Angelus News | September 22, 2023, Vol. 8, Issue No. 19

ANGELUS
THE POOR
GO FIRST
A Getty exhibit’s timely
message for LA
September 22, 2023 Vol. 8 No. 19

ANGELUS
September 22, 2023
Vol. 8 • No. 19
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ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ
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ON THE COVER
GETTY MUSEUM/GOTHENBURG MUSEUM OF ART
A painting titled “Beggar,” from about 1735–40 by Italian
painter Giacomo Ceruti, is among the pieces in a special
exhibit now at the Getty Museum in Brentwood. On Page
10, contributor Stefano Rebeggiani reviews the collection
of art by Ceruti — who almost exclusively painted the poor
and the outcasts — and ponders what they have to say to
us today.
THIS PAGE
CNS/VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Francis greets actor and director Sylvester
Stallone during a private audience at the
Vatican Sept. 8. Stallone visited with the pope
along with his brother, Frank, his wife, Jennifer
Flavin, and their daughters, Sophia, Sistine, and
Scarlet. “We grew up with your films,” the pope
told him during the meeting. Stallone, jokingly
making fists, responded: “Ready, we box!”
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Pope Watch.................................................................................................................................... 2
Archbishop Gomez..................................................................................................................... 3
World, Nation, and Local News.......................................................................................... 4-6
In Other Words............................................................................................................................. 7
Father Rolheiser............................................................................................................................ 8
Scott Hahn................................................................................................................................... 32
Events Calendar......................................................................................................................... 33
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CONTENTS
Serra High students are over the moon about their special NASA project
The scope of an LA jail chaplain’s quiet ministry emerges after his death
How Poland’s new ‘blessed’ family speaks to us all
What a ‘Brat Pack’ actor found walking the Camino de Santiago
Robert Brennan finds inspiration in some ‘shady’ saints
Sign up for our free, daily e-newsletter
Always Forward - newsletter.angelusnews.com
28
30
New documentary tells the story of the ‘Mother Teresa of Honduras’
Heather King on the ‘weakness of God’ in Eucharistic adoration
B • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 1

POPE WATCH
God’s nomads
The following is adapted from the
Holy Father’s homily during Mass on
Sunday, Sept. 3, at the Steppe Arena
in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, at the
conclusion of his apostolic journey to
the Asian country Aug. 31-Sept. 4.
“O
God ... my soul thirsts for
you; my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land
where there is no water” (Psalm 63:2).
This magnificent plea accompanies
our journey through life, amid all the
deserts we are called to traverse. It is
precisely in those deserts that we hear
the good news that we are not alone in
our journey: God the Father has sent
his Son to give us the living water of
the Holy Spirit to satisfy our souls.
Jesus, as we heard in the Gospel, shows
us the way to quench our thirst. It is the
way of love, which he followed even to
the cross, and on which he calls us to
follow him, losing our lives in order to
find them (cf. Matthew 16:24-25).
Many of you know both the satisfaction
and the fatigue of journeying,
which evokes a fundamental aspect
of biblical spirituality represented by
Abraham and, in a broader sense, by
the people of Israel and indeed every
disciple of the Lord. For all of us are
“God’s nomads,” pilgrims in search of
happiness, wayfarers thirsting for love.
Deep within us, we have an insatiable
thirst for happiness; we seek meaning
and direction in our lives. More than
anything we thirst for love, for only
love can truly satisfy us and make us
happy, inspire inner assurance and
allow us to savor the beauty of life.
The Christian faith is the answer to
this thirst; it takes it seriously, without
dismissing it or trying to replace it with
tranquilizers or surrogates.
The love that quenches our thirst is the
heart of the Christian faith: God, who
is Love, has drawn near to you, to me,
to everyone, in his Son Jesus, and wants
to share in your life, your work, your
dreams, and your thirst for happiness.
It is true that, at times, we feel like a
“dry and weary land where there is no
water,” yet it is equally true that God
cares for us and offers us clear, refreshing
water, the living water of the Spirit,
springing up within us to renew us and
free us from the risk of drought. Jesus
gives us that water.
The Lord has ensured that you not
lack the water of his word, thanks especially
to the preachers and missionaries
who, anointed by the Holy Spirit, sow
among you the seeds of its beauty. That
word always brings us back to what
is essential, to the very heart of our
faith: allowing ourselves to be loved by
God and in turn to make our lives an
offering of love.
At the heart of Christianity is an
amazing and extraordinary message.
If you lose your life, if you make it a
generous offering in service, if you risk
it by choosing to love, if you make it a
free gift for others, then it will return
to you in abundance, and you will be
overwhelmed by endless joy, peace of
heart, and inner strength and support.
This is the truth that Jesus wants
us to discover, the truth he wants to
reveal to all of you and to this land of
Mongolia. You need not be famous,
rich, or powerful to be happy. No!
Only love satisfies our hearts’ thirst,
only love heals our wounds, only love
brings us true joy. This is the way that
Jesus taught us; this is the path that he
opened up before us.
Papal Prayer Intention for September: We pray for those
persons living on the margins of society, in inhumane life
conditions; may they not be overlooked by institutions and
never considered of lesser importance.
As I’ve been praying for the
upcoming Synodal Assembly,
which will be held in Rome Oct.
4–22 as part of the three-year Synod
on Synodality called by Pope Francis,
I find myself reflecting on the diversity
and vitality of the Church in America.
Everywhere I look, I see the Church
alive, youthful, living from her love for
Jesus Christ and engaged in the beautiful
work of calling people to follow
him and promoting his vision for the
dignity of the human person.
In Los Angeles, all summer our
diocesan offices and local churches
have been working with city leaders
and community groups to welcome
asylum-seekers being bused here from
the Texas border.
It is a reminder that across this
country, Catholics can be found on the
frontlines of serving the poor — providing
food, clothing, shelter, and other
assistance.
Catholic Charities agencies do much
of this work, with the help of a network
of dedicated volunteers. But there are
also many other independent groups
and religious orders.
In Los Angeles we are blessed to have
such orders, including the Missionaries
of Charity, the Lovers of the Holy
Cross and the Friars and Sisters of the
Poor Jesus Christ, among so many who
are serving the poorest among us.
Here in Los Angeles and nationwide,
Catholics are also working for policy
solutions and cultural changes that
promote human dignity and social
justice.
There are Catholics making important
contributions to discussions
about how to make public policy more
supportive for married couples and
families. There are Catholics doing
creative work to spread the Church’s
NEW WORLD OF FAITH
ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ
The American Church is alive
profound teaching on the beauty of
sexuality in God’s plan.
So many individuals and smaller
apostolates are making bold strides in
proclaiming the Church’s vision for
the human person, not only in areas
like foster care and adoption, but
also in areas such as criminal justice
reform, affordable housing, immigration
reform, and improving wages and
conditions for workers.
I am also encouraged by Catholic leadership
in a number of initiatives that
are promising new ways of thinking
about our health care system, especially
as it relates to vulnerable women
and children.
The energy and life in the American
Church flow from the strength and
diversity of the laity and so many apostolates,
which complement the good
work of parishes, the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops, and
so many other Church institutions.
In the American Church, we truly see
the flowering of the Second Vatican
Council’s vision of the universal call
to holiness and the duty of baptized
Christians to be disciples, using their
talents to bring the Church’s teachings
into every area of our society and
culture.
Recently, I had the blessing to spend
time with members of two apostolates
that I helped to found years ago.
The first is Endow, which empowers
women to live out their authentic vocation
in the Church, what St. John Paul
II called “the feminine genius.”
The other is the Catholic Association
for Latino Leadership, which equips
Hispanics to bring their faith and heritage
to bear in business and in their
civic affairs.
I am gratified to see these apostolates
now well established in dioceses across
the country. It is another reflection of
the evangelical zeal in the American
Church.
There is so much more that we could
point to — the faithfulness of America’s
bishops, the dedication of our
priests, the quality of the men in our
seminaries, the flourishing of Catholic
education at all levels, the many
Catholic media outlets and publishing
houses.
We could also hold up the example of
the many religious education programs
and apostolates that are working to
help young people grow in their love
for Jesus and their knowledge of the
faith. We are also making great strides
in this country to fulfill Vatican II’s call
for biblical renewal, so that our people
are enlightened and strengthened by
the word of God.
Pope Francis has encouraged us to lift
up the contributions of women in the
Church. And it is amazing how many
of America’s most accomplished and
influential Catholics are laywomen,
and how many women are thought
leaders in the American Church.
The faith is being lived in our homes
and parishes. I am inspired every day
by the young men and women who are
living their love for Jesus in a difficult
culture, who are committed to growing
in holiness, to raising strong families,
and to glorifying God by the lives they
lead.
When I think of Pope Francis’ vision
for synodality, these are the things I
think of. And I find so much to be hopeful
for! We are preparing for a new
springtime of evangelization.
Pray for me and I will pray for you.
And let us ask holy Mary, our Blessed
Mother, to keep us always faithful to
her Son, and always courageous in
speaking of his love.
2 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023
September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 3

