OC CATHOLIC - JUNE 5, 2022

CELEBRATING SISTERS

Women religious have been a founding influence on Orange County’s faith community.

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

A choral concert, the National Eucharistic Revival, and a successful fundraiser.

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: Monsignor Stephen Doktorczyk

Editor: Patricia Mahoney, editor@occatholic.com

News Ideas: editor@occatholic.com

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. OCCatholic.com

CONFRONTING RACISM AND GUN VIOLENCE WITH JUSTICE, PRAYER AND THE WISDOM OF THE SAINTS

BY THE MOST REVEREND

KEVIN W. VANN, J.C.D., D.D.

ON TUESDAY, MAY 24, 21 people were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. We are beginning to receive reports and biographies of these precious lives taken, at least 19 children and two adults, elementary students and teachers. The shooter was an 18-year-old Uvalde resident who also died and needs our prayers for mercy.

The details of this massacre are still forthcoming yet the compounded grief, sadness, and, yes, anger are here in full force. We pray, O God of peace, for those who are grieving, and we weep with those who weep. We ask for the grace to respond with faith, hope, and love to meet the challenge before

us. Indeed, we must grieve and we cannot fail to take action to change this sad state of affairs. In this moment, we must address in prayer and action the urgent need for sensible gun control, the increasing tendency to respond to fear with violence, and the deep and increasing alienation due to wide-ranging causes, which seems to be spreading.

Racism is a particularly powerful and persistent manifestation in recent instances of gun violence, and we must be sure that we do not permit racial biases and stereotypes to shape accounts and responses to the tragedy in Texas either.

We in Orange were already reeling from

the horrific racially motivated murders in Buffalo on May 14, only to be struck in our own community of Laguna Woods by more gun violence the following day, May 15. Fifty-two-year-old John Cheng, a physician whose two children attend Santa Margarita High School (where he was remembered during a recent Mass), was at the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church to attend services with his parents and charged the attacker, saving the lives of many others but sadly losing his own. Four others were injured. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime against the Taiwanese people, given notes and comments made by the shooter.

The attack in Buffalo which killed ten more beloved children of God was motivated

CONTINUES ON PAGE 11

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.

THE SPIRIT’S ACTIVE POWER

THE MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY refers to one God in three persons. We frequently acknowledge Jesus as “the second person of the Trinity,” but referring also to the Spirit as a “person” comes less naturally. In religious art, the Holy Spirit often appears as a dove or, as in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, tongues of fire. Much rarer are images of the Spirit as a “person” in recognizable human form. Today’s readings do not settle the issue of how to picture the Spirit, but they certainly give shape to the Spirit’s active power in the world and in each human heart. In Acts, the Spirit enables people to speak and understand a variety of languages. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians praises the Spirit for all kinds of spiritual gifts, services, and “workings.” Finally, in John’s Gospel, Jesus calls the Spirit our Advocate and our divine teacher.

Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY GN 3:9-15, 20 OR

ACTS 1:12-14; PS 87:1-3, 5-7;

JN 19:25-34

TUESDAY

1 KGS 17:7-16; PS 4:2-5, 7B-8; MT 5:13-16

WEDNESDAY

1 KGS 18:20-39; PS 16:1B-2AB, 4, 5AB, 8, 11; MT 5:17-19

BONIFACE

C. 675-754

BONIFACE, THE APOSTLE OF GERMANY, started out as an English monk, a popular teacher, preacher and writer who was ordained at 30. He compiled a Latin grammar and wrote many biblical instructions. But he felt called to missionary work, and in 716 landed in Friesland, now in the Netherlands. After a brief stay, he traveled to Rome, where he received a broad commission to evangelize central Germany. By 722, he had become bishop of Germany, where he organized the church and secured its ties to Rome. Later, as archbishop of Mainz and papal legate, he was asked to reform the Frankish church. The patron saint of Germany was martyred in Friesland, the missionary territory he revisited in retirement. C

PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK

THURSDAY

1 KGS 18:41-46; PS 65:10-13; MT 5:20-26

FRIDAY

1 KGS 19:9A, 11-16; PS 27:7-9ABC, 1314; MT 5:27-32

SATURDAY

ACTS 11:21B-26; 13:1-3; PS 16:1B-2A, 5, 7-10; MT 5:33-37

SUNDAY

PRV 8:22-31; PS 8:4-9; ROM 5:15; JN 16:12-15

SAINT PROFILE

“ All we need to do is to open one door: the door of the heart.”

