Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic

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Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
Pastoral response
                                    Photo        to addiction
                                                       Page 6
                           w w w.w nyc atholic.org
                                            February 2020

 Catholic Charities announces
 2020 Appeal goal and theme
         ‘Think of Me’
Deacon Steven Schumer, introduced as new
           president and CEO    see page 5
Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
2     Western New York Catholic                                                                                           February 2020

                                                      Dr. Martin Luther King: ‘A light to All Nations’
               In this Issue
                                                                                                                    Deacon Ronald
                                                                                                                    Walker reads the
                                                                                                                    Gospel during
                                                                                                                    the annual Martin
                                                                                                                    Luther King Jr. Mass
                                                                                                                    titled “A Light to
                                                                                                                    All Nations” at St.
                                                                                                                    Martin de Porres
                                                                                                                    Church. The Mass
                                                                                                                    was sponsored by
                                                                                                                    the African-American
      Deacon Don Weigel and Mike Hayes                                                                              Commission as part
                                                                                                                    of the diocesian
      travel to Mexico to minister to those                                                                         Office of Cultural
              trapped at the border.                                                                                Diversity.
                         Page 7

               reG    uLar    F   eatureS

    Cultural Diversity                           37
    Columns                                   10-11
    Ministry                                     12
    The Scene                                   38
    Media Guide                                 43
    What’s Happening                            44
    Obituaries                                45-46

    Top Stories                                3-9
    Church News                               37-41
    Financial Supplement                      13-36

                  O   N the       cO   V er
                                                      Father Chester Smith SVD, guest homilist from Indianapolis,
    Deacon Steven Schumer, who has been               speaks at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Mass.
    recently named president and CEO of
    Catholic Charities, announced the goal
    for the 2020 Annual Appeal during
    a press conference at the agency’s                               PhO       tO S   By DaN caPPeLLaZ    Z O

    administrative offices in Buffalo.                                     S    taF F   PhO tO G raPher

           S   uBM    iS S iO N   DeaDLiNe
                                                                 Ariyanna Rivera, 10, a parishioner at SS.
                                                                 Columba-Brigid Parish makes her way down the
    February 10, 2020 for the March issue.                       aisle with the crucifix during the annual Martin
                                                                 Luther King Jr. Mass.
Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
February 2020                                                                                                                                 Western New York Catholic               3
                                                                                                                                                    TOP STORIES

Bishop Scharfenberger opens up about his hopes for Buffalo
                 By Patrick J. Buechi
                    Staff Reporter

    Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger is a family
man. The Albany bishop who began serving as the
apostolic administrator of the Buffalo Diocese last
December considers himself a “grandpa” who came
along to help his family down the street.
    He sat down recently to talk about his
background and his plans to help the Buffalo Diocese
move forward. He can talk in depth about the his
past and his plans for the Church today, but he often
came back to that image of family, how the people of
the Catholic Church here in Western New York are
family and that they should treat each other as such.

     Tell me a little about your background?
     “Well, I grew up in Brooklyn, actually the border
of Brooklyn and Queens. I grew up in a very multi-
ethnic neighborhood. At the time that was mostly
German, Irish and Italian. Over the years, other
ethnic groups came in from Eastern Europe and
eventually we got more Latinos and Polish people.
It’s been kind to the immigrants, but also tough
on them. Working class people. Good people who
basically took care of their families and tried to earn a
living the honest way. Those are my roots.                                                                                                            DAN CAPPELLAZZO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
     “As I grew up, I actually wanted to be an airline        Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, bishop of Albany, speaks to his role as the apostolic administrator of
pilot first, to tell you the truth. I was fascinated by the   the Diocese of Buffalo.
idea of taking people places. At some point, maybe, I
decided I wanted to take them to higher places, and I         a ‘come Jesus moment’ or some sort of Divine               priest being like a pal or a buddy. That was never my
got the idea that maybe the lord was calling me to be         revelation. Rather, it was something that gradually        perception. I always saw the priest as more as your
a priest.                                                     grew. It was like a seed. I suppose being an altar         coach or even a father figure. I still do to this day, one
     “My dad was so influential in my life. He used           boy had something to do with it and enjoying that.         who coaches his family and tries to encourage his
to take us to places like Maryknoll and to the Shrine         But, it wasn’t just joy in the liturgy, as much as that    children and brothers and sisters to be all they can
of the North American Martyrs. I remember being               is something beautiful. It was something about the         be.
fascinated by their heroism. They went out of their           feeling of being with people who had a real sense
comfort zone to foreign countries, which I found              of purpose that was God-centered and meaningful.               In light of all this, as the shepherd of the
attractive, you know, different cultures, but also            I didn’t understand (the mission) as a teenager. I         priests, what do you tell the priests?
was intrigued by the great risks that they took. I            suppose it kind of crystalized when I was around 12.           “First of all, be yourself. Trust that God loves
wondered, where do they get all this? So, I admire            At that time, we had to choose which high school to        you. You start with the fact that, first of all, the
that. So, I saw a priest as a bit of a missionary – one       go to. (On the advice of a priest he admired, he chose     priest is a man and a baptized Christian. What
who was going to try to bring people to a better place        the preparatory seminary.)                                 does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to
or at least go to a place where people didn’t know                “Most of us came from pretty stable Catholic           be a Christian? You can’t separate the two. We’re
things could be better.                                       families. It was much different from what a lot of         not spirits. We’re incarnate spirits. So, you start
     “I guess that’s part of who I am. I am attracted         young people face today with so much instability           fundamentally with who you are as a man – and
to adventure and I find being in Albany, that was an          in society and in their home situations. We did live       that means your character, your history, your
adventure. They shipped me right off up the river.            in what you could generally call a Catholic culture,       experience, your drives and passions, how the
I didn’t expect that to happen. It brought me closer          which is a bit harder to discern in our present society.   seed that God planted in you at baptism will
to the North American Martyrs, because they’re                As Pope Francis has pointed out, there are so many         sanctify you. And how it is that your specific
right up there too. It was like God was saying, ‘This         other ways that people discover their calling to what      vocation call has called you to be a Christian man
is where you got the roots of your vocation, so this is       they should do with their lives. We had the clear          in a specific way. Be who you are – the loving son
where you can live it out.’ This is my new adventure          sense that priests were very highly respected people       of God – but recognize that you are in a position
in Buffalo. The way I see it, I want to help the family       in the community. Wanting to become a priest was as        that God called you to be in relationship with
down the street.”                                             respected as wanting to become a doctor.                   the community. The definition of who you are,
                                                                                                                         is not just who you are as an individual, but you
   Was there a moment when you decided,                           Bishop Scharfenberger went on to describe a shift      have a unique and unbreakable relationship with
that you were definitely going to be a priest?                in the perception of the priesthood.                       the community, the Church. That’s your family
   “No, it wasn’t that way with me. I didn’t have                 “I never saw the priesthood, then or now, as a                                             See Bishop page 4
Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
4    Western New York Catholic                                                                                                                                    February 2020
     TOP STORIES

