The Good Catholic Life

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Janet Benestad, Secretary for Faith Formation and Evangelization of the Archdiocese of Boston Jesus’ Eager Desire: Our Participation in the Sunday Mass Today’s topics: Cardinal Seán’s Pastoral Letter on Sunday Mass participation Summary of today’s show: Cardinal Seán O’Malley has issued a major pastoral letter on the importance of Sunday Mass participation. Scot Landry, Fr. Chris O’Connor, and Janet Benestad devote an hour to discussing this very personal message from the Cardinal’s heart, which is also filled with intimate pastoral advice and practical suggestions for priests, parish staff, and parents, such the revival of monthly coffee hours after Mass and a link to a Mass times website for travelers. 1st segment: Scot said St. John’s Seminary had their big seminary dinner last night, giving thanks for everyone who is a part of that family. The seminarians were heading out to be with family and friends for the holiday. The Master’s in Ministry Formation and TINE had a concert over the weekend to pray for deceased loved ones and people sponsor particular songs in memory of the deceased. He said Bishop Hennessey told them that one of the things happening in the Archdiocese that Pope Benedict particularly wanted to know about during their ad limina visit earlier this month was the work of the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization. He asked for them to send materials to Rome to learn more about it. Fr. Chris and Scot talked about the transition to the new translation of the Mass coming up on Sunday. Priests will have to get used to reading the prayers from the books just as much as the parishioners. Next Monday will discuss how the first Sunday goes. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Chris welcomed Janet Benestad to the show. Scot said the Pastoral Letter is the Cardinal’s second this year. The first was on the Feast of Pentecost and this version is longer than the first by far. Scot said the letter begins by referring to the Thanksgiving holiday and what we put up with to attend that family celebration. Janet said it’s a very personal letter where the Cardinal reminisces about his own childhood and events of his life. She said we work very hard to come together, even if the food isn’t as great as we want it to be or the conversation won’t be as great as it could be. But we do it because it would be unthinkable to be apart from these people. The same is true of the Mass. When we’re away from the Mass, we start to feel disconnected from the Church, our parish, and the Eucharist. Scot said it’s not the same when a member of the family isn’t there on Thanksgiving, and it’s the same when our brothers and sisters in Christ aren’t present at the Eucharist, a Greek word which means Thanksgiving. Fr. Chris said St. Paul speaks of this; when a member of the Body of Christ is missing, the Body is lacking. The next section is called “Jesus’ Eager Desire— Do This in Remembrance of Me”. The Thanksgiving meal of our Catholic family occurs every Sunday. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek word εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), which literally means “thanksgiving.” Jesus Himself instituted this family tradition on the night before He died. When He gathered the disciples in the Upper Room for the Last Supper, He told them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover meal with you.”1 He taught them the importance of humble service through washing their feet.2 Then He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and through His divine power transformed it into His own body, blood, soul and divinity. He told them, “Whoever eats this bread and drinks this blood will have eternal life.” 3 He then instructed them to, “Do this in memory of me.” 4 Since that day almost 2,000 years ago, the Church has carried out Jesus’ command. As Catholics, we pray in so many ways, but Jesus told us to pray this way. This is the prayer he most wants from us. Janet said all the grace we receive flows through the Eucharist. All the grace of the work we do flows toward the Eucharist. In that section, Cardinal Seán speaks to those who might feel disconnected. If you feel spiritual, not religious, then this is for you: You recognize your hunger for God, you feel your need for the Eucharist. Please know God hungers for you. Fr. Chris the Catechism tells us the Eucharist is the apex of prayer. He is truck when Christ asks the apostles, do you believe? And they reply, where else can we go? He recalls Elizabeth Ann Seton, who converted from Episcopalian. She would pray in an Episcopal church, but would be physically oriented toward the Catholic Church where the tabernacle lamp was burning. Scot the Cardinal goes on to talk about the unhealthy individualism in the practice of Catholic faith. But Christian discipleship is never a solo flight; it is a lifelong family pilgrimage. At the heart of that adventure is the Eucharistic banquet where the Last Supper and Calvary become present. … Some people say, “Mass is boring” or “I don’t get anything out of it” or “I pray in my own way.” Consider for a moment how parents would feel if their children said similar things about the family celebration of Thanksgiving or a birthday party. “I don’t get anything out of the celebration” or “it’s boring” or “I’ll celebrate your birthday in my own way.” We would feel disappointed, incomplete, and certainly hopeful that the family would be fully reunited at the next gathering. Similarly, Jesus’ eager desire is to have us all present each Sunday for His thanksgiving meal. Scot said when asks his parents what they want for birthdays or holidays, they tell him all they want is for everyone to be together. It reminds him how deeply how much his parents love their kids and grandkids. Janet said in her family, they always manage to get together, but one of her children last year was in Iraq for all major holidays and they all miss him when he’s not there. St. Therese said she learned to love the Mass from watching her father’s face at Mass. She loves to take her grandkids to Mass and see them experience the beauty of the Eucharist. These gifts are the most important gift we give to our children. Fr. Chris said a father was telling him that he brought his 4-year-old to Mass and after seeing the father genuflect before entering the pew, insisted that they both do the same thing together. Fr. Chris likes the words the Cardinal chose: Do this in remembrance in memory of me. On Veteran’s Day we remembered the men and women who have sacrificed for the sake of freedom. How much more has Christ sacrificed for us and how much more we should remember it. Speaking of freedom, the Cardinal asks us not to take for granted the gift of the Sunday Mass. Scot once calculated that within 15 miles of his home in Belmont, there are more than 100 Catholic churches and more than 500 Masses every Sunday. Cardinal Seán recalls Roman martyrs who risked death to go to Mass and who said, “Without Sunday, we cannot live.” He then recounts the people throughout the world today who risk their lives to go to Mass on Sunday. Fr. Chris said St. Augustine said, the sacraments signify what they effect. It means that what we see happening is actually happening. When we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, it is the Lord nourishing and sustaining us. Without God, nothing happens. With God, all things are possible. The Cardinal ends this section thus: Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta often spoke about how precious each Mass is. Frequently she would instruct newly ordained priests to “celebrate each Mass as if it is your first Mass, your last Mass and your only Mass.” In other words, she implored priests never to take the celebration of the Mass for granted and let it become routine. I ask the same of every Catholic in the archdiocese. Just as we should be grateful for each day God grants us, let us anticipate and participate in each Mass as if it could be our last or our only Mass. Let us never take for granted the wonder that is the encounter we have with God each Sunday that we celebrate the Eucharist together. Scot said this is one of his favorite paragraphs in the letter. It’s like a splash of cold water in the face. There have been times he’s attended Mass when it wasn’t like the first or last Mass he’s ever participated in. Janet said she thought about it last Sunday, asking herself how that would affect how she participated. In the Eucharist, Christ is closer to us than we are to ourselves. Fr. Chris said Christ thirsts for souls. Through the Eucharist, Christ communes with us: “We have received and we have been received” in the Eucharist. 3rd segment: In the next section of the letter, the Cardinal explains the nine reasons Catholic give for coming to Mass: We desire to respond to God’s love “God so loved the world that He sent His only son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”9 Jesus’ love for us led Him to offer Himself on the cross for our salvation. The same saving love of Jesus leads Him to continue to give Himself through the gift of the Eucharist. The word “love” in English, particularly today, has been stripped of much of its beauty and meaning. It often is reduced to a “feeling.” In Greek, there are seven words for love and the word for the love God has for us, agape, connotes action, a self-gift. The love we want to have for God is a self-gift in return, of our time, energy, worries, hopes and joy. The Mass is the best place to thank God for the gifts besides Himself that He gives us — especially life, family, friends, faith and love. Scot said we come to Mass because we desire to respond to the love God has had for us. Janet said when we look at the story of the 10 commandments, God says to do these things because “I love you.” This notion of agape as the highest form of love is what we respond to. We desire to encounter Christ in the most profound way possible The Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy explains that Christ is present to us in four ways during the celebration of Mass: (1) in the community celebrating; (2) in the Word proclaimed; (3) in the priest presiding; and (4) in the Eucharist. Fr. Chris said Jesus says he is the vine and we are the branches. We graft ourselves to the vine. We pray in the Mass for forgiveness and to be brought together in Christ. In the second way, Fr. Chris encourages people to pray before the Mass to ask God to bring us deeper into his mystery through his Word that is preached. Then recognizing that when the priest celebrates the liturgy, he is in the person of Christ. This is why he says, “Do this in memory of me.” When the priest says that he is reciting the words of Christ, but he is also giving up his own life for the community, leading them closer to God. Finally, he notes that tabernacles often have images of the pelican piercing its breast to feed the young, based on an ancient myth. Christ becomes the Bread of Life that nourishes us. By encountering Jesus in these four ways, there is no more profound way to encounter God. Scot said there is a hunger ingrained in us to meet God in heaven, but the best way short of heaven is meeting him in the Mass. With regard to Christ being present in the community, it means God is present in everyone. Fr. Chris we talk about the Church on a journey to heaven. It is both human and divine. Some people reject the Church because of scandal or the sins of individuals, but just as the cross is a stumbling block for many (how could the Lord die on the cross?), the fact that Christ dwells in the community and we are called to be his hands, feet, and mouth. Scandal overshadows Christ’s indwelling. We desire to gather and pray with our parish family The celebration of Mass has horizontal and vertical dimensions. We desire to strengthen our particular family We desire to witness to our faith and provide a living legacy to our children and grandchildren Janet said Cardinal Sean makes the observation that he didn’t need to bring the apostles all together for the Last Supper. Our presence to each other is the fullest expression of our Christian identity. He reminds parents that they are to be the first and best teachers in the faith for our children. Janet said she liked the story of the teacher who said she grew up in a family where going to Mass together was as optional as breathing. It wasn’t imposed. It just was. “To miss Mass is to stop breathing; it is the sure path to a spiritual asphyxiation.” Children are always watching their parents and grandparents. We form our young people by the way we participate in the Mass. Children who see that their parents get to Church early to pray before Mass will want to imitate them. Children who observe parents and other adults reverently receive the Eucharist will more readily realize that the Eucharist truly is the Body and Blood of Christ. The example of parents is an essential part of preparation for receiving First Holy Communion. Children who hear from their parents how much, and why, they love Mass will be less inclined to compare Mass to television and consider it “boring.” Scot thinks that last is a very strong line. It strikes him as his kids love to watch TV and play video games. Without trying to differentiate Mass, sometimes we come to Mass expecting to be entertained. Fr. Chris said God is worthy of praise and thanksgiving. Everything we see is total gift from God and we remind our children to be thankful for his blessings. Similarly, for families to stop throughout the week, bringing their sadnesses and hopes and prayers to the eucharist and energize them and bring them together, what more could we do? At the end of the day, God will only ask us how great a Christian were we? We desire to be transformed by Christ’s sacramental grace We desire to participate in Jesus’ victory over death and the salvation of the world We desire a foretaste of Heaven Sports fans in Boston over the past decade