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DECEMBER 18, 2008
Welcome, shepherd
This weekend will mark the fifth anniversary of Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted’s installation as the fourth bishop of Phoenix. Our cover story takes a look back at the past five years, giving us a better idea of how we got where we are today as the family that makes up the Diocese of Phoenix. In this spirit, we revisit this Dec. 4, 2003, editorial to get an idea of where we were as Church at that time, while reliving our first impressions of our new shepherd.
The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways. Bishop Thomas James Olmsted seemed to be on none of the lists of possible new bishops for the Diocese of Phoenix — except the only list that matters, the one given to Pope John Paul II for his selection.
Catholics in Arizona were surprised to awaken on Nov. 25 to the news that the Holy Father had chosen Bishop Olmsted, a bishop for four and a half years and bishop of Wichita for two years, to be the new shepherd for the Church of Phoenix.
Among those shocked at the choice was Bishop Olmsted himself. But in humility and obedience, he accepted the pope’s selection and greeted his new flock by saying, “With trust in God’s providence I am eager to give a shepherd’s care to all the people of the Diocese of Phoenix. I greet you all in the love of Christ.”
Later in the day, he told The Catholic Sun, “I come because I’m sure this is where God wants me to be.”
His priestly life has always centered on going where he is called. From the seminary in Denver to studies in Rome; from assignments in Lincoln, Neb., to the Secretariat of State at the Vatican to Columbus, Ohio, and back home to rural Kansas; he has followed where God leads. This new calling received the same dutiful response.
Be prepared: Bishop Olmsted expects his flock to answer God’s call as well. He wants Catholics to focus on the encounter with the living Jesus Christ. He wants to “help people appreciate that we can have a personal relationship with Jesus.”
Within that personal relationship, Jesus sends each of us out to do His will and to spread the Gospel.
Bishop Olmsted already has been told that the Catholic community here is prepared to answer God’s call. Both our retired Bishop Thomas J. O’Brien and our apostolic administrator Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan assured the new bishop that we are ready and able to continue to practice our faith. Bishop Olmsted said that in a conversation on the day of his appointment, Bishop O’Brien thanked him for accepting the responsibility to lead the diocese and told him “this is a really wonderful local church.”
Despite the last year and a half of turmoil for the Diocese of Phoenix, we look to the future with hope and resilience. Bishop O’Brien’s leadership for the past 21 years and Archbishop Sheehan’s guiding presence for the last five months provide a solid foundation on which Bishop Olmsted and the Catholics of this diocese can build.
We welcome our new shepherd. We ask the Holy Spirit to inspire him to lead us well. We ask Jesus to stay at the center of his life. And we ask the Father to pour abundant blessings on him so that he can serve us with a father’s strength and compassion.
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NOVEMBER 20, 2008
On old sayings and volunteers
“The best things in life are free” is a popular maxim that’s been around forever — maybe even longer. You’ve probably heard it before.
Some hold the pithy sentiment as a universal truth, something to remind us that no matter how much money we may have, you can’t truly buy happiness.
Then there are some who find a certain amount of irony in the statement; that without money, you can’t obtain the objects you desire, and you’ll never be as happy as you think you can or should be.
With songs, movies and advertising jingles co-opting and polluting the phrase so frequently over the decades, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that we find the economy and the wellbeing of our county mired in today’s consumer-driven muck. Years of easy-to-obtain credit — as if it were free money — allowed us to purchase almost anything. And did we ever.
Now, thanks to years of living high on the hog, our financial institutions are failing. Our neighbors are foreclosing. Our places of employment are imploding.
This cold water being thrown in our faces is a reminder that for every action we take, for everything we thought we could purchase to give us a sense of happiness, there is a consequence that needs reckoning.
Still, there exists yet another group of people who have a very different take on the “best things in life” axiom — and they know that happiness can’t be bought on credit, nor can it be found for free, but must be earned through selfless giving, hard work and commitment. These pillars of strength are also known as community volunteers.
These are the people who commit themselves each week to working in the St. Vincent de Paul dining room, preparing and serving meals to their brothers and sisters in Christ, those more in need than themselves. They’re the ones who spend their weekends bringing food from local St. Vincent de Paul conferences to underprivileged families, making sure their cupboards aren’t bare.
These are the people who spread peanut butter and jelly on bread and pass out sack lunches to the homeless each day in the city. They’re the ones who give water to those dying of thirst in our desert.
These are the people who live and breathe stewardship, sharing their God-given resources with others who may not even know the meaning of the word.
