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» And the Bishop Says...
 
Sixth Sunday of Easter
by Genevieve McQuade
How many times have we heard hospitable greetings such as, “My house is your house” or “Make yourself at home”?
Especially if ours is an extended stay, our host’s intention is to put us at ease. Our hosts trust us to care for their home as considerately as though it were ours. We usually respond with respect and gratitude. Welcome as we may be however, hosts rarely expect their guests to remain indefinitely!
God works differently. God’s invitation to everyone is not only lifelong, but the intended occupancy in the kingdom of God has no departure date and no more conditions. The place of our eternal lodging with God is heaven.
The book of Revelation describes a spectacular city, the new Jerusalem. With all its splendor, no constructed temple is mentioned. Rather, the temple is the Lamb of God who infuses this heavenly city with brilliant light.
Our Church images the new Jerusalem. It is a virtual temple filled with holiness because God is constantly present within it. We rarely think about that. Yet, because Christ is ever present, we continuously dwell in God’s temple.
This is true most of all when we assemble for worship at our Eucharistic celebration, the Mass! Gathered together, we, not the edifice, reveal Church. Although unseen, God’s radiance penetrates our lives!
We, too, are a dwelling place, for the Holy Spirit came to reside in us through our baptism. John’s gospel promises sincere followers of Jesus, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23).
Wherever the Trinity dwells is a temple! Both the Church and we are temples of God.
Knowing that, do we respect ourselves? That is, do we care for the “home” of our body considerately? Do we believe it worthy of better treatment, maintenance, and better moral behavior? Our body is the residence of a holy Guest! Do we welcome and trust our divine Guest?
Are we grateful for our very being? Who or what does “occupy” us? Even more than self-respect, do we stand in awe of ourselves and others as temples of the Holy Spirit?
And, what about our Church? Do we honor it? Or do we blaspheme it when we see human frailty in leaders who fail us?
The truth is that no amount of wrongdoing within the Church can evict the luminous Spirit of the unblemished Lamb of God!
Jesus tells us, “My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid “ (John 14:27). Let no one disturb you with erroneous teachings (John 14:24).
Let us appreciate that when we fervently lodge in the Temple of God, and as virtuous temples of the Holy Spirit, God is at work, transforming his dwellings into serene houses of radiant splendor, truth, and peace — into the City of God.
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Let’s tread carefully in Va. tragedy
by Mary Hood Hart
I am the mother of a college student and of a high school senior on the brink of entering college. I am the mother of a high school sophomore. I am the mother of a high school English teacher. I am a mother of young people full of promise and enthusiasm for life.
I am the mother of young people who enter classrooms five days a week, either as students or the teacher.
As a former writing instructor and college English teacher, I have encountered many college students, some emotionally healthy, some deeply troubled. (One of my former students shot his estranged wife to death.)
In English classes, I have encountered students’ writing that prompted me to go to other faculty to see if they found the writing as disturbing as I did.
Not one of us is immune from experiencing shock and horror at the recent events on the Virginia Tech campus. Yet my experiences as a mother and an English teacher bring the reality of this devastating event closely home.
Like the rest of the nation, and even much of the world, I watch the news reports in disbelief, unable to imagine the trauma of the victims and their families. Like others, I grieve for the Virginia Tech community.
I grieve for us all. Every time a shooting takes place on a school campus, even if there’s not loss of life, we lose. We lose innocence. We lose a sense of security. We lose trust. We lose hope.
The horror of the event leaves us stunned, bewildered, outraged, devastated. We attempt to find ways to express these emotions. We react with tears, anger. We want to know what circumstances prompt an individual to kill the innocent, so coldly, so callously, in such a random yet calculated way. We try to make sense of something that is, for the most part, inscrutable.
While some have expressed grave concern about the lapse in time between the shootings and what appears to be a failure to alert the campus more quickly, we must be careful not to point fingers and lay blame. Who can really anticipate an event like this? In the face of such a brutal assault, what security measures would have been sufficient?
And, though it is important and proper to review procedures, the lens of hindsight offers a perspective unavailable to those on the scene. After the first shootings occurred, all those responding at the time had no idea of the magnitude of what they faced.
We have everything to be gained by learning what we can to prevent another tragedy of this type. Yet we must tread carefully in that search.
Like the students, faculty and administration of Virginia Tech, we must unite as a community in mourning. We must unite over the depth of our loss and we must respond in ways that indicate our sorrow as well as our profound respect for the victims and their families. We must also remain aware of those among us who are mentally ill, whose minds may be twisted enough to seek the same sort of attention Cho Seung-Hui has generated.
In this regard, we have a grave duty to prevent the media blitz from damaging further those already victimized. It is too late to prevent from being aired the video that this deeply disturbed man sent to NBC, but we must insist that news organizations restrict these images.
And we must not allow our curiosity about the killer to support the media’s quest for ratings. To stay informed about the newsworthy events is one thing; to be curious about the more prurient details is quite another.
