T n N u W a Pennsylvania’s n largest weekly ITTS BURGH G ATH circulation >4798\ Friday, September 30, 1983 139th Year, CXLIV No. 29 15 Cents - DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY olic Newspaper in Continuous Publication a I mR ARI AN __ L O C U S T Cathc P 1 T T S B Catholic Inside educators school in to gather Braddock to dose Oct. 13-14 By STEPHEN KARLINCHAK By STEPHEN KARL1NCHAK One of the oldest, continuously “ Catholic Schools: Rooted in operating Catholic schools ui the Faith, Fashioned by Hope and diocese, St. Thomas District High Expressed in Love,” is the theme School in Braddock. will close at for this year’s Tri-Diocesan the end of the 1982-83 academic J e s u its Catholic Teachers Institute. year. More than 3,500 teachers, The diocesan school board made Jesuits describe their first principals and administrators — the decision to close St. Thomas at ‘Arab’ superior general. Page 6. priests. Religious brothers and iu Sept 20 meeting Students were sisters, and lay persons — from informed of the closing at an the Pittsburgh, Greensburg and assem b ly on Sept. 21. An Altoona-Johnstown dioceses will information meeting for parents attend the two-day conference on to discuss their questions about Thursday and Friday, Oct. 13 and continuing Catholic education for 14, at the Monroeville Merchan­ their children was held on Sept 22 dise Mart/Expo Center. A decline in the potential In addition to the teachers and number of students and the hard- administrators from the three pressed economy affected the dioceses, 40 elementary and school's enrollment said Sister Movie review secondary school teachers and Josephine Macias. CDP. principals from the Erie diocese principal. "Our tuition at $880 has Movie columnist Fr. Peter will attend. This is the first time been lower than most of the other Horton calls "Zelig” witty and Erie diocesan personnel will high schools in the diocese.” she intelligent. Page 12. participate in the institute. The said. Erie delegation will be led by " I t ’s the demographics, we Sister Lois Lorei, RSM, didn’t have the pull to get A g re e m e n t superintendent of Erie diocesan students. The diocesan Schools schools. Office studied the situation God alone makes us just, says "One purpose of the institute is carefully. Bishop Leonard was Catholic-Lutheran pact. Page 3. to help our teachers and very concerned about the administrators live out further the situation. He said he would give us message of Jesus Christ so we can this year as a recruiting year. He Also inside know that our students can reflect wanted to replace the 47 seniors that,’’ said Sister Ignatius that graduated last spring: he Obituaries.................... Page 3 Rooney, RSM, assistant superin­ wanted us to get 50 freshmen Calendar....................... Page 3 tendent of Pittsburgh diocesan After the second week of school, Editorials..................Pages 4-5 schools for elementary education. we had only 37 freshman and we Home A g a in ................. Page 6 ‘‘Good teachers reflect that realised we would have to make Around diocese ... Pages 10-11 message to their students." the decision to close.’' Sister Ignatius said that triple Fr. Hugh Lang, superintendent themes of faith, hope and charity of diocesan schools, noted that D e a th s and their relationship to the the diocese provided St. Thomas community were expressed in ‘‘To Sister M. Eugenia, a member with additional subsidies for both Teach As Jesus Did,” the 1973 the 1982-83 and 1983-84 academic of the Felician Sisters in statement on education from the Coraopolis. years beyond the regular subsidy U.S. Bishops. 1883. Twenty-five years later, the parish started its that the school receives. Fr. Lang Frank J. Deleonibus, of Greensburg Bishop William Closing its doors at the end of the 1983-84 academic Monroeville. year will be St. Thomas District High School in high school program. St. Thomas became a said that Bishop Leonard Connare will be the principal diocesan high school in 1982, the same year in authorised the additional Sister M. Cephas Burns, a celebrant at the institute s Braddock. The closing of the school will end 100 member of the Pittsburgh years of Catholic education that began when St. which the present facility was built on Braddock Avenue. (Continued on page 2) Sisters of Mercy. (Continued on page 2) Thomas parish opened its elementary school in 'R esp ect L ife 9 p r o g r a m stresses d ign ity o f life OFFICIAL (See editorial on page 4) identify the parish leaders in the Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. *.Respect Life9 committees high priority programs. This most recent effort Sklba of Milwaukee discusses how WASHINGTON (NC) - The has received responses from 112 the church’s stands on abortion