Funeral Directors of the San Francisco Archdiocese

Funeral Services Directory to advertise call (415) 614-5642 email penaj@sfarchdiocese.org or visit us www.catholic-sf.org

Pre-planning “My Funeral, My Cremation, My Way” www.duggansserra.com

Affordable solutions Cost and Services Choices Church | Cemetery | Cremation Service Mass ❘ Vigil ❘ Burial ❘ Cremation

Please visit our New website Visit

www.colmacremation.com www.colmacremation.com 7747 El Camino Real Colma, CA 94014 FD 1522

111 Industrial Road Suite 5 Belmont, CA 94002 FD 1923

www.driscollsmortuary.com

www.sullivanfuneralandcremation.com

Duggan’s Serra Catholic Family Mortuaries

650..757.1300 | fax 650.757.7901 | toll free 888.757.7888 | www.colmacremation.com

Duggan’s Serra Mortuary 500 Westlake Ave., Daly City FD 1098 Driscoll’s Valencia St. Serra Mortuary 1465 Valencia St., SF FD 1665 Sullivan’s Funeral Home & Cremation 2254 Market St., SF FD 228 www.duggansserra.com

“Here’s wishing happiness and wellbeing to all the families of the Archdiocese. If you ever need our guidance please call at any time. Sincerely, Paul Larson ~ President.”

650/756-4500 415/970-8801 415/621-4567

McAVOY O’HARA Co.

The Peninsula’s Local Catholic Directors…

S ERV ING WI TH TRUST AND CONFI DE NCE SI NCE 1850

Chapel of the Highlands Funeral & Cremation Care Professionals

Ev e r g r e e n M o r tu a r y

x Highly Recommended / Family Owned x Please call us at (650)

588-5116

4545 G E A RY B O U L E VA R D a t T E N T H AV E N U E

El Camino Real at 194 Millwood Dr., Millbrae

For information prearrangements, and assistance, call day or night (415) 668-0077

www.chapelofthehighlands.com

CA License FD 915

FD 523

The Catholic Cemeteries ◆ Archdiocese of San Francisco

The

www.holycrosscemeteries.com Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery Intersection of Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025 650-323-6375 Tomales Catholic Cemetery 1400 Dillon Road, Tomales, CA 94971 415-479-9021

Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery 1500 Mission Road, Colma, CA 94014 650-756-2060 St. Anthony Cemetery Stage Road Pescadero, CA 94060 650-712-1679

Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery 270 Los Ranchitos Road, San Rafael, CA 94903 415-479-9020 Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery Miramontes St. Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 415-712-1679

A Tr a d i t i o n o f Fa i t h Th r o u g h o u t O u r L i v e s .

Celebrating Life’s Journey Since 1955….

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER! CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Traditional Funerals, Cremations, Memorial Ceremonies As Unique as the Life Lived Lic #: FB 1109 635 Fulton Street San Francisco, CA 94102

415 / 861 - 4559

May 4, 2012

FRIDAY, MAY 4 ART EXHIBIT: “Mirroring the Saints: The Jesuit Wierix Collection” at Manresa Gallery at St. Ignatius Church, San Francisco through June 17. Exhibit features collection of copperplates from the turn of 17th century with potent images of Christ, the angels, founders of orders and Mary. Visit www.manresagallery.org.

SUNDAY, MAY 6 ST. MARTIN DE PORRES: Mass at 10:45 a.m. celebrates 50th anniversary of his canonization at St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, Third Street at Jamestown, San Francisco. Franciscan Father Jim Goode is homilist. Call (415) 468-3434 VISITING ARCHBISHOP: Archbishop Paul Cremona of Malta celebrates Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street and Geary Boulevard, San Francisco. Maltese-American organizations, families and friends as well as all the faithful are invited. Lunch is being served after Mass in the cathedral’s Patrons Hall. Contact Ninfa Pace at (650) 697-1079. GRADS’ MOMS: Riordan High School Alumni Moms Brunch, “Hats Off To Moms,” at the Lake Merced Golf Club. All alumni moms and their guests are welcome. Contact Sharon GhilardiUdovich, director of special events at (415) 5868200 ext.*217 or email sudovich@riordanhs.org. CONCERT: St. Elizabeth Church, 459 Somerset St. at Wayland, San Francisco. Concert celebrating 25th anniversary of the church’s Schoenstein pipe organ at 3 p.m. David Schofield will play. The parish’s Light of God Fil-Am and Knights of Columbus choirs will lead the singing of several hymns. Admission is free. Donations accepted. Reception follows. Free street and lot parking is available. Visit www.stelizabethsf.org or call Karen Haslag, music director at (707) 996-9113.

