Angelus News | January 31, 2020

ANGELUS 

HOPE 

COMES 

HOME 

Inside the local 

Catholic effort to 

reunite a family 

January 31, 2020 Vol. 5 No. 4

A Very Special 2020 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 

October 26 – November 5 

Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus with 

Archbishop José H. Gomez & Spiritual Leaders 

Bishop David O’Connell, Msgr. Antonio Cacciapuoti, 

Rev. Jim Anguiano and Rev. Parker Sandoval 

Under the Direction of Judy Brooks, Archbishop’s Office of Special Services 

Please join us for an important 

Pilgrimage Information Meeting 

Sunday, January 26, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. 

The Cathedral Conference Center 

555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 

All are Welcome! 

Garden of Gethsemane 

For Information Call Mary Kay: (213) 637-7520 

Travel Arrangements through Catholic Travel Centre 

Church of the Holy Sepulchree 

Church of the Beatitudes

ON THE COVER 

Violence and murder pushed the Arredondo family to flee Guatemala 

for their lives. A broken immigration system split them three ways at the 

U.S.-Mexico border during the height of the federal government’s shortlived 

“no-tolerance” policy in 2018. On Page 10, Pilar Marrero has the 

inside story of how a network of volunteers, lawyers, and clerics helped 

welcome the Arredondos to the U.S. and pull off the “miracle” of the 

reunion they’d been praying for. 

JOHN MCCOY 

IMAGE: Steven Graham, son of the late Mexican-born sculptor Robert 

Graham, checks out paintings at the Robert Graham Student 

Art Exhibit at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Jan. 26. 

The exhibit features works of art from more than 80 students 

of 17 Catholic high schools throughout the Archdiocese of Los 

Angeles. Launched on the first day of Catholic Schools Week, 

it will run for the next two months. 

FRED BRYANT 

e 

Contents 

s 

Archbishop Gomez 3 

World, Nation, and Local News 4-6 

LA Catholic Events 7 

Scott Hahn on Scripture 8 

Father Rolheiser 9 

Meet the teens planning every detail of this year’s Youth Day 16 

The job awaiting the Big Apple’s new Vatican diplomat 20 

Kris McGregor: Understanding the beauty of the breviary 22 

Grazie Christie on the price women pay for abortion 24 

Has the real ‘Messiah’ come to Netflix? 26 

Heather King: The designer who warmed up modernism 28

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January 31, 2020 

Vol. 5 • No. 4 

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POPE WATCH 

A love letter from God 

The following is adapted from the 

Holy Father’s homily at the inaugural 

“Sunday of the Word of God” Mass 

celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica on 

Sunday, Jan. 26. 

“Jesus began to preach” (Matthew 

4:17). How did he begin? With a very 

simple phrase: “Repent, for the kingdom 

of heaven is at hand.” This is the 

main message of all Jesus’ sermons. 

What does this mean? The kingdom 

of heaven means the reign of God, 

that is, the way in which God reigns 

through his relationship with us. Jesus 

tells us that the kingdom of heaven is 

at hand, that God is near. 

Here is the novelty, the first message: 

God is not far from us. The One who 

dwells in heaven has come down to 

earth; he became man. He has torn 

down walls and shortened distances. 

We ourselves did not deserve this: He 

came down to meet us. 

This is a joyful message: God came 

to visit us in person by becoming man. 

He did not embrace our human condition 

out of duty but out of love. For 

love, he took on our human nature, 

for one embraces what one loves. God 

took our human nature because he 

loves us and desires freely to give us 

the salvation that, alone and unaided, 

we cannot hope to attain. 

We can now understand the direct 

demand that Jesus makes: “Convert!” 

In other words, “Change your life,” 

for a new way of living has begun. 

The time when you lived for yourself 

is over; now is the time for living with 

and for God, with and for others, with 

and for love. 

Today Jesus speaks those same words 

to you: “Take heart, I am here with 

you, allow me to enter and your life 

will change.” That is why the Lord 

gives you his word, so that you can receive 

it like a love letter he has written 

to you, to help you realize that he is at 

your side. 

His word consoles and encourages 

us. At the same time it challenges 

us, frees us from the bondage of our 

selfishness and summons us to conversion. 

Jesus started his preaching beginning 

from the very places that were then 

thought to be “in darkness” … in 

“Galilee of the nations,” which was 

definitely not the place to find the 

religious purity of the chosen people. 

Yet Jesus started from there: not from 

the forecourt of the Temple of Jerusalem, 

but from the opposite side of the 

country … from a periphery. 

Here there is a message for us: The 

word of salvation does not go looking 

for untouched, clean and safe places. 

Instead, it enters the complex and obscure 

places in our lives. Now, as then, 

God wants to visit the very places we 

think he will never go. Yet how often 

we are the ones who close the door, 

preferring to keep our confusion, our 

dark side, and our duplicity hidden. 

Jesus is not afraid to explore the 

terrain of our hearts and to enter the 

roughest and most difficult corners 

of our lives. He knows that his mercy 

alone can heal us, his presence alone 

can transform us and his word alone 

can renew us. 

Let us make room in our lives for the 

word of God! Each day, let us read a 

verse or two of the Bible. Let us begin 

with the Gospel: Let us keep it open 

on our table, carry it in our pocket, 

read it on our cellphones, and allow 

it to inspire us daily. We will discover 

that God is close to us, that he dispels 

our darkness and, with great love, 

leads our lives into deep waters. 

2 • ANGELUS • January 31, 2020

NEW WORLD 

OF FAITH 

BY ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ 

A vocation both human and divine 

I am writing to you this week from 

the Eternal City of Rome. 

I have come here, along with my 

brother bishops from California, Nevada, 

and Hawaii for our “ad limina 

apostolorum” visit. 

Each diocesan bishop in the world is 

required to come “to the thresholds of 

the apostles” once every five years to 

report to the pope on the state of the 

faith in his diocese. 

We are here for a week, and each day 

is packed with meetings with Vatican 

officials in various departments, where 

we discuss our progress in areas such 

as evangelization, education, pastoral 

care, and social outreach. 

There is also a deep spiritual component 

to our visit, as we meet and pray 

with the Holy Father and celebrate 

the Eucharist at the tombs of St. Peter 

and St. Paul, the first pillars of the 

Church. 

The Roman Catholic Church is 

like no other institution we know in 

the world or in history. Because the 

Church is not only a human organization, 

it is a divine body. 

Living as we do in a secularized and 

materialistic culture, we tend to see 

only the Church’s “human” element, 

and often then we focus only on the 

failings of men and women who 

belong to the Church, especially 

those in leadership. 

But we cannot stop with only earthly 

and historic considerations. We 

need to understand the supernatural 

element, the Church as also holy and 

apostolic. 

Jesus Christ founded his Church to 

be a sign and instrument of his saving 

presence in the world. 

He chose Peter to be “the rock” on 

which to build his Church and called 

Peter to give his people spiritual food 

and to strengthen and encourage his 

brother bishops. He called Paul to 

lead the Church’s mission of proclaiming 

his Gospel to all peoples and 

establish his Church in every land 

and nation. 

So, I find this pilgrimage to the 

apostles’ tombs is deepening my sense 

of communion with the universal Roman 

Catholic Church and renewing 

my own vocation as a bishop. 

But every bishop is at the same time 

a link in a spiritual chain that connects 

us to those first 12 apostles who 

were called by the Lord. 

And in our prayer and reflection this 

week, I am reminded that the apostles 

were ordinary men. 

As we read in the New Testament, 

the apostles did not always understand 

what their Master wanted them to do. 

Sometimes they could be tempted 

by ambition, like when they argued 

among themselves about who was the 

greatest. 

Jesus understood their limitations but 

he chose them anyway. This is still 

true about the bishops he calls today. 

We are human and that means we are 

not perfect. Yet Jesus knows that we 

love him and we want to follow him 

and to lead others to meet him and to 

give their lives to him. 

And in this mission, I continue to 

draw strength from the story of the 

apostles and the miracle of the loaves 

and fishes. 

As we recall, Jesus took the loaves, 

gave thanks, and then had the apostles 

give the bread to the people. At 

the end, he asks them to gather the 

leftovers. These leftovers fill exactly 12 

baskets, one for each of the apostles. 

It is a powerful story about the Word 

of God and the Bread of Life and the 

mission we have to love him and to 

feed his sheep, as he once said to St. 

Peter. 

“At the threshold of the apostles, I am praying for myself and 

my brother bishops, that we might have the courage to stay 

close to Jesus, to offer him everything in love, confident that he 

will bless and multiply the good works we do.” 

As bishops, we can do nothing 

without Jesus. But with him, all things 

are possible. 

So, at the threshold of the apostles, I 

am praying for myself and my brother 

bishops, that we might have the courage 

to stay close to Jesus, to offer him 

everything in love, confident that he 

will bless and multiply the good works 

we do, just as he multiplied the loaves 

and fishes that the apostles brought to 

him. 

Pray for me this week and I will be 

praying for you from the Eternal City. 

And as one of the saints said, “All 

with Peter to Jesus through Mary!” 

We know that Peter and the apostles 

were close to Jesus’ mother during our 

Lord’s earthly ministry and when the 

Church was born at Pentecost. 

So let us ask our Blessed Mother to 

give us all a new devotion to her, and 

may she intercede for bishops, that we 

might be the leaders, the shepherds 

that her Son calls us to be. 

To read more columns by Archbishop José H. Gomez or to subscribe, visit www.angelusnews.com. 

January 31, 2020 • ANGELUS • 3

WORLD 

Study recalls Christians of Auschwitz 

In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation 

of the infamous Nazi death camp in Auschwitz, a 

Polish researcher has released the first in-depth study of 

Christian inmates’ experiences there. 

