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| Local News November 2009STATEMENT OF THE DIOCESE OF PHOENIXRe: The Manhattan Declaration November 20, 2009
The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, has signed the Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience, which was released today. This document crafted by Christian religious leaders affirms the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception, upholds the dignity of marriage as being between one man and one woman, and supports the continuing struggle for religious liberty and rights of conscience. The Manhattan Declaration was released today in a nationwide effort to enlist the support of all Christians for these fundamental values on which the United States was founded. “As Catholics, we seek to be good citizens of our country and faithful members of the Church. Thus, we respect the human dignity of everyone, including people of different faiths, or no faith at all,” Bishop Olmsted said. “Not only do we gladly embrace our identity as followers of Christ and seek to put our faith into practice in public life, but we also join with others of good will in this privilege and duty. I am especially pleased when we can join with other Christians in promoting and defending vital issues of our day, which have come under increasing attack. The Manhattan Declaration provides an avenue for those who hold moral principles, based on the Bible and traditional Christian teaching, to speak with a united voice for the good of our nation, including its most vulnerable citizens. I invite all Catholics of our Diocese to go to the website and to express your support for this Declaration.” Those interested in supporting the declaration or getting more information on this national effort can go to the Manhattan Declaration website at: www.ManhattanDeclaration.org. XAVIER COLLEGE PREPARATORY SENIOR JESSICA TONN NAMED ONE OF 12 NATIONAL FINALISTS FOR THE WENDY’S HIGH SCHOOL HEISMAN AWARD
This morning Xavier College Preparatory Senior, Paradise Valley resident, Jessica Tonn was just sitting in her homeroom, watching and listening to the video announcements about Xavier Volleyball winning state, when a special surprise announcement was made that she had been named one of 12 National Finalists for the prestigious 2009 Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. Created in 1994 in partnership with the Heisman Memorial Trust, the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award has recognized high school seniors who embody the spirit of the Heisman name for 16 years. Selection is based on an outstanding record of achievements in academics, athletics and community/school leadership. The award honors students who embody the Heisman spirit of hard work and dedication, both on and off the field, through outstanding achievements in athletics, academics and community/school leadership. From a highly-competitive pool of over 54,000 applicants, Jessica has advanced to become one of only 12 national finalists. Tonn has 11 state titles, was rated the nation’s No. 4 girls’ cross country runner in the DyeStat Elite Top 25. She qualified for the Foot Locker National Championships her first three years of high school and is a contender fo the national title this season. In addition to running accomplishments, Tonn was recognized for her commitment to community service. One of Jessica’s favorite activities besides running is her participation in the Arizona Magic Music and Dance camp, a unique program for children with physical and mental disabilities-that-in just one week prepares them to stage a theatre production. Jessica also volunteers with the Salvation Army and this time of year is focused on helping them with their Adopt a Family program. Jessica came down from her homeroom for a live video announcement presentation that was broadcast to the entire school. She and her parents were awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City, Dec. 11-13th to participate in Heisman weekend activities including an exclusive meet and greet with the 2009 collegiate Heisman candidates and previous winners. She also will participate in the nationally-televised awards ceremony, which will be broadcast on ESPN. It will include the national Wendy’s High School Heisman winner; a presentation of a gold medal by Archie Griffin, the only two-time collegiate Heisman winner; a selection of activities and tours throughout New York City. She also received a $100 Wendy’s gift card and a $2,000 donation to Xavier. Jessica’s parents, brother, grandparents as well as her Xavier Cross Country/Track Coaches Dave Van Sickle and Jeff Messer were present to celebrate with her. The entire Xavier community congratulates Jessica on this outstanding award and wishes her the best of luck throughout the rest of the award process.
For more information about the Wendy’s High School Heisman: Visit www.WendysHeisman.com to find more information about the award program. For More Information or B-roll Requests: Kristin Neuckranz at 312-228-6866 or kristin.neuckranz@ketchum.com
For additional information contact: Sr. Lynn Winsor, BVM, CMAA 602.240.3120 – Office 602.230.1182 – Cell winsor@xcp.org – E-mail
Xavier College Preparatory, located at 4710 North Fifth Street in north central Phoenix, is twice recognized as a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and recognized nationally for academic excellence by the Catholic High School Honor Roll in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Xavier was awarded the 2007-08 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement, honoring high schools with high student success rates in AP math, science and technology courses. The Arizona Interscholastic Association awarded Xavier its prestigious Blue Cup Award (2006) for excellence in scholastics, athletics and activities. Xavier College Preparatory is a Catholic community that strives to prepare young women with knowledge, skills, and integrity to meet the challenges of a changing global society in a positive and productive manner. This pursuit of excellence, individual and cooperative, is our mission. All Xavier graduates attend post-secondary institutions; members of the Class of 2009 were accepted at 212 colleges and universities, garnering over $23 million in college scholarships.
