The Good Catholic Life

Summary of Today's Show: Scot Landry, Susan Abbott , and Gregory Tracy discuss local, national, and international Catholic news. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch a video of today's show: Visit BostonCatholicLive.com to Watch Links from today’s show: Vatican firmly condemns US deaths Pope Benedict's message in Lebanon 1st segment: Scot said that on of the main stories on the pilot this week is about the 10 men to be ordained deacons this Saturday by Cardinal Sean at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Greg noted that having only 10 men this time allows the pilot to profile a little about each of the men. Greg also noted that something new to the diaconate program is that on top of a parish assignment the deacons are also being assigned to help with a ministry here at the pastoral center. Scot congratulated all men and ask everyone’s prayers. Scot said that the Pilot has several articles on the Physician Assisted Suicide issue and Cardinal Sean started a series of articles on the issue starting this week with the article on Better ways to care for the dying where he talks about Mother Theresa’s care for the dying and also talks about palliative care and the way of hospice. Greg noted that today we don’t want face that one day we will die and we are afraid of the unknown. Scot commented that in this article Cardinal Sean article highlights compassionate care and ways to deal with the fear of the unknown. Susan said that one of things the church does and should continue to do is to show the support that is available not only for the sick but also for their family. Scot highlighted the events and educational workshops on Physician Assisted Suicide around the Archdiocese which will be on the Pilot this week. Scot mentioned the article from the Pilot reporter Chris Pineo regarding the physician from Oregon, Dr. Kenneth Stevens, who spoke at the Pastoral Center about “the reality of physician assisted suicide in Oregon and what it means to Massachusetts.” Greg said that this presentation beings another perspective on this issue because it highlights that assisted suicide is based o an ideology and not science because killing is not care, it’s a shortcut. Scot said that there are many arguments against physician assisted suicide including faith, the medical community and that they are all listed on both the Archdiocesan education website and the Committee Against Assisted Suicide website. "Suicide Is Always a Tragedy" website Committee Against Assisted Suicide Scot noted that effective October 22nd, Fr. James Savage is returning to St. Eulalia’s Parish in Winchester after many years. Susan mentioned she met him once before because of his involvement with religious education. Scot mentioned that Boston College opened its 150th anniversary celebration with Mass at the Fenway on September 15th. Scot said that the Cardinal was overjoyed to see so many people together for Mass at Fenway. Greg said that he was there covering the story, and that it was a beautiful celebration and that the event brought together two great icons of Boston, Fenway Park and Boston College. Susan said she could not make to the Mass, but that herself, her husband and her daughter are graduates of BC and that she was able to watch it online and it looked beautiful. Scot announced that today TGCL was going to give away 3 copies of the movie For Greater Glory for the first 3 people who either post on the chat screen at BostonCatholicLive.com or sends an email to The Good Catholic Life. Scot talked about the article on the Anchor regarding the Choose Life License Plate and congratulated Merry Nordeen, president and founder of the non-profit Chose Life, Inc. for the her wonderful on this campaign. Scot said that the money raised with the license plate campaign will be deployed to help numerous pro-life organizations and that he is always inspired by lay people who work for pro-life and for the church and that he hopes to have Merry on The Good Catholic Life in near future. Greg noted that the license plate program is great because every time you renew your license plate the organization gets the donation again. Susan said that this is great campaign and you know that the money is going towards providing great resources. Scot mentioned Pope Benedict’s visit to the Lebanon at the hype of the Middle East Crisis and that he thought that he was going to cancel the trip but that his visit serves as a great witness to the many Christians in the Middle East and also for the support of religious freedom. Susan said that this trip underscored the Pope’s care for the country and their people. Greg said that this was an important trip and comes at the right time, as there are thousands of Christians fleeing from the Middle East because they face persecution and this is a call for religious tolerance. Scot talked about all of the publicity regarding the papyrus fragment with reference to Jesus’ “wife.” Scot said this was blown out of proportion as it is a document with only a few words and from several hundred years after the death of Jesus. Susan noted that its an interesting story but does not provide evidences and that even the person bringing this document forward said that it does not prove anything. Greg said that the headlines on all of the articles he read were just an attempt to sell papers and that several articles listed many arguments that this is not credible but that it also posed the question regarding the disciplines of the Church regarding priests celibacy. Scot announced that Susan, Louise and Karla were the winners of a DVD copy of the movie For Greater Glory. Scot apologized for the technical problem that did not allow Fr. Roger to be at the show today but that he will be with us next week to talk about his trip Lourdes.

Summary of Today's Show: Scot and Father Matt are joined by Connie and Patricia from the Massachusetts Court of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Since their founding in 1903, the Catholic Daughters have supported troops, popes, the poor, the infirm, the retired, and their fellow sisters in local, state and national chapters. Listen in to hear about the impact this less well known organization has in its members lives, and how it helps bring women of all ages to Christ. Watch a video of today's show: Visit BostonCatholicLive.com to Watch Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Connie Pagan, State Regent; Patricia Abruzese Johnston, 2nd Vice State Regent from the Massachusetts Court of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas Links from today’s show: Catholic Daughters national homepage Catholic Daughters, Massachusetts Court homepage Today's topics:The Catholic Daughters of the Americas 1st segment: 1st Segment: Scot started the show by reminding everyone that you can now to watch the live stream of the show at BostonCatholicLive.com. Scot welcomed Fr. Matt Williams and asked if there are any upcoming events. Fr. Matt said that they have another Life Teen coming up soon but that his weekend, September 22nd, there will be another Holy Spirit Empowerment at St. Mary’s Parish, Dedham that will start with Mass at 7pm and its open for all ages. Scot welcomed Connie Pagan and Patricia Abruzzi Johnston from the Catholic Daughters of the Americas and asked to tell a little bit about the Catholic daughters and their history. Connie said that they are the largest organization for catholic women in the world and they were founded in 1903 in Utica, NY and are currently active in 42 states. Connie said that they have lay member and religious members who do social and charitable activities. They also have the Junior Catholic Daughters and are also present on some college campuses. Scot asked how many courts the Catholic Daughters of the Americas curretly have. Patricia said that there are 18 active courts and that unfortunately many members of the organization, which is over 100 years old are aging or infirmed and that depleted some of the activities but that all courts are active in participating in the activities and the fundraising. Patricia explained that local courts have their own boards and do their own fundraises and activities based on the current needs. Scot asked Connie what lead her to join the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Connie said that she has always been active in her parish and was brought up with the Knight of Columbus because of her father and while preparing for a coalition she met a women who was involved with the Catholic Daughters on a national level who invited her to learn more about the organization and she is now with the organization for over 10 years. Scot asked Connie how does being part of the Catholic Daughters help her with her spirituality. Connie said that it’s the sisterhood of praying together, having retreats together, going on rosary walks and coming to together for Mass and adoration. Scot asked Patricia about how she got connected with the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Patricia said that she was basically told to and was a slow starter but that after she realized there was a need for her in there that she was truly baptized by fire and just wanted more and more. Fr. Matt asked if when the Catholic Daughters of the Americas was founded if it was because of a specific need. Connie explained that the initial intent was to help the service men from WWI and their families as well as the to raise money for church initiatives like the Vatican II council and that today that is still the work of the daughters. Scot asked about the relationship between the Catholic Daughters and the parishes and the diocese. Connie said that one example of how they connect with the parishes and diocese is through pro-life events. Connie said that the current initiative Pennies for the Unborn and baby showers raised this year alone 20k. 2nd segment: Fr. Matt asked about how often the local courts meet and what is the rhythm of the meetings. Patricia explained that they need to meet at least 9 times a year and but its it is usually once a month on week evenings. Every chapter can be different but whenever possible they’ll start with Mass and the meeting will follow with coffee and discussion about regional news they receive and possible fundraising. Scot asked what types of fundraising activities will they to support the different initiatives. Patricia said that they will do different types of gathering with some kind of entertainment to attract people, like bake sales or an Irish or Italian night where they invite a guest speaker and usually there is a big turnout for these events. Connie also said that for their scholarship program for the youth they sell raffle tickets for money prizes and that is also successful. Fr. Matt asked what are some of the ways they attract new members. Patricia explained that they do membership drives at the parishes and that word of mouth from those who are members also attracts many members. Fr. Matt asked if there are any requirements or devotions required. Patricia explained that the woman does need to be catholic and although they do a lot of prayers together many women are attracted to the Catholic Daughters because of the service projects but that the faith does grow as you get involved. 3rd segment: This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Joanne LeBlanc from Waltham, MA! She wins a CD from Matthew Kelly, "Becoming the Best Version of Yourself, and the booklet “Catholics in the Public Square” by Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix. If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit WQOM.org. For a one-time $30 donation, you’ll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM’s weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We’ll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: Fr Matt asked how are they helping with the PAS and human trafficking issues. Connie said they have met with the Cardinal regarding the PAS issue and they are committed to hand out literatures at the parishes, to constantly update themselves and educate others on the issue. Patricia said that for the human trafficking issue they are hosting events to better educate others through guest speakers and introducing people to fair trade products.

