CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO, OCTOBER 22, 2004
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON — The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has appointed a new chairman and five new members on the National Review Board, which was established in 2002 as part of the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, USCCB president, named Nicholas P. Cafardi, dean of the law school of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and a charter member of the two-year-old board, as chairman. He will serve through the conclusion of his term on the board in June 2005.
The new members, all appointed to three-year terms that will end Oct. 31, 2007, are:
l Patricia O’Donnell Ewers, an educational consul-
tant who was president of Pace University in New
York from 1990 to 2000.
l Dr. Angelo P. Giardino, vice president for clinical
affairs at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in
Philadelphia.
l Ralph I. Lancaster Jr., an attorney at the Pierce
Atwood law firm in Portland, Maine.
l Judge Michael R. Merz, a federal magistrate of the
U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio,
in Dayton, Ohio.
l Joseph P. Russoniello, dean of the San Francisco
Law School and senior counsel and resident in the
San Francisco office of the law firm Cooley
Godward LLP.
Cafardi, who has degrees in both civil law and canon law, succeeds the board’s founding chairman, former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, and Justice Anne M. Burke of the Illinois Court of Appeals, who served as interim chair from June 2003, when Keating left, until her departure from the board this fall.
The new members replace Keating; Burke; Robert S. Bennett, an attorney in Washington, D.C.; William R. Burleigh, board chairman and former CEO of the Scripps Co.; and Leon E. Panetta, director of the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy in Monterey Bay, Calif., and a former White House chief of staff under President Clinton.
Bishop Gregory said the board has been “vitally important in assisting the bishops of the United States in dealing with the crisis of the sexual abuse of minors within the church.”
The all-lay board was established by the U.S. bishops at their landmark June 2002 meeting in Dallas to provide an independent review and critique how well U.S. Catholic dioceses were dealing with sexually abusive priests and their victims and what policies, personnel and programs the bishops were establishing to create a safe environment for children throughout the church.
The board’s formation was part of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People that the bishops adopted in response to what was then a still-burgeoning crisis over the number of priests across the country who had molested children and especially the number of them who had been left in ministry or returned to ministry after church officials learned of their actions.
In its tumultuous first two years the board assisted in establishment of the bishops’ national Office of Child and Youth Protection.
It interviewed scores of experts with a wide range of perspectives on the nature of child sexual abuse and the factors that may have contributed to priests engaging in such abuse. Last February it issued a 150-page report on its findings, sharply criticizing many past practices in the church and what it saw as continuing problems in many areas.
It also reviewed and approved the diocese-by-diocese reports of teams of outside compliance auditors who visited nearly every diocese in 2003 to conduct an independent assessment of its policies, programs and practices for child protection and for dealing with allegations of clerical sexual abuse, the priests accused and the alleged victims.
The board also objected vigorously to a decision last spring by the bishops’ Administrative Committee that would have postponed a second round of diocesan audits until 2005. The charter calls for annual reports on diocesan compliance to be reviewed and approved by the board, and the board said new audits were needed in 2004 for the mandated 2004 report. The board’s objections led the bishops to address the issue at a national gathering in June and decide the second round of audits would be conducted in 2004.
More recently, when board members received a list of nominees to replace the outgoing members, they objected to the appearance of the name of a nun on the list. Although the charter does not exclude priests or nuns from board membership, board members felt the board’s reputation for independence was at stake.
San Francisco attorney Joseph Russoniello sees his appointment as a member of the U.S. Bishops’ National Review Board as a “great opportunity and honor.”
In a phone interview with Catholic San Francisco, Russoniello said, “I think yeoman’s work has been done by the first group (of Review Board members). They have set the pace, and what we need to do now is to make sure the momentum is carried forward and there is follow through on the work done thus far.”
Russoniello said he told Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference, that the Church’s extraordinary efforts to deal effectively and all-inclusively with the abuse issue can serve as a template for other entities in American society where there is interaction between adults and children or youth.
Mr. Russoniello is senior counsel and resident in the San Francisco office of Cooley Godward LLP, a law firm with headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. He is also dean of the San Francisco Law School.
As U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, 1982-90, he handled several high profile criminal and civil cases including the prosecution of Larry Layton of the Peoples Temple for his part in the 1978 murder of U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan, D-Calif., in Jonestown, Guyana.
Russoniello also prosecuted the Mitsubishi and Hitachi corporations for theft of IBM secrets and a wide range of other white collar crimes. During that time he was a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and chaired its White Collar Crime Subcommittee.
Since 2001 he has chaired the northern California committee that screens federal judicial candidates. In his current practice he specializes in representing clients facing criminal investigations and charges for alleged white-collar crimes.
