WASHINGTON – The last prolife bill to be considered by the 109th Congress became one of the first introduced in the 110th Congress when Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., reintroduced the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.

The legislation, which died in the House of Representatives Dec. 6 when it failed to receive the two-thirds majority needed to break a procedural impasse, would require that women undergoing an abortion at least 20 weeks into their pregnancy be informed that an abortion causes pain to the fetus.

“It’s a scientific, medical fact that unborn children feel pain,” said Sen. Brownback as he reintroduced the bill Jan. 22. “We know that unborn children can experience pain based upon anatomical, functional, psychological and behavioral indicators that are correlated with pain in children and adults. Mothers seeking an abortion have the right to know that their unborn children can feel pain.”

The bill also would give women the option of choosing anesthesia for their unborn child to lessen his or her pain during the abortion.

In the 109th Congress, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., had sponsored the House version of the legislation, called the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act. The U.S. bishops had remained neutral on the bills, but they will work for passage of the latest legislation, said Deirdre McQuade, director of planning and information in the bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.

The fetal pain legislation was far from the only life-related legislation proposed in the first weeks of the 110th Congress, however.

Ms. McQuade said the prolife secretariat will be working for passage of legislation that would make “truly constructive changes in the lives of women and their unborn children.”

One such proposal is the Pregnant Women’s Support Act, to be introduced sometime soon by Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn. The legislation will provide resources “to help women make life-affirming choices for themselves and their children,” Ms. McQuade said.

Among its many provisions, the bill will expand eligibility for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and for the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program, and provide assistance to victims of domestic violence. Pregnant and postpartum women are among those most likely to experience domestic violence, studies have found.

The legislation also includes provisions that will require medical professionals to provide information about abortion and alternatives to abortion that leads to truly “informed consent,” Ms. McQuade said.
Also receiving the bishops’ support in the 110th Congress will be the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Support Act, introduced in the 109th Congress by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Rep. Melissa A. Hart, R-Pa., who is no longer in Congress.

By offering housing, day care and academic accommodations to those who are “pregnant or parenting while pursuing their education,” the bill will give students choices beyond the usual “abort or drop out of school,” Ms. McQuade said.

The USCCB also supports the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, which “came awfully close to passing last year,” Ms. McQuade said. It would make it illegal for an adult who is not a minor’s parent or legal guardian to take the minor across state lines for an abortion in order to avoid her own state’s parental notification or consent laws.

The legislation is called the Child Custody Protection Act in the House.

Ms. McQuade said the prolife secretariat also would continue to work for passage of the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, which would guarantee the conscience rights of individuals or institutions who choose not to participate in abortions, and will work to keep in place several provisions that prevent federal tax money from being used to pay for abortion.

The USCCB will oppose efforts to expand federal funding of stem-cell research involving human embryos and will support the Alternative Pluripotent Stem-Cell Therapies Enhancement Act, which would fund “lots of kinds of legitimate stem-cell research” that does not destroy embryos, she said.
Another goal will be approval of the RU-486 Suspension and Review Act, also known as Holly’s Law, which will remove the abortion pill from the market until its safety can be reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. Holly Patterson, 18, died in California in 2003 after taking RU-486.

Some other bills before the 110th Congress might sound prolife or pro-woman but are deceptively named, according to Ms. McQuade.

For example, the Prevention First Act says its goal is to “expand access to preventive health care and education programs to help protect women’s reproductive health, reduce unintended pregnancies, prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and provide women with the tools they need to make the best decisions possible for themselves.”

But that bill puts a “heavy emphasis on contraceptive mandates” and does not support pregnant women at all, Ms. McQuade said, adding that the USCCB will actively work for its defeat.

She also called the legislation unethical, because it would force pharmacists and hospitals to offer emergency contraception in violation of their conscience rights.

Also touted as a compromise bill by both supporters of keeping abortion legal and those who oppose abortion in Congress is the Abortion Reduction and Pregnant Women Support Act.

“They believe that to reduce abortions you need to increase access to contraception,” Ms. McQuade said. “But that doesn’t work. Study after study has shown that abortions actually go up, not down, when there is more contraception.”

There’s no bigger proponent of exercise than Kelly Wojtowicz. For some 20 years, the registered nurse and certified personal trainer has devoted herself to helping others get in shape and develop healthy lifestyles.

