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| Local News October 2009UNITED STATES CATHOLIC BISHOPS CALL FOR PRO-LIFE AMENDMENTS PHOENIX (October 29, 2009) - The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) is calling all Catholics to contact their U.S. representatives and senators and urge them to fix the existing health care reform legislation being debated in Congress with pro-life amendments. Special fliers and bulletin announcements have been sent by the USCCB to all Catholic parishes asking that parishioners contact their public officials to ensure that health care reform will be about saving lives not destroying them. The Catholic bishops of the United States strongly support genuine health care reform that protects the life and dignity of all, from the moment of conception until natural death. However, it is the belief of the Catholic bishops that all current bills are seriously deficient on abortion and conscience rights, and do not yet provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. More information on where the U.S. Catholic bishops stand on health care reform can be found at www.usccb.org/healthcare. BISHOP OLMSTED TO PARTICIPATE IN GROUNDBREAKING (October 29, 2009) - The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, will join with Fr. Robert Caruso, Pastor of All Saints Parish to break ground for a new church building at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, at the parish grounds of All Saints, 1534 N. Recker Rd., Mesa. The new church, which is designed to seat 1600 people, will replace the current church, which was constructed in 1974 and seats 640. It will be built on the parish grounds immediately south of the existing building. Designed by H. D. A. Architects of Gilbert, the new church is expected to be approximately 35,000 square feet and will incorporate energy saving features that will reduce the utilization of electrical power for heating and cooling. D. L. Withers Construction of Phoenix is the contractor.
BISHOP OLMSTED TO DEDICATE SHRINE AT CALVARY CEMETERY FLAGSTAFF (October 20, 2009) The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop, Diocese of Phoenix, will bless and dedicate a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, at Calvary Cemetery, 201 W. University, Flagstaff. Fr. Pat Mowrer, Pastor of San Francisco de Asis in Flagstaff, will concelebrate. The Shrine, which includes a six-foot, 7000 lb., hand-carved granite statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 128 cremation spaces and a five foot, 2500 lb., granite cenotaph (commemorative monument), is dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Flagstaff families interred in Calvary Cemetery prior to 1959. Back then, Calvary cemetery was operated as a parish cemetery, under the administrative oversight of the parish pastor and parish council. When the cemetery underwent a restoration in the mid-50s, several memorials were destroyed making it impossible to locate many of the graves. Because of that restoration and the incomplete historical records that existed at the time, many families have been unable to locate their ancestors’ burial sites. “Now that the Diocese of Phoenix has been operating the cemetery, we are erecting the cenotaph to provide an appropriate monument for families to memorialize a loved one that was buried in the cemetery prior to 1959,” said Gary L. Brown, President and Executive Director of the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries. “Inscriptions on the monument, which will be at no cost to the families, will include the first and last name but no dates. We also hope that the shrine will serve as a place for spiritual meditation and healing for all families suffering from the loss of a loved one.” The shrine at Calvary Cemetery is named in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe because she is known as the Mother of Americas and the patron saint of the Diocese of Phoenix and Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, Flagstaff. The Virgin of Guadalupe has been loved and honored throughout the world for nearly 470 years, particularly among the Mexican faithful. On December 9, 1531, the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, appeared to St. Juan Diego, a recent Indian convert to the Church, on a hill in Mexico City, Mexico, called Tepeyac. The Virgin Mary instructed Juan Diego to tell the local bishop to have a Church built on Tepeyac. Through her actions literally millions of Aztecs were converted to Christ. Calvary Cemetery is one of six cemeteries operated by the Diocese of Phoenix. The others are: Holy Cross Cemetery in Avondale, Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Mesa, Holy Redeemer Cemetery in North Phoenix, All Souls Cemetery in Cottonwood and St. Francis Cemetery in Phoenix. The Diocese also operates the only Catholic-owned mortuary in Arizona, Queen of Heaven Mortuary located in Mesa. For further information please contact Gary L. Brown, Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries, at 602-267-1329 or access the Catholic Cemeteries on the internet at http://www.catholiccemetariesphx.com. COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION STATEMENT Deacon Maxwell Rollin (Ron) Pelton
(October 16, 2009) - The Diocese of Phoenix has learned that Deacon Maxwell Rollin (Ron) Pelton, 75, of Cottonwood, AZ, has been charged by the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office with several criminal counts relating to the sexual abuse of a minor. Pelton has been a retired, inactive deacon since October of 2000. To the best of our knowledge, Dcn. Pelton has not been involved in any ministry or other parish activities over the past nine years, and he has not participated in any ministry elsewhere during that period of time. He was ordained a deacon in November of 1991 and served at Immaculate Conception Parish in Cottonwood until October of 2000 when he notified the Diocese of his retirement. Upon learning of these charges, the Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix immediately revoked Dcn. Pelton’s faculties pending the outcome of the legal process and a review by the Diocesan Review Board.
As always, Bishop Olmsted and the Diocese of Phoenix encourage anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct or abuse by a member of the clergy or by any employee or volunteer of the Church to make a report to local law enforcement and to contact Jean Sokol at the Diocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection at 602-354-2396. VIANNEY DRAMA FOR YEAR OF THE PRIESTHOOD (October 7, 2009) The live theatrical one-man drama VIANNEY, performed by Leonardo Defilippis, will be performed at several parishes across the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix November 9-14, 2009. The tour is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. This production is touring the U.S. as a part of the worldwide celebration of the Year of the Priesthood, declared by Pope Benedict XVI. Over the last few years, the scandals that have wracked the Catholic Church have damaged the reputation of this ministry, and have John Vianney, commonly known as the Curé of Ars, lived in the era following the French “I find the character of John Vianney extremely endearing,” says Defilippis. “He was a VIANNEY is suitable for ages 9 and up. Admission for all performances is $5 for ### Information at a Glance: Sunday, November 8, 2009 @ 7:30 p.m. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church 5614 West Orangewood Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301 Admission: $5 for individuals; $20 per family. Priests, Seminarians, Religious and Deacons attend for free. Tickets & Information: Parish Office @ 623-939-9785 Monday, November 9, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 10, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 13, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m. Saturday, November 14, 2009 @1:00 p.m. BISHOP OLMSTED TO CELEBRATE MASS TO WELCOME IMMIGRANTS PHOENIX (October 5, 2009) The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix will be the main celebrant of a Mass to welcome immigrants at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, at St. Mary Catholic Church, 230 W. Galveston, Chandler. Fr. Daniel McBride, Pastor of St. Mary, will be the homilist. Entitled “Opening our hearts to the newcomers in our midst,” the Mass will represent another of the liturgical celebrations for immigrants in the Diocese of Phoenix. “As the Bishops of Arizona said in their 2005 pastoral letter on migration, ‘Let us welcome our immigrant brothers and sisters and renew our hope, love and unity of God’s family,’” noted Jose Robles, Director of the Diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry. “These welcoming Masses are designed to show the Diocese that we are all brothers and sisters in the eyes of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.” More information on the Mass and additional information on the programs and services of the Diocese of Phoenix can be accessed through the Diocesan web site at www.diocesephoenix.org.
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