The Dating Project

On Tuesday, April 17th,  a group of us Newman folks went to a screening of a documentary movie, The Dating Project, that was co-produced by the Paulist.  I wasn’t expecting much and was pleasantly surprised that the movie was well-crafted providing some humorous and great insights on dating. I highly recommend seeing it whether you’re in that dating phase of life or you want to advise others.  The movie is empowering for those wanting to take control of their life and date.

One of the fundamental philosophical questions we need to be asking ourselves is, how should I live my life?  And related to that is the question, what kinds of relationships help me to become the kind of person I want to be?  

A Boston College philosophy professor, Kerry Cronin, noticed that many college students were clueless about dating and many were going through college without ever dating.  They were therefore not getting the experience and wisdom from such personal relationships to become the excellent person they want to be.  Hiding behind social media, many such relationships formed were ambiguous and superficial.  The other challenge of today is the hook-up culture in college where casual sexual encounters, thought to be fun and safe from emotional let downs, become false, damaging, and keep folks from developing healthy life-giving relationships.  Folks were either avoiding dating or replacing dating with hook-up.

The movie intermixes interviews with Prof. Cronin with following 5 singles - 2 college 1st years, a 20 year old, a 30 year old, and a 40 year old.  Dating is harder outside of college because the pool of folks shrink and finding time gets harder, so Cronin encourages students to practice and fine tune the skills of mature dating in college.  She even has an extra credit assignment where the student initiates and goes on a date. 

She divides dating into three levels where level 1 is an exploratory phase to start to know the person beyond the superficial. It’s about building and exercising skills for relating to others in a mature and respectful way, curiously learning about others and being appropriately self-revelatory.  She has a series of rules for level 1 dating which you can find on a handout in the lobby.  These rather old fashioned rules (e.g., ask in person, no longer than 90 minutes, spend less than $10, limited physical interaction) help to keep from rushing into a relationship and from hurting oneself through excessive expectations.  Given asking someone on a date and dealing with rejection take emotional courage, her level 1 rules lower the expectations, drama, and heartbreak.  And it also opens the door to see if there is mutual interest.

Level two dating enters the exclusive phase to learn more about the person, oneself, and one’s compatibility.  Level three dating deepens the exploration to discern if the couple should marry.

My take-away from the movie for singles is to seize the moment and date.  If you want to date Jesus at the same time to explore religious life, that’s ok also.  

 – Fr. Ivan

Sisters of the Holy Names Celebrate 150 years in California

On May 10, 1968, six very young Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary disembarked from their sea voyage in the bustling port of San Francisco. They came in response to Fr. Michael King’s request for sisters to staff the school he would build in his sprawling parish in Oakland and to establish a Novitiate as soon as it was feasible. After being welcomed by Fr. King and the Mercy Sisters, they were whisked off to the Mercy Convent to rest and recuperate and prepare to move to Oakland. Within a few weeks, they welcomed students to Sacred Heart Convent on the shores of Lake Merritt. Eventually this school developed into today’s Holy Names High School and Holy Names University.

This is not the only anniversary that the Sisters are celebrating: 175 years ago, only twenty five years prior to arriving in California, Marie Rose Durocher and several companions gathered in a small town near Montreal, Longueil, to form a congregation dedicated to educating the whole person. They were responding to a serious need: young girls, especially in rural areas, had no access to education. Their religious profession launched the first religious congregation established in North America for the purpose of education. In 1859, only 16 years after its foundation, twelve equally young sisters arrived in Portland Oregon to plant educational roots in the Pacific Northwest. Today, Holy Names Sisters are found in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, Canada; on both coasts of the United States, in Peru and in Lesotho and the Union of South Africa.

Sisters of the Holy Names staffed numerous schools in what eventually became the Diocese of Oakland: In addition to Holy Names High School and Holy Names University, they have served at Sacred Heart (1876), St. Francis de Sales (1886), St. Augustine (1918), Our Lady of Lourdes (1918), Marylrose (1931), Assumption, Hayward (1952), Holy Spirit, Fremont (1956), St. Theresa (1958); St. Bede, Hayward (1964), as well as schools and other ministries in the dioceses of San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Monterey and Los Angeles. Several SNJM’s, Associates and colleagues are currently members of Holy Spirit parish.

