PILLARS OF SERVICE AND FAITH KATHY LEWIS AND BEATRIZ SOTO LEAVE LASTING LEGACY OF SERVICE AND DEDICATION AT ST. JOACHIM. PAGE6 THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE • SEPTEMBEROCCATHOLIC.COM5,2021 PHOTO: DREW KELLEY LIFETIME LEGACY Special Issue No. 3 The Lifetime Legacy series is sponsored by Gabriel Ferrucci, the first individual honored in this series.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 12 LOVE IN ACTION St. Norbert Church in Orange’s food distribution program provides food for nearly 100 families every week. PLUS Guest Column, Weekly Readings, Moments In Our Journey
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AMID AGHGANISTAN CRISIS, CATHOLIC CHARITIES TO RESTART REFUGEE PROGRAM
COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
In a 2017 interview, Auxiliary Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen told his own harrowing story coming here by sea as a refugee and noted: “Refugees’ lives are filled with a lot of courage and heroic acts.”
BY GREG DIRECTORWALGENBACHOFLIFE,JUSTICE AND PEACE
4 OC CATHOLIC n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 CONTINUES ON PAGE 13 GUEST COLUMN
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AT DIOCESE OF ORANGE
He also encouraged policies to “help refugees and migrants to have the opportunity to live as human beings, as was the case for me.”
Recently, in an encouraging bipartisan effort of solidarity, Supervisor Andrew Do and Supervisor Doug Chaffee held a press conference in Little Sai
time, every parish in Orange County was involved in some way and from 1979 on, tens of thousands of refugees would continue to come as Vietnamese refugees fled their country by sea following the col lapse of the South Vietnamese government. Cath olic Charities of Orange County became a national leader in resettling Vietnamese refugees.
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, nearly half of the 130,000 Vietnamese refugees who resettled in the U.S.A. came through Camp Pendleton on the border of Orange and San Diego counties. At the
S THE HEARTBREAKING crisis contin ues to unfold in Afghanistan, Catholics, other Christians and people of all faiths and goodwill are stepping up to respond with compassion and welcome.
In particular, members of the Vietnamese com munity in the Diocese of Orange have reached out to ask: “How can we help?” Many child refugees from the war in Vietnam and their relatives have expressed interest in helping Afghan refugees in any way they can.
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.
MI 5:1-4A OR ROM 8:28-30; PS 13:6 MT 1:1-16, 18-23 [18-23]
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ODAY’S STORY OF THE CURE OF of a deaf man with a speech impediment is a good example of how much is contained in a simple miracle story. The Greek word mogilalos appears only here in all of the New Testament. It is a technical term referring to someone with a stammer. It is also used only once in the entire Jewish scriptures, in the passage that we read today as our first reading from Isaiah. Clearly, by his choice of this precise word Mark wants us to recognize that what Jesus is doing is the fulfillment of what Isaiah had predict ed centuries earlier. In fact, Mark wants us to recognize that Jesus is the Messiah foretold by Isaiah and the other Jewish prophets of old.
Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 n OC CATHOLIC 5 DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS 1130-1166ROSALIA
Only Jesus has shown us the way. We help each other to find and follow this path.”
MONDAY
TUESDAY
HIS SICILIAN SAINT’S STORY COMES MOSTLY from local tradition. Born to a noble family near Palermo, she left home at 14 to live as a hermit. The cave she lived in has an inscrip tion reading “I, Rosalia, ... have decided to live in this cave for the love of my Lord Jesus Christ.” She later moved to a grotto on Mount Pellegrino, nearer Paler mo. She died there; according to tradition, her remains gradually were buried by limestone deposits from stalagmites. In the 1600s, following two miraculous apparations during a plague epidemic, she was named the patron saint of Palermo.C
THURSDAY
THE MESSIAH FORETOLD
SATURDAY
FRIDAY
SAINT PROFILE
COL 1:24 — 2:3; PS 62:6-7, 9; LK 6:6-11
T
The word ephphatha, “be opened,” used to describe the restoration of the man’s speech, is another example of a subtle allusion to an earlier prophecy. This time the proph ecy in question is from Ezekiel, when he foretells that in the messianic age, “your mouth shall be opened to speak” (24:26). The sophistication of Mark’s narrative is further revealed when we realize that there are multiple levels within a single reference. Mark not only draws our atten tion back to Israel’s prophetic past, he also points to the initiatory practice of his contemporaries by his mention of such things as spittle, touching of ears, and the use of the word ephphatha, all of which were practices incorporated into the early Church’s baptismal ritual.