MONDAY, MAY 7 SALESIAN OLD TIMERS: Evening honors founders and hard workers of Salesian Boys and Girls Club, at Salesian Auditorium, 650 Filbert St., San Francisco. Founders Day Mass is at 5:45 p.m. in Sts. Peter and Paul Church with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person. Contact Russ Gumina at (415) 397-3068. PERSPECTIVES: The Social Justice Committee of St.Matthias Parish, 1685 Cordilleras Road, Redwood City hosts the League of Women Voters with information on upcoming ballot propositions at 7:30 p.m. Contact Evie Dwyer at (650) 368-9372. GOLF: 53rd Annual Catholic Charities CYO Golf Day benefiting Catholic Charities CYO’s Summer Youth Programs - CYO Camp and CYO Athletics summer programs. Former 49er, Ronnie Lott, and Jim McCabe head up the Golf Day Committee, we look forward to another successful day of golf, friendship, and fundraising. This year’s tournament will be held at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club and Stanford University Golf Course. Complete information is available at www. cyogolfday.org.

TUESDAY, MAY 8 BREAKFAST TALK: Joseph Russoniello is guest speaker for Catholics at Work at Crow Canyon Country Club, 711 Silver Lake Drive, Danville. Russoniello is a former U.S. Attorney and is also known for his experience in defense of the Catholic Church. Talk begins at 8:15 a.m. A full buffet breakfast is served starting at 7 a.m. Mass is celebrated at 6:30 a.m. at the same location. Tickets are $20

PUT

for members and $25 for non-members. Visit www. catholicsatwork.org.

PRO-LIFE: San Mateo Pro-Life meets at St. Gregory Parish in rooms below church, 28th Avenue at Hacienda, San Mateo, at 7:30 p.m. The group is open to new membership, so please come and join. Meetings are held the second Thursday of the month (except December). Visit tsmprolife@ yahoo.com or call Jessica at (650) 572-1468. DON BOSCO: Don Bosco study group meets at 7 p.m. in Sts. Peter and Paul Parish center. The study group uses Salesian Father Arthur Lenti’s “Don Bosco: History and Spirit” as the primary source for study and discussion. All are invited, regardless of your level of interest or commitment. We hope to rediscover his life, teachings, spirituality, and the continued relevance within our own lives of the Salesian charism. Contact Frank Lavin (415) 310-8551or email frankalvin@comcast.net.

Anthony’s, 150 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco. Wine and appetizers at 6:15 p.m. and program starts at 7 p.m. Franciscan Father Louis Vitale, Gubbio Project founder and at whose invitation the actor committed to the appearance, will introduce the evening and its participants. The Gubbio Project is daytime outreach to the homeless offering rest in the pews of St. Boniface Church and referral to applicable services. Tickets are $75 per person. Visit www.thegubbioproject.org or call (415) 861-5848. VOCATIONS: “Weekend Religious Life Discernment Retreat” for single Catholic women 18-40, May 18, 19, 20. Is God calling you to consider consecrated life as a Dominican Sister? Discover your place in the mission of Christ with the MSJ Dominicans. RSVP by May 14 to vocations@msjdominicans.org. WIDOWED, DIVORCED WEEKEND: Beginning Experience weekend at the Jesuit Retreat Center, Los Altos. Contact John Ferreira at ferreirajohn@ msn.com or (650) 692-4337. Visit www.beginningexperience.org.

SATURDAY, MAY 12

SATURDAY, MAY 19

MAMMA MIA BINGO: Fundraiser for Most Holy Redeemer AIDS Support Group at MHR’s Ellard Hall, 100 Diamond St. near 18th Street, San Francisco. Admission is $30. Twelve games will be played with prizes valued at well over $3,000. Additional games, snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and games begin at 7 p.m. For tickets contact (415) 863-1581, or they can be purchased at the door. Contact Robert M. Pementell at (415) 863-1581. FESTIVAL: St. Anselm School Festival of Fun, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., St. Anselm School campus, 40 Belle Ave., San Anselmo. Carnival rides, midway games, live music, delicious barbecue cafe. No admission charge, Discount ride tickets available. Call (415) 454-8667. REUNION: Mercy High School, San Francisco, class of ’67 at the school. Contact Stephanie Mischak Lyons at (415) 242-9818 or smlyons@ earthlink.net or on Facebook at Mercy SF ‘67. REUNION: St. Cecilia School, class of ‘55 reunion, at noon at Whitehall Lane Winery, St. Helena. Contact Andi Thuesen Ibarra at andi49ers@yahoo.com or call (415) 665-0959 if you are interested in attending.

NEW PRIESTS: Rev. Mr. Armando J. Gutierrez, Rev. Mr. Felix B. Lim, Rev. Mr. Jerome M. Murphy are ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of San Francisco at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco. REUNION: Class of ’51 from Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Daly City at the 16 Mile House in Millbrae. Search for classmates continues. Call Janet Cirimele at (650) 490-0731.

