NACIÓN WASHINGTON (CNS) – Dos encuestas separadas muestran que los estadounidenses confían más en su fe para ayudar a perseverar durante la pandemia de coronavirus. El Centro de Investigación Pew, en una encuesta publicada el 30 de abril, mostró que casi un cuarto de todos los estadounidenses dice que su fe se ha fortalecido durante la pandemia, mientras que solo el 2% dijo que se había debilitado. NUEVA ORLEANS (CNS) – Citando las crecientes preocupaciones sobre el impacto financiero de resoluciones extrajudiciales por abuso sexual del clero y la pandemia de coronavirus, la Arquidiócesis de Nueva Orleans solicitó el Capítulo 11 la reorganización de las finanzas de sus oficinas administrativas el 1 de mayo en el Tribunal de Bancarrota de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Este de Luisiana. WASHINGTON (CNS) – Con las colecciones del ofertorio de la misa dominical prácticamente inexistentes durante la pandemia de coronavirus, las diócesis ayudan a las parroquias a encontrar ingresos, incluidos los fondos PPP, en fuentes de ingresos para ayudar a evitar que una crisis se convierta en una segunda crisis, en medio de la pandemia. La última indicación es que alrededor de 8,000 de las 17,000 parroquias de los Estados Unidos han solicitado préstamos con éxito.
COVID-19 coronavirus in USA, 100 dollar money bill with face mask. Coronavirus affects global stock market. World economy hit by corona virus outbreak and pandemic fears. Crisis and finance concept.
VATICANO CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – El Papa Francisco en sus misas matutinas ha estado rezando por: • Periodistas y miembros de los medios de comunicación que, a pesar de los riesgos, trabajan incansablemente para informar al público de la pandemia en curso. • Los sacerdotes y los médicos que dieron su vida cuidando el bienestar espiritual y físico de los demás durante la pandemia de coronavirus son como Jesús, el buen pastor, que dio su vida por su rebaño. • Familias de todo el mundo que han sido restringidas a sus hogares debido a la pandemia de COVID-19, el Papa Francisco incluyó la mención de víctimas de violencia doméstica. • Los trabajadores, especialmente a aquellos pagados injusta o virtualmente esclavizados en la fiesta de San José el Trabajador, celebrada también como el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores y como el Día del Trabajo en muchos países. MUNDO CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (CNS) – Caritas Honduras ha pedido transparencia en la distribución de la asistencia COVID-19, que, de acuerdo con un creciente aumento de las acusaciones, se ha utilizado con fines políticos en el país empobrecido y plagado de corrupción. El padre German Calix, director de Caritas Honduras, dijo a Catholic News Service que el brazo caritativo de la iglesia quería una investigación para “probar o refutar” las acusaciones de suministros médicos que se compran a precios inflados y de funcionarios locales, responsables de proporcionar alimentos a las personas en cuarentena, que solo ofrecen asistencia a los afiliados al partido político en el poder.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – La vendedora callejera Marisol Maradiaga, que vive en la calle después de no poder seguir pagando el alquiler, juega con sus hijos en el 23 de abril de 2020, durante la pandemia de COVID-19. (Foto del CNS/Jorge Cabrera, Reuters)
SAO PAULO (CNS) – La conferencia de los obispos brasileños elogió un fallo de la Corte Suprema de que las mujeres infectadas con el virus Zika no podían abortar. “No corresponde a ninguna autoridad pública reconocer selectivamente el derecho a la vida, asegurándolo a algunos y negándolo a otros”, dijeron los obispos. LIMA, Perú (CNS) – Los líderes católicos advierten que a medida que la pandemia de coronavirus se extienda a la cuenca del Amazonas, la región podría enfrentar una “tragedia humanitaria y ambiental”. Las personas indígenas que sufren violencia por sus esfuerzos para defender sus tierras contra mineros, madereros y acaparadores de tierras también corren un gran riesgo debido a COVID-19, según un comunicado de la Red de Iglesias Pan-Amazonas, REPAM. “El dolor y el lamento de la gente y la tierra se unen en un solo grito”, escribieron en la declaración, fechada el 18 de mayo.