The author of the study, Teresa Wontor-Chichy, is a 

historian at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. 

“Although most deportees to Auschwitz from occupied 

Europe were Jews, the camp was originally opened for 

Polish prisoners and also took in Catholic resistance 

fighters from France, Germany, Belgium, and other 

countries,” she told Catholic News Service. 

The study examines how Catholics, including Sts. Maximilian 

Kolbe and Edith Stein, practiced their faith while 

imprisoned in the camp where 1.2 million people died. 

“This aspect of its history has been studied only randomly 

up to now. But it’s important the world knows more 

and takes it into account,” said Wontor-Chichy. 

Sts. Maximilian Kolbe and Edith Stein are extensively documented 

in a new study of religious practices among Christian prisoners at 

Auschwitz-Birkenau. 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE FILE PHOTOS 

Belgium: No room for 

‘devout Catholics’ on 

euthanasia trial jury 

A Belgian lawyer declared that he 

would exclude “extremely Catholic” 

jury candidates in the country’s first 

trial concerning euthanasia. 

According to Catholic World Report, 

defense attorney Walter Van Steenbrugge 

told a Flemish newspaper that 

he searched candidates’ social media 

profiles in order to weed out candidates 

with strong Catholic beliefs. 

“We do not want a jury member who 

would appear to have ever written 

that euthanasia should be considered 

murder,” he said. 

Steenbrugge’s clients are three 

doctors who have been accused of 

violating the country’s euthanasia 

regulations, which require a patient to 

have an incurable illness that inflicts 

“constant and unbearable suffering.” 

The woman who died, Tine Nys, reportedly 

had psychiatric problems but 

requested to end her life after a failed 

relationship and before her recently 

diagnosed autism had been treated. 

The trial began Jan. 14 and was expected 

to run for about two weeks. 

Nigeria: One of three kidnapped seminarians released 

A Nigerian seminarian who was 

abducted with three others in January 

was found alive on the side of a highway 

after 10 days of captivity. 

The seminarian, who has not yet 

been identified, had suffered several 

bone fractures and is being treated at 

the intensive care unit of a Catholic 

hospital in Kaduna, Nigeria. 

“From the time of the abduction, 

this seminarian was stubborn to the 

A lamb that’s too lifelike? 

A newly restored panel of the 

“Ghent Altarpiece,” a 15th-century 

work by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, is 

causing an uproar after an unexpected 

discovery. 

The panel known as “The Adoration 

of the Mystic Lamb,” which was 

painted over shortly after its original 

completion, depicts a lamb, symbolizing 

Christ, being sacrificed on an altar. 

The restoration, recently unveiled 

by the Belgium Royal Institute for 

Cultural Heritage, has revealed that 

the lamb has shockingly human-like 

eyes that intensify the gaze of the 

once demure creature. 

abductors; he could hold on anything 

he could find, resisting the kidnapping,” 

an individual connected with 

Good Shepherd Major Seminary in 

Kaduna told the Catholic news agency 

ACI Africa. 

Currently, the three other kidnapped 

seminarians remain in 

captivity. Since Jan. 11, the abductors 

have been contacting their families to 

discuss ransoms for their release. 

Before and after the restoration of the “Ghent 

Altarpiece” panel. 

Helene Dubois, who led the restoration 

project, told The Art Newspaper 

that the discovery came as “a 

shock for everybody — for us, for the 

Church, for all the scholars, for the 

international committee following 

this project.” 

ST. BAVO’S CATHEDRAL GHENT/ 

©LUKASWEB.BE-ART IN FLANDERS 

VZW/KIK-IRPA 


NATION 

Pope and Pence discuss 

pro-life efforts 

An appointment of brotherly love 

ST. BAVO’S CATHEDRAL GHENT/ 

©LUKASWEB.BE-ART IN FLANDERS 

VZW/KIK-IRPA 

While crowds gathered in Washington, 

D.C., for the March for Life, Vice 

President Mike Pence was in Rome 

discussing the pro-life movement with 

Pope Francis at the Vatican. 

“It was a great privilege to spend time 

with Pope Francis, and to be able to 

do so on a day that literally hundreds 

of thousands of Americans, including 

many Catholic Americans, are gathered 

on our National Mall in Washington, 

D.C., standing up for the right to life, 

was a particular joy for me,” Pence told 

EWTN News. 

During their conversation, the pope 

commended U.S. bishops for defending 

the sanctity of life in their country. “I 

believe that the Church in the U.S. 

has been a bulwark in the right to life 

movement since Roe v. Wade,” Pence 

told EWTN. 

The discussion also included how the 

U.S. and the Church might collaborate 

to assist persecuted Christians in the 

Middle East and those struggling in 

Venezuela. 

Meanwhile in Washington, D.C., 

President Donald Trump became the 

first U.S. president to address the March 

for Life in person. 

“All of us here understand an eternal 

truth,” Trump told the estimated crowd 

of 100,000 people. “Every child is a 

precious and sacred gift from God. 

Together, we must protect, cherish, and 

defend the dignity and the sanctity of 

every human life.” 

Pope Francis has appointed 

Cleveland’s Bishop Nelson Perez, a 

son of Cuban refugees, as the new 

archbishop of Philadelphia. 

The 58-year-old will replace Archbishop 

Charles Chaput, who’s been 

in Philadelphia since 2011 and 

who submitted his letter of resignation, 

as canon law requires, after 

his 75th birthday last September. 

Archbishop Chaput called Bishop 

Perez “exactly the man our Church 

needs” at a Jan. 23 introductory 

press conference. 

Although born in Miami and 

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput (right) applauds alongside Bishop Nelson J. Perez of Cleveland 

during a Jan. 23 news conference. 

WORTH THE CAUSE — People gather during the annual 

March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24. An estimated 

100,000 people turned out despite the cold temperatures. The 

march was preceded by several prayer events, including the 

“Life is VERY Good” event in Arlington, Virginia, the National 

Prayer Vigil for Life at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 

in Washington, D.C., and the Youth Rally for Life and 

Mass for Life at the Capital One Arena, both sponsored by the 

Archdiocese of Washington. 

raised in New Jersey, Bishop Perez 

was ordained a priest in Philadelphia 

in 1989. 

“You know, once a Philadelphia 

priest, always a Philadelphia priest,” 

he said at the press conference. “So 

the part of me that has that identity 

inside of me cannot wrap its head 

around being the archbishop of 

Philadelphia. It doesn’t compute. 

But it is what the Lord wants and 

what the Holy Father wants.” 

Bishop Perez will be officially 

installed as archbishop Feb. 18 in 

Philadelphia. 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/SARAH WEBB, CATHOLICPHILLY.COM 

VATICAN MEDIA 

Pope Francis talks with Vice President Mike 

Pence at the Vatican Jan. 24. 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/TYLER ORSBURN 


LOCAL 

STEMing the spread of a Catholic education 

A second “cohort” of two schools are joining the Archdiocese 

of Los Angeles’ STEM network. 

San Gabriel Mission Elementary School and Immaculate 

Conception School in Monrovia will begin implementation 

of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics) program model in August of 

2020, the Department of Catholic Schools announced. 

The schools follow a program model focused on 

STEM, with key features such as specialized math and 

science teachers, starting from kindergarten. They will 

also implement a system of block scheduling to allow 

“an authentic, real-world learning system.” 

The schools expect to be fully STEM-integrated after 

three years. 

Divine Saviour School in Cypress Park launched its STEM program 

this past fall. 

COURTESY STEM NETWORK 

SUSIE DUEÑAS 

THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE — Representatives of various Christian 

denominations gathered at the Southern California Christian Forum for 

an afternoon of “worship, music, and prayer for the unity of all of Christ’s 

followers” Jan. 26 at Good Shepherd Church in Beverly Hills. The event was 

held as part of the International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity celebrated 

the last week of January. Among the Catholic representatives were Good 

Shepherd pastor Father Ed Benioff (far right) and Father Alexei Smith 

(holding red book). 

Remembering Kobe 

As Angelenos mourn the shocking death of LA Lakers 

legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others 

in a helicopter crash near Calabasas Jan. 26, many are 

remembering the superstar’s Catholic faith. 

Several social media users recalled their encounters with 

Bryant at Mass in multiple parishes in Orange County, 

where he lived with his wife and four daughters. Kobe 

and Vanessa Bryant were married in 2001 at St. Edward 

Church in Dana Point. 

“So very sad to hear the news of #KobeBryant’s tragic 

death this morning. I am praying for him and his family,” 

said Archbishop José H. Gomez in a tweet sent from Rome 

hours after Bryant’s death. “May he rest in peace and may 

our Blessed Mother Mary bring comfort to his loved ones.” 

You can read more about Bryant’s Catholic faith on AngelusNews.com 

and in the next issue of Angelus. 

On your mark, get set … nun! 

Local runners and walkers are ready to take to the streets 

for the fourth annual Nun Run 5K. The run and community 

service fair will take place at La Reina High School 

and Middle School in Thousand Oaks on Saturday, Feb. 1. 

Hosted by the Sisters of Norte Dame and La Reina, the 

Nun Run typically attracts more than 1,000 walkers and 

runners of all ability levels. This year’s theme is “On the 

Move for Good,” and Mike Scioscia, former manager of 

the Los Angeles Angels, will serve as the grand marshall of 

events. 

For more information and registration, visit sndca.org. 

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna at a Lakers game in November 

2019. 

ALLEN BEREZOVSKY/GETTY IMAGES 


LA Catholic Events 

Items for LA Catholic Events are due two weeks prior to the date of the event. They may be mailed to Angelus News (Attn: LA Catholic Events), 3424 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010-2241; emailed to 

calendar@angelusnews.com; or faxed to 213-637-6360. All items must include the name, date, time, and address of the event, plus a phone number for additional information. 

