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LocalSister Cheryl Wint Makes Final Profession as a Sister of St. Francis
by Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz Hawaii Catholic Herald, August 14, 2015 Sr. Roberta Smith, general minister of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, congratulates Sr. Cheryl Wint at her profession of final vows on Aug 2 at St. Augustine Waikiki.
The spirit of St. Marianne continues anew. On a gorgeous morning in Waikiki Aug. 2 in St. Augustine Church, Sister Cheryl Wint became the newest professed member of the Hawaii saint’s congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities. The high-spired landmark by the sea was packed for the 8 a.m. Sunday Mass with parishioners and Sister Cheryl’s family, friends and colleagues. The liturgy, celebrated by Sacred Hearts Father Lane Akiona, was a joyful celebration of consecrated life. Rich in symbolism, the “Rite of Perpetual Profession” included the chanting of the Litany of Saints, a ring ceremony commemorating her “life commitment to the Lord” and a blessing from the order’s superiors visiting from the Mainland. “I, Sister Cheryl Wint, consecrate myself more fully to God and the service of the church,” she said as part of her vows. “I ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Blessed Father St. Francis, St. Clare and all the saints to help me keep this most sacred covenant and to ‘live in the house of the Lord’ all the days of my life.” Read More > ‘I love being able to be with the people’: Bishop reflects on 10 years of ministry
interviewed by Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald Blog, July 16, 2015 The Hawaii Catholic Herald spoke to Bishop Larry Silva on June 23 in his office at the downtown chancery. The conversation has been edited slightly for length and clarity.
Hawaii Catholic Herald: How has your episcopacy changed and grown since you were first installed as Bishop of Honolulu 10 years ago? Bishop Larry Silva: Well, when I first came here I felt like a deer in the headlights. I wondered, “How did I get here?” I still have that feeling from time to time but I think I’ve grown into it and realize that it really is a blessing to be here. I am very happy to be in Hawaii. The people here are wonderful. I have many, many great experiences and blessings. So I think I’ve matured in the role and, hopefully, I’m still staying fresh and trying to be faithful to what the Lord wants me to do here. Herald: Is it getting any easier? Bishop: I don’t know if “easier” would be the word I would use. More “experienced.” Herald: What do you love most about being Bishop of Honolulu? Bishop: I love being able to be with the people of the diocese and seeing how many of them are so filled with faith and the Lord and want to share that faith in many ways with others. That is a great inspiration to me and especially the young people — the youth and young adults. Read More > Stories Behind the Stories: A New Theme
Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz Hawaii Catholic Herald Blog, July 16, 2015 Aloha, Hawaii Catholic Herald readers! Thanks for stopping by our HCH Blog.
We began blogging in 2009 to provide additional content online as a supplement to the reporting we do for our diocesan newspaper. You may recall our blog coverage during the canonizations of St. Damien De Veuster and St. Marianne Cope, as well as calendar posts and commentary on various church news bits. This is a new blog we’re starting up, with a new theme aimed at fostering regular (hopefully daily) posts. The concept of “Stories Behind the Stories” is one we thought would offer our readers a different view of our process in creating each Herald issue. You’ll get to read about the people we meet, the photos we take, the personal reflections we have, the perspectives we encounter. Read More > Manaolana: Hawaii Rep at national ministry summit returns with insights, ideas
Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz Hawaii Catholic Herald, June 19, 2015 Creating collaborations between Catholic young adults and their communities was a hot topic at the National Young Adult Ministry Summit in Washington, D.C., May 5-7.The first-ever such meeting, organized in part by the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association (NCYAMA), brought together dozens of ministry leaders from across the country for three days of sharing stories, strategies and resources.