But there comes a point when some people overdo it, Ms. Wojtowicz warned. When a person’s life begins to revolve around exercise and when he or she ignores pain or injuries while working out, it may be a warning sign of an addiction, she said.

“There’s nothing wrong with exercising every day if you do it in the right way,” said Ms. Wojtowicz, group fitness director at the Big Vanilla health club in Arnold and a parishioner of Our Lady of Sorrows, Centerville.

A good regimen might include alternating muscle groups by day or rotating between cardiovascular and strength training sessions, she said.

“It’s when people start exercising two or three hours a day, often doing extreme forms of exercise, when it becomes more of an obsession,” she said. “Typically there’s something else going on and they think this is something they can have control over.”

Addiction to exercise is often associated with eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia, Ms. Wojtowicz explained. Most of the cases she has seen have involved young women who think they will gain weight if they stop exercising compulsively.

Pushing oneself so hard, especially when not getting the proper amount of daily calories, can be dangerous.

“You could break down the muscle if you’re not eating enough,” Ms. Wojtowicz said. “If all the body fat is used up for energy, then the body will start to break down muscle for energy.”

People who exercise too much often suffer from overtraining injuries, she said. The body needs rest time to repair muscles, according to Ms. Wojtowicz. It normally takes about 24 hours to recover from a challenging workout, she said.

“You really have to listen to your body,” she said. “If you have aches and pains, you have to be willing to rest. It’s not healthy to push the body past its limit.”

Dehydration is another potential problem area for those who are exercising heavily without eating and drinking properly. There is a risk of passing out if a person exercises while dehydrated. Ms. Wojtowicz said it’s important to drink 64 ounces of water a day.

Those who think they might have an addiction to exercise should seek professional help, Ms. Wojtowicz said.

When Karolina Pioro was chosen as a foreign exchange student to the United States, the 17-year-old Polish teen thought for sure she would be living in a metropolis with bustling streets and tall buildings.

After arriving in the tiny Western Maryland community of Grantsville in late August, she was surprised to discover a wholly different slice of America.

“I was shocked,” remembered Karolina, who is living with Steve and Jennifer Adams, parishioners of St. Ann, Grantsville.

The mountainous region of her home in southeastern Poland shares a similar geography to her new home in Garrett County, she said.

“I’m glad I’m here,” she said, noting that she lives in a Polish city called Kielce that is much more urban than Grantsville. “It’s a new experience.”

A senior at Northern Garrett High School, Karolina said she found it an unusual departure from her Polish school that religion is not mentioned in U.S. public schools.

“The teachers here don’t talk about God at school – maybe in an English class, but just in the context of the poetry,” she said. “They don’t want to offend. I miss it.”

Polish students study religion two hours a week in the state schools, she said.

During a recent visit to Baltimore, Karolina toured the restored Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary downtown. While Americans consider the church a very old building, Karolina called it “only 200 years old.”

In Poland, there are basilicas and cathedrals that are several hundred years old, she said.

Karolina, a participant in a Rotary Club foreign exchange program, described her new friends in Western Maryland as “very nice” and welcoming. She attends religious education classes at St. Ann.

Mrs. Adams said she has been impressed by her Polish guest’s devotion to her religious convictions.
“Her faith is strong and the most important part of her life,” Mrs. Adams said. “As a catechist for high school students, I am very encouraged to see a teen so in love with God, Jesus, the Eucharist and the traditions of the Catholic Church.”

The Adams family, partly of Polish descent on Mr. Adams side, enjoyed a traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner of mushroom soup and homemade pierogies that took nearly 10 hours to make, Mrs. Adams said.

“Karolina has been such a bright spot in our daily lives,” Mrs. Adams said. “She is a beautiful role model, not just for her peers but for everyone she meets. We joke often that we’re not giving her back.”

When Stephanie “Stevie” Richards told her new husband to wash the dishes, he responded that it was not a man’s job. “In this house it is,” retorted the bride.

The young girl’s stance may have been somewhat brazen for the year 1933, but Mrs. Richards knew she had married a pampered young man spoiled by five sisters and a doting mother.

The couple never did purchase an automatic dishwasher. “It was him,” she said.

When Mrs. Richards first met Bernard “Ben” Richards, she said she didn’t like him. “He looked like a snob.” Yet their childhood friendship growing up on Peckham Street in Buffalo, N.Y., ultimately hatched into love after a two-year courtship.