Bishop Ed sees his role as one of a ‘father’- supporting a family
             From page 3                                                                                                                 not we take that tool that Chapter 11
and with it comes an awesome                                                                                                             provides – it’s a legal tool when an
responsibility.”                                                                                                                         organization is at a point in which
                                                                                                                                         they need some assistance to deal
    You’ve been in the Diocese of                                                                                                        with challenging circumstances while
Buffalo for a little over a month                                                                                                        remaining true to their mission. It’s
now, what have you seen? What                                                                                                            possible that pursuing a Chapter 11
have you learned about it?                                                                                                               reorganization process will be in the
    “Enough to know it has good                                                                                                          best interest of all, beginning with
bakeries. Enough to know it has good                                                                                                     those who have been harmed and are
restaurants. Enough to know, most                                                                                                        intent on pursuing restorative justice.
importantly, it’s got so many wonderful                                                                                                  We’re considering all options, and
people. I found great warmth and                                                                                                         we will only choose that option if we
great passion in the people. I love the                                                                                                  conclude that this is a course that
multiethnic character of this part of                                                                                                    serves our essential needs to bring
New York. It reminds me in some ways                                                                                                     about healing and reconciliation
of Brooklyn. I like the neighborhoods.                                                                                                   and continue the vital work of
I’ve been to a few of them. I was at                                                                          COURTESY OF KEVIN KEENAN   evangelization, outreach and ministry
St. Gabriel’s on Sunday (Jan. 12), one      Bishop Edward Scharfenberger attends the Movement to Restore Trust                           that accomplishes so much good each
of our larger parishes. I’ve been to        “Path Forward” symposium held Dec. 7 at Canisius College. The symposium                      and every day.
the cathedral. I’ve been down to the        developed an initial list of desired qualities the laity, clergy and religious of
Mother Teresa Home in the Broadway-         the Diocese of Buffalo would like to see in their next bishop.                                  Have you met with any of the
Fillmore neighborhood of East Buffalo.                                                                                                   abuse victims?
As I’m getting around, I’m finding the      an atmosphere where everyone can           their enthusiasm to really help the                  “Yes, for sure. I continue to meet
diversity and richness of the people        come to the table, everyone has a voice    Church in Buffalo. They’re focused on             with those who have been harmed,
present here.”                              and we will listen to one another?         what can be done, and their passion               almost every other day I meet with
                                                 “Clearly there are important          to do that. One of the questions that             someone who has experienced abuse.”
     When you introduced yourself           decisions to be made, and we all know      came up was, ‘What should be the
to the diocese, you said you had            that; decisions that involve the lives     qualities of the next bishop?’ They did                How does healing begin?
no marching orders from the                 of those who feel they have not been       a very impressive survey. You could                    “It begins with relationship. It
Vatican. What is it you want to             heard, certainly the victims-survivors     see the qualities – being a good listen,          begins with the conversation. That’s
accomplish?                                 of abuse. The financial situation that     being able to connect with people,                why I always repeat again and again,
     “Whatever is necessary in order to     we face in the diocese; something has      having vision. It was wonderful just              if you are a survivor, if you’re alone or
bring what this community most needs        to be addressed realistically going        to experience their enthusiasm and                you’re suffering in any way, please give
at this time. How do you characterize       forward. A very important thing is         their desire to help. I said, ‘Wow, if this       us a call, please come forward, please
that? Well, I’ve been told that there are   the cultivation of vocations to the        kind of enthusiasm exists, seemingly              let us walk with you, hear your story.
5-alarm fires going on. So, what are the    priesthood and religious life and to the   so organized, this is probably a                  One of the things I want to be sensitive
fires? What needs to be put out? What       diaconate. And in a more fundamental       microcosm of what any parish can be.’”            to is to accept every person who has
needs to be immediately attended            way, the health of families.                                                                 had an experience of abuse, treat that
to? And, of course, it’s worth figuring          “I see my role as basically to            You have spoken about                         person as the unique child of God
out how the fire started in the first       respect, listen to one another, hear one   the possibility of Chapter 11                     that he or she is. The conversation,
place. There is a real eagerness to get     another, to identify where the pain        reorganization. What can you tell                 the relationship that they would need
things right and to return to a sense of    is. It’s basically what a priest does.     us about that now?                                or seek, the integration they may be
‘normalcy.’ I do want people to be able     You shepherd, you father, you lead,            “Reorganization always has to                 looking for in their lives, it may be
to at least talk to one another, to have    you work toward healing, you try to        take place. Actually, any organization            dealing with certain memories, certain
conversations, to listen. So, I feel one    create conditions in which the garden      that is not reorganizing regularly is             psychological challenges. It may be
of my first roles is to listen to what’s    can grow, in which the people can          going to stagnate or even die. So,                relational challenges in their lives that
on people’s minds. I want to hear what      become who they are and know they          reorganization is strategic planning,             affect them.
people feel is important and urgent in      are respected. You’re not going to see     looking at the future, setting goals,                  “The victims of sexual abuse
their lives now. I want conversation. I     in me somebody who’s here to throw         realigning priorities, clarifying your            suffer from real trauma, and all
want everyone to feel they have a voice.    people out or to lecture people on what    vision, defining clear action steps as to         sorts of things can make it difficult
Families don’t picket each other. What      they should or shouldn’t do. I want to     how to get where you need to go. So,              to live everyday life, not only the
is it that leaves people to feel that the   encourage people to follow their best      this is something we are doing now and            reoccurrence of specific memories, but
only way they can get a message out         instincts, their conscience.”              we must continue to do it. The same               also of experiences that may trigger
to their families is to hold up a sign?                                                principles that drive any successful              some of the emotions. I think we
That suggests to me a breakdown in             You attended a meeting with             organization, including the Church,               really need to become more aware of
communication, that someone feels           the Movement to Restore Trust.             apply, whether you use Chapter 11 or              the plight of those around us who are
they can’t be heard unless they shout or    Tell me about that?                        not.                                              suffering in silence. We can’t allow
scream or protest. How can we create           “The great takeaway for me was              “We will soon decide whether or               that to happen.”
Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
February 2020                                                                                                                  Western New York Catholic         5
                                                                                                                                     TOP STORIES

