FEBRUARY 20, 2022 A CANDLELIGHT PROCESSION AT THE SHRINE OF LOURDES IN FRANCE, IN JUNE 2019. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK ‘I WAS SICK AND VISITEDYOUME’ WORLD DAY OF THE SICK IS A POIGNANT CALL TO FAITH IN THE TIME OF A HEALTH CRISIS PAGE 6 THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM THECELEBRATECATHOLICWAYTO PAGE 10
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In his message for World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis said that care must treat the whole person.
Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange
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POPE: SICK MUST BE CARED FOR, BODY AND SOUL
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Local newlyweds opted to spend their honeymoon walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.
FEBRUARY 20, 2022 1387
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CONTENTS
Family prayer practice brings children closer to God and the family.
JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME
Executive Editor: Tracey Kincaid, tkincaid@rcbo.org
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT
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whoThesuffer.”pope is encouraging them to rec ognize the beauty of their mission. “Dear healthcare workers, your service alongside the sick, carried out with love and compe tence, transcends the bounds of your pro fession and becomes a mission,” he wrote.
In preparation for the annual World Day of the Sick, the pope publishes a mes sage setting a theme for the day. This year Pope Francis has given special recognition to caregivers: “I think of all those physi cians, nurses, laboratory technicians, the support staff and the caretakers of the sick as well as the numerous volunteers who donate their precious time to assist those
GUEST COLUMN
As we enter into our third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am growing increasingly concerned about the devoted
“Your hands, which touch the suffering flesh of Christ, can be a sign of the merci ful hands of the Father. Be mindful of the great dignity of your profession, as well as the responsibility that it entails.”
OON AFTER HE WAS diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Pope Saint John Paul II initiated the celebration of World Day of the Sick to show solidarity with the ill and their caregivers, and to encourage the faithful to pray for them. Thirty years later we still celebrate this special day each year on February 11th.
4 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 20, 2022
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 con structive conversations that further the growth of the Catholic Church.
I am grateful for Pope Francis’ encour aging words to healthcare workers, for they deserve our admiration and gratitude.
S
HOW TO HELP THE ELDERLY AND THOSE WHO SERVE THEM
SISTER CONSTANCE VEIT IS DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR. PHOTO COURTESTY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
ON
BY SISTER CONSTANCE VEIT, LSP
JAS 5:1-6; PS MK49:14-20;9:41-50
WEDNESDAY
JAS 4:13-17; PS 49:2-3, 6-11; MK 9:38-40
BLESSED FRANCISCO AND JACINTA MARTO 20TH CENTURY
FRIDAY
SIR 27:4-7; PS 92:2-3, 13-16; 1 COR 15:54-58; LK 6:39-45
PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
SATURDAY
TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 20, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 5 DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS
SAINT PROFILE
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“ … humblewitnesscomeshealingtheanswerfromprayer,andlove.”
JAS 5:9-12; PS 103:1-4, 8-9, 1112; MK 10:1-12
— Pope Francis
1 PT 5:1-4; PS 23:1-3A, 4-6; MT 16:13-19
Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C
UR GOSPEL TODAY CONTINUES Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, in which we heard Luke’s version of the Beatitudes. This week, Jesus gives us new “commandments,” telling us how to live and act in the world as his disciples, rooted in the radical love of God for humanity. It reminds us of his later speech about loving one another as he loves us, in other words with a God-like love, the kind we see in today’s psalm about God’s mercy. How else could we do as Jesus tells us by loving our enemies, which seems impossible, until we remember that God gave us the example of Jesus, who is like God but also like us? David understands this merciful love when he spares the life of his enemy in the firstFinally,reading.Paul tells us that we will become like Jesus if we act as he did, as God does.
WO OF THE THREE FATIMA VISIONARIES, this sister and brother were beatified in 2000. With their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, they had monthly visions of Mary at Fatima, Portugal, from May to October 1917. Mary asked the shepherd children to promote devotion to her Immaculate Heart and pray the rosary daily. Both Martos died of influen za, Francisco at age 10 in 1919, and Jacinta at age 9 in 1920. Their cousin, who became a Carmelite nun, died in 2005 at age 97. Fatima is among the world’s great Marian shrines and pilgrimage sites. C
LOVE AS GOD LOVES
THURSDAY
JAS 5:13-20; PS 141:1-3, 8; MK 10:13-16
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SUNDAY
JAS 3:13-18; PS 19:8-10, 15; MK 9:14-29
from the area. Between February and July, the apparition appeared in white robes. In March, the lady revealed herself as the Blessed Virgin Mary and asked that a parish be built at the grotto. After Soubirous dug in the earth, a puddle of water appeared, growing into a pool and eventually the famed spring.
