September 2015 by St. Anthony Messenger

ST. ANTHONY SEPTEMBER 2015 • $3.95 • FRANCISCANMEDIA.ORG

Jewish Jesus Cardinal Seán O’Malley Spud Harvest

The

Blessing of Families Pope Francis on Families Catholic Parenting Today Our Marriage at 40

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CONTENTS

ST. ANTHONY Messenger

❘ SEPTEMBER 2015 ❘ VOLUME 123/NUMBER 4

ON THE COVE R

T H E B L E S S I N G O F FA M I L I E S

“Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive” is the theme of the World Meeting of Families—the event that will draw Pope Francis to the United States this month for his first visit.

28 Pope Francis on Families For Pope Francis, the family is the cornerstone of our faith. Here he offers 10 reasons why. By Pope Francis

34 Catholic Parenting Today How will we pass on our faith to our children? A new study lays out the challenge. By Mark M. Gray

CNS photo by Paul Haring; background from Ingimage

36 Our Marriage at 40 D E PA R T M E N T S

It has its joys and challenges. But God is always at the center. By Kristina M. Santos

2 Dear Reader 3 From Our Readers

F E AT U R E S

4 Followers of St. Francis Joyce Ramage, OSF

14 The Jewish Jesus Pope Francis says, “Inside every Christian is a Jew.” Understanding that will help us follow Jesus better. By Pat McCloskey, OFM

6 Reel Time Ant-Man

Walt Disney

22 Cardinal Seán O’Malley: Instrument of Peace

10 Church in the News 20 The Spirit of Francis

This Franciscan’s always been drawn to the poor. Now he’s one of the pope’s closest advisers. By Donis Tracy

Many Gifts, One Lord

39 Editorial The Pope on Capitol Hill

45 At Home on Earth

40 Spud Harvest Hands-on experience opened this woman’s eyes about those who gather food for our tables. Text by Patti Sherlock, photos by James H. Nelson

8 Channel Surfing

Spirituality of Subtraction

50 Ask a Franciscan Individual Successors for Apostles?

46 Fiction: The Annual Sourwood Squirrel Scramble

52 Book Corner The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis

Unwritten rules can be life-savers. By David Hull

54 A Catholic Mom Speaks A Mom’s Take on Same-Sex Marriage

56 Backstory

DEAR READER

ST. ANTHONY M essenger

Helping Brother Leo Brother Leo was one of Francis’ first followers and closest companions, especially in the last years of Francis’ life. We have several letters from Francis to groups of people. His letter to Leo is one of only two letters to individuals. Perhaps this letter was written by Francis after September 1224 when he received the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ’s passion, at the hermitage of La Verna. Leo brought him food there each day. A conversation with Leo prompted Francis to write this letter, whose key section reads: “In whatever way it seems better to you to please the Lord God and to follow his footprint and poverty, do it with the blessing of the Lord God and my obedience.” Leo may have been scrupulous and a great worrier. Francis encouraged him to come and seek advice whenever necessary—but even more to trust that the Lord God would lead him in the right way. In a sense, Francis was inviting Leo to live in greater freedom than Leo was presently experiencing. May we live in the freedom that reflects our dignity as people made in the image and likeness of God!

Click the button on the left to hear Father Pat’s further reflections on what Francis wrote to Brother Leo.

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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

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(U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 123, Number 4, is published monthly for $39.00 a year by the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 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.

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

FROM OUR READERS

Gratitude from One Mom to Another I was thrilled to read the cover story from the July issue of St. Anthony Messenger, “St. Gianna Beretta Molla,” by Daniel Imwalle. Though I’m the mother of three beautiful children today, there was a time when my husband and I struggled with starting a family. I learned about St. Gianna’s story after talking to our parish priest about our difficulties, and I started to pray that she intercede for us. Within a year of praying to St. Gianna, I gave birth to our first child! It was exciting to find out that St. Gianna is one of the patron saints of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. She’s an inspiration for Catholic mothers and the families they nurture. With Pope Francis participating in the event, this Septem-

ber should be an exhilarating time for US Catholics. Jessica Burke Seattle, Washington

Time to Let Go Sue Erschen’s article from the July issue, “Steps toward a Simple Life,” was a revelation for me. My wife and I have been talking about decluttering our basement and our overstocked pantry for quite some time. Reading Ms. Erschen’s article inspired the two of us to take action and sift through our belongings to see what might benefit those in need. Also, the practical tips in the article got us thinking about what else we could do to follow Pope Francis’ example of simple living. Mike Fitzgerald St. Louis, Missouri

Religious Freedom to Remain Intact

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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As a subscriber for over 30 years, I was disappointed in J.F.’s editorial from the July issue, “A Sacrament at Risk.” Arguments voiced by you, certain Catholic bishops, and far-right clerics about how the state’s legitimizing same-sex marriage threatens our religious liberty ring false. I have seen nothing that says clerics of any denomination will be forced by the state to perform or witness marriages that do not fall within their particular denomination’s guidelines. Catholic priests routinely deny the sacrament to many, including the un-annulled divorced, those who are already pregnant, those living together, and those refusing to register six months before their wedding date. Also, on a minor note, a mere tweaking in the administering of the marriage licensing laws—with which all heterosexual and homosexual couples must comply—could make the granting of a marriage license

equivalent to marriage in the eyes of the state. Therefore, the problem of there being two ceremonies seems greatly overstated. Salvatore A. Amelio Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Power of Mercy Thank you for Susan Hines-Brigger’s column “A Catholic Mom Speaks” from the July issue and her reflection on mercy. This came at the perfect moment for me, since, just the other day, one of my teenage sons gave me a hug “just because.” Maybe he didn’t realize he was embodying the spiritual work of mercy of comforting the sorrowful, but, after a particularly hard day at work, his hug lifted my spirits. I always enjoy “A Catholic Mom Speaks,” but this time it hit home even more for me. Maureen Michaels Chicago, Illinois

‘No Limit’ to Spreading the Gospel Something I really love about my faith is the universality of the Catholic Church. Individuals from totally different backgrounds can enjoy an immediate connection because of our common faith in and love of Jesus Christ. I also love that St. Anthony Messenger brings me into contact with such a diversity of Catholics simply by me subscribing. Because of your magazine, I’ve met Friar Alessandro Brustenghi while in Assisi, contributed to Mary’s Meals, and listened to the music of Jewish maestro Sir Gilbert Levine. As you can see, there is no limit to the evangelization you are spreading throughout our world. Thank you for all you do, and may God continue to bless your staff. Theresa Schaefer Miami, Florida S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 3

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

One Farm’s Song of Praise “

hout with joy to the Lord, all the earth; break into song; sing praise” (Ps 98:4). If carrots, peas, and cucumbers were musical notes, then the earth at Canticle Farm in Allegany, New York, would raise the most joyful of songs to the Lord. Canticle Farm, a nonprofit, community-supported agriculture farm, or CSA, is sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany (the FSA) as a way to fulfill the sisters’ mission of reverencing, protecting, and honoring the sacredness of God’s creation. The word canticle means “hymn” and recalls St. Francis’ “Canticle of the Creatures.” “We are about caring for all of creation, as was St. Francis. It’s about relationship of brother and sister to the earth, soil, and plants, as well as all of the people who are part of our farm family in any way,” says the farm’s president, Sister Joyce Ramage, OSF. The FSA Peace and Justice Committee decided to add Integrity of Creation to their work and began to explore the possibility of establishing an organic CSA in 1998. Upon approval, land was purchased in 2000 and was named “Canticle Farm.” The farm is located one mile from the

Joyce Ramage, OSF

FSA’s St. Elizabeth Motherhouse. “The original farm consisted of 12.5 acres. We purchased additional land in 2012, which consisted of another 12 acres. Most of the production is done on the original land where we have a greenhouse and three high tunnels. The new land was farmed conventionally, so we have had to wait for three years to use it. We grow over 40 varieties of vegetables,” explains Sister Joyce. She notes that their produce is Certified Naturally Grown, which is an alternative designation to the USDA’s National Organic Program, and is meant primarily for small farmers distributing through local channels. As a CSA, the farm sells shares to members of the local public, who then share the risk with Canticle Farm because they pay for their produce before it is harvested. “We grow year-round, having spring, summer, and fall share seasons. Plus we have a market on the new property called Canticle Farm Market where we sell to the public yearround,” she adds. This is the farm’s 15th season and, when it began, they had approximately 40 shareholders. Today, that number has grown to

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

St. Anthony Saves the Date

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Years ago, when I was a teenager, something amazing happened to my sister Denise regarding St. Anthony. Despite the years that have passed, this story remains fresh in my mind. Denise was getting ready to go out on a date with her boyfriend—whom she would later marry—when she realized that her most valued piece of jewelry was missing. Not long before our grandmother passed away, she had given this ring to Denise. We scoured her bedroom floor with no luck. Together, we prayed to St. Anthony for help. Immediately after praying, I accidentally bumped into her dresser and knocked over a glass of water, which fell to the floor and broke. As I cleaned up the mess, the sparkle of our grandmother’s ring caught my eye—it had rolled under Denise’s dresser. St. Anthony heard our prayer, and Denise made it to her date on time! —Jo Anne Michaels, Chicago, 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 Sister Joyce and the Canticle Farm.

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA

Touched by Grace “When a crystal is touched or struck by the rays of the sun,” wrote St. Anthony, “it gives forth brilliant rays of light. When people of faith are touched by God’s grace, they, too, must give forth sparks of light in their good words and deeds, and so bring God’s light to others.” Women and men of faith shine brightly because of God’s grace, but only after they have moved aside and given God the credit for whatever good they have accomplished. Only our sins are truly ours; the good that we do belongs first to God. –P.M.

CNS, KAREN CALLAWAY/CATHOLIC NEW WORLD

an average of 200 shareholders each year. The shares only cover the cost of producing vegetables; the cost of infrastructure, such as tractors, is covered by a combination of donations and grants. In addition to providing the finest of produce to shareholders, Canticle Farm donates vegetables to low-income community members. “We have a goal of giving 20 percent of the summer harvest to the poor in the area. This is accomplished solely through grants and donations to pay for the shares. It amounts to more than 12,000 pounds of produce and goes to 10 or 12 local food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and some individual families,” Sister Joyce explains. Canticle Farm has been a welcome addition to the region. “We are seen by many as a gift to the community. Those who come to us care about the environment, the food they eat, and how it’s grown. We continue to look for ways to reach out to more and more people,” Sister Joyce says. To learn more about Canticle Farm or to donate, visit www.CanticleFarm.org. —Janice Lane Palko

tal Digi as Extr

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

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Send all postal communication to: St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

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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

Ant-Man

CNS PHOTO/DISNEY

New to DVD Love & Mercy Cinderella Max Far from the Madding Crowd Woman in Gold

6 ❘

Sep tember 2015

Paul Rudd plays a flawed but good-hearted superhero in the action-packed film Ant-Man. From Marvel Comics comes Ant-Man, the 12th movie in Marvel’s superhero franchise. But is it really a superhero movie? It is 1989. Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) has invented a technology that can shrink a suit. He belongs to S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate), but resigns when they try to replicate his invention without his participation. But his daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lilly), stays behind to help Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), Hank’s ruthless protégé, who wants to create a Yellowjacket suit with military applications. Across town, a convicted burglar, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), is paroled. He wants to go straight so that his daughter can trust him again. Scott’s best pal, former cellmate, and one of his former crew members, Luis (Michael Peña), tries to set him up with a new heist so that Scott will have enough money to get a place of his own, since his wife, Maggie (Judy Greer), divorced him. He

resists at first, but then they burgle Hank’s home and steal the Ant-Man suit. But Hank and Hope have bigger plans for Scott and his team. I enjoyed Ant-Man, even though it is without a youthful superhero and the film seems more of a heist movie because Scott is always breaking and entering. His motives and goals become noble as the film progresses, though. It was produced on a notably lower budget—fewer explosions and less violence than usual. The loving relationships between fathers and daughters are nicely portrayed in the film. Greed and power motivate Darren and his team, and they make formidable foes for the flawed Scott and aloof Hank, who want to keep their families and the world as safe as they can. Michael Peña, Anthony Mackie, and David Dastmalchian add comic relief in just the right measure. What a pleasant surprise! A-2, PG-13 ■ Some science-fiction violence. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

GILES KEYTE, COURTESY OF MIRAMAX AND ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

Ian McKellen is winning critical acclaim for his impressive work in Mr. Holmes, about the world-renowned sleuth.

Mr. Holmes

Amy Amy Winehouse (1983–2011) was a British singer-songwriter born to Jewish parents and an extended musical family. Her parents divorced when she was 15, and her world Fr anciscanMedia.org

PHOTO BY JEFF KRAVITZ

Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) is 93 and has been retired some 35 years. He lives in a farmhouse in the beautiful English countryside, and is cared for by his housekeeper, Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney), and her son, Roger (Milo Parker). Holmes has just returned from Japan, where he obtained prickly ash—a jelly that he believes will help his failing memory. Holmes needs to remember a case because he is not happy with sidekick Dr. Watson’s account of the story. Holmes starts to write out his final case according to his memories. It is about Mrs. Kelmot (Hattie Morahan), who acts mysteriously—visiting a medium and buying poison. When Holmes follows her, he discovers not only her plans, but also her loneliness and broken heart. She sees understanding and kindness in Holmes, and reaches out to him. He is attracted to her at first, but then rebuffs her because he is all about solving the case. Mr. Holmes is based on the 2005 novel A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin. Bill Condon of Chicago fame ably directs. This film is finely crafted and takes its time to solve three mysteries. Mr. Holmes is a lovely surprise of a film. Not yet rated, PG ■ Mature themes and some disturbing images.

began to fall apart just as her poetry, music, and singing were beginning to develop. She began singing in clubs and was signed to Simon Fuller’s management company. With her earnings, she was able to move into her own place and get away from her unhappy home. She had close girlfriends, but they started to stay away when Amy turned to drugs and alcohol. Amy is a haunting documentary about a talented but sad young woman who wanted her mother to care enough about her to tell her no, but didn’t or couldn’t. She loved her father, Mitch, very much, and he came into her professional life just in time to facilitate her addictions and ride the bandwagon of her success. Amy’s music and stunning voice—especially songs from her Grammy-winning album, Back to Black—stay with you long after the credits roll. Amy’s story is a cautionary tale about parenting, family, the pitfalls of the recording industry, and the gift of music bestowed upon a fragile soul. Not yet rated, R ■ Language and drugs.

The late Amy Winehouse has been called the voice of her generation. The documentary Amy takes a look into her short and troubled life.

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.

