St. Timon
One of the Seven Deacons chosen by the Apostles to assist in the ministering to the Nazarene community of Jerusalem. He was mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (6:5), although the traditions concerning him are confusing.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
From Italy: the ultimate Pro-Life witness
Pastor lauds courage of mother who died to save unborn child
|Senior Correspondent
Azzura Carnelos and her husband Francesco. (Credit: Family photo.)
At the funeral this week of Italian mother Azzurra Carnelos, who died last week after refusing cancer treatment in order to save the life of her unborn son, she was hailed for her courageous sacrifice and for her love of life.
Speaking at Carnelos’s April 17 funeral, Father Massimo Rocchi, director of the Brandolini Rota Institute in the northern Italian town of Oderzo, noted that she would have turned 34 the next day, telling her family, “She will celebrate heaven and you will celebrate here on earth.”
“Yes, she will always be with you,” he said, noting that while Carnelos’s family and friends gathered to mourn her passing, “above all we celebrate and celebrate for the great, dazzling light she transmits.”
“Live in this light: a light of courage, a light of strength, a light of love. There is no greater gift than giving your life,” he said.
Carnelos, a former student of Rocchi’s, was a senior financial analyst at a bank who died of breast cancer after refusing to undergo treatment in order to save her unborn child, Antonio, who is now eight months old.
She was first diagnosed in 2019 after having a premonitory dream of her grandmother, who died from the same disease, which prompted her to get a scan that showed she had a tumor, so she began chemotherapy treatment, and her cancer went into remission.
Three years later, she married her husband, Francesco, in 2022 and despite fearing that she would never be a mother due to her previous cancer treatment, in February 2023 she discovered that she was pregnant.
By July of that year, however, Carnelos discovered that her cancer had returned, and instead of heeding doctors’ advice and beginning chemotherapy again immediately, she opted to delay her treatment in order to carry her baby to term.
Her husband left his job and cared for Carnelos full time, sleeping and having all of his meals at the hospital until she finally passed away on April 13 at her home in Oderzo.
During her funeral Tuesday in the Oderzo cathedral, a photo of Carnelos smiling after giving birth to her baby was displayed.
Rocchi in his homily said the words “The souls of the just are in the hands of God,” read aloud in the first reading chosen by Carnelos’s mother, “express both the pain for Azzurra’s departure for heaven, and the great faith that as a family all of you are bearing witness to.”
Referring to Carnelos’s parents, Antonella and Fabrizio, and to her husband Francesco and infant son Antonio, he said they embodied “a faith in the risen Jesus, who gives all of us a new, eternal, endless life.”
He noted that in the traditional Marian prayer of the Salve Regina, “we often say to the Madonna: We turn to you, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.”
“Yes, I think Azzurra’s illness was a valley of tears, between warning signs, treatments, hopes and relapses, but this valley now is illuminated by a dazzling light, by a large bright rainbow that unites the earth to the sky,” he said.
Carnelos provided her family a witness of “A light full of love, a light full of hope,” he said, saying she “has written a page of the Gospel.”
Rocchi noted that Carnelos met her husband, Francesco, at university in 2015, and that “Their love was not stopped by the news of the illness in 2019…She faced treatments with determination. And she was momentarily healed.”
After Carnelos’s marriage to her husband in 2022, “Her first thought was that she wouldn’t be able to become a mother due to the treatments,” Rocchi said, noting that instead, “Antonio arrived, a gift from God from heaven.”
“But the disease returned, stronger and more aggressive than before and with very little hope,” he said, noting that Carnelos’s greatest desire was to become a mother, “and this desire was so great as to even give up her health. A painful choice shared with her husband, but her gaze was on the gift of life.”
At the funeral Mass, Francesco said of his wife, “With her sacrifice she gave us life. She had one desire: to give birth to our Antonio.”
Carnelos’s mother recalled how the cancer caused her to lose her sight, but said her daughter was determined to see as well as she could, “to admire her son.”
She said the family “always prayed a lot, we always came to Mass on Sunday evenings,” where they were assured that Carnelos was being prayed for.
Some of Carnelos’s final words, her mother said, were, “Don’t worry mom, everything will be fine … you teach Antonio the prayers and then leave it to Francesco, Francesco will take care of it.”
Rocchi in his homily addressed the family directly, saying, “A mother who gives birth to a child, always gives life, even more when this could compromise her health. And Azzurra did not hesitate to do so.”
“Now she is the angel of your family, the angel of her little Antonio and her husband. An example for all of us, a testimony that life is stronger than death and that, as Jesus told us, ‘there is no greater love than giving life,’” he said.
Several years ago, in 2012, a similar story touched the hearts of the world when Italian speaker Chiara Corbella Petrillo chose to delay cancer treatment in order to carry her unborn child to term after two previous children died shortly after birth.