THURSDAY, MAY 10

THURSDAY, MAY 17 ASSUMPTA AWARDS: The 2012 Assumpta Award Dinner in the St. Mary’s Cathedral Event Center honoring Joanne and Martin Murphy, Patricia Coleman, Dominican Father Xavier Lavagetto, and Social Service Sister Celeste Arbuckle. Visit www.stmarycathedralsf.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 18 TALKING ABOUT IT: “Sanctuary and Social Justice: A Conversation with Martin Sheen,” a fundraiser benefiting The Gubbio Project at St.

CONTEMPORARY SACRED ART: Art by David and the late Thea Ramsey through June 6, Tuesday-Saturday noon-4 p.m., at Notre Dame de Namur University’s Wiegand Gallery, 1500 Ralston Ave., Belmont. Artists and teachers David and Thea Ramsey created art imbued with the sense of the sacred. The two taught at schools including Notre Dame de Namur University, Mercy High School, Burlingame and Canada College. Special reception opens the exhibit May 20, 2-4 p.m. Visit www.ndnu.edu/alumni/upcoming-events.aspx.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 REVIVAL: St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, Third Street at Jamestown, San Francisco, ,7 p.m. Join the annual Pentecost Revival with Dominican Father Paul de Porres Whittington, pastor, St. Benedict the African-West Catholic Church, Chicago. Inspirational Voices of Shipwreck Gospel Choir and other Bay Area gospel choirs lead song. Admission is free. Offering will be taken. Free parking lot entrance on Key Street. Visit www. stpauloftheshipwreck.org or call (415) 468-3434.

SATURDAY, MAY 26 ROSARY CRUSADE: “Public Square Rosary

FOR ONLY $112.00

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

PER MONTH IN OUR

BUSINESS CARD SECTION NOW APPEARING THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH.

THIS NEW

SECTION IS CERTAINLY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN

$65,000

IT WOULD COST TO PRINT

AND MAIL YOUR BUSINESS CARDS TO ALL OUR READERS.

ONLY $96.00 *12-MONTH CONTRACT.

PER MONTH ON A

*FREE LISTING IN OUR BUSINESS DIRECTORY ON OUR WEBSITE*

AD HEADING NAME ADDRESS CITY ZIP

SATURDAY, JUNE 9 BOCCE BALL: Riordan Bocce Ball Tournament at Orange Park in South San Francisco. Contact Sharon Ghilardi-Udovich, director of special events at (415) 586-8200 ext.*217 or email sudovich@riordanhs.org. ALUMNAE DAY: “Notre Dame High School Legacy Luncheon” at Notre Dame High School, 1540 Ralston Ave., Belmont. Contact Denise Severi at Dseveri@ndhsb.org. Reunions for class of ’87, Aug. 5, contact Heather Oda at moda@ co.sanmateo.ca.us; class of ’67 Oct. 27, contact Susan Angle at susanangle@comcast.net or (925) 680-4917.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24 NEW DEACONS: Archbishop George Niederauer will ordain candidates to the permanent diaconate at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Gough Street at Geary Boulevard, San Francisco at 3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 REUNION: Class of 1972, Notre Dame High School, Belmont. Contact Notre Dame alumnae office at (650) 595 1913 ext. 446 or email dseveri@ ndhsb.org or eileen_browning@yahoo.com.

SATURDAY, OCT. 6 REUNION: Marin Catholic High School, class of ’62 at Jason’s Restaurant, Greenbrae. Visit www. marincatholic62.com or call Jeannie at (415) 4793838 or Mergie, at (415) 453-7714.

REUNION: Presentation High School, San Francisco, class of 1982, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at Elks Lodge, 920 Stonegate Drive, South San Francisco. Tickets at $40 per person include delicious brunch. Email Kathy Cooney Eagles at kathycooney@hotmail.com or call (650) 892-7310.

SATURDAY, OCT. 20 REUNION: St. Paul High School class of 1972 at the Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco. Email sphs1972reunion@gmail.com by April 30 for catering head count. Include your contact information with your maiden name for details.

CONTACT US: Datebook is a free service for parishes, agencies and institutions to publicize events. Copy deadline is noon Friday before requested issue date. Send item including who, what, where, when, cost and contact information to burket@sfarchdiocese. org or Datebook, One Peter Yorke Way, SF 94109.

Attach Card Here Deadline for June 8th Issue is May 28th

YOUR BUSINESS CARD IN THE HANDS OF

R EADERS

MEN’S CONFERENCE: “Courage to be Catholic” at St. Luke Parish, 1111 Beach Park Blvd., Foster City, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. Jesse Romero and Terry Barber are guest speakers. Last year’s event drew more than 500 participants. Tickets are $40 per person with group rates available. Email ruben@ saintjoe.com or call (877) 526-2151. Visit www. saintjoeconferences.com. WHALE OF A SALE: St. Sebastian Church parking lot, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Bon Air Road, Greenbrae, set-up 7:30 a.m. and shopping from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Spaces available for vendors at $35 each before May 25/$50 each after May 25. Spaces are one full parking space. Call (415) 461-0704 or email sebastian94904@ yahoo.com.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14

SUNDAY, MAY 20

210,000

THE

SATURDAY, JUNE 2

SATURDAY, MAY 19 THREE CHEERS: A celebration of Ron Isola’s 45 years of service to Archbishop Riordan High School and Bay Area athletics. Tickets are $80 per person. Mass is at 5 p.m. followed by cocktails, dinner and program. Visit ronsretirement@riordanhs.org. Pictured with the honoree are his wife, Annette (left) and Riordan’s Roxanne Kovacich..

