|
|
The Malachi File "Zero tolerance." The media seems to love this new stance of the American Catholic bishops toward priests who have committed sexual abuse. The news reports celebrated it at first as an answer to a very complex problem. The news reports afterward reflected a tone of impatience, waiting for the bishops to act. For example, from last Sunday's The New York Times, "But despite the bishops' overwhelming vote at their June meeting in Dallas to strip past abusers of their collars and ministries, many bishops have not yet lived up to that promise." Reports about the religious orders decision not to take a position of "zero tolerance" were met with scorn. And the possibility that the Vatican might not approve this policy was reported with a tone of disbelief. Few commented that the bishops did nothing to punish themselves for their very significant role in this debacle. "Zero tolerance" certainly plays very well in the media, and is no doubt welcomed by families of the victims. Trouble is, it has no place in our Catholic Christian faith. Based on Jesus' tolerance and power to forgive and change lives, this is not a religion of "zero tolerance." This is not meant to downplay the seriousness of the problem, I abhor the crimes that have been committed, and think there is no place in the Church for repeat offenders, and certainly new policies need to be put in place. However, any solution has to take into account the basic tenets of our faith and none of these involve "zero tolerance." In watching one television news show last week, someone reported that this is the Pope's position. If this is true, this is one of the rare occasions in recent memory where I wholeheartedly agree with the Pope. Coffee Hour Recently Coffee Hour has been derailed because of repairs to the ceiling of the school hall. While this is understandable, there have been many other occasions when Coffee Hour has been put off or moved. In the St. Malachi Looks to the Future project, Coffee Hour was identified as an area of opportunity for the Community. It's the one place and one time when a significant number of us can get together. When the repair project is done and we are back in the school hall, I would like us to stay there. Announce it from the pulpit regularly. No more moving around. Consistency in time and location is important. I personally don't see the justification to hold it at Malachi Mart anymore, but that's another matter. I have always seen Coffee Hour as an extension of the liturgy – not just a place to pick up coffee and doughnuts. I have always seen Coffee Hour as an extension of the liturgy – not just a place to pick up coffee and doughnuts. It's where committees connect, where new people can be received, and where we can simply have a good conversation with another Community member. It's a vital aspect of our life as a faith Community and we need to work on making it better. And one more thing: bring back the bagels! In the online world, I recently read that the number of viruses has decreased lately for no known reason. However, variations on the "Klez" virus are still making the rounds. If you get an unexpected e-mail with an attachment of 100 to 150 kb, I advise deleting it immediately and then deleting it from your delete folder. If you get an e-mail from someone or someplace stating that an e-mail you sent had a virus, relax, you probably didn't send it. It was probably the result of this virus hijacking somebody else's computer that had your address in it. You are safe ignoring it. Also, if you are using Outlook or Outlook Express, turn off your preview window, as that might activate an e-mail virus. If you only get a few e-mails, consider using a web based system – many internet service providers have this. Finally, continue to ignore e-mailed virus alerts, especially those that tell you to forward them to everyone in your address book. They are all hoaxes. Thank to Dolores Sullin, our e-mail notification ministry continues to flourish. Many of you are now getting the Newsletter and Communio by e-mail and we encourage you not to take a paper copy on Sunday. We are reducing the number we print and our ultimate goal is to save money on copying. Finally, as I write this, I am getting ready to send my oldest daughter, Jessica, off to Kent State this week (she'll be there when this is distributed). It's a really big moment. Thanks to Mary Englert, John Delzani, Chad Garven, Karen Duffy, Kathy Burke and Dolores Sullin for sending in material this month. Our next issue is September 22nd with a deadline of September 8th. Note that we have changed our publication schedule to the 4th Sunday of the month. —Dan Alaimo * * * * * * * * A Starre Turn (If you subscribe to St. Malachi's E-mail Alert service – see "E-mail Services At St. Malachi" in the Community News section – you are certainly aware of Dave Starre's tussle with cancer and the progress he's made thanks to the regular reports of Dave's good friend, John Delzani. Recently Mary Englert forwarded to us a report John wrote on Monday, August 12th and suggested that we include it in this month's Communio. In the report John relates the events of the weekend just passed, which included a blood drive/marrow registry and