THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY
HARRY CONNICK JR.
The First US Martyr Welcome, Stranger Who Do You Say That I Am? SEPTEMBER 2017 • $3.95 FRANCISCANMEDIA.ORG
WHY I DON’T CALL MYSELF GAY How How II Reclaimed Reclaimed My My Sexual Sexual Reality Reality and and Found Found Peace Peace
“If you read only one book on the subject of same-sex attraction, it should be this one. Yet this luminously truthful book is about so much more, such as humility, magnanimity, true manhood, purity of heart, and the gift of friendship. Superb.”
“I encourage many to read this book which bears witness to the mercy and goodness of God, to the efficacy of His grace, and to the veracity of the teachings of His Church.” —Cardinal Robert Sarah Author, God or Nothing
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“I highly recommend this memoir to pastoral ministers accompanying others in similar circumstances. ” —Cardinal Sean O’Malley
Professor of Philosophy, Univ. of Texas Author, On the Meaning of Sex
“Mattson’s book is honest, generous, wise, and very well written. He passionately argues that no person should be defined by his sexual attractions.” —Janet Smith, Ph.D.
Archbishop of Boston
“The tenderness of God is evident throughout this honest account, and is a powerful reminder for us all! ” —Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Editor, Living the Truth in Love: Pastoral Approaches to Same-Sex Attraction
Archbishop of New York
D
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In this frank memoir, Mattson chronicles his journey to and from a gay identity. Part autobiography, part philosophy of life, and part practical guide, the book draws lessons from Mattson’s fight for inner freedom and integrity, sharing wisdom from his own failures and successes. This book is for anyone who has ever wondered who he is, why he is here, and where God can be found when he suffers. WMGC-P . . . Sewn Softcover, $17.95
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CONTENT S
| SEPTEMBER 2017 | VOLUME 125/NUMBER 4
28 All In with Harry Connick Jr.
ON THE COVER
This world-famous actor and musician has a driving force: his Catholic faith. By Rose Pacatte, FSP
Harry Connick Jr. expresses his Catholic faith through love of family and helping those around him. Photo courtesy of Wilkins Management
28 F E AT U R E S
D E PA R T M E N T S
14 Blessed Stanley Rother
2 Dear Reader
This Oklahoma priest’s September 23 beatification is a testament to his legacy as peacemaker and martyr. By María Ruiz Scaperlanda
3 From Our Readers 4 Followers of St. Francis Amanda Ceraldi
6 Reel Time
20 The Seven Sorrows of Mary We can turn to Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, for consolation in our suffering. By Jeanette Martino Land
Detroit
14
Gone
10 Church in the News
34 No Longer Strangers
25 At Home on Earth
Our US bishops are united in their efforts to support and protect our growing immigrant population. By Peter Feuerherd Photos by Nancy Wiechec
What Is Truth?
26 Editorial Greater Love
41 Catholic Sites to Explore
42 Who Do You Say That I Am? Jesus asks this of all his disciples. How do we respond? By Richard B. Patterson, PhD
8 Channel Surfing
20
St. Mary of the Annunciation Church
50 Ask a Franciscan Handling Post-Abortion Guilt
46 Fiction: Beginnings First a stroke, then a rehab center—then came her silver lining. By Kathleen O’Connor
52 Book Corner Love Let Go
54 A Catholic Mom Speaks A Changing Faith
56 Backstory
34
DEAR READER
Mercy Personified To date, there is only one Franciscan couple to be formally beatified or canonized. Elzear (1286–1323) was canonized in 1360. His wife, Delfina (1283–1358), was beatified in 1694. Elzear came from a noble family in southern France and ruled its estates there and in the kingdom of Naples. After he married Delfina, a noblewoman in southern France, they dedicated themselves completely to the corporal works of mercy. Twelve poor people dined with them each day. A statue of Elzear shows him curing several people suffering from leprosy. Members of Elzear and Delfina’s household were expected to attend daily Mass, confess their sins weekly, and be ready to forgive injuries. In her 35 years as a widow, Delfina was tireless in carrying out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. She is also credited with raising the moral tone of the king of Sicily’s court. Sometimes spouses help one another to grow in holiness; at times they do not. The Church needs to recognize more married couples who do. Elzear and Delfina are buried in Apt, France; their feast is celebrated on September 26.
Publisher Daniel Kroger, OFM President K e l ly M c C racke n Editor in Chief John Feister Art Director M a r y C a t h e r i n e K o z u sk o Franciscan Editor P a t M c C l o sk e y , O F M Managing Editor Daniel Imwalle Assistant Editors S u sa n H i n e s - B r i g g e r K at h l e e n M . C a r r o l l Digital Editor C h r i s t o p h e r H e ff r o n Editorial Assistant Sharon Lape Advertising Director Ray Taylor
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Printing Kingery Printing Co. E ff i n g h a m , IL ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER (ISSN #0036276X) (U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 125, Number 4, is published monthly for $39.00 a year by the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 452026498. Phone 513-241-5615. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional entry offices. U.S. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: St. Anthony Messenger, P.O. Box 189, Congers, NY 10920-0189. CANADA RETURN ADDRESS: c/o AIM, 7289 Torbram Rd., Mississauga, ON, Canada L4T 1G8. To subscribe, write to the above address or call 866-543-6870. Yearly subscription price: $39.00 in the United States; $69.00 in Canada and other countries. Single copy price: $3.95. For change of address, four weeks’ notice is necessary. See FranciscanMedia.org/subscription-services for information on your digital edition. Writer’s guidelines can be found at Franciscan Media.org/writers-guide/. The publishers are not responsible for manuscripts or photos lost or damaged in transit. Names in fiction do not refer to living or dead persons. Member of the Catholic Press Association Published with ecclesiastical approval Copyright ©2017. All rights reserved.
2 | September 2017
S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
FROM OUR READERS Not to Be Disregarded I’m writing regarding Father Roger Karban’s article in the July issue of St. Anthony Messenger, “The Bible and Beyond.” On p. 40, Father Karban writes, “Disregarding what biblical experts have discovered in the last 150 years about the creation and collecting of our sacred writings, we’ve been taught to zero in on these unique past writings as the only example of God’s revelation, often at the cost of ignoring God’s revelation in our own lives.” This seems to me to ignore some major beliefs that were circulating in the second and third centuries. The Ebionites, the Marcions, and the wide set of ancient beliefs under the term gnosticism certainly have a bearing on what people of their time believed about God and Jesus. The discovery of gnostic documents in 1945 in Egypt cast some light on the
What’s on Your Mind? Letters that are published do not necessarily represent the views of the Franciscan friars or the editors. We do not publish libel. Please include your name and postal address. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Mail Letters, St. Anthony Messenger 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 Fax (513) 241-0399
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way their writings and beliefs were treated as the canon was organized and finally approved. Some alternative views had reasonable arguments to support their perspectives. In short, to simply disregard some of the beliefs of the early Christians—with their variety of beliefs and practices—is at odds with what Father Karban wrote in his closing remarks, that “the Holy Spirit is just as much at work in God’s people today as it was over 2,000 years ago. . . .” As we ponder Father Karban’s question as he closed his article (“What things help you understand your faith?”), let’s remember that Jesus did not identify himself as Catholic or Christian. John E. Buehler Albuquerque, New Mexico
Faith Enriched by the Arts I absolutely loved Father Karban’s article, “The Bible and Beyond,” in the July issue. There are so many avenues through the arts that help me connect with my faith. Here are a few: • Plays: Les Misérables, The Miracle Worker, and Beauty and the Beast • Movies: It’s a Wonderful Life, Forrest Gump, Seabiscuit, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy • Books: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Charlotte’s Web, A Wrinkle in Time, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, and the Harry Potter series • Songs: “You Are Mine,” by David Haas, and “What a Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong There are so many more I could add, but these are my favorites! By profession, I am a children’s librarian. There is a plethora of children’s
literature that is of such high quality that many adults are missing out by not reading it! Coleen Caulfield Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
Fiction a Disservice to Catholic Values One of the features of St. Anthony Messenger that I have valued most during my many years as a subscriber is the monthly fiction short story. For the first time that I can recall, I am deeply disappointed by a story that you chose to print in this leading Catholic publication. Kerry Sloan’s story in the June issue, “Ashes to Ashes,” does not seem to highlight any of the values that the Catholic faith encourages among its followers—your readers. The storyline focused on anger, pettiness, lying, and deception. The story manages to cast aspersions on marriage, sharing that the deceased character fairly easily left one marriage to find another spouse, then did that again, and only stayed in his third marriage because of a lack of energy to leave. Then to have the ashes of a cat substituted for the ashes of a person makes a mockery of the respect with which we are taught by our faith to treat the human form. You did your readers and our Catholic faith a grave disservice by choosing to publish this story. I hope this was a one-time aberration for your staff and the magazine. Michael Schwandt Reston, Virginia Corrections: In our July issue, on p. 10, the photo caption should have noted Pope Francis giving President Donald Trump a copy of “Laudato Si’,” rather than the president giving the pope Dr. King’s writings (that happened a moment earlier). On p. 2, King Denis’ death was in 1325, not 1235. SEPTEMBER 2017 | 3
F O L LO W E R S O F S T. F R A N C I S
The Privilege of Presence
A Amanda Ceraldi
manda Ceraldi just fell in love with her faith. She thinks of her early life as that of a typical Marylander, always close to her family, her parish, and her faith. She majored in theology at the Catholic University of America. “When I got involved in campus ministry, which was run by the Franciscans, I started developing a deeper understanding of and affection for Francis,” she says. “He had a way of making all people feel welcome, and that continues today with the work of the Franciscans.” After graduation, Ceraldi was looking for a long-term service program when she discovered Franciscan Mission Service. “I immediately fell in love. The idea of the ministry of presence was one of the best ideas I’d ever encountered, and their emphasis on living simply among the poor and walking alongside people really spoke to me. They also had a component of spiritual practice that seemed like a perfect fit.” After an intense, three-month formation program and discernment process, Ceraldi was open to any assignment. “Wherever
Learn more about Catholic saints and their feast days by going to
STORIES FROM OUR READERS
SaintoftheDay.org.
St. Anthony, Find Me a . . . Husband?
© RFOXPHOTO/FOTOSEARCH
4 | September 2017
God was calling me is where I wanted to go. Gradually, I began to feel the call to work with children, and so, in January of 2015, I landed in Guatemala—with 215 children at a Franciscan boarding school.” Ceraldi didn’t speak a word of Spanish, and learning the language has been “a constant challenge, but it gives me a deeper connection with the people I serve.” Her days are busy. She teaches English to four classes, and after school helps with tutoring, homework, and spiritual formation. She volunteers in the Guatemala City dump to help care for babies whose families live there. She also works with another school, Mano Amiga, and their outreach to families in need. And, about 10 times a year, she helps short-term mission groups learn about the school, the students, and the privilege of service. The hard work doesn’t bother her. What does is worrying about the children who leave school or who have to go back to abusive homes and violent communities during school breaks. “The relationships I’ve made here are very deep,” she says.
When I was in my late teens, I knew a young man named Tony, named for Anthony of Padua. We enjoyed each other’s company and tried to keep in touch, but with all the moves of young adulthood we lost touch and lost each other. Many years later, I was working on my dissertation, which had an emphasis on Franciscan theology, so I would regularly pray to St. Anthony to help me finish. When sorting through some old items, I dug out all my old letters and found Tony’s name and wondered what became of him. I found him online, and what was not obvious at 19 became obvious at 43. We were married within two years, long-distance relationship and all. Our wedding was just before my successful dissertation defense. So St. Anthony was working behind the scenes, not only with my PhD but also to bring me back the Anthony that I had once lost. —V.M. Petrick, France S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
S T. A N T H O N Y O F PA D U A
Many Miracles
On the day that Anthony was buried in Padua, people suffering from many different illnesses were brought to his tomb and healed there. So many crowded around to touch his coffin that others had to remain in the church’s piazza. Blind people regained their sight; the ears of the deaf were opened; those who had previously limped did so no longer. Still others regained their speech. Paralyzed limbs were cured, and fevers were banished. People from all over the world experienced these healings. –P.M.
FRANK JASPER, OFM
“Many of the kids think of me as an older sister. Some even call me Mom. So it’s hard not knowing where they’re going next or if I’ll ever see them again. I just have to trust God that the formation they receive here will help them stay safe and do what they need to do in life.” Most of the children come from abusive households. “They endure physical, sexual, or emotional abuse every day. It is the norm. It affects 75 to 80 percent of our students.” While recognizing the challenges her students face, Ceraldi is clear about her mission. “I am not called to fix those problems, but to listen to their stories and to love and care for them. “It is a privilege to enter into someone’s life when they are vulnerable to you. There is so much grace in that. These children have had many people walk in and out of their lives, and it is important for them to know that someone cares about them just because they exist,” she says. “It’s a really tough job, but I’m grateful I get to be a part of it.” —Kathleen M. Carroll
Learn more about Catholic saints and their feast days by going to SaintoftheDay.org.
S T. A N T H O N Y B R E A D
FranciscanMedia.org
FRANK JASPER, OFM
The National Shrine of St. Anthony is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Consecrated in 1889, it includes a first-class relic of St. Anthony and serves as a center for daily prayer and contemplation. The Franciscan friars minister from the shrine. To help them in their work among the poor, you may send a monetary offering called St. Anthony Bread. Make checks or money orders payable to “Franciscans” and mail to the address below. Every Tuesday, a Mass is offered for benefactors and petitioners at the shrine. To seek St. Anthony’s intercession, mail your petition to the address below. Petitions are taken to the shrine each week. To post your petition online, please visit stanthony.org, where you can also request to have a candle lit or a Mass offered; or you may make a donation to the Franciscans or sign up to receive a novena booklet.
Send all postal communication to: St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498
September 2017 | 5
REEL TIME
| W I T H S I S T E R R O S E PA C AT T E , F S P
Detroit
Sister Rose’s
FRANÇOIS DUHAMEL/EPK.TV
FAVORITE
about
FILMS ART & ARTISTS The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003) Francofonia (2015) Woman in Gold (2015) My Left Foot (1989)
6 | September 2017
Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow’s latest, Detroit, takes an unflinching look at the city’s riots of 1967. On July 23, 1967, what would become known as the “12th Street Riot” erupts in Detroit, Michigan, when police raid an unlicensed bar in the early morning hours. The angry cops treat the black patrons like criminals and herd them outside. A crowd gathers, a store window is smashed, and an uprising is born from years of mistreatment by police, housing segregation, and a lack of jobs, opportunities, and education. Five days later, 43 people are dead and 1,189 people are injured. Cut to the Algiers Motel on the periphery of the violence, where Larry Reed (Algee Smith), the young lead singer of a new musical group called The Dramatics, rents a room for the night. The group was prepared to perform after Martha and the Vandellas, when the concert is canceled because of rioting. As they hang out with other young black teens and two white girls, a 17-year-old shoots caps from a toy gun at the National
Guard 300 feet away. Suddenly, three Detroit policemen, a National Guardsman, and Melvin Dismukes, a local store security guard, descend on the motel room. Led by Officer Krauss (Will Poulter), the cops begin a night of terror while Dismukes, who is trying to defuse the situation, becomes a scapegoat for the carnage perpetrated by cops. Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow’s latest reality-based film uses the Detroit riots as a backdrop and focuses on events at the motel. In this film, written by Mark Boal, she makes this historical event in a decade of racial unrest deeply relevant today. The ensemble acting is superb. The camera work and editing make the audience feel the terror of those five days in July over 50 years ago. The only negative is that the trial of the police and Dismukes at the end feels tacked on. Not yet rated, R • Language, racial violence, police brutality, peril.