She passed away in June of that year at the age of 28, and her cause for sainthood was opened in 2015, five years later.
One of Italy’s most famed saints, Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, died in a similar way, passing away in 1962 after refusing to terminate her fourth and final pregnancy to treat a benign tumor on her uterus.
These stories are particularly potent in Italy, which suffers from a staggeringly low birth rate that Pope Francis has often referred to as a “demographic winter,” calling on Italians to be open to life and to have more children.
In the Archdiocese of Denver the Permanent Diaconate celebrates 50 years of service
At Deacon Convocation, 50 years of the permanent diaconate honored
As the permanent diaconate marks its 50th Jubilee here in the Archdiocese of Denver this year, over 200 archdiocesan deacons gathered last month for their annual convocation to look back on how deacons have served the people of God over these last 50 years — and ahead to how they’ll continue to serve in the next 50.
The convocation took place March 8-10 and featured several speakers who provided formation, insights and spiritual nourishment for the deacons, including Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, Vicar for Clergy Father Angel Perez-Lopez, Dr. Anthony Lilles of St. Patrick’s Seminary, Deacon Ernie Martinez and others. Also honored were the two former Director of Deacons for the archdiocese, Deacon Alfonso Sandoval and Deacon Joe Donohoe.
The deacons gathered together at Masses celebrated by Archbishop Aquila and Bishop Rodriguez and were given ample opportunity to spend time in fellowship with one another. Deacon Martinez gave a presentation looking back at the last 50 years of the diaconate in the archdiocese to recognize the many deacons who came before them and laid the foundation for today’s vibrant diaconate here in the Archdiocese of Denver.
During this 50th Jubilee, the diaconate is calling upon the intercession of St. Euplius, a third century deacon-martyr who Deacon Martinez says is a powerful witness to the deacons of today, who echo the call of the deacons of old to lay down their lives for Christ and his Church. St. Euplius boldly proclaimed the faith in Rome by reading the Bible publicly before being tortured and executed at the hands of the emperor Diocletian. Tradition holds that St. Euplius prayed fervently and gave thanks to God, even as the executioner brought the blade down onto his neck.
The diaconate is often a misunderstood vocation in the Church, but that makes it no less important. Through the ministries of liturgy, word and service, deacons quietly and humbly serve God’s people in numerous ways. The Catechism describe the ministry of the deacon as such:
“Deacons share in Christ’s mission and grace in a special way. The sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint (‘character’) which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the “deacon” or servant of all. Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity” (CCC 1570).
Here in the Archdiocese of Denver, a Diaconal Ministries Resource Manual lists the hundreds of ministries deacons are involved in. For the 50th Jubilee, Deacon Martinez is working to tell the stories of deacons both present and past to share with the next generation.
“There are so many deacons that have done such great work for the people of God,” Deacon Martinez said. “There are so many apostolates and ministries that have been started by deacons by giving their own money to these different missions. We’ve saved so many people from despair because of what deacons have done. We need to tell those stories.”
Pope Francis discusses the contemplative life with the Discalced Carmelites
'Get caught up in God's love,' Pope urges Discalced Carmelites
Pope Francis invites Discalced Carmelites to immerse themselves entirely in the Lord's presence in order to be filled with joy and love.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
"The path of contemplation is inherently a path of love," that "makes us witnesses of the love we have received," Pope Francis observed when welcoming superiors and delegates of Discalced Carmelites in the Vatican on Thursday.
Serving "as a ladder that raises us up to God," contemplation, the Pope said, is not about separating one from the world, but grounding us more deeply in it.
Embracing the Lord's calling
Recognizing that the religious are in the process of revising their Constitutions, the Holy Father acknowledged this "is a significant undertaking." Not only does it respond "to a natural human need and the contingencies of community life," he said, it also marks "an occasion" to devote themselves to prayer and discernment.
By "remaining inwardly open to the working of the Holy Spirit," the Pope continued, "you are challenged to discover new language, new ways, and new means to give greater impetus to the contemplative life that the Lord has called you to embrace."
In this way, the Holy Father said, they enable the charism of Carmel "to attract many hearts, for the glory of God and the good of the Church."
As the Pope called their history and past "a source of richness," he likewise encouraged the nuns to "remain open to the promptings of the Spirit," "to the perennial newness of the Gospel," and "to the signs that the Lord shows us through the experiences of life and the challenges of history."
Caught up by the love of Christ
As cloistered women, the Holy Father acknowledged they live a certain "tension" between separation from the world and immersion in it, clarifying that their reality is "far from seeking refuge in interior spiritual consolations or a prayer [that is] divorced from reality."