Summary of Today's show: Ann Carter, Joe D'Arrigo, and Fr Michael Medas describe the Celebration of the Priesthood Dinner with Scot and Fr Chris, highlighting this important event where the people of the Archdiocese can say thank you to our clergy. Subscribe for free in iTunes Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr Chris O'Connor Today’s guest(s): Ann Carter, co-chair of the Celebration of the Priesthood Dinner; Joe D'Arrigo, Executive Director of the Clergy Funds; Fr Michael Medas, Director of Clergy Personnel. Links from today’s show: Clergy Funds website Purchase tickets and tables Boston Catholic Appeal Today’s topics: The 4th Annual Celebration of the Priesthood Dinner will take place on September 26th starting with a 5pm reception, and dinner starting at 7pm. Tickets and tables are available at ClergyFunds.org. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr Chris and asked him about the installation of Msgr Moroney as the new Rector of St John Seminary this week. Cardinal Sean and four or five other bishops and about 35 priests will join the seminarians and their families to welcome Msgr Moroney, who will take the oath of fidelity along with the seminary faculty. 2nd segment: Today's topic is the Celebration of the Priesthood dinner next Wednesday, Scot said, which helps to support 645 priests both active and retired. Ann explained the invitation to co-chair the dinner was a compelling invitation - priests have taken care of her throughout her life, from parochial school to sacraments for her family and friends. This is an opportunity for her to be there for the priests and say thank you. Fr Medas said that priests are very privileged to be at the bedside of someone who needs anointing or presence, but when you come to a room with more than a thousand people who are appreciating you it feels great as a priest. The priest symbolizes Christ, Fr Chris said, and brings Christ to the people, which is a unique gift. Joe said the dinner started as a fundraiser when he first came to the clergy funds, as they were losing a lot of money - the first year, they had over 1,400 people at the dinner. This year's dinner is on track for 1,200 right now, with still a week to go. Joe said what was primarily a fundraiser has turned into a beautiful expression of thanks from the people of the Archdiocese to the clergy. The dinner has allowed them to come out of that hole into a small surplus, an extraordinary turnaround in one of the most difficult economic times. It is the priests and laity who have supported through the Christmas and Easter collections and the dinner. A healthy fund helps priests not worry about things like healthcare, Fr Medas said, and takes a weight off their shoulders and lets priests focus on serving the people of the Archdiocese. Ann added that the dinner is different than most charity dinners - you don't walk away wondering if your contribution makes a difference. In this dinner, you are actively involved with the people around you and know that your work and contribution have made a difference in the life of people who have made a difference in your life. Joe spoke about the 265 senior priests (over the age of 75) who have" retired="" -="" not="" completely="" but="" just="" slowed="" down="" a="" bit="" one="" of="" the="" joys="" his="" job="" joe="" said="" is="" going="" to="" regina="" cleri="" residence="" for="" senior="" priests="" that="" in="" many="" ways="" clergy="" funds="" are="" business="" keeping="" promises="" we="" promised="" our="" joyful="" retirement="" and="" as="" lay="" people="" need="" keep="" promise="" fr="" chris="" there="" about="" 50="" or="" who="" live="" at="" wanted="" know="" where="" other="" retire="" medas="" replied="" parishes="" they="" love="" family="" houses="" it="" important="" all="" maintain="" dignified="" opulent="" living="" after="" their="" years="" service="" p=""> Scot asked Ann what she and co-chair Neal Finnigan want people to take away from this year's dinner. Ann replied that when she accepted the invitation to be a co-chair, she didn't know why she was being asked. She realized that she was getting a gift, not just giving one. Her awareness has been raised exponentially, she continued - people will take away the opportunity to reflect about the importance of clergy in their lives. Ann said that one meeting of the committee was at Regina Cleri, and the chance to talk to the senior priests there about their lives and work was thrilling. Much of Boston was built on parishes and parish priests and how they participated in the communities - in social justice matters, protecting affordable housing, helping new immigrants, and more. There is a calling to us as laypeople, Ann said, to step up in the shadow of that tradition and be inspired to play those roles in our community and fix instead of saying what's wrong. Fr Michael concluded the segment by saying that the words of thanks to a priest in the moment are so important, but so are collective thank yous like the dinner. Sometimes, negative messages can overwhelm, but events like the Celebration of the Priesthood cancel out that negativity. 3rd segment: Scot asked Joe to describe the program for the dinner. Joe said they are very aware that it is a weeknight and aim to wrap up the event around 9pm. The co-chairs will say a few words before dinner, and a video with five of our priests will be featured after dinner. The keynote speaker is Don Rodman. Scot commented that many listeners may know Don from his various car dealerships and the Rodman Ride. Joe said even though Don is a devout Jew, he is also a successful philanthropist and giver. He has been involved with Catholic Charities for many years and fundraised for the Society of St James after a visit with Joe. Joe and Ann both agreed that the committee and the work of Boston Catholic Development Services were critical to organizing such a great dinner. The priest committee also understands the value of participation, Joe said. Fr Chris added that the seminarians at St John Seminary are always eager to attend the uplifting evening as well. The dinner provides about 10% of the support for clergy funds, Scot noted. Joe said the goal for this year's dinner is $1.25 million, and they are already at $1.1 million of pledges as of this morning. The record isn't a financial record, Joe said - he is more interested in how many attendees can gather to show support and appreciation to the clergy of the Archdiocese. Joe said he invited many media outlets and they are coming - not just working reporters but editors. This is a great opportunity to showcase our priests in a light that the mainstream media often doesn't see them in. The 4th Annual Celebration of the Priesthood Dinner will take place on September 26th starting with a 5pm reception, and dinner starting at 7pm.

Summary of Today's Show: Scot discusses the future hopes and dreams of WQOM with new General Manager Christopher Kelley and Director of the Advisory Board Andreas Widmer. Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch today's show on BostonCatholicLive Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Christopher Kelley, General Manager of WQOM; Andreas Widmer, Director of the Advisory Board of WQOM Links from today’s show: WQOM website BostonCatholicLive.com streaming 1st segment:Scot mentioned that for the first time TGCL is live streaming the radio show on Bostoncatholiclive.com! Scot introduced Andreas Widmer and Christopher Kelley, both new to the management team at WQOM in the last few weeks. Chris will serve as the General Manager, handling day to day operations, while Andreas will serve with the Advisory board to create a vision and stable base of supporters for the station. Scot asked Chris about his connection with Catholic radio. Chris said that before he started working for WQOM, he used to work for WNEB Catholic radio in Worcester, his hometown. He was drawn in to it because of the idea of new evangelization through radio which rapidly and strongly expanding. Scot mentioned that one of the reasons for catholic radio expansion in the country is because EWTN provides free programming to radio stations throughout the country. Scot asked Andreas to share a little about his faith. Andreas shared his story from when he was a Swiss Guard in Rome and was blessed to witness the life of Pope John Paul II who inspired him to want to live the Christian faith. Scot noted that the last time Andreas was on the show he talked about his book “The Pope and the CEO.” Andreas said he is very happy with the book and that it has sold over 10,000 copies. He also said that is he is really humbled with the messages he receives from the readers about how much the booked has helped them. 2nd segment: Scot asked Chris about some of the duties he has as the station manager for WQOM here in Boston. Chris said that his first duty is to increase the number of listeners through the website, newsletter social media and word of mouth. He is also engaged with the fundrive, which will happen October 17th-20th. Scot said that the 1060AM bumper sticker he has on his car is a great conversation starter and way to promote WQOM and asked what else can people do to help share about WQOM. Chris encouraged the listeners to write to WQOM by sending an email and this way they will receive information and material, including the bumper sticker, about WQOM that they can use to help share about WQOM. Scot asked Andreas more details about the Facebook page for WQOM Boston. Andreas said that one of the primary focuses is to bring together the catholic community and to engage them and this way they will be able to not only listen to the program but also participate by getting more involved. Chris said that one of the ways people are getting engaged is that Catholic school teachers are asking students to listen to Catholic radio as a homework assignment and that alone is a great way to get the kids to listen and also their parents. Scot asked Andreas about the major gift campaigns and the work he is hoping to do. Andreas shares that there are people who want to make a difference with evangelization and he hopes to find that group that would support with ideas and financially because this is a commercial free radio station. Andreas said that with the vibrant catholic community in the area he doesn’t think this will be a problem. Scot asked about the advantages for radio to have tools like an app and podcasts. Andreas said that you can control the program you want to list to and create your own radio schedule. Through the technology you can hear unfiltered catholic information and news and learn about the faith.