These are the people who share their knowledge, expertise and contacts to help others find gainful employment — either after a sudden job loss or for someone fighting to escape a life of addiction and crime.
These are the people who know how cruel a winter night can be for those on the street, even in the balmy Valley of the Sun. They’re the ones who collect and give away jackets, shoes and hats so that others might find comfort.
These are our sources of strength and unity, those who volunteer their time with no need for recognition or reimbursement. They’re the ones who bring Christ to the rest of us, purely out of love. They’ll also confirm that no, “the best things in life” are not free. The best things require work, determination and sacrifice — just like our Savior, the Son of God, when He paid the ultimate sacrifice for us by dying on the cross so that we may discover eternal salvation.
Our community does not run on credit, but is nourished and stands tall thanks to the work of our volunteers. But with today’s recessing economy, more volunteers are needed to step forward to help carry the cross, so to speak.
We encourage our readers to seek out opportunities that will help make a difference in the community. Check in with your parish to see what you can do to help.
Here’s another old saying: “If you don’t ask, you’re never going to get it.” If you’re someone who already helps out in the community, ask a friend, neighbor or fellow churchgoer to step up and volunteer, too.
While the best things in life may not be free, knowing that you’ve helped make a difference in someone’s life is nothing short of priceless.
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NOVEMBER 6, 2008
Alright, everyone, back to work
It’s over now, right?
After months upon months of presidential campaigning, heated and lively discussions amongst family and friends, the forwarding of e-mails and links to Web sites making a case for one candidate over another — it all came to an end this week.
So, did your candidate come out on top? If so, good for you. If not, that’s OK too. [Editor’s Note: We went to press before the outcome of the Nov. 4 election was decided.]
This week was the culmination of many months, years even, of democracy in action. The campaign trail was a bumpy, winding one that shook many of us to the core of our belief systems as we prayerfully and dutifully examined the potential for good and hardships in choosing the person who we believe would best lead the free world.
As Americans, we scrutinized the candidates’ political history, their record of leadership, their party platform and their vision for the future of the United States.
As Catholics, we of course took all this into consideration. But we also had the privilege and responsibility, by the great gift of our faith, to examine where Senators John McCain and Barrack Obama stood on policies that intersected with the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Many Catholics wore their allegiance on their sleeve by way of bumper stickers, yard signs, blogging or by forwarding e-mails to everyone in their address book, inevitably causing some bumps and bruises along the way; however, along with the scars came a sense of peace for many. Perhaps the most uplifting result of this close race has been the return to prayer. For months now, Catholics all over this diocese and across the country have been uniting in prayer on a regular basis, praying the rosary and asking God for guidance and His graces as we headed to the polls.
Regardless of who won the election, there is something we can all be grateful for now: We as a country can get back to work.
The depressed economy will undoubtedly occupy much of the attention throughout 2009, but we must not let up on the other very important issues that have been simmering on the back burner for almost this entire election cycle: immigration, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, access to affordable health care, poverty, terrorism, energy independence, climate change and, most importantly to us Catholics, sanctity of life issues.
These matters aren’t going away. The suffering of our brothers and sisters hasn’t abated, and the violation of the most vulnerable among us continues.
Though the long march toward electing a new president has come to an end, now is not the time for remorse or looking backward, gloating or smugness. Now is the time to turn up the heat on our elected leaders in the executive and legislative branches to make them get back to work for us in meeting the challenges of the day.
We the people elected our leaders. Now is the time for them to get to work.
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
Abortion industry seeks
public bailout as well
Millions of concerned Americans are agitated with the federal government’s $700 billion plan to bail out Wall Street banks.
To put all those zeros in perspective, that’s $2,300 per man, woman and child in the United States. That’s about 14 million dinners for the average family of four. And that’s 70,000 times the amount raised in this year’s diocesan Charity and Development Appeal.
Where does all that money come from? Taxes — ours, our children’s and their children; an ungodly amount of money to go toward paying down years of bad policies, big challenges and greed.
This economic crisis has been ready to blow up in our faces for some time now, and just last week came the sobering realization that the way we live, give and consume may never be the same again.
With the doom and gloom headlines and an unprecedented question of whether or not last week’s scheduled presidential campaign debates would proceed, our economy and money have been the talk of the town, in every town, across the country — indeed overshadowing many other vital issues of the day and causing many people to rethink the direction the United States is heading.