LIFE ROSARY: Pro-life rosary is prayed at 9 a.m. at Planned Parenthood, 35 Baywood Ave., San Mateo, each first Saturday of the month. Event is sponsored by San Mateo Pro-Life. Call Jessica at (650) 572-1468. GIDDY-UP: “Urban Cowboy Evening” at St. Hilary Parish, Tiburon beginning at 6 p.m. Enjoy evening of good food, drinks, live and silent auctions, gambling and more. Tickets are $150 per person. Visit www.sthilary.org or call (415) 435-1122, ext. 115.

Crusade,” at San Francisco’ UN Plaza, Eighth Street and Market Street at noon led by Father John Jimenez. “Don’t let God be pushed from the public square,” organizers said. Call Juanita Agcaoili at (415) 647-7229 or Helen Rosenthal at (415) 661-1991.

Datebook

SATURDAY, MAY 5

Catholic San Francisco

Deadline for July 18th Issue is June 29th Please do not write on your card.

STATE PHONE

MAIL TO: CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO, BUSINESS CARD ONE PETER YORKE WAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

‘He spoke to me’: Rwandan teen’s visions of Jesus make engaging story “THE BOY WHO MET JESUS: SEGATASHYA OF KIBEHO” by Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin. Hay House (Carlsbad, Calif., 2011). 216 pp., $24.95.

Reviewed by Nancy L. Roberts (CNS) Some skeptics might call the religious visions detailed by author Immaculee Ilibagiza in “The Boy Who Met Jesus: Segatashya of Kibeho” nothing but the hallmark hallucinations of temporal lobe epilepsy. Others will see them as direct manifestations of the divine in everyday life. In any case, this story of a poor, illiterate Rwandan shepherd boy’s spiritual journey is absorbing and sometimes inspiring. Segatashya came from a pagan family and never had the opportunity to attend school or church or read a Bible. On a summer day in 1982, under a shade tree, the teenager experienced an apparition of Jesus. As he explained, “I saw him (Jesus) and he spoke to me. ... He said he chose me as a sign to show people who don’t believe in him – like pagans and any other nonbelievers – that he is not forgetting them. He sees them, he cares about them, he loves them, and he hopes that they invite him into their hearts.” Eventually Segatashya set off on a profound spiritual mis-

sion. For eight years before he was murdered in the Rwandan genocide in 1994, he traveled and bore witness to life’s purpose: to love Jesus and one’s fellow humans, to strive to reach heaven. Despite sometimes being beaten by those who doubted his sincerity, Segatashya seemed to retain his innate innocence. Ultimately the depth of his spiritual wisdom convinced and comforted many of his critics. Ilibagiza has also written “Our Lady of Kibeho” (with Steve Erwin), a book about the Marian visionaries whose experiences in the early 1980s made the town a famous pilgrimage site. Unlike their visions, however, Segatashya’s were not officially authenticated by the Catholic Church before his death. Ilibagiza recounts in “The Boy Who Met Jesus” how Segatashya once appeared to her in a dream, advising her

not to be overly concerned with this: “’Isn’t telling my story more important than waiting for someone on earth to give my words a stamp of approval? Isn’t letting people know about the messages Jesus gave to me the most important thing in the world?’” Ilibagiza, who studied electronic and mechanical engineering at the National University, lost most of her own family in the Rwandan genocide. She met Segatashya about a year before he died; her research sources also include extensive interviews with his younger sister, Christine. Ilibagiza’s tone throughout “The Boy Who Met Jesus” is reverent and respectful. She spends perhaps more time than needed in reflecting on her own feelings toward Segatashya. No matter how one regards supposed mystical apparitions such as this, the story is often engaging. After all, Segatashya represents our own primal yearning with the questions he poses directly to Jesus: Why were we created? Why must we suffer? Is there life after death? How do we get to heaven? Roberts directs the journalism program at the State University of New York at Albany. She is the author of “Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker” and other books.

Religious travelogue has interesting premise that remains unfulfilled “PLACES OF FAITH: A ROAD TRIP ACROSS AMERICA’S RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE” by Christopher P. Scheitle and Roger Finke. Oxford University Press (New York, 2012). 240 pp., $27.95.

