Tolerance is good for society, the soul, pope says at Azerbaijani mosque

By Cindy Wooden

Catholic News Service

BAKU, Azerbaijan – As the spiritual leader of a tiny religious minority in Azerbaijan, Pope Francis told the leaders of the country’s other religious communities that they share a responsibility to help people grow in faith, but also in tolerance for the faith of others.

“The blood of far too many people cries out to God from the earth, our common home,” the pope said Oct. 2 during a meeting with religious leaders hosted by Sheik Allahshukur Pashazade, the region’s chief imam, in Baku’s Heydar Aliyev Mosque.

At a time when the world seems to be dwelling in a “night of conflict,” Pope Francis expressed his prayer that religions would prepare the way for “a dawn of peace, seeds of rebirth amid the devastation of death, echoes of dialogue resounding unceasingly, paths to encounter and reconciliation reaching even those places where official mediation efforts seem not to have borne fruit.”

Pashazade told the pope that as “head of Vatican state and of the world’s Catholics, your activity is of great interest to us.” The sheik praised the pope’s defense of immigrants and particularly “your protest of connecting the name of Islam to terrorism, while harshly condemning the real causes of terrorism and your incisive speeches against xenophobia.”

In addition to leaders of the country’s majority Shiite Muslim community, representatives of the Jewish community, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Lutheran Church attended the gathering.

In the country of more than 9.4 million people, there are only about 570 Catholics, and most of them are foreigners. Still, the pope said, the Catholic Church has found a place in the nation, which proves that “it is not opposition, but cooperation that helps to build better and more peaceful societies.”

In every religion, he said, there are people who oppose tolerance toward and any sign of collaboration with people of other faiths.

“The fraternity and sharing that we seek to increase will not be appreciated by those who want to highlight divisions, reignite tensions and profit from opposition and differences,” Pope Francis said. But “fraternity and sharing are invoked and longed for by those who desire the common good, and are above all pleasing to God, the compassionate and all merciful, who wishes his sons and daughters in the one human family to be ever more united among themselves and always in dialogue with one another.”

A religion worthy of its name, he said, opens individuals to God and to one another. It makes people more human, seeing themselves as part of a greater whole created by God.

“Religions have an enormous task: to accompany men and women looking for the meaning of life, helping them to understand that the limited capacities of the human being and the goods of this world must never become absolutes,” the pope said.

Several times in his speech, Pope Francis drew lessons Christians and Muslims share from the poetry of the Sufi philosopher Nizami Ganjavi. The Muslim poet wrote, “The fruits of this world are not eternal; do not adore that which perishes!”

Explaining the passage, the pope told the leaders, “Religions are called to help us understand that the center of each person is outside of himself, that we are oriented toward the Most High and toward the other, who is our neighbor.”

Humanity needs religion, he insisted. “Religion is the compass that orients us to the good and steers us away from evil, which is always crouching at the door of a person’s heart.”

Religious leaders, the pope said, are called to be guides, helping their people see how offensive it is to God and how harmful it is to others when people seek only their own well-being, advantage and profit.

Individuals and whole societies suffer when some act as if God does not exist, so everything is permissible, he said, but also when others, “rigid and fundamentalist,” believe they are justified in using violence to impose “extreme and radical attitudes which are furthest from the living God.”

Religions must never “lend support to, or approve of, conflicts and disagreements,” he said. “God cannot be used for personal interests and selfish ends; he cannot be used to justify any form of fundamentalism, imperialism or colonialism.”

Meeting in a place of prayer, Pope Francis said, “a heartfelt cry rises up once again: No more violence in the name of God! May his most holy name be adored, not profaned or bartered as a commodity through forms of hatred and human opposition.”

Shimon Peres, known for efforts to achieve peace, dies at 93

Inspired by St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Seeking the Holy in the Ordinary

I love writing. But what I’m really hoping is that you like reading.

A few weeks ago I signed up for a blogging challenge—committing to writing and posting every day during October. Thirty-one days. Hmm.

Writing for 31 days in a row is not a challenge for me. I write every day.

Writing 31 posts in a row that you want to read? And that fit into one theme? That might be more difficult.

But I have an idea, and I hope you’ll be as excited about it as I am.

Today is the Feast of Thérèse of Lisieux. She’s an extraordinary saint because of how she lived her faith in small, ordinary ways. She is known for her Little Way, for how she found holiness everywhere, even in the simplest things.

“The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm,” she said. “If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.”

Today, as October begins, I am inviting you to take the next few weeks and look for the little violets along the way. Together, let’s marvel at their beauty, small but significant, and yet one more sign of God’s love for us, for all of creation. Let’s see ourselves in that violet, knowing that not everyone can be a rose or a lily—but everyone can bring some beauty, some kindness, some good to the world.

Last night, as I was thinking about St. Thérèse and her Little Way, our younger son came to ask for a bowl of ice cream. Instead of serving it to him, I handed him the ice cream container and a big spoon.

For the longest time, he sat and worked, chiseling the frozen ice cream out bit by bit, spoonful by spoonful. He filled two bowls—one for him, one for his father—and he worked for every single spoonful.

It seemed that it would take him forever. But he never complained that it was cold or hurting his hand or that one of the grownups in the house would have an easier time. He kept going, without complaint, because he knew it would be worth it. In the end, he was one smiling proud 6-year-old as he delivered a bowl of ice cream to his father.

Sometimes the little work is the big work. The little moments are the big ones. So this month, as we count down to All Saints Day on Nov. 1, I hope you’ll join me as I take inspiration from one of my favorite saints, seeking the extraordinary in the ordinary, looking for God in all things.

