OC Catholic 5.2.21

MAY 2, 2021

ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL RECEIVES TECH GIFT PAGE 12

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM

STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY CONFIRMATION IS A FORMATIVE SACRAMENT IN THE JOURNEY OF OUR FAITH. PAGE 6

POPE FRANCIS PERFORMS THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION DURING THE EASTER VIGIL CEREMONY IN ST. PETER’S BASILICA IN APRIL 2019. PHOTO: RICCARDO DE LUCA / SHUTTERSTOCK

MAY 2, 2021

CONTENTS

7 8 14

GIVING CATHOLIC GIFTS

Milestones of our faith deserve to be commemorated.

DEDICATED TO SERVE

Our priesthood is an invaluable element of the faith, serving our community and more.

POPE TO PRIESTS: PRAY, BE POOR, BE CLOSE TO PEOPLE

Pope Francis offers words of advice to new priests at Vatican ordination mass.

PLUS

Guest 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

ADVERTISING Director of Custom Content: Caroline Wong, cawong@scng.com

SCNG CUSTOM CONTENT Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams

Art Director: Fernando M. Donado

Delivered weekly to parishes and homes throughout Orange County, Calif., Orange County Catholic is published by SCNG Custom Content, a division of Southern California News Group that offers content development and design expertise to businesses and nonprofit institutions. The Orange County Catholic editorial staff and editorial council are responsible for the content contained herein.

Events and products advertised in Orange County Catholic do not carry the implicit endorsement of the Diocese of Orange or SCNG Custom Content.

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GUEST COLUMN

CALIFORNIA SHOULDN’T SCRAP ‘SAFEGUARDS’ IN END OF LIFE OPTIONS ACT Center, proponents of the End of Life Option Act, contradict this new effort to eliminate “safeguards” with this note on SSISTED SUICIDE IS already their current website FAQs: “Death with legal in California through dignity statues contain a number of safethe so-called End of Life Op- guards, protecting patients from abuse tion Act, narrowly passed by and coercion … the patient must make the California Legislature and signed by two oral requests, at least 15 days apart.” then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2015. The bill But in this new bill, these proporeceived opposition from both Democrat nents want to eliminate the very “safeand Republican Assembly members and guard” they hold up. state senators but was passed, many This rush to erode assisted suicide feel inappropriately, during a special “safeguards” included in the 2015 End legislative session focused on Medi-Cal of Life Option Act is not only unwise funding. public policy, but there is simply no Despite the bill’s narrow passage, data or science to support removing now just a few years into the new law, these “safeguards” so soon. proponents of this law want to elimiAnnual reports on the End of Life nate the very “safeguards” they used as Option Act required by the state of Calarguments for its passage. The new bill, ifornia do not contain any data whatsoSenate Bill 380 by Sen. Susan Eggman, ever regarding complications, reasons will get rid of the scheduled 2025 review for requesting the lethal drugs and, process that doctors, patient advocates for the limited data provided, much is and legislators allowed for an examinalisted “unknown.” Over the past year we tion of California’s experience with this have become all too familiar with how controversial law. This new bill will also important medical and scientific data eliminate the 15-day safety period to are in making informed public policy receive the deadly prescription drugs. decisions, especially decisions involving During the 2015 debate regarding as- life and death. sisted suicide legalization, and the End The latest California annual report of Life Options Act, former state Sen. on the End of Life Option Act law reBill Monning (and bill author) noted leased in July 2020, reported that 10% in the publication Healthline that, “the of those requesting the lethal drugs joint and co-authors on this bill…enhad an “unknown” insurance coverage, deavored to build in protections in this and it was “unknown” whether 7% ever [measure] that are stronger than any of received information about hospice or the states where this has been practiced.” palliative care options.

