Additional Updates

Who Is My Neighbor?
October Neighbor-Mexico
(Bulletin Oct 15, 2006)

The United Mexican States, generally known as Mexico, lies just to the south of the United States. Steeped in the ancient cultures of Amerindian civilizations Mexico existed under Spanish rule for three centuries before gaining their independence in the early 19th century. Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec, Izapa, Teotihuacan, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Huaxtec, Purepecha, Toltee and Mexica (Aztecs) flourished for nearly 5,000 years before first contact with Europeans. These civilizations have been credited with many inventions in building pyramid-temples, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, writing, highly accurate calendars, fine arts, intensive agriculture, engineering, an abacus calculator, complex theology and the wheel. Mexicans are people oriented, and will put friends and family before work and business. Family values in Mexico were preserved, even in the era of industrialization and social change, because the traditional family serves as protection and release from the troubling outside world. Mexico is a large country and every region has a distinct culture, language, and art that create a huge mosaic as a whole.

Mexico has a mixed economy that recently entered the trillion dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Mexico still needs to overcome many structural problems as it strives to modernize its economy and raise living standards. The country has continued to struggle with such issues as economic control and development, especially with the petroleum sector and the evolution of trade relations with the United States.
Currently Mexico is struggling in the political arena as recent elections have come under protest. On July 2, 2006, 41 million Mexican voters came to the polls to vote for a president and members of congress. Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute gave the victory to the National Action Party Candidate, Felipe Calderon. On September 5 a special electoral court certified Calderon's victory, rejecting a request by Democratic Revolution Party candidate Andres Manual Lopez Obrador's bid to annul the election. Obrador has refused to recognize the decision and will create an "alternate government" before the December 1 presidential inauguration. Please pray for the people of Mexico in this time of political turmoil.

Next week we will focus on El Salvador and Guatemala. The following week we will learn more about what the U.S. Bishops have to say about illegal immigrants.

Who Is My Neighbor?
Catholic Social Teaching and Migration
(Bulletin Oct 1, 2006)

In advocating for immigrants, migrants, and refugees it is important to understand that the Catholic position is based on Catholic Social Teaching, which is derived from the Gospels and the words of Christ; statements and encyclicals of the Popes; and statements and pastoral letters of bishops around the world, including the U.S. bishops. Understanding these teachings, which support the U.S. bishops' public policy positions on immigration, is helpful in understanding and defending these positions, especially within the Catholic audiences.

We do not need to look further than the life and words of Jesus Christ to understand that persons on the move- refuges, migrants, immigrants- are special in the eyes of God. The baby Jesus was a refugee who, along with the Holy Family, fled in terror of Herod into Egypt. (Mt 2:14-15) In His public ministry, Jesus was an itinerant, moving from place to place, "with nowhere to lay His Head…." (Mt 8:20)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs us to welcome the stranger: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me." (Mt 25:35) As we welcome the stranger in our midst, we welcome Christ Himself, for in the face of the migrant, immigrant, and refuge, we must see the face of Christ.

The U.S. bishops have taken the Gospel teaching and the teachings of the Popes and applied it to the immigration reality in the United States. In their January 2003 Pastoral Letter, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, the bishops articulated the following five principles that govern how the Church responds to public policy proposals relating to immigration.

Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland.
In public policy terms, efforts should be made to address global economic inequities through just trade practices, economic development and debt relief. Peacemaking efforts should be advanced to end conflict which forces a person to flee their home.

Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.
In the current condition of the world, in which global poverty is rampant and political unrest has resulted in wars and persecution, migrants who are forced to leave their homes out of necessity and seek only to survive and support their families must be given special consideration.

Sovereign nations have a right to control their borders.
Nations also have an obligation to the universal common good. In the current global economic environment, in which the labor demands in the United States attract foreign laborers, the United States should establish an immigration system that provides legal avenues for persons to enter the nation legally in a safe, orderly and dignified manner to obtain jobs and reunite with family members.

Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.
 Conflict and political unrest in many parts of the world force a person to leave their homes for fear of death or harm and should be afforded safe heaven and protection in another country.

The human rights and the human dignity of undocumented migrants should be respected.
Persons who enter a nation without proper authorization or who overstay their visas should be treated with respect and dignity, not detained in deplorable conditions, and be afforded due process of the law. They should not be blamed for the social ills of a nation.

Thank you to The Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform and their Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope program for the above information. www.justiceforimmigrants.org.

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Who Is My Neighbor?
(Bulletin Sept. 24,2006)

In the last several weeks we have been reading about our neighbors in the Dominican Republic and our neighbors in our own parish. Our love for our neighbor echoes our love for God and their care is entrusted to us by God. There are many social justice issues to explore and this ministry will keep up with world events. But, just as there are many injustices in the world, we will also focus on what hard working organizations and individuals are doing to change these injustices. With information and inspiration supplied through our journey you may find yourself part of this group for change.

The bulletin and the large map in the Gathering Space will be our guide as we go through the next year learning about different neighbors. Our neighbors for October will be the immigrants living in our country and we will travel to Mexico and Central America. Watch for the many opportunities to learn about, and most especially to pray for those who need our love.
Be the CHANGE you wish to see in THE WORLD…… Ghandi

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Interdenominational Prayer Service
National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding

Sunday, October 1^st from 2:30 to 3:30 PM at Incarnation Church, 1545 Pennington Rd., Ewing NJ. For additional information, contact Mary Ellen 394-5181or Mblackwell@cctrenton.org.

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National Alliance on Mental Health

Please join NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) as they present How Spirituality and Communities of Faith Can Support Wellness And Recovery From The Effects Of Mental Illness on Tuesday evening September 19 at 7:30 pm at the Lawrenceville Library. All are welcome.

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The Dominican Republic
(Bulletin Sept. 17, 2006)

The Dominican Republic is located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola, making it slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire. The indigenous inhabitants were the Taino Amerindians. The cave paintings the Tainos left around the country have become touristic and nationalistic symbols of the Dominican Republic. Today about 76% of all Dominicans have a mixed heritage of Spanish, African and to a lesser extent Amerindian ancestry. The culture therefore is heavily influenced by Spain, with the national language, and 95% of Dominicans being Catholic. The African cultural expressions are most prominent in musical expressions and the carnival vibe of life. As you may already know, baseball is by far the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic is a developing country dependant on agriculture, trade, and services, especially tourism. Following economic turmoil in the 1980's and 1990's the Dominican Republic has entered into moderate economic growth, through the implementation of economic reforms. The unemployment rate is 17% and 25% of its people live below the poverty line.

The Dominican Republic is a Tropical maritime nation with little seasonal temperature. Unfortunately, that puts this island in the hurricane (hurrakan-a Taino word) belt. 

You may remember Sister Lisa visiting St. Gregory the Great earlier this year and telling us about her mission in The Dominican Republic. As a result of that one of our young parishioners, Angela, spent two weeks with Sister Lisa this past July. You can see Angela's first hand photos of the people of the Dominican Republic on the bulletin board with our map and other interesting facts about this country.

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Reminder! 

There will be a Social Justice/Respect Life meeting on Thursday, August 3 at 7:30 pm in the McManimon Library in the church.

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Hello, my name is Susan Commini
When asked to talk about JustFaith and what it is, I found it hard to separate my experience with the program from who I am-before and after. I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister. I am a friend , a co worker , a lunch mom, a "church lady". I am a Catholic. I am you. I was all these things before the program- I am all these things after the program-just different.