As I was trying this idea on for size, I was flipping through St. Thérèse’s The Story of a Soul, and I found these lines:

“You will wonder, dear Mother, to what all this is leading, for till now I have said nothing that sounds like the story of my life; but did you not tell me to write quite freely whatever came into my mind? So, it will not be my life properly speaking, that you will find in these pages, but my thoughts about the graces which it has pleased Our Lord to bestow on me.”

Yes! Exactly! St. Thérèse always says it better than I ever could.

Joining in for the Write 31 Days Challenge with a group of talented writers.

Joining Theology Is a Verb and Reconciled to You for Worth Revisiting Wednesday on Oct. 12, 2016.

If you’d like to see what I’m posting every day during October, please join me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Day 2: A Bunny in the Rain

Day 3: The Case of the Missing Jacket

Day 4: A Connection from the Past

Day 5: Greeting Our Children at Mass

Day 6: Packing School Lunches

Day 7: The Clutter on the Table

Day 8: Praise for the Sandwich Maker

Day 9: Making Dinner Without a Plan

Day 10: Celebrating “Mass” in the Living Room

Day 11: Attending Parent-Teacher Conferences

Day 12: The Gift of Pokemon Hunting Time

Day 13: What I Forgot to Send to School

Day 14: Being the Last Mom at Pick-up

Day 15: A Sick Day

Day 16: Our Children’s Picks at a Yard Sale

Day 17: “You Owe Me a Soda”

Day 18: Cooking a Fondue Dinner on a Weeknight

Day 19: Just What I Needed to Hear

Day 20: Folding Origami Bunnies in the Dark

Day 21: School Picture Day

Day 22: Getting Caught in a Downpour

Day 23: Not Just Doing a Job

Day 24: The Beauty of a Children’s Choir

Day 25: Bringing Home Crafts from School

Day 26: An Evening When Baba Works Late

Day 27: Witnessing a Moment of Affection

Day 28: You’ve Got Mail

Day 29: When a Plunger Sparks a Fun Halloween Idea

Day 30: A Day of Homework and Pumpkin Decorating

Day 31: Double the Birthday Party Fun

Celebrating the little way of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: Prayers and simple spirituality from the Little Flower

“Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden to me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.”

— Saint Thérèse of Lisieux/ Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873–1897)

Seen here in a photograph taken by her sister, Celine Martin (Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face) on Easter Monday, 1894.

(Archives of Carmel of Lisieux)

———

The beautiful Carmelite nun Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is often referred to as one of the most venerated saints in modern history. Today, September 30, the Church observes the 119th anniversary of her death. We celebrate with her feast day tomorrow, October 1

Thérèse was born in 1873 in France and given the baptismal name Marie Françoise Thérèse Martin. The youngest Martin daughter, she had a childhood marked by illness, great familial affection, very devout Catholic parents, four close sisters, the untimely death of her mother when Marie was just four years old, followed by several years of depression and self-isolation, before realizing a childlike faith, hope, and a strong desire to do God’s will. This paved the way for her deeply spiritual life journey.

The Little Flower:

When Marie Françoise Thérèse was 14, her father told her a story while they were sitting in their garden. After she had asked her father if she could follow her two eldest sisters and enter the nearby cloistered Discalced Carmelite community, he gave her a small white flower and described to her how God loved and cared for her just as He had brought that perfect little flower in being and cared for it.

Young Marie Françoise Thérèse saw that flower as symbolic to her own life, and would later write, as Thérèse: “while I listened, I believed I was hearing my own story.” This story not only shaped part of her spiritual journey, but also explains the back story of how Thérèse would eventually become known as “The Little Flower of Jesus” or simply as “The Little Flower.”

The next year, at age 15, Marie Françoise Thérèse entered the Carmel in Lisieux. She was given the religious name of Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, O.C.D.

Her spiritual journey has been preserved through her letters and her writings, most importantly, her memoir Story of a Soul. Therese’s spirituality, called her “little way,” is based on seeing herself as a child of God and simply trusting in Him.

There is much to meditate on as we read about the experiences which shaped the Little Flower and molded her into a model of holiness for all of us, most especially as a spiritual role model for women.

Thérèse’s death:

Thérèse died on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24 after suffering greatly from the effects of tuberculosis, which was not properly diagnosed at first. She looked ahead, “After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth. I will raise up a mighty host of little saints. My mission is to make God loved…”

Pope Pius X called Thérèse “the greatest saint of modern times.” Later, after miracles were attributed to her intercession, Pope Pius XI dispensed the waiting period and beatified her in 1923, and then canonized her two years later, only twenty-eight years after her death. In that era, the usual waiting period for beatification was fifty years.

Later, Pope Pius XII named Thérèse a co-patron saint of France in 1944 with Joan of Arc, one of her longtime heroines. Then in 1997, Pope John Paul II declared Thérèse to be a Doctor of the Church, only the fourth woman to be given this status.

———

Ten fun facts about Thérèse:

Did you know?

1. Thérèse always carried the Gospels and the Epistles of Saint Paul close to her heart. She noted,

“But it is especially the Gospels which sustain me during my hours of prayer, for in them I find what is necessary for my poor little soul. I am constantly discovering in them new lights, hidden and mysterious meanings.”

2. Thérèse’s parents, Louis and Zelie Martin, had nine children, four of whom would die in early childhood.

3. Louis and Zelie became saints of the Church on October 18, 2015. Notably, they were the first married couple to be considered together for sainthood, and then were the first to actually be canonized together.

4. Each of the five remaining children of Louis and Zelie, all girls, would enter religious life:

–Thérèse’s two oldest sisters were the first to enter the local cloistered Carmelite monastery in Lisieux:

–Marie Louise, the eldest, would became Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart;

–Marie Pauline, the second sister, who would eventually be elected as the mother prioress of Carmel, would be known as Mother Agnes of Jesus;

—Marie Françoise Thérèse, the youngest daughter, would enter in 1788 at the age of 15, taking the name Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, O.C.D.;

–The fourth sister, Céline, who cared for their father until his death in 1894, entered Carmel that same year and became Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face.

