The Catholic New World - News Digest

06/10/01

Update

Cathedral choirs to sing in Rome

Three choirs from Holy Name Cathedral have been invited to sing at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome next year. The Chamber Singers, Gallery Singers and Women’s Schola will sing for the 10:30 a.m. Mass at the main altar on July 28, 2002. In addition to singing at St. Peter’s, the choirs also will sing at a papal audience, at St. Ignatius Church in Rome and at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. Choir auditions are being held. For information, call the cathedral music office, (312) 664-6963.

Catholic schools excel on tests

Students in archdiocesan elementary schools scored up to 25 percentile points higher than national norms in reading, language and math in standardized tests administered earlier this spring by public, private and parochial schools throughout the country.

“All our students, regardless of their background and economic circumstances, have done well,” said Sister of St. Joseph Judith Cauley, interim superintendent of Catholic schools.

SOA sentences

Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center chaplain Dave Corcoran, 66, was sentenced May 22 to six months in a federal correctional facility for criminal trespassing at Fort Benning, Ga., the home of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly known as the School of the Americas.

Corcoran was one of 26 people found guilty of trespassing on military property during the November 2000 protests, which are held annually on the anniversary of the assassination of six Jesuit priests and others in 1989 in El Salvador. Protesters believe that those responsible for those deaths and thousands of others were trained at the school.

News

Facing inevitability of death with an eye to eternal life

Catholics must live out their lives—including the ending stages—with an eye to life everlasting, according to “Facing the End of Life,” a pastoral letter released by the Illinois bishops May 29 at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

Focusing on eternal life helps make clear the church’s teaching on end-of-life issues, from pain management to preparation for death.

2nd league vote set in ‘racism’ dispute

After a week of controversy and headlines, parish representatives of the South Side Catholic Conference (SCC) were to meet to reconsider their positions regarding St. Sabina Parish's request to join the conference. The request was initially turned down by a vote of 11-9, with some representatives citing “fear by certain coaches and parishes for the safety of their children.”

The executive committee of the league was expected to call for another vote on June 14. Father Lawrence R. Dowling, pastor of St. Denis Parish and league chaplain, said he had “every confidence that the vote will go in the opposite direction.”

Dowling and the other pastors of the Southwest Side and South Suburban parishes who belong to the grade school sports conference met June 5 with the auxiliary bishops of the area, Bishop John Gorman and Bishop Joseph N. Perry, and a representative of the Chicago Police Department. Following that meeting at St. Christina, the pastors released a statement saying they would “continue to listen to and talk with our parishioners.”

“We will not minimize their concerns, but rather work to find answers to them,” they said. “We are confident that, working together with the people we serve, a just solution can be reached.”

Teaching ‘Real Presence’
Bishops address lack of understanding of Eucharist
During their June 14-16 national meeting in Atlanta, U.S. bishops plan to vote on a statement explaining church teachings on the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Besides addressing the core teaching, the statement touches on topics such as eucharistic devotion, receiving Communion under both kinds and what happens when someone without faith or in a state of sin receives Eucharist.

Legislative session ups and downs
Catholic social policymakers saw a victory during the final week of the Illinois legislative session, when lawmakers did not pass a resolution that would have blocked new regulations on predatory lending which exploits the working poor.

Overall, the legislative session that ended May 31 saw few dramatic changes.

Go

St. Edna Church, Arlington Heights

Upcoming sites are:

June 10-17: St. Anastasia, 624 Douglas Ave., Waukegan, (847) 623-2875.

June 17-24: St. Edna, 2535 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, (847) 398-3362.

June 24-July 1: St. Petronille, 420 Glenwood Ave.,Glen Ellyn, (630) 469-0404.

