St. Joseph Mission in Mayer celebrated its centennial with a Mass on June 7. (Photo courtesy of Carla Foster)
MAYER — Church history that dates back at least 100 years is bound to be a bit sketchy. Catholics in Mayer chose the best date they could to celebrate its centennial.
Arizona had barely been admitted to the Union when, according to some records, Ish Davis of Mayer (near Prescott) donated land for a Catholic church in the town in 1913. Other records indicate the church may have been active as early as 1908. A formal blessing came a decade later.
What parishioners and area residents know for sure is that Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted joined them June 7 for Mass, Adoration and celebrations commemorating the establishment of St. Joseph’s Mission on Highway 69 at least a century ago.
Bishop Olmsted gave thanks for those who first brought the faith to the area and kept it alive all these years. He said it is the presence of God the Father in the Eucharist that allies Catholics from around the world with one another.
“From St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to St. Joseph’s in Mayer we share the same mystery of God’s glory and power” offered to us in the Eucharist, Bishop Olmsted said in his homily.
The Gospel of the day (Mark 14) underscored the depth of Christ’s love for us with the telling of the first Eucharist just prior to Christ’s death on the cross.
“Christ wanted to leave us his presence that is the Eucharist, not just as a historical event, but as an eternal one, outside of time. By becoming human, He emptied himself of his glory…and entered into the brokenness of humans,” Bishop Olmsted said.
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted celebrates the Centennial Mass, joined by other priests at the altar. (Photo courtesy of Carla Foster)
St. Joseph’s Mission began to take shape when Sara Bell, widow of town founder Joseph Mayer, donated $800, and two carpenters from Prescott were hired to build the church. Fr. L. Rousell, its first priest, also established churches in Humboldt and Congress. Bishop Henry Granjon of the Diocese of Tucson — which at the time encompassed the entire state of Arizona — eventually blessed St. Joseph church May 13, 1918.
Weekly Mass in the 1970s saw a scant 40 people in attendance. It was in that era when a Society of St. Vincent de Paul store was established. In 1983, the Society provided $42,000 to the building fund for a new church. A further $10,000 came from the Bishop’s Charity and Development Fund.
Fr. Phillip Reiser, known as the builder priest, oversaw the construction of the new church. The first Mass was at midnight on Christmas 1983. An Adoration Chapel was added in the early 2000s.
Management of the mission has rotated among various parishes and today it is in the care of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Camp Verde with SOLT Fathers Alphonsus Bakyil and Alvin Cayetano providing sacraments.
Sr. Cecilia Schlaefer, CSA, was born into a family of musicians and has spent her 75 years of religious life sharing the joy of music with students, retirees and parishes. At 93, she’s still active serving others. (Joyce Coronel/CATHOLIC SUN)
[dropcap type=”4″]P[/dropcap]ope Francis declared that a Year of Consecrated Life be celebrated throughout the world, a time dedicated to the faithful whose vows of poverty, chastity and obedience serve to illuminate heaven on earth. To help mark this occasion, The Catholic Sun is featuring each month members of religious communities who serve the Diocese of Phoenix.
Sr. Cecilia Schlaefer has been a Sister of St. Agnes for 75 years. At age 93, she is still going strong and serving others in spite of having suffered eight heart attacks earlier in life. She has a doctorate in musical arts and taught music, Latin and English for decades in Catholic grade schools and high schools. She plays trumpet, piano, organ, guitar, violin and many other instruments.
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Religious community: Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
Community charisms: Missionary zeal, serving God’s people with simplicity and love as teachers, nurses and missionaries
Community founding: Aug. 12, 1858
Current role: Teacher, musician, chaplain
When she first heard God’s call: Age 3
Final vows: Aug. 15, 1947
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These days, with the permission of her pastor, she brings Communion to the residents in the retirement community where she lives in Mesa. She’s currently teaching two Bible classes and plays music to entertain residents in eight nursing homes. “Retirement? What’s that mean?” Sr. Cecelia joked with The Catholic Sun.
The Catholic Sun: When did you first realize God was calling you to religious life?