The 30th World Day of the Sick, which fell on February 11, 2022, was celebrated by Bishop Kevin Vann on Saturday Feb. 12 at Christ Cathedral. The
To Fr. Duy, that revelation at the grotto in Southern France makes the World Day of the Sick all the more compelling.
AST YEAR, FATHER DUY LE had a chance to make his first trip to Lourdes. As the pastor of the San Francisco Solano Catho lic Church in Rancho Santa Margarita reflected on the 30th World Day of the Sick, he said he did so with new appreci ation in the wake of his trip to the famed place of “Seeinghealing.their faces,” he said of the reactions of the sick upon being touched by sacred waters, “seeing the joy and faith and trust, that healed me.”
Although Fr. Duy did not witness any physical healing on the spot, he saw equally inspiring looks in the eyes of the ailing.After hearing several of the countless physician-verified miracles of healing, Fr. Duy said he came to a realization, made particularly profound in this time of pandemic.
The pastor said he was led to wonder, “why don’t I trust in more than spiritual healing? We forget that God healed so many. We’ve stopped believing that God can heal physically. Jesus is a great physi cian and can unite us. The biggest thing we can do is rely on him.”
Diocese of Orange began celebrating the day 15 years ago.
The bishop, assisted by local parish priests and members of the Order of Mal ta, celebrated the Mass for hundreds of ailing parishioners, as well as their fam ilies, caretakers and friends. The service included sprinkling of holy water from Lourdes, anointings and special blessings for the hands of caregivers.
Today, Lourdes is the most visited pilgrimage site in Christianity, with 4 million to 6 million annually. The main pilgrimage season runs from April through October, highlighted by the Mar ian Feast of Assumption in August.
L
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After the service, small bottles of Lourdes holy water were available to parishioners.According to Deacon Modesto Corde ro, Director of Worship for the Diocese, in the face of the ongoing pandemic, there was added emphasis on caregivers,
WORLD DAY OF THE SICK IS A POIGNANT CALL TO FAITH IN THE TIME OF A HEALTH CRISIS
6 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 20, 2022 FEATURE
A HISTORIC PHOTOCHROM IMAGE OF THE GROTTO OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES, TAKEN CIRCA 1890S. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
Saint John Paul II instituted the World Day of the Sick in 1993 to draw attention to the sick and to those who care for them.
BY GREG MELLEN
“We brought 30 to 40 malades,” he said using the French word for sick that refers to those who go to France for healing.“Ihelped with whatever they needed. I pushed them up hills and pulled them down hills,” he said with a chuckle. “What an intimate experience to see people on their journey of healing and faith.”
In September, Fr. Duy journeyed to the famed grotto as part of a local delega tion from the Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta on its pilgrimage to the site.Fr. Duy says he went not as a chaplain but simply to serve.
It is timed annually to line up with the first appearance by Mary in 1858 at Massabiele near Lourdes before St. Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old girl
‘I WAS SICK AND YOU VISITED ME’
FEBRUARY 20, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 7 FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING
4. Fold your hands before you unfold your napkin. Before each meal, take a few moments to thank the One who pro vides all that you need and blesses you.
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physicians and nurses.
Pope Francis, in his message for the Day of the Sick, reinforced the message of the importance of those who provide care.
“Dear healthcare workers, your service alongside the sick, carried out with love and competence, tran scends the bounds of your profession and becomes a mission,” the Pontiff said.This year, due to the pandemic, the pope’s celebration slated for Arequipa, Peru, was canceled and moved to Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.“It’simportant to recognize and celebrate among those in need of special anointing, and reflect on Je sus curing the sick,” Deacon Modesto said.The Knights and Dames of the Or der of Malta, which has about 13,500 members worldwide and about 100 in Orange County, are critical to the Mass. The Order, founded in the 11th century, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, provides medical, social and humanitarian care in more than 120 nations.Each
2. Communicate with God whenever you climb into the car. On longer drives, you can tune in to a podcast and pray along with the host.