S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
AUTUMN LIN PHOTOGRAPHY/MAGNOLIA PICTURES
Whose Streets? profiles the evolution of Black Lives Matter in the wake of Michael Brown’s killing in 2014.
Whose Streets?
Maudie
As the credits rolled at the end of this biopic of the Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis (1903–1970), I felt certain I had just watched one of the best films so far this year. The film opens with 34-year-old Maud (Sally Hawkins), nearly crippled from rheumatoid arthritis, learning that her miserly brother, Charles (Zachary Bennett), has just FranciscanMedia.org
DUNCAN DEYOUNG/ MONGREL MEDIA
Set in five parts and framed by quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. to Maya Angelou, Whose Streets? is a powerful, gritty documentary about the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9, 2014, and the civil unrest and protests that followed. It both horrifies and inspires as the citizens of Ferguson—and those who were a part of the demonstrations—push back against institutionalized racism of the police by the US Justice Department. The Ferguson uprising started the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Whose Streets? does not pretend to be objective or chronological. It seeks to reveal the heart and persistence of a people who will not be silenced in the face of another police shooting of an unarmed person of color. Filmmakers Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis were there. They “know this story because they are the story.” Not yet rated • Racial violence, police brutality, military and war violence, language.
sold the family home, leaving Maud at the mercy of her overbearing Aunt Ida (Gabrielle Rose). At the general store in their rural Nova Scotia town, Maud sees a notice for a housekeeper posted by a local fisherman, Everett (Ethan Hawke). He has a reputation for being surly. She gets the job and must live in his rather ugly two-story shack. Maud finds paint and begins to decorate the shack. She paints what she sees in the world around her in an almost childlike style. She and Everett eventually marry, and no one is more shocked than he when Maud’s paintings begin to sell. Hawkins and Hawke are brilliantly paired in this small, gentle film about an irrepressible woman who brought intelligence, kindness, and her uncomplicated vision of the world to life through art. Director Aisling Walsh handles Sherry White’s script with depth and sensitivity. Not yet rated, PG-13 • Brief sexuality.
Sally Hawkins is on the short list of Oscar hopefuls for her astonishing work in the independent film Maudie.
C AT H O L I C C L A S S I F I C AT I O N S A-1 A-2 A-3 L O
General patronage Adults and adolescents Adults Limited adult audience Morally offensive
■ The Catholic News Service Media Review Office gives these ratings. See usccb.org/movies. ■ For additional film reviews, go to FranciscanMedia.org/movie-review.
September 2017 | 7
13 10 ⁄8 103⁄4 10 ⁄16 7
101⁄2
CHANNEL SURFING
| WITH CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON
Gone
PHOTO FROM INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY
Gone is Investigation Discovery’s powerful new docu-series which closely examines the lives of those who go missing. 8 | September 2017
PHOTO FROM NBC
Mondays, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery “I’m not crazy. I’m just looking for my son,” an anguished mother says into the camera, her eyes reddened with tears. The missing person in question is 17-year-old Christopher Daigle, who disappeared in November 2002 from Missouri City, Texas. How the young man went from a popular high school athlete to a national statistic is the heavy heartbeat of Investigation Discovery’s premiere episode of Gone, one of the most riveting documentary series on television. Sadly, producers have enough material to work with. According to the National Crime Information Center, in 2016, 647,435 missing person records were filed. And in a subtle, almost subliminal style, Gone is seeking to bring some of those stories to the forefront. What this series does so well is amply humanize the individuals who have vanished. Reenactments that involve actors (so often the downfall of shows such as these) are realistic and human, bringing depth and nuance to the narrative. This makes for a visceral television experience for channel surfers. Gone reminds us, through the families’ agonizing testimonies, that emotional pain this intense brims just below the surface.
UP CLOSE
Midnight, Texas Mondays, 10 p.m., NBC Who could forget The Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan’s modern masterpiece about a young boy who communes with the dead? What made that 1999 film so disarmingly effective is what the director withheld from audiences. Often the idea of something is more terrifying than what we actually see—a timetested formula employed often by Roman Polanski (Rosemary’s Baby) and Alfred Hitchcock (Rear Window) throughout their careers. It’s a pity the creators of NBC’s Midnight, Texas didn’t follow suit. The premise is as absurd as it is convoluted. François Arnaud (who deserves a better vehicle, frankly) plays Manfred, a psychic on the run who hides out in the dusty town of Midnight, where he rubs elbows with witches, hit men, biker gangs, and vampires. Haunted by visions and harassed by the spirits of murder victims, Manfred must join forces with members of the town to right these wrongs. A cauldron of mediocrity, Midnight, Texas sells viewers short with implausible storylines, beautiful but poorly conceived characters who look as if they just wandered out of a J.Crew catalog, and lifeless acting. The series works hard to establish a family dynamic with Midnight’s motley crew, but what we’re left with are characters who simply do not resonate. Not appropriate for underage channel surfers, Midnight proves that everything might be bigger in Texas, but that doesn’t make it better.
S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r 101⁄2 103⁄4 1013⁄16 107⁄8
I’ve traveled paths you’ve yet to walk Learned lessons old and new And now this wisdom of my life I’m blessed to share with you Let kindness spread like sunshine Embrace those who are sad Respect their dignity, give them joy And leave them feeling glad Forgive those who might hurt you And though you have your pride Listen closely to their viewpoint Try to see the other side Walk softly when you’re angry Try not to take offense Invoke your sense of humor Laughter’s power is immense! Express what you are feeling Your beliefs you should uphold Don’t shy away from what is right Be courageous and be bold Keep hope right in your pocket It will guide you day by day Take it out when it is needed When it’s near, you’ll find a way Remember friends and family Of which you are a precious part Love deeply and love truly Give freely from your heart The world is far from perfect There’s conflict and there’s strife But you still can make a difference By how you live your life And so I’m very blessed to know The wonders you will do Because you are my granddaughter And I believe in you
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CHURCH IN THE NEWS
| BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER
Father Solanus Casey to Be Beatified
CNS PHOTO
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
A statue of Father Solanus Casey resides at Saint Mary Magdalen Church in Brighton, Michigan. The Capuchin Franciscan priest will be beatified on November 18 in Detroit, Michigan, where he served for years.
Father Solanus Casey spent years serving as a doorkeeper at the St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit. For many he was a counselor.
F
New Path to Sainthood Approved
ather Solanus Casey, a Capuchin Franciscan, will be beatified on November 18 in Detroit, the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph in Detroit announced on June 27. In early May, Pope Francis had announced that the longtime Detroit friar would be elevated to the status of “blessed,” becoming one of only a handful to be honored with such a distinction. Father Solanus, a member of the Detroit-based province and one of the cofounders of the city’s Capuchin Soup Kitchen, died July 31, 1957. He spent years working as the porter, or doorkeeper, of St. Bonaventure Monastery, where he endeared himself to thousands who sought his counsel. Capuchin Franciscan Father Michael Sullivan, provincial minister of the Province of St. Joseph, said, “We are filled with joy at receiving the final date of the beatification of Father Solanus. It is a beautiful way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of 10 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
his passing,” reported Catholic News Service (CNS). Following a review by the Vatican’s Congregation for Saints’ Causes that took place earlier this year, Pope Francis recognized the authenticity of a miracle necessary for the friar to be elevated from the status of venerable to blessed. The miracle involved the healing—unexplained by medicine or science—of a woman with an incurable genetic skin disease. Father Casey himself died of a skin disease. Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron issued a statement saying, “The beatification of Father Solanus will be a tremendous blessing for the whole community of southeast Michigan, an opportunity for all of us to experience the love of Jesus Christ.” The beatification ceremony will take place at Detroit’s Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions NFL football team. The province said that the stadium will be configured so that it can accommodate 60,000 people.
In an apostolic letter released on July 11, Pope Francis approved a fourth pathway to sainthood—giving one’s life in a heroic act of loving service to others—reported CNS. The document, titled “Majorem hac dilectionem,” was given motu proprio (“on his own initiative”) and went into effect the same day of its publication. The letter’s title comes from the Gospel according to St. John: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (15:13). The new norms allow candidates to be considered for sainthood because of the heroic way they freely risked their lives and died prematurely because of “an extreme act of charity.” According to the apostolic letter, any causes for beatification according to the new pathway of “offering S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
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to carry out armed attacks in and around sites holy to Muslims and Jews in a city that is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims,” they said.
Blessed Alojzije Stepinac (left) enters a Zagreb courtroom in 1946. He was convicted of collaborating with the Nazis. Croatian and Serbian experts studying the life of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac have said they were unable to reach a conclusion on questions regarding the controversial martyr’s history. Cardinal Stepinac is a national hero for Croats, but is still considered a highly controversial figure for Serbian Orthodox and some Jewish groups, who have accused him of being a Nazi sympathizer. The commission, which was created at the request of Pope Francis, is made up of representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church in Croatia, and the Vatican.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, was joined by two committee chairs in denouncing the July 14 fatal shooting of two Israeli police officers in Jerusalem’s Old City. “It is a particular desecration of life” would have to meet the following criteria: • Free and willing offer of one’s life and a heroic acceptance, out of love, of a certain and early death; the heroic act of charity and the premature death are connected. • Evidence of having lived out the Christian virtues—at least in an ordinary, and not necessarily heroic, FranciscanMedia.org
Former Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls died on July 5 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Navarro-Valls, who was appointed director of the Vatican Press Office by St. John Paul II in 1984, was the first lay journalist to hold the position.
CNS PHOTO/JOHN THAVIS
An investigation commissioned by the Diocese of Regensburg, Germany, has shown that at least 547 former members of the prestigious Regensburg boys choir were subjected to some form of abuse, according to Vatican Radio. The 440-page report spanned the years between 1945 and the early 1990s and found highly plausible accusations against 49 members of the Church of inflicting the abuse, with nine of them accused of being sexually abusive.
The Vatican Museum has released the documentary My Idea of Art, which presents “the ideal art gallery” of Pope Francis, offering stunning visuals of selected masterpieces in the Vatican’s collections in order to illustrate the pope’s vision for art. The film is based on the book Pope Francis— My Idea of Art (Papa Francesco—La mia idea di Arte), written by Pope Francis with Tiziana Lupi. The documentary is available with subtitles in six languages, and yet-to-beannounced theatrical releases are planned worldwide. The Vatican has also approved plans to submit the film for the Academy Awards’ consideration for 2018.
In 1992, the Vatican Press Office, under the leadership of Joaquin Navarro-Valls, received a $2 million technological face-lift along with much-needed, modernized facilities. For more Cathlic news, visit Franciscan Media.org/ catholic-news.
way—before having offered one’s life to others and until one’s death. • Evidence of a reputation for holiness, at least after death. • A miracle attributed to the candidate’s intercession is needed for beatification. Archbishop Marcello Bartolucci, secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes, wrote in the
Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, that the addition offers “new horizons and opportunities for the edification of the people of God, who, in their saints, see the face of Christ, the presence of God in history, and the exemplary implementation of the Gospel.” The new norms, he wrote, arise from the sainthood congregation S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 11
CNS PHOTO/JEAN GONZALEZ
CNS/COURTESY NANCY JO DAVIS
Participants of the 12th National Black Catholic Congress in Orlando, Florida, celebrate the July 9 closing Mass. Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, urged participants to live beyond divisions.
Sister Patricia Chappell, executive director of Pax Christi USA, speaks at the opening of the 12th National Black Catholic Congress in July.
wanting to look into the question of whether men and women who, “inspired by Christ’s example, freely and willingly offered and sacrificed their life” for others “in a supreme act of charity, which was the direct cause of death,” were worthy of beatification.
in our souls,” the truths of the Gospel set lives free. “That is our anger, but also our source of hope,” he said. “You and I cannot appreciate the good news unless we first face and acknowledge the bad news.” Attendees also heard from Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. In the opening keynote address, Cardinal Turkson focused directly on the theme of the congress taken from the prophet Micah—“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me: Act justly, love goodness and walk humbly with your God.” “When Pope Francis speaks, he doesn’t speak to nations, races, and tribes; he speaks to humanity invited to be disciples of Jesus. And we respond first and foremost to this,” Cardinal Turkson told those in attendance. “For there is no Gospel for Africans. There is no Gospel for Americans. There is no Gospel for Italians or Europeans. There is one Gospel for all of us created in the image and likeness of God we seek to respond to. . . . God’s children all belong together. None are set aside, none should live on the periphery, and none are excluded.”
Trial Begins for Ex-Vatican Officials Accused of Stealing Funds Two former top Vatican hospital officials appeared before a Vatican court on July 18 for a pretrial hearing on allegations of embezzlement, reported CNS. Giuseppe Profiti, who was president of Bambino Gesu hospital from 2008 to 2015, and Massimo Spina, the former treasurer, have been accused of an illicit appropriation and use of funds belonging to the Bambino Gesu Foundation in order to pay Gianantonio Bandera, an Italian contractor, to refurbish an apartment belonging to Vatican City State. The apartment was used as the residence of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, former Vatican secretary of state. The indictment says that Profiti 12 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
and Spina extracted more than 420,000 euros for “completely non-institutional ends” by using the money to refurbish Vatican property in order “to benefit Gianantonio Bandera’s company.” If found guilty, Profiti and Spina could face between three and five years in prison and fines starting at 5,000 euros.
National Black Catholic Congress Takes Place in Orlando More than 2,000 people gathered in Orlando, Florida, July 6–9 for the 12th National Black Catholic Congress, where speakers addressed a variety of topics and concerns facing black communities and families, reported CNS. In his homily at the opening Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, Father Patrick Smith, pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Washington, said that it is important the community talks about its struggles, but it also must talk about the redemptive power of God on the cross. He added that while “racism ultimately leads to death . . . a spiritual suicide
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CNS PHOTO/JEAN GONZALEZ
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Stanley This Oklahoma priest’s September 23 beatification is a testament to his legacy as peacemaker and martyr.
