Diocese of Juneau

Serving the Church of Southeast Alaska

March 21, 2008 • Published biweekly www.dioceseofjuneau.org • VoluMe 39 nuMber 6

Diocese of Juneau

Serving the Church of Southeast Alaska

ResuRRectionBy Deacon Charles Rohrbacher

As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia!

During the Easter season I love to look at and meditate on the traditional Byzantine icon of the Resurrection. Somewhat surprisingly, this image does not show Jesus emerging triumphant from the tomb (as we see in much of Western sacred art). Instead, this icon presents to us, as the image of the Lord’s Resurrection, the mystery of his descent among the dead.

In the icon, Christ tramples down the “doors of death,” the symbol of the dominion of sin and death over our lives. Beneath the doors is the black abyss of the Pit, death itself, which Christ has “passed over.” In the darkness of the Pit are broken locks, chains and fetters symbolizing that by the mystery of the Lord’s death and resurrection, we are liberated from everything that binds, oppresses and enslaves us.

The icon presents to us an important truth: the mystery of our baptism into the death and resur-rection of Jesus is not only for the future, when we will rise again with him on the last day. We are baptized into new life in Christ so that we might be healed, strengthened, liberated and transformed each day of our lives!

In this icon, Christ is shown in the center of the mandorla, the “bright shining darkness,” which tells us that we can only see and understand this mystery by looking with eyes of faith.

Surrounding Christ are the righteous of the Old and New Testaments. We see John the Baptist, King David and his son Solomon; Moses the Lawgiver and the prophets. They make visible for us the words of the First Letter of Peter:

“Christ died once for our sins. An innocent person died for those who were guilty. Christ did this to bring you to God, when his body was put to death and his spirit was made alive. Christ then preached to the spirits that were being kept in prison.” (1Peter 18-19)

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THE INSIDE PASSAGEPAGE � • MARCH �1, �008

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Annual abuse audit and survey find soaring costs, fewer allegationsby Patricia ZaPorCatholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The costs to the Catholic Church for legal settlements in abuse cases, therapy for victims of sexual abuse, support for offenders and legal fees soared to more than $600 million in �007, the fourth year of reporting on the handling of abuse cases by U.S. dioceses and religious orders.

The �007 Survey of Allegations and Costs released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops March 7 also reported a continued decrease in the number of new credible al-legations of abuse: 599 new allegations were made in �007, compared with 635 in �006, 695 in 2005 and 898 in 2004, the first year of the survey.

Only five of the new allegations involved abuse that occurred in �007. As in past years, most allegations involved abuse that took place before 1985.

According to the survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apos-tolate at Georgetown University, dioceses and religious institutes paid $615 million for legal settlements, therapy, support for offenders, attorneys’ fees and other costs. In the four previous years of the survey, the highest amount paid out was $466 million in �005.

Of the $615 million, dioceses spent $499 million and religious orders paid $116 mil-lion.

Teresa Kettelkamp, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Office of Child and Youth Protection, said the annual costs may continue to be high in coming years, as dioceses pay off settlements to victims of abuse.

In �007 several dioceses and religious orders announced large settlements, includ-ing $660 million for the Los Angeles Arch-diocese, covering more than 500 claimants, and a settlement of $50 million for more than 100 claimants by the Oregon-based Jesuit province whose members served in Alaska.

A portion of those settlements is being paid by insurers and is not included in the figures for what dioceses and religious orders have spent.

Kettelkamp said it’s difficult to predict whether the number of allegations of abuse will continue to decrease, partly because victims of sexual abuse often wait decades to report what happened to them.

Meanwhile, U.S. schools, parishes and dioceses have put nearly all of the targeted 8.5 million children and adults through training programs meant to teach people at all levels of the church how to prevent abuse from occurring, to spot the signs of abuse and to ensure that it is reported.

An annual audit of compliance with the bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Chil-dren and Young People” released at the same time as the CARA survey found that more than 99 percent of the 37,000 U.S. priests have participated in what is called “safe environment” training.

The training had also been completed by more than 99 percent of deacons and educators, more than 98 percent of 4,918 candidates for ordination, 98 percent of ��9,000 church employees, 98 percent of 1.4 million volunteers, and more than 96 percent of the 5.9 million children involved in church programs.

The audit found 178 of the 190 dioceses that participated to be in full compliance with every article of the charter, it said.

Twelve others were in compliance except for one or two of its 17 articles. Nearly all those fell short on Article 1�, the one requir-ing “safe environment” programs, and almost all gaps were in getting all children through the programs, it said.

“The difficulty has to do with a number of factors,” said the audit report, “the sheer number of individuals in each category ...; the fluctuation of those numbers; the need to develop and maintain concise record keeping

Please see ABUSE AUDIT page 16

CHIARA LUBICH PICTURED WITH POPE JOHN PAUL II IN 1982Chiara Lubich, the 88-year-old founder of the Focolare move-ment, died early March 14 in her room near the Focolare head-quarters in Rocca di Papa, Italy. She is pictured with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1982. (CNS)

Chiara Lubich, founder of Focolare movement, dies at 88by cindy woodenCatholic News Service

ROME (CNS) -- Chiara Lu-bich, the 88-year-old founder and perpetually smiling symbol of the Focolare movement, died early March 14 after what Pope

Benedict XVI said was “a long and fruitful life” marked by her love for Jesus.

Lubich died in her room near the Focolare headquarters in Rocca di Papa, south of Rome.

Please see LUBICH page 6

THE INSIDE PASSAGE MARCH �1, �008 • PAGE 3

For many of us engaged in ministry, the fact that Lent and Easter have

occurred so early this year has had quite an impact on our lives for the last few months. Even before the Christmas decora-tions were packed away, we had to “shift gears” to prepare in earnest for Ash Wednesday and Lent. And then, only midway through March, Holy Week and the Easter Triduum arrived! Here in Southeast Alaska, of course, that meant that Easter this year is, like Christmas, very much a winter celebra-tion, something that is unusual for us, although much more common for our brothers and sisters farther north. Anything resembling springtime is still a few weeks away!

All of this serves to remind us that when we celebrate Easter is much less important than that we celebrate Easter, and that Easter is an experi-ence that transcends particular times and places. At Easter, we do not simply look back upon wondrous events that took place almost two thousand years ago. We experience those events anew, here and now. The suffering, death, and resurrec-tion of Jesus ushered in a new day, the Day of Salvation that will last until the end of human history when he comes again in glory. We live in that day, and are called as Christians

to bring it to fulfill-ment each moment of our lives.

At Easter, we cel-ebrate the fact that Jesus, after suffer-ing and dying rose again to eternal life and glory. But we also celebrate the fact that Jesus did not do this just for himself, but for all of us. As the Son of God, he conquered all evil and death by taking them upon him-self. He thereby transformed our suffering and our death into means of eternal life and salvation, for us and for the whole world. His resur-rection is our res-urrection, and his glory is our glory.

We who a r e joined

with him in faith and Baptism know that this Paschal Mystery is the fundamental reality of our lives. At Easter, we experience that reality anew as others ac-cept it and are joined to Christ in Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist. We affirm once again our acceptance of his call to help others experi-ence this saving mystery—to

be united with Je-sus in this world, and to share his everlasting life and glory in the world to come. We rejoice in “the day that the Lord has made” knowing that we, too, live

in that day that began with our Lord’s passion and resur-rection.

We are all too aware of the continuing power of evil and death in our lives. We experi-ence almost constantly the effects of our sinfulness and weakness, and are confronted throughout our lives with our own failures, setbacks, and losses as well as those of the ones we love. Finally, we are

all faced with the reality of physical death. For reasons we cannot fully understand, the Passion and resurrection of Jesus did not eliminate these evils from our lives. Instead, Jesus deprived them of their power and transformed them into means of salvation.

