The Catholic Sun, May 2012

Catholic SunThe

Serving the Church of Phoenix Catholic Sun

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Volume 28, Number 5 • May 17, 2012 www.catholicsun.org © 2012 The Catholic Sun • 32 pages • $1.75

6 | BDF exposes abortion fund in health care reform act ◆ 13 | Local Catholic promotes rosary for the United States of America

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4 Catholics Matter: Sherry Boas

Adoptive mom welcomes life

25 Media/Arts Movie: The Avengers Latest superhero film redeems the rest

9 MEXICO: Travel Essay Beauty through faith amid violence

Bishop to ordain new priest for the

diocese June 2By Ambria Hammel

The Catholic Sun

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted will ordain Dan Vanyo to the priest-hood dur-ing a 10 a.m. Mass June 2 at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral.

The ordina-tion will cap off years of study at the seminary as well as pasto-ral work, putting what he learned into action. Fr. Paul Sullivan, direc-tor of vocations for the Phoenix Diocese, said Vanyo “has had a knack for creating community life.”

“We saw this in the seminary,” he said. “The ability to bring people together will be nice to see in par-ish life.”

Vanyo, who will begin his priest-ly ministry at Queen of Peace in Mesa and as a high school chap-lain, is looking forward to celebrat-ing Mass, conferring the sacrament of the sick and hearing confes-sions. ✴

Catholics voice opposition to

Obama’s support for same-sex

marriage By Joyce Coronel

The Catholic Sun

National and local Catholic lead-ers are roundly criticizing President Barack Obama’s statement of sup-port for same-sex marriage.

He made the statement May 9 during a television interview. The Catholic Church teaches that mar-riage by definition is meant to be the exclusive, life-long commit-ment between one man and one woman and that sexual activity outside of marriage is sinful.

Sharing the Good News

Communications part of the new evangelization

By Gina KeatingThe Catholic Sun

In a world flush with instant communication via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram, is it any wonder Pope Benedict XVI has taken to the social media sphere to share the Good News?

Last year from his iPad, the Holy Father used Twitter (@news_va_en) to announce a new Vatican website, and has since tweeted messages to thousands of faith-filled followers.

The Phoenix Diocese isn’t a stranger to the tidal wave of mass

J.D. Long-García/CATHOLIC SUN

Connie White poses for a photo with her two boys, Joshua and Isaiah. White, whose parents brought her into the United States when she was 14, felt trapped in an abusive marriage because she was an undocumented immigrant.

Scars remainMother rebuilds life after domestic violence

By J.D. Long-GarcíaThe Catholic Sun

A Casa Grande police officer told her she needed to go to the emergency room. She brushed it off, said she was OK. She was just

worried about her kids.“Ma’am,” the officers said, leading her to a mirror.

She looked at herself.“I couldn’t even see my face,” she said.Her two children saw their father pummel their

mother. Isaiah, still crawling, followed his mother as she exchanged blows with her husband. Joshua, a couple years older, watched from under the kitchen table.

They saw their father throw their mother against the wall. When she got up from the floor, they saw

their father break their mother’s nose with the heel of his palm.

“I’ll bury you in the desert one of these days,” her husband told her, according to the police report. He grabbed his cell phone and keys and left.

She turned to her two children and found Isaiah’s white pajamas soaked red. She panicked, fearing she’d accidentally hit him while defending herself. But all of the blood was hers.

Connie White was one of many undocumented immigrants that, because of their legal status, feel trapped in domestic violence situations. In this case, her spouse was a U.S. citizen who regularly threat-ened to have her deported if she spoke up.

— See SCarS page 16 ▶

Dan Vanyo

— See HoW THe gooD NeWS page 15 ▶

— See CaTHolIC leaDerS page 23 ▶

Page 2 ✦ The Catholic Sun quickreads May 17, 2012

Schools 17Our Views 20Letters 21Opinion/Commentary 22Nation/World 23Media/Arts 24Classifieds 26La Comunidad 28Sunbeams 31

Index

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A packed PentecostQUEEN CREEK — Our Lady of

Guadalupe Parish is expecting 5,000 people for its Pentecost celebration May 27. Fr. Craig Friedley, parochial administra-tor, is merging its regular five Sunday Masses into a single 9 a.m. liturgy to celebrate the gifts the Holy Spirit brings to a parish community.

The outdoor Mass will be celebrated at Canyon State Academy, 20061 E. Rittenhouse Road, which is less than two miles from the parish site.

Art showFLAGSTAFF — San Francisco

de Asís Parish will open Nativity Church during the city’s First Friday Art Walk this summer where it will display regional Christian-themed art-work that will be available for purchase. A silent auction will be held each night with some of the proceeds benefiting the parish’s building fund.

The parish is amid a $3.5 million building fund appeal and has started vertical con-struction including a bell tower. Concrete floors scheduled are to be in by Pentecost when parish families will gather for an outdoor Mass.

Art Walk times are 6-8 p.m. June 1, July 6 and Aug. 3.

For more on the event or to become a listed artist, go to www.buildinggodshouse.org or call (928) 380-5214.

Religious emblems for scoutsBoy Scouts throughout the

diocese will receive their reli-gious emblem for their study of the Church May 20 at St. James Parish in Glendale. Junior high and high school boys earn the Ad Altare Dei medal for studying vocations and the sacraments.

Older high school students studied vocations, careers and life choices for the Pope Pius XII medal. High school girls who are registered Venture Scouts are also eligible to earn the Pope Pius XII emblem.

Scouting projectsGirl Scout Troop 688 based

at St. Jerome school and parish delivered a new commercial-grade washing machine to the Ronald McDonald House at Phoenix Children’s Hospital May 5. They bought it with pro-ceeds from selling some 2,200 boxes of cookies. They also donated a special troop bear.

Taylor James Norrid, a Brophy student, earned the rank of Eagle Scout after col-lecting more than 1,000 pairs of shoes for Catholic Charities

Community Services. Andrew Buckel, a Seton student, reno-vated pens for an endangered species at the Phoenix Zoo.

Brother jubileeHoly Cross Brother Ronald

Whelan, who worked at André House in his active years and is still seen there in his retire-ment, is celebrating his 60th year of religious profession. He is one of 21 Holy Cross priests and brothers making their 25th, 50th and 60th jubilee this year.

A May 25 Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated at Notre Dame in Indiana in their honor.

Merciful loveMESA — Renee Marazon,

who heads the Healing Ministry in the Diocese of Toledo, directed the Healing Touch of Jesus through the Childhood Stages of our Life Retreat May 4-6 at Country Inn and Suites. Her talks brought all 88 women back in time to address issues such as trust and hope and bullying.

Small group discussion allowed women to bring Jesus into that situation to make room for healing. Phoenix’s Catholic Renewal Ministries sponsored the retreat.

Peace AwardSCOTTSDALE — Nominations

are due June 15 for the Casa Peace Award presented by The Franciscan Renewal Center. Candidates should have inner-peace and promote peace and nonviolence through their actions.

Last year’s inaugural recipients were Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. and Franciscan Father Louis Vitale, both world renowned for their peace and civil rights work. For a nomi-nation form, email [email protected] or call (480) 948-7460 ext. 155.

Home educatorsSacred Heart Home

Educators is hosting its annual Catholic Homeschool Conference June 29-30 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. It features a “Dad’s Night,” Masses, workshops, talks and a curriculum sale.

More than 135 families make up Sacred Heart Home Educators with 16 of them in a cooperative education that allows students to meet twice a month. Discerning, new and veteran homeschoolers are welcome at the confer-ence and can create their own schedule. For registration, go to www.conf.shhe.org. ✴

Pipe organ dedication Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted will join the St. Mary’s

Basilica community for a blessing and dedication recital featuring the parish’s custom-built 26-rank pipe organ. The festivities begin at 3 p.m. May 20 at the church, 231 N. Third Street.

Renowned guest organist, Mario Balestrieri, direc-tor of music at the Church of the Epiphany, San Francisco, will perform as will St. Mary’s director of music and choir and an acclaimed violinist. Refreshments to follow. All are invited.

Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN

gordon Stevenson plays St. Mary’s Basilica’s new organ during the 12:10 p.m. Mass May 9.

@May 17, 2012 There’s always more on the web. The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 3

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Catholic Community Foundation honors Harper, Garagiola

The Catholic Community Foundation hon-ored Sharon Harper, president and CEO of Plaza Companies, as well as former major league baseball player Joe Garagiola April 14 at its annual Crozier Gala.

Harper is a “champion of the greater community,” according to the foundation, noting her involvement in many chari-table boards, including at Brophy College Preparatory.

The foundation recognized Garagiola for his support of St. Peter Mission School in Bapchule, including a community center and a convent for the Franciscan sisters that serve the community.

▶ For the full story: bit.ly/ccf-051712

▶ Tune in to “The Bishop’s Hour,” hosted by Michael Dixon, on 1310 AM every Monday at 11 a.m., with encore broadcasts Thursdays at 9 p.m. The May 21 show will fea-ture Fr. Charlie Goraieb who will share about the Holy Spirit; Mike Phelan, director of the Marriage and Respect Life Offi ce, who will speak on same-sex marriage; and local Catholic Chris Faddis, who will speak on keeping the faith through family illness. Archived shows: www.thebishopshour.org.

▶ 7 p.m., May 21 Michael John Poirier farewell concert at The Virginia G. Piper Center for Performing Arts at Xavier College Preparatory.

▶ Memorial Day Mass at Catholic cemeteries throughout the dio-cese, May 28. See ad page 5.

▶ 10 a.m., June 2, Mass of Priestly Ordination, Ss. Simon and Jude.

▶ 4 p.m. musical interlude, 5 p.m. Mass, June 9, Diversity Mass at St. Patrick Parish in Scottsdale.

By J.D. Long-GarcíaThe Catholic Sun

When Manuela Escamilla immigrated to the United States 20 years ago, she wasn’t looking for work. She’d already been widowed 12 years when she came, having made ends meet

for herself and her eight children in Mexico. Instead of employment, Escamilla came to be with her children, who had already immigrated. She moved in with a daughter, staying at home to care for her grand-children.

It was easier to come into the United States then, she said, before a barrage of measures aiming to crackdown on illegal immigration in Arizona. Escamilla joined a few dozen others gathered at the state Capitol April 25, praying for the Supreme Court’s decision on SB 1070.

▶ For the full story: bit.ly/sb1070-051712


Ariz. Catholics pray for SB 1070 Supreme Court decision


Fifth-graders raise money for struggling families worldwide

Fifth-graders in St. Thomas More’s faith formation program raised nearly more than $5,000 for Heifer International, an organization that works to end hunger and poverty.

They presented a check to a Heifer rep-resentative April 24 at the parish. Monies largely came from monthly dinners the recently confi rmed kids hosted between weekday religious education classes.

▶ For the full story: bit.ly/heifer-051712

For full-length versions, visit the web: www.catholicsun.org/page-3/ Dozens demonstrate

against death penaltyLocal Catholics have been rallying at

the state Capitol on the eve of execu-tions. The next rally was scheduled for 6 p.m. May 15 before the execution of Samuel V. Lopez.

▶ For previous coverage: bit.ly/rally-051712

Page 4 ✦ The Catholic Sun catholicsmatter May 17, 2012

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TouchEnd-of-life care from Saint Jude Hospice touches patients and their families with compassion, empathy and a genuine love of humanity.

We’ve made this our mission because we live by the words of Jesus Christ: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

We adhere to Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.

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Where love and healing flow

SHERRY BOAS Adoption leads former journalist to welcome life

Parish:St. Anne

Apostolates:Member, Sacred Heart Home Educators

Quotable:I would encourage people to get off the very long line waiting for “the perfect white infant” and be open to other blessings.

Faith in a nutshell: Trust God and know that He loves you beyond all measure and that will help you love His will, because His will is for the good of all of us.

By Joyce CoronelThe Catholic Sun

Sherry Boas was tucking in her adopted daughter Teresa one night when this thought

occurred to her: someday, the roles might be reversed and Teresa could be the one caring for her.

Teresa, 9, has Down Syndrome, and as Boas notes, about 90 per-cent of women who fi nd out they are carrying a child with the genetic condition decide to have an abortion. The fact that Teresa was conceived following a rape — another reason a woman might seek to end a pregnancy — made her birth even more unlikely.

“We didn’t set out to adopt spe-cial needs kids,” Boas said. “But we view adoption as if we were giving birth: you can’t really say no or send back a baby that you give birth to, so if you give birth to a baby with Down Syndrome, then you have a baby with Down Syndrome. That’s what we tried to do with our adoptions.”

Boas, who spent 10 years as a journalist at a daily newspaper, said the realization about Teresa’s unlikely birth was the inspiration for the Lily Trilogy, a fi ctional series of books based on her every-day experiences as a mom of four adopted children.

Her eldest daughter, Maria, 13, was exposed to crack cocaine, alco-hol and cigarettes in utero. Her youngest, 6-year-old John, was born 15 weeks early, weighing just 1.5 pounds and with a host of serious medical conditions, not the least of which was a 70 percent chance of developing cerebral palsy. Boas said she fasted and prayed and credits a series of small miracles with John’s astonishing recovery.

“There were so many life-saving miracles,” Boas said. After nearly four months in the hospital, they brought John home, but he had serious liver problems. He couldn’t eat normally and most of his nutri-tion was given intravenously.

A liver biopsy was scheduled but had to be cancelled after John caught a cold. Boas realized that in the 10-day period prior to the rescheduled procedure, there was time for a novena. She and her older children sat down and com-posed a simple prayer.

“Dear Blessed Mother Teresa,” the prayer read, “You cared for babies and sick people when you were alive, so please help our little baby brother.” The children placed the

novena on the family’s prayer table and remembered to say it every day.

The liver biopsy Boas hoped her son could avoid was cancelled after John’s test results came back great-ly improved and he began gaining weight. He has never developed cerebral palsy.

What she loves about being Catholic:

The Eucharist is the biggest rea-son why I’m Catholic. It’s the sum-mit of our faith as John Paul II said, and without the Eucharist and a sacramental spiritual life, it would almost be like not having air to breathe, just suffocating. I don’t know how you would walk through the world without it.

Take away: Every book that I write has this

theme: every person’s life is meant to touch other people’s lives; so when one person is missing, our lives are not as rich. All those people who were aborted — the people with disabilities and the people without disabilities who were aborted — would have given something to the world and we’ll never know what it is. We don’t know what we’re missing. ✴

Joyce Coronel/CATHOLIC SUN

Catch more “Catholics Matter” features on Sundays following the 9 a.m. televised Mass on

AZ-TV 7 / Cable 13

May 17, 2012 localchurch The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 5

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Rachel’s Vineyard brings healing to post-abortive womenBy Joyce CoronelThe Catholic Sun

Sonia was out of options. She lost her business, lost her home and was living on the streets, preg-nant and afraid. Although she was taking classes at a local community college, she had to drop out.

“It’s so hard to carry everything you own with you,” Sonia said. “Your feet hurt, and on the hot days, it’s really diffi cult. I just wish that people would realize that it can happen to anybody.”

Sonia, who said she once drove a Lexus and lived in a beautiful home, said she lost everything after the relationship with the father of her children fell apart. She fi led for bankruptcy and although she could sometimes stay with friends, she often ended up on the street.

She wound up living in a shelter but wondered what would happen after her baby was born.

“It was a very nice place and it was clean. But the alternative would be to take my baby back to a shelter with four other women. I can’t even imagine that,” Sonia said. “I think about that all the time — how

Maggie’s Place: providing housing, love and stability to moms in need

grateful I am for Maggie’s Place.” It was at Maggie’s Place that

Sonia found the stability, love and nurturing she and her unborn child so desperately needed.

The Phoenix-based organization has three homes in the Valley where pregnant homeless women can stay during their pregnancy and with their babies for up to six months after they give birth. Since its founding in 2000, 498 babies have

been born to the women served by Maggie’s Place. There are currently 21 women residing in a Maggie’s Place house in Phoenix.

“They helped me tremendous-ly in so many ways,” Sonia said of her experience. “They gave me everything I could have wanted or needed for my baby. It’s just a very loving environment.”

Not only did Maggie’s Place give her a roof over her head, staff there

helped her get referrals for jobs and schooling. They also showed her how to live in community and gave her a stable place for her older three children to visit.

“The staff there is amazing,” Sonia said. “They helped me get back on my feet.” Today the mother of four is living in transitional housing and looking toward a brighter future.

Part of what impressed Sonia about Maggie’s Place was the cen-

tral role of faith and prayer. She appreciated the onsite chapel and the daily community prayer.

“It really brought me closer to God and gave me a better relation-ship with Him, and I value that a lot,” Sonia said. “The staff is always in there praying.”

During Sonia’s stay at Maggie’s Place, she was referred to Rachel’s Vineyard, a retreat program for post-abortive women. Many women who have had abortions suffer intense guilt, shame and regret over their decision to end their babies’ lives.

Rachel’s Vineyard offers them a three-day retreat where they learn to express their bottled-up feelings and deal with the trauma of their abor-tion experience. Sonia had never spoken to anyone about what she’d done.

“For so many years, I just pun-ished myself because I was ashamed and I regretted it,” Sonia said. “I still regret it to this day. I never told a single soul.”

The Rachel’s Vineyard retreat she attended helped her fi nd God’s forgiveness and peace. Part of that process included mourning the child whose life was cut short.

“You have a funeral for the baby and they make you name the baby,” Sonia said. “The retreat is wonder-ful and I wish everybody who’s had an abortion could go there because it really made a big difference.” ✴

Courtesy Jeff Fuentebella

Sonia, who chose not to reveal her last name, and her 9-month-old daughter, Shiloh, both benefi ted from their stay at Maggie’s Place.