a reflection from Dave delivered at the 11 a.m. liturgy. Our thanks to John, for letting us share this with you, and Mary, for suggesting that we run it.) No "medical" update today, but wanted to share some of the weekend with you all. Folks from the American Red Cross began arriving at 7:30 a.m. yesterday morning for the blood drive/marrow registry at Malachi Center. No one knew how many donors to expect. Those who arrived early were processed in a fairly timely manner; those who waited, waited! Fortunately and unfortunately so many folks turned out the crews were unable to process all who wished to enter the marrow registry. There is a possibility another registry will take place during the September drive but that has to be worked out yet, don't hold me to it. At least 40 were able to donate whole blood (confirmed by one nurse) and at times, two technicians were drawing so the real number is much higher! I think I heard they had enough materials for 50 bone marrow participants before they ran out but that hasn't been confirmed. All I know is we were all pretty tired when we left the center at 4 p.m. yesterday. I felt for the ARC folks. How do they prepare themselves for a day when they don't know what to expect? The drive was to end at 1:30 and they spent another 2 1/2 hours on sight making sure things went as smooth as possible. Most everyone demonstrated an incredible amount of patience and compassion. It was a great experience. Dave and family, two pews worth, attended the 11 a.m. liturgy yesterday. After communion the big guy rose from his seat and approached the lectern. Dave delivered a poignant and heartfelt reflection that drew a standing ovation. As he returned to his seat and then turned to nod to the crowd he looked very much like Cal Ripken Jr. It was beautiful. Thanks for sharing with us, Dave; you inspire us all. We love you! —John Delzani * * * * * * * * The Bonnie Situation It's starting to look like the firing of Bonnie Mar from her job managing Malachi Mart might end up being a defining moment at St. Malachi's. This took place shortly after our last issue and many in the Community have written in about it. Thanks to Mary Englert for running their remarks in the Newsletter while Communio was on summer hiatus. In any case, this is the first chance I have to comment. I know little about the specifics as it is being treated as a personnel matter, and rightly so. But considering what I hear from many respected, long-standing and, in some cases, founding Community members, all speaking out in support of Bonnie and critical of the Center's management, I have to conclude that this was very poorly handled. Many of us look at this situation and see something quite foreign from the ideals that drew us to Malachi's in the first place. Many of us look at this situation and see something quite foreign from the ideals that drew us to Malachi's in the first place. Things have really changed around here and we don't like it much. The very corporate style with which Bonnie was let go left a poor aftertaste; the lack of sensitivity to long-time advisors was outrageous; the lack of communication to volunteers unsatisfactory; and the timing of this public relations disaster – when many donors are looking for other places to put their money than the Diocese – was unfortunate. I'm sure it has also cut into sales at the Mart, although I have no way of knowing for sure. Personally, I used make the trip down the hill to Malachi Mart once a month or so and spend $10 or $20 on things I did, and sometimes didn't, need. But now I have a hard time convincing myself to go. Another question I have is where is the Community Council in all this? A big meeting was held with leaders from the Center, but not a proposal was made – not even one to be voted down. I gather that at a subsequent meeting, someone proposed a 'thank you' letter to Bonnie for her years of service, but this was voted down. But that's all. I hope the new Council will take a more activist stance as it finds its footing. Meanwhile, in the light of that, I have some ideas:
Finally, if Council won't say it, I will: thank you Bonnie for all your many years of service to St. Malachi's, and for making the Mart a special place for us and people in the neighborhood to shop. An additional thank you goes to Dick Gibbons, who along with the late Tony DiNardo played a key role in founding the Mart, and in it's ongoing operations. If you think this will eventually blow over, you are right. But profound damage has been done, and drastic steps are needed to correct it. —Dan Alaimo * * * * * * * * The Education Of Chad Garven (This past June, shortly after the end of the school year, Chad Garven - son of Eileen and Chuck Garven - left Lakewood and headed for Honduras for two weeks of mission work. The trip was sponsored by Chad's high school, St. Ignatius, and supported by the Community . We asked Chad to share his experience with us and he submitted the following report. Thanks, Chad!)When I applied for the mission trip to Honduras through my high school I thought that I would be the "superman" that the Honduran people needed to bring them out of poverty and up to my "higher American level." In reality, when I went to Honduras, it