–Their first cousin, Marie Guérin, followed them to Carmel in 1895 and became Sister Marie of the Eucharist.

–Finally, the third sister, Léonie followed a different path and entered the Monastery of the Visitation of Holy Mary, taking the name Sister Françoise-Thérèse, and becoming the only Martin sister to not enter Carmel.

5. In 2012, Léonie Martin was declared “Venerable” and her cause for canonization was opened.

6. Archival photos: Céline Martin was given permission by her eldest sister, Mother Agnes, to bring her camera and the necessary supplies to process photographs to Carmel. The photos she took of Thérèse over the years have been a treasure to the Church and to all those who have devotion to the Little Flower.

7. Thérèse’s childhood heroine was Joan of Arc. Later, while at Carmel, she would write two plays about Joan for the Carmelite nuns to perform on feast days to honor of the Catholic woman who would become the patron saint of France.

8. Two years after her canonization, Pope Pius XI named Thérèse the Patroness of the Vatican Gardens in 1927.

9. Thérèse’s relics have traveled on religious pilgrimage and been venerated all over the world. Also, her writing desk from Carmel was on display throughout the United States in 2013.

10. The Basilica of Saint Thérèse in Lisieux is one of the most visited shrines in France

———-

“For me, prayer is a movement of the heart; it is a simple glance toward Heaven; it is a cry of gratitude and love in times of trial as well as in times of joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus…I have not the courage to look through books for beautiful prayers…I do like a child who does not know how to read; I say very simply to God what I want to say, and He always understands me.”

—Saint Thérèse of Lisieux on prayer

———-

Praying to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux:

Bring your special intentions to Saint Thérèse in prayer:

Miraculous Invocation to St. Thérèse:

O Glorious St. Thérèse,

whom Almighty God has raised up to aid

and inspire the human family,

I implore your Miraculous Intercession.

You are so powerful in obtaining every need

of body and spirit from the Heart of God.

Holy Mother Church proclaims you “Prodigy of Miracles…

the greatest saint of Modern Times.”

Now I fervently beseech you to answer my petition

(mention in silence here)

and to carry out your promises of

spending heaven doing good on earth…

of letting fall from Heaven a Shower of Roses.

Little Flower, give me your childlike faith,

to see the Face of God

in the people and experiences of my life,

and to love God with full confidence.

Saint Thérèse, my Carmelite Sister,

I will fulfill your plea “to be made known everywhere”

and I will continue to lead others to Jesus through you.

Amen.

———

To learn more about Saint Thérèse of Lisieux:

The Society of the Little Flower:

Spreading Devotion to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: The Greatest Saint of Modern Times

Prayers to the patron saint of the hurricane season: Seeking the intercession of Saint Medard during Hurricane Matthew

Saint Medard, patron saint of bad storms, pray for us!

Preparing for Hurricane Matthew:

Hurricane season runs annually from June 1 to November 30.

Since we retired in 2014, my husband and I spend a great deal of time at our home on Singer Island in South Florida. Today, all eyes are on Hurricane Matthew, which formed quickly and was just upgraded this morning to a Category 3 hurricane, currently with 120 mph winds.

The National Hurricane Center classifies as “major hurricanes” all those in Categories 3 (111-130 mph), 4 (131-155 mph) and 5 (156+ mph) on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Matthew is now off Aruba, moving toward Jamaica and Cuba early next week, then it’s likely headed toward the Bahamas by Wednesday. The storm continues to evolve, and it is really too soon to know where its exact track will go.

All news media outlets and weather are urging families to review their emergency plans and be prepared in the event that the hurricane comes our way. It has been twelve years since a hurricane has directly impacted Palm Beach County, and most families in the area have become rather complacent. Florida is vulnerable geographically to tropical storms and hurricanes that might make landfall here. And no matter where the tracking for Matthew goes, we will at the very least be on the outer bands and get lots of wind and rain.

Back in September of 2004, Hurricanes Frances (105 mph winds) and Jeanne (120 mph winds) hit our area just twenty days apart. The next year, Wilma (105 mph winds) hit South Florida, causing 25 deaths and again leaving a number of counties without power.

Prayers for hurricane protection at Mass:

Parishes here in Florida often incorporate a prayer for protection from hurricanes and tropical storms during the general intercessions at Mass each week. Our parish, Saint Paul of the Cross in North Palm Beach uses the following intention

That we would receive the grace of physical protection from

all storms, disaster and calamity this hurricane season, we pray…

Lord, hear our prayer.

Offering prayers for safekeeping is comforting, even if Mother Nature has other ideas.

Saint Medard, patron of bad storms:

I first wrote about Saint Medard in February of 2014 in anticipation of the winter snowstorm Pax: “Praying to Saint Medard, the patron saint of bad storms.”

Saint Medard is the perfect patron saint for the hurricane season. He was a sixth-century bishop, preacher, and missionary, who, as a child, according to legend, was once sheltered from the rain by an eagle hovering over him. His feast day is observed each year on June 8.

An old French folktale refers to the June 8 feast day:

“Should Saint Médard’s day be wet,

It will rain for forty yet;

At least until Saint Barnabas,

The summer sun won’t favor us.”

In a similar manner, Cajun folklore, which refers to June 8 as “Samida” (for Saint Médard), holds that if it rains on this day, it will rain at least once a day for the next forty days.

Pray for us:

This week, we again call upon the intercession of Saint Medard to keep us safe and to protect all those who are vulnerable to the rage of Hurricane Matthew.

