Angelus News | November 15, 2019 | Vol. 4 No. 39

ANGELUS 

CHURCH 

AND FATE 

What’s at stake for 

Hong Kong’s Catholics 

November 15, 2019 Vol. 4 No. 39

4 

Join the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Official 

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 

Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus 

11 Days: October 26 to November 5, 2020 

Pilgrimage Highlights 

• Basilica of the Annunciation & 

St. Joseph’s Church in Nazareth 

• Renew marriage vows at Wedding 

Church in Cana 

Under the Spiritual 

Leadership of 

Archbishop José H. Gomez 

along with: 

Rev. Jim Anguiano 

Rev. Parker Sandoval 

Rev. Paul Sustayta 

• Take a Boat Ride on Sea of Galilee 

• Capernaum & Mount of Beatitudes 

• Renew baptismal vows in Jordan River 

• Manger Square & Shepherds’ Field 

in Bethlehem 

• Garden of Gethsemane & 

Mt. of Olives 

• Walk & pray the Via Dolorosa 

(Way of the Cross) 

• Church of the Holy Sepulchre — 

site of the Resurrection 

• Plus much, much more! 

Space is limited — 

sign up today! 

Please note, this pilgrimage 

involves considerable walking 

on cobblestone streets and 

uneven pavement, including 

at archeological sites of 

ancient ruins. 

Registration opens December 15, 2019. To receive your brochure, contact: 

Judy Brooks, Director; Mrs. Mary Kay Delsohn, Executive Assistant 

Archbishop’s Office for Special Services 

(213) 637-7551, pilgrimage@la-archdiocese.org 

CST#: 2018667–40

4 

Contents 

Archbishop Gomez 3 

World, Nation and Local News 4-6 

LA Catholic Events 7 

Scott Hahn on Scripture 8 

Father Rolheiser 9 

How local pro-lifers are teaming up to save lives from abortion 14 

John Allen: The messy questions of the latest Vatican finance scandal 18 

Nationalism and liberalism are at it again, and Catholics should care 20 

Kris McGregor meets a ‘miracle hunter’ 24 

Robert Brennan: Why all was good in ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’ 26 

Heather King goes to the source of Sriracha success story 28 

ON THE COVER 

People attend a prayer event in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong Sept. 30. Although 

Catholics make up only 5% of Hong Kong’s population, they have more than just questions of political 

autonomy to worry about amid the recent upheaval in the semi-autonomous territory. On Page 10, Rob 

Cullivan reports on how very real concerns about religious freedom are spurring young Catholics to stand 

up for their faith before it’s too late. 

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES 

IMAGE: 

Pope Francis greets pilgrims 

before the Wednesday 

General Audience in St. 

Peter’s Square Nov. 6. 

DANIEL IBAÑEZ/ 

CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY 

November 15, 2019 • ANGELUS • 1

FOLLOW US 

ANGELUS 

November 15, 2019 | Vol. 4 • No. 39 

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POPE WATCH 

A kerygma for the culture 

The following is adapted from the 

Holy Father’s catechesis on the Acts of 

the Apostles, given during his weekly 

General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, 

Wednesday, Nov. 6. 

When Paul arrived in Athens, he 

chose to become familiar with the city 

and thus began to frequent the most 

significant places and people. 

He goes to the synagogue, symbol of 

the life of faith; he goes to the square, 

symbol of city life; and he goes to the 

Areopagus, symbol of political and 

cultural life. 

He does not close himself up, but 

goes to meet and speak with all 

people. In this way Paul observes the 

culture, he observes the environment 

of Athens with a contemplative gaze, 

which discovers God dwelling in their 

homes, in their streets and squares. 

Paul does not look at the city of Athens 

and the pagan world with hostility 

but with the eyes of faith. And this 

makes us question our way of looking 

at our cities: Do we observe them with 

indifference? With contempt? Or with 

the faith that recognizes the children 

of God in the midst of the anonymous 

crowds? 

In choosing the gaze that drives him 

to open up a passage between the 

gospel and the pagan world, Paul proclaims 

Jesus Christ to the worshippers 

of idols, and does not do so by attacking 

them, but by making himself a 

“pontiff, a builder of bridges.” 

Paul proclaims that God dwells 

among the citizens and “does not hide 

himself from those who seek him with 

a sincere heart, even though they do 

so tentatively.” 

To reveal the identity of the god the 

Athenians worship, the apostle starts 

from creation. He shows the disproportion 

between the greatness of the 

Creator and the temples built by man, 

and explains that the Creator always 

makes himself sought so that each 

person may find him. 

In this way Paul is, in the words of 

Pope Benedict XVI, “proclaiming 

him whom men do not know and yet 

do know — the Unknown-Known.” 

Then, he invites everyone to go 

beyond “the times of ignorance” and 

to decide for conversion in view of the 

imminent judgment. 

Paul thus arrives at the kerygma and 

alludes to Christ, without naming 

him, defining him as “a man whom 

he has appointed; and of this he has 

given assurance to all by raising him 

from the dead” (Acts 17:31). 

And here, there’s the problem. The 

word of Paul, who until now had held 

his interlocutors in suspense, finds 

a stumbling block: the death and 

resurrection of Christ appears to be 

“foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1: 23) 

and arouses mockery and derision. 

Paul then moves away: His attempt 

seems to have failed, yet some adhere 

to his word and open themselves to 

faith. Among them is a man, Dionysius, 

and a woman, Damaris. Even in 

Athens the gospel takes root and flows 

with two voices: that of the man and 

that of the woman! 

Today, let us also ask the Holy Spirit 

to teach us to build bridges with culture. 

Let us ask him for the capacity 

to delicately inculturate the message 

of faith, turning a contemplative gaze 

to those who are ignorant of Christ, 

moved by a love that warms even the 

most hardened hearts. 

Papal Prayer Intention for November: That a spirit of dialogue, encounter, 

and reconciliation emerge in the Near East, where diverse religious communities 

share their lives together. 

2 • ANGELUS • November 15, 2019

NEW WORLD 

OF FAITH 

BY ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ 

What are we working for? 

It did not make many headlines in 

this country, but last month it was 

announced that Pope Francis had 

approved the beatification of Cardinal 

Stefan Wyszynski. 

Wyszynski was a courageous leader 

against the communists and Nazis in 

Poland and was a mentor of St. Pope 

John Paul II. 

I remember him for a little book he 

wrote about the meaning of human 

work. This book was an important 

influence on President Lech Walesa 

and the Solidarity movement in 

Poland and also shaped John Paul’s 

encyclical letter on human labor. 

Work remains a central question of 

our times: what work is and what we 

are working for, and how our work 

relates to our lives. 

In our secularized, consumer society, 

we tend to see work only as a means 

to an end, a way to pay the bills and 

get things done. We tend to look at 

our leisure time, the time when we 

are not working, as an “escape,” the 

time when we forget about our daily 

lives. This is one of the reasons for the 

obsession in our culture with entertainment 

and amusement. 

In an excellent new book, “Getting 

Work Right: Labor and Leisure in a 

Fragmented World,” (Emmaus Road 

Publishing, 2019, $17), Michael 

Naughton says that too many of us 

are leading a “divided life.” We spend 

much of our daily lives at work, and 

yet there is a profound disconnect 

between the work we do and our sense 

of who we are and what we believe. 

“We use phrases such as ‘work/life 

balance,’ as though some sort of planned 

program will be able to solve this 

fundamental problem of the human 

condition,” Naughton writes. 

The real issue is not “balancing” 

work and life. The real issue is discovering 

the place that your work has in 

God’s plan for your life. We need to 

see our work through the eyes of God. 

Of course, our work is important in 

many practical ways. We need to work 

to put food on our tables and to provide 

for our families. We need to work 

so that we have something to give to 

our brothers and sisters in need. 

But God intends our work to be so 

much more than that. 

This is why Jesus came into the 

world and worked with human hands. 

He was so identified with his work, 

his profession, that when he began to 

preach his neighbors were astounded. 

“Is he not the carpenter’s son?” they 

asked. 

In his teaching, Jesus often used 

examples from the world of work, 

especially in his parables. He talked 

about farmers sowing seed and taking 

in the harvest, about workers and their 

wages, tenants and landlords, talents 

and investments, debts and interest 

payments. 

His first followers were small-business 

owners. Peter and his brother 

Andrew were commercial fishermen, 

successful enough, according to the 

Gospels, to own several boats and to 

employ several men. 

St. Paul earned his living as a 

tent-maker. And among the early 

converts was Lydia, a prosperous and 

prominent businesswomen. 

The point is that work has a deep 

meaning in God’s plan for the world 

and our lives. 

God has given each of us a work to 

do in this world. Our lives, as I often 

say, are a mission, an adventure. And 

our work is part of our mission in life, 

our vocation, our calling from God. 

We serve God in the place where 

we are at, not only in our homes and 

our personal relationships, but also 

through the work we do and how we 

carry out that work. 

Through our work, we are meant 

to serve God and our neighbors, and 

we are meant to be “co-workers” with 

God, continuing God’s own work in 

the world, participating in his plan of 

redemption and sanctifying the world 

with his presence and love. 

“Whatever you do,” St. Paul used to 

say, “do all for the glory of God.” 

This is the attitude that we should 

have toward our work, even the most 

menial tasks we perform. With work, 

everything depends on our aim and 

purpose. We can treat work as a 

burden, something boring. Or, we 

can see our work as doing something 

beautiful for God and as a way to 

serve our neighbor. 

“The smallest act can be sanctified 

by the intention that inspires it; it can 

bring merit with it and redemption, if 

its motive is the love of God,” Wyszynski 

once wrote. “The value of human 

acts comes from the intention behind 

them. The lowest work can, through 

love, raise up to the heights of holiness, 

while the loftiest work, when it 

is performed without love, lowers and 

damns one.” 

Pray for me this week, and I will pray 

for you. 

And let us ask our Blessed Mother 

Mary to help us to see the work we do, 

all our daily activities, as an expression 

of our love, a way to give God thanks 

and praise. 

To read more columns by Archbishop José H. Gomez or to subscribe, visit www.angelusnews.com. 


WORLD 

TYLER ORSBURN/CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY 

Ethiopian Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel in Washington, 

D.C., last month. 

A country blessed for its hospitality? 

More than 2.8 million Ethiopians are displaced within 

their country. Their unemployment rate is nearly 20%. 

So why is the country welcoming refugees with open 

arms? 

“Ethiopians themselves are refugees in other countries 

in some areas. So they know the need of refugees,” said 

the country’s senior Catholic bishop, Cardinal Berhaneyesus 

Demerew Souraphiel in an interview with 

Catholic News Service. 

“They never had grudges with refugees, and that is why 

I think Ethiopia is blessed by the Lord,” he added. 

Almost a million refugees from Somalia, South Sudan, 

Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen, and Syria now live in Ethiopia, 

according to the cardinal. 

“If a poor country shares meager resources she has 

with migrants and refugees, how much more should the 

richer countries?” remarked Souraphiel, who visited 

Washington, D.C., at the end of October. “Because one 

day, you might be a refugee or a migrant yourself.” 