Rather, Pope Francis marveled, the Carmelites allow themselves "to be caught up by the love of Christ and union with Him, so that His love can pervade your entire existence and find expression in all that you say and do."
Hope offered by the Gospel
The Pope said that the light they need to revise their Constitutions and address the many concrete problems of monasteries and of community life is "none other than the hope offered by the Gospel," which, he said, differs from illusions based on human calculations.
This, the Pope said, "entails surrendering ourselves to God, learning to read the signs He gives us to discern the future."
"May your complete immersion in His presence," the Holy Father said, "always fill you with the joy of sisterhood and mutual love."
Pope Francis concluded by encouraging the sisters to look ahead, with hope and trust in God.
Pope Francis pays tribute to Pope St. Pius X as new book is published
Pope Francis: St. Pius X was a Pope near to people who suffer
Pope Francis pens the preface for a new book by Fr. Lucio Bonora on Pope St. Pius X, and praises the early 20th century Pope for the depth of his catechesis and opposition to World War I.
By Devin Watkins
“Pius X was a Pope who made the entire Church understand that without the Eucharist and without the assimilation of revealed truths, personal faith weakens and dies.”
Pope Francis offered that praise of his predecessor, Pope St. Pius X (1903-1914), in a preface he wrote for a new book entitled “Tribute to Pius X. Contemporary Portraits”.
The book was written by Fr. Lucio Bonora, a priest from the Italian city of Treviso—the birthplace of Pius X—and an official at the Vatican Secretariat of State.
Saintly Pope wept at outbreak of World War I
In his preface released on Wednesday, Pope Francis said he holds the late Pope in high esteem, recalling that he would meet yearly with catechists of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires on his feastday, August 21.
“I enjoyed spending time with those dedicated to instructing children and adults in the truths of the faith,” he said, “and Pius X has always been known as the Pope of catechesis.”
Pope Francis added that Pius X was “a gentle yet strong Pope, a humble and clear Pope.”
St. Pius X approved the creation of the Pontifical Biblical Institute run by the Jesuits in Rome, a decision which endeared him to the Jesuits, said Pope Francis.
The late Pope “wept at the onset of the [First] World War” and pleaded “with the powerful to lay down their arms.”
“How close I feel to him in this tragic moment of the modern world,” said Pope Francis of Pius X.
Close to suffering humanity
He also frequently expressed his closeness to “the little ones, the poor, the needy, earthquake victims, the disadvantaged, and those suffering from natural disasters.”
Piux X was “a Pope who was a monument to pastoral care, as defined by Pope St. John XXIII when he allowed Venice to venerate his mortal remains at St. Mark’s in the spring of 1959.”
Pope Francis thanked Fr. Bonora for his years of research into the life of Pius X, saying his dedication and passion emerge in the text.
The legacy of St. Pius X, added the Pope, belongs to the “Church of today” and to “the baptized of all ages, who seek to be faithful to the Gospel and to their pastors”.
“Long live St. Pius X, and may he live deeply in the heart of today's Church!”
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Thursday Saint of the Day
St. Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur
Feastday: April 18
Patron: of Canary Islands and Guatemala
Birth: 1626
Death: 1667
Beatified: June 22, 1980 by Pope John Paul II
Canonized: July 30, 2002, Guatemala City, Guatemala by Pope John Paul II
The son of a poor family of the Canary Islands, Peter de Betancur in his youth worked as a shepherd, finding in nature an incentive to prayer. Intent to serve the poor in the New World, he embarked on an arduous journey to Guatemala that ultimately left him penniless. In Guatemala City, Peter entered a Jesuit college through the assistance of a Franciscan friar, but soon left after failing in his studies. The friar then invited Peter to become a Franciscan brother, but the young man declined, feeling that God willed for him to remain in the world. Instead, Peter became a Third Order Franciscan, devoting himself to the service of African slaves, Native Americans, and other needy individuals. As a penance, each night he went out to carry a heavy cross through the streets. Peter later founded a congregation for the care of the poor, the Bethlehemite Brothers and Sisters. Deeply devoted to the Christ Child, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the relief of the souls in purgatory, Peter was a promoter of the Franciscans' rosary of the Seven Joys of Mary, and instituted a weekly rosary procession in Guatemala City. He died on April 25, 1667.
Catholic parishes need robust (or any) security as attacks mount
Attack on Texas priest
shows parishes need
robust security
Father Tony Neusch, rector of St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral in Amarillo, was pepper-sprayed while hearing confessions April 10
An assault on a Texas priest -- along with recent incidents at Catholic churches in the U.S. and Canada -- highlights the need for parishes to implement more robust security measures, experts told OSV News.
On April 10, Father Tony Neusch, rector of St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral in Amarillo, Texas, was pepper-sprayed while hearing confessions.
