The Good Catholic Life

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Wayne Cockfield Links from today’s show: SuicideIsAlwaysATragedy.org Today’s topics: Physician-assisted suicide Summary of today’s show: Proponents of physician-assisted suicide are pushing a ballot initiative in Massachusetts this November and Wayne Cockfield, a disabled Vietnam veteran and vice-president of National Right to Life, sits down with Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell to talk about this dangerous expansion of the culture of death. Wayne tells Scot and Fr. Mark that such a law would strip constitutional protections from another class of citizens—the disabled, elderly, and sick—and create pressures on them to seek death for the convenience of others. 1st segment: Scot and Fr. Mark caught up on their past week. Fr. Mark was in Baltimore this week working on behalf of the Canon Law Society of America. It was the board of governors meeting held at the Baltimore airport so it wasn’t very glamorous, but he did get to gloat a little at the Patriots beating the Baltimore Ravens. Scot said this November, Massachusetts will get to vote on a proposed law that would legalize doctor-prescribed suicide. We’re beginning our coverage of this issue with Wayne Cockfield, vice-president on medical ethics for the National Right to Life and their representative at the United Nations. He speaking to the Mass. Citizens for Life assembly this Sunday at Fanueil Hall. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcome Wayne to the show. He is a Vietnam veteran and former US Marine. Wayne said he was born and raised in South Carolina and a 13th generation South Carolinian. He had an ancestor on the first ship at the founding of Charleston. Scot asked him about his experience in Vietnam and how it prepared him to speak up for disabled Americans’ rights and the right to life. Wayne joined the Marine Corps in 1969 and was sent to Vietnam. He was eventually promoted to Sargent at 20 years old. during a river patrol on rubber rafts, they were ambushed and an explosive threw him 20 to 30 feet in the air. He was riddled with shrapnel. A helicopter had just enough room to get into a clearing nearby with the rotors actually hitting leaves. He was literally in the field hospital within 10-15 minutes after being wounded and that is what saved him. He stayed conscious the whole time and he still believes that if he lost consciousness he’d have died. He spent more than 2 years in the hospital and had 27 surgeries. He is now an amputee and in a wheelchair. He suffered massive pain that went on for days and weeks and months. When people talk about pain in relation to assisted suicide, he understands pain at least as well as anyone in this country and he knows suicide is not appropriate pain treatment. When he got home, it took 4 to 5 years to have the stamina even to do normal daily tasks. This was about the time of the abortion wars in the early 70s. He’d left behind the culture of death in war to America which was steeped in a new culture of death. He decided right then to join t he battle on the part of life. Wayne started in the pro-life movement at the local level in Columbia, South Carolina and quickly became a spokesman against abortion. He would say that if they continued to kill unborn children, it would lead to one day killing our grandmothers. Devaluing some life leads to devaluing all life. Once society gets used to killing—and as a combat Marine he knows you get used to killing—we would have euthanasia. We’re already at the bottom of the slippery slope, killing disabled babies, grandmas, the terminally ill. Scot said doctor-prescribed suicide will be a ballot initiative in all likelihood in Massachusetts. He asked how is it different from some of the other life issues and how is it the same? Wayne said doctor-prescribed suicide is a form of euthanasia. He said euthanasia is not for dying people. It’s for those who will not die, the “biologically tenacious”. We’re not talking about whether or not to kill—that decision was made in 1973 with the Roe V. Wade decision that took constitutional protections away from a class of citizens, unborn babies—now some are pushing to take those rights away from another class of citizens. Why do they want to do this? Because of the cost to keep you alive and some calculation about the quality of life. Scot said doctors should be involved in healing people, not killing people. Wayne said there are good doctors and not-so-good doctors and they are pushing the death ethic in this country. There are pro-life doctors who do not want to be pressured to be involved in euthanasia. Wayne talked about doctors who tell him how they feel pressure from other doctors not to give life-saving treatment to chronically ill patients. Wayne said his mother died last year and said before that, a hospice worker asked if he wanted to remove his mother’s medicine to hasten her death. Fr. Mark asked a question and Scot replied that the reason we’re talking about removing medication is because advocates of assisted suicide are saying that since it’s already happening surreptitiously then we should legalize it. Wayne said there’s a presumption for death in this country. What is a good quality of life? It’s a subjective term. It could mean anything. If a person is unconscious, they can’t say they would want to live in a wheelchair, for instance. And perhaps they wouldn’t even know in the midst of the pain that later on they would have wanted to go on. By saying that someone who is in a wheelchair or is blind or the like, then they don’t have a good quality of life, and thus devalue the lives of millions of disabled and elderly. Wayne cited a study in Oregon where assisted suicide is legal, that 26% of those who died under the law was clinically depressed, but they were never treated for the depression. Scot said in Massachusetts, if this becomes legal, there will be incredible pressure on people to choose suicide in order to be “loving” to those who take care of them or watch them suffer. He cited Pope John Paul II who said that suffering is not good in itself, but it is good in that it unleashes love in those around you. You become Christ in distressing disguise. Fr. Mark asked if we’re talking about a right for the person to ask a doctor for this or a right of a family member. Scot said the ballot question says a person can ask with two witnesses—not necessarily someone who knows them, but who can say that they have the mental capacity to ask. But this could be anyone. Wayne said this law could pass as voluntary suicide, but the first court case will expand to include non-voluntary, incompetent person as chosen by a surrogate. This has happened elsewhere. The precedent would be that it would be required under the equal protection clause. Scot summarized Wayne’s point as saying that mentally incompetent patients would have a legal guardian appointed who make the decision for them to have a suicide pill. Scot said to Fr. Mark that the bill has no provision to require any kind of witness to ensure that the pill is not forced down someone’s throat. Wayne said physician-assisted suicide is not suicide, it is killing and the doctor would be guilty of murder if not in this world, then in the next. This is not a free choice for someone. No one would say a 20-year-old woman who broke up with her boyfriend could go to a doctor for a suicide pill. So it’s not about freedom. There’s only a small group of people that this “freedom” is offered to: the disabled. Wayne cited a court case about a 20-year-old disabled woman who asked for food and water to be withdrawn from her so she would die after her husband left her and she won. She won only because she was disabled. This shows a prejudice and bias against the disabled. Scot said research shows that people who get diagnosed with a terminal illness very commonly get depressed. And those depressed people will get lots of pressure. It’s in the insurance companies’ best interest for people not to linger until death. Wayne said the most cost-effective outcome of terminal illness is early death. In Oregon, the suicide cocktail costs $40 to the taxpayer. Scot said it’s often unclear where the assisted suicide proponents are getting their funding. Scot said one of the strongest arguments of the proponents is that it’s about the control and autonomy of the ill at the end of life, but the reality is that control and autonomy are taken away by the pressure to choose to die “on their own terms”. It’s not just a religious issue. Wayne said the right to die, becomes the duty to die. The people who are the targets of doctor-prescribed suicide will expand. The future will be a nightmare if we keep going down this road in this nation. We keep restricting who is eligible for our freedoms in this country. Scot said the more suicide becomes acceptable, what happens is that, as it has in Oregon, suicide of all kinds go up. In that state, suicide is the number two form of death among young people. Suicide becomes more acceptable in society because we’re saying it’s okay to think that way. Fr. Mark said he wants to talk about the restriction of extreme measures and the Church’s teaching on that. It’s not that we never allow someone to die. Prescribing a pill to someone to take is different. Wayne said doctor-assisted suicide is for those who are not dying or not dying right now. He said the people who are the targets of doctor-assisted suicide, the disabled and sick, are not the ones pushing for this. So who is pushing for this? Scot said the proponents of the bill were able to get enough signatures to put it before the Legislature. If they do not act on it, then with some more signatures, it will be put on the ballot in November. The exact language that will be on the ballot has not yet been decided, but we will be asking people to vote No on the ballot question. Fr. Mark asked how Massachusetts is perceived on this issue. Wayne said this is just the latest battleground, but they’re fighting this all over the United States. He’s had legislators ask him whether we should be compassionate to people. Compassion means “to suffer with.” Medical abandonment is not compassion. Wayne is speaking at the Assembly For Life, on Sunday 2-4pm at Fanueil Hall. As a final thought, Wayne said we have a choice in this society. We can have a society that values life or a predatory society where innocent are put to death. 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 Sunday, January 29, 2012, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Deuteronomy 18:15-20) Moses spoke to all the people, saying: “A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen. This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.’ And the LORD said to me, ‘This was well said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him. Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it. But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.’” Gospel for Sunday, January 29, 2012, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 1:21-28) Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are?the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. Scot said it’s not the easiest readings for priests and deacons to preach on, but the main theme is prophets who speak in God’s name. In the first reading, there is discussion of true and false prophets and in the gospel, we hear that Jesus was so different from all the good prophets because he taught as one who has authority. The God who judged the good and false prophets is the one now speaking himself. Fr. Mark noted that there are false prophets today, including those who are saying that assisted suicide is good. We too must drive the false prophets from our midst. The demon-afflicted man challenge Jesus, what do you have to do with us? But we too can ask what Jesus has to do with us in that how well do we choose to accept his teaching authority. Fr. Mark said you often hear from people who challenge us for speaking up for truth and the Gospel, “What do you have to do with us?” Keep your religion to yourself. But we preach the truth and truth is always relevant. Scot said we are so anti-authoritarian in our society. But we have total freedom when we acknowledge God’s authority and choose to be obedient to him. Are we willing to obey the teaching authority of the Church? Scot said Sunday begins Catholic Schools Week. Our Catholic schools do such a wonderful job forming people to be well-formed adults and citizens. He asked to express appreciation to every single principal and teacher we encounter.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, executive editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Fall River diocese; and Gregory Tracy, managing editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese 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: Transitional deacons; Archdiocese’s annual report; Catholic schools; March for Life roundup Summary of today’s show: Scot Landry and Susan Abbott review this week’s headlines with Gregory Tracy and Fr. Roger Landry, including the ordination of transitional deacons; the release of the Archdiocese’s annual financial report; Fr. Roger’s editorial on how all Americans should realize the value of Catholic schools to our nation; and a roundup from this week’s March for Life. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Susan to the show and said they were recording Thursday morning. After the show, Susan was heading to an afternoon meeting with religious educators to discuss the topic of pastoral planning in the archdiocese. Scot said we will have a show coming up on the second round of pastoral planning. He said listeners can go to PastoralPlanning2012.com and see the current list of proposed grouping of parishes throughout the Archdiocese. The idea is to expose the thinking of the pastoral planning commission to receive many responses and thus incorporate all the feedback into further recommendations to Cardinal Seán. Susan emphasized that nothing is carved in stone and that they are looking for constructive criticism. Susan also said she is counting down the days until her newest grandchild is born. Her daughter, the youngest of her children, is due to have her first baby at any time. 2nd segment: Scot and Susan welcomed Gregory Tracy and Fr. Roger Landry to the show. On the front page of the Pilot this week is the ordination of seven men as transitional deacons by Cardinal Seán last Saturday. Eric F. Cadin, Felipe de Jesus Gonzales, John J. Healy, Adrian A. Milik, and Brother Michael F. Sheehan, FPO, were ordained for Boston. Matthew Skal Peter Guidi was ordained for the Diocese of Springfield and Brother John M. Luong was ordained for the Oblates of the Virgin Mary. Greg recounted his experience covering the story. He recalled that it was snowing, but the Cathedral was still two-thirds full and it’s a testimony that people came out on this horrible day to see this ordination. “Of course in the Church’s way of preparing men for priestly ministry part of the itinerary is to be deacons. So, this celebration today puts them on that journey to priesthood, even closer, and underscores the fact that ministry is about service, about answering a call to serve the Lord, and the poor at the altar, and to be at the service of the word of God,” Cardinal O’Malley said. Scot said last week, Fr. Roger said that these men will always be deacons. Susan said it struck her too that the diaconate will always be part of their priesthood. Fr. Roger said the ordination of Jason Brilliante in Fall River was thinly attended unfortunately because they had about 11 inches of snow. Scot said the priestly ordination in Boston will be in late June this year. Annual Report page on the Archdiocesan website Scot said the Archdiocese has released its latest annual report. Back in 2006, when the archdiocese released its first report, it made national news because never before had a diocese released so much information. Now it’s a non-story. This is for fiscal year 2011 which ended last June. It covers the Corporation SOle, which includes parishes and central ministries. The budget was balanced and net assets increased by $31 million because of investment performance and net contributions in parishes grew 3%. Enrollment in Catholic schools increased for the first time in 20 years. Parishes involved in the first phase of the financial relationship model also got a very successful start with an overall net increase in operating funds of $1.2 million. Greg recalled the initial financial report media coverage and noted that over time it has become commonplace. Cardinal Seán had seen alack of trust of the Church, especially in finances and he felt it was important to have a full accounting to the people. He has kept that commitment every year, even if it takes more or less time to finish the report. They do release vast amounts of information every year and it doesn’t make the news because there’s no remarkable in the figures. The money is used the way they say it is. Scot said the report has been released in January this year and previously it had been at least April before it got out. It takes a lot of work to combine all the parishes and other institutions into one financial report. Scot and Susan discussed the difficult cuts that had to be made to get to a balanced budget. Susan appreciated the comment from the article that the Pastoral Center ensures a culture of service. Scot said there’s a budget report on the diocesan website that shows how the budget gets allocated to the central ministries. Scot said the Church has a responsibility to be good stewards of the generosity of the people. 