All are cordially invited to the kick-off 150th Anniversary celebration, May 10 from 4:30-6:30 at St. Theresa Catholic Church. For further information on this or other 150th Anniversary events, please visit the website www.snjmCA150.org

- Sr. Elizabeth Liebert, SNJM (parishioner)

Newest Members of the Catholic Church

Congratulations to our newest members of the Catholic Church and the Newman Hall-Holy Spirit Community, who were fully initiated at the Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 1.  Our elect, Joe Chen, Ruslan Gabioulline, Peggy Liu, Katherine Vieiramendes, and Steven Wong, celebrated the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist.  Our candidates, Evan Lee, Dylan McCulley, and Sheadrick Morris, made a profession of faith to the Catholic church and celebrated the sacraments of confirmation and Eucharist.  Our Catholic candidates, Vincent DePaul Fisher, Darrell Kinney, Theresa McCulley, Grace Mendoza, Diana Nugent, Joseph Famelo, Erika Sarmiento-Canales, and Rodrigo Vieiramendes.

They are now officially called neophytes (which is a word meaning twig, as in a new sprout on a branch).  They now enter a period called, mystagogy.  This is the final period of the RCIA.  In fact, the entire church community share this period with them of breaking open the infinite mysteries of God.

During this time, our neophytes will continue to meet to further reflect on the mysteries of our faith and the sacraments.  They will explore deepening their participation in the life of the Newman faith community and deepening into maturity that flame of faith ignited by God. 

Please continue to keep them in your prayers and please continue to pray for our candidate, Neil Qiao, still in our RCIA catechumenate, who looks to full initiation into the Catholic way of life some time in the future.  And please pray for those folks in the inquiry period exploring the Catholic faith and whether it is the path God is calling them to embrace.

If you have questions or desire to explore the Catholic faith future, feel free to talk to any of the priests or our RCIA Director, Dan Cawthon, or contact Fr. Ivan.

Please continue to keep them in your prayers and please continue to pray for our candidate, Neil Qiao, still in our RCIA catechumenate, who looks to full initiation into the Catholic way of life some time in the future.  

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And please pray for those folks in the inquiry period exploring the Catholic faith and whether it is the path God is calling them to embrace.

If you have questions or desire to explore the Catholic faith future, feel free to talk to any of the priests or our RCIA Director, Dan Cawthon, or contact Fr. Ivan.

Paulist 160th Anniversary

HAPPY 160TH ANNIVERSARY PAULIST FATHERS

On March 6, 1858, Pope Pius IX dispensed Fr. Isaac Hecker and four of his associates from their vows as Redemptorist priests.  This allowed them to form the first US men's religious order, the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle on July 7, 1858, under the direction of the local bishops.

Cardinal Della Genga wrote that Pope Pius IX wanted these men to:

 ” … spare no labor in the prosecution of the holy missions, in the conversion of souls, and in the dissemination of Christian doctrine.”

“His Holiness confidently trusts,” the document continues, “that the above mentioned priests will labor by work, example, and word in the vineyard of the Lord, and give themselves with alacrity to the eternal salvation of souls, and promote with all their power the sanctification of their neighbor.”

For more info, please check out Paulist Fr. Ron Franco's blog for March 6.

Thanks to the 50th Anniversary Committee

Thanks to the 50th Anniversary Committee (Howard Fischer (chair), Alan Roselius, Amy LaGoy, Charlie Bogle, Colette Ford, Darrell Christian, Deborah Tatto, Dorty Nowak, George Scharffenberger, Fr. Ivan, Jeannie Battagin, Judith Jarosz, Julia Casella, Juliane Trapse, Kinson Ho, Mary Harrow, Mary Annne Litell, & Rosemary Loughman) for all the planning, coordinating, and executing our wonderful 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, September 30th.  It was an incredible celebration with endless fabulous food, drinks, music, a silent auction, and wonderful people to meet.  

Thanks also to Colleen Lenord for planning the wonderful music, Carla DeSola and her fabulous dancers for the inspiring liturgical dance, Richard Cushman on organ, Coleen Patterson for our anniversary logo, Jana Jaroz for flyer designs, Matt Sie & Zac Dehkordi for our anniversary video, Kirk Peterson for display photos, Randy Dixon for our Campanile Poster, Matt Hauwiller for table setup, Therese Stawowy, Barbara Wander, Margot Simpson, Alfreda & Rich Campos for hospitality, Su Tang, Linda Bradford, & Suzanne Mar for kitchen help, and Peg McGowan for all the financial coordination.  Thanks to all the Paulists, who came to celebrate.  Thanks to all the numerous volunteers who made everything go so smoothly (e.g. brought food, set up, clean up, provided music, bartended, …).  And thanks to our wonderful Newman community who keep the spirit of Newman vibrant and alive.