Perhaps the biggest casualty of all this is another development that has been flying under the radar in recent months, also with the potential to misuse our tax dollars in an even more insidious manner than that of bailing out corporate greed and mismanagement.
The Freedom of Choice Act, or FOCA (S. 1173, H.R. 1964), is a bad and wasteful piece of legislation currently being considered by both the U.S. Senate and House. It was introduced to Congress in 2007, but is now being heavily pushed by the abortion lobby and some of the bill’s congressional sponsors.
Supporters of FOCA say it “would sweep away hundreds of anti-abortion laws [and] policies” that are now in effect because they do not conflict with Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the United States. These include bans on public funding of abortions as well as “modest and widely supported state laws” protecting women’s safety, informed consent and parental rights, according to Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
Despite its misleading name, FOCA is not about choice; its intent is to “deprive the American people in all 50 states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry,” reads a recent letter from Cardinal Rigali to members of Congress.
He explained that the legislation would, if enacted, “coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars.”
In addition to making the public accessories in taking the life of unborn babies through the use of our state and federal tax dollars, the bishops’ Office of the General Counsel warned that a slew of other state laws agreed upon by both Republicans and Democrats could be up for challenge — or overturned altogether. Rights of conscience for health care professionals, laws prohibiting partial-birth abortion, and laws requiring that abortions be performed by a licensed physician are all at risk with the enactment of FOCA.
The Freedom of Choice Act is an example of terrible legislation. Not only does it derail years of work by both political parties in the effort to reduce abortions, it sticks pro-life Catholics with the bill.
Cardinal Rigali hit the nail on the head: “We can’t reduce abortions by promoting abortion…. No one who sponsors or supports legislation like FOCA can credibly claim to be part of a good-faith discussion on how to reduce abortions.”
We join the cardinal and others of good will in urging all members of Congress to reject this piece of legislation that is thinly disguised to promote the taking of vulnerable, innocent life. We also call upon Catholics to contact our members of Congress in opposition to the Freedom of Choice Act. It’s an election year; they are listening now more than ever.
Don’t let our tax dollars be used in the furthering of the culture of death, which has already claimed 48,589,993 innocent lives since 1973. With the average cost of a first-trimester abortion ringing in at $500, that’s more than $24 billion. Now there’s some perspective.
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Contact your government representatives:
- Sen. Jon Kyle: (202) 224-4521
- Sen. John McCain: (202) 224-2235
- Rep. Rick Renzi, District 1, Flagstaff: (202) 225-2315
- Rep. Trent Franks, District 2 Glendale: (202) 225-4576
- Rep. John Shadegg, District 3 Phoenix: (202) 225-3361
- Rep. Ed Pastor, District 4, Phoenix: (202) 225-4065
- Rep. Harry Mitchell, District 5, Tempe: (202) 225-2190
- Rep. Jeff Flake, District 6, Mesa: (202) 225-2635
- Rep. Raul Grijalva, District 7, Tucson: (202) 225-2435
- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, District 8, Tucson: (202) 225-2542
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AUGUST 21, 2008
Religious education
must begin at home
It’s no secret that we’re big supporters of Catholic education. Its emphasis on faith formation and a rigorous curriculum helps promote excellence in academics, strong moral values and lives dedicated to service.
Several times each year we zero in on the importance of the faith and education opportunities available to those in the Diocese of Phoenix: From back-to-school stories in the late summer, to covering the faith-filled activities of Catholic Schools Week in January, to the end of year excitement in the late spring — not to mention the multitude of school-related features that fall in between. We cover Catholic schools, the students, faculty and staff from nearly every angle imaginable.
As the academic year begins anew, a glance at the front page and the other half-dozen school-related features in this edition supports that point. We’re committed not only to these “staunch pillars in the community” (see “Upcoming celebration to grow scholarship funds for Catholic schools,” page 14), but also to these students’ original, most admired teachers: the parents.
We realize not every student is able to attend a Catholic elementary or high school. But we do know that a student’s faith formation need not suffer because of it.
Parents of school-age students, we know these are busy and difficult times fraught with responsibilities and distractions. But as you take the responsibility to raise your children to be of strong character, as you keep on them to excel in their academics and root for them in their athletic pursuits, we encourage you not to lose sight of your responsibility to keep the fires of faith alive.
Pray as a family and reflect on the readings of the Mass on the drive home. Enroll your son or daughter in your parish’s religious education program. Don’t be afraid to explore a future in the priesthood or religious life for your child. Keeping God central to the everyday school routine is an essential part of developing the whole being of your student, regardless of what school they’re attending.
