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     Today is the feast of Saint Isaac Jogues, Jesuit priest, and Saint John de Brebeuf and the other North American Martyrs while tomorrow, besides being the Twenty-ninth Tuesday in Ordinary Time, it is also the Feast of Saint Paul of the Cross, priest and religious founder. For the readings, liturgy, and meditations, click on LITURGY FOR THE DAY.

Monday October 19:
Feast of Saint Isaac Jogues, SJ and Saint John de Brebeuf and their companion North American Martyrs

Red vestments

First Reading: Ephesians 2: 1-10
Psalms: Psalm 100: 2-5
Gospel Reading: Luke 12: 13-21

      Born into a wealthy family in Orleans, France in 1607, Saint Isaac Jogues was enrolled by his parents in the Jesuit school there and became a priest of the Society of Jesus in 1636. Longing to work with the Huron Indians in the foreign missions, Isaac requested and received the assignment to go to Quebec, Canada almost immediately after ordination. The Jesuits had established missions there as the first missionaries in Canada and the upper United States after French explorer J. Cartier discovered this land in 1534. For six years he was very successful and effected many conversions among the Hurons traveling between Nova Scotia and Maryland. But in 1642 a band of Iroquois, who were the natural enemy of the Hurons, captured Isaac along with Rene Goupil and another group of Jesuits. Rene was martyred but Isaac and his companions allowed to live though they underwent hideous and inhumane torture which included mutilation. Isaac's fingers were severed and he was left to die in the wilderness but the Dutch rescued him and he was able to return to France in 1644. However he longed to be a martyr and finally secured a transfer back to Quebec in 1646. Once they had arrived Isaac and new companion Saint Jean Brebeuf set out for Iroquois country for a peace treaty had been signed. But warmongers among the Mohawks intercepted the missionaries and cruelly tomahawked them and scalped them from the neck up at Auriesville, New York on October 18 and 19, 1646. Isaac died on the 18th and Jean the next day. Over the next three years five other missionaries would join Isaac, Rene and Jean on the list of the 8 Jesuit martyrs: Noel Chabanel, Anthony Daniel, Charles Garnier, John de Lalande, and Gabriel Lallemant. Exactly ten years after Isaac's death a young Indian girl was born in the same village where Fr. Jogues was murdered. Her name: Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. In 1930 Pope Pius XI canonized the group proclaiming them the Martyrs of North America and patron saints of Canada.

Tuesday October 19:
Twenty-ninth Tuesday in Ordinary Time and
Feast of Saint Paul of the Cross, Priest and Religious Founder

Green or White vestments

First Reading: Ephesians 2: 12-22
Psalms: Psalm 85: 9-14
Gospel Reading: Luke 12: 35-38

      The Founder of the Passionists, Saint Paul of the Cross was born Paul Francis Danei on January 3, 1694 in the tiny village of Ovada, Italy near Genoa. He was the oldest child in a merchant family that had come upon hard times and so Paul learned austerity and sacrifices growing up in his family. At 19 be joined the Venetian army in their battle with the Turks, but disenchanted, left after a year. Propositioned to marry, he turned the young suitor down and opted to retreat to Castellazzo in Lombardy where he could pray. During this time he received numerous locutions and visions from the Blessed Mother which gave him purpose to what God intended for this young man. In one vision in 1720 he beheld Our Lady dressed in a black habit with the name of Jesus and His cross emblazoned on her chest. She instructed Paul to found a religious order which would be dedicated to preaching on the Passion of her Divine Son. After much investigation as to the private revelation, the bishop of Alessandria granted him permission to begin the order. Rather than jumping right in, Paul went back to Castellazzo to pray for forty days and forty nightswhile he wrote the rule for the Congregation of the Passion. Then, with his loyal younger brother John Baptist, and two other men they began living the rule and traveled to Rome to obtain papal approval from Pope Innocent XIII who refused their request in 1723. However, undaunted and prayerful, they continued to persevere and, in 1727 the Passionists were approved for the diocese by Innocent's successor Pope Benedict XIII who also ordained Paul and his brother in St. Peter's Basilica. The first Passionist house was established on Mount Argentaro, but most of the novices fell away because they couldn't live the strict rule. Still encouraged, Paul and his companions pressed on and opened the first monastery in 1737. Four years later Pope Benedict XIV gave approval for the rule for the religious institute named the Barefoot Clerks of the Holy Cross and Passion. Through Paul's tireless efforts he and his band of a few men preached throughout his country. As the fame of their preaching reached far and wide, the Passionists grew in demand. Paul was responsible for many, many conversions through his austere life and his mystic supernatural gifts of prophecy, miracles, healings and visions. Conversion of sinners was his greatest concern and to which he dedicated his life. Seeing the massive fruits reaped by the Passionist Fathers, Pope Clement XIV gave full papal approval for the congregation in 1769 and gifted to them for their headquarters the church of Sts. John and Paul in Rome. Two years later Paul was able to establish the first convent for the Passionist nuns in Corneto, Italy. He grew extremely ill in 1772 and during the last three years of his life he led a life patterned after Jesus, offering all his sufferings for the reparation of souls. He died after 80 years of service to God in Rome on October 18, 1775 and was canonized 92 years later by Pope Pius IX who celebrated this saint as "one who lived what he preached and brought the importance of Christ's Passion and Death to the people."