A nurse adjusts an oxygen tank next to a tent for COVID-19 patients in the parking lot of a hospital in Lima, Peru, April 16, 2020. As coronavirus cases surge in Peru’s two largest LIMA, Perú – Una enfermera ajusta un tanque de oxígeno junto a una carpa para pacientes con COVID-19 en el estacionamiento de un hospital el 16 de abril de 2020. A medida que aumentan los casos de coronavirus en las dos ciudades amazónicas más grandes de Perú, Iquitos y Pucallpa, los líderes católicos estan luchando por encontrar formas de proporcionar a los enfermos la necesidad de salud más básica, oxígeno vital. (Foto del CNS/Sebastián Castaneda, Reuters).
By Joanna Puddister King JACKSON – Typically Catholic Charities would be in the middle of final preparations for their annual Bishop’s Ball fundraiser at the Country Club of Jackson, but because of COVID-19 they’ve had to get creative with the way they raise money for the many programs they operate that help so many in need around the state.
So, this year, Catholic Charities is inviting all to support the fifteenth annual Bishop’s Ball fundraiser “at home” on Friday, June 5, 2020 at 6 p.m. through Facebook Live at facebook.com/catholiccharitiesjackson, where participants can attend regardless of their location and dress up or dress down for the cause.
While the current health crisis has interrupted plans to host the event in person, the need to raise funds for Catholic Charities is as critical as ever. Virtual attendees will be able to participate in an online silent auction and raffle at bidpal.net/bb20 that includes items such as an autographed Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey, a Joseph’s Studio 10-piece nativity set, a personalized comedy hour for friends and family by a professional stand-up comedian, art by William Dunlap, and a Godfather movie poster autographed by Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire and Francis Ford Coppola. Additionally, the auction and raffle will include lots of local artwork for every collector. People can join the auction beginning May 23 by texting bb20 to 243725 to receive a personalized one-click login for the auction event. Bidding begins on May 30. Raffle winners will be announced during the Facebook Live event on June 5.
The site is open to anyone, anywhere and items that are won can be picked-up the week following the Bishop’s Ball virtual event at Catholic Charities office in Jackson or shipping is available for an additional fee.
Most events are not complete without a cocktail hour and Catholic Charities virtual Bishop’s Ball is no exception. Colton Woodward of Fizz Mobile Bartending will be on hand during the Facebook Live event to demonstrate how to make the event’s signature cocktail. To participate gather vodka, lemon juice, two strawberries, a few fresh basil leaves, some sugar and club soda (for those 21 and older, of course). Julie O’Brien, development associate at Catholic Charities Jackson, says “we would like to encourage folks to host a small viewing party at their home. We are even offering gift boxes that include cups, napkins, drink ingredients (including alcohol) and snacks.” The boxes have everything needed for the cocktail demonstration for up to 10 people and cost $250. Just call 601-331-1152 or 601-362-3758 by May 29 to place your order.
At the close of the Bishop’s Ball “at home” event the organization will be saluting essential workers in our community. “We want to honor healthcare workers, first responders, grocery store workers, service industry workers and everyone who has kept our community going during this crisis,” says O’Brien. For additional information, visit www.catholiccharitiesjackson.org or call 601-355-8634.
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis asked Catholics to make a special effort in May to pray the rosary, knowing that by doing so they will be united with believers around the world asking for Mary’s intercession in stopping the coronavirus pandemic. “Contemplating the face of Christ with the heart of Mary, our mother, will make us even more united as a spiritual family and will help us overcome this time of trial,” the pope said in a letter addressed to all Catholics and released by the Vatican April 25. The month of May is traditionally devoted to Mary and many Catholics already are in the habit of praying the rosary at home during the month, he noted. “The restrictions of the pandemic have made us come to appreciate all the more this ‘family’ aspect, also from a spiritual point of view.” “You can decide according to your own situations” whether to pray individually or in groups, he said, noting that “it is easy also on the internet to find good models of prayers to follow.” Pope Francis wrote two prayers to Mary that can be recited at the end of the rosary, prayers he said he would be reciting “in spiritual union with all of you.”
JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz reconsecrated the Diocese of Jackson to the Blessed Virgin Mary on Friday, May 1 outside of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. The service was livestreamed on Facebook. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)
Both prayers acknowledge Mary’s closeness to her son’s followers and ask for her protection and for her intercession just as she interceded with Jesus on behalf of the newlyweds at Cana who had run out of wine for their wedding feast. “We know that you will provide, so that, as at Cana in Galilee, joy and celebration may return after this time of trial,” one of the prayers read. Pope Francis’ prayers also include specific intentions for those who are sick, for those who care for them, for those who have died and those who mourn for them, for scientists seeking cures and vaccines and for government leaders who must find a way to protect their people. “Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future,” one of the prayers said. “Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need,” it continued. “Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.”
We celebrated the consecration and turned to the Good Shepherd in the heart of the Easter season, to hear the voice of the one who laid down his life for us, who knows each of us by name, our fears and dreams, our struggles and hopes, and wants to hear our voices in prayer and in concern for one another.
Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz
By Bishop Joseph Kopacz On Friday, May 1, the Diocese of Jackson in solidarity with all Catholic dioceses in the United States and in Canada renewed the consecration of the United States to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The following statement of faith and hope along with the opening prayer unfolds the tradition of the centrality of the Blessed Mother’s singular vocation whom all generations will call blessed. “When our Risen Lord appeared to his disciples on Easter Sunday he said: ‘Peace be with you.’ We can be confident that he desires this same peace for all the members of his body, the church, and for the people of the entire world. In this difficult time, we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Peace, to ask that she intercede with her Son for all those who are affected in any way by this pandemic. As we renew the consecration of our country and of ourselves to the Mother of the God, we implore her maternal care for her children. Let us pray. “O God, Father of mercies, whose Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross, chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother, to be our Mother also, grant, we pray, that with her loving help your Church may be more fruitful day by day and, exulting in the holiness of her children, may draw to her embrace all the families of the peoples. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (John 19:26-27) Mary’s identity as the Mother of the Church was sealed on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon her once again, along with the other 119 disciples at the church’s inception. (Luke 2) Earlier in the Gospel of John she was present at the wedding of Cana, the site of her son’s first sign or miracle, where he changed the water into wine. In that moment she was a witness for all who want to be disciples when she said to the waiters, “do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5) These words link the prayer of consecration with Good Shepherd Sunday and the call to hear the voice of the Lord, and to do whatever he tells us. Not as an escape from reality, which is very complicated at this time, but as an invitation to know that God is with us always. We celebrated the consecration and turned to the Good Shepherd in the heart of the Easter season, to hear the voice of the one who laid down his life for us, who knows each of us by name, our fears and dreams, our struggles and hopes, and wants to hear our voices in prayer and in concern for one another. The 23rd Psalm, our responsorial Psalm of the day, is a beacon of courage and hope. “Although we walk through a dark valley, we fear no evil, because you are at our side with your rod and your staff that give us courage.” God never abandons the flock. We know this in Jesus Christ whose suffering and death and resurrection are a healing balm for our suffering and the promise of life in abundance. “Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.” (Romans 8:39) We possess abundant treasures in the storehouse of faith. The grace of God already has led us to the restful and renewing waters of Baptism, to the anointing of our heads and hearts with holy oils, and to the Eucharistic table, filled with life and love in abundance. The Good Shepherd is at our side, in our homes, in all the spaces we carefully navigate. It is true that the borders and edges of our reality are blurred, and life and death are locked in mortal combat for all to see, too close for comfort. Yet, out of darkness and the shadow of death the voice of the Good Shepherd is not silent. May our shelter-in-place and safety at home provide for us a channel to hear his voice and follow his paths. We must drink deeper of the waters of our faith in creative in life-giving ways. It is true that we are scattered and sacramentally separated from the flock, the Body of Christ, the green pastures of our spiritual lives, but the grace and love of the Shepherd remain a living fountain that does not run dry, and already flows upward to eternal life. We all yearn for the day when we can feast directly at the table of plenty, the Eucharistic banquet, the body and blood, soul and divinity of the Good Shepherd. The time is drawing nearer when we will hear the voices of the communion ritual: “The Body of Christ” and “Amen.” Afterall, Holy Communion with the Lord and with one another is what the Good Shepherd desires for us. But while we wait in joyful hope, let us not waste time fretting over what we are lacking, but rather, celebrating all that we have in abundance in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. With our Blessed Mother, may our souls also proclaim the greatness of God and rejoice in God our Savior. (Luke 1:45-46) This is our faith and we are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Celebramos la consagración y recurrimos al Buen Pastor en el corazón de la temporada de Pascua, para escuchar la voz de quien dio su vida por nosotros, que nos conoce por nuestro nombre, nuestros miedos y sueños, nuestras luchas y esperanzas y quiere escuchar nuestras voces en oración y preocupación por los demás.
Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz
Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz El viernes primero de mayo, la Diócesis de Jackson, en solidaridad con todas las diócesis católicas de los Estados Unidos y en Canadá, renovó la consagración de los Estados Unidos a la Bienaventurada Virgen María. La siguiente declaración de fe y esperanza junto con la oración de apertura revela la tradición de la centralidad de la vocación singular de la Santísima Madre, a la que todas las generaciones llamarán bendita. “Cuando nuestro Señor resucitado se apareció a sus discípulos el domingo de Pascua, dijo: ‘La paz sea con ustedes’. Podemos estar seguros que Él desea esta misma paz para todos los miembros de su cuerpo, la iglesia y para la gente de todo el mundo. En este momento difícil, nos volvemos a la Santísima Virgen María, Madre de la Iglesia y Reina de la Paz, para pedirle a ella que interceda con su Hijo por todos aquellos que se vean afectados de alguna manera por esta pandemia. Al renovar la consagración de nuestro país y de nosotros mismos a la Madre de Dios, le imploramos a ella por su cuidado maternal para con todos sus hijos.” Rezamos: “Oh Dios, Padre de misericordia, cuyo Hijo Unigénito, mientras colgaba de la Cruz, eligió a la Santísima Virgen María, su Madre, para ser también nuestra Madre, concédenos, te rogamos que, con su amorosa ayuda, tu Iglesia pueda ser más fructífera día a día, exultando la santidad de sus hijos, que ella pueda atraer a su abrazo a todas las familias de los pueblos. Te lo pedimos a través de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, tu Hijo, que vive y reina contigo en la unidad del Espíritu Santo, un solo Dios, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.” (Juan 19:26-27) La identidad de María como la Madre de la Iglesia fue sellada el día de Pentecostés cuando el Espíritu Santo descendió sobre ella una vez más, junto con los otros 119 discípulos en el inicio de la iglesia. (Lucas 2). Anteriormente en el Evangelio de Juan, ella estuvo presente en la boda de Cana, el sitio del primer signo o milagro de su hijo, donde cambió el agua en vino. En ese momento, ella fue testigo de todos los que quieren ser discípulos cuando les dijo a los camareros, “hagan lo que él les diga”. (Juan 2:5) Estas palabras vinculan la oración de consagración con el Domingo del Buen Pastor y el llamado a escuchar la voz del Señor y hacer lo que nos diga, no como un escape de la realidad, que es muy complicado en este momento, sino como una invitación a saber que Dios está con nosotros siempre. Celebramos la consagración y recurrimos al Buen Pastor en el corazón de la temporada de Pascua, para escuchar la voz de quien dio su vida por nosotros, que nos conoce por nuestro nombre, nuestros miedos y sueños, nuestras luchas y esperanzas y quiere escuchar nuestras voces en oración y preocupación por los demás. El Salmo 23, nuestro Salmo responsorial del día, es un faro de coraje y esperanza, “Aunque pase por el más oscuro de los valles, no temeré peligro alguno, porque tú, Señor, estás conmigo; tu vara y tu bastón me inspiran confianza.” Dios nunca abandona el rebaño. Sabemos esto en Jesucristo, cuyo sufrimiento, muerte y resurrección son un bálsamo curativo para nuestro sufrimiento y la promesa de vida en abundancia. “ ¡Nada podrá separarnos del amor que Dios nos ha mostrado en Cristo Jesús nuestro Señor!” (Romanos 8:39) Poseemos abundantes tesoros en el almacén de la fe. La gracia de Dios ya nos ha guiado a las aguas tranquilas y renovadoras del Bautismo, a la unción de nuestras cabezas y corazones con aceites sagrados, y a la mesa eucarística, llena de vida y amor en abundancia. El Buen Pastor está a nuestro lado, en nuestros hogares, en todos los espacios que navegamos cuidadosamente. Es cierto que las fronteras y los bordes de nuestra realidad están borrosos, y la vida y la muerte están encerradas en un combate mortal para que todos las vean, demasiado cerca, para su comodidad. Sin embargo, desde la oscuridad y la sombra de la muerte, la voz del Buen Pastor no es silenciosa. Que nuestro refugio en el lugar y la seguridad en el hogar nos brinden un canal para escuchar su voz y seguir sus caminos. Debemos beber de las aguas más profundas de nuestra fe en formas creativas y vivificantes. Es cierto que estamos dispersos y sacramentalmente separados del rebaño, el Cuerpo de Cristo, los verdes pastos de nuestra vida espiritual, pero la gracia y el amor del Pastor siguen siendo una fuente viva que no se seca, y que ya fluye hacia arriba en busca de la vida eterna. Todos anhelamos el día en que podamos deleitarnos directamente en la mesa de la abundancia, el banquete eucarístico, el cuerpo y la sangre, el alma y la divinidad del Buen Pastor. Se acerca el momento en que escucharemos las voces del ritual de comunión: “El cuerpo de Cristo” y “Amén”. Después de todo, la Sagrada Comunión con el Señor y con los demás es lo que el Buen Pastor desea para nosotros. Pero mientras esperamos con gozosa esperanza, no perdamos el tiempo preocupándonos por lo que nos falta, sino celebrando todo lo que tenemos en abundancia en Jesucristo, el Buen Pastor. Con nuestra Santísima Madre, que nuestras almas también proclamen la grandeza de Dios y se regocijen en Dios nuestro Salvador. (Lucas 1:45-46) Esta es nuestra fe y estamos orgullosos de profesarla en Cristo Jesús, nuestro Señor.
