OC CATHOLIC - APRIL 21, 2024

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

APRIL 21, 2024 CONTENTS 10

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

Read about upcoming events at our local diocesan parishes.

A DIFFERENT COURSE

JSerra Catholic High School student Bryson Bisuna is on a unique academic path.

FAITHFULNESS AND FIDELITY

Saturday April 27, 2024 REGISTER

SACRED ART

MERCIFUL SACRED HEART OF JESUS

An oil painting on canvas depicting the Most Divine and Merciful Sacred Heart of Jesus by Elizabeth Coker.

This piece combines elements from the visions of both St. Margaret Mary and St. Faustina. The blood and water which gush forth from Jesus’ Eucharistic Heart is inflamed with love for us and includes the cross, nails and the crown of thorns.

This is the second submission of sacred art from Elizabeth Coker from St. Bonaventure parish in Huntington Beach. In presenting the most Holy Eucharist in the center of Our Lord’s Heart, she invites the viewer to reflect upon His Real Presence with faith and love. C

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY

ACTS 11:1-18; PS 42:2-3; 43:3, 4; JN 10:1-10

TUESDAY ACTS 11:19-26; 87:1B-3, 4-5, 6-7; JN 10:22-30

“

Let us be shaken out of our torpor and let us awaken from slumber!”

— Pope Francis

SAINT PROFILE

WEDNESDAY ACTS 12:24—13:5A; 67:2-3, 5, 6 AND 8; JN 12:44-50

THURSDAY 1 PT 5:5B-14; 89:2-3, 6-7, 1617; MK 16:15-20

GIANNA BERETTA MOLLA

1922 – 1962

BORN NEAR MILAN, Italy, Gianna was one of 13 children in a deeply Catholic family. She wed Pietro Molla in 1955; they had three children while she continued to work as a physician. When she was pregnant with their fourth child, doctors discovered a large uterine tumor. She insisted that surgeons not remove her entire uterus, which would have aborted the baby, but only what was necessary to allow the baby to reach term. She died seven days after giving birth in 1962. Her husband and three of her children were present in 2004 when the pope proclaimed her a saint. C

FRIDAY ACTS 13:26-33; 2:6-7, 8-9, 1011AB; JN 14:1-6

PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK

SATURDAY ACTS 13:44-52; 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4; JN 14:7-14

SUNDAY ACTS 9:26-31; PS 22:26-27, 28, 30, 3132; 1 JN 3:18-24; JN 15:1-8

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

BY CAMRYN KAUFFMAN

MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL here in the heart of Orange County, California, is a powerhouse in any number of things.

Football, for one thing. Cheerleading, for another.

The Mater Dei cheerleading team took second in 2022 and third in 2023 at the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships. Silver and bronze – but not gold.

What, Mater Dei cheer coach Katie Bowers thought to herself, needs to change?

The routine, that’s what.

On Feb. 12, at the 2024 nationals in Florida, Mater Dei won its first national title since the 1980s.

The team won with an overall score of 95.6 in a field of 108 teams from across the country.

The changes to the routine included a dynamic opening stunt and more spinning skills.

To win, though, the Monarchs also had to overcome a series of late-season setbacks that could have easily derailed anyone’s title hopes.

“We had to step up for each other a lot during those months,” junior Trudy Schmidt said.

In December, a flyer – a cheerleader who is lifted or thrown into the air during stunts – hurt her ankle during practice so badly she was out for the remainder of the season.

There’s never a good time to get hurt during cheer season, but losing a key position like a flyer?

And in December?

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Typically, injuries happen during the summer or very early in the school year, Bowers said. That often gives the girls plenty of time to recover. By December, routines are being fine-tuned.

Insert Sydney Lovely.

“I didn’t think it was actually going to happen,” Lovely, a freshman, recalled thinking after she received a Dec. 7 phone

call telling her to get ready to join the varsity squad.

Typically, it can take between six and eight months to learn certain skills. Usually, getting really good takes up to two years.

“She had, what, 60 days?” Schmidt said.

Throughout December and January, practices could go for six hours straight to ensure Lovely was getting the reps she needed. Lovely’s stunt group consistently

stayed 30 minutes after practice to get a few more reps in.

“We had to just always be encouraging because, for Sydney filling in, you can’t pressure her, you have to stay positive,” Schmidt said. “If we stressed her out, we weren’t going to succeed at all.”

“That little girl definitely is our shining star for the season because if she doesn’t step up, then we don’t get to the cham-

pionship,” Bowers said. “We call her ‘the lifesaver.’”