“She was chasing me all along,” laughed Mr. Richards, but his wife remembered otherwise. “If I went out, he’d be waiting for me when I came back,” she said, “But he never got smart with me because I had seven brothers!”

A recall of their wedding revealed it as an at-home event with dancing downstairs and food upstairs in separate apartments where each lived with their families. The young couple’s parents knew the local undertaker who provided the limousine.

Cash totaled $90 from 50 guests. “We could’ve done better,” laughed Mrs. Richards, but after all, it was the depression. As a factory worker, the groom earned merely $14 weekly.

The lovebirds’ affection holds strong nearly three quarters of a century later. Deemed the longest married couple in the archdiocese, the 92- and 96-year-old will be recognized during the Feb. 11 World Marriage Day Mass in the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Homeland.

Their parents’ longevity in love deeply impressed daughter and son Pat and Bob Richards. Pat (Richards) Rafferty has been Dan Rafferty’s wife for 47 years. They are parishioners of St. John, Westminster, as are her parents. Her brother has been married for 38 years.

“Believe it or not, I have never heard them raise their voices or argue,” said Mrs. Rafferty, 69. “Mom and Dad have always communicated. They were two people as one. They are such a beautiful example of love and sharing.”

Still functioning as one, the Richards dwell in an assisted living home in Hampstead. Each night they play rummy. “He’ll cheat every once in a while,” the white-haired Mrs. Richards said with a gleam in her bright eyes, a gold crucifix dangling at the neck of her red sweater.

She joins fellow residents periodically for excursions to the mall, bowling alley, or bingo. In the spring, she nurses tomato plants and flowers on the deck. Mr. Richards, whose memory is faltering, possibly from a few strokes or old age, prefers to read the newspaper, watch television, or nap.

“That’s how you stay away from trouble,” he joked with a handsome smirk as he hobbled away on his cane headed for his afternoon rest. Looking over a green-sweatered shoulder, he nodded to his bride. “I’ll see her later,” he said, “and I’ll give her two kisses. It’s a good thing I have this girl to take care of me. My girl is beautiful.”

With manicured fingers leaning against her face, Mrs. Richards beamed, the enduring love apparent in her eyes. Her one-word answer for what kept them married this long was simple – love.

PITTSBURGH – Inmates at the Allegheny County Jail in downtown Pittsburgh who get accepted into a program to help them straighten out their lives know “they’ve got to put some work into it,” said the chaplain who heads the program.

“It’s very much about self-discipline. They have to get up, make their beds, keep their shirts tucked in, they cannot swear. The rules are pretty stringent,” said the Rev. Lynn Yeso.

The United Methodist pastor is head chaplain at the jail. For two years she has been director of Potential HOPE, which stands for Helping Open People’s Eyes.

“The key is remaking attitudes and skills in the hope that it will serve them well,” said Father Malcolm McDonald, Catholic chaplain.

The chaplain’s office recently received permission to enroll an entire pod, or housing unit, of male inmates. For the last five years the eight-week, life-skills course was conducted for up to 20 men at a time, but in the fall jail officials gave the office permission to take it large-scale.

Last October the class had 95 men enrolled and 71 graduated from the program Dec. 7. Inmates must go through an interview process to participate in the course.

The idea for expanding the program was met with the “approval and the enthusiasm of the jail administration,” Rev. Yeso told the Pittsburgh Catholic, newspaper of the Pittsburgh Diocese.

An inmate prepared a list of inmates willing to serve as mentors to the program’s students. After five years, the HOPE graduates can serve as mentors.

In the course inmates “confront the ‘stinking thinking’ that got them into trouble and still blocks them in life,” Father McDonald said. “From that, it jumps off into different areas.”

The course is taught by Christian clergy and volunteers, but all faiths are welcome.

“We stress that these are godly values that translate across different faith groups, with enough religious sensitivity and tolerance to speak to anyone,” Father McDonald said. “And for the most part we find it to be true.”

In the fall the series for the first time included an introduction to centering prayer, which required the men to sit quietly for 20 minutes.

Father McDonald said he was impressed with how they responded.

“Most men here are addicts of some kind,” whether it’s drugs or alcohol, he said, “and typically addicts are very full of energy, pretty extreme, frenetic. To see huge groups really entering into quiet and learning how to quiet themselves in prayer, it’s really impressive.”

