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NOVEMBER 10, 2011 Volume LXXXVI • Number 2 www.evangelist.org
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Words to Live By
As our Catholic School Spotlight series nears its conclusion, we highlight St. Pius X School in Loudonville: Page 24
In his monthly column, Rev. Ron Rolheiser offers some “mini-creeds” to anchor faith: Page 4
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T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E D I O C E S E O F A L B A N Y
FUNDRAISING = FUZZ
Special Issue: Catholic Teens
This annual issue highlights the faith and activities of teens across the Albany Diocese — 15 including the winners of our “What’s on Your MP3 Player” contest! — Pages 7-1 CHILDREN’S CHOIR
Teens help kids make joyful noise BY ANGELA CAVE STA F F W R I T E R
PRINCIPAL JAMES LEVESKAS lets students at St. Ambrose School in Latham feel his freshly-shaved head — a look he got after they met his fundraising challenge for the school. See more photos of this and the “Race for Education” on page 15. (Nate Whitchurch photo) POPULATION
SEVEN BILLION AND COUNTING
BY MARK PATTISON C AT H O L I C N E WS S E RV I C E
Washington — The United Nations chose Oct. 31 as the date of the birth of the 7 billionth person inhabiting the planet. The exact date when that number was reached may be in dispute: How many people really live in Lebanon, which hasn’t taken an official census in nearly 80 years? How do little brothers
If the members of the children’s choir hold their sheet music at their sides, it means they don’t understand the words. That’s one signal Megan Serian, 14, has learned to spot as she co-leads the choir of small singers at St. Michael the Archangel parish in Troy. “If they don’t understand a song, a lot of the time they’ll just not sing,” she discovered. The singers are more vocal when they’re bored, Megan said: for example, one boy made up a silly song about his fondness for sitting. Megan and her friend Olivia Koonz, a fellow singer, actor and freshman at Columbia High School, started the group for children in kindergarten through eighth grade last year. The two perform Broadway tunes at area nursing homes in a parish song and dance group. “They’re excellent,” said Barbara Berger, faith formation leader, who encouraged the girls to lead the choir. “They’re both very patient, very animated, very
focused.” The choir of about 23 children has practiced every other Sunday since last month. With help from the parish organist and music minister, Megan and Olivia have taught songs they chose from the hymnal and songs the children know from Vacation Bible School or the parish’s summer sports camp. A performance at the parish Christmas pageant is planned, and the children’s choir will eventually sing at monthly liturgies. “We don’t just choose songs that sound great; rather, there’s a meaning to it,” said Ms. Berger, who’s taught the teens about the parts of the Mass. More and more parish youth have been asking about joining. Ms. Berger might break the choir into different age groups.
and sisters born surreptitiously under China’s strict “one family, one child” policy get counted? Dates aside, how do we provide for the care and feeding of 7 billion people — not to mention their dignity? “What will it take for them to produce enough food?” asked Bob Gronski, a policy adviser with the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. “If they don’t
have enough income to produce the food, then what do they do?” Gronski added: “Then energy becomes more expensive — scarce in some cases — [and] water resources become more expensive.” Gronski said Americans must ask, “Are we really able to take care of our own needs?” He explained: “One kind of food cannot feed a population. All
OLIVIA AND MEGAN
“They are doing really well,” Megan said of the singers. Olivia and Megan have observed that all children learn differently and need to be accommodated. Some are new readers, so the girls made oversized poster boards to help teach them the lyrics. Others have special needs and can’t sit still for long. “It’s taught me a lot about patience,” Megan said, “because sometimes we’re so busy rushing through life that we don’t realize that they don’t understand what comes so easy to us. It’s also taught me about having fun.” Olivia has taken a lot of cues from Megan. “It really helped me with my leading skills,” Olivia said. “My goal is to see how far the kids will go. I get enthusiastic, too. It gets everyone going and I’m happy and they’re happy.” Megan said her faith has been enriched by a new understanding of songs she’s known since she was young: “We sing a lot of songs about how good God is. The songs we sing teach them that God is a very forgiving person.” kinds of food have to be grown here. In the United States we depend on these imports from Mexico and other places. But are they [in Mexico] able to take care of their own needs? These are the questions we should have been asking all along.” According to the United SEVEN BILLION AND COUNTING, SEE PAGE 17