MAY 23, 2021
AFTER CONFIRMATION, WHAT’S NEXT?
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM
LET THERE BE LIGHT HUNDREDS CELEBRATE DEDICATION OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION AT THE NEW ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY IN SILVERADO CANYON. PAGE 6
PHOTO: DREW KELLEY
RECONNECT WITH FAITH AND FAMILY THIS EASTER SEASON WITH ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC
MAY 23, 2021
CONTENTS
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O.C. ARTIST DONATES PHOTOS
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U.S. ENVOY MEETS WITH POPE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Ting-Ting Lee never thought her photography would end up inside Christ Cathedral.
WORLD-WIDE ROSARY FOR END OF PANDEMIC
Each day during May at noon Washington time (6 p.m. at the Vatican) the rosary is prayed from a different Marian shrine around the world.
John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate, gave a keynote address at a meeting of the Pontifical Academy for Sciences at the Vatican.
PLUS
Guest Column, Weekly Readings, Moments In Our Journey
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT The Orange County Catholic Newspaper seeks to illuminate and animate the journey of faith for Catholics within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – building solidarity among the faithful and inviting a deeper understanding and involvement in the mission of Christ – through the timely sharing of news, commentary and feature content in an engaging, accessible and compelling format.
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC
The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840 Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange Executive Editor: Tracey Kincaid, tkincaid@rcbo.org Editor: Kimberly Porrazzo, webeditor@occatholic.com New Ideas: storyideas@rcbo.org Delivery Problems: occatholicsupport@occatholic.com
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GUEST COLUMN
START SMALL LIKE GOD LOVES TO DO BY LAURA KELLY FANUCCI CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
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OW OFTEN DO YOU think about how small you are? Not your size or shape, but the fact that you were once tinier than the period at the end of this sentence. Or the truth that you are one of almost 8 billion people on the planet today. Or the mind-boggling statistic that you are among over 100 billion humans who have ever lived. Each of us -- no matter our age or accomplishment -- is only a small speck in the span of the universe. Yet we are beloved by our Creator, known and cherished by God who gave us life from the moment of our conception. What does it mean that we all start small?
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For seven years, I had the joy of taking part in a theological seminar on vocation across the lifespan. With an interdisciplinary group of scholars, we studied each phase of human development, from infancy through the elder years, to explore how God calls us at each stage of life. During our meeting on childhood, I was pregnant and parenting two children. Yet I laughed with the delight of discovery when the theologian seated next to me started the meeting by saying, “This may seem obvious, but children are small! That matters.” Children’s small size is the first reason we need families. Despite being a mother of many small children (and a child myself before that), I never pondered this truth until I read Maria Montessori’s CONTINUES ON PAGE 12
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KELLY FANUCCI/ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
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.
DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS
LORD, SEND OUT YOUR SPIRIT
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N TODAY’S RESPONSORIAL PSALM the Church sings out: “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.” All three readings describe how God has answered that prayer already. What is important for us to grasp is the significance of the Ascension. For Luke, it is the decisive turning point that marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry and the beginning of the disciples’ Spirit-led ministry and thus the ministry of the whole church down to our own day. In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles and in the Gospel passage from John, we read of astonishing events that called cowering disciples to step out of hiding and proclaim news that would condemn them and change the world forever! In the second reading Paul’s words reach out into the future to us: “we were all given to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). It is our task to truly pray today’s psalm response. Let us together beg the Holy Spirit to renew the earth by renewing the Church, sending many more men and women to serve in its various ministries. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C