Sep tember 2015 ❘

CHANNEL SURFING

WITH CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

UP CLOSE

September 14-15, PBS Walt Disney was a man of admirable contradictions. He was an unremarkable cartoonist who managed to create the most iconic animated character in history. He was the persistent—even pushy—Magellan of entertainment, who sometimes lacked direction. Above all, Disney was a dreamer, someone who looked at 85 acres of nothing in Anaheim, California, and saw a place where joy and commerce could work in tandem. PBS’ American Experience, perhaps the best documentary program on television, is pointing its Peabody Award-winning lens at Disney’s life in a four-hour, two-night event. And the results are stunning. Born into a working-class family in Middle America, Disney had an unshakable work ethic early on. Homing in on a career in animation in his 20s, he met with failure until a seven-minute film called Steamboat Willie hit theaters on November 18, 1928. Audiences swooned, Disney’s stock rose, and Mickey Mouse became a cultural touchstone. Oscar-winning feature-length films, merchandise, and theme parks followed. American Experience employs a commendably dispassionate formula here in its look at Disney’s life. This absorbing documentary beautifully shows how one man changed not only the culture around us, but the very world in which we live.

Tiny House Hunters

HGTV, check local listings Garish television shows that celebrate property excess are a dime a dozen anymore (I’m looking at you, Million Dollar Listing). And while it can be escapist fun to voyeuristically tour a 3,200-squarefoot residence in Miami, San Francisco, or New York City, property that extravagant is fantasy for most channel surfers. HGTV has an appealing alternative to offer. Tiny House Hunters follows the same recipe as its simple and often bland predecessor, House Hunters: a person or a couple tour three homes within their price range and choose a residence that meets their needs. But with Tiny House Hunters, the twist is that these homes are no more than 600 square feet, while some houses go as small as 150. Potential buyers—some of whom crave less space and fewer day-to-day distractions—must still weather the shock of living in quarters so tight. What makes this series fun is how the designers create space with so little to work with. The end results are inspired, even ingenious. But look closer. Tiny House Hunters asks its viewers several big questions: Do we really need the amount of space we have? Are we living larger than we have to? Scaling back on what we need and living a simpler, more focused life is a worthy—albeit difficult—pursuit. Somewhere, St. Francis is smiling.

PBS’ fascinating documentary Walt Disney looks at the life, loves, and career of the legendary entrepreneur. 8 ❘

Sep tember 2015

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CHURCH IN THE NEWS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

CNS PHOTO/LISA JOHNSTON, ST. LOUIS REVIEW

Planned Parenthood Videos Spark Outcry

Bev Ehlen, state director of Concerned Women for America, holds a sign outside of a Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis on July 21.

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of fetal organs to researchers. The video shows Gatter haggling over prices for an “intact specimen” and eventually settling on $100 per specimen, unless others in the business, she said, are receiving higher compensation. “If it’s in the ballpark, then that’s fine; if it’s low, we can bump it up,”

Pope Registers for World Youth Day World Youth Day 2016 signed up its first participant on July 26, when Pope Francis completed his registration before thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square. After clicking the tablet to submit his registration, the pope said, “There. I wanted to be the one to open registration.” World Youth Day is July 26-31, 2016.

CNS PHOTO/ETTORE FERRARI, EPA

Two videos of Planned Parenthood physicians discussing preserving fetal organs and tissue for researchers for a fee have sparked outrage among lawmakers and pro-life leaders, reported Catholic News Service (CNS). Both videos were filmed undercover and produced by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Medical Progress. The first of the two videos was released on July 14, and showed Dr. Deborah Nucatola, senior director of Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Medical Services, casually discussing ways the abortion procedure can be carried out to best preserve body parts requested for use in research. The second video, which was released a week later, shows a conversation between Dr. Mary Gatter, president of the Medical Directors Council of Planned Parenthood, and two of the California center’s workers posing as executives of a firm engaged in the collection and selling

she said. “It has to be big enough that it’s worthwhile to me,” she added. Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, who assisted in the production of the second video, told LifeNews.com that “these represent some serious legal and ethical breaches for which Planned Parenthood must be held accountable.” Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, released an official video response saying that “allegations that Planned Parenthood profits in any way from tissue donation are not true.” In light of the videos, GOP political leaders at the federal and state levels have launched official investigations into the actions of Planned Parenthood, calling for its defunding. “Last week, I called on Congress to investigate these gruesome practices. The Energy and Commerce and [the] Judiciary committees have begun immediate investigations, and I look forward to their prompt and thorough action,” said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. “This new video is as sickening, disturbing, and callous as the last video,” he contin-

St 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

The parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux—Louis Martin and Marie Zelie Guerin Martin—will be canonized on October 8, during the World Synod of Bishops on the family. Pope Francis issued the decree approving their canonization on June 27. The two will be the first married couple to be canonized in the same ceremony. Other married couples are among the beatified of the Church.

ued. “It’s now clear that Planned Parenthood allows this horrifying conduct to happen throughout its organization.”

Vatican and Palestine Sign Historic Agreement On July 26, the Vatican and Palestine signed a historic agreement that supports a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land, Fr ancisca n Media .org

Bishop Michael Jarrell of Lafayette, Louisiana, offered prayers and support to victims of the July 23 shooting at a Lafayette multiplex that left two dead and nine wounded. “We are all shocked and saddened by this tragedy,” he said. “We pray that everyone affected by this horror may feel the comforting presence of our Lord Jesus surrounding them during this difficult time.” He went on to offer assistance to those in need. “Our priests and deacons stand ready to pray with any of the wounded and family members impacted by this senseless tragedy. Along with all people of faith, we commit ourselves to promoting a society that respects the dignity of every human life.” More than 60 local government leaders gathered at the Vatican on July 21 for a daylong workshop on modern slavery and climate change, sponsored by the pontifical academies of sciences and social sciences. The academies invited the participants to share best practices, to sign a declaration recognizing that climate change and extreme poverty are influenced by human activity, and to pledge to pursue low-impact development to make cities “socially inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.” Pope Francis told those gathered that they were important because they were at the “grass roots” and could make concrete changes and put pressure on leaders above them. Pictured above, California Governor Jerry Brown listens to a presentation.

CNS/PAUL HARING

UNESCO (United Nations for Education, Science, and Culture Organization) declared Bethany Beyond the Jordan, on the eastern side of the Jordan River, as a World Heritage site and the location of Jesus’ baptism. The site has been the source of debate for years between Israel and Jordan, who have been at odds as to which side of the river is the actual site of Jesus’ baptism. St. John Paul II, pope emeritus Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis have all visited Jordan’s eastern shore as a sign of the Catholic Church’s official recognition of the site. UNESCO also recently designated five Texas missions as World Heritage sites. The missions are San Jose, Concepcion, San Juan, Espada, and San Antonio de Valero, better known as the Alamo. The criterion the missions met for the designation was explained on the UNESCO website: “to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world,

on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning, or landscape design.”

For more Catholic news, visit AmericanCatholic.org.

reported CNS. The solution is based on Israel and Palestine’s 1967 borders. The “Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine” addresses issues such as the status and activity of the Catholic Church in Palestine, as well as freedom of religion and conscience, and the right to worship and practice one’s faith. At the signing ceremony, Arch-

bishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states, said that he hoped the agreement would provide a “stimulus” for a “definitive end to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I also hope the much desired two-state solution may become a reality as soon as possible.” He called the agreement a “good example of dialogue and cooperation,” which he hopes can “serve as a model for S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 1 1

other Arab and Muslim-majority countries.” Palestine Foreign Minister Riad alMalki said the agreement comes at a time of “extremism, barbaric violence, and ignorance” in the Middle East, adding that Palestine was committed to combat extremism and to promote tolerance, human rights, and religious freedom. He said the latter are values that “reflect the beliefs and aspirations of the Palestinian people.”

Pope’s Popularity Declines

A banner hanging over the entrance to the Vatican’s Braccio di Carlo Magno Hall shows St. John Paul II and the late Chief Rabbi Elio Toaff greeting each other in 1986 at Rome’s main synagogue. St. John Paul II was the first pope in modern history to enter a synagogue. The banner announces the exhibit, “A Blessing to One Another: John Paul II and the Jewish People,” which is open until September 16. Speaking at an inaugural news conference at the Vatican on July 28, Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, the chief rabbi of Rome, said, “Seeing in St. Peter’s Square the banner announcing the exhibit with an image of a pope—that’s normal—but a pope shaking hands with a rabbi? That’s not normal. It’s a sign of how times have changed.”

“If you look at trends, there has been a decline in the general attitudes toward institutions of authority of all kinds, especially religion,” he said. The most recent poll shows that the pope’s favorability rating is higher than that for Pope Benedict XVI. Gallup’s last poll conducted about the German-born pope—in March 2010—showed he had a 40 percent favorable rating. He retired in 2013. St. John Paul II had a 78 percent favorability rate in the last poll Gallup conducted about him.

CNS PHOTO/ALESSANDRO BIANCHI, REUTERS

People Encouraged to ‘Walk with Francis’

Pope Francis smiles onboard the papal plane during his return to Rome from Paraguay, July 12. New Gallup polls show his favorability has dropped among Americans. 1 2 ❘ S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15

In anticipation of Pope Francis’ September visit, the Archdiocese of Washington and its Catholic Charities arm have launched the “Walk With Francis Pledge” campaign, encouraging people to serve others in their community and then share their pledge on social media. People can participate in three ways: Through prayer and learning about the faith; through charitable service to others; or through taking to spread the Gospel in families, workplaces, and public policy.

According to the campaign’s website—WalkwithFrancis.org—pledges will be shared using #Walkwith Francis. Those who pledge are invited to “call out” others via social media to also take the pledge. At the press conference announcing the campaign, Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl said, “The ‘Walk with Francis Pledge’ offers people the opportunity to demonstrate solidarity with the Holy Father and answer his call to bring Christ’s love, mercy, and hope to others, especially those on the margins of society. It is my hope that we can all take inspiration from Pope Francis’ example, and our entire community can join together to help brighten our world in this way.” He said a book of all the social media posts with the #Walkwith Francis hashtag will be presented to the pope. Msgr. John Enzler, president and CEO of Catholic Charities for the archdiocese, said he is excited about the campaign and how easy it is. “The Holy Father’s words are special, but to me his actions are spectacular. All you have to do for the ‘Walk with Francis Pledge’ is sign up, take a photo, and challenge others.” A St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

CNS PHOTO/CINDY WOODEN

According to a new Gallup Poll, Pope Francis’ popularity may be waning with Americans, reported CNS. The numbers show that the pontiff’s favorability rating among US respondents is now about 59 percent, down from 76 percent in early 2014. The poll, which was conducted July 8-12, showed that even among US Catholics the pope’s numbers have dropped. Last year, 89 percent said they had a positive view of the pope. This year that number is 71 percent. Bill Dinges, a professor of religion and culture at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, says the results don’t surprise him.

New Exhibit Opens at Vatican

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The 15th-century painting â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Presentation of Jesus in the Templeâ&#x20AC;? is by the Master of St. Severin. This French artist mixes Jewish and Christian elements.

The

Jewish Jesus B Y P A T M C C L O S K E Y, O F M

ANY CHRISTIANS are reluctant to admit that Jesus was born, lived, and taught as a pious Jew of his time. They may feel that such an admission shows disloyalty to Our Lord. Some even believe that Christianity has replaced Judaism. Nothing could be further from the truth. Concerning Jews, St. Paul wrote: “. . . they are beloved because of the patriarchs. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:28b29). St. Paul would probably agree with Pope Francis, who said in an interview with La Vanguardia newspaper (published June 13, 2014), “Inside every Christian is a Jew.” Following Jesus cannot be built on a caricature of Judaism— in his day or in ours. Judaism, of course, has evolved over time. Moses, the leader of the Exodus and the great conduit of God’s law, certainly would not have recognized several elements of Jesus’ Jewish world. Some scholars reserve the term Judaism for the religion that developed during the Babylonian Exile (587– 539 BCE, “before the common era”) and after its conclusion. This article will present seven crucial developments that took place within Second Temple Judaism (515 BCE–70 CE, “common era”), each of which profoundly affected his life and

ministry. These developments also influence how we follow Jesus.

The Temple Solomon’s Temple, dedicated around 950 BCE, was completely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 and rebuilt on a much more modest scale 60 years later. King Herod the Great (reigned from 37–4 BCE) began a massive project, doubling the temple area. This rebuilding was completed only six years before the Romans destroyed it in 70 CE. Without a temple, there could be no Jewish sacrifices. People kept track of descent within the priestly family, but its members had lost their main function. Rabbinic Judaism, which evolved from Pharisaic Judaism (a lay reform movement), replaced the temple sacrifices with the study of the Bible, prayer, and good deeds, much as Jews had done during the Exile. In Jesus’ time, the chief priest was appointed by the Roman procurator and thus was considered a Roman collaborator. The Pharisees would have rejoiced in Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple because they, too, considered it corrupt.

Pope Francis says, “Inside every Christian is a Jew.” Understanding that will help us follow Jesus better.

ERICH LESSING/ART RESOURCE, NY

Fr anciscanMedia.org

Scribes, Synagogues, and Rabbis When there was no Temple, God’s self-reveSep tember 2015 ❘

Jerusalem’s Israel Museum has a model of the Second Temple before its destruction by the Romans in the year 70 CE. PHOTO BY JUAN R. CUADRA / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

lation in Scripture became even more important to help Jews maintain their religious identity. Communities needed to teach the next Click the button above generation, a service that scribes helped carry for an interview with out. When synagogues began, they were first Rabbi Abie Ingber. places of instruction; worship was added later. Sacrifices were never offered there. Synagogues coexisted with the rebuilt Second Temple. In a world where Jews were ruled by pagans for almost five of the six centuries before Jesus was born, Jews were pressured to conform. Click here for more on Synagogues helped them pretal Digi as the Jewish roots of Jesus. serve their religious identity. Extr When Jesus was born, there were no rabbis as we know them. This term was used generically for teachers. By the year 100 CE, however, rabbis had become a key part of preserving Jewish identity—always teachers and sometimes leaders of worship in synagogues. Although men were born ANSWERS TO PETE AND REPEAT into the Jewish priesthood, rabbis could come from any level 1. The sun is peeking out from behind the of Jewish society. Jesus is adclouds. 2. Part of Pete’s cowlick is laying the other way. dressed as rabbi in the Gospels (Mt, 3 times; Mk, 3; Jn, 8). 3. The flagpole is shorter. 4. There is a sidewalk leading up to the school. 5. Pete has papers in his backpack. 6. A smile has appeared on Pete’s face. 7. One of the students is now closer. 8. The school’s doors are now visible.

