Get your Bishop's bobblehead Commendation Bishop Trautman bobbleheads for Service now available to order, page 3. Award See the Northern Vicariate honorees, page 3. www.ErieRCD.org BI-WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN OF THE DIOCESE OF ERIE September 11, 2011 Church Calendar Events of the local, American and universal church 9/11 costs hard to count Feast days By Patricia Zapor suspicion with which some Catholic News Service people now view Muslims or Arabs. WASHINGTON — Even the facts that one Quantifying the costs of might expect to be easy the 9/11 terrorist attacks to measure — how many on the United States is a bit people have been killed in like trying to get your hands the wars in Iraq and Af- around the ocean. ghanistan, for instance — Where to start is the fi rst are diffi cult to nail down. hurdle. Some costs can be A website called http:// tangibly measured in hu- icasualties.org keeps fairly man lives lost, number of up-to-date fi gures of U.S. Our Lady of Sorrows St. Pio of Pietrelcina injuries, dollars spent and and coalition deaths for the jobs changed or lost. They two wars, including gov- can be tallied in numbers of ernment contractors. As of Sept. 12 Most Holy Name of the Blessed people who have fl ed their mid-August, it had a count Virgin Mary homes for safer lands or of 4,792 U.S. and coalition Sept. 13 St. John Chrysostom the amount of government military deaths in Iraq and funding diverted to or away 2,672 in Afghanistan. Sept. 14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross from certain programs. But, as pointed out in Sept. 15 Our Lady of Sorrows Then there are the intan- a comprehensive report, gibles: human rights in the “Costs of War,” published Sept. 16 St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian United States and abroad by Brown University’s Sept. 17 St. Robert Bellarmine that were weakened or ig- Watson Institute for Inter- nored in the interest of secu- national Studies this sum- Sept. 18 Catechetical Sunday Anniversary prompts refl ection rity; the moral standing of a mer, it’s harder to pin down Sept. 19 St. Januarius nation diminished by the how many civilian con- on tragedy’s spiritual dimension acts of waging preventative tractors, Iraqi and Afghan Sept. 20 St. Andrew Kim Taegon, St. Paul war or engaging in torture; troops have been killed or Chong Hasang and companions By Jason Koshinskie We can never forget.” “You have to hope that there’s the loss of people’s sense of FaithLife editor Dr. Foti, who grew up in a better time and a place and well-being and peace; the See COSTS, page 2 Sept. 21 St. Matthew Manhattan, and his family re- this is a part in getting there.” Sept. 23 St. Pio of Peitrelcina (Padre Pio) Beneath a bridge of lad- side in Fairview and belong to Since the loss of his broth- ders formed by two fi re Our Lady of Peace Parish in er, Dr. Foti said his family has trucks, Dr. Frank Foti and his Erie. Dr. Foti’s mother, Rose- become more important to At St. Tobias in Brockway, people gathered for the eve- wife, Suzanne, will mark the marie, still lives in Manhattan him. Sept. 11, 2001 was the fi nal ning. Confi rmation 10th anniversary of the 9/11 and watched the twin towers “I’ve grown in a good way,” night of the parish’s Forty “People were just looking attacks by placing a wreath burn from her kitchen win- he said. “It makes you think Hours devotion. to pray together,” Msgr. Kaza Immaculate Conception, Clarion – Sunday, in memory of his brother, dow. about life and how fragile and One of the things that im- said. “There was a spirit of Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. Robert. Robert Foti, 42, had been a how wonderful it can be.” mediately started to happen prayer with people through- Robert Foti, a member of fi refi ghter for 12 years. He’s said he’s also thankful was that priests originally out the United States and the St. Andrew, Erie – Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. F.D.N.Y. Ladder 9, Engine “He was on the job at for the support of his parish, scheduled to attend began world.” Confi rmation classes include Sacred Heart, 16, lost his life in the south work and never came home,” which has hosted a number calling to say they could not be Although he’s never been Erie, and St. Andrew, Erie. tower of the World Trade Dr. Foti said of his brother. of fundraisers for the families present, recalls Msgr. Charles to Ground Zero, Msgr. Kaza Center while saving others “They never found anything of 9/11 victims including his Kaza, who was in his fi rst year said he visited the crash site in from the terrorist attacks. of