Colder temperatures crank homeless outreach up a notch

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Dec 15, 2015

CC-FLAGSTAFF2 — Two individuals remain in this campsite while awaiting housing placement. Catholic Charities Community Services, as part of its regular outreach to the homeless, provided a two-night hotel stay when weather worsened, plus shelter referral. (courtesy photo)

Two individuals remain in this campsite while awaiting housing placement. Catholic Charities Community Services, as part of its regular outreach to the homeless, provided a two-night hotel stay when weather worsened, plus shelter referral. (courtesy photo)

The weather forecasters aren’t the only ones keeping a careful watch on overnight temperatures this time of year.

Staff and volunteers with local Catholic outreaches in three metro areas of the Phoenix Diocese do too. There’s an inverse relationship between the overnight lows and their workload.

In Prescott, any time the temperature is 25 degrees or less during the winter months — roughly October to April — there are two inches of snow on the ground or there is a lot of rainfall, the faithful execute Operation Deep Freeze. It’s a cooperative effort through the Quad City Interfaith Council that uses church volunteers and available space at the local Salvation Army to feed and shelter homeless guests overnight. Sacred Heart Parish is among its members.

It’s one of the parish efforts that Sr. Anne Fitzsimons, IBVM, rarely has trouble recruiting volunteers. A simple bulletin notice gets her phone ringing in the parish’s Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation ministry office.

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Support winter outreach to the homeless:

➤ catholiccharitiesaz.org or (928) 774-9125, ext. 53049 to support emergency shelter for two-parent/single father homeless families, a drop-in center and street outreach

➤ sacredheartprescott.com to join an interfaith Operation Deep Freeze effort through April

➤ stvincentdepaul.net or (602) 261-6886 to volunteer or donate funds that provide sleeping mats, sheets and indoor warmth nightly

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“They respond because it’s a very worthwhile opportunity to do actual hands-on help for people who are homeless,” Sr. Anne said.

Each church remains on call for a week at a time during the winter months. Organizers eye weather patterns and decide by 2 p.m. any given day whether to open the local on-call church for overnight guests. Word spreads at the library, a local day shelter and the Salvation Army.

Up to 30 men at a time respond to the invitation for overnight lodging. Prescott Area Shelter Services cares for the women and children without a home and a local Baptist church offers shelter for others.

“This last month or so, it’s been very, very cold,” Sr. Anne said in early December.

She expected to mobilize parish volunteers the first two nights of the parish’s “on-call” duty Dec. 6-12. The parish will again be on call Jan. 17-23, 2016. Sacred Heart once stood ready to temporarily house the homeless the entire month of January when Operation Deep Freeze was a smaller affair. The parish has been involved since 2006.

Volunteers provide pre-cooked entrees and side dishes or bring food to prepare in a certified kitchen. They later set up cots and blankets and have a chance to mingle with the guests. They try to offer a little something for breakfast too.

“There’s so much more work that needs to be done, but at least we can help with the charity part,” Sr. Anne said. “The justice part is a little more difficult. We’re working on it.”

Phoenix

A similar situation is going on further south, just blocks from the state capitol. St. Vincent de Paul and the Lodestar Day Resource Center on the Human Services Campus will shelter at least 500 people from the cold through February.

All guests get a sleeping mat and sheet, but both are wearing out from constant use. Some guests camp outside with women and the most vulnerable inside. When it’s 40 degrees or below, or a wind chill makes it feel as such, everyone gets to come inside.

“These are beautiful men and women, beautiful souls. Something’s gone wrong in their lives. Depression sets in,” said Jerry Castro, dining room manager.

Rapid re-housing vouchers have helped 100 guests in recent months, but he said there’s an array of reasons landlords and property managers don’t see them as viable candidates.

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St. Vincent de Paul staff and volunteers love them enough to transform the facility’s dining room into a large cabin of sorts by folding and moving 26 tables nightly and nearly 240 chairs plus centerpieces. It’s set up again to serve breakfast the next morning when 600-700 guests file in for breakfast.