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Geographic Dispersal When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple in 587 BCE, most Hebrews lived within a couple days’ travel to Jerusa-

lem. If we think of Hebrew society then as a pyramid, people at the very top (political, religious, and business leaders) were forced into exile in Babylon, where they could cause no serious trouble for their new masters. The vast majority of the Hebrews in the middle of this social pyramid began new lives in nearby countries. Only people at the very bottom (the very poor, sick, or aged) remained in Judea, because the Babylonians considered them no threat. The Hebrews, who had been concentrated geographically for over six centuries, suddenly became Jews of the Diaspora (Greek for “scattered”). Not all of the descendants of the Hebrews exiled to Babylon returned to Jerusalem when that was permitted. According to the 1971 Encyclopedia Judaica, the world’s Jewish population was approximately 8 million in 100 CE: 2.5 million living in Roman-occupied Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, with 1 million each in Egypt, Syria, modern-day Turkey, and Babylonia. The other 1.5 million lived in several countries bordering or near the Mediterranean Sea. According to Professor Isaiah Gafni of Hebrew University, in his audio series “The Beginnings of Judaism,” a considerable number of gentiles had converted to Judaism by that date.

Pagan Rulers Before Jesus was born, Jews had been ruled by pagans for more than 500 years. The Maccabees and their successors provided self-government St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

U. K.

BELARUS

POLAND GERMANY

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BELGIUM

UKRAINE

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CZECH

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SLOVAKIA MOLDOVA

FRANCE

AUSTRIA HUNGARY

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Bay of Biscay

ROMANIA

GEORGIA AZERBAIJAN

Black Sea

ARMENIA

SLOVENIA

BOSNIA SERBIA

CROATIA

ITALY

ANDORRA

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Adriatic

IRAN

MONTENEGRO MACEDONIA

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TURKEY SARDINIA BALEARIC ISLANDS

GREECE

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JORDAN

LIBYA

from 135 to 63 BCE, when the Romans backed one faction during a Jewish civil war and never left. They ruled through client kings, who could easily be discarded if they challenged Roman control. King Herod the Great had a long reign precisely because he was very good at keeping his Roman patrons happy. He did, however, execute three of his sons for treason, having earlier murdered his wife! When Herod died, the Romans split his kingdom among three of his remaining sons: Herod Antipas (Galilee), Philip (Trachonitis and Iturea), and Archelaus (Judea). Archelaus was so ineffective that the Romans eventually threw him out and ruled Judea through a procurator. Because Archelaus still ruled Judea, the Holy Family went to Nazareth after their return from Egypt (Mt 2:22-23). In 36 CE, Procurator Pontius Pilate was removed by the Romans because of excessive cruelty toward the Jews. In fact, he may not have been as reluctant to execute Jesus as the Gospel of Matthew suggests (27:15-26). Luke 13:1 gingerly refers to the “Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.”

SAUDI ARABIA

EGYPT

Because Jews were scattered across many countries, eventually many of them read and spoke only Greek. Their need to have the Scriptures in that language led, according to legend, to the creation of the Septuagint in Egypt in the third century BCE. Included in the Septuagint were seven books that were not ultimately included in the Hebrew-language Bible: 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith, Sirach, Baruch, and parts of Esther and the Book of Daniel. The Book of Wisdom was completed in Greek in the century before Jesus’ birth. New Testament authors quoted from the Septuagint version of the Scriptures. After 70 CE, the rabbis regrouped, deciding around the year 100 CE to accept as belonging to God’s word only the books for which they had an original Hebrew text. Christians continued to use the longer list

In the time of Jesus, Jewish people lived in all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in Babylon (south of Baghdad in modern-day Iraq).

So that his work might continue...

Scriptures The oldest parts of the Hebrew Scriptures began to reach their present form during the reign of King David. The Book of Deuteronomy (“second law”) was written in the seventh century BCE. Fr anciscanMedia.org

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Sep tember 2015 ❘

St. John Paul II at the Western Wall During his visit in 2000, he prayed there and left the following note, now kept in the Yad Vashem Memorial:

CNS PHOTO/ARTURO MARI

God of our fathers, You chose Abraham and his descendants To bring Your name to the nations: We are deeply saddened By the behavior of those Who in the course of history Have caused these children of Yours to suffer, And asking Your forgiveness We wish to commit ourselves To genuine brotherhood With the people of the Covenant. —Jerusalem, 26 March 2000

Rabbi Michael Melchior watches as Pope John Paul II prays at Judaism’s holiest site, the Western Wall, in Jerusalem in March 2000.

of Hebrew Scriptures until Martin Luther decided in the 16th century to use the shorter list. Other Protestants followed suit. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches continue to use the longer list, as did the authors of the New Testament.

Jewish Expansion Under the Hasmonean kings (135–63 BCE), the territories of Idumea to the south of Jerusalem and Galilee to the north were reconquered. Because Herod the Great’s ancestors were pagan Idumeans, many Jews in Jesus’ day never accepted Herod as truly Jewish. This also led them to have very mixed feelings about the Jerusalem Temple and its leadership. In 164 BCE, the Maccabees overthrew Syrian rule and cleansed the Jerusalem Temple, a victory celebrated at the feast of Hanukkah. Although Galilee was also retaken in the

second century BCE, many Jews called it “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Mt 4:15). Some towns there were completely Jewish (for example, Nazareth), while others nearby were predominantly gentile. Some Jews saw Jesus’ Galilean connection as discrediting him completely (Jn 7:41, 52). Samaria, which lies between Galilee and Judea, was home to Jews descended from those who intermarried with Assyrian soldiers and settlers in the eighth century BCE. The Samaritans had their own Scriptures, worship, and Temple. Because Jews did not recognize Samaritans as genuinely Jewish, Jews usually went far out of their way to avoid trips through Samaritan territory. This makes the story of the good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37, helping an injured man in Judea) even more amazing. Likewise, Jesus’ cure of the Samaritan leper (Lk 17:16) and his welCNS: (LEFT) DAVID SILVERMAN/REUTERS; (RIGHT) PAUL HARING

(Right) Pope Benedict XVI leaves a written prayer, appealing to God to bring peace upon this Holy Land, at the Western Wall, May 12, 2009. (Far right) Pope Francis prayed on May 26, 2014, at the Western Wall with Rabbi Abraham Skorka (center), a very good friend from Argentina. 18 ❘

Sep tember 2015

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

coming of the Samaritan woman at the well (Jn 4:4-42) broke social taboos.

Groups within Judaism Moses never met a Sadducee, Essene, Zealot, or Pharisee, but Jesus encountered many people from each of those groups. Sadducees tended to be rich, city dwellers, politically connected to the Romans, and members of the priestly family. They controlled the Temple in Jerusalem and were distrusted by most Jews. The Essenes were a small group, withdrawing from gentile society as much as they could and avoiding the Temple in Jerusalem. Many lived at Qumran near the Dead Sea; John the Baptist may have been close to them. Until the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the late 1940s, the oldest known Hebrew texts in the Hebrew Bible dated to the 10th century CE. Zealots violently resisted Roman control. One or both of the men crucified with Jesus may have been Zealots. They were very sympathetic to the revolt (66–70 CE) that ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and, three years later, Masada, a fortress near the Dead Sea. Pharisees tend to have a very bad reputation among Christians, but Jesus was probably very sympathetic to this group. They accounted for many rabbis, leading many synagogues and schools in Palestine and greatly influencing Judaism in the Diaspora. Of these four groups, only the Pharisees survived and shaped the emerging Rabbinic Judaism. Not every Jew in Palestine belonged to one of these four groups. In fact, most people sought to survive under Roman control and pass on their faith to the next generation. So would most Diaspora Jews.

Testament was not the same as God in the Hebrew Scriptures. Marcion’s stereotype of God there as angry and eager to punish, while God in the New Testament is always kind and merciful, arises from a highly selective—and faulty—reading of both Testaments. The Church affirms that same God inspired the entire Bible and officially rejected the antiSemitism that Marcion’s position would have legitimated. He mistakenly saw Christianity as a total rejection of Judaism. Since 2000, three popes have prayed at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. That fact alone reminds us of Christianity’s Jewish roots and our need to honor them. A More information about Second Temple Judaism can be found in Early Judaism: The Exile to the Time of Jesus, by Frederick J. Murphy (Hendrickson). Pat McCloskey, OFM, is Franciscan editor of this publication, its “Dear Reader” and “Ask a Franciscan” columnist, and the editor of Weekday Homily Helps. His most recent book is Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi (Franciscan Media). He is grateful to Dr. Eugene Fisher, an expert on Jewish-Christian relations, for his suggestions on this article.

“Reejoice Am merica for your dau ughter, St. Elizabeth A Ann Seton. With sspiritual joy,, we say be pr p oud of her and kno k w how to preserve her fruitful heritaage.” - Poope Paaul VI att canonization ceremony,, Seept. 14, 1975

Jesus in Context Between the death of Jesus (probably 30 CE) and the destruction of Jerusalem (70 CE), Christianity was regarded by many gentiles as simply a sect within Judaism. By the time the Temple was destroyed, however, most of Christianity’s converts were coming from the gentile world. Even so, Christians in the midsecond century firmly rejected Marcion’s teaching that God in the New Fr anciscanMedia.org

The Sisters of Ch harity of Cincinnati celebrrate the 40th anniversary of the canonization of theirr founder.

w www.srcharitycinti.org www.facebook.com/sistersofcharityofcincinn nati

Sep tember 2015 ❘

THE SPIRIT OF FRANCIS

❘ BY FATHER PAT McCLOSKEY, OFM

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Many Gifts, One Lord

2 0 ❘ S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15

On his 2013 visit to Assisi, Pope Francis greets Franciscan men and women after spending time in the hermitage and cell of St. Francis.

tal Digi as t Ex r

Click here for more on Pope Francis and the Year of Consecrated Life.

Pat McCloskey, OFM, is Franciscan editor of this publication. His book Peace and Good was published by Franciscan Media last November.

Taking a Risk Pope Innocent III took a great risk in approving Francis of Assisi’s brotherhood. Several earlier groups had pledged to live the Gospel simply and radically but ended up seeing themselves as the whole Church’s conscience. Francis and his brothers repaid the pope’s trust by living Gospel values intensely but with great humility. —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

ast February 2, the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the 19th World Day for Consecrated Life, Pope Francis celebrated a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. It was part of celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life, which runs from November 30, 2014, through February 2, 2016. In his homily, the pope—a unique kind of Jesuit—recalled Simeon and Anna’s encounter with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:22–38). Pope Francis described Mary’s arms, when holding Jesus, as “the ladder of God’s condescension.” The Son of God first descended in order to ascend with us. Mary carries Jesus, and yet she is led by him, the pope observed. He also noted that five times chapter 2 of Luke’s Gospel refers to Mary and Joseph as being obedient “to the law of the Lord.” Men and women religious must “empty themselves” (Phil 2:7) in order to serve, according to the special gift of each religious community. Such generous lives lead to the type of wisdom and creativity that Simeon and Anna exemplified throughout their lives. Such wisdom is available to people of whatever age who follow the Lord’s lead.

This type of wisdom also indicates how the gifts of a religious community’s founder can be adapted over time. Female and male religious, consecrated virgins, members of secular institutes, oblates affiliated to monasteries of men or women, and those who have become associates of religious orders or congregations show the great variety of God’s gifts—always given to serve the same Lord, to build up the Church, the body of Christ. The Year of Consecrated Life reminds all baptized Christians of what St. Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord” (1 Cor 12:4-5). A

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CARDINAL SEÁN O’MALLEY

This Franciscan’s always been drawn to the poor. Now he’s one of the pope’s closest advisers.

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CNS PHOTO/GREGORY L. TRACY, THE PILOT

BY DONIS TRACY

Instrument of Peace

Meeting the ‘Happiest Man in the World’ But who is Cardinal Seán? How did he come to be the man he is today? Patrick O’Malley— the name Seán was added when he professed his Capuchin vows—was born on June 29, Fr anciscanMedia.org

1944, in Lakewood, Ohio. The second of three children born to Theodore and Mary Louise O’Malley, he grew up first in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, and later in Reading, Pennsylvania. Cardinal Seán recalls that, as a child, his family “was always very involved in the life of the parish.” First, at St. Gabriel Parish in Pittsburgh, and later, at Sacred Heart Parish in Reading, “the Church was very much the center of our lives. “We lived very close to the parish,” he explains. “My brother, Ted, and I, we started serving Mass together—I started serving when I was in the first grade.” Because he was so young, “I struggled with the Latin,” he admits with a smile. “So my brother told me, ‘You just mumble, and I’ll say it real loud.’”

CNS PHOTO/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO VIA REUTERS

ODAY HE IS ONE of Pope Francis’ closest advisers. He is considered to be the Church’s biggest authority on the protection of children, and is cardinal archbishop of the third largest archdiocese in the United States. But he never set out to be any of these things. Not long before his golden anniversary of becoming a Capuchin Franciscan, Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley—or Cardinal Seán, as he prefers to be called—sits in the modest dining room of his cathedral rectory, reflecting on his life. “Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined where my life would lead me,” he says, shaking his head. “I just presumed that, like my classmates, I would go to the missions and live the rest of my days there.” Instead, he is one of the nine cardinals who make up the Council of Cardinal Advisers, a body created by Pope Francis “to serve as advisers to him on the governance of the Church and on planned reforms of the Roman Curia,” according to the Vatican website. In his position, he interacts regularly with Pope Francis, and marvels at his ability “to communicate with gestures. “The sense of mission [the Holy Father] has that drives him to seek out those who are suffering and those who are on the margins and to bring them center stage—[that’s] the way that Jesus made the poor, the sick, and the suffering the protagonists in his Gospel,” he continues. “It is a great privilege to serve him.” For Cardinal Seán, St. Francis is as important a figure today as ever. “The very fact that the Holy Father has chosen this name and that it’s been met with such enthusiasm, I think indicates just how popular St. Francis is and how his life is a testimony to the message of Christ, which is appealing even in our contemporary world,” asserts Cardinal Seán.

According to Cardinal Seán, one experience in his childhood cemented his vocation. “When I was a young lad of 8 or 9, my older brother was going on a retreat” at a Capuchin monastery, he recalls. “I went along for the ride with my dad because I was too young to go on the retreat. When we were there, we met this old friar who was working in the fields hoeing, and we talked with him for a long time. Afterward, my dad said, ‘You know, son, that was the happiest man in the world.’ And I instinctively knew that what my father said was true,” the cardinal continues. “He didn’t have nice clothes, or a beautiful wife, or a big car, but he just exuded peace and joy. And I thought to myself, Gee, I’d like to be happy like him.” With a chuckle he adds, “And so, the rest is history.” At age 12, he entered the now-closed St.