It is only through faith, strengthened by the example of Jesus himself that we can accept that our human suffering

and death, in all their horror, do not have the last word in our lives and have, indeed, been conquered by the suffering and death of Christ. This is why it is so important in our Easter Triduum that we not focus exclusively on the res-urrection and eternal glory of Jesus, but also on his suffering

and death. Without the Cross, there is no empty tomb—for Jesus or for us.

In a society that is so fixated on prosperity, achievement, and success, it is all too easy for us to accept the illusion that we can share in the Lord’s glory and eternal life without also sharing in his suffering and death. If we share this illusion, our remembrance of the suffer-ings of Jesus in all their terrible detail will seem unnecessary and even morbid. If, however, we accept suffering and death as inevitable aspects of our lives here on earth and offer them to God as our share in the Paschal Mystery of salva-tion, then our remembrance of Christ’s suffering and death will be an essential part of our Easter celebration. Only through the suffering and death of Jesus are our suffering and death finally healed.

Let us, therefore, re-joice in all that Jesus has done for us as we

experience once again the celebration of his saving work and the beginning of the Day of Salvation in which we live. With our brothers and sisters of all times and places, let us sing once again: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it! Alleluia!”

Easter Reflections • Reverend Patrick J. TraversEpiscopal Delegate of Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, O.M.I.

From Death to Everlasting Life: The Promise of Easter

Alleluia

THE INSIDE PASSAGEPAGE 4 • MARCH �1, �008

Toward a just and peaceful solution in Iraq

Guest Column • Bishop Gambino Zavala Catholic News Service

The fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, March 19, falls in Holy Week this year -- a poignant reminder of the human cost and prolonged suffer-ing taking place in that country. Five years after the invasion, the spiral of violence unleashed by the war continues to cause tremendous suffering on all sides, including our own military and their families, with no end in sight.

The social teaching of the Catholic Church has become increasingly pointed in its condemnation of war. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church states: “War is a scourge and is never an appropriate way to resolve problems that arise between nations. It has never been and it never will be because it creates new and still more complicated conflicts.”

In November at the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, then-president Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., issued a statement on Iraq highlighting the imperative for new policy directions.

The statement asserts that “building a just peace in Iraq requires far more than military action; it demands a comprehensive political, diplomatic and economic effort. ... Our nation should reiterate our pledge not to seek permanent military bases, nor control Iraqi oil resources.”

It is becoming increasingly clear that instead of military action, a political and diplomatic effort of-fers the only real hope for long-term peace in Iraq.

Claims of success based on temporary drops in internal violence fail to adequately address the deep political foundations for achieving long-term stability.

Catholic social teaching and a vision of Gospel nonviolence would suggest a policy direction for Iraq that embraces international cooperation and re-places reliance on military measures with diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Iraq and establish a just peace.

The key to building a just peace in Iraq lies in our nation’s willingness to commit itself to a comprehen-sive political solution that includes respect for Iraqi sovereignty and control over its people and natural resources; a national reconciliation process that enables all Iraqi factions to come to the negotiating table; reconstruction and assistance for the millions of refugees and internally displaced Iraqis; and a regional peace process that engages Iran, Syria, the Arab League and others.

The United States does not have the legitimacy or the credibility in Iraq to broker a peace and reconciliation process. It is not viewed as an impartial player, and many analysts believe the U.S. occupation is fanning the ongoing violence -- serving as a “common enemy” obstructing necessary internal reconciliation.

A clear end to the U.S. occupation and transition of authority to multilateral management for a stabiliza-tion effort could open new prospects for peace.

While security remains a serious issue, a unified and sovereign Iraq can better deal with its extremist

elements -- but not until the occupation comes to a decisive end and the U.S. follows through on its commitment to leave no permanent military bases behind.

Alternative security structures and multilateral peacekeeping arrangements, based on Iraqi-defined needs, may be far better able to diffuse the internal violence and secure Iraq’s borders.

Nothing can restore the precious lives which have been lost and damaged on all sides in this war, nor quickly repair the ripped apart social fabric of an ancient nation. But a change in U.S. policy to support a multilateral and diplomatic peace process offers the best hope for beginning to heal the divisions created by five years of war and occupation.

Coupled with redoubling our economic support for Iraqi-led reconstruction, such policy changes are more likely to lead to stability and, in the long run, strengthen international cooperation and the global common good.

May this Holy Week be a time for our country to reflect on how “violence begets violence,” to commit to nonmilitary solutions for resolving conflict, and to refrain from future rushes to war.(Bishop Zavala is an auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the bishop-president of Pax Christi USA: National Catholic Peace Movement -- www.paxchristiusa.org.)

Diocese rescinds statement on involvement in Komen fundraising events

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CNS) -- Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert, administrator of the Diocese of Little Rock, has rescinded a February statement that discouraged parishes and schools in the diocese from supporting fundraising activities for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The international organization, which is based in Dallas, raises millions annually for the detection, treatment and research of breast cancer. One of its signature events is the annual Race for the Cure held

in communities around the country. After meeting with Komen officials, Msgr. Hebert said March 6 that the earlier position statement, prepared by the diocesan Respect Life Office and endorsed by him, “was based upon what were believed to be ‘facts,’ which upon further study have turned out not to be true.” He said one of the erroneous “facts” he was given was that the national Komen foundation provides grants to Planned Parenthood, a major provider of abortions,

raising concern that money donated to Komen in Arkansas could indirectly fund abortions. “However, the reality is that the national Komen foundation does not give grants to Planned Parenthood -- and, therefore, money given to Komen in Arkansas does not, even indirectly, fund abortion,” he said in his March 6 statement.

THE INSIDE PASSAGE MARCH �1, �008 • PAGE 5

In his letter to the Ephe-sians, St. Paul spoke of this great mystery of the Lord’s descent among the dead, stat-ing that Jesus “ descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens.” He invites us to see as complementary the Lord’s descent among the dead and his ascent into the heavens. This brings to mind the beautiful words of the Psalmist:

O where can I go from your spirit.or where can I flee from your face?If I climb to the heavens, you are there.If I lie in the grave, you are there. (Ps.138)

In the Psalm we encounter a God who seeks us out, in the heights and depths of our experience. Even when we run away from God, He seeks us out. It is as though when, because of our own pride or fear or alienation from God, we say, “I will die and be buried to

flee from you, O God”; Jesus replies, “Then I too will die, I too will be buried, so as not to be separated from the man and the woman who I cherish.”

In the icon, we see Christ reaching out to Adam and Eve, our first parents, and bringing them out of their tombs. They reach out to the Lord, who seizes them and pulls them, living, from the grave. From the utter darkness of the tomb they emerge into the dazzling light of Christ, our Life and our Hope.

This is the image of our own personal, mysti-cal resurrection in the waters of baptism. The Lord, who cherishes each one of us beyond all measure, has gone down into the darkness, sadness, disorder and death of each of our lives and drawn us out of the tomb into the light of life, joy, happiness and peace.

With all the newly baptized neophytes, and especially those of our diocese, who them-selves are the living icons in our midst of the Easter mystery, let us celebrate for the next fifty days the boundless love of the God who died for us, and who has followed us into the grave itself to rescue us from the bondage of sin and death. Christ is risen! Indeed He is truly risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Along the Way • Deacon Charles RohrbacherPhone: 907-586-2227 ext. 23 / Email: charlesr@gci.net

RESURRECTION:Continued from page 1

Arisen“For God so loved the world...”What a precious phrase!Jesus, our sin-bearer, on the crosstook our place, took upon Himself our sin.He was lifted high above the earth.

