ISSN: 0029-7739 $ 1.00 per copy THE BSERVER OOfficial Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford Volume 81 | No. 43 http://observer.rockforddiocese.org FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2016 Diocese Marks New, Old and Jubilee Elgin High School Diocesan Hispanics Celebrates 75 Years Celebrate Jubilee of Graduates of St. Edward Mercy at Elgin C.C. CCHS in Elgin pose with Bishop David Malloy Bishop David Malloy. incenses the altar at Mass. page 3 pages 4-5 Inside Diocesan Researcher to Be Honored by CARA Dr. Michael Cieslak is being singled out for his years of research for the diocese and the Church. page 6 Refugees Topic at Annual Ecumenical Brunch Janet Biljeskovic, director (Observer photos/Amanda Hudson) of the refugee resettlement Deacon Mark Chaplin, St. Gall parishioners Dale Essling and Bruce Aderman, and parish music and liturgy director Laura Chaplin prepare the program for Catholic soon-to-be-blessed cornerstone in front of the new St. Gall Church under construction. The blessing took place on the feast of St. Gall. Charities in the Rockford Diocese, talks of refugee needs. Cornerstone of New Elburn Church Blessed Oct. 16 page 6 BY AMANDA HUDSON youths again at the site of the News Editor new church, saying that they, as well as the adults gathered, ELBURN—On the feast day will be able to say, “I prayed of St. Gall, Oct. 16, the corner- there when (the church was first) stone was blessed for St. Gall blessed.” Parish’s new church, under con- This “is the place where struction about a mile south of heaven touches earth,” he said, the current church’s location at “where we gather (and) our faith the northern edge of downtown is reinforced in life.” Elburn. Calling such a project both “a At 11 a.m., before parishio- Feeling Mercy sign of unity and a test of unity” ners and guests traveled down for a parish, the bishop praised Connor Flanagan, a musician the road for the blessing, Bishop Jenn Thiel talks with Bishop David Malloy at a luncheon reception af- their coming together in a way and youth minister, will be David Malloy celebrated Mass, ter the cornerstone blessing. The reception took place at the parish that unites, and prayed that uni- the keynote speaker at the joined by St. Gall parochial ad- rectory, located across Hwy. 47 from the new church campus. annual Rockford Diocese ministrator, Father Christopher ty will be ongoing. Youth Summit Oct. 30. DiTomo, retired pastor Father “What is important here,” he owed problems of the future The new church will seat 400 and will include space for over- YO, pages 8-9 Karl Ganss, and Aurora Cen- said, “is God and His presence Church. Moses, he said, was not tral Catholic High School Chief here among us” in a place that alone; others helped him hold up flow seating, eight classrooms, Administrative Officer Father F. “prepares us for the only thing his hands so Israel could win the a fellowship space, hospitality William Etheredge. that matters: life with Christ.” battle. kitchen, parish library and par- This Issue Bishop Malloy spoke about The bishop spoke also about “As we are shoulder-to-shoul- ish offices. The building will be the meaning of parish churches the danger of discouragement in der with others (at Mass),” Bish- accessible to the handicapped Bishop Malloy ............................. 2 in his homily from the perspec- spiritual life, saying that when op Malloy said, “I see others, and will incorporate relocated Headliners ..................................... 3 tive of one who has traveled the that temptation is allowed in and I don’t lose heart, I don’t and new art glass. Diocesan .................................... 4-6 diocese and seen the “magnifi- “all of a sudden the world itself lose courage.” A lunch reception followed Media/Arts ....................................7 cent” larger churches and the doesn’t make sense.” Young people especially, he the cornerstone blessing at the Young Observer ..................... 8-9 “little jewels” in smaller towns. He pointed to the day’s first added, can benefit from such parish rectory located across Vocations and Colleges .. 10-12 He spoke of walking into reading from Exodus about how witness and support, and he Illinois Rte. 47 from the new Around the Diocese .......... 13-15 churches and getting a sense of Moses struggled to hold up his called it “so worrysome” that church site. The current parish Our Catholic View ..............16-17 the personal contributions made hands as Joshua and his men the numbers of youths at Mass- buildings are for sale. For the Record ......................... 18 throughout history to make fought the armies of Amalek. es has dropped. Hopes are for a spring open- Nation/World ..................... 19-20 each place possible. That moment, he said, foreshad- Bishop Malloy mentioned ing of the new St. Gall Church. 