3rd segment: Scot said Catholic Schools Week starts next week and the Pilot has a 32-page special edition next week. Greg said they run stories from many students from as many schools as they can. It gives people an insight into what’s happening in schools across the archdiocese. Scot said this is the time that many parents think about what they’re going to do for their kids next fall. Catholic schools give good whole-person formation and it’s an environment that welcomes the mention of Jesus. Susan said many schools are having open houses next week to get to know the local schools. Fr. Roger’s editorial this week discusses the benefit of Catholic schools to our entire country because it has been engine of assimilation for millions of immigrant children, forming them into good citizens, especially in our urban neighborhoods, helping them excel. They do this not because the Church has a secret teaching method, but because of the selfless dedication of so many teaching religious brothers and sisters and now laity. Catholic schools made the American dream achievable for millions. The ranks of policemen, firefighters, the military, and our political class are filled with graduates of Catholic schools. There shouldn’t be competition between government and Catholic schools. Scot said Catholic schools face financial trouble, not other kinds of trouble. Many of the teaching orders have had their ranks thinned and they have been replaced by lay teachers, but they need more pay and benefits to support their lives and families. As a result, tuitions have risen from a nominal amount to somewhere around $4000 per year. Many families can’t afford the cost. Fr. Roger’s editorial quoted Archbishop Charles Chaput’s comments when he had to close about 25% of the schools in Philadelphia about where the anger should be directed. Many parents and others are angry at the blue ribbon commission that recommended the closings, but he said they should instead be angry at the legislatures who voted down a school vouchers bill that came before them last year and at the teachers’ union that lobbied against it. If the bill had passed, many of these schools would not have to close. The voucher bill would have redirected the local property tax of parents sending their kids to private schools to the schools where their kids are going. Fr. Roger said this would also create a system of competition because now parents have a choice and schools will have to succeed. Scot said the Catholic school system gets better results than public schools and everyone should want to support that. He also noted the anti-Catholic laws on the books that forbid any state funds from going to Catholic schools specifically. 4th segment: It’s time to announce this week’s winner of the WQOM Benefactor Raffle. Our prizes this week are the book “Infinite Bandwidth: Encountering Christ in the Media” by Dr. Eugene Gan and two audio CDs by Fr. Larry Richards, “The Mass Explained” and “Confession”. This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Mark DiMarzo from Stoneham, MA. Congratulation, Mark! 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. 5th segment: Scot said there are two stories on the March for Life pilgrimage from Boston this past weekend. Greg and reporter Chris Pineo accompanied the pilgrims. Greg said they do a tag team approach to covering the March because it is so big. Greg stays with the cardinal and Chris stays with a group of pilgrims on the buses. The Cardinal often attends different events so they want to cover his activities. He did join the pilgrims on several occasions for the liturgies and the March itself. Greg said it was a rainy walk, but there was a palpable sense of joy, especially among the young people. Scot commented on Chris’ story on the reactions of pilgrims visiting the historic sites in DC, including the Lincoln Memorial. “This place makes me feel inspired and it’s very big. It shows what this country has come through and what we have been through and how we have overcome challenges,” Savannah Bynum, freshman at Central Catholic, said. Bynham said she hopes someone will step forward to lead the United States away from the tragedy of abortion, like the Great Emancipator led the country away from the tragedy of slavery. “It makes me think that one person, one inspiring person, can make a difference,” Bynham said. As Brother Rene D. Roy read Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address tears rolled down his face. “After those very heart-felt thoughts about who we are, and what our destiny is on this planet, it just seems like it is falling apart,” he said, descending the steps where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in 1963. “But with the firm resolve and the dedication of those who have gone before us we shall overcome that,” Brother Rene said. He looked around at the students with whom he came to the capital to stand against abortion. “There is a lot of hope in these young people, but there are times when it just seems so degenerated, but it will be rejuvenated like the park will be rebuilt,” he said. Crews worked at the $31.6 million repairs to the reflecting pool, as Brother Rene walked back toward the bus. “I think this just gives us a great challenge to face. We are not facing Roman persecution, but we are facing a kind of more subtle dissolution of the established message of Jesus, the established ways of the past,” Brother Rene said. “But there is always hope that is why we’re here, as long as we are alive there is hope,” Brother Rene said. Photos from the March by George Martell Photos from the March by Gregory Tracy Scot noted a story in the Anchor this week about an increase in the number of babies saved from abortion last year in the Boston area. Fr. Roger said he felt it important to not that these 117 children saved could grow up to save so many more in their lives. If you save one person, you can save a whole nation, according to an old Jewish saying. Greg said also in the Pilot this week is a column from Fr. Roger on physician-assisted suicide and the Pilot will be covering this issue in the coming weeks and months to help people get the full story. Fr. Roger said in the Anchor this week is a story about an appeals court that overturned a lower court ruling that was going to force her to have an abortion against her will because she has a mental illness.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Domenico Bettinelli Links from today’s show: Silence and Word: 46th World Communications Day message Pilot New Media: “Silence and Word: Pope Benedict’s message for World Communications Day” 45th World Communications Day, 2011 - Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age 44th World Communications Day, 2010 - The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word 43rd World Communications Day, 2009 - New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship Photos from the March for Life Today’s topics: Pope Benedict’s message for World Communications Day Summary of today’s show: What does silence have to do with communication? Everything, says Pope Benedict XVI in his latest message for World Communications Day. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams are joined by Domenico Bettinelli to talk about the Holy Father’s message and the importance of creating a balance between word, silence, images and sound and to let silence lead to contemplation which leads to a deeper relationship with Christ. 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show and welcomed Fr. Matt Williams back from leading the pilgrimage for the March for Life in Washington, DC. Scot said Monday’s show was recorded before the actual March and asked how it went. Fr. Matt gave kudos to the people from his office who coordinated the March: Kathy Stebbins, Steve Colella, and Danielle Olsen. He also said all the group leaders were amazing in their witness and they were a pleasure to work with. After the recording on Monday, they traveled down to Sixth Avenue and lined up with Cardinal Seán, marching with him. Scot asked about the weather. Fr. Matt said it was raining at the start, but for 85% of the walk they didn’t need umbrellas. He said many of the groups of kids stopped and prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet in front of the Supreme Court. Fr. Matt talked about how the three different age groups did their own thing after the March. Scot said he’s heard some seminarians tell him that going on a March for Life was the beginning of their call to the priesthood. He said he hopes that many of the pilgrims have the opportunity to discern their vocation. He also said he hopes the pilgrimage see that they are not alone in living their faith. Fr. Matt said the pilgrims are accompanied by witnesses who show them how to live that Catholic life. Whenever you see a priest or religious, you can say that person gave their life for me and the witnesses on the March showed the same truth. The pilgrimage exposes them to the experience of God through all these different streams. Scot said the Popes have issued for 42 years a message on the Feast of St. Francis de Sales and in recent years it’s been focused on digital media. This year, Pope Benedict focuses on the value of silence in communication. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Dom and said we’ll read each paragraph and comment on it as we go. As we draw near to World Communications Day 2012, I would like to share with you some reflections concerning an aspect of the human process of communication which, despite its importance, is often overlooked and which, at the present time, it would seem especially necessary to recall. It concerns the relationship between silence and word: two aspects of communication which need to be kept in balance, to alternate and to be integrated with one another if authentic dialogue and deep closeness between people are to be achieved. When word and silence become mutually exclusive, communication breaks down, either because it gives rise to confusion or because, on the contrary, it creates an atmosphere of coldness; when they complement one another, however, communication acquires value and meaning. Silence is an integral element of communication; in its absence, words rich in content cannot exist. In silence, we are better able to listen to and understand ourselves; ideas come to birth and acquire depth; we understand with greater clarity what it is we want to say and what we expect from others; and we choose how to express ourselves. By remaining silent we allow the other person to speak, to express him or herself; and we avoid being tied simply to our own words and ideas without them being adequately tested. In this way, space is created for mutual listening, and deeper human relationships become possible. It is often in silence, for example, that we observe the most authentic communication taking place between people who are in love: gestures, facial expressions and body language are signs by which they reveal themselves to each other. Joy, anxiety, and suffering can all be communicated in silence – indeed it provides them with a particularly powerful mode of expression. Silence, then, gives rise to even more active communication, requiring sensitivity and a capacity to listen that often makes manifest the true measure and nature of the relationships involved. When messages and information are plentiful, silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important from what is insignificant or secondary. Deeper reflection helps us to discover the links between events that at first sight seem unconnected, to make evaluations, to analyze messages; this makes it possible to share thoughtful and relevant opinions, giving rise to an authentic body of shared knowledge. For this to happen, it is necessary to develop an appropriate environment, a kind of ‘eco-system’ that maintains a just equilibrium between silence, words, images and sounds. 3rd segment: The process of communication nowadays is largely fueled by questions in search of answers. Search engines and social networks have become the starting point of communication for many people who are seeking advice, ideas, information and answers. In our time, the internet is becoming ever more a forum for questions and answers – indeed, people today are frequently bombarded with answers to questions they have never asked and to needs of which they were unaware. If we are to recognize and focus upon the truly important questions, then silence is a precious commodity that enables us to exercise proper discernment in the face of the surcharge of stimuli and data that we receive. Amid the complexity and diversity of the world of communications, however, many people find themselves confronted with the ultimate questions of human existence: Who am I? What can I know? What ought I to do? What may I hope? It is important to affirm those who ask these questions, and to open up the possibility of a profound dialogue, by means of words and interchange, but also through the call to silent reflection, something that is often more eloquent than a hasty answer and permits seekers to reach into the depths of their being and open themselves to the path towards knowledge that God has inscribed in human hearts. Ultimately, this constant flow of questions demonstrates the restlessness of human beings, ceaselessly searching for truths, of greater or lesser import, that can offer meaning and hope to their lives. Men and women cannot rest content with a superficial and unquestioning exchange of skeptical opinions and experiences of life – all of us are in search of truth and we share this profound yearning today more than ever: “When people exchange information, they are already sharing themselves, their view of the world, their hopes, their ideals” (Message for the 2011 World Day of Communications ). Attention should be paid to the various types of websites, applications and social networks which can help people today to find time for reflection and authentic questioning, as well as making space for silence and occasions for prayer, meditation or sharing of the word of God. In concise phrases, often no longer than a verse from the Bible, profound thoughts can be communicated, as long as those taking part in the conversation do not neglect to cultivate their own inner lives. It is hardly surprising that different religious traditions consider solitude and silence as privileged states which help people to rediscover themselves and that Truth which gives meaning to all things. The God of biblical revelation speaks also without words: “As the Cross of Christ demonstrates, God also speaks by his silence. The silence of God, the experience of the distance of the almighty Father, is a decisive stage in the earthly journey of the Son of God, the incarnate Word …. God’s silence prolongs his earlier words. In these moments of darkness, he speaks through the mystery of his silence”(Verbum Domini ,21). The eloquence of God’s love, lived to the point of the supreme gift, speaks in the silence of the Cross. After Christ’s death there is a great silence over the earth, and on Holy Saturday, when “the King sleeps and God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages”(cf. Office of Readings, Holy Saturday), God’s voice resounds, filled with love for humanity. If God speaks to us even in silence, we in turn discover in silence the possibility of speaking with God and about God. “We need that silence which becomes contemplation, which introduces us into God’s silence and brings us to the point where the Word, the redeeming Word, is born” (Homily, Eucharistic Celebration with Members of the International Theological Commission , 6 October 2006). In speaking of God’s grandeur, our language will always prove inadequate and must make space for silent contemplation. Out of such contemplation springs forth, with all its inner power, the urgent sense of mission, the compelling obligation “to communicate that which we have seen and heard” so that all may be in communion with God (1 Jn 1:3). Silent contemplation immerses us in the source of that Love who directs us towards our neighbours so that we may feel their suffering and offer them the light of Christ, his message of life and his saving gift of the fullness of love. In silent contemplation, then, the eternal Word, through whom the world was created, becomes ever more powerfully present and we become aware of the plan of salvation that God is accomplishing throughout our history by word and deed. As the Second Vatican Council reminds us, divine revelation is fulfilled by “deeds and words having an inner unity: the deeds wrought by God in the history of salvation manifest and confirm the teaching and realities signified by the words, while the words proclaim the deeds and clarify the mystery contained in them”(Dei Verbum ,2).This plan of salvation culminates in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the mediator and the fullness of all revelation. He has made known to us the true face of God the Father and by his Cross and Resurrection has brought us from the slavery of sin and death to the freedom of the children of God. The fundamental question of the meaning of human existence finds in the mystery of Christ an answer capable of bringing peace to the restless human heart. The Church’s mission springs from this mystery; and it is this mystery which impels Christians to become heralds of hope and salvation, witnesses of that love which promotes human dignity and builds justice and peace. Word and silence: learning to communicate is learning to listen and contemplate as well as speak. This is especially important for those engaged in the task of evangelization: both silence and word are essential elements, integral to the Church’s work of communication for the sake of a renewed proclamation of Christ in today’s world. To Mary, whose silence “listens to the Word and causes it to blossom”(Private Prayer at the Holy House , Loreto, 1 September 2007), I entrust all the work of evangelization which the Church undertakes through the means of social communication.