— Pope Francis

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF GRATITUDE

THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF ORANGE CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORDER’S RELOCATION TO BATAVIA STREET FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

BY GREG HARDESTY

SANTA ANA, EARLY 1990S. Gang violence is rampant.

From her home in the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange on Batavia Street, Sister Eileen McNerney would see story after story about the bloodshed in the newspaper and think:

Reading about this is not enough.

With the help of Fr. Christopher Smith, then-pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Santa Ana, Sister Eileen and three other sisters were able to lease an old house a few blocks from the church in a neighborhood rocked with significant gang activity.

“We’d look through our window and see gang members walking past our home and, 20 minutes later, hear the gunshots,” Sister Eileen recalled. “We needed to pray, but knew we needed to do more than that.”

That experience led to the founding of, in Spanish, Taller San Jose (St. Joseph Workshop), a goal-oriented program that targets young adults, ages 18-28, who are caught in a cycle of crime and poverty.

Today, that ministry, now called Hope Builders, has trained nearly 3,000 young adults in the construction, health care and office skills industries.

It’s an achievement that reflects one of the core missions of the order dating back to its founding in 1650, when a Jesuit priest in France, Jean Pierre Médaille, assisted a group of women involved in ministry with the poor.

“He instructed the sisters to be very prayerful and develop a strong relationship with God and when you’re praying, to look out the window and see what’s going on out there and minister to the needs of the communi-

ty,” Sister Eileen

said.

Working to keep youth out of gangs in Santa Ana is just one modern example of the countless ministries the Sisters of St. Joseph have been involved in over the last 372 years. By 1922, the sisters already had scaled the Alps, were established in India, had opened schools and hospitals in Scandinavia, had traveled by dog sled to northern Canada and had weathered persecution during the Mexican and Russian revolutions.

Their community in Orange marked the latest of their journeys from Le Puy to Lyon, France; from France to St. Louis to upstate New York; onward to the Kansas CONTINUES ON PAGE 7

FROM LEFT: SRS. KATHERINE GRAY, MARIANNA GEMMET, JUDITH FERGUS, MARY BERNADETTE MCNULTY, PATRICIA HALEY, JUDITH DUGAN (OBSCURED), BERNICE JORDAN (OBSCURED), NANCY O’CONNOR. THE SISTERS ARE MEETING TO DISCUSS THE SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE FOR ST. JOSEPH HEALTH SYSTEM IN 1991. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

A SHOT OF THE MOTHERHOUSE GROUNDS IN THE EARLY 1990S. THE ARCHES CONNECT THE MOTHERHOUSE TO THE CHAPEL AND REGINA RESIDENCE. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

plains and to LaGrange, Ill. At all stops, they experienced the push of adversity and the pull of missionary zeal.

This year, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange celebrate the centennial anniversary of the order’s relocation to Batavia Street in Orange from Northern California.

It’s time to enjoy the present, look to the future, and recall the many milestones that began in 1912, when Mother Bernard Gosselin established the Sisters of St. Joseph in Eureka.

The Sisters of St. Joseph were active in Southern California a handful of years before Bishop of Los Angeles John Cantwell blessed the property in Orange on June 23, 1922, after the sisters had officially taken possession of it on March 21 that same year (and officially became the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange).

To mark the centennial of the relocation, a private Mass in the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange’s Sacred Heart Chapel will be celebrated June 23.

That Mass follows an event held May 21, “Art in the Garden,” which raised $100,000 to benefit the ministries of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.

BEYOND HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION

Catholics and others in Orange County closely associate the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange with the hospital next door that bears their name.

St. Joseph Hospital, which the sisters opened in 1929, is one of Orange County’s first hospitals. Healthcare has, from the start, been a key ministry of the order. Two other hospitals – St. Jude in Fullerton and Mission in Mission Viejo – also serve Orange County residents.

