The Diocese of Ogdensburg Volume 68, Number 18 FOR THE ... Papers/2013/9-18-13.pdfDate:Sept 26, from...

S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C16 around the diocese

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

LIFERIGHT MEETINGWatertown - Liferight of Watertownmeets third Wednesday of the Month.Time: 4 p.m. Place: 312 Sherman St.Features: The office has materials on

infanticide, assisted suicide, euthanasiaand chastity. Contact: Phone 315-788-8480; website:

www.liferight.org.

PARKINSON’S WALKSackets Harbor – North Country Coali-tion for Parkinson’s & Movement Disor-ders will hold their second annualParkinson’s Walk to raise funds for localParkinson’s outreach effortsDate: Sept. 21Time: Registration at 9 a.m.; Walk starts

at 10 a.m.Place: Starts at the Sackets Harbor Visi-

tor CenterFeatures: Walk the 1.5 mile route or the

3 mile route. For more information goto: www.northcountryparkinsons.org.

PANCAKE BREAKFASTLyons Falls – The South Lewis Knights ofColumbus will be having an all you caneat Pancake brunch.Date: Sept. 22Time: 8 a.m. to noonPlace: St. John’s ChurchCost: Adults, $6; Children 5-12, $3;

under 5, Free

CABBAGE ROLL SALENorwood – The Norwood K of C will behaving a take out Cabbage Roll Sale.Date: Sept. 21Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Place: St. Andrew’s Church

LASAGNA DINNERHeuvelton – St. Raphael’s Church isholding its annual Lasagna Dinner.Date: Sept. 25Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7Place: Heuvelton School CafeteriaCost: Adults, $7; Senior Citizens (over

65), 46; Children 6-12, $5; under 6, Free. Features: Take-out orders please call344-2383 on Sept. 25 from Noon to 3p.m. Proceeds will be used for charitablepurposes.

GUN AND KNIFE SHOWBrasher Falls – The Knights of Columbuswill be hosting a Gun and Knife Show.Date: Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. & Oct.

6 , from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Place: K of C HallCost: $3; under 12 free must be accom-

panied by an adult.Features: Many dealers will be present

with hunting, fishing, archery and sport-ing items. Dealers wishing to reserve ta-bles can contact Phil Davis at315-389-4627. Concessions stand openall day, breakfast served until 11 a.m.Public invited to buy, trade, or sell.

HARVEST DINNEROgdensburg – Notre Dame will be hav-ing a harvest dinner.Date: Oct. 20Time: Noon to 3 p.m.Place: Knights of Columbus HallCost: Adults, $8; Children 5-12, $5;

Under 5, free (eat in only)Features: Roast Turkey with the trim-

mings, dessert included, craft-tables,50/50 raffle and take-outs available.

COMMUNITY FREE LUNCHOgdensburg – The Knights of ColumbusCouncil 258 is starting its communityfree lunch program again.Date: Every WednesdayTime: NoonFeatures: Free hot lunchContact: Club Rooms at 393-7990 after

4 p.m. or on Wednesdays after 10:30 a.m.

HEALING MASSRaymondville – St. Raymond’s Churchwill be having a Healing Mass.Date: Oct. 16Time: 6:30 p.m.Features: Fathers Jack Downs and An-

drew Amyot and Msgr. John Murphy willcelebrate Mass followed by the opportu-nity to be prayed for individually by aprayer team. We will begin with an in-troduction by Fr. Jack Downs about Un-derstanding the Healing Ministry,followed by brief testimony, Mass, andSacramental Anointing. All are welcome

RUMMAGE SALENorfolk – A rummage sale is to be heldto benefit the Altar Rosary Society.Date: Sept 26, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and

Sept. 27, from 9 a.m. to noonPlace: Church of the VisitationFeatures: Baby items, Household goods,

tools, dishes, books, puzzles, clothing forme, woman, and children and more.

LATIN MASSPotsdam – A Tridentine (Latin) Mass iscelebrated each Sunday with Msgr.Robert H. Aucoin as the celebrantTime: 12:30 a.m.Place: St. Mary's Church

DIOCESAN YEAR OF FAITH MASSLake Placid - A solemn Mass marking theYear of Faith and the New Evangelizationwill be heldDate: Sept. 29Time: 2:30 p.mPlace: Olympic CenterFeatures: Archbishop Carlo Maria

Vigano, Apostolic Nuncio to the UnitedStates, will preside with Bishop LaValleyand priests of the diocese concelebrat-ing. Bishop LaValley will be the homilist.Nearly 2000 Catholics from across theDiocese of Ogdensburg are expected.Contact: Bus transportation from com-

munities throughout diocese will beavailable; see page 13 of this week’s NCCfor contact information.

FALL RETREAT FOR ADULTSSaranac Lake – A second session hasbeen added for a fall retreat to be held atGuggenheim Lodge.Date: Sept. 20-21Schedule: : Sept. 20-21 begins 6 p.m.

with dinner; OR Sept. 21-22 begins at7:30 p.m. with dessertCost: $75 Sept. 20-21; $70 Sept. 21-22Speaker: Paul Gibaldi, wilderness guide

for 25 years, nature photographer andtwo nature photography books pub-lished and Sister Bethany Fitzgerald, SSJ,

spiritual director and adult faith educa-tor. Features: There will be time for prayer,reflection and sharing of the spiritualwisdom . Gibaldi Will lead a hike upnearby Mount Baker on Saturday..Regis-trations will be taken (limit 10) throughSept. 19. Hiking clothes and shoes/bootsare recommended.Contact: Sr. Bethany srbeth@cit-

tele.com or 315-212-6592.

PILGRIMAGE TO SPAINFr. Donald Robinson will be leading a pil-grimage “Best of Spain and Portugal”.Dates: Feb. 18-28, 2014Cost: $2899 per person from NYC Included: Roundtrip Air from NY, First

Class/Select Hotels, Most Meals, Compre-hensive Sightseeing and much more.Features: Madrid, Salamanca, Lisbon,Seville, Granada & ToledoContact: Fr Robinson at 315-782-1190

or e-mail [email protected]

BEST OF IRELANDThe Best of Ireland Tour lead by Fr. An-drew Amyot is scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 9th 2013 has a few openings. Contact: For more information, contact

Fr. Amyot at (315) 384-2064 or email:[email protected]

DOVS VOCATION PILGRIMAGEJoin Bishop LaValley, Father Bryan Stitt,

and the members of the Diocese of Og-densburg Vocations Society for a pil-grimage to the Shrine of St. KateriTekakwitha, Montreal to promote andsupport vocations. Date: Oct. 9Cost: $89 (covers lunch and bus travel

from Schroon Lake/Plattsburgh or Og-densburg/Potsdam/Malone)Features: Mass at the Shrine, Rosary for

Vocations at the Cathedral of Montreal.(Any proceeds will be used for the pro-motion of vocations in diocese.) Non-re-fundable payment due by Sept. 21.Passports or enhanced licenses neededContact: Connie Randall at 315-265-

2762 or Lois McCasland at 315-265-9469

MATTHEW KELLY EVENTOgdensburg - Matthew Kelly will lead aPASSION AND PURPOSE LIVE! event at St.Mary's Cathedral.Date: Oct. 26Time: 9 a.m. to 1:30Place: St. Mary’s CathedralFeatures: The day will center on a prac-

tical exploration and understanding ofour Faith, and all the ways it’s meant toimpact our lives – including: spirituality,relationships, work and money, personalhealth, and parenting. Contact: See: rcdony.org/matthew-

kelly.html or contact Marika Donders inthe Office of Evangelization at 315-393-2920, ext 1380

JEFFERSON

LEWIS

ST. LAWRENCE

DIOCESAN EVENTS

Fawn Sutherland and Hope Marston are holding a quilt Ms. Sutherland made for the Sept. 28 Liferight silent/live auction . The auc-tion begins at 11 a.m. at the Italian American Club in Watertown. Ms. Marston is donating a signed book which she authored and ahusky dog . Lunch is available by mailing a check for $10, payable to Liferight at 139 Coleman Avenue, Watertown, N.Y. 13601.

FOR THE LIFERIGHT SILENT AUCTION

CATHOLICNORTH COUNTRYNORTH COUNTRYThe Diocese of Ogdensburg Volume 68, Number 18

SEPT. 18, 2013

INSIDETHIS ISSUEYear of Faith Storyof Faith that’s lasted102 years l PAGES 4

Funerals held for threeSisters who served in thediocese l PAGES 6&9

IN PRAYERFOR PEACE

Countdownto Year ofFaith Mass

Bishop namesthree pastors

Pope Francisleads vigil

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

FAITH OPENS THE DOOR: Bishop’s Fund helps support Guggenheim... p. 7

Church as ‘loving mamma’

FULL STORY, PAGE 2

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARINGPope Francis leads Benedictionduring a vigil to pray for peace inSyria Sept. 7 in St. Peter's Square atthe Vatican. In his column thisweek, Father William Muenchwrites about joining in the pope’scampaign for peace. “We, CatholicChristians, must show this worldwhat a person of peace looks like –especially by the way we treat oth-ers,” Father Muench said.

PHOTO BY MARIKA DONDERSDr. Lonel Woods of the Crane School of Music will direct the 300-voice choir for the Solemn Year of Faith Mass Sept. 29 in LakePlacid. He is shown above at St. Mary’s Church in Potsdam during one of several practice sessions being held across the dioceseduring the final weeks before the diocesan liturgy. At right is Father Scott Seymour, pastor in Morrisonville and Treadwells Mill,organizer of the music for the Mass which will include a wide variety of forms including traditional hymns, Gospel-style andcontemporary.

Father Robert Decker, Father Rocker

and Father Chapin are given new

responsibilities as parishes link

Parishioners across the dio-cese have signed up forbuses traveling to theOlympic Arena in Lake PlacidSept. 29.

Musicians throughout theNorth Country are taking partin regional practice sessions.

Bishop LaValley has en-couraged pastors in the dio-cese to modify their SundayMass schedules for Sept. 29so priests and parishionerscan travel to Lake Placid toparticipate in the SolemnMass at the Olympic Arena at2:30 p.m.

Archbishop Carlo Viganowill be the main celebrant.

FULL STORY, PAGE 5

FULL STORY, PAGE 3

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francisgave pilgrims attending hisweekly public audience Sept.11 what he called a "home-work assignment" to find outthe date they were baptizedand celebrate it every year.

"How many of you remem-ber the date of your bap-tism?" the pope asked thecrowd in St. Peter's Square,and then acknowledged a

relatively small show ofhands.

"Our baptismal date is thedate of our birth in thechurch," he said. "When yougo home today, look hard forthe date of your baptism, soyou can celebrate it andthank the Lord for this gift."

The pope's remarks cameduring a talk on the subjectof the church as mother, for

which he mostly used the in-formal Italian term "mamma.

One doesn't belong to thechurch as to a company, aparty or any other organiza-tion," he said. "The link isvital, like that one has withone's own mom, because thechurch is really the motherof Christians."

"A good mom helps herchildren come out of them-

selves, and not stay comfort-ably under the maternalwings, like a brood of chicksstays under the wings of thehen," he said. "The church,like a good mother, does thesame thing: accompanies ourgrowth, transmitting theword of God, which is a lightthat shows us the path of theChristian life; administeringthe sacraments."

S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C news 15

OBITUARIESAltona – Dwight J. Smart, 48; FuneralServices Sept. 14, 2013 at Holy Angel’sChurch; burial in Holy Angel’s Cemetery.

Brownville – Elizabeth A. Evans Monaco,95; Funeral Services Sept. 9, 2013 at Im-maculate Conception Church; burial inCalvary Cemetery.

Brushton – Louis “Louie” A. LaRock, 86;Funeral Services St. Mary’s Church; burialin parish cemetery.

Champlain – Daniel Arthur Castine, 70;Funeral Services Sept. 11, 2013 at St.Mary’s Church; burial in parish cemetery.

Coopersville – Richard Joseph Fosher, 70;Funeral Services Sept. 13, 2013 at St.Joseph’s Church; burial in parish ceme-tery.

Ellenburg – Agnes D. (Miller) Seguin, 92;Funeral Services Sept. 11, 2013 at St. Ed-mund’s Church; burial in parish cemetery.

Hogansburg – Arthur “Art” J. Bova, 81;Funeral Services Sept. 7, 2013 at St. RegisChurch; burial in Kateri Cemetery, Akwe-sasne.

Keeseville – Walter E. “Walt” LaMountain,79; Memorial Services Sept. 7, 2013 at St.John’s Church.

Malone – Janet L. (Gratton) LaFave, 77;Funeral Services Sept. 10, 2013 at St.Joseph’s Church; burial in Notre DameCemetery.

Malone – Marian G. (Richards) LaRock,86; Funeral Services Sept. 9, 2013 at theBruso-Desnoyers Funeral Home; burial inSt. Augustine’s Cemetery, North Bangor.

Massena – Kenneth J. Layo, Jr., 66; Fu-neral Services Sept. 10, 2013 at St. Mary’sChurch; burial in Calvary Cemetery.

Massena – Carolyn M. “Auntie” (Greco)Morin, 84; Funeral Services Sept. 14, 2013at St. Mary’s Church; burial in CalvaryCemetery.

Morrisonville – Clarence J. Curry, 72; Fu-neral Services Sept. 7, 2013 at St. Alexan-der’s Church; burial in St. Peter’s

Cemetery, Plattsburgh.

Plattsburgh – Susan C. (Church) Judkins,76; Funeral Services Sept. 8, 2013 at St.John’s Church.

Plattsburgh – Stephen J. Lombard, 62;Funeral Services Sept. 9, 2013 at St.Peter’s Church; burial in St. Patrick’sCemetery, Rouses Point.

Potsdam– Joseph “Joey” Lewis MichaelRotella, 24; Funeral Services Sept. 13,2013 at the Garner Funeral Service; bur-ial in Garfield Cemetery.

Saranac Lake – Kathlene E. FoleyGoodrich, 51; Memorial Services Sept. 11,2013 at Fortune-Keough Funeral Home.

Saranac Lake – Vincent Elias Pelletieri,91; Funeral Services Sept. 14, 2013 at St.Bernard’s Church; burial in St. Bernard’sCemetery.

Tupper Lake – Richard P. Boushie, 88; Fu-neral Services Sept. 12, 2013 at St.Alphonsus Church; burial in parish ceme-tery.

Watertown– Gloria M. (Ayers) Gallagher,82; Funeral Services Sept. 7, 2013 at HolyFamily Church; burial in Glenwood Ceme-tery.

Watertown – Dorothy M. (Buckman)Morgia, 94; Funeral Services Sept. 14,2013 at St. Anthony’s Church; burial inGlenwood Cemetery.

The Pontifical Mission Societies of theDiocese of Ogdensburg, Inc.The Society for the Propagation of the FaithSr. Mary Ellen Brett, SSJ, Director622 Washington St., Ogdensburg, NY 13669(315) 393-2920; fax [email protected]

From the Director’s DeskSister Mary Ellen Brett, SSJ,Diocesan Mission Director

Our Summer weather in the North Country has blessed uswith a variety of weather patterns for which I thank God. Ienjoyed the many warm days sometimes with high humid-ity. I always knew that in a short time the weather wouldchange with a gentle breeze or a thunderstorm bringingrain to cool us down.

Summer for us in the Ogdensburg Diocese…Winter for people in the Southern Hemisphere

Our hot summers with cool relief in sight always remindme of people in developing countries. Summer for people inthe Southern Hemisphere usually means hot and humiddays and nights with no relief in sight through what we useso freely in the summer months, namely fans and air condi-tioners. When the excessive heat bothers you, challengeyourself not to turn on your car air conditioner or yourhouse air conditioner for ten minutes. You will feel whatpeople in Peru and other developing countries feel duringthe summer months with no relief for long periods of time.

At this time, it is Winter for people in the Southern Hemi-sphere. I think of the people I met in Mollendo, Peru inearly June who were experiencing cool air hoping the sunwould shine some warmth upon them. The days that thecloud covered the sun were very cold by our standards anddemanded that we all wear layers. Peruvians knew that onJune 21st, when our summer begins, that their cold winterwould be upon them. I think of them now suffering the coldeven with layers of clothing, sleeping in their homes withno central heating only to wake up to wash and do laundryin cold water. As you read this, may we be grateful for the conven-

iences we have and pray for those enduring the hardship ofa cold winter in the Southern Hemisphere. God bless you.

www.dioogdensburg.org/missionoffice

Seasons...

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What an honor it will be forus to welcome Arch-bishop Carlo MariaVigano, to our dioceseSept. 29.The archbishop, the

papal nuncio to theUnited States, will bethe principal celebrantat our diocesan Massfor the Year of Faith atthe Olympic Arena inLake Placid.Just what is a nuncio? A nuncio is a Vatican

diplomat with the rankof ambassador. He is responsible for diplo-

matic relations with the gov-ernment, but also serves as the

pope's representative to thechurch in a given coun-try, which includes re-sponsibility forcoordinating thesearch for and vettingof candidates to be-come bishops.Pope Benedict XVI

appointed ArchbishopVigano to the positionin October 2011 andthe archbishop contin-ues to serve underPope Francis.In an interview with

Catholic News Serviceshortly after his appointment,Archbishop Vigano that being anuncio is "a call to know this

people, this country and cometo love them." We will be happy to show

him how easy it is to love thepeople of the Diocese of Og-densburg and the beautifulpart of the country in Whichwe live.I think he’ll be impressed to

see the numbers and the en-thusiasm of the Catholics pray-ing with him in the arena,This isn’t the first time we’ve

welcomed a papal nuncio inour midst. Previous nuncioshave taken part in the installa-tion of our bishops over theyears. But, this is the first time

since 1972 – when the diocese

celebrated its 100th anniver-sary - that a nuncio has cele-brated a Mass which everysingle Catholic in the NorthCountry is invited to attend.This solemn Mass promises

to the a spectacular spiritualevent. I’ve heard that the buses are

filling up quickly. I’ve heard that the selected

music is breathtakingly beauti-ful and that the choir directoris brilliant.I know that Bishop LaVally’s

homily will be a powerful mes-sage of faith.And I know it’s an opportu-

nity that should not be missedby any of us!

