PRESENTING: THE PRESENTATION SISTERS
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APRIL 4, 2021
THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM
THE PROMISE OF EASTER PAGE 6
THE RESURRECTION IS DEPICTED IN A PAINTING BY FRANCESCO FONTEBASSO. EASTER, THE CHIEF FEAST IN THE LITURGICAL CALENDARS OF ALL CHRISTIAN CHURCHES, COMMEMORATES CHRIST’S RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. EASTER IS CELEBRATED APRIL 4 THIS YEAR. ARTWORK: BRIDGEMAN IMAGES / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
APRIL 4, 2021
CONTENTS
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KEEPING EASTER FOCUSED ON THE RESURRECTION
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MEET THE HONOREES FOR THE BISHOP’S AWARD
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U.S. BISHOPS SPEAK OUT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION
Catholic families can nudge the secular celebrations surrounding Easter to the background in order to keep the resurrection as the centerpiece of the feast day.
Benjamin Du and Timothy Psomas will be recognized for their commitment to ethics and integrity at the April 16, 2021 Conference on Business and Ethics.
Bishop Oscar A. Solis of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs, decried the culture of death, hatred and violence against those of Asian descent.
PLUS
Bishop’s Column, Weekly Readings, Moments In Our Journey
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
The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840 Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange Executive Editor: Tracey Kincaid, tkincaid@rcbo.org Editor: Kimberly Porrazzo, webeditor@occatholic.com New Ideas: storyideas@rcbo.org Delivery Problems: occatholicsupport@occatholic.com
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BISHOP’S COLUMN
THE BLESSING OF ASIAN FRIENDS AND FAMILIES BY THE MOST REV. KEVIN W. VANN, BISHOP OF ORANGE
Dear brothers and sisters,
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S I HAVE BEEN SPENDING time at home recuperating from my recent laminectomy, I have been reflecting on a number of things. One of these, in this challenging age in which we find ourselves, is the blessing of our Asian families and all that they have contributed to our communities here in our Diocese, and in fact throughout all of California. We are especially grateful here in the Diocese of Orange for our Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino and Chinese brothers and sisters who are the foundation and backbone of so many of our parishes and ministries. Recent examples of prejudice against our Asian-American brothers, sisters and friends are not only regrettable, but reprehensible. I remember years ago when so many Vietnamese families, for example, were welcomed here to the states as they were fleeing their homeland. Let us be sure to remember that our Faith calls us still to live that “welcome” and “witness.” We owe all of them a thanks and acknowledgement. C
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DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS
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The grace of God assures us – with faith, prayer and penance – of our victory over the enemy.
REJOICE AND BE GLAD
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URING THE FIRST THREE OR FOUR centuries of Christianity, if you asked a Christian to name the feast days of the church, your answer would have been a puzzled stare, for there was only one feast: the Resurrection of the Lord. Every Sunday was a feast celebrating the one great feast. Even though our calendar now has many beautiful and holy feasts, we must continually be called back to the fact that all these other feasts exist because of the feast of Christ’s passover from death to life. The psalm today proclaims this message well: “This is the day.” It is not one of many days, but it is the day of all days, the one that gives all the others their origin, purpose, meaning, and destiny. Listen carefully to Peter’s speech in Acts with its recollection of the Passion, to the words of the apostle Paul, and to the account of Mary Magdalene, John, and Peter finding the empty tomb, and you will hear the many wonderful works that God has done for us through Christ. Rejoice and be glad! Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C
- Pope Francis SAINT PROFILE
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BENEDICT THE MOOR 1526-1589
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ORN NEAR MESSINA, on the Italian island of Sicily, Benedict was the son of African slaves who, as their eldest son, was given his freedom. Growing up, he was nicknamed “il moro sante” (“the holy Moor”) for his piety and good works. He became a hermit and then the community’s superior; but, after the pope ordered them to disband in 1562, Benedict became a Franciscan lay brother. He served as cook, but drew many visitors and supplicants with his reputation for holiness and miracles. Despite his illiteracy, Benedict was chosen as superior and also as novice master, before being allowed to return to his kitchen refuge. He is a patron saint of Palermo, Sicily, and of blacks in the United States”C
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
ACTS 2:14, 22-33; PS 16:1-2A, 5, 7-11; MT 28:8-15
ACTS 2:36-41; PS 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; JN 20:11-18
ACTS 3:1-10; PS 105:1-4, 6-9; LK 24:13-35
ACTS 3:11-26; PS 8:2AB, 5-9; LK 24:35-48
ACTS 4:1-12; PS 118:1-2, 4, 22-27A; JN 21:1-14
ACTS 4:13-21; PS 118:1, 14-15AB, 1621; MK 16:9-15
ACTS 4:32-35; PS 118:2-4, 13-15, 2224; 1 JN 5:1-6; JN 20:19-31
