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* * * * * * * * * * The Malachi File There was meeting after meeting after meeting, but it now looks like the Vatican is going to send the American bishops plan for dealing with clerical sexual abuse – and presumably the Cleveland plan upon which it is based – back to them. The interesting thing is, as I read an article from The New York Times ("Plan on Abuse is Said to Face Vatican Pitfalls," Sept. 14, 2002), is that the Vatican has stated many of the same concerns that came out in our meetings. Among these were that there was a lack of "due process" for the accused, the "zero tolerance" approach to all offenders without respect to the severity of the actions as contrary to Church teachings, and that the bishops' actions were influenced heavily by the glare of unfavorable publicity. Let me say again that neither I nor any of the others who voiced concerns for how the accused were treated are in any way accepting of the actions of sexual offenders, especially those who are repeat offenders or predators. The concern is more for single-time offenders or others in situations with mitigating circumstances who have repented and sought counseling, those who have made things right for the victims and themselves. In a way, I find it curious to be in a position of defending these clerics, but these are strange times for the Church. However, there was much more and I urge you to read Bill Wiesler's report on the various meetings in this issue. I attended one meeting (the first one at Malachi's). Bill attended them all and has professional expertise in the matter. There were other concerns to highlight: expanding the role of the laity in such matters, questions about where the money has come from (and will come from) to pay legal expenses and settlements, and how can we be sure that this policy is followed when past ones weren't. With appropriate pastoral discretion and discipline, this situation should never have become as serious as it is. As I reflect on it, that is the question that bothers me most. There already was a policy, although not as well developed as this one, and a procedure based on the very significant power of a bishop within his diocese. With appropriate pastoral discretion and discipline, this situation should never have become as serious as it is, and given the hierarchical structure of the Church, how can we ever be sure that all that was said in these meetings is heeded now or in the future? There is a need for basic change for our clerical structure, including the acceptance of women and married priests, and an increased role for laity in all matters, not just when it suits the purposes of damage control. And if that somehow results from this debacle, then we will have accomplished something. I remind readers that the Community of St. Malachi has always been at the forefront of such a discussion, and that perhaps the time is right now for us to again be forceful advocates of such change. In other matters, I note from two articles in this issue that the Bonnie Mar issue continues to fester. One thing I didn't know before reading Frank Schiros' article, which is based on a conversation with Bonnie, is she was told that her position had been eliminated. This is plainly not so, and looking at Helen Brinich's article, there seems to be some confusion on this point. Regardless, this is something that has inflicted grievous harm on what many at Malachi's have worked long and hard to build up. I call upon the Community Council to take a more forceful position on this matter. Also I note that the invitation extended in the last issue of Communio to the Center leadership to explain the situation has not been accepted as yet. Thanks to Bill Wiesler, Helen Brinich, Ginny and Frank Schiros, John Lucic, Ron Perger, the Mancuso family and Peter Toomey for sending in material this month. Especially glad to see that Frank is back at it. The next issue is Oct. 27th with a deadline of Oct.13th. —Dan Alaimo * * * * * * * * * * Summary And Reflections About The Meeting Of Parish Representatives Of Our District Convened By The Special Commission On Sexual Abuse In The Diocese Of Cleveland (Our profound thanks to Bill Wiesler for putting this article together.) On Tuesday, August 27, twelve representatives from St. Malachi – 6 from the Parish and 6 from the Community – participated in the District-level Listening Session to discuss the proposed diocesan policy to deal with the sexual abuse of minors. CSM's delegation consisted of Karen Duffy, Gene Kramer, John Lavelle, Mary Englert, Bill Schubmehl, and Bill Wiesler. Fr. Tony attended as one of the six St. Malachi Parish representatives. CSM members were selected from the CSM Task Force on Child Abuse (See The Community of St. Malachi Newsletter, August 25, 2002.) Gathered at St. Ladislaus Parish in Westlake were representatives from the other parishes of the Central West District (which includes the Tremont, Ohio City/New West, Clark-Fulton and Detroit-Shoreway neighborhoods) and the Suburban West District (Lakewood, Rocky River, Bay Village, Westlake, Fairview Park, Olmsted Falls and Berea). In addition to the parish representatives, several members of the Special Commission were present and had the opportunity to introduce themselves. Also present was Dennis Sadowski, the Editor of the Catholic Universe Bulletin and Sr. Christine Shenk CSJ, representing FutureChurch. The purpose of these multi-parish meetings was 1) to have parish representatives share comments, information, suggestions, and criticisms of the Commission's Draft of the sex abuse policy with other parishes; and 2) to bring these ideas to the attention of the Special Commission for constructively revising the Commission's draft before it is finalized in the Diocese. In addition to each individual's personal response, each member of the St. Malachi delegation brought a copy of the summary response from the August 25th Listening Session at St. Malachi. The personal response forms from each participant of the St. Malachi Listening Session, the discussion notes from each table and all additional comments were brought to the District Listening Session and personally given to Mr. William Denihan, the Chairperson of the Special Commission. Thus, every response which came to St. Malachi and every comment noted at the Listening Session was submitted to the Special Commission. The agenda for the gathering was essentially the same as that of the St. Malachi Listening Session. Parish representatives were asked to sit at several tables (no more than two persons from the same parish at any one table). Each table was asked to discuss the three response questions on the proposed policy:
