July 2015 by St. Anthony Messenger

THE ‘POPE’S MAESTRO’

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Messenger St. Gianna Mother, Caregiver Wedding Feast at Cana Steps to a Simpler Life Faith-Filled Hero Car Wash Deacon

REFLECTION

Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. —Rachel Carson

CONTENTS

ST. ANTHONY Messenger

❘ JULY 2015 ❘ VOLUME 123/NUMBER 2

ON THE COVE R

28 St. Gianna Beretta Molla

St. Gianna embraced life and motherhood with a passion that flowed naturally from her deep Catholic beliefs. Her choice to save her child’s life before her own is a testament to that faith.

This caring mother, hardworking doctor, and nature lover is one of the patrons of the World Meeting of Families in September. By Daniel Imwalle

Photo courtesy of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation; photo frame © subjug/iStock; background © jcarroll-images/iStock

F E AT U R E S

D E PA R T M E N T S

14 Wedding Feast at Cana

2 Dear Reader

This story, found only in the Gospel of John, previews our own transformation: “Do whatever he tells you.” By Jean Vanier

3 From Our Readers 4 Followers of St. Francis Mark Schroeder, OFM

6 Reel Time

22 Steps toward a Simple Life Sometimes less is more. So how do we scale back? By Sue Erschen

Far from the Madding Crowd

Time Traveling with Brian Unger

34 The ‘Pope’s Maestro’ Sir Gilbert Levine is honoring Sts. John Paul II and John XXIII, and Pope Francis with a televised concert. By James Breig

10 Church in the News 13 At Home on Earth Cultivating Common Ground

40 Faith-Filled Hero The near tragedy of a baby trapped in a submerged car brought countless blessings. By Maureen Smith

8 Channel Surfing

20 Editorial A Sacrament at Risk

44 Cleaning Cars and Hearts This deacon ministers in a most unlikely place. By Terence L. Hegarty

50 Ask a Franciscan Did Judas Fulfill God’s Will?

52 Book Corner Five Years in Heaven

54 A Catholic Mom Speaks Bringing the Works of Mercy to Life

56 The Spirit of Francis Love of Creation

57 Backstory

DEAR READER

ST. ANTHONY M essenger

Radical Honesty At Pentecost, Francis used to gather the friars at St. Mary of the Angels outside Assisi. They used to receive instruction from Francis, confess their faults, report on their work, and be sent out on mission again (sometimes in the same area and other times to new mission fields). Anthony of Padua received a new assignment in the friars’ Bologna province at one of these meetings. We have 28 admonitions that Francis gave over the years. Most are quite short (5-10 printed lines), but a few are more lengthy. In Admonition XIX, Francis says, “What a person is before God, that he is and no more.” Because he was an incredibly honest man, Francis would agree that “and no less” is also true. St. Bonaventure reports that Francis often repeated this advice to live in a radically honest way. Jealous attitudes and hateful actions have a talent for making themselves look respectable. Francis’ “Admonitions” unmasked some of their frequent disguises, especially the seductive temptation to cling to an office within the brotherhood, claiming to serve the friars but in reality serving oneself. All of us need to avoid that temptation.

Publisher/CEO Daniel Kroger, OFM Chief Operating Officer Thomas A. Shumate, CPA Editor in Chief John Feister Art Director Jeanne Kortekamp Franciscan Editor Pat McCloskey, OFM Managing Editor Susan Hines-Brigger Associate Editor Christopher Heffron Assistant Editor Daniel Imwalle Editorial Assistant Sharon Lape Advertising tammy monjaras

Click the button on the left for more of Father Pat’s reflections on Francis.

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(U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 123, Number 2, is published monthly for $39.00 a year by the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-6498. 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 109200189. 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 St AnthonyMessenger.org for information on your digital edition. Writer’s guidelines can be found at StAnthony Messenger.org. 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 ©2015. All rights reserved.

2 ❘ J uly 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

FROM OUR READERS

A Wealth of Inspiration

Healing that Hits Home

The May issue of St. Anthony Messenger was chock-full of meaningful and interesting articles. I especially appreciated reading about Gina Loehr’s experience in Rome in her article, “Meeting Pope Francis,” since I had the privilege of hearing her speak at a fund-raising event in 2014. Also, Jerry Circelli’s article, “Prayer to the Rescue,” was a revelation; he told the story of the trapped Chilean miners as no secular news media ever would. It was altogether a wonderful and inspiring story to read. Nancy Gruber Harrison, Ohio

Richard Patterson’s “Wounded Healer” article from the May issue was a truly beautiful reflection! Yes, we “wounded healers” have a vocation which can be a blessing. Like the author, I am also motivated by Father Henri Nouwen’s writings. I have a mental illness, and have spent many years as a member/volunteer at a program called the “Breakthrough Club” in Wichita, Kansas. These are my people; we understand each other, and mutual support drives us and can be lifesaving, as well. It also sensitizes us to the cruelty of a government that, in my state, has drastically defunded facilities for people who have fallen on hard economic times and for those with disabilities. As an elderly man now, I look back and see that most of the best people I have known have been wounded, blessed gifts. Fred James Bel Aire, Kansas

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 slander or 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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What a Coincidence! I had just finished viewing the film Romero when I read Father Pat McCloskey’s editorial, “Martyrs for What?,” from the May issue. After reading the editorial, I think what upset me the most was the notion that some priests and cardinals did not see Romero’s suffering with the poor as a form of martyrdom. Sts. Thomas More and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) come to mind as two people whose sainthood might have been challenged on the grounds of political statements as opposed to being defenders of the faith. Yet one cannot deny the suffering they endured.

Sadly, I think many of the hierarchy are willing to follow Christ as long as it does not jeopardize their tee time at a local golf course. Oscar Romero evolved from a conservative intellectual to a man who identified with the poor and tried to defend them from oppression. I think Christ would be pleased to accept him as one of the saints of the Church. Don Bruce Suffern, New York

Wage Gap a ‘Myth’ I’m writing in response to Carol Ann Morrow’s April cover story, “An Interview with President Jimmy Carter.” In the interview, President Carter repeated the myth that “. . . a woman who does exactly the same level of work with the same level of authority and education is paid 23 percent less than a man.” This myth has been debunked by numerous studies. As Christina Hoff Sommers pointed out in the September 2, 2014, edition of Time magazine, “The 23-cent gender gap is simply the difference between the average earnings of all men and women working full time. It does not account for differences in occupations, positions, education, job tenure, or hours worked per week. When such relevant factors are considered, the wage gap narrows to the point of vanishing.” The description of the article in the table of contents aptly says of Jimmy Carter: “This human-rights advocate works tirelessly to improve women’s lives worldwide.” Unfortunately, Carter has repeated a myth that is heard so often that he has come to believe it is true. That, of course, does not take away from the good he has done. Chuck Rivetto Clarkston, Michigan Ju ly 2 0 15 ❘ 3

F O L L O W E R S O F S T. F R A N C I S

A Franciscan Call for Justice

hen you see the job title of animator, do you first think of creating characters for a Pixar movie? For Franciscans, animation has to do with generating spiritual movement and growth, as well as deepening social consciousness in their respective religious communities and beyond. Brother Mark Schroeder, OFM, is the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) animator for both St. Barbara and Our Lady of Guadalupe Franciscan Provinces. Brother Mark was born and raised in San Jose, California, and joined the Franciscans in 1977. The draw to Franciscan life and spirituality was both simple and powerful for him. “To live in community and work with the poor,” he answers when asked what attracted him to the Franciscans. His workplace may be on the small side (“My bedroom desk is my office!”), but the energy and commitment Brother Mark brings to justice concerns are huge. From his “bedroom desk” at the St. Francis Friary in Sacramento, California, Brother Mark administers FranciscansforJustice.org, a website dedicated to raising awareness of issues such as immigration, gun control, the

Mark Schroeder, OFM

death penalty, and the environment. “I picked the name for the joint province project,” Brother Mark recalls. “I hoped that this title [Franciscans for Justice] would be catchier than something with ‘JPIC’ in it, since most people beyond the Franciscan family don’t readily understand that acronym.” Under the broad categories of immigration, justice, peace, and care for creation, FranciscansforJustice.org provides news on major developments in those areas, notable upcoming events, and reflections on how these social-justice concerns intertwine with Franciscan spirituality. The immigration section, for example, presents many educational resources in both English and Spanish, along with links to organizations such as the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. “While the media have helped us all to see the plight of unaccompanied minors in the United States, there remain continued injustices to farmworkers and other immigrant laborers,” Brother Mark explains. The deaths of hundreds of immigrants attempting to enter Europe from Africa and the Middle East is a stark reminder of the

STORIES FROM OUR READERS Learn more about St. Anthony and share your story of how he helped you at AmericanCatholic.org/ Features/Anthony.

Passing Prayer through Generations

4 ❘ J uly 2015

My mother always credited St. Anthony with finding lost items for her, and now I have my own story. Recently, my granddaughter and I spent an entire morning organizing the small house she just moved into, marking the first time she’s lived out on her own. After that, I went along with her as she cashed her paycheck, paid the first month’s rent, filled out a change-of-address card at the post office, and so on. By the end of the afternoon, she couldn’t find her wallet. We retraced our steps, checked every drawer and cabinet in her house, and even checked garbage bags—all to no avail. I started praying to St. Anthony when I got home. As I was praying, I received a text message: “Grandma! My wallet is in the glove box in your car!” And sure enough, it was! Thank you, St. Anthony, for jogging her memory! —Marcia O’Neal, Streator, Illinois

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

Click here for more on Brother Mark and Franciscans for Justice.

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Sacraments Are Key In Francis’ day, the Catholic Church’s most severe critics claimed to be living a more Spirit-led life, avoiding the corruption they claimed arises out of physical creation. “Only things of the spirit count,” they said. The sacraments were too physical, in their opinion. Francis saw this attitude as a rejection of the Incarnation, as a refusal of the graces that God generously offers through Baptism, the Eucharist, and the other sacraments. At its best, Franciscan preaching has always moved listeners to confess their sins and receive the Eucharist. –P.M.

PAINTING BY CIMABUE/WIKIART

desperation with which immigrants seek a better life, he says. Though the injustices Brother Mark addresses on FranciscansforJustice.org are current, the approach to healing them is firmly rooted in the 800-year-old spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi. In a reflection titled “Franciscans on Peace,” he writes, “In everything he did and said, Francis sought to create peace within human hearts, families, cities, and nations. Francis was a practical agent of reconciliation.” There’s another Francis—this one from the 21st century—who motivates and inspires Brother Mark to work on justice issues: Pope Francis. “We’ve got a prophetic pope right now. He’s asking friars, sisters, Secular Franciscans, and actually all Christians to get off our duffs and to get involved,” Brother Mark says. “My opinions might be strong, but I believe that being a ‘practicing Catholic’ has nothing to do with simply receiving sacraments or just attending Mass,” Brother Mark explains. “It’s all about the actions that flow out of active participation in sacraments.” —Daniel Imwalle

tal Digi as Extr

To learn more about Franciscan saints, visit SaintoftheDay.org.

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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.

REEL TIME

W I T H S I S T E R R O S E PA C AT T E , F S P

Far From the Madding Crowd

SISTER ROSE’S

Favorite

Respect for the

Earth Films The Lorax Medicine Man Erin Brockovich WALL-E Avatar

6 ❘

J u ly 2 0 1 5

Carey Mulligan plays Bathsheba in the latest adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel Far from the Madding Crowd. English novelist Thomas Hardy’s 1874 novel comes to cinematic life in director Thomas Vinterberg’s lush interpretation of the romantic drama. The young Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) lives with her aunt and enjoys working the farm. Their neighbor is Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer who proposes marriage to Bathsheba. But she refuses him, preferring independence to marriage and the promises he makes to her. When she inherits an estate from a relative, she takes charge with enthusiasm. After Gabriel loses his sheep herd, she hires him to be the shepherd on her farm. Meanwhile, a middle-aged farmer, William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), is keen to marry her, though she is unkind to him. A feckless soldier, Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), aims to win her hand, as well. Things go downhill from there until they start improving after a startling and tragic incident. Far from the Madding Crowd has an early feminist quality to it because Bathsheba

wants nothing of the “protection and comfort” her suitors promise her. She wants to be her own woman. But Bathsheba, a truly bright and promising character, is immature and not without fault. What she learns about relationships between men and women reminded me of the themes that Jane Austen explored in her novels. At times, I wondered if Hardy was blaming Bathsheba, praising her, or saving her. Nevertheless, Vinterberg tells the story beautifully. A-2, PG-13 ■ Mature themes.

Tomorrowland Disney’s futuristic sci-fi drama shows the world on the brink of final disaster. It begins with the World’s Fair in New York in 1964, where the invention of a boy genius, Frank Walker (Thomas Robinson), is entered for competition. The judge, Nix (Hugh Laurie), turns him down, but Athena (Raffey Cassidy), is fascinated. Together they step into St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

CNS PHOTO/DISNEY

Britt Robertson finds herself in a strange new world in Disney’s sci-fi thriller Tomorrowland.

San Andreas Helicopter pilot Ray (Dwayne Johnson) and his team of Los Angeles firefighters rescue a girl whose car hangs on the edge of a cliff. While Ray is heroic in his work, his marriage is failing because of the death of one of his daughters, years before. His wife, Emma (Carla Gugino), announces that she is moving in with her new boyfriend, Daniel (Ioan Gruffudd). In an awkward family scene, Daniel, a construction mogul, offers to give Blake (Alexandra Daddario), Ray and Emma’s other daughter, a ride to her new college in San Francisco. Meanwhile, in Pasadena, seismologist Lawrence (Paul Giamatti) and his team disFr anciscanMedia.org

another dimension and Frank sees what could be. Fifty years later, NASA is dismantling its launching pads. The world is collapsing, and young Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) is determined to take action. She tracks down Frank Walker (George Clooney), now a recluse, to explain what’s going on. What follows offers a sprig of hope, which other post-apocalyptic films such as Mad Max: Fury Road fail to do. Filmmaker Brad Bird takes aim at our willingness to watch dystopian calamity films and do nothing. The story suggests that artists, scientists, and dreamers use their imaginations to work together to solve the world’s problems and care for the earth. Politicians and big corporations, after all, are not doing it. Tomorrowland is not a fun ride at Disney World, but worth a look. A-2, PG ■ Peril, fantasy violence.

cover a way to predict earthquakes. The warning system shows magnetic energy running back and forth between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Then California starts shaking and collapsing when a major earthquake strikes, followed by others. Ray rescues his wife from the top of a Los Angeles building, and they go off to find Blake, who is trapped in an underground garage in San Francisco. San Andreas is a relentless catastrophe film that teaches us how to prepare for and survive disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The family dynamic works well and frames the story. Daddario is quite impressive in this film as the young heroine. However, the main character is not the brawny Dwayne Johnson, but the earth itself, calling for our respect. At the premiere that I attended with my 14-year-old nephew, they handed out earthquake-preparedness bags on the way out. Good idea. A-3, PG-13 ■ Peril, language, mature themes.

Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino play an estranged husband and wife in the disaster film San Andreas.

Catholic Cl assifications 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.

■

Find reviews by Sister Rose and others at CatholicMovieReviews.org.

J u ly 2 0 1 5 ❘

CHANNEL SURFING

WITH CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

UP CLOSE

Mondays, 10 p.m., Travel Channel Imitating how John Wilkes Booth leapt from the theater balcony after shooting President Abraham Lincoln, a high school history teacher of mine once jumped off his desk, lost his footing, and wiped out in front of the class. Chairs flew, students howled. He was fine, but I was won over by how invested he was in bringing that moment in history to the present day. Brian Unger, host of this innovative historical documentary series, has a similar verve for bringing history to life. The results are illuminating, funny, and often moving. In each episode, Unger invites a group of history neophytes on a journey. But here’s what sets this series apart: with CGI special effects, the quick-witted host brings them— and the audience—back in time. A road instantly changes from asphalt to dirt; a building transforms back to its original edifice; gaslights illuminate darkened alleys. This is no stuffy revisiting of our past. Special effects aside, Unger is the real draw here. Funny without being flip, he shows how history is often lost when it’s sequestered in books. Our past feeds our present—and that’s something to reflect on. Unger reminds us of the famous adage, without ever saying it, that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.

Breaking Point

Thursdays, 10 p.m., Investigation Discovery By reality television standards, Intervention was a game changer for daring to put the struggles of those with addictions front and center. And though it was never easy to watch these people wrestle their demons, grace nearly always found them. Many lives were saved. Countless relationships were redeemed. The producers of that Emmywinning series have tweaked the format a bit with Breaking Point. This series doesn’t quite match Intervention’s fearless plunge into human desperation, but it’s a worthy companion series. Breaking Point follows a similar formula as its predecessor: each episode follows an individual whose life is in crisis. Drugs almost always play a central role, but the subjects of this docu-series have turned to crime—sometimes petty, other times more serious—to fund their lifestyles. Families, often torn asunder by their loved ones’ actions, pool their resources to confront them and put them on a better path. Criminal defense attorney and certified interventionist Darren Kavinoky leads the charge and offers these hurting souls a simple, yet agonizingly difficult, proposition: treatment or prison. Such crossroads lead to powerful and often painful moments of discovery. Though this series isn’t suitable for young viewers, parents could use it as a teaching tool for teens about making good choices.

Host Brian Unger (far left) is the funny, informative host of Travel Channel’s series Time Traveling with Brian Unger. 8 ❘

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St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Time Traveling with Brian Unger

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CHURCH IN THE NEWS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

Archbishop Romero Beatified Thirty-five years after he was murdered while celebrating Mass, Archbishop Oscar Romero was beatified as a martyr on May 23, reported Catholic News Service (CNS). Cardinal Angelo Amato, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Saints’ Causes, presided over the ceremony. “Blessed Romero is another brilliant star that belongs to the sanctity of the Church of the Americas. And thanks be to God, there are many,” said Cardinal Amato, adding that “the memory of Romero continues to live in the poor and the marginalized.” In a message sent for the beatifica-

tion, Pope Francis said that Archbishop Romero “built the peace with the power of love, gave testimony of the faith with his life.” The beatification ceremony, held at the square of the Divine Savior of the World in the capital city of San Salvador, culminated a week of celebration. It was attended by four Latin American presidents and six cardinals, as well as Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, postulator of Archbishop Romero’s cause. During the Mass, eight deacons carried the bloodstained shirt, now a relic, to the altar in a glass case. Oth-

ers decorated it with flowers and candles during the Saturday ceremony. Several priests reached out to touch the case and later made the sign of the cross. Archbishop Romero’s road to sainthood was put on hold for nearly three decades because of concerns over what many felt was his support of liberation theology. In May 2007, Pope Benedict XVI cleared the archbishop’s sainthood cause, and this past February, Pope Francis signed the decree recognizing Archbishop Romero as a martyr, a person killed “in hatred of the faith.” This meant there is no need to prove a miracle for beatification. US President Barack Obama also sent his congratulations to El Salvador, saying, “Archbishop Romero was an inspiration for people in El Salvador and across the Americas. He was a wise pastor and a courageous man who persevered in the face of opposition from extremes on both sides. He fearlessly confronted the evils he saw, guided by the needs of his beloved pueblo, the poor and oppressed people of El Salvador.”

Vatican-Palestine Accord Supports ‘Two-State’ Solution

CNS PHOTOS/LISSETTE LEMUS

(Above) Priests carry the bloodstained shirt of Archbishop Oscar Romero during his beatification Mass at the Divine Savior of the World square in San Salvador May 23. (Left) Pilgrims carry flowers and a portrait of Archbishop Oscar Romero during his beatification Mass.

1 0 ❘ July 2015

Representatives from the Holy See and Palestine finalized the text of an agreement that recognizes freedom of religion in the “State of Palestine” and outlines the rights and obligations of the Catholic Church, its agencies, and its personnel in the territory, reported CNS. The Vatican has been referring to the “State of Palestine” since at least 2013. The Vatican’s official yearbook (Annuario Portficio) lists a diplomatic relationSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

N E W S B R I E F S N AT I O N A L A N D I N T E R N AT I O N A L

CNS/PAUL HARING

US Franciscan Father Michael Perry was reelected on May 21 to a six-year term as minister general of the Order of Friars Minor. Father Perry was elected in 2013 to complete the six-year term of Spanish-born Franciscan Father José Rodriguez Carballo, who was named an archbishop and secretary of the Holy See’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. According to “Twiplomacy,” a study of the Twitter accounts of world leaders and their retweet rates, Pope Francis’ @Pontifex is the most influential account. The pope’s average “retweet” and “favorite” rate is more than eight times higher than US President Barack Obama’s. President Obama edged the pope out, though, in total number of followers. In an interview with Argentinian newspaper La Voz del Pueblo earlier this year, Pope Francis revealed, however, that he doesn’t surf the Internet, and hasn’t watched television since 1990. So, he must be getting some help. Msgr. William Lynn, a Philadelphia priest who was convicted in 2012 on a child endangerment charge, had his bail revoked on May 1 and was sent back to prison. Msgr. Lynn was the first high-ranking Catholic clergyman in the United States to be convicted of a crime associated with the handling of priests accused of child sexual abuse, though he himself faced no charge of abuse.

ship with the “State of Palestine.” Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, the Vatican undersecretary for relations with states and head of the Vatican delegation at the negotiations, said that the Vatican wanted the agreement to “promote the life and activity of the Catholic Church and its recognition on a juridical level.” The agreement, he said, expresses hope for an end to Fr ancisca n Media .org

Introducing himself as the “bishop of Rome,” Pope Francis greeted participants at the opening ceremonies of Milan’s Expo 2015 and said a world’s fair devoted to food is an appropriate occasion for “globalizing solidarity. Let’s try not to waste it, but take full advantage of it.” The expo, with the motto “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” runs through October 31, and brings together more than 140 nations with pavilions and exhibits connected to the theme. The focus is to find ways to guarantee healthy, safe, and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the planet. The Holy See will be one of the participants.

CNS/COURTESY HOLY SEE PAVILION PRESS OFFICE

The working document for October’s Synod of Bishops on the family was reviewed by Pope Francis and members of the council of the Synod of Bishops May 2526, when they met at the Vatican. During the meeting, participants reviewed input from around the world and made their final suggestions. According to a statement issued following the meeting, the office of the synod’s general secretary will incorporate the suggestions and have the document translated.

The Knights of Columbus were awarded the Evangelium Vitae Medal by the University of Notre Dame on April 26 for their “heroic and tireless efforts” to affirm a culture of life. The award, named for St. John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical “The Gospel of Life,” is given by the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture to individuals or organizations for outstanding work affirming and defending the sanctity of human life. In addition to the medal, the award comes with a $10,000 prize, which Supreme Knight Karl Anderson said would be donated to Notre Dame’s Charles E. Rice Fellowship program. Patty Johnson, immediate past president of the National Council of Catholic Women, was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal from Pope Francis. The medal is the highest honor a Catholic layperson can receive, and is given for distinguished service to the Church. Johnson received the award on April 23 during a Mass opening the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women convention. For more Catholic news, visit AmericanCatholic.org.

Palestinian/Israeli tensions and supports the existence of two separate, independent nations living side by side in security and peace. According to a statement announcing the agreement, the text “will be submitted to the respective authorities for approval” and a formal signing ceremony should be held soon.

Vatican Approves Statutes for Papal Commission for Protecting Minors The first set of statutes of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors received temporary approval from Pope Francis on April 21, reported CNS. The statutes outline the structure, nature, activity, and Ju ly 2 0 15 ❘ 1 1

CNS/COURTESY OF PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR PROMOTING NEW EVANGELIZATION

Logo, Information for Year of Mercy Released On May 5, the Vatican released the logo, official prayer, calendar of events, and other details related to the Holy Year of Mercy, which will take place from December 8, 2015, until November 20, 2016. At a news conference, Archbishop Rino Fisichella said that the motto of the year—”Merciful Like the Father”— ”serves as an invitation to follow the merciful example of the Father who asks

goals of the commission. They are in effect for three years. US Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston—one of the pope’s top cardinal advisers and president of the commission—submitted a draft of the statutes. They were approved “by mandate of the supreme pontiff,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. Pope Francis established the commission—made up of 17 members in addition to the president and secretary—in December 2013. It is “an autonomous institution” within the Holy See and serves as “an advisory body at the service of the Holy Father.” The commission is currently made up of two survivors of abuse as well as experts in law, psychology, counseling, child protection, and other related fields. The commission secretary is US Father Robert W. Oliver, a Boston priest and canon lawyer, who served as the Vatican’s chief prosecutor of sex-abuse crimes.

us not to judge or condemn, but to forgive and to give love and forgiveness without measure.” Archbishop Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, the office organizing events for the Holy Year of Mercy, noted that the website for the event—im.va—has already been launched, and that the possibility of an app was being studied.

ing their private meeting, Castro thanked Pope Francis for “the active role he played in improving relations between Cuba and the United States of America.” For the traditional exchange of gifts, Castro gave Pope Francis a commemorative medal featuring Havana’s cathedral and, in honor of Pope Francis’ concern for migrants, a contemporary painting of a cross made up of migrants’ boats with a migrant kneeling before it in prayer. The pope presented Castro with a copy of his apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” and a large medallion featuring St. Martin of

Tours covering a poor man with his cloak. Father Lombardi said the pope told Castro that the medallion is a reminder not only of the obligation “to assist and protect the poor, but also to actively promote their dignity.” Following the meeting, Castro told reporters, “I read all the speeches of the pope. If the pope continues to speak this way, sooner or later I could start praying again and return to the Catholic Church. I’m not kidding.” He added, “When the pope comes to Cuba in September, I promise to go to all his Masses and will do so happily.” A

On May 10, Pope Francis and Cuban President Raúl Castro met privately at the Vatican for close to an hour, according to CNS. During the meeting, Castro updated the pope on preparations for his September trip to the country. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said that dur1 2 ❘ July 2015

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Pope Francis, Raúl Castro Meet at Vatican

Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Cuban President Raúl Castro during a private audience at the Vatican May 10. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

AT HOME ON EARTH

❘ BY KYLE KRAMER

Cultivating Common Ground

prison. Still others bring citizen foresters together to tend tree seedlings and restore the city’s forest canopy. The common ground in all of this is, well, the common ground. After 20 years of farming and gardening, I’m beginning to understand that the Earth is far more than just pretty scenery Time to Dig In or a means to produce the calories we need to survive. The American Community Land can be a shared meeting Gardening Association can place that connects people to help you find a community each other—across ages, ethgarden near you. nicities, and socioeconomic lines. Have them pull weeds Master Gardener classes together or give them a fresh are a great way to meet strawberry to enjoy, and the other gardeners. Contact differences between people your local cooperative begin to blur. extension service office. This should be no surprise, of course. Among the many Your city may let you start gifts God has given our a community garden on a human species, we seem to vacant lot. Call your city be hardwired to tend the planning department. Earth and to build meaningful, face-to-face relationships with each other. In today’s culture, it’s easy to lose both of those skills—and I think we and the Earth both suffer greatly for it. It’s just as easy, though, to change course. I’ve seen how eager people are to get involved in gardening together. I’ve seen how kids’ eyes light up when they learn where their food comes from. I’ve seen how barriers of religion, language, and class fall away when everyone has dirt under their fingernails. It all seems to come, I guess you could say, naturally. All it takes is a little common ground. A

Kyle Kramer is the executive director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Many of our differences seem to fade away when we share the gifts of the earth with one another. Fr ancisca n Media .org

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Click here for more on this topic. Click the button on the right to hear an interview with Kyle. Ju ly 2 0 15 ❘ 1 3

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

hen I was in graduate school for theology, I got permission from the manager of my apartment complex to dig up part of the lawn for a community garden. Two decades later, I still remember teaching a young boy from South Korea the English names of vegetables, and holding him upside down by his ankles, laughing, as he planted seeds. A few years later, Dong-Il was teaching me the vegetable names in Korean. In Louisville, the spirituality center where I now work sits on 21 acres of land, right in the middle of the city. Every summer we offer day camp programs to help children learn about nature in our woods, fields, and organic gardens. Well-off kids, at-risk kids from very poor inner-city neighborhoods, and others from immigrant and refugee families all work and play together. Elsewhere in the city, Catholic Charities (catholiccharitiesusa.org) runs a series of small “incubator” farms, where refugee families come together to learn how to “market garden.” Another program uses gardens to teach basic life skills to those just out of

Wedding Feast at Cana This story, found only in the Gospel of John, previews our own transformation: “Do whatever he tells you.” B Y J E A N VA N I E R

PHOTO BY BILL WITTMAN

FTER JOHN THE BAPTIST has named Jesus “the Lamb,” two of his disciples, Andrew and probably John the Evangelist, start to follow the Lamb. They stay with Jesus. Afterward, Andrew seeks out Simon, whom Jesus will call rock (Peter), announcing: “We have found the Messiah!” Then they meet Philip, and Jesus says to Philip, “Follow me!” Philip hurries to find Nathaniel, saying, “We have found the Messiah!” Thus a little group of five around Jesus begins—the group that will become the origin of the Church. Where is Jesus leading them? Into the desert, somewhere to meditate on the Torah and the prophets, or to pray together? In fact, he takes them to a wonderful celebration, a marriage feast! Jesus goes to the wedding to celebrate; he is wonderfully human. He goes there to be with the members of his family and friends, all the people he knew from Nazareth and the surrounding area. It is important to understand that at that time in Israel wedding feasts were grandiose and lasted a week. There was a lot of drinking, so much so that the linguistic root of the Aramaic words for wedding and drink is the same! So, this small group was going with Jesus simply to meet with friends and family to celebrate, to sing, and certainly to drink! But this wedding feast at Cana also symbolizes and reveals another wedding feast.