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FEATURE
THE PROMISE OF EASTER
IT’S BEEN A LONG YEAR, BUT EASTER REMINDS US OF THE PROMISE OF REBIRTH BY MALIE HUDSON
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HILE THIS LENT MAY have felt as though it began a little over a year ago at the height of the pandemic, the promise of Easter resonates more profoundly for Catholics this year. Before March 2020, Easter Sundays were a time of great celebration and social gathering. Most Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses were typically standing-room only and were followed by fellowship with friends and family on the way out of church, a potluck feast in the parish hall or an egg hunt for children in the courtyard. A global public health crisis instantly changed all of this and much more. It was only in recent weeks that COVID-19 vaccinations became available to more people and churches, schools and businesses were allowed to re-open at reduced capacity. “We believe that Christ conquered death with his resurrection,” said Monsignor Stephen Doktorczyk, vicar general for the Diocese of Orange. “But there’s a saying that there would be no Easter Sunday without first a Good Friday.” Monsignor Doktorczyk explained that the losses experienced in the last year can help people “become more appreciative for the health, friendships and jobs we have.” Emphasizing that God is ultimately in control, he hopes that people have used this time to grow deeper in their relationship with God. “I think that in conjunction with what this Easter event means in general
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THE CATHEDRAL OF MALAGA IN SPAIN, DEPICTING CHRIST’S ASCENSION. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
and put it in light of our ‘special circumstances,’ maybe it should be even more glorious of an occasion,” he said. Father Angelos Sebastian, pastor at St. Kilian Parish in Mission Viejo, points to the Gospel of Matthew 16:21-28 as an example of what Jesus expects of his followers. In this passage Jesus tells Peter and his disciples that he will have to suffer, die on the cross and rise from death to bring new life to the children of God. Peter immediately reacts in disbelief and tells Jesus that he shouldn’t
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have to experience suffering and death. But Jesus responds, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Father Sebastian thinks that Peter’s reaction happens to a lot of us. “We often fail to understand the ways of God when suffering comes,” he said. “When inconveniences or illnesses happen, we think that’s the end and begin to question, ‘Where are you God? Aren’t you supposed to be here to help me
when I am suffering? Is suffering part of this deal?’ We keep questioning God. But Jesus’ way is different. God’s way is different. God shows us through the cross that we all have to go through this phase of passion and suffering. Which we’ve been experiencing this past year. The most beautiful part of our faith journey is what is to come. That is what Easter is showing us. Easter is a great feast of hope. The most beautiful thing of life is what Jesus promises. New life with God. CONTINUES ON PAGE 7
FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
Resurrection with Jesus.” He encourages people to be prepared to carry the cross in order to become disciples of Jesus. “The Christian way is directly opposed to the ways of the world,” he explains. “But you have to deny yourself to follow Jesus. That’s what leads people to share in the glory of the resurrection. So in order to experience the glory of the resurrection, we have to also be willing to share the suffering of Christ. The people who understand the ways of the Lord are able to understand why their suffering is happening. They don’t question God, but rather they say, ‘God give me the grace to embrace it as you want me to.’” Monsignor Doktorczyk wants the faithful to also focus on Jesus as man and God. It’s the key to fully understanding the meaning of the resurrection and how it’s important to our Catholic faith. “Jesus was not limited by the torture and physical death,” he explains. “The empty tomb gives us much certitude that the resurrection really did occur and should give us certitude that Jesus is not just a nice man or one prophet among many or just a wonderful teacher…the resurrection shows that he was fully man and fully God because this is not an event that happened to anyone else. Only Christ. That should give us certitude if we need it. The resurrection is a proof that he was God.” The stress of a pandemic weighs heavily on many Catholic families, but Father Sebastian wants the faithful to remember that it’s not the end. “If you believe in Jesus Christ then we are to believe that we are the resurrection people. We are the Easter people,” said Father Sebastian. “So Good Friday and suffering is not the end of the story. It’s only the beginning. There’s so much more beauty in Christian life.” C
FIGHTING COMMERCIALISM EASTER’S HOLY SIGNIFICANCE IS UNDERSCORED BY CATHOLIC FAMILIES REJECTING THE HOLIDAY’S SECULARIZATION BY CATHI DOUGLAS
