atholic Register | Ido’s Largest Weekly NO. 39 25 CENTS PER COPY 36 P A G E S I Reaching Out To Divorced And Remarried The U.S. bishops have asked Pope Paul VI to remove the nearly 100- year-old penalty of excommunication for Catholics in the United States who remarry after divorce. But the bishops were not condoning or seeking permission for Catholics to remarry after divorce. And removal of excommunication of itself would not permit divorced and remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist. Papal approval of the bishops’ request is expected. “ The Church,” explained Bishop Cletus O’Donnell of Madison, Wis., “ cannot recognize as valid and sacramental those second marriages after divorce, unless there has been a determination by a Church tribunal . that the persons involved are free to marry in Christ the Lord.” Removal of the penalty of excommunication, said the bishop, who is chairman of the bishops’ Committee for Canonical Affairs, “ welcomes back to the community of believers in Christ all who may have been separated by excommunication. It offers them a share in all the public prayers of the Church community. It restores their right to take part in Church services. It removes certain canonical restrictions upon their participation in Church life.” Bishop O’Donnell pointed out, however, that a return to full Eucharistic communion “ can be resolved only in a limited number of in­ stances , depending on the particular circumstances. ’ ’ He urged those involved in such situations to approach “ parish priests and diocesan tribunals to see whether their return to full Eucharistic communion is possible . diocesan tribunals have made ex­ The Bishops Serve Christ traordinary efforts in the last few years to study and solve these Archbishop Joseph Bernardin of Cincinnati, presi­ answers questions of newsmen about the various problems.” dent of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, topics the bishops discussed. They spent the longest Bishop O’Donnell said that the U.S. bishops concluded that the Utold his fellow bishops at their spring meeting that it period of time on last October’s controversial Call to removal of excommunication for divorced and remarried Catholics, is Christ whom they preach, not themselves, and Action, which recommended numerous changes in which is net in effect in other countries, “ can foster healing and recon­ Christ whom they serve. Here Archbishop Bernardin Church structures and agencies. ciliation” for those Catholics. Infirm Priests PACE Becomes the New Collection Archdiocesan High School By James Fiedler At PACE students set their own goals, and they Dear Fam ily in Christ Register Staff decide — with the advice and counsel of teacher - ad­ As we are all very much aware, one of the most serious PACE, an alternative education program at visers — about what they want to learn, and where, problems afflicting our country is the relentless rise in the Central Catholic High School sinik'^ J », will become when, and how they will acquire knowledge, skills, cost of living. Inflation makes its impact on every family — a new archdiocesan high schooV’^this fall, at 1450 and experience. Through making their own decisions and being but it causes special hardships for those who must live on a Detroit St. It will be called Pace Alternative High School. responsible for their education and achieving their fixed income. As the purchasing power of the dollar Necessary remodeling work has begun at the own goals, PACE hopes to develop an attitude of declines, those who are aged and retired find that their building, and the school is expected to move in the self-discipline. meager pension checks are not adequate to meet all of their last week of Mhy, according to Sister Kathleen Sister Kathleen said she questions programs that needs. Erickson, PACE director. try to develop self - discipline by forcing or ordering students to do something. For many years, our priests remained in a parish as­ Sister Kathleen said that PACE will not be in competition with the other Catholic high schools There are few required courses at PACE. Skill in signment until death, but at the present time, they do have because it offers “ a Catholic alternative” for stu­ basic math is one requirement, but each student an opportunity to retire when a certain age is reached. dents “ who don’t fit into or are turned off by the determines how that is achieved. Currently, 21 priests are retired from a full parish assign­ programs of other high schools . students who need The PACE program generally consists of ment. Each has given many decades of service to the something different, another option. ’’ students’ learning by working on numerous indepen­ dent projects — many that take them out of the parishes of Northern Colorado. In order to provide for their PACE students are generally