Did I need to add one more thing to my schedule? Did I need to juggle work just to make the meetings every week? Did I need to get my head out of the sand and really take a look at what was going on around me? Oh. Lord, please do not ask me to DO something else.

I can't. But, He wasn't asking me to DO something else, He was asking me to BE something else.

I had felt a restlessness for some time, not quite being able to put my finger on anything "wrong". When I saw the bulletin blurbs about the program, JustFaith, it sounded interesting, but found reasons not to delve into it further. I could not be out of the house one more night-OK it was during the day. Meet a new group of people? Hmm, I would know just about everyone in the group. Lots of reading?- Everyone knows I own stock in Barnes and Noble.

I was afraid it would be just what I was looking for. And it was that and more, much more!

Oh, the power of the Word. I am talking about God's word, the story of Jesus' journey on this earth. Through the books chosen for this course, the prayerful way we entered into each meeting, the bonding of my Monday morning friends, I was led down the path of conversion. A deeper understanding of why Jesus was on this earth, why it was necessary for Him to come and live with us and teach us, and let us know in no uncertain terms what God wanted from us and for us. Does this make it easier to be "Gospel Living"? YES! Does JustFaith make it harder to be "Gospel Living"? YES! But walking with Jesus is an intimate and joyful experience not to be missed.

So, if you are ready for the ride of your life, a ride that brings your faith to its highest and your view of the world to it's lowest and , at the end, brings you gently back to the feet of Jesus, come take this Journey to Justice with JustFaith.

There will be a JustFaith information meeting on Thursday, June 29 at 7:30pm in the church library. If you have any questions, call Susan at 443-1153.

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JustFaith Informational Meeting
Thursday June 29th

In September, after weeks of discernment a small, diverse group of St Gregory the Great parishioners opened a thirty week JustFaith program. During a retreat designed to bond us for the journey ahead, we shared dinner and fellowship as we learned a little bit about each other and what brought us to JustFaith.

In the weeks to come we would learn about and experience social justice issues through books and videos, discussion, scripture and above all prayer. This JustFaith process took us places we would never think of going and places we knew we did not want to go. Social issues such as immigration, racism, workers rights, mental illness, the poor and the homeless were brought to the front for examination always with the questions; What did Jesus teach about this? What did Jesus do about this?

During JustFaith we visited with the handicapped at Visitation Home, heard stories of mental illness and explored the state of healthcare with the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), served the poor and homeless at the Cathedral and learned about Restorative Justice from the diocesan Prison Ministry. We learned of St. Catherine Drexel and her commitment to social justice and learned of the many ways to serve through Catholic Charities. We researched the internet for ways to serve and found a site that makes clear issues that are up for vote in the legislature. We will not vote uninformed again!

During JustFaith our group shared many personal ups and downs, birth and death, difficulties at work and new, exciting jobs, our personal and not always easy journey with Jesus. We ended in June with a retreat designed to arm us with the strength and conviction needed to carry on with our new journey. Tears were shed as we wondered what to do with our Mondays and the prospect of not seeing each other every week! We will always be aware of the lights burning within us and when we see each other in the grocery store or across the aisle during mass we will smile, see our lights shining and know good works are being done in the world.

If you would like to light the fire within you and be a part of JustFaith in the fall, please contact Susan Commini 443-1153. There will be an information meeting on Thursday June 29th at 7:00pm in the church library

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Social Justice/Respect Life Year End Meeting

Thursday, June 1 will be our year end meeting. If you have not been able to attend a meeting all year or have never attended a Social Justice/Respect Life meeting come and meet us in the Parish Center at 7:30 pm. We will discuss new ideas and plan our upcoming ministry year. Feel free to call Susan with questions at 443-1153. 

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Spring Is In The Air and So Is Love!
True Love Waits That Is!

Saint Gregory the Great will host the True Love Waits program for our 7th and 8th graders. This is the 4th year for this very popular program. We are inviting Moms and Dads to check out the program for their young teens! Be Informed! Encourage your teenager to view chastity as a YES!! word to a life of freedom! One parent must attend the parent meeting in order for your teen to attend the sessions. Teens need to attend all four sessions to receive their certificate. Questions? Call Claire 586-0525, Chuck 587-0070 or Joe 586-2597.

Parent Meeting -Wednesday, May 31-7:30pm in the Wade Room.

Teen Sessions are in the Parish Center Wednesday, June 7th, Thursday, June 8th, Monday, June 12th , and Wednesday, June 14.

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2006 Charity and Justice Convocation
Saturday, April 29, 2006
9:00am - 3:30pm

To find out about the great workshops offered, contact Susan at 443-1153

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Social Justice/Respect Life
(Bulletin April 16, 2006)

In recent weeks the Stem Cell Legislation has been the topic of this column. This may have left some of us with questions about other bills in our legislature and how they impact us and others in light of Catholic Social Teaching. Did you ever wonder what our teachings say about some of the issues in our legislature or how your legislator voted or their stand on social justice issues? Saint Gregory's JustFaith group found all of that out in these past weeks through Network: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby.

Through their website www.networklobby.org Network explains Catholic Social Teaching in clear terms. Through the website you will be able to look at any issue/bill and its' recent activity, find out how your legislature voted and their record on social justice issues. You will be able to view the House and Senate's schedule and search for committee hearings. You will also be able to send your legislator a message on issues you read about. The Network website is easy to use and it even has an Educational Resource Guide.

As noted by Frank Petrucelli, Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Paterson in a recent speech:

Vision without action is a daydream - Action without vision is a nightmare - Vision with action affects change

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Social Justice/Respect Life
(Bulletin April 9, 2006)

In recent weeks the Stem Cell Legislation has been the topic of this column. This may have left some of us with questions about other bills in our legislature and how they impact us and others in light of Catholic Social Teaching. Did you ever wonder what our teachings say about some of the issues in our legislature or how your legislator voted or their stand on social justice issues? Saint Gregory's JustFaith group found all of that out in these past weeks through Network: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby.

Through their website www.networklobby.org Network explains Catholic Social Teaching in clear terms. Through the website you will be able to look at any issue/bill and its' recent activity, find out how your legislature voted and their record on social justice issues. You will be able to view the House and Senate's schedule and search for committee hearings. You will also be able to send your legislator a message on issues you read about. The Network website is easy to use and it even has an Educational Resource Guide.
As noted by Frank Petrucelli, Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Paterson in a recent speech:

Vision without action is a daydream
Action without vision is a nightmare
Vision with action affects change

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STEM CELL UPDATE
Update on S1471 & A2828:
(Bulletin April 2, 2006)

On Monday, March 13, both houses advanced the plans to create the Stem Cell Institute in New Brunswick, as well research labs in Newark and Camden. The Senate version adds $50 million, for the New Jersey Institute of Technology, to the $200 million already in the bill for a Stem Cell Institute in New Brunswick. The Assembly version does not include the $50 million, keeping the total cost at $200 million.
    The Times March 14, 2006
Our questions and answers on stem cell research continue.