Russoniello graduated in 1963 from Jesuit-run Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn. He earned his law degree from New York University in 1966.
He was an FBI special agent and an assistant district attorney for the city and county of San Francisco before he joined Cooley Godward in 1975.
Catholic News Service contributed to this story.
By Tom Burke
Let me lead this with an apology to the Sitzmann family of St. Sebastian Parish who a coupla’ weeks ago were identified here as the Fitzmanns. I even had my glasses on when I wrote up the item…. I’m on my way to a few pounds lighter and reunions in Philly and the Jersey Shore next month. Thanks to my Mount Carmel mentors Hugh Loveless and John Brownfield for their encouragement and good exercise advice when we meet up in the work-out room at the Redwood City Elks. I like losing the weight and have found that effort almost a walk in the park compared to pushing around what’s left to where I want it to be…. St. Kevin’s, San Francisco says “thank you’ to the late Guido Borgis who remembered the Bernal Heights parish in his will. “We are always grateful,” the parish said in a recent bulletin…. It’s 51 years married September 15th for Ellen and Humphrey O’Leary of St. Anne of the Sunset Parish. “They have been an inspiration to many couples in the community and we thank God for them,” the parish said…. It’s tradition continued at St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish, Sausalito. The now late Mary and Captain Stanley Janislawski were the original donors of the church Sanctuary Lamp in 1959 and until their deaths also donated candles for use in it. The family’s generosity is continued today by the couple’s daughter, Mimi Janislawski who now lives away from the parish but still “supplies the candles in memory of her parents and their great love for Star of the Sea,” the parish said….Congrats to Bob Bartoli, on being named Grand Council Man of the Year at the annual convention of the Young Men’s Institute in June. Bob is a longtime All Souls parishioner and member of YMI Council #32. “Bob was honored for his many hours of work in the YMI,” said Harold Boyd, of St. Mark Parish in Belmont, who was elected Grand Secretary at the meetings. Also chosen to serve as officers were Grand President Philip Oberst, Holy Angels Parish, Colma; Grand Treasurer Jack Albrecht, Good Shepherd Parish, Pacifica; and Grand Director Richard Guaraldi, All Souls…. It only takes a moment to let us know about a birthday, anniversary, special achievement, or special happening in your life. Just jot down the basics and send with a follow-up phone number to On the Street Where You Live, One Peter Yorke Way, SF 94109. You can also fax to
(415) 614-5633 or e-mail,
do not send attachments, to tburke@catholic-sf.org. You can reach Tom Burke
at (415) 614-5634.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Ronald M. Sabraw is expected to issue a final ruling in the next few days on whether or not to release the personnel records of about 40 Catholic priests, diocesan and religious, who are the subject of sexual abuse lawsuits brought against eight northern California dioceses in a consolidated judicial process.
The proceedings in Alameda County Superior Court, known as Clergy III, cover approximately 150 lawsuits involving claims by about 200 plaintiffs against the Dioceses of Fresno, Monterey, Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Stockton, and the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
The Archdiocese of San Francisco is working with claims brought by about 75 plaintiffs involving 34 clergy and five lay employees. Some of the cases involve allegations dating back 50 years or more.
Last week Judge Sabraw issued a tentative order saying defendants’ employment records should be made public. Several media organizations, including the San Francisco Chronicle, had filed requests for release of the documents.
Judge Sabraw heard arguments on the tentative order at a hearing in Alameda Superior Court Oct. 13.
Diocesan attorneys said personnel files of Roman Catholic priests should be made public only if they are introduced as evidence at a trial after having passed a judicial test of relevance. The files should remain confidential during the discovery process in which attorneys for the dioceses and plaintiffs exchange information, said attorney James F. Sweeney, representing the Diocese of Sacramento.
Sweeney also asked Judge Sabraw to delay implementation of the final order, if it remains unchanged from the tentative order, so the dioceses may consider filing an appeal of the ruling.
Under Judge Sabraw’s Oct. 12 tentative order, financial, medical, and psychiatric records of priests and alleged victims would remain confidential, as would the employment records of plaintiffs, church documents “concerning religious doctrine” and the names of witnesses or other so-called non-parties, such as health care professionals.
Sabraw tentatively ruled that the names of the alleged victims and the priests accused of molesting them should be made public. However, lawyers for some alleged victims voiced concern about this planned disclosure.
Attorney Paul Gaspari, representing the Archdiocese of San Francisco, said the church had been “very mindful” of the desire of plaintiffs who wanted their identities kept confidential. “We have done our best to respect that,” Gaspari said.
