Updates

New welfare bill draws objections

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a welfare reform reauthorization bill May 16, over the objection of many Catholic social justice advocates.

The 229-197 vote split mostly along party lines, with Republicans supporting legislation similar to President Bush’s original proposal.

The House bill continues to fund Temporary Aid to Needy Families at $16.5 billion a year, the same level as the last six years. It increases the work requirements for families who receive cash assistance from 30 to 40 hours a week, gradually increases the proportion of families who must meet the work requirement, and reduces flexibility in the kinds of activities that can be counted as work.



Ponder sale of cardinal’s home

The official residence of Cardinal George—rich in history and rich in value–might be put up for sale, the cardinal said May 18 during the Mass of ordination for 11 new priests at Holy Name Cathedral.

The three-story historic building at 1555 N. State Parkway, has been home for 120 years to the cardinals and archbishops who have led the Archdiocese of Chicago. It could be worth, news reports stated, in excess of $20 million, depending on use of the property.

As a member of a religious order who took a vow of poverty, Cardinal George has long considered that the value of the house-where popes and presidents have stayed-could be used for better purposes, such as supporting archdiocesan schools. He said that selling the house, however, would have to be approved through a lengthy process of consultation.

News

Abuse scandals continue

More controversies-including a shooting of a priest and a suicide -marked the ongoing saga of the clergy sex abuse scandal as the U.S. Catholic bishops began making final preparations to meet on the issue in Dallas in mid-June.

Several bishops held or scheduled listening sessions to hear their people’s views before the meeting. Meantime, more priests were removed from their posts as additional allegations became known and more dioceses spelled out stricter policies.



Cardinal calls, affirms lay ecclesial ministers

“You have been called,” Cardinal George told more than 150 men and women being recognized as lay ecclesial ministers on Pentecost Sunday.

The landmark ceremony, held at Queen of All Saints Basilica, was a public affirmation of what these pastoral associates and directors of religious education have already been doing in parishes for many years. “What was not there before was that call by the church that affirms the vocation,” the cardinal said. More than 150 lay ministers representing scores of parishes were called forth, presented with a candle and affirmed by the cardinal.



Faith-based agencies lose out in fight to fill state budget hole

Efforts to fill the state’s $1.3 billion budget hole will mean more gaps in help for poor people, Catholic social service officials and advocates said.

Legislative leaders extended their spring session, originally scheduled to end May 17, as they looked for ways to increase revenues and cut expenses.

Already, private social service agencies that contract with the state have been told that the 2 percent cost-of-doing-business increase they were promised this year will not happen, and there will be no increase next year, either. The 2 percent increase was supposed to go into effect April 1.



Pope marks birthday, canonizes five new saints

Pope John Paul II struggled through a busy birthday weekend at the Vatican, canonizing five new saints and meeting with 7,000 youths who came to help celebrate his 82 years and wish him many more.

But even as he joined in the festivities with young people May 18, the pope acknowledged his physical decline when he let an aide read part of his speech to the cheering, scarf-waving crowd.



Voucher study: Catholic schools showing gains

Voucher participation has climbed in the past 10 years, and those who benefit the most are African-American students who attend Catholic schools, according to a recent study.

The study, “The Education Gap: Vouchers and Urban Schools,” published by the Brookings Institution, noted that most students who use vouchers have chosen to attend religious schools.



Catholics, Muslims ponder Palestinian state at CTU

To many in the United States, the solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians seems obvious: a Palestinian state alongside the Israeli state, separate and equal.

But to Mustafa Abu Sway, keynote speaker at the Catholic Theological Union’s second annual Catholic-Muslim Studies Conference May 8-9, the idea of a Palestinian nation state is one to be approached with caution, if at all.



Deacon drives point home

Deacon Bob Gagnon weaves his vocation into everything he does like a sports car weaving in and out of traffic.

Of course, Gagnon, a traffic school instructor, would never actually drive like that. But he does sometimes tell his students-people who go to traffic school to keep tickets off their driving records-that they should drive with a Christian attitude.



Cardinal to ordain 21 new deacons May 26

Twenty-one men will join the ranks of archdiocesan deacons—already the world’s largest diaconate community—on May 26. Cardinal George will ordain the men at a 2:30 p.m. Mass at Holy Name Cathedral.