Flagstaff

Some people experiencing homelessness bear the winter elements. Catholic Charities Community Services staff and volunteers actively search the streets, under bridges and in piles of snow to help. Some face seriously mental illness and aren’t ready for treatment or traditional housing, so Catholic Charities offers tents, tarps, coats, snacks and other life-sustaining items.

The agency recently put a call out for such donations. They’ll be given to the homeless in areas around Cottonwood and Flagstaff.

“With our winter conditions, not everyone is able to reach the shelters,” said Sandi Flores, Flagstaff site director for Catholic Charities. She noted that the snow sometimes comes quicker than those who are homeless realize and it’s safer to stay put than trek out to a bus line toward a brick-and-mortar shelter.

“When the weather’s good, we scour the areas so when the [bad] weather comes, we know where people most recently were,” Flores said.

Catholic Charities found some people during the last snowstorm and offered two nights at a hotel plus referral information to local shelters. Flores said they’re still camping and awaiting housing placement, but will seek traditional shelter when weather becomes critical.

No one reached a man in time earlier this month. The body of a transient man was found in a vacant lot, with cold weather a likely factor in his death, the Verde Independent reported Dec. 1.

“Catholic social teaching tells us to respect the dignity of each individual,” Flores said. She sees her work as an extension of that.

From Quebec to Sao Paulo, church doors help open Year of Mercy

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Catholic News Service

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Dec 15, 2015

BRAZIL HOLY DOORS — People wait for Sao Paulo Cardinal Odilo Scherer to open the Door of Mercy Dec. 13 at the city's cathedral for the Jubilee of Mercy. (CNS photo/Luciney Martins, courtesy O Sao Paulo)

Cardinal Gerald Lacroix of Quebec kneels in prayer in the Holy Door frame prior to a Dec. 12 Mass for the opening of the door in Notre-Dame Cathedral. (CNS photo/Daniel Abel)

QUEBEC CITY (CNS) — North America’s only Holy Door was reopened at Notre-Dame Cathedral for the Jubilee of Mercy, with Cardinal Gerald Lacroix calling it “a sensible and tangible sign of our God’s open heart, from which springs and flows the wide river of mercy.”

“May all those who will walk through this door during the Jubilee of Mercy, whether they are faithful or far from the faith, experience an encounter that will allow them to let themselves be loved by a God that only desires their happiness,” the cardinal told hundreds of people at the cathedral Dec. 12.

The cardinal celebrated Mass for a packed cathedral that included Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, whose bodyguards were discreetly placed all around the church.

Across the Americas and around the world, Doors of Mercy were opened Dec. 12-13, just days after Pope Francis officially opened the Holy Year of Mercy at the Vatican. For the Holy Year, Pope Francis allowed each bishop of the world to declare the doors of major churches and sanctuaries a “Door of Mercy.”

In Sao Paulo, hundreds stood outside the cathedral Dec. 13 to see Cardinal Odilo Scherer open the Door of Mercy and usher in the Year of Mercy. The cathedral was one of six Sao Paulo churches that had doors of mercy opened that day.

Maria Aparecida de Jesus, 73, sat on the steps of cathedral in the 80-degree heat, waiting for the moment when she would be able to walk through the Door of Mercy.

“I am very happy to see this day,” she told Catholic News Service. “God knows we need to be forgiven for all the pain and suffering we have been causing each other this year, with all the wars and bombs.”

She said the opening of the Door of Mercy was a sign Pope Francis wants to reach all Catholics.

“I am poor and will never have the opportunity to go outside Brazil, much less to the Vatican to walk through the doors,” she said, “but Pope Francis gave me a gift, and let the ‘doors’ come to me.”

Alessandra Paiva Cerf also waited for the procession and the opening of the doors. She came with her two children, her husband, mother and mother-in-law.