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV Links from today’s show: Fr. Gallagher’s website St. Joseph Retreat House The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living Discerning the Will of God: An Ignatian Guide to Christian Decision Making Spiritual Consolation: An Ignatian Guide for Greater Discernment Meditation and Contemplation: An Ignatian Guide to Prayer with Scripture (Crossroad Book) An Ignatian Introduction to Prayer: Scriptural Reflections According to the Spiritual Exercises The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living Today’s topics: Ignatian Spirituality and Discerning God’s Will Summary of today’s show: How do you know what God’s will is for your life? How do you know if you did God’s will today? Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV, joins Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor to discuss Ignatian spirituality, and especially the daily Examen prayer and discerning the will of God. Discernment is not a technique and examen isn’t a test. They are both parts of a relationship with God. Also, what kind of input should your spouse have in your discernment? 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show. He said Fr. Chris must often hear from seminarians how can they know what God wants them to do in their lives either each day or for their whole lives. Fr. Chris said Fr. Tim Gallagher’s books have been very useful for diocesan priests and seminarians. Every day before lunch, for instance, they pray Fr. Gallagher’s Examen Prayer. Scot said we recently got news that Bishop Arthur Kennedy will be taking a new role in the archdiocese and that Msgr. James Moroney, already a professor, will become rector. Fr. Chris said there is a mix of sadness among the seminarians at Bishop Kennedy leaving, because of the great work he has done in the seminary forming priests, seminarians and laypeople in the faith, and joy at seeing Msgr. Moroney as his replacement. He can’t think of a better replacement to continue Bishop Kennedy’s work. Fr. Chris said Msgr. Moroney is well known throughout the Church, especially for his work traveling around the country to talk about the new translation of the Roman Missal. Fr. Chris said with today’s gift, we will have a greater insight at the end of the show about what prayer looks like. 2nd segment: Scot welcomes Fr. Timothy Gallagher to the show, an Oblate of the Virgin Mary. Scot asked how an OMV has become an expert in Ignatian spirituality. Fr. Tim said the founder of the order, Venerable Bruno Lanteri, met a Jesuit priest as a diocesan seminarian and took him as his spiritual director. He became convinced of the power of the Ignatian spiritual exercises to change hearts and help dedicate their lives to Him. He decided that since the Jesuits have so much to do in the Church, he decided that his order would focus on Ignatian spirituality. Scot said the OMV came to Boston in 1976, including maintaining St. Clement’s Eucharistic Shrine in Boston, which is very active and unofficially a student and young adult parish. They have St. Francis Chapel in the Prudential Center Mall, which offers Masses and confession throughout the day. They run St. St. Joseph Retreat House in Milton, which has been becoming very active. Fr. Tim said when he was a senior in high school there came a point of great clarity that God wanted him to become a priest. He researched many orders and the diocesan seminary before coming across the OMV. He was attracted to their Marian nature, growing up in a family with great Marian devotion. Also that the order was based in Rome and he would be living in Rome. Fr. Chris asked what is the most important element of his work as an Oblate. Fr. Tim said his own work is very Ignatian. Having written the books, people ask him to come speak all the time. Fr. Tim described St. Ignatius. Until he was 30, he very worldly. He was CAtholic, but his ambitions were very worldly. When he was 30 his legs were wounded in battle and spent a lot of time convalescing. His only reading material was a life of Christ and stories of the lives of saints and he won over by the heroism he encountered. He had a radical change in his life. 3rd segment: Scot said a key to Ignatian prayer is the daily examen. Fr. Tim said St. Therese talks about a moment of her total conversion on Christmas night when she was 15 years old. She’d become nervous, scrupulous, and prone to tears after the death of her mother and her sister going off to the convent. They had just returned from midnight Mass and her other sister had prepared a gift for Therese, shoes filled with gifts in the fireplace. Her father, who didn’t know she could hear, said, “Thankfully that will be the last year for this.” Therese is struck to the heart, but then didn’t cry, came into the room and never shed nervous dramatic tears for the rest of her life. That was her moment of total conversion. Fr. Tim said without prayer nothing happens, but we also need reflection on the spiritual experience that happens when we prayer. That’s when we learn. The examen prayer brings a reflection on experience of the day so we can live the next day more focused on where God is really leading us. We daily need to ask God’s forgiveness each day, but in addition to the times we have been less than what God has wanted, God has also been active in other ways in our day. Fr. Chris said there’s five steps. The first is becoming aware of God’s presence. How do we become aware of God’s presence in the hubbub of life. Fr. Tim quoted Soren Kierkegaard who said his prescription for the ills of the world is silence. We have to create silence, search for silence, even in small moments. It is the atmosphere the permits the rest to happen. Prayer is a relationship, an encounter between two persons. We become aware of God. We lift up our heart and consider how God is looking upon me, the love that is there, the desire for communion. Rather than jump into prayer, start by becoming aware of God’s presence. if we being prayer relationally knowing we are loved, then the examen is not a heavy dark examination, but being with someone who loves me. Fr. Chris said the next step is to have gratitude for the day God has given us. How can we be grateful in the midst of pain or suffering? Fr. Tim said to see the gifts that have been there throughout the day, even the small ones. He said people who have had suffering in their lives have an exercises where they gradually begin looking for the things for which they were grateful, starting with the smallest things and eventually coming to knowing that it’s in the end that God loves me. At this point something will change in my heart. It will be different when I look at the darkness, anger or heaviness in life. Fr. Chris said the examen prayer builds on itself each day. How does the examen prayer prepare us for tomorrow? Fr. Tim said he remembers walking into breakfast one day and seeing a member of his community he hadn’t seen in a while. He recalled some resistance to renewing a relationship with this man who had been difficult. There was one chair and he sat in it but remained silent. When he sat down later that day for his examen, he knew he needed to look at it. He knew he’d not lived it with a Christ-centered love. Many years, he’s grateful for that examen, because there is new closeness with that community member. So much happens over the course of a day, there is a difference between reacting and doing. This takes courage to practice this as a daily discipline. It’s not easy as a culture to stop and review daily life, because we have a sneaking suspicion we’re going to get a spiritual report card with a D on it. To stop the flow of life takes courage. If we have the courage of Mary Magdalene who stooped down on Easter Sunday to peer into the darkness, it can be lifechanging. 4th segment: Scot said the book “Discerning the Will of God” might be the best place for listeners to start. Fr. Tim talked about the difference between asking God’s will in particular situations in daily life, between good and bad or even between equally good and moral options, and the bigger vocational questions like marriage, children, priesthood. Fr. Tim said discernment doesn’t happen in a vacuum nor is it a technique. It’s a relationship. If I want to discern more clearly, the way to begin is to grow in my relationship with God. Make the Eucharist at the center of discernment. Go to daily Mass if you can. Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. In his book, he recounts the stories from many different people and it’s remarkable how many of them said their discernment included going to daily Mass. Then start reading Scripture. Listen to the Word of God. Find a good spiritual director or retreat director. Create the context in which we can begin to hear God’s word more clearly. Fr. Chris said he still encounters people who are petrified of Scripture. Where should those people start? Fr. Tim suggested approaching Scripture throug hthe daily Mass. He said the monthly Magnificat is a good resource, even if you can’t make it to Mass, because it also has resources. Any good Catholic bookstore will have other devotional prayer aids like that. This is why he wrote the two other books: “An Ignatian Introduction to Prayer: Scriptural Reflections According to the Spiritual Exercises” and “Meditation and Contemplation: An Ignatian Guide to Praying with Scripture”. Scot asked how one can determine that it is God leading me to a choose, not just my own preference? Fr. Tim said, first, we presume some kind of spiritual guidance. Then, Ignatius says one way to know is when God makes it clear to us without a doubt. A second way is to be attentive to spiritual consolation. He remembers a Jesuit who told him that when he was discerning married life or the Jesuit priesthood, how he would feel a soothing calmness while praying in a particular Jesuit chapel. Scot asked how we should handle our spouse’s input in our discernment? Fr. Tim said if God has called me to the married life and my spouse is giving me input on my life’s decisions, I really need to be open to whatever light God is giving me through that relationship, because that relationship is so central. But very important, both husband and wife should be discerning. He knows a couple who end every day in a daily examen together. This is the ideal and this the heart of conjugal spirituality. Fr. Gallagher will be giving a seminar on the discernment of spirits at St. Clement’s, Boston, on January 28-29. Contact Carol at 617-266-5999 x130 or [email protected]. Fr. Gallagher’s schedule is on his website. To schedule an Ignatian retreat, visit the St. Joseph Retreat House website

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Cardinal Seán, Fr. Matt Williams, Sr. Olga Yaqob and more Links from today’s show: Photos of the Pilgrimage to the March for Life Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults Today’s topics: 2012 March for Life Summary of today’s show: More than 500 Boston pilgrims have traveled to Washington, DC, for the 39th annual March for Life today. On today’s show, Scot Landry was joined by Fr. Matt Williams, Sr. Olga Yaqob, and a number of pilgrims, including Cardinal Seán O’Malley to talk about their experiences so far and what they expect to see when they began marching this afternoon. You will be inspired and energized by the joy and hope in the youth who join us on air today. 1st segment: Scot said we are recording this around lunchtime with pilgrims at the March for Life in Washington, DC. Scot welcomed Sr. Olga and Fr. Matt Williams. Fr. Matt’s office at Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults organized this pilgrimage. Fr. Matt said it has gone remarkably well. They tell the pilgrims that this is a pilgrimage, not a vacation, and we never complain about anything on a pilgrimage. The nature of pilgrimage is God calling you out of your home to a place for a specific purpose, in this case to bear witness to the gift of human life. When you’re on pilgrimage, you’re called to a deeper life of prayer, charity, and sacrifice. There will be moments of inconvenience, including buses breaking down, snow delaying trips, video equipment breaking down. But it teaches that sacrifice and suffering has an intrinsic value and part of life is suffering. He said it’s been wonderful with lots of opportunity to offer up. Scot said there are 500 young people on three tracks: Middle School, High School and Young Adults. Sr. Olga said she and her community are traveling with the young adults, including 25 from Boston University, but also from many different parishes and professional careers. Scot said this morning the pilgrims had Mass this morning with Cardinal Seán at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, where the cardinal served when he was first ordained. Fr. Matt said after lunch they will travel to the March where they will walk to the Supreme Court, where they will break down into small groups to pray the Divine Mercy chaplet for our country, asking for God’s mercy on our country for not valuing human life and for ourselves for the times we have not spoken out. From there, the middle schoolers will go back to the hotel for dinner and a youth night. The high schoolers will go to a nearby parish in Landover, Maryland, for a pizza gathering (There’s about 350 of them), and then a talk, group processing, and Eucharistic adoration and confession. In their experience, this adoration is the most powerful event of the whole weekend, because they have put their faith into action and seen the body of Christ together and are now praying. The young adults will be getting on buses back to Boston. On Tuesday, the youth will gather with Cardinal Seán for Mass. Sr. Olga said the highlight of her trip so far was the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception last night. Just the opening procession was 45 minutes long with all the seminarians, priests, bishops, and cardinals. The young adults were amazed by the youthfulness of our Church and the strength of the Church in America. To see hundreds of young seminarians was inspiring to see that side of the Church. There were thousands of young people sitting everywhere, including on the floor and all the way out the doors into the rain, without any complaining. Sr. Olga said on Saturday, in the snow, it took them 7 hours to get the New York but there were no complaints. Scot said last night more than 22,000 crowded into the upper and lower church of the Basilica. 