Sr. Cecilia Schlaefer: I was 3 years old. I got to church and then we all went to the front pew. And we sat down and I heard the voice say, “Cecilia, I want you to be My spouse.” I touched [my sister] Mary and I said, ‘Mary, what’s a spouse?’ She said, “Quiet. We don’t talk in church.” She shut me up for the next 18 years. I never told her about it.
I ran home and my mother was ironing and I said, “Mama, what’s a spouse? She said, “Well, Daddy and I are spouses to each other. Why do you ask?” I said,” Jesus asked me to be His spouse.”
Tell us about your service as a religious sister.
I was a teacher and I’ve been to Nicaragua 14 times as a guest musician and started four marching bands down there. Our sisters were assigned there. We have the virtue of obedience. Wherever we were sent, we go. I taught music in every grade plus high school. I love teaching. I love to impart what I know. In three or four of the parishes, I had a grade school and a high school to take care of. I’m used to working hard and I loved every minute of it. The joy comes from Jesus, the presence of God. What’s greater? I talk to Him all day long and He tells me what to do.
What has been the most fulfilling about your life as a Sister of St. Agnes?
I was in union with Jesus all my life and nobody could ever take that away from me. He and I had something going and I knew it and I wouldn’t tell anybody. It’s a spiritual thing.
A churchgoer spends a moment chatting with Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted following the May 31 Transitional Diaconate Ordination Mass at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral. In her column, Joyce Coronel encourages readers to support clergy. (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)
[dropcap type=”4″]W[/dropcap]e sat there in the restaurant, two women who have been friends for more than 30 years, and talked about the nine sons between us. There were times we wondered if we would survive (hello sleep deprivation and teenage shenanigans) or if we’d ever have an uninterrupted conversation again.
Joyce Coronel is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun and author of “A Martyr’s Crown.” Opinions expressed are the writers’ and not necessarily the views of The Catholic Sun or the Diocese of Phoenix.
All nine are men now and tower over us.
One of those boys is studying for the priesthood and my friend shared how her son asked if she still had her wedding gown. Turns out that a new priest’s first vestments are sometimes made with a bit of fabric from mom’s dress.
But what really got me — and I must confess I got choked up as she explained — was the tradition that one of mom’s diamonds are sometimes used to adorn her son’s chalice. Weren’t we just pregnant with these boys?
These days, it’s the rare mother who can discuss her son’s vocation to the priesthood. I was perusing the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate’s website the other day (cara.georgetown.edu) and came across some disquieting numbers that emphasize just how rare.
In 1965, there were more than 58,000 Catholic priests in the United States. Today, that number has dropped to about 38,000.
I bring this up not to depress, but to illustrate something that might not be so evident here in sunny Phoenix. In other parts of the country, they’ve been closing parishes and schools. Out here, thanks be to God, we’re still building them. And in a couple of weeks, the Diocese of Phoenix will welcome a new priest to its fold with the ordination of Dcn. Fernando Camou in a ceremony rich with symbolism and tradition.
During the ordination rite, Dcn. Camou will prostrate himself on the floor of the cathedral during the Litany of the Saints. But why?
It’s a way to show humility before God and the priest’s utter dependence on Him. But it’s also meant to remind us that the new priest will depend on the prayers of the faithful.
Msgr. Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington took to the “Catholic Answers” radio show recently to talk about how important it is to pray for priests. As a young cleric, he said he suffered a crisis.
“I spent a week in the hospital and took a month off. I spent some good years in psychotherapy,” Msgr. Pope said. “I really feel strong these days but it was a journey. It’s clear that Satan attacks priests.”
Priests these days tend to get a lot of complaints and criticism. Appreciation and encouragement? Not so much. At times, they even become the focus of gossip.
So, my fellow Catholics, let’s commit ourselves to building a culture of vocations by supporting our priests, both the new and not so new. Here are some practical steps you can take:
Pray: There’s nothing Satan would enjoy more than to “strike the shepherd and scatter the sheep.” Pray for your priest every day. Offer up your Mass intention for him or pray a decade or more of the Rosary on his behalf.
Thank: Tell him how much you appreciate his homilies or his leadership. Send him a note of encouragement.