(Note: As you can see from the above questions, the meeting was focused on getting information about the needed changes/criticisms of the Draft Policy. Thus, many positive elements of the Draft were not discussed.) Rather than conducting a general discussion at table, it was suggested that each table follow a "simple listening" process: going around the table, each person would have the opportunity to share his/her response to a question, without comments by other table members. A table secretary recorded every response. After each person had the chance to respond, any remaining time was given to general discussion. At the end of the table discussion, each table was asked to choose 2-3 items from all their discussion as key responses that "We want the Commission to know…" At the end of the discussion period, each table reported its 2-3 key responses to the entire group. After each table reported, Mr. Denihan thanked everyone for their participation and especially for their comments. He assured all that every comment would be read, reviewed and considered by the Commission. He noted that the results of these District-level meetings, the responses from the parish meetings and the individual responses received would be of critical importance to the Commission in their work of revising the proposed Policy. Finally, he emphasized that the primary goal of both the Commission and of Bishop Pilla was to make sure that the Diocese creates a policy that is right and effective for protecting children and for the good of all. The CSM Task Force has put together the following summary of the most frequently expressed concerns by the district's representatives and some of our own members' reflections of the meeting. These concerns are presented in no special order:
Reflections From Some Of The CSM Attending Members Mary Englert: "Significant for me was the overall demonstration by meeting participants of deep loyalty to our faith, respect for the priesthood, concern for fuller involvement of the laity in church functioning, profound compassion for all affected by the recently revealed tragedies, and determination that every step necessary be taken to eliminate such occurrences in the future." John Lavelle: "[There is need] for trust for this whole endeavor as a sincere effort on the part of the commission and the Bishop. There is little to be achieved by negativity or suspecting little or no concrete outcome." Bill Schubmehl: "Many [in my table group] were elderly - like me - but we all seemed to be of such similar mind. One theme in our group was distrust of the bishop and bishops in general. There was also a sense of strong support for our faithful priests who serve us so well and concern for the effect this scandal has on them." In the end, we, a community of believers, will be called upon to offer support and encouragement for both victim and offender through accountability, justice, forgiveness, and love. Bill Wiesler: "Civil law has jurisdiction over sexual abuse because this behavior is first and foremost a crime, and a person has been deliberately harmed by another person. We must also be vigilant in remembering that 'accountability, justice, and forgiveness' are not contradictory values. Each of these must be applied to each and every case that appears before the diocese. If a person is found guilty of a crime against children and must be removed from future ministries involving contact with children, compassion and rehabilitation must also prevail. While all people who commit a sexual offense are not the same, all must be held accountable to the legal authorities as well as to the Diocese and the parish/community/agency in which they perform their duties. Offenders will each need individualized sex offender-specific treatment and assistance in how they will live out the rest of their lives. Let us also not forget that not only each victim of sexual abuse, but also the victim's family and friends will be changed by this event for the rest of their lives. There is no such thing as "an innocent sexual touch," which several speakers at the meeting referred to as the "lesser crimes" of sexual abuse. No one can pretend to know or judge how any victim will experience the pain of any kind of sexual abuse. In the end, we, a community of believers, will be called upon to offer support and encouragement for both victim and offender through accountability, justice, forgiveness, and love." —Bill Wiesler * * * * * * * * * * We Are The Church I agree with Dan Alaimo [Editor's note: see last month's "Malachi File."] that the Community of St. Malachi (CSM) has reached a defining moment since Bonnie Mar was fired as the manager of Malachi Mart. It is a crisis for me. I have been a member of the Community since before Bishop Hickey recognized it as a parish. Its members at that time were inspired to accept the responsibility Vatican II had encouraged them to take up. We had to fight to be recognized as a lay directed non-territorial parish. We won. CSM was among the first parishes to allow women and girls in the sanctuary. Tony DiNardo and Dick Gibbons took the lead in establishing St. Malachi Center. Malachi Mart was founded to support it. It was a risk, but the people of the Parish and the Community took the risk, and worked hard to make the projects succeed. The Community has been involved in many social action projects through the years. We were always concerned about justice – for migrant farm workers, Central American refugees – and we didn't hesitate to speak out about it and to try to do something to correct it. Now an injustice has been done to a woman who has worked faithfully and competently for 7 years in an undertaking with which the Community is deeply involved. Now an injustice has been done to a woman who has worked faithfully and competently for 7 years in an undertaking with which the Community is deeply involved. She was fired because "the Mart needs new leadership." No other reason was given to her. The Board of Trustees and the Director of the Center have steadfastly refused to give any reason for the firing. It was done in a hurtful and insulting way. Not surprisingly, the people who worked with Bonnie and who patronized the Mart were astounded. Volunteers quit, customers disappeared. Rather than supporting the Center's programs, the Mart has been losing money. Maybe the Mart will be saved. Knowledgeable and qualified persons might be found to replace those who were brushed aside. Maybe vigorous advertising will bring in new customers. High-income people who will be moving into the new condos down the street