OC CATHOLIC - MARCH 26, 2023

CHRIST CATHEDRAL CELEBRATES GOSPEL MASS

HONORS SIX BLACK HOLY MEN AND WOMEN ON THE ROAD TO SAINTHOOD PAGE 6

A PHOTO OF SR. THEA BOWMAN IS DISPLAYED DURING THE GOSPEL MASS CELEBRATED AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL ON MARCH 11. PHOTO BY KAYLEE TOOLE/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

CONTENTS

“HAVE MERCY ON ME, GOD”

Prayers of repentance can help ease the way to the the sacrament of confession.

CEMETERIES UPDATE

The Cemeteries Department at the Diocese of Orange shares updates on two new projects.

“SHOW ME THE WAY”

It’s never too late to welcome God into your life, or to encourage others to do the same.

ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT

The Orange County Catholic Newspaper seeks to illuminate and animate the journey of faith for Catholics within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – building solidarity among the faithful and inviting a deeper understanding and involvement in the mission of Christ – through the timely sharing of news, commentary and feature content in an engaging, accessible and compelling format.

ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC

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OFFER, ADORE, RECEIVE

WHEN WE SPEAK about what we Catholics, both clergy and lay folk, do with the Holy Eucharist, what words do we use, specifically what verbs do we use? These verbs, or words which express actions, will tell us how we think about this great mystery of our faith and show us what more we still need to know about and to do with what we call the Blessed Sacrament. Usually the verb we most associate with the Eucharist is receive or take, as in “I receive the Eucharist,” or “I took Holy Communion.” Of course, a sacrament in which we drink and eat is obviously in the form of a meal, and a meal is something we take or receive from the one who has prepared it. Yes, the verb “receive” reminds us that the Eucharist

can be a sacred meal, an eating and drinking of the sacramental signs. This eating and drinking tells us that the Lord Jesus is our spiritual nourishment as he himself tells us in the sixth chapter of St. John’s gospel: “My flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink.” Food is assimilated into our bodies: we become what we eat, so the Lord tells us in the same chapter “The one who feeds on me will live because of me.”

We become one with the Lord in a manner so perfect that it can only be perceived by faith in this life, and in the vision of God in the life to come. In receiving the Eucharist, we have an intimate and effective union with the Lord in a way that goes far beyond the other ways, even the closest, where one human being comes into union with another. All this is implied in the expression “re-

CONTINUES ON PAGE 13

ST. JOHN’S SEMINARY CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA

ST. JOHN’S SEMINARY NOW OFFERS AN ONLINE M.A. IN PASTORAL MINISTRY PROGRAM FOR THE LAITY

This program will help lay ministers increase their knowledge of the Catholic intellectual tradition and improve their ministerial skills for the life of the Church. Students will be prepared to work in different areas of ministry and make professional and personal connections with others of the same mind and spirit.

For more information

Email: mapm@stjohnsem.edu or visit www.stjohnsem.edu

The Diocese of Orange, through OC Catholic newspaper, presents local, national and world news about the Catholic Church. Our intention is to give our readers access to a variety of perspectives in order to help them to process the information within the framework of our Catholic faith, but also to better understand the perspectives of those with opposing viewpoints. We hope that ultimately our readers will be better equipped to have constructive conversations that further the growth of the Catholic Church.

Watch a brief video about the program

A studio with professional video, audio, and lighting equipment has been built to produce visually stunning content by our world-class faculty. This studio allows our students to have an enjoyable technological experience.

FR. HUGH BARBOUR, O.PRAEM

FR. HUGH BARBOUR, O.PRAEM

MARCH 26, 2023

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

LIFE FROM GOD

AS WE APPROACH HOLY Week, our readings speak of a God who, in the midst of death, brings new life to the people. In Ezekiel, we hear that God will open the graves of the people of Israel, who faced near extinction. In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives new life to Lazarus in a manner that prefigures the resurrection of Jesus. Paul tells the Romans that in Christ, God will not only give life to our bodies after death, but God offers us abundant life here and now. We observe that the external conditions for the people described in these readings did not radically change. Israel was still in exile. Lazarus would eventually face death again. But now God’s presence and power are revealed. Even when our situation in life is difficult and perhaps not likely to change soon, we remember that the Spirit dwells within us.