Fri., Jan. 31 

“Where a Healthy Psychology and a Healthy 

Spirituality Meet”: Rev. Jim Clarke, Ph.D. Jung 

Institute, 10349 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 7:30- 

9:30 p.m. Cost: $35/person pre-registered, $40/person 

at door. Call 310-556-1193, ext. 221. 

Sat., Feb. 1 

MAGNIFICAT — A Ministry to Catholic Women 

Prayer Meal. St. Euphrasia Church parish hall, 11766 

Shoshone Ave., Granada Hills, 10 a.m. Speaker: Father 

James Gehl on his priest testimony, witness to 

God’s grace, and miracles. Mail check for $26/person 

to Magnificat, 29122 Florabunda Rd., Canyon Country, 

CA, 91387. Online registration at magnificatsfv.org. 

Call Teri Thompson with questions at 805-558-5340. 

Retreat: Encountering God in Sacred Scripture. 

Pauline Books & Media, 3908 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver 

City, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Retreat led by Sister Patricia 

Shaules, FSP, will help participants deepen awareness 

of God’s presence in Sacred Scripture and learn 

several ways of praying with the Bible. Mass available 

at 4 p.m. Donation: $30/person and includes lunch. 

Please bring your Bible. RSVP by calling 310-397- 

8676 or by emailing culvercity@paulinemedia.com. 

Fourth Annual Nun Run. Course begins on Dover 

Ave., and finishes in front of La Reina School campus. 

Sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame and La Reina 

High School and Middle School, the event features 

5K, 1-mile fun run, and community service fair. Open 

to all runners and walkers of any ability. Registration 

includes 5K chip timing, race medals for all finishers, 

and post-race pancake breakfast. Register at nun. 

run. Email Jen Coito at jcoito@sndca.org or call 805- 

917-3730. 

Walking with Jesus this Lent (Life in the Spirit 

Retreat). Our Lady of Peace Church, 15444 Nordhoff 

St., North Hills, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Confirmed speakers: 

Father Bill Adams CSsR, Father Manuel Baeza, Father 

Rodeo Balagtas, and Deacon Celso Roxas. For information, 

call Agnes at 818-667-8998, Rose at 818- 

602-1792, or Cora at 818-397-9380. 

Sun., Feb. 2 

Convalidation of Marriage. St. John Baptist de la 

Salle Church, 16555 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills, 

12 p.m. Father Ramon Valera will preside over several 

parish couples at the noon Mass. 

Tue., Feb. 4 

The Pope’s Rabbi — An Evening with Rabbi 

Abraham Skorka in Conversation with Father 

Ed Benihoff and Rabbi Erez Sherman. Sinai Temple, 

10400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 6:30 p.m. 

program, 8 p.m. dinner. Rabbi Skorka is one of the 

pope’s spiritual confidants and friends, and co-author 

of “On Heaven and Earth.” Free program open to the 

public, but registration required to access the parking 

lot. Register by Feb. 3 at member.sinaitemple.org/ 

events. Cost for dinner: $10/person. For more information, 

email Sandra Bossi at ChristianUnityGS@ 

gmail.com. 

Thu., Feb. 6 

Separated and Divorced Support Group: “Healing 

the Hearts of the Family.” Holy Family Church, 1527 

Fremont Ave., S. Pasadena, 7-9 p.m. Free event presented 

by Judy McCord, LMFT. RSVP to Julie Auzenne 

by calling 213-637-7249 or by emailing jmonell@ 

la-archdiocese.org. 

Fri., Feb. 7 

“Caring for the Whole Person” Conference. Cathedral 

of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., Los 

Angeles, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Hosted by ADLA Office of 

Life, Justice, and Peace. Keynote speakers: Archbishop 

José H. Gomez and Dr. Ira Byock. Whole Person 

Care is a new statewide initiative of California bishops 

and health care systems to provide community 

support to families with dying loved ones. Free event 

will provide resources and connections with leaders 

across regions. Register at https://www.eventbrite. 

com/e/caring-for-the-whole-person-launch-conference-tickets-83212882973. 

2nd Annual Priests vs. Seminarians Basketball 

Game. Chaminade Middle School, 10210 Oakdale 

Ave., Chatsworth, 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased 

at archla.org/basketball20. Group rate for 15-20 people. 

Free for priests, religious, and seminarians. 

Sat., Feb. 8 

Healing Retreat for Those Hurting After Abortion. 

St. Martin of Tours Church, 11967 Sunset Blvd., Los 

Angeles. Cost: $40/person, scholarships available. 

Pre-register by emailing sharon@mercifulcompanions.org 

or calling 213-637-7550. 

Italian Catholic Club of SCV Valentine’s Day 

Dinner Dance. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 

23233 Lyons Ave., Newhall, 6 p.m. Enjoy a delicious 

dinner and dance to the music of Duo Domino. 

Wear your favorite red dress, shirt, or tie. All adults 

are welcome. Cost: $40/person, prepaid by Feb. 

2. RSVP to Anna Riggs by calling 661-645-7877. 

Afternoon of Prayer for RCIA. St. John Baptist De 

La Salle Church, 16555 Chatsworth St., Granada 

Hills, 1-4 p.m. Catechumens, candidates, sponsors, 

and team members will come together in prayer with 

Bishop Alex Aclan. This is an opportunity to meet with 

the larger Church of our region as we all journey 

through Lent to Easter. For more information and to 

register, call Sandy Cole at 818-368-1514 or email 

dre@sjbdls.org. 

Racism in America: What is Mine to Do? LMU, 

University Hall, Room 1857, Los Angeles. Feb. 8, 

12-5 p.m.; Feb. 9, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Workshop 

will cover moving toward race reconciliation, learning 

how to start and stay in race conversations, and 

how to respond to racism. Free event. For more information, 

call Catherine Perry at 404-386-8434 

or email cperry@inwardboundcenter.org. Enroll at 

https://racism_in_america_feb_8-9.eventbrite.com. 

Limited slots available. 

World Day of the Sick: Mass and Anointing of the 

Sick. Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple 

St., Los Angeles, 12:30 p.m. Principal celebrant: 

Archbishop José H. Gomez. Homilist: Bishop Marc 

Trudeau. Sponsored by the Order of Malta Western 

Association. All are welcome. For more information, 

email Chuck Carroll at cecarroll@cbbank.com or Mary 

Ellen Eichler at Mary.Ellen.Eichler@fourseason.com. 

Wed., Feb. 12 

Women’s Meeting: East San Fernando District of 

the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. St. 

Finbar Church, 2121 W. Olive Ave., Burbank, 9:30 

a.m.-1:30 p.m. Speaker: Monique Saigon. Mass included, 

and lunch for $12/person, prepaid. Make 

check payable and mail to Marie Urrutia, 1351 Loreto 

Dr., Glendale, CA 91207, before Thu., Feb. 6. Call Marie 

Urrutia at 818-244-0547. 

Mon., Feb. 17 

St. Padre Pio Healing Mass. St. Anne Church, 340 

10th St., Seal Beach, 1 p.m. Celebrant: Father Al 

Scott. Call 562-537-4526. 

Tue., Feb. 18 

Healing Together Through Storytelling. San Gabriel 

Mission, 428 S. Mission Dr., San Gabriel, 6-9 p.m. 

Directed by Julia Bogany, Gabrieleno Tongva San Gabriel 

Band of Mission Indians. Special guest: Bishop 

David O’Connell. Free event, snacks, and drinks provided 

by ADLA Office of Native American Concerns. To 

RSVP call Sylvia Mendivil Salazar at 626-755-9175 

or email sylvia2018@verizon.net. 

Visit AngelusNews.com for these stories 

and more. Your source for complete, 

up-to-the-minute coverage of local news, 

sports and events in Catholic L.A. 

This Week at AngelusNews.com 

• New series: Binge-watch the life of Christ, told through his disciples. 

• Robert Brennan on a BBC TV show that has a message for Christians. 

• Why are California families talking left, but living right? 


SUNDAY 

READINGS 

BY SCOTT HAHN 

Mal. 3:1–4 / Ps. 24:7, 8, 9, 10 / Heb. 2:14–18 / Lk. 2:22–40 

Today’s feast 

marks the 

Presentation of 

the Lord Jesus 

in the Temple, 

40 days after he 

was born. As 

the firstborn, 

he belonged to 

God. According 

to the law, Mary 

and Joseph 

were required 

to take him to 

the Temple and 

“redeem” him 

by paying five 

shekels. 

At the same 

time, the law 

required the 

child’s mother to offer sacrifice in 

order to overcome the ritual impurity 

brought about by childbirth. So the 

feast we celebrate shows a curious 

turn of events. The Redeemer seems 

to be redeemed. She who is all-pure 

presents herself to be purified. 

Such is the humility of our God. 

Such is the humility of the Blessed 

Virgin. They submit to the law even 

though they are not bound by it. 

However, the Gospel story nowhere 

mentions Jesus’ “redemption,” but 

seems to describe instead a religious 

consecration, such as a priest might 

undergo. 

St. Luke tells us that Jesus is “presented” 

in the Temple, using the same 

verb that St. Paul uses to describe the 

offering of a sacrifice (see Romans 

12:1). Another parallel is the Old 

Testament dedication of Samuel (see 

1 Samuel 1:24–27) to the Temple as 

a priest. 

“The Presentation in the Temple,” by Álvaro Pires de Évora, before 

1411–after 1434, Portuguese. 

The drama surrounding Jesus’ 

conception and birth began in the 

Temple, when the archangel visited 

Mary’s kinsman, Zechariah the priest. 

