The Catholic New World - News Digest





		04/08/01 Update Campus closes in Bridgeport Bridgeport Catholic Academy will close one of its two campuses and move all classes to the current elementary campus at 3700 S. Lowe Ave. next fall. All Saints/St. Anthony and Nativity of Our Lord parishes will continue to sponsor the school. St. Mary of Perpetual Help Parish will not. According to a letter from the school board, the decision to close the campus was spurred by the “unexpected spike” in heating costs and other maintenance costs. News Santa Fe Guadalupe image called trash, not art Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of Santa Fe has protested the “trashing of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe” in a photo collage that depicts her dressed in a bikini made of roses and held up by a bare-breasted angel. Death debate ‘irrelevant’ Capital punishment conference hears Chicago lawyer Lawrence C. Marshall, legal director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions and law professor at Northwestern Law School, told an audience at The Catholic University of America March 29 that aside from moral and ethical issues, there’s growing evidence that capital punishment is a failed experiment. Archbishop, magazine caution against Lefebvre reconciliation Following news reports suggesting an imminent Vatican reconciliation with a group of followers of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, an influential French cardinal and an Italian Catholic magazine said the Vatican should proceed slowly and cautiously. Chicago-born top missionary followed some good advice When Columban Father Brendan O’Sullivan was a sixth-grader considering the priesthood, the nuns urged him to become a missionary. The Chicago native, who is the new superior general of the St. Columban Foreign Missionary Society, took the advice of the Sisters of Providence at St. Angela School to heart: “The very best you can do is be a missionary,” they said. Snaring inactive Catholics New Web site invites people back to church Combining the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi with 21st-century technology, Franciscan friars in Cincinnati unveiled a new Web site March 21 dedicated to inviting and assisting inactive Catholics to return to the church. Named www.OnceCatholic.org, the site is sponsored by the Franciscans of the St. John the Baptist province, based in Cincinnati, and St. Anthony Messenger Press. Move over Oscar, here’s Lourdes’ George Every year Stan Sidlik produces an extravaganza that could rival the best of the Oscar shows. This year was no different. Sidlik--Lourdes High School drama teacher and director of drama programs—produced the school's 32nd Annual Presentation of the George Awards. It was a glitzy conclusion to a two-day festival during which Lourdes' students competed for the ultimate prize—a one-foot tall gold statuette named 'George' in honor of Sister Georgeanne who was the school's first drama teacher. Faith & Fenwick: Praying, playing team up for championship girls Amy Atchison prayed out loud no matter where she was. So did all the members of the Fenwick High School girls basketball team, which recently won the Illinois State Championship in Class AA. It was a common occurrence for the girls who say their faith helped make them a better team. "We asked God to guide us and keep us safe," said Atchison, Fenwick senior who played guard and forward positions. "We prayed for the best outcome even if that didn't mean a win." Leadership education—off the field Walk into almost any high school, and ask who the leaders are. Chances are, someone will point out the kids in the letter jackets, or the ones who are heading out after school to an afternoon of practice. To help athletes become better leaders, De La Salle hosted the first Student Leadership Conference for athletes from Catholic League schools on March 7. Go to stories St. Nicholas Church, Evanston After spending several months at Sacred Heart parish in Palos Hills, the statue of Our Lady of the New Millennium is again traveling to various parishes in the archdiocese. The 33-foot stainless steel statue will visit these sites: April 8-16: Immaculate Conception, 2745 W. 44th St., Chicago April 22-29: St. Henry, 6335 N. Hoyne, Chicago April 29-May 6: St. Hilary, 5600 N. Fairfield, Chicago Movie Reviews: The U.S. Catholic Conference's Office for Film and Broadcasting judges films according to artistic merit and moral suitability. Go to reviews top Front Page \| Digest \| Cardinal \| Observations Interview \| Classifieds \| About Us \| Write Us Subscribe \| Advertise \| Archive \| Catholic Sites New World Publications \| Católico \| Directory \| Site Map

A weekly
column of
benevolent
gossip

Chicago connection — With the spotlight now fixed on China’s Red Dragon, did you know the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is hoping to install a mosaic of Our Lady of China in the basilica’s great upper church? Chinese American Catholics in the Archdiocese of Washington have pioneered the plan to add a replica of a painting displayed at the Divine Word Missionaries headquarters in our own Techny. Done by John Lu Hung-Nien, the image was originally a holy card and a devotion promoted by China’s first cardinal, Thomas Tien, SVD, who lived in exile at Techny. To learn more about the effort, go to: www.ourladyofchina.org

Saint Mickey? — Ad agency Young & Rubicam bragged recently in The Financial Times that, “Brands are the new religion. People turn to them for meaning.” Y&R claims people flock to Ikea on Sunday instead of church. Thousands of couples now get married at Walt Disney World and motorcycle fans are buried in Harley-Davidson brand coffins. The agency compared brand builders to “missionaries” who are able to communicate beliefs that give “meaning and purpose to life.” Y&R listed names like Calvin Klein, Nike, MTV and Gatorade as some of society’s “belief brands.”

Junior clips — 32 choir and orchestra members from Regina Dominican High School (Wilmette) will perform in English and Latin at the 4 p.m. Easter Sunday liturgy at St. Peter’s Square. The repertoire will be chosen by Vatican officials. While the pilgrim/students and chaperones who will be in Italy from April 12-21 had submitted audio tapes of performances and other requirements, the privilege to perform at the Vatican on Easter Sunday was a thrilling surprise. . . . Marist High School will welcome the president of the Rose Bowl Parade and his wife, April 9-10. It’s standard for Ron Okum to visit a school that will be taking part in the parade to help raise funds for student participation. Marist’s Marching Band, directed by the legendary Frank Manna, will be part of the 113th Rose Parade on New Year’s Day, 2002.

On a mission — Andrea Riccardi, founder of the St. Egidio Community in Rome, received the University of Notre Dame’s international humanitarian service award March 27. Begun in 1968 as a small Catholic lay community dedicated to prayer, ecumenism and service to the poor, Rome members were familiar friends of Cardinal George when he lived in the Eternal City. The cardinal’s titular church, St. Bartholomew, is “home” to the St. Egidio community there. The movement now has 40,000 members in 60 countries and has recently been active in international efforts to abolish capital punishment. . . . Elsewhere, laity, sisters and friars of the Servants of Mary (Servites), recently endorsed a resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty and for legislation to abolish capital punishment.

Saints and solemn symbols — A solemn celebration in Warsaw, Poland, has closed the diocesan process of the cause of beatification of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski and the Solidarity martyr Father Jerzy Popelusko who died at the hands of the secret police in 1984. The only shrine in the arch to Father Jerzy, and perhaps the only one in the country, is on the grounds of St. Hyacinth Church (W. Wolfram). . . . When SS. Peter and Paul Church (S. Paulina) lights the new fire outdoors at 5 a.m. at their Easter Vigil service, April 15, the bonfire will keep on burning as parishioners and friends arrive for the later Masses.

Milestones — Julia Greenley of St. Joan of Arc Parish (Skokie) turned 100 years of age April 4. . . . As the pope once was, Father Thomas Paprocki, pastor of St. Constance Parish (W. Strong), is goalie on two hockey teams. March 13 his Lawyers Hockey Team won 3-2 in sudden-death overtime at McFetridge Arena to become champions of the Masters Hockey League. Then his Masters Select Team got the 2001 Blackhawk Cup after victories in Bensenville. They are the champs of the Amateur Ice Hockey Association of Illinois in their division!

Send your benevolent gossip to Church Clips, 721 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60610 or via e-mail to: [email protected]

top