Prayer to Saint Medard:

Saint Medard, patron saint for protection against bad storms,

we ask you to intercede for us during the storms of our lives as well as the storms in nature.

Protect our families and our homes.

We pray for assistance for the victims of snowstorms, hurricanes,

tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters,

especially now with the impact from Hurricane Matthew.

Loving God, send in more helpers,

and multiply resources and supplies for the aid of those in need.

You calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee;

Deliver us from the storms that are raging around us now.

Saint Medard, pray for us.

Amen.

Check out Saint Medard on Pinterest.

‘Gentle Ben’ a vital member of Catholic Charities’ therapy team in Dundalk

By Lisa Harlow

Special to the Review

The outpatient mental health clinic on the grounds of St. Rita Parish in Dundalk is a bustling facility, with a staff of six therapists, two social skills counselors, two intake coordinators – and one chocolate Labrador retriever.

Ben, the six-year-old therapy dog, belongs to Suzie Templeton, a child psychologist and licensed clinical social worker who has been with Catholic Charities of Baltimore for 24 years. Templeton says, hands down, the question she gets asked the most is: “Is Ben here today?”

“We (she and her husband, Chris) raised him not intending for him to be a therapy dog, but it just kind of worked out that way,” Templeton said. “We knew how gentle Ben is and how good he is with kids.”

She got the idea to include Ben in her therapy sessions after talking with staff from Villa Maria of Mountain Maryland in Cumberland, which also has a therapy dog “on staff.”

“We have some children,” Templeton said, “going through really tough situations – depression, anxiety, trauma. Ben is a source of comfort for them. He can help with transitions and he knows when clients need him.”

The charming chocolate Lab, who has been a fixture since May 2014, roams the clinic three or four days a month, welcoming clients and visiting staff in their offices. Often, clients will play fetch with Ben or simply spend time petting him.

Ben, a certified therapy dog, and his owner, Clinical Social Worker Suzie Templeton, greet a young client at the Catholic Charities Child and Family Services office in Dundalk Sept. 14. Located on the campus of St. Rita’s Church, Suzie and Ben counsel families dealing with anger and emotional problems. According to Suzie, Ben brings a calming effect to her clients, which allows them to communicate more openly about their challenges. (Kevin J. Parks | CR Staff)

Templeton recalls an extremely upset boy who would not leave his grandmother’s side in the waiting room and go to therapy.

“I came out and asked if Ben could help him go,” she said. “The boy said yes, gave his grandma a hug, and then walked into therapy with Ben and his therapist. Everyone sat on the floor as the boy just petted Ben.”

After five minutes, Templeton said, Ben made a noise. She asked the boy if he was OK. He replied that he was fine and that Ben could leave.

“Ben just knew what the boy needed,” Templeton said. “It was a pretty incredible experience.”

Another client, 13-year-old Emily Schildt, who has autism and other issues, has been going to the clinic for a little more than a year.

”Emily loves it when she goes to therapy and Ben is there,” said Dee Schildt, Emily’s mother. “It doesn’t matter what kind of day she’s had. He immediately gravitates to her. If she is upset or anxious, he just knows. He is a very big component of her therapy.

“Ben has been very instrumental in helping Emily open up and feel comfortable with her therapy. Spending time with Ben soothes her. Sometimes she just needs a friend, and he is there. They usually play ball before and after appointments.”

The four-legged staffer is not only there for clients.

“Ben is shared among everyone,” Schildt said. “He is a very special dog. Even if you don’t think you need it, he makes everyone feel good. His nickname should be ‘Gentle Ben.’ His presence is comfortable and welcoming.”

“Ben has brought joy and laughter to the clinic on the days he is here,” Templeton said. “It gives everyone a little brightness as they deal with the overwhelming struggles of mental illness.”

On a side note, it’s not all work and no play for Ben the therapy dog. According to Templeton, on his days off, Ben likes to swim in Middle River, play fetch, and hang out with his friends – both canine and human.

Family feel, modern tools lift OLPH School in Ellicott City to national Blue Ribbon honor

Fans remember Miami Marlins pitcher with parade, prayers at Cuban shrine

By Tom Tracy

Catholic News Service

MIAMI – South Florida’s Cuban-American Catholic community and other Miami Marlins baseball fans planned to honor Jose Fernandez with prayers at the Cuban shrine and a public parade Sept. 28, a day before his private funeral.

Fernandez, a pitcher and popular Cuban-American member of the Marlins team, died Sept. 25 following a tragic boating accident that also took the lives of two of his companions. They were on a late-night outing when their craft struck a jetty near Miami Beach.

With fans set to gather at the West Plaza at Marlins Park, organizers said the Sept. 28 procession would depart at 2:16 p.m. local time — “16” was Fernandez’s uniform number — and then move on to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity near Miami’s Biscayne Bay and not far from the accident.

The procession was then to proceed to St. Brendan Catholic Church in Miami where a public visitation was scheduled for 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. A private funeral for Fernandez was to be held Sept. 29.

Father Juan Rumin Dominguez, rector of Our Lady of Charity shrine, described Fernandez as “the young face of the Cuban diaspora.”

“This is a young man who is a source of pride for us Cubans, an example for our community and especially for Cuban young people,” said Father Dominguez.

“He was able to reach the highest goals. That’s why he’s an example to our Cuban young people,” the priest said. “He demonstrated that with dedication and effort, you can achieve the highest goals in this country.”

Other clergy throughout the region reportedly referred to the tragedy in their homilies and offered prayers for Fernandez Sept. 25.

Fernandez, 24, and two other men were killed early that Sunday when his 32-foot SeaVee boat slammed into a rock jetty that extends off the southern tip of Miami Beach.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission continues to investigate the crash. The Miami-Dade County medical examiner has not yet released toxicology results.