Catholic Charities kicks off Appeal 2020 $10 million goal
              By Patrick J. Buechi                    Charities does, client Todd Ventura spoke on how      rivaled by the commitment, character and love that
                 Staff Reporter                       the social service agency helped his family.          the folks working there provide to the community,”
                                                          “My family has had to overcome many obstacles     said Ventura. “Catholic Charities was able to help
    Catholic Charities announced the launch of        in the past four or so years and Catholic Charities   mend my family and we will be forever grateful.”
Appeal 2020 with a goal of $10 million on Jan.        has helped us navigate through the difficult times.       This year’s $10 million is 1 million less than last
14. Using the theme “Think of Me,” Catholic           Our family is thankful for all the love and support   year’s goal. The decrease recognizes the challenges
Charities hopes people think of their neighbors       we’ve been given as well,” he said.                   associated with raising a significant amount of
when donating. “Essentially, the person Christ            Five years ago, the Ventura family was living     money, while also realizing the ongoing need for
commands us to love,” said Rick Cronin, this year’s   near Raleigh, N.C., when Todd’s wife left. A back     the critical programs Catholic Charities provides.
appeal chair.                                         injury has left Ventura disabled and unable to        This is not the first time the goal has been lowered.
    The annual appeal funds 51 programs and           work, so the now single father of four moved back         As with last year, donors can designate their
services administered by Catholic Charities, which    home to Buffalo with his kids.                        appeal gift choosing from three options. Option
helped 160,000 people in 2019.                            “I came to Catholic Charities a weary,            one is giving to the appeal as in the past. These
    This year’s appeal will be the first for          heartbroken man with four kids that were equally      donations benefit Catholic Charities and Fund for
Deacon Steven Schumer, who was recently               heartbroken.”                                         the Faith. Option two is to give 100 percent of their
named president and CEO of the social                     He sought out help from Catholic Charities,       gift to Catholic Charities. Option three is to give
service organization, and Bishop Edward B.            which offered counseling, as well help paying for     100 percent of their gift to Fund for the Faith. The
Scharfenberger, who began serving as apostolic        gas bills and Christmas presents.                     Fund for the Faith helps to continue the mission of
administrator of the Buffalo Diocese in December.         “(Counselor) Maria Anderson was able to           diocesan ministries.
    Since arriving in Buffalo, Bishop                 reach my daughter in a way that no other person            The patron saint of Appeal 2020 is St. Joseph,
Scharfenberger, who remains bishop of Albany,         could,” Ventura explained. “I could see the change    patron of the Buffalo Diocese. “He knew well the
has considered himself a grandfather who came         in my children from seeing Maria. Before going to     threats of persecution, poverty and uncertainty.
down the street to help his family.                   counseling with Maria Anderson, my children were      But, St. Joseph trusted God, he persevered and he
    “I like to think of everything we do as family    dealing with so much inner turmoil from their         succeeded,” Bishop Scharfenberger said.
helping family,” he said at the appeal kickoff.       mother leaving and subsequent absence in their            To make a donation to Appeal 2020 contact
“That’s what Catholic Charities is all about. It’s    lives. Miss Anderson was able to break through        Catholic Charities at 716-218-1400 or visit ccwny.
people helping people.”                               and teach them coping skills for dealing with their   org. Follow Catholic Charities on Facebook,
    To describe the good works that Catholic          grief and anger. … The services they offer are only   Twitter and Instagram.

                                                                                Think of all the
                                                                                people you can help.
                                                                                Think of the young student struggling in school because of challenges
                                                                                at home or with peers. Think of the single parent burdened by poverty.
                                                                                Think of the college student needing a space to be and to grow in faith.
                                                                                Think of those who are sick or in nursing homes lacking spiritual care.
                                                                                Catholic Charities’ many services help those most in need and vulnerable,
                                                                                and Fund for the Faith ministries help meet the spiritual needs of
                                                                                Western New York Catholics.

                                                                                 Last year, Catholic Charities impacted the lives of more than 160,000
                                                                                 individuals. For nearly a century, your generosity has supported our
                                                                                 neighbors in all eight counties. Please continue that legacy of hope
                                                                                 this year.

                                                                                Think of all the people you can help and the lives you can change.

                                                                                PLEASE SUPPORT APPEAL 2020
                                        FUND FOR THE FAITH
                                        Ministries                               DONATE BY PHONE            DONATE ONLINE
                                                                                716-218-1400                CCWNY.ORG
Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
6    Western New York Catholic                                                                                                                          February 2020
     TOP STORIES

Diocese continues pastoral response to addiction crisis
       By Patrick J. Buechi              explained.
          Staff Reporter                     Nathan, 24, used to date
                                         Joanne. He went to ECMC for
     Last October, Cheryl Calire met     a five-day detox. He then went
Joanne, a 28-year-old who had            through a 28-day rehab treatment
progressed from using marijuana          program. He is now taking
and opioid pills to shooting up          vocational programs while living in
drugs. Her arms were badly               a halfway house in the Bronx. He
abscessed and became infected.           can stay there as long as he looks
The abscesses would have probably        for a job and attends meetings.
killed her before a drug overdose        Joanne went through same process,
would. Having burned her bridges         but discovered some mental
with family and friends, she called      health issues. Calire visits her in
Calire, admitting she was desperate      Rochester to work on a plan with
for help.                                her counselor.
     “When you get those kinds of            Avi Israel calls Calire “good
calls in the middle of the night,        people.” He and his wife started the
you sit there and you think, what        not-for-profit organization Save
if I didn’t answer my phone or           the Michaels of the World to reach
this person didn’t know how to get       out to schools and professional
a hold of me? Then what? It put          organizations to spread the
a whole new spin on it for me,”          awareness of the dangers of
Calire said, reflecting on the fateful   opioids. The Israels’ had a son who
night. “We need to do a better job       killed himself while undergoing
educating people that there are          opioid withdrawal.
places they can reach out to and             Michael Israel had Crohn’s
there are people they need to follow     Disease. He was given opioids after                                          PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAN CAPPELLAZZO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
up with.”                                surgery at age 17. He died at 20. It   Opioids are still a problem, but there are people and agencies available to
     Calire, the director of the Pro-    is not uncommon for people to get      help.
Life Activities for the Diocese of       hooked on opioids through medical
Buffalo, has broadened the list of       prescriptions. Some studies say 80     office with a couple volunteers         addiction,” Israel said. “One of
threats to the sacredness of human       percent of people who use heroin       and started setting up beds for         the hardest things for people
life to include drug addiction.          started out on painkillers.            addicts and transporting them into      is to navigate our health care
She now works with Saving the                “We became an advocacy group       treatment.                              system. Our health care system
Michaels of the World and WNY            to change some laws,” Israel               Save the Michaels of the World      is complicated, especially when
United Against Drugs & Alcohol           said, explaining his frustration       is not a rehab center itself, but       it comes to addiction and mental
Abuse to better communicate              in a system that allowed his son       offers transportation to those          health. Basically, people get treated
issues of drug abuse and treatment,      to get addicted to opioids. Save       centers.                                like lepers. They get treated with
so people dealing with addiction         the Michael’s pushed for ISTOP             They provide a nurturing and        disrespect. They get treated like
don’t have to worry about that one       legislation that was passed. The       supportive environment to parents,      they did it to themselves.”
person picking up the phone.             Internet System for Tracking           grandparents and spouses while              Western New York has three
     Calire is not a drug counselor,     Opioid Prescriptions prevents a        their loved one are in treatment,       detox centers – ECMC, Horizon
but she knows how people can             prescription from being filled out     practicing that they call wrap-         Village Inc. and First Step in
become alone and in trouble. She         by multiple pharmacies. “Eight         around care before, during and          Niagara Falls. Israel said it’s hard
placed the phone calls to Save the       years ago, you could go to four or     after treatment. The organization       to get a bed. Detox centers only
Michaels of the World and Western        five different pharmacies and get      now has 27 people working in two        accept intravenous users. The
New York United Against Drug             a prescription filled for the same     locations, one in Buffalo and one       thought being, only people who
and Alcohol Abuse to get help for        medication as long as you paid in      in Lockport, driving five vehicles      shoot up are in danger.
Joanne.                                  cash. There was no tracking of it.     that have made over 400 trips,              “If you use cocaine laced with
     “My struggle lasted a full month    CVS did not know what Walgreens        over 140,000 miles in 2019. They        Fentanyl, you will not get a bed.
of trying to get her to go to ECMC       was filling and Walgreens did not      have helped over 2,800 people get       You’ll get sent home. So, you go
so that she could go through detox,      know what Rite-Aid was filling. You    connected with recovery coaches,        right back and use again,” he said.
so that we could get her into some       can’t do that anymore,” said Israel.   which they train. An average of             Save the Michaels keep an eye
type of rehab. She three times               He noticed three years ago, that   600 people attend group meetings        on patients and advocates for them.
totally stood me up of going at          some things still had not changed.     each month hosted by Save the           Once they are out of treatment,
all. The final straw for her was a       Access to treatment is still very      Michaels.                               they can join one of the groups.
below 30-degree night where she          difficult for people and physically        “That’s what we do. We help         They will still make weekly phone
was literally on the street with         getting to treatment centers           keep people alive until they            calls to see how they are.
absolutely no where to go,” Calire       was difficult. Israel got a small      can overcome their disease of                            See Education page 8
Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
February 2020                                                                                                               Western New York Catholic            7
                                                                                                                                  TOP STORIES