Celebrate: Learn the date of his ordination and congratulate him or send a card. Priests are spiritual fathers, so honor them on Father’s Day. Show your love for them on their birthday and at Christmas too.
Get involved: Be active in your parish and support it with your time, treasure and talent. Consider joining the Serra Club.
Think: Priests are human too. At times, they get tired and overwhelmed. They may have been up all night on a sick call or had multiple liturgies.
Across the Catholic world, June is traditionally the month in which we celebrate ordinations. Let’s remember to keep praying for and supporting the priests who baptize our babies, bury our loved ones and consecrate the bread and the wine to bring us the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Animated characters Fear, Joy and Disgust appear in the movie “Inside Out.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. (CNS photo/courtesy Disney-Pixar)
NEW YORK (CNS) — While the tiniest film fans might be put off by the peril in which its characters occasionally find themselves, the splendid comedy “Inside Out” (Disney) offers all others outstanding entertainment founded on strong values.
With this clever story of a hockey-loving 11-year-old girl named Riley (voice of Kaitlyn Dias), the folks at Pixar manage, once again, to make a hat trick — scoring for parents, youngsters and, quite likely, theater operators.
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‘Inside Out’
The film contains a few potentially upsetting incidents and a single mature reference. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents.
The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
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The setup for their unerring slap shot is a familiar story enlivened by an ingenious approach. When happy-go-lucky Riley’s life is disrupted by a career change for her dad (voice of Kyle MacLachlan) that requires her family to relocate from Minnesota to San Francisco, Riley’s personified emotions — principally Joy (voice of Amy Poehler) and Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith) — struggle to help her cope with the resulting crisis.
Despite some predictable tensions — standup comedian Lewis Black has a field day venting as Riley’s Anger — this is anything but the portrait of yet another dysfunctional family. In contrast to so many adults encountered at the cineplex, Riley’s parents (Diane Lane voices her mom) prove to be both caring and wise.
Additionally, glimpses inside Ma and Pa’s heads — paralleling our sustained view of Riley’s psyche — show us the makings of a resilient marriage, even if these are illustrated ironically.
A lesson about sacrificial love is also included in the proceedings via the actions of Riley’s bighearted imaginary friend Bing Bong (voice of Richard Kind). Kind’s evocatively vulnerable performance drives home the poignancy of Bing Bong’s fading relationship with the maturing Riley as well as the stoic forbearance he shows in response to his lessening role.
Aided by such top-notch turns, co-directors Pete Docter (who also had a hand in penning the script) and Ronaldo Del Carmen prove equally deft at tickling viewers and touching them. Along with the hazards mentioned above, only a joke about Riley’s impending encounter with puberty makes their picture suitable for a wide-ranging, rather than universal, audience.
“Inside Out” is preceded by “Lava” an amusing musical short about a romance between volcanoes. Ostensibly based on Hawaiian folklore, its lyrics include a line reflecting non-scriptural faith that will quickly be forgotten as punning humor takes brief center stage.
The Vatican reports on the encyclical letter of the Holy Father Francis on care for our common home. This video montage set to instrumental music features short reflections in a variety of languages.
Pope Francis is shown praying at an Austro-Hungarian cemetery for fallen soldiers of World War I in Fogliano di Redipuglia, northern Italy, Sept. 13, 2014. The pope in his encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” released June 18, said all creation is singing God’s praise but people are silencing it. (Paul Haring/CNS)
A prayer for our earth
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
hat we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The earth, which was created to support life and give praise to God, is crying out with pain because human activity is destroying it, Pope Francis says in his long-awaited encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”
All who believe in God and all people of good will have an obligation to take steps to mitigate climate change, clean the land and the seas, and start treating all of creation — including poor people — with respect and concern, he says in the document released at the Vatican June 18.
A lack of respect for creation is a lack of respect for God who created all that exists, the pope says. In fact, he continues, a person cannot claim to respect nature while supporting abortion, nor can one claim to be pro-life without a commitment to reversing damage to the environment.
With unusually blunt language for a papal document, the pope decries centuries of exploiting the earth, exploiting other people and acting as if the point of human life is to buy and consume as much as possible.
“The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth,” the pope writes in the document.