Thirty-five percent of Xavier students have financial need and Xavier is strongly committed to educating all qualified students. XAVIER COLLEGE PREPARATORY WINS 5A-1 VOLLEYBALL STATE TITLE AND BECOMES FIRST SCHOOL IN HISTORY OF AIA INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS TO WIN ALL 5 FALL SPORT STATE FINALS PHOENIX (November 19, 2009) No school in the 5A Division I conference -- boys or girls -- has ever won all 5 fall state championships in one season, but Xavier College Preparatory did it this fall. "This is our first year in the Fiesta region and we weren’t really sure what to expect but as coaches we just motivated our girls to do their best, train hard, and remain focused," Xavier Athletic Director and Varsity Golf Coach Sister Lynn Winsor said. The Gator athletes did just that despite their new region being twice extremely tough since it is made up of power houses Chandler, Hamilton, Desert Vista, Mesa, Red Mountain, and Xavier(girls)/Brophy(boys). The first state title was won by Badminton in late October. Xavier coach Nancy Meyer wanted her team to take care of business in the individual matches because she feared the strength of Phoenix Mountain Pointe's doubles teams. Xavier went up 4-2 going into the doubles competition, she said had nothing but confidence in Julia Friedman and Weslie Norris, the first Xavier doubles team to take the court. The two defeated Mountain Pointe's Danielle Stewart and Nadya Zolotova easily (15-3 and 15-6) and sealed the team victory for Xavier at the 5A state badminton championships at Phoenix Shadow Mountain High. "It's all been leading up to this moment," Friedman said. "And it makes it all worth it - all the hard practices, the two-a-days three times a week." The Xavier College Prep Cross Country Team reached their highest national ranking of the season, in the last ESPN FAB 50 of US Cross Country Teams. Xavier's record breaking time was better than every team in Arizona (all classes) at the 5A State Championships last week. This impressed ESPN which responded with a #14 ranking. It was their 3rd consecutive 5A-1 state title. Jessica Tonn, was also on November 18th, 2009 announced as one of the Wendy’s High School Heisman 12 National Finalists from 54,000 entries. Xavier Swimming, led by senior Haley Krakoski and sophomore Talie Anchustegui, captured its 11th consecutive girls state title with 546 points, the most points ever scored in a high school state swim and dive championship. Senior Megan Harper won the diving competition with a score of 413.90, helping the team to break the point record. Golf, however, was the most nail-biting, as the Gators trailed Chandler Hamilton by one stroke going into the final state round before winning by eight shots, the closest any team has come to the Gators since Winsor became the school's coach in 1974. Regarding winning all 5 fall state titles Sister Lynn Winsor said, "We've never really sat around and said, 'Let's go 5 for 5,' but when badminton, then cross country, then swimming and diving and then golf won, it seemed like it might be a possibility.” Xavier volleyball (39-6) was the final team to make it a clean sweep for the Xavier Fall Sports Season. Xavier Volleyball was No. 1 in the power rankings all season and defeated Tempe Corona del Sol in Tuesday's championship finals in 3 games. The winning point was fittingly scored by Senior setter Stephanie Preach, with an ace. On Tuesday, November 17th, as motivation for the win, the captains of each Gators fall sport -- volleyball, swimming and diving, golf, cross country and badminton -- went to Principal Sister Joan Fitzgerald, and asked if the Gators made it a clean sweep, that the school might get a day off. Sister Joan said, “Come back when the volleyball team wins and we'll talk.” Needless to say, the five captains will be outside Sister Joan’s office Thursday morning to negotiate an all school holiday in honor of the “Fall 5 for 5”. “We are very proud of all our student athletes, their coaches, and parents for this accomplishment and I am sure we can work something out at our Thursday morning meeting,” Sister Joan said with a smile.
For additional information contact: Sr. Lynn Winsor, BVM, CMAA 602.240.3120 – Office 602.230.1182 – Cell winsor@xcp.org – E-mail
Xavier College Preparatory, located at 4710 North Fifth Street in north central Phoenix, is twice recognized as a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and recognized nationally for academic excellence by the Catholic High School Honor Roll in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Xavier was awarded the 2007-08 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement, honoring high schools with high student success rates in AP math, science and technology courses. The Arizona Interscholastic Association awarded Xavier its prestigious Blue Cup Award (2006) for excellence in scholastics, athletics and activities. Xavier College Preparatory is a Catholic community that strives to prepare young women with knowledge, skills, and integrity to meet the challenges of a changing global society in a positive and productive manner. This pursuit of excellence, individual and cooperative, is our mission. All Xavier graduates attend post-secondary institutions; members of the Class of 2009 were accepted at 212 colleges and universities, garnering over $23 million in college scholarships.