might increase the profits. But the ministry aspect of the Mart has been destroyed. It won't be resurrected. The damage that has been done to the reputation of St. Malachi will never be totally restored. There seems to be no attempt at all to redress the injustice that has been done to Bonnie Mar. The Community Council refused to even send her a letter of appreciation for her years of service. This is the first time in all my years as a member of the Community that I have been ashamed of something that was done in the name of St. Malachi. I am not alone in my feeling of distress. How have we come to the point where an injustice in our very midst is being let stand? What are we afraid of? We say we are Christians. We are the Church. Let's act like it. —Helen Brinich * * * * * * * * * * Bonnie Mar's Last Hurrah – Maybe If I were to look at it from an impersonal perspective, I could easily come to the conclusion that Malachi Center trustees, council and management did not handle the Malachi Mart fiasco very well. There should have been a fairer, more competent and more Christian way to come to terms with Bonnie Mar's job at the Mart. It does raise the question whether leadership is modeled along corporate lines or the Community Mission statement. It also raises questions of who is in control, a few individuals at the top or the membership? I've known Bonnie as a Christian and reasonable person for 20 years and she also eventually came to be known to others as a Malachi Mart icon. It came as a surprise to me when I heard she was "fired." I wondered, was it because she was caught embezzling? Did she show some kind of moral turpitude? Did customers dislike her? Was she no longer able to handle the responsibility of a manager? Knowing Bonnie, I believed such things to be impossible. So why was she let go? I called the Malachi Center manager and the conversation with her was even more ambiguous – more questions were raised I inquired of four Community members who I assumed might be trustees and either got ambiguous answers (which is par for the course) or was not called back. I called the Malachi Center manager and the conversation with her was even more ambiguous – more questions were raised than answered. Any questions I asked and the answers I got seemed to imply that something private had occurred and, as the Center manager said, "I have to be concerned for the confidentiality of the other employees" – i.e., confidential matters couldn't be discussed. Only one volunteer honestly replied to my inquiry and all he could tell me was there were rumors that the firing came about because of the sale of outdated goods (a long-standing and undisguised practice at the Mart), and Bonnie was informed that the Center Board passed a general resolution forbidding it. Months after Bonnie left, outdated goods are still being sold at the Mart. The volunteer thought that the trustees and administration as a distraction probably floated this reason as a rumor so they wouldn't have to reveal some private agenda. Finally I went to the "horse's mouth" and arranged an interview with Bonnie. She told me the Center director came in on a Friday morning, dismissed some young students who were helping out, and had her sit down. Without further ado, Bonnie was handed her paycheck, her severance pay, and was told her job was eliminated. So Bonnie cleared out what personal effects she had and left. When I asked the Center director why the job and another manager's name was listed on the Community roster for the new year, she replied that the manager's duties had been redefined, not eliminated. Was Bonnie considered not able to manage the redefined position? The answer: ask the trustees. Now might be a good time to find out who the trustees answer to and whether Community members have any influence over them. I've asked how trustees are appointed and by whom, but I never got an answer. Laid off employee, mysterious trustees, questionable management, corporate reports, Enron, WorldCom – where have I heard this before? —Frank Schiros * * * * * * * * * * God's Character? Recently I read surprisingly similar ideas about the character of God by two different authors. The first author was Historical Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan in his autobiography, "A Long Way From Tipperary." The second author was Mark Twain in his classic, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Both of these authors addressed some of the characteristics of God that have confused me and made me uncomfortable. I have often read scriptural passages that made me feel as though God loves me and treasures me. I have also read scriptures that have made me fear God and feel as though He is ready to punish me. My practice has been to habitually view God as loving and forgiving. Yet I know that I cannot ignore the other characteristics of God that seem punitive. You can often even find vengeance or justice announced side by side in the very same book. They are not reconciled, just juxtaposed John Dominic Crossan has confirmed and categorized my impressions. He writes, "You can go through the Bible, all the way from one end to the other, and draw up a long list of texts about God as vengeance. You can also go through it, all the way from one end to the other and draw up a long list of texts about God as justice…. Vengeance is swift, merciless, and violent. Justice is slow, merciful, and nonviolent." Crossan also writes, "You can often even find vengeance or justice announced side by side in the very same book. They are not reconciled, just juxtaposed." John Dominic Crossan does not solve the dilemma. For me he simply clarifies and neatly categorizes it: objectively and starkly. Soon afterwards I read very similar information coming out of the mouth of Huckleberry Finn. The only difference I could see between Crossan and Twain is that Crossan's information furrowed my brow while Twain's style made me laugh. Let me set Mark Twain's quotes up for you. Huckleberry Finn was a homeless free spirit until the Widow Douglas took him for her son and began to try to civilize him. While Huck doesn't much like the rules of wearing stiff clothes, using manners, and going to school, the reader gets the idea that Huck knows that the Widow Douglas' intentions are good and that she is loving in her approach. The Widow's sister Miss Watkins also lives with them. She is rather strict, nagging, and punitive in her approach. Of course both women take turns providing guidance to Huck. The following quotes are Huck's reflections on the character of God as he hears it from each of these women. Regarding a conversation with Miss Watkins about