Reverend and dear Father: to engage the attention and organize the energies 12th annual ‘‘Respect Life” parishes to date, Fr. Newmeyer and nuclear war are based on the The responsibility of every member of God's of the faithful in the broadest possible Respect irogram, sponsored by the same commitment to human life. s a id .) human family to promote and foster genuine Life program. Such committee* help articulate National Conference of Catholic The NCCB Respect Life office is The “trivialization” of human life respect for human life is an ongoing challenge of the Church’s teaching about the value and dignity Bishops, begins Oct. 2 and stresses distributing a program packet is seen when people call an unborn first priority in today’s world. It is in view of this of human life and help others understand the he value and dignity of human life infant “ inconvenient,” the bishop which includes a manual to help fact that the American Bishops have decreed that various ministries of the parish as witness to this rom conception to death. explained. “ A similar type of dioceses, parishes, schools and in every diocese, within a definite period of time, deep commitment. The Justice and Peace Office Oct. 2 has been designated attitude often prevails when we other Catholic organizations there should be a series of programs relating to is willing to be of service to any parish that is Respect Life Sunday by the hear discussions of plans for promote the program. the theme “ Respect Life. ” This theme is intended interested in establishing a Respect Life »shops’ Committee for Pro-Life The manual includes an essay war...” to stress the inalienable and basic “ right to life.” Committee. \ctivities, chaired by Cardinal In the manual, Miriam J. Barth, on Christians’ responsibility to It is greviously violated in our day by abortion rerrence Cooke of New York. The children, especially the handicap­ coordinator of the Buffalo Diocese and euthanasia, by widespread torture, by acts of Materials for the observance have already committee implements year- Respect Life program, explains a ped, by Holy Cross Father James violence against innocent parties and by the been sent to the parishes. I urge the priests, round, pro-1 ife educational T. Burtchaell, professor of program in her diocese which scourge of war. Respect for life embraces the religious and laity to participate in the programs programs. theology at the University of Notre helps pregnant women. The suggested by the Office for Justice and Peace director of the Diocesan right to eat, socio-economic rights, politico- (The pulse of the Respect Life Dame. cultural rights, the right to education and the Prayer is part of our observance but it would be “ We are to stand as godparents Development Program for °rogram can be found in Catholic presumptuous to leave everything to prayer. to the children of the world," Natural Family Planning, Msgr. right of religious liberty. parishes throughout the Pittsburgh “ Faith without work is dead." Let us not only Father Burtchaell said. "W e are James T. McHugh, writes about Diocese with many parishes having These words of our holy Father, Pope John Paul pray but also work for a greater "Respect for no more than stewards of our own Christian marriage and natural tstablished Respect Life commit- II, from the “ Apostolic Exhortation on the Life" and a better Quality of life for every person children, and no less than family planning. ees. Fam ily," clearly and effectively presents the in the world in which we live. Any efforts on behalf stewards of others’.” The church’s response to the basic teaching of the Church on human life: of the unborn, the youth, the poor, and the aged, (In 1979 the office for Justice and The manual contains an moral Questions raised by can bring nothing but God's blessing on those so Peace conducted a special effort to explanation of the church's technological advances in the field “ The Church firmly believes that human life, engaged. “ Whatsoever you do to the least of even if weak and suffering, is always a splendid fo rm parish Respect Life teaching on the sacredness of of human reproduction is these, you do unto M e!" '.ommittees. Fr. George Newmeyer, human life and its condemnation explained by Jesuit Father John gift of God’s goodness. Against the pessimism diocesan director, said that at the of abortion and explains the Connery, Cody professor of and selfishness which casts a shadow over the With kindest personal regards, 1 am oresent time the office is contacting function of parish Respect Life world, the Church stands for life: In each human (Continued on page 7) Sincerely yours in Christ, oarishes in order to update and committees. she sees the splendor of that "yes," that “ amen,” who is Christ himself.