Monning’s statement was far from the In a March 2021 New York Times truth because the narrowness and limMagazine interview of Dr. Diane E. ited data required by his bill about how Meier, longtime director of the Center assisted suicide was to be implemented to Advance Palliative Care at Mount along with how and where patients are Sinai Hospital noted, “All the heartfelt really protected, is a big part of many of adherence to restrictions that are anthese problems today. nounced when you first get the public The Death with Dignity NationalCONTINUES ON PAGE 13

BY MATT VALLIERE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PATIENTS RIGHTS ACTION FUND

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O C C AT H O L I C n M AY 2 , 2 0 2 1

DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

“

Thus, in the darkest hour of the world, she became the mother of believers, the mother of the church and a sign of hope.

BEARING FRUIT

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EW OF US, EVEN WHEN WE MEDITATE on the image of the vine and branches, stop to really think about how God “prunes” us. For some there is the danger of thinking that we are already producing fruit for the kingdom, in deed and truth as John says, perhaps raising a family, being active in our parish, and so on. But even those branches which are bearing fruit, the Gospel tells us, can be pruned to produce still more.

Today Saul, freshly “pruned” by his conversion, arrives in Jerusalem and meets resistance. Since he had been persecuting Christians, this was only natural. But even after he is accepted and begins to bear fruit, he meets further adversity, and his letters are filled with many accounts of how his trials “pruned” him to produce greater fruit for the kingdom. Like him, as long as we remain in Christ we will continue to bear fruit and, when the will of the Father determines it is time to prune us, the strength of the true vine must enable us to endure it.

Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C

- Pope Francis SAINT PROFILE

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ATHANASIUS 295-373

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HIS DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, famous for his understanding of and writing about the Incarnation, became bishop of his hometown, Alexandria, Egypt, when he was in his early 30s. As metropolitan patriarch for 45 years, he fought the heresy of Arius, a well educated Alexandrian priest; ran afoul of three emperors and was exiled multiple times; and defended church unity despite longstanding difficulties with other bishops. He improved spirituality in his diocese, increased vocations, preached and wrote many letters, as well as a life of Antony of Egypt, a classic about ascetic and monastic life. Venerated from the time of his death in both East and West, he is the patron saint of hagiographers. C

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1 COR 15:1-8; PS 19:2-5; JN 14:6-14

ACTS 14:19-28; PS 145:10-13AB, 21; JN 14:27-31A

ACTS 15:1-6; PS 122:1-5; JN 15:1-8

ACTS 15:7-21; PS 96:1-3, 10; JN 15:9-11

ACTS 15:22-31; PS 57:8-10, 12; JN 15:12-17

ACTS 16:1-10; PS 100:1B-3, 5; JN 15:18-21

ACTS 10:25-36, 34-35, 44-48; PS 98:1-4; 1 JN 4:7-10 OR 1 JN 4:11-16; JN 15:9-17

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FEATURE

STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY

CONFIRMATION IS A FORMATIVE SACRAMENT IN THE JOURNEY OF OUR FAITH

BY MEG WATERS

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ISHOP ROBERT BARRON, in his series on the sacraments, says that “Easter is to Pentecost as Baptism is to Confirmation.

The latter is the fulfillment of the first and are deeply tied together. Confirmation strengthens what was given to us in Baptism.”

Both Pentecost and Confirmation make demands on our soul to go forth and spread the good news of salvation.

We don’t just receive this grace passively, the grace in both events calls us to pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

But we are not sent out without training and reinforcements. Through Confirmation, we receive from the Holy Spirit seven gifts: Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord. It is up to us to use and build upon these gifts for the rest of our lives.

The gift of Wisdom allows us to see the bigger picture of salvation. In a sense it helps us get beyond the trials of life to see how God’s work extends outside our narrow perspective.

Knowledge and Understanding calls us to commit to a lifetime of learning our faith and expressing it to others.

Unfortunately, most Catholics stop their study after Confirmation, going through life with just an elementary understanding of Catholic teaching. When they are challenged by the secular world, they crumble.

Counsel is knowing how to make moral decisions. With Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding, we can then discern God’s will for us.

