The Good Catholic Life

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Fr. Jeremy St. Martin, Director of the Archdiocese of Boston’s Deaf Apostolate, and John Hunt, Executive Director of Legatus International Deaf Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston Office of the Deaf Apostolate Office of Outreach and Cultural Diversity Legatus International Today’s topics: Fr. Jeremy St. Martin and his ministry to deaf Catholics; Legatus’ ministry to Catholic CEOs and their spouses Summary of today’s show: Fr. Jeremy St. Martin tells Scot and Fr. Chris about how he came to the priesthood and the unexpected call to minister to the deaf; as well as all the ways that the Deaf Apostolate works to allow the hearing-impaired to take part fully in the life of the Church. Also, John Hunt of Legatus discusses their ministry to Catholic business executives that recognizes their unique contributions and impact on the culture. 1st segment: Scot asked Fr. Chris how St. John Seminary memorialized September 11. Fr. Chris said they had a beautiful Mass wit the amazing Scriptures for this past Sunday which challenge all of us in the area of forgiveness. Fr. Chris said he was in Washington, DC, on 9/11/01 and he was reminded of the same clear, blu skies. He reflect on praying for the victims and their families. He was also reminded of all the many people who responded to help. He saw at St. Anthony’s Shrine this past weekend that they had a photo of Fr. Mychal Judge, the Franciscan priest who was a NY fire chaplain who died during the response to the attacks. Scot noted that his kids asked why we still talk about it if it happened 10 years ago? He told them that we don’t want to forget, not just the evil acts, but also the heroism as well as the lesson to live life to fullest and enjoy the many blessings God has given us. Fr. Chris also said he was at Sacred Heart Parish in East Boston for a Portuguese festival of the Holy Spirit where the children receive a special blessing. Scot said one of the 23 languages the Mass is celebrated in at the Archdiocese of Boston is American Sign Language. Fr. Jeremy St. Martin is the director of the Deaf Apostolate. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Chris welcome Fr. Jeremy St. Martin to the show. Scot asked him how God planted the seed that led to his ordination. Fr. Jeremy said his parents became very active in the Church when he was about 6 or 7 years old. The change he saw in his parents profoundly affected him at that time. He recalls going to a new parish at the time and he wasn’t too impressed by what he saw, although when his grandparents came with them, that caught his attention. While his mother and her mother-in-law were as different as could be, he saw them change in their relationship to one another during the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass. This was his first experience of the Mass and he was intrigued by what was happening. As time went on, he became an altar server and got to know the elderly priest who was serving the parish in Little Compton, Rhode Island. Seeing the devotion and simple joy of the old priest, Fr. Jeremy at the time wondered if that’s what God was calling him to. As he went to college, it became harder to continue to practice his faith. He had two friends who were the first in his group of friends to fall in love together and he remembered seeing them together after Mass one Sunday and realizing that they would one day be married and have children. And as he thought about it, he wondered who would baptize the children and it occurred to him that it might be him. A priest once said you have to see if you have the Health, Holiness, Head, and Heart. You don’t have to be perfect in every way, but you have to be doing okay with all of them. Heart in particular is a desire for the salvation of souls. The priest then said people considering vocations should get a regular confessor. Fr. Jeremy was still discerning at this time. The confessor didn’t say anything in any of their meetings for a whole year, and at the end of the year, Fr. Jeremy confronted him and asked him what he thought. He finally told him that he thought he’d be a great priest. Fr. Jeremy looked at many different religious orders because he thought he’d need that community, but he discovered in the Archdiocese of Boston that there is in fact a lot of fraternal support among the priests. He heard that you have to grow where you are planted, and having lived in Boston many years, he entered St. John’s Seminary. Scot asked Fr. Jeremy what led him to want to serve deaf Catholics. He was ordained in 2002 and was assigned to St. Cecilia’s in Ashland. Three years in to the assignment, the pastor told him that the archdiocese called and they wanted him to start studying for the last two years of his assignment. They wanted him to study to serve the deaf. This came out of left field. He had never had any deaf friends or family and didn’t know any sign language. But now he was to become the new director of the deaf apostolate, including providing assistance to a deaf seminarian in formation, now Fr. Shawn Carey, the first deaf priest for the Archdiocese of Boston. Of course, Fr. Jeremy said Yes, but he did ask why him and he was told there was no one else and he was naturally expressive, which helps with being a deaf interpreter. IT also needs to be someone who is creative because deaf ministry is very different from regular parish ministry because there isn’t a lot of institutional experience in the archdiocese. Fr. Chris said Fr. Jeremy was an undergrad at Mass. College of Art and Design and majored in applying new technology to the arts. It had a heavy emphasis on the performing arts. His training could help him manage the stage at an opera, for example, with all the technical requirements. It helped him prepare to stand before a crowd and present himself in public without being overly shy. Fr. Chris said Fr. Jeremy is often seen on CatholicTV, signing for the Cardinal or other people at major events and Masses. He asked Fr. Jeremy the greatest joys of serving the deaf community. It is seeing the community have the Gospel take root in them and share it with each other. Many of them had never heard the saving mysteries of the faith because of the isolation. At World Youth Day, they coordinated with deaf ministries throughout Canada and the US to go together to Madrid and WYD brings young deaf people from all over the world together and meet each other. It was an enormous amount of work for both the leaders and the pilgrims. They often had to be go through extra obstacles, like arriving early for special screening. It’s also the case that many of the deaf have other physical challenges as well. In the end, one of the young people said that they felt like a member of the Body of Christ. For a deaf person to say that is even more surprising given that it is a Christian idiom and very abstract. Scot said Fr. Jeremy signs with such joy and it’s clear he loves this ministry. It’s helped Scot to appreciate this ministry and how much effort they take to include everyone. Fr. Shawn Carey signs the Mass when he celebrates it at the Pastoral Center. It’s amazing how the God’s will gets expressed through the bishop as the ministry seems a good fit with Fr. Jeremy’s skills and temperament. 3rd segment: Scot asked about the activities of the deaf apostolate. Sacred Heart in Newton has a Mass in sign language every Sunday at 10:30 and on holy days. Fr. Chris said in regards to the directions for celebrating the Mass, sometimes they say the priest should “audibly say” something. He asked how that works. In canon law, there is a canon that goes back to the First Council of Orange that said deaf people can exchange marriage vows in clear sign, so it was a recognition that sign language is a true language in which sacramental grace can be conveyed. There’s also another canon which says a deaf person can request an interpreter in confession which is interesting regarding the seal of confession. It recognizes that they are real professionals capable of being discrete. So what the Church asks of deaf ministries is that they take the responsibility for making up for what is lacking for a person who is deaf because the ordinary situation of the Church is set up for the hearing. Fr. Jeremy said some direction for Mass (“rubric”) have the priest say things inaudibly, doesn’t say it, or says it audibly. Deaf ministry proclaims that which needs to be proclaimed to those who can’t hear in ways that they can hear. Scot said it’s interesting to observe Fr. Carey and see how clear it is what he is doing and praying at the same time that hearing priests would be praying aloud. It is a different form of language and communication, but it is indeed language and communication. It’s not unlike attending Mass in another country and hearing the Mass prayed in a different language there. Fr. Jeremy said the apostolate also provides hospital coverage for the whole archdiocese, providing ministry to the sick and dying as well as to the deaf families and friends. They also provide assistance in weddings and funerals, even if it’s just for those who are attending and deaf. They also provide marriage preparation and RCIA, which is a big need because many deaf people couldn’t find good access to catechetical formation early in life. They also work with deaf youth. A full list of their ministries is on their website as well as many videos in which many blogs are provided in American Sign Language. 4th segment: Joining us from Ave Maria, Florida, is John Hunt of Legatus. Scot asked him about the organization as an outreach to Catholic business executives. It is celebrating its 25th anniversary year. It was founded by Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza, after a meeting with Pope John Paul II where he felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to assist in helping the laity to drive the new evangelization of the 21st century. He immediately founded the organization upon his return to the US. He saw the value of the role of business leaders in the life of the Church. They are in a unique position to have an impact for good on the culture and specifically on those who are employed them and their families, people they do business with, and their customers. Scot said John was a business CEO before working for Legatus. John said he was invited to join by a member who thought he and his wife would enjoy the monthly get-togethers. He had no idea what to expect before attending an event. The typical gathering includes the Rosary, the Mass, dinner, and a speaker. John said business people approach the issues of the marketplace and the Church in a highly structured and ordered way as they approach their business decisions, so when they are together with others of like mind who are serving the Church, you realize you are in friendly company with people in a unique position to do good for society. John said there is a sense of camaraderie. One may think of a Legatus chapter as something like a support group, in the best sense of the word. They are people who want to do the right thing and are reinforced in that desire by those they surround themselves with at their gatherings. Personally, he’s been strengthened in his faith by the example he’s seen in his own Chicago chapter and as executive director. There are 75 chapters in the US and outside the country. There are about 2,000 CEO members and in most cases their spouses. Spouses are full members along with their husbands or wives, so there are about 4,000 members. They hope to grow the organization by about 50% over the next few years. Scot said there Legatus chapter in Boston, in Providence, and in Western Mass. that meets in the Springfield area. The Boston chapter’s next meeting is September 28 and Lou Lataif, a former executive of Ford Motor Company and a professor at Boston University. The meeting will be at the Pastoral Center in Braintree at 5:30pm. John said Lou Lataif is a longtime friend and will be a good kickoff speaker for Legatus. He said the Boston schedule through next year includes Tom Monaghan; John Garvey, president of Catholic University of America; George Weigel; Michael Novak; Tom Peterson of Catholics Come Home; Tim Flanagan of Catholic Leadership Institute; Archbishop Tim Broglio of the Military Archdiocese; and Cardinal Seán. John said interested people should take a look at Legatus as a way to enhance the CEO and their spouse’s faith life. Interested people can call 781-369-5048 or send an email to [email protected].