And now the story of Jesus’ infancy 

comes to a fitting conclusion, again 

in the Temple. All the readings today 

concern Jerusalem, the Temple, and 

the sacrificial rites. 

The first reading comes from the 

prophet Malachi, who called the 

priests to return to faithful service, and 

foretold a day when a Messiah would 

arrive with definitive purification of 

the priesthood. Likewise, the Psalm 

announces to Jerusalem that Jerusalem 

is about to receive a great visitor. 

The psalmist identifies him as “The 

LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.” 

Christ now arrives as the long-awaited 

priest and redeemer. He is also the 

sacrifice. Indeed, as his life will show, 

He is the Temple itself (see John 2:19- 

21). 

Scott Hahn is is founder of of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, stpaulcenter.com. 

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART 

8 • ANGELUS • January August 16-23-30, 31, 2020 2019

IN EXILE 

BY FATHER RONALD ROLHEISER, OMI 

Inadequacy, hurt, and reconciliation 

Even with the best intentions, even 

with no malice inside us, even when 

we are faithful, we sometimes cannot 

not hurt one another. Our human situation 

is simply too complex at times 

for us not to wound one another. 

Here’s an example: Danish philosopher 

Søren Kierkegaard, who spent 

his whole life trying to be scrupulously 

faithful to what God was calling 

him to, once hurt a woman very 

deeply. As a young man, he had fallen 

in love with a woman, Regine, who, 

in return, loved him deeply. 

But as their marriage date approached, 

Kierkegaard was beset with 

an internal crisis, one both psychological 

and moral, within which he 

discerned that their marriage would, 

long range, be the cause for deep 

unhappiness for both of them and he 

called off the engagement. 

That decision hurt Regine deeply 

and permanently. She never forgave 

him and he, for his part, was haunted 

for the rest of his life by the fact that 

he had hurt her so badly. Initially, he 

wrote her a number of letters trying to 

explain his decision and apologizing 

for hurting her, hoping for her understanding 

and forgiveness. 

Eventually he gave up, even as he 

wrote page after page in his private 

journals second-guessing himself, castigating 

himself, and then, conversely, 

trying to justify himself again and 

again in his decision not to marry her. 

Nearly 10 years after that fateful 

decision, with Regine now married to 

someone else, he spent weeks trying 

to draft the right letter to her, asking 

for forgiveness, offering new explanations 

for his actions, and begging for 

another chance to talk with her. He 

finally settled on this letter: 

“Cruel I was, that is true. Why? 

Indeed, you do not know that. 

“Silent I have been, that is certain. 

Only God knows what I have suffered 

— may God grant that I do not, even 

now, speak too soon after all! 

“Marry I could not. Even if you were 

still free, I could not. 

“However, you have loved me, as 

I have you. I owe you much — and 

now you are married. All right, I 

offer you for the second time what I 

can and dare and ought to offer you: 

reconciliation. 

“I do this in writing in order not to 

surprise or overwhelm you. Perhaps 

my personality did once have too 

strong an effect; that must not happen 

again. But for the sake of God in 

heaven, please give serious consideration 

to whether you dare become 

involved in this, and if so, whether 

you prefer to speak with me at once 

or would rather exchange some letters 

first. 

“If the answer is ‘No’ — would you 

then please remember for the sake of 

a better world that I took this step as 

well. 

“In any case, as in the beginning so 

until now, sincerely and completely 

devotedly, your S.K.” — Clare Carlisle, 

“The Heart of a Philosopher” 

(Penguin Books, circa 2019, p. 215). 

Well, the answer was no. He had 

enclosed his letter in another letter, 

which he sent to her husband, asking 

him to decide whether or not to give 

it to his wife. It was returned unopened 

with an angry note, his offer 

of reconciliation bitterly rejected. 

What’s the moral here? Simply this: 

We hurt one another, sometimes 

through selfishness, sometimes 

through carelessness, sometimes 

through infidelity, sometimes through 

cruel intention, but sometimes, too, 

when there is no selfishness, no 

carelessness, no betrayal, no cruelty of 

intention, only the cruelty of circumstance, 

inadequacy, and human limit. 

We sometimes hurt one another 

as deeply through being faithful as 

through being unfaithful, albeit in 

a different way. But irrespective of 

whether there’s moral fault, betrayal, 

or an intended cruelty, there’s still 

deep hurt that no healing will take 

place. 

Would that it be otherwise. Would 

that Kierkegaard could have explained 

himself so fully that Regine 

would have understood and forgiven 

him, would that each of us could explain 

ourselves so fully that we would 

be always understood and forgiven, 

and would that all of our lives could 

end like a warmhearted movie where, 

before the closing credits, everything 

is understood and reconciled. 

But that’s not the way it always ends; 

indeed, that’s not even the way it ended 

for Jesus. He died being looked at 

as a criminal, as a religious blasphemer, 

as someone who had done wrong. 

His offer of reconciliation was also 

returned unopened, accompanied by 

a bitter note. 

I once visited a young man who was 

dying of cancer at age 56. Already 

bedridden and in hospice care, but 

with his mind still clear, he shared 

this: “I am dying with this consolation: 

If I have an enemy in this world, 

I don’t know who it is. I can’t think 

of a single person that I need to be 

reconciled with.” 

Few of us are that lucky. Most of us 

are still looking at some envelopes 

that have been returned unopened. 

Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Ronald Rolheiser is a spiritual writer, www.ronrolheiser.com. 



A 

family’s 

story 

to tell 

After losing their son to gang 

violence in Guatemala, the 

Arredondos were separated 

three ways after trying to enter 

the US. It took a team effort to 

bring them back together 

BY PILAR MARRERO / ANGELUS 

Fernando Arredondo embraces his 7-year-old daughter 

Alison at Los Angeles International Airport Jan. 22. 

JOHN MCCOY 

Late in the evening on Wednesday, Jan. 22, Fernando 

Arredondo stepped off a plane at Los Angeles International 

Airport (LAX) and found himself in a deep 

embrace with his three daughters (ages 17, 13, and 7) and 

his wife, Cleivi, with tears of gratitude in his eyes and a 

smile he could not contain. 

“Gracias, gracias a todos,” he said out loud while hugging 

each daughter, carrying a weeping and tired 7-yearold 

Alison in his arms, and kissing his wife on the lips. 

“Thank you, thank you, God, and thank you, everyone. 

This is a miracle.” 

The reunion with his family came one year and eight 

months after U.S. immigration authorities separated him 


from his then-12-year-old daughter Andrea when they presented 

themselves at the U.S.-Mexico border crossing in 

Laredo, Texas, to request asylum on May 16, 2018. 

A few days earlier, Fernando and Andrea had been taken 

off a bus by Mexican authorities in Mexico, leaving his 

wife and the other two daughters on board, split three 

ways as a result of decisions by Mexican and U.S. immigration 

authorities. 

They are now back together in Los Angeles. 

It was a very long road to this moment, one that took a 

lot of help from the legal organizations that challenged 

the federal government’s “zero-tolerance” border policy in 

court, as well as the Catholic officials and volunteers who 

personally helped Cleivi and her three daughters settle 

in Los Angeles, and the lawyer who represented them in 

court. 

There were eight other deported parents who returned to 

the United States on Fernando’s flight. 

All were allowed to enter the U.S. after a judge ruled in 

September 2019 that they had been unlawfully deported 

back to Central America 

by the U.S. government 

despite having viable asylum 

cases and after being 

separated from underage 

children they traveled with 

at the height of the family 

separation policy of 2018. 

In total, these nine parents, 

plus two who have 

not returned yet, are the 

only ones expressly allowed 

back out of a group of 470 

parents deported without 

their sons and daughters. 

Another group of 30 came 

back to the U.S. on their 

own and presented themselves 

again at the border to 

be reunified with children that had been left behind. 

It is indeed close to a miracle, admitted Linda Dakin-Grimm, 

the pro bono legal advocate representing and 

assisting the Arredondo family as part of joint efforts between 

the Interdiocesan Southern California Task Force 

on Immigration, church volunteers, and Kids in Need of 

Defense (KIND) in Los Angeles. 

“At the beginning, I had very little optimism that we 

would be able to bring him back because the remedy that 

the U.S. authorities designed for the parents that were already 

deported was very difficult to achieve: It determined 

that only “rare and unusual” cases would be allowed back. 

I told Cleivi that I would do my best, but I did not want to 

give her false hope,” said Dakin-Grimm. 

While an army of public interest and pro bono lawyers 

litigated on behalf of the parents and other separated families, 

working for almost two years to identify and locate 

parents and children, others were helping some of these 

families or unaccompanied children to survive in the U.S. 

There were practical issues, like getting them a place to 

“At the beginning, I had very 

little optimism that we would be 

able to bring [Fernando] back,” 

said pro bono lawyer Linda 

Dakin-Grimm. “I told Cleivi 

that I would do my best, but I did 

not want to give her false hope.” 

live, helping them with basics like furniture, clothes, and 

food. 

Cleivi had turned herself in to immigration authorities 

with her eldest daughter Keily, then 15, and her youngest, 

Alison, who was only 5 at the time they fled Guatemala 

as a family. She had no news from Fernando and 12-yearold 

Andrea for close to 20 days while she was in a family 

shelter in San Antonio. 

While there, she got help from a nonprofit organization 

and was able to locate her daughter at another shelter. 

She was not able to talk to Fernando, who was locked 

for three months in four different detention centers until 

he was finally deported back to Guatemala in August of 

2018. 

He had failed a “credible fear” interview by immigration 

authorities, while his wife and daughters had passed theirs 

at the border, and was denied the chance to apply for 

asylum. 