People walk through the Door of Mercy Dec. 13 at the Sao Paulo Cathedral for the Jubilee of Mercy. (CNS photo/Luciney Martins, courtesy O Sao Paulo)

“It is a family outing,” she said, adding that she tries to teach her children “God welcomes us despite our sins.” Cerf’s daughter, Samara, 11, said her parents have explained to her about the Year of Mercy and that she felt blessed to be watching the procession.

“At times like these, with all the violence, the doors need to be opened everywhere,” Cerf said.

Cardinal Scherer told parishioners who filled the cathedral, “God is a loving and compassionate Father.”

He said Catholics must take the time this year to seek the hand of God and go toward him.

“This is a year of joy, a year where Catholics seek to include in their daily lives the presence of God, always,” Cardinal Scherer told Catholic News Service after the ceremony.

In Quebec, Cardinal Lacroix said in his homily that the Gospel expresses people’s “desire to live in joy, this aspiration for peace and serenity that manifest the deepest part of our being need to be converted. This is why we need to contemplate the mystery of mercy.”

“Throughout this Holy Year, let us open our eyes to see the suffering of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters, (and to) listen to the cries of victims of violence and war,” he said.

At the end of the celebration, Cardinal Lacroix explained that he would be exiting the cathedral through the Holy Door, which is usually not allowed. This was meant as a symbol to tell Christians to go speak of God’s mercy to the world.

Hundreds of people lined up outside in the cold Quebec City night to be the first ones to go through the door.

The atmosphere was festive. A group of Filipinos from Toronto was chatting cheerfully as they made their way to the Holy Door. When asked what motivated 52 people to come by bus from Toronto to Quebec City, an eight-hour ride, specifically for the opening of the Holy Door, Marie Soriano, the group’s organizer, simply answered “because of our faith.”

Contributing to this story were Philippe Vaillancourt of Presence info in Quebec and Lise Alves in Sao Paulo.

Time for forgiveness has begun, pope says as holy doors open worldwide

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Catholic News Service

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Dec 14, 2015

HOLY DOOR ST. JOHN LATERAN — Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome Dec. 13. Holy doors around the world were opened at city cathedrals, major churches and sanctuaries Dec. 13 as part of the Jubilee of Mercy. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) See POPE-HOLY-DOOR-LATERAN Dec. 13, 2015.

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome Dec. 13. Holy doors around the world were opened at city cathedrals, major churches and sanctuaries Dec. 13 as part of the Jubilee of Mercy. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With the opening the Holy Door at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Pope Francis declared that the time for tenderness, joy and forgiveness had begun.

As holy doors around the world were opened at city cathedrals, major churches and sanctuaries Dec. 13, the pope said this simple gesture of opening God’s house to the world serves as “an invitation to joy. The time of great pardon begins. It is the Jubilee of Mercy.”

Dressed in rose vestments on Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, marking the joyful expectation of Christmas, the pope began the ceremony outside the basilica in front of the bronze holy door. The door depicts a bas relief of the crucified Christ looking down on Mary tenderly holding the baby Jesus, whose small foot shone like bright gold from the countless kisses and touches of visiting pilgrims.

“This is the door of the Lord. Open for me the gates of justice. I will enter your house, Lord, because of your great mercy,” the pope read solemnly before climbing two marble steps and pushing open the large door. He crossed the threshold decorated with a garland of flowers and greenery and bowed his head in silent prayer inside the darkened interior of the basilica.

The church and the people of God are called to be joyful, the pope said in his brief homily.

With Christmas approaching, “we cannot allow ourselves to become tired, no form of sadness is allowed even if we have reason for it with the many worries and multiple forms of violence that wound our humanity,” he said.

Amid the bullying, injustice and violence wrought, “above all, by men of power, God makes it known that he himself will rule his people, that he will never leave them at the mercy of the arrogance of their leaders and that he will free them of all anguish,” the pope said.