Today, I would like to join to-gether with all those who havealready written and spoken outin recognition of Pope Francis’strong call for peace – espe-cially a peaceful settlement ofthe crisis over Syria. I am totally impressed with

the responses that have beenmade to our Holy Father’s callfor prayer and fasting. Pope Francis has spoken out

forcefully concerning the injus-tices suffered by the people ofSyria. However, his consistentcall is that violence is not theanswer. He spoke out very strongly

concerning this in his homilyon the evening of the peacevigil in St. Peter’s Square.He said this: “War always

marks the failure of peace – itis a defeat for humanity.” “Thisevening I ask the Lord that weChristians, and our brothersand sisters of other religions,and every man and woman ofgood will, cry out forcefully: vi-olence and war are never theway to peace.”So, today, I join with all of

those who have spoken out –our bishop, the bishopsthroughout the country, and somany others who have writtenand spoken out concerningthis – there must be a betterway.

I was so impressed thatmany parishes in our diocesedemonstrated a response tothe Pope’s call for peace – forprayer and fasting – with spe-cial services and prayer vigils.This moment must not be

forgotten. Since we havejoined in this campaign ofprayer for peace – now wemust live it. As people of peace, our lives

must demonstrate our hopesand dreams for peace. We,Catholic Christians, must showthis world what a person ofpeace looks like – especially bythe way we treat others. This must begin with our

own families. Each family mustbe the most peaceful family onthe face of the earth – nothingless. Only then can we challenge

the rest of the world to be amore peaceful place. We must also make our com-

munity, the most peaceful

community on the face of theearth. The challenge beginsright here at home. Then wecan demand the rest of theworld to join us in this path topeace.Our campaign for peace be-

gins with prayer. This prayermust be lived out in our dailylives. It begins with the littlethings. Doing the little thingsof life well is so fundamentallyimportant in this program. I am certain that this path to

peace does begin with how wedeal with the little things oflife. Often, these little thingscan be annoying and can inter-fere with our efforts to findingcomplete peace.

Doing the little things of lifewell – “What does that require?”I am certain that it begins withpatience. Being that steady,patient person is never easy.Yet, nothing demonstrates ourpeacefulness more than pa-tience. It also demonstratesour faith in God – our love ofGod – our love of our neighbor. Now, don’t get me wrong – I

am not the most patient per-son. I must work harder at thisspirit of patience. And now isthe time – I have been chal-lenged by my Holy Father,Pope Francis – I want to joinmore fully in this campaign ofour Holy Father, Pope Francis,in his call for peace.

S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C2 Diocesan Life

REV. JOSEPH A. MORGANVice President

SR. JENNIFER VOTRAW, SSJSecretary-TreasurerMARY LOU KILIAN

Editor/General Manager

BISHOP TERRYR. LAVALLEYPresident

EDITOR’S NOTES

Ready to welcome our nuncio!

Mary LouKilian

A PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE

Joining in the pope’s campaign for peace


WALK OF FAITH, PORK DINNERPeru - The Catholic Community of St. Au-gustine’s and St. Patrick’s Parish, The PeruCommunity Church, Catholic Daughtersof the Americas, Court St. Monica 2598and Knights of Columbus Council 7273 inPeru, NY will hold its 7th Annual Walk ofFaith.Date: Oct. 13Time: Early registration at 11:45 a.m.Opening ceremony begins at 12:30 p.m. Place: Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine (be-hind St. Augustine’s Church)Features: Immediately following open-ing ceremonies, the Walk of Faith willbegin, rain or shine Walk is 2.7 mileroute in the Town of Peru. Proceeds willgo to The North Country Mission of Hopeand The Jamaica Project. Dinner: A pulled pork dinner , also ben-efitting the Mission of Hope and JamaicaProject will follow the walk, from noonto 4 p.m. at St. Augustine’s Parish Center.non-walkers, $8; walkers, 6$; children 12and under, non-walkers, $4, walkers, $3.Contact: Christa Reyell at 566-6404.

HARVEST DINNERChazy – Sacred Heart Church will haveits Annual Harvest Dinner.Date: Sept. 22Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.Cost: Adults, $9; Children 6-12, $3; 5 andunder, Free; Take-outs, $9Features: Buffet Style Chicken and Bis-cuit dinner. Raffle. Sinners’ Den Pantry

TENT SALEPeru – St. Vincent’s will have its fall tentsale.Date: Sept. 20 – Sept. 22Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.Place: 3028 Main St.Features:Fill a large bag with gentlyused clothing and footwear for $6.

HARVEST DINNERWest Chazy – St. Joseph’s Church willhold its 40th Annual Harvest Dinner.Date: Oct. 13Time: Noon to 5 p.m.Place: St. Joseph’s Parish CenterCost: Adults, $10; Children 5-12, $5;Children under 5, FreeFeatures: Turkey with all the trimmings,a Country Store and much more. Contact: St. Joseph’s Parish Office at518-493-4521 for more information

HARVEST DINNERDannemora – St. Joseph’s Parish will be hosting its Annual Roast Turkey andTrimmings Harvest Dinner.

Date: Oct. 13Time: 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.Cost: Adults, $9; Children 5-10, $5; under5, FreeFeatures: Take outs are available. CashRaffles, Chinese Raffle, Crafts and Coun-try Store, 50/50 and live musicContact: Vern & Sorelle Bouyea @ 293-7768 or Deacon Ed & Louise Mazu-chowski @ 563-0828

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNINGPlattsburgh - A series of Natural FamilyPlanning classes to be sponsored by theDiocesan NFP Office. Date: Oct. 6Time: 2 p.m.Place: St. John’s Church [Parish Center,lower level]Program: Three-part learner-centeredformat educates couples to observe andinterpret the physical signs of fertility.This knowledge can be used to achieve,as well as to postpone, conception. Cost: Fee of $50 includes all materials;scholarships available.Contact: To register, or to learn more,contact instructors Matthew and SarahBosley at 518-962-8966 (email:[email protected]) or the Dioce-san NFP Office at 518-483-0459 (email:[email protected].)

HEALING MASSEllenburg Center - Our Lady of theAdirondacks House of Prayer is holding ahealing Mass.Date: Sept. 28Time: 10 a.m.Features: Father Doug Decker will pre

side at a healing Mass which will be fol-lowed by an opportunity for individualprayer by OLA prayer ministry teams.Contact:If you plan on staying for alight lunch, RSVP by Sept. 26 [email protected] or 518-594-3253. Donations appreciated

IGNATIAN RETREATEllenburg Center – OLA will be havingan Ignatian Retreat - Discernment ofSpirits.Date: Oct. 18-20 or Oct. 25-27Time: Begin at 7 p.m. and ends at Noonon SundayPresenter: Fr. Jack Downs.Cost: $60 per weekend covers all food.. Rooms available for overnight guestson a first come basis (+$50 weekend). Features: This time of prayer and learn-ing will be based on St. Ignatius of Loy-ola's Rules for Discernment, covering 7rules each weekend. The message isfreedom from captivity to discourage-ment and deception in the spiritual life. Contact: Register by Oct. 7 with a $15non-refundable deposit. [email protected] or call 518-594-3253 to register.

QUILT SHOP OPENEllenburg Center - Lost Sheep Quilt andFabric Shop is now open! Place: Our Lady of the AdirondacksHouse of Prayer, Hours: Tues. - Sat, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.Evenings and other times by appoint-ment. Phone 594-3253 or [email protected] to come atother times

Features: the Moda line plus Jo Mortonfabrics by Andover., wool and patternsto make penny rugs, some notions in-cluding King Tut and YLI thread, batting,pins, etc. Some precuts - charm packsand jelly rolls and kits.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATIONPlattsburgh – Eucharistic Adoration isheld throughout the year every Wednes-day, Thursday, and Friday.Place: St. John’s “Holy Family” AdorationChapel, downstairsTime: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.Contact: call 518-561-5083 or email

[email protected]

HARVEST DINNERElizabethtown – St. Elizabeth’s will behaving a Harvest Dinner with Roast Beefand all the trimmings.Date: Oct. 6Time: 2 p.m. to 6Place: Parish HallCost: Adults, $9; Children 5-12, $5;under 5, FreeFeatures: Take-outs available, 1:30 p.m.

FALL FESTIVAL DINNERBombay – St. Joseph’s Parish will behaving its 22nd Annual Fall Festival Din-ner featuring baked ham.Date: Sept. 29Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.Place: Parish HallCost: Adults, $9; under 12, $4; under 5,FreeFeatures: Baked goods, canned goods,fresh produce & flea market Items, 50/50Raffle, Multi-prize Raffle and more!

FALL FESTIVALConstable – The Catholic Community ofConstable, Westville & Trout River, Altar &Rosary and K of C Council 9991 are hav-ing the Annual Fall Festival and HamDinner.Date: Sept. 21Time: 4 p.m. to 7 Place: St. Francis Church HallCost: Adults, $9; 12 and under, $5Features: Lots of great raffles. In appreci-ation of our Priest and Religious theywill eat for free.Contact: 483-3772

ROSARY RALLYMalone – Annual Rosary Rally to beheld.Date: Oct. 12Time: 1 p.m.Place: St. Joseph’s Church

Contact: Elaine McGivney at 518-529-6133 or [email protected]

BEREAVEMENT MEETINGWatertown - An Ecumenical Bereave-ment Meeting will be held.Date: Sept. 23Time: 7 p.m.Place: Hearthside Hospitality Center atthe Motherhouse of the Sisters of St.JosephSpeaker: Rev. Cheryl GmitterTheme: “Finding Peace through theStorm”

LIFERIGHT AUCTIONWatertown – Liferight will be having asilent/live auction and luncheon.Date: Sept. 28Time: Viewing starts at 11 a.m.; Auctionat noon; Luncheon followsPlace: Italian American ClubFeatures: Mel Busler will be the auc-tioneer. A variety of quilted items, craftsand paintings stay’s at local hotels, secu-rity alarm system and , home furnishingitems, autographed books by localartists, themed baskets, gift certificates. Contact: Lunch reservations can be ob-tained by mailing a $10 check payable toLiferight to Francine Hanlon, 139 Cole-man Ave, Watertown, NY 13601

SPAGHETTI SUPPERWatertown – St. Anthony’s Altar RosaryChurch will be having Spaghetti Supper.Date: Sept. 26Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7 Place: Msgr. Sechi HallCost: Adults, $8; children $4.50; under 3,free; sauce, $5 per quart meatballs are$.75. Take-out orders begin at 4 p.m.Please bring your own containers

REVELATION COURSE BEGINSEvans Mills – An 11 week course on theBook of Revelations to be presented byIndian River Knights of Columbus.Date: Oct. 2 (Wednesdays) to Dec. 18Place: St. Mary’s Parish CenterCost: $25 Features: "Revelation: The Kingdom

Yet to Come" will consist of DVD lecturesby Jeff Cavins, home study, and discus-sion. Participants will consider the ques-tions - What is the message of St. John'sRevelation? How does it fit with theplan of Scripture? Can its disturbing im-ages be a source of inspiration. Studentsfrom outside the parish welcome. Contact: For registration and inquiries is767-1065.

CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE

The North County Catholicwelcomes contributions to “Around the Diocese”. Parishioners are invited to send information about activities to:

North Country Catholic, PO Box 326,Ogdensburg, NY 13669; fax, 1-866-314-7296;

e-mail [email protected].

Items must be received in the NCCoffice by the Thursday before publication.

CLINTON

ESSEX

FRANKLIN

JEFFERSON

S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C diocesan life 3

Bishop LaValley has namedFather Robert L. Decker aspastor of St. Paul’s Church inBlack River and St. Rita’sChurch in Deferiet. Father Decker, currently

pastor of St. Hubert’s Churchin Star Lake with St. Michael’sOratory in Fine and St. An-thony of Padua Oratory inNewton Falls and also St.Francis Solanus Church inHarrisville with St. Henry’sOratory in Natural Bridge, isreplacing Father Garvin J. De-marais who was granted amedical leave of absence byBishop LaValley. As a result of this assign-

ment change, Father StephenR. Rocker, currently pastor ofSt. James Church in Gou-verneur and Sacred HeartChurch in Edwards, will as-sume responsibility for theparish in Star Lake and Fa-ther Daniel L. Chapin, cur-rently pastor of St. Stephen’sChurch in Croghan with St.Vincent de Paul Oratory inBelfort and St. Peter’s Oratoryin New Bremen will assumeresponsibility for the parishin Harrisville. These linkages take place

according to previous plan-ning discussed by the pas-tors and parishes involved. Effective date for the

changes will be Oct.16.Profiles of the new pastors

follow:

Father DeckerFather Decker, a native of

Hammond, was born Oct. 16,1950. He studied for thepriesthood at Wadhams Halland Christ the King Seminaryand was ordained by BishopStanislaus J. Brzana on May7, 1983 at St. Mary’s Cathe-dral.The priest has served as

parochial vicar at Holy Fam-ily Church in Watertown, St.Mary’s Church, Clayton; St.John’s Church, Lafargeville;Sacred Heart Church,Massena; and St. AgnesChurch, Lake Placid.In 1995 he was appointed

pastor of St. Therese Church,Newcomb and St. Henry’sChurch, Long Lake.

From 1998 to 2003, FatherDecker served as a mission-ary for the Ogdensburg Peru-vian Apostolate in Mollendo,Peru.He was named administra-

tor in Harrisville and StarLake in 2003 and pastor thefollowing year.

Father RockerFather Rocker, new pastor

in Star, Lake has served aspastor in Gouverneur andEdwards since 2008Previously he was pastor

Hogansburg, Fort Covington,and Bombay from 2003, afterserving as a missionary withthe Ogdensburg PeruvianApostolate in 2002-2003Father Rocker, a native of

Port Leyden, was born Sept.12, 1953 in Lowville. Hestudied for the priesthood atWadhams Hall and theCatholic University of Lou-vain in Belgium. He was or-dained Sept. 1, 1979 at hishome parish of St. Martin’s inPort Leyden.The priest has served as

assistant pastor at Holy Fam-ily in Watertown and in Clay-ton. In 1982, he was nameda full time faculty member atWadhams Hall Seminary Col-lege, a position he held untilthe seminary’s closing in2002. He chaired the philos-ophy department. Father Rocker also served

as an administrator in Ham-

mond and Rossie from 1990-1992 and part time chaplainat the Ogdensburg Correc-tional Facility from 1997 to2002. In addition he was anadministrator in Newcomband Long Lake for a shorttime in 2003.

Father ChapinFather Chapin, new pastor

in pastor in Harrisville, hasserved as pastor in Croghansince 2006. He had previ-ously served as pastor inGouverneur from 2000 withadded responsibilities aspastor in Edwards in 2004.Born Nov. 13, 1946 in Mal-

one, Father Chapin grew upin North Bangor. He studiedfor the priesthood at Wad-hams Hall Seminary and St.Bernard’s Seminary inRochester before his ordina-tion May 13, 1972 by BishopStanislaus J. Brzana.The priest served as an as-

sistant pastor at St. Mary’s inOgdensburg before begin-ning ten years of missionarywork with the OgdensburgPeruvian Apostolate, servingat St. Martin de Porras Parishin Mollendo, Peru, from 1976to 1986.

He was pastor from 1981until returning to the UnitedStates.

Upon returning to the U.S.,Father Chapin again servedas parochial vicar at thecathedral for a short timeuntil taking part in a sabbat-ical year at the Weston Schoolof Theology.While on sabbatical, he

worked as a chaplain internat St. Elizabeth Hospital inBrighton, Mass.Upon his return to the dio-

cese, he served as parochialvicar at Holy Family in Water-town until being named pas-tor in Clayton andLaFargeville and then in Gou-verneur and Edwards.Father Chapin also served

as part-time chaplain at Gou-verneur Correction Facility.He is currently head of theecumenical committee anddirector of Hispanic Ministryfor the diocese.

Father Robert Decker

Bishop LaValley appoints three new pastors

Father Rocker Father Chapin

Priest changes mean parish linkages to take place

SARANAC LAKE - The Diocese ofOgdensburg Past RegentsChapter Annual Mass for De-ceased Members and Lunch-eon was hosted by CatholicDaughters of the AmericasCourt Saint Bernard #787 ofSaranac Lake July 20.

Bishop Terry R LaValleypresided at the 10:30 a.m.liturgy with Msgr. C. JohnMcAvoy, Father Scott Sey-mour, Father WilliamMuench, and Father BryanStitt concelebrating. Crossbearer was seminarian MattConger.

CDA State Regent MaryZiesig presented a $2000check to Bishop LaValley atthe conclusion of the Massfrom the organization'sMarie C. Curry Fund, in sup-port of the diocese's semi-narians.

A luncheon followed at theRed Fox restaurant and theannual raffle tickets were

drawn. Winner of $350 wasBernice Marcotte.

Donations will be made toSafe Haven and to the dio-cese's seminarians.

Greetings were offered byNational First Vice RegentHelene Shepard.

State Regent Mary Ziesigspoke of the presentfundraiser, the Charity calen-dars, to help fund the MarieC. Curry project, and Imme-diate Past State Regent PennyMartin spoke on the Statecharity for 2013 & 2014-SafeHaven.

A short business meetingfollowed the luncheon.

The spring meeting isbeing planned for April 2014,time and place to be an-nounced.

The annual Memorial Massand luncheon is scheduledfor Oct. 4, 2014 at St.Joseph's Church, Dan-nemora, hosted by Court

Mother Admirable #592, withBishop Terry LaValley presid-

ing as chief celebrant. All CDA members and

guests are invited to theliturgy and luncheon.


YEAR OF FAITH... STORY OF FAITH

By Andrew LauriaContributing Writer

My Great-Aunt Lena is 73 yearsand a day older than me. She wasborn and has lived her 102 years oflife on one side of Eagle Street inGloversville, N.Y. She still resides inthe house she bought with her hus-band when they were married in1935.

She speaks Italian in two dialects,which were out-lawed by Mussoliniduring WWII. She still has all herhair, her whole vision, and has lostonly one tooth.

She is, according to my com-pletely biased opinion, the bestcook in the entire world. And eventhough she and my great-unclenever had children, I consider her tobe my third grandmother.

The world is a very differentplace for a modern, single, latetwenties, globe-trotting guy than itis for this widow born the sameyear the first electric headlightswere offered on an automobile.

So what do my great-aunt and Ihave in common?

We love our family and even

though she has been a part of it formuch, much longer than I have, weboth feel the same gratitude for thepeople that we call our own fleshand blood.

We both love to eat. Everything.Not only do we enjoy the art of awell prepared meal, but we love theintimacy found in a long conversa-tion over a cup of coffee.

We even like a lot of the same

music, which makes her feel youngand me seem quite old.

But most importantly we love theLord. Of all the experiences in herlife and in mine, neither of us havea wider fascination or more pro-found gratitude than for a mannamed Jesus.