His body “and blood give us salvation from the slavery of sin and death.” - Pope Francis
SAINT PROFILE
IVO OF CHARTRES 1040-1115
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ORN IN IN BEAUVAIS, FRANCE, IVO became a canon regular of St. Augustine at Saint-Quentin. He taught Scripture, theology and canon law there before becoming prior in 1078, and was elected bishop of Chartres in 1090. He was a councilor to King Philip I until he denounced the king’s plan to divorce his wife to marry a count’s third wife. Ivo was imprisoned briefly by the king, but the pope secured his release. Ivo was involved in two controversies of his age: He mediated several investiture disputes and zealously protested simony in the papal court. Three treatises helped secure his reputation as one of the most learned canonists of his time.C
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
GN 3:9-15, 20 OR ACTS 1:12-14; PS 87:1-3, 5-7; JN 19:25-34
SIR 35:1-12; PS 50:5-8, 14, 23; MK 10:28-31
SIR 36:1, 4-5A, 10-17; PS 79:8, 9, 11, 13;MK 10:32-45
SIR 42:15-25; PS 33:2-9; MK 10:4652
SIR 44:1, 9-13; PS 149:1B-6A, 9B; MK 11:11-26
SIR 51:12CD-20; PS 19:8-11; MK 11:27-33
DT 4:32-34, 39-40; PS 33:4-6, 9, 18-20, 22; ROM 8:14-17; MT 28:16-20
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FEATURE
LET THERE BE LIGHT HUNDREDS CELEBRATE DEDICATION OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION AT THE NEW ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY IN SILVERADO CANYON
BISHOP KEVIN VANN RAISES THE EUCHARIST DURING A SACRED MOMENT DURING THE MAY 4, 2021 MASS OF DEDICATION AT THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION ON THE CAMPUS OF ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY IN SILVERADO CANYON. PHOTO: DREW KELLEY BY GREG HARDESTY
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ILENTLY THE NEW church instantly lit up. The assembled emitted a hushed, brief gasp at a moment meant to remind them that Christ, as Scripture says, is a “light to enlighten the nations.” The dramatic illumination, which
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followed the lighting of the altar, was among several time-honored traditions celebrated on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at the dedication of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption at the new St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado Canyon. The long-awaited dedication, delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and two major fires in 2020, marked a cherished milestone after more than 15 years of
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planning, design and construction of the nearly $120 million St. Michael’s Abbey, a seminary and home to the Norbertine Fathers. Unstable land and a growing community of Norbertines forced the relocation of the abbey from its original location just nine miles away in Trabuco Canyon. Private donations made the new home possible, and ground was broken on
March 18, 2018. “We are gathered here with joy to dedicate a new church by celebrating the Lord’s sacrifice,” Bishop Kevin Vann said at the start of the dedication in the courtyard of the 40-acre main complex, which includes a monastery, convent, administration building, and a cemetery with a chapel. The new abbey was designed by CONTINUES ON PAGE 7
FEATURE
ON TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021, THE BISHOPS OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE HELPED DEDICATE THE NEW ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY IN SILVERADO. THE $120-MILLION ABBEY, HOME OF NORBERTINE PRIESTS AND SEMINARIANS, INCLUDES A CHURCH, MONASTERY, CONVENT, CEMETERY CHAPEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING. THE LOCATION REPLACES THE FORMER ABBEY IN TRABUCO CANYON THAT WAS FOUNDED BY HUNGARIAN PRIESTS WHO FLED COMMUNIST OPPRESSION. PHOTO: DREW KELLEY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
French architect Jean-Louis Pagès. “Let us take place in these sacred rites with loving devotion listening to the word of God with faith,” Bishop Vann said. “We advance in the love from on high.”
900TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
St. Michael’s Abbey was founded in Orange County in 1961 by seven Hungarian priests who fled communist oppression. Today, there are 50 Norbertine priests and 35 seminarians who serve the dioceses of Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Fresno. The dedication of the new church, which sits on a 327-acre site where 88 percent of the land has been set aside for permanent conservation, came during the 900th anniversary of the founding of
the Norbertine Order by St. Norbert of Xanten, one of the towering giants of the 12th-century Gregorian Reform movement. St. Norbert’s conversion came on May 28, 1115 when he was thrown from a horse in a violent thunderstorm and heard God’s calling. The Norbertine Fathers live a monastic life of prayer and oversee numerous community ministries, including outreach to hospitals, prisons, and convents. Although St. Michael’s Abbey is not a parish church, it will offer daily Mass to the public, in addition to eventually hosting retreats, providing adult educational opportunities, and serving as a regional center for music, history, culture, art, and literature. CONTINUES ON PAGE 8
ATTENDEES OF THE MAY 4, 2021 MASS OF DEDICATION FOR THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION RECEIVE COMMUNION. PHOTO: DREW KELLEY M AY 2 3 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C
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SOCIAL MEDIA / FEATURE orangediocese • follow May 16, 2021 orangediocese Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. #OCCatholic
THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION ON THE CAMPUS OF ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY IN SILVERADO CANYON. PHOTO: DREW KELLEY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
orangediocese • follow May 15, 2021 orangediocese On the latest OC Catholic Radio, host Rick Howick welcomes three unique guests: Alexa Vellanoweth (a former student at St Bonaventure), Kim White (the principal at St. Bonaventure) and Vanessa Frei (Director of Marketing and Enrollment). So what exactly is a “NUNUMENTARY?” Tune in, and find out in the link below and on apple podcasts. https://occatholic.com/episode228oc-catholic-radio-the-presentation-sisters-a-nunumentary/
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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During his homily, Abbot Hayes read a letter from Jos Wouters, AbThe 3 ½-hour dedication ceremony bot-General, who was unable to attend began outside the church with a proces- the dedication. sion on a sunny morning as bright-or“What we are all gathered here to ange California poppies bloomed on celebrate is the dedication of a house land ringed by canyon ridges. of prayer -- so while this is the house of Leading the procession was an icon our prayers, we ourselves are the house of St. Norbert, commissioned by Abbot of God,” Abbot Hayes said from the letRev. Eugene Hayes, that depicts St. ter, which quoted St. Augustine, one of Norbert in a central panel surroundthe two saints the Norbertines honor as ed by 12 scenes from his life. It was a holy father, who uttered those words followed by a Reliquary Ark, carried at the beginning of the fifth century at by five prelates, their red and gold silk a dedication of a church. damask copes gently rippling in the As part of the ceremony, the altar breeze, that contained sacred relics was anointed with chrism oil and blessthat later were placed inside the altar ed with holy water, as were the church -- including a portion of the rib of St. walls. Norbert. Incense rose to the dramatic vaulted Abbot Hayes delivered the homibarrel ceiling that soars 70 feet high – a ly during the dedication Mass inside height only surpassed by the bell tower the church, built in a Roman basilica (100+ feet), which includes a peal of architectural style with colorful and four bells made in France, their joyous bright blown stained glass. The jewel ringing marking the beginning and end of the art in the church will be a bright of the ceremony. Venetian mosaic of stone, tile, and glass St. Michael’s Abbey is located at depicting our Lady of the Assumption 27977 Silverado Canyon Rd., Silverado. (17 feet tall) on the Triumphal Arch, Weekday and Saturday Masses are held yet to be installed but projected onto at 7 a.m. and Sunday Masses are held the proscenium as an image for the at 7 a.m. (Conventual Mass), 9:45 a.m., dedication. and 11 a.m. C
ANCIENT RELICS
CATHOLIC FAMILY LIFE
CULTIVATING FAITH AFTER CONFIRMATION, WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUNG ADULT CATHOLICS? BY CATHI DOUGLAS
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ARENTS OF ADOLESCENTS and teens know firsthand the frustrations and uncertainty -and struggle -- of raising happy, well-adjusted young adults. Perhaps the most challenging part of parenting our older children is successfully fostering in them a strong Catholic faith. Once we have shepherded our kids through the sacrament of confirmation, what’s next? “Parents must provide guidance for their children to develop a sustaining and ongoing relationship with Jesus and His Church,” states Katie Dawson, director of Parish Faith Formation and Evangelization for the Diocese of Orange. Looking at national statistics that show declining members of active Catholics and an even smaller percentage of young adults who identify as faithful Catholics, Dawson says, it’s apparent that faith isn’t being handed down effectively to the next generation. “We need to step back and look at what’s missing,” Dawson observes. “Our kids are emerging into adulthood without recognizing their need for God as their loving father and the saving grace of Jesus in their lives. “The critical task for parents and parish faith formation leaders is to offer evidence for the reality that is not always visible -- to provide recognition of Jesus’s presence in our lives.”