At one point, Bowers’ squad also had to deal with girls dealing with a dislocated finger and a torn meniscus.

“It was a lot of blood, sweat and tears every single day,” junior Natalie Cazales said.

“When the struggles are that hard,

THE MATER DEI CHEER TEAM WON NATIONALS WITH AN OVERALL SCORE OF 95.6 IN A FIELD OF 108 TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATER DEI CHEER TEAM

it makes the successes that much better,” Bowers said.

The season, though, wouldn’t just be about Lovely saving the day or girls pushing through injuries. It had to be about a different mindset.

The 19 girls on the varsity squad started their trip to Orlando by going on the log ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – a sort of symbolic way to “wash away the bad vibes” from coming up just short the two years prior.

With nine juniors on the team, seven on varsity their entire high school careers, all they knew was the feeling of coming up just short. Not this year.

“I think working as hard as we did this year really helped us get to the top,” senior Naydine Lopez said. “No matter what came in our way, we still pushed and fought our way to the top.”

In addition, the girls said they switched up their traditional route for warmups and their backstage routine, trading out their usual stuff for dance parties to some of their favorite songs. They were looser than in the past, and it was fun.

The girls made plain that their parents, too, were all-in: with resources, time and too-many-tocount back-and-forths to practice. Bowers said she thought nearly every parent made the trip down to nationals.

THE 2024 NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADING CHAMPIONSHIP TOOK PLACE FEB. 9-12 AT THE ESPN WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS COMPLEX AT THE WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT IN ORLANDO. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATER DEI CHEER TEAM

“It’s to show the girls that we’re definitely supporting them 100%.”

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The Mater Dei cheer parents, however, aren’t your typical parents. They’re much flashier – in a good way.

Gerry Cazales, Natalie’s dad, said he got all the Monarch parents to wear red tutus and Mater Dei jerseys while sporting red glasses and tennis shoes.

When Natalie was a freshman, he said, he was the only parent in a jersey and tutu. This past season? Every single parent. All of them, all in.

“We don’t do it for the show or for the fun of us parents,” Gerry Cazales said.

Besides Mater Dei parents, the Orlando crowd was full of thousands of girls and parents from other schools, including the Monarch cheer team’s usual practice companion, Downey High School in Los Angeles County – by SoCal traffic standards, a half-hour or so drive from Mater Dei.

“Whichever way you looked, you had someone encouraging you, cheering you on, so we were feeding off of that energy,”

Natalie Cazales said.

So, was it all worth it? Is winning everything they say it is?

Nearly in unison, the girls said: “Yes!” C

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‘JESUS THIRSTS: THE MIRACLE OF THE EUCHARIST’ DOCUMENTARY, EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY DEACON STEVE GRECO, TO SHOW NATIONWIDE JUNE 4–6

BY GREG HARDESTY

DEACON STEVE GRECO

recalls the 'aha' moment.

He and his team had been compiling footage of various “I Thirst” events as part of a three-year, 21-city evangelical tour that is a companion movement to the National Eucharist Revival when, during dinner with his colleagues after an event in Fresno in March 2023, it hit him.

“I thought, ‘There’s a movie here,’” said Deacon Steve, a permanent deacon and director of evangelization and formation for the Diocese of Orange who serves at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Irvine.

“There’s a movie to be made about this Eucharistic revival and the ‘I Thirst’ movement, and this movie is something that needs to go across the country and across the world,” said Deacon Steve, who also is president of Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry, which engages in evangelization and support of Catholic missions abroad.

The result of Deacon Steve’s epiphany?

A full-length documentary film, “Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist,” which will show in 1,000 theaters in the U.S. June 4-6. The June 6 theatrical showings will be subtitled in Spanish.

“We had the Holy Spirit guide us,” said the deacon of the 1 ½-year process of putting the film together.

Tickets are available through Fathom Events (fathomevents.com), the entertainment content provider that broadcasts events in movie theaters throughout the country, beginning April 23.

A private theatrical showing will be held at the Christ Cathedral on May 7.

Deacon Steve is executive producer of

the 91-minute film. The production team includes producer Jim Wahlberg, director and writer Tim Moriarty, producer and writer Stefan Slovak, editor Marc Boudignon and composer Sean Beeson.

“It’s by far the most important venture I’ve ever experienced,” Deacon Steve said.

GLOBAL REACH

Filmed in Europe, Africa, South America and other global spots – including Orange County (Bishop Kevin Vann and his fellow O.C. bishops appear in the movie) – “Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist” features actors performing key Biblical events interspersed with comments from religious leaders and testimonials from laypersons about the power of believing in the Eucharist.