Reviewed by Mary T. Kantor (CNS) In a rented Dodge Charger, two sociologists from Penn State University set off on a five-week, 6,904-mile trip to various points across the United States. “Places of Faith: A Road Trip Across America’s Religious Landscape” is a glimpse into this journey. Authors Christopher P. Scheitle and Roger Finke invite the reader to join them in “discovering America’s rich religious mosaic by exploring some of the most distinctive and important sites within America’s religious geography.” Each of the book’s chapters focuses on a different destination, with additional short “views from the road.” The primary sites are Memphis, Tenn.; Houston; Colorado Springs, Colo.; San Francisco; Salt Lake City; central Nebraska; Detroit; Brooklyn, N.Y.; and central Pennsylvania. The chapters provide some history and a broad religious overview of the area; a site-specific experience of the authors – often in a worship setting; additional commentary and analysis; and a brief list of related references and further reading. Though much material and many miles are covered, the book’s title suggests a broader landscape than that actually presented. The pieces of a religious mosaic are heavily reliant on Christianity, with a spectrum presented from African-American churches, mega-

SCRIPTURE SEARCH

churches, parachurch groups, Mormonism, Catholic and Lutheran churches of European and Hispanic heritages, and local “house” churches. A chapter each is given to Islam, Judaism and “Asian religions.” It is not clear how the authors chose the primary destinations for their “carefully charted” course, nor how they determined the status of these destinations as some of the most distinctive and important. Large areas of the country – New England, the upper Midwest, the Northwest, the Southeast – were not visited and are not represented. (Christianity’s arrival, with the first Mass in 1565, would seem a worthy reason to include, or at least make mention of, St. Augustine, Fla.) The authors, scholars who “have each published extensively on historical and national trends in American religion,” appear to limit their approach to many of the sites by using mainline Protestant Christianity as their baseline for comparison. On their experience of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, formal name of the Mormons, they note: “On many Sundays the worship service resembles that of many Protestants, sometimes even using the same hymns.” From the multitude of Asian religious experiences to explore in San Francisco, most of which were “strikingly different from other religious congregations in the United States,” the authors chose to write about their

Gospel for May 6, 2012 John 15:1-8

Bilingual Staff Information and Referrals ● Care Coordination

Following is a word search based on the Gospel reading for Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B: Jesus’ parting words to his disciples, words about growth. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle.

Providing Services to the Italian Community since 1916 Casa Fugazi ● 678 Green Street ● San Francisco 94133

THE TRUE VINE PRUNES IN ME UNLESS WITHERS ASK DONE

BRANCH MORE FRUIT CANNOT BEAR DO NOTHING GATHER WHATEVER

FRUIT THE WORD THE VINE THROWN FIRE IT WILL BE GLORIFIED

PRUNING L

Sponsored by Duggan’s Serra Mortuary 500 Westlake Avenue, Daly City 650-756-4500 ● www.duggansserra.com

Italian-American Community Services Agency Tel: 415-362-6423 www.italiancommunityservices.org

experience of a Buddhist community that “seemed to have more in common with traditional Protestant churches than with the Buddhist temples we had just visited.” Even their description of a Mass sounded like a Protestant service, with no mention of Catholicism’s integral element of the Eucharist: “There was a confession of faith, Bible readings, prayers, a homily or short sermon, a blessing, a collection, and there was singing, much singing.” References to “a typical Protestant congregation” and Catholic worship “similar to Roman Catholic Masses conducted everywhere” seem to belie the book’s basic premise of America’s “ever-changing religious geography” with “a rich and varied topography.” Of the many religious leaders interviewed in this exploration of diversity, only two were women. The book is uneven not only in its treatment across regions and leadership, but also in its treatment of the different religious traditions and of the groups within them. Though pointing to America’s rich religious variety, the authors presume the reader to be Christian or at least quite familiar with Christianity. A Christian reader might learn of the “five pillars” of Islam, or of the Jewish law contained in the Torah. A Muslim, a Hindu or someone unaffiliated with a religion would not learn any of the basic tenets that undergird Christianity. Learning about a religious tradition other than one’s own can be a rich and rewarding experience. This book provides some pieces toward this exploration, with interesting statistics, entertaining anecdotes and interviews, and compelling photos. But for a more comprehensive, expansive and extraordinary resource on the American religious landscape, see Harvard University’s Pluralism Project at pluralism.org. For a road trip that provides more breadth to American Christianity, see “Sundays in America: A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith” by Suzanne Strempek Shea, Beacon Press, 2008. Kantor, a writer and lecturer, lives in Boston and has a doctorate in religion and society from Harvard Divinity School.

McCoy Church Goods Co. Inc.