In October 2013, Cardinal Seán O’Malley (third from right) stands with Pope Francis and the other members of the Council of Cardinal Advisers, a group dedicated to Curia reform.

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Fidelis Minor Seminary in Herman, Pennsylvania, a boarding school run by the Franciscan Capuchin Order for boys interested in becoming Franciscans. While there, Cardinal Seán began studying a variety of languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, German, and Hebrew. “I felt this attraction to St. Francis,” he recalls. “And I was interested in the mission. Out of any of the Franciscan groups, the Capuchins are probably the ones with the largest percentage of missions, so I thought that would be good for me.” And so, on July 14, 1965, at the age of 21, Patrick O’Malley became a Capuchin. His order sent him to Capuchin College, a seminary near Catholic University in Washington, DC, in order to finish his studies and be ordained a priest. “When I was a deacon, the Father General wrote and said he wanted me to go to Easter Island to work with a German Capuchin group,” recounts Cardinal Seán. “I learned Rapanui, the local language, so I would be ready to go.”

A Twist in the Road A longtime advocate for immigrants and immigration reform, Cardinal Seán celebrates Mass in Nogales, Arizona, in April 2014 during a two-day visit. Regarding immigrants, Cardinal Seán says, “To me, they’re not statistics; they’re people.”

Just before setting off, however, plans were changed. Instead of Easter Island, after his ordination in 1970, Father Seán remained in Washington, DC, where he worked with many immigrant communities: Hispanics at the Centro Católico Hispano, Portuguese immigrants fleeing the 1974 revolution in Portugal, and the “Duvalier exiles” of Haiti. He perfected his Spanish and Portuguese, and learned French to minister to the Haitian community, as well as some African Catholics,

who were drawn to his French-language services. “My years in Washington, DC, were spent working with immigrants,” he states, noting that for the first 10 years of his priesthood, he hardly ever celebrated Mass in English. “The Centro Católico provided a series of services: an employment agency, medical clinic, dental clinic, legal services, English classes, newspaper, radio, education services, even several soccer teams.” His experiences working among the immigrant communities have left an indelible mark on him. To this day, he is a tireless advocate for immigration reform, often calling on politicians to change public policy. In a 2014 interview with The Washington Post, Cardinal Seán reflected on the impact his days in Washington, DC, had on his stance on immigration reform. “Most of my parishioners were undocumented refugees. To me, they’re not statistics; they’re people, and I’ve seen the kinds of sacrifices and the suffering they’ve endured,” he said. “These immigrants are not different from our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, who left horrific situations because they had the courage, the ambition, the desire to do something for their children.” In 1984, Father Seán was ordained bishop of St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands. Not even one decade later, he was chosen to head the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts. It was there that he would first have to deal with the clergy sexual-abuse crisis. In his 10 years in the Diocese of Fall River, Bishop Seán would ultimately settle 101 abuse claims, initiate a zero-tolerance policy against sexual abuse, and institute one of the first comprehensive sexual abuse policies in the Catholic Church. In 2002, he was chosen to head the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, where the Church was also facing an abuse scandal.

The Call to Heal

CNS PHOTO/NANCY WIECHEC

One year later, though, Pope John Paul II called him to Boston, to head an archdiocese that was embroiled with scandal. He succeeded Cardinal Bernard Law, who had been forced to resign as archbishop because of the abuse crisis. Just one day after being appointed to head the Archdiocese of Boston, he spoke to The Pilot, the archdiocesan newspaper. “I feel privileged to be called to serve the Church in Boston, and hope that, 24 ❘

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

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY L. TRACY, THE PILOT

in some way, I might be an instrument of peace and reconciliation in a Church in need of healing,” he said. On August 1, 2003, Bishop Seán was installed as archbishop of Boston. He quickly set to work, agreeing to an $85 million settlement, implementing a zero-tolerance policy, training and educating clergy members and volunteers working with children, and meeting with survivors of clergy sexual abuse. He sold the cardinal’s residence, a large mansion on the outskirts of Boston near Boston College, in order to help pay for the settlement, opting to move into a bedroom in the small rectory beside the cathedral. By the end of 2003, Cardinal Seán was named “Most Inspiring Person of the Year” by BeliefNet.com, a multifaith website whose stated mission is to “help people find and walk a spiritual path that instills comfort, hope, strength, and happiness for people who are exploring their own faith or are curious about others.” Other finalists that year included President George W. Bush, Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire V. Gene Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi. “Archbishop O’Malley is a rare religious

leader who has managed to unite and inspire a wide variety of people,” editors at BeliefNet.com said when they conferred the title on him. “Even those who dislike his conservative views on sexual or moral issues appreciate his heartfelt efforts to restore spiritual credibility to the Church.” In March 2006, Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to cardinal—the 10th Capuchin ever given the title, and the first in the history of the Archdiocese of Boston. As a cardinal, he was

As archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Seán tends to his flock on the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing. Here he reads from Scripture to the families of the three people killed in the explosions on April 15, 2013.

September is back to school time for children every where. The Get Kids to School (GKTS) Program in Negril, f ully sponsored 72 children last year making le for these children to at tend school ever y hout the suppor t of Franciscan benefactors nds, s these children would not have this nit y. With this help, Fr. Jim Bok, O.F.M. was rov ide transpor tation, uniforms, lunch money ool supplies. This year we are preparing to 50 st udents. re information or to contact Fr. Jim, riarworks @ f ranciscan.org or call 1- 470 0, ext. 3219

w w w.stanthony.org

The Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist

Fr anciscanMedia.org

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Cardinal Seán works closely with Pope Francis on a number of fronts, including his position as head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

named a member of the Congregation for the Clergy, as well as the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Two years later, he was instrumental in arranging the meeting between survivors of clergy sexual abuse and Pope Benedict XVI during the pope’s trip to Washington, DC. In 2010, Pope Benedict sent Cardinal Seán, together with eight other bishops, to Ireland in order to address the abuse crisis devastating that country. “I have come to listen, not to offer a quick fix. I come to listen to your pain, your anger, but also your hopes and aspirations,” he said as he began his apostolic visitation to the Archdiocese of Dublin. “We are here to be available to meet with some of those who have been harmed by abuse and wish to meet with us. We will attempt to communicate to them the apologies of a contrite Church and the pastoral solicitude of the Holy Father.” In 2014, when Pope Francis created the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, few were surprised when he asked Cardinal Seán to serve as the head of it. The pope had already named him a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers—the so-called C9—a group of cardinals tasked with reforming the Curia, a year earlier. Reflecting on his appointment, Cardinal Seán stresses, “We have to make the Church a safe place for all children. Particularly in mission lands, the Church is 26 ❘

Sep tember 2015

very underresourced. “Our God is a loving God who brings good out of evil. And one of the aspects of the terrible and ugly sin . . . of the sexual abuse of children has resulted in the Catholic Church, particularly in the United States and in other European countries, trying to address the problem with transparency and with a desire to use the human material resources at our disposal to work for the safety of children in our own institutions, and to assist other churches and institutions,” he adds.

Peace on a Global Scale Most recently, Cardinal Seán has been instrumental in bringing about the change in US policy toward Cuba. It was the Vatican, together with Canadian officials, that mitigated the agreement reached between President Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro, which resulted in the lifting of the embargo against Cuba. The agreement came after 18 months of secret talks and meetings between delegations—including one hosted at the Vatican in October 2014. “I know some people are nervous about this—their distrust of the Cuban government is so great—but I’m confident that the ending of the embargo and the normalization of relations are going to advance the cause of democracy in Cuba,” he says. Cardinal Seán adds that he would ask those who have reservations about the decision to lift the embargo to St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

“reserve judgment for a year from now to see if the Cuban people are not going to be in a better place.” Looking globally at the situation of the Church, Cardinal Seán believes the biggest challenge facing Catholics today is the transmission of faith to the next generation of believers. In order to accomplish this, the family needs to be strengthened and supported, he says. “People talk about a vocations crisis, but the greatest vocation in crisis is the vocation of marriage,” he says emphatically. “When you look at the statistics, we are now at the point that there are more unmarried households in the United States than married households. That is a very scary statistic,” he says. “And with the economic situation that we have, people are afraid to have children,” he continues, noting that young people graduate with such large debts that starting a family seems like an impossibility. “They are told that if you have a child, it’ll cost you $70 million,” he says with a laugh. “They come up with these figures that are just, ‘Wow!’” He notes that Pope Francis also believes that the crisis of the vocation of marriage is a big issue in the Church today. “I think the fact that the Holy Father chose that as the theme

for the synod indicates that he’s aware of the fact that family life is in trouble in many places,” says the cardinal. “Strong families are what will make for a stronger Church, a stronger society. “The glamorization of promiscuity, the economic pressures that young people are under, the fact that people are made to think that it’s beyond their economic capacity to raise a child—all these amount to a lot of pressure that comes to bear on the family,” he says Click here for more on earnestly. Cardinal Seán and his work However, Cardinal Seán does both inside and outside see some reason to hope. The the Vatican. increase in young people attending pro-life events and the reactions of thousands of young people at World Youth Day events both point to a “spiritual hunger” that he has seen present in the next generation. “This is a positive and hopeful sign,” he says. A

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Donis Tracy is a Catholic freelance journalist who lives and works in the Boston area. She is a frequent contributor to The Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, as well as this magazine.

fro om bestselling author Lisa M. He endey

un Kid ds love them because they are fu to read! Parents love them because e they teach about the Catholic faith! When the bells chime, get ready for adventure! Join twins Pattrick and Katie in their time-traveling journeys to meet saints and experience fun—and fearsome—e events in history. Each book in the series features the life of a saint and touches on a sacrament. Makes a great stocking stuffer! Order today! Call 888-322-6657 or visit Shop.FranciscanM Media.org

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THE BLESSING OF FAMILIES

Pope Francis

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

The family, such as this one presenting the offertory gifts during a papal Mass, has been a major focus of Pope Francis’ papacy.

For Pope Francis, the family is the cornerstone of our faith. Here he offers 10 reasons why. BY POPE FRANCIS

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OPE FRANCIS CARES DEEPLY about the health and happiness of today’s families. Just seven months into his papacy, he announced that he would host an Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to discuss the pastoral challenges facing modern families. The discussions on the family began in October 2013 in Rome, and they have since sparked conversations in millions of homes and parishes around the world. Whether you are young or old, married or single, engaged, widowed, or divorced, may Pope Francis’ words strengthen you, refresh you, and illuminate the pages of your own life story. Here are some suggestions he offers to do just that. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

on Families 1

Say These Three Words.

In order to have a healthy family, three words need to be used. And I want to repeat these three words: please, thank you, sorry. Three essential words! We say please so as not to be forceful in family life: “May I please do this? Would you be happy if I did this?” We do this with a language that seeks agreement. We say thank you, thank you for love! Be honest with me, how many times do you say thank you to your wife, and you to your husband? How many days go by without uttering this word? And the last word: sorry. We all make mistakes, and on occasion someone gets offended in the marriage, in the family and harsh words are spoken. But please listen to my advice: don’t ever let the sun set without reconciling. Peace is made each day in the family.

It is true that there are so many difficulties in married life, so many, when there is insufficient work or money, when the children have problems . . . and many times the husband and wife become a little fractious and argue between themselves. . . . Yet we must not become saddened by this. Love is stronger than the moment when there is arguing, and therefore I always advise spouses: do not let a day when you have argued end without making peace. Always! And to make peace it isn’t necessary to call the United Nations to come to the house and make peace. A little gesture is sufficient, a caress, and then let it be!

Keep Dreaming!

I am very fond of dreams in families. For nine months every mother and father dreams about their baby. Am I right? They dream about what kind of child he or she will be. . . . You can’t have a family without dreams. Once a family loses the ability to dream, children do not grow, love does not grow, life shrivels up and dies. So I ask you Fr anciscanMedia.org

Do the Little Things.

each evening, when you make your examination of conscience, to also ask yourselves this question: Today did I dream about my children’s future? Today did I dream about the love of my husband, my wife? Did I dream about my parents and grandparents who have gone before me? Dreaming is very important. Especially dreaming in families. Do not lose this ability to dream! How many difficulties in married life are resolved when we leave room for dreaming; when we stop for a moment to think of our spouse and dream about the goodness present in everything around us. So it is very important to reclaim

Within our families we are formed both as persons and members of society.

Sep tember 2015 ❘

love by what we do each day. Do not ever stop being newlyweds!

Make Time to Play.

About trying to reconcile working hours with family time . . . [L]et me tell you one thing. . . . When a young mom or dad comes, I ask: “How many children do you have?” and they tell me. And I ask another question, always: “Tell me: do you play with your children?” Most of them answer:

“What are you asking, Father?” “Yes, yes: do you play? Do you spend time with your children?” We are losing this capacity, this wisdom of playing with our children. The economic situation pushes us to this, to lose this. Please, spend time with our children!

Pray Together.

Accept Your Imperfections.

It is in the family that we first learn how to pray. Don’t forget: the family that prays together stays together! This is important. There we come to know God, to grow into men and women of faith, and to see ourselves as members of God’s greater family—the Church. In the family we learn how to love, to forgive, to be generous and open, not closed and selfish. We learn to move beyond our own needs, to encounter others and share our lives with them. That is why it is so important to pray as a family! So important! That is why families are so important in God’s plan for the Church!

More than anywhere else, the family is where we daily experience our own lim-

A Prayer for Families by Pope Francis Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendor of true love, to you we turn with trust. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families, too, may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel, and small domestic Churches. Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection, and division: may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing. In a world which daily discards tons of food and medicine, there are children, hungry and suffering from easily curable diseases, who cry out in vain. In an age which insists on the protection of minors, there is a flourishing trade in weapons which end up in the hands of child soldiers; there is a ready market for goods produced by the slave labor of small children. Their cry is PHOTOS FROM INGIMAGE

stifled: the cry of these children is stifled! They must fight, they must work, they cannot cry! But their mothers cry for them, as modern-day Rachels: they weep for their children, and they refuse to be consoled (cf. Mt 2:18).