“From the time Jesus broke His bread at the Last Supper, the church fathers all believed in the real presence of the Eucharist,” Deacon Steve said. “The film seeks to depict what the power of the Eucharist is all about.”

Eucharistic miracles past and present also are depicted in the movie, which was made possible by donors including Deacon Steve.

“We hope to eventually show our movie worldwide,” added Deacon Steve. “But that will take another round of financing.”

CRITICAL TIMING

The timing couldn’t be better for “Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist,” said the deacon.

Although there’s a focus in the film on youth and young adults, the message of the film is for all Catholics – active or lapsed, and those considering adopting the faith, he added.

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“Young adults are a population that isn’t attending Mass to the level we’re looking for, and we have a total of 50 million ex-Catholics in the United States alone,” said Deacon Steve, adding that 70 percent of people don’t believe in the real presence of the Lord during the Eucharist.

“You look at where we are – not just the Catholic Church but Christianity in general – and you’re seeing a major downward trend in the number of people attended Mass and services,” he

added. “You look at what’s happening now, and people need to understand the power of the Mass; all of us need to understand that the Eucharist is real, it’s Jesus’ real presence, and if they understand that, then what’s going to happen?

“More people are going to go to church more frequently and when they’re in church, they’ll get so much more out of it, and they’ll be less likely to leave it and more likely to make it a priority.”

SUPPORT FROM DIOCESE

The “I Thirst” movement — in January this year, Deacon Steve and other leaders presented the program in O.C. schools — takes inspiration from a quote from St. Teresa of Calcutta:

"No matter how far you have strayed without a destination, no matter how often you have forgotten Me, no matter how many

crosses you bear in this life; I want you to always remember, one thing that will never change. I thirst for you – just you, as you are."

Deacon Steve said working on the movie was difficult but beyond worth it.

And he praised Bishop Vann and other Diocese leaders for supporting and helping him and his fellow filmmakers market the film.

“It was incredibly enjoyable,” he said of the experience, “but when you know that you’re doing God’s will, that realization energizes you.”

For more information about the June 4-7 showings of “Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist,” visit jesusthirstsfilm.com or spiritfilledevents.com C

DEACON STEVE GRECO. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXIS WALKENSTEIN

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

LUMEN CHRISTI SPEAKER SERIES

The Diocese of Orange Lumen Christi Institute is dedicated to providing easy access and powerful formation for Catholics of all walks of life and stages of faith.

Their monthly Speaker series, which will be held throughout 2024 at the Christ Cathedral campus in Garden Grove, brings together distinguished scholars, writers and speakers to address timely topics within the framework of Catholic tradition, theology and spirituality.

Upcoming Events:

April 25 at the Arboretum: “Science, Medicine & Near-Death Experiences” with Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J.

May 1 at the Cultural Center’s Freed Theatre: “Keeping Kids Catholic” with Fr. Sebastian Walshe.

June 12 at the Cultural Center’s Freed Theatre: “Dying Well” with Dr. Noreen McInnes. To register, visit https://www.rcbo.org/ministry/lumen-christi/lc-speaker-series-registration/

5TH ANNUAL PAROCHIAL ATHLETIC LEAGUE GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Department of Catholic Schools invites you to our golf tournament fundraiser. The Parochial Athletic League is hosting its Golf Tournament & Hall of Fame Induction on Tuesday, May 14 at Tustin Ranch Golf Club in Tustin.

The golf tournament raises funds to expand the scope of the after-school sports program and it is a critical part of the mission to make athletics accessible to everyone in our diocesan schools. If you don’t play golf, then please consider a sponsorship! Many levels available. To register, visit https://birdease.com/26674

BLESSING AND DEDICATION OF OUR LADY OF LA VANG

On April 22, Bishop Kevin Vann and Pastor Rev. Vincent Pham will unveil the Our Lady of La Vang Shrine at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Huntington Beach.

All are invited to the event, beginning with 8:30 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Vann, followed by an outdoor shrine blessing and dedication. A small reception will follow in the parish hall. For those unable to attend in person, the blessing ceremony and Mass will be livestreamed.

