Small Miracle: However Long They Have Him, Family Cherishes Its Youngest

Small Miracle: However long they have him, family cherishes its youngest

A play train table sits prominently in the living room of the home Brandie and Dan D’Orazio make in Baltimore’s Federal Hill.

Christmas stockings embroidered with their names and those of their four children line the staircase, the last for their youngest, Leo.

Leo was born Jan. 5, 2017. Four days later, he was diagnosed with a life-threatening genetic disorder that limits his brain development. The D’Orazios, who worship at St. Ignatius in Baltimore, remain strong in their faith despite the knowledge that any day could be their infant son’s last.

“Your relationship with each other and your relationship with God goes one of two ways,” Dan said. “It either weakens, or it gets stronger.”

“These tears you see from us, they’re a combination,” Brandie said. “They’re happy tears, they’re sad tears. They’re life tears, they’re faith tears. We love him so much and he’s given us so much.”

Great love

Brandie grew up a parishioner of Holy Family in Randallstown, and earned a degree from the Notre Dame of Maryland University. She met Dan, a New Jersey native who attended Georgetown University, when both were on the staff of the Choice Program in Baltimore, which helps at-risk youth.

On their first visit to Jesuit-led St. Ignatius, they heard mentions of Mother Teresa, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi. Married in 2006, their pew at 10:30 a.m. Mass filled in, with Stella, 8, Anna, 4, and Luca, 2.

Leo’s pregnancy was relatively normal, but after giving birth at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Brandie noticed that his breathing was rapid, and that his muscle tone and cry were weak.

Dan attributes that attention to detail to her “mother’s instinct,” but her medical background helps. Brandie holds a nursing degree from Coppin State University, and worked in the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Unit.

Her advocacy led to a preliminary diagnosis of pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH) at just four days – much earlier than most children with similar disorders.

PCH affects the development of the hind brain, where the pons transmits signals to and from the cerebellum, which coordinates movement. A PCH prognosis includes severe cognitive and physical limitations, and a short life. (Full genetic testing traced the disorder to a spontaneous mutation in Leo’s CASK gene, which creates a protein that aids in the development and function of the hind brain.)

Intubated to assist with his breathing, Leo was transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital, which is equipped to handle unique cases. Doctors told the D’Orazios that if Leo were removed from the ventilator, he would die within minutes.

Wearing the baptismal gown worn by his father, Leo was baptized at Hopkins by Deacon Paul Weber, amid family and friends who assumed it would be the first and only time they would meet the baby.

The D’Orazios said they did not want to be “selfish” and seek extraordinary measures to keep Leo alive for themselves.

On Jan. 18, doctors removed 13-day-old Leo from the ventilator.

The Gift of Leo

He lived more than a few minutes. Hours turned into days. At three weeks, Leo was brought home on hospice care.

The D’Orazios had packed away his baby items in their basement. Prepared to grieve, they continue to rest on the presence and prayers of friends, family, their parish community and strangers. Dan, the CEO of a marketing consulting firm, said that one of the family’s greatest blessings is Brandie, who logged 11 years as a critical care nurse. Dan describes his wife, Leo’s primary caregiver, as the baby’s “travelling hospital.”

“I couldn’t ask for a stronger or more caring soul to be my partner,” Dan said.

Leo’s lack of hearing and vision make tactile contact his best form of connection, as his parents said that he loves being held. Brandie takes her baby to a number of therapies and treatments, all designed to comfort him.

“When we have a tough day,” Dan said, “we look at each other and say, ‘Our family is all together.’ ”

Brandie, Dan and Leo’s three siblings treasure his presence. They say he makes them appreciate what others might take for granted, and has encouraged them to continue to help others, what they call “The Gift of Leo.”

Even the name they gave him embodies his spirit.

“I looked at him and said, ‘He’s going to be a Leo,’ ” Brandie said. “Leo the lion. Strong; a fighter.”

They do not question God’s plan.

“Why not us?” Dan said. “We’re no different than anyone else.”

“For them, it’s not extraordinary,” said Jesuit Father James Casciotti, pastor of St. Ignatius.

They have helped lead their parish’s annual pre-Cana retreat, school supply drives and its Advent support of the Angel Tree project. The D’Orazios’ newest cause is the Child Life Department at Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital. Its counterpart at the main Hopkins hospital helped Leo’s siblings understand his diagnosis.

“Miracles don’t have to be big,” Brandie said. “They can be small, but you’ve got to be open to them.”

