I’ve got a big problem with idealogues who criticize the media, typically the movies, without taking the time to see the films or shows they are criticizing. There is much of this going on this election year.

While I can understand a little why these folks wouldn’t want to see a rough R-rated movie, I can’t begin to fathom George Weigel’s column in the current Catholic Universe Bulletin criticizing Disney’s recent animated features for being anti-family, anti-Christian, anti-Catholic and few other things. His central point is based on erroneous information taken from another article, which indicates to me that he didn’t take the time to see the latest one of these movies, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Now for a very important reason beyond my control, I can’t write credibly about this. In this particular situation, I am demonstrably biased. (Trust me, it’s a good reason; ask me about it in person.) So I am looking for someone willing to pick up the torch -- read the Weigel column, see the movies in question,if you haven’t,and write an intelligent rebuttal. It’s a fun assignment and easy -- Weigel’s thesis is pretty weak. Do I have any takers? I can provide the article.

We now have quite a bit of material in reserve for Communio. Thanks to all who provided it or helped type it in. For this issue, thanks to Paul Kunkel, Chris Schenk, Frank Schiros, Jane Smith, Fr. Tony Schuerger, Sr. Michael Marie Griffin and John Lucic for writing articles. We also are running the Community’s new policy on inclusive language and our Mission Statement.

Paul Kunkel tells me that two Community members partipated in the morality play, "The Truth That Sets Free," sponsored by the Interreligious Task Force on Latin America last Sunday. Betsy Nero was the director and Ron McComas was in the cast.

I’ve mentioned it before, but more recognition is due Paul for the incredible amount of work he has put into revising the Community’s Policies and Procedures manual. We all owe him big-time for the many hours he has invested into the project. I’d also like to thank Peter Toomey for the work he has done in composing and revising a policy statement for Communio.

After opening prayer and introductions, we were given a brief history of the Church in the City initiative with background on the acceptance of Church in the City Church in the City across the country. The Church in the City strives to build the City of God by renewing Cleveland in restructuring and redeveloping the Diocese with the collaboration of urban parishes with the suburban and rural parishes, in order to slow the out-migration. Sharing talents and skills in partnership with a love for the poor and being mindful of social justice are main tenets of the initiative.

Len Calabrese next outlined for us the eight principles of a viable partnership:

1. Rooted in vision -- in the Spirit, recalling Bishop Pilla’s pastoral document, with time for prayer, developing internally and reaching out to the Community.

2. Mutuality -- with no upper or lower elements. Everyone comes to give and to receive.

3. Relational -- taking time to get to know each other, sharing love, the faith, the family.

4. Intentionality -- not us and them, only we.

5. Inclusive -- involving everyone eventually, not just one small group, broad based.

6. Infused -- into every aspect of parish life.

7. Asset based -- time, talent, resources, gifts, networking.

8. Common Call -- common thread in our movement as church working together with the Spirit for future staffing, mission and goals -- One People, One Church, One Region -- The Body of Christ.

Next we heard from Fr. Norm Smith who told us of his background and what led to the partnership of Divine Word Chapel with St. Philip Neri Parish. His efforts with St. Thomas Aquinas Parish predated the Church in the City and were efforts to get people to interact in creating a forum. One activity was a farm park that the kids from both parishes shared. This later led to the partnership with St. Phillip Neri after St. Thomas Aquinas closed.

Norm first went to his pastoral staff and then to this parish council for consent, when he started the program. Both were open and enthusiastic. They worked together with Fr. Gary Stakem at St. Philip in a combined RCIA program, in a common Easter Vigil service, in benefits, in youth groups, and in the parish school of religion. They share council meetings, exchange pulpits, and have joint staff meetings. They developed a joint mission statement a couple of years ago. They are involved together with: a) spirituality and liturgy; b) social services; c) educational opportunities; d) recreation.