The men who graduated several weeks ago were invited to become servant leaders to help others in the pod.

People working in the prison system, including the Pennsylvania Prison Chaplains Association, are watching the program, Father McDonald said.

Inmates can spend up to two years in the county jail, awaiting judgment, release or transfer to federal or state prisons.

“Ultimately we’re passing along the same people to each other,” the priest said.

“We’re dealing with one large group of parishioners,” he noted.

Rev. Yeso said, “We try to do lots of after-care, try to connect them with a male contact-mentor, men who would meet with them before they’re released and then walk with them on the outside for up to a year.”

“The inmates are good people whose addictions got them into trouble and they made bad choices,” Father McDonald said.

“Prison forces them to be clean and sober,” he added. “I get to see them as they really are and it’s a great time to sow seeds of God’s love for them.

“For many, it’s their first chance to think of God’s role for them. I like being part of that, (to) feel part of fulfilling that dream,” the priest said.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Tarek Saab became an instant celebrity after appearing on NBC’s “The Apprentice,” one of the most highly rated and critiqued shows on network television.

He spent 10 weeks on the reality show last year before hearing the words “you’re fired” from the program’s executive producer and host, Donald Trump.

While the 27-year-old lost a chance to work for the high-profile financier, he gained valuable insight into the power of fame and its impact on society.

He feels the culture “is totally, undeniably addicted to entertainment.” He urges young people to spend less time on entertainment and more on the world around them.

“It’s no mystery that those in the entertainment world have a strong voice with youth. I’m trying to do something positive with the voice that’s been given to me,” he told the North Texas Catholic, newspaper of the Diocese of Fort Worth.

A Maronite Catholic and daily communicant, Mr. Saab uses his business acumen and new visibility to advance pro-life causes across the country.

The show opened doors for him, he said, “and gave me a platform from which to speak about faith to other young people,” he said.

He is the CEO of his own company in Fort Worth called Lionheart, which sells Christian apparel for men. He co-founded it with David Colletti, 27, a practicing attorney and Lionheart’s chief operating officer. The two met as students at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

Mr. Saab spoke in mid-January at the Life Revival Youth Rally 2007, which drew more than 375 teens and their parents.

Selected as a cast member for the fifth cycle of “The Apprentice” after a production crew visited his office at Texas Instruments in Dallas, Mr. Saab told his audience that he was surprised to find himself showered with attention just days after the first show aired.

“Every day I’d go on the Internet and see my face splattered on the screen and people talking about me on blogs,” he explained. “There were different articles in the newspapers too. … People are really captivated by reality TV, and that’s a little bizarre.”

Mr. Saab, who does not own a television set, advised his listeners to stop spending so much time on entertainment and start thinking about what’s really happening in the world around them.

“There’s a lot going on out there (that) we need to know about,” he said. “In the past 50 years, there’s been a complete disregard for the dignity and sanctity of life.”

Besides abortion and teen pregnancy rates having an effect on society, he said, there are other issues young people need to study, including infanticide, euthanasia and embryonic stem-cell research.

“Why do we need to know about these things? Because, as my father used to say, ‘Evil happens when good men do nothing,’” Mr. Saab continued. “And the only way to stop evil starts with a change of heart and a change of behavior.”

“One of the ways we protect those around us from evil in today’s environment is to change the way we act,” he pointed out. “Pornography and how we look at and treat women is part of that. We need to recognize that some of the entertainment we’re addicted to, and some of the things society tells us are perfectly fine, are really not good for us.”

He called women the heart and soul of the family and the world.

He counseled the teenage girls in the audience to show their respect for life through chastity and respecting the physical nature of womanhood.

He also urged his young listeners to study and know their Catholic faith, read the lives of the saints for inspiration and receive Christ in the Eucharist.

Lionheart, launched last August, produces T-shirts and ball caps that incorporate Christian symbols with brief, sometimes one-word, messages from Scripture – such as a black T-shirt with a white cross and the single word printed beneath it: “Testify.”

All of the items are made in the United States, are sweatshop-free and are made from materials that come from countries where religion is not oppressed, according to Mr. Colletti, Mr. Saab’s partner. In addition the company donates 10 percent of its profits to pro-life causes.

In a recent interview with The Catholic Standard & Times, newspaper of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, Mr. Saab and Mr. Colletti said they expect to expand the line to include ties, long-sleeved T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts.