2 | FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2016 | The Observer Don’t Miss Respect Life Month Bishop The Observer (ISSN 0029- 7739), is published weekly, Malloy’s Is Really a except fi ve times a year by the Diocese of Rockford, TV Messages BY BISHOP 555 Colman Center Dr., P.O. Box 7044, Rockford, IL 61125 DAVID J. Phone: 815/399-4300; Fax Weekday Refl ection MALLOY Year-Round Thing 815/399-6225. (about 6:58 a.m.) Periodical postage paid at on WREX-TV, Channel 13, ctober is Respect Life Month. Colorado and the District of Columbia are Rockford, Ill., and additional Rockford Sponsored by the bishops of considering following suit. mail offi ces. the United States, the theme for Physician assisted suicide is a further step POSTMASTER: send address Top o’ the this Jubilee Year of Mercy is, in severing the recognition of God’s role in the changes to The Observer, 555 Oappropriately enough, “Moved by Mercy.” gift of life, both in when it is given and when Colman Center Dr., P.O. Box Morning That theme reminds us that God’s love and we are called back to Him. Part of the beauty of 7044, Rockford, IL 61125 mercy, when properly recognized and shared, with our human life in the context of creation is the For ADVERTISING information: strengthen our love for Him that we fi nd in entrusting of ourselves to God. Contact The Observer at the Bishop every person. The deepest source of human The task, both discerned by faith and by address above or call 815/399- dignity is that each of us is made in the image reason, when confronted with those who suff er, 4300; fax 815/399-6225, and likeness of God. is to assist them, not to take their lives. Email: kmccarthy@ Malloy Each October, then, we highlight our year- rockforddiocese.org. Listen to archives anytime at Physicians have always been on the front line round eff orts to teach a deeper respect for Send NEWS information to The http://observer.rockfo rddiocese.org. of such assistance that strives for comfort and human life. And as we look around our beloved Observer at the address or fax Click on Bishop Malloy on the top left healing. If it is now mixed with the intention to country and our challenged society, don’t we number above; send email to side of the page. deliberately take life, the healing science and sense the need to recover respect for life as a Observer@rockforddiocese. the trust it has always merited, is diminished. org; or fi ll out a form at Brought to you by fundamental value? Savant Capital Management If these are the underlying signs of disrespect http://observer.rockforddiocese. Fitzge rald Funeral Homes We cannot avert our gaze or concentration for life that are creeping into family and daily org/contact-us. Illinois Bank & Trust from the fact that our country and our laws life, is it any wonder that other failures to Subscription rate $28.00 per Rick Wang Financial permit and even facilitate the destruction of life respect life follow? year (48 issues); Canadian Diocesan Offi ce of when it is most vulnerable. Estimates about the Communications and Publications We have been bombarded this summer with and Pan American $29; other number of children who have perished because The Observer countless stories of indiscriminate shootings, foreign: surface mail $37, air Offi ce of Charitable Giving, of abortion since the Supreme Court made that mail $97; single copies $1. night after night. Recently, even in the mall in Diocese of Rock ford procedure legal in the United States back in Cherry Valley near Rockford, shoppers have The Observer Online digital 1973 range from 55 million to 60 million. witnessed shootings that endangered both those subscriptions are also available. There is no question that our societal respect targeted and the innocent nearby. Publisher: for life has eroded. Consider how often we Most Reverend David J. Malloy Even the scourge of terrorism refl ects a read stories about eff orts to pass laws that Editor: Penny Wiegert would outlaw, as a fi rst step, at least the most failure to love and respect life. And this on an egregious methods of late term abortion international scale. News Editor: Amanda Hudson such as partial birth abortion. Even these are October is not, however, a month simply to Features and Multimedia often blocked or declared contrary to our count up and acknowledge all that is going Editor: Sharon Boehlefeld Constitution. wrong, especially in regard to life. It is, rather, Circulation/Proofreading: Recently, an ad campaign appeared in a time to renew our commitment to life. That is Susan Sabrowski, Keith newspapers that went so far as to suggest that best done by prayer, by constantly talking about Ludolph God’s gift of life, and by serving the lives of Catholic social teaching would support the Accounting: Jill Bonk Wednesday Refl ection use of tax dollars to pay for the taking of the those in need.