September 2008 St. Joseph of Cupertino St. Joseph of Cupertino Parish, Cupertino, California Flyer Pope Benedict XVI graced our shores with his first papal visit in pick and choose what doctrines to believe in. “We’ve seen this April 2008. The main purposes of his trip were pastoral, and to emerge in an acute way in the scandal given by Catholics who commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of promote an alleged right to an abortion,” he said. Human Rights at the United Nations. He spoke profoundly about To Catholic educators in Washington, D.C., the Pope reiterated that many subjects during his visit, and reinvigorated the faith of millions the primary role of the Church and its educational institutions is of Catholics as he testified to the source of our hope, Jesus Christ. “upholding the essential moral categories of right and wrong.” In a meeting with President Bush at the White House, Pope Benedict Without that moral guidance, he said, “hope could only wither, praised the U.S. founding as an example of how the role of religion in giving way to cold pragmatic calculations of utility that render the the Public Square was not only tolerated, but valued. He said, person little more than a pawn on some ideological chess board.” He “Democracy can only flourish, as your Founding Fathers realized, also encouraged educators to engage more than the intellect of when political leaders and those whom they represent are guided by students. He said, “It is a question of conviction – do we really truth and bring the wisdom born of firm moral principle to decisions believe that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the affecting the life and future of the nation.” mystery of man truly become clear?” If we neglect the will, he added, the notion of freedom is distorted. “Authentic freedom can At Masses in Nationals Stadium and Yankee Stadium, Pope Benedict never be attained by turning away from God. Such a choice would encouraged Catholics to re-engage in the Public Square. He said, ultimately disregard the very truth we need in order to understand “The world needs this witness! Who can deny that the present ourselves.” moment is a crossroads, not only for the Church in America but for society as a whole?” He called on the faithful to “cultivate a mindset, Pope Benedict also met with two different Ecumenical groups during an intellectual culture, which is genuinely Catholic, confident in the his visit, and he encouraged these groups to persevere in their profound harmony of faith and reason,” and prepared to apply the collaboration. He added, “By bearing witness to those moral truths values of our faith to the urgent issues affecting American society. which they hold in common with all men and women of good will, religious groups will exert a positive influence on the wider culture.” Pope Benedict spoke about the sex abuse scandal several times over He also advised them of a greater purpose than building consensus the course of his visit in a conciliatory manner. He met with several when he said, “The broader purpose of dialogue is to discover the victims groups, encouraged bishops to continue their work rebuilding truth.” Pope Benedict said that there are signs that Christians are trust in the Church, and encouraged the laity to “love your priests, taking the same “relativistic approach” to doctrine that many modern and to affirm them in the excellent work they do.” He also said that people take to moral and ethical values in general. Only by holding the renewal of the Church throughout the world “depends on the on to normative apostolic teaching of the Gospel will Christian renewal of the practice of Penance and the growth in holiness which churches find a basis for a united witness to a troubled world, he that sacrament inspires and accomplishes.” explained. In speeches in Yonkers, NY and to the U.S. Bishops in D.C., the Overall, Pope Benedict’s visit was a tour de force. The media Pope spoke about the dangers of misusing our freedoms. Pope coverage was overwhelmingly positive, and the public got to know a Benedict said, “In some circles, to speak of truth is seen as Pope who is warm and engaging, scholarly, modest, and full of the controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private love of Christ. After twenty-five years of Pope John Paul II’s historic sphere.” In truth’s place, he said, relativism “has spread, which in pontificate, Pope Benedict has emerged as another great Church giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom leader with his own special skills and charms, and uniquely qualified and liberate conscience. But what purpose has a ‘freedom’ which, in to lead the Catholic Church at this momentous time. disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong?” He added that unchecked secularism and materialism affects the way people live out By Mike Maloney their faith; this causes Christians and Catholics alike to think they can September 2008 www.stjoscup.org Page 2 Knights of Columbus St. Francis of Assisi Council Year of Paul – Why We Honor Him Gives $2,100 to Local Catholic Education 2,000 years since his birth, in honor of his legacy By Jim Schaaf By Mike Maloney Knights of Columbus Council 4981 of Cupertino, Saratoga and San Jose has once again supported local Catholic The Vatican has recently proclaimed that a special year will be education by giving $600 scholarships to graduating eighth dedicated for the bi-millennium celebrations of the birth of the graders from three local Apostle Paul, from June 28, 2008 until June 29, 2009. At a Catholic schools: St. Joseph of time when Pope Benedict has called Catholics to a greater Cupertino, Queen of Apostles evangelization, reflecting on Paul’s legacy provides an and Sacred Heart (Saratoga). inspirational example of true Christian witness. An awards ceremony/banquet was held on May 20, 2008. Paul was known as the first Doctor of the Church. His letters The principal of each school to fledgling Christian communities were written before the also received $100 to help Synoptic Gospels and comprise over a third of the New with end-of-the-year expenses. Testament. They were recognized as divinely inspired and became part of Church doctrine in the early 4th century. This program was begun over 20 years ago by the St. Francis More so than in the Synoptic Gospels, Paul’s writings focus of Assisi Council and has, to on the meaning of Christ’s teaching and their saving effects on date, contributed over $40,000 our own lives. Paul preached about how Jesus was the to local Catholic education. promised Messiah, the Son of God who became man to live A scholarship was awarded to and suffer as we do, and who died of His own accord to give the eighth-grader in each every man a chance at salvation. He preached about a school who prepared the best merciful God, free forgiveness for all, and a personal essay on the topic: “What A experience of the Holy Spirit that brought about a moral Catholic Education Means to renewal for believers. We all accept these traditional Me.” The winner from each school read his or her essay to the doctrines as faithful Catholics, but every one of these concepts assembled Knights, Ladies and guests. Each essay stressed directly contradicted either Jewish or pagan worldviews and the benefits of Catholic education by noting: faith, made him many fierce enemies. community, charity, discipline and academics. Paul was known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, due to the The winner from our parish, Derek Leung, will be attending zealous missionary work he did in Gentile lands. Prior to his Bellarmine High School. Derek had the highest grade point final imprisonment, he led three major missions through average in his graduating class. modern day Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Greece, and Europe. He covered an estimated six thousand miles in his travels, enduring exposure, hunger and thirst. Paul also lived in Gas or God constant physical danger. He endured imprisonment, scourging, and multiple beatings with rods. He was stoned By Roger Hewitt and left for dead, shipwrecked four times, and constantly We are a mobile community here in the Cupertino area. How chased from villages under death threats. While compromise many of you walked or took the bus to church this week? with worldly powers could have saved his skin, he never This month? This year? The only viable mode of compromised the truth of Christ’s message in the face of that transportation in our community is the automobile. physical danger. The Church would never have grown as it Speculation and the demand for oil have driven up the price, did without Paul’s principled witness. directly or indirectly, for all the activities of our community. This is also true for the activities of the parish. The higher the The last years of his life were spent in prison, and he was cost of gasoline, the higher are our operating expenses. ultimately beheaded under Nero’s rule. In the remaining hours before a martyrdom that he accepted willingly, he wrote During this time of reduced disposable income, our a last letter to Timothy. In Timothy 2:4, he didn’t just claim parishioners could choose to reduce their weekly contribution the mantle of righteousness for himself. He said if we lived a to their church in order to reduce their budget shortfall. I life of faith in Christ, that we would have eternal life as well.