What agony He suffered on our behalf,pain, derision, rejection and, worst of all,a break in Oneness with His Father. He died to give eternal life to all who believe,Rising to the challenge of His destiny.

Three long days and nights.

What joy after such sorrowfor His followers to see Jesus again.Alive! and yet He had died.The grave had no power to hold Him, He is risen from the dead.

Forty days He remained with them.They wanted Him to stay forever,but His work on earth was finished.He promised to send them the Spirit.Now He has risen to the Father.

The Spirit within us now makes us yearnfor holiness, and to see His blessed face.The time is surely coming soon forHe has given us another promise...We will one day rise to meet Him in the air.

Hallelujah! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

© �00� Marie DisBrow

THE INSIDE PASSAGEPAGE 6 • MARCH �1, �008

News BriefsCatholic News Service In a telegram, Pope Benedict

offered his condolences to her family, members of the Foco-lare movement and all those “who appreciated her constant commitment for communion in the church, for ecumenical dialogue and for brotherhood among all peoples.”

The pope also expressed his thanks to God “for the witness of her life spent in listening to the needs of contemporary people in full fidelity to the church and to the pope.”

Pope Benedict asked that all those who admired “the marvels that God worked through her” would follow in her footsteps, keeping her vi-sion alive.

Lubich’s funeral was sched-uled for March 18 at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, presiding.

Lubich had been extremely frail since November �006 when she was treated at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for a lung infection. She was readmitted to the hospital in February after experiencing difficulty breath-ing, but decided to go home March 13 even though her condition had not improved.

Her physician, Dr. Salvatore Valente, head of pulmonary medicine at Gemelli, said at the time that she had shown no signs of responding to treat-ment, which included medica-tion and the use of a ventilator to help her breathe.

While she was still in the hos-pital, Pope Benedict had sent her a personal letter, promising to remember her in his prayers and asking the Lord to grant her “physical relief, spiritual comfort” and to help her “ex-perience the redeeming value

of suffering lived in profound communion with him.”

In early March, Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bar-tholomew of Constantinople went to visit her in the hospital while he was in Rome to meet the pope and speak at the Pon-tifical Oriental Institute.

In a statement, the patriarch said, “with her life she has and continues to give much to the whole church.”

While the Focolare move-ment, formally known as the Work of Mary, began in the 1940s with Lubich and a small group of female friends, it opened an ecumenical chapter in 1961 and began forging ties with Jews, Buddhists, Mus-lims, Hindus and others in the 1970s.

The movement now counts more than � million adherents in 18� countries.

Lubich was born in Trent, Italy, Jan. ��, 19�0, and was christened Silvia. Her admira-tion of St. Clare of Assisi led her to adopt the name Chiara, the Italian form of Clare.

She had said that her first awareness that God was call-ing her to something unusual came during a 1939 gathering of Catholic young people in Loreto, Italy, site of the house that a pious tradition holds is the house in which Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth.

The Focolare biography of Lubich said, “While visiting the shrine, Chiara experienced an intuition of what her voca-tion would be: a reproduction of the family of Nazareth, a new vocation in the church, and she sensed that many others would follow her way.”

In 1943, after consulting a priest, she privately took vows consecrating herself to God and gradually began forming a circle of friends who read the Gospels together.

A year later, as World War II raged around them, they began asking themselves, “Is there an ideal that does not die, that no bomb can destroy, an ideal we can give our whole selves to? Yes, there is. It is God,” she wrote.

“We tried to put into practice the sentences of the Gospel, one at a time,” Lubich said.

Gradually, the women de-cided to form a community and share everything they had with each other and with the poor. They sought a sense of fam-ily gathered around a hearth -- “focolare” in Italian.

Many of the early Gospel readings and discussions were held in bomb shelters. More and more, the group began to focus on Christ’s command-ment to love one’s neighbor and his prayer that all would be one. The community grew, men became involved, other houses were formed and fami-lies started joining, too.

The bishop of Trent granted diocesan approval to the group in 1947; it became recognized internationally by the Vatican in 196�.

Just two years later, in 1964, Lubich had her first papal audi-ence, meeting Pope Paul VI. In addition to regular meetings and occasional public appear-ances with Pope John Paul II, she also was his frequent lunch guest.

Lubich was awarded the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1977 and the UNESCO Peace Education Prize in 1996.

Pope John Paul appointed her to serve as an observer at four synods of bishops in the 1980s and 1990s, and she served as a consultant to the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

LUBICH:Continued from page 2

Priest celebrates 50 years of sheltering ne-glected children in Mexico

OAXACA, Mexico (CNS) -- His young voice cracked several times, but the little boy courageously finished Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria” and welcomed the enthusiastic ap-plause of the audience. It was the highlight of the choir’s performance at the 50th anniversary celebration of the “Ciu-dad de los Ninos,” a shelter for abandoned children in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. “Ciudad de los Ninos” is Spanish for City of the Children. For Father Jose Miguel Perez Garcia, founder for the shelter, the late-February event was the culmination of a long and difficult fight to restore the dignity of more than �,000 orphans and street children over the last half century. “The fact that we exist mirrors our society,” said the almost 80-year-old priest from a small vil-lage not far from Oaxaca, capital of the state with the same name. This agricultural state with 3.5 million inhabitants is experiencing a huge wave of migration to the United States caused by poverty and political neglect. U.S. Dominican nuns turn heads, spread God’s love to youths in Sydney

SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- Everywhere they go in Sydney, the three Dominican nuns from Tennessee keep turning heads. Dressed in their distinctive white habits and black and white veils, the sisters stand out in the crowd. At Sydney Harbor, where the tourists fix their cameras on the iconic Opera House and bridge, the arrival of Sisters Anna Wray, Mary Rachel Capets and Mary Madeline Todd gets everybody’s viewfinders swinging in their direction. The reaction of local residents in Belmore, the multicultural suburb where they are staying, is similar. The nuns are in Sydney at the invitation of Sydney Auxiliary Bishop An-thony Fisher, World Youth Day 2008 coordinator and fellow Dominican. Normally they would be at home teaching, but their motherhouse in Nashville has sent delegations to assist with preparations for each World Youth Day since Denver was the host city in 1993. “It’s part of our apostolic mission to spread God’s love to the youth of the world,” said Sister Anna, �8, noting that as Dominicans their lives are balanced between “contemplation and action.” Pope’s next encyclical to cover globaliza-tion, digital divide

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming encyclical is titled “Charity in Truth” and covers a wide range of issues related to globalization and social justice, said an Italian report. The text is still under revision and has yet to be translated, according to church sources. A leading Vatican official said he doesn’t expect the encyclical to be published

Continue on page 14

THE INSIDE PASSAGE MARCH �1, �008 • PAGE 7

Church Still Challenged to Deal with Clerical Abuse of Minors

Full-Time Ministers Meeting Focuses On Collaborationby barbara kelley, oP

What would it take for Catho-lics of the Juneau Diocese to work together to further Jesus’ mission on this earth? Col-laboration was the theme as the priests, deacons, Sisters, and lay ministers -- gathered at St. Paul Church in Juneau March 11-1� for their Spring Full-Time Ministers Meeting. Brother Loughlan Sofield, S.T., a psychologist, author and national speaker, returned to Juneau to guide the ministers through their reflection on how to bring about collaboration.

A key theme throughout the two-day session was the need for all Catholics -- parishioners and parish leaders alike -- to work together to spread the Gospel message of Jesus in our world today. All baptized Catholics are called and gifted to do Jesus’ work, Brother So-field emphasized.