They also will launch a women’s line this spring, under the name Maris Stella, in honor of the Mary’s “Star of the Sea” title. It will include maternity wear.

“We want to promote life,” Mr. Saab said. “What’s more beautiful than a pregnant woman?”

“I don’t see how you can be a man and not be pro-life,” said Mr. Colletti, who grew up in Philadelphia and attended Catholic high school there.

“One of the greatest things God called men to be is defenders of women and children. We’re called to defend life, especially innocent life,” he said.

– – –

Contributing to this story was Susan Brinkman in Philadelphia.

The Loyola College Chapel Choir will sing and play in a concert featuring Catholic songwriters and performers David Haas, Lori True and Paul Tate on Feb. 23.

The three composers are well-known in Catholic music, each having been published in major hymnals in the United States, said George Miller, the associate director of campus ministry and choir director at Loyola College in Maryland, Baltimore.

Concert-goers will be treated to the composers’ original pieces, some brand new.

“David (Haas) is premiering one piece at this concert,” said Mr. Miller. “It’s not in print yet.”
Lori True will also perform some pieces which are not in print at this time, added Mr. Miller.

Proceeds from the concert will help provide scholarships for and will benefit Music Ministry Alive, a national program started by Mr. Haas that helps educate high school and college students who serve the church as liturgical musicians.

“A number of the alums who have gone (to Music Ministry Alive) over the years will be performing with the chapel choir as well,” said Mr. Miller.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Student tickets are $4 with I.D., and Loyola student tickets are $2.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in Alumni Memorial Chapel on Loyola’s campus.

For tickets and more information, call 410-617-2768.

Having noticed that men have become a vast minority in Northeast Baltimore Catholic parishes, St. Anthony of Padua parishioner Paul Gerhardt and a group of his friends decided to unite with a mission to lure members of his gender back to church.

So was born the Northeast Catholic Brotherhood a little more than a year ago, and with about 25 men from three area faith communities participating, the group has ignited a movement that inspires religious and community involvement.

“We’re a pretty informal group, but we’re serious about getting men back in the church and contributing to the community at large,” said Mr. Gerhardt, 50, of Gardenville. “I’m really enthused by what we’ve accomplished in the last year and I think our outreach efforts are only going to grow.”

Each month the group meets in the Gardenville rectory kitchen at St. Anthony of Padua for a casual dinner and to plan out its outreach programs, ministries, and how to get male Catholics – especially younger men – involved with the area parishes.

Represented in the group are parishioners at St. Anthony Padua, Most Precious Blood and St. Francis of Assisi, Baltimore, and this year they hope to attract Catholics from other regional churches.

On a recent Tuesday night over beef stew, about 15 members of the brotherhood reflected on the past year and agreed there is hope for their gender’s participation in church activities.

Having hosted prayer groups, liturgy discussions and undertaking several service projects, their progress is steady but sure, said Ken Gray, a 40-year old Hamilton father and St. Anthony of Padua parishioner.

“We started a really positive partnership with Archbishop Curley High School this year,” Mr. Gray said. “Their students are required to perform service projects and we’ve gotten them involved in some of our projects. It helps them out as it helps us out.”

Those projects include the continuing renovation of an unused building on the St. Anthony of Padua/Mother Mary Lange Catholic School campus they are transforming into a youth center and the Good Samaritan Car Wash, he said.

The car wash was an impromptu enterprise last summer when they learned a fellow parishioner had lost her father and couldn’t afford the marker for his interment.

“Within an afternoon, we pulled together, planned the car wash and then we raised the money for the marker,” Mr. Gray said. “We discovered we could mobilize on short notice. Now, we want to make this an annual event to support a worthy cause.”

Last October the brotherhood organized a living rosary at St. Anthony of Padua, with a group of 49 Catholics holding rosary beads the size of a softball that lit up as the participant began reciting his “Hail Mary,” said Joe Wehberg, 47, of Belair Edison and a parishioner at Most Precious Blood.

“That’s a tradition I think we’ll continue for years to come,” Mr. Wehberg said. “You know, it was fun and it showed everyone how enjoyable (religious involvement) can be.”

The group still has no officers and their monthly meetings remain informal, but their commitment to a male population boom in Northeast Baltimore parishes is fierce.

When Mr. Gray’s truck was stolen several months ago, the brotherhood collectively prayed for a positive outcome. A few days later Baltimore City Police recovered the vehicle and charged a suspect.

