VOL. 56, NO. 19 DIOCESE OF OAKLAND NOVEMBER 12, 2018 www.catholicvoiceoakland.org Serving the East Bay Catholic Community since 1963 Copyright 2018 Pilgrimage participant victim in synagogue killings East Bay Catholics who traveled on a Holy Land Pilgrimage Feb. 6-15, 2017, were saddened to learn one of the group’s members was slain in the Oct. 27 shootings at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Richard Gottfried, 65, was one of 11 killed. He is Jewish. His wife, Peg Very Rev. James Matthews, Rev. Jim Schexnayder and Bishop Pupils from GleeBA at the Temple Beth Abraham school, Durachko, is Catholic. Michael C. Barber, SJ, are greeted by Rabbi Mark Bloom. with Rabbi Mark Bloom, sing at the vigil. The Holy Land pilgrimage was a joint trip, with 48 pilgrims as part of a Catholic Voice group led by Rev. Lawrence D’Anjou, pastor at St. Raymond Parish, Dublin, and 28 pilgrims from Pittsburgh, a mix of Catholics and Jews led by Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik and Rabbi Aaron Bisno of Rodef Shalom Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh pilgrimage was called Pursuers of Peace. The couple, both dentists, with Peg’s sister, Carol, and friend Kathy Cull traveled on the pilgrimage. Rich Gottfried was a volunteer at the Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center. “He was a great guy, friendly, always willing to help out,” said his neighbor Brian Rooker, who has lived ACCIORINI/THE CATHOLIC VOICE CATHOLIC ACCIORINI/THE next door to Gottfried since 2003. P . “We were with them for all the Masses and shared meals together,” said Belinda Lewis Held, a tour opera- tor of Unitours Inc. Rich Gottfried was “a wonderful, C ALBERT ALL: kind man,” Held said, who supported A memorial service at Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland on Oct. 30 honored the 11 congregants of a Pittsburgh synagogue Peg in her faith. who were murdered on Oct. 27. More photos at facebook.com/TheCatholicVoice. “This is so hard because of the evilness of this act,” Cull wrote in an email. “She (Peg) is very strong, but I believe she needs her many different members of her Faith Community to ‘We know we are not alone’ comfort her at this time.” Robert Bowers, 46, of Pittsburgh, By Albert C. Pacciorini people of Pittsburgh who are immediately has 12 synagogues and three Jewish pleaded not guilty to the killings. Staff writer affected by this horrific act. I also pray for day schools in a neighborhood that’s 2.7 — Albert C. Pacciorini Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, members our country, that we consider ways we can square miles. of the clergy and local Catholics were address the causes of violence and allow “I find great solace in knowing that we among those of a number of faiths who all people of good will to live in peace.” are not alone and that there are helpers attended a memorial service at Temple How to respond? asked Rabbi Bloom. seemingly everywhere — individuals of all Beth Abraham in Oakland on Oct. 30 to “The only responses are life and love. faiths and walks of life are standing with honor the 11 congregants of a Pittsburgh We must continue living in order to not us,” Wolmark said. synagogue who were murdered on Oct. 27. give terrorists a victory,” Bloom said. “And “We must strive to do more than mourn “We gather today not only in their mem- when it comes to love, our sacred task is the 11 Tree of Life victims. … We must also ory, but for another purpose as well,” said to bring more of it into the world. Our non- labor to honor their sacrifice … in the face Rabbi Mark Bloom. “We know we are not Jewish neighbors have shown us this love of discrimination and bigotry. We must all alone. … Your care means everything to today, and we must continue to show it to be each other’s helpers.” us,” he said, noting as soon as word of the everyone we meet. Eleven candles were lit, marking the 11 tragedy came, he was called by friends in “We are not alone. No one is alone. And lives lost. Members of the congregation, the Christian and other faith communities. we will respond with life and love.” other faith groups and the few remaining BELINDA LEWIS HELD/COURTESY PHOTO LEWIS HELD/COURTESY BELINDA “The loss of life at Tree of Life Steve Wolmark, a member of Temple Beth survivors of the Holocaust all lit candles. From left, Rabbi Aaron Bisno with Synagogue in Pittsburgh is tragic and Abraham who was born and grew up in the In the Tree of Life killings, Robert Peg Durachko and Rich Gottfried, strikes at the heart of our society,” Bishop Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and Bowers, 46, of Pittsburgh, was appre- who renewed their wedding vows Barber said earlier. “All places of worship, was a member of