It is not easy to evangelize, especially

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BISHOP KEVIN W. VANN ADMINISTERS THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION TO A PARISHIONER AT LA PURISIMA CHURCH IN ORANGE IN SEPTEMBER 2020.

FILE PHOTO: CHALLENGE RODDIE

in our highly secularized world that is often hostile to religion in general and Catholicism in particular. Fortitude gives us the strength and resolve to persevere, despite criticism and even persecution.

Piety is not cloying, holier-than-thou posturing, but as Bishop Barron puts it, it is “Justice,” giving to God his due — namely our obedience, prayers, devotion and sacrifice.

Finally, Fear of the Lord is often misunderstood in modern terms as being afraid of God. It is giving God our deepest reverence and respect. It is seeing the

face of God in everything and loving him back with gratitude and humility.

Like Baptism, Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation, but while Baptism welcomes a soul into the communion of the faithful, Confirmation is a sacrament that sends the soul out into the world to evangelize. We often say that once confirmed, the soul becomes a soldier of Christ in the Church militant (the Church on Earth).

Despite pandemic restrictions, the Diocese of Orange is entering its second Confirmation season by adapting this

important sacrament to temporary obstacles.

According to Catherine Ord, youth ministry programs coordinator for the Diocese, each parish has its own challenges regarding Confirmation formation and the final Confirmation Mass and ceremony. The pandemic has unleashed a lot of creativity to adapt formation to parish needs. “Some parishes have had to lay off staff who would have been in charge of the Confirmation program, others have kept staff on a limited bases CONTINUES ON PAGE 7

FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

and still others are relying on volunteers,” Ord said. “Planning and celebrating Confirmation is left to each parish. The process varies widely.”

One of the changes is the Bishop has “validated” pastors to confirm their candidates, much like it is done during the Easter vigil. However, by request, one of the bishops will preside at a parish confirmation.

Since parishes administer the sacrament of Confirmation, students in Catholic high schools are still required to participate in their parish’s Confirmation formation process.

Formation for Confirmation requires two years of study. Typically, students and their adult sponsors begin the process their freshman year of high school and are confirmed the end of their sophomore year. Students can’t begin before 9th grade and some start a bit later. However, if students cannot complete the formation by the end of their senior year, they are enrolled in the adult Confirmation class.

Depending on staffing availability, some parishes do their entire formation process via Zoom, while others have a hybrid program. They often include family activities to reinforce the teaching.

Choosing a saint’s name or “heavenly sponsor” is a way of enlisting the support of the holy souls and to call upon their intersession throughout life.

The Church militant needs its soldiers of Christ more than ever, which is why it is so important to complete the two years of formation to learn about the Church and one’s responsibility as a Catholic, but to also commit to lifelong learning and defending the faith.

In today’s militantly secular world, it takes a lot of courage and grace to speak up for one’s religious convictions. Confirmation gives the grace and the tools to take on the world. C

GIVING CATHOLIC GIFTS A RANGE OF THOUGHTFUL ITEMS MARKS SACRAMENTS AND MILESTONES

BY CATHI DOUGLAS

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HEN MY FATHER DIED, three of my Baltimore cousins teamed up to create a poster full of snapshots of Dad through the years.

It arrived just in time for Dad’s funeral reception, where everyone said how much my sons look like him.

The poster remains in a place of honor at the entry to our home and Dad’s always with us during family celebrations.

A comforting, thoughtful gift, the poster cost time, energy, and effort rather than much money — but it acknowledges how much Dad means to our family.

As a gift associated with a Catholic sacrament goes, it’s one of my most memorable and cherished.

THE CHRIST CATHEDRAL SHOP OFFERS A NUMBER OF GIFTS FOR ALL. FILE PHOTO: CHALLENGE RODDIE

Peters, as we commemorate the Year of St. Joseph as declared by Pope Francis.

St. Joseph — a loving and protective young father — is a perfect saint to watch over babies and children. A holy card or other item featuring him is a fine gift to acknowledge a baby’s Baptism or a child’s OCCASIONS FOR First Holy Communion.

