MARCH 6, 2022 BISHOP KEVIN W. VANN ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF FR. BAO THAI AS THE NEW RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL DURING A MASS ON FEB. 20. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE LONG JOURNEY OF FAITH FR. BAO THAI’S APPOINTMENT AS THE NEW RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAPS A JOURNEY THAT BEGAN WITH A HARROWING EXPERIENCE AS A 9-YEAR-OLD IN VIETNAM PAGE 6 THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM LIVING CROSS AT GARDEN OF HOPE PAGE 10
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ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840 The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, of Orange CUSTOM CONTENT Caitlin Adams Fernando M. Donado 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. and advertised in Orange County Catholic do not carry the implicit endorsement of the Diocese of Orange or SCNG
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A child’s first role models are their parents; be the sort of person your child can look up to. 2022
The annual event returned as an in-person gathering at the JW Anaheim Marriott last month. POPE
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ROLE PLAYING CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ETHICS CALLS FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE
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We must say No! to war and its attacks on human life.
Pope St. Clement of Rome once wrote: “Why do the Members of Christ tear one another; why do we rise up against our own body in such madness; have we forgotten that we are all members, one of another?”
“I would like to appeal to those with political responsibilities to do a serious examination of conscience before God, who is the God of peace and not of war, who is the father of
that offers us meaning and consistently tempts us to trust that it will save us.
GUEST COLUMN
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Whathere.we do know is that women, chil dren, the poor and working classes suffer the most from war’s devastation. There is also a very real threat of escalation and even existential threat of nuclear conflict. Yet, as terrifying as that all is, war remains a power
ON
Russian novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote: “If only there were evil people some where insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”
We are rightly appalled by the incredible, violent turn of events, and we too, as Ameri cans and as the Church in the United States,
The strongman politics of Putin must be condemned and at the same time, as Francis encourages us in Fratelli Tutti, we must look inward at our own scapegoating, nationalistic tendencies, and acceptance of violence.
LOVE’S GENIUS AND CHOOSING LIFE OVER WAR: ON PRAYING FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE
Recently, following his predecessors, Pope Francis reminded us of the “madness of war”:
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all and not only of some, who wants us to be brothers and sisters and not enemies.”
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.
S FULL-SCALE WAR BREAKS out by Putin’s Russian invasion, in Ukraine there are sadly now Christians, who share in the Body of Christ after praying the Divine Liturgy, who are ready to kill one another. That one side fights as invaders and the other defend ers is an important distinction but not the focus
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MARCH 6, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 5 DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS
IN THE DESERT
ESUS WAS LED BY THE SPIRIT into the desert for forty days, and then the devil tested him. Moses and the Israelites had been in the desert for forty years before being led to the land of milk and honey. There were times when they called out to God, sure that, as Saint Paul wrote to the Romans, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” We sometimes spend time in the desert as well. Not a literal desert most of the time, but a desert in which it seems difficult to per ceive God’s presence, times when we face difficulty and are tempted to leave God’s ways behind. On this First Sunday of Lent, Jesus shows us what to do in these moments: stand firm and trust in God.