‘Gringos’ get some praise 

for acting on abuse crisis 

A Colombian bishop flatly told a 

Latin American summit on clerical 

sexual abuse that when compared to 

his region, the “gringos” to the north 

have taken far more important steps 

to combat the problem. 

“We’re in 2019, and in some places 

and spaces of our Church, nothing 

is happening” when it comes to the 

protection of children from clerical 

abuse, said Bishop Luis Manuel Alí 

Herrera, an auxiliary of the Archdiocese 

of Bogotá, at a Nov. 6-8 

conference in Mexico City on the 

prevention of child sexual abuse in 

Latin America. 

Despite some “signs of hope” in 

Latin America, Alí said, initiatives 

taking place in the region are mostly 

“isolated,” and there are bishops’ 

conferences that still need to become 

aware of the seriousness of the 

situation. 

“We either all work together, or it’ll 

never be enough,” Crux’s Inés San 

Martín reported him as saying at the 

meeting. 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/LUIS GALDAMEZ, REUTERS 

Needed: 2,760 foster parents in England 

The Catholic Church is hoping to 

take the lead in a country where there 

are more foster children awaiting 

placement than there are in foster 

homes. 

The Catholic Church in England 

and Wales launched a campaign Nov. 

13 in partnership with the Marriage 

and Family Life Coordinators and 

Home for Good to promote adoption 

and foster care among Catholics. 

“It is something that has been close 

to the heart of our Catholic mission 

over many years,” a conference 

spokesperson told Catholic News 

Agency. “Adoption and fostering [are] 

part of our Catholic DNA, our Christian 

story and experience.” 

Only 1,700 British families are 

foster-care approved for the more than 

4,000 children awaiting placement. 

There are 2,760 children who have 

yet to be placed in a home, according 

to Catholic News Agency. 

MARTYRS FOR PEACE 

— A memorial marker 

shows the engraved 

names of the six Jesuit 

priests who were killed 

by government forces 

in San Salvador, El 

Salvador, Nov. 16, 1989, 

during the country’s 

civil war. This month, 

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern 

of Massachusetts will 

attend a commemoration 

in El Salvador marking 

the 30th anniversary of 

the priests’ deaths. 


NATION 

Rubio hopes a pope can 

make capitalism work 

PATRICK G. RYAN/CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA 

Something is wrong in our economy, 

Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican 

from Florida, argued during an 

address at the Catholic University of 

America, and there’s a pope who can 

help us fix it. 

Titled “Human Dignity and the 

Purpose of Capitalism,” Rubio’s Nov. 

5 address argued that the economic 

situation that America currently faces 

is similar to the situation addressed 

by Pope Leo XIII when he wrote 

the landmark encyclical on workers’ 

rights, “Rerum Novarum.” 

In the modern economy as in the 

19th century, workers and businesses 

are seen as in conflict, contrary to the 

“kind of economy that most Americans 

would want us to have,” according 

to Rubio. 

In his remarks, the 2016 Republican 

presidential candidate pointed 

to the solution found in “common 

good capitalism,” something akin to 

the Catholic social teaching defined 

by Pope Leo, as well the most recent 

popes, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and 

Francis. 

Strictly defined, common good capitalism 

is “a system of free enterprise in 

which workers fulfill their obligation 

to work and they enjoy the benefits of 

their work and where businesses enjoy 

their right to make a profit,” Rubio 

said. 

“We have an opportunity to create a 

country, America, that’s even greater 

than it’s ever been before,” he added. 

Sen. Marco Rubio at the Catholic University of 

America Nov. 5. 

A BLESSING FOR A BLESSED — Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City blesses the 

cornerstone during a Nov. 3 groundbreaking for the Bl. Stanley Rother Shrine in south Oklahoma 

City. Besides a chapel, the site will include a 2,000-seat church, an education building, an 

event space, and several areas designated for shrines and devotion. 

Gallup Zooms out 

After years of hosting online meetings 

with Zoom, the Diocese of 

Gallup is pulling the plug. 

“Due to the company’s vocal support 

for abortion, the Diocese of Gallup 

has ceased all business with Zoom 

and will instead be seeking the use 

of an alternative platform for online 

meetings and presentations,” read a 

letter sent to the diocese’s schools and 

parishes. 

Court cuts conscience protections 

A Trump administration rule that 

allowed faith-based conscience 

protections for medical providers was 

struck down by a U.S. District Court 

in New York Nov. 6. 

“The court’s finding that the rule 

was promulgated arbitrarily and 

capriciously calls into question the 

validity and integrity of the rulemaking 

venture itself,” U.S. District 

Judge Paul Engelmayer wrote in his 

decision, who noted that the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services’ stated justification of an 

increase in civilian complaints was 

The diocese’s statement references 

a June 10 full-page ad in The New 

York Times that criticized regulations 

on abortion and was signed by Zoom 

founder and CEO Eric Yuan. In total, 

187 executives signed their name to 

the ad, which argued that abortion 

restrictions hurt business interests. 

Though Zoom’s monthly fees for the 

diocese were relatively small, according 

to the diocesan statement, “large 

or small, we cannot contribute to a 

company with anti-life policies.” 

proven untrue. 

The rule, which had been scheduled 

to take effect Nov. 22, would 

have allowed medical providers to 

opt out of performing or participating 

in medical procedures if they had a 

religious or moral objection. 

“This decision leaves health care 

professionals across America vulnerable 

to being forced to perform, 

facilitate or refer for procedures that 

violate their conscience,” Stephanie 

Taub, senior counsel for religious 

liberty advocate, the First Liberty Institute, 

told the Wall Street Journal. 

ARCHDIOCESE OF OKLAHOMA CITY 


LOCAL 

A homecourt celebration 

in the heart of LA 

Newly released drone footage 

captured what organizers called a 

“special day” for St. Turibius School 

near downtown LA. 

The school’s new “Saints and 

Warriors” basketball court designed 

by local artist Lilian Martinez was 

unveiled at an Oct. 26 “Halloween 

Costume Inauguration Party.” The 

event, which featured a dunk show, 

kids clinic, and an “All-Star” basketball 

game, was hosted by organizations 

Project Backboard, Find Your 

Grind, and Venice Ball. 

“Footage like this does an amazing 

job capturing the unique story and 

footprint of St. Turibius, a Catholic 

STEM school in the heart of downtown 

Los Angeles, surrounded by 

A drone image of the new St. Turibius School basketball court and mural. 

factories and homeless encampments,” 

said Leslie De Leonardis, director of 

the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ STEM 

network. 

“The school is overcoming obstacles 

every day by breaking and closing our 

achievement and opportunity gaps.” 

To watch the footage, visit the LA 

Catholics section of AngelusNews. 

com. 

ST. TURIBIUS SCHOOL 

Granting sight to students 

The William H. 

Hannon Foundation 

announced a 

$10,000 donation to 

Vision to Learn, a 

nonprofit organization 

dedicated to providing 

free eye exams 

and vision care for 

students around the 

country. 

This year’s donation 

follows a 2018 grant 

that helped provide 

eye exams and glasses 

at four schools in the 

Archdiocese of Los 

Angeles: Assumption, Holy Name of 

Jesus, St. Columbkille, and St. Odilia. 

One hundred and thirty-two students 

were given on-site eye exams at the 

schools and 113 were provided glasses 

at no cost. 

An estimated nearly 2 million 

students nationwide struggle to see 

the chalkboards in their classroom, 

read their textbooks, and participate in 

their classes. In Los Angeles County, 

there are nearly 126,000 students who 

Jim Hannon, treasurer of the William H. Hannon Foundation, distributes 

glasses at Dolores Mission School. 

can’t afford the eye exams or glasses 

they need. 

“Eighty percent of learning during 

a child’s first 12 years is visual,” 

said Kathleen Hannon Aikenhead, 

president of the William H. Hannon 

Foundation. “Vision To Learn is 

providing a hugely important service 

and is doing so with an innovative 

approach to bringing eye exams and 

glasses directly to schools in underserved 

communities.” 

WILLIAM H. HANNON FOUNDATION 

Praying for DACA 

LA Catholics came together to pray 

for the fate of the Deferred Action for 

Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program 

ahead of a key Supreme Court hearing. 

On Nov. 12, the Supreme Court 

heard testimonies from both sides as it 

weighed whether the decision by the 

Trump administration to wind down 

DACA is reviewable by the court, and 

whether that decision was legal in the 

first place. 

Local faithful gathered the night before 

at St. Charles Borromeo Church in 

North Hollywood for a rosary and Mass 

organized by the Archdiocese of Los 

Angeles’ Office of Immigration Affairs. 

“This is an issue that affects many 

people in our parishes and has dragged 

on for many years,” said Isaac Cuevas, 

director of Immigration and Public 

Affairs for the archdiocese. 

“Just about every Dreamer sees 

the United States as their home. As 

people of faith, we need to pray for the 

Supreme Court justices, legislators, and 

our executive branch to do what is best 

for them and our country.” 

A ruling on the case is not expected 

until June of next year. 


LA Catholic Events 

Items for LA Catholic Events are due two weeks prior to the date of the event. They may be mailed to Angelus News (Attn: LA Catholic Events), 3424 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010-2241; emailed to 

calendar@angelusnews.com; or faxed to 213-637-6360. All items must include the name, date, time, and address of the event, plus a phone number for additional information. 

Fri., Nov. 15 

Creating Sacred Spaces: A Conversation with Jeff 

Tortorelli. Holy Family Church, Connolly Hall, 1527 

Fremont Ave., S. Pasadena, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Hosted by 

Holy Family Parish Women’s Connection and Italian 

Catholic Federation branch 108. Curator and program 

speaker: Jefferson Tortorelli, national award-winning 

liturgical artist. Email Fponnet@holyfamily.org, diane. 

collison@outlook.com, diane.collison@yahoo.com, 

or call 626-437-0202. 

Sherie DiBernardo Lymphoma Foundation Drive 

Thru Dinner. Holy Trinity School, 1226 W. Santa Cruz 

St., San Pedro, 5:30-7 p.m. Pasta, garlic bread, salad, 

chocolate cake. Cost: $20/plate. Call John DiBernardo 

at 310-292-9008 or email sheriesfoundation@ 

yahoo.com. 

Sat., Nov. 16 

Foster Care and Adoption Information Meeting. 

Andrew’s Plaza, 11335 W. Magnolia Blvd., Ste. 2C, N. 

Hollywood, or Children’s Bureau, 27200 Tourney Rd., 

Ste. 175, Valencia, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Discover if you 

have the willingness, ability, and resources to take on 

the challenge of helping a child in need. RSVP or learn 

more by calling 213-342-0162, toll free at 800-730- 

3933, or email RFrecruitment@all4kids.org. 

Sun., Nov. 17 

St. Anthony Parish Christmas Boutique and Bake 

Sale. 2511 S. C St., Oxnard, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. For more 

information, call Ann Marie at 805-486-6799 or email 

amcr001@aol.com. 

Bosco Tech Open House. 1151 San Gabriel Blvd., 

Rosemead, 12-4 p.m. Middle-school students and 

parents are invited to tour the school’s campus and 

participate in Explore and Create workshops. For 

more information, email John Garcia at jgarcia@boscotech.edu 

or call 626-940-2009. 