2nd segment: Joining us are Kevin Ouellette and Darcy Gilbert. Kevin belongs to St. Clements’ Young Adult Group. He said the group is called Pure in Heart, which meets for Mass and rosary and a talk every Thursday night, focused on chastity, sanctity of human life and Theology of the Body. Darcy is a member of St. Mary of the Angels Parish. She said the Mass last night was incredible. They had to get there 4 hours ahead of time and even then they did not get a pew to sit in. She repeated that the procession was incredible and as happy as the pilgrims were to see them, you could see the joy in their faces at the immense crowd. She said it’s the face of the Church, the hope of the Church. They are John Paul II’s generation, a generation of peace and hope, coming back to the Church with joy. Fr. Matt asked Darcy what message seeing all those seminarians and priests gives to the young people? She said it confronts the young people with the whether God is calling them to a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. Fr. Matt said seeing all those seminarians shows how God calls all kinds of men to the priesthood, a cross-section of our society, a bunch of normal men. Sr. Olga said it was beautiful to see the Cardinal Seán saying he was impressed by so many young people, including parents with families, including small children and babies. She said it is a witness to life. Scot said both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict said at World Youth Days that the young are not just the future of the Church, they are the present. Scot said Kevin attended a different Mass last night in the Diocese of Arlington, Va., which included music by Bob Rice and Matt Maher. Kevin said he was struck by how prayerful the huge crowd at the rally was. It was a time for prayer. Hearing them pray drew them deeper into the March for Life and thinking of the weekend not as the pilgrims doing something for the cause, but that God is doing something through them. Scot asked Darcy what sights and sounds have surprised her so far. She has been amazed at the numbers of buses and how far people have traveled: Texas, South Carolina and further. She said the Basilica was beautiful, being her first time there. Kevin said he didn’t know what to expect from the March for Life, although the pro-life cause has been important to him. He’s loved getting to know more young adults in the Archdiocese who share his beliefs and who he can be himself with, sharing what’s been most important to him in his life. 3rd segment: Joining us now is Amy Asher, a senior at Boston University, who is a leader of the pro-life group at the school. Amy said BU is a secular university and their pro-life group is secular, although most of the students are Catholic. They have a Planned Parenthood clinic right in the middle of their urban campus, so on Saturdays many of them pray in front of the clinic. They also raise money through fundraisers for pro-life charities. Scot said this is Amy’s fourth March for Life. He asked her how her appreciation for the March has grown each year. She said her first year on the March, she didn’t know much about the pro-life movement, so her first exposure to the March was mostly about the size of the movement, and in subsequent years, her understanding of the message has been the real growth for her. Scot asked Amy what she told her fellow BU students to prepare them. She said it’s a hard sell to her students because they are missing the first Monday of classes, so it is a real sacrifice to stand up for life. Fr. Matt said it’s clear that abortion is a sensitive and volatile issue in society. He asked Amy what it’s like to be a leader in the pro-life movement on campus and what motivates her to persevere? Amy said she comes from a Catholic family and went to Catholic schools so being at BU was the first real challenge to her faith. An awakening occurred the first time she wore a pro-life shirt to class and realized people were actually glaring at her. Now she’s sees it as an opportunity to have a conversation with others, to educate them about abortion, giving them information they may have never heard. Sr. Olga said BU Right to Life provides resources and help for teenagers in crisis. She said there are girls on campus who choose abortion because they have no other option, so they want to provide that option. They organize baby showers for the young women to show that there are people who love them and support them. Sr. Olga said the Gospel for the Mass was the Good Samaritan reading and Cardinal Sean said pro-lifers must have courage and love like the Good Samaritan. She sees that in students like Amy who are witnesses for life on those college campuses, especially secular campuses. She gives credit to students who come from every campus around the country. 4th segment: Joining us now is Isabella Bushko from St. Mary in Holliston and Jane Richard, a sponsor from the Presentation of Mary Academy. Scot asked Jane about the pilgrims from the school. She said they have 29 students, juniors and seniors. It’s been a great experience, especially last night with Matt Maher and she said the fruit spills over to her youth ministry work back home. Scot asked Isabella about her experience. She said the bus ride was very long, but they prayed the whole time. She came on the March for Life because many of her friends back home are all pro-choice, even the Christian ones. Not being able to vote to change society, this is her way to accomplish something. Scot asked Jane about recruiting students to come on the pilgrimage. She said the seniors who came last year talk it up a lot and so they do most of the recruiting. Isabella said her favorite part of the March for Life so far has been the Masses, including the priests and Cardinal and the music. The Cardinal brought a good connection between the Gospel and the March. Jane said her highlights for the pilgrimage is always the Masses. ALso the sincerity, joy, and depth of spirituality with the all the priests and seminarians, plus the camaraderie feeling like a big archdiocesan family. Fr. Matt said last night in Arlington diocese, Bishop Loverde couldn’t be there because he’s in Rome, but there were 3,500 young people there. One of the Bishop Loverde’s priests did the homily and spoke about hope and how the young people bring hope. He talked about how the Berlin Wall came down in his lifetime and yet 10 years before that it would have been inconceivable that the wall would come down so soon. He said when Pope John Paul II went to Poland he brought them hope and inspired them, which ultimately led to the fall of Communism in eastern Europe. Fr. Matt asked Isabella what she will take away from the weekend that stresses the virtue of hope. She said will take away the respect of life with her, because so often there is so little respect for life among her peers. Sr. Olga asked Isabella how she feels coming and seeing 350 high schoolers from her own archdiocese with her. Isabella said it gives her hope and she doesn’t feel alone. It’s empowering. 5th segment: Joining us now is William Martell on the middle school track. He said is having a lot of fun. He is in eighth grade and attends Msgr. Haddad Middle School in Needham. He said this is the second March for Life, two years ago. William said the concert last night with Matt Maher and the Mass and adoration were the best part of the pilgrimage so far. Scot asked him what it’s like to see the young adults and college students there. It’s makes him feel better to see all the people just a few years older than him who believe the same thing. He said yesterday they took a tour of some of the sights in Washington, DC, including the monuments and memorials on the Mall. They also took a tour of the Basilica. He said when they were there, it was almost full already. All the Boston pilgrims are wearing the same sweatshirts and they had a lot of people cheer them. Scot welcomed Cardinal Seán to the show. He has a perfect attendance at the March for Life over 39 years. He asked him why it’s important for him to go every year. Cardinal Seán said as American Catholics we have an obligation to help undo that tragic decision 39 years ago and one of the ways is to come to the seat of government and witness to the Gospel of Life. He’s encouraged to see more young people every year and they aren’t going away. They will keep coming until children are protected under the law. Scot asked how the March is different. Cardinal Seán said in the beginning it was virtually a Catholic event and over the years more and more people of goodwill from other faith traditions have joined. The number of young people has grown and grown as well. Cardinal Seán said in his homily this morning that he spoke about the Good Samaritan and how difficult it is to stand up for life. They are there to make God’s love and mercy present and listen to the silent scream of that unborn child, like the man half-dead on the road to Jericho. A lot of people don’t want to see. The Good Samaritan saw and was moved to see, so we have to see and have God’s love and pity in our hearts. Scot said it takes courage to be the Good Samaritan and to be a witness to life. Cardinal Seán said the Good Samaritan could have been accused of being the thief, but overcame that fear for his own safety because of his desire to serve. In a world where political correctness doesn’t tolerate being pro-life, we will be criticized and pilloried and so it takes courage to stand up to that criticism. Coming to Washington and being with hundreds of thousands who share the conviction that every human being is precious in God’s eyes. Cardinal Seán said St. Paul was converted and repented of his previous hardness of heart and became an apostle who lays down his life in his witness to the faith. He said Dr. Bernard Nathanson who was a prolific abortionist heard the silent scream and converted to pro-life and the Catholic faith. Scot thanked Cardinal Seán for joining us today.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Maria Bianco of the Metropolitan Tribunal for the Archdiocese of Boston Links from today’s show: Metropolitan Tribunal for the Archdiocese of Boston Today’s topics: Maria Bianco, a judge in the Metropolitan Tribunal Summary of today’s show: Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell are joined by one of Fr. Mark’s colleagues on the Metropolitan Tribunal, Maria Bianco, a judge on the Tribunal. She is a native of Argentina, speaks four languages, writes poetry, has a degree in psychology, and has practiced both civil and canon law in the US and Argentina. Maria provides the office both with a native Spanish speaker who understands Latin American culture and can assist the many natives of those countries, but also a heart that understands the spiritual, pastoral, emotional, and therapeutic dimensions of the work of the Tribunal, primarily with those seeking marriage-related assistance. 1st segment: Scot and Fr. Mark talked about the Patriots-Ravens game this weekend and gave their predictions. Scot said 34-20 Patriots, while Fr. Mark said the Patriots will score in the 30s. Fr. Mark is going to Baltimore next week and hopes everyone there will be sad. They then discussed Fr. Mark’s classes he’s teaching at St. John Seminary. He’s teaching a course called Marriage and Family to the third-year seminarians. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcomed Maria Bianco, a judge on the Metropolitan Tribunal. Scot said she is the first person from Argentina on the show. He asked her what her childhood was like. Maria said she grew up on a farm near a small town. She lived there until she was 5 and was sent to a Catholic school in a nearby town. She still owns the farm which produces soybeans and cattle. She always knew she’d want to keep the farm, but also knew she had to find her own way in the world. Social and political matters were prominent in her family life and the call to serve the Church came later. She first worked as a civil lawyer in family law. In Argentina, there were many people who were divorced and couldn’t get remarried in the Church, so she decided to study canon law to help them with the annulment process. Maria has three children of her own. Fr. Mark said she also studied psychology. Maria said she needed to do this while working in family law in order to help the people who came to her with all their family problems. Maria said the divorce rate in Argentina is similar to the Boston area’s. But at the time she was practicing law, divorce was only recently legalized and there was a rush of pent-up demand to seek divorces. Scot asked her why she came to the United States. She worked with the Metropolitan Tribunal at the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and she learned that tribunals in the US were much faster at resolving annulments, so she wanted to come to see how it works here. She also wanted to have an international experience and knew of an Argentinean working as a judge at the Boston tribunal. That’s how she came. Scot said she’s been here 10 years now. What has kept here? Maria said it’s the group of people she has met in the Tribunal and because she has learned a lot. She also finds the US to be much safer than Argentina because of the civil upheaval and corruption in society. Scot asked Maria the best part of her job. She said it’s the feeling of serving others. In civil law, you are also serving others, but in canon law, you go beyond the ordinary matters of life because canon law concerns eternal life. Fr. Mark said Maria has helped so many because she speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and English. Her language skills connect so many people in the Archdiocese of different cultures to the Church. She also provides connections to tribunals throughout Latin America, which is necessary because when immigrants from those countries seek annulments or other cases they must get documentation from their dioceses of origin. Maria said for Latin Americans, Catholicism isn’t just about faith, it’s about culture and traditions, so to be denied the sacraments is very painful, so to have a resolution in each case is rewarding for her personally. Some of these are very poor people who don’t fit in with society in general, but are looking for a place for themselves in the Church. Fr. Mark said it’s not just understanding language, but understanding the culture, sometimes knowing what the people are really asking. 3rd segment: Scot asked Maria what a canonical court judge does compared to a civil court judge. She said you have to be very patient and make people feel comfortable. It’s not about determining child support or fighting for child custody. Instead they are asking about feelings or past history, which can be terrible. Scot asked Maria what information she’s trying to gather from the people. Maria said she tries to make contact with the person and they make contact with her. She tries just to be an observer. She asks for permission to allow her to be “under their skin”, to feel their feelings. She is not actually judging the person or their behavior or past or why the marriage failed or what they did wrong. Fr. Mark said this is why Maria is so valuable to him because he would have answered the question differently, by entering the technical and talking about invalidity. But Maria thinks first of people’s feelings and caring for them and this is why she balances the office. Scot asked how many different cases she’s working at any one time. She tries to concentrate on one case at a time, although there many be many waiting. As for how long it takes, the law requires the first part of the case be completed in one year and the second part in six months. But they also sometimes have to contact tribunals in other dioceses, and sometimes that takes a long time. Or they have to interview witnesses several times or consult expert witnesses or some other consideration and so it can end up taking longer. Maria said they need to approach the process in an interdisciplinary manner. Yes, they consider the law, but they also have to consider pastoral issues and psychological issues. The priest gives support to the people involved, but the tribunal does too. Fr. Mark said every divorce is wound that people carry around with them, and even for those who don’t get the nullity, they leave them healed in some way. Scot asked Maria what the biggest misconception people have about the process. Maria said it’s about money. People think that it requires a lot of money to go through the process. Fr. Mark said there is a filing fee and a second larger fee, but no one who has difficulty paying is required to pay. He said some people think rich people can buy a favorable declaration of nullity, but that’s untrue. The judge doesn’t see anything about how much the people have paid or whether they have. Scot asked what keeps someone away from starting the process that they would like to educate people about? Maria said if she puts herself in their place, she thinks many people don’t do it because of the emotional requirements. They have to confront in themselves what went wrong in the marriage. She said a woman from Guatemala met with her yesterday and she was afraid what her husband would do to her. He is in jail, but will be free in a few months, and so she doesn’t know how to deal with that. When people see the questions they will be asked, they don’t know how to answer. This is why they need to work harder with those who are involved in the process to give the emotional support people need and sometimes even therapeutic support. Fr. Mark said there is also a misconception that the children are illegitimate, but that’s not true. Scot said he was surprised that Maria is also a poet. She has written two books of poetry in Spanish. She doesn’t know how she began, but it was about 12 years old. It was a sort of therapy. Each time she writes, sometimes it’s a way of working out something she’s thinking about or expressing her feelings about nature or something else in her life. Fr. Mark said Maria is a civil lawyer, a canon lawyer, an expert on the family, a mother, a grandmother, and a poet. She is a Renaissance woman. Scot said Mariah has helped him to appreciate the human dimension of the work of the Tribunal. Her books are “Trepando la Llanura” and “El Canto de la Piedra”. Here is one of the poems: Spanish De niña, en el río perdí la luna. Se me escapó en las arrugas del agua y quise atrapar el agua y se me escurrió de las manos Y en gotas del rocío volví la tristeza canto hice surco la frente se me secaron los labios. Nunca alcancé la luna: el río no detuvo su marcha. Y quedaron lágrimas. Y una a una resbalan otra vez. Otra vez. English (rough translation) As a girl in the river lost the moon. It slipped into the water wrinkles and I wanted to catch the water and it slipped out from my hands And in dewdrops I turned my sorrow song I furrow the brow I dried my lips. I never reached the Moon: the river did not stop its march. And there were tears. And one by one slipping again. Again. 