Fans established a makeshift memorial on the plaza outside the ballpark entrance, leaving dozens of flower arrangements — daisies, carnations, roses and lilies, the result as colorful as Fernandez’s personality. There also were candles, and messages scrawled on balls, balloons, photos and jerseys.

A spokeswoman for American Social Bar & Restaurant in Miami reportedly confirmed Sept. 27 to news media that Fernandez was a patron at the establishment before the crash. The bar is along the Miami River and allows boats to dock alongside.

Emilio Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25, also died in the accident.

Since the tragedy, the Marlins have been grieving while also returning to playing games. In evening game Sept. 26, they defeated the Mets in an emotional and tearful game.

“I think the routine of the game is really good for you,” manager Don Mattingly said in a news release posted on the Marlins website. “You’ve been doing this almost the whole season. Yeah, we feel it’s almost like autopilot, fielding ground balls, take at-bats. It’s almost mindless. So it does good to be on the field. It feels good to prepare for a game.”

Pope pleas on behalf of civilians in Aleppo as bombing intensifies

On My Mind (Vol. 8)

—1—

Now that we’ve had the first presidential debate of the general election, I feel like we’re entering the home stretch. Which is kind of a relief and kind of a worry. Anyone who has traced this campaign from its beginning is likely to be worn down by now. Yet Election Day, of course, will herald a new presidency and few of us seem particularly enthusiastic about either candidate. How will it feel to sit there on Election Eve, I wonder, weighing which kind of disappointment to root for?

—2—

Onto that debate: I thought about giving you my impression of it the day after, but it turns out that my assessment is pretty mild, and pretty much what I’ve heard from everyone else: Trump sort of impressed and surprised me for the first 20-or-so minutes of the debate. He kept his cool and he managed to dominate the conversation without coming across as obnoxious.

But then Trump seemed to remember himself. Hillary Clinton pushed his buttons and he responded accordingly. Again and again, Trump said things that would have been considered gaffes for previous nominees. (Such as seemingly confirming that he hasn’t paid federal income taxes by bragging that not paying them makes him smart.) It was all sort of typically difficult to take in, and I would be surprised if it attracted undecided voters to his cause. But I wouldn’t be surprised if his performance energized his base. They obviously like what they see in him and he gave them a fresh batch of it on Monday night.

—3—

Clinton was also true-to-form: knowledgeable, wonkish, a skilled debater. I imagine her performance came as a relief to her supporters, because this debate (like the election itself) was hers to lose. Trump has such a well-established, highly-divisive image that people either love him or loathe him. I can hardly begin to imagine anything that Trump could say or do at this point to push his supporters away from him or draw large numbers of undecideds towards him.

That’s not to say that Clinton doesn’t have a well-established, highly-divisive image too. Of course she does. But I think she has more control over the direction of this race. If Clinton makes blunders, her support will decrease. If she manages to come across as a solid, capable, presidential option, her support will increase.

Trump is who Trump is. Once I saw that Trump’s campaign could survive him saying, “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” I knew that its future depended not so much on him, but on his opponents’ ability to corral the majority of Americans who aren’t attracted by that kind of bravado.

—4—

I do, however, think Clinton made a mistake in the debate by repeatedly calling on fact checkers to do their job. Fact checkers will do what fact checkers do. Her instructions to them only served to buttress her image as the ultimate insider, one who can direct the powers that be to do her bidding. That’s far from an asset in this race.

—5—

Given all the “post-truth” chatter I’ve been hearing and reading lately (and my own post from last week), I was kind of amused to hear a news clip of Trump telling a crowd of his supporters that the polls showed him as the winner of Monday evening’s debate. At first I couldn’t grasp what he was talking about, because the polls I’d heard of had Clinton winning the night by a wide margin. Was he just completely fabricating this result out of nowhere?

But then… ah, yes. That kind of poll. The kind a newspaper throws up on its website to get you to engage with it. Those polls are great fun, because you can cast your vote and see its impact immediately – 188,743 people have voted, and you’re in the majority! It’s so much fun to vote like that, in fact, that sometimes you feel like voting again and again, just to watch that number tick higher. Those are great polls (even if they’re nowhere near accurate).

And… that’s it. I can’t make it to seven for this week’s Quick Takes. Ah, well. Have a great weekend, all!

***

Interested in coming along with me as I chew on politics, current events, and faithful citizenship? Like The Space Between’s Facebook page. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram and you can find me at my personal blog, These Walls.

Archbishop Lori visits Clear Spring for 150th anniversary of St. Michael

By Greg Larry

Special to the Review

CLEAR SPRING – Archbishop William E. Lori visited this Washington County town Sept. 25 to mark the 150th anniversary of St. Michael Church.

The archbishop stopped in the hamlet west of Hagerstown on a beautiful autumn day to celebrate Mass and offer the sacrament of confirmation to eight young parishioners.

“What a joy to celebrate with all of you the 150th anniversary of St. Michael Parish here in Clear Spring and, at the same time, to confirm young people from the parish,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “In a sense, we are celebrating all at once the past, present and future of this community.”

“It was really nice to have the archbishop here,” said Mark Boyer, a corporator for St. Michael, a mission of St. Mary in Hagerstown. “Everyone was excited. … We had 97 people today. We were full. We are the smallest parish in the archdiocese (of Baltimore), I believe.”

“There was a lot of excitement and anticipation this week,” said Penny Abe, CCD coordinator. “I loved the archbishop’s homily and how he looked at the history of the church.”

Archbishop William E. Lori joined Father Ernest Cibelli, administrator of St. Michael in Clear Spring, and Father Collin Poston, its previous pastor, for a Sept. 25 Mass marking the 150th anniversary of a church that is a mission of St. Mary in Hagerstown. (Courtesy Amy Cullember | St. Michael Clear Spring)

Construction on St. Michael began in 1866 and was completed a year later.