The order also is well known for its involvement in education. In 1916 they took over administration of St. Joseph Catholic School in Santa Ana, one of Orange County’s oldest schools that was established in 1913.

Over the decades, the ministries of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange have

greatly expanded to include rehabilitation programs, home health care, community education, primary care clinics and wellness programs, as well as helping new immigrants, feeding the hungry, giving shelter to the homeless and fostering spiritual development.

“We look to meet the needs of our neighbors,” Sister Mary Therese Sweeney said.

A NEW HOME

The port city of Eureka, the largest coastal city between San Francisco and Portland, in Humboldt County, boasts gorgeous Pacific coastline and beautiful and massive old-growth redwood trees.

But Mother Bernard knew the location wasn’t going to work long term.

For starters, the easiest way to get in and out of Eureka in the early 1900s was via ship.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

SEVENTEEN SISTERS AND PARTNERS PARTICIPATED IN THE “LOVE KNOWS NO BORDERS” INTERFAITH PUBLIC WITNESS IN RESPONSE TO LCWR’S NATIONAL CALL ACTION IN SUPPORT FOR OUR IMMIGRANT BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN DECEMBER 2018. THE PUBLIC WITNESS TOOK PLACE BY THE BEACH ON THE BORDER OF SAN DIEGO AND TIJUANA. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

FROM LEFT: SRS. MARY JOSEPH GOSSELIN, ISABELLE AUBIN, ANGELA HUTTON, MOTHER BERNARD GOSSELIN, WINIFRED LAMBERT, IMMACULATTA HOYT, ELIZABETH LIRETTE, (POST.) FLORILDA FERRON, ON BOARD THE SS KILBURN STEAMSHIP FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO EUREKA IN 1912. THE SISTERS WERE ARRIVING FROM LA GRANGE, IL AT MOTHER BERNARD’S INVITATION. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

Also, the Bishop of Sacramento, Patrick Keane, was scheduled to be consecrated on March 17, 1922, and once he became bishop, he would have more authority over the congregation. As Sister Mary Therese explained it, Mother Bernard knew the order had to relocate if it wanted to grow and flourish.

She visited Orange County when the sisters were active at St. Joseph Catholic School in Santa Ana.

“Mother Bernard felt Orange County had the most salubrious climate in the world and was very enchanted with it,” said Sister Mary Therese, who joined the order in 1964.

Mother Bernard toured the 20-acre Batavia property – the former Burnham estate -- following the recommendation of a local pastor and walked through its main structure, a Victorian mansion. It had a ballroom.

“That was attractive to Mother Bernard,” says Sister Eileen, who joined the order in 1957. “She was determined to spare no expense in transforming the former ballroom into a chapel.”

The Burnham property was purchased for $90,000 and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange had a new home.

SISTERS IN ACTION

Sister Eileen likes to describe herself and her fellow sisters as “active contemplatives” or “contemplatives in action.”

Following prayer with action is their forte.

At 90 strong, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange couldn’t do all they do without forging partnerships with several community organizations and leaders.

“I’ll be out and meet someone and they’ll say, ‘You only have 90 members? I thought you were 400 – you’re everywhere!’” Sister Eileen said.

She added: “We don’t have to have a complete cadre of sisters but a good collection of people who are good hearted and who need some influence and direction. We have zeal in our hearts and helping each other and partnering with

others expands our ability to influence and touch people’s lives.”

Sister Mary Therese quotes a founding principle of the order:

“We live and work to bring all people to union with God and one another serving their spiritual and corporal needs to the best of our ability.”

Over the years, examples abound of that principle being put into action.

When several communities of Mexican immigrants began forming in several pockets of Orange County, particularly after World War II, Orange County’s predominantly Irish-born priests turned to the Sisters of St. Joseph. For many years, Sister Henrietta Sauvageau and her team took the lead in ministering to Spanish-speaking neighborhoods.

When waves of refugees from Vietnam arrived at Camp Pendleton after

CONTINUES ON PAGE 9

THE BURNHAM ESTATE IN ORANGE, IN 1922. THE CONGREGATION PURCHASED THE PROPERTY FOR $90,000 AS THE FIRST MOTHERHOUSE. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

SISTER ANNE LYNCH OVERSEES THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOTH THE NEW MOTHERHOUSE AND THE NEW ST. JOSEPH COLLEGE BUILDING ON THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY IN 1960. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

the fall of Saigon in 1975, the sisters went down to the Marine base to find out what their needs were.