4th 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 Sunday, January 20, 2012, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Jonah 3:1-5, 10) The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’S bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, “ when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out. Second Reading for Sunday, January 20, 2012, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out. From now on, let those having wives act as not having them, those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away. Gospel for Sunday, January 20, 2012, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 1:14-20) After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him. Scot said this is Jesus’ first homily in the Gospels. He said that it’s a big deal that one of the first things Jesus says is “Repent”. Maria said she wonders why Christ chose that environment and those men for his first homily. She thinks there is a subtle message here that Christ is asking us for that same simplicity that he was experiencing in that place. It can be tempting to make everything about the call of Christ too complex, but we have to keep this simplicity in our lives. We have to pray to be given the strength to find this simplicity. Fr. Mark thought of the power of repentance and belief. He said you can see Jonah who doesn’t want to go to Nineveh, who pouted and tried to flee. But then he goes into this very rich city, preaches once, and they believe him instantly. Jesus begins his ministry with the same message and power. We’re still called by the same message today but there’s still a lot of Jonah in us, unable to believe it radically like John the Baptist. Scot asked Maria what she thought of Jesus calling fishermen as his first disciples. She said it was because of the simplicity of their souls. They were able to respond as a child to his call to follow and believe. Maybe they didn’t understand the second part of the call, that they would become fishers of men, but they responded anyway. Fr. Mark said there’s something real and down to earth about Peter. He’s real and human. Jesus picking fishermen showed us the way to be disciples as ourselves. Scot said we are also all called to be fishers of men in the Church. Five out of six baptized Catholics in the archdiocese don’t come to church. One of the reasons is because the one in the six doesn’t invite them. Fr. Mark said another reason is because people they’re not in good standing with the Church and the work of the Tribunal is to help bring about healing for those people. Scot noted that the March for Life is this weekend and asked for prayers for all those who will be traveling to Washington, DC, and that their voices will bring about a conversion in our society.

Today’s host(s): Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, executive editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Fall River diocese; and Gregory Tracy, managing editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese 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: New Vicar for New Evangelization, new rector for seminary; global abortion genocide of girls; Supreme Court ruling favors religious freedom; local baker puts charity first Summary of today’s show: Scot Landry and Susan Abbott review the headlines of the week with Fr. Roger Landry and Gregory Tracy, including the big news that Cardinal Seán has asked Bishop Arthur Kennedy to be the new Episcopal Vicar for the New Evangelization and Msgr. James Moroney to be the new rector of St. John’s Seminary; also this week Fr. Roger’s hard-hitting editorial on the global genocide of girls, the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the ministerial exception, and a local baker who puts Catholic charity first and foremost by providing bread for the poor in a unique way. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Susan back to the show and noted she had car trouble this morning. They discussed how we often fail to appreciate the miracle of our cars that help us in our commute. Susan said this week the religious education office is working with new catechetical leaders to see how they’re doing in their first year. They’re also doing some pastoral planning sessions. Scot said there are three rounds of consultations going on and religious education teachers went through round 1 this past week. Scot said this week, priests are getting a glimpse at draft groups of parish clusters. He emphasized that the materials shared at those consultations become available the afternoon of the meetings at Planning2012.com. He encouraged listeners to go the documents and also repeated that everything is in draft stage right now, just to get feedback. Susan also asked everyone to keep this process in prayer. Scot said today Cardinal Seán is announcing a new vicar for the New Evangelization and a new rector for St. John’s Seminary and that’s our first story after the break. 2nd segment: Scot and Susan welcome Fr. Roger and Gregory back to the show. Scot said this week’s Pilot has a big headline. Bishop Arthur Kennedy has been appointed Episcopal Vicar for the New Evangelization as of July 1 and Msgr. James Moroney has been named to replace him as rector of St. John Seminary. Scot said Bishop Kennedy was ordained a bishop for Boston on September 14, 2010. At the time it was expected a replacement as rector would be named. He’s done a great job expanding enrollment at the seminary bringing it from 25 seminarians to a full-enrollment of more than 100. It’s not clear yet what Bishop Kennedy will do, but Scot’s sense is that he will oversee a lot of the Year of Faith activities and oversee efforts to strengthen evangelization efforts in parishes. Susan said this is great news and pointed out that he is also a native son of West Roxbury. She said she has worked with Bishop Kennedy with her work at the Master of Arts in Ministry program and Theological Institute for the New Evangelization at St. John’s. As sad as she might be to see him leave the seminary, the appointment of Msgr. Moroney takes away the sadness. Scot said one Bishop Kennedy’s responsibilities will be to oversee expansion of TINE. Fr. Roger said Bishop Kennedy has done an extraordinary job in just five years. Cardinal Sean, who has placed a premium on seminarian formation, has taken a spectacular rector and put him in a place to lead formation of the laity and shows how important this task is to Cardinal Sean. It underscores the priority that Cardinal Seán is giving to this initiative for new evangelization. Fr. Roger said if Cardinal Seán had done a nationwide search for a replacement rector, everyone would have picked Msgr. Moroney. He said everyone expected Msgr. Moroney would be a bishop by now, but thanks to the bishop of Worcester, where he’s a priest, for giving him to the archdiocese for this task. Msgr. Moroney has been traveling the world educating priests and laity on the new translation of the Mass. He said bishops of other dioceses will be willing to send their seminarians to St. John’s based on Msgr. Moroney’s leadership because they will be happy to have their new priests be like Msgr. Moroney. Fr. Roger said this bolsters Cardinal Seán’s hope that St. John’s will be a regional seminary. Scot clarified Msgr. Moroney is a priest of the neighboring diocese of Worcester. He said Msgr. Moroney had been serving as a professor at St. John’s for liturgy. He’s served on a many international commissions and has run the US bishops’ conference’s secretariat for liturgy for a dozen years. Susan said she is thrilled and echoes everything Fr. Roger said. She added that he’s brilliant, humorous, and self-deprecating and often has people at conferences and talks enthralled. Scot recommended listeners go to CatholicTV.com and watch Msgr. Moroney’s program called “New and Eternal Word” on the new translation and then each week he has short reflections of each Sunday’s prayers of the Mass. 3rd segment: Scot said in this week’s Anchor, looking toward the 39th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, Fr. Roger wrote an editorial on the pro-choice genocide of baby girls. On Sunday, we mark the 39th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that with its companion Doe v. Bolton made abortion legal in the United States for all nine months of pregnancy. These revolutionary decisions have since been celebrated by radical feminist groups as a milestone advance in the cause of women’s freedom and rights, not just in the United States but internationally. The decisions, they argued, give women control over their destiny by giving them control over their bodies and whatever was in their bodies. They saved women’s lives, they maintained, by preventing deaths in the ubiquitous “back alleys” by coat-hanger-wielding pseudo-doctors. The euphemisms they employed tried to claim that what was growing in them wasn’t human life: at worst, the ‘fetus’ was akin to a parasite or a wart; at most it was merely “potential” human life. The whole moniker of “freedom of choice” always scrupulously avoided mentioning a direct object to specify and morally qualify what one was actually choosing. Over the course of the last four decades, however, the various pro-choice mendacities, exaggerations, and euphemisms have all been exposed. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, once one of the most notorious abortion doctors in the country before his conversion from the grisly practice and to Catholicism, testified how wildly the pro-choice movement inflated and outright invented claims of maternal deaths in botched back alley abortions. “Jane Roe” herself, whose real name is Norma McCorvey, testified that her whole case was based on the lie that she had been raped and couldn’t receive an abortion. Advances in embryology and in technology have made abundantly clear that what grows within a woman is clearly a human being at the very stages of existence all adult human beings have traversed. And as the discipline of demography has gotten more advanced and the pro-choice mentality has metastasized, the direct object of the “fiction of choice” has become increasingly apparent. Not only has it been exposed that the choice of abortion is the decision to end the life of a developing human being, but increasing numbers across the globe, the choice has resulted in a disproportionate slaughter of baby girls. Scot said Fr. Roger then goes on to provide some of the stats on gender-selection abortions and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis abortions. Fr. Roger said it’s become apparent that pro-choice is the slaughter of young women, as opposed to be ing pro-women as pro-choicers claim. Across the world, there is a gap of 160 million girls across the world. Based on the statistical averages and biology, there should be 160 million more girls in the world today, which is mainly attributable to abortion. In China, rather than there being an expected 106 girls to every 100 boys, there are 120 boys for every 100 girls and in Beijing it’s more than 200 boys for every 100 girls. There are 21 countries with unnatural levels of boys in their populations. What will happen in the future when these boys can’t get married as adults. Violence will rise, sexual trafficking and exploitation, pornography will all increase. Even in the US, lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban testing in the womb to determine sex or race in order to perform abortion in order to protect unborn girls, but the so-called pro-woman pro-choice groups have come out in opposition to the law. Scot said abortion is more important than protecting women for these groups. Susan said as a member of Feminists for Life, this is the biggest lie that has ever been sold to women. they have bought the lie that abortion is a right and this is for their good. Scientifically, no one doubts whether this is human life. Now the question is whose life takes precedence and that’s the slippery slope. She remembers before legalization of abortion people claimed that there would be no slippery slope to sex selection abortions or the like. Scot said science is on the side of the pro-life community. It reveals the lies and it clearly says abortion is business in this country and those behind it will do anything to protect it. Scot said to Greg that people will object to the editorial for using words like genocide and feticide. Greg said to call it anything less would fall into the trap of euphemisms and softening the truth. He points out that this isn’t us imposing our personal choice or morality on others. He noted that the CIA had a report a few years ago that one of the biggest problems facing the world in the future is the imbalance of men. This isn’t a moral statement, but a national security judgment. Scot said to Fr. Roger that he ends his editorial by warning that eugenics is coming to the US through pre-implantation genetic diagnosis in which people can select for certain traits in their children including gender. What happens is that they manufacture human beings in the laboratory then examine the embryos for their genes and discard, i.e. kill or freeze the rest. Couples are flying in from all over the world to do this in the United States because it’s already illegal in other countries. This is the pro-choice mentality taken to the extreme, that we should be able to choose everything about our children and if we don’t like them we can throw them out like so much wasted food. Pro-lifers have long described the many ways the pro-choice movement hurts individual women as well as the cause of women overall. It’s now becoming clear that the pro-choice mentality is disproportionately snuffing out the future of hundreds of millions of women more than the carnage of men, creating a global disparity in sex ratio that leads sober analysts to predict that the surplus of unmarried males in sexually unbalanced societies will hurt women in various other ways: through augmenting the demand for prostitution, kidnapping and female trafficking. When are those who claim to speak for the good of women going to recognize that abortion is bad for women, bad for baby girls, and bad for all of society? “Supreme Court upholds church school’s exception to laws against firing”, Catholic News Service, 1/11/12 Scot said also before the Supreme Court recently was a case that challenged the ministerial exception, a principle in law which allows religious groups to hire and fire based on religious beliefs. Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, called it “a great day for the First Amendment.” In a statement issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Lori said the ruling makes clear “the historical and constitutional importance of keeping internal church affairs off limits to the government — because whoever chooses the minister chooses the message.” Greg said the case doesn’t directly affect the other methods of infringement of religious liberty that have been in the news lately, like regulations requiring health insurance plans to cover contraceptives. But the Court did say that religious groups have freedom in employment by saying that government can’t mandate how people of faith practice that faith. Had they ruled otherwise, the government could have said the Church must ordain women because the current policy is discriminatory and other similar complaints. This case involved a Michigan Lutheran school teacher who was fired after she threatened to sue the school under a disabilities law. The school said she should have used the Lutheran synod’s internal appeals process. Fr. Roger said any Catholic who wants religious freedom needs to sit up and pay attention to the Obama administration’s infringements on that freedom. It is no longer just intolerant of us, but is actively trying to shut down our ability to police what we do and follow our internal policies. He noted that this was a unanimous decision, including the four justices appointed by Clinton and Obama who agreed that the administrations efforts in this case were ludicrous. 