The Charity and Development Appeal sup-ports more than 65 edu-cational, chari-table and spiri-tual organizations which counsel, feed, clothe, house, educate and comfort those in need throughout the four counties in the Phoenix Diocese.

The CDA has raised some $7.3 million so far this year to support charitable orga-nizations like Maggie’s Place and Rachel’s Vineyard. To learn more about the CDA or donate, visit the web: www.diocesephoenix.org/cda

‘BECAUSE OF YOU’

Page 6 ✦ The Catholic Sun localchurch May 17, 2012

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Portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act violate reli-gious freedom and rights of con-science, according to Nikolas Nikas of the Bioethics Defense Fund.

While the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the constitutionality of the health care reform measure, often referred to as Obamacare, Nikas is making his case to Catholics throughout the Phoenix Diocese.

Nikas has spent the last several weeks traveling the diocese and educating Catholics about the intricacies of the health reform law. To begin with, he said, the law includes three mandates.

“We can agree to disagree on the minimum-coverage mandate. If that were the only issue, I wouldn’t be here,” Nikas told about 250 people at Our Lady of Joy Parish April 18.

Nikas likened the administration’s health reform to a Russian nesting

doll. His partner, Dorinda Bordlee, read the nearly 2,800-page law and discovered the Abortion Premium Mandate buried deep inside. “She ought to get a lifetime plenary indul-gence for that,” Nikas quipped.

Technically, federal dollars won’t be used to pay for abortion — but up to 150 million employees could each contribute $1 monthly to the fund out of their own pockets, add-ing up to a staggering billion-dollar fund, all to pay for abortion.

Under the new health-care exchange, employees won’t know if the plan their employer offers includes the monthly contribution

Bioethics Defense Fund exposes health reform act’s abortion fund

to the abortion fund until they enroll. And, they won’t be allowed to decline abortion coverage based on moral or religious objections.

The other aspect of the health reform act that Nikas said violates the religious liberty of Catholics is the Employer Mandate that requires employers to provide cov-erage for contraception.

“They picked a fight with the Catholic Church,” Nikas said. “Who else has a well-defined teaching on contraception?”

Catholics can agree to disagree on the merits of socialized medicine, Nikas said. “I’m not here about poli-tics — this isn’t about Democrat or Republican — I’m here because of the profound effect on religious lib-erty. If Reagan or Bush were doing this, I’d be fighting it.”

Nikas and Bordlee filed a friends-of-the-court brief, or amici curiae, on behalf of six national pro-life, medical organizations, including the Catholic Medical Association.

The brief states at the outset that the health reform act “violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment by effectively forcing millions of individuals to personal-ly pay a separate abortion premium

in violation of their sincerely held religious beliefs.”

The Employer Mandate por-tion of the health reform act that requires employers to provide free contraception, Nikas said, reflects the culture of death. “We have a culture right now that says abor-tion and contraception are the most important things,” Nikas said. “Is pregnancy a disease? To them, it is.”

He said the Department of Health and Human Services has narrowly defined religious employers, who would be exempt from having to provide free contraception.

According to the mandate, Nikas said, religious employers must have the inculcation of their religious beliefs as their primary objective, and must primarily employ and serve people who share their reli-gious beliefs.

“Who gets this exception?” Nikas asked the crowd rhetorically. “Bishops and priests. Jesus himself wouldn’t qualify.”

The violation of religious liberty inherent in portions of the health reform measure “needs to get out,” Nikas said. “This is a teachable moment.” ✴

New Arizona law cuts off all state funds to abortion providers By Joyce Coronel The Catholic Sun

Gov. Jan Brewer signed legisla-tion May 4 that prevents the state of Arizona or any local government from using taxpayer dollars to con-tract with organizations that offer abortion as part of their services.

Brewer signed the measure at a reception held in Scottsdale by the Susan B. Anthony List, an organi-zation that works to elect pro-life candidates to public office.

Although state law already pro-hibits the use of public monies for abortion, the new law closes loopholes that were allowing some funds to trickle through to abor-tion providers such as Planned Parenthood.

Ron Johnson, executive direc-tor of the Arizona Catholic Conference, was pleased with Brewer’s signature on the bill. The conference is the public policy arm of the Tucson and Phoenix dio-ceses, the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Eparchy of Arizona and the Diocese of Gallup, N.M., which includes northeastern Arizona.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that the governor signed House Bill 2800,” Johnson said. “Abortion providers can be very creative in how they use funds and arrange funds and we wanted to make absolutely sure to close any loopholes.” ✴

Stand Up Rally for Religious FreedomNoon rally for religious free-dom, June 8, Sandra Day O’Connor Federal Court Building East Plaza, 401 W. Washington St.

Bioethics Defense FundFor more information or to read the amici curiae brief, visit bdfund.org. To schedule a presentation by Nikas, contact him at [email protected].


Bishop Thomas J. olmsted and auxiliary Bishop eduardo a. Nevares join hun-dreds during a March 23 rally agiainst the HHS mandate in downtown Phoenix.

May 17, 2012 The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 7

We remember our valiant men and women, who have helped ensure our peace.Our religious leaders, who remind us of the path to peace.

Our parents and families, who tried to help us grow with peace surrounding us.Our friends, who have helped us try to live each day with peace in our lives.

Join us at one of the Catholic Cemeteries nearest you as we remember.

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Heidi Czerkes has given birth to three sons, but with each pregnancy, complications arose. When she and her husband Mike, an obstetrician-gynecologist, wanted to expand their family, they thought of adoption.

“Ever since I was little I felt called to adopt,” Heidi said. “After this last pregnancy, we started talk-ing about it more, just praying about it to see if this was where we were being called in our family.”

At the time the couple first dis-cussed adoption, they were living in Maine while Mike completed his residency. Their eldest son was attending a Catholic school that included a large number of inter-racial and adoptive families.

The Czerkes started asking school families about the adoption process. That led them to Reece’s Rainbow, an international adop-tion ministry geared toward chil-dren with Down Syndrome and other conditions.

“We always felt we had the abil-ity to care for a child with spe-cial needs,” Heidi said. When they checked out the Reece’s Rainbow website and saw the photo gallery of children waiting to be adopted, they discovered Peter, a 2-year-old boy with Down Syndrome who has been living in a hospital in Hong Kong since he was 6 months old.

He’s currently in remission from AML, the form of leukemia that Downs kids are susceptible to, but he will require treatment for the next couple of years. The Czerkes say they want to make Peter part of their family.

“He needs a home and he needs a family,” Heidi said. Her husband agreed.

“These children are gifts from God,” Mike said. “I think that they have special gifts that we’ll never understand. I look at all these chil-dren as God’s children and our

Local families adopt special-needs kids from abroad

children as well that we need to protect and bring home and make sure they have loving families.”

The Czerkes, who belong to St. Timothy Parish in Mesa, said they appreciate the birth mother’s choice.

“Part of our adoption journey has also been to thank these moth-ers for choosing life and to really validate that and to bring this child home,” Mike said.

Along the way, they’ve come to be friends with Eli and Charles Smith, who are trying to adopt a boy with special needs from Eastern Europe.

Malcom, who turns 5 this month, has cerebral palsy and was also featured on Reece’s Rainbow.

Knowing how expensive interna-tional adoptions can be — bringing Malcom home will require about $48,000, mostly in travel costs — the Smiths weren’t sure they’d be able to do more than contribute to help someone else adopt.

Then Charles saw a video of Malcom. “I saw it and I was sunk,” Charles said. “I fell in love and I thought, ‘I’ve got to bring him home.’” His wife Eli required no convincing.

“He needs us,” she said of Malcom. “He needs a safe place to become the man God intended he be and that he is destined to be.”

Time is of the essence in Malcom’s case. The practice in Eastern Europe, Eli said, is that after age 5, children are consid-ered unadoptable and are placed in an institution with adults up to age 35. Although a volunteer in Russia has assured them that authorities have been notified that the boy’s “parents are coming,” the St. Thomas the Apostle parishioner still worries.

“It makes me cry just to sit here and think about it. I can’t imagine how you would throw somebody away at 5 years old,” Eli said.

The Smiths, who have managed to raise about $15,000 so far toward the cost of adoption, are complet-ing their paperwork and other requirements and hope to have Malcom in their arms by next fall.

Social media — Facebook, blogs and Twitter — have played a big role in helping them raise money. They’re raffling off an iPad and a friend recently hosted an open house and auction. ✴


Charles and eli Smith are trying to adopt Malcom, a child from eastern europe, but need to raise thousands first. To help, visit ourfamilysmith.blogspot.com.


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The origins of the Mesoamerican feathered snake god aren’t certain, but

the Aztecs believed he came down from heaven twice a year to bring fertility and harvest.

This god of life and of corn, Quetzalcoatl, also appears as a tall, blonde, bearded man. As the feathered serpent, the god repre-sents both spirit and earth, and adorns many pyramids used to offer human sacrifi ce.

The Aztecs believed in a sec-ond coming of Quetzalcoatl. King Montezuma II believed Hernán Cortés was this god when the Spanish conquistador arrived in 1519.

“Through this mythology, Cortés manages to enter the Aztec Capitol peacefully,” said José Alfredo Martinez, a guide with Destination Management Services of Mexico. Cortés enlisted the help of other tribes, too, who could have only entered the Aztec city if they were thought to accompany a god.

“If it were not for this, it would have taken 30-40 years to overtake the Aztecs,” Martinez said. Cortés

arrived with a mere 500 mount-ed soldiers. And while they were armed, they would have been no match for the Aztecs.

The indigenous maintained devotion to Quetzalcoatl through-out the land now known as Mexico. That included places like Tula, Chichen Itza and Cholula, where major pyramids were built.

It’s generally said that there are 365 churches built in Cholula — one atop each pre-Hispanic temple. There are actually more like 200 churches, if chapels are included.

In one of them — on Tuesday morning, Jan. 31 — parishio-ners sat around a chandelier pol-ishing the brass and shining the crystal. They were all volunteers. They give of their time to beautify the Church of San Francisco de Acatepec, which has served their community for centuries.

The outside is decked with tala-vera, a ceramic tile from the state of Puebla.

“Religion is part of everyday life,” said Fr. Ernesto Reynoso, adju-

TRAVEL ESSAY

Mexico: Beauty through faith amid violence

Story and photos by J.D. Long-GarcíaThe Catholic Sun

Pyramid of the Moon, Teotihuacan.

artifact from National Museum of anthropology, Mexico City.

Images of Quetzalcoatl and Centeotl on pyramid ruins Museum of anthropology. — See FaITH page 10 ▶


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tant judicial vicar for the Phoenix Diocese, who was born in Mexico. “Many in today’s society want to remove religion. Thanks be to God, others are keeping religiosity alive.”

In the center of every major city in Mexico, you’ll fi nd a cathedral overlooking the main plaza. It’s there, right next to the restaurants and the bars and the chocolate shops. Municipal build-ings are in the cathe-dral’s shadow.

In Oaxaca, old couples, married for decades, dance tradi-tional dances right next to the Cathedral of the Assumption. In Puebla, artwork is displayed in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The churches are beautiful because the house of God should be beautiful. Inside and out of the churches, the people trust the God they make a part of their celebra-tions and their mourning.

“It’s part of our nature not to worry,” Fr. Reynoso said. “We rely on God’s will and Divine Providence. The people believe that. That’s why they feed you and welcome you and you’re part of their family as a guest.”

Tourists from all over the world say this at the end of pilgrim-ages, said Martinez of DMS. “What they enjoy the most — more than the ruins or the museums or the beaches — is the warmth of the Mexican people,” he said.

The people are welcoming despite a history of invasion. It began with the Spanish conquest and continued with incursions by the United States and France.

“The Mexican people are not an indigenous people,” Martinez noted. “We are mestizo, having our roots both in the Native and in the Spanish people.”

La GuadalupanaThe Virgin of Guadalupe, a

Marian apparition that transformed

the evangelization efforts of early Christian missionaries, embodies this coming together of cultures.

In 1531, the Blessed Mother appeared to San Juan Diego, ask-ing that a church be built in her honor. As proof of her instruction, Juan Diego gathered roses into his tilma, or cactus-fi ber cloak, and presented them to the local bishop.

The roses left the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a mestiza woman, that refl ected both Spanish and indigenous features.

The indigenous at fi rst saw Our Lady of Guadalupe as Tonantzin — “Our little mother” — an impor-tant Aztec goddess, mother of the sun god. The apparition led to the conversion of millions.

The miraculous image is kept in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the base of Mount Tepeyac, where the Blessed Mother appeared. Scientists cannot explain why the cactus-fi ber cloak still exists. Such fabric usually disinte-grates after a few decades.

But it’s there, in modern day Mexico City, where more than 20 million pilgrims a year come to see the image the Blessed Mother left.

Pilgrims pray next to parishio-ners, while others wait in line for confession as Mass is celebrated

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Mexico City.

tant judicial vicar for the Phoenix Diocese, who was born in Mexico. “Many in today’s society want to remove religion. Thanks be to God, others are keeping

In the center of every major city in Mexico, you’ll fi nd a cathedral overlooking the main plaza. It’s there, right next to the restaurants and the bars and the chocolate shops. Municipal build-ings are in the cathe-

In Oaxaca, old

is displayed in front of

Tilma of our lady of guadalupe, Mexico City.

Faith at the center of life in Mexico▶ Continued from page 9

— See SeeINg BeYoND page 11 ▶


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throughout the day. It’s common to fi nd Catholics — young and old, rich and poor — praying in churches and chapels at all hours.

“Everything revolves around the church,” said Luis Efren Zazueta Flores, a parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Phoenix, who immigrated from Mexico years ago.

“Life there is diffi cult,” he said. “Sometimes, the people almost tire of asking God for help. So many are in great need there.”

The need drives many — espe-cially farmers — to migrate to the United States, according to Martinez.

“Mexicans and Central Americans aren’t afraid to risk their lives to fi nd a better one,” he said. “A desert or a wall or a river isn’t going to stop them. A law won’t stop them, either.”

The poor U.S. economy seems to have stymied the infl ux of immi-grants. And some just don’t have “the appetite” to cross, Martinez said, preferring their native coun-try to a foreign one. But most Mexicans simply don’t have need to leave their beloved country.

“The people who cross are peo-ple that do manual labor,” Martinez said. “They’re poor and often igno-rant of what lies ahead of them — both in terms of border security and economic opportunity.

“Among them, you’ll fi nd bad people, of course, those dedicated to making a living selling drugs,” he said. “But in general, the people who cross are agricultural workers from poor farming communities.”

Perception vs. realityImmigration and media reports

have had an immeasurable impact on how those in the United States

view Mexico. In March, the Trans-border Institute of the University of San Diego tallied more than 50,000 homicides in Mexico between 2006-2011.

Yet David Shirk, who teaches at the Catholic university, said the institute tries to keep things in perspective.

“There have been relatively few killings involving U.S. tourists,” he said. “Roughly a million U.S. citi-zens reside in Mexico. Yet only 120 U.S. citizens were among the 16,000 killed last year, and most of those were likely targeted for connections to organized crime.”

Mexico City and other large cit-

ies have good and bad parts, Martinez said, just like any-where else. But in general, he said even the Mexican states that have seen the highest amount of drug-related violence are relatively safe.

Martinez noted specifi cally the silver mining town of Taxsco, in the state of Guerrero, where thousands have been killed. He said he’s con-

sistently brought tourists there without incident.

He also brings tourists to Mexico City, Oaxaca and Puebla where

Seeing beyond a distorted portrayal

Chapel of the Holy rosary, Puebla.Cathedral of the

assumption, oaxaca. Plaza de las Tres Culturas, Mexico City.

▶ Continued from page 10

— See FroM TWo CUlTUreS page 12 ▶

rosary, Puebla.

Doña Sofía reyes, San Bartolo Coyotopec, oaxaca.


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visitors delight in first-class muse-ums and rich cultural expression. The beauty of the churches and chapels rivals that of Europe.

Through the pyramids, visitors come to see how faith and religion were a part of this land since its inception. Christianity replaced the Native gods, but faith and belief in the supernatural remain essential.

The Mexican government’s oppression of the Church in the 1920s seems somewhat absurd in light of the nation’s history. The Cristero War, or Cristiada, was waged against a government that persecut-ed Catholics from 1926-1929.

The government prohibited the celebration of Mass, so priests cel-ebrated them in secret. The war was named after the rebels’ rallying call — ¡Viva Cristo Rey!, or “Long live Christ the King!”

John Paul II canonized a group of 25 martyrs from that time. Faith is so close to the heart of the Mexican people that they were willing to die for it.

This rich history, which can serve as an example to Catholics across the world, is on display throughout Mexico. The history, too, is part of every day life.

At the “Plaza de las Tres Culturas,” or the “Square of the Three Cultures,” tourists can see the Church of Santiago de Tlatelco,

where it is said that San Juan Diego was baptized. The church was built in the 16th century from the remains of the Aztec ruins. The ruins lie before it while modern buildings sit behind it.

Being mestiza, Our Lady of Guadalupe also embodies these three cultures; she reflects the indigenous, the Spanish and the fruit that came from the union of the two. She facilitated this union.

Mexican artwork reflects this coming together as well. Tourists will see it in the murals of Diego Rivera and in the dances of the Ballet Folklorico. But nowhere will they see this union more than in the Mexican people themselves.

It’s as if the people, despite cen-turies of violence, are born with a disposition that’s open to foreign-ers. They’ve seen how messy it can get when two cultures collide, but, with God at they center of their lives, they’ve also seen the beau-ty that comes when two cultures become one.