Summary of today’s show: The Archdiocese of Boston is looking to the future and planning for the work of the New Evangelization. The Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission has forwarded its final proposal of a pastoral plan, entitled “Disciples in Mission”, to Cardinal Seán. Scot Landry talks with Fr. Paul Soper, interim director of pastoral planning, and Michael Lavigne about the proposal’s history, the massive consultation that took place with tens of thousands of Catholics, the proposal’s historic recommendations, and the hope for the future found in its pages. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Fr. Paul Soper, interim director for Pastoral Planning, and Michael Lavigne, special assistant to the Episcopal Vicar for the New Evangelization Links from today’s show: Pastoral Planning website Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission final proposal to Cardinal Seán “Pastoral Planning Commission submits final proposal to cardinal”, The Boston Pilot, 9/14/12 Today’s topics: Disciples in Mission: A Pastoral Plan Proposal 1st segment: Scot Landry said today’s show is very important as they dive into the compenents and recommendations of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission’s proposal to Cardinal Sean. Today’s guests are Fr. Paul Soper and Michael Lavigne. Scot asked Fr. Paul about the the work that led to thie proposal that went to Cardinal Sean two weeks ago. Fr. Paul said Cardinal Seán formed a formed a commission several years ago led by Fr. George Evans. That commission determined that a substantial pastoral plan was needed for the Archdiocese. In 2011 Cardinal Seán brought together a commission of 19 people to consider welcoming Catholics in to the active life of the faith; strengthening parishes; focusing on evangelizationl developing excellence in religious formation. They decided to start by focusing on the second objective because parishes are the natural unit of life in the Church. Scot said any pastoral plan has to work through the parishes because it’s where we gather and live out our live in the Church, after the family. Fr. Paul said the commission spent a year looking at all sorts of ways to strengthen parishes. In December 2011, they presented a rough proposal to the priests of the archdiocese and got a lot of feedback and that started an historic moment in the Archdiocese. People at all levels of the life of the parishes met in 40 different meetings with about 5,000 people throughout the Archdiocese. They also collected eletronic feedback. About 200 parishes held open meetings and they were attended by about 20,000 people. They received about 8,000 pages of feedback. Scot said the first rough proposal had some ideas that were not supported by all the priests or the people attending the consultations. Fr. Paul said the original proposal was going to move all the priest because they thought it would be better for the collaboratives as they start out so that one parish would seem to be keep its own pastor. But the people expressed very strongly that they believed their priests were capable of overcoming that challenge and not letting this happen. The people were insistent that this could not be a cookie-cutter plan, but recognize the differences from parish to parish, with different cultures, and not just ethnic cultures. So the proposal now has a central recommendation that the collaboratives as they are inaugurated over five years that they come up with local pastoral plans for that collaborative for how they will go out and become a welcoming community. Scot said one of the key questions became personal and what will become of their parish. Fr. Paul said the document Disciples in Mission sets forward the collaborative model, with one pastor, one pastoral team, one pastoral council, and one finance council serving multiple parishes in collaboration. But it does not set forward a list of proposed collaboratives. A list went out about nine months ago and it’s been re-written over and over and they are still working on it. Scot said a lot of people may have a bad memory of reorganization in 2004, which was about restructing and merging and suppressing parishes. Fr. Paul said this plan respects the integrity of individual parishes. They retain their own finances, their own name, their own canonical status, their own obligations. If two parishes are in a collaborative and one parish needs a new roof, the other parish is not required to pay for the repair. This pastoral plan recognizes we’re at a crossroads. This is the moment to choose. We could give up and resign ourselves to being a small church with an uncertain future. But this pastoral plan recognizes we have the precious gift of Jesus Christ handed onto us through the centuries. This is of value not just to us, but to the whole world. We have a responsibility to proclaim the Good News to the world. Scot asked how that vigor was expressed by everyday Catholics? Fr. Paul said they didn’t have the evangelization piece ready for the consultations, but almost everyone responded to those meetings that the evangelization piece was forgotten and it was heartening to see that there was near unanimous demand for including evangelization in the plan. Fr. Paul said the hiring of Michael Lavigne for the Episcopal Vicar for the New Evangelization was a key aspect of that and Michael and Fr. Paul meet on a regular basis. Scot said one of the reasons Michael was hired was that he had experience in the Diocese of Portland, Maine, which went through a similar process that is envisioned here. He asked some of what they did in the diocese of Portland. Michael said when he arrived in Portland, they had the planning process underway, recognizing they needed to be doing more evangelization. One change was that they created 29 clusters spread throughout the whole state of Maine. Bishop Malone had issued a pastoral letter emphasizing the importance of the New Evangelization and when they finished the process of restructuring all the parishes, the goal would be to be better equipped to evangelize. The Office of Lifelong Faith Formation was formed to provide training and support for these 29 clusters to put these ideas into practice. Scot said Boston is putting training in place before the grouping of parishes. Fr. Paul said the training is central to the pastoral plan and has six stages. The first stage of training is for people involved in the work of the central ministries of the Archdiocese, in leadership and management skills, the mechanics of collaboration, and the theology and practice of the New Evangelization. This will equip them to help the parishes./ Michael said Pope Benedict’s writings on the New Evangelization is able to explain it in a simple way. In training they will learn that this is about conversion and a relationship with Christ. The New Evangelization is first for us, to be more converted. It’s also about the Person of Christ, the Savior of the World. Scot said it took him about six months of hearing about New Evangelization to understand that the first step was his own conversion. Michael said the New Evangelization is not just about massive conference or organizations. But Pope Benedict said it’s about the mustard seed, about one person at a time. It’s about the call to holiness, which gives us the grace we need. Scot said another part of the training is in leadership and change management. Priests have been asking for all the training to be effective leaders and pastors. Fr. Paul said they the question, how important is training for the process. There was an overwhelmingly positive response. They had similar response of people being willing to participate. Scot said Cardinal Seán is very committed to making sure this training is done right. Fr. Paul said they will be working with the Catholic Leadership Institute, which has programs for priests called Good Leaders, Good Shepherd and for laypeople called Tending the Talents. They will provide the leadership and management training. Scot said he notes how enthusiastic CLI is about the boldness of this plan. The nex aspect of training is the practical aspects of managing two or more parishes. Fr. Paul said the finance councils will be asked to develop budgets for collaboratives instead of just one parish, for example. There are property management and canon law issues as well. 2nd segment: Fr. Paul said they have already presented the proposal to the Presbyteral Council, representing all the priests of the Archdiocese. They gave their unanimous recommendation to present the proposal to Cardinal Sean. This was the 16th time the planning commission had met with the council as they developed the proposal and in the end they wanted to give unanimous support. They also presented it to the Cardinal’s Cabinet and they too gave their unanimous approval. Fr. Paul said they still hear concerns, which is about how to implement and not such much in the substance of the proposal. There is an expectation that they will hear back from Cardinal Seán about mid-November on whether he wants it put forward for implementation or if he wants it worked on some more. They will begin training of Pastoral Center staff as early as January 2013. They would also put forward the first 10 to 15 collaboratives around the same time and announce the pastors of those collaboratives in the early spring. Michael said it will be daunting and challenging but it will be doable as long we keep focused and work together. Scot now got into the specifics of the proposal. That the 288 parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston be organized into approximately 135 Parish Collaboratives, these collaboratives consisting usually of two or three parishes, but sometimes only one, and, in rare occasions four parishes. Fr. Paul said they chose this number because they felt this would result in the right size of a collaborative for a pastor to be able to have an ideal relationship with the whole community. They also didn’t want them to be too big and spread the resources too thin. Scot made clear that the 288 parishes remain distinct. Fr. Paul said this is because they recognize the importance of the parish as the normal and ideal place of evangelization and for communal Catholic life. People love their parishes and they want to respect that as much as possible. Scot said we want to have a church footprint in this diocese to support 80% attendance and if we close parishes we wouldn’t have enough churches for growth. The second recommendation: That the formation of the parish collaboratives be phased in, with appropriate flexibility, over a period of five years. a. Phase One would consist of at least fifteen collaboratives, geographically distributed among the regions of the archdiocese. b. Phase Two would begin a year later than Phase One, with a significant number of collaboratives. c. Phase Three would begin two years later than Phase Two, again with a significant number of collaboratives. d. Phase Four would begin either one or two years later than Phase Three, and would complete the implementation. Fr. Paul said they decided on a modest phase one that includes all the different kinds of collaboratives and parishes so that they can learn how to do this and see what works and what doesn’t. Then phase two will be 50 collaboratives over two years. Same with phase three. And then phase four will be the rest. If it all starts next year, phase four would start in 2018. The third and fourth recommendations: That the parishes of each collaborative be assigned one single Pastor. … That the pastor form the staff members serving the parishes of the collaborative into a Pastoral Team Fr. Paul said 20 percent of our parishes already have one pastor serving multiple parishes. What often happens is a pastor gets sick or dies and the Cardinal asks a nearby pastor to take over, which is a reactive process. Instead, this is proactive in which they make sure the groupings are right, that they have a timetable so everybody knows what’s happening and when, that there is a single team with the same mission as the pastor supporting him, and that they have sufficient training specific for multiple parish pastoring and for the New Evangelization. Scot noted that the assignment of pastors received the most feedback. The proposal now recommends that the assignment of the most suitable pastor be paramount: We recommend that, while being very respectful of the particular needs of the priests of the Archdiocese, the Archbishop of Boston give, so that the assignment of the most suitable pastor is the single most important factor in ensuring the success of the collaborative and its evangelization efforts. The Commission recommends that religious and laity, as well as clergy, be formally involved in the assignment process of pastors. It further recommends the return to the consultation process that was used in parishes in anticipation of the assignment of a new pastor. Recommendations fice, six and seven involve the collaboration of pastoral staffs and pastoral and finance councils, including: That the pastor, pastoral team, and councils of each parish collaborative participate in extensive theological and practical training for the New Evangelization preference to the goal of evangelization in every assignment of a pastor to a collaborative. Michael said it makes clear that the purpose is not just moving finances or buildings around, but preparing for the New Evangelization. Scot said each collaborative would be required to have its own pastoral plan for its community. Fr. Paul said, for example, an appendix of the proposal is about religous education, but its up to each collaborative how to manage religious education,such as how to organize it. But it has to go beyond those aspects to go into how the collaborative will evangelize, write down, and keep revisiting that plan every year and live from that plan. Scot said we’re trying to be as proactive in our approach.