4th segment: Scot said this Saturday there will be a transitional deacon ordained in the Diocese of Fall River and six men will be ordained at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross at 10am. Fr. Roger said they will be deacons until they are ordained priests. In Boston this year the priestly ordination is the end of June and Fall River’s Jason Brilhante will be ordained in early June. He said that it is significant that they are ordained deacons in that they will always remain deacons even after being ordained priests. Also in the Anchor this week is a story about LaVallee’s Bakery Distributors in Waltham that provides free bread to the needy. CEO Andy LaVallee said: “We run our company on two real basic values that came out of Pope Benedict’s encyclical, ‘Charity in Truth’, and that is stewardship is a gift from God and that it’s something we’re only in possession of, so what we do with it is important,” LaVallee said. “We feel like it’s a real moral responsibility as a Catholic to do certain things for the community. So we need to take care of some of the Catholic-based food pantries and charities in the area.” Susan said just the fact that he is aware of and familiar with the encyclical is remarkable. The story notes that as you walk into the facility is that there is a painting of Pope Benedict prominently displayed. they also point out that they don’t give away stale bread. “If you go to the St. Francis House in Boston, they have a very small kitchen area but they manage to feed about 1,200 people a day,” he said. “If you walk out the back door of the kitchen, it’s adjacent to a well-known five-star hotel. On Thanksgiving Day if you went to this particular hotel you would have seen breads from LaVallee’s set up on all the tables from every country around the world. Just next door inside St. Francis House, the homeless were being served the same exact breads. There’s a symbol here: we could just as well give St. Francis House our stale bread, but that wouldn’t be showing respect and dignity for all people. To me, it’s important to give of the same resources and the same products.” Greg said it has struck him and wants to reprint it in the Pilot. He noted a quote at the end of the article: “We’ve succeeded ever since we embraced these two strong biblical truths: stewardship and servant leadership,” he said. “If you’re going to continue to manage your company based on spreadsheets and not developing and helping people around you - your employees, your customers and the community - then you’re going to go through life with an accumulation of wealth, but what good is it? The real goodness is what you can do for other people because it’s more Christ-like, it’s what God did for us.” Fr. Roger said he met him at a Christmas party at a mutual friend’s home and they talked about his program and how other businesses are joining him. From there he asked if they would be able to get some of that charity at his parish, St. Anthony of Padua in New Bedford. LaVallees.com Greg also pointed out the front-page Pilot story on the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day commemoration at St. Katharine Drexel in Boston and recommended listeners read it.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Fr. Brian Flynn, Pastor of St. Mary Parish, Lynn; Carl DiMaiti, Principal of St. Mary High School; Andrea Alberti and Chris Carmody, campus ministers and religious education teachers; Helio Neto, Cristian Abarca, Megan Stacey, and Amy Donovan, students Links from today’s show: St. Mary High School, Lynn St. Mary Parish, Lynn Today’s topics: St. Mary High School, Lynn, and the March for Life Summary of today’s show: The annual March for Life in Washington, DC, is coming up this week and again the Archdiocese is sending busloads of pilgrims, including more than 100 from St. Mary High School in Lynn. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams talk to the pastor, Fr. Brian Flynn; the principal, Carl DiMaiti; religion teachers Andrea Alberti and Chris Carmody; and four students, Helio Neto, Cristian Abarca, Megan Stacey, and Amy Donovan, about their experience of the March, how those experiences affect their school, how they prepare for months—including before-school meetings each week—for the March, and how they petitioned the local media to give at least as much attention to 400,000 people from all walks of life Marching for Life in DC as they do to a few dozen Occupying Boston’s Dewey Square. 1st segment: Scot said Fr. Matt must be the Catholic Church’s expert on Tim Tebow. Last week, he gave a few interviews on the Patriots vs. the Broncos football game and Bronco’s quarterback Tim Tebow, with his very public witness of faith. They discussed how we all have the responsibility for handing on the witness of the faith. Fr. Matt said he can be an example of living the witness of your faith. They discussed LIFT on Tuesday night, which included Trent Horn, Respect Life director for the Diocese of Phoenix. They’ve been discussing the dignity of the human person. This month’s topic was abortion and next month is physician-assisted suicide. Scot said next week will be 39 years since the Roe v. Wade decision and many people gather in Washington, DC, to mark that occasion. Fr. Matt said he’s attended for many years now and the Office for the New Evangelization organizes pilgrimages of youth to attend. It is one of the most powerful and inspiring things that they do each year, to watch what happens to them in this experience, including a deepening of their life in Christ and wanting to witnesses to that. Fr. Matt said St. Mary, Lynn, is bringing 103 people to the March. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Flynn, Carl DiMaiti, and Andrea Alberti in a remote studio in Lynn. He asked Carl how many people are coming from St. Mary’s High School in Lynn and why it’s such a big deal in Lynn. Carl said it starts with the leadership of the school, including the head of school, the pastor, and the campus ministers. He said they take great pride in being the top high school in the archdiocese. Scot asked Fr. Flynn what the March for Life means to him. He said it’s great to participate with so many students. Last year was his first at St. Mary’s and when he saw how many students were going and how important it was for them that he go, he went. The school and especially the pro-life aspect is the part of the parish assignment that makes him so happy and blessed to be at St. Mary’s. Fr. Matt said he’s had the privilege of being a priest-chaplain on their bus and he’s found the teens to be well-prepared and understanding how this is a pilgrimage which includes sacrifice. He asked Andrea how they help the students prepare. She said Chris Carmody coordinates the pilgrimage and they start preparation three months ahead. The students commit to two meetings a week, at 7:15 am for one and after school for another. They pray and then have a theme, which this year was martyrdom and dying to self. They are also talking about being called by name, as John Paul II said, and that each pilgrim matters. Scot asked Carl who does the recruiting of the students for the March. He said Andrea and Chris play a key role and the faculty is on board and supporting it. The teachers have to arrange for the kids to be out of school for three days. When the teens come back and share their experience, it ignites and enthusiasm for next year. It’s one of the biggest events of the year. Fr. Brian said this March is a big piece of what goes on St. Mary’s but it’s only a piece of it. What leads to going to the March is what happens the rest of the year in the four years they attend the high school. They have a foundation created for them in their faith. Scot asked how many students go each of their years at the school. Andrea said about 90% of the students who go, go every year. When they ask the teens what they loved the most, it’s always those opportunities for adoration or other experiences of Christ’s presence. Their experience of being a unique unrepeatable soul with a mission and a purpose who is loved is the biggest benefit of the pilgrimage. She said last year’s homily at a Mass after the pilgrimage by Fr. Brian gave them new energy and excitement. Fr. Brian said last year he was struck by the small blurbs in the newspapers and other media about the March, when he’d seen 400,000 people, including so many teens, take part. So during the Mass, he passed out his newspapers in the church to show the kids that nothing was in them about it. He asked them how they felt about it and they decided that their voices were not being heard. He said this was a challenge to them, in their voices not being heard in so many ways because they are counter-cultural. Andrea said they could write to the media and ask them to give better coverage in the future. Carl said it’s a great way to combine various academic lessons, including persuasive writing skills. Fr. Matt said to Fr. Brian that a number of young men from the school have attended St. Andrew Dinners with Cardinal Seán, to check out the seminary, and asked if this was connected to this pilgrimage. Fr. Brian said it is because it leads them to think about things they might not have thought about otherwise, including what else God might be calling them to do. 3rd segment: It’s time to announce this week’s winner of the WQOM Benefactor Raffle. Our prizes this week are 2 books by Danny Abramowicz, Peter Herbeck, Curtis Martin, and Brian Patrick: Crossing the Goal: Playbook on Our Father and Crossing the Goal: Playbook on the Virtues. This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Geraldine DiBenedetto from Malden, MA. Congratulation, Geraldine! 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 asked Helio about his letter he wrote to local media. He read the letter on air, in which he talked about how 400,000 people should media coverage, comparing that to the Occupy movement, which got so much more coverage. A person will get on the front-page for murder, but the millions of murders of innocents and the protests by people against get ignored. Scot said he liked how he compared what happens at the March to the Occupy movement. Helio said he hasn’t received a response yet and he’s hoping the media will cover the March. Amy Donovan then read her letter. She said her aim is to save lives lost in abortion and to help the mothers who make this choice. She said it’s not about changing people’s minds, but about standing up what they believe. She asked the media not to ignore the 400,000 voices. Fr. Matt said he liked how she noted 500 young people who stand up for what they believe in and that’s what’s newsworthy, even if the media disagree with what they believe. He asked her how many times she’s been. Amy said she went last year and it was a great experience. The March was breathtaking, seeing all the people together marching for the same principle. Fr. Matt said it’s a beautiful realization when you realize you are not alone in your belief, not to mention seeing how big the Church is, you realize what it is to realize what it’s like to be One Body in Christ. Fr. Matt asked Chris’s reaction reading these letters. He said it’s rewarding to know the students realize that this isn’t an excuse to get out of school, but that they see the purpose of the trip and value the unrepeatable souls that are lost in abortion. He said it’s great to read the letters and see the students react. It’s easy to get caught up in the logistics of the trip, so the letters help to remind him of the true purpose of the trip. Helio said he went on last year’s trip and the highlight was seeing the hundreds of thousands of people, when you can’t see a beginning or end to the crowd. Fr. Matt asked Amy what the preparation for this trip was like compared to last year. Since it’s her second trip, she’s taken a leadership role to help those who are going for the first time to prepare and knowing what to expect has gotten her very excited for this trip. Fr. Matt mentioned Tim Tebow and how his open faith draws positive and negative reactions. He asked them what it’s like for them in their relationships with everyone in their circles for them to stand up for life. Amy said while others may think she’s wasting her time, but she feels supported by the St. Mary’s community. Sometimes people are shocked because she is pro-life and she just repeats to them that everyone should be given a chance to live and stands firm in that. Scot asked Helio about reactions he gets to going on the March. He said most people he know are pro-life but even those who don’t agree, respect him for it. 5th segment: Scot welcomed Meghan and Cristian to the show. He asked Meghan to read her letter. She wrote about her inalienable rights and how those rights have been infringed by being denied to certain groups. She stands pro-life to fight such injustices. As participant in the March for Life, her presence and voice have been ignored. Scot complimented her on how she infused her patriotism with her pro-life stance. she said as an American and a Catholic that those should go together. Fr. Matt asked Meghan how this year’s March for Life will be different from her first one last year. Meghan said with each year she changes a lot and she knows that while it’s the same message and same basic action, it will be an entirely different experience and effect on her. Scot asked her how she shares that voice she speaks of with friends and others. Meghan said even within her family, she had to educate them about abortion or the Gospel of Life that the Church teaches and by getting involved with it more herself, it’s helped them to understand it’s importance for them and for others at her school. Even with her friends, when she’s not specifically talking about her beliefs, she makes it apparent through her actions. Scot asked Cristian to read his letter. Cristian wrote that he thought the March was too big to go unnoticed, but when he came back he was disappointed to see how little coverage it got. The medias more attention to 20,000 watching a basketball game, but not to 400,000 marching in Washington, DC. Scot said he was struck by Cristian’s words about how he is walking not just for himself, but for all those who have no one to speak for themselves. Andrea said she sees the students come to understanding of why God made them and how God loves them. Scot asked Cristian about how Andrea recognizes how much he has grown and changed. Cristian gave credit to Andrea and Chris for their teaching and leading in classes. Andrea said participating in the Thirty Hour Famine that they do during the Easter Triduum helped her to focus on her faith and on trying to become a saint. 6th segments: Scot asked Chris about the New Evangelization and how he sees these students as the protagonists of it. Chris said he sees them bringing the message of Christ to everyone, including faculty and staff and families. They even bring some of their parents back to the Church. Scot asked Andrea what they’re doing in the religion department that makes the students want to live their faith. Andrea remembered in her job interview that the principal said “We are uncompromisingly Catholic.” That’s a big part of it. In the religion department, they took on the new framework from the US Bishops’ Conference which focuses on a relationship with Christ. Fr. Matt said Andrea and Chris mentor young people in the life of the faith. He said Fr. Brian’s comment that the pilgrimage is part of a whole framework of what they do to form young people and asked how they do that. Chris said it’s not just the religion department but the whole faculty. They build them up in every area, through relationships, and that allows them to witness to them. They witness to them in sports and other extracurricular activity. Andrea said every Tuesday at 7:15am there are 50 to 100 students gather for prayer before school, which inspires the teachers. Scot asked what leadership responsibilities they ask of students who have been on the March. Chris said they ask them to be mentors and witnesses to the younger students. They get up and give a witness before all the others to help prepare others for each step on the pilgrimage. Chris said when they come back from the pilgrimage you see a new desire for Christ and a new interest in doing their best in all areas of their life.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Links from today’s show: Apostolic Letter “Motu proprio data” Porta Fidei of Pope Benedict XVI for the Indiction of the Year of Faith Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Note with pastoral recommendations for the Year of Faith Today’s topics: The Year of Faith Summary of today’s show: Pope Benedict XVI has declared a Year of Faith to begin in October that will encourage all Catholics to a greater understanding of what they believe and what the Catholic faith teaches. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor prepare for the Year of Faith by reviewing the Holy Father’s apostolic letter Porta Fidei, introducing the Year, as well as the recommendations from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on how dioceses, parishes, and religious communities can make the Year of Faith a great success and make it spiritually fruitful for the entire Church. They include the Top Ten list of suggestions for both parishes and dioceses. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Chris back to the show. On Saturday, many of the 4th year seminarians will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Some from other dioceses will be ordained in their cathedrals as well. They will serve as deacons in their parishes until the end of June. The ordination to the priesthood is later this year because Deacon Eric Bennett will be coming back from Rome then to join his classmates for ordination. They also have the St. Andrew Dinners as well, which brings young men, mostly high school age, to the seminary for a holy hour, dinner, and some talks to give the young men an experience of the seminary and to see that the seminarians are normal guys like them. Scot and Fr. Chris discussed the football playoffs and the prospects for the Patriots this weekend. Fr. Chris also talked about the upcoming March for Life coming up next Monday. Many seminarians go down for them. Scot said we will have a special show tomorrow, traveling up to St. Mary High School in Lynn, which is sending about 100 students, to interview some of the students and adult leaders. Today’s topic is the Year of Faith that Pope Benedict has declared for the year beginning in October 2012. 2nd segment: Scot said they would be discussing the Pope’s document Porta Fidei, a letter issued last October 11, which begins: The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. It begins with baptism (cf. Rom 6:4), through which we can address God as Father, and it ends with the passage through death to eternal life, fruit of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, whose will it was, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, to draw those who believe in him into his own glory (cf. Jn 17:22). To profess faith in the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is to believe in one God who is Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8): the Father, who in the fullness of time sent his Son for our salvation; Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world; the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church across the centuries as we await the Lord’s glorious return. Ever since the start of my ministry as Successor of Peter, I have spoken of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ. During the homily at the Mass marking the inauguration of my pontificate I said: “The Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance.”[1] It often happens that Christians are more concerned for the social, cultural and political consequences of their commitment, continuing to think of the faith as a self-evident presupposition for life in society. In reality, not only can this presupposition no longer be taken for granted, but it is often openly denied.[2] Whereas in the past it was possible to recognize a unitary cultural matrix, broadly accepted in its appeal to the content of the faith and the values inspired by it, today this no longer seems to be the case in large swathes of society, because of a profound crisis of faith that has affected many people. We cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept hidden (cf. Mt 5:13-16). The people of today can still experience the need to go to the well, like the Samaritan woman, in order to hear Jesus, who invites us to believe in him and to draw upon the source of living water welling up within him (cf. Jn 4:14). We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (cf. Jn 6:51). Indeed, the teaching of Jesus still resounds in our day with the same power: “Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life” (Jn 6:27). The question posed by his listeners is the same that we ask today: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (Jn 6:28). We know Jesus’ reply: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (Jn 6:29). Belief in Jesus Christ, then, is the way to arrive definitively at salvation. In the light of all this, I have decided to announce a Year of Faith. It will begin on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and it will end on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, on 24 November 2013. The starting date of 11 October 2012 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a text promulgated by my Predecessor, Blessed John Paul II,[3] with a view to illustrating for all the faithful the power and beauty of the faith. This document, an authentic fruit of the Second Vatican Council, was requested by the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985 as an instrument at the service of catechesis[4] and it was produced in collaboration with all the bishops of the Catholic Church. Moreover, the theme of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that I have convoked for October 2012 is “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”. This will be a good opportunity to usher the whole Church into a time of particular reflection and rediscovery of the faith. It is not the first time that the Church has been called to celebrate a Year of Faith. My venerable Predecessor the Servant of God Paul VI announced one in 1967, to commemorate the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul on the 19th centenary of their supreme act of witness. He thought of it as a solemn moment for the whole Church to make “an authentic and sincere profession of the same faith”; moreover, he wanted this to be confirmed in a way that was “individual and collective, free and conscious, inward and outward, humble and frank”.[5] He thought that in this way the whole Church could reappropriate “exact knowledge of the faith, so as to reinvigorate it, purify it, confirm it, and confess it”.[6] The great upheavals of that year made even more evident the need for a celebration of this kind. It concluded with the Credo of the People of God,[7] intended to show how much the essential content that for centuries has formed the heritage of all believers needs to be confirmed, understood and explored ever anew, so as to bear consistent witness in historical circumstances very different from those of the past. The name Porta Fideo comes from the first few words of the document in Latin, “the door of faith” We need to let people know that the door of faith is always open and invite them to walk through. Fr. Chris said he was brought back to Rome in the four major basilicas, each of which has a Holy Door, which is opened every 25 years during the Jubilee Years. There are blessings that come through walking through those Holy Doors, but there is also blessings and richness that come from walking through the doors of our church. We come to faith but asking the Lord to give us faith, by using what we have allowing it to prosper and grow in our lives. Scot said the Year of Faith’s timing is the anniversary of Vatican II and the introduction of the Catechism. Pope Benedict says of this timing: It seemed to me that timing the launch of the Year of Faith to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council would provide a good opportunity to help people understand that the texts bequeathed by the Council Fathers, in the words of Blessed John Paul II, “have lost nothing of their value or brilliance. They need to be read correctly, to be widely known and taken to heart as important and normative texts of the Magisterium, within the Church’s Tradition … I feel more than ever in duty bound to point to the Council as the great grace bestowed on the Church in the twentieth century: there we find a sure compass by which to take our bearings in the century now beginning.” Scot said the Holy Father is emphasizing that Vatican II is underappreciated now just 50 years on, that councils aren’t fully appreciated until decades or a century or more have passed. Fr. Chris said he loves to teach the course on ecclesiology because students appreciate learning about what saints, theologians, bishops and more have taught about the Church. He suggested one of the best Vatican II documents is Lumen Gentium, which deals specifically with the Church. He notes also that the Holy Father specifically mentions the Catechism of the Catholic Church, because there is the basic teachings of our faith, along with the beauty and goodness of our faith, and ultimately Christ. Scot said the holy Father wants us to encounter Christ through the Vatican II documents and the Catechism. We can prepare for the Year of Faith by reading those, in small doses, a few pages at a time, perhaps some of the Scripture referenced in what you read as well. Fr. Chris said the Catechism is a rich resource. It’s like a dessert, you don’t have too much of a rich things. Take it in small doses. Start with a topic you’re interested in: marriage and family, confession, or the life of prayer. Scot said the holy Father promises: Today as in the past, he sends us through the highways of the world to proclaim his Gospel to all the peoples of the earth (cf. Mt 28:19). Through his love, Jesus Christ attracts to himself the people of every generation: in every age he convokes the Church, entrusting her with the proclamation of the Gospel by a mandate that is ever new. Today too, there is a need for stronger ecclesial commitment to new evangelization in order to rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith. In rediscovering his love day by day, the missionary commitment of believers attains force and vigour that can never fade away. Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy. It makes us fruitful, because it expands our hearts in hope and enables us to bear life-giving witness: indeed, it opens the hearts and minds of those who listen to respond to the Lord’s invitation to adhere to his word and become his disciples. Believers, so Saint Augustine tells us, “strengthen themselves by believing”. Fr. Chris said this is exercising the muscle of faith in order to have it grow and bear fruit. Faith without charity bears no fruit, while charity without faith would be a sentiment constantly at the mercy of doubt. Faith and charity each require the other, in such a way that each allows the other to set out along its respective path. Indeed, many Christians dedicate their lives with love to those who are lonely, marginalized or excluded, as to those who are the first with a claim on our attention and the most important for us to support, because it is in them that the reflection of Christ’s own face is seen. Through faith, we can recognize the face of the risen Lord in those who ask for our love. “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). These words are a warning that must not be forgotten and a perennial invitation to return the love by which he takes care of us. It is faith that enables us to recognize Christ and it is his love that impels us to assist him whenever he becomes our neighbour along the journey of life. Supported by faith, let us look with hope at our commitment in the world, as we await “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13; cf. Rev 21:1). Scot said the work of the Church is to know Jesus Christ and love him back, and to be able to practice our acts of charity and love the way Jesus wants us to. Christian charity and secular charity might look the same, but in the hearts of those who practice them, they are not the same. Fr. Chris said when we recognize who Christ is, that he is a gift, it can only prompt us to make a gift of our life to Christ as a mom, dad, priest, etc. 3rd segment: Scot said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith also issued recommendations on the implementation of the Year of Faith at three levels: the Universal Church, bishops’ conferences and dioceses, and parishes and families. The list includes 10 items. The first is to read and meditate upon Pope Benedict’s letter Porta Fidei. Fr. Chris noted listeners today are doing that. It helps readers to consider how they can grow in faith. The second recommendation is to intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist. The Holy Faith wants to ensure that the liturgy is prayed in the way that people live it. Fr. Chris said maybe arrive to Mass a little early to prepare yourself and quiet self before Mass. Maybe don’t leave before the closing prayer and give self completely to the liturgy. Bring to the Eucharist those things things affecting us, including the blessings and sufferings of the week, and say, Lord, I am giving these to you. And make ourselves attentive to the Lord’s Word being proclaimed. Scot added that we should understand we’re not passive spectators at church, but respond to prayer with vigor. Also think through how your children and others are watching what we do, so do everything with intention, like receiving Communion. Third, priests should devote greater attention to the study of the documents of Vatican Council II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, drawing from them resources for the pastoral care of their parishes – catechesis, preaching, Sacramental preparation. Fr. Chris said it reminds priests that they have a sacred role as teacher and if they’re going to teach the faith, then they need to be able to articulate. Fr. Chris said every time he looks at the documents of Vatican II, something new catches his attention. Just because you’ve read it before doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit isn’t going to inspire you with something new. Fourth, Catechists should hold more firmly to the doctrinal richness of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and, under the direction of their pastors. Scot said all good catechesis starts with the Catechism. Put all lessons in the proper context of the teaching of the Church. Have a fresh reading of the Catechism in order to be able to respond to questions about the faith. Fr. Chris said the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization offers a whole certificate program that focuses primarily on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Fifth, It is hoped that there will be a renewed commitment in parishes to the distribution of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and of other resources appropriate for families, which are true domestic churches and the primary setting for the transmission of the faith. This can be done appropriately during home blessings, baptisms, confirmations, and marriages. It emphasizes that families shouldn’t be outsourcing the faith formation to religious education classes. Fr. Chris said most of the catechism is readily accessible to the average reader and it helps unpack the truth, beauty, and goodness of our faith. He has a friend who said the Catechism certificate revolutionized how he practices his faith. Sixth, The promotion of missions and other popular programs in parishes and in the workplace can help the faithful to rediscover the gift of Baptismal faith and the task of giving witness, knowing that the Christian vocation “by its very nature is also a vocation to the apostolate.” Scot said parish missions used to be a very big deal in parishes and it would be a good for parishes to make a commitment of three or four nights in a row. Fr. Chris called it a parish retreat and opportunity to grow in the faith and to remind us of our faith and reenergize us. He encouraged listeners to approach their pastors to ask for them. Seven addresses religious communities to work toward the new evangelization; Eight, contemplative communities, during the Year of Faith, should pray specifically for the renewal of the faith among the People of God and for a new impulse for its transmission to the young; and Nine, Associations and Ecclesial Movements are invited to promote specific initiatives which, through the contribution of their proper charism and in collaboration with their local Pastors, will contribute to the wider experience of the Year of Faith. Tenth, All of the faithful, called to renew the gift of faith, should try to communicate their own experience of faith and charity[35] to their brothers and sisters of other religions, with those who do not believe, and with those who are just indifferent. In this way, it is hoped that the entire Christian people will begin a kind of mission toward those with whom they live and work, knowing that they “have welcomed the news of salvation which is meant for every man.” Fr. Chris said faith is never lived in a vacuum, but is instead shared and offered to others. He said Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn’s book says that from the first sin of Adam and Eve to the present day, wherever sin is, it’s a result of a lack of faith. Where faith abounds, sin decreases. 