In a Facebook post that same day, Father Neusch wrote that "someone dealing with mental health issues" had attacked him. He said he did "not require medical attention," adding that police had been notified. No arrests have yet been made in the case.
Father Neusch, who declined to comment to OSV News, said in his post that the parish would "suspend Confessions, except by appointment, until security cameras can be installed in the Chapel.
"I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but the safety of our confessors and those waiting to receive the Sacrament needs to be preserved," he wrote.
In recent weeks, Catholic churches and shrines throughout the U.S. and Canada have seen a number of security incidents:
-- The Easter Vigil Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York was disrupted by some 10 protesters, who took up positions in at least two areas of the cathedral to decry Israel's retaliatory attacks on Hamas in Gaza. Three protestors were arrested and charged under New York State law with disrupting a religious service.
-- Parishioners of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toronto had to evacuate the building toward the end of their 10 a.m. liturgy March 24, due to a bomb threat apparently made by a woman experiencing mental distress.
-- Servite Father Leo Hambur narrowly escaped harm after an assailant vandalized The Grotto, the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother in Portland, Oregon, Feb. 28 and broke into a clergy residence on the shrine's grounds. The suspect was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including three felonies.
Violence in houses of worship is far from unprecedented -- Jesus spoke of Zechariah son of Barachiah being "murdered between the sanctuary and the altar" (Mt 23:35), and St. Thomas Becket and St. Wenceslaus were both killed on church property during the Middle Ages.
In recent years, the U.S. has witnessed gunmen carry out mass killings at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue and the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
In security industry parlance, churches and other religious structures are known as "soft targets" -- public, civilian spaces that are easily accessible and typically have limited security measures. A growing recognition of that vulnerability has led to initiatives such as the Department of Homeland Security's house of worship protection program and the annual Church Security Essentials Conference, which takes place April 25-26 in Austin, Texas.
Preserving both pastoral welcome and commonsense security in places of prayer can be a delicate balance, said Craig Gundry of Critical Intervention Services, a Tampa, Florida-based security consulting firm with extensive experience in church security.
"Churches tend to be very open communities, and that's desirable. That's what we want to create," Gundry told OSV News. "And that obviously presents some challenges from a security perspective."
Gundry said that his firm has particularly focused on the details of "improving physical security for churches while maintaining an environment that is conducive to community and to spiritual celebration."
In addition to developing emergency response policies and procedures, assembling a "church security team (is) very valuable," Gundry said.
"They in essence serve as the guardians of the flock ... observing and monitoring for potential threats," he said.
In fact, such teams were established in 16th-century Ireland under the Penal Laws to protect Catholic priests as they clandestinely celebrated Mass. The practice was continued in the U.S. by the Ancient Order of Hibernians and other Irish fraternal organizations as Irish Catholics suffered violence from Nativist factions.
The Catholic Community of St. Thomas More in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, launched its St. Michael the Defender Ministry in 2017, led by Jeff Malkovsky, a professional in the field of global complex risk and threat management.
Weekend Masses are staffed by an armed off-duty Chapel Hill police officer, and the team annually hosts a "Safety Sunday" that features evacuation drills. In addition, St. Michael ministry members partner with the parish's mental health volunteers to spot and head off potential crises during worship.
Malkovsky -- whose team was put to a real-life test when an August 2023 active shooting unfolded at the nearby University of North Carolina campus -- told OSV News that security is a parish-wide project.
"The more people who are aware at all levels in any organization, any operation, the more you can begin to build safety nets around it ... (through) avoidance, mitigation and response," said Malkovsky.
He added that the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, has approved use of the St. Michael the Defender Ministry model across some 80 parishes and 30 schools.
In the Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee, Bishop David P. Talley has instituted a security and safety advisory committee for that diocese's parishes and schools.
Malkovsky explained that ensuring parish security starts with having both "awareness" and an "understanding" of a particular environment's "risks and threats."
"Because they're all unique," he said. "An urban environment is going to be different than a rural environment. A big parish is going to be different than a little parish."
Regardless of parish size, however, keeping priests and penitents safe during the sacrament of reconciliation, which is bound by anonymity and the seal of confession, requires extra consideration, admitted St. Thomas More pastor Father Scott McCue.
"A confessional is very much an enclosed thing. There's one way in and one way out," Father McCue told OSV News ahead of an April 16 meeting with the St. Michael ministry team.
He noted that some modern church construction features confessionals that are not mere booths or alcoves, but are structurally adjoining, full-sized rooms and have "a screen or (some) way the priest and penitent can be seen face to face."
"But then again, is the room that the priest is in locked, so that (an attacker) can't just walk in there?" Father McCue asked.
The attack on Father Neusch, he said, is "a good conversation starter" for additional discussions on parish security.
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