Gift of Excitement, Growth Comes to Holy Angels School
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ISSN: 0029-7739 $ 1.00 per copy THE BSERVER OOfficial Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford Volume 80 | No. 43 http://observer.rockforddiocese.org FRIDAY OCOBER 16, 2015 Inside Seeing the Pope in Cuba pg. 4 Aurora missionaries pg. 5 (Observer photos by Amanda Hudson) At an Oct. 8 assembly, an oversized check represents the grant given by The Dunham Fund to Holy Angels School. From left are: Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, Board Chairman Ryan Maley, Holy Angels Principal Tonya Forbes, Holy Angels pastor, Father Michael Lavin, Bishop David Malloy, Adrienne Gilla, Becky Barr and Julie Smith. Students soon will bene t from a STEM program at the school that will be made possible by the gift. Update on synod pg. 10 Gift of Excitement, Growth Quick News Comes to Holy Angels School BY AMANDA HUDSON Holy Angels students will be- News editor gin to experience a new STEM curriculum being made pos- AURORA—Their principal sible by a grant from the Dun- almost levitated right in front ham Fund. of him, Michael Kagan, dioc- An oversized, ceremonial esan superintendent of Catho- check for $188,614 was present- lic Schools, told the students of ed to Forbes and students by Holy Angels School at an as- Ryan Maley, chairman of the sembly the morning of Oct. 8. Dunham fund, joined by board Indeed, whether she is talk- members Robert Vaughan, Mi- ing with Superintendent Kagan chael Morcos and Mark Truem- or others about her tour of an per. STEM stands for Science, existing STEM program, Prin- Technology, Engineering and (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano) cipal Tonya Forbes glows with Math, and it is a curriculum excitement and anticipation of that holds a special place in the A Saintly Gift Given the 2016-17 school year when mission of the Dunham Fund. Bishop Malloy enjoys visiting with Holy Angels students at the presen- U.S. President Barack Continued on page 3 tation assembly celebrating a substantial gift to the school. Obama presented a gift to Pope Francis during his visit to the White House in Washington Sept. 23. The gift Annual Mission Appeal Helps Universal Church was one of the two original DIOCESE—This year’s an- ica Appeal provides funds for The Catholic Home Missions keys from the 1809 home in nual Mission Appeal collection seminarian studies, as well as Appeal supports the evangeli- Emmitsburg, Md., of Mother will be offered the weekend of formation of religious sisters zation, religious education and Elizabeth Ann Seton, the fi rst Oct. 24-25 at parishes across and brothers, and lay teachers. ministry training efforts for American to be canonized a the Diocese of Rockford. It also supports pastoral proj- more than 80 dioceses in the saint. This 2015 Combined Collec- ects to help believers through- United States that are designat- tion for the Universal Church is out Latin America, sometimes ed as home missions. See also: This Issue one collection for several mis- as the only resource available www.usccb.org. sionary efforts: to individual parishes. See also: The Black and Indian Mis- Bishop Malloy ............................. 2 www.usccb.org/latinamerica. sion Collection continues 141 Headliners ..................................... 3 In the world Our sister diocese, the Dio- years of service among black, Diocesan .................................... 4-5 World Mission Sunday sup- cese of Chulucanas in Peru, Indian, Eskimo and Aleute Around the Diocese ............... 6-7 ports the life-giving presence also benefi ts from this appeal, communities. See also: www. of priests, men and women reli- (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec) Young Observer ......................8-9 using the funds to train lead- blackandindianmission.org. Sister Kateri Mitchell, a Mohawk gious and lay catechists serving Nation/World ..................... 10-11 ers and promote their Diocesan and a Sister of St. Ann, is the among the suffering and poor Membership Faith Forum ............................... 12 Pastoral Plan. See also: www. executive director of the Tekak- of missions around the globe. Viewpoints ................................ 13 diocesisdechulucanas.org. Organization witha Conference. The Black and For the Record ......................... 14 In Latin America In the United States Some 563 people participat- Indian Mission Collection is part Media Arts ................................... 15 The Church in Latin Amer- Continued on page 3 of the annual Mission Appeal. 