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forgivenabilityThetobe is a right.human”
MONDAY
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WEDNESDAY
PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
JON 3:1-10; PS 51:3-4, 12-13, 1819; LK 11:29-32
READINGS FOR THE
EZ 18:21-28; PS MT130:1-8;5:20-26
TUESDAY
DT 26:16-19; PS 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8; MT 5:43-48
LV 19:1-2, 11-18; PS 19:8-10, 15; MT 25:31-46
SAINT PROFILE
— Pope Francis
SUNDAY
IS MTPS55:10-11;34:4-7,16-19;6:7-15
WEEK
EST C:12, 14-16, 23-25; PS 138:1-3, 7C-8; MT 7:7-12
“
COLETTE OF CORBIE 1381-1447
SATURDAY
THURSDAY
Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C
FRIDAY
GN 15:5-12, 17-18; PS 27:1, 7-9, 13-14; PHIL 3:17 — 4:1 [3:20 — 4:1]; LK 9:28B-36
ORN TO NICOLETTE BOELLET IN FRANCE, this reforming saint preferred Colette, her nickname. She entered and left several religious orders, then lived as an anchorite, or hermit, for three years. Eventually, she discerned that God wanted her to return Franciscan religious to their original rule of strict poverty. She was empowered in her reforms by the schismatic Benedict XIII, recognized in France as pope. Considered the founder of the Colettine Poor Clares, Colette also helped inaugurate reforms among Franciscan friars. She spent every Friday fasting and meditating on Christ’s Pas sion. After reportedly saving the life of a woman dying in child birth, Colette was considered a patron of expectant mothers. C
Fr. Bao’s tenure in the Diocese has included serving as parochial vicar at the parishes of San Francisco Solano, Holy Family Cathedral, St. Anthony Claret and Our Lady of La Vang. Bishop Vann appointed him administrator of St. Cecilia in July 2015 and pastor in 2017.
Bao’s father, Minh Thai, was bap tized six years later after the paratroop er in the South Vietnam military was released from prison. He had been cap tured by North Vietnam soldiers two days before the Vietnam War ended, on April 30, 1975.
And now, he’s Bishop Kevin Vann’s choice to succeed Fr. Christopher Smith as rector of Christ Cathedral, the spiritual home of the Bishop of Orange and a major center of Catholic worship on the West Coast that attracts 11,000 people to church each weekend.
It was early summer 1979, and a severe malaria outbreak had rav agedNeighborhoodSaigon.
After being ordained to the priest hood on June 7, 2003, Fr. Bao went on to earn his licentiate of sacred theology in spirituality at the Pontifical Univer sity of St. Thomas (“The Angelicum) in Rome in June 2009.
Fr. Bao earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and taught high school for a year in Vietnam before the U.S. sponsored his POW-led family’s relocation to the U.S. They arrived in Orange County in July 1993.
“First of all, I thank God for the new mission entrusted to me,” Fr. Bao said. “Secondly, I’m grateful to Bishop Kevin Vann and his Episcopal Council for having such confidence in me. This appointment is an honor.”
6 OC CATHOLIC n MARCH 6, 2022 FEATURE
LONG JOURNEY OF FAITH
FR. BAO THAI’S APPOINTMENT AS THE NEW RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAPS A JOURNEY THAT BEGAN WITH A HARROWING EXPERIENCE AS A 9-YEAR-OLD IN VIETNAM
OCTORS TOLD THE mother there was no hope for her 9-year-old son.
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A few months later, on Aug. 15 --the Feast of the Assumption of the Vir gin Mary – Bao’s mother made good on her promise. She and her five children were baptized in the Catholic Church.
“I’m speechless,” Fr. Bao said about receiving the new assignment, in which he will run a parish whose members come from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
BY GREG HARDESTY
Fr. Bao’s appointment is effective July 1, 2022, when Fr. Christopher will assume the title of rector emeritus and finish some ongoing projects on the Christ Cathedral campus at Bishop Vann’s request.
His passion to become a priest still burning, Fr. Bao became active in his home parish, St. Bonaventure in Hun tington Beach. He entered Mount An gel Seminary in Oregon in August 1995. There, he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.In1998, Fr. Bao earned a master’s degree in divinity and a master’s degree in spiritual philosophy at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo.
His distraught mother, Kim-Anh Nguyen, made a promise as she prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary: If she would heal her son, she and her five children would become Catholics.
friends of young Bao Thai had died, and he likely was next.
These events sealed the desire of Bao, then 15, to become a priest.
FR. BAO TAI WILL SUCCEED FR. CHRISTOPHER SMITH AS RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE.
As doctors continued to moni tor Bao, his condition, miraculously, started to improve. He eventually went home fully recovered.
My mother was just 21 when I was born. I was the first of five – so I had a young and energetic mother who could do anything. In those early years, she was a whirlwind of activity, painting and wallpapering into the night after working in an office all day.