By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When faced with uncertainties, adversities or trials, those who place their trust in Christ will not be left alone to fend for themselves, Pope Francis said. Just as the disciples left Jerusalem after Christ’s death and headed to Emmaus with only their sadness and fear, people may often find themselves discouraged when solely focused on their own hopelessness, the pope said April 27 before reciting the “Regina Coeli” prayer. Nevertheless, Christians are called to hope in God and not focus on doubt or fear, he said in the address, which was livestreamed from the library of the Apostolic Palace. When one chooses to follow God, “we will discover that there is nothing unexpected, there is no uphill climb, there is no night that cannot be confronted with Jesus,” the pope said. Reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading from St. Luke, the pope said the disciples on the way to Emmaus made two trips. While their escape from Jerusalem was a sad and easy “downhill” journey, the pope said their return after encountering Christ was full of joy even though they were tired from the uphill travel. “In the first, there is the Lord walking beside them, but they don’t recognize him; in the second, they don’t see him anymore, but they feel him near them,” he said. “In the first, they are discouraged and hopeless; in the second, they run to bring the good news of the encounter with the risen Jesus to the others.” By opening their hearts to Christ, listening him explain Scripture and inviting Jesus to their home, he added, the disciples’ encounter with him is the same that all Christians must follow to experience joy. “These are the three steps that we can also take in our homes: First, to open our hearts to Jesus, to entrust him with our burdens, hardships, disappointments in life,” the pope said. “Second, to listen to Jesus, to take the Gospel, read this passage from chapter 24 of Luke’s Gospel; and third, pray to Jesus with the same words of those disciples, ‘Lord, stay with us.’ Lord, stay with me; Lord, stay with all of us because we need you so we can find the way,” he said. Earlier in the day, Pope Francis celebrated his daily morning Mass in the chapel of residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae. At the start of each of his livestreamed Masses, the pope has offered prayers for groups that have suffered or who are on the front lines of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. During the Mass April 26, the pope prayed for those who are sad and worried about the future. “Today in this Mass, we pray for all those who are suffering from sadness, because they are alone or because they do not know what to expect in the future or because they cannot support their families because they do not have money, they do not have work. There are so many people who suffer from sadness,” he said. During his April 25 Mass, the pope offered prayers for funeral service workers who at times are overwhelmed by the increased death tolls due to the pandemic. “What they do is so painful, so sad and they feel the pain of this pandemic so closely,” he said. “Let us pray for them.” The pope has also prayed for those who continue to work to lift spirits, even in the midst of suffering and fear. At the start of his morning Mass April 27, the pope offered prayers for artists who, “through the path of beauty, show us what path to follow.” “May the Lord grant all of us the grace of creativity in this time,” he said. In his homily, the pope also reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from St. John in which Jesus reproaches the crowd after the multiplication of the loaves for following him “not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” Pope Francis said that at times, Christians can do the same and focus on temporal things and lose “the enthusiasm that Jesus’ words had grown in their hearts.” “The Lord always makes us return to that first encounter, that first moment in which he looked at us, spoke to us and made us want to follow him,” the pope said. “This is a grace we should ask from the Lord because in life, we always have this temptation to distance ourselves when we see something else,” he said.
