Faithlife 11-6.Indd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
New saints 100 years Pope proclaims three of faith saints, calls them models of Christian charity, St. Hedwig Parish in page 2. Erie celebrates milestone anniversary, page 3. www.ErieRCD.org BI-WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN OF THE DIOCESE OF ERIE November 6, 2011 Church Calendar Ad Limina preview Statistics from the Events of the local, American and universal church Quinquennial Report helps paint Quinquennial Report The Quinquennial Report tracks the period from Feast days Jan. 1, 2004 through Dec. 31, 2010. Statistics cover diocesan picture for Vatican the 13 counties of northwest Pennsylvania included By Jason Koshinskie in the Diocese of Erie. FaithLife editor 2004 2010 Total population .......................................874,057 860,340 Editor’s note: This is Part 1 Catholic population (estimated) ...............225,602 221,958 of our Ad Limina preview. Look Diocesan priests .............................................230 193 for Part 2 in the Nov. 20 edition Women religious .............................................425 326 of FaithLife. Permanent deacons ........................................31 62 Parishes..........................................................126 117 ERIE – Bishop Donald Catholic charitable institutions ..........................22 34 Trautman will make his “ad Infant baptisms ............................................1,817 1,400 St. Elizabeth Christ the King limina” visit to the Vatican First Holy Communions ..............................2,291 1,850 of Hungary Dec. 1-10 bringing him face- Confi rmations ..............................................2,245 1,770 to-face with Pope Benedict Marriages (canonically celebrated)..............1,247 648 Nov. 9 Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in XVI and giving a comprehen- Percentage of Sunday Mass attendance...... 47% 41% Rome sive assessment of the church Estimated Sunday Mass attendance .........71,762 57,088 Nov. 10 St. Leo the Great in the Diocese of Erie. Catholic schools ...............................................47 40 The U.S. bishops are pre- Catholic school enrollment ........................12,752 8,770 Nov. 11 St. Martin of Tours paring to make their first Catechists ....................................................1,632 1,636 Nov. 12 St. Josaphat ad limina visits with Pope Nov. 15 Benedict XVI. Beginning in St. Albert the Great November and extending arrive in Rome in 15 regional with Blessed John Paul II. A “Ad limina” is short for with the pope. Nov. 16 St. Margaret of Scotland, through much of next year, groups. Bishop Trautman will number of factors have caused “ad limina apostolorum” in The Code of Canon Law St. Gertrude the visits will provide the Vat- be visiting with a group of a backlog in the visits, which Latin, which means “to the says, “The diocesan bishop Nov. 17 St. Elizabeth of Hungary ican with the most detailed bishops from the Philadelphia have traditionally occurred thresholds of the apostles.” is bound to present a report look at church life in the U.S. and Newark provinces, which every five years. Among them As part of the ad limina vis- to the supreme pontiff every Nov. 18 Dedication of the Basilicas of since the German pope was include the bishops of Penn- are the late pope’s death in its, bishops make a pilgrim- five years concerning the state St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome, elected in 2005. sylvania and New Jersey. 2005 and subsequent papal age to the tombs of Ss. Peter of the diocese committed to St. Rose Philippine Duchesne The approximately 200 During his ad limina visit transition and the increasing and Paul, visit with Vatican Nov. 20 Christ the King heads of U.S. dioceses will in 2004, Bishop Trautman met number of diocesan bishops. offices and have an audience See AD LIMINA, page 3 Confi rmations Offi ce for Religious St. Mark the Evangelist, Lawrence Park – Saturday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. gets new director By Jason Koshinskie Sister Nancy’s appointment USCCB meeting – Nov. 14-16 FaithLife editor is in addition to her current du- ties. She will continue to serve The U.S. Conference of Sister Nancy Fischer, SSJ, the diocesan Office of Educa- Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has been appointed director tion as director of small com- will meet Nov. 14-16 in Bal- of the Diocese of Erie’s Office munity timore for their annual fall for Religious. formation general assembly. The bish- Bishop Donald Trautman and lay ops will hear the first address made the appointment, effec- ministry of Archbishop Timothy Dolan tive Oct. 26, after consultation training. of New York as president of the with the major superiors of Sister USCCB. religious communities in the Nancy diocese. taught at Pope Benedict XVI to visit Benin – In heading the Office for several Religious, Sister Nancy suc- Catholic Nov. 18-20 ceeds Sister Mary Rita Kuhn, schools Sister Nancy said, with speakers who will Fischer, SSJ Pope Benedict XVI will Catholic