WORLD
Prayers sparked by a politician — Bishops and priests prepare to celebrate a Mass Sept. 5 in the “villa 21-24”
neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to rebuff attacks on Pope Francis by presidential candidate Javier
Milei, of La Libertad Avanza coalition. The “anarcho-capitalist” Milei was the surprise winner in Argentina’s
Aug. 13 primaries and has publicly insulted Francis several times. He is considered a contender in next month’s
general elections. | OSV NEWS/AGUSTIN MARCARIAN, REUTERS
■ Mexico moves closer to legal abortion nationwide
Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled a state-level abortion ban unconstitutional, moving
the country closer to full decriminalization of the procedure.
The court’s First Chamber ruled unanimously against the state of Aguascalientes’
ban on abortions, saying that “the legal system that penalizes abortion in the
Federal Criminal Code is unconstitutional, since it violates the human rights of
women and persons with the capacity to gestate.”
Despite the Aug. 30 ruling, the court does not itself have the power to directly
change the penal code. Mexico’s Federal Congress will have to pass changes to
the penal code in order to decriminalize abortion in the country. But this ruling,
as well as one in 2021 that decriminalized abortions in the state of Coahuila, are
expected to set a legal precedent for challenges to abortion bans in other parts of
the country.
■ Vatican to limit media access at synod
The upcoming Synod of Bishops, held in Rome Oct. 4-29, will
be the first to include women and laymen. But reporters will be
mostly kept out.
During a Sept. 4 flight to Rome from Mongolia, Pope Francis
told journalists that the upcoming synod, focused on creating a
more “synodal church,” will not be livestreamed or allow reporters
access to the proceedings in order to “safeguard the synodal
climate.”
“This isn’t a television program where you talk about everything,”
Pope Francis said. “No, it is a religious moment, a religious exchange.”
Days later, however, Vatican communications chief Paolo Ruffini
clarified that some portions of the synod, including the opening
Mass and first general session, will be livestreamed and open to
accredited reporters.
■ Documents: Orders
sheltered more than 3,000
Jews from Nazis in Rome
Researchers in Rome presented
rediscovered documents outlining the
role Catholic religious congregations
had in sheltering Jewish people from
Nazi persecutions.
Some of the information presented at
a workshop at Rome’s Museum of the
Shoah on Sept. 7 had been previously
published in 1961. Newly uncovered
in the archive of the Pontifical
Biblical Institute however, was a list
of more than 4,300 Jews who received
shelter, compiled by Italian Jesuit
Father Gozzolino Birolo in 1944 and
1945.
One-hundred women’s and 55 men’s
religious congregations participated
in the sheltering during the Nazi
occupation of Rome Sept. 10, 1943
through June 4, 1944. There were
3,600 individuals named, including
3,200 Jewish Romans. Their names
will not be released to the public out
of respect for privacy.
“This documentation thus significantly
increases the information on
the history of the rescue of Jews in the
context of the Catholic institutions
of Rome,” said a joint press release
from the Pontifical Biblical Institute,
the Jewish Community of Rome, and
Yad Vashem International Institute for
Holocaust Research.
Pope Francis answers questions from journalists aboard his flight back to
Rome from Mongolia Sept. 4. | CNS/LOLA GOMEZ
NATION
Buoys along the Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass, Texas, in July. | OSV NEWS/ADREES
LATIF, REUTERS
■ Judge orders Texas to remove
Rio Grande River buoy blockade
The state of Texas was ordered to remove its series of
controversial buoys from the Rio Grande River by a federal
judge Sept. 7.
The buoys were part of a Texas border program championed
by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to deter migrant
border crossings. The approximately 1,000-foot line of
buoys were deployed near Eagle Pass, Texas, without authorization
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which
has jurisdiction of the country’s navigable waterways.
Catholic leaders have condemned parts of the border
deterrence program, including the use of buoys and razor
wire.
“There are other more human ways to engage with people,”
wrote San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller
in an Aug. 31 post on X (formerly Twitter). “Lord have mercy
on the hundreds injured and move the hearts of those
who make these cruel decisions to change their ways.”
■ Super Bowl champion wants to
repurpose empty churches
Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker is challenging
parishes to rethink how to use their property.
In partnership with the University of Notre Dame’s
Church Properties Initiative, the Kansas City Chiefs kicker
announced a $10,000 award for innovative use of Church
property amid U.S. demographic changes.
“When discussing Church real estate, we are talking about
more than just physical buildings,” Butker said in a news release.
“We are talking about our patrimony, and it is essential
that we work together to ensure that the work of generations
of Catholics before us was not done in vain.”
A panel of experts will choose the award winner based on
applications that are “distinctively Catholic” and provide an
innovative and scalable plan to best use Church property.
The award comes as several dioceses face parish consolidations
and church closures due to decreased Mass attendance,
shrinking Catholic communities, and a shortage of priests.
■ HHS mandate could challenge
Catholic emergency shelters
The U.S. bishops are warning that a Biden administration
rule change could hamper efforts by Catholic aid agencies
to help the poor.
A proposed rule change from the Department of Health
and Human Services would bolster anti-discrimination
rules for grant recipients by “clarifying and reaffirming the
prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation
and gender identity in certain statutes.”
According to a Sept. 5 statement from the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops’ legal office, “any charity that has
separate men’s and women’s bathrooms or changing areas
could be required to allow men to use the women’s facility
and vice versa” as a result of the change. Many Catholic
charities that run emergency shelters, the conference
pointed out, are divided into single-sex environments.
“We urge HHS to reconsider the NPRM’s reinterpretation
of those sex discrimination provisions … and to implement
a religious exemption that properly respects religious charities’
statutory and constitutional rights,” the letter read.
Praying for the harvest — Father Mike Perucho, vocations director for the
Archdiocese of Los Angeles, sings during Mass at the National Conference of
Diocesan Vocation Directors’ 60th annual convention at Immaculate Conception
Seminary in Huntington, New York, Aug. 29. Some 250 participants from the
U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, and Australia attended the Aug. 28-Sept. 1
gathering. To his right is LA’s Associate Vocations Director Father Peter Saucedo.
| OSV NEWS/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ
4 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 5

LOCAL
IN OTHER WORDS...
■ ‘Gender affirmation’
must factor into child
custody fights, CA says
California courts will soon be required
to consider whether a parent affirms
a child’s “gender identity or gender
expression” in child custody decisions,
according to a bill expected to be signed
into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom next
month.
Affirmation of gender would become
one factor among others in granting
child custody as part of concerns for
a child’s health, safety, and welfare.
“Affirmation includes a range of actions
and will be unique for each child, but
in every case must promote the child’s
overall health and well-being,” the bill
states.
Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a
Democrat who introduced the bill, said
gender affirmation could mean letting a
child play with toys associated with his or
her gender identity, getting nails painted,
or wearing his or her hair at a desired
length. There are no specific requirements
regarding purported gender-affirming
surgeries, which minors can
undergo in California only with parental
consent.
The California Catholic Conference
opposed the bill, saying it “would elevate
a loving, protective parent’s non-consent
to a child’s social or medical transition
to the same level as abuse, violence, or
substance use in the eyes of the court for
custody disputes and parenting time.”
Desks, chairs, and school supplies lay overturned in the
break-in at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School
in Santa Clarita. | PHOTO COURTESY OF OLPH SCHOOL
■ Bishops-elect to be ordained
Sept. 26; special issue available
The episcopal Ordination Mass of LA’s four new auxiliary bishops will be a ticketed
invite-only event, but will be livestreamed for the public at LACatholics.org/
NewBishops.
The Ordination Mass for Bishops-elect Albert Bahhuth, Matthew Elshoff, OFM
Cap., Brian Nunes, and Slawomir Szkredka will begin at 1 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Cathedral
of Our Lady of the Angels. A celebration of Solemn Vespers and the blessing
of the new bishops’ pontifical insignia will take place the day before, on Sept. 25 at 6
p.m. The liturgy is open to the public.
Angelus will publish a special double issue in October with full coverage of the
ordinations, the new bishops’ backgrounds and stories, and congratulatory messages.
Extra copies of the special issue can be ordered at AngelusNews.com/NewBishopsIssue.
Orders received through Sunday, Oct. 8, will arrive the week of Oct. 13.
Veneration for Vibiana — Associate Pastor Father Michael Mesa accompanied visitors who prayed at St. Vibiana’s
Chapel and shrine at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Sept. 1 — St. Vibiana’s feast day. St. Vibiana is
the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. | VICTOR ALEMÁN
■ Santa Clarita parish school damaged by vandals
Vandals broke into Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in Santa
Clarita on Sept. 2, causing damage that temporarily closed the school. Thanks
to staff, volunteers, and the school community, the damage was cleaned up and
restored for the classrooms to reopen on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
According to the school, four classrooms and the hall were vandalized, which
included more than a dozen broken windows, smashed flat-screen monitors, discharged
fire extinguishers, spilled school supplies, and overturned desks, chairs,
and trash cans.
After being flooded with support, food, and volunteers, the school was able
to clean, reorganize, and repair most of the damage to reopen the damaged
classrooms.
In a statement, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles thanked law enforcement for
“their diligent response” and called for prayers for those responsible for the
break-in.
V
Letters to the Editor
When we sell our ‘high birthright’
Thank you for publishing Dr. Grazie Christie’s moving column in
the Sept. 8 issue “From guilt to grace,” which expressed the spiritual
roller coaster of a mother who has decided to abort her child.
It can be discouraging to see how, still today, many women are tricked into selling
their “high birthright.” But the column reminded me of St. Paul’s famous
words: “Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.”
I hope that in the future, we can find ways to give a voice to men who experience
the suffering and regret connected to also being involved in the decision to
abort.
— Harold Durango, Los Angeles
Y
Continue the conversation! To submit a letter to the editor, visit AngelusNews.com/Letters-To-The-Editor
and use our online form or send an email to editorial@angelusnews.com. Please limit to 300 words. Letters
may be edited for style, brevity, and clarity.
Awarding everyday ‘Angels’
Bishop Jaime Soto, center, of the Diocese of Sacramento, stands with
Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez and Auxiliary Bishop Marc V.
Trudeau as Soto was honored during Catholic Association for Latino
Leadership (CALL)’s 11th Annual Angel Awards at the Cathedral of Our
Lady of the Angels on Sept. 9. Also honored during the event was actor
Jonathan Roumie, philanthropists Dan and Coco Peate, and the Catholic
Community Foundation of Los Angeles. | GUILLERMO A. LUNA
View more photos
from this gallery at
AngelusNews.com/photos-videos
Do you have photos or a story from your parish that you’d
like to share? Please send to editorial @angelusnews.com.
“Did these people really
float in the air?”
~ Carlos Eire, professor of History and Religious
Studies at Yale, in a Sept. 6 Commonweal
commentary on making sense of levitating saints.
“Some of my best
customers are actually
atheists.”
~ Melissa Scaccio, manager of St. James Coffee in
Rochester, Minnesota, in a Sept. 7 Our Sunday Visitor
article on the coffee shop with an adoration chapel.
“Suddenly nuns started
coming around the corner,
and they kept coming and
coming.”
~ Carolyn Knapp, employee at Merrill Dairy Bar in
Michigan, in a Sept. 6 Catholic News Agency article
on 58 members of the Religious Sisters of Mercy of
Alma, Michigan, showing up for ice cream.
“You mistakenly believe a
learned Catholic professor
manufactures robots for a
living.”
~ Brianna Heldt, writer, in a Sept. 6 National
Catholic Register commentary on the lack of human
connection in the world.
“I held my tongue and
walked the yard just
stunned, like somebody
had just shot me.”
~ Moonlight Pulido, an inmate at Valley State Prison
for Women, in a Sept. 5 The 19th News article on
California promising reparations to survivors of
forced sterilization.
6 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 7

