Single Issue: $1.00 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40030139 CATHOLIC JOURNAL Vol. 95 No. 43 April 25, 2018 Publication dates Abbeys offer hectic world oases of peace With the completion of Volume 95, the Prairie By Carol Glatz guiding light during an age that Messenger will cease to was marked by “a deep crisis of publish. The two VATICAN CITY (CNS) — values and institutions,” Pope remaining issues are Pope Francis asked the world’s Francis said. “He knew how to dated May 2 and May 9. Benedictines to continue to offer discern between the essential and Emmanuel Health oases of peace and silence to a the secondary in spiritual life, busy and distracted world. firmly placing the Lord in the Jean Morrison, former So many people today “do not forefront.” president and CEO of have enough time to listen to “May you, too, his children in St. Paul’s Hospital in God’s voice,” he told about 400 this time of ours, prastise discern - Saskatoon, has been members of the Benedictine Con - ment to recognize what comes appointed inaugural federation April 19 at the Vatican. from the Holy Spirit and what president and CEO of In this hectic world, Bene dic - comes from the spirit of the world Emmanuel Health tine monasteries and abbeys or the spirit of the devil,” he said. Incorporated. “become like oases where men Without the wisdom of dis - — page 3 and women of all ages, origins, cernment, he said, “we cannot do cultures and religions can discov - anything,” and people can easily Keeping the faith er the beauty of silence” and become “puppets” at the mercy of regain their bearings so they can every passing trend, he said quot - A religion professor at be “in harmony with creation, let - ing, from his recent apostolic Brandon University has just ting God re-establish a proper exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate published research in which order in their lives,” he said. (Rejoice and Be Glad). she has found that Filipinos St. Benedict, their order’s are by and large not aban - sixth-century founder, acted as a — WISDOM , page 15 doning their faith despite the increasingly secular Aid agencies concerned influences around them. — page 4 about war in Syria Co-ordinator named By Deborah Gyapong of four million people had re ceived CNS/Vatican Media Marilyn Jackson is the new 1.5 million refugees from both POPE MEETS BENEDICTINES — Pope Francis greets Illinois-born co-ordinator for the office of OTTAWA (CCN) — Catholic Syria and Iraq. Abbot Gregory Polan at the Vatican April 19. Polan led Conception Evangelization and aid agencies that help Syrian and Hétu and Miller met with Leba - Abbey in Conception, Mo., before being elected in 2016 abbot primate Catechesis Iraqi refugees say the recent esca - nese political leaders, the Maro - of the Benedictine Confederation and head of the Benedictine universi - in the lation of conflict in Syria has nite, Syriac and Melkite Greek ty of St. Anselm in Rome. Roman increased despair and heightened Catholic patriarchs, and a number Catholic the call for peace from Christian of religious orders helping the Lives transformed by Diocese of leaders. refugees. Saskatoon. American, British and French Centred at forces had carried out a bombing restorative ministry the Catholic mission in retaliation for an April Pastoral Centre, the office 4 chemical attack blamed on the By Kiply Lukan Yaworski for change, others noted in their used to be operated by three Assad regime, that has refocused evaluations. Comments from the part-time, rural-based staff. world attention on the conflict. SASKATOON — Each month, men have included: The change was made in One patriarch told the CNEWA lives are being transformed through “It got me to love myself, (and) response to demographic, delegation he noted reports that the a program adapted from “Returning to let other people love me.” sociological and technologi - western countries had dropped to Spirit” being provided to men at “It brought some things to cal shifts that have occurred $100 million dollars’ worth of the Saskatoon Cor rectional Centre light, and (is) giving me the tools in the diocese over the years. bombs in the most recent attack. by Dianne Anderson of the dioce - to push forward.” — page 6 “Think of what that would have san Restorative Ministry Office. “It is going to help with many meant in aid,” Hétu said he told Calling forth and working with different aspects of my life — as a Looking back them. volunteers from parishes in the partner, a father, a brother, and as “People in general just want diocese, Anderson provides out - a son.” The Prairie Messenger peace,” he said. “They have had reach, prayer and programs at the “I feel strong and like a new continues to feature reflec - enough with the war. They can’t local prison, funded by the person, ready to tackle life and all