However, Fernando had been deported in violation of 

San Diego Federal Judge Dana Sabraw’s order to the 

Trump administration to 

suspend the “zero tolerance” 

policy and a restraining 

order to stop deportations 

stemming from that 

policy. It took another order 

by Judge Sabraw in late 

2019 to force the federal 

government to allow for the 

return of Fernando and the 

other eight deportees. 

When Dakin-Grimm 

took the family’s case, she 

reached out to the Archdiocese 

of Los Angeles for help 

finding the family a home, 

said Lucy Boutte, a volunteer 

with the Immigration 

Task Force, who works with 

San Gabriel Episcopal Vicar, Auxiliary Bishop David 

O’Connell of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region. 

The bishop personally provided for the family’s monthly 

rent, as well as the move-in deposit, for a house in South 

LA, and a variety of volunteers, including Bertha Cardenti 

and Jeff Hamilton, have helped with translation, transportation, 

finding and transporting donated furniture, and 

keeping in touch with the family. 

“I started by translating for Linda,” said Cardenti as she 

arrived with the family at LAX on Wednesday night. “But 

now I feel they are part of my family, we have become 

friends, and we are close to each other.” 

Msgr. Jarlath Cunnane, chair of the Immigration Task 

Force and pastor of St. Cornelius Church in Long Beach, 

traveled to Guatemala to accompany Fernando back to 

Los Angeles. He explained that the task force “has been 

doing whatever we can to make the Church present” in 

the lives of immigrant families. 

“We have been coordinating with KIND, working with 

Catholic Charities, as well as parishes and individuals 


From left: Alison, 7; Fernando’s 

wife, Cleivi; Andrea, 13; and 

Keily, 17, wait for their father’s 

arrival with handmade signs. 

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M 

M 

The Arredondo family is together again after being separated for more than 1 1/2 years. The reunion was made possible through joint efforts from 

the Interdiocesan Southern California Task Force on Immigration, church volunteers, and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) in Los Angeles. 

JOHN MCCOY 

in helping this and other families, and now that they are 

together again we will continue to support them in many 

different ways,” he said. 

The family has been through a lot, said Cleivi, who 

recounted the original reason her family decided to leave 

Guatemala in the first place: the murder of her son and 

eldest child Marco Antonio at 18 years old. 

“My son Marco Antonio Arredondo was killed on April 

18, 2018, in front of my mother’s house. His sister Keily, 

who is now 17 years old, was by his side when a guy came 

and shot him repeatedly,” the woman said. 

The Arredondos decided to flee the neighborhood out 

of fear for the safety of their family, especially Keily, who 

had witnessed the murder. But there was another problem. 

“We couldn’t leave right away because my mother was 

dying of cancer,” explained Cleivi. “At the end of May, 

she died and we decided we had no business being there, 

it was no life for us.” 

In one declaration made by Fernando filed with the 

family’s asylum claim, he recounted how he and his son 

Marco worked as part of a neighborhood watch for their 

Guatemala City neighborhood to prevent the Mara 18 

street gang from infiltrating it. 

This appears to have led to Marco’s murder and to further 

threats against the family, who tried to move far away 

but kept receiving threats from gang associates. He was 

also suspicious of the police which, he says, “is corrupt 

14 • ANGELUS • January 31, 2020 

and infiltrated by gangs.” The family had no choice but 

to leave. 

Now that he is in Los Angeles, Fernando will join his 

family’s asylum claim, according to Dakin-Grimm, and 

will probably have a merit hearing by next year. “They 

are a family, they have one story to tell,” she said. 

Daughters Keily, Andrea, and Alison prepared handmade 

signs to receive their dad at the airport. The signs, 

using red glitter, yellow and green cardboard, and big letters 

read, “Daddy, We Miss You” and “Welcome Daddy” 

in Spanish. 

Little Allison, who has acquired considerable English-speaking 

skills in her short time in the U.S., wrote in 

English, “Welcome Daddy.” 

As a celebratory meal, Cleivi made “pipian,” a molestyle 

sauce popular in the tropical Americas. They were 

all going to San Diego for his Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement (ICE) check-in appointment. Church 

volunteers were driving them there, and hope to continue 

being a resource to the family as they navigate their new 

chance in the U.S. 

“What’s the first thing the family will do together?” people 

asked Fernando. 

“We are all going to stay very close together,” he said. 

“We are blessed.” 

Pilar Marrero is a Venezuelan-born independent journalist 

living in Los Angeles. 

B 

B 

S 

S 

S

“The unity of of the the body of of Christ 

“The unity of the body of Christ 

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human race, and we’re called to to 

human build build race, up up and that that we’re union.” 

called to 

build up that union.” 

build up that union.” 

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Bringing Christ to the world through the media 

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God’s eyes, 

their 

hands 

TOM HOFFARTH 

Lexi Possehl, from St. Francis of Rome Church in Azusa, led the meeting as the facilitator. 

Over the last year, a group of LA 

teens has been planning every 

detail of this year’s Youth Day 

BY TOM HOFFARTH / ANGELUS 

A 

digital countdown clock has been ticking on the 

Los Angeles Religious Education Congress official 

website, marking the days, hours, minutes, and 

seconds before the Feb. 20 Youth Day starts inside the 

Anaheim Convention Center. 

But for months, going back to last summer, dozens of 

teenagers who make up the Youth Day Coordinating 

Team (YDCT) have been counting down the time as they 

reconvene regularly at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ 

Wilshire Boulevard office to plan out all the elements. 

The finish line is in sight, with enthusiasm and a belief 


in a unifying common goal for this year’s Youth Day. 

Established for grades 9-12 in public and Catholic 

schools, it runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on the 

Thursday before as the high-energy launch into the adult 

portion of the Feb. 21-23 Religious Education Congress. 

It is all sponsored by the archdiocese’s Office of Religious 

Education. 

Jenny Guzman, the coordinator of Youth Ministry 

Events for the archdiocese, has been impressed with the 

commitment of those on the YDCT committee, considering 

many have to come to downtown LA during rushhour 

traffic on a school night to get the work done. 

“Their energy and enthusiasm is so inspiring, and it’s 

important for them to understand that it’s a team who 

creates everything in all different regions of the archdiocese,” 

said Guzman. “These young people are strong and 

want to show others how awesome God is, in good or bad 

times, and to share God’s love.” 

Interweaving Scripture, music, and personal witness 

around the theme “20/20 Through God’s Eyes,” the focus 

is to open up communication about a variety of topics 

that resonates with the student organizers as well as their 

peer group. “I had some tough times going from 2019 to 

2020, feeling maybe I was passed over, or invisible,” said 

Andre Quevedo, a senior at South Hills High School and 

a member of Sacred Heart Church in West Covina. 

“What we really want to accomplish with this Youth Day 

is remind everyone that God sees you, but don’t forget 

who you are. I feel this message is a good way to say: Be 

patient and understand you’re not alone. Trust me, see if 

through a clear lens and you’ll see the brightness in the 

world.” 

VICTOR ALEMÁN 

Religious Education Congress 2019 Youth Day Mass at the Anaheim Convention Center. 


Cardinal Timothy Manning at the 1976 Youth Day. 

THE TIDINGS FILE PHOTO 

Manny Lesedma, a Paraclete High School senior who 

attends Sacred Heart Church in Lancaster, also said 2019 

was a difficult transitional year for him, “and it was hard 

to see what path God had for me. This makes me think 

about how I may have focused on something that was a 

burden or a dark time. God may see it as a way of opening 

a new door for me as he is closing another. We all have to 

open our eyes to what God may have in store for us.” 

The YDCT 2020 team has cast a net to invite some 

40-plus high school students. Some were direct from 

Crespi High School in Encino, Louisville High School 

in Woodland Hills and Juniṕero Serra High School in 

Gardena. Others were parts of the youth parish ministries 

at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and St. Vincent Church 

in LA, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Downey, 

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Montebello, 

Sacred Heart Church of Covina and Lancaster, St. 

Frances of Rome Church in Azusa, St. Mary’s Church of 

C 

C 

TOM HOFFARTH 

Members of the Youth Day Coordinating Team, from left: Mary Dierking and Lexi Possehl, St. Frances of Rome Church; Andre Quevedo, Sacred Heart 

Church; Stephanie Hernandez and Sarah Campuzano, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Northridge; and adult volunteers Hannah, Mary, and Sage, during 

a meeting Thursday, Jan. 9 at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center. 


THE TIDINGS FILE PHOTO 

Palmdale and St. Paschal Baylon Church of Thousand 

Oaks Church. 

Most often they were encouraged to join the committee 

by their local youth group church coordinators, or from 

previous experience at the Youth Day event. Each takes 

on leadership roles for every meeting, from facilitator, 

community building, opening prayer, note taker, and 

timekeeper. 

Madelyn Cruz, a senior at Paraclete High School in 

Lancaster and a parishioner at St. Mary Church in Palmdale, 

said it wasn’t surprising to her how these students 

from different schools were able to mesh so quickly and 

form a bond. “As a cradle Catholic, helping with summer 

camps and retreats, it’s amazing to see how people 

from all over can come together for one thing, and grow 

so close and so fast,” said Cruz. “I love to see it and I’m 

excited about this Youth Day.” 

As the Religious Education Congress has become the 

largest annual gathering of Roman Catholics in the U.S., 

attracting more than 40,000 last year to attend some 

300 workshops and hear 200 speakers, there were nearly 

13,000 attendees just for Youth Day. The first organized 

Youth Rally was in 1971. 

Ledesma said the confidence and leadership skills he 

has developed with the YDCT “gives me the ability to go 

back and share with my parish. If we can show them that, 

a group of teens, we helped plan this large event, we can 

do something here as well, become eucharistic ministers 

and lectors. We can handle this. As Pope Francis has said, 

the youth of the Church is now, not just the future. We 

want to serve more.” 