Ann Racco from Holy Martyrs Parish in Medina told of her parish’s call to conversion in responding to the Bishop Pilla’s pastoral letter on the Church in the City. She personally became the Social Justice Committee along with two other malcontents. They first discerned who they were as a parish and came to the realization that the Holy Martyrs they were named after were actually Archbishop Oscar Romero and the Churchwomen who were slain in El Salvador the same year Archbishop Romero was martyred. Hence, they looked into setting up a partnership with San Juan Bautista, the Hispanic parish in Cleveland.

They went to a Spanish service at San Juan and were welcomed. Mutuality was there from the beginning. They developed a relationship and got to know each other. The musicians and choir from San Juan came to sing at Holy Martyrs. They had an art show to commemorate Archbishop Romero’s death with the children of both parishes participating.

Sr. Ann Dorenbusch from San Juan Bautista went on to tell us of the common ground and developing relationships, of sharing liturgy and food. The cultural differences are great. The Medinans had to learn to hug more. The community at San Juan feels very much at home at Holy Martyrs. They have set up activities with the children in Religious Education. There will be a Christmas Party for the first and second graders with stories, crafts, games and prizes. The PSR teachers have set up a pen pal program for fifth graders. The seventh and eighth graders will have a baseball game. They invite each other to parish picnics. They have days of reflection and a retreat for catechists together. Holy Martyrs community brought dirt from Medina for the groundbreaking of the new Hispanic church in Cleveland.

Fr. Walt Jenne described next for us how he became pastor of St. Basil Parish in Brecksville with the stipulation that he continue his pastorship at St. Catherine’s in the city. He had talked with the Diocesan Personnel Board and with a group of the St. Basil parishioners presenting a draft of the concept of the partnership where the two parishes will get to know each other as people.

They worked out a logo for their partnership -- the Celtic cross with the parish names St. Basil on top and St. Catherine on the bottom.. They have a joint newsletter for informing members of both communities of needs. There are two other priests that help with the liturgies. There are five masses at St. Basil and two at St. Catherine.

In the three years of partnership, the two communities have held joint council meetings, liturgies and social events. St. Catherine provided many opportunities for service such as the pantry program, the hot meal program and tutoring in the school. Many of those being served in the city were not parishioners. Walt said the process was slow with no hidden agendas. It is a matter of people working together as children of God, doing God’s will.

The last speakers were Mark Sullivan and Pat Bellace from Case Western Reserve University, who told us of the findings of their project: ‘Church in the City’ Partnership Research -- Creating Common Ground for Collaborative Learning. Their project involved the partnerships between San Juan Bautista and Holy Martyrs and between Divine Word and St. Philip Neri. They held a number of interviews with people from the communities, held workshops, and observed activities of the groups involved.

Their findings resulted in thematic clusters involving relationships, communication, human character qualities, and processes for creating collective meaning. They were impressed by the pastoral leadership, the communication process, the use of newsletters, the wonderful stories by the people interviewed, the way things have changed in the Diocese the past few years, and the support of growth and partnership. Mark said, "There are seven magic words: ‘No one has all of the answers’." Their work provides parishes embarking on a partnership some basis for what the four parishes studied encountered, particularly what worked, what was effective.

A number of years ago, the Community of St. Malachi took today’s Exodus reading at its word and welcomed a few "resident aliens" of our own into our midst. The Community participated in the national Sanctuary outreach to political refugees fleeing certain death or persecution in Central America and elsewhere. The Sanctuary Movement of about 300 churches and synagogues all over the U.S. led to a change in practice by the U.S. Department of Immigration. The INS could no longer summarily deport refugees without first investigating the dangerous situations which led to their request for political asylum. This action, taken by believers who took Exodus seriously, resulted in a systemic change that has impacted the lives of thousands, if not millions, of people.

In providing Sanctuary, we were privileged to give witness to God’s fierce compassion so present in today’s readings. Exodus reminds Israel, and us, to have a special care for the poor and the vulnerable for they are God’s specially protected ones. Israel’s tribes were patriarchal, and women and children came under the protection of their husbands and fathers. Hence, to be a widow or an orphan meant not only the loss of a loved one, but almost certain poverty and abuse since a woman had few means of feeding or protecting herself or her children. Resident aliens had no clan or family to whom they could turn for help and sustenance and were also subject to exploitation. Money was loaned to the poor only because of personal need, not for commercial purposes, therefore it was deemed wrong to benefit financially from another’s misfortune.