      Today's prayer is in honor of the North American Martyrs and is taken from the Opening Prayer of the Mass honoring these fallen saints:

Father, You consecrated the first beginnings of the faith in North America by the preaching and martyrdom of Saints John and Isaac and their companions. By the help of their prayers may the Christian faith continue to grow throughout the world.

Events Today in Church History

      For pertinent people and events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today. Click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

Historical Events in Church Annals for October 19:

615 A.D.


Pope Saint Deusdedit I is coronated as the 68th successor of Peter. This Roman-born pontiff was the first to use seals of lead for Bulls and pontifical decrees. His is the oldest pontifical seal preserved in the Vatican. He was a true Samaritan, tending to the lepers and plaguestricken even as Pope. He died on November 8, 618 A.D.

1562 A.D.


Death of Saint Peter of Alcantara, priest, hermit and religious founder who was the confessor and spiritual director to the great Saint Teresa of Avila. It was he who guided and encouraged her to reform the Carmelites and he was a great mystic who wrote Treatise on Prayer and Meditation. He was canonized by Pope Clement IX in 1669.

1646 A.D.


Death of Saint Isaac Jogues and Saint John de Brebeuf and their companion North American Martyrs at the hands of a fierce Mohawk war tribe. For more, see TODAY'S LITURGY.

1775 A.D.


Death of Saint Paul of the Cross, priest and religious founder as well as visionary. For more on this saint, see TODAY'S LITURGY.

"The time of the new evangelization has arrived."

     Those were the Holy Father's words to a packed throng in St. Peter's Square this weekend when he celebrated the 20th anniversary of his pontificate, taking a nostalgic trip back to his roots and the circumstances surrounding his elevation to the Chair of Peter and giving credit to the great Polish prelate Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski who nurtured the young Cardinal Karol Josef Wojtyla and encouraged him to accept to which Pope John Paul II responded, "The ways of Divine Providence are mysterious." It is no mystery that he has truly been a special man of God evident from all that has been accomplished during his twenty years as head of the Church. For more, click on Celebration

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- With 20,000 cheering pilgrims from Poland on hand for the occasion, Pope John Paul II Friday celebrated the 20th anniversary of his election to the papacy. He said that he saw his mission as one of leading the Church in "councilor renewal," and pursuing "evangelization without frontiers."

      The Holy Father joined the congregation in St. Peter's Square after a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Jozef Glemp of Warsaw. He commented that he would always feel "special ties" to the people of his homeland.

      After the Mass, the Pope made a long trip around St. Peter's Square in the open "popemobile," accompanied by his personal secretary, Msgr. Stanislaw Dziwisz. After receiving a long, loud ovation, he offered some of his own thoughts on the anniversary.

      Recalling the date 20 years ago when he was approached in the Sistine Chapel and asked whether he would accept election, Pope John Paul said, "The ways of divine providence are mysterious." Then he repeated his answer to that question: "In obedience of faith before Christ my Lord, abandoning myself to the Mother of Christ and of the Church, conscious of the great difficulties, I accept." Hearing those words, the crowd in St. Peter's Square again erupted in applause.

      The Pope reflected with wonder that he had been called as Peter's successor, "from the tomb of St.. Stanislaw to the tomb of St. Peter." He remember how during that 1978 conclave, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski approached him and sought his assurance that, if he were chosen, he would accept the papacy. He insisted that he could not have become Pontiff is his episcopal career had not been buoyed by the "heroic faith" of Cardinal Wyszynski; he also gave credit to Our Lady of Chestochowa. John Paul gave thanks for "the prayer and sacrifices of all the People of God" for him during his pontificate. He mentioned especially the prayers offered on his behalf after the assassination attempt of May 13, 1981.

      Turning his gaze to the future, the Pope spoke about the need to prepare for the Jubilee Year. He recalled how at the outset of his papacy he had cried, "Open the doors to Christ!" Repeatedly that message, he insisted, "The time of the new evangelization has arrived."

      As the Vatican celebrated the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul's election, some hard statistics may help to place his pontificate in a historical perspective.