Editor’s note: Dan D’Orazio and his company, Sage, have done contractual work for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Jack of all trades brings joy to OLV students

ARBUTUS – Jack Pundt can do it all.

In his 27th year as the facilities manager at Our Lady of Victory Catholic School, Pundt is literally a “Jack of all trades.”

“Jack Pundt makes things appear,” said Lois Gorman, the OLV principal. “We came back from Thanksgiving break, and there was a working train display in our lobby. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I can ask him to do anything, and he’ll do it.”

Pundt’s passion for the job dates to the 1960s. Like his two grown sons, he attended OLV School. He began working there even before he entered Mount St. Joseph High School, where he was in the class of 1971.

“My uncle Joe (DeBoy) had the job I’m doing now,” Pundt said. “I had my first job here (OLV) when I was 11 – working Saturdays for $1 per hour. I worked for him.”

His passions include being a toy locomotive hobbyist, one with 19 sets of trains.

“I’ve got this thing about trains,” he said.

One of those sets is in the school lobby, a display Pundt put together while students were on Thanksgiving break.

“I worked on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” he explained.

His personal train set collection has become an Advent tradition at OLV, putting students in the Christmas spirit. “It’s always the same (student’s) initial reaction,” he said. “It’s just a lot smiles and a lot of excitement.”

Pundt has been on the alumni board at Mount St. Joseph for more than 22 years, and claims St. Joseph, the patron of woodworkers, as his favorite saint.

“Everything I do is based on being Catholic, Pundt said. “I love working with wood. I had a lot of St. Joseph ingrained in me when I went to Mount St. Joseph.”

During Lent, the principal asked Pundt if he could build a cross as a part of a school program to help support “Kids Helping Hopkins,” which benefits the John Hopkins Children Center. He responded by building a wooden cross almost 6-feet-tall.

“All of the students, faculty and staff, we all put our fingerprints on the cross,” Gorman said.

“And that’s hung up in my office right now. He really takes a lot of pride in the work that he does. He is meticulous.

”Pundt also works at the parish level on weekends. The project he is most proud of was framing the original Stations of the Cross inside the church, which took nearly two months to complete.

“I just love being here,” he said. “I love doing this stuff for the church and for the school.”

Gorman praised Pundt’s work ethic, which she said is a perfect example of faith in action. “When I think about being Catholic, myself, it’s about providing a service,” Gorman said. “And Jack is someone who provides a service, and doesn’t need or ask for any recognition.”

His service is especially appreciated by OLV students this time of year.

“You try to make it a place they are happy to come into,” Pundt said “It’s not the same old every day.”

Email Rico De Silva at [email protected]

Archbishop Lori presides at archdiocesan celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe

WESTMINSTER – Close to 500 people weathered a steady snowfall the evening of Dec. 9 to participate in the archdiocesan celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. John Church.

Archbishop William E. Lori was the principal celebrant during the Mass that kicked off the event at 7 p.m. Pastor Father Mark Bialek and associate pastor Father Christopher de León concelebrated. Preaching in Spanish to a predominant Latino congregation, Archbishop Lori expressed joy for the opportunity to pay honor in their native language to the Mother of God, under the title of “Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.”

“On this Second Sunday of Advent, we also celebrate the anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” the archbishop said in his homily. “The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is at the same time familiar, yet awe-inspiring.”

The archbishop noted that on the morning of Dec. 9, 1531, a young peasant named Juan Diego had a vision of a young maiden on Tepeyac Hill, south-central Mexico. Mary was dressed as an Aztec princess, and speaking in the native dialect, the archbishop said, and she asked that a church honoring her be built on that hill. By her words, Juan Diego realized that it was the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Archbishop Lori retold the whole Guadalupe account during his homily, including when St. Juan Diego shared his vision with the local bishop, Juan de Zumárraga. The local ordinary asked the young peasant to ask the young lady for a miraculous sign that it was from God. Mary asked Juan Diego to gather some roses from Tepeyac Hill, and then take them to Bishop Zumárraga.

Because it was winter then and flowers were out of season, Juan Diego was perplexed by Our Lady’s request, but he nevertheless obeyed.

“When he reached the hilltop, he found beautiful Castilian roses in full bloom,” Archbishop Lori said. “The Virgin Mary herself arranged them in his tilma, a peasant cloak made of plant fibers. When Juan Diego opened the cloak before Bishop Zumárraga, the roses fell to the floor, and in their place, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an image not painted by human hands, was supernaturally imprinted onto the fabric.”