heaven and hell Huck reports, "…she told me all about the bad place, and I said I wished I was there…She said it was wicked to say what I said…she was going to live so as to go to the good place…I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and, she said, not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together." Further on Huck reflects, "Sometimes the widow would take me one side and talk about Providence in a way to make a body's mouth water; but maybe next day Miss Watson would take hold and knock it all down again. I judged I could see that there was two Providences, and a poor chap would stand considerable show with the widow's Providence, but if Miss Watson's got him there warn't no help for him any more. I thought it all out, and reckoned I would belong to the widow's if he wanted me, though I couldn't make out how he was agoing to be any better off then than what he was before, seeing I was so ignorant and so kind of lowdown and ornery." I laughed and laughed at Huckleberry Finn's insight. There it was again, the God of justice and the God of vengeance. While I enjoyed finding similar views on the character of God, written over 100 years apart, in the end I am left with an uncomfortable quote by Crossan: "Is God a God of vengeance or of justice, and if both, is that possible?" —John Lucic * * * * * * * * * * Of Faith, Evil, And 9/11 There was a diversity of reactions and views given about God on a Public TV broadcast of the horrendous tragedy of 9/11/01 on Sept. 3. The program was called "Faith and Doubt." The commentary came from families and friends of victims, priests, rabbis, Islamic scholars, atheists and bystanders. Uppermost in people's minds was, "How could God allow this to happen?" Uppermost in people's minds was, "How could God allow this to happen?" Some maintained their faith in God, others lost their faith in God, some were now more wary of God, others were skeptical of the goodness of God, and others who didn't believe in God felt vindicated. As a viewer of both the tragedy and the program and as a firm believer in God, The Creator, I offer my view. If a Christian can acknowledge the story of Adam and Eve, one must remember that God warned both Adam and Eve not to eat the "Apple." This may be the story of creation but the key factor in this Biblical tale is that God vested them with free will. They didn't have to eat the "Apple" but they did! Humans may turn away from the admonitions of God and choose to express irresponsible free will, but it is probably the basis for all the wretchedness in this world. I have spent many an hour in contemplative reflection regarding the awesome existence of God and I have come to the conclusion that God is neither terrible nor good. God gave us free will to love and do good, or hate and do evil. We can't blame the Almighty for having given us the awesome responsibility of free will when we foolishly use it to bite the "Apple." It's humans who choose to do evil. In God's wisdom, we received the Ten Commandments and the option to follow them if we choose, so when bad things happen to good people, blame the unbridled, unprincipled nature of Man. When I pray to God, I pray that I'm given the inspiration to love and follow the Commandments; I never pray that God should be good to me and give me the winning ticket to the Power Ball lottery, and I wouldn't blame God when I don't win. The PBS program also examined Evil with scholarly dialogue, but having once experienced an expression of Evil, I have no need for scholars to convince me of its existence. Evil is like a disease and if you make contact with it and are attracted by it, its infection becomes addictive. All the human monsters through history were once innocent babes who grew up and rationalized evil acts as necessary. One evil act necessarily is followed by another until evil becomes habitual and a disease of the soul. One well-known philosopher wrote that God created all things, so God must have created Satan. That may be so but people were never mandated to turn to Satan and his fatal attractions. The last theme that was considered on the program was religion. One rabbi put it well: "Religion," he said," has all the qualities of mystery, mysticism and graceful contemplation that satisfies the human soul, but at the same time it also has a dark side where obscenities and corruption occur when manipulated by beasts or Pharisees." 9/11, the Holocaust, war, the victims of war and poverty will continue to exist as long as there are dark places where the beasts and Pharisees lurk. Don't blame God. —Frank Schiros * * * * * * * * * * On War (With our President working hard to make a case for war with Iraq, a couple of Community members sent in quotes from two very wise men that certainly give us food for thought.)
Beware (Ron Perger was kind enough to send us this timely quotation from the Bard of Avon. Thanks Ron.) Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war to whip up the citizenry into a patriotic fervor for patriotism is indeed a double edged sword. It emboldens the blood just as it narrows the mind ... and when the drums of war have reached a fevered pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather the citizenry infused with fear and blinded by patriotism will offer up all of their rights unto the leader, and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar. —William Shakespeare
The War Prayer (John Lucic sent us this ironic nugget from Mark Twain.) O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle-be Thou near them! With them-in spirit-we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it-for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of Love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen. —Mark Twain * * * * * * * * * * The Peace Pilgrim (Ginny Schiros went surfing on the net recently and found herself remembering a turning point in her youth. We thank her for sharing her reflections with us.) I would like to share a website with other readers that has brought me back to a moment of truth in my youth. During my high school years, I was seeking true spirituality, as evidenced in believers who not only "talked the talk" but also "walked the walk". My father was on his own search and had brought his children in 1974 to St. Malachi for the 11:00 a.m. Mass. The vibrant celebration and authentic social concern in the Community filled me with a need to find others who were trying to live the Gospel message in real and meaningful ways. My search led me to an evening in 1976 at Church of Unity in Westlake where I read that the Peace Pilgrim would be coming to speak that night. The article in