Fluent in Vietnamese and En glish, and with a good knowledge of Spanish, the newly appointed rector also served concurrently as parish administrator of La Purísima Catholic Church for a six-month period in 2020.
BREAKING THE NEWS
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.
Fr. Bao is on the board of the Orange Catholic Foundation, and he served two terms on the Diocese’s Priest Personnel Board. He also was instrumental as an advisory board member for the July 2021 dedication of Christ Cathedral’s Our Lady of La Vang Shrine, a contemporary out door display devoted to the Virgin Mary as she is believed to have ap peared before a group of Vietnamese Catholics in 1798.
In the next few months, I didn’t hear a voice, but I recognized God’s presence. My mother’s confidence calmed me and encouraged me to ask for revelation. That was my own turning point, the sustaining truth of Jesus in my own life.
Bishop Vann noted that he spent considerable time at St. Cecilia with Fr. Bao a few years ago while recover ing from a surgical procedure.
HEN IT COMES TO female role models, our first, most important, and lasting, is our moth er. In considering this week’s global cele bration of women, my thoughts naturally turn to my own amazing mother.
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
BY KATIE DAWSON
PLAYINGROLEMYMOTHER,THEMAKER:HEREXPERIENCEWITHJESUSCHANGEDMYLIFE
Fr. Bao’s skills and accomplishments, Bishop Vann invited Fr. Bao to dinner at Il Barone Ristorante in Newport Beach on Jan. 14, There,2022.
over a meal of fish and red wine, Bishop Vann asked him if he would accept the assignment as the new rector of Christ Cathedral. Fr. Bao’s acceptance makes him the fourth Vietnamese rector of a cathe dral in the U.S. and the second in California.“Iwillhumbly utilize my gifts to carry out the vision of Bishop Vann for Christ Cathedral with the help of God,” Fr. Bao said. C
“My time there helped me to not only know Fr. Bao, but to see his love for his parishioners as their pastor,” Bishop Vann said. “And I got to see first-hand his ability to work with the Vietnamese, Hispanic and Caucasian parishioners of St. Cecelia, which is the same ethnic mix at Christ Cathe dral.”Recognizing
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she would be praying for me.
When I was still very young, and my mother was pregnant with baby num ber two, it occurred to her that maybe going to a church would be good for her children. Not really believing in God, she threw a prayer into the air: “Jesus, if you are really God, please show me.” I don’t know what she expected to happen as she
prayed. But in the next instant she heard a voice. She heard Him say, “I Am.” She went to the nearest Catholic Church (Holy Rosary Parish in San Bernardino, now the cathedral parish), and “signed up.” She, my baby brother Brad and I were baptized together months later. That experi ence, those words from Jesus, undergirded the rest of her life. It defined her identity – and ours. She never let go of it through all life’s ups and downs. It was her sustaining truth.When I was a young teenager, I had some questions about God myself. I was sad but sure that the universe was an empty place and God was just a nice sto ry to make us feel good. When I shared my doubts with my mom, she smiled calmly and confidently and told me to just keep asking God to reveal Himself to me. “He will,” she said, and added that
When we are very young, it’s easy to believe our parents are super. Super strong, super smart, super funny. We aspire to be like them, to imitate them, emulate them. If we are lucky, as we grow older, though we recognize they are not exactly SUPER, we can still admire their virtues, receive their wisdom and appreciate their insights. (And we may still laugh at some of their jokes.)
MARCH 6, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 7 FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
When I think of my mother, now gone, I remember all her “making.” But most of all I remember how an encounter with Jesus made all the difference in her life. She showed me what that meant -- and helped me find it, too. C
She really was a “maker,” full of ideas and creativity. As I grew older, she sewed my prom dresses, planned my parties and cooked for my friends. She did the same for my younger siblings. She was always a “maker” – making things fun, making lifeShebeautiful.lovedus all so very much. She had been an only child into her teen years, and longed for a big, bustling family. And that is what she got.
