Local News October 2008
BISHOP OLMSTED TO CELEBRATE MASS TO WELCOME IMMIGRANTS
AT SS. SIMON & JUDE CATHEDRAL
PHOENIX (October 28, 2008) The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix will be the main celebrant of a Mass to welcome immigrants at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5, at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral, 6351 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix. Fr. Robert Clements, Rector of the Cathedral, will be the homilist.
Entitled “Opening our hearts to the newcomers in our midst,” the Mass will represent the third liturgical celebration for immigrants in the Diocese of Phoenix this year.
“As the Bishops of Arizona said in their 2005 pastoral letter on migration, ‘Let us welcome our immigrant brothers and sisters and renew our hope, love and unity of God’s family,’” noted Jose Robles, Director of the Diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry. “These welcoming Masses are designed to show the Diocese that we are all brothers and sisters in the eyes of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.”
GROUNDBREAKING SET FOR NATIONAL CANCER SHRINE TO BE BUILT IN MESA
St. Peregrine Chapel at Christ the King Parish
contact: Melissa Veselovsky (480) 844-4493
MESA, AZ (October 29, 2008) Groundbreaking for a chapel and shrine devoted to supporting people affected by cancer will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 15, on the grounds of Christ the King Catholic Parish, 1551 E. Dana Ave., Mesa.
The candlelight program will be conducted with luminarias in the outline of the chapel, which will be named the St. Peregrine Chapel in honor of the patron saint of cancer patients. A shrine to St. Peregrine will also be a part of the chapel. Construction is expected to be completed in the spring of 2009.
The only one of its kind in Arizona, the chapel will feature a healing garden, perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a bronze statue of St. Peregrine, cancer-related resource material and prayer services. It will also serve as the new headquarters for the Healing Through the Body of Christ (HTBC) Cancer Ministry – an outreach program in partnership with the American Cancer Society. Volunteers from HTBC, which is recognized by the Diocese of Phoenix, will offer one-on-one support, cancer information, educational programs, and community outreach.
“The mission of the St. Peregrine Chapel and Shrine is to share the message of St. Peregrine and bring the words of the Gospel to life through acts of charity, compassion, and faith,” said Melissa Veselovsky, Director of the Shrine. “Through this, our facility will offer hope and emotional and spiritual support, to all who are affected by serious illness, especially cancer. Cancer-related resources will be readily available – free of charge - to people affected by cancer in Arizona and for the many who travel from other parts of the country for treatment in the Phoenix Valley.”
A National Cancer Institute study on spirituality and cancer care found that “spiritual and religious well-being may be associated with improved quality of life in the following ways: reduced anxiety, depression, and discomfort; better adjustments to the effects of cancer and its treatment; increased ability to enjoy life during cancer treatment; feeling of personal growth as a result of living with cancer; and improved health outcomes.”
The mission of Christ the King Parish is to become a community of disciples committed to carrying on the mission of Jesus in our own time and place, cultivating the values of hospitality, spirituality, and stewardship. For more information on the groundbreaking activities for the chapel and shrine, contact Christ the King Catholic Church at 480-964-1719 or go to the web site at www.cancershrine.org
COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION STATEMENT
Former Jesuit priest Donald J. McGuire
(October 27, 2008) The Diocese of Phoenix has learned that Donald J. McGuire, a former Jesuit priest of the Chicago Province, was convicted in federal court in Chicago on October 24 of two counts of engaging in sexual acts with a minor during trips abroad between 2000 and 2002. He reportedly faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced December 18.
As previously reported by the Diocese of Phoenix in a community notification statement, McGuire was indicted on child molestation charges in April of this year by a Maricopa County grand jury. The indictment alleges that McGuire victimized two boys between 1988 and 2002 during visits that McGuire made to Arizona.
McGuire, 78, has never been a priest of the Diocese of Phoenix, and there is no record of him ever having been granted faculties to conduct ceremonies or administer sacraments in the Diocese of Phoenix. He is a former Jesuit priest who was also found guilty in 2006 in Wisconsin of molesting two students from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, during the 1960s. McGuire had been allowed by the Wisconsin court to live on probation in suburban Chicago, pending appeal of his conviction, but after his arrest on April 1, 2008, on the Maricopa County indictment, he has been in and out of a Chicago hospital under the supervision of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, pending extradition proceedings to Arizona.
In February 2008, Fr. Edward Schmidt, SJ, Provincial of the Chicago Province Jesuits, announced in an official statement that “Donald J. McGuire was informed of his dismissal from the clerical state; this dismissal effectively confirms his dismissal from the Society of Jesus. This dismissal is final and cannot be appealed. Donald McGuire no longer has the rights and privileges of the duties and obligations associated with priesthood in the Catholic Church.”