IN EXILE
FATHER RONALD ROLHEISER, OMI
Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father
Ronald Rolheiser is a spiritual
writer; ronrolheiser.com
Divine permission for human fatigue
Someone once asked Thérèse
of Lisieux if it was wrong to fall
asleep while in prayer. Her answer:
“Absolutely not. A little child is
equally pleasing to her parents, awake
or asleep — probably more when
asleep!”
That’s more than a warm, cute
answer. There’s a wisdom in her reply
that’s generally lost to us, namely, that
God understands the human condition
and gives us sacred permission
to be human, even in the face of our
most important human and spiritual
commitments.
This struck me recently while listening
to a homily. The preacher, a sincere
and dedicated priest, challenged
us with the idea that God must always
be first in our lives. So far so good.
But then he shared how upset he gets
whenever he hears people say things
like, “Let’s go to the Saturday evening
Mass, to get it over with.” Or, when a
celebrant says: “We will keep things
short today, because the game starts at
noon.” Phrases like that, he suggested,
betray a serious weakness in our prayer
lives. Do they?
Maybe yes, maybe no. Comments
like that can issue out of laziness,
spiritual indifference, or misplaced
priorities. They might also simply be
an expression of normal, understandable
human fatigue — a fatigue which
God, the author of human nature,
gives us permission to feel.
There can be, and often is, a naiveté
about the place of high energy and
enthusiasm in our lives. For example,
imagine a family who, with the best of
intentions, decides that to foster family
togetherness they agree to make their
evening meal, every evening, a fullblown
banquet, demanding everyone’s
participation and enthusiasm and lasting
for 90 minutes. Wish them luck!
Some days this would foster togetherness
and there would be a certain
enthusiasm at the table; but, soon
enough, this would be unsustainable
in terms of their energy, and more
than one of the family members would
be saying silently, “Let’s get this over
with,” or “Can we cut it a little short
tonight because the game is on at 7:00.”
Granted, that could betray an attitude
of disinterest; but, more likely, it would
simply be a valid expression of normal
fatigue.
None of us can sustain high energy
and enthusiasm forever. Nor are we
intended to. Our lives are a marathon,
not a sprint. That’s why it is good
sometimes to have lengthy banquets
and sometimes to simply grab a hotdog
and run. God and nature give us
permission to sometimes say, “Let’s get
it over with,” and sometimes to rush
things so as to not miss the beginning
of the game.
Moreover, beyond taking seriously
the normal ebb and flow of our
energies, there is still another, even
more important angle to this. Enthusiastic
energy or the lack of it doesn’t
necessarily define meaning. We can
do a thing because it means something
affectively to us — or we can do
something simply because it means
something in itself, independent of
how we feel about it on a given day.
Too often, we don’t grasp this.
For example, take the response people
often give when explaining why
they are no longer going to church
services, “It doesn’t mean anything to
me.” What they are blind to in saying
this is the fact that being together in
a church means something in itself,
independent of how it feels affectively
on any given day. A church service
means something in itself, akin to
visiting your aging mother. You do
this, not because you are always enthusiastic
about it or because it always
feels good emotionally. No. You do it
because this is your aging mother and
that’s what God, nature, and maturity
call us to do.
The same holds true for a family
meal together. You don’t necessarily go
to dinner with your family each night
with enthusiasm. You go because this
is how families sustain their common
life. There will be times when you do
come with high energy and appreciate
both the preciousness of the moment
and the length of the dinner. But there
will be other times when, despite a
deeper awareness that being together
in this way is important, you will be
wanting to get this over with, or sneaking
glances at your watch and calculating
what time the game starts.
So, Scripture advises, avoid Job’s
friends. For spiritual advice in this
area, avoid the spiritual novice, the
over-pious, the anthropological naive,
the couple on their honeymoon, the
recent convert, and at least half of all
liturgists and worship leaders. The true
manual on marriage is never written
by a couple on their honeymoon and
the true manual on prayer is never
written by someone who believes that
we should be on a high all the time.
Find a spiritual mentor who challenges
you enough to keep you from
selfishness and laziness, even as she or
he gives you divine permission to be
tired sometimes.
A woman or man at prayer is equally
pleasing to God, enthusiastic or tired
— perhaps even more when tired.
8 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023

PAUPERS AND PILGRIMS
A forgotten Italian master who devoted his talent to painting the poor
completes his comeback at the Getty. Is it any accident?
BY STEFANO REBEGGIANI / ART COURTESY OF THE GETTY MUSEUM
“Two Beggars,” about 1730-1734, by Giacomo Ceruti.
Oil on canvas. Pinacoteca Tosio-Martinengo, Brescia.
Oct. 29, “Giacomo Ceruti, A Compassionate
Eye” brings together 17 of
Ceruti’s finest works.
There are more than a few aspects
that make this one of the Getty’s most
important exhibits in recent years.
The quality of Ceruti’s painting is extraordinary,
and his realistic style and
sympathetic attitude make his works
easy to appreciate even for those with
no particular knowledge or interest in
painting. And it’s hard to believe that
the exhibit’s destination is by chance,
in a city where the plight of the homeless
and those living on the margins of
society has never been more visible.
According to art historian Tom Nichols
(“The Art of Poverty,” Manchester
University Press, $114.64), there are
two major trends in the way European
artists depicted the poor from the 16th
century onward. An ‘ironic’ approach
was predominant in Northern Europe,
where the destitute were
stereotypically depicted
as lazy, deceitful, and
morally debased. In the
Catholic world, however,
an idealized view
prevailed which looked
at the impoverished
individual as “another
Christ” (“alter Christus”).
The work of Caravaggio
marked a major turning
point in this tradition.
He was the first to devote
“Women Working on Pillow
Lace (The Sewing School),”
about 1720-1725, by Giacomo
Ceruti. Private Collection.
Jesus, Mary, and the saints. There
was an outcry when his “Madonna di
Loreto” was uncovered and viewers
noticed the dirty feet and scrappy hat
of the pilgrims depicted at the Virgin
Mary’s feet.
historical characters.
The first painting in the exhibition
depicts an elderly beggar, sitting alone
against a blurred background. He
looks at the viewer as if to ask for help,
with a bundle of clothes — probably
In a society obsessed with comfort and control,
Ceruti’s portraits suggest that perhaps the road to
happiness is the one taken by the pilgrim.
Ceruti comes from the same area of
Italy as Caravaggio, and his approach
is influenced by the great Lombard
master. But Ceruti went even further.
He granted the outcasts of the time
–– the beggars, the homeless, the
physically and mentally disabled ––
the space and dignity that had so far
only been granted to the nobles and to
the extent of his possessions — in his
hands.
Until Ceruti’s time, commoners
were depicted according to pre-existing
“types.” In Ceruti’s paintings, we
are looking at real people, with their
unique stories and characters. Ceruti’s
art restores to them the dignity of being
human, and we empathize with
Giacomo Ceruti is one of the
masters of Italian painting in
the 18th century. This artist
is also known by the nickname of
“Pitocchetto” (“the little beggar”),
because of the compelling portraits of
beggars, vagrants, and impoverished
workers which form a large part of his
production.
Despite his popularity in life, art
historians of later generations largely
looked down on Ceruti’s humble subjects,
and he was all but forgotten after
his death. His genius was rediscovered
only in the 20th century, partly thanks
to the fortuitous finding of 12 large
paintings known as the “Padernello
cycle” in a castle near the city of Brescia
in northern Italy.
One could say that Ceruti’s comeback
is complete with the arrival of
a major exhibition of his work at the
Getty Center, the first of its kind to
come to the U.S. Running through
large canvases to everyday
life scenes featuring
peasants and commoners.
And he abolished
the distinction between
sacred and profane by
bringing his poor peasants
into the picture with
10 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 11

them as we recognize them as part of
the human family.
Ceruti does not idealize his subjects,
though, and there is no overt moralistic
intent in his art. Take the exhibit’s
impressive portrait of two men playing
cards. The two are sitting at a table
with a jug of wine, their stupefied
faces suggesting it is not their first.
One of them, dressed in a worn-out
military cloak, is probably an ex-soldier
and holds a kitten in his hands.
Clearly these two are no moral paragons,
yet the painter embraces their
whole humanity, with its weaknesses
and flaws. They are who they are,
and they have been found worthy of
representation.
Or take the painting of a man of
short stature. In Ceruti’s sensitive
rendering, this unusually short man
dominates the background, his almost
heroic figure like a monument emphasized
by the low point of view. But
this hero is dressed in rags, and in his
eyes, there is the sadness and tiredness
of a long struggle against poverty.
For Ceruti’s time, this was a revolutionary
painting. The life of this
man, an outcast, is now a work of art.
The viewer is meant to be struck by
the sophistication with which he is
painted, in a work that’s hard not to
find beautiful. Instead of turning away
our heads, we are compelled to look
at this man with compassion.
One of the most telling paintings is
the artist’s mesmerizing self-portrait
as a pilgrim. Pilgrims and beggars are
sometimes hard
to distinguish in
“Self-Portrait as a Ceruti’s works:
Pilgrim,” 1737, by they look the
Giacomo Ceruti. Oil on same with their
canvas. Museo Villa Bassi worn-out clothes,
Rathgeb, Abano Terme tattered shoes,
and walking
sticks.
Pilgrims and beggars both live day
by day, in precariousness, depending
on the generosity of others. But unlike
beggars, forced into poverty by the
circumstances of life, pilgrims have
chosen this condition for themselves
in the hope of saving their souls.
No doubt Ceruti wished to be identified
with the men and women he
painted. One could say that, just as a
pilgrim, he had chosen to share their
lot by making them the subject of his
art. Perhaps Ceruti was suggesting
that there is something precious in
the condition of a pilgrim, somebody
who has voluntarily accepted a life of
precariousness and dependency.
Here lies one of the crucial takeaways
of this exhibit. On the one hand,
there is an imperative to relieve the
condition of those suffering, because
we are all part of the human family.
The Italian painter Salvator Rosa
attacked the hypocrisy of those who
“love painted what they loathe in life.”
In this month’s papal prayer intention,
Pope Francis warned against a
culture of indifference so pervasive in
our society that “our necks are going
to get stiff” from constantly turning
away from the suffering of marginalized
people. Ceruti’s art is the perfect
antidote to this.
But this Italian master’s art also
points to an even more fundamental
theological truth: that the poor are
closer to the kingdom of God than we
are.
In a society obsessed with comfort
and control, Ceruti’s portraits suggest
that perhaps the road to happiness is
the one taken by
the pilgrim.
We spend our
lives planning
ahead for the
future, striving
to eliminate the
unexpected. But
“Little Beggar and Woman
Spinning,” circa 1730-
33 by Giacomo Ceruti.
Private Collection.
what if, Ceruti seems to ask us, true
freedom comes from living day by
day, like pilgrims, abandoned to the
will of another?
Stefano Rebeggiani is an associate
professor of classics at the University of
Southern California.
12 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 13