All it took was a pandemic for the church to get online. Mega-churches have been streaming for a long time, and they had figured out camera angles and installed sophisticated multi-media set-ups in sanctuaries well before the outbreak of COVID-19, but now mother nature has forced our hand. On Holy Saturday I spent two hours at St. Richard Jackson with my pastor trying to plan the Easter Vigil: “OK, now we need to move here and the camera needs to be here so that you can see the Easter Candle and the baptismal font,” said Father John or I at some point that morning.
This is one of the blessings of this time of trial. Many priests can now easily stream content to parishioners, where two months ago this would have seemed like a huge task. And yet, the physical nature of the sacraments is still missing, the one-on-one encounter of the communicant with the Bread of Life is lacking, and catholics are feeling that loss, even though they may be able to click and see their parish church instantly.
The Catholic Church’s genius is in the encounter that we have with the Lord in the sacraments, and in the encounter we have within the building itself. For young people who are discerning God’s call for them, the chance to speak with a priest about real life, about their concerns, about their dreams, and ask them questions is vitally important. This is one of the things that is difficult right now in this time of quarantine, but there are still ways to honor those who are seeking and try to reach out.
In April I took a group of middle schoolers on a virtual tour of one of our seminaries, St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana. We video conferenced and I shared my screen with them and used Google Earth to describe the grounds to them and talk about the day-to-day life of the seminarians. It was not the actual tour that I had planned at the start of the year of course, but it was real opportunity for young men to encounter a priest, ask questions and have fun. During this time technology can help us connect, but we still must be creative in order to make a real connection. The Lord invites us to an actual encounter each time we come into the church, and we have to continue that mission even during this time of quarantine, and live-streams are a great start, but we must be creative and seek to provide for the people of God as best we can.
May 3 was the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. I ask that everyone say a special prayer for the men and women in our diocese who are seeking to follow the Lord’s will in their lives. The seminarians have completed another semester and we are thankful for them and for the two men, Deacon Andrew Nguyen and Deacon Cesar Sanchez, who will be ordained at the Cathedral of St. Peter in June.
Vocations Events
Saturday, June 27, 2020 – Priestly Ordination of Deacon Andrew Nguyen and Deacon Cesar Sanchez, Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle Jackson, 9:30 a.m.
If you are interested in visiting a seminary or house of religious formation, contact: vocations@jacksondiocese.org www.jacksonpriests.com
IN EXILE By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI It is funny where the lessons of our classrooms are sometimes understood. I studied philosophy when I was still a bit too young for it, a nineteen year-old studying the metaphysics of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas. But something from a metaphysics course remains indelibly stamped in my mind. We learned that there are four “transcendental” properties to God: Scholastic metaphysics tells us that God is one, true, good and beautiful. My young mind then had some grasp of what is meant by true, good and beautiful since we have some common sense notions of what these are, but what is oneness? What is divine about being undivided?
The answer to that didn’t come to me in a classroom or in an academic discussion, even though I have often tried to explain its meaning to students in a classroom. It came to me in a grocery store.
I had been buying groceries in the same store for twelve years when a trivial incident helped explain God’s oneness and its importance to me. The store, a large supermarket, has a fruit isle where you pick up apples, oranges, grapefruits, bananas and the like and then bag them yourself in plastic bags the store supplies. Alongside the plastic bag dispensers there are small containers holding metal twisters you use to tie up the top of your bag. One day, I picked up some fruit put it into a bag, but all the containers containing the twisters were empty – every one of them. As I checked out my groceries, suspecting that possibly someone had taken them as a prank, I mentioned to the cashier that all the twisters were gone. Her answer took me aback: “But, sir, we have never had them in this store!” Thinking she might be new on the job, I said: “I’ve been coming here for more than ten years and you’ve always had them! You can even see their containers from here!” With an assurance that comes from absolute certitude, she replied: “I’ve been working here for a long time, and I can assure you we’ve never had them!”