“The history of St. Michael’s begins just as the Civil War concludes,” Archbishop Lori said. “War, of course, never simply concludes but leaves behind many scars and much grief. Many families in this area had lost their sons in the conflict and now with great faith and fervor came together in a little brick structure to form what would be St. Michael’s Parish.

“On July 15, 1866, while Martin John Spalding was Archbishop of Baltimore, the cornerstone for a new church was laid and families were charter members of the new parish generously set about completing the new structure.”

Archbishop Lori gave thanks for the service of Father Ernest Cibelli, the administrator of St. Mary and St. Michael; Father Lawrence Adamczyk, the associate pastor of the two churches; and Father Collin Poston, their previous pastor.

The archbishop also made special note of another longtime pastor.

“Let me mention Monsignor Alfred E. Smith who celebrated his 40th anniversary of priestly ordination among you in 1996,” the archbishop said. “As you know, he has just celebrated his 60th anniversary of ordination, so we take this occasion to thank him and to send him our love and gratitude.”

Diane Fridinger, another corporator, appreciated the mention of Monsignor Smith.

“Everyone worked very hard to get ready,” she said. “It all went beautifully. It was like he (Archbishop Lori) was talking to us.”

“We are very grateful to His Excellency for taking the time to come out here,” Father Cibelli said. “We know how big the archdiocese is and we are gratefulfor the way he shepherds us, no matter where we are in the archdiocese. It helps to know where we are going if we know where we came from.”

Earlier in the month, St. Michael’s beloved organist, Peggy Mellott, passed away. Jane Cohill, 80, who grew up in the parish, stepped in as her replacement.

Archbishop William E. Lori greets Lorelie Allen, a young Mass-goer, Sept. 25 at St. Michael in Clear Spring, when he presided at a liturgy marking the 150th anniversary of the church. (Courtesy Amy Cullember | St. Michael Clear Spring)

“We are all going to miss Peggy,” said Cohill, who was among those pleased to see Archbishop Lori. “I thought he (Archbishop Lori) was very down to earth. I felt very comfortable listening to him.”

The Daughters of Charity who serve St. Mary in Hagerstown helped serve a meal to the congregation following the service.

Archbishop Lori had special words for the young people being confirmed.

“Confirmation,” he said, “is not the end of your faith formation, nor should it be the sacrament of good-bye,’ to quote Pope Francis. Confirmation means you and your families are committed to professing your faith, to worshipping each Sunday at Mass, to receiving the sacrament of reconciliation regularly and to leading a life of charity and service for others.”

“The world all around us,” he continued, “would like you to be like the rich man in the Gospel who was only worried about his own comfort and convenience. It seems to tell us that happiness lies in owning the latest iPhone or Android. We don’t have to be really rich to get stuck on ourselves and on our possessions. It can happen to anyone, and when it does we have no room in our hearts for God or for other people, especially those in need.”

Those receiving the sacrament of confirmation were Wyatt Abe, Christopher Alvarez Jr., Clayton Boyer, James Engle, Patrick Kinman, Julie Mills, Sara Mills and Jack Weber.

“We had a lot of excitement and anticipation and the kids were a little nervous,” said Abe, the CCD coordinator. “It was a sacrament to show their growth and their willingness to be warriors for Christ. It’s a big day.”

Filipino community celebrates saints, faith and culture

Putting students first earns Blue Ribbon for St. Joseph School in Fullerton

By Erik Zygmont

ezygmont@CatholicReview.org

Twitter @ReviewErik

FULLERTON – With the students’ happy shrieking, copious blue balloons and Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” playing on a loop, it was clear that something was going on at St. Joseph School.

“Does anybody know why we’re here?” Ken Pipkin asked the students at the raucous assembly just prior to dismissal Sept. 28.

“We have a Blue Ribbon award,” a little girl answered.

So far, so good.

“What does that mean?” the principal pressed.

An eager young boy shot up his hand reflexively.

“It means … I don’t know,” he said.

From the back, another student helped him out.

“It means,” she said, “we’re one of the best schools in the country.”

Established in 1982 by then-Secretary of Education Terrell H. Bell, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools that demonstrate either superior academics or dramatic gains in student achievement.

The student was correct; being named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence is the highest honor a school can receive from the U.S. government.

“It’s just a great honor for the school, for all the hard work that’s been done over the years,” said Pipkin, who became principal this year.

Enhancing a student’s ability to learn through the use of technology is one of many reasons St. Joseph School in Fullerton received the 2016 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award. (Kevin Parks | CR Staff)

At the assembly, he acknowledged the work of the previous principal, Phyllis Karko, and the former assistant principal, Rose Michaud, both of whom were at the helm for the 2015-16 schoolyear.

He also thanked Baltimore Archdiocese chancellor for education James B. Sellinger, who was present for the assembly and, Pipkin said, “a huge critical part of why we’re here today.”

The kids’ shrieks were loudest of all when Pipkin called out their teachers, who had donned blue T-shirts for the occasion.

Doug Ripley, who is in his second year teaching language arts at St. Joseph and his 26th year teaching for the archdiocese, gave credit right back to the kids.

“A lot of the students here are very much geared toward success and going on to good high schools,” he said.

A parishioner of St. Pius X in Rodgers Forge, he mentioned another aspect of St. Joseph.

“There’s a strong presence here in Jesus, in the way we act and what we say,” he said. “That’s from the kids all the way up to the faculty and administration.”