And when enough time has passed, we will need to address two important issues — the availability of guns and the need for a review of our mental health services and laws.
In this generation of young people, we are seeing unprecedented cases of mental illness. We need to discuss how, as a society, we can meet the serious mental health needs of our youth, too many of whom, like Cho, have fallen through the cracks.
As a nation, if we invested as much money, time and energy on ensuring our young people’s mental and emotional health needs are met as we invest on collegiate sports, we may find our school campuses the safe havens for learning they should be.
As Christians, we have a particular responsibility to extend compassion. A backlash result of this terrible event is the potential for stigmatizing mental illness even more than it’s already stigmatized. The mentally ill are among the most marginalized of us all. We must find ways to help them and their families.
But for now we must grieve with the Virginia Tech families who have suffered the loss of such beautiful lives.
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For the love of sanity
by Barbara Hughes
In the wake of the terrible tragedy that took place on the campus of Virginia Tech, I found myself reflecting on the words of Fr. Marc Foley, OCD. In his book, “The Love That Keeps Us Sane,” he wrote:
“Charity grounds us in reality and thus helps to keep us sane. In order to understand how much charity and looking for the best in others keeps us sane, we need to first explore the insanity that comes into our lives by focusing on our neighbor’s faults and failings.”
As information regarding the mental state of the gunman began to surface, pity and compassion tempered earlier feeling of anger.
Clearly, behind the killer who railed a diatribe against students and a culture by which he felt victimized, was a man who was a victim of his own inner demons. So much so that they drove him to the horrific destruction of life, 32 students and faculty members and his own.
One can only wonder how things might have played out had this tortured man allowed someone into his life and been open to psychiatric intervention.
While nothing can undo the events that have taken place, there are lessons to be learned on many levels. Issues surrounding security, mandatory psychiatric treatment policies and police response will be scrutinized and debated in the months to come but as we look at the fractured psyche of the gunman, there may be other lessons — lessons regarding the obsessions of ordinary people about which Fr. Foley wrote.
In the book the priest goes on to ask the following questions: “What has dwelling on your neighbor’s faults ever brought into your life? Did it bring peace? Did it bring beauty? Did it bring joy? Didn’t it rather warp your capacity to see goodness and beauty in life?”
Nothing destroys relationships or leads to discontent more quickly than focusing on the failings of others. Few people intend to dwell on the faults of others and yet it happens.
It begins with an observation that quickly turns to a judgment because a person or a perspective is at odds with our own. Mild irritations, failures and annoyances have the potential to become obsessions if we feed them by mulling over them either in our mind or in our speech. When that happens, our mind acts like a slow-cooking crock pot that eventually reaches a boiling point. And then, if the truth be told: we act a little crazy.
Consider how different things are when we choose to look for the good in each person and to reflect on the beauty that surrounds us. It keeps us mentally balanced and spiritually healthy.
In the sacrament of Baptism we are called to transformation. We are called to become true daughters or sons of God, to see as God sees, to notice the kernel of goodness in everyone and then to nurture it so that it can grow.
Charity is about more than giving to others. It’s about reflecting the wonder and the goodness of God to a world afflicted with cynicism and fear. It’s about deciding to draw from the goodness that is present even during times of crisis.
It was a choice that the young people at Virginia Tech seemed to gravitate towards. In the midst of horrific violence, transparent vulnerability seemed their only response. It was genuine and unguarded and as a result it became a source of inspiration.
Amid the horror and hysteria that surfaced in the aftermath of horrendous aggression, an appreciation for goodness emerged as students supported one another and came together as community.
There was a noticeable absence among students to point fingers or ascribe blame. Their own woundedness helped them rise above the horror, to reverence those whose lives had been cut short, even as they appreciated the presence of those who were still with them.
The only obsession seemed to be with the belief that the prayers and support of people everywhere would carry them through inexplicable anguish. There was something Godly in their response as they reached out to one another, trying to console and alleviate the pain of family and friends of the victims. I think it might be what Fr. Foley would describe as the kind of love that keeps us sane.
It’s not about ignoring the evil that exists around us; it’s about choosing to focus on the good.
It’s about letting go of petty obsessions that embitter and rob us of inner peace.
It’s about believing that we are being called to something nobler and it’s about being grounded in charity for the love of God and yes, even for the love of our own sanity.
 
The following interview with Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo by Steve Neill, editor of The Catholic Virginian, took place April 26th.
Q. How can we in the diocese continue to assist in the aftermath of the tragedy at Virginia Tech?
A. First of all, we can’t just lump everybody together as if they all had the same reactions to the tragedy. Depending on what someone’s situation was at the time, as well as their emotional and spiritual life, will pretty much dictate how we’re going to continue to respond.
