Sooner Catholic soonercatholic.org January 25, 2015 www.archokc.org Go Make Disciples Archbishop, CRS work to rebuild Haiti By Sooner Catholic Staff on Jan. 15. The hospital was built in 1881 by Earlier this month Archbishop Paul Coakley the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince. travelled with a delegation from Catholic Relief “It was a privilege to witness the joy that this Services to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to assess the milestone in the recovery process represented,” latest progress in rebuilding the city fi ve years Archbishop Coakley said. “The hospital is the after a devastating earthquake and strong af- fi rst major capital project to be completed since tershocks struck the city. the earthquake, and is a source of pride and a With more than 80,000 people in Haiti still sign of hope for the whole nation and all Hai- displaced, the results of the devastation remain tian people.” tangible. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed The CRS delegation also received an update an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 people. on the Catholic education initiative in Haiti. While in Haiti, Archbishop Coakley, who This partnership involves CRS and the Univer- serves as board chairman for CRS, toured the sity of Notre Dame in support of the Haitian newly reconstructed Hospital St. Francois de Bishops Commission for Catholic Education Sales, which was blessed with a solemn Mass (CEEC). Since the project began in 2010, the part- ners have been able to train more than 1,300 teachers, 350 principals and reach 375 schools in eight of the 10 dioceses of Haiti, which has 2,300 Catholic schools. A literacy program called Haiti Reads, focusing on fi rst and second grade students, was added to the initiative in 2014. “It’s a beautiful sign of hope for this beautiful nation, which has suffered so much through the years,” the archbishop said. Catholic Relief Services is the overseas relief and development agency of the United States Archbishop Coakley and CRS President Carolyn Woo Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catho- receive a reconstruction update from an engineer on the lic community in the United States. The devastated Cathedral of Port-au-Prince, which Hospital St. Francois de Sales in Haiti. Allison Shelley For more information on CRS’ work in Haiti, Archbishop Coakley toured with Archbishop Poulard. for Catholic Relief Services. go online to www.crs.org. Photo Archbishop Coakley. For Your Marriage: An initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops What couples learn from divorce they could learn from marriage prep By Emily Macke with couples who have made.” divorced before It’s an interesting premise, but As people around the world the age of 30 was the conclusion that “starter mar- make resolutions for the upcoming similar to tales of riages” might be inevitable on year, a British newspaper recently traffi c incidents – the path to a happy marriage is took a look at the lessons learned many different sto- unconvincing. Instead, the con- from young divorcees. ries (each with two versations that Edemariam shares tion is, “Can [a marriage] tolerate Aida Edemariam of “The Guard- witnesses) and yet highlight the need for excellent ian” wrote in “Divorced by 30: why familiar themes. marriage preparation, something the process of disillusionment, the Emily Macke do so many young marriages come Two common that the Catholic Church strives to facing up to limitation that all long to an end?” that her conversations threads she notes offer. relationships have to go through?” are “that the pain and trouble of a Many of the individual stories Alison Martin, 42, had doubts diffi cult marriage are often a huge highlight either a lack of under- about whether or not to marry a shock” and standing of month or two before her church that “divorce, “The conversations … marriage, of wedding. Not certain whether or not her marriage would “work,” though easier highlight the need for ex- commitment and more or of oneself. she married anyway. The day common than cellent marriage prepa- For several after her wedding, her husband it was in pre- ration.” couples, a was going to help her clean their vious genera- “happily ever apartment, which had been tions, is still after” illusion “trashed” by their friends. Instead traumatic.” failed to live up to expectations in of returning after dropping off his Edemariam points out that reality. suit, her husband stayed out for young men and women have a Edemariam writes, “As a culture eight hours, grabbing drinks with high divorce rate (at least in En- we seem to believe that marriage is friends. Martin said, “It’s not a gland, where the article was writ- a kind of end point and a solution great way to start your marriage