tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49974288338330166102024-03-14T01:47:19.893-07:00Pauline FaithwaysDaughters of St. Paul Mission Development WeblogSr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-38498783359235720472014-09-23T06:25:00.003-07:002014-09-23T06:25:40.217-07:00Lifting High the Cross<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6hEjpWBhZguf26tZTE6nFea2Kkj-AQ8HKaznDgtDlAorSrC8OmyHJ05IuR6HMbaE0gLfiHrHEKell7Cs05DKzUk07k8MCeUu9vJ9A8ioPoAEHNvcYcmMTeAHXDIEW5Tz7WLHsXS_8UdT/s1600/Vatican_miracle+crucifix.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6hEjpWBhZguf26tZTE6nFea2Kkj-AQ8HKaznDgtDlAorSrC8OmyHJ05IuR6HMbaE0gLfiHrHEKell7Cs05DKzUk07k8MCeUu9vJ9A8ioPoAEHNvcYcmMTeAHXDIEW5Tz7WLHsXS_8UdT/s1600/Vatican_miracle+crucifix.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>ne summer my sister and I decided to tour Washington National Cathedral in D.C., a stupendous Episcopal church and, as it happens, dedicated to the honor of Sts. Peter and Paul. We drove around, looking for a parking space. Finally spying one, I offered to stand guard over it while she inched up alongside the car in front, preparing to parallel park. <br /><br />Good move. As I planted myself possessively over our precious find, a mini-van halted directly behind her and in front of me. The passenger window slid open, and the driver called out, “That’s our space; we got here first!” “I’m sorry,” I pointed out, “we <i>are </i>in front of you.” “But we had our blinker on,” she barked.” We did too. I shook my head and stood my ground. She sputtered, “And you call yourself a Christian!” That was low. I snapped back, “‘Christian’ does not equal ‘doormat’!” She left.<br /><br />Jesus did not allow himself to be bested when the integrity of his message was at stake. A Temple, moneychangers, and a whip come to mind. There came a time, though, when losing himself out of love <i>was </i>his message. He had already “emptied himself” by becoming human; then he “humbled himself, becoming obedient to death” (Phil. 2:6-7). His faithfulness to the truth of his identity and his mission led him to choose death, on a cross no less, and by doing so, save the world.<br /><br />I’m afraid to be vulnerable. It leaves me open to possible abuse and exploitation. Even with an infinitely good God, it makes me feel powerless. That’s why I need the cross of Christ. I need a reminder of where vulnerability will surely take me and of the fact that it was a God, my God, who went there before me…and lives to tell the tale. This is where the Good News becomes Great News. He didn’t stop being vulnerable when he rose from the dead (think Eucharist), but his openness became undying life. <br /><br />As for Christ, so for Christians. If the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us, that Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies, also (See Rom. 8:11). As we celebrated the Exaltation of the Cross a few days ago, we were reminded that the cross is triumphant because of the Resurrection, and it triumphs in those who believe: “This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith” (1Jn. 5:4).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Elizabeth Scalia (<span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theanchoress/2014/08/21/james-foley-martyrdom-and-the-subversive-freedom-of-prayer/">"The Anchoress"</a></span>) reports that one day she made a decision to pray the Apostles’ Creed “mindfully” every day. “A remarkable thing happened,” she wrote. “I could feel my connection to Christ Jesus and His church strengthening. With my every assent I realized I was connecting with, and conforming to, God’s giant and ongoing “YES,” which formed and sustains all of creation.” This kind of "yes" gave wings also to journalist James Foley. Commenting on his Libyan captivity in Tripoli, he wrote in the <a href="http://www.marquette.edu/magazine/recent.php?subaction=showfull&id=1318951203&archive="><i>Marquette Magazine:</i></a> “If nothing else, prayer was the glue that enabled my freedom, an inner freedom first and later the miracle of being released….”<br /><br />“No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily” (Jn. 10:18). This is said in a unique way about the God-Man, but also in an ordinary sort of way about each of us. Could my sister and I have relinquished that coveted parking spot? Of course. Did the other driver need to hear what Christianity is and is not? Yes. It was unjust for her to demand—and in the name of Christ—what we had a right to. Likewise, for us to give it up out of coercion, even in the name of Christ, would have been dysfunctional. Only freedom makes love possible. Paul wrote that Christ was his law (See 1Cor. 9:21). So, love leads me to imitate Jesus Christ, not just conform to a law. My course of action may be the same. My decision will be made, however, not out of indignation, but in love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />M. Thecla once encouraged the Daughters of St. Paul at the Queen of Apostles Clinic, saying: </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWgJJohB_-9LgTRQbAfb_UAwP1uZRxs8AG699CoT9FSW39IomtTCyll-8u3lz4OJ98z5RdwWjIK4j7qnU72HAgDxGaDBA00DlJML1FkYDue-2AiPGdAlH-uCqB6DoTdVeBHz_ntISmxrg/s1600/Albano.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWgJJohB_-9LgTRQbAfb_UAwP1uZRxs8AG699CoT9FSW39IomtTCyll-8u3lz4OJ98z5RdwWjIK4j7qnU72HAgDxGaDBA00DlJML1FkYDue-2AiPGdAlH-uCqB6DoTdVeBHz_ntISmxrg/s320/Albano.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M. Thecla with Fr. Alberione & FSP, Albano, 1959</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“To love God is to do his will, and to do the will of God and love God is sanctity. In these days, at the end of the Divine Office, this antiphon is always sung: ‘The Lord Jesus was obedient unto death and to death on a cross’ (cf. Phil. 2:8). And for this obedience ‘God…gave him the name which is above all other names… (Phil. 2:9). Behold the obedience of Jesus! Let us follow Jesus!</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“May we have this holy ambition of ascending high in heaven, right there where we hope they’ve written our names. We have sought only the Lord. And we continue to seek him, even if we sometimes deviate a little. Let’s go straight ahead, seeking the Lord, his will, sanctity and the love of God” (April 1, 1961).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">How do you feel drawn to exalt the cross of Christ in your “ordinary sort of way”?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Margaret J. Obrovac, FSP, originally from San Francisco, has been a Pauline evangelizer since 1973 and has worked in various phases of the mission of the Daughters of St. Paul. Since attending the nine-month Charism Course in Rome in 2012-2013, she is now based in Boston, where she serves on the provincial Cooperator Team in the area of ongoing formation.</span></span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-54886107087660804482014-08-06T06:44:00.000-07:002014-08-06T06:44:10.278-07:00Setting Off Fireworks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcyUIwV6wLPkE41m4hEh_IW1jQMudf8DVyDy42M0G1osZW0tytv3oF2H8w1PbohWHc94kUH_oEg1Zo-msRaBZ4CmEXbNfoyxBxqMv1Na3czAl9WCv4peY52lRa0_VX1k8NEl6uJoMpFM/s1600/Man-and-Woman-He-Created-Them-John-Paul-II-9780819874214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcyUIwV6wLPkE41m4hEh_IW1jQMudf8DVyDy42M0G1osZW0tytv3oF2H8w1PbohWHc94kUH_oEg1Zo-msRaBZ4CmEXbNfoyxBxqMv1Na3czAl9WCv4peY52lRa0_VX1k8NEl6uJoMpFM/s1600/Man-and-Woman-He-Created-Them-John-Paul-II-9780819874214.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This article was first published earlier today on the Association of Pauline Cooperators blog (http://PaulineLaity.blogspot.com).</span></span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>n
Redwood City the Daughters were really avant-garde. We had to be. After
all, this was California! In 2007 our media techie, Sr. Domenica,
scraped together some funds to buy a screen for our Pauline Books &
Media Center, so we could show promo videos we made locally about our
titles. They weren’t spit and polish, but they were attention grabbing.
And people responded. <br /><br />So, when Michael Waldstein completed a
new translation of the Wednesday General Audiences that Pope John Paul
had delivered on his Theology of the Body, on-screen promotion was a
given. Author George Weigel had once called the Pope’s series a
“theological time bomb.” We knew we had published a monumental work in <i>Man and Woman He Created Them, </i>and we wanted to set off fireworks.<br /><br />Perched
atop a stool next to an instore display of the book, I told the camera
that this was a must-have—challenging, but well worth the effort.
Spontaneously, enthusiastically, to the camera’s utter delight, I
described the features and read a passage or two. This was John Paul’s
masterpiece: his Christian approach to anthropology, with unique
insights into relationships and human sexuality, especially in
connection with marriage. Since the presentation was unscripted, I
hesitated at times, looking for the words that could do it justice. It
didn’t take long, though, for me to hit my stride, and the finished
product was presentable, if not professional. The camera, of course,
agreed.<br /><br />Soon after, our provincial superior and another sister
were visiting from Boston. As they looked around the new PBM Center,
they became engrossed in shelving, layout, and lighting. Sr. Margaret’s
papal eloquence was soon ignored as white noise.<br /><br />“And, if you’re
like me and you’re not married, don’t despair!” Startled by my
intensity, our two visitors spun around to face the screen. What on
earth is Margaret saying now? Is she starting a dating service?<br /><br />“It’s
not that this doesn’t have anything to do with us,” I continued. “It
does. There are at least fifty pages on what John Paul II calls
‘Continence for the Kingdom of Heaven.’” If you know what I mean. <br /><br />If
you don’t, allow me: It means that not even celibates miss out on the
Theology of the Body. To live a healthy, integrated, and holy life, we’d
better not! True, <i>Man and Woman He Created Them</i> is mostly about
sexuality in marriage. One of its benefits, though, is its invitation
also to those of us vowed to celibate chastity to understand the
physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of our sexuality in
the light of God’s Word. As we do, we can esteem even more how it weaves
into our relationships with God, our communities, our families and
friends, and the people we serve…here and hereafter. This consecrated
chastity then becomes the gift that not only God gives us, but that we
give back to him and to the world in which we live. It’s a world that,
even without realizing it, is waiting for just such a message.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This
past July 9-11, seven hundred laity, clergy, and religious turned out
to share that message at the annual Theology of the Body Congress in
Philadelphia. Go to <a href="http://www.tobcongress.com/">www.tobcongress.com</a> for photos and news. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://ascensionpress.com/t/category/audio-and-mp3/tob-congress-talk">Ascension Press</a></span> is now selling CDs of the talks online. Paulines also lent a hand at the Congress, especially through the <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://store.pauline.org/english/books/categoryid/654/level/a/catpageindex/2.aspx">publications</a> </span>that first helped detonate such a “theological time bomb” over three decades ago. <br /><br />Though a great event in its own right, the gathering served as a kind of dry run for the <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/">Eighth World Meeting of Families</a></span>, to be held in Philadelphia in September 2015. Archbishop Chaput has invited Pope Francis. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.<br /><br />Whether
you’re a Pauline Cooperator or a consecrated member of the Pauline
Family, John Paul’s Theology of the Body can spark something new in the
way you see yourself and your relationships. Set off a Roman candle of
your own from <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://store.pauline.org/english/books/categoryid/654/level/a.aspx">Pauline Books & Media</a></span>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">OK, here it is—the nine-minute video now on YouTube. What ideas do you think John Paul might have for you or someone you know? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Margaret
J. Obrovac, FSP, originally from San Francisco, has been a Pauline
evangelizer since 1973 and has worked in various phases of the mission
of the Daughters of St. Paul. Since attending the nine-month Charism
Course in Rome in 2012-2013, she is now based in Boston, where she
serves on the provincial Cooperator Team in the area of ongoing
formation. </span></span></span><br />
<br />Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-52533283659791414082014-01-07T17:39:00.002-08:002014-01-07T17:39:38.739-08:00Stuffing Our Jars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjeYOrRqri9XlTG-X_RlVYyW-4HC83ViwzSsxSYfVy7lplp2VP1WCnmzNkx-Z0izYp1L1uqajMoQdwQNtE3yewzDy4V9Y6jbiYhr1jeVDDk2TCyDFHV2c0De4ru_llcdMKY-ZEexrRaU/s1600/IMG_5303+A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjeYOrRqri9XlTG-X_RlVYyW-4HC83ViwzSsxSYfVy7lplp2VP1WCnmzNkx-Z0izYp1L1uqajMoQdwQNtE3yewzDy4V9Y6jbiYhr1jeVDDk2TCyDFHV2c0De4ru_llcdMKY-ZEexrRaU/s1600/IMG_5303+A.JPG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>n “inventory” of sorts has recently been re-shared over 6,700 times on Facebook: “Fill an empty jar with notes about good things that happen. Then on New Year’s Eve…see what awesome stuff happened this year.” One of our sisters said that her cousin and husband did that in 2013 and accumulated a box worth.<br /><br />As we begin 2014, we want to tell you that you’re in our box! Any particular reason? Well, for starters, in the past three months we held two fundraising campaigns: a Webathon in October for several development projects of our publishing house that had been on hold because of a lack of funds, plus a drive to support the outreach by our sisters in the Philippines in the wake of last month’s typhoon. The Webathon brought in $28,487.10, and the collection for the Philippines, $16,065. Neither would have succeeded without your generosity and commitment to the Church’s mission of evangelization that you and we all share. To you, hearing that you and your families are in our prayers may seem unnecessary, but to us, saying it is like emptying that jar (or box) in wonder.<br /><br />Sr. Noemi Vinoya, FSP provincial superior of the Philippines, says that not even that suffices “to express the gratitude we feel in our hearts.” Sr. Carmel Galula is especially inspired by the young people “repacking the relief goods for Tacloban! The youth are our hope, and working with them makes the ‘Bayanihan’ spirit – the spirit of volunteerism that Filipinos exhibit…even in non-emergency situations that call for a sense of community – very much alive.”<br /><br />Several of the sisters involved in the relief effort described the experience as a life-changer. “God has visited us through the strong winds and surge of water,” writes Sr. Rosalinda. “He allowed me to suffer with him in the midst of chaos and pain” that others were suffering. “It was indeed an experience of purification and conversion.” Sr. Antonietta agrees and adds: “I have realized that God is our Father, for he never abandons us in the midst of sufferings.”<br /><br />Sr. Pinky (Purificación) Barrientos works in the media office of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and has been one of my principal contacts for accurate and timely information. Sunday she wrote to me:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> “We are truly grateful for the show of support that you and the sisters and the generous donors have given to our sisters in Tacloban and to the people who have been greatly affected by the typhoon. Indeed the show of solidarity from everyone all over the world is absolutely overwhelming, that it makes me choke with emotion. Every time I read anything that has to do with people affected by Yolanda and people who are helping them, emotions well up in me and tears just roll. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> “But the survivors’ strong spirit and determination to overcome is also a source of inspiration for all of us, especially when some petty difficulties sometimes tend to make us lose our bearings, and we grumble about life.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> “May we continue to pray for one another as we also remember all those whom the Lord has entrusted to us through our common Pauline vocation.”</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As “luck” would have it, one of the Tacloban sisters was in Manila when the typhoon struck. She was able to funnel donations she received for Tacloban through the archdiocesan office of Palo, which is near the city. A few weeks ago, three other sisters began to clean and salvage what they could in the media center and convent, readying it for the replacement of the roof. Funds permitting, they plan to completely rebuild at a later date. They realize that renovating now would be insensitive to those who still don’t even have a roof over their heads. Since four Daughters of St. Paul and the Cooperators are the only Pauline presence in the Easter Visayas, they have every intention of regrouping and continuing their mission there.<br /><br />Even though we closed the fundraising project Sunday, if you’d still like to donate, <b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=c97cee">click here</a></span></b>. Your donation will be dropped directly into a fund that our superior general has set up in Rome for the Filipino sisters to draw from for the people, the Cooperators, and, when possible, themselves. As you launch a new year, may your sacrifice pack your jar to overflowing, as Jesus promised.</span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-56381456558051283102013-12-12T18:56:00.001-08:002013-12-12T18:58:06.810-08:00Filipino Comeback<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3yXOY9qO67iRYUC78M1phCuTqdSfqLWis8L2OFzLNCVdv1qY01opxWrlj6SMU5tfQ79JYSTT4ccFsIzx09MPM1IG3CJen4uYxJdK8Yt965WI357B6JMFSJaDSvjxTsgps2ccaUASlIg/s1600/DSC00332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3yXOY9qO67iRYUC78M1phCuTqdSfqLWis8L2OFzLNCVdv1qY01opxWrlj6SMU5tfQ79JYSTT4ccFsIzx09MPM1IG3CJen4uYxJdK8Yt965WI357B6JMFSJaDSvjxTsgps2ccaUASlIg/s400/DSC00332.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How many nuns does it take to change a baby?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>ne month after the largest typhoon on record hit the Philippines, most of the world has moved on to other emergencies, public and private. For that country, though, “normal” has forever been relativized. About 80% of the city of Tacloban, capital of the province of Leyte, was destroyed by wind and six-foot tall waves. As of <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/11/30/yolanda-death-toll-rises-5632-316400">last week (Nov. 30),</a></span> 5,632 people have died, 1,759 remain missing, over 26,000 sustain injuries, and 4 million nationwide are displaced. How does a country, in which four percent of its population was directly hit, go back to “normalcy”? That’s comparable to the U.S. “moving on” while the entire states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are devastated and displaced: in other words, Katrina, only worse.<br /><br />If nothing else, the nation is resilient, and I think I know its secret. As Japan stood as a witness of dignity and decency before the world in the aftermath of its earthquake and tsunami, so now the Philippines offers an enviable example of collaboration and community:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">· Thousands of <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.fides.org/en/news/34690-ASIA_PHILIPPINES_Profiteering_traffickers_and_pedophiles_on_the_orphaned_children_of_Typhoon_Haiyan#.Uqp1F_uJqgQ">“orphans of Yolanda”</a></span> are being abused and exploited in a country that scores as one of the highest incidences of human trafficking in the world. However, since the need for vigilance will last for several months, skilled social workers from the Preda Foundation and other religious and humanitarian organizations supplement government initiatives on site to protect these children.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">· On Nov. 30, three hundred religious, clergy, and laity attended a daylong lecture in Manila on “Psychological First Aid, Debriefing, Counseling and Coaching.” The event was a joint project of the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) and Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP). It was designed as part of a program of training religious volunteers in post-disaster intervention. Many had initially been coached to begin serving the first waves of evacuees mostly from the province of Leyte and its capital, Tacloban.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">· Communities and organizations are using their resources and areas of expertise in the service of the needy: Salesians, the Order of Malta, Guanellians, Jesuits, Caritas, Catholic Relief Services, and hundreds of women religious, including—I’m proud to say—Daughters of St. Paul.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">· Foreign NGOs that already collaborate with local ones, such as Manos Unidas from Spain and BCDI from the Bicol region of the Philippines, mobilized as first responders. Others joined forces with Filipino organizations both under, or independently from, Catholic auspices. The Catholic Church in the U.S. has dropped $20 million into the collection basket, no doubt with more to follow.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zwyhKBXbWPKAOGd0be3AVtS07ikisjNMIEmqBZAFS6wNHvYlpAx2-T0anAVzwoFIqI_gXtge35h8DxNLov71KRzKVwhQ35kvuiwr9j1kZbhRz1yB5Ss91ATT2qxA5OCivopItFPMdLA/s1600/580637_10201601505534255_1666382831_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zwyhKBXbWPKAOGd0be3AVtS07ikisjNMIEmqBZAFS6wNHvYlpAx2-T0anAVzwoFIqI_gXtge35h8DxNLov71KRzKVwhQ35kvuiwr9j1kZbhRz1yB5Ss91ATT2qxA5OCivopItFPMdLA/s320/580637_10201601505534255_1666382831_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">FSPs join in training for emergency counseling.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I could go on. Much of the efficiency in this collaboration and sense of community stems from a <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.news.com.au/world/four-weeks-after-typhoon-haiyan-it-is-mostly-the-survivors-helping-recovery-efforts-off-the-ground/story-fndir2ev-1226773943544">grassroots spirit of initiative</a></span>. As one Filipino bishop cautioned in addressing criticism of government inaction due to corruption, this is not the time for pointing fingers, but for helping each other. The government could be dealt with later.<br /><br />To paraphrase St. Paul the Apostle: Where evil has abounded, good news is abounding even more (cf. Rom. 5:20).<br /><br />All this makes even more ludicrous the statement of a Filipina media professional, who spoke at a conference I attended a few years ago. Her message: The Church has to relinquish control of the Filipino people. To progress, they must get out from under the thumb of the Catholic Church.<br /><br />Really.<br /><br />She mentioned two areas of concern: population control and influencing the media. It would not surprise me if she was one of those, who in these weeks has exploited the typhoon to buttress this agenda. Some activists have taken <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304243904579195320446663940">authorities’ comments</a></span> about supplying people with food out of context, to advance the notion that if the Philippines had fewer people, fewer would have died! Why stop at limiting births, then? Why not extend that population control to those with disabilities, since such people suffered <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.fides.org/en/news/34673-ASIA_PHILIPPINES_Double_the_mortality_rate_of_people_with_disabilities_compared_to_the_rest_of_the_population_affected_by_the_typhoon#.Uqp1x_uJqgQ">double the mortality rate</a></span> of the rest of the population? <br /><br />While a coalition of Churches, media, and educational institutions might do more to carve out a place for natural family planning in the culture, it won’t go anywhere if it’s trumpeted as a safeguard against the aftereffects of natural disaster. In addition, as an interesting blog post by the <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.pop.org/content/why-do-filipino-women-die-childbirth">Population Research Institute</a> </span>points out, access to contraception, promoted by the government’s Reproductive Health Bill, is not the panacea to either overpopulation or maternal mortality. “The Philippines has a contraceptive prevalence rate of 51% and a maternal mortality rate of 209 deaths for every 100,000 births. Japan, a developed country, has an almost identical contraceptive prevalence rate, at 54%. But Japan has one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world, suffering only 5 maternal deaths per every 100,000 births. To repeat, Filipinos are not dying from a lack of so-called ‘modern contraception.’ They are dying from a lack of real health care.”<br /><br />In one of the most densely populated nations on the planet, collaboration is key to survival, communion is the secret to life. In a place where “family” extends beyond those dwelling under the same roof, there is always room for one more person. As long as it treasures life, the Philippines will always bounce back from every challenge.<br /><span id="goog_1449394478"></span> This Advent we might pray in solidarity with the Philippines in the light of the season's </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Marian celebrations. The Immaculate Conception, deferred this year to Dec. 9, and Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12 are feasts of an expectant Mother. Hope, new life, salvation, contemplative, yet active waiting, and the faith-filled cry for justice and compassion bring her figure into sharp relief for every believer who seeks to live the gift of faith in a world with more questions than answers, in sure hope of the day when we “will have no more questions to ask” (Jn. 16:23).<br /><br />************<br /><span id="goog_1449394488"></span><span id="goog_1449394489"></span>Our sisters in the Philippines offer their grateful prayers of thanks for all of you who have</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOLeOnV9bs4EIJG-7RwD8b_LLQe_DAFPF0CEMsY5mO4nuQ2TjhvxRMVJLMCkoReB0gKRW1bOFrkEdX2AiDuGtXIdnIKPzr8JrQP93OrqS_iRXZw4akYOuA6CUI8-y8uY7gbciZ3b1XKQ/s1600/DSC00331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOLeOnV9bs4EIJG-7RwD8b_LLQe_DAFPF0CEMsY5mO4nuQ2TjhvxRMVJLMCkoReB0gKRW1bOFrkEdX2AiDuGtXIdnIKPzr8JrQP93OrqS_iRXZw4akYOuA6CUI8-y8uY7gbciZ3b1XKQ/s320/DSC00331.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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donated to their relief efforts, either by mail or online at <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=c97cee">pauline.org/givehope</a></span>. To date, you have given $7,562 to a fundraising campaign that will last until Epiphany, Jan. 5. Your donations have already been sent to our generalate in Rome, where our superior general has set up a fund for our sisters in the Philippines to draw from directly. Their priorities are the families of our collaborators, co-workers, Pauline Cooperators, and sisters, who have lost everything. The sisters intend to return to Tacloban once the roof at least has been replaced. This will give them a sufficiently stable living and working space until they can rebuild. The Daughters and the Cooperators are the only Pauline presence in the Eastern Visayas, a group of islands in east-central Philippines. Meanwhile, the Daughters of St. Paul in Manila are reaching out especially to evacuees, participating in local programs and connecting them also to the Pauline mission, with reading, material support, and their faith-filled presence. If you would like to donate, <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=c97cee">click here</a></span>. Your contribution will enable the sisters to continue bringing hope in God to all those they minister to.