“In a giant tent filled with Vietnamese people,” Sister Eileen recalled, “Sister Rosemarie Redding patiently explained how the Mass worked, speaking in English but communicating in the best way she could.”

Added Sister Eileen: “I was in Orange County in 1975, and I wasn’t looking out that window – but she was.

“We learned about the Vietnamese from the working experience of each other just like we learned about working with the deaf or people who live in Black communities in Compton or Chinese communities in San Francisco. A lot of what we learned about the world was from each other’s experiences.”

In another example of addressing the gang problem in Santa Ana, the sisters founded St. Joseph Ballet. In 1983, Sister Beth Burns launched the non-profit as a summer pilot dance program for at-risk youth. Today, it’s a thriving organization now called the Wooden Floor.

St. Joseph Hospital also opened a community clinic in a neighborhood of mostly Spanish-speaking residents that became a blueprint for other organizations seeking to improve access to health care for the underserved.

Other ministries of the Sisters of St. Joseph or Orange include the Center for Spiritual Development in Orange, which strives to nurture the spiritual lives of all who seek God, and a planned residential community, Villa St. Joseph, for 50 low-income seniors to be located inside the Motherhouse in Orange.

In the past few years, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange have been partnering with the University of San Francisco to train future nurses at facilities on Batavia Street.

WHAT DO THE NEXT 100 YEARS HAVE IN STORE?

The Burnham mansion had a very wide wraparound porch — an ideal

place to gather and chat.

“If I imagine Mother Bernard sitting there with a few of our newest members on this porch today,” Sister Eileen said, “I think she would ask them these questions: What needs do you see today in 2022, when you look out the windows of your world? How do you see yourselves as Sisters of St. Joseph bringing people together and bringing them to God now, and what is your plan to do so? What graces do you need to move forward in God’s name?”

Sister Eileen paused.

“And then,” she added, “she would remind them of the words that she shared with our first members 100 years ago:

“’God will give you something special to do that He won’t ask of someone else, so pay attention.’” C

FROM LEFT: ROD HOCHMAN, CEO OF PROVIDENCE ST. JOSEPH HEALTH; SR. KATHERINE GRAY, FORMER GENERAL SUPERIOR 2001 - 2011; SR. MARY BETH INGHAM, CURRENT GENERAL SUPERIOR; SR. MARY BERNADETTE MCNULTY, TREASURER; AND SR. MADELEVA WILLIAMS, SEATED, AT THE ART IN THE GARDEN FUNDRAISING EVENT ON MAY 21. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

SR. SUSAN TREZEK, CSJ, CREATING A HANDMADE LACEWORK ITEM DURING THE ART IN THE GARDEN FUNDRAISING EVENT ON MAY 21. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

CELEBRATING SISTERS

BY CATHI DOUGLAS

EVER SINCE THE DOMINICAN Sisters of Mission San Jose founded St. Catherine’s Academy in Anaheim in 1889, religious sisters and consecrated women have helped shape Orange County’s Catholic community.

As the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange celebrate their 100th anniversary this year, it’s a fitting time to consider the many sisters and their ministries, the gifts they offer the faith and the faithful, and their distinctive missions.

“Certainly, the Sisters of St. Joseph, who moved here in 1922, have been

foundational to the formation of the Diocese, and to the ministry of the Catholic Church in Orange County,” acknowledged Joan Patten, AO, delegate for Consecrated Life in the Diocese of Orange’s vocation office.

Altogether Patten said 26 different women’s religious communities and three secular institutes operate here, with each dedicated to vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as they permanently give their lives to God. Each community has a distinctive mission, or charism.

The Missionaries of Charity are the only contemplative order in the Diocese and recently marked their first-year anniversary in the Santa Ana motherhouse.

“A lot of religious communities are what we call active contemplatives, who

take on apostolic work such as ministries in health care or education, and live lives of prayer as well,” she added.

Among the newer orders are the Buena Park-based Sisters of Perpetual Help, whose Bible Life Movement ministers to Korean Americans.