FR. ROBERT SPITZER WILL GIVE A TALK ON APRIL 25, AS PART OF THE LUMEN CHRISTI SPEAKER SERIES. PHOTO BY THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

THE PAROCHIAL ATHLETIC LEAGUE’S 5TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT & HALL OF FAME INDUCTION WILL TAKE PLACE ON MAY 14 IN TUSTIN. PHOTO BY STEVE GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

ST. BONAVENTURE CATHOLIC CHURCH, HUNTINGTON BEACH. PHOTO BY STEVE GEORGES/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE

CHRIST CATHEDRAL TO CELEBRATE FEAST OF ST. PEREGRINE

CHRIST CATHEDRAL WILL CELEBRATE the feast day of St. Peregrine, patron saint of cancer patients and hope for youth at risk, with a special Mass and blessing with relics of the saint on Saturday, May 4 at 12:30 p.m.

St. Peregrine is widely known as the patron saint of those who suffer with cancer. But he is also the patron saint of “youth at risk.” Once in a gang, he met compassion and came to peace and joined the Servite Order. C

A SPECIAL MASS WITH FR. MICHAEL PONTARELLI, O.S.M. WAS CELEBRATED TO HONOR THE FEAST DAY OF ST. PEREGRINE AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL IN 2023. PHOTO BY COLIN HORAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

A DIFFERENT COURSE

JSERRA’S BRYSON BISUNA’S ACADEMIC JOURNEY IS ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

BY LOU PONSI

AT THE AGE OF 11, Bryson Bisuna was enrolled at St. Serra Catholic School in Rancho Santa Margarita – a typical path for many of his contemporaries.

Yet Bisuna’s path was anything but typical.

Because at the same time, he was enrolled and graduated Magna cum Laude from Irvine Valley with an associate degree in computer science.

Then it was on to UC San Diego where, in one year, Bisuna earned bachelor’s degree in mathematics-computer science.

He was 15.

Bryson Bisuna has the distinction of being “gifted.”

While the word can be used in a variety of ways, the National Association of Gifted Children defines a gifted student as one who can “perform—or have the capability to perform—at higher levels compared to others of the same age, experience, and environment in one or more domains.”

Now, at age 17, Bisuna is qualified to take the exam required to become a certified public accountant and is on a trajectory to earn a PhD in computer science.

But Bisuna’s journey is not as typical as that of his academically gifted peers. He has decided to temporarily veer off course towards and go in the opposite direction … back to high school.

Bisuna is currently a junior at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano and plans to remain there through senior year, when he’ll walk in the graduation with fellow JSerra seniors.

At first, his counselor at JSerra and even his parents wondered why Bisuna, a member of Mensa and a Davidson Young Scholar, would want to go to high school.

But it all made perfect sense to Bisuna,

BRYSON BISUNA AND HIS YOUNGER SISTER BREANNA SHOW THEIR CERTIFICATES AS ALTAR SERVERS AT ST. KILIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN MISSION VIEJO.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BERNARD BISUNA

FAITHFULNESS AND FIDELITY

BY SR. DIANE HEISS, SDSH

WHAT IS FAITHFULNESS?

At times, our society seems to have lost sight of it. Some couples who vow faithfulness at their wedding tragically break that promise through an affair or divorce. Persons in leadership roles swearing to uphold the duties of their office all too often forget their promise in favor of personal benefit. On the other hand, we see shining examples of couples married for 60 or 70 years now faithfully taking care of each other in their declining years and working couples caring for their aging parents as well as raising their own children.

The saying “like father, like son” or “like mother, like daughter,” having its roots in ancient Greek and Latin literature, means that frequently children resemble their parents in behavior, character, personality, or physical traits. We are God’s beloved daughters and sons, created in God’s image and likeness. If we wonder: “Where does faithfulness come from?” the answer is that it comes from God, and is an attribute of God, which God delights in sharing with us. Even though we human beings, wounded by original and personal sin, are often unable to be faithful, GOD IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL. In the Bible, the prophet Jeremiah speaks of God’s faithfulness when God proclaims, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my mercy / faithfulness to you (Jer. 31).” When we are faithful, it is not so much that we are great, outstanding, or wonderful, but rather that we have asked for and been open to God’s graces of faithfulness.