Heavenly Feast of Love Why did Jesus the Lamb take his disciples to this wedding? Perhaps he was revealing the Fr anciscanMedia.org

mystery of the covenant destined for all of us. Jesus invites us to enter into an intimate relationship with him, into a friendship or communion with him, which is an alliance or a covenant. And this covenant is also communion with his Father. It is a celebration of love as in a wedding feast. In the 19th and 21st chapters of the Book of Revelation, heaven is described as the wedding feast of the Lamb: “Let us be filled with joy and gladness. It is the wedding feast of the Lamb, and the bride has made herself beautiful; she is ready for her husband!” (19:7). That is life in heaven: It is a wonderful place of celebration, of wedding festivities, and of love—a place where there will be no more suffering or death, for the former things have passed away (Rv 21:4). This vision of Jesus, even on earth, is to invite us to enter into a loving relationship with him, so we may live in him and he in us. We can read this, for example, in the Book of Hosea, where God is calling his people into a relationship of love: “I will seduce her [the unfaithful woman]. I will lead her into the desert and I will speak to her heart. I will engage her to me forever. I will engage her to me through justice and righteousness, through love and tenderness. I will engage her to me in faithfulness, and thus you will know the Lord” (2:16, 21-22). In Isaiah 62, it is even more extraordinary! We read that the bride will be the delight of God. God, the spouse, will wed his beloved ones, and they will be his joy. We can see that this mystery is gradually being unveiled through the symbol of the wedding feast of Cana. J u ly 2 0 1 5 ❘

PHOTO © KOROBKOVA NADEZDA ANDREEVNA/INGIMAGE

Jesus came to lead us into oneness with him and to help us live a life of oneness with others.

Oneness with Others Human marriage is something beautiful: A man and a woman are called to live as one body, in the unity of a loving and faithful relationship expressed with their whole beings, their hearts, and their bodies. They accept each other completely, in humility and tenderness. It is a vision of sexuality for a faithful relationship, for a life of oneness that will be fruitful. Marriage symbolically represents our encounter with God through Jesus, through the body of Jesus. It is through the Eucharist that Jesus gives us his body to eat and his blood to drink, so that we can dwell in him and he in us. Jesus came to lead us into oneness with him and to help us live a life of oneness with others. The whole mystery and mission of Jesus is to dissolve the barriers that prevent us from meeting with and loving each other. Let us come back to the wedding feast at Cana. Jesus has come to celebrate, but there is some drama. Mary, who is behind the scenes, perhaps helping, notices that there is no more wine.

Crisis Averted This, of course, is enormously humiliating to the hosts. Mary is very sensitive to the suffering of the poor. Here are two families, both probably quite poor, about to be humiliated because there is no more wine. So Mary goes to find Jesus and tells him, “They have no more wine.” 16 ❘

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Jesus replies, “Woman, what is there between you and me? My time has not yet come.” This reply of Jesus was enigmatic. Behind this statement of Jesus lies something profound. This wedding feast was the final moment of Jesus’ hidden life with Mary in Nazareth. Now it was time for him to attend to the affairs of his Father. Jesus’ mission was to announce to the world the message of love, forgiveness, and the value of each person. However, he was well aware that this message of love would provoke opposition. People would not want to hear it because they wanted to hold on to whatever power they possessed. He knew that this path would lead to his rejection, to conflict, and finally, “when his time has come,” to condemnation on the cross. So, in a way, Jesus was saying to Mary, “I’ll meet you at the cross,” where he would give life to all of us. Mary has so much confidence in her beloved son that she goes to the servants and tells them, “Do whatever he tells you.” They accept this instruction, just as Mary had said yes to God’s messenger. Jesus tells the servants to fill six large jars to the top with water. The servants, a bit surprised, hurry back and forth from the well to fill the jars. It must have taken many buckets, and they were probably tired. For miracles to take place, humble servants are needed! The servants then bring the water changed into wine to the master of ceremonies, who St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

J E A N VA N I E R

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Winner of the 2015 Templeton Prize L’Arche (French for “ark”) was founded by Jean Vanier in 1964 and has grown to 147 residential communities for people with intellectual disabilities in 35 countries. In 82 countries, more than 1,500 Faith and Light groups support solidarity among people with and without disabilities.

TEMPLETON PRIZE/PHOTO BY PAUL HACKETT

Vanier recently won the 2015 Templeton Prize “for discoveries relating to human purpose and ultimate reality.” The prize is awarded annually to “a living person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.” In accepting the Templeton Prize, Vanier said, “Today we are discovering that [people with intellectual disabilities] have a wealth of human qualities that can change the hearts of those caught up in the culture of winning and of power.” tastes it and is astonished. He says to the bridal couple: “You have saved the best wine until now? Usually the best wine is served in the beginning, and then once the guests are a little drunk, the cheaper wine is served.” This miracle is important. It revealed the power of Jesus, and the disciples believed in him. A touching note: Each of those huge jars contained 20 or 30 gallons—so, Jesus transformed 120 or perhaps even 180 gallons of

water into a wonderful wine even though people were already a little tipsy. Someone like me might have said: “Oh, that’s too much wine! Change only 100 gallons!” With Jesus, there is always an abundance of gifts and love.

Gospel of Transformation The most profound meaning of the story of Cana is the sign of the transformation of water into wine. We are each called to love—to love

Do Yoou Believve ve in Guardian Angels?

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now on earth and to reach the banquet of love in heaven. We need to change; we need to be transformed. In our human hearts, there are many fears—fear of others, fear even of God—so there needs to be a gradual transformation to a heart of love. We will discover that the Gospel of John is the Gospel of trans-

invited them to a banquet of love, and nobody wanted to come! So, what happened? The king told the servants, “Go out into the streets and the villages and bring in to the feast the poor, the lame, and the blind.” He told them to bring in people with disabilities, people on the margins of society who are often rejected and have too much time on their hands. Their worry is not about power, possessions, or fame. The main thing the disabled and disenfranchised want is a relationship of friendship and of love. So, these people rushed to partake in the banquet of love.

CNS PHOTO/DEBBIE HILL

Made for Love

The respect and love that this man, a member of the international L’Arche network, receives in his local community prepare him for the heavenly banquet.

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formation. It is the Gospel of the deepening of faith and of love. Transformation implies that we become aware of our inabilities, vulnerabilities, and darkness—all those areas within us that need to be transformed. The miracle at Cana also has special meaning for us at L’Arche. When we read Matthew 22, we are told that the kingdom of heaven is like a wedding feast—yes, a wedding feast! In this passage, Jesus tells the story of a king who had prepared a wonderful banquet for the wedding of his son. He sent invitations to all the dignitaries and important people of his kingdom. They all replied: “I don’t have time; I am too busy; I have many things to do. I have just bought some land; I have to build on it. I have just bought some cattle; I must care for them. I have to get my daughter married; sorry, I am too busy.” This story is a prophecy: It reveals that many people are too busy with social events to receive the message of Jesus’ love for us. They are busy with the desire for power and possessions. “I do not have time because of my social class, and I must show my importance. I am sorry, but I cannot attend.” Of course, the heart of the king was wounded. Like Jesus, he had

We are all made for love and to grow in love. Many people with disabilities and especially those with a severe disability may not be able to marry. However, they, too, are made for love and for the discovery that they are beautiful and that they are precious in their bodies. They, too, are called to an encounter with God, the God of peace. We are all invited to the wedding feast. I would like to tell a touching story that took place in our L’Arche community in Kerala, India. Chris Sadler welcomed Ramesh into the community there. Ramesh was a man with an intellectual disability, and he was also epileptic. He had spent many long years in a psychiatric hospital (which I have visited myself, and which is quite horrible) with locked cells. About three years ago, Ramesh, by then living in our community, went to spend the weekend with his brother. At the end of the weekend, he visited the neighbors there and told them, “Tomorrow is my marriage day, the day of my wedding.” Everyone smiled a little—as is often the case when someone with an intellectual disability says something people do not really understand. He then got on the bus, arrived back at the community, and went into the workshop where everyone was working. He told them, too, “Tomorrow will be my wedding day.” Later that night, he went to sleep, had a heart attack, and died. How can we interpret his words about his wedding day? For many people with disabilities, the greatest joy in life is the wedding celebration, the marriage. They wish to celebrate in this way themselves as a sign that they are like everyone else. Perhaps Ramesh was sensing something deep within himself, that he would soon experience an enormous joy! In his own way, then, Ramesh interpreted this sense by announcing, “Tomorrow will be my wedding St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

day.” We are all made to love and to share in the wedding feast. At L’Arche, we have discovered something else. Deep within, we are all made for joyful celebrations. For human beings, the meal is very important as a place of celebration. We are made to celebrate; we are made to be men and women of joy and unity! “Love one another”: that is our calling. One of the founding texts of L’Arche is the lesson told in Luke 14, in which Jesus says: “When you give a meal, don’t invite the members of your family, your friends, or your rich neighbors, who can repay you by inviting you back. Rather, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the lame, the maimed, and the blind, and you will be blessed.” This is a blessing, a beatitude! In the truest sense, to eat at a table with the poor and those who are rejected and marginalized is to become their friend. In the biblical meaning, eating together means entering into an alliance and friendship. So we learn: “Become a friend of the poor, and you will be blessed.” More deeply, it is also a beatitude to work for unity, to break down the walls that separate people from those who are rejected. Therefore, that the Lamb takes his disciples

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to the wedding feast reveals much. The wedding feast is a sign of heaven; it is love and it is relationship. To live this relationship, the water of our humanity must gradually be transformed by the Holy Spirit into the wine of love. This wine of love is also the wine transformed into the blood of Jesus. We are all made for love. Those Click here for more on Jean who love truly love others as Vanier and L’Arche. Click the they are—for themselves, and button below to hear an exfreely. The Lamb who loves us cerpt from his recent book. seeks to be united to us so that we can become fully ourselves. Jesus does not seek to possess or control us, but he wants to help us completely fulfill our mission and vocation. The wedding feast at Cana speaks to us of the wedding feast of the Lamb in heaven. It speaks to all people; we are all called to work toward and to celebrate unity and peace. A

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This article is adapted from Jean Vanier’s new book, The Gospel of John, The Gospel of Relationship (Franciscan Media). The Scripture translations are by the author. Jean Vanier is a Canadian Catholic philosopher turned theologian and humanitarian, and the founder of L’Arche.

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EDITORIAL

A Sacrament at Risk Must Catholic priests serve as legal witnesses at gay weddings? “Who am I to judge?” This became one of Pope Francis’ most famous statements, two years ago this month. Before digging in on today’s burning question of how Churches, including our own, are coping with civil decisions that affect Church practice—broadly, a question of religious freedom—it will help to know the rest of Francis’ statement. In an impromptu news conference, a reporter had asked the pope about a “gay lobby” in the Vatican. The pope qualified the question a bit before he answered, saying, “It is important to distinguish between a person who is gay and someone who makes a gay lobby.” The pope was distinguishing between identity and actions. Then he answered the question of identity, saying, “A gay person who is seeking God, who is of good will—well, who am I to judge him?” He continued with what seemed dropped from later reports: “The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well. It says one must not marginalize these persons, they must be integrated into society. The problem isn’t this [homosexual] orientation—we must be like brothers and sisters. The problem is something else, the problem is lobbying either for this orientation or a political lobby or a Masonic lobby.”

Religious Liberty Fast-forward to July 4, 2015, as the United States celebrates our foundation on personal and societal liberty. Courts across the land recently have been ruling that public institutions must not discriminate against homosexual couples—married or seeking to become married. A US Supreme Court ruling on the issue is imminent as we go to press. The question for the Churches in this country, including our own, is, how do we preserve our both God-given and constitutionally protected religious beliefs in an open, democratic society? 2 0 ❘ July 2015

Religious liberty—at those times a freedom from Europe’s political fusion of Church and state—was an important part of America’s Declaration of Independence, and all that followed. It is the Church now, ironically, that is crying foul, its own “Don’t tread on me,” as it resists State meddling in religion.

Separate Civil Ceremonies? When State tells Church what needs to go on in front of the altar, that’s imposition. Isn’t it against our nation’s founding ideals? Can a priest be coerced by law into serving as witness and signatory to a gay wedding, one that is objectionable to Church teaching? Some might suggest separating the civil union from the formal sacrament, sending heterosexual couples to the courthouse for civil marriage and the altar for sacramental. That would cause a sort of American revolution in Catholic practice. Risky business, though, no? It When State tells might solve one problem, but Church what needs introduce a new one. If two ceremonies were required, to go on in front might many couples just of the altar, that’s forgo the Church liturgy? How do we not discard the imposition. opportunity to evangelize young couples who might be open to the Church at this fruitful time? A broader solution would be to leave this up to the Church, as the US Department of Defense chose to do this past January. Chaplains are not obligated to perform services contrary to their Church’s beliefs. That accommodation, though, might well hang in the balance of the Supreme Court ruling. Regardless of the strategy, we must be of good will. The Church’s teaching that the Sacrament of Marriage is restricted to a man and a woman isn’t going to change. But the Church condemns bigotry. How do we respect the dignity, honor the presence, reach out in love to our gay brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, friends and coworkers? Meanwhile, let’s not allow State to tell Church what to do. —J.F. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

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Steps toward a

Sometimes less is more. So how do we scale back? BY SUE ERSCHEN

OPE FRANCIS has charmed us. We are impressed by his warm style and simple caring. Yet we may be failing to see the serious challenge of his message. From the moment he walked upon the world stage in his plain black shoes—shunning the traditional red papal shoes—Pope Francis began telling us we must set aside luxury so we can serve the poor more fully. He has said repeatedly that his vision is a Church “of the poor and for the poor.” No one is excused from his plea for simplicity. He has encouraged bishops to give up affluent lifestyles, and has told schoolchildren, “All of us today must think about how we can become a little poorer.” He wants us to take

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less for ourselves so we can share more with the poor. In speaking of his concern for the poor, our Holy Father has quoted St. John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople and one of the early Fathers of the Church: “Not to share one’s goods with the poor is to rob them and to deprive them of life. It is not our goods that we possess, but theirs.” We may not feel we are robbing the poor, especially if they live a continent away. Yet we cannot deny that a multibillion-dollar advertising industry has taught us to envy and covet the goods other people have. We want all we see advertised, all our friends have, and all that grabs our attention in shopping malls. We may think we need so much because

Simple Life

CNS PHOTOS: (LEFT) PAUL HARING; (ABOVE) ZOHRA BENSEMRA, REUTERS

we compare ourselves to those who have more than we do. However, we would quickly realize we have more than enough if we would compare ourselves, instead, to those who have less than we do. Pope Francis is a powerful voice, gently encouraging us to stop looking with envy at our rich neighbor and to start looking with compassion at our neighbor who is poor.