Summary of today’s show: Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, and Gregory Tracy discussed the news headlines of the week, including the final proposal of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission to Cardinal Seán; CatholicTV’s new show “Aging Gracefully”; The lack of realization among Catholics that assisted suicide is on the ballot in November; How Marian devotion got downplayed at Vatican II; and the dedication of a Liberty Flagpole at one parish. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston Links from today’s show: The Anchor The Pilot Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot’s and The Anchor’s websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today’s topics: Pastoral Planning proposal; Aging Gracefully; Assisted suicide; Mary at Vatican II; Liberty Flagpole 1st segment: Scot Landry and Susan Abbott talked about busy everyone at the Pastoral Center is with the end of summer. Susan noted that the start of religious education programs on Catechetical Sunday this Sunday is keeping her office busy. Susan said today at Mass she heard St. John Chrysostom’s phrase “invincible patience” and that’s been on her mind all day. Scot asked Gregory Tracy about the front page story in the Pilot which is about the final proposal to Cardinal Sean from the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission. Scot said it was delivered to Cardinal Sean a couple of weeks ago. Scot said the Cardinal is now reviewing it and consulting with other bodies before making a final decision. So far, he’s met with the Presbyteral Council, which unanimously recommended he accept the proposal. Last week, Scot said the Cardinal’s cabinet also unanimously recommended it as well. The final decision is expected in mid to late December. Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission’s proposal Susan said she was pleased to see in the article in the Pilot that all along that this was emphasized as a proposal. Many people thought this was a rubber stamp process and a done deal. Scot said part of that is because this is the third or fourth attempt by a group to come up with a recommendation. But for this process the participation of everyone was taken. Susan said some of the original elements of this proposal were modified after feedback from the consultations throughout the archdiocese. Scot noted that the consultation over the last 10 months included 40 archdiocesan meetings with 5,000 people as well as 200 independent parish meetings representing 20,000 people. They received more than 8,000 single-spaced pages of feedback. They consulted 16 times with the Presbyteral council and the Commission itself met 31 times. Fr. Paul Soper, the interim pastoral planning director, said this is an historic consultation. Greg concurred that he’d never seen or heard of such an extensive consultation with as much give and take and feedback. He added that it is clear that changes were made based on the feedback, including the biggest item concerning how pastors for the proposed collaboratives would be chosen as well as phasing in the changes versus making a massive change in a short time. He noted that there will be an initial voluntary first phase. Scot said the proposal is available for anyone to read on the link above. He said it’s a thorough document and anyone who cares about the Church should read it. He noted that it is also written very clearly. Susan said that damage is done when people argue based on what they’ve heard, rather than reading the primary sources first. She encouraged everyone to read it with an open mind. Greg agreed and said he’s heard people talking and sharing information that was incorrect and he attempted to correct them. He said that’s one of the reasons why they wrote a story that was so long. Scot said tomorrow’s show will be dedicated to looking at the proposal in depth. He provided a summary. The first part of the document is focused on strengthening parishes and the second is on strengthening parishes for the work of the New Evangelization. He listed some of the highlights, including the 288 parishes of the Archdiocese will be grouped in approximately 135 Parish Collaboratives, usually consisting of two or three parishes. They will be phased in over a period of five years. The collaboratives will be assigned one single Pastor. Scot noted that most pastors have said this is where the archdiocese needs to go, but they need training on how to accomplish the goals of the pastoral plan. Each collaborative will be asked to come up with a local pastoral plan within 12 months of implementation of the collaborative. The recommendation also includes pastoral training for priests and lay pastoral staff by the Office of the Episcopal Vicar for the New Evangelization, the Catholic Leadership Institute, and the Office of Pastoral Planning. There are also separate recommendations from the Religious Education Task Force and the Committee to Study Lay Formation Programs which the APPC recommends be implemented in their entirety. Greg said this is a monumental undertaking. The focus of the discussions he’s heard so far has focused on administration and organization, but the training is really worth noting. He was taken aback by the massive undertaking of all the training that they plan. If it all comes to fruition, we will have one of the best formed dioceses in the US. He thinks a lot of the controversies we see, it comes from confusion about what the Catholic faith is, and this training plan helps deal with that lack of understanding. Scot said Cardinal Sean is serious that this plan is about the New Evangelization and giving significant training so we can be effective at evangelization. Susan said certification of catechists comes through the Archdiocese and her office, and this planning process has given them the impetus to get everything properly set up and improve how they standardize and certify everyone. 2nd segment: Scot said “Aging Gracefully” is a new series on CatholicTV, and the host is Fr. Michael Sheehan, SJ,the provincial of the local Jesuit province who also happens to be a medical doctor. Greg said while the show never says they’re motivated by the assisted suicide debate, they do say that this is a moment to talk about the elderly and how they can live their life well. CatholicTV’s “Aging Gracefully” Greg said it deals with the many aspects of living a full life. There are five episodes that talk about spirituality, how to talk to your physician, thinking about and preparing for death, and more. Scot said it’s all very practical. The elderly need to be able to advocate for themselves with their doctors. Susan said Fr. Sheehan is amazing and heard him speak at a presentation at the Pastoral Center and saw him on Fr. Chris Hickey’s TV show “Going My Way.” Also in the Pilot this week is a story about St. Augustine Parish in Andover dedicated a Liberty Flagpole in honor of September 11. They dedicated the pole a day earlier so that those they invited would also be able to attend 9/11 celebrations. It was prompted by a parishioner asking why there wasn’t a flagpole in the sanctuary. Greg said there are no regulations concerning the practice, but it began during World War II. Later on the US Bishops recommended that symbols apart from the worship of Christ should be outside the sanctuary. Fr. Peter Gori, the pastor, explained all this in his bulletin, and then said tongue-in-cheek that if anyone wanted to dedicate a flagpole to the church, he would welcome it. One parishioner immediately donated the flagpole and another couple donated the flags. Fr. Gori said it honors every citizen who has strived to be both a good American and a good Catholic. The flagpole was dedicated to the men and women of St. Augustine Parish who served in the U.S. Armed Forces throughout the years. “My greatest passion has always been to serve God and my country,” [Claude] Gallant [the donor of the flags] said. In The Anchor this week was a story about the efforts to oppose Question 2 on the ballot in November about the legalization of assisted suicide. There was discussion that an issue like this should be debated in public in the Legislature so that the voters can be informed and heard before a vote. A ballot question avoids all that and many of the people the Anchor talked to were shocked to learn that this is on the ballot. Scot said if people like the listeners of TGCL or who go to church on a regular basis or read The Pilot and The Anchor don’t take up the baton and engage others on Question Two, then we face an uphill battle to oppose it. StopAssistedSuicide.org SuicideIsAlwaysATragedy.org Greg said those of us who work in the Church and especially in the media, we can think we’re overdoing coverage of this issue, but he knows that you have to keep hammering it home because you never know which article someone will pick up and get informed. Scot said it’s important to know that arguments put forward by the broad-based coalition opposing the ballot initiative are not faith-based arguments, of which there are plenty. There are also arguments that are very practical and can be apprehended by anyone, whatever their faith background. Susan noted that there will be a series of workshops taking place throughout the Archdiocese that start next week. The list of workshops is available online. Scot said yesterday’s show was a great discussion with Dr. Ken Stevens, an oncologist from Oregon where assisted suicide has been the law for more than a decade. He said DR. Stevens brought up a great point that a state can’t on the one hand say assisted suicide is okay, while also saying that other kinds of suicide is bad. Scot said tonight, Cardinal Seán will be on EWTN’s The World Over with Raymond Arroyo at 8pm. It can be heard on WQOM or on TV. Also, on October 3 at 8pm, Cardinal Sean will be hosting a live virtual town hall on CatholicTV, simulcast on WQOM, at 8pm. Starting that evening, Cardinal Seán is asking all Catholic families to pray a daily rosary to defeat this ballot question. The Cardinal has recorded special episodes of the Rosary to air on CatholicTV for this purpose. This will air five or six times per day until November 6. 