We must all minister in our daily circumstances, in the way in which we are called by God -- not necessarily through church work, said Brother Sofield, of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. He gave the example of a Hollywood writer whose scripts emphasized Gos-pel values such as forgiveness, and a man who served others daily through his restaurant. Through a special exercise with the ministers, Brother Sofield demonstrated how simple ministry can be -- as simple as consoling someone who is in mourning, being with some-one who is sick, or offering encouragement and guidance to someone who is confused or searching. People often minister to others without even

being aware that they are doing so.

A key to collabora-t ion , ac-cording to Brother So-field, is the

identification of the gifts of each parishioner. Once these gifts have been identified, they need to be released and fostered so that they can be used for the service of the Kingdom. Brother Sofield emphasized that the work of the Second Vatican Council is to bring out the gifts and service of the laity. He cautioned the minis-ters against doing any work in the parish that can be done by parishioners themselves. Pastoral leaders who do what parishioners can and should do for themselves are not work-ing for God but for their own satisfaction, he said.

Although it is essential, collaboration is not an easy process, Brother Sofield ac-knowledged. There are many obstacles to successful collabo-ration, most notably low self-esteem. People who haven’t come to know and accept themselves as they are are more prone to hostility, competition and need for control, which stand in the way of effectively working with others. Other ob-stacles include arrogance and self-righteousness, burnout, failure to deal with conflict and with loss, hostility, lack of for-giveness, and lack of awareness of the gifts of others.

Brother Sofield also spoke of the skills that are required in collaboration. These skills

include the ability to lead a group and the ability to handle conflict and confrontation. People must also be mature enough to be able to work with others, he added.

Conflict is inevitable when people work together, and be-cause most Church ministers feel uncomfortable in dealing with it, Brother Sofield spent time developing this theme. The ministers gathered in groups to role-play various church groups dealing with conflict, while other partici-pants watched and analyzed the conflict. Brother Sofield offered helpful suggestions in dealing with conflict: realize that the people involved are dealing with underlying, per-sonal issues; take the time to listen to others in the conflict, so that they feel that their beliefs are acknowledged and valued; defuse the high emotional level of the conflict so that it does not escalate into hostility; and seek reconciliation.

Although collaboration is not easy and requires special skills and qualities, Brother Sofield left the ministers with the knowledge that it is a necessary tool in our work to evangelize and transform our world. Collaboration among parish leaders and the laity is the work of the Vatican II Church, he said.

The full-time ministers ended their time together with a brief business meeting, and many stayed in Juneau for the Chrism Mass which took place on March 13. The next Full-Time Ministers meeting is scheduled for October 7 and 8 in Ketchikan.

by beth griffin

The church has made sig-nificant progress in dealing with clerical sexual abuse of minors, but it must continue to be vigilant because healing is a long-term process. Part of the challenge is to incorporate the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People into the fabric of church life.

Since �00�, dioceses have taken unprecedented steps to confront the issue, assist the victims, seek forgiveness, ensure the safety of minors, and restore credibility.

Healing of victims is a primary concern moving for-ward, said Bishop Gregory Aymond of Austin, Texas, chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee for the Protec-tion of Children and Young People. “First and foremost, we must reach out to those who have come forward and look for those who have not. We have to give them love and be a source of healing.” Some victims want to deal with the issue on their own, but “others cannot and should not.”

The church also needs to let people know what efforts have been made.

“The church is the only group that has undertaken a comprehensive program to educate children and the people who work with them,”

said Archbishop Harry Flynn of St. Paul and Minneapo-lis, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse (which became the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People). “There is a huge success story to tell, and we’ve told it, but I don’t know if anyone is listening.”

The success includes safe environment training for more than six million people and background evaluations for more than 1.6 million people who work with children in the church, according to Teresa Kettelkamp, executive direc-tor of the USCCB Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection. The training is a centerpiece of the Charter, which the bishops adopted and called to be implemented in each of the 195 dioceses in the United States.

“We are challenged to be vigilant,” said Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta, former USCCB president. “We’re dealing with a situa-tion that may have taken many years to come to the surface. We have to be vigilant that we are doing the right thing as we move forward and not grow despondent that the issue has not been completely settled. The victims and their families have been deeply hurt and still

Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection • United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Please see ABUSE page 13

THE INSIDE PASSAGEPAGE 8 • MARCH �1, �008

(Editor’s note: Since the 1970’s permanent deacons have been ordained for the Church in Alaska and particu-larly for the diocese of Juneau. In January 2008 a new group of men (in collaboration with their wives) have begun dis-cerning if God is calling them to serve as deacons in our diocese. Please remember them in your prayers. Part I of this article appeared in the March 7th issue of The Inside Passage. This is Part II.)

Since most deacons are married and have children, they are

called to demonstrate the grace of the Sacrament of Marriage and the holiness of a conse-crated family life. They are called to “give clear witness to the sanctity of marriage and family.”

The wives of permanent deacons are called to support the ordained ministry of their husbands. As “The Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons” states, “The more they [deacon and wife] grow in mutual love, the greater their dedication to their children and the more significant their example for the Christian community”

The married deacon makes a unique contribution to the renewal of Christian marriage and family life; at a time when the Church has so strongly emphasized the role of the “Christian Family in the Mod-ern World,” one of John Paul’s wonderful encyclicals.

The married deacon also serves as an example of married clergy in the Western Church. In the Eastern Churches, the

ancient practice of calling mar-ried men, even to the order of priest, remains intact in most places.

The married deacon is chal-lenged to a life of faith, fidelity and example in the married state. His example of clerical service in the married state does not detract from the pro-phetic and wonderful witness of consecrated celibacy; it is complementary. It is also a way of sanctification for him and witness for those whom he serves.

It is important to note that although the “permanent” diaconate has been opened to married men of mature age; it is also open to and encouraged as a permanent rank of orders for celibate men.

The decision for marriage or celibacy is to be made before ordination to the order of dea-con. This is the ancient prac-tice. If a married deacon loses his wife, he pledges to remain celibate. In fact, he could then consider a further call to priest-hood if the Lord so moved him and the Church invited him. This has already been demon-strated in the lived experience of the renewed diaconate in the western Church.

The married deacon and his wife are to “show how the obligations of family life, work and ministry can be harmonized in the Church’s mission”. Deacons and their wives and children can be “a great encouragement to others who are working to promote family life,” according to these Vatican documents.

In addition to this important witness, the deacon is distinct

in his secular vocation. Often engaged in works of social justice or charity, he is a clergyman in the midst of the secular world. He goes from the altar to the world in a pro-phetic way, bringing Christ to those for whom He gave His life—and continues to reach

out to—through His Body on earth, the Church. The deacon also engages in the “New Evangelization” which the late Servant of God Pope John Paul II emphasized as an essential task for all members of the Church at this critical point in human history. Deacons do so in a unique way. They are an order of clergy in the midst of the world. They go from the altar and the ambo into the streets.

I found that my work as a lawyer and public policy advocate took on a new depth and meaning after my ordina-tion. However, my service as a Deacon also had a profound effect on me. It has led, here in my second decade of diaconal work, to major life changes

including the pursuit of a PhD in Moral Theology in my fifties. When a man says “Yes”, the Lord takes it seriously.

Customs have developed which reflect the deacon’s role as distinct from both priest and lay minister. For in-stance, proper li-turgical dress for a deacon is an alb, a cincture, a diaconal stole and a dalmatic. He is authorized to wear a cope at baptisms, weddings or while presiding over the exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

However, since he usually pursues secular work, he is

not “obliged” to wear clerical garb as are transitional deacons or priests. The custom pertain-ing to the wearing of a clerical collar differs according to local practice when the deacon is en-gaged in sacramental, pastoral, or liturgical service.

Similarly, formal and popular titles help distinguish the dea-con. Such titles of course, are not badges of honor, but rather “crosses” given to the one who holds any clerical office. They

preserve the order of service in the Body of Christ.