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VERY YEAR ON EASTER Sunday our family tradition was to dress up and head to morning Mass, followed by a family photo on the front lawn. [You can tell I’m a Woman of a Certain Age because Mom and I also wore white gloves and hats.] Mom and Dad gave me lots of candy in pretty Easter baskets, and Mom and I always dyed hard-boiled eggs different colors prior to the Easter Sunday feast. My grandparents usually joined us for a big ham dinner, and sometimes my cousins came by, but in our family it was a much lower-key holiday than Christmas or Thanksgiving. Still, its religious significance was foremost in our minds. Easter is the Resurrection of Jesus and a joyous celebration – as well as the unofficial beginning of spring. For many of us, Easter’s increasing secularization – with Easter egg hunts, visits from the Easter Bunny, and elaborate Easter crafts – has watered down its place as the most important date in the Christian calendar. As Peter Steinfels writes in “Sacred and Secular in Easter Celebrations,” published in the New York Times, “Easter is the misfit among American holidays. The country, it seems, is too religious and too Christian to ignore Easter, but also too pluralist and too secular to absorb it comfortably as a national holiday.” In addition to its increasing com-
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
mercialization, Easter also suffers as a holiday because its date shifts annually anywhere from March 22 to April 25, schools are less likely to schedule coincidental breaks, and businesses and government aren’t compelled to schedule days off, Steinfels notes. The true Easter season begins after Easter Sunday and lasts for seven weeks, ending with Pentecost. All of the dates and celebrations of the liturgical year are arranged around the central feast of Easter. The Catholic Church always marks Easter on the first Sunday that follows the first full moon of the Spring Equinox. Our family always planned a rather elaborate Easter egg hunt for our three kids. That kicked off Easter Sunday, followed by morning Mass and a big midday feast of either brunch or dinner. Often, Easter feasts include ham, lamb, cakes, breads, eggs – all symbolizing the Resurrection – and families offer sweets and candy in celebration of the end of fasting. In fact, many Easter recipes use extra eggs, meat, or rich food forbidden
during our Lenten fasts, according to CatholicFaithStore.com. To be sure, for Catholics the true meaning of Easter as the “feast of feasts” has deep significance for our lives as Catholics, regardless of commercialization. Many of us make sure that bedtime stories during Lent foretell the glory of Jesus’s Resurrection. Writes Nicholas LaBanca in “Christ is Risen,” published in Ascension Press, “With death now completely trampled and conquered, Jesus gives us a glimpse into how our own lives will be one day, so long as we love him by keeping his commandments.” He urges us to acknowledge the significance of the entire 40 days of Easter. “One day, God-willing, we will become like Christ, and this is only a possibility because of the triumphant Resurrection,” LaBanca says. “By that same Resurrection, Christ set us free from sin, and this notion is something that we must keep at the forefront of our minds every day.” C
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FEATURE
BISHOP’S AWARD HONOREES BENJAMIN DU AND TIMOTHY PSOMAS RECOGNIZED FOR INTEGRITY AND ETHICS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE BY STAFF
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NTEGRAL TO THE ANNUAL Conference on Business & Ethics, each year two leaders from the business community are honored with the Bishop’s Award for Exemplary Business Integrity. Qualifications for this honor include: n being a successfully recognized business person in the community n current/retired CEO or being an owner or high-ranking executive in a company with a large number of employees n a dedication to ethical business practices n demonstrating a positive example of ethical practice in all aspects of his or her life n having a well-established record of exhibiting ethical leadership qualities. This includes having a history of treating employees fairly. n being a practicing Catholic
BENJAMIN DU
Benjamin Du, an immigrant from the Philippines, founded two successful manufacturing businesses. After receiving an engineering degree in the Philippines and working for a few years, Ben decided to pursue a master’s in Business Administration degree in the U.S. In 1967, along with his wife, Carmela, they moved to California where Ben worked in the aerospace industry while completing his Master’s program. Ben worked for various engineering
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BENJAMIN DU (LEFT) AND TIMOTHY PSOMAS WILL RECEIVE THEIR AWARDS AT THE APRIL 16, 2021 CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS & ETHICS. PHOTOS COURTESY ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION
firms in Southern California and in 1975 he founded Flojet Corporation to design and manufacture small positive displacement pumps. In 1999, Ben decided to sell Flojet Corporation and retire, but his retirement didn’t last long. An opportunity came to invest with one of his Chinese suppliers, Providence Enterprise Limited. In 2018, Providence Enterprise was sold to a private equity firm with Ben finally retiring. Ben serves on the board of Hoag Hospital Foundation and was a former member of the board of the Performing Arts Center (now Segerstrom Center For the Arts), UC Irvine Foundation
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and Boys Hope / Girls Hope. Ben has been married to Carmela Du for 55 years. They divide their time between their homes in Newport Beach and Maui, Hawaii. He and Carmela enjoy traveling, supporting philanthropic programs in the community focusing on health, arts, education and religious development. They also enjoy spending time with their daughter, Lizette, son-inlaw, Chris Pribus and granddaughters Cristiana and Jessica.