3rd segment: This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Joseph Montuori from Newton Upper Falls, MA He wins A CD from the Envoy Institute: “An Antidote to Atheism” by Msgr. Stuart Swetland, and the booklet “Catholics in the Public Square” by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix. If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit WQOM.org. For a one-time $30 donation, you’ll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM’s weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We’ll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: Scot noted that there was a big conference at the Vatican on Marian devotion. Fr. James Phalan of the Mariological Society told the academic conference that a misreading of Vatican II led to a collapse in Marian devotion. He said people interpreted some of the debates on where to include devotion to Mary in the documents as being a downgrading of devotion. He also said that was connected to a collapse in devotion to the Holy Spirit. He described it as overly rational. “Misreading of Vatican II led to ‘collapse’ in Marian devotion, studies”, CNS/The Boston Pilot, 9/12/12 “Pontiff Remembers Mary Debate at Vatican II”, Zenit, 9/10/12 At the same time, Pope Benedict XVI during an audience remembered that debate over where to include a document on Mary. There wassome talk about having a separate document, but they ultimately decided to include it as part of Lumen Gentium. The Pope recalled the vote of Oct. 23, 1963, in which it was decided to include a chapter on Mary in Lumen Gentium. In this chapter, he said, “the figure of Mary – reinterpreted and reproposed in the context of the Word of God, the texts of the patristic and liturgical traditions, as well as a broad theological and spiritual reflection – appears in all of its beauty and singularity, well inserted in the fundamental mysteries of the Christian faith.” The Holy Father said there were good reasons to make this part of the Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium). He then reflected on how popular piety is nourished by biblical and patristic references. “The singular figure of the Mother of God must be developed and studied from diverse and complimentary perspectives: while the ‘via veritas’ (way of truth) is always valid, we must not forsake the ‘via pulchritudinis’ (way of beauty) and the ‘via amoris’ (way of love) to discover and contemplate still more profoundly Mary’s crystalline and solid faith, her love for God, her indestructible hope.”

Summary of today’s show: As Massachusetts voters prepare to consider Question 2–a proposal to legalize physician-assisted suicide–in November, Dr. Ken Stevens, an oncologist from Oregon, sits down with Scot Landry to talk about the impact of passage of a similar law in his state in 1994. Since 1998, when the law went into effect, more than 600 people have taken their lives under its provisions, the suicide rate in general has skyrocketed, and patients are being denied treatment by insurance carriers. Deacons Steve Marcus and Don Philips also joined Scot and discussed how Massachusetts is seen by proponents as the key to pushing both a larger anti-life agenda and wider passage of such laws throughout the country. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Dr. Ken Stevens and Deacon Steve Marcus and Deacon Don Philip Links from today’s show: Physicians for Compassionate Care Education Foundation Suicide is Always a Tragedy Committee Against Physician Assisted Suicide Today’s topics: Physician Assisted Suicide’s impact in Oregon 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and said on Election Day, November 6, voters in Massachusetts will be asked to consider the ballot Question 2 on whether to legalize physician-assisted suicide. ORegon has already legalized the practice. Dr Ken Stevens is an oncologist in Oregon and he helped formed the Physicians for Compassionate Care Education Foundation. Scot emphasized that the organizers of this group represent many faiths, including Ken who is Mormon. Scot said Ken just addressed more than 50 leaders of the effort jun Massachusetts at an event at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center. Deacon Don Philip met Dr. Stevens when he was working in healthcare in Portland, Oregon, in 1995 when assisted suicide was just getting going in that state. Deacon Steve Marcus operates nursing homes within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well as hospice centers and psychiatric facilities. Assisted suicide has been legal in Oregon since 1994. Scot asked Ken why it passed in Oregon. He said he’s been a cancer doctor for more than 40 years. When it came up in 1994, he didn’t think it would pass and when it did pass–51 percent to 49 percent– he was appalled. Patients no longer have a safe harbor to go to. He said since assisted suicide became operational in 1998, there have been over 600 death with more than 70 last year. He emphasized that this was not about scientific medical advances, but a drive by the Hemlock Society to legalize the practice. They were then successful in Washington and now they’re in Massachusetts because they think it’s possible to legalize it here. Ken said individuals approach his organization wanting to know whether their doctors will push them to suicide. One woman said her mother had a history of cancer, was admitted to a hospital and a doctor she didn’t know told her that her mother had pneumonia and asked if she wanted her to receive antibiotics. This was a roundabout way of giving the daughter the opportunity to have her mother die. Her response was that her mother was competent and that her mother should be asked and of course she wanted to have the antibiotics, which were not extraordinary measures to keep her alive, but ordinary treatment. He related another story of a woman who had a treatable form of cancer. She didn’t want treatment and wanted the pills to kill herself, saying she had voted for it. He went back and forth with her and finally asked her about her family and convinced her to take the treatment for them. She never required surgery, the treatment was relatively mild, and she is still alive twelve years later. Now she thanks him for saving her life. In fact, since then she’s been able to take care of her own mother who has suffered from dementia. Scot asked Dr. Stevens about the pronouncement by doctors that a patient has a particular amount of time left, since that is the crux of the proposed law. He noted that you can tell whether a patient is within a day or two of death, but beyond that it’s very common for a patient to live for years after a terminal illness. He related several stories of people given terminal diagnoses, including in cases of advanced malignant tumors with predictions of agonizing death within days. But when he got more tests it turned out to be a different kind of benign tumors and he is still alive today. Yet during those awful days he went through a lot of fear and he could have received suicide pills. Terminal is a very vague term. Scot said that even those people who think there should be a choice think this proposed law is flawed. One reason is that there isn’t a requirement for a psychological evaluation. Deacon Steve said depression is a disease that can truly be cured with proper medicine and therapy. They treat thousands of frail elders who suffer from depression at the end of their lives, yet this law could have horrific results. Deacon Don said medical institutions are faced with cost pressures all the time. He said in Oregon patients are being denied chemotherapy because of their prognosis, but are being offered assistance in dying in their denial letters. Ken said the pills are large capsules. You have to take 100 of them all at once. Even a healthy person would have trouble swallowing them so the capsules are emptied into a liquid solution. The problem is that it tastes very bitter and is foul tasting. Ken said that putting aside the euphemisms, this is a prescribed overdose of sleeping pills. Ken said the purpose of the legislation in Oregon is not to give the patients any right. The purpose is to give immunity to doctors prescribing fatal doses of medication. Once the doctor writes the prescription he doesn’t any further obligation. On the claim that this is a right to die, Ken said we are all going to die at some point. The proponents of assisted suicide twist the language and use language to pacify the voters and that they think they will respond to. The aim is to use passage in Massachusetts as a springboard for further expansion of assisted suicide. For one thing, they would like to require doctors who do not want to prescribe suicide pills to refer patients to doctors who will. Proponents acknowledge that they don’t include the “duty to refer” in the original measures because they know the bill wouldn’t pass, then once it’s passed they can push it through incrementally. 2nd segment: Ken said study of assisted suicide in the Netherlands show the impact on medical professionals, who report increased amounts of depression and displeasure for their careers. Dutch doctors have formed counseling groups to help one another deal with the emotional and psychological aspects of killing patients. “Emotional and Psychological Effects of Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia on Participating Physicians”, Issues in Law & Medicine, Vol 21, pages 187–200, Spring 2006 Ken said the claim that this is about uncontrollable pain is a smokescreen. In Oregon, most who have killed themselves said it wasn’t about pain and suffering. We can treat pain adequately. Deacon Steve said assisted suicide ruins the sacredness of the relationship between patient and doctor. Deacon Don said insurance providers in Oregon have already denied care for those with terminal diagnoses. Ken told the story of his wife Shannon’s treatment for a malignant lymphoma 30 years ago. It spread throughput her body and in May 1982 when they went to their doctor to see what else can be done, he subtly suggested an overdose of pain medication and she was so distraught that her doctor had given up on her. She died a few days later, leaving Ken with six kids. When you legalize assisted suicide, the doctor has all the power in the relationship. He related more stories of how Oregon’s health plan guidelines wouldn’t cover the cost of treatment medication, but would cover palliative care that includes assisted suicide. She went to the media and said the state was telling her that they wouldn’t pay for her to live, but would pay for her to die. Ken said the few days he had with his wife after that last doctor visit were valuable. He remembers his wife going from room to room in their house and around the yard and appreciated the 18 years they’d had together. He said that assisted suicide in Oregon has resulted in the state being given a mixed grade on end of life care. There are more patients dying in pain than they did before legalizing assisted suicide. The states’s suicide rate is also very high, 140% higher than the national average. This was an increase since the legalization. Scot said proponents call themselves Compassionate Choices and Death with Dignity, but were previously called the Hemlock Society. He asked Ken what the leaders of this effort have said about their aims. Ken said they write their language for easy passage, but they want doctors to have a duty to refer, they want to do away with “burdensome” reporting requirements to the state, make assisted suicide available to those who are demented or not otherwise mentally competent, and make it possible to have a lethal injection for those who can’t take the pills which makes it then euthanasia. Steve said true compassion is what he sees in his own facilities where the nurses aides help a frail elder or a chaplain bringing someone a sense of peace. When he sees a patient thank someone for delivering them the proper care they need. These are the Jesus moments and this is true compassion. Scot said these aren’t Catholic arguments we’ve heard today, but one good Catholic argument is that being with someone suffering at the end of life is a new opportunity to be with someone and bring Christ to someone in a precious moment. Ken said Massachusetts needs to realize the reality of assisted suicide and we need to educate ourselves to what has happened in Oregon.