People today are called to listen to the words of the prophet Zephaniah in the day’s first reading, as he told God’s people not to be afraid or discouraged “because of doubt, impatience or suffering.”

God always protects his people, he is always near, the pope said, and that is why “we must always be joyful and with our kindness offer everyone witness of the closeness and care God has for everyone.”

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The Holy Year of Mercy is meant to be a time for people to rediscover God’s real presence in the world and his tenderness, he said.

“God does not love rigidity. He is father. He is gentle. He does everything with fatherly tenderness.”

Pope Francis open the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome Dec. 13. Holy doors around the world were opened at city cathedrals, major churches and sanctuaries Dec. 13 as part of the Jubilee of Mercy. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

As Christians are called to cross the threshold of “the door of mercy,” they are asked to welcome and experience God’s love, which “re-creates, transforms and reforms life.”

From there, people of faith must then go out and be “instruments of mercy, aware that we will be judged by this,” the pope said. Being a Christian calls for a lifelong journey and a “more radical commitment” to be merciful like God the father, he added.

Christians are asked to be joyful as they open their arms to others and give witness to “a love that goes beyond justice, a love that knows no limits. This is the love we are responsible for despite our contradictions,” and weaknesses, he said.

Later in the day, the pope appeared at the window of the apostolic palace to recite the noonday Angelus with visitors in St. Peter’s Square.

He focused on the day’s Gospel reading according to St. Luke, in which people in the crowd, including tax collectors and soldiers, asked St. John the Baptist “What should we do?” in order to convert and become acceptable for the coming of the Lord.

St. John does not leave them waiting for an answer, the pope said, and replies with concrete instructions: to live justly, in moderation and in solidarity toward those most in need. “They are the essential values of a life that is fully human and authentically Christian,” the pope said.

The saint said to share food and clothing, do not falsely accuse others, do not practice extortion and do not collect more than the tax prescribes, which means, the pope said, “no bribes. It’s clear.”

By addressing people who held various forms of power, the prophet showed that God excludes no one from being asked to follow a path of conversion in order to be saved, not even the tax collectors, who were considered among the worst of all sinners.

God “is anxious to be merciful toward everyone and welcome everyone in the tender embrace of reconciliation and forgiveness.”

Advent is a time of conversion and joy, he said. But today, in a world that is “assailed by so many problems, the future weighed down by the unknown and fears,” he said, people really need courage and faith to be joyful.

In fact, life lived with Christ brings the gift of solid and unshakable joy because it is rooted in knowing “the Lord is near” always.

The same morning, U.S. Cardinal James M. Harvey, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, opened that basilica’s holy door.

Pope Francis was scheduled to open the fourth and last holy door in Rome at the Basilica of St. Mary Major Jan. 1, the feast of Mary, Mother of God.

‘Honor Your Mother’ a colorful, vibrant celebration of Virgin of Guadalupe

By

Joyce Coronel

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Dec 11, 2015

2015 Honor Your Mother Celebration — Karen Lopez poses on her float during the Honor Your Mother celebration parade and mass in Downtown Phoenix Dec. 5 (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)

Karen Lopez poses on her float during the Honor Your Mother celebration parade and mass in Downtown Phoenix Dec. 5 (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)

The streets of downtown Phoenix were transformed Dec. 5 as thousands demonstrated their love and devotion for Our Lady of Guadalupe. Dressed in brightly colored native attire and feathered headdresses bedecked with jewels and beads, parade participants lined up along Jefferson Street near Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.

The 10th annual ‘Honor Your Mother’ extravaganza celebrating the patroness of the Diocese of Phoenix was underway. Colorful floats that featured images of the Virgin of Guadalupe and traditional matachine dancers delighted the crowd that stood along Monroe, just in front of St. Mary’s Basilica. Shouts of “Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!” echoed as onlookers held babies aloft and snapped pictures and videos with their cell phones.
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Photos from Honor Your Mother

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Standing on a raised platform opposite the diocesan gardens adjacent to the basilica, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted and Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo A. Nevares of the Diocese of Phoenix smiled and offered their blessings to the dancers who spun, swirled and beat drums as they passed before the stage. One group included a smattering of tuba, trombone and trumpet players. Others wore splashy, multi-colored masks as they danced their way down Monroe, some burning incense.