The God of the Exodus reading gives Israel laws and ordinances commanding that they provide for the most vulnerable, lest they themselves suffer the same fate.

As a Sister of St. Joseph, I have a particular love for today’s Gospel reading from Matthew. Jesus summarizes the whole Law and Prophets: "You shall Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." ... "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." My religious community has been known through its 300-year history as the "Congregation of the Great Love of God." We sisters today are enjoined by our core constitution to the "Love of God and love of neighbor without distinction." This means that there is to be no separation between our love for God and our love of "the dear neighbor." They are one and the same. To love our neighbor is to concretize the love for God that is within our heart and soul and mind. Conversely, if there is no love of neighbor then there can be no love of God. Such is the fierce compassion of our God who so closely identifies Him/Herself with us.

Reflection upon these commands and laws of the Gospel comes at a particularly opportune time for American Catholics. Next week we go to the polls to elect new political leaders. During the past year we have witnessed a heated national debate about the role of Government in caring for the needy, the poor and the vulnerable among us. In the interest of balancing a budget bloated by a "welfare-for-the-rich" bail out of the savings and loans, and a failed "supply-side" economics, some politicians have advocated a leaner and meaner government. The poor and vulnerable are the losers, as these politicians claim that churches and charities can pay for their care.

A study done by Bread For the World found that if the federal government stopped providing a safety net for the most vulnerable, every U.S. church would have to raise $170,000 annually to meet the increased need. Numerous studies have shown that, as in the days of Exodus, the burden of poverty falls disproportionately upon women and children, one of four of whom today lives in poverty. By far the vast majority of welfare expenditures go to children. One cannot but view as catastrophic the far-reaching effects of indiscriminate cuts in social and educational programs for the most vulnerable in our midst.

In the United States, we claim that we are "One Nation Under God" and that it is "In God We Trust." In the mind of Jesus and of ancient Israel, to claim to trust in God yet to reject the poor is blasphemy. If we do claim to trust and be "under God," then we must also accept the corollary of loving our neighbor with God’s own love.

If enough God-lovers also become neighbor-lovers, can the Parousia alluded to in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians be far off? Only it will have become not a Parousia of wrath, but one of wisdom and well-being for all.

In exercising our right to vote this year, let us claim as our own God’s fierce compassion for the alien, the poor, the widow and the orphan .

The other day I asked our baby-sitter how school was coming along at St. Augustine. She told me that her mother and dad had decided against sending her and enrolled her at Lakewood High School. This family had planned all through her middle school years to send her to St. Augustine and they could afford $3000 to $3500 a year. But this year the school raised the tuition to $4000 (this is one of the lower tuition rates) and the family was forced to give up the dream of a spiritual and less worldly oriented education.

Catholic parents nowadays find themselves between the devil and the deep blue sea. On the one hand too many parents simply can’t afford the high tuition rates and on the other hand a parent wouldn’t send their child to a war zone such as the Cleveland Public Schools. The violence. disorder and lack of parental support is just too much.

I have 10 children and the first seven were sent to parochial school from St. Rose to St. Edward and St. Augustine schools. Three grandchildren are currently going through parochial schools and my children and grandchildren have received good educations. However for philosophical reasons my last three children will attend public schools in Lakewood. (They are also receiving a very good education.)

The reason that my daughters are not attending parochial school is the growing realization that parochial schools and private schools are undermining the public school system (I would be hypocritical if I didn’t admit that cost is also a factor) and probably without being totally aware that they are.

The parents most likely to send their children to parochial or private schools are in all probability the most knowledgeable about education and with the most political clout. Little by little, the public schools have had all that knowledge and clout siphoned off so that only the parents without the knowledge or the political power are left to combat the awful conditions of an inner-city school. Who speaks for the children of these parents?

