Inside Fall Marriage Supplement Wedding announcements, marriage preparation and marriage tips, Criterion see pages 9-13. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com July 17, 2009 Vol. XLIX, No. 40 75¢ Continued blessings, unexpected gifts One year later, Julie Molloy and volunteers Submitted photos work to continue the legacy of Anna Molloy and Lucious Newsom By John Shaughnessy Just moments earlier, Julie Molloy was wiping away tears, but now she’s smiling and laughing when she considers the question about the unlikely duo that changed her life and inspired countless people in Indiana and across the country to care for the hungry and the needy. The question asks Molloy to consider how her daughter, Anna, and her friend, Lucious Newsom, would react to the way she has continued to keep their combined legacy alive during the year since they both died within 19 days of each other. Flashing a smile first, Molloy imagines the tiny 12-year-old girl in the motorized wheelchair and the larger-than-life 93-year-old man in bib overalls nudging each other as they watch her from heaven. Lucious Newsom and Anna Molloy worked together for years to inspire people to care for the hungry and the needy. In this Then Molloy breaks into a laugh because she is certain 2005 photo, Lucious, right, and Anna, second from right, pose during a groundbreaking ceremony for Anna’s House, a community that her daughter and her friend are laughing at her. service center in Indianapolis that was created to serve people in need. Charlie Caito, left, and Leo Stenz, two loyal supporters of “I bet they’re laughing at me,” says Molloy, a member Anna’s House, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony. of St. Jude Parish in Indianapolis. “I’m a ‘Nervous Nellie’ type who is always wondering, ‘How are we going to get dignity and everything he had. Julie Molloy, left, this done? Do we have enough food? Do we have enough When Julie Molloy first heard Newsom give a talk about continues the money?’ Lucious would just say, ‘Quit worrying, God will serving the poor 12 years ago, she felt Newsom and God were legacy of her take care of everything.’ speaking directly to her. As she cared for her family, she also daughter, Anna, “They’re laughing at me because every time something became more involved with Newsom’s efforts. So did Anna. In and Lucious has come up this year that I thought was too big to fact, Newsom was so touched by Anna’s “hard work and love Newsom at overcome, it’s been taken care of. God has taken care of of Jesus” that he thought of her in 2005 when supporters built Anna’s House. everything.” a community center near downtown Indianapolis that offers Here, Julie Still, it always takes the longest to take care of the food and other services to people in need. Molloy poses healing. Encouraged to name the center after himself, Newsom with Angie instead decided to call it Anna’s House. Reyes after the Trying to fill the void Their deaths rocked Julie Molloy. girl, a member of In late July of 2008, a significant part of the foundation “When Anna died, I didn’t know what I was going to do,” St. Anthony of Julie Molloy’s life began to crumble. she says. “It’s been a lonely year, a quiet year. Anna was just Parish in For more than 12 years, Anna had lived with a full of life. She had such a spirit about her, such a drive. She Indianapolis, remarkable spirit, a spirit that defied the odds from the talked all the time, and now it’s so quiet. I have an amazing made her time she was born with a rare genetic disorder that causes son who will be a sophomore in high school, and he keeps me first Communion dwarfism. Her approach to life touched her mom, her busy. But when he’s in school, it’s quiet.” in May of 2009. father, Pete, her brother, Peter, and so many others before As Molloy struggled with the deaths of her daughter and The celebration she died on July 31, 2008. her friend, there was a growing fear among the supporters of was held at Then, on Aug. 18, came the death of Newsom, the Anna’s House and Newsom’s take-it-to-the-street ministry that Anna’s House. retired Baptist-minister-turned-Catholic who rose above everything would fall apart without his presence. Even as traditional ways of caring for the poor, offering them See MOLLOY, page 2 Pope discusses bioethics, G-8 summit with Obama at Vatican VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The Church’s Obama, referring to their position on bioethical issues got marked closed-door discussions. “I will attention during Pope Benedict XVI’s have some reading to do