Sooner Catholic www.soonercatholic.org October 4, 2015 www.archokc.org Go Make Disciples World meeting affi rms priority of family World Meeting of Families draws thousands to Philadelphia By Diane Clay English with simultaneous trans- The Sooner Catholic lations in French, Italian, Spanish, PHILADELPHIA — In the dark- Vietnamese and American Sign ness of an early September Language. morning, more than 30 pilgrims Downstairs, teenagers and other from across Oklahoma joined the youth gathered for the Youth Con- Archdiocese of Oklahoma City at ference. Will Rogers World Airport for a Diana Ramos, 17, attended the pilgrimage to the World Meeting of conference with her parents. Families in Philadelphia. “I learned new things about how Over the next six days, this youth can get involved in many group, many of whom didn’t know different ways,” she said. “When I each other before the trip, became get back, I’m going to get more in- friends in faith and bonded over volved in church and in our youth the exhilarating and frustrating group. We need to get out there.” experiences of a pilgrimage. Outside of the conference, the “I signed us up because of Pope Oklahoma pilgrims visited the Francis, but there was so much National Shrine of Saint Katharine more to the experience. Going Drexel, the Shrine of the Miracu- lous Medal and the Shrine of Our to Philadelphia was scary to me Archbishop Coakley and the members of the archdiocesan pilgrimage to the World because it was the east coast and Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Photo Sooner Catholic. Lady of Czestochowa, along with a all we hear about that, but we will tour of historical Philadelphia with fi nd a way back to Philadelphia be- The next three days included was given jointly by Cardinal Sean the grave of Benjamin Franklin cause the peo- keynote talks from Professor Hel- Patrick O’Malley of Boston and and the Liberty Bell. ple there were en Alvare on Pastor Rick Warren. The emotional The World Meeting of Families so wonderful,” “The Fertility discussion focused on “The Joy of concluded on Saturday with the said Danna of Christian the Gospel of Life” that should be Festival of Families that includ- Schweitzer, who Love,” where lived with purpose and love. ed an unexpected and expressive attended with she discussed “Family is a community of love,” speech by Pope Francis on family her husband her journey Cardinal O’Malley said. “Family followed on Sunday with the Papal Rick from Im- through the should be a place where the Gos- Mass where more than 800,000 maculate Heart false narrative pel lives; to be a family in God.” people gathered along the parkway of Mary in Calumet. of what an in- More than 17,000 people attend- and into downtown Philadelphia. The conference, held at the mas- dependent woman should be and ed the conference, many with their “I’m really big on family. My kids sive Pennsylvania Convention Cen- how she found her true strength children. Parishioners hailed from are fourth generation Germans in ter, kicked off with a spirited call and purpose through marriage dozens of countries, including Okarche. Pope Francis seems to to action by Bishop Robert Barron and children. France, Germa- be focused on of Los Angeles, who challenged Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Phil- ny, Mexico, Italy, the family and families to live their faith. ippines, a crowd favorite, used Puerto Rico, Bra- For videos and text from pre- that drew me to “We wonder why our society has wit and wisdom to talk about zil, Argentina, In- sentations at the World Meet- him,” Rick Sch- become spiritually lost, because loneliness, wounded hearts and dia, Ireland, Zim- ing of Families and Pope Fran- weitzer said. “It’s so many Catholics have stopped the Church’s role as a home – a babwe, Vietnam, cis’ visit to the United States, wheat plantin’ going to Mass,” he said. “Families comforter and guide. the Philippines go online to www.worldmeet- time, but I felt that pray together, that bless their “He knows our wounds,” he said. and Trinidad and ing2015.org or www.usccb.org. this was more children before bed, that’s a family “The Church is a fi eld hospital. It Tobago. important.” that’s learning right praise. … We must embody the redemptive mis- All keynote Diane Clay need to rediscover who we were sion of God.” sessions were is editor of the meant to be.” The fi nal talk of the conference presented in Sooner Catholic. All have wounds, only Jesus and Church can heal, says cardinal By Joyce Duriga Things such as fi nancial problems, Catholic News Service work confl icts, religious exclusion, PHILADELPHIA — All people carry discrimination, persecution, domestic wounds of the heart that only Jesus violence or abuse can create