Irish Help At Home

Competitive Prices & Personalized Service

QUALITY HOME CARE SERVING THE BAY AREA SINCE 1996 * Attendants * Companions • Insured • Bonded

www.irishhelpathome.com San Francisco 415 759 0520 Marin 415.721.7380 San Mateo 650.347.6903

1010 Howard Avenue San Mateo, CA 94401

(650) 342-0924

May 4, 2012

Catholic San Francisco

classifieds

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION visit us at www.catholic-sf.org or Call: 415-614-5642 Fax: 415-614-5641 Email: penaj@sfarchdiocese.org

Novenas PUBLISH A NOVENA

Pre-payment required Mastercard or Visa accepted

Cost $26

If you wish to publish a Novena in the Catholic San Francisco You may use the form below or call 415-614-5640 Your prayer will be published in our newspaper

Name Address Phone MC/VISA # Exp. Select One Prayer: â?&#x2018; St. Jude Novena to SH

â?&#x2018; Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

â?&#x2018; Prayer to St. Jude

â?&#x2018; Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Please return form with check or money order for $26 Payable to: Catholic San Francisco Advertising Dept., Catholic San Francisco 1 Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109

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.T.

Summ e Speciar/Fall ls

$89

$119

PILGRIMAGE SALES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Unitours, one of the most respected names in Catholic Pilgrimage Travel is seeking a sales representative in this area. Representatives call on local priests and parish pilgrimage organizers to assist in planning and promoting Catholic Parish Pilgrimages to Europe and the Middle East. Position is commission based and international travel experience and basic computer skills are required. To apply, complete the application and attached resume at www.Unitours.com/sales

Senior Care Mature European Female seeks work. 15 yrs exp. with wonderful Bay Area Seniors. All aspects of Home Care covered. excl Refs.

Pls call 415-685-1797

Chimney Cleaning

$139

Help Wanted

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin never known to fail. Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assistme 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. ALVY

Catholic San Francisco

St. Martha Novena NOVENA TO ST. MARTHA O St. Martha I resort to thee and to thy faith and Petition and faith. I offer up to thee this lighted candle which I shall burn every Tuesday for nine Tuesdays. Comfort me in all my difficulties through the great favor thou didst enjoy when our Savior lodged in thy house. I beseech thee to have definite pity in regard to the favor I ask (mention favor) I intercede for my family that we may always be provided for in all our necessities. I ask thee St. Martha to overcome the dragon which thou has cast at thy feet. One Our Father, three Hail Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and a lighted candle every Tuesday for nine Tuesdays and the above prayer made known with the intention of spreading devotion to St. Martha. This miraculous Saint grants everything before Tuesdays are ended no matter how difficult. K.M.D.

Public Service Announcement

"' $ "$ * !( & &" " ! '% & &. ' " & #)$ & " '$ % ) "* ' * ) " " "'$ "( "$ $ # %&"$, & $ % . "" , , . ., & & 87-;< . . "%# %%, '! * * =& , 97890 & $ % "'! $ ! %&"$ $ &"$ " & " $"'! $ ! % ! ( ! + & "! ! %&$* "$ $ ! $ ! % ! ) "$ &*, "'! $ ! $ % !& " & & "! & " #"%&" & "$ , ! & ! & " ( ! %& ! & ! & & & %. "! * !")! % & 3 ! " & " #$ $%4, & $ #$ & $%& & " ( ( ! $ ! 8@>; ! "!& !' % &" #$ & "%# %% "

! & ! &* " ' ! & $"' "'& & )"$ . "!2& %% & % $ $ "##"$&'! &* &" $ & % $ & ! " " #$ 0 "' ) & * %% 0 & $ ! & #)$ * ) & & % %% " % "! &" " "$ & & <7& !! ( $% $* " & !"! + & "! " &. $& ! "$$ %, & $%& !& " & $ %, ! # &$"! " ) " )"$ "$ %" '%& 0 #)$ % " & & 8899 %&")! ( !' ! $ $ &$ &. "$ "$ ! "$ & "! 5;8<6 ;=?/:;:;, "$ ( % & "'$ ) % & & ))).%&# ' " & % #)$ ."$

POSITION AVAILABLE Custodian/Janitorial This is an indoor/outdoor position, nineteen hours per week. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 3:00 to 7:00 and Fridays, 4:00 to 7:00. Interested persons may call (415) 282-0141 for an application

Help Wanted Parish Administrative Assistant / Executive Secretary Our Lady of Angels Church in Burlingame Job Description: Perform the full range of secretarial/administrative responsibilities required for the Parish oďŹ&#x192;ce, including but not limited to the following: develop and maintain oďŹ&#x192;ce record-keeping systems, scheduling of Parish facilities, maintain petty cash funds, oversee oďŹ&#x192;ce supplies inventory/equipment, coordinate volunteers, produce weekly bulletin and/or other newsletter, maintain parish census records Required Skills: The successful candidate will be a self-starter who possesses excellent organizational skills, is attentive to detail, and has the ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines in an eďŹ&#x192;cient manner. Candidates must have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently and as a member of a team. A professional demeanor and the ability to handle conďŹ dential information are essential. Must be able to type 45 words per minute, be technologically proďŹ cient in Excel and Word and have the ability to learn additional software as needed. Experience: High School Diploma or equivalent required, Bachelors degree preferred. Previous experience in responsible oďŹ&#x192;ce positions is required. Previous experience in working with and motivating volunteers and previous experience with graphic or publishing software preferred. Previous light book keeping experience is desirable For more details about this position and specifics on the application process, please visit: www.olaparish.org/JobPosition.aspx