the newspaper stated that the Peace Pilgrim was a woman who mysteriously gave up a middle class life to spread the message of peace for the world. When I went to see Peace Pilgrim that night I was transformed. I experienced the presence of God in someone like I had never felt before. She was simple, deep, loving, and full of a quiet power that allowed her to walk where others feared to tread. Her gray hair, weathered skin and second hand clothing exuded warmth and humility. I wanted to offer her shelter that night but she was already spoken for – everyone wanted to take this "Saint of the Road" home with them! She had what everyone in the audience longed for: an inner peace that allowed them to live the faith they believed in but found so difficult to incarnate. The marvel was that she had resolved to live according to a life of peace without bounds. As written on her website, she would say: This is the way of peace: "Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love." Carrying in her tunic pockets her only possessions, she vowed, "I shall remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food." She talked with people on dusty roads and city streets, to church, college, civic groups, on TV and radio, discussing peace within and without. Peace Pilgrim walked over 25,000 miles of America from 1953 to 1981 spreading her message in her gentle and quiet way. Amazingly, even though she passed away over twenty years ago, a website has been constructed to continue spreading her message today. Given the turn of current events and talk of war in the coming months, Peace Pilgrim's website is an inspiring place to visit to remind us that for some people the message of the gospel wasn't just a philosophy but a way of life. Take a moment and visit peacepilgrim.org. Materials are free and links are provided to other sites related to working for peace in the world today. —Ginny Schiros * * * * * * * * * * A Letter From The Mancusos (With the support of the Diocese, St. Malachi Parish and the Community, Beth and Al Mancuso – with their young daughter, Rachel – recently left Ohio and headed for Washington D.C. to undergo training to do mission work in Latin America. They have committed to three years of service. We asked Al to keep us posted on how he and his family are doing and he graciously agreed to do just that. Thank you Mancusos! The prayers of the St Malachi faithful are with you.) Rachel, Beth, and I officially have one week of training under our belts. Training is like going back to college. We have books we need to read in our spare time. Different speakers give lectures on a variety of subjects such as "Prayer," " Cross-Culturalization," and "Catholic Social Teachings," and we need to take notes. All of this seems a little foreign since it has been nearly ten years for me and nearly five years for Beth since we had to do any sort of class work. Please remember Rachel, Beth, and myself in your thoughts and prayers. We could use the support. Our week, Monday through Friday, is pretty structured. We meet every morning for prayer at 8:15 a.m. and every evening at 7:00 p.m. We attend mass each weekday at 11:30 a.m. except Wednesdays because we are out of the house at different missionary locations. Unfortunately, we have to have Rachel in day care each weekday except Wednesday because she is able to go to our volunteer location. Our classes have a morning and afternoon session which generally last two hours. We all have dinner together. We are taking classes on the life of St. Francis of Assisi. They meet just about every week. For those of you who do not know, St. Francis had the "stigmata." Beth and I never knew that. Francis was quite an amazing person. When he went to the pope in the late 12th Century to ask permission to start his own religious order, he was told to become a Benedictine monk. Francis told the pope that his ministry was not meant to be behind walls, but rather it was meant to be with the people out on the streets. Francis was somewhat of a revolutionary in his time. We have a real great mix of people who we live in community with. There is Michael who left a job as a social worker for Allegheny County in Pittsburgh. Diana is originally from the Bay area in California, but she comes to us from an independent missionary position in San Salvador, El Salvador. Sr. Anna comes from a Franciscan community of nuns in Germany. And lastly there is Sr. Sophia from India where she is part of the same Franciscan community as Anna. These first few days have been difficult, and they will not get easier. That's for sure. Please remember Rachel, Beth, and myself in your thoughts and prayers. We could use the support. We will try to send an e-mail every week or so to keep all of you updated. Oh, we still are not sure where it is we are exactly headed, but it is fairly certain that it will be either Bolivia or Mexico. We wish we could tell you more. With love and prayers. —Rachel, Beth, & Al Mancuso * * * * * * * * * * A Young Family's Catholic Experience While at a Catholic family retreat with my own family this past summer on Topsail Island, North Carolina, we interviewed Walter and Liz Jones and their two young children at the Christian Family Living Center (CFL) compound in North Carolina. We wanted to interview them because we were told that they had converted to Catholicism a few years ago. Walter and Liz are in their late 20s or early 30s and their two children are two and four years. Liz became aware of what Catholicism had to offer her because she had suffered three miscarriages and felt the spiritual teaching in response to the miscarriages in the churchly body of her fundamentalist denomination was insufficient. Although they tried to offer her their sympathies, she felt her former church was unable to give her any solid answers regarding the fate of the souls of her miscarried children. She was extremely troubled by the superficial answers given to her at her church. This led her to believe that, although she had grown up in the South where Catholicism was often viewed with suspicion, there was something good for her in the Catholic Church. The couple had a Catholic family living next door and they developed an over-the-fence friendship. When Liz talked about her miscarriages, the family next door offered compassionate words of encouragement and reassurances that her children were surely in heaven with the Lord. Liz asked her neighbor to pose the question to the parish priest and, through the neighbor, he replied that in the eyes of the Catholic Church, unborn children were considered "the holy innocents" and certainly were "saved" with a place in