The Lovers of the Holy Cross work with the county’s Vietnamese Americans and first arrived in the Diocese at the request of founding Bishop William R. Johnson in 1978.

While their dedication to the Church is similar to that of male priests, women religious – with their innate sensitivity and receptiveness – are uniquely suited to ministries such as pastoral care, medical work and education, Patten explained.

“The sisters provide long-term steady faithfulness in our lives,” she said. “So

many people talk about remembering their first-grade teacher. It’s amazing that sisters enter into people’s lives with love in a special way – it’s a beautiful witness to living out their spiritual maturity.”

While Catholics commonly see sisters teaching, ministering in hospitals and performing community outreach, she said, it’s fun to see a group of sisters doing something out of the ordinary, such as Norbertine sisters playing basketball or the Sisters of St. Clare helping with mission trips to India.

Possessing what St. Pope John Paul II called ‘the feminine genius,’ women are models of receptivity who teach us how to fully receive God in His love and grace, Patten said. “We need people who live in a way that shows us that Jesus is the fulfillment of every desire they have.” C

The Maria Ferrucci Catholic Family Living feature is intended to inspire families to live their faith in the way Maria Ferrucci did throughout her earthly life.

BISHOP JOHN CANTWELL OF LOS ANGELES, CENTER, WITH THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH, ON THE OCCASION OF THE BLESSING OF THE NEW PROPERTY IN ORANGE. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

DISTINCTIVE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES STRIVE TO FULFILL UNIQUE MISSIONS AND CHARISMS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

by explicitly racist and white supremacist ideology, following in the footsteps of previous racially motivated shootings in Charleston, South Carolina, Christchurch, New Zealand, El Paso, Texas, and others

The Washington Post gave the following descriptions of these dear African American lives lost:

n Celestine Chaney, 65, cancer survivor, churchgoer, bingo player;

n Roberta Drury, 32, beloved daughter and sister who moved home to help her brother fighting cancer;

n Andre Mackniel, 53, who stopped at Tops to buy his 3-year-old son a birthday cake;

n Katherine “Kat” Massey, 72, a writer and civil rights and education advocate;

n Margus D. Morrison, 52, school bus aide survived by his wife, three children and a stepdaughter;

n Heyward Patterson, 67, father and church deacon who fed the homeless and gave rides to neighbors;

n Aaron Salter Jr., 55, retired police officer who died trying to stop the gunman;

n Geraldine Talley, 62, expert baker and friend to everybody;

n Ruth Whitfield, 86, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who was caretaker of her husband;

n Pearl Young, 77, who ran the local food pantry and loved singing, dancing and her family.

Common denominators of these two tragedies include racism – whether internationally based conflicts or homegrown and pernicious white nationalism – and guns.

Recently, in Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis warns that “instances of a myopic, extremist, resentful and aggressive nationalism are on the rise.” He also refers to Pope Saint John XXIII’s “conviction that the arguments for peace are stronger than any calculation of particular interests and confidence in the use of weaponry.” Most recently, Francis expressed his “heart shattered over the massacre at

the elementary school in Texas,” offered prayers, and then said: “It is time to say, ‘Enough!’ to the indiscriminate trafficking of guns. Let’s all work to ensure that such tragedies never happen again.”

In denouncing both gun violence and racism, Pope Francis is echoing Pope Saint John Paul II. For example, on the latter, twenty years ago John Paul II said: “Marked by the worrying resurgence of aggressive nationalism, ethnic violence and widespread phenomena of racial discrimination, human dignity has often been seriously threatened. Every upright conscience cannot but decisively condemn any racism, no matter in what heart or place it is found.”

“Unfortunately,” he said, “it emerges in ever new and unexpected ways, offending and degrading the human family. Racism is a sin that constitutes a serious offence against God….To oppose racism we must practice the culture of reciprocal acceptance, recognizing in every man and woman a brother or sister with whom we walk in solidarity and peace” (Angelus, August 26, 2001).

John Paul II was so committed to this end that his Delegation at the United Nations in January of 2002 called for “a clear programme to fight racism,” saying:

“The fight against racism is urgent. It must be explicit and direct. Too often in history, uncritical societies have stood by inactive as new signs of racism raised their head. If we are not alert, hatred and racial intolerance can reappear in any society, no matter how advanced it may consider itself.”