To this day, the tilma of Juan Diego is enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe near Mexico City, he added, and has been visited by “untold millions” of people over five centuries.

The main message of Guadalupe, said Archbishop Lori, is that “Mary always leads us to Jesus.”

“Mary led a whole people, a whole continent, to Jesus. Her coming as Our Lady of Guadalupe began an evangelization that brought millions of souls to Christ, and which continues to this day,” he added.

At the conclusion of Mass, a young Latino family carried a statue of Our Lady Guadalupe mounted on a small ark to the parish hall. Knights of Columbus on full regalia stood guard as the Virgin statue made her way to the hall where she was welcomed by a Mariachi quartet who greeted her with “Las Mañanitas,” a Mexican folk song typically sung in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The celebration continued at the parish hall where participants enjoyed Mexican folk dancing and a colorful dinner of Mexican and Central American food.

Lia Salinas, archdiocesan director of Hispanic Ministry, expressed gratitude for the Archbishop Lori’s presence during the event.

“It’s a wonderful thing that the archbishop is able to accompany the community,” she said. “He is the shepherd of our archdiocese, so it’s very important that he comes and celebrates with us, especially for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – the patroness of the Americas.”

Selvin Escovar, a parishioner of St. John and part of the event’s organizing team, described the Mass with Archbishop Lori as “Hermomisisima” (Spanish for the most beautiful). “It was a very concrete way to show the high level of interest the archdiocese has for our Hispanic community,” Escovar said.

Although Father Bialek said the snowfall that evening played a major role in the limited attendance at the archdiocesan event, he praised the devotion of all the participants.

“For those who were brave enough to go out in the cold and the snow, we were very much glad to have them with us,” he said. The pastor also pointed out Our Lady’s role of bringing together people of all cultures into one parish.

“Our Lady of Guadalupe truly brings us together as one family. She unites the Americas; she unites all peoples. And very much so, she is uniting our community, both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking.”

Email Rico De Silva at [email protected].

For a Spanish version of this story, click here.

‘Crowning jewel’ of national shrine — Trinity Dome Mosaic — dedicated

WASHINGTON — The overflowing congregation at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception hardly needed reminding to raise their “eyes to the heavens” during a dedication of the Trinity Dome Mosaic Dec. 8. Before Mass began, all eyes were already on the newly completed gold dome above the front central section of the Upper Church.

When it was blessed during Mass, incense rose above the congregation and bright lights were turned on to give a better view of the newly finished dome that includes the words of the Nicene Creed encircling the base and a depiction of the Holy Trinity, Mary, the four Evangelists, angels and more than a dozen saints connected to the United States or the shrine.

During the blessing and before and after Mass, phones and cameras were held aloft to capture the completed work more than two years in the making. But it would take more than a few pictures to capture the details in this majestic work of art described as the “crowning jewel” of the national shrine during introductory remarks by Msgr. Walter Rossi, the rector.

The dome mosaic is composed of more than 14 million pieces of Venetian glass covering more than 18,300 square feet of the dome’s surface. Its completion marks the final step in finishing the work of the Upper Church that began in 1955.

The dome was dedicated, fittingly, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, reflecting the basilica’s namesake. The dedication Mass was celebrated by Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl and Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, who was named by Pope Francis to be his special envoy at the dedication Mass.

Other cardinals concelebrating the Mass included Cardinals Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington and Justin Rigali, retired archbishop of Philadelphia, along with Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. They were joined by more than two dozen bishops and 90 priests.

Cardinal Wuerl pointed out in his homily that the mosaic tiles in the dome are symbolic of the living body of Christ regularly filling the pews of the shrine and reflecting the church’s diversity.

He urged the congregation of families, women religious, students and people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds who filled the pews, the side chapels and stood in the back at the dedication Mass to always look to this “great majestic dome mindful of our prayer to Mary” and ask for her intercession.

He said Mary is the model of “what our faith should be” because she believed that nothing was impossible with God.

The cardinal said he remembered coming to the shrine when he was a student at The Catholic University of America in the 1960s when the walls were simply brick except for the mosaic image of the Risen Christ at the front of the church.

He also noted that the completion of the dome finishes a work that began nearly 100 years ago when the shrine’s cornerstone was placed in 1920.