</span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-86341790833709223032013-09-06T07:25:00.000-07:002013-09-06T07:30:43.897-07:00Standing With Syria<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span>aul, the fearless Apostle, would weep. The world’s superpower is poised to bomb the home of his beloved Damascus and Antioch, where he first encountered the risen Christ and first learned to evangelize. Unless I’m projecting, though, what would wrench his heart is the youth. Two weeks ago, UN Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, reported that one million children now constitute half of all the refugees from Syria. Add to that two million displaced children within the country and you have what he calls the “enormous risk” of a “lost generation”: “We see the trauma, we see many that are unable to speak, that have a broken sleep, that have strange forms of behaviour. At the same time when we look at adolescence [sic] we see anger. This anger is not only bad for themselves, it’s a danger for the future of the society. For the future of the region.” Both UNHCR and UNICEF pleaded with all “parties to the conflict [to] stop targeting civilians and cease recruitment of children” (UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/15IS1Xn"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://bit.ly/15IS1Xn</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">, Aug. 23, 2013). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What will happen to the defenseless if the U.S. begins air strikes on targets that the Syrian government is now embedding within civilian populations? What will happen to the young we say we want to protect?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPso6mFyhHFteJCFID-BxVIjzjfcr8buI9TNLX1JMXG1Qc_tJ6KwbNEuKq33-FS-alKE4LNqMbWgYWjufevy2NnBDEttZFE0hjYh_UC9Pcb5ZJUXws0NsWglT9_xWGbuKIjoWB4ElMcg/s1600/IMG_5025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPso6mFyhHFteJCFID-BxVIjzjfcr8buI9TNLX1JMXG1Qc_tJ6KwbNEuKq33-FS-alKE4LNqMbWgYWjufevy2NnBDEttZFE0hjYh_UC9Pcb5ZJUXws0NsWglT9_xWGbuKIjoWB4ElMcg/s320/IMG_5025.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Myla's memorial plaque, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">FSP burial chapel, Boston</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Twenty-four year old Army Sgt. Myla Maravillosa was our friend and even before signing on with the military had begun her pre-entrance process with the Daughters of St. Paul. She planned to join our community once her tour of duty in Iraq was over. On Dec. 3, 2005, she wrote from Iraq to our vocation director, “The Daughters of St. Paul is my life and I’m forever grateful that God has given me that kind of gift.” Weeks later, on Christmas Eve, she was killed in action after her Humvee came under attack by rocket-propelled grenades. She was her mother’s only child.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now we’re moving in that violent direction again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pending President Obama’s decision next Monday to either initiate or forego military action in Syria, Pope Francis has called all Catholics to make Sept. 7 a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria. He will open St. Peter’s Square for a vigil from 7:00 P.M. to midnight and has invited us to join him. He urged the Church and the world “forcefully” to “dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian people” and to “lay down their weapons and be let themselves be led by the desire for peace.” (</span><a href="http://bit.ly/1dYyWdT"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://bit.ly/1dYyWdT</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said today, “As our nation’s leaders contemplate military action, it is particularly appropriate and urgent that we in the United States embrace the Holy Father’s call to pray and fast on September 7 for a peaceful end to the conflict in Syria and to violent conflicts everywhere” (</span><a href="http://usccb.org/news/2013/13-157.cfm"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://usccb.org/news/2013/13-157.cfm</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Pope invited “each person, including our fellow Christians, followers of other religions and all men of good will, to participate, in whatever way they can, in this initiative….Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace! I ask all the local churches, in addition to fasting, that they gather to pray for this intention.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In a letter to Pope Francis, the Grand Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badreddin Hassou, spiritual leader of Sunni Isalm, expressed “profound gratitude for his spiritual attention” together with the desire to “be with the Pope the moment when the prayer will be raised to God Almighty…We will be together on September 7, to raise our plea to God.” In addition, he proposed that the Holy See “organize a spiritual summit with religious leaders in Damascus or in the Vatican: so maybe we can stop the fire of those who want to destroy the land of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad.” (Fides Agency, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/14v3smk"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://bit.ly/14v3smk</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It is easy to pave the way for air strikes on Syria, but it is difficult to end the war and the consequences of these attacks throughout the Middle East….Everywhere, in Syria and outside Syria, the faithful are praying to ward off an attack by foreign countries against Syria and in order to build peace in the whole region. We all pray that our Lord Jesus Christ enlightens the minds of the people in power, so that they act according to justice and peace, for the sake of human beings (Eustathius Matta Roham, Syro-Orthodox Metropolitan Archbishop, quoted by Fides Agency, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/14v3Fpx"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://bit.ly/14v3Fpx</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">). </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In this same article, a Syrian Catholic bishop commented ruefully, “The most dramatic thing has been the absence of any form of dialogue in the last three years, while anguish and despair inhabit these people.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Down what path will our elected officials lead us? With our consent? We take pride in being a “peaceful people.” We need to look in the mirror. Does that self-perception match reality? With violence in our streets, violence in our schools, violence in our video games, TV screens and movie theaters, violence in our homes, violence in our clinics and skilled nursing facilities; with bullying in offices and on playgrounds, with verbal abuse and machismo, is it any wonder we feel tempted to ride into countries around the world with guns blazing and attempt to force them to resolve their problems on our terms and to our benefit?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And to our benefit it is—or at least of some among us. The groups that stand to profit the most from another war are industrialists and investors. Although government can ill afford the military’s price tag, a struggling economy would get a boost from vehicle, aircraft, and munitions manufacturing and computer systems development, as well as a host of supplemental “services.” It is these, not diplomacy, that finance political campaigns. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Iraq had a thriving Christian community and culture 2,000 years old. Yes, intervention toppled a dictator, but it left a vacuum in which those less tolerant of Christianity made believers’ lives so difficult, that now, less than ten years later, families have been displaced, the Christian voice has been effectively silenced, and that culture has been all but obliterated—as Blessed John Paul II had predicted. The Catholic hierarchy in Asian and North African countries have recently come under fire from the international community for opposing military intervention that would supposedly make their nations “safe for democracy.” When we see the Iraqi scenario repeated, we can hardly blame them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There are more than just two options—military strikes and “doing nothing.” Diplomacy could be considered an option, given the significant defections by the Syrian military and international outrage over the actions of Syrian leaders. A government without the support of the military will implode. Moreover, success following unilateral action by the U.S. is illusory, the fantasy of cinema and unworthy of the world’s superpower. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>What can I do?</strong><br />1.<strong> <em>Fast and pray,</em></strong> especially on Saturday, Sept. 7, either alone, or if possible, at whatever vigils are offered on a local level in concert with the vigil in St. Peter’s Square that night.<br />2. Fast also from entertainment for the day to <strong><em>get informed</em>.</strong> The major TV networks and their Web sites are only one source of information. Listen to the voices that are less heard and less considered by the world’s power brokers (and in spite of prevailing cultural “wisdom,” those voices include the Vatican’s); they reflect other facets of the truth. Search beyond those whose ideas naturally mesh with yours. The Web pages cited in this article are a good place to start.<br />3. In view of what you learn and in the light of the Gospel, <em><strong>re-examine your own attitude</strong></em> toward violence as a solution to conflict.<br />4. <em><strong>Write</strong></em> to elected officials to stand down. You can find your U.S. Representative and Senators at </span><a href="http://www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.<br />5. If you know of a Syrian immigrant or family, even if you don’t know them well, knock on their door or leave them a note to <em><strong>express your prayerful solidarity,</strong></em> regardless of their religious affiliation. (Remember how touched the Grand Mufti was by the outreach of Pope Francis.) <br />6. <em><strong>Review your investment portfolio.</strong></em> Which stock or bond sources deal in armaments? Move your investments today into health care or other equally profitable funding sources.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">7. <strong><em>Share</em></strong> this blog article with others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Any other ideas? Share them with me in a comment below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children! Help us, Mary, to overcome this most difficult moment and to dedicate ourselves each day to building in every situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us! (Pope Francis)</span></blockquote>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is my last article in Pauline Faithways, our mission
advancement (development) blog. Since I have now been assigned to working in
the ongoing formation of the Pauline Cooperators—besides completing a number of
writing projects and a translation—you’ll be able to find me at http://paulinelaity.blogspot.com,
the blog of the North American branch of the Association of Pauline Cooperators.
I’ll write every six weeks, while others will write more often. I can continue to
keep you on my e-mail list, unless, as always, you prefer to access the post
yourself. Thank you for your attention, your comments (posted publicly or sent
to me privately), and your financial response over the past four years. It’s
been grand!</span></em><br />
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</span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-80933461695435640612013-03-02T06:09:00.001-08:002013-03-03T06:09:32.011-08:00In Benedict’s Classroom<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span>hen Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope eight years ago, I told people who asked for my impressions that I looked forward to being surprised. I never imagined it would be this! Even if I had, I never would have thought I would be right in the middle of it. Yet here it is, and here I am.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhn-YDXVNwaSeRcr0vP2qCiBUf7eh4jLmSQRlWhS_NrI0L8q-WdrRyEQ9ph5g-TDgA1ubw9RWQcflqM4PCLzIeaSY-6zeFJ2WSvPgqcnWF3ARYyKyslQqDBBHQJTaD7WPNtwwnwvP3DE/s1600/IMG_3799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhn-YDXVNwaSeRcr0vP2qCiBUf7eh4jLmSQRlWhS_NrI0L8q-WdrRyEQ9ph5g-TDgA1ubw9RWQcflqM4PCLzIeaSY-6zeFJ2WSvPgqcnWF3ARYyKyslQqDBBHQJTaD7WPNtwwnwvP3DE/s400/IMG_3799.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had a bird's eye view Sunday at the Angelus</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I also told you in my last article that I wouldn’t be blogging regularly unless “something happens that might interest you.” You’ve had your pick of blogs and broadcasts, tweets and timelines surrounding the conclusion of the first papacy of the social media era. I wondered what I could offer you that hasn’t been put out there ten thousand times already.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Whenever I’ve gone out of the house in these last couple of weeks, people have wanted to talk. That’s normally not a problem, except that now it’s usually in Italian, so with my limited vocabulary, communicating is more of a toussle. Still, we’ve managed: <br />• The Carabiniera (Italy’s version of Homeland Security) who worries that the pope might be abandoning his vocation, the Church, and by association, her;<br />• A pharmacist in the neighborhood, who smells something foul in the air;<br />• The chiropractor, who perceives a new path for Church ministry, but wonders about the precedent it sets and how it affects our sense of fidelity to promises made;<br />• The theologian-friend, who anguishes over the questions it raises and who, as he continues to foster his deep relationship with God in prayer, will see himself in the questions he asks—if he hasn’t already.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Through these encounters I’ve stepped into the Pope’s classroom. The theme of his <i>magisterium,</i> or teaching role in the Church, is being repeated by one person after another.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A charism course presenter, Fr. Roberto Roveran, SSP, for instance, began class the day after the Pope’s announcement by inviting us to learn from what we’re picking up all around us. He sees in Benedict’s renunciation of the Petrine ministry, “not a retreat, but an openness to modernity. In this, too, he’s exercising a true magisterium. John Paul II showed the world his humanity by carrying the cross to the end. So is Benedict.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When George Rutler writes that the ministry of the pope is not “indelible,” (see the end of this article) or as my theologian-friend says, “It’s not a vocation”—certainly not in the same way that states in life are—they’re reminding us that setting down the crosier is always a possibility. At the same time, Benedict remains a bishop, which means that, following his vocation, he will continue to teach the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of our sisters in the U. S. e-mailed me: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“I totally think it [the renunciation] is keeping with his creative streak. What I mean is that first of all he is a theologian, and that is the job description of a theologian: find different ways to present truth and at times dig out truth from long forgotten corners, brush it off and present it to a contemporary people. <br /> “His role as a theologian has developed a mindset in him to openly analyze the truth in relation to the past and the present. A theologian is given to creative insight that most of us just don’t discover. I think that is partly why he was willing to make the decision. Reaching back to the past, he developed an unprecedented solution, at least in terms of the last few centuries. He remained faithful to being original, flexible, honest, and therefore, creative.”</span></blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvus8MLHa0mBQtmkeE-0Jq1P6sm8B_i8l9b89fcq0nZqwoer6z7qf4RjgXUneR-d_tf_Yo2oICyC_1AxX3xec95RaNJ67hDt7Ctnx3RqXU0fK_3X175lXQo0rzxPFm_dprD3AHQLzbgw/s1600/Rocca+Bern+Smj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvus8MLHa0mBQtmkeE-0Jq1P6sm8B_i8l9b89fcq0nZqwoer6z7qf4RjgXUneR-d_tf_Yo2oICyC_1AxX3xec95RaNJ67hDt7Ctnx3RqXU0fK_3X175lXQo0rzxPFm_dprD3AHQLzbgw/s320/Rocca+Bern+Smj.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sr. Bernadette and me with don Rocca</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">History bears this out, too. In my estimation, the centerpiece of this blog article is in following written interview I had with Pauline historian Fr. Giancarlo Rocca, whom I introduced you to in my last article. The insights into our own community’s story that he integrates with recent events give us a way to live these moments in our Church with both trust and a personal sense of responsibility:<br /><br /><i>PF: One Catholic news source said that throughout the Church’s history so far, four popes have resigned. The most recent took place in the fifteenth century. Besides the modern context, what makes this one different?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Judging from the numerous cases—many more than four<b>*</b> —in which pontiffs have resigned or were forced to resign from their ministry, I think that that the issues are varied and can be grouped into three broad categories: politics, personal motivations, and problems linked to issues within the Church.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Those in the <b>political</b> category are the most easily identified. Until around the year 1000, there were several cases of forced resignation, when emperors decided to depose and exile popes, who at times named a successor. This was the case with Clement I, martyr and saint, Pontian, Silverius, and Benedict IX, not to mention the “anti-popes” elected, again for political reasons, like Felix (who replaced the legitimate Pope Liberius) and then later on, with Sylvester III and Gregory VI.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“The case of Celestine V (1209?-1296) is different. He is the pope certainly best known for his resignation, after holding the office of Peter for less than four months. His case was not political, but <b>personal,</b> religious. Celestine V was a hermit, loved solitude, realized that the culture of the Roman Curia was not for him, wanted to return to his cell, and so, chose to abdicate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Different still are the many cases of “anti-popes” during the so-called Avignon Papacy. These were deposed by the various councils of the time (Pisa and Constance in the 15th century), as in the case of Gregory XII vs. John XXIII.<b>**</b> Though they involved the civil powers of the time, these cases were due to strife within the <b>Church.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Despite the health factor, Pope Benedict XVI’s renunciation of the Petrine ministry is certainly closer to that of Celestine V. It almost seems that Benedict XVI has confirmed what he had said on the occasion of the famous Via Crucis, before being elected pope: the Church is stained and needs to be purified. I have tried to do what I could, according to my possibilities and my strength. Now that my powers have diminished, it is up to you. The Church is you too.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIX9TXdnb5VPG2c-Ea0GtdlDevTp8x82p_ZZaDqI0C6gpvgFXgWyAqLod2Yy8yrE2zJqwnEbIboo0l1GnlYQD-wymbUcdoxXg8rOHE1ujIK3iSp9WZaa8s3HMDpMpMrdmU6uRtxlFubXI/s1600/Before+Pilate.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIX9TXdnb5VPG2c-Ea0GtdlDevTp8x82p_ZZaDqI0C6gpvgFXgWyAqLod2Yy8yrE2zJqwnEbIboo0l1GnlYQD-wymbUcdoxXg8rOHE1ujIK3iSp9WZaa8s3HMDpMpMrdmU6uRtxlFubXI/s400/Before+Pilate.bmp.jpg" width="90" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i>PF: Some, like John Paul II’s former secretary, Cardinal Stanislaus Dziwisz, have suggested that, by renouncing his office, Pope Benedict is “coming down from the cross”—whether that cross is the burden of office, of accountability before the world, or of old age. What is your reading of the event?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Cardinal Dziwisz has made it clear he did not at all intend to criticize the position taken by Pope Benedict XVI. When it comes to key issues in our lives, our decisions weigh heavy on us, too, as does the inevitable loneliness connected with them. We have to make these decisions for ourselves, knowing that others may or may not understand. That risk remains, as does the potential for second thoughts. In other words, the cross weighs heavy, perhaps even heavier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Personally, I think that the decision of Pope Benedict XVI brings us face-to-face with our responsibilities. In this sense, it doesn’t pay to discuss why Pope Benedict XVI decided to resign. Indeed, regardless of his motivations, the question for us is: What does this resignation mean for us? What I mean by that is, the wisdom of the ages is still valid: We can benefit from everything that happens to us. Like the Greek god Hermes, we wield a magic wand that can profitably turn whatever happens to us—health, disease, friendships, disappointments, anything—into gold.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i>PF: Has a papal resignation ever solved any problems of the Church in the world? Will Benedict’s renunciation help to iron out any difficulties that believers face today? Is there a hopeful sign in what he has decided to do?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Voluntary or involuntary, the resignation of popes throughout history has not changed the character of the Church in which, Jesus said, the wheat and the weeds grow together until harvest. Good and evil are always mixed. An intervention helps to diminish evil in its excesses, not to eradicate it completely. Evil exists because there is good. If evil were to triumph, evil would destroy everything, including itself, and there would be nothing. Life goes on, and the Church goes on, just because goodness is still in the majority. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“There are times, however, when evil is too much and a strong jolt is needed. It’s a little like our personal lives, when things get as low as they can go; then from the bottom of the well, life surges, and downfall is transformed into renewal.”</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDvvcNJPGgyrOTpbWuoL5NTWNQ0Wp0fYj0H0jh4BxIIk6qaxen_CHnyBevziAaboIRaBGS0orKV1LRt-B_mMgD_gka-KHkMdmvkD6AQTQzq9RBhTxYKgo3Mj4pGKToItJ1JpdBLrn7MQ/s1600/Alberione+john+xxiii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDvvcNJPGgyrOTpbWuoL5NTWNQ0Wp0fYj0H0jh4BxIIk6qaxen_CHnyBevziAaboIRaBGS0orKV1LRt-B_mMgD_gka-KHkMdmvkD6AQTQzq9RBhTxYKgo3Mj4pGKToItJ1JpdBLrn7MQ/s1600/Alberione+john+xxiii.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fr. Alberione with John XXIII</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i>PF: Fr. Alberione’s attachment to the pope was notable, even, some might say, extreme in its expression, at least to modern ears. For example, in a 1955 sermon to the Daughters of St. Paul, he urged the sisters (and all Paulines) to “have a papal mentality.” How are we to interpret this today?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“I would say that Fr. Alberione did not hesitate to accept the decisions of the pope, even when some of his requests were not agreed to. For example, between 1921 and 1927, he constantly proposed, as a characteristic of his men and women religious, the vow of fidelity to the pope (like the Jesuits), but the then-Sacred Congregation for Religious objected that such a vow was unnecessary, since it was included in the vow of obedience. Alberione acquiesced; his adherence to the pontiff and that of his institutes was unquestioned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“He was able, however, to distinguish between the pontiff’s direct intervention and the workings of the Curia, or better, of the different Roman Congregations with which he dealt. Lover of history that he was, he knew that they could modify their opinion with a change in circumstances and persons. When he had the opportunity, Fr. Alberione worked to again clarify his ideas even to the ecclesiastical authorities. This is how the vow of fidelity to the pope was reintroduced into the Pauline Constitutions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“The same thing happened regarding the apostolate of the press, which in the 1920’s the Sacred Congregation for Religious considered inappropriate for a religious congregation. It’s still this way for other issues, but then again, this is how it is for many other founders and saints.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i>PF: Pure speculation here, but would you hazard a guess anyway: How do you think Fr. Alberione would have reacted, responded, in our day to the news of Benedict’s resignation? How do you think he would have engaged us in the mission to “confirm the faith” of the Church?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“I think that a certain event in the life of Fr. Alberione can offer us a way of responding to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. It happened that the Holy See intervened very forcefully in the life of one of his institutes. This is how Alberione reacted, and he recommended that his religious do the same: 1) The Holy See has intervened, as we all know. The fact is undeniable. 2) It is useless to talk about why and how the Holy See has decided to intervene in our lives, losing much time and energy with inevitable gossip and discussion. 3) Rather, let us see what this intervention, which makes us suffer, can teach us, seeing if we did what we could.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“It seems to me that Alberione’s reaction can tell us how he would have reacted to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI: 1) We all know that he resigned and wanted to resign. 2) It’s useless to talk about why and how he decided to do this. 3) Let us see if we have done what we could and if his resignation does not require us to examine our conscience.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I’ve started to make that particular examen of conscience, just processing the thoughts and feelings of these days, listening for the Spirit’s message that will make me more like Jesus. Unlike some of the superficial reactions I’ve run across, truth takes center stage here, if I allow God’s presence—now comforting, now disconcerting—to reveal itself through those events and through my response. This is magisterium at its most personal level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yesterday evening I heard on Radio Vaticana that Pope Benedict would post his last tweet (see right sidebar) and close his Twitter account at 5:00, just before climbing into the helicopter that would take him to the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo for the duration of the Church’s transition. So a few minutes after 5, I ventured out onto the terrace of our generalate in the southwest section of Rome and waited with rosary in hand. Soon enough, I spotted the helicopter rise above the horizon over Vatican City. It flew toward us, then circled slowly over the city before heading southeast to the Alban Hills. I hoped he knew I was praying for him; I knew he was praying for me—after a long day in the classroom. </span><br />
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**********<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I’ve found several online and print resources on Pope Benedict XVI at </span><a href="http://www.news.va/"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">www.news.va</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">, at the </span><a href="http://usccb.org/about/leadership/holy-see/interregnum/index.cfm"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: xx-small;">U.S. bishops’ Web site</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> and at the </span><a href="https://store.pauline.org/SinglePages/PopeBenedictXVILegacy/tabid/213/Default.aspx"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: xx-small;">“Legacy” page</span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">of the Daughters of St. Paul site. John Allen’s blog, </span><a href="http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: xx-small;">All Things Catholic,</span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> is a perennially reliable commentary, sizzling with the immediacy of a journalist in Rome. Brother Aloysius Milella, SSP, (Br. Al) sent me the link to an article by George Rutler, </span><a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/benedicts-decision-in-the-light-of-eternity#.URzx9NtYnmo.email"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: xx-small;">“Benedict’s Decision in the Light of Eternity,”</span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">which he considers one of the better articles out there. I agree. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">_______</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>* A list of pontiffs who left office can be found in the Annuario Pontificio, or Pontifical Yearbook. In addition, a wealth of information is contained in the various encyclopedias on the history of the papacy.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>** Obviously this is not the John XXIII of the Second Vatican Council. This one was deposed 600 years earlier. His rival, the legitimate Pope Gregory XII, resigned for the unity of the Church, paving the way for the election of Martin V, who actually restored unity.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;">_________</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Photos: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;">St. Peter's Square; don Rocca: Margaret J. Obrovac, FSP</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Jesus before Pilate: Courtesy of <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><a href="http://www.stainedglassinc.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">www.StainedGlassInc.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;">Fr. Alberione with John XXIII: </span><a href="http://www.alberione.org/operaomnia"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;">www.alberione.org/operaomnia</span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;">