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Paul Blanchette and Michael Strong of Pilot Bulletins and Pilot Printing Pilot Bulletins Pilot Printing Today’s topics: The parish bulletin as communications tool Summary of today’s show: The parish bulletin is the primary communications vehicle for the church connecting to parishioners. Paul Blanchette and Mike Strong of Pilot Bulletins discuss with Scot how Pilot Bulletins began 10 years ago as ParishComm, their vision for serving the church through their livelihood, and how ParishComm was acquired by the Archdiocese of Boston just one year ago. Also, Scot, Mike, and Paul give their predictions for tonight’s Patriots-Dolphins game and the Patriots season. 1st segment: Scot said one year on September 9, the Archdiocese of Boston purchased a bulletin-printing business called ParishComm that served about 45 parishes mainly in the North Shore and Merrimack Valley. In the past year, they have expanded their service to more than 200 parishes in their printing services and more than 60 who have their bulletins printed every week. Scot welcomed Paul and Mike to the show. Scot said Paul was on the show previously with Fr. Martin Hyatt of the St. Basil’s Cursillo retreat center and Cursillo was integral to the founding of ParishComm. Paul was working in medical sales previously and wanted to find some way to serve the Church. At the same time, he had a friend who developed some parish management software called Church Mouse and Paul started representing the software locally. He found that even though parishes loved the idea, they usually said they couldn’t afford it and would need to have it donated. Then they found that parish bulletin printing generated a lot of revenue that didn’t make its way to the parish and so they determined to sell the bulletin sponsorships and print the bulletins to fund the parish software. The software became ParishSoft, which is perhaps the leading Catholic parish management software. Paul celebrated the 10th anniversary of starting ParishComm, which happened to be 9/11/01. Paul was in Detroit that day with the man he was working with on the software project. Paul’s son was working in New York at the time and was on the phone with him when the second plane hit the Twin Towers. They had been planning to sign the legal papers to start their business, but that didn’t happen. After two days, Paul and an associate rented a car to drive back to Boston. Meanwhile, in the intervening 10 years, the man he was starting the business with, David Rosenberg, has since become a priest of the Diocese of Lansing. At first, there wasn’t a plan to print the bulletins themselves, but eventually they printed it themselves. Paul made his first sale in October 2001 of $354 for an advertising contract. His first church was his home parish, St. Mary in Georgetown. They installed computers and software and used the parish as the testbed. The first year they made $24,000. In their second year, they got their second church. What was difficult was that they were just a couple of guys with a fledgling business and an idea, so they trusted him. They were outsourcing the product and didn’t have control of the printing. It was printed in Michigan and a bad storm could prevent a parish from having its bulletin. So Paul looked into digital printing and the quality was so much better because they could print in vivid color. But that meant lots of infrastructure costs for printers. It was difficult to get past the old habits of parish bulletins, especially getting them to use new covers every week to be attractive and to use the bulletin as a news instrument rather than just a service directory. Digital printing uses large machines that look like office copiers and have the same general functions of a color laser printer in the office. They are different from the more traditional color offset printers, but the quality is similar. Michael said he’s been involved in printing and publishing since the late 1970s after high school, with a detour through military service and working in restaurants. He lived his Cursillo in 2000 and was working at the time in high-end college textbooks on a contract basis. He connected to Paul through Cursillo and was attracted to working in a faithful Catholic environment. Mike continued to work on a contract basis for the Daughters of St. Paul. Mike never expected to be able to work in a place that contribute in some small way for the parish to evangelize with such a high-quality product. It’s satisfying to know that someone might bring a bulletin home that gets picked up and brings them back to church. Paul said ParishComm was a family business to begin with: Paul, his wife Christine, his son Stephen, plus a couple of guys he met on Cursillo. But it was through involvement in St. Basil’s that he found people who needed work and they hired people to help. 2nd segment: Scot said one year ago, after conversation between Paul and Scot, they decided it would be in everyone’s best interest for the Archdiocese of Boston, through Boston Catholic Television Center, Inc., to buy ParishComm. Cardinal Seán determined that it would be helpful to parishes to raise the bar on the quality of bulletins. Paul said there have been 15 new parishes added in the past year and there are 47 more who would like to come on board when their old bulletin printing contracts expire. Every parish is different and Paul goes out to all the parishes to find out what they need and what they’d like. Scot said Cardinal Seán was interested in having a communication tool like the bulletin that reaches more Catholics every week than any other of our communications tools. 300,000 people go to Mass every week and most pick up a bulletin. Scot said pastors tell him that fewer bulletins end up in the parking lot or on the floor because the quality is higher and people want to bring it home. Mike proofs every bulletin every week. Scot asked what is the most frequent content he sees. Mike said he sees parishes put in calendars of everything going on in the parish. He said parishes also take advantage of the full-color glossy covers with provided artwork relevant to the current week’s Gospel or the time of the year. Many parishes used 9/11-related covers this week. Mike said about 35,000 bulletins are printed in a two-day span at the Pastoral Center. That’s about 20% of all parish bulletins in the Archdiocese. Scot asked Paul why he was interested in becoming part of a broader archdiocesan communications effort. Paul said he came to understand that we’re called to do more than make a buck for a living. He realized that there’s plenty of work to do in your own backyard and while they were very strong in the North Shore where they were based, they were looking to expand. Now they’re growing rapidly on the South Shore and even beyond the Archdiocese. Scot said new bulletins are being printed in the last couple of months for Boston University Catholic Community, St. Joseph in Kingston, St. Albert the Great in Weymouth, St. Thomas Aquinas in Bridgewater, Sacred Heart and Our Lady of the Assumption in East Boston, St. Ann in Neponset, and Our Lady of Lourdes in Jamaica Plain. That’s a lot for just a couple of months. Paul often goes to a parish for the first week of the bulletin. He sees people wowed by the cover and then they see how the bulletin’s content has changed to become more informative. Paul said the sponsors love the bulletins because the color ads project their brands better, so now it’s not just a donation to the local parish, but it’s a way of supporting their business to.. 3rd segment: Scot said with the acquisition of ParishComm, there was a deliberate decision to create both Pilot Bulletins and Pilot Printing, as a way to help parishes with all their printing needs. Mike said because of the 35,000 bulletins, the volume of work allows the per unit cost of printing to be much lower so they can offer printing to ministries at a much lower cost than through traditional printers, like Staples for 500 flyers. Scot said he was shocked to see the prices most parishes were paying at third-party vendors, even with a little bit of income for Pilot Printing. Mike said they can offer parishes printing in color what they’re paying for black and white at Staples. They also do lots of flyers and it’s not just for parishes that print their bulletins. If they can save the parish $100 for a print job, that $100 can be spent on pizza for the youth group for example. Scot asked Paul about any unusual printing offerings. Paul said they can print banners of all shapes and sizes for very reasonable prices and put just about anything on them. He said its stunning. Scot said many parishes through the archdiocese have had Catholics Come Home banners printed by Pilot Printing. Mike said he talked to a deacon who had ordered a banner of the same kind from someone else and paid $350 instead of the $89 that Pilot Printing was charging. He said the most frequently ordered items are pew cards, flyers, and posters. He just printed 1,000 posters and 1,000 postcards for Lift Ministries. They also print business cards, magnets, and just about anything else. There’s a video showing behind the scenes of Pilot Bulletin. http://vimeo.com/27061607 Mike is also involved in a charity called Par4theCure. In 1998 Mike’s friend died of a brain tumor. The following year he rode the Pan-Mass Challenge,and after that started the Par4theCure Golf Tournament and then started the black-tie golf-themed Golf Ball at the Harvard Club. They’ve donated more than $350,000 to brain tumor research over the years. Pilot Printing does all the printing of course. Scot said there’s a mutual benefit for Pilot Printing where some donors have decided to use Pilot Printing. 4th segment: Scot, Mike, and Paul talked the New England Patriots season opening today and their predictions for tonight and the season. Paul predicted Patriots win tonight 31-21 and they are in the Super Bowl. Mike said tonight the Patriots win 24-10 and their record is 13-3. Scot said Miami is difficult for the Patriots, while Miami lost a lot of home games last year. Scot thinks it will be a close game with a 4th quarter nailbiter. He picked 24-21 and said for the season will be 11-5. Scot thinks last year’s 14-2 record won’t be repeated because the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins will be stronger teams this year. They also have a tough road schedule. Paul predicts 12-4. 5th segment: Scot said many of the people working with Pilot Bulletins and Printing have been involved in Cursillo. Paul said he and his wife Christine have sponsored about 50 people over the past 20 years of being involved with Cursillo. Paul said being able to have his children go through Cursillo in their twenties made such a difference for them which Paul didn’t benefit from until his forties. Cursillo is a three-day experience where a sponsor brings you to a retreat center. The experience removes any of the distractions of life to help them let go and start to live the moment and to really hear what the people who are sharing with them are saying about their live an the difference God has made for them. Scot said Mike has been cooking for the Cursillo retreats since December 2000, just a few months since living his own Cursillo. Mike points out that it’s not just for those estranged from the Church. While some, like him, hadn’t been to church for years, many are people who are already devout. Mike has sponsored several of the Daughters of St. Paul on the retreats. Priests have told him that they didn’t truly living their priesthood until going on a Cursillo after 40 years since ordination. To find out more, go to the St. Basil’s website.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Msgr. Robert Deeley, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Boston “New vicar general discusses views, priorities”, The Pilot, 09/09/11 Today’s topics: Meeting the new vicar general of the Archdiocese of Boston Summary of today’s show: Msgr. Robert Deeley, the new vicar general of the archdiocese, recounts his path to the priesthood, his service in Boston and in Rome, his experience working with Cardinal Ratzinger and what it was like to see him elected pope; and how his experience and perspective on the universal Church will help him as a vicar general in Boston. Also this Sunday’s Mass readings and their special relevance to the 10th anniversary of 9/11. 1st segment: Scot said Fr. Mark just got back from his retreat this week. He said he was in Duxbury at Miramar Retreat Center and Fr. Robert Rivers was the retreat leader. Fr. Mark also teaches canon law at St. John Seminary and he was happy to see how full the seminary is now. Scot said he spent some time at the seminary at the end of last weekend. In the last five or six years it went from being half-full to now being space constrained. Fr. Mark said in addition to the diocesan seminarians, there are many others from religious orders as well. Scot said The Good Catholic Life is celebrating its six month anniversary. We began on Ash Wednesday and the time has flown by. He said he has learned a lot about his faith. Also one year ago today, the Archdiocese purchased ParishComm which became Pilot Bulletins and Pilot Printing, which serve the archdiocese. Finally, Scot said his friend Tim Van Damm, who’s been on the show and who works for the College of St. Mary Magdalene in New Hampshire, got engaged last night. Fr. Mark noted that Pilot Printing helps not just parishes, but also the ministries in the Pastoral Center. He’s also happy to celebrate the vocation of marriage. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Msgr. Deeley to the show and gave his congratulations for the six month anniversary. Over the past few weeks he’s found the show to be valuable to local Catholics. Scot asked him how Catholic education K-12 made a difference in his life. He said it was a marvelous education at Sacred Heart in Watertown and at Matignon High. The sister of St. Joseph were able to educate, motivate, and form the students and give them a vision of the future. They also nurtured and encouraged his vocation so that he entered seminary after high school. Fr. Mark asked if any of his teachers have contacted him since he became vicar general. Sr. Zita taught him in 7th grade and is still alive today. Scot asked Msgr. Deeley’s family. One of his brothers is a priest and other worked for the archdiocese. Msgr. Deeley said the Church was part of their lives as kids. His parents were immigrants from Ireland and took strength from their involvement in the life of the parish and the Church. They grew up as altar servers, were involved in parish activities, and CYO. He later was able to be a lector and other activities of that nature. He said he felt a kind of call to priesthood in about the second or third grade. There was something about priesthood that attracted him, but he put it out of his head in high school until he was a junior in high school when Msgr. John Kelty encouraged him to think about. His parents were very supportive of his choice, but encouraged him to do what he thought was the right thing for him. The same for his younger brother as well. Fr. Mark and Msgr. Deeley reminisced about their experience of Msgr. Kelty, including times when each of them lived with him in a parish as priests. During seminary, Msgr. Deeley received a prestigious scholarship to study philosophy at Catholic University and that study in the way of thinking systematically was an extremely important part of his education. It was a key preparation for his later work as a canon lawyer. After that he entered theological studies and then went to seminary in Rome. His first assignment was at St. Bartholomew in Needham under Msgr. Robert Kickham. He had been in charge of the Holy Name Societies in the archdiocese. He had just arrived at the parish as pastor. It was a wonderful time for Msgr. Deeley to learn from mistakes and mature as a priest. He is the uncle of Fr. Robert Kickham, who is one of Cardinal Seán’s priest-secretaries. Then he became secretary of the tribunal and lived at Mary Immaculate in Newton with Fr. Mike Doocey. He had taught for many years in Catholic schools and had a great love for young people and was a wonderful and dedicated pastor. 3rd segment: After his service at the tribunal, including 10 years as judicial vicar, he spent five years as pastor of St. Ann’s in Wollaston. Msgr. Deeley is grateful he had the opportunity to be a pastor and Wollaston was a great place to be. They did some wonderful pastoral planning and had a superb school. He was there from about 1999 to 2004 and was pastor during the abuse crisis and the Reconfiguration experience. He said they were all shocked by the revelations that were coming out and relied on the parish council members who were so committed to the Church and over the next year they worked to heal and understand and move forward. To be part of that community was a grace through that experience. Scot asked if he was surprised to be sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome to work on cases of clergy accused of abuse. Then-Archbishop Seán asked him to take the assignment and he agreed, knowing he had the ability and skills to provide assistance. He intended it to be for 18 months, but it was 7 years ago. He worked alongside Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was prefect of the Congregation. He was instrumental in changing his status from temporary loan to a more permanent member of the congregation. Before Msgr. Deeley came home for his first Christmas, he encountered Cardinal Ratzinger who told him he needed to be back home in his parish for Christmas. After that Christmas vocation, he submitted a requested list of American canonists, but he was asked by the cardinal why he wasn’t on the list. Although he was too old according to the requirements to serve in the Roman Curia, Cardinal Ratzinger waived the requirements. Fr. Mark said Msgr. Deeley was in Boston when it was a Boston problem; went to Rome when it was an American problem; and was there when it was a worldwide problem. What is our reason for hope? Msgr. Deeley said our faith gives us hope in the meaning and message that Jesus gives our lives. “The Almighty God cares for each of us and watches over us and no matter what evil we find in the world—including in the Church—God continues to watch over us now and for all eternity., Why wouldn’t we have hope?” Despite working on the tribunal for so long and dealing with so many failed marriages, he still believes in marriage. In the same way, he still believes in the priesthood and his own priesthood. Fr. Mark said another sign of hope was a man he knew who was an investigator of the crimes of abuse who was around so many good priests and other Catholics that he became Catholic himself. Msgr. Deeley pointed out that it is naïve to assume that abuse of children is a problem exclusive to the Church. It is a problem that is very much in our society. It is not exclusive to America or the English-speaking world. Going back to his time in Rome, Scot asked Msgr. Deeley what it was like for him to find out that Cardinal Ratzinger had become Pope Benedict XVI. Msgr. said on April 16, 2005, just a few days before the election, following the death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, the cardinal hadn’t been in the office of much, but that day was his birthday and so he came by the office after noon. The conclave was scheduled to begin that Monday. During that birthday meeting, the cardinal’s voice from all the talking he’d been doing. He’d work in six languages simultaneously and summarizing for all who spoke those languages. Afterward, one of Msgr. Deeley’s colleagues said, “Robert, next time we see him, he will be Pope.” On Tuesday, there was one ballot and suddenly everyone rushed to the piazza and they were all ecstatic at his election. Msgr. said he was reading something recently by John Paul II and reminded him of how much continuity there is in the teaching between the two popes. Indeed, it’s not just his intelligence that got him elected, but the cardinals saw in Pope Benedict the heart of a good priest. That’s why when he was brought to knowledge of the abuse crisis that he reacted as he did as cardinal and pope. He saw the harm that had been done and moved to correct the problem and do what he could to help those who had been harmed. 4th segment: Scot said the vicar genera;’s job is so broad and he’s described it as the office where all the problems in the archdiocese land and his job is to handle them before they land on the cardinal’s desk. Msgr. Deeley said he is only starting and can describe it as the Church describes it, but it does involve a lot of problem solving. The role of the vicar general is to make it possible for the cardinal to be an effective leader of the archdiocese. If we can help him with the governance of the archdiocese and help him arrive at solutions to the problems he encounters, then that is what we do. Fr. Mark asked the difference between vicar general and moderator of the curia. The moderator coordinates the work of the pastoral center and those who work in central ministries of the archdiocese. The vicar general helps in the governance of the archdiocese, with regard to matters that affect the whole archdiocese, not just the agencies in the pastoral center. Scot said often the vicar general is a leading pastor or auxiliary bishop and believes that Msgr. Deeley was chosen by Cardinal Seán for his experience in the universal Church. What experience does Msgr. Deeley bring from that perspective? He said we need to learn from the universal Church. First, we have to consider evangelization. We have the wonderful message of Jesus Christ and the commission to invite others to become part of that. In parts of the world in Africa and Asia, that effort is tremendous and having tremendous results. We can get caught up in the problems in our American cultural, but in many parts of the world, the wonder and beauty of the Gospel is being proclaimed and taught. We need to learn from that here in the US and reinvigorate the Church from our own proclamation of the Gospel. Cardinal Seán’s pastoral letter on evangelization is a wonderful instrument for that, particularly because he says all we have to do is be Catholic, live our faith, and answer questions from our Catholic faith. Fr. Mark said pastors are very anxious to see what Msgr. Deeley is going to do and how he will coordinate between parishes and central ministries. Msgr. Deeley said he plans to go out about the archdiocese to meet priests and pastoral associates as the opportunities present themselves. Scot said with the change of a bishop or vicar general, people think things will change a lot. Msgr. Deeley said the role of the vicar general is to assist Cardinal Seán with his vision of the archdiocese and his job is to do that. Scot mentioned Cardinal Seán’s priorities during his time in Boston with evangelization as central focus. Msgr. Deeley said we have a message to proclaim to bring Christ to others through our lives. Msgr. Deeley said he knows how painful pastoral planning can be, having experienced it as a pastor in 2004, and he has great confidence in the pastoral planning office and the committee gathered by Cardinal Seán. They are clear on the reality that we have to d address the issues presenting themselves to the archdiocese with regard to priestly numbers, demographics, and Mass attendance. 5th segment: Now, as we do every week, we look forward to this coming Sunday’s Mass readings to help us prepare to celebrate together. Liturgical considerations for September 11, USCCB First Reading for September 11, 2011, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sirach 27:30-28:7) Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the LORD’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults. Gospel for September 11, 2011, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 18:21-35) Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.” Scot said the fact that these readings occur on September 11 and they have to do a lot with forgiveness challenges us. Msgr. Deeley said the Gospel especially comes within a series of readings about how we deal with each other in the Church. Forgiveness is an extremely important part of how we are going to be able to live with one another. It is difficult but it is the way in which we come to know God’s mercy and grow in God’s mercy for ourselves. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. We cannot forget what happened on 9/11, but we have to move forward. Being angry is harmful to us because it ties us up in a way that makes it impossible to act. These readings tell us to let go in order to forgive. Fr. Mark pointed out the difference between righteous anger and the sing of anger, which wants vengeance. He notes that in the story of Cain and Abel, someone asks for vengeance seventy seven times over. Jesus turns that on its heads and commands forgiveness 77 times. Scot said some biblical scholars look at 77 times as meaning infinite. We are called to forgive infinitely. In the Our Father, the only conditional statement is when we ask for forgiveness as we forgive others. What a challenge it must be to forgive for those who were affected by 9/11. But Jesus can bring good. After Good Friday, there is Easter and after 9/11, God brings grace. Noting the first reading, Fr. Mark said we are called to let go of wrath and anger. Massachusetts Remembers: An Interfaith Commemoration of 9/11 On Sunday, Msgr. Deeley will be celebrating Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, commemorating 9/11. Scot said Catholics should commemorate by praying hard for those who were hurt by the events of 9/11, for first responders, for government leaders,and for protection from that kind of evil. Scot thanked Msgr. Deeley for being on the show and asked listeners to pray for him as he begins his tenure as vicar general.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): 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: 9/11 anniversary; Msgr. Robert Deeley; assisted suicide petition; Catholic school year starts; Archbishop Chaput’s installation Summary of today’s show: Gregory Tracy and Susan Abbott discuss the news of the week with Scot, including this week’s anniversary of 9/11 and Catholic reflections on the events and their aftermath; an extensive Pilot interview with Msgr. RObert Deeley, the new vicar general; an assisted suicide ballot initiative; the always promising beginning of the Catholic school year; and the homily of Archbishop Charles Chaput at his installation Mass in Philadelphia. 