Summary of today’s show: Catechetical Sunday is coming up on September 16 and this year the theme is Catechists and Teachers as Agents of the New Evangelization. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor talk with Kathy Curley and Susan Abbott about the joys and challenges of parish religious education and why catechesis is vitally important for the future of our Church and our families. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Kathy Curley and Susan Abbott Links from today’s show: Catechetical Sunday Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, Pope John Paul II Redemptoris Missio, Pope John Paul II USCCB, “How We Teach” “Are You a 3G Catholic?” by Fr. Larry Swink Office of Religious Education Today’s topics: Catechetical Sunday 1st segment: Scot said today’s show looks forward to Catechetical Sunday, especially preparing for the Year of Faith. Fr. Chris O’Connor said St. John Seminary is also preparing for the Year of Faith. One thing they’re doing is sending four of the faculty members out to parishes in each of four regions of the Archdiocese to talk about the four parts of the Catechism. They’re also inviting all of the 5th graders in the diocese, their teachers, parents, priests, and catechists to visit them at the seminary and to talk about the Sacrament of Holy Orders and to show them both the seminarians and the seminary. Scot also recalled that today is the anniversary of the events of 9/11/2001. Fr. Chris read a prayer of remembrance for 9/11. 2nd segment: Scot said Susan Abbott is here today not as a co-host but as director of religious education for the Archdiocese. Kathy Curley said she has been working in parish religious education for 16 years at St. Paul’s in Wellesley. She said she started as part-time, but over the years the parish has grown significantly and it has become a full-time position and she now has an assistant. Fr. Chris asked why the parish is experiencing such growth. Kathy discussed the parish’s family Mass, social time for families, and how they work with families’ schedules. Scot asked how many children they have registered. Kathy said they have 525 registered as of today, but they expect over 650 when finally registered. They have more than 50 catechists, but they expect to need even more. When parents drop off their kids, they will ask them to stay, to sit in on a class, and they can see how much support there is for the catechists and how it isn’t so daunting. Fr. chris asked what are the highlights of St. Paul’s religious education. Kathy said during the family Mass, the pastor brings the children up around the sanctuary during the homily, when he asks them questions and gets them involved. After Mass, there is a social time with a lot of parents involved. Following that, there is a Sunday session of religious education. During the week, they have a Wednesday afternoon program as well to give parents an option. For older students they have Sunday afternoons and evenings. Scot asked Susan how many catechetical leaders there are in the archdiocese. Susan said they don’t know the exact split of full-time and part-time, but out of 288 parishes about 280 have religious education programs. (For example, Our Lady of Victory in downtown Boston doesn’t.). They have about 435 listed as catechetical leaders because some parishes have multiple leaders who take charge of certain grades. Most of them are part-time. Susan said there are several parishes where the religious ed program is directed by a deacon. A few parishes have the pastor listed as the contact person, but there isn’t more than a handful where the pastor or parochial vicar is solely responsible. Across the archdiocese, there are about 11,000 catechists covering kindergarten to Grade 12 and not adult formation. There are about 122,000 students in those age ranges. Scot said there’s a ratio of about 11–12 kids per catechist. Kathy said that’s the perfect size class for one person, especially for people who are not professional educators. However, a lot of the catechists are sharing classes, teaching every other week, for example. The average class is about 18 and professional teachers will get even more students. Kathy pointed out that one of Susan’s daughters is a catechist in her parish. Fr. Chris said he’s often making the announcement from the altar during Masses that they need more catechists. He asked how they convince people it’s something they’re capable of doing? Kathy said the best advertising is their own peer group. She said she sees friends and parishioners at the supermarket running the other way when they see her. Susan said she’s recruited many a catechist in line at the supermarket. But Kathy said she asks teachers already involved to talk to their friends and maybe even ask them to plan one Advent or Lent activity which they can see go well. Kathy said she often hears from a first-timers the objection that they don’t feel qualified. But Kathy asks them to sit with her one-on-one and to show them the material. She encourages them that she doesn’t know everything either. She also noted the importance of preparing for lesson because children pick up on that. So they give plenty of resources to the catechists. She said there are plenty of good resources like short videos that stimulate discussion. Fr. Chris asked Susan some of the benefits of being a catechist. She borrowed a line from the Peace Corps: It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love. She said we’re all called to be an evangelizer, but we’re not all called to be a catechist. However, those who do answer the call are mentored by catechetical leaders and then should spend time in prayer and with the teacher’s manual. Susan said in the end that we are handing on the faith of Christ. How can we not be in love with this idea? Then considering that some of the kids in class won’t be in Mass on Sunday, you are the face of the Church to them. Susan said they get 24 hours per year to educate them in their faith compared to the thousands of hours of school. These children need to know that God loves them. Quoting John Paul II, the whole point of catechesis is not just to put people in communion, but in intimacy with Jesus Christ. Scot said we want to teach them that Jesus is not just a historical figure, but is alive today and loves them infinitely. Susan said catechists make a deep commitment, being there for the kids week after week after week. They are not just showing up, but are spending plenty of time preparing for each class. Kathy said she tells the catechists to preach the Gospel every day and if necessary to use words. They will teach through their love and nurturing and caring. If they are witnesses to Christ in their lives, they will teach better and get their points across even when there are questions you can’t answer. Kathy said a great way to keep young people involved after confirmation is to get them to volunteer as catechists. She even has young people who started in religious education when she did 16 years ago who are now catechists. Kathy said summer is a tough time for recruiting, so they ask people in March and April if they’d like to come back next year as catechists. She also starts preparing for people who retire from teaching catechism. She has one volunteer who has been teaching for 16 years and is finishing up his time teaching. So they always look to have extra teachers at every grade. That’s especially true in second and third grade for preparing for the sacraments. And if they get ten more students in late September at the last minute, they’ll need another teacher. Kathy also said that 7th and 8th grade is a tough slot to fill, so they have changed the program to put all the students together and have a team of 3 teachers. They also have parents who are willing to be small group facilitators. Fr. Chris talked about how it’s essential to go to both religious education and Mass. He said it’s like going to all the football practices and not playing in the game itself. He asked Susan about Catechesi Tradendae, the apostolic exhortation that Pope John Paul II wrote about catechesis in our time which was one of the first things he wrote as Pope. Susan said it was published on the first anniversary of his election as pope. She said she often pointed out in budget meetings this quote: As the 20th century draws to a close, the Church is bidden by God and by events - each of them a call from Him - to renew her trust in catechetical activity as a prime aspect of her mission. She is bidden to offer catechesis her best resources in people and energy, without sparing effort, toil or material means, in order to organize it better and to train qualified personnel. She also noted this quote: Accordingly, the definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity. We are telling the story of 2,000 years of our faith, the Good News of Jesus Christ, and we have to proclaim it with joy. Yes, we have issues, but if we can’t proclaim this message with joy, then just turn out the lights. Scot asked Kathy about the joys of being a catechetical leader at St. Paul’s. She gets joy from meeting people, including parents who tell her how enthused their kids are at learning their faith. she also pleased by the class they’ve developed for students with special needs who wouldn’t otherwise be coming to religious education. Scot asked Susan how parishes mark Catechetical Sunday. She said some parishes will do a commissioning of the catechists at Mass on Sunday. She said the Sunday being marked on the third Sunday of September was started by the Holy Father in 1935. The theme for Catechetical Sunday this year is Teachers and Catechists as Agents of the New Evangelization and the USCCB has a treasure trove of free resources on their website (see link above.) She said this is heady stuff because if we don’t hand on the faith, it won’t continue on. Kathy said many of us could go back in time and pick out one person who told us one thing that sticks with us that caught our attention about our faith.