PRINCIPAL POSITION AVAILABLE 2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR ST. TIMOTHY CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SAN MATEO Saint Timothy School is a Catholic elementary school in San Mateo, Grades K to 8, serving an ethnically diverse populatÂ˛n. It has instructÂ˛nal aides, teachers for Spanish language instructÂ˛n, computer science, general and instrumental music, and P. E. It offers a full-day Kindergarten, a special needs program, an art program, extended care before and after school, an athletic program, a departmentalized junÂ˛r high, a rigorous comprehensive curriculum, and a secure environment. QUALIFICATIONS FOR A PRINCIPAL: â&#x20AC;˘ A practicing Roman Catholic in good standing with the Church â&#x20AC;˘ A valid teaching credential â&#x20AC;˘ Five years successful teaching experience at the K-8 level (at least three in Catholic schools) â&#x20AC;˘ A Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in educatÂ˛nal leadership and an administrative credential(preferred) â&#x20AC;˘ Five years successful administrative experience at the K-8 level (at least three in Catholic schools) APPLICATION AND INTERVIEW: Applicants must complete an applicatÂ˛n and establish a personnel fĂ§e with the Department of Catholic Schools. Materials may also be downloaded from the Department of Catholic Schools website, www.sfcatholicschools.org. The requested material plus a letter of interest should be returned to: Mr. Bret E. Allen Associate Superintendent for EducatÂ˛nal and ProfessÂ˛nal Leadership Department of Catholic Schools One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA 94109-6602 Applicants with personnel fĂ§es already established with the Department of Catholic Schools should send a letter indicating an interest in applying for the positÂ˛n and contact Bret Allen by phoning (415) 614-5665 or by e-maĂ§ing at allenb@sfarchdÂ˛cese.org to update fĂ§es. SALARY: Salary for the positÂ˛n wĂ§l be determined according to Archdiocesan guidelines based upon experience as a teacher or administrator and graduate educatÂ˛n. Medical, dental and retirement benefits are included.

Visit www.catholic-sf.org For your local & international Catholic news, advertising information and more!

Catholic San Francisco

May 4, 2012

SERVICE DIRECTORY For information about advertising in Catholic San Francisco's Service Directory, visit www.catholic-sf.org, Call (415) 614-5642, Fax: (415) 614-5641 or E-mail: penaj@sfarchdiocese.org

Garage Door Housecleaning Reasonable rates

Free Estimates Licensed, Bonded & Insured

G ARAGE D OOR R EPAIR Same price 7 days

Christopher’s House Cleaning

Lic. # 376353

415.370.4341

(415) 931-1540 24 hrs.

www.christophershousecleaning.com

Lifetime Warranty on All Doors + Motors

Home Health Care Healthcare Agency Irish Help At Home QUALITY HOME CARE SERVING THE BAY AREA SINCE 1996 * Attendants * Companions • Insured • Bonded

“The most compassionate care in town”

PAINTING 10% Discount: Seniors, Parishioners

*Irish owned & operated

Call BILL 415.731.8065 • Cell: 415.710.0584

BETTER HEALTH CARE

Marin 415.721.7380

BILL HEFFERON

1655 Old Mission Road #3 Colma, SSF, CA 94080 415-573-5141 or 650-993-8036 *Serving from San Francisco to North San Mateo

www.irishhelpathome.com

San Francisco 415 759 0520

SUPPLE SENIOR CARE

Painting

FOR SENIORS WITH SPECIAL NEED OF CARE

Notary

INTERIOR, EXTERIOR All Jobs Large and Small

bheffpainting@sbcglobal.net Member of Better Business Bureau

Certified Signing Agent

PHONE: 415-846-1922 FAX: 415-702-9272

* Member National Notary Association *

We Provide reliable & experienced caregivers to help seniors in their own home. *Companionship, Bathing, Alzheimer, Dementia & more.