¡Viva México! ¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe! ¡Viva Cristo Rey! ✴

J.D. Long-García traveled to Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca with other Catholic journalists on a familiarization trip sponsored by Regina Tours and the Mexico Tourism Board. For more informa-tion, call 1-800-CATHOLIC.

From two cultures, one▶ Continued from page 11

By Ambria HammelThe Catholic Sun

TEMPE — Dozens of Catholics dumped dirt into their church April 22 and no one batted an eye.

It was all part of the “Dirt Bag Drop” at the future altar site for the All Saints Newman Center. The afternoon event, which happened to coincide with Earth Day, offered members a chance to be part of the construction progress beyond pledging funds. It also celebrated the site that holds memories for so many — and will create untold more once the building opens in November.

Members of all ages signed the wall behind the altar. They did the same thing just over a year ago before the walls of the old Newman Center came down.

This time members offered blessings for marriages and chil-dren, gratitude for the Dominican priests who spent more than 40 years at the Newman Center and blessings upon all who enter their “home away from home.”

The Newman Center, which sits across the street from Arizona State University, serves thousands of students each year and other local families. Sarah Goode, a local community member, never went to ASU, but understands a Newman Center’s role in campus ministry.

“I remember when I was in col-lege the Catholic community was important to me,” she said.

Her college was three hours from home so she started to attend Mass closer to school at the Newman Center.

“It gave me that sense of home. It was that continuous thread,”

‘Dirt Bag Drop’ASU Newman Center building

from the ground up

Goode said.Now, a piece of their home will

always remain at the Newman Center. Goode and her husband brought dirt from their vegetable garden and placed it on the future altar. Other members followed suit.

Fr. Rob Clements, director, and Fr. John Muir, assistant director, added dirt from places such as Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral — the mother church for the diocese — Rome and the Holy Land.

Fr. Clements also poured a small bottle of water from the Jordan River onto the mound. It sat directly in front of a bold “Catholic Newman Center” sign.

“It’s inspiring the strength this community has,” said David Pederson, development director.

He spoke mainly of their endur-ance to withstand the 106-degree heat and uneven construction site. The Newman Center com-munity has also shown its strength in the last 10 years as the capital campaign underwent two guiding names — currently “Raise These Walls” — various site designs and four directors.

The soon-to-be resurrected Newman Center is an $8 million project that could have the first

phase completed in six months, Pederson said. It will feature an adoration chapel, social hall and 500-seat church.

“There’s still a substantial need for fundraising,” Pederson said.

The campaign needs roughly $350,000 for interior finishing, the social hall and kitchen to complete the first phase. The second phase of the project will provide admin-istrative offices, student minis-try space and classrooms, which the University of Mary will share.

Pederson said a lot of his outreach to spread word about the Newman Center’s future is one-on-one.

“We’re continuing to be intro-duced to new people who may not have been aware of our ministry and our mission and have really taken a liking to it,” he said.

At the site of the future altar, Pederson reminded the small crowd gathered about a matching gift opportunity that ended April 27. An anonymous donor will match any new pledges toward the Raise These Walls campaign up to $25,000.

Meanwhile, the walls at the con-struction are expected to go higher any day now until they peak at 43 feet. Concrete should be poured in mid-May. ✴


Funds from the ongoing “raise These Walls” capital campaign will help furnish the inside of the new all Saints Catholic Newman Center in Tempe. The church, chapel and social hall — Phase I of the $8 million project — should open in November.


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As Manny Yrique prayed before the Blessed Sacrament, his heart was burdened with concerns about the United States and the level of animosity in American discourse.

“I knelt down to pray and I was overwhelmed by the feeling that Our Lord wanted me to pray a rosary,” Yrique said. “I felt Him telling me, ‘Take it to My Mother.’”

He pulled out his rosary beads and as he began to pray, was struck by the realization that the 50 Hail Mary prayers of the rosary could each be offered for one of the 50 United States.

Yrique said he’s always had a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He remembers being 8 years old, kneeling with his 6-year-old sister to pray the rosary while their mother was undergo-ing surgery.

“We didn’t know if our mom was coming back home, so we took out our plastic rosaries, knelt down at the Virgin of Guadalupe statue that was over my mom’s bed and we prayed a rosary,” Yrique said. “It was like, ‘Nothing’s going to happen as long as Mary’s with you.’”

That conviction about the love of the Mother of God is something that Yrique said can partly be explained by his own mother’s unshakeable

Local Catholic launches ‘Rosary for the USA’ “At the time I started praying for

my country, I was really concerned with how divisive we became over the SB 1070 [immigration] issue,” Yrique said. “So when I saw things happening on the news — when I saw people being angry at one another, shouting at one another, I thought, ‘This is not the way I was brought up.’”

Fr. Johnrita Adegboyega, paro-chial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Chandler, said the Virgin Mary is always ready to listen and intercede for her children.

“In the midst of every evil, only prayer can make us safe — only prayer can bring about the truth,” Fr. Adegboyega said. “The Mother of God is there to find solutions to every problem, regardless of the challenges… She is the perfect means to approach the throne of grace through Christ Jesus Our Lord.”

Davonna Serrano, parishioner at St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Gilbert, said the Rosary for the USA should be prayed to defend the nation.

“The only way that we have to fight is through prayer — that’s our first and foremost defense in any kind of battle,” Serrano said. “And right now the battle is for the souls of our children and the future of our country.”

Praying the Rosary for the USA, she said, could also help bring peo-

ple back to the Catholic Church. “Whether you’re a grandmother

or a parent or just a family mem-ber, and you’ve lost family from the Church, all you have to do is pray,” Serrano said. “Pray the rosary, pray for the intercession of the saints and pray for the Blessed Mother to open their eyes, and they will return to the faith.”

Yrique said it’s important for the 30 million Catholics in the United States to pray for their leaders, regardless of political persuasion.

“I really believe that it doesn’t matter who we elect if the power of God is not working through our elected officials,” Yrique said. “I’d like people to get off their soap-boxes and get on their knees and pray. God will bless America when Americans remember to bless God.”

Yrique has already given away or sold 3,000 of the red, white and blue rosary beads and has ordered another 2,000. Along with the rosary, people can order a prayer booklet or prayer card that lists all the intentions as well as the names of the 50 states.

The booklet also lists other intentions for the rosary, depend-ing on the time of day in which it is prayed. From midnight to 3 a.m. for example, the rosary could be offered for those who work at night, such as truck drivers and railroad workers. ✴

devotion to her children. “I believe that a mother has tre-

mendous impact on her family — I saw that in my mother,” Yrique said. “We knew that nothing would happen to us as children as long as Mom was there.

“I believe the Blessed Virgin Mary is the same way — she’s always been my Mother and I believe she has the ear of God at her command.”

Yrique said he designed the Rosary for the United States of America through prayer, often waking in the middle of the night to compose the intentions. Each of

the five decades has a designated intention.

The first three decades are prayed for the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The fourth decade is dedicated to state and local governments as well as police and fire fighters. The fifth decade is devoted to U.S. military personnel.

The Rosary for the USA is not a political statement, Yrique said. He’s not praying for a particular candi-date to win the upcoming election or for any political party’s success. He’s simply praying for the United States — its leaders and populace.


Dee, antonio and Manny Yrique pray the rosary May 8 in their Phoenix home.

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For years, the Poirier family has toured the country, visiting almost all 50 states, sharing music, stories, and testimony in hopes of encour-aging renewed faith in the lives of those they meet.

“We want to invite the world to take a prayer break,” Michael said of their outreach, Holy Family Apostolate. It’s a prayer break that’s also available via the Internet at prayerbreaks.org, where listeners can hear the psalm from the Mass of the day set to music by Michael.

On board their motor home, the Poiriers will carry the Divine Mercy image as well as a relic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, signed by Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, the archbishop of Mexico City.

Though they don’t present with their parents, the Poirier kids—Joseph, 16, John Paul, 12 and Therese, 6 — love to sing and are used to the troubadour lifestyle. They’re anxious to reconnect with friends they’ve made along the way at parishes across the country.

“They are excited about going back on the road,” Mary said. “We want to focus more on doing things together to help families pray.”

The family visits parishes,

On the road again: Poirier to give farewell concert

schools and homes where they share songs, stories and personal testimony. Michael also leads songs of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. The Poiriers often revisit the same areas around the country and Mary said they are encouraged by the feedback they receive.

“What is really cool is that when we make our rounds, people tell us what has happened since we saw them last,” Mary said. Oftentimes, it’s how God put someone’s mar-riage back together or answered a prayer.

“God gives us the stories to encourage us,” Mary said. It’s moments like those that keep the Poiriers focused on serving God and relying on Him completely.

Mary, who said she comes from a business-oriented background that fostered a go-getter approach to life, said living month-to-month and embracing utter dependence on God has been a radical change for her.

“It’s really been a huge trans-formation for me,” Mary said. “Sometimes it’s so hard but God shows us every month that He provides — it’s amazing how He comes through.”

The Poirier’s recently decided they would no longer sell CDs after Masses, receive free-will offerings at events, or require a sti-pend. Instead, they pray God will inspire subscribers to their web-site, PrayerBreaks.org. For $9.95 a month, subscribers support their work and gain multiple privileges, among them, access to a rapidly growing archive of at least 25 new psalms set to music every month.

Subscribers will automatically have their seat reserved at a May 21 farewell concert that will fea-ture Michael’s meditative, soul-ful music as well as that of well-known Catholic musician Danielle Rose. Tickets for the concert will also be available for purchase at the door.

Money raised at the May 21 con-cert at Xavier College Preparatory will support the work of Holy Family Apostolate, but some of the funds will be set aside to help children in need.

“A portion of the proceeds will go to China Little Flower Orphanage,” Michael said. “It’s a ministry that has a U.S. anchor but they provide care for orphans in China.”

The Monday evening event will also be broadcast live online for those who wish to donate to their outreach but may not be able to attend in person. ✴

Farewell concertconcert at 7 p.m., May 21 at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Performing Arts at Xavier College Preparatory, 4710 N. 5th Street Website: PrayerBreaks.org. For more information, call (405) 833-0111. Poirier’s “One Heart at a Time,” a song he composed as a gift from the youth of St. Louis, Mo., for Pope John Paul II’s last visit there, is available on the website, PrayerBreaks.org. He said one of his favor-ite memories is singing at the Basilica over the grot-to at Lourdes, France and in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Courtesy Michael John Poirier

Michael and Mary Poirier with Therese, John Paul, and Joseph. The photo was the day both boys were confirmed.


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media. Its Communications Office leads the diocese’s internal and external communication initiatives to ensure the Church’s priorities are effectively expressed in a variety of ways between Church leadership, churchgoers, employees, parishes, schools, the public and the media.

A component of the commu-nications strategy that is quick-ly growing is the diocese’s social media outreach, which boasts digi-tal initiatives spread out over sever-al of the popular social media web-sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube and Vimeo.

Robert DeFrancesco, director of communications, said vehicles used for communication and evangelization include the “criti-cally important” Sunday Mass, broadcast live from Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral — alongside The Catholic Sun newspaper and web-site, Catholic radio and various websites.

Platform for the ChurchGiving voice to the Church’s

mission is the annual Catholic Communication Campaign. Catholics locally and nationwide will participate in the annual col-lection, taking place during Masses May 19-20. Half of all donations received from local parishes will directly benefit the diocese’s com-munication efforts.

“Today’s mainstream media and popular culture are increas-ingly hostile to Christians and reli-gious liberty,” DeFrancesco said. “The Catholic Communication Campaign provides the Church a platform that cuts through the noise of what’s in the mainstream.”

DeFrancesco said donations to the Catholic Communication Campaign primarily support the Sunday Mass broadcast, which serves elderly and homebound Catholics who are not able to be physically present at Mass.

He said that some 65,000 people tune in each Sunday to the live television broadcast. The Mass is also simulcast on 1310 AM, as well as over the Internet, reaching thousands more.

“Thanks to the web, we are now bringing the Word of God to 900 cities across the United States and more than 100 countries around the world,” DeFrancesco said.

The national campaign ensures that the voice of the Church is broadcast over television, Internet, radio, newspapers and podcasts.

“Those who generously sup-port the Catholic Communication Campaign understand the importance of Catholic media,” DeFrancesco said.

The task of sharing the Catholic Church’s worldwide vision and Gospel message of Jesus through mass media is as varied and diverse as the people who receive it.

The local audience includes 820,000 Catholics, 92 parishes

and 35 schools; however, millions of Catholics gain a deeper under-standing of their faith through resources they use every day.

Ana Sill, media relations spe-cialist with the Communications Office, said social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have helped the mission of the Church.

“We are able to share important news with the Catholics of the dio-cese and around the world almost immediately,” Sill said. “Also, it allows our department to be more

mobile. We don’t have to be sit-ting at our desk to get something out. We can post things from our phones, too, and share news and pictures in real time.”

DeFrancesco said it’s important to keep in mind that the diocesan’s mass media services are made possible by the generous support of the Catholic Communication Campaign.

“As Catholics, we are called to be evangelists — to bring the Gospel to the masses. It is critically important to be where the people are,” he said. ✴

A Catholic voiceThe diocesan Communications

Office is well versed in providing informed news, thoughts and perspectives on matters of faith and the intersection of Church and society.

It has a distinct Catholic voice that offers unique Catholic per-spectives locally, nationally and internationally.

Each Sunday, the Catholic Mass is broadcast live from Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral at 9 a.m., on KAZT-TV (AZ-TV7, Cable 13), followed by local talk show, “Catholics Matter,” hosted by Fr. Rob Clements.

Every Monday the diocese’s locally produced radio program, “The Bishop’s Hour,” takes on current issues from a Catholic

viewpoint. Hosted by Michael Dixon, it

is broadcast at 11 a.m. on 1310 AM Immaculate Heart Radio.

Listeners can catch an encore presentation every Thursday at 9 p.m. Information is available at www.thebishopshour.org.

The Catholic Sun newspaper is published once a month, with timely updates on the Web at www.catholicsun.org.

Catholics can stay connected with the Phoenix Diocese online at several sites:

▶ www.diocesephoenix.org

▶ facebook.com/ dioceseofphoenix

▶ phoenixdiocese.tumblr.com;

▶ twitter.com/phoenixdiocese.

How the Good News gets around▶ Continued from page 1

“Catholics Matter” host Fr. rob Clements interviews Youth Protection advocate Paul Pfaffenberger May 9 at Skyline Productions in Phoenix.



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Bishop

“People feel they have no recourse,” said William DeSantiago, an attorney with Catholic Charities Immigration Services. When a spouse says they’ll go to immigra-tion, it’s not an idle threat, he said.

In some cases, battered spouses return to their husbands or wives because they have so little support, DeSantiago said. Catholic Charities deals with such domestic violence situations every week.

The Violence Against Women Act, by which spouses or children of lawful U.S. residents can self-petition for legal residency, often comes into play. While the Senate recently reauthorized the legisla-tion, H.R. 4271, the House is tak-ing up its own version, H.R. 4970, which critics say diminishes pro-tection of immigrant women and children who are victims of abuse.

Many undocumented immi-grants simply don’t have a pathway to legal residency, DeSantiago said. Of the more than 3,000 immigrants that came to Catholic Charities for a consultation last year, only 1,100 had reason to open a petition.

Crosier Brother Jim Lewandowski, who has worked with immigrants in Phoenix, Nebraska and Minnesota for years, has come across domestic violence issues in his work.

“If the husband gets put away, who supports her?” he said, explain-ing that even if both husband and wife are undocumented, reporting domestic violence is difficult. He says abuse also happens when undocu-mented men marry women who are U.S. citizens. Women in these situ-ations sometimes take advantage of their undocumented husbands, ben-efiting from their income.

“For the undocumented person who married an American citizen, the promise of a future green card carries a lot of weight,” Bro. Jim said. “If there’s domestic abuse, for some of the people I know, the last person

they’d be talking to is the police.” Calling the police would mean

facing all the immigration ques-tions themselves.

BackstoryBy the time White finally called

the police, she’d been through a history of abuse.

She and her husband conceived their first child when her husband was married to another woman. He and his mother came to White and suggested she have an abortion.

She refused. Abortion was unthinkable.

“Children are not something that can be disposed of,” she said. “They are yours — they come from you.”

Her respect for the sanctity of human life comes from, paradoxically, the lack of respect she felt as a child.

“My mom had so many kids,” she said. “My mom abused us when we were little. If we didn’t bleed, then we didn’t learn our lesson.”

White is one of eight children. When she was a child, her moth-er told her this: “When you were born, I went to sleep with the dogs because I couldn’t stand you.”

White’s family brought her to the United States from Guanajuato, Mexico, when she was 14. That was in 1995. Her father was a farmer, and he wasn’t making enough to provide for his eight children.

Fewer restrictions made it easier to enter the country then. At first her father cleaned houses, but then learned to be a mechanic. When he’d get home, he never wanted to hear anyone’s problems — cer-tainly didn’t want to hear any “girl talk,” White said.

Her sisters got married early. She was interested in college, so she would babysit and clean houses to afford community college.

Her father was disappointed in her when she began dating a Caucasian man.

“White men do drugs,” her father said. “They do crazy things — they

hit women.” When she began seeing her now-

ex-husband, her family severed ties with her. They wouldn’t take her back, even after she was pregnant.

So White lived on the streets for months. She gave birth to Joshua before her husband came to her promising to divorce his current wife. He even quoted Scripture to convince her to marry him.

They dated for eight months and were married Dec. 12, 2004.

When Isaiah was conceived, her husband, again, demanded an abortion. And White refused again.

One afternoon — she was four months pregnant — her husband made her a cup of coffee. She drank it. The next thing she remembers is waking up in an emergency room. A nurse asked her what had happened.

“What? I don’t know?” White said as she came to.