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Merely attending Sunday Mass isn’t enough to cultivate our own faith, much less our children’s faith, Dawson notes. Instead, parents must recognize the importance of inviting children to the intentional heart of the story of Jesus and practicing a loving, ongoing relationship with Him. Many of us compartmentalize the Church instead of letting it be the very foundation of our lives. One effective way to inspire older children is to routinely share faith experiences, both difficult and inspiring, with them, says Catherine Ord, diocesan coordinator of Youth Ministry programs. “They feel comfortable sharing when
the subject is discussed often,” Ord notes. Cecilia Phan, the diocese’s coordinator of Young Adult Ministry programs, agrees. “Teens assume that parents believe because that’s what they’ve been taught, and that they never have any trouble with their faith,” Phan says. “If they see their parents struggling with things, they recognize that parents, too, face challenges to their beliefs. “Talking about our own experiences with God and the Church reminds family members that faith doesn’t have to be a perfect story,” she adds. In addition to attending Mass regularly, Phan and Ord say, parents can invite their older children to accompany them to church when the sacrament of reconciliation is available, pray grace before meals, bless each other as they leave the house, and light candles to dedicate to a saint, our Blessed Mother, or Jesus. Setting aside a quiet, comfortable part of the home as a prayer corner, complete
with holy cards, spiritual reading materials, candles, rosaries, Bibles and other religious items promotes prayer as an important part of the family’s day. Another way to help older kids practice their faith is to ensure that they have faith-filled Catholic mentors, such as religious sisters or teachers, confirmation sponsors, relatives or other adults with whom they can share. “We don’t want to force our faith on our older children,” Phan notes. “Rather, we want to offer them a consistent invitation to practicing their faith. We want them to experience it together, to pray together, to be honest about our challenges and our positive faith experiences.” 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.
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DIOCESAN NEWS
IMAGES OF FAITH
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BY MALIE HUDSON
.C. ARTIST TING-TING LEE began taking photos for her “Seeking God” collection shortly after her baptism on Easter Sunday in 2015. She never imagined that her journey would lead to her work being displayed inside Christ Cathedral. “This is a lot of work but the work itself is so important. The process is so important. The result is something I know I needed to show to people. I didn’t know where, but I just felt that this belongs to the Church,” said Lee, who grew up in Taiwan in a non-religious household. In 1977, she came to California as a foreign student with the California Institute of the Arts, where she earned her MFA degree in Graphic Design. She met Tim Barker in college, and they married in 1978. She returned to Taiwan to teach and later moved back to California with her husband and their son, Christopher. For 38 years, the couple has managed their Costa Mesa-based business, Barker and Lee Graphic Design Studio. Lee’s other works, “California Chinatown 1978,” “CHA” and “California Chinatown 1978 & 2008,” were featured in the California Museum of Science and Industry, California Institute of the Arts, America Culture Center (Taipei), Newport Beach Library and Fremont Main Library. Her son’s school project on California missions inspired her appreciation for Catholic churches. She visited the missions in 2009 and completed her “California Missions” series that year (later displayed at Newport Beach Library). Her journey led her to the RCIA program at Sts. Simon and Jude CONTINUES ON PAGE 11
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PART OF LEE’S “SEEKING GOD” PHOTO COLLECTION IS THIS IMAGE TAKEN AT ST. NORBERT CHURCH IN ORANGE. PHOTO COURTESY TING-TING LEE
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DIOCESAN NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