Speaking of the tentative order, Gaspari said such action would be to disclose private information – otherwise not admissible in court – before it is tested by the court for relevance in the matter.
“Many of the documents would never be admissible in court,” Gaspari said. “They easily could be taken out of context and misused, thereby causing prejudice to the defense.”
Gaspari said he thought there was an over-estimation as to what is in the documents. The lawsuits involving the Archdiocese of San Francisco, he said, either involve cases that have been in the public realm for several years or involve cases in which the documents do not reflect any prior knowledge of abuse.
The lawsuits arise from a law passed in 2002 by the California Legislature which suspended the statute of limitations and allowed claims to be filed regardless of when the child sexual abuse was alleged to have occurred. Under the law, sponsored by State Senator John Burton and drafted by trial attorneys, plaintiffs had until Dec. 31, 2003 to file a lawsuit — not against the alleged perpetrator but against employers.
While legislators claim that the law does not target the Catholic Church, all but a few of the lawsuits filed under the “Burton law” involve claims against the Catholic dioceses of California.
Because of the large number of cases, they have been brought together on a regional basis for judicial efficiency. In Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Haley Fromholz oversees Clergy I, which involves approximately 550 cases against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Orange, and Clergy II, which involves 140 cases from the Diocese of San Bernardino and the Diocese of San Diego.
Legal experts expect that most, if not all, of the lawsuits will end in settlement. Plaintiff attorneys have pursued strategies designed to maximize the amount of settlements, of which they customarily receive 33 to 40 percent.
Since 1950, the total amount of payments made by the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s insurance carriers and self insurance program for therapy and counseling for victims, legal settlements and legal defense expenses currently is $14.5 million. More than 90 percent of this amount was for legal settlements.
Catholic San Francisco reported earlier this year that the majority of known incidents of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest in ministry for the Archdiocese of San Francisco occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. More than 85 percent of the alleged incidents occurred prior to 1980. Only a handful of allegations pertain to conduct after 1990.
Meanwhile, the adoption by U.S. Bishops of “The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” in June 2002 has led to expanded programs for the protection of children and youth within the Church, outreach and support for abuse victims, and education for parents and children.
St. Mary’s Cathedral honored ministry and charity at its annual Assumpta Award Dinner held in the Cathedral’s lower halls October 7. Christian Brother Christopher Brady was recognized with the Cathedral’s Assumpta Award. Receiving the newly instituted Patrons Award were San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, Mary Hehir and Scott Moyer. All have demonstrated “devoted leadership in many areas of the Church’s life” and “have sought
to follow Christ in all things,” according to the evening’s program.
Archbishop William J. Levada presented the awards and led prayer before
an audience of more than 300 people. He later joined current and previous
Assumpta Award winners for a photo. From left, Christian Brother
Christopher Brady, Joseph P. Russoniello, Frank and Lenore Heffernan,
Archbishop Levada, Antonio and Lucille Sanchez-Corea, Richard Dunn.
As we celebrate World Mission Sunday, October 24, we are mindful of the responsibility given to us at our Baptism to be active participants in Christ’s mission to all peoples. Today, more than two-thirds of the world’s people have yet to hear the great “Good News” of Jesus Christ, their Savior, or to experience through the word and witness of missionaries the abiding love of His Father.
World Mission Sunday gives us the opportunity, within the context of the Eucharist, to offer our prayers and support for the mission of making Jesus known, even “to the ends of the earth.” As Pope John Paul II notes in his message for this year’s World Mission Sunday celebration, “When we take part in the Eucharistic Sacrifice we understand more profoundly the universality of redemption and, consequently, the urgency of the Church’s mission.”
On World Mission Sunday, we unite with Catholics throughout the world, all of us gathered at the Eucharist in special commitment to the missionary task. We also should pray for the Church’s missionary work and offer our personal sacrifices, our own sufferings, our cares and concerns in union with the sufferings of Christ on the Cross for the salvation of the world. We should also, in accord with our ability, offer financial help according to our ability through the Propagation of the Faith for the Church’s work in more than 1,100 dioceses throughout the Missions.
The missionary work of the Church depends on each one of us. Please be as generous as your means will allow this World Mission Sunday and continue to pray that all of us in the Archdiocese of San Francisco may be eager and effective witnesses to God, our loving Father, and to His only Son, Jesus Christ.