Mon., Nov. 18 

St. Padre Pio Healing Mass. St. Anne Church, 340 

10th St., Seal Beach, 1 p.m. Call 562-537-4526. 

Woman to Woman Ministry: Gathered in Joy and 

Kinship. Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Rd., 

11 a.m.-1 p.m. Join other women to welcome the 

sacred gifts of autumn and winter. Suggested donation: 

$15/person. Email jmcbroehm@aol.com with 

questions and to RSVP. 

Wed., Nov. 20 

Clearing Outstanding Tickets and Warrants: Free 

Legal Clinic for Veterans. Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, 

1816 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, 5:30-6:30 p.m. 

Self-help workshop, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Volunteer attorneys 

will be available to provide one-on-one assistance 

and consultation. RSVP required. Call 213-896- 

6537 or visit lacba.org/veterans. 

Stop Senior Scams Acting Program. St. Paul the 

Apostle Church, 1536 Selby Ave., Los Angeles, 10:30 

a.m. Skits and songs to help seniors avoid being victims 

to predatory scammers. RSVP to Claire at 310- 

474-5977. Sandwich buffet ($25/person) follows 

presentation. 

Thu., Nov. 21 

Women’s Connection Ministry: In Search of Sacred 

Spaces. Holy Family Church, 1527 Fremont 

Ave., S. Pasadena, 9 a.m. Second in a five-part series, 

speaker and author Mary Lea Carrol will review 

“Saint Everywhere: Travels in Search of Lady Saints.” 

Donation: $10/person. Email Frank Ponnet at fponnet@holyfamily.org, 

Diane Collison at diane.collison@yahoo.com, 

or call 626-437-0202. 

Mass and Healing Service. Our Lady of Grace 

Church, 5011 White Oak Ave., Encino, 6:30 p.m. 

Medjugorje at Redondo Beach. St. James Church, 

415 Vincent St., Redondo Beach. Rosary 6:30 p.m., 

talk 7 p.m., Q&A 8 p.m. Father Leon Pereira, chaplain 

to the English-speaking pilgrims in Medjugorje 

will share his personal story and explanations of the 

Medjugorje messages. Call Dean Campazzie at 310- 

717-6924 or email djoebeach@aol.com. 

Sat., Nov. 23 

Foster Care and Adoption Information Meeting. 

Children’s Bureau’s Magnolia Place, 1910 Magnolia 

Ave., Los Angeles, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Discover if you 

have the willingness, ability, and resources to take on 

the challenge of helping a child in need. RSVP or learn 

more by calling 213-342-0162, toll free at 800-730- 

3933, or email RFrecruitment@all4kids.org. 

St. Charles Annual Christmas Boutique. 10830 

Moorpark St., N. Hollywood. Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 

Sun., 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Handcrafted decor, home, kitchen, 

baby, jewelry, baked goods, and more. 

St. Padre Pio Relic Veneration. St. Mark’s University 

Church, 6550 Picasso Rd., Goleta, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. 

Two presentations on Padre Pio’s life, miracles, and 

stigmata by Dominic Berardino. Veneration, blessing, 

and healing prayer with relic glove, 2:30-4 p.m. 

veneration only, no registration required. Cost: $15/ 

person, prepaid, or $20 at the door. Students are free. 

Register online at scrc.org, call 818-771-1361, or 

email spirit@scrc.org. 

Sun., Nov. 24 

Special Visit from Bishop of Brazil. Holy Family 

Church, 18708 Clarkdale Ave., Artesia, 2:30 p.m. 

Join the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Holy Family 

Church in welcoming Bishop Edgar Da Cunha, DD, the 

bishop of Fall River and the episcopal liaison to the 

Brazilians in the United States. A special eucharistic 

celebration with the Brazilian Catholics of the archdiocese. 

Reception and fellowship will follow. For more 

information or if you wish to volunteer, call Lissandra 

Ourique at 526-299-2691 or email mrs.ourique@olfartesia.org. 

Annual Christmas Boutique and Bake Sale. Our 

Lady of Lourdes Church, Stroup Hall, 18400 Kinzie 

St., Northridge, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Our Lady of Lourdes 

Women’s Council invites you to get an early start on 

your holiday shopping. Fresh-baked goods, jewelry, 

scarves, clothing, and more. For vendor information, 

email Mary Roehrick at ollboutique@ollnr.org or call 

818-701-0807. 

S.H.A.R.E. Ministry Holiday Boutique. St. Agatha 

Church, 2646 S. Mansfield Ave., Los Angeles, 8 a.m.- 

3 p.m. Bake sale, handmade crafts. Proceeds benefit 

the free dinner on Christmas Day. Call 323-935-8127. 

Mon., Nov. 25 

Bilingual Mass and Healing Service. St. Rose of 

Lima Church, 1305 Royal Ave., Simi Valley, 7 p.m. 

Presider: Father Luis Estrada. Call 805-526-1732. 

Wed., Nov. 27 

Mass and Healing Service. Our Lady of Peace, 

15444 Nordhoff St., North Hills, 7 p.m. Presider: Father 

Joel Henson. For information, call Deacon Celso 

at 818-667-8998. 

Sun., Dec.1 

Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan 

Diego. Procession: Corner of Cesar Chavez Ave. and 

Ford Blvd. Mass to follow at East Los Angeles College 

Stadium, 1301 Cesar Chavez Ave., Monterey Park, 

10:30 a.m. procession, 1 p.m. Mass. Presided by 

Archbishop José H. Gomez. For more information, call 

323-269-2733 or visit www.archla.org/guadalupe. 

Tue., Dec.3 

Holy Family Parish Women’s Connection Ministry: 

Does Stained Glass Still Speak to Us in the 

21st Century? Holy Family Church, 1527 Fremont 

Ave., S. Pasadena. Holiday reception: Christmas hors 

d’oeuvres, sweets, hot and cold holiday drinks, gift 

raffle, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Program 7:30-9 p.m. Call Frank 

Ponnet at 626-403-6138 or email fponnet@holyfamily.org 

or dsternal@sbcglobal.net 

Visit AngelusNews.com for these stories 

and more. Your source for complete, 

up-to-the-minute coverage of local news, 

sports and events in Catholic L.A. 

This Week at AngelusNews.com 

• Robert Brennan: The value of a forged painting. 

• Find out where the archdiocesan traveling statues are in their journeys! 

• Patricia Heaton’s new comedy pays tribute to the wisdom of middle age. 


SUNDAY 

READINGS 

BY SCOTT HAHN 

Mal. 3:19–20 / Ps. 98:5–9 / 2 Thess. 3:7–12 / Lk. 21:28 

It is the age between 

our Lord’s first coming 

and his last. We live 

in the new world 

begun by his life, 

death, resurrection, 

and ascension, by the 

sending of his Spirit 

upon the Church. But 

we await the day when 

he will come again in 

glory. 

“Lo, the day is coming,” 

Malachi warns in 

today’s First Reading. 

The prophets taught 

Israel to look for the 

Day of the Lord, when 

he would gather the 

nations for judgment 

(see Zephaniah 3:8; 

Isaiah 3:9; 2 Peter 3:7). 

Jesus anticipates this 

day in today’s Gospel. 

He cautions us not to 

be deceived by those 

claiming “the time has 

come.” Such deception is the background 

also for today’s Epistle (see 2 

Thessalonians 2:1–3). 

The signs Jesus gives his apostles 

seem to already have come to pass 

in the New Testament. In Acts, the 

Epistles and Revelation, we read of 

famines and earthquakes, the Temple’s 

desolation. We read of persecutions, 

believers imprisoned and put 

to death, testifying to their faith with 

wisdom in the Spirit. 

These “signs” then, show us the 

pattern for the Church’s life, both in 

the New Testament and today. 

We, too, live in a world of nations 

and kingdoms at war. And we should 

take the apostles as our “models,” as 

“Crucifix,” by Coppo di Marcovaldo, 1261. 

today’s Epistle counsels. Like them we 

must persevere in the face of unbelieving 

relatives and friends, and forces 

and authorities hostile to God. 

As we do in today’s Psalm, we should 

sing his praises, joyfully proclaim his 

coming as Lord and king. The Day 

of the Lord is always a day that has 

already come and a day still yet to 

come. It is the “today” of our liturgy. 

The apostles prayed “maranatha” 

(“O Lord come!”) (see 1 Corinthians 

16:22; Revelation 22:20). In the 

Eucharist he answers, coming again 

as the Lord of hosts and the Sun of 

Justice with its healing rays. It is a 

mighty sign, and a pledge of that Day 

to come. 

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

Scott Hahn is founder of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, stpaulcenter.com. 


IN EXILE 

BY FATHER RONALD ROLHEISER, OMI 

Faith and dying 

We tend to nurse a certain naiveté 

about what faith means in the face of 

death. The common notion among 

us as Christians is that if someone has 

a genuine faith, she should be able to 

face death without fear or doubt. 

The implication then, of course, is 

that having fear and doubt when one is 

dying is an indication of a weak faith. 

While it’s true that many people with 

a strong faith do face death calmly and 

without fear, that’s not always the case, 

nor necessarily the norm. 

We can begin with Jesus. Surely he 

had real faith and yet, in the moments 

just before his death, he called out 

in both fear and doubt. His cry of 

anguish, “My God, my God, why have 

you forsaken me” (Mark 15:34), came 

from a genuine anguish that was not, 

as we sometimes piously postulate, uttered 

for divine effect, not really meant, 

but something for us to hear. 

Moments before he died, Jesus suffered 

real fear and real doubt. Where 

was his faith? Well, that depends upon 

how we understand faith and the 

specific modality it can take on in our 

dying. 

In her famous study of the stages of 

dying, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross suggests 

there are five stages we undergo 

in the dying process: denial, anger, 

bargaining, depression, acceptance. 

Our first response to receiving a terminal 

diagnosis is denial: “This is not 

happening!” Then, when we have to 

accept that it is happening our reaction 

is anger: “Why me?” 

Eventually, anger gives way to bargaining: 

“How much time can I still 

draw out of this?” This is followed by 

depression and finally, when nothing 

serves us any longer, there’s accept- 

ance: “I’m going to die.” This is all very 

true. 

But in a deeply insightful book, “The 

Grace in Dying,” Kathleen Dowling 

Singh, basing her insights upon the 

experience of sitting at the bedside of 

many dying people, suggests there are 

additional stages: doubt, resignation, 

and ecstasy. Those stages help shed 

light on how Jesus faced his death. 

The night before he died, in Gethsemane, 

Jesus accepted his death, clearly. 

But that acceptance was not yet full 

resignation. That only took place the 

next day on the cross in a final surrender 

when, as the Gospels put it, “…he 

bowed his head and gave up his spirit” 

(John 19:30). 

And, just before that, he experienced 

an awful fear that what he had always 

believed in and taught about God was 

perhaps not so. Maybe the heavens 

were empty and maybe what we deem 

as God’s promises amount only to wishful 

thinking. 