More than 70 parishes and organizations took part in the joyous celebration. It was a bold celebration of the simple Virgin whose appearances to St. Juan Diego nearly 500 years ago led to mass conversions in a land where ritual human sacrifice was the order of the day.

The annual the Honor Your Mother celebration parade and mass in Downtown Phoenix Dec. 5. (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)

“She converted them,” said Ignacio Rodriguez, associate director of the Office of Ethnic Ministries for the diocese. “We need her today more than ever. It’s great that you see old people here, you see young children here, just everybody really finding a way to say yes.”

Rodriguez agreed that the event was a bold demonstration of affection for the Virgin Mary. “I think that’s how she came into the world. She appeared boldly — even though she was very humble in her appearance — but what she brought was a very bold message.”

Tomasa Nava, one of the matachines from Queen of Peace Parish in Mesa, fell to her knees on the pavement on Monroe when a midday outdoor Mass that followed the procession reached the Liturgy of the Eucharist. She’d attended the event last year, but had been having heart problems and couldn’t dance. This year, she made good on a promise to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“I had a very difficult year and I promised her that if I managed to make it out of all of that, I would come and dance for her,” Nava said. “It’s a great thing because God gave me a new opportunity at life and he helped me in my most difficult moments.”

Fr. Andres Arango, pastor of St. Gregory Parish, gave the homily at the bilingual Mass.

“Today is a day when we are changing the history of this place,” Fr. Arango said. “We have made the streets a holy place … it’s a place where many activities take place but now it’s a place of God because of His presence.”

Fr. Arango spoke of filling in for another priest at a parish in Colorado where a wedding was supposed to have taken place. Although the bride, guests, music and food were all in place, a powerful storm prevented the groom’s arrival. They decided to go ahead with the party anyway, and Fr. Arangro drew a lesson for the faithful about Advent and Christmas from the experience.

“We can have joy, music, songs, dances, celebrations, but we run the risk of forgetting the essential presence of God, to be focused on the Lord,” Fr. Arango said. “The Spirit of God is essential and central to our lives. Everything else passes. … This is a beautiful celebration, but don’t miss the most important thing: God and having a pure heart.”

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Related: More than a saint, Our Lady of Guadalupe represents Mexican identity

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Veronica Perez, who teaches junior high at St. Agnes Catholic School and is active in the pro-life movement, said she was devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“She appeared in Mexico, the country where I was born. In no other American country she revealed her image,” Perez said. “Our Lady gives a message of love for life.”

Although most of those who attended Honor Your Mother were Hispanic, hailing from Mexico as well as Central and South America, there were many non-Hispanics who took part as well. A group of 10 Eritrean Catholics attired in their traditional white garments sat near the stage.

Angelica Lascola, from Indonesia, a mostly Muslim country where Christians are persecuted for the faith, said it was important for her to be at the celebration honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“This moment is really a faith moment to express that we truly believe and trust in Mother Mary, that she will always pray and protect us,” Lascola said. “It’s a strength to have a special devotion to Mother Mary.”

Saint Xavier University in Gilbert reaches milestone with celebration of first Mass on campus

By

The Catholic Sun

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Dec 11, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-12-11 at 11.24.58 AM — Fr. Daniel Vanyo, parochial vicar at St. Anne Parish, whose boundaries now include Saint Xavier University, celebrates the first Mass on campus Dec. #, the feast day of the university's patron saint.

Saint Xavier University passed a huge milestone in establishing its Catholic identity by celebrating the first Mass at its new Gilbert campus Dec. 3.

“It was a wonderful moment,” said Maria-Claudia Tomany, the university’s vice provost. “It really felt like a holy moment, a very auspicious beginning.”