(Left) In our consumerist culture, too often we confuse needs with wants. St. Francis rejected material wealth for a life of prayer, humility, and service. Are we brave enough to do the same?

Accepting Our Responsibility

(Center) “I ask you to ensure humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it,” Pope Francis once said.

If we would be willing to voluntarily become a little poorer ourselves, we could help provide basic necessities for those who truly suffer from physical hunger, lack of work, and destitute living conditions. Are we willing to do that? Can we sacrifice some of what we take for granted in our own lifestyles to improve the lifestyles of others? In a world that encourages us to take all we can for ourselves, sacrifice is often seen as a distasteful and negative word. Yet, if we want to help the poor, we must embrace some personal sacrifice.

(Right) Pope Francis says “things” have a cost attached to them, but the dignity of the human person has a price beyond measure.

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5 Tips for ‘Becoming Poorer’

Sadly, we may be like the rich young man in the Gospel of Matthew (19:16-26). Jesus told this man, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor.” Scripture tells us the young man “went away sad, for he had many possessions.” We, too, have many possessions. Will we eventually walk away sad from the message Pope Francis is teaching? Will we become bored with his simplicity and stop paying attention? A key word to remember in the story of the rich young man is the word perfect. Jesus told the young man, “If you wish to be perfect . . .” None of us can be perfect. Only God is perfect. But most of us can probably do better at loving and caring for the poor.

Being Poor in Spirit

Avoid being tempted by unsolicited advertising. Throw away consumeristic mail-order catalogs and newspaper ad fliers, without even looking at them. Their sole purpose is to make us think we need things we do not.

Cancel subscriptions to magazines that breed envy and discontent by constantly encouraging us to update our wardrobe, remodel our house, try the latest electronics, or purchase new sports gear.

Delete or unsubscribe to e-mails that offer limited-time bargains for things we were not planning to buy.

When tempted to buy more, stop and think, “How blessed I am that I do not need any of this!”

Seek out some of the many inspiring books and articles on voluntary simplicity.

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Click here for more suggestions on ways in which we can simplify our lives.

The strongest motivation for becoming poorer can be found in Our Lord’s teaching of the eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:3-12). The first beatitude Jesus declares is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Pope Francis used this first beatitude as the theme for his 2014 message for World Youth Day. He stressed that there are three ways we can be poor in spirit. “Let us learn to be detached from possessiveness and from the idolatry of money and lavish spending. Let us put Jesus first. “We have to learn to be on the side of the poor. . . . Let us go out to meet them, look into their eyes and listen to them. “We have to learn from the wisdom of the poor. . . . They show us that people’s value is not measured by their possessions or how much money they have in the bank. . . . The most beautiful and spontaneous expressions of joy which I have seen during my life were by poor people who had little to hold on to.” Regardless of our own financial situation, we all can be poor in spirit. Being poor in spirit means realizing that God owns everything. We personally own no more than the beggar on the street. No matter what financial and material riches we may have accumulated in this life, if we are poor in spirit we claim no credit for what we have acquired. We see everything as a gift from God, entrusted to us for both our benefit and the benefit of the world. We know we are not entitled to an overabundance while others live with crippling scarcity. We hear the call to share our gifts with those who do not have what they need. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

5 Tips for ‘Giving More’

Spending less and adopting a simpler lifestyle does not automatically translate into giving more to the poor. We need to make a committed effort to expand our giving, or we will simply end up building a bigger bank account.

We can calculate what percentage of total income we give away by dividing annual charitable donations by total annual income. Thus, if one makes $50,000 a year and gives away $500, divide $500 by $50,000. Only one percent of the income was given away! When we do the math, most of us are shocked by what a small percent we give away each year.

Keep in mind that sacred Scripture teaches us to give away at least 10 percent. If we are not yet giving a tithe, we should begin to add increased giving into our budget.

Plan our giving. It is helpful to pick five to 10 organizations that truly touch our hearts. Concentrate on giving to these organizations. Learn about their work. If

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possible, become personally—as well as financially—active and invested in their mission. We should be as abundantly generous as possible with both our time and our treasure to the special causes that match our Christian responsibilities and passions. Organizations to consider adopting might include your parish, your diocese, an organization that feeds the poor, an organization that provides Catholic education, or an organization that cares for the sick. When we do make financial gifts, strive to have every dollar go directly to the work of the organization.

Try making a direct sacrifice by giving up some specific luxury and donating the cost of that luxury to a special cause. If we are not able to support our chosen organizations as much as we would like now, consider making a bequest or planned gift. Consult with an attorney about the options of leaving either designated amounts or percentage gifts to chosen charities. J u ly 2 0 1 5 ❘

CNS PHOTO/ TOM DERMODY, THE CATHOLIC POST

When money is tight, the giving of our time— to soup kitchens or food pantries—helps to alleviate a social problem while giving our own spirits a lift.

We are willing to give up some luxuries so we can share more with the poor of the world. We live in solidarity with them.

What We Have Failed to Do

Many of Our Lord’s parables stress the importance of living in solidarity with the poor. Two, in particular, which are worth reading carefully, are the judgment of the nations (Mt 25:31-46) and the rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31). It is interesting to note in both ANSWERS TO PETE AND REPEAT these stories that Jesus talks of people who are condemned 1. Pete’s shorts have cuffs on them. not for what they had done 2. The drink has changed color. wrong, but for what caring and 3. A squirrel is under Pete’s chair. compassion they had failed to 4. A shoelace is visible on Pete’s shoe. show. 5. The hill in the background is now visible We may pat ourselves on the behind the lounge chair. back for doing nothing bad, 6. The left sleeve of Pete’s shirt is longer. but if we have done nothing 7. There is another branch on the tree. good, we might need to recon8. Pete’s shoes now have heels. sider how well we are living out the Gospels. There is a valid

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reason why the penitential rite, which we often pray at Mass, asks God to forgive all that we have done and all that we have failed to do. Through his lived witness and his words, Pope Francis inspires us to consider what we are failing to do. He is calling us to a new kind of action. He is telling us to let go of excessive consumption. He reminds us we can never find true happiness and peace in any material object. Anything we possess simply lures us to want more. Because we are all one in Christ, more stuff will never soothe our hearts while our brothers and sisters throughout the world continue to suffer hunger, neglect, and inhumane poverty. When one of us suffers, we all suffer. Abundant possessions cannot shield us from this inner sadness of the soul. We need to think less about our own personal comforts and more about the pain of those who are suffering. We need to stop being wasteful. We need to look into the face of the poor and see Christ there. Those in need are not a burden. They are gifts given by God so we have opportunities to share and to serve. Pope Francis tells us our money must serve us, not rule us. We must find joy in using our money to become better people, not more stylish people. The Holy Father says, “The culture of comfort, which makes us think only of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of other people, makes us live in soap bubbles which, however lovely, are insubstantial; they offer a fleeting and empty illusion which results in indifference to others.” Are we willing to pop the lovely bubble in which we live? Has this amazingly simple and humble pope inspired us to change our lives? We may hope Pope Francis will change the world. However, the world will only change if each of us is willing to change in some way. Having chosen the name of St. Francis of Assisi, our Holy Father will not let us forget our obligation to the poor. Are we willing to meet that obligation? Are we willing to be transformed by our pope’s call to simplicity? Can we give up the fleeting satisfaction that comes from possessions for the lasting joy of generous compassion? Can we become poorer? It is, after all, the only response worthy of us. A Sue Erschen writes from St. Louis, Missouri. She specializes in Catholic stewardship, spirituality, discipleship, and gratitude. Her work has appeared in several Catholic publications including Our Sunday Visitor, The Priest, America, and Today’s Catholic Teacher. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

POETRY

Care Receiver

Rainwater

Grateful: a caregiver gets me this, that, drives me here, there, switching inconvenient gears —time, energy— willingly, lovingly, never decrying the darkness, instead looking to the long-away light. The giving, the getting stretches my soul.

By driblet, by shower, by torrent the great Rainmaker sends rich summer rains, nurturing a spectacle of the universe— vast and thirsty earth—where He bequeaths to varied beings redbuds, legumes, and almond redwoods, prunes, and salmon and arching rainbows unveiling hues of cherubic joy, lauding Divine creativity and fecundity.

—Robert Louis Covington

Meditation a quarter section of hybrid

—b.g. kelley

sunflowers in a North Dakota field at sundown

Out Picking Blackberries While out picking blackberries, I suddenly understood patience.

reminds me of a congregation

At first, yanking each stiff berry with haste stubborn they seemed, unwilling to yield. After a time, weary with effort, I spied one hidden, more plump, and swaying. I reached one fingertip merely brushed the soft skin

—Sheryl L. Nelms

Rain Dance

with swift ease, how it fell dropping happily from the branch. Ah, so this is ripeness. The waiting, the waiting: To let all things come to us in time without force, to marvel as each fruit descends the exact moment in Grace.

—Angela Belcastro

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of pioneer women praying

An arid ground looks skyward at a caravan of heavy clouds. Urged by thirst, the blades of grass sway in unison a soundless dance, until the skies relent, relinquish a shower of iridescent grace.

—Ryan Cory

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St. Gianna Beretta Molla

A PHOTO COURTESY OF SALT AND LIGHT CATHOLIC MEDIA FOUNDATION; BACKGROUND © JCARROLL-IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

hardworking, intelligent, and culturally savvy young woman made a monumental choice in April 1962. It was a choice made out of love, specifically, the tender love of a mother. The woman: St. Gianna Beretta Molla, of Italy. Her choice: to save her unborn child’s life, even if it risked losing her own. As one of the two patrons of this September’s World Meeting of Families—the other being St. John Paul II, who canonized her—St. Gianna is a saint not only for expectant mothers, but also for anyone who sees the inherent dignity of life. In times when the forces of life and family continue to be besieged by violence, disintegration, and the notion that easy equals right, St. Gianna’s choice shines as a beacon to Catholics and to humanity at large. St. Gianna’s story has touched many hearts and minds the world over in the 53 years since her death, including Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, head of Salt + Light Media, Canada’s first B Y D A N I E L Catholic television network. You might recognize him from TV as the English-language assistant to the Holy See Press Office. (See box on p. 31) Rosica has been a close friend of the Molla family since 1999, when he met two of St. Gianna’s children at the blessing of a stained-glass window featuring their mother at the Newman Centre Chapel in Toronto. A major proponent of St. Gianna’s 2004 canonization, Rosica spoke with St. Anthony Messenger about her life, legacy, and role as a patron of the World Meeting of Families.

“She represents everything that this culture ignores,” he points out. “She’s the saint for life, marriage, family, love, and the saint for ordinary activities—just a very beautiful, wholesome, healthy, and holy role model.”

A Caregiver at Heart Gianna’s story, what Rosica refers to as “an extraordinary story of a very ordinary woman,” began over 90 years ago. Born on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, October 4, 1922, Gianna Beretta was the 10th of 13 children in a bustling Italian household in Magenta, Italy, near Milan. Both her mother, Maria, and her father, Alberto, were Secular Franciscans, and their home was infused with a deep Catholic identity and Franciscan sensibilities. Sadly, tragedy struck multiple times in the early years of the Beretta family. Six of the 13 children died at young ages due to Spanish flu and other illnesses. The loss of her older sister and role model, Amalia, in 1937 was a turning point for young Gianna. I M W A L L E A journal entry from 1938 reflects both her deep despair and burgeoning devotion to Christ. “I make the holy resolution to do everything for Jesus. All my works, all my disappointments, I offer everything to Jesus,” Gianna wrote. Gianna carried that spiritual sentiment forward in her life, and, when she was in her early 20s, moved closer to fulfilling her “holy resolution” by getting involved in faith enrichment with other young Catholic women. “She was a leader in the Catholic Action movement, an ecclesial movement. So much of the

This caring mother, hardworking doctor, and nature lover is one of the patrons of the World Meeting of Families in September.

(Left) Smiles abound on a summer vacation in 1957, as Gianna, Pietro, and their firstborn child, Pierluigi, bask in the warm sunshine and clean air of northwestern Italy. Fr anciscanMedia.org

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work she did for Catholic Action was significant to her and others’ spiritual growth,” explains Rosica. In 1942, around the same time that she became involved in Catholic Action, Gianna entered medical school in Milan, an unusual path for a woman in Italy at that time. “She represents the best of feminism. Women were not clamoring to get into medical school and, even still, she finished at the top of her class. In a photo of her medical school class, there’s clearly a minority [of women], and yet there she is, front and center,” says Rosica. After a lengthy academic career, one often disrupted by the turmoil of World War II, her dedication to becoming a doctor was finally realized in 1949. She obtained her specialization in pediatrics in 1952.