1. When you rise from bed, get down on your knees. Put your bedroom slippers or shoes far under your bed at the end of the day. Each morning, while on your knees retrieving your footwear, say a quick prayer offering the whole
“It’s not always throwing away crutches,” Sherry Van Meter, of the Orange County Order of Malta, told OC Catholic in 2019. “Sometimes there are miracles of acceptance, of patience and peace.”
year, the group travels to Lourdes with ailing parishioners to be anointed in the holy waters and ask for Mary’s intercession. It has also begun bringing written petitions from parishioners who can’t make the trip asking for miracles and blessings.
I
A quick “Help me, God” is sufficient. The IminutesthroughoutPresentsMikePersonally,prayersforoffersScottSmithblog.com10moredetailedideasforfamilyprayer,andanumberofgoodresourcesforeachsuggestionareincluded.OneexampleisthedetailedchartsexplaininghowtopraytheRosary.Heprovideslinkstodifferentprayersaswellassuggestionsincorporatingvariousintodailyfamilylife.I’vefoundthatFatherSchmitz’spodcastsfromAscensionareshort,sweet,andaccessiblemyday;theyeachrun10orlessandcoveraspecifictopic.easilycanimaginetuningintothis
WORSHIPTANDEMUSEFULWAYSTOBEGINANDNURTUREASTRONGANDCONSISTENTFAMILYPRAYERPRACTICE
This year Fr. Schmitz also is produc ing the Bible in a Year podcast, which is longer timewise but provides an excel lent Scriptural framework for individual and family prayer. Recently I’ve tuned in as I clean the house and it makes my chores a kind of moving worship.
On your smartphone, the Laudate app contains a wealth of Catholic prayers, chants, and music appropriate for individual and family prayer. The Abiding Together podcast written and produced by three female hosts particu larly addresses women, while The Way of the Heart podcast is aimed at men. The Liturgy Guys is often entertaining and enlightening.Displaying
T’S CHALLENGING EVEN for the most devoted Catholic parents to begin and sustain a dynamic and consistent family prayer life. Still, as noted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the fami ly is the domestic Church and parents the first and most effective teachers for their children.Thankfully, many free-of-charge Cath olic family prayer resources are available online and via podcast and YouTube videos.Tobegin, the USCCB.org website offers simple suggestions for starting and maintaining a strong family prayer life. The first suggestion, in addition to prayers before meals and early in the morning or before bed, is to find a consistent, easily scheduled, everyone.thatforpredictableandtimefamilyprayerworksbestfor familiesple,comLoyolaPress.offersfivesim-practicaltipsforwhowantto pray more often:
Pope Francis summed it up saying “the ministry of consolation is a task for every baptized person, mindful of the word of Jesus: ‘I was sick and you visited me.’” C
5. Pray when people or events upset you. Make a habit of saying a short prayer whenever someone irritates you.
BY CATHI DOUGLAS
program while running the kids to music lessons or soccer practice.
crucifixes prominently throughout the home, making worship a priority by never missing Sunday Mass even on vacation, and demonstrating private prayer are other ideas offered by theAddUSCCB.tothese your commitment to regularly scheduled family Rosaries, celebration of the Sacraments together, and openly demonstrating love for your spouse and children -- and you have begun your family prayer journey rather easily and relatively painlessly. 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.
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
day to God.
3. Place a prayer jar in the kitchen where family members can put their special intentions.
NEWLYWEDS OLIVER LOPEZ AND LUCY DOMINGUEZ EMBARK ON THEIR HONEYMOON JOURNEY IN SAINT-JEAN-PIED-DE-PORT IN FRANCE.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCY DOMINGUEZ
“It just sounded like the most amaz ing thing, and I thought, I’ve got to do this,” Dominguez said.
In lieu of a large reception, the couple had a simple Church wedding ceremony and were on a plane the next day.
AccordingJames.” to the official website of the Cathedral of Santiago de Com postela, Santiago became a pilgrimage destination after the discovery of the Sepulcher of the Apostle Saint James the Greater in the region in the 9th century. Interest in the pilgrimage was renewed after Pope Leo XIII confirmed the au thenticity of the apostle’s relics in 1884.