TAKING UP SPACE
A unique project with NASA allowed five
Serra High School students to rocket their
seed experiment into the heavens.
BY GREG HARDESTY
Junipero Serra High School students Henry Toler,
Anderson Pecot, Travis Leonard, Christopher Holbert,
and Isaiah Dunn — along with their science teacher,
Kenneth Irvine (fifth from left) — participated in a
special NASA project where their experiment was sent
to the International Space Station. | PHOTO COURTESY
OF SERRA HIGH SCHOOL
Students won’t get the full results of
their experiment until the astronauts
return, but the belief is the seed in
space will grow at a rate comparable
to the rate in a parallel experiment on
Earth — if the seed receives enough
water.
Getting a seed to grow in space
requires a pump, water, fans, wicking
materials, LED grow lights, and a
nutrient solution.
The pump delivers water to the seed,
which is covered in a wicking material
— an absorbent cloth — for the seed
to consistently receive water.
Fans move oxygen and carbon dioxide
around the chamber, and light is
needed for taking photos and growing
the plant.
By using grow lights, the plant would
be able to carry out photosynthesis and
flourish once germinated — or so the
theory goes. Things are different in
space.
The students used a variety of the
Wisconsin Fast Plant due to it being
able to grow in the timeframe of the
experiment.
So, what’s the point of trying to grow
a seed in space?
Plants and food would be necessary
for potentially living in space, as well
as for medicinal use for the potential
treatment of diseases. The experiment
also may help design systems for
removing carbon dioxide from a sealed
environment while contributing oxygen
back to the surroundings, which
could be helpful in long-term space
flight and living situations.
Finally, the experiment also could
yield information that could contribute
to the development of agricultural
systems on Earth.
and Dunn were the only remaining
students to see the project to its completion.
“It was a process, with deadline after
deadline,” Irvine said. “We had two
to three weeks to come up with the
experiment. At first, it kind of felt like
‘Looney Tunes,’ where the train is going
off the cliff and they’re still laying
down the track below.”
Pecot, who handled many of the
electrical duties involved in the experiment,
said he thought the project
— conducted in collaboration with
the Quest Institute, an educational
nonprofit organization that develops
and markets STEM educational programs
and materials for K-12 schools
— was far-fetched when he first heard
about it.
“When people say they want to grow
up and be an astronaut, that’s far in the
future,” Pecot said. “To be able to be
doing this in high school didn’t seem
possible. But this experience has been
amazing.”
Meanwhile, on Earth
As the students await word on how
their experiment went, they recall a
process that was a lot of work — they
each toiled on it a total of about 120
hours — but very rewarding.
“It was definitely an experience,”
said Toler, who with Leonard handled
the mechanical engineering aspect
of the project. Dunn was the software
engineer and Holbert also tackled
electrical and mechanical engineering
duties. “We all have a lot of other
things going on as high school students.
Being able to do this shows our
dedication, grit, and motivation.”
The ISSP program also sent the
students to the USC Viterbi School of
Engineering to stoke their interest in
engineering.
“During their visit, the students
participated in a Broader Impact
workshop, which is part of a multi-university
(National Science Foundation)
superconducting workshop that USC
Viterbi is a part of,” said Darin Gray,
Ed.D., co-director of the USC Viterbi
K-12 STEM Center, which hosted the
students.
During the visit, the students conceptualized
the societal impacts of
their research and toured the school’s
innovative Baum Family Maker Space.
Irvine said that in addition to his
students, the experience was rewarding
for him, too.
“My biggest goal was teaching the
team the skills and how to use the
tools, without giving them the answer
to the problems they were trying to
solve,” he said. “And they all did an
excellent job.”
Greg Hardesty was a journalist for the
Orange County Register for 17 years,
and is a longtime contributing writer to
the Orange County Catholic newspaper.
On the night of Aug. 1, Christopher
Holbert did something
unusual.
To the sound of crickets, he put
a blanket down in his backyard in
Torrance, laid on his back, and gazed
at the sky.
“Thankfully no one peeked over the
fence,” Holbert said with a laugh.
Henry Toler, Holbert’s fellow senior
at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena,
also started exhibiting uncharacteristic
behavior beginning Aug. 1.
“Every night,” said Toler of Carson, “I
sat on the roof and just looked up.”
Holbert and Toler hadn’t suddenly
become UFO nuts.
Rather, they and three other Serra
seniors — Anderson Pecot, Travis
Leonard, and Isaiah Dunn — were
focused on the skies because a science
project they worked on for months had
been launched Aug. 1 on a SpaceX
rocket as part of NASA’s “International
Space Station Program.” Serra was
one of nine high schools nationwide
picked to participate in the elite student
initiative.
Growing a seed in space
The program began last year when
they were juniors. After weeks of the
students tossing around ideas, they
settled on “Automated Germination of
Wisconsin Fast Plants in Microgravity.”
The experiment? Trying to get a seed
to germinate and grow, potentially for
food, plants, and medicine in space.
For the month of August, astronauts
aboard the International Space Station
monitored the students’ experiment
and downloaded data to them weekly.
Preparing for liftoff
Kenneth Irvine, science teacher and
Science Department chair at Serra,
worked closely with the students
during their junior year to ensure the
project would, well, get off the ground.
Many students who initially got involved
in the project were members of
the chapter of the National Society of
Black Engineers (NSBE) that had just
opened at the school.
But juggling athletics, classes, and
other demands of high school isn’t
easy. Holbert, Toler, Pecot, Leonard,
Christopher Holbert, Travis Leonard, Henry Toler, Anderson Pecot, and Isaiah Dunn watched live on Aug. 1 as their
experiment of growing a seed in space was sent to the International Space Station. | PHOTO COURTESY OF SERRA
HIGH SCHOOL
14 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 15

A LIFE THAT
CONTINUES
After dying unexpectedly, jail
chaplain Michael Ladisa’s legacy
lives on with his family and the
inmates he helped bring to Christ.
BY TOM HOFFARTH
Michael Ladisa, a chaplain with the Office of Restorative
Justice (ORJ) who died in May, with his grandson
Matteo. | COURTESY OF LADISA FAMILY
Monica Ladisa never knew the
full scope of it all.
She was very much aware
that her husband of 48 years, Michael
Ladisa, worked tirelessly for the
Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Office
of Restorative Justice’s prison ministry.
The hundreds of hours driving
thousands of miles for more than a
decade, often spending the night away
from their home to connect with a
prison community few were willing to
become immersed with.
She knew he bought books and
things for the inmates, but wasn’t
always sure of the how, the where, the
why.
She heard him say how he benefited
from trips made to Valyermo to the
monastery near the Mojave Desert,
where he would have deep discussions
about the ups and downs in his faith
journey.
But it wasn’t until Michael died of
an unexpected massive heart attack
last May — just a few weeks shy of
his 70th birthday — that she began to
understand the true impact he had on
others.
It started with the thank you messages
that came to her on his behalf on
3x5 notecards stuffed into a post-office
box, or written in pencil on lined
sheets of paper. More of them were
posted online.
Trying to convey all the love,
guidance, and redemption he gave
to them, some were not even written
by the inmates themselves, but by
thankful spouses, friends, and family
members.
Sadly, Michael didn’t get to see
them. But Monica has.
“Many of them just thanking me
for sharing my husband with them,”
Monica said. “They wanted me to
know how he put them on the right
road. He knew everyone was made in
God’s image and treated them that
way.”
***
“Thanks to his kind and encouraging
words, I looked deeper inside myself
and that helped me realize I’m not
a complete failure. … Thank you so
much for supporting him in his selfless
service to all of us who are incarcerated.”
— Note written about Ladisa
***
Family and friends filled St. Kateri
Church in Santa Clarita in July for
Ladisa’s funeral Mass. The homily
and eulogies touched on his humble,
boundless generosity. The tireless
hours driving back and forth from his
home in Castaic to visit those in Santa
Barbara’s jails in an old green Honda
pickup truck with more than 300,000
miles on it.
“It never broke down for the grace
of God,” said Monica, trying to laugh
through tears, speaking recently about
how the grieving process continues.
“He really believed in the motto we
have at our office: It’s all about them,”
said Gonzalo De Vivero, the Office
of Restorative Justice ministry director
who hired Ladisa 12 years ago.
“You do whatever you can to help
the inmates — this is Christ in jail
and they need your help to the best
of your ability. He became a model of
that kind of person in real life.”
Father Francis Benedict, a longtime
member of St. Andrew’s Abbey in
Valyermo, became Michael’s spiritual
director and talked about the devotion
he had to prison outreach.
“Michael loved the ministry because
of the empathy he had on many
levels, a desire to bring people closer
to God and, for some, bring them
back to the Church,” Benedict said.
“He really went the extra 20 miles if
needed.”
All those miles suddenly caught up
with him in late May.
After a long day of gardening at his
home, he went upstairs to shower. He
was short of breath. He called down to
Monica, an experienced nurse, who
ran to him and tried chest compressions.
The paramedics who arrived
could not revive him.
“The last thing he did was smile,”
Monica said.
The couple had five children and
eight grandchildren. They knew the
pain of a sudden loss. Their twin sons,
Steve and John, both died as adults.
Steve was killed in a hit-and-run
accident years ago. The second, John,
was living at their home and died in
September 2022 of a sudden illness.
He was 44.
“Michael was still deeply affected by
that,” Monica said. “Those were heavy
on his heart.”
***
“Thank you for everything. I remember
you blessed my cell with holy water
when I told you there was an evil spirit,
paranormal activity, and prayed for
me. Thank you. … I fall short at times,
but, honest to God, I’m thankful and
happy that I have you as a mentor and
friend.” — Note written about Ladisa
***
De Vivero first connected with Michael
from his volunteer trips to the
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s North
Michael Ladisa (left) with ORJ colleagues at a luncheon for archdiocesan employees
on May 23, just days before his death. | OFFICE OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
County Correctional Facility in Castaic.
That building was a maximum-security
complex with some 1,600
inmates, a place De Vivero called
“heavy duty members.”
De Vivero said Michael would “always
ask a million questions, wanting
all the details he could get. What I
found out was that he did that because
he really wanted to do the best job he
could, to blend in with the people,
and not break any rules. He was able
to establish a trust, and I began to
appreciate his work even more.”
During dinner one night, De Vivero
approached him about a problem: He
couldn’t fill a local chaplain role at
the Santa Barbara main jail, a minimum-security
facility with about 700
inmates. The pay wasn’t much.
“Michael said, ‘Why don’t I help
you? I think I can handle that,’ ” said
De Vivero, knowing it would entail
more than 150 miles and up to three
hours of driving round-trip from his
home.
Years went by and Ladisa was known
for the respect he drew from the
inmates based on his dependability
and compassion. One example that
was not well known even to his circle
of friends: He and Monica took in
a woman released from jail with
nowhere to go. Michael converted his
home office into a living space for her.
She has been living with the couple
for the past 30 years.
He also enriched his spiritual life by
16 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 17