have had the good fortune to celebrate many championships. Our victory parades have been incredible gatherings. No sports fan in the nation would deny that Boston knows how to celebrate victory. Wouldn’t it be great if others said that about us for the way that we celebrated the biggest victory of all — Jesus’ victory over death? Janet said she happened to be at Fenway Park on Father’s Day when the Bruins came to celebrate the Stanley Cup with the Red Sox and she said if we could celebrate the Mass with the same energy and enthusiasm as she saw that day, how wonderful would it be? We desire to follow God’s loving guidance and to commit to deepening our relationship with God Cardinal Sean talks here about honoring the third commandment to honor the Sabbath. Fr. Chris said the commandments are not suggestions. This is God’s word: Keep holy the Sabbath and remember the need to rest and give God praise. The Eucharist allows is to thank the most important person in our life and give gratitude to him for the blessings he bestows on us. 4th segment: The next section of the letter is addressed to particular groups. The first is to Catholics who’ve been away from Mass. My dear brothers and sisters: please know that we miss you, we love you, and we hope you will rejoin our Catholic family for our Sunday Mass. Some of you have drifted away from the Church and have been waiting for a good time to return. I pray that you will consider this the time to join us on our faith journey toward Heaven. … Some of you have made a choice to stop coming to Church because you have been hurt by the actions of someone in the Church or because of a difficulty with a Church teaching. From my first day as Archbishop of Boston and perhaps for the rest of my days, I will always be asking the forgiveness of all those who have been hurt by the actions, or inaction, of people and leaders in the Church. Please do not let those experiences and memories separate you from the love of Christ and of our Catholic family and prevent you from receiving the grace of the sacraments. Scot said this comes from the deepest recesses of Cardinal Seán’s heart. Janet recalled that during the launch of Catholics Come Home that Cardinal Seán said that if people aren’t in the Church, he can’t have conversations with them about that which hurt them or that which they disagreed with. It’s a better conversation when we are receiving the Eucharist together because it brings us into communion. He addresses priests and then parish staffs and parish councils. He’s very practical, asking them to put MassTimes.org in the parish bulletin in the summer for those traveling on vacation to take Christ with us. Please make lists of those we want to invite. Parish record books and censuses can be helpful. We certainly want to reach out to people who have baptized their children, brought them for First Communion and Confirmation, enrolled children in religious education, been recently married, attended funeral liturgies, and those who in the past used offertory envelopes. Please plan a major neighborhood outreach, perhaps as a prelude to a parish mission, day of recollection, or evening of prayer. … Please discuss with your receptionists, greeters, ushers, volunteers, ministry leaders and parish staff members the best practices of hospitality toward newcomers and the skills needed to invite, engage and involve parishioners in your parish life. … Ride-sharing programs can become a more important ministry at most parishes. There are many Catholics who would be grateful for a ride to and from Mass and for the company of a friendly fellow parishioner. … Coffee receptions after Masses at least monthly, weekly if possible, have been shown to deepen the sense of community. Fr. Chris said it’s best practices being put forward by the Cardinal Seán. It’s not just 10,000-foot theology, but boots-on-the-ground practice. It shows it’s not just the priest’s responsibility, but each of us has a role and a part to play. When the body is healthy and vibrant, it can’t help but attract people to it. Janet said the Cardinal also speaks very directly to parents. Your good example of faithfulness to Sunday Mass, prayer and moral decency preaches more eloquently than the homily of any priest. When children see that their parents love Sunday Mass they likewise will grow to love it too. Too often parents “come for the kids” and kids come because “Mom and Dad brought me.” Articulate to your children your love for Jesus, why you attend Sunday Mass as a family and why their instruction in the faith in school or at CCD is one of the most important gifts you can give them. I ask that you live Sunday as the Lord’s Day, a day that includes Holy Mass, religious instruction, leisure activities, a family meal, spiritual readings, and acts of charity. She said it’s a beautiful passage and encouragement, especially for young families. Cardinal Seán is calling us back to remember Sunday as the Lord’s day. The Cardinal concludes with the story of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus who rushed to tell the world that Jesus had been risen. Let us all do what those two disciples on the road to Emmaus did. Let us rush to tell the world that Christ is alive and eagerly desires our family to gather at the Lord’s Table to experience God’s love, to discover our identity as Catholics and to fulfill our mission together. Let us proclaim that we desire to live each Sunday with the Lord and with each other in the supreme prayer of the Church, the Eucharist, our Thanksgiving celebration.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Recipients of the 2011 Cheverus Awards Joan Fawls, St Mary of the Hills, Milton Frances X. Hogan, Massachusetts Catholic Conference Frank McCarthy, St Rita, Lowell Chester & Patricia Morrill, St Richard, Danvers Benoit Thibault, St Augustine, Andover Brother Daniel Walters, OSB, Glastonbury Abbey Ann Casey, St Marguerite d’Youville, Dracut Linda Newell, Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Marblehead Mary Therese Ferraris, St Jude, Norfolk Deacon Michael J. Markham, Our Lady of Grace, Pepperell, along with Fr. Paul Ring Eileen Simmons, Our Lady of Grace, Pepperell Deacon A.J. Constantino, Sacred Heart, East Boston Thomas Maloney, St. Ann, West Bridgewater Today’s topics: 2011 Cheverus Awards “Cheverus Award recipients announced”, The Pilot, 11/11/11 2011 Cheverus Award photos on Flickr.com Summary of today’s show: The Good Catholic Life was live at Holy Cross Cathedral on Sunday to bring you 13 stories of some of the 97 unsung heroes of the parishes of the Archdiocese who received the Cheverus Award from Cardinal Seán. What’s remarkable about them is how unremarkable the stories are in one way: These humble people acknowledged that there are many more just like them in their parishes, doing the same work of living out the Gospel in the world. They are the Body of Christ in the world and on this Solemnity of Christ the King, they emerged from the shadows for a brief moment of recognition on behalf of all those they represent. 1st segment: Scot said yesterday at Holy Cross Cathedral was a special ceremony in which Cardinal Seán awarded 96 Cheverus Medals to recipients who were recognized for their service to the Catholic community. Established in 2008, in conjunction with the archdiocese’s bicentennial celebration, the Cheverus Award is named after the first Bishop of Boston, Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus. Bishop Cheverus led the diocese from 1808 until his return to his native France in 1824. The award is given to lay people, deacons and religious in parishes and other archdiocesan ministries for their service to the Church and the people of God. Recipients are nominated by pastors, regional bishops and the central ministries of the archdiocese. Cardinal O’Malley also chooses some of the recipients personally. Scot and Rick interviewed 13 of the recipients at the end the ceremony and those recordings will be played.. Scot welcomes Joan Fawls of St. Mary of the Hills, Milton. Her children all attended the parish school and she become involved through the PTO. She’s also involved in a food program that brings desserts to residents of a homeless shelter. She’s been running it for about 7 years. She was humbled to be selected from among so many who work so hard. She said it’s an easy program to run, she has the gift of organization. She loves running it. This was Joan’s first time to the cathedral and she said it was very lovely. Scot welcomes Fran Hogan, a Boston attorney and volunteer who has served the pro-life committee of the Mass. Catholic Conference. She said she was shocked to be given the award. She chairs the pro-life and family life subcommittee and she’s dealing with many issues in the public arena, including assisted suicide. She said there are many euphemisms in use. For example, the Hemlock Society has changed its name to Compassion in Choice. Massachusetts is seen as a testbed because of its large medical community. She is a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Everett. In her day job, she is a real estate attorney. Scot said the Cheverus Awards work by having each diocese nominating one person every three years. Scot said St. Rita’s in Lowell nominated Frank McCarthy. Frank has been a member his entire life, being baptized there and getting married there. His main involvement is in religious education and RCIA. The ministry has helped his own faith. He said he learns more by preparing to teach it. He said he couldn’t understand why he was chosen for the award because so many are deserving of it. Scot asked why St. Rita’s is a shrine. The church was originally St. Columba, but because of a number of miracles attributed to St. Rita’s the name was changed in 1924. He’s experienced healing through the intercession of St. Rita. In 1987, he was sick and his wife attended a healing service where she prayed for him and at the same moment he was healed. Scot said of the 97 recipients were two couples, including Chester and Patricia Morrell of St. Richard, Danvers. Patricia said it’s wonderful to win with her husband. Patricia said her husband was on active duty for 30 years, but together they were lectors, eucharistic ministers, they cleaned the church, took kids on retreats for many years. Someone needed to do it, so they just did it. The moved to Danvers from Lynn in 1973. They are celebrating 61 years married this year. Patricia said she missed the original announcement of their award an only found out they were getting it two weeks ago. Scot and Rick talked about the importance of unsung heroes in the parish like Chester and Patricia. Rick said it’s nice that yesterday was a day to thank the people who don’t often get thanked. Scot welcomed Benoit Thibault from St. Augustine, Andover. He’s been a member of the parish for 21 years. He’s originally from Montreal. He’s involved with Franciscan brothers, Lazarus House, Cor Unum, Pregnancy Care, men’s ministry, and religious education. He’s retired and so he has time to do these things. Scot said the Gospel readings were about the corporal works of mercy and that is a list that matches those works of mercy. Every Tuesday, he goes to Cor Unum to feed the homeless. There are many more from the parish who are involved in the ministries of the parish. Scot said pastors tell him how difficult it is to select one person to nominate. Scot said he met Benoit in Legatus, a society for Catholic businessmen. Benoit worked his whole career in the lumber business. Scot said most of the awards were given to lay men and women, but each of the five auxiliary bishops were able to nominate a religious brother or sister and a deacon. Scot now interviews Br. Daniel Walters from Glastonbury Abbey. He’s been there since 1973. The abbey is a Benedictine monastery. They first came to Hingham in 1954 from Wisconsin. There is a retreat house, conference center, and bookstore. They also do some outreach in the community, including local parishes and soup kitchens. There are only nine monks now so there are a lot of laypeople involved. He’s from Quincy and after reading Thomas Merton, he became interested in the monastic life. Scot said Benedictines are known for liturgy and this is a big week in the liturgy with the change in the missal. They’ve been helping people prepare for the changes. Glastonbury Abbey The abbey offers retreats for individuals or groups, for many different themes and other faith traditions. Rick said the theme we see in the interviews is that these people at the cathedral are taking to heart the words of this past Sunday’s Gospel, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. They are out there literally feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned and more. Two of the 13 interviewees told Scot they know his mom, including Ann Casey of St Marguerite d’Youville, Dracut. Ann said she works one day a week in the parish office recording sacraments. She’s also in charge of bereavement luncheons, CORI checks, bulletin inserts, and other administrative work. She’s been a part of the parish since about 1974. Scot said when he was young it was called St. Theresa’s church. Scot said it was originally combined with St. Francis in Dracut and now shares a pastor with St. Rita in Lowell. Scot has many positive memories of the parish from growing up. Scot is joined by Linda Newell, Our Lady, Star of the Sea in Marblehead. She’s been a parishioner there for about 32 years. She coordinates the Christian service programs, both outreach and within the parish. She also helps with communion ministry and she’s a lector. They are currently doing a giving tree which provides Christmas gifts for those who would not otherwise have them. They will gather about 1,000 gifts. She found out she was getting the ward from Fr. Steele. She was surprised and humbled and the award made her think of all the wonderful people of the parish who do so much. Scot said that is a common reaction among recipients because they recognize how many are involved in