While acknowledging science is not the Catholic Church’s area of expertise, Pope Francis says “a very solid scientific consensus” points to global warming and indicates “human activity” has seriously contributed to it, threatening the planet and all life on it.
Situating ecology firmly within Catholic Social Teaching, Pope Francis not only insists that wealthier nations — who contributed more to despoiling the earth — must bear more of the costs of remedying the damage, he also calls for their solidarity with the poorest of the earth. He urges generosity in transferring clean technology, protecting small farms, opening access to markets and protecting people’s jobs.
Quoting St. John Paul II and a constant theme of the Church’s social doctrine, Pope Francis says the Church recognizes the “legitimate right” to private property, but that right is never “absolute or inviolable,” since the goods of the earth were created to benefit all.
Regarding pollution and environmental destruction in general, he says it is important to acknowledge “the human origins of the ecological crisis,” and while ecology is not only a religious concern, those who believe in God should be especially passionate on the subject because they profess the divine origin of all creation.
Water is shown gushing from Deer Creek Falls in the Grand Canyon in this 2014 photo. Pope Francis’ long-anticipated encyclical on the environment was released at the Vatican June 18. (Nancy Wiechec/CNS)
Pope Francis singles out for special praise Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who has made environmental theology a key topic of his research and teaching since the early 1990s. Before the encyclical’s release, the pope told a group of priests that he had asked the patriarch to join him for the public presentation of the encyclical, but the patriarch had a scheduling conflict and so sent one of his top theologians, Metropolitan John of Pergamon.
People are fooling themselves, Pope Francis says in the document, if they think “things do not look that serious, and the planet could continue as it is for some time.” Such people in all honesty are giving themselves permission to carry on with their current lifestyles and habits; their attitude is “self-destructive,” he says.
In large sections of the encyclical, Pope Francis’ language is poetic, echoing the tone of St. Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Creatures,” which is the source of the “laudato si’“ (praised be you) in the encyclical’s title. He quotes a large section of the hymn of praise in a section on the place of each creature in the harmony of creation. The canticle is most famous for its references to “Brother Sun,” “Sister Moon” and “our sister, Mother Earth.”
But, the pope says, “sister earth” is crying out, “pleading that we take another course” marked by healing and protecting the earth and all its inhabitants.
While Christians cannot “put all living beings on the same level nor … deprive human beings of their unique worth and the tremendous responsibility it entails,” St. Francis’ hymn expresses the truth that God is creator of all things, that every part of creation speaks of God’s love and power and that every created being is part of an interdependent whole, the pope writes.
“Everything is related,” the pope says, “and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth.”
In the document, Pope Francis calls on national governments and the leaders of international institutions to be serious and courageous in adopting strict measures to slow and reverse global warming, protect the rain forests and ensure the availability of clean water for all. Courage will be needed, he says, to adopt policies that initially may slow the pace of economic growth, but which will be farsighted in ensuring a future for their voters, their voters’ grandchildren and all humanity.
“We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels — especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas — needs to be progressively replaced without delay,” he says.
Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties?
— Laudato Si’ 120
But he also calls on every Catholic and all people of good will to do their part by, for example, using only non-polluting detergents, recycling paper, using public transportation and putting on a sweater instead of raising the heat in the winter.
And he urges Catholics to return to the practice of saying grace before meals, a habit that reminds them regularly that the food they are about to eat is a gift that comes from the earth and from God.
At the end of the document, Pope Francis offers two prayers he composed himself: “A Prayer for Our Earth” and “A Christian Prayer in Union with Creation.”
The first prayer includes asking God to “bring healing to our lives that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.”
The second prayer includes the petition, “O Lord, seize us with your power and light, help us to protect all life, to prepare for a better future, for the coming of your kingdom of justice, peace, love and beauty.”
In the encyclical, Pope Francis urges Catholics to cultivate simplicity; it is good for the soul and for the planet, he says. “A constant flood of new consumer goods can baffle the heart and prevent us from cherishing each thing and each moment,” the pope writes.
The encyclical presents the vision of an “integral ecology” that highlights not only the interconnectedness of all created life, but recognizes how political, economic, social and religious values and decisions are interrelated and impact the way people live with one another on the planet and use its resources.