• As of October 16, John Paul has been Pontiff for 7,306 days. His reign is the longest of any Pope elected in the 20th century, and he ranks 13th among all of the 263 successors to St. Peter. (Pope Pius IX had the longest tenure: 32 years, from 1846 to 1878.) Assuming that he leads the Church into the 21st century, at the beginning of the Jubilee Year he will rank 9th in papal longevity.

• John Paul has made 84 apostolic voyages, visiting 117 different countries. He has made 134 shorter trips inside Italy, reaching 269 different towns. And he has carried out apostolic visits to 274 of the 328 parishes in the Rome diocese.During these trips the Pope has delivered 2,194 official public addresses. His busiest speaking tour was his 1979 trip to Ireland and the United States, when he gave 76 public talks in the course of 9 days.

His combined travel has taken him on trips covering over 1,000,000 miles altogether-- roughly 26 times the circumference of the globe, or more than twice the distance from earth to the moon.

• John Paul has presided at the canonization of 280 new saints-- 246 martyrs and 34 confessors-- in 35 different ceremonies. He has beatified 805 people, in 112 ceremonies.

• He has written 13 encyclicals, 10 apostolic exhortations, 10 apostolic constitutions, 37 apostolic letters, and 19 motu proprios.

• He has held 7 consistories, and elevated 157 men to the college of cardinals. Of the 157 cardinals living today, 128 received their red hats from John Paul. Of the 115 eligible to vote in a papal conclave, 101 were elevated by this Pontiff.

• He has presided over 12 assemblies (including general, particular, and extraordinary sessions) of the Synod of Bishops; 877 weekly catechetical audiences (with an estimated attendance of nearly 14 million altogether); 584 official visits with heads of state and another 82 with prime ministers.

The encyclicals of Pope John Paul II to date are:

• Redemptor Hominis, 1979
  
• Dives in misericordia, 1980
  
• Laborem exercens, 1981
  
• Slavorum Apostoli, 1985
  
• Dominum et vivificantem, 1986
  
• Redemptoris Mater, 1987
  
• Sollicitudo rei socialis, 1987
  
• Redemptoris missio, 1990
  
• Centesimus annus, 1991
  
• Veritatis splendor, 1993
  
• Evangelium vitae, 1995
  
• Ut unum sint, 1995
  
• Fides et ratio, 1998

Architects of Irish Peace Pact awarded Nobel Peace Prize




      While we criticized the Nobel awarders last week for granting an unlikely award to anti-Catholic Jose Saramago of Portugal for his blasphemous book on Christ, we must laud the same organization this week for their selection of John Hume of the Catholic Social Democratic Party and David Trimble, head of the Protestant Ulster Unionist Party, as recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize for their accomplishments and cooperation in forging peace in Northern Ireland this year after thirty years of bitter guerilla fighting and many deaths on both sides. Though there have been a few outbreaks of violence this summer including the staggering car explosion that killed many innocent children, the world is hopeful this will be a lasting peace and all will come to acknowledge its significance and comply with the pact. For more, click on Fruits of Peace.

      OSLO (CWNews.com) - The Nobel Committee announced on Friday that rival sectarian leaders in Northern Ireland were the winners of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to bring peace the violence-torn region.

      John Hume, 61, of the predominantly Catholic Social Democrat party, and David Trimble, 54, of the Protestant Ulster Unionist party, were credited for bringing about the Good Friday accords signed in April that ended three decades of fighting between republicans and loyalists. The prize will be presented in Oslo on December 10.

      Hume said the award was a sign of international support for the peace process. "I see this award as a very powerful endorsement of the peace process ... because it underlines massive international goodwill towards it." Trimble added that much work remains to be done. "We cannot say with absolute certainty in Northern Ireland today that there is real peace," he said. "I hope we can actually bring about fairly soon a situation in Northern Ireland where everybody, even those who, at the moment, are skeptical of the process, can feel safe and confident."

Bishops stand up for women's role in the Church but in accordance with Church Law

      The National Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement entitled "From Words to Deeds: Continuing Reflection on the Role of Women in the church" in order to acknowledge the contributions made by women and to assure them there will be no discrimination when it comes to promoting them to leadership positions but that certain offices are restricted by Canon Law and the Traditions established by the Church's Founder Jesus Christ. One woman who wouldn't agree is Mary Ramerman of the Rochester Diocese who had the audacity to concelebrate Mass with a priest who was severely rebuked by his bishop. She was fired officially after being asked to stay away earlier; just one example of what leadership roles women cannot play. For more, click on Women in the Church.

      WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - The National Conference of Catholic Bishops' issued a statement on Wednesday calling for the promotion of women in the Church, except in roles forbidden to them in canon law.