Gianna’s True Calling Not long after completing medical school, Gianna opened an outpatient clinic in Mesero, Italy, a small town outside of Magenta. It was in Mesero that she met engineer Pietro Molla. Their friendship and mutual admiration evolved into a strong bond of love. After a brief courtship and engagement, Gianna and Pietro married in 1955, settling in a cottage in nearby Ponte Nuevo. By 1959, the Mollas already had three children: Pierluigi, Mariolina, and Laura. “Pietro and Gianna’s was a deep love, but it was not an easy thing because Pietro was away a lot. He had to travel extensively because of his job with a matchmaking company

(Above) An avid skier, Gianna celebrates her engagement with Pietro in 1955, at a ski resort in Livrio, Italy. (Right) Joy emanates from Gianna’s face on her wedding day, September 24, 1955, as she embraces her new, enriching role as wife to Pietro. (Far right) Gianna and Pietro certainly earned this 1960 vacation in Courmayeur, Italy, balancing busy work lives with the birth of three children in four years.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SALT AND LIGHT CATHOLIC MEDIA FOUNDATION

[matchsticks],” Rosica notes. “When you read the love letters they sent to each other, you sometimes get the sense that there were also times of great pain because he was away and she was raising the kids.” After two miscarriages, Gianna became pregnant once more in 1961, but there were complications. Just two months into the pregnancy, doctors discovered that she had developed a serious fibroma—a noncancerous tumor—in the uterus. Along with recommending immediate surgery to remove the growth, doctors also advised that Gianna either have an abortion—which would ensure her own survival— or a hysterectomy, which would have the unintended consequence of the unborn baby’s death. Gianna chose neither the abortion nor the hysterectomy, insisting that the child’s life must be saved. Rosica recalls a conversation he had with Piera Fontana, a close friend of Gianna’s, about her decision to save the child’s life at all cost. “I spent a whole afternoon with her talking about Gianna,” Rosica remembers. “She told me, ‘When I found out that she had this tumor and she was carrying the child, my heart was broken—she delivered most of our children as a young doctor. Because we were so poor, she never charged us for her work.’” The tumor was successfully removed in September 1961, and Gianna went back to life as usual, juggling work at her medical clinic and her duties as a mother. All the while, though, the concern lingered that the suture inside her uterus could become infected, especially during childbirth. Her decision was no death wish; Gianna prayed daily that she would be spared so that she could continue being a pillar of support and love in her young family. On Good Friday, April 20, 1962, Gianna entered the hospital in Monza, Italy, ready to celebrate her fourth child’s entry into the world. The following day, Holy Saturday, Gianna gave birth to a baby girl via cesarean section and named her Gianna Emanuela. Hours later, joy shifted to deep concern as Gianna developed an extremely painful septic infection. After only a few days in the hospital, the infection was worsening, and Gianna requested that she be taken home, where she could be at peace with her family at her side. On Sunday, April 28, little more than a week after she had given birth, Gianna died from septic peritonitis. Pietro grieved the loss of Gianna deeply and faced the challenge of raising the Molla chil-

Salt + Light CEO

Father Thomas Rosica and the Media ‘Tsunami’ To say that Basilian Father Thomas Rosica is busy these days would be an understatement. As chief executive officer of Salt + Light Media (saltandlighttv.org), Canada’s first national Catholic television network, Rosica oversees the production of everything from news programs and documentary films to blogging and radio work. He is also president of Assumption University, part of the University of Windsor (Ontario). At the beginning, though, when Salt + Light was launched in 2003, St. Gianna was already an important part of the organization. The first documentary Salt + Light produced, Love Is a Choice, was about St. Gianna’s life. “Love Is a Choice is a simple love story, and the interesting thing is that this was our first major documentary, and then we went on to declare her the patron saint of Salt + Light Television,” Rosica says. Since the release of Love Is a Choice, Salt + Light has produced dozens of inspirational documentaries, including Finding St. Anthony: A Story of Loss and Light and the award-winning Turning the Tide: Dignity, Compassion, and Euthanasia. Not only does Rosica devote time and energy to his work at Salt + Light, since 2013 he has also been the English-language contact for the Holy See Press Office. At first, at the time of Pope Francis’ election, the work was overwhelming: 165 interviews in a seven-week period. “It was a tsunami!” he exclaims. But now, Rosica has integrated this new role into the momentum of his life’s work and seems to take it in stride. “It’s all part of the same thing. It’s communications, it’s evangelization, and it’s creating a bridge for people, an access point.” J u ly 2 0 1 5 ❘

dren as a widower. He could not have imagined in 1962 how all of his wife’s suffering and sacrifice would someday be held high in St. Peter’s Square as a beacon for life.

‘Finalmente, One of Us’ The path to Gianna’s sainthood can be traced back to the 1960s when, following her death, a priest and friend, Father Olinto Marella, forged a grassroots effort in Milan to promote Gianna’s story. The case for her beatification picked up steam in the 1970s, catching the attention of Pope Paul VI. A 1977 miracle from Brazil involving the sudden recovery of a dying Click the button above to hear the author interview Father Thomas Rosica on St. Gianna.

(Right) During a family picnic in 1958, Gianna, ever the caregiver, feeds her daughter Mariolina in her high chair as 2-yearold Pierluigi looks on.

pregnant woman who prayed to Gianna propelled her case forward. After a lengthy review process confirmed the miracle, Gianna was beatified in 1994 by St. John Paul II. A second miracle in 1999—again from Brazil—moved Gianna toward canonization. On May 16, 2004, St. John Paul II officially canonized St. Gianna Beretta Molla, who would turn out to be the last of the saints he declared. Gianna’s husband, Pietro, and her three surviving children (Mariolina died in 1964) were all present at her canonization ceremony, a first in the known history of canonizations. Especially potent was the presence of Gianna Emanuela, the daughter whose life she insisted on protecting, and who followed in her mother’s footsteps, eventually becoming a physician herself. Rosica, who was present with the family, remembers clearly when St. Gianna’s name was announced during the emotional ceremony that spring day. “I remember . . . Pietro was in a wheelchair and he said, ‘I have to stand up,’” Rosica recalls. “He stands up and looks right at the banner with Gianna’s image and he said, ‘Do you see that picture? I took that when we were in the mountains.’” St. John Paul II used Gianna’s own words while delivering his homily at the canonization Mass: “In a letter to her future husband a few days before their marriage, she wrote, ‘Love is the most beautiful sentiment the Lord has put into the soul of men and women.’” The pope went on to reflect, “The extreme sacrifice

(Right) Gianna poses during her honeymoon in 1955. It’s clear that she had a developed sense of style as a professional young woman in fashionforward Italy.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SALT AND LIGHT CATHOLIC MEDIA FOUNDATION

(Far right) The look on Gianna’s face is one of profound maternal love. This love led and nourished her throughout her life, to her final moments when she put her unborn child’s life ahead of her own.

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she sealed with her life testifies that only those who have the courage to give of themselves totally to God and to others are able to fulfill themselves.” Not long after the canonization ceremony, Rosica remembers reflecting on the momentous occasion with Gianna’s close friend Piera. Over a glass of the famous liquor grappa, the larger-than-life Piera talked about what her friend’s canonization meant to her. “Piera told me, ‘Look, in the past, they raised up to the altar all these apostles and holy saints and everything else, and that’s fine. It’s not that they’re not holy. But with Gianna, finalmente [“finally”], one of us! A mother is now a saint.’ So we raised our glasses and toasted,” Rosica recalls.

Life in Bold

ern age. Moms today can whisper a prayer to St. Gianna when life gets overwhelming; they can feel confident that she knows exactly what they’re going through. This September, St. Gianna’s story will reach even more people at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. It’s fitting that St. John Paul II, who deeply understood how pivotal families are to the Catholic faith, and St. Gianna are the patron saints of the event. American Catholics are particularly energized about Pope Francis’ first visit to the United States, a trip that includes the pope’s participation in the World Meeting of Families. Rosica sees a natural connection between the pope and the Italian mother and saint. “Pope Francis loves families; he encourages families. Francis has been very clear about supporting families and marriage, so Gianna, being a laywoman and mother, she’s really a very appropriate saint and role model for the World Meeting of Families. We need heroes. Click here to learn more She’s a hero!” Rosica exclaims. about St. Gianna and the Even after the World MeetWorld Meeting of Families. ing of Families has wrapped up and the papal plane has departed US soil, the legacy of St. Gianna will remain for all. Rosica is keen to emphasize that St. Gianna’s legacy has as much to do with her life as it does with the sacrifice that was her death. “As a young mother of a family, she knew exactly the choice that she was making at the end, but it was her whole life that prepared her to make that choice. Her life was a constant yes all the way to when she said, ‘Let the child live. Let the baby live.’” A

The reserved images linked to some saints certainly do not apply to St. Gianna. But how exactly was St. Gianna “one of us”? Considering the diversity of her interests, there is tal Digi as much to choose from for modern Catholics Extr looking for a relatable saint. She enjoyed concerts, plays, and operas at Milan’s famous La Scala opera house. From being an accomplished pianist to keeping a keen eye on the latest fashions, Gianna was a cultured woman interested in the vibrancy of human life in this world. An avid outdoorswoman, many photos capture her hugging mountainsides and hiking in the ruggedly beautiful northern Italian landscape. She was always connected to her vocation as a mother, though, and her young children can be seen bundled up alongside her in her forays into the outdoors. “When we think of saints, we don’t necessarily think of a woman who loved beautiful Daniel Imwalle is the assistant editor of this magazine and clothes, who had season tickets to the opera, its digital edition. He has a BA in philosophy from Xavier who loved skiing, who liked to drive her car University, Cincinnati. very fast,” says Rosica. The term pro-life can be understood Secular Institute of the Missionaries of the Kingship of broadly when examining the life of St. Gianna. She celebrated the joy and the Christ…living consecrated life in the Secular World! gift of life granted by God throughout her 39 years on Earth, not only in her final moments. Though the notion of a mother continuing to work as she raises her children might not seem too out of the Franciscan Spirituality… ordinary these days, it certainly was serving God and others. in 1950s Italy. Gianna—the first Contact Us: woman doctor to be canonized—knew Vocations Director, www.simkc.org well the challenges and sweet, small victories of being a mother in the modFr anciscanMedia.org

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The ‘Pope’s Maestro’ Sir Gilbert Levine is honoring Sts. John Paul II and John XXIII, and Pope Francis with a televised concert. BY JAMES BREIG

HE CLOSE FRIENDSHIP between a pope from Poland and a Jewish conductor from America evolved into an international concert tour in 2014 and a PBS music special that was broadcast throughout the United States earlier this year. Titled “A Celebration of Peace through Music,” the concert was created and led by Sir Gilbert Levine to honor Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II, and Pope Francis. The story of how the three Roman Catholic leaders became the focus of Levine’s attention and talent begins with a papal encounter he never expected to have—and a pope’s healing remarks to his mother-in-law. Levine and John Paul II first met in 1987, when Levine, a Brooklyn native, was appointed conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic in Poland. A year later, the pope, who had been archbishop of Krakow, asked Levine to lead his orchestra in a musical

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commemoration of the 10th anniversary of John Paul II’s election. It was the beginning of a long friendship. “I had the incredible honor to work closely with Pope John Paul II from 1988 until his passing in 2005,” Levine says. Years later, their relationship would inspire in him the notion of “creating and conducting concerts on the theme of tolerance and mutual respect among people of all the world’s faiths.” While their friendship began with music— Levine has been called “the pope’s maestro”— the conductor explains that over time it became something deeper, due to John Paul II’s focus on interfaith understanding. His commitment to that cause, Levine says, “came out of his own history, seeing the horrors of the Shoah firsthand in his native Poland, and from his dedication to fulfilling the promise of better interfaith relations as expressed in the landmark Vatican II document ‘Nostra Aetate’ (‘In Our Time’).” That statement, which resulted from disSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTO FROM GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

cussions during the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, is subtitled “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.” It declares: “The Church reproves, as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination against men or harassment of them because of their race, color, condition of life, or religion.” It would eventually lead to Levine’s commemorating a second pontiff in his musical performance. That’s because the document “was initiated at the strong inspiration of Pope John XXIII,” who summoned the council, says Levine. Finally, a third pope, Francis, was added to the concert because “he announced that he would be canonizing John XXIII and John Paul II together,” Levine says. Reflecting on his friendship with one pope and his admiration for the interfaith achievements of two others, he came up with the theme of his tribute. “I knew that I had to create a concert to celebrate [the dual canonization] in the language—music—that I knew John Paul would Fr anciscanMedia.org

have wished,” Levine says. The resulting concert has been performed several times in cities around the globe, including Venice, Krakow, and Vienna. One of the challenges Levine faced in assembling the concert program was coming up with classical music that reflected, in theme, style, and mood, the three popes’ efforts to strengthen ecumenical and interfaith relationships. As he puts it, “Each work was specially selected to ‘illustrate’ the popes.”

Sir Gilbert Levine conducts “A Celebration of Peace through Music” at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. The concert, which has been broadcast on PBS, is a celebration of music and spirit among faiths.

Pope Francis A Developing Legacy Although Pope Francis’ full legacy remains to be seen, Levine added him to the concert because he has already “captivated billions around the world with his simplicity, wisdom, and caring for the universal poor. He has reached out, even in the early days of his pontificate, to people of all faiths—in Rome, in Jerusalem, and Istanbul, just as he did in his native Argentina—bringing his message of J u ly 2 0 1 5 ❘

Hearing ‘A Language of God’

peace to all who will open their hearts to hear it. I, for one, have had a smile on my face since the moment he was elected.” To reflect all of that, Levine chose “Fanfare for the Common Man” by American composer Aaron Copland. Levine says the score “exem-

Sir Gilbert Levine’s biography could be one sentence long: He has conducted symphony orchestras in North America and Europe. But then PHOTO BY DANIELE CATALDI/DEMOTIX/CORBIS

comes a second sentence, guaranteed to raise eyebrows: Pope John Paul II selected this Jewish man to become a Knight-Commander of the Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great. That honor PHOTO BY TONY GALE

is the highest one given to a non-Church musician and was last bestowed on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Levine’s journey from his Brooklyn birthplace to the Vatican was a musical one. Born in 1948, he grew up watching Leonard Bernstein’s “Young People’s Concerts,” aired on television in 53 installments over 14 years to introduce children to classical music. Levine has called the shows “mesmerizing,” and the spark that lit a flame in him to become just like Bernstein. The future “pope’s maestro” consumed music the way some children soak in sports. He rapidly took up the piano, clarinet, and bassoon. His mother, dumbfounded about what to do with young Gilbert, sent him at age 12 to a professional musician for assessment. The tutor had been recommended by Bernstein. The pro told Levine’s mother that her son had “great talents. . . . He has an extraordinary future ahead of him as a really wonderful professional artist.” That future would include the unimaginable: being knighted by a pope. At the ceremony, Levine said, “Ever since I can remember, it has not been words but music that has had the mystical power to encompass depths of feeling and, yes, even thought. . . . It is, I believe, a language of God.”

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plifies the commitment of Pope Francis to the ‘least of these,’ whether in the slums of his native Argentina, at the Vatican, or on his travels throughout the world. Who can forget the image of His Holiness comforting a homeless girl in the Philippines, who beseeched the pope on behalf of all the poor children of her country? His powerful outreach to her could be felt around the world.”

St. John XXIII A Man of Huge Heart After the brief fanfare for Pope Francis opens the concert, the program reaches back in time to honor Pope John XXIII with another musical salute. Because Levine was a teenager when John XXIII died, his knowledge of the pontiff came as he worked on the structure of the concert. “He was a man from a simple village, where there were no people of other faiths,” Levine outlines, “and yet he grew into a priest, a bishop, and a pope who changed the world forever with his calling of the Second Vatican Council and its landmark declaration of religious tolerance.” To honor John XXIII, the conductor turned to a work by Giuseppe Verdi, an Italian composer who lived in northern Italy, where the pope was born. The future head of the Church was 20 when the composer died in 1901. Choosing “Sanctus” by Verdi, Levine said he was accenting the interfaith message of that pontiff. Verdi’s piece “sets a text, ‘Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,’ which comes directly from the ‘Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh’ found in the Book St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

of Isaiah,” he explains. As “an Old Testament text brought intact into the Latin Mass to accentuate the brotherly relationship between Judaism and Christianity, it illustrates John XXIII’s ceaseless efforts toward better interfaith understanding.”

among people of all faiths worldwide.” The finale of the concert is a performance of Johannes Brahms’ First Symphony. Levine calls it “a demonstration of John Paul II’s belief that music without words can have the greatest power to unite us.” Levine adds that the

Levine says that each piece in the concert was chosen to represent the efforts of Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II, and Pope Francis, to strengthen ecumenical and interfaith relationships. PHOTO FROM BETTMANN/CORBIS

PHOTO FROM BETTMANN/CORBIS

The maestro points out that John XXIII “performed many courageous works of brotherly compassion while he was the papal nuncio in Istanbul, saving thousands of Jews from extermination by issuing false baptismal certificates, so that they might survive the Nazi Holocaust. He was a man of huge heart and common touch, but he was also a pope of immense vision, who changed the Church and the world in the short five years of his papacy.”