Copyright

© J. S. Paluch Co. C

BASIL THE YOUNGER DIED MARCH 26, 952

AS A YOUNG MAN, Basil began living as a hermit near Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey. Courtiers of the Byzantine emperor, alarmed at his appearance and fearful of his influence, had him arrested and questioned as a spy. Basil would say only that he was a pilgrim and stranger on earth, but he denounced their immoral lifestyles. According to his hagiography, he survived their cruel tortures and being thrown to a lion unharmed, and was saved from an official drowning by two dolphins. These miracles won him freedom. Thereafter, many of the faithful came to his hermitage for healing, prophecies and instruction. Basil reportedly lived to the age of 110.

“

God is hidden in our life…he is concealed in the most common and most ordinary situations

— Pope Francis

CHRIST CATHEDRAL CELEBRATES GOSPEL MASS

BY LOU PONSI

DENOUNCING RACIAL INJUSTICE as a sin while honoring the contributions of six Black holy men and women on the road to sainthood were the core messages of a special Gospel Mass celebrated at Christ Cathedral on March 11.

Fr. Brendan Busse, pastor of Dolores Mission Church in East Los Angeles and board member of Loyola Institute of Spirituality, presided over the Mass,

with hundreds in attendance, including Bishop Kevin Vann, Cathedral Rector Fr. Bao Thai, and other clergy. Deacon Darrell Miller, the first African American to be ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Orange, proclaimed the Gospel.

In January, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement announcing beatification and canonization causes of six inspirational African American Catholics:

Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Servant of God Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Henriette Delille, Venerable Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greeley and Sister Thea Bowman.

Any person, philosophy or system that

would question the holiness of the six African American holy men and women should be shouted down, Fr. Busse said.

“Today, Christ invites to remember that there is not holiness without wholeness,” he added. “I’m proud to say that our Catholic Church takes that notion very seriously, that we don’t become human alone. We can’t save ourselves alone. It’s not just me and my family. But it’s me and my family all around the world. That I think is what it means to be a saint.”

Fr. Busse, meanwhile, cited examples of racial injustices occurring throughout our country’s history, such as separate drinking fountains and swimming pools and segregated churches and buses.

“The sin of racism is a sin of many

generations, of systems and structures,” Fr. Busse said. “It’s not just about our personal biases and prejudice although those are important. It’s about the big picture story. This Gospel Mass is a way for us to pray together, to acknowledge our sin of racism together, to acknowledge the holiness of these six African American saints and ask for their intercession for us, individually and corporately, that we will open our hearts to God’s gift of repentance and forgiveness and the Beloved Community to which we are called, a unity ultimately made possible only by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Bishop Kevin Vann offered concluding comments extending his gratitude to the organizers and making a personal note of his connection to Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton from his home diocese of Springfield whose grave at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Quincy he visited regularly.

Prior to the start of Mass, Greg Walgenbach, director of the Office of Life, Justice and Peace at the Diocese of Orange, read passages from the book, “Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood,” a biography of the six holy men and women.

“At a time when our country continues to reel from the pain and fear surrounding racial injustice and when violence is occurring in its wake, many believe the church should make a concerted effort to bring greater attention to bring witness and holiness of the African Americans with open canonization causes,” said Walgenbach, quoting from the book. “The very legacy of holiness of these six Black Catholics on the path to canonization is therefore a great blessing for the Church in America, for all of us. The light they magnify cannot be hidden under a bushel basket. Instead, it must be shared.”

The Gospel Mass came to fruition based on a collaboration between

FR. BRENDAN BUSSE, PASTOR OF DOLORES MISSION CHURCH IN EAST LOS ANGELES AND BOARD MEMBER OF LOYOLA INSTITUTE OF SPIRITUALITY, PRESIDED OVER THE GOSPEL MASS CELEBRATED AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL ON MARCH 11. PHOTOS BY KAYLEE TOOLE/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

HONORS

SIX BLACK HOLY MEN AND WOMEN ON THE ROAD TO SAINTHOOD

Walgenbach, Lori Stanley, executive director of the Loyola Institute of Spirituality in Orange and assisted by the Knights of Peter Claver, Sister Thea Bowman Council 406, based at Christ Cathedral Campus.

Stanley and Walgenbach had helped to co-facilitate a Just Faith workshop on Faith, Race and Social Justice, at the end of which each participant shared commitments to action in response. Stanley approached Walgenbach about the possibility of celebrating special Mass at Christ Cathedral to raise awareness about these six African American religious leaders. Eddie Hilley, director of music at St. Agatha in Los Angeles, with a small choir, was invited to lead the people of God in prayerful song.