During the 1 1/2-hour meeting in early January, 

student organizers distributed a sheet of paper with 42 

words: reminders of things that are important in their 

journey and need to be addressed. Many of them were 

heavy subjects, ranging from anger, depression, dysfunction, 

and suicide. It emphasized the importance of 

addressing mental and emotional health. 

“We see these words, and it’s something that not just 

every teen, but children and adults and the elderly, 

have felt at some point,” said Quevedo. “It’s important 

to understand you’re not alone and you have people 

around you who may be going through the same situations. 

You have to be open to receiving love from other 

people. Ultimately, I hope those who attend this can 

understand they themselves have the ability to live the 

way they want.” 

Going back to the “20/20” theme, Cruz said she also 

hoped the takeaway from Youth Day will be a simple 

message: “No matter how you see yourself, you’ll always 

be perfect in God’s eyes.” 

Registration for Youth Day continues online at www. 

recongress.org/register for $40 a student. 

Tom Hoffarth is an award-winning journalist based in 

Los Angeles. 

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Rome’s 

man in 

New York 

The Vatican’s newly arrived 

representative at the United 

Nations faces a long list of 

delicate diplomatic tasks 

BY CHARLES COLLINS / ANGELUS 

Archbishop Gabriele 

Giordano Caccia 

KEVIN JONES/CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY 

A 

little-noted event took place in 

Vatican diplomacy this month 

that could have a big effect on 

how the Church faces the international 

challenges of 2020. 

Italian Archbishop Gabriele 

Giordano Caccia officially took up 

his role as permanent observer of 

the Holy See to the United Nations 

in New York, although it was announced 

last fall that he was replacing 

Philippine Archbishop Bernardito 

Auza in the role. 

The Vatican, officially known as the 

Holy See in diplomatic parlance, is 

not a member of the United Nations, 

but a Permanent Observer State, 

which gives it the right to participate 

in the debates and meetings of the 

organization. 

Archbishop Caccia’s term is going 

to get off to a quick start. In March, 

there’s the annual meeting of the 

Commission on the Status of Women. 

Every year, the Holy See has to 

negotiate the minefield of gender 

and reproductive rights language. 

This year will mark the 25th anniversary 

of the U.N.’s Fourth World 

Conference on Women in Beijing. 

The Holy See delegation to that 

conference, led by Harvard Law 

School professor Mary Ann Glendon, 

who went on to become the U.S. 

ambassador to the Vatican under 

George W. Bush, led the fight to 

make sure “new rights” (e.g., to abortion) 

were not included in the final 

document. 

These issues will come up again 

in March, and the U.N. will see 

how Archbishop Caccia handles the 

debate. 

Another issue Archbishop Caccia 

will have to face is the ongoing situation 

in the Middle East. 

The primary concerns of the Holy 

See are establishing peace in the 

region, and protecting religious minorities, 

including Christians. 

In the Holy Land, the Vatican is 

firmly committed to a two-state solution, 

while at the same time seeking 

international guarantees for the holy 

sites in Jerusalem. 

The conflict in Syria and Iraq, 

where some of the oldest Christian 

communities in the world are threatened 

with extinction, is also an area 

the Holy See hopes the U.N. takes a 

more active part in resolving. 

Later this year, the 2020 United 

Nations Climate Change Conference 

will take place in Glasgow, Scotland. 

Pope Francis’ ecological 2015 

encyclical was written to influence 

the Paris meeting, and the fight 

against climate change has become a 

growing portfolio for the Holy See’s 

U.N. mission. 

The Vatican would also like to see 

the implementation of the U.N. migration 

pact passed a year ago, with 

the strong backing of Pope Francis. 

The pact aims to help countries 

cooperate to deal with the greatest 

migration crisis since the end of 

World War II, but it lacks the support 

of several countries, including the 

United States, Australia, and Italy. 

In tackling these issues, the Vatican 

has to deal with certain realities of 

multilateral diplomacy, mainly that 

its friends are only friends if it suits 


their interests. 

A good example would be the relationship 

between the United States. 

Archbishop Caccia will probably be 

able to count on the Trump administration 

to help in the fight against 

adding abortion rights language to 

U.N. documents, but will not have 

Trump’s support in helping refugees. 

These dynamics can change with 

one election; with a Democratic 

administration, these positions might 

easily be reversed. 

Liberal governments praise Pope 

Francis when he talks about the environment, 

but are less enthusiastic 

when he condemns gender theory. 

For the Vatican’s mission to the 

U.N. — which is miniscule compared 

to the delegations from member 

states, and even some NGOs 

(nongovernmental organizations) — 

this means the permanent observer 

has to be able to make the Church’s 

position clear, while at the same 

time be able to work with delegations 

on common issues, even if they are 

strongly opposed to the Church on 

other things. 

Archbishop Caccia’s diplomatic experience 

will help him. His last post 

was as papal representative to the 

Philippines, the Catholic heartland 

of Asia. 

However, he has served during the 

presidency of populist President 

Rodrigo Duterte, who has been vocal 

in his opposition to the country’s 

bishops, and before his election 

called Pope Francis a “son of a bitch” 

for causing traffic jams during his 

2015 visit to the Philippines. 

Before that, he represented the 

Vatican in Lebanon, where Maronite 

Catholics, Shia Muslims, Sunni 

Muslims, and the country’s other religious 

communities have a delicate 

balance of power. 

In both countries, Archbishop 

Caccia was able to negotiate the delicate 

path of quietly promoting the 

Church’s interest without sparking 

any diplomatic problems. 

When Archbishop Caccia’s appointment 

was announced last November, 

the archbishop noted the U.N. is 

about to mark its 75th anniversary 

and laid out his vision of his job. 

“I look forward to helping the 

Holy See assist the United Nations 

in renewing its commitment to the 

pillars of its charter, preventing the 

scourge of war, defending human 

dignity and rights, promoting integral 

development, and fostering respect 

and implementation of international 

law and treaties,” he said. 

He will have a busy year ahead of 

him. 

Charles Collins is Crux’s managing 

editor. 

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia greets religious leaders during an interfaith conference at Notre Dame 

University Louaize in Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon, in 2017, as the former Vatican nuncio to Lebanon. 

January 31, 2020 • ANGELUS • 21 

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INSIDE 

THE PAGES 

By KRIS MCGREGOR 

Joining 

the eternal 

symphony 

How praying the Liturgy of the 

Hours can connect you with God 

and the universal Church 

“If you know anything about 

the Liturgy of the Hours, the 

general impression is: that’s 

what priests do. Partly that’s right, 

because priests, monks, and nuns are 

obligated. But the Church has made 

it clear, especially since the Second 

Vatican Council, that all of us should 

consider integrating that into our 

prayer life.” 

Daria Sockey’s mission is to help us 

do just that: take the prayers of the 

Liturgy of the Office, recited faithfully 

throughout the history of the 

Church, and integrate them into our 

daily prayer lives. In her book “The 

Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the 

Liturgy of the Hours” (Servant Books, 

$13), she gives us the history and 

meaning behind these prayers, and 

helps us find the time to add one or 

two — or all of them — to our days. 

Kris McGregor: Is praying the Liturgy 

of the Hours really for the everyday 

Catholic? 

Daria Sockey: The recent popes 

seem to think so! I know Pope Benedict 

XVI said a few years back that 

he was hoping every Catholic would 

be familiar with the Liturgy of the 

Hours. Thanks to the many online 

and mobile app versions of the breviary, 

it’s really easy to do so. 

McGregor: How did you get started? 

Sockey: I did a semester abroad 

program in Spain, sponsored by 

a Catholic college. Our chaplain 

started offering night prayer, “complens,” 

from the Liturgy of the Hours. 

One night I said I would do it, and I 

discovered that night prayer is some 

of the most lovely and consoling and 

beautiful psalms and prayers. They 


had this wonderful, restful character, 

like bedtime prayers. 

When I got home, I got my first 

breviary and experimented with 

adding in the other liturgical hours. 

Sometimes I would drop it for a few 

months, but I would always get back 

to it. It’s the kind of prayer that works 

best for me. 

McGregor: It’s hard to sustain a 

Catholic light in the world because of 

work, or our communities; sometimes 

we don’t have access to daily Mass. 

Does this help? 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

Sockey: The Liturgy of the Hours is 

in a whole class of prayers by itself, 

with the Mass. It’s liturgy, and that 

means it’s the public prayer of the 

Church. When you’re doing it, you’re 

not just saying your own little thing 

for your own intentions, you are 

connecting yourself to this universal 

worldwide prayer going on around 

the globe, all hours of the day. You 

are praying on behalf of the Church. 

McGregor: Can you give us an 

understanding of each part of the 

prayers? 

Sockey: It takes maybe 10, 12 

minutes to pray morning or evening 

prayer, maybe five minutes to pray 

daytime prayer. 

Each of these has a couple of psalms 

and a biblical canticle, Old Testament 

mostly. So there’s these three 

sections that you pray. 

Each one is preceded by an antiphon, 

which gives you the key 

thought that you should be dwelling 

on as you pray the psalm. After that, 

there’s a short biblical reading, maybe 

one or two sentences, and there’s 

usually a very lovely key truth taught 

in that little reading. 

You go from there to a short responsory 

prayer, and then one of the Gospel 

canticles, either the Magnificat 

of Our Lady in the evening, or in the 

morning you’d get the Benedictus, 

the prayer that Zachariah prayed at 

the birth of John the Baptist. 

After that, there’s a little list of petitions, 

like the prayer of the faithful at 

Mass. Every day, you get these opportunities 

to pray for things you might 

not normally think to pray for, but 

you should: for the pope, the souls of 

those who have died, our bishops and 

priests, the poor, the sick. 