</span></span></span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-11425489158236878752013-02-01T07:59:00.000-08:002013-02-01T11:47:24.155-08:00Paper Mates<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>t’s crunch time at the Charism Course here in Rome. After an eight-day retreat last week, we rounded the bend and began the second half of the course, which will take us to the end of May. Besides class each weekday, homework, three hours of prayer, and community commitments, there hovers over us The Thesis. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0UkIU6orIwQAoE6Ht2YlwRA40ohRZWjYvKQ_Lg3djILbXPKZRoIfcjgWevBn-B_Zgo9vdDIZFj72oXaTAwMgGuCynRMkRIIUY4RGbS65CgMh-Z5q2OMgno5HNPe_lGwGIgM_PAeOic0/s1600/Germana+and+Bern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ea="true" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0UkIU6orIwQAoE6Ht2YlwRA40ohRZWjYvKQ_Lg3djILbXPKZRoIfcjgWevBn-B_Zgo9vdDIZFj72oXaTAwMgGuCynRMkRIIUY4RGbS65CgMh-Z5q2OMgno5HNPe_lGwGIgM_PAeOic0/s200/Germana+and+Bern.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sr. Germana & Sr. Bernadette</td></tr>
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Depending on your perspective, it’s actually either a mini-thesis or a glorified paper. It’s supposed to consist of a minimum of 25 pages, single-spaced. In fact, we can look forward to a class on the formatting requirements. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bernadette.reis?ref=ts&fref=ts"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sr. Bernadette Mary Reis</span></a>, an American FSP who is serving now in our International Multimedia Center near the Vatican, e-mailed me her 111-page behemoth from six years ago. This way, provided the requirements are the same, I just have to type over hers, after I make a copy for bedtime reading once I go Stateside.<br />
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It just so happens that I picked the same adviser she had—Pauline historian Don Giancarlo Rocca. A prolific writer for the past fifty years, he was co-author and director of the ten-volume <em>Dictionary of the Institutes of Perfection</em> back in the 70’s and director of the magazine, <em>Madre di Dio,</em> for six years. His rigorous scholarship and no-nonsense approach to work are legendary. Thank God he has a great sense of humor…and he reads English. We also had him for thirty hours of classes on the history of the Pauline Family. So I know something of what I’m getting into—I think.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1qUrH3jbwap-yEF8An9jq4nri7jTxBUCzGA6WKhHnEl501boG-zrmEHSiAHsEmviI-JmDFh9-a8cKX4NavdE2TxNKX56o_yqbgjFcQTSomyKMRubNd0hwNFoLoQ2K7jULJWxmEKPnyA/s1600/Maria+Grazia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1qUrH3jbwap-yEF8An9jq4nri7jTxBUCzGA6WKhHnEl501boG-zrmEHSiAHsEmviI-JmDFh9-a8cKX4NavdE2TxNKX56o_yqbgjFcQTSomyKMRubNd0hwNFoLoQ2K7jULJWxmEKPnyA/s1600/Maria+Grazia.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sr. M. Grazia</td></tr>
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I’m telling you right now, there’s no way I’m going to churn out 111 pages! Maybe 110, but no more. This afternoon Bernadette coached me on taking research notes using an Excel worksheet. I’ll be forever grateful. Still, I teased that she’ll be a tough act to follow; Rocca has not forgotten her. Her research covered the thought behind Bl. James Alberione’s book, <em>Woman Associated With Priestly Zeal,</em> seen within the context of the feminist movement in Italy. Mine is much less daunting: “The Donor as Pauline Cooperator: History, Charism, Future.” According to Sr. Maria Grazia Gabelli, who works in the Daughters’ International Secretariat for Spirituality, no one here has ever written anything on the topic, and both she and Don Rocca see a need for it. They’ll be my ticket to the archives of the FSP and the SSP. Through contacts and friends, I’ve already been able to get access to some resources in English and Italian at various places, including the Gregorian University Library. We’ll see what really emerges.<br />
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What I know will happen is already happening. Besides learning, I’m growing in a real reverence for those who’ve preceded me in the Pauline Family. I sense within myself a deeper appreciation for the complexity of our history and our current reality. Above all, I’m constantly amazed at how Jesus Master has stuck with us, guided, forgiven, and encouraged us, just as he promised to the first Paulines in a dream-vision to Fr. Alberione: “Do not be afraid; I am with you. From here (from the Eucharist) I want to enlighten. Live with a penitent heart.”<br />
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What all this means, “Gentle Reader,” is that given the demands, I won’t be able to continue regularly with Pauline Faithways until the end of June. If I manage to get a moment here and there and if something happens that might interest you, based on your survey answers last year, I’ll post it and notify the people on my e-mail list. If you’d like me to add you to that list, send me a note at <a href="mailto:pearlmjo@gmail.com"><span style="color: #cc0000;">pearlmjo@gmail.com</span></a>. Many thanks for the comments you’ve already sent, either here on the blog or in my e-mail box. Thank you for your suggestions, encouragement, and prayers. And, especially next Tuesday, Feb. 5, when the Pauline Family gathers to remember co-foundress Venerable Thecla Merlo 49 years after her death: my prayers for you as you evangelize, passing along some part of the Good News to family and friends. Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-42427516076061439312013-01-18T17:03:00.000-08:002015-07-29T11:34:38.047-07:00St. Paul's Housewarming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>ne day during Christmas break, I was wandering the roads less traveled in Rome’s historic district until I finally ended up on the congested via del Corso. I came across the church, Santa Maria in via Lata, which was open, since it was later in the afternoon. So I decided to stop in for a short visit. It had been twelve years since I had been there, and it already carried a special memory for me. Little did I know that I was about to make another memory that would dwarf just about every other spiritual or sentimental connection I had with the place.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoT-ZB4pXC4csD3bGHO_1O-EZa5JwHgwqvHrn2R7wSKnizlUal7aRv6YtajMXvrp1ZurmMCTfC5uX1HB0b6xMBlbvBallG9bDkK5rhqGYz2syOZhwnMEfvzkN7dS3LBv__NSPXcZ_L94/s1600/Paul-prison2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoT-ZB4pXC4csD3bGHO_1O-EZa5JwHgwqvHrn2R7wSKnizlUal7aRv6YtajMXvrp1ZurmMCTfC5uX1HB0b6xMBlbvBallG9bDkK5rhqGYz2syOZhwnMEfvzkN7dS3LBv__NSPXcZ_L94/s320/Paul-prison2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I already knew that it was built over the rooms that according to tradition, served as St. Paul’s living quarters while he was under house arrest, awaiting trial before Caesar. (See Acts 28:16-31.) I remember twelve years ago peering down a very dark stairway that was filled with rubble and so, was inaccessible to the public. This time I had barely stepped into the vestibule of the church when I was greeted by a man at a table, who beckoned to me to visit the recently restored site! Giuseppe wouldn’t even charge me the two Euros it cost to get in. When he learned that I was one of the Prisoner’s Daughters and was in the process of writing the text for a PBM app on the places connected with Peter and Paul in Rome, he got on his cell phone and called the rector, Fr. Amatori, who appeared in (almost) a New York second to give me a personal tour.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYRJicA03q0IzsklpNCljwGn5qwpCMy_6g95ucS_xxCT5uf0R0qWG8E1qTwqhzB-gfW-C2gBiYohB3zkl5oe1s7rBpZwRJ99SuCkIBxrIzKQZsJsFG92fZhFI8k7uXkPh6_3X1-3jEx8/s1600/p012_0_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYRJicA03q0IzsklpNCljwGn5qwpCMy_6g95ucS_xxCT5uf0R0qWG8E1qTwqhzB-gfW-C2gBiYohB3zkl5oe1s7rBpZwRJ99SuCkIBxrIzKQZsJsFG92fZhFI8k7uXkPh6_3X1-3jEx8/s320/p012_0_4.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recently discovered frescoes in the crypt</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We headed down those stairs, now trafficked and well-lit. My guide explained that three other locations in the city claim to have housed Paul as prisoner. The least likely is the Mamertine Prison in the Roman Forum, the Empire’s hub of public life. Another possibility is a place on the Aventine Hill, which I haven’t seen yet. Lastly, we have what is probably the strongest contender: the sanctuary in the church of San Paolo alla Regola, which is built in place of the house in the Jewish Quarter or “Ghetto,” a word that in Italian does not carry the same negative connotation it does in current English. Since the Acts of the Apostles states that, once established, Paul summoned the leaders of the synagogue to explain himself, he may well have lodged in the vicinity. That’s not conclusive proof for Regola, however, since at Paul’s time there were eleven synagogues in Rome, and Acts doesn’t say which one received his invitation to <i>pranzo.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When I had visited Fr. Fernando Cornet in Sardinia over Christmas break, I learned a little something about Roman penal practice. He’s a scholar on the Fathers of the Church and a friend of our American FSP Choir. He said that, unlike our modern European and American systems of justice, prisons were not designed to punish people for crimes they committed. They were nothing more than holding pens for those awaiting trial or execution. Since Roman executors of justice were in no hurry to hear your case, that holding pattern could circle for years. If you were not suspected of a capital crime and posed no immediate danger to society, you could rent lodgings and hire a guard. Hence, Paul’s need to work for a living in the meantime.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The crypt that Fr. Amatori was now showing me dates back to the first or second century A.D. Paul would have been there in the 60’s. About a 15-minute walk from the Roman Forum, the apartment was part of what may have been a warehouse complex that certainly extended the length of almost two-and-a-half football fields, between Piazza Colonna and Piazza Venezia. A kind of post office was located across the street.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy-8nSr5MztIr0m8X28zo2ibHqKYBsTO0UlmlrnNXYleb-8a1pnouB1eh7ptoOkaA7mSe0kH7F30d_eyQ6gAP10qqYW2pHi-f4w_XSlxb6dNjmLBxQErPa-flprTHZez5ePLMD-qFvbI/s1600/p011_1_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy-8nSr5MztIr0m8X28zo2ibHqKYBsTO0UlmlrnNXYleb-8a1pnouB1eh7ptoOkaA7mSe0kH7F30d_eyQ6gAP10qqYW2pHi-f4w_XSlxb6dNjmLBxQErPa-flprTHZez5ePLMD-qFvbI/s320/p011_1_02.jpg" width="76" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In each room two travertine rock brackets on opposite walls from each other would have been used to support a slab that served as a ceiling for the lower room (Paul’s shop?) and a floor for the upper one (his apartment?). Excavations also revealed a garden fountain and a well. Now, I don’t know the first thing about tent-making or leather-working, but I’m told that a water source is essential. In fact, the proximity of the Jewish Ghetto to the River Tiber lends support to the Regola location. At any rate, archaeologists fished out of this well a number of Roman-era objects, including, of all things, a length of rusty chain. While we don’t want to get too romantic over this—it could have been tossed there by anyone anytime—a period column clearly shows a chain’s rust marks, and a Latin inscription on it reads, “The word of God is not chained,” from 2Tm. 2:9. No doubt, an act of devotion, but it does send a tingle down the spine. At the very least, it testifies to the influence that the Apostle has had for centuries on the faith of millions.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD31uVBeHWmKa93ZpuWBE-vzLFN740IAGvuiRSHb4EGj3Ub_I5LRJUc1lsluv5coAl-p95g43dKANppK8RxEqq92Czugh-qSpOaeiWoeCRVumZ1gj2yTD1p_NNW8nSCDBENmayb-dRZZc/s1600/p012_0_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD31uVBeHWmKa93ZpuWBE-vzLFN740IAGvuiRSHb4EGj3Ub_I5LRJUc1lsluv5coAl-p95g43dKANppK8RxEqq92Czugh-qSpOaeiWoeCRVumZ1gj2yTD1p_NNW8nSCDBENmayb-dRZZc/s320/p012_0_12.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three layers of frescoes</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That influence prompted pilgrimages to the site early on. By the end of the sixth century—so, only five hundred years later—a monastic community from either Greece or Cappadocia had moved in and built a chapel in one of the rooms. They stayed for a few centuries until a women’s community took up residence in the same rooms. They carved out their own chapel, and the eleventh-century church followed. In fact, excavators have discovered three layers of frescoes from three different periods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Sr. Filippa Castronovo, FSP</span><span style="color: black;">, </span>whom I introduced you to in October <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4997428833833016610#editor/target=post;postID=8120464408625129058"><span style="color: #cc0000;">(10/16/2012)</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4997428833833016610#editor/target=post;postID=8120464408625129058"><span style="color: #cc0000;">,</span></a> just yesterday finished her series of presentations to us in the Charism Course on “Paul and Alberione.” One thing she said back then has stayed with me: “Spiritual writers and scholars tend to speak more about interpreting Paul than imitating him.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That matches my experience: I audited a course at the Gregorian University last semester, in which the professor, an official at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, referred to how Paul “interpreted” Christ. It takes more than just doing what Jesus or Paul would do. It means understanding them, fostering a friendship with them, learning from them, and above all, applying what we pick up from them in study and prayer to our own life-situations, some of which no one before us has encountered. Fr. Alberione used that word, too, when he held Paul up as the model of our apostolic spirituality—I ran across the passage today. When it came to using various media for evangelization, for instance, how many times the founder said that our pioneer Paulines were being asked to blaze trails where none existed. We still do. So do many others. And Paul is a wonderful companion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A tradition holds that Peter was also a guest at the site of Paul’s house arrest. In fact, a marble bas-relief depicts St. Luke taking notes while Peter and Paul “discuss the organization of the Church.” As Fr. Amatori stated with a little smile, that’s pure fantasy. In the 60’s the Church of Rome consisted of perhaps 125 believers. This in a city that, within about fifty years, would boast a population of one million. Humanly speaking, the Church was so small and insignificant, that “organization” was the last thing on anyone’s mind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In addition, he pointed out, the Church everywhere in those early days was not a homogenous group of believers. There had already arisen different traditions, which eventually gave birth to the four versions of the Gospel, and in the extreme, different factions. We only have to read Paul’s epistles to get a whiff of that. In addition, Peter and Paul were not always on the same page, theologically. Fr. Amatori wasn’t referring to the basics of the Christian message; he was talking more about perspective and priorities. While both men no doubt respected each other and certainly wielded major influence in the Christian community in Rome, to the extent that even now people here seldom speak of one without mentioning the other, in life they were not on the best of terms and they attracted people with different viewpoints.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Had we lived like that almost five hundred years ago, we might never have had to endure Martin Luther’s break with the Catholic Church, with all the heartache and wars that followed. Both Catholics and Lutherans are gradually coming to terms over issues that could have been resolved if everyone had taken conversion to heart and seen through some of the language to what was really being said. But unlike Peter and Paul, the people at the eye of that storm were too heavily invested in matters other than ongoing conversion. In this Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, that ends on the feast of St. Paul’s Conversion (Jan. 25), let’s pray for that for each other. The Pauline Family will gather tomorrow evening for Mass at the tomb of St. Paul in the Basilica that bears his name, precisely to pray for this. I’ll be sure to take you with me.<br />_________________<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos used with permission from Santa Maria in via Lata (</span></span><a href="http://www.cryptavialata.it/"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.cryptavialata.it</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">).</span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-40799101693641494332013-01-02T10:49:00.000-08:002013-01-02T13:37:09.928-08:00Making (Radio) Waves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJPbniC4-KgXeKxefk1mcikfwsb8XrTOtXnLHuCBYP1HouIMJLJK3TFzjOLp8Etu5AsvUpdrX4T7BHSiUd0oUiE5hqcGUcmKHoJ7IsYa3YevIXQrn8SQPsk6kz4kzqkiVLC0BJRtdXTk/s1600/Lovett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJPbniC4-KgXeKxefk1mcikfwsb8XrTOtXnLHuCBYP1HouIMJLJK3TFzjOLp8Etu5AsvUpdrX4T7BHSiUd0oUiE5hqcGUcmKHoJ7IsYa3YevIXQrn8SQPsk6kz4kzqkiVLC0BJRtdXTk/s200/Lovett.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span> was checking my LinkedIn account a couple of months ago, and saw that I had a request to connect from Seàn-Patrick Lovett, the director of English language programming at Vatican Radio (</span><a href="http://www.radiovaticana.va/"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">www.radiovaticana.va</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">). I knew him only by name, but immediately answered that I hoped our paths might cross someday while I was still in Rome. He graciously wrote back and suggested that we meet. After we were finally able to find a convenient date in early December, I made my way to his simple, unadorned office around the corner from via della Conciliazione, the broad street that runs into St. Peter’s. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He leaves his door open to visitors and co-workers alike and, as I discovered, to unexpected emergencies. With its staff from fifty-nine nations, Vatican Radio, always at the service of the Holy See, reaches radio stations worldwide in over forty languages. So, there are bound to be surprises in the course of a day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Of course, there’s its indirect reach, too. For instance, Columbian-born Sr. Maria Ruth Reyes, one of our U.S. Daughters, incorporates into her weekly program, <em><a href="http://www.libreriapaulinas.com/content/radioboston"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jesús en mi vida diaria</span></a></em>, </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a recording of the voice of Pope Benedict speaking in Spanish that she receives from Vatican Radio. Besides their Web presence, our U.S. radio programs, now in their 21st year, are sent gratis to over 100 stations around the world. Actually, as one of the beneficiaries of this service, Vatican Radio itself edits our program for its own purposes before broadcasting it in turn.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MwTAs6iZcnaZh6_p6ccodFQrFl4xYiFCmxKaPMI2T25lKQ1NsZ7BQ1zsEQ8TsrdH6k88R8CeAo3EFGxHurfiO_NzDTZtSvneARYdetwuMmZPt8QrSBgsvYzP31-2X2uJ0XlrOXYXIts/s1600/ruth_bannerboston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MwTAs6iZcnaZh6_p6ccodFQrFl4xYiFCmxKaPMI2T25lKQ1NsZ7BQ1zsEQ8TsrdH6k88R8CeAo3EFGxHurfiO_NzDTZtSvneARYdetwuMmZPt8QrSBgsvYzP31-2X2uJ0XlrOXYXIts/s400/ruth_bannerboston.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is a far cry from Pope Pius XI’s first broadcast—in Latin—82 years ago. At the pope’s request, inventor Guglielmo Marconi had recently built the station to make the thought of the pope better known. It was during the Second World War and later during the Communist era, though, that the station distinguished itself as a source of free information and outreach, in its service to POWs, other military personnel, and displaced civilians, connecting them with their families. Broadcasts of the Second Vatican Council in 30 languages and, since then, technological advances in its service to press agencies and news media, plus coverage of the popes’ travels, launched Vatican Radio into the information, then the digital, age.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It’s those papal travels and his own teaching trips that color Seàn’s career/mission with the radio, a journey of more miles than he can count. He hales from Cape Town, South Africa, describing himself as “African by birth, Irish in origin, and Italian by adoption.” Seàn arrived in Rome 35 years ago, married, and settled here. He and his Italian wife have two grown sons, one who is as passionate about communication as his father, and a younger one who is going into law on behalf of the disadvantaged.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcqivbIGYHFBRpVX09Geb-KzR14XES3XJBq0EbTIWw3920lzY39KGxJq2HjdP7jCf0NaFgQsydQ_gwAchX4q58rGAXw23ZWGTd2sA8Jli6BHk4Vm5eN1j5xKoxsZxyB_kIPyXUrUPKS4/s1600/IMG_3651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcqivbIGYHFBRpVX09Geb-KzR14XES3XJBq0EbTIWw3920lzY39KGxJq2HjdP7jCf0NaFgQsydQ_gwAchX4q58rGAXw23ZWGTd2sA8Jli6BHk4Vm5eN1j5xKoxsZxyB_kIPyXUrUPKS4/s320/IMG_3651.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irio Fantini. The prophecy of Balaam. Vatican Radio.<br />
This belongs to a series of paintings envisioned by the <br />
artist, to depict communication in the Bible. For the<br />
story of Balaam going where the Lord sent him and <br />
saying what the Lord wanted, cf. Numbers 22. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When he arrived in Rome, Seàn didn’t know that a future with Vatican Radio was in the stars. In fact, he had been working as a war correspondent in the Middle East and in Ireland for Catholic News Service. He was praying one day before the Eucharist in St. Peter’s, not at all certain in which direction he should go, or even if he should stay with the media. In a moment of desperate prayer, he felt he heard the assurance: You are where I want you to be. You’re doing what I want you to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It was his call, and he believes it continues to shape every other call he has, including his total following of Christ, as he says, to love the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength (cf. Mk 12:30).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">His studies in communication (he attended the Gregorian University, “The Greg,” here in Rome) as well as his 35 years of experience at Vatican Radio equip him to offer training and formation courses in communication to religious orders wherever there’s a need. This commitment has taken him to places like South Africa, Zambia, the Ukraine, and India. At the invitation of the former vicar general of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master, he will head out to the Philippines later this year. There, both the new professed sisters and the community’s leadership will participate in his course, so that both levels will receive the same message. This contributes to a certain continuity in their project of formation in communication. He used to direct both Italian and English programming at Vatican Radio, but the demands of that role kept him from doing the teaching he loved. So he dropped the Italian part and is now better able to fit the Greg in on the side.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I don’t know if you knew this, but I didn’t; I must have missed class that day: The Vatican Telephone Exchange is staffed by the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master, as part of their mission to the clergy. (This Pauline congregation was founded by Fr. Alberione with a liturgical/Eucharistic focus. If you go to St. Peter’s, you’ll see them taking turns for adoration in the Blessed Sacrament chapel.) A few Pauline brothers assist them. In the passage from analog to digital technology, Seàn trained the sisters, who range in age from twenty-something to seventy and who speak a variety of languages. Call the Vatican, and you’ll get a PDDM on the other end of the line. They receive thousands of calls daily. As Seàn puts it, topics range from “How much does it cost to get into the Vatican Museums?” to “My child just died, and I want to kill myself.” His sessions continue to update them even on technique and public relations. Their love for the Gospel and the People of God meshes well with his ministry to them. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7mDzyVqN0TrPYEgE9U2qIwGhIi_0vgrbzCRvnYa65jo42O35KbPExHiVfEqZkkpXTNho83ODO8m_JuG_HZKMNoTtIibXveDZZPd8LoP8H_Z_-ONaEKcMZQVxGKYBZV6OdrticBM5aJk/s1600/rv_splash_07papi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7mDzyVqN0TrPYEgE9U2qIwGhIi_0vgrbzCRvnYa65jo42O35KbPExHiVfEqZkkpXTNho83ODO8m_JuG_HZKMNoTtIibXveDZZPd8LoP8H_Z_-ONaEKcMZQVxGKYBZV6OdrticBM5aJk/s320/rv_splash_07papi2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I. Fantini. Fresco in the Sala Marconi of all the popes <br />
who have addressed the world through Vatican Radio.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In Seàn’s second year at Vatican Radio, Paul VI died, John Paul I was elected, and died 34 days later. Then John Paul II was elected. Seàn talked about what he learned about communication from each one. “John Paul I was eclipsed by John Paul II,” but “he taught me that [Revelation] is not just dogma. It’s communication, and communication is feminine. John Paul took a risk and spoke about God also as our Mother, * who loves us unconditionally. A person may be a murderer, a rapist, or any other criminal, but his mother will never stop loving him. The Church is our mother, and that doesn’t mean she just cleans up our messes.” </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkZWpKg5xtdBMXZAQnxbQQKlLL0zKuxcagu14cqjqpHWyL4HBhlHyJUuaNMzMxEPUoxQMO19UWMNa7H30-HkNT1fR9wvHndaMlCDcuVAmuAUaR7DMWpE-TV5nwR40ijm18D3lYPpUtSQ/s1600/IMG_3650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkZWpKg5xtdBMXZAQnxbQQKlLL0zKuxcagu14cqjqpHWyL4HBhlHyJUuaNMzMxEPUoxQMO19UWMNa7H30-HkNT1fR9wvHndaMlCDcuVAmuAUaR7DMWpE-TV5nwR40ijm18D3lYPpUtSQ/s320/IMG_3650.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irio Fantini. The Tower of Babel and Pentecost.<br />