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istory is being made in Oklahoma City this September 23. At 10 a.m. on that Saturday, thousands will fill the city’s Cox Convention Center to witness and celebrate the beatification of Father Stanley Francis Rother. This is only the second beatification to take place on American soil. Father Rother, the first recognized American martyr, is also the first beatified Americanborn man. He was martyred in 1981, speaking up for the dignity of peasant farmers in the village of Santiago Atitilán, during Guatemala’s bloody civil war. That’s a lot of distinction for a farmer from Okarche, a western Oklahoma town with a population of 1,300 people. Yet much of what makes Father Rother’s story stand out is precisely how ordinary he was—and how faithfully he lived his call to the priesthood, often in spite 14 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
of serious obstacles. This is a huge moment for the Church in the United States, says Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg, auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Seattle, and a great moment for all Catholic priests, “as one of their own brothers is recognized in this way.” Msgr. Timothy Stein agrees. But he emphasizes that, as the first American diocesan priest “to be raised to the honors of the altar,” it’s of particular significance to him and to the thousands of other diocesan priests in the United States. Msgr. Stein, the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Altoona, Pennsylvania, never met the Oklahoma martyr. Yet as he explains, “Like all diocesan priests, Father Stanley Rother found holiness in the midst of the people he was called to serve, at first among the parishes he was assigned to in Oklahoma, and then in his diocese’s
mission in Guatemala. He sought nothing more than to be one with the people of God. “At a time when many are wondering, Can anything good come out of a local church, out of the diocesan priesthood?, the heroic life and death of Father Stanley Rother, a shepherd who refused to abandon his flock at a time of great peril, shows that holiness is possible for those called to live the life of a diocesan priest,” Msgr. Stein continues. “Without the support of a religious community, without an approved Rule of Life, without a singular charism or a distinctive spirituality—a diocesan priest can be a holy man. He can become a saint.”
A Farmer from Okarche Born in a farmhouse in the middle of an Oklahoma dust storm during the Great Depression, Stanley Francis Rother was listed in his high school S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ROTHER FAMILY AND THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OKLAHOMA CITY ARCHIVE.
B Y M AR Í A R U I Z S C AP ER LAND A
Father Stanley’s life was filled with the Lord’s presence in the life of his people, baptizing, preaching, standing in solidarity.
Rother ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ROTHER FAMILY AND THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OKLAHOMA CITY ARCHIVE.
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yearbook as president of the Future Farmers of America. But the farm boy from Okarche decided to plant a different kind of harvest. At the end of his senior year, Stanley surprised family and friends with the announcement that he’d be leaving for San Antonio to attend St. John’s Seminary. Stanley struggled with academics in the seminary, in particular with Latin. He failed the first year of theology and was sent home by the rector, who suggested that Stanley consider a different vocation. But back in Oklahoma City, Stanley requested another chance from Oklahoma’s Bishop Victor Reed—and the supportive bishop agreed, finding him a spot at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. “Stanley was hardworking, dedicated, faithful,” remembers Father Tom Connery, a classmate from the FranciscanMedia.org
Diocese of Albany. Father Connery remembers going to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes with Stanley to “prepare the place, working together. Stan had a great love and devotion for the Virgin Mary,” and the Grotto was a special place of prayer for him. Connery credits Father Rother with inspiring his own “missionary impulse.” Ordained on the same day for different dioceses, both friends went on to serve the Church in mission territory, although in opposite directions—Father Rother to Guatemala and Father Connery to Alaska. “We were north and south, two different points, but with our missions of service to God’s people the same. He was a kindred spirit that helped me find my way.” On May 25, 1963, at the age of 28, Stanley was ordained for the then-Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He served the first five years of
his priestly ministry without much notice in various Oklahoma assignments. But everything changed when he answered the call to serve at the Oklahoma mission in Guatemala. The farmer who loved the land and recognized God in all of creation found his heart’s vocation as a priest to the Tz’utujil Mayan people.
Oklahoma Mission How a 46-year-old priest from a small German farming community in Oklahoma came to live and die in a remote, ancient Guatemalan village is a story full of wonder and God’s providence. Pope John XXIII requested in the early 1960s that North American dioceses and religious communities send missionaries to South and Central America, and the Church in Oklahoma responded. In 1964, the then-Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa took over the S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 15
Blessed Stanley Francis Rother, a priest of the Diocese of Oklahoma City, went from a traditional parish ministry to foreign mission work—and martyrdom—in Guatemala. care of the church of St. James the Apostle (Santiago Apóstol), the oldest parish in the Diocese of Sololá, Guatemala, dating back to the 16th century. No resident priest had served the indigenous community of Santiago Atitlán for almost a century. From the onset, that first Oklahoma missionary team understood that the Tz’utujil are an agricultural people who retain much of their ancient Mayan culture and pride. When he arrived at Santiago Atitlán in 1968, Father Rother instantly fell in love with the volatile and stunning land of volcanoes and earthquakes— but above all, with its people. His Tz’utujil Indian parishioners called him “Padre Apla’s,” which translates as “Francis” or “Francisco” in their native language. Over his 13 years of service to the Oklahoma mission, Father Rother helped develop a farmers’ co-op, a nutrition center, a school, a hospital clinic, and the first Catholic radio station in the area, which was used for catechesis. But perhaps most importantly, whether fixing a tractor or farming the land, the farmer priest was never afraid to dig in and 16 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
get his own hands dirty—a trait that was deeply loved by his Tz’utujil parishioners. Although he did not institute the project, Father Rother was also a critical driving force in developing Tz’utujil as a written language, which led to translations of the liturgy of the Mass and the Lectionary, with the New Testament in Tz’utujil being published after his death. And the same young man who flunked because he could not master Latin became, by the grace of God, the missionary pastor who not only learned Spanish, but also became fluent in his parishioners’ native tongue, Tz’utujil. As a fellow missionary serving across the lake from Santiago Atitlán, Maryknoll Sister Bernice Kita remembers mostly Father Rother’s gift of presence—like the time he made a point of taking a motor launch across the lake to attend her installation as administrator of the San Antonio Palopó Parish. Or his regular prison visits to a parishioner who had gotten drunk and driven Father Stan’s car into the lake, killing a car passenger.
“Stan took pity on this man,” remembers Sister Bernice. He went “out of his way to offer him the help he didn’t deserve, and the mercy that he needed, from the priest who was harmed by his actions.” She also remembers attending a Mass 40 days after Father Rother’s murder where Sololá’s Bishop Angélico Melotto said he believed one day the Oklahoma missionary would be recognized and canonized as a martyr.
‘If It Is My Destiny . . .’ Once Guatemala’s civil war found its way to the peaceful villages surrounding beautiful Lake Atitlán, many people, including Father Rother’s own catechists, began to disappear regularly. Father Rother’s response was to show his people the way of love and peace with his life. “His martyrdom was simply a confirmation of who he was,” says Bishop Mueggenborg. “No one is declared a martyr just because of how they died. Rather, they had to live their life in such a way that it was crowned with martyrdom. Father Rother did that—he lived his life as S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
Young Stanley (between his parents) poses with his family at their farm in Okarche, Oklahoma.
Father Rother blesses his parents.
a self-offering to God in love of his brothers and sisters. He did it through daily work in the mission, teaching agriculture to simple farmers, educating the children, protecting the youth from forced conscription into the Guatemala military, and through assisting grieving families in burying their dead whom no one would claim. He lived his life in such a way that it was that life which led to his martyrdom.” In a letter dated September 1980 to the bishops of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Father Rother described the political and anti-Church climate in Guatemala: “The reality is that we are in danger. But we don’t know when or what form the government will use to further repress the Church. . . . Given the situation, I am not ready to leave here just yet. There is a chance that the Govt. will back off. If I get a direct threat or am told to leave, then I will go. But if it is my destiny that I should give my life here, then so be it. . . . I don’t want to desert these people, and that is what will be said, even after all these years. There is still a lot of good that can be done under the circumstances.”
people. Despite these threats and danger, he returned and resumed his great priestly ministry to you. . . . It is very clear that Padre Apla’s died for you and for the faith,” continued Archbishop Beltran, who was serving as bishop of Tulsa in 1981 when Father Rother was killed. On July 12, 1981, in a statement read in all the nation’s parishes, the Guatemalan bishops denounced “a carefully studied plan” by the government “to intimidate the Church and silence its prophetic voice.” On July 28, 1981, at 1:30 a.m., three Spanish-speaking Ladino (nonindigenous) men snuck into the rectory, beating Father Rother and shooting him twice in the head. His body was sent back to Oklahoma for burial, but his heart was entombed under an altar in Santiago Atitlán, by request of his parishioners. When Franz Rother was told about his son’s death, he responded: “We are real proud of him. He felt his people needed him and he went back.” The Oklahoma priest was one of 13 priests—and the first American priest—slain during Guatemala’s 36-year war, a tragedy that claimed
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In his final Christmas letter to Oklahoma Catholics, Father Rother once again concluded: “The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger. Pray for us that we may be a sign of the love of Christ for our people, that our presence among them will fortify them to endure these sufferings in preparation for the coming of the Kingdom.” A month later, and six months before his death, Father Rother and his associate pastor left Guatemala under threat of death after witnessing the abduction of a parish catechist. However, he returned to his beloved Guatemala in time to celebrate Holy Week in April of 1981, ignoring the pleas of those who urged him to consider his own safety. “Just before he returned to Guatemala for the last time, he told me how much he desired to come back,” recalled Archbishop Emeritus Eusebius J. Beltran in a 30th-anniversary message to the community of Cerro de Oro, one of the mission’s satellite churches near Santiago Atitlán. “He knew the dangers that existed here at that time and was greatly concerned about the safety and security of the
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PHOTO BY FATHER DAVID MONAHAN
THE PATH TO CANONIZATION
Proud parents Franz and Gertrude flank Stanley at his first Mass, in 1963.
Father rother’s name was given to Pope John Paul II on February 6, 1996 (on his second visit to Guatemala) as one of 78 people killed in Guatemala’s guerrilla war and believed to be martyrs for the faith. His cause was officially opened by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 2007 and was completed with additional testimonies in July 2010, making him a Servant of God. Later that year, the Congregation for Saints’ Causes declared him Venerable. The cause had begun in the Diocese of Sololá, but the Guatemalan bishops’ conference agreed that the testimonies already collected be transferred to the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. In 2009, the bishops of Guatemala published Testigos Fieles del Evangelio, summarizing the lives of 63 people who gave their lives for their faith between 1976 and 1985. Father Stanley Rother was included in that book. A panel at the Vatican reviewed the circumstances of his death and declared him a martyr for the faith; the bishop of Rome agreed on December 2, 2016. Because of that, no miracle was needed for him to be declared Blessed on September 23, 2017. That means his feast can be observed locally (United States and Guatemala) but not worldwide. If a Blessed belonged to a religious order or congregation, his or her feast can be observed by that group. Usually, beatifications now occur locally; canonizations are normally celebrated at the Vatican. In connection with Blessed Stanley Rother, if a miracle is accepted by separate panels of medical doctors, theologians, and cardinals—and by the bishop of Rome—then he can be declared a saint, and his feast can be celebrated worldwide. —M.R. Scaperlanda
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an estimated 140,000 lives. No one has ever been prosecuted for his killing. “He had the heart of a shepherd. The life and witness of Father Rother is a gift to the Church in America, especially in the way he lived his priesthood: selflessly, generously, heroically,” says Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, a fellow graduate of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. “He has been an inspiration to me since my seminary days when I first learned of his death. He was referenced as a hero by all of us! “Father Rother was a servant after the manner of Christ,” Archbishop Coakley explains. “The Church, and priests in particular, need the witness of men like this servant of God who serves as an icon of Jesus the good shepherd.” You can find the latest news about Blessed Stanley Rother at StanleyRother.org. María Ruiz Scaperlanda is an award-winning journalist and author. The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run: Fr. Stanley Rother, Martyr from Oklahoma (Our Sunday Visitor) is her sixth book. In June 2016, she was presented with the St. Francis de Sales Award by the Catholic Press Association for her contributions to Catholic journalism. St. ANtHONY meSSeNGer
Born in the U.S.A. Oklahoma’s Blessed Stanley Rother may someday join the ranks of the current three US-born saints: •
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (New York City)
•
St. Katharine Drexel (Philadelphia)
•
St. Kateri Tekakwitha (modern-day Auriesville, New York)
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S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 19
The Seven Sorrows of Mary
S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
©UMBERTOLEPORINI/FOTOSEARCH
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F
lipping through a religious calendar, I came upon a list of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. As I mentally pictured Mary’s experiences, I pondered her most blessed and most sorrowful life. I met Mary heartto-heart: her sorrows and her son’s agony became mine, and the Mother of Sorrows became the mother of my sorrows as well. Let us enter into the mind and heart of Mary and reflect on the seven major sorrows in her life. Our Sorrowful Mother can teach us much about the sanctity of suffering and be a source of consolation to all who suffer. The Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15.
First Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon “And you yourself a sword will pierce” (Lk 2:35). When Mary’s 40-day period of purification has almost ended, she goes to Jerusalem to fulfill the Mosaic Law and for the required offering to the Lord of every firstborn male. The law of purification does not bind Mary, always a virgin. Nor does Jesus, because of who he is, have to be redeemed. Yet Mary humbly obeys. After the ceremony, imagine young Mary’s amazement when Simeon takes Jesus from her arms and acknowledges him as the Messiah! Only through divine inspiration can Simeon know this. Simeon blesses them and says to Mary, “And you yourself a sword will pierce” (Lk 2:35). Mary shudders and holds Jesus close to her breast, as Joseph gently leads her out of the temple. Although Joseph is deeply shaken, his primary concern is for his wife and son. They return to Nazareth in silence, where Mary ponders these things in her heart.
Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt “The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him’” (Mt 2:13). ©UMBERTOLEPORINI/FOTOSEARCH
Joseph hastily awakens Mary and relates his dream. She feels the sword’s sharpness as Simeon’s prophecy echoes in her heart. FranciscanMedia.org
There is no time to worry—only time to pack a few essentials—as they prepare to flee to Egypt under cover of darkness. The lengthy journey across the desert wilderness frightens Mary, but she never voices her fears to Joseph. However, she can’t help but think, Will there be enough food and water? How will we weather the excessive heat? What if the donkey stumbles? What if . . . ? The “what-ifs” could have paralyzed a person of little faith. But Mary continues to trust that God will take care of her little family’s needs. None of this is recorded, so we can only imagine the hardships that the Holy Family endured while in exile. One thing is certain: nothing can sway Mary’s trust in God. She never questions. She ponders, letting the things she doesn’t understand simply be there in her heart, in complete conformity to the divine plan. Mary is a model of cooperation with grace.
We can turn to Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, for consolation in our suffering. BY J EANET TE MAR T I N O LAND
Third Sorrow: Search for the Child in Jerusalem “After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety’” (Lk 2:46, 48). Terror seizes Mary’s heart when she discovers that her son is missing. On the third day, while walking by the temple, the anxious mother hears the sweet sound of Jesus’ voice. “Joseph, look! There he is among the teachers!” They run to Jesus’ side, and Mary, with mingled joy and sorrow, speaks words of gentle reproach to her son. Mary and Joseph realize they have a very special son—one who amazes even the teachers in the temple with his intelligence. Sometimes they whisper in Aramaic at night, sharing their innermost thoughts and concerns. Often, young Mary ponders these things in her heart while performing her daily tasks: grinding grain into flour to make bread, milking the goats, and spinning yarn and weaving it into clothing for her family. Sometimes, in the cool of the evening, she S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 21
sits on the flat roof of their home, the pain of Simeon’s prophecy and of Jesus’ disappearance merging and lingering—a pain as widespread as the profusion of flowers trickling down the hillsides of Nazareth in that April of Jesus’ 12th year.