Stories from the Border: The Broken Body of Christ
    The Kino Border Initiative, with operations
in both Nogales Ariz. and Nogales, Sonora,
Mexico was begun a little over 10 years ago by
uniting six Catholic organizations including
Jesuit Refugee Services, the California Province
of the Society of Jesus, and the Missionary
Sisters of the Eucharist. Kino’s purpose is
to break down barriers to humane, just, and
workable migration, affirming human dignity
and solidarity. KBI gives direct assistance and
accompanies migrants, educates communities
on both sides of the border, and collaborates
with networks of research and advocacy to
transform policy at all levels of government.
    In mid-December, Deacon Don Weigel,
diocesan director of Catholic Relief Services,
and Mike Hayes, Campus Ministry director
at Canisius College and a deacon candidate,
traveled to the Kino Border Initiative on
the U.S./Mexico border. We share their                                                                                                COURTESY OF DEACON DON WEIGEL
recollections as they accompanied deportees         A mother and her small child enjoy a meal together at the Kino Border Initiative, where they await
and asylum-seekers and now re-tell their            asylum in the United States.
stories.
    Mike: “We started our first day with                Deacon Don: “One such story was that of          Wiping down the tables and collecting the
orientation at Kino’s U.S. office in Nogales,       Maria and her family. Maria and her sister own       fragments of tortilla shells reminded me of
Ariz., where the indefatigable Lizzie Williams,     a store in the southern part of Mexico. When         the Eucharist, and how even in the fragments
Kino’s coordinator of volunteers, walked us         the local cartel threatened them violence if they    of bread Christ is truly present. The tortilla
through some basic information about the            did not pay “protection” money that they do not      shell fragments were a reminder of the broken
migrants’ plight and the history of Kino’s          have, they fled their homes with their children      body of Christ that was in our midst. We are a
service to the migrant community.”                  and sought asylum at the U.S. border.                fractured people, and I cannot idly stand by and
    Deacon Don: “As soon we walked into the             Unfortunately for Maria, she was put on          not notice when one member, nay, nearly 700
comedor (dining hall) at Kino, we were stunned      a bus that she was told was going to Tucson,         are hurting.”
by the smallness of the room. Feeding nearly        Ariz., but was actually headed for Juarez,               Deacon Don: “I could not help but be
three hundred people twice a day in this small      Mexico under the administration’s “Remain in         reminded of the Holy Family as they fled the
area seemed like a nearly impossible task. And      Mexico” policy. While in Juarez, she was abused      violence around them and sought safety in a
yet, once we arrived and set into our tasks, we     by the “national guard” of Mexico, and she fled      foreign land. And I was particularly moved
realized that all the hands of the volunteers       back to Nogales for safety. Her asylum claim         by the determination and courage of so many
made this effort possible.                          remains in limbo now.”                               of those we met to exercise their right to lead
    “And then they arrived, those who came for          Mike: “We also met Roger who had                 dignified lives, and ultimately thrive.”
one of two hot meals served every day, lining up    entered the U.S. with his wife on a work visa
for over an hour, creating a river of humanity      25 years ago. When their visas expired, they
from the front door and down the street. They       remained in the country, working, raising five
come early because the San Juan Bosco Migrant       children (who are U.S. citizens), paying taxes,
Shelter requires them to leave their housing        attending church, and being a part of the
at 7 a.m. and not return until 5 p.m. With          community. Roger was stopped for an improper
nowhere else to go, they come to the comedor,       transportation sticker on his truck and when
visiting with each other, and sharing stories and   they checked his status, they deported him
information about their asylum claims or their      back to Mexico, where he has no family, no
deportation experience.”                            connections, and is now separated from his wife
    Mike: “One recent change in clientele stood     and children.”
out. Lizzie told us, ‘We used to serve mostly           Deacon Don: “There are no easy solutions to
men, about 100-150 per day, mostly Central          immigration issues, and every story we heard
American. We would never see children and           had complications and twists that not only
very few women. Now in the last two years           touched our hearts, but made us realize that
or so, we serve mostly families. Most of the        each person’s history and situation does not fit
migrants now are not from Central America           easily into rules and regulations that we create
                                                                                                                                       COURTESY OF DEACON DON WEIGEL
either, but rather from Cuba, Venezuela and         in order to ‘manage’ the movement of people
nearby Mexican cities that are being overrun by     across the border.”                                   A painting of the Last Supper on the wall of the
the drug cartels.’”                                     Mike: “The simplest act got me crying.            comedor (dining hall) at Kino Border Initiative.
Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
8     Western New York Catholic                                                                                                                                      February 2020
      TOP STORIES