Vatican Radio</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As he spoke I was reminded of the great Church document on communication, <em><a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_23051971_communio_en.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Communio et progressio</span></a></em></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">. The whole first part describes the great moments of Revelation in terms of communication. In fact, it basically states that this is what Revelation is: God communicating with humanity. If the Church has been entrusted with that Revelation, this means that she is not only its communicator, but is herself part of that communication with the world. American Fr. Bob Bonnot goes so far as to say that only when theology (which is based on Revelation) is understood as communication, will the Church fully and universally embrace media and acknowledge its role in evangelization.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Seàn connected divine and human communication this way: “Communication has to have meaning; otherwise, it’s chaos. The challenge of the human experience is to search for that meaning and to never stop questioning. We need to use our sensory experience to search for that meaning whenever we can.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He then reminisced about Pope Wojtyla: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Working with John Paul II for 26 years, I learned transparency. He spoke about the Church as a glass house. It’s a most exquisite image under two aspects. One, it speaks about two-way transparency. There has to be good will on both sides, and two, it can break easily. There’s vulnerability. In the moment I communicate, I open myself to being hurt.”</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here Seàn stopped to reflect aloud on confrontations he’s witnessed time and again between representatives of the Church and of the media culture: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“We need to be aware of oversimplification. I hear exponents of the Catholic Church blasting the media, and those outside saying that the Catholic Church has it all wrong…plus variations on the theme. I want to say: Both of you, stop throwing stones! With your stereotypes and your inability to hear each other, you’re creating havoc and destroying it all.”</span></blockquote>
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He’s right. Those who speak for the Church need to speak in language the culture can understand. We can do it! After all, we have a great track record here. If the Church’s missionary activity has succeeded at all, it’s because we’ve made ourselves understood within cultures in ways that are often new to our evangelizers. On the other hand, the media culture has to recognize that the Church has something valid to say even if it doesn’t fit into a sound bite or within the limited categories the culture has constructed. Of course, only when this culture breaks free of the consumerism that dictates what’s important will this even be possible.</span>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw00fqRtf-vXMcwEyBfYgVDH2I9QKeuPJZ1Zj9GbqkmaPw-hNixNH4IuwHqjChiman37Zviz-99ExEnaSFdJ-a4qGAYmx7uPvc92pw10a4MYfjYRTx9p5iACwWc71rNZYWNWrBNpnjkUM/s1600/IMG_3649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw00fqRtf-vXMcwEyBfYgVDH2I9QKeuPJZ1Zj9GbqkmaPw-hNixNH4IuwHqjChiman37Zviz-99ExEnaSFdJ-a4qGAYmx7uPvc92pw10a4MYfjYRTx9p5iACwWc71rNZYWNWrBNpnjkUM/s320/IMG_3649.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irio Fantini. St. Paul the Apostle evangelizes the <br />
Athenians. Vatican Radio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Seàn continued:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“It takes intelligence, humility, and courage. Listening to others requires both left and right brain. Recognize what you don’t know. Not everyone will agree with you or like what you’re doing. Persecution is the litmus test that what you’re doing has value. We’re called to go against the flow; that’s what make our faith so exciting. The early saints did this; that’s why we’re still talking about them. Define the culture and work from within to transform the context. The prophet sees the context, steps out of it, and brings others to realize what’s not working and to ask what can.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Just as Fr. Alberione did. Then he took it one step further: He acted on what could work. In fact, this aspect of his labor and his legacy is what made him a pioneer in media evangelization. At a time when many in the Church limited their views on media to denouncing what was evil—I’m thinking especially of the 1920’s and 30’s—he, with men and women Paulines, made a positive contribution, even in the face of misunderstanding and criticism. <em>Production</em> and <em>distribution</em> of print and recorded materials, of films and radio transmissions became key elements in this contribution. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlfkEpAPZJE5llO3eyRzmKBGG5FBZ9oDhPUYtA8y-nWs8nEJ6nOTwJdvtStkM20AkuwnROJ2ayNa7U5jUe598XGa-2ysixgnJhlZJf4tpTJEsZj1NhoLpvdw8CN4H2n8KWqD4CseyqEc/s1600/IMG_3658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlfkEpAPZJE5llO3eyRzmKBGG5FBZ9oDhPUYtA8y-nWs8nEJ6nOTwJdvtStkM20AkuwnROJ2ayNa7U5jUe598XGa-2ysixgnJhlZJf4tpTJEsZj1NhoLpvdw8CN4H2n8KWqD4CseyqEc/s320/IMG_3658.JPG" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapel of the Annunciation, <br />
Vatican Radio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Pauline project differed in an important way from those who worked exclusively in the business sector, even when they offered religious materials: the <em>intention.</em> The Christmas season points to this essential aspect of Pauline dedication, whether it’s done by lay or religious members. “Jesus, Divine Master,” Alberione taught us to pray, “we adore you with the angels who sang the reasons for your incarnation: ‘Glory to God and peace to all people.’ We thank you for having called us to share in your own mission. Set us on fire with zeal for God and for souls….” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It’s no accident that the single laymen and single laywomen in Pauline institutes are called Gabrielites and Annunciationists. Nor is it an accident that the room at Vatican Radio where Liturgy and devotions are celebrated with the world is called the Chapel of the Annunciation. Living for the glory of God and the peace of his people makes all the difference.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>“Laudetur Iesus Christus,”</em> “Praised be Jesus Christ,” is not only Vatican Radio’s motto. It’s a way of life. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">_____________<br />* For further reflection on this, see the <em><a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P17.HTM"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Catechism of the Catholic Church</span></a></em></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">, n. 239, and the works of other spiritual writers, most notably, Julian of Norwich.</span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-3148094339602353522012-12-21T06:26:00.000-08:002012-12-21T12:58:02.629-08:00The Kingdom of Joy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1Q_TUEhHMWM8TIAb4Tf9Yc8h4DSdK0Ggs068_Ccy-ESSF6uE-zVBH_nc_BpzjjO31w8CQwnyDL3Zv8Am-Rioj6D9A5uzZkBT1RzzoAoWihvRuwkeutyvjnJyyzJACaOAGLenAkx7f8Y/s1600/Vestibule+Bambino.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1Q_TUEhHMWM8TIAb4Tf9Yc8h4DSdK0Ggs068_Ccy-ESSF6uE-zVBH_nc_BpzjjO31w8CQwnyDL3Zv8Am-Rioj6D9A5uzZkBT1RzzoAoWihvRuwkeutyvjnJyyzJACaOAGLenAkx7f8Y/s320/Vestibule+Bambino.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daughters' chapel vestibule, Boston</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I’</span>m glad I’m not a priest. How do you proclaim Advent/Christmas joy to a grieving community, even if it is a faith community? The readings this past <em>Gaudete</em> (“Rejoice”) Sunday invited us not only to be joyful, but to make joy a way of life. I wondered how a pastor could be upbeat when almost 30 of his community’s members—within and without the parish—were murdered only days before, most of them under the age of ten. Yes, the “feast” of Holy Innocents came early this year to Newtown, Connecticut.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So I visited the Web site of Newtown’s </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.strosechurch.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">St. Rose of Lima Church</span></a>. Some events have been cancelled. The church is now open 24 hours a day. There’s an invitation to celebrate liturgy, recite the Rosary at home, pray as a community. Two new pages were added. One of them, “Prayers for Our Community,” posts messages, poems, songs, and prayers from people in several parts of the world and from various religious backgrounds. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The most touching one I read was addressed to the pastor, Monsignor Weiss, by Monsignor O’Sullivan, the pastor of <a href="http://www.strosechurch.com/from-scotland-for-sandy-hook/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Holy Family Church in Dunblane, Scotland</span></a>, </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">where sixteen children and an adult were fatally shot at the parish school, also at 9:30 A.M., sixteen years ago. He writes: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“…in this church…there were prayers and tears for you all at Mass this Sunday morning, as the tragedy in Newtown recalled our own suffering and agony in March 1996.<br /> “We have been there, so we know what you are suffering as a community, though of course, only bereaved parents can understand what parents are suffering, and at Christmas of all times. Our tragedy took place during Lent and that was the end of a normal Lent and Easter in our parish.…[O]ur prayers and love go to you as a priest, especially if you have to carry out funerals.<br /> “…May God comfort all the suffering of Newtown and, in particular, help and strengthen you and the rest of the pastors who have to preach God’s love to the afflicted members of your community.”</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When I sent my own e-mail to the parish secretary (I told her I didn’t need a response), I said that our Pauline community here in Rome was also praying for everyone involved. Many of the sisters were once assigned to troubled areas of our world, subject to oppression and senseless irreverence for human life. They empathize with the loss that the families are experiencing at this time and will continue to feel for the rest of their lives. Yet they also share with them a solidarity in faith, the only source of our common hope in Jesus. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpgRAaFxD7xEdeHQmLpTEBPH8yR-QV7qs0sx5zuX_wlDhQlnAdInLP_G63Uqofd5opZJ3nfOtMXq0wj-o7QkbFqbccc-CJhnswzPbvrnCES80eoswBl714MaFaSI27wD1C9LSKlZfldc/s1600/Resurrection+crucifix.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpgRAaFxD7xEdeHQmLpTEBPH8yR-QV7qs0sx5zuX_wlDhQlnAdInLP_G63Uqofd5opZJ3nfOtMXq0wj-o7QkbFqbccc-CJhnswzPbvrnCES80eoswBl714MaFaSI27wD1C9LSKlZfldc/s400/Resurrection+crucifix.JPG" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S. Maria del Popolo, Rome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">At meals, I’ve sat with Sr. Agnes Quaglini, one of the senior members, who certainly knows her own fine mind, and we’ve talked about the incident, along with the social issues surrounding it. She and I also happen to be in the same small group that gets together every so often to meditate together. After one such meeting on Monday, she gifted each of us with a small booklet she wrote on the “universal vocation” to joy. With original insight she writes:</span> <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Intimate and pervasive joy can also know moments of sadness and loneliness. Evil in the world can dim our joy, but God has assigned everyone the ‘job’ of being joyful, because he knows that we are unable to handle life without joy. Only a joyous acceptance of life makes us capable of conversion and of bettering ourselves, changing the world around us, and radiating transforming energy. Basically, the job of being joyful means…building the kingdom of God in this world.”</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That spirit is what believers take into public discourse, especially as firearms control and the care of our ill and marginalized now take something close to center stage. It’s what keeps us civil toward each other and what drives our decisions. Monday I ran across an interesting article in the <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/the-freedom-of-an-armed-society/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121217"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><em>New York Times,</em> “The Freedom of an Armed Society.”</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of its quotable comments is this startling statement: “…an armed society—especially as we prosecute it at the moment in this country—is the opposite of a civil society.” When I studied marketing way back in 1994 I learned that the fast food industry at the time was governed by no fewer than 24,000 regulations, including the thickness of the pickles that dot our burgers. I had another professor who commented that the less civil a society is, the more regulation it requires, since people are too insecure to use their intelligence, integrity, or social responsibility and to behave decently or judge accurately without fear of litigation. That we need some kind of arms legislation is clear to anyone without an agenda. However, it’s quite a commentary on American society that we need this kind of legislation just to protect us from ourselves.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Although he may not have been thinking of a ban on semiautomatic rifles last Sunday, <a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/angelus/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20121216_it.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Benedict XVI</span></a> did respond to the Newtown tragedy with this plea: “During this Advent Season, let us dedicate ourselves more fervently to prayer and to acts of peace. Upon those affected by this tragedy,…I invoke God’s abundant blessings!” </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Living and dying by the sword—structuring our culture, attitudes, and government by it—does not guarantee peace! What are our fears? What is the reason for our hope? Where is our joy?</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfFAo16nMQsTjb39SuO1GR0ue0YeUQhtpWa6G4BPfqy-B4Q1KyuBxRIugKDawUmmL24ZM8B9bQaatJ3sFYm8sRUCEt4NnzBbufJ90Mj9Wiofye0RLIC2Vvl2hVqFUCyDtpp9BGn3V3rs/s1600/Vestibule_prayer+table+cropped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfFAo16nMQsTjb39SuO1GR0ue0YeUQhtpWa6G4BPfqy-B4Q1KyuBxRIugKDawUmmL24ZM8B9bQaatJ3sFYm8sRUCEt4NnzBbufJ90Mj9Wiofye0RLIC2Vvl2hVqFUCyDtpp9BGn3V3rs/s320/Vestibule_prayer+table+cropped.JPG" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daughters' chapel vestibule, Boston</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I understand how people in Newtown could take down their Christmas decorations. My sister and I went through that with our parents when they were too sick or depressed to be interested in them. But it’s precisely at these times that we need even visible reminders of the reason for our hope and most profound joy. The Scripture readings last Sunday—and throughout this week—tell us that what robs us of our joy is fear, and what ensures it is faith in God’s saving presence in our lives. God asks us to give him our fears, because he is near, loving us into salvation. Check it out for yourself: Zephaniah 3; Isaiah 12; Philippians 4; and Luke 3, especially verse 16. The ultimate beauty of such salvation is that it lasts forever.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Fifty-eight-year-old composer <a href="http://www.marcofrisina.com/website/index.php"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Marco Frisina</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">is <em>Maestro Direttore</em> at Rome’s Pontificia Cappella Musicale Lateranense. It’s a post once held by Palestrina, and Frisina is a worthy successor by any standard. During our community Mass on Sunday, we sang one of his songs, which I’ve abbreviated here. You can hear the full version by clicking on the YouTube link below it. (No, sorry, it’s not our community singing.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“La Vera Gioia” (True Joy)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">True joy…is like a fire, and in its warmth,<br />It gives life when the heart dies.<br />True joy shines in the darkness<br />And builds up the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">…Truth keeps joy’s flame alive,<br />Since it fears neither shadow nor shame.<br />True joy releases your heart,<br />Making you free to sing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">True joy soars above the world;<br />Sin will not be able to stop it.<br />Its wings shimmer with grace, <br />The gift of Christ and his salvation….</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">How do we shine in the darkness and build up the world? Quoting his mother, Mister Rogers used to suggest that during times of disaster we could “look for the helpers.” First responders, caregivers of all stripes, donors, volunteers, neighbors who care long after others have moved on…the list is almost endless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> “Jesus was born into a violent world where economic, political, and social machinations took the lives of children and adults There was only the hope that light would enter the darkness. This is the essence of the gospels: the light overcoming the darkness. Christmas is not a cuddly story about a baby being born in a manger and being visited by shepherds and wise men. Christmas is a story about courage: the commitment of individuals (like Mary and Joseph) to bring light into the chaos of this world. <br /> “The best way to celebrate Christmas is to just stop, look around you, and bring love and compassion to an individual or situation that needs it. The problem is not the commercialization of Christmas (we'll always have malls), the problem is indifference to the pain and suffering around us. The best way to honor the victims and families in Connecticut is to pay attention to the dark situations that need light. You don't have to look far” (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/frank.devito.395"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Frank DeVito</span></a>, </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Fenix Center for Innovative Schools, 12/17/2012).</span></blockquote>
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photos: Margaret J. Obrovac, FSP</span>
Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-79935628727982153522012-12-03T15:38:00.000-08:002012-12-03T15:38:59.407-08:00Thanksgiving Italian-Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>t was a Thanksgiving Day to remember. Back in early October, Sr. Germana and I began talking about the possibility of celebrating this all-American holiday here in Rome. After talking with our local superior, who <em>loves</em> Thanksgiving (she spent years in Canada) it became clear that, for a number of reasons, it wouldn’t be possible here at the generalate. Of course, Thanksgiving Day itself is a workday in Italy and class day for me. So, the Italian sisters at via del Mascherino, near the Vatican where our Pauline Multimedia Center is also located, very enthusiastically agreed to host it there the Sunday before. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">They also decided to invite our international student community on the floor below them. That brought our party to 22. With a little rearranging of the dining room furniture, everybody actually fit. I think that was easier than finding enough space <em>inside</em> us for all the food we prepared! Two of us offered to cook: Sr. Bernadette Mary, the American in the Mascherino community, and I. Sr. Germana took over décor, and enlisted Sr. Elaine’s talent. From the generalate community we had invited any sisters who had spent the holiday in the U.S. even just once, but only Sr. Elaine from Scotland was able to come. Since she’s here from the delegation of Great Britain, I told the others that we brought her along as a token representative from the mother country.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It’s no small task to get holiday fixins here. Sr. B had ordered two ten-pound turkeys the week before; a large one wouldn’t have fit in ovens the size of a shoebox. The birds were imported, since Italy doesn’t grow them that big. (A heartfelt word of thanks goes to a friend of ours in the States whose donation made that possible. You know who you are!) Then she went to Castroni’s, the import chain, for cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, and brown sugar. Sr. Lorenza has a pass to the Vatican grocery—kind of like the commissary on a U.S. base—so we were able to get the other items at a reduced rate. I stayed overnight so that we could pop the first turkey in the oven before 7:00 A.M. Mass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I had already entrusted the project to the prayers of Sr. Bernadette’s mom, who died just a few months ago, and mine, who died on Thanksgiving weekend three years ago. It added a little extra TLC to the day’s preparations. With their help, we managed to keep on an even keel, while churning out bread and chestnut stuffing, twice-baked sweet potatoes, green beans with almonds, biscuits, two pumpkin, and two apple, pies. I don’t know which mother to blame for the gravy, but even though we had to throw it out, nobody missed it. Of course, it was a “spirit-filled” event as well…if you know what I mean. Sr. Rosaria, the 80-something superior of the student community, brought up a bottle of limoncello as “a digestive,” said she.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sr. Germana prepared a beautiful meal prayer, sharing the story and significance of the holiday. She explained how, more than any other holiday or feast day in the States, Thanksgiving is <em>the</em> day for family. And here we are, she added, celebrating with our Pauline Family, “pilgrims” from eight countries on four continents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I ran into several of the sisters the following Monday, Nov. 26, at “the Sanctuary,” our Queen of Apostles Basilica, where Blessed James Alberione is buried. Hundreds of Paulines—religious and lay—celebrated Family on the founder’s feast day. After the liturgy, we gathered to chat. The sisters grinned at me and called out a word they’ll never forget: <em>“Tacchino!”</em> I can’t tell you how heartwarming it is to be called a turkey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On Thanksgiving Day itself, Sr. Germana and I led the day’s prayer at the generalate. Sr. Bernadette was able to join us for morning prayer and Mass. So was Sr. Karen Marie, who had flown in from the States to work on a project with the Secretariat for Spirituality. So we had a little group that could carry off a few hymns in English—in harmony, no less! Even if it wasn’t concert quality, the community appreciated our efforts to involve them too. Afterward, a sister from Sardinia quipped, “The only thing we’re missing is the Statue of Liberty!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Those Thanksgiving celebrations were the first encounter most of the FSPs had with this blessed tradition of ours—one of the last non-commercialized holidays left (Forget about Black Friday beginning on Thursday. I’m talking about the holiday itself.) The day’s blessings, stories, singing, and laughter that colored the welcome we gave each other resonate with the spirit of the Pauline Family. Those of us who fêted the communities felt blessed too—by the presence of our sisters, by everything they shared, and by their joy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Compared with this abundance, I have to think hard to remember anything we did miss besides gravy. The mulled apple “cider” was incredible, even though we lacked most of the necessary ingredients. The turkey frame soup that evening was hearty, even if it was a little bland. Martha Stewart would never have given a second glance at the potatoes (See the slideshow at right.) Her loss; they sure tasted good. And everyone was more than satisfied.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In article nine of the Daughters’ constitutions, we’re reminded that “from [St. Paul] we learn to live in Christ with thanksgiving….” It’s true. Scan any one of his letters, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a page that doesn’t pulse with blessing, gratitude, or thanks for something. Nor is it unusual for him to offer it in the face of the thanklessness of others. Anyone who can sing hymns of praise while chained in a maximum security prison is worth learning from! (Acts 16:16ff.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What a great preparation for Christmas it would be to cultivate this spirit in some small way, regardless of our circumstances. When our surroundings scream at us to buy everything in sight, how liberating it is to name what we already have and be grateful. How Christian. How American.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Let freedom ring!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photos: Germana Santos, FSP; Margaret J. Obrovac, FSP; Rukhsana, FSP.</span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-3367491479233740402012-11-14T09:49:00.000-08:002012-11-14T09:51:53.502-08:00Beyond Seeing Red or Feeling Blue<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span>eginning at breakfast the day after the U.S. election, the question of the day was, “So, Margaret, are you happy with your president?” They knew I had voted, but most didn’t my choices. In the weeks leading up to the first Tuesday in November, I had largely avoided stating my personal preferences and stuck to explaining the issues as I saw them. I was not about to change my <em>modus operandi.</em> So beginning at breakfast, my response throughout the day was, “I wouldn’t have been happy with either one.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That often put a cork in further conversation. But the Italians and Latinos I live and study with made no secret of their choice: Barack Obama. To those for whom socialized health care is a way of life, he’s a champion of the poor. Others, drawing on their recent embarrassing experience with a millionaire in their own government, harbor a deep distrust of “The Mormon.” (A couple of older sisters actually wondered aloud how many wives he has stashed away.) In any case, if you’ll allow me to generalize, they probably reflect, to some extent, the overall demographic of the U.S. voter. It was interesting and sometimes very entertaining to witness their passionate involvement. As one sister explained, “What affects the United States affects us all.”</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A few days later, I was chatting with Sr. Germana, one of the Americans living and working here at the generalate. Not surprisingly, our conversation turned to our sisters’ lively interest in U.S. politics, which by the way, made for great TV here, too. I think it gave people a brief reprieve from the Roman circus of local politics. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Several sisters from other countries were returning after a month-long course, and together with the Italians, they had expressed to us their admiration for the way Americans transfer power from one administration to another without bloodshed; for the gracious spirit in which candidates congratulate each other after a hard fight; and for the way almost all of us, the electorate, get on with our lives after either celebrating our victory or licking our wounds. Even after listening to harrowing stories from places like Pakistan or Indonesia, I can’t really imagine what it must be like to struggle for basic justice, much less proclaim the Gospel freely. Some of the issues that fire up our campaigns just don’t factor into theirs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">John Allen, Vatican correspondent for the <em>National Catholic Reporter,</em> has often said in his blog that a growing number of voices in the U.S. are rising in protest over perceived “persecution” of the Catholic Church at home. Yet the real persecution, he writes, takes place in Pakistan, Nigeria, parts of India, and other countries at a rate of almost 100,000 deaths a year and the obliteration of Christian cultures thousands of years old, such as in Iraq and Syria. Moreover, it would be too facile, he says, to attribute that to Muslim or Hindu hostility. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sr. Germana and I thought about this as we talked. Our founding fathers and mothers did something new in world history. It succeeds because, despite our differences, we’ve been willing to work through them. Checks and balances keep us accountable to each other, if not completely honest. Most people, citizens and others, are basically decent human beings who want the same things for themselves and their families. Those who have a long way to go on the road to decency get lots of “help” along the way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It seemed to us that we know we’ve got a good thing in this “experiment in democracy,” and we don’t want to lose it, or get to the point of murder and mayhem. When we see ourselves selling out to the spirit of the age, or when some among us cry, “Persecution!” they’re not equating what has been called “America’s last acceptable prejudice”—U.S. anti-Catholicism—with the intolerance in other populations. Our standard for excellence in governing has never been how we measure up against the norm in other countries. With greater or lesser success, they work with their own cultural dynamics. We set our standard over 200 years ago, and that’s what we compare ourselves with. The Deist principles on which we were established as a nation makes me slow to call our roots Christian, but our founders did give us ground in which Christianity could survive and even flourish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Without idealizing it, that ground held a greater respect for objective truth and goodness than we often find in social discourse now. About two weeks before the election, I noticed that one of my blog articles had moved near the top of the popularity list. In March I had written about the way 55-year-old <a href="http://paulinefaithways.blogspot.it/2012/03/sr-annettes-life-and-death-with-dignity.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sr. Annette Margaret Boccabello</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">prepared for her death and I had made a case against the doctor-prescribed referendum that would appear on the Massachusetts ballot. So, opportunist that I am, seeing the interest in the story before the election, I directed my Facebook friends to it, plus to two others on the same topic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Then I decided to walk into the lion’s den. I posted the article on the Facebook page of Death With Dignity, the proponents of the referendum. The response I received was a marvelous example in civility, even though the position was predictably contrary to what I represented. What bothered me most was this: <em>“Death is an intensely personal experience, and what worked well for Sr. Annette, doesn’t necessarily work for other people dying of terminal illnesses. You’re certainly entitled to your own opinion….” </em>In other words, what decides right or wrong is majority rule, even though I’m kindly allowed my opinion—as long as I don’t “impose it” on others. So tomorrow, when the vote moves beyond suicide to euthanasia, who gets to decide the morality? Is legality the only common denominator among us? <em>“Euthanasia is, in fact, not allowed under these laws, and injections are *never* involved”</em>—yet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Death with dignity” was defeated at the polls, but proponents are already revving up for its return. We have our work cut out for us, beginning with prayer.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLhzwUwhjlclJ9g6lvBjZuJdjWcpY1A-5WS_UMDHvlwMF0BkbPWnSRRO1enb5WxyUVHxfSZdA2sOJTd3onkQDKuk6VdqIF6jWM8s9w-4Y6ssJSih2JPXJb27XD1RQ22tzJJvwxt2CkGY/s1600/pk224357c_20121102_1450224670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLhzwUwhjlclJ9g6lvBjZuJdjWcpY1A-5WS_UMDHvlwMF0BkbPWnSRRO1enb5WxyUVHxfSZdA2sOJTd3onkQDKuk6VdqIF6jWM8s9w-4Y6ssJSih2JPXJb27XD1RQ22tzJJvwxt2CkGY/s320/pk224357c_20121102_1450224670.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pauline Family at Mass of Bl. Timothy Giaccardo, SSP</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Those of us who are taking the charism course here in Rome are sometimes amused by the heated dialectics among our congregations over apostolic priorities or points in Pauline history. These people are really invested in this! Yet the bonds of affection are stronger than the disagreements. I know from experience that when one of our congregations suffers, everyone feels it and rushes to the aid of the other, especially in prayer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In post-election America, my hope is that each of us can find it within ourselves to do the same. Regardless of how a neighbor, co-worker, or relative voted, can we switch from seeing red or feeling blue to honoring them, first by praying for those we have disagreed with and asking them to pray for us, even about something totally unrelated? Prayer takes us beyond labeling others or demonizing them, to recognizing them as images of God and, yes, “fellow citizens with the saints” (Eph. 2:19). We can work on the rest afterwards.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBs9qdw0VKJ_XSpRUkz2RdVxULawHiG2bUGWpLDdYNhaHeHtwUTTLoHQFmpW01ddpwJu5sVw-6wWHNg2f3C3MiwgTeXojVY5yFWF04sgGbKNVjz-YRwSdftIO5wwdUcZfggihj9q-E3X4/s1600/1016_4777858203306_388273881_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBs9qdw0VKJ_XSpRUkz2RdVxULawHiG2bUGWpLDdYNhaHeHtwUTTLoHQFmpW01ddpwJu5sVw-6wWHNg2f3C3MiwgTeXojVY5yFWF04sgGbKNVjz-YRwSdftIO5wwdUcZfggihj9q-E3X4/s320/1016_4777858203306_388273881_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sr. Jerome helps Sr. Margaret Kerry in Sandy relief.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That kind of prayer united us with you in these past two weeks. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Those of you who live in the Caribbean, New Jersey, New York, and especially in Staten Island, need to know that you are being prayed for by some extraordinarily holy women, as you rebuild after Sandy. (The last time I checked, God still understood Italian.) I kept them updated during the storm(s), and at Evening Prayer in particular, they enveloped you in love and grace.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On your side of the Pond, Sr. Margaret Kerry, a Staten Island Daughter of St. Paul, has spearheaded a relief project for Staten Islanders, consisting of essentials for both body and soul, including food, blankets, and inspirational reading. If you would like to contribute to that, you can contact her at </span><a href="mailto:mkerry@paulinemedia.com"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">mkerry@paulinemedia.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">, or at 718-447-5071.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credits: Daniela Son Heesoon, FSP, Society of St. Paul--Rome, Margaret Kerry, FSP</span></span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-77954294041079298242012-10-31T14:19:00.001-07:002012-11-04T07:53:06.429-08:00All Saints’ Blueprint for Living<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbHFz8_y6CMNJNxF6VKnx-HVRq_gUI27t2aWmJ1qDsOPuAwp16QcbZ-eiHLldBFcgsYB3Mi_QOVJWv86TRgMo1D9jWEbE4fxrxBtgut3ROlIfdm5qha4YoPVNY27btWV31nwtEpF19d0/s1600/IMG_3547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbHFz8_y6CMNJNxF6VKnx-HVRq_gUI27t2aWmJ1qDsOPuAwp16QcbZ-eiHLldBFcgsYB3Mi_QOVJWv86TRgMo1D9jWEbE4fxrxBtgut3ROlIfdm5qha4YoPVNY27btWV31nwtEpF19d0/s400/IMG_3547.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canonization of this October's "magnificent seven"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>he year 2000 may have been the Church’s jubilee year, but it was also an election year in the U.S. As a student in Rome, I found out that I could vote absentee at the U.S. Embassy. So the week before Nov. 7, I trekked up via Veneto to discharge my civic duty. (That was before e-mail voting, which I just did last week.) On the way, I noticed a church, Santa Maria della Concezione, and decided to stop on my way back for my hour of Eucharistic adoration. <br /><br />Whatever memory I may have had about my voting experience was completely wiped out by what followed. I had seen a small sign outside the church that read “Chapel.” So I walked in. There in front of me was a corridor with several galleries of human bones either stacked on shelves, clothed in Franciscan habits, or arranged in hundreds of intricate designs on ceilings and walls. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DttCmq4yliI1EW9nr7mAEi8SpTUN0amC31KZAlSpVZKkBkfD-p55DIOaY5ZyQIE-PBvuh2UD1WotDuTXZnZ7pgP8_aR5AZi9cZD2Lu2RtihQT5hlBPp9TX-biKKBJ8WRijbLY_1xk9g/s1600/800px-Capuchin_Crypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DttCmq4yliI1EW9nr7mAEi8SpTUN0amC31KZAlSpVZKkBkfD-p55DIOaY5ZyQIE-PBvuh2UD1WotDuTXZnZ7pgP8_aR5AZi9cZD2Lu2RtihQT5hlBPp9TX-biKKBJ8WRijbLY_1xk9g/s320/800px-Capuchin_Crypt.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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It was the most macabre burial ground I had ever seen in my life. The brochure that the Capuchin friar kindly handed me quoted Mark Twain’s comment on his visit there. To the friar then on duty Twain is reputed to have said something like, “I wonder what’s going to happen when the final trumpet blows.” It wasn’t until I left that I realized it I was there on Halloween.<br /><br />Stop laughing; this is serious. Wikipedia actually has an accurate history and description at <span style="color: #cc0000;">http://bit.ly/4RDzo</span>.<br /><br />Much more inspiring to me was this year’s canonization, the Sunday before last, of seven fascinating people, including two Americans, Mother Marianne Cope of Molokai, who carried on Fr. Damien’s work with lepers, and our first Native American to be honored, Kateri Tekakwitha. Louise Hunt, who is a Penobscot, a Holy Family Institute member, and the mother of our Sr. Marie James, was there, too, with her family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasmM6oPfeT_mlibZ-NV_IgUtDUCQzoveQ8mDVTMifkZdaYsg2XS-tnl_dW28_DYNknW3UK2KFl0zx3sI-QR8UWxXVjJ6MIdELivGGXumao2nakEQL-87mMTSaVjiK0lNLNRAqOkXod3Q/s1600/IMG_3538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasmM6oPfeT_mlibZ-NV_IgUtDUCQzoveQ8mDVTMifkZdaYsg2XS-tnl_dW28_DYNknW3UK2KFl0zx3sI-QR8UWxXVjJ6MIdELivGGXumao2nakEQL-87mMTSaVjiK0lNLNRAqOkXod3Q/s200/IMG_3538.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<br />Through the kindness of one of our sisters in Rome, I got a green ticket to the event, which put me near the altar in St. Peter’s Square. Tickets are all free; they’re just used for placement and tracking. Yes, I broke my personal rule again and squeezed into the Piazza for a major event. And was it major—100,000 pilgrims major! By a sheer miracle I ran into friends from St. Louis, Dave and son Alex Mueckl. Msgr. Sal Polizzi had promised not to let go of my wrist as we were almost swept in by the crowd at the entrance. Since we managed to get inside without any serious harm to body or soul—ours and everybody else’s—we posed for a championship photo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNKU-BRkwh7QUaEmndNgEhMPhpaDQzU-THGUO6114TFBQbONVaXvvS7YaXdKGJ-isT7GvgUxBvUC4kZ3XlUYeKMxpHrC9LxFIr7iQvv7e-XJ9ucJhjC5CRRGA-3miuRoqnO0OOZYYDCs/s1600/Victory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNKU-BRkwh7QUaEmndNgEhMPhpaDQzU-THGUO6114TFBQbONVaXvvS7YaXdKGJ-isT7GvgUxBvUC4kZ3XlUYeKMxpHrC9LxFIr7iQvv7e-XJ9ucJhjC5CRRGA-3miuRoqnO0OOZYYDCs/s200/Victory.jpg" width="184" /></a></span></div>
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The real titleholders, though, were the seven new saints. In his <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20121021_canonizzazioni_en.html">homily for the canonization Mass</a></span>, Pope Benedict repeated Jesus’ words from the Gospel for that day: “‘The Son of Man came to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (cf. Mk 10:45). He called these words the saints’ own “blueprint for living,” singling out their “heroic courage…in total consecration to the Lord and in the generous service of their brethren.” They were women and men, clergy, laity, and religious, Asians, Europeans, and Americans. What they had in common was their undaunted love for Christ and for their brothers and sisters in Christ, in the face of challenge and even death. How many live like them today!<br /><br />When people ask what goes into making a person a saint, they’re often thinking of the canonization process: Servant of God, Venerable, Blessed, and finally, Saint, with a miracle attributed to the person’s intercession before the last two titles can be given. But that’s at the end of the road. The process looks at what came before: a life of faith, hope, and charity to a heroic degree (not to “perfection,” you’ll notice). That distinction is clear in their lives, and as we’re noticing during this year’s charism course, in the life of our founder, Blessed James Alberione.<br /><br />In an attempt to legitimize the Pauline Family’s existence, we’ve often lionized Don Alberione. We Americans do this with our founding fathers and mothers and with other great figures in our history. It’s natural. The professors of our charism course, though, want us to know the real Alberione, in so far as we can know someone whose confidants were few, who spoke and wrote sparingly about himself, and who destroyed most of his personal notes, as well as every letter sent to him. Fortunately his secretary, Don Speciale, disobeyed his orders to dispose of many priceless papers, and some of Fr. Alberione’s closest collaborators kept diaries and letters. From them and from other eyewitnesses, documents, photos, and visual and audio recordings, we can piece together a portrait. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuiTJC352tm2GKpGMZAyDQzoC7rwKugaVgh82d8FjoidhAZ_Vco-CWn00yUDbsI4rUJ_5bzCEFzvWWErPccjKBSmYM8dz6huxZDSRdxGG_FuhAGES0OA5V-UAm1Y4D4fxPLRUl81B9Jo/s1600/Fa_0303.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuiTJC352tm2GKpGMZAyDQzoC7rwKugaVgh82d8FjoidhAZ_Vco-CWn00yUDbsI4rUJ_5bzCEFzvWWErPccjKBSmYM8dz6huxZDSRdxGG_FuhAGES0OA5V-UAm1Y4D4fxPLRUl81B9Jo/s320/Fa_0303.gif" width="232" /></a></span></div>
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That he was a great Christian and a great founder is without question. I wonder how many founders responded to the call of Christ through the signs of the times with as much energy and creativity as he. That he could be unyielding and impatient is also without question. One professor of ours, Don Giancarlo Rocca, a Pauline historian, recounted how Alberione held a particular grudge for years. A Sister Disciple in our class marveled, “And yet he’s a Blessed!” “Yes,” answered Don Rocca, “because he never stopped correcting himself.” Fr. Alberione took seriously the words he heard from Jesus Master, “Have a penitent heart,” or according to a later rendition, “Be sorry for sin,” words that made it to our chapel walls and hopefully into our hearts and lives. People aren’t saints because they’re perfect, but because they never stop saying to God and to others, “I’m sorry” and “Help me to be better tomorrow.” The more sincere they are at this, the more saintly they are. <br /><br />That’s my prayer for you as you celebrate All Saints Day tomorrow and All Souls Day on Friday. Do the same for me!<br />_______________<br /><b><i>In solidarity….</i></b><br />In our generalate here in Rome, we’re praying for the 60 million people plus, who are being impacted by Hurricane Sandy. May you feel God’s provident care and comfort in the concern of us all.<br /><br />And don’t pass up your privilege to vote! Even if you don’t like the candidates and find it almost impossible to choose, pray, inform yourself, and make a decision. Take heart from these words of Fr. Alberione: “Those who do things make mistakes, but those who do nothing make the biggest mistake of all!” Are there propositions or referenda in your state that need your input? Massachusetts does. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://suicideisalwaysatragedy.org/">Question 2</a></span> proposes to legalize physician-prescribed suicide. Guess where I stand. How about you?</span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-81204644086251290582012-10-17T08:52:00.000-07:002012-10-17T12:25:38.420-07:00“Stir into Flame the Gift of God”<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvQ-h_N9q3HQxBFKzbkgSnYIl3LilUvHiJUT0S-hSrGEBdB-spuJXI1VzJOkihWJFxo3slt0nHEo2yEo5oY3T3SCdYjK7pOy9-9QHCl2X_pVaPU7zlckbIym_TncxM3o4uUHGAywU6Cs/s1600/IMG_3518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvQ-h_N9q3HQxBFKzbkgSnYIl3LilUvHiJUT0S-hSrGEBdB-spuJXI1VzJOkihWJFxo3slt0nHEo2yEo5oY3T3SCdYjK7pOy9-9QHCl2X_pVaPU7zlckbIym_TncxM3o4uUHGAywU6Cs/s320/IMG_3518.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FSPs from East Africa join in the celebration.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">L</span></b>ately whenever I’ve come to Rome, I stay as far away from major events at St. Peter’s Basilica as possible. I expect to be jostled in a crowd, but shoved is another matter. There’s just way too much of that for my endurance. I’m happy enough to watch them on TV in the safety of the convent. That’s what I did for the opening of the international Synod of Bishops the Sunday before last. I made an exception, though, to join 40,000 other people in the <i>fiaccolata,</i> or candlelight procession, on Oct. 11, that marked the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican II and the beginning of the Year of Faith. I carried a hope that would not disappoint.<br /><br />That day would have also been my mother’s 88th birthday. When I think of faith formation I think of her. I remember sitting with her as she taught me my Bible stories and catechism in preparation for first Communion, helping me to memorize the prayers I didn’t know yet and to color the pictures in the workbook—which I still have! (I had to go to my father, though, to learn how to draw a beard on St. Joseph.) From Daddy, who picked up a children’s missal for me, I got a jumpstart on the Mass responses and what they meant. So did my sister. <br /><br />It wasn’t just the transmission of information that shaped us, but how it was communicated—a witness of faith in love. I could never have put it into words then, but the message we got was: “This is so valuable that the most important and loving people in your life are taking time out of their busy day to share it with you.” If anyone questions the enduring value of family catechesis, they didn’t have our parents.<br /><br />When any of the instructors in our charism course speaks about the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the spectacular impression made by the gathering of 2,400 bishops and other participants, they’re almost at a loss for words. Every one of them ends up exclaiming, “You had to be there!” The rest of us have to take it on…faith.</span><br />
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One of the profs for our course on the Pauline charism is Sr. Filippa Castronovo, FSP. She teaches a series of classes on Paul and Alberione, our founder. We ran into her at the <i>fiaccolata. </i>She took a few minutes to reminisce with some of us about “the Council days.” She was a postulant back then, just beginning her life in community. She had come from a small, culturally homogenous, Italian town, which made even ordinary life in Rome an adventure. Add what seemed to be every bishop from every race in the world, “with their stories and their slides,” and she had memories for a lifetime. Sr. Filippa said that experience alone opened her eyes to a wider world. Paul would have been able to relate.<br /><br />Fr. Cosimo Semeraro, SDB, a professor at the Salesianum, leads us in a study of the Church’s history in the 19th and 20th centuries, the period of our founders’ lives and of the Pauline Family’s first years. He tied Vatican II to Vatican I, which took place between 1869 and 1870. If you’re like me and you have some familiarity with Church history, you may have seen Vatican I as just a blip on the screen. Yet, it was the first ecumenical council that drew bishops from the Far East and the Americas. During Council sessions these bishops were unable to speak about the situation of the Church in their countries. It didn’t stop them, though, from talking, both before and after the Council, to anyone who would listen. Also because of the press, their accounts and insights were disseminated everywhere. Fr. Semerero didn’t hesitate to assert that the missionary institutes that arose since then are the direct result of this fertilization. He looked around at the seventeen of us from five Pauline institutes in twelve nations, and declared, “Your presence here is a fruit of Vatican I!” He added that even the Salesians, like similar congregations that were not founded specifically to share the Good News with those who’ve never heard it, felt the impetus of the Council and established their first foundations in Latin America shortly afterward.</span><br />
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A lot of Paulines were present in St. Peter’s Square the evening of the candlelight procession last week, giving thanks for the gift of Vatican II. Most of us were either too young to remember it, or still only in the mind of God. But we are its heirs. So were the young members of Italian Catholic Action I met, which numbers 400,000 laity strong in parishes throughout the country. I had no idea Catholic Action was still around! It was these laity who organized and led the event, something that, from what I could tell, didn’t happen fifty years ago. With its call to the laity, Vatican II made that possible—a delight and a source of prayer for me that night. As one reader proclaimed a passage from Vatican II’s <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity</i></span></a>, I was moved to plead for a rebirth in the missionary spirit within the laity of North America and all over the world. Sharing the faith is their baptismal right, and it’s our role as their Pauline sisters and brothers to support them.<br /><br />Pope Benedict recalled Bl. John XXIII’s “unforgettable words” at the candlelight procession in 1962, when he invited parents to give their children a good-night hug from the pope. Benedict XVI repeated that invitation to the parents who were listening to him anywhere in the world, a world, he reminded us, that is sinful but redeemed, and so, carries the promise of hope. We all need to stir the embers a little—or a lot. When we revive the gift of faith that we have (cf. 2Tm 1:6) we can warm a part of our world and shed the light of our faith-life on whatever darkness lurks in its corners. May other candle bearers do the same for us.<br /><b><br />The candlelight procession in 1962</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>The anniversary procession in 2012</b></span> <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/haZlL0wgilc?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-87699466799096321962012-10-10T09:19:00.000-07:002012-10-10T09:24:45.218-07:00Backstage Performances<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></b> intended to tramp down to St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday morning with several of our sisters, to participate in the opening of the World Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization. Sr. Antonieta Bruscato, our superior general, is one of the auditors this week and would lead an intercession in Portuguese during the papal Mass. Since I had spent the previous two days in bed, however, I was in no condition to go anywhere. How does anyone get food poisoning in Italy? Fortunately, I wasn’t down for long. Tomorrow I’m heading to St. Peter’s with a group of us for the opening of the Year of Faith. But that’s news for next week. <br /><br />Actors get all the press, but we all know that if it weren’t for the hands behind the scenes, they wouldn’t get the accolades—and the cash—that they do. So this week, I want to introduce you to two more American Daughters of St. Paul here at the generalate, offering an insight into how their talents and their vocation support the whole show. <br /><br />The local superior, “Canadian” <b>Sr. Rosalba Conti,</b> spent sixteen years in Toronto’s Pauline Centre, but hasn’t been available for an interview; her time is not her own. Sr. Monica and Sr. Damien, though, happily managed to fit you and me in.<br /><br /><b>Sr. Monica Mary Baviera</b></span><br />
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</b><br />Originally from Bologna, Italy, Sr. Monica can take credit for introducing me to Italian in 1973 when we both lived in Boston. Reminiscing about her 26 years in the States, she teased that I was “a little girl” back then! She never did make a habit of taking credit for much, though, and isn’t about to start now, especially when she hears my <i>errori </i>in Italian instead. <br /><br />What she really could take satisfaction in is her service in the <i>Segretariato Internazionale di Spiritualità,</i> where she has served the Congregation for the past 24 years. In the 1980’s this office launched the monumental project of compiling, cataloguing, and transcribing everything that Fr. Alberione and M. Thecla Merlo, our co-foundress, said and wrote to the Daughters of St. Paul. What this has evolved into is amazing! It forms part of the “Opera Omnia,” (literally “total work”), of the founders’ output with respect to all ten branches of the Pauline Family. This huge corpus includes volume upon volume of letters, conferences, meditations, and sermons, plus the several books written by Alberione and the thirty notebooks that contain M. Thecla’s notes and examens of conscience. You can see whichever volumes of Fr. Alberione are available so far, plus thousands of photos, at the <span style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.alberione.org/operaomnia/operaomnia_opere.php">Opera Omnia Web site</a></span>. Until now relatively few volumes have been translated into Portuguese, Spanish, and English. We’re working on it.<br /><br />Sr. Monica is the second person to be assigned to the task, following Sr. Antonietta Martini, who worked there until her death in 2004. Two others then joined Sr. Monica: 89-year-old Sr. Adeodata (sharp as a tack) and the considerably younger Sr. Maria Grazia. Together they conduct a “hermeneutical interpretation” of early transcriptions and other documents. They research records and notes to establish the authenticity of a particular document, and situate it by determining, as best they can, date, place, listeners, and so on. Sr. Monica explains: “You can’t change the text, but you interpret the text in the notes and so, produce a critical edition, using scientific methods and tools that the members back then didn’t have.” <br /><br />Fr. Alberione drew from many authors and other sources, but rarely referenced them. Sr. Monica specializes in researching his quotes from Scripture and the Fathers of the Church and translates every Latin citation into Italian. She then compiles indexes of them all for each volume and sees to the introductions. Depending on size and complexity, it takes about a year to complete a volume in this way.<br /><br />What keeps her “dedicated to the Opera Omnia,” as she says, and to its painstaking work? “Fidelity to my duty and love, because I do like it. It gives me a way to understand our history and the charism of the founder in its Christ-centered theology, Mariology, and above all, apostolic spirituality.”<br /><br />The Secretariat for Formation, where Sr. Germana works, depends a great deal on Sr. Monica’s labor of love. I know I will during this year of our course.<br /><br /><b>Sr. Mary Damien Vieira</b></span><br />