As construction began on the National Shrine, as it was then called, Catholics across the country were invited to contribute however they could. Some donated pieces of gold jewelry and even precious stones, the cardinal said, which were fashioned into what came to be known as the “first chalice of the National Shrine” and was used at the Dec. 8 mosaic dedication.

When Pope Francis was at the shrine in 2015 to celebrate Mass and canonize St. Junipero Serra, he also blessed a piece of the mosaic: the words for the beginning and end of the Nicene Creed: “I believe in one God” and “Amen.”

At the end of the dedication Mass, Msgr. Rossi thanked the artists and workers, some of whom were seated at the front of the church, for their work on the mosaic, which was done in Italy and shipped in 30,000 sections weighing 24 tons. He pointed out that no one was injured and no damages occurred in the installation.

He also thanked the many donors who contributed to the dome work and gave to the shrine’s one-time national collection for the project on Mother’s Day.

“This crowning jewel of Mary’s shrine is really your work, your gift to the Blessed Mother,” he said.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a holy day of obligation

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which celebrates the dogma that Mary was preserved from original sin from the moment of her conception, will be celebrated Dec. 8. The feast day is a holy day of obligation on which Catholics are required to attend Mass.

In 1846, while meeting in Baltimore, the U.S. bishops adopted a decree naming Mary, “conceived without sin,” as patroness of the United States. Pope Pius IX approved the choice and placed the United States under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception in 1857.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, where the bishops met to adopt the decree putting the nation under the Immaculate Conception’s patronage, is offering Mass at 6:30 p.m. on feast’s vigil, Dec. 6, and at 7:30 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. on the feast day, Dec. 8. Knights of Columbus warm Baltimore students with 1,000 coats

For the third year in a row, Archbishop William E. Lori joined the Maryland Knights of Columbus Dec. 5 to distribute coats to children in Baltimore.

This year’s event was at St. Peter Claver Church in West Baltimore, where every student from Archbishop Borders School, Cardinal Shehan School, Holy Angels Catholic School and Ss. James and John Catholic School – 1,048 all told – went home with a new coat.

Student representatives from each of the Partners in Excellence schools visited with Archbishop Lori to find a perfect fit, and returned with coats for each of their classmates.

“It may not feel like we need it today, but we’ll be needing it in the days ahead,” Archbishop Lori, chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, said. “Who of us doesn’t need a warm coat in the winter?”

In 2016, Coats for Kids, a Knights of Columbus program, allowed local councils to donate 87,906 coats throughout the United States and Canada. The Maryland Knights of Columbus contributed to that number by distributing 1,700 coats last year, during a similar event at Ss. James and John.

Stephen Cohen, state deputy of the Maryland State Council of the Knights of Columbus and parishioner of St. Pius X in Rodgers Forge, has been a knight for 42 years.

“(We are here) to give kids coats that may never get a new coat,” Cohen said, adding that the event encompasses several of the Knights’ service points of emphasis: church, community, council, culture of life, family and youth.

“We all care about the kids in the community,” said Lawrence LaPrade, a Baltimore City police officer in the community relations unit in the Western District, where he was born and raised. He and another officer helped load the schools’ vehicles with boxes of coats.

The Maryland Knights, comprised of men from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Wilmington, donate between 2,500 and 3,000 winter coats to children throughout the state of Maryland each year.

In addition to the state council, approximately 150 local councils and chapters used fundraisers and direct donations to purchase the coats for about $18 apiece through a retailer that works with the Knights.

“This is just scratching the surface,” said Mark Mangus, state youth activities director and parishioner of St. Louis in Clarksville, who has been a knight for 33 years. “But if we can help some, it’s better than not helping any.”

Mangus coordinated the purchase and deliveries of the coats to St. Peter Claver. Members of the state council and some of their wives helped to unload and sort the coats by sizes to be sent to the schools.

“No kid should be cold,” Mangus said.

Email Emily Rosenthal at [email protected]

Advent begins with Mercy

Derived from the Latin “ad venire,” meaning “to come to,” Advent is not to be mistaken with Christmas.

The Christmas Season goes from Christmas Day, Dec. 25, to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Jan. 8. The four weeks before Christmas encompass the Advent season, one of preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. This year, Advent begins Dec. 3. Giving time, talents and resources via spiritual and corporal works of mercy offers a way for Catholics to serve while preparing for the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord.