Education today has become a bureaucratic, politically vested interest for the Catholic Church. It no longer serves all Catholic children much less all children. Its position and its competitive attempts for the public dollar in education contradicts its efforts at child advocacy. In many cases, it has complicated social issues that could more easily be resolved if the Church could desist in most of its self-serving activities.

Albert Shanker, president of the American Federation of Teachers, says that race conflict is a priority issue that must be resolved. How can that problem be resolved when only a small minority of black children are Catholic or are in Catholic schools? Can our children come to some form of racial understanding and common ground when they are effectively segregated from other racial norms?

Economics is another social issue. Can the well-to-do be as concerned about the poor and the homeless when their children are secure in parochial and private schools?

Regardless of parochial success in education, anyone who is concerned that vouchers could undermine public education has reasons to fear the proliferation of taxpayer supported "ideological enclaves -- not just Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist, but schools arranged by black and white separatists and one-of-a-kind cults all producing students who could be strangers (and worse) to one another. There could be Farrakhan schools (and) Ku Klux Klan schools" (Time Magazine, Sept. 23, 1996), all furthering and hastening the polarization and tribalization of the already stressed fabric of American society".

What purpose can be served when a good education comes only at the expense of other important issues?

What values are promoted when 85% of the parochial work force are lay professionals and the average Ohio Catholic elementary teacher salary in ‘94-’95 was $20,870 as compared to the public school average of $36,788?

Why tout parochial successes in purely academic, college-bound curriculums as compared to the public curriculums with broader and deeper scope?

Can the condition of public education be blamed solely on corruption and disorganization or is it possible that the powerful bureaucracies; the influential well-to-do who only pay lip-service to the needs of children less well off, have anything to do with it?

Catholic by definition means all-encompassing and it’s time that our Church think in these terms educationally and promote education as a public, private and parochial endeavor of the greatest importance. The only way we are ever going to ensure peace on this planet is to adopt all the children of the world as "our family" and ensure the best possible education. This provides a mighty challenge to the Catholic Church to move out of its isolation and embrace a more productive world view. More importantly it would keep the Church from adding to, rather than reducing the problems of public education.

As part of the work of the Community of St. Malachi Spiritual Development Committee, on Oct. 6, members of the Small Faith Sharing Groups met with prospective members to share some of their experiences and how they work. The prospective members expressed some interest in joining a small group. For those who could not attend, a brief explanation of small groups follows:

What is a small faith sharing group? It is people who come together who want to share their experiences and grow in their faith.

How do they meet? They come together on the average of twice a month, generally meeting less often in summer. They meet in each others homes or a mutually agreeable location.

What do they do? Most small groups utilize prayer, scripture, discussion of different topics, and time for sharing. Some will attend lectures together.

What topics are discussed? The topics can be varied. Many groups discuss how scripture speaks to them, share where they are in their spiritual walk, types of prayer, relevant books, social responsibilities as a Christian, and peace and justice issues, just to name a few.

Each group decides its own topics. Some resources are available and the Spiritual Development Committee is in the process of seeking more material. Small groups can be a wonderful source of inspiration for Christians in their spiritual walk. By praying, sharing and caring, we can grow closer to God and each other and seek to hear the voice of God who calls us to be the best we can be.

Even though there will be friendships formed and journeys shared, it is necessary to remember that small faith groups are not meant to be just social gatherings or self-help groups.

I hope this has answered some questions for some of you. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me, Jane Smith, at 226-8531.

There is a group in the West Park area that meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month and is looking for men or women. Also, a few women are interested in forming a women’s only group. Any takers? Call me and I will try to make the connection.

Calendar Notes: Sunday, Nov. 10 and Dec. 1, Heartbeats will be selling items made by women, developing world and minority artists. I’ve seen their merchandise and it’s great. Their motto is "Alternative shopping doubles your giving and is good for your heart". Heartbeats is nice enough to donate some of their profits back to St. Malachi’s Spiritual Development Committee to help provide scholarship monies for our retreats and program. You can "shop ‘till you drop" between masses (from 10:15 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.) in the church hall.