St. John Paul II

“music’s transcendence comes with its ability to reflect our human spirit, in all our diversity. Music, John Paul believed, uplifts us with its universal message of the unity of all mankind, whatever way we worship God.” Levine hopes “that our music-making and the stories of these three great popes will bring all who see and hear it together in music and spirit.” He also wishes that audiences “will be inspired by these exemplary men of God to be united in the pursuit of peace among all people, no matter our faith.”

An Inspiration

Sharing the Message

When it came to matching musical settings to the life of his longtime friend John Paul II, Levine opted for several works, beginning with two Marian hymns. “We performed one ancient, ‘Bogurodzica,’ and one modern, ‘Totus Tuus,’ John Paul’s own motto [which was set to music] by his favorite modern Polish composer, Henryk Gorecki,” Levine explains. The latter composition was “dedicated to John Paul, and had its premiere on the pope’s third visit back to his native Poland in 1987.” The papal motto, taken from the opening words of a prayer, translates to “I am all yours,” and refers to the pope’s devotion to Our Lady. Next on the concert program is “Chichester Psalms,” a piece by Leonard Bernstein, whom Levine salutes as “one of America's great music geniuses.” His score “sets psalm texts in their original Hebrew,” Levine says. “It exemplifies the commitment of each of these three popes to finding a way of peace in the relations

The concert, videotaped in Washington, DC, was first televised last Easter, but it is still being shown on stations around the United States. Pope Francis’ visit to the United States this September might inspire more broadcasts. The video is a joint effort of WETA (public TV in Washington, DC), Georgetown University, the Archdiocese of Washington, the Holy See, and Click here for more on the embassies of Poland, Italy, the concert and Sir Gilbert and Argentina. Levine. The president of Georgetown’s board, Paul Tagliabue, observes that those partners “agreed that celebrating the legacies of these popes was a way for us to collectively use our institutions to bring their message of peace and acceptance to audiences across the country and around the world.” Saying that this message “needs to be heard today,” he explains that music conveys it

Fr anciscanMedia.org

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PHOTOS: ADJACENT COURTESY OF GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY; BELOW COURTESY OF SIR GILBERT LEVINE

Following a performance of his concert, Sir Gilbert Levine takes a bow. Levine created and conducted concerts for St. John Paul II, including the 1994 “Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust” and the “Papal Concert of Reconciliation” in 2004.

The friendship between Levine and St. John Paul II began in 1987, when Levine was conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic in Poland.

Click the button above to hear an interview with Sir Gilbert Levine.

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because “music has a history of bringing people of all faiths, all backgrounds, from all over the world together. It is indeed universal.” The power of music to unite “is needed now more than ever,” he continues, because “the virus of intolerance is epidemic. Recent tragic events have underscored, more than ever, the critical importance of the commitments to religious liberty and tolerance, religious diversity, and mutual respect.” Tagliabue credits Levine for detecting “how Pope John Paul used music powerfully to unite faiths and bring people together. That power is reflected in this celebration. The themes of this celebration—religious tolerance, interreligious respect and dialogue, peace among people of all faiths—mirror the work that we engage in at Georgetown University.” Sharon Percy Rockefeller, president and chief executive officer of WETA, was also involved in the creation of the program. She describes the performance as “a special concert celebrating religious diversity and interfaith under-

standing.” That celebration, she continues, honors “three towering spiritual leaders and their dedication to improving dialogue between people of all faiths.” One of those three popes had a special influence on Levine—and on someone very close to him. “Pope John Paul transformed my life with the power of his heart,” the conductor explains. But the pope’s impact on Levine was greater than even that, the musician reveals, because John Paul reached out to one of his relatives. “His belief in my art to help him fulfill his mission, his compassion, his wisdom, his caring for me and my family were inspirational,” Levine says. “I saw him literally lift the weight of grief and torment from my mother-in-law’s heart. “She was a survivor of Auschwitz. John Paul made her see the power of life after the horrors she had seen during the Second World War. He touched our family’s lives in the way he touched the lives of men and women all over the world during his pontificate.” A For information about a DVD, CD, book, and other ways to experience “A Celebration of Peace through Music,” visit www.concert forpeace.org. James Breig is a freelance author from East Greenbush, New York. He has written articles for many Catholic publications, including this one, and is the author of Searching for Sgt. Bailey: Saluting an Ordinary Soldier of World War II (Park Chase Press, Baltimore). St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

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PHOTOS BY MAUREEN SMITH

Faith-Filled

Hero The near tragedy of a baby trapped in a flipped, submerged car brought countless blessings. BY MAUREEN SMITH

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IVE-YEAR-OLD HELENA WHITE fulfilled her wish to meet the people who saved her life just 18 days after she almost died in a terrifying accident. This past January, the Rankin County, Mississippi, Board of Supervisors issued a resolution of bravery to a group of people who stopped to pull Helena out of her mother’s car, which had flipped and submerged in a creek. The highlight of the ceremony, however, was when Helena got to see her rescuers for the first time. She had told her mother she wanted to meet everyone who helped that day, so she attended the meeting, even letting one of the rescuers give her a big hug, despite her shy nature. The members of the group were strangers when they stopped to rescue the girl from the car, which had flipped into a creek on December 28, 2014. One of those rescuers, William Banks, a youth minister at Camden Sacred Heart Parish, said he believes God put him there. He now believes many things about that day directed him and the other rescuers to be in the right place at the right time. The incident has changed Banks’ relationship with God and awakened faith in the White family.

A Terrifying Ordeal Helena’s mother, Chastity White, says she turned her head to look at a picture little Helena had drawn and missed a turn in the road. The car flipped and landed in a creek. White says she can’t even remember how she got out of the car. Pictures from the scene show the windshield crushed. White says she does not know how her window could have come down, and credits divine intervention. She quickly realized, though, that she could not get her child out, so she ran up to the road and started flagging down passersby. Banks and his girlfriend, Jessica Burch, were driving back from the Gulf Coast when they came across the scene. “When you looked down, you could see the mama. She was screaming that her baby was in the car,” he recalls. A couple people had already stopped, and one of the rescuers told Banks he needed a knife to cut the seat belt. “I had just gotten a knife two days before. [Jessica] gave it to me,” recounts Banks. He went into the water. “I can’t even swim. I was so scared, but the Lord was there with me. I could not see. Someone took my hands and guided them to the seat belt,” says Banks. He cut his own hand while cutting the seat belt, to make sure he did not cut the child. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

When he got the belt off, he found that little Helena’s body was wedged between the seats. By this time, others had stopped to help, including members of a local volunteer fire department. “I said, ‘We can’t get her out this way; we have to try something else. We have to lift up the car,’” Banks remembers. How did he and a handful of others lift a submerged car? “The grace of God,” says Banks. By the time they pulled Helena from the car, she had been under for perhaps as long as 10 minutes. “She was blue, and her mama was standing in the water, holding her. You could tell she was just getting weak,” says Burch, who was a lifeguard and knew CPR. She and the others on the bank helped Chastity out of the water. Noah Cheeks and Sherry Jackson started CPR on Helena with help from Rankin County Sheriff’s Deputy Wade Spencer. “About four minutes in, she gave a little burp, so they rolled her over and water came out,” recounts Banks. “Then she started crying. Fr anciscanMedia.org

That was the most beautiful sound, the crying baby.” Adds Burch: “Yes, that was the miracle, the sound of that baby crying.”

Remarkable Recovery Dr. Mary Taylor, chief of pediatric critical care at nearby Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, called Helena’s recovery remarkable. The doctor said the fact that the little girl was in an age-appropriate five-pointrestraint car seat, and that rescuers started CPR immediately, are the two factors that contributed most to the child’s survival. And paramedics told a local television station that having bystanders start CPR made their job easier. They were able to get her in the ambulance and on the way much faster. The car seat prevented more serious injuries to her body. “While it may seem funny because she was trapped in the car, that probably saved her from significant injury from the rollover

(Above) Instinct and “the grace of God” were at work when William Banks jumped into action to save 5-year-old Helena White’s life. (Opposite page) Just 18 days after being heroically rescued from her overturned car, Helena—snuggled up to her mother, Chastity—took part in a ceremony to thank those who helped in her time of need.

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She is ready to take this [recovery] on,” added the doctor. The child woke up earlier than expected, and had to be sedated to keep her on a ventilator long enough to make sure her lungs were healed. “She woke up and they took the ventilator out on her birthday, so I think that’s a really good birthday present,” recalls White.

PHOTO BY MAUREEN SMITH

A Happy Ending

William Banks looks at the pocket knife he used to cut the car-seat restraints that were preventing rescuers from getting Helena out of the wreckage.

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car accident she had,” explains Dr. Taylor. Then, starting CPR restored circulation and got oxygen to her brain, preventing permanent damage. Even the fact that the water was cold may have helped. Taylor says a person is more likely to survive a cold-water near-drowning. She says the case was especially difficult because the staff had to treat both the near-drowning, which involves potential damage to lungs, brain, and major organs, as well as check for injuries the accident may have caused. White says that while she was scared at the scene, it became apparent very soon that little Helena was going to fight for her life. “I don’t know, I just had a feeling that she was going to be OK,” she recalls. She says a neighbor near the accident site, Susan Caraway, helped.

Click here to watch a news report about the rescue and for Catholic resources on heroism.

“She basically just hugged me and prayed and it really helped me.” “[Helena’s] pretty headstrong,” says Taylor. “It seems she is a very bright, tough person. 42 ❘

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Helena will only have to follow up with her pediatrician as needed. Taylor says when anyone recovers from a traumatic accident, nutrition and rest are important, as well as keeping an eye out for secondary infections. She adds that little Helena is not expected to have any trouble. “She is the same happy little girl that wants to make everyone happy,” says her mother. “We’re very thankful for all the prayers and all the support because it has definitely helped.” Rescue personnel, doctors, and witnesses are all amazed that Helena is back home with no long-term medical issues. White says prior to the accident she never thought much about God or spirituality, but now believes firmly in God. “I was not a believer in any way until this happened,” she says. At a news conference just a few days before Helena’s release from the hospital, Helena’s father, Ray White, said Helena loved her nurses and doctors, and was cheerful and upbeat while she recovered. “And the ice cream, don’t forget the ice cream!” Meanwhile, William Banks says he had no way of knowing what happened after the ambulance left. He did not know the child’s name or where she went. “I did not sleep for days. I would cry—I just didn’t know what happened,” he says. His girlfriend, Jessica, though, saw a story on television, including video of the rescue from a law enforcement dashboard camera. Banks, who did not realize he had even been on the news, or that the rescue had been caught on tape, contacted the sheriff’s department to see if he could speak to the family. He called and texted with the toddler’s mother, but did not want to go to the hospital. He and the other rescuers finally got to meet Helena when the county commission honored them all at a ceremony a few weeks after the accident. Banks says getting to talk to the little girl helped ease his anxiety, but he still gets overwhelmed by the memory of being a part St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

of her rescue. He says he doesn’t understand why God chose him for the task.

Renewed Faith White says Helena remembers the accident. She remembers hanging upside down and seeing water rush into the vehicle. “I like how she remembers it better than how I do,” says White. “When she went under, she said she remembers trying to get her door open, but she could not, so she laid down and went to sleep,” explains White. The toddler does not remember much more until she got to the hospital. White wanted her daughter to know the rest of the story—and the people who saved her life. “I was so surprised to see how many people stopped. We are so thankful for everyone that helped. Now we keep in pretty close contact. [Helena] said, ‘I want to meet everyone that helped,’ and I’m like, ‘You will,’” said her mom. A company called Party Down South hosted a birthday party for the girl, since she spent her 5th birthday in the intensive care unit. Her rescuers were invited to come celebrate with the family. “There were a lot of people who helped and they have become a big part of my life,” says White. She plans to keep in touch with as many of the rescuers as she can in the years to come. Banks says he also wants to be a part of the White family. White says she has struggled with depression in the past, but has a whole new outlook thanks to her daughter’s rescue and recovery. “I am definitely a lot more hopeful about everything after this [accident]. This is a life I want to live,” she says. She realizes hope can make a difference in life, and no longer takes her children—she also has a 2-year-old son—for granted. Banks says he, too, lives differently these days. “It has changed my perspective on life. I just pray every day. I take a little time every day. You know, you never know what God is going to put there for you.” A Maureen Smith is the editor of Mississippi Catholic and communications director for the Diocese of Jackson. She loves to hear and tell stories, the “key to inspiration and conversion.” Fr anciscanMedia.org

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PHOTOS BY TERENCE L. HEGARTY

Cleaning Cars

This deacon ministers in a most unlikely place. BY TERENCE L. HEGARTY

HETHER HE’S DETAILING a car or helping someone with the details of his or her life, Deacon Paul Mazzariello brings his Catholic faith with him. And he’s not afraid to share it. As the owner of Vin’s Car Wash in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Mazzariello sees more than just vehicles at his business. He sees people. Deacon Paul doesn’t attempt to do any of the mechanical work at the full-service spa for automobiles. “I don’t know which side of a wrench is

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which,” he explains. He is much more at ease using tools that can repair a troubled mind, ease an aching heart, or wash away troubles. The key for Deacon Paul at his business, which he’s run for 34 years, is people. “I love people,” he says. “I love dealing with people. I love talking with people. “Life, in general, is building relationships.” Vin’s is perched on a hill just on the edge of a highway in Holyoke, a city of more than 30,000. The highway is a modern marvel in a city known for its engineering marvels; a city St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

and Hearts built around canals at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. It’s also a city—like many in the region—that is known for violence and crime associated with drug use. At the car wash entrance, drivers exit their vehicle and step inside the customer-service area, where they’re likely to run into Deacon Paul, who will strike up a genial conversation with them. After being prepped, sedans, pickup trucks, sport-utility vehicles, and even Smart cars are slowly pulled along the conveyor for a variety of services. As the vehicle emerges from the 110-foot-long car wash tunnel, the owner is invited back into the freshly vacuumed interior of his or her automotive treasure. Deacon Paul has walked up and down that tunnel thousands of times since he bought the business from his father. But three days a week, Deacon Paul walks down an even longer tunnel, one where the loud clang of heavy metal doors slamming shut and locking is jarring to the uninitiated. It’s a tunnel surrounded by 20-foot-high fences topped with razor wire. Deacon Paul is the Catholic chaplain at the Hampden County Correctional Center at Stony Brook in Ludlow, Massachusetts. Sitting in the correctional center’s staff break room, Deacon Paul notes that he’s been ministering there since 2008. The door swings open. “Hey, Deacon Paul,” says a corrections officer who’s finishing up his shift. It’s a greeting the deacon hears from nearly all on staff at the facility. He provides services to staff members, as well as inmates. “They all know me, but I don’t know all of their names,” Deacon Paul confesses. A trim five-foot-eight with just a few sprinkles of salt in his short-cropped, pepper-black hair, Deacon Paul turned 60 recently. But most would guess that he’s much younger. Clad in a long-sleeved black, collarless shirt with the words “Deacon Paul” and “Catholic Chaplain” in white ink forming a circle on the upper left chest, he relates his story. He is seated at one of the two pizza shoplike table and chair units that are parked in the corner. When the compressor from the Coke machine kicks on, he is forced to speak Fr anciscanMedia.org

louder to compete against the industrial hum. Deacon Paul pauses to collect his thoughts. He stares out the windows to his right, and sees a view of the sprawling parking lot. Surrounding the lot are countless acres of skeleton trees waiting for the warmth of spring before they burst into new life. Many of the men inside the buildings speak to Deacon Paul about starting a new life when their sentences have been served.