was not I who was going to change anyone, in fact the Hondurans were going to change me. I was not going to change the lives of the poor and be a savior. Their lives were going to go on after I left. It was my life that would be changed when I returned home to the States. I was told before I left to have no expectations, because without similar experience to draw from, no expectation could come close to what is actually there. Instead, a better approach was to come in with a blank slate, be a sponge, and soak up as much as possible. I tried that approach as best I could but I couldn't help but to be affected by the images on the drive from the Tegucigalpa Airport to our home for the next nine days. Shacks that wouldn't be acceptable as an American woodshed - let alone homes for families of six or seven - were stacked one on top of another, up hillsides that looked as if even a light rain might cause a mudslide leaving yet another family homeless and hopeless. When we finally arrived in Nuevo Paraiso (New Paradise), a community of about 20 abandoned mothers and their children, I was pleasantly surprised. We were greeted by a crowd of children with smiling faces who seemed overjoyed to see us, a far cry from what I expected to find in a country where poverty is commonplace. On our first day of work fifteen of us (of the forty on the trip) were assigned to the elementary school for construction work. We were to build a wall because the school has trouble keeping the students from leaving the grounds during recess. The wall consisted of eight layers of a brick foundation, then a five foot high chain link fence, topped off with barb wire. I soon learned the meaning of hard work while working for hours at a time in ninety-degree heat. Breaks were encouraged and in fact during recess we played soccer against the school children. On the first day, the first, second, and third grade classes challenged about ten people from our group - at the same time. Chaos was a good word to describe it, but all had fun. We also had the opportunity to work at Sociedad Amigos de los Niños (S.A.N.) in the downtown area of Tegucigalpa. They opened a house for abandoned children. We were called upon to paint several bedrooms, bathrooms, and the living room with more alive, vibrant colors. We had fun the first morning when our group painted a bedroom ceiling while attempting to salvage the bunk beds. Our painting skills were not professional and dripping was inevitable. I was surprised when I found a child from the home hiding behind the bed who said that he wanted to help me paint the ceiling. In my broken Spanish I told him that I would be more than happy to let him help, but he would have to wait until we returned from lunch. Not only was he waiting by the door when we came back from lunch, but he had recruited three more of his friends to help as well. It turned out to be a role reversal of sorts because we didn't have enough paintbrushes for all of us. We gave all the brushes to the ten-year-old kids and they had a ball. It was surprising because I expected these children to be almost resentful towards us because we were helping them. Instead, they wanted to work and help us as much as they could and they had fun all the while. "No, I am happy here and it does not matter how much money you make in your life, rather it matters that you are helping others in your work." One of the most meaningful things that I will take from this experience though was the example that the workers of Nuevo Paraiso provide. Because Nuevo Paraiso is a charitable organization it is not possible for them to pay high wages to its workers. In spite of this, they still have many dedicated, reliable employees. I asked one worker, Claudio, how he became involved in this community and he told me his story. He grew up in Honduras and owned a restaurant, a story familiar to each member of his family who all owned small businesses. When Claudio started working for S.A.N. his family was appalled and shunned him because he was not making as much money as they thought he should have been. I asked Claudio if he would stop working at Sociedad if it meant he could improve the relationship with his family. He replied, "No, I am happy here and it does not matter how much money you make in your life, rather it matters that you are helping others in your work." This had a tremendous impact on me because I am in the middle of my college search and am starting to look into professions and this reaffirmed my belief that it is not a constant striving for money that matters. It is more a matter of service to God's people. The last establishment we visited was a place called Montana de Luz (Mountain of Light). Montana is a place for children living with HIV and/or AIDS. When I first heard that we were going up there, I expected a place of solitude and just a gloomy, sad home. When I got there, however, it was the happiest place I ever saw. We arrived in the midst of a birthday party for the now eight year old Yorleny. The kids were eating cake, hitting the piñata, and laughing like regular kids. Montana de Luz provides a place where these kids can live in dignity. I discovered it is a great place and when I think of those kids I will