1st segment: Scot noted that today is the birthday of the Blessed Mother. Fr. Sean Carey, the only priest of the archdiocese who is deaf, celebrated the 12:05 pm Mass at the Pastoral Center for this feast. Susan Abbott said she had a workshop today for a total of more than 100 people on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. 2nd segment: Scot noted that Fr. Roger Landry is traveling, but welcomed Greg Tracy to the show. He said that there’s an article in the Pilot this week which excerpts remarks from Cardinal Sean’s Blog in which the Cardinal reflects on the events and aftermath of 9/11. He starts by describing where he was when he heard about the attacks, at a meeting of the US bishops’ conference. They went immediately across the street to the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception for a Mass for the victims. Then he told the story of how he tried to get back to Fall River from Washington, DC. He eventually rented a car with some others. Scot said Cardinal Sean reflects that 9/11 reflected the best and worst of who we are as humanity and also that we all came together to pray. Susan said in her parish they put a notice on the parish website for a prayer service that evening and people began coming back every night to pray. Susan said they had people come to RCIA and other adult formation because of their experience of 9/11. “Acting on the Lessons of 9/11”, Fr. Roger Landry, The Anchor, 09/09/11 “9/11 anniversary prompts reflection on tragedy’s spiritual dimension”, CNS, 08/25/11 Fr. Roger in his editorial reflected on the lessons of 9/11. The events reawakened most Americans to four fundamental realities in the world: of evil in the world; that death comes for us all; the heroism of first responders and others who risked their lives; and the reality of God. He refers to the Imitation of Christ and its advice: “In every deed and every thought, act as if you die this day.” It helps to bring us back to our roots and our purpose in this life. Susan quoted a famous line that the Devil’s biggest trick is to convince us that he or evil doesn’t exist. But she also went to the Prologue of the Gospel of John that the Light shines in the darkness and darkness has not overcome it. Fr. Roger’s ends with: Some, succumbing to the perennial temptation about why God doesn’t stop all evil, asked where God was on 9/11. Fr. James Martin, SJ, responded that on 9/11 God was offering us a parable. As he was ministering to the wounded at a Manhattan hospital, Fr. Martin looked around at the rescue workers and realized, “God is like the firefighter who rushes into a burning building to save someone. That’s how much God loves us. And I saw this love expressed in the great charity of all the rescue workers who gathered at the American Golgotha.” Fr. Roger said that the Ground Zero Cross is a sign that evil doesn’t have the last word. He ends by suggesting the most fitting way to mark the anniversary is to pray: “… prayer for our country, that we may be strong, courageous and persevering in our opposition to terrorism and other evils; for all our civil leaders and those who are on the front lines in protecting us in the military, police departments, intelligence services and homeland security; for all those who lost loved ones ten years ago; for the salvation of all those who had died; and for the conversion of the terrorists and the cultures that spawn them. And we should make this prayer silently as individuals, as we will at 1 pm on Sunday with Church bells tolling throughout the land. We should make it with our families at home, in living rooms and perhaps exceptionally before television sets. And we should make it in our Churches where we enter into the mystery both of the Cross and of the Resurrection for which the Cross is the prelude.” The Pilot this week reprints the editorial from the newspaper on September 14, 2001, written by Msgr. Peter Conley, who was the editor-in-chief at the time. The current editor, Antonio Enrique, started with the Pilot that very day, 9/11. They reprinted the editorial because it captures the fear and outrage, but also prophetically outlined the issues that our country would have to grapple with from that time. Scot quoted the editorial which noted that Americans were too complacent in their security before these attacks. But Msgr. Conley also ended by saying, “Evil must be named and confronted for what it is — the opposite of a God Who is love.” 3rd segment: Scot said on September 1, Msgr. Robert Deeley began his service to the Archdiocese as vicar general. In this week’s Pilot, Msgr. Deeley gives a lengthy interview on his background, his early assignments in the Archdiocese, and then his work in Rome. He also spoke of his hopes and vision for his service and assessed the situation of the Archdiocese today. Greg said he was most interested by Msgr. Deeley’s background and upbringing because it gave him a sense of him as a person beyond his curriculum vitae as a priest from the early 1990s on. Greg said he felt he was immensely grounded with a wide breadth of experience in parishes, in the chancery, and working in the Curia in Rome. He also was struck by how much he spoke about evangelization and how he sees that as a central part of his mission. Scot said Msgr. Deeley has had three different stints in Rome: as a seminarian; studying canon law; and then for eight years working for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Susan said she was struck by his sense of the universality of the Church, especially from his time in Rome. He later said Boston is not unique and the issues we’re dealing with are shared by other people. She was also touched by his sense of obedience and fidelity. When he was aksed by Cardinal Sean, there was no other answer but to say Yes, out of fidelity to his promise. Scot said no young priest seeks to be a vicar general. Some priests may aspire to become a bishop, but a vicar general deals with every problem in the diocese before it lands on the bishop’s desk. He said he has been moved by Msgr. Deeley’s faith in the one week since he’s been in the Pastoral Center. Susan said we haven’t changed our goals as a Church, to bring the faith to those who do not know it and to encourage and form those who do. Scot also noted that one question asked him whether he was thinking of significant changes. Msgr. Deeley said he will meet with those work for the Church and priests, but it’s really Cardinal Sean who sets the direction. On Pastoral Planning, he said one of the problems of Reconfiguration in 2004 was the swiftness with which it was done. He said the current committee working on pastoral planning is very good and while these things can be painful, he believes people need to be heard and have the ability to enter into the process. Greg said one of his favorites quotes of the whole interview was that now he’d accepted the position, he told the Lord, “Now it’s up to you to give me the strength.” Greg said there will be even more content in the online version that will be available on PilotCatholicNews.com on Friday. 4th segment: Scot said that yesterday Attorney General Martha Coakley certified a ballot initiative in support of the so-called Massachusetts Death with Dignity Act. The Mass. bishops want to form and inform about the inherent evil in assisted suicide as well as worse results. The bishops say in a statement: “We cannot allow for the possibility that government agencies or insurance companies will have an influence on the decision as to whether or not a person’s life is worthy of being sustained.” Greg said this petition is not unexpected and both the Anchor and the Pilot have been writing about this in recent weeks. He thinks the bishops will come out very strongly on this issue because of the slippery slope. He said the bishops quote their 1995 statement: “For once a society allows one individual to take the life of another based on their private standards of what constitutes a life worth living, even when there is mutual agreement, there can be no safe or sure way to contain its possible consequences.” “Massachusetts Catholic Bishops Oppose ‘Death with Dignity’ Initiative Petition” Greg said evil is always presented as a good by its proponents. They phrase this as the need to “help” someone to die. But once you don’t have a right to life, you don’t have a right to anything. Scot said polls show that across the US, whatever their political affiliation or ideology, people don’t trust government, but laws like this would give the power of life and death to third parties. Proponents have used euphemisms to put a little bit of frosting on an evil cake. Susan said you just have to look at other countries that have preceded us down the slippery slope to see where we are going and to see how basic rights have been lost. She encouraged listeners to see the US bishops’ website for more resources. Scot encouraged all to inform their representatives of their views on this issue. Moving on to other topics, the Pilot has an article on the beginning of the school year for Catholic years. The Archdiocese’s school has 42,000+ students, making it the second-largest school system in the Commonwealth after Boston. Superintendent Mary Grassa-O’Neill talks in the article that they have been working with school principals and to help schools develop their Catholicity, academic achievement, and fiscal strength. In addition, Boston College is working with the Archdiocese to help develop a technology strategy for Catholic schools. Just concluded moments ago was the installation Mass of Archbishop Charles Chaput as archbishop of Philadelphia. Scot said it is the most significant appointment of a bishop in recent years because of the problems in Philadelphia right now. He quoted the archbishop’s homily: A married friend told me last week that getting together for today reminded him of planning for a very, very, very big wedding. He was being humorous, but he was actually more accurate than he knew. The relationship of a bishop and his local Church — his diocese — is very close to a marriage. The ring I wear is a symbol of every bishop’s love for his Church. And a bishop’s marriage to the local Church reminds me, and all of us who serve you as bishops, that a bishop is called to love his Church with all his heart, just as Christ loved her and gave his life for her. Of course, my appointment to Philadelphia is an arranged marriage, and the Holy Father is the matchmaker. … In the Church, we believe that the Holy Spirit guides the decisions of the Holy Father. And the results are always joyful if we commit our wills to cooperating with God’s plan. For any marriage to work, two things need to happen. People need to fall in love, and together they need to be fruitful. That’s what we need to dedicate ourselves to today – to love one another and be fruitful together for the new evangelization. Greg noted that the archbishop said the good news is that arranged marriages are statistically as likely to last as other marriages. He also said that in arranged marriages the couple come to know each other and then love each other. This is a response to any question asking why the Holy Father would send Archbishop Chaput to Philadelphia despite having no previous connection to eastern Pennsylvania. Scot also quoted the homily: My dear brother bishops, it’s crucial for those of us who are bishops not simply to look like bishops but to truly be bishops. He ended the homily thus: This Church in Philadelphia faces very serious challenges these days. There’s no quick fix to problems that are so difficult, and none of us here today, except the Lord Himself, is a miracle worker. But it’s important to remember and to believe the Church is not defined by her failures. And you and I are not defined by our critics or by those who dislike us. What we do in the coming months and years to respond to these challenges – that will define who we really are. And in engaging that work, we need to be Catholics first, and always. Jesus Christ is the center of our lives, and the Church is our mother and teacher. Everything we do should flow from that. … Whatever my weaknesses (and they’re many) and whatever my lacks (and they’re many too), no bishop will give more of himself than I will to renewing this great Church. No bishop will try harder to help persons who have been hurt by the sins of the past. And no bishop will work harder to strengthen and encourage our priests, and restore the hearts of our people. And everything I’ve learned in my 24 years as a bishop and 41 years as a priest, and everything I have, I will give to this ministry, because all of you — the people of God entrusted to my care — deserve it, and I love you. Scot said this is why he has so many fans across the country who look to him for guidance and clarity even though he’s never been their bishop. He noted that Cardinal Sean and Archbishop Chaput were seminary classmates as well. 5th segment: “Gardasil bill an assault on parental rights, Catholic official says”, CNS, 09-02-11