ten), but that those who “survive to all ills, rather than the start of off, and I suppose that carried on, what are sometimes called starter a complex process that, depending really.” marriages often learn things they on who we are and how we deal Paul, 45, another interviewee, could not have learned in any oth- with it, could go any way at all.” said he and his wife didn’t call er way – not even by cohabiting. Susanna Abse, a psychother- each other husband and wife be- And that these things might help apist and chief executive of the cause “it sounded too permanent.” them go on to make far stronger Tavistock Centre for Couple Rela- He recalls fi ghting frequently after unions than they might otherwise tionships, said the central ques- continued on page 3 2 January 25, 2015 Sooner Catholic Sooner Catholic International January 25, 2015 3 Put Out Into the Deep Luke 5:4 Find more Possible site of Jesus’ trial uncovered in the Holy Land Catholic Relief Services values partnerships news on the WASHINGTON D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) — tried before Pilate in the “praetorium,” a Latin Archeologists believe they may have discovered term for a general’s tent within a Roman en- Each time I have had A very important website the place where Jesus’ trial before Pontius campment. Some believe this praetorium would the privilege of travelling element to appreciate Pilate took place in Jerusalem. rather be on the site of the former Roman mili- In an effort to expand The Tower of David tary barracks. as board chairman with is that CRS takes a By Sooner Catholic Staff Catholic Relief Services supporting role by al- Museum, archeologists began excavating an But others, such as archaeology professor to one of the 93 countries lowing the local Church adjacent, abandoned prison building, the Shimon Gibson with the University of North Additional coverage of where CRS serves, I have to take the lead for the Washington Post reports. As they stripped Carolina at Charlotte, are almost certain the Church and archdiocesan gained a deeper appre- good of the Haitian away layers of the prison fl oor, they realized trial would have occurred somewhere within news and events, only on ciation of the work CRS people. they were likely uncovering a missing link in Herod’s palace compound located in the west- www.soonercatholic.org: undertakes on behalf of Catholics in the United A second extraor- the puzzle of the Holy Land’s history. ern part of the city, which is where the Tower States. dinary partnership Although the discovery began more than a of David museum and the abandoned prison Last week (Jan. 13-16), I was part of a small dele- provided the occasion Archbishop Paul S. Coakley decade ago, the site is just now being opened to are located. gation to Haiti that included Dr. Carolyn Woo, CRS for making this trip at Get daily readings, Cath- the public for the millions of religious pilgrims The new site also fi ts a detail in the Gospel of president and CEO, and Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, this particular time. The Hospital St. Francois de olic movie reviews and more that fl ock to the area every year. John, which describes the trial as taking place president of the United States Conference of Cath- Sales was established in 1881 by the Archdiocese on the archdiocesan app, “For those Christians who care about accu- on The Pavement, or in Hebrew, Gab’batha olic Bishops (USCCB). While there, we celebrated of Port-au-Prince to serve Haiti’s most vulnerable available in the App Store racy in regards to historical facts, this is very (John 19:13), as well as a description in Mark the 60th anniversary of our CRS presence in Haiti population. It was completely destroyed in the 2010 and Google Play. forceful,” Yisca Harani, an expert on Christi- Tower of David. Credit: Ricardo Tulio Gandelman via 15:16, which describes Jesus as being led and marked the fi fth anniversary of the devastating earthquake. In the aftermath of the quake, the anity and pilgrimage to the Holy Land, told the Flickr. away inside the palace. Archdiocese and CRS began discussing the pos- 2010 earthquake that left so much destruction in Pope Francis will canon- Washington Post. “For others, however, those the Tower of David Museum or the trial site. “There is, of course, no inscription stating it sibility of reconstructing the hospital. With funds who come for the general mental exercise of happened here, but everything – archaeolog- this already impoverished country. ize Bl. Junipero Serra when Although it may not be added to the path right from the Catholic Health Association (CHA), CRS being in Jerusalem, they don’t care as long as ical, historical and gospel accounts – all falls My takeaway from this trip has been a deeper he comes to the U.S.