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CLOSE TO 700 ATTEND IN-PERSON CONFERENCE
THE GONZALEZ FAMILY OF NORTHGATE MARKET ARE PICTURED WITH DANIEL K. WALKER, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND CEO OF FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK (FURTHEST RIGHT). FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK ARE ALSO CO-PRESENTING PARTNERS AT THE CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS & ETHICS. PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA RENEE PHOTOGRAPHY
received multiple awards and commen dations from civic, business and faithbasedThoseorganizations.includethe Distinguished Citizen Award from Los Angeles County Boy Scouts of America, National Asso ciation of Homebuilders Legend Award, City of Chula Vista Man of the Year Award.“Iwas very fortunate in life,” said Baldwin, a father of four with 13 grand children. “I came from a family that had very strong religious values and I was able to go to Catholic grade schools and
CONTINUES ON PAGE 9
Catholic High School.”
BY LOU PONSI
The New York native was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his alma ma ter, Xavier High School in New York.
In her opening remarks, Orange Catholic Foundation President and Executive Director Kimberly Jetton said the foundation’s mission is to serve Or ange County’s Roman Catholic commu nity through philanthropy and steward ing funds to ministries espousing their beliefs in loving service to God.
8 OC CATHOLIC n MARCH 6, 2022 FEATURE
Baldwin, whose company has de veloped more than 20,000 houses, has
“Following the 10 Commandments in all areas of life is paramount,” he said.
multiple arenas.
“My feelings are if you never forgot those 10 rules that God gave Moses, you’ll make the right decisions,” Bald win said. “If your underlying values are strong enough, you’ll make the right de cision for your company, your employ ees, your family but most important, yourKirwanGod.” has chaired or served on a variety of committees and has been recognized for accomplishments in
ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION’S CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS & ETHICS 2022
FTER BEING HELD virtually in 2021, the 2022 Orange Cath olic Foundation’s Conference on Business & Ethics returned as an in-person gathering, where three influential business leaders were cele brated for using their faith as the guiding principle in the day-to-day operation of theirThebusinesses.19thannual conference, which drew 675 attendees from within the business, religious and academic com munities, was held at the JW Marriott in Anaheim on Feb. 18.
He served on the Board of Orange County Philharmonic Society and chaired the Major Gifts Campaign for building Santa Margarita Catholic High School.“I’m honored to be here, and I thank
“As we have been conditioned to be in this world, but not of this world, what distinguishes us is how we live our lives, how we run our businesses, and how we care for the wellbeing of others,” Jetton said. “Our faith and our livelihood are not mutually exclusive she said. The pu rity of our faith determines the quality of ourMostlivelihood.”Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bish op of Orange, presented the Bishop’s Award for Exemplary Business Integrity to Al Baldwin, chairman of the board of Baldwin & Sons, a real estate develop ment and home building company, and Roger Kirwan, chairman and CEO of Woodside Credit, a classic and collector car financing firm.
He received the Segerstrom Center of the Arts Chairman’s Cup as the Out standing Volunteer in 2003 and 2020.
Zamperini was released after the war but suffered from PTSD and battled
MARCH 6, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 9 FEATURE
All senior management meetings at Northgate being with prayer.
of cancer Oct. 4, 2021, at age 69.
Redwitz, who presented an award to the family in recognition of his contributions.
Luke shared his father’s story as world class distance runner who partici pated in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
Zamperini’s life was chronicled in the book and movie “Unbroken.”
The 2022 conference was dedicated to the memory of Hank Evers, who died
Evers worked for 10 years with the Diocese of Orange and the Orange Catholic Foundation, where his efforts with the conference and other campaigns helped raise millions of dollars under served“Hank,students.I’msure you are looking down on us right now and I hope you approve of what we are carrying on today in your memory,” said Conference co-chair Randy
The keynote speaker of the con ference was Luke Zamperini, son of Olympic and World War II hero Louis Zamperini and president of the Louis Zamperini Foundation.
The Gonzalez’s grew their business and today, there are 43 Northgate Mar ket grocery stores in four counties with more than 6,000 employees.