building up the parishes. Scot said this was the first-time they had used the new mobile studio for remote recording and he was worried that the choir practicing before the ceremony would drown out the interviews, but it turned out to be a nice backdrop for them. Scot welcomed Mary Therese Ferraris, St Jude, Norfolk, immediately after the ceremony. She was surprised to be notified she was getting the award. She’s receiving it on behalf of a lot of people. She was director of religious education for 26 years in that parish. She’s now educating the children of some of her first students. She said it’s wonderful to be recognized by Cardinal Seán for helping to build up the Church. Scot said many recipients are involved in religious education for young people. She said she does it for the children. Seeing those happy faces each year makes it worth it. Scot welcomed Deacon Michael J. Markham, Our Lady of Grace, Pepperell, along with Fr. Paul Ring. Michael said it’s an opportunity to remember all the people who have influenced his faith over the years, from his first religious education teacher to his family to his pastors and to his wife. Scot said to Fr. Ring that it must be agonizing to be able to send in one or two names to be recognized. Fr. Ring said Fr. Arthur Coyle submitted Deacon Mike’s name, but for the lay leadership of the parish it took a lot of time to finally settle on Eileen Simmons. Scot welcomed Eileen Simmons. She taught second grade CCD for many years, preparing them for First Communion. She also worked in Legion of Mary and was a Eucharistic Minister for 25 years. In the Legion, they would go out to visit people’s homes and pray the rosary with them. She said she knew Scot’s mom very well. She said it’s nice to run into children of the people she taught when they were in second grade. She said she was very nervous to receive the honor from Cardinal Seán. She said said the whole parish is so supportive and she’s received many congratulations from parishioners. Many of her friends and family members were present. She has 7 daughters, 19 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. In the studio, Scot said it was very moving to be in the presence of a woman who has done so much for the Church over decades. Scot welcomed Deacon A.J. Constantino from Sacred Heart Parish, East Boston. Scot said it’s a very diverse parish. They celebrate Mass in English, Italian, and Vietnamese. Each community is actually growing. It’s a very active parish school family. The Vietnamese youth are thriving. They merged with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in East Boston and the Italian community has become a vibrant part of the parish. His wife, Betty, also a recipient of the Cheverus Award. He said part of the diaconate is that it’s a husband and wife ministry. His wife and daughter are as active in the parish as he is. Betty is the parish youth minister and is involved in the daily activities of the parish. He grew up in a family where the family life centered around the parish life and when he dated, he looked for someone who’s family life was like his, so it’s natural to be part of a parish community. The deacons are selected by the regional bishops and he was selected by Bishop Hennessey. Deacon Constantino said he loves being a deacon. Scot welcomed Thomas Maloney of St. Ann, West Bridgewater. Thomas has been a parishioner for 16 years. He’s on the finance council, is a eucharistic minister, and helps with eucharistic adoration. He often goes to the Pastoral Center for noon Mass on his vacations. He was honored to receive the letter from the Cardinal’s office and he was caught off-guard by it. He never expected it. He was awed by being in the cathedral and then walking up to receive the award from the cardinal was amazing. Thomas said we need to give back to the church what God has given to us. Pastors are often alone and need the help of many to help the parish thrive. He said the CCD program offer the biggest bang for the buck, the highest return on the investment. For those who don’t think they know enough about their faith to teach, they can start by being a teacher’s aide, get some training and eventually end up teaching. Scot said it’s a wonderful way to learn the faith. Scot read the complete of those who received the award, available at the following link. Scot said it was wonderful to see all the priests who were also there, overjoyed to celebrate the hard work of their parishioners.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Msgr. Francis Strahan, Pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Framingham St. Bridget Parish Today’s topics: Pastor Profile: Msgr. Francis Strahan Summary of today’s show: One of the legendary priests of the Archdiocese of Boston, Msgr. Francis Strahan, talks with Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell about his 52 years in the priesthood, including 18 years teaching future priests to sing at the seminary and 28 years as pastor of one of the largest parishes, St. Bridget in Framingham. Msgr. Strahan also recalls the experience of leading an archdiocesan choir for Pope John Paul II’s Mass on Boston Common in 1979 (and why the choir ended up dyed red), and how on a later trip to Rome, the Holy Father acted as a music critic for Monsignor’s musical performance. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Mark back to the show and they discussed the end of the liturgical year and Fr. Mark’s busy day. It’s also the last weekend with the old translation of the Missal we use for Mass. Scot said it’s also the weekend for the Cheverus Awards at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Sunday at 3pm. They are the unsung heroes of the archdiocese. Scot said one of the legends from within the presbyterate of the archdiocese is Msgr. Francis Strahan. Fr. Mark said all the priests look up to him. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcomed Msgr. to the show. His hometown is Everett, which he calls the Riviera of the East. He’s been a priest for 52 years now. He first heard the call by being inspired by the priests of his parish as well as a nun who taught music. Fr. Bill O’Neill was a great influence. In those days, there were 4 priests in the rectory. Msgr. said his parents were talented musicians and there was always music in his home. They sang a lot in Mass in those days, with singing throughout the Mass even during the prayers of the priest. He spent two years at Boston College and then moved to the seminary. In the seminary, he was in the choir. He eventually did some cantoring and really enjoyed that. After ordination, he was assigned to St. James the Greater Parish in Boston. He was invited to formally study music at the New England Conservatory so he could eventually teach it at the seminary. The parish was in Chinatown and the theater district and garment district, and they had a lot of city ministry to workers downtown. His degree at the conservatory was in voice and conducting and theory. Msgr. Strahan taught full-time at the seminary for 18 years. He said it was a challenge, especially in the late 60s to 70s, with the change of the Mass from Latin to English. Most of the men were very dedicated to the learning. Those who sang in the choir still say that it was an enjoyable time. The Christmas choir was half men who couldn’t almost sing and half who could sing very well. Msgr. Russell Davis was the one who recruited Msgr. Strahan to replace him teaching music at the seminary. Davis had been at the seminary for 18 years himself. Msgr. Strahan taught at both St. John and Blessed John XXIII seminaries. Scot asked Msgr. Strahan how he worked with a seminarian who wasn’t a good singer. Msgr. said he told the men who felt they couldn’t sing that everyone has one note and you could sing any prayer with that one note. Scot noted how he’s heard priests who sung the whole Mass, who didn’t have good voices, but yet it was prayerful and sounded beautiful. Msgr. said when the priest sings the consecration, even with one note, the whole church becomes silent. 3rd segment: The segment began with a soundbite from Pope John Paul II during his visit to Boston in 1979. Msgr. Strahan built a choir of 350 people for the papal Mass. Msgr. said at first they weren’t sure the pope would be coming to Mass to celebrate a Mass. when they found there would be a Mass, they started to think about a choir. They had just had the funeral Mass for Cardinal Wright in August when they heard about the papal visit coming in just six weeks. They had many more than 350 people who wanted to take part. They rehearsed twice a week at St. John Seminary. People would come from business trips in New Jersey for the rehearsal and then drive back to New Jersey. On Boston Common, they had a great sound system and choir stands. Msgr. said the Secret Service people were very impressive and he appreciated working with them. They said their job was made easier by the fact that this was a friendly crowd that would love them. At the cathedral on that same day, the St. Paul’s boy’s choir performed for the Holy Father. While they waited for the Pope at the Common, the choir lead the crowd in song, until the Holy Father appeared and the crowd roared so loud they drowned out the choir. They entitled the Mass: the Mass of Christ the Redeemer of Man. Msgr. Strahan wrote the Mass with some help for accompaniment of orchestra. They sang the Mass in the pouring, driving, windswept rain. They had to give up the instrumental accompaniments because of the rain. Everyone who wore the red choir robes ended up dyed red underneath. One of the songs they didn’t get to sing at the Mass was “Simon, son of John.” Fr. Mark said every priest wants to hear Msgr. sing it. For years it was sung at every priest’s funeral. It comes from the three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. It is based on the same tune as the Salve Regina. Fr. Mark said Msgr. still sings it at every priest gathering. The song was eventually sung in Rome when Cardinal Law was made a cardinal at an audience for the people from Boston. He was asked at the last minute to sing it as a prayer with Pope John Paul II. As he ended the song, his voice cracked a little., but he hoped no one noticed. After he sang, the Pope greeted everyone and when he came to him, said, “Nice voice. Too bad about that last note.” Msgr. said of his parish that it’s a great place with lots of people of all ages helping out. He’s grateful for the parish’s food pantry because so many people are in need these days. He’s been at the parish for 28 years now. He said it’s a joy to marry a young couple and to look out and see the parents that he married many years ago. He’s privileged to be part of that cycle. Scot said for many people in that parish the only pastor they’ve ever had is Msgr. Strahan. In their mental conception of the Catholic faith, Msgr. would figure prominently in their faith. He noted how often he sees himself in pictures in the homes of parishioners he visits. 4th segment: Scot said Msgr. Strahan also serves on many committees and ministries on the archdiocesan level. Scot got to know him as chair of the board of the Catholic Foundation. Msgr. said he’s also served as chair of the liturgical commission and the music committee. He’s also been on the pastor’s advisory committee of the Catholic Appeal, working with priests to help them with the work in their parishes. Scot said St. Bridget in Framingham is always one of the top parishes in giving to the Appeal. It’s not only active in Framingham, but goes beyond to help the Church throughout the Archdiocese. Msgr. said each week, 5% of the collection goes out to other organizations that need help. Fr. Mark asked Msgr. how feels about the new changes to the Roman Missal. Msgr. said the only challenges in 1972 wasn’t the change in language, but the change in music. There weren’t many hymns, for instance. With this new change, there are numerous textual changes. He’s given five evening sessions in his parish to show that there’s a certain fidelity to the Latin text behind the changes. He thinks it will still be difficult for people to stop saying the same words they’ve been saying for years. Msgr. said it will also be difficult to sing the changed texts. Msgr. said the choir at St. Bridget’s is a good group of singers, but isn’t a big group because the choir loft isn’t very large. They’ve been working on some new Masses with the coming changes. 5th segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. Gospel for November 20, 2011, the Feast of Christ the King (Matthew 25:31-46) Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Scot said this is the Gospel for the Feast of Christ the King and the Gospel talks about service. It is the corporal works of mercy, the key ways we’re to love from Sunday to Sunday. Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker Movement said we love God to the extent to the amount we love the person we like the least. The reason you see Christ in a person is because they’ve been made in the image and likeness of Him. Fr. Mark these good people Jesus is talking to don’t remember helping someone. They don’t remember because it became just part of who they are. At the beginning it’s a conscious act, but after a while it becomes unconscious because that’s who we are. Scot said there will be those who fail the test as well. Msgr. said there can be a complacency that sets in. He said there will be those who hear the Gospel and ask how they can serve the needs of others, but for those who are physically unable, their prayer is part of serving. Fr. Mark said Cardinal Sean’s new pastoral letter challenges us to invite others to Sunday Mass and that’s another work of mercy. Scot said Cardinal Sean says as an archdiocese we’ve done very well at the corporal works of mercy, but we haven’t done as well at the spiritual works of mercy, like Msgr. just said. It’s through the transformation of receiving the Eucharist, it’s much more natural to do all the corporal works of mercy.