WEDNESDAY
“
SUNDAY IS MKJASPS50:5-9A;116:1-6,8-9;2:14-18;8:27-35 READINGS FOR THE WEEK PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
COL 2:6-15; PS 145:1B-2, 8-11; LK 6:12-19
COL 3:12-17; PS 150:1B-6; LK 6:27-38
1 TM 1:1-2, 12-14; PS 16:1B-2A, 5, 7-8, 11; LK 6:39-42
- Pope Francis
1 TM 1:15-17; PS 113:1B-7; LK 6:43-49
Lewis and Soto prioritized caring for the sick, grieving and impoverished.
6 OC CATHOLIC n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 FEATURE
“It’s extremely important for parishes to have people like Kathy and Beatriz,” he Althoughadded. their work may sometimes go without recognition and accolades, dedicated lay staff like Lewis and Soto are important support pillars of parish es, priests and pastors.
KATHY LEWIS, LEFT, AND BEATRIZ SOTO HAVE SERVED ST. JOACHIM CHURCH IN COSTA MESA IN VARIOUS ROLES FOR A COMBINED 81 YEARS. PHOTO: DREW KELLEY
“Their kindness and compassion touched me very deeply,” he said.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 7
Lewis and Soto were often there to offer help and words of encouragement when it was needed most.
EV. MARTIN BUI WAS A newly ordained priest at St. Joachim Catholic Church when he first met Kathy Lewis and Beatriz Soto.
“Whenever we had extra food, Beatriz and Kathy would remember Bob, giving him lunch or dinner,” Bui said.
“They would gently remind me of the importance of my work and ministry,” Bui said. “They helped me grow im mensely.”
“She would feed and walk the dog,” Bui said. “It was clear her heart was there with the parish.”
parish front office, asking for food.
It was 2011 and, at the time, Bui was acclimating to his new spiritual home in Costa Mesa. Lewis was a former reli gious education teacher overseeing par ish operations, while Soto, an immigrant from Mexico City who had a successful career in business administration before joining the parish, worked the front desk.The two women had a profound im pact on the new priest.
Bui discovered that Lewis and Soto were vital to daily life at St. Joachim, taking the initiative and doing whatever work was required - even if it fell outside their job descriptions. One day they were preparing liturgies and clean ing vestments, and the next, greeting visitors, maintaining baptismal records, even sweeping floors.
PILLARS OF SERVICE AND FAITH
R
KATHY LEWIS AND BEATRIZ SOTO LEAVE LASTING LEGACY OF SERVICE ST.DEDICATIONANDATJOACHIM
“Kathy and Beatriz are women of deep faith,” he said. “They made me feel at home and very comfortable.”
BY DOUGLAS MORINO
needed it most.
While Bui was serving as parochial vicar at St. Joachim, an unhoused man, Bob, often knocked on the door of the
“ It’s extremely important for parishes to have people like Kathy and Beatriz.”
— Rev. Martin Bui
Together, Lewis and Soto served St. Joachim for a combined 81 years,
overseeing many of the day-to-day-op erations while providing essential support to clergy as they ministered to the diverse and close-knit Catholic community. The two women recently retired from their roles, leaving a vibrant legacy of hard work, dedicated service and giving back — often to those who
“They did what needed to be done,” BuiLewissaid. even took care of Monk, a chi huahua belonging to the parish’s pastor.
“There’s a joy you get in being able to walk with a family during the most diffi cult time of their life,” Lewis said. “It was an honor to be with them.”
century bishop who once saved the life of a boy choking on a fish bone — for the Blessing of the Throats, held each Febru ary 3. After being blessed by the priest,
Lewis returned home — and soon started feeling better. She quickly recovered.
A year later the call became too loud to ignore. While visiting Bishop Gibbons High School in North Tonawanda, New York, with her parents and two broth ers, Frank Jr. and Patrick, Lewis felt the presence of God.
A family was mourning the loss of their child, a little girl. Overcome with grief, the father was angry, distant and unwilling to participate in the funeral planning.“Hewas terribly hurt,” Lewis said. “He didn’t understand why God had taken a second child from him.”
“From the moment we entered the school, I knew I wanted to be there,” she said. “Nothing was going to stop me.”