BY BILL QUINNAN
LIFETIMEOFJOURNEYA
PILGRIMAGEDEWITHBEGINNEWLYWEDSMARRIAGECAMINOSANTIAGO
THE JOURNEY
“He looked at me, reached out his hand and signaled for us to come over,” he recalled. “It was the way you would imagine Jesus looking at you, with com passion. I want to be able to look at other people with that gaze … That has set the tone for our marriage. It set the tone for theDominguezCamino.” presented the Holy Father with a notebook full of prayers and
Two days later, the couple began their trek. The cathedral’s website lists six routes that pilgrims traditionally take to reach the cathedral. Dominguez and Lopez opted for the French Way, which they were told was the easiest and most Travelerstraveled.havea variety of choices re garding where to spend the night along the Camino, from camping to commu nity hostels to luxury hotels.
Prior to their journey on the Camino, Dominguez and Lopez spent several days in Rome, meeting Pope Francis and receiving his blessing on their new marriage. Lopez recalls that although there were probably 50 couples dressed in wedding attire waiting to meet the pontiff, he found the Holy Father making eye contact with him.
This not only afforded the newly weds additional privacy, but also gave them a place to charge their phones and wash their clothes.
PAPAL BLESSING
“Because we were on our honey moon, we decided to stay in private rooms,” Dominguez said.
OR MOST PEOPLE, the word “honeymoon” likely evokes im ages of tropical resorts or other romantic getaways. When Lucy Dominguez and Oliver Lopez married five and a half years ago, they opted for a 29-day, 500-mile journey on foot through city streets, mountain trails andThefarmlands.couplehad wanted a honeymoon that would help them get to know each other even better as they embarked on their new life together. A friend had told Dominguez about the Camino de Santi ago pilgrimage, also known as “The Way of St.
“We only had three outfits each withLopezus.” felt that the journey gave the couple a deeper sense of one another. Although they had trained physically for the journey in advance, Domin guez struggled with tendonitis early on. Lopez recalls her determination to continue.“Seeing her deal with the pain and overcome it, I was inspired by her,” he said.
petitions she had collected from friends and family prior in preparation for the experience.“Heputhis hand over the notebook, he put his head down, he closed his eyes, and he said a prayer,” Dominguez said. “It was really beautiful.”
MAKING THE PILGRIMAGE
Another powerful experience for the couple was that of carrying a stone to lay at the foot of Cruz de Ferro, a giant cross marking the highest point along
PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCY DOMINGUEZ
EMBRACING TRADITIONS
FROM
Dominguez noted that the couple began each day by reading through the prayer notebook and praying together.
LUCY DOMINGUEZ PRESENTING A JOURNAL OF PRAYERS TO POPE FRANCIS.
“You look out for one another. That level of community and kinship very hard to find here,” he said.
For those considering walking the Camino themselves, Dominguez and Lopez advised being prepared for the physical challenges involved.
Shesaid.and Lopez used a guidebook that offered information about the towns, and an app called Camino Frances to make reservations and schedule trans portation for their gear to daily desti nations. The Orange County chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino (americanpilgrims.org) also provides information for those interested in the pilgrimage.“Itwasmore spiritual than I could have imagined. We made more friends than I could have imagined,” Dominguez said. “Just having that time together – it was amazing.” C
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“Any chance we got, we would stop at a parish and pray there, attend Mass,” she said.
the French Way. The stones represent the burdens one has been carrying.
Dominguez had researched various traditions of Camino pilgrimages prior to the experience, including the wearing of a shell, the symbol of Saint James, to identify oneself as a pilgrim. Pilgrims greet each other with the phrase, buen camino, meaning, “good journey,” a custom that Lopez saw as “kind of an informal check-in.”
FEBRUARY 20, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 9 FEATURE
NEWLYWEDS OLIVER LOPEZ AND LUCY DOMINGUEZ POSE IN FRONT OF THE CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA DURING ONE OF THEIR HONEYMOON STOPS. PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCY DOMINGUEZ
“Sometimes people get injured, and they have to keep going, because they don’t have a place to stay,” Domin guez
“It was a spiritual experience. It was a releasing experience,” Lopez said.
Upon learning that the couple was on their honeymoon, a nun at one parish even invited them to ring a bell made in the 1300s.