“We prayed that truck back into your driveway,” Mr. Gerhardt said as he winked his eye at Mr. Gray. “God is behind us. I’m sure we men have a future in our faith.”

Those interested in finding out more about the Northeast Catholic Brotherhood can call the St. Anthony of Padua parish center at (410) 488-0400, extension 209, or email rakurtz@comcast.net.

WASHINGTON – Young adult Catholics have a strong Catholic identity but do not feel much of a commitment to the institutional church or its moral teachings, two sociologists said Feb. 6 in Washington.

The seemingly paradoxical assessment came from James A. Davidson of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., and Dean R. Hoge of The Catholic University of America in Washington at a Woodstock Forum on the campus of Georgetown University.

Mr. Davidson and Mr. Hoge are co-authors with William V. D’Antonio of Catholic University and Mary L. Gautier of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown of “American Catholics Today: New Realities of Their Faith and Their Church,” to be published in late March by Rowman & Littlefield.

The book analyzes Gallup surveys from 1987, 1993, 1999 and 2005, and finds that Catholics born after 1979, in what the authors call the “millennial generation,” have deep differences from previous generations of Catholics – differences that are unlikely to disappear when they marry and have children.

“There’s a disconnect between them and the institutional church,” said Mr. Davidson. “And when they get older, they are not going to be like the Catholics of previous generations. They are going to be the Catholics they are now.”

Mr. Hoge said the disconnect might be exacerbated by the fact that the young diocesan priests who will serve the millennial generation are moving in the opposite direction, becoming more strict about some church teachings and more likely to adhere to the “cultic” model of priesthood as a man set apart than to the “servant-leader model” favored by the majority of older priests.

For example, while 94 percent of priests 35 or younger said they believe ordination confers “a permanent character making (the priest) essentially different from the laity,” only 70 percent of priests ages 56-65 said that. Asked whether the church “needs to move faster in empowering laypeople in ministry,” 86 percent of the priests ages 56-65 and 54 percent of the youngest priests agreed.

For the purposes of their book, the sociologists divided the entire adult Catholic population into four groups – pre-Second Vatican Council, those over 65, who make up about 17 percent of U.S. Catholics; the Vatican II generation, ages 45-64, 35 percent; the post-Vatican II generation, ages 27-44, 40 percent; and the millennials, ages 18-26, 9 percent.

On abortion, 58 percent of the pre-Vatican II generation said abortion was a core Catholic teaching, but only 7 percent of the millennials did. Sixty-nine percent of the oldest group said homosexual behavior is always wrong, while only 37 percent of the young adult Catholics agreed.

On the question of premarital sex, there was a sharp drop in those who believe it is “always wrong” from the pre-Vatican II generation (62 percent) to the Vatican II generation (26 percent). The figure was only slightly lower for the post-Vatican II generation (22 percent) and the millennial generation (21 percent).

The margin of error was plus or minus 9 percentage points.

Referring to the forum’s theme, “Young Adult Catholics: Believing, Belonging and Serving,” Mr. Davidson said, “Belonging is not a problem; they feel comfortable calling the church home. And I don’t think serving is a problem. It’s the believing that’s the problem.”

Young adult Catholics see the church as having “no credibility, no plausibility, no authority,” he added. “They practice their faith by caring for other people.”

Responding to the sociologists’ talks, two women who work with young Catholics found signs of hope for the church in the next generation.
Catherine Heinhold, a campus minister and director of the Catholic retreat program at Georgetown, said many students believe “it is more important to serve the poor than to go to Mass” but they also feel “a very real, deep desire to grow in their faith and spirituality.”

“They respond well to outreach,” she said, “and they are really hungry for God.”

Sister Mary Carroll Kemp, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary who is a ninth-grade religion teacher at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, said that although community service and retreat programs at the Jesuit-run school are not obligatory, “everyone wants to do them.”

But she said the most important element of the service programs and retreats is the time spent in faith-sharing and reflection each day, “talking the talk about Jesus, the Gospel and God.”

VATICAN CITY – A bishop can turn to Catholic lay movements not only when he needs an organized group to implement his pastoral plans, but also when he needs to care for his own soul, Pope Benedict XVI said.