East Side parish celebrates Three Kings Day with house blessing
        By Patrick J. Buechi                                                                                                                      “I was very excited about it,”
           Staff Reporter                                                                                                                    Eileen Hodson added. “We have a
                                                                                                                                             Polish friend who does this tradition.
    The 12 days of Christmas ends on                                                                                                         Every time we go to her house,
the Feast of the Epiphany, also known                                                                                                        she has her door marked. She has
as Three Kings Day, which marks the                                                                                                          explained the tradition to us in the
day the magi visited the baby Jesus.                                                                                                         past. I think at one time we had a
Father William “Jud” Weiksnar,                                                                                                               priest at St. Greg’s (in Williamsville)
OFM, and a small team from SS.                                                                                                               who talked about this and had given
Columba-Brigid Parish on Buffalo’s                                                                                                           us each a little piece of chalk to
West Side celebrate the day with a                                                                                                           take home.” She is eager to join her
European tradition of visiting and                                                                                                           husband in his ministry. “Whatever
blessing houses of their parishioners.                                                                                                       he’s doing, I try to jump on board,”
    On Jan. 4, the three kings were                                                                                                          she said.
actually two kings and two queens                                                                                                                 To further drive their purpose, the
as Father Weiksnar was joined by                                                                                                             team wore gold crowns purchased
Deacon Jerry Hodson, his wife Eileen,                                                                                                        from Party City. When Father
and SS. Columba-Brigid pastoral                                                                         DAN CAPPELLAZZO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER   Weiksnar heard a siren, he wondered
associate Paula Hunt. Armed with              Christina Ade chalks the door to the family’s apartment as her mother Harriet                  if there was a report of “three strange
a list of 33 homes, holy water and            Dumo, sister Estella Ade and Father William “Jud” Weiksnar of SS. Columba-                     people walking and trying to enter
chalk, the team would approach                Brigid Church look on. Father Weiksnar blessed over 30 homes as part of the                    houses.”
each house, mark it with chalk and            Three Kings Blessing to ring in 2020.                                                               Maria Dijols asked for her
say a prayer before sprinkling holy                                                                                                          house to be blessed to protect it
water on the front door. The doors            parishioners really enjoy it. And they       Hodson gets excited whenever he has               from the dangers of her East Side
are marked 20+C+M+B+20, which                 enjoy seeing their deacon or their           the opportunity to bless people. “I               neighborhood. “There’s so much
means in the year 2020 Caspar,                pastor come to visit their house too,”       blessed my daughter this morning.                 violence,” she said. “We want to
Melchior and Balthasar, the three             explained Father Weiksnar.                   She’s returning to med school. But,               protect the house, protect the family.”
kings, have visited this house. It also           Sometimes the families invite            this is my first time blessing people in               The tradition of marking and
stands for “Christus mansionem                them in for hot chocolate or coffee.         their homes,” he said.                            blessing houses has its origins in
benedicat,” which translates to “may              On Jan. 4, the team ran into a               He and Eileen were introduced                 Eastern Europe beginning centuries
God bless this house.”                        parishioner on the street, who wasn’t        to the practice of the Three Kings                ago. The day holds a special place
    “We like to invite (the families)         on the list, but gave his address and it     unknowingly several years ago while               in Latin American and Spanish
to be a part of it, especially if there       was added.                                   visiting the Czech Republic.                      households.
are children there, to have them                  “Sometimes somebody who is on                “We stayed at a big church with a                  Father Weiksnar learned of it
write maybe the letters, the C, the M         the list will say, ‘Could you go bless       monastery,” Deacon Hodson recalled.               during his time in Camden, N.J. He
or the B. And have the adults in the          my neighbor’s house. They’re having          “As we walked in all of the doorposts             has brought blessings, not only to the
household also participate by maybe           a really difficult year.’ So we’ll do that   had the Roman numerals on it. We                  houses surrounding his parish, but
writing the 20 for 2020. I think they         and we meet people that way,” Father         had no idea what it was. We had                   as far away as West Seneca. A Three
like being a part of it too. It’s a family-   Weiksnar said.                               never heard of that. We’re kind of                Kings party followed the 4 p.m. Mass
oriented devotion. I think most                   Ordained this past May, Deacon           putting the two together.”                        at SS. Columba-Brigid.

Education leads to understanding of opioid addiction
                    From page 6                              community mobilization specialist for WNY                     to help people support them through their
   “Addiction is a disease. How it starts is not             United, to form a pastoral response to the                    recovery, how to help families who are dealing
really important, it’s the fact that people suffer           addiction problem that was peaking at that                    with this,” Boyle said.
from it and people die from it. People die from              point. They presented a series of conferences                     The diocese has recruited 70 addiction
addiction faster than people with breast cancer,             throughout the diocese with experts such as                   advocates in the parishes. These people will
yet it doesn’t get the same attention. Addiction             Paul Updike who spoke of addiction as a doctor                not counsel, but give tools and information to
can kill you as fast as a massive heart attack,”             and faithful Catholic.                                        understand addiction, reduce the stigma, and
Israel said.                                                    “The goal of these conferences is to                       provide support in getting help. And they can
   WNY United Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse                   educate church leaders; whether it’s the clergy               turn to the Church to find this.
Inc. is a prevention and education agency that               themselves or a lay person that they designated                   If you know some who has a problem with
goes into the community to train and mobilize                to help them understand what the nature is of                 drugs or alcohol call Save the Michaels – Buffalo
schools and communities to implement proven                  addiction, how the disease takes hold, how the                office at 716- 984-8375 or Lockport office at
strategies that prevent the abuse of alcohol,                disease progresses, and what can be done to                   716-302-3960; WNY United Against Drug &
tobacco and other dangerous drugs.                           reverse that. What can be done to help these                  Alcohol Abuse at 716-821-7722, or the office of
   Back in 2016, Calire met with Sue Boyle,                  people to recover. So, get into treatment, how                Pro-Life Activities for referrals at 716-847-2205.
Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
February 2020                                                                                                                       Western New York Catholic              9
                                                                                                                                          TOP STORIES

Father Bill Quinlivan celebrates his brother priests on new CD
              By Patrick J. Buechi
                 Staff Reporter