“A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings,” Pope Francis insists.
For example, he says, “it is clearly inconsistent to combat trafficking in endangered species while remaining completely indifferent to human trafficking, unconcerned about the poor, or undertaking to destroy another human being deemed unwanted.”
“Everything is connected,” the pope writes. “Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society.”
A sign greets visitors to the meditation garden at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Ariz., in this October 2014 photo. Pope Francis’ long-anticipated encyclical on the environment was released at the Vatican June 18. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Long before Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for creation was released, it was providing a boost for a group of women struggling to keep the negative influences of modern-day life from erasing valued Mexican traditions and treasured cultural practices along the Mexico-Texas border.
The dozens of members of El Paso, Texas-based La Mujer Obrera (Women Workers) see the document as a validation of their efforts, according to Lorena Andrade, the organization’s director.
“Everybody talks about progress,” Andrade told Catholic News Service. “Their (mainstream culture) definition of progress is not how we define it on the border, but in how we as women live it.”
From farming practices to how children are raised, members of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development-funded organization have rooted themselves in the earth, she explained.
“When we are working on the land, it’s not about how much we produce to sell. While that’s important, it’s more what is our connection to the land and what our practices are bringing to the land. It’s Mother Earth and us fighting for our survival.”
Andrade said the women with whom she works hope Pope Francis’ call for simpler lifestyles, practices that protect creation, less consumption and greater respect for diversity will legitimize what La Mujer Obrera has been doing since it was established in response to the lost jobs that the North American Free Trade Agreement brought to El Paso more than two decades ago.
“It almost feels like we can use that document to organize the women, but also to be able to clarify our arguments about the way we live,” Andrade said. “It helps with some of the answers to our questions. Our life is about questions. We don’t have a lot of answers. As women, we want the space to figure that out collectively.”
Elsewhere, the encyclical, titled “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” was held up as an important work to help understand the theological basis and a presenting a moral imperative for protecting the earth and its inhabitants — human, plants and animals.
Marlinda Gonzales adds a small portion of her lunch to a communal bowl before her meal at the Kawaika Senior Center in Laguna Pueblo, N.M., in this 2014 file photo. The practice is one way Pueblo people give thanks for the food that sustains them. Pope Francis’ long-anticipated encyclical on the environment was released at the Vatican June 18. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)
Observers held up various points Pope Francis makes in the encyclical, especially the importance of remembering the lives of poor people around the world and how they are affected not just by climate change, the effect of economic decisions on the environment, the wasteful use of earth’s resources and the growing rift between people with access to technology and those without.
“This is a huge moment for the Catholic community and for the world,” said Dan Misleh, executive director of the Catholic Climate Covenant. “It’s not that the pope has decided to release this just to the Catholic bishops or the Catholic community, but as he has said the intended audience is everyone.”
Patrick Carolan, executive director of the Franciscan Action Network, agreed, saying the encyclical calls “people around the world … to really look carefully at our lifestyle.”
“He makes the connection between our lifestyle and the destruction of the environment,” Carolan said.
In response, the Franciscan Action Network is taking several actions itself including a meatless Friday campaign in line with the long-standing Catholic practice of abstaining from meat one day a week. Carolan said that in addition to being a way to come closer to God, cutting back on meat consumption will ease stress on the environment because of the massive amount of energy used and waste generated through meat production.
Paula Garcia, executive director of New Mexico Acequia Association, said the pope’s concerns about water parallel those of residents in the northern part of the state. Under its mission statement, the association believes “water is life” and has achieved major policy changes locally and statewide to protect rural and agricultural water rights.
“It’s such an affirmation to see that our pope is taking leadership responsibility and making statement publicly about the need for us to address (climate change) and protect creation,” said Garcia, who also is in her second term as a county commissioner in Mora County, northeast of Santa Fe.
“Having the encyclical coming out at this time is really critical. Not just politics at the global level, but it’s important for people who go to church every Sunday. It brings a lot of these social justice and environmental justice issues into mainstream conversations,” she said.
Jay Richards, assistant research professor of business at The Catholic University of America, said he wanted to explore the pope’s words as they relate to the relationship of humans to the environment as much as their ties to church and society.