While the Diocese of Phoenix has no record of McGuire asking for or receiving faculties to administer sacraments in the Diocese at any time, the Diocese learned in late 2007 that McGuire apparently conducted several privately-sponsored retreats for adults over the age of 21 at Mt. Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2001. Those retreats were not sponsored by or conducted by the Diocese of Phoenix, but were held at a Diocesan-owned facility, which was rented out by a private association that was not affiliated with the Diocese. McGuire is believed to also have conducted privately sponsored retreats in Casa Grande, Arizona, in the 1980s and 1990s as well as a privately sponsored retreat in Payson, Arizona, in 2002.
The Diocese takes this matter very seriously and urges anyone who may know of any sexual abuse or misconduct by Donald J. McGuire or who may have any information about him to contact the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office at 602-506-3411 and the Jesuit Order Chicago Province at 773-975-6363.
As always, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted and the Diocese of Phoenix encourage anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct or abuse by a member of the clergy or by any worker of the Church to make a report to local law enforcement and to contact Jean Sokol at the Office of Child and Youth Protection at 602-354-2396.
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DIOCESE OF PHOENIX TO HOST FIRST NIGHT OF HOPE
TO SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
PHOENIX (October 10, 2008) The Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Schools will conduct the inaugural Night of Hope beginning at 6 p.m., Saturday, November 1, at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St., Phoenix.
Designed to support the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Schools Endowment Fund, the evening will feature dinner, dancing and performances by Catholic school students. Jeff Hornacek, former NBA standout and Catholic school parent, will be the master of ceremonies, and F. Michael Geddes, chairman and president of Geddes and Company, will receive the Guardian of Hope Award from the Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix. Geddes is being honored for tirelessly advancing the ministry of Catholic education through his leadership of the Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s Leaders campaign that was instrumental in building the present $4.2 million endowment fund.
“It is fitting to have Mike Geddes be our first Guardian of Hope,” says MaryBeth Mueller, executive director of the Office of Evangelization and Education for the diocese and superintendent of schools.. “He is a living example of how one man, working for the good of others, can change the world for the better.”
The Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Schools endowment fund of $4.2 million yields about $200,000 each year that can be used for tuition assistance for every school in the diocese. The goal of the event is to double this endowment so every school can benefit from the funds available there. The endowment fund by definition is aimed at providing a continual source of income for Catholic schools. Once invested, the fund yields interest payments that can be used to fund programs, services and tuition assistance.
“A strong Catholic school system is vital to the future of our Church,” Mueller noted. “The purpose of Night of Hope is to make Catholic education in our diocese affordable and accessible to those families who truly want to bring their children up in a faith-filled environment.”
Night of Hope is aimed at bringing members of every Catholic school community together in one place to demonstrate the common faith foundation of the Diocesan schools while still showcasing each school’s unique identity. The event has been created and planned by a dedicated group of volunteers, chaired by Sue McKone, Sue Royden and Mona Carillo.
For more information on this event, go to www.diocesephoenix.org/noh or contact Brigid Skoog at 480/250-0284 (bkskoog@cox.net).
PHOENIX BISHOP THOMAS J. OLMSTED TO INTRODUCE REVISED NEW BOOKLET
ENTILTLED CATHOLICS IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE
PHOENIX (October 2, 2008) The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, will introduce a revised second edition of a nationally distributed booklet entitled Catholics in the Public Square as part of a “Legislative Seminar 2008.” The seminar will be conducted from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 4, at the Diocese of Phoenix’s Pastoral Center, 400 E. Monroe St., Phoenix.
Originally authored in 2006, the new edition is being published by Basilica Press (www.basilicapress.com) as part of the Shepherd’s Voice Series. Although the publication is being released nationally, over 100,000 copies will be distributed locally to Catholic parishes throughout the Diocese.
In this publication, Bishop Olmsted explains what is appropriate in today’s secular world and how Catholics should seek to influence the nation and the political process, in light of their faith. He also discusses the “non-negotiable” issues for Catholics involved in politics. New topics in the booklet include questions relating to the responsibilities of Catholic institutions and business people, immigration concerns, and other matters.
Bishop Olmsted will be joined at the seminar by keynote speaker and Catholic columnist Dr. Jennifer Roback-Morse and pro-life attorney Nikolas T.Nikas from the Bioethics Defense Fund.
Legislative Seminar 2008 is sponsored by the Phoenix Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, the Knights of Columbus, and Basilica Press.