I pushed things no further, but walking out of the store I thought this to myself: “If she’s right, then I’m certifiably insane! If she’s right then I’m completely out of touch with reality, have been for a long time, and I have no idea what sanity is!” I was certain that I had seen the twisters for ten years! Well, they had reappeared by the next time I entered the store and they are there today, but that little episodic challenge to my sanity taught me something. I now know what it means that God is one and why that is important.
That God is one (and not divided) is the very foundation for all rationality and sanity. That God is undivided and consistent within assures you that two plus two will always be four – and that you can anchor your sanity on that. That God is undivided assures you that if you saw package twisters in a store for twelve years, they were there … and you are not insane. That God is one is the basis for our sanity. It undergirds the principle of non-contradiction: Something is or it is not, it cannot be both; and two plus two can never be five – and that allows us to live rational, sane lives. Because God is undivided, we can trust our sanity.
The truth of this was never jeopardized by the great epistemological debates in history. Doubts about rationality and sanity do not come from Descartes, Kant, Hegel, Locke, Hume, Wittgenstein or Jacques Derrida; these philosophers merely argued about the structure of rationality, never about its existence. What jeopardizes our sanity (and is, no doubt, the greatest moral threat in our world today) is lying, the denial of facts, the changing of facts and the creation of fake facts. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is as dangerous and pernicious as lying or dishonesty. It is no accident that Christianity names Satan the prince of lies and teaches that lying is at the root of the unforgiveable sin against the Holy Spirit. When facts are no longer facts then our very sanity is under siege because lying corrupts the basis for rationality.
God is one! That means that there is no internal contradiction within God and that assures us that there is no internal contradiction possible within the structure of reality and within a sane mind. What has happened, has forever happened and cannot be denied. Two plus two will forever be four and because of that we can remain sane and trust reality enough to live coherent lives.
The single most dangerous thing in the whole world is lying, dishonesty and denying facts. To deny a fact is not only to play fast and loose with your own sanity and the very foundations of rationality; it is also to play fast and loose with God whose consistency undergirds all sanity and all meaning. God is one, undivided, consistent.
(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher and award-winning author, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com. Now on Facebook www.facebook.com/ronrolheiser)
By Katie Scott PORTLAND, Ore. – At 8 a.m. on Easter, two days before giving birth, Jennifer Ratigan pulled into a hospital parking lot and waited for a physician’s assistant – donning full protective garb, including a face mask and shield – to reach through a rolled-down window to swab her nose for a COVID-19 test. The hospital was preparing for a potential surge in coronavirus cases and was testing all mothers who’d likely deliver soon. Medical staff wanted to allocate equipment and health care workers properly. Ratigan, whose test results were negative, understood the precaution. But the contrast between the strange early morning outing and her soul’s desire was acute and painful. She longed to be at Mass, to be among friends, to be watching her five children gleefully scramble for hidden eggs. “It was emotional,” said the 42-year-old, a member of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Northeast Portland. “I felt sad and lonely.” For pregnant and postpartum mothers, the pandemic has upended birth plans and altered expectations. It’s caused heightened uncertainty and twinges of fear. At the same time, many women, Ratigan included, say it’s intensified their awe of life and reliance on God. “This Easter I needed the surrender prayer, ‘Jesus, I turn it over to you,’” Ratigan said. On April 14, the Ratigan family welcomed child No. 6, a boy they named Luke. “It means ‘light,’ and he’s our light right now,” said his mother in a recent phone interview, the cries and coos of the newborn interrupting periodically. Ratigan’s husband, Mitch, is a baseball coach, and before the virus, the couple wondered how the family would juggle baseball season with four sons who play and a baby on the way. “When the pandemic started, it was a jolt into reality and the realization of how silly our little frets were before,” said Ratigan. After her previous births, she’d stayed in the hospital a few days. With Luke, it was a mere 24 hours. “It was very quick; they want to get people out,” she said. When her muscles ached, she reminded herself she wasn’t usually out of a hospital bed so early. There have been many moments of pregnancy, pandemic and birth that she’ll never forget. En route from the hospital, she texted Father Matt Libra, their pastor, asking if they could get a