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 Antonio Enrique, editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese. 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: US bishops’ meeting; Ordinariate for Anglicans; Cardinal Seán’s pastoral letter Summary of today’s show: Scot Landry and Susan Abbott were joined by Fr. Roger Landry and Antonio Enrique to discuss the news of the week, including Cardinal Seán has issued a pastoral letter asking for more participation in Sunday Mass; the US bishops met this week and religious freedom was a major topic; big developments for Anglicans and Episcopalians wishing to enter the Church en masse; a clarion call from Archbishop Dolan for bishops to model passionate love for Christ; the Marian Medal awards in Fall River; and other local stories 1st segment: Scot welcomed Susan back to the show. She said last night she was in Brighton for a workshop at the catechetical certificate course with parish catechists. She also did a workshop at Sacred Heart in Kingston this morning with catechists on the South Shore. 2nd segment: Scot and Susan welcome Antonio Enrique and Fr. Roger Landry back to the show. Scot said the US bishops have two annual gatherings, one in June and a second in November and the latter is in Baltimore. One of the main addresses this year was by Bishop Lori who is the chair of a new ad-hoc committee on religious liberty. “Bishops discuss religious liberty, marriage, finances at Annual meeting”, CNS, 11/14/11 “Bishop Lori outlines religious liberty issues at fall general assembly”, CNS, 11/14/11 Fr. Roger said the US bishops have prioritized religious freedom. Bishop Lori gave a clarion call for why this is important to everything Catholic. There is a notion among secularists is that they’re doing us a favor by allowing us to practice our faith in our churches on Sunday and object to us when we want to live our faith in public. Not only have they worked in the courts to force us to take up their notion of marriage, for instance, and then force Catholic adoption agencies to give children to same-sex couples and force Catholic public clerks to give out marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Bishop Lori put it all in one document why this is important. It all happens through the courts and legislatures and executive offices of our government and we all have to understand duty to object to this curtailing of our religious freedom. Secularists are saying freedom of religion is freedom to worship as opposed to freedom to live your faith in the public square. What they want to allow is a militant secularism. Bishop Lori named 10 bishops to his ad-hoc committee and ten others as well, including John Garvey, president of Catholic University of America, and Mary Ann Glendon of Harvard Law and former US ambassador to the Vatican. Scot said one-third of committee chairs of the USCCB are elected each year and Cardinal Seán was elected to be chairman of the bishops; Pro-Life Committee, one of the most important committees. Antonio said the pro-life cause is very near and dear to Cardinal Seán. It is great news for Boston and great news for him. The new chairmen-elect will become chairs of those committee next year and will spend this year preparing for leadership. The bishop elected to head this committee is usually one of the American cardinals, which gives greater prominence to the office and the work they’re doing. Cardinals will also get more headlines in the secular media. Fr. Roger is excited about this appointment because Cardinal Seán is a great homilist and will be the celebrant at the annual Mass at the March for Life in Washington, DC, each year. Also this coincides with the push for legalizing euthanasia in Massachusetts. “Cardinal says US Ordinariate for former Anglicans to be created Jan 1”, CNS, 11/16/11 Also announced was a new Ordinariate, which is essentially a national diocese for Anglicans who want to become Catholic as complete communities. The only other ordinariate in the US is the Archdiocese for Military Services. There is a an Ordinariate for Anglicans in the United Kingdom which just began. Susan said her own parish has a priest who is a former Episcopal priest who came into the Church as an individual. Fr. Roger said it shows Pope Benedict’s desire for Christian unity and creating a bridge for reunification who separated along with Henry VIII in the 16th century. Many Anglicans recognize that as the Anglican Communion has gotten further from Scripture and orthodox Christianity, they recognize that there was no longer any hope of bringing the Anglican structure back to the Church, so they are coming back on their own. Anglican faithful, priests, and bishops desire unity and recognize that the whole Anglican communion won’t be coming back. Cardinal Wuerl said we will welcome Episcopalian and Anglican brothers and sisters back into the Church with open arms. The Ordinariate will be erected on January 12. Whoever is named to lead the Ordinariate will be named at that point as well as the see or central city where it will be located. Antonio said in the case of this ordinariate does not have to be a bishop. It can be a priest, either one who is already Catholic or who came from the Anglican Communion several years ago. He said many Catholics look at this development with joy and hope because it helps to fulfill Christ’s prayer that all will be one. Scot said there were three keynote addresses at the bishops’ meeting, that by Bishop Lori, another by Bishop Rhoades on defending marriage, and by Archbishop Timothy Dolan as the new leader of the bishops’ conference. MarriageUniqueForAReason.org Archbishop Dolan gave a clarion call to renew our evangelization and be passionately in love with Christ. Susan said the archbishop said we need prophets, not programs. Jesus prefers saints, not solutions. This is similar to what Pope John Paul II said in Novo millennio inuente. “Catholic Church must renew its appeal, Archbishop Dolan tells conference”, CNA/EWTN News, 11/14/11 Susan said the opening of the article was impressive where the Archbishop said the Church has wounds like Christ did from the scandals of the past few years. Scot said the archbishop was blunt about an effort from within the Church from Catholics who want to separate Christ from the Church. That’s people who want to be spiritual, not religious. They want faith on their terms, not those from Jesus. Dolan talks about the chilling statistics from the people in the Church who prefer a Christ without the Church, the King without the kingdom, the Father with children as long as I am the only child. Dolan said if this doesn’t causes bishops to shudder, he doesn’t know what will. Antonio said the Church is trying to address this by trying to recreate the way we pass the faith on to the next generation. How do we educate our children? How do families live their faith? It will take more than one generation to reverse the situation we’re in today. Antonio’s own experience readying parents for the baptism of their children finds their knowledge of their faith to be abysmal. He challenged his brother bishops whether people would say that they themselves are passionately in love with Christ. Bishops are under a microscope with regard to the condition of the Church and the bishops need to model the behaviors they want to see in their people. He gave a talk to energize the bishops and through them all of us in the Church. Squabbles and fighting can be a negative influence on people thinking about coming into the Church. 3rd segment: Jesus’ Eager Desire: Our Participation in the Sunday Mass, a pastoral letter from Cardinal Sean Scot said this isa compelling title because Jesus is eager to see us there. The primary Jesus asked us to praise and worship him is to come together in the Eucharist. Fr. Roger said the expression “eager desire” comes from St. Luke’s account of the Last Supper where he said he eagerly desired that moment for them to be together. Fr. Roger said many can say they love God, but love means sacrificing for the one we love. It’s Jesus who asks us to come to Mass, not just the Church or our mothers. He wants us at Mass more than all the mothers in the world want their children to be with them at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. That’s the overall theme of the pastoral letter. Scot said it’s a 9,300 word letter and very comprehensive. Susan said the beginning of the letter where the Cardinal relates it to Thanksgiving touched her. There are also practical suggestions about families bringing children to Mass. Susan said the US bishops have a website with similar suggestions at ForYourMarriage.org. Susan said the whole topic of attending Mass came up at her workshop last night and people were saying there’s nothing wrong with having an obligation to come to Mass. Scot said the Cardinal shares an anecdote: Imagine if a wife, celebrating an anniversary dinner with her husband, told him that she accepted the dinner invitation only to “fulfill an obligation.” How would you feel to be on the receiving end of that message? In the same way, Christ loves us and wants us to come not just out of obligation, but also out of love. Better to come out of obligation than not come at all, but it’s best to come out of love. Antonio said he was very happy to see the flow of the letter, which is very pastoral. It’s not a theological treatise. He was also touched by the section which talks about passing on the faith to children. Recently I attended a dinner at which the principal of one of our local Catholic high schools was being honored. In his remarks he said: “I grew up in a family where going to Mass on Sunday was about as optional as breathing.” Many of us in the audience could identify with those words — it was not a matter of authoritarian parents or social pressure, but rather a sense of how important the Sunday Eucharist was for our family identity and survival. To miss Mass is to stop breathing; it is the sure path to a spiritual asphyxiation. Antonio said if we don’t have this experience of the love of God creates a vacuum in our lives. Mass helps us to live our life in its fullness. Fr. Roger said the letter is broken into two parts. The first is our desire to meet with the Lord’s own desire to meet us. The cardinal is trying to fire up our love for the Lord to meet his great love. The section has nine different ways we can respond to the Lord’s letter. The second part has practical ways that all of us can take this eager desire of Jesus and try to bring us all back together. The practical insights in this part will be read by the faithful throughout the world. Compared to Pope Benedict’s Sacramentum Caritatis, which is very theological, this is full of practical ways to spread the gift of the Eucharist. He particularly liked the call to priests to have more explanatory Masses that explain how and why we do what we do at Mass. 4th segment: In the Anchor this week is an article about the 43rd annual Marian Medal awards in the Diocese of Fall River. One of the people who was to receive the award and was interviewed for an article in the newspaper later died. He will still receive the medal, but Fr. Roger said his comments were a great summation of those who receive these awards which honor and reward those who are devoted to service of the Church. Scot said the Cheverus awards for the Archdiocese of Boston to be given out this coming Sunday at the cathedral were inspired the Marian Medals. Another story is that the Vatican has upheld the sale of St. Jeremiah Church in Framingham to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese in the US, which effectively ends the vigil by members of the former parish. The people who had been fighting to keep the parish have decided to give up their fight after the final Vatican appeal. Scot said Immaculate Conception Parish in Weymouth has been producing a TV show on local cable access for 19 years. Susan said she will appear on the show very soon. In the Anchor, there is an explanation of the funeral rite. Janet Benestad writes a column in this week’s Pilot about how people are being misled to sign a petition which is in favor of physician-assisted suicide. Scot called to the attention listeners the death of Fr. Kenneth McAskill who was a pastor for 18 years in Somerville and then 18 years in Medford in addition to a number of other priests. There’s also a profile in the Pilot continuing to look at the bishops of Boston and this week it’s on Cardinal Humberto Medeiros. Fr. Roger summarized his editorial in this week’s Anchor on Archbishop Charles Chaput’s address in Worcester last week, which looks at how religious freedom has eroded in our country mainly because Christians have been lukewarm in their faith and not living it to the fullest. The response to it needs to be a new flame of faith in love. He wanted Church leaders to help the young to get to know their faith by people who are on fire in their parishes and families and form them to take the fire of their love out into the public square.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry, Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Teresa Tomeo, radio host and author of the new book, “Extreme Makeover”, and Danielle Olsen, Mission Coordinator of the Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults TereseTomeo.com The Extreme Makeover site Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture Noise: How Our Media-saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families Today’s topics: The messages women hear in the media and the message the Church has for them Summary of today’s show: Women have been subjected to intense and conflicting media messages on body image, promiscuity, and personal choice. Teresa Tomeo, author of the new book Extreme Makeover, and Danielle Olsen, talk with Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams about the Church’s alternative message for women, a message that has been consistent and proven correct over the past half-century. Teresa advocates that women detoxify from the media onslaught and embrace the beautiful truths that God wishes to share with them through the church. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Matt back to the show. He said his office has been doing some research based on a synod for the new evangelization coming up next year. One of the areas the bishops will discuss is media and culture. Danielle said these issues affect even the middle school girls she sometimes works with. Teresa Tomeo is on from 9-10am Monday-Friday on WQOM. Scot welcomed her to the show. Teresa’s been on the air for 9 years. Extreme Makeover is Teresa’s third book. She discusses the mixed messages that come at women through the media that confuses them. She wants women to know that they’re not crazy or alone and that the Catholic Church is the best place for a woman to be, but it has the message for women that recognizes their inherent dignity. She also blows the lid off of topics like abortion, contraception, and other issues for women. It first started for Teresa when she lost a big job as a TV anchor, after having sacrificed her family and her relationship with God. It had become her identity. So when she lost her job, she had nothing. It was heartbreaking because the industry she had sacrificed for wasn’t there for her. It’s difficult to come to the point of realizing you’ve been doing everything wrong. It’s a long process. It started her examining what she was investing her time in. It took 5 to 7 years before she decided to walk away because she didn’t know much about her faith. This was back in the 1970s where she didn’t have a lot of opportunities to learn more. God doesn’t give you the whole picture at once. It’s a detoxification process where you have to peel the onion layers back slowly. Scot quoted a segment from the book. He said with the amount of media we consume, it’s almost impossible to avoid the messages they contain. HE asked why so much of the media advances these messages of abortion, contraception, promiscuity and more. Teresa said it’s an example of groupthink. So many of the people in the media are not religious and they come from similar colleges where much of this is taught as the norm. It goes back to the Sixties, which saw the birth of all these movement undermining traditional morality. They put bondage out there and sold it as freedom. The feminists sold a new bill of goods to women. The Church has been an advocate for women, including Blessed John Paul, who said the new freedom of women has been taken too far. Fr. Matt remembered coming back from World Youth Day 2000 in Rome where millions of youth came together with the Holy Father. Yet when he came back, the local media showed a small photo with “Pope meets with young people” even though it was one of the largest gatherings of humanity in the world. How does the Church begin to address and deal with this tsunami of the culture of death. Teresa said we keep challenging and raising the bar. We have to offer professional media from a Catholic perspective. It’s good solid professional discussion and content. We have to be involved and submit story ideas to the media. Engage them in a Christ-like manner and not let them get away with it. On the topic of pro-choice, Teresa said it’s a cop-out. Is it ever safe, legal and rare to kill anyone? When Roe v. Wade happened, it became legal overnight. There was no effort to regulate it. The abortions moved from underground to Main Street. How is this rare? All kinds of problems like depression or eating disorders and other health problems are associated with abortion, so how can this be called safe? You don’t even have to be an ob-gyn to be an abortionist. Scot said Teresa cites statistics in her book that 64% of women felt pressured to have an abortion and had no choice. Most of the women are there because they’re in a desperate situation. Teresa said many women tell it was not a choice, but a desperate move. 2nd segment: Scot said women are sold a lie about sexual promiscuity and contraception that it will bring them happiness. Teresa said in Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI made predictions about the effects of contraception has come true. Contraception is so physically damaging to women that promises of freedom for women is a lie. Stopping menstruation is not natural. Contraception also affects a woman psychologically, making them think they need to be sexually available to anyone. Scot asked if Danielle has seen this in her ministry with young women. Danielle said she has worked with many young women who enter into a detoxification phase when they realize how many lies they see. Pope Paul VI made a number of predictions in Humanae Vitae in 1968 about the fallout from contraception. All of them have come true. There is an attendant fallout in the media with how women are portrayed in media, especially pornography. She has decided that Satan particularly hates women. Throughout Scripture, there is a constant battle between Satan and women, from Eve to Mary to the Church. She uses secular research to show that the Church has always been right on these issues. God has a plan, not to hurt you or squash your fun, but to help you live your life. Fr. Matt said sin doesn’t make us happy. You’d think people would know that by experience. These things we talk about today don’t make us happy. Teresa said it’s amazing to her how many people are not paying attention to what their children are consuming. These are people coming to her talks who are evidently somewhat invested in this. Scot noted that the fruits of sexual promiscuity issues are numerous. There are two ways to live your life: by the culture and ending up on depression medication; or by the Church’s teaching which frees us from sin. We have a different view of freedom, that which helps us live our God-given potential. Teresa said most parents know the concept of saying No to a child when necessary because in the end it will be better for the child, even though for the moment no one is happy with the resulting tantrum. Yet adults don’t realize this applies to them. One thing Teresa says women need to do is to leave behind the culture’s idea of what it means to be a beautiful woman. She used to think she needed to be extremely thin. Instead they should embrace the Church’s image of what a beautiful woman is. Teresa said there were two women on a popular dancing show who are not heavy, but curvy because they’re athletic, yet the media is calling them heavy. The Church’s idea of beauty is from the inside out, not that they can’t be beautiful on the outside. Part of detoxifying is seeing yourself how God sees you, first and foremost as a daughter of the King. You are created in the image and likeness of God. God likes you where you are, but he also doesn’t want to leave you there. He wants you to have the abundant life of John 10:10. Women also have the idea that God doesn’t see them as equals to men. Teresa pointed out that Jesus has very important conversations with the women of Scripture. The women were with him at the most important times and were the ones to stick by him. 3rd segment: It’s time to announce this week’s winner of the WQOM Benefactor Raffle. Our prizes this week are The Salvation Controversy by Jimmy Akin, and The Bible Answer Man Debate: Akin vs. White. This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is J. Garry & Michele Hebert. Congratulation, Garry & Michele! 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: Teresa said one of the ways to see ourselves as God sees us is to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Teresa compares it to getting a facial. She also talked about the importance of silence for peace and for hearing God speak to us. We can’t hear him if we cover up his voice with all kinds of media noise. It’s very important to be affirming when talking to people who are in this culture. You have to be loving because you never know the pain they’re in or where they’re coming from. Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. There’s no sin too great for God’s mercy. Teresa said she’s coming at this with such passion because she’s lived this stuff, she’s been there, she’s had the mindset. So now she can encourage them to consider those things which she eventually considered that changed her mind. She had to gradually come to an understanding and that you have to help others gradually. Scot asked Danielle what’s the best way to take the teachings of the Church to young women. The best way is by being in relationship with them. For her it was the witness of the women living out the teachings of the Church. You can’t teach unless you are in relationship with them and understanding their hearts.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ, president of the Magis Institute and Spitzer Center for Ethical Leadership Spitzer Center for Ethical Leadership Magis Institute University Faculty for Life “Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues” by Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ Today’s topics: Ten principles of logic and reason to address life issues Summary of today’s show: Want to win an argument against legalized abortion or assisted suicide with someone who doesn’t buy your religious morality? Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ, discusses his Ten Universal Principles with Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor and shows how the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade violated basic logic, ethics, and commonsense in its decisions. If you weren’t convinced before, you will be after this very quick, one-hour discussion. 1st segment: Scot said we ask how we deal life issues today are there reasonable principles that guide our actions? How should our society address them? That’s our topic today as we welcome Fr. Robert Spitzer, former president of Gonzaga University and author of the book “Ten Universal Principles”. Scot said as a pro-lifer he learned a lot from this book to help him articulate why Roe v. Wade was terrible on even just the logical and ethical level. Scot said today’s show might change the opinion of someone who says they are personally opposed to abortion, but publicly pro-choice. As we prepare for the battle against assisted suicide in Massachusetts, we will address how to approach that topic with these universal principles. 2nd segment: Father Robert Spitzer, S.J., is a philosopher, educator, author and former President of Gonzaga University. He is founder and President of the Magis Institute, an organization dedicated to public education on the relationship among the disciplines of physics, philosophy, reason, and faith. He is the head of the Ethics and Performance Institute, which delivers web-based ethics education to corporations and individuals. He also is President of the Spitzer Center of Ethical Leadership, which delivers similar curricula to non-profit organizations. Father Spitzer’s other books include Healing the Culture and Five Pillars of the Spiritual Life. Scot welcomed Fr. Spitzer to the program. He asked Father why he wanted to write this book. Fr. Spitzer said there was a real need to get a comprehensive philosophy of the pro-life movement. They built it around ten principles so that when people accepted the principles they couldn’t have it both ways. They either accepted the principles and accepted the pro-life idea or they rejected the principles and accepted all kinds of awful things. It makes a case against abortion based on ethics and logic, not just religious morality. The principles are in three categories. Three principles of reason, three principles of ethics, and three principles of justice and natural rights and a fundamental principle of identity and culture. Scot said he learned form the book that we don’t get all of our rights from the Constitution. Fr. Spitzer said the whole idea of a natural right come from Francisco Suarez, SJ, in the 17th century, who showed that if justice is to be fulfilled, then everybody is owed a right to life, to freedom or liberty, and a right to property. The notion of the inalienable right is that they come to us from our Creator and the only criterion to fulfill to have these rights is to be a human being. No government gives these rights and so no government can take them away. John Locke discovered Suarez’s works and incorporated that into his work. Thomas Jefferson incorporated Locke’s work into the Declaration of Independence, which says we hold these truths to be self-evident, that every person is endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. The Constitutional rights are declared rights, but the right to life is undeclared and we have it by our very nature. This is the foundation for our government, but also for the United Nations’ Declaration of the Universal Rights of All Human Beings. The minute the courts declared that the right to life of unborn human beings to be taken away, they undermined their own duty to uphold those inalienable rights. Because Jefferson recognized that the rights were inalienable, the founding fathers didn’t include this in the Constitution. Fr. Spitzer said the Federalists were scared to include any rights in the Constitution because they were worried it would give the government the ability to take them away, even thought they were not from the government. All laws and even justice depends on these three inalienable rights to be protected. The rights form the foundation of justice. Justice is the foundation of the law. The law is the foundation of government. The right to pursuit of happiness or right to property depends on rights to life and liberty. Right to liberty depends on right to life. Fr. Spitzer said the necessity criterion is an objective criterion. Any right which is necessary for the foundation of another right. If the right to life is necessary for the very possibility for the right to liberty, then the right to life must be fundamental and ranked higher than the right to liberty. If you’re dead, then the right to liberty is irrelevant. To say the woman’s right to liberty is more important than the child’s right to life is to ignore that right to life is a necessity for the right to liberty. The clarity criterion would say that the woman is more clearly a person than the unborn child, but it’s not a necessity criterion. Clarity is not objective. What is clear to one person can be unclear to another, so it’s subjective. The Dred Scott decision held that black people’s liberty rights were subordinate to white people’s property rights, but this was a clear violation of the necessity criterion. Fr. Chris asked how you would teach these to friends. Fr. Spitzer said we should start with the principles of reasons and then the ethical rule that one should avoid unnecessary harm. Killing people who don’t need to be killed is really an unnecessary harm and if you’re in doubt at all as to the identity of the person, then you should not kill. The Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that you can do harm when in doubt. By the Court’s own admission, they were in doubt. Fr. Spitzer is working on a four-year curriculum for high school students on these same principles. They are available at healingtheculture.com. This would be a good choice for homeschoolers and schools alike. They apply the principles to two major issues, slavery and abortion. Principles and Choices Scot said he appreciated that Father took the words from the Dred Scott and Roe v. Wade decisions and showed how wrong the logic and the application of ethics and the Constitution were. He highlighted some of the flawed reasoning in Dred Scott: The question is simply this: can a negro whose ancestors were imported into this country and sold as slaves become a member of the political community formed and brought into existence by the Constitution of the United States, and as such become entitled to all the rights, and privileges, and immunities, guarantied by that instrument to the citizen, one of which rights is the privilege of suing in a court of the United States in the cases specified in the Constitution? Dred Scott v. Sanford Roe v. Wade Fr. Spitzer said nothing was learned in Roe v. Wade from the flawed reasoning in Dred Scott. The Constitution can only declare extrinsic rights. Inalienable rights belong to people by their nature. But the Supreme Court simply forgot about inalienable rights. There’ also a very elemental logical error in both decisions: negating the antecedent: If there’s rain outside, then I know there’s water vapor out there. Water vapor is a cause of rain. If it’s not raining, does it mean there’s no water vapor outside? No, it could be humid. The only answer can be “I don’t know.” If we know for sure the Constitution declares people have rights, then we know they have rights. But if the Constitution says nothing about the rights of black people, does it mean they don’t have rights? The only answer is “don’t know” when examining only the Constitution. Roe v. Wade did this again. 