Fourth Sorrow: Mary Meets Jesus on His Way to the Cross “And carrying the cross himself . . .” (Jn 19:17). “A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him” (Lk 23:27). Mary’s life remains hidden—hidden in God. A widow now, she lives an inconspicuous life, pondering and accepting the mystery of her unique role and that of her son. When news of his miracles reaches her at Nazareth, she rejoices. But the disturbing news of the tension mounting in Jerusalem concerning an upstart named Jesus makes her apprehensive. She knows the sword is poised to pierce her heart more deeply. Yet she goes to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, hoping Jesus will be there. Mary helps prepare the Passover meal. Quickly she dishes out the bitter herbs and vinegar and carries them to the Upper Room. Here, Mary participates in the first Eucharist. She comprehends all too well the full meaning of his words. We can only guess at the sequence of events. Perhaps
one of the holy women finds Mary and tells her that Jesus has been arrested. “I must go to him!” she cries. Mary pushes her way through the shouting, cursing mob. At last, she sees her son carrying his cross. Mary’s heart breaks in unspeakable sorrow at the outrage committed against his precious body. She is powerless to minister to him, except by her presence. Their eyes meet and speak volumes of love in a frozen moment of anguished silence. “Trust, trust,” Jesus’ heart speaks to hers. His unspoken words echo in her hearing heart. With renewed strength, she walks the Way of her son.
Fifth Sorrow: Standing at the Foot of the Cross Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (Jn 19:25–27). Finally they reach the hill of execution. The cruel soldiers stretch Jesus’ battered body upon the cross and, with heavy hammer blows, drive the sharp spikes into his hands and feet. Mary’s head pounds with each cruel blow. No one hears the silent scream
Sorrowful Mary, Pray for Us ©CODODIFC/FOTOSEARCH
Mother most sorrowful, Mother most blessed, you possessed the grace to accept sorrow and suffering, wisdom to see the ecstasy in the agony, and fortitude to remain steadfast during your son’s passion and death. Out of obedient love, you completely surrendered to God’s will in every circumstance, even when you didn’t understand his purposes. You trusted God to be God. Yours was a continual “Yes!” of dying to self and embracing God’s will. Pray for me, and ask Jesus, your son, to renew my courage and strength, to see the sanctity in my suffering, and to increase my loving trust in God’s providence. Ask Jesus to help me stand firm in my faith and to grant me the grace of final perseverance. Your immaculate womb was the first tabernacle for Jesus. May his passion be always in the tabernacle of my heart so I can be a Christ bearer as you were! Amen.
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St. ANtHONY meSSeNGer
that shatters her broken heart and echoes in the heart of God. What now takes place is all according to God’s plan. Her son, the Son of God, has to suffer and die. John, the beloved disciple, puts his arm around Mary, steadying her. “My precious child,” she weeps, “heralded at Bethlehem, now suffering an ignominious and painful death!” And then, through swollen, purple lips, Jesus speaks. Mary strains to hear his words. He looks tenderly upon his mother and, with great effort, says, “He is your son.” He looks at the disciple and emphasizes, “She is your mother.”
Sixth Sorrow: The Crucifixion and Descent from the Cross After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body” (Jn 19:38).
Jeanette Martino Land resides in North Palm Beach, Florida, and has written articles and poetry for over 60 publications. “Five Meditations on Mercy” appeared in the July issue of St. Anthony Messenger.
©SMILEUS/FOTOSEARCH
Saying, “It is finished,” Jesus bows his head and dies. Mary remembers his words at the Passover meal: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you” (Lk 22:20). The dreaded time is now: the precious blood of her son is poured out for all humankind. The covenant is sealed. Jesus, her son, the Son of God, is dead. In her heart, Mary dies with him. Two broken hearts—one pierced with a spear, one pierced with sorrow—become one: Jesus and Mary, forever united for the whole human family. Mary’s sorrow is all the greater because of the greatness of her love. Jesus’ body is taken down from the cross and placed in her arms. Mary embraces her son with a love beyond words, beyond grief itself. For now, it is the grief of a consummate sorrow. She, who had given birth to divinity, now presses the bloodied and battered remains of his humanity close to her sorrowful and shattered heart. “Let it be done according to thy will, Lord,” she prays.
The holy women quietly prepare the spices and ointments, and gather the winding sheet and the grave cloth, according to Jewish custom. Mary, the faithful disciple, insists on helping and returns to the tomb with the women. They go about their task of washing the body with great reverence and wrap it in long strips of linen, taking great care to pack the fragrant spices (including the myrrh and aloes Nicodemus had brought) between the cloth and the body, in order to reduce the stench of death. Mary hesitates before placing the grave cloth over Jesus’ face. Tenderly, she kisses him one last, lingering time. John steps forward to take her hand and lead her to his home. Behind them, they hear the heavy round stone rolled forward to seal the cave. Mary’s pierced heart remains united to the stilled heart of the one they had pierced— the most Sacred Heart that was formed in her immaculate womb. With one languishing wail, she proclaims what others are just now beginning to believe, what she already knew: “My Lord and my God!”
Seventh Sorrow: Assisting at the Burial of Christ “The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils” (Lk 23:55–56).
FrANCISCANmeDIA.OrG
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AT H O M E O N E A R T H
| BY KYLE KRAMER
What Is Truth?
T
IMTMPHOTO/ISTOCKPHOTO
our common life, based on a new story of interconnection rather than polarization. For one thing, the ecological realities of our planet will force us. Unlike the blogosphere, the opinion pages, and the chattering 24-hour news cycle, the earth presents us The Search for Truth with undeniable, non-negoYou can find a nonpartisan, tiable, non-alternative facts. nonprofit fact-check website at Soil fertility isn’t a matter of factcheck.org. opinion, nor is the stability of the climate or the regularity Read what the Catechism of and severity of rainfall. None the Catholic Church teaches of these is swayed by our about truth and truthfulness in preferences or our political paragraphs 2464-2513. persuasions—and all of them Studies reveal that almost all factor importantly in our of us lie regularly. Try to pay survival. Sooner or later, we’ll attention to when you play fast have to acknowledge these and loose with the truth. truths and work together to safeguard the health of our common home. “Everything on your As a Catholic, I draw hope resumé is true . . . from our Church’s tworight?” millennia-long commitment to truth, as derived from Scripture, science and the natural world, Church tradition, and believers’ experience of the signs of the times. In Pope Francis, we have a leader who teaches and lives the fundamental truths of inclusion, solidarity, and compassion. Although we demonize and deceive each other (and ourselves), I believe that we are hard-wired for connection, belonging, and truth. This is our God-given nature, and it will endure even in untruthful times. Truth will win out.
Only through open and thoughtful communication will we find a way to come together. FranciscanMedia.org
1 2 3
ANDREW GENN/FOTOSEARCH
hose chilling and cynical words from Pontius Pilate at Jesus’ trial have new relevance today. In an era when people form and reinforce their opinions entirely within a chosen bubble of like minds, any earnest quest for truth seems almost quaint. How did truth become so passé? At its core, our current crisis of truth is a crisis of community and a crisis of trust. Having become so isolated from each other and so divided in terms of our worldviews and our allegiances, we have trouble trusting anyone who isn’t inside our own echo chamber. So, whether cynically or sincerely, we dismiss data or opinions that differ from ours as fake news or even witch hunts purveyed by the conservative/liberal media. Unwilling to hear or understand each other, we let our democracy and civic life wither, and we’re unable to make collective decisions for the common good, such as with healthcare, the environment, education, or entitlement programs. We may be in a time when the center cannot hold, but I hold out hope that things will not fall completely apart. I’d like to believe that we’re headed not for disaster, but instead (after plenty of birth pains), to a new way of truthfully tending
Kyle Kramer is the executive director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
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EDITORIAL
Greater Love In a divided age, there are still leaders we’d all be proud to follow.
I
n May, a Portland, Oregon, train was the site of a violent attack, which killed two men and critically injured a third, all of whom were defending two teenage girls from a hate-filled verbal assault. The incident offered a poignant answer to a timely question: What is an American? In the turbid stew of political discourse that pollutes our airwaves, our conversations, and even our thoughts, this question simmers below the surface. Your patriotism, or even your right to live here, might be called into question if you are an immigrant. Or if you disagree with one or both major parties. Or if you are black or gay or female or poor or unemployed or disabled. If all the Americans of questioned status were suddenly out of the country, would anyone be left at all? As Catholics, we should find this conversation familiar. After all, we have been arguing about who is good enough to be called Christian for thousands of years. We hold councils and trials, launch Crusades and Inquisitions, and castigate one another in censure and social media. We have learned that a better conversation is to be found in the stories of the saints. We don’t say that the saints are perfect. We don’t say that our own path to sanctity follows precisely in their footsteps. After all, we can’t all minister to the lepers on Molokai or preach to wayward Italian wolves. We do, though, affirm the saints’ virtue and declare them to be heroic in pursuing the values of the Gospel. It’s a tall order, but it’s something we can all at least strive for. In this way, our tradition allows us to remember the name of St. Perpetua and the story of St. Francis Xavier, even centuries later. Our heroes are memorialized in stories and the stained glass of a thousand cathedrals. But in just a few months, the names of those heroes from Portland are out of the
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headlines and maybe out of our heads: Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, Ricky John Best, Micah David-Cole Fletcher. Two of them laid down their lives for a stranger, and their makeshift flower-and-candle memorials won’t fare well against the enemy of time. They were dissimilar in just about every other way. Best was a 53-year-old veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, a father of four who worked for the city of Portland. NamkaiMeche, 23, was a recent Reed College grad and worked as an environmental analyst. Fletcher, just 21, is a poet with a passion for social justice and a part-time pizza-delivery job. During his recovery, he told a Portland newspaper, “I’m not a hero, nobody special.” But he is special. They all are. We knew it the minute we heard the story, when we saw the mourning families and the gathering community support. Without knowing the victims, or each other, they understood: it’s not about who you are or where you come from. It’s not about your politics or your pay grade. It’s about standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. These three men had the ability to look beyond appearances of “us” and “them” and, in a split second, realize whose side they had to be on. In an age where none of us can agree what it means to be an American, three men stepped forward on a Portland train and showed us. We honor our saints with feast days, prayers, and petitions. How can we remember these heroes, men so close to our own time and circumstance, when many of us resist the inconvenience of public transportation or, once on it, might hesitate even to offer our seat to someone elder or infirm? If that had been us on the train, would we even have said a word? Perhaps we will now. It’s a tall order, but it’s something we can all strive for. —K.C. ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER
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ALL IN WITH
This world-famous actor and musician has a driving force: his Catholic faith. B Y R OS E PAC AT T E, F S P
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St. ANtHONY meSSeNGer
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILKINS MANAGEMENT
HARRY CONNICK JR.
(Left) The Church is close to Harry’s heart. Here he supports Catholic Charities of Dallas.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILKINS MANAGEMENT
H
e’s known to millions for his music, acting, and now as host of a nationally syndicated daytime variety-chat television show simply called Harry. St. Anthony Messenger interviewed the star this past February at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Joseph “Harry” Fowler Connick Jr. is named for his father, nicknamed Harry, but who was named for St. Joseph. Connick Jr. speaks with a soft accent and a conversational style. Connick, winner of Grammy and Emmy awards, has sold over 28 million albums. A child prodigy, when he was nine years old he performed a Beethoven prelude. As an adult he’s been on television, in movies, and on Broadway. He’s a husband to Jill and the father of three daughters, Georgia, Sarah Kate, and Charlotte. Many know that Connick is Catholic, but they might not know that he wasn’t baptized until he was 14 years old. Harry Sr. is still a devout Catholic and his mother, Anita, was Jewish. They decided that they would let Connick and his older sister, Suzanna, now a psychiatrist and internist in the army, choose their own faith. Subsequently they both became Catholic.
Once Connick decided to embrace Catholicism, Father Nick Schiro, SJ, accompanied the young teen through the RCIA program and baptized him. New Orleans Archbishop Philip Hannon confirmed him. Connick recalls: “It was a very proud day. I was going to Mass every day at that point. I was holding on to everything I could to get me through those hard times.” Bob Fecas taught freshman theology. His unorthodox way of teaching impressed Connick, who calls it an “OK to ask anything class.” Fecas taught students the value of thinking things through, searching, and asking questions. Besides Fathers McGinn and Schiro, he liked the young “cool priest,” Father Eddie Gross, who played the guitar and sang “La Bamba” all the time. Their friendship continues to this day. With all this Jesuit influence, it’s easy to see why Harry Connick Jr.’s favorite saint is St. Ignatius of Loyola. Connick says that he learned two lofty ideals from St. Ignatius that he tries to live every day: to let your light shine in the world by helping people and to do the small things well.
Formed by Jesuits
After the flooding of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Connick, his friend and fellow musician Branford Marsalis, and their manager, Ann Marie Wilkins, wanted to do something to rebuild New Orleans. They came up with the idea to shine their light on the Upper Ninth Ward:
When Connick was 13 his mother died of ovarian cancer. Her death was, understandably, the most difficult moment in his life. He recalls that his extended family on his father’s side and the Jesuits at his high school were a great help to him. FranciscanMedia.org
New Orleans Habitat Musicians Village
(Opposite) Here’s Harry! On TODAY he dazzles with his prowess, singing, and playing. S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 29
At the grand opening of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, Harry stands with fellow New Orleanian jazz giants Branford (left) and Ellis Marsalis Jr. (once Harry’s teacher).
“They are proud, confident, and beautiful— that’s a great thing to see.”
to build a Musicians Village, which they did with the help of the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, a volunteer-powered, national nonprofit housing organization. “People came from all around the world to help build 80 residences. It became a place where anyone could live, but the focus would be on music and community,” Connick says. “We then raised and are still raising money privately to construct and sustain what we would eventually call the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. (Ellis was my teacher.) It is a multimillion-dollar, state-ofthe-art recording studio with educational facilities and a community center.” The center opened in 2011 and serves each week about 200 children, who come after school or during the summer to participate in the programs. “They know they are coming to the best recording center in New Orleans where they learn dance and music theory. There’s a learning center, a computer lab, a library. “They are honing their craft after school, just like I did when I was young. They are proud, confident, and beautiful—that’s a great thing to see.”