    At a time when the priesthood and the
Catholic Church is under fire for abuse, Father
Bill Quinlivan recorded a CD honoring his fellow
priests.
    “This is either the worst time to do this or
the best time,” he said describing “I Call You
Brothers.” The 14 songs and 10 prayers that make
up his ninth CD serve as a sort of travelogue for
a priest’s life. The disc begins with a Prayer for
Newly-Ordained Priests, continues through the
celebration of fraternity in “I Call You Brothers,”
on to the Prayer for a 25th Jubilee, a celebration
of a “Life in Service,” then closing with a Prayer
for Priests who Have Died and the light ballad “I’ll
Lead You Through.”
    “I think in my own personal time of prayer,
in the pain and turmoil of the accusations and
allegations and the lawsuits, I kept reaching for
something to connect to the true meaning of
priesthood, which is disfigured when the priest is
accused of serious sin and scandalous behavior.
It’s not the true image of the priesthood. I think
every priest in his own conscience, his own heart                                                                                           DAN CAPPELLAZZO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
has to be aware to stay close to the Lord,” he said.    Father Bill Quinlivan, pastor of St. Martin of Tours and St. Thomas Aquinas, sits at the piano at St.
    This collection is a sequel of sorts to “Priest     Martin s s a rolific writer of an original ra erful ieces usic inistr has alwa s een a ig art
of Mine” which came out in 2009. “From time to          of his message. His latest CD release, “I Call you Brothers” features songs and prayers aimed at his
time an idea comes about a song about priesthood        fellow priests.
and I would put it aside,” he explained, adding
that other songs were conceived for specific            people need to know for sure,” he said.                      He did, however keep his sense of humor. In
occasions.                                                  A friend in Ireland, Father Brendan Quinlivan        “Same Scent,” based on Pope Francis saying that
    One song was first written as a prayer for          will play that song and others in his ClareFM radio      shepherds should smell like their sheep, he offers
Father Sean Paul Fleming, who spent a summer            station, taking Father Bill’s music international.       the tongue-twisting lyric in “shepherd, sheep,
assignment with Father Quinlivan. It became a           “Which is thrilling to me,” he said, adding Father       same scent.”
song only recently. “When he came to ordination         Brenden has an historical Mass rock within his               Reflecting on his own priesthood, Father
day I wrote the (lyric). The lyric, ‘Ordination Day’    parish.                                                  Quinlivan called the past 25 years, “an
didn’t have a melody until a good seven years               Father Quinlivan often writes songs on retreat       astoundingly surprising ride.”
later.”                                                 with other priests. “Life in Service” is written for          “When I look back over my 25 years, I think of
    “The Life of a Priest” was written for Father       retired priests looking back over their lives. “I        a lot the priests who have set a good example for
Leon Biernat’s 25th anniversary three years             guess as the effects of aging hit me as I’m about to     me, those who have inspired me, and those who
ago. Father Quinlivan expects to use it when he         turn 60, it’s led me to be more aware of the priests     have been my brothers. I’ve so much been blessed
celebrates his own 25th anniversary this coming         who have given a lot more years to the ministry          by the encouragement of the priests who were my
April.                                                  that I have,” he said.                                   pastors when I was an assistant, of those who had
     Some of the songs were written in prayerful            After 14 years of recording, Father Quinlivan is     been my spiritual directors. At this point I now
response to particular situations that have             starting to build confidence in his musical abilities.   look at those who are coming through seminary
rocked the Church. One song is about a historical       He plays one instrument on each song, rather             or those who are newly ordained, I think I have a
situation about rocks in Ireland.                       than relying on studio musicians as he has in the        responsibility to pay it forward, or pray it forward,
    “Mass Rocks,” which may sound like an upbeat        past. “That was a raising of the bar for me because      to pray for and encourage the younger priests.”
tune, is actually a slow-moving song about Irish        my confidence in my own accompaniment is not                 “I call your Brothers” can be purchased
priests celebrating Mass at clandestine locations       something that I am not very strong on. When I           from the Catholic Union Store, Catholic Shop at
during a time when the Catholic Church was              play live, I say my playing is just good enough that     Southgate Plaza, Tara Gift Shop, OLV Gift Shop,
outlawed in Ireland. “Our Church was suppressed         my singing can cover my mistakes,” he said. He           Our Lady of Fatima Gift Shop and the parish
by an enemy/But our mighty God had a higher             also uses no backup singers and doesn’t even sing        offices of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Martin of
law,” he sings, relating the mid-17th century tale to   harmonies with himself. “I wanted the songs on           Tours in South Buffalo. All of Father Quinlivan’s
a more modern crisis.                                   this album to just be heard with the melody and          CDs are available from iTunes. He is in the process
    “It’s a part of Irish history that a lot of Irish   the lyric. That was a conscience decision to keep it     of making his songs available on streaming
people don’t even know, but I think Irish-Catholic      simpler than I have done it before.”                     services.
Catholic Charities announces 2020 Appeal goal and theme 'Think of Me' - Western New York Catholic
10 Western New York Catholic                                                                                                                                         February 2020
      C O M M E N TA R Y

       Reflecting on Pope Francis’ 2020 World Day of Peace message
    This new year, this new decade,          thought here, we must ask ourselves,                                                           seek the truth beyond ideologies and
begins much like the past year, the          who are the people being exploited?                                                            differing opinions.”
past decade: wars between countries,         Where is the corruption coming from?
                                                                                                                   Making a                     He adds, “Listening to one another
wars within countries, nations around        And to what degree is national and                                    Difference               can lead to mutual understanding and
the globe preparing for future wars          individual selfishness, indifference                                                           esteem, and even to seeing in an enemy
and astronomical military budgets            and moral blindness contributing to                                                By          the face of a brother or sister.”
cemented in place to ensure all this         exploitation and corruption?                                         tO   Ny   M    aG LiaNO
                                                                                                                                                Pope Francis prophetically
unholy madness continues.                        Francis explains that “war is fueled                                                       challenges us to admit our
    As an elixir to this seemingly           by a perversion of relationships, by                                                           unfaithfulness here. “If a mistaken
hopeless trap the world finds itself in,     hegemonic ambitions, by abuses of          witness to succeeding generations to                understanding of our own principles
Pope Francis offers us a hopeful path        power, by fear of others and by seeing     the horror of what happened in August               has at times led us to justify mistreating
forward away from the blood and tears        diversity as an obstacle. And these, in    1945 and the unspeakable sufferings                 nature, to exercise tyranny over
of war.                                      turn, are aggravated by the experience     that have continued to the present                  creation, to engage in war, injustice and
    In his Jan. 1, 2020, World Day of        of war.”                                   time.”                                              acts of violence, we believers should
Peace message, “Peace as a Journey               Reflecting on his recent pastoral          The pope teaches that “social and               acknowledge that by so doing we were
of Hope: Dialogue, Reconciliation            visit to Japan, the Holy Father            economic decisions are being made that              not faithful to the treasures of wisdom
and Ecological Conversion,” the Holy         insightfully declares that “our world      lead to tragic situations where human               which we have been called to protect
Father writes, “Hope is thus the virtue      is paradoxically marked by a perverse      beings and creation itself are discarded            and preserve,” he said.
that inspires us and keeps us moving         dichotomy that tries to defend and         rather than protected and preserved.”                   There is much more in Pope
forward, even when obstacles seem            ensure stability and peace through a           He adds, “There can be no true                  Francis’ World Day of Peace message
insurmountable.”                             false sense of security sustained by a     peace unless we show ourselves capable              for us to sink our moral teeth into. So,
    But fully aware that in order for us     mentality of fear and mistrust, one        of developing a more just economic                  please read and prayerfully reflect on
to move forward we must first honestly       that ends up poisoning relationships       system.”                                            how we can put it into practice in 2020
look at what is holding us back, and         between peoples and obstructing any            Francis says, “The world does                   (see: https://bit.ly/2MpfE73)
why we foolishly hold onto it, Francis       form of dialogue.”                         not need empty words but convinced                      Tony Magliano is an
says, “Entire nations find it difficult to       He adds, “The Hibakusha, the           witnesses, peacemakers who are open                 internationally syndicated social
break free of the chains of exploitation     survivors of the atomic bombs dropped      to a dialogue that rejects exclusion or             justice and peace columnist. He is
and corruption that fuel hatred and          on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are among       manipulation. In fact, we cannot truly              available to speak at diocesan or
violence.”                                   those who currently keep alive the         achieve peace without a convinced                   parish gatherings. Tony can be
    So following the pope’s line of          flame of collective conscience, bearing    dialogue between men and women who                  reached at tmag6@comcast.net.

