ISSN: 0029-7739 $ 1.00 per copy THE OBSERVER Official Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford Volume 83 | No. 45 http://observer.rockforddiocese.org FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2018 Bishop Offers Masses to Remember ROCKFORD— On All Souls Day, Nov. 2, Bishop Da- vid Malloy celebrated Mass at Calvary Cemetery west of Rockford for the souls in purgatory, including more than 250 people listed in the program who were buried at Cal- vary in the year since All Souls Day in 2017. The bishop spoke of how God is “eternally good (and) completely perfect,” and only those who are perfect in love can be in His presence. He noted that “our prayers, ƽ in purgatory most forgotten for who knows how many years, by God’s design these prayers somehow assist in [P He called it “a deeper sense of calm, because I know even if I am not now perfectly ready for the entrance to \[ [[!" is sadness to remember those we’ve lost, but it is a consola- tion in the real hope for them and for each one of us ... “In my own heart, this gives (Observer photo/Amanda Hudson) me so much hope about being Deacon Thomas McKenna (left) assists Bishop David Malloy at the All Souls Day Mass, Nov. 2, in the Calvary Cem- Extra with Christ forever.” etery Mausoleum. The diocesan cemetery is west of Rockford on U.S. Rte. 20. Look for a photo feature for digital sub- scribers in The Observer Online. ... and to Seek Forgiveness EAST DUBUQUE—Bishop David Malloy said the [#- ford Diocese parishes Nov. 5 at St. Mary Parish here. In doing so he joined his brother bishops in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in dedicating themselves O[[P ask for prayers that will open an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all the bishops. The week of peninitential activties precedes the Nov. 12-14 USSCB meeting in Baltimore where the bishops [ themselves accountable for their response to clergy sex abuse allegations in their dioceses. Although the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Chil- dren and Young People” imposed standards that led to the O%[ excluded themselves from the landmark child protection measures,” according to recent newspaper reports. Assisting Bishop Malloy at the Mass on Nov. 5 were Fa- ther Dean Smith, pastor of the East Dubuque parish, and Father Howard Barch, pastor of St. Mary in Byron and co- (Observer photo/Tony Carton) ordinator of Prison Minisry for the Diocese of Rockford. In offering 7 a.m. Mass on Nov. 5 at St. Mary Parish in East Dubuque, Bishop David Malloy joins his brother bishops Deacon Tony Keppler and altar servers John Herding and in dedicating himself to seven days of “intensified prayer and sacrifice.” Tom Francois also joined the bishop for the Mass. This Issue Quick News Inside Bishop Malloy ....................... 2 DAC to Close 10-Year Bridge between Evangelization Headliners ............................... 3 Diocesan ....................... 4, 6, 20 Nov. 12 Continents Celebrated Grandparents Around the Diocese ...... 7-11 In Observance of Nigerian native Tina Omeke (left), have a special Seasoned Observer ........... 12 Veterans’ Day on board member and health director for role in the family Forever Family .................... 13 Nov. 11, the Diocesan ImaBridge Africa, smiles with Christine when it comes Nation/World ............... 14-15 Administration Carrington, board president. Both to spreading the Our Catholic View ....... 16-17 Center will be closed are parishioners at St. Patrick Parish, faith. For the Record ............. 18-19 on Nov. 12. McHenry. Forever Family, Media/Arts ............................ 19 page 3 page 16 2 | FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2018 | The Observer The Truth of Our Faith and the Four Last Things ach November we and who will one day be united to confession where our sins were The Observer (ISSN 0029- conclude the current Christ in heaven, but for now are forgiven, and every poor person 7739), is published weekly, [ liturgical year before [ that we helped. the Diocese of Rockford, Ebeginning the Season of [ The practice of our faith Advent and our preparation for At this time of year nature itself means that we will not stand !"#$%&''* Christmas. reminds us of death. The leaves alone before God. Rather, we +./'1455648: During these last weeks the &[ will stand with the Church and /'14556&** BY BISHOP Church reminds us of what are brown. Our landscape displays a the sacraments. That thought is #;# !"