Harry For years people asked Connick to consider a television show, but the idea of “parking in one place and doing the same thing every day” didn’t appeal to him. Then he began working closely with two brothers, Justin and Eric Strangel. They are television producers who also wrote comedy 30 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
for The Late Show with David Letterman. They brainstormed and came up with the idea of a syndicated show that, as Connick described it, “would be my show, with my band, a show that would be aspirational and inspirational, to have great guests who weren’t necessarily celebrities. I wanted to find people who had amazing stories to tell that could make the world a better place.” Harry is produced in New York. The show premiered in 2016 and starts its second season this month. The format consists of one segment called “Leading Ladies” in honor of the amazing women in his life, from his grandmother to his daughters. Women from across the country and from all walks of life come on the show to tell their transforming stories. Another segment is called “I Got This,” where Connick shows up at someone’s house, maybe that of a single mom or somebody who is working two jobs. “I told the producers, I don’t want to know who I’m meeting, but I want you to find people who need help. Don’t want them to know I’m coming and I don’t want to know where I’m going. It’s completely unscripted. Then I take over her job for one day, whether it’s running a nail salon or teaching a squaredancing class, and send her off to get a break for the day. I tell her, ‘I got this.’” Another segment might feature kids who dance or play instruments, like 14-year-old guitarist Brandon Niederauer (School of Rock: The Musical). How Brandon and the band’s bass player Jonathan Du Bose Jr. started S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
Harry and his wife, Jill (third from left) pose on the set of Harry with their daughters, Georgia (left), Charlotte, and Kate (between her parents).
playing off each other is amazing to watch (you can catch segments on the show’s website, HarryTV.com). Connick and his band have been together for many years. They understand each other so well that they can respond musically at any moment. They know and hope that children might watch it. He says this awareness is evident by the many subtle messages in the show, for example, “Kids might think, ‘Maybe if I work at something tactile, that requires a lot of practice, effort, and discipline, maybe I can accomplish something like these musicians, too.’” Connick continues: “I find that wanting the good for people on the show gives me an incredible feeling and makes me approach my show with humility and respect. The people on the show are divorced, widows, they have children in the hospital, they can’t pay their rent, maybe their houses burned down. “They are all there, and we are them, too. I feel like I have found something in the show that allows me to try to do important things without mentioning a word.” Connick’s favorite moment on the show thus far was the day when Connick walked on the set to be greeted by Al Roker of TODAY who announced, “I’m hosting Harry today!” He remembers: “They started bringing out people I know, including my wife and two of my daughters; my third daughter was away at college. But then she walked out, and I lost it. I couldn’t believe she came for that; it was a very big deal for me.” FranciscanMedia.org
The Little Things When Connick was a child living in New Orleans, music was everywhere. His parents loved music and played records all the time, from popular to classic. Connick’s response to music was deeply emotional. “I wanted to be a part of that world because I knew I had the potential to learn and I had talent. When you combine a passion for something with the accessibility of it and have your family’s support, it makes for a perfect storm for somebody like me. When you add the educational aspect to the emotional, combining the craft and the technique, one feeds off the other.” Today Connick is a man almost driven to get the small things right. “When I am composing music,” he says, “I write out every single note—so when you watch my show and you hear my band play, they are reading music.” It takes “hours and hours and hours,” he says. “That’s me. I wrote a hundred pieces of music, from three to 10 minutes long, before we started the show so we’d have enough to get going—notes for the trumpet, the saxophone, trombone, bass part, drum part, guitar, every single note. Doing this keeps me grounded and focused on doing everything well.” Connick’s philosophy of music for young people who may not have access to arts programs that have been cut or underfunded in recent years is encouraging, focusing on the small things. “The good news is that there is a lot of access to information and music
“I wanted to be a part of that world because I knew I had the potential to learn and I had talent.”
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(Left) Harry Connick Sr. joins his son for an appearance on Harry. (Right) “Love at first sight” brought Harry Jr, together with Jill Goodacre, seen here in a 1994 wedding photo.
education outside of school. You can pick up your phone and watch YouTube videos and other online sources for music education and learning. “Even if programs are cut, the fundamental values are the same. The self-discipline is the same.” Work and practice are what it’s all about. “I tell young people, make sure you learn as much as you can about your craft on your own. Go to the library. Pick up your phone. Do the research, listen to the recordings, transcribe the solos, do what you need to do on your instrument. This is how you become a musician.”
Man on a Journey Connick met his wife, Jill, then a model, in Los Angeles in 1990. For Connick, it was love at first sight. He recalls, “She was from Texas, she had a firm handshake, she drank a beer, and she seemed like a fun person. That was it. Twenty-seven years later, here we are.” Connick says he and Jill take their marriage very seriously. In the four years they knew each other before their wedding in New Orleans’ St. Louis Cathedral, they became good friends. They cooked together, went to movies, talked politics. “We are truly interested in each other,” 32 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
he explains. “I respect her immensely. She is half of me; we are two halves that make a whole. I really buy into that idea. It is the foundation upon which our marriage is based.” His philosophy as a parent is simple: “It wasn’t always about telling my daughters, ‘Oh, look how pretty you look today’—it was never about that. It was about telling them ‘you’re smart’ or ‘what an interesting perspective you have.’ That’s how my mother and father raised my sister and me, and I think it helps instill confidence in children, for their sake and for that of others.” Connick isn’t comfortable talking about his family’s religion publicly, but he will tell you that his three daughters were baptized and raised Catholic. Today, like Harry and Jill, they are on a journey. As he explains it, “We’re trying to understand more deeply the things that we think are important.”
Doubting Thomas? Connick knows that people have been interested in him as a Catholic since he began performing, and the question about his faith is brought up in interviews all the time. Yet he admits, “I’ve struggled as a Catholic and for years I’ve had trouble admitting this. I don’t S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
It all started early—Harry, here at age 10, was a child prodigy.
In 1979, young Harry poses at home with his mom, Anita, dad, Harry Sr., and sister, Suzanna. Anita would die from cancer in 1981 at the age of 55.
think I ever intended to say I was a Catholic in public—not because I am ashamed of it; it’s something I am proud of. “But I am a musician. I am an entertainer. People send me prayers and come up to me to thank me for being a good Catholic, and I started to feel: ‘Wait a minute! Wait a minute! I’m trying my best here but as a guy who was raised with a Jewish mother and a Catholic father! I have a lot of stuff to figure out!’” Connick chatted recently with Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York about his faith. “Your Eminence, I’m trying to figure this out. I miss Mass, I question things, my dad calls me Thomas all the time—‘How you doing, Thomas?’—because my dad is very, very strong in his faith and I have these doubts.” Cardinal Dolan replied, says Connick, “Have you ever thought about the people that Jesus hung out with? Then look at Paul; he was a tough son of a gun. Those first Christians weren’t exactly perfect, either.” Connick says: “We all want to know what our purpose is outside the specifics of our vocation, like, what are we doing here? I want to be a good husband and a good father, but is there a bigger picture here than just trying to be the best entertainer I can be? Maybe my particular purpose isn’t to be the perfect Catholic but to do the best I can.”
Connick Jr., and he likes it that way. “I like walking a tightrope, which is why I practice really hard so that when it comes to the show it’s completely unrehearsed and spontaneous. “I need to be able to ask someone questions in front of an audience that’s going out to millions of people and make them feel good,” he says, almost matter-of-factly. “I have to self-edit in real time and ask compelling questions that will evoke the best answers, while keeping an ear on the music.” But it’s a thrill: “I love letting people shine. Whatever I am doing, creativity means there are a lot of different cylinders going at the same time.” It comes back to the twin principles he learned from St. Ignatius of Loyola: let your light shine and do the little things well. “What matters is being present in the here and now,” he says. With time and experience, Connick learned to live in the present. “I was rushing from one thing to the next interview or event.” Now he’s more intentional, looking for even a small connection with the people who come to him. “It’s amazing how much more fulfilled I am, and how much more pleasantly the days go by. It’s a quest to be better at this all the time, and it’s a great place to be.”
All In Right now it’s an exciting time filled with some new creative challenges for Harry FranciscanMedia.org
Sister Rose Pacatte, a member of the Daughters of St. Paul, is the founding director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles and the longtime film critic for St. Anthony Messenger.
Selected Works Film Memphis Belle Copycat Independence Day Hope Floats (first lead role) Basic Bug P.S. I Love You New in Town Angels Sing Dolphin Tale Dolphin Tale 2 Television Will & Grace American Idol Law & Order: SVU Harry Broadway Thou Shalt Not The Pajama Game On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Discography When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993, best-selling album) Only You (2004, highest charting album) S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 33
NO LONGER STRANGERS Our US bishops are united in their efforts to support and protect our growing immigrant population. BY PETER FEUERHERD P HO T OS B Y NA NCY W IE CH E C
This child, peering through the fence at the Mexican border, represents the face of the contentious immigration issue. The US bishops have long embraced immigrants, who now make up more than 25 percent of American Catholics.
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ut together more than 400 men, all with opinions. Even while bound by Catholic teaching, there will be disagreements. But on at least one hot-button issue, the votes are in, and it’s unanimous. The US bishops are pro-immigrant. While some politicians speak about building border walls and deporting millions of undocumented immigrants, and some Catholics have cheered, the bishops disagree. They say that immigrants are good for the Catholic
Church, good for the country, and, in any case, deserving of dignity, a concern frequently raised by their boss, Pope Francis.
Ministering along the Border For many bishops, immigration is more than a political debate. It is integral to their daily ministry; it is right at their doorstep. Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, knows the immigration issue firsthand, leading a diocese that includes that state’s St. ANtHONY meSSeNGer
long, and sometimes tortuous, border with Mexico. Bishop Kicanas regularly celebrates Mass, often with bishops from both sides of the border, sometimes offering Communion through border fences in towns such as Nogales, Naco, and Douglas. The regular liturgies are a vivid symbol that the Church is on the side of immigrants, no matter their legal status, and is willing to stand with them on either side of the border. For Bishop Kicanas, a Chicago native of Lebanese background, the issue came to the forefront soon after he got to Arizona 14 years ago. On a visit to Mexico, he observed a dozen young men praying the rosary, seeking the help of Mary to protect them as they traveled north. Later, he spied a van on the US side, filled with young people, including some of the young men he saw in Mexico. The incident illustrated, said Bishop Kicanas, that “they are people of faith, people like us.” During a tour to the Middle East with Catholic Relief Services, he saw the refugee crisis there and made the connection to the Arizona-Mexico border. “It’s a world issue today,” he says, noting that “the reaction around the world and our diocese are similar.” Perhaps at no time since World War FranciscanMedia.org
II has immigration been such a worldwide controversy. In the Diocese of Tucson, many Catholics are sympathetic to the plight of migrants, seeing them as people trying to support their families or flee unsafe situations in their home countries. Still, the bishop acknowledges, “others feel threatened, and feel their world will be overwhelmed. The fears are important to understand.” Raised in a Chicago parish where most of his Catholic schoolmates were of Polish background, Bishop Kicanas said he learned early on to be quiet about his Lebanese origins. The focus was on assimilation, and that often took the form of hiding his ethnic roots. Now there are other kinds of demands for assimilation, sometimes taking the form of outright hostility. Perhaps the tension is felt in Arizona more than any other state. Along the border, signs mark the entrenched positions. Some read, “Get Out, You Are Not Welcome.” Others plead, “Have a Heart, Welcome!” Unfortunately, it is all too common to hear reports of immigrants dying in the Arizona desert on their way north, unable to survive the harsh elements. The situation along the border remains in flux, notes Bishop Kicanas. The height of
Mass is regularly celebrated by bishops in towns on both sides of the US-Mexico border. Pictured here in Nogales, Arizona, these border Masses are a powerful example of the Church’s pro-immigrant stance.
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With a ministry intrinsically connected to immigrant issues, Bishop Gerald Kicanas blesses people in Mexico through a border fence during Mass in Nogales, Arizona (above), and serves food at the Aid Center for Deported Migrants in Nogales, Mexico.
Mexican immigration passed because jobs in the United States became tougher to get after the Great Recession of 2008 and as the Mexican economy has improved. Now the major concern is with Central Americans, who cut through Mexico on their way to the United States. Many are teenagers and children, forced out of countries such as Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras to avoid being forced into drug gangs that provide cocaine for the United States and other markets. The Church’s support through these changing issues remains steadfast, however. On the Mexican side, there are way stations for those who have been sent back, offering time and space to determine where they will go next.
Integration and Cooperation Immigration, however, is more than a border issue. Most bishops regularly deal with immigrants who have settled into life in the United States, whether they are here with or without legal permission. In a number of those dioceses, immigration has transformed the Catholic landscape. Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, Florida, leads that archdiocese where, of 110 parishes, only 17 are led by pastors born in the United States. “My priests are mostly immigrants, but so are my people,” he says. Dinner guests at the archbishop’s house who call for a cab can hear him converse with the city’s Haitian drivers. He is fluent in Haitian Creole after years of ministry to the Haitian community there. Archbishop Wenski’s career has focused on immigrants. The son of a Polish immigrant who came to Florida from Michigan, he learned Spanish in the seminary. And, 36 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
after he was ordained a priest in 1976, he was assigned to minister to newly arriving South Florida Haitians. As a native of South Florida, the archbishop can trace the development of the region through various waves of immigrants. In the 1960s there were the Cubans escaping Castro, as well as Americans from other parts of the nation fleeing winter. Later there were the Haitians. Today, Miami is a truly international city, filled with those whose roots are in Latin America and the entire world. The changes have transformed the region and made Miami’s Catholics, both immigrant and nonimmigrant, tolerant of ethnic diversity. “I don’t feel a strong anti-immigrant feeling in this community because almost everyone is an immigrant,” he says. Archbishop Wenski sees Miami as an example to the rest of the country. He suggests there is little to be anxious about. “After 30 years of immigration, the Cuban kids and the Haitian kids are as American as any others. Their families are integrating into the American culture,” he says. In the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, Bishop Daniel Flores regularly sees cooperation, not confrontation, around immigration issues as well. While massive immigration is new to many parts of the country, it is an old story in his diocese, which borders Mexico on the Rio Grande. Mexican Americans there can trace their family histories back before Texas became a US state. They are part of the landscape. It is a region, says the bishop, where people float interchangeably between English and Spanish. In fact, he routinely gives homilies in both languages. Bishop Flores embodies the Tex-Mex mix. He is from up the coast in Corpus Christi. S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
His parents were raised along the Texas side of the border, near Laredo. His father was a World War II US military veteran, and his grandparents were born in Mexico. In the Diocese of Brownsville, Bishop Flores notes there is support around immigration issues. The diocese runs a resettlement center for Central American refugees near the bus station in McAllen. The center assists mothers and children who are escaping gang violence in their home countries, including northern Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Support, including volunteer doctors and nurses, comes from all over the country, as well as food and clothing. “There’s a human response where the Church is,” says the bishop, in sharp contrast to “the politics that tends to dehumanize the situation of the immigrants.” Bishop Flores says outsiders tend to have erroneous impressions about the nature of today’s immigrants in the region. They come through South Texas, he says, not for jobs but for security, because the criminal gangs in Central America and in northern Mexico have made life unbearable for families.
Reflecting the Pope’s Example The bishops’ immigration stance still attracts critics. They contend that the bishops are milking the issue, hoping that by being seen as a champion of immigrants, the Church, as a kind of multinational corporate actor, can gain market share in the United States at a time when many native-born Catholics have drifted away. Writer John Zmirak, in The American Spectator, reflects that view: “US Catholic leaders gain enormously from the influx of millions of Latin Americans. They refill the emptying pews in our parishes—which are manifestly failing to pass along the faith,” he writes. Zmirak notes that a 2015 Pew study indicates that 41 percent of adult American Catholics leave the Church at some point, and relatively few ever come back. Without the influx of immigrants, the Catholic Church in the United States, say Zmirak and other critics of the bishops, would be a much smaller and more graying Church. Additionally, immigrants are becoming a bigger portion of the American Catholic scene. According to a Pew report, more than a quarter of American Catholics are foreign born and 15 percent have at least one foreign-born parent. Zmirak and other critics FranciscanMedia.org
believe that the influence of the Catholic bishops would wane considerably without this increasing number of immigrants. However, the bishops counter they are following the teachings of the Church and Pope Francis. The pope is focused on mercy, and perhaps his greatest focus on mercy is toward those who are migrants all over the world. The pope’s own parents were Italian immigrants to Argentina; it is a cause dear to his heart and a subject he speaks about passionately. Famously nonjudgmental, the pope considers kindness to immigrants essential in the road to salvation. The first trip Pope Francis took as pope was to Lampedusa, off the coast of Sicily, an island where African immigrants seeking to enter Europe have been left to languish. Later, he visited the Greek island of Lesbos, another island where refugees from Africa continue to cluster, awaiting a chance to enter the European mainland. “We must never forget . . . that migrants, rather than simply being a statistic, are first of all persons who have faces, names, and individual stories,” he said. The pope offered a similar message during his February 2016 visit to Mexico, which included a trip to the US border. There he spoke to people in both countries at the same time. The message was clear: immigrants should not be scapegoats for social and economic problems. The US bishops, perhaps with a more diplomatic style, have long taken a similar view.