When she returned to the home a sec ond time on the day of the girl’s funeral, the father opened the front door, greeting Lewis with a hug.
“ Everyone of us as baptized Catholics has been given a calling. It’s up to us to recognize that calling.”
Her faith grew strong. When Lewis was 11, she battled a severe case of strep throat. Her temperature soared to 104 degrees. Her worried parents summoned
She spent her childhood in upstate New York, where she attended Mass each Sunday with her parents — Frank, a cameraman for NBC News, and Arlene, a devoted mother who wasn’t baptized un til later in her life but always understood the beauty of faith.
— Kathy Lewis
“I never had strep throat or throat problems after that,” Lewis said. “I had been cured.”
KATHY LEWIS, AS KATHY KING, AND HER FAMILY WERE ACTIVE IN THEIR LOCAL PARISH OF ST. JOSEPH’S IN HOLLAND, NEW YORK IN THE 1960S AND ’70S. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHY LEWIS
Lewis visited the family at their home and took a seat at the dining room table. She waited patiently as the father vented his“Beforeanger. I knew it, he was sitting at the table across from me,” Lewis said. “I knew we had common ground.”
And it was on those Sunday mornings, sitting next to her parents in a pew at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo, when Lewis began to sense the presence of God.“There was something about being there in the sanctuary that was very spe cial,” Lewis said.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 8
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 n OC CATHOLIC 7 FEATURE
Kathy Lewis had just started a new role leading the bereavement ministry at St. Joachim when she received a phone call asking for help planning a funeral.
the doctor to their house. Still, the infec tionHerpersisted.parents took her to Mass on the Feast Day of St. Blaise — the fourth
Lewis wanted to share her faith with others. She later enrolled in the school and formed a close relationship with a nun who nurtured her interest in reli giousLewiseducation.beganteaching religious edu cation courses at her local parish when she was 16. Her interest in teaching others the beauty of the Catholic faith quickly turned into a passion.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE KATHY LEWIS
When she was a high school senior, her family moved 40 miles away to Hol land, New York. Shortly after arriving, she began a religious education program at her new local parish. Her program soon began to flourish. She saw her passion for teaching others as a gift from God.“Everyone of us as baptized Catholics has been given a calling,” she said. “It’s up to us to recognize that calling.”
When she was 25, she moved to Southern California with her husband Ken, eventually settling in Costa Mesa. In the summer of 1977, while reading a bulletin after Mass at St. Joachim, she saw an ad asking for volunteer catechists to teach fourth grade religious education classes. It would be her first role at the parish where she’d spend the next four decades.After a few years teaching, Lewis was promoted to secretary for religious education and, later, wedding coordina
For Lewis, comforting the afflicted and helping those in need was a hallmark of her work at St. Joachim. It was a call ing she discovered early in life.
“I wanted to make a difference in the lives of kids,” she said. “I knew teaching would be there with me forever.”
6
Because she served several important roles at the parish, Lewis became a trust ed advisor to priests.
“I was never afraid of death,” she said. “I just felt it was a pathway to God.”
“My husband and I became closer to each other. Our marriage and commitment to each other grew immensely because we were suffering together.”
Hanifin was ordained in 1987, Kathy helped him plan the liturgy for his first “WhateverMass.needed to be done at the parish, she would take care of it,” he said.
In October, the day after her daugh
“ I asked the Lord to work me hard and he opened doors that were wonderful.”
— Kathy Lewis
“She was a stable presence at St. Joa chim, both as a lay volunteer and, later, as an employee,” said Rev. Mike Hani fin, pastor at St. Joachim, who first met Lewis there in 1978 when he was a youth minister.Lewis discovered her love of liturgy through her work at the parish. She led liturgical planning for major feast days, including Holy Week, Easter and Christmas.“Themore I did it, the more I loved it,” she said. “I asked the Lord to work me hard and he opened doors that were wonderful.”AfterRev.
Her 26-year-old daughter, Beth Anne, passed away in 2009 – an event that deepened her connection to her faith and her own “Nothingfamily.could have prepared me for it,” Lewis said. “I couldn’t have gone where I went spiritually without the death of my child. God lifts you up he’ll get you through anything.”
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
“My role at the parish evolved,” she said. “I tend to get bored easily, so I didn’t want to do just faith formation.”
tor. In 1989, she was hired on full-time as Director of Religious Education.