Michael Ladisa and his wife, Monica, on the Sea of Galilee during a
2019 trip to the Holy Land. | COURTESY OF LADISA FAMILY
visiting the monks at the St. Andrew’s
Abbey, about an hour east from his
home. He made monthly visits for retreats
and confessions with Benedict,
who met Michael in 1992 and helped
him discern going into full-time prison
ministry.
Benedict was also fascinated about
how Michael described his life’s journey
— born Catholic, converted to
a Protestant at one point, then came
back to the Catholic Church later in
life.
“He had a humble demeanor, always
thinking of a holy life, but underestimating
what his own worth was,”
Benedict said. “I was always trying to
make him see he was doing things
God sent him to do. He accepted
people where they were.”
***
“I never met Michael Ladisa, yet the
life he lived touched mine in many
ways. … Michael had a profound
impact on my husband. He credits the
positive changes that he is making to
turn his/our life around, to Michael’s
godly leadership and caring.” — Note
written about Ladisa
***
The letters and notes weren’t the
only things that Monica discovered.
A few weeks after Michael’s death,
Monica visited a nearby storage unit
she knew he had been renting. She
had no idea what was inside.
What greeted her were walls of boxes
filled with clothes, books, and Bibles
he had collected for inmates.
But why clothes?
De Vivero found out that when some
inmates are released from the Santa
Barbara jail, it can happen in the
middle of a chilly night when they’re
wearing just the clothes they came in
with — T-shirts, shorts, and maybe
sandals. Michael took it upon himself
to have clothes ready.
Now Monica didn’t know what to do
with all this. She called De Vivero.
“He never told me about it,” De
Vivero said. “I sent one of our chaplains
over with his pickup truck to
bring it to our office. He needed two
trips to collect it all.”
***
“I knew Michael only by name and
reputation, as the well-respected and
beloved chaplain who helped turn
my husband, and many others lives,
around for the good. I am deeply grateful
for the life he lived … the effect he
had on this earth will ripple out into
eternity.” — Note written about Ladisa
***
Monica is even
more grateful that
she and Michael
took a trip to Jerusalem
last year
instead of waiting
to celebrate their
Michael Ladisa and former
LA Auxiliary Bishop
Robert Barron at the
LA Religious Education
Congress. | COURTESY
OF LADISA FAMILY
50th anniversary.
She plans to move to Wisconsin to
be near her daughter’s family and
grandchildren, living within walking
distance to the local Catholic Church.
Wrapping things up, Monica said
she went recently to close out Michael’s
post-office box. The bill was
past due. When Monica explained
what it was used for, they waived the
fees.
That’s where she picked up the latest
stack of note cards. De Vivero was
also collecting correspondence related
to him.
Benedict said he knew that as part
of Michael’s vigilance in educating
inmates about the Catholic faith, he
continued with letter-writing exchanges
long after some left prison.
“That wasn’t in his job description
— promoting fidelity to their faith,”
Benedict said. “As some leave jail,
they have no support system, so he
was really their spiritual director
through the letters he kept in correspondence.”
Monica said she wants all to know
she has found comfort in the words
and notes she continues to receive.
“I want to write back to every one of
them,” she said. “Some I have to tell
how Michael went to his just reward. I
will tell them all that, in my husband’s
honor, to please keep on the straight
and narrow.”
“I am overwhelmed by how many
he touched, and to think I had a
wonderful man for so many years, I’m
thankful to God.”
Tom Hoffarth is an award-winning
journalist based in Los Angeles.
It was 2020, and the world suddenly
lost its bustle. Isolated from the
workplace and other social contact,
we were left with ourselves, and none
of our distractions seemed adequate to
the task of amusing us. We were ready
to learn how to think.
It was 2020, and the world suddenly
lost its bustle. Isolated from the
workplace and other social contact,
we were left with ourselves, and none
of our distractions seemed adequate to
the task of amusing us. We were ready
to learn how to think.
Mike Aquilina is a contributing
editor to Angelus and author of many
books, most recently “Friendship and
the Fathers: How the Early Church
Evangelized” (Emmaus Road Publishing,
$22.95).
18 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 19

On a diplomatic doorstep
In Mongolia, Pope Francis played goodwill
ambassador for the Catholic Church with an
eye on China and Russia’s influence.
BY ELISE ANN ALLEN
ROME — During his recent four-day trip to Mongolia,
Pope Francis played the role of Catholicism’s
goodwill ambassador, going to great lengths to sell
his hosts and other powerful regional leaders on all the
reasons it can be of benefit to society.
From the start, the pope’s Aug. 31-Sept. 4 trip to Mongolia
was seen as not only an opportunity to show pastoral
care and encouragement to one of the Catholic Church’s
smallest flocks (there are less than 1,500 Catholics in Mongolia)
but also to send a message to the country’s powerful
neighbors: Russia and China.
Since the beginning of his papacy, Francis has gone to
great lengths to bolster relations with both Chinese and
Russian authorities.
A controversial 2018 agreement on bishop appointments
between the Holy See and China was penned on his
Pope Francis and
Mongolian President
Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh
attend the official
welcoming ceremony for
the pope in Sükhbaatar
Square in Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia, Sept. 2. |
CNS/LOLA GOMEZ
watch. More recently, his Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro
Parolin floated the proposal of establishing a permanent
liaison office in Beijing.
Meanwhile, since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine following
Russia’s invasion last February, the pope has sought
to establish regular dialogue with Russian authorities, and
in June sent his personal peace envoy for Ukraine, Italian
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to both Moscow and Kyiv in a bid
to carve out a path for an eventual cease-fire.
Francis’ trip to Mongolia marked the first papal visit to the
country, and the closest a pope has ever come physically to
either Russia or China.
In Mongolia, the pope flattered his hosts with his opening
speech to national authorities, containing what was essentially
an ode to Mongolia’s culture and natural beauty, as
well as their commitment to the environment, democracy,
and religious freedom following the fall of Soviet Communism
in 1992.
In a remark that seemed directed at the country’s Russian
neighbors, he expressed hope that “the dark clouds of war
be dispelled, swept away by the firm desire for a universal
fraternity wherein tensions are resolved through encounter
and dialogue.”
He also repeatedly referenced the Church’s social and
charitable initiatives as a reason why governments should
not be afraid of the Church, offered a special greeting to
the Chinese people, and hit back against criticism of his
outreach to China and Russia.
In a Sept. 3 address to missionaries and bishops, he stated
that Jesus did not send his disciples “to spread political
theories, but to bear witness by their lives to the newness of
his relationship with his Father.”
“The Church born of that mandate is a poor Church,
sustained only by genuine faith and by the unarmed and
disarming power of the risen Lord, and capable of alleviating
the sufferings of wounded humanity,” he said.
By pointing to examples of the Church’s social outreach,
the pope sought to offer reassurance to state leaders in
Mongolia, but also within China, that “they have nothing
to fear from the Church’s work of evangelization, for she
has no political agenda to advance, but is sustained by the
quiet power of God’s grace and a message of mercy and
truth, which is meant to promote the good of all.”
During his final Sept. 3 Mass in Ulaanbaatar’s Steppe
Arena, attended by some 2,000 people, including several
groups of Catholics from mainland China, Francis paused
at the end of the ceremony and offered a special greeting to
“the noble Chinese people.”
“To the entire people I wish the best, go forward, always
progress. And to the Chinese Catholics, I ask you to be
good Christians and good citizens,” he said.
On his return flight from Ulaanbaatar to Rome Sept. 4,
the pope fielded questions over criticism he has received
over his engagement with China and Russia, and the soft,
at times appeasing approach he has taken with both.
Some observers took issue with Francis’ greeting to the
Chinese and his instruction for Catholics on the mainland
to be “good citizens” given the government’s decision to
ban both faithful and bishops from attending papal events
in Mongolia, meaning many came under the radar and
sought to avoid all public and media attention, taking
measures to ensure they could not be identified.
Critics have also accused the pope of remaining silent on
human rights abuses and violations of religious freedom in
exchange for the 2018 deal, an agreement which Beijing
has violated on at least two occasions just this year.
Francis also got himself into hot water shortly before the
trip by praising the legacy of “Great Mother Russia” in a
video conference with Catholic youth, which generated
immediate blowback from Ukrainian Catholics and national
officials, who accused the pontiff of recycling Russian
“imperialist propaganda.”
During his inflight press conference, the pope rejected
criticism on both fronts, saying the Vatican enjoys a “very
respectful” relationship with China and praising Russia for
possessing a culture with “great beauty and depth.”
“Personally, I have a great admiration for the Chinese
culture, they are very open,” he said, saying, “we must
keep going forward in the religious aspect to understand
each other better so that the Chinese don’t think that the
Church doesn’t accept their culture or their values, and
that the Church depends on a different foreign power.”
He also rejected objections to his recent comments praising
Russia and historic leaders such as Catherine II and
Peter the Great, saying he always tells young people to embrace
their legacy, and that his reference to “Great Mother
Russia” was “was not so much geographic but cultural.”
Despite some “dark political years” in the country, the
pope said, “Russian culture must not be canceled because
of politics.”
Overall, the pope’s objective in Mongolia seemed determined
to help cement the Church’s footprint in this part
of the world, while making a down payment on future dialogue
with both China and Russia. The pope’s visit came
almost 800 years after the Holy See’s first contact with the
Mongol Empire. Following that precedent, no one in the
Vatican expects a papal visit to China
or Russia to unfold overnight.
Francis’ latest journey expressed
hope that sometimes the long and
difficult road of dialogue does pay
off. Though what exactly that means
for the Vatican’s currently tenuous
relationships with China and Russia is
yet to be seen.
Elise Ann Allen is the Senior Correspondent
for Crux in Rome.
A boy gives Pope Francis scarves as he arrives at the
headquarters of the Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia, Sept. 1. Cardinal Giorgio Marengo
(left) is the country’s apostolic prefect and the youngest
cardinal in the world. | CNS/VATICAN MEDIA
20 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 21

