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U. i/1 I- ► a o o *- (■ (M *■< o o « 152 i O J l 0 ^ 4 No. 52 350 Established in 1844: America’s Oldest Catholic Newspaper in Continuous Publication Friday, March 6, 1998 Inside Five-year report Joining the Lord’s fa m ily bears good news about the diocese By GREG BROWN severed favorable occurrences: Editor • Increased interest in cat- echesis on the parish level, Bishop Donald Wuerl is matched by intensified dioce­ carrying to Rome a largely san efforts. positive report about recent • Increased response to activity in the diocese. needs in parish social mlnis- Every five t r y , home years, each health care, bishop visits the B ishop W uerl’s spiritual direc­ Holy Father to thoughts on the tion, adult render an Q uinquennial appear education, accounting of elder care, out­ o n p a g e 4 . his ministry in reach to the what is called A sum m ary of the poor and hos- the “ad limina p i t a 1 report is included as Photo by Douglas Kaup apostolorum" chaplaincy. A young catechumen signs the Book of the Elect as Father Raymond Gualitierl, parochial (“to the thresh­ a supplem ent to this • Success in vicar at Our Lady of Grace, Scott Township, looks on. Inspiration old of the apos­ w e e k ’s p a p e r . meeting the t o o t h e r s tles") visit. needs of the ill American and economi­ She may be visually bishops’ ad limina visits cally challenged, and a partic­ More than 1,100 take part Impaired, but Braddock began last month, and will ular focus on countering resident Louise Chuha is run through October. Bishop racism. making a difference in the Wuerl will be in Rome March • Continued balanced dioc­ in Rite of Election services lives of many locally. 9 through 14. esan budgets, with a modest See page 7. At the center of his visit is surplus in each year covered By JOHN FRANKO baptized) and 806 candidates The gathering featured the Quinquennial (five-year) by the report. Staff Writer (those baptized but who two main celebrations: report, a comprehensive look The report also outlines haven't made their first Com­ The election of the cate­ at all aspects of diocesan life challenges likely to be faced in Bishop Donald Wuerl munion and/or confirmation) chumens; and the call to that is submitted to the Holy the years ahead. told the catechumens and represented the largest num­ continuing conversion on See. For instance, Catholic candidates gathered before ber ever. the part of the candidates. “In providing a general health care systems "face him that they have the “It's important for them to Both affirmed their assessment of the situation of enormous challenges to their support of the entire see the whole community desire to complete their the diocese, I am confident in survival by changes brought church as they prepare to coming together from all instruction in the faith. asserting the positive condi­ about by managed care," the enter the faith. around the diocese," said T h e catechumens tion of the Church of Pitts­ report states. "We're not alone," he Linda Donovan, who works expressed their desire to burgh," the bishop writes in And the “religious literacy" said, as he asked them to with the Rite of Christian Ini­ enter the church and they his general assessment. level of some Catholics 2 0 look around at the ;vast tiation for Adults program at enrolled their names in “In visiting throughout this remains a concern. audience which sur­ St. Francis of Assisi, Fin- the Book of the Elect. diocese. I find vibrant, faith- With an eye to the future, rounded them. “As we leyville. “It's an experience that Bishop Wuerl added his M i l l e n n i u m filled parish communities, the report highlights ongoing make our Journey, keep allows the Holy Spirit to really and showed the book to s t r a t e g y extensive pastoral, educa­ spiritual renewal and the new this image in mind." begin to move in them." the entire assembly. tional and social service facili­ evangelization outreach More than 1,100 people “They see they're not the The candidates then A cardinal suggests that we ties and programs touching “which characterizes every took another step on their only ones making the journey," came forward to pledge approach the coming mil­ hundreds of thousands of aspect of our current educa­ journey to full acceptance added Mary Lou McNamee, a their desire to listen to the lennium with courage and lives on a daily basis ..." tional and pastoral planning." into the church by partici­ member of the Rite of Chris­ Lord's