tions as the paper comes to cope with this anymore. They are Bishop’s Annual Appeal. the challenges that come with it.” a close. This week former stressed out.” Anderson recently began using “Dianne has a way with words associate editor Marian They met with Good Shepherd the Returning to Spirit reconcilia - and how she carries herself. She Noll, OSU, Eric Durocher, Sisters who have a dispensary in tion model to help men in prison made me feel special, like I was editor emeritus, Catholic the poorest neighbourhood of find healing, offering a process human. (She) gave me valuable Times Montreal , and Russ CCN/D. Gyapong Beirut. “They are totally over - for moving from blame and de - tools that I can use once I leave Weber, an employee of the Carl Hétu whelmed by the pain of the people, spair to hope and connection. here, for my new beginning.” press in his student days, the need, of the local Leba nese, “If you could see the men “Knowing I’m not alone, and share their stories. “They all told us the same Iraqi refugees and Syrian when they start, and then again as people know what it’s like, and — pages 8, 9 thing,” said Carl Hétu, national refugees,” he said. “They have they leave the program, you can they can help me move forward.” Remembering director of Catholic Near East new people coming in every day. actually see the change it makes “I feel like I have been re - Welfare Association (CNEWA) It’s beyond their capacity. in them,” says Anderson. “It starts born.” the children Canada, who made a pastoral visit Mario Bard, director of com - them on a new path.” In another part of Restorative to Lebanon from April 15 - 19 munications for Aid to the Church Some participants sharing the Ministry outreach, high points on April 19 marked the 75th with Vancouver Archbishop J. in Need, Canada, says the recent impact of the program say it is not the liturgical calendar are celebrat - anniversary of the Warsaw Michael Miller to encourage part - news they are hearing from Syria what they expected. “It was infor - ed at the prison — most recently Ghetto uprising. There are ners who are working with is “worrisome.” mal, educational, knowledgeable the Easter Triduum. This year, crushing stories about refugees. “The region needs peace. Many had felt the war was and it made me aware of many Rev. Mark Blom, OMI, presided at nameless Jewish children They don’t need more bombs, and almost over, with only a few pock - things,” said one participant. He Holy Thursday mass, washing the who did not survive the refugee crisis cannot be sus - ets of resistance, he said, but sud - said he finally realized “how my feet of prisoners. An outdoor Way the Nazi depravity. tained any more in Lebanon.” denly it has escalated again. “It past or ‘story’ controlled every of the Cross was held Good Friday — page 11 “The burden economically and really scares me,” Bard said. aspect of my life and how that in the prison yard, while Bishop socially on Lebanon is unbear - affected the people I love.” able,” he said, noting the country — WAR , page 5 The program provides a tool — GIVING , page 6 2 Prairie Messenger INTERNATIONAL NEWS April 25, 2018 Lives of unborn and poor are ‘equally sacred’: pope By Cindy Wooden equal and inviolable at every elderly exposed to covert euthana - tion of life in other areas. Rather than watering down stage throughout his or her life.” sia, the victims of human traffick - But “Pope Francis has reaf - Catholics’ commitment to ending VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In “Rejoice and Be Glad,” his ing, new forms of slavery, and firmed that abortion is evil without abortion, the archbishop said, When Pope Francis insisted that apostolic exhortation on holiness, every form of rejection.” mincing words,” Paglia said. At attention to defending life at every the lives of the unborn and of the Pope Francis wrote that living a Pope Francis’ words reminded the same time, he asks that “the stage and in every circumstance poor are “equally sacred,” he was Christian life involves the de - many people of the “seamless pro-life commitment be enlarged.” “should make us stronger, includ - not trying to shift the focus of fence of both the unborn and the garment” approach to life issues The pope’s words in the exhor - ing in effectively combatting the Catholics from fighting abortion poor, and he criticized what he promoted by the late Cardinal tation reflect the same vision the absurd prospect of abortion.” to fighting poverty, he was trying termed the “harmful ideological Joseph L. Bernardin of Chicago. pope had in renewing the statutes By putting together abortion, to show they are part of the same error” of thinking one’s own While applauding its recognition and membership of the Academy euthanasia, hunger, immigration, battle, said Archbishop Vincenzo cause is the only important one.