Once you see these main parts, and 

they all have a purpose, it draws it 

all together, and you see that what 

you’re doing is just something really 

wonderful. 

McGregor: It’s a discipline, isn’t it? 

The consistency of doing it every day, 

the faithfulness in doing it even on 

those days when you don’t feel like 

you want to, and you do it anyway. 

That’s where we get tremendous 

graces. 

Sockey: You can’t just wait for the 

mood to strike you when you feel 

like praying. This applies to whatever 

routine of prayer we impose on ourselves. 

If we only do it when we’re in 

the mood, we’re not going to end up 

doing it very often at all. 

That’s why the Church obliges us 

to go to Mass on Sunday. Most of 

the time we want to go, but there are 

those days where we think, do I have 

to? Yes, you have to! And that’s a good 

thing. 

Even if, on a given day, you’re 

distracted, you’re spiritually dry, it’s 

not about you. God speaks to you this 

way, but it’s about God. It’s this great, 

wonderful duty of offering the sacrifice 

of praise. The faithfulness itself, 

the act of will, is a prayerful act, over 

and above what we are feeling about 

it on any given day. 

In heaven, they’re still chanting the 

praises of God. There’s this eternal 

symphony going on, and this is your 

chance to add your own pathetic little 

squeak of a voice. In doing so, your 

squeak becomes a beautiful thing. 

Kris McGregor is the founder of Discerninghearts.com, 

an online resource 

for the best in contemporary Catholic 

spirituality. 

AMAZON 


WITH GRACE 

BY DR. GRAZIE POZO CHRISTIE 

The 

true toll 

of the 

culture 

of death 

A young woman with her 

child during the annual 

March for Life rally in 

Washington, D.C., Jan. 24. 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/TYLER ORSBURN 

Abortion hurts women. Deeply. 

This is my personal opinion, 

although it’s based on countless 

conversations and encounters 

over the years with women who can’t 

remember the experience without 

a sigh of pain, and are periodically 

brought to their knees when some 

chance occurrence picks at the scab 

they’ve grown over the raw wound. 

Nonreligious women have told me 

they think often of the little one they 

rejected, and how the enormity of 

what they lost became clear when 

they held their born children in their 

arms. Religious women have trouble 

believing that God can forgive the 

unforgivable. 

They feel estranged from Love Himself, 

and the source of all joy. They 

have to be convinced that they — 

even they — are the sheep the Good 

Shepherd longs to bring home. 

Abortion supporters disagree. It’s 

not harmful to women. Indeed, it is 

a liberating procedure and ultimately 

positive, a simple act of will and 

self-determination. There is no victim 

in abortion, they say, not the embryo, 

not the mother, and certainly not the 

father. If there is no victim then there 

is no guilt. If no guilt, then nothing 

that can emotionally or spiritually 

damage women. 

For proof that abortion is not traumatic, 

they cite studies that show that 

women who terminate an unwanted 

pregnancy do not suffer more psychological 

difficulties or increased rates of 

substance abuse compared to women 

who gave birth. 

These studies followed women for up 

to five years after their abortions, and 

looked at single outcomes, like rates 

of depression or suicidality, not the 

totality of their distress. 

I don’t believe that clinical studies 

can ever fully track the negative 

spiritual and emotional consequences 

of abortion for women. Frequent 

bouts of grief that mar an otherwise 

peaceful life are impossible to quantify. 

However, if one must fight back 

against abortion supporters who cite 

clinical studies, then the thing to have 

is a better study, a more accurate one 

that followed women for a longer period 

of time, and measured all the signs 

of psychological distress together. One 

such study was just published in the 

Swiss medical journal Medicina. 

The study measured the prevalence 

of psychological disorders in almost 

4,000 American women from the 

ages of 15 to 28. It compared mental 

health before and after pregnancy, 

abortion and birth, and took into 

account the crucial fact of whether 

I 

Matt 

Ob 

10 

He 

Stra 

Ob 

LAX 


the women freely chose to terminate 

their pregnancies or were coerced or 

pressured into aborting. 

The findings are shocking but not 

surprising, at least to those of us 

whose ideology doesn’t willfully blind 

us to the emotional toll abortion takes 

on women. 

The study shows that by the time a 

post-abortive woman is 28, she is 74% 

more likely to experience depression, 

anxiety, or suicidality than one who 

has never aborted. This high incidence 

rises to 84% in those who were 

pressured into the procedure, whether 

by parents, husband, or boyfriend. 

People who struggle with depression, 

guilt, or anxiety often turn to drugs or 

alcohol to dull the pain or self-medicate, 

sometimes leading to addiction. 

Such is the case with some post-abortive 

women. 

The Medicina study shows that they 

are twice as likely as women who 

gave birth to their babies to suffer 

from substance abuse (of opioid, 

marijuana, alcohol, or illegal drugs). 

This is true, interestingly, whether 

their pregnancies were wanted or 

unwanted. 

Again, studies asking women to 

check boxes on a questionnaire can 

only measure so much. Trauma does 

not always evince itself by neat measurable 

outcomes that can be charted 

and tracked. 

Most of the women who have shared 

their abortion regret with me are by 

all clinical standards enjoying normal 

mental health, and I don’t think any 

of them were substance abusers. But 

they were traumatized, nonetheless, 

and scarred by their experience. 

Sex, untrammeled by old-fashioned, 

outgrown moral codes, is fun and 

consequence-free, our libertine society 

tells us. To say this with a straight 

face they have to first pretend the 

hundreds of thousands of children 

whose lives have been ended through 

legal abortion never existed, and they 

have to create and cite studies that 

show women going blithely on their 

way after aborting their babies. 

Interestingly, when pro-abortion 

groups gather to demonstrate, as 

they do in the Women’s March in 

Washington, D.C., the mood is not 

blithe but sullen, angry, and vulgar. 

The opposite of the pro-life marches, 

which are characterized by their 

joyful ambiance and their emphasis 

on warm support for the heartbroken 

post-abortive women among their 

ranks. 

It is opponents of abortion who 

know the truth, whether by clinical 

studies or personal experience. 

Regret, remorse, sadness, self-doubt, 

anger, even occasionally despair, are 

the heavy burdens tied on the backs 

of women by the culture of death. It 

is the culture of life that brings hope 

and happiness back to them, that 

points to the rising sun after a long, 

cold night. 

Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie grew up in 

Guadalajara, Mexico, coming to the 

U.S. at the age of 11. She has written 

for USA TODAY, National Review, 

The Washington Post, and The New 

York Times, and has appeared on 

CNN, Telemundo, Fox News, and 

EWTN. She practices radiology in the 

Miami area, where she lives with her 

husband and five children. 

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Mehdi Dehbi in “Messiah.” 

IMDB 

He’s coming — real or not 

‘Messiah’ invites viewers to reflect: 

Are miracles enough to make us believe? 

BY STEFANO REBEGGIANI / ANGELUS 

Being a Netflix show about a man 

who claims to be the Second 

Coming, I had plenty of doubts 

about “Messiah.” 

The subject matter is sensitive (the 

show has been banned in Jordan, 

allegedly for misrepresenting some 

elements of Islam), and the risk of sentimentalism, 

banality, and ridicule was 

high (for some reason, actors playing 

messiahs always end up looking crazy 

or ridiculous). 

In short, I did not think the writers 

could pull a 10-episode show out of 

this interesting premise without falling 

into stereotypes or “preaching to the 

choir.” 

Thankfully, I was wrong. 

Produced by Roma Downey and 

Mark Burnett (the couple behind the 

television miniseries “The Bible,” its 

sequel “A.D.,” as well as the remake 

of “Ben Hur”), “Messiah” is worth 

watching from start to finish. Sure, the 

show is far from perfect. The beginning 

is slow, almost too slow. There are 

too many side characters and a couple 

of subplots that could have been edited 

out. 

But these drawbacks are largely 

compensated by the show’s many 

accomplishments. For one, there is a 

lot of quality acting: Mehdi Dehbi (al- 

Masih) is a subtle, mesmerizing savior 

figure (do his eyes show goodness 

and compassion, or is it mockery and 

deceit?); Michelle Monaghan (Eva 

Geller) is intense and convincing; and 

the international cast (the movie is 

acted in three languages) proves to be 

more than equal to the task. 

Most importantly, the show provides 

an unusually deep and challenging 

approach to a set of crucial questions. 

The plot revolves around the identity 

of its protagonist, a mysterious man 

named al-Masih who appears in Syria 

and performs great miracles. CIA 

agent Geller, who is a skeptic at heart, 

starts investigating him. After being 

captured in Israel, al–Masih miraculously 

resurfaces in the fictional town 

of Dilley, Texas, just before a major 

tornado razes it to the ground. 

Here he saves the daughter of Rev. 

Felix Iguero (John Ortiz), who was 

planning on setting his own church on 

fire. Here he gathers a great number 

of followers, who form a caravan that 

winds up in Washington, D.C., where 

al-Masih’s activity risks having serious 

international consequences. 

The initial episodes move from desert 

to desert, from Syria to Texas. The implications 

of this imagery are clear: the 

new messiah appears in a world that is 

literally thirsting for meaning. 

In the face of this, traditional religions 

seem inadequate (“Messiah” 


lends Christian, Islamic, and even 

Mormon ideas about the second coming): 

They all appear weary, impractical, 

and removed from people’s needs. 

Our world needs a real presence, a real 

answer to suffering and confusion. But 

is al-Masih the real thing? 

The show won’t tell you. Yes, he performs 

miracles, but who is to say they 

are not illusions? And are miracles 

enough to grant belief? 