Representing the Aloha State was Makana Aiona, diocesan young adult ministry coordinator. Back in the Islands refreshed with new insights, he reported to the Hawaii Catholic Herald what he gained. Aiona was one of 40 attendees. Organizers kept the inaugural event small. “It was very kind of grassroots-ish,” Aiona said. A volunteer board of directors — all young adult ministry professionals — runs NCYAMA, which has been around since 1982. The organization provides consulting, training and advocacy for dioceses, parishes, schools and groups. It also gives advice to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and works with youth ministry and vocations organizations. NCYAMA partnered with Catholic University of America to create the summit as a way for ministry leaders like Aiona to voice concerns and better understand their mission. “They wanted to know what we needed, what we were doing, what we were having trouble with and what we would like to see on the national level,” Aiona said. Read More > Church teaching explained to you
YOUCAT*: Prayer is turning the heart toward God. When a person prays, he enters into a living relationship with God. [2558-2565] We read in the Old Testament of Abraham and Moses praying to God. We also read of how Samuel and David taught the Israelites how to pray. And in the New Testament, Jesus himself models prayer for us. Prayer is of one the greatest gifts from God that we have, but it’s more than just saying a few words to God — it is an opportunity for us to develop a deeper relationship with Christ. Read More > |
NationalCardinal O'Malley Urges Support for Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood
USCCB News Release, August 1, 2015 WASHINGTON—Federal funds should be reallocated so women can obtain their health care from providers that do not promote abortion, Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, said in an August 3 letter to the U.S. Senate.
Cardinal O’Malley, who chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged support for S. 1881, which would withhold federal funds from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates. "It has long been troubling to many Americans that the nation's largest abortion network, performing over a third of all abortions, receives over half a billion taxpayer dollars a year. This concern has rightly grown in recent years..." Read More > Little Sisters wait and pray: Attorneys decide next steps after circuit court rules against nuns in contraceptive case
Denver Catholic, July 14, 2015 UPDATE-The Little Sisters of the Poor are waiting, and praying.
“I’m not sure what we’re going to do next,” said Mother Patricia Mary Metzgar, l.s.p., who oversees the Little Sisters’ Mullen Home for the Aged in Denver. After the news that the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Little Sisters are not exempt from the federal Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate, the nuns were disappointed, she said. “We have been praying and we’re going to continue to pray,” Mother Metzgar said. “We’re disappointed, but we’re praying.” The future seems uncertain for the order of nuns that has cared for the elderly poor across the world for more than 175 years. Denver is home to one of the order’s 28 nursing homes in the United States. Mother Metzgar said she and nine nuns work with a large staff to care for more than 60 elderly with dignity at their Denver home. After the court’s ruling, the nuns face the decision of either violating their religious beliefs or paying steep IRS penalties. The nuns argued the government is forcing them to act against their religious beliefs because of its requirement to provide free contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs to employees. Churches are exempt from the mandate, but charitable organizations like the Little Sisters are not. Read More > People express heartache, outrage as they mourn shooting victims
Daniel O'Shea Catholic News Service, June 19, 2015 WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The tragic taking of nine lives at a historically black church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, brought an outpouring of solidarity, compassion and sorrow from around the country.
After an all-night search, police June 18 found the white man suspected of fatally shooting nine people, including the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a senior pastor. They arrested 21-year-old Dylann Storm Roof in neighboring North Carolina and charged him with the murders. He did not fight extradition so he was returned to South Carolina. Witnesses said Roof had joined a prayer meeting the evening of June 17 at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. They said he sat with church members for about an hour then stood up, yelling racist remarks, and opened fire. Religious leaders as well as government leaders issued their condolences and condemned the shooting, which is being investigated as a hate crime. Catholic Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone of Charleston expressed a deep sadness over the tragedy. "The inside of any church is a sanctuary," he said in a statement. Read More > The Implications of the Supreme Court's Ruling on "Same-Sex" Marriage
Cardinal Donald Wuerl Seek First the Kingdom blog, June 26, 2015 The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a ruling that in effect redefines the civil definition of marriage nationwide. It has decided that every state must recognize “same-sex marriage” as a constitutional right. The law of the land affirms that “marriage” in civil law may now include two persons of the same sex. While this is not the Church’s understanding of marriage, it is a definition confirmed by the Court.