wounds can heal, and his body of Christ, the of the heart. Church, can be an agent of that heal- “Open your eyes. Listen to the cries ing. of the wounded. See those wounds. That’s the message given by Filipino See the crosses of those wounds,” Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila Cardinal Tagle entreated the crowd. during his keynote address at the Wounds that go unattended can World Meeting of Families in Philadel- make people bitter or become alien- phia on Sept. 24. ated. Even if you have a large house, “All wounds hurt, but wounds are you can still be “homeless,” the cardinal said, because only a loving more painful and hurtful when we One of the speakers at the World Meeting of see our family members suffering,” presence makes a home. To illumi- Families was Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio he told the crowd of several thousand nate that point, Cardinal Tagle recited Tagle of Manila. Cardinal Tagle impressed that included many Filipino-Amer- the lyrics to “A House Is Not a Home” the audience with wit and wise insight icans. “The wounds that affect our by Burt Bacharach to the applause of during his talk, “The Family: A Home for the families today are many, immense the crowd. Wounded Heart.” Photo Diane Clay/Sooner and deep.” continued on page 9 Catholic. 2 October 4, 2015 Sooner Catholic Sooner Catholic National October 4, 2015 3 Put Out Into the Deep Luke 5:4 Find more Cardinal in 2015 Respect Life Month message: news on the ‘Every Life is Worth Living’ A crisis of global proportions website One of the great humanitarian challenges of our them. Pope Francis has WASHINGTON — People discov- year, is designated as Respect Life By Sooner Catholic Staff time has been the migration and refugee crisis that called on all parishes er their worth when they discover Sunday. The USCCB Secretariat of has grabbed the attention of the whole world. and religious communi- their true identity as created in Pro-Life Activities publishes new Additional coverage of Until recently, many of us in the United States have ties in Europe to open God’s image and called to an eter- materials each year on various Church and archdiocesan thought about migration primarily as an American their doors and provide nal destiny with him, said Cardi- human life issues to aid the local concern. We think of our own immigration crisis. hospitality for families news and events, only on nal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap, efforts within the Church of build- Recent political debates have reminded us of the that are being displaced. www.soonercatholic.org: Archbishop of Boston and chair- ing a culture of life throughout the complex issues surrounding our own immigration The Syrian refugee pop- man of the Committee on Pro-Life year. The theme of the 2015-16 problems. ulation represents the If you have not had a Activities of the U.S. Conference of Respect Life Program is “Every life How ought we to deal compassionately and just- largest forced migration Archbishop Paul S. Coakley chance to donate to Catho- Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in the is worth living.” ly with the seemingly unrelenting fl ow of migrants since World War II. lic Charities’ annual cam- annual Respect Life Month state- “Whether it lasts for a brief mo- that for years have entered our country, especially Since this has been in the news, I have been asked paign for the archdiocese, ment. Catholics and all people of ment or for a hundred years, each through our southern border? What ought we to do frequently what the Church is doing to help. The go online to good will in the United States are of our lives is a good and perfect with those who are already here without proper docu- answer is that the Church is doing more than most http://catholiccharitiesok. invited to participate in Respect gift,” wrote Cardinal O’Malley. “At mentation? What are the causal factors that have led people think. We need to continue to scale up our org. Life Month. every stage and in every circum- to this large-scale movement of people? The factors response and we are doing so. The Knights of Colum- Respect Life Month, observed in stance, we are held in existence by are many: these men, women and bus, for example, recently announced To see the complete Jobs October, begins the new, yearlong God’s love.” children are often escaping the crush- a major initiative to come to the aid of How to help Box, go online to cycle of the Respect Life Program, Cardinal O’Malley wrote that ing burden of poverty or fl eeing the persecuted Christians in the Middle www.archokc.org/jobs-box. which continues through the nothing can diminish a person’s violence of war, gangs and criminal Donate Online East.