call to conversion, hope instead of anxiety and The current Quinquennial The diocese will also con­ pating in dual Rite of Elec­ tian Initiation for Children and their willingness to be fear. report covers the years 1993 tinue its involvement in the tion ceremonies March 1 team at Guardian Angels, West faithful to their baptismal See page 9. through 1997. It notes that political, social and cultural at St. Paul Cathedral. End. “This really aids in their covenant. Catholic population in the communities “where we seek The total of 29 5 cate­ awakening to God's presence diocese has fallen to 753,090 to be a voice for the moral chumens (those not around them." See HUNDREDS on page 2 What would Jesus Do? The from 810 ,8 26 in 1992. order and the exigencies of the diocesan athletic director Yet, the report notes Gospel." ¡j) reminds parents and coaches as basketball play­ offs begin to keep a Chris­ tian perspective on the Caritas: Wealth gap a key challenge to nations games. UNITED NATIONS (CNS) — Growing “There's no serious Marxism left,” in a review of follow-up to the 1995 Churches, the Commission of the See page 5. poverty alongside growing wealth pre­ he added in an interview at United World Summit for Social Development Churches on International Affairs, put sents a key challenge to governments Nations headquarters in New York, in Copenhagen, Denmark. together an ecumenical delegation of Stop the violence: This as they deal with social development where he was attending a meeting of Trouillard, a Frenchman based at about 20 members to attend sessions week's editorial discusses in a post-ideological world, according the U.N. Commission for Social Devel­ Caritas headquarters in Rome, came of the U.N. commission and lobby gov­ the ongoing violence occur­ to the head of an international Catho­ opment. as part of an ecumenical delegation, ernmental representatives. ring in western Pennsylva­ lic relief agency. “But the new concern that tran­ whose aim was to remind govern­ Gail Lemer, director of the World nia and a resource distrib­ Everyone now recognizes that the scends the old ideologies." he contin­ ments of their Copenhagen commit­ Council of Churches' U.N. office, said uted throughout the free market excels in creating wealth, ued, “is why is the dividing line ment to take measures ensuring that this was the first time it had been able diocese to counter it. said Luc Trouillard, the general secre­ between haves and have- nots growing economic development did not over­ to arrange a combined delegation of See page 4. tary of the Catholic relief and develop­ in spite of the fact that our societies look weaker sectors of their popula­ Catholics and representatives of its ment federation. Caritas Intemationa- are becoming richer and richer?” tions but allowed participation by all. Protestant and Orthodox member A clear purpose: Father lls. The U.N. commission was engaged An agency of the World Council of churches. 9) Charles Bober says in his weekly column that prayer groups must have some purpose or direction if they Airport chapel opens are to have lasting mean­ ing. By JOHN FRANKO “It’s wonderful.” said Donna See page 7. Staff Writer Temcio, a USAir employee from Phoenix. “Some people Simplicity of truth: A local An airport is a city in itself, will do a night shift and then a complete with shops, medical hospital chaplain explains day shift back-to-back, so they facilities, and fire and police that each hour of prayer don't have time to go to a departments. It's only natural spent during Lent brings church." that it should include a house us ultimately closer to our “Flight crews love it because of worship. Master. they can come in anytime," Bishop Donald Wuerl See page 5. added Pat Pukanich, a USAir marked the opening of an employee who attends St. interfaith chapel at Pittsburgh Labor and love: Msgr. Rice Margaret Mary, Moon International Airport on Ash Township. looks at the past and Wednesday by celebrating present of the United Steel The chapel is located on the Mass there. upper level of the airside ter­ Workers of America, and The chapel had seats for minal, near the USAir Club. why unions deserve their about 60 but more than 200 “It's a place where people rightful place in society people crowded into the room, can take a moment to recollect today. spilling out into the adjoining and re-orient themselves," See page 5. hallway. “If you just look around, said Father John Fitzgerald, you see there is a need for a airport chaplain.