Christ stated over and over againthat He would be with us until theend of time. Aunt Lena says that Hewas right because she has been withHim since the beginning so sheknows that He isn’t lying.

I think that I sense the same eter-

nality of this promise in my own lifeand we can relate to each otherthrough this connection with Christ.

We both share in the same terrify-ing but astounding faith that Godwill never leave us, no matter whathappens in our short or long life.

But that faith is not easy. AuntLena has out-lived every person shehas known so far and that long lifehas come with a huge sense of loss.I think the most significant loss shehas experienced was her husband,Corrado, who died of cancer in1986. His death has tested her faithmore than any other experience inher life.

She loved him more than anyoneelse and she still speaks of himdaily. She is always telling me sto-ries of their young lives togetherand constantly reminiscing abouttheir many trips to Italy. The high-light is always how their marriagewas blessed by Pope Paul VI.

She and my Uncle Corradoshared a deep love for the Faith andfor the Catholic Church. I thinkAunt Lena misses my uncle becauseshe misses the love that he gaveher, a love that

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

A story of 102 years of faith

Great-aunt Lena at 102

Those attending the Past Regents Chapter Memorial Mass held July 20 at St. Bernard’s Church in Saranac Lake included, front row,Immediate Past State Regent Penny Martin, State Secretary Caroline Schlegel, 1st Vice State Regent Heather Rave, 1st Vice NationalRegent Helene Shepard, Bishop Terry R. LaValley, State Regent Mary Ziesig, 2nd Vice State Regent Marianne Eaton, State TreasurerEmma Lou Smith, Joan Jetsko, Past Regent Vice President and Anna Lucia, President Past Regents. Also pictured are Mary King, PastRegents Treasurer and Christa Reyell, Past Regents Secretary.

CDA Past Regents gather for annual Mass July 20

S P E T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C entertainment 13

AT THE MOVIES

By John Mulderig Catholic News Service

That rare Hollywoodcommodity, the close-knitclan, is put to shamefulwaste in director LucBesson's troubling Mafia-themed comedy, "The Fam-ily" (Relativity).

In fact, the internal har-mony of the titular house-hold exists simply as a foilfor the viciously violent --and supposedly humorous -- behavior its members dis-play toward any outsiderwho displeases them.

With a price on theirheads, Cosa Nostra insider-turned-informant GiovanniManzoni (Robert De Niro),his wife, Maggie (MichellePfeiffer), and their high-schoolers, Belle (DiannaAgron) and Warren (JohnD'Leo), have been sent tohide out in a remote Nor-mandy village as part of thewitness protection program.

Since the victims of Gio-vanni's snitching are still inrelentless pursuit, the quar-tet's chief FBI handler, AgentRobert Stansfield (Tommy

Lee Jones), is desperate forthem to blend in with theirnew neighbors. That's easiersaid than done, however,because all four share thesame tendency to exactblood-soaked vengeance onanyone foolish enough toaffront them, however triv-ially.

As Besson and screen-writer Michael Caleo ill-ad-visedly seek to draw laughsfrom bombings, beatingsand murder, the life-squan-dering lightheartedness be-comes increasinglydistasteful. Other factorsmake their screen version ofTonino Benacquista's novel"Malavita" even more off-putting.

Thus, Belle, explicitlyidentified in the dialogue asa 17-year-old, brazenly setsout to seduce her mathteacher. We're shown thesuccessful outcome of hercampaign in considerabledetail.

Sacred subject matter alsocomes in for frivolous treat-ment through ostensibly de-vout Maggie's interactionwith the local priest(Christopher Craig). Having

seen her praying by herselfin church several times, Fa-ther inquires why she does-n't attend Mass, andeventually invites her tomake a long-overdue visit tothe confessional.

We're meant to be amusedby the thought of the shock-ing catalog of horrifyingsins to which the unwittingclergyman has thus sub-jected himself. And, indeed,the next time we see thegood pastor, some dayslater, he's agitatedly re-proaching Maggie for her of-fenses and tossing her outof church lest she contami-nate his decent parishioners-- several of whom arewithin earshot at the time.

The fact that such actionswould represent a blatantviolation of the sacramentalseal -- an offense incurringautomatic excommunication-- is apparently too insignifi-cant to stand in the way ofthe intended joke. Forgiveus if fail to see the humor insuch trespasses.

The film contains muchharsh and sometimesbloody violence, graphicnonmarital and underage

sexual activity, nongraphicmarital lovemaking, irrever-ent humor, numerous ma-ture references, a few usesof profanity as well as fre-quent rough and occasionalcrude language. TheCatholic News Service clas-sification is O -- morally of-

fensive. The Motion PictureAssociation of America rat-ing is R -- restricted. Under17 requires accompanyingparent or adult guardian.

CNS PHOTO/RELATIVITY MEDIAMichelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro star in a scene from the movie "The Family."

THE FAMILY

ALSO PLAYING

CNS PHOTO/UNIVERSALVin Diesel stars in a scene from the movie "Riddick." The Catholic News Service classifi-cation is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R --restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C12 commentary

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

One of the themes intoday’s readings concerns agreat social sins of ourday—greed.While Americans

live on a comfortscale well abovethe Third World,there is growingconcern that thegulf between the“haves” and the“have nots” in ourcountry has grownto the point ofalarm. Greed for profit

has seriously in-jured the rights ofworkers. If any of us are onthe wrong track, thenCatholic social teachingwould suggest that wechange direction.

How does God judgegreed? The prophet Amos, while

speaking in theeighth century B.C.,might just as well bevoicing God’s judg-ment on our pres-ent-day society. It isjust not acceptableto Him! In fact,greed seems to beone of those sinswhich anger God themost. It's a question of

good stewardship. When greed rules

our lives, we makedecisions that often deprivethe poor. Although the story in

today’s Gospel about the un-just steward who is about to

be fired is somewhat con-fusing, the main lesson isvery clear- “The children ofthis world are more prudentin dealing with their owngeneration than are the chil-dren of light”. How come? Because this steward, see-

ing he is about to be fired,reduces the debts of all hismaster’s debtors. In so doing, he makes his

master look good, andmakes friends of thosedebtors he had cheated bygiving back to them byusing his own commission! Even though he lost his

job, he neatly provides forhis future state of unem-ployment. He was a veryclever man.God so wishes that his

followers, in spreading theKingdom, would imitate thecleverness of the worldly! One saintly medieval com-

mentator, Cornelius aLapide, suggests that we,His sinful, struggling disci-ples, would show some clev-erness in securing oursalvation. How? By praying

earnestly every day for ourbrothers and sisters in pur-

gatory, so that when we dieand are in that place of pu-rification ourselves, thosefor whom our prayers haveearned Heaven may returnthe favor, and beseech theLord to shorten our staythere and bring us immedi-ately to eternal joy. That, according to a

Lapide, is the meaning of“Make friends for yourselvesof the mammon of dishon-est wealth, so that when itfails, you will be welcomedinto eternal dwellings”. Not a bad interpretation!

It all fits with today's sec-ond reading in which St.Timothy urges both publicand private daily prayer, sothat everyone can be savedand come to the knowledgeof the truth.

A question of good stewardship

By Kathleen M. GallagherDirector of Pro-Life ActivitiesNew York State Catholic Conference

Last month an historicagreement was reached be-tween the National Insti-tutes of Health (NIH) and thefamily of a woman namedHenrietta Lacks. It didn’t geta lot of attention, but it iscritically important.If you’ve heard of Henri-

etta’s name, it’s likely be-cause of the 2010non-fiction book, “The Im-mortal Life of HenriettaLacks” by Rebecca Skloot.The book stayed on the NewYork Times bestseller list fortwo years; I highly recom-mend it.It engagingly weaves the

story of the life of HenriettaLacks, a poor African Ameri-can mother of five who diedin 1951 at age 31 from anaggressive form of cervicalcancer. Without her knowledge or

consent, some of her can-cerous cells were taken byresearchers at John HopkinsHospital. They were cul-

tured and grown in petridishes; they multiplied andreplicated over and overagain for decades. Theyhave been used for AIDSand cancer research. Theyhelped develop drugs tosuccessfully treat herpes,leukemia, Parkinson’s dis-ease and influenza. Theywere used in the creation ofthe polio vaccine and otherlife-saving developments.Henrietta’s family never

knew. They found out morethan twenty years later, longafter the cells and their dis-coveries were making mil-lions of dollars for scientistsand companies all over theworld.I suppose John Hopkins

can be forgiven; in the early1950’s “informed consent”was not even a concept,much less a standard com-ponent of medical and re-search ethics.But earlier this year, Hen-

rietta’s descendants wereduped again, and this timethere is no excuse.In March, researchers suc-

cessfully sequenced thegenome of Henrietta’s cells

(called “HeLa” cells) andposted their data on the in-ternet. That means that allof Henrietta’s heredi-tary information, en-coded in DNA, hadbeen made public forall the world to see.And no one had both-ered to ask permis-sion – again.Think about that.

Imagine if someonesecretly took yourDNA and thenprocessed everythingit says about you –how long you willlive, what diseases you willlikely get, and more – andthen revealed that informa-tion to the world, with yourname attached. The potential damaging

consequences are endless,for you and your family: de-nial of life insurance, refusalfor admission to a long-termcare facility, rejection for alife-saving organ transplant. Despite great strides in re-

cent years, discriminationbased on genetic informa-tion has not been erasedfrom our landscape.

This most recent exploita-tion of Henrietta Lacks, herchildren, grandchildren and

great grandchildren,was an irresponsibleinvasion of medicalprivacy. It was iden-tity theft, pure andsimple. I understandthe desire of scien-tists to “push the en-velope” in pursuit ofbio-medical break-throughs. But that should

never come at theexpense of humanresearch subjects

and their privacy.Thankfully, the re-

searchers who publishedHenrietta’s information in apublic database removed itfrom view and apologizedto her family. And now theNIH appears to have madeamends to the Lacks familyas well. The agreement an-

nounced in August estab-lished new rules for use ofHeLa cells, which will bemade available only throughan application process gov-erned by a new panel that

includes two representa-tives of Henrietta’s family.Conversations between thefamily and the researchcommunity are now openand ongoing.The bestselling book

about Henrietta begins withthis quote from Elie Wieselfrom The Nazi Doctors andthe Nuremberg Code:“We must not see any per-

son as an abstraction. In-stead, we must see in everyperson a universe with itsown secrets, with its owntreasures, with its ownsources of anguish, andwith some measure of tri-umph.”HeLa cells, which continue

to grow and lead to moremedical discoveries, are notanonymous. They belongedto a real person, HenriettaLacks, Bible-carrying daugh-ter, mother, sister, wife, andtobacco farmer. The best thing to come of

the new NIH pact is the ac-knowledgement of HenriettaLacks as a human being, notjust a clump of cells. We areall indebted to her and herfamily.

Research ethics and the case of Henrietta Lacks

MonsignorPaul E.Whitmore

25th Sunday in Ordinary TimeREADINGSAmos 8:4-71 Timothy 2:1-8Luke 16:1-13

SEPT. 22

RESPECT LIFE

KathleenGallagher


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4was undoubtedly sent by

God. Even though theyhave been separated for 27years, she still carries thefaith of the Church and be-lieves in the Church whichhe loved. And I know that she be-

lieves that, like Christ, UncleCorrado still loves her be-cause of her fidelity to himand to God even after allthese years. She says that the next

thing she has to look for-ward to is being with herhusband, who is waiting forher with Jesus.So while my life and Aunt

Lena’s are different in al-most every way, what wevalue most is actually notthat different at all. What we cherish most is

the Catholic faith and thebelief that everything wehave experienced in this lifecan be understood as a giftfrom a personal God who

loves us and keeps us closeto Him. After all, Christstated that every one, nomatter how different, iscalled to live in Him. As Catholics, we all share

this one faith, a faith thathas many different expres-sions according to the indi-vidual circumstances of ourexistence. And what the rest of the

world seems to miss aboutour Church and Her faith isthe same thing that AuntLena and I celebrate everytime we are together; abun-dant life found in our rela-tionship with Jesus. I think this is the vocation

of all people, simply to loveone another as He has lovedus and carry out that loveuntil the end. And if wetake this vocation seriouslyfor as many years as Godcalls us to do so, then wewill have life. And for someof us, that will be a very,very long.

Pope Benedict XVI opened the Year of Faith Oct. 11,2012 as an opportunity to renew the faith-lives ofCatholics around the world that they might be morecredible and joy-filled witnesses to Christ and more ac-tively engaged in service of the poor. During the past 10 months, the Diocese of Ogdens-

burg has planned and sponsored a variety of activitiesand initiatives intended to assist in realizing the goal ofthe Year of Faith: a deeper encounter with Christ. The Sept. 29 Year of Faith Solemn Mass has been

planned as celebration of the diocesan journey throughthe Year of Faith.The presence of Pope Francis’ personal representative

- Archbishop Carlo Vigano, the papal nuncio to theUnited States - at the Mass, identifies the Pope’s close-ness to people in the North Country and the worldwidenature of the Church and the Year of Faith.Every Catholic in the North Country is invited and en-

couraged to participate in the liturgy to be held at theOlympic Arena in Lake Placid at 2:30 p.m.

A story

Solemn Mass:A celebration of diocesan journey through Year of Faith


Sept. 19 – 2 p.m., Installation Massof Most Rev. Frank Caggiano asBishop of Bridgeport at the Churchof St. Theresa in Trumbull, Conn.

Sept. 20 – 9:30 a.m., Opening SchoolMass at Immaculate Heart CenterSchool in Watertown

Sept. 22 – 11 a.m., Mass at St.Mary's Cathedral

Sept. 23 – 9:45 a.m., EpiscopalCouncil Meeting at the Spratt Build-ing in Ogdensburg

7:15 p.m.Novena and Mass at St.Mary's Cathedral

Bishop’s Schedule

The Diocese of Ogdensburg hasscheduled sessions for ProtectingGod's Children for Adults. Pre-regis-tration online is required in order toparticipate. Participants may prereg-ister at www.virtus.org by selectingthe registration button and followingthe directions. Further information isavailable from Atonement Sister EllenDonahue, 315-393- 2920, ext. 403.Upcoming programs:Sept. 18 - 6 p.m., St. Bernard’s School,Saranac LakeSept. 19 - 6 p.m., St. Mary’s School,TiconderogaSept. 20 - 12 p.m., St. James MinorChurch, CarthageSept. 24 - 6:30 p.m., IHC Primary, Wa-tertownOct. 3 - 6 p.m., Trinity Catholic School.MassenaOct. 3 - 6:30 p.m., St. Mary’s School,CantonOct. 8 - 6:30 p.m., St. James School,GouverneurOct. 15 - 6 p.m., Holy Family School,Malone

Protecting God’s Children

This week marks the anniversary of the deaths of the following

clergymen men who have served in the Diocese of Ogdensburg

Sept. 18 – Rev. Charles E. Campeau,1952Sept. 19 – Rev. Francis C. McMahon,1975Sept. 20 – Msgr. Edmund J. Brown,1954; Rev. Donald Gallagher, 1959;Rev. Edward J. Wright, 1993; Msgr.Floyd J. Brown, 1994Sept. 21 – Rev. M. Stanton, 1908; Rev.Michael J. Brown, 1917; Rev. WilbertLeBeau, 1953Sept. 22 – Rev. John McDermott,1870; Msgr. John Michael Hogan,1951Sept. 23 – Rev. P. Phillips, 1872; Rev.Marcel Dupont, M.S.C., 1982Sept. 24 – Rev. John Talbot Smith,1923; Deacon Reginald F. Merrill, 2005

Rest in Peace

If you have a complaint of suspectedmisconduct involving diocesanclergy, religious, employees or volun-teers, contact Victims Assistance Co-ordinator, Terrianne Yanulavich, Adult& Youth Counseling Services ofNorthern New York, PO Box 2446,Plattsburgh, NY, 12901; e-mail: [email protected]; Phone: 518-569-0612; Fax: 518-425-0401 or Father James Seymour, the Epis-copal Vicar for Clergy at 315-393-2920 , ext. 1340

To Report Abuse

In preparation for the feast of Sr.Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4) the Catholiccoalition on Climate Change encour-ages everyone to take the St. FrancisPledge – “To care for Creation andthe Poor”. Protecting God’s Creation and advo-cating on behalf of people in povertywho face the harshest impacts ofglobal climate change is part of ourresponsibility as Christians.St. Francis Pledge -Part I: PRAY andto reflect on our duty to be goodstewards of Creation and help thepoor and those most vulnerable. “O Lord, Grant us the grace to growdeeper in our respect of and care foryour Creation.”

Environmental Stewardship

WATERTOWN – A Mass of Chris-tian Burial for St. Joseph Sis-ter M. Martha Henry, 87, washeld Sept. 11 at the Sisters ofSt. Joseph Motherhousechapel.She died Sept. 9 at the

motherhouse. Burial was inthe Glenwood Cemetery.Sister Martha was born

Mary Theresa Henry on April21, 1926 in Lowville, daugh-ter of Francis and RaphaellaMagra Henry. She attendedLowville Academy and theHelen Keller Institute.Her religious life began

when she entered the Sistersof St. Joseph in WatertownSept. 7, 1953. She made her

final profession in Water-town on Aug. 28, 1959 withBishop James J. Navagh pre-siding. Sister Martha had cele-

brated her 50th year in 2004and would celebrate her 60ththis year.Her ministries included

many years as a faithful cookat the Motherhouse, and alsoin Carthage and Dannemora.She enjoyed cooking, read-ing, and swimming.Sister Martha is survived

by her brother, Patrick A.Henry, Germany, and severalnieces, nephews, andcousins. She was prede-ceased by her two brothers,Paul and Albert Henry, andthree sisters, ThelmaKopczenski, Loretta Triana,and Gabriella Sullivan.