As he serves Communion during a border Mass, Archbishop Christophe Pierre exemplifies the Church’s and Pope Francis’ human approach to immigrants. Extending mercy, especially to migrants, is something the pope calls us all to do.
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Left: Glowing with the satisfaction of a shower and clean clothes after a weeks-long journey from Central America, this young immigrant finds refuge at the resettlement center in McAllen, Texas, run by the Diocese of Brownsville. Right: Two girls watch TV at a US Customs placement center where hundreds of mostly Central American immigrant children are held. US bishops hope for immigration reform that focuses on family reunification.
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Inspiration to Seek Reform This viewpoint finds its roots in our country’s history. Most American Catholics have an immigration story. When this nation was founded, it was almost exclusively Protestant. The Church would never have grown here without immigrants. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, New York, is another bishop welcoming the changes to his diocese while also hoping for some needed reforms. He leads a crowded diocese known for being a totally urban stretch of two counties, the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, with an estimated 1.5 million Catholics. About half are immigrants; almost everyone else is a second- or third-generation American. In the diocese’s 196 parishes, 107 offer Mass in Spanish. Additionally, there are an estimated 30 different languages offered for Mass in the diocese, including Korean, Chinese, and Tagalog, a language of the Philippines. Bishop DiMarzio came to Brooklyn in 2003, well suited to Brooklyn’s immigrant population. A native of Newark, New Jersey, the bishop grew up in a largely Italian neighborhood at a time when immigration from Italy had slowed and assimilation was the order of the day. All four of his grandparents were immigrants, and he grew up learning the family stories around immigration. One relative came to the United States as a teenager, buying newspapers to pad his jacket to shield him from the winter cold. After being ordained a priest in 1970, Bishop DiMarzio spent much of his ministry
on immigration concerns. This interest led him to pursue a social work doctorate, which included his dissertation profiling undocumented immigrants in the New York metropolitan area. For six years he worked with Migration Relief Services for the US bishops in Washington and once led the Archdiocese of Newark Migration Office. In a commencement address last year at St. John’s University in New York, Bishop DiMarzio, now one of the US bishops’ top experts on immigration, spelled out a call for immigration reform. “We cannot deport 11 million people, nor should we, since they have made significant contributions to our labor needs and social fabric,” said the bishop. Whether here legally or illegally, the Church makes no distinction in its ministry. “We are dealing with people,” he says in an interview. “People come here illegally because there are no other ways to come.” Bishop DiMarzio is quick to point out how many misconceptions exist about US immigration history. First is the complaint that previous generations of immigrants arrived legally, compared to so many today who are undocumented. That was true, notes the bishop, because in previous generations there was such a wide opportunity. At many times in American history, illegal immigration was practically nonexistent because there were so few restrictions. Before 1924, there were few laws—only a basic health screening and a promise to obtain a sponsor—that held them back. And then the great counterreaction to immigration occurred. Much of that S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
was directed at Catholic groups, particularly Italians. From 1924 until World War II, legal immigration was stifled, due in part to the Great Depression, which did not encourage foreign job seekers. Immigration, says Bishop DiMarzio, “brings new life, new hope, new people” to the country. Immigrants, he says, “come to succeed. They are the risk takers, they want to start anew.”
regulate their borders. But bishops argue that the United States can do a better job at screening out serious criminals while allowing the flow of needed workers and family unification to go on in an orderly way. “We need a legal immigration reform,” says Bishop Flores. Such a reform in the law would include principles based upon family reunification. When children are separated from their parents, “you create more chaos,” he says, echoing a theme of Pope Francis. Workers, both immigrants and nonimmigrants, should be protected from exploitation. The politics of immigration reform is a partisan thicket through which the bishops have been waiting for years to move forward. Until reform happens, however, Catholics will be asked to respond on the human level. And they are responding in many places, like those in Bishop Flores’ Diocese of Brownsville. The bishop sees the support from all over that migrants are getting in his diocese, particularly the center supported by the Church in McAllen. There, migrants are offered a shower, some food, and bus directions to their families across the United States. “It’s a great blessing to see that cooperation,” he says. While the bishops will remain players in the politics of immigration reform, Bishop Flores notes, “The Church’s first response is to the people.”
“WHEN CHILDREN ARE SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS, YOU CREATE MORE CHAOS.”
A Call to Service Some of those individuals arriving today are refugees, and Bishop Flores of Texas notes that the Church’s involvement with immigrants extends to these political refugees, many of whom are not Catholics. When his state rescinded its support for the federal refugee program, the Church in Texas continued it, despite opposition. The recipients come from countries where there are many Catholics and those that have few. The bishops, says Bishop Flores, believe in the principle that it’s a Christian obligation to welcome the stranger fleeing persecution and seeking a home, whether the newcomers are Catholics or not. Bishops point out that immigration used to be a concern in a handful of states. Now it is a national issue. In North Carolina and Virginia, where large numbers of Latinos have settled, and Minnesota, where Somalis and other Africans are now numerous, the Church is ministering to immigrants after generations of largely serving an exclusively native-born population. In regard to security, Church teaching affirms that nations have the right to
Peter Feuerherd writes from Queens, NY, where he is a professor of communications and journalism at St. John’s University. Nancy Wiechec’s photos are from CNS.
Refugees in Scripture Bishops are quick to refer to Scripture when discussing or writing about immigration. Here are some favorite passages:
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There are the words of Jesus in Matthew 25: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
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The Holy Family, in their flight to Egypt described in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, is seen as refugees fleeing the wrath of a despotic King Herod. In the Acts of the Apostles, the earliest Christians, forced to flee Jerusalem, landed throughout the Middle East, establishing communities in places such as Antioch, a city in what is now Turkey. S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 39
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A Coastal Gem
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isitors to St. Mary’s in Charleston, South Carolina, are enthusiastic about the beauty of the church’s interior, the fine music, the liturgies, and the excellent acoustics. In a town especially rich in historically and architecturally significant houses of worship—Charleston is often referred to as “the Holy City of South Carolina”—St. Mary’s is a standout. When the parish was established in 1789, it was the first and only Catholic church in the Carolinas and Georgia. The founding of St. Mary’s inspired the foundation of other Catholic parishes throughout the Deep South. Construction of the church you see today began in 1839. Built in the Greek Revival style, which was popular in the United States at the time, the simple exterior offers no hint of the loveliness of the church’s interior. The paintings first attract the visitor’s attention—there are almost 30 of them decorating St. Mary’s walls and ceiling. The oldest work of art in the church is the painting of the Crucifixion over the main altar—it is the work of an American artist, John Cogdell.
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The stained glass windows were ordered from the Mayer Glassworks in Munich, Germany, a firm that supplied windows for seemingly countless Catholic churches and institutions in the 19th century. And in the choir loft is the church’s organ, this one installed in 1874 to replace the organ that had been destroyed by an artillery shell during the Union Navy’s bombardment of Charleston, toward the end of the Civil War. On your way out of the church, walk through the old churchyard—the headstones tell an interesting history of St. Mary’s and of the city of Charleston. Adapted from 101 Places to Pray Before You Die by Thomas J. Craughwell (Franciscan Media).
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St. Mary of the Annunciation Church 89 Hasell St. Charleston, SC 843-329-3237 SaintMaryHasellSt.org S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 41
Who Do You Say That I Am? Jesus asks this of all his disciples. How do we respond?
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n our spiritual journeys, we each must decide how we relate to sacred writings. For instance, do we view the Bible as only a historical document or as something dynamic that functions more as an invitation rather than an operations manual? If we choose to view Scripture as an invitation, that opens a door to the possibility that whatever Jesus says in Scripture is directed not only to the disciples and the other people of his time but also to each of us. That includes his questions. In Matthew 16:13–20, when Jesus asks his disciples what people are saying about who he is, they give him several answers. Then he looks at Peter and asks, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” a response that pleases Jesus. Was that a pop quiz for which Peter, fortunately, gave the correct answer? That is one way to view it. But suppose I view it as an invitation. Suppose I consider that the question is directed not only to Peter but to me, not as a quiz but as an invitation to explore exactly who and what Jesus is in my life. That is the invitation extended to each of us. There are names for Jesus that others have said I should believe, such as the Messiah, savior, redeemer, and Son of God. Scripture scholar Marcus Borg refers to this as “secondhand religion,” i.e., “a way of being religious based on believing what one has heard from others.” His invitation calls me to reflect on what
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those correct or secondhand answers actually mean to me. Looking honestly at those terms is both helpful and uncomfortable. For example, I become aware that I don’t have a strong sense of what it means when I hear things such as, “Jesus died for your sins,” or when I am asked, “Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?” However, when I remember waking up on June 2, 1983, with a strong sense that it was time for me to confront the addiction in my life, and when I think of the many times since then that I turned to Jesus for help in getting through the next day or even the next minute without picking up a drink, I find that I have a strong and enduring sense of being saved and redeemed. Considering the answer that Jesus is the Son of God also makes me very uneasy. If he is the Son of God, then that means everything he said came from God. That includes his call to love my enemy, to embrace the poor and marginalized, and to be very careful about my attachment to stuff. In response to his invitation, then, I came up with a list of other names for Jesus that comprise my own answer to his question: prince of peace, rebel, teacher, storyteller, healer, the way, criminal, and friend to sinners. These titles have great meaning to me, and I want to share them with you. I want to share them not because they are the correct answer, but rather as a way to encourage you to begin to develop your own way to answer Jesus’ question to Peter.
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The Prince of Peace attachments. I see that he took time for himself, trying to find a balance between service and self-care. I also observe that he had a temper and was not afraid to confront. As my teacher, Jesus challenges me to examine how I treat myself. He openly challenges me to love myself as my neighbor, a task with which many of us struggle.
images such as the mustard seed or new wine at a wedding feast.
The Healer
The Rebel
The Teacher The Jesus of my understanding is clearly the teacher. But what is it that he teaches me? By word and example, he teaches me how to treat others. This includes not only kindness and support, but also by absence of judgment. When I observe how Jesus lived his life, I notice that he had few 44 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
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If I call Jesus the rebel, as Jackson Browne does in his great song “The Rebel Jesus,” then I am accepting that he was outspoken when he saw injustice. In his book What Paul Meant, Garry Wills suggests Jesus didn’t come to create a new Church but to perfect his own Judaism. Thus, many of his most critical words were leveled at synagogue authorities. He was trying to reform the Judaism of his day. As such, he stirred up trouble and was punished for it. He was condemned for challenging the establishment. Giving my Jesus the title of rebel means that I am embracing his challenge to speak out, particularly within my own Catholic Church. If I believe my Church, be it local or universal, is straying from Jesus’ message, then I am called to confront and perhaps to suffer attack and judgment as a result. As Jackson Browne sings, “But if any one of us should interfere/In the business of why there are poor/ They get the same as the rebel Jesus.”
The Storyteller Jesus is also the storyteller. Some of his most memorable teachings come in the form of stories, inviting us to immerse ourselves in them, identifying first with this character, and then that one. He challenges me to find within myself not only the prodigal son, but also the prodigal son’s resentful brother, to discover in myself both the good Samaritan and the others who pass by him. He helps me with stories that include metaphors for faith. Thus, my efforts to comprehend the elusive concept of faith are helped with
The Gospels include many portrayals of Jesus as the healer. But in answer to his question, do I say Jesus is the healer of me? I clearly credit Jesus with redeeming me from addiction. But I have experienced Jesus as healer in other ways. Psychiatrist Carl Jung gave us the gift of creative imagination to tease out richness and guidance from our dreams. Christian writers such as the Linn brothers and Sheila Fabricant expanded this technique into the realm of spiritual healing. Thus, we can enter into a painful situation through our imagination, then invite Jesus to come into that scene for healing. At one point, I found myself bothered by a series of dreams I’d had of being in prison. I was unable to make sense of these dreams and so imagined myself in a cell and invited Jesus to enter the scene. As he stood outside my cell, I asked, “Please, Jesus, help me get out of here.” Jesus chuckled and said, “The door’s not locked.” Indeed, when I pushed the door, it swung open. I asked Jesus what this prison image was all about. He said, “Your prison is your resentments,” and then mentioned one person in particular. This healing experience was only a beginning. I had a lot of work to do. That is often how I experience Jesus as healer. He points the way, but doesn’t necessarily do all the work. I also learn an important lesson about healing from the recounting of Jesus healing the 10 lepers. Only one leper returns to thank Jesus. He wonders where the other nine are, not so much because he wants to bask in their thanks but because of the important impact of gratitude on continued healing. Thus, the 10th leper reminds me not only to be grateful for my healing but also to continue in gratitude as a way of enriching and continuing the healing. S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
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Jesus clearly is the prince of peace. Calling him this, however, is not simply saying something warm and fuzzy. If I choose to call him this, then I am embracing all he stands for regarding peace. Jesus clearly stood for nonviolence. He challenges me several times to love my enemy, remembering that my enemy may indeed be a combatant in a foreign land, but may also be my annoying neighbor down the street. Further, as prince of peace, he challenges and invites me to be a peace-maker, to not simply keep my mouth shut and stay out of trouble but to actively foster peace in all my daily dealings.
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The Way Jesus describes himself as the way. For me, this is reminiscent of the Tao of Chinese philosophy, also translated as “the way.” The Tao is presented as a philosophy to help one negotiate life’s journey. Among other things, the Tao reminds us of the interconnection of opposites. Thus, light has no meaning without dark. When Jesus says he is the way, he is telling us not only to follow his guidance, but also to approach life as he did. Therefore, my answer to his question “Who do you say that I am?” becomes even more important since it will outline how Jesus is the way for me.
The Criminal It might strike you as strange, even irreverent, that I have listed criminal as part of my answer to Jesus’ question. But was he not labeled a criminal? Was he not tried and convicted? And, most important, was he not executed between two other criminals? The part of his message that seems FranciscanMedia.org
to get lost is that he came for the marginalized. He was condemned for dining with sinners. The hero of his good Samaritan story is someone treated as a foreigner. Remember his great teaching on the final judgment? He counts himself among the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned, and points out to each of us that when we refuse to help these marginalized people, we refuse to help him! In naming Jesus as criminal, I also note that, in our day, many of our greatest saints and prophets spent time in jail: Dorothy Day, Nelson Mandela, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In that regard, Daniel Berrigan’s observation on prison garb strikes me as rather Christlike: “For the first time, I put on the prison blue jeans and denim shirt, the clerical attire I highly recommend for a new church.”