him.” brother’s three children and as pastor of St. Tobias at the Shanksville where he saw an “The fact that it’s 10 years Dr. Foti said his faith helped planted a tree in his memory. time. The priests were simply open fi eld surrounded by fenc- Memorial Mass for Archbishop Pietro really strikes a note,” Dr. Foti put the tragic loss in perspec- Our Lady of Peace will too busy with people coming ing where visitors left memen- said. “It gets a little easier, tive. hold a 9/11 memorial on Sat- to the churches where they tos. Sambi – Sept. 14 but it’s still hard. It’s a sad “I was angry at the people urday, Sept. 10 outside the were assigned. “Actually seeing something A memorial Mass for Archbishop Pietro Sambi, time for our family. We miss who did this, but I never got church’s east entrance at 6 But St. Tobias’ church was who died July 27, will be celebrated Sept. 14 at him. Every year it’s 9/11. angry with the Lord,” he said. p.m. full anyway. More than 300 See ANNIVERSARY, page 2 the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. Archbishop Timothy Dolan Catechetical Sunday — Sept. 18 About Catechetical Sunday of New York, president of the The ministry of the Word is a fundamental element of evangeliza- U.S. Conference of Catholic Each year, the third Sunday of Sep- Bishops, will be the main cel- tion through all its stages because it involves the proclamation of tember has been designated by the U.S. Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God. ebrant of the noon Mass. Catholic bishops as Catechetical Sun- The 73-year-old Italian day, a national celebration which hon- The Word of God nourishes both evangelizers and those who are archbishop, apostolic nuncio ors those involved in catechetical minis- being evangelized so that each one may continue to grow in his or to the United States since Archbishop try. her Christian life. (National Directory for Catechesis, No. 17) February 2006, died at Johns Pietro Sambi This year, Catechetical Sunday, Sept. Hopkins Medical Center in For more information and resources, visit the U.S. bishops online 18, will focus on the theme, “Do This in at www.usccb.org/catecheticalsunday. Baltimore from complications related to lung sur- Memory of Me.” Those who have been gery performed approximately three weeks earlier. designated by their parish community to serve as catechists will be called forth tion programs in the diocese each tism, in handing on the faith and be- Pope Benedict XVI to visit Germany – to be commissioned for their ministry. year. ing a witness to the Gospel. It is also Sept. 22-25 Approximately 1,800 will serve reli- Catechetical Sunday is an oppor- an opportunity for all to rededicate gious education programs throughout school year. More than 20,000 stu- tunity to refl ect upon the role that themselves to this mission as a com- Pope Benedict XVI will address the German par- the Diocese of Erie during the 2011-12 dents participate in religious educa- each person plays, by virtue of bap- munity of faith. liament, meet with Jewish and Muslim groups, hold a prayer vigil with youths and celebrate Mass in Ber- lin’s Olympic Stadium during a Sept. 22-25 visit to his homeland. It’s a heavy schedule for the 84-year-old pope, Longtime vicar for religious who will preside over 28 events and deliver 17 talks during the visit. It will be Pope Benedict’s third trip to Germany Sister Mary Rita Kuhn, SSJ, retires since his election in 2005, but his fi rst visit to Berlin, society. Those needs maybe the German capital. After landing in Berlin Sept. 22, By Jason Koshinskie weren’t present 20 years ago the pope will meet with government leaders, give a FaithLife editor but have somehow turned major speech to the federal parliament, meet with up. And they look for ways Jewish representatives and then celebrate an evening After 27 years of service as to meet those needs.” Mass in the Olympic Stadium — the facility Adolf the Diocese of Erie’s vicar for Sister Mary Rita has over- Hitler had built for the controversial 1936 Summer religious, Sister Mary Rita seen a number of committees Games. Kuhn, SSJ, is retiring. that address current issues. Her fi nal day in the posi- Some of the active commit- tion was Sept. 1. tees include the national and A longtime teacher and local Retirement Fund for principal at a number of Religious Collection, voca- The new Roman Missal Catholic schools, Sister Mary tion awareness for women Rita was appointed vicar for religious, diocesan jubilee Changes can be a positive experience religious by Bishop Michael celebrations and the annual Change is always diffi cult for us.