“The baby is coming,” the nurse said. “Why is your stomach bruised?”

“I probably fell,” she told the nurse.She believes her husband had

beaten her badly, likely in an effort to kill their unborn child. She’d over-dosed on cocaine — presumably in the coffee — though, as she told the nurse, “I never did any of that.”

Miraculously, Isaiah wasn’t born that day. He held on for a couple months, but then was born prema-turely. He had to stay in the hospi-tal for several weeks after his birth.

When she threatened to turn her husband into the police, he threat-ened to have her deported. She would never see Joshua or Isaiah again, he told her.

“It happens all the time,” said Jose Robles, director of Hispanic Ministry for the Phoenix Diocese. “The abuser threatens the victim with deportation.”

His office receives many calls related to domestic violence. The spouses often don’t report the abuse for years, believing things will eventually change.

“It’s a systemic problem that hasn’t come to the forefront,” Robles said. The culture among the undocumented community is one of silence and fear, he said. Things that need to be reported to law enforcement simply aren’t.

At her husband’s insistence, White began cleaning offices at night so she could still care for her children during the day.

White conceived again. This time her husband and his mother enlist-ed the help of the pastor of their

non-denominational church. He too urged her to have an abortion, but she refused again.

Her husband came back from work one day and started kicking her in the stomach. She couldn’t get away.

“So I went to the hospital the next day and they told me my baby was dead,” she said. It was Thanksgiving.

She and her husband conceived a fourth time. At first, her husband acted normal. But then she caught him with another woman in their house. After the woman left, he beat her again, and she lost the child.

Seeing redThe day Isaiah’s clothes were red

with White’s blood was the day things changed. The police officer brought her to the mirror to see herself. She didn’t recognize her face, but her situation came into focus.

The police report notes a blood-stained towel near the entrance, another on the washing machine. There were bloody, smeared finger prints on the front door. White’s hus-band also told police he loved her.

White lost a lot of blood and was rushed to the emergency room. Once there, she met people who would help her leave her husband. She had rights, even as an undocu-mented immigrant. She divorced her husband.

“No one in my family has gotten a divorce,” White said. “It should have been a sad day, but it wasn’t.”

Free legal advice and representa-tion came from DeSantiago’s office at Catholic Charities.

“Catholic Charities did every-thing for free,” White said. “I had nothing, and I was living on food from trash cans.”

In the three-year legal process, Catholic Charities helped White with food, employment, clothes and counseling.

She received a visa, won full custody and half of her ex-hus-band’s business. “All I wanted was a chance to finish my degree,” she said. She did that. White, who sup-ports herself and her boys with a full-time job, plans to return to school to become a nurse.

But the scars remain. Her ex-husband, who used to

introduce her as the house cleaner, would make her look at herself in the mirror.

“He’d tell me he was with me out of pity,” she said. “He told me I was ugly, that no one would ever care for me.”

He would tell her: “That’s why you can’t have my kids. Because they’d turn out so ugly.”

“But look at them,” she said, pointing to a photo of Isaiah and Joshua. “They’re not ugly.” And neither is she.

There are no mirrors in her apartment now.

“I’m here, doing my own thing, living my life,” she said. “It feels good not to be insulted by some-one close to you.” ✴

SCARS: Mother rebuilds life after feeling trapped by her undocumented status


Connie White poses for a photo with her two boys, Joshua and Isaiah, in her Phoenix apartment. White felt trapped in an abusive marriage.

▶ Continued from page 1

schoolsMay 17, 2012 Faith in education. The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 17

catholicschoolsphx.com ✦ catholicsun.org ✦ facebook.com/thecatholicsun ✦ twitter.com/thecatholicsun

SPENDTHRIFTREDEFINED.

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Boutique location:Ozzie’s Furnishings3927 E. Indian School Rd.Phoenix(602) 955-1460

Flagstaff 2113 N. East St.(928) 779-4353

Glendale7018 N. 57th Ave.(623) 931-9901

Kingman218 E. Beale St.(928) 753-4399

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Mayer10376 S. Highway 69(928) 632-9521

Mesa2352 W. Main St.(480) 644-0887

Phoenix8231 N. 7th St.(602) 861-26342945 E. Bell Rd.(602) 493-8126420 W. Watkins Rd.(602) 261-6824

Prescott935 Fair St.(928) 771-9696

Dates to remember

May 12-25: High School graduations

AIA championsScottsdale’s Notre Dame

Preparatory will be hon-ored during a May 21 AIA Champions luncheon. The organization is honoring the school with the Directors’ Cup Award and Scot Bemis as Coach of the Year. Bemis, who coached football and girls soccer, lost a battle with lung cancer earlier this year.

Mary Calderon, a senior at Bourgade Catholic, is a finalist for the girls’ Scholar Activity Award.

Academic honorsThe diocese has National

Merit Scholarship recipients in Notre Dame’s Nirali Patel, Douglas Wong and Luke Zaro.

Other National Merit finalists based on PSAT scores and academics: Kolton Boothman, Bourgade Catholic’s valedictorian and a National Hispanic Merit Scholar, and four Seton Catholic students in Chandler.

Katzin concertSome 1,200 elementary

students heard the Phoenix Boys Choir during a season finale concert for the Katzin Classical Music program May 4 at Xavier College Preparatory. The diocesan program, sponsored through an endowment by David Katzin, introduces underprivi-leged elementary school stu-dents to classical music.

D-backs winnersThree Catholic schools are

among 20 recipients in the D-backs Foundation’s first $100,000 School Challenge.

Funds provided St. Agnes with a mobile lab, St. Louis the King in Glendale with asbestos abatement and St. Michael Elementary on the Navajo Nation in the Diocese of Gallup with a library/media center.

Fundraiser successSt. Agnes and St. Gregory

schools announced suc-cessful spring fundraisers. St. Agnes’ “A Night on the Green” netted more than $13,000 for tuition while reuniting former and current teachers, alumni and staff across the generations.

Families who benefited from last year’s fundraiser offered service hours for the affair. St. Gregory school cel-ebrated its 25th annual din-ner and auction with a record attendance of more than 225. Funds will help update school technology. ✴

Suggestions? Dates? Email: [email protected]

By Ambria HammelThe Catholic Sun

PEORIA — Sometimes short cuts can be a good thing. Just ask Sarah Valles.

The 11-year-old, well known at St. Jerome School for having long hair, has never let it go to waste. Every haircut she has had — all two of them — helped provide a wig for cancer patients.

She never found the extra length cumbersome because there were more styling options when her hair was long, but after getting at least 10 inches chopped off May 5, looked forward to a cooler sum-mer ‘do. So did some of her peers.

Valles was one of 13 students — largely from St. Jerome — and three adults who joined a “Cuts for the Kids” benefit May 5. Each ponytail will help provide a wig through the Childhood Leukemia Foundation’s Hugs-U-Wear program.

It was the second time Chris Birnbaum, librarian at St. Jerome, organized such an event as her own hair approached a length suit-able for donating and the first time the school partnered with Cutting Edge, a student style academy in Peoria. The salon reserved seven stations for the event.

“I donate for my family mem-bers and friends who have been affected by cancer and its related hair loss,” Birnbaum said.

She made her third donation during morning announcements

Girls find benefits to seeking short cuts

days before the school-wide benefit as a sort of pep rally.

Most of the students who went to the salon were first-time donors who simply thought it’d be fun. Some were nervous about having so much cut off, but were all smiles by the end.

Seventh-grader Tierney Dedonatis wanted to donate her hair to kids who can’t grow it and said her shorter hair will be easier to manage.

“It took a long time to straight-en,” she said.

Isabel Love, a second-grader at Ss. Simon and Jude, could relate. She felt her longer hair was often

untidy and likes how it hangs above her shoulders now.

Two donors were twins with two other sisters part of a triplet set. Their brother didn’t donate although a man did donate his hair when St. Jerome held a haircut benefit in 2009.

The “Cuts for the Kids” wasn’t the first time local Catholic school students grew out their hair so oth-ers could have some. Blessed Pope John XXIII held its third annu-al haircut event in March in the Scottsdale school’s courtyard.

Six students donated eight to 12 inches of their hair to one of three organizations that make

wigs for cancer patients and those with alopecia. The third- through seventh-graders donated simply to help others and, for some, in honor of family or friends who are cancer survivors.

St. Thomas the Apostle hosted its first “Mane Event” — the school mascot is a mustang — to kick off the school year in August.

Eleven students, two moms and a 4-year-old sibling had their lengthy locks cut off in front of the whole school. The hair ben-efited Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths Program. St. Thomas the Apostle is planning another “Mane Event” in August. ✴


St. Jerome students get their haircut May 5 at a school-organized “Cuts for Kids” benefit.

Page 18 ✦ The Catholic Sun schools May 17, 2012

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During her 28 years as principal, students, parents and teachers at St. Mary-Basha Catholic School have learned to rely on the leadership of Sr. Mary Norbert Long, SC.

On May 25, the school com-munity will bid farewell to the longtime principal as she takes on a new role in her religious com-munity, the Sisters of Charity, in Greensburg, Penn.

Sr. Mary Norbert was elected first councilor of the community in March. Fr. Daniel McBride, pas-tor of St. Mary Parish, broke the news to parents in a letter, inform-ing them that she would finish the school year, then assume her new position in Pennsylvania.

“I will immediately begin a search for someone to be principal, not to replace her,” Fr. McBride

wrote. “No one could possibly replace the great work she has done here. We would not be the highly effective school we are without her tireless and strong leadership.”

Michelle McCarthy, who has taught language arts at St. Mary-Basha since 1994, sent all five of her children — including a set of triplets — to the school and said Sr. Mary Norbert has been a driving force in her life.

“She knows how to drive, moti-vate, and initiate change in peo-ple,” McCarthy said. “She has high expectations for her students, her staff, and her teachers — that is why our school is an amazing com-munity.”

McCarthy said Sr. Mary Norbert often helped her and her husband when their triplets were born.

“We are connected, committed, and truly Catholic because Sr. Mary Norbert is the head and the heart

‘Irreplaceable’ principal leaving St. Mary-Basha for new position

of this community,” McCarthy said. “She will be dearly missed.”

When she took on leadership of St. Mary-Basha in 1984, the school,

with fewer than 100 students, was on the verge of closing. Sr. Mary Norbert set a goal of five years, agreeing to recommend closure if the school couldn’t be saved within that time frame.

She met with teachers, parents and students and formulated a plan based on their recommen-dations. Within three years, there was remarkable improvement.

Enrollment peaked at 532 students during 2002-2004 and is still high at 481. In the mid-1990s, parents were camping out in line for two nights just to be able to enroll their children.

Though there have been many highlights through the years, Sr. Mary Norbert said one of the best achievements was the 1993-1994 Blue Ribbon School Award.

“We were acknowledged not just by the Western Catholic Education Association, not just the North Central Association, but also acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Education, that we were doing a great job,” Sr. Mary Norbert said. “And that’s some-thing that can never be taken away. There’s a standard we have to con-tinually maintain.”

She’s also pleased at the results of an evaluation by a visiting com-mittee during the past year, which found the school to be highly effective in 12 different areas. She said those findings influenced her decision to open a new chapter in her life by becoming first councilor and relocating to Pennsylvania.

“I’m looking back 28 years ago at where the school was and I’m leaving the school and passing it on to somebody else in pretty good standing,” she said. “They don’t have to have the multiple struggles that I had over the years.” ✴

Courtesy Catholic Community Foundation

Sr. Mary Norbert long, SC, will be taking a position in greensburg, Penn.

Farewell, Sr. Mary NorbertA Mass to honor Sr. Mary Norbert will be held at 6:30 p.m. June 8 and will be fol-lowed by a reception. She will also be available from 8 to 11:30 a.m. May 20 in Hurtado Hall during a meet-and-greet reception. For more information, call the school office at (480) 963-4951.

Scottsdale sixth-grader named state champ in scholastic challengeBy Ambria HammelThe Catholic Sun

SCOTTSDALE — Our Lady of Perpetual Help School once again has living proof that Catholic schools produce well-rounded students.

Rachel Larsen is the state cham-pion in the sixth-grade competi-tion of the American Scholastic Achievement League’s Scholastic Challenge. She outscored more than 400 of her peers across 11 schools throughout Arizona.

Sixth graders at 15 other Catholic schools nationwide were also state champions this year. This marks the second year that sixth-graders were allowed to compete.

The American Scholastic Achievement League, formed by middle school teachers, ini-tially created the competition as an entertaining and challenging enrichment activity for eighth-graders. The 100-question online test went national 10 years ago.

Roughly 6,000 sixth-graders competed this year. They demon-strated knowledge in core academ-ic areas and general knowledge/pop culture. Students had one hour to complete the test.

“I was concerned because I only did it in 30-40 minutes,” Larsen admitted. “You can’t go back on the questions either.” ✴

May 17, 2012 schools The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 19

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They’re probably years away from owning a home, but 15 teen-agers know firsthand the sacrifice required to maintain one.

There’s sanding, painting, deep cleaning, moving in large furniture and area rugs, drilling, hanging curtains and art plus adding per-sonal touches such as flowers and decorative lamps. The girls did it all in a home that they’ll never live in nor likely step foot in again.

Xavier’s Young Vincentians sim-ply did it because they heard about a family in need and jumped at the chance to meet them in their own environment instead of in a soup line. The Xavier girls completed their first home makeover May 5 through St. Vincent de Paul’s Vincentian Fresh Perspectives program.

The month-long project started with meeting the single-parent family of six to discuss their needs and desires. It ended after a full day’s labor transformed the tiny, three-bedroom house into a more stylish, livable space.

“I was skeptical about the project because it’s a lot of work, especially for a group of teenagers,” admit-ted Samantha Swift, president of Xavier’s Young Vincentians club.

She’s right. Corporate volun-teers, church and community groups have been responsible for most of the 61 home makeovers since St. Vincent de Paul launched the program over a year ago. Some brought groups of volunteers that seemingly rivaled the crowd doing a home makeover for the long-running television show.

Xavier’s Young Vincentians didn’t let such statistics stop them. They spread word about their proj-ect to the school community who purged personal belongings from

Xavier’s Young Vincentians revamp Phoenix hometheir own homes and donated other items brand new. They ended up with more items than would fit into the family’s south Phoenix home.

“We didn’t want to let them down,” Swift said.

She spoke about them as if the kids — ages 10 to 22 — were her cousins and was among several vol-unteers who willingly got up early the day after senior finals to help the St. Vincent de Paul family.

“Each one of these girls is really driven to do the best they can for this family. They want this family to have a life that they have — com-fortable in their home,” Swift said.

Comfort is something the fam-ily has lacked in their rental home for the last year. , have They share a single bathroom in a less than 1,000-square-foot space and only one person could really fit in the kitchen at a time. A portion of the old couch was usable, but barely.

“They’ve been sleeping on the floor and a couple of air mat-tresses,” Swift said.

Irene, the mom, is without a job and uses the living room as a mas-ter bedroom. Her adult son, 22, has a disability and is the only one to have his own room.

“They’ll still be a little cramped, but it will be nice for them,” said Elaine Carpenter, a senior who wants to go into international nonprofit.

Irene knew she would be return-ing to an improved home and began doling out hugs at the driveway. Once indoors, they were astounded by the transformation. One of the older kids quickly told the younger ones to help mom with chores so their “new” home stays nice.

Gabriela Bova, director of out-reach programs for St. Vincent de Paul, said pride has been a com-mon theme among the makeovers.

That’s something Swift, president of Xavier’s Young Vincentians, pro-jected would finally sink in with the family later that night. She especially wanted the younger kids to have a place that they’re proud of.

The family lives near a Boys and Girls Club, but hoped the make-over would lend itself to more fam-ily time at home.

Gavin Ahern, moderator for Xavier Young Vincentians, said the home makeover was about being God’s hands in the world. When people come together in His name, Ahern said, the result is much great than the sum of its parts.

With the help of their parents, 19 junior high ambassadors from Blessed Pope John XXIII School in Scottsdale furnished and deco-rated a home for a family of 10 in October. The family, displaced by flooding in the Midwest, was rebuilding their life in Arizona. ✴


Irene and her family re-enter their home May 5 to find Xavier’s Young Vincentians gave it a floor-to-ceiling makeover.

viewsPage 20 ✦ The Catholic Sun Editorials, Letters, Opinions and Perspectives May 17, 2012

[email protected] ✦ catholicsun.org ✦ twitter.com/thecatholicsun

The blessing of a fruitful lifePart two: Openness to life and personal identity

A particularly dramatic moment of human free-dom occurs in a Catholic wedding when a man and woman stand before the altar and answer

three “questions of clarification” about the nature of marriage, just before the vows are exchanged.

“Have you come here freely, and without reserva-tion?” The couple answers, Yes.

“Will you honor each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives?” Yes.

“Will you accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of God and His Church?” Yes.

Our postmodern culture balks: “Wait! Is the third question really necessary? Certainly, we must be all about freedom, and unconditional love, yes, and even fidelity is an attractive ideal (if not realistic for most humans), but a promise to be open to children? Is this necessary to promises of marriage?”

“Yes,” says the Church, “it is entirely necessary.” The Church does not invent the meaning of marriage — she merely protects and promotes it, in all of its natural and sacramental beauty. At the center of the beauty of marriage is the gift of children, and of being a mother and a father.

In other words, when Pope Paul VI’s encyclical of 1968, Humanae Vitae, echoes the 2,000-year teaching of the Church, “…each and every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life,” (no. 12) more than a clear teaching against contraception is taught, though that teaching is clear and unchangeable. For those that have “eyes to see and ears to hear,” an ennobling call from our mother the Church, and therefore from Christ Himself, is heard. It is the high call to married couples to reject the stultifying, fear-based shadow of marriage encouraged by the contraceptive mentality of our age; and, instead, to embrace the fullness of the call to mar-riage in all its life-giving splendor and dignity.