not feel sorry for them because of their disease, rather I will remember them for their happiness in the face of a disease that will eventually take their life. I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity I was given to participate in the mission trip to Honduras. I often heard of people collecting money for various places in Central America but it never really had an effect on me. Seeing where the money goes first hand had a far greater and permanent impact on me and I will never forget it. The experience was far from what I expected, and I have been forever changed. I now feel a large responsibility to the people I left behind in Honduras. I know that Nuevo Paraiso now relies on me, and my youthful energy, to provide continued support - whether it is through another trip or spreading the word and raising more support. —Chad Garven * * * * * * * * First Things First (This was sent to our editor, Luis Gutierrez, by St. Malachi's Director of Religious Education, Karen Duffy. Thanks Karen!) You can't fool the kids in Sunday school; they are way too smart. An example: A teacher asked the children in her Sunday school class the following question: "If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would I get into heaven?" "No!" all the children answered. "If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would I get into heaven?" Again the answer was, "No!" "Well," she continued, "then how can I get to heaven?" A five-year-old boy shouted, "You gotta be dead!" —Author Unknown (We tried to find out who wrote this by searching the net but their were 370,000 listings under its original title, "Getting Into Heaven.") * * * * * * * * Some Labor Day Ideas I've been meaning to write this for many years, but never got around to it. It always got too late in the evening to write it, and so too this year. But I'm determined to have a go at it any way this time, no matter how brief I have to make it. I'd like to encourage the Community to be more sensitive to, and supportive of, people who have to work. This is probably the majority of us, but in many ways, the Church and even the Community, look down a little on this vital activity. It probably stems from the old Martha and Mary story in the Bible, where the more reflective and unbusy Mary chose the better part by being with Jesus. Well, for the majority of us, we didn't chose to be Marthas, but we are. Sometimes working long hours, sometimes working two jobs, sometimes working for unreasonable companies or bosses, sometimes working at looking for work – we need each other's support. Along those lines, I make the following suggestions:
Let's start talking to each other about our jobs and being supportive of each other. That's a big part of being Community. Generally, let's start talking to each other about our jobs and being supportive of each other. That's a big part of being Community. So to all of you, happy Labor Day and take it easy – if you can. —Dan Alaimo * * * * * * * * Padre Franco The Bell Ringer (Padre Franco derives the title for this column, and for his monastery, from the movie "Cinema Paradiso," where the village priest was the local censor. Whenever he found objectionable parts in a film, he would ring his bell and the projectionist would cut the scene out. While the Padre is a little like the priest in the movie, ringing a bell with his words, he takes some license with the concept in rating the films, using a scale of one to five bells - the more bells, the better he liked the picture. This month we have two reviews from Brother Daniel but, alas, still nothing from the Padre! We contacted him on his cell phone and he said he was wandering the streets of New York City looking for a film festival. Here at the monastery we are all very worried about the good Padre and are eager for him to come home. Padre Franco did remind us to tell everyone that the Monasterio de la Cinema Paradiso is open to anyone with a passion for movies who cares to share their reflections with the larger Community. Men, women, and teens are encouraged to join us. Popcorn will be provided.) Signs %%%%"Signs" wants be a movie about faith. The central character, Father Graham Hess, played notably well by Mel Gibson, is an (apparently) Episcopalian priest who lost his faith when his wife died. I don't think it is giving too much away to say he gets it back by the end of the film. However, in both cases, it is rather sudden – which I admit happens sometimes, but usually not on both ends of the faith losing/regaining experience – and it is not very well supported. Did his crisis of faith start before his wife dies? That is not mentioned. While there is some God-talk along the way, his return to his vocation comes packed in the whirlwind of the movie's ending. "Signs" also wants to be a movie about aliens. There are crop circles, lights in the skies, a worldwide crisis, some nice subtle costuming. But in the end, we don't know or feel anymore about alien life forms, or the much-hyped crop circles, than we did from watching the movie's promotions. I personally got more of a sense of aliens from "ET, The Extra Terrestrial," which is due for a return to theaters this fall, followed by its first DVD release. But what director