A PORTRAIT OF CHARITY
Eighty years ago, the Ulmas died protecting
Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland. Now declared
“blessed,” their witness has something to tell us.
BY MICHAEL O’SHEA
This month, the illustrious ranks
of beatified Poles grew by nine.
On Sunday, Sept. 10, Józef
and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven
children — Stanisława, Barbara,
Władysław, Franciszek, Antoni, Maria,
and an infant whose name isn’t known
to history — were officially declared
“blessed” in a special ceremony
in their home village of Markowa,
Poland.
German gendarmes murdered the
entire family in March 1944 in retaliation
for the Ulmas’ sheltering of Jews.
Their beatification process began in
2003, and Pope Francis declared them
“venerable” last year.
The Ulma family owned a modest
farm in Markowa in the Subcarpathian
(currently southeastern) region
of Poland, to this day a stronghold
of Polish Catholicism. Józef was an
amateur photographer and active
member of community and church
organizations. His photographs offer
precious insights into the life of this
family of martyrs.
The children knew only a world at
war. The oldest, Stanisława, was just
three when the Germans and Soviets
carved up her homeland.
At the Wannsee Conference in 1942,
Priests raise their hands during the consecration of
the Eucharist at the Sept. 10 beatification Mass of the
Ulma family Markowa, Poland. In the background is a
photo of the Ulmas taken shortly before their death, in
which Wiktoria is seen visibly pregnant. | CNS PHOTO/
JUSTYNA GALANT
senior German leadership resolved
to deport and murder Europe’s Jews.
Later that year, the Ulmas began to
hide eight Jews on their farm, an act
punishable by death in occupied Poland.
Additionally, Józef helped build
a shelter in a nearby ravine, to which
Wiktoria delivered food to four Jewish
women in hiding. German authorities
discovered and murdered those
women in December 1942. The eight
endured with the Ulmas until March
1944, just four months before Soviet
forces arrived in the area.
A local man, Włodzimierz Les,
informed the German authorities
sanctity of life is particularly relevant
in Poland. Abortion has been a key
issue in this year’s contentious election
campaign, with opposition leader
Donald Tusk announcing that candiabout
the Ulmas’ charity, likely due
to a personal dispute. Les previously
sheltered one of the Jews in hiding
in exchange for valuables. A dispute
over the possessions likely spurred his
denunciation. Elements of the Polish
underground observed Les for the
remainder of the war. They tried and
shot him in September of that year.
After the denunciation, a patrol of
German gendarmes arrived at the
Ulma farm in the early hours of
March 24, 1944. After shooting some
of the fugitives in their sleep, they led
the remaining inhabitants outside.
First they shot the remaining Jews,
then they murdered Józef and Wiktoria
in front of their children. Initially
unsure what to do with the children,
the Germans soon shot them as well,
“so there would be no trouble.” Later
examination of the bodies suggested
Wiktoria had partially given birth (the
Vatican has clarified that this child,
too, will be officially counted among
the beatified).
“Look how the Polish pigs that
shelter Jews are dying!” exclaimed one
of the German perpetrators during
the proceedings. The gendarmes
proceeded to loot the farm and drown
their consciences in vodka. A hidden
photograph of two Jewish women was
found with stains of a victim’s dripping
blood.
That stained photograph proved
symbolic of a time and place: The
leadership of Poland’s Nazi occupiers
envisioned a future in which a portion
of the Slavs would survive as a slave
race with minimal education; the rest
would be exterminated, along with
the Jews.
Of the numerous
countries that Germany
occupied during the war,
only in Poland did civilians
face execution for
aiding Jews. Whereas the
occupied peoples of Western
Europe maintained a
semblance of normal life,
Poles could take nothing for granted.
Ultimately, 6 million people — onefifth
of the country’s prewar population
— perished during the war.
The German occupiers’ official suppression
of human dignity unleashed
a barbaric tide throughout society.
The Holocaust was a central part of
it but not the only one. Ukrainian
paramilitaries murdered tens of thousands
of Poles in the Polish-Ukrainian
borderlands. Scoundrels thrived.
Some — ostensibly including the
neighbor who reported the Ulmas —
were willing to play the executioner
for little in return.
These conditions also kindled the
best in humanity, as demonstrated by
this now-beatified farm family. The
underground organization Zegota,
unique in German-occupied Europe,
existed for the purpose of saving Jews.
Tens of thousands benefited from the
organization’s aid. Poles comprise the
largest nationality of the Righteous
Among Nations.
Nearly 80 years later, Poland’s Sejm
(Parliament)
announced the
Ulma family
would be among
its patrons for the
year 2024.
But the Ulmas’
beatification
comes at a time
when their
witness to the
From left: Franciszek, Stanislawa,
Barbara, and Wladyslaw Ulma in an
undated photo before their death. |
INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL REMEM-
BRANCE
Chief Rabbi of Poland
Michael Schudrich at the
Sept. 10 outdoor beatification
Mass of the Ulma
family. He said the Ulmas
are “mentors.” | OSV
NEWS/POLISH BISHOPS
CONFERENCE
dates on his party’s parliamentary list
must support abortion. A large-scale
pro-abortion rally is being planned in
Warsaw two weeks before the October
elections.
Meanwhile, following the postwar
redrawing of borders, the Ulmas’
Markowa now sits very close to the
Poland-Ukraine border, across which
hundreds of thousands have fallen
victim to the region’s greatest conflagration
since World War II.
But the Ulmas’ beatification reminds
us how the simplest and smallest
among us can testify to Christ’s love.
History offers few details of what
went through Józef and Wiktoria’s
minds when deciding to undertake
their selfless acts of charity. Likewise,
the modern observer knows little of
the hardship they undoubtedly faced.
What do remain are photographs of
a beautiful family, a testament to life
and love.
In one of these surviving photographs,
taken soon before the family’s
death, a visibly pregnant Wiktoria
tends to an infant, a loving sister feeds
her young sibling, and the remaining
children cast their gazes in every
which direction. Józef stares knowingly
into the camera, as if to say, on
behalf of the family, a humble yes.
Michael O’Shea is a visiting fellow at
the Danube Institute and a dual citizen
of the United States and Poland,
and a board member of the Pittsburgh-area
pro-life organization People
Concerned for the Unborn Child. His
great-grandparents, Jan and Waleria
Lech, sheltered Jews on their farm in
Poland.
22 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 23

Letting the
Camino
do its work
An ‘80s star’s booklength
account of
his pilgrimage in
Spain illustrates why
many struggle to
associate faith with an
institution.
BY EVAN HOLGUIN
Just over 25 years ago, Andrew Mc-
Carthy was trying to run away from
his reputation.
A member of the infamous ’80s “Brat
Pack,” McCarthy was just as well
known for his history of partying and
drugs as he was for his starring roles
in “Pretty in Pink,” “St. Elmo’s Fire,”
and “Weekend at Bernie’s.” Attempting
to flee public perception and its
effect on his own self-image, McCarthy
ran to Spain.
More accurately, he walked there —
nearly 500 miles on the Camino de
Santiago, a pilgrimage dating from the
Middle Ages from the French city of
St. Jean-Pied-du-Port to the traditional
burial site of St. James the Great in
northwest Spain.
McCarthy’s 2023 book, “Walking
with Sam” (Grand Central Publishing,
$28) jumps forward 25 years. Still
best known for his role in the Brat
Pack, McCarthy has grown a larger
career, which includes acting, directing,
and travel writing. He’s also raised
a son, the eponymous Sam, who has
Actor Andrew McCarthy and his son, Sam, walked together on the famed Camino de Santiago in Spain,
culminating in McCarthy writing a book of the experience, “Walking With Sam.” | ANDREW MCCARTHY
joined his father’s second trip on the
Way of St. James.
What follows is part memoir-part
travelogue with a dash of history. But
mostly it is a love letter to one of the
most enduring pilgrimages in Europe
and a glimpse into the raw heart and
experience of a pilgrim.
“While we all walk the same route
— millions of us over the centuries
— no one walks the same Camino.
In a very real way, this trip is a private
one,” he writes.
The private trip is laid bare for the
reader, who follows McCarthy’s
wandering mind through a painful
relationship with his father and the
feelings of insecurity that arise in his
own fatherhood. Less explicit yet still
consistent throughout the pilgrimage
are peaks into McCarthy’s own
spiritual journey.
McCarthy is among the nearly 16
million Americans who say they were
brought up Catholic but now identify
with no religious tradition.
“I long ago walked away from the
dogma of my religion,” McCarthy
writes, “even as seeds of a spiritual
connection to something beyond my
comprehension began to grow in me.”
McCarthy never dives much deeper
into the structure of his “spiritual
connection,” besides referencing his
choice not to raise his children — including
fellow pilgrim Sam — according
to any formal faith tradition.
Instead, McCarthy uses the five-week
walk across Spain to simply be present
to his son — providing a listening ear
as Sam works through his first adult
breakup, sharing some of his own personal
baggage but very rarely sharing
advice.
“Let the Camino do its work, I silently
remind myself,” McCarthy said.
“Just walk along beside him.”
Some readers might find the elder
McCarthy goes too far in his laissez
faire approach to his son’s travails and
adolescent habits, but it does impart a
lesson in listening — especially those
committed to the kind of accompaniment
called for by Pope Francis.
McCarthy’s challenge is to learn
how to treat his son as a fellow adult
while still maintaining paternal love
and responsibility. Along the Way, his
patronizing morphs into respect.
Yet his accompaniment is wanting,
not only because of the author’s freely
admitted faults, but because the entire
exercise is lacking a solid footing.
McCarthy’s Camino differs from the
medieval one because it is detached
from Christian tradition.
Repopularized by books and movies
— including the 2010 film “The
Way” by fellow Brat Pack alum Emilio
Estevez — the Way of St. James
has become choked with walkers,
new hostels, and even (as McCarthy
recounts during a stay at his favorite
town of O Cebreiro) a thriving bustour
trade.
The glut of pilgrims with no connection
to faith have also called into
question the historical veracity of St.
James’ final resting place. And while
McCarthy may find mythology of
anecdotal interest, past pains with the
institutional Church keep him from
seeing the Way of St. James as more
than a good, long walk.
Andrew McCarthy is an actor best known as a member
of the “Brat Pack” from the 1980s. He’s also a director
and travel writer. | GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING
“What I didn’t understand then was
that the institutions … protect themselves
first, no matter the platitudes
and slogans they boast,” he writes of
the school systems that failed his son.
In the book, he references a nun
who plays the scrooge, chasing the
father-son duo from a hostel with
rude demands of payment; historical
injustices committed by the Knights
Templar and the Franco regime along
the Way; and, of course, the decades
of clerical sexual abuse that injured so
many and poisoned trust of Catholic
leadership.
“While I was vehement in my
outrage,” McCarthy writes about
the abuse crisis, “Sam bypassed my
repulsion and left the church to its
own devices.”
The line is possibly the most heartbreaking
in the book. Throughout the
memoir, Sam is depicted almost as a
caricature of Gen Z — foul-mouthed,
late-rising, gender-inclusive, and
constantly spouting the latest slang.
And, in this instance, so completely
detached from Catholic institutions
that he faces scandal with apathy rather
than his father’s antipathy.
It’s a painful reminder of the challenge
that faces the modern Church:
attracting souls either so wounded by
failed Catholic leaders or so numbed
by them that the Gospel’s foothold in
the West seems to be slipping.
Yet even in the face of this apparent
uphill battle, a look back on the
Camino offers a foundational piece of
hope.
“Legend goes on to tell us that after
Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, and
ascension, James headed off to the
Iberian Peninsula in order to preach
the Word,” McCarthy explains. “But
he seemed to lack persuasiveness, or
at least the oratory skills required to
hold a crowd. He attracted just seven
disciples for his troubles.”
In 2022, a record 438,182 pilgrims
completed the Way of St. James. The
Camino is a long journey on foot. The
road to faith is also a long journey for
some. St. James is still at work.
Evan Holguin is a graduate of the
University of Notre Dame. Originally
from Santa Clarita, he now writes from
Connecticut.
“Walking With Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred
Miles Across Spain” written by actor Andrew McCarthy.
| GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING
24 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023
September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 25