➤ Hauling ➤ Job Site Clean-Up ➤ Demolition ➤ Yard Service ➤ Garbage Runs ➤ Saturday & Sunday

For more information, contact: Contractors State License Board 800-321-2752

The Irish Rose

Decks • Carports • Stains • Concrete • Kitchen • Bathrooms

Counseling When Life Hurts It Helps To Talk Dr. Daniel J. Kugler Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Over 30 years experience • Reasonable Fees

Confidential • Compassionate • Practical (415) 921-1619 • Insurance Accepted 1537 Franklin Street • San Francisco, CA 94109

David Nellis M.A. M.F.T. • Marriage problems

Retaining Walls Stairs • Gates Dry Rot Senior & Parishioner Discounts

• Individual problems Lic. #742961

John Spillane • • • •

6 5 0 . 291. 4303

Plumbing HOLLAND Plumbing Works San Francisco ALL PLUMBING WORK PAT HOLLAND CA LIC #817607

BONDED & INSURED

415-205-1235

Electrical DEWITT ELECTRIC YOUR # 1 CHOICE FOR Recessed Lights – Outdoor Lighting Outlets – Dimmers – Service Upgrades • Trouble Shooting!

Ph. 415.515.2043 Ph. 650.508.1348

Lic. 631209) 9)

O’DONOGHUE CONSTRUCTION

Specializing in home health aides, attendants and companions.

• Family • Work • Relationships • Depression • Anxiety • Addictions

Fences & Decks

LAST-MINUTE SERVICE AVAILABLE

DALY CONSTRUCTION

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER!

Lic. # 907564

YOELSHAULING@YAHOO.COM

Home Healthcare Agency

Contact: 415.447.8463

(415) 786-0121 • (650) 871-9227

PAUL (415) 282-2023

Lic. # 505353B-C36

Serving San Francisco, Marin & the Peninsula.

Roofing

FREE ESTIMATES! • Fast & Affordable

Kitchen/Bath Remodel Dry Rot Repair • Decks /Stairs Plumbing Repair/Replacement Call: 650.580.2769

– NOTICE TO READERS –

Licensed contractors are required by law to list their license numbers in advertisments. The law also state that contractors performing work totaling $500 or more must be state-licensed. Advertisments appearing in this newspaper without a license number indicate that the contractor is not licensed.

• Loss and grief

Affordable

415.383.6122

Lic.# 593788

McGuire & Sons construction State L i cens e # 346397, E st . 1978 4 15-454-2719 fine work at re asonable prices m cg u ire ands ons con str u c tion .com

Handy Man Expert interior and exterior painting, carpentry, demolition, fence (repair, build), decks, remodeling, roof repair, gutter (clean/repair), landscaping, gardening, hauling, moving, welding.

All Purpose Cell (415) 517-5977 (650) 757-1946 NOT A LICENSED CONTRACTOR

(415) 242-3355

Inner Child Healing Offers a deep spiritual and psychological approach to counseling: ❖ 30 years experience with individuals, couples and groups ❖ Directed, effective and results-oriented ❖ Compassionate and Intuitive ❖ Supports 12-step ❖ Enneagram Personality Transformation ❖ Free Counseling for Iraqi/Afghanistani Vets

•Interiors •Exteriors •Kitchens •Baths Contractor inspection reports and pre-purchase consulting

S.O.S. PAINTING CO. Interior-Exterior wallpaper hanging & removal

Lic # 526818 Senior Discount

415-269-0446 650-738-9295

www.sospainting.net

FREE ESTIMATES

Irish Painting Discount to CSF Readers

Eoin Lehane

415.368.8589 Lic.#942181

www.Irishpainting-sf.com

Construction VONNEGUT THOREAU construction On-time — on-budget.

MATT JOYCE 415.314.8415 www.vtconstruct.com 118 Mateo St., San Francisco

Cahalan Const. Remodels, Additions, Paint,Windows, Dryrot, Stucco

415.279.1266 Lic. #582766 415.566.8646 mikecahalan@gmail.com

Carpentry Doors • Locks • Moldings • Stairs • Hand Raçs • Cabinetry Not a licensed contractor

Tonlegee4@yahoo.com

Windows Kevin Cooper

Do you want to be more fulfilled in love and work – but find things keep getting in the way? Unhealed wounds can hold you back - even if they are not the “logical” cause of your problems today. You can be the person God intended.

Painting & Remodeling

415-810-7037

• Spiritual problems

www.christianscounseling2.com

(650) 355-4926

Construction Painting

Long hrs. - $10, Short hrs. - $18, Live-in - $170

(650) 580-6334 / (925) 330-4760

John Holtz Ca. Lic 391053 General Contractor Since 1980

Bonded, Insured – LIC. #819191

Breen’s Mobile Notary Services Timothy P. Breen Notary Public

Painting & Remodeling

License # 858573

Window & Door Replacement free estimates Vinyl Fiberglass Wood Aluminum cell # 415 290 3599 kevcoop@sbcglobal.net

Lila Caffery, MA, CCHT

VISIT US AT CATHOLIC-SF.ORG

San Francisco: 415.337.9474 Complimentary phone consultation www.InnerChildHealing.com

FOR YOUR CATHOLIC NEWS

Electrical ALL ELECTRIC SERVICE 650.322.9288

Service Changes Solar Installation Lighting/Power Fire Alarm/Data Green Energy Fully Licensed • State Certified • Locally Trained • Experienced • On Call 24/7