on the meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama plane.” on July 10. Obama was given the In addition to giving Obama a copy of his instruction to help him better latest encyclical, which the pope had been understand the Church’s presenting to visiting heads of state since its position on bioethics, release on July 7, Msgr. Georg Ganswein, papal CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romanovia Reuters See related editorial, the pope also secretary, told journalists in the page 4. presented a copy pool covering the visit. of the Vatican Obama arrived at the Vatican document on biomedical ethics, “Dignitas shortly before 4 p.m., and a Personae” (“The Dignity of a Person”). squad of Swiss Guards saluted When presenting the gifts after their him in the St. Damasus Pope Benedict XVI greets U.S. President Barack Obama in the 35-minute closed-door meeting, the pope Courtyard of the Apostolic pontiff's private library at the Vatican on July 10. gave Obama a signed, white leather-bound Palace. copy of the encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” U.S. Archbishop James Pope Benedict and Obama sat at a desk (“Charity in Truth”), then indicated the light- Harvey, prefect of the papal household, was in the papal library and discussed the green soft-cover instruction on bioethics the first to greet the president, and he Group of Eight summit—the meeting of issued last December by the Vatican accompanied Obama to a meeting with the world’s wealthy industrialized Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary countries, which concluded that morning in “Oh, what we discussed earlier,” said of state. See VATICAN, page 20 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, July 17, 2009 Groups are coming in, wanting to do even MOLLOY bigger projects. An Eagle Scout re-did the basement so we have a wonderful place for continued from page 1 photos Submitted the kids to play and we have a nice library Molloy tried to fill the void by becoming down there.” the director of Anna’s House, the concerns Another Eagle Scout is working to create grew. a community playground on a lot across the “The fear was that with Lucious gone, street from Anna’s House. The Greater we wouldn’t get the volunteers continuing Indianapolis Neighborhood Initiative is to come, and the gifts wouldn’t come in improving the neighborhood with street- either,” she says. “He had been the lights and a crime awareness program. And backbone of it. The fear was people would an organization called Common Ground say, ‘Who’s that girl?’ ” Ministries is planning to repair five houses Nearly a year later, there are answers. in the neighborhood. “I think Lucious would feel really good Molloy has also continued the staples of about how things have continued,” says Lucious’ ministry at Anna’s House: the Bill Bahler, a Catholic and longtime community dinners on Wednesday evening volunteer at Anna’s House who considers and the food distribution to families in need Newsom as one of the heroes in his life. on Saturday mornings. “Julie picked up the baton, kept the The unexpected blessings continue, too. principles in place, and kept the opportunity “It’s almost like when God took Lucious, to serve in place. There was a huge void he brought in this anonymous donor,” when Lucious died, but a lot of people still Bahler says. “Lucious would go to this get to experience a lot of things that wholesaler on Saturday mornings and buy Lucious made possible, thanks to Julie’s $800 to $1,000 of fruits and vegetables. efforts.” After Lucious died, an anonymous donor came up and started paying the bill.” Continued blessings, unexpected gifts Another volunteer credits Molloy with Molloy deflects any praise, preferring to making improvements to Lucious’ way of give it all to “the many individuals who feeding the poor. Julie Molloy, left, hugs Oriana Reyes during a first Communion party in May at Anna’s House, a work so hard to keep this ministry moving.” “We’ve started registering our guests in community service center in Indianapolis that is named in honor of Molloy’s daughter, Anna. “I couldn’t do it without everyone else,” the boundaries we serve,” says Joe Meade, a she says. “If you want to talk about the true volunteer from St. Jude Parish. “That has ‘This is part of God’s plan for me’ top of it is this teeny, tiny, white hand. director, God is the director of it. He just been tremendous in making things run Molloy is putting her heart and soul That picture encompasses everything— puts me down there to unlock the doors. It’s smoother.