Funeral held in Montrealfor Sr. Norah Phelan, CSC

MONTREAL – A Mass of Chris-tian Burial for Holy Cross Sis-ter Norah Phelan,who served in Chris-tian Formation pro-grams in severalparishes of the Dio-cese of Ogdensburg,was held Sept. 12 inthe chapel of the Sis-ters of Holy Cross, St.Joseph Pavilion, St.Laurent, Montreal. Sister Norah died

Sept 6 at St. JosephPavilion. Burial was in the

Cemetery of the Sisters of

Holy Cross, St. Laurent.Born and raised in Mon-

treal, Sister Norahwas predeceased byher parents GeraldJames Phelan andMarguerite Neilson,and her only siblingRita Garvin. Sister Norah is lov-

ingly remembered byher Sisters in theHoly Cross Commu-nity, by many niecesand nephews as theirdear "Auntie Nonie",as well as by very

close cousins, especially

Richard Phelan.Those who knew Sister

Norah throughout her min-istry in Renfrew, Penetan-guishene, Ottawa, Smithers,B.C., and in parishes of theDiocese of Ogdensburg atRouses Point, Ogdensburg,Brownville and Clayton, re-member her deep faith, hercommitment to the faith de-velopment of children andtheir parents, and her lovingservice to others. Memorial donations may

be made to the Missions ofthe Sisters of Holy Cross. In-formation:613-225-1416.

Sr. NorahPhelan, CSC

Rites held Sept. 11 forSister M. Martha Henry, SSJ

S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C world/nation 11

AT A GLANCE

CATHOLICWORLDPush on immigration legislation builds on prayer, fasting, preaching WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Faith-based advocacy in support of immigration reformis taking a multi-pronged approach as Congress resumes after the Augustbreak, with prayer and fasting being added to letter-writing and public speak-ing. Over the weekend of Sept. 7 and 8, dioceses and parishes in 22 states fo-cused on the Catholic Church's teaching on migration in homilies and otheractivities. Boston Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, in a Sept. 8 letter to the people ofthe archdiocese, reminded them of their roots, saying today's immigrants may"come in good part from Asia and Latin America, but their needs are in manyways similar to those of our ancestors. The church's interest in the immigrationquestion continues to be a combination of pastoral care and public advocacy,"Cardinal O'Malley said in the letter. "We seek to provide a welcome in ourparishes, schools and social service agencies, and also to have a place in the de-bate about a fair and just public policy." Across the country in Los Angeles,Archbishop Jose H. Gomez issued a statement in his capacity as chairman of theU.S. bishops' Committee on Migration that said, "Now is the time for Catholicsto let their elected officials know that they support immigration reform."

Human rights, religious freedom called necessary to lasting peace WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Retired Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington,back from a recent trip to Jordan, said four essential elements to any long-range peace deal in the Middle East are human rights, religious freedom, anagreement on the Holy Land and forging a "path to peace. The whole questionof peace, the whole question of religious liberty, is so important," Cardinal Mc-Carrick said Sept. 9 at a conference, "Religious Freedom & Human Rights: Pathto Peace in the Holy Land -- That All May Be Free," at The Catholic University ofAmerica. The University co-sponsored the conference along with the U.S. Con-ference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services. Cardinal McCarrick saidthat during his trip to Jordan in early September, he visited the Jordan-Syriaborder. "You can see the tremendous difficulty" of those fleeing Syria, he said,in light of an ongoing civil war and the specter of a U.S. attack on Syria over re-ported government use of chemical weapons there.

'It's a girl!' Joyful words in U.S., dangerous words in India, ChinaWASHINGTON (CNS) -- In the United States, hearing the words "it's a girl," is acause for enormous joy and celebration for most, said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J."Today, the three most dangerous words in China and India are: It's a girl,"Smith said told a congressional hearing Sept. 10. Smith, the father of two boysand two girls, addressed the issues of sex-selective abortion, lopsided genderratios, and malnutrition among young females in India during a hearing of theHouse Subcommittee on Africa, Global Heath, Global Human Rights and Inter-national Organizations. Smith, subcommittee chairman, said tens of millions ofwomen are missing in India as a result of sex-selective abortion and female in-fanticide. Smith said in parts of India, 126 boys are born for every 100 girls."Women have been systematically exterminated through sex-selection abor-tion," Smith said. "It's a deliberate and premeditated assault on women."Smith said India also has 37 million more men than women, according to the2011 census. He said malnutrition of young girls is also common. Smith saidgirls below the age of 5 have a mortality rate that is 75 percent higher thanboys of the same age.

VATICAN LETTER

By Francis X. RoccaCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Pope Francis'Sept. 11 meeting with Do-minican Father GustavoGutierrez was an informalone, held in the in thepope's residence, theDomus Sanctae Marthae,and not listed on his officialschedule. Yet the news thatPope Francis had receivedthe 85-year old Peruvianpriest, who is widely consid-ered the father of liberationtheology, has excited inter-est far outside the Vatican.. During the 1990s, the

Congregation for the Doc-trine of the Faith conducteda lengthy critical review ofFather Gutierrez's work, andrequired him to write andrewrite articles clarifyingsome of his theological andpastoral points. But within a single week

in early September 2013,the Vatican newspaper,L'Osservatore Romano, pub-lished an interview with Fa-ther Gutierrez, an article bythe theologian himself, andtwo articles praising hiswork -- one of them by theprefect of the Congregationfor the Doctrine of the Faith,Archbishop Gerhard L.Muller. Following years of Vatican

criticism of liberation theol-ogy under Blessed John PaulII and Pope Benedict XVI,these events might seem toindicate a reversal of policyunder Pope Francis. It wouldbe more accurate to saythey represent the fruit of along and painful process,through which the churchhas clarified the nature ofits commitment to theworld's poor today. Liberation theology

emerged in Latin America inthe 1960s and 1970s. Itfinds in Scripture the princi-ples and inspiration forworking to free people fromunjust social patterns andstructures. Its starting point

often is the concrete situa-tion of Latin America's pre-dominantly poor people andhow they understand theScriptures as relating tothem in their struggles forfreedom from sin and fromunjust social structures. During the 1980s, the Vat-

ican's doctrinal office underthen-Cardinal JosephRatzinger, the future PopeBenedict, issued two majordocuments on liberationtheology. The documentspraised the movement'sconcern for the poor and forjustice, but condemned atendency to mix Marxist so-cial analysis and conceptssuch as "class struggle" withreligious commitments toend poverty and injustice. The consequences of the-

ologians adopting Marxistmethods, Pope Benedict toldBrazilian bishops, included"rebellion, division, dissent,offense (and) anarchy,"which were still "creatinggreat suffering in yourdiocesan communities and aserious loss of vital energy." On another occasion, he

told an interviewer that the"politicization of the faith"by some liberation theolo-gians had contributed to the"widespread exodus" ofLatin American Catholics toPentecostal and otherProtestant churches. Many Jesuits embraced

liberation theology as partof what a 1975 decree bythe order called their "com-mitment to promote justiceand enter into solidaritywith the voiceless and thepowerless." Not surprisingly, any

signs of sympathy with sec-ular ideas of revolutiondrew concern from the Vati-can. In 2007, the doctrinalcongregation warned of "er-roneous or dangerouspropositions" in the work ofJesuit Father Jon Sobrino.The following year, PopeBenedict found it necessaryto ask the Jesuits as anorder to reaffirm their ad-

herence to church teachingon a number of controver-sial questions, including"some aspects of the theol-ogy of liberation." As superior of the Jesuits'

Argentine province from1973 to 1979, then-FatherJorge Mario Bergoglio dis-couraged politicizationamong his priests, espe-cially during the militarydictatorship that took powerin Argentina in 1976. In thepolarized atmospherewithin the order, he washardly counted as a friendof liberation theology. But the future pope's pas-

toral work for and with thepoor was constant, andwould eventually find ex-pression at the Fifth GeneralConference of the Bishopsof Latin America and theCaribbean, held in 2007 inAparecida, Brazil. The conference's conclud-

ing document, of whichthen-Cardinal Bergoglio wasa principal author, did notuse the term "liberation the-ology," but its strong wordsabout the "building of a justand fraternal society" thatensures "health, food, edu-cation, housing and workfor all" reflect the spirit ofthe movement in its ortho-dox version. Pope Francis' election was

thus a powerful affirmationof the belief that the pursuitof social justice is a neces-sary consequence of Chris-tian faith. But less than ninemonths before the papalconclave, a less heralded ap-pointment had already sig-naled that this belief, asformulated in liberation the-ology, enjoyed favor at thechurch's highest levels. When Pope Benedict

named Archbishop Muller tohead the doctrinal office, inJuly 2012, he surely knewthat the man he was makingthe highest custodian ofchurch teaching after thepope himself was an ad-mirer and co-author of noneother than Father Gutierrez.

Under pope, liberationtheology comes of age


By Sister Jennifer Votraw, SSJChancellor

Guggenheim Lodge is one

of the baby “Great Camps”of the Adirondacks. For those of you who have

stayed there or enjoyed ameeting for a day, you will

remember the stone fire-place in the big main room,or the bedrooms with lovelyquilts or the long porchoverlooking the lake and thewell-equipped kitchen. The other buildings that

comprise Guggenheim werebuilt later but now are usedas a dormitory, cafeteria,arts and craft center andboat house.

It is truly an exquisite sitethat is used for many pro-

grams and people. The quality of the physi-

cal center and its on-goingmaintenance is overseen byRalph Bennett, our “go-to-guy” who is on-site each dayduring the camping season.Due to Ralph and to manyvolunteers over the years,Guggenheim is clean, up-to-date and in good repair forour many participants andguests. This can only happen be-

cause of the commitment ofBishop LaValley to Guggen-heim and making moniesavailable from the Bishop’sFund to make necessary re-pairs and upkeep of thecamp possible.

Your support and contri-butions are vital to Guggen-heim’s quality andexistence. Thanks to yourgenerosity, Guggenheim is a“great” camp in every senseof the word!!

For the past 41 years, the Guggenheim sign has been a welcome sight for campers en-tering the diocesan camp site in Saranac Lake. The annual Bishop’s Fund appeal hasprovided support for Guggenheim both in maintaining the property as Sister JenniferVotraw writes about above and for the youth ministry programming as Alexis Michaeldescribes below.

Bishop’s Fund keeps Camp Guggenheim ‘great’

By Alexis MichaelParishioner, St. Raphael’s, Heuvelton

Teen Vision is the coun-selor-in-training programfor our diocesan summercamp, CampGuggenheim. This past

summer I was blessed toserve as a Teen Visioner forweeks three and four of thecamp season. To say that Iwas ecstatic when I receivedmy acceptance letter in mid-June was an understate-ment. Though the prospect of

spending two extra weeks atcamp – and wearing a staffpolo shirt - was exciting, Iknew that there would bemuch more than that hid-den beneath the surface. I knew that this would

end up being a summer toremember.I was not wrong. Teen Vi-

sion consists of two consec-

utive weeks at camp, atraining week followed by aleadership based session. For our first week, my fel-

low Teen Visioners and Iwere coached on how to beeffective leaders. For fourdays our TV "parents" gaveus lessons, mainly on thebig three parts of being aleader - prayer, service, andhumility. We learned that serving

others is a leader's true pur-pose. By leading otherscloser to God, we also workon fulfilling his plan for our-selves. We learned about the im-

portance of humility inprayer, and focused largelyon Blessed Teresa's medita-tion, "I Thirst for You." We participated in various

group building activitiesmeant to make us growcloser as a Teen Vision fam-ily. They usually involved us


Two weeks to remember


By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Leading acrowd in prayer for peace inSyria, Pope Francis said thatwar is ultimately caused byselfishness, which can beovercome only though ex-pressions of fraternity andnever with violence.

Leave behind the self-interestthat hardens your heart,

overcome the indifference thatmakes your heart insensitivetowards others, conquer

your deadly reasoning, andopen yourself to dialogue

and reconciliation

"Leave behind the self-in-terest that hardens yourheart, overcome the indiffer-ence that makes your heartinsensitive towards others,conquer your deadly reason-ing, and open yourself to di-alogue and reconciliation,"the pope said Sept. 7 beforean estimated 100,000 peoplein St. Peter's Square. The pope had called the

prayer vigil less than a weekearlier, as the central event ofa worldwide day of fastingand prayer for peace in Syria,the Middle East and theworld. The Vatican called the vigil

an unprecedented papal ges-ture for peace, by virtue ofits scale and prominence oflocation. It took place thesame day that U.S. Secretaryof State John Kerry met withEuropean leaders to makePresident Barack Obama'scase for a military strike onthe government of SyriaPresident Bashar Assad, aspunishment for the allegeduse of chemical weapons inthe ongoing civil war there. The pope's homily, which

took up about 15 minutes ofthe four-hour liturgy, did notrefer to contemporary eventsbut spoke in biblical termsabout the nature of war,

whose origins he traced tothe fall of Adam and the firstmurder, by Cain of hisbrother Abel. Answering Cain's famous

question to God - "Am I mybrother's keeper?" - the popereplied: "Yes, you are yourbrother's keeper! To behuman means to care for oneanother." "We bring about the rebirth

of Cain in every act of vio-lence and in every war," thepope said. "All of us!" War's ultimate source,

Pope Francis said, is the orig-inal sin of disobedience. "When man thinks only of

himself, his own interestsand places himself in thecenter, when he permits him-self to be captivated by the

idols of dominion and power,when he puts himself inGod's place, then all relation-ships are broken and every-thing is ruined," the popesaid. "Then the door opens toviolence, indifference andconflict." The pope concluded on a

hopeful note, asking thecrowd: "Can we get out ofthis spiral of sorrow anddeath? Can we learn onceagain to walk and live in theways of peace?" "Yes, it is possible for

everyone!" he said, drawingapplause, and he then in-voked the image of Christ'sredemptive sacrifice as theultimate symbol of peace. "How I wish that all men

and women of good will

would look to the cross, ifonly for a moment," he said."There, we can see God'sreply: violence is not an-swered with violence, deathis not answered with the lan-guage of death. In the silenceof the cross, the uproar ofweapons ceases and the lan-guage of reconciliation, for-giveness, dialogue and peaceis spoken." The pope's homily was fol-

lowed by a period of eu-charistic adoration, includingseveral stretches when allpresent stood or knelt in si-lence, without any musicalaccompaniment. At other times, as during

the praying of the rosary inthe first half of the vigil,prayers and readings alter-

nated with music or per-formances on the organ, theharp and other string instru-ments. During the adoration, peo-

ple representing five differ-ent countries or regions withdirect or indirect links to theSyrian conflict -- Egypt, theHoly Land, Russia, the UnitedStates and Syria itself --brought up incense to burnin a brazier beside the altar.Ten students from the NorthAmerican College, the U.S.seminary in Rome, served asattendants. The ancient icon of Mary

known as "Salus Populi Ro-mani" (health of the Romanpeople), which had beentransported for the occasionfrom Rome's Basilica of St.Mary Major, stood on aneasel beside the altar. Theicon has special importancefor Pope Francis, who went topray before it on the firstmorning of his pontificate inMarch. The atmosphere in the

square was solemn, withnone of the festivity of a Sun-day Angelus or Wednesdaypublic audience. Securityguards confiscated flags andplacards, though some Syr-ian flags and signs criticizingObama could be seen on theperiphery of the square. For more than an hour

prior to the vigil, and thenfor the duration of the event,priests heard confessions inthe square, sitting face toface with penitents on sim-ple wooden chairs. Many in the congregation

clapped and cheered whenPope Francis came out of thebasilica at 7 p.m., but soonfell silent when they noticedhis serious demeanor and hisfailure to wave or smile. At the end of the liturgy,

just before 11 p.m., after thepope had returned to thebasilica, the crowd ap-plauded again. Pope Franciscame out to offer a few finalwords, thanking the congre-gation for their company andasking them to continuepraying for peace.

Praying for peace in SyriaPope Francis calls selfishness the cause of war

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARINGPope Francis leads a vigil to pray for peace in Syria Sept. 7 in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.


MORRISTOWN, N.J. – A Mass ofChristian Burial for FilippiniSister Carmela Melucci, 84, aformer teacher at St.Anthony’s School inWatertown, was heldSept. 13 at St. LucyChapel, Villa Walsh. She died Sept. 11

at Saint Joseph Hall.Burial was in AveMaria Cemetery Born in Muro Lu-

cano, Italy, SisterCarmela entered theReligious TeachersFilippini Feb. 10,1948. She received the reli-gious habit on Oct. 2, 1949,and came to America soonafter. She made her religiousprofession on Aug. 31, 1952.Sister Carmela was

awarded a BS degree in Ele-mentary Education fromSaint John College, Cleve-land, Ohio;, a MA degree inItalian from Middlebury Col-lege, Vermont; a certificate inSpanish from Trenton StateCollege; and was a FullbrightScholar at the University of

Perugia in Italy. Sister Carmela taught in

the elementary schools inthe Dioceses ofNewark, Scranton,Trenton, Brooklyn,Baltimore, Cleveland,Ogdensburg, andCamden, until 1976and then taught in thefollowing highschools: Paul Vl, Had-donfield, New Jersey,1976-1983 and UnionCatholic, ScotchPlains, New Jersey,1983-1992.

From 1992-2005 SisterCarmela taught languagespart time in the followingColleges in New Jersey: As-sumption College, FarleighDickinson, Montclair State,County College of Morris,and the College of Saint Eliz-abeth. When Sister Carmela re-

tired from teaching in 2005she utilized her skills insewing and in the culinaryfield at Villa Walsh. In 2010 Sister Carmela be-

came a resident of St. JosephHall Infirmary, Villa Walsh.Sister Carmela is survived

by her sisters, AntoiniettaLasilli, Giuseppina Melucci,Sister Incoronata Melucci,MPF, Lucia Magnifico, Dora DiAntonio; brother, GiovanniMelucci and several niecesand nephews. Family mem-bers are all residents of Italy.She is predeceased by herparents Michele Melucci andMaria Gerarda (Basti), and hersisters Geraldina and RosaMelucci and brother AntonioMelucci .In lieu of flowers donations

in memory of Sister CarmelaMelucci will be accepted toSt. Joseph Hall Infirmary, c/oSister Ascenza Tizzano, MPF,Provincial Superior, VillaWalsh, 455 Western Avenue,Morristown, NJ 07960-4928.

