Local News October 2007

COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION STATEMENT

Fr. Donald J. McGuire, S. J.

The Diocese of Phoenix has learned that Fr. Donald J. McGuire, S. J., a Chicago Jesuit priest, is the subject of a lawsuit that was filed on October 23 in Cook County, Illinois. The lawsuit was brought by two men who report that Fr. Donald J. McGuire sexually abused them in Illinois and in Arizona between 1988 and 2002 when they were minors.
          Fr. Donald J. McGuire, 77, is a convicted sex offender who was found guilty in 2006 in Wisconsin of molesting two students from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, during the 1960s. He has been allowed by the court to live on probation in suburban Chicago, pending appeal of his conviction.
         The Diocese of Phoenix has no record of Fr. Donald J. McGuire asking for or receiving faculties to administer sacraments in the Diocese at any time. However, the Diocese is aware that Fr. Donald J. McGuire conducted several privately-sponsored retreats for adults over the age of 21 at Mt. Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2001. Those retreats were not sponsored by or conducted by the Diocese of Phoenix, but were held at a Diocesan facility, which was rented out by a private association not affiliated with the Diocese. Fr. Donald J. McGuire is believed to also have conducted privately sponsored retreats in Casa Grande, Arizona, in the 1980s and 1990s as well as a privately sponsored retreat in Payson, Arizona, in 2002.
          To date, the Diocese of Phoenix has not received any other complaints or reports of abuse or improprieties on the part of Fr. Donald J. McGuire. The Diocese takes this matter very seriously and urges anyone who may know of any sexual abuse or misconduct by Fr. Donald J. McGuire or who may have any information about him to contact the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office at 602/506-3411 and the Jesuit Order’s Chicago Province at 773-975-6363.
         As always, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted and the Diocese of Phoenix encourage anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct or abuse by a member of the clergy or by any worker of the Church to make a report to local law enforcement and to contact Jean Sokol at the Office of Child and Youth Protection at 602/354-2396.

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DIOCESE OF PHOENIX CATHOLIC CEMETERIES
IMPROVES COOLING SYSTEM AT RESURRECTION MAUSOLEUM

A reproduction of a "La Pieta" statue at Resurection Mausoleum, St Francis Cemetery

PHOENIX (October 24, 2007)  The Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Cemeteries has added two 900 Seer Industrial Evaporative Coolers to Resurrection Mausoleum at St. Francis Cemetery, 2033 N.48th St., Phoenix, to enhance the environmental comfort of the families it serves.  A completely new cooling system was installed on the south corridor, second floor of the mausoleum.
            “We are pleased that we have completed the upgrading of our mausoleum cooling system and only regret that we couldn’t have done it sooner,” said Gary L. Brown, Executive Director of Catholic Cemeteries.  “We expect that these efforts will help improve the comfort of air in the building.”
This section of the mausoleum was constructed in 1981 and includes over 2000 crypts.  The section has been sold out for several years.  Although at the time of construction the original design incorporated a state of the art evaporative air cooling system, cemeteries administration believed that an upgraded system was necessary to reach the level of comfort desired, especially during the high heat months from June through September.
            The cost of these improvements came from revenue supplied from the Catholic Cemeteries long-term maintenance fund. Two years ago the cemetery made significant improvements to the mausoleum that included adding new lighting and replacing all carpeting.
Brown noted that this project was one of several projects taking place at Catholic Cemeteries’ locations around the Diocese during the past year, including the completion of St. Timothy Mausoleum and the construction of the Diocese’s first full service mortuary at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Mesa.
These are just some of the many features, programs and services provided by the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Cemeteries, with four locations in the valley (two in Phoenix, one in Mesa and Avondale) and two locations in northern Arizona (Cottonwood and Flagstaff).  For more information, call the Catholic Cemeteries at 602-267-1329.

 

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Rosary Sunday calls Catholics to honor Mary

Click to see flyer

Thousands expected for day of prayer

By Andrew Junker, The Catholic Sun
October 18, 2007

More than 60 men and women gathered in St. Mary Basilica’s social hall Oct. 3 to put the final touches on this year’s annual Rosary Sunday celebration.

They came from across the Phoenix Diocese and left the meeting with flyers, posters and other promotional material that they will distribute at their parishes. They also committed to praying a novena for a successful Rosary Sunday, now in its 32nd year.<read article>

 

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CATHOLIC TUITION ORGANIZATION OF THE DIOCESE OF PHOENIX

ANNOUNCES RECORD NUMBER OF TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS

Students at St Theresa line up outside the classroom.
CTODP has awarded a record number of tuition
scholarships this year that benefit
catholic school childern throught the diocese