Summary of today’s show: The Year of Faith is coming up quick and a group of lay volunteers, led by Chuck Alfano, in the Diocese of Springfield have organized a conference to help prepare. Scot Landry talks with Chuck and emcee Matt Weber about the genesis of the conference and the star-studded lineup of speakers, including Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Jeff Cavins, and Patrick Madrid. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Chuck Alfano and Matt Weber Links from today’s show: Preparing for the Year of Faith & The New Evangelization Conference Annus Fidei (Vatican Year of Faith website) Year of Faith Boston “A Word with Weber”, CatholicTV Fearing the Stigmata: Humorously Holy Stories of a Young Catholic’s Search for a Culturally Relevant Faith by Matt Weber Today’s topics: Year of Faith Conference in Springfield 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed listeners to the show. He mentioned that today is World Suicide Prevention Day, but in Massachusetts we’re facing a ballot initiative on November 6 that would legalize physician-assisted suicide. He asked people to pray for a defeat of Question 2. Scot said he’s a big supporter of big Catholic conferences and in Springfield, Mass., which is about an hour and a half from Boston, they will have a big conference for Preparing for the Year of Faith and The New Evangelization. Chuck Alfano is the event coordinator. Scot asked him how the idea for the conference came about. Chuck said he had the idea for the conference overnight but it’s taken nine months of planning. He’s studying for a Master’s degree in theology and ministry and complained to a professor of a lack of Bible study programs and the professor told him to stop whining and get working. Once he had the idea for the conference, he started calling around to venues and calling potential speakers. Scot said it’s an A-list of Catholic speakers, including Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Patrick Madrid, Jeff Cavins, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Sr. Jane Morrissey, and Matt Weber. The conference is on September 22. Matt Weber said he will be emceeing the evening, as well as talking about his new book “Fearing the Stigmata”. Scot said looking at the list of speakers, it appears everything went right for him which would be a sign of the Holy Spirit’s favor. Why are they coming to Springfield? Chuck said many of them don’t get to New England very often and saw this as an opportunity to come up this way. The Year of Faith begins October 11. Why did Chuck want to pick a date before the start of the event. Chuck said he went through every diocesan calendar to make sure there were no conflicts, but he also wanted to give people time to prepare for the Year of Faith. There will be events throughout the Year so this is an opportunity to get a jumpstart. This conference was created by lay volunteers. Scot asked Chuck why he picked Symphony Hall. He said it’s centrally located in downtown Springfield with comfortable seating. Speaking of singing, Vinny Flynn from MercySong will sing the Divine Mercy chaplet a cappella in the morning. Scot asked Matt what he hopes young adults will get from the Year of Faith. Matt said he grew up in Springfield and feels a connection to Western Massachusetts. He’s excited to welcome people to Springfield and showcase the charism, graces, and joys of the diocese. It’s an opportunity come together as a community of Catholics throughout Massachusetts. Who doesn’t want to celebrate a year of something so important to us. Matt said he’s been living in Cambridge for the last five or six years as he’s been in school and working there. Scot and Matt talked about how long it takes to get from Cambridge to Springfield, noting that it already takes a half hour just to get in the city of Boston so an hour and a half is nothing. He noted that Springfield has a lot to recommend it, including the Basketball Hall of Fame. Chuck said he wanted this to be a regional conference, not just a diocesan conference, because as he said these speakers don’t get out this way very often. They’ve sent packets to 1,100 parishes throughout New England and are sending people out this weekend to many parishes throughout the region to sell tickets. 2nd segment: Scot said the first speaker is Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ, the host of EWTN Live. Chuck said Fr. Mitch was supposed to attend a men’s conference in Springfield in April but had to cancel at the last minute so he was very open to coming again.They talked about Fr. Pacwa’s background. He’s a founder of Ignatius Productions and holds a doctorate. He will be available for a book signing and will be celebrating the Mass. Chuck said the next speaker is Patrick Madrid, who is a great apologist and is great at explaining the Church’s teachings. Matt said one of Madrid’s books is a Catholic Challenge to Modern Atheism. Jeff Cavins, the third speaker, is president of Ascension Press and is an author of the Great Adventure: A Journey through the Bible. It takes the reader through the Bible in a chronological manner. Chuck said one of the reasons for the conference is to raise money for those Bible study programs he complained about to his professor. Jeff Cavin’s books on Amazon.com Matt said Jeff was the producer of Life On the Rock on EWTN, a show for young adults, and he was once the understudy for Mother Angelica. Marcellino D’Ambrosio is a native of Rhode Island and lives in Fort Worth, Texas, now. chuck said he did his doctoral dissertation under Avery Cardinal Dulles. Chuck said D’Ambrosio is founder of the Crossroads Initiative, which provides new resources for adult faith formation. Matt said he’s created a series of segments for CatholicTV on the Year of Faith that will begin airing soon. He said whatever our skills, we need to chip in and get the word out. 3rd segment: Chuck said Sr. Jane Morrissey is a local Springfield Sister of St. Joseph who has worked in education and started a program called the HomeWork House for kids who need help with homework and don’t have the resources at home. She’s also worked in programs that benefit poor Latino families. Matt said his aunt is also a Sister of St. Joseph. He said Homework House is where his mother volunteered for many years and brought back many inspiring stories. Her topic is “Joy and Hope: the Gospel for the Modern World”. Sr. Jane just lost her sister to cancer a few weeks ago and they worked together on the talk together. Gaudium et Spes, one of the four major documents of Vatican II, will be a primary part of her talk. Scot asked Matt Weber about his story. About three years ago he started producing short “Andrew Rooney style” messages about a man in his 20s living out his Catholic faith. It’s not easy to live your life as a young person today and so he’s going to talk to about how to live out the same story he has. The health of the Church in the next generation of Catholics is still strong. Scot said one of the main reasons Pope Benedict called for a Year of Faith is because there is a crisis of faith. It’s not that there are more atheists or agnostics than before, but that we’re diluting the way we live our faith that way we’re called. This isn’t unique to Catholicism. Scot said for young people, it’s cool to be spiritual, but not a member of a religious organization. Matt said looking at the media, you can see a lot of negative coverage of the Church. He was on WBZ’s Nightside with Dan Rea and asked why the good things aren’t covered by the media. Dan said it’s because the media covers plane crashes, not planes landing well. So it’s a steady diet of bad news about the Church and nobody at 17 wants to be a part of something not cool. It’s cool to say that maybe there’s a God, but not to commit to anything. Matt said he wants to tell them that it is cool to go to Mass and connect with Jesus Christ in the sacraments. chuck said the Year of Faith is for us to renew our faith, especially those of us going to Mass now, but we also need to know how to talk about our faith to those who have left. Matt talked about having gone to Catholic school for 20 years and then going to Harvard and getting challenged by classmates for being religious. Being challenged made him re-examine his faith and learn how to defend his faith. It was like going through a new confirmation preparation. Then Chuck talked about getting of high school and going into the military and how he stopped going to church. Twenty years later his sister told him their father’s dying wish was for them to return to the Church. They found a priest on a Sunday morning to hear their confession and they went to Mass. Two hours later, their faith died in Chuck’s arms. Chuck said there were group tickets available as well as individual tickets. Matt volunteered that during lunch he will pay the Mass Pike tolls for the first 10 people who ask him. Chuck said during the afternoon there will be an open panel for the spacers. Scot said he would give $50 to anyone who can a question about the Catholic faith that will stump the panel.

