Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • April 20, 2018 19 Eucharistic Movement for children and teens to grow deeper in their love for the Eucharist. Sr. Mary served as a nurse for two years in Ham Tan Hospital in Ham Tan, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan. She came to the Diocese of Biloxi in 2001 and began work- ing as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNS) with Gentiva Hospice Care, then at Pillar Nursing Home in Biloxi. Currently Sr. Mary works as a CNA at Methodist Seashore Highlands in Gulfport where she takes care of the elderly physically and spiritually. As to the joys of religious life, they include the many opportunities to be closer to God, like prayer, going to daily Mass, living community life, doing charitable works, and taking care of her patients. Her involvement with the children and adults at St. Thomas also brings her great joy when she has the opportunity to choreograph the dances for the parish Christmas pageants or the liturgical dances to honor Mary during the month of May. Even making the special homemade eggrolls and other foods for St. Thomas’ festivities or other special occasions bring Sr. Mary great joy as a religious. As for the difficulties of religious life, her greatest challenge is to be far from her family who currently lives in Nghe An, Vietnam. Community life with 200 other sisters in Vietnam was also a challenge for Sr. Mary, since 200 sisters means 200 personalities that needed to blend in harmony for the love of God, espe- cially when you sleep in the same room with ten other sisters who snore...hi hi. When Sr. Mary first arrived in the Biloxi, learning English was her greatest challenge but after almost seven years, Sr. Mary can now speak and understand English comfortably. Her greatest challenge when com- ing to America was learning to adapt to a new culture with its many customs and laws. Sr. Mary refused to learn how to drive when she first arrived due to fear of driving, but Sr. Cecilia told her if you do not know how to drive then you will have to walk everywhere. Sr. Mary did not have a choice… She now drives slowly but surely!!! As for the young women who come to seek her guidance in discerning a religious vocation, Sr. Mary would reply that there are difficulties in every walks of life, but what will make them happy is doing God’s Will. She would share with them the joys that she expe- rienced and also the challenges in religious life. If they truly love Christ and wish to follow Him regardless of the difficulties in religious life, then God will give them the grace to follow Him and persevere till the end. “We are in religious life because of God, not because of any persons, ideals, or things.” Her favorite gospel verse from the bible is: “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12). This speaks volumes for Sr. Mary’s true goal in life, that is, to love God with all her heart, soul, mind, and body and to love others as herself. Important Milestones From page 14 Papal commission asks Francis for synod on the role of women in the Church Vatican City ( CNA ) -- The Pontifical Commission for Latin America has proposed that Pope Francis con- voke a synod on the role of women in the life and mis- sion of the Church. The proposal is contained in a 15-paragraph state- ment approved by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America’s plenary assembly one month ago, and pub- lished April 11 in L’Osservatore Romano . The Pontifical Commission for Latin America stressed that the Catholic Church “must be freed from prejudices, stereotypes and discriminations” women are subjected to, and for this reason a “pastoral conver- sion” is needed in order to ask women’s forgiveness “for all the situations” in which Christian communities “have been and are accomplices of attempt against women’s dignity.” The document also challenged local dioceses to be courageous, and to “denounce all the forms of dis- crimination and oppression, of violence and exploita- tion” to which women have been subjected. The commission warned against “cultural and ideo- logical colonization” spread from “well organized lob- bies” sometimes “instrumentalizing feminist claims” in order to argue against the truth of marriage and family. The Pontifical Commission of Latin America asked the Church to “multiply and widen the places and the opportunities of women’s cooperation to pastoral struc- ture” in parishes, dioceses, episcopal conferences and in Roman Curia. It is -- according to the document -- “a needed and urgent opening,” that requires “an investment in the Christian, theological and professional formation” of women -- whether they are religious sisters or members of the laity -- so that they can “work at the same level with men.” The statement promoted an education tackling “male chauvinist resistance, frequent paternal and familiar absence, and irresponsibility in sexual behav- iour.” It also promoted research on those issues in Catholic universities, as “the era of feminism might be a good liberating occasion,” that might “claim the full respect of women’s dignity and at the same time a responsible paternity” committed to “raising children, at the moth- er’s side.” The statement said that the modern era requires “a change of mentality and a process of transformation” similar to that which Pope Francis “made concrete” with the two synods on the family “that led to the apos- tolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia ,” to be followed by the upcoming bishops’ synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment, to be held next October. The plenary assembly of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America was held March 6-9. The theme, chosen by Pope Francis, was “The woman: a pillar in the edification of the Church and society in Latin America.” Exceptionally, the plenary assembly included some women, unusual because all members and consultors of the commission are cardinals and bishops. Topics of discussion during the assembly were the promotion of the woman in Latin America, the presence of the Virgin and the role of women in evangelizing Latin American people, and also the woman as “pillar of the family,” and the role of women in catechesis, society, politics. It is expected that the role of women will be dis- cussed at a Special Synod for the Panamazonic Region in 2019, and at the October 2018 synod on young adults and vocations. It is possible that the next Ordinary Synod Bishops, scheduled for 2021, could also be dedicated to a discussion on women. Pope Francis has often spoken about the importance of the role of the women in society, and in 2016 he set up a commission to study the possibility of ordaining women as deacons. ArchbishopLuisLadaria, prefect of theCongregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,  was appointed president of a commission composed of twelve members, six men and six women. The members are:  Msgr. Piero Coda; Sr. Nuria Calduch-Benages; Francesca Cocchini; Fr. Robert Dodaro; Fr. Santiago Madrigal Terrazas; Sr. Mary Malone; Fr. Karl-Heinz Menke; Fr. Amailble Musoni; Fr. Bernard Pottier; Marianne Schlosser; Michelina Tenace; Phyllis Zagano. According to sources, the commission is drafting its final report, expected to be presented to the pope within this year. The issue of women deacons had been discussed in the recent past. A2002 report issued by the International Theological Commission, titled “From Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles,” dedicated a whole chapter to the role of women deacons in the ancient Church. With regard to the ordination of women to the dia- conate, the documents stressed that “deaconesses” of the tradition of the ancient Church cannot be consid- ered the same as ordained deacons. In addition, the document underscored that both the ecclesial tradition and the magisterium consider diaconal ministry an ele- ment of holy orders. Based on those two points, the document suggested that women could not be ordained to diaconate. Though he was aware of the work done in the past, Pope Francis wanted to appoint a new commission, in order to clear out any possible doubt and to have a final word on that.