The Friend to Sinners Naming Jesus as the friend to sinners goes beyond his commitment to the
marginalized. For me, it offers hope. The Catholicism of my youth paid a lot of attention to sin, such that, when I did sin, I felt I had lost Jesus’ friendship. Jesus didn’t excuse sin, but he clearly loved the sinner. As I bump along on my own spiritual path, that image of Jesus as a friend to sinners helps me persist in my effort to do better and to see that he is out of my life only if I banish him.
Your Name for Jesus There are other names for Jesus: the good shepherd, the bread of life, the king of glory. These are just a few of them. Perhaps these names have a greater meaning to you. Just keep in mind that, for you, the only correct answer to his question is your personal one. Who do you say that he is? Richard B. Patterson, PhD, is a clinical psychologist from El Paso, Texas. He has had a number of articles published in this magazine, including “Jesus’ Forgotten Commandment” (July 2016). S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 45
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S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
Beginnings First a stroke, then a rehab center—then came her silver lining.
F IC T ION B Y K AT HLEEN O’C ONNOR
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hy Eileen Noonan thinks an a bedridden, broken, 80-year-old woman needs a coloring book is beyond me. Since the white-haired, pinksmocked volunteer is a sweet lady and my neighbor, I accept the crayons and glossy book, intending to stuff them in my bedside cupboard. She points a polished nail at her offerings. “This is a new way to color for adults. It’s called Zentangle and is all about patterns and lines.” It doesn’t look much different from what my third-grade class produced 60 years ago. Still, I try to summon up some appreciation. I’ve known Eileen since high school. She sets her fabric purse on her lap. “Guess I’ll go do my shopping. Do you need anything?” I shake my head. “My high school student still visits and brings things.” “How grand!” “I don’t know. This is no place for a kid.” “Christina sounds very mature, and this is a nice rehabilitation center.”
T ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTIANE GRAUERT
he Michael Keep Center is well run but full of people who are sick, aged, and in pain. Christina is 16 but not mature. She lost her mother to cancer, and last year her father married a woman she dislikes. On a good day, she feels neutral about her new, young stepsister. Of the dozens of students I have tutored since retirement, Christina was my least academically successful. But when I got sick, she did everything right. We were reading when the pain started behind my left eye. She dialed 911 as I slid under the table. “You were lucky to have her with you,” Eileen says. “I was supposed to be taking care of her. It’s as if I drove the bus into a ditch.”
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“Stop that negative thinking, Agnes.” She pats my hand and escapes as tears flow down my cheeks. I was never an emotional woman but now cry almost daily. When you are at your lowest, a young, cheerful physical therapist always appears. Marie hands me a tissue. It’s coarse and scratchy, nothing like the ones I have at home. “How are you feeling?” It should be obvious. Still I answer, “Sad.” A lifetime of learning has deserted me, but a residual politeness remains. “We’ll get you up and have you feeling better.” I doubt that. Using a canvas loop, she swings me up into a sitting position and then transitions me into a wheelchair. I do a few stretches, lift a 1-pound weight with my good arm, and raise my right leg a dozen times. It’s a modest program, but I’m exhausted. “We’ll stop here. You already worked hard this morning, and I know your visitor is coming.” “Maybe not.” You can’t count on Christina. She is easily bored. “She’ll come.”
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y therapist is right. Christina arrives at 4:00, dumps her denim backpack on the floor, and announces, “I brought you something.” She pulls out a newspaper, folds it to the crossword page, and sets it on my lap. The newspaper is slightly damp and probably came from someone’s recycling bin. Focusing on the print makes me nauseous. The little boxes swim across the page. “Can’t,” I tell her. She grabs the newspaper and shakes her head. She is pretty but sullen with hair dyed cotton-candy pink. A rose tattoo climbs up her arm. S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 47
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“There is no ‘can’t,’” she parrots. “We do the ones we know, guess at others, and then go for help at the answer page.” “I was so preachy.” She rolls her eyes and asks for a four-letter word—the president between Nixon and Carter. “Ford?” “Now one down begins with an F. It’s a six-letter word for a disorderly commotion.” I shrug. “Fracas,” she tells me. Her vocabulary has grown impressively. As we struggle through the puzzle, my head begins to throb. Tears feel imminent. I used to be good at this, and now I’m not good at anything. I need Christina to leave. She sets the paper on the nightstand and picks up an envelope. “You got a card. Should I open it?” As she rips open the envelope, a $20 bill flutters out. It’s a get-well card from my nephew and couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. I hand her the bill. “Is there somewhere you could get us a snack? I’d really like some fresh hot coffee.” Christina has easy access to outrage. “That’s all he is doing for you— an occasional card with money? That’s like my lame grandparents.” “He offered to come, but I’m not ready yet. I am ready for the coffee, though” I try to smile to counter my sarcasm. My mouth doesn’t cooperate. “There’s a sandwich shop right next door.”
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Formed by Jesuits When Connick was 13 his mother died of ovarian cancer. Her death was, understandably, the most difficult moment in his life. He recalls that his extended family on his father’s side and the Jesuits at his high school were a great help to him. FRANCISCANMEDIA.ORG
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Once Connick decided to embrace Catholicism, Father Nick Schiro, SJ, accompanied the young teen through the RCIA program and baptized him. New Orleans Archbishop Philip Hannon confirmed him. Connick recalls: “It was a very proud day. I was going to Mass every day at that point. I was holding on to everything I could to get me through those hard times.” Bob Fecas taught freshman theology. His unorthodox way of teaching impressed Connick, who calls it an “OK to ask anything class.” Fecas taught students the value of thinking things through, searching, and asking questions. Besides Fathers McGinn and Schiro, he liked the young “cool priest,” Father Eddie Gross, who played the guitar and sang “La Bamba” all the time. Their friendship continues to this day. With all this Jesuit influence, it’s easy to see why Harry Connick Jr.’s favorite saint is St. Ignatius of Loyola. Connick says that he learned two lofty ideals from St. Ignatius that he tries to live every day: to let your light shine in the world by helping people and to do the small things well.
New Orleans Habitat Musicians Village After the flooding of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Connick, his friend and fellow musician Branford Marsalis, and their manager, Ann Marie Wilkins, wanted to do something to rebuild New Orleans. They came up with the idea to shine their light on the Upper Ninth Ward:
(Opposite) Here’s Harry! On TODAY he dazzles with prowess singing and playing. SEPTEMBER 2017
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HARRY CONNICK JR.
Who Do You Say That I Am?
e’s known to millions for his music, acting, and now as host of a nationally syndicated daytime variety-chat television show simply called Harry. St. Anthony Messenger interviewed the star this past February at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Joseph “Harry” Fowler Connick Jr. is named for his father, who was named for St. Joseph but called Harry. Connick Jr. speaks with a soft accent and a conversant style. Connick, winner of Grammy and Emmy awards, has sold over 28 million albums. A child prodigy, when he was nine years old he performed a Beethoven prelude. As an adult he’s been on television, in movies, and on Broadway. He’s a husband to Jill and the father of three daughters, Georgia, Sarah Kate, and Charlotte. Many know that Connick is Catholic, but they might not know that he wasn’t baptized until he was 14 years old. Harry Sr. is still a devout Catholic and his mother, Anita, was Jewish. They decided that they would let Connick and his older sister, Suzanna, now a psychiatrist and internist in the army, choose their own faith. Subsequently they both became Catholic.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILKINS MANAGEMENT
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get ready for dinner. Don’t forget the coloring book, and don’t forget you are an amazing young woman.” She looks startled but seems to understand I’m saying goodbye. She packs up and leaves without a backward glance. The emotion of it all exhausts me, and I doze off. Sleep is no longer comforting because I always wake in terror. “My arm is frozen,” I tell the nurse’s aide who is positioning my dinner tray. There is sympathy in her brown eyes. “You’ve had a stroke, Mrs. Lydon. But your right arm works fine, and you need to eat something.” The food is pureed and tasteless, but I force down a few bites and then finish Christina’s cinnamon bun. I miss her already.
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y days stay busy, and that helps. In the therapy room, I’m able to take a few halting steps at the parallel bars. It’s a victory. My left arm remains lifeless. A polyester cast keeps it from dangling down. On Tuesday, the nurse’s aide asks, “Where is your young friend?” Her four-day absence is awkward to explain because up until now she has been so present. She has brought me sweaters, soft ice cream, and daily reports of her dysfunctional family. Last weekend, she gave me a makeover that included plum eye shadow and black-cherry lipstick. “She is focusing on her own life. Sixteen is a busy time.” “You must miss her.” ANSWERS TO PETE AND REPEAT
(Left) The Church is close to Harry’s heart. Here he supports Catholic Charities of Dallas.
HARRY CONNICK JR. ThisSORROWS world-famous actor andMARY musician has one driving force: his Catholic faith. THE SEVEN OF
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hile she is gone, I ring for a nurse’s aide to put me back in bed. After some deep breaths, and despite my lifeless arm tucked under the sheets, I feel almost normal. When Christina returns and sets the coffee and small slices of cinnamon bun in front of me, I’m able to thank her. “This is wonderful; you’ve been wonderful.” She gives her baggy black tunic a tug down and shakes her head. “My dad and stepmother don’t think so. We have to go out for dinner tonight, and they’ll be mad I didn’t get Princess Pamela a birthday gift.” “How old is she?” “Seven, but she still carries her bear everywhere. She’ll go from table to table, introducing it to people. My dad calls her Goldilocks.” And he doesn’t have a pet name for you. Christina’s father is giving too much attention to this new stepchild and too little to his troubled teenager. I point to my bedside table. “Take that coloring book and crayons. You could color with her while you’re waiting for dinner.” “And what’s in it for me?” Christina is complicated—both selfish and selfless. It depends on how she perceives things. The possibility of a sister and lifelong friend won’t impress her. She needs an immediate reward. “Maybe your dad will notice and increase your allowance.” “Yeah, right.” She pulls a worn hardcover book from the backpack. “Should I read to you?” “Not today.” It’s a sweet offer, but I’m tired. “You need to go home and
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1. Pete’s shirt has a small collar. 2. There is a cloud in the sky. 3. A white stripe has appeared on the shoe of Pete’s friend. 4. One of the red lights on the bus is larger. 5. There are lines on the windshield. 6. An image is on the cover of Pete’s book. 7. A lane divider is on the road. 8. Pete’s friend has a second strap on his backpack.
S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
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finish my physical therapy, and Stanley wheels me back to my room. The tall young man never speaks and the staff nicknamed him “Silent Stan.” So it startles me when he booms, “There’s a kid in front of your door.” “That can’t be.” But as we get closer, I see a blond child holding a large, fuzzy bear outside my door. As we approach, she darts into the room. I hear her talking to someone and feel as if my heart will burst.
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Stanley wheels me into the room and departs. Christina turns. She is wearing colors—a pink shirt with blue jeans. What a beauty, she is. “Hey, Agnes!” All my other students called me Ms. Lydon, but Christina was too needy and sad for formalities. I want to casually say, “Hey, you,” but instead burble, “Where have you been?” “We went to Hershey, Pennsylvania, for a long weekend. I wanted to let you know, but Dad said you’d love a break from me. He is so clueless sometimes.” That is true. Christina gestures Pamela to come forward. I shake hands with her and the bear. “What is his name?” “Thelonious.” “He’s named for Thelonious Monk. Her dad liked jazz,” Christina says. No wonder the child is devoted to this bear. It’s all she has of her late father. Pamela stands on tiptoe. “Can we ask her?” Christina smiles. “We want to take you to lunch. I’ll wheel and Miss Pamela will open the doors. The coffee shop is just next door.” I’m terrified to leave this safe place. What if I choke? “I’m a messy eater.” Pamela touches my arm. “Thelonious is a messy eater, too. He burps.” “And that’s on a good day,” Christina quips, but there is fondness in the look she directs at her sister. With me, she is a bit bossy. “As I said, we’re only going next door, and your nurse says you can have french fries and applesauce.” I nod, and we head out. For the last bit of the journey, Pamela allows me to hold her bear. I’ve had many honors but never one of this magnitude. Kathleen O’Connor is a graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and recipient of a James Michener Fellowship. She is the author of four novels. Her short stories and articles have appeared in Good Housekeeping, Liguorian, St. Anthony Messenger, Redbook, Seventeen, and Woman’s World.
So that his work might continue...
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The inspiring music of Rafael Moreno
Rafael Moreno is a singer and composer of Catholic music. He was born in México, and has used his gifts for music since very early in his childhood by participating in Catholic festivals and parish choirs. His music has inspired many across our nation. You can sample every song by Rafael Moreno at VoicesAsOne.com and wlpmusic.com
World Library Publications the music and liturgy division of J.S.Paluch Company, Inc. wlpmusic.com SAM0917
I miss her beyond words. Eileen Noonan visits me on Wednesday with a plate of scones. Eileen has been a good friend, but it was Christina who saved me. In the days after my stroke, she muscled her way into the ICU. Her mission was to bring me earrings. “On top of everything else that’s gone wrong, you don’t want to have to get your ears re-pierced.” She looped hoops through my ears and stayed to hold my hand. During my illness, Christina changed from a dejected, self-conscious girl into someone a bit self-important and bossy. It’s heady stuff to save someone’s life, but for her to be truly heroic, I needed to fully recover. I can’t and feel like such a failure. My physical therapist notices I’m distracted. “Tough morning?” “It was a tough night. I couldn’t sleep and kept thinking of what I could have done better in my life.” Her pretty face turns serious. “Depression is common after a stroke. I could ask the social worker to send for a psychologist. We could get you some sleep medication.” “Thank you, no.” “If you are sure.” I’m not sure, but nights are when I talk to God and ask questions. I don’t want to be in a medicated sleep and miss his answers. But sleep is healing, and I may change my mind. I ponder my crossword philosophy. What do I know, and what can I guess at? Very little is certain, and I suspect I will relearn to walk, but my arm isn’t coming back.
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 49
ASK A FRANCISCAN
| B Y FAT H E R PAT M c C L O S K E Y, O F M
Handling Post-Abortion Guilt I have had two abortions. My friend at work told me that the Catholic faith can help me with the massive guilt that I feel. Please tell me how.
name. There you will find live links to an interview with Vickie Thorn, several “Ask a Franciscan” Q and As about abortion and forgiveness, and other resources. There are also other Catholic pro-life ministries. Rachel’s Vineyard is another post-abortion ministry. Contact it through RachelsVineyard.org or 888-482-5433. Your friend was absolutely correct. The Catholic Church can help you deal with your abortions. May the God of life be your strength and your healing.
Thanks for writing. You are not alone in realizing that an abortion has lingering psychological effects for many people—mostly women but also for men. God gives life to born and unborn humans. The best-known Catholic group offering help to people in your situation may be Project Rachel, founded in 1984 by Vickie Thorn, a Milwaukee wife and mother who reached out to a friend who had an abortion. At HopeAfterAbortion.com, you can find resources and contact information (including a helpline at 888-456-4673). If you first want to learn more about them, go to FranciscanMedia.org and search for Project Rachel, the group’s original
How Can Mary Be the ‘Mother of God’? In the second part of the Hail Mary, we say, “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” My fundamentalist brother wants to know how Mary can be the mother of God if God made Mary. How can I explain this?