And parents fortunate enough to have children in Catholic schools, you’re not off the hook. Don’t let their relationship with God end when class lets out.
As the parent, you are the central teacher in the lives of students. You have the power to mold these young hearts and minds. It’s up to you to make sure they’re formed in the ways of Christ.
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AUGUST 7, 2008
Freedom to choose
Finally, an issue that pro-life and pro-abortion supporters should agree upon: the rights of conscience for health care providers.
But will we ever achieve common ground on this matter?
At issue is whether health care professionals should be legally protected to exercise their freedom of conscience, especially in matters that would involve the taking of human life. Should a doctor or nurse face pressure, ridicule or disciplinary action for refusing to sanction or participate in abortion? What about a pharmacist who objects to providing contraceptives and abortifacients such as the “morning after pill”?
Based on one’s own moral convictions and religious beliefs, shouldn’t a health care professional have the right to exercise this choice?
Yes.
And those who claim to be pro-choice should agree, too. Right?
Sure they should. But will they? The outlook is uncertain.
This is the point recently stated by Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia in a letter to members of Congress.
Read the Arizona Catholic Conference’s pastoral statement, “Freedom of Conscience.” To order a hard copy, call (602) 354-2391.
Catholic News Service reported last week that the cardinal, who chairs the U.S. bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities, was prompted by reports in a July 15 New York Times story. The newspaper reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is preparing proposed regulations that would require hospitals, clinics, medical schools and other health care institutions to certify they would not discriminate against people who oppose abortion based on their “religious beliefs or moral convictions.”
Pro-abortion organizations attacked the as-yet-unpublished regulations, claiming it could limit “access” to abortion and artificial contraception.
“Do they at least hold that ‘freedom of choice’ must belong to everyone, including those who have deep moral concerns in this area?” Cardinal Rigali asked in reaction to these criticisms. “Or is the ‘pro-choice’ label a misleading mask for an agenda of actively promoting and even imposing morally controversial procedures on those who conscientiously hold different views?
“Reactions to efforts to reaffirm and implement laws on conscience protection may provide an answer,” he added.
This important topic is of great concern to health care professionals here in Arizona. The two Arizona bishops, Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted and Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, issued a pastoral letter in May calling upon the community to give deep consideration to the importance of conscience.
The statement, “Freedom of Conscience,” notes that Arizona law mandates that all employers providing prescription coverage must include coverage for contraceptives. Because of the law, Catholic organizations such as Catholic Charities and the area’s Catholic hospitals are compelled to act contrary to their moral teaching.
In Arizona there have been several attempts to deny rights of conscience to health care professionals and hospitals, all of which, fortunately, have been defeated. Also, there have been some incidents where a local doctor and nurse faced ridicule and difficult ramifications by holding fast to their convictions.
As the Arizona bishops’ statement reads: “Conscience is at the heart of human dignity and freedom… Behavior that results from a well-formed conscience promotes morality and leads to the pursuit of the common good.”
As the pressure continues to mount, we call upon the community to give deep consideration to the importance of conscience and to resist the challenges to a person’s right to choose based on their moral convictions.
We echo the bishops’ call to commit oneself to this important issue and we urge all to join in. Educate yourself about the issues. Become involved politically in matters of conscience protection. Support your health care providers. Team up with others of goodwill to find a solution.
Most of all, pray — for those who struggle for the ability to freely exercise their rights, and for our public policy makers. Pray especially for the conversion of the hearts and minds of our community.
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JUNE 5, 2008
Cause to commit
There are no two ways about it: Life is filled with commitments.
There are the everyday tasks that we don’t give much thought to, such as going to meetings, getting the oil changed every 3,000 miles or signing a two-year contract with a cell phone provider.
Then there are larger, life-affirming commitments, such as the vows between spouses at the altar, the decision to attend an institution of higher learning or fulfilling our Sunday obligation by going to Mass each weekend.
But today’s generation gets a bad rap at times, thanks to a growing cultural movement that urges us to keep all options on the table for fear of never getting to experience those fabled greener pastures.
This inclination, so it goes, can be witnessed in the number of people who put off marriage till later in age or who have fewer children. (“Children? In this economy?”) Once a four-year right of passage, college is prolonged to five or six years in many cases. (“Declare a major? How can I be expected to know what I’ll want to do with the rest of my life?”)