THE CATHOLIC WAY TO CELEBRATE
10 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 20, 2022 DIOCESAN NEWS
Next, we raised our voices in prayer to lift up our nation under God. Our eighth-grade students led the entire student body in a “living” Rosary asking God to inspire our country’s leadership to put Him first in every decision that they make and to follow Mary’s example of humility, patience and trust in His plan for us all.
We celebrated the servant leadership of our teachers and staff members. We offered prayer and humble appreciation for these Catholic Christian role mod els who guide our students daily in the areas of academic excellence, discovery of their God-given gifts and continual spiritual growth.
We spotlighted the gift of our voca tions. As a faith community, we opened our hearts to God’s personal message for each of us, striving to embrace the possibility of religious life and offering thanks and praise for the precious gift of the priests, fraters, and sisters who faithfully serve our community each and
STUDENTS AT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL ATTEND AN ALL-SCHOOL MASS ON FEBRUARY 3, ON THE FEAST OF ST. BLAISE. THE MASS WAS CELEBRATED BY SCHOOL RECTOR, FR. DAMIEN GIAP, O.PRAEM AND PARISH PASTOR FR. AUGUSTINE PUCHNER, O.PRAEM AND INCLUDED THE BLESSING OF THE THROATS.
T
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS LEAD THE STUDENT BODY IN A “LIVING” ROSARY DURING CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2022. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL.
It was a time of true celebration, a time to pray and sing praises together, a time to say thank you to so many who serve their God without reservation, and a time of sincere joy and faith in God for he knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us, plans to give us hope and a future. C
HIS YEAR, THE FIRST WEEK in February was a time of rededication. It was a time to honor and celebrate who we are as devoted Catholics, as committed Christians and as servant leaders for God and His people. It was a time of prayer, emphasizing meditation and reflection and demonstrating service through faith in action.Theinitial focus was on invitation. As a community under God, St. John the Baptist Catholic School reached out to the neighborhoods around us welcom ing all families to come and discover the plans God has created to give us all hope for the future. As we worked to serve our brothers and sisters, we filled our campus with excited new families.
HONORING WHAT MAKES US GOD’S PEOPLE
everyWeday.acknowledged the wonder and beauty of our student body. We celebrat
ed the uniqueness of each of the chil dren entrusted to our care. We joined together in a Holy Mass of thanksgiving
BY FATHER DAMIEN GIAP
for the precious resource of the Catholic Christian Leaders we are blessed to cre ate here at St. John the Baptist Catholic School.And finally, we rejoiced in the com munity that serves us and that we are honored to serve in return. We took time to thank those who sacrifice throughout the year so we can continue to learn in this healthy, Christ-centered environ ment, and to share from our blessings with those in need at our Norbertine sister school.
World Marriage Day honors hus band and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society. This year’s event is based on the U.S. Confer ence of Catholic Bishops’ 2022 theme, “Called to the Joy of Love.” The Feb. 7 Mass also served as a kickoff event for National Marriage Week, which was observed from Feb. 7 to 14.
Holy Family Catholic Church in Or ange is hosting a special ministry event in partnership with Franciscan Univer sity of Steubenville, Ohio. The dates are Feb. 27, 28 and March 1 from 6:30 to 8:30
BISHOP TIMOTHY FREYER IS PICTURED WITH CELEBRANTS FOLLOWING THE WORLD MARRIAGE DAY MASS AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL ON FEB. 7. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Thep.m.theme of the event is “Are You Truly Happy? Come discover the true happiness of being known intimately
FEBRUARY 20, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 11
ST. IRENAEUS CELEBRATES
attend a special family Mass on Sun day, Feb. 27. The first five rows will be reserved for children so they can enjoy an up-close view of the Mass. Stickers, Rosaries, prayer cards and other at-home activities will be distributed following the Mass. And families are also invited for donuts and punch on the patio after Mass concludes. Family Masses will be held on the second and fourth Sunday of the month at 11:30 a.m.
St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Cypress invites the Diocese of Orange to
Bishop Timothy Freyer presided over the Mass for World Marriage Day at Christ Cathedral on Monday, Feb. 7.
DIOCESAN12 NEWS
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ORANGE TO HOST MINISTRYSPECIALEVENT
ST. IRENAEUS CATHOLIC CHURCH, CYPRESS. . PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
BY STAFF
BISHOP FREYER CELEBRATES
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WORLD MARRIAGE DAY MASS
SPECIAL FAMILY MASS
OURAROUNDDIOCESE
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH, ORANGE. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
n Various mental health organiza tions and nonprofits also will be onsite with information tables. The Office for Family Life will have a resource table to help parishes learn about diocesan mental health ministry programs.