A person’s identity and the call to be life-givingIf the choice of sterility (I am not talking here about

infertility, which I will discuss in the next article) were not in some odd sense attractive, it would not be such an effective lie, and it would not be chosen by so many today. What lurks always as a temptation near the human heart is the desire to be undeterred in one’s choices by any law outside of the self.

In his 1964 play “Radiation of Fatherhood,” a dra-matic reflection on the Trinity and human freedom, the future John Paul II placed in the mouth of the mys-terious character Adam the following expression, “Ah, to stand apart from everything, so that I could be only within myself!” Adam, not accidentally the Biblical word for man himself, fears the call to parenthood, to bring a child into existence, because he fears the death of his ego which this entails. He fears the suffering that will of necessity accompany becoming and being a father. And yet in the play, God calls him to become who he truly is by becoming a father. It turns out that there is no other path to human fulfillment than the path of fruitfulness, of motherhood and fatherhood.

“Become who you are!” Blessed John Paul II was fond of repeating to priests, consecrated persons, and parents. He knew the all-too-human fear to which we are subject in living our vocations, and he knew the antidotes.

‘Love and Responsibility,’ four spousal benefitsIn his philosophical work on marital love, “Love and

Responsibility,” the future Polish pope was concerned with explaining how spouses can engage in the marital act of sexual intercourse without falling into using each other, a situation he calls “the internal problem of every marriage.” The key is that a couple must understand the great meaning of what they are doing, and understand

the possibility of motherhood and fatherhood in each act:“Mutual betrothed love demands a union of persons.

But the union of persons is not the same as sexual union. This (union) is raised to the level of the person only when it is accompanied in the mind and the will by acceptance of the possibility of parenthood… Neither in the man nor in the woman can affirmation of the value of the person be divorced from awareness and willing acceptance that he may become a father and she may become a mother… If the possibility of parenthood is deliberately excluded from marital relations, the character of the relationship between the partners automatically changes. The change is away from unification in love and in the direction of mutual, or rather, bilateral “enjoyment” (p. 228).

This quote from Blessed John Paul is theologically rich; let us focus only on one specific element of it. For the marital act to truly be a personal union it must include the activity of the powers of the soul which identify us as being human: intellect and will. For the marital act to retain its full meaning the spouses must rationally accept the full potential of the act: the possibility of becoming parents (this does not negate the legitimacy of abstain-ing during fertile periods, when there are good reasons for doing so). To deliberately not include this possibility would be to negate one of the essential goals of the mari-tal act and to render the entire act sinful.

Such is the pattern of contraception in a marriage, and we see it in the brokenness of countless marriages today, in the radical cultural disconnect between sex and children on display everywhere, from soap operas to abortion. As priests, we feel the weight of it in the confessional and grieve the losses.

Yet, for those who generously accept the potential-ity of motherhood and fatherhood in their marital love, benefits arise which our world desperately needs. Karol Wojtyla in “Love and Responsibility” points to four personal strengths which grow in married couples who are open to life, which I have simplified somewhat from Wojtyla’s dense philosophical language:

1. Awareness of the call to parenthood assists growth in self-mastery;

2. Marital love flourishes when the goodness of par-enthood is understood;

3. Raising a child teaches one to love, to make a gift of self; and

4. Married persons understand their greatness as procreators with God of a new human person.

Blessed John Paul II insisted that if a couple wants a virtuous, happy, generous, awe-filled marriage, they must remain open to the natural end of the consum-mating act of marital love, open to the possibility that a child, a new person from God, might come into being through that act.

The drama and beauty of this calling is not lost on many of our young couples currently preparing for marriage in the Diocese of Phoenix; they share their gratitude for the clarity of Church teaching and for the witness of the couples who presented it. These couples are on a path to a joy-filled marriage, which deepens like any Christian vocation authentically lived.

In the final part of this series, I will consider the mission of the fruitful life of marriage, including the couple struggling with infertility. ✴

Bishop Thomas J. OlmstedJesus Caritaswww.catholicsun.org/category/views

Failure in civil discourse leads to breathlessness of spirit

America’s got a weight problem. It’s only getting worse.Today more than a third of U.S. adults are considered obese,

according to studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2030, that number jumps to 42 percent.

Obesity is a serious issue that brings with it an increased likelihood of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

It’s an affliction that is characterized, in part, by lethargy and breath-lessness. It can be remedied, though, by talking with a doctor, eliminat-ing fast food intake from the diet and through regular exercise.

Similarly, America’s got a heavy problem that, figuratively speaking, portends significant threats to the health of the Catholic Church, to religious freedom for all citizens, and the very fabric of our society.

In recent years we have witnessed an astonishing collapse in civil dis-course, characterized by scathing, vitriolic and callous exchanges, with seemingly few looking for the truth. We’re looking at you, cable news, Facebook and the comments section of every website.

Take for example the recent debate over same-sex marriage, which hit a fever pitch following President Obama’s public endorsement last week. There are many who continue to stand by and fight for the insti-tution of marriage, who firmly believe that marriage between one man and one woman is the cornerstone of society, and efforts to modify or ignore this unique relationship will only further erode the culture.

Viewpoints contrary to messing with marriage are met by many in the mainstream and social media spheres, sadly, with accusations of bigotry, discrimination and homophobia.

Another example involves a private Phoenix school that forfeited a state championship baseball game last week because its opponent refused to bench its second baseman — who, by all accounts, is a very talented young lady. This was front-page news in Phoenix and was fea-tured all over the evening newscasts. Our Lady of Sorrows is not a dioc-esan Catholic school, but is run by the Society of St. Pius X, an organiza-tion that is not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

Lost in the kerfuffle was the school’s reasoning in the matter: “Teaching our boys to treat ladies with deference, we choose not to place them in an athletic competition where proper boundaries can only be respected with difficulty. Our school aims to instill in our boys a pro-found respect for women and girls.”

Whether this is something one agrees with or not, it was the private school’s decision to make — a decision that probably was not made in haste and which undoubtedly took quite a bit of conviction to stand by. But small, important details such as these tend to get lost quickly. People see the name of the school, perceive an issue with gender inequality, and automatically take to the Internet to air their grievances with the Catholic Church: “War on women! War on women!”

Finally, one must look no further than the ongoing battle being fought by the U.S. bishops in an effort to preserve religious liberty. At the heart of the matter is a recent mandate by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that compels all private employers to pro-vide contraception, sterilization and abortafacients as part of its health care coverage for employees. This requires religious organizations, such as Catholic hospitals and universities, to subsidize the costs of drugs and procedures that the Catholic Church considers intrinsically evil. In a very real and concrete sense, religious organizations are now faced with violating this law — and facing penalties — or violating their con-sciences and deeply held moral beliefs.

Critics of the Church’s position can spout the spiffy “War on women!” sound bite till they’re blue in the face, but it won’t change the truth. The Church’s teaching against contraception and sterilization is based on respect for the miracle of procreation, so health care plans in accord with Church teaching do not cover sterilization, nor do such plans subsidize the pill. Abortion is an affront to God and the miracu-lous gift of life.

As Americans, all of us should be be deeply troubled by these events. Our nation’s forefathers recognized that religious liberty was so essen-tial to the future of our country that it had the distinction of being in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Today we are confronted with many weighty issues that demand anal-ysis, discernment and healthy discussion. Our appeal to you is to read beyond the headlines, to steer clear of the fast food-like news posted on Facebook that’s void of nutritional context. We ask you to delve deeper into stories and fully explore issues of importance, and not to succumb to lethargy of the heart and breathlessness of the spirit. ✴

editorial

May 17, 2012 views The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 21

Letters must be signed and should not exceed 300 words | We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length | Please include name, address and phone number | Opinions expressed on this page are the writers’ and not necessarily the views of The Catholic Sun or the Diocese of Phoenix.

‘Difference’ of opinionApparently, The Catholic Sun considers George Weigel’s article

on our former President Jimmy Carter an acceptable example of “The Catholic Difference” (“Jimmy Carter, biblical scholar and theo-logian,” The Catholic Sun, April 19).

Weigel’s mean-spirited description of one of our nation’s respected leaders is certainly not the “difference” I expect to see. Carter’s words, as quoted, beg for honest communication, not the same self-righteousness Jesus so clearly detested.

The Catholic Sun owes Jimmy Carter, your readers and our nation a sincere and very public apology.

You need to understand just how offensive Weigel’s disdainful sneering remarks affect someone who didn’t even vote for Carter.

Naola T. ConnerPhoenix

Capital punishment still neededRe: “Capital punishment” (Letters, The Catholic Sun, April 19),

Deacon Paul Hursh voices his opposition to the death penalty and writes about his ministry to those on death row and cites a beauti-ful conversion story of one of those convicts. While I commend and admire the deacon for his thankless work in bringing Christ to these condemned people, I do not find his experiences suf-ficient to completely eliminate the death penalty option for capital crimes, nor do I agree with his position that “…the Church’s pro-hibition against the unnecessary destruction of human life” consti-tutes a valid argument against all capital punishment, and I do not agree with his implication that all those who support capital pun-ishment do not believe in forgiveness, or cheer the execution of those who experience the ultimate penalty of death. Forgiveness does not necessarily include eliminating the death penalty, nor does support for it imply joy when it is occurs.

He mentions that “Most Catholics affirm the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, but make an exception for the people on death row,” and he seems to conclude that such a position is inconsistent. I don’t believe that it would necessarily be inconsistent. What I do find inconsistent are the positions of many of our Catholic politicians and many of the Hollywood “elite” who regularly condemn capital punishment and yet support and pro-mote contraception, abortion and euthanasia (talk about anti-life).

It is well known that the Church does not consider capital pun-ishment intrinsically evil. The arguments for and against the state’s right to consider the use of capital punishment generally center on whether in today’s world the death penalty is necessary to protect society. In spite of today’s relatively secure prisons, I submit that there are still some cases where imprisonment is insufficient to insure protection of society. For example, there are actual cases where criminals who already have been sentenced to life without parole have committed murder in prison, or have murdered some-one upon escaping. Those individuals have demonstrated that they are a severe danger to society even while in prison, and in such cases they may merit the death sentence.

In addition to cases involving society’s right to be protected, there exists at least one other reason for the state to retain its authority to seek the death penalty. It’s power to threaten crimi-nals with that penalty has many times helped families of victims by allowing them some closure.

In an ideal world there would be no need for capital punish-ment, but we are sinners and our world is not ideal.

Tom TakashPhoenix

A constitutional issueReligious freedom is the issue — not reducing access to birth

control! Everyone knows they can get free birth control from Planned Parenthood right now. Religious freedom is secured by the First Amendment stating that “the government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Not vice versa!

No government has the right to force its citizens to go against their conscience to pay for another’s morning-after abortion pill! HB2625 takes away no woman’s access to the morning after pill. What it does do is to secure my right to not have to pay for anoth-er woman’s use of it — and I am a woman. I am an employer. I am a woman of religious conscience and I want my right to be protected by HB2625.

Kathie TrojanowskiScottsdale

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We were blown away by not only its effectiveness, but its greater benefits — like achieving concep-tion, enhancing the intimacy of our relationship, modeling virtues of chastity and self-mastery for our children, and deepening our Catholic faith. For us, the Church gained all credibility on this issue, reaffirming our trust in her to lead us lovingly in all other matters of life. As a result, NFP has become one of the pillars of our marriage, integrally defin-ing us individually and as a couple.

The bottom line revealed itself when we took the classes. We concluded we had two choices: trust and embrace the beautiful purpose of our biology as God designed and intended it, or trust a pharma-ceutical company to suppress it.

That self-knowledge created a mutual respect for our feminine and masculine dignity and compatibil-ity, and instilled awe for the profound significance of each and every act of lovemaking, especially during our fertile window. We realize that in becoming one, we may not just be witness to, but participants in, a miracle. There is no greater natural dignity bestowed on man than the opportunity to be co-creators with God.

NFP virtually eliminates the pos-sibility of seeking selfish sexual sat-isfaction because it demands appre-ciation for, not resentment of, our fertility. Our communication and prayer regarding God’s will for mar-riage transcends the bedroom — we must talk about everything because everything is involved when sexual union and possible procreation go hand-in-hand.

But we’ve also learned that even when the act does not produce a child, it still bears spiritual fruit. We have the opportunity to renew our wedding vows every time we enter the marital embrace — truly becoming one flesh. That bond resets our intimacy, even as the hectic nature of life causes strain and disconnects.

Because NFP calls us to prudently decide whether to abstain or engage during our fertile time, we’ve been trained to be open to both life and sacrifice — the husband learns how to love his wife as Christ loves His Church, and the wife learns how to receive that love, allowing it to potentially generate new life in her womb.

Yes, we can validate its effectiveness — we success-fully postponed pregnancy for the first two years of our marriage, conceiving our first son in our first attempt to achieve pregnancy, and spaced our sec-ond and third pregnancies by three years. But more telling of its beauty is not how it worked to help us

avoid children but in how it inspired us to welcome them. In surrendering to His will, we became more intimately tuned to nudges from the Holy Spirit.

The gift of childrenOne night in particular stands out. We knew we

were fertile, but with a 10-month-old still waking at night, financial stresses, and the question of whether

we were ready to be pregnant again, lovemaking would have to wait.

But then a revelation overtook us, one we would have been deaf to without the insight Natural Family Planning affords.

We profoundly recognized that we could conceive a new life if we entered the marital embrace. If we abstained, the possibility of that life would cease… forever — we of course could have other children down the line. But this child would never exist.

Nine months later, our second son — the fruit of that surrender — was born, and he is a daily reminder of the responsibility and empowerment that comes with our God-given free-dom. NFP helps us see that children are neither burdens nor rights; they are divine gifts entrusted to us. This

was further highlighted for us with the recent loss of our fourth child to miscarriage.

Children puncture the illusion that our lives are our own, and we are in control of them. Parenthood has become the ultimate act of faith, and acts of faith grow our faith. Through practicing NFP, we’ve been invited into holiness. We’ve learned the utter necessity of clinging to Christ in both our joys and our sorrows, genuinely proclaiming, “Not my will but yours be done.” ✴

Becky is a home-schooling mother and freelance writer who started reclaimingthewomb.com. Steve is an adjunct philosophy professor for Mesa Community College and director of parish administration at St. Anne Parish in Gilbert. They both speak on marriage, life, family and Natural Family Planning.

Not my will, but yours be done:Marriage, faith and NFP

Steve and Becky GreeneGuest Opinionwww.phxnfp.org

We weren’t always on board with Natural Family Planning — it seemed a little pie-in-the-sky at first. As we went through

marriage preparation some 10 years ago, we questioned whether this was a reliable method for spacing pregnancies. Sure it’s Church

teaching, but is it realistic? We needed proof that the science was sound and that the moral arguments made sense.

We profoundly recognized that we could conceive a new life if we entered the mari-tal embrace. If we abstained, the pos-sibility of that life would cease… for-ever — we of course could have other children down the line. But this child would never exist.

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Too busy to pray? Finding time for God brings peaceYou may have heard the clever observation that people

nowadays have become human “doings” rather than human beings. Multi-tasking, packed calendars and

smart phones can keep us bustling from sunrise until long after sunset.

There’s nothing wrong with a busy schedule — as long as we don’t become “too busy” to pray. And by that I don’t mean a muttered, “God help me get through this construction zone so I can get to work on time!”

If we don’t have time to entrust our plans and our day to the Lord, it’s easy to be deceived, and then blind to God’s action in our lives.

It starts out with distorted thinking: What’s the point of sitting in the Blessed Sacrament chapel for adoration? Does it really make a difference?

Then there’s the rosary, that ancient prayer that’s been referred to as one of our greatest spiritual weapons. Maybe we’ve questioned the importance of saying so many Hail Mary prayers. Wouldn’t our time be better spent, say, serving the poor?

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta was once asked by a reporter how she and her sisters spent hours in prayer each day when there was so much work to be done.

Her response must have surprised him. “If we don’t take time to pray, we could not do this work,” she said simply.

Fr. Sergio Fita, the pastor of St. Anne Parish in Gilbert — one of the largest parishes in the Phoenix Diocese — had a similar answer when I asked him how he and his associate

pastor manage to spend about four to five hours throughout the day in prayer, including 15 to 20 decades of the rosary.

“Activity is not worth anything if it is not born of the love of Christ and intimacy with Him through prayer. So it’s not losing time — it’s just the opposite,” Fr. Fita told me. “Prayer is first for the Christian.”

When Our Lady appeared at Fatima, she asked us all to pray the rosary daily for conversion and world peace. She assured the three humble shepherd children that there was no problem — in the family, the Church or the world — that could not be solved by praying the rosary.

Change of heartI must admit that even though I knew the rosary was a very

powerful weapon, I didn’t start praying it daily until about a year ago. That’s when I stumbled on a CD version of the rosary I could listen to in the car.

With lots of time behind the wheel each day getting the

kids back and forth to school and covering stories for The Catholic Sun, I realized I could use 20 minutes of that time to pray the rosary.

It wasn’t as though I had this sudden change of heart about it. A good friend had given me a copy of the Liturgy of the Hours, the book of prayer with the psalms, hymns and prayers offered by Catholic clergy, religious and laity around the world for centuries.

I found myself drawn into the rhythm of morning, evening and night prayer. The next thing I knew, it was unthinkable to not have that time carved out each day, devoted to honoring God in union with the Church throughout the world.

Those prayers began to form my heart and mind, giving way to a deep desire to spend more time in prayer. The daily rosary became a natural extension of that. Instead of just enduring the daily drive, I started looking forward to having that time to pray with Our Lady.