“My focus went to pastoral care,” she said. “Working with families and people who were dying brought me closer to God.”She knows grief well. Her father, Frank, died when she was 18.
ter died, Lewis remembered opening her Bible and reading Isaiah 43. When you pass through the waters, I
She recently celebrated her 51st wedding anniversary with her husband, Ken. They plan to spend more time together.“Mywork has been very time consum ing and taken a lot of my time away from him,” she said. “We want to enjoy our timeStill,together.”sheremains connected to the parish she loves. She’s helping plan the parish’s 75th anniversary celebration next year and serves as a eucharistic minister and
“I want to be in God’s presence, and when I’m working with people, I’m in the presence of God,” she said. “Just because you retire, it doesn’t mean your work is done. You never retire from God until you meet him face-to-face.”
8 OC CATHOLIC n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 FEATURE CONTINUES ON PAGE 9
Later, her focus turned to helping those most in need. Overseeing the parish’s bereavement ministry, she helped families struggling with grief plan funer als for their loved ones.
will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
Lewis said that although she may be officially retired, her heart remains with St. Joachim and its Catholic community.
For Lewis, Beth Anne’s death began a period of spiritual renewal and personal growth.“Ireceived huge gifts for having gone through that pain,” said Lewis, who has two other daughters, Anne and Kristina.
“She’slector.still involved and committed to the parish,” Hanifin said. “She’s just a phone call away.”
KATHY LEWIS HAS WORKED AT ST. JOACHIM IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, ASSISTING WITH LITURGY AND BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY, AMONG OTHER ROLES. PHOTO: DREW KELLEY
“People told me they watched how I went through my daughter’s death and were inspired,” Lewis added. “She is with meAftertoday.”her daughter’s death, Lewis returned to work at St. Joachim with renewed focus and purpose. She recently retired in July after 44 years of serving the“Nothingparish. is impossible with God,” Lewis said. “There’s nothing in this world that you can’t get through without the Lord with you.”
Soto attended an all-girls Catholic high school, even though her parents were agnostic. Her mother understood the value of a faith-based education and the importance of spirituality in her children’s lives.
“I learned how to buy and sell stocks and bonds, pay bills and do taxes,” she said. “It turned out to be really exciting and really busy.”
PHOTO: DREW KELLEY
“My parents were wonderful,” she said. “They believed in education.”
“My family wasn’t religious,” she said. “But my mom made sure we went to church, even though she wouldn’t go herself. Both my parents were very wonderful people, kind and devoted to
— Beatriz Soto
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 n OC CATHOLIC 9 FEATURE
Beatriz Soto left her home in Mexico City for an unknown future in the U.S. when she was 19 years old. She planned to stay briefly to learn English, then return to her parents and three younger sisters.God had a different plan.
“I was supposed to visit to improve my English, but I ended up staying,” she said. “In those days it was easy to get a permanent visa — all you needed was a birth certificate and pay a small fee.”
But she made friends fast and per formed her job well. After a year, she was promoted to help oversee exports and international shipping. With a love of math, she began to develop a talent for business strategy and financial man agement.“Ilove to deal with numbers and money — growing up I always had a peso or two,” she said. “It was a matter of livelihood.”After17years, she left the compa ny to work for the firm’s chairman of the board, Thomas G. Myers, who had started exporting motors across the globe from his office in Newport Beach. As his new business boomed, she worked behind the scenes, overseeing every aspect of administration — from recording keeping and accounting to sales and investing.
co, Soto worked at a company that did business with an American firm based in Watts that manufactured electric
“ The Church has been very good to me. Being a part of St. Joachim was a wonderful experience I will always cherish.”
us beyond measure. They were entirely dedicated to our family.”
They became like family, taking weekend trips to Catalina and travel ling together across California. After 10
The foundation for a strong work ethic and deep faith was set when she was young. Soto vividly remembers her childhood in Mexico City — good schools where she learned English, clas sical music concerts where she kindled a love of Mozart, Sunday afternoons roaming museums and relaxing in Cha pultepec Park with her family.
BEATRIZ SOTO HAS SERVED ST. JOACHIM FOR 38 YEARS, MAINLY AS PARISH MANAGER.
FROM
motors. After meeting one of the firm’s representatives in Mexico, she decided to visit the U.S. — making the journey alone by train, first to El Paso, Texas, and then to Los Angeles. She arrived at Union Station on a dark January night.