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its and those of others, the problems great and small entailed in living peacefully with others. A perfect family does not exist. We should not be fearful of imperfections, weakness, or even conflict, but rather learn how to deal with them constructively. The family, where we keep loving one another despite our limits and sins, thus becomes a school of forgiveness. Forgiveness is itself a process of communication. When contrition is expressed and accepted, it becomes possible to restore and rebuild the communication which broke down. A child who has learned in the family to listen to others, to speak respectfully, and to express his or her view without negating that of others, will be a force for dialogue and reconciliation in society.

grandmother; it takes so much patience and with this patience comes holiness: by exercising patience.

Look to Our Elders. Grandparents, who have received the blessing to see their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children

Through words and example, grandparents can play an important role helping develop the faith of their grandchildren.

Be Patient.

Are you married? Be a saint by loving and taking care of your husband or your wife, as Christ did for the Church. . . . Are you a parent or a grandparent? Be a saint by passionately teaching your children or grandchildren to know and to follow Jesus. It takes so much patience to do this: to be a good parent, a good grandfather, a good mother, a good

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(cf. Ps 128:6), are entrusted with a great responsibility: to transmit their life experience, their family history, the history of a community, of a people; to share wisdom with simplicity, and the faith itself—the most precious heritage! Happy is the family who has grandparents close by! A grandfather is a father twice over and a grandmother is a mother twice over.

Click the button above to hear an interview about parents as catechists.

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The “Good News” of the family is a very important part of evangelization, which Christians can communicate to all, by the witness of their lives. Already they are doing so; this is evident in secularized societies. Truly Christian families are known by their fidelity, their Click here for more of patience, their openness to life, Pope Francis’ advice for and their respect for the elderly families. . . . the secret to this is the presence of Jesus in the family. Let us therefore propose to all people, with respect and courage, the beauty of marriage and the family illuminated by the Gospel! And in order to do this let us approach with care and affection those families who are struggling, forced to leave their homeland, broken, homeless or unemployed, or suffering for any reason; let us approach married couples in crisis or separated. Let us be close to everyone through the proclamation of this Gospel of the family, the beauty of the family.

CNS PHOTO/MIKE CRUPI, CATHOLIC COURIER

Sep tember 2015

from @Pontifex “The family is where we are formed as people. Every family is a brick in the building of society.” “The Christian family is missionary: it announces the love of God to the world.” “The family is the greatest treasure of any country. Let us all work to protect and strengthen this, the cornerstone of society.” “It is so important to listen! Husbands and wives need to communicate to bring happiness and serenity to family life.” “Let us pray for peace, and let us bring it about, starting in our own homes!” “The family is essential to sustaining human and social development.” “A family enlightened by the Gospel provides a school for Christian living! There one learns faithfulness, patience, and sacrifice.”

Pope Francis observes that the many struggles of the Holy Family offer a perfect reminder for families to live in faith and simplicity.

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Set an Example.

Tweets on the Family

Light the Way.

The future passes through the family. So protect your families! Protect your families! See in them your country’s greatest treasure and nourish them always by prayer and the grace of the sacraments. Families will always have their trials, but may you never add to them! Instead, be living examples of love, forgiveness and care. Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the sacredness of every human life from conception to natural death. What a gift this would be to society, if every Christian family lived fully its noble vocation! So rise with Jesus and Mary, and set out on the path the Lord traces for each of you. A This article is excerpted from the book The Blessing of Family: Inspiring Words from Pope Francis (Franciscan Media), edited by Alicia von Stamwitz. It is also available as an audiobook at shop.franciscanmedia.org. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

And wee need siim mpliicciity ass a faam milly.... It iss whhat makkeess thhe faam millyy strroong: praayeerr.. - Pope Francis

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THE BLESSING OF FAMILIES

Catholic

Parenting Today How will we pass on our faith to our children? A new study lays out the challenge.

ODAY, most Catholic parents with minor children at home are either of the post-Vatican II (born 1961 to 1981) or millennial (born 1982 or later) generations. The growing racial and ethnic diversity in the US Catholic population is most evident among these younger Catholics. You might be surprised to learn that the “average” Catholic parent self-identifies as Hispanic or Latino and is married to a Catholic spouse. Fifty-three percent of Catholic parents attend Mass at least once a month—more often than Catholic adults generally (43 percent). Yet, being in Church doesn’t necessarily translate into the Catholic parents of today raising their children as parents did decades ago. For example, only 66 percent of parents say that it is “very important” to them that their children celebrate their First Communion. Even fewer, 61 percent, indicate the same importance for their children being confirmed.

Religious Education

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remains remarkably similar. Most Catholics still hold core credal beliefs of the Catholic Church without doubt. The practice of the faith in the home also remains relatively strong. Seventy-one percent of parents agree “somewhat” or “strongly” that prayer is essential to their faith (80 percent among weekly Mass attenders), and most parents regularly talk to God. Thirty-six percent of parents pray at least once a day. Another 23 percent pray less than daily but at least once a week. One in five prays less than weekly but at least once a month (20 percent). Twelve percent pray a few times a year. Only 9 percent say they rarely or never pray.

Family Prayer Most parents, 76 percent, say they more often pray by themselves than with family members. Seven percent say they more often pray with family members than alone and 17 percent pray alone and with family about equally. Parents who pray more alone most often say that they choose to do so because this is what they prefer (24 percent) or because of timing and scheduling conflicts that prevent them from praying with others (21 percent). Forty percent of parents pray in Spanish and 59 percent in English. One percent pray in some other language (e.g., Polish, Portuguese). Prayer at family gatherings is less common than prayer in other settings and at other times. Yet the most common reason for prayer among parents is for the well-being of their family. Eighty-three percent do this “most of the time” or “always” when they pray. A Mark M. Gray is director of CARA Catholic Polls. He has a PhD in political science from the University of California, Irvine. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

ILLUSTRATION BY KAMENSKY FROM INGIMAGE

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The Catholic Church must also increasingly rely on parents to provide religious education in the home as relatively few Catholic parents today have their children enrolled in Catholic school-based or parish-based religious education programs. Click here to see the In all, more than two-thirds, complete study and more 68 percent, do not have any of about Holy Cross Family their children enrolled in forMinistries. mal Catholic religious education. These percentages are significantly lower than what adult Catholics today may recall about their own religious education. Although sacramental and worship practices may differ between younger parents and older Catholics, belief in core Catholic teachings

B Y M A R K M . G R AY

F R EQ U E N C Y O F M A S S AT T E N DA N C E O F U. S . C AT H O L I C PA RE N T S A N D C AT H O LI C A D ULT S Weekly or more often Less than weekly, but at least once a month A few times a year or less often 22%

24% 19%

31%

57%

47%

PARENTS

ALL CATHOLIC ADULTS

Late last year, Holy Cross Family D O A N Y O F Y O U R C H I L D R E N C U R R E N T LY AT T E N D. . . ?

Ministries sponsored a national study on Catholic families, conducted by Georgetown University’s

68%

renowned Center on Applied Religion in the Apostolate (CARA). Some highlights of the results are reported here by CARA. The poll was national in scope, of about

21%

1,000 adult Catholics ages 24-45

8% CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY OR MIDDLE SCHOOL

who are parents of a minor child.

3% CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

PARISH‐BASED CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM

YOUTH MINISTRY PROGRAM

NONE OF THESE

A S I D E F R O M M A S S , A B O U T H OW O F T E N D O Y O U P R AY ? 36%

20%

12% 9%

10%

10% 3%

RARELY OR NEVER

A FEW TIMES A YEAR

Fr anciscanMedia.org

ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH

ALMOST EVERY WEEK

ONCE A WEEK

MORE THAN DAILY OR ONCE A MORE WEEK OFTEN

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THE BLESSING OF FAMILIES

Our Marriage at

It has its joys and challenges. But God is always at the center. BY KRISTINA M. SANTOS

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T’S THE MORNING of my 40th wedding anniversary. I’m making coffee—the bean grinder pulses beneath my fingers. Its rumbling whir sends my cats scurrying, like always, from the kitchen. Suddenly the words “Be still and know I am God” come into my mind. And suddenly I am still. I lift my finger from the “on” button and the coffee grinder is quiet. The cats tiptoe back and begin to wind around my feet again. They are wanting their morning treat. A breeze ruffles the curtains and touches my face, gentle and fresh. “Be still and know I am God.”

And I think: I will, Lord. I will be still, and I will know that you are God. In this stillness, knowing seems to be as natural as breathing, eating, doing dishes and laundry day after day, as loving a partner for better or worse, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. If I know anything after 40 years of marriage, I know that God is the center of our lives. My husband, David, and I could bow down, not really from the weight of the years, but from the totality of life that we’ve been blessed to share: how the troubles, happiness, and hope have woven their way into the fabric of St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

The Book of Proverbs begins by giving advice to a young man leaving his parents’ home to set up a house of his own. If we listen to the word of God, if we faithfully obey God’s commandments, then we will dwell “in security, in peace, without fear of harm” (1:33). We will have many days of life and peace (3:2). David and I have not always had a smooth going. But we’ve worked it out, we’ve trusted our faith to steady us when the going got tough (sometimes it seemed that our faith was the only thing we had in common), and we’ve tried to keep on loving one another. Whatever troubles we’ve had, without love— which we now understand includes devotion, loyalty, and kindness as the spiritual glue— we’d have lost our way.

Our Common Work

our lives. And God is here, always holding on to us, holding us together.

The Daily Grind By the grace of our marriage sacrament, we’ve created a way of life: each day’s ups and downs, each sorrow and each joy, a part of the holiness, the wholeness of our sacrament. We were just 21 on our wedding day. We were both blessed to have parents with long marriages, and we had the support of family, friends, and community. But we had no clue how our marriage would be, the day-to-day getting along. Fr anciscanMedia.org

Over the years, we’ve come to understand that marriage is a responsibility, not only to love God’s goodness, but also to try to make goodness each day of our lives. Even in my most immature, impatient, tired moments I know that love’s focus is always on goodness. So I make meals, I bake, I plant flowers, and I weed the garden. I clean the house again and again. David does many of the same chores as I do, plus he tends to our apricot orchard. We look out for each other, family, and friends the best we can, and we reach out to others by our involvement in Church and community. Together, we have been parents to our son and raised him in our Catholic faith, seeing him through all those catechism classes and sacraments. Sometimes our grandchildren sit beside us in the pew at Mass—and now my dad since my mom’s death two years ago. Since God created man and woman, the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us “their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good . . . in the Creator’s eyes. And this love, which God blesses, is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work of watching over creation . . . ” (1604). If our marriage fails, then we not only break our own hearts and the hearts of family and friends, but something deeper is broken as well: the heart of community, a wound that damages life, stability, and peace. Because at some point in time, the “we” that is just the two of us, husband and wife, opens up to encompass a broader “we” that includes children, family, and community.

Click the button above to hear an interview about a marriage outreach program.

A marriage can be many things: good times and bad, but always a blessing. The author and her husband have kept God securely at the center of their day-to-day lives, which gives them strength to weather life’s storms.

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This is when we come to understand more deeply how fragile life is and what it means to share in the common work of watching over creation. Everything is connected to everything else, and it flourishes or withers together.

Encouraged by Love at Mass David and I have shared the joy of going to Mass together Sunday after Sunday. The Eucharist has been our

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Click here to learn more about the sacrament of marriage.

spiritual sustenance all along. In the bread and wine at Mass, Jesus gives us his very self—his body and blood. Jesus truly becomes food for us as love, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said in his encyclical “Deus Caritas Est.” At Mass, we are also encouraged by the presence of our parish community.

Although each person has unique sorrows, joys, and hopes, in coming together in prayer and sacrament, we support one another and share in one another’s burdens. We join our love with all these other people’s love, and we, although many, become one body (1 Cor 10:17) in the Lord.

Fresh Chances Resting in Stillness It’s a fact of our modern-day world that we are fidgety people. We are on the move constantly, on overload, distracted. “Be still,” we tell our children in church or in the car. “Be still,” we tell ourselves when we’re anxious or excited. “Be still,” God says to us. He knows our tendency. He knows what we need: space and time to rest in his love, to pray, and to open our hearts to his presence and his will for our lives. In stillness, we surrender ourselves and our struggles. We are restored with confidence and endurance to face whatever comes our way. We remem-

Sisters of Charity of New York Living Lives of Love Serving and shaping children and families in New York and beyond since 1817 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

www.scny.org

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of our ﬁrst native-born American saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton –wife, mother, widow, educator, foundress

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ber that “God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress” (Ps 46:2). In stillness, we experience a quietness of soul that helps us remember the promise we made in our marriage vows—when distance and differences tug at the unity of who we are.

718.549.9200

In our 40 years together, there have always been fresh chances: to love better, to be kinder, to try harder to live our faith, to be the love of Jesus for one another. Just as the sun rises anew with pure, beautiful light, so do we rise each day with the chance to be new within this old marriage. We know that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation—our transformation is always ongoing. We can show renewed interest in our partner’s interests. We can be willing to be surprised or pleased. And maybe we can even go beyond tolerance and develop a fondness for familiar irritations. Books strewn on the floor are not messy, but a sign of intelligence. Your partner texting someone else when you thought it was just the two of you together is not rude, but a sign of his caring and commitment to others.

Gratitude for Every Day We’ve had friends who’ve lost husbands and wives from cancer, heart attacks, and illnesses. For now, we go on, grateful for our ordinary, everyday life. I told my husband my anniversary wish this year was that he is happy. And his anniversary wish was that we can continue for another 40 years. So we give thanks to God, whom we have been blessed to know each day of our marriage. We thank our God who has brought us safely to this place, where each of our anniversary wishes makes the other’s wish come true. It is in this place where we have goodness and love, where, whatever is happening around us, we can always be still and know he is God. A Kristina M. Santos is a freelance writer who lives in Patterson, California. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

EDITORIAL

The Pope on Capitol Hill Are we willing to be challenged? When Pope Francis flies in to the United States in a few weeks, there will be an outpouring of excitement and a media frenzy surrounding this papal visit to a nation with close to 70 million Catholic citizens. The pope’s itinerary is posted at the US Catholic Bishops Conference’s website (usccb.org), so we know many of the particulars: the pope will meet with President Barack Obama at the White House, speak at the United Nations in New York, and participate in the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Pope Francis will also address Congress on September 24, marking the first time a pontiff has spoken directly to our lawmakers. Although the pope has a knack for deviating from prepared remarks, he will likely touch on immigration and the pitfalls of capitalism. The pope has spoken and written on these points before, including in his recent encyclical, “Laudato Si’.” But this trip could see him communicating his moral concerns in person to US political power players.