Most
Reverend William J. Levada
Archbishop
of San Francisco
The National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi commemorated the feast and spirit of its patron at a formal affair held September 30 on the streets surrounding the North Beach church. Also marking the occasion was the presentation of the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi Award by Archbishop William J. Levada to former San Francisco Supervisor Angela Alioto (in photo) and Conventual Franciscan Brother George Cherrie. The two were honored because of their “deep love for Saint Francis and exemplifying his values in their daily lives.” Entertainment for the nearly 300 guests included a concert by the shrine’s acclaimed choir, Schola Cantorum.
Social Service Sister Dorothy Butler died October 8 in Los Angeles. The Pennsylvania native was 90 years old. She had entered religious life in 1939.
“At the time of her death she was the senior member of the Sisters of Social Service,” said Sister Patricia McGowan, also a member of the congregation. “She was loved by all who knew her.”
Sister Dorothy served at San Francisco’s St. Dominic Parish in the mid-70s and earlier at St. Cecilia Parish in the Parkside District. She additionally served in ministry in San Diego and Los Angeles.
A funeral Mass was celebrated October 14, at the Sisters of Social Service Motherhouse on Figueroa Way in Los Angeles. Interment was in nearby Calvary Cemetery.
Remembrances may be sent to Sisters of Social Service, 2303 Figueroa Way, Los Angeles 90007.
Dear Friends in Christ,
As a religious leader in California, I am deeply concerned about the 6 million people in our state who have no health insurance. Eighty percent of these uninsured are part of working families, who live with the worry and insecurity over their family’s health care. The crisis in our health system is well known: over the last three years health care premiums have increased by 70 percent; hospitals and clinics are closing because of the number of uninsured who cannot pay rising costs; and the taxpayers and our state budget bear the weight of health care for those who work but have no affordable access to health care. We know that those who are denied access to health care live with more illness and die younger, their children do more poorly in school, and they live in fear of losing their jobs due to illness or living under crushing debt due to medical bills.
Proposition 72 is a stepping stone to achieve what the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops expressed in 1999: “Affordable and accessible health care is an essential safeguard of human life, a fundamental human right, and an urgent national priority. We need to reform the nation’s health care system, and this reform must be rooted in values that respect human dignity, protect human life, and meet the needs of the poor and uninsured. With tens of millions of Americans lacking basic health insurance, we support measures to ensure that decent health care is available to all as a moral imperative.”
I strongly support the passage of Proposition 72 as a major step forward in addressing the health care crisis in our state. Proposition 72 will provide private health insurance to 1.3 million uninsured workers and their families (an estimated 300,000 children will be covered) and will make more secure the health insurance of the 19 million who are presently insured through their employers by setting a “minimum standard” for health care. This proposition will exempt small businesses, but will require that medium and large businesses provide prescription drug, preventive health care and major medical to their employees.
I strongly urge everyone to educate themselves on the issues this November, to participate in the political process as part of our moral obligation and vote “Yes” on Proposition 72.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend William J. Levada
Archbishop of San Francisco
‘Mosaic’ TV program airs Sunday, Oct. 24
Dr. H. Rex Greene, MD, will be the guest on the “Mosaic” television program airing Sunday, Oct. 24 at 5:30 a.m. on KPIX Channel 5 with host Tom Burke. Dr. Greene will discuss Proposition 71, an embryonic stem cell research bond measure on the November ballot, which is opposed by the Catholic Bishops of California.
Dr. Greene is medical director of the Dorothy E. Schneider Cancer Center in San Mateo.
Mosaic, which airs the first Sunday of each month, is a production of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco and CBS-affiliate KPIX Channel 5. Mosaic is supported by the Catholic Communications Campaign.
Members of women and men religious orders in the San Francisco Bay Area joined more than 500 vocation ministers and religious community members from throughout the United States for the National Religious Vocation Conference’s biennial convocation held last month in Chicago, Illinois.
Attendees from the Bay Area included Holy Names Sister Rosemary Everett, Dominicans of San Rafael Sister Patricia Farrell, Mission San Jose Dominican Sisters Helena Im and Beth Quire, Holy Family Sister Kathy Littrell, Marist Father John McEnhill, Dominican Father Mark Padrez, Marist Missionary Sister Avelina Raiwaleta, Daughters of Charity Sister Trang Truong, Augustinian Father Thomas Whelan, Franciscan Father Hung Nguyen, Oblates of Mary Father Jose Arong, and Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Sisters Marie Annette Burkart, Liane Belsuc, and Kathryn Keenan.
Under the theme, “Fidelity to Jesus: A Paradigm of Hope,” the convocation aimed at helping vocation ministers focus on their commitment to Jesus as the foundation of their ministry. The convocation presentations also sought to nourish within those gathered a sense of hope for the future of vocations to the religious life.
Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, executive director of the National Religious Vocations Conference, said the conference was a “major success” and attendees departed “with their hearts burning within them.”
One of the keynote speakers, Sister Mary Maher, a School Sister of Notre Dame, offered reflections on the importance of peeling back millennia of beliefs to better understand the historical Jesus.
Sister Maher is a theologian who has taught at Villanova University and Washington Theological Union. She has written and lectured extensively on the relationship between postmodern culture and religious life, and now is her congregation’s leader.
The other keynote speaker, Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe, was master general of his order from 1992-2001. He took as his text the call of Jesus to Peter to leave the boat and walk on the water.
That’s similar to the situation many vocation directors find themselves in now, Brother Bednarczyk said.
“We need to get out of the boat and take that risk,” he said, in a time when the numbers of vowed religious have been in decline.
He said the way to encourage people to consider whether they have a vocation to the religious life is to serve as a beacon of hope in the world, something that can only be accomplished by focusing on Christ.
“Recommitting ourselves to Jesus Christ would bring a sense of hope to us and our faith,” Brother Bednarczyk said.
“We would take that sense of hope and be leaven to our communities, who would then be beacons of hope for the world,” he added. “We have as part of our mission now to be a hopeful presence in the world.”
The National Religious Vocation Conference is a professional organization of men and women committed to the fostering and discernment of vocations, particularly to the religious life. The organization provides support, resources, and in-service opportunities for those engaged in vocation ministry for religious orders of sisters, brothers, and priests.
Catholic News Service contributed to this story.
SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY
Onward Christian soldiers
It’s remarkable how many times St. Paul refers to the Christian life as a battle or a strenuous race. To him the Christian life is a daily conflict. To him Christian ministry is a battleground not a playground. And yet in the midst of the fight Paul keeps his eye on the victory laid up for him as a faithful soldier. As he sees the end of his life approaching he rests in the peace of a battle well fought, a race completed.
What a contrast to the Church of today! Where are our spiritual soldiers? Granted, Paul’s language of warfare and soldiering is hopelessly politically incorrect. Yet, his emphasis on the conflict of the spiritual life is good for us in a day when the moral soul of our country and our Church is at stake. If there ever was a day for spiritual warriors it is now. What the Church calls intrinsic moral evils have become the sacred cows of public discourse (unnatural sexual unions, partial-birth abortion, destruction of human embryos for the purposes of research). These are hardly even discussed, even in the church! We all-too-quickly talk about everything else under the sun such as liturgy, systematic theology and canon law when right before us “sin is crouching at the door” (Gen. 4:7).
Let us remember the virtue of intellectual martyrdom. When everyone else seems hell bent on keeping the “peace of the community” someone drums up the spiritual fortitude to scream. It’s not a primal scream, but a prophetic scream. A scream the tone of which is the bringing down of established mediocrity and moral blindness. Apparently this charism is given only to a precious few who would rather sacrifice the consensus than crucify the truth. Why do the vast majority of us remain silent in the presence of these moral cancers that eat away at the nerve center of our Faith?
It is time for Catholics to stand up and act like soldiers. The ambiguity of some of our moral theologians is not intellectual profundity, but simple timidity. Theories do not produce soldiers. The studied fuzziness many of us endure in the Sunday homily doesn’t create communal peace. It only anesthetizes wounded soldiers that they may die comfortably. In our pastors we want to see commanding officers who can teach their troops the skills of spiritual battle. What we need in our Bishops, is the visceral tenacity to take a stand on the side of the moral order. And let’s remember, the moral order of our culture is what is at stake today. This moral order, providentially developed through civilization and written down for us in Holy Scripture, is worth dying for.
Our Lord once looked out on his world and saw his sheep without a Shepherd. In the light of St. Paul’s statement to Timothy we may say that today the Lord’s people are soldiers without a commander. Yes, Christ himself is our Captain, yet he always works through human lieutenants. The soldiers sense a battle coming, but they require training, discipline and strategy. They know very well the face of the enemy even if they care not to mention his name. They are committed and willing to fight. And they will follow a leader who stands at the head of his troops as warrior and moral guide. But without clear direction and strong, martyr-like conviction the enemy will overwhelm us. In times like these the faithful prayer of the people of God is vital. The mind steeped in Scripture is the antidote to so much that we hear and read. But in the end a soldier acts like a soldier. He or she is ready to be poured out in battle so that he or she can say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7). There are situations in which the time for prayer has passed. Sometimes the Lord asks us to cease our prayers, stand up and do battle (Joshua 7:10). We are living in such a time.