 Marian consecration and the call to spiritual renewal
    “Where there is unprecedented            Throughout the process, discussion                                                                 The presence of Mary and her role
evil, God wants to give unprecedented        and sharing have added new                   Called to                                         in our faith life has the possibility
grace.” In the introduction to “33           dimensions to the life of the Church.                                                          of modifying our perspectives and
Days to Morning Glory,” Father               Perhaps the spiritual calisthenics of
                                                                                        Abundant Life                                       setting us on a trajectory of deeper
Michael Gaitley, MIC, uses these             January have confused you or made                                                              spiritual life. In the reflections of
words to invite retreatants into             you wonder.                                                By                                  this past month, the saints have
deeper friendship with the Blessed               Regardless of where you are on            S       r.   JO aNNe                             demonstrated that the spiritual
Mother and more intimate union with          the spectrum, we have all had an                  S    uraNNi                                  friendship of Mary draws the faithful
Christ. At the invitation of apostolic       opportunity to stretch both mind and                                                           to Eucharistic Spirituality and the
administrator Bishop Edward                  heart and to engage with the teachings     of our Church has been launched                     heart of Jesus himself. In a profound
Sharfenberger, all the faithful of the       of some great saints. During the past      through the Marian consecration                     and mysterious way, Mary invites us
diocese were invited to take spiritual       several weeks, those who took part in      of thousands of people in local                     to a deeper experience of Christ.
renewal to heart by praying the              the retreat followed in the footsteps of   parishes. Through our consecration,                     Through the diocesan-wide retreat,
reflections in “33 Days to Morning           St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian      we have been invited into deeper                    our temporary shepherd has sounded
Glory.” The culmination of the retreat       Kolbe, St. Teresa of Calcutta and St.      friendship with Our Blessed Mother.                 the call to holiness. Regardless of
was the consecration of the Diocese          John Paul II. Through dedicated            As daughter of the Father, mother of                how we experienced the last month of
of Buffalo to the Immaculate Heart           prayer time each day, participants         Jesus and spouse of the Holy Spirit,                spiritual life, greater prayer, deeper
of Mary during the first weekend in          followed in the footsteps of the saints    the life of God is completely accessible            experience of the Eucharist, and an
February in every parish throughout          and were given the opportunity to          to her. Though human, she is not                    understanding of Mary’s spiritual
the diocese.                                 open their hearts to the promptings        limited by the constraints and wounds               motherhood are keys to the future
    Many Catholics have said that the        and work of the Holy Spirit at this        of sin. Through her we have greater                 vitality of the church. As she nurtured
journey of consecration to Mary has          unique moment in the life of the           access to the life of God because she               the human life of Christ, may all of us
been a difficult spiritual exercise. If      church and our diocese.                    nurtured the human life of Jesus, and               continue to nurture his mystical body
you had difficulty with this exercise,           As the door to the month of            by human birth gave the Son of God to               as we prayerfully support one another
know that you were not alone.                February opens, the spiritual renewal      the world.                                          and share our gifts of grace.
February 2020                                                                                                                                     Western New York Catholic       11
                                                                                                                                                       C O M M E N TA R Y

                                  Pope Francis: Peace as a Journey of Hope
    Every so often there is a segment on                                                       Francis acknowledges that threatening         only to prevent the same errors, but as
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” called,                              Justice                     situations often cause us to retreat into     a memory that can produce inspiration
“This is the kind of story we need right                                                       fear and mistrust. “Mistrust and fear         for new pathways to peace.
now!” One recent story was about
                                                                 Perspective                   weaken relationships and increase the             And he identifies the power of
Tyra Winters, a high school senior                                                             risk of violence, creating a vicious circle   memory for also recalling those
cheerleader in Texas who was riding                                    By                      that can never lead to a relationship         moments when the light of humanity
on a homecoming float when she saw                                 DeacO N DO              N
                                                                                               of peace.” But fear and mistrust can          and solidarity showed through the
a Mom in the crowd calling out for                                   W eiG eL                  be conquered by hope, “the virtue             dark: “What is more, memory is the
help for her toddler who was choking.                                                          that inspires us and keeps us moving          horizon of hope. Many times, in the
Tyra jumped off the float, clapped the       and all people of good will. He has               forward, even when obstacles seem             darkness of wars and conflicts, the
toddler on the back until the piece of       divided his message into sections that            insurmountable.”                              remembrance of even a small gesture
candy that was stuck in his throat was       give us messages to lift us up from the               Peace, a journey of listening based       of solidarity received can lead to
dislodged, and then ran and jumped           situations we confront that can cause             on memory, solidarity, fraternity. This       courageous and even heroic decisions.
back on the float!                           us to lose confidence in humankind and            section is the most poignant, reflecting      It can unleash new energies and
    In the midst of news that can            even lead us to the edge of despair.              on his recent visit to Hiroshima and          kindle new hope in individuals and
seem bleak and depressing, stories                Instead, the Pope focuses our                Nagasaki and on the experience of             communities.”
like this can lift our spirits and restore   attention on the possibility of peace and         the survivors, who “are among those               He concluded by reminding us what
our faith in humanity. I had a similar       reminds us that the goal of bringing              who currently keep alive the flame of         should be obvious, that “Peace will
feeling when I read Pope Francis’ latest     peace to the world is an effort that              collective conscience, bearing witness        not be obtained unless it is hoped for.”
message for the 53rd World Day of            is a worthy aspiration, and is only               to succeeding generations to the horror       But his point is well taken – unless we
Peace entitled, “Peace as a journey of       accomplished as the completion of a               of what happened in August 1945 and           actively hope for peace, work for peace,
hope: dialogue, reconciliation, and          journey. He writes, “Peace is a great             the unspeakable sufferings that have          pray for peace, and act to bring about
ecological conversion.” I thought to         and precious value, the object of our             continued to the present time.”               peace, it will never become a reality.
myself, “This is the kind of message we      hope and the aspiration of the entire                 Rather than turn away from                    Deacon Don is the Diocesan
need right now!”.                            human family”.                                    the remembrance of those horrible             Director for Catholic Relief Services
    Pope Francis once again delivers a            Peace, a journey of hope in the              atrocities, the Pope makes it clear that      and can be reached at deacondon@
message that brings hope to the faithful     face of obstacles and trial. Pope                 the memory of the past is important not       gmail.com.