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Kathy Reda United States Association of Consecrated Virgins Today’s topics: The vocation of the consecrated virgin Summary of today’s show: Kathy Reda reveals to Scot and Fr. Matt the story of her vocation as a consecrated virgin, one of less than 350 in the United States; how her hospital co-workers handled the news that she was being betrothed to Jesus; and how her counter-cultural witness points to eternity every day in her profession as a nurse. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Matt back to the show after being away for nearly a month. They talked on air when Fr. Matt was in Madrid for World Youth Day. He asked Scot is he has rapped the Rosary with his kids yet, referring to our 100th show with Joe Melendrez, the Rosary rapper. The last week has been one of recuperation for Fr. Matt. Scot said it’s a big day at his house today with all three kids starting school, including his youngest who started kindergarten. Fr. Matt said it’s hard to believe the summer went so quickly and the start of the school year is like the beginning of a new year for youth ministry. Scot agreed that much of everything that happens in the Church either follows the liturgical year or the academic year. Fr. Matt shared a very profound experience during the World Youth Day vigil in Madrid with the lightning storm that hit the field of 1.5 million people. At one point, the Holy Father’s aides asked him if he wanted to end the ceremony early, but the Holy Father refused and asked them to stick it out. Then he asked the pilgrims to pray and soon the rain stopped. Then he invited the pilgrims into the silence and 1.5 million rowdy pilgrims went silent for six minutes of adoration. The next day he blessed the pilgrim crosses given to each participant and asked them to be witnesses to Christ. Fr. Matt asked listeners to pray for pilgrims to be able to live that World Youth Day witness. Today, we’ll be talking with Kathy Reda about the little-known vocation of consecrated virginity. Typically, consecrated life is religious brothers and sisters, hermits, secular institutes, societies of apostolic life, and consecrated virgins. Most of these aren’t well known to most Catholics and we plan to profile some of them. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Matt welcomed Kathy Reda back to the show. She was on the show in early April talking about the Eucharistic Congress. Scot read a definition of consecrated virginity from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “From apostolic times Christian virgins, called by the Lord to cling only to him with greater freedom of heart, body, and spirit, have decided with the Church’s approval to live in a state of virginity ‘for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.’ [Mt 19:12 ; cf. 1 Cor 7:34-36.] “‘Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church.’ By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is ‘constituted … a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church’s love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come.’” “‘As with other forms of consecrated life,’ the order of virgins establishes the woman living in the world (or the nun) in prayer, penance, service of her brethren, and apostolic activity, according to the state of life and spiritual gifts given to her. Consecrated virgins can form themselves into associations to observe their commitment more faithfully….” Scot said Kathy discerned many different vocations in the Church before coming to consecrated virginity. Kathy said there are 12 of them in the Archdiocese of Boston, 350 in the US, and under 3,000 in the world. Growing up she went to Mass every Sunday, taught CCD, and was involved in CYO. Her family was very involved in St. Mary parish, Dedham. Her mother had an untimely death in 1991 and she grew angry at God and didn’t go to Mass for six years. In 1997, Life Teen youth ministry started at her parish and a woman in the parish started inviting her to be involved but she refused. For four months she asked her to go and finally one Sunday when her car wouldn’t start, the woman gave her a ride on the condition she attend the Mass. She was amazed at what she experienced and started going. On Palm Sunday, during a dramatic re-enactment of the Passion, she was suddenly struck by the reality of Christ dying on the cross for her and she started crying. From then, she got involved in Life Teen and as she shared faith with the kids, she came to know Christ better and better. At first, she didn’t even know what adoration was but it became a powerful part of her prayer life, hearing Christ speak to her in the silence. Scot asked Kathy at what she started to feel called to a religious vocation. She said she always thought she was called to marriage and family, but as she prayed more she began to pray for God’s will for her. As she looked around at religious orders, none of them appealed to her or seemed to speak to an inner voice. She eventually found out about consecrated virginity. She met with a consecrated virgin and it really spoke to her. What about the life of a consecrated virgin attracted her to this particular vocation in the Church? Because she also love being a nurse, she didn’t have to give that up. Consecrated virgins live and work in the world. Fr. Matt asked how being a nurse is part of her vocational journey. Kathy said anything you do in life is a calling. God puts on your heart what he has planned for you. For nursing, you want to be there for people and help them. She knew her whole life she wanted to be a nurse. Fr. Matt noted she gave up something in giving up marriage, but now has a relationship with Christ with Him at the center of her life. Fr. Matt said he’s known Kathy for many years and he sees being a nurse in her DNA. Consecrated virginity informs being a nurse and makes it greater. Kathy said the people she works with just don’t understand consecrated virginity. They often claim she won’t be fulfilled without a sexual relationship, but she replies that she knows many people who are and who aren’t fulfilled. This isn’t a sacrifice for her. She lives with Jesus in that, as a consecrated virgin, she can ask her bishop to allow her to have a chapel in her house with the Blessed Sacrament reserved. This fulfills her in the way that others are fulfilled by marriage. Kathy fell in love God, but it’s a unique way compared to how others love God. It is a more spousal type of love. In the rite of consecration, the virgin wears a wedding gown and marital imagery is a large part of the vocation. She becomes betrothed to Christ. Kathy said Christ is always present to her in a particular way that she is called to be his. 3rd segment: It’s time to announce the winner of the weekly WQOM Benefactor Raffle. Our prize this week is A Catholic Handbook For Engaged and Newly Married Couples by Frederick Marks and Sex au Naturel: What It Is and Why It’s Good for Your Marriage by Patrick Coffin. This week’s winner is Denise Chmielinski from Ashland, MA. Congratulations Denise! If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit WQOM.org. For a one-time $30 donation, you’ll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM’s weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We’ll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: Scot said the rite of consecration is very beautiful. He asked about the promises made in the rite. Kathy said they promise to live a chaste and holy life, to pray the Divine Office, to attend daily Mass, to spend a lot of time in prayer for others, and to remain unmarried and without children. They aren’t promise obedience or poverty because they support themselves with their own jobs. Scot noted all Catholics are called to chastity within their state in life, while consecrated virgins are called to celibacy. Scot asked how difficult it is to live such a witness in a hyper-sexualized society? Kathy said at first even she was squeamish about telling everyone she was becoming a consecrated virgin. Her co-workers have asked every possible question about it and they just don’t get it at all. Fr. Matt said Kathy is living the eternal marriage feast of the Lamb of God, as depicted in Scripture, and she’s living it now while we will be living it in eternity. The consecrated virgin is a living sign of something that points to something beyond ourselves. Kathy said the reaction to her announcement of her ceremony was, first, “What?” and then, “That’s kind of cool.” One Jewish doctor at work, when she told him she was marrying Jesus, he said, “I knew you’d marry the top of the class and marry a Jew.” BEhind her back, she’s heard people wondering if she knows what she’s doing. Scot said our society confuses pleasure and happiness. People have a problem understanding vocations in the Church that involve a commitment to chastity because they think happiness depends on unbridled pleasure. Fr. Matt said a common theme among young adults who won’t be committed to one another in marriage and then eventually kind of back into it, rather than considering from the beginning whether God has a plan for them to journey together in this life and into the next. They are so caught up in the moment, they don’t step back to look at the wider ideal that God has a plan for our lives. Kathy said she doesn’t wake up every day acknowledging she won’t have kids or a husband. She just is who she is. She lives in the presence of Christ and through the sacraments she stays connected to Christ. It feeds who she is. Kathy gets up at 5am to pray before work. She’ll often work a shift that begins at 7am. If she has an 8-hour shift she attends Mass after work, but if she does have 12-hour shift, she won’t be able to go that day. As a consecrated virgin, she doesn’t live in community so Scot asked who her “community” is. Kathy said the community of her parish as well as another consecrated virgin she meets with monthly. Annually, she attends a retreat in Chicago for a national meeting of consecrated virgins. 5th segment: Kathy said being a consecrated virgin is a very joyful life. She encouraged all to pray and ask God to reveal what He is calling them to. It is a grace and honor to be His spouse. When you are completely his and can live for him, it makes the path clear. Fr. Matt asked whether Kathy is lonely or how she deals with questions of what happens when she dies. She recalled Psalm 60: “My Lord, my happiness lies in you alone.” God provides in this life and the next. Kathy said we have to get the word out, especially to priests, so they can share it as an option with those who are discerning God’s will for them.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Fr. Jonathan Gaspar, Co-Director of the Office for Worship and Spiritual Life Office of Worship and Spiritual Life New Roman Missal resources at BostonCatholic.org The prayers of the new translation of the Roman Missal Today’s topics: The new translation of the Roman Missal Summary of today’s show: Scot and Fr. Chris preview the prayers of the new Roman Missal coming to our parish Masses on the First Sunday of Advent, including changes to some very familiar prayers we now pray by heart. Using recordings of some of the prayers being chanted, the panel discuss the rich meanings they hold and reveal. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Chris back to the show. Fr. Chris said he’s thrilled to have the seminarians back at St. John Seminary. It’s great to have the chapel full again with a complement of earnest young men. Scot saw it firsthand last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, giving them presentations. It was wonderful to see 83 seminarians all in one place. Fr. Chris said you see the Lord’s hand in each of their lives. Cardinal Sean celebrated the opening Mass where he quoted Pope Benedict at length from his address to Spanish seminarians in Madrid last month. Scot said today is a transition for him and his family, celebrating the end of summer yesterday, and then today the commuting patterns coming into work have changed with everyone back and work and kids back at school. Another major change in the Church will begin at Advent with the new translation of the Roman Missal, but also new chats for Mass that could be sung in parishes this past week. Fr. Gaspar will talk about that today. Fr. Chris said it’s an exciting time. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Chris welcomed Fr. Gaspar back to the show. Scot said Fr. Gaspar has several roles, including working on preparing us all in the archdiocese for the upcoming new Roman Missal. Fr. Gaspar said the work began in earnest a year ago to prepare priests and people. On November 27, we will have a new Roman Missal with some changes to the prayers we pray. The Roman Missal is the new term for the book of prayers we use at Mass. That book is currently called the Sacramentary, but it won’t be called that anymore. This is the largest change in the Liturgy since the Second Vatican Council. One of the first things the council did was write a document on the Liturgy. Scot said how we pray informs how we believe. The words of prayers are very significant. Scot said the objective of the new translation was to correct the problem that our English translations did not accurately reflect the Latin texts and we weren’t praying the same thing as Catholics in other languages. The Church always gives us our prayers in Latin and then those are translated into many languages. Fr. Gaspar noted that at World Youth Day in Madrid, Pope Benedict prayed in Spanish and the Spanish responses were more like the Latin than our English ones were. Fr. Gaspa we are not just being faithful to the Latin text, but to what is deeper than the Latin text. The Mass is composed of words that come right from the sacred Scriptures, which are divinely inspired. When the priest says, “The Lord be with you”, the people will respond, “And with your spirit” which comes right from St. Paul’s writings. The people’s response is a direct reference to the priestly consecration at ordination. Fr. Chris said it seems a richer translation, and the US is one of the last places in the English-speaking world to start using the new Missal. In the 1960s, when the Mass was translated from Latin to English, they wanted to make the prayers as easy for people as possible. Scot noted many people want to read the changes in political terms of liberal and conservative, but this is about praying together in one voice. Fr. Chris said we’ve been praying these prayers for a while, and this gives parishes a chance to focus on the liturgy and explain it. Fr. Gaspar said what we’ve been praying in Mass has not changed, but how we express them has changed. He said the Archdiocese has been actively encouraging the people to study the words of the Mass. More than 3,000 people have gone through workshops with the new Missal. The most common concern he hears is that this is a step backward in the church and going back to Latin, but that is not true. In the 2000s the Vatican issued a document called Liturgiam Authenticam to encourage the translation of the Latin to be more authentic. Scot brought up the example of the Penitiential Rite. Fr. Gaspar said the new translation is more faithful to acknowledging who God really is. So in the Pentitential Act (Confiteor), we will say “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.” When we hurt someone we love, we don’t just say sorry once. If we hurt God the Father who loves us so much, we need to find ways to say I’m sorry: “PLease forgive me. I can’t believe I did that. I’m so sorry.” It’s a litany of sorrow and apologizing. Scot introduced a recording of the Gloria as it is sung in the new translation. (All recordings are available online at the New Roman Missal resources page at BostonCatholic.org.) Parishes have been given permission to start singing the new parts of the Mass ahead of Advent, including the Gloria. Scot said the new translation of the Gloria has more words than the old translation. The first part praying for “all people of good will” comes right from the Gospel of St. Luke (chapter 2:14), which is faithful to what the Latin is saying. We hope that all people have good will. Fr. Chris said it will take time for us to become re-adjusted to the new prayers, but this is a good opportunity to slow things down and take seriously and ponder the mystery and beauty of the liturgy. Scot said his sense is that the old translation tried to be as efficient as possible, but lost the richness of the language. The next phrase includes “begotten” as a description of Jesus. Fr. Gaspar said this word, like “consubstantial”, may not be familiar to us but they are full of meaning. HE noted in the creed that we now say that Jesus is “one in being with the Father”, but that’s vague. We are all one in being with the Father in a way, but the Son is consubstantial with the Father, of the same substance as the Father. He is not just born of the Father, but is begotten of him. The relationships between the persons of the Trinity are more clearly expressed in theological language. We don’t need to understand all these words the first Sunday of Advent. We can spend years coming to understanding of all these words. Fr. Chris said “begotten” is an essential word: Wars have been fought and heresies declared over the understanding of the word. All of these things have important ramifications for what we believe and its essential we reclaim this language. Scot said with something that is more difficult to understand anyway, more precise language is better. Scot said that one of the bigger changes is to the Creed. Now instead of saying “We believe,” we will now say, “I believe”. By moving to the first person we have to proclaim our own belief, not just more generally the teaching of the Church. Fr. Gaspar said this is one of the most significant changes in the Mass. The Creed isn’t just a personal statement of faith, although it is, but it’s also the statement of faith of the Body of Christ. We have to believe what we are saying with the mystical body of Christ in the Church. When we pray as the one mystical Body of Christ, we are one. There is no division in the Body of Christ. When we are gathered by the Father in the Son, we become one with the Son and that’s why the Eucharist is the most important thing that we can do. We offer the perfect sacrifice that brings the world salvation and we can only do that in person of Christ. Another change is that we now pray about things “visible and invisible” while we will now pray for things “seen and unseen”. While something may be unseen, it may not be invisible. If my wife is not present, she is not invisible. We are reclaiming the reality of creation that there is a spiritual reality that is only seen by God. If the angels aren’t visible to us, they are visible to God. We will also pray that Jesus was “incarnate” of the Virgin Mary. It means that he literally puts on flesh. Now we say he is “born of the Virgin Mary”, but the incarnation of the Christ isn’t on Christmas, but on the Annunciation, when Christ is in the womb of Mary at her Yes to the Holy Spirit. Life begins not on the day of our birth, not on the day we are conceived. Scot introduced the recording of Memorial Acclamation A, which will replace “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.” Scot said one of the texts he will miss the most is this old text. The new text is “We proclaim your death O Lord and profess your resurrection until you come.” It combines several of the old acclamations into one. The verbs proclaim and profess are significant. There is a theological richness to why we proclaim. Fr. Gaspar said the Liturgy is a celebration of the Death of the Lord. Fr. Gaspar said many people, including bishops, are upset at the loss of the old acclamation. This acclamation was never in the Latin missal and was created just for the English-speaking Church. The memorial acclamation is meant to be addressed to Christ and acclaim what He has done for us. The old acclamation is just a recitation of what Christ did, but doesn’t address Christ. The new acclamations include a sense of us in relation to Christ. It is a mystery that includes us in this proclamation. Christ’s death sets us free. Fr. Chris said he is now convinced. He thought he’d miss the old acclamation, but now he’s looking forward to the new ones because of this meaning that Fr. Gaspar has explained. Scot moved on to the Invitation to Communion, which we now know as “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…” and the new translation is: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb. (And together with the people he adds once:) Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. The supper of the Lamb is right from the Book of Revelation, which talks about the ongoing wedding fest of Jesus, the Lamb of God, with his Bride, the Church, and our participation in the Mass is a foretaste of heaven. “Entering under my roof” comes right from Scripture and the prayer of the centurion who prays that Jesus will come and heal his daughter, but tells Jesus that he is not worthy that Jesus should enter under his roof. Jesus sees the faith and the daughter is healed. Scot encouraged listeners to prepare themselves before the First Sunday of Advent with the resources listed here.

Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes On this Labor Day, September 5, 2011, we bring you an encore presentation of one of our most popular shows, an interview with Paul Blanchette and Fr. Martin Hyatt, bso, about the Cursillo retreat experience, its origins, its aims, its wonderful fruits, and just what a Cursillo weekend is all about. The shownotes are available on the original airdate's page We hope you enjoy this encore presentation and that you have a wonderful Labor Day.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry, Fr. Mark O’Connell, and Fr. Chip Hines Today’s guest(s): Lino Rulli, author of “Sinner” and host of “The Catholic Guy” The Catholic Guy Show on SiriusXM satellite radio’s The Catholic Channel Lino’s website Today’s topics: Lino Rulli, the king of all Catholic media Summary of today’s show: Scot, Fr. Mark, and Fr. Chip were joined by Lino Rulli, author of the new book “Sinner” and host of “The Catholic Guy” radio show on SiriusXM satellite radio and talked about the honesty that makes Lino’s presentation of the faith so attractive and just generally laughed for a whole hour together. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Mark and Fr. Chip back to the show. He noted that Fr. Chip has been following Lino on SiriusXM satellite radio for some time. Scot said he’s been giving presentations at St. John’s Seminary over the past few days on human virtues and has been reading Sinner for the past several days at the same time. He welcomed Lino to the show. Lino said he loves Boston even though he’s from Minnesota and lives in New York. He loves the vibe and personality and even the accent. He talked about going to Mass yesterday and running into a guy after who said he used to watch his TV show on CatholicTV and who wanted to talk to him about his problems with the Catholic Church. Scot noted that Archbishop Tim Dolan of New York wrote the foreword to the book and who praised the book for its honesty and humor and boldness. He said “Sinner is a winner.” Scot asked him why he named it “Sinner.” Lino said that when great spiritual leaders write something, they’re so profound and inspirational, but Lino is just a regular who knows the Church has it all figured. He called it Sinner so he could come right out and be honest about who he is right up front, get it out of the way, and then talk about God. Scot asked if titling it Sinner makes it accessible to people who haven’t read a book about Catholicism. Lino said he named it that to disarm people. Lino said even Howard Stern’s producer enjoyed the book even though he says of himself that he doesn’t believe in God. Fr. Chip said Lino wrote three chapters about confession and asked if he’s making confession cool again. Lino said he’s annoyed so many of us went through the 70s, 80s, 90s, and today without talking about the beauty of the sacrament of reconciliation. “We’re offering this beautiful sacrament of reconciliation with God from 3:45 to 4 on Saturday.” In a 10,000-person parish?! How is this not one of the top 3 things you bring up as a Catholic? He told Fr. Chip he’s putting him in the confessional box on Saturday. Fr. Chip said he’s happy to be there. Scot said the third chapter is the impactful for him, that knowing that if Lino can bring this sense of humor to it, then people will be more open to it. He asked how the Catholic Guy Show came about. Lino said he started on TV in 1997 with a small show called Generation Cross that started in Minnesota and then spread to other Catholic channels around the country. He also worked in local Minneapolis TV at the same time. Then he got offered a half-hour radio show called Lino at Large and he decided to try it out. It aired in a bunch of markets around the country for two years until one of the main providers told him he was being let go because younger people listen to Lino and they had an older audience. The guy told him that old people give money and young people didn’t which was strange from a Catholic network that purported to be about evangelization. Lino said that left him mad at God and a bit annoyed and frustrated. The sad thing about Catholic clichés is that they’re true and when a window closes, God opens a new one. A little while later, he heard that Sirius was starting a Catholic channel and was asked if he’d be interested. One of the themes of his book is how he’s constantly getting his way and thus getting in God’s way of what he wants for him. Lino said t he beauty of SiriusXM is that it’s a collaboration with the Archdiocese of New York. SiriusXM isn’t concerned with orthodoxy, but are concerned with the quality. It’s Archbishop Dolan who’s concerned that Lino isn’t a heretic. The Archbishop sets the limits on what he can do as a Catholic radio host, and within that he’s got freedom. Scot asked him what he likes about radio versus TV. Lino said TV has the lights and makeup and production, but what’s he found with radio is that it’s more honest. He would never have written a book called Sinner and been honest if he hadn’t been on radio. He can’t be on air for three hours a day, five days a week without being honest about who he really is. We prefer to show everyone what a good, pious Catholic we are, even if we aren’t. On TV, you can re-shoot or do over, but on the radio it’s live and you expose all your flaws to everyone. It’s just like how we are before God in confession. 