Sister CarmelaMelucci, MPF

Funeral held for FilippiniSister Carmela Melucci, 84


PLATTSBURGH – “We truly hopethat this fall’s 40 Days forLife campaign will mark thebeginning of the end of abor-tion in Plattsburgh,” saidNancy Belzile, who coordi-nates the local 40 Days forLife effort. “The pro-life community

will join together for ourarea’s 40 Days for Life kickoffevent at Newman Center,SUNY Plattsburgh Sept. 24 at7 p.m.,” she said.Plattsburgh is one of the

many cities from coast tocoast conducting simultane-ous 40 Days for Life cam-paigns from Sept. 25 throughNov. 3. “We start this effort by

drawing members of thecommunity together to sharethe vision of 40 Days for Lifeand to pray for God’s bless-ings on this effort,” Belzilesaid. “It is time to focus at-tention on the harm abortion

has done to our city.”Speakers at the 40 Days for

Life kickoff event include:Rod Murphy, founder andCEO of Frontline Life Centersand author of “StoppingAbortions at Death’s Door”and Rebecca Purdy, New Yorkand New Jersey Regional Co-ordinator for Students forLife. She has coupled with 40Days for Life, Silent No Moreand various other pro-life or-ganizations in order tospread the culture of lifeacross her campus and is aMissionary for Life.“This rally will begin 40

days of prayer and fasting,with special attention toprayer in the public right-of-way outside the abortion fa-cility at Planned Parenthoodof the North Country, 66Brinkerhoff Street, Platts-burgh, as well as varioustypes of community out-reach. We look forward to

seeing what kind of transfor-mation God will bring aboutin our city,” said Belzile. All prayer vigil participants

are asked to sign a statementof peace, pledging to con-duct themselves in a Christ-like manner at all times.40 Days for Life is a peace-

ful, intensive pro-life cam-paign that focuses on 40days of prayer and fasting,40 days of peaceful vigil atabortion facilities, and 40days of grassroots educa-tional outreach. The 40-daytime frame is drawn from ex-amples throughout Biblicalhistory where God broughtabout world-changing trans-formation in 40-day periods. To learn more about 40

Days for Life, visit:www.40daysforlife.com. Forinformation about the Platts-burgh campaign, visit:www.40daysforlife.com/Plattsburgh

Two weeks

40 Days for Life campaignto start with Sept. 24 rally

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7asking ourselves, "do I reallytrust these people?"The activities ranged from

quiet and contemplative, tostressful and exhausting,but all served their purposein helping us grow closer to-gether.Then we returned fora second week to put thesenewly obtained skills intopractice. It felt almost surreal, com-

ing back two days later tore-enter Tent 3 and set upmy sleeping bag. After aquick reunion and catch-up,we got back to work. Theseven of us helped the stafflead activities that we hadonly just participated in. We set a good example in

different morning activities,led groups of campers inthe camp wide game, andprayed Morning Prayer forthe camp. Whether it was working in

the dish room or helpingwith boats, we had to beready for the unexpected.

So too, I soon understood,did the staff.Never before did I realize

how much the CampGuggenheim staff put intoeach week, let alone the en-tire summer. During my first year at-

tending camp as a 12-year-old, the staff seemed to befaultless, and why not,when the only other faithfulpeople I knew were almostthrice my age.Seeing these people, still

older than me but by amuch lesser gap, living livesI'd only dreamed about,gave me the initiative towant to be faithful likethem. As I've gotten older I un-

derstand that the staff is,like the rest of us, not per-fect. However, this has onlymade them easier to talk toand their work over theyears more meaningful tome. It has made me appreci-ate my past years at campten times as much now that

I understand, at least par-tially, how much effort wasput into making sure theweeks went as smoothly asthey did.It opened my eyes, and

further explained why itwasn't uncommon to see astaff member passed out ona couch at odd hours of theday, especially since weTeen Visioners passed outon couches after only twoshort weeks.It truly was an amazing

two weeks, and I will neverforget what I learned, or thefriends I made, while onTeen Vision. Over the course of our

time together, we truly be-came a family. While attimes we got frustrated anddiscouraged, we never hesi-tated to pick each other upand set ourselves on theright path again. As we learned from our

"parents", "You never standtaller than when you benddown to help another."


By Sister Jennifer Votraw, SSJChancellor

Guggenheim Lodge is one

of the baby “Great Camps”of the Adirondacks. For those of you who have

stayed there or enjoyed ameeting for a day, you will

remember the stone fire-place in the big main room,or the bedrooms with lovelyquilts or the long porchoverlooking the lake and thewell-equipped kitchen. The other buildings that

comprise Guggenheim werebuilt later but now are usedas a dormitory, cafeteria,arts and craft center andboat house.

It is truly an exquisite sitethat is used for many pro-

grams and people. The quality of the physi-

cal center and its on-goingmaintenance is overseen byRalph Bennett, our “go-to-guy” who is on-site each dayduring the camping season.Due to Ralph and to manyvolunteers over the years,Guggenheim is clean, up-to-date and in good repair forour many participants andguests. This can only happen be-

cause of the commitment ofBishop LaValley to Guggen-heim and making moniesavailable from the Bishop’sFund to make necessary re-pairs and upkeep of thecamp possible.

Your support and contri-butions are vital to Guggen-heim’s quality andexistence. Thanks to yourgenerosity, Guggenheim is a“great” camp in every senseof the word!!

For the past 41 years, the Guggenheim sign has been a welcome sight for campers en-tering the diocesan camp site in Saranac Lake. The annual Bishop’s Fund appeal hasprovided support for Guggenheim both in maintaining the property as Sister JenniferVotraw writes about above and for the youth ministry programming as Alexis Michaeldescribes below.

Bishop’s Fund keeps Camp Guggenheim ‘great’

By Alexis MichaelParishioner, St. Raphael’s, Heuvelton

Teen Vision is the coun-selor-in-training programfor our diocesan summercamp, CampGuggenheim. This past

summer I was blessed toserve as a Teen Visioner forweeks three and four of thecamp season. To say that Iwas ecstatic when I receivedmy acceptance letter in mid-June was an understate-ment. Though the prospect of

spending two extra weeks atcamp – and wearing a staffpolo shirt - was exciting, Iknew that there would bemuch more than that hid-den beneath the surface. I knew that this would

end up being a summer toremember.I was not wrong. Teen Vi-

sion consists of two consec-

utive weeks at camp, atraining week followed by aleadership based session. For our first week, my fel-

low Teen Visioners and Iwere coached on how to beeffective leaders. For fourdays our TV "parents" gaveus lessons, mainly on thebig three parts of being aleader - prayer, service, andhumility. We learned that serving

others is a leader's true pur-pose. By leading otherscloser to God, we also workon fulfilling his plan for our-selves. We learned about the im-

portance of humility inprayer, and focused largelyon Blessed Teresa's medita-tion, "I Thirst for You." We participated in various

group building activitiesmeant to make us growcloser as a Teen Vision fam-ily. They usually involved us


Two weeks to remember


By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Leading acrowd in prayer for peace inSyria, Pope Francis said thatwar is ultimately caused byselfishness, which can beovercome only though ex-pressions of fraternity andnever with violence.

Leave behind the self-interestthat hardens your heart,

overcome the indifference thatmakes your heart insensitivetowards others, conquer

your deadly reasoning, andopen yourself to dialogue

and reconciliation

"Leave behind the self-in-terest that hardens yourheart, overcome the indiffer-ence that makes your heartinsensitive towards others,conquer your deadly reason-ing, and open yourself to di-alogue and reconciliation,"the pope said Sept. 7 beforean estimated 100,000 peoplein St. Peter's Square. The pope had called the

prayer vigil less than a weekearlier, as the central event ofa worldwide day of fastingand prayer for peace in Syria,the Middle East and theworld. The Vatican called the vigil

an unprecedented papal ges-ture for peace, by virtue ofits scale and prominence oflocation. It took place thesame day that U.S. Secretaryof State John Kerry met withEuropean leaders to makePresident Barack Obama'scase for a military strike onthe government of SyriaPresident Bashar Assad, aspunishment for the allegeduse of chemical weapons inthe ongoing civil war there. The pope's homily, which

took up about 15 minutes ofthe four-hour liturgy, did notrefer to contemporary eventsbut spoke in biblical termsabout the nature of war,

whose origins he traced tothe fall of Adam and the firstmurder, by Cain of hisbrother Abel. Answering Cain's famous

question to God - "Am I mybrother's keeper?" - the popereplied: "Yes, you are yourbrother's keeper! To behuman means to care for oneanother." "We bring about the rebirth

of Cain in every act of vio-lence and in every war," thepope said. "All of us!" War's ultimate source,

Pope Francis said, is the orig-inal sin of disobedience. "When man thinks only of

himself, his own interestsand places himself in thecenter, when he permits him-self to be captivated by the

idols of dominion and power,when he puts himself inGod's place, then all relation-ships are broken and every-thing is ruined," the popesaid. "Then the door opens toviolence, indifference andconflict." The pope concluded on a

hopeful note, asking thecrowd: "Can we get out ofthis spiral of sorrow anddeath? Can we learn onceagain to walk and live in theways of peace?" "Yes, it is possible for

everyone!" he said, drawingapplause, and he then in-voked the image of Christ'sredemptive sacrifice as theultimate symbol of peace. "How I wish that all men

and women of good will

would look to the cross, ifonly for a moment," he said."There, we can see God'sreply: violence is not an-swered with violence, deathis not answered with the lan-guage of death. In the silenceof the cross, the uproar ofweapons ceases and the lan-guage of reconciliation, for-giveness, dialogue and peaceis spoken." The pope's homily was fol-

lowed by a period of eu-charistic adoration, includingseveral stretches when allpresent stood or knelt in si-lence, without any musicalaccompaniment. At other times, as during

the praying of the rosary inthe first half of the vigil,prayers and readings alter-

nated with music or per-formances on the organ, theharp and other string instru-ments. During the adoration, peo-

ple representing five differ-ent countries or regions withdirect or indirect links to theSyrian conflict -- Egypt, theHoly Land, Russia, the UnitedStates and Syria itself --brought up incense to burnin a brazier beside the altar.Ten students from the NorthAmerican College, the U.S.seminary in Rome, served asattendants. The ancient icon of Mary

known as "Salus Populi Ro-mani" (health of the Romanpeople), which had beentransported for the occasionfrom Rome's Basilica of St.Mary Major, stood on aneasel beside the altar. Theicon has special importancefor Pope Francis, who went topray before it on the firstmorning of his pontificate inMarch. The atmosphere in the

square was solemn, withnone of the festivity of a Sun-day Angelus or Wednesdaypublic audience. Securityguards confiscated flags andplacards, though some Syr-ian flags and signs criticizingObama could be seen on theperiphery of the square. For more than an hour

prior to the vigil, and thenfor the duration of the event,priests heard confessions inthe square, sitting face toface with penitents on sim-ple wooden chairs. Many in the congregation

clapped and cheered whenPope Francis came out of thebasilica at 7 p.m., but soonfell silent when they noticedhis serious demeanor and hisfailure to wave or smile. At the end of the liturgy,

just before 11 p.m., after thepope had returned to thebasilica, the crowd ap-plauded again. Pope Franciscame out to offer a few finalwords, thanking the congre-gation for their company andasking them to continuepraying for peace.

Praying for peace in SyriaPope Francis calls selfishness the cause of war

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARINGPope Francis leads a vigil to pray for peace in Syria Sept. 7 in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.


Sept. 19 – 2 p.m., Installation Massof Most Rev. Frank Caggiano asBishop of Bridgeport at the Churchof St. Theresa in Trumbull, Conn.

Sept. 20 – 9:30 a.m., Opening SchoolMass at Immaculate Heart CenterSchool in Watertown

Sept. 22 – 11 a.m., Mass at St.Mary's Cathedral

Sept. 23 – 9:45 a.m., EpiscopalCouncil Meeting at the Spratt Build-ing in Ogdensburg

7:15 p.m.Novena and Mass at St.Mary's Cathedral

Bishop’s Schedule

The Diocese of Ogdensburg hasscheduled sessions for ProtectingGod's Children for Adults. Pre-regis-tration online is required in order toparticipate. Participants may prereg-ister at www.virtus.org by selectingthe registration button and followingthe directions. Further information isavailable from Atonement Sister EllenDonahue, 315-393- 2920, ext. 403.Upcoming programs:Sept. 18 - 6 p.m., St. Bernard’s School,Saranac LakeSept. 19 - 6 p.m., St. Mary’s School,TiconderogaSept. 20 - 12 p.m., St. James MinorChurch, CarthageSept. 24 - 6:30 p.m., IHC Primary, Wa-tertownOct. 3 - 6 p.m., Trinity Catholic School.MassenaOct. 3 - 6:30 p.m., St. Mary’s School,CantonOct. 8 - 6:30 p.m., St. James School,GouverneurOct. 15 - 6 p.m., Holy Family School,Malone

Protecting God’s Children

This week marks the anniversary of the deaths of the following

clergymen men who have served in the Diocese of Ogdensburg

Sept. 18 – Rev. Charles E. Campeau,1952Sept. 19 – Rev. Francis C. McMahon,1975Sept. 20 – Msgr. Edmund J. Brown,1954; Rev. Donald Gallagher, 1959;Rev. Edward J. Wright, 1993; Msgr.Floyd J. Brown, 1994Sept. 21 – Rev. M. Stanton, 1908; Rev.Michael J. Brown, 1917; Rev. WilbertLeBeau, 1953Sept. 22 – Rev. John McDermott,1870; Msgr. John Michael Hogan,1951Sept. 23 – Rev. P. Phillips, 1872; Rev.Marcel Dupont, M.S.C., 1982Sept. 24 – Rev. John Talbot Smith,1923; Deacon Reginald F. Merrill, 2005

Rest in Peace

If you have a complaint of suspectedmisconduct involving diocesanclergy, religious, employees or volun-teers, contact Victims Assistance Co-ordinator, Terrianne Yanulavich, Adult& Youth Counseling Services ofNorthern New York, PO Box 2446,Plattsburgh, NY, 12901; e-mail: [email protected]; Phone: 518-569-0612; Fax: 518-425-0401 or Father James Seymour, the Epis-copal Vicar for Clergy at 315-393-2920 , ext. 1340

To Report Abuse

In preparation for the feast of Sr.Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4) the Catholiccoalition on Climate Change encour-ages everyone to take the St. FrancisPledge – “To care for Creation andthe Poor”. Protecting God’s Creation and advo-cating on behalf of people in povertywho face the harshest impacts ofglobal climate change is part of ourresponsibility as Christians.St. Francis Pledge -Part I: PRAY andto reflect on our duty to be goodstewards of Creation and help thepoor and those most vulnerable. “O Lord, Grant us the grace to growdeeper in our respect of and care foryour Creation.”

Environmental Stewardship

WATERTOWN – A Mass of Chris-tian Burial for St. Joseph Sis-ter M. Martha Henry, 87, washeld Sept. 11 at the Sisters ofSt. Joseph Motherhousechapel.She died Sept. 9 at the

motherhouse. Burial was inthe Glenwood Cemetery.Sister Martha was born

Mary Theresa Henry on April21, 1926 in Lowville, daugh-ter of Francis and RaphaellaMagra Henry. She attendedLowville Academy and theHelen Keller Institute.Her religious life began

when she entered the Sistersof St. Joseph in WatertownSept. 7, 1953. She made her

final profession in Water-town on Aug. 28, 1959 withBishop James J. Navagh pre-siding. Sister Martha had cele-

brated her 50th year in 2004and would celebrate her 60ththis year.Her ministries included

many years as a faithful cookat the Motherhouse, and alsoin Carthage and Dannemora.She enjoyed cooking, read-ing, and swimming.Sister Martha is survived

by her brother, Patrick A.Henry, Germany, and severalnieces, nephews, andcousins. She was prede-ceased by her two brothers,Paul and Albert Henry, andthree sisters, ThelmaKopczenski, Loretta Triana,and Gabriella Sullivan.

Funeral held in Montrealfor Sr. Norah Phelan, CSC

MONTREAL – A Mass of Chris-tian Burial for Holy Cross Sis-ter Norah Phelan,who served in Chris-tian Formation pro-grams in severalparishes of the Dio-cese of Ogdensburg,was held Sept. 12 inthe chapel of the Sis-ters of Holy Cross, St.Joseph Pavilion, St.Laurent, Montreal. Sister Norah died

Sept 6 at St. JosephPavilion. Burial was in the

Cemetery of the Sisters of

Holy Cross, St. Laurent.Born and raised in Mon-

treal, Sister Norahwas predeceased byher parents GeraldJames Phelan andMarguerite Neilson,and her only siblingRita Garvin. Sister Norah is lov-

ingly remembered byher Sisters in theHoly Cross Commu-nity, by many niecesand nephews as theirdear "Auntie Nonie",as well as by very

close cousins, especially

Richard Phelan.Those who knew Sister

Norah throughout her min-istry in Renfrew, Penetan-guishene, Ottawa, Smithers,B.C., and in parishes of theDiocese of Ogdensburg atRouses Point, Ogdensburg,Brownville and Clayton, re-member her deep faith, hercommitment to the faith de-velopment of children andtheir parents, and her lovingservice to others. Memorial donations may

be made to the Missions ofthe Sisters of Holy Cross. In-formation:613-225-1416.

Sr. NorahPhelan, CSC

Rites held Sept. 11 forSister M. Martha Henry, SSJ

S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C world/nation 11

AT A GLANCE

CATHOLICWORLDPush on immigration legislation builds on prayer, fasting, preaching WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Faith-based advocacy in support of immigration reformis taking a multi-pronged approach as Congress resumes after the Augustbreak, with prayer and fasting being added to letter-writing and public speak-ing. Over the weekend of Sept. 7 and 8, dioceses and parishes in 22 states fo-cused on the Catholic Church's teaching on migration in homilies and otheractivities. Boston Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, in a Sept. 8 letter to the people ofthe archdiocese, reminded them of their roots, saying today's immigrants may"come in good part from Asia and Latin America, but their needs are in manyways similar to those of our ancestors. The church's interest in the immigrationquestion continues to be a combination of pastoral care and public advocacy,"Cardinal O'Malley said in the letter. "We seek to provide a welcome in ourparishes, schools and social service agencies, and also to have a place in the de-bate about a fair and just public policy." Across the country in Los Angeles,Archbishop Jose H. Gomez issued a statement in his capacity as chairman of theU.S. bishops' Committee on Migration that said, "Now is the time for Catholicsto let their elected officials know that they support immigration reform."

Human rights, religious freedom called necessary to lasting peace WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Retired Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington,back from a recent trip to Jordan, said four essential elements to any long-range peace deal in the Middle East are human rights, religious freedom, anagreement on the Holy Land and forging a "path to peace. The whole questionof peace, the whole question of religious liberty, is so important," Cardinal Mc-Carrick said Sept. 9 at a conference, "Religious Freedom & Human Rights: Pathto Peace in the Holy Land -- That All May Be Free," at The Catholic University ofAmerica. The University co-sponsored the conference along with the U.S. Con-ference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services. Cardinal McCarrick saidthat during his trip to Jordan in early September, he visited the Jordan-Syriaborder. "You can see the tremendous difficulty" of those fleeing Syria, he said,in light of an ongoing civil war and the specter of a U.S. attack on Syria over re-ported government use of chemical weapons there.