CATHOLIC GIFTS Items with the Holy Family remind Gift-giving is a wonderful way to newly married couples of their vows to honor a child’s Baptism, Confession, First love one another, as St. Joseph and our Holy Communion, and Confirmation and Blessed Virgin Mary were devoted to a loving way to commemorate a couple’s each other and to their son. wedding, a priest’s ordination, and a loved one’s passing.

KEEPSAKES ARE Today, one can choose from wide CHERISHED FOREVER selection of Catholic gifts for sacramental Beyond flowers and sympathy cards, occasions. And access is easier than ever Catholics wishing to send prayers to with the addition of the Christ Cathedral the bereaved can, for a small donation, Shop on the Garden Grove campus and have Mass celebrated in memory of the the many items available online with a deceased. Mass cards are a kind way to simple click. remind the grieving that their loved one is missed.

ST. JOSEPH HONORS Whether it’s for a newly confirmed FATHERS AND HUSBANDS teen or a future heirloom for a newlyWall hangings and statues picturing wed couple, a keepsake Bible is always a beloved St. Joseph are selling like the thoughtful Catholic gift. proverbial hotcakes at the Christ CaThere are many versions of accessible thedral Shop, according to owner Steve Catholic Bibles at various prices, available

in paperback or leather, in large or small versions, with and without footnotes.

Picture books are a fine way for godparents to honor a child’s Baptism or First Holy Communion.

ICONIC CATHOLIC GIFTS KEEP GIVING

Perhaps the most iconic gift, appropriate for boys and girls, men and women of all ages is the rosary. It’s the perfect present in honor of a Confirmation or Communion, and a thoughtful addition to a bride’s bouquet or a groom’s coat pocket.

Spiritual and prayer books are thoughtful gifts for a new priest or any Catholic who wants to learn more or engage deeply with one’s faith.

WHERE TO SHOP

In addition to personally visiting the Christ Cathedral Shop, Catholic gifts can be ordered through christcathedralshop.com.

The best gifts are those that last.

Thoughtful Catholic gift-giving, then, extends through the generations and touches a family forever. C

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FEATURE

DEDICATED TO SERVE THE DIOCESE IS ON SOLID GROUND, THANKS TO OUR CLERGY

BY LARRY URISH

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HE PRIEST SHORTAGE IN THE Catholic Church has been an ongoing concern – some would call it a crisis – for decades.

The numbers are sobering: Between 1980 and 2012, the ratio of Catholics per priest worldwide rose from 1,895 to 2,965. Last October, the Vatican reported that this ratio is now 3,210 Catholics per priest.

The good news on the home front is that the Diocese of Orange won’t be in panic mode any time soon. While more clergy are always welcome to any diocese, the number of priests and deacons, as well as those in training, remains at a healthy level.

“If you compare [the numbers] now to 50 years ago, there is a discrepancy in the number of priests,” says Fr. Brandon Dang, the Diocese’s director of vocations. “And while overall we can always use more good men to answer the call to the priesthood, at the local level we’re blessed to have a good number of priests, relative to other dioceses.”

Fr. Brandon notes that an estimated 150 to 200 priests serve in the Diocese, and that 23 men are currently in formation to serve after they’re ordained.

In addition, 148 active deacons call the Diocese of Orange home, says Deacon Frank Chavez, director of the Office of the Diaconate.

“There’s no lack of interest in the diaconate,” Deacon Frank says. “We’re growing like crazy, and we don’t recruit.”

Nevertheless, he adds, “It’s always good to have more deacons. We age and retire, so we need to get younger men in

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NEWLY ORDAINED PRIESTS PERFORM BLESSINGS AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL DURING THEIR ORDINATION MASS IN AUGUST 2019.

FILE PHOTO: CHALLENGE RODDIE

there to take care of that attrition.”

Thirteen men will be ordained as deacons this fall, and Deacon Frank notes that there are currently 20 men in the diaconate class of 2023. “I put out a notice to the priests to nominate men for diaconate formation, and [getting interested men] is usually not much of an effort,” he says. “We don’t pick all of them for formation, since the discernment process during the first six months is so demanding. Usually the guys who make it through that period end up finishing.