A curious thing happens to the soul that begins to build its life around union with God through prayer. There are still just 24 hours in each day, but somehow God makes them more productive and peaceful.

Prayer — whether it’s eucharistic adoration, the rosary, the Liturgy of the Hours, or simply quiet contemplation — draws us closer to Truth, beauty and peace, strengthening us to meet life’s challenges — even rush hour in a city perpetually under construction. ✴

Joyce Coronel is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun. Please send comments to [email protected].

Recently I was invited to attend the Phoenix VA Health Care System Arts Festival to honor and display the artwork of veterans.

Since so many veterans benefit from VA recreational therapy activities like painting, pottery making, leather craft, creative writing and dance, the VA decided to shine a light on some of those creative talents with an arts festival called “Put Your Heart into Art.”

The art was pretty amazing. The vets were even more com-pelling. What it taught me about people, pain, redemption, love and our ultimate purpose was utterly amazing.

The first thing it made me realize is that we must learn to see our military not only as soldiers, but as human beings who have survived what is arguably the most horrible, most challenging of human experiences — war.

But what also struck me was the uncanny human trans-formation that occurs in those vets when they funnel their energy into creating something.

Case in point, Jay Gustafson was just barely a man — only 18 — when he was whisked away to swift boat duty in Vietnam. A few months later he was shooting at anything that moved.

“I saw plenty of action,” recalls Jay. “I would rather not discuss it.”

The experience took an obvious toll on him emotionally, as it would anyone. But he refused to let it stop him from leading a meaningful and rewarding life. He came home four

years later to be a carpenter, a husband and a father to four children.

Creating something specialBut like so many who are tapped to defend their nation,

the end of the war was just the beginning of his battle. Those memories he would rather not discuss and undoubtedly wishes he never had aren’t easy to keep at bay. So discovering the intricate art of leatherwork was a miracle for him.

“It takes total concentration,” explains Jay. “And that keeps me from thinking about other things.”

But a little prodding reveals what might be the deeper medicinal value of the arts program for Jay and others.

He recently spent almost four months working day and night on an exquisitely ornate saddle for his equestrian daugh-ter. And the only thing more beautiful than the saddle was the look on his face when he talked about making it for her.

“It gives a lot of meaning to it when you make some-thing like that and you know how much she appreciates it,” explained Jay. “You put a lot into it, and you know that nobody else can do it, and how much it means to her.”

Jay wasn’t just making a saddle but creating something spe-cial for someone, and it gave him great pleasure and purpose to do so.

Maybe that’s what God meant when He said we were cre-ated in His image; we were given the ability to create some-thing good for others. And just as God created the world for us because He loved us, and it gave Him pleasure to do so, so might we gain pleasure by creating for others.

Arguably the most difficult thing we can ever subject a human being to is the act of war. But if we can learn through these soldiers that even the worst of human experiences can be counteracted by that impulse and ability to create in many different ways beyond the world of art, then maybe there is some insight we can all use in our own battles to turn disap-pointment and disaster into love.

Then maybe we all can take a very important step toward being a little more like our Creator wants us to be—and cre-ating a life and a world a little more like He would like us to.

If these soldiers can teach us that, then they will truly be defending our spiritual and psychological lives. ✴

Chris Benguhe is a columnist for The Catholic Sun. Follow him on Twitter: @cbenguhe.

Chris BenguheA Better Viewwww.catholicsun.org/category/views

Veterans create beauty for others in spite of pain, loss

Joyce CoronelJ.C.’s Stridewww.catholicsun.org/category/views

nation/worldMay 17, 2012 Catholic news from around the globe The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 23

catholicsun.org ✦ catholicnews.com ✦ twitter.com/thecatholicsun

In December 2010, Obama said his views on same-sex marriage were “evolving” and said that he would continue to ponder the issue. An Associated Press story May 10 quoted Obama as saying he wanted to announce his support for such unions “in my own way, on my own terms” but acknowl-edged that earlier remarks by Vice President Joe Biden prompted his announcement.

On May 6, Biden, a Catholic, said he was “absolutely comfort-able” with same-sex couples mar-rying, adding that they should get “the same exact rights” heterosex-ual married couples receive.

Some critics questioned whether Obama’s May 9 statement in favor of same-sex marriage truly rep-resented a so-called evolution in thought. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, pointed to Obama’s previous record as proof that the president has supported same-sex marriage in the past.

“In 1996, when Barack Obama was up for a state senate post in Illinois, he said he supported gay marriage. Eight years later, when he set his sights on the U.S. Senate, he discovered his Christian roots and said he was against it,” Donohue said.

Donohue also referred to Obama’s 2008 presidential cam-paign in which he stated his oppo-sition to homosexuals marrying, but also opposed Proposition 8, a ballot initiative in California that affirmed marriage as being exclusively between a man and a woman.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. bish-ops’ conference, said Obama’s May 9 statement in support of same-sex marriage was “not surprising” given his administration’s previous actions “that erode or ignore the unique meaning of marriage.”

Mike Phelan, director of the Office of Marriage and Respect Life Issues for the Diocese of Phoenix, agreed.

“It’s alarming to see the leader of our country come out in favor of redefining our most fundamental, cornerstone institution,” Phelan said. “To see it in print by the leader of our nation — it’s the first time it’s ever happened — is sad and yet not surprising.”

Phelan said the effort to move the United States toward legaliza-tion and acceptance of same-sex marriage is a preliminary step toward an ultimate goal of remov-ing the male-female distinction.

“We really have to help people understand what is at stake in fun-damentally redefining the most basic institution in human society,” Phelan said. “Already in some of our institutions of higher learning,

there is the refusal to acknowledge merely two genders.”

Phelan said this drive toward relativism in the area of gender represents a desire to “obliterate the image of God.” Obama’s statement in support of same-sex marriage will “change education, change reli-gious freedom, and will confuse young people particularly even fur-ther about what the family is.”

‘Staggering’ shiftSome of that confusion regard-

ing the meaning and purpose of marriage is already being seen among Catholics of all ages. A March poll conducted jointly by the Public Religion Research Institute and Religion News Service found overall Catholic support for same-sex marriage to be 59 percent, with 36 percent of Catholics opposed.

Support by Americans overall is at 52 percent, with 44 percent opposed.

Ron Johnson, executive direc-tor of the Arizona Catholic Conference, the legislative arm that represents the Dioceses of Phoenix, Tucson and Gallup, N.M. as well as the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Eparchy of Phoenix, wasn’t surprised by the national poll numbers showing majority support among Catholics for same-sex marriage.

He recalled, however, the way poll numbers regarding same-sex mar-riage shifted dramatically in Arizona after strong catechetical efforts.

Back in 2008, Arizona voters were considering an amendment to the state constitution barring same-sex marriage. Two months prior to the election, support for the amendment among church-going Catholics was a dismal 44 percent.

“During September and all of October, however, the bishops worked on a number of different high-profile projects that changed these results dramatically week after week,” Johnson said.

Those efforts included a joint statement in favor of the amend-ment by the Arizona bishops, a video endorsement by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted that was read at all Masses, and the distribu-tion of 100,000 copies of Bishop Olmsted’s book, “Catholics in the Public Square.”

By the end of this broad cat-echetical effort, there was a nearly 40 percent swing in the number of churchgoing Catholics supporting

Catholic leaders reject Obama’s support for same-sex marriage▶ Continued from page 1 the marriage amendment. Post-

election polling showed 82 percent of church-going Catholics voted for the amendment, which ulti-mately passed.

Johnson called the active Catholics’ response to the educa-tion effort on behalf of marriage — and the accompanying shift in poll numbers — “staggering.”

SpringboardDonohue used Obama’s state-

ment of support for same-sex mar-riage as a springboard to encourage similar action at the federal level.

“The time has finally come to pass a constitutional amendment affirming marriage as an insti-tution reserved to the only two people who can naturally produce a family, namely a man and a woman,” Donohue said.

Bishop Olmsted said the debate regarding same-sex marriage needs to be viewed in light of the true meaning and purpose of marriage.

“It’s a question of who we are as human beings, what does it mean to be a man, what does it mean to be a woman, how did God create us and what is mar-riage,” he said. “Marriage is a God-given institution. It’s not created by governments — it’s recognized by governments, just as the right of human freedom is.”

Bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of Oakland, Calif., agreed that marriage is not a partisan issue.

“[It’s] a matter of justice, fair-ness and equality for the law to uphold every child’s basic right to be welcomed and raised by his or her mother and father together,” he said. ✴

Catholic News Services contrib-uted to this story.

mediaPage 24 ✦ The Catholic Sun Books, Films, Music and the Arts May 17, 2012

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Book Review

Author offers two Catholic takes on recovery

“The recovery rosary: refl ections for alcoholics and addicts” and “Stations of the Cross for alcoholics,” by Paul Sofranko are available on his website: www.sobercatholic.com. Follow him on Twitter: @paulcoholic.

Reviewed by Robert CurtisThe Catholic Sun

Go into any modern book-store or go online to any major bookseller and you

will fi nd oftentimes large self-help sections. Look closer and you can narrow your search down to self-help books for alcoholics and drug addicts.

Look even closer and you might fi nd a book here or there for Catholics suffering from these affl ictions. Into all this comes Paul Sofranko with two small books, “The Recovery Rosary: Refl ections for Alcoholics and Addicts” and “Stations of the Cross for

Alcoholics.”Sofranko, a recovering alcoholic

himself, has added one more ele-ment to the whole scheme of fi ght-ing addiction — hope. While many or even most self-help books sug-gest that we are the only ones capa-ble of fi xing our brokenness sim-ply by reading the book, Sofranko elevates the place of prayer in the healing process and reminds read-ers of the necessity of relying on God for the grace to overcome our addictions.

Relying on God and His mercy is primary to our understanding of our place in a fallen creation and unmatchable in pointing us in the direction of healing.

Sofranko offers the standard sets of prayer, like any good book on the rosary or the Stations of the Cross, but he includes commen-tary, which aids in the understand-ing of the purpose and function of the prayer. Moreover, Sofranko centers his commentaries on the problem of addiction.

In “The Recovery Rosary,” he likens recovery to the journey of Christ within the Passion — the courage needed to give up the addictive substance or alcohol is the same kind of courage Christ used to avoid the temptation and proceed to His suffering. Just like the scene in the Garden when Jesus stepped away from the disciples: “He advanced a little and fell pros-trate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Matt 26:39).

Sofranko writes: “Being a Christian isn’t about accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and then having a life that is all butter-fl ies and buttercups. It’s humbling yourself to the painful reality that there is a God and you are not

Him and that you may have to live according to ways that are contrary to your natural tendencies, politi-cal and social beliefs and other peer-pressure situations.”

Living according to God’s will is the kind of advice that is good for all of us, addicted as we all are to sin, consumerism, partisan politics and national and cultural bound-

aries. God’s will takes us outside ourselves and allows us the natural freedom of surrender that comes from giving our lives to Him.

Like “The Recovery Rosary,” “Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics” follows the journey of the Passion in a point-by-point or event-by-event kind of way, mir-roring the recognition of the addict or the alcoholic that something is wrong, that the way of living is not the way that God wants us to live, and the slow, painful turn toward the clean life and freedom.

For alcoholics, the path to sobri-ety is a life-long one, Sofranko intones, the weight of which is beyond any alcoholic’s own strength. Like the promise of the Resurrection as Christ stumbled along the path to Golgotha, the path to the fact of sobriety is as burdensome and fraught with obstacles and pitfalls.

Sofranko writes: “Crushed by the weight of the suffering, crushed by the enormity of the task, crushed by a promise that seems hard to achieve, a person falls. And crushed by the guilt over the failure to remain clean and sober, the temptation to remain fallen looms.”

Just as Simon of Cyrene helped carry the cross and Veronica cleaned His face, Christ can help the recovering alcoholic get up and move along. Our own jour-ney, even without alcoholism or substance abuse, can be as perilous and the advice given by Sofranko in these two wonderful books is rooted directly in Holy Scripture; in other words, it’s good for all of us and both books are excellent, easy, thought-provoking reads. ✴

Robert Curtis, a life-professed Lay Dominican, is the author of 17 books, holds a master’s in creative writing, teaches composition at the University of Phoenix and creative writing at Rio Salado College.

“The recovery rosary: refl ections “The recovery rosary: refl ections for alcoholics and addicts” and “Stations of the Cross for alcoholics,” by Paul Sofranko are available on his website: www.sobercatholic.com. Follow him on Twitter: @paulcoholic.

Sofranko offers the standard sets of prayer, like any good book on the rosary or the Stations of the Cross, but he includes commen-tary, which aids in the understand-ing of the purpose and function of the prayer. Moreover, Sofranko centers his commentaries on the

In “The Recovery Rosary,” he likens recovery to the journey of Christ within the Passion — the courage needed to give up the addictive substance or alcohol is the same kind of courage Christ used to avoid the temptation and proceed to His suffering. Just like the scene in the Garden when Jesus stepped away from the disciples: “He advanced a little and fell pros-

May 17, 2012 media The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 25

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Film Review

‘Avengers’: Redeeming the hero genre

CNS/DISNEY

Chris Hemsworth and Chris evans in Marvel’s “The avengers.”

In theaters

The following film has been evaluated by Catholic News

Service according to artistic merit and moral suitability.

The Lorax (Universal)

The CNS classification is A-III — A-III — adults. Motion Picture Association of America rating, PG-13 — parents strongly cau-tioned.

Catholic Sun rating

Message: StrongArtistic merit: Mediocre

Rebecca

BosticA Catholic Lens

Stan Lee’s Marvel Comics have been the subject of many on-screen interpretations, includ-

ing the “Spiderman” and “Iron Man” series as well as several others. Some were great, many were mediocre and still others were outright bad.

The characters in “The Avengers” (Disney) avenge the world and the film itself makes up for the bad ones. It’s terrific, fun, and immersion into the comic book world without the confusion of a laborious back-story or caricatured soul-searching.

Marvel fan and aficionado Joss Whedon wrote and directed the clever script. Yet without seeing the films prequels, it requires concen-tration from the audience. Every superhero in the film has been part of a previous Marvel film — most have had their own (“Ironman,” “Captain America,” “Thor,” “The Hulk,” and “The Incredible Hulk”).

Loki, the jealous and evil broth-er of Thor — both gods from another planet — has found a way to make himself the leader of an army of aliens, whose inten-tion is to take over the Earth. He attains an energy source that enables him to gain control of humans. A government agency, S.H.I.E.L.D., led by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), seeks out a group of superheroes referred to as the Avengers to help fight Loki

and his supernatural powers. The Avengers include Ironman

(Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). All of these superheroes are reluctant to work together, but

are eventually drawn together by the need to serve a bigger cause — saving the world — and come together for an epic fight.

“The Avenger” cast’s perfor-mance is pitch perfect and impres-sive, especially considering how well so many of these A-list actors and actresses share screen time. No one dominates the film, but all of them add to the quality — particu-larly during the shared scenes that have snappy and witty dialogue.

Tension permeates the superhe-ro relationships and the best part of the film is watching the dynamic evolve. This the moral message: When the heroes abandon their egos and their selfish pursuits, they are able to effectively work together for the good of a people. The Avengers might be saving the world, but any group of people can realize that coming together to serve a cause bigger than them-selves makes a positive impact.

Whedon and his team of Avengers have successfully reclaimed what has been a some-times strong and other times weak franchise. There is certainly going to be more avenging in the future. And that’s a good thing. ✴

Media critic Rebecca Bostic is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun. Comments are welcome. Send e-mail to [email protected].

COMING SOON: ‘For Greater Glory’“For Greater Glory” chronicles the Cristeros War

(1926-1929), a rebellion against the Mexican government’s persecution of the Catholic Church and its efforts to secularize the Catholic-dominated country. Starring Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria, Eduardo Verástegui and Oscar Isaac, “For Greater Glory” opens June 1 in theaters across the nation.

Rated R for violence, the film depicts ordinary people who must decide if they will give their lives for freedom. Faith, courage and freedom are some of the themes explored. ✴ CNS photo/ARC Entertainment

Family CareAdult Care

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mama mary assisTEd living. Licensed for 10 residents, 10 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms. ALTCS provider, affordable rates. Located at 8207 W. Cactus Rd., Peoria, S/E corner of 83rd Avenue and Cactus Rd. Call (623)776-2942 or (623)340-0480.

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CaregiverliCEnsEd CarEgivEr with excellent refer-ences and reasonable prices, can help you with daily task. Valleywide. Call (623)451-8397.

ChildcareCaTHoliC dayCarE North Phoenix home. Ages 2-5, Monday through Friday. Small class size and reasonable rates. (602)923-0032.

CounselingmarriagE, Family or individual counsel-ing by marriage team; psychotherapist and educational consultant. Metrocenter area. Visit www.santacruzcounseling.com or call (602)843-4003. Jim Santa Cruz, M.C., L.P.C., and Jane Santa Cruz, M.A.

sT. mary's CHrisTian CounsEling. Individual, marriage, family and teen counsel-ing. In-home counseling anywhere in the Valley. Visit www.smchristiancounseling.com or call (602)319-9177. Ty Weckerly, MA.Hospice

CaTHoliC HospiCE approved by the Dio-cese of Phoenix. Americare Hospice and Pal-liative Care is owned and operated locally by a Catholic family of registered nurses. We believe human life is sacred, for every per-son, at every moment. End of life care, Catho-lic priest for sacraments. Medicare certi-fied, Valley wide. Call (480)726-7773 or visit www.americarehospice.com.

For SaleCemetery Plots

Holy Cross CEmETEry, sold-out St. Luke section 14, plot 15, row 2, spaces 4 and 5, $2,000 o.b.o. Call (480)473-9733.