'It's a girl!' Joyful words in U.S., dangerous words in India, ChinaWASHINGTON (CNS) -- In the United States, hearing the words "it's a girl," is acause for enormous joy and celebration for most, said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J."Today, the three most dangerous words in China and India are: It's a girl,"Smith said told a congressional hearing Sept. 10. Smith, the father of two boysand two girls, addressed the issues of sex-selective abortion, lopsided genderratios, and malnutrition among young females in India during a hearing of theHouse Subcommittee on Africa, Global Heath, Global Human Rights and Inter-national Organizations. Smith, subcommittee chairman, said tens of millions ofwomen are missing in India as a result of sex-selective abortion and female in-fanticide. Smith said in parts of India, 126 boys are born for every 100 girls."Women have been systematically exterminated through sex-selection abor-tion," Smith said. "It's a deliberate and premeditated assault on women."Smith said India also has 37 million more men than women, according to the2011 census. He said malnutrition of young girls is also common. Smith saidgirls below the age of 5 have a mortality rate that is 75 percent higher thanboys of the same age.

VATICAN LETTER

By Francis X. RoccaCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Pope Francis'Sept. 11 meeting with Do-minican Father GustavoGutierrez was an informalone, held in the in thepope's residence, theDomus Sanctae Marthae,and not listed on his officialschedule. Yet the news thatPope Francis had receivedthe 85-year old Peruvianpriest, who is widely consid-ered the father of liberationtheology, has excited inter-est far outside the Vatican.. During the 1990s, the

Congregation for the Doc-trine of the Faith conducteda lengthy critical review ofFather Gutierrez's work, andrequired him to write andrewrite articles clarifyingsome of his theological andpastoral points. But within a single week

in early September 2013,the Vatican newspaper,L'Osservatore Romano, pub-lished an interview with Fa-ther Gutierrez, an article bythe theologian himself, andtwo articles praising hiswork -- one of them by theprefect of the Congregationfor the Doctrine of the Faith,Archbishop Gerhard L.Muller. Following years of Vatican

criticism of liberation theol-ogy under Blessed John PaulII and Pope Benedict XVI,these events might seem toindicate a reversal of policyunder Pope Francis. It wouldbe more accurate to saythey represent the fruit of along and painful process,through which the churchhas clarified the nature ofits commitment to theworld's poor today. Liberation theology

emerged in Latin America inthe 1960s and 1970s. Itfinds in Scripture the princi-ples and inspiration forworking to free people fromunjust social patterns andstructures. Its starting point

often is the concrete situa-tion of Latin America's pre-dominantly poor people andhow they understand theScriptures as relating tothem in their struggles forfreedom from sin and fromunjust social structures. During the 1980s, the Vat-

ican's doctrinal office underthen-Cardinal JosephRatzinger, the future PopeBenedict, issued two majordocuments on liberationtheology. The documentspraised the movement'sconcern for the poor and forjustice, but condemned atendency to mix Marxist so-cial analysis and conceptssuch as "class struggle" withreligious commitments toend poverty and injustice. The consequences of the-

ologians adopting Marxistmethods, Pope Benedict toldBrazilian bishops, included"rebellion, division, dissent,offense (and) anarchy,"which were still "creatinggreat suffering in yourdiocesan communities and aserious loss of vital energy." On another occasion, he

told an interviewer that the"politicization of the faith"by some liberation theolo-gians had contributed to the"widespread exodus" ofLatin American Catholics toPentecostal and otherProtestant churches. Many Jesuits embraced

liberation theology as partof what a 1975 decree bythe order called their "com-mitment to promote justiceand enter into solidaritywith the voiceless and thepowerless." Not surprisingly, any

signs of sympathy with sec-ular ideas of revolutiondrew concern from the Vati-can. In 2007, the doctrinalcongregation warned of "er-roneous or dangerouspropositions" in the work ofJesuit Father Jon Sobrino.The following year, PopeBenedict found it necessaryto ask the Jesuits as anorder to reaffirm their ad-

herence to church teachingon a number of controver-sial questions, including"some aspects of the theol-ogy of liberation." As superior of the Jesuits'

Argentine province from1973 to 1979, then-FatherJorge Mario Bergoglio dis-couraged politicizationamong his priests, espe-cially during the militarydictatorship that took powerin Argentina in 1976. In thepolarized atmospherewithin the order, he washardly counted as a friendof liberation theology. But the future pope's pas-

toral work for and with thepoor was constant, andwould eventually find ex-pression at the Fifth GeneralConference of the Bishopsof Latin America and theCaribbean, held in 2007 inAparecida, Brazil. The conference's conclud-

ing document, of whichthen-Cardinal Bergoglio wasa principal author, did notuse the term "liberation the-ology," but its strong wordsabout the "building of a justand fraternal society" thatensures "health, food, edu-cation, housing and workfor all" reflect the spirit ofthe movement in its ortho-dox version. Pope Francis' election was

thus a powerful affirmationof the belief that the pursuitof social justice is a neces-sary consequence of Chris-tian faith. But less than ninemonths before the papalconclave, a less heralded ap-pointment had already sig-naled that this belief, asformulated in liberation the-ology, enjoyed favor at thechurch's highest levels. When Pope Benedict

named Archbishop Muller tohead the doctrinal office, inJuly 2012, he surely knewthat the man he was makingthe highest custodian ofchurch teaching after thepope himself was an ad-mirer and co-author of noneother than Father Gutierrez.

Under pope, liberationtheology comes of age

S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C12 commentary

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

One of the themes intoday’s readings concerns agreat social sins of ourday—greed.While Americans

live on a comfortscale well abovethe Third World,there is growingconcern that thegulf between the“haves” and the“have nots” in ourcountry has grownto the point ofalarm. Greed for profit

has seriously in-jured the rights ofworkers. If any of us are onthe wrong track, thenCatholic social teachingwould suggest that wechange direction.

How does God judgegreed? The prophet Amos, while

speaking in theeighth century B.C.,might just as well bevoicing God’s judg-ment on our pres-ent-day society. It isjust not acceptableto Him! In fact,greed seems to beone of those sinswhich anger God themost. It's a question of

good stewardship. When greed rules

our lives, we makedecisions that often deprivethe poor. Although the story in

today’s Gospel about the un-just steward who is about to

be fired is somewhat con-fusing, the main lesson isvery clear- “The children ofthis world are more prudentin dealing with their owngeneration than are the chil-dren of light”. How come? Because this steward, see-

ing he is about to be fired,reduces the debts of all hismaster’s debtors. In so doing, he makes his

master look good, andmakes friends of thosedebtors he had cheated bygiving back to them byusing his own commission! Even though he lost his

job, he neatly provides forhis future state of unem-ployment. He was a veryclever man.God so wishes that his

followers, in spreading theKingdom, would imitate thecleverness of the worldly! One saintly medieval com-

mentator, Cornelius aLapide, suggests that we,His sinful, struggling disci-ples, would show some clev-erness in securing oursalvation. How? By praying

earnestly every day for ourbrothers and sisters in pur-

gatory, so that when we dieand are in that place of pu-rification ourselves, thosefor whom our prayers haveearned Heaven may returnthe favor, and beseech theLord to shorten our staythere and bring us immedi-ately to eternal joy. That, according to a

Lapide, is the meaning of“Make friends for yourselvesof the mammon of dishon-est wealth, so that when itfails, you will be welcomedinto eternal dwellings”. Not a bad interpretation!

It all fits with today's sec-ond reading in which St.Timothy urges both publicand private daily prayer, sothat everyone can be savedand come to the knowledgeof the truth.

A question of good stewardship

By Kathleen M. GallagherDirector of Pro-Life ActivitiesNew York State Catholic Conference

Last month an historicagreement was reached be-tween the National Insti-tutes of Health (NIH) and thefamily of a woman namedHenrietta Lacks. It didn’t geta lot of attention, but it iscritically important.If you’ve heard of Henri-

etta’s name, it’s likely be-cause of the 2010non-fiction book, “The Im-mortal Life of HenriettaLacks” by Rebecca Skloot.The book stayed on the NewYork Times bestseller list fortwo years; I highly recom-mend it.It engagingly weaves the

story of the life of HenriettaLacks, a poor African Ameri-can mother of five who diedin 1951 at age 31 from anaggressive form of cervicalcancer. Without her knowledge or

consent, some of her can-cerous cells were taken byresearchers at John HopkinsHospital. They were cul-

tured and grown in petridishes; they multiplied andreplicated over and overagain for decades. Theyhave been used for AIDSand cancer research. Theyhelped develop drugs tosuccessfully treat herpes,leukemia, Parkinson’s dis-ease and influenza. Theywere used in the creation ofthe polio vaccine and otherlife-saving developments.Henrietta’s family never

knew. They found out morethan twenty years later, longafter the cells and their dis-coveries were making mil-lions of dollars for scientistsand companies all over theworld.I suppose John Hopkins

can be forgiven; in the early1950’s “informed consent”was not even a concept,much less a standard com-ponent of medical and re-search ethics.But earlier this year, Hen-

rietta’s descendants wereduped again, and this timethere is no excuse.In March, researchers suc-

cessfully sequenced thegenome of Henrietta’s cells

(called “HeLa” cells) andposted their data on the in-ternet. That means that allof Henrietta’s heredi-tary information, en-coded in DNA, hadbeen made public forall the world to see.And no one had both-ered to ask permis-sion – again.Think about that.

Imagine if someonesecretly took yourDNA and thenprocessed everythingit says about you –how long you willlive, what diseases you willlikely get, and more – andthen revealed that informa-tion to the world, with yourname attached. The potential damaging

consequences are endless,for you and your family: de-nial of life insurance, refusalfor admission to a long-termcare facility, rejection for alife-saving organ transplant. Despite great strides in re-

cent years, discriminationbased on genetic informa-tion has not been erasedfrom our landscape.

This most recent exploita-tion of Henrietta Lacks, herchildren, grandchildren and

great grandchildren,was an irresponsibleinvasion of medicalprivacy. It was iden-tity theft, pure andsimple. I understandthe desire of scien-tists to “push the en-velope” in pursuit ofbio-medical break-throughs. But that should

never come at theexpense of humanresearch subjects

and their privacy.Thankfully, the re-

searchers who publishedHenrietta’s information in apublic database removed itfrom view and apologizedto her family. And now theNIH appears to have madeamends to the Lacks familyas well. The agreement an-

nounced in August estab-lished new rules for use ofHeLa cells, which will bemade available only throughan application process gov-erned by a new panel that

includes two representa-tives of Henrietta’s family.Conversations between thefamily and the researchcommunity are now openand ongoing.The bestselling book

about Henrietta begins withthis quote from Elie Wieselfrom The Nazi Doctors andthe Nuremberg Code:“We must not see any per-

son as an abstraction. In-stead, we must see in everyperson a universe with itsown secrets, with its owntreasures, with its ownsources of anguish, andwith some measure of tri-umph.”HeLa cells, which continue

to grow and lead to moremedical discoveries, are notanonymous. They belongedto a real person, HenriettaLacks, Bible-carrying daugh-ter, mother, sister, wife, andtobacco farmer. The best thing to come of

the new NIH pact is the ac-knowledgement of HenriettaLacks as a human being, notjust a clump of cells. We areall indebted to her and herfamily.

Research ethics and the case of Henrietta Lacks

MonsignorPaul E.Whitmore

25th Sunday in Ordinary TimeREADINGSAmos 8:4-71 Timothy 2:1-8Luke 16:1-13

SEPT. 22

RESPECT LIFE

KathleenGallagher


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4was undoubtedly sent by

God. Even though theyhave been separated for 27years, she still carries thefaith of the Church and be-lieves in the Church whichhe loved. And I know that she be-

lieves that, like Christ, UncleCorrado still loves her be-cause of her fidelity to himand to God even after allthese years. She says that the next

thing she has to look for-ward to is being with herhusband, who is waiting forher with Jesus.So while my life and Aunt

Lena’s are different in al-most every way, what wevalue most is actually notthat different at all. What we cherish most is

the Catholic faith and thebelief that everything wehave experienced in this lifecan be understood as a giftfrom a personal God who

loves us and keeps us closeto Him. After all, Christstated that every one, nomatter how different, iscalled to live in Him. As Catholics, we all share

this one faith, a faith thathas many different expres-sions according to the indi-vidual circumstances of ourexistence. And what the rest of the

world seems to miss aboutour Church and Her faith isthe same thing that AuntLena and I celebrate everytime we are together; abun-dant life found in our rela-tionship with Jesus. I think this is the vocation

of all people, simply to loveone another as He has lovedus and carry out that loveuntil the end. And if wetake this vocation seriouslyfor as many years as Godcalls us to do so, then wewill have life. And for someof us, that will be a very,very long.

Pope Benedict XVI opened the Year of Faith Oct. 11,2012 as an opportunity to renew the faith-lives ofCatholics around the world that they might be morecredible and joy-filled witnesses to Christ and more ac-tively engaged in service of the poor. During the past 10 months, the Diocese of Ogdens-

burg has planned and sponsored a variety of activitiesand initiatives intended to assist in realizing the goal ofthe Year of Faith: a deeper encounter with Christ. The Sept. 29 Year of Faith Solemn Mass has been

planned as celebration of the diocesan journey throughthe Year of Faith.The presence of Pope Francis’ personal representative

- Archbishop Carlo Vigano, the papal nuncio to theUnited States - at the Mass, identifies the Pope’s close-ness to people in the North Country and the worldwidenature of the Church and the Year of Faith.Every Catholic in the North Country is invited and en-

couraged to participate in the liturgy to be held at theOlympic Arena in Lake Placid at 2:30 p.m.

A story

Solemn Mass:A celebration of diocesan journey through Year of Faith

SARANAC LAKE - The Diocese ofOgdensburg Past RegentsChapter Annual Mass for De-ceased Members and Lunch-eon was hosted by CatholicDaughters of the AmericasCourt Saint Bernard #787 ofSaranac Lake July 20.

Bishop Terry R LaValleypresided at the 10:30 a.m.liturgy with Msgr. C. JohnMcAvoy, Father Scott Sey-mour, Father WilliamMuench, and Father BryanStitt concelebrating. Crossbearer was seminarian MattConger.

CDA State Regent MaryZiesig presented a $2000check to Bishop LaValley atthe conclusion of the Massfrom the organization'sMarie C. Curry Fund, in sup-port of the diocese's semi-narians.

A luncheon followed at theRed Fox restaurant and theannual raffle tickets were

drawn. Winner of $350 wasBernice Marcotte.

Donations will be made toSafe Haven and to the dio-cese's seminarians.

Greetings were offered byNational First Vice RegentHelene Shepard.

State Regent Mary Ziesigspoke of the presentfundraiser, the Charity calen-dars, to help fund the MarieC. Curry project, and Imme-diate Past State Regent PennyMartin spoke on the Statecharity for 2013 & 2014-SafeHaven.

A short business meetingfollowed the luncheon.

The spring meeting isbeing planned for April 2014,time and place to be an-nounced.

The annual Memorial Massand luncheon is scheduledfor Oct. 4, 2014 at St.Joseph's Church, Dan-nemora, hosted by Court

Mother Admirable #592, withBishop Terry LaValley presid-

ing as chief celebrant. All CDA members and

guests are invited to theliturgy and luncheon.


YEAR OF FAITH... STORY OF FAITH

By Andrew LauriaContributing Writer

My Great-Aunt Lena is 73 yearsand a day older than me. She wasborn and has lived her 102 years oflife on one side of Eagle Street inGloversville, N.Y. She still resides inthe house she bought with her hus-band when they were married in1935.

She speaks Italian in two dialects,which were out-lawed by Mussoliniduring WWII. She still has all herhair, her whole vision, and has lostonly one tooth.

She is, according to my com-pletely biased opinion, the bestcook in the entire world. And eventhough she and my great-unclenever had children, I consider her tobe my third grandmother.

The world is a very differentplace for a modern, single, latetwenties, globe-trotting guy than itis for this widow born the sameyear the first electric headlightswere offered on an automobile.

So what do my great-aunt and Ihave in common?

We love our family and even

though she has been a part of it formuch, much longer than I have, weboth feel the same gratitude for thepeople that we call our own fleshand blood.

We both love to eat. Everything.Not only do we enjoy the art of awell prepared meal, but we love theintimacy found in a long conversa-tion over a cup of coffee.

We even like a lot of the same

music, which makes her feel youngand me seem quite old.

But most importantly we love theLord. Of all the experiences in herlife and in mine, neither of us havea wider fascination or more pro-found gratitude than for a mannamed Jesus.

Christ stated over and over againthat He would be with us until theend of time. Aunt Lena says that Hewas right because she has been withHim since the beginning so sheknows that He isn’t lying.

I think that I sense the same eter-

nality of this promise in my own lifeand we can relate to each otherthrough this connection with Christ.

We both share in the same terrify-ing but astounding faith that Godwill never leave us, no matter whathappens in our short or long life.

But that faith is not easy. AuntLena has out-lived every person shehas known so far and that long lifehas come with a huge sense of loss.I think the most significant loss shehas experienced was her husband,Corrado, who died of cancer in1986. His death has tested her faithmore than any other experience inher life.

She loved him more than anyoneelse and she still speaks of himdaily. She is always telling me sto-ries of their young lives togetherand constantly reminiscing abouttheir many trips to Italy. The high-light is always how their marriagewas blessed by Pope Paul VI.

She and my Uncle Corradoshared a deep love for the Faith andfor the Catholic Church. I thinkAunt Lena misses my uncle becauseshe misses the love that he gaveher, a love that


A story of 102 years of faith

Great-aunt Lena at 102

Those attending the Past Regents Chapter Memorial Mass held July 20 at St. Bernard’s Church in Saranac Lake included, front row,Immediate Past State Regent Penny Martin, State Secretary Caroline Schlegel, 1st Vice State Regent Heather Rave, 1st Vice NationalRegent Helene Shepard, Bishop Terry R. LaValley, State Regent Mary Ziesig, 2nd Vice State Regent Marianne Eaton, State TreasurerEmma Lou Smith, Joan Jetsko, Past Regent Vice President and Anna Lucia, President Past Regents. Also pictured are Mary King, PastRegents Treasurer and Christa Reyell, Past Regents Secretary.

CDA Past Regents gather for annual Mass July 20

S P E T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C entertainment 13

AT THE MOVIES

By John Mulderig Catholic News Service

That rare Hollywoodcommodity, the close-knitclan, is put to shamefulwaste in director LucBesson's troubling Mafia-themed comedy, "The Fam-ily" (Relativity).