Has the act of making a commitment, a vow, a pledge or promise become passé? Only if we buy in to the fast-food, disposable mentality of our mainstream culture, which tells us it’s OK to be undisciplined and carefree.
But for thousands of people, the month of May was not only a years-long fulfillment and celebration of commitment, it also marked resolutions anew: More than 1,100 seniors graduated from one of the six local Catholic high schools.
This grand decision to embrace Catholic education — which yielded more than a thousand young men and women who are highly educated and formed in the faith, ready to embark on their adult lives for the betterment of this community and the world at large — is the culmination of the hard work and selfless sacrifice of countless people: the parents, educators and, of course, the students.
Close to 100 percent of students and their families took this multi-year commitment seriously, with most graduating seniors already committed to furthering their education at the next level.
Likewise, Catholics have an incredible opportunity this weekend to witness a lifelong commitment to God take place as José Jesús López, Matt Lowry and Arthur Nave, Jr. are ordained to the priesthood.
After having spent many years discerning their calling to serve God as priests, and even more time in rigorous formation at the seminary, these three men will be utterly transformed during the June 7 ordination Mass. Before hundreds of family and friends, and alongside hundreds of their brother priests, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted will invoke the Holy Spirit to come down upon the three, giving them a sacred character and setting them apart for the priesthood — a lifetime commitment to the Lord.
As faithful Catholics, we need to be forces of good in the community by making and sticking to commitments through purpose, self-giving and discipline. We can work toward fulfilling a long-standing goal of our own (big or small), and we can be of support to others in their commitments — to God, family and their vocations, whether as single, married or as priests and religious. Honoring the commitments we’ve made and helping others to do the same helps us to be faithful followers of Christ.
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MAY 15, 2008
Crisis at home
The people who make up this great nation of ours continue to shine brightly during times of crisis.
Though 2,500 miles away, local Catholics stepped forward with gusto in response to recent American tragedies such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the ruin wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
Half a world away, even, when 225,000 lives were lost to the 2004 Asian tsunami, Catholics opened their hearts, homes and wallets in compassionate response. No doubt a similar response will be forthcoming in response to last week’s devastation in Myanmar, where a horrific cyclone swept over the Southeast Asian country, leaving tens of thousands dead and an estimated one million homeless.
It is the light of Christ in all of us that compels us to help those in need, to illuminate the lives trapped in the shadows of suffering. We’re called as Christians to show our generosity, solidarity and compassion.
As the heat cranks up for another sizzling Arizona summer, we’re again called upon to respond with the light of Christ to another crisis, this one in our own backyard: the deaths and suffering on the U.S. and Mexican border.
The complex nature of the immigration issue continues to divide communities, with much of the discussion fueled by passionate arguments and heated emotions. On a regular basis we continue to witness in the news pro- and anti-immigration demonstrations and so-called sweeps all over the Valley. A well-publicized battle of wills between Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Sheriff Joe Arpaio shows that even community leaders are not immune to the breakdown in discourse, either.
And on the Internet, where we have the ability to instantly communicate, opinionate and commentate (somewhat) anonymously, the immigration debate can reach the boiling point rapidamente, where oftentimes reason and civility give way to excitement and downright nastiness.
At the same time, many people of good will pose challenging and legitimate questions: Why don’t immigrants come here legally? What about keeping the country safe from terrorists? Why is the Church involved in this issue in the first place?
These are not easy questions, but answers may come through education, discussion and prayer.
Here’s the tragic truth that deserves discussion: In 2005, there were 473 deaths along the U.S.-Mexican border, and of these, a staggering 260 occurred in our own Arizona desert. While the deaths used to be primarily among males, women and children comprise an increasing share of the fatalities.
Also consider the countless families who are divided by a line in the sand, and for those already among the millions of undocumented immigrants here in the United States, their lives will continue to exist in the shadows of society — unless comprehensive immigration legislation can be enacted.
As the Arizona bishops acknowledged in their 2005 pastoral letter on migration titled “You Welcomed Me,” there is a legitimate strain on the border communities, hospitals and local authorities. In the letter, they urge Catholics to reflect upon the causes of migration and to become advocates for comprehensive immigration reform, which includes temporary worker programs, just benefits and a path for family reunification, among other changes.
“We believe, however, that it is possible to find common ground among all those affected by this situation, to respond to fears and misunderstandings, and for Arizona to lead the country to a comprehensive and permanent solution to our broken immigration system,” the letter reads.