But, as we know, he didn’t give in 

to that doubt, but rather, inside of its 

darkness, gave himself over in trust. 

Jesus died in faith, though not in what 

we often naively believe faith to be. To 

die in faith does not always mean that 

we die calmly, without fear and doubt. 

For instance, the renowned biblical 

scholar, Father Raymond E. Brown, 

commenting on the fear of death 

inside the community of the beloved 

disciple, writes: 

“The finality of death and the uncertainties 

it creates causes trembling 

among those who have spent their lives 

professing Christ. Indeed, among the 

small community of Johannine disciples, 

it was not unusual for people to 

confess that doubts had come into their 

minds as they encountered death. ... 

“The Lazarus story is placed at the 

end of Jesus’ public ministry in John 

to teach us that when confronted with 

the visible reality of the grave, all need 

to hear and embrace the bold message 

that Jesus proclaimed: ‘I am the life.’ 

… For John, no matter how often we 

renew our faith, there is the supreme 

testing by death. 

“Whether the death of a loved one 

or one’s own death, it is the moment 

when one realizes that it all depends 

on God. During our lives we have 

been able to shield ourselves from 

having to face this in a raw way. Confronted 

by death, mortality, all defenses 

fall away.” 

Sometimes people with a deep faith 

face death in calm and peace. But 

sometimes they don’t and the fear and 

doubt that threatens them then is not 

necessarily a sign of a weak or faltering 

faith. It can be the opposite, as we see 

in Jesus. 

Inside a person of faith, fear and 

doubt in the face of death is what the 

mystics call “the dark night of the spirit” 

… and this is what’s going on inside 

that experience: The raw fear and 

doubt we are experiencing at that time 

make it impossible for us to mistake 

our own selves and our own life force 

for God. 

When we have to accept to die in trust 

inside of what seems like absolute negation 

and can only cry out in anguish 

to an apparent emptiness, then it is no 

longer possible to confuse God with 

our own feelings and ego. In that, we 

experience the ultimate purification of 

soul. We can have a deep faith and still 

find ourselves with doubt and fear in 

the face of death. Just look at Jesus. 

Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Ronald Rolheiser is a spiritual writer, www.ronrolheiser.com. 


Edwin Chow, far left, with other members of the Hong Kong Federation of Catholic Students in a pro-democracy protest in June. 

COURTESY EDWIN CHOW 

Between Church and fate 

For Hong Kong Catholics, government protests aren’t just about 

defending their city. They’re about protecting their faith 

BY ROB CULLIVAN / ANGELUS 

Edwin Chow, 20, a native of 

Hong Kong, is in his third 

year of university, where he’s 

studying government and international 

studies. 

But over the past year, he has likely 

learned as much about both subjects in 

the streets of his home city as he has in 

the classroom. 

Since June, Hong Kong Catholics 

like Chow, along with hundreds of 

thousands of their fellow citizens, have 

participated in massive protests against 

the mainland Chinese government 

as well as rulers of semi-autonomous 

Hong Kong. 

Chow just finished his term as 

president of the Hong Kong Federation 

of Catholic Students, whose 50 

or so active members are decidedly 

pro-democracy, and have participated 

in demonstrations against the city’s 

government as well as China’s rulers in 

Beijing. 

“We want a government elected by 

the Hong Kong people, and we want 

autonomy for the Hong Kong people,” 

he told Angelus News in an interview. 

“I think if [mainland China] really 

takes over Hong Kong, of course they 

will suppress the religious freedom of 

Hong Kong.” 

Chinese Catholics have held prayer 

vigils during the protests, organized 

information sessions about the movement 

and even extended material aid 


to protesters, Chow said. 

He noted that even though Hong 

Kong’s Catholics are a minority, 

making up about 5% of the population, 

many of them, particularly younger 

Catholics, support the hundreds of 

thousands who have turned out for 

various events to publicly resist Hong 

Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s 

administration. 

“Some people feel religion should 

be separate from politics,” Chow said, 

noting some older Hong Kong Catholics 

question how vocal they should be 

against the government. “I think our 

religion is about society, and we should 

care about society, and we should 

participate in society.” 

On that note, hundreds of Catholics 

attended a special public service Oct. 

26 in Hong Kong, where Auxiliary 

Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing asked 

people to pray the rosary daily as a form 

of nonviolent resistance, and repeated 

his previous calls for an independent 

commission to investigate government 

actions during the crisis. 

JAIL AND JURISDICTION 

The protests began over a law, 

proposed by Lam’s administration, 

that would have allowed extradition of 

Hong Kong citizens to the mainland 

by China. 

Although that proposed law has since 

been withdrawn, Lam and Beijing 

have refused to budge on other protesters’ 

demands, including release of 

all arrested protesters and dismissal of 

charges of rioting as well as the establishment 

of universal suffrage. 

Chow said that his fellow Hong 

Kongers, particularly younger people, 

simply don’t trust Beijing with their 

rights. The protesters also know they 

are largely on their own as they face off 

against a world superpower. 

“I think [Beijing is] also afraid that 

these protests will destroy Hong Kong,” 

he said. “I think that China wants to 

let the local government handle these 

protests. … They don’t want to use the 

army. They don’t want to affect the 

economy.” 

He added that he and other Hong 

Kong Catholics welcome any support 

they receive from the United States, including 

a bill, the Hong Kong Human 

Rights and Democracy Act, which the 

House of Representatives passed in 

September that would impose sanctions 

on “foreign persons responsible 

for gross human rights violations in 

Hong Kong.” 

Although he welcomes the bill, Chow 

questioned whether it will make much 

difference if it becomes law. 

“I see the act as the U.S. supporting 

Hong Kong, but I still doubt the effectiveness 

of the act,” he said. 

ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS 

Mainland China has ruled Hong 

Kong, a former British colony, since it 

was handed back to Beijing in 1997. 

At the time of the handover, China 

pledged to respect Hong Kong’s 

autonomy for 50 years under the 

slogan, “One country, two systems,” 

but many critics of Beijing, including 

Chow, claim the communists want to 

assert more control of Hong Kong now, 

rather than wait until 2047. 

“Hong Kong and China are very 

different,” he said, noting the people of 

Hong Kong are used to more freedom 

of expression and action than their 

mainland counterparts. “We have our 

own system and our own lifestyle; how 

can these two places that are so different 

be joined together?” 

Chow added that some protesters are 

now calling for an independent Hong 

Kong, although most observers contend 

Beijing would never allow Hong 

Kong to secede. 

TYRONE SIU/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, REUTERS 

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam reissued an apology June 18 to the Chinese territory’s people 

for the conflict over an extradition law amendment that has provoked mass demonstrations. Cardinal 

John Tong Hon, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Hong Kong, called on Lam to withdraw 

the bill. 

HISTORY OF FEAR 

To understand one reason why Chow 

and his fellow young Catholics have 

come to oppose the People’s Republic’s 

rule of their semi-autonomous city, one 

must study the history of the Church 

in China. 

An estimated 9 to 12 million people 

in mainland China as well as Hong 

Kong and Macau are believed to 

be Catholic. After the communists 

assumed power on the mainland in 

1949, they began persecuting the 

Church as well as other religions, 

claiming, in particular, that the Catholic 

Church was foreign-controlled and 

a potential threat to the state. 

During the worst periods of persecution, 

some Catholics, including at least 

one cardinal, were imprisoned and 

others were tortured and even killed for 

practicing their faith. In 1957, China 

created the Chinese Patriotic Catholic 

Association, which rejected the authority 

of the Holy See and appointed its 

own bishops. 


An underground church arose in 

response, and for decades the Vatican 

and China were estranged. 

Relations have thawed somewhat 

in recent years, though, as Church 

officials have tried a less confrontational 

approach to Beijing. St. Pope John 

Paul II as well as Pope Benedict XVI 

and Pope Francis worked on repairing 

relations with the People’s Republic, 

and the efforts they and other Vatican 

officials made paid off last year when 

the Holy See and Beijing signed a 

landmark agreement. 

Under it, China recognizes the 

pope as spiritual leader of all Chinese 

Catholics. Beijing can recommend 

bishops to be appointed but the pope 

retains veto power of them. Meanwhile, 

the Vatican has brought a number 

of bishops of the Chinese Patriotic 

Catholic Association into communion 

with the universal Church. 

The controversial agreement gave 

hope to some Chinese Catholics, but 

was severely criticized by others, who 

saw it as a betrayal of the long-suffering 

underground church. 

Beijing didn’t exactly help the situation 

by continuing some of the policies 

that have led to its estrangement from 

the Vatican in the first place. 

For example, officials destroyed two 

Marian shrines in China within a few 

weeks of the agreement’s announcement, 

and is reportedly still engaged 

in harassment of some underground 

church believers. Nonetheless, the 

provisional agreement is still in place, 

and both sides continue to work on its 

implementation. 

TWO SIDES, ONE FAITH 

Earlier this year, the Catholic student 

federation wrote a letter to Lam, a fellow 

Catholic, appealing to the shared 

faith of the students and Hong Kong’s 

chief executive, to both shame her and 

move her heart. 

Lam has spoken openly of her faith 

on occasion, and has reportedly consulted 

Hong Kong’s Catholic leaders 

for counsel in the past. The letter 

called her actions during the protest a 

form of “tyranny,” and demanded Lam 

meet the protesters’ demands as well as 

resign her post. 

“(T)he doors of the church are always 

open, and we ask you to repent and 

stop doing evil,” the letter stated. 

Chow said Lam did write back to 

the students, “showing her gratitude 

for voicing our opinions without any 

actual response.” 

Angelus News made repeated requests 

to Lam’s office for an interview, but 

was declined. 

Meanwhile, Vatican News reported 

Oct. 24 that Cardinal John Tong Hon, 

apostolic administrator of Hong Kong, 

recently made a radio address calling 

on Hong Kong’s leaders to consider 

exactly why hundreds of thousands of 

people continue to protest. 

“Many youngsters appear to be anxious 

and worried due to the current 

social situation,” the cardinal said, 

adding, “I want to plead with the local 

government to really listen to the 

voice of the people of Hong Kong.” 

FRANCIS WONG/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

About 100 Catholic youths pray for the democracy of Hong Kong in 2014 on their way to the city’s 

government headquarters. Two cardinals in Hong Kong urged the government to solve the present 

political deadlock after police used force to disperse thousands of unarmed protesters who struggled 

for full democracy in the city. 

AMERICAN RESPONSE 

Hong Kong’s plight has garnered 

attention here in the U.S., including 

in Los Angeles, where St. Bridget Chinese 

Catholic Church celebrated a 

special Mass for Hong Kong Oct. 26. 

Meanwhile, Father Michael Agliardo, 

SJ, executive director of the 

U.S.-China Catholic Association, said 

his group has been monitoring the 

situation in Hong Kong and hopes 

it can be peacefully resolved. Based 

in Berkeley, the association sponsors 

study tours of China, works with 

Catholic organizations in China and 


Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha, Bishop Michael Yeung, and retired Cardinal John Tong concelebrate 

Mass May 24, 2018, on the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians at the Cathedral of the Immaculate 

Conception in Hong Kong. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI established the feast as a world day of prayer 

for the Church in China. 