Just as we call a priest “Fa-ther,” and should not presume to call him by his first name, a permanent deacon, like a transitional deacon, should be called “Deacon.” In formal writing a deacon, according to custom, often uses the title “Reverend Mr.” reflecting in a unique way both his clerical and “secular” role.

Because of the long lack of a real witness of a diaconate in the western Church, the reac-tion to this ministry by other clergy and lay faithful is some-times hesitant or confused. Yet, as time unfolds more and more members of the Church have come to understand the role of this expression of Holy Orders as a gift to both the Church and the world.

The role of the deacon does not detract from the vital role of an empowered lay faithful. In fact, it should enrich it. And the deacon also should not be seen as a “threat” to the irreplaceable ministry of the priest.

A vibrant diaconate will enhance and expand the ministry of the priest-hood.

Bishops, too, should encour-age the diaconate, because it is for them that deacons are par-ticularly ordained. Other than the deacon, only the Bishop is authorized to wear the dal-matic. This custom symbolizes the deep relationship between a Bishop and his deacons.

I have served with love, honor, and humility both as

The Catholic Deaconby deacon keith fournier • Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Please see DEACON page 10

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THE INSIDE PASSAGE MARCH �1, �008 • PAGE 9

St. Vincent de Paul Society

8617 Teal St., Juneau, Alaska 99801 (907) 789 5535

Dear Friends:

Easter is a celebration—a bright hope after the sacrifice of the Lenten season. Aprimary mission of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is to bring hope to the many inneed in our community. Our principle means of supporting the needy is fundingfrom our Thrift Store.

The programs our Thrift Store supports are many. In recent years St. Vincent dePaul’s primary focus is to help the needy with affordable housing, including seniorsat Smith Hall, as well as families and individuals at our facilities. St. Vincent de Paulalso subsidizes a childcare program for low income families, and provides directfinancial assistance for the needy through rental subsidies, utilities assistance, andhelp with medical expenses. St. Vincent de Paul annually provides Thanksgiving andChristmas Baskets along with our Adopt A Family Program.

As Easter provides a focus of hope in our spiritual life, the Thrift Store is a center forhope in meeting the material needs of many in need in our Juneau community.However, the store has recently suffered “shrinking pains”. In 2007, to providemore affordable housing, the Thrift Store moved to a smaller space in our facility.The consequence has been cramped floor space and a loss of expected revenue,money which directly helps the needy in Juneau. Right now we cannot accept allpotential material donations for lack of space. We have an answer, but we needyour help.

St. Vincent de Paul has purchased land on Teal Street adjacent to our facility to builda new Thrift Store. It is estimated a “bare bones” store will cost $2,000,000. Theboard, staff and a host of volunteers ask you to help us to raise the down paymentof $200,000. We can assure you that your donation will help us help some of themost needy in Juneau, many of whom we must now turn away for lack of funds.Please consider this request as part of your estate planning. Can you help?

Thank you for your support of the work of St. Vincent de Paul.

God Bless,

The St. Vincent de Paul Society Board of Directors

St. Vincent de Paul SocietyJuneau, Alaska

svdpjuneau.org

Board of Directors

Tom Slagle, President

Ida Barnack, Vice President

Paul Paradis, Treasurer

Mary Ann Welp, Secretary

Robert Rehfeld

Jean Messing

Alan Rogers

Harold Heidersdorf

Mary Fitterer

James Studley

Gloria Bodron

Benny Cruz

Gary Horton

We work for social justicefor the people of SoutheastAlaska through spiritualand material charityregardless of race, religionor place of origin.

svdpjuneau.org

St. V

inc

ent

de

Pau

l

THE INSIDE PASSAGEPAGE 10 • MARCH �1, �008

a lay leader and as a deacon. To serve the Lord and His Church is the greatest privilege of my life. My wife and children have been a source of great strength to me on this journey, and I hope our family has been a strong witness to our deep love for the Catholic Church.

When I was called forth to holy orders, my Bishop thought that in my ministry as a layman I was already engaged in “diaconal functions” and that the grace of orders was a part of my ongoing call. He referred to my pro-life work and pro-family apostolate as an example of an “anonymous diaconate.”

He thought that this was precisely what the Council Fathers had in mind when they restored this ancient order. I am grateful for his insight and his invitation. I also think it is a helpful insight into how the process of discernment for this vocation should be structured.

I knew the grace of a call to ordained ministry. My ordination was a profound experience. It did indeed create a “mark” on my soul as the teach-ing of the Catholic Church on the sacrament of Orders so clearly states. My ministry as a deacon is not “better” than my ministry as a lay leader, but it is profoundly different. I now serve as a member of the Catholic clergy in everything I do: evangelization, apologetics, and ecumenism, as well as in my professional life.

I do not believe that it is accidental that the same Church Council that called for a renewed emphasis on the role of the lay faithful also re-instituted this rank of clerical service in the Western Church.

All of us, whether bishops, priests, deacons, lay faithful, or consecrated religious are a part of the one mission of the one Church. Each of us, though all equal in the sight of God, play vitally important, but different, roles in the Body of Christ.

Let us pray for each other that we may all remain faithful to our individual vocations. Let us pray that all deacons - this order of clergy-set aside for Word, service and Sacrament-will flourish in this New Millennium of the Church.

For our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to give such a clear affirmation of the role of deacons during this first week of Lent is a great gift for all of us who are called to this vocation.

May deacons take up their role as “Sacred Minister and Member of the Hierarchy.” May they go forth from the altar to the world and manifest the presence of Christ the Deacon, who continues to serve all those whom He loves!

DEACON:Continued from page 8

NEW ORLEANS, LA—Sr. Judy Gomila, who ministered to the people of the Diocese of Juneau for nearly 1� years, will celebrate 50 years of religious life while others in her community will be celebrating 60 and 70 years as Marianites. Sr. Judy, a native of New Orleans, currently serves as Executive Director for Mission Edu-cation and of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. She is a former elementary school teacher, a Director of Religious Education/Youth Minister, Director of the Ministry Office and itinerant teacher, pastor and preacher for the Diocese of Juneau, Alaska and an adjunct faculty member at Notre Dame Seminary. Within the Marianites of Holy Cross, Sr. Judy has served as a member of the Administrative Team, as Vocation Director, and is currently Co-Director of the Marianite Associate Program. She conducts retreats and workshops throughout the country.

Contact: Sister Judy Gomila, MSC Holy Angels Convent, 1011 Gallier Street

New Orleans, LA 70117 judymsc@hotmail.com / (505)945-16�0 x�37

Marianites Of Holy Cross Celebrate Jubilees

JUBILARIANS 2008—Sister Judy Gomila, second from left, is one of eight Marianites of Holy Cross who will celebrate anniversaries of entrance into the congregation at a jubilee celebration on Saturday, March 29 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Holy Cross College Basil Moreau Center. The Marianites, founded by Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau in LeMans, France in 1841, was beatified September 15, 2007. Pictured L to R: Mari-anite Jubilarians: Sisters Monica Stelly, Judy Gomila, Immaculata Paisant, Gayle Marie Williams, and Rose Mary Wessel. (Photo courtesy of Marianites of Holy Cross)

SUMMER CAMP—Sister Judy encourages a young artist during “Camp Fun in the Son” at the Shrine of St. Therese in Juneau.

THE INSIDE PASSAGE MARCH �1, �008 • PAGE 11

Sunday Scripture ReflectionsBy Carol Crater, SHF

PO Box 3248, Fremont, CA 94539-0324

March 23, 2008Easter Sunday • Cycle A

Acts of the Apostles 10:34a,37-43; Psalm 118; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Cor-inthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem goes downhill pretty quickly with the arrest, trials, crucifixion and burial. We, of course, know the end of the story and so can never experience it in quite the same way as those who lived through it in real time. Yet, in a way, we who believe do experience the story all the time. Like modern pop authors who write the same stories over and over again, just changing the names and the places, so we live out the same story as Jesus, in different places and with different names. The Paschal Mystery remains among us, because it is the way of God with his people.