Keep others warm

For those who are gifted with the ability to knit, consider making hats to donate. Make a variety of sizes – adult and children’s hats – to donate to a local homeless shelter; newborn-sized caps to send to local pregnancy centers; and the smallest of all for babies spending the holiday in local NICUs.

Seasonal events

Keep Christ and the true meaning of Christmas at the center of the season by immersing yourself in parish activities. St. John the Evangelist in Hydes, for example, will host an Advent Evening of Reflection Dec. 5.

Check your parish bulletin for bazaars, marts and other local events.

Feed a family

While out shopping for your favorite Christmas dinner ingredients, pick up extra. Check the giving tree at your parish, which might offer the opportunity to donate Christmas dinner to a family in need. You can also spend some time at a local food resource center, such as Beans and Bread, or a food pantry.

Party – with a twist

At a Christmas party, have guests bring gifts for a cause. At St. Matthew in Northwood, for instance, a Christmas drive for flannel shirts and socks is held for the single men visiting Our Daily Bread Employment Center.

Advent calendar

Create a reverse Advent calendar: place a box in a common area of your house. Each day, add an item, such as a canned good, a toy or a toiletry. Near Christmas Eve, donate the items to a local shelter. You can also place gently used items in the box for donation, such as clothing, housewares or toys.

Brighten Christmas

On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, gather holiday treats and personally deliver them to those who have to work over the holidays, such as hospital staff and first responders.

The gift of communication

Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Community in Catonsville collects new Christmas cards, stamps and money for the Women’s Detention Center in Baltimore City, allowing the women to send holiday greetings to family and friends.

Prayer, special intentions

Use this season to pray for others, and to pray in thanksgiving. Consider creating an Advent prayer chain. Cut strips of paper to match the days of Advent 2017, Dec. 3-24, and write a prayer intention on each. Create a paper chain and remove a link each day to reveal that day’s intention.

Email Emily Rosenthal at [email protected].

Defend God’s image by defending the Rohingya, pope urges

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Each human being is created in the image and likeness of God, yet so often people desecrate that image with violence as seen in the treatment of Myanmar’s Rohingya minority, Pope Francis said. “Today, the presence of God is also called ‘Rohingya,'” the pope said Dec. 1 after meeting, clasping hands with and listening intently to 16 Rohingya who have found shelter in Bangladesh.

“They, too, are images of the living God,” Pope Francis told a gathering of Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu leaders gathered in Dhaka for an interreligious meeting for peace.

“Dear brothers and sisters,” he told the crowd, “let us show the world what its selfishness is doing to the image of God.”

“Let’s keeping helping” the Rohingya, he said. “Let’s continue working so their rights are recognized. Let’s not close our hearts. Let’s not look away.”

The Rohingya, like all people, are created in God’s image, the pope insisted. “Each of us must respond.”

The refugees traveled to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar, the southern Bangladeshi city hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled Myanmar. More than 620,000 Rohingya have crossed the border into Bangladesh since late August.

Speaking directly to them, Pope Francis said, “We are all close to you.”

In comparison to the suffering the Rohingya have endured, he said, the response of the people at the gathering actually is small. “But we make room for you in our hearts.”

“In the name of all those who have persecuted you and have done you harm, especially for the indifference of the world, I ask forgiveness,” he said.

Pope Francis’ remarks, which he made in Italian, were translated for the crowd and for the Rohingya. Many of them were in tears.

In his formal speech at the interreligious meeting, Pope Francis insisted “mere tolerance” for people of other religions or ethnic groups was not enough to create a society where everyone’s rights are respected and peace reigns. Believers must “reach out to others in mutual trust and understanding,” not ignoring differences, but seeing them as “a potential source of enrichment and growth.”

The “openness of heart” to which believers of all faiths are called includes “the pursuit of goodness, justice and solidarity,” he said. “It leads to seeking the good of our neighbors.”

Pope Francis urged the people of Bangladesh to make openness, acceptance and cooperation the “beating heart” of their nation. Such attitudes, he said, are the only antidote to corruption, “destructive religious ideologies and the temptation to turn a blind eye to the needs of the poor, refugees, persecuted minorities and those who are most vulnerable.”

According to a Vatican translation, Farid Uddin Masud, speaking for the Muslim community, told the pope, “it is compassion and love which today’s world needs most. The only remedy and solution to the problem of malice, envy and fighting among nations, races and creeds lies in the compassionate love preached and practiced by the great men and women of the world.”