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</b><br />Sr. Damien translates for the central, or “general,” government of the Daughters of St. Paul and for us Anglophones, who depend on her to get the government’s communiqués in a professional and timely way. Whether it’s a letter from the Superior General or a legal document, a sister’s obituary or a study and prayer guide in preparation for congregational meetings, both we and the general government know it’s going to be top-notch. Disagree with me, but I say she heads the list of our translators for written English.<br /><br />As we talk she marvels, “I’ve been here 30 years! I left the U.S. just a little more than six years after joining the Congregation. The sisters tell me I’m more Italian than American. I don’t think so! It just happens to be the part of the world I know best after Hawaii.” So, which one does she like better? She’s diplomatic: “Each place is different and special in its own way.”<br /><br />Her odyssey is a work of grace. The office actually opened just before she was assigned to it. Before that, each circumscription (province or delegation) provided for its own translations. But they contained too many errors. When Sr. Maria Cevolani, our superior general in the 80’s, visited one country and discovered that her advice had been translated exactly opposite of how she had intended, she decided it was high time to ensure that the general government maintained some control over what was sent out in its name.<br /><br />A sister was promptly introduced to the office. During that time Sr. Damien arrived in Rome on her way to East Africa. She was in Kenya only seven months when she became very sick. She returned to Rome to regain her health. Meanwhile, the sister who had been in the translation office moved on, and Sr. Damien’s return was generally regarded as fortuitous. “I thought of it differently!” she laughs. “I protested that I didn’t know Italian. ‘Don’t worry,’ I was assured, ‘the Holy Spirit will provide.’ I’m glad they’ve come to realize it takes more than the Holy Spirit!”<br /><br />“I always enjoyed languages,” she continues. “In college I had majored in English and English literature. When I was little, I used to read the dictionary for fun, although I never told anyone; I didn’t want anyone laughing at me. <br /><br />“I learned Italian by listening to how the sisters constructed sentences. Through toil and tears I learned. Then Sr. Monica Mary arrived, and I ran things by her. The sisters in the circumscriptions were not demanding; they were just happy to finally have someone doing the work.”<br /><br />One of the pluses of her ministry is in the sisters who receive it. “It’s exciting to see the development in the area of the English language. I’ll always translate like an American. We have many legitimate ways, though, of speaking and writing English—though some may quibble about their legitimacy. People have to be patient, knowing it’s always evolving. We have Indian, Australian (which is definitely not British!), Caribbean, and so much more. Our sisters have reached the point of accepting how English comes in many varieties.”<br /><br />She won’t do simultaneous translation, though, since it takes a whole different skill set that she feels she doesn’t have. That’s OK; we can forgive an expert.<br /><br />The biggest problem at this point is deadlines, especially when everyone wants her own work done at the same time. They’re supposed to go to the General Secretary to put it in queue, but some—as everywhere else—bypass the process and try to slip in their <i>letterina</i> or whatever. (“-Ina” or “-ino” is an Italian diminutive; it means “little.” It scales down the request, you see.) Sr. Damien just takes it all in stride. Hawaii in her blood, a generation in Italy, and an enviable spirit of faith make for an combination of unflappable cheer.</span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-7219015559436302552012-10-03T13:26:00.000-07:002012-10-04T11:29:46.744-07:00Ciao, Bella Charism!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">C</span>iao! In case you didn’t know, that’s how Italy spells “Hi!” You know—<i>chow.</i> I’m in Rome for an intense course in the Pauline charism—that gift of the Holy Spirit that makes us Paulines. The course covers our history, our identity, the theology of consecrated life, our mission, spirituality, and much more. There are eighteen of us from five Pauline institutes present in twelve countries, plus our coordinator, Fr. Gabriel, who's from Mexico. We just spent several days getting to know each other at the Society of St. Paul’s vacation house by the Tyrrhenian Sea. Tough life. <br /><br />You can follow our doings on Facebook at Corso Carisma Famiglia Paolina. If you don’t want to slog through the Italian, you can go to my Facebook timeline. I’ll be posting things here and there at Margaret Obrovac Fsp. And of course, starting Oct. 31, I’ll be posting shorter articles every two weeks on Pauline Faithways. Through Oct. 17, I’ll catch up with you in weekly posts. (Thanks to those who took my survey last month, I got some great direction for the upcoming year and probably beyond. Give a round of applause to our Canadian novice, Sr. Cheryl Galema, who redesigned the banner and background! It’s a work in progress, but already more than presentable.)<br /><br />This week we started our 90-minute classes; so far: an introduction to our founder, Blessed James Alberione, two sessions on the print and digital collection of his works, the Opera Omnia (more on that in my next post), and three sessions so far on the methodology of research. Later this week: hermeneutics and Paul and Alberione. All classes and assignments are in Italian. Our concluding thesis can be in our mother tongue, though. Yes, apparently there is a God.<br /><br />Even though it’s been great, it is draining, at least until we really get into it. So, I decided to have some fun and introduce you to some of the Americans and Canadians—native-born and adopted—who reside in what we call the generalate community where I’m staying and where the sisters who govern the Daughters of St. Paul worldwide live and work. Two profiles this week and two next week. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /><b><span id="goog_1038069415"></span><span id="goog_1038069416"></span>Sr. Germana Santos (U.S.)</b></span><br />
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Twenty years ago our U.S. superior sent Sr. Germana to Rome where she received her licentiate in psychology from the Gregorian University, after a four-year program designed especially for formation directors of seminarians and religious. Last year Italy decided to let her back in the country; we’re still waiting on a casting call for the national sequel to <i>Analyze That. </i>Picture that! <br /><br />Actually, Sr. Antonieta Bruscato, our superior general asked her—again—to serve in the International Secretariat for Formation and Studies. I don’t know if Sr. Germana answered in English, Italian, or Portuguese (She’s originally from the Azores), but she said yes. I only half-jokingly call her “Chrysologus”—the “Golden Word.” <br /><br />She has served in formation or government almost all her religious life. The provincial superior finally let her out of her cage a couple of years ago to spend some time in Charleston, working in outreach with our community there. A breast cancer survivor, her contact with people was therapeutic. “I’d go back tomorrow,” she sighs.<br /><br />So, besides obedience, what keeps her here today? The young Daughters of St. Paul she’s privileged to accompany as they prepare for perpetual vows. “They come from all around the world,” says Sr. Germana. “It’s an extremely enriching experience to see the Pauline charism become part of different cultures. Yet we all speak of the same charismatic reality. I get to share the riches of our spirituality with the young. At the same time, I get to see their enthusiasm in creating new methods of reaching out to people with Christ’s truth and love.”<br /><br />Last year’s program was especially moving for her. “There were 27 of us from eleven nations living in one large convent. We were so united, because Christ was the center of our house. There was peace among us, even with our differences. This is truly a gift of the Holy Spirit.” Unity like this is not the preserve of sisters. When members of families root their conversations, prayer, meals, games, work, and disagreements in Christ, trying to think, live, and love in the spirit of the Gospel, they’re much more likely to enjoy the same kind of peace. Sr. Germana puts it this way: “We let Jesus live in us and we take on his characteristics. It is Christ who thinks, loves, forgives, and suffers in me.” Part of authentic religious life is its testimony that human community can happen—anywhere!<br /><br />People say to me, “Living in Rome—that must be so wonderful!” The romanticism wears off pretty fast. You can visit only so many churches and eat only so much pasta. Besides hunting for the goodness in everything, Sr. Germana has a secret for surviving as an American: laugh at the crazy daily occurrences, your “Seinfeld moments.” Like the instructor who told her to stop driving “like the Germans. Just go!” Native or immigrant, you summon your innate openness to what’s different and jump into the adventure. You have to admit, we can be good at that.<br /><br /><b>Sr. Cecilia Ventura (Canada)</b></span><br />
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“Rome! A city filled with history, art, beauty, and spirituality. A place visited without let-up by tourists, the curious, vacationers, pilgrims, and men and women in search of their Christian roots, as they follow in the steps of the first Apostles and of countless martyrs. Rome is at the same time a paradox of chaos and charm, of noise and silence, engaged in hectic activity, yet always snarled and slowed by protests and marches of every kind—political, religious, and humanitarian. Because of this—and so much more—Rome is really ‘special.’”</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So begins Sr. Cecilia Ventura, an adopted Canadian, since she spent fifteen years in Montreal and Toronto. She and I talk about this place that will be my own home for the next eight months. I may be here for study, but Sr. Cecilia is here for something different. At a very young 68, she’s definitely Canadian, but also very Italian.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“It is here that, a year-and-a-half ago, I returned to live as a Daughter of St. Paul to begin a new phase in my life, immersed in a new aspect of the apostolate that Blessed James Alberione entrusted to his innumerable sons and daughters: to allow oneself to be inhabited and transformed by Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, as St. Paul lived him and give him to others. In this city, where the suns almost always reigns supreme, I came to learn a new language, a new alphabet to communicate the Gospel: graphic design.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Sr. Cecilia clearly loves the 56-plus sisters under this roof where, on any given day, you can find members of our general government, a number of Italians, including several senior members, as well as younger sisters from all over the world. They work together at the service of both the general government and our communities worldwide. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“Here we receive the requests of our sisters dispersed in mission territories. In real time, the world is brought to us via Skype or Internet. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that I’m involved in this intra-planetary exchange that frees the hearts of those who receive Gospel. This reminds me of my greatest challenge in this apostolic work: to become a book, poster, CD, DVD, color, form, sound, or light myself, utilizing the graphic design of the heart! How? By trusting in Love, who transforms every one of my limitations. Every one of my limitations becomes the very place where, in his Son, God the Father can make my experience of the Resurrection real. Jesus tells us that his Father and ours works without pause within us, because he never stops loving us as his children!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Next week:</i> Sr. Monica Mary Baviera and Sr. Mary Damien Veira</span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-63663565856874133232012-09-05T19:04:00.002-07:002012-09-05T19:04:56.394-07:00Under Construction<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>s I mentioned last week, Pauline Faithways is getting a whole new look, in lockstep with its new focus. Would you like to weigh in on shaping its future? Scroll down, read last week’s post, and take the five-minute survey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The redesign is going to take a few weeks. Look for our next post on Sept. 26! </span>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-48510633982274997682012-08-29T14:53:00.001-07:002012-09-04T05:48:10.075-07:00That'll Be Two Cents, Please<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span> need some advice. Yes, yours. Next month, Pauline Faithways will have been on the Web for two solid years. It’s time to assess where we’ve been, how we’ve been communicating with you, and what you and I can plan for regarding the Pauline mission. There’s a fair amount of re-dimensioning in our community and in my own life these days, as well as changes in the development office. So I’ve come up with a few questions, which I hope you’ll answer, after you finish reading the following news.<br />
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I understand how “crotchety Carl” felt whenever he looked out his window in the animated flick <i>Up.</i> With the mega-construction going on around him, his little home was the last bastion of bygone years. Our Pauline Books & Media publishing house here in Boston is being redesigned to streamline operations. Every day, existing work areas are outfitted for PBM’s central administration and new spaces spring up. Sisters and employees have been relocated, at least temporarily; old carpets and wall coverings have taken up new quarters in the dumpster. That makes for lots of power toys—sorry, tools—all outside my office. (Good thing the door closes.) My own cubby hole will also be included in the project, but because I’m leaving Sept. 13, I’m holding out for as long as I can, dedicating myself to tying up loose ends.<br />
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So where am I going? Rome…for nine months! I’ll be taking the course on the Pauline charism—our Family identity—along with seventeen other Pauline women and men. More on that in a minute. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since 2004, but couldn’t, because my sister and I were helping our parents. Then I began working to get the grant seeking part of our development office up and running, which as development people know, is a fulltime job. <br />
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If you’ve read Pauline Faithways on a fairly regular basis, you know my parents both died in 2009. That leaves the grant office. How can I walk away from that? Well, it didn’t exactly die, but I’m not exactly walking away either. After three years of growth, it had reached a point of needing personnel who are better trained than I am. I had hoped that we could bring someone on board, but apparently since we can’t afford to hire anyone, (and some are not sure we want to), and since no one else among us is adequately prepared in the field either, it was decided to close the office until workable alternatives surface. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My office: Right of the new one John is constructing</td></tr>
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I knew that was an option, but I was still surprised by the decision and wondered what that might spell for the future of development within the community. I was encouraged when I learned that we would keep other aspects of the department operating at full tilt. <a href="http://daughtersofstpaul.com/Donate/PlanYourGift/tabid/586/Default.aspx" style="color: #cc0000;">Sr. Anne Eileen Heffernan</a> still efficiently coordinates the direct mail fundraising department. She also occasionally writes for grants, as some others are doing when possible. God knows we need it: building maintenance, education of our sisters, the infirmary…not to mention the media element of our mission. <br />
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In addition, our <a href="http://www.pauline.org/" style="color: #cc0000;">Web site</a> (<a href="http://www.pauline.org/" style="color: #cc0000;">www.pauline.org</a>) contains information, updated periodically, about projects to give to and <a href="http://daughtersofstpaul.com/Donate/tabid/581/Default.aspx%20" style="color: #cc0000;">ways to donate</a>. </div>
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Our provincial government has been supportive of funding projects wherever these have emerged, like the striking renovation of our PBM Center in Metairie, outside New Orleans,* or the outfitting of modest, but beautiful, assisted living quarters above the infirmary for some of our sisters. They’ve also strengthened existing initiatives, like the documentary film on our founder, or annual events, like the Afternoon Tea for our Education Fund in Boston (Sept. 16 this year), the Benefit Dinner in St. Louis, and the Staten Island Christmas concert at the Hilton—all of which double as evangelizing moments for our guests, a central feature of all real development. The “grace-full” way in which this takes place makes me confident that we will continue the work of structuring development to meet our own aims and those of our donors more effectively.<br />
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By the way, the Education Fund is going to support my charism studies in Rome. As you may remember, a charism is a gift of the Holy Spirit given to individuals for building the Church, the body of Christ. The Pauline charism is shared by members of all ten branches of our Family, with distinguishing features (some would say, additional charisms) for each branch: Society of St. Paul, Daughters, Holy Family Institute, and so on. Eighteen of us from five branches and thirteen nations will participate in an intense course of study, writing, prayer, and sharing—all in Italian. You can start praying for us anytime!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christin Jezak (L) made her Cooperator promise Sunday.</td></tr>
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I’ve now been assigned as a member of the formation team of the Pauline Cooperators. These are laity who live the charism in their own circumstances and who carry out the Pauline mission and its apostolic spirituality into areas of society that we would never be able to reach. I’m thrilled; I love working with the laity. In fact, that was the aspect of development work I enjoyed the most: coming to know you and seeing how God was able to do wonderful things through that relationship. My specific aim in taking the course is to explore our identity and history in relation to laity in the Church today and especially Pauline laity. My prayer is that it will serve you as you live Christ in the Church and the world today.<br />
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The friendships we Daughters have with many of you will continue through the other aspects of our development outreach. I’ll be able to keep in touch, too, in my own way. Fr. Alberione viewed the donor and benefactor as a kind of Cooperator, including those who may not extend the mission financially, but who pray, or place their time and skills at the service of sharing the Gospel. <br />
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So Sr. Leonora, our provincial superior, has asked me to continue connecting with you through Pauline Faithways. That brings us to the <a href="http://www.cvent.com/d/5cqwpy" style="color: #cc0000;">survey</a>. I’d like to know what has been especially helpful to you in the blog and what you could do without, what you would like to see more of and how often. Even if you haven’t read it very often, please fill it out anyway. It’s useful for me to understand what would draw you back to the blog and share it with others. The whole process will probably take you five minutes, but your two cents will be worth millions to me. <a href="http://www.cvent.com/d/5cqwpy" style="color: #cc0000;">Click here</a> to complete it and even pass it on if you want to.<br />
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I’m sure that you’ve had the experience of putting your whole self into a project, a role, or a relationship, only to see it dissolve. That can be heartbreaking, the closer to the heart it is. Faith tells us that when it’s placed in the heart of God, it’s never lost. Our time, effort, expense, worry, and love are all there, eternally. How often the disappointment and even disillusionment, like a pruning, make way for unexpected growth and discovery. We catch glimpses of it here and now if we pay attention, but as with every mystery, its secrets will be unveiled only in eternity, and we will spend forever marveling at the goodness and love of our God for us.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* Two days ago the sisters evacuated due to then-Hurricane Isaac, so please pray for them and the PBM center they’ve left behind.</span></div>
Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-65725637847055707122012-08-22T12:43:00.000-07:002012-08-22T17:29:00.420-07:00Jubilee 2012<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>n Boston on Saturday, August 18, we celebrated the silver, golden, and diamond jubilees of ten of our sisters: 270 sisters, relatives, and friends honored them and their 395 years of consecrated Pauline life! <br />
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Here they are in name and photo from left to right in the first picture, along with their home of origin and place of assignment:<br />
<b><i>Golden</i></b><br />
Sister Majorina Zanatta—Brazil, now Boston<br />
Sister Irene Mary Martineau—Vermont, now Boston <br />
Sister Mary Peter Martin—Ohio, now Alexandria (Virginia) <br />
<i><b>Diamond</b></i><br />
Sister Mary Joan Baldino—Sardinia (Italy), now St. Louis<br />
Sister Mary Domenica Sabia—Naples (Italy), now Boston<br />
<i><b>Silver</b></i><br />
Sister Maria Noel Macabulos—Philippines, now Boston<br />
Sister Lusia Yvonne Ielonimo—Samoa, now Chicago<br />
Sister Marie Paul—Massachusetts, now Toronto (Ontario)<br />
Sister Ancilla Christine Hirsch—Wisconsin, now Germany<br />
Sister Irene Regina Hoernschemeyer—Missouri, now Honolulu</div>
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Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland, our Boston chaplain for nearly ten years, came back as principal celebrant and homilist. He said he’s known us long enough to almost qualify as a jubilarian himself! Sr. Linda Salvatore and Phivan Ngoc Nguyen from L.A. arranged all the flowers. All the blooms were donated by our friends at the flower market! Among our friends that day, we counted seven concelebrants, some of whom we haven’t seen for awhile. The novices, too, outdid themselves. They learn liturgy by serving at it and carried this celebration off with love, efficiency, and a flourish. Credit goes also to their director, Sr. Carmen Christi, who was in a thousand places at once—with a smile, no less. Music, décor, food(!), dining service, conversation, gifts—all made it a memorable occasion.<br />
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So when you receive your invitation to a Pauline party, RSVP with an enthusiastic “yes”! If you really can’t make it, know that you’re with us in spirit. The next one just might be your lucky day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos: Sr. Mary Emmanuel Alves, FSP </span></div>
Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-69224458700125995662012-08-15T14:12:00.000-07:002012-08-15T16:48:18.110-07:00Mary Assumed….<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gherarducci: The Assumption of the Virgin</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">E</span>very religious culture has its own jargon. Some expressions have pulled loose from their religious moorings and entered our common lexicon. I think of “mecca,” “nirvana,” and “kosher.” Catholicism is no exception. You don’t have to be a believer to call someone “Mother Teresa” or to know that a “Hail Mary pass” is one of the riskiest throws in football. <br />
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Other terms, though, form part of the language of faith and can be daunting for the uninitiated. Try on “transubstantiation” for size, or “Incarnation.” My most recent favorite crossed my path last Dec. 8 on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (there’s one for you): “prevenient grace.” The poor elderly priest who was offering Mass was as startled by that revision in the Roman Missal as we were, and from what I read on Facebook, he wasn’t the only celebrant to slip and slide all over it.<br />
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Today’s solemnity of Mary’s Assumption into heaven is yet another. We think of assumptions as “givens” in a person’s thought processes or structures. The word actually comes from the Latin, “to take to or into.” So the mystery we recall today is the day that Mary was taken into heaven, body and soul.<br />
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No, you’re right, it’s not in Scripture. So what possessed the Pope to declare it a dogma of faith nearly 2,000 years after the event? The Church’s call from many quarters to see it proclaimed as such—the <i>sensus fidelium,</i> or <i>sense of the faithful</i> that held it to be true regardless of dogma—ebbed and flowed over the centuries. It wasn’t that Pope Pius XII woke up one morning in 1950 and decided to add it to his to-do list. Some mainline Protestants include it in their traditions and liturgies; certainly all the Churches of the East do, in the feast of the Dormition, or falling asleep, of the Mother of God. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cretan School: The Dormition of the Mother of God</td></tr>
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In 1998 while I was in Toronto, a woman almost singlehandedly finagled to get a Vatican art exhibit, “Angels From the Vatican: The Invisible Made Visible,” to come to town. It had toured five U.S. cities, and for several weeks was held at the Art Gallery of Ontario. While Sr. Julia Mary and I meandered through the exhibition, people here and there, seeing our habits, asked us to explain what they and we were looking at. Long story short, I ended up volunteering on five Sunday afternoons as an official “Ask Me” person, helping visitors, without proselytizing, to make spiritual and religious sense of what was on display.</div>
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What impressed me about my stint there was that two themes in particular evoked the most bewilderment in visitors: Christ’s Descent into Hell and Mary’s Dormition or Assumption. I had the opportunity in my broken Italian to tell the two Vatican coordinators of the exhibit afterward how people approached the pieces with questions of one kind and left with clearer understanding, respect, and questions of the deeper kind. They were elated. One, a curator at the Vatican Museums, exclaimed, “This is exactly what John Paul had in mind—evangelization through an intersection of faith and culture!” <br />
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The details are immaterial: where and how the Assumption took place, whether Mary died first or not, and so on. What does take center stage is its meaning, its historical basis, and a movement in theology that had been growing and that found a catalyst in the proclamation of the dogma: the rebirth of <i>eschatology,</i> the study of the final destiny of humankind and the world, centered as it is in the Resurrection and Second Coming of Christ.<br />
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Mary’s Assumption was possible only because Jesus rose from death and ascended to the right hand of the Father, and so, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was made the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1Cor. 15:20). Mary was taken into heaven body and soul, because it was “right” as St. John Damascene put it, that she who had surrendered to the Spirit and had given birth to Life would never succumb to the ravages of death. In other words, if Mary hadn’t been the mother of Christ, there’s a really good chance she would have died and gone the way of us all until the final coming of Jesus in glory. We can celebrate this day and this mystery only because of her Son.<br />
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There’s a beautiful medieval hymn that we sang this morning, which highlights this. We don’t ever sing “Mary the Dawn” as professionally in community as we do right here on our CD, <a href="http://store.pauline.org/English/MusicAudio/tabid/129/CategoryID/756/List/0/catpageindex/2/Level/a/ProductID/3285/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName" style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Stella Maris</i></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>(“Star of the sea”), but if you listen, maybe you’ll love it for what it says, just as I do.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the dawn, Christ the perfect Day;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the gate, Christ the heav’nly Way!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the root, Christ the mystic Vine;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the grape, Christ the sacred Wine!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the wheat-sheaf, Christ the living Bread;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the rose-tree, Christ the Rose blood-red!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the font, Christ the cleansing Flood;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the chalice, Christ the saving Blood!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the temple, Christ the temple’s Lord;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven’s Rest;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision blest!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary the mother, Christ the mother’s Son.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Both ever blest while endless ages run.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Amen.</span></blockquote>