   Haven't Doctors, Scientists, and Commentators Said That Embryonic Stem Cell Research Will Lead To The Cure of Many Diseases? 
Some have made this claim, but in fact this is largely speculation. Embryonic stem cells have never treated a human patient, and animal trials suggest that they are too genetically unstable and too likely to form lethal tumors to be used for treatment any time soon. Years ago it was said that stem cells from embryos would be the most useful because they are fast growing and versatile, able to make virtually any kind of cell. But those advantages become disadvantages when these cells make tumors, creating a condition worse than the disease. Yet many supporters remain wedded to this approach, having invested a great deal of money and effort and hoping they can make it work. This kind of exaggerated "promise" has misled researchers and patient groups before-most obviously in the case of fetal tissue from abortions, which a decade ago was said to promise miracle cures and has produced nothing of the kind.

    Is Embryonic Stem Cell Research Advancing So Slowly Because This Research Is Banned In The United States?
No. Embryonic stem cell research is fully allowed in the United States-there is no federal law (and almost no state law) against it. The government has only set limits on the number of embryonic stem cell lines eligible for federal funding. Supporters disappointed at failures using these cells sometimes blame this stem cell research "ban" (which is not really a ban at all). But as noted above, the much more serious obstacle lies in the nature of the cells, which are not working out as some predicted.

Contact Governor Corzine at 609-292-6000, Fax 609-292-3454, or email via the website: http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html with the message: "I am opposed to legislation which funds construction of the Stem Cell Institute and stem cell research grants."

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Social Justice/Respect Life
(Bulletin March 19, 2006)

In the next several weeks Senator Codey will most likely post bill S1471 for vote in the New Jersey State Senate. This bill will provide $150 million to fund the Stem Cell Institute and $50 million to fund another facility for stem cell research. In the following weeks this column will pose questions and answers on stem cell research.

What is a stem cell?
A stem cell is a relatively unspecialized cell that, when it divides, can do two things: make another cell like itself, or make any of a number of cells with more specialized functions. For example, just one kind of stem cell in our blood can make new red blood cells, or white blood cells, or other kinds-depending on what the body needs. These cells are like the stem of a plant that spreads out in different directions as it grows.

Is the Catholic Church opposed to all stem cell research?
Not at all. Most stem cell research uses cells obtained from adult tissue, umbilical cord blood, and other sources that pose no moral problem. Useful stem cells have been found in bone marrow, blood, muscle, fat, nerves, and even the pulp of baby teeth. Some of these cells are already being used to treat people with a wide variety of diseases.

Contact Governor Corzine at 609-292-6000,Fax 609-292-3454, or email a www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html with the message: I am opposed to legislation which funds construction of the Stem Cell Institute and stem cell research grants.

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Social Justice/Respect Life Ministry Meeting

We will meet on Thursday, March 9 at 6:30pm in the Wade Room - Parish Ctr. All team leaders and others interested in this wonderful ministry are encouraged to attend. Any questions please contact Susan at 443-1153.

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Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty
(Bulletin Oct. 23, 2005)

It is time for U.S. Catholics to come together to work to end the use of the death penalty in our land.

Why a Campaign Now?

Pope John Paul II and the bishops have clearly asked us to act to end the use of the death penalty.

• Catholic teaching, as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other statements of the Vatican and the Bishops, makes clear that the use of the death penalty cannot be justified when the state has other ways to protect society.

•  The death penalty in our land is flawed. More than 115 people on death row have been exonerated. The death penalty is unfairly applied due to many factors, including the city where a crime is committed, the race of the victim and offender and the quality and costs of defense.

• Catholics are re-examining and changing their minds about the use of the death penalty. Less than half of all Catholics now support the use of the death penalty, down substantially from past years.

• The death penalty diminished all of us. Its use ought to be abandoned not only for what it does to those who are executed, but what it does to us as a society. We cannot teach respect for life by taking life.

The freedom to kill is not true freedom, but a
tyranny that reduces the human being to slavery.
Pope Benedict XVI, homily, May 7, 2005

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Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility
(Bulletin Oct. 23, 2005)

As November approaches and we are called upon as citizens to exercise our responsibility to vote, a review of the principles of faithful citizenship is provided below.

The Catholic approach to faithful citizenship begins with moral principles. The directions for our public witness are found in Scripture and Catholic social teaching. Some key themes to this teaching are:

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Social Justice/Respect Life Ministry Fall Meeting
Thursday, October 13, 2005 at 7:30 pm in School Library

All are welcome to join the St. Gregory the Great Social Justice/ Respect Life Ministry to learn more about Catholic Social Teaching and discuss opportunities to put our faith into action. If you think you can't make a difference in today's world, come find out how much one person can do! Find out more about our Prayer and Worship, Public Education, Pastoral Care and Public Policy teams. You'll be glad you stepped out in Christ to transform the world. In the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, the Second Vatican Council Fathers made this statement about the dignity of the human person: " A man is more precious for what he is than for what he has. Similarly, all that men do to obtain greater justice, wider brotherhood, a more humane disposition of social relationships has greater worth than technical advances. For these advances can supply the material for human progress, but of themselves alone they can never actually bring it about." For more information, please call Lori at 587-1131x249.

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The Sisters of the Good Shepherd's Fight
 Against Poverty and HandCrafting Justice
(Bulletin Oct. 9, 2005)

The Good Shepherd Sisters are in 67 countries. Their mission is to empower women and girls and their families who are marginalized in society for various reasons. They believe passionately in the dignity and unique value of each person. This commits them to join with all who struggle for a world which is just and fair for all.

For people in many parts of the world, poverty is the major enemy. This poverty is caused by the behaviors of companies and major players on the global economic landscape, by war and violence, by natural disasters, or by the corruption of national leaders. Yet the effect on the lives of the people is the same. They suffer malnutrition, ill health, unemployment, illiteracy, homelessness, and constant anxiety for the future of their children. Women and children are the ones most likely to bear the heaviest burdens of poverty.

Mark your Calendars! A representative from HandCrafting Justice, the Good Shepherd Sister's Fair Trade marketplace, will be visiting St. Gregory the Great on Sunday, October 16  (Hospitality Sunday) Please take the time to see the many items she is offering for sale at very reasonable prices during Hospitality Sunday. It is a great time to begin your Christmas shopping with these unique, handmade quality items. All sales support a family's efforts to work with dignity.

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Holy Hour for Life Respect Life Sunday October 2, 2005 at 7pm

All are invited for a time of prayer at St. Gregory the Great to celebrate life. What better way to unite our prayers for life and the dignity of the human person? The evening will include music, prayer, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.
For more information, please call Lori at 587-1131x249.

Benedict XVI on Eucharistic Adoration

"…Let no one say, 'The Eucharist is for eating, not for looking at.' It is not ordinary bread, as the most ancient traditions constantly emphasize. Eating it is a spiritual process, involving the whole man. Eating it means worshipping it. Eating it means letting it come into me, so that my 'I' is transformed and opens up into the great 'we,' so that we become 'one' in him. Thus adoration is not opposed to Communion, nor is it merely added to it. No, Communion only reaches its true depths when it is supported and surrounded by adoration. The Eucharistic Presence in the tabernacle does not set another view of the Eucharist alongside or against the Eucharistic celebration, but simply signifies its complete fulfillment. For this Presence has the effect, of course, of keeping the Eucharist forever in church. The church never becomes a lifeless space but is always filled with the presence of the Lord, which comes out of the celebration, leads us into it, and always makes us participants in the cosmic Eucharist. What man of faith has not experienced this? A church without the Eucharistic Presence is somehow dead, even when it invites people to pray. But a church in which the eternal light is always burning before the tabernacle is always alive, is always something more than a building made of stones. In this place the Lord is always waiting for me, wanting to make me 'Eucharistic.' In this way, he prepares me for the Eucharist, sets me in motion toward his return."
From The Spirit of the Liturgy by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Benedict XVI

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The Dignity of Work and HandCrafting Justice
(Bulletin Sept. 24-25, 2005)

What can we do as a community to stand for just work? One way is to support programs that foster the dignity of the human person in providing means for men and women to help their families break the cycle of poverty.