2nd segment: Scot said Lino was a a fan of media and comedy growing up in Minnesota. Yet when people didn’t have a vision for Catholic TV for young people, he decided to produce one on secular TV. Lino said he wishes he really did have a plan to integrate his faith, media, and comedy for his life. Lino said he wrote the book for the guy he was 20 years. He loved TV, radio and all media, so he went to college for communications. He got an internship at a local NBC affiliate and got serious about his faith at the same time. He started to think that a good Catholic shouldn’t work in media. He doesn’t know where he got such an idea. He went for a Master’s in theology, but God hounded him. He was living in Italy and came home for a friend’s wedding, and was going to stay in Minnesota for a month doing some temp work. He kept getting job offers in media for various Church organizations. One day someone literally said he should do a TV show for people his age at the time (26) and they offered to pay him for it. Scot asked him how it turned up on a network affiliate. Lino said it was an easy pitch and even though people said no one would watch it, that no young people would be interested in a Catholic TV show, it won two Emmys. Lino said it was like World Youth Day. On the face of it, it shouldn’t work: millions of people in ridiculous conditions, camping out to see the pope, yet it works. Scot noted that the production values of the show were high and higher than we were used to seeing in the Church at the time. Lino said it’s strange that for centuries the Church was a patron of the arts. The Church tells us to create beautiful art and use all our gifts and talents and all the finest resources and materials. This is what we are called and need to be using in the 21st century. One of the reasons it worked was that he was working for the Food Network at the time and they sent him to Italy and they spent an extra week there shooting for his show on the Food Network’s dime. Fr. Mark asked him when he knew it was working and a success. Lino said, “Today.” He said he knows it’s working when he’s goes into a bar and a girl walks up to him and says, “Lino, I love your show even though I was raised Catholic and don’t go to Church anymore.” We’re not called to convert people by the sword, but to invite and show through how we live our Catholicism that it makes our lives wonderful. It’s attractive enough that we don’t have to invite people, they invite themselves. They want what you have in your life. It’s not necessarily that they come back to faith—that’s between them and God. That’s when he went from experiment to success, when people came up to him and said they enjoy the show. If they say they’re not coming back to the Church, he tells them that’s between them and God. Scot said we have a culture that wants people of faith to privatize it and not share it, so young people probably don’t have a lot of peers talking about their faith. Then there’s Lino’s show which shares faith and now people hear Lino’s voice and want to share their faith with him. Lino said part of the honesty of his show and he gets uncomfortable when people share too much that’s too personal. He also doesn’t want to be a role model for sinners with his own failings, but to show them that God will pull them through the tough times. He tells people to end with the good part, don’t just tell the sinning part. If Lino can admit his lust and envy and other sins, then others can do so in confession. Lino said he sent copies of a chapter on prayer and discerning God’s will to his closest friends who happen to work for Howard Stern and their response was to ask him, “Do you pray?” They simply don’t know other people who pray. This Lino guy that they hang out with and go to the bar with and eat out with actually prays. This fascinated them and they asked him all kinds of questions and details about it. People aren’t used to seeing normal people who pray. Scot asked whether it was more difficult to write the book honestly than it is to be honest on the air. Lino said on the air he talks and talks and then goes home without necessarily thinking about who’s listening. But with a book he intentionally writes about things to be honest about and then has to see people reading the book and talking about what he revealed. Fr. Chip loved the chapter about the girl that Lino had wanted to marry but it didn’t work out. Scot asked Lino if he really calls his mother every night at the same time. He said she’s impressed that he calls her every day at 9:55pm. He said he doesn’t have a devotion to the Virgin Mary that he should so at least he has a devotion to his own mom and working up to it. Fr. Chip said in the book his relationship with his dad is different. He and his dad have a different dynamic. When Lino was in junior high, his dad went from being a parole officer to being an organ grinder and wanting Lino to be the monkey. Lino said we call God our Father, but maybe in our families we don’t have the appreciation of our own fathers that we should. Scot asked him if his parents listen every day? Lino said they do, but they don’t bring up what he talks about on the show. He said the rule is that this is what he does for a living and he’s doing his job. Fr. Chip said his mom is on the show all the time and it’s great radio. 3rd segment: Scot said one of his favorite chapters is about when Lino met the pope. Lino said every Italian family has to have a cousin who’s a priest. Lino said he’s got a cousin who’s an archbishop and back in 1999 he got a chance to meet Pope John Paul II. Scot said he’s met him twice and Lino asked if Scot’s Italian, one-upping him. Lino said it’s a cliché to say he’s very holy, but it’s true. Lino said he froze, which is what everyone says. Fr. Mark and Scot agreed that it happened to them to. Scot told the story of the times he met the Pope. The first time he could only reply, Yes, but the second time, with his brother, they wished him happy birthday on behalf of the entire United States and then asked him to pray for their Great-Aunt Gert, which he did at that moment. Lino said he’s now been on-upped by Scot. Almost everyone has a better story of meeting the Pope. When he met the Pope, his big nose got in the way and he didn’t get to kiss the Fisherman’s Ring. Fr. Mark said he Eskimo’d him. Fr. Chip said in the book that Lino wrote about asking a monk about whether he should enter the monastery, but the prior turned him away because he thought Lino would later walk away. Lino still wonders if that was the right thing, whether he might have matured as monk and would have stuck with it. Fr. Chip said he’s always thought Lino might have been heading to the priesthood and he’s glad he’s at least seriously thought about it. Lino said for better or worse if he’d asked that question today to a different religious order they might have been more encouraging and asked him to try it out. Now he’s a neurotic mess and set in his ways so maybe it wouldn’t work today. Scot said reflecting on his life there are events that don’t make sense until you see it in retrospect many years later. Lino said it’s possible that was God’s decision with the Holy Spirit guiding the prior to say No. It could also be God making good from a bad decision by the prior. Scot asked Lino what some of the things he emphasizes about Catholicism for people who want to talk about it. Lino said he speaks honestly about all that is good and bad in the Church. It’s not easy being Catholic, there are plenty of days it’s tough. We all know the stereotypes and it’s not true. He just says what he loves about being Catholic and if they have a different experience, he respects that, but it doesn’t change what he’s doing. The more he emphasizes the positive, the more it’s attractive. Being Catholic is funny and entertaining. He doesn’t focus on the “rules” of Catholicism or the “bad” of Catholicism that people think about it. He focuses on the good. If you focus on the positive, without ignoring the negative, it’s healthy. Scot asked how Lino has changed the focus of what he does over the years as his audience has matured with him. Lino said now he’s 39, he’s not a young adult anymore, but a lot of his heroes in the media who are older are still funny and entertaining and attract people of all ages. But he’s also aware he has to be able to step aside and let young people take over the task of talking to other young people someday.

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: Beacon Hill’s casino deal; Singing the New Mass translation; Ambassadors of Peace; new policy on altar girls in Phoenix Summary of today’s show: Scot and Susan talk with Fr. Roger and Greg about the news of the week including the arrival of the new vicar general, Msgr. Robert Deeley; the societal costs of the casino bill proposed by Beacon Hill; singing the new Mass translation; a new religious order for Boston; and controversy over a new policy for altar girls in Phoenix. 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show and said to Susan that September 1 snuck up on his this year. Susan said she was sad to see August go. August is the shortest month of the year and February is the longest. Scot said at the Pastoral Center the last week of August is usually slow, but this summer he’s been involved in the Catechetical Certificate of the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization, there’s been various events saying goodbye to Fr. Rich Erikson, the outgoing vicar general, and events welcoming Msgr. Robert Deeley as the new vicar general. Susan said she was moved by the ceremony in which Msgr. Deeley took the Oath of Fidelity and the Profession of Faith, two rituals of the Church for those who hold certain offices in the Church. Scot welcomed Fr. Roger Landry and Gregory Tracy to the show. He asked Greg about his experience of the ceremony. Msgr. Deeley had talked about how when he went to theVatican he had three minutes to read all these documents in Latin before signing them, but in this instance he preferred the time to do it right and involve everyone in the Pastoral Center. Fr. Roger said transitional deacons and priests take the oath and profession, as well as pastors and other major responsibilities in the Church. The Church wants to make sure that the person is going to hand on the teaching of the Church, but also to reassure him that he will receive supernatural grace to live up to the demands of the oath and profession. Scot said Msgr. Deeley has been working Rome at the Vatican since 2003, including at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Seán invited Msgr. Deeley to come serve as vicar general in April. He met with the Cardinal’s cabinet this morning, then sent an email to all employees of the Archdiocese throughout eastern Massachusetts, celebrated noon Mass with the Pastoral Center community, and then had this afternoon’s ceremony. Scot read the following quote from Msgr. Deeley’s email: These past years of work in Rome have given me a unique opportunity to be near His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI. I could not help but note that, whatever the difficulty he encounters, or the problem that arises, he is always confident in the grace of Christ. The word that most captures the spirit of Benedict XVI is “joy”. He teaches us to place our hope in Jesus Christ, who is our joy, as well as the truth of our lives. Accepting this call is fundamental to our mission as Church. We need to come to know that grace ourselves and then, in accord with the call of our Baptism, to share it with others. As I begin this new assignment I ask for your prayers, and promise a remembrance in mine. Together may we bring the joy of Christ’s love to our corner of the world here in the Church in Boston. May Mary, Mother of the Church, Our Lady of Hope, intercede for God’s abundant blessings on our Archdiocese. Scot said it was very clear how closely Msgr. Deeley has worked with Pope Benedict and how well he knows him. Susan said joy is not just a silly feeling, but it is a gift of God. 2nd segment: In both the Anchor and Pilot there is an article called “Fierce response to Beacon Hill leadership’s deal on Casino bill.” Scot ran down the details of the new bill put up on August 23. While they project $400 million in tax revenue, the Mass. Catholic Conference says that won’t outweigh the social costs. Greg said people often ask how the Church can oppose casino gambling while allowing parish bingo. He points out that the Church says small-stakes gambling can be a legitimate form of recreation, while casino gambling often preys on the poor and those most unable to afford. In order for there to be $400 million in tax revenue, people have to lose more than $1 billion. These won’t be high-roller casinos like those in Monte Carlo and Las Vegas. This will attract those least able to afford to lose. Slot machines are particularly pernicious because while each individual play is only a quarter or a dollar, they can become addictive. Scot quotes the story which says that studies show how five years after a casino opens, the neighborhood sees a radical increase in crime and addition to gambling doubles within a 50-mile radius. With the three new proposed casinos, nearly every part of the state would be within 50 miles of the casino. Susan pointed out that even if we poured every dime in tax revenue into schools and the like, the ends don’t justify the means. She noted that casinos aren’t built in wealthy suburbs, but in our poorer areas. Scot said you don’t have to be Catholic to know that this isn’t a good idea. Who’s going to be paying for the societal ills? How much would we pay to decrease crimes by the same amounts they are going to rise? Fr. Roger wrote an editorial on this issue a year ago. He said he thinks along the same lines. This gamble on casinos is a terrible bet. You can’t make a living off going to a place where the house always wins. The state is gambling its future on the backs of slot parlors and casinos. We have to stand up in our Commonwealth and say that this is a bad bet in which we’ll lose more than we win over the long term. Stop Predatory Gambling, the Mass. Family Institute and United to Stop the Slots are other organizations involved in opposing this bill.They encourage people to call the Governor’s office and elected representatives and tell them that this is a reckless gamble for Massachusetts. 