St. Joseph School, Fullerton, Principal Ken Pipkin greets kindergarten student, Nicholas Wallace, as everyone enters the parish hall for an assembly to hear their school received the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award from the U.S. Department of Education September 28. (Kevin J. Parks | CR Staff)

Pipkin believes St. Joseph’s success is a result of its individualized approach to students, with the faculty meeting regularly in order to “literally getting into the nitty-gritty of each individual student and figuring out exactly where they need support for growth.”

While he called the Blue Ribbon designation a “great honor for the school and for all the hard work that’s been done,” he noted that such work was undertaken firstly for the students.

“It was really done, as a Catholic school, with the child’s best interest at heart,” he said. “It just happened that that coincided with the Blue Ribbon standard.”

“The faculty and staff have taken the initiative to know each and every student,” said Brandon Hermosa, an eighth-grader who has been at the pre-kindergarten-to-grade-8 school for 10 years. “We’re not just numbers on a paper to them.”

“I like the environment here and the opportunities we get,” added fellow eighth-grader Clarisse Dapul. “We get to incorporate our faith into a lot of classes here.”

Parents, too, are part of the picture, according to Jeannette Boze, part of the St. Joseph “volunteer community,” which she called “very welcoming – and very organized.”

“I think a lot of people that give their volunteer time are very talented and have great skills to offer,” added Boze, who has a son in the second grade.

Fellow volunteer Darlene Rosenberger, mother of a first-grader, called the Blue Ribbon honor “exciting.”

“You feel proud to be a part of the school,” she said.

“It’s also a lot of hard work,” put in Doree Hudson, whose daughter, Mariana, is in the fourth grade. “I know what the teachers were doing last year to get here.”

She added that the school’s high standardized test scores – a key factor in the Blue Ribbon designation – were a reason she sent her daughter there.

“I feel St. Joseph will definitely help her for the future – for high school and college,” Hudson said. “I know others who have gone on from here and were definitely prepared.”

Father Joseph Langan, associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish, which shares a campus with the school, said the Blue Ribbon designation “just goes to show you not just the quality of education here at St. Joe’s, but the quality of Catholic education across the Archdiocese of Baltimore.”

Father Jesse Bolger, the pastor since July, acknowledged the work of his predecessor, Monsignor Kevin T. Schenning, now pastor of St. Margaret in Bel Air, as well as the faculty of St. Joseph.

“The teachers are the reason we got this award,” Father Bolger said. “Their commitment to excellence, to their faith and to the children have borne fruit.”

St. Joseph is one of 23 schools in the archdiocese to have received the award.

Ellicott City, Fullerton parish schools earn national Blue Ribbon award

Archbishop Lori’s Homily: Filipino saints celebration

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mass for the Philippine Community

Cathedral of Mary Our Queen

Sept. 25, 2016

By Archbishop William E. Lori

Thank you for the opportunity to offer this Holy Mass and with you to invoke the beloved saints of your homeland, St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod. This is a moment for me to thank you, the growing Philippine community of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (and beyond) for your deep faith and devotion as well as your dedication to the Church’s mission.

You and your forebears have brought to the shores of this country a rich and beautiful expression of the Catholic faith. Yours is a culture that has been shaped by the faith for nearly 500 years, dating back to the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 and the baptism of King Humabon of Cebu, his wife, the queen. It is a faith that has survived natural disasters, poverty, and human rights violations, challenges from without and challenges from within.

As you know, far better than I, the Philippines have two treasures that outlast any and all of the challenges the Islands may face: first, I am told, is your music and the other is your faith. In a recent letter to the laity, the Philippine bishops offered this famous quote from Jesuit Father Horacio de la Costa: “As long as there remains in these islands one mother to sing Nena’s lullaby, one priest to stand at the alter and offer God to God, this nation may be conquered, trampled upon, enslaved, but it cannot perish. Like the sun that dies every evening, it will rise again from the dead.”

In a word, you have brought the joy of the Gospel to our shores, a joyful and a courageous faith personified by your intrepid missionary saints, San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first martyr of the Philippines, a layman who brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Japan at the cost of his life; San Pedro Calungsod, the 17th century lay missionary catechist who brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Gaum and in the process laid down his life for love of Christ. It is their missionary spirit that I wish to encourage and foster among you, their love of Christ and their dedication to spreading the Gospel that is so needed in the culture of the United States where your families have made your homes.

Let us focus on the fact that San Lorenzo and San Pedro were lay persons. In calling the whole Church to a renewed dedication to spreading the Gospel, Pope St. John Paul II said that it is principally the laity who will bring the Gospel into the world and allow the truth and love of Christ to transform our culture from within. Similarly, Pope Francis has challenged the whole Church to undergo what he calls a missionary transformation. He is calling upon us all to be true followers of Christ who open our hearts to him and go forth into the world with missionary joy, a going forth that always embraces the poor and vulnerable. As the Pope himself has written: “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness. With Christ, joy is constantly born anew” (EV, no. 1).

How important that we have within our hearts the joy of the Gospel as we go forth into a world that is described so well in today’s Scripture readings. The Old Testament prophet, Amos, denounces the complacency of the people who had grown so comfortable with food, drink, and entertainment that they left little or no room in their lives for the service of God and neighbor. “Woe to the complacent in Zion!” he cried. As we listen to the disturbing words of the prophet Amos, are we not reminded that we are charged with bringing the Gospel into a society that is pervaded by consumerism?

Consumerism does not refer to the attainment of a decent standard of living but rather to the inner emptiness of a covetous heart caught up in its own interests and its own pursuit of comfort and pleasure. In such a heart, there is no room for God and no room for others. As followers of Jesus and as the agents of his Gospel in the world, how important we not fall prey to the pervasive consumerism all around us. Rather, we must gratefully accept what God has given us while keeping our mind and heart focused on the Lord Jesus Christ, “the King of kings and the Lord of lords” who gave his very life for us and who now reigns in unapproachable light with God the Father in heaven. Or, as St. Paul elsewhere teaches, “If, then, you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:2).