The foundation’s next major event, “A Night of Country Under the Stars,” takes place April 2 at Christ Cathedral.
alcoholism.Hebecame a Christian and went on to work with at-risk youth.
After the family’s shoe making busi ness in Mexico burned down, Miguel and Teresa Gonzalez moved to the U.S. looking to start a life and provide for their 13 Miguelchildren.andthree of his sons came in 1970s to find work and then moved his whole family to Southern California 1976.In 1980, Miguel and his son mort gaged their homes to obtain the money to purchase a small grocery store in downtown Anaheim.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
God every day for what he’s given me,” Kirwan said.
The event features a Mass celebrated Bishop Vann, followed by a performance by Gary LeVox, lead vocalist of Rascal Flatts.For more information, please visit orangecatholicfoundation.org C
Today, the Unbroken Curriculum is taught in schools to students to examine their own challenges through the lens of Zamperini’s life.
While serving in the U.S. Army Air Corp as a bombardier in a B-24 during World War II, Zamperini was on a search and rescue mission when his plane malfunctioned and crashed into theHeocean.ended up on a Japanese occupied Marshall Islands and was beaten and tortured while a prisoner of war.
THE 2022 CONFERENCE WAS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF HANK EVERS, WHO WORKED FOR 10 YEARS WITH THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE AND THE ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION. PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA RENEE PHOTOGRAPHY
The Gonzalez family, devout Cath olics and owners of the supermarket chain, Northgate Market, received the Farmers & Merchants Bank Lifetime Achievement Award.
“The Gonzalez family runs Northgate market with the Belief of enriching their lives and the lives of their associates through their faith,” said Farmers & Merchants Bank CEO Daniel Walker, who presented the award to the family.
EFLECTING ON THE transformation of a parking lot into a green space including murals, seating and fresh grown food, Santa Ana resident and muralist Brian Peterson prayed the Garden of Hope would fulfill a bigger vision as a territory of hope and renewed life.
10 OC CATHOLIC n MARCH 6, 2022 DIOCESAN NEWS
VOLUNTEERS FROM THE CANTLAY FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER RECENTLY DISTRIBUTED FRESH LETTUCE AND GRAPE TOMATOES FROM THE GARDEN OF HOPE. PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES
Like how the smallest seed can yield the most fruitful harvest, the Garden of Hope is already impact ing the community in unprecedented ways, reaching another milestone earlier this month.
Catholic Charities of Orange County looks forward to seeing how the Garden of Hope will continue to impact the community. On June 18, Catholic Charities will honor those who have made the garden possible at the Garden of Hope Dedication and Blessing by his Excellency, the Most Reverend Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen.Toinvest in the Garden of Hope project, go to ccoc. org and select the “Garden of Hope” tab, or text culti vator to Catholic41444.Charities is thankful for any and all contri butions to make the garden a place of fellowship where people can learn about nutrition and healthy living.C
BY CATHERINE GRATTAN CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ORANGE COUNTY
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ORANGE COUNTY LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THE GARDEN OF HOPE WILL CATHOLICCOURTESYCOMMUNITY.IMPACTPOSITIVELYTHELOCALPHOTOOFCHARITIES.
In the second week of February, CalFresh Healthy Living staff held their first cooking demonstration at the Garden of Hope using fresh lettuce from the garden to make delicious chicken lettuce wraps. In addition to typical packaged goods, underserved com munity members excitedly received fresh lettuce and grape tomatoes from the garden at the Cantlay Food Distribution Center. That same day, the Living Cross was installed at the Garden of Hope.
Joan Steen, one of the major supporters of this project, remarked, “It washeartwarming to see how the Garden of Hope evolved from a simple idea as a labor of love for Jesus and our neighbors.”
LIVING OFTHEINSTALLEDCROSSATGARDENHOPE
Flowers and foliage will be planted in the Cross “as a continual reminder of God’s blessing on this humble garden,” Steen explained.