To its credit, “Messiah” turns out 

to be not so much about whether al- 

Masih is Jesus returned or a charlatan, 

but rather about how people react 

when their belief systems are challenged. 

CIA agent Eva Geller clings to her 

disbelief almost religiously, and it 

seems clear that her inability to believe 

in the supposed messiah has to do 

with her unwillingness to forgive, both 

herself as well as others. In a crucial 

scene she chastises her father, whom 

she can’t forgive, for attempting to find 

pardon and hope in the coming of the 

new messiah. 

The reverend’s wife is also unable to 

believe, and though she may be right 

in disbelieving, it is hard to resist the 

impression that she fails to do so for 

the wrong reasons: She is just too cynical, 

too embittered, too blind to open 

herself up to the savior’s message. 

On the other side of the spectrum 

is the reverend’s daughter, Rebecca, 

who finds pardon and redemption in 

al-Masih, feeling forgiven and accepted 

for the first time. Her belief in him 

might be completely misguided (after 

all, we are never told whether al-Masih 

is the real deal, and there’s a good 

chance he is not), yet it has a positive 

effect. 

The inevitable conclusion seems to 

be that people’s assumptions are as important 

as the events they are confronted 

with in determining their beliefs. 

Those who are unwilling to believe 

will not be persuaded, no matter what 

evidence is presented to them; and 

those who are willing to believe may 

easily be confused when their expectations 

come true. Al-Masih may well be 

a false messiah, yet the whole process 

of how people react to his actions has 

parallels in the Gospels. 

There are, too, contrasting reactions. 

There, too, miracles are not enough. 

According to the Gospels, some apostles 

had doubts about Jesus even after 

witnessing his resurrection. 

“Blessed are you, Simon, son of 

Jonah, because flesh and blood did not 

reveal this to you, but my Father who 

is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). 

Significantly, the absolute certainty 

with which Peter declares Jesus to be 

the Messiah (a profession of faith made 

before the resurrection) is understood 

by Jesus as a result of grace. Yes, faith 

is based on experience and requires an 

act of will and an initial openness, but 

ultimately faith, as opposed to belief, 

can’t appear without grace. 

In a key episode, agent Geller 

interrogates al-Masih in a prison cell. 

Geller is convinced that al-Masih is a 

con man trapped in his own lie: He 

has gone too far with his act to back 

up into normality, and his only choice 

is now to follow through until he goes 

over the edge, bringing everyone else 

down with him. 

In his answer, al-Masih borrows the 

words from a book allegedly by the 

terrorist Oscar Wallace. The latter, a 

fictional character, is an allusion to 

the late modern writer David Foster 

Wallace and his famous essay, “This is 

water.” 

“In the day-to-day trenches of adult 

life, there is actually no such thing 

as atheism,” the real Wallace said in 

the essay, which was delivered in the 

form of a commencement speech at 

Kenyon College. 

“There is no such thing as not worshipping. 

Everybody worships. The 

only choice we get is what to worship. 

And an outstanding reason for choosing 

some sort of god or spiritual-type 

thing to worship — be it J.C. or Allah, 

be it Yahweh … is that pretty much 

anything else you worship will eat you 

alive.” 

It turns out Geller may be as delusional 

as al-Masih: She, too, has 

devoted her life to the pursuit of an 

idea, she, too, worships something, 

except she is not aware of it. She is 

not exercising the only freedom left to 

humans, the freedom to choose what 

to worship. 

In the show, the fictional Wallace 

goes on to define his purpose as 

creating “a healthy confusion that 

sparks the need to question; confusion, 

causing fear, making us question 

everything, in search of some sense.” 

That sounds like a good description 

of what “Messiah” tries to do, and 

there is no question that the show 

succeeds in its task. 

Michelle Monaghan in “Messiah.” 

IMDB 

Stefano Rebeggiani is an assistant 

professor of Classics at the University of 

Southern California. 


THE CRUX 

BY HEATHER KING 

Injecting beauty 

How Alexander 

Girard’s folk art 

inspiration ‘warmed 

up’ modern design 

Through March 1, the Palm 

Springs Museum is featuring 

“A Designer’s Universe,” an 

exhibit based on the multitalented 

20th-century artist Alexander Girard 

(1907-1993). 

As the museum points out: “Alexander 

Girard ... was one of the most 

important and prolific designers of the 

20th century. He created stunning interiors 

for restaurants, private homes, 

corporate offices, and even airplanes! 

He created textiles, typography, and 

tableware. He designed exhibitions, 

toys, and a whole city street in Columbus, 

Indiana. Inspired by folk art and 

pop art, Girard created a bold, colorful, 

charismatic universe. He warmed 

up modernism with his whimsical, 

optimistic patterns and designs.” 

That optimism and whimsy are on 

full display. The exhibition, organized 

by Germany’s Vitra Design Museum 

and accompanied by a fully illustrated 

catalogue, includes more than 

400 objects: from board games and 

flags Girard created as a child for the 

imaginary Republic of Fife, to textiles, 

drawings, carpets, radios, restaurant 

ware, and folk art, much of which he 

collected and some of which he made 

“Alexander Girard in his studio,” early 1950s, by Charles Eames. 

himself. 

Girard worked closely with the iconic 

mid-century design firm Herman 

Miller. One of his most well-known 

interiors, the 1957 Miller House in 

Columbus, Indiana, appears here in 

the form of a full-scale replica of its 

famous “conversation pit,” featuring a 

tomato red wrap-around-the-room sofa 

strewn with vividly patterned pillows. 

Born in 1907 to an American mother 

and a French-Italian father in New 

York, Girard grew up in Florence, and 

from 1917 to 1924 attended a private 

boarding school in England. He 

earned a degree from the Architectural 

Association in London and there 

developed a lifelong attraction to the 

theater. 

The Italian Renaissance, an influence 

since childhood, would also 

continue to inform his work. 

PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM 


He earned a second architectural degree 

in Rome, then from 1932 to 1937 

lived in New York City, establishing 

himself as an interior designer and 

creating spaces and furnishings for 

high-end clients, including restaurants 

and shops. His own apartment — the 

exhibit includes several photos and 

a stunning Girard-designed clock — 

served for a time as his showcase. 

In 1936 he married Susan Needham. 

The couple moved to Detroit, where 

Girard worked for design company 

Thomas A. Esling. 

He met internationally known design 

stars Charles and Ray Eames and 

Eero Saarinen during that period, 

and in 1948 the Girards moved into 

a house in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, 

that he’d designed himself. The 

minimalist decor, daring for its time, 

to me seems sterile but would be right 

at home in today’s world of high-end 

interiors. 

By 1952, the family included Marshall, 

a son, and a daughter, Sansi. 

Also that year, Girard was employed 

by Herman Miller to head its fabric 

and textile division. He joined with 

George Nelson and Charles and Ray 

Eames to form a team whose influence 

is felt in design circles the world 

over to this day. 

He started with geometric upholstery 

and drapery prints — circles, lines, 

triangles — and moved on to incorporate 

flowers, folk art and, after a trip to 

Mexico, colorful elements he dubbed 

“mexidots” and “mexistripes.” Examples 

of these luscious textiles abound. 

Girard came to believe that design 

should far transcend mere function, 

and saw his work as a way to inject 

beauty, pleasure, and fun into daily 

activities and tasks. His attraction to 

folk art — especially after moving to 

Santa Fe later in the 1950s, when he 

became an inveterate collector — was 

based on the kinship he felt, based on 

those same principles, to the whimsical 

dolls, carved wooden figures of 

Christ, and handmade figures of saints 

“Design for Matchboxes of the Restaurant La Fonda del Sol,” 1960, by Alexander Girard. 

emblematic of New Mexican culture. 

His “Design for Matchboxes of the 

Restaurant La Fonda del Sol” (1960), 

all parrot-green, hot-pink, and saturated-turquoise 

suns and stars, raises the 

viewer’s mood a good three notches. 

In 1971, he developed screen-printed 

graphics on fabrics for Robert Propst, 

inventor of the cubicle system known 

as Action Office, effectively adding 

color and warmth to an otherwise cold 

environment. 

Well worth watching is the Braniff 

International video clip — “The End 

of the Plain Plane” was the rebranding 

tagline — featuring Girard-designed 

color scheme, airport lounges, and 

typeface. The flight attendant uniforms, 

by Emilio Pucci, included gogo 

boots, A-line coats, and something 

“a little more comfortable” in shades 

of apricot, almond, and pistachio. 

But perhaps Girard’s most personally 

meaningful project consisted in his 

displays for the International Museum 

of Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 

where he and Susan lived for decades. 

Through the Girard Foundation, 

established by the couple in 1962, 

the museum houses his collection of 

more than 100,000 pieces of toys, folk 

art, and textiles. 

In 2015, Girard’s granddaughter 

Aleishall Girard Maxon, herself a 

designer, observed that when she was 

growing up, his influence was subtle. 

“This is something my brother and 

I have discussed a lot … it was a lot 

of subconscious infiltration, living 

with folk art, design, and color always 

surrounding us.” 

In one way, Girard was to the manor 

born, hobnobbing with the crème de 

la crème of international designers, 

and preferring to be driven about, for 

example, European-style. 

But at the same time, “My grandfather 

was very humble. He moved 

to Santa Fe, the middle of nowhere 

in the ’50s; it was a lot of dirt roads 

and nobody else around in terms of 

design. He wasn’t about notoriety, he 

just wanted to be close to Latin America, 

one of his biggest inspirations.” 

VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM/ALEXANDER GIRARD ESTATE 

Heather King is a blogger, speaker, and the author of several books. 


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Angelus News | January 31, 2020 | Vol. 5 No. 4

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Angelus News | January 31, 2020 | Vol. 5 No. 4

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