Page 1869 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

ST. PAUL – The church must supplement its ministerial programs with political advocacy if it is to meet the needs of the growing immigrant population in the United States, said Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony. Some people question the church’s role in politics or challenge the church’s position on immigration reform, but the church’s mission is not limited to people’s spiritual well-being, the cardinal said. “Our concern is with the whole person and his or her human development,” he said Jan. 18 at an immigration conference at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The Jan. 18-19 conference was sponsored by the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity and the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis.

Religious leaders urge renewed peace initiative

WASHINGTON – Several Catholics were among nearly 40 U.S. religious leaders who called on President George W. Bush to launch a new Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative. “We ask that you make Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, in the context of a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace initiative, an urgent priority for your administration,” the leaders said in a letter delivered to the White House Jan. 23 and to all members of Congress Jan. 25.

Cardinal seeks exemption for adoptions by gay couples

LONDON – The head of the English and Welsh bishops’ conference told British Prime Minister Tony Blair 13 Catholic adoption agencies in the United Kingdom would close if the government forced them to place children with same-sex couples. In a Jan. 22 letter, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor of Westminster, England, appealed to Prime Minister Blair to grant the agencies an exemption from proposed gay rights laws called the Sexual Orientation Regulations.

St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K

The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, will serve as the gold sponsor for the 2007 Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K at 1:15 on March 11. This year’s race is presented by Kelly & Associates and benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, as well as Baltimore’s 2007 St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Archdiocese takes vocations message to its schools

MILWAUKEE – In an age of complex, high-speed technology, the Milwaukee Archdiocese’s Vocations Office has turned to a method used in the time of Christ to help young Catholics determine God’s calling for them. “They went out two by two, just like the disciples,” said Father James Lobacz, archdiocesan vocations director, about members of the Vocation Ministers of the Milwaukee Archdiocese. Last fall they visited each of the archdiocese’s 13 high schools to discuss vocations education and programming at each school. The initiative is called “Give God a Chance!”

Foundation established for Coach Flynn’s children

The late Bob Flynn, head men’s basketball coach for McDaniel College and former athletic director and head basketball coach for Cardinal Gibbons High School, liked to keep it simple and liked to keep it real. As evidenced by the recent outpouring of support during the week of Jan. 14, after the 49-year-old Flynn’s unexpected death Jan. 12, it was easy to like Bob Flynn. There was no pretense; there was no hype.

First lady acknowledges Mother Seton student’s sculpture

When third-grader Tabitha Gregory considered selections for a biography project at Mother Seton School, Emmitsburg, her mother helped her decide on first lady Laura Bush. Tabitha said she found it interesting that the first lady grew up in Texas, worked at a library, liked reading, attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II, and has the president of the United States for a husband. On the day of her oral presentation, Tabitha dressed as Mrs. Bush as she reported facts and photos to the class. Tabitha again chose the first lady several months later in art class when she was required to create a plaster sculpture.

‘Angel of the garbage dump’ dies in crash

WASHINGTON – Hanley Denning, known in Guatemala as “the angel of the garbage dump” because she helped poor children escape garbage picking as a livelihood, died in a car crash in Guatemala. Five days after her Jan. 18 death at age 36, a documentary featuring Ms. Denning was nominated for an Oscar. Ms. Denning died from injuries suffered when the car she was in collided with a bus on a mountain road outside of Guatemala City. She was a native of Yarmouth, Maine.

St. Vincent de Paul Society backs anti-poverty effort

ST. LOUIS – The new Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America launched by Catholic Charities USA is getting support from the public policy agency of the Missouri bishops and from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s national council. “Any way Catholic Charities and others can bring their direct experience of working with the poor to the Capitol building both here and in Washington, D.C., that’s all the better,” said Mike Hoey of the Missouri Catholic Conference, based in Jefferson City. Too often discussions of economic policy focus solely on numbers, Mr. Hoey said. The right question is how the policy will affect people and how they can be protected, he added.

Postcards, school support help student fight his cancer

LIGONIER, Pa. – While sixth-grader Chad Scanlon has been battling a cancerous brain tumor he has kept his focus on other things, including collecting postcards from all 50 states and every country around the world. The student at Holy Trinity School in Ligonier became intrigued with atlases and geography, so much so that he created his own atlas last summer. He and his family, parishioners of St. Boniface Parish in Chestnut Ridge, traveled to Belgium and several states before he became ill. “I’m a big geography person and I like postcards because I can see the scenery,” said Chad, the son of James and Marie Paule Scanlon.

Christian infighting escalates

BEIRUT, Lebanon – When clashes broke out during a nationwide strike in Lebanon, some of the worst fighting rocked Christian areas, where rival factions live cheek by jowl. Some Lebanese Christians support the Syrian-backed Hezbollah movement and its Shiite Muslim allies, whose strike aimed to topple the country’s U.S.-supported Cabinet. Others have aligned themselves with the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a Sunni Muslim.

A million reasons to celebrate