FRANCIS WONG/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

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promotes dialogue. The organization 

has taken no official stance on the 

Hong Kong crisis, he said. 

As a longtime observer of Chinese 

affairs, the priest thinks it’s not surprising 

Lam and her fellow Catholics 

don’t agree on Hong Kong’s future. 

Catholics are often divided on social 

and political issues, he noted, but the 

Church should “model how people 

can have different positions, voice 

them vigorously, and yet remain united 

and even build one another up in 

service to the common good.” 

The priest also said he understands 

the concerns some Hong Kong Catholics 

have over what lies ahead. 

“The Catholic Church has a long 

and respected history of education 

and social service in Hong Kong,” he 

said. “The Church is a part of Hong 

Kong and its history.” 

The Jesuit priest said he hopes that 

Beijing authorities will come to “appreciate 

and respect the contributions 

of the Church to society in Hong 

Kong.” 

He conceded that is a lot to hope 

for at a time when the Church is not 

even allowed to operate schools on 

the mainland and its social-service 

outreach is being “deliberately curtailed” 

by the government. 

Nonetheless, the priest still has hope 

that the faith of the city’s Catholics 

will help them persevere. 

“The Catholics and others I know in 

Hong Kong are caring, vibrant people,” 

Agliardo said. “I trust that they 

will not only survive but that they will 

continue to thrive.” 

Rob Cullivan is a freelance writer 

living in Portland, Oregon. 

Church Keyboard Center celebrates the 

beautiful new Rodgers organ at 

Holy Angels Catholic 

Church, Arcadia 

Rev. Kevin Rettig, Pastor 

Jerry Jaco, Director, Music Ministries 

November 15, 2019 • ANGELUS • 13 

www.churchkeyboard.com 

Nelson Dodge, President

‘We meet them 

where they are’ 

A small pro-life apostolate in Long Beach is bringing 

help and hope to pregnant women in crisis 

BY CHRISTA CHAVEZ / ANGELUS 

Through the efforts of Cecilia Chavez, director of Expectant Mothers Outreach, at least 1,338 lives have been saved since 2008. 

CHRISTA CHAVEZ 


It is a cool autumn morning, and 

Cecilia Chavez is standing where 

she has stood most weekday mornings 

for the last 12 years: in front of an 

abortion clinic. Brochures in hand, 

and her scapular around her neck, 

she knows the women entering the 

building do not want to see her, much 

less speak with her. 

“Good morning,” Chavez says as a 

woman approached. “Are you here 

because you are pregnant?” 

The woman turns to look at Chavez, 

whose dark hair is beginning to silver 

around her gentle, round face. Chavez 

offers her a brochure, then quietly asks 

if she is planning to have an abortion. 

It is an intense, intimate exchange. 

The woman shares her story, and 

Chavez nods, offers encouragement, 

and gives the woman her phone 

number. 

When, and if, she calls, Chavez will 

be ready with whatever she may need: 

medical care, a sonogram, diapers, 

baby clothes, a maternity home, 

groceries, agency resources, adoption 

information, a listening ear. Friendship. 

Incredibly, hundreds of women 

have taken Chavez up on her offer. 

Even more incredible: 1,338 babies’ 

lives have been saved, and counting. 

“We had another save today,” Chavez 

shared in a recent text message. 

“Mother of three. She said she was 

hoping someone would tell her not to 

do it … thank you God.” 

Five days later: “The twins were born 

this weekend! Seven pounds each. 

Mother and babies are doing well.” 

Known as the Expectant Mothers 

Outreach, the apostolate, as it is 

described, originated at Church of the 

Holy Innocents in Long Beach. 

It was a pro-life homily from the 

parish’s pastor, Father Peter Irving, that 

launched Chavez and a handful of 

other parishioners into action in 2008. 

“I wanted to be more than a ‘Sunday 

Catholic,’ ” Chavez recalled. “I was 

looking for where God needed me to 

be.” When Irving invited members of 

the congregation to pray in front of a 

local abortion clinic, Chavez showed 

up. “I became pro-life. I became a 

believer,” she recalled. “And I’m still 

there.” 

What began as praying the rosary 

evolved into a critical lifeline for 

women who did not necessarily want 

an abortion, but felt they had no 

choice. “We weren’t protesters, we 

weren’t there to judge,” Chavez said. 

“We wanted to offer other options, give 

them real help and hope.” 

On her first day of actively “reaching 

out,” Chavez persuaded a mother not 

to abort her twins. “It was emotional,” 

she recalled. 

Today, Chavez works out of a small 

office with an unmarked door. In this 

refuge for pregnant women in crisis, 

she has encountered every possible 

scenario through the years: broken 

relationships, abusive partners, teen 

pregnancy, poverty, rape. 

“Every mother is different, and we 

meet them where they are,” said 

Chavez, who journeys with the mothers 

not only through birth, but well 

into childhood. Two weeks ago, she 

received a text from a mother whose 

daughter was turning six. 

“I cried a little bit today,” it read. “If it 

wasn’t for you I would’ve done the biggest 

mistake of my life walking into the 

Tiny shoes donated by supporters of the Expectant Mothers Outreach sit in front of a poster featuring the babies that have been saved. 


November 15, 2019 • ANGELUS • 15

Dr. Patrick Baggot, an OB/GYN and maternal-fetal specialist, gives a free exam to a mother who accepted help from Expectant Mothers Outreach. 


abortion clinic. I’m really glad God put 

you in my path. Thank you, Cecilia. It 

means so much to me. It really does.” 

One of the most crucial aspects 

of Chavez’s work is her partnership 

with OB/GYN Dr. Patrick Baggot, a 

board-certified maternal-fetal specialist 

who has worked with Irving for many 

years. 

Baggot provides free exams, ultrasounds, 

tests, and medical care to women 

in crisis pregnancies. Along with 

helping women through the outreach, 

he owns and operates Guadalupe Medical 

Center in downtown Los Angeles, 

a pro-life pregnancy clinic. 

Baggot is especially passionate about 

giving second opinions regarding 

ectopic pregnancies, birth defects, 

and other medical issues that might 

lead women to consider abortion. His 

second opinions have saved hundreds 

of lives. 

“There’s a tendency sometimes for 

doctors to overcall diagnoses,” he 

explained. “I saw a patient today who 

was told her baby has spina bifida, and 

she doesn’t.” Baggot believes doctors 

“are really trying to do a good job. But 

their concept of doing a good job is to 

provide an abortion to people that they 

think need one.” 

Originally, he said, maternal-fetal 

medicine was intended to help the 

baby. “But the abortion industry has 

had its effect on the field, so more and 

more, its purpose is to get rid of the 

babies.” 

A relatively new medical development 

is having a positive impact on Baggot’s 

lifesaving efforts: abortion pill (RU- 

486) reversal. 

The medication, which is essentially 

progesterone, is safe for baby and 

mother. “We have had quite a few 

successful abortion reversals, and many 

of those babies are very strong and 

healthy,” he said. 

He keeps the medicine on hand for 

patients to take immediately. “Time is 

of the essence,” he said. “The drug to 

kill the baby is already in the mother’s 

system, and we’re trying to get to it 

before it completes its effect.” Baggot 

oversees about 10% of the RU-486 

reversals in the United States. 

He makes a point of offer his second 

opinion to any woman who is considering 

abortion because she was told 

something is wrong with her baby. “I 

imagine there are many priests in Los 

Angeles who encounter pregnant women 

in distress because of test results,” 

he told Angelus News. “I want them 

to know they can call me. I would be 

happy to help.” 

This spirit of generosity is the same 

spirit that shines through Chavez, 

Irving, and all of those who support the 

Expectant Mothers Outreach. 

As for Chavez, she and a few others 

associated with the outreach will 

continue their mornings in front of 

the abortion clinic, eager to help those 

who are feeling isolated and afraid. 

“We are there to offer hope for that 

one mother,” she said. “God is going to 

make a way. Watch.” 

For more information about Expectant 

Mothers Outreach, please contact 

Cecilia Chavez (no relation to the 

author of this article) at 562-209-6987. 

Dr. Patrick Baggot can be reached at 

Guadalupe Medical Center at 

213-386-2606. 

Christa Chavez is a freelance writer 

and a parishioner at Our Lady of Refuge 

Church in Long Beach. 


Program Director 

Good Shepherd Shelter 

JOB POSTING 

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. is one of the largest human services providers in California. The agency operates a variety of programs to serve the poor 

and strives to find permanent solutions to crisis situations by offering clients the tools and resources they need to achieve greater self-reliance and stability in their 

lives. Catholic Charities is seeking a Program Director to manage all aspects of Good Shepherd Shelter program for mothers and children who are victims of 

domestic violence. 

Responsibilities: 

The Program Director will report to the Executive Director and provide overall leadership and coordination among the various facets of the Good Shepherd Shelter 

program, to include the following responsibilities: 

• Direct and supervise assigned program staff and volunteers 

• Maintain liaison with key governmental, Agency and community leaders in the region 

• Plan, organize and conduct approved program in accordance with official directives and applicable contract provisions and government regulations 

• Develop, coordinate, administer and evaluate the staffing and delivery of services to those in need and the community services’ programs within the Region 

• Prepares budgets, maintains financial control of expenditures, analyzes variance between actual and budget and presents and implements remediation plans 

• Plan fundraising and resource development within the region 

• Implement program policies and procedures to ensure contractual and legal compliance as well as program performance standards 

• Conduct on-site operational assessments and facilitates employee participation in problem identification 

• Oversee risk management as it applies to facilities and to the health and safety of staff and persons served 

• Promote continuous quality improvement and service delivery that is aligned with the Agency’s mission. 

Qualifications: 

• Master’s degree required in social work, public administration or related field 

• Six to eight years of experience as a Program Director, including three years in a supervisory position 

• Bilingual English / Spanish a plus 

• Excellent written communication, public speaking, organizational and interpersonal skills. 

• Demonstrated leadership ability 

• Ability to work as a positive, enthusiastic member of a team 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 

Salary: $68,100 - $84,769 + excellent benefits package and generous paid time off 

How to apply: Email cover letter and resume to: hrjobs@ccharities.org 

021119_CatholicCharities_ProgDir_JobPosting_Angelus_1-2pg.indd 1 

11/1/19 3:37 PM 

Program Development Director 

Good Shepherd Shelter 

JOB POSTING 

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc., one of the largest human services providers in California, operates a variety of programs to serve the poor and strives to find permanent solutions 

to crisis situations by offering clients the tools and resources needed to achieve greater self-reliance and stability in their lives. 

Good Shepherd Shelter, a program of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. serves mothers and their children who are victims of domestic violence. The program provides fourteen 

resident apartments, an adult learning center, an elementary school, an early childhood education center, therapy, legal assistance and an aftercare program to help families make 

a successful transition to a new location. The average length of stay for a family is one year. 

The center is seeking a seasoned Development Director with at least 5-7 years of development experience in fundraising, annual giving and capital campaigns. The successful candidate 

is an energetic, organized professional capable of developing strong working relationships with board members, donors and staff and must have proven ability to meet fundraising goals. 