Concern for Immigrants On July 14, 2014, Pope Francis, reacting to the influx of unaccompanied immigrant children into the United States, voiced his concerns regarding the immigration crisis. “[Immigration] is a phenomenon that carries with it great promise and many challenges,” the pope said. “Many people forced to emigrate suffer, and often die tragically; many of their rights are violated, they are obliged to separate from their families and, unfortunately, continue to be the subject of racist and xenophobic attitudes.” The Pew Research Center estimates that there are over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, many with limited access to health care, education, and other resources. With his compassion for those living on the peripheries of society, Pope Francis may direct our country’s attention to this bruised area, and encourage our Fr ancisca n Media .org

leaders to break the stalemate and incorporate greater mercy into their policymaking.

Caring Capitalism The pope’s address to Congress may also be an opportunity to expand upon his critique of trickle-down economics. In his first papal exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis pointed out that blindly putting trust in the invisible hand of the free market “expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting” (54). Who are “the excluded” in the United States, a nation of 321 million people? In a report published on the US Census Bureau’s website (census.gov), as of 2013, the number of Americans living in poverty is over 45 million. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported in December 2014 that the wealth gap between upper—Pope Francis income families and middle- and lower-income families is the widest it’s ever been since the Federal Reserve started tracking this data 30 years ago. Perhaps the pope will encourage Congress to consider equitable economic policies that can narrow the wealth gap and reduce poverty. The pope may challenge our leaders and our nation to address other societal woes, too. Still, we may be afraid of embracing new and developing immigrant populations and wish to avoid the growing pains that come along with cultural exchange. We might also be resistant to making lifestyle changes that serve to support a more ethical form of capitalism. During the October 2014 beatification Mass for Pope Paul VI, Pope Francis said, “God is not afraid of new things.” Human beings, on the other hand, often are. Our faith calls us to be more like God. Opening our minds and our hearts to what promises to be the pope’s challenging message to the United States, we can take a confident step in that holy direction. —D.I.

“God is not afraid of new things.”

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Spud Harvest Hands-on experience opened this woman’s eyes about those who gather food for our tables. T E X T B Y PAT T I S H E R L O C K ■ P H O T O S B Y J A M E S H . N E L S O N

never really liked Jesus’ parable in Matthew 20:1-16 about the landowner who paid his harvest laborers the same whether they came to work early in the morning or showed up at the 11th hour. The laborers grumbled to the vineyard owner, “These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat. The landowner answered, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?’” (12-13). I sympathized with the complainers. Commentaries said that the story was meant to explain God’s grace and that softened my resistance a bit, but I understood the parable more fully after working in the Idaho potato harvest. I was paying off a medical bill, and I wanted to earn money and also help bring in

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our state’s famous crop. I came to see myself as an 11th-hour worker.

Dawn to Dusk It wasn’t that I didn’t show up early. Morning light was turning the mountains golden as I drove to the potato cellars. Tractors, harvesters, and dump trucks with glowing headlights lined the horizon like a small nation’s army marshaling for war. Red machines called pilers sat in front of two block-long, white-domed cellars. The pilers would receive potatoes from dump trucks and convey them to the cellars for storage. Cynthia, a Latina woman, stood atop a piler with the manufacturer’s name, Spudnik, lettered on the side. She explained what my job would be: lean over the conveyor belt and grab vines, mud clods, rocks, and rotten potatoes as they St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

moved past. Then rake and shovel weeds and rocks into piles to be scraped up by a tractor. I stepped onto a piler and begin to snatch unwanted stuff. A Latina woman working across from me didn’t speak English, but when I tossed a rotten potato over my shoulder and it hit a truck driver, she threw back her head and laughed. Hitting someone with a rotten potato is funny in any language. I learned from Alphonso, my boss, that the woman’s name was Elia. I know almost no Spanish, but I said good morning and asked how she was. She got down from the piler and came over to squeeze my shoulder. The other women grabbed trash more efficiently than I. Matt, a dump truck driver, gave me a tip. He told me to rest my hand atop the potatoes as they passed, letting weeds and rocks come to me. I tried it and it was more Fr anciscanMedia.org

efficient—Zen and the Art of Vine Snatching. Alphonso told me I needed to learn how to unload trucks, too. I thought that’s what he said, but machinery drowned out most of his words. I watched Elia and Kristen, a college student, guide trucks into the loading area and connect them to the piler. After a while, I returned to sorting. After a couple of hours Alphonso asked if I’d like to operate the piler. “Sure,” I said. Who wouldn’t want to be out of the wind that was sandblasting my cheeks? I followed Alphonso through a long, empty cellar and up a steep stairway with no handrails. When he started across a mound of potatoes, I hesitated. “Come on, come on,” he said. I stepped gingerly on the uneven footing. We crossed a sea of spuds and came to a young guy seated in a folding chair. Tyler. Tyler the Piler, I thought. Tyler said he would be happy to teach me. Alphonso mentioned another woman he wanted Tyler to train also, but Tyler said, “Don’t bring her. This is a young man’s game and she’s 110 years old.” My hat covered my gray hair; otherwise he’d have seen that I, too, was 110, at least from where he sat. Tyler demonstrated the remote control for a mechanical arm that distributed potatoes from side to side atop giant plastic pipes. He said it was like playing a video game. I had no experience with video games. The piler had to watch the conveyor belts, too, to make sure they didn’t get overloaded. When I squinted to see letters on the remote, Tyler said, “Run and get your glasses.” I remembered the uncertain footing on the spuds, the steep stairway, and the long walk to my car, and couldn’t picture myself running for my glasses. Tyler clinched it for me when he pointed to the potatoes and said, “Somebody screwed up yesterday. See how bad it looks?” The mountain of potatoes looked flawless to me. Back outside, I told Alphonso that the piler wasn’t the right job for me. “OK,” he said, “but you need to be working with the trucks.”

Harvesting of potatoes in Idaho begins in early September and can run through most of October. Most of the harvesting is done in the last two weeks of September and the first two weeks of October.

On the Spud Truck In Idaho, we have an expression: “He just fell off the spud truck.” That could have been said of me. The other two women directed backing trucks to bays connected to the piler and swiftly adjusted the hydraulic lift until it fit the truck’s unloading door. I struggled with my lift, trying to shove it into place, but it wouldn’t go where I wanted, so I had poor fits and potato spills. Sep tember 2015 ❘

Matt, the truck driver, said I needed to move the lift in small increments. I tried, but my lift had two speeds—whoosh to go up and thunk to go down. Matt saw that the hydraulics weren’t working and went to find Alphonso. Alphonso managed to adjust the up lever so I could inch the chute into place, but the down lever continued to have only one speed, and readjustment was still tricky. In the afternoon, Alphonso put Kristen and me on the second piler that sat in front of the southern cellar. It was a straight shot for trucks to back into my bay, and my new lift was trigger-sensitive. I hooked up trucks in a blink. It would have been overly dramatic to lean over and kiss the machine, but I said thank you each time it responded with subtlety. The job involved several steps. First, make sure the truck and chute were snugly connected. Plug in the electricity before turning on conveyor belts for the truck and the piler. Open the door of the dump truck slowly and allow some potatoes to fall out, but not enough to overwhelm the piler. When the gravity feed slowed, it was time to pull the lever on the back of the truck and start emptying the bed. Other trucks were simultaneously unloading, so I had to watch

After the potatoes are unloaded from the dump trucks, farmworkers snatch mud clots, potato vines, and rotten potatoes off the conveyor belt. From there, the potatoes are moved into cellars— which can be as long as a football field—for storage.

the level on the conveyer belt to ensure the machine didn’t have too many potatoes to handle. If that happened, potatoes spilled and the machine tripped off. When I didn’t have a truck unloading in my bay, I raked and shoveled dirt from my area or helped one of the others sort. Journalist Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, went undercover and worked low-wage jobs. She said we need to give up the term unskilled labor. The jobs she worked required brains and concentration, as well as physical exertion. It was the same here. If a chunk of cement or a truck’s mud flap got past one of us on the piler, we yelled for someone else to grab it or threw a switch to stop the conveyer. We tried to take care of expensive equipment. When the temperature fell at 8 p.m., we were sent home because potatoes can’t handle freezing. It would take me a half hour to drive to my house, then I’d have to shower and make a lunch for the next day. I was glad I had leftovers to microwave for dinner.

A Newfound Perspective Often in grocery stores I’ve frowned into the carts of other shoppers, disapproving of expensive and overprocessed convenience foods. I’ve thought, It doesn’t take long to stir-fry vegetables or make a salad. But after being on my feet and fighting wind for 12 hours, I understood the appeal of opening a package. Through the years I’ve supplemented my writing income with temporary jobs, both white- and blue-collar, and put in long hours, paid and unpaid. But the harvest had an urgency that made it unlikely someone could take off for even the best of reasons. Cold temperatures could arrive at any time. Being willing to work long days was essential. For me the long hours would be short-term, but some coworkers were going from harvest to harvest. Other coworkers worked regular jobs before showing up at the cellar, and when temperatures held, labored well into the night. Compared to those people, I was an 11thhour worker.

Up and At It, Again The next day the sun shone brightly and the wind had calmed. That put all of us in a good mood. I noticed that Matt, the truck driver who had been so helpful to me, had flaming ears. I handed him my sunscreen. He said, “Thanks. We all need to take care of each other.” 42 ❘

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A few truck drivers didn’t mind when the piler ran slow. They took a cigarette break or visited the portable john. “I’m paid by the hour,” they said. But most of them wanted to unload quickly and return to the field. Most of them helped Kristen and me try to catch trash as their trucks unloaded, or they raked and shoveled piles of accumulating dirt and rejected potatoes. Josh, a slight man of 31, backed his truck at highway speed. When I’d throw up my hands to tell him to stop, his truck would be in exactly the right spot. He had a college degree and a love of quantum mechanics. Maybe quantum mechanics helped him maneuver a potato truck. Josh moved from one truck-driving job to the next, and when he accumulated enough money, he went traveling. At first I was skeptical of his claim to have visited 23 countries, but he spoke knowledgeably about favorite cities. Josh was the only worker I met who would use harvest money for adventuring. The others had hired on to finance car repairs, pay off dental bills, pay taxes, earn Christmas money, or help with monthly bills. Virginia, a heavy woman in sweatpants, walked with a limp and struggled to pull herself into her truck. For the past 16 years she had Fr anciscanMedia.org

driven a dump truck for construction firms, Idaho’s potato industry earning $16 an hour, but the work was seasonal contributes about $2.7 and unsteady. When she was 40, Virginia went billion to the state’s econback to school to become a nurse, driving 75 omy and provides more miles one way over treacherous winter roads than 30,000 jobs. in South Dakota. In her second year, sickness in the family kept her out for several weeks, and she got behind and dropped out. Until recently Virginia had lived in an RV, but she and her 40-year-old daughter had pooled their resources to buy a mobile home. “Can you imagine how much room I have?” she asked. Miguel was handsome, young, and always grinning. Before coming to Idaho he’d worked harvests in Arizona, Texas, Oregon, and Washington. He shrugged off the high wind; it was better than heat, humidity, and insects, he Click here for information on tal said. Digi as poverty, food production, Extr Cheryl, plumpish and pretty, and migrant workers. Click apologized that she couldn’t the button above to hear an help pull trash while her truck interview about a hunger unloaded. She had to check on outreach program. the 10-year-old grandchild she was raising. “My youngest was 10 and we were entering a different phase of our lives when I got an 8-month-old baby.” Was it hard to return to baby tending? “Oh, yes,” she sighed. Sep tember 2015 ❘

After church on Sunday I washed loads of dust-blackened clothes, shopped for groceries, and rubbed ointment on my beat-up hands and feet. On Tuesday, I came down with a nasty cold. I was fortunate; I could stay home and nurse it without forgoing groceries or missing a mortgage payment. But I was disappointed. I liked my boss, was part of a team, and felt a responsibility to the grower.

(Right) Potatoes, previously dug by one farm implement and lying in a row, are picked up and loaded into a potato truck for transport to a cellar. (Far right) A farm worker caringly cradles a recently harvested Idaho potato with soil still clinging to its skin.

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We’re All in This Together

Long Hours Take a Toll Nasty wind returned the next morning. We put in a 15-hour day. On my way home I stopped at a convenience store and bought overpackaged, overpriced items because I had no energy to make food. In my bathroom mirror, a blackened, coalminer’s face peered at me. My lips were vermilion from chapping. When I undressed I found blisters on my toes and bruises on my hips and belly. Though I wore work gloves, two nails had torn below the quick and I had to keep those fingers bandaged. When I showered, the tub turned brown. The next morning I shuffled to the kitchen. I was too footsore to move nimbly, and decided against cooking my usual omelet or pot of oatmeal with fruit. I ate a bowl of cold cereal and microwaved water for tea. When I arrived at the cellars, I unfolded myself from the car and hobbled to the piler. Even teen employees were limping. Alphonso told us to take breaks when lulls came so that we could be at our stations when trucks arrived. I learned to keep essentials in the pockets of my army camo pants—a bottle of water in one pocket, sunscreen in another, a snack in another, in case I couldn’t leave my bay. Just as well I’d forgone hot cereal in the morning; a person who can’t be sure of breaks doesn’t want an internal system that works as efficiently as a dump truck.