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MARCH 6, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 11 DIOCESAN NEWS
and dedication celebration of the fully restored instrument are being planned, as is a Diocese-produced documenta ry about the organ and its restoration process.Since Christ Cathedral’s dedication in 2019, the cathedral’s music ministry has been playing on a digital organ on loan from Walker. Its sounds come from
The finished pipework in the organ will begin to be used for liturgies in the cathedral while another contractor on the project, Pennsylvania-based Walker Technical Company, works to install the digital portions of the organ. A blessing
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BY STAFF
Ficarri. Later that night, Hazel Wright was also played during the World Mar riage Day Mass.
BISHOP KEVIN VANN IS PICTURED WITH DR. FREDERICK SWANN, FORMER ORGANIST FOR THE CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL, ON FEB. 7. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE.
On Feb. 7, in front of the organ’s main console, Bishop Kevin Vann, Fr. Christopher Smith (rector and episco pal vicar of the cathedral), Dr. Fred erick Swann (former organist for the Crystal Cathedral), David Ball (Christ Cathedral organist and head of music ministry), Kevin Cartwright (the organ’s new curator) and Piero Ruffatti (the original builder of the organ) signed a special agreement. In effect, Dr. Swann accepted the organ’s restoration work by Ruffatti’s team, handing it off to Cart wright’s company, Los Angeles-based Rosales Organ Builders, for continued maintenance.Monday’ssigning signaled the end of several weeks of painstaking, detailed voicing work by Ruffatti’s team and its examination by Dr. Swann, who was the Crystal Cathedral principal organist and director of music under the Rev. Robert Schuller from 1982 to 1998. Dr. Swann’s playing was heard around the world by millions for Rev. Schuller’s “Hour of Power” broadcasts. The organ inside the Arboretum, Rev. Schuller’s original church, is named after Dr. Swann. After the signing, Dr. Swann played for the signing team and other Diocese of Orange leaders, including Bishop Timothy Freyer and Msgr. Stephen Doktorczyk. Gabriel Ferrucci, a leading benefactor to the Diocese of Orange, was also present and was credited with being an instrumental coordinator in making the years-long restoration effort a success.During the signing ceremony, Ball premiered a new work he commissioned as the inaugural piece for the organ, “Fanfare-Introduction in D” by Daniel
HAZEL WRIGHT ORGAN UPDATE
speakers placed throughout the cathe dral.The Hazel Wright Organ — named after a Chicago donor who appreciated Rev. Schuller’s “Hour of Power” ministry — contains 293 ranks with 17,106 pipes. It was dedicated in 1982. It has been ex panded over the years and is among the five largest organs in the world. C
FTER MANY YEARS of plan ning, delays and meticulous work, the process of restor ing Christ Cathedral’s Hazel Wright Organ recently took a major step.
can attend virtually via Zoom.
OURAROUNDDIOCESE
ST. IRENAEUS CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CYPRESS IS HOSTING A THREE-NIGHT LENTEN MISSION SERIES WITH ACTOR FRANK RUNYEON. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. IRENAEUS CHURCH.
This Lenten mission series will also be livestreamed on Facebook, @stire naeuschurch.
12 OC CATHOLIC n MARCH 6, 2022 DIOCESAN NEWS
SAN FRANCISCO SOLANO CHURCH WELCOMES KATIE MCGRADY
St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Cypress is hosting a three-night Lent en Mission series with actor Frank Runyeon, from March 8-10.
Draw near to Jesus this Lent by reflecting on how He has drawn near to you. We invite you to join us at San Francisco Solano for our 2022 Lent en Mission featuring Sirius XM’s The Catholic Channel’s Katie McGrady.
YOU’RE INVITED TO EXPLORE LIFE’S BIG QUESTIONS!
BY STAFF
and safe environment. Each week dinner will be provided, attendees will watch a video, share experiences, ask questions and meet new friends. If you prefer, you
“The Story of Faith” is an engaging and inspiring series of three individual plays designed to awaken our hearts and minds this Lenten season.