The issue Frank Schiros raised in his recent Communio article, "Reflections on Salvation," is one of the classic questions in theology. It is not so much "the issue of the uniqueness of Christ." That Christ is unique has always been fundamental Christian dogma: Jesus Christ is the Savior of all people. Salvation for all in Christ is the essence of Christian faith; to deny Jesus as Savior is to not be a Christian. The question is: if Jesus is the Savior of all and faith in Jesus is necessary for salvation, can a person, who, through no fault of his or her own, does not know of Jesus and, therefore, cannot have faith in Jesus, be saved? The Catholic Church’s answer to the question is a resounding "YES!"

The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) of Vatican II addresses the issue very clearly: "Those also can attain to everlasting salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do God’s will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does divine Providence deny the help necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God, but who strive to live a good life, thanks to God’s grace. Whatever goodness or truth is found among them is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the gospel. She regards such qualities as given by God who enlightens all people so that they may finally have life." (#16)

Under the section "The Necessity of Baptism," The Catechism of the Catholic Church uses the traditional concept of "Baptism of Desire" to explain how nonbelievers can be saved: " Since Christ died for all, and since all people are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery.’ Every person who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his or her understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such a person would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity." (#1260).

The Community of St. Malachi commends and encourages the efforts of the National Conference of Bishops Committee for the study of exclusionary language in the liturgical readings. We support their efforts to insure that the Gospel welcome be clearly articulated to all persons in language that is not limited by cultural connotations on the part of hearers. As a Community we will strive to articulate our public prayer with care that all persons regardless of sex, nationality or race will find in us an extension of Jesus’s welcome to all to be one with Him.

We believe that language is symbolic, reflecting the culture of those who speak it. Words that are acceptable and predominant in a given culture point toward the values and priorities of those who use them.

We believe that language forms and shapes us, influencing the way we think and act. The values symbolized by language are gradually assumed and internalized by those born into a particular community.

We believe that language has power to manipulate and control us in subtle but real ways. The whole history of the art of rhetoric gives testimony to the power of language to instruct, to persuade, to encourage, to inspire, to coerce, to galvanize to action.

We believe that language changes over time. As society’s priorities and values change, language can and must change with them, reflecting them. In this context, language can be a means of empowerment for the weak and marginalized. Sometimes words become no longer acceptable in society because of certain groups’ efforts to name themselves and their experiences more adequately and to insist that those efforts be respected.

We at St. Malachi’s desire that the language we use in our public discourse, particularly in our liturgical celebrations, should reflect the values of our community. We desire that our use of language should shape us as a community of compassion and concern for those who are oppressed and marginalized, and as a community faithful to what is best in our Catholic theological tradition.

We believe that the question of "inclusive language" is not a trivial issue, not a case of being "politically correct" in a trite or superficial fashion, but an issue of importance for our self-expression as a community concerned about justice toward others and reverence toward God.

We therefore adopt the following guidelines on inclusive language.

1. By inclusive language we mean "language which includes women and men in contexts where the message is directed to, refers to and affects both, and which avoids stereotypes when speaking about either sex." In 1971 the Oxford English Dictionary declared that it is no longer accurate to use the generic "man," "mankind," or "he" to designate all humanity. Most American publishers have accepted this norm. We desire this change in our society’s language to be reflected in our language. More importantly for us as a Christian community, we believe that change to such inclusive language is mandated by our belief in the absolute equality of men and women before God. We will therefore use language inclusive of women and men in our written and spoken discourse.

2. By inclusive language we also mean language which is inclusive of and sensitive to all people, regardless of "race, physical ability, class, nationality, religion, social status, and so on." We will avoid language that excludes, trivializes, stereotypes, or implies the inferiority of any person. We will use language that reflects the dignity of the human person.