One concern with the new definition of marriage is that some Catholics may think that because the civil law definition of marriage has changed, so too has the Church’s teaching on what constitutes marriage. Another issue is that some people with a same-sex attraction may feel, after all the debate on sexuality and the true nature of marriage, that they are not welcome in the Church. Still others may wonder why Church teaching calls for a respect for each person but not approval of every lifestyle or activity. Then there are those who want to know more about the faith in order to participate better in discussions. How can we be well prepared to go out, as Pope Francis tells us, to engage and accompany people as we all try to draw closer to the Lord? What does the Church teach about “marriage” and has it changed? The opening chapters of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, reveal to us the deepest truth about the nature of the human person and God’s plan for us. The revealed Word of God is still what it was before the Supreme Court decision. Marriage is the life-long union of a man and a woman given for the purpose of their mutual good and for the procreation and education of children. Sacred Scripture confirms this meaning of marriage and Jesus raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament which means that, for the baptized, marriage is a sign and means of God’s grace. With the eyes of faith we see so much more when a man and a woman pledge their love to each other. Our faith is not based on human preferences but the revealed Word of God. When some Pharisees were trying to test Jesus about marriage and divorce, our Lord said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’” (Matthew 19:4-5)? We cannot reinterpret Jesus’ words. Married love is unique in God’s plan for the bodily union of a husband and wife. The total gift of married love is unique because it requires the sexual difference that a man and woman bring to their union, each complementing the other and making them capable of and open to new life in the gift of children. In summary, the loving communion of persons that is marriage is meant to be faithful, fruitful and life-long. Are people who share our faith but struggle with the Church’s understanding about marriage still welcome at Church? Read More > |
WorldPope Francis' Address
to 1st General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops on the Family Staff Reporter Zenit / Vatican.com, Oct 5, 2015 Vatican City, Oct 05, 2015 / Zenit.org Staff Reporter - Here is a translation of Pope Francis’ address to the First General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops on the Family.
* * * Dear Beatitudes, Eminences, Excellencies, Brothers and Sisters, The Church takes up again today the dialogue begun with the convocation of the Extraordinary Synod on the Family -- and certainly also much earlier -- to evaluate and reflect together on the text of the Instrumentum laboris, elaborated from the Relatio Synodiand from the answers of the Episcopal Conferences and the organism having the right. As we know, the Synod is a walking together with a spirit of collegiality and synodality, adopting the parrhesia, the pastoral and doctrinal zeal, the wisdom, the frankness, and always putting before our eyes the good of the Church, of families and the supreme law, the salus animarum (cf. Can. 1752). Read More> Pope Francis assures his prayers, solidarity after deadly Bangkok attacks
Elise Harris Catholic News Agency / EWTN, Aug 19, 2015 Vatican City, Aug 19, 2015 / 07:37am (CNA/EWTN News) - After two bombings this week in the Thai capitol of Bangkok left several dead, injured, and fearful of other attacks, Pope Francis offered his condolences and prayers to the victims and their families.
“His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the injury and loss of life caused by the attack at the Erawan Hindu Shrine and of the threat to life and property caused by the bombing at the Sathorn Pier,” said an Aug. 19 letter, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Addressed to the king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, the letter expressed the Pope’s “heartfelt solidarity” both with the king and all those affected by the violent acts. “Mindful of the security and emergency personnel who are seeking the perpetrators of these crimes, while also assisting the injured, their families and those of the deceased, His Holiness offers the assurance of his prayers and invokes the divine blessings of peace and healing upon the Kingdom.” On Monday evening around 7p.m. local time what police have identified as a pipe bomb exploded at Bangkok’s Erawan Hindu Shrine. It sits near a busy intersection, and it was in the middle rush hour when the bomb went off, according to the Guardian. In the deadliest attack Thailand has seen in years, the blast has so far killed at least 22 and left 123 others injured. Read More > Priest says situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate
Paul Jeffrey Catholic News Service, July 17, 2015 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (CNS) -- One year after a war with Israel that turned daily life here into a nightmare, a Catholic priest in Gaza said the situation in this besieged Palestinian territory has deteriorated even further.