The Development Director must have experience managing all development functions (fundraising, budgeting, reporting, planning, research and proposals) within a diverse entity. 

Responsibilities 

• Assist Good Shepherd Shelter Director, Development Committee, and advisory board in developing and implementing an overall strategic fund development plan, 

including major and planned gifts. 

• Plan, manage and lead programs to expand Good Shepherd Shelter donor base with a diverse strategy, including individuals, corporations and foundations. 

• Lead the Development Committee and advisory board in implementing the fundraising strategy. 

• Design, implement, and facilitate all marketing efforts to increase the center’s visibility and presence. 

• Develop and implement strategies for individual donor cultivation and stewardship. 

• Create and monitor the department expense budget and income goals. 

• Prepare monthly reports to Program Director, Development Committee and advisory board. 

• Manage communication projects including advertising, public relations, online communications and the development of all marketing materials. 

• Assist the advisory board and affiliated organizations with special events including the annual gala. 

Qualifications 

The position requires a senior development professional who is strong, experienced and works best in an environment of creativity and flexibility. The ideal candidate must possess 

organizational intelligence, be able to implement systems necessary to achieve the goals of the program and possess: 

• A minimum of a Bachelors degree in Administration, Fund Development, Communication, or a closely related field required. 

• Experience in a senior development-management role, collaborating with the Program Director and advisory board, resulting in attaining the fundraising goals set for the program. 

• Significant experience in or knowledge of nonprofit development, including grant writing, endowment programs, and capital campaigns. 

• Demonstrated ability to develop and grow a base of financial supporters for a nonprofit organization 

• Excellent written and oral communication skills. 

• Demonstrated leadership ability, team management, and interpersonal skills. 

• Excellent analytical and organizational skills. 

• Ability to manage multiple projects and possess excellent computer skills. 

Salary: $60,000 - $75,962 annually + excellent benefits package & generous paid time off 

How to Apply: Email Cover letter and resume to: hrjobs@ccharities.org 

021119_CatholicCharities_ProgDevDir_JobPosting_Angelus_1-2pg.indd 1 

11/1/19 3:38 PM

PAUL HARING/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

Following 

Pope Francis talks with former Vatican Police Chief Domenico Giani Oct. 13. 

Giani resigned from his post the next day. 

God’s 

money 

Unanswered 

questions abound in 

the latest curial clash 

over Vatican finances 

BY JOHN L. ALLEN JR. / 

ANGELUS 

Whatever else you want to say 

about him, no one could 

ever accuse Italian journalist 

Gianluigi Nuzzi of not having great 

instincts for when to release a book. 

In 2012 and again in 2015, Nuzzi 

brought out blockbuster titles based on 

leaked Vatican documents, exposing 

alleged cover-ups and corruption. He’s 

now back in the game with a new title 

called “Last Judgment,” and once again 

his timing is impeccable, capitalizing 

on not one but two Vatican scandals. 

He first involves the firing of the Vatican’s 

longtime security czar, an Italian 

layman named Domenico Giani, who 

has a background in the Italian secret 

service, over the unauthorized divulge- 

ment of reports on an internal investigation 

related to a suspect financial 

transaction that led to the suspension 

of five Vatican employees. 

The second pivots on that transaction 

itself, which initially involved the 

Vatican’s Secretariat of State paying 

$220 million to acquire a share of a 

former Harrod’s warehouse in London’s 

swanky Chelsea district slated to 

be turned into luxury apartments. 

Later, when the Secretariat of State 

soured on the Italian financier who 

brokered the deal, Raffaele Mincione, 

it wanted a loan from the Vatican Bank 

to spend an extra $165 million to buy 

the remaining shares of the property. 

That money, by the way, reportedly 


PAUL HARING/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

came out of the proceeds of the annual 

“Peter’s Pence” collection, which is 

marketed to Catholics around the 

world as a way to support the pope’s 

charitable activities. Presumably, the 

rank and file might feel differently 

about giving if their donations are instead 

being used to play the real estate 

market. 

The second scandal even comes 

with a purported bad guy straight out 

of Hollywood central casting: Italian 

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the former 

No. 2 official at the Secretariat of State 

and today the prefect of the Vatican’s 

Congregation for the Causes of Saints. 

Even though Becciu was gone by the 

time the loan request to buy out the 

property was made, by that time, the 

new “substitute” in the Secretariat of 

State was Venezuelan Archbishop Edgar 

Peña Parra, nominated to the role 

by Pope Francis in August 2018. 

Becciu has still been left holding the 

bag, styled as a creature of an old guard 

in contrast to the “clean hands” reputation 

of his former boss, Italian Cardinal 

Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state. 

Parolin has referred to the London 

affair as “opaque” and in need of being 

exposed to the light, triggering a rare 

public spat with Becciu, who insisted 

in an interview with Agenzia Nazionale 

Stampa Associata (ANSA) that 

there was nothing at all opaque about 

the deal. 

It was standard practice, Becciu 

said, pointing out that the Vatican has 

been investing in London properties 

since the era of Pope Pius XII, and 

also claiming that Peter’s Pence isn’t 

designed exclusively for charity but 

also to support the pope’s “pastoral 

ministry” in a more general sense. 

In sifting through the details of the 

case, at least three questions suggest 

themselves. 

First, the timing is curious, given that 

the Vatican sometime in 2020 will face 

its next review by Moneyval, the Council 

of Europe’s anti-money laundering 

agency. Moneyval has already signaled 

that this time around, it’s not so much 

interested in reading the new laws 

that have been promulgated to fight 

financial crime as in seeing those laws 

enforced. 

Given that one of the five people 

suspended in the London probe is the 

No. 2 official at the Vatican’s Financial 

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, after being made a 

cardinal by Pope Francis during a consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican June 28, 2018. 

Becciu rejected accusations that he “played and tampered with the money of the poor” after private 

documents about a property deal involving the Vatican leaked to the press. 

Information Authority (AIF), the Vatican’s 

new financial regulatory authority 

created under Pope Benedict XVI, 

and that it happened on the basis of a 

report from the main entity regulated 

by AIF, which is the Vatican Bank, the 

whole thing can’t help but seem a bit 

strange. 

It’s especially curious given that one 

of AIF’s roles at the moment is to make 

sure the bank is ready for the Moneyval 

inspection, inviting obvious questions 

about whose interests might be served 

by placing AIF in an embarrassing 

position, forcing its director, Swiss 

lawyer Rene Brülhart, to issue a public 

statement insisting that his own deputy 

hasn’t committed any impropriety. 

Second, it’s odd that a property deal 

worth nearly $400 million in the end 

could have been not only considered, 

but acted upon, in the Francis era, 

without at least some indication of a 

green light from the pontiff. 

Italian media reports have suggested 

it was Francis personally who approved 

launching an investigation of the transaction, 

but the prior question is how 

Becciu, or anyone else in the Secretariat 

of State, believed such a deal was 

even conceivable. 

The affair also raises serious questions 

about the fate of Francis’ broader financial 

reform of the Vatican, although, as 

Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, president of 

the Vatican Bank, argued in a recent 

interview with Crux, the glass-half-full 

reading would be that the situation 

proves those reforms are working, since 

a suspicious transaction report was filed 

in accord with the new requirements 

and an investigation ensued. 

Third, there’s the part Giani played in 

the drama. Long seen as the Vatican’s 

answer to J. Edgar Hoover, meaning 

the security chief who simply knew 

too much to ever be let go, his abrupt 

downfall also invites curiosity about 

whether something else may have 

caused the pontiff to decide it was time 

to make a change. 

In other words, Becciu can insist as 

much as he likes that there’s nothing 

“opaque” involved in the most recent 

round of financial revelations. However, 

suffice it to say that there remain 

plenty of unanswered questions. 

John L. Allen Jr. is the editor of Crux. 


Strange bedfellows 

Why US Catholics should be paying attention to the intellectual — 

and sometimes awkward — debate over two rival ‘isms’ 

BY BRANDON MCGINLEY / ANGELUS 

ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES 

German chancellor Angela Merkel and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban shake hands following 

an August meeting in the Hungarian-Austrian border town of Sopron. Merkel and Orban are widely 

seen as representative of the opposing liberal and nationalist (respectively) policies in today’s Europe. 

No one can deny that politics, in 

America and around the Western 

world, is less stable and less 

predictable than it has been in at least 

a generation. 

Whether one favors or deplores the 

rise of Donald Trump, the drama of 

Brexit, the daily protests in France, or 

right-wing triumphs in Europe and 

South America, everyone can agree 

that our assumptions about what is 

normal are being upended, and that 

the apparent security of post-Cold War 

globalism is looking less authentic by 

the day. 

In this country, following similar 

movements elsewhere, one of the 

strongest challenges to the status quo 

is being mounted by a resurgent “new 

nationalism” or, as a recent conference 

in Washington, D.C. called it, “national 

conservatism.” 

While the movement is not explicitly 

religious, it has been endorsed by 

prominent Christians, especially those 

affiliated with the conservative First 

Things magazine. 

It has also been rebuked by Christians, 

perhaps most notably in an open 

letter published by the more liberal 

Commonweal. 

In a pair of open letters, the two magazines 

have squared off. 

First Things opened with “Against the 

Dead Consensus,” arguing for an end 

to the awkward fusion of traditionalism 

and libertarianism that has defined 

American conservatism for decades 

in favor of a new focus on national 

solidarity: “We embrace the new nationalism 

insofar as it stands against the 

utopian ideal of a borderless world that, 

in practice, leads to universal tyranny.” 

Meanwhile, Commonweal’s “Against 

the New Nationalism” responded 

passionately: “National identity has no 

bearing on the debts of love we owe 

other sons and daughters of God.” 

In a sense, these documents argued 

past one another. The signers of the 

Commonweal letter see nationalism 

as intrinsically xenophobic, while the 

First Things signatories would attempt 

to articulate a nationalism that escapes 

their opponents’ bitterest critiques. 

All this matters because these publications 

have, in an important way, 

defined the nationalism debate for 

Catholics, and understanding that debate 

will be essential to understanding 

their role in American politics in the 

coming years. 

To begin, we have to look back at 

the complicated relationship between 

nationalism and liberalism. 

When we talk about liberalism, we 

aren’t talking about the prevailing 

ideology of the Democratic Party, but 

rather the philosophy of individual 

rights and representative government 

that emerged from the Enlightenment 

and inspired revolutions across the 

Western world, including our own. 

Different forms of nationalism have 

interacted with liberalism in different 

ways through time, but as a rule we can 

say that nationalism rises in response to 

an apparent crisis in the international 

order, triggering leaders and peoples to 

assert the priority of their own interests. 

And so while nationalism and liberalism 

now seem to be at odds, they 

first emerged together, thanks in large 

part to the enemy they shared: The 

international order defined by absolute 

monarchy and the Catholic Church. 

Perhaps the clearest example was 

the unification of Italy, which was 

an explicitly liberal, nationalist, and 

anti-papal crusade that culminated in 

the annexation of the Papal States to 


DI PEIN/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

the new Italian nation-state. 