HandCrafting Justice is a project of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd., an international network who work in cooperation with women struggling for economic justice and independence in the developing world. The community supports and assists them in their efforts to create employment for themselves in order to provide for their families and therefore bettering their lives.

The Sisters of the Good Shepherd help to bring about this social transformation in the people to whom they minister by: marketing items they make; raising consciousness of the situations in which they live; creating opportunities for women and men in the U.S. to get involved; telling the stories of women, men and children; and, creating networks of justice and solidarity in search of sustainable economic options for those in the developing world.

The program uses a holistic approach that is focused on the development of the whole person. Through various partnerships and projects, the network of HandCrafting Justice work with artisans to effect positive and long-term changes in their lives. These changes include the development of literacy skills and a sense of self-worth, outreach to marginalized, disabled and isolated persons (such as those with HIV/AIDS) and the provision of day care for children.

A representative from HandCrafting Justice will be visiting St. Gregory the Great on Sunday, October 16. Please take the time to see the handmade items she is offering for sale at very reasonable prices during Hospitality Sunday. All sales support a family's efforts to work with dignity.

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Called to Justice in Everyday Life

Catholicism does not call us to abandon the world but to help shape it. Catholics are everywhere in this society. We are corporate executives and migrant farm workers, politicians and welfare recipients, educators and day care workers, tradesmen and farmers, office and factory workers, union leaders and small-business owners. Our entire community of faith must help Catholics to be instruments of God's grace and creative power in business and politics, in factories and offices, in homes and schools, and in all the events of daily life.

Social justice and the common good are built up or torn down day by day in the countless decisions and choices we make. This vocation to pursue justice is not simply an individual task; it is a call to work with others to humanize and shape the institutions that touch so many people. The lay vocation for justice in the world cannot be carried forward alone but only as members of a community called to be the "leaven" of the Gospel.

Our families are the starting point and the center of a vocation for justice.

How we treat our parents, spouses, and children is a reflection of our commitment to Christ's love and justice. We demonstrate our commitment to the gospel by how we spend our time and money, and whether our family life includes an ethic of charity, service, and action for justice. The lessons we teach our children through what we do as well as what we say determine whether they care for the "least among us" and are committed to work for justice.

The preceding is an excerpt from Everyday Christianity: To Hunger and Thirst Justice. A Pastoral Reflection on Lay Discipleship for Justice in a New Millennium, which was approved unanimously at the 1998 Catholic Bishops' Conference Meeting.

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Theology of the Body Study
at St. Gregory the Great!

Starting this Fall, people from all over the Diocese of Trenton will be gathering at St. Gregory the Great to study and share on the teachings of the Catholic Church, featuring the writings of John Paul II.

Mark your calendars for the following Mondays: September 26, October 3, October 17, October 24, November 7 and November 14. We will pray Evening Prayer at 7 PM in the church and begin our study program at 7:30 in the parish center.

This six-session class will interest persons who minister in areas of marriage preparation, youth, religious education, and anyone who is concerned with human development, spirituality, and the welfare of the family.

For more information or to register, please call the Office of Family Life/Respect Life at 609-406-7400, ext. 5555 or Lori La Plante at 587-1134x249.

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Cambodian Ministry

The following is a letter from Fr. Dan Ross, a Jesuit Missionary who will be visiting St. Gregory the Great in August. Please join us for Evening Prayer and a talk Fr. Ross will give about his ministry on Friday, August 12 at 7 pm in the Church.

Dear Friends,

I am a Catholic priest originally from the U.S., but now working for many years in Taiwan. I am a Jesuit and for many years have belonged to our Chinese Province and teach at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan.

Through the years I have found that one of the most effective ways to help my students grow up and become interested in other people as well as take on responsibility for others is to make friends with people from other cultures and especially the poor. For many years I organized student conferences in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia. Most recently, I have come to know of the work of an Indonesian Jesuit working in northern Cambodia. It is a place that was too dangerous to work in just a few years ago. The people are very poor and the education system exists mostly on paper. Many children can't go to school because they don't have the little money for tuition, proper clothes, etc. When I was last there in May of this year I saw many little kids walking on hot rocky roads on their way to school. Many did not have hats to protect them from the 100 plus degree temperature. And many did not have the kind of floppy slippers that the people wear in Cambodia. They were barefoot. I have rarely seen such poverty.

The people are very likable and the children are really beautiful. I am sending you a picture of a father with his wife and children. The father is a farmer, but he stepped on a land mine left from the Killing Field days of the Khmer Rouge and lost his leg. This happened last September or so. The picture was taken in November of last year when I went there to begin planning how we can help out and, I should say, learn from these wonderful people. The man cannot work in the fields any more and that means his children are even less likely to be able to go to school.

The mother and youngest five children were living in the hospital to take care of the father. The oldest child, a girl of about 13, stayed at home to watch the farm but could not also take care of the little brothers and sisters. So... the mother and five children were staying in the hospital. I learned in May that the father and family have now returned home, but the oldest girl had to quit school to help her family take care of the small farm. These are the poorest of the poor. The second man in the picture is Fr. Greg, SJ from Indonesia. There is a second picture attached to this shows me and Fr. Greg together with a young man whose legs were also badly injured by a land mine. I did not want to get a picture of his legs they looked too bad. There are still 800 land mine victims a year in the small country of Cambodia.

My students at Fu Jen and I are trying to find ways to help these people. Many things are still in the planning stage, but we have already gotten together several scholarships for elementary children, some childrens' clothes, notebooks, pencils, etc. I am finding this a very concrete way to help people help themselves and not just make anonymous contributions. The priest working there needs support and it is the closest thing we can do to actually being there with him. And we learn what life means....

I am going to visit St. Gregory the Great and some other former students in August and will be happy to share with the people of your parish what we are doing if you would like. I will have some video and still pictures with me.

                        Fr. Dan Ross, SJ

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Statement of the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey on the Death Penalty

As death row inmates exhaust their appeals and the possibility of execution draws near, we, the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey, wish to reiterate our opposition to the death penalty. We are guided by our belief that every person has an inalienable right to life, because each human being is made in the image and likeness of God, who alone is the absolute Lord of life from its beginning until its end (cf. The Book of Genesis 1:26-28).

We acknowledge that the subject of capital punishment is controversial and emotional. All murders are violent and shocking; some are savage. They all stir emotions of revulsion and anger. We grieve for the victims of murder, for the brutalization and loss of life. We commiserate with the families and friends of victims who must suffer with their loss through the years. We affirm that the state has the duty to punish criminals and to prevent the repetition or occurrence of crime. We believe that greater efforts must be made to bring the criminal to repentance and rehabilitation. We believe that our society is sufficiently developed to protect and to redress the injustice caused by the criminal without resorting to the use of the death penalty. One alternative is life without possibility of parole.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church acknowledges the right of public authorities to impose criminal punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offense, "if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person." Pope John Paul II has stated that in today's world cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent." (The Gospel of Life, 56)

Because the State of New Jersey has other means to redress the injustice caused by crime and to effectively prevent crime by rendering the one who has committed the offense incapable of doing harm and because we recognize the dignity of all human life, we continue to consistently and vigorously oppose the use of capital punishment. We recognize the continued need for improvement of our criminal justice system and for a greater societal commitment to crime prevention and victim assistance. As pastors and teachers we urge the State of New Jersey not to impose the death penalty in our state.