The schedule is as follows:
There is no cost. Please visit https:// stjccm.org/alpha or contact Carol Nasr at (949) 439-0226 to register.C
Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m.: “Afraid: The Gospel of Mark”; Wednesday, March 9 at 7 p.m.: “Sermon on the Mount”; Thursday, March 10 at 7 p.m.: “Signs: The Gospel of John.”
St. Joachim’s Catholic Church will be hosting an Alpha Program, which is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. The program will run approxi mately 11 weeks starting Wednesday, March 16, from 6-8 p.m. Each talk looks at questions around faith and is de signed to spark conversation in an open
ST. JOACHIM CATHOLIC CHURCH, COSTA MESA. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Katie will speak at 7 p.m. nightly from March 7 to March 9. There is no cost to attend, and everyone is wel come.For more details, please visit solano catholic.org/lent.
LENTEN MISSION SERIES
SAN FRANCISCO SOLANO’S 2022 LENTEN MISSION WILL FEATURE SIRIUS XM’S THE CATHOLIC CHANNEL’S KATIE MCGRADY. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN FRANCISCO SOLANO.
Merchandise Fitness-WeightLoss
n Repent. That we would repent of our own attachments to aggressive national ism, the violence in our own hearts and our refusals to condemn structural violence in our midst, and our temptation to see others, especially migrants and the poor, as threats and/or tools rather than Jesus seeking welcome and offering us a future (see in particular Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, secs. 11, 86, 141)
n Peacebuilding. As Pope Saint Paul VI said, “If you want peace, work for justice.” Get involved in working for justice, for protecting life and human dignity and all of creation. Be prepared to stand against war and U.S. and NATO pursuit of military responses and proliferation of arms and to encourage instead solutions that address root causes. Learn about peacebuilding movements and consider how you, your family, and parish community might train for peace, learning and practicing ways of being in the world free of violence and killing. Starting with the Eucharist.]
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must take a hard look at our history, our present, our own hearts.
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That’s why when Christ tells us to love our enemies, he means it.
“If we are calling upon nations to dis arm,” Dorothy Day once wrote, “we must be brave enough and courageous enough to set the example.”
n Pray. Pray, fast, and give, for an end to the war in Ukraine, for protection for all in harm’s way (especially women, children, and the poor who usually suffer the most in times of war), and for peacemaking efforts. Where to give to help Ukraine: give-to-help-ukrainewww.catholicnews.com/update-where-to-
MARCH 6, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 13 GUEST COLUMN
and therefore that this situation cannot be overcome except by countering it with more love, with more goodness. This “more” comes from God: it is his mercy which was made flesh in Jesus and which alone can “tip the balance” of the world from evil to good, starting with that small and decisive “world” which is the human heart.”“Love of one’s enemy constitutes the nucleus of the “Christian revolution,” a revolution not based on strategies of economic, political or media power: the revolution of love.”
Once asked how she was coping with her cancer, Sr. Thea Bowman replied, “Part of my approach to my illness has been to say I want to choose life, I want to keep going, I want to live fully until I die.” Asked whether she had reconciled with her disease, she recoiled at the question: “I don’t want to reconcile with cancer, I don’t want to reconcile with injustice... racism... sexism... classism. I don’t want to reconcile with anything that is destructive.”
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WHAT CAN WE DO?
This Lent, let us pray for peace in Ukraine fervently and prepare ourselves to follow faithfully Christ our Peace. C
Garrett Masciel DRE#01920249 “Communication & Hard Work is Our Key to Your SUCCESS” 714-956-4000 www.Masciel.com Gary Masciel DRE#00614861 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
Let us condemn the killing and refuse to reconcile with war. Let us choose life! In the Eucharist we participate in the end of sacrifice, including the sacrifices of war. Jesus is the fulfillment of every good sacrifice and the overcoming of all of the ways that we sacrifice one another. What has come into being in Him is life.
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As Pope Benedict XVI put it beauti fully in his 2007 Angelus at the start of Lent:“Christ’s proposal is realistic because it takes into account that in the world there is too much violence, too much injustice,
For the United States has its own cre ative storytelling about regional stability, peacekeeping, demilitarizations, quelling of slave rebellions, native uprisings, tak ing territories by means of war, systemic exclusion and infringement on the rights of people of color, migrants and unborn children. Currently, we’re having public arguments about whether we ought to tell the truth about this history at all. The line cuts close and deep indeed.