We may lose two or three per class.”

“Every parish in the Diocese – except for two – has at least one deacon,” Deacon Frank says, adding that the need for Spanish-speaking deacons in Hispanic neighborhoods is greater. “They can be bilingual or even monolingual.”

Bishop Kevin Vann has encouraged Fr. Brandon, vocations director since July 2019, to apply his youth and enthusiasm in appealing to men interested in looking at the priesthood as a lifelong calling. “Being a witness and using all

the tools in our arsenal – including social media, work in the parishes and outreach – informs us as we determine how to best create missionary disciples who will become the leaders in evangelization work,” Fr. Brandon says.

He sees two elements as essential to keeping his work in line with Bishop Vann’s Strategic Plan: “We must develop a priestly identity as spiritual fathers to the parishioners. And we must help with the preaching aspect of the priesthood.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 9

SOCIAL MEDIA / FEATURE orangediocese • follow April 25, 2021 orangediocese Today is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Let us pray for those currently discerning and living out vocations to ordained ministry and consecrated life. #OCCatholic

B C B

ORDINANDS PROSTRATE THEMSELVES BEFORE THE ALTAR DURING THEIR ORDINATION MASS AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL. FILE PHOTO: CHALLENGE RODDIE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

orangediocese • follow April 24, 2021 orangediocese “It is always an honor, pleasure and privilege for host Rick Howick to welcome @bishopfreyer to our studios (high atop the Tower of Hope).

In this lively conversation, we will be talking about what it means to be an ‘Easter People.’ It is all about the resurrected Christ. HE IS RISEN!” Listen to the latest OC Catholic Radio episode right now in the link below and on Apple podcasts. https://occatholic.com/episode226oc-catholic-radio-we-are-an-easter-people/

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

Many people obviously put a lot of importance to what their priest says.”

Shepherding good men through clergy formation is not without its challenges. “The [diaconate] class being ordained started out with about 80 men,” Deacon Frank says. “During the discernment process, they drop out or they don’t get selected. There were 16 who were still there after six months.”

While some quickly learn that they don’t qualify, others find the dedication and commitment too demanding. “But you don’t have to be a deacon to serve in the Church,” Deacon Frank says.

“Look at what our lay people do. There are so many opportunities to help.”

And what Fr. Brandon notes about the number of priests in the Diocese certainly applies to deacons: “We prefer quality over quantity.”

The COVID pandemic has had a significant impact on the work and formation of the Diocese’s priests and deacons. Deacon Frank has a sad observation: “We’ve been doing tons of rosaries, vigils and gravesite services. I keep running into other deacons at the cemetery. … It’s an honor to be with people who are hurting, and we, as

representatives of the Church, get to be with them in a very private moment of their lives.”

Formation classes and meetings with deacons have been affected as well. “Zoom has had a huge impact,” Deacon Frank says. “It works, but it’s not the best. For example, in formation, we have men and their wives who are going through a challenging process.” Not sharing that with them in person, he says, has been difficult.

“And personally, I have Zoom fatigue.”

Fr. Brandon concurs. On an administrative level, he’s met with discerners [those pondering life as a priest] outdoors, indoors and on Zoom. “But on a deeper level, they’re missing a key element that everyone has lacked during COVID: personal human connection.”

The next priesthood and diaconate ordinations will take place at Christ Cathedral on June 12 and October 23, respectively.

What Fr. Brandon continually reminds discerners and priests going through the ordination process applies to deacons – and all Catholics: “The one thing I keep stressing is that, ultimately, it’s all about caring for and loving people.” C

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DIOCESAN NEWS

CHRIST CATHEDRAL MARKS YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH

BY MOVING STATUE TO MARY HOOD CHAPEL

BY GREG MELLEN

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MODEST STATUE OF A MAN and baby sits on an unadorned marble pedestal.