Holy Cross CEmETEry, Calvary Mau-soleum, crypt 561-A, tier 4, $5,500 o.b.o. Two more side-by-side crypts $3,700 each. Call (623)225-0703.

Holy Cross CEmETEry, niche in Calvary Mausoleum in sold-out section. Wall G, tier 4, beautiful spot facing East overlooking the lake, $750 o.b.o. Call (602)799-6802.

sT. FranCis CEmETEry, two companion plots, includes boxes, markers and vases, $5,500 each. Must sell. Please make offer, (623)937-1505.

For SaleCemetery Plots

Holy Cross CEmETEry, full companion plot package, sold-out area, Blessed Mother section, row 4, space 55. Includes concrete boxes, granite maker/vase and opening/clos-ing, $6,500. Evie (480)294-0060.

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Holy rEdEEmEr CEmETEry, Section 11, plot 167. row 2, spaces 4 and 5, single spaces, $5,000. Call (602)943-7563.

QuEEn oF HEavEn CEmETEry, Two plots for sale both in Fallen Christ section. Plot 39, row 2 space 5 and 6, includes two concrete boxes, $4,500. Plot 47, row 1, space 5 and 6, $3,000. Call (480)239-7006.

QuEEn oF HEavEn CEmETEry, two plots in shaded area, all extras included. Valued at $5,850 each, negotiable. Call (480)980-2224.

sT. FranCis CEmETEry, companion includ-ed plot and marker, section 510, row 9, space 16, $3,000 o.b.o. Call (602)254-0356.

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Riding LawnmowerCraFTsman riding lawnmowEr, 30 inch cut, 13.5 HP, grass catcher, match-ing tilt trailer and owners manual, $600. Call (602)291-1292.

MiscellaneousCars Wanted

wE Buy Junk Cars with titles and good running vehicles at a reasonable price. We also remove junk cars at no charge. Call (623)388-7241 or (623)936-3621.

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NetworkingwE arE your loCal CaTHoliC BusinEss. Our mission is to build the Catholic community by incorporating our Catholic beliefs into our business practice and encouraging the Diocese of Phoenix community to support such businesses. Need a business? Search Us! Got a business? Join us! Visit www.FindACatholic-Business.org. CCNA: Your local 501©(6) non-profit business association.

Radioradio Family rosary. Pray the Rosary with us on the radio locally or on the Internet worldwide. Join us nightly on KXXT 1010 AM, Monday through Friday 6:30p.m., Spanish pro-gram Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. Visit www.radiofamilyrosary.com.

Theology Classesdo you wanT To lEarn morE about your faith? The Institute of Catholic Theology. We offer classes in a traditional classroom and live streaming online video. To learn more visit www.theologyphoenix.com.

OpportunitiesMedical/Office Positions

liFE CHoiCEs womEn's CliniCs are seeking pro-life candidates to fill the following positions: bilingual medical assistant, bilingual receptionist, women's health nurse practitio-ner. Complete job descriptions are available at www.pro-lifearizona.com.

SalesCaTHoliC CEmETEriEs and morTuariEs have openings for Sales Train-ees in local area cemeteries. Excellent earnings of $40 to $50k plus in commission is legitimate income potential for the first year. Training sal-ary first 30 days then draw plus commission. Medical, life, dental, optical, prescription, 403b and pension plan etc. are some of the many perks our employees receive. Excellent oppor-tunities for women and men interested in sales career and helping people. Advancement op-portunities available for hard-working, focused individuals. Must be willing to work some eve-nings and weekends when our client families are available to see us in their homes. This is a full-time “Plus” sales/service position for dedi-cated professionals. Please fax your résumé to (602)267-7942 attn: Mr. White or email to [email protected].

OpportunitiesSales

los CEmEnTErios CaTóliCos y morTuorios solicita a aprendiz de ventas en cementerios locales. Ganancias excelentes de $40k a $50k más comisión, es el sueldo po-tencial durante el primer año. Salario de entre-namiento más la comisión durante los primeros 30 días. Seguro médico, de vida, dental, óptico, recetas, 401K y plan de pensión, etc. son algu-nos de los beneficios que reciben nuestros em-pleados. Oportunidad excelente para mujeres y hombres interesados en carrera de ventas y ayudando al pueblo. Oportunidad para avanzar para personas trabajadoras y enfocadas. De-berá estar dispuesto a trabajar algunas noches y fines de semana cuando podemos ver a nuestros clientes en sus casas. Este trabajo es de tiempo completo más las ventas/posición de servicio para profesionales dedicados. Por fa-vor envíe su currículo por fax a (602) 267-7942 Atención: Mr. White o por correo electrónico a [email protected]

pilgrimagE salEs. Unitours, one of the most respected names in Catholic Pilgrimage Travel is seeking a sales representative in this area. Representatives call on local priest and parish pilgrimage organizers to assist in plan-ning and promoting Catholic Parish Pilgrimages to Europe and the Middle East. Position is com-mission based and international travel experi-ence and basic computer skills are required. To apply, complete the application and attached resume at www.Unitours.com/sales.

CaregiversCarEgivErs nEEdEd now, one-on-one homecare, full/part-time, flexible schedule, re-warding, benefits, bonuses. Northwest Valley, (623)209-3080.

PrayersPrayers

sT. JudE, please heal me, please put my family together. Thank you, for all you do. L.A.

THank you, saCrEd HEarT, for my wife's health and prayers answered. Please continue to help. C.E.

dEar HEavEnly FaTHEr, Sweet Jesus, Blessed Mary, St. Jude, St. Anthony, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Joseph, St. Peregrine and St. Mar-garet, for prayers answered. Please continue to help. Please protect Rocky and keep him safe. Thank you, I love you, G.O.

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The day a couple celebrates Holy Matrimony in the Church is the most important of their lives. For us, the Lord has born much fruit since that day —beautiful children and a success-ful photography business centered on God-given talents among them.

“We relive our own wedding day at every wedding we photograph,” said Jerry Hoffman, half of the husband-and-wife duo that is Award Winning Photography.

Each wedding starts with a silent prayer before coming on-site and continues with heightened reverence during the celebration. That some-times includes adhering to church requirements regarding fl ash and distance limitations, but that by no means lessens photo quality. Each image captures the excitement, emotion and beauty of weddings and other special occasions.

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May 17, 2012 classifi eds The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 27

ComunidadLa Página 28 ◆ The Catholic Sun Un servicio de noticias de la Diócesis de Phoenix 17 de may del 2012

Por J.D. Long-GarcíaThe Catholic Sun

Aunque los orígenes del dios serpiente emplumado Mesoamericano no son

ciertos, los Aztecas creían que baja-ba del cielo dos veces al año a traer fertilidad y cosecha.

Este dios de la vida y del maíz, Quetzalcuátl, aparece también como un hombre alto, rubio y barbudo. Como la serpiente emplumada, el dios representa el espíritu y la tierra, y adorna muchas pirámides utilizadas para ofrecer sacrifi cios humanos.

Los aztecas creían en una segun-da venida de Quetzalcuátl. El Rey

Moctezuma II creía que Hernán Cortés era este Dios cuando el con-quistador español llegó en 1519.

“A través de esta mitología, Cortés puede entrar en el Capitolio Azteca pacífi camente”, dijo José Alfredo Martínez, un guía con Servicios de Destinación de México (DMS por sus síglas en inglés). Cortés

consiguió la ayuda de otras tribus, también, que sólo podrían entrar en la ciudad azteca si se pensaba que acompañaban a un dios.

“De no haber sido por esto, se habrían necesitado 30 a 40 años para superar a los aztecas,” dijo Martínez. Cortés llegó con sola-mente 500 soldados a caballo. Y a

pesar de que ellos estaban armados, no hubiesen sido capaces de der-rortar a los Aztecas.

Los indígenas mantuvieron devoción a Quetzalcuátl a través de toda el territorio hoy conocido como México. Esto incluye lugares como Tula, Chichen Itza y Cholula,

Ensayo de Viaje

México: Belleza a través de la fe en medio de la violencia

Un momento relacionado a la libertad humana particularmente dramático, se produce en una boda Católica cuando un hombre y una mujer

están delante del altar y responden a tres “preguntas de aclaración” sobre la naturaleza del matrimonio, justo antes de intercambiar los votos.

“Han venido aquí libremente y sin reservas?” La pareja responde, Sí.

“¿Se honrarán el uno al otro como marido y mujer para el resto de sus vidas?” Sí.

“¿Aceptarán niños amorosamente de Dios, y los criarán según la ley de Dios y de Su Iglesia?” Sí.

“¿Aceptarán niños amorosamente de Dios?” Sí.Nuestra cultura postmoderna exclama: “¡Espera! ¿Es la

tercera pregunta realmente necesaria? Sin duda, se trata de la libertad y del amor incondicional, y hasta incluso la fi delidad es un ideal atractivo (si no realista para la mayoría de los seres humanos), pero, ¿una promesa de estar dispuestos a recibir a niños? ¿Es esto algo necesario dentro de las promesas del matrimonio?”

“Sí”, dice la Iglesia, “es absolutamente necesario.” La Iglesia no inventó el signifi cado del matrimonio: ella simplemente lo protege y promueve, en toda su belleza natural y sacramental. En el centro de la belleza del matrimonio está el regalo de los niños y de ser una madre y un padre.

En otras palabras, cuando el Papa Pablo VI en su encíclica de 1968, Humanae Vitae, retoma la enseñanza de 2,000 años de la Iglesia, “ …cada acto conyugal debe por necesidad mantener su relación intrínseca a la procreación de la vida humana” (no. 12), más que una enseñanza clara contra la anticoncepción es señalada, aunque esa enseñanza es clara e inmutable. Para aquellos que tienen “ojos para ver y oídos para oír,” una llamada alta de nuestra Madre, la Iglesia, y por lo tanto de Cristo mismo, es escuchada. Es la llamada de importancia a las parejas casadas, a rechazar el embrutecimiento, basado en la sombra del matrimonio respaldada en la mentalidad anticonceptiva de nuestra época; y en su lugar, a abrazar la plenitud de la llamada al matrimonio en todo su esplendor y dignidad que dan vida.

La identidad de una persona y la llamada a dar vidaSi la elección a la esterilidad (no me refi ero aquí a la

infertilidad, lo cual trataré en el próximo artículo) no fuese de una forma extraña, atractiva, no sería una mentira

tan efectiva, y no sería elegida por tantos hoy. Lo que se esconde siempre como una tentación cerca del corazón humano es el deseo de ser imperturbable en las decisiones por una ley fuera de sí.

En su obra del 1964 Radiación de Paternidad, una dramática refl exión sobre la Trinidad y la libertad humana, el futuro Juan Pablo II colocó en la boca del personaje misterioso Adán la siguiente expresión, “¡Ah, mantenerse separado de todo, para permanecer solo dentro de mí!” Adán, no accidentalmente la palabra Bíblica para el hombre, teme la llamada a la paternidad, de traer a un niño a la existencia, porque teme la muerte de su ego que esto conlleva. Teme el sufrimiento que le acompañará necesariamente al convertirse en ser padre. Sin embargo, en la obra Dios lo llama a ser quien realmente es convirtiéndose en un padre. Resulta que no existe ningún otro camino para completar el ser humano que el de la fertilidad, de la maternidad y la paternidad.

“¡Sé quién eres!” El Beato Juan Pablo II solía repetir a los sacerdotes, a personas consagradas, y a los padres. El conocía que temor humano común a que estamos sometidos al vivir nuestra vocación, y conocía los antídotos.

“Amor y Responsabilidad” y cuatro benefi cios para los cónyuges

En sus estudios fi losófi cos sobre el amor conyugal, Amor y Responsabilidad, el futuro Papa Polaco se preocupó de explicar cómo los cónyuges pueden participar en el acto conyugal de las relaciones sexuales sin caer en el error de usarse uno al otro, una situación que él llama “el problema interno de cada matrimonio.” La clave está en que una pareja comprenda el gran signifi cado de lo que están haciendo, y comprenda la posibilidad de la maternidad y la paternidad en cada acto. “El mutuo amor de casados exige una unión de las personas. Pero la unión de las personas no es lo mismo que la unión sexual. Este (unión) se eleva a la categoría de la persona sólo cuando va acompañada de la mente y la voluntad de aceptación de la posibilidad de la paternidad…ni en el hombre ni en la mujer puede ser divorciada la afi rmación del valor de la persona de la toma de conciencia y aceptación voluntaria que puede convertirse en un padre y ella puede convertirse en una madre… Si la posibilidad de paternidad o maternidad es deliberadamente excluida de las relaciones conyugales, el carácter de la relación entre los esposos cambia automáticamente. El cambio está lejos

de unifi cación en el amor y en la dirección de mutua, o más bien, los acuerdos bilaterales “disfrute” (p. 228).

Esta cita de Beato Juan Pablo es teológicamente rica; concentrémonos solo en un elemento específi co de la misma. Para que el acto conyugal sea verdaderamente una unión personal debe incluir la actividad de los poderes del alma los cuales nos identifi can como seres humanos: la inteligencia y la voluntad. Para que el acto matrimonial conserve su pleno signifi cado para los cónyuges ellos deben aceptar racionalmente el potencial del acto: la posibilidad de convertirse en padres (esto no niega la legitimidad de abstenerse durante los períodos fértiles, cuando hay buenas razones para hacerlo). El no incluir deliberadamente esta posibilidad sería negar uno de los objetivos esenciales del acto conyugal y haría el acto totalmente pecaminoso.

Tal es el patrón de la anticoncepción en el matrimonio, y lo vemos en el desmembramiento de incontables matrimonios hoy en día, en la discordia radical de la cultura entre el sexo y los niños, que se exhibe por todas partes, desde las telenovelas hasta el aborto. Como sacerdotes, sentimos el peso de esto en el confesionario y sentimos el dolor de las pérdidas.

Sin embargo, para aquellos que generosamente aceptan la potencialidad de la maternidad y la paternidad en su amor conyugal, los benefi cios que nuestro mundo tan desesperadamente necesita, surgen. Karol Wojtyla en Amor y Responsabilidad señala cuatro formas en que las parejas que están abiertas a la vida crecen y las cuales describo a continuación, simplifi cando un poco la lengua densa y fi losófi ca de Wojtyla:

1. La conciencia de la vocación a la paternidad asiste al crecimiento del autodominio.

2. El amor matrimonial prospera cuando la bondad de la paternidad (maternidad) es comprendida.

3. Criar a un niño enseña a uno a amar, a hacer una donación de sí mismo.

4. Las personas casadas entienden su grandeza como procreadores con Dios de una nueva persona humana.

El Beato Juan Pablo II insistió en que si una pareja quiere un matrimonio virtuoso, alegre, generoso y lleno de asombro, deben permanecer abiertos hasta el fi n natural de la ley en el acto del amor conyugal, abiertos a la posibilidad de que un niño, una nueva persona de Dios, podría venir a través de ese acto.

El drama y la belleza de esta llamada no se pierde en muchos de nuestras jóvenes parejas que se están preparando para el matrimonio en la Diócesis de Phoenix; también comparten su agradecimiento por la claridad del magisterio de la Iglesia y por el testimonio de las parejas que viven esta enseñanza. Estas parejas están en el camino hacia un matrimonio lleno de alegría, el cual se profundiza como cualquier vocación Cristiana auténticamente vivida.

En la parte fi nal de esta serie, consideraré la misión de la vida fructífera del matrimonio, incluyendo las parejas que luchan con la infertilidad. ✴

Obispo Thomas J. OlmstedJesus Caritas

catholicsun.org/bishopolmsted.html

La Bendición de una vida fructífera

Segunda parte: Apertura a la vida y a la identidad personal

— Ver página 29 ▶

17 de mayo del 2012 lacomunidad The Catholic Sun ✦ Página 29

TM

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donde las grandes pirámides fuer-on construidas.

Se dice que hay 365 iglesias con-struídas en Cholula, una encima de cada templo prehispánico. Hay realmente cerca de 200 iglesias, si se incluyen las capillas.

En la mañana del martes, 31 de enero, feligreses estaban sentados alrededor de un candelabro de luces en la Iglesia de San Francisco de Acatepec en Cholula, puliendo el latón y brillando el cristal. Todos eran voluntarios. Dan de su tiempo para embellecer la iglesia que ha ser-vido a su comunidad durante siglos.

“La religión es parte de la vida cotidiana,” dijo el padre Ernesto Reynoso, vicario judicial adjunto para la Diócesis de Phoenix, quien nació en México. “Muchos en la sociedad de hoy quieren eliminar la religión. Gracias a Dios, otros están manteniendo la religiosidad viva.”

En el centro de cada una de las ciudades principales de México, encontrará una catedral frente a frente a la plaza principal. Está ahí, justo al lado de los restaurantes y los bares y las tiendas de chocolate. Edifi cios municipales se encuen-tran en la sombra del catedral.

Las iglesias son hermosas porque la casa de Dios debe ser hermosa. Los turistas de todo el mundo dicen que esto es el fi nal de las peregrinaciones, dijo Martínez de DMS. “Lo que más les gusta - más que las ruinas o los museos o las playas — es el calor del pueblo mexicano,” dijo.

El pueblo es muy acogedor a pesar de la historia de invasión. Comenzó con la conquista españo-la y continuó con las incursiones de los Estados Unidos y Francia.

“El pueblo Mexicano no es un pueblo indígena”, señaló Martínez. “Somos mestizos, tenemos nuestras raíces en la gente nativa y en el pueblo español.”

Este acercamiento de culturas está representado por la Virgen de Guadalupe, una aparición mariana que transformó los esfuerzos de la evangelización de los misioneros cristianos.