As tempting as it might be to look to strongmen or military might, to a moral vision in which enemies have a monopoly on evil and therefore there’s no need to ask forgiveness, the way of the cross is a different path.
POPE FRANCIS GREETS A WOMAN DURING HIS GENERAL AUDIENCE IN THE PAUL VI HALL AT THE VATICAN FEB. 23, 2022. PHOTO: PAUL HARING / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Russian banks and institutions.
BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
In times of trouble, we call on the tender mercy of God … to guide our feet to the way of peace (Lk 1:78-79). May our prayers, joined with those of people around the world, help guide those waging war to end the meaningless suffering and restore peace. Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us.” C
VATICAN CITY (CNS) —As the threat of war loomed over the world, Pope Fran cis called on people to pray and fast for peace in Ukraine on Ash Wednesday.
WASHINGTON (USCCB) -- Arch bishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement on “OnUkraine:behalf of my brother bishops, I echo the Holy Father’s call for prayer
“I would like to appeal to those with political responsibilities to do a serious examination of conscience before God,
“I invite everyone to make March 2, Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting for peace,” he said. “I encourage believers in a special way to devote themselves intense ly to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of Peace protect the world from the folly of war.”
and fasting to end the war in Ukraine.
In his appeal, the pope said he, like many around the world, felt “anguish and concern” after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the indepen dence of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
away regions’ independence was seen by Western leaders as a violation of interna tional law protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and as a move that could pave the way for a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine.Inthe wake of the Russian president’s actions, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union announced sanctions against several
He also said the Russian president “destroyed foundational principles for a long-term process of restoring peace in Ukraine” and “created the path for a new wave of military aggression against our state.”“Today, all of humanity has been placed in danger,” he said, because Putin’s action asserts that “the powerful have a right to impose themselves on whomever they wish, with no regard for the rule of law.”Archbishop Shevchuk reminded world leaders of their duty and responsibility “to actively work to avert war and protect a just peace.”
14 OC CATHOLIC n MARCH 6, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
He also urged world leaders to “refrain from any action that would cause even more suffering to the people, destabiliz ing the coexistence between nations and discrediting international law.”
Putin’s recognition of the two break
U.S. BISHOPS’ PRESIDENT ECHOES POPE FRANCIS’ CALL FOR PRAYER AND FASTING FOR UKRAINE
In a statement released Feb. 22, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Ky iv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, said Putin’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has caused “irreparable damage” to the “logic of international relations.”
WORSHIPPERS LIGHT CANDLES AS THEY ATTEND A PRAYER SERVICE AT ST. MICHAEL’S CATHEDRAL OF THE NEWSREUTERSPHOTO:INCHURCHORTHODOXOFUKRAINEKYIVFEB.20,2022.UMITBEKTAS,/CATHOLICSERVICE
BY U.S. CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS
POPE CALLS FOR DAY OF PRAYER, FASTING FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE
Before concluding his general audi ence Feb. 23, the pope called on believers and nonbelievers to combat the “diaboli cal insistence, the diabolical senselessness of violence” with prayer and fasting.
who is the God of peace and not of war, who is the father of all and not only of some, who wants us to be brothers and sisters and not enemies,” he said.
“I call upon all people of good will to not ignore the suffering of the Ukrainian people brought on by Russian military aggression,” he said. “We are a people who love peace. And precisely for that reason we are ready to defend it and fight for it.” C
The pope said that due to the “alarm ing” developments in the region, “once again, the peace of all is threatened by partisan interests.”
—Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Orange
Sunday Mass was celebrated on Feb. 20 with Bishop Kevin Vann and Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in San Clemente - honoring Fr. Jim Ries.
MARCH 6, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 15 Send your photos that capture Catholic life in your parish community to: editor@occatholic.com
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