those who are no longer excited about learning in a traditional school school — and by taking courses necessary to achieve needs, we have been able to establish a modest pension plan. situation. their goals. At the time when this program.was established, priests who One PACE student explained his feelings this There are no credits or grades, but in order to were over a certain age were not eligible for coverage. Of way: “ I get upset when I think of the time spent in graduate students are required — through projects the 21 priests currently in retirement, 17 are not eligible for non - learning activities: trying to learn to write with and courses — to demonstrate competency in eight areas: artistic awareness, career education, con­ the plan. Consequently, these seventeen depend upon the an­ my right hand when my own mind told me the left one was the natural one to use, waiting for the class sumer awareness, cultural awareness, current is­ nual Infirm Priests Collection for assistance in their retired to finish something I had already done and proving to sues, information finding, personal and interpersonal years. teachers that I had learned something.” skills, and spiritual awareness. Over the years, the proceeds from this collection have Another who didn’t seem to fit into a traditional In addition, students must write a petition re­ unfortunately not been sufficient to completely take care of high school program gave this reaction: “ It seemed questing graduation, explaining why they feel they that everything that you learned in school wasn’t are ready for that step. their needs. There is, therefore, an urgent necessity to in­ recognized unless it was converted to grades, hours, Throygh the petitions the students are required crease the amount from the annual collection in order to and credits; it wasn’t fair to anyone.” Since she has to “ think back and consider and bring together all meet this obligation to our retired priests, and to provide been in PACE, she added: “ I haven’t even thought of their learning experiences, their plans for the future, some financial assistance to those who are f a c ^ with credits.” and what has been going on,” Sister Kathleen ex­ prolonged illness. Sister Kathleen emphasized that PACE is not a plained. “ diploma - mill high school” for “ drop - outs” or Both the PACE staff and a student board con­ The collection is scheduled to take place this year on slow learners or for students who are “ discipline sider the petitions and either approve or disapprove. Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15.1 am certain that every problems.” Instead of traditional grades the students receive person to whom these priests have dedicated their lives will It’s basically for students who should do well in an evaluation from the PACE staff on how well they be anxious to respond to their needs. Accordingly, I am ask­ school, but for a variety of reasons have not. It tries achieved competency in the eight areas through their ing all of our people to be as generous as possible in con­ to “ make learning exciting,” Sister said. projects or courses. PACE will accept a total of 150 tenth, eleventh, The students also help design many of the courses tributing to this annual collection as a special gift of ap­ and twelfth grade students. offered at PACE. preciation for those who have served their spiritual needs Tuition, Sister said, is $450 for Catholics and $650 At an assembly, for example, the teachers ex­ over the years. for non - Catholics. plain the types of courses they are interested in offer­ Your brother in Christ ’The new high school will also initiate inde­ ing. The students react to the offerings, and the pendent fund-raising efforts. courses may be rejected, accepted or altered, ac­ Those interested in the PACE Alternative High cording to what the students are interested in or feel School should contact Sister Kathleen at 892-6780. they need. Responsibility is one of the key elements at A teacher offering a physics course, however, James V. Casey PACE. The school gives students an opportunity to will explain that for those students planning to enter Archbishop of Denver be “ responsible for themselves,” to become respon­ college, physics can be an important course to take. sible for their own education. (Continued on Page 3) ■UV m TH CONFIOENCÍ! MTlSFACnON GUARANTEED!; * Cwwwiwit Timt - PayHNnt • Ctiwititirt Uy-Away Plw Krucaui M w«r tuiK urgNoio . SMOt WOOU» DARY 9,30 A M . tm 9:30 9.M., SUN. 10 A.M. I. A PJA. ______á THE DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER, Wad., 2Aay 11,1977 — Paga 3 U. s. Bishops' Spring Meeting Call to Action and Communion In the Hand By Thomas J. Barbaric but won the necessary support to sary before Vatican permission to 183 votes they needed, but that the recommendations could be taken CHICAGO (NO - The U.S.