For an example, I quote here the dialogue from the Doonesbury comic strip of February �4, �008, by Garry Trudeau:

BD: I’m off to the hospital, Mark.Mark: You did it again.BD: Did what?Mark: You said my name. You never

used to say my name. You didn’t want to acknowledge that someone like me even existed. I think your experiences have changed you, have taught you empathy. In a way, it may have been a blessing that your leg was blown off.

BD: WHAT?

Mark: Seriously. It’s made you a lot more sensitive.

Trudeau, whether he realized it or not, was dealing here with the Paschal Mystery right where it intersects with our lives. The journey from death to new life takes time – for Jesus it was three days, for BD it was many months of anger and therapy before Mark could see the beginnings of new life; BD himself can’t see it yet. But all around us, new life is rising from death – in gardens, in woodlands, in human lives. We need time, faith and a supportive community to be able to see that new life and to embrace it. That’s what church is all about.

Happy Easter!

March 30, 2008Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31

In today’s Gospel, Thomas stands as witness to the saying, “Seeing is believing.” And, as usual, Christ turns that assumption upside down, telling Thomas and us, “Believing is seeing.” Several weeks ago (Fourth Sunday of Lent), the man born blind began the story with neither sight nor faith. He did not even ask for healing. But with “blind obedience,” he went and washed as Jesus instructed him, and came back able to see – but not able to see who Jesus truly is. His growth in faith took

time. Today’s Gospel shows Thomas in darkness. Even the disciples’ stories of faith throw no light into Thomas’ gloom. He has to see for himself – and then he instantly believes. What about ourselves in �008, when we are plunged into darkness, a darkness of mind, heart, soul – do we wallow in that darkness, or do we let the light exercise its power? A tiny bit of light – stars, a candle, a “glimmer” of hope, can break the power of darkness. In fact, in our �1st century, there is so much artificial light all around us that we only see a fraction of the stars I could see as a child. Perhaps our inability to see the glimmers of hope and faith through our darkness is caused at least in part by the “artificial” light around us – those voices that tell us to stay in the darkness, that God is dead, that faith is obsolete, that we’re on our own. Thomas had the eyewitness testimony of ten apostles, and still was unable to “see.” It was not his eyes but his heart that needed to be opened.

What helps you to open your heart to hope when darkness comes into your life?

April 6:2008Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14,22-33; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35

Once again our Gospel plays with themes of light and darkness. Two disciples, in broad daylight, are in dark-

ness. A stranger approaches (we’re so smart, we know who it is!) and walks with them, asking about their gloom. We find that these two disciples have 1) the testimony of the women at the tomb, and �) the testimony of the men who go to check the women’s testimony. The stranger explains scripture to them, and now they have 3) the witness of scripture, which they admit burns in their hearts. Still they are in darkness. Now they reach their destination; the world around them is darkening, “it is nearly evening.” When they gather for the evening meal, the stranger blesses, breaks and shares the bread. “With that their eyes were opened and they recog-nized him, but he vanished from their sight.” The women’s word, the men’s word, even the Word of God could not break through the persistent darkness. But now they have 4) the Eucharist – the bread blessed, broken and shared – and now the darkness is broken and their new sight lets them hasten back to Jerusalem – in the dark! – to share their experience with their companions. Christ’s continued presence among us in the Eucharist, with the lived experi-ence of the faith community and the breaking open of the Word of God, can break through the most stubborn darkness.

How has the Eucharist broken through your own darkness at some time in your life?

Now the darkness is broken

THE INSIDE PASSAGEPAGE 1� • MARCH �1, �008

Starting with Lent we began using incense during the

Benediction ceremony. What brought this to mind is the scent of incense has been in my coat ever since. I like it. Will you explain the custom?

Ritual and symbolism are natural expressions of our human nature. If there are no ex-plicit ceremonies to celebrate special events in our lives we invent rituals and even make them mandatory.

Weddings would be dull events with-out bridal veils and gowns, rings, pretty flowers and a cor-tege of lovely ladies escorting the bride.

In liturgies of all kinds we tend to use appropriate symbols. Incense was often used in pagan and Israelite ceremonies for the most practical reasons. It smells nice. Catacombs were standing room only burial vaults before the days of frequent bathing and spray deodorants.

Prophet Isaiah described how he knew he was in the presence of God “when the temple was filled with smoke” wafting upwards in great spirals that must have permeated his garments so that everyone near him must have known where he had been.

Rejoice that the same thing hap-pened to you and people near you knew that too.

What part of Jesus knew and predicted his suffer-

ing and death, his human brain or his divine brain? If he knew that by his divine brain how did he communicate that knowledge to his human brain? Intermittently or continually? Does that depend

on when he realized he was Son of God or on something we don’t know?

Theologians have struggled mightily with both sides, the total human nature and the total divine nature in the same person of Je-sus Christ. They prefer to speak of the human intelligence and

divine intelligence co-existing in the same person.

Your question fits extremely well in the agenda for the Council of Nicaea (3�5) and again 106 years later at the Council of Ephesus (431) because that was the primary is-sue that dominated

those meetings. The melding of human nature and divine nature in the same person had never been known before, nor even the pos-sibility discussed before, so the assembled bright philosophers and theologians were breaking new ground whatever way they ventured.

Who could believe that the di-vine nature of God existed totally within the human nature of the same person? And vice versa. This had never happened before and would never happen again.

Heretics swarmed like bees around the formal public declara-tions at those early Councils. There were Gnostics, Docetists, Nestori-ans, Arians and Monophysites and some sprinklings of all. If you have ever doubted the guidance of the Holy Spirit in Catholic doctrine, there’s one proof.

Jesus, son of God, is “begotten not made, of the same substance as the Father.” Furthermore, “the Word, uniting to himself in his person the flesh animated by a

rational soul, became man.” Fur-thermore again, Mary truly became the Mother of God “since the holy body… was born from her the Word is said to be born according to the flesh.” Ultimately, of course, it’s a mystery. Like the Trinity.

Today’s morning news said astronomers have been discover-ing an average of �5 new planets every year, one every two weeks. Is there no limit to that celestial creation?

What did we expect? That we would some day understand the nature of God? Where is it written that we should know everything?

Would you please list the names of the Early Church

Fathers with the dates of their lives?

With your kind understanding let’s limit this to the Early Apos-tolic Church Fathers and leave the other 3� Fathers and Doctors of the Church for some other time.

The Apostolic Church Fathers were Christian scholars of the first and second centuries whose writ-ings presented the true Catholic doctrine as it had never been ex-plained and defended before.

St. Clement (d.97) third suc-cessor of St. Peter. St. Ignatius (d. 107) second successor of St. Peter. St. Polycarp (d. 155) disciple of St. John. St. Justin (d. 165) layman, author of the Didache. St. lrenaeus (d. �0�) Bishop of Lyons. St.Cyprian (d. �58) bishop of Carthage.

Fathers of the Church were philosophers and theologians who built on the foundation of the Apostolic Fathers. Leaders in their field were Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory the Great, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Athanasius, all eminent leaders in their field.

The Question Box • Father Isidore J. Mikulski Write to: 7718 Westwood Dr. Oscoda, MI 48750

Social effects of sin greater than ever, says Vatican officialby john thaVisCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In today’s globalized culture, the social effects of sin are greater than ever before and deserve the church’s urgent attention, a Vatican official said.

New forms of sin have arisen in the area of biotechnology, economics and ecology, and many involve questions of individual rights and wider social effects, said Bishop Gianfranco Girotti.