The intimate chapel at the base of the Crean Tower, named the Mary Hood Chapel, is easily lost beneath the 236-foot stainless-steel mirrored spire that naturally draws one’s gaze heavenward.

However, through early December the small chapel will be a special place for prayer and reflection. Parishioners and visitors will be invited to venerate and pray to St. Joseph, depicted in the two-foot statue cradling the baby Jesus in his arms.

Earlier this year, Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Freyer blessed the statue in a ceremony attended by about 40 clergy, parishioners and staff of the Diocese of Orange.

On Dec. 8, 2020, Pope Francis declared the bulk of 2021, the 150th anniversary year of Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, as a special “Year of St. Joseph.” The recognition extends from the Dec. 8 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception in 2020 until the feast in 2021.

The ceremony and the placement of the statue were symbolic of Joseph: modest and unassuming, yet perched on the doorstep of something much greater.

The statue, ordered from Italy, is circled by kneeling cushions for prayer and veneration, and the outer wall has prayer candles for lighting.

A passage on the inner wall from Mark reads: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.”

The chapel has been a kind of hidden gem at the campus. When the Catholic Church took over the property, a crystal sculpture of the risen Christ was on

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BISHOP TIMOTHY FREYER SPEAKS AT THE STATUE DEDICATION OUTSIDE THE SANCTUARY. PHOTOS: DREW KELLEY

BISHOP FREYER PERFORMING THE BLESSING OF THE STATUE OF ST. JOSEPH.

the pedestal in the sanctuary, but was damaged. After that was removed, the pedestal was empty and later had a stat-

O C C AT H O L I C n M AY 2 , 2 0 2 1

ue of Mary before St. Joseph was given temporary residency.

“This seemed a wonderful place for

it,” Father Al Baca, director for evangelization and faith formation for the Diocese, said of the temporary home for the St. Joseph sculpture.

Although the legal father of Jesus, Joseph is sometimes overlooked. During the blessing ceremony Bishop Freyer said Joseph was “a foster father who loved Jesus with a father’s heart.”

He also said Joseph has special resonance in a time when many openly ask, “Where is God?” in the time of pandemic. Freyer then related a story from Luke, when Mary and Joseph asked the same question after Jesus, as a 12-year-old, was separated from them in Jerusalem.

After a frantic search, Jesus was found in temple.

As Joseph was able to find the Lord in Jerusalem, Freyer said, “Hopefully he will guide many to healing, joy and patience.” C

DIOCESAN NEWS OBITUARY

MARIA FERRUCCI: 1935 – 2021 A GENEROUS SUPPORTER OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE, MARIA FERRUCCI PASSES INTO ETERNAL LIFE

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N SUNDAY MARCH 21, 2021, Maria Ferrucci, loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away at the age of 86. Maria was born on January 21, 1935, in Amorosi, Italy to Emilio and Caterina Maddaloni.

She immigrated to the United States in 1954. She returned to Amorosi to marry Gabriel on December 2, 1956. Maria and Gabriel then made their home in New Haven, Connecticut, where they raised three children, daughters Rina and Anna, and their son, Joe. As the oldest of three children, she took care of her two younger brothers while her parents worked the farm during the difficult times that World War II brought to the people of Europe.

During their 64 years of marriage, Maria supported Gabriel as his jobs required relocating the family to Charleston, SC in 1974, then back to Connecticut in 1980, and to California in 1984.

She was completely devoted to her husband, children, and grandchildren.