The legendary Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens, a prominent figure at Vatican II, pointed out in his book, <i>A New Pentecost?,</i><b>*</b> that some non-Catholic Christians and some Orthodox Christians take issue with Roman Catholic Christians over how we seem to attribute to Mary not what belongs to Jesus, but “what, in their eyes, is proper to the Holy Spirit….</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
“They point out as particularly shocking such expressions as: <br />
—To Jesus through Mary.<br />
—Mary forms Christ in us….<br />
“Our Protestant brethren object that it is precisely the Holy Spirit who is to bring us to Jesus, to form Christ in us, to unite us to him and to cooperate in a unique way in the work of redemption….” </blockquote>
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Suenens hastens to reiterate this truth of the Spirit’s role in our redemption and sanctification. At the same time he reminds us that Mary now participates in the Spirit’s work because she was uniquely open to his action in her life: It was through her “yes” that the Spirit could effect the Incarnation and begin to inaugurate the final age of salvation history.<br />
<br />
The best part is that the two of them don’t keep that collaboration to themselves, but share it with us—along with the promise that comes with it. In her humanness, Mary then becomes not only intercessor, but a sign of our future, individually and as a human family, if we say “yes” as she did—the meaning of today’s solemnity of the Assumption. <a href="http://paulinefaithways.blogspot.com/2011/10/of-bread-and-fishes-and-red-wine.html" style="color: #cc0000;">Fr. Joseph Benson</a>, who wrote for Pauline Faithways last year, wrote several years ago that </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
“Mary made a momentous decision when she said “yes.” Her life became intricately bound to the destiny of her Son from that moment onwards, and as a result, intimately bound to our destiny.<br />
“Our Good News is not that Mary was somehow especially blessed by God in ways that we cannot be blessed because she became the Mother of the Redeemer. That would be to miss the focus of God’s work. In her “yes,” she becomes the Mother of God precisely to enable us to be blessed in God. <br />
“The deepest aspect of the woman Mary was her constant preparedness to trust, even in the uncertainty of events; to trust that her God would not fail her, would not play with her life haphazardly or use her in any way disrespectfully just to achieve his own ends. She held fast to his Word and discovered in so doing the immensity of his love, that she was indeed the mother of his Word-made-flesh. This was more than what she could have dreamed of or imagined. <i>The end of her trust was a transformation</i> greater than what she could ever have possibly been aware of.<br />
“We too are specially chosen, we too are specifically graced. We are destined to become co-heirs with Christ.”</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdFtAaTBbKGTIknSbbaGQ-DoA9oniHOuQc0deuBng3tElm3QrTiSdaG_5ySWd7fkbFMxgUaS-q7akHXI5pPBE-0T3O53CG9IcSHs9FymSgO14SQlJGJCWjGM5V4sB-1awzIQm5ODdU-8/s1600/Regina+apostoli+edit+col+bal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdFtAaTBbKGTIknSbbaGQ-DoA9oniHOuQc0deuBng3tElm3QrTiSdaG_5ySWd7fkbFMxgUaS-q7akHXI5pPBE-0T3O53CG9IcSHs9FymSgO14SQlJGJCWjGM5V4sB-1awzIQm5ODdU-8/s320/Regina+apostoli+edit+col+bal.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
But it’s not over till it’s over. The Pauline Family reveres Mary especially as Queen of Apostles. She <i>assumed </i>this role “especially after her Assumption into heaven,” writes our founder, Blessed James Alberione. “It was then that she began a new phase of her apostolic mission. From then on, she raised up every kind of apostle: apostles of action and of word, of example and of the pen, of charity and of truth. All times and all needs, physical and spiritual, had to have their apostles. Mary….wants all those who dedicate themselves to the apostolate close to her in heaven.”<br />
<br />
At the “intersection” of faith and our own particular world, that “assumption” can easily involve you and me.<br />
____________<br />
<b>*</b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">pp. 184ff.</span></div>
Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-21793577479573328762012-08-08T17:26:00.000-07:002012-08-09T13:24:35.263-07:00A Blessed Fest<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYguM4Vlkz2TTbFYHPmDq7WVNIfU7uw_582qeYVWEi9xihHKkG5nxMg8sexnwyaxT5IocCKVmXmYvJwpVPWaktkeWd_jSKtKrkVe994XEqGtaZTwvzC8CvQhVZj4nMTy1p3I4WNIN20k/s1600/IMG_3419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYguM4Vlkz2TTbFYHPmDq7WVNIfU7uw_582qeYVWEi9xihHKkG5nxMg8sexnwyaxT5IocCKVmXmYvJwpVPWaktkeWd_jSKtKrkVe994XEqGtaZTwvzC8CvQhVZj4nMTy1p3I4WNIN20k/s320/IMG_3419.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sr. Jerome, Br. Peter, and I welcome you!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="goog_1082432257"></span><span id="goog_1082432258"></span>H</span>ad it been a weekday, August 5 would have been the memorial of Our Lady of the Snows. You would have never known it, though, in Staten Island, with temperatures in the 90’s and the threat of severe thunderstorms hanging over the day. Still, this was no problem for the second annual St. Paul Friends & Family Fest, held on the grounds of the Society of St. Paul, as long as the downpour held out until our guests were home safe and we all had finished cleaning up. God was very considerate that way, even giving us a little time for a very modest after-party around a picnic table. Work done, many of the crew and planning team chatted about the Fest over a glass of whatever before the wild winds and sheets of rain drove us home. Like <a href="http://paulinefaithways.blogspot.com/2011/08/from-staten-island-to-world.html" style="color: #cc0000;">last August’s event</a>, this year’s Fest was blessed.<br />
<br />
The blessings weren’t limited to the weather, though. Despite the dramatic drop in attendance—half of last year’s (due to heat and storms?)—those who came enjoyed themselves. Of course, their chances at the raffle baskets increased! <a href="http://rollingthunder2ny.com/index.htm" style="color: #cc0000;">Rolling Thunder Chapter 2 New York, Staten Island</a>, bikers in a humanitarian organization that mainly supports U.S. vets, couldn’t have been more kind or more skilled with the barbecue tongs. Manhattan Fruit Exchange had lavished produce on us, so nothing was lacking. Thanks to the generosity of the United Staten Island Veterans Association, the <a href="http://statenislandaoh.com/" style="color: #cc0000;">Ancient Order of Hibernians</a>, and 28 other businesses and organizations, expenses were pared down, raffle baskets overflowed, games and crafts entertained the kids, and music kept things lively. Even “New York’s Bravest” rolled into the parking lot and offered tours of one of their fire engines.<br />
<br />
All told, the Pauline Family—priests, brothers, sisters, and Pauline laity—hosted about a hundred people, including a number of our own members. The purpose of the event is to re-introduce Staten Islanders to the Pauline communities and their mission of evangelization within and through the media, help people to consider a vocation in this Family, whether as religious or laity, to share faith and hope in joy with our guests regardless of religious affiliation, and if possible raise some funds for a common project—all while having a good time with family and friends. So it makes sense we would <br />
<span id="goog_1082432263"></span><span id="goog_1082432264"></span>begin with Mass together with those who want to pray with us, and then turn the celebration outdoors. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzXxIvs3S2XgINb6BKGysi0ZqD_6MXezvLBqJ1bsZqy8ZuJLhtE9lQ6rvEwZqEGa4VclNKEworA_DQCTlVDGOt0EULO03EXC1Ok_g8ivEO1DxLFOF828t7vcbnFUOp4t9yner11m3-kk/s1600/IMG_3421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzXxIvs3S2XgINb6BKGysi0ZqD_6MXezvLBqJ1bsZqy8ZuJLhtE9lQ6rvEwZqEGa4VclNKEworA_DQCTlVDGOt0EULO03EXC1Ok_g8ivEO1DxLFOF828t7vcbnFUOp4t9yner11m3-kk/s320/IMG_3421.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fest Team and Rolling Thunder serve it up.</td></tr>
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<br />
Proceeds last year went toward the production of the <a href="http://www.alberionefilm.blogspot.com/" style="color: #cc0000;">film on Blessed James Alberione</a>, our founder. This year and next, we’re using funds for a joint crossmedia vocation project that all branches of the Pauline Family will be included in crafting and will be able to use in raising awareness about themselves and their mission in the Church. Next year, since the film will be ready, we intend to show it throughout the afternoon and set up hands-on exhibits about Fr. Alberione and the branches of the Family he founded. With her background in project management, local team member Patricia Reilly will coordinate the team’s preparation, formulating a plan, following up on details, and serving as a local (and ready) point of reference for questions and concerns. I’m grateful; It’s almost impossible to do that effectively from 200 miles away!<br />
<br />
The morning of the Fest, as I was preparing for the day at the Society of St. Paul’s grounds, a woman, a lifelong Buddhist who often visits the adoration chapel at the SSP, dropped by. We fell to talking, and she said that her husband had died fourteen years ago. Four years later, she discovered the chapel. She confided, “I feel my body being drawn here.” That sounded like God to me. So I ventured, “Take this as an invitation: If you ever feel like learning more about the Catholic Church, you’d be welcome.” She had attended Catholic school as a child and lamented that her girls had never met a sister. “Well,” I answered, “you can take care of that this afternoon.” I invited her to the Fest, and she did come with her daughters and her 17-year-old’s friend. Who knows where this will go?<br />
<br />
Kate, who’s probably no more than six, didn’t initially understand the raffle concept. But she was a woman who knew her own mind. She wanted the eight English teacups and saucers with puppies on them. She didn’t care that they came with a coffee and tea basket and she didn’t grasp that just putting her ticket in the bag in front of it didn’t automatically entitle her to the goods. Once she got it, though, she returned again and again to find out when her name would be called. I wondered what would happen to her if someone else had lucked out instead. I didn’t have to worry. When her ticket was pulled (fair and square), she almost somersaulted to claim her prize. I imagine we haven’t seen the last of Kate.<br />
<br />
To beat the heat, we’ve changed the date for future Fests to late September or early October. This way we can do more to involve the Catholic schools, too. Seven terrific seniors from St. Peter’s High School spent a few service hours on Sunday working with the Fest Team. There’s potential there either for ministry or total vocational commitment.<br />
<br />
Don't miss the slideshow at right!<br />
<br />
If you would like to be invited to next year’s event you can e-mail me at <a href="mailto:margaretjo@paulinemedia.com" style="color: #cc0000;">margaretjo@paulinemedia.com</a>. If you would like to donate toward the vocation project, you can make a check to the Society of St. Paul and send it to my attention:<br />
Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSP<br />
50 St. Paul’s Ave. Boston, MA 02130.<br />
<br />
See you next year!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo credits:</i> James Haynes III, John Nappi, Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSP</span></div>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-40224678927262303612012-08-01T18:58:00.000-07:002012-08-03T18:41:37.267-07:00A Dark Night Rises—Then the Dawn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>oday at Mass we heard the Gospel of the margarets. You know the one—about the merchant with a high tolerance for risk, hunting for fine margarets. One day when a really valuable margaret catches his expert eye, he takes the gamble of his life, sells everything he owns, and buys it.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaFIuA9itJAyzPdVSk-UajTHJShmi4Qu86yMlxYR0IQfo1wJBuUeYnYLIwypn_FItL7zX1_LXRi0cSwQ-sskP7c7O33JTGxMUJjg3VdVPRrPpA27sxvqbV6dU3oKt17ZnGaG59PcwKvY/s1600/PEARL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaFIuA9itJAyzPdVSk-UajTHJShmi4Qu86yMlxYR0IQfo1wJBuUeYnYLIwypn_FItL7zX1_LXRi0cSwQ-sskP7c7O33JTGxMUJjg3VdVPRrPpA27sxvqbV6dU3oKt17ZnGaG59PcwKvY/s320/PEARL.jpg" width="320" /></a>But that’s about pearls, right? Right. That’s what “Margaret” means. From the time I was a girl I had heard that my name comes from the Greek word for “pearl”—<i>margaritári.</i> From the time I was a girl I had also heard that Jesus compared love for the kingdom of God to the relentless search for the best pearl around. It had never been as personal to me, though, until one day about twenty years ago when I was making my daily Eucharistic hour of adoration. I was looking at the crucifix and thanking Jesus for giving his life for me. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, this Gospel passage came to mind. Oh my gosh, I thought, I’m the pearl, and <i>that’s</i> the price!<br />
<br />
The only reason I can give my all for the kingdom is that Jesus Christ did it first. Frankly, that’s the only way he could urge us to sacrifice what is dear to us for something dearer. He knew that loving the Father would eventually entail loving us to death. By the outpouring of the Spirit through the outpouring of his life on the cross, he would buy us back for the Father, and in the process, begin to shape us together into the kingdom that’s worth giving <i>our </i>lives for. <br />
<br />
This is <i>“the essential point by which Christianity differs from all the other religions,”</i> John Paul II wrote in his apostolic letter preparing the Church for the new millennium. “Here, it is not simply a case of man seeking God, but of God who comes in Person to speak to man of himself and to show him the path by which he may be reached” <i>(<a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_10111994_tertio-millennio-adveniente_en.html" style="color: #cc0000;">Tertio millennio adveniente</a></i>, 6). This is what, more than anything else, keeps my faith and trust going in dark or difficult times. Jesus cared enough about me to seek me out and to give all he had and was for me: “…the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).<br />
<br />
I don’t know anyone directly affected by the violence upon moviegoers last week in Aurora,* Colorado, but I couldn’t help thinking of them as I meditated on this Gospel. Do you feel as personally attacked as I do? Only happenstance kept my sister, my cousin, my friend…or me from being counted among the night’s casualties. In fact, more than happenstance connects me to them all: our common citizenship, our common humanity, and in some cases, our common faith. Our common redemption certainly does.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WQqv1s_4I7D-I6dnkeRLRYjEWTsNErzmq6gjKkWr6JvSJYd-Cr7OE3z8BxkdcWDHOiz_fckFbx442uiuwxu6OSiTN817bAa7Z2dSOUT1RQV-R59ODNFkBl7kOWeRFxA4_AiXvDJfSK8/s1600/600032_10151076436604721_335823110_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WQqv1s_4I7D-I6dnkeRLRYjEWTsNErzmq6gjKkWr6JvSJYd-Cr7OE3z8BxkdcWDHOiz_fckFbx442uiuwxu6OSiTN817bAa7Z2dSOUT1RQV-R59ODNFkBl7kOWeRFxA4_AiXvDJfSK8/s320/600032_10151076436604721_335823110_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
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Comforting a young adult after Mass</td></tr>
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Some who read <a href="http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/8624" style="color: #cc0000;">Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila’s column</a> the week afterward probably gasped as they recognized yet another apparent twist of fate. I know I did. He recounted how joyfully his first week as Ordinary (head bishop) of Denver began, then how “stunned” he was only two days later as his “great joy turned to sorrow” for the people of this city in his archdiocese. Two short days before a horrifying rite of initiation. Two short days before he was called upon to strengthen his brothers and sisters (cf. Lk. 22:32). What could he tell them that would ease the pain or make sense of tragedy? Nothing. But he could and did “stand in solidarity” with them and recall the One who gave his all for them. It was this proclaimed faith that gave meaning to his decision to place the counseling services of Catholic Charities within reach of those who need them in these weeks: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“Tragedy breeds uncertainty because it undercuts the things we implicitly believe to be true—that we can go to school, or to work or to the movies safely. When those certainties are shaken, we question a lot.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“I imagine there were many questions after the Crucifixion. In the upper room, the Apostles asked themselves the same questions we ask ourselves. The Blessed Mother, too, who lost a child, was faced with the question of why such a tragedy had ever occurred….</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“The questions ceased when they encountered the Resurrection.…[I]n the Risen Christ, they encountered victory over death and evil. They learned that unspeakable sin, like the unspeakable sin we have encountered, is defeated by the love of God. The love of the Father is stronger than the sting of death. The Resurrection proves that to be true.”</span></blockquote>
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Those who lost loved ones or still watch other loved ones suffer may find words, even faith-filled words, cold comfort. After all, nothing will ever undo what a few minutes did. Survivors in Afghanistan, Darfur, Syria, and every violence-scarred spot on earth know this well. Faith in the Crucified and Risen One doesn’t offer an explanation for the inexplicable, but hope beyond it, even here and now. Who else offers as much? This is what Peter sensed when he answered Jesus’ question to his disciples, “Do you want to leave me, too?” “Lord,” Peter replied, “to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn. 6:68).<br />
<br />
It’s not a platitude to say that God took them to himself. God didn’t take their lives; somebody else did that. God just didn’t let him keep them. “Like a shepherd he will gather the lambs in his arms” (Is. 40:11). This is what moved Archbishop Aquila, Auxiliary Bishop Conley, and Pope Benedict XVI to give of themselves in word and deed for the pearls, the living stones, the kingdom of God entrusted to them. God seeks us out through those who share words of eternal life with us. Are we ready to let him do the same through us?<br />
_____________<br />
* “Aurora” means “dawn.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo of Archbishop Aquila by James Baca/Denver Catholic Register</span></div>
</div>Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-67575687265360696412012-07-25T16:03:00.000-07:002012-08-20T10:53:09.378-07:00Mining for Gospel Gold<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbMVC8r9Bge3E5iOqyVOFnlx7iFoZrKStBwhqr5hKLuxWniXLiNW2mbe2FDpgdv6S8wTA-cSJSkuRodUqi6oUi4at1-tSIgo-X_H3zyLTYrkxNhD4J10dmCCAysUhyphenhyphen2ayTYOKfWnSuuw/s1600/Arrival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbMVC8r9Bge3E5iOqyVOFnlx7iFoZrKStBwhqr5hKLuxWniXLiNW2mbe2FDpgdv6S8wTA-cSJSkuRodUqi6oUi4at1-tSIgo-X_H3zyLTYrkxNhD4J10dmCCAysUhyphenhyphen2ayTYOKfWnSuuw/s400/Arrival.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span>or our young women in formation and for their directors, too, this has already been one busy summer. The week-long St. Paul Summer Program for teens in various stages of vocational discernment drew a record 24 participants. Last month our five postulants, in their two-year introduction to religious life, arrived from St. Louis for their Boston hiatus, which includes vacation, annual retreat, classes, and internship in some very lucky departments of the Pauline Books & Media publishing house. As part of our twinning with Mexico, Julia Yanez, a Mexican postulant, is studying English, and will enter the novitiate program in September with three of the U.S. postulants. At the end of the month Carly Arcella and Chelsea Moxley will return to St. Louis for their second year of formation.<br />
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<span id="goog_2047943511"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09qoQ26qkdoMh6DNyuod-a1cWtZ80M8zaS6N3kXo_lcb22QEH6BPRpoZa-SHzrIHEuXif2MUItboP5PEw5hL2QKmblyHYTT-QLutJM11s2rnlv14ChNWhxNNeZBtdov0XRIA-F7N9CP8/s1600/Julia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09qoQ26qkdoMh6DNyuod-a1cWtZ80M8zaS6N3kXo_lcb22QEH6BPRpoZa-SHzrIHEuXif2MUItboP5PEw5hL2QKmblyHYTT-QLutJM11s2rnlv14ChNWhxNNeZBtdov0XRIA-F7N9CP8/s320/Julia.jpg" width="75" /></a></span></div>
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</span>Part of the postulants’ year marked a first for us, too: It was the first time our postulants were able to go to Culver City (Los Angeles) to participate in the course for an advanced certification in media literacy education that Sr. Rose Pacatte offers at the Pauline Center for Media Studies (PCMS). This was made possible by the Dan Murphy Foundation in L.A., which regularly subsidizes speakers and materials for the course, as well as by the Outreach Trust Fund, administered by St. Mary Seminary, Wickliffe, OH. That’s the seminary for the diocese of Cleveland.<br />
<br />
Among its interests, the Outreach Trust Fund supports “the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, with a special concern for the needs of minority groups.” It also reaches out to “the social needs of the larger diocesan community.” Because of the intimate connection between media and the social condition everywhere, the fund’s committee chose to invest in the course.<br />
<br />
It didn’t hurt that one of the postulants, Sandy Lucas, is from Cleveland. Or that Cleveland’s Bishop Lennon, who approves the funding projects, served our Boston community for nine years as chaplain. But there was more to the decision than that. Fr. Donald Dunson, who endorsed the proposal for the postulants, told the committee, “This is a wonderful way to connect our school with a community that served this diocese for so many years”—almost 40, until 2002. We still go back at least annually now, to put on a Christmas concert at St. John’s Cathedral, and religious stores in the area stock our materials. Did I mention that Fr. Dunson and I were classmates in the seventh and eighth grades after my father was transferred to the city way back when? We Daughters definitely cherish our Cleveland connections.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carly and Sandy</td></tr>
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Sandy was excited about going to Los Angeles. It was, as she said, the farthest west she had ever been. She also felt she had no formal training in media before she joined us; she had had a career in law. So she was looking forward to learning, especially since in January Sr. Marie Paul Curley had introduced the postulants to media spirituality. “She whetted my appetite for more,” Sandy said. “I wanted to learn the basics. I was hoping for a practical application. The exit project we did helped with that. I knew that if I’d be speaking to a group, I’d be able to explain media literacy to other people. The course was geared to that. It’s designed for catechists, who need to be able to explain it.”<br />
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Carly, instead, had been a broadcast major in college. So the background offered in the media literacy (ML) course was familiar territory: “I wanted to integrate what I already knew with my faith and begin looking at media from a different perspective.” With that background, she was just as eager as Sandy to go out to California: “Being in LA was an amazing part of the experience with its pronounced attachment to the media culture.”<br />
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Our world, including every ethnic culture in the U.S., has largely been shaped by the communications media and is daily becoming more immersed in all forms of media. Business, politics, education, entertainment, and social relationships no longer exist apart from the media. As a result, even though in the new economic climate we all live in many people of every ethnic background have few resources at hand for “non-essentials,” the purchase of electronics and digital devices, as well as their content, has increased. Staying connected—and with current technology—is no longer seen as an extra, but as a need. The importance, therefore, of inculturating the Gospel within the current milieu created by the communications media is greater than ever, especially in view of the accessibility of social networking.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiC3J5WofycWqQghYEXVh5hqBK1lGKR2sLFTU6UxZlCrPPpKSub6q9xSW8zd_J450CGM7Mvb0NBrIylf2Ynd1xkvhh8zHwJpen0O-cmvfIhuKKQ4t3W4a2_VRJdjLfQXUXbQyHaQ2QVc/s1600/Shrekness+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiC3J5WofycWqQghYEXVh5hqBK1lGKR2sLFTU6UxZlCrPPpKSub6q9xSW8zd_J450CGM7Mvb0NBrIylf2Ynd1xkvhh8zHwJpen0O-cmvfIhuKKQ4t3W4a2_VRJdjLfQXUXbQyHaQ2QVc/s320/Shrekness+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
While the Daughters of St. Paul have been entrusted with this mission, we notice our own ongoing need to give media that same priority and acquire new skills that will equip us to, first, make media choices in harmony with our commitment to the Gospel, and second, to assist others to do the same within their media world. Sandy picked up on this. “It gave me a new lens to watch movies with and helped me develop a more critical thinking approach. I began being able to spot different things in a movie, a nugget of the Gospel.”<br />
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The media literacy education experience at the PCMS is unique. The 50-hour course awards an advanced certificate in media literacy education, which is accredited by four California dioceses for catechist and DRE formation, and has been attended by almost 86 clergy, religious, and laity from coast to coast since it began in 2007. <br />
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Participants learn how to analyze media texts and processes critically and apply the content across a variety of learning situations. They develop awareness of the experiences and opinions of those with whom they share faith, becoming co-learners. They learn how media function in relation to human emotions and how these shape attitudes in society. As Christians in front of the media and as evangelizers, that it, as ministers of the Gospel, they begin to acquire new respect for others, empathy, and a balance of freedom and responsibility.<br />
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The purpose of the course has been the training of educators, administrators, librarians, and parents, in view of integrating media mindfulness both within and across the curriculum and within faith formation in other educational and ethnic contexts. Even though our sisters don’t teach in a parish faith formation program, we’re constantly in contact with those who do. In addition, our publications and outreach programs for kids and teens always need to keep current with the world of these “digital natives” and their parents.<br />
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In view of this, the course introduced the postulants to a deeper study of how to “read” different forms of media through a technique called “Media Mindfulness.” This mindfulness on the personal level is designed to spill over into mission: vocation presentations, Bible/movie nights, school book and media fairs, parish displays and presentations, and informed service to those who walk into our PBM centers. Especially in view of the tri-lingual (English, Spanish, and Portuguese) American continental project now underway among all our communities in the Western Hemisphere, such an approach has already been very helpful in the international collaboration among us. Sr. Rebecca Marie Hoffart, postulant director, said:</div>