3. By inclusive language we also mean language expressive of the fact that God is neither male nor female, but transcends such gender distinctions. God-language is a particularly troublesome area of speech, since the Judaeo-Christian tradition has used male images for God almost exclusively in its history. The issue is further complicated by the theological content of the traditional biblical names for God. Many of our prescribed liturgical prayers address God specifically as male. However, wherever in the liturgy we have the freedom to adjust references to God or use our own words in addressing God, we will use gender neutral terms for God. This includes the prayers of the faithful, the hymns we sing at worship, and the use of an inclusive language lectionary.

4. We believe that by following these guidelines we will be more faithful to the best of our Catholic heritage, specifically to that fundamental text expressive of the equality between women and men and of the nature of God:

Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness." So God created humanity in God’s own image . . . male and female God created them . . . and it was very good.(Gen 1:26-27, 31)

Dear Community Members:

Thank you for your donation of $1000 to the Center. Your support, concern and presence are deeply appreciated.

Not long ago, Cathy Saegel, our family minister, and I took 13 women from our neighborhood on a two-day leadership retreat. What an experience! We shared our hopes and concerns, engaged in physical activities geared toward identifying leadership traits or lack thereof, had excellent meals and fun activities in a relaxed atmosphere.

We learned a great deal about one another and about ourselves. This retreat is followed by eight sessions dealing with various aspects of leadership. Our women feel this is an opportunity of a lifetime. It will assist them in finishing their education, procuring work and ultimately lead to a better life for them and their families.

These kinds of experiences would be impossible without generous people like you. Gratefully, with prayers,

Community Council met Sunday, October 20, 1996. Highlights are as follows:

PRESIDENT’S REPORT: CSM Policies and Procedures drafts were given to Council for review. Approval of the drafts is projected to take place at the November Council meeting. For information on the National Catholic AIDS Network, write P.O. Box 422984, San Francisco, CA 94142-2984; or phone (707) 874-3031.

PASTOR’S REPORT: Plans have been approved and are beginning to be implemented to create a Local Area Network (LAN) which would interconnect all of Urban Community School, every classroom and building, both at St. Malachi and St. Wendelin, including E-mail and Internet access. The Voter’s Guide of the League of Women Voters and the Legislative Survey from the Universe Bulletin are available at the church doors. St. Malachi Center will provide breakfast on election day from 8-10 a.m. for anyone wearing an "I Voted Today" sticker. Help with breakfast is needed, call Kathy at 771-3036. Upcoming Benefits: Nov. 1-Malachi House: Great Lakes Science Center, 6-10:30 p.m., $75; Nov. 8: FutureChurch, Sr. Theresa Kane RSM, Holiday Inn, Rockside, 6:30 p.m. Social, 7 p.m. dinner and program, $35.

SOCIAL ACTION: Voter Registration has been successful with 37 new registrations, 52 Change of Addresses, 2 Change of Names, and 16 Absentee Voter Applications. Speakers are planned for future Social Action Committee meetings. Topics of interest include children’s and women’s issues, AIDS, and problems that exist in the neighborhood. Social Action will be working closely with Liturgy this year. Next Social Action meeting Oct. 30. Call Lois at 333-2359 for details.

MEMBERSHIP: An "Opportunity Sign Up" sheet will be placed at the membership table during Community Coffee hour, where Community members can sign up to provide assistance requested by various ministries of the Community. Ten new members and three prospective members attended the first Fall Welcome Series on Sunday, October 13.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION: 100 children (from nearly 50 families) are enrolled. A special devotion to Mary and bulb planting was held Oct. 13. This was to introduce Mary and the rosary to the children from preschool-sixth grade. Ideas are being investigated for a Christmas Service project in which the children can have active involvement.

THE COMMUNITY OF ST. MALACHI is a lay-directed, non-territorial personal parish of the Diocese of Cleveland. Although separate from the Parish of St. Malachi, we join together for many worthwhile activities. All are welcome to worship at the 11:00 a.m. Community liturgy on Sunday. Community members are expected to actively contribute of their time, talent and treasure.