Charles James is associate professor of philosophy at St. Patrick’s Seminary.
Father Larry Lorenzoni (Letters, Oct. 15) reports that in March 2003, Pope John Paul II sent Cardinal Pio Laghi to advise president Bush that war with Iraq would bring “terrible consequences” and “unmanageable problems.”
According to Fr. Lorenzoni, the Vatican envoy offered President Bush the best intelligence available: “The Iraqi bishops have their hands on the pulse of the nation.” (They) ”are constantly in touch with the Nuncio in Baghdad, and he with the Vatican.” Yet, despite this advice, the Cardinal left the meeting sensing that Bush had already made the decision.
If Fr. Lorenzoni’s report is correct, it seems the Iraqi bishops, as “hands on” pastors, would have heard something about 300,000 murdered civilians in the 262 mass graves discovered since liberation. It also seems the Papal Nuncio in Baghdad would have learned that Iraqi children were being deprived of food and medicine because Saddam was misusing Oil for Food revenues to bribe U.N. officials, and purchase weapons and technology from the French, Russians, and Germans.
Today, 27 million Iraqis thank President Bush for deciding that a sociopath crime family should not be permitted to ignore 17 U.N. resolutions, destabilize the region, develop WMDs, harbor terrorists, reward suicide bombing, and plunder a nation. It is only because of President Bush that millions of Iraqi children are now in schools with nutrition and inoculation programs. They will grow to live free, as God created them.
Mike DeNunzio
San Francisco
Father Lorenzoni’s letter of October 15 is an example of exactly what the Summary of the Bishops’ Administrative Committee cautions against on page 15 of the same issue of Catholic San Francisco, i.e. “single issue” politics.
Whether to enter Iraq was a question for debate a year and a half ago. The rectitude of the decision to do so may be debated today, but it is most certainly not the only issue in this year’s presidential and senatorial elections. Nor is it the most important.
Who will be the nominees for the United States Supreme Court for openings most certainly to occur shortly after the election? Will they use the Constitution as a sword against the unborn and elderly, or as a shield to protect the rights of the unborn and elderly? The person who occupies the office of the presidency will be under heavy pressure on this subject as soon as the election is over.
One’s decision on whom to vote for should not be made without careful consideration of the consequences as to abortion and euthanasia.
Paul Hupf
Daly City
Thanks a million for the wonderful piece (On The Street, Oct. 8) about my family in CSF! Tom Burke is a prince, and I certainly appreciate his kindness.
My sister, Millie, was so thrilled that she telephoned me as soon as the paper arrived in her mailbox. Some relatives and friends were also very responsive. Your kindness and thoughtfulness are much appreciated.
Bro. John Samaha, S.M.
San Francisco
The arrival of yesterday’s paper with another letter commenting on Fr. Kenneth Weare’s article, “A Catholic Perspective on Free Trade,” (CSF, Sept. 3), led me to re-read the original text together with all the subsequent letters (Sept. 10, 17, 24).
Fr. Weare’s work is one of the most intellectual presentations that have ever reached the pages of Catholic San Francisco. His analysis is clear and articulate. His alternative is positive and challenging. His moral evaluation is fully consistent with Catholic social teaching including that of Pope John Paul II and the U.S. Catholic Bishops. Most importantly, his focus is the focus of Jesus Christ; the plight of the poor and the voiceless.
If the negative letter writers are unable to set aside their seeming prejudices to re-read Fr. Weare’s article with an open mind, then maybe they should start by re-reading the Gospels.
Jennifer Caputo
Daly City
Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament every First Friday after the 8:00 a.m. Mass Friday and continuing throughout the day and night until 7:45 a.m. Saturday with Morning Prayer and Benediction. (Exposition is suspended during scheduled Masses at 12:10 noon, 7:00 p.m. and 6:45 a.m. according to liturgical norms.) Join us as we pray for world peace, a culture of life, priests and the special intentions commended to our prayers. For more information or to volunteer please call (415) 567-2020 x224.
Sundays: Concerts at 3:30 p.m. Call (415) 567-2020 ext. 213. Open to the public. Admission free. Oct. 17: Richard Riley, tenor. Nov. 7: Brian Swager, organist. Nov. 14: Arthur Johnson, organist.
Oct. 23, 24: Craft Fair sponsored by Father Serra Circle of St. Veronica Parish, 434 Alida Way in South San Francisco. Sat. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sun. 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Raffle, too! Snacks available both days. Call (650) 871-6300.