Anticipating that the pope would “come down strongly that humans are responsible for global warming,” Richards said he expects that part of the encyclical will get much of the attention with some comments being taken out of context while the pope’s moral perspectives and the theological basis for his concerns will be widely missed.
Christian Brother Charles Hilken, director of the Bishop John S. Cummins Institute for Catholic Thought, Culture and Action at St. Mary’s College of California, believes the encyclical is a “call to action” to individuals as well as elected officials and economic powers.
“(It is) written with a sense of urgency and also reserve (about the science of climate change),” he said.
At the same time, Brother Hilken expects the pope to be patient and open to dialogue as the encyclical is studied and analyzed.
Sr. Paula Gonzalez, a Sister of Charity in Cincinnati, a longtime environmentalist who is known as the “solar nun” for her support for the development of alternative energy systems, told Catholic News Service the pope’s message “is going to thrust the question of planetary realities through the church.”
Noting that the timing of the document falls three months before Pope Francis’ planned visit to the United States and five months before U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris, she called his document “a gift.”
“People of every faith and not faith are waiting to see what he has to say,” she said. “Everybody in their gut knows we have gotten way too greedy, way too spoiled. We have become addicts of fossil fuels and addiction is a terrible situation.”
In Minnesota, the members of the Hmong American Farmers Association were looking forward to learning more about the encyclical’s references to climate change because their livelihoods can be affected by changing weather patterns.
Pakou Hang, the association’s executive director, told CNS that members of the group were enthusiastic that their practices — diverse crops, smaller acreage, successive harvesting, sustainable practices that preserve topsoil — would be among the kind supported by the pope.
“It will give us more evidence that farming on a smaller scale with diverse crops … is actually good for the environment,” she said.
— By Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service. Contributing to this report was Daniel O’Shea in Washington.
[dropcap type=”4″]A[/dropcap] few months ago I wrote a column about how Catholics had a duty to defend our Muslim brothers and sisters, those that mean us no harm, as they brave the slings and arrows of those that wish to take out their anger for terrorists on them. I had no idea the fight would come so close to home so soon.
Chris Benguhe is a columnist for The Catholic Sun. Opinions expressed are the writers’ and not necessarily the views of The Catholic Sun or the Diocese of Phoenix.
Last month a former Marine set out to defend America’s right to insult another’s religion by hosting a “Draw the Prophet Muhammad” event in front of a local Phoenix mosque. He even went so far as to invite protesters to bring their guns to the event.
But here’s the good news. Thank God, and I do mean that, no one was harmed. That might be because of the strong showing of support by Arizona’s tolerant religious community who showed up in droves holding signs reading “Love not Hate.” These counter protesters wearing blue to signify peace lined the side of the street closest to the mosque.
And it’s that same spirit I wish to appeal to here when I implore you not to be taken in by the evil ways of conflict-motivated media, who try to create tension and dissent between Americans for the sake of ratings. Let me explain.
Some wonder if it is it really necessary to stoke the fire of terrorist hate by spewing hate in return, in the form of mocking Muhammad? Those who have wondered this have been shot down by ideological pundits who claim we not only have the right to say whatever we want in this country, regardless of how hurtful and offensive it is to another’s religion, but that we have some moral duty to actually do it.
Well think about what that would mean if taken to its ideological extreme. Imagine for a moment if every single one of us woke up tomorrow and decided to go out and approach every single person we disliked, or disrespected or didn’t agree with, got in their face, and in the most offensive way possible told them what we thought of them.
The reason why that doesn’t happen in America, and why America has lasted and prospered as long as it has, is because we are not just a nation of laws, but we are also a nation of love! We show that love in a million different ways. With our huge and charitable hearts we show it by giving billions to the unfortunate without the government asking us to. We show it by taking care of our families, our neighbors and our communities without the government ordering us to. And we show it by living respectfully alongside different cultures, races, ideas and perspectives.
This is a nation of freedom, and with freedom comes tremendous rights and responsibilities to to make it a better place.
I can think of no better group in America to lead the way than the close to 80 million Catholics who are willing and ready to heed Pope Francis’ message to “take care of one another.”