Summary of today’s show: Jaymie Stuart Wolfe was called to serve on a grand jury for three months earlier this year and the experience left her with 16 distinct insights as seen through her Catholic faith into our culture and human nature. Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell discuss her unique take on a process most people will only see in TV legal dramas, but can be applied to every person’s life. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Jaymie Stuart Wolfe Links from today’s show: “A jury of my peers”, Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, The Pilot, 7/20/12 Today’s topics: Insights learned while serving on a grand jury 1st segment: Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell discussed the upcoming annual Red Mass and luncheon for the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Boston. Fr. Mark is the chaplain for the local guild. This year’s speaker is Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey. The Red Mass is celebrated by the Cardinal at the cathedral. This year it is September 30 at 11:30am. Rep. Smith is well known within the pro-life movement. The website with information about the Red Mass and luncheon is Catholic Lawyers Guild of Boston 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Jaymie Stuart Wolfe to the show. She works as an editor of children’s books at Pauline Books and Media and has been writing a column for The Pilot for the past 17 years. Jaymie wrote a column in July about her experience serving on a grand jury. She said in Massachusetts grand jury is a three-month commitment, 3 to 4 days per week almost full-time. She clarified that this is a separate summons than the usual jury duty. The reason it’s such a long commitment is because it takes so long to get the members of the jury up to speed. You are called to consider major crimes and their duty is to be a check on the government. They are a safeguard to prevent people from being railroaded on the basis of insufficient accusations. The grand jury considers the evidence of the prosecutor. There are 23 jurors and 3 more alternates. The judge does not judge reasonable doubt, but instead consider probable cause. They only hear from the prosecutor to see their evidence. You don’t hear from the defense. Then they weigh whether it’s probable to believe that this person committed this crime. You have to connect the dots from the crime to the person. They vote to find a majority. She said it could become heated at times, but it was cordial. One of the challenges is that evidence isn’t presented all at once, so they have to keep notebooks for weeks, hearing evidence one day and then again several weeks later. She said a bond forms among the jurors even such they’re having a reunion today. You see in the jury room interacting with people in very positive ways and not just the jurors but also the people work work in the criminal justice system. Jaymie said the jurors can ask questions directly of the witnesses. They also came to know the assistant district attorneys very well in their work. She noted that they were in Woburn two days per week, two days per week in Lowell and in Natick once per month. One day in Lowell there was a witness who’d seen a stabbing. Her personal life was a mess, but she was there to testify for her friend and to help her out. Jaymie said the prosecutor was able to humanize the witness to the jury through her testimony. She said about eighty percent of the cases they saw would not end up in court, but would be settled. But the success rate of convictions for those that do is over eighty percent. In her column, Jaymie wrote about sixteen things she’s learned: If someone is a drug addict, homeless, or has been convicted of a crime, it is still possible for that person to be a victim. Sin is real. People routinely do terrible things to each other. They also tolerate terrible things being done to them for a chance to be loved. Virtue and selflessness are also real. People often come to the aid of a stranger at great personal risk. The amount of child sexual assault reported is astonishing. I can only imagine what goes unreported. Jaymie said the first thing speaks to our perceptions of the poor and not just the materially poor. People can be victims no matter what they look like, sound like or even smell like. Fr. Mark asked about the judges or prosecutors becoming jaded. She found that they were all quite sympathetic and theorized that those who do move on to other jobs. You do see that sin is ver real. Not every sin is a crime, but every crime involves sin. There are a lot of terrible things that go on and you may not be aware of it. We tolerate evil and disrespect because we hope for better. She said it as rare even in the rape cases that there victim didn’t know the perpetrator. But she wanted to be loved or believed it could be better. Police, prosecutors, state and federal agents, forensic interviewers, court reporters, computer experts, accountants, and lab technicians engaged in law enforcement have a high level of professionalism and dedication to their jobs. None of them gets the respect they deserve. People from intact families are far less likely to commit a crime or be the victim of one. Victims of crime are among the most courageous people you could meet. A very high percentage of criminal activity involves drugs or alcohol in some way. Jaymie said of the 150 or so cases, she could count on one hand the number of cases that involved an intact family: a mom, dad, and children living in the same house. The breakdown of families leads people either to act out or to become victims. It puts you in jeopardy. It puts you at risk. The risk for divorce also puts you at risk for so many other things and into a world where criminal activity is so much more common. Mayhem is a felony. On the whole, bank robbers are probably the dumbest criminals. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or hanging out with the wrong people can cost you your life. The overwhelming majority of criminals are men, and the overwhelming majority of victims are women. Jaymie said mayhem is injuring someone in a way that disfigures them intentionally. Slashing someone on the arm is assault and battery, but across the face is mayhem. It’s disfigurement or dismemberment. She also said that bank robbers always get caught. There are cameras everywhere, marked bills, ink packs and more, and then you don’t get the money you think you’re going to get. They get a few hundred dollars and are caught within minutes. Jaymie said in violent or serious crimes men are almost certainly the perpetrators and it will be a woman who is the victim. There were maybe a dozen cases where women where perpetrators and even then it was usually a joint venture crime with a man. Fr. Mark asked about the men and women on the jury. Jaymie said there were differences were in how they got to the decisions, but they usually came to the same conclusions. Nobody wakes up one morning and rapes a child. There has to be a long line of other choices that brings a person to a day on which something like that becomes possible. People can change, but most never do. The worst day of your life can lead you to make the changes that could have prevented that day from ever happening. I have more in common with every defendant I have voted to indict than I will ever be willing to admit. On Number 15, Jaymie said when someone is the victim of s tremendous act of violence they were in a state of mind–drunk, high, out to the early hours–that could bring them to the place where they said they want to make a change. In some domestic violence cases, some women have woken up one morning and decided that this is the rock bottom and now I’ve got to change and do something different. Some people were brought to a moment where their lives changed because they found themselves in a place they never planned to be. On those who can change but don’t, they often saw cases involving people who were habitual criminals, who kept offending over and over again. On the last point, under some of those circumstances that she saw which she doesn’t share in a daily basis, maybe she would act the same way or make the same decisions. She has much more in common with both criminals and victims than she has in common with God and that’s why we need confession. Scot asked Jaymie how this has affected her faith. For her, evidence was what she heard from people. It was the compelling story someone made of the facts. When she thinks of sharing faithful she wants to be a good wittiness that testifies in a way that’s honest enough or detailed enough. She wants to be able to share what happened to her, not just her thoughts or insights about God; what God has done for her. She remembers how some victims weren’t compelling in their stories, even though they were true victims. She wanted victims to tell her how much it hurt them. One of the most compelling witnesses was a 15-year-old boy who was able to communicate clearly and without embellishment the horrific violence he saw. It’s really easy to put up a persona and tell the story you wish was yours. Just tell your story. Scot said Pope Benedict says the beginning o the New Evangelization is not testifying, but is having a deep conversion and relationship with Christ. He suggested those to pray for the Holy Spirit to enter into a deeper relationship. Scot noted that part of being a good homilist is being able to tell a good story. Fr. Mark said he can see the people when he preaches and the key is not just to tell a story, but to relate it in some way to every person in the church. It’s not about what the priest says, but what about the person hears and that’s up to God. 3rd segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. First Reading for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 9, 2012 (Isaiah 35:4–7a) Thus says the LORD: Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water. Gospel for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 9, 2012 (Mark 7:31–37) Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”– that is, “Be opened!” – And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Scot said we are not called to be mute about God in our life. Jaymie said the people around this man knew him as someone who was mute, but he experienced life as someone who couldn’t hear. Jesus cures what the community sees about this man, but what they don’t see about him. Fr. Mark noted how Jesus’ care is not generic, but it’s very personal. In other cases, Jesus just says be healed and the man is healed. Another man is only healed gradually. But in this case, the man needed to be touched by Jesus. Jesus brings people along individually. Jaymie notes how the man himself doesn’t ask because he can’t ask. He is brought to Jesus by other people. Jaymie said Jesus might have groaned because what he saw wasn’t right, it was not in accord with the way God wanted things to be. They discussed why Jesus might have told them not to tell anyone. Fr. Mark said elsewhere Jesus adds, “until I am risen”. Scot noted that this passage is not an excuse not to witness to God in our lives.