Matt, the helpful truck driver, had told me, “We need to take care of each other.” I think he spoke to something not stated in Jesus’ parable, but implied. The early-hour laborer can choose not to complain and instead help out the 11th-hour worker. My coworkers had little in a material way, but they offered what they could—advice, help, and cheerfulness. They showed me God’s grace. I wondered what I could do for them. It’s hard for low-wage workers to move into the middle class, and easy to slip out of it. Could I do anything about the widening gap between rich and poor? To start, I could appreciate and thank lowincome workers who provide essential services for the rest of us. I also wrote e-mails to my representatives, asking them to support raising the minimum wage. And I promised myself I’d be less judgmental about how poor people manage their lives. Taking care of people on society’s lower rung makes practical sense, too. If Cheryl the truck driver weren’t raising her grandchild, society would be. We should give her a hand where we can. We’re all in this harvest together. And, despite our hope that we are superior, we’re all 11th-hour workers. Even someone who just fell off the spud truck can grasp that. A Patti Sherlock is a freelance writer from Idaho Falls, Idaho. She has devoted time to volunteering with many social organizations. James H. Nelson is an editorial and commercial photographer based in Idaho. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

AT HOME ON EARTH

❘ BY KYLE KRAMER

Spirituality of Subtraction

hen we were preparing to move from our farm last summer, a wise friend offered me some sage advice: expect it to take a full year to get everything unpacked and organized in the new place. I remember thinking that there was no way it could possibly take that long; no way would I tolerate the chaos of moving boxes for 12 months. We donated, recycled, sold, and pitched as much as we could. But, even so, we had to move an embarrassing amount of stuff. On farms, things tend to accumulate if they hold even the slightest promise of being useful someday, for something. Much of our junk has cluttered up our new place, as it did our farm. We’re a year in our new home, and I’m afraid we still don’t have our belongings fully pared down and set to rights. But we’ve tasted how much better it feels to have less instead of more, and we’ve shifted firmly into subtraction mode. Acquiring more has less allure when you have fresh memories of having to pack up your stuff and schlep it to another place, wondering all

the while why you own most of it in the first place. You save money by having fewer things, and you save the resources, energy, and pollution involved in producing, transporting, using, and disposing of them. Cutting back on consumption also helps you live in solidarity with the Let’s Cut Back world’s billion-plus people who lack basic necessities, Try this method for submuch less a 60-inch flat traction: for every one screen (or two or three). thing you buy (except groI think there’s a spirituality ceries and toiletries), get rid of subtraction, too. Jesus was of two. quick to point out that the things we own can easily Try a one-day, one-week, become our idols and our or one-month fast from taskmasters. It takes spiritual buying anything new. energy to manage and maintain all of our stuff—or as Extra time commitments Jesus put it, to build bigger can clutter your life, too. barns to store it. Finding real Cut any activities that equanimity amid such you’re not wholehearted encumbrance can be harder about. than squeezing a camel through a needle’s eye. St. Francis lived the spirituality of subtraction. He let go not only of his property, but also of his status, his pride, his ambition, his ego, and his need to be right. In emptying himself out like that, he found himself filled to overflowing with a love that knows no bounds and inspires us even centuries later. That kind of fullness and freedom isn’t reserved just for the saints. Any one of us can get a glimpse of it, simply by looking beyond the piles of our possessions. A

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

Our “stuff” can clutter our thinking and our prayer lives. St. Francis showed by example that less is more. Fr ancisca n Media .org

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Click here for ways to pare down our possessions. Click the button on the right to hear an interview with Kyle. S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 4 5

PHOTO FROM 16118/INGIMAGE

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

The Annual Sourwood

Squirrel Scramble Unwritten rules can be life-savers. F I C T I O N B Y D AV I D H U L L

OR MY FAMILY, one sure sign that fall is approaching has always been the arrival of the “Annual Sourwood Squirrel Scramble,” and the teenage arguing that, for years, always occurred at my sister’s house. “The Squirrel Scramble is awesome,” cheered my nephew, Eli. “I can’t wait until I’m old enough to hunt!” “I hate it,” snapped his twin sister, Ella. “Those poor squirrels. I can’t wait until I’m old enough to protest!” The Chamber of Commerce organizes the yearly sporting competition, in which contestants hunt for the biggest squirrel in the surrounding abundant forests. Besides the hunt, the annual Sourwood Squirrel Scramble includes a festival with food vendors on Main Street offering hamburgers, fried dough, and homemade chili; one vendor even features chili made with squirrel meat. There are basket raffles at the Catholic church, a usedbook sale at the community library, and a Red Cross blood drive at the fire station. And there is always the presence of the Sourwood Squirrel Scramble protesters, too. They gather in front of the town hall and march around carrying signs with slogans like “S.O.S.—Save Our Squirrels” and “Protect Innocent Animals.” Then, after an exhausting day of demonstrating against the slaughter of harmless creatures, the protesters meet at the Hilltop Diner for the Saturday special: fried chicken dinner. I myself have never participated in the actual hunting portion of the Sourwood Squirrel Scramble, although, I will admit, I’ve eaten plenty of fried dough and

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made purchases at the used-book sale. At my sister’s house, however, feelings about the event run a little stronger. “Hunting squirrels is stupid,” accused Ella. “You’re stupid not to hunt squirrels!” replied Eli. “The winner gets $500!” The arguing went on incessantly. “Leave the squirrels alone,” complained Ella. “It’s squirrel hunting season! What else are hunters supposed to do?” asked her brother.

o on the twins’ 14th birthday, in early May, Eli’s parents gave him a BB gun. Twenty minutes after opening the gift, St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

ILLUSTRATION BY BRENNA THUMMLER

he was in the backyard shooting at empty soda bottles and soup cans, and once, at his mother’s garden gnome, which was already so faded and chipped that he figured she’d never notice a few more missing fragments. As Eli was target shooting, Ella stood on the back porch watching him, arms folded, eyes glaring, waiting for any excuse to start an argument. Then Eli spotted the bird feeder hanging in the crabapple tree in the side yard. A gray squirrel was perched there, intently nibbling sunflower seeds. Silently, Eli turned his BB gun and aimed at the squirrel. Fr ancisca n Media .org

“You better not,” warned Ella. “I’ll tell! Mom said not to kill anything. Just do target practice.” “I am just doing target practice,” insisted Eli, “to win $500 at Squirrel Scramble.” He pulled the trigger. The bird feeder rocked wildly as the squirrel jumped, twisted around, and fell to the ground. “No way!” Eli and Ella screamed in unison as they ran to inspect the victim. The squirrel lay on its side, panting. One of its toes from the right front paw was missing. “You shot off its toe!” said Ella, bending S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 4 7

over the squirrel’s body. “It’s still breathing!” groaned Eli. “Well, even for a squirrel I don’t think a shot to the toe is fatal,” Ella sarcastically replied. “You’re in trouble! What are you going to do?” Eli grabbed the empty box he had collected bottles and cans in, and gently lifted the unconscious squirrel into it. A few minutes later, his mother screamed, “Well, why bring it inside?” “I don’t know,” said Eli, cradling the box containing the squirrel. “It’s still alive. It’s missing a toe. It’s waking up. Ella was yelling. I didn’t know what to do.” “Take it outside,” said their mother, frantically pointing at the back door. “No squirrels in the house! We already have two cats, three hamsters, and that Buddha fish!” “Actually, it’s a beta fish,” corrected Ella. “Take it outside!” shrieked their mother. “Take it out! Out! Out!”

got involved in the story later that day when Eli’s father brought him over to my house, where we cleaned up and repaired an old rabbit hutch that was out behind my garage. I never owned any rabbits, I never planned on ever owning any rabbits; the hutch was there when I bought the house, and I’d just never gotten rid of it. In this case, my procrastination had paid off. Eli moved the repaired hutch behind his garage and put the wounded squirrel inside. The plan was to feed the squirrel and fatten it up while it recovered from the injury. Then, he would release the overweight creature into the surrounding trees in their backyard and hunt it during Squirrel Scramble next fall, thereby winning the $500 with the biggest squirrel. “You can’t be serious,” said Ella. Eli smiled. “It’s a perfect plan!” So for the next few weeks, the squirrel stayed in the cage with a water bottle, a cardboard-box nest, and plenty of food. Eli discovered the squirrel liked Cheerios . . . and Fruit Loops . . . and Frosted Flakes . . . and Apple Jacks. 4 8 ❘ S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15

Ella found the squirrel liked leftover corn muffins, pancakes, doughnuts, and bagels. The squirrel liked apples, carrots, and celery—especially if dipped in peanut butter. It enjoyed pizza, cookies, popcorn, potato chips, granola bars, any flavor Pop-Tarts, and even an occasional grilled cheese sandwich. Actually, over the next month, the twins discovered there wasn’t much the squirrel wouldn’t eat. The squirrel’s appetite remained healthy, and its wounded foot healed slowly, but it developed a severe limp due to its missing digit. Ella named the squirrel Nutty.

ne sunny morning in June, on their way home from Mass, their mother announced, “Today is the day for that rodent to go back to the woods.” “But, Mom, Nutty limps,” said Ella. “Your grandmother limps, too,” replied her mother. “But she’s not going to live with us, either. Open the cage and let that squirrel go.” So, when they got home, Eli, followed by Ella and his parents, went to the hutch and opened the door, then slowly stepped back, allowing Nutty to run free. The squirrel crept forward and watched Eli intently. He sniffed the air, then sat up on his hind legs. “No food,” said Eli. He pointed to the row of evergreens beyond the backyard. “Go, Nutty!” he commanded. Nutty walked to the corner of the hutch, rattled his food dish, and looked at Eli. “He doesn’t want to leave,” Eli said. “Of course he doesn’t want to leave,” replied his mother. “He’s living at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Stop feeding him. He’ll leave.” So they stopped feeding Nutty— until the next morning when Eli brought him a slice of peanut butter toast. Then Ella brought the squirrel an apple when she got home from school. Before bed, their father slipped Nutty a jelly-filled doughnut. “If you’ve stopped feeding him,” asked their mother a week later, as she glared at the squirrel through the open

door of the hutch, “why does he looked like he’s gained weight?” “What can we do?” Eli asked. He reached into the hutch and gently lifted Nutty out, sitting him in the grass. The squirrel limped in a circle, then jumped up and climbed back into the hutch. Eli shrugged. “He won’t leave.” “I give up,” grumbled his mother. “It’s your problem.”

he last day of school arrived, and Nutty was still living in the hutch, although the door remained wide open. The summer was hot and humid, but with his cage in the shade, Nutty stayed cool. When the warmth of summer surrendered to the chilly evenings of fall and the twins went back to school, Nutty was still in his hutch, ready to greet them every day when they got off the bus. While others of his species foraged for sustenance in the forest, Nutty ate leftover waffles and pizza crust. Ella researched online to discover that an average gray squirrel weighs 14 to 20 ounces. Records showed that was true of the weight of the squirrels that hunters entered during the Sourwood Squirrel Scramble over the years, too. The heaviest winner ever was shot by Clyde Cartin Jr. in 2002, at the weight of 1 pound and 8 ounces. Ella convinced Eli to bring the bathroom scale out to the hutch and weigh Nutty. The scale registered 2 pounds, 3 ounces.

hat weekend Eli’s father took him to the town hall to register for the Annual Sourwood Squirrel Scramble. “So what’s your plan, son?” his father asked that evening at the dinner table. “You know you’ve got the biggest squirrel in Sourwood.” “I know I’m supposed to kill Nutty,” said Eli, shaking his head. “But I can’t. Can you, Dad?” “Not me,” replied his father. “Nutty’s my buddy, too. We share an English muffin every morning. Besides, you’re the one who registered for the Squirrel Scramble, not me.” “I guess I’m not winning that $500 now,” mumbled Eli. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

“I thought this might happen,” said Ella, thoughtfully. “I have an idea that might help, if you’ll listen to me.”

wo weeks later, at the Squirrel Scramble weigh-in station under the big tent in the parking lot behind the town hall, Eli stood in line with his entry for the competition. Ella stood beside him. The chanting voices of the Squirrel Scramble protesters could be heard from out front of the town hall: “Save the squirrels, Keep the forest clean. Killing the squirrels Is really mean!” When his turn came, Eli stepped up to the judges’ table and held out a shoe box. Nutty was calmly curled up inside. “What’s this?” asked the bearded judge, whose nametag said Garrett. “It’s my entry in the competition,” said Eli with a proud smile. “It’s in a shoe box, and it’s not dead,” said the bald judge. His nametag read Will. “Oh, he knows that,” replied Ella. “He carries the squirrel in a shoebox because it walks with a limp since my brother shot it in the foot.” Garrett groaned and rubbed his eyes. “The kid shot him in the foot, Will.” “The squirrels are supposed to be dead, not handicapped,” explained Will. He pointed to Nutty. “Your entry isn’t supposed to be looking at me.” “Actually,” said Ella, smiling brightly, “I went on your website and researched the rules of the Squirrel Scramble. It does say that all entries must be squirrels attained from the Sourwood, New York, area; my brother got this one in our side yard. But it doesn’t actually state anywhere in your rules that the squirrels have to be dead.” Will cleared his throat. “It’s kind of implied, since it’s . . . well, a hunting competition.” Ella nodded, still smiling. “I believe to make a rule official it has to be stated in writing in the rules and regulations of the competition. No disrespect, sir, but from what I read online, an implication is not a legally binding rule.” The judges looked at each other Fr ancisca n Media .org

for a moment, then sighed. Garrett shrugged. Will shrugged back. Garrett pushed the weigh-in scale to the front of the table. “Put your entry on the scale, please,” he said. Eli lifted Nutty out of the box and placed him the scale. “2 pounds, 3 ounces,” Garrett read. Will recorded the weight in the notebook. “That’s the biggest squirrel ever since the Squirrel Scramble began,” he said.

entries into the Scramble must be deceased squirrels. And, most important of all, peace was finally attained at my sister’s house. Eli agreed to split the $500 with his sister. “Thanks, Ella,” he said. “You were pretty smart.” Ella shrugged. “Well, I just had to scrounge around like a squirrel searching for a nut until I found a little glitch in their details. I’m glad I could help.”

o that year, Eli won the $500 grand prize at the Annual Sourwood Squirrel Scramble with a live squirrel, thanks to Ella’s creative thinking. The protesters were so happy with the fact that a living squirrel won the competition, they offered to buy the twins each a fried chicken dinner at the Hilltop Diner. Immediately after the conclusion of that Squirrel Scramble, the judges and the Sourwood Chamber of Commerce changed the rules to state that all

nd so, every year since then, Eli hunts in the Squirrel Scramble. And every year, Ella marches with the protesters against the Squirrel Scramble. Afterward, the twins go back to their parents’ house and share a double-cheese pizza with Nutty, who still lives behind their garage in the hutch—with the door open. A

David Hull is a freelance writer from Holley, New Jersey. He taught preschool for 25 years, and is a contributor to various Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

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ASK A FRANCISCAN

❘ BY FATHER PAT McCLOSKEY, OFM

Individual Successors for Apostles? According to Acts 1:26, Matthias was selected to replace Judas, bringing the number of apostles back to 12. I know that the pope, the bishop of Rome, is considered the successor of Peter. Were the other apostles replaced upon their deaths? Do we still maintain individual successors for the other 11 apostles? If so, what is that position called? Who selects them? Is that choice for life?

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with the help of their episcopal conference and by participating in larger meetings such as the synod on the family to be held in Rome next month. Roman Catholic bishops are appointed for life by the bishop of Rome, with preparatory help from the Congregation of Bishops, the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, or the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, depending on where the diocese is located. Bishops must submit their

Why No Beach Weddings? Why can a Catholic priest or a deacon marry a Catholic couple only in church? Why not on a beach? The couple minister this sacrament to each other. A local bishop can allow a priest or deacon to officiate at a wedding outside a church, but I am not aware that any bishop has done so in a nonemergency situation. The location of a wedding says something about the bride and groom, but it also says something very important about the faith community that is witnessing this exchange of vows. Most Catholic faith communities regularly gather for Sunday worship in a building, the site of most sacramental celebrations. Because the new husband and wife help to build up Christ’s body, the Church, a wedding can be customized only to a certain point. The priest or deacon is not hired by the bride and groom in the same way that they hire a florist or caterer. If requested, bishops usually give permission for another location if one spouse is Catholic and the other spouse has not been baptized. I have co-officiated with permission at two weddings involving a Catholic and a Jewish person. Neither celebration was in a church.