In fact, the internal har-mony of the titular house-hold exists simply as a foilfor the viciously violent --and supposedly humorous -- behavior its members dis-play toward any outsiderwho displeases them.

With a price on theirheads, Cosa Nostra insider-turned-informant GiovanniManzoni (Robert De Niro),his wife, Maggie (MichellePfeiffer), and their high-schoolers, Belle (DiannaAgron) and Warren (JohnD'Leo), have been sent tohide out in a remote Nor-mandy village as part of thewitness protection program.

Since the victims of Gio-vanni's snitching are still inrelentless pursuit, the quar-tet's chief FBI handler, AgentRobert Stansfield (Tommy

Lee Jones), is desperate forthem to blend in with theirnew neighbors. That's easiersaid than done, however,because all four share thesame tendency to exactblood-soaked vengeance onanyone foolish enough toaffront them, however triv-ially.

As Besson and screen-writer Michael Caleo ill-ad-visedly seek to draw laughsfrom bombings, beatingsand murder, the life-squan-dering lightheartedness be-comes increasinglydistasteful. Other factorsmake their screen version ofTonino Benacquista's novel"Malavita" even more off-putting.

Thus, Belle, explicitlyidentified in the dialogue asa 17-year-old, brazenly setsout to seduce her mathteacher. We're shown thesuccessful outcome of hercampaign in considerabledetail.

Sacred subject matter alsocomes in for frivolous treat-ment through ostensibly de-vout Maggie's interactionwith the local priest(Christopher Craig). Having

seen her praying by herselfin church several times, Fa-ther inquires why she does-n't attend Mass, andeventually invites her tomake a long-overdue visit tothe confessional.

We're meant to be amusedby the thought of the shock-ing catalog of horrifyingsins to which the unwittingclergyman has thus sub-jected himself. And, indeed,the next time we see thegood pastor, some dayslater, he's agitatedly re-proaching Maggie for her of-fenses and tossing her outof church lest she contami-nate his decent parishioners-- several of whom arewithin earshot at the time.

The fact that such actionswould represent a blatantviolation of the sacramentalseal -- an offense incurringautomatic excommunication-- is apparently too insignifi-cant to stand in the way ofthe intended joke. Forgiveus if fail to see the humor insuch trespasses.

The film contains muchharsh and sometimesbloody violence, graphicnonmarital and underage

sexual activity, nongraphicmarital lovemaking, irrever-ent humor, numerous ma-ture references, a few usesof profanity as well as fre-quent rough and occasionalcrude language. TheCatholic News Service clas-sification is O -- morally of-

fensive. The Motion PictureAssociation of America rat-ing is R -- restricted. Under17 requires accompanyingparent or adult guardian.

CNS PHOTO/RELATIVITY MEDIAMichelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro star in a scene from the movie "The Family."

THE FAMILY

ALSO PLAYING

CNS PHOTO/UNIVERSALVin Diesel stars in a scene from the movie "Riddick." The Catholic News Service classifi-cation is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R --restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.


WALK OF FAITH, PORK DINNERPeru - The Catholic Community of St. Au-gustine’s and St. Patrick’s Parish, The PeruCommunity Church, Catholic Daughtersof the Americas, Court St. Monica 2598and Knights of Columbus Council 7273 inPeru, NY will hold its 7th Annual Walk ofFaith.Date: Oct. 13Time: Early registration at 11:45 a.m.Opening ceremony begins at 12:30 p.m. Place: Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine (be-hind St. Augustine’s Church)Features: Immediately following open-ing ceremonies, the Walk of Faith willbegin, rain or shine Walk is 2.7 mileroute in the Town of Peru. Proceeds willgo to The North Country Mission of Hopeand The Jamaica Project. Dinner: A pulled pork dinner , also ben-efitting the Mission of Hope and JamaicaProject will follow the walk, from noonto 4 p.m. at St. Augustine’s Parish Center.non-walkers, $8; walkers, 6$; children 12and under, non-walkers, $4, walkers, $3.Contact: Christa Reyell at 566-6404.

HARVEST DINNERChazy – Sacred Heart Church will haveits Annual Harvest Dinner.Date: Sept. 22Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.Cost: Adults, $9; Children 6-12, $3; 5 andunder, Free; Take-outs, $9Features: Buffet Style Chicken and Bis-cuit dinner. Raffle. Sinners’ Den Pantry

TENT SALEPeru – St. Vincent’s will have its fall tentsale.Date: Sept. 20 – Sept. 22Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.Place: 3028 Main St.Features:Fill a large bag with gentlyused clothing and footwear for $6.

HARVEST DINNERWest Chazy – St. Joseph’s Church willhold its 40th Annual Harvest Dinner.Date: Oct. 13Time: Noon to 5 p.m.Place: St. Joseph’s Parish CenterCost: Adults, $10; Children 5-12, $5;Children under 5, FreeFeatures: Turkey with all the trimmings,a Country Store and much more. Contact: St. Joseph’s Parish Office at518-493-4521 for more information

HARVEST DINNERDannemora – St. Joseph’s Parish will be hosting its Annual Roast Turkey andTrimmings Harvest Dinner.

Date: Oct. 13Time: 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.Cost: Adults, $9; Children 5-10, $5; under5, FreeFeatures: Take outs are available. CashRaffles, Chinese Raffle, Crafts and Coun-try Store, 50/50 and live musicContact: Vern & Sorelle Bouyea @ 293-7768 or Deacon Ed & Louise Mazu-chowski @ 563-0828

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNINGPlattsburgh - A series of Natural FamilyPlanning classes to be sponsored by theDiocesan NFP Office. Date: Oct. 6Time: 2 p.m.Place: St. John’s Church [Parish Center,lower level]Program: Three-part learner-centeredformat educates couples to observe andinterpret the physical signs of fertility.This knowledge can be used to achieve,as well as to postpone, conception. Cost: Fee of $50 includes all materials;scholarships available.Contact: To register, or to learn more,contact instructors Matthew and SarahBosley at 518-962-8966 (email:[email protected]) or the Dioce-san NFP Office at 518-483-0459 (email:[email protected].)

HEALING MASSEllenburg Center - Our Lady of theAdirondacks House of Prayer is holding ahealing Mass.Date: Sept. 28Time: 10 a.m.Features: Father Doug Decker will pre

side at a healing Mass which will be fol-lowed by an opportunity for individualprayer by OLA prayer ministry teams.Contact:If you plan on staying for alight lunch, RSVP by Sept. 26 [email protected] or 518-594-3253. Donations appreciated

IGNATIAN RETREATEllenburg Center – OLA will be havingan Ignatian Retreat - Discernment ofSpirits.Date: Oct. 18-20 or Oct. 25-27Time: Begin at 7 p.m. and ends at Noonon SundayPresenter: Fr. Jack Downs.Cost: $60 per weekend covers all food.. Rooms available for overnight guestson a first come basis (+$50 weekend). Features: This time of prayer and learn-ing will be based on St. Ignatius of Loy-ola's Rules for Discernment, covering 7rules each weekend. The message isfreedom from captivity to discourage-ment and deception in the spiritual life. Contact: Register by Oct. 7 with a $15non-refundable deposit. [email protected] or call 518-594-3253 to register.

QUILT SHOP OPENEllenburg Center - Lost Sheep Quilt andFabric Shop is now open! Place: Our Lady of the AdirondacksHouse of Prayer, Hours: Tues. - Sat, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.Evenings and other times by appoint-ment. Phone 594-3253 or [email protected] to come atother times

Features: the Moda line plus Jo Mortonfabrics by Andover., wool and patternsto make penny rugs, some notions in-cluding King Tut and YLI thread, batting,pins, etc. Some precuts - charm packsand jelly rolls and kits.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATIONPlattsburgh – Eucharistic Adoration isheld throughout the year every Wednes-day, Thursday, and Friday.Place: St. John’s “Holy Family” AdorationChapel, downstairsTime: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.Contact: call 518-561-5083 or email

[email protected]

HARVEST DINNERElizabethtown – St. Elizabeth’s will behaving a Harvest Dinner with Roast Beefand all the trimmings.Date: Oct. 6Time: 2 p.m. to 6Place: Parish HallCost: Adults, $9; Children 5-12, $5;under 5, FreeFeatures: Take-outs available, 1:30 p.m.

FALL FESTIVAL DINNERBombay – St. Joseph’s Parish will behaving its 22nd Annual Fall Festival Din-ner featuring baked ham.Date: Sept. 29Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.Place: Parish HallCost: Adults, $9; under 12, $4; under 5,FreeFeatures: Baked goods, canned goods,fresh produce & flea market Items, 50/50Raffle, Multi-prize Raffle and more!

FALL FESTIVALConstable – The Catholic Community ofConstable, Westville & Trout River, Altar &Rosary and K of C Council 9991 are hav-ing the Annual Fall Festival and HamDinner.Date: Sept. 21Time: 4 p.m. to 7 Place: St. Francis Church HallCost: Adults, $9; 12 and under, $5Features: Lots of great raffles. In appreci-ation of our Priest and Religious theywill eat for free.Contact: 483-3772

ROSARY RALLYMalone – Annual Rosary Rally to beheld.Date: Oct. 12Time: 1 p.m.Place: St. Joseph’s Church

Contact: Elaine McGivney at 518-529-6133 or [email protected]

BEREAVEMENT MEETINGWatertown - An Ecumenical Bereave-ment Meeting will be held.Date: Sept. 23Time: 7 p.m.Place: Hearthside Hospitality Center atthe Motherhouse of the Sisters of St.JosephSpeaker: Rev. Cheryl GmitterTheme: “Finding Peace through theStorm”

LIFERIGHT AUCTIONWatertown – Liferight will be having asilent/live auction and luncheon.Date: Sept. 28Time: Viewing starts at 11 a.m.; Auctionat noon; Luncheon followsPlace: Italian American ClubFeatures: Mel Busler will be the auc-tioneer. A variety of quilted items, craftsand paintings stay’s at local hotels, secu-rity alarm system and , home furnishingitems, autographed books by localartists, themed baskets, gift certificates. Contact: Lunch reservations can be ob-tained by mailing a $10 check payable toLiferight to Francine Hanlon, 139 Cole-man Ave, Watertown, NY 13601

SPAGHETTI SUPPERWatertown – St. Anthony’s Altar RosaryChurch will be having Spaghetti Supper.Date: Sept. 26Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7 Place: Msgr. Sechi HallCost: Adults, $8; children $4.50; under 3,free; sauce, $5 per quart meatballs are$.75. Take-out orders begin at 4 p.m.Please bring your own containers

REVELATION COURSE BEGINSEvans Mills – An 11 week course on theBook of Revelations to be presented byIndian River Knights of Columbus.Date: Oct. 2 (Wednesdays) to Dec. 18Place: St. Mary’s Parish CenterCost: $25 Features: "Revelation: The Kingdom

Yet to Come" will consist of DVD lecturesby Jeff Cavins, home study, and discus-sion. Participants will consider the ques-tions - What is the message of St. John'sRevelation? How does it fit with theplan of Scripture? Can its disturbing im-ages be a source of inspiration. Studentsfrom outside the parish welcome. Contact: For registration and inquiries is767-1065.

CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE

The North County Catholicwelcomes contributions to “Around the Diocese”. Parishioners are invited to send information about activities to:

North Country Catholic, PO Box 326,Ogdensburg, NY 13669; fax, 1-866-314-7296;

e-mail [email protected].

Items must be received in the NCCoffice by the Thursday before publication.

CLINTON

ESSEX

FRANKLIN

JEFFERSON


Bishop LaValley has namedFather Robert L. Decker aspastor of St. Paul’s Church inBlack River and St. Rita’sChurch in Deferiet. Father Decker, currently

pastor of St. Hubert’s Churchin Star Lake with St. Michael’sOratory in Fine and St. An-thony of Padua Oratory inNewton Falls and also St.Francis Solanus Church inHarrisville with St. Henry’sOratory in Natural Bridge, isreplacing Father Garvin J. De-marais who was granted amedical leave of absence byBishop LaValley. As a result of this assign-

ment change, Father StephenR. Rocker, currently pastor ofSt. James Church in Gou-verneur and Sacred HeartChurch in Edwards, will as-sume responsibility for theparish in Star Lake and Fa-ther Daniel L. Chapin, cur-rently pastor of St. Stephen’sChurch in Croghan with St.Vincent de Paul Oratory inBelfort and St. Peter’s Oratoryin New Bremen will assumeresponsibility for the parishin Harrisville. These linkages take place

according to previous plan-ning discussed by the pas-tors and parishes involved. Effective date for the

changes will be Oct.16.Profiles of the new pastors

follow:

Father DeckerFather Decker, a native of

Hammond, was born Oct. 16,1950. He studied for thepriesthood at Wadhams Halland Christ the King Seminaryand was ordained by BishopStanislaus J. Brzana on May7, 1983 at St. Mary’s Cathe-dral.The priest has served as

parochial vicar at Holy Fam-ily Church in Watertown, St.Mary’s Church, Clayton; St.John’s Church, Lafargeville;Sacred Heart Church,Massena; and St. AgnesChurch, Lake Placid.In 1995 he was appointed

pastor of St. Therese Church,Newcomb and St. Henry’sChurch, Long Lake.

From 1998 to 2003, FatherDecker served as a mission-ary for the Ogdensburg Peru-vian Apostolate in Mollendo,Peru.He was named administra-

tor in Harrisville and StarLake in 2003 and pastor thefollowing year.

Father RockerFather Rocker, new pastor

in Star, Lake has served aspastor in Gouverneur andEdwards since 2008Previously he was pastor

Hogansburg, Fort Covington,and Bombay from 2003, afterserving as a missionary withthe Ogdensburg PeruvianApostolate in 2002-2003Father Rocker, a native of

Port Leyden, was born Sept.12, 1953 in Lowville. Hestudied for the priesthood atWadhams Hall and theCatholic University of Lou-vain in Belgium. He was or-dained Sept. 1, 1979 at hishome parish of St. Martin’s inPort Leyden.The priest has served as

assistant pastor at Holy Fam-ily in Watertown and in Clay-ton. In 1982, he was nameda full time faculty member atWadhams Hall Seminary Col-lege, a position he held untilthe seminary’s closing in2002. He chaired the philos-ophy department. Father Rocker also served

as an administrator in Ham-

mond and Rossie from 1990-1992 and part time chaplainat the Ogdensburg Correc-tional Facility from 1997 to2002. In addition he was anadministrator in Newcomband Long Lake for a shorttime in 2003.

Father ChapinFather Chapin, new pastor

in pastor in Harrisville, hasserved as pastor in Croghansince 2006. He had previ-ously served as pastor inGouverneur from 2000 withadded responsibilities aspastor in Edwards in 2004.Born Nov. 13, 1946 in Mal-

one, Father Chapin grew upin North Bangor. He studiedfor the priesthood at Wad-hams Hall Seminary and St.Bernard’s Seminary inRochester before his ordina-tion May 13, 1972 by BishopStanislaus J. Brzana.The priest served as an as-

sistant pastor at St. Mary’s inOgdensburg before begin-ning ten years of missionarywork with the OgdensburgPeruvian Apostolate, servingat St. Martin de Porras Parishin Mollendo, Peru, from 1976to 1986.

He was pastor from 1981until returning to the UnitedStates.

Upon returning to the U.S.,Father Chapin again servedas parochial vicar at thecathedral for a short timeuntil taking part in a sabbat-ical year at the Weston Schoolof Theology.While on sabbatical, he

worked as a chaplain internat St. Elizabeth Hospital inBrighton, Mass.Upon his return to the dio-

cese, he served as parochialvicar at Holy Family in Water-town until being named pas-tor in Clayton andLaFargeville and then in Gou-verneur and Edwards.Father Chapin also served

as part-time chaplain at Gou-verneur Correction Facility.He is currently head of theecumenical committee anddirector of Hispanic Ministryfor the diocese.

Father Robert Decker

Bishop LaValley appoints three new pastors

Father Rocker Father Chapin

Priest changes mean parish linkages to take place

S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 1 3N O R T H C O U N T R Y C A T H O L I C news 15

OBITUARIESAltona – Dwight J. Smart, 48; FuneralServices Sept. 14, 2013 at Holy Angel’sChurch; burial in Holy Angel’s Cemetery.

Brownville – Elizabeth A. Evans Monaco,95; Funeral Services Sept. 9, 2013 at Im-maculate Conception Church; burial inCalvary Cemetery.

Brushton – Louis “Louie” A. LaRock, 86;Funeral Services St. Mary’s Church; burialin parish cemetery.

Champlain – Daniel Arthur Castine, 70;Funeral Services Sept. 11, 2013 at St.Mary’s Church; burial in parish cemetery.

Coopersville – Richard Joseph Fosher, 70;Funeral Services Sept. 13, 2013 at St.Joseph’s Church; burial in parish ceme-tery.

Ellenburg – Agnes D. (Miller) Seguin, 92;Funeral Services Sept. 11, 2013 at St. Ed-mund’s Church; burial in parish cemetery.

Hogansburg – Arthur “Art” J. Bova, 81;Funeral Services Sept. 7, 2013 at St. RegisChurch; burial in Kateri Cemetery, Akwe-sasne.

Keeseville – Walter E. “Walt” LaMountain,79; Memorial Services Sept. 7, 2013 at St.John’s Church.

Malone – Janet L. (Gratton) LaFave, 77;Funeral Services Sept. 10, 2013 at St.Joseph’s Church; burial in Notre DameCemetery.

Malone – Marian G. (Richards) LaRock,86; Funeral Services Sept. 9, 2013 at theBruso-Desnoyers Funeral Home; burial inSt. Augustine’s Cemetery, North Bangor.

Massena – Kenneth J. Layo, Jr., 66; Fu-neral Services Sept. 10, 2013 at St. Mary’sChurch; burial in Calvary Cemetery.

Massena – Carolyn M. “Auntie” (Greco)Morin, 84; Funeral Services Sept. 14, 2013at St. Mary’s Church; burial in CalvaryCemetery.

Morrisonville – Clarence J. Curry, 72; Fu-neral Services Sept. 7, 2013 at St. Alexan-der’s Church; burial in St. Peter’s

Cemetery, Plattsburgh.

Plattsburgh – Susan C. (Church) Judkins,76; Funeral Services Sept. 8, 2013 at St.John’s Church.

