Notes & News(Follow the bouncing ball.)

Santa Rosa Bishop Patrick Zieman, at the National Catholic Educational Association conference in Los Angeles, during a keynote address, said "Catholic Schools have some tough issues to face. They need to determine if they want their students to be only those who can afford the tuition, or if they want to provide opportunities for those committed to living out the values promoted by the Church."

The Vatican, through Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, the official in charge of the Vatican’s office for coordinating year 2000 celebrations, announced plans for a special millennial web site to link diocese worldwide for the year 2000. With a click of a mouse, a traveler in cyberspace will soon be able to reserve a place at a papal ceremony and buy tickets to the Vatican Museums.

Women are invited to send poetry and prose for a book titled, "Wisdom Along the Way," to be published by Catholic Women’s Network next fall. Poetry, 30 lines or less, and prose, 500 words or less, should be submitted by July 1. The writings should be on spirituality, ways to find God in everyday life, or words of wisdom to inspire people journeying toward a deeper relationship with God. Language should be inclusive. Send to Catholic Women’s Network, 877 Spinose Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94080 or call 408.245-8663 for more guidelines.

The Music Department at St. Mary’s Cathedral Announces 3:30 pm Sunday Concerts: June 7, Christoph Tietze, Organist; June 14, Alison Luedecke (San Diego), Organist; June 21, St. Bede the Venerable Choir (La Canada), Dr. Anthony Lupica, Director; June 28, Sarah Holtzman, Flute. A free-will donation will be requested at the door.

Boston Cardinal Bernard F. Law, who chairs the committee on Pro-Life Activities, sent each member of Congress an information packet addressing what he called the "misleading argument against a federal ban on human cloning". According to the cardinal, "there is almost universal support for the idea that human embryos must never be created merely for experimental purposes and their eventual destruction...Congress should enact a meaningful ban on human cloning without further delay".

Bontoc-Lagawe, Philippines Bishop Francisco F. Claver wrote at the Synod of Bishops for Asia that the church in Asia is perceived as "foreign" and "Western". "Our Christian faith must by all means shed its reputation as a foreign religion and become better inculturated, taking on an Asian face everywhere without in any way compromising or diminishing Christ's Gospel teaching—liturgy requires greater use of vernacular languages and indigenous symbols."

Franciscan University of Stubenville, Ohio and Ignatius Press, San Francisco, have become partners in a radio venture that will bring 24-hour Catholic radio to 10 major markets across the United States by this fall. The 10 AM radio stations, to be known as the Catholic Radio Network (CRN), were purchased for $58.2 million. They will broadcast 24-hour talk radio in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and New York. "The goal is to reach the widest possible audience with radio that is based upon Catholic Principles," said Father Joseph Fessio SJ, president of Ignatius Press.

Washington DC, Father Richard McAlear,OMI, will celebrate a Healing Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 51 Waverly St., Palo Alto on June 25 at 7:00 pm. A charismatic lecturer, his article, "God’s Love Surpasses All Understanding" appears on the front page of this issue. Father Mc Alear is also the OMI Vocations Director..

Pope John Paul II to stop in St. Louis after Jan.22-25 Mexico trip. Archbishop Rigali said the Trans World Dome—home of the St. Louis Rams football team and part of the St. Louis Convention Center—likely would be the site of a papal Mass.

Religious topics made their way into prime time TV 552 times in 1997, almost double the number of references in 1995, according to an annual study sponsored by the Media Research Center. Overall, positive treatments of religion outnumbered negative treatments by a two-to-one ratio. A 1997 poll commissioned by TV Guide indicated that 68% of those interview wanted more spiritual programming.

Fr. Robert DeGrandis, noted author and gifted lecturer with the St. Joseph’s Society of the Sacred Heart, Galveston, Texas, will conduct three days of teaching and healing events starting with the First Friday Mass of the Sacred Heart, 7:30 pm on June 5 at St. Cecilia’s Church, 17th Avenue at Vicente Street, San Francisco.