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

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

Since the first century, the bishop of Rome is considered the successor of an individual apostle (Peter). Three centuries after Jesus, the patriarch of Constantinople began to be considered the successor of the apostle Andrew. Emperor Constantine had recently moved the capital of the Roman Empire to a new city that he named after himself. Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew are on very good terms and are cooperating on several initiatives. According to St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. 107), the bishop of Rome presides over the other churches “in charity.” In his 1995 encyclical on ecumenism, St. John Paul II pointed out that the Petrine ministry has been exercised in a variety of ways over the centuries. The Coptic patriarch of Alexandria (Egypt) is considered the successor of St. Mark, but Mark was an evangelist, not an apostle. The Catholic Church teaches that bishops collectively succeed the apostles. The Church’s teaching about apostolic succession was developed to answer gnostic Christians who claimed to have a line of teachers reaching back to the apostles, teachers who handed on orally and in writing information intended

only for a select few (the gnostics) and not all Christians. The Church responded to this claim by its teaching about apostolic succession and also by clarifying which writings belong in the New Testament. Bishops help the Church to remain “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” as we pray in the Nicene Creed. Even though most bishops lead a diocese (or help lead it as an auxiliary bishop), all bishops have some responsibility for the entire Church. They carry their ministry

resignations at age 75; the pope chooses when to accept them. If someone who is not a bishop should be elected as pope, he must immediately be ordained a bishop in order to lead the college of bishops, which always acts with and under the successor of St. Peter. Bishops of Orthodox Churches meet regularly in synods to appoint bishops and carry out their other responsibilities for those Churches. Eastern Catholic bishops also meet in synods. Those elected in synods then request “ecclesial communion” with the bishop of Rome. Others are appointed by the pope, having heard the recommendation of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. A synod of the worldwide heads of the Orthodox Churches is scheduled for 2016.

Seven Last Words What is the origin of the seven last words of Jesus? I thought this would be easy to find, but I have not found that to be true. “Born again” Christians look to the Bible alone, but the popularity of this devotion suggests that many of them who follow this devotion are accepting a long-standing Christian tradition without realizing it. According to The Catholic Sourcebook (Rev. Peter Klein, Harcourt), these seven last words are: 1) Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do (Lk 23:34), 2) Woman, here is your son . . . . Here is your mother (Jn 19:2627), 3) I am thirsty (Jn 19:28), 4) Today you will be with me in paradise (Lk 23:43), 5) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mt 27:46, Mk 15:34), 6) It is finished (Jn 19:30), and 7) Father, into your hands I commend my spirit (Lk 23:46). Some lists place number 4 above ahead of number 2. Although these seven sayings are given in what is Fr ancisca n Media .org

assumed to be their chronological order, that cannot be verified. Only number 5 (quoting Ps 22:2) is found in more than one Gospel. The custom of preaching about these seven last words of Christ increased in popularity after the 16th century, perhaps because they affirm the humanity of Jesus, without denying his divinity. Earlier Christians sometimes affirmed the divinity of Jesus much more strongly than his humanity. Have people whose mantra is “Scripture alone” considered tradition’s role in accepting the Gospel of Matthew as belonging in the New Testament and the Gospel of Thomas as not belonging there? Are they willing to explain why they accept number 4 above even though Mark 15:32b says very clearly, “Those who were crucified with him [Jesus] also kept abusing him?” God’s selfrevelation comes to us through the Scriptures as recognized by the faith community. 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

The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis

Most-Read Books Tagged “Catholic” at Goodreads.com Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home Pope Francis The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life James Martin, SJ My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir Colleen Carroll Campbell The Crown Nancy Bilyeau Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life Richard Rohr, OFM

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By Garry Wills Viking 288 pages • $27.95 Hardcover/E-book Reviewed by ELIZABETH BOOKSER BARKLEY, PhD, who teaches writing, literature, and interdisciplinary courses at Mount St. Joseph University. Garry Wills opens his book with this assessment of Pope Francis: He “heartens some Catholics, but frightens others—both of them for the same reason, the prospect of change.” Reading this book, I found myself thinking that it will hearten some readers and frighten (or anger) others for the same reason: conflicting interpretations of history. In examining Church history, Wills was inspired by G.K. Chesterton “to read history forward, from the early evidence and from the different guises the Church had to adopt in order to survive,” rather than to read it backward from the present to “reaffirm what ‘always was’ in the Church, not to find anything new there.” Wills enlightens and challenges readers by laying out a series of changes over the centuries. In tracing “all kinds of vicissitudes” the Church has weathered, Wills sees a Church “not losing belief, while still following Jesus, while still expressing love of him in the care for each other and for the needy.” Readers might be misled by the book’s title. Except for the introduction and the epilogue, Francis rarely appears in these

pages. But Wills’ positioning of Francis is key to the book. A scholar of the papacy, Wills writes that Francis’ view of history supports his own “reading of history forward” and that the Vatican II concept of the Church as people of God is central to Francis’ approach to reform. “A pope who believes in that Church will not try to change it all by himself—which is the best way to change it.” Wills has the credentials to illuminate the trends he documents in the book. Each of five section headings begins with “The Coming and Going of . . . .” What follow are explorations of the rise and fall of Latin, monarchy, anti-Semitism, natural law, and confession. With several awards to his credit (including the National Book Critics Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction), Wills has explored religious themes in previous books, such as What Paul Meant, What the Gospels Meant, and Why I Am a Catholic. The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis is a satisfying read. Wills traverses centuries as he explores each issue without bogging the reader down in jargon. He provides the historic context for each of the topics he includes, drawing from Church documents, Scripture, and theology. His claims are backed by references to such notables as St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, as well as literary figures such as Mark Twain and T.S. Eliot. It’s a scholarly work accessible to lay readers. Although much of the book focuses on the past, in the epilogue Wills projects a hopeful future. Drawing on Pope Francis’ few published works, as well as recent biographies and interviews, Wills deftly weaves together the history and the future of the Church. “Welcoming change does not mean dismissing the past, as if it does not exist,” Wills concludes. “It means reinhabiting it with love, a sensus fidei, a reliance on the People of God.” In embracing the Church as the people of God, Francis realizes “how he must rely on others, since they too are responding to God’s call . . . . That kind of pope bodes well for the future of the Catholic Church.” St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

BOOK BRIEFS

God’s Gift of Family Pocket Prayers for Married Couples By Patricia Hughes Baumer, MDiv, and Fred A. Baumer, PhD Twenty-Third Publications 80 pages • $9.95 Paperback/Kindle

Walking with Jesus A Way Forward for the Church By Pope Francis Loyola Press 160 pages • $22.95 Hardcover/E-book Reviewed by ROB LANGENDERFER, who graduated from Thomas More College and, later, the University of Kentucky, where he earned a master’s degree in library science. Walking with Jesus: A Way Forward for the Church is a compilation of talks that Pope Francis gave during 2013 and 2014 on a variety of topics. The main theme of the book is the importance of staying close to Jesus, and how doing so can change the lives of individuals and of the Catholic Church for the better. The pope offers reflections on each of the sacraments and on sacraments in general. He also offers his thoughts on each of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. His talks delve into the beatitudes, as well as the importance of embracing Jesus’ poverty. In looking at the mission of priests and bishops, Pope Francis puts forth how they must interact with people to minister effectively, and should not simply work as bureaucrats. Throughout the book, Pope Francis examines the importance of truly trying to be Christ for people by being present and offering the grace of mercy. He also stresses that suffering is part of the Christian life, and, without experiencing and offering up suffering to God, we are not truly imitating Christ. The writing in the book is clear, and it truly sounds like Pope Francis’ voice resonating from every page. There are no overly complicated concepts here: just wise, down-to-earth reflections that can be appreciated by any Catholic (or non-Catholic, for that matter). Fr ancisca n Media .org

Don’t be deceived by this book’s small size— it’s a wealth of prayers for spouses to look to as they deepen their spiritual lives together. The prayers are presented in sections that follow along with phrases from the wedding vows.

The Prodigal You Love Inviting Loved Ones Back to the Church By Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP Pauline Books and Media 191 pages • $12.95 Paperback/Kindle A onetime atheist herself, Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP, knows what it’s like to be away from the Church. In The Prodigal You Love, Sister Theresa encourages readers to take a gentle, loving approach to evangelizing our Catholic faith to loved ones who no longer believe.

The Grace of Yes Eight Virtues for Generous Living By Lisa M. Hendey Ave Maria Press 160 pages • $15.95 Paperback/E-book Lisa M. Hendey, the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com, brings wit, warmth, and wisdom as she challenges us to say yes to God’s grace in daily life. Bolstered by reflections on her own faith journey, Hendey points to eight virtues—including creativity, humility, and vulnerability—that help us encounter and embrace the growth God wants for us.—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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5 3

A CATHOLIC MOM SPEAKS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

A Mom’s Take on Same-Sex Marriage

ne evening, shortly after the June 26 US Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, I found myself privy to a conversation between my 16-year-old daughter, Maddie, and some of her friends. They were discussing the ruling and the many reactions to it. Under the guise of doing laundry, I stood quietly in the background and listened—parents find out a whole lot more that way. They talked about equality, compassion, and a wide range of other topics. They even talked about their faith, something that, at that age, is a subject of discussion and debate even without the context of tough issues. Suddenly, Maddie turned to me. “Mom, what would you say if I told you I was gay?” I sat for a moment, painfully aware that all of her friends were waiting for my answer. “I would say, ‘I love you.’” “That’s it?” she said, seeming somewhat perplexed. “Yep, that’s it.” I gathered up the laundry and headed upstairs, hoping that my words would provide Maddie and her friends with a loving environment within which to continue their discussion. Sure, I could have offered my opinions on the ruling or reiterated Church teachings. But they’ll hear enough of that. I wanted them to know that they are truly loved— no matter what.

tal Digi as Extr

Click here for resources on LGBT ministry.

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It is a message I don’t think members of our Church who are LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender) hear very often.

We Can Respectfully Disagree I always tell my kids that it is OK for them to disagree with each other about things, but it is never OK to diminish the other person for the sake of their argument. I thought of that as I watched reactions to the

court’s ruling spread like wildfire on the news and social media. The reaction has been wide and varied, both in society and within our Church. The Sunday after the decision, I sat in church and heard a message of anger, exclusion, and judgment. I left feeling disappointed in the lack of pastoral care and sensitivity, and sad at the harsh words spoken. Yet, in the days that followed, I St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

also heard messages acknowledging that, while the ruling presented challenges for our Church, it also provided the opportunity to find new ways to be loving to all members of our faith family. I’m choosing to hold on to the latter school of thought.

A PRAYER FOR EACH OTHER

Follow the Leader Many people grasped on to Pope Francis’ words when he said, “If a person is gay and seeks the Lord and is of good will, who am I to judge?” The pope made the statement within the context of a broader statement that reaffirmed the Church’s teaching, but the message was clear: we all are welcome at the table. I remember hearing that and hoping that the message of inclusion and dialogue would trickle down until it reached those of us in the pews. As a faith community, we’ve avoided our lack of inclusion and ministry to members of the LGBT community for far too long. Perhaps this ruling will begin a discussion that will help us address this elephant in the room. There are members of our Church and our parishes who are LGBT. That is a fact. And we have not done a good enough job making them feel welcome. The last time the bishops truly addressed the topic was in 1997— yes, almost 20 years ago—with the document “Always Our Children.” In that document, the bishops expressed their hope for more inclusive ministry to the LGBT community when they wrote: “We address

our message also to the wider Church community, and especially to priests and other pastoral ministers, asking that our words be translated into attitudes and actions that follow the way of love, as Christ has taught. It is through the community of his faithful that Jesus offers you hope, help, and healing, so your whole family might continue to grow into the intimate community of life and love that God intends.” We still have work to do. Finally, I hope the message of love and inclusion finds its way into our homes and hearts, where the groundwork of our pastoral outreach begins. Let’s begin moving forward— together, as one faith community— based on one simple premise: we are loved. A

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY KURNICK MAASS

God of love, welcome all your children into your arms. Remind us that we are all made in your image, and come to you by way of our own individual journeys and experiences. While each of our journeys may follow a different path, help us to remember that they all lead back to you, where we find true happiness and peace. Open our hearts to all those who seek you, and remind us to speak and act out of love in all we do. Amen.

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 16)

Fr ancisca n Media .org

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5 5

BACKSTORY

A Visit to Remember

arlier this year, our beloved friend from the US bishops’ conference, Mary Ann Walsh, RSM, passed away, a victim of cancer. Sister Mary Ann, the bishops’ media liaison, had produced commemorative

books about Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II over the years (in her spare time; she was an amazing woman!). Who would create such a book for Pope Francis’ likely one-and-only visit to the United States? I wondered if our magazine and book teams might be of help.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

It turned out that the Vatican publishing house was wondering about the same book idea. When I called our friends at the US bishops’ Catholic News Service (CNS), director Tony Spence was very interested in a collaborative project. We’ve been working out details ever since, poising our team for the rapid work of getting a book full of rich photos and helpful text written, produced, and published immediately after the papal visit. It will be the official commemorative edition from the papal visit. The photographs, and the basis for the narrative, will come from the talented team at CNS. The St. Anthony Messenger team will do original writing, select photos, and pull it all together into book material. Our Franciscan Media book team, led by Mark Lombard, will take it from there, ultimately getting 15,000 copies printed by the end of October. Franciscan Media and the US bishops’ conference will sell the book. We expect an incredible product: CNS will have highly skilled photographers and writers accompanying the Holy Father throughout his visit. Their analysis and reporting will be unparalleled. And, of course, we ourselves know how to tell a story beautifully. This book will be a hardcover, about the size of this magazine, but richer: 128 pages of photos and accompanying story on heavier paper. What about the magazine? No worries! Writers in each of the three cities of the pope’s visit will be submitting marvelous magazine stories that you’ll see in our December issue. And while some of us are glued to our desks making the book, Susan and Daniel, along with Sean from our emerging media group, will head east and be feeding social-media stories to Christopher back home. You can follow it all at Facebook.com/ AmericnCatholic.

Editor in Chief @jfeister

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

REFLECTION

D ance

IS THE HIDDEN LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL . —Martha Graham

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