Along with consumerism, you are sent as missionaries into a world where there is real poverty, both spiritual and material. Consumerism leads to spiritual poverty for it not only crowds God out of our lives but it also blunts our consciences to the poor who are all around us. This is the picture that Jesus himself paints for us in the Gospel. The rich man, enjoying all the good things of life, knows there is a beggar at his gate but instead of sharing his blessings with the poor man, he ignores him – until, of course, it is too late and the tables are turned: Lazarus is reigning in heaven while the rich man languishes in the nether world. Both in the Philippines and in our community of greater Baltimore, Lazarus is very much with us; he is at our doorstep; he is in our purview. The words of the Philippine bishops apply with equal force in our community as well: “A still vast number of our people are without work and many are forced to live in slum areas and in miserable situations. A vast number of our children [receive] sub-standard education…” The Gospel opens our eyes to the poor who are among us and enables us to see them, as St. Teresa of Calcutta famously said, “as Jesus in his distressing disguises.” So even as we seek renounce consumerism in our lives, we must also be agents of God’s justice, mercy, and charity in our community. Pope St. John Paul II put it this way: [we must engage in] “a charity that evangelizes”.

The Lord is calling you, dear friends, to bring the Gospel into a broken world. You are called to bring the Gospel into the world of education and commerce, to the world of politics, science, and medicine – at a time when human dignity and common good are often lost sight of. You are called to build strong and loving Catholic families in a time when family life is in decline. But you are not called to be cultural warriors or pessimists – instead, like the lay missionaries that went forth from your country, you are called to a joyful and courageous faith that is infectious.

This requires not only that you be well instructed in the Church’s teaching but also that your faith be an integral part of your daily life. We do not have the luxury of compartmentalizing our faith and our life – professing the faith on Sunday and denying the faith the rest of the week! Rather, we must bring the faith we profess into our homes and places of work. It must be so much a part of who we are that we readily bear witness to it, always by our example and often by the words we speak.

So, dear friends, continue to be a strong community of faith. Continue to contribute a strong and loving faith to the parishes to which you belong. Root your lives in the Gospel and in the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation; ensure that your homes are filled with the light and joy of the Gospel as you strive to hand on the faith to the next generation; be a source of priestly vocations to the Archdiocese of Baltimore and an example of what neighbor-to-neighbor charity toward those in need. Consider what a difference you would make if each one of you brought just one person back to the faith during the year ahead!

Through the intercession of Lorenzo Ruize and Pedro Calungsod, and the loving intercession of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, may God bless you and keep you always in his love!

Pope pleas on behalf of civilians in Aleppo as bombing intensifies

By Cindy Wooden

Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY – As a brief cease-fire agreement failed and Syrian government forces returned to bombing Aleppo and fighting rebels in the city streets, Pope Francis made a forceful appeal for assistance for the thousands of innocent civilians trapped in the besieged city.

“I appeal to the consciences of those responsible for the bombardments,” Pope Francis said at the end of his weekly general audience Sept. 28. “They will have to account to God!”

Dozens of civilians were reportedly killed by the bombardments in late September and the U.N. World Food Program said it was “extremely concerned about the more than 250,000 people trapped in eastern Aleppo city who are cut off from food, water, medicine and other essential supplies.”

Pope Francis told people gathered for his general audience that his thoughts and prayers were going “to the beloved and martyred Syria. I continue to receive dramatic news about the fate of Aleppo’s population.”

Expressing his “profound pain and deep concern for what is happening in this already martyred city,” the pope told people that it is a place where death strikes “children, the elderly, the sick, young people, old people, everyone.”

“I renew my appeal that everyone make a commitment with all their strength to the protection of civilians as a mandatory and urgent obligation,” the pope said.

Pope Francis spoke as representatives of dozens of Catholic charitable organizations and leaders of Catholic communities in Syria and Iraq were arriving in Rome for a Sept. 29 meeting to coordinate Catholic emergency and humanitarian assistance to the victims of war, displaced people and refugees in the region.

Msgr. Giampietro Dal Toso from the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, which coordinates Catholic charitable giving, said the Catholic Church and Catholic charities have 12,000 workers trying to provide care for people in Syria, Iraq and neighboring countries.

“Just in Syria the victims of the war, according to U.N. data, already exceed 270,000,” he said. More than 8.7 million Syrians have been forced from their homes and some 3.4 million Iraqis are still displaced.

Pope, Christian leaders pray for peace, victims of war

Driven

We’ve all heard the saying, “Life is a Highway.” While some people might claim they want to “ride it all night long,” there are many of us frustrated by delays and accidents on our daily commutes and long adventures. Sometimes the road overwhelms us to the point where we need to sojourn to a rest stop and catch our breath.

For me, the quick moments of prayer and hour-long Mass I attend on Sundays are those well-needed breaks from the highway of my life. Being able to “pull over” and collect my thoughts and redirect myself is essential for giving me the energy to sustain the long haul.

But, what happens when I miss my exit and I drive too many long, hard miles alone? I steer off course. I am lost. My ability to handle the frustrations of my ride dwindles, and I find myself swerving into other lanes, broken down on the side of the road, or crashing. If I’m having a bad week, I stop and look to see if I skipped Mass on Sunday or haven’t been injecting my days with prayer.

The good news is that I can always find another place of respite in God’s love. And he offers free 24-hour maintenance. Just like I can pick up the phone to call AAA, I can check in with God at any time, remind myself of my blessings, and petition him for my needs.

Before too long, I’m on the road again, rejuvenated and ready to handle the obstacles ahead of me. I can roll down the window, turn up my favorite upbeat song, and relax knowing that God is my G.P.S.