But liberal-nationalist movements 

thrived across the continent during the 

long 19th century, each with the aim 

of bringing a cohesive ethnic coalition 

together under a single government to 

be able to assert its interests against the 

“tyranny” of the old order, and against 

other national powers. 

World War I confirmed the new order 

of competing and sometimes-cooperating 

nation-states; “national self-determination” 

was on the lips of every 

liberal-minded designer of the international 

system. 

Since then, aggressive nationalist 

movements have emerged when a nation 

or ethnic group feels ill-served by 

the rules of the system: Nazi Germany 

is, of course, the most potent example, 

but the nationalist-ethnic strife that 

followed the unwinding of the Soviet 

Union is a more recent one. 

Now, nationalism is once again taking 

center stage in Europe and increasingly 

in America. Whereas centuries ago 

nationalist movements helped to usher 

in the liberal age, now they are seemingly 

trying to accelerate its demise. 

What broke up this relationship? 

It’s a refrain you can hear in counseling 

sessions across the country: “My 

spouse changed. I just don’t recognize 

him anymore.” And that’s just what 

happened here: Liberalism morphed 

from a system for organizing the affairs 

of nations to a system for organizing 

the entire world. 

Whether or not this is where liberalism 

was always going to end up, the 

bare fact is that the liberal-nationalist 

order of the 19th and early 20th centuries 

is now a liberal-internationalist 

order. 

One implication of this development 

is that liberal ideology now aspires to 

achieve something only the Church 

has aspired to before it: the universal 

brotherhood of mankind. In fact, in 

this ambition we can see liberalism’s 

Christian roots, recognizing both 

the dignity of the individual and the 

natural aspiration to harmony with our 

fellow men. 

Catholic critics of the new nationalism, 

such as the Commonweal writers, 

see in this attempt an authentic, if 

often quite flawed, reflection of the 

Church’s call for worldwide peace and 

justice. And whatever imperfections 

they identify, they see nationalism as a 

far more imperfect, indeed dangerous, 

alternative. 

The new nationalists, on the other 

hand, see in the liberal order not a 

reflection but a parody of the Christian 

scheme. They see not genuine freedom 

but a liberal “imperium,” as one 

of the First Things writers, the Catholic 

convert Sohrab Ahmari, put it, an 

A color lithograph depicting “The Breach of Porta Pia,” the 1870 battle that marked the final defeat of 

the Papal States in a campaign of Italian unification that was both nationalist and liberal. 

all-consuming international order that 

coerces nations and communities and 

families into affirming and embracing 

a strict ideology of individual autonomy. 

Free trade, free speech (mostly), free 

sex (definitely): These are considered 

not just essential to the flourishing of 

a country, but to full participation in 

the international community. These 

nationalists see a world order that’s 

plunging deeper into moral, spiritual, 

and political crisis. 

To their opponents, this is an unnecessarily 

dire description of the 

state of affairs. It looks and feels like 

a step backward to pull back from a 

globalism that, for all its flaws, seems 

to have brought a fuller appreciation 

for our shared humanity than even the 

Church, too often bound to parochial 

interests, has been able to achieve. The 

nationalists’ diagnosis might even look 

like a step toward fascist regimes that 

justified claims to total authority based 

on fear of “foreign” bogeymen. 

The most conscientious proponents 

of this new nationalism are careful to 

dissociate themselves from those who 

argue for a strictly racial or ethnic basis 

for national identity, especially in the 

incredibly multiracial, multiethnic 

United States. And yet national identity 

must be based in something more than 

just voting in the same federal elections. 

We could point to shared economic 

interests, shared cultural memory, and 

a shared language, but still: In a country 

of more than 300 million souls, 

finding truly substantive common 

ground is hard. 

The fact is that the new nationalists 

are exactly correct that liberal individualism 

has stripped us of the identities 

and associations that give human 

beings earthly meaning and purpose. 

And they are also correct, against their 

critics who see liberal humanitarianism 

as a reasonably acceptable substitute 

for harmony in Christ, that one’s identity 

as a cog in the liberal global order 

is not enough to fill that void. 

This is why identity politics, of the left 

and the right, has become such a force 

in our culture: We’re looking for something 

real to grasp about who we are. 

But it is precisely the success of 

liberalism as a social solvent that 


Mary Eberstadt addresses the plenary session of the inaugural National Conservatism Conference 

July 15. 

makes a healthy nationalism so hard to 

envision. National identity is certainly 

one way to rediscover a middle ground 

between the individual and the globe, 

a middle ground that is natural, at least 

in the sense that it is essential to our 

psychology. 

But without Christ, it quickly becomes 

an idol, and all idols are sources 

of inhuman rancor and division. 

And so the Christian finds himself 

where he has always been: at the intersection 

of heaven and earth in his allegiances 

and identities, fully at home 

neither in the liberal “imperium” nor 

in a revived nationalism. 

But that doesn’t mean the only 

answer is to despair of this world and to 

retreat into a sphere of private devotion; 

that would mean surrendering to 

precisely the liberal individualism that 

is in crisis. 

So what’s a Catholic to do? How 

about starting with the hard work of 

rediscovering our primary identity in 

Christ, not just as a spiritual reality, 

but as an earthly, bodily reality. That 

means forming families and friendships 

and neighborhoods and parishes committed 

to their own common good, and 

then the common good of the societies 

they inhabit. 

The Church is a people, and we share 

something more important than politics 

or economics or heritage or blood: 

We share in Christ on the cross and on 

the altar. 

Only when we are assured in that 

identity, in that purpose, in that meaning 

can we transform an increasingly 

meaningless world. 

Brandon McGinley writes about faith, 

culture, and politics from his hometown 

of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE/NATIONAL CONSERVATISM 

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Please To donate give by mail: at your local parish 

December 7–8. 

Archdiocese of Los Angeles 

To Attn: donate Office by of mail: 

Vicar for Women Religious 

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Make check payable to Archdiocese of Los Angeles/RFR. 

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Make retiredreligious.org 

check payable to to Archdiocese of of Los Los Angeles/RFR. 

©2019 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. 

Photo: Jim Judkis 

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INSIDE 

THE PAGES 

By KRIS MCGREGOR 

Skeptic’s eye, believer’s heart 

Following the ‘miracle hunter’ through some of the 

more miraculous claims of the 21st century 

The crowd looking at “the Miracle of the Sun” that occurred during the Our Lady of Fátima apparitions Oct. 13, 1917. 

ILLUSTRACAO PORTUGUEZA/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

are not the centrality 

of our faith, but they 

“Miracles 

can certainly get us excited. 

They can bolster our faith when we 

have doubts, and they can bring people 

into the Church who are curious about 

what we believe.” 

Michael O’Neill is the “miracle 

hunter.” He seeks them out, analyzing 

where the Church is in the determination 

process, tracking alleged 

sightings of Mary and visions of the 

saints. Although true miracles are few 

and far between, they “draw us close 

to Christ,” O’Neill says, and they play 

an important role in our faith. His 

book, “Exploring the Miraculous” 

(Our Sunday Visitor, $14), grew from 

a decadeslong quest to track miracles 

happening around the world. 

Kris McGregor: How did you get the 

name “miracle hunter”? 

Michael O’Neill: The Vatican 

doesn’t have a section on its site that 

tracks miracles, or the approvals of 

bishops. So I built the website, miraclehunter.com, 

and started tracking. All 

these years later, the name stuck. It’s a 

fun way for people to get interested in 

what I do. 

McGregor: I imagine you’ve encountered 

many, many instances that are 

maybe not so miraculous? 

O’Neill: People might assume the 

miracle hunter is a miracle promoter. 

But the vast majority of things claimed 

are not miracles. It’s only a very few, 

rare instances. Even the term “miracle” 

implies that it’s rare. There are 

many things out there that are hoaxes, 

or have natural causes. There’s things 

we don’t have an explanation for with 

our current understanding of science. 


ILLUSTRACAO PORTUGUEZA/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

MIRACLEHUNTER.COM 

COURTESY IRVING HOULE ASSOCIATION VIA CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

Michael O’Neill 

McGregor: You 

map out the trends and claims 

of the miraculous. How did claims of 

apparitions become so popular? 

O’Neill: The Church established 

the rules for investigating miracles and 

apparitions at the Council of Trent in 

1545. I started there, and it’s consistent 

over the centuries; then, all of a sudden, 

1980 hits and we see a veritable 

explosion of claims of miracles and 

apparitions around the world. 

I don’t have a definitive answer. But a 

couple of things may have contributed 

to this. In 1966, the Church changed 

its rules about private revelations. You 

no longer had to get approval from 

your local bishop if you wanted to write 

about them. 

You also have end-times fanaticism. 

As 2000 approached, people were 

very worried about what was going 

to happen with the world. You see 

an increase of activity related to the 

predictions and prophecies. 

And then there’s Medjugorje, which 

started in 1981. When I looked at the 

number of claims happening after 

1981, the people who made these 

claims about the Virgin Mary 

had ties to Medjugorje. 

So there’s perhaps a 

bit of mimicry phenomena, 

too. 

McGregor: So it’s 

imperative that we go to 

the Church and trust its 

discernment here. 

O’Neill: The important 

thing to remember is that, 

especially in our modern times, 

the Church is really looking out 

for the faithful. They’re not looking 

to gain new members by miracles, 

they’re not trying to sell trinkets 

at shrines. The Church has our best 

interest in mind, and if it’s something 

worthy of belief, we can engage with it. 

Another important point is that even 

if the Church were to say a certain 

apparition were true, we don’t have to 

engage with it at all. We can acknowledge 

that the Church has said this, but 

we don’t have to incorporate it into our 

own life of faith. 

McGregor: Has modern medicine 

made it harder to determine whether 

miracles occur because of the intercession 

of a saint? 

O’Neill: I like to joke that it’s a 

miracle they find any miracles at all for 

these canonization causes, because the 

criteria is so strict! The Church uses 

the Lambertini Criteria, named for 

Irving “Francis” C. Houle bears the stigmata of Jesus in this undated photo. During their spring 

assembly in Baltimore, the U.S. bishops in a June 12 voice vote indicated their support for Houle’s 

sainthood cause to advance in the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan, his home diocese. 

Cardinal Prospero Lambertini. When 

he became Pope Benedict XIV, he established 

these rules: The healing has 

to be permanent, complete, and lasting. 

It has to be a serious matter, and 

can’t have any medical intervention. 

McGregor: I think for anyone who 

begins to explore the miraculous, 

things like incorruptibles really capture 

the imagination. How do you approach 

these things without skepticism? 

O’Neill: Incorruptibles are some of 

the most fascinating things. We have 

the bodies of some of the great saints 

that have not suffered the ravages of 

time, they haven’t decayed in a way 

that we would expect. Their bodies 

remain intact. 

With all these things, God still asks us 

to bring a little bit of faith to the table. 

A lot of these preservations aren’t exactly 

perfect, or they don’t last forever. I 

think there’s been some cases of saints 

who have been incorruptible for 800 

years, and they’ve checked on them 

year by year by year, and at some point, 

they decompose. We don’t know the 

way God has set up the system, but it’s 

something miraculous. 