“Such a programme must begin at the level of national legislation and practice… [addressing] in particular the situation of refugees and migrants, who are often victims of discrimination. It must address the situation of indigenous peoples. It must address minority groupings.

“Legislation must be accompanied by education. Education on racial tolerance must be a normal part of the educational programmes for children at all levels. The family, the basic social unit of soci-

ety, must be the first school of openness and acceptance of others. Government agencies may never justify racial profiling and the mass media must be alert to avoid any type of stereotyping of persons on a racial basis.

“In particular, the Holy See would like to address the question of racism and religious intolerance…”

Notwithstanding forms of intolerance that must be addressed, the Holy See concludes: “Religion, above all, can be a strong force for that individual and collective conversion of hearts, without which hatred, intolerance and exclusion will never be eliminated. The fight against racism requires a concerted international programme. But the fight against racism begins in the heart of each of us, and in the collective historical memory of our communities. The fight against racism requires a personal change of heart. It requires that “healing of memories”, that forgiveness for which Pope John Paul II called in his last Message for the World Day of Peace [2002].”

We each must take up this personal challenge and change of heart and grow our empathy and solidarity with one another. From acts of terror like those in Buffalo, Laguna Woods, or Uvalde to the outrageous rhetoric and reactions on cable news, online, or in state or congressional halls, we are traumatized again and again, especially African American, Latino, and Asian American brothers and sisters.

As Catholics we remember those killed doing the most regular, everyday things, shopping for groceries, talking on the cell phone with family, visiting an establishment in their neighborhood, or going to church, learning in their classrooms, only to be met by the worst forms of violence simply because of what they represent to the twisted ideologies of white supremacy and nationalism or to other forms of numbed indifference.

“Justice for black people,” wrote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1969, “will not flow into this society merely from court decisions nor from fountains of political

oratory…White America must recognize that justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society.” “True peace,” he said elsewhere, “is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”

My heart goes out to my African American, Latino, and Asian American sisters and brothers and my desire is for us as a Church to make a common commitment to denounce racism in all its forms and the proliferation of guns and to work instead in solidarity for justice. This justice is required from the very beginning of life and throughout all of life toward its end and includes the abolition of the death penalty (if murder is wrong, it’s wrong for everyone).

The words of a recent Gospel reading from John come to mind:

The words of a recent Gospel reading from John come to mind:

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’

If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;

for the Father is greater than I.

Given challenges in front of us it’s often hard not to be troubled or afraid. Yet we can take comfort in the great cloud of witnesses gone before us in Jesus – for example, the six Americans of African descent with open causes for sainthood – and answer the call to do justice, love goodness, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Servant of God Mary Elizabeth Lange, Venerable Henriette DeLille, Servant of God Julia Greeley, Venerable Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Thea Bowman, Pray for us. C

Loyola Marymount University congratulates

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange on 100 years of ministry in Orange. We are proud to share your mission to educate, serve, and create positive change in southern California.

lmu.edu

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

BY STAFF

COMMUNITY OF FAITH CHORALFEST 2022

The Community of Faith Choralfest 2022 was held on Sunday, May 22 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Laguna Woods. The event was the sixth annual celebration of music offered in thanksgiving for the friendship shared and for the faith-filled ministry to the people of God. St. Nicholas Catholic parish hosted the event featuring choirs and cantors from five Laguna Woods congregations: Temple Judea, Geneva Presbyterian Church, St. George Episcopal Church, Lutheran Church of the Cross and St. Nicholas Catholic Church.

The church was filled to standing room only and the program began with a welcome by Emett Loera, director of music ministry at St. Nicholas parish.

“We come together to celebrate the 57th anniversary of all our parishes with one exception, said Loera. “St. George Episcopal Church has been with us for 131 years.”

Loera next read a statement by Father George Blaise, pastor of St. Nicolas Catholic Church, who was called away unexpectedly. Father George asked for prayer and a moment of silence for the people of Ukraine and, closer to home, the victims and families of the recent tragedy at Geneva Presbyterian Church.