heaven. This led her to believe that, although she had grown up in the South where Catholicism was often viewed with suspicion, there was something good for her in the Catholic Church. The neighbors invited them to go to church on many a Sunday. They resisted the invitations for two years, but eventually went. They agreed to go as long as there were no strings attached and there would be no suspicious anti-Christ activities going on. They were especially concerned with Catholics who "worshipped" Mary. What they saw at Mass that day impressed and intrigued them. They continued going to church at various times and eventually Liz felt and understood the mystery of the Eucharist and decided she wanted to become a Catholic. Walter came to see the good in the Church and also joined because he wanted to be together in faith with his wife. Have they regretted their conversion? No! An important element in their conversion was that their extended families offered no serious opposition to them becoming Catholics. This family learned about the Catholic Family Living Center on Topsail Island through friends at their church and, in fact, attended with friends. Although everybody present seemed prepared to improve their spiritual life, Walter and Liz were a good choice for me to observe as a random sample of the type of family coming to CFL. They have young children, have a supportive church back home, and want to bring their children up in the Catholic faith. Although they didn't know what to expect when they signed up for the week, they found the staff welcoming and hospitable and all the families behaved as one big family with extended relatives. Walter and Liz participated in all the activities offered during the week. Walter brought the traditional cup of coffee to Liz every morning and then helped the men prepare breakfast. Walter, the other men, teens and pre-teens comprised the clean-up crews after meals. Mothers helped prepare dinner meals once during the week. During the weekly talent and variety show, the men composed a tongue-in-cheek song about all the work they had to do compared to the women, put to the tune of "Old Man River". The family took the children to the beach, when the opportunity afforded itself, every afternoon during free time. All the parents kept an eye on all children no matter who they belonged to. In fact, it was the unspoken agreement that everyone would help out with the youngest children – even the teens. Most families see this caring and sharing of responsibility as a good example of how a Christian community can share life together. Both learned to exclaim, "Ooh! Aah! Wonderful!" as a humorous ritual affirmation when families would stand before the whole group to share some of the small crafts made during family time. Walter and Liz wanted to be in a program where they believed sun, sand, seawater and fun would be integral to the program, as well as an immersion in Catholic faith, and they got it. The program was structured and both Walter and Liz believed that the structure of activities in Affirmation, Communication, Reconciliation and Commitment was rich in the Gospel message. They commented that the program offered an anti-secular moment away from the everyday stress of life. Although I knew that Liz hadn't grown up Catholic, I asked her what kind of impact did she think the program would have on her children or on anyone else's children as they grow up. She answered that one example of such an impact was Father Frank, the Marianist spiritual director for the week, who made their faith come alive and offered a yardstick for living a moral societal life. The morality tales presented by puppets also kept the attention of the children. For Walter, it was an opportunity to process more family activities both physically and morally in a fun and loving atmosphere. (Picture this: adults ambushing the teens with water balloons. My daughter Sarah and Walter make mean water warriors in a water fight). The program is always evaluated for improvements the following year and Liz believes there should be more flexibility in scheduling because of the very young children often attending. All in all, most learned how to create a compatible environment between CFL activities and activities offered at their home church. Have either Walter or Liz ever regretted their decision to attend CFL? No. Are they considering returning again to CFL? Yes. Did they think that CFL helped to support their Catholic faith? It was, to them, an essential experience in living life as a Catholic Christian. They welcome any further inquiries or comments: e-mail them at waltandliz@directvinternet.com. — Virginia May-Schiros and Frank Schiros (P.S.: Ginny is part of the CFL ministry. The CFL movie video and the Power point computer presentation are available on request by e-mail by writing VmaySky@aol.com, or by calling 216-521-4195.)* * * * * * * * * * Thin No More (A little humor out of the net and onto our pages, forwarded to us by Peter Toomey. Thanks Peter!) There was a tradesman, a painter called Wayne, who was very interested in making a penny where he could, so he often would thin down paint to make it go a wee bit further. As it happened, he got away with this for some time. But eventually the Baptist Church decided to do a big restoration job on the painting of one of their biggest buildings. Wayne put in a bid, and because his price was so low, he got the job. And so he set to erecting the trestles and setting up the planks, and buying the paint and, yes, I am sorry to say, thinning it down with turpentine. Well, Wayne was up on the scaffolding, painting away, the job nearly completed when suddenly there was a horrendous clap of thunder, and the sky opened, the rain poured down, washing the thinned paint from all over the church and knocking Wayne clear off the scaffold to land on the lawn among the gravestones, surrounded by telltale puddles of the thinned and useless paint. Wayne was no fool. He knew this was a judgment from the Almighty, so he got on his knees and cried: "Oh, God! Forgive me! What should I do?" And from the thunder, a mighty voice spoke... "Repaint! Repaint! And thin no more!" —Author Unknown