This July 25, 2014, photo shows Lake Mead in Nevada, which currently has a water level of 38 percent, its lowest mark since the 1930s. A new Pew survey shows 68 percent of the U.S. population believe the earth is warming, with 71 percent of Catholics sharing that belief. (CNS photo/Jim Lo Scalzo, EPA)
WASHINGTON (CNS) — In a new Pew Research Center survey conducted prior to the release of Pope Francis’ encyclical focusing on the environment, U.S. Catholics were asked their views both on global warming and the pope himself.
Out of the overall U.S. population, 68 percent said they believe the earth is warming, with 71 percent of U.S. Catholics sharing that belief, according to results released June 16, two days before the release of the pope’s encyclical on the environment, titled “Laudato Si’: On the Care of Our Common Home.”
Global warming is an issue that is highly politicized in the United States, and the Pew survey showed that Catholics in the country are not exempt from that polarization, with respondents sharply divided along party lines on the issue.
“Among the U.S. public as a whole, belief that global warming is occurring is nearly twice as common among Democrats as Republicans (86 percent vs. 45 percent),” Pew said in a report on poll results. That divide was slightly smaller among Catholics, with 85 percent of Catholic Democrats expressing belief in global warming and 51 percent of Catholic Republicans expressing the same.
“The view that global warming is caused by human activity is roughly three times as common among Democrats as among members of the GOP (64 percent vs. 22 percent), as is the view that it represents a very serious problem (67 percent vs. 21 percent),” it said.
Continuing along the politicized divide, 62 percent of Catholic Democrats said they believe global warming is caused by human activity, something only 24 percent of Catholic Republicans said they agreed with.
Also when asked if they believe global warming is “a very serious problem,” 24 percent of Catholic Republicans said that it is, yet 64 percent of Catholic Democrats felt this is the case.
“Similarly, Hispanic Catholics are significantly more likely than white Catholics:
to say they believe (the) earth is getting warmer (82 percent of Hispanic Catholics vs. 64 percent of white Catholics)
to say it is mostly due to human activity (60 percent vs. 39 percent)
to say global warming is a very serious problem (63 percent vs. 39 percent). These differences closely match those found between whites and Hispanics in the overall population.”
Looking at the public as a whole, more people in this Pew poll were found to believe that global warming represents a serious problem than thought that in a 2013 poll. Meanwhile, the percent of people that believe global warming is happening and is caused by human actions has remained steady between 2013 and the present.
The poll data also make clear that “political party identification and race and ethnicity are far more closely linked with views on global warming than religious affiliation.”
Though global warming remains a divisive issue, Catholics across the United States were significantly less divided with regard to Pope Francis.
In fact, both Catholic Republicans and Catholic Democrats were “about equally likely to express positive views of the pope,” according the poll data.
Eighty-six percent of U.S. Catholics who responded to the poll expressed a favorable view of Pope Francis, down from 90 percent in a Pew Research Center poll done earlier in the year.
Despite the small decrease in his favorability rating, Pope Francis remains consistently in higher regard than his immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, and close to the very high favorability of St. Pope John II during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
However, Pope Francis’ strong favorability among U.S. Catholics is not something entirely shared with the rest of the country.
Among U.S. adults overall, 64 percent expressed a favorable view of Pope Francis, 27 percent felt they could not rate the pope at all and only 10 percent expressed an unfavorable view of him.
When U.S. Catholics were asked if certain words or phrases accurately described Pope Francis, 9 out of 10 felt that the terms “compassionate,” “humble” and “open-minded” described him.
Relatively few attributed negative traits to the pope. Only 19 percent say Pope Francis is “too liberal,” with those who described themselves as conservative more inclined to call him such. Another 15 percent said he is “naive” and 11 percent said he is “out of touch.”
“Hispanic Catholics are twice as likely as white Catholics to say Pope Francis is ‘out of touch’ (17 percent vs. 8 percent),” the poll showed. However while some attributed negative terms to the pope, less than 1 percent of Catholics use only negative terms when describing him.
While Pope Francis gets generally high marks from U.S. Catholics, there were some that viewed him more highly than others. Women in particular hold Pope Francis in high regard because of his handling of issues, with a higher percentage than men viewing his actions favorably.