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

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Something completely different — Familiar with Plymouth, Mich., near Detroit? It once had a seminary called St. John’s (1946-1988) that sat vacant for 12 years because of declining enrollment. With Cardinal Adam Maida’s blessings and assistance it has become St. John’s (Class A) Golf and Conference Center, a world-class facility for wedding ceremonies, receptions, meetings, a youth center, church and chapel. It took two years and $11 million. Some unusual “wow” space has been created, like a spectacular atrium. It’s a tourist attraction.

Calling Auntie ‘M’ — Suzy Yehl Marta of St. Francis de Sales Parish (Lake Zurich), president/ founder of “Rainbows,” an international, not-for-profit grief support organization, was spotlighted last month in the new magazine SingleParents. Headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Rainbows’ accomplishments were praised for helping some 20,000 kids in the Chicago area alone cope with the emotional loss of a parent through divorce, death or non-involvement. For more info on the 8,400 United States sites and in 17 other countries, contact Rainbows at (847) 952-1770 or at www.rainbows.org.

Honk if you’re Polish — Germany’s parliament voted recently to free payments from a $4.6 billion fund for surviving Nazi-era slave laborers. During the past two years the Chicago office of the Polish American Congress has collected over 4,500 claims applications. Survivors of slave labor will be eligible for up to $7,500 in compensation; survivors of forced labor for up to $2,500 and a sum for survivors in agricultural labor will be decided later. Deadline for filing is Aug. 11, 2001. Survivors who have not yet filed their IOM applications should do so immediately. PAC’s Web site has an application form at www.polamcon.org or phone (773) 763-9944, or via a toll-free helpline at (866) 480-1944.

Positive feedback — Rosario Pesce, a cantor at St. Celestine Church (Elmwood Park) for over 20 years, has just been named School Psychologist of the Year. With a doctoral degree from Loyola and a master’s in educational administration, Pesce was recognized by the National Association of School Psychologists for the excellent job he does with children. One of his innovations is “Teen Talk,” a parent-child-counseling program for at risk students. He also leads a violence prevention task force. His wife, Patricia, teaches at Ascension School (Oak Park).

Something in the (holy) water? — St. Gertrude Parish (W. Granville) had two hours of book signings June 3. Eight parishioners plus pastor Father William Kenneally and his co-author Delle Chatman, displayed their bound volumes bearing titles like “Romantic Days and Nights in Chicago” by Susan Figliulo or Chicago Trib writer Patrick Reardon’s “Daily Meditations for Busy Dads.” OK, here’s a sampling of the other authors: “Spirituality@Work” by Greg Pierce, Steve Rosswurm’s “Arms, Country and Class: the Philadelphia Militia and the American Revolution.” Also Chicago Trib staff writer Jon Anderson’s “City Watch: Discovering the Uncommon Chicago,” Dan Kuhn’s “Alzheimer’s Early Stages,” “Guided Meditations for Children” by Sister Jane Reehorst and “Good Times Happen,” by Dick Westley. The newest is Kenneally-Chatman’s “The Death of a Parent: Reflections for Adults Mourning the Loss of a Father or Mother.” All the titles are for sale at Mustard Seed Christian Bookstore, (773) 973-7055.

People in the news — “Friends of Sig Sakowicz,” former Chicagoan, will honor the veteran radio broadcaster at a reception and dinner, at noon June 24 at White Eagle Banquets, 6845 N. Milwaukee, Niles. Sig’s “Talk-America” is the talk of Vegas where it airs nationwide. For tickets, call (773) 774-1711. . . . Sister Pauline Logsdon, director of the gifted education program of St. Gerald School (Oak Lawn) received the Poverello Award from Mount St. Clare College, Clinton, Iowa, at commencement ceremonies May 12. Sister Pauline also directed gifted programs in the Bahamas, supervised religious ed for 25 schools in Peru, and traveled extensively in 62 countries. . . . Father Gino Dalpiaz, SC, director of the Italian Cultural Center, will have just enough time after celebrating his 50th anniversary of ordination at 3 p.m. Mass June 24, in Melrose Park, to pack for a pilgrimage with friends to Lourdes and Lisieux Aug. 13-22.

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

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