Padre Franco The Bell Ringer (Get out your official Padre Franco Bell and ring it 'til the cows come home: the Padre is back! He's hobnobbed in Cannes, he's lunched with cineastes in New York, and now he is back where he belongs. We here at the monastery are, as you can imagine, very happy to have the good Padre back and we look forward to the stories we're sure he's been honing these many long months away. In case you've forgotten, 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. Brother Daniel joins the good Padre this month in offering concise criticism of films playing around town. Padre Franco would like to remind 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.) Possession %%% 1/2"Possession" is a title given to the film because its meaning is to be "seized by love." This film moves through a sophisticated literary ambiance. If you love reading/writing poetry and enjoy watching Masterpiece Theater on TV, then you'll enjoy this movie. It is stripped of such Americanized tools as nudity, profanity and violence. If you love reading/writing poetry and enjoy watching Masterpiece Theater on TV, then you'll enjoy this movie. The plot centers on a puzzle of engaging mystery. It is about two interconnected love stories, one set in the present and the other more than a hundred years in the past. The director effortlessly glides back and forth between the period part of the story and the modern day. A research assistant (the ugly American abroad – Aaron Eckhart) has stumbled upon a hitherto unknown draft of a letter which offers the first inkling of a long ago genteel affair involving Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam) and Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle). Experts considered Ash a rigorously faithful married man and LaMotte a lesbian. To further his investigation, Roland Mitchell engages the assistance of Maud Bailey (the prim, frosty Gwyneth Paltrow) A good deal of the story is told through elaborate love letters, alternating between the secret 19th Century romance and a growing attachment between the two researchers. They are deliberately "cool" romances that depict the evolution of two affairs more than a century apart. Yet, even in its most intimate moments, the action is detached from both relationships, focusing on the mystery of The Secret itself. Unfortunately because of this, the researcher's lives are not fully fleshed out. The cache of scholarly evidence establishes the affair, and to make it more palatable to the audience on this side of the Atlantic, all the loose ends are tied up: a budding relationship is implied between Roland and Maud, and Ash accidentally stumbles upon his hidden illegitimate daughter and verifies the happy result of the romance. —Padre Franco One Hour Photo %%%%Here's yet another review about a Robin Williams movie that must start out with the warning that it is nothing like "Mrs. Doubtfire" or "Patch Adams" – don't bring the kids, no matter what age. In this low-key psychological thriller, Williams plays a very disturbed individual, a one-hour photo technician in a chain discount store located somewhere in American suburbia. He lives alone fantasizing life as "Uncle Sy" to a family that patronizes the store, keeping copies of their pictures. The movie becomes quite creepy as he starts to act out those fantasies, stalking the family members and eventually taking revenge at a wrong perpetuated as much on his fantasy as on the family. There's nothing funny going on here. It's a depressing movie, but well done, and Williams' acting is first rate. There are a number of minor flaws, for instance, Sy (for Seymour, or "see more") is spotted by the child as he is stalking the Yorkin (or "your kin") family car, but there is no follow through. Another one: he is fired from his job with cause and then told to stay on through the week, and gets to keep his keys – that doesn't happen in real life. But otherwise the writing is good, and the film moves right along. "One Hour Photo" also brings to mind the inhumanity of low-paying life in the "service economy" of the Bush era. Beyond the psychological portrait that could fit many lonely people, "One Hour Photo" also brings to mind the inhumanity of low-paying life in the "service economy" of the Bush era (to clarify: the second Bush era, which in this respect is much the same as the first). While Williams' character clearly has emotional problems that would surface in any situation, his life working in the sanitized fluorescence of the discount store, and living in a similarly Spartan apartment, leaves no room for the counseling or relationships that could pull him out of his downward spiral. Presumably he also works nights and Sundays, thus reducing the possibility of any kind of church-related support. There are many people who live similar lives, but hopefully without the same results. —Brother Daniel My Big Fat Greek Wedding %%%%On the other side of the cinematic universe from "One Hour Photo" is "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." This is a wonderful uplifting film that celebrates the multi-cultural splendor of America. The people involved could be of Italian, Jewish, Islamic, African-American or any other ethnic heritage, and much of the same truths would come out. No doubt it wouldn't be as funny, but my point is, anyone can relate to it. This movie is more significant for how it has grown from a minor art house film to one of the top grossing movies of the summer. Yes, it was financed by Tom Hanks, but the rest of the production is by unknowns. It's the kind of success that results more from word-of-mouth praise than from first-weekend promotion. A similarly themed movie is "Monsoon Wedding," made in India, but partially in English, with the rest in subtitles. In my opinion, it's actually better than "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," with a bit more of an edge and dramatic tension, but hindered at the box office by those subtitles. When I last checked, it was still playing at the Cedar-Lee, but if you miss it, the video release is not far off. —Brother Daniel
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When You Thought I Wasn't Looking (Written by a former child.) When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life. When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be. When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking." —Mary Rita Schilke Korzan (Sent to Dan Alaimo by
When You Thought I Wasn't Looking (Written by a former child.) When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life. When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be. When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking." —Mary Rita Schilke Korzan (Sent to Dan Alaimo by
* * * * * * * * * * Be Outraged Be outraged by the suffering of the poor, by the oppression of the marginalized in society; don't give them pie in the sky, don't ignore their suffering. My creed is that god so loved this world that he commanded us to take it with immense seriousness and not to shrug off the pain and injustice we see in it in favor of some world to come.