#$### DAVID J. famously referred to as the Four certain barrenness. deeply consoling. è MALLOY Last Things. Those are death, These visuals remind us of the Of course the judgment will judgment, heaven and hell. truth of our faith — that because ultimately be about whether POSTMASTER:### +;The Observer, 555 Part of the beauty of our of sin, death entered into the through our life and faith we have Catholic faith, and one of the world. Each of us will face the he chosen heaven. Have we desired !"#$%&''* reasons it shows itself as most moment of death. How good for to be with Christ, in truth and joy, Tpractice :ADVERTISING". worthy of our trust, is that it each of us to pray now, hopefully forever? The only alternative will of our faith tells us the whole truth about our ahead of the moment of crisis, for The Observer+ be that we have chosen against ##/'14556 means that nature and existence, and about a peaceful death. being with God. That is, in 48"/'14556&** God Himself. But thoughts of death should we will not choosing sin over good, we will >.!+? This truth often touches upon not simply frighten us. As one !"##; stand alone have chosen for ourselves hell elements that we would rather shy spiritual writer said, we should before God. itself. @# NEWS"The away from. But, to understand not lose sight of what is so Observer+##" Either way, God will respect the meaning of the reality in positive. A8# our freedom. He will honor our which we exist as well as how our It is through death that we will ?!"## [ follow Jesus to the Father. We choice. ;8 A" In reminding us of the Four +.11!"## need the whole story. Especially should remind ourselves daily ;16A about those Four Last Things, that the practice of our faith and Last Things, the Church teaches even though the truth of that story living a good life prepare us in us that heaven and hell are real. @AB*/ C/AD8# may make us uncomfortable. death for the possibility of our This world is passing and none of us can escape death or avoid #EB*58+ Of course we have already had entrance into heaven. ";.A"B4 a sample of those things in the Following death, each of us will judgment. B58;B' Still, just as the leaves of celebrations we have observed at stand before God to be judged. The Observer Online#; the beginning of this month. We might fear that judgment fall dry up and blow away, A On Nov. 1, we celebrated all the when we think of all of our sins, next spring the new life will Publisher: saints. That is, all of those who however judgment will also come. If we have been faithful F##GF in preparing for the Four Last are already with God eternally in recall the good we have done. Editor: H; heaven. Our Lord will be mindful of Things, the truth is that Jesus News Editor:E#JA# On Nov. 2, we prayed for all every prayer we whispered, every awaits us with new and eternal souls, that is, those who have died Sunday Mass we attended, every life. Features and Multimedia Editor:@++"# Circulation/Proofreading: @A@K!L+ ‘You Shall Not Commit Adultery’ %A#+ Accounting:G! From the General Audience, St. Peter’s Square, mediocrity that have only a vague [O% Advertising and Marketing: LF+ Oct. 24. \' in sickness and in health.” and to certain bitter and immature love and honor one another all the Production and Web Our series of catecheses on relationships “love,” with the days of their lives, solely on the Administrator: MJA;+ the Commandments brings us [ basis of good will or of the hope Contributing Writers::+ today to the Sixth Word, which life in something that, at best, is that it “will work out.” L+HK!:+ (CNS photo/C. Peri via Reuters) Peri photo/C. (CNS addresses the sentimental and LFL+%A#+ \ They need to ground BY POPE sexual dimension, and states, %O Thus it can happen, for example, FR ANCIS “You shall not commit adultery.” themselves on the solid terrain @P!K!F; that one overestimates physical '[ of God’s faithful Love. And F#P%A! attraction, which is itself a gift this is why, before receiving the H idelity and indeed no human relationship from God, but aims to pave the sacrament of matrimony, there Publication Dates: H! [ way for an authentic and faithful Fis an loyalty. should be a careful preparation — +*'/+K relationship with the person. attribute One cannot love only as long I would say a catechumenate — AGF+4 As St. John Paul II used to say, because with love one’s entire life GA*5EA;4'Q4# of a free, as it is “convenient.” Love is truly the human being “is called to */ mature and manifested beyond the threshold is at stake, and one does not kid a full and mature spontaneity around with love. ... News Deadlines: RA' of one’s own personal advantage, of relationships,” which is “the responsible However, to achieve such a #"A# when one gives unreservedly. As gradual fruit of discerning the human beautiful life, our human nature is Ad Deadlines: RA' the Catechism of the Catholic impulses in one’s own heart.” R[ #"A# relationship.