M. Night Shyamalan succeeds in doing with "Signs" is creating another first-rate ghost movie, something he does very well, as evidenced by his success with "The Sixth Sense." The aliens are merely stand-ins for the ghosts in Shyamalan's understated, but intense style. Like the movies of Alfred Hitchcock, he accomplishes this with mood and feel, and a minimum of gore. He even casts himself in the movie in a minor supporting role, and pays tribute to Hitchcock's films in the opening credits. In the end, the failings mentioned above pale when one reflects on the experience of having watched a film by one of our best young filmmakers. No great revelations, but "Signs" is a great ride. —Brother Daniel 9/11: The Filmmakers Commemorative Edition %%%%We don't review non-theatrical films often here, but this one is worth a mention, especially at the end of a long summer heavy on box office revenues, but typically short on content. Originally broadcast on CBS in March, a longer, 130-minute version will be released on VHS and DVD on Sept. 12. The DVD will contain 50 minutes of additional interviews. Last year, two French filmmakers set out to make a documentary about a young probationary firefighter in New York who was stationed at the firehouse closest to the World Trade Center. On the morning of Sept. 11, their cameras were rolling when the first plane crashed into the towers, and kept rolling as these firefighters were the first on scene, and through the ongoing rescue efforts in the weeks after the attacks. I put on an advance screening copy of the video with the intent to watch it in parts as time allowed. But I was immediately taken back to those awful days, and, similar to my experience of watching the news coverage in the aftermath of the attacks, I could not step away until I had finished watching it. "9/11" is well done, emotionally draining and an appropriate commemoration of the most horrifying event in most of our lifetimes. There are scenes in towers, before the collapse, that I hadn't seen before, and in the end, the filmmakers, Gedeon and Jules Naudet, become part of the story. It's worth revisiting, and worth reliving – if you can stand watching those awful and familiar images once again. But good luck to the folks at Paramount in marketing this one. I note that a portion of the revenues will to the Uniformed Firefighters Association Scholarship Fund. —Brother Daniel * * * * * * * * The Church And The Internet (Father Tony directed our attention to two recent articles found at the Vatican website - www.vatican.va - whose subject is the internet. Here we present the third and last part of the first of these articles. In September we will start running in series the second article entitled "Ethics In Internet." Our thanks to Father Tony.)Recommendations And Conclusions Religious people, as concerned members of the larger internet audience who also have legitimate particular interests of their own, wish to be part of the process that guides the future development of this new medium. It goes without saying that this will sometimes require them to adjust their own thinking and practice. It is important that people at all levels of the Church use the internet creatively to meet their responsibilities and help fulfill the Church's mission. It is important, too, that people at all levels of the Church use the internet creatively to meet their responsibilities and help fulfill the Church's mission. Hanging back timidly from fear of technology or for some other reason is not acceptable, in view of the very many positive possibilities of the internet. "Methods of facilitating communication and dialogue among her own members can strengthen the bonds of unity between them. Immediate access to information makes it possible for [the Church] to deepen her dialogue with the contemporary world...The Church can more readily inform the world of her beliefs and explain the reasons for her stance on any given issue or event. "She can hear more clearly the voice of public opinion, and enter into a continuous discussion with the world around her, thus involving herself more immediately in the common search for solutions to humanity's many pressing problems." In concluding these reflections, therefore, we offer words of encouragement to several groups in particular – Church leaders, pastoral personnel, educators, parents, and especially young people. To Church leaders: People in leadership positions in all sectors of the Church need to understand the media, apply this understanding in formulating pastoral plans for social communications together with concrete policies and programs in this area, and make appropriate use of media. Where necessary, they should receive media education themselves; in fact, "the Church would be well served if more of those who hold offices and perform functions in her name received communication training." This applies to the internet as well as to the older media. Church leaders are obliged to use "the full potential of the 'computer age' to serve the human and transcendent vocation of every person, and thus to give glory to the Father from whom all good things come." They ought to employ this remarkable technology in many different aspects of the Church's