2 FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2015 | The Observer We Are Called to Proclaim The Observer (ISSN 0029- 7739), is published weekly, That Every Life is Worth Living except fi ve times a year by the Diocese of Rockford, BY BISHOP DAVID J. MALLOY 555 Colman Center Dr., P.O. uring this month of October we worth living. is a gift that has a purpose and is worth liv- Box 7044, Rockford, IL 61125 are celebrating Respect Life As we witness the natural world around ing. Phone: 815/399-4300; Fax Month. This is an opportunity us change with the seasons, we can also As Christians and Catholics we have 815/399-6225. for each of us to call to mind recognize that there are different seasons great reason to hope, even in the darkest Periodical postage paid at Dhow very precious the gift of life is, and throughout life. The joys of spring time and days of suffering. Rockford, Ill., and additional how each of us — as members of the hu- the glory days of summer are not separate First, we know that God sent His Son, Je- mail offi ces. man family and the Christian community realities from the fading days of autumn sus Christ, into the world and allowed Him POSTMASTER: send address — is called to value life and commissioned and the darkness of winter, but part of the to experience suffering. And suffer, He did. changes to The Observer, 555 to protect it wherever life exists. cyclical nature of creation, each season As we experience suffering in our lives, we Colman Center Dr., P.O. Box Pope Francis has often lamented that we having value and purpose. So too, each know that we do not experience this alone. 7044, Rockford, IL 61125 are now living in a “throw away” society. and every life is worth living in the seasons We, in fact, can fi nd meaning in our suffer- For ADVERTISING information: He has noted “Human beings are them- of joy and happiness, and also in times of ing when we unite ours to Christ’s. Contact The Observer at the selves considered consumer goods to be suffering and even pain. We also have great reason to hope, in the address above or call 815/399- used and then discarded. We have created a It is in these times of hardship, pain, or midst of suffering and even death, because 4300; fax 815/399-6225, E-mail: kmccarthy@ ‘throw away’ culture which is now spread- suffering that we might be most tempted to winter does not last forever. We hope in the rockforddiocese.org. ing.” (Evangelii Gaudium, N. 53). take control of life, to take control of exis- resurrection. With our eyes set on Christ’s The theme that the bishops of the United tence itself, in ways that violate the dignity suffering on the cross and the heavenly Send NEWS information to The Observer at the address or fax States have given our nation to explore this with which God has created us. We wit- goal of eternal life, we can weather the sea- number above; send email to Respect Life Month is “Every Life is Worth nessed this earlier this month as, tragically, sons of life with courage and hope. Observer@rockforddiocese. Living.” Life is a gift, a gift given to ev- California became the fi fth state in our na- That understanding of the value of life org; or fi ll out a form at ery person in existence and every person tion to make assisted suicide legal. gives greater meaning to our efforts to http://observer.rockforddiocese. who has ever existed by our Creator. Life Experiencing pain or watching another comfort the suffering, the lonely or those org/contact-us. has been given to each of us, not by chance suffer can be very diffi cult. But we know who don’t fi t in. Just as we must see God’s Subscription rate $28.00 per or happenstance, but because the Author that because we are held in existence by presence in ourselves, we must always see year (48 issues); Canadian of Creation has a purpose for each of us. God’s love that even in these moments, life it in others even if there is something about and Pan American $29; other At every moment, through every season of has purpose and life is worth living. Even them physically or emotionally unattract- foreign: surface mail $37, air life, each of us is being held in existence when one’s health deteriorates quickly, ive to us. mail $97; single copies $1. by God’s love. Because of this we can be when a person is not seen as a “contrib- As we continue through this Respect The Observer Online digital assured that as long as there is life, God has uting” member of society by the world’s Life Month, let us remember to proclaim subscriptions are also available. an intentional purpose for that life. How- standards, when an unborn child receives with our very lives that every life has val- Publisher: ever brief, however long, every life has val- a diagnosis indicating he may not live for ue, every life has purpose, and every life is Most Reverend David J. Malloy ue, every life has purpose, and every life is much longer — even in these seasons, life worth living. Editor: Penny Wiegert News Editor: Amanda Hudson Features and Multimedia The Editor: Sharon Boehlefeld Pope Support the Synod With Prayer Circulation/Proofreading: From the Oct.