As we enter into this deadly season, where desert temperatures soar upwards of 115 degrees, we urge all Catholics to look deeper into the immigration issue through study, time in prayer, and reasoned, even-tempered discussion.
It doesn’t seem right to compare one crisis with another; but a life is a life, and as Catholics we must continue to uphold and defend the sanctity of all human life, whether it be unborn, elderly or as in this case, immigrants caught in a struggle for survival.
If we are to be Christ-like, then we must do what we can to make His light shine forth. Even in the already bright Valley of the Sun.
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APRIL 17, 2008
Hope in Christ
In the days leading up to his first pontifical visit to the United States this week, Americans have been fed a steady diet of news, information and commentary relating to Pope Benedict XVI.
The media coverage is truly a blessing for the Church, as it serves as a means of evangelization, a rallying of the troops and a chance for us Americans to learn more about our pope. It also raises some good questions:
What is the significance of the pope’s visit to the United States? How does he view the Catholic Church in America, and vice versa? What is the significance of his meeting with the American bishops, U.N. delegates and President Bush? And just who is Pope Benedict?
These are important questions that reveal, depending on where you get your news from, an equally interesting set of answers and follow-up questions — which is to be expected from an American culture rich in its diversity and perspectives.
Like all papal visits, the pope’s six-day itinerary would make any travel-hardened executive weary:
He arrives on Tuesday afternoon, but his week shifts into high gear Wednesday when he meets with President Bush and the American bishops later in the afternoon.
Thursday he will celebrate Mass at the new Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., followed by gatherings with leaders of Catholic education and various religions.
On Friday the pope will address the United Nations in New York before visiting a synagogue, attending an ecumenical meeting, celebrating Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and meeting with thousands of young people at a seminary.
Sunday finds the pope visiting and praying at Ground Zero, concluding his visit by celebrating Mass at Yankee Stadium.
Whew.
With an itinerary as diverse and comprehensive as his, is it any wonder that we Americans want to know more about our Holy Father and his mission here in the United States?
The short answer to these and other questions can be summed up in three simple but profound words: “Christ our hope,” the overall theme for his U.S. visit.
“I shall come to the United States as pope for the first time to proclaim this great truth: Jesus Christ is hope for men and women of every language, race, culture and social condition,” the pope said in a videotaped message April 8 from the Vatican.
Surely, there will be great debate and viewpoints assigned to what the pope says and does — or doesn’t say or do — during his visit this week. And that’s OK. But the true foundation for his visit rests in the three words, “Christ our hope,” because Christ is the defining moment in human history and gives fullness to people’s lives, the pope said.
He comes to be with us as the successor of St. Peter, the vicar of Christ, just as the beloved John Paul II did: to spread the Gospel message and sow the seeds of faith for today’s Catholics and for future generations.
Pope Benedict comes to show us that in times of rampant secularism, global injustice, war and economic uncertainty, we must continue to put our hope in Christ.
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MARCH 6, 2008
Finding motivation in
‘Religious Landscape’
Nary a decade into this third millennium and already we are humbled by the late Pope John Paul II’s apostolic letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, in which he again summoned Catholics to a new evangelization — a rekindling of the passion to be servants of the Word, to rediscover and reignite within us the fire experienced by the Apostles at Pentecost.
It was only seven years ago when the pope laid before the people of God this challenge to respond more effectively to the demands of an ever-diversifying culture while remaining true to the Gospel and Church tradition.
The pope emphasized that “Christ must be presented to all people with confidence. We shall address adults, families, young people, children, without ever hiding the most radical demands of the Gospel message, but taking into account each person’s needs in regard to their sensitivity and language.”
Fast-forward to today — two weeks after the release of a 148-page study titled “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey” — and we are reminded just how important the late pope’s challenge to us remains.
Conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, released Feb. 25, the study showed that roughly 10 percent of all Americans are former Catholics. Almost half of these former Catholics joined Protestant denominations, while about half do not have a religious affiliation and a small percentage chose other faiths, Catholic News Service reported.
Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, told CNS that he wasn’t surprised by the recent report.
He went on to say that the trend of adult Catholics leaving the Church points to the “lack of a more vigorous engagement” with the Church’s diverse membership. “We can’t sit on our laurels,” he said, stressing the need to promote lay leaders, encourage vocations and also think of creative ways to evangelize and reach out to members.
