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News Digest

Issue of October 28 – November 10, 2007
The following items are condensed. For the complete articles, please read the print edition of The Catholic New World. To subscribe, call (312) 534-7777.

News Update

Pastoral Center on the market

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced Oct. 12 that its Pastoral Center at 155 E. Superior St. is for sale. The archdiocese has selected the real estate firm of L.J. Sheridan & Co. to handle the sale of the seven-story, 77,350 square-foot building, which sits on more than a third of an acre on the southwest corner of St. Clair and Superior streets.

The archdiocese plans to use the historic Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary High School buildings, 103 E. Chestnut, and the property at 739 E. 35th St., formerly the St. Jospeh Carondolet Home, as the two sites for the Pastoral Center.

Pastoral Center employees are expected to make the move to the two sites by November 2008.

Latino office new at Charities

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago has created an Office of Latino Affairs to increase public awareness and support of its current and future services for Latino immigrants and their families.

The move comes in recognition of the fast-growing Latino population in Cook and Lake counties. The office will be headed by Heriberto López Alberola, and can be reached at (312) 655-7953.

News Digest

Attorney known for ethics is mourned

Family, friends and colleagues are mourning the death of Francis D. Morrissey, 77, a Chicago attorney and law professor who was honored Sept. 30 with the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago.

Mr. Morrissey died Oct. 1. A funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 15 at Holy Name Cathedral.

Deadline nears for IRA gifts

The clock is ticking on a way for people over 70½ years old to make donations to charitable organizations and save on the taxes at the same time.

A federal law allowed donors to make untaxed donations from their Individual Retirement Accounts during 2006 and 2007. The law expires at the end of this year.

Lourdes pilgrimage being planned

As Cardinal George prepares to lead a pilgrimage to Lourdes the first week of August, 2008, the Catholic New World is publishing selected essays by young people who have recently made such a pilgrimage with Father Wayne Watts.

The pilgrimage will observe the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Mary to young Bernadette Soubirous.

Parishes reflect on three decades of sharing

For close to 30 years, parishioners at St. Anne in Barrington maintained a close relationship with parishioners at St. Gelasius—formerly known as St. Clare/St. Cyril—in Woodlawn.

The two parishes sponsored joint field trips for their elementary school students, as well as picnics and basketball games. Senior citizens from St. Gelasius were invited to a Barrington-area senior luncheon every year, and St. Gelasis welcomed St. Anne parishioners to a “sharing Mass” the third Sunday of every month.

‘Prison Angel’ provides smiles, peanut butter

Clutching a photograph of a beautiful 21-year-woman lying dead of AIDS, she speaks of those whose hands she has held, of the destitute, sick and lonely. Her eyes implore, a bright blue both piercing and soft, as her voice breaks with anguish and hope. Around her neck hangs a cross of three bound nails, a Star of David in the center. It was crafted for her by one of the thousands of prisoners to whom she ministers in Tijuana, Mexico. For the nails she wears so proudly, she has traded her pearls.

She is Mother Antonia, whom many call “The Prison Angel.” Until 1977, Mother Antonia lived in Beverly Hills, Calif., a twice-divorced mother of seven. Then, deciding to help in a bigger way, she sewed herself a habit and veil and moved to Tijuana. Today she lives in a cell in La Mesa prison, where she serves the prisoners and their families. On Mission Sunday, she visited Techny Towers Conference and Retreat Center to share her story and her advice.