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Landmines in Cambodia

Last year in Cambodia there were 841 landmine casualties-278, or 33%, of these were children. Each year 8,000 children are killed or mutilated by landmines worldwide.

Mon Man's Story
Mon Man can never forget the moment that divides his life into a before and after-the moment he stepped on a landmine that took off his leg. He now joins the ranks of 300,000 children worldwide, many in his homeland of Cambodia, who have been maimed by landmines. Mon Man lost his leg when he strayed from a familiar and seemingly safe path by a mere seven inches. "On that day, my mother asked me to pick some vegetables," recalls Mon Man. "This was so my little brothers and sisters had something to eat." There was a loud blast. "I didn't know what happened at first. Then I saw I lost my leg." For months after the accident he stayed at home, watching his friends play, but unable to join them. Even his young brother, who used to shadow him, left him alone. Mon Man was despondent, but his future was not as bleak as he thought. His stump had been healing for months when he heard that he was ready to be fitted for a prosthetic leg. The challenge seemed over- whelming. He wondered whether he would ever be able to ride a bike again. Mon Man had to start from scratch, learning how to balance. Eventually, he came to understand that despite his fear, this was his only chance to have a semblance of normal life and he was determined to take it. At the end of that first long day, after a lot of practice, he mounted a stationary bicycle at the rehabilitative center. With his brother perched in front of him, Mon Man experienced what it had been like when the two of them used to ride together before the accident. Mon Man's journey, however, is far from over. His life will be marked by hospital visits, new fittings and rehabilitation for the 30 new prostheses he will need as he grows and his body changes.

How You Can Help
Begin by learning more. In Cambodia more than 5 million people are at risk of being killed or injured by these deadly weapons, which also interfere with economic activity and development. Clearing all the landmines, destroying existing stockpiles and banning the production of new landmines is the only sure way to restore safety.

Come hear Dan Ross, SJ, speak about his ministry in Cambodia on Friday, August 12, 7:30 PM at St. Gregory the Great Church. Fr. Ross is a Jesuit missionary works with victims of landmines and many others in need.

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Landmines in Cambodia

Last year in Cambodia there were 841 landmine casualties -
278, or 33%, of these were children.
Each year 8,000 children are killed or mutilated by landmines worldwide

The first warning is the last. A deafening explosion and a life, if not taken, is changed forever. Amputations, long hospital stays, and extensive rehabilitation are what await landmine victims who survive. Landmines are silent soldiers that lie in wait long after fighting has ended, killing and maiming up to 20,000 people every year.

Cambodia is among the most mine infested countries in the world. Three decades of war and civil strife have left millions of mines scattered throughout the impoverished country. Since 1979, more than 57,000 Cambodians have suffered amputations, many of them innocent children. One of them is
Suk Ratha.

"My mom asked me to go to the market with my sister to buy medicine for my sick father. So we went along a path I've used many times before," remembers 15-year old Suk Ratha. There was a loud explosion and Suk Ratha was flung to the ground. Then she looked down and saw the bloody stump where her leg had been.

During the difficult weeks while Suk Ratha waited for her leg to heal in an emergency hospital, she was alone. The hospital was too far for her mother to travel by bicycle and the family was too poor to take a taxi. The young girl had plenty of time to think about the challenges, both physical and social that she now faced. The future looked bleak indeed.

Yet even amid the tears there is hope. When her stump has healed Suk Ratha-like all landmine casualties in Cambodia-will be eligible for a prosthetic device, thanks to organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). She will once again learn walk. With every step, she will come closer to regaining a very small part of her independence.

Like many child victims of landmines in the province of Battambang, she receives help and support from Operations Enfants de Battambang (OEB), a local grass roots organization dedicated to children's health. It gave Suk Ratha school supplies and a uniform. She will also receive a bicycle and her family will get a cow, to help increase their income.
Despite this assistance, Suk Ratha will never regain her old carefree life. She will remain haunted by the specter of millions of landmines that still litter the countryside, waiting to be set off by ordinary people, including children who run a terrible risk every day just walking to school, playing outside or running errands for their parents.

Come hear Dan Ross, SJ, speak about his ministry in Cambodia on Friday, August 12, 7:30 PM at St. Gregory the Great Church. Fr. Ross is a Jesuit missionary works with victims of landmines and many others in need.

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UN Report on Landmines

While landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) were originally developed for military use, they have had a profound and long-lasting impact on ordinary people and their communities. During recent conflicts, landmines have been deliberately used to target civilian populations, control their movements, and damage their mental health. Long after conflicts end, the presence of mines and UXO continue to pose a terrible threat, often making it impossible for refugees and internally displaced people to return to their homes, and prolonging suffering for everybody in the affected areas. For individuals and communities alike, many of whom are already living in poverty and insecurity, the impact of landmines is not simply physical, it is also psychological, social, and economic. Advocacy to stigmatize the use of landmines and support a total ban on antipersonnel landmines remains an essential part of UN mine action. With the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) in 1997, and the entry into force of the anti-personnel mine-ban treaty the following year, there may be a sense that the landmine challenge is now behind us, and that the media and governments can start turning their attention to other, perhaps more pressing, problems. This is unfortunately not the case. Millions of landmines are still lying in the ground throughout the world, and claim tens of thousands of innocent victims every year.

In spite of this apparently bleak outlook, remarkable advances have been made during the past few years. The production and international sale and transfer of anti-personnel landmines have almost stopped. Stockpiles are being destroyed. Mined areas are being cleared and put back into productive use.

In adopting the anti-personnel mine-ban treaty, the international community acknowledged the rights to live free from the threat of landmines and to receive assistance to become mine-free. These rights, which have become enshrined in international law, create a moral and legal obligation for governments, organizations, and private individuals to provide assistance to mine action when they are in a position to do so. They create the same moral and legal obligation for all actors in armed conflicts to cease the use of anti-personnel landmines. But these rights and obligations will not be fulfilled without sustained political and financial commitments at the highest levels of government. Humanitarian mine action, from advocacy to mine clearance, must continue to develop and grow, if the vision of a world safe from the threat of landmines is to become a reality. 

Come hear Dan Ross, SJ, speak about his ministry in Cambodia. Fr. Ross works with victims of landmines and many others in need. Friday, August 12, 7:30 PM, at St. Gregory's Church.

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Church Annulments and Marriage: 
Information for Divorced and Separated Catholics
(Bulletin June 26, 2005)

The Catholic Church teaches marriage is a loving lifetime covenant between a man and a woman. Our Lord raised marriage to the dignity of sacrament. Yet, at times for so many couples, even when sincere efforts were made to keep one's marriage vows, some marriages still fail and civil divorce follows. In these situations the Catholic Church reaches out to divorced persons and understands the stress many families experience in divorce. For this reason the Church has established an Office of the Tribunal in every diocese to assist the Bishop with situations of Church law and the sacraments.