Knights of Columbus Council 10540 paid for the altar and is helping to furnish the chapel. The council serves St. Anne Parish in Gilbert, which has the university within its parish boundaries.

“We are very grateful to them for that,” Tomany said.

Fr. Daniel Vanyo, St. Anne parochial vicar, celebrated the Mass on the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, the school’s patron, in the campus chapel with an altar that had been installed the previous day.

“If you say that God is first in my life but you’re not praying every day, how can I believe you?” Fr. Vanyo told The Catholic Sun about the message he shared in his homily. “Your deeds have to witness your words. How are you showing that?”

The Gilbert campus of Saint Xavier is the first branch for a university that has been a fixture on the south side of Chicago for 170 years. Saint Xavier is one of 16 American universities sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Tomany said.

The university opened in Gilbert in August and the first business students — about 15 — started classes in October. A nursing program is expected to start in 2016, and an online education program is being developed as well.

“We’re starting out slowly and deliberately rolling out one or two new programs every semester until we are where we want to be,” Tomany said.

One thing that sets Saint Xavier apart is that semesters are two 7- or-8-week sessions, which gives greater flexibility for the students, Tomany said.

Community service is another strong point, says student Joseph Godawski.

“Faith is something that has many different ways of showing itself, and at Saint Xavier University it shows it the most greatly in the form of service,” he said.

“We have a student body that loves to serve the community but also each other. Our Campus Ministry Department is always there to lend a listening ear or to provide opportunities for worship and service.”

Fr. Vanyo, who served as chaplain at Benedictine University in Mesa during its first two years, said all the Catholic university options are great for Arizona and having one of them in the St. Anne’s parish “is a real blessing. How extra cool is that for the people living right around here?

“We look forward to helping out as able in the future and continuing to build that relationship with the university and get the word out that they are there and that that’s a real option for our parishioners’ teens.”

Saint Xavier is among four Catholic higher-education level options now available for Valley residents. The others: Benedictine University at Mesa; the University of Mary, which collaborates with Arizona State University in Tempe; and the College of St. Scholastica, a Minnesota-based college that operates a satellite out of Mesa Community College.

“The four Catholic universities should work together … to extend their market share,” said Tomany. “Catholic higher education has a lot to offer not just for Catholic students but for all students … the Catholic values that permeate our teachings I think make Catholic universities a great choice for all students from the Valley. So we should work together.”

Catholic education has an “enormous opportunity because of the diocese’s growth in the Phoenix area, where about 20 percent of the population is Catholic and where 37 Catholic schools operate, she said.

The university, which is fully accredited, is located in Gilbert’s downtown Heritage District, just off Gilbert Road on Vaughn Avenue. The Gilbert Town Council gave Vaughn a second name, Saint Xavier Way.

— By Mike Tulumello, The Catholic Sun.

Province of Saint Barbara celebrates 100 years of faith

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Dec 11, 2015

Members of the Franciscan Renewal Center community and others who have encountered local Franciscans over the years, gathered Nov. 13 to honor a century of service in the western U.S.

Brother Sam Nasada never knew he would one day wear the brown robe of a Franciscan. It never crossed the mind of the Los Angeles area engineer, but that is where he crossed paths with a group of friars.

“What really struck me about the friars when I went to visit their houses, was how welcoming they were to me. … The warm welcome, the brotherhood and fraternity in those houses, that’s what impressed me,” Br. Nasada said. “That was before I even knew anything about Franciscan spirituality or who Saint Francis was.”

Hospitality is a virtue which the Franciscan order has practiced for hundreds of years. This was recognized in a special way during a ceremony at the Franciscan Renewal Center (the Casa) in Scottsdale Nov. 13.

The ceremony celebrated the centennial for the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) Saint Barbara Province. It consisted of a variety of hymns, prayers and a reflection from Franciscan Father Dan Lackie.