“The impetus for me to elevate knowledge of the six Black holy men and women on the road to canonization was my belief that we are created to worship God and to serve others,” Stanley said. “These six holy men and women endured unbelievable suffering and dehumanizing treatment yet their abiding relationship with Christ strengthened their faith, fortified their missions to be courageous prophets of love. in serving God, they served all people in need without distinction.”

The six religious leaders are:

PIERRE TOUSSAINT (1776–1853)

A philanthropist and founder of many Catholic charitable works, Toussaint was born into slavery in Haiti and then brought from Haiti to New York to serve as an apprentice under a popular hairstylist in the city.

Toussaint went on to become quite wealthy, using his resources to support the Church and the poor.

Toussaint and his wife provided shelter for orphans, refugees and others on the streets and founded one

“HAVE MERCY ON ME, GOD”

BY DANIELLE TAYABAS

KING DAVID’S PSALM 51 is a humbling and powerful prayer of repentance that we can turn to in preparation for the Sacrament of Confession. It reveals the goodness of God Who is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 145:8).

Scripture tells us that the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to confront David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), because he had committed the sin of murder by having his soldier, Uriah, killed. David did this to cover up his sin of adultery with Uriah’s wife, Basheba, who became pregnant with his child (2 Samuel 11:1-27, 12:1-25).

After his conscience was pierced David humbled himself and repented with true contrition of heart. When we ponder the repentance and restoration of David, we find a key that unlocks a treasure.

The Key is Trust in God’s Merciful Love. The Treasure is Salvation!

We can relate to David because of our sinfulness. Like David, God gazes upon us with “age-old love” and mercy (Jeremiah 31:3). God embraces us with tenderness when we return to Him with our every misery and sin so that He can forgive us and restore us.

During this Lenten season let us rest upon the bosom of Our Heavenly Father and receive His love. Take quiet moments daily to reflect on our lives and ask Him to reveal to us when we have sinned, then humbly repent.

We can also ask Our Merciful Father to heal us at the root of our sinful tendencies and for the grace to have a holy hatred for sin. For the discernment of

spirits to recognize temptations and reject all evil. For His protection from the influence of evil and an increase of love for God and growth in virtue.

Let us pray this Psalm with deepest humility and trust in His mercy which flows upon us through the Precious Blood of His Son, Christ Jesus…Who is Our Salvation.

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me.

Against you, you alone have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your eyes So that you are just in your word, and without reproach in your judgment. Behold, I was born in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire true sincerity; and

secretly you teach me wisdom. Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

You will let me hear gladness and joy; the bones you have crushed will rejoice. Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my iniquities.

A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me from before your face, nor take from me your holy spirit. Restore to me the gladness of your salvation; uphold me with a willing spirit. I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you.

Rescue me from violent bloodshed, God, my saving God and my tongue will sing joyfully of your justice. Lord, you will open my lips; and my mouth will proclaim your praise. For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept.

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn. C

PHOTO BY AARON BURDEN

MAGNIFICAT MINISTRY LIGHTS A FIRE

BY MEG WATERS

FOR THE PAST 32 years, a loosely knit but closely tied group of Orange County women have met four times a year for breakfast, inspiration and a shared devotion to the Holy Spirit.

Together they are the Our Lady of Peace Chapter of the Magnificat Ministry for Women, part of the international Magnificat Ministry.

The ministry, not affiliated with Magnificat publishing, began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1982 and has grown to more than 100 chapters worldwide.

It began in Orange County during an event in 1991. Anita Williams and three of her friends heard about Magnificat from a priest and decided to start a chapter in Orange County. It grew by word of mouth from a pot-luck breakfast at Holy Family in Orange to the Embassy Suites in Garden Grove. This year they have moved the venue to Christ Cathedral.

A small 5-member planning committee organized the event and Magnificat still runs that way. There is no membership or dues, just a small working group of volunteers who pull it all together four times a year.

Fast forward to 2023. Magnificat Ministry moved its quarterly breakfasts to Christ Cathedral, a move the group’s treasurer, Michele Harnish, said pleased many of the women who can now attend Mass at 8 a.m. before the breakfast begins at 9:30.

Harnish noted that the guest speakers relate stories or experiences that help the audience see their faith more concretely. Often these are stories of how the speaker discerned the call to religious life or evidence of the miraculous in daily life.