The Tribunal works to assist those who are divorced to see if in some cases a marriage may have lacked one or more elements required for a sacramental marriage. It's purpose is not to pass judgment or place blame on a breakup. The Tribunal seeks to assist divorced persons and their families to heal and find spiritual good while still supporting the permanence of a sacramental marriage. It is important to understand when the Tribunal judges a marriage bond is dispensed or declared annulled, this does not mean that a civil marriage did not take place or that the children's legal status is in question. A church annulment does not affect the legitimacy of children.

All information given to the Tribunal is kept in strict confidentiality. The Diocese has trained all priests, deacons, and Tribunal Advocates to assist with this investigation process. If you would like further information about Church annulments for yourself or for someone you care about, please take advantage of the following opportunities:

General Information: http://www.dioceseoftrenton.org/diocese/tribunal.asp  For more information contact Marilyn Schipp, Family Life Office: (609-406-7400 x 557 or 406-5592).

Confidential Appointment: Call the Rectory for an appointment with a Priest or Deacon (587-4877) or an Annulment Advocate, Mrs. Lori LaPlante (587-1131 x 249) or Dr. Jewel Brennan (585-2600).

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Exploring End of Life Issues and Healthcare Directives
(Bulletin May 22, 2005)

Presented by
Fr. Michael Manning, M.D.
Coordinator of Respect Life Ministry
Diocese of Trenton

Monday, June 6, 2005
St. Gregory the Great Church
7:30 PM

Many of us have walked with family and loved ones on their final journey home. Share in a dialogue about Church teaching that may shed light on decisions we are called to make during these difficult times. Coffee reception to follow. Please call Lori at 587-1131x249 for more information.

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Social Justice/Respect Life Food for Thought
An alternative to power and violence
(Bulletin May 29, 2005)

Violence can never stop violence, because its very success leads others to imitate it. Ironically, violence is most dangerous when it succeeds.

Many otherwise devout Christians simply dismiss Jesus' teachings about nonviolence as impractical idealism, and with good reason. "Turn the other cheek" has come to imply a passive, doormat like quality that has made the Christian way seem cowardly in the face of injustice. "Going the second mile" has become a platitude meaning nothing more than "extend yourself". Jesus never displayed that kind of passivity. Whatever the source of the misunderstanding, such distortions are clearly neither in Jesus nor his teaching. The traditional interpretation of "do not resist an evildoer" has been nonresistance to evil - an odd conclusion, given the fact that on every occasion Jesus himself resisted evil with every fiber of his being.

The fifth-century theologian, St. Augustine, while supporting Christian non-violence, noted if someone is attacking my neighbor, then the love commandment requires me to defend my neighbor, by force of arms if necessary. With that, St. Augustine opened the door to the just war theory, the military defense of the Roman Empire, and the use of capital punishment.

Jesus is not telling us to submit to evil, but to refuse to oppose it on its own terms. We are not to let the opponent dictate the methods of our opposition. He is urging us to translate both passivity and violence by finding a third way, one that is at once assertive and yet nonviolent. The example that follows confirms Jesus' teaching. "If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also" (Matt. 5:39b) Striking the right cheek was a backhand not so much meant to injure as to insult, humiliate and degrade.

Throughout history, nonviolent means to stop aggressors has worked. The tragedy is that nonviolent solutions are attempted so seldom. The vast majority of Christians reject nonviolence, not only because of confusion about its biblical foundations, but because there are too many situations where they cannot conceive of its effectiveness. Thousands of years of conditioning in the fight or flight response have done nothing to prepare us for this "third way" of responding to evil.

On this Memorial Day, as we commemorate the men and women who have given their lives and made great sacrifices for our country, let us honor their memory with prayer to change our own hearts and lives, and to understand and love our enemies while searching for Jesus' third way of disarming potentially violent situations with great love.

True Love Waits
(Bulletin May 29, 2005)

Congratulations to the 40 students who participated in the teen chastity program, True Love Waits. As Deacon Bill Wilson reminded them at the closing prayer service, they are courageous witnesses to their faith in Jesus! Please pray for these brave young disciples who have promised to remain pure until marriage! Thank you to their parents for their support of this program. Thanks, too, for the commitment of the adult leaders who supported these students on their faith journey - Jeanine Bendas, Claire Burns, Deb Carlino, Margaret Delre, Michael Hall, Lori La Plante, Rosemary Lyon, JoeMoore, Chuck Moscarello & Monica Quaste.

Advance Directives
(Bulletin May 22, 2005)

There are three steps to completing an Advance Directive.

Part One: Name a Health Care Representative

• Choose a person whom you trust to act as your health care representative (proxy.)

• Direct your health care representative (proxy) to make your health care choices in accordance with your health care instructions or wishes when you cannot make these choices for yourself.

Part Two: Make Treatment Choice Instructions

• Give directions about your health care choices and wishes to those who will be responsible for your care.

• Tell your health care representative (proxy,) family member or friend to bring a copy of this form to the hospital when you are admitted.

Part Three: Signatures, Witnesses and Copies

• Sign the Advance Directive form in the presence of two adult witnesses.

• Have the witnesses sign and date the form.

• Give copies of the Advance Directive to your health care representative (proxy,) your doctor, and appropriate family members or friends.

• Keep the original form for yourself.

• Bring a copy of the form to the hospital when seeking treatment.

The New Jersey Catholic Conference has put together an Advance Directives for Health Care packet. It includes an explanation of Catholic teaching, procedures for completing an Advanced Directive and a Combined Advance Directive for Health Care form that you personalize and sign.

Packets are available in the rack in the gathering space of the church, located next to the kitchenette pass-through window. For more information, call Lori at 587-1131x249.

Important News
(Bulletin May 22, 2005)

The tragic events surrounding Terri Schiavo demonstrates how important it is for individuals to select someone to serve as health care proxy, to execute an Advance Directive (sometimes referred to as a "living will"), and to discuss their wishes with their health care proxy and members of their family. The Catholic Bishops of New Jersey have prepared Advance Directives for Health Care: A Catholic perspective, which is available on the NJ Catholic Conference website: http://www.njcathconf.com/Documents/AdDirforHC.htm.

Anyone who doesn't have access may obtain the document from the Diocesan Respect Life Office, or by writing or calling the NJ Catholic Conference, 211 Warren St., Trenton NJ 08618. Call 599-2110.

Compassion, Discipline and Patience
(Bulletin May 22, 2005)

In the Christian life, discipline is the human effort to unveil what has been covered. Discipline enables the revelation of God's divine Spirit in us. In the Christian life this does indeed require effort, but it is an effort to reveal rather than to conquer. God always calls, but to hear His call and allow that call to guide our actions requires discipline in order to prevent ourselves from becoming spiritually deaf. There are so many voices calling for our attention that a serious effort is necessary if we are to become and remain sensitive to the divine presence in our lives.

When God calls He gives a new name. Abram became Abraham, Saul became Paul, and Simon became Peter. We must search for our new name, our inner self, the person God intends us to be. Often we cling to our old names because our new identities may point us in a direction we would rather not go. After all, Abraham, Paul and Peter did not have easy lives after they became obedient to God's voice. Without discipline, we might never know our true names, our true calling, and that would be the greatest tragedy of our existence.

Without discipline, the forces that call us by our old names are too strong to resist. In our day-to-day living we need to be able to do something that will prevent the seed sown in our lives from suffocating. We need a concrete and specific way that can provide formation, guidance and practice. We need to know not only about compassion, but about the compassionate way of life.