By the grace of God, the Phoenix Diocese has been anything but sedentary.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, today’s local Church leaders have roots in the community going back decades — many spurred to action through their parish, school or involvement in a ministry. Countless were inspired by the 1987 visit of John Paul II to our state, just as they were by the Phoenix Diocese’s Jubilee Year celebrations at the close of the 20th century, and since then have taken up the late pontiff’s challenge of a new evangelization.
These evangelists have embraced the spirit of our missionary Church and have become pillars of the local community. Some go unsung, bringing Christ to those they encounter in their everyday lives at the local parish level with little fanfare.
Others are able to rally support on a more visible level by using their God-given gifts to bring the Church to the masses through television and the Web with such innovative programs like the new CatholicsComeHome.org or the weekly televised Mass.
And in the coming months, several hundred young local Catholics will be eagerly gearing up for a grand pilgrimage with hundreds of thousands of their peers to Sydney, Australia, where they will experience a two-week journey of faith culminating with a Mass and celebration with Pope Benedict XVI.
Now that sounds like “vigorous engagement” to us.
Of course there’s much to be done, as the Pew Research study clearly indicates. All of us need to take up John Paul II’s challenge of a new evangelization. We need to follow the examples of our Church leaders, those who live the faith seven days a week, to spread with confidence the Gospel and not to shirk our role as evangelists.
“We must revive in ourselves the burning conviction of Paul,” the pope wrote in his apostolic letter, “who cried out: ‘Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel’ (1 Cor 9:16).”
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FEBRUARY 21, 2008
Food for the soul
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that February is Catholic Press Month — the time of year set aside to reflect on the role Catholic-based media plays in the lives of the Church.
And with only a week left in the month, as is typical of this very deadline-oriented profession, we’re thrilled that we made it in just under the wire.
Catholic media, including national and diocesan newspapers, magazines, television channels, radio stations and Web sites, all play critical roles in sharing in the mission of Jesus Christ by providing news, information, education and a forum for discussion.
But for many Catholics, diocesan newspapers such as The Catholic Sun are most likely the only source of Catholic information they receive on a regular basis.
This newspaper, a member of three major newspaper associations and fully accredited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, reaches hundreds of thousands of Catholics twice each month.
In the long, rich tradition of Catholic journalism, the people who make up the Catholic press take their jobs very seriously. In Catholic newsrooms around the globe there is a constant push not only to live up to the professional standards of timeliness, accuracy and balance expected of all good reporters, but also a soulful yearning to delve deeper into life of the Church and to bring the faith to the masses.
At the risk of coming across as self-serving, Catholic newspapers, particularly at the local level, are an important means of evangelization, a source of news and information, and of helping one another stay connected in the community. It is also a key way for the bishop to reach the faithful on a regular basis in sharing the teachings of Christ and his vision for the local Church.
But as part of this living Church, one made up of imperfect beings with all the blessings of potential and frailty, we sometimes are in need of perspective and guidance from you, those whom we seek to serve.
In that spirit, we encourage you to give us your feedback so that we may be a better part of your faith and information lives. What are some of the features you enjoy? What could we use more of and what should be trimmed? What do you like most about The Catholic Sun? Where can we use improvements?
So while we don’t make a big to-do about the month dedicated to the Catholic press, it is nonetheless a good time to take a step back and see how we’re doing in our mission to serve the faithful. We’d love to hear from you.
How are we doing in our mission to serve you?
Send e-mail to: letters@catholicsun.org
Send mail to: P.O. Box 13549, Phoenix, AZ 85002
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FEBRUARY 7, 2008
A mainstream attitude adjustment
To echo a central message from last month’s local pro-life rally, this has been a good year for the culture of life.
Fewer women are having abortions and mainstream American values and attitudes are changing. The youth of our country, many times unfairly maligned as being too distracted from the here and now, are waking up to the fact that many of their would-be peers were never given a chance at life. These young people now seek to effect change.
Life, it seems, is finding a way to thrive in this era of war and terror.
Across the country, tens of thousands of pro-lifers filled city streets in late January to commemorate the 50 million lives lost since Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision central in legalizing abortion.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, 25,000 people of all ages gathered for the fourth Walk for Life West Coast Jan. 19.
In Washington, D.C., Jan. 22, more than 20,000 young people from around the country, including some from Phoenix, filled the Verizon Center sports arena for the annual Rally for Life and Youth Mass, celebrated by Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl.
Locally, several hundred pro-lifers marched on the state Capitol and rallied at Wesley Bolin Memorial Park, where Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted and other right-to-life speakers addressed the gathering of families and supporters.