Masud, a famous prayer leader and advocate of dialogue and tolerance, is thought by some to have been the main target of a 2016 bombing at a major Muslim prayer service in Sholakia, Bangladesh. Four people were killed.

Praising the pope for speaking on behalf of “the oppressed, irrespective of religion, caste and nationality,” Masud particularly cited Pope Francis’ concern for the Rohingya. He said he hoped that the pope’s public support would strengthen international efforts to defend their rights.

Anisuzzaman, a famous professor of Bengali literature, told the gathering that in a world torn by strife, the pope’s message of encounter and dialogue takes on added importance.

“Those of us who are frustrated to find the forces of hatred and cruelty overtaking those of love and compassion can surely find solace in the pope’s message of peace and harmony and of fraternity and goodwill,” he said, according to the Vatican’s translation of his speech. “We note with great relief that the pope has, time and again, expressed his sympathy with the Rohingya from Myanmar, who have been forcibly ejected from their home and earth and subjected to violence and inhuman treatment.”

The pope arrived at the meeting in a rickshaw after a meeting with Bangladesh’s Catholic bishops. He had told the bishops that interreligious and ecumenical dialogue are essential part to the life of the church in Bangladesh.

“Yours is a nation where ethnic diversity is mirrored in a diversity of religious traditions,” he said. “Work unremittingly to build bridges and to foster dialogue, for these efforts not only facilitate communication between different religious groups, but also awaken the spiritual energies needed for the work of nation-building in unity, justice and peace.”

The Catholic Church’s preferential “option for the poor,” including the Rohingya refugees, is a sign of God’s love and mercy and must continue to shine forth in concrete acts of charity, Pope Francis told the bishops.

“The inspiration for your works of assistance to the needy must always be that pastoral charity which is quick to recognize human woundedness and to respond with generosity, one person at a time,” Pope Francis said.

Buddhists, Christians must reclaim values that lead to peace, pope says

YANGON, Myanmar — Christians and Buddhists are called by faith to overcome evil with goodness and violence with peace, Pope Francis said during a meeting with leaders of Myanmar’s Buddhist community.

Quoting St. Francis of Assisi and Buddha, the pope insisted that in a land where the powerfully bonded pairing of religion and ethnicity have been used to prolong conflict, it was time for religious leaders to reclaim the greatest values and virtues of their faith traditions.

Pope Francis met Nov. 29 with members of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, a government-appointed group of senior Buddhist monks who oversee some 500,000 monks and novices in Myanmar, where close to 90 percent of the population follows Buddhism.

One of the strongest anti-Muslim and anti-Rohingya currents of Myanmar society is led by Buddhist nationalists.

The meeting was hosted by the Buddhists at the Kaba Aye Pagoda and Center.

As is customary, Pope Francis took off his shoes before entering the hall and walked in his black socks to his place. The Buddhist committee members sat directly opposite Pope Francis and members of his entourage across a plush, bright blue rug.

The challenge of the Buddhist monks and of the Catholic clergy, the pope said, is to help their people see that patience, tolerance and respect for life are values essential to every relationship, whether with people of the same family or ethnic group or with fellow residents of a nation.

The approach, he said, is common to both faiths.

Pope Francis quoted Buddha: “Overcome the angry by non-anger; overcome the wicked by goodness; overcome the miser by generosity; overcome the liar by truth.”

And then he pointed out how the “Prayer of St. Francis” has a similar teaching: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me bring pardon. … Where there is darkness, let me bring light, and where there is sadness, joy.”

“May that wisdom continue to inspire every effort to foster patience and understanding and to heal the wounds of conflict that, through the years, have divided people of different cultures, ethnicities and religious convictions,” he said.

The pope did use the word “Rohingya,” whom the Myanmar government does not recognize as a separate ethnic group, but he insisted the meeting was an occasion “to affirm a commitment to peace, respect for human dignity and justice for every man and woman.”

Faith, he said, not only should lead adherents to an experience of “the transcendent,” but also should help them see “their interconnectedness with all people.”

Bhaddanta Kumarabhivamsa, president of the committee, told the pope Buddhists believe all religions can, “in some way,” bring peace and prosperity, otherwise they would cease to exist.

Religious leaders, he said, “must denounce any kind of expression that incites (people) to hatred, false propaganda, conflict and war with religious pretexts and condemn strongly those who support such activity.”

Pope Francis ended his day with the Catholic bishops of Myanmar, urging them to “foster unity, charity and healing in the life of this nation.”