DEACON ALEX MENEZ RECITES THREE OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS AT ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH PRIOR TO THE START OF THE 2022 TEN COMMANDMENT HIKE. PHOTO COURTESY OF BERNIE KILCOYNE
dinated mental health services through public, private, academic and faith part nerships)
Fifty youth, scout leaders and par ents, endured a rainy January Saturday morning in South Orange County and completed the 4-mile Ten Command ment Hike. The hike started at St. John Neumann Catholic Church where Deacon Menez presented three of the ten commandments. The hike took the participants to three other churches to listen to pastors and ministers of other faiths present the remaining seven commandments. The hike ended at a park across the street, under a gazabo overlooking a small lake, where the Lord’s prayer was recited as a group, and youth expressed what they learned. One scout voiced his observation that the ten commandments are very much relevant today, though they are centu ries old.
tiated mental health strategy that can be built over time, adapted and imple mented)
n Kay Warren of Saddleback Church (discussing the Hope for Mental Health Ministry established at Saddleback Church and sharing the steps for how worship centers can create a faith-ini
health needs through a robust program that includes proactive engagement, case management, and resource distri bution through a collaboration with the Orange County Health Care Agency)
This forum is being planned by the OC Sheriff’s Interfaith Advisory Council Executive Committee, whose members include Fr. Ed Becker, epis copal vicar for ecumenical and interre ligious affairs, and Anthony Vultaggio, member of the Ecumenical and Inter religious Affairs Commission of the Diocese of Orange.
and loved unconditionally in the heart of Christ.”Catholic speaker, musician and author, Chris Padgett along with a min istry team from Franciscan University will lead the event.
The cost is $25. To register, visit bit. ly/ParishMissionHF
TEN COMMANDMENT HIKE
The Orange County Sheriff’s In terfaith Advisory Council will host the Faith & Mental Health Forum on Wednesday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Arboretum on the Christ Cathedral campus. Faith and commu nity leaders are invited and encouraged to hear from local experts about mental health issues and their impacts on our communities.
Expected speakers include:
FAITH & MENTAL HEALTH FORUM
— Submitted by Bernie Kilcoyne
n Marshall Moncrief of Be Well OC (describing the robust, community-based strategy of Be Well OC to provide coor
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12 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 20, 2022 DIOCESAN NEWS
n Sheriff Don Barnes and Command er Nate Wilson (providing a summary of the OC Sheriff’s Department’s Behavior al Health Bureau that assists the home less population and those with mental
n Rabbi Andrew Paley of Temple Sha lom in Dallas, Texas (discussing emotion al survival through crisis, resiliency and recovery)
Please join us and encourage the clergy and lay leaders of your parishes and centers to participate in this special opportunity. Register online at faithmentalhealth.eventbrite.com.https:// C
n Dr. Aaron Kheriaty (providing an overview of mental health issues and how they can be identified)
n Take the opportunity to show care givers esteem, appreciation and gratitude for all they do. Just as we thank members of the military for their service, thank caregivers for the indispensable service they render in society;
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
hear terrible news about their conditions every day and thousands of people have already lost their lives. The concentra tion in the same place of so many frail individuals and the difficulty of find ing protective equipment devices have created situations that are very difficult to manage notwithstanding the selfless ness and, in some cases the sacrifice, of healthcare personnel.”
But geriatric caregivers have also borne a heavy burden, often working long shifts in understaffed, uncertain conditions, often while trying to care for their own family members at the same time.At times frail seniors have suffered due to staffing shortages caused both by caregiver sickness and a significant ex odus of staff from many facilities across theIncountry.anarticle published in Decem ber 2021, Skilled Nursing Home News reported that since the beginning of the pandemic 14 percent of the skilled nurs ing workforce, or 220,000 care givers, has exited the profession.