Thirty-five percent of Xavier students have financial need and Xavier is strongly committed to educating all qualified students. DIOCESE OF PHOENIX TO HOLD MASS FOR HEALING FOR VICTIMS OF ABUSE BY CLERGY OR LAITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PHOENIX (November 18, 2009) The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix and the Office of Child & Youth Protection invite all who have been abused by clergy or laity of the Catholic Church, and all survivors of abuse, their families, friends, and the community to gather for a Mass of Healing and Reconciliation. The Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m., on Saturday, November 21, at St. Mary Parish, 302 E. Spring St., Kingman. The Mass will be an opportunity “to have people come forward from the community who would like to pray for these folks, whether they were abused by clergy or a lay volunteer or anyone else,” said Jean Sokol, director of the diocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection, which sponsors the Mass. “We want the whole community to come together in prayer, because when it comes to sexual abuse, or any kind of abuse, it’s bigger than any of us can ever be,” she added. “We have to give it to God in prayer.” Bishop Olmsted said he recognizes how difficult it is for victims of abuse to maintain their faith in the Church or even God. “Whoever has been abused finds it especially hard to trust again. If persons have been abused by someone in the Church, it is not uncommon for them to find it hard to pray and worship with others in a parish, or even to trust in God,” the bishop said. For more information on what the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the Diocese of Phoenix is doing to address the issue of abuse and for additional information on other programs and services of the Diocese of Phoenix go to the Diocesan web site at www.diocesephoenix.org. #### Note: Photographers and videographers who wish to cover this event should check with Jim Dwyer about ground rules for shooting pictures. Many victims and their families and friends may not want their faces to be photographed. Please be sensitive to this if you wish to cover the event. CATHOLIC RADIO COMES TO ARIZONA PHOENIX (November 12, 2009) - Immaculate Heart Radio announced today that the Federal Communications Commission has granted its application to purchase 5,000 watt KXAM AM 1310 from Embee Broadcasting, Inc. The station is licensed to Mesa and the signal reaches the greater Phoenix metropolitan area from that location. The new call letters will be KIHP – for Immaculate Heart (Radio) of Phoenix. “We are very excited to serve the Church in this way by bringing the best Catholic programming from around the country and around the world to Arizona,” said Immaculate Heart Radio president Doug Sherman. “The transaction will close soon and we will launch the station on December 17th with Bishop Olmsted ‘flipping the switch’ to turn on the station and begin our broadcasts. Soon after that we will begin local programming, including The Bishop’s Hour which will highlight the great work of the Church and laity in the Diocese of Phoenix, and give Bishop Olmsted an opportunity to use the radio to reach his flock.” Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, expressed his appreciation to Immaculate Heart Radio, Mr. Doug Sherman and his associates, for their efforts on behalf of the Catholics of Arizona. “Bringing Catholic Radio to Arizona is a dream come true for many of us. This project is one that I gladly endorse and prayerfully support.” Immaculate Heart Radio was founded in 1997 with its first station, KIHM in Reno, Nevada, and has since grown to include 23 broadcast facilities across California and New Mexico. KSFB AM 1260 in San Francisco is IHR’s largest station in terms of population, followed by KSMH AM 1620 in Sacramento. IHR’s programming is primarily focused on evangelization and catechesis, but devotional hours including the Rosary and Mass, and Catholic news from around the world are also key elements in the broadcast day. Programs that focus on youth and young adults, as well as family and marriage counseling are also very popular. “In the past twelve years we have been amazed by hearing from thousands of our listeners who say that Immaculate Heart Radio’s programming has brought them closer to God, deeper into their life of faith, back to the Church and the Sacraments, or into the Church for the first time. We have heard from people who have told us that it has saved or strengthened their marriage, saved their baby, or even saved their life. There are several people in seminaries and convents who say that they found their vocation through hearing the Catholic faith broadcast on the air through Immaculate Heart Radio. It is those stories which motivate our staff and supporters to expand into new areas such as Arizona”, Sherman said. More information is available at www.ihradio.org, or by calling 866-77 HEART. Our Stations
We currently operate 23 stations (including 11 translators). Each Immaculate Heart Radio station broadcasts authentic Catholic programming 24 hours a day.
BISHOP DEDICATES SHRINE TO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPEBy Lauren Murphy | November 12, 2009 | Jack Central A shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe was blessed and dedicated at Calvary Cemetery to honor those who have had their grave markers destroyed due to past construction on Nov. 8. The shrine also includes a cenotaph (a large granite marker) where the names of those with destroyed grave markers interred before 1959 can be inscribed at no cost to the family. Bishop Thomas Olmsted performed the dedication ceremony, which included several hymns and readings. <read story> BISHOP CREATES NEW MEDICAL ETHICS BOARD GROUP TO GIVE INPUT ON HEALTH CARE ISSUES, CATHOLIC TEACHING By Joyce Coronel | Nov. 3, 2009 | The Catholic Sun Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted established a medical ethics board last month to advise clergy, health care providers and the faithful on health care issues in light of Catholic moral teaching. The panel of seven physicians and a nurse will be led by Fr. John Ehrich, who in September was appointed by the bishop as director of Medical Ethics for the Phoenix Diocese. The Catholic Medical Ethics Board will soon begin quarterly meetings at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. <read story>
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