As he had earlier in the trip, the pope again defined as an example of “ideological colonization” the idea that differences are a threat to peaceful coexistence.

“The unity we share and celebrate is born of diversity,” he said. Unity in the church and in a nation “values people’s differences as a source of mutual enrichment and growth. It invites people to come together in a culture of encounter and solidarity.”

As Myanmar continues its transition to democratic rule and tries to deal with the challenges of development and full equality for all its ethnic groups, Pope Francis told the bishops to make sure their voices are heard, “particularly by insisting on respect for the dignity and rights of all, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.”

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar — The plight of the ethnic Muslim minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine state was front and center in speeches by Pope Francis and Aung San Suu Kyi, but neither publicly used the word Rohingya.

After private meetings Nov. 28 with Myanmarese President Htin Kyaw and Suu Kyi, the state counselor and de facto head of government, the pope and Suu Kyi gave formal speeches to government officials and diplomats gathered at the convention center in Naypyitaw, the nation’s capital.

Suu Kyi, leader of the process to bring democracy to Myanmar and winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, publicly acknowledged, “Of the many challenges that our government has been facing, the situation in Rakhine has most strongly captured the attention of the world. As we address long-standing issues — social, economic and political — that have eroded trust and understanding, harmony and cooperation between different communities in Rakhine, the support of our people and of good friends who only wish to see us succeed in our endeavors has been invaluable.”

“The road to peace is not always smooth,” she told the pope, “but it is the only way that will lead our people to their dream of a just and prosperous land that will be their refuge, their pride, their joy.”

In his speech, Pope Francis was even less specific, although he repeatedly insisted that the rights of each member of society and each ethnic group must be respected. He praised the role of the United Nations and the international community in supporting peace efforts, presumably also in their condemnations of the discrimination and persecution of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority.

“The future of Myanmar must be peace, a peace based on respect for the dignity and rights of each member of society, respect for each ethnic group and its identity, respect for the rule of law, and respect for a democratic order that enables each individual and every group — none excluded — to offer its legitimate contribution to the common good,” Pope Francis said.

The pope said he wanted to visit the country to strengthen the small Catholic community and “to offer a word of encouragement to all those who are working to build a just, reconciled and inclusive social order.”

Myanmar’s “greatest treasure,” he insisted, “is its people, who have suffered greatly, and continue to suffer, from civil conflict and hostilities that have lasted all too long and created deep divisions.”

Pope Francis praised Suu Kyi for convoking the “21st Century Panglong Union Peace Conference,” a series of meetings that began in 2016 between the government and militant groups from more than a dozen ethnic groups in Myanmar.

The Rohingya are not included in the peace process since the government does not consider them to be a Myanmar ethnic group, but rather foreigners.

Pope Francis insisted, “The future of Myanmar must be peace, a peace based on respect for the dignity and rights of each member of society, respect for each ethnic group and its identity, respect for the rule of law, and respect for a democratic order that enables each individual and every group — none excluded — to offer its legitimate contribution to the common good.”

Religious communities must play a role in the process of reconciliation and integration, he said. “Religious differences need not be a source of division and distrust, but rather a force for unity, forgiveness, tolerance and wise nation building.”

In addition to helping heal “the emotional, spiritual and psychological wounds of those who have suffered in the years of conflict,” he said all religions “can help to uproot the causes of conflict, build bridges of dialogue, seek justice and be a prophetic voice for all who suffer.”

YANGON, Myanmar — Greeted by two dozen children wearing traditional attire and by the nation’s bishops, Pope Francis arrived in Myanmar Nov. 27 for a four-day visit.

The arrival ceremony at the Yangon airport was brief and led by an envoy of the president, because the formal welcome was scheduled for the next day in Naypyitaw, which has been the capital since 2005.

However, Pope Francis had a “courtesy visit” with the leaders of the nation’s powerful military. The pope and Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who was accompanied by three other generals and a lieutenant colonel, met that first evening in the Yangon archbishop’s residence, where the pope is staying.

Greg Burke, director of the Vatican press office, told reporters the meeting lasted 15 minutes. After discussions about “the great responsibility authorities in the country have at this moment of transition,” the two exchanged gifts.

The pope gave the general a medal commemorating his visit to Myanmar and the general gave the pope “a harp in the shape of a boat and an ornate rice bowl,” Burke said.