“I told them my English is limited and I asked for a job in an area where I didn’t have to talk a lot,” she said.
After finishing high school in Mexi
BEATRIZ SOTO
“I’ve always been adventurous,” she said. “I figured I’d only go for three months — but those three months went veryAfterfast.”making her way to Los Ange les, she quickly started working and began settling into her new home. And after a successful decades-long career in administration, she went to work at St. Joachim, where she recently retired after 38 years serving the parish. Much of that time was spent behind the front desk where, as parish secretary and manager, she greeted visitors, assist ed those in need and oversaw many administrative duties, including record keeping.“TheChurch has been very good to me,” Soto said. “Being a part of St. Joa chim was a wonderful experience I will always cherish.”
8 CONTINUES ON PAGE 10
She found a place to live near Grif fith Park and learned the city’s sprawl ing public transportation system. A day after her arrival, she reported for duty at U.S. Electrical Motors on Slauson Avenue. Since she knew little English, Soto worked in the company’s print room, handling engineering drawings and tucked away from other workers.
CONTINUED PAGE
seasonal schedule for the anointing for the“Shesick.has a great compassion for
She watches what she eats, exercises regularly and reads often — among her favorite books is “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez.
When he returned, Soto help him learn Spanish — an important skill for a priest at a largely Hispanic parish.
“She was an anchor for me at St. Joachim while I was in seminary,” he said. “She always went the extra mile and was always very organized.”
years of working together, Myers passed away after battling pancreatic cancer.
10 OC CATHOLIC n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 FEATURE
“Her help was invaluable,” Hanifin said. “She was always very good to me. I always appreciated her warmth and concern.”Outside of her assigned job duties at the parish, Soto volunteered with the parish’s cancer ministry and created a
“I thoroughly enjoyed working there, whether it was mopping the floor or working with accounting books,” she said. “I’ve always believed the effort should be the same, no matter the job — always do the best you can.”
fessional world were a great asset for the parish, said Rev. Bui, who worked alongside Soto when he was a priest at St.
“ I believe everything we do is guided by God’s will. We have to be grateful for whatever God decides for us. There’s a reason for everything. ”
people, especially those with cancer,” HanifinSoto’ssaid.years of experience in the pro
“I believe everything we do is guided by God’s will,” she said. “We have to be grateful for whatever God decides for us. There’s a reason for everything.”
“I like new adventures,” she said.
ST. JOACHIM PARISH CELEBRATES THE OCCASION OF FR. DOUG COOK BEING NAMED A MONSIGNOR. FROM LEFT, KATHY LEWIS, BEATRIZ SOTO, PARISHIONER MARY LOUIS BOLTER, MSGR. DOUG COOK. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHY LEWIS
While attending Mass six months later at St. Joachim, the pastor an nounced a job opening for a parish sec retary. Soto took the opportunity, and her role expanded into administration and management, including maintain ing the parish’s wedding, confirmation and baptismal records. She built a rep utation of reliability and professional ism for her initiative, attention to detail and focused work.
“He treated me like his daughter,” Soto said. “When he died it was like I lost my father all over again.”
Today, Soto is 87 and enjoys an active life near the ocean in Newport Beach, living in the same house she’s called home for 43 years. She spends her spare time visiting with friends, attending concerts and traveling.
But his death signaled the start of a new adventure for Soto, who never married or had children.
“It talks about life as a cycle — we
Like Lewis, Soto became a trusted assistant and advisor to St. Joachim’s priests and pastors. Rev. Hanifin met Soto in 1982, when she was first hired and he was serving as youth minister. After he left to attend seminary, Soto would call him with the latest news from the parish.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 9
“WhateverJoachim. we asked of her, she knew the answers,” Bui said. “She is very kind, professional and organized.”
— Beatriz Soto
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 n OC CATHOLIC 11 FEATURE
BISHOP KEVIN VANN CELEBRATES A RETIREMENT MASS IN HONOR OF KATHY LEWIS AND BEATRICE SOTO AT ST. JOACHIM CHURCH IN JUNE. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE
“When I pray, I give thanks for ev erything I have been given,” Soto said. “I hope I can use the remainder of my life in a positive way and help as many people as I can.” C
BENEMERENTIBEATRIZKATHYMACDONALDLEWISANDSOTORECEIVEMEDALS,
AN HONOR BESTOWED BY THE POPE ON CLERGY AND LAY PERSONS FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE MACDONALD
She gives back to St. Joachim and continues to volunteer with the can cer ministry. She also supports Mercy House, the Orange County non-profit providing homeless services started by former St. Joachim pastor, Fr. Jerome T. Karcher.Andher faith remains strong.
are born, we grow and we die,” she said. “But someone will always follow. His prose is beautifully written.”