McGregor: What’s your favorite type 

of miracle? 

O’Neill: I love eucharistic miracles 

because science can validate them. It’s 

one of those things that really shines 

the light on this central piece of our 

faith: the Eucharist. 

We have cases where a host is found 

discarded, and then the priest takes 

it back and reserves it, and over time, 

some red or fleshy substance appears 

on it. They often send these to atheistic 

scientists, who would have no interest 

in finding this. They don’t tell them 

what it is when they send it. And then 

they find, often, heart muscle, of the 

type AB; this seems to be the most 

common thing that I’ve seen. They 

show that it’s human tissue. 

It’s absolutely incredible. For those 

people who doubt whether our Eucharist 

is the true body and blood, soul and 

divinity of Christ, this is a huge boost. 

Kris McGregor is the founder of Discerninghearts.com, 

an online resource 

for the best in contemporary Catholic 

spirituality. 


AD REM 

BY ROBERT BRENNAN 

Neighborhood Christianity, 

Mr. Rogers-style 

JIM JUDKIS/FOCUS FEATURES VIA CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

Fred Rogers, the much-loved children’s television figure who died in 2003, in a photograph from the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” 


I 

never watched much of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” 

but with the recent documentary and the upcoming 

major bio film about him starring Tom Hanks, I kind of 

wish I had. For it seems Fred Rogers was one of those most 

rare human beings: He was who he appeared to be. 

I spent a lot of time working in the TV business trying to, 

if not make it big, at least make it medium. Though I fell 

woefully short of that lofty goal, I did come across quite a few 

public personages who appeared to be one way in public 

and something entirely different when the cameras were off. 

Some of them, if I had written them as characters in a 

script, would have been instantly dismissed by critics as being 

one-dimensional and cliché. But these walking, talking 

clichés did exist, and I am fully confident, given the fallen 

nature of mankind, they continue to haunt the soundstages, 

theater boards, and TV studios of Los Angeles. 

Having more than one face is not a function of merely the 

rich and famous. We have a tendency toward putting up 

facades. Not so with Fred Rogers. Testimony from his widow 

and his children in the Rogers documentary tell a story of a 

deeply religious and quiet man who held fast to his beliefs 

and was a man who took the gospel message to heart. He 

proved the gospel message does not have to be shouted out 

from the pulpit of a megachurch or televised along with a 

special $9.95 prayer towel “offering.” 

Granted, Rogers’ faith was a particularly protestant form; 

he was an ordained Presbyterian minister, but that fact only 

reinforces the post-councilor Catholic worldview where we 

are supposed to celebrate truth wherever we find it intersects 

with the teachings of the Church … even if that truthful 

path is not the full measure of what Christ gave us with the 

apostolic Church. 

One of the great “tricks” he pulled off was showing a 

version of masculinity that is almost never shown via popular 

culture platforms. We want our action heroes, we want our 

characters to be on the edge of things. Rogers always put 

himself in the middle of things and stooped to a child’s level, 

never in a condescending way, but in a way, dare I say it, 

Jesus might have done in his time. And in the process, he 

showed anyone willing to notice that warriors don’t always 

come in suits of armor … sometimes they appear in comfy 

sweaters and sneakers. 

I know it’s not fair to judge a movie before it even comes 

out and obviously before I have seen it, but, call me a cynic, 

I would wager the Tom Hanks movie is liable to get Rogers’ 

faith wrong. One such indicator is a quote from Hanks after 

the movie received rave reviews at the Toronto Film Festival. 

Hanks mentions that Rogers was indeed an ordained minister, 

but seems to take comfort that Rogers “never mentioned 

God in his show.” 

First off, we are talking about a children’s show. If anyone 

ever had a grasp of scale and appropriateness, it was Rogers. 

From everything I’ve ever heard about Tom Hanks, he does 

seem to be a genuinely good guy and I don’t believe his 

comfort level with Rogers not ever mentioning God on his 

kiddie show is a passive-aggressive display of animus to the 

“ A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” starring Tom Hanks comes out in 

theaters Nov. 22. 

almighty. It is more likely just a function of Hanks being a 

man of his time. 

It’s not so much that the popular culture doesn’t understand 

Rogers. His deeply Christian message of compassion 

and understanding and taking people as he finds them are 

the kind of universal truths that can be found both in the 

Ten Commandments and the Eight Beatitudes. It’s that this 

culture, like all cultures that distance themselves from the 

one-two punch of faith and reason, are never comfortable 

with open displays of spirituality, unless it is the kind of 

anything-goes, follow-your-bliss kind of spirituality found on 

the Oprah Winfrey book of the month club list. 

Popular culture and especially mainstream Hollywood 

didn’t then and still don’t seem to understand who Rogers 

was worshipping. And I would not be so presumptuous, 

and I can get presumptuous at times, to declare I know 

what Rogers’ faith was either, or if he was trying to sneak 

up on people like Tom Hanks with his Christian message. 

That, like with all of us, is between him and God. But I can 

certainly look at the fruit of his version of his faith — and 

celebrate. 

Robert Brennan is director of communications at The Salvation 

Army California South Division in Van Nuys, California. 

IMDB 


THE CRUX 

BY HEATHER KING 

‘A miracle 

from God’ 

Touring an industrial paradise at 

Irwindale’s Sriracha compound 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

Sriracha sauce is a crown jewel 

of Southern California foodie 

culture. 

You’ve seen the plastic bottles. 

They’re filled with bright red sauce, 

emblazoned with a rooster, stamped 

with text in English, Spanish, Vietnamese 

and Chinese, and topped by a 

green squirt cap. For many, this blazing 

hot chili product is a staple condiment. 

Enter David Tran, CEO and founder 

of Huy Fong Foods. In 1979, Tran fled 

communist Vietnam on a Taiwanese 

freighter named Huey Fong. “I didn’t 

have a plan,” he says. He came to the 

U.S. because we were the only place 

that would have him. He ended up 

naming his Sriracha empire after that 

boat. 

He washed up in the LA area and 

decided to try his hand at hot sauce. 

He was born in 1945, the Year of the 

Rooster. So he bought a blue Chevy 

van, stenciled his own rooster logo on 

the side, and drove his first bottles to 

Asian restaurants and markets around 

town. 

Over time he grew his company from 

a 5,000-square-foot facility in Chinatown 

(1980), to a 68,000-square-foot 

facility in Rosemead (1987), to its cur- 

David Tran during a Sriracha factory open house. 

© 2019 HUY FONG FOODS, INC. 


SHUTTERSTOCK 

Red jalapeño chili peppers ready to be ground. 

rent state-of-the-art 650,000-square-foot 

compound in Irwindale (2010). 

Back in 2013, some of Tran’s Irwindale 

neighbors raised a bit of a fuss over 

what they characterized as the pungent 

odor emanating from the factory. Tran 

sprang to action, developed a secret 

air-filter system to correct the problem, 

and to further demonstrate his community 

goodwill, began to offer free tours. 

These are given in English (Spanish 

and Mandarin upon request) and are 

available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 

and Friday, at 10 a.m., 12:30 and 2 

p.m. 

There’s plenty of parking. Security is 

tight. The screening room has scrapbooks 

and laminated blowups relating 

to the history, production, and fan base 

of Sriracha sauce. 

In the introductory video, we learn 

that the name of the sauce comes from 

a town in Thailand — Sri (alternatively, 

Si) Racha, where chiles are grown. 

Capsaicinoids are the chemical compounds 

found in peppers that trigger 

the intense heat rush to which Sriracha 

sauce devotees are well-nigh addicted 

Finished bottles on the assembly line at the Sriracha factory. 

(“I put Sriracha on my Sriracha,” reads 

one popular T-shirt). 

We met Tran on-screen. He has never 

raised prices: “I didn’t do things first of 

all for the money.” He does not advertise: 

Demand already exceeds supply. 

He makes no money from the massive 

quantities of Sriracha merch that are 

sold by the folks to whom he sells the 

trademark. 

As for the recipe, “It’s simple!” Tran 

throws up his hands. “No secrets!” The 

sauce is made from fresh-ground red 

jalapeño chili peppers, salt, vinegar, 

sugar, and garlic. Two preservatives, 

potassium sorbate and sodium bisulfite, 

are added, as well as xanthan gum. 

Donning red shower caps, we then 

board the jitney for the tour. 

Outside we pass neatly ordered storage 

sheds of spare parts. On-site mechanics 

and engineers keep the place 

humming. Total employees number 

150 to 170. 

Inside, the plant is spotlessly clean. 

Our first stop is the “magical warehouse.” 

Fifty-five-gallon blue bins are 

stacked six layers high. 

Heather King is a blogger, speaker and the author of several books. 

© 2019 HUY FONG FOODS, INC. 

We’re given Kleenex in case our eyes 

started watering, which provokes great 

merriment among the many youngsters 

in our group. Some stick wads up their 

noses and leave the streamers hanging, 

pointing at one another and shrieking 

with laughter. Others make makeshift 

masks, solemnly clamping them to 

their faces as if in fear of airborne chili 

contamination. 

The chilis come from California, 

New Mexico, and Mexico. Upon arrival, 

they’re immediately sorted, washed, 

rinsed, and ground, then piped to the 

mixing station, where the other ingredients 

are added to make a base. 

At the drum-filling station, the base is 

loaded into the blue barrels and conveyed 

to the storage area to await being 

used in one of the company’s three 

chili sauces: Sriracha, Chili Garlic and 

Sambal Oelek. 

At one station, we watch as a jumble 

of bottles are fed into a machine, spat 

out in an orderly row, efficiently fed 

into a circular spiraling carriage belt, 

and emerge filled with red sauce and 

topped off with a green cap. 

At another, automated machines load 

stacks of boxes onto revolving pallets, 

forming 105-box blocks that are then 

encased top to bottom in shrink-wrap. 

From there, the boxes travel back to 

the warehouse and sit for 35 days (state 

law), and are then shipped throughout 

the U.S. and dozens of foreign countries. 

The plant can produce up to 

18,000 bottles an hour. 

Tran devised all the plant’s production 

elements, including an ingenious 

three-layer conveyor belt that transfers 

the barrels of base, then brings them 

back empty to be washed and sterilized. 

The building is lit by skylights, thus 

conserving electricity. And with no 

A/C, the factory circulates with fresh 

air and is cool at all times, even when 

the temperature outside tops 100 degrees: 

another Tran invention. 

“He made a miracle from God!” one 

of the kids exclaims as the tour comes 

to a close. 

Our last stop is the gift shop. Here, 

Tran has a gift for each of us: an 

8-ounce bottle of Sriracha sauce and a 

Sriracha sauce umbrella! 

Yes indeed. Let’s absolutely keep 

America great. 


University of San Francisco 

LEARN TODAY. 

CHANGE TOMORROW. 

Master of Public Health now offered 

at our Orange County Campus. 

Apply by January 15 for early consideration. 

ORANGE COUNTY 

480 S. Batavia St., Orange, CA 92868 

714.633.5626 | usfca.edu/oc-mph 

CHANGE THE WORLD FROM HERE

Angelus News | November 15, 2019 | Vol. 4 No. 39

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