the Tree of Life Synagogue, hended after a shootout with police. He in Bethlehem while on the Holy whether a synagogue, mosque, temple said the events had left him shattered and pleaded not guilty to 29 separate federal Land Pilgrimage in February 2017. or church, should be safe from violence. broken, but he was overwhelmed by the crimes, including hate crimes and weap- Rich Gottfried was killed in the I pray for those who were killed and outpouring of love in its aftermath. ons offenses, on Oct. 29, and is being Tree of Life synagogue attack. wounded, the members of Tree of Life He discussed growing up in that held without bail. He is believed to have synagogue, the first responders and the “remarkable” neighborhood that today acted alone. On our cover Pope Francis: ‘The people Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, with Rev. Jim Schexnayder and Very Rev. James Matthews attend of God smell holiness’ a memorial service at Oakland’s Temple Beth Abraham for the By Michele Jurich 11 congregants slain in Pittsburgh. Staff writer More on this page. “RO-MER-O!” The familiar cry swept across St. Peter’s Square at the Bishop’s Column . 3 Vatican on Oct. 14, as Pope Francis prepared to canonize Classified. 12 seven new saints. Among them was Óscar Arnulfo Romero, Datelines . 13 archbishop of San Salvador, who was killed as he celebrated Forum . 14-15 Mass in a hospital chapel in March 24, 1980. Holiday Guide . 5 Rev. Msgr. Antonio Valdivia heard that cry in the square. Senior Living & Resources. 8-10 The retired priest of the Diocese of Oakland was among the PHOTO COURTESY The Church. 2 pilgrims who filled the square. With him were two priests of Oakland diocese visitors to St. Peter’s Square for the canoniza- Travel . 6-7 the diocese, Father David Mendoza-Vela and Father Luis tions included, from left, Rev. David Mendoza-Vela, Rev. Msgr. (Continued on Page 11.) Antonio Valdivia, Rev. Luis Lopez, Edith Lewis and Nidia Fuentes. 2 — THE CATHOLIC VOICE THE CHURCH NOVEMBER 12, 2018 BISHOP BARBER’S SCHEDULE Nov. 12-16: US Bishops’ meeting, Nov. 19: Meetings, including College of Baltimore, Maryland Consultors, Chancery, Oakland Nov. 17: Auction Dinner to support San Nov. 20: Meetings, Chancery, Oakland Damiano Retreat Center, Bishop’s Nov. 21: Meetings, Chancery, Oakland residence, Oakland Nov. 22: 10 a.m. Thanksgiving day Mass, Nov. 18: 11 a.m. Mass and procession in Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland honor of the Vietnamese martyrs, St. Anthony Parish, Oakland Nov. 25: 10 a.m. Mass, Solemnity of Christ the King, Cathedral of Christ the 3 p.m. Mass, Confirmation, St. Jarlath, Light, Oakland Oakland Let the music ALEXANDER CASTILLO/SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC VOICE ALEXANDER THE CASTILLO/SPECIAL TO CATHOLIC wash over us . Our presence and REV participation in the All Souls Mass Spanish Roman missal workshop helps us grieve for Priests of the Diocese of Oakland gathered at St. Bede Parish the evening those who have died, of Oct. 29 to learn about the new edition of the Spanish Roman Missal. The Bishop Michael C. new translation of the missal has been introduced in many parishes, and it Barber, SJ, explained must be in use by the first Sunday of Advent, Dec. 2. in his homily for the Requiem Mass on Nov. 2. About 1,000 people attended the Remembering Mass, which Bishop Barber celebrated in the Saints Latin; the readings In his homily on the were in English. We need to pray for the souls of the faithful departed, he Feast of All Saints, said, as the music in the Mass prayers washes over our loved ones, cleanses Nov. 1, Bishop and heals them. See more at facebook.com/TheCatholicVoice. Michael C. Barber, SJ, told noontime Mass- goers at the Cathedral of Christ the Light the story behind the PACCIORINI/THE CATHOLIC VOICE CATHOLIC PACCIORINI/THE opera, “Dialogues . of the Carmelites.” During the French revolution, the 16 C ALBERT members of the Carmel of Compiègne, France, refusing to disobey their vows, went, one by one, to the guillotine. A sister who had escaped capture left the anonymity of the crowd to join her sisters in martyrdom. “What a tragedy it would be to go through life and not become a saint,” Bishop Barber said. PACCIORINI/THE CATHOLIC VOICE CATHOLIC PACCIORINI/THE . ALL: ALBERT C ALBERT ALL: ADVERTISERS You now have the opportunity to reach the large institutional market of the Diocese of Oakland — which includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties — in the 2019 DIOCESAN DIRECTORY VOICE CATHOLIC CHRIS SILVA/THE It is the most affordable way of advertising your business yearlong Jesuit deacons ordained to the many parishes, schools, colleges, retreat centers, religious communities Bishop Michael C.