Whether at Vin’s Car Wash and Detail Shop (left) or Hampden County Correctional Center at Stony Brook (above), Deacon Paul Mazzariello is always trying to find ways to connect with people. “I love people,” he says.

Another Type of Ministry Deacon Paul, a Springfield, Massachusetts, native of Italian heritage, grew up in the Italian parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in the 1950s J u ly 2 0 1 5 ❘

Click the button below to hear about another prison ministry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“Prison chaplains represent one of the few potentially humanizing elements in the dehumanizing context of prison.” —Review of Religious Research, 2009

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and ’60s. He attended the parish’s Catholic grammar school in the south end of the city before going on to Cathedral High School, also in Springfield. He’s rarely seen without a smile and a laugh. But he wasn’t always the easygoing, religious person that he is today. Before he returned to an active faith life, he had what he calls behavioral “challenges.” He details some of those challenges while ministering to the inmates, demonstrating that he wasn’t born a deacon; that he’s not preaching from an ivory guard tower. “I could have been in this establishment 50 times—and not as a chaplain,” he says. “It’s not something I am proud of, but it is the truth. I will sit across from guys who will literally pour their hearts out to me, and I’ll listen to their story and say, ‘Boy, it sounds familiar.’” No matter in which venue he’s operating— car wash or jail—Deacon Paul always has his three-inch-long wooden crucifix hanging from his neck. “I’m never without this,” he says, as he gently nudges the symbol of Catholicism that rests at the bottom of a thin brown rope. “It stirs up conversation.” Those conversations, Deacon Paul believes, help men in the jail who are looking for some guidance. There’s evidence to suggest that such consultations help inmates in a variety of ways.

Important Work A study published in the Review of Religious Research in 2009 related the results of interviews with 30 prison chaplains and local religious congregants in Mississippi. “Overall, this research has shown moderate effects of faith-based programs on outcome measures, such as institutional adjustment, incidence of prison infractions and misconduct, experience of negative emotions, and likelihood of post-release arrest,” the study contends. “Prison chaplains represent one of the few potentially humanizing elements in the dehumanizing context of prison,” the report states. “The first penitentiaries in the United States were developed by Quakers for offenders to study the Bible as a way to facilitate their rehabilitation.” Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe is very supportive of the chaplaincy program at his facilities. “We believe that the most profound and substantive change in an individual comes from a spiritual displacement of under-

standings and values and actions,” the sheriff says. “That is why we believe that . . . spiritual programs should be welcomed and encouraged in our facility.” Deacon Paul is happy to help all people, whether they are religious or not. The Mississippi study found that this is a common and helpful approach. “Sharing may involve a religious person helping someone deal with problems and crises, regardless of the person’s spiritual situation,” the study found. “Ministry workers . . . routinely avoided the labels of ‘soul savers’ or ‘soul winners’ and, instead, saw their main purpose as providing encouragement.” Efforts to encourage inmates and help them leave prison better prepared to lead healthy, productive lives are highly valued in the sheriff’s department, according to Richard McCarthy, recently retired spokesman for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department. He says that they have “literally hundreds of programs that people can tap into to address their deficit areas.” Counseling, according to Deacon Paul, can be a very effective way for offenders to address their own deficits. While it’s not clear that counseling is a primary factor, nearly all types of crime have steadily decreased in the United States over the last 20 years. According to the US Census Bureau, in 1990, approximately 14,476,000 crimes were committed nationwide. By 2009, the total was down to 10,639,000 offenses. Despite the declines, incarceration rates climbed dramatically during the same period. Census Bureau figures show that, in 1990, there were more than 4.3 million adults (2.3 percent of the population) under correctional supervision in the United States. Through 2009, that number had jumped to more than 7.2 million, equating to 3.1 percent of the population. Deacon Paul says that the percentage of men who are dealing with addiction is “huge” in the western Massachusetts medium-security facility that houses nearly 900 men. “I have talked to hundreds of guys over the last five years, and I don’t think I have talked to 10 who weren’t hooked on something,” he says. McCarthy says more than 90 percent of those incarcerated in their facilities are dealing with substance abuse or addiction.

Trying to Make a Difference Robert Azeez, former director at the Carlson Recovery Center in Springfield, is not the least St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTOS BY TERENCE L. HEGARTY

In his ministry to inmates, Deacon Paul shares the personal struggles he experienced prior to returning to an active faith life. Those he speaks with will never see him without this wooden cross, which, he says, often “stirs up conversation.”

bit surprised by those claims. He says that there is a great deal of illegal activity involved in the life of someone who is addicted to a substance other than alcohol. “That lifestyle includes engaging in a behavior to elicit a substance, and/or continue to use a substance, and/or obtain money to continue to use a substance,” Azeez says. He managed the 30-bed inpatient detoxification facility for more than four years, and Fr anciscanMedia.org

recently began as Medicaid Behavioral Health Manager at Health New England, a healthinsurance provider based in Springfield. He believes that part of the increase in incarceration rates can be attributed to people going back to prison because they tested positive for substance abuse while they were out on either parole or a suspended sentence. Azeez says that there is no single denominator for getting people to turn their lives around. “It’s different with everyone because every human being is so different.” To bolster his contention, he cited one individual who, over the course of 20 years, had 484 admissions to his program before recovery. The man embraced recovery only because he was so ill. “He became so physically sick, he couldn’t drink any more. He was close to death,” Azeez recalls. “He’s been sober for 14 years now.” Recovery is often so difficult because of what the substance represents to the person, says Azeez. “They are coming in to us with something that they have the most emotional attachment to, the most physical attachment to, which is their significant other, which is their drug or drugs or alcohol of choice. We are asking them to break up with their significant other.” Azeez believes that incarceration has the potential to help, but says that often people who are not ready for recovery are not afraid of going to jail. “They can easily use in jail just as they can outside,” Azeez says. But he believes that treatJ u ly 2 0 1 5 ❘

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ment programs in the jails are valuable. “It can be an opportunity,” he says, but that opportunity needs to foster trust. “I tell my staff, ‘You have to let [clients] know that no matter what they’ve done, we are nonjudgmental and we are here to help them facilitate change.’” However, that change is hard Click here for more on to come by. Azeez says that prison ministry. only about one in 10 clients who go through a treatment program actually get clean and sober. “But that 10 percent is a huge difference in that one person’s life—to their family, to society, to the community. “Miracles do happen every day,” he says.

Always Ministering

PHOTO BY TERENCE L. HEGARTY

Just as Deacon Paul reminds people that he wasn’t always so prayerful, that he wasn’t born a deacon—“I was sort of a wild man,” he says— neither were those addicted to alcohol or drugs born that way. Discerning the reasons why a person picked up that first drink or drug means confronting

At his car wash, Deacon Paul shares a book about Pope Francis with Juan Miranda. The deacon says he is not afraid to showcase his faith at his business.

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a very difficult past—something many of the men that Deacon Paul works with fear. The deacon tries to quell that fear as he counsels inmates. Unfortunately, he’s not always successful. He details what he calls his “wins and losses.” At the top of the win column is an inmate who became interested in the Catholic faith after meeting with Deacon Paul. “He had never made any sacraments, but he had never missed a Sunday service [at the jail],” Deacon Paul recounts. He changed his life and became

closer to God. After his release, he kept in touch with Deacon Paul, and when he decided to receive his sacraments, he asked Deacon Paul to be his godfather. Among the losses are the men he sees coming back into the jail time and time again. “The losses are sad,” he says. “For example, one guy I am going to see today has not changed. He has literally been here 15 times.” Deacon Paul says that he never imagined himself being an ordained minister of the Church. “I am a typical cradle Catholic who kind of left after high school and did my own things,” he says. But he and his wife, Carol, got more involved in the Church when their oldest child decided to begin actively practicing her faith in the 1980s. About 10 years later, he felt “a calling to do something more.” Following a four-year formation program, he was ordained in 2005. “Other than the birth of my three children, I will never forget it. It was an amazing day. [It] changed my life.” Deacon Paul says that he is always a deacon and counsels people in settings beyond the jail and the car wash. He’s had people come up to him after Mass in the parish setting. “Can I talk to you?” they ask quietly. “Sure,” he replies. “Then we’ll go over to the side and they’ll say, ‘How much for a wax?’” More often, he’ll have people at the car wash ask to speak to him about religious or emotional concerns. Sometimes a customer will have a son or nephew in the jail and will ask Deacon Paul to check on him. “I wear more than one hat at once . . . all the time,” he says. At the car wash, religious pamphlets are proudly on display to the right of the cash register. Deacon Paul has both gained and lost customers by being open about his faith at the business. “Yes, I bring my faith to the car wash. It’s who I am.” That’s who he is whether he’s walking the car wash tunnel or the jail tunnel. Either way, he’s washing away troubles. In either tunnel, the goal is to have people come out the other side in better condition than when they went in. A Terence L. Hegarty is a freelance writer living in Springfield, Massachusetts. He has written hundreds of articles for the Catholic Communications Office of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. He and his wife are the parents of five grown children. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

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ASK A FRANCISCAN

❘ BY FATHER PAT McCLOSKEY, OFM

Did Judas Fulfill God’s Will? If Jesus came to be sacrificed, can we say that Judas did anything wrong because that was the will of God? If everything that happens in this world reflects God’s will, then I’m afraid that this term means nothing. For example, children are sometimes tortured by parents or other caregivers. Is that God’s will? A few months ago, we observed the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. Was it God’s will that the Nazis ran Auschwitz one day and that the Allies liberated it the next day? The liberation, yes. The camp’s very existence, no. God cannot directly intend the sinful abuse of God-given freedom. If someone says that everything that

happens reflects God’s permissive will, does that genuinely help anyone? Job’s friends basically said that Job suffered because God actively willed it—only to be told by God that they had not spoken rightly about him (42:8b). When Genesis 1:27 tells us, “God created man in his image, in the divine image he created them; male and female he created them,” that divine image is not physical and gender-based. No, God created us in freedom and intends us to use that freedom constructively, in a way that reflects God’s love, God’s life of grace. The expression “God’s will” suggests to many people that God oper-

Calling Priests ‘Father’

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Someone recently wrote in our local newspaper that the practice of calling priests ‘father’ ignores Matthew 23:9 where Jesus says, “Call no man father but your father in heaven.” How can I respond to that? What about the command to honor your father and mother? That passage also says not to call anyone master or teacher (verse 8 and verse 10), but Christians have felt justified in using both expressions for centuries. Only God is truly father, master, or lord. Any application of those titles to human beings is by comparison to God and must be done humbly. Did the person writing in your newspaper refer to his or her male parent as father? Did he or she feel guilty for doing so? The Fourth Commandment still stands—whatever we call our male or female parent.

ates in time the same way that humans do: past/present/future. That sequence, however, is a limitation that we dare not impose on God! Why did the Son of God become a human being while remaining totally divine? Some theologians (the majority) have said that it was to redeem the human family by being crucified. This is called the satisfaction or atonement theory: Jesus cleaning up the mess that Adam, Eve, and their descendants have made (Plan B or the “cleanup in aisle three” explanation). Another theory, advocated especially by Blessed John Duns Scotus (a Franciscan who died in 1308), suggests that the Incarnation was always intended (Plan A). Jesus is the alpha and omega (beginning and end) of human history (Rv 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13). His crucifixion was certainly real, but it was not the result of the Blessed Trinity’s decision to move Jesus around as though he were a chess piece. Judas indeed did something terribly wrong, but only God knows the whole truth about that decision. All of us need to make decisions that reflect our God-given dignity, our God-given freedom that needs to respect the freedom of everyone else precisely because they also have been made in God’s image and likeness.

Psalm Numbers I have noticed that Psalm 50 (“Have mercy on me, O Lord”) in the Douay-Rheims Bible is listed as Psalm 51 in the New American Bible. Why? The numbering is the same before Psalm 8 and after Psalm 148. The

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reason is that some older Catholic translations (such as the DouayRheims and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) are based on the Vulgate text, St. Jerome’s fourthcentury translation of the Scriptures into Latin. He had used the Septuagint text, which is a translation into Greek of the original Hebrew text. Thus, Psalm 9 is a single psalm in the Septuagint (Greek translation) but is Psalms 9 and 10 in the Hebrew. Translations such as the Revised Standard Version use the Hebrew text, which has a slightly different numbering system. The Jerusalem Bible and the New American Bible use the higher numbers. Christians had little access to the Hebrew texts for many centuries. Already in the 16th century, they noticed the differences. The oldest Hebrew texts of the Psalms are now those found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were written around the time of Jesus and discovered at Qumran in the late 1940s.

Sts. Theresa Neumann and Pius XII? I cannot understand why Theresa Neumann (1898-1962) has never been canonized. She was a hardworking farm girl who wanted to become a nun. She became paralyzed and blind at the age of 20 and was cured of both three years later, the day that St. Thérèse of Lisieux was canonized. Theresa Neumann had Christ’s stigmata and survived for 23 years on the Eucharist alone. I have a neighbor who was a World War II soldier and saw her later. Where can I write to find out about efforts to see her declared a saint? The same for Pope Pius XII? He was an outstanding leader. A petition in support of Theresa’s beatification was signed by 40,000 people from around the world. More information is available at therese neumann.de/thereseenglish. That website is copyrighted 2002 by Marie Theres Neumann. It does not reflect Fr ancisca n Media .org

the fact that this cause was opened in the Diocese of Regensburg in 2005. A website might contain incomplete information! Regarding Theresa Neumann, the Catholic Church does not regard the stigmata as automatic proof that someone is a saint. In fact, when the Church has canonized stigmatics, it has made no binding statements regarding the genuineness of the stigmata. God works especially through virtuous lives. That is ultimately the standard that the Church uses. Phenomena such as the stigmata may be very unusual and interesting, but they are only that. On December 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI authorized the publication of a decree affirming the heroic virtues of Pope Pius XII. Further research is being conducted in the Vatican archives regarding what he did or did not do for Jewish people during World War II. The postulator general of the Society of Jesus is handling this cause. A

Click the button above to hear Father Pat’s insights on Catholic topics.