Bishop Girotti is an official of the Apostolic Penitentiary, an office that deals with questions relating to penance and indulgences. He made the comments in an interview March 8 with the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.

Bishop Girotti said the sense of sin in today’s world should be even more acute than before, since the effects of sin are often widespread.

“If yesterday sin had a rather individualistic dimension, today it has an impact and resonance that is above all social, because of the great phe-nomenon of globalization,” he said.

“In effect, attention to sin is a more urgent task today, precisely because its consequences are more abundant and more destructive,” he said.

Among the “new sins” that have emerged in recent times, he pointed to genetic experiments and manipulation that violate fundamental human rights and produce effects difficult to foresee and control.

He said other areas where sin has a social impact include drug abuse, which affects many young people; economic injustice, which has left the poor even poorer and the rich richer; and environmental irresponsibility.

Bishop Girotti was asked about public reaction to sin among the church’s own members, a refer-ence to priestly sex abuse.

“One cannot underrate the objective seriousness of a series of acts that have recently been reported and that carry with them the signs of the church’s human and institutional fragility,” he said.

But he said it should also be recognized that the church reacted to these reports and is continuing

Please see NEW SINS page 14

THE INSIDE PASSAGE MARCH �1, �008 • PAGE 13

Knights of Columbus

The world’s largest Catholic, Family, Fraternal Service Organization serving parishes and communities in Southeast Alaska. Are you interested in becoming a Knight or reactivating your commitment to service? Contact the K of C Council nearest you in Juneau, Ketchikan or Sitka or call your local parish for additional contacts and information.

need our support.”Archbishop Gregory recalled

being asked: “How long is this going to go on?” “In truth,” he replied, “it will be years. It won’t make headlines, but the process of healing will go on for the rest of my episcopate. I will be responding to the needs of people.”

“We have apologized and we want the church to be pu-rified,” said Bishop Aymond. “Our leadership has been chal-lenged and our credibility has been lost. We have to restore credibility by proving that we are honest and straightforward. Credibility requires words and, more importantly, actions, and it takes time.” Specifically, he said, “We have to live out the spirit and letter of the Charter.

We must reach out to victims and do justice, and we have to fulfill the mandate of Pope John Paul II, who said, ‘There is no place in the priesthood or religious life for those who would harm the young.’”

If there is any possible sil-ver lining to the dark cloud of the abuse crisis, it may be, as Bishop Aymond said, that “the sexual abuse crisis in the church uncovered the fact that sexual abuse in the United States is far more common than we imagined.” “We have an opportunity to be agents of change for the society,” he said. “Our Charter gives some guidance on how we expect situations to be dealt with, and we have developed the safe environment program,” which can be used as a model for others.

ABUSE:Continued from page 7

Victims of Abuse

God of endless love,ever caring, ever strong,

always present, always just:You gave your only Son

to save us by the blood of his cross.

Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace,join to your own suffering

the pain of all who have been hurtin body, mind, and spirit

by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.

Hear our cries as we agonizeover the harm done to our brothers and sisters.

Breathe wisdom into our prayers,soothe restless hearts with hope,steady shaken spirits with faith:

Show us the way to justice and wholeness,enlightened by truth and enfolded in your mercy.

Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,heal your people’s wounds

and transform our brokenness.Grant us courage and wisdom, humility and grace,

so that we may act with justiceand find peace in you.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

HealingA PrAyer for

Copyright © 2004, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved. To order publication No. 5-506, call 800-235-8722.

April has been designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month

Child Ause Prevention Month will be marked in parishes and dioceses around the United States in April. The U.S. bishops’ Secretatiat of Child and Youth Protection has developed resources in English and Spanish to facilitate activities to highlight the need for prevention efforts. Articles on church ef-forts to reach out to abuse victims and to protect children, bulletin announce-ments and a liturgical guide are available by contacting The Inside Passage office: 907-586-2227 x 32 or junodio@gci.net.

The following resources can be ordered by visiting www.usccbpublish-ing.org or call toll-free (800) �35-87��, or FAX (�0�) 7��-8709:

Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal Brochure (packs of 50) / $10Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal Prayer Card (packs of 100) Eng/Span / $1�Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal Poster Eng/Span / $1 ea.

••

•

“We hope that this packet will become an annual

resource for the dioceses in helping to fulfill our prom-

ise to protect children.”

—Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond

THE INSIDE PASSAGEPAGE 14 • MARCH �1, �008

Vatican Appoints U.S. Delegates To October Synod On Scripture

WASHINGTON – Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Bishop Gerald Kica-nas of Tucson, USCCB vice presi-dent, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Houston and Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, have been appointed members of Twelvth World Synod of Bishops. Cardi-nal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Washington, were named alternate delegates. The synod, which will be on the Bible, is slated for October 5-�6, at the Vatican.

Pope Benedict XVI made the appointments after the U.S. Bishops voted to recommend the delegates during the USCCB plenary meeting last November in Baltimore. Confirmation of the appointments came earlier this month in a personal letter to each bishop-delegate from the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic. Last January, Pope Benedict XVI an-nounced the theme: The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. During the past few months all bishops have been urged to study the synod’s working docu-ment and make suggestions for the final agenda.

Continued from page 6

News BriefsCatholic News Service

U.S. CARDINALS, BISHOPS NAMED DELEGATES TO WORLD SYNOD OF BISHOPSPictured from top left Cardinal Francis E. George of Chi-cago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bish-ops, and Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., US-CCB vice president. From bottom left Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington. They have been named delegates to the world Synod of Bishops. The focus of the synod, set for October at the Vatican, is the Bible. (CNS photos)

to do so, with “rigorous interventions and initiatives” aimed at protecting the church’s good name and the people of God.

He added, however, that he thought the mass media had overemphasized these scandals in a way that brought discredit upon the church.

The New Mortal Sins1.) genetic modification �.) carrying out experiments on humans 3.) polluting the environment 4.) causing social injustice5.) causing poverty 6.) becoming obscenely wealthy 7.) taking drugs

NEW SINS:Continued from page 12

before summer. The Italian news agency ANSA reported March 1� that the encyclical, whose Latin title is “Caritas in Veritate,” is divided into four chapters. The lengthy text begins with a reflection on the 1967 encyclical, “Populorum Progressio” (“The Progress of Peoples”), and the social changes that have occurred since then. Among the topics examined by the pope are the relationship of economic and social development with human dignity, and the gap between the rich and poor, it said. Also, the text touches on issues of war and peace, international cooperation and economic globalization, environmental and energy issues, the “digital divide” and disarmament.

Pope pained by news that kidnapped Iraqi archbishop was found dead By Cindy Wooden / Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI was “deeply pained” by the news that the body of a kidnapped Iraqi archbishop had been found in a grave. Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul was kidnapped Feb. �9 in an attack that left his driver and two bodyguards dead. The pope had made several public appeals for his release. Catholic leaders in Iraq said March 13 that they had recovered the archbishop’s body after the kidnappers told them where they had buried him. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said Pope Benedict was informed immediately.

“We all had continued to hope and pray for his liberation,” Father Lombardi said. “Unfortunately, the most absurd

and unjustified violence continues to weigh on the Iraqi people and particularly on the small Christian community, to whom the pope and all of us are particularly close in prayer and in solidarity at this moment of great pain.”

Kidnapped Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul, Iraq found dead.(CNS)

THE INSIDE PASSAGE MARCH �1, �008 • PAGE 15

Puerto Vallarta? Or, perhaps you will win an overnight at the Little Flower Retreat cabin for the second prize winning, or win $100 for the third prize win. Through the generous dona-tion from Karen Hofstad of Peterburg for the Villas stay, and through the use of Shrine air miles, the Shrine Board

will offer these fine prizes again. A maximum of 250 tickets are being

offered for sale at $25 each. Last year approximately 220 tickets were sold. There really is a good chance to be a winner with those odds.