She always looked forward to Sunday, when she would cook for her entire family. Maria and Gabriel enjoyed entertaining family and friends. She was well known for her kind, gentle, and loving personality, and her unshakable faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Maria was predeceased by her brothers, Vincent and Anthony, and is survived by her husband, three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

A vigil was held at St. Nicholas Church on March 28. The funeral Mass followed

MARIA AND GABRIEL FERRUCCI ATTEND THE DEDICATION OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL IN JULY 2019. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

on March 29, at Christ Cathedral. The funeral Mass was live-streamed so that it could be viewed by those who are unable to personally attend due to the pandemic. The burial and a light reception

followed at St. Michael’s Abbey. In lieu of flowers, Maria would suggest to those wishing to honor her that they send a donation to the Seminarian Fund for St. Michael’s Abbey at 27977 Silverado

Canyon Road, Silverado, CA 92676, or to The Maria and Gabriel Ferrucci Retired Priest Endowment Fund C/O Orange Catholic Foundation, 13280 Chapman Avenue, Garden Grove, CA 92840. C

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CATHOLIC SCHOOL NEWS

ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL RECEIVES TECHNOLOGY GIFT

BY JENELYN RUSSO

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HE STAFF AT ST. JOSEPH Catholic School in Santa Ana received some unexpected gifts recently when a generous donation provided for the purchase of Microsoft Surface Pro tablet computers for the school’s teachers.

Having navigated through full distance learning last spring, and with as many as 50 percent of their school families opting for remote learning during the winter months, St. Joseph’s has remained committed to providing its families safe options for instruction.

Christopher Jin, president of Unite Health Share Ministries (UHSM), a nonprofit, faith-based health sharing ministry headquartered in Norfolk, Va. read about how Catholic schools within the Diocese of Orange like St. Joseph Santa Ana were stepping up and going to extraordinary lengths to meet the educational needs of their students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Jin also understood that with that commitment comes the need for the right tools. After learning that the teachers at St. Joseph’s were using Chromebooks to either teach from home or provide remote instruction from the classroom, he decided to see what he and UHSM could do to help.

“I’m a bit of a tech geek, and I know that there’s no way you can run a Zoom class on one of those Chromebooks,” says Jin. “They don’t have enough power.”

Indeed, there are some limitations with Chromebooks when it comes to certain applications, so after commu-

CHRISTOPHER JIN, LEFT, WITH TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AT ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL HOLDING NEW LAPTOPS DONATED TO THE SCHOOL. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL

nicating to the Diocese his intent for UHSM to donate Surface Pro tablets to the school, and working with Microsoft to obtain discounted pricing, St. Joseph Santa Ana principal Kelly Botto surprised her teachers in February with 11 of the much-needed upgraded devices.

“Our teachers are so happy,” says Botto. “They’re using them all the time. It gives them more freedom and mobility in their classrooms.”

Approximately 10 percent of St. Joseph’s students have chosen to remain in remote learning, so not only have the teachers experienced an increase in capability when it comes to using Zoom, but they can also seamlessly deliver instruction in subjects such as math by utilizing the Surface Pens to solve problems directly on the screen. St. Joseph sixth grade teacher Thanh “Toan” Pham

feels the Surface Pro has added a new dimension to his teaching.

“It allows me to create engaging lessons wherever inspiration strikes without being confined to just the classroom,” says Pham. “It provides processing power that a Chromebook cannot match.”

Additionally, St. Joseph Santa Ana is one of three school sites within the Diocese that has begun a three-year training program with Loyola Marymount University’s iDEAL Institute (Innovation in Digital Education & Learning) to become certified as a Blended Learning Partnership School. The Surface Pros will support the applications the school is using to achieve this designation.

“With all the different programs that we are using as part of the [iDEAL] program … these devices are going to

really help the teachers, even more so, in building strength in the blended learning program,” says Botto.

Jin says he and UHSM are continuing to look for ways to support the Diocese of Orange and other faith communities through the challenges of the pandemic.

“Churches are a pillar in the community, and they do so much for their local communities,” says Jin. Meanwhile, the teachers at St. Joseph Santa Ana are grateful for the support from their guardian angels.

“I’m so thankful and just astounded at their generosity and their level of commitment to embracing and supporting our teachers,” says Botto. “By supporting our teaching staff, they’re really supporting our students. It’s such a blessing.” 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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to vote in favor of this go up in smoke once the practice is validated.”