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
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n Share with caregivers the message of Pope Francis about the dignity of their profession;
n Foster intergenerational encoun ters in your family and encourage young people to consider careers in geriatric healthcare.Finally,this February please join me in praying for an end to the pandemic, for healing for the sick and the elderly and for the transformation of our society into a culture that will cherish every human life, no matter how old or how frail. C
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staff in our homes across the country and around the world – and about the widespread shortage of caregivers in the field of elder care. The lack of qualified geriatric caregivers has already reached crisis proportions and is only growing worse.Older persons living in communal settings have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic, being stricken with COVID at higher rates than young er people, experiencing disruptions in their daily routines and enduring long periods of isolation and separation from their loved ones.
OC CATHOLIC SEEKS FREELANCE WRITERS
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There was already a shortage of geriatric caregivers before the pandemic and, with a rapidly increasing popula tion of seniors, experts in gerontology estimate that the need for qualified care staff will increase by 2.5 million by 2030. An inadequate and unstable geriatric workforce will definitely lead to higher costs and serious concerns about access and quality of care.
Just as the elderly themselves, those serving seniors deserve special attention and support. This can take many forms:
It has long been said that a society can be measured by how it cares for its elderly citizens, and yet in Fratelli Tutti Pope Francis refers to the “trashing” of the world of the elderly in public opinion.Inanother recent Vatican document, we read, “Those living in residential facilities deserve special attention: we
n Lend your voice to advocacy for better training, wages and benefits for long-term care staff, better financing of long-term care and more positive work ing conditions, including provision of sufficient PPE;
FEBRUARY 20, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 13 GUEST COLUMN
In his message, the pope said that the current pandemic “is teaching us to view illness as a global and not a merely indi vidual phenomenon” and should moti vate reflection on other types of “pathol ogies” that threaten humanity, including individualism and indifference.
Peter Turkson, former prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, echoed Pope Francis’ sentiments during his homily Feb. 11 at a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica with people who are sick and with their Reflectingcaregivers.onthedivine consolation that God gives to his children, Cardinal Turkson said Christians are also called to pass on that consolation to those who
suffer in body and soul.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) —Caring for the sick means not only healing the wounds of the body but also those that afflict the soul, Pope Francis said.
“May your hands, which touch the suffering flesh of Christ, be a sign of the merciful hands of the Father,” Cardinal Turkson said before he and the concel ebrating bishops administered the sac ramental anointing of the sick to many people in the congregation. C
“Care cannot be divided because the human being cannot be divided. We could -- paradoxically -- save the body and lose humanity,” the pope said in a video message on the eve of the 30th World Day of the Sick, which is cele brated Feb. 11 each year.
These and other forms of selfishness, he said, generate inequalities, especially in the field of health care “where some enjoy so-called ‘excellence’” while many others “struggle to access basic health care.”“To cure this ‘social’ virus, the anti dote is the culture of fraternity, based on the awareness that we are all equal as human persons, all equal as children of one God,” he said. “On this basis, it will be possible to have effective treat ments for everyone. But if we are not convinced that we are all equal, this will
14 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 20, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
BY JUNNO AROCHO CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
CARDINAL PETER TURKSON, FORMER PREFECT OF THE DICASTERY FOR PROMOTING INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, BLESSES A WOMAN AS HE CELEBRATES MASS MARKING WORLD DAY OF THE SICK, IN ST. PETER’S BASILICA AT THE VATICAN FEB. 11, 2022. PHOTO: PAUL HARING / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Those who dedicate their lives to consoling others, the cardinal said, draw inspiration from God who throughout history “has been close to a wounded humanity in order to comfort, strength en and heal it.”
The pope’s message, which was released by the Vatican Feb. 10, was sent to participants of a webinar hosted by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
SICK MUST BE CARED FOR IN BODY AND SOUL, POPE SAYS notCardinalwork.”
“Consolation means to encourage, to exhort, to comfort or to give joy to a person or community that finds them selves in a situation of sadness, anguish and desolation,” he said.
The commemoration of the World Day of the Sick, he added, is a “celebra tion of God’s works of mercy,” especially through those who work tirelessly in the health care field.
“The saints who cared for the sick always followed the Master’s teaching: heal the wounds of body and soul; pray and act for physical and spiritual heal ing together,” he said.
Moments in our JourneyMoments in our Journey
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—Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Orange
to: editor@occatholic.com
As part of National Catholic Schools Week, Bishop Kevin Vann visited the Christ Cathedral Academy in Garden Grove on Feb. 2. Bishop stopped by several classrooms, answering questions about his life, his priesthood and role as a Bishop.
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