'A Sense of Community'
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Coming of Age Columnist Karen Osborne discusses actor Robin Williams’ untimely death, page 12. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com August 22, 2014 Vol. LIV, No. 45 75¢ Cardinal Filoni, Patriarch Sako call for action to liberate Iraq ‘A sense of community’ VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope Francis’ personal envoy to the suffering people of Iraq joined the Chaldean Catholic patriarch in launching an appeal to the international community on Aug. 18, pleading for help to liberate villages See related editorial, controlled by the Islamic State page 4. terrorists and to provide the displaced with international protection. Cardinal Fernando Filoni, who has been in Iraq since Aug. 13 at the pope’s request, and Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Sako of Baghdad said international action is necessary to provide the displaced with basic necessities like food and water, but also to guarantee the possibility of their survival in Iraq. In their appeal, the cardinal and patriarch asked nations to “take their moral responsibility seriously” by helping to liberate villages In New Albany, St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities agency director Mark Casper, third from left in the front row, cuts a ribbon on Oct. 10, 2013, marking Cardinal in northeastern Fernando Filoni the official opening of the agency’s new administration and social services building. Built in 1850 as the rectory for the former Holy Trinity Parish, the Iraq captured by structure’s historic preservation and restoration was completed during the last week of June. New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan holds the ribbon at left. the Islamic State (Submitted photo) militants. The Christians, Yezidis and other St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities: From ‘best minorities forced out of their villages kept secret’ to a leading agency in New Albany because they would not convert to the By Natalie Hoefer St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities Day. director of social services for the agency. militants’ idea of The official declaration was the city’s “We’ve really become a leading agency Islam just want to NEW ALBANY—Until about way of helping the organization recognize in this community with all the services we return to their homes four years ago, New Albany had a its 25th anniversary. provide, particularly our shelters.” Chaldean and live in peace, the little-known treasure in its midst. “There were four big things to celebrate,” Patriarch Louis Sako cardinal and patriarch “When I started here [in April 2010], says agency director Mark Casper of the ‘There’s a sense of community’ said. “The hope of it was known as the best-kept secret in special day. “We got the check, we opened “Shelters” is where it all started when these people must not be allowed to die!” New Albany,” Leslea Townsend-Cronin our new 12-bed maternity home, the newest the organization began as St. Elizabeth During his Aug. 18 Mass for “peace admits. ASH [Affordable Supportive Housing] Maternity Home, an eight-bed crisis and reconciliation” in Seoul, South Korea, But the secret is out, she says, and unit we bought opened, and the historical pregnancy center that opened in 1989. Pope Francis offered special prayers for New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan made renovation of this [social services] building They receive young women from all over Cardinal Filoni and for Iraq. The cardinal, the it official: On June 30, he presented was finished with the windows being the United States, says Casper. pope told the congregation, “was supposed St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities with completed that week.” “We don’t turn anybody away. As long to be with us here,” but instead had been sent a check for $25,000 from the city Those four victories are not the only as they’re pregnant, we’ll find some way “to the suffering people of Iraq, to help the council and declared June 30, 2014, as reasons to celebrate, says Townsend-Cronin, See ST. ELIZABETH, page 16 persecuted and displaced, and all religious See PLEA, page 2 800,000 watch during beatification Mass as Pope Francis moves 124 Korean martyrs closer toward sainthood SEOUL, South Korea (CNS)—Pope Francis placed 124 Korean martyrs on the last step toward sainthood in a beatification Mass on Aug. 16 that brought elation to the 800,000 people in attendance. The sun was searing as Bishop Francis Ahn Myong-ok of Masan, president of the commission for the beatification, asked the pope to pronounce the martyrs blessed. After hearing a brief collective biography of 124 of the original founders of the Catholic Church in Korea, Pope Francis pronounced the formula of beatification. With his words, trumpets blared and a huge swath depicting a watercolor of the newly blessed martyrs in heaven was unfurled on the side of a large building facing the square where the faithful gathered. People laughed and cheered as the image also popped up on the giant video monitors along the more than one-mile stretch. Pope Francis greets a child as he arrives to celebrates the Aug. 16 beatification Mass of See MARTYRS, page 8 Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 martyred companions in Seoul, South Korea. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) Page 2 The Criterion Friday, August 22, 2014 “suffering terribly because of convert or flee. the deaths they have had, the “They [militants] represent PLEA kidnapping of their women and a great threat to humanity,” the continued from page 1 their houses being stolen. They archbishop said. “These groups minorities who are suffering in that don’t know where to go,” the don’t just want to conquer a piece land. May the Lord be with him in cardinal said. of territory and stay there. Their his mission.” Chaldean Archbishop objective is the whole world.” Cardinal Filoni has been Amel Shamon Nona of Cardinal Filoni spent Aug. 16 in talking about his trip with Vatican Mosul, Iraq, told Vatican Radio the Manghes with displaced Christians Radio each day. He spent Aug. 15 Islamic State militants “think that and Yezidis from Qaraqosh and with displaced Christians in a anyone who is different from them other villages in the Ninevah Plain. camp in Duhok and meeting Yezidi does not deserve to live,” which is The question the people raised community leaders. why, under the threat of violence, over and over, he said, was “What The Yezidi community is they tell Christians and Yezidis to have we done to deserve death?” † ‘They [militants] represent a great threat to humanity. These groups don’t just want to conquer a piece of territory and stay there. Their objective is the whole world.’ A religious man confronts Iraqi security personnel outside the U.S. consulate — Chaldean Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona in Irbil, Iraq, on Aug. 11. The pope’s envoy to the region, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, said people still do not know what will become of terrorized Christians. (CNS photo/ Sahar Mansour) Special U.S. collection urged to help those suffering in Middle East WASHINGTON (CNS)—The president of the Louisville, Kentucky. refugees who have fled Iraq, Syria and Gaza to U.S. bishops’ conference on Aug. 19 asked Catholic Emphasizing “the extraordinary nature of this neighboring countries. bishops across the country to take up a special crisis,” he urged the bishops to have parishes in their “Our Christian brothers and sisters and collection for humanitarian needs and pastoral support dioceses hold the collection the weekend of Sept. 6-7 other innocent victims of the violence in the for Christians and other victims or Sept. 13-14, and to send the contributions as soon Middle East urgently need the assistance of of violence in the Middle East. as possible to the Office of National Collections at the the Catholic community of the United States,” Amid the ongoing crisis U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington. Archbishop Kurtz said. in what is “the cradle of The Archdiocese of Indianapolis will holds its collection CRS and other agencies “have well-established Christianity,” the Catholic on Sept. 13-14. partnerships with the Catholic Church in the region Church “mourns the terrible Funds from the collection will be used by Catholic which allow them to respond quickly and efficiently suffering of Christians and other Relief Services (CRS), the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief to victims in some of the hardest-to-reach areas,” innocent victims of violence in and development organization, and other Catholic he explained. Iraq, Syria and Gaza who are agencies “working in partnership with the local The collection money also will be used to support struggling to survive, protect Church” to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs of Church programs, to aid persecuted Christians and “to their children and live with people in the three countries, he said in a letter to his respond to rebuilding needs of Catholic dioceses in Archbishop dignity in dire conditions,” said fellow bishops. the impacted areas,” he said and asked for continued Joseph E. Kurtz Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of The agencies also will use the money to help prayers “for the victims of this crisis.” † Federal court says accommodation process on HHS mandate ‘a subterfuge’ Pope asks prayers ALEXANDRIA, La. (CNS)—A District of Louisiana, based in Alexandria, ruled 5-4 that Hobby Lobby and Conestoga U.S. District Court on Aug. 13 ruled sided with the college, calling the Woods, both owned by Christian families, after great nephews, in favor of a Baptist-run college in its accommodation for Louisiana College and were protected under the Religious their mother die in fight against the federal contraceptive, like entities “a subterfuge.” Freedom Restoration Act from having to abortifacient and sterilization mandate, and “In this case, we would go so far as provide coverage to which they object on car crash the directive that nonprofit employers who to say that self-certification is vastly religious grounds.