TIMOTHY PSOMAS
Tim Psomas grew up in Los Angeles, attending Transfiguration Grammar
School and Mt. Carmel High School. Upon graduation from Loyola Marymount University he joined his father’s engineering firm, Psomas, and eventually led the growth and diversification of the company throughout California and the Western U.S. He was also founding chairman of Digital Map Products, a SaaS real estate information company. He is past national chairman of The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) and was a founder and national chairman of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). Tim currently serves as a director of CONTINUES ON PAGE 9
SOCIAL MEDIA / FEATURE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
orangediocese • follow March 28, 2021 “Jesus worked with human hands, he thought with a human mind, he acted with a human will, and most of all with a human heart, he loved.” Very Rev. Scott Borgman’s reflection for Palm Sunday.
orangediocese • follow March 27, 2021 orangediocese A message about COVID-19 vaccines from the Diocese of Orange This brief Diocese of Orange-produced video is about the safety, effectiveness and moral acceptability of the #COVID19 vaccines. It features @bishopfreyer, Fr. William B. Goldin of St. Irenaeus Catholic Church, and the Rev. Joseph Son Nguyen, censor librorum/biomedical ethics advisor for the Diocese.
To report sexual abuse by clergy or church personnel please call: 1 (800) 364–3064 Healing and Hope After Abortion: 1 (800) 722–4356 New Hope Crisis Counseling Hot Line (24/7): 1 (714) NEW–HOPE or 1 (714) 639–4673
several private companies including engineering, technology startup and professional services firms. He served as a trustee at LMU for three terms, as a member of the Board of Regents and as President of the Alumni Association. Tim is a member of Order of Malta, Orange County location, where he coordinates math tutoring for construction technology students at Taller San Jose. He served on the Construction Oversight Committee of Christ Cathedral and is currently chairman of the Real Estate and Asset Management Committee for the Diocese. He chairs the 2021 Feasibility Study Committee for Cristo Rey Orange County High School with the intent to provide under-served students with a Catholic College Preparatory education and four years of workforce participation experience. He and his wife Alanna attend St. John Vianney Chapel on Balboa Island, where they raised their four adult children. Tim enjoys sailing, especially with son Mike and other family members. Tim and Alanna are blessed with nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. C
NBC4 ORANGE COUNTY BUREAU CHIEF VIKKI VARGAS WILL MODERATE THE APRIL 16, 2021 CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS & ETHICS. PHOTO COURTESY ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION
Company / Rob Neal: Hager Pacific Properties 2012 Frank Kavanaugh: Fort Ashford Holdings, LLC / Randy Redwitz: Robert R. Redwitz & Co. 2011 Dr. Jacqueline DuPont: DuPont Residential Care / John O’Connor: Shamrock Supply Company 2010 Dr. Huan Le: Westminster PREVIOUS HONOREES Medical Center / Isabelle Villase2019 Tanya Domier: Advantage nor: Dejon Enterprises Solutions / Joe Perricone: Per2009 Timothy Busch: The Busch ricone Juices Firm / Theresa Morrison: Cagney 2018 Timothy Buckley: Vintage Enterprises Design, Inc. and NuWood Design / 2008 Mike Joseph: Dacor / DeboTimothy Strader: Starpointe Ventures rah Proctor: St. Joseph Health System 2017 Annette Walker: St. Joseph 2007 Terrance Barry: The Barry Health / Christopher Furman: Ventura Company / Pat Ortiz: Ortiz EnterFoods prises 2016 Rand Sperry: Sperry Eq2006 Ken Tait: Tait and Associates uities / Marie Gray: St. John Knits 2005 Arthur Birtcher: Birtcher Anand Grayse derson / Gabriel Ferrucci: Ferrucci 2015 Richard Heim: Clark ConProperties LLC struction / S. Paul Musco: Gemini 2004 Frank Quevedo: Southern Industries and Relief Pod International California Edison / Thomas Tracy 2014 Tim LeVecke: LeVecke Cor(deceased): Tracy Industries poration / Lucy Dunn: Orange County 2003 Carl Karcher (deceased): Business Council Carl’s Jr. / Peter Muth (de2013 Rick Muth: Orco Block ceased): Orco Block A P R I L 4 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C
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DIOCESAN NEWS
CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS & ETHICS BISHOP’S AWARD PRESENTATION IS A HIGHLIGHT OF ANNUAL EVENT BY STAFF
