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Notes & News(Follow the bouncing ball.)

•Charismatic prayer recently has been spreading into Syria from neighboring Lebanon. Two large conferences in Lebanon featuring Fr. Emiliano Tardif were not only remarkable for their attendance of tens of thousands but for the live television coverage watched by over one million viewers. Fr. George Shahbaz returned home to Aleppo, Syria where he formed a prayer group. The group has grown to about 350 adults.

•Pope John Paul II announced at a recent meeting with the Italian charismatic group, "Renewal in the Spirit," that the Permanent Council of the Italian Episcopal Conference approved the Statutes of the Italian lay movement and called the renewal "a comforting experience of Christian Life, worthy of being indicated for its fervent encouragement of numerous ecclesial communities."

•Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, The Cardinal prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the rise of new religious and lay movements in the Church’s history almost always makes someone uncomfortable, but usually that is a sign of the Holy Spirit at work. "It is not correct to pretend that everything must plug into a uniform organization; better to have less organization and more Holy Spirit," the cardinal said at the opening of a three-day conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome recently.

•D. Michael McCarron, Executive Director of the Florida Catholic Conference, has called the recent acid attacks on abortion clinics in the state as "indefensible. Ends do not justify the means and those guilty of these violent acts cannot regard themselves part of the pro-life community."

•Msgr. Thomas J. McDade, U.S. Catholic Conference secretary for Education, said that "a lot of poor people are going to be shortchanged" by President Clinton’s veto of a school voucher program for the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia Student Opportunity Scholarship Act, which would have provided federally funded tuition scholarships of up to $3,200 for kindergarten through 12th grade to 2,000 children in low-income families would have allowed the children to attend public schools in neighboring counties in Virginia and Maryland or to enroll in area private schools, including Catholic Parochial Schools.

•Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, Los Angeles, presiding at Frank Sinatra’s Funeral Mass, said, "Frank Sinatra understood that his voice was a gift from God and used it for the good of others ...bringing joy, relaxation and hope to countless millions of people around the world." Mr. Sinatra had requested that instead of sending floral tributes for his funeral that donations should be made to Catholic Charities and to The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center for abused children.

•Archbishop William Levada announced several major events to begin the centennial celebration of St. Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park. On September 19 & 20, Bishop Niederauer, Bishop of Salt Lake City, will give a centennial lecture followed by a luncheon and then a banquet that evening. On Sunday there is scheduled a 3:00 pm concert at St. Mary’s of the Assumption Cathedral, San Francisco, followed by the major Centennial Mass at 4:15 pm in the cathedral..

•Bishop John S. Cummins, Oakland, Chair of the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, told Congress that proposals it is considering to tighten the citizenship process for immigrants should not make naturalization an unattainable goal. The Bishop criticized some proposals to deny automatic citizenship to all individuals born in the United States regardless of the legal status of their parents.

•Newly ordained priests, Rev. John Jimenez and Rev. Daniel Nascimento, members of Charismatic Prayer Groups prior to entering the seminary, like many of the 1998 class of new U.S. Priests, have had experience in the working world. According to a national study, the 1998 U.S. Class is older and more racially and ethnically diverse than those ordained in 1980. Only 26 percent of the newly ordained were under 30 years of age, 34 percent were in the 30-34 age bracket, while 40% were 35 or older. The fact that three-fourths were 30 or older indicated most were entering the priesthood as a second career.

•Fathers Jimenez and Nascimento will be honored at a concelebrated Mass, Friday, July 3, 1998, 7:30 pm at St. Elizabeth Church, San Francisco. Fr. Joe Landi, The Archbishop’s Liaison, will be the principal celebrant and Fr. Nascimento will be the Homilist. A reception will follow in the Church Hall. The congregation will have an opportunity to receive a blessing from the newly ordained priests.

•"Pray American Back to God!" Pray USA is on the web at http://www.usprayertrack.org

•United States Bishops’ web site offers answers to wide range of questions about the Catholic Church and practical information: http://www.nccbuscc.org . You can also check to see if a movie is appropriate for your children to see: http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/98-076.htm

Read other articles in the July1998 edition of the San Francisco Charismatics or return to the Main Menu by clicking on the blue.