4th segment: Scot mentioned the diocesan recommendations, starting with “It is hoped that each particular Church would have a celebration of the opening of the Year of Faith and a solemn conclusion to it, in which to “profess our faith in the Risen Lord in our cathedrals and in the churches of the whole world.”” Fr. Chris said it calls the people of the diocese together. Every diocese in the world is asked to do this, which showcases our universal nature. We’re all connected together in this beautiful faith, rooted in the Eucharist. Second, each diocese would organize a study day on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. How many people have read the Catechism substantially? And if so, how many have done so recently? Fr. Chris said the Daughters of St. Paul edition includes the Scripture passages referenced connected to the Catechism. It helps priests preparing for Mass to reference the Catechism. Third, it encourages each bishop to write a pastoral letter on the topic of faith, reminding them of the importance of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism. Scot said Cardinal Seán will probably write one of his own. Fr. Chris said it helps the Church in Boston to reflect on what we should all be considering together. Fourth, it is hoped that in each Diocese, under the leadership of the Bishop, catechetical events will be organized, especially for the youth and those searching for a sense of life, helping them to discover the beauty of ecclesial faith, promoting encounters with meaningful witnesses to the faith. Scot said do a youth event with a goal of teaching what the Church believes through witnesses. Fr. Chris said the Church is again saying the young people are the future of our Church. We need to help them encounter Christ because once you encounter Him there is no turning back. Fifth, each diocese should review the reception of Vatican II and the Catechism in its own life and mission, particularly in the realm of catechesis. Fr. Chris said so many people want to quote Vatican II until you ask them to show you where it is in the text. The more we can all look at what the documents actually teach, the better off we’ll all be. When we teach the truth, it’s attractive. Anything less isn’t worth hanging your soul on. If we can proclaim it convincingly, there’d be no stopping us. Scot said he guess less than 5,000 people in this diocese have read the Catechism or documents of Vatican II. his hope is that number would multiply by several times so that most people who are passionate about their faith will be able to pass it on to others. Fr. Chris said faith is an investment. The more fully you give yourself to it, the more fully you will reap the rewards. Sixth, The continuing education of the clergy can be focused during this Year of Faith on the documents of Vatican Council II and on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, treating such themes as “the proclamation of the Risen Christ”, “the Church - sacrament of salvation”, “the mission of evangelization in the world today”, “faith and disbelief”, “faith, ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue”, “faith and eternal life”, “the hermeneutic of reform in continuity” and “the Catechism in ordinary pastoral care.” Seventh, Bishops are invited to organize penitential celebrations, particularly during Lent like The Light Is On For You, in which all can ask for God’s forgiveness, especially for sins against faith. This Year also provides an appropriate occasion in which all can approach the Sacrament of Penance with greater faith and more frequently. Fr. Chris said sins against the faith could include just saying I don’t believe anymore. Faith is not an emotion. It’s a choice we have to make. There is also a sin of presumption, that presumes on God’s mercy that we will get to heaven no matter what. Eight encourages a renewed creative dialogue between faith and reason in the academic and artistic communities. Nine promotes encounters with those persons who, “while not claiming to have the gift of faith, are nevertheless sincerely searching for the ultimate meaning and definitive truth of their lives and of the world”. Ten encourages greater attention to Catholic schools, especially through the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the YouCat.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Terry Donilon, Secretary for Communications and Public Affairs of the Archdiocese of Boston Links from today’s show: Archdiocese of Boston Communications and Public Affairs Today’s topics: Terry Donilon, spokesman for Cardinal Seán, and the Church in the news Summary of today’s show: Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell have a conversation with Terry Donilon, the secretary for communications and public affairs for the Archdiocese and the official spokesman for Cardinal Seán, who outlines his path from growing up in Rhode Island through majoring in theater in college to working for a number of Rhode Island politicians as press aide and spokesman. Terry also talks about how he left a good job as spokesman for Shaw’s to come work for Cardinal Seán in some of the Archdiocese’s darkest days and reflects on some of the biggest stories he’s dealt with in his position. Scot, Fr. Mark, and Terry discuss whether the media is biased against the Church and then predict what will be the big stories related to the Church in 2012. 1st segment: Scot and Fr. Mark talked about the busy week in the Pastoral Center, without about 1,000 guests total coming in to talk about pastoral planning in the Archdiocese. Fr. Mark said we have to work out these things to have the best plan for the Archdiocese going forward. Scot said one of the big differences in the Church from his days working in the private sector is that the Church has a consultative decision-making process, even though the decision is ultimately the Cardinal’s. Fr. Mark said the Cardinal’s personality is that he likes to hear from everyone. People said the website Planning2012.com is being built to receive feedback from people. Scot said yesterday was the Presbyteral Council meeting. Fr. Mark has a particular role on the council as judicial vicar. They discussed pastoral planning and physician-assisted suicide. They also talked about ways parishes can collaborate. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcome Terry Donilon to the show. Scot said Terry has served in a variety of public relations jobs in both private sector, politics, and now the Church. Terry said his parents were both intimately involved in government and politics. They were 4 kids and his father was former head of Providence school committee and his mother was a head of a union. Scot said was a theater major in college and was heading to theater education. Terry said working in the theater prepared him well for working with the media in Boston. It opened him up in terms of communicating and having a broad background. Terry talked about singing before a legendary liturgical choir director. Terry said he wasn’t as musically inclined as his siblings, but his freshman year at Emerson College, he had to take a semester off due to illness and listened to lots of singing baritones. He went back to college and got the lead in a musical. Many of his classmates have jobs in theater and entertainment today, including several on Broadway. Scot said he can’t do justice to Terry’s voice. It’s a powerful voice. Terry said he’s sung at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In 1996, he sang for Pope John Paul II in Rome. Terry worked in radio coming out of college, and worked in Providence. He met Providence Major Joe Paolino, who became a friend and brought him on staff. He went on to work for Governor Bruce Sundland and a congressman. He thinks it’s important to instill in his own kids the importance of politics and public affairs. Scot said he’s served pro-life Democrats. Bob Weygand was a pro-life Democrat who lost the senate race in 2000 against Republican Lincoln Chaffee. Terry said he grew tired of the political mindset after a while. He said it’s more fun to be on this side of politics. He’s been encouraged to put his name on a ballot, but he thinks running for office changes you. It’s rare to find someone like New Hampshire Republican Ovid Lamontagne who doesn’t get changed. Terry said it’s a fascinating and important world, but the people involved are often insulated from the world outside politics. Scot emphasized that it’s important to get beyond the slogans and understand what exactly the issue are. Scot asked Terry what it was like to work with Shaw’s. Terry said it was a time of growth for Shaw’s, opening stores and growing jobs. Supermarkets are job creators and an economic engine. They can totally transform a town. He said many towns are centered around these companies in their midst. Terry asked himself how he got from Shaw’s to the Archdiocese. He’s always been involved in the Church, it’s always been important to him. He’s sung in church for more than 20 years. In December 2004, he was considering what he’s going to be doing the rest of his life. Five months later, he was working for the Archdiocese. If you’re willing open yourself up to the Lord, he will lead you. Scot noted that the Archdiocese was going through a difficult time then, with the abuse crisis and reconfiguration. Many of his friends told him he was crazy to take the job, but they understood it was the right move for him because of his backgrounds. His daughter, who was a teen at the time, asked him why he wanted t go work with the old, stodgy institution. He said the leadership had a made a commitment to make things better and they have. He thinks it can be difficult to work here, but at the end of the day, we’re better off today than we were in 2004. He said the Church is a rock in people’s lives despite the tumult and they cling to it. Fr. Mark said when critical decisions are made by the Cardinal and his advisors, they do so with the best intention to do what’s right and just. Terry said there are days when he wants to go crazy when he sees what some people write, but then he steps back and considers how to help the cardinal carve through the onslaught. When the history of Cardinal Seán is written, it will say he met his objective of healing the Archdiocese of Boston. 3rd segment: Looking back over his time here, Terry said the top story is how Cardinal Seán has been committed to helping survivors of sexual abuse with healing and reconciliation, as well as bolster the morale of priests and laity. Other stories included financial transparency and solvency. The archdiocese was losing about $15 million per year on its budget. Terry said the Cardinal is very handy with budgets and numbers. He dealt with it decisively and forthrightly. Terry said the Cardinal opened the Archdiocese’s books more than any other diocese in the country. Terry said with Pastoral Planning, the cardinal has been working on this for a long time. The cardinal is taking an organic approach. Part of the approach is to bring more people back to Mass and so he wants to get the media to pay attention to stories like Catholics Come Home. Scot asked about the perception that the media is biased against the Church. Terry said he doesn’t think the editors and reporters look for ways to attack the Church. Instead, we have a highly charged political environment with a very liberal community and high-power educational and cultural and industry organizations. This creates friction with the Church. For the most part, they have repaired a relationship with the media that was damaged, which damage including a lack of trust on the part of the public too. They repair the media relationship in order to get the message out. He said these are human beings doing this work. Obviously, at the high level they disagree with us on many issues, but we can’t give up our position because we are willing to step out and speak on the issues. Fr. Mark when do you have to react defensively and when do you let it go. Terry said it’s a judgment call. He said he has a wide lens of what’s out there short term and long term. When someone attacks the Cardinal and the church in a slanderous and damaging way that damages what the Church stands for, they take the reporters and media to task for what they have done wrong. But he’s built a mutual respect in a way that we have fewer of those moments. For the most part, we get fair and balanced coverage. We’re a very large organization in this area. We are the second-largest social service organization in the state. We educate many, many children. Take those away we’d all be paying higher taxes and perhaps receive lower quality services. Terry said the media look at us and say that we have a big footprint in the Commonwealth. Terry said when he first started 20 years ago, there were no blogs, no email, no smartphones and news was generated once per day. Now the news cycle is measured in minutes. It’s important to have a strong message and strong message and stay true to who you are. In this archdiocese, we have a great leader who heals, rebuilds, returns trusts, and brought back credibility. Scot said media organizations are under tremendous financial pressures. He asked how that affects the coverage of the Church when stories about scandal can sell papers or get ratings. Terry said the state of the media is that they are in a state of survival. We’re seeing them change how they do things. He doesn’t think that the newsroom thinks about cranking up stories to sell papers. Most credible papers and TV stations take their jobs seriously. But there’s a lot of experienced reporters that have left the industry and there’s a new inexperienced group that will take time to educate. Fr. Mark said sometimes it’s frustrating to see the headlines are unbalanced while the story is good. Terry said the headlines can often drive what the rest of the media report. Terry said the reporters in Boston for the most part do well in not ambushing you. Fr. Mark also commented on the soundbite being taken from a long interview. Terry said people often read the Globe and Herald editorial pages and wonder how we can say that’s fair coverage. Terry pointed out that editorial writers and newsroom reporters don’t influence each other on a daily basis; there’s competition there between them. Scot asked what will be the big stories will be in 2012. Terry said the upcoming consistory will be a big one and the 10th anniversary of the Dallas charter in June as well as the pastoral planning in the archdiocese. He thinks it will be a year of great growth for the Archdiocese. He thinks the big issue pushed by the cardinal and other Mass. bishops will be the assisted suicide ballot question. What we’re learning is that the bishops have the right message and we have a right and a track record of involving ourselves in these big issues. The Church has a history of having a place in the debate. 4th segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. 1st Reading for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday, January 15, 2012 (1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19) Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was. The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.” Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I did not call you, ” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.” So he went back to sleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. “Here I am, ” he said. “You called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.” At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect. Gospel for the 1st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday, January 15, 2012 (John 1:35-42) John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” - which translated means Teacher -, “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” - which is translated Christ -. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” - which is translated Peter. Scot said both readings are about callings. Shouldn’t we able be saying, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” We’re creating the space so we can hear him speak to us. In the Gospel, it reminds him that if it wasn’t for Andrew finding Jesus and bringing Peter to him, we wouldn’t have the first among the apostles, Peter our first Pope. Fr. Mark said we see Andrew three times in the Gospel of John. Here he meets Jesus and then goes to bring Peter to him. At the feeding of the 5000, Andrew brings the boy with loaves and fishes to Jesus. Later on he brings some Greeks to Jesus. The first time, he brings his family to Jesus, then he brings a youth, then he brings a Gentile. Scot said Andrew didn’t have to do all the convincing. For us, we can say we don’t have to do all the convincing. We have to bring them to Jesus and let Jesus do the convincing. Fr. Mark pointed out how St. John the Baptist sends his disciples to follow Jesus. The first words of Jesus in the Gospel of John are here, which is “Come and see.” Scot said when people have questions about the Church, we can say, “Come and see.” Come to Mass with me, share this life with us and you will see. Fr. Mark said these readings tell us that we invite the Lord to speak to us and hear the Lord say to us, Come and see. Scot said the Catholic Church is where we have met Jesus Christ and so come and see where he is.