in Huntington Beach in 2013 and eventually her baptism in 2015. It was while reading an issue of OC Catholic that year that sparked an idea to begin another collection, “Seeking God.” “There was a list of 62 churches in O.C. with names and information. I thought this was interesting and it came to me later on that I needed to do a project,” she said. With health issues, caring for family in Taiwan and her mother’s death that year, she said, “I still felt I needed to go to all 62 churches.” She started in June 2015 and completed it in May 2016. “At the time, I didn’t know anyone in the diocese, so I emailed Bishop Vann,” she said. “I wrote that I had this collection and I believe it’s important. I sent the email and didn’t think any more of it. I just felt I did my part and God asked me to do it.” She later received a reply with arrangements for her to meet with Fr. Christopher Smith, rector at Christ Cathedral. “I showed Fr. Christopher the photos and he said, ‘Did you know that we’re going to have the 40th anniversary celebration of the diocese in September (of 2016)?’ I said, ‘No I didn’t know.’ He said, ‘Well your photos are perfect for the exhibition.’ It was so incredible.” Lee donated 25 framed photos to Christ Cathedral then. They are displayed on the sanctuary level in the clergy vesting room and non-clergy vesting room (both located in the narthex) and along the corridor behind the predella (not visible from the sanctuary), Bishop’s vesting room and the bride’s room in the undercroft. She also donated 28 photos of the “California Missions” series. It’s planned for display on the walls of the stairwells going to the south, east and west balconies of the cathedral. C
THIS IMAGE, CAPTURED AT MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, IS ONE OF THE PHOTOS FROM LEE’S MISSION TOUR. PHOTO COURTESY TING-TING LEE M AY 2 3 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C
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GUEST COLUMN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
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reflections in her essay “God and the Child”: “Let us imagine for a while that the world consisted only of adults, because man was born already developed and mature; and because of this could dispense with parents. “The most basic community, the family, which of all natural communities exerts a deeper and more lasting influence on the spirit of man, and which sets itself up both by means of, and because of the child with his many needs, would then have no more reason to exist.” Humans could have been created to start life as full-grown adults: strong, smart and independent. Instead, God designed us as the utter opposite: small, weak and needy. God loves to start small. I believe that matters. As adults, we are called to reorient our lives around the smallest ones in greatest need of our care. For the past two years, I have been training as a catechist in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This approach to faith formation teaches adults the importance of honoring the youngest children’s existing relationship with God. It also invites us to see how God is always working through what looks small: people, places and actions that work toward the com-
ing of the kingdom, no matter how miniscule. Jesus started his earthly life as an embryo. Bethlehem was a tiny town in the backwaters. Our own faith can feel like a mustard seed or a pinch of leaven. But God cares about one wandering sheep, one lost coin and one precious pearl. Look what happens when a single seed falls to the ground and dies, Jesus told his friends. It bears great fruit, bringing forth wild abundance from the humblest beginning. Two microscopic cells once combined to become you. You are one of the grains of sand promised to Abraham, one of billions of stars shown to our ancestor in the night sky thousands of years ago. But together -- children and adults -- we become bright lights in the darkness, each of us part of God’s kingdom. If you feel too small or insignificant to make a difference, fear not. If you long to teach the youngest ones in your life about the vast mysteries of faith, don’t be daunted. This is exactly how God loves to start: small. C Fanucci is a writer, speaker, and author of several books including “Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting.” Her work can be found at laurakellyfanucci.com.
CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
WASHINGTON CARDINAL LEADS WORLDWIDE ROSARY FOR END TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC A WOMAN HOLDS A ROSARY AT THE BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IN WASHINGTON MAY 17, 2021. THE ROSARY, LED BY WASHINGTON CARDINAL WILTON D. GREGORY, WAS PART OF A WORLDWIDE EFFORT CALLED BY POPE FRANCIS TO PRAY FOR AN END TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. PHOTO: ANDREW BIRAJ, CATHOLIC STANDARD / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
BY RICHARD SZCZEPANOWSKI CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory led a recitation of rosary May 17, imploring Mary to “entrust to her Son” all those affected by the pandemic. The rosary took place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington as part of a worldwide prayer effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic. “In communion with the Holy Father following the example of the first Christian communities in this time of great trial, we lift up to the Lord through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, unceasing supplications for the end of the pandemic,” Cardinal Gregory prayed at the start of the rosary. Recitation of the rosary at the national shrine was part of a worldwide marathon of rosaries for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic that was requested by Pope Francis. Each day during May at noon Washington time (6 p.m. at the Vatican) the rosary is prayed from a different Marian shrine around the world. Pope Francis began the rosary marathon May 1 at the Vatican, and will conclude it there May 31. The recitation of the rosary was livestreamed from the national shrine on various Vatican social media platforms. In addition, EWTN and other Catholic media outlets broadcast the prayer service. Several hundred people -- wearing face masks and spaced at social distances throughout the shrine’s Great Upper Church -- attended the event in person. More than 3,000 others from around the world followed via various internet platforms. Other Marian shrines that have participated or will participate in the monthlong global rosary are those locat-
ed in Ireland, Belgium, Algeria, Portugal, India, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Australia, France, Turkey, Cuba, Japan, Canada, Malta, Mexico, Ukraine, Germany, Lebanon and Italy. The overall theme for the worldwide event is “From the entire church an unceasing prayer rises to God,” and comes from the Acts of the Apostles (12:1-12) account of how all members of the church prayed for St. Peter’s miraculous escape from prison. Each of the participating Marian shrines around the world prays the rosary for a specific prayer intention. The rosary at the National Shrine was offered for “all world leaders and for all heads of international organizations.” “We entrust into the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary the people touched by the pandemic and in particular for all world leaders and for the heads of international organizations, that she may entrust them to her Son,” Cardinal Gregory prayed. “May he hear and grant our petitions.” Other intentions during the month include for an end to the pandemic, for all of humanity, for all who have died, for the sick, for pharmacists and other health care workers, for nurses and doctors and for essential workers.
led prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, saying, “In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you ... and seek refuge under your protection.” He asked Mary to “turn your merciful eyes toward us amid this coronavirus pandemic.” “Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew,” he prayed. “Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of At the national shrine, the joyful mys- the sick and the victims be comforted, teries of the rosary -- the Annunciation, and their hearts be opened to confidence the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presenand trust.” tation of the Child Jesus in the Temple Prayers also were offered for “those and the Finding of the Child Jesus in the doctors, nurses, health workers and volTemple -- were prayed. Each decade was unteers who are on the front line of this preceded by a reading of the Scriptures emergency, and are risking their lives to pertaining to that mystery. save others.” Prior to the rosary, candles were lit Prior to departing the national shrine, to “represent the 50 states of our nation Cardinal Gregory prayed the Memorare, and the District of Columbia and (to) a prayer seeking the intercession of Mary, remind all that we have been called to asking her to “despise not my petitions, pray for the end of the pandemic, and but in thy mercy hear and answer me.” in particular at this shrine for all world This was the third time the national leaders and for the heads of international shrine has participated in an internaorganizations,” said Msgr. Walter Rossi, tional prayer effort to halt the pandemic. rector of the National Shrine. In addition to the May 17 recitation of “The time of pandemic has deeply the rosary and the rededication of the affected our lives,” Msgr. Rossi said. “In United States to Mary, on May 30 last this month of May, we gather around the year, the rosary was prayed there at the Holy Father, who asks the entire church, same time the pope led the rosary from to raise together with the Blessed Virgin inside the Vatican Gardens in Rome. Mary, Mother of God, supplications for That livestream was broadcast around the end of this trial.” the world. After the recitation of the rosary, As of May 17, Johns Hopkins UniverMsgr. Rossi led people in praying of sity reported that worldwide more than the “Litany of Loreto,” invoking Our 163.1 million people have contracted Lady under her various titles, including the coronavirus, resulting in nearly 3.4 Mother of Hope, Health of the Sick and million deaths. In the United States, Comforter of the Afflicted. about 33 million people have contracted Msgr. Vito Buonanno, the national COVID-19, and nearly 600,000 have shrines director of pilgrimages, also died from it. C M AY 2 3 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C