“The province of Saint Barbara was officially founded in 1915. … That’s what we’re celebrating,” Fr. Lackie said.

He noted the arrival of friars in present-day Arizona and New Mexico in the 1500s. Renewed missionary efforts came after the Gold Rush and by the early 1900s, there were enough friars serving in the West to establish “a permanent, independent, juridical unit … a group of brothers doing this ministry together.”

Pam Bork, who has attended Mass at the Franciscan Renewal Center since 1974, explained how the Franciscans treat everyone like their own family.

“The friars share their lives with us,” Bork said. “They’re just so open about their vulnerability and they let us know that they’re just like us. They share their life stories and I think because of that we want to be here for this big event.”

Franciscan Father Joseph Schwab, director of the Casa, noted how the Franciscans have left a mark on the course of diocesan history.

“Our influence goes back deep into Spanish colonial times, long before the diocese existed,” Fr. Schwab said. “Franciscans were active here in the Southwest beginning in 1539. Over the centuries, our relationship with Native American people has remained rather strong … even here in the city of Phoenix with the Yaquis, for example.”

The Franciscans were not only involved in pastoral work but a variety of other ministries as well. “The Friars were involved in parish work, education, and spiritual renewal programs from the very beginning,” Fr. Schwab said. “We first came to Phoenix in 1896 and have been here since. The Franciscans actually founded about twelve of the present-day parishes here in the Diocese of Phoenix, out of St. Mary’s [Basilica].”

The highlights of the work done by Franciscans in Phoenix could be seen on a traveling exhibit, on display in Piper Hall. The exhibit consisted of ten panels, each summarizing a different period of the history of the Province of Saint Barbara. Among them were the founding of St. Mary’s by six Friars in 1896 and the founding of The Casa by two Friars in 1951. The province also currently has a presence at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Guadalupe.

The history of the Franciscans has profound significance not just on the past, but also the present and the future, Fr. Lackie noted.

“Look at it, not only as a story from the past, but as a story that lives in the power of the Spirit, entrusted to each one of us,” Fr. Lackie said. “As you see this story tonight, see yourself there and this celebration will have achieved its real goal, which is a fuller and deeper embrace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Lord of history, the One Who gives us the sacred story of our lives.”

Xavier Gator earns national volleyball honors

By

The Catholic Sun

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Dec 11, 2015

Before Khalia Lanier ever set foot on the volleyball court, she knew she had big shoes to fill. It was in her blood to become a great athlete. So with her father as her inspiration, the senior at Xavier College Preparatory worked to get better every single day.

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U.S. cardinal says Holy Door leads to mercy [VIDEO]

By

Catholic News Service

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Dec 11, 2015

U.S. Catholics begin walking through American Holy Doors as the Year of Mercy begins. Join Catholics throughout the Diocese of Phoenix for the opening of the Holy Doors Dec. 13 in Phoenix and Sedona.

Students celebrate feast of St. Nicholas

By

Ambria Hammel

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Dec 9, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-12-09 at 2.44.17 PM — (courtesy of @SC_Lions)

Students at several Catholic schools in the Diocese of Phoenix took to social media to report how they observed the feast day of St. Nicholas this year.

The feast day for the fourth century Greek bishop was Dec. 6. Schools celebrated over the weekend and on Monday by hosting a breakfast with Santa, leading child-friendly activities and leaving surprise gifts inside children’s shoes.

Most Holy Trinity Catholic School hosted its annual “Breakfast with Santa” Dec. 5. “Jolly Ol’ St. Nicholas” gave every child a gently used book to take home. The man in the red suit moves north to Sacred Heart School in Prescott Dec. 13. The ticketed event also includes breakfast — provided by the Knights of Columbus — and a visit with Santa.

“Bishop Nicholas” visited St. Matthew students this week too. He sat in the presider’s chair sharing the true story of Christmas with the students. The young learners also got a visit from St. Mary’s High School students in honor of St. Nicholas’ feast day. The teenagers led the younger elementary students in craft.