Pope Francis had been scheduled to meet the general Nov. 30, his last morning in Myanmar. Although the country is transitioning from military rule to democracy, the general has the power to name a portion of the legislators and to nominate some government ministers. Although described by Burke as a “courtesy visit” and not an official welcome, the visit seemed to go against the usual protocol, which would dictate that the pope’s first meetings with authorities would be with the head of state and head of government.

Burke did not say whether Pope Francis had mentioned in any way the plight of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, who are treated as foreigners in the country. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has been criticized by human rights groups for what has been described as disproportionately harsh measures against the entire Rohingya community following attacks on security posts by small groups of Rohingya militants.

The pope arrived in Myanmar after a more than 10-hour, overnight flight from Rome. The children in costumes, representing only a portion of Myanmar’s ethnic groups, were joined by another 100 schoolchildren wearing white slacks and white T-shirts with the logo of the papal visit.

Banners and billboards along the road from the airport into the city proclaimed: “A heartiest welcome to the Holy Father, Pope Francis.”

Because the flight took off late at night, Pope Francis spent less time with reporters than he usually does. He made no comment about his hopes for the trip, only mentioning that he was told it was very warm in Yangon and he hoped the reporters would not suffer too much.

As is customary, the pope sent telegrams to the heads of state of all 13 nations he flew over on the way, including Italy.

In his message to Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Pope Francis said he was making the trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh Nov. 27-Dec. 2 as a “pilgrim of peace, to encourage the small but fervent Catholic communities and to meet believers of different religions.”

The majority of people in Myanmar are Buddhist, while the majority of Bangladeshis are Muslim. Pope Francis had meetings with religious leaders scheduled in both countries.

Choir from St. John in Westminster heads to Carnegie Hall

WESTMINSTER – Fifteen choirs will participate in the world premiere of “Rhapsody in Bluegrass” at Carnegie Hall in New York City Nov. 27.

Only one has a Catholic connection: the adult choir from St. John Parish in Westminster.

“We’re a little parish choir in Westminster, invited to perform at Carnegie Hall,” said Regina McCurdy, director of liturgical music for the largest parish in Carroll County. “This is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity.”

The adult choir consists of 29 members; 19 will travel to Manhattan the day after Thanksgiving for a five-day, four-night stay. Between nine to 10 hours a day will be spent in rehearsal for a work that was written by conductor/composer Joseph Martin, who will also lead the performance.

McCurdy, a senior employee relations manager for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, has been involved in the adult choir for 12 years. Matthew Ogden, its director, has been working with the group for about two years.

“(It is) above average for your typical Catholic parish,” Ogden said. “The talent is extraordinary.”

After seeing a YouTube video of the choir singing a cantata composed by Martin, the Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) asked the parish choir to audition for “Rhapsody in Bluegrass,” which it nailed. The adult choir sings traditional music at 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass; throughout Holy Week; at Christmas Midnight Mass; and at an annual Blue Mass honoring those who serve in fire, police and first responder roles.

“Rhapsody in Bluegrass” gives Christmas music a bluegrass treatment; its bluegrass and jazz chords will be a departure for the choir.

“It’s going to be an adventure,” said Ogden, while acknowledging that bluegrass is fitting for a choir in Carroll County, known for its agricultural heritage.

Father Mark Bialek, pastor of St. John, has been putting an emphasis on discerning new ministries, including music. His community is actively supporting the choir with fundraisers and donations. The Carnegie Hall trip will cost approximately $1,600 per person, according to McCurdy.

“If God wants us to go, he’ll make straight the path,” she said.

Members described the choir as Christ-centered and spiritual, that they perform not for their own glory, but rather that of the Lord.

“To me, it’s a second prayer,” explained Mary Howard, who retired to Westminster from Baltimore County in 1995 and has been singing with the choir off and on ever since. “I don’t sing to be a star, I sing because it’s a prayer to God.”

Gabrielle Gilbert, a senior at Westminster High School who will go into voice performance in college, joined the adult choir in June.

“There’s more than one way to praise God,” said Gilbert. “And it’s always better to have a little diversity.”

Members range in age from 12 to 88, the youngest being AnnaMarie Ward, a seventh-grader at St. John Catholic School, the parish school. She recalled sitting in a pew as her mother practiced with the choir, until one night another member asked if she would like to sing with them.

Marie Rhoads, the 88-year-old, has been singing with the choir for more than 50 years, back to when St. John was at its original location on Main Street in Westminster.

“It’s been everything,” said Rhoads. “It’s my priority. It’s wonderful.”