"Compared with a year ago, we're worse off. Although a truce stopped the war, the blockade of Gaza by Israel has grown more intense. This has direct consequences for the population," said Father Jorge Hernandez, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza City. The priest said the war also served as a recruiting tool for Hamas, the Islamic party that has controlled Gaza since 2007. "The war generated new activism throughout Gaza. The number of people willing to fight has multiplied, whether on behalf of Hamas or Islamic Jihad or the Salafists, and now even with the Islamic State. Despite that, the great majority of the people of Gaza is not aligned with one party or another. They just want to live a normal life," Father Hernandez, an Argentine missionary of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, told Catholic News Service. The 50-day war cost the lives of more than 2,250 Palestinians, 65 percent of whom were civilians, according to a June report from a U.N. investigation. The report said "the scale of the devastation was unprecedented." It said the Israeli military launched more than 6,000 air strikes, 14,500 tank shells and 45,000 artillery shells into Gaza between July 7 and Aug. 26, 2014. The war also "caused immense distress and disruption to the lives of Israeli civilians," the U.N. said, reporting that nearly 4,900 rockets and more than 1,700 mortars were fired by Palestinian armed groups during that period. Sixty-six Israeli soldiers were killed, along with six civilians. The report also cites as possible war crimes the conduct of Israeli operations in residential neighborhoods, as well as the killing of 21 suspected collaborators by Hamas' armed wing. Father Hernandez said militants came to his church compound twice looking for alleged spies among some 1,400 civilians who took shelter there. Church buildings were damaged when Israel bombed a neighboring house. At one point, Father Hernandez and several members of the Missionaries of Charity shepherded a group of 29 disabled children and nine elderly women into the open. "We put them in the patio in front of church, a place that's far from any homes. And then we prayed that Israel wouldn't bomb the church," he said. Gaza's children continue to be affected by the war, the priest said. Besides thousands who remain in temporary shelters, he said the overwhelming violence of the conflict has created discipline problems, with normal tensions in the family and on the street more quickly escalating into physical violence. And lingering stress generates health problems. "Some kids continue to have problems with speech or bed-wetting, and now that there are rumors of another war -- some are even talking about specific dates -- one child's hair has started to fall out again," he said. One Catholic leader in the region said that Gaza's Christians have nonetheless adjusted to their perilous situation. "When I came here immediately after the war, everyone I talked to pleaded for a one-way ticket out of Gaza. But I no longer hear that. They are resilient, this is their home, and they're resolved that they're going to make a contribution to society. They are proud to be both Christian and Palestinian, no matter the difficult conditions," said Sami El-Yousef, regional director for Palestine and Israel of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Read More > All creation sings God's praise, but people are silencing it, pope says
Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service, June 18, 2015 VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The earth, which was created to support life and give praise to God, is crying out with pain because human activity is destroying it, Pope Francis says in his long-awaited encyclical, "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home."
All who believe in God and all people of good will have an obligation to take steps to mitigate climate change, clean the land and the seas, and start treating all of creation -- including poor people -- with respect and concern, he says in the document released at the Vatican June 18. A lack of respect for creation is a lack of respect for God who created all that exists, the pope says. In fact, he continues, a person cannot claim to respect nature while supporting abortion, nor can one claim to be pro-life without a commitment to reversing damage to the environment. With unusually blunt language for a papal document, the pope decries centuries of exploiting the earth, exploiting other people and acting as if the point of human life is to buy and consume as much as possible. "The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth," the pope writes in the document. While acknowledging science is not the Catholic Church's area of expertise, Pope Francis says "a very solid scientific consensus" points to global warming and indicates "human activity" has seriously contributed to it, threatening the planet and all life on it. Read More > At the Vatican: "Women are here," they are tackling problems
Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service, May 25, 2015 VATICAN CITY — The women who run the Vatican newspaper’s monthly supplement, “Women — Church — World,” do not mind at all that their conference Friday through Sunday is just the latest in a long line of Vatican meetings focused on women.
“It is almost an incessant reminder, ‘There are women here, women are here,’ so I think it is positive that there is conference after conference,” said Dominican Sister Catherine Aubin, a professor at Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. “It is important to open people’s eyes because it seems that sometimes, in some church spheres, we women do not exist. All of these conferences might help open people’s eyes,” said the French sister, who also works on the monthly supplement. Read More > |