3rd segment: Scot noted that the Supreme Court corrected Dred Scott, but in the early 1970s, they didn’t learn from their mistakes with Roe v. Wade. If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the Amendment. The appellant conceded as much on reargument. [Footnote 51] On the other hand, the appellee conceded on reargument [Footnote 52] that no case could be cited that holds that a fetus is a person within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment. … All this, together with our observation, supra, that, throughout the major portion of the 19th century, prevailing legal abortion practices were far freer than they are today, persuades us that the word “person,” as used in the Fourteenth Amendment, does not include the unborn. … Texas urges that, apart from the Fourteenth Amendment, life begins at conception and is present throughout pregnancy, and that, therefore, the State has a compelling interest in protecting that life from and after conception. We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary, at this point in the development of man’s knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to the answer. Scot said the logic here is very flawed. Fr. Spitzer said you can see right away the same negating the antecedent. They were looking in the 14th amendment if the unborn were included among persons, which of course they weren’t. You can’t characterize silence as agreement. Scot pointed out the Constitution doesn’t mention every possible description of categories of persons who might have rights. Just because it doesn’t mention immigrants, for example, it doesn’t mean it’s open season on them. Fr. Spitzer said it’s a common principle in the law that you can’t construe silence to mean agreement or disagreement. Fr. Spitzer said the second real problem is that the Supreme Court decides in the absence of consensus, they’re going to allow them to kill people. They acknowledge that if the unborn is a person, the case for abortion collapses. Again, for example, if there was uncertainty to whether immigrants were persons. The Constitution doesn’t mention them. Some theologians say that while they’re human beings, they’re not persons. Same with some biologists. So at the end of the day, they say go out and kill immigrants. It is a huge violation of the principle of first doing no harm. Fr. Spitzer going back in the 1600s, person was always defined in the law as a human being. There is no exception. The Supreme Court itself had precedent that give the fetus inheritance and other rights as a person under the law. The distinction between personhood and human being is specious. The zygote contains the entire human genome, is absolutely unique, and is a living organism. This living organism will into a grown adult. No one denies this human existence. Since when is there a distinction between human existence and personhood? Only when it comes to abortion. Fr. Spitzer said the majority in the decision just plain got it wrong. The only thing they got right was that if the personhood could be established, then the 14th amendment applies to them. Scot said they then separate personhood into different trimesters, treating this human life differently using these arbitrary distinctions. Fr. Spitzer said there is a principle that descended from the controversy over the enslavement and killing of Indians in the New World in the 16th century. People wanted to enslave or kill the Indians. A Dominican Spaniard, Las Casas, debated the principle in the Spanish courts against Sepulveda. The argument was that since they were “savages” and subhuman and not fully actualized, they could be enslaved or killed. Las Casas said it was ridiculous. He said they were catching up fast in culture and society and it was only a matter of time before they reached the same level of intellectual and societal potential. Their level of potential is an accident of history. One should look only at the full human potential. The degree of development that the fetus has reached is being counted as determinative of their humanity. Are they less human because they haven’t gotten to the third trimester. Of course not. They had the full human genome and full human potential as a zygote. They are called subhuman for an historical accident, because of the level of development they reached at a particular point in time. Las Casas asked what’s the consequence of this fallacy? It’s a violation of the principle of nonmaleficance on a grand scale. It will do an immense amount of unnecessary harm. Valladolid debate Fr. Chris said this is important as we begin a fight in the Commonwealth against the legalization of assisted suicide. Even though the unborn cannot speak for themselves, this is not a natural condition of their right to life. Roe v. Wade imposes an undue burden on one group in order to give a new freedom to another group. Fr. Spitzer said people say about assisted suicide is that it’s no one’s business but the person who wants to die. But the courts have to see if there are effects of assisted suicide on other groups besides those who want to end their own life. What about the person in the hospital whose relatives pressure the person to commit suicide so as not to burden them? That pressure to die doesn’t exist until euthanasia is legalized. Fr. Spitzer has identified six categories of people who would be affected by legalized assisted suicide and they are included in his book.

Subscribe for free in iTunes WQOM has provided us with ten tickets to the WQOM Conference on Saturday, December 10th, 2011. Scot announced that all interested in winning a pair of tickets should send an email to [email protected] before midnight on November 14th. We will give away a pair of tickets every day this week, so tune in for your chance to win! Scot was also proud to announce that Cardinal Sean O'Malley has been elected chair of the Pro Life Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Please say a prayer for Cardinal Sean that he may lead the committee to fruitful works. Today we bring you an encore presentation of an interview Scot and Fr. Matt conducted with Fr Roderick Vonhögen in June. Fr Roderick's varied experience and entertaining yet moving vocation story is always worth another listen. The shownotes are available on the original airdate's page. We hope you enjoyed this encore presentation.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Fr. Jonathan Gaspar, Priest-Secretary to Cardinal Seán O’Malley and Director of the Archdiocesan Office for Worship, and Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth, Executive Director of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) International Commission on English in the Liturgy The US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ site on the new Roman Missal The Archdiocese of Boston site on the new Roman Missal Today’s topics: The new translation of the Roman Missal Summary of today’s show: On the First Sunday of Advent at the end of November, the Church in the United States will mark a historic moment where the texts of the Mass we celebrate each day will change. Why are they changing? What are they changing too? How will it affect how we sing at Mass? Is it taking usback to the Middle Ages? All these questions and more will be answered as Scot Landry is joined by Fr. Jonathan Gaspar of the Archdiocese’s Office of Worship and Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth of the International Committee on English in the Liturgy, which was largely responsible for this new translation of the Roman Missal. 1st segment: Scot said the first Sunday of Advent this year marks a momentous occasion in the history of the Church, because we will begin praying the liturgy in new ways that will help us deep the sense of reverence and the sacred. One of the worldwide experts on these changes is with us. The ICEL has a major task to help creation translations that are faithful to the original Latin texts of the Church’s liturgical texts. Msgr. Wadsworth said ICEL is a commission of 11 bishops who represent the territories of the world where the Mass is celebrated in English: the US, Canada, Ireland, England & Wales, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, India, Pakistan, and South Africa. ICEL is responsible for all of the liturgical texts, including those for the Mass. It started its work even during the Second Vatican Council, translating texts at the time. It’s a collaboration of 11 bishops’ conferences, which have responsible for the liturgical texts in their countries, and ICEL provides assistance to them. ICEL was originally funded by an initial contribution from the 11 conferences, and since that time it collects copyrights on the liturgical texts from the publishing of the books containing the works. It enables them to subsidize the production of liturgical books in poorer areas. Msgr. said the staff of the permanent secretariat which is located in Washington, DC, is 5 people, with collaborators all over the world. Msgr. said when there’s a text to be translated from Latin, they have a base translation by a person authorized by the Church to undertake the work. They have linguistic ability as well as a theological background. Their first draft goes to a committee of four bishops who have those same gifts and they assess the translation line by line and word by word. From them, the text goes to the 11 bishops of the ICEL board, who meet at least once per year. At that point the text, which is called the Green Book, goes to the individual bishops conferences and all of those bishops study and reflect on the text and consult anybody they want to help them. All of that comes back to the ICEL offices and they apply them to the text. On the large-scale, the Church has given general guidelines, which were mostly issued in 2001. And then more specific guidelines have been issued in the Ratio Translationis for the English language, which are the specific considerations which have to be born in mind when translating into English. What the bishops are often able to identify are those things which might be insensitive in relation to their own territory. English is a worldwide language, but it’s used differently in different places. Scot asked how they balance the concerns between countries and bishops. Msgr. said they balance the universal with the local. The liturgy belongs to everyone and there is a single English text for everyone to have. Because the character of the text is more formal than the English we use today, that’s the level in which English is used throughout the world. Ultimately, the text is established by a process of voting. There has to be a greater than two-thirds majority of the bishops for a text to be established. After all the amendments and suggestions have been applied, it is called the Grey Book. The bishops then vote on it. That establishes the text, which goes back to the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome who needs to authorize the text for publication and implementation. The text is voted up or down in its entirety. The Congregation, assisted by the Vox Clara committee which helps the Congregation with anything in English, can amend the text as they see fit at any stage of the process because they have overall authority over liturgy in the Church. The first version of the current Latin missal came after the Vatican Council in 1969 and the English was published in 1973. In 2001, new guidelines for translation were issued and the updated version of the Latin missal in 2002. So it’s taken about 10 years to implement the translation of the new Roman Missal in English. Scot asked how many languages the Latin is translated into. Monsignor thought it was in the hundreds of languages. In addition to the 11 members of ICEL, there are more than 20 that use the English liturgies even though English isn’t the main spoken language of the place. Monsignor said it’s the work of many hands. The Liturgy is the center of our life as a Church and so great care must be taken in every step of the process. 