When a movement gathers its “bishop-friends” together, it helps them experience “a more intense communion of hearts, a stronger mutual support and a greater shared commitment to showing that the church is a place of prayer and charity, a house of mercy and peace,” the pope said.

Pope Benedict spoke Feb. 8 at a joint audience for 80 bishops participating in a conference sponsored by the Focolare movement and 110 bishops attending a meeting organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio.

The pope said that from his days as a professor in Germany he has been convinced that “really, the movements are a gift of the Holy Spirit to the church.” The fact that the movements have reached out to bishops who draw strength from their spirituality and activities proves that “the diversity and unity of gifts and ministries are inseparable in the life of the church,” he said.

Pope Benedict said the variety of lay movements responds to the variety of needs and blessings found among the world’s peoples.

“In the rich Western world where, even though a culture of relativism exists, at the same time there is a widespread desire for spirituality, and your movements witness to the joy of the faith and the beauty of being Christian,” he said.

In the world’s poorest countries, he said, “they communicate the message of solidarity and make themselves the neighbors of the poor and the weak” with love that is both human and divine.

The pope said “communion between bishops and the movements” could be the spark needed for “a renewed commitment by the church to proclaiming and witnessing the Gospel of hope and love in every corner of the world.”

He prayed that in forming solid friendships, the bishops and the movements would help each other in the work of evangelization, service to the poor and peacemaking.

As Catholic Relief Services’ former director for the Middle East, Christine H. Tucker saw firsthand the conflict-ridden borders of Palestine and Israel. This February, the St. Louis, Clarksville, parishioner is bringing the issue home, via Howard County television.

Ms. Tucker, who serves as the Mid-Atlantic regional director for CRS, shares her knowledge of the escalating fall out during a 30-minute program on Comcast Cable Channel 73 in Howard County called “Building Peace for Israelis and Palestinians,” airing throughout February, 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m., on Mondays and Fridays.

Ms. Tucker is urging the U.S. government to make diplomacy in the region a priority and is encouraging Baltimoreans to join locally-sponsored pilgrimages to the Holy Land to get a real perspective of the regional strife.

As CRS’s regional director for the Middle East from 1998 to 2003, Ms. Tucker lived in Egypt during that time and traveled in the conflict-ridden borders of Palestine and Israel often enough to witness the devastation among Christians, Jews and Muslims of both nations.

When Ms. Tucker was approached by Producer Bob Krasnansky to be a panel member on the program, her reply was a resounding yes.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to share information about both sides of the conflict,” said Ms. Tucker, sitting in her small downtown Baltimore office decorated with items she purchased during her travels to the Middle East. “I’ve been struck about how difficult it is for people in this country to get information about what is really going on there.”

Americans tend to have a solid grasp on the suffering endured by Israelis and Jews throughout the history of the conflict, but rarely get a sense of the Palestinian struggle during this same period, she said.

“People hear about the suicide bombings, but don’t know about the humanitarian crisis there,” Ms. Tucker said. “The intense poverty, lack of employment and commerce, lack of educational resources and the terrible refugee situation has created a miserable existence for so many Palestinians.”

Much of the problem has been exacerbated by the Israeli-constructed border wall that was built far inside the Palestine boundary, making it impossible for many Palestinians to travel to the employment centers and commerce markets, reeking havoc on the region’s economy, she said.

The wall was constructed to separate Israeli settlements inside Palestine from the rest of the state, Ms. Tucker said.

CRS, the Baltimore-based international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the U.S., supports relief efforts in Gaza, the West Bank, northern Israel and Jerusalem.
“We need active U.S. involvement in this area,” Ms. Tucker said. “Our government needs to make this region of the Middle East a priority in its diplomatic efforts and to promote a two-state solution for a secure and free Israel, and a secure and free Palestine.”

Moderated by Ali Zaghab, Ms. Tucker was also joined by on the program by Susan Kerin of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund based in Alexandria, Va.

Since the Palestine Children’s Relief Fun relies on U.S. families to support the needs of its patients through hosting, transportation and translation, the program gave Ms. Kerin an opportunity to urge people in the Howard County viewing area to get drawn in.

“We are always looking for new volunteers to get involved at the local level,” she said. “In fact, we have a case coming soon to Baltimore and the Howard County broadcast gave us some leads in finding host families.”

After hearing the account of a group of U.S. students who recently made a pilgrimage to the region – but for security reasons had been limited to travel beyond the Israeli portion of the Holy Land – Ms. Tucker said she was distressed when they appeared to be taking the side of the Jews caught up in the conflict.