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HE ORANGE CATHOLIC Foundation (OCF), known for its work in the Catholic philanthropic community of Orange County, will co-present this year’s annual Conference on Business & Ethics with Farmers & Merchants Bank. This conference will be held virtually on Friday, April 16 at 9:00 a.m. For nearly 20 years, the Conference on Business & Ethics has inspired leaders to grow more responsibly in their personal and professional lives through inspirational keynote speakers and honorees who exemplify integrity and ethical business practices. “It is an honor to host an event that highlights ethical practices and to recognize such amazing leaders in our community,” says Kimberly Jetton, executive director for the Orange Catholic Foundation. The keynote speaker and special guest is NBC4 President and General Manager Steve Carlston. He will be addressing how he helps transform careers, develop great leaders, and build highly successful television stations in markets across the country. NBC4 Orange County Bureau Chief Vikki Vargas will moderate the conference and interview Carlston in a special feature during the program.
THE LEVECKE FAMILY FOUNDATION AND MEMBERS OF ITS BOARD ARE THE RECIPIENTS OF THIS YEAR’S FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR THEIR RECOGNITION OF MAKING A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY. PHOTO COURTESY ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION
Designed to inspire, this conference is unique as each year honorees are selected for their influential and ethical business practices in the Orange County community. This year, founder and former CEO of Flojet Corporation, Benjamin Du, and chairman emeritus of PSOMAS, Timothy Psomas, have been nominated for the Bishop’s Award for Exemplary Business Integrity for demonstrating ethical practices in all aspects of their lives.
“These admirable leaders have maintained the responsibilities of their chosen professions while continuing to lead their lives as Christ has shown us,” says Bishop Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. The LeVecke Family Foundation and members of its board are the recipients of this year’s Farmers & Merchants Bank Lifetime Achievement Award for making a significant contribution to the community.
The Conference on Business & Ethics is a much-anticipated event in Southern California highlighting professional ethics in the workplace. The event is historically attended by hundreds of influential business, religious, academic, and philanthropic leaders. For more information contact: Elizabeth McKibbin, Vice President of Philanthropy, at 714.282.6041 or visit www.OrangeCatholicFoundation.org/ CBE. C
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. C
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CATHOLIC SCHOOL NEWS
PRESENTING: THE PRESENTATION SISTERS
FORMER ST. BONAVENTURE STUDENT HONORS ORDER WITH “NUNUMENTARY” BY JENELYN RUSSO
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HEN ALEXA Vellanoweth reflects back on her time as a student at St. Bonaventure Catholic School, she has nothing but gratitude for the way her experience helped shape her as a person. A member of the Class of 2008, Vellanoweth attributes her formative years on the Huntington Beach campus from kindergarten through eighth grade to her growth in academics, leadership, character and faith. “St. Bonaventure has left a major imprint on how I was raised and the way that I am now,” says Vellanoweth. Her academic road took her to Mater Dei High School (Class of 2012) and then on to Loyola Marymount University (Class of 2016) where she double majored in theatre and business. But there has always been a significant place in Vellanoweth’s heart for St. Bonaventure and the Presentation Sisters on campus – Sr. Carmel Lynch, the school’s founding principal, and Sr. Maria Kelly and Sr. Winifred Harnett, both former teachers at the school – whose contributions to the St. Bonaventure community have been immeasurable. “The teachers, faculty and staff – and especially the sisters – made the experience really special,” says Vellanoweth. After a chance conversation with Sr. Winifred in 2017, Vellanoweth became inspired to learn more about these women who left their home country of Ireland for lives of faith and service in the United States, including the founding of St. Bonaventure Catholic School.
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A SCREEN SHOT FROM THE DOCUMENTARY “THE PRESENTATION SISTERS: A NUNUMENTARY.”