Charities presents discuss what it was like be- SSJ, who retired Sept. 1 after in the dio- make his second trip as coming a single person again 27 years of service as vicar for cese including Villa Maria El- pope to Africa, visiting Be- and how they navigated their religious. ementary, St. Andrew, Sacred nin Nov. 18-20 to sign and one-day event Nov. 20 way through the holidays “I hope I’ll be able to con- Heart and St. John the Baptist distribute a letter reflecting and beyond. tinue the work that Sister in Erie and served as coordi- on the 2009 special Synod By Jason Koshinskie entitled “Coping with Life “This program offers a Mary Rita has done in min- nator of student activities at of Bishops for Africa. FaithLife editor Alone during the Holidays” lifeline to people and can istry to the sisters of the dio- Villa Maria College. The synod focused on on Sunday, Nov. 20 at St. spark some hope in them,” cese,” Sister Nancy said. From 1978-85, she served at “the church in Africa in Navigating through the Mark Catholic Center, 429 E. she said. “The people attend- The director of the Office Sacred Heart Parish in Erie in service to reconciliation, holidays can be a stressful Grandview Blvd. in Erie, from ing know the holidays can for Religious assists the bishop family ministry and as school justice and peace.” time for anyone, but doing so 2-4 p.m. be a challenging time, both in service to members of reli- counselor and confirmation The pope’s schedule alone can be a difficult expe- The program will include emotionally and spiritually.” gious communities in the dio- coordinator. also includes separate meetings with government rience. presentations, time for per- “Coping with Life Alone cese. Sister Nancy will oversee From 1985-89, Sister Nan- representatives, with African bishops and with chil- There is a special heart- sonal reflection, small group During the Holidays” is a number of committees in- cy was the associate director, dren. ache for those who find discussion and light refresh- Christian in its perspective, cluding the national and local then director of RENEW, a He also is scheduled to pray at the tomb of the themselves single again when ments. Badach said, and open to all retirement fund for religious program of evangelization, late Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, who died in 2008. a marriage ends because of “The holidays can be a dif- denominations. appeal, vocation awareness catechesis and faith formation The Benin cardinal had retired as dean of the Col- death, divorce or separation. ficult and stressful time for There is no cost to attend, for women religious, diocesan through small Christian com- lege of Cardinals in 2002 and was succeeded by The holiday season may only anybody. But for newly single but a free-will offering will jubilee celebration and the an- munities that was implement- then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. seem to compound the feel- people, it can be a time of great be taken. Registrations are nual Mass for deceased reli- ed in 140 parishes. ings of loneliness and grief. tension and anxiety,” said Ann appreciated. Contact Catho- gious. Since 1990, Sister Nancy Catholic Campaign for Human Catholic Charities’ Transi- Badach, Catholic Charities’ lic Charities at 814.824.1265 Upon her appointment, Sis- has served the diocese as di- tions ministry for separated, Family Life director. or e-mail FamilyLife@Eri- ter Nancy becomes a member rector of small community Development – Nov. 19-20 divorced and widowed per- The “Coping” event will eRCD.org for information of the diocesan administrative formation and lay ministry cabinet. training. For more sons will host a special event involve peer ministry, Badach and registration. than 43.6 mil- lion Americans, there is a thin line: between School choice gets victory in Senate Voting for school choice eviction and State Senators in the Diocese of Erie and how they voted Oct. 26 on home, between By Amy B. Hill attending the worst performing the state subsidy amount for Senate Bill 1: hunger and Pennsylvania Catholic public schools get the vouchers their school. That amounts to health, between unemployment and work, between Conference first. In the second year, every about $29,000 a year for a fam- Yes No anxiety and stability. This line is the Poverty Line. qualified student who lives in ily of four. Families above 130 Jane Earll (R- Erie) X For a family of four, that line is $21,834 a year (U.S. Pennsylvania students and the geo- percent but below 185 percent Robert Robbins (R- Mercer) X Census Bureau). their families are one step graphic of the poverty limit can get a The Catholic Campaign for Human Develop- closer to getting assistance in bound- voucher worth 75 percent of Joseph Scarnati, III (R- Jefferson) X ment, a program of the U.S. bishops, is dedicated the exercise of their right to ary of the the subsidy. A family of four Donald White (R- Indiana) X to breaking the cycle of poverty by funding commu- choose a school that they be- failing at this level can earn up to nity programs that encourage independence.