The men, who range in age from 38 to 69, recently completed four years of study for the permanent diaconate. The wives of the 18 who are married also participated in the training program.

Most of the new deacons will be serving in their home parishes, where deacons can officiate at baptisms and weddings, preach and participate in various ministries.

While seven of the men are retired, the others will also continue to work in various occupations, including the medical field, accounting, sales, law, plumbing, tool and die-making, art and production.





Terror can’t defeat America, Giuliani tells grads

As the government issued new warnings of future terrorist acts aimed at the United States, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani reminded the graduates of Georgetown University’s Law Center that terrorism is not the greatest danger faced by U.S. citizens.

“Let’s be concerned about it, but let’s not become inordinately focused on it” in the face of life’s more commonplace risks, such as disease, crime and accidents, Giuliani said May 19.





Getting a head start

Loyola program aims to give teachers a boost

When Carlos Irizarry stood in front of a class at Martin Luther King Jr. Laboratory School in Evanston this spring, the 20-year-old Loyola education student knew he was right about his calling.

“I was a lot less nervous than I expected,” said Irizarry, who completed his second year at Loyola University Chicago earlier this month. “Once I got in there, it felt natural to be there, in that type of environment.”



Eight honored with catechetical ministry awards

Julius Frazier was a successful business systems analyst. But deep inside he realized there was more to life than climbing the corporate ladder. Then he heard a call from God and answered it.

As a result, Frazier is among eight people honored May 21 by Cardinal George and the Office for Catechesis for “outstanding efforts in catechetical ministry.”





Good scouts
Trio strengthens bond between parishes

Nicole Pall, Alexandra Vignocchi and Laura Wolf are making a difference in others’ lives.

It began when the three Deerfield eighth-graders looked for a way to earn the Silver Award, the highest honor a Cadette Girl Scout can receive. To achieve their goal, the trio—who have been together in scouting since first grade—had to design and carry out a project that would help their community, church or school and take no less than 25 hours to complete.

Their thoughts turned to how they could help St. Malachy, the Chicago West Side sharing parish of their own Holy Cross Church.





Making a difference
Amate volunteers help transform a school

Amate House is exactly what St. Agnes of Bohemia needs to survive. The Little Village elementary school thrives and remains open in large part due to the organization’s volunteer teachers who serve there without pay, cutting down on expenses.

“We operate on a shoestring,” said Principal Pat Jones. “This is a largely Hispanic community with a very strong faith ethic. They want their children to be educated in a Catholic school but many cannot afford the tuition they’d have to pay without the volunteer services of Amate House. We’d probably outprice our families to pay the bills. The school’s survival would be in great jeopardy.”



USCCB preview: Hispanic ministry also on the table

In addition to considering a national policy on clergy sex abuse, the U.S. bishops at their June meeting in Dallas also will vote on a draft document for updating Hispanic ministry which recommends training Hispanics for leadership roles in the church.

The proposed document notes that Hispanic ministry is at “a crossroads at the beginning of a new century” and requires a refocusing in light of the rapid growth of Hispanics that is expected to make them the majority within the U.S. church during the first half of the 21st century.



Hallmark’s reality ‘Adoption’ series begins its stories well

“Adoption” chronicles for TV viewers the trials and triumphs of both sides of the adoption issue in a compassionate and respectful manner. The unscripted reality series premieres June 2, 7-8 p.m. on cable’s Hallmark Channel. (Check local listings)

Portraying the journey and real-life experiences of families, birth parents and adoptive children, the program-at least judging from the pilot-never feels intrusive. The cameras don’t linger on teary-faced participants trying to exploit their feelings, which is a relief when one considers the type of reality-based shows on nowadays.



Media watchdogs assess handling of abuse news

West Palm Beach, Fla. - Secular media watchdogs-including one tracking the story for St. Petersburg’s prestigious Poynter Institute-disagree as to how long the church crisis will stay in the headlines and just how it became this year’s big news story in the first place.

“I don’t see a scenario where this would come to a close any time soon,” said Bill Mitchell, a former Time magazine bureau chief who is now online editor and marketing director for Poynter.

Our Lady of the New Millennium will be taken off “tour” between June 2-8 for a general cleaning and polishing to remove the dirt and grime that has collected over the past years. More

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