“We have had some well-known speakers such as Fr. Donald Calloway, a popular Catholic priest and author of “Consecration to St. Joseph” and the late Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David

O’Connell, a warrior for peace and justice. There are also clergy and religious who are more local. Still, the presentation is aimed at helping the audience understand how God works in their daily life to bring them into closer communion with the Holy Spirit.

As more than 230 women gathered for the first post-COVID breakfast on March 4 and the first held at Christ Cathedral, the spirituality-centered format picked up without skipping a beat despite the three-year hiatus.

Orange County Coordinator Dr. Elizabeth Kim began by reminding the guests of the Wedding feast at Cana story and Mary’s message to “Do whatever he tells you.” Next came the Crowning of

Mary, a regular part of each, breakfast followed by one decade of the Rosary. The keynote speaker was Fr. Angelos Sebastian, a native of India now Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Orange as well as Pastor of St. Killian’s parish in Mission Viejo. At the conclusion, those gathered joined in song, followed by guided meditations. The event coordinators and the spiritual advisor for the ministry, Fr. Bao Thai, who is rector at Christ Cathedral, offered the personal promptings they received from the Holy Spirit during the meditation. This simple exercise helps attendees learn to recognize the Holy Spirit as a dynamic voice within their own lives.

Long a relatively quiet, word-ofmouth organization, Magnificat Ministry is about to step up to magnify the Lord more significantly during these troubled times.

Speaking at the event, Donna Ross, Central Service Team Coordinator for the region said, “The goal is to evangelize souls.”

Since its founding, the ministry has grown largely by word of mouth. But Ross said that now, “we have felt the Lord encouraging us to become more well known. Through prayer, we discerned that the Lord was asking us to kick it up a bit. Following the promptings of the Holy Spirit, our leadership team decided

FR. BAO THAI, RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL, ADDRESSES ATTENDEES DURING A MARCH 4 PRAYER BREAKFAST AS DR. ELIZABETH KIM LOOKS ON. PHOTO BY STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

to exhibit at the Catholic Marketing Association’s recent convention."

She added, “The results were far beyond what we expected. We met many representatives of Catholic media who invited Magnificat Ministry to be guests on radio and television, including three programs on CMAX.TV, a new Catholic subscription-based streaming network. They also made an important connection with Ingram publishing which will handle Magnificat’s three booklets that include first-hand accounts of testimonies given at the luncheons.”

For more information on Magnificat Ministry’s Orange County chapter, visit their website at https:// magnificat-ministry.net and click on Chapters on the menu bar. Once on the Orange County page, simply click on Join our Mailing list to receive updates and invitations to future breakfast meetings. C

OUR LADY OF PEACE CHAPTER OF THE MAGNIFICAT MINISTRY FOR WOMEN HELD A PRAYER BREAKFAST ON MARCH 4 INSIDE THE CULTURAL CENTER ON CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAMPUS. PHOTO BY STEPHEN GEORGES/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE

IN 2023, THE MAGNIFICAT MINISTRY MOVED ITS QUARTERLY BREAKFASTS TO CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAMPUS IN GARDEN GROVE.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

of New York’s first orphanages. He also raised money for the city’s first cathedral.

SERVANT OF GOD MOTHER MARY ELIZABETH LANGE (1784–1882)

A native of the Caribbean, and believed to be a Cuban of Haitian descent, Mary Elizabeth Lange was the founder and first Superior General of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first religious congregation of African American women in the history of the Catholic Church.

In 1829, Lange and three other women professed their vows to become the Oblate Sisters of Providence with the goal of evangelizing and African Americans. They educated youth and provided a home for orphans.

VENERABLE HENRIETTE DELILLE (1813–1862)

Henriette Delille was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and spent her entire life in the city.

Following the mandate of the Gospel, she dedicated her life to helping those in need. Henriette was also a person who suffered as she made her way through life, and she bore many crosses. She taught those around her that sanctity can be attained in following the path of Jesus.

Delille persevered in the face of racial injustice, relying on faith and in the belief that she was doing God’s work.

The USCCB wrote: “She taught those around her that sanctity can be attained in following the path of Jesus. It was in this manner that she dealt with her troubles and major obstacles to achieve her goals.”