AD REM
ROBERT BRENNAN
Robert Brennan writes from Los Angeles, where
he has worked in the entertainment industry,
Catholic journalism, and the nonprofit sector.
What I learned from some
shady saints
and she certainly seemed like a lost
cause. But God works on his own
timetable, and when Mary was traveling
the Pilgrim’s road to the Holy
Land for very unholy reasons, God got
through to her. She secluded herself
in the desert, was cleansed from her
impurities, and lived the rest of her
life in holiness.
Blessed Bartolo Longo straddled the
19th and 20th centuries, being born
in 1841 and dying in 1926. Born and
raised Catholic, he went off to college
and threw himself into a world of
atheism, anti-Catholicism, and the
occult. (That is an old story that can
be retold by countless modern Catholic
parents who have watched their
own children follow this same path in
some of the most prestigious institutes
of higher education — and have the
student loan debt to prove it.)
If exiting the Catholic Church was
not bad enough for his devout parents
to take, his entrance into the occult
that culminated in “ordination” as a
priest of Satan would have finished
the job. Only it did not. Tradition tells
us that through the intercession of his
deceased father, Bartolo saw the light
and returned to God. For the next 50
years he built schools and orphanages
for the children of criminals and used
the rosary as his weapon of choice
against the dark one. The real hero
in this saint’s story is his father, who
proves that sometimes our petitions
for those we love have to be taken all
the way to the home office before an
answer is given.
It is a strange kind of comfort
knowing that in a world so racked
with trouble, there are a lot more than
just three saints. Such heroic stories
offer an alternative to the chaos and
confusion our world wallows in, and
reminders that by the grace of God we
also share in a saint’s future.
“Longinus the Centurion,” by Fyodor Zubov, 1615-1689,
Russian. | S.D. CASON CATHOLIC GALLERY (PUBLIC
DOMAIN)
“St. Mary of Egypt,” by José de Ribera, 1591-1652, Spanish |
WIKIPEDIA
Blessed Bartolo Longo. | WIKIPEDIA
These are the times when I
find myself praying more than
watching the news or caring
about things happening that I have no
control over in the first place.
During one of my spiritual health
breaks from the culture at large, I
started thinking about saints. As much
as asking for the prayers of A-listers
like Sts. Peter, Paul, Augustine, and
Teresa of Ávila is time well spent, I
took to ruminating about some of the
more than 10,000 men and women
the Church has declared saints. I
wondered: Could the stories of some
of the most obscure saints help bolster
weaker vessels like me in these times?
What I discovered was living proof
of the adage that every sinner has a
future, and every saint has a past. I was
enlightened by learning of basically
forgotten saints who have a lot to say
to many of us in the here and now.
One of them was St. Longinus. I’m
sure many of those reading this know
who St. Longinus was — but I certainly
did not, until I Googled “saints
with shady pasts.” The list I found was
a long one, and Longinus probably
ranks in the top five. Tradition holds
he was the centurion who drove the
spear into Jesus’ side on Golgotha and
then proclaimed, “Truly this man was
the Son of God.” He then spent the
rest of his life as an evangelist.
If there was hope for the man
whose job it was to make sure Jesus
of Nazareth was dead, then who are
we to worry? St. Longinus is actually
as relevant today as he was when
he was a Roman centurion in good
standing: I think of the testimonies
that have been shared from doctors
who were abortionists, or individuals
who worked at Planned Parenthood
abortion mills who had their moments
of clarity and redemption.
The past of St. Mary of Egypt is
harder to recount in a publication
meant for readers of all ages: to put it
politely, hers is a tale of debauchery.
Unlike Mary Magdalene, this Mary
offered her “services” for free. The
descriptions of her lifestyle convey a
fourth-century version of the libertine
lifestyle choices that we currently see
promulgated by the popular culture,
26 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 27

NOW PLAYING WITH THIS LIGHT
In 1932, Maria Rosa Leggol was
an orphan in one of the poorest
countries in the world. By the time
of her death in 2020, this woman had
created thousands of projects focused
on helping children and their families,
including more than 500 homes
for orphans, teens, and single mothers,
150 medical clinics, factories,
bakeries, agricultural cooperatives,
and schools.
How was this possible?
“With This Light” is a meticulous,
elegant, and beautifully shot new
documentary on the life and legacy
of the woman sometimes called “the
Mother Teresa of Honduras.” It has
been screened at the Vatican for Pope
Francis, and in several locations in Los
Angeles.
The film features both archival and
new footage of Sister Maria Rosa Leg-
GIVING OUT MERCY
A new documentary captures the life and work of
the little-known nun revered as ‘the Mother Teresa of
Honduras.’
BY STEFANO REBEGGIANI
gol (“Sor Maria,” as everyone called
her). Rather than showcasing her projects
(there are too many of them), the
doc wants us to meet Sor Maria herself
and the people impacted by her work.
The film intertwines Sor Maria’s
story with those of two young women.
Rosa, 18, spent all her life in one of
orphanages founded by the Honduran
nun and is preparing to go to college.
We see her recall her childhood of
violence and abuse and confront her
fears of the future. Meanwhile, Maria,
14, risks her life every day to get a high
school education in one of Sor Maria’s
schools, in the hope of breaking free
from the cycle of poverty and violence
that has entrapped her family.
We hear Sor Maria recount the exact
day when, at the age of 6, she saw three
Franciscan nuns in the town of Puerto
Cortes. She was shocked to learn that
The late Sister Maria
Rosa Leggol hugs a child
in a scene from “With
this Light.” | MIRA-
FLORES FILMS
they had come to tend people like
her, orphans. Soon after, she recounts,
she entered their house and told the
nuns, “Sisters, I want to stay with you
because I want to become one of you.”
What emerges is the portrait of a
woman who, having lost her parents
early in life, felt that her mission was
to be a mother to the many lost and
abandoned children of Honduras. The
heart of her vocation was not the calling
to be a woman religious, but the
fundamental calling to every Christian:
to love, to give one’s life for the other.
Sor Maria understood this at an early
age, and stayed faithful to this mission
throughout her life. “The only brief
I received from God is to love and to
serve,” she says in the film.
In a remarkable testimony of faith,
she even comes to regard the tragedy
of losing her parents as a blessing:
“When I was little, the Lord took from
me everything that could hinder a girl
from doing God’s will.”
Through the words of Sor Maria, the
documentary shows us how to live this
vocation in our everyday life. For example,
Sor Maria never put money first.
At every step in her life, she begged
God to show her the way, to give her
signs. “God’s projects are not determined
by money; and when we think
we can’t do it, let us ask the Lord, give
me a light.”
Somebody who wants to do God’s
will cannot accept to settle down and
try to live comfortably. “My path is to
open paths so others can walk,” she
says. “I cannot stay put, I have to move
forward.”
The Franciscan nun is best known
for founding Sociedad Amigos de los
Niños in 1966. Shortly afterward, Sor
Maria rescued children living inside
a Honduran prison with their parents
and placed them in the foundation’s
first homes.
Sor Maria recalls the advice she
received by Father Guillermo, one of
her earliest collaborators. “Sister, do
not worry to let them go around a bit.
When they come back bruised up, you
help them. They come back because
they know that this is their place, that
here they are loved.”
Honduran teenager Rosa Polada (left) with her sisters in “With this Light.” | MIRAFLORES FILMS
One of the most moving scenes
comes at the end of the documentary,
when Rosa and her mother meet with
Sor Maria shortly before her death.
“Until the day that God takes me, I
will be here loving you,” she says to
Rosa. And she invites her not to be
too harsh on her mother, who, despite
everything, always came to visit her.
Rosa’s mother had “loaned” her
daughter to her former husband and
mother-in-law, who subjected her to
unspeakable violence and abuse. Sor
Maria’s words to the young woman
invite her not to hold grudges based on
“Sor Maria” speaks to
the press in Honduras. |
MIRAFLORES FILMS
the past, but to
forgive.
The documentary
focuses
heavily on the
work done by Sor
Maria’s collaborators
to help Honduran
children
get an education,
become independent,
and escape
the poverty and
violence in which
they are enmeshed.
This is important and fundamental
to understanding who she was
and what she did. But the film could
have benefited from more attention to
another key, fascinating aspect of her
legacy: how Sor Maria’s collaborators,
most of them laypeople and women
religious, care for the spiritual needs of
the children.
Receiving an education and becoming
financially independent are
very important. But more important
is seeing how children can be led to
discover that their vocation is to love,
just like Sor Maria did and taught, and
that living this vocation is crucial to
their happiness.
“My job is to continue giving out mercy
… for this, my children, you have a
mission. Reflect what Sociedad Amigos
de los Niños is: a work of redemption
and love,” she says in the film. “There
cannot be a person that you do not
love.”
The power to follow this mission
comes from the Lord. In “With this
Light,” Sor Maria is always seen with a
crucifix in her hands: “Without Jesus I
do not take one step forward,” she says.
“With this Light” is available on demand
on various platforms. Visit
WiththisLight.com for more information.
Stefano Rebeggiani is an associate
professor of classics at the University of
Southern California.
28 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023
September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 29

DESIRE LINES
HEATHER KING
Heather King is an award-winning
author, speaker, and workshop leader.
The God of the impossible
A monstrance containing the Blessed
Sacrament is displayed on the altar during
a Holy Hour at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
in New York City July 13. | OSV NEWS/
GREGORY A. SHEMITZ
all are repressed. Faith alone triumphs
and faith is hard, dark, stark.”
In a chapter called “The God of the
Impossible,” he writes of a time later
in his stay, again sitting in adoration
one blazing hot morning. He’d been
injured while working alongside the
local laborers.
toward “wellness”: mental and spiritual
health; excellence. Those who sit in
adoration, by contrast, wouldn’t dream
of trying to market what they do. No
one is trying to perfect or pass on a
technique, or hold themselves out
as experts, or offer a certain kind of
experience.
Anyone who regularly sits before
the monstrance in silence knows that
prayer arises from total poverty. That to
pray is to be overshadowed by mystery.
That prayer, grounded in Christ, is
grace.
Nowhere is the scandal of the cross
more apparent than in adoration. No
election is won. No wounds are bandaged.
No garden is tended, no child is
comforted, no prisoner is visited.
“It is love that gives things their
value. It makes sense of the difficulty
of spending hours and hours on one’s
knees praying while so many men need
looking after in the world, and in the
context of love we must view our inability
to change the world, to wipe out evil
and suffering…
It is love which must determine man’s
actions, love which must give unity to
what is divided.
Love is the synthesis of contemplation
and action, the meeting point between
heaven and earth, between God and
man.”
With a gentle rain falling outside,
I began to catch my breath from the
long journey. A hundred dilemmas
passed through my mind. Was I a
“pilgrim,” as I liked to tell myself, or
an unstable crank? Why, after so much
prayer, was I still so judgmental, petty,
and envious? What would become of
me if I started to lose my memory?
I thanked Our Lord, over and over. I
asked him to shore me up, one day at a
time. And then I fell asleep.
I’ve been for several weeks in Ireland’s
County Galway, “enjoying”
some of the worst summer weather
in living memory. When even the
Irish acknowledge the gloom, you
know you’re in trouble.
One bright spot has been the Church
of the Immaculate Conception, a
huge stone structure with ornamental
battlements that towers over the village
of Oughterard.
Adoration is held after 10 a.m. Mass
Tuesdays and Fridays. That first Tuesday,
Father Michael guided us into the
Lamb of God Chapel, led the Divine
Praises, and dimmed the lights.
I looked around at the seven or eight
other oldish women — there were
no men that day — and thought of
the plodding, steady devotion of the
women who come to church all over
the world, day in, day out, week in,
week out; who attend daily Mass, say
the rosary, pray the novenas, grip the
holy cards, wear the scapulars. Who
carry the flame. Who wait. And who in
a very real way have kept the Church
going.
I thought of Carlo Carretto (1910-
1988), an Italian priest who burned his
address book and set out for the Sahara
to follow in the steps of St. Charles de
Foucauld. Murdered by the Tuareg
he’d longed to convert, Foucauld had
been found dead in the sand, inches
away from the monstrance.
Carretto wrote a book about his time
in the Sahara: “Letters from the Desert”
(Orbis Press, $18). I’d gone back to
it many times, and found a copy in the
house where I was staying.
He describes a whole week he spent
alone with the Eucharist, exposed day
and night.
“Silence in the desert, silence in the
cave, silence in the Eucharist. No prayer
is so difficult as the adoration of the
Eucharist. One’s whole natural strength
rebels against it.
One would prefer to carry stones in the
sun. The senses, memory, imagination,
“My leg was hurting terribly, and I had
to work up the force to stop my mind
from wandering. I remembered Pius XII
once asking in one of his audiences,
‘What does Jesus do in the Eucharist?’
and he awaited the reply from his students.
Even today, after so many years, I
do not know how to reply.
What does Jesus do in the Eucharist? I
have thought about it often.
In the Eucharist Jesus is immobilized
not in one leg only, but both, and in his
hands as well. He is reduced to a little
piece of white bread. The world needs
him so much and yet he doesn’t speak.
Men need him so much and he doesn’t
move!
The Eucharist is the silence of God,
the weakness of God.”
How grateful I was to be there,
surrounded by fellow members of the
Mystical Body. The YouTube influence/meditation
gurus had nothing
on these outwardly perfectly ordinary
women who sat in total silence, barely
moving a muscle.
Meditation in secular culture tends
30 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 31