Rallies calling for the protection of the unborn have been an annual event for longer than the lifetime of many in attendance. It is because of those who march and who are unwilling to be quieted — much to the dismay of those who stand to profit from the abortion-on-demand industry — that the right-to-life cause is on the verge of a sea change.
The annual marches, continued publicity and education efforts of the pro-life community have resulted in a change in attitudes and are responsible for the 62 percent of young adults who disagree with abortion on demand, according to a recent poll by the New York Times, CBS News and MTV. It is because of this changing attitude that the number of abortions in the United States has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 30 years, according to pro-life experts. The number of doctors willing to do abortions is on the decrease, too.
And it is because of the pro-life movement that the first federal restriction of an abortion procedure in 30 years, the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, was signed in 2003 and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last April.
Building momentum
Though January and its rallies have come and gone, it’s vital for Catholics to keep this exciting momentum moving in the right direction.
There are several opportunities to do this between now and next January.
We encourage everyone to check out “40 Days for Life,” an ecumenical, grassroots effort of prayer and fasting which begins this week for the duration of the Lenten season. Organizers of the first “40 Days” program in October state that hundreds of unborn babies were saved, thanks to the prayers and outreach of the community. More information is available on the Web at www.40daysforlife.com/phoenix.
For motorists who like to share their beliefs and opinions through vanity plates, good news came by way of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last week. The Arizona Life Coalition’s “Choose Life” license plate, originally deemed too controversial by the Arizona License Plate Commission, was given the green light after a half decade of legal challenges. When the commission ultimately approves the pro-life license plates, they should go into production soon thereafter. The plate will cost $25, according to the Center for Arizona Policy, with $17 of that amount going to provide resources and services for women facing crisis pregnancies.
Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t urge you to spread the word about these and other upcoming life-affirming activities to friends, family and even the local media. We’re not going to dwell on the fact that the local paper of record didn’t cover this year’s pro-life rally — though we are puzzled that the information organization devoted two stories to a pro-death rally that same week which attracted a mere 50 to 100 people.
But we can and should hope for better things in the coming year, which, as those dedicated to the life movement can attest, takes time to build in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and a culture that’s been labeled as having a short attention span.
Abortion, as Bishop Olmsted and other pro-live leaders argue, is the single most defining issue of our time. Let’s not let history or God in eternity judge us on our failures. Instead, let us be known for our efforts to build a culture of life.
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JANUARY 3, 2008
Gift giving at its best
It is better to give than to receive, so goes the saying most heard during the weeks of Advent leading up to Christmas Day.
But as we raced to get our shopping done in time for Dec. 25, many found the act of giving — in the modern-day, culturally superficial sense — to be a greater struggle this year: fears of an economic recession, the so-called subprime mortgage crisis and the ensuing credit crunch have had a chilling effect on the way many Arizonans think, live and spend money.
Gift giving should never be a burden that threatens one’s present or future economic stability. Nor should debt be accumulated to finance the latest “must have” object of the season. So what’s really needed here is a rethinking of what it means to give. Or, rather, what we as Catholics are called to give of ourselves every day of the year, not just on Christmas morning, which is to recognize the gifts given to us by God and how we’re mandated to share them with the community.
The gift of Jesus’ birth at Christmas “should stimulate us to announce to all people the presence of God among us,” Pope Benedict XVI said at his weekly Sunday blessing Dec. 23.
Pope Benedict called upon the world’s Catholics to realize the profound miracle of God coming into this world as a baby, and to recognize our obligation and great privilege to be evangelists — that is, to live the Gospel message and help others encounter Jesus Christ, the reason not only for the season, but for the entire existence of the Church.
“Whoever has recognized a great truth, who has found a great joy, should transmit it. He cannot in fact keep it to himself. Gifts so large are never destined for just one person,” the pope said at a Dec. 21 meeting with the Roman Curia.
How can we share this great gift? By committing our time and talents to one another, by living in community, and by being Christ to one another.
We encounter this gift of Christ each and every day in the clergy and religious, teachers and catechists, mothers and fathers, Church workers, missionaries and selfless volunteers — everyone, really, who recognizes the importance of seeking the Truth for the good of the community and salvation, in the face of a culture predicated on individualism, skepticism and relativism.
Start the New Year off right by praying and reflecting on what it means to be an evangelist. What does it mean to be Christ to our neighbor? How can we as Catholics recognize and encounter the living Christ within our community? And how can we put behind us the fears and struggles of yesteryear and make 2008 a year full of hope in Christ’s love?
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