VENERABLE FR. AUGUSTUS TOLTON (1854–1897)

Fr. Tolton was the first U.S. Roman Catholic priest publicly known to be Black when he was ordained in 1886.

As a former slave who was baptized and raised as a Catholic, Fr. Tolton for-

mally studied in Rome and was ordained in Rome.

Fr. Tolton led the development and construction of St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Chicago as a Black "National Parish Church.” The church was completed in 1893.

His success at providing spiritual guidance to Black Catholics quickly earned him national attention within the Catholic hierarchy.

JULIA GREELEY (1833-1848–1918)

Servant of God Julia Greeley was born into slavery in Hannibal, Missouri sometime between 1833 and 1848.

Freed by Missouri's Emancipation Act in 1865, Greeley entered the Catholic

Church at Sacred Heart Parish in Denver in 1880 and went on to serve throughout the parish.

The Jesuits who ran the parish considered her the most enthusiastic promoter of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus they had ever seen.

Every month, Greely delivered literature of the Sacred Heart League at every fire station in Denver.

She received communion every day and was strongly devoted to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin.

In 1901, Greeley joined the Secular Franciscan Order and was active in the order until till her death in 1918.

As part of the Cause for Canonization, Greeley’s remains were transferred to Denver's Cathedral Basilica of the Im-

SR. THEA BOWMAN, FSPA (1937-1990)

Sr. Thea Bowman of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration was born to middle-aged parents.

Raised in Canton, Mississippi, St. Bowman converted to Catholicism as a child, after being inspired by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity who were her teachers and pastors at Holy Child Jesus Church and School in Canton.

Throughout her life, many Catholics considered Sr. Bowman a religious sister, who was close to God and who lovingly invited others to encounter the presence of God in their lives. C

PHOTOS OF JULIA GREELEY AND FR. AUGUSTUS TOLTON ARE DISPLAYED DURING THE GOSPEL MASS CELEBRATED AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL ON MARCH 11.

maculate Conception in June 2017.

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

BY STAFF

EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL CAMPOUT FOR YOUNG ADULTS

The Jesus Thirsts for America movement continued March 10 to 12 with the Eucharistic Revival Campout for Young Adults, held at the Santiago Retreat Center.

The Revival Campout featured world-class guest speakers, including our Diocese's bishops, Dan Dematte, Jim Wahlberg, Adam Janke, Sr. Jessica Corral and others. It also featured Mass, hikes, all-night adoration vigils, confessions, praise and worship music.

The event was organized by Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry, the Diocese of

Orange

The

Another event will be held on July 15 in Hawaii.

Learn more at JesusThirstsforAmerica.com.

“INSIDE OUT”

Students from Mater Dei High School's American Sign Language Program (ASL) recently performed "Inside Out" for deaf and hard of hearing students at Taft Elementary School in Santa

Ana. The Monarchs translated the entire movie, memorized lines and made props and costumes for the show.

ASL is one of five world language options that students can take at Mater Dei.

CATHOLIC JUNIOR HIGH DECATHLON

On March 4, Santa Margarita Catholic High School hosted our Diocese’s annual Catholic Junior High Decathlon. The event, which is for students from grades 6 to 8, includes two team events: logic quiz and super quiz. It also features eight individual events: current events, English, fine arts, literature, math, religion, science and social studies.

This year, 14 school teams competed in all 10 events, and pods from four schools participated in individual events. The three overall winners were:

•First Place – St. Edward the Confessor Parish School

•Second Place (and small school overall winner) – St. Norbert Catholic School

•Third Place – Our Lady Queen of Angels School

Congratulations to all our Catholic schools for their hard work! C

STUDENTS FROM MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL'S AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM (ASL) RECENTLY PERFORMED "INSIDE OUT" AT TAFT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL

THE EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL CAMPOUT FOR YOUNG ADULTS WAS HELD AT THE SANTIAGO RETREAT CENTER FROM MARCH 10 THROUGH MARCH 12. PHOTO BY DREW KELLEY/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL HOSTED THE DIOCESE’S ANNUAL CATHOLIC JUNIOR HIGH DECATHLON ON MARCH 4. PHOTO BY KIERNAN COLIFLORES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

and Santiago Retreat Center.

Jesus Thirsts for America is a 21city tour aiming to spur much-needed revival in the U.S. It began in November 2022 at the Christ Cathedral campus.