mission, while also exploring opportunities for ecumenical and interreligious cooperation in its use. A special aspect of the internet, as we have seen, concerns the sometimes confusing proliferation of unofficial web sites labeled 'Catholic.' A system of voluntary certification at the local and national levels under the supervision of representatives of the Magisterium might be helpful in regard to material of a specifically doctrinal or catechetical nature. The idea is not to impose censorship but to offer internet users a reliable guide to what expresses the authentic position of the Church. To pastoral personnel. Priests, deacons, religious, and lay pastoral workers should have media education to increase their understanding of the impact of social communications on individuals and society and help them acquire a manner of communicating that speaks to the sensibilities and interests of people in a media culture. Today this clearly includes training regarding the internet, including how to use it in their work. They can also profit from websites offering theological updating and pastoral suggestions. As for Church personnel directly involved in media, it hardly needs saying that they must have professional training. But they also need doctrinal and spiritual formation, since "in order to witness to Christ it is necessary to encounter him oneself and foster a personal relationship with him through prayer, the Eucharist and sacramental reconciliation, reading and reflection on God's word, the study of Christian doctrine, and service to others." To educators and catechists. The Pastoral Instruction Communio et Progressio spoke of the "urgent duty" of Catholic schools to train communicators and recipients of social communications in relevant Christian principles. The same message has been repeated many times. In the age of the internet, with its enormous outreach and impact, the need is more urgent than ever. Catholic universities, colleges, schools, and educational programs at all levels should provide courses for various groups – "seminarians, priests, religious brothers and sisters, and lay leaders...teachers, parents, and students" – as well as more advanced training in communications technology, management, ethics, and policy issues for individuals preparing for professional media work or decision-making roles, including those who work in social communications for the Church. Furthermore, we commend the issues and questions mentioned above to the attention of scholars and researchers in relevant disciplines in Catholic institutions of higher learning. To parents. For the sake of their children, as well as for their own sakes, parents must "learn and practice the skills of discerning viewers and listeners and readers, acting as models of prudent use of media in the home." As far as the internet is concerned, children and young people often are more familiar with it than their parents are, but parents still are seriously obliged to guide and supervise their children in its use. If this means learning more about the internet than they have up to now, that will be all to good. Parental supervision should include making sure that filtering technology is used in computers available to children when that is financially and technically feasible, in order to protect them as much as possible from pornography, sexual predators, and other threats. Unsupervised exposure to the internet should not be allowed. Parents and children should dialogue together about what is seen and experienced in cyberspace; sharing with other families who have the same values and concerns will also be helpful. The fundamental parental duty here is to help children become discriminating, responsible Internet users and not addicts of the internet, neglecting contact with their peers and with nature itself. To children and young people. The internet is a door opening on a glamorous and exciting world with a powerful formative influence; but not everything on the other side of the door is safe and wholesome and true. "Children and young people should be open to formation regarding media, resisting the easy path of uncritical passivity, peer pressure, and commercial exploitation." The young owe it to themselves – and to their parents and families and friends, their pastors and teachers, and ultimately to God – to use the Internet well. The internet places in the grasp of young people at an unusually early age an immense capacity for doing good and doing harm, to themselves and others. It can enrich their lives beyond the dreams of earlier generations and empower them to enrich others' lives in turn. It also can plunge them into consumerism, pornographic and violent fantasy, and pathological isolation. Young people, as has often been said, are the future of society and the Church. Good use of the internet can help prepare them for their responsibilities in both. But this will not happen automatically. The internet is not merely a medium of entertainment and consumer gratification. It is a tool for accomplishing useful work, and the young must learn to see it and use it as such. In cyberspace, at least as much as anywhere else, they may be called on to go against the tide, practice counter-culturalism, even