2nd segment: Monsignor said when the current translation was implemented in 1973 and it was thought there would be a revision done pretty quickly, within 5 or 10 years, but it’s taken 40 years. Scot asked why they thought a revision would be needed.It was because it was our first experience of vernacular liturgy instead of Latin. We’re still very young in our experience of that. In the 1980s, ICEL surveyed people on what they expected from a revision. First, they thought the present translation doesn’t convey all of the content of meaning of the original Latin text. Second, there is an absence of the special vocabulary we use in speaking about our faith that convey so many important concepts. Third, it was thought the language we use in everyday language was not suited to use in liturgy. Monsignor himself has experienced this moving from the United Kingdom to the United States. The difference is language is diminished by using more formal language, such as we would use in poetry or literature. This is a style of language we share across the world. Fr. Jonathan said he compares it to the new renovated apse at St. John’s Seminary. Father said he had been at the seminary for eight years and they had a beautiful painting over the apse of the chapel that depicts the Pentecost scene. Just this past summer, that painting was restored and removed years of smoke damage from candles and incense. Now when you look at it, you see not only St. Peter, but also the keys in his hands. By analogy that’s what the new translation is giving us. The old translation gives us the big picture, we see Peter. But in the new translation we see Peter in 3D. All of the imagery the Church gives us is restored in this text. Scot asked if the absence of vocabulary was because of the quickness or the desire to make it as colloquial as possible. Monsignor said it was a little of both. The old translation was completed in just about 2 short years from beginning to end. The guidelines issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship at the time favored a more conversational style of English. There has been a change in the translation approach. The cumulative effect is that ideas that are very important in the liturgy are lessened, so now we are expanding some of those concepts in the new translation. Scot asked about the new words that may be unfamiliar to some Catholics. Monsignor said we have a lifetime to plumb the riches of the liturgy and catechesis can help us to deepen our appreciation for these mysteries. Scot asked why the new translation will be more beautiful? Monsignor said one of the characteristics of the original Latin texts is that they’re beautiful themselves. Many of them date back nearly two millennia. The new guidelines instruct that when translating, the beauty of the form and structure of the original texts must be respected. Fr. Jonathan commented on the new translation of the Gloria: “We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory.” Some might say that’s just a wordier way of saying what we’ve been saying along: “We worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.” Monsignor said in the old version all the repetition that is found in the Latin text is suppressed. Repetition is a device in poetry that brings greater emphasis and as you say it, the rhythm of the text is evident. There is music within words and one of the great aspects that has guided this process has been to make that music more evident. Often the bishops of the committee asked to sing the prayer to consider it. These are living, breathing texts for living celebrations of the liturgy. Scot asked why it’s central that the liturgy not only be spoken, but that we bring back more sacred singing in the Mass? Monsignor said the liturgy is something we do together, it’s not a private prayer. It’s a form of worship that envelops the whole of the church and singing is a way we united our voices and we give a heightened expression to the something that is really important. The beauty of the chant is to call to mind the contemplative, where the whole intention is to draw us in more deeply to the reality of that moment of the Mass and music is a more powerful way to do that. Music unites truth and beauty. Scot said the first time he’s seen a priest sing the Mass it was beautiful, even though he just had a good voice. Fr. Jonathan said it’s not just for musicians. To hear someone who doesn’t have a trained voice do so is beautiful. St. Augustine said, “Only the love sings.” When we sing, we put our praise of God into song, not because we have good voices, but what we’re called to express in our worship, which is the praise and love of our Father through the liturgy. 3rd segment: Scot said there’s been a lot of focus on the different responses that the congregation will be saying. Monsignor said the greatest amount of change is in the prayers said by the priest. All of the prayers that change each day and the prayers of the Eucharistic Prayer have changed, but we will be drawn into those prayers as we hear them over and over. Monsignor said there are 10 Eucharistic Prayers in the Roman Missal, the four main ones and then six for particular needs and reconciliation. they’ve all been set to music in both a simple and solemn tone. This version of the missal will have more music than any previous version. This is music that is not the hymns, but all the chants for the order of the Mass. It is all Gregorian chant. This doesn’t supplant all other forms of music, but it belongs to the whole Church and is a form of music we will share with all parts of the world that worship in English. Special chants for particular times of the year are included, including Holy Week, Palm Sunday, the Triduum. Scot said the words of the Gloria are changing. Does that mean all of the sung Glorias that people sing now will go away? Monsignor said each national conference of bishops has issued guidelines to help composers through this transition. In the case of settings of the Mass that are already familiar, they have mostly been revised to bring them into conformity. A certain bit of flexibility is allowed, but there is a move away from paraphrase. Fr. Jonathan said he has many hopes with regard to how the new translation affects the music of the Mass. It’s the first time we’ve received one musical setting of the Mass that he hopes will become common. On a local level, in the 289 parishes of the Archdiocese, there are many beautiful settings of the Mass are sung and many he would never be able to sing with because he hasn’t heard them before. One setting means it’s one we can all know and sing and pray together. It doesn’t exclude other settings from publishers, but the chant in this missal is very beautiful. He’s had reports from music directors who had been skeptical that to their surprise the people are responding to the chants and that even the children are singing them and loving them. Scot asked why Gregorian chant is recommended so strongly versus more contemporary music. Monsignor said the chant has three qualities that make it special: First, it’s universal that belongs to everyone in the Church and doesn’t have a direct secular equivalent. Second, it is thus very spiritual music. It doesn’t bear the mark of changing styles in music, it’s timeless. Often people find it attractive because it can’t be placed in any particular time period. Third, it bear repetition. If we sing it every day, it doesn’t get stale. Many of the current styles are appropriate for instrumental accompaniment and large groups of singers, whereas they are not appropriate for weekdays and smaller congregations. Fr. Jonathan said a lot of musicians ask if they can use an organ with the chants, he says it’s okay to help them in the beginning, but ideally Gregorian chant puts the emphasis on the word that is being sung. The musicians also say they don’t know how to sing chant, but he points to the example of the children’s choirs. If you put a line in front of them, even in Latin, the children pick it up very easily. You don’t need special training in chant. He’s hoping to offer workshops on chant in the upcoming year. 4th segment: Scot mentioned some criticisms of the new translation. Some say it brings us back to the Middle Ages. Monsignor said this is just not true. The texts of the Mass go back to first millennium, but the current translation is well-translated and faithful. What about some of the new words feeling clunkier, like consubstantial in the creed. Fr. Jonathan said there’s a whole theological language we’re going to notice and it’s very precise, especially with regard to the relationships within the Trinity. It’s going to require catechesis and is a wonderful opportunity for priests and deacons to preach on Sundays about our liturgical texts, which is one of our main sources of our preaching in the Mass. It begins the first Sunday of Advent but is a work of catechesis that continues in years to come. Some people say it will be hard to implement on the parish level. Monsignor said the Church is very resourceful with many men and women of great gifts that will be brought into play. We’re continually invited to greater and more active participation in the liturgy and this is the opportunity to assess our experience of the liturgy and dare to do things differently. What about the claim we’ll be praying more Latin? Fr. Jonathan said we’ve always had the option to pray in Latin, which is the official language of the Church. This new translation from Latin into English. It does not require more Latin being sung, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing to hear the original Latin melodic line to give people a sense of the long history we have as Catholics. What about the fact that two-thirds of people on Christmas for whom this will be new? Monsignor said the experience of the liturgy once it’s implemented will carry people along. It’s important to address the Christmas phenomenon. It’s important for them to know that the Church they belong to is a living reality that is changing and growing. The Church will be extending an invitation to everyone who comes to Christmas to be more actively and consciously engaged in the life of the Church. For some people who aren’t involved in the Church may be unsettled at first, but it might sharpen the invitation for them to rejoin us on a regular basis. Fr. Jonathan said the biggest misconception was that this text somehow came to us from a committee of one or two in the Vatican. Monsignor effectively rebutted that claim. So many faithful people, including the bishops and the thousands who assisted them, produced a text that really reflects the work of many hands. Monsignor encouraged everyone to joyfully receive this gift from the Church. Apart from expressing all the truths of the faith we believe, it’s the most powerful way we receive grace from God to become holy. We sing in the middle of the Mass, “holy, holy, holy,” and the purpose of the Mass is to help us become what we sing.

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 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: Ad limina visit; Assisi prayer; US: beacon of hope; Cheverus awards Summary of today’s show: In this week’s roundup of the news, Scot Landry and Susan Abbott are joined once again by Fr. Roger Landry and Gregory Tracy to discuss the New England bishops’ ad limina visit to Rome; the gathering for peace by the world’s religious leaders in Assisi, Italy; the papal nuncio’s admiration for the US as a beacon of hope; the Cheverus Awards for unsung heroes in the pews of the Archdiocese of Boston; new pastors and priests who who’ve died; a collection for retired religious sisters; the Pope on nihilism; and the 100th anniversary of Boston’s first cardinal. 1st segment: Susan started the week with a meeting in Worcester with the Catholic school superintendents of New England and religious education leaders to discuss the upcoming National Catholic Education Association in Boston in Spring. She also met with her religious education counterparts for New England to discuss their collaborative work. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Roger and Greg to the show. Fr. Roger wished his goddaughter Ally, who happens to be Scot’s daughter, a happy eighth birthday. “New England bishops begin ‘ad limina’ visit with prayer”, CNS, 11/4/11 The big story is that the bishops of the US region 1, which includes all of New England, have been meeting with the Holy Father. Usually there is a lot of news and releases related to these kinds of meetings and there hasn’t been much this time. Greg said the ad limina is usually about every 5 years, but these bishops haven’t been in 7 years and it’s the first time meeting with Pope Benedict. They report on the status of their diocese, meet with the Pope, and meet with various Vatican officials. They receive the Holy Father’s concerns and encouragement for their dioceses and to share their own concerns. This is the first group of US bishops for this round of ad limina visits by the American bishops. One of the public events chronicled in the Pilot is how they kicked off the visit with Mass at the tomb of St. Peter in the Vatican. Susan said the excerpts of Cardinal Seán’s homily say he spoke about how Jesus didn’t select Peter for his intellectual capacity or organizational skills or fundraising capacity, but only asked if he loved the Lord. Fr. Roger said he was surprised there wasn’t a papal address during the ad limina. John Paul gave an address for each of the regions as they visited. Normally that’s what drives the news cycle, when he responds to what he has received from the bishops. We’ll have to wait until our bishops return to find out the results. 3rd segment: Fr. Roger dedicated his editorial this week “path to peace” on the topic of Pope Benedict’s remarks at the Assisi interfaith meeting on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the first such meeting. Pope Benedict contextualized what the religious leaders were doing 25 years ago, by noting the fall of the Berlin Wall a few years later and he said that interreligious prayer for peace brought peace to that part of the world. He also talked of the threats to peace that threaten the world today: terrorism, especially that which is religiously motivated—not just Muslims either—as well as the violence that is done through the absence of God in places with a lack of religious freedom. Pope Benedict said we also see it in the scourge of drug use, which is an expression of the degeneration of the desire for human happiness into a craving that is exploited. Pope Benedict brought these up so that all religious people could combat these problems throughout the world. Susan said one of the hungers in the human heart is for peace. She remembers the 1986 Assisi gathering and a discussion that we weren’t coming together to pray for peace, but we were coming together to pray for peace in our own traditions. Greg said the absence of religion can be the greatest barrier to peace. Fr. Roger said it’s often agreed that St. Francis of Assisi is universally considered a saint. He’s also known as a reconciler, even going to Egypt to meet the Saladin to ask for peace. 