Father Pat welcomes your questions! Send them to: Ask a Franciscan, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498, or Ask@FranciscanMedia.org. All questions sent by mail need to include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. This column’s answers can be searched back to April 1996 at StAnthonyMessenger.org.

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BOOK CORNER

❘ BY CAROL ANN MORROW

Five Years in Heaven The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life’s Greatest Questions

What Our

Readers Recommend Rediscover Catholicism Matthew Kelly One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are Ann Voskamp The Homeless Bishop Joseph F. Girzone Being Catholic: A User’s Guide Patrice Tuohy Pope Francis: His Essential Wisdom Carol Kelly-Gangi

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By John Schlimm Image Books 275 pages • $23 Hardcover/E-book Reviewed by RICHARD MEYER, a 2015 graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Richard earned a BA in theology from Xavier and will be attending Wake Forest University for a master’s degree in bioethics. Five Years in Heaven is an inspiration for those looking for advice and direction when the future seems clouded with doubts and questions. At a time in his life when only uncertainty seemed to lie ahead, author John Schlimm developed an unlikely friendship with a nun, 87-year-old Sister Augustine. With Schlimm’s life at a crossroads, their friendship led him in ways that revealed God’s presence—even when divine help seemed far away. Reminiscent of the book Tuesdays with Morrie, Schlimm recounts the many conversations he had while visiting the vowed religious woman at a local convent’s ceramic shop over a five-year span. Sister Augustine offered solace, safety, and, most important, friendship during a time when Schlimm felt profoundly lost and alone. The pair discussed whatever topic came to mind while Sister Augustine made, painted, or kiln-fired ceramic pottery. The conversations covered everything from forgiveness to doubt, from dealing with the death of a

loved one to God’s presence in the smallest parts of life. Schlimm learned countless lessons from his new friend and came to call his times with her “heaven on earth.” As the reader discovers, Schlimm left a lucrative career to return home to Pennsylvania in order to pursue his passion for teaching. After a decidedly full early adulthood, at the age of 31, life for the young man had come to a standstill as he struggled for answers to questions about rejection, belonging, and faith. Schlimm accurately paints a picture of what life at a time of uncertainty looks like: when you are unsure of direction and nothing you try seems to be working. He was fortunate to have a friend in whom to confide. Sister Augustine humbly claimed that she was “only a messenger,” but the impact of their visits on the author indicates something far greater. In her conversations with Schlimm, Sister Augustine drew from her own long life to give poignant and divinely inspired advice, which will surely strike a chord with anyone struggling with life’s tough questions. Though the book addresses myriad topics, Five Years in Heaven is, at 275 pages, a quick and easy read. The wisdom that effortlessly pours out of Sister Augustine will prove to be a great resource for those who find themselves questioning their life’s direction. Schlimm maintains a lighthearted tone throughout the book, which adds to the sweetness that characterizes Sister Augustine. This playful tone is even reflected in the pottery that she creates while doling out priceless advice. Their conversations might evoke memories the reader has had with a grandparent or wise older friend. The relationship develops beautifully as Schlimm becomes more involved in helping around the ceramic shop, while the aging sister finds that God still has plans for her. Drawing from the lives of the author and Sister Augustine, Schlimm brings their conversations to life with a highly approachable presentation. In fact, the effective storytelling may even remind you of longforgotten moments from your own life where you have felt the presence of God. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

BOOK BRIEFS

Catholic Beach Reads! The Fifth Gospel By Ian Caldwell Simon & Schuster, Inc. 448 pages • $25.99 Hardcover/E-book

Jesus Christ, Peacemaker A New Theology of Peace By Terrence J. Rynne Orbis Books 251 pages • $25 Softcover Reviewed by VIRGINIA ANN FROEHLE, Religious Sister of Mercy and author of Loving Yourself More: 101 Meditations for Women. Jesus, whose life itself shines as peacemaker, told his followers to “turn the other cheek,” “love your enemies,” and “do good to those who hate you.” How do we live these commands when we are attacked by unjust words, violent aggression, and terrorism? Are we to be pacifists or followers of the “just war” theory? Should we believe that there can be nonviolent solutions and advocate for civil disobedience and passive resistance? Terrence Rynne explores each option with its respective history. Early Christians were pacifists. They refused to join the Roman army. In the fourth century, Constantine made Christianity the religion of the empire, and Church and state became entwined. Christians joined the army believing they were responsible for defending the empire. Flowing from this belief, Ambrose and Augustine introduced the theory of a just war—based on natural law, not the Scriptures. This theory influenced thinking for 16 centuries. We have developed other alternatives in the past 100 years: nonviolent (or passive) resistance, including civil disobedience. Nonviolence, as opposed to pacifism, defends one’s self, group, or country, but creates ways that do not return violence to the perpetrator. These are the options which Rynne develops and supports as his new theology in this both clarifying and enlightening book. Fr ancisca n Media .org

At once highly readable and steeped in Church history, The Fifth Gospel combines murder mystery, family drama, and biblical scholarship in a novel set at the Vatican during the twilight of St. John Paul II’s papacy.

John the Pupil By David Flusfeder Harper 240 pages • $24.99 Hardcover/E-book Fans of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose will love David Flusfeder’s latest novel, which follows three 13th-century Franciscan novices from Oxford on a penitential journey across Europe. Blending the earthy with the intellectual, John the Pupil delivers both humor and drama against the backdrop of the medieval world.

Gem Babies Odyssey A Journey to the Discovery of Hope By Juliana Gerace WestBow Press 234 pages • $17.95 Paperback/E-book Drawing on 15 years of experience in youth ministry and adult faith formation, Juliana Gerace in her first novel presents a young woman’s quest for self-discovery and deepened faith as she confronts the evil of human trafficking. —D.I.

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 Ju ly 2 0 15 ❘ 5 3

A CATHOLIC MOM SPEAKS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

Bringing the Works of Mercy to Life “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day . . . I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world.” —The Mister Rogers Parenting Book

love this quote. Every once in a while I’ll see it resurface on Facebook or Pinterest, and it always stops me in my tracks. First of all, it reminds me of what a wonderful and profound effect Fred “Mister” Rogers, who hosted a children’s TV show for decades, has had on not only my life, but also the lives of so many others. The quote is a good reminder for me to stop and assess how the quote pertains to me and my life. I wonder, Am I being a helper? Am I doing enough to reach out to others? What type of example am I setting for my kids and those around me?

A Call to Action This past April, Pope Francis provided us with a call to action when he announced a Year of Mercy, which will run from December 8 to November 20, 2016. In “The Year of Mercy,” the apostolic exhortation announcing the event, the pope reminded us that “mercy is a key word that indicates God’s action

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Click here for more on the Holy Year of Mercy.

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toward us. He does not limit himself merely to affirming his love, but makes it visible and tangible. Love, after all, can never be just an abstraction. By its very nature, it indicates something concrete: intentions, attitudes, and behaviors that are shown in daily living.”

But even before announcing the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has repeatedly called for us to care for each other.

Surrounded by Helpers Too often, we look at individuals such as Blessed Mother Teresa, MarSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

A ROAD MAP TO MERCY In the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, our faith provides us with ways in which we can become helpers for others.

Corporal Works ■ Feed the hungry. ■ Give drink to the thirsty. ■ Clothe the naked. ■ Shelter the homeless. ■ Visit the sick. ■ Visit those in prison. ■ Bury the dead.

Spiritual Works ■ Instruct the ignorant. ■ Counsel the doubtful. ■ Admonish the sinner. ■ Comfort the sorrowful. ■ Forgive injuries. ■ Bear wrongs patiently. ■ Pray for the living and the dead.

ence to someone having a rough day. Speak up when you hear a person being disparaged, and then find a way to raise that person up. The possibilities are endless, so start thinking. No act is too small. For further inspiration, I leave you with another quote from Mister Rogers that I hope speaks to your heart and inspires you to continue to make a difference wherever you are: “I hope you’re proud of yourself for the times you’ve said yes, when all it meant was extra work for you, and was seemingly helpful only to somebody else.” A

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY KURNICK MAASS

tin Luther King Jr., or St. John Paul II and stand in awe of their achievements. We let ourselves believe that we are not capable of making that same type of profound contribution to the world. But guess what? We are. We’re just underestimating our potential to bring about change— which often begins with one single action. Stop and take a moment to think of all the helpers in our everyday lives—doctors, teachers, firefighters, moms and dads—and the list goes on. Do we recognize them for the contributions they are making? Do we recognize the works of mercy we are doing ourselves? Probably not. Stop and think about what things would be like without those everyday helpers. So I issue this two-part challenge: let’s not only find ways to be helpers, but also to recognize the everyday ways in which we already help. How you do that is up to you. Each day provides us with new opportunities to do both. Maybe you embody the works of mercy through volunteering with an organization whose mission you feel is especially close to you. Or perhaps it’s by holding a prayer service and burying your child’s pet. (That one I offer from experience.) Go through your clothes and donate some that you no longer need. Write a note to a person who has made a difference in your life, or let someone know, in some way, how much he or she means to you. Offer a smile or hug, which could make a world of differ-

Click the button to the left to listen to Susan’s “Marriage Moments.”

Do you have comments or suggestions for topics you’d like to see addressed in this column? Send them to me at “A Catholic Mom Speaks,” 28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498, or e-mail them to CatholicMom@FranciscanMedia.org.

PETE AND REPEAT These scenes may seem alike to you, But there are changes in the two. So look and see if you can name ILLUSTRATION BY TOM GREENE

Eight ways in which they’re not the same. (Answers on page 26)

Fr ancisca n Media .org

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THE SPIRIT OF FRANCIS

❘ BY MURRAY BODO, OFM

CNS PHOTO/ L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

Love of Creation

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Pope Francis teaches by actions. At a journalists’ event, he called forth visually impaired journalist Alessandro Forlani, who asked a blessing for his wife and children. Francis added “a special blessing for your dog, too.”

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Click here for more on Pope Francis, St. Francis, and their love of creation.

Murray Bodo, OFM’s, new book is Enter Assisi: An Invitation to Franciscan Spirituality (Franciscan Media).

Animal Friend Medieval people expected saints to reflect the harmony that Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden, including an ability to be on good terms with a great variety of animals. Francis preached to birds, saved sheep about to be sold at market, and convinced a wolf to stop terrorizing the people of Gubbio. They agreed to feed the wolf, who lived to an advanced age. —P.M.

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIE LONNEMAN

n medieval hagiography, animals and birds minister to saints, and saints talk to them. St. Francis surely fit that description, but he did more. He wrote “Canticle of the Creatures,” which sums up his way of living with and in the natural world. He praised God through, with, by means of, and for creatures. He called them his brothers and sisters, not inferior creatures to be used and abused at will by humans. For St. Francis, the care of creation depended first of all upon our care for one another. We order our lives by having a right relationship with God, then with ourselves and others, and from that ordering of relationships overflows our care of all creation. Pope Francis follows again in the footsteps of St. Francis when he calls for an “integral ecology.” By that he means a new solidarity, a changing of human hearts so that the good of the human person and not the pursuit of profit is the key value. For Catholics, protecting the environment is inextricably bound to care for the human person. Pope Francis said in a speech in the Philippines, “We need to see—with the eyes of faith—the beauty of God’s plan, the link between the

natural environment and the dignity of the human person.” This is not all about tree-hugging! Ecology involves right relationships. In defending the permanent union of marriage, for example, he said that “the crisis of the family has produced a human ecological crisis; for social environments, like natural environments, need protection.” And in a meeting with United Nations officials in May 2014, Pope Francis insisted that the defense of the family, the defense of the poor, and the protection of the environment are all part of the agenda for an integral ecology. Cardinal Peter Turkson, referring to the principles underlying Pope Francis’ thinking on the environment, has said that Pope Francis’ “integral ecology” is a vision of care and protection that embraces the human person and the human environment in all possible dimensions. We are to be protectors of the environment and of one another. Simply put, St. Francis and Pope Francis are calling us to renew our lives through living the Gospel, which is the book on how to love God, one another, and everything that God has made. A

BACKSTORY

Franciscan Corner

n the mid-1800s, Bishop Purcell recruited Franciscans from the Tyrol region of Austria to come to Cincinnati to serve. They brought their journalism with them.

The friars worked for a German-language Catholic newspaper, and then

published their own magazine, St. Franziskus Bote. In June 1893 came the first issue of St. Anthony Messenger. We’ve published from Cincinnati all these years, most of them from the same location near the Liberty and PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

Vine streets intersection. We’re next to our provincial motherhouse and St. Francis Seraph Parish, in historic Over-the-Rhine. Our neighborhood, once teeming with upwardly mobile immigrants, became one of the nation’s poorest during more recent decades. To their credit, the Franciscans remained here, even as the descendants of German immigrants headed for suburbs. Race relations in the neighborhood became an issue, even as recently as 2001, when riots resulted in days of the city being under curfew. Friars, robed in brown, took to the streets with a message of peace and reconciliation. Today, the well-to-do are moving into our neighborhood. What will happen to the poor? No one, rich or poor, wants a decrepit, unsafe neighborhood. Some sort of mixed housing seems to be the answer, and the friars are part of the conversation to help see that happen.

PHOTO BY JEANNE KORTEKAMP

The buildings of Franciscan Media stand adjacent to St. Francis Seraph Church at “Franciscan Corner.” The motherhouse and friary are behind the church; the school and other ministries are across Vine Street.

Behind our building, for example, is St. Anthony Village, a housing cooperative for neighborhood residents, started by the friars. The friars are engaged with the community, witnessing to Gospel values, especially through St. Francis Seraph Parish, school, and ministries. In the middle of it, St. Anthony Messenger and the rest of Franciscan Media strive to do the same to a much broader community, throughout the United States and well beyond. Do we reach the poor through our media? Probably not so much these days, honestly. Do we bring the stories of those who are poor to the public eye? You can count on that, among our mix of features. And in our own way, perhaps we are a leaven of justice in our society.

Editor in Chief @jfeister

Fr ancisca n Media .org

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ST. ANTHONY M 28 W. Liberty Street Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

essenger

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