Staff at a couple of other elementary schools showed St. Nicholas’ spirit. Since the story of St. Nicholas includes reports of the patron saint of children throwing bags of money into the home of a poor family to rescue the girls from being sold into slavery, leaders of some Catholic homes leave small gifts in shoes or stockings on his feast day.

Students at St. Mary-Basha in Chandler and St. Catherine of Siena participated in such tradition this year.

Catholic sorority expands to Flagstaff

By

Ambria Hammel

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Dec 9, 2015

Twenty students at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff pledged their fidelity to the newest sorority on campus: one that’s wholly Catholic. (courtesy photo)

The final month of the fall semester also marked a new beginning for Catholic women at Northern Arizona University.

Twenty of them from every class became charter members of Mu Epsilon Theta, the newest campus sorority and one that’s wholly Catholic. Members from the sorority’s four other chapters across Texas and Arizona joined pledge night events Dec. 4.

Katie Bandy, who was a charter member of Arizona State University’s chapter two and a half years ago, was key to launching the latest chapter. She’s now a missionary in Lumberjack land through the Fellowship of Catholic University Students at the Holy Trinity Newman Center. As such, Bandy noted a lack of consistency in women’s fellowship despite a myriad of activities and ways to get involved.

“It brings evangelization in a different light,” Bandy said.

She noted how some Catholic women who might not commit to a Bible study or feel called to get involved in Church life beyond Mass, could get excited about Greek life and stay once discovering the opportunity for true sisterhood.

Both factors appealed to Kimberly Shaffer, a 20-year-old business economics student. As part of the Newman Center’s Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program, it was a blessing that the sorority was Catholic. She once tried traditional sorority life, “but things just didn’t seem to click,” Shaffer said.

“My first two years of college were very difficult. I was searching for something I felt I could not find, constantly placing my heart in worldly desires without trying to find God,” Shaffer admitted less than 24 hours after pledge night.

When a personal tragedy struck and Shaffer was unsure how to carry on, it was her earthly father who said, “Seek God if you want to get through this, Kimberly.”

She followed his advice and felt her heart open up and a happiness she’d never experienced. She realized a priceless love from God.

Shaffer still has occasional college worries like grades and work, but with God at her side, remembers they are surmountable. She already signed up as “MuEp’s” treasurer so she could have a key role in financing and supporting other charter chapters.

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Mu Epsilon Theta (ΜΕΘ)

A Catholic sorority based on spirituality, sisterhood and service expanded to a second Arizona university.

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“This sorority has helped me so much in rediscovering my faith and I want to help bring this experience to others,” Shaffer said.

Amanda Garcia, 19, already sees a difference in her life since going through the pledge process. It included events like initiation, a retreat and a pledge presentation party. Three carloads of Mu Epsilon Theta members from ASU commuted to NAU for each one.

“I love the fact that I have this wonderful and beautiful group of girls supporting me by my side,” said Garcia, who once considered a traditional sorority. “I’ve never felt more love and acceptance than I have with MuEp. It has definitely been the best decision in my life.”

Garcia admitted she had never been super involved with church activities, but has felt very welcomed by the church and peers. She sees individuality in her peers who gather within a united faith.

“Each one of my sisters is incredibly beautiful inside and out. They all have hearts of gold and I am so glad to begin this amazing journey of the sorority with them,” Garcia said.

Of the 20 young women initiated, eight will be among a contingent of 50 Catholic students from both NAU and ASU at a leadership conference in the New Year. They’re headed to Dallas Jan. 1-5 for a FOCUS-led conference intended to train young adults in the art of evangelization.

“I’m really excited to see how that affects the sisterhood,” Bandy said.

She wouldn’t be surprised if a Catholic fraternity is forthcoming. Phi Kappa Theta launched at ASU just over a year ago after seeing the formation of a women’s sorority.

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Mu Epsilon Theta (ΜΕΘ)