Of Catholic men, 82 percent view him favorably, but with women his net favorability jumped to 90 percent of respondents. In particular, women said they believe the pope is doing a “good” or “excellent” job in “spreading the Catholic faith” (89 percent of women compared to 78 percent of men) and in “addressing the needs of the poor” (84 percent to 74 percent of men).
The other biggest divide was seen in the views of regular Massgoers and those of respondents who said they rarely or never attend Mass. Overall, 90 percent of those who attend Mass regularly viewed the pope favorably, while those who rarely or never attend had a 77 percent net favorability of the pope.
As the release of his encyclical approached, the pope received below average marks on his job addressing environmental issues. Just 53 percent of U.S. Catholics viewed his job on the environment as favorable and only 18 percent said he was doing an excellent job on the issue.
Some speculated that once Catholics have a chance to read the pope’s “Laudato Si'” encyclical, the document might be able to bridge the divide on global warming and perhaps prompt a change of heart among Catholics who can’t even agree it is a problem that needs to be addressed.
The Pew survey was conducted between May 5 and June 7, on landlines and cellphones among a national sample of 5,122 adults, including 1,016 self-identified Catholics.” The margin of error for the general public sample is plus or minus 1.6 percentage points and for the Catholic group plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
[dropcap type=”4″]W[/dropcap]hen I went back to Texas for the Easter break, my family and I attended our parish for Holy Thursday Mass. Afterward, our pastor wanted to give everyone a chance to go to confession before the Easter Vigil.
Tony Gutiérrez is editor of The Catholic Sun.
You have to understand that St. John Paul II in Denton is a university parish, and when we were students, it was the campus ministry where my wife and I met. Mass is still celebrated in a university-owned non-denominational chapel, while the campus ministry building, which currently serves as the parish, is literally a shack off the side of the campus.
We processed from this on-campus chapel to the shack, a good eight blocks, and Fr. Kyle went into his upstairs office/confessional, and we all stood outside waiting to confess our sins. A Holy Thursday liturgy typically ends late, so confessions didn’t start until 9 p.m. I was able to go at about 10, and there were close to three times as many people behind me than in front of me.
He later told me that he was hearing confessions for about five hours. This dedication to his people is intense, but so is, I’m sure, the dedication of so many priests here in Phoenix, and elsewhere.
I also used to work with a Sister of St. Mary of Namur. Sr. Yolanda was so sweet, I was actually worried I’d get diabetes just by being in her presence. Of course she’d always want to see pictures of my daughter when I saw her in the hallway, but she also made sure to always faithfully keep me in her prayers. For five years, every request I sent to her, she always brought it back to her community and they prayed for whatever it was that needed praying for.
While both of these examples are back in Texas, this just goes to show the universality of a vocation. Right here in the Diocese of Phoenix we have priests, deacons, brothers, sisters and consecrated lay people who are faithfully serving the Church — and that includes us as the Body of Christ.
We all have stories — what’s yours?
I wanted this month’s edition of the Sun to focus on vocations, because every one of you, I’m sure has a similar story you can share about someone who is living this vocation. With three young men being ordained deacons, one young woman entering religious life, and another young man who will be ordained to the priesthood at the end of this month, it seemed appropriate to honor them.
In Exodus 17, we see the Israelites are in battle — when Moses’ hands are raised, they’re winning, and when his hands are down, they’re losing. So it is with our spiritual leaders — as long as they have their hands raised, they are providing us with the sacraments, challenging us to live faithfully, praying for us — we can win the spiritual battles of our lives. But what happens when their hands fall?
“Moses’ hands, however grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset” (Exodus 17:12).
They can’t support us unless we are raising their hands — we support them in their vocations, pray for them (I can’t imagine the spiritual battles Fr. Kyle faced during that marathon Reconciliation service), recognize their humanity, and encourage vocations among our own families.
Next time you see a priest, deacon, brother or sister, thank them for raising their hands during your battle, and maybe offer to support their hands, too.
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Share your story
How has a priest or religious made a difference in your life? Let us know in the comments box! Selected stories will be shared in an upcoming edition of The Catholic Sun.
