The Catholic New World - News Digest





		07/22/01 Update St. Sabina talks continuing Representatives from St. Sabina Parish and the Southside Catholic Conference are continuing to discuss St. Sabina’s admission into the grade school athletic league with archdiocesan officials, despite reports the agreement was unraveling. As The Catholic New World went to press, the talks were continuing “in private” to avoid misunderstandings, said Jim Dwyer of the archdiocese’s Office for Communication. According to reports, St. Sabina was considering pulling out of the league because some coaches had said they would forfeit games rather than play in St. Sabina’s neighborhood. Coaches have said they are concerned about safety; St. Sabina pastor Father Michael Pfleger has called such statements racist. Group honors lending ‘heroes’ The Southwest Organizing Project honored anti-predatory lending heroes including Auxiliary Bishop John Gorman, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, State Sen. Barack Obama, State Rep. Dan Burke and LaSalle Bank CEO Norman Bobbins at a July 13 dinner. The event celebrated the anti-predatory lending regulations passed by the state in mid-April. Medicare reform gets CHA praise The Medicare reform plan outlined by President Bush July 12 holds promise for much-needed congressional action “to address deficiencies in today’s Medicare program,” said the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association. Father Michael D. Place, a Chicago archdiocesan priest, attended the ceremony at the White House at which Bush announced the proposal. Place had particular praise for Bush’s proposal to offer prescription drug discount cards for seniors, beginning next year. News: Debate heats up over embryonic stem cells Washington — As President Bush moved toward a decision on whether to allow federal funding of research using embryonic stem cells, the debate heated up. On one side were those, including top Catholic officials, who called the destruction of human embryos for research wrong; they wanted research using adult stem cells to continue but sought to keep the ban on use of embryonic cells. On the other were those who urged the expansion of federally funded human stem-cell research to include embryonic cells; they argued that the ban restricts the ability of researchers to explore potentially promising roads to cure diseases. Chicago conference gives witness to HIV/AIDS Pat Paakaula has been intimately connected with HIV since the night before Thanksgiving in 1984, when her son called from Los Angeles and told her he had been infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Paakaula is one of four people who are sharing their stories at “You Are My Witness,” the 14th annual National Catholic HIV/AIDS Ministry Conference, which runs July 19-24 at Loyola University Chicago. 'Ora and labora' Chicago Trappist follows ancient rule of prayer, work, silence It is a simple, well-ordered life laid down by St. Benedict in his Rule centuries ago. There are spaces for work and spaces for prayer and places for silence. It is the life of the Trappist monk, the life chosen by Brother Felix Leja 51 years ago. Or, as he tells you in his plain spoken way, a life chosen for him by God. God expects us to sing, says liturgical composer Washington — Despite some people’s dismissive comments about others’ singing ability, God expects us to sing, Scottish liturgical music composer John Bell said at a July 3 workshop at the National Association of Pastoral Musicians’ convention in Washington. “We sing because we can,’’ Bell said in answer to the workshop’s title, “Why Do People Sing?’’ The statue of Our Lady of the New Millennium will be at St. Isidore Church, 1811 W. Burr Oak in Blue Island, from July 22-28. Special devotions will begin with an opening service at 7 p.m. on Sunday. The rosary will be prayed daily at 5 p.m. in Spanish and at 7 p.m. in English. On July 29, the statue moves to St. Jude the Apostle in South Holland and on Aug. 5 to St. Patrick Parish, St. Charles, Ill. Go to stories St. Bronislava Church, 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

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Catching up on the news — It’s a little-known fact that over 100 couples said “I do” at the all-boy Quigley Preparatory Seminary (E. Chestnut) in the late 1960s during Holy Name Cathedral’s extensive renovation. On June 9, when 27 of those couples accepted an invitation to repeat their vows in Quigley’s historic St. James Chapel, they received a nuptial blessing, a private tour of the chapel and a cake and champagne reception. . . . Earlier this spring, Sister Jean Kenny, SP, and eight other parishioners of Immaculate Conception Parish (W. Talcott) went on a faith junket with Food for the Poor to see for themselves the human condition in Jamaica and what effect their parish’s “Change for Jamaica” donations are having. Kenny, who teaches at Von Steuben High School, took along two teens from Mother Guerin and Resurrection high schools. . . . Nine parishioners from St. Clement Parish (W. Deming) returned recently from a visit to their sister parish in El Salvador. They reported their adventures and the impact the trip had on their lives to fellow parishioners over coffee after Sunday Mass last month. . . . During May the Knights of Columbus held “baby showers” all over the state to benefit life organizations. Among the outstandingly generous councils were the arch’s Maria Council #4836 raising $6,000; Joliet’s St Mary of Mokena Council donating $2,000; and Rockford’s Cardinal Bellarmine Council’s $1,800.

Something completely different — The Daughters of St. Paul and the Partnership for Spirituality and Film just hosted their second annual National Film Retreat, “Epiphanies: Visions of Faith,” in Massachusetts, July 13-15. The ecumenical event for industry professionals, pastoral ministers and educators screened “The Matrix,” “Erin Brockovich,” “The Third Miracle” and “The Apostle,” followed by a lot of conversation and reflection on each film, its theology and spirituality. In “The Third Miracle,” Ed Harris plays a fictional priest in the arch, exploring a woman’s cause for sainthood. For future retreats, check out: www.daughtersofstpaul.com

Christmas in July — Nadia Stanford of St. James at Sag Bridge (Lemont), is a renowned designer of miniature settings for Tiffany & Co. window displays in Chicago. She has designed a one-of-a-kind heirloom on display now through Aug. 19 at Franciscan Village in Lemont, where it will be raffled as a fund-raiser to benefit the facility. “A Victorian Christmas” took countless hours before a magnifying glass to add minute details to the intricate yuletide parlor scene, valued at nearly $2,000. It now sits under a hand-blown Belgian glass dome 12 inches in diameter. Tickets are $10 each. Call (630) 257-3377, Ext. 318, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. . . . Friends of the Creche, a national society for folks who love, own and/or collect Nativity sets, will hold its first convention in the United States Oct. 25-27 in Lancaster, Pa. There’ll be a full program of Nativity-related events, seminars and workshops. Collectors often own hundreds of sets, or a single creche may have hundreds of figures in it. Many are souvenirs representing other cultures and some are displayed all year round. Membership in the club is $25 yearly including a subscription to Creche Herald, an international newsletter. For more info, write Friends of the Creche, 117 Crosshill Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096, or e-mail at [email protected]

Who’s going where? — Father Wally Takuski of St. Ferdinand Parish (W. Barry), will be taking pilgrims to Greece, Turkey and the Mediterranean Isles Nov. 4-17, following in the footsteps of St. Paul. The trip includes Ephesus, traditional site of the home of Mary, where she lived out her days with St. John. For a brochure and more info, call Father at (773) 622-5900, Ext. 8.

‘Do, a deer ...’ — Franciscan Sister Catherine Cecile Dwerlkotte taught music at St. Priscilla’s School (W. Addison) from 1961-1968, trained dozens of piano students, hosted recitals and directed a girls’ choir. Sister will celebrate her 100th birthday at a Mass Aug. 3 at Assisi Heights in Rochester, Minn. While she relies on a wheelchair today, Sister’s health and spirits are good and she maintains an interest in music, gardening, painting, and of course, birthday parties.

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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