Reflections on Liturgical Dance

Dear Pope Francis, 
When you were a child, did you like dancing?   
- Prajla   (Age 6, Albania)

Very much, dear Prajla! 

Really a lot! I enjoyed being with other children, playing Ring around the Rosie, but also dancing our traditional dances from Argentina. I really had so much fun! Then, as a young man, I liked to dance the tango. I really like the tango. You know, dancing expresses joy and happiness. When you are sad, you can’t dance. Usually, young people have one great resource, being happy. And for this reason, when you are young, you dance and express the joy in your heart.

Even the great King David danced. He made Jerusalem the Holy City and brought the Ark of the Covenant there in a solemn procession. And then King David began to dance in front of the Ark. He didn’t worry about formality. He forgot to behave as a king, and he began to dance like a little child! But when his wife, Michal, saw him jumping and dancing, she criticized David and scorned him in her heart. She was sick with too much seriousness, what I call the “Michal Syndrome.” People who can’t express joy are always serious. Dance now, children, so you won’t be too serious when you grow up!                -  Pope Francis

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We as humans, experience God in many ways, but because we experience life through our five senses, God came to us in human form so that we can see, hear, smell, taste and feel his presence. It is for that reason we eat the bread, drink the wine, hear the word, sing the psalms, smell the incense, and move in processions. These are all sensual ways of experiencing our Lord. Liturgical Dance is part of the ritual movement encouraged by the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, National Conference, as written in their document on Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. “Processions and interpretations through bodily movement (dance) can become meaningful parts of the liturgical celebration if done by truly competent persons in the manner that befits the total liturgical action.”

We are very fortunate to have Carla De Sola, who has taught for many years Liturgical Dance at the Graduate Theological Union and nationally, as our parishioner and Director of the Newman Dancers and Director of the Omega West Dance Company. Working with us, she has taught us the historical meaning of some of the moves we do, their origin in Early Jewish and Christian traditions. From these historical, spiritual and aesthetical moves she choreographs stories from the Gospels for us to experience, much in the same way as we may sing music that express the readings in ways that may move us.

If you would like to participate in liturgical dance and learn from the gifts of Carla, please leave a note at the front desk for her with your contact information. Students to long-time parishioners with dance experience are all invited. Let us remember what Pope Francis has instructed us to do, “ Dance now, children, so you won’t be too serious when you grow up!”

     - Randy Dixon, Newman Dancer

Statement from the Paulist Fathers Regarding Father James Martin, SJ

Statement from the Paulist Fathers Regarding Father James Martin, SJ

Rev. James Martin, SJ, is not only a noted Catholic author and priest but he is also a friend and neighbor of the Paulist Fathers and a parishioner of our Mother Church, St. Paul the Apostle, in New York City.  We are grateful for his presence in our midst and the many occasions he has celebrated Mass with us and graciously addressed our faith community.  He is our brother in God’s vineyard.

Thus, many Paulists were shocked and disappointed by the decision of Theological College, a national Roman Catholic seminary, to rescind an invitation to Fr. Martin to give a talk entitled “Encountering Jesus: Meeting the Jesus of History and the Christ of Faith” at their upcoming Alumni Symposium.  Apparently, Theological College feared that the negative reaction they have received from “various social media websites” since the publication of Fr. Martin’s most recent book, Building a Bridge, would taint their 100th Anniversary Celebration.

We support Fr. Jim Martin’s vision to engage Church pastoral practice on the care of our LGBT brothers and sisters as exemplified in his book.  He chose to write on a subject that should unite all Christians:  the human dignity of every person.  Yet, for some, this book’s call for the simple act of love and respect is perceived as a slippery slope towards heresy and damnation.  From our reading of the book, this is simply not the case. 

Moreover, this incident exposes the ugliness of homophobia and intolerance in our Church and society that is in desperate need of reconciliation and healing.  Theological College had an opportunity to offer Christian leadership and confront efforts to blacklist Fr. Martin.  Instead they have sent a dangerous message to the future priests they train that encouraging dialogue and accompaniment with those on the periphery is unacceptable.

For the sake of our Catholic community of faith, most especially our LGBT family members, fellow parishioners, collaborators in ministry and friends, we hope and pray this moment may prompt desperately needed charitable conversation and dialogue among the faithful on sexuality and spirituality, lead to deeper theological inquiry and insight, and foster communion among all God’s children.

Very Rev. Eric P. Andrews, C.S.P.
President, The Paulist Fathers