I believe there are people who are distant from the tragedy. Therefore, in a relatively short period of time, the trauma of all this seems to be healed. There are those who were very close to the tragedy and may almost have been killed or wounded. Some of them may well be experiencing a sense of guilt and remorse because they lived and others passed away.
I think we need to be ready to respond to them when they undergo some of those post-traumatic experiences. Those who have lost people in this terrible tragedy have the feeling of grief and bereavement. We as a church have experience with this and people who are looking to talk to somebody can talk with the campus minister or be referred to a grief counselor.
Q. How did you minister to the students and faculty when you were in Blacksburg last weekend?
A. It was my thought that I am not somebody that they know. I used the analogy of being part of a funeral service where you’re in the receiving line to greet people who have come to give their condolences. Somewhere along the line you turn to your brother or sister and say “we don’t know these people” They then introduce themselves as being a friend or being related to the beloved.
That was pretty much my situation at Blacksburg. I’m not part of the Hokie family. I came there to give my condolences. Whether I was part of Virginia Tech or not, I’m part of the network of humanity and in this case, because of our campus ministry program there, we do have a relationship with the 26,000 people there.
I wanted to express my condolences because when one part of the family is hurt, all of the family is impacted. I offered my prayers for those who were so terribly touched by this tragedy.
Q. How does the diocese plan to make Catholic schools more affordable?
A. That is probably one of the biggest challenges that has emerged from the Meitler Study and from the SACS visitation. It is also something we’ve been conscious of for many years. We’re putting our heads together collectively to come up with a formula to make schools affordable, but we’ll have to have a lot of dialogue and discussion to find how best to do this.
However we do this, we have to make sure there is enough money to run the schools, but we can’t take so much money away from the parish that it can’t function in its ordinary ministry. We have to be creative in establishing a formula which is fair and just.
Q. Who would be making that formula?
A. Certainly the pastors involved, the principals, the school board and the pastoral councils and finance councils of the parishes need to be part of the dialogue.
Q. Will all parishes, including those which do not have a school, be assessed to support Catholic schools?
A. That’s what I’m thinking about at this point in time, but you can’t simply throw another assessment on there. We’ll probably have to hire somebody to tell us how to raise money because we have not had anyone do that before. If we can bring somebody in to help boost the parish collections, the parishes would have an incentive because they would be able to keep a significant percentage of the money raised for their own programs as well as help make Catholic schools affordable for Catholic families who want to send their children to Catholic schools.
They would have more money for religious education programs, if they so choose, or they could use the money in any way they see fit.
Q. What is your impression of the young people you are meeting during parish visits for Confirmation?
A. Lamentably, I don’t have a chance to talk with the young people the way I did in the past. Therefore, I can only go by what I hear from the teachers as well as the coordinators of religious education. What I hear is that they are a tremendously faithful group of young folks who want to do the right thing in their lives. They are very dedicated in coming for religious instruction and being part of the youth ministry of their parish.
All in all, they are an exceptional group of young adults.
Q. Does the Diocese of Richmond plan to continue the policy of conferring the sacrament of Confirmation to 11th grade students? Can young people request the sacrament at an earlier age?
A. Most dioceses around the country have consulted with parents as well as teachers and religious education coordinators and asked what is the best strategy for the reception of Confirmation. I noticed over the past 20 years as a bishop that the age range for Confirmation seems to change. There is a lot of discretion in the age range offered by the Church. Each diocese seems to make a determination.
This diocese, like many other dioceses, has chosen to delay Confirmation to a time when young people are more mature. Other dioceses do it differently and give the sacrament of Confirmation at a younger age. There doesn’t seem to be any right or wrong answer. I have just accepted the prevailing wisdom for here.
Periodically we review the decision to see if it still is relevant for what parents and teachers would like. For now, we’re keeping the Confirmation age at 11th grade, but it doesn’t mean that the policy won’t be revisited at another time.
Q. Can you tell us anything about the projected sale of the Chancery offices and when the sale is expected to be final?
A. We have signed a contract. The contract, by agreement, is private and confidential so the details of which I am not free to share. Suffice it to say, we are moving ahead. There is a due diligence period in which the buyer has a chance to view the buildings for structural soundness or any other issues that impact on the sale.
If all goes well and the buyer is still interested, we will have a sale. The money from that sale is basically to be put down in a substantial lump sum for the building near Broad Street and Parham Road. There is also money from the gift of The Catholic Virginian and the sale of some property we no longer need.
Q. Is the time frame for getting into the new Pastoral Center still December or January?
A. December or January seems realistic. I am getting earlier projections, but it is rare that you ever see the realization of earlier projections. There are always some unforeseen things that can and do take place so you learn to readjust.
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Copyright © 2006 The Catholic Virginian Press. Articles from Catholic News Services, including Fr. Dietzen’s column, may not be reproduced here due to copyright considerations.
The Catholic Virginian is a biweekly publication serving the people of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. This website includes some, but not all, of the articles from the print version of The Catholic Virginian.
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