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CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
U.S. CLIMATE ENVOY SPEAKS AT VATICAN CONFERENCE, WILL MEET POPE FRANCIS BY CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
VATICAN CITY (CNS) —John Kerry, U.S. President Joe Biden’s special envoy for climate, gave a keynote address at a closed-door meeting of the Pontifical Academy for Sciences and the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences at the Vatican May 14. According to the Vatican press office, he also was scheduled to have a private meeting May 15 with Pope Francis. The “concept note” for the pontifical academies’ meeting, “Dreaming of a Better Restart,” described “the current crisis and global state of confusion” as the result of “the globalism of selfishness, exclusion and the throwaway culture. Inequality and hunger are increasing, posing major ethical, economic and political challenges to which both policy makers and civil society must react.” “Extensive changes in international policy and financial architecture are required to address inequality,” it said, and comprehensive plans must be developed to combat climate change and transform the global system of food production and distribution. The first half of the afternoon meeting, which was to be conducted both online and in person at the academies’ headquarters in the Vatican gardens, was to focus on “Debt Relief for Developing Countries and International and Fiscal Architecture.” Janet Yellen, U.S. secretary of the treasury, was part of that discussion online and Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, was to give the keynote address. Finance or economy ministers from Mexico, Germany, Spain, Italy and Argentina also were scheduled to speak. “Many low-income countries lack the resources to pay for vaccines, support
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POPE FRANCIS EXCHANGES GIFTS WITH JOHN KERRY, U.S. SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE, AT THE VATICAN MAY 15, 2021. PHOTO: VATICAN MEDIA / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
households and businesses hurt by the economic crisis, and meet their debt payments. I am concerned about a persistent spike in global poverty and a long-lasting global divergence in prosperity,” Yellen told the meeting, according to a text posted on the Treasury Department website. While progress has been made in suspending “debt service payments for the poorest countries,” she said, “we must do more.” Corporate taxation and climate change are two other priority global issues for the U.S. Treasury Department, Yellen said.
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Currently, there seems to be a “race to the bottom on corporate tax rates,” which may attract businesses to countries but leaves them without “stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods and respond to crises” and creates inequality among citizens as far as sharing the burden of financing government. “We are working with G20 nations to agree to a global minimum corporate tax rate that can stop the race to the bottom,” she said. “Together we can use a global minimum tax to make sure the global economy thrives based on a more level
playing field in the taxation of multinational corporations, and spurs innovation, growth and prosperity.” On the issue of climate, Yellen told the conference, “The cost of inaction is too great.” “We must fuel a clean energy revolution that creates good jobs, achieves justice, reduces emissions and pollution and tackles the climate crisis at home and abroad,” she said. “Simply put, Treasury is focused on mobilizing finance for climate mitigation and climate adaptation and supporting the broader alignment of the financial system with net zero” emissions goals. The second panel, for which Kerry was the keynote speaker, was on “Climate Change and Sustainable and Fair Energy and Food System Transformation,” which the academies said would include a discussion about how “to mobilize public and private sector finance to drive the net-zero transition and to help vulnerable countries cope with climate impacts on their people’s health.” A text of Kerry’s remarks was not immediately available. Kerry was traveling to Rome, London and Berlin, May 13-19 to discuss ways to ramp up action to stem climate change even before world leaders meet in Glasgow, Scotland, in November for COP26, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Meeting with Italian government officials May 13, Kerry said that all countries must begin cutting emissions immediately if they are to have any hope of meeting the goal of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius. “It’s not enough to say, ‘zero emissions by 2050,’” Kerry said, according to ANSA, the Italian news agency. “We must do the things now that will make it possible to arrive at what we need by 2050.” C
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