CEMETERIES UPDATE

BY MIKE ZINN

THE CEMETERIES Department at the Diocese of Orange, under the guidance of its director Michael Wesner, proudly manages four active and two maintained cemeteries in Orange County. The department follows its mission “to serve the people of God in the name of the Bishop of the Diocese of Orange and to affirm the Church’s faith and belief in the hope of the Resurrection.”

There are two new updates to share. The first is a cenotaph project that was recently completed in March.

At Catholic and non-Catholic locations around the country, cenotaphs have been erected to memorialize those whose ashes were scattered in various places, such as at sea. An opportunity became available on the Christ Cathedral Campus to erect a cenotaph wall called Cathedral Memorial Wall to honor “The Glorious Dead.”

Wesner and his department were aware of a container that enclosed utility equipment, across from the Crean Tower on Christ Cathedral campus. After discussions and planning, it was determined that this enclosure could serve a dual purpose of constructing an eye-appealing area and erecting a cenotaph wall, with room for 3,600 names, birth and death dates.

Fr. Christopher Smith, rector emeritus and sacred arts advisor to the Diocese, chose the following scripture, to adorn the black granite panels:

“I am indeed going to prepare a place for you, and then I shall come back to take you with me, that where I am, you may also be.” (John 14:3)

According to Wesner, the sale process will begin on April 1. Inscriptions will take place once per month. The Cathedral Memorial Wall will give families a

place to honor, pray and remember their loved ones.

The second major project under the direction of the Cemeteries Department, will center on Good Shepherd Cemetery in Huntington Beach. The three additional active Catholic cemeteries in Orange County are Holy Sepulcher in Orange, Ascension in Lake Forest and Cathedral Memorial Gardens, located on the Christ Cathedral Campus. In addition to being the largest of the four cemeteries, Holy Sepulcher also accepts abandoned cremated remains

uncovered by family members or friends. Both “inactive” cemeteries, Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim is maintained by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and The Old Mission Cemetery in San Juan Capistrano is maintained by the Diocese of Orange.

The new project at Good Shepherd is scheduled to begin in May or June. The project will be completed in approximately 12 months from the starting date. The project will be three-fold with work efforts beginning with statues of the Holy Family and St. Joseph being erected.

Eight hundred and fifty traditional burial spaces will be designated, along with cremation niches, which are above-ground niched into a wall.

“The large number of cremation niches were a necessary addition due to the increased wishes of the deceased to have this form of burial,” said Wesner. “The percentage of traditional burials and cremations will be close to equal by the time this project is completed.”

For more information, visit https:// www.occem.org/ or call 714-4896102. C

THE CATHEDRAL MEMORIAL WALL WAS BUILT TO HONOR “THE GLORIOUS DEAD.” PHOTO BY DREW KELLEY/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

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ceive the Holy Eucharist.”

The next verb we use the most frequently is the verb adore or worship. The first, adore comes from the Latin which means to lower the face in a bow or to lower the lips in a kiss expressing reverence to someone greater. The second is from the Anglo-Saxon word which means “glory” or “dignity.” Worship comes from the same root as our word “worth” and “worthy.” In the case of the Blessed Sacrament we mean specifically the adoration and worship due to God alone, reverence of the highest kind. This is because the Eucharist is symbol of the most powerful sort. It is a symbol which contains what is signifies. It not only is the sign of the Lord’s Body: it is his adorable Body. It is not only the sign of his Blood under the appearance of wine, but it is his Blood which we worship. Christ as God is inseparable from the different aspects of his human nature: his Godhead is united to his Soul, and his Body, and his Blood, and so too in the sacrament under the appearances of bread and wine. That is why so many come to our churches throughout the day and

night to adore the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord’s Body.

The most important verb which shows what we do with the Eucharist is the verb offer. We offer the Eucharist. Why does the Eucharist have the actual Body and Blood of the Lord? So we may offer him in the Mass as he offered himself on the Cross. The Eucharist is most of all in the Mass an offering here and now of the Body and Blood of the Lord once offered on the Cross. It makes no sense to see the Eucharist as a meal unless we understand the meal as a share in Christ’s sacrifice. We adore before the Sacrament so as to extend the effects of this sacrifice. Yet it is the sacrifice that is the main thing. Participating at Holy Mass is the main way we share in the Eucharist. There would have been no Last Supper without Calvary. And the Mass is our Calvary offered for the living and the dead, offered by the priest, offered by each of the faithful!