Oct. 22, 23, 24: St. Dunstan Parish Festival, 1133 Broadway in Millbrae. Mega bingo, silent auction, roast beef dinner, rides, games, raffles. Kick-off Dance Fri. 7 – 10 p.m. featuring music of Hightop Posse. Fri. 5 – 10 p.m.; Sat. noon – 10 p.m.; Sun. noon – 8 p.m. Call (650) 697-4730.
Oct. 24, 30: Good times abound at St. Finn Barr Parish with an International Food Fair Oct. 24 and Halloween Dinner Dance Oct. 30. Foods from around the world served 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. plus games and entertainment. Los Ramblers play for the Halloween event taking place 7 – midnight. Call (415) 333-3627.
Oct. 27: Octoberfest Luncheon and Bingo benefiting Sisters of the Good Shepherd and Gracenter at Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Ave., South San Francisco. Social hour at 11:30 a.m. with lunch at 12:30 p.m. Tickets $45 per person. Call Elizabeth Pinelli at (415) 585-1766.
Oct. 29: Award winning composer, John Michael Talbot, performs at 7 p.m. at St. Raphael Church in San Rafael. The singer “blends music, Christian witness, and teaching to minister to audiences in a special way,” the parish said. $20 is suggested donation for tickets. Call (415) 454-8141, ext. 42.
Oct. 30: Crab Bash benefiting St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception School. Tickets are now on sale! “It’s an evening of delightful food and fun,” the school said. Call (415) 648-2008.
Nov. 5: Catholic Marin Breakfast Club gathers for Mass and special presentation. It’s the group’s official 10th anniversary celebration with Yakima Bishop Carlos Sevilla, who was the Breakfast Club’s first speaker a decade ago. Dec. 3 you can hear Dominican Sister Gervaise Valpey who will speak on Catholic Education and Women Today. The morning begins with Mass at 7 a.m. in St. Sebastian Church, Bon Air Rd. and Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Kentfield. Breakfast and presentation follow in parish hall. Reservations required to Sugaremy@aol.com or (415) 461-0704 daily. Members $7, others $10. Dues $20 per year.
Nov. 6: A Winter Masquerade Ball, annual Dinner Dance and Auction at Irish Cultural Center, benefiting St. Paul Parish Preservation Fund. “A fun event including cocktails, dinner, dancing, silent and live auctions,” the parish said. Call Katy O’Shea at (415) 648-7538.
Nov. 6: Bal de Paris, annual fundraiser benefiting Notre Dame des Victoires school. The evening’s theme, Clair de Lune a Paris, will commemorate the school’s 80th anniversary and honor Marist Father Etienne Siffert, who shepherded the downtown parish for almost two decades. Tickets include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dancing and other entertainments. Call (415) 421-0069 or Bal2004@ndvsf.org.
Nov. 6, 7: Soiree Incredible, a 35th annual Fashion Show benefiting St. Ignatius College Preparatory and taking place at the Sunset District School. It’s a Here’s Looking at You Kid Opening Night Gala at $150 per person Saturday and a Play It Again Sam Encore Luncheon at $85 per person Sunday. Call Joni Amaroli at (650) 344-9705.
Nov.10: Monthly breakfast meeting of the Catholic Professional & Business Club. New members are always welcome! Join us on our new day and in our new location, SF City Club at 155 Sansome (at Bush). Today, hear Ray Flynn, author, former Ambassador to the Vatican, former Mayor of Boston. Monthly meetings include a full breakfast beginning at 7:00 a.m. Speaker program begins at 7:30 a.m. Cost is $20 for members, $27 for non-members. Membership dues are $45 annually. Call (415) 614-5579, or visit the website at www.cpbc-sf.org for more information.
Nov. 13: Festa Italiano, a dinner dance with raffles and prizes at Our Lady of Loretto Church Hall, 1806 Novato Blvd., Novato. Sponsored by parish council of Knights of Columbus. Music by Tom and the Cats. Tickets are $30 per person. Call (415) 892-9989. Proceeds benefit K of C charitable works including a scholarship program.
Nov. 13: Oldies But Goodies Dance benefiting Youth Program and scholarship fund of St. Paul of the Shipwreck Parish, 3rd St. at Jamestown, SF, 8 p.m. – midnight. Tickets $30 per person. No tickets will be sold at the door. 21 and over please. Call (415) 468-3434.
Nov. 13: Club 451, annual evening-out benefiting Junipero Serra High School. The gala is set “in the Supper Club scene of the 1940s.” Tickets for the benefit are $75 per person. Top raffle prize is 2004 Cadillac XLR given to quarterback Tom Brady for his MVP performance in 2003 Super Bowl and valued at $76,000. Raffle tickets are $25 each or five for $100. Call (650) 573-9935.