suffer persecution for the sake of what is true and good. To all persons of good will. Finally, then, we would suggest some virtues that need to be cultivated by everyone who wants to make good use of the internet; their exercise should be based upon and guided by a realistic appraisal of its contents. Prudence is necessary in order clearly to see the implications – the potential for good and evil – in this new medium and to respond creatively to its challenges and opportunities. Prudence is necessary in order clearly to see the implications – the potential for good and evil – in this new medium and to respond creatively to its challenges and opportunities. Justice is needed, especially justice in working to close the digital divide – the gap between the information-rich and the information-poor in today's world. This requires a commitment to the international common good, no less than the "globalization of solidarity." Fortitude, courage, is necessary. This means standing up for truth in the face of religious and moral relativism, for altruism and generosity in the face of individualistic consumerism, for decency in the face of sensuality and sin. And temperance is needed – a self-disciplined approach to this remarkable technological instrument, the internet, so as to use it wisely and only for good. Reflecting on the internet, as upon all the other media of social communications, we recall that Christ is "the perfect communicator" – the norm and model of the Church's approach to communication, as well as the content that the Church is obliged to communicate. "May Catholics involved in the world of social communications preach the truth of Jesus ever more boldly from the housetops, so that all men and women may hear about the love which is the heart of God's self-communication in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever." * * * * * * * * Kindness Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." —Henry James —Henry James —Henry James —Henry James —Henry James
Town Hall Meeting On Sexual Abuse Policy (On August 9th the Diocese of Cleveland released a draft of the recommendations of the Special Commission on Sexual Abuse. If you'd like to read the draft, it is posted on the web at www.specialcommission.org. A group of concerned congregates has been meeting informally to track and discuss the Church's response to the appalling revelations about the sexual abuse of minors by priests and the failure of church leaders to take appropriate action and have organized the town hall meeting discussed below. Our thanks to Kathy Burke for sending this to us.) Town Hall Meeting On Sexual Abuse Policy (On August 9th the Diocese of Cleveland released a draft of the recommendations of the Special Commission on Sexual Abuse. If you'd like to read the draft, it is posted on the web at www.specialcommission.org. A group of concerned congregates has been meeting informally to track and discuss the Church's response to the appalling revelations about the sexual abuse of minors by priests and the failure of church leaders to take appropriate action and have organized the town hall meeting discussed below. Our thanks to Kathy Burke for sending this to us.) A town hall meeting will be held on August 25th at St. Malachi's in the Urban Community School Hall. This will be an opportunity for members of both the Community and St. Malachi Parish to discuss and offer feedback on the draft for the Diocese of Cleveland policy on the sexual abuse of minors. Everyone is asked to read the policy and come prepared to discuss it. Nothing else will be discussed. The meeting will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Child care will be provided at the church for those who need it, at no cost, by members of the senior high Christian Formation class, with adult supervision. If you have any questions, please call Kathy Burke at (216) 228-6787 or page her at (216) 589-2186. * * * * * * * * E-Mail Services At St. Malachi: Last year we started the CSM E-mail Alert service at St. Malachi for funerals and prayers. The system we implemented appears to be working well and with favorable comments. (They are appreciated!) Since the last sign-up in April 2002 several members indicated they wished to be included in e-mailings of the Newsletter and Communio. This was implemented approximately two months ago. Some members appear on one, two or all three group mailings. If you are not on these mailing lists and would like to be please contact dasas@nccw.net. You should know that once you're on one, two, or all three of the above lists, you remain on that list until you ask to be removed. This is just for simplicity. Even if you indicate next year that you do not want to be in a group mailing when you recommit, it would still be appreciated if you would contact dasas@nccw.net to ask to be removed. Some further points on that:
along with your name.
This, again, would require your name as well as e-mail address.
messages containing viruses) please use an identifiable word in the 'Subject" area, i.e. "CSM" or "Newsletter" or "Communio." These are simply things that make life easier for me. —Dolores Sullin
| |||||||||||||||
|
For matters relating to the web site contact the: Web Weaver. |