  ‘For a famine had gripped the whole world’ Gen. 41:57
    As I write this reflection, wildfires                                                      pollen taken from sediment deep               shows that temperatures in Greenland
ravage Australia, attributed to                                                                beneath the Sea of Galilee. Pollen            rose around 1200 BC and the glacier
record high temperatures and record
                                                              Pondering with                   would be deposited in the sea by              began to melt, releasing cold water
low rainfall. Famine threatens                                 God’s Word                      winds blowing over the surrounding            into the Atlantic and eventually into
lives in several countries of Africa                                                           regions. These samples show that              the Mediterranean Ocean. This led to
accompanied by mass migrations (e.g.,                                            By            vegetation changed from that found            a decrease in evaporation from the sea
Zambia); again attributed to drought.                               S   r.   M     ariO N      in a temperate climate, trees and             and therefore less rainfall, a situation
    Concerns about the lack of rain                                     M        O eS er       grains, to vegetation from arid lands,        lasting almost 200 years.
and famine are often expressed in                                                              e.g., shrubs; this occurred during                 Hoppe concludes his writing thus:
the Old Testament. Moreover, the             no doubt meant as a call to worship               the Bronze Age. Former thriving               “Since it seems that climate change
worship of false gods, particularly          Yahweh alone. Psalm 68:11 thanks the              agriculture would disappear along             and migrations contributed to the
Baal the Canaanite god of the weather,       LORD for rain, “given to the poor in              with animals. Inhabitants would               collapse of the Bronze Age world, one
was often condemned. Since rain was          their need,” clearly expressing a lived           migrate in search of food and water.          might reasonably ask whether the
needed for crops, animals could not          reality or a community memory. What               Recall that the patriarch Jacob sent his      same will happen again to our world?
survive, hence no food for humans.           would cause a lack of rain and a deadly           ten sons south to Egypt to purchase           It is by no means clear, of course, that
Which god would provide rain? The            famine?                                           food supplies because of a severe             we will go the way of the ... (ancient
story of Elijah’s contest with the               Recent scientific studies shed                famine (Gen. 42:1-2). Moreover, the           cultures) … , but there are more
prophets of Baal illustrates this (1         light on this question as well as the             pollen samples indicate that eventually       similarities than one might expect
Kings 18). The narrative begins by           disappearance of highly developed                 temperate vegetation began to return;         between our world today and theirs
noting a famine in Samaria. Elijah           empires in ancient Greece, Turkey,                other peoples moved into the lands,           back then.”
warns the people about “straddling”          Canaan, and Egypt during the Bronze               including the Israelites. These pollen             In his encyclical, On Care for
the issue, that is, praying to the LORD      Age (1500-1200 BC). Leslie J. Hoppe,              studies show that a famine did indeed         our Common Home, Pope Francis,
(Yahweh) and to Baal. A contest              OFM, an Old Testament scholar who                 occur and this could account for the          while acknowledging the current
ensues and the prophets of Baal              studies the archaeology of the biblical           demise of great nations.                      debate on the topic of climate change,
cannot produce fire to begin a sacrifice     lands has written about the climate                   The question remains: What                nonetheless writes: “But we need only
to this Baal, but Elijah succeeds with       change which took place during                    caused this climate change? For this          to take a frank look at the facts to see
fire for his sacrifice to Yahweh and “a      this time. He reports on scientific               Hoppe turns to scientific studies of          that our common home is falling into
heavy rain” ensues. This narrative was       studies of boring samples containing              the Greenland Ice Sheet. The research         serious disrepair” (61).
12 Western New York Catholic                                                                                                                                                    February 2020
     MINISTRY

                                                   I Believe in Miracles
         By LiNDa keNNarD                 member to bring a story about mom          of peace wash over me. It was                        away; but something told me to keep
                                          to share. I wanted my new daughter-        the answer to my prayer. I had                       it.
    St. Therese. The saint I always       in-law to get to know this amazing         witnessed a miracle, and I knew                          I knew this first Christmas
associated with my mother.                woman, and I planned on collecting         St. Therese would make sure mom                      without mom was going to be
Although my mother was named              all of these stories into a book for       was watching. The dinner, and the                    difficult. In years past, I would call
after her grandmother, as was Italian     future generations.                        evening, was everything I had hoped                  her to share the treasures I found
tradition, the name handed down               I worried that our “celebration”       it would be.                                         for family members. We would talk
came from St. Therese. After reading                                                                                                      a couple of times a week throughout
about her life, I decided to take                                                                                                         December. This year, I often picked
Therese for my confirmation name.                                                                                                         up the phone to call her, only to
    I don’t remember when I started                                                                                                       remind myself that she wasn’t there.
making novenas to St. Therese,                                                                                                            I talked to her anyway, hoping she
but she has been with me for a                       Pick me a rose from the heavenly                                                     was listening.
long time, through good times and                                                                                                             A few days before Christmas, I
bad, uncertainty and life-altering                   gardens and send it to me as a                                                       noticed several buds on the cactus.
decisions. I look to her for strength,                                                                                                    On Christmas Eve, I awoke to a
comfort and confirmation. I never                           message of love.                                                              cactus in full bloom – white flowers,
leave the house without her hanging                                                                                                       almost identical to the ones that
around my neck. I ask her for                                                                                                             covered the front porch that day in
intercession on a regular basis, and                                                                                                      Arizona. I knew that, once again, St.
my recent trip to Phoenix was no                                                                                                          Therese had heard my heart.
exception.                                                                                                                                    I feel blessed to have witnessed
    My family had flown in for my         might put a damper on the                      I continue to pray to St. Therese,               the presence and the miracles of St.
oldest son’s wedding. My youngest         excitement of the upcoming                 and I recently felt her presence                     Therese. I know that she is with me,
son and daughter-in-law, with my          wedding. The night before, I prayed        again. A few years ago, I received                   watching over my family with one
grandchildren, and I came from            my novena to St. Therese, as always.       a Christmas cactus as a gift. It had                 arm protectively around my mother.
Buffalo. My brother and sister-in-law     This time, I asked her to lift the veil    a few blooms on it, but it hadn’t                        Read part two of Linda
flew in from Detroit. Sadly, my dad       of sadness and let my mom’s love           bloomed since that first year. When                  Kennard’s column in the March
made the trip from Florida alone.         wash over us as we remembered              I moved from Michigan to New York                    2020 issue of the Western New York
    My mother had really been             the extraordinary matriarch of our         a year ago, I considered throwing it                 Catholic.
looking forward to this event,            family. I asked for holes in the floor
having all of us in one place – a         of heaven, so she could watch over         Diocese welcomes Father Arulanandu
rare occurrence in recent years.          us, both for the memorial and the
Unfortunately, mom passed away            wedding.                                   from India; vicars forane re-appointed
suddenly, just a couple of months             The novena, in part, asks St.
earlier.                                  Therese to “pick for me a rose from            Bishop Edward Scharfenberger,                        Father Alphonse Arulanandu has
    As excited as I was to see my son     the heavenly gardens and send it to        apostolic administrator of the Diocese               been appointed administrator of Mary
marry the girl of his dreams, I was       me as a message of love.”                  of Buffalo, has re-appointed all                     Immaculate Parish in Pavilion and
sad knowing mom wouldn’t be here.             The next morning, I stepped            vicars forane who were serving at the                East Bethany effective Jan. 7 for a
Since there was no service at the         out of our rented condo; there, on         time of Bishop Richard J. Malone’s                   term of six years. Father Arulanandu,
time of her death, I had planned a        the ground in front of our door,           retirement for a term of one year,                   ordained in 1993, is an extern priest
special memorial dinner – just the        was a shower of white flowers. Less        effective Dec. 4, 2019. Vicars forane                from India. He has been in the United
family – to honor mom. I prepared         than two feet away, the sidewalk           serve as leaders of vicariates, and                  States since 2012 and has been serving
our favorite dishes that mom used         was clear. Although they weren’t           disseminate the bishop’s message to                  in the Diocese of Jackson, Miss. for
to make, and I asked each family          roses, I felt a tremendous sense           the parishes in their vicariates.                    the past seven years.

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