Tickets can be procured by con-tacting the Shrine Board Members: Roger Arsua, Chuck Gasparek, Ja-net Olmstead, Dante Reyes, Virginia Smiley, Heather Johnson-Smith, Col-

leen Sullivan, & Stacy Toner. Or call Thomas Fitterer and the Shrine Office (907)780-6112 / email fitterer@gci.net ) or the Shrine Caretakers, Jeanne or Jack Jordan at (907)789-9815. The drawing will take place on Memorial Day, May 26th at the Shrine. You do not need to be pres-ent to win.

Monday, May 26, MeMorial day at the shrine

Mark your calendar now for May 26 to gather at the Shrine for

the annual time of prayer, the Rosary Walk on

Good Shepherd Trail at 11 am, 1�:30 pm Mass at the Columbarium with celebrant Archbishop

Roger L. Schwietz, of Anchorage. Enjoy a delicious spaghetti luncheon provided

and served by “Bishop Kenny” K of C Council.

The drawing of the winning Shrine raffle tickets will

also take place.

DRAWINGTHREE PRIzES!

FIRST PLACE: Win a Trip to Mexico & 5 Overnights

SECOND PLACE: Overnight in the Little Flower Retreat cabin

THIRD PLACE: $100 cash

Jim and Diane De-nies were the winners of the Mexico trip raf-fle winners last year, and shared that they had an outstanding stay in Guayabitos. With such a positive expression from the Denies, the Shrine Board decided to once again offer this special raffle with the proceeds going to-wards the renovation fund of the Lodge.

So, how would you like to have your airfare tak-en care of and stay for 5 days at the Villas Buena Vida in Rincon de Guayabitos, a family operated and owned Villas, located just 45 minutes north of

Shrine of St. Therese

www.shrineofsainttherese.org

Chancery Office Phone ExtensionsDial (907) 586-2227

You may also leave a voice mail message.Roger L. Schwietz, OMI, Archbishop of Anchorage, Apostolic Administrator of Juneau .......................ext. 25Diocese E-mail address .........................junodio@gci.netDiocese website .....................www.dioceseofjuneau.orgFAX number .................................................... 463-3237

Fr. Pat Travers, Judicial Vicar & Chancellor ............................. ext. 21Ms. Robbie Izzard, Administrative Support andVictim’s Assistance Coordinator ............................................... ext. 25Mr. James M. Donaghey, Business Manager ............................ ext. 27Fr. Scott Settimo, OCDS, Dir., Off. of Missions & Ministries . ext. 29Deacon Charles Rohrbacher, Diocesan Commissions Coord. .. ext. 23Ms. Denise Grant, Accounting Office ....................................... ext. 30Mrs. Karla Donaghey, The Inside Passage .............................. ext. 32Mr. Neal Arnold, Information Tech/Maintenance Support ....... ext. 34Deacon Gary Horton, Archives/Special Projects ...................... ext. 36Ms. Alethea Johnson Tribunal Office .............................(907) 247-2755Sr. Josephine Aloralrea, OSU (Yakutat) .........................(907) 784-3406Fr. Edmund J. Penisten, Vocations (Ketchikan) .............(907) 225-2571Sr. Barbara Kelley, OP (Ketchikan) ...............................(907) 225-2570Sr. Mary Kay Moran, OP (Ketchikan) ...........................(907) 225-2570

www.dioceseofjuneau.org

“Our journey to Rincon de Guay-abitos was a success and our stay at Villas Buena Vida was wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone. Karen (Karen Hofstat, the donor) has a neat, convenient and beautiful place. Everyone was helpful and knowledge-able—what a staff! Thanks for every-thing you did, it was a great trip.”

—Jim & Diane Denies

12th International Gathering

Congratulations

1 $50 RoseMarie Good2 $100 Jeff Carlson3 $20 Kevin Sullivan4 $20 Debbie Chalmers5 $20 Adam Furlong6 $20 Jerome Walkush7 $20 M. Munro8 $50 Karla Donaghey9 $200 Delma Olam10 $20 Fr. Ed Penisten11 $20 Karrie Bryrer12 $20 Phyllis Hadfi eld13 $20 Lou Regelin14 $20 R. Stone15 $50 Sandy Nolan16 $20 Bill Peters

17 $20 Ted Quinn18 $20 WYD19 $20 Alex Worhatch20 $20 S. Matheny21 $100 George Pine22 $50 Rom Reinarts23 $20 R. Stone24 $20 WYD Benefactor25 $20 Robert Bradshaw26 $20 Tom Slagle27 $100 WYD28 $20 Kathleen Donohoe29 $20 Terry Welch30 $200 Colleen Jardell31 $20 Dan Fagnant

THE INSIDE PASSAGEPAGE 16 • MARCH �1, �008

Letters to the EditorThe Inside Passage accepts letters to the editor about articles which have

appeared in The Inside Passage, issues concerning the Diocese of Juneau or which offer a Catholic perspective on current events. Letters may be edited for length. Publication of a letter does not imply endorsement of its contents by The Inside Passage or the diocese. However, the diocese maintains the

right to refuse to run letters contrary to Church doctrine. Send to:

The Inside Passage, 415 Sixth St., #300, Juneau, AK 99801

... and the time-consuming process of selecting safe environment programs that are age-appropriate and in accord with Catholic moral principles.”

Kettelkamp told Catholic News Service it has proven especially dif-ficult to track one category of people

designated in the charter for the training -- parents -- so it’s unclear how many have participated.

“We just don’t have a firm number

of parents” in the targeted church population, she said. Many parents have received training because they are volunteers or employees of the church, and so are counted in those numbers. Others are encouraged to participate in sessions offered for various groups.

After unsuccessfully attempting to track how many parents receive the

training the first two years of the audits, Kettelkamp said, subsequent audits haven’t pursued a figure.

Five of the new reports received in �007 related to abuse involving a minor that occurred that same year. Of the 599 new credible re-ports, only five cases among religious or-ders and 38 involving diocesan clergy were reported to have oc-curred since 1990.

Five of the 491 church employees implicated in new reports of abuse were deacons and the rest were priests; 374 of these men had already died, been removed from min-

istry or been laicized, or were missing. Previous allegations had been made against �87 of the men accused.

Of the 195 dioceses and eparchies

-- the comparable entity to a diocese in Eastern-rite Catholic churches -- only the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., did not participate in the CARA survey. Of the �18 U.S. religious or-ders that belong to the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, 159, or 73 percent, partici-pated.

A statement from the Lincoln Diocese said it operates “in full compliance with all civil and all laws of the Catholic Church concerning the abuse of minors.”

It said the diocese has fully implemented the “Essential Norms” approved by the Vati-can “and is vigilant to make every reasonable effort to see that any and all abuse is prevented.” The norms established legal procedures under church law for applying charter policies.

After participating in the initial audit by the USCCB, “the Diocese of Lin-coln has exercised its option to refrain from participation in the audit, as its application, though perhaps helpful in some dioceses, has not proven to be so in the Diocese of Lincoln,” the statement said.

The Lincoln Diocese was joined by four Eastern-rite eparchies in declining

to participate in the audit conducted by the Gavin Group. In June �00� at a meeting in Dallas, the U.S. bishops adopted the charter and its mandates for an annual audit and survey and also adopted the “Essential Norms” to assure that all dioceses adhere to the charter. The charter was updated in �005, the norms in �006. The charter and norms have Vatican approval.

The charter also established the Of-fice of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board to oversee compliance with the charter.

ABUSE AUDIT:Continued from page 2