3rd segment: Scot noted that we’ve talked about the coming launch of the new Roman Missal on the first Sunday of Advent, but starting this weekend at the the option of the pastor, parishes can start singing certain parts of the Mass in the new translation. Fr. Roger said the parts of the Mass we typically sing have new translations, including the Gloria; the Holy, Holy, Holy; and the Creed. The US Bishops said bishops could authorize their pastors to introduce the sung Mass parts in the beginning of September to help people get ready for the changes coming in Advent. They realize that in Advent we don’t sing many of these parts so they wanted to give three months of practice so that on Christmas morning the Gloria will be done in the most beautiful way possible. Susan said she loves the title of the editorial: “Singing the Mass.” We sing the Mass, not just sing at Mass. Scot said Fr. Jonathan Gaspar will be with us on Tuesday to talk about the new Mass translations. He said in Fr. Roger’s editorial he refers to the Vatican II document Musicam Sacram which differentiates three different levels of music in the Mass and we’ve inverted the priority of the different kinds of music at Mass. The first priority for singing are the dialogue parts between the priest and the people: the Sign of the Cross, for example. The other Mass parts of the second priority: the Kyrie, Gloria, Lamb of God, the Creed, and Prayer of the Faithful. Of lowest priority are the entrance, offertory, and communion hymns as well as the Psalm, the Alleulia, and the readings. 4th segment: Scot said Cardinal Sean in recent months has been working to help form three diocesan religious orders. This week the Pilot profiles the Ambassadors of Peace. It was founded by Fr. Michael Sevigny, a Capuchin Franciscan for over 40 years. It will be a contemplative and active community helping member in a quest for inner peace and to bring peace to the world. The community will be based in Weymouth at a former convent at Immaculate Conception in Weymouth. the other two order are the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth led by Sister Olga Yaqob and the Franciscan Tertiary Handmaids of the Immaculate. He said the Lord raises up new orders when the Church particularly needs them and they have specific charisms for the needs of the day. On September 16-18, the Apostles will be holding a discernment weekend for women, and seven of the eight spots are filled already. Fr. Roger often leads retreats for new religious communities. They often succeed with God giving a particular charism to the founder or foundress, but there’s also a real sense of communal love among the members. They also need very good formation with a very clear path to holiness that involves fraternal correction and real education in the faith. Moving to a new story, the rector of the Cathedral in Phoenix has changed his policy on altar servers so that only boys would be altar servers, while the girls would be trained as sacristans. The story has received a lot of coverage in the Catholic blogosphere. “Phoenix cathedral’s policy change on altar servers ignites discussion” The rector said the issue can’t be approached from just and emotional standpoint, but serving at the altar is not a right. He wants both boys and girls to be involved in service, but he’s found that when there are altar girls, there’s often not any altar boys. Greg said he agrees with his assessment that when young girls are involved in something, the young boys choose not to be involved. He’s also seen that girls of that age are more comfortable being in front of people, while boys are not. It’s also valuable to have the boys brought closer to the liturgy because it does engender more vocations to the priesthood. It’s not about power or whether girls are valuable. It’s just a matter of formation. Susan says she’s a traditionalist in such things, but she’s not sure whether it’s true that having girls as servers is itself a reason for more boys not being servers. She’s also not sure whether being a server ultimately makes a difference for whether boys become priests. Fr. Roger’s parish has both boys and girls. To preserve a balance, he actively recruits boys and about two-thirds of his servers are boys, which makes it easier for boys to come. When there’s a super-majority are girls, it becomes a girl thing to do. If the real urgency in the Church is for priestly vocations, then we need to have a small seminary within the parish. 70% of priests today were altar servers when they were younger.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Fr. Thomas Foley, Episcopal Vicar and Secretary for Pastoral Life and Leadership of the Archdiocese of Boston Today’s topics: Priest Profile: Fr. Thomas Foley Summary of today’s show: Scot chats with Fr. Thomas Foley who oversees the largest part of the Central Ministries of the Archdiocese as the secretary for pastoral life and leadership. They dicuss the various ways the Archdiocese provides support to clergy and laity and assists parishes in their day-to-day efforts and planning for the future. 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show. He said today the archdiocese says goodbye to our current vicar general, Fr. Rich Erikson, and tomorrow say hello to Msgr. Robert Deeley, who will become vicar general and moderator of the curia. He will be on the show on September 9. Scot explained that moderator of the curia helps organize the rest of Cardinal Sean’s cabinet secretaries and coordinate their efforts. The cabinets include administration, education, faith formation, communications, health services, social services, institutional advancement, Catholic media, and the parish life and leadership. Fr. Foley is an episcopal vicar and he is the only vicar in the cabinet apart from the vicar general. A vicar represents or stands-in for the ministry of the bishop. Some dioceses have more than one vicar general. There is a judicial vicar, who is Fr. Mark O’Connell in Boston. Episcopal vicars are less common and he is the bishop’s delegate over a certain area of church life or people. Fr. Foley is the vicar for clergy and parishes. The other episcopal vicar in Boston is Fr. Arthur Coyle who is the Cardinal’s representative to the Merrimac region. A vicar has ordinary power, as canon law puts it. The bishop is the ordinary and the vicar can sign certain documents and take certain actions on the Cardinal’s behalf. 2nd segment: Scot met Fr. Foley in 2006 at the consistory in Rome at which Cardinal Seán was made a cardinal. At the time he was pastor of St. Ann in Neponset. Fr. Foley was born in Woburn, like many priests of the archdiocese. Cardinal Medeiros called Woburn the land of priests. He was baptized at St. Mary, Winchester, and celebrated his first Mass at Immaculate Conception, Winchester. His first assignment as priest in 1986 was St. Mary and Martha in Lakeville. When he was ordained, he got his assignment and said he’d never heard of Lakeville, which is on the far southern edge of the archdiocese. He was only there for three years. His next assignment was St. Eulalia in Winchester in his hometown where he stayed for five years. It was very busy with 1,500 kids in CCD. Four priests lived in the rectory. In a very unusual move, he was moved to St. Mary in Winchester for four years. He was then offered Immaculate Conception in Winchester, his home parish. He was there for 6-1/2 years until it closed in 2004. Scot asked how they dealt with the closing of the parish. They knew they were very small and that their finances wouldn’t work to keep them open. He told the people that the closing affected him as much as them; he had celebrated his first Mass at that altar. From there, he moved to St. Ann in the Neponset section of Dorchester as pastor. He was there only four years before Cardinal Sean asked him to come to the new assignment. Scot said Cardinal Sean might have looked to Fr. Foley because of his role in the formation of Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy, which gathered together 7 Catholics into one. Fr. Foley said in Dorchester, people even today identify themselves by what parish they come from, so merging the schools was very difficult. At the time, St. Ann was the largest school, but the budget was twice revenue very year and he and the other pastors recognized that it was impossible to make it on their own. Scot said it wasn’t easy but in the end it achieved what they hoped, which was the preservation of Catholic education in Dorchester. Fr. Foley said he wasn’t at first convinced about the merger of schools, but he was invited to a meeting in Brighton with the people behind the 2010 Initiative for Catholic education which gave him a lot to think about. After thinking long and hard, praying about it, and talking to his people, he became convinced. He stayed on the board of JPII academy for about a year after he moved to the Pastoral Center. He began his new assignment in June 2008 right as construction began on the new school and went back at the beginning of the school year for the opening. He missed St. Ann and not being a part of the new academy, but he was impressed by the excitement of the kids and parents in their new school. 3rd segment: Fr. Foley actually worked for a month in Brighton before the move to the Pastoral Center in Braintree. His position in the secretariate was created new by Cardinal Sean as part of a reorganization of the Archdiocese to strengthen services provided to clergy and parishes and focus on evangelization and faith formation. Among the offices are Clergy Personnel, which gives priests and deacons their assignments. Fr. Tom said it’s a strategic and important part of their service. They have a personnel board that meets to look at parishes that need a priest, look at available priest, and look at the surrounding parishes to make recommendations. They have regular meetings with Cardinal Sean to update him on the latest information and changes. Fr. Michael Medas is the head of that office. Scot said Clergy Personnel also provides pastoral care for priests. It includes direct support for priests who have immediate needs, one-on-one care they provide. The Cardinal often wants to get personally involved as well when there is a priest in need, such as with a death in the family. The same with the vicar general’s office. His secretariate helps with the ongoing formation of priests, including preparing parochial vicars to be pastors, ongoing education and formation, and more. Fr. Tom recently added Sr. Lucille to his staff to work with Fr. Medas in planning ongoing formation programs, workshops, conferences, the annual convocation, and retreats. There are also three or four priests per year who go on sabbatical, such as at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Officially, a priest takes a sabbatical every 10 years, but in practice few of them ask for sabbatical. They don’t leave their parishes. The Vocations Office sponsors vocations to the priesthood as well as promoting the other vocations in the Church. They are bringing in many seminarians to study for the Archdiocese. There are about 60 seminarians for the Archdiocese right now. There’s another class of permanent deacons about to be ordained in September. The Office of Permanent Deacons is concerned with their formation and ongoing care. The Office of Pastoral Planning works with many in the parishes including pastoral associates in the parishes as part of the planning effort to strengthen parishes. Scot said the most important initiative in the Archdiocese over the next 5 years is pastoral planning for a stronger archdiocese given changing resources in the future. There is a lot of coordination among different departments and offices on a variety of committees that involve pastoral planning to get a wide perspective on the whole. 4th segment: It’s time to announce the winner of the weekly WQOM Benefactor Raffle. Our prize this week is the Let’s Talk Series of books for teens by Ken Ogorek and Once Upon a Time Rosary Activity Set for children by Holy Cross Family Ministries This week’s winner is Anna Malinauskas from Waltham, MA. Congratulations Anna! 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: Fr. Foley also oversees the the care and support of senior priests. Fr. FOley serves on the board of Regina Cleri, which he says is the finest home for senior priests in the country and many dioceses don’t even have a residence for senior priests. It was founded by Cardinal Cushing who had the foresight of building Regina Cleri when the West End was demolished for urban renewal. About 50 priests live at Regina Cleri, mostly those who are older and need more care, for whom living in a rectory is not practical. They have a good dignified life and a close community. Some senior priests also live in their own homes as well. The last office is Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. Ecumenical is among other Christian churches and interreligious is relations with Jewish and Muslim groups. It was founded by Cardinal Cushing and the office is overseen by two priests who are also pastors.