—Submitted by Andy Costello

NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has launched the National Eucharistic Revival, a threeyear grassroots initiative of devotion and faith in the Real Presence of

CONTINUES ON PAGE 15

GENEVA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CHOIR PERFORMS ON SUNDAY, MAY 22.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MANNY OLMEDO GRAPHIC COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

Jesus in the Eucharist, starting on the feast of Corpus Christi.

Join the Diocese of Orange as we begin the National Eucharistic Revival on Saturday, June 18 with Mass and a Eucharistic Procession led by Bishop Timothy Freyer. Mass begins at 4:30 p.m. at Christ Cathedral, with a procession around the campus to follow.

The Office for Worship has launched a page on the Diocese of Orange’s website for the initiative: www.rcbo.org/ revival.

THE GENTLEMEN’S HABERDASHERY RAISES MORE THAN $500,000

The Gentlemen’s Haberdashery, one of Orange County’s longest and most celebrated charitable fundraisers and social events, raised a record-breaking amount of more than $500,000 this year. The event was held on Thursday, April 28, at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, with nearly 400 people in attendance.

“We are grateful for the heartwarming community support for Gentlemen’s Haberdashery and the incredible funds raised, which enable us to serve thousands of children and families each year at the Heart of Jesus Retreat Center in Santa Ana. We are blessed to be able to continue our mission and encourage children to grow in their love for Jesus and each other through the Retreat Center programs and camp,” said Sister Paula Sawhill, of the Sisters of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Some of Orange County’s most prominent executives and community leaders modeled a full range of menswear to raise funds for the Heart of Jesus Retreat Center in Santa Ana.

The Heart of Jesus Retreat Center is operated by the Sisters of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart to provide religious and integrity formation and avenues of faith development for children, youth, adults and families, all within the confines of a safe, secure and

caring Center situated in the heart of Santa Ana. The Center welcomes more than 12,000 attendees each year, many from local parishes, schools, and more.

SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCES NEXT PRESIDENT

Servite High School, a leading all-male, Catholic college preparatory high school, announced that alumnus Chris Weir will become the school’s next president effective July 1, 2022. A 1997 graduate of Servite, Weir succeeds Randall Adams, who announced his plans to retire in February. The decision to hire Weir was unanimously approved by the school’s board of directors following the recommendation of a selection committee formed following Adams’s retirement announcement.

“We are most excited about Chris Weir coming on board as the new president of Servite High School,” said Philip Stump, Chairman of Servite’s board of directors.C

SISTER PAULA SAWHILL, SDSH; FRANDY AND JEREMY LANCASTER AND SISTER GABRIELLE VOGL, SDSH. PHOTO COURTESY OF CORNERSTONE COMMUNICATIONS.

CHRIS WEIR.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL

Casa Teresa is honored to celebrate the Sisters of St. Joseph’s 100th Anniversary of faithful service to the community.

We are grateful for their commitment to the underserved including their service and support of the women and babies at Casa Teresa for 47 years!

434 S. Batavia Street Orange, CA 92868 (714) 997-9587

Loyola Institute for Spirituality congratulates the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange on their 100th year in ministr y in Orange!

Loyola Institute for Spirituality invites people to discover a deeper selfawareness and love of God. LIS meets people where they are and provides Ignatian oppor tunities for leadership development, formation, and retreats to ser ve individuals, groups, and organizations. Programs range from 1-hour to nine months, online or on-site, and in various languages.

100 years in Orange

Congratulations Congratulations Sisters of St. Joseph! Sisters of St. Joseph!

Thank you for your service! Thank you for your service!

Together with all the Catholics in the Diocese of Orange, the Vietnamese Catholic C enter would like to congratulate and thank the Sisters of St. Joseph as the y celebrate 100 years in Orange. May the L ord bless them with many more centuries to come.

“ We, pastor, priests, deacons, staff members and parishioners at the Our Lady of La Vang Parish congratulate the Sisters of St. Joseph on celebrating 100 years in Orange! “

105 N. La Esperanza, San Clemente, CA

The Garden of Hope

Date:

Bank on a first name basis.

At Farmers & Merchants Bank , we offer ever y client a rare combination of white-glove ser vice and ironclad securit y in offices from San Clemente to Santa Barbara.

NMLS #537388 | Member FDIC