What, then, is the compassionate way? Patience is the discipline of compassion's way. The compassionate way could be described as a life patiently lived with others. True patience is the opposite of a passive waiting in which we let things happen and allow others to make the decisions. Patience means to enter actively into the thick of life and to fully bear the suffering within and around. Patience is the capacity to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell as fully as possible the inner and outer events of our lives. It is to enter our lives with open eyes, ears, and hands so that we really know what is happening. Patience is an extremely difficult discipline precisely because is counteracts our impulse to flee or fight. Patience requires us to take the third option; staying with it, living it through, listening carefully to what presents itself here and now. The discipline of patience is a concentrated effort to let the new time into which we are led by Christ determine our perceptions and decisions. It is these moments in which we have a very different experience of time. It is experiencing the moment, even though difficult, as full and rich. We remember these moments as gifts, and with great gratitude we say, "It seemed that time came to a standstill, everything came together and simply was".

Henri Nouwen's book, Compassion, used in the JustFaith program, coming to St. Gregory the Great this Fall. For more information, call Lori at 587-1131x249.

Compassion
A Reflection on the Christian Life
(Bulletin May 8, 2005)

When do we receive real comfort and consolation? What really counts in those moments of pain and suffering is that someone remains with us. More important than any particular action or word is the simple presence of someone who cares. In a time so filled with methods and techniques designed to change people and to influence their behavior, we have lost the simple but difficult gift of being present to each other. We question our usefulness, "there's nothing I can do to ease their pain" or "what could I possibly say that could help?" Meanwhile, we have forgotten that in this "useless," unpretentious, humble presence to each other, we share in the other's vulnerability, enter into the experience of weakness and uncertainty, and give up control and self-determination. And when this happens, new strength and new hope is being born.

These reflections offer only a glimpse of what we mean when we say that God is a God-with-us, a compassionate God who came to share our lives in solidarity. His solidarity is in the fact that He is willing to enter with us into our pain, our problems, and our confusion. As soon as we call God, "God-with-us," we enter into a new relationship of intimacy with Him. We recognize that He has committed Himself to share our joys and pains, to defend and protect us, and to suffer all of life with us. We will never really know God as a compassionate God if we do not understand with our heart and mind that "He lived among us" (Jn 1:14).

This powerlessness the limitlessness of God's love is revealed. Compassion is no longer a virtue that we must God's compassion is not something abstract or indefinite, but a specific gesture in which God reaches out to us to feel the depth of our brokenness, and to feel our pain as no other human being will ever feel it. In Jesus Christ we see the fullness of God's compassion. Jesus Christ, who is God-with-us, has come to us in the freedom of love, not needing to experience our human condition, but freely choosing to do so out of love. The mystery of God-with-us cannot be grasped because it is contrary to human nature. Jesus' whole life and mission involved accepting powerlessness and in exercise in special circumstances or call upon when other ways of responding have failed. Christian compassion thru servanthood is a joyful witness to our God, our "God-with-us."

The preceeding reflection came from Henri Nouwen's book, Compassion, used in the JustFaith program, coming to St. Gregory the Great this fall. For more information, call Lori at 587-1131x249.

True Love Waits!
(Bulletin April 24, 2005)

St. Gregory the Great is proud to sponsor the Diocese of Trenton's program on teen chastity for all 7th and 8th graders! Student sessions will be on Monday, May 16, 7-9 pm, Wednesday, May 18, 7-9 pm, Monday, May 23, 7-9 pm and Wednesday, May 25, 6:30 - 9 pm. A parent meeting and registration night is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, 7-9 pm in the School Library. Come and learn more about this dynamic educational program that young teens need to experience! Call Lori at 587-1131x249 for more information.

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Advance Directives
(Bulletin April 24, 2005)

The New Jersey Advance Directives for Health Care Act went into effect on January 7, 1992. This act allows adults to complete an advanced directive. You can choose either a health care representative (proxy) or give directions about your health choices and wishes, or both. It is not the law that you have an advanced directive and you cannot be refused admission to a health care facility because you don't have one.

The New Jersey Catholic Conference has put together an Advance Directives for Health Care packet. It includes an explanation of Catholic teaching, procedures for completing an Advanced Directive and a Combined Advance Directive for Health Care form that you personalize and sign.

Packets are available in the rack in the gathering space of the church, located next to the kitchenette pass-through window. For more information, call Lori at 587-1131x249.

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Project Rachel
(Bulletin April 17, 2005)

It's normal to grieve a pregnancy loss, including the loss of a child by abortion. It can form a hole in one's heart, a hole so deep that sometimes it seems nothing can fill the emptiness. While some women report relatively little trauma following abortion, for many, the experience is devastating, causing severe and long-lasting emotional, psychological and spiritual trauma. Counselors tell us that it is common for the symptoms to occur over the course of five to twelve years after the abortion.

Abortion's aftermath is largely ignored by the general public. Groups organized to protect the availability of abortion claim that abortion is no different from any surgical procedure and that pro-life groups are fabricating the existence of post-abortion suffering. Consequently, many women and men think that their grief reactions are somehow abnormal and believe that there is nowhere to turn for help.

Many women and men who have walked a path of grief and hopelessness after abortion, usually alone, eventually begin to understand that they have a deep spiritual wound. But sadly, they also are likely to believe that they have committed 'the unforgivable sin' and fear God's anger. Can God ever forgive me? Can my child? Can I ever forgive myself? Will the Church let me stay when I confess this sin? Is healing possible? The answer to all these questions is, of course, YES!

Diocesan priests offer healing, counseling, and reconciliation to those who suffer from the aftermath of abortion. The Respect Life Office serves as the referral center. If anyone should need assistance, please call (609) 406-7435.

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Be Kind to "Vegetables
By David C. Reardon, Ph.D.
(Bulletin, April 10, 2005)

Jackie lies motionless, incapable of smiling, or crying, or responding to a gentle touch. She is seemingly dead to all that is around her. Her doctor has diagnosed her as being in an irreversible "persistent vegetative state" (PVS). She is only a "vegetable."

Yet she breathes. She sleeps. She can swallow spoon-fed meals of broth and nutrient "shakes." She may live for thirty years like this. Never laughing. Never crying.

She is a "vegetable." But she is also a mother. Her children mourn for her. They want her with them, but not like this. Someone suggests that by withholding food and water they would simply be letting nature take its course. Certainly she would not want to live like this. It would be an act of charity to let her die, they say.

If she is human enough to suffer, then clearly she is a person, not a "vegetable," and she deserves all the love, care, and respect due all persons. Even like this, she has still been created in the image of God. Are we too blind to recognize anything God-like in her passive silence? Her patient endurance? Her calm acceptance of an undisclosed, divine Will?

By withholding food and water, Jackie, like anyone else, will die. But since she is incapable of appreciating the generosity of this refusal to feed her, it is not charity for her sake. At best it is an act of charity toward the family which grows weary at her side. At worst, it is an act of selfishness on the part of a society which does not want to share in the cost and inconvenience of sharing her family's burden of care.

When faced with any moral quandary such as this, we must constantly ask ourselves, "What is God's will in this?" Is He somehow shaping her soul, purifying her, preparing her for her day in heaven? Can something be going on behind those sightless eyes, something beyond the knowledge of man?