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Although Mary is not the mother of God in the sense that she is the mother of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (the Trinity), she is the mother of Jesus Christ, who is fully human and fully divine. This title for Mary was accepted in AD 431 at the Council of Ephesus, which addressed the teachings of Nestorius, who said that Mary can be called the “Christ bearer” (Christotokos) but not the “God bearer” (Theotokos). The dispute over the title God
bearer is more about Jesus than about Mary. To deny that title to Mary for the reason given by Nestorius is to question whether Jesus was, in fact, fully divine as well as fully human. The way Nestorius spoke about Jesus suggested two persons (one divine and one human) rather than a single person with two natures (divine and human). The Scriptures were given to faith communities (Jews and Christians) and must be understood by accepting help from those faith communities. In fact, the Bible’s table of contents comes not from a specific divine revelation but from the faith communities’ recognition of which writings belong to God’s unique self-revelation. Christian fundamentalists tend to deny any legitimacy to the faith community’s understanding of the Scriptures. They have put themselves in an impossible situation: implicitly accepting the faith community’s list of divinely inspired books (the biblical canon) yet rejecting that faith community’s ability to interpret those same Scriptures. The faith community can legitimately discern which nonbiblical language (for example, Theotokos) accurately reflects their faith. Mainline Christians had already crossed that bridge in 325 AD when they accepted the nonbiblical term homoousios (“of the same substance”) as the best term to describe Jesus’ relation to God the Father. What Archimedes reportedly said about levers (“Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world.”) probably applies here. Biblical fundamentalists destroy the very thing that would give them a place to stand. S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
Why into the Swine? In Mark 5:1–20, we read about a possessed man whose demons Jesus cast into a herd of swine, who rush into the Sea of Galilee and drown there. The story continues with an account that the local people who witnessed this event urged Jesus to leave their region. Why did Jesus send the demons into the swine instead of back to hell? Where did the demons end up after the swine died? In the New Jerusalem Biblical Commentary, Daniel Harrington, SJ, wrote the article on the Gospel of Mark. Father Harrington notes that the possessed man had lived among tombs and that death and demonic possession were often linked. The demons recognize the true identity of Jesus but refuse to give him their names, instead calling themselves “Legion.” They want to use Jesus’ name to control him and delay the inbreaking of God’s kingdom. Harrington writes: “The idea that demons had to find a dwelling place is common (see Luke 11:4), lest they reach their place of eternal punishment (Rev 9:1; 20:10). Here the demons ask the favor of being allowed to stay in the same general region.” You ask where the demons finally ended up. Probably back in hell, waiting to possess someone else. We need to accept Gospel stories for what the evangelist clearly wanted to communicate—no matter how many details we may feel were insufficiently addressed.
Why Was Lucifer Created? Why were Lucifer and his band of angels created when God knew what would happen to him and the human race?
FranciscanMedia.org
Your question presumes that God acts in time as humans do: past, present, future. That, however, is a human restriction on God. God created Lucifer for the same reason that God created everything else: to share life. Unfortunately, Lucifer eventually resented his subordinate status and led a revolt of angels. The question “What did God know when?” is framed in terms of human time. That question dissolves if God is not confined to human time. John Milton may have explained Satan best: “I will not serve” (Paradise Lost).
not baptized members of it. They can, however, be saved; the college of bishops, united with the bishop of Rome, taught this at Vatican II (Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, 3). In the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, we read: “For since Christ died for everyone, and since all are called, in fact, to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility that of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery” (22).
Outside the Church?
Father Pat welcomes your questions! Mail to: Ask a Franciscan 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 or E-mail: Ask@FranciscanMedia.org All questions sent by mail need to include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Are loyal, adult followers of Islam, using their free will, considered outside the Church? They are outside the Catholic Church in the sense that they are
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S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 51
BOOK CORNER
| BY CAROL ANN MORROW
Love Let Go
Radical Generosity for the Real World By Laura Truax and Amalya Campbell William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company 215 pages • $21.99 Hardcover/E-book Reviewed by ANDREW VANDIVER, a millennial and an adult convert to Catholicism. He currently serves as the associate director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky.
SOCIAL MEDIA
PICKS The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero
Timothy Egan The Red Tent
Anita Diamant Littlest Suffering Souls: Children Whose Short Lives Point Us to Christ
Austin Ruse
The Fix: A Father’s Secrets, a Daughter’s Search
Sharon Leder
A Long Long Way
Sebastian Barry
52 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7
“Please stay seated for a moment while we hear a report from the parish finance council.” For many churchgoers, this is the most dreaded statement a pastor can make after Mass. Is this going to be another boring report? Will my kids be able to wait five more minutes for their post-Mass doughnut? Imagine that, rather than the usual report, you learn that there was an unexpected million-dollar windfall and a significant portion of the funds will be distributed to every family in the parish. Members of the parish are advised to go and do good with the funds they receive. This is essentially what happened at LaSalle Street Church. Love Let Go. tells the story of LaSalle’s radical experiment in generosity and encourages the reader to take part. In addition to LaSalle’s story, the book features reflections on generosity as a concept. The authors rely on Scripture, psychology, and social science to make the case for generosity. LaSalle is a nondenominational church in Chicago. Decades before the events of
the book, LaSalle had joined with local partners to invest in a racially integrated housing development. Early in this century, LaSalle was put in a position in which it had to sell its interest in the development. The church received over $1.6 million for its interest, roughly double its annual budget. Yet deciding what to do with the proceeds was not easy. Members of the church had viewed the development as a ministry to the community. Many felt a moral imperative to reinvest in the community as opposed to using the funds to plug holes in the church’s budget. Vigorous debate ensued, with each member feeling the weight of the decisions to come. Church leadership eventually coalesced around the idea that 10 percent of the funds should be given to their congregation with no strings attached. The gift would act as a metaphor for what God does every day by placing resources in our hands and asking us to do something good with them. The most compelling parts of Love Let Go. focus on the stories surrounding LaSalle’s decision and the acts of generosity that followed. Unfortunately, these stories are broken up by lengthy discussions on the science of generosity. It is not that these sections do not contain wisdom, but rather the transitions between topics are often jarring. At times, it almost feels like two different books. Nevertheless, the book offers an inspirational tale that will challenge readers. It would be a particularly good read for anyone who sits on a parish committee, charged with financial decisions. The book emphasizes generosity, but it is just as much about the need for discernment. While the book doesn’t deny the importance of a church taking care of its own facilities and ministries, it does challenge readers not to give in to the temptation of security above all else. LaSalle’s experiment in generosity might not be for everyone, but the discernment process that they went through is something that leaders in all churches could benefit from studying. ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER
BOOK BRIEFS
Prayer for the Whole Family Busy Lives & Restless Souls How Prayer Can Help You Find the Missing Peace in Your Life By Becky Eldredge Loyola Press 152 pages • $13.95 Paperback/E-book
We Stood Upon Stars Finding God in Lost Places By Roger W. Thompson WaterBrook 240 pages • $15.99 Paperback/E-book
Spiritual director Becky Eldredge offers a friendly, entry-level approach to Ignatian spirituality. It’s short enough for a busy schedule, but deep enough for years of reference.
Praying for Girls
Asking God for the Things They Need Most Reviewed by FATHER DAN LACKIE, OFM, who promotes the work of the Franciscan friars of the Province of St. Barbara, many of whom have been lost and found in places described in this book. This engaging mosaic of travel tales could well be titled “Little Flowers of a Franciscan Soul.” Amusing, poetic, earthy (much mention of coffee, guacamole, beer, and VW vans), and often very funny, these are firstperson wisdom stories, clustered in 31 short chapters. With custom maps heading each, the book doubles as a guidebook to scenic spots, hiking trails, cafes, and fishing holes from Southern California to Montana, all the way to the Black Hills of South Dakota and down to Texas. At the heart of it all is the author’s keen sense of wonder—note the title—and his openhearted delight in describing all that he sees along the way, including his own foibles. Encounters with bears, trout, waitresses, auto mechanics, and other creatures, coupled with the uncomfortable questions posed by his wife and their two young sons, inspire accounts of inner journeys as well, through marriage, faith, fatherhood, and grief. All are skillfully recounted. The book celebrates the beauty of discovering one’s place in the web of heartfelt connections formed by father, grandfather, wife, God, hometown, sons, wilderness, and friends. In more ways than one, Thompson roams Franciscan territory, a pilgrim of joy, a voice of sanity, and a welcome companion in our “crowded and charted world.” FRANCISCANMEDIA.ORG
By Teri Lynne Underwood Bethany House 208 pages • $13.99 Paperback/E-book Underwood’s Praying for Girls is rooted in Scripture. She offers readers conversational advice for five important areas of a girl’s life: her identity, her heart, her mind, her relationships, and her purpose. Sample prayers and bloggy tips throughout recall the author’s experience in hosting an online prayer community.
Imaginative Prayer
A Yearlong Guide for Your Child’s Spiritual Formation By Jared Patrick Boyd InterVarsity Press 304 pages • $19 Paperback Suitable for the classroom or home study, this book provides 42 sessions of guidance for helping elementary through middle-school children learn how to pray. Boyd is detailed in his prescriptions, down to suggesting how long to pause between Bible passages. Best for those who may struggle with the imaginative side of prayer themselves. —K.C. Books featured in Book Corner and Book Briefs can be ordered from
St. Mary’s Bookstore & Church Supply 1909 West End Avenue • Nashville, TN 37203 • 800-233-3604 www.stmarysbookstore.com • stmarysbookstore@gmail.com Prices shown in Book Corner do not include shipping.
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A C AT H O L I C M O M S P E A K S
| BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER
A Changing Faith
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY KURNICK MAASS
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n the over 20 years that I have been writing for this magazine, I’ve seen tons of letters from parents worrying about their children’s faith lives. Most of the time, it’s concern over their children stepping away from the practice of their faith. And for years, I read them from the perspective of a mom whose four children were following along closely in my footsteps of faith. Children challenging the faith of their upbringing was someone else’s problem—not mine. Then my kids started growing up and stepping out from my footsteps. My oldest daughter, Maddie, naturally started first, voicing her concerns and questions about the Church and its teachings. As her worldview and experiences began to expand through her education, so did her sense of curiosity and 54 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
desire to challenge things she had always just accepted. In some ways, it reminded me of when she was younger and constantly asked, “Why?” Except now she wasn’t accepting, “Just because,” as a valid answer anymore. Shortly after, her brother, Alex— who had been an altar server all through grade school and was attending a Catholic high school— began to express similar feelings. Getting him out of bed for Sunday Mass was becoming increasingly difficult. Luckily, our two youngest haven’t fallen in line with their siblings, but I know they are watching. How had this happened? My husband, Mark, and I had tried to do everything right to avoid this exact situation. We sent them to Catholic schools, even when the local public school was excellent. We took them
to Mass. We modeled our faith for them.
Stay the Course When I talked about this with my friends, I was somewhat relieved to know that Mark and I aren’t alone in our challenge to pass along the faith to our kids. But knowing that, while it brings some comfort, isn’t much practical help. I need concrete solutions, a road map of how to get my kids back on the faith track. Then one day, I remembered something a family friend told me regarding my kids, in general. I was expressing concern about something completely unrelated to the topic of faith and she told me, “Just keep doing what you’re doing.” Suddenly, it hit me. I always knew my kids were going to forge their own paths in life when it came to so many different things. I could S t . A n t h o n y M e ss e n g e r
PRAYER FOR YOUNG ADULTS Gracious and Loving God, Help these young men and women to be a light for all the world to see, in all the places they live and work. Let their light shine for all peoples: for their families, for their church communities, for their cultures and societies, for the economic and political systems, for the whole world. Coming into the room where the disciples were gathered after the resurrection, Jesus, your son, said, “’Peace be with you!”(Jn 20:21). Make these men and women bearers of Christ’s peace.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY KURNICK MAASS
Teach them the meaning of what was said on the mountain: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God” (cf. Mt 5:9). Send them, Father, as you sent your son: to free their brothers and sisters from fear and sin. We ask this of you, in Christ’s name. Amen. Adapted from St. John Paul II’s homily for World Youth Day 1995, Manila, courtesy of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
already see that happening. The best I could do in those situations, I would tell myself, is to be a good example and pray that they’re paying attention. Why had this not occurred to me when it came to their faith lives?
Lead by Example I thought about my own faith journey. When I was Maddie’s age, didn’t I push back when I felt that my parents were making faith decisions for me? Despite the fact that I was very involved in my parish during high school, didn’t I walk away from the Church for a while once I started college? After a few years of questioning and searching, didn’t I return, drawn back by the tradition and sense of community my faith offered? That’s not to say that, to this day, I don’t have questions regarding certain Church teachings. But that’s OK. My faith is constantly changing and growing, as is everyone’s— including my kids’. The best I can do is to stay the course and hope they’re watching.
Do you have comments or suggestions for topics you’d like to see addressed in this column? Mail to: A Catholic Mom Speaks 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 Email to: CatholicMom@FranciscanMedia.org
P E T E a n d R E P E AT These scenes may seem alike to you, But there are changes in the two. So look and see if you can name ILLUSTRATION: TOM GREENE
Eight ways in which they’re not the same. (Answers on page 48)
FrANCISCANmeDIA.OrG
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 | 55
B AC K S T O R Y
Hearing from You
I
won’t devote a whole column to it, but suffice to say, judges from across the continent agree: you’re reading a fine magazine. The Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada recog-
nized us, some weeks back, with a stack of awards, including one of the “Magazine of the Year” awards.
PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON
Now-retired Art Director Jeanne Kortekamp was recognized for her fine design; Assistant Editor Kathleen M. Carroll won first place for her editorial on racism, and two of our writers, Joseph McHugh and Toni Cashnelli, won, respectively, first place for best analysis (“What Ramadan Taught Me about Lent”) and best feature (“Franciscan Respite for Refugees”). Speaking of finest quality, Art Director Mary Catherine Kozusko will be bringing us forward with a new look for St. Anthony Messenger. In preparation for the redesign, we’re having conversations with some of you. Digital Editor Christopher Heffron reports, “Feedback was overwhelmingly positive! Comforting is a word that one woman I talked to used.” Another commented that she wished more articles were longer; another said: “I don’t feel like I belong in my parish. Your magazine makes me feel like I’m part of the bigger picture.” Assistant Editor Kathleen M. Carroll was struck by “how engaged our readers are. Not only do they know our magazine intimately, but they share what they learn about the faith in these pages with their families, churches, and communities.” Managing Editor Daniel Imwalle heard that “readers spend time with the magazine throughout the month. It’s part of the household, in a way.” People he talked with “come from different parts of the political spectrum, but are unified in their need for spiritual enrichment.” We are grateful for the time that some of you have taken with us. I would love to have a phone conversation with any of you. Help us to improve your magazine! Email me and we’ll make arrangements. How good it is for us to get your feedback as we look ahead. We came back from the Catholic Media Convention with awards, including First Place for Joseph McHugh’s interfaith article on Lent.
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Editor in Chief JFeister@FranciscanMedia.org
ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER
REFLECTION
—St. Teresa of Calcutta
CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ
Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.
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Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows 9480 N. De Mazenod Drive • Belleville, IL 62223-1160
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Thank you for your generous support! 7/6/17 9:50 AM