CONTINUED
FROM PAGE 10
IFE HAS BEEN DIFFICULT for Andrea Turner. In the last few years, she’s moved from one friend’s house to another. That is, when she wasn’t homeless.
MANY OF THE YOUNGER VOLUNTEERS INCLUDE CURRENT STUDENTS AND ALUMNI FROM ST. NORBERT SCHOOL. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. NORBERT CHURCH.
An urgent call for help ensued and campus ministries at Servite and Rosary responded. Dozens of students, and even some of their parents, continue to sign
ST.
lies every week—milk, eggs, dried foods, frozen meat and hundreds of loaves of bread. A grant covers the cost of fresh vegetables from Ingardia Brothers Produce, and once a month, families can pick up diapers.
help with a lot of people,” Erdkamp said.
Thirty-five years ago, volunteer Bob Cebula dropped off his two sons at St. Norbert to earn service hours for Con firmation. He has returned almost every week since.
Asked how word got out, Cebula smiled and said, “People just knew.”
In February, the parish announced food distribution would return. That first weekend, about 30 families showed up. The numbers steadily rose, but volunteers started to wane when summer hit.
At the center of the program is Michelle Navarro, who coordinates donations from Second Harvest Food Bank, Mary’s Kitchen, Ralphs, La Reina Markets and OC Bakery. She’s able to secure enough food for nearly 100 fami
“Volunteersup. are returning, and the families are so grateful and thankful,” Navarro said. “They can’t see us smiling with our masks on, but we are.”C
The weekly rotation of 30-plus volunteers includes a constant group of longtime parishioners, including Elsa Erdkamp, who shows up at 8 a.m. to help set out tables and chairs before joining her friends—ages 65 to 85—sort ing corn tortillas and bags of rice and beans in addition to filling treat bags with snacks from the parish communi ty for the kids who pass through. She’s been working with Christian Service for more than 40 years.
L
Erdkamp knows what it’s like to have nothing and need everything. She immi grated from Peru 60 years ago and has been thankful for her life here, choosing to give back by feeding the homeless at various churches and shelters.
12 OC CATHOLIC n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 DIOCESAN NEWS
“There’s been times when I wasn’t able to survive financially, moments I lost money living on the streets,” Turner said. “I didn’t know where I was going to get a meal, I couldn’t afford to go shopping.”Inrecent months, Turner found peace of mind and as much food as she could carry on her bicycle, behind the gym at St. Norbert Catholic Church in Orange.Every Saturday, the steady stream of cars grows longer. Grandparents, single mothers, two-family households and more receive a week’s worth of food courtesy of the church’s food distribu tion program administered through its Christian Service ministry. Families share photos of their grandchildren, talk about struggles with a sickly parent and other personal challenges in their lives.
BY CATHERINE RISLING
LOVE ACTIONIN
ANDEVERYOFWITHSTRUGGLINGCONTINUESCATHOLICNORBERTCHURCHTOBLESSFAMILIESATRUNKLOADGROCERYITEMSWEEK—AWARMSMILE
“This church is a special place, they
In fact, when the pandemic hit last spring, the church furloughed most of its staff and shut down food distribution— at least officially. Cebula and a few oth ers continued to pick up donations from Ralphs and cobble together whatever else they could get donated. On Satur
days, they’d fill about 40 paper bags and leave them on the steps of the gym.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 n OC CATHOLIC 13 GUEST COLUMN
More ways to help will be announced as the situation unfolds; in the meantime:
n Donations to emergency efforts serving those who remain in Afghan istan can be made to Catholic Relief Services: https://www.crs.org/
n Assistance for Afghans Toolkit from Catholic Legal Immigration Net work, Inc. (CLINIC): gal.org/toolkits/assistance-afghanshttps://clinicle C
Additionally and foundationally, in addition to crucial material support, the Catholic Church asks for your prayers.
n Donations can be made to Catholic Charities USA for their refugee resettle ment efforts: ritiesusa.org/https://www.catholiccha-
Bishop Vann is calling Catholics to join Pope Francis and the global church in prayer and fasting for all in Afghan
Nationwide, the infrastructure for refugee resettlement was decimated in recent years and agencies are working to rebuild. Catholic advocates are continu ing their push for a larger cap to the number of refugees permitted to come into the country this year.