Or is God perhaps using this soul as an instrument of grace for shaping the souls of those around her? Is He using her to call forth compassion, patience, endurance, and love from her family, her caretakers, her society?

By causing her to die through our neglect, are we interfering with God's Will for her? Or are we rejecting His Will for us? Are we rejecting an opportunity to practice sacrificial love?
What would Jesus do if He were standing at her side? Would he not reach down, take her hand, and call on her to awake?

In fact, to those not blind to God's healing hand, this is exactly what Jesus does. According to a recent medical study of 84 PVS patients, over 52% of the patients recovered within one year. After three years, 58% had regained consciousness. After extensive review of the data, researchers were unable to identify any reliable way to predict who might recover and who might not. In other words, every PVS patient has a chance of recovery.1

According to Dr. Keith Andrews, Director of Medical and Research Services at the Royal Hospital and Home, PVS patients "are not being allowed to reach their optimal recovery because they are not offered the opportunity of rehabilitation programs. . . . The experience of our Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit is that nearly all of those patients admitted in PVS are suffering from under nutrition... and have developed deformities which further inhibit recovery." According to Dr. Andrews, "Rehabilitation for these patients has not been tried and found wanting; it is wanted but, too often, not been tried."

By starving our PVS patients to death, are we not denying God the opportunity to work miracles? Are we not denying Him the glory and thanksgiving that is His due?

Six weeks after Jackie lapsed into a coma, six days after her family followed their physician's advice and asked a court to authorize withholding of food and water, Jackie woke up. Today, she is fully recovered.

Anyone who has seen Robert DeNiro in the film "Awakenings" will appreciate how joyful and awe inspiring such awakenings can be. Truly they are instruments for shaping souls. If nothing else, they teach us humility, reminding us that we have only the faintest understanding of the workings of the human mind, much less the Divine mind.

Perhaps we need to be like children, for they often see more clearly than "sophisticated" adults. I am thinking especially of the homeless youth who carried his brother into Boy's Town. If this brave lad had instead been seated at the side of his PVS mother, he may have uttered these simple words for the ages: "She's not a vegetable. She's my mother."

Originally published in The PostAbortion Review 5(2) Spring 1997. Copyright 1997 Elliot Institute. 1. Levin, "Vegetative State After Closed-Head Injury", 48 Archives of Neurology, 580-585 (June 1991) cited in LIFE AT RISK, 1:( 6) Dec. 1991

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Do This in Memory of Me
(Easter Sunday Bulletin, March 27, 2005)

How do we honor the covenant we are entering into when we accept from Jesus the broken bread, His Body, in the Eucharist? Exactly what was Jesus requesting when He said "Do this in memory of Me"?

The contrast between the kingdom of Satan that is characterized by domination of others and the kingdom of God that is identified by loving service is clear. Jesus brought about a revolution by renouncing domination and devoting Himself to the service of the poor, marginalized, sick, and hungry. Luke brings this entire matter into his description of Jesus' Last Supper to emphasize that these teachings must be understood by Christians when they gather for the breaking of bread.

In the ideals presented by Luke at the Last Supper, the real leader is "one who serves at table"-one who is unique because he or she does not strive for power but rather delights in the humble role of developing the talents and gifts of others so that they may witness to the kingdom preached by Jesus.

The Eucharist has many shades of meaning, but they all flow from Jesus' plan of how He wished to be remembered. This remembering is much more than a nostalgic or emotional recollection. It is a public demonstration of imitation and discipleship. In taking the broken bread, the body of Jesus, believers pledge to become what they eat: to assimilate His lifestyle and follow His teachings. Among these, food for the hungry was so important to Jesus that Matthew expresses this concern in Jesus' final words before the passion story: "I was hungry and you gave me to eat." This phrase appears four times in varying forms in the last judgment scene for the greatest possible emphasis (Matt 25:35,37,42,44). The Eucharist has two essential meanings that can never be separated: it is a source of spiritual nourishment as well as a call for actual food for the hungry and service to others.

How do we respond to "Do this in memory of Me"?

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Public Policy Update
The Federal Budget and the Teachings of the Catholic Church
(Bulletin March. 20, 2005)

According to the teaching of the Catholic Church, all people have a right to adequate nutrition, education, housing, healthcare and work. When the private market fails to meet these basic needs, it is critical that our government step in to support children, seniors, and other vulnerable persons. Congress must act to ensure that the federal government will have the resources to accomplish this goal.

Large budget cuts will harm millions of American children, seniors and working adults. More children will be a t risk of abuse and neglect, and fewer sick children will be able to see a doctor outside of an emergency room. Seniors and people with disabilities could lose critical health care services. Working parents won't be able to find safe, affordable childcare. More families will go hungry. Instead of cutting funding for basic services, we should be making new investments in programs that help families to build better lives for their children.

You can make a difference by contacting your representative in Congress before April 15 and have your voice as a concerned Catholic voter heard. Tell them we support a just budget where the elderly, poor and marginalized are not cut out of the picture. Log on to both http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and http://www.senate.gov/ to send an electronic message.

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Witness for Life
Saturday, March 5, 2005, 9AM Mass

Want to do something radical? Do you want to make a difference for some of the most vulnerable people?

Join folks from all over the Diocese of Trenton as we gather for Mass celebrated by Bishop Smith at St. Anthony Church in Red Bank at 9 AM. After Mass, we will process peacefully to the Planned Parenthood facility in Shrewsbury to pray the luminous mysteries of the Rosary. A reception follows at St. Anthony's.

Want to car pool? Meet at the
St. Gregory the Great parking lot near the rectory at 7:30 AM for bagels and coffee and companionship on the journey. Call Lori for more information at 587-1131x249.

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Social Justice/Respect Life-Food for Thought
Power and Control
(Bulletin Feb. 27, 2005)

The desire for power is reflected in Genesis, when the serpent told Eve that if she and Adam would eat the forbidden fruit, "your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing everything". An awesome prospect! The irony was that they were created in the image of God. Their grab for power corrupted rather than enhanced that likeness.

The temptation of Jesus was the mirror opposite of the fall, a failed attempt to get Jesus to use the power he had for His personal advantage. When Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world in their entire splendor, it was as though he said "Look, here's the world as it really is, governed by the powerful and given to me. I'm the one who controls it and you can have it all." Jesus resists this temptation.

"What has this to do with me?" you ask, "I do not wish to be a king or president or to know all things." But we each have our own sphere of power. These are our own little kingdoms, where we manipulate those who stand in our path or those who can help us achieve our goals. Consider the form of power called popularity. We want to be recognized and appreciated by others. We are drawn to go along with the crowd either to gain approval or avoid disapproval. The attempt to control or expand our little kingdoms leads to misunderstanding, conflict, anger and broken relations.

Power is a gift of God. When God gave humans authority to rule over the earth, real power was conferred. Christianity encourages us not to give up ambition but to use it in service to God. To pretend to be powerless, to have power at our disposal and fail to use it when the well being of others is at stake - is no less an abuse than is bending power to achieve our own goals.

The point of Matthew's parable of the talents and the three servants is that we are to use what God has given us to further God's work on earth, for we will one day be called to give an account. As Jesus demonstrated, servant power may appear as weakness, but it is the only power that has a place in the kingdom - the only power that endures.

Taken from "How Much is Enough?" by Arthur Simon, a book used in the JustFaith program.