—Rabbi Kushner * * * * * * * * * * Community News Council Meeting Highlights (It was an unusually busy summer for the Community of St. Malachi Council [CSM Council] as new leadership was discerned, an agenda for the coming year was formed and a special meeting was convened to give the Community membership an opportunity to speak out about their concerns with the decision the St. Malachi Center Board of Trustees made to fire Bonnie Mar as the manager of Malachi Mart [see the July 28th issue of the Community Newsletter at
Pastor's Report: The work on the offices in the rectory is near completion. It is anticipated that St. Malachi staff will move into the renovated space the latter half of September. We are in dialogue with the city about our application for a building permit for the ramp to create accessibility to the rectory. We have planned for a wooden ramp; the city wants a concrete ramp. During the work to replace the ceiling in the hall, the workers brought the retaining wall to the steps of the old church to our attention. It is leaning dangerously toward the street. We are currently seeking expert opinion, recommendations and costs. This will obviously be a major, and unanticipated, expense. Urban Community School began its 35th school year on August 21st. UCS, which had been looking to purchase property at the corner of Fulton and Monroe to build a new school, has formally abandoned that effort. Kevin McKenna is beginning his third year of diaconate formation; his wife, Becky, is continuing her preparation to receive pastoral ministry certification. We are discussing the idea of developing a inter-parish adult faith formation group, perhaps modeled on the recent work of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us. The RCIA Journey of Faith has begun; sessions are Monday evenings at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick rectory. The Rite of Christian Initiation is open to all – those who seek to explore the Catholic faith more fully, and those who have already decided to become part of the Catholic community. Most persons who have no church affiliation have never been invited, so encourage people you know to "come and see." Malachi House will be hosting a benefit at the Renaissance Hotel on October 25th called "Blueprints, Making a House a Home." Vibrant Parish Life: The council supported a resolution to allocate $250 to cover expenses the VPL initiative might incur. The St. Malachi Parish Council passed an identical resolution. Members of both councils, and parishes, are being encouraged to educate themselves about Vibrant Parish Life as much of the effort of the next few years will be devoted to realizing richer, more vibrant parish life. It was recognized that this effort would build on the work done by the people behind the Rejoice and Renew: St. Malachi Looks to the Future initiative undertaken as part of the Community's celebration of its 25th anniversary as a personal parish. Mancuso's Mission Work: Council voted in favor of supporting Al and Beth Mancuso and their family in their missionary work with the Caputian Franciscans, to be accumulated through a special collection, benefits and 'giving' so as to reach the target of $1000 this year. (And anticipating $3000over three years, if the proposal is supported for 2003 and 2004). This proposal will be voted upon next year and the following year (a three year commitment). Because council can only commit to such funding for a singe year Fred Lenard will follow up by presenting this proposal to council again in 2003, 2004. New Membership Chair Selected: Council voted unanimously in favor of Cynthia Bender as Membership Chairperson. Finance Council: Council voted unanimously to approve Mariann Kerr to replace Ed Shemo, who's term expired on June 30th, 2002, on the Finance Council. Malachi Mart: Council voted not to write a letter of thanks, on formal letterhead, in appreciation of Bonnie Mar's more than eight years of service at Malachi Mart. It was noted that individual members of council are certainly free to write their own letters of appreciation. Built of Living Stones Task Force: This committee was formed to assess and make recommendations regarding the physical and liturgical needs of the church building. They are using as their guide a document entitled Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship. The committee consists of Teresa Andreani, Terry Jungquist, Stan Kozak, John Lucic, Becky McKenna, Andy McLinden, Fr. Tony and Kay Vine. Charlene McElwee serves as facilitator. Areas under study are the church interior, safety and accessibility issues, sound and light, and use of liturgical space. Sexual Abuse Task Force: Kathy Burke will act as a 'point person' for Community members wishing to know how the Community will respond to the sexual abuse crisis in the church. [See Bill Wiesler's report in this issue of Communio.] Goals For The Coming Year: After being skillfully led through a series of exercises by Lou Keim, the council identified several areas where they wanted to make a difference, all of them revolving around a desire to more fully embrace and support new members and members who stand at the Community's margins so that there is a larger volunteer base with which we can grow the many ministries of St. Malachi's. There was also an expressed desire to humbly open our hearts and minds to new ideas and new voices. * * * * * * * * * * Community of St. Malachi, 2459 Washington Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-2380 Sunday Community Mass 11 a.m. Parish Masses Sat. 4:30 p.m., Sun. 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. 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 a.m. Community liturgy on Sunday. Community members are expected to actively contribute of their time, talent and treasure. Communio is a monthly publication of the Communications Committee of the Community of St. Malachi. Deadline is the second Sunday before publication. You ease our task by submitting materials by E-Mail or on disk. All viewpoints of interest to our Community in the context of our journey of faith are welcome here. Viewpoints are those of the writers and not necessarily the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. For email delivery of Communio or Newsletter through CSM's E-Subscription service, write
Alaimo@att.net
ã
2002 Community of St. Malachi. Reprinting of articles originating in Communio is encouraged – please contact the Editors for permission. Newsletter Communio: E-mail dalaimo@att.net Calendar: Lisa Diomede 216-991-9038, Volunteers to collate and staple: Volunteers to hand out after Mass: Copying and attachments: Ellen McIntyre, Judy Bozell, and Carol Lavelle 216-781-3110 St. Malachi Web Site: Mike May Prayer Request: If you have a prayer request, please contact Judy Bozell 216-781-3110 To receive CSM e-mail prayer alerts, contact Dolores Sullin at
dasas@nccw.net. Luis Gutierrez | ||||||||||||||||
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