Though she acknowledges Jews are suffering in the region, she said those travelers’ restricted view had provided only one perspective and hopes future pilgrimages will give followers a broader view of the plight of the other religious groups in the Holy Land.

“When people visit the Holy Land I would encourage them to experience the sites in the whole region, if it’s possible,” Ms. Tucker said. “That way they can understand the spiritual collectiveness the Holy Land has for Christians, Jews and Muslims.”

Loyola College in Maryland senior Matt Greer was relieved when he learned the school scheduled a special 4 p.m. Mass on Super Bowl Sunday because he would probably have had to skip his weekly spiritual ritual to watch the big game with his buddies.

“I usually attend the 9 p.m. Mass,” said the 21-year-old student from Westchester, N.Y. “That would have been in the middle of the Super Bowl. I don’t like to skip Mass, but I really didn’t want to miss the Super Bowl.”

By moving its regularly scheduled 6 p.m. Mass to 4 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, the Baltimore campus chapel was filled with more than 200 church-goers, most appearing to be under the age of 23.

The accommodation is one of many tactics college officials are using to encourage more students to attend Mass.

“For years we said we were not going to pay attention to American culture and we didn’t change our schedule for the Super Bowl, and we’d have 32 people show up,” said George Miller, associate director of campus ministry and the choir director. “Now, we’ve learned that if we are a little more flexible – and schedule a Mass so the students have time to eat afterward before getting to their game parties – we see a whole lot more show up.”

In a time when Catholic college campus chapels are losing population, Loyola has responded by establishing a Mass in the freshmen dorms, encouraging student involvement in the choir, adopting more contemporary music at certain Masses and inviting input in writing the weekly homily, Mr. Miller said.

“We’ve had to be innovative in our approach to attract them. No, we don’t pay them, yet!” he said.

With a full-time student population of 3,200 and about 2,800 who live on campus, approximately 700 attend Mass on the school’s grounds each week, said Father Brian F. Linnane, S.J., president of the college.

“That is about a third of our Catholics attending Mass,” Father Linnane said. “We could be doing better than that, but it also doesn’t speak too badly for us, considering that in our culture, students can be hostile to religious commitment.”

During the 4 p.m. Super Bowl Sunday Mass, most students wore blue jeans, the 30-plus student member choir was accompanied by a drummer, guitarist, pianist and organist, students delivered the readings and served as extraordinary ministers of holy Communion, and the service ran with impeccable efficiency.

“There’s no pressure to get dressed up for church and I really like that,” said Stephanie Dunn, a 19-year-old freshman from Media, Pa. “It’s so much more comfortable and relaxed. I feel like I can drop all of those kinds of pretenses and pay attention to what’s going on in Mass.”

When Mr. Greer was a freshman, he attended Mass with scores of his classmates, but he’s noticed that over the years fewer of them continued to attend church on a consistent basis.

“Generally we see a lot of freshmen at our Masses in September,” Mr. Miller said. “When they realize no one is watching them, the numbers drop off. We do see an increase during exams because students need to find Jesus during exams.”

Several years ago Father Joseph Rossi, S.J., began a weekly service in a freshmen dormitory and at first only a handful of students attended, Father Linnane said. “That is a very popular Mass now, and it’s not only attended by just freshman any longer. You can find juniors and seniors at that Mass, and it’s not unusual to see them show up in their pajamas.”

Of the three traditional Masses at Loyola’s Alumni Memorial Chapel each Sunday (11 a.m., 6 and 9 p.m.), the 6 p.m. Mass is the most popular among the students, drawing as many as 400, he said.

The full student choir performs a variety of styles of music – from contemporary to Spanish-influenced compositions – at the 6 p.m. Mass, Mr. Miller said.

The college also urges students to be actively involved in the church to keep the services relevant and to reflect the world in which these young people live, he said.

Even though the homilies are universal in the treatment of the Scriptures, the subjects tend to be related to specific issues that affect college students, and often it’s distinctively a matter happening on campus, Mr. Miller said.

“It’s not uncommon for (a priest) to sit down with a small group of students to look at the Scripture and reflect on how it pertains to them when he’s preparing his homily,” he said. “You can see their faces light up when they hear their own ideas and thoughts brought up in the homily.”