So, the order is simple: Offer, then adore, then receive the Most Holy Eucharist. Each of these has its own place, but the offering of sacrifice is the central reality. C

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“SHOW ME THE WAY”

EVANGELIZATION TRAINING

BY KATIE HUGHES

AT AGE 30, Steve Dawson had hit rock bottom. With a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand, he fell to his knees in a field of grass behind his parents’ house and prayed his first real prayer of his life: “God if You are real, You’ll have to show me.”

God broke powerfully into his life and within a month, Steve went to confession for the first time since second grade. As a testament to the kind of life he had been living up until this point, his confession took an hour and a half, and his penance was to say 30 rosaries!

Soon after his dramatic conversion, Steve had a hunger to share with the world the treasure he found in Jesus and His Church. And he lamented the fact that he never saw any Catholics evangelizing. He had seen Bible-waving Protestants, bicycling Mormons and smartly dressed Jehovah’s Witnesses, but no Catholics. He became determined to do something about it.

He heard about St. Maximilian Kolbe who evangelized strangers by offering them a blessed Miraculous Medal. St. Maximilian called the medal, “Our Lady’s Silver Bullet” because it was a channel of grace, and God oftentimes used it to bring about a conversion in someone’s life. Steve decided to begin evangelizing using this medal. The method was simple. He would start a conversation by asking someone if they would like a free Miraculous Medal. Then He would tell them about it and ask if they were a Christian. The conversations

happened supernaturally from there.

St. Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE) is a grassroots ministry, dedicated to responding to the mandate of Jesus to preach the Gospel to all nations by taking the Catholic Faith to the streets. Christ’s call to evangelize was made to every Catholic Christian, and the Second Vatican Council reiterated this need, urging each of the baptized to bring the Gospel, found fully in the Catholic Church, to a culture that has largely reverted to paganism. As an on-the-street Catholic evangelization organization, St. Paul Street Evangelization provides an avenue for people to share the Person of Jesus Christ and the truth and beauty of the Catholic Faith with a hungry culture.

St. Paul Street Evangelization provides the tools and resources for Catholics to engage the culture in a simple, non-confrontational method of evangelization which involves making themselves available to the public to answer questions about the Faith and to pray with those who request it. SPSE has had tremendous growth and now has teams throughout

the United States and internationally. But a person might ask, “How can lay people share the Catholic Faith so publicly? Isn’t that the job of priests and bishops?” The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, ‘that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life.’” For lay people, “this evangelization acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world” (CCC 905). As a lay organization, St. Paul Street Evangelization works in fidelity and obedience to the Catholic Church and her Magisterium.

“Over the years, I have noticed when I speak to someone about the Lord, they can easily discount it, thinking, ‘he's a priest—he's supposed to say that,’” said Bishop Timothy Freyer. “Whereas a layperson has much more power to touch the heart because the hearer recognizes that the one speaking is "normal" with a job, family, etc. The lay person sharing their faith is what most often brings an-

other to Christ and His Church.

We think this is difficult or scary, but as you will see, the St. Paul Street Evangelization training shows you that this is easy, natural and very rewarding.”

The Orange Diocese has its own ministry of St. Paul Street Evangelization. Since late 2022, we have provided training and activation out on the streets. There are several young adults that are taking part in this new ministry of the Diocese. Our hope is to help train and equip many individuals from parishes, lay and religious. There will be seminars held over the weekend of March 26: All are welcome to attend a two-day seminar for Basic Training, Saturday, March 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Healing in Evangelization Workshops Sunday, March 26, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Participants are welcome to register for one or both days. Register here: https://qrco. de/bdki6Y

For more information on future training session and about available scholarships, please contact Katie Hughes at katie@rcbo.org C

EVANGELISTS SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL AND DEMONSTRATE GOD’S LOVE THROUGH PRAYER MINISTRY ON THE STREETS. COURTESY PHOTO

ST. PAUL STREET

Moments in our Journey

Volunteers prepare Vietnamese spring rolls – part of a varied Lenten Fish Fry menu at La Purísima Catholic parish in Orange.

“La Purisima is all about family and community where over the last decade plus, rain or shine, people have gathered, friendships have been made, faith has been shared and a whole lot of fish has been fried,” said Fr. Martin Nguyen, pastor of La Purísima.

—Photo by Spencer Grant/Diocese of Orange

*Share your Lenten Fish Fry photos with editor@occatholic.com