drive-by blessing. The priest came out of the rectory mask-clad and prayed over the family. “That felt so very special,” recalled Ratigan. A few nights ago, close family friends dropped off pizza on their doorstep and then stood across the street as Luke was held up and introduced. “We are being really diligent and following social-distancing recommendations,” Ratigan said. “No one wants to be responsible for getting anyone else sick. But that night I started to tear up. We will not ever underappreciate friendships.” Prayer, thankfully, pays no heed to physical distance. “The many prayers of others have strengthened us through all this,” she said. Because the coronavirus is new, it’s not yet clear if pregnant women have a greater chance than the general public of contracting COVID-19 or if they’re more likely to have serious complications. The CDC says pregnant women seem to have the same risk as those who are not pregnant. There also currently is no evidence that the virus is transmitted in utero or through breast milk, said Dr. Judy Marvin, medical director of Providence Health and Services women’s clinics in Oregon. Another impact of the virus is this: No doula in the delivery room. No post-birth hugs from her parents. No tender hospital moment of grandparents meeting their freshly arrived grandson. “You have these expectations, and then – surprise – a pandemic is here and everything looks different,” said Angie Kelly, whose first baby was born on Palm Sunday. She said of all the changes to her birth plan, keeping the baby, Tano Lorenzo Thomas Kelly, and her parents separate has been the hardest. First it was because of hospital limits on visitors, now it’s due to social distancing. The lack of her anticipated support at the hospital meant “it was all the more meaningful to have such caring nurses,” said the 29-year-old. Right now, Kelly and her husband are savoring this time with their son. “We’d be in the house all the time anyway,” she said with a laugh. “Instead of needing to turn down events or showing up late, we are able to just be with each other.”
Jennifer Ratigan, a parishioner of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Portland, Ore., wears a required mask as she holds her newborn son Luke during a doctor’s visit in late April, 2020. Echoing other Oregon Catholics, she said pregnancy and childbirth during the coronavirus pandemic intensified her reliance on prayer and reverence for life. (CNS photo/courtesy Jennifer Ratigan) See COVID-PREGNANCIES April 30, 2020.
The couple has tried to limit their news consumption, while staying mindful of the suffering caused by the pandemic. “I want to soak in this awesome, wild, new-parent time,” said Kelly, cradling her baby. “From where I sit, the world looks beautiful.” Christina Fordyce, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Salem, is having a home birth for her second baby, due in August. “It was such an amazing experience with our first that we wanted to do it again,” said Fordyce, 25. Now she feels especially relieved at the decision, which a growing number of women nationwide are making during the pandemic. Some women have concerns about their own and especially their babies’ potential vulnerability to the virus in hospitals. Though Fordyce’s birth plan may remain in place even if the pandemic lasts through the summer, her visits with the midwives have changed. The last prenatal appointment was over the phone, and for the previous one the midwife wore a mask and gloves and stayed just long enough to check her vitals. “The visits usually feel so intimate and personal,” said Fordyce. “Both their experience and mine were so different.” It’s also been a bit tough to parent a toddler while pregnant without the in-person practical and spiritual support of her parish community. Lent as a “big part of the pregnancy was providential,” she said. “It’s a time to get on your feet spiritually and pick up prayer routines you may have dropped. I needed that more than ever.” “Trust” is a word that keeps coming to mind, she added. “There are so many unknowns right now. It’s an opportunity to place more trust in God.” Olivia is an Oregon Catholic who’s three months pregnant with her third child. She’s keeping her name private so she can share the news in person with her extended family, now separated by social distancing. “We are close to a lot of my family, and we really miss seeing them, our kids really miss seeing them,” said Oliva, who is in her late 30s. She’s not due until the fall, but public health experts, including the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have warned a second wave of coronavirus cases could appear around then. “If we have to do social distancing and no one can come over, my husband may have to stay with the kids while I give birth,” Oliva said. “That’s a tough, sad reality to consider.” “Even in the midst of these trials and the unknowns and the world changing so fast, life is a gift,” Olivia said. “I can celebrate the life in my womb in this moment. This baby in me is a source of joy in a strange time. This baby is a source of hope.”
(Scott is special projects reporter at the Catholic Sentinel, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Portland.)