PHOENIX (October 15, 2007)  The Catholic Tuition Organization of the Diocese of Phoenix (CTODP)
announced today that it has awarded a record number of 6,517 tuition scholarships for student attending Catholic schools for the 2007-2008 school year.  CTODP, the Catholic fundraising organization that uses a private education tax-credit to enable tax-paying individuals and corporations to redirect their Arizona tax dollars to support students’ scholarships, notified applicant families in late September of their scholarship awards. Based on the record number of awards, more than 42% of the total student population at Diocese of Phoenix elementary and secondary schools received support this year, also a record.  Awards for this school year were made possible because of the $12.5 million dollars in combined individual and corporate contributions raised by CTODP in calendar year 2006. 
     “We are thrilled to be making such a dramatic impact for so many families of all religious and socio-economic backgrounds who desire to attend Catholic schools,” said Executive Director Paul Mulligan.  “More people are beginning to recognize the ease, power and, frankly, the importance of redirecting their tax dollars to fund scholarships, especially since it really doesn’t cost them anything.”
Mulligan was referring to Arizona’s private education tax credit which was passed by the State Legislature in 1998 in order to give Arizona families more choices in education.  The tax credit allows the contributors to utilize their tax dollars otherwise payable to the State of Arizona towards student scholarships up to a maximum of $1,000 for married filers and $500 for single filers.  Because the law allows for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit, money contributed is credited dollar-for-dollar against taxes owed to the state, meaning the contribution ultimately does not cost the contributor anything.
            While $10.1 million dollars in funds was raised through individual taxpayer contributions, an additional $2.4 million dollars came in through 31 corporations who also made contributions through the Arizona Corporate Tax Credit program which was passed into law in 2006.  Per the legislation, those monies are specifically earmarked for children either entering their first year of private school as kindergartners or transferring into a private school from a public school.
            “Corporations understand the importance of service, discipline and academic excellence in the formation of our community’s future leaders,” said CTODP President Margaret Gillespie, a University of Notre Dame graduate.  “These really are hallmarks of Catholic schools, so I think they may see contributing to CTODP through the corporate tax credit as an opportunity not just to reduce their state tax liability but to add value to the communities they serve.”
            Because corporate contributions to CTODP specifically support students just entering Catholic schools, Gillespie called the corporate tax credit “a real difference-maker” for families who had desired to attend Catholic schools but had never considered them an option because of tuition costs. 
CTODP is unique among most Arizona student tuition organizations (STOs) in that, consistent with Catholic social teaching, the organization disburses funds based first and foremost on the determined financial need of the students, a practice which by design favors students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, making it possible for those families to afford a Catholic education.  As available, remaining funds are then distributed to other applicant families who have less financial need.       
Even though the organization’s scholarship policies and practices are intended to ensure funding is available for those with the greatest financial needs, CTODP reports that middle- and even upper-middle income families are now benefiting from the increased levels of contributions.
“We now have examples in our Diocese where every student at a K-8 school is receiving a minimum of 75% tuition assistance,” Mulligan reported.  “Affordable Catholic education for everyone in the community is no longer a dream or a theory—it’s actually happening right here, right now.” 
Mulligan said the organization is “pushing harder than ever” in its efforts to maximize both individual and corporate contributions before the year’s end, adding that recipient families are for the first time ever now being invited to help with the appeal.  “These families know firsthand the importance of getting more people to take advantage of this ‘no-brainer’ program, and not surprisingly many are willing to work at helping us get the message out to the masses.”
More information on what CTODP is doing to promote more participation this calendar year can be accessed through their website at www.catholictuition.org

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DIOCESE OF PHOENIX WEB SITE NOW OFFER “GOOGLE” MAPS
TO FIND PARISH LOCATIONS

PHOENIX (October 11, 2007) Anyone who wants to find a parish in the Diocese of Phoenix can now find a map of the parish’s location on the official Diocesan web site by going to www. diocesephoenix.org.  The web site is now incorporating “Google” maps to graphically show the location of any parish in the Diocese.
            To find a parish location, just go on the internet and click on “Parishes,” which can be viewed on the left side of the opening page of the web site.  The site will then take you to a page that lists parishes alphabetically by name and alphabetically by city.  When you click on the name of a parish, the web site will provide basic information about the parish and directly below the address of the parish, you can click on the words “Show Map” and gain access to an official “Google” map of the parish location.
            “By using this new feature, you will be able to map the location of any parish in the diocese and get directions to that parish from any location in the country,”  notes Daniel Subia, webmaster for the Diocese of Phoenix.   “This will make it especially convenient for those Catholics who come to Arizona from other parts of the country to find a parish they can attend while visiting our Diocese.”
            The mapping feature is just one of the many new improvements made in the past year to the official web site of the Diocese of Phoenix.  A newly redesigned web site was unveiled on Easter Sunday this year to make it more visually attractive and user friendly.

           

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PARISH AND INTERPARISH SCHOOL JOIN FORCES
TO SUPPORT FRIENDS OF THE ORPHANS

PHOENIX (October 8, 2007) St. John Bosco Interparish School and St. Benedict Parish, both located in the Ahwatukee community of Phoenix, are joining with the Friends of the Orphans for a festival at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 13, at the courtyard of St. John Bosco School, 16035 S. 48th St., Phoenix.
            The festival will feature performances by the Estudiantina y Folklorico Danza Troupe, composed of children from the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos orphanage in Mexico, which has received support from faculty, staff and students at St. John Bosco and other Catholic elementary and high schools around the valley through the Friends of the Orphans. 
A national organization created to improve the lives of orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children, Friends of the Orphans supports the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos network of orphanages in Latin America and the Caribbean.  The organization has a local presence in Arizona and works with many faith-based organizations, like St. John Bosco, to provide opportunity for those who were once hopeless.
“This Family Fiesta will be a joyous event for our school and one of our supporting parishes, St. Benedict,” said Shelley Connor, Principal of St. John Bosco.  “We have supported the orphans since we opened seven years ago, and now our students will know them as people, not as a project.”