I would like to take this opportunity

to briefly share three incidents of faithfulness which I have experienced within the past few weeks. On Saturday, March 16, our community, the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart (SDSH) celebrated the Jubilee of Religious Profession for five of our Sisters: Sr. Catherine Miller60 years; Sr. Frances Kennedy and myself - 50 years; Sr. Adriane Torrisi (and Sr. Ann Wong serving in Taiwan) - 25 years; as well as the renewal of religious profession of Sr. Charis Kwon and Sr. Vivian Sun. It was a day of great rejoicing as, surrounded by family and friends, we renewed our vows, knowing that it is God who has helped us to be faithful until now, and who will help us to be faithful in the future. Just two weeks later, on Easter Sunday, our Sr. Carmen Acosta died less than five months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was faithful to God in her 56 years of religious life, and faithful in death, wanting only “whatever God wills.” Our Sr. Hermine Jaschko, first companion of our foundress, Sr. Ida Peterfy, will be 105 in May, and has been a member of our community for well over 80 years. When people ask any of us how we can be faithful for such a long time, it is the same answer that faithful spouses, faithful parents, and faithful friends will give: it is with the grace of God. C

FOR YOUR FAMILY:

 Use your device’s search bar to look up Biblical citations for faithfulness and fidelity.

 Ask God to grant you the grace of faithfulness and do your best to cooperate with this virtue in your daily life.

 Talk with priests and/or religious, and ask them to share about their vocation, and how they knew God was calling them.

 Visit relatives and/or friends who have been faithful in marriage or positions of service and ask them to share what they learned throughout their lives that helped them to be faithful.

 Pray for and send notes of encouragement to priests whom you know, and to those who are faithfully living their vocation to married life, religious life or single life.

IN

ON

AT THEIR

FROM

TO RIGHT: SR. DIANE HEISS, SR. ADRIANE TORRISI, SR. MARY TOMASELLA (SUPERIOR GENERAL), SR. FRANCES KENNEDY, SR. CATHERINE MILLER AND MOST REVEREND

TRUDEAU. PHOTO COURTESY OF SR. DIANE HEISS

whose rationale for wanting to attend high school wasn’t totally related to academics.

He simply wanted to experience life as a high school student.

“The next step that my parents wanted was for me to move on to a doctorate or a PhD program,” Bisuna said. “I didn't feel like I was ready to work closely with a professor who was far more experienced than me, because I didn't feel like I had the social maturity to express what I was thinking and any problems I had. And I felt like high school is the best place to mature socially so I'm ready for the PhD.”

Along with taking honors classes, Bisuna is enrolled in the Law Magnet Program at JSerra and is a member of the Speech and Debate Club.

He’s joined other clubs as well, tried his hand at beach volleyball and gone on school retreats.

“I have friends and I enjoy being around them,” he said. “And the clubs, I enjoy going to those.”

Olivia Huie, director of academic and college counseling at JSerra, meets with all new transfer students to help them determine the proper classes and curriculum to match their academic level.

In her 16 years at JSerra, Huie said Bisuna is the first student she’s worked with who enrolled in high school after already possessing a college degree.

“It really showed maturity at such a young age and just the fact that he had a lot of self-awareness about the need to grow and develop maturity-wise and also in other areas that he's not as wellversed in,” Huie said.

The counselor also admired Bisuna’s willingness to try activities that were outside of his

“He could have easily done engineering or math, but he made a decision to go the law magnet route and I was very impressed by that,” Huie said.

Since he blends in so well with his classmates, Beth Waterman, Bisuna’s teacher for AP Environmental Science, only recently discovered he had a college degree.

“I think he has a bunch of buddies in the class,” Waterman said. “I think they have good chemistry, which means a lot in a class, because we have fun. There are quite a few bright kids in that class, which is part of what makes it fun.”

Bisuna said his faith has also grown stronger at JSerra, mainly through participation in Faith Formation, where students are encouraged to develop a personal relationship with Christ and the Church through weekly school Masses, Eucharistic Adoration and other activities.

“I feel like I'm praying a lot more than I was prior to when I went to JSerra,” said Bisuna, who is also an altar server at St. Kilian Catholic Church in Mission Viejo. Outside of school, Bisuna works at Mathnasium tutoring middle and high school students in math. He has also earned his black belt in karate and plays the piano and drums.

“We were sort of not leaning for him coming back to high school because we thought it was a step backward,” Bernard Bisuna (Bryson's father) said. “But he convinced us. We looked back on our own high school experience. High school would also give him time to mature further, discover other interests and have experiences that can never be replicated once he is a grown up.” C

BRYSON BISUNA. PHOTO COURTESY OF JSERRA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

OC Catholic Afar

I am sharing a picture of my mother, Amelita Sison Navarro, which I took in front of the Infant Jesus of Prague, Czech Republic after Mass at Church of Our Lady Victorious late last month. Our family belongs to St. Thomas More parish in Irvine. We were on a trip/pilgrimage as part of her 80th birthday celebration.

— Michele Navarro Nazareno

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