The annual reports on the End of Life Option Act do not, in fact, provide sufficient data to determine whether these restrictions or, as proponents called them, “safeguards” are being followed. And now with SB 380’s “safeguard” elimination, these “safeguards” they touted were simply a ruse to get the original law passed.

Given the controversial history of the End of Life Option Act law as well as a broken patient healthcare infrastructure pushed to the limit by the pandemic of the last year, it is neither wise nor appropriate to remove these so-called “safeguards.” The bill is set to be re-evaluated in 2025 under the current law.

Furthermore, any effort to expand

this assisted suicide policy and the End of Life Option Act also comes in the midst of the debate on a systemic healthcare disparity and inequity within ethnic, minority and disability communities on access to palliative, hospice and other types of care for serious and terminal diseases.

This is simply not the time to eliminate what little patient protections that proponents themselves included in the End of Life Option Act – the lack of safeguards will do more harm to patients than good. C Matt Valliere is the executive director of the Patients Rights Action Fund, a national nonpartisan organization defending the rights of people with disabilities, seniors and people facing serious illness. Matt is an experienced caregiver to people with life-threatening disabilities.

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CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

PRAY, BE POOR, BE CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE, POPE TELLS NEW PRIESTS

BY CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) ­— The priesthood “is not a career, it is a service,” Pope Francis told nine men just before ordaining them to the priesthood for the Diocese of Rome.

The service to which priests are called must reflect the way God has cared and continues to care for his people, a “style of closeness, a style of compassion and a style of tenderness,” the pope told the men April 25 during his homily at the ordination Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Mass marked the first time in more than a year that Pope Francis presided at a liturgy at the main altar in the basilica and the first time that more than a few hundred people were allowed in at the same time. Close to 1,000 people, mainly family and friends of the ordinands, sat socially distanced and wearing masks throughout the Mass.

Rather than walking the entire length of the basilica, Pope Francis processed into the Mass from the Altar of the Chair, avoiding a situation where people would crowd together at the center aisle to see him up close and take photos.

The new priests, who are between the ages of 26 and 43, include six Italians, a Romanian, a Colombian and a Brazilian. Six studied at Rome’s major seminary; two prepared for the priesthood at the Neocatechumenal Way’s Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Rome; and one attended the Rome Seminary of Our Lady of Divine Love.

On the Sunday when the Gospel reading is about the good shepherd and the church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope

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POPE FRANCIS USES INCENSE AS HE CELEBRATES THE ORDINATION MASS FOR NINE NEW PRIESTS FOR THE DIOCESE OF ROME IN ST. PETER’S BASILICA AT THE VATICAN APRIL 25, 2021. PHOTO: DONATELLA GIAGNORI / POOL PHOTO VIA CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Francis told the new priests that they must never forget they were called from among God’s people to be shepherds.

“Be shepherds” like Jesus, he said.

“Shepherds of the holy, faithful people of God. Shepherds who go with the people of God -- sometimes ahead of the flock, sometimes in the midst of it or behind it, but always there with the people of God.” Pope Francis said that as he already

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had mentioned to the nine in the sacristy before Mass, “Please, steer clear of the vanity, the pride of money. The devil enters through the pockets. Think about this.”

“Be poor like the holy, faithful people of God are poor,” he told them.

“Don’t be climbers” seeking some kind of “ecclesiastical career.”

Priests who become “functionaries” or “businessmen,” he said, lose their contact with the people and “that pov-

erty that makes them like Christ poor and crucified.”

Closeness is key in the life of a priest, the pope said. First, they must be close to God in prayer. Then, close to their bishop, close to one another and close to their people.

“I suggest you make a resolution today: Never speak ill of a brother priest,” he said. “If you have something against another, be a man, put on your pants, go and tell him to his face.” C

Moments in our Journey This is the altar at The Pope John Paul II Polish Center in Yorba Linda. The set-up of the altar was created by the parishioners for the Celebration of The Feast of The Divine Mercy on Sunday, April 11, 2021.

—Submitted by Teresa Wyszomirski

Send your photos that capture Catholic life in your parish community to: webeditor@occatholic.com

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