LETTER AND SPIRIT
SCOTT HAHN
Scott Hahn is founder of the
St. Paul Center for Biblical
Theology; stpaulcenter.com.
Angels among us
Not long ago, devotion to the guardian angels was
quite popular — and for good biblical reasons. The
plot of the Acts of the Apostles is borne forward by
the action of angels. Angels set the apostles free from prison
(5:19, 12:7). An angel guides Philip from Jerusalem to
Gaza for his meeting with
the Ethiopian court official
(8:26). Angels bring
about the meeting of Peter
and Cornelius (10:3-5).
The story of the Church
moves forward with the
guidance, protection, and
assistance of angels. So do
our lives. The early Christians
knew this.
We need to have such
faith and such a lively
awareness of our guardian
angels. For God has given
us the same powerful
heavenly guidance, protection,
and assistance.
Devotion to the angels
did not arise as something
new with the proclamation
of the Gospel. It has
always been part of biblical
religion. Angels fill the
Bible, from beginning to
end. They are among the
key players in the drama
of the Garden of Eden.
They appear frequently in
the life of the patriarchs:
Jacob even wrestles with
one. They go before the Israelites
during the exodus.
They deliver God’s word to the prophets.
The New Testament opens with an explosion of angelic
activity. Neither Joseph nor Mary seems particularly surprised
to receive the help of angels.
Still today, when a priest offers Mass, the congregation
is never small, even if it is nonexistent in terms of human
attendance. The angels are there, as is evident even in the
“Jacob Wrestling with the Angel” (detail), by Eugène Delacroix, 1798-1863, French. |
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
words of the Mass: “And so with all the choirs of angels we
sing …” The Mass itself cries out for us to be aware of our
angels.
From the time we are smallest, each of us has a guardian
angel. Jesus said, “See that you do not despise one of these
little ones; for I tell you
that in heaven their angels
always behold the face of
my Father who is in heaven”
(Matthew 18:10).
God provides these
guides so that we may
have superhuman help on
our way to heaven. Our
guardian angels want to
help us do God’s will, and
they want to keep us from
sinning. They want to help
us to help others — and
they want to keep us from
mucking up the lives of
others. They want the best
for us, which does not
always coincide with the
things we desire most. The
difficult fact is that what’s
best for us does not necessarily
correspond with our
comfort, health, or safety.
Sometimes suffering is
what’s best for us, if only
because it keeps us from
sinning or tempting others
to sin.
Still, our guardian angels
do work diligently to win
our trust. So they help us
sometimes to find an open
parking space or navigate a confusing grid of city streets.
The angels follow after God’s pattern of governance: They
sometimes give us what we want so that we’ll learn to ask
for what we need.
The guardian angels’ feast day is coming up on Oct. 2.
The archangels’ feast is on Sept. 29. Remember to celebrate!
■ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
St. John’s Seminary Annual Gala. Cathedral of Our Lady of
the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, 5-9 p.m. Vigil
Mass will be followed by cocktail reception on the Cathedral
Plaza and al fresco dining. Distinguished alumni and
Catholic leaders will be honored. For more information,
visit lacatholics.org/catholic-la-events.
■ SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Day in Recognition of All Immigrants Procession and
Mass. Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple
St., Los Angeles, 3 p.m. Archbishop José H. Gomez will
celebrate a special Mass at 3:30 p.m., which will be in
person and livestreamed via Facebook.com/lacatholics and
lacatholics.org/immigration.
Traditional Filipino Breakfast Fundraiser. St. Barnabas
Church, 3955 Orange Ave., Long Beach, 7-11:30 a.m. Cost:
$10/plate. For more information, visit StBarnabasLB.org.
■ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Della Robbia: A Retrospective. Holy Family Church
Holtsnider Pastoral Center, Galilee Room, 1527 Fremont
Ave., South Pasadena, 9 a.m. Curator Anne Yee provides
a portrayal of the Della Robbia families. Day includes
refreshments, lecture, and guided campus tour. Free and
open to the public. Select pieces of the artwork available
for purchase in the bookstore. Contact maryhannon123@
gmail.com or Diane.collison@outlook.com.
■ TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
18th Annual Los Angeles Catholic Prayer Breakfast.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St.,
Los Angeles, 6:30 a.m. This year’s address will be delivered
by Joe Sikorra, marriage and family therapist and host of the
Joe Sikorra Show. To reserve a table or for more information,
visit lacatholicprayerbreakfast.org.
■ WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 20
LACBA CFJ Veterans Record Clearing Clinic. 3-6 p.m. virtual
clinic. Provides assistance with clearing traffic tickets,
expunging criminal records, and felony reductions. Open
to Southern California veterans. Registration required; call
213-896-6537 or email inquiries-veterans@lacba.org.
“Holy is his Name” Weekly Series. St. Dorothy Church,
241 S. Valley Center Ave., Glendora, 7-8:30 p.m. Series runs
every Wednesday through May 22, 2024. Deepen your
understanding of the Catholic faith through dynamic DVD
presentations by Bishop Robert Barron, Dr. Edward Sri,
Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Dr. Brant Pitre, and Dr. Scott
Hahn. Free, no reservation required. Call 626-335-2811 or
visit the Adult Faith Development ministry page at www.
stdorothy.org for more information.
Protecting God’s Children VIRTUS Training Session. St.
Barnabas Church, 3955 Orange Ave., Long Beach, 6-9 p.m.
Open to all. Must RSVP to the parish office at 562-424-
8595 or church@stbarnabaslb.org.
■ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Theology on Tap. Newman Pasadena Center, 151 S. Hill
Ave., Pasadena, 6-8 p.m. Father Robert Spitzer will present
about near-death experiences. Event is open to 21+
students and young adults only. For more information, visit
youngadultministry.lacatholics.org.
Children’s Bureau: Foster Care Zoom Orientation. 4-5
p.m. Children’s Bureau is now offering two virtual ways for
individuals and couples to learn how to help children in
foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to
provide legal permanency by adoption. A live Zoom orientation
will be hosted by a Children’s Bureau team member
and a foster parent. For those who want to learn at their
own pace about becoming a foster and/or fost-adopt parent,
an online orientation presentation is available. To RSVP
for the live orientation or to request the online orientation,
email rfrecruitment@all4kids.org.
■ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Feast Day of St. Padre Pio Vigil Mass and Relic Veneration.
St. Dorothy Church, 241 S. Valley Center Ave.,
Glendora, 6 p.m. rosary and exposition of the Blessed
Sacrament, 7 p.m. Mass and healing service. First-class relic
of St. Padre Pio available for veneration. Celebrant: Father
Ron Clark. Call 626-914-3941.
Fil-Am Masquerade Night. St. Barnabas Church, 3955
Orange Ave., Long Beach, 6-11 p.m. Wear purple, green,
and gold. Features entertainment, dancing, door prizes,
and surprise performances. Music by DJ Ronnie. Donation:
$30/person, $10/children age 12 and under. For more information,
visit StBarnabasLB.org.
■ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Jason Evert Live Double Feature: Purified and Gender. St.
Kateri Church, 22508 Copper Hill Dr., Santa Clarita, 11:30
a.m.-1 p.m. Purified, 1-2 p.m. lunch break, 2-3 p.m. Gender
and the Theology of the Body, 3-5:15 p.m. adoration and
confession. Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/doublefeature-with-jason-evert-tickets-671002244777
for tickets
and more information.
15th Annual Regional Feast Day of San Lorenzo Ruiz de
Manila. St. Elisabeth of Hungary Church, 14655 Kittridge
St., Van Nuys, 10 a.m. rosary procession, 10:30 a.m. Mass
with reception and fellowship to follow. Celebrant: Archbishop
Socrates B. Villegas, DD, of Lingayen-Dagupan, Philippines.
For more information, call Jun Corn at 818-397-
8087 or email juncorpin.stelisabethchurch@gmail.com.
Young Adult Ministry Fall Kickoff. St. Monica Church,
725 California Ave., Santa Monica, 8:15 a.m.-1 p.m. The
Archdiocese of Los Angeles is hosting a leader event for
parish staff, volunteers, and clergy working with young
adult ministry. For more information, visit https://lacatholics.org/catholic-la-events/.
Holy Fire: Middle School Event. St. John Eudes Church,
9901 Mason Ave., Chatsworth, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Middle-schoolers are invited to embrace their baptismal
call with talks, peer witness, praise and worship, and the
sacraments. Cost: $45/person. Register by Sept. 18. For
more information, visit https://lacatholics.org/catholic-laevents/.
St. Padre Pio Feast Day Celebration. St. Anthony of Padua
Church, 1050 W. 163rd St., Gardena, 10:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m.
With Msgr. Sal Pilato and Dominic Berardino. Hear the
story of Consiglia Caretti, cured of terminal cancer through
the prayers of Padre Pio. Presentations and personal blessing
with St. Pio’s relic glove. For more information, email
spirit@scrc.org.
■ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
St. Rose of Lima Charismatic Prayer Ministry Mass and
Healing Service. St. Rose of Lima Church, 1305 Royal Ave.,
Simi Valley, 7 p.m. Presider: Father Charles Lueras with
Deacon Pete Wilson.
Items for the calendar of events are due four weeks prior to the date of the event. They may be emailed to calendar@angelusnews.com.
All calendar items must include the name, date, time, address of the event, and a phone number for additional information.
32 • ANGELUS • September 22, 2023 September 22, 2023 • ANGELUS • 33