En 1531, apareció la Santísima Virgen a San Juan Diego, pidién-dole que se construyera una iglesia en su honor. Como prueba de su instrucción, Juan Diego recogió rosas en su tilma — su manto hecho de fi bras de cactus—y los presentó al obispo local.

Las rosas dejaron la imagen milagrosa de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, una mujer mestiza, que representó las características de españoles e indígenas.

La imagen milagrosa se con-serva en la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe al pie del Monte Tepeyac, donde apareció la Santísima Madre. Los científi cos no han podido explicar como es que el manto de fi bra de cactus aún existe. Ese material normal-mente se desintegra después de unas pocas décadas.

Pero ahí está, en la moderna

Belleza a través de la fe en medio de la violencia

Ciudad de México, donde más de 20 millones de peregrinos al año vienen a ver la imagen dejada por la Santísima Madre.

“Todo revuelve al rededor la igle-sia”, dijo Luís Efrén Zazueta Flores, un feligrés a Parroquia Inmaculado Corazón de María en la ciudad de Phoenix, que emigró de México hace años.

“La vida allí es difícil,” dijo él. “A veces, la gente casi se cansa de pedir la ayuda de Dios. Son muchos los que están en gran necesidad.”

La necesidad impulsa a muchos — sobre todo a los agricultores — a emigrar a los Estados Unidos, según Martínez. “Un desierto o una pared o un río no van a detenerlos. Una ley no los parará tampoco.”

La inmigración y los informes de medios de comunicación han tenido un impacto inconmensu-rable acerca de cómo la gente en los Estados Unidos piensan sobre México. En el mes de marzo, el Instituto transfronterizo de la Universidad de San Diego reportó más de 50,000 homicidios en México entre 2006-2011.

Sin embargo, David Shirk, quien enseña en USD, dijo que el Instituto trata de mantener las cosas en perspectiva. “Hubo relativamente pocas matanzas que implican a turistas estadounidenses,” dijo.

A través de las pirámides, los visitantes vienen a ver cómo la fe y religión fueron parte de esta tierra ya que su creación. El Cristianismo reemplazó a los dioses nativos, pero fe y creencia en lo sobrenatural siguen siendo esenciales.

La opresión del gobierno Mexicano sobre la Iglesia en la década de 1920 parece un poco absurda a la luz de la historia. La Guerra Cristera o Cristiada, se libró

contra un gobierno que persiguió a los Católicos de 1926-1929.

El gobierno prohibió la cel-ebración de la Misa, de modo que los sacerdotes celebraban en secreto. La guerra fue nombrada después del grito de batalla de los rebeldes — “¡Viva Cristo Rey!”

En la “Plaza de las Tres Culturas,” los turistas pueden ver la Iglesia de Santiago de Tlatelco, donde se dice que fue bautizado San Juan Diego. La iglesia fue construida en el siglo XVI de los restos de las Ruinas Aztecas. Las ruinas se encuentran al frente mientras edifi cios modernos están ubicados detrás de él.

Siendo mestiza, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe también incorpora estas tres culturas; ella refl eja lo indígena, lo español y el fruto que fue el resul-tado de la unión de los dos.

El Arte mexicano refl eja este acercamiento también. Los turistas podrán verlo en los murales de Diego Rivera y en las danzas del Ballet Folklórico. Pero en ninguna parte se ve esta unión más que en el mismo pueblo Mexicano.

Es como si las personas hubie-sen heredado algún tipo de cono-cimiento cultural de que los extran-jeros están bien. Como pueblo han visto lo difícil que es para que dos culturas se reúnan, pero también han visto la belleza que viene cuan-do fi nalmente vuelven a ser una.

¡Viva México! ¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe! ¡Viva Cristo Rey! ✴

J.D. Long-García viajó a la ciu-dad de México, Puebla y Oaxaca con otros periodistas católicos en un viaje de familiarización patro-cinado por Tours de Regina y la Junta de Turismo de México. Para obtener más información, llame al 1-800-CATHOLIC.

▶ Continuado de la página 28


la antigua Basílica de Santa María de guadalupe, Ciudad de México.

Page 30 ✦ The Catholic Sun May 17, 2012

An ongoing look at parishes in the Phoenix Diocese.

S A C R E D S P A C ETHE LATEST

Two of the parish’s priests, Fr. Thomas Kawai and Fr. Lawrence Bakut, are natives of Nigeria. During April, parishioners raised money to assist the Diocese of Zaria in Nigeria. In a letter to parishioners prior to the collection, the Nigerian priests wrote about the pressing needs of their home diocese and the terrorist bombing of Fr. Bakut’s own parish during Mass last year.

WHAT’S UNIQUE?The parish established a soup kitchen

back in 2000 after a small faith group sug-gested parishioners should be feeding the poor. Volunteers cook meals in the par-ish’s commercial kitchen and serve dinner every Tuesday and Thursday and lunch on Saturdays. Local grocery stores and restau-rants donate items for the program. “The unique thing is, diners come in and are served like they are in a restaurant,” said Rebecca Shannahan, parish secretary.

UPCOMINGThe parish will celebrate a multi-cul-

tural Mass followed by a festival May 26. Representatives of different nationalities and cultures will participate in the Pentecost vigil Mass through song and readings. The Mass is followed by a taste-testing in the hall where parishioners can sample cuisine from around the world.

QUOTABLE“The faithful of Our Lady of the Lake make

this a great parish. So many people are ready to help or come in to pray. I also have

to say how blessed we are to have such well formed and well trained deacons; the spiritual life of this par-ish is so much richer for their faithful service.”

— Joyce Coronel

Founded: May 10, 1969Founding pastor: Fr. Joseph BrackettAddress: 1975 Daytona Dr., Lake Havasu CityPhone: (928) 855-2685Pastor: Fr. Chauncey WinklerNumber of families: 2,476

— Fr. Chauncey Winkler, pastor of

Our Lady of the Lake

L A K E H AVAS U C I T Y

Our Lady of the Lake

Diocese of Phoenix CATHOLIC CEMETERIES and mortuaries (602)267-1329In remembrance of those individuals interred in our Catholic Cemeteries for the month of April

St. Francis Cemetery and Mausoleum2033 N. 48th St., PhoenixGloria B. BacaJoel Alan BayhamMildred K. BoyleThomas Valdez CalderonInez Hortencia CarrRamona Avalos ChavezBernard Luke ClarkEileen A. ClaycombEsther CruzRose Virginia de FalcoAlicia EliasSunny Cho EllisWanda EtterCarmen N. FelixJohn Andrew FlittonThomas GennaroZar Xavier GonzalesAmerico GouveiaLeslie A. GrembosBryan N. HerschakElfriede A. HerschakJoan HinesMary Kathleen Knorr-TerburgBarbara KoboldGertrude Shea KruegerMarilyn L. LabenzElizabeth J. LargenAna L. LeonDorothy Marie McAleerDorena Mae MurphyEvelyn Ann NappaMaria PatchettMarie Ann PollackTheresa M. RasconAngelina S. Reyes

Edward Rico Hilda Soza RodriguezNora R. RodriquezJ. Asucion Salgado-RodriguezNick A. SavastioDonald E. SchwinghamerPhilip SozaBeverly ThomasRamon R. VerduzcoMarie VitaleDoroise Marie WebbEileen Patricia Zybura

Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum10045 W. Thomas Rd., AvondaleEva Lee AbramPete AriasSusan Jane BrittonRebeca CarbajalPablo CervantesBarbara June DavisMike A. DominguezPia EscobarSevera EstradaJosephine Ann FagnaniConrad C. GaloRosales Barrera GonzagaIsidro Servin GarciaFaviola Alejandrina GuardidaJulio Cesar HernandezDoris Ann JividenGeorge Paul LachvayderRobert LelakowskiZeno C. LoboPeter Paul Marquez, Jr.Merced Calderon MartinezPaula C. Martinez

George MejiaMary Ann MettesVicente Hinojos MontezBenita Vallejo MoraMargaret Ann MurphyClaire J. NelsonDaniel Ray Ochoa Maria Angelita Ortega Julio M. ReyesMaria Concepcion ReyesCarlos Manuel Rivas-RiveraAngel Luis Rodriguez, Jr.Adalberto SuarezRonald J. VoetDonald Lee WatkinsEusevia Zepeda

Queen of Heaven Cemetery and Mortuary1500 E. Baseline Rd., MesaLaureen AldenDonald Charles BelousekJohn Edward BiggsCody Ray BorelliCharles Edward BowlinJames Rhece GolonkaCarol GruszkaAli Lynn HinzeMildred Ethel LattaCarmella LetiziaKenneth R. LiffitonBaby Machado-RomanZigmond D. MaciekowichLuisa MartinezIone E. McMenimenChristina Mechelle McPhersonMichael Carrasco MontesJulio V. MunguiaMichael David Pearce

Debra A. Poe

Phillip Manley Shelton

Nancy Tofteland

Michael J. Weeks

Emmaline Mary Zenz

Holy Redeemer Cemetery23015 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix

Estelle C. Adams

John E. Cinalli

Clorinda Finocchio

William J. Firth

Celina Leski

Peter Orlich

Donn Trapp

Ruth Marie White

Calvary Cemetery201 W. University, Flagstaff

Henry E. Adams

Heidi Jo Blohm

Walter Vincent McDonald

John C. Monning

Mary Lopez Nunez

Barbara Ann Schuhrke

Rose M. Snyder

All Souls Cemetery700 N. Bill Gray Rd., Cottonwood

Willard J. Diedrich

Gerard C. Doherty

Ekaterini Ganellas

sunbeamsMay 17, 2012 Community Events Calendar The Catholic Sun ✦ Page 31

Write: Sunbeams, The Catholic Sun, P.O. Box 13549, Phoenix, AZ 85002 ✦ Email: [email protected] ✦ Fax: (602) 354-2429 ✦ www.catholicsun.org

Meetings and Classes

Annual Meeting and Women of the Year Celebration for Phoenix Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., June 9, Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral. Info: call Rhapsody at (602) 568-5286 or visit www.pdccw.org.

“Tears Speak… But Spirits Soar,” 7 p.m., June 12, Mount Claret Retreat Center, Pope John Paul II Resource Center, 4633 N. 54th St., to help wom-en who have lost a child(ren) to abor-tion and wish to heal the pain. Info: on confi dential discussion, call Patty at (480) 838.7474.

Altar Server Training, 9:30-11:30 a.m., July 9-13; 2-4 p.m., Aug. 6; 3-5 p.m., Sept. 10; 1:15-3:15 p.m., Sept. 14. Your altar servers, liturgy coor-dinators, sacristans, and MCs are welcome. Info: call Chris Mincolla at (602) 242-1300 ext. 146 or email [email protected].

The Benedictine Oblates meet the second Saturday of each month at Mount Claret Retreat Center, 4633 N. 54th St. Please join us for prayer and study of the Holy Rule of St. Benedict. Info: email Patty at [email protected].

Third Order Carmelites meet once a month at St. Anne Parish, 440 E. Elliot Rd., Gilbert. You are neither a priest nor a nun, but Our Lady and the Carmelite saints will bring you closer to Jesus through prayer, study, and practice of the Carmelite Spirituality. Info: call or text: (480) 420-7729.

Schoenstatt Secular Catholic Lay Movement meets bi-monthly (east side) and monthly (west) for prayer, education in its spirituality, movement of holiness and its founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich. Info: call Sally at (480) 945-6190 or Jeanne (623) 979-1909.

The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites meets on the third Sat-urday of each month. Participation in prayer and formation following charism according Teresian Carmel. Focus of study is Rule of St. Albert and Carmelite saints. Info: call Candida at (602) 481-6028.

Retreats

Rachel’s Vineyard Weekend Re-treat, June 22-24, Sister Peter’s House of Prayer in Prescott, for women and men struggling with the psycho-logical or spiritual pain of abortion. Cost: $150, some partial scholarships are available. Information about the symptoms of post-abortion trauma visit www.rachelsvineyard.org. Info: call Deb at (928) 713-9504 or Diane at (928) 308-6859 or email [email protected]; all communication and participation is strictly confi dential.

Worship

Healing Mass with Fr. FernandoSuarez, 7 p.m., May 10, St. Mary Parish, 230 W. Galveston St., Chan-dler. Info: call Carolina at (480) 963-3207; 7 p.m., May 11, All Saints Parish, 1534 N. Recker Road, Mesa. Experi-ence God’s love and gift of healing. Info: Pete (602) 327-3597.

Pentecost Mass with Fr. CraigFriedley from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, 9 a.m., May 27, Canyon State Academy Stadium, 20061 E. Ritten-house Road, Queen Creek. The com-munity is gathering to re-create the fi rst Pentecost and refl ect how the early Church united and received the Holy Spirit. All are welcome.

Singles

Arizona Catholic Singles,serving the homeless, 3:30-7 p.m., May 18, Paz de Cristo, 424 W. Broad-way Road, Mesa is a dining facility that serves a hot meal each day to homeless or needy people. Info: call Patrick at (480) 898-7424 or (480) 371-8856 by May 17.

Arizona Catholic Singles Massand Brunch, 10:15 a.m.-2 p.m., May 27, Corpus Christi Parish, 3550 E. Knox Road and Mimi’s Café, 4901 E. Ray Road, in the Ahwatukee Foot-hills Towne Center. RSVP: call Patrick Carpenter at (480) 898-7424 or (480) 371-8856.

Single Souls: “Resurrection” pre-sented by Bill Brophy, a Catholic lay-man who is a practicing physician with a master’s degree in theology from Ave Maria University, 7 p.m., May 19, St. Joseph Parish, 11001 N. 40th St. Info: call Dan at (480) 941-5952 or Karen at (602) 332-1737.

Entertainment

Annual Charity Golf Tournament,6 a.m. check-in, 7:30 a.m. shotgun start, May 19, Continental Golf Club, Scottsdale, sponsored by St. Maria Goretti Men’s Club. Donation: $70 in-cludes golf fees, continental breakfast, lunch and awards. Info: call Kevin at (480) 338-6385.

Michael John Poirier Concert,7 p.m., May 21, Xavier College Prepa-ratory, 4710 N. 5th St., performing his farewell concert before he heads back on the road with his family evange-lizing through music. Donation: $10. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Info: call Kris at (480) 786-8883.

This and That

Inaugural Concert and Blessing of the new 26 Rank Schantz Pipe Organ, 3 p.m., May 20, St. Mary Basilica, 231 N. Third St., in honor of Blessed John Paul II. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted will give the blessing at the wine and cheese reception after the concert. All are invited. Admission is free.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Leave a legacy by including St. Vincent de Paul in your will or estate plan. There are many options and plans available. Info: call Shan-non Clancy at (602) 261-6814 or visit www.stvincentdepaul.net.

Cleaning out your closet and get-ting organized? We will pick up your gently used clothing, furniture and household items. To schedule a pick-up, call 602-266-4673.

Volunteer opportunities, by giving us a few hours of your time to fi t your abilities and interests. Info: (602) 261-6870 or (602) 261-6886 for Spanish or visit www.stvincentdepaul.net.

Free up space in your garage and donate your vehicle to St. Vincent de Paul. We accept cars, boats, motor homes, trailers and motorcycles. To process a car donation, please call 1-800-805-8011.

The Casa

All events held at the Franciscan Renewal Center, 5802 E. Lincoln Dr., Scottsdale. Information, (480) 948-7460.“Divorced and Separated Retreat” with Judith McHale, MA, LPC and Tom Mitchell, Ph.D., LPC, June 1-3; have the opportunity to turn the rela-tionship experiences of the past into life lessons that promote insight and growth. Cost including meals: $130; with lodging $215.

Grief and Loss Retreat” with Sheila Marchetta, MA, Mauro Pando, MC and Timothy Ringgold, MT-BC, June 1-3; designed for anyone experienc-ing grief over the death of a loved one. Cost: including meals $130; with lodging $215.

Twilight Retreat on the Spirituality of the Psalms,” presented by Norbert Zwickl, 6-8:30 p.m., June 15; evening of exploring the wealth of some of our favorite Psalms. Cost: $20 for dinner and refl ection, $10 refl ection only at 7 p.m. Dinner reservations required. Early reservations appreciated.

“Spiritual Spa Weekends with Pam Bork,” June 22-24, July 20-22, Aug. 10-12, Aug. 24-26, need time to rest and renew. Fee per person: $125 includes all meals, private room and program. Optional amenities: massage and gen-tle touch will be provided at a low cost to be paid directly to the providers. No credit card services for amenities.

To Our ReadersSunbeams are free public service

announcements.Catholic parishes, groups or

organizations are guaranteed one-time publication for each list-ing. Announcements from non-

Catholic agencies and groups will be considered for publication, space permitting. Submissions must be

received in writing by June 6for publication June 21.

Please keep submissions to 40 words or less.

Pilgrimage listings not accepted.

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Page 32 ✦ The Catholic Sun May 17, 2012

Our faith helps families believe in themselves.These are diffi cult and uncertain economic times. Today, the faces of the new working poor include families and individuals who until recently were self-suffi cient, owned their homes, and had good jobs. It could be your neighbor down the street, or the family of a National Guardsman, struggling to make ends meet on a military stipend.

St. Vincent de Paul is there to off er a hand to those in need—with faith, hope and love. Yet the needs in our community are growing. We see new faces coming to us for help each week. It’s only because of people with compassionate hearts like yours, that we are able to help so many. Visit stvincentdepaul.net today to make a diff erence.

Help make a difference today.Donate. Volunteer. Shop.

P.O. Box 13600 • Phoenix Arizona 85003-2830 • 602-266-HOPE • www.stvincentdepaul.net

Documents

The Catholic Sun, May 2012