Bishop Kevin W. Vann and Ellen Roy, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Orange County, have begun plans to restart the local Refugee Resettlement Program of Catholic Charities.
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n Afghanistan Evacuation Resource Page at Justice for Immigrants Cam paign: org/afghanistan/https://justiceforimmigrants.
gon to call for welcome, kindness and commitment to basic human dignity in Orange County’s response to Afghan refugees.Although the four bases currently receiving Afghan refugees in the U.S. presently are not in Southern Califor nia, OC organizations such as Access California Services and World Relief Southern California are working with some Afghan families who have already come into the area on Special Immi grant Visas (SIVs). More with SIVs and other asylees – though no one can know how many – are on the way this fall and agencies are preparing to aid, especially with housing assistance and other basic needs.
istan and for incoming refugee neigh bors. He is grateful for the compassion evident in so many hearts to serve in theseOneefforts.upcoming opportunity to pray is the Mass in Recognition of All Immi grants to be held Sunday, Sept. 19, at 3:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Ange les. Presided by Archbishop Jose H. Go mez, the annual celebration is organized in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the dioceses of Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego, and focuses on solidarity with our migrant sisters and brothers, particularly in this moment with Afghan refugees.
“I ask everyone to continue to help the needy and to pray that dialogue and solidarity may lead to the establishment of a peaceful and fraternal coexistence and offer hope for the country’s future,” he said, after praying the Angelus with visitors in St. Peter’s Square Aug. 29.
women and children.
BY CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
“In historic moments like this one, we cannot remain indifferent; the history of the church teaches us this,” he “Assaid.Christians this situation obli gates us,” he said, launching an appeal to everyone “to intensify your prayer and practice fasting. Prayer and fasting, prayer and penance. This is the mo ment to do so. I am speaking serious ly: intensify your prayer and practice fasting, asking the Lord for mercy and forgiveness.”C
The pope was referring to the Aug. 26 attack when a suicide bomber detonated an explosion among the crowds of people desperate to leave the country at the gate of the Hamid
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He said he had been following the news out of Afghanistan “with great concern.”“Itake part in the suffering of those who are grieving for the persons who lost their lives in the suicide attacks that happened last Thursday and of those who are seeking help and protec tion,” he said.
Karzai International Airport. The blast killed at least 169 civilians and 13 U.S. service members, who were set to withdraw from the country by Aug. 31. Thousands of Afghans were seeking to be evacuated as well. The Islamic State claimed responsibility, saying the suicide bomber was targeting Afghan collaborators with the U.S. army.
The pope said, “I entrust the de ceased to the mercy of almighty God and I thank those who are striving to help” the people who have been through so much, in particular the
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With in creased violence unfolding in Afghani stan, Pope Francis appealed to all Chris tians to fast and intensify their prayers.
AFGHANISTAN: POPE LAUNCHES APPEAL FOR FASTING, PRAYERS FOR GOD’S MERCY
POPE FRANCIS SPEAKS AS HE LEADS THE ANGELUS FROM THE WINDOW OF HIS STUDIO OVERLOOKING ST. PETER’S SQUARE AT THE VATICAN AUG. 29, 2021. THE POPE APPEALED FOR INTENSIFIED PRAYERS AND FASTING FOR THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN. PHOTO: VATICAN MEDIA / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
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—Bradley Zint/Photo Courtesy of the Diocese of Orange
Send your photos that capture Catholic life in your parish community to: editor@occatholic.com
A portion of the proceeds from the festival will benefit Saint Anthony’s newly launched mental health ministry.
On Aug. 20, more than 500 people attended Saint Anthony Mary Claret Catholic Church in Anaheim for its Mariachi Festival, a colorful celebration that included horses, music and family fun.
Moments in our JourneyMoments in our Journey
Applications Available NOW! MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL VISIT MATER DEI! Family Campus Tours & Information Night #1 Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 6:00pm in the MAC www.materdei.org/visitmd Shadow Program www.materdei.org/admissions