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“From the beginning of their formation the postulants are encouraged to use the many forms of communications media that are available as tools of evangelization and we instill in them the freedom to be creative and zealous in the use of these means for the spread of the Gospel. Understanding how media is constructed and being able to seriously reflect on the meanings and messages presented by the media is imperative for carrying out our mission.”</blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Lady Gaga Meets St. Paul"</td></tr>
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Carly was ‘impressed with the well-roundedness of the course, with its variety of topics, and with the speakers.” Both she and Sandy loved two of the sessions best: actor Michael Harney’s “Art and Vocation,” on the craft of acting and living in the present moment, and Sr. Nancy M. Usselmann’s “Lady Gaga Meets St. Paul,” on music and popular culture. They said: “[Sr. Nancy’s] class explained the dialogue between music and Word of God, especially how the lyrics contrast with Paul’s message. The great thing about the presentation was the way it answered the question: ‘What does Paul offer in response to what Lady Gaga is crying out for?’ She is the voice of her generation, and it’s important to hear her, even if we don’t agree with what she’s saying. We have to understand where it’s coming from.”<br />
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When I asked them why this is important to them and to all Daughters of St. Paul, Carly answered, “It’s so important to be in touch, to know people’s needs and hungers and know how to respond with the message of Christ.” Sandy added, “We can’t presume to know where people are coming from. We have to listen to what they have to tell us.”<br />
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In case you were wondering, these five young women and Sr. Rebecca didn’t just sit back and absorb. Part of their learning came through doing. Each was responsible for designing an exit project and presenting it to the group. This gave evidence of how she integrated learning and experience, previous and new. Further, it demonstrated how the postulant internalized the Church’s understanding of human dignity, community, family, and society. These are consistent with the principles of social teaching articulated most recently by John Paul II and Benedict XVI, notably in documents and messages regarding the media. I know from having taken the course, that the pressure is on at this point, also because we’re trying to beat the clock. The consolidation is an important aspect of the learning experience, though, and I was able to use what I prepared in a presentation to seminarians and catechists in San Antonio the following year. I have no doubt these bright young women will do even more. As a deacon-participant from Fremont, CA, wrote:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“This is a course you can’t afford to miss! Media needs to be embedded in our evangelization….Teachers know the merits of a lesson plan that instructs through multiple intelligences. This course unlocks the tools that are embedded in media-rich lesson plans, tools that you can use immediately.” </span></blockquote>
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Both Sr. Rebecca and the postulants hope we can find ways of including it on a permanent basis in the postulant formation program. Lack of funding is the greatest challenge here. Making it always more relevant to life and mission is a cakewalk by comparison. Sandy summed up everyone’s wish: “I hope every Daughter of St. Paul would have a chance for this early on, so we can continue to mine the culture as we go forward.” Carly gave the reason why: “Media are gifts of God. If we’re working so close to media, we don’t want to forget the tremendous good that they can offer.”<br />
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To me, the greatest challenge is this: broadening its appeal to religious communities beyond our own. Dedication to social justice and engaging in the “New Evangelization” cannot be done without reference to media, the cultural context in which the people—and evangelizers—of our time live, believe, pray, and relate. Including this in formation programs has become necessary, not only for us, but for clergy, religious, and all those who are entrusted with a mission to witness to Christ and his Gospel in our modern world. (Who isn’t?) <br />
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Media mindfulness doesn’t just “happen.” Like all areas of intentional living, it’s the result of a process of information, guidance, reflection, decision-making and experience. We cannot exclude media mindfulness from initial formation and reasonably hope that suddenly after ordination or profession, young priests and religious will magically have been infused with the tools and skills to be media responsible. Even more, with a little creativity and inspiration, we can easily imagine a ministry that speaks the language people understand. Media literacy is not a panacea for the Church’s rift with modern culture. Nor is communication a matter of simply <i>using </i>media to dazzle. It’s a matter of learning the art of communicating—and here we’re perpetual students—knowing that it’s not a one-way street, but for all of us a goldmine of “nuggets of the Gospel.”<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Carly Arcella </span></i></div>
Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-41841384163976764012012-07-20T16:18:00.001-07:002012-10-27T05:04:48.859-07:00In-Dignity<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>n the last article I posted (July 4) I mentioned that I had been working with the archdiocese of Boston on its educational campaign opposing doctor-prescribed suicide, an initiative that will appear on the November ballot here in Massachusetts…this year…for starters. If you think that this concerns only the Bay State, or that it’s a matter of “privacy” with no bearing on public policy, you might want to scroll down to that article before you read another word of this one. <br />
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That said, the issue does have its personal, if not exclusively private side. That’s what we explored in our reflection/movie/prayer sessions in seven parishes, where a total of 89 of us gathered to understand its “human” side: its spiritual, psychological, and social aspects.<br />
One day over lunch, I told several sisters I had been thinking of using Scripture and film to do this and asked for their suggestions. Sr. Christina Miriam must have been inspired, because the HBO movie she came up with was perfect: <i>Wit.</i><br />
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Emma Thompson plays Vivian Bearing, an “uncompromising” scholar of John Donne’s poetry. Independent to the point of isolation, Professor Bearing has become self-sufficient and even arrogant. At the age of 48, she is diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. She agrees to collaborate with medical research by submitting to eight months of chemotherapy. As she declines physically, she gradually “distinguishes herself in illness,” becomes “the one taught,” and is gradually freed from identifying her <i>person </i>with her professional self-image. She becomes the human being she was meant to be and so—we are led to believe—finds peace in God who never lets go.<br />
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The movie never mentions suicide, but every scene pulses with a human value that’s a major motivation both for those who go that route and those who choose life: dignity. Clearly, then, it’s a key dynamic in the current debate.<br />
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This past April, the Health Department of Washington State, where doctor-prescribed suicide is legal, issued its “Annual Death With Dignity Report” for 2011. Look at the reasons cited by the 94 people who died last year after opting to end their lives. <br />
<br />
<b>End-of-life concerns of those who died in 2011 in Washington State</b><br />
Loss of the ability to participate in activities that <br />
make life enjoyable 89 % <br />
Loss of autonomy 87 % <br />
Loss of dignity 79 %<br />
Loss of control of bodily functions 57%<br />
Burden on family, friends/caregivers 54%<br />
Inadequate pain control or concern about it 38%<br />
Financial implications of treatment 4%<br />
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Unlike laws about seat belt use, or allocation of tax revenue, this issue reaches deep within us to the core of how we <i>perceive </i>ourselves as persons and what we understand about our dignity as persons. As we met with people in parishes over Scripture and <i>Wit,</i> we all struggled with this. Morality notwithstanding, if viewers allowed themselves to remain with the surface narrative of the film—Vivian’s journey toward death—they could easily argue a case for taking their lives: Who wants to go through what she did? That narrative, though, offered us a portal for going to a deeper level: What do we deprive ourselves of becoming if we abbreviate the experience, despite the ordeal? What growth? What reconciliations? What relationships, including one with God? Vivian observed that she was “learning how to suffer.” Instead of standing apart from the rest of humanity as she had been doing, she identified with them and so, paradoxically found her true self. Not unlike real people.<br />
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Even more: The perception out there is that the Catholic Church insists on using every means available for prolonging life, regardless of expense, suffering, or indignity. So— many people reason—the only option for maintaining any kind of control over our lives is to decide how and when to end them. Nothing could be further from the truth! If Vivian made any mistake in her care, it was her decision to “leave the action to the professionals,” even regarding the management of her pain. She had already requested a Do Not Resuscitate order (DNR). Why not express her will regarding her treatment? As Pope John Paul declared to his physicians pending the course of his care, he was a “subject, not an object” of treatment; he expected to be in the driver’s seat. The movie highlights failure on several levels to provide the patient with adequate palliative care and underscores the need for everyone to have a health care advocate or proxy to ensure respect for his or her personal wishes.<br />
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As anyone who has spent a night in the hospital can tell you, you are definitely at the mercy of schedules, policies, and your disease itself—plenty to relinquish control over, plenty of indignities to endure. Why add to them unnecessarily? I’ve been touched by the dark faith of one of our senior sisters who lives with dementia. When it came to choosing Scripture passages to pray with at these movie nights, I ended up pairing the film with the Word she’s been quoting to us recently: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Jesus said to Simon Peter,… ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, ‘Follow me’” (Jn. 21:15, 18-19). </blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sr. Sean Mayer, FSP, and participants, Peabody, MA </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The people I met with easily connected this text to Vivian Bearing’s experience and their own. It gives a fresh perspective to our common experience, as St. Paul understood well: “In all this we are more than conquerors because of [Christ] who has loved us” (Rom. 8:37). It takes trust and discernment all along the way. “Lord, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”<br />
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As I mentioned before, most participants took the booklet <i>To Life! Life and Death With Dignity Through Scripture and Screen, </i>to use at home. It allows them to repeat the encounter through additional films and apply the educational experience to children, teens, and other adults. The idea was to extend the benefits of the group session among family and friends. The beauty is that no one has to be a media “expert” to profit from it. It’s a simple way to connect faith with media culture.*<br />
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<i>Wit </i>cleverly exploits the poetry of John Donne to shed light on Vivian Bearing’s inner journey and struggle for dignity. At the forefront is his sonnet “Death, Be Not Proud.” It’s short enough and relevant enough to include here in its entirety:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee<br />
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;<br />
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow<br />
Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.<br />
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,<br />
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,<br />
And soonest our best men with thee do go,<br />
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.<br />
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,<br />
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,<br />
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well<br />
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?<br />
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,<br />
And death shall be no more, death, thou shalt die.</blockquote>
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In a flashback moment, Professor Bearing admiringly recalls how her own teacher and mentor, Eve M. Ashford, upbraided her for having referenced an inferior version of the poem and so, missed its point. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Ashford: </i>Nothing but a breath—a comma—separates life from life everlasting. It is very simple really. With the original punctuation restored, death is no longer something to act out on a stage, with exclamation points. It’s a comma, a pause. This way, the uncompromising way, one learns something from this poem, wouldn’t you say? Life, death. Soul, God. Past, present. Not insuperable barriers, not semicolons, just a comma.<br />
<i>Vivian:</i> Life, death...I see. It’s a metaphysical conceit. It’s wit! I’ll go back to the library and rewrite the paper—<br />
<i>Ashford:</i> It is not wit, Miss Bearing. It is truth….</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAmy8mwyPb1CY4-wNszqa6_Ns-LaIPp7tOwvOfP_5HUj6gpeqo9bpnPx_suKEUEfqDI_hCzlaUJNrhqTT1iIoWJ-MLIopK65qqzwlSbwMROUtOGzok9-8d3UxhHnBACMWlyCZnj0kX8k/s1600/Postulants+session.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAmy8mwyPb1CY4-wNszqa6_Ns-LaIPp7tOwvOfP_5HUj6gpeqo9bpnPx_suKEUEfqDI_hCzlaUJNrhqTT1iIoWJ-MLIopK65qqzwlSbwMROUtOGzok9-8d3UxhHnBACMWlyCZnj0kX8k/s320/Postulants+session.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our postulants had their own workshop/movie session.</td></tr>
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Like Paul who taunted, “Death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting?” Donne chops death down to size by reminding it of its transitory nature and of the company it keeps. Instead, in suicide it takes on a mistaken identity. If we think that death rescues us from fear and pain—a fate worse than death?—we give it a power it does not have, a prestige it does not merit. In effect we say, “Yes, Death (“capital D”), be proud! You have saved me!”<br />
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Really, what does it mean to die with dignity? A question I sometimes asked participants was, “Did Jesus die with dignity?” The initial response was a resounding “No!” Then as they reconsidered, they weren’t so sure. Is it the circumstances surrounding death that determine a dignified passing, or the way it’s faced? When we look at the passion narrative in the Gospel according to John especially, Jesus is clearly in charge. He unflinchingly carries his kingship and control, sure of his Father’s love even when he no longer feels it. Go through chapters 18 and 19; you’ll see what I mean. His dignity in death is ours for the asking.<br />
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Dignity is not what we give each other, but is something human beings possess inherently within themselves. The respectful way we treat others <i>acknowledges </i>that dignity and can go a long way in helping them to recognize their worth, but nothing we do can add to that dignity or take away from it. In addition, a person’s dignity is eroded not by what is done to him or her, but by the choices she or he makes (cf. Mt. 15:11). While it is championed by believers, this is a principle that those of other faiths or of no faith can agree on. In fact, society has an obligation to ensure that its structures affirm each person’s dignity, too, so that people can live in keeping with it.<br />
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Regardless of how the November vote turns out, “death with dignity” will not be a one-time issue, soon to be replaced by other ethical dilemmas. How we respond to society in general will be shaped by how we respond to family, neighbors, colleagues, and friends as we share with them our vision of human dignity. For some of us that will come at the “comma” between life and life everlasting—ours or someone else’s. What insight faith can give at that point! What life!<br />
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_____________<br />
*Interested in a digital copy of the family/friend booklet, <i>To Life! </i>as well as the guide for our conversation on <i>Wit?</i> E-mail me your request at <a href="mailto:pearlmjo@gmail.com"><span style="color: #cc0000;">pearlmjo@gmail.com</span></a>. <br />
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Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997428833833016610.post-70342475653880603092012-07-04T16:23:00.001-07:002012-10-27T05:06:51.624-07:00PAS—Coming Soon to a State Near You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdjE4Si34A49jqF6uwMgc1VTgM1BVDnvD5UyoSGV058qGRoHrqLuHaHMm5cb9hyphenhyphenb0KZSac1FZFuyregllO52ojYjt18jCgMxFNnQdO04BPI-Q06AwHve9EGvGydaH55DujC2pAJ2KJAI/s1600/Wit,_2001_film.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdjE4Si34A49jqF6uwMgc1VTgM1BVDnvD5UyoSGV058qGRoHrqLuHaHMm5cb9hyphenhyphenb0KZSac1FZFuyregllO52ojYjt18jCgMxFNnQdO04BPI-Q06AwHve9EGvGydaH55DujC2pAJ2KJAI/s320/Wit,_2001_film.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span>or the past two months I had the privilege of working with Boston’s archdiocesan Pro-Life Office and the Office of Faith Formation and Evangelization on a challenging project. This November, voters in Massachusetts will be asked to legalize physician-assisted suicide (PAS), more grimly called “doctor-prescribed suicide,” which if passed, would make the Commonwealth the third state, after Oregon and Washington, to do so. <br />
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Need I say that the Massachusetts Episcopal (Bishops) Conference takes a dim view of the idea? (See <a href="http://www.suicideisalwaysatragedy.org/" style="color: #cc0000;">www.SuicideIsAlwaysATragedy.org</a>). The Church in Boston has officially concluded its workshop campaign and plans to inaugurate a media blitz this fall. I helped promote the informational workshops on the legal and medical aspects of the issue in several parishes and led a reflection session as a follow-up, using Scripture, the movie <i>Wit, </i>and group discussion to highlight the “human side” of the issue: its spiritual, psychological, and social aspects.<br />
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We had time for workshops in only twelve strategic locations. Attendance was minimal. We knew it would be, considering the topic and the current lack of media attention on the referendum. About 300 people attended the informational workshops and 89, the reflection sessions, half of whom had not attended the workshops. The upside is that the archdiocese is keeping in touch with those who offered their services to assist in defeating the Act at the polls. In addition, many of those at the movie sessions took the booklet I had prepared for home use, so that they could replicate the experience for families and friends. Stories about people, as in Scripture or on the screen, can be great indicators of what is truly human. Some suggestions in the booklet use simplified Scripture passages and kids’ movies to educate young people in reverence for life, human autonomy, compassion and dignity, and interpersonal dynamics surrounding end-of-life issues. Only 17% of Catholics in the Boston archdiocese attend Mass regularly, so churches are not the place where most people, young or old, will get their information and values formation.*<br />
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No doubt the lack of publicity will change somewhat come the fall, but even then, it will be overshadowed by the hype around the presidential election and local elections. This is a “blue” state, and a Democrat, fairly popular with Bay State voters, sits in the White House. Compassion and Choices (the former Hemlock Society) wagered on all that when it targeted Massachusetts as the next state to include its Death With Dignity Act on the ballot. With this state as an international leader in health care, a win in Massachusetts would set the stage for legalized suicide in one state after another. Last December, the Massachusetts Medical Association voted 178 to 56 against what it views as a “bad bill,” because of its lack of safeguards for the terminally ill and its disregard for palliative care. One doctor I spoke with said that although it was not part of the debate, the prospect of malpractice suits in the aftermath of misdiagnoses and wrong prognoses may well have been in the back of some doctors’ minds as they voted. Not surprisingly, disability rights activists are alarmed. In addition, various churches and both Christian and non-Christian organizations have stood up to be counted and some are planning their own educational events, including one that I know of that intends to use the movie as well. It's definitely not just a Catholic issue.<br />
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A useful online site is <a href="http://www.suicideisalwaysatragedy.org/" style="color: #cc0000;">www.SuicideIsAlwaysATragedy.org</a>. It includes Cardinal Seán O’Malley’s video and lists a number of digital and print media resources. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Holy Family Parish in Duxbury</td></tr>
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I especially like a clear, no-frills article I read in the <i>Boston Pilot</i> in January and which is available online: <a href="http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=14223" style="color: #cc0000;">“Purpose, Palliative Care, and Respect for Human Life,”</a> by Adam MacLeod. If you’re like most people and you’re touched by a good story, you’ll appreciate the article posted in March on the death of <a href="http://paulinefaithways.blogspot.com/2012/03/sr-annettes-life-and-death-with-dignity.html" style="color: #cc0000;">Sr. Annette Margaret Boccabello,</a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>one of our younger sisters. The resources that helped her to make her decisions regarding her care and treatment might also help you or someone you know.<br />
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If you like something a little more intricate, check out this fascinating report sent by the Catholic Health Association to the Supreme Court in 1997—<a href="http://www.chausa.org/workarea//DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147484115" style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Physician-Assisted Suicide: CHA Amicus Brief</i></a>. A Pauline Cooperator who works for a law firm here in Boston sent me the link to the ten-page report, that includes a letter by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago written the week before he died. It seems that the controversial Ninth Circuit Court had raised a question as to whether a person has a right, not “to be assisted in ‘killing oneself intentionally,’ but whether there is a liberty interest in ‘determining the time and manner of’ or ‘hastening one’s death.’” <br />
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That’s sobering. Among other issues, it erases the distinction, for instance, between deliberately causing one’s death (suicide) and withholding or withdrawing disproportionate means to sustain life, or managing pain with medication, even if as a side-effect, it hastens death. <br />
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It also sets society on what is being called “the slippery slope.” The CHA observes that if law is grounded in choice rather than in moral right, “there is no coherent way to limit a purported right to ‘assisted suicide’ to terminally ill people or to competent people who can communicate,” since not even incompetent people “lose their constitutional freedoms simply due to their incompetence.” The non-communicative or incompetent person’s health care proxy would be authorized to make that decision. Euthanasia, or physician-administered poison would be the next step, since as the Court declared, it considers it “less important who administers the medication than who determines whether the terminally ill person's life shall end.” The CHA report’s argument concludes, “At this point, assisted suicide is no longer a clinical event occurring in a health care setting; it is nothing more than state-sanctioned killing by private agreement.”<br />
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The voice of the people is not, of itself, the voice of God. Personal choice or public consensus as a basis for law are as arbitrary as the “divine right of kings,” when exercised apart either from natural law, which rests on the purpose for which things exist, or divine positive law, such as the Ten Commandments. For instance, my lungs are made for inhaling oxygen that my blood needs to sustain life throughout my body. If I go into the garage, close the door, turn on the car, and begin to breathe carbon monoxide instead, I’m using my lungs for something other than what they were intended for. My “choice,” regardless of how it’s condoned by the public, is immoral according to natural law. Notice that the basis for this morality, or natural law, has nothing to do with religion; it’s common to all human beings.<br />
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This may seem all very theoretical, but it provides the foundation of what we’re witnessing: <br />
• When a terminally ill person can request a lethal prescription and have that written request witnessed by an heir and a total stranger; <br />
• when neither the psychologist administering the psychological test nor the prescribing physician need to know the person; <br />
• and when death certificates are falsified to reflect the underlying disease and not suicide as the cause of death (life insurance policy concerns?),<br />
we have to ask ourselves some very hard questions about how superficial our moral reasoning has become and not turn our eyes from its consequences. What can our response be?<br />
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My two-month interaction with a broad range of Catholic attitudes toward life and dignity was an education for me as much as it was for the people I served. It was a privilege to reach out among them with the Pauline mission, using media in connection with God’s Word, to address an issue that I’ve made my own since my sister and I cared for our parents. We faced many of the same questions and agonies as those I talked with. People were deeply touched by the session. One parish secretary sent us a note that she was thankful for the “human face” the media experience put on the issue. <br />
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What kind of world do we want to leave to the next generation? One, I would think, which offers creative alternatives to suicide in facing life’s challenges, one in which we freely take charge of our own lives within an increasingly dizzying array of technological choices. Next week, we’ll look at the movie <i>Wit,</i> see how, practically speaking we can live and die with real dignity, and “grow” our imagination to envision courses of action worthy of our humanness in its best sense, alternatives to the cheapest way out, economically and humanly. May we discover hope.<br />
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*Interested in a digital copy of the family/friend booklet, “To Life!” and the guide for our conversation on <i>Wit?</i> E-mail me your request at <a href="mailto:margaretjo@paulinemedia.com" style="color: #cc0000;">pearlmjo@gmail.com</a>. </div>
Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116313287682858493noreply@blogger.com1