4th segment: The new nuncio to the US is Archbishop Vigano who called the youth of this country a beacon of hope to the world. He arrives here on Saturday. “New US nuncio calls American Church ‘beacon of hope’”, CNA/EWTN News, 11/7/11 “Europe has become an ‘old continent,’ but the United States has a youth that is brilliant and enthusiastic. I hope to be able to work with them in my new position,” he said.” Susan said it’s wonderful that he sees us as a young country that is also setting the trend in ways that he hopes will spread through the world. Scot said the Archbishop said it’s wonderful how in the US there are many communities that come together to form one country. We can take the melting pot of the US for granted, but Greg said we need to remember how in European countries that there is less diversity of culture and community. The Archbishop loves science and is interested in the intersection of science and faith. Fr. Roger said the archbishop sees in science the fingerprints of God. Fr. Roger recalled his own work in biotechnology before entering seminary and how often he saw the order of creation that points to God. The US is the real cutting edge of bioethical discussion because we have so much scientific research and someone so interested in that intersection would find the US a fascinating bioethical laboratory. The archbishop hinted that he will concentrate on religious freedom issues, especially conscience freedoms for people of faith working in science-related areas. Fr. Roger said the US bishops have formed a new committee on religious freedom to counter the recent attacks on human dignity and religious freedom. Susan asked if there’s a term for nuncios, and Fr. Roger said it’s indefinite. It’s also traditional for bishops to offer their resignation on their 75th birthday although the Pope could ask him to continue on. 5th segment: An article in the Pilot this week lists the 97 Cheverus award recipients. The Cheverus award was implemented by Cardinal Seán in 2008 to recognize parishioners who give service to their parish and the archdiocese over a long period of time. Susan noted that she knows many of this year’s recipients, including her brother-in-law, Arthur Abbott. One third of the parishes nominate a parishioner each year. The awards are given on November 20 during a service at Holy Cross cathedral at 3pm. Greg said pastors of the recipients are unanimous in their effusive appreciation of the people who serve quietly in parishes. Cheverus Awards The Cheverus award is modeled on the Marian award that Cardinal Seán gave out when he was bishop of Fall River. Fr. Roger said the recipients are often people who don’t often get many thanks or much credit for what they do. It’s very moving. It’s tough for the pastor to single out one person to be awarded each year. Fr. Roger implemented a yearly award in his own parish in which parishioners nominate from among their fellow congregants those who should be recognized for their service. Also on November 20, there will be a collection taken up for the retired religious sisters. Because so many of the current sisters entered religious life in the 40s and 50s, but they weren’t able to enter the Social Security system until the 1970s and so they have meager means to support themselves, especially as there a fewer younger sisters to continue supporting them. 6th segment: Sister Susan Frederick who has been president of Presentation of Mary Academy in Methuen for the past eight years has recently been appointed a member of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary General Council. Susan said it was very touching in the article to read the comments sister’s students. The sadness of her leaving is tempered by the excitement of the new chapter in her life. She is Methuen native and has been a religious sister for 30 years. Also announced this week, Fr. Thomas Mahoney who was Catholic Chaplain at Mass. General has been named Pastor of St. Joseph, Belmont, as of December 8. Also in Salem, St. Thomas the Apostle had been pastored by Fr. John Sheridan, who is also the Pastor of St. James in Salem, but will now be pastored by Fr. John MacInnis, who remains Pastor of St. John the Baptist in Peabody. Scot mentioned three obituaries in the Pilot this week for Fr. Arthur DiPietro, Fr. Charles Weber, and Fr. Francis Regan. 7th segment: Scot said on Sunday the Holy Father spoke during the Angelus how the removal of Christ from our lives will cause us to fall backward to darkness. The world is plagued by nihilism which affects so many young people. Fr. Roger said nihilism means an attitude that nothing matters, that there is nothing beyond what we see and the world doesn’t have any meaning. Many people have a practical nihilism in which they act is if there is no meaning beyond the gratification of the immediate moment. “Pope: modern-day nihilism stems from despair over death”, CNA/EWTN News, 11/6/11 Fr. Roger said tonight he is heading out to hear an address from Archbishop Charles Chaput speak on the future of the Church in the United States. He will be speaking at Assumption College in Worcester at 7pm in Hagan Hall. It is open to the public. President’s Lecture Series: Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Greg noted that tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of the elevation of Boston’s first cardinal, Cardinal William O’Connell to the College of Cardinals.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Lorna DesRoses of the Office for Black Catholics, Fr. Gerald Osterman, pastor of Immaculate Conception, Everett, and St. Katharine Drexel in Roxbury, and Judge Antonette Leoney Office for Black Catholics Bishop James Healy Award Dinner 2011 Today’s topics: The Bishop James Healy Award Dinner and award recipients Summary of today’s show: Each year, the Office for Black Catholics celebrates members of the community who demonstrate strong, effective leadership and Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams sit down with the honorees this year, Fr. Gerald Osterman and Judge Antoinette Leoney, and Loran DesRoses from the office to talk about the awards and the particular concerns of the black Catholic community in Boston. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Matt back to the show. There was a Lift last night and the speaker was Oscar Rivera, a middle-school youth minister who graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Oscar did some rap music and talked about the theme of “Get a Life” and being authentic with God. Fr. Matt also gathered with other graduates of the Good Leaders, Good Shepherds program of the Catholic Leadership Institute. It included priests from around New England. The program helps priests with tools to be a more effective leader. Cardinal Seán is being honored by the Catholic Leadership on Friday. Scot said the Bishop Healy and Robert Ruffin Awards will be awarded at a gala on November 19. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Lorna DesRoses of the Office for Black Catholics and Fr. Gerry Osterman, pastor of St. Katharine Drexel in Roxbury and Immaculate Conception in Everett, as well as Judge Antonette Leoney. This is the 19th presentation of the Bishop Healy Award and the 9th presentation of the Ruffin Award. The Healy award remembers Bishop James Augustine Healy, the first African-American bishop in the US. He was born in Georgia in 1830 to an Irish farmer and a black slave. All of their children received their education out of the south. Three became priests. One of them was president of Georgetown. Lorna said Healy is controversial because he never publicly acknowledged his African-American heritage. He was a vicar general of the Archdiocese of Boston and a bishop of Portland, Maine. The award is given to a Catholic who exemplifies their faith in the community. Judge Leoney is the recipient of the award this year. She is a member of St. Katharine Drexel Parish and is involved in the Archdiocesan Black Catholic Choir. She is very involved in her parish. She is also an associate justice of the Massachusetts District Circuit Court. Judge Leoney said she is extremely humbled by this award. When she was told she was selected to receive the award, she was speechless. She said there are others who are more worthy than her and Lorna challenged her to tell her who they are. She has been singing in church for more than 20 years. Fr. Osterman said beautiful music lifts our hearts in liturgy and he said the judge helps him in his own chant during the Mass. He said the choir sends everyone home with lifted hearts. He said it is a great honor to have a parishioner to receive the Healy Award. He was overjoyed when Judge Leoney was recently appointed to the bench and now with this award. Fr., Matt asked her about her work as a judge and how her faith shapes her work. Judge Leoney said every day she thanks the Lord and says, “But for the grace of God, go I.” She sees so many people in bad circumstances and how throughout her personal life and professional life that Jesus has been the center of her life, helping to remain centered. There are days when she leaves work completely exhausted by the stories of the people who come before her and without Jesus as the center of her life, it would be difficult to do what she does. Before going on the bench, she was a federal prosecutor for 20 years and she started her day the same way. She comes from a modest background herself and is able to empathize and sympathize, even for people who have done wrong and she must sentence to jail time. She has been judge since September 10, 2010. Scot asked her what it was like to from in front of the bench to behind it. Judge Leoney said one of the reasons she became a prosecutor was her overwhelming desire to bring justice for people. In her heart and mind, her first priority is to get it right the first time. Having been a prosecutor for 20 years, she sometimes has a desire to jump down from the bench and do it herself. 3rd segment: The Robert Leo Ruffin Award is named after a prominent black Catholic of the 19th century who was involved in the Black Catholic Congress Movement. the award is given to those who serve in the black Catholic community and are dedicated to education, service, and the eradication of racial injustice. It is not awarded every year. Previous recipients include Fr. Patrick Waldron and Sr. Mary Hart. She said Fr. Gerry was selected by Cardinal Seán for his work in the parishes, with the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, and the founding of the Mother Caroline Academy for girls in the Roxbury/Dorchester area. Fr. Gerry said he was surprised, honored, and humbled. Judge Leoney said Fr. Gerry is a pastor of two very different parishes that are geographically very separate, in addition to all his other work. She said doesn’t know where he gets the time and energy to do all he does, but every time he ministers, he does it well. He’s been involved in ministry in Roxbury and Dorchester for many years. Scot asked Fr. Gerry about being pastor of two parishes that are not contiguous. Fr. Gerry had been in the parish in Roxbury for 12 years and had been gone 10 years so it was a homecoming for him. It was difficult the first week, logistically, but it got easier as he fell into a routine. It takes about an hour to get from Everett to St. Katharine during the week, but he makes good use of the time. Making the journey is worthwhile because at the end of the journey is a warm and loving community of people who make him feel welcome. He began the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation. He’d been going to Haiti for about 30 years and they have a hospital in Haiti about 30 miles south of Port au Prince. The work there began as healthcare, but it’s moved into education. They are building a school in the area now. He said that nearly two years after the earthquake there isn’t much rebuilding yet, although the rubble has mainly been cleared. While much money has been pledged to Haiti, a lot of money has not yet been given. Oversight and building codes have slowed things down. He thinks it will be 20 years before Haiti recovers from the earthquake. Many Haitians are still homeless and living in tents and other temporary shelter. The Mother Caroline Academy in Dorchester is one of about 60 of them around the country based on the same all-girls model. It’s grades 5 through 8. They’re in school from 7:30am to 8:30pm with a break for supper at home. It’s like a private academy except they sleep at home. It becomes a family and the teachers are volunteers for up to three years. Fr. Matt asked how his current inner city ministry is different from his previous assignments in suburbia. Fr. Gerry’s first assignment was in the suburb of Wayland. He said it’s not all that different. The Gospel is the same. People may come from all different backgrounds and there is a lot of violence people live with every day which affects everyone and was usually connected to drugs. That made people from outside fearful of the community, but those who lived inside were mainly families in difficult circumstances who had the same hopes and desires as every one outside the city. He said St. Katharine Drexel is 90% black, and that’s a term he uses intentionally. It includes African-American, English-speaking Caribbean (most Haitians go to St. Angela’s in Mattapan), and Africans who are mainly Nigerian. He said the people blend easily among the different backgrounds. 4th segment: It’s time to announce this week’s winner of the WQOM Benefactor Raffle. Our prizes this week are Infinite Bandwidth: Encountering Christ in the Media, by Eugene Gan, and The Evangelization Equation: The Who, What, and How, by Fr. James A .Wehner. This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Jean Chevry from Cambridge, MA. Congratulation, Jean! 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: Lorna said people interested in tickets for the dinner can call 617-746-5810 or go to http://HealyDinner.rsvpbook.com Scot asked Judge Leoney what people should know about Roxbury. She said they should know it is a community of beautiful people of deep faith, whatever the faith. There are wonderful things going on for young people, both within and outside of the churches. It’s also a very diverse community of African-Americans, Africans, Haitians, Cape Verdeans, Asians, Jamaicans, and Caucasians. She encouraged people to come visit and even patronize the restaurants. Fr. Gerry said the greater Catholic community is victimized by the press when it comes to the inner city because they only receive one side of the story. He said he often found reporters camped in the neighborhood waiting for something to happen and almost disappointed when it didn’t happen. They never tell the story of good young people who aren’t in trouble. he said the Church’s role is to make people more comfortable with being part of the community. Scot asked Fr. Gerry how he reaches out to the unchurched or lapsed Catholics in Roxbury. He said the Mass attendance is about the same percentage as the rest of the Archdiocese. he said there are many activities that bring people to the church hall, even if there aren’t formal programs. He said music is a very important draw for people. Fr. Matt recalled attending the Nigerian Mass as a seminarian and remembered the music and the liveliness and the appearance of the people. The Bishop Healy Award Dinner is going to be at Lantana’s in Randolph on November 19 at 6pm. Everyone is welcome to purchase a ticket and come to celebrate both Judge Leoney and Fr. Osterman and the black Catholic community.