Catholic New World - News Digest

News Update

K of C gives wheels to vets

In ceremonies Nov. 9-10 in Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles and Bonham, Texas, which is near Dallas, the Knights of Columbus distributed 2,000 wheelchairs to military veterans.

“As our nation pauses to honor these men and women on Veterans Day, we are honored to be able to reach out to help veterans in need,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said. Veterans Day was Nov. 11. “This wheelchair distribution continues our long-standing tradition of service to our service men and women, both those who are on active duty and those who are retired,” he said in a statement in Washington. The Knights of Columbus partnered with the Wheelchair Foundation to distribute the wheelchairs.

Five hundred were distributed in each of four cities in ceremonies that drew hundreds of people. The Chicago ceremony began with Boy Scouts wheeling veterans into the auditorium of the Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital in new “Ferrari red” wheelchairs, escorted by an honor guard of 76 fourth-degree Knights.

Relevant Radio moves up the dial

Listeners of Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of Chicago’s local radio programming from 9-10 a.m. Monday-Friday have to change their radio dials.

Relevant Radio has moved to 950 AM, effective immediately, said Jim Disch, director of radio and television services for the archdiocese. Relevant Radio has actually been broadcast on 950 AM and its old station, 820 AM, at the same time for a short period for listeners to have time to make the change. The owner of the station at 850 AM declined to lease it to Relevant Radio any longer, Disch said.

News Digest

Papal trip seen as time for spiritual renewal

Pope Benedict XVI will visit Washington and New York April 15-20.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, confirmed the dates of the papal trip and announced the pope’s itinerary in remarks Nov. 12 at the beginning of the annual fall meeting of the U.S. bishops in Baltimore.

Officials confirm papal visit to Lourdes

Officials confirmed Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France to mark the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions there, but said the exact time period of the papal visit was not yet known.

Students score well on tests

Students in archdiocesan Catholic schools did better than their peers across the nation on the Terra Nova II standardized tests administered last March.

The tests are given to third-, fifth- and seventh-graders in archdiocesan elementary schools.

Bishops approve politics document, bulletin insert

In what several bishops called “a watershed moment” for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the full body of bishops overwhelmingly approved a document intended to help Catholic voters form their consciences on a variety of issues before the 2008 elections.

“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States” was approved by a 221-4 vote Nov. 14, the last public day of the Nov. 12-15 USCCB fall general assembly in Baltimore.

Zambian woman provides a face of AIDS in Africa

Bridget Michelo Chisenga says she is a “showcase.” With bright eyes and a wide smile, jewelry in the shape of Zambia dangling from her ears and a brown, beige and white head wrap, she doesn’t look sick. She doesn’t look like a victim. She looks like a woman with a mission.

“Auntie Bridget” is one of the faces of AIDS in Africa. “In the United States, you keep looking at the figures,” she said. “Here, looking at me, you are looking at a human being.”

Pro-bono medicine brings Catholic teaching alive

“Love faces a vast field of work and the Church is eager to make her contribution with her social doctrine, which concerns the whole person and is addressed to all people,” according to the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Catholic social teaching places the individual human at its heart, stressing the importance of considering each person “whole and entire, with body and soul, heart and conscience, mind and will,” as states the Compendium.

Chicago youths gather, energize their faith

During the National Catholic Youth Conference in Columbus Nov. 8-10, about 20,000 youths had the chance to sing, pray, ask questions about their faith, meet new people and even play dodge ball.

Participants included a large contingent from the Archdiocese of Chicago, as well as Auxiliary Bishop Gustavo García-Siller.

Feast of archdiocese’s patron on Dec. 8

When Bishop John Carroll was assigned the monumental task of shepherding the church in the bourgeoning United States of America, he knew he couldn’t do it alone. So he turned to his unfailing supporter, Mary, the Mother of God.

Carroll, whose Baltimore diocese was the nation’s first and spanned Maine to Georgia, dedicated this country to Mary’s patronage in 1792.

Priest’s new book on law of sacraments is for parishes

Does someone want to know how to get a new godparent? Or why there are so many more annulments than in the past?

Those are among the questions that the Office for Canonical Services fields from parish priests, deacons and lay workers, said Oblate Father William Woestman, associate vicar for canonical services.

Veteran diplomat to head military archdiocese

Pope Benedict XVI has named Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, a Cleveland native who is apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic and delegate to Puerto Rico, to head the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

The appointment was announced in Washington Nov. 19 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Archbishop Broglio, 55, succeeds Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, who was installed as head of the Baltimore archdiocese Oct. 1.

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