Nov. 5, 6, 7: Are you in a troubled marriage? Retrouvaille, a program for couples with serious marital problems, is holding a weekend. For information, call Tony and Pat Fernandez at (415) 893-1005.
Oct. 29, 30, 31: Reunion Weekend 2004 at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, SF. Classes of ’54, ’59, ’64, ’69, ’74, ’79, ’84, ’89, ’94, ’99 are invited. Back to School Day is Friday. Reunion Celebration and cocktail party is Saturday. Alumni Mass and Brunch is Sunday. Frank Rollo, ’58 and Joan Langston-Nelson, ’48 will receive the 2004 Lasallian/Vincentian Award. Call Rosie Lawlor Horan at (415) 775-6626, ext. 681 or Gregg Franceschi at ext. 636. You may also contact rose.horan@shcp.edu or gregg.franceschi@shcp.edu.
Nov. 13: Class of ’74, Lowell High School, SF at Delancey Street Restaurant. $89 per person. Contact Lisa Coughlin Clay at Lisa.Clay@sfport.com or Connie D’Aura at daura@ccwear.com. If without Internet access, call (415) 664-0164.
Nov. 20: “Calling all alumni of St. Monica Elementary School, San Francisco,’ says principal, Bret Allen. The 2nd Annual Alumni Reunion begins with Mass at 10: 30 a.m. followed by a reception and school tours. Tickets $25 per person. Contact Bret at (415) 751-9564 or allen@stmonicasf.org.
Dec. 12: Sisters of Mercy, Burlingame Region invite all members, former members, and associates of the community to events celebrating the Mercy Sisters’ 150 years in California. Contact Sally O’Connell at (650) 3407437 or soconnell
@mercyburl.org.
June 11: Class of ’85, Star of the Sea Academy in Star of the Sea elementary school auditorium, 360 9th Ave., SF at 7 p.m. Contact Debra Stashuk at ssa_classof85@yahoo.com.
2nd Sat: Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur offer Saturday Morning Prayer 9:30 – 11:30 at their Province Center, 1520 Ralston Ave. across from Ralston Hall on their university campus in Belmont. Call (650) 593-2045, ext. 350. This year’s theme is the Beatitudes: Becoming Beatitude People. October’s focus is Blessed are the poor in Spirit.
Oct. 30: Prayer opportunities at Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma include the annual Todos Los Santos outdoor Mass Oct. 30th; All Souls Day Mass, Nov. 2nd; First Saturday Mass Nov. 6th; Veteran’s Day outdoor Memorial Service Nov. 11th; First Saturday Mass Dec. 4th; and a Christmas Remembrance Service Dec. 13th. All begin at 11 a.m. Call (650) 756-2060.
Young Adults
Office of Young Adult Ministry: Connecting late teens, 20s and 30s, single and married to the Catholic Church. Contact Mary Jansen, 415-614-5596,jansenm@sfarchdiocese.org. Check out our website www.sfyam.org for a list of events around the Bay Area.
Oct. 25: Archbishop William J. Levada on Our Responsibility at Election Time at St. Vincent de Paul Church Steiner and Green St., SF at 7:30 p.m. Young Adult Group meets twice a month often with guest speakers. “Just show up and be part of our community.”
Thurs. at 7:30 p.m.: St. Dominic Adult Formation Series in the parish hall 2390 Bush St. at Steiner, SF. Explore the skills needed to understand the bible and help it inform daily life. Join at any time. Contact Scott Moyer at scott@stdominics.org.
Single, Divorced, Separated
Sundays through Nov. 21: Divorce Recovery Course offered by Separated and Divorced Catholics of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Sessions provide chance to explore issues arising from end of marriage and rebuilding one’s life. Designed to help participants heal and grow spiritually gaining strength from their faith and one another. Takes place at St. Stephen’s O’Reilly Parish Center, 451 Eucalyptus Dr., SF, 7 – 9 p.m. $45 fee includes book and materials. Pre-registration required. Call Vonnie at (650) 873-4236 or Jerry at (415) 810-1603.
Nov. 20: Annual Mass of Thanksgiving at Xavier Chapel at USF at 4 p.m. Reception follows. Call Susan at (415) 752-1308.
Separated and Divorced support groups meet 3rd Sat. at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, call Pat at (415) 492-3331; and 1st and 3rd Wed. at 7:30 p.m. at St. Stephen Parish Center, SF, call Gail at (650) 591-8452.
Catholic Adult Singles Assoc. of Marin meets for support and activities. Call Bob at (415) 897-0639 for information.