Plattsburgh – Stephen J. Lombard, 62;Funeral Services Sept. 9, 2013 at St.Peter’s Church; burial in St. Patrick’sCemetery, Rouses Point.

Potsdam– Joseph “Joey” Lewis MichaelRotella, 24; Funeral Services Sept. 13,2013 at the Garner Funeral Service; bur-ial in Garfield Cemetery.

Saranac Lake – Kathlene E. FoleyGoodrich, 51; Memorial Services Sept. 11,2013 at Fortune-Keough Funeral Home.

Saranac Lake – Vincent Elias Pelletieri,91; Funeral Services Sept. 14, 2013 at St.Bernard’s Church; burial in St. Bernard’sCemetery.

Tupper Lake – Richard P. Boushie, 88; Fu-neral Services Sept. 12, 2013 at St.Alphonsus Church; burial in parish ceme-tery.

Watertown– Gloria M. (Ayers) Gallagher,82; Funeral Services Sept. 7, 2013 at HolyFamily Church; burial in Glenwood Ceme-tery.

Watertown – Dorothy M. (Buckman)Morgia, 94; Funeral Services Sept. 14,2013 at St. Anthony’s Church; burial inGlenwood Cemetery.

The Pontifical Mission Societies of theDiocese of Ogdensburg, Inc.The Society for the Propagation of the FaithSr. Mary Ellen Brett, SSJ, Director622 Washington St., Ogdensburg, NY 13669(315) 393-2920; fax [email protected]

From the Director’s DeskSister Mary Ellen Brett, SSJ,Diocesan Mission Director

Our Summer weather in the North Country has blessed uswith a variety of weather patterns for which I thank God. Ienjoyed the many warm days sometimes with high humid-ity. I always knew that in a short time the weather wouldchange with a gentle breeze or a thunderstorm bringingrain to cool us down.

Summer for us in the Ogdensburg Diocese…Winter for people in the Southern Hemisphere

Our hot summers with cool relief in sight always remindme of people in developing countries. Summer for people inthe Southern Hemisphere usually means hot and humiddays and nights with no relief in sight through what we useso freely in the summer months, namely fans and air condi-tioners. When the excessive heat bothers you, challengeyourself not to turn on your car air conditioner or yourhouse air conditioner for ten minutes. You will feel whatpeople in Peru and other developing countries feel duringthe summer months with no relief for long periods of time.

At this time, it is Winter for people in the Southern Hemi-sphere. I think of the people I met in Mollendo, Peru inearly June who were experiencing cool air hoping the sunwould shine some warmth upon them. The days that thecloud covered the sun were very cold by our standards anddemanded that we all wear layers. Peruvians knew that onJune 21st, when our summer begins, that their cold winterwould be upon them. I think of them now suffering the coldeven with layers of clothing, sleeping in their homes withno central heating only to wake up to wash and do laundryin cold water. As you read this, may we be grateful for the conven-

iences we have and pray for those enduring the hardship ofa cold winter in the Southern Hemisphere. God bless you.

www.dioogdensburg.org/missionoffice

Seasons...

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What an honor it will be forus to welcome Arch-bishop Carlo MariaVigano, to our dioceseSept. 29.The archbishop, the

papal nuncio to theUnited States, will bethe principal celebrantat our diocesan Massfor the Year of Faith atthe Olympic Arena inLake Placid.Just what is a nuncio? A nuncio is a Vatican

diplomat with the rankof ambassador. He is responsible for diplo-

matic relations with the gov-ernment, but also serves as the

pope's representative to thechurch in a given coun-try, which includes re-sponsibility forcoordinating thesearch for and vettingof candidates to be-come bishops.Pope Benedict XVI

appointed ArchbishopVigano to the positionin October 2011 andthe archbishop contin-ues to serve underPope Francis.In an interview with

Catholic News Serviceshortly after his appointment,Archbishop Vigano that being anuncio is "a call to know this

people, this country and cometo love them." We will be happy to show

him how easy it is to love thepeople of the Diocese of Og-densburg and the beautifulpart of the country in Whichwe live.I think he’ll be impressed to

see the numbers and the en-thusiasm of the Catholics pray-ing with him in the arena,This isn’t the first time we’ve

welcomed a papal nuncio inour midst. Previous nuncioshave taken part in the installa-tion of our bishops over theyears. But, this is the first time

since 1972 – when the diocese

celebrated its 100th anniver-sary - that a nuncio has cele-brated a Mass which everysingle Catholic in the NorthCountry is invited to attend.This solemn Mass promises

to the a spectacular spiritualevent. I’ve heard that the buses are

filling up quickly. I’ve heard that the selected

music is breathtakingly beauti-ful and that the choir directoris brilliant.I know that Bishop LaVally’s

homily will be a powerful mes-sage of faith.And I know it’s an opportu-

nity that should not be missedby any of us!

Today, I would like to join to-gether with all those who havealready written and spoken outin recognition of Pope Francis’strong call for peace – espe-cially a peaceful settlement ofthe crisis over Syria. I am totally impressed with

the responses that have beenmade to our Holy Father’s callfor prayer and fasting. Pope Francis has spoken out

forcefully concerning the injus-tices suffered by the people ofSyria. However, his consistentcall is that violence is not theanswer. He spoke out very strongly

concerning this in his homilyon the evening of the peacevigil in St. Peter’s Square.He said this: “War always

marks the failure of peace – itis a defeat for humanity.” “Thisevening I ask the Lord that weChristians, and our brothersand sisters of other religions,and every man and woman ofgood will, cry out forcefully: vi-olence and war are never theway to peace.”So, today, I join with all of

those who have spoken out –our bishop, the bishopsthroughout the country, and somany others who have writtenand spoken out concerningthis – there must be a betterway.

I was so impressed thatmany parishes in our diocesedemonstrated a response tothe Pope’s call for peace – forprayer and fasting – with spe-cial services and prayer vigils.This moment must not be

forgotten. Since we havejoined in this campaign ofprayer for peace – now wemust live it. As people of peace, our lives

must demonstrate our hopesand dreams for peace. We,Catholic Christians, must showthis world what a person ofpeace looks like – especially bythe way we treat others. This must begin with our

own families. Each family mustbe the most peaceful family onthe face of the earth – nothingless. Only then can we challenge

the rest of the world to be amore peaceful place. We must also make our com-

munity, the most peaceful

community on the face of theearth. The challenge beginsright here at home. Then wecan demand the rest of theworld to join us in this path topeace.Our campaign for peace be-

gins with prayer. This prayermust be lived out in our dailylives. It begins with the littlethings. Doing the little thingsof life well is so fundamentallyimportant in this program. I am certain that this path to

peace does begin with how wedeal with the little things oflife. Often, these little thingscan be annoying and can inter-fere with our efforts to findingcomplete peace.

Doing the little things of lifewell – “What does that require?”I am certain that it begins withpatience. Being that steady,patient person is never easy.Yet, nothing demonstrates ourpeacefulness more than pa-tience. It also demonstratesour faith in God – our love ofGod – our love of our neighbor. Now, don’t get me wrong – I

am not the most patient per-son. I must work harder at thisspirit of patience. And now isthe time – I have been chal-lenged by my Holy Father,Pope Francis – I want to joinmore fully in this campaign ofour Holy Father, Pope Francis,in his call for peace.


REV. JOSEPH A. MORGANVice President

SR. JENNIFER VOTRAW, SSJSecretary-TreasurerMARY LOU KILIAN

Editor/General Manager

BISHOP TERRYR. LAVALLEYPresident

EDITOR’S NOTES

Ready to welcome our nuncio!

Mary LouKilian

A PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE

Joining in the pope’s campaign for peace


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

LIFERIGHT MEETINGWatertown - Liferight of Watertownmeets third Wednesday of the Month.Time: 4 p.m. Place: 312 Sherman St.Features: The office has materials on

infanticide, assisted suicide, euthanasiaand chastity. Contact: Phone 315-788-8480; website:

www.liferight.org.

PARKINSON’S WALKSackets Harbor – North Country Coali-tion for Parkinson’s & Movement Disor-ders will hold their second annualParkinson’s Walk to raise funds for localParkinson’s outreach effortsDate: Sept. 21Time: Registration at 9 a.m.; Walk starts

at 10 a.m.Place: Starts at the Sackets Harbor Visi-

tor CenterFeatures: Walk the 1.5 mile route or the

3 mile route. For more information goto: www.northcountryparkinsons.org.

PANCAKE BREAKFASTLyons Falls – The South Lewis Knights ofColumbus will be having an all you caneat Pancake brunch.Date: Sept. 22Time: 8 a.m. to noonPlace: St. John’s ChurchCost: Adults, $6; Children 5-12, $3;

under 5, Free

CABBAGE ROLL SALENorwood – The Norwood K of C will behaving a take out Cabbage Roll Sale.Date: Sept. 21Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Place: St. Andrew’s Church

LASAGNA DINNERHeuvelton – St. Raphael’s Church isholding its annual Lasagna Dinner.Date: Sept. 25Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7Place: Heuvelton School CafeteriaCost: Adults, $7; Senior Citizens (over

65), 46; Children 6-12, $5; under 6, Free. Features: Take-out orders please call344-2383 on Sept. 25 from Noon to 3p.m. Proceeds will be used for charitablepurposes.

GUN AND KNIFE SHOWBrasher Falls – The Knights of Columbuswill be hosting a Gun and Knife Show.Date: Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. & Oct.

6 , from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Place: K of C HallCost: $3; under 12 free must be accom-

panied by an adult.Features: Many dealers will be present

with hunting, fishing, archery and sport-ing items. Dealers wishing to reserve ta-bles can contact Phil Davis at315-389-4627. Concessions stand openall day, breakfast served until 11 a.m.Public invited to buy, trade, or sell.

HARVEST DINNEROgdensburg – Notre Dame will be hav-ing a harvest dinner.Date: Oct. 20Time: Noon to 3 p.m.Place: Knights of Columbus HallCost: Adults, $8; Children 5-12, $5;

Under 5, free (eat in only)Features: Roast Turkey with the trim-

mings, dessert included, craft-tables,50/50 raffle and take-outs available.

COMMUNITY FREE LUNCHOgdensburg – The Knights of ColumbusCouncil 258 is starting its communityfree lunch program again.Date: Every WednesdayTime: NoonFeatures: Free hot lunchContact: Club Rooms at 393-7990 after

4 p.m. or on Wednesdays after 10:30 a.m.

HEALING MASSRaymondville – St. Raymond’s Churchwill be having a Healing Mass.Date: Oct. 16Time: 6:30 p.m.Features: Fathers Jack Downs and An-

drew Amyot and Msgr. John Murphy willcelebrate Mass followed by the opportu-nity to be prayed for individually by aprayer team. We will begin with an in-troduction by Fr. Jack Downs about Un-derstanding the Healing Ministry,followed by brief testimony, Mass, andSacramental Anointing. All are welcome

RUMMAGE SALENorfolk – A rummage sale is to be heldto benefit the Altar Rosary Society.Date: Sept 26, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and

Sept. 27, from 9 a.m. to noonPlace: Church of the VisitationFeatures: Baby items, Household goods,

tools, dishes, books, puzzles, clothing forme, woman, and children and more.

LATIN MASSPotsdam – A Tridentine (Latin) Mass iscelebrated each Sunday with Msgr.Robert H. Aucoin as the celebrantTime: 12:30 a.m.Place: St. Mary's Church

DIOCESAN YEAR OF FAITH MASSLake Placid - A solemn Mass marking theYear of Faith and the New Evangelizationwill be heldDate: Sept. 29Time: 2:30 p.mPlace: Olympic CenterFeatures: Archbishop Carlo Maria

Vigano, Apostolic Nuncio to the UnitedStates, will preside with Bishop LaValleyand priests of the diocese concelebrat-ing. Bishop LaValley will be the homilist.Nearly 2000 Catholics from across theDiocese of Ogdensburg are expected.Contact: Bus transportation from com-

munities throughout diocese will beavailable; see page 13 of this week’s NCCfor contact information.

FALL RETREAT FOR ADULTSSaranac Lake – A second session hasbeen added for a fall retreat to be held atGuggenheim Lodge.Date: Sept. 20-21Schedule: : Sept. 20-21 begins 6 p.m.

with dinner; OR Sept. 21-22 begins at7:30 p.m. with dessertCost: $75 Sept. 20-21; $70 Sept. 21-22Speaker: Paul Gibaldi, wilderness guide

for 25 years, nature photographer andtwo nature photography books pub-lished and Sister Bethany Fitzgerald, SSJ,

spiritual director and adult faith educa-tor. Features: There will be time for prayer,reflection and sharing of the spiritualwisdom . Gibaldi Will lead a hike upnearby Mount Baker on Saturday..Regis-trations will be taken (limit 10) throughSept. 19. Hiking clothes and shoes/bootsare recommended.Contact: Sr. Bethany srbeth@cit-

tele.com or 315-212-6592.

PILGRIMAGE TO SPAINFr. Donald Robinson will be leading a pil-grimage “Best of Spain and Portugal”.Dates: Feb. 18-28, 2014Cost: $2899 per person from NYC Included: Roundtrip Air from NY, First

Class/Select Hotels, Most Meals, Compre-hensive Sightseeing and much more.Features: Madrid, Salamanca, Lisbon,Seville, Granada & ToledoContact: Fr Robinson at 315-782-1190

or e-mail [email protected]

BEST OF IRELANDThe Best of Ireland Tour lead by Fr. An-drew Amyot is scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 9th 2013 has a few openings. Contact: For more information, contact

Fr. Amyot at (315) 384-2064 or email:[email protected]

DOVS VOCATION PILGRIMAGEJoin Bishop LaValley, Father Bryan Stitt,

and the members of the Diocese of Og-densburg Vocations Society for a pil-grimage to the Shrine of St. KateriTekakwitha, Montreal to promote andsupport vocations. Date: Oct. 9Cost: $89 (covers lunch and bus travel

from Schroon Lake/Plattsburgh or Og-densburg/Potsdam/Malone)Features: Mass at the Shrine, Rosary for

Vocations at the Cathedral of Montreal.(Any proceeds will be used for the pro-motion of vocations in diocese.) Non-re-fundable payment due by Sept. 21.Passports or enhanced licenses neededContact: Connie Randall at 315-265-

2762 or Lois McCasland at 315-265-9469

MATTHEW KELLY EVENTOgdensburg - Matthew Kelly will lead aPASSION AND PURPOSE LIVE! event at St.Mary's Cathedral.Date: Oct. 26Time: 9 a.m. to 1:30Place: St. Mary’s CathedralFeatures: The day will center on a prac-

tical exploration and understanding ofour Faith, and all the ways it’s meant toimpact our lives – including: spirituality,relationships, work and money, personalhealth, and parenting. Contact: See: rcdony.org/matthew-

kelly.html or contact Marika Donders inthe Office of Evangelization at 315-393-2920, ext 1380

JEFFERSON

LEWIS

ST. LAWRENCE

DIOCESAN EVENTS

Fawn Sutherland and Hope Marston are holding a quilt Ms. Sutherland made for the Sept. 28 Liferight silent/live auction . The auc-tion begins at 11 a.m. at the Italian American Club in Watertown. Ms. Marston is donating a signed book which she authored and ahusky dog . Lunch is available by mailing a check for $10, payable to Liferight at 139 Coleman Avenue, Watertown, N.Y. 13601.

FOR THE LIFERIGHT SILENT AUCTION

CATHOLICNORTH COUNTRYNORTH COUNTRYThe Diocese of Ogdensburg Volume 68, Number 18

SEPT. 18, 2013

INSIDETHIS ISSUEYear of Faith Storyof Faith that’s lasted102 years l PAGES 4

Funerals held for threeSisters who served in thediocese l PAGES 6&9

IN PRAYERFOR PEACE

Countdownto Year ofFaith Mass

Bishop namesthree pastors

Pope Francisleads vigil

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

FAITH OPENS THE DOOR: Bishop’s Fund helps support Guggenheim... p. 7

Church as ‘loving mamma’

FULL STORY, PAGE 2

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARINGPope Francis leads Benedictionduring a vigil to pray for peace inSyria Sept. 7 in St. Peter's Square atthe Vatican. In his column thisweek, Father William Muenchwrites about joining in the pope’scampaign for peace. “We, CatholicChristians, must show this worldwhat a person of peace looks like –especially by the way we treat oth-ers,” Father Muench said.

PHOTO BY MARIKA DONDERSDr. Lonel Woods of the Crane School of Music will direct the 300-voice choir for the Solemn Year of Faith Mass Sept. 29 in LakePlacid. He is shown above at St. Mary’s Church in Potsdam during one of several practice sessions being held across the dioceseduring the final weeks before the diocesan liturgy. At right is Father Scott Seymour, pastor in Morrisonville and Treadwells Mill,organizer of the music for the Mass which will include a wide variety of forms including traditional hymns, Gospel-style andcontemporary.

Father Robert Decker, Father Rocker

and Father Chapin are given new

responsibilities as parishes link

Parishioners across the dio-cese have signed up forbuses traveling to theOlympic Arena in Lake PlacidSept. 29.

Musicians throughout theNorth Country are taking partin regional practice sessions.

Bishop LaValley has en-couraged pastors in the dio-cese to modify their SundayMass schedules for Sept. 29so priests and parishionerscan travel to Lake Placid toparticipate in the SolemnMass at the Olympic Arena at2:30 p.m.

Archbishop Carlo Viganowill be the main celebrant.

FULL STORY, PAGE 5

FULL STORY, PAGE 3

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francisgave pilgrims attending hisweekly public audience Sept.11 what he called a "home-work assignment" to find outthe date they were baptizedand celebrate it every year.

"How many of you remem-ber the date of your bap-tism?" the pope asked thecrowd in St. Peter's Square,and then acknowledged a

relatively small show ofhands.

"Our baptismal date is thedate of our birth in thechurch," he said. "When yougo home today, look hard forthe date of your baptism, soyou can celebrate it andthank the Lord for this gift."

The pope's remarks cameduring a talk on the subjectof the church as mother, for

which he mostly used the in-formal Italian term "mamma.

One doesn't belong to thechurch as to a company, aparty or any other organiza-tion," he said. "The link isvital, like that one has withone's own mom, because thechurch is really the motherof Christians."

"A good mom helps herchildren come out of them-

selves, and not stay comfort-ably under the maternalwings, like a brood of chicksstays under the wings of thehen," he said. "The church,like a good mother, does thesame thing: accompanies ourgrowth, transmitting theword of God, which is a lightthat shows us the path of theChristian life; administeringthe sacraments."

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