HOW TO HELP For more information, visit www.pbvm.org. To make a donation, mail to: Presentation Sisters at St. Bonaventure Convent, 16441 Bradbury Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92647. Vellanoweth reached out to Sr. Maria and proposed the idea of doing a series of video interviews with the sisters that would then be compiled into a documentary – or in this case, a “nunumentary.” It took some convincing, as the sisters don’t seek the spotlight. But after a few meetings that allowed them to become comfortable with the process, the project was given the green light. In 2017, Vellanoweth and a small crew
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consisting of film contacts she had made while at LMU, as well as a documentarian, spent two weekends filming at St. Bonaventure’s convent. Vellanoweth, who served as producer and interviewer, did extensive research to develop questions, but also left room to listen as the sisters shared their stories. The experience was life changing for all. “You could tell that the crew had such a deep connection with them,” says Vellanoweth. “That’s what I wanted to capture in the documentary, because if that could happen with the crew…that just speaks to how amazing and inspiring these women are.” The finished product, “The Presentation Sisters: A Nunumentary,” made its debut in 2019 at St. Bonaventure’s annual auction event. Now with permission from the sisters for wider release of the video,
Vellanoweth hopes that viewers at the school, parish and beyond will come to see and appreciate their lives of service and love. “They’re so beautiful and they deserve to be seen,” says Vellanoweth, “and they deserve to be recognized, above all else.” Srs. Maria and Winifred are still involved at the school, as they often assist students who are preparing to be readers at Mass. Vellanoweth is grateful for the opportunity to learn and share about these selfless women who were instrumental in her faith formation, and St. Bonaventure is proud of their alumnus’ exemplary work on this project. “They are amazing women, and they’ve given so much,” says Vellanoweth. “This is the least I can personally do to thank them for everything they’ve given me [and] so many other people.” C
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NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWS
STATEMENT OF U.S. BISHOPS’ CHAIRMAN FOR ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLAND AFFAIRS ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE ASIAN COMMUNITY FROM WIRE SERVICES
WASHINGTON -- Following deadly shootings at three businesses in the greater Atlanta area this past week and the dialogue that has been ignited about other reported incidents of aggression against people of Asian descent, Bishop Oscar A. Solis of Salt Lake City, and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs decried the culture of death, hatred and violence that underlies these incidents and called for solidarity with the vulnerable. The full statement follows: “I am deeply saddened to hear of another mass shooting that has tragically taken the lives of eight people and has renewed concerns about a rise of hostility against individuals of Asian descent. As bishops, we decry any kind of hatred and violence, particularly based on race, ethnicity, or sex. We pray for the families and friends of those who were lost, and for their communities, who may feel unsafe and vulnerable at this time. “This latest incident has prompted national dialogue on addressing anti-Asian bias that has taken the form of numerous other acts of physical violence, verbal attacks and destruction of property against those of Asian descent over the last year that have left communities across the country traumatized. “I echo Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer’s words that ‘[w]e must support all victims of violence and stand in solidarity with those who are vulnerable in our communities.’ More broadly, we must always stress that every human being is a brother or sister in Christ, created in the image and likeness of a loving God. Particularly during this season of Lent, let us remember God’s love and mercy for each one of us and renew the call for conversion of heart, that we may be more united to God’s love and share it with all of our
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FATHER KOLBE CHUNG, PASTOR AT ST. ANDREW KIM CHURCH IN DULUTH, GA., AND AND JOSEPH NAM ATTEND AN INTERFAITH PRAYER SERVICE AT GOLD SPA MARCH 21, 2021, FOLLOWING THE DEADLY SHOOTINGS MARCH 16 AT THREE ASIAN DAY SPAS IN METRO ATLANTA. PHOTO: MICHAEL ALEXANDER, THE GEORGIA BULLETIN / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
neighbors.” Last May, in the midst of increased reports of incidents of racism and xenophobia against Americans of Asian and Pacific Island heritage, three bishop
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chairmen issued a statementexpressing their “call for a stronger resolve towards unity, demonstrated through acts of solidarity, kindness and love toward one another, so that we can emerge from
this crisis renewed and stronger as one American people; a people that places value in every human life, regardless of race, ethnic origin, gender or religious affiliation.” C
Moments MomentsininourourJourney Journey
Fourteen Stations of the Cross are raised on the ledge of the terrace vista of Santa Clara de Asis Church in Yorba Linda, overlooking the 91 Freeway, with Anaheim Hills in the distance. —Submitted by Shaun Nguyen
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