      The Committee on Women in Society and in the Church called on Catholic leaders to appoint women to leadership positions, promote collaboration between men and women in the Church, and express appreciation for the gifts of Catholic women. The statement, entitled "From Words to Deeds: Continuing Reflection on the Role of Women in the Church," was approved by the US bishops' administrative committee in September.

      The committee gave specific recommendations for collaboration, calling it a necessary step. "For the Church, collaboration is not an option; it is the way that mature Christians express their unity in Christ and workwoman who had been hired as an associate pastor at her inner-city Catholic parish was fired on Thursday by interim parish administrators filling in after the previous pastor was removed.

      The former pastor, Father James Callan, was pastor at Corpus Christi Church for 22 years. Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester reassigned Father Callan to another parish in the diocese last month for conducting same-sex weddings, distributing Communion to non-Catholics, and allowing Mary Ramerman, 43, a mother of three, to concelebrate Masses. "My heart's broken," said Ramerman, who served as associate pastor for 12 years. "I also feel angry with the Church that it can't stand up for what it believes in."

      Father Callan had said his removal was ordered by senior Vatican officials, but Bishop Clark said it was his own decision to remove the priest from his post for violating "definitive Church teachings."

      together to accomplish His mission in the world." The committee chairman, Auxiliary Bishop John Dunne of Rockville Centre, New York, called the statement significant. "Words to Deeds is being offered to the Church in the United States, both to foster and encourage the place of women in leadership," Bishop Dunne said. "Words to Deeds both challenges and points the way for all church personnel to embrace the gifts of women, in a collaborative manner, for building up the body of Christ and bringing it to full stature."

      One woman who won't be promoted anytime soon is a woman who had been hired as an associate pastor at her inner-city Catholic parish in Rochester, New York was fired on Thursday by interim parish administrators filling in after the previous pastor was removed.

      The former pastor, Father James Callan, was pastor at Corpus Christi Church for 22 years. Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester reassigned Father Callan to another parish in the diocese last month for conducting same-sex weddings, distributing Communion to non-Catholics, and allowing Mary Ramerman, 43, a mother of three, to concelebrate Masses. "My heart's broken," said Ramerman, who served as associate pastor for 12 years. "I also feel angry with the Church that it can't stand up for what it believes in."

      Father Callan had said his removal was ordered by senior Vatican officials, but Bishop Clark said it was his own decision to remove the priest from his post for violating "definitive Church teachings."

God sets priestly role, not man as Holy Father reinforces male-only priesthood and allegiance to Rome as well as urging doctors to honor human dignity

     Before celebrating his 20th anniversary the Holy Father met with a group of Italian priests and reaffirmed why the Pope must be a stickler for the sacerdotal nature of the office of the priesthood and insist on a male-only hierarchy no matter the customs or cultures for this mandate comes from God, not man. He also urged a group of visiting Italian physicians to be more compassionate to the spiritual, physical and mental needs of all in paying special attention to the human dignity of each individual patient and see the image and likeness of Christ in whoever they treat. For more, click on Decided by the Divine.

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Receiving the participants in a plenary assembly of the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy, Pope John Paul II today affirmed that the structure of the Church transcends the "democratic" nor "autocratic" models, and that the priest has an "irreplaceable character" and a specific mission.

      A priest is called by God, the Pope said, and received a particular mission. He cautioned against popular campaigns that seek to change the nature of the Church, as designed by God to be an "ordained hierarchy." And he reiterated that while every member of the Church has the same dignity, each has a different vocational role.

      Since a priest is chosen by God-- in much the same way that Christ chose his apostles-- no earthly authority can change his sacerdotal mission. Nor can humans change the "extent and exercise" of his priestly authority.

      Finally, the Pope reminded his audience that the effectiveness of a priest's ministry depends not only "his science or competence"-- although proper study and formation are necessary-- but on his "sacred ministry" and faithfulness to God's call.

      The day before he spoke to a congress of Italian physicians at the Vatican. Pope John Paul II called for the "humanization of medicine," saying that goal must be the "constant concern of every doctor and every surgeon."

      The Pontiff urged the doctors to be mindful of the human dignity proper to every patient, and to be conscious of "his physical, psychological, and spiritual health." Advances in medical science, he cautioned, should never lead to a decrease in concern for the dignity of the patient. For a proper understanding of the relationship between science and faith, he urged the doctors to read his new encyclical Fides et Ratio.

For more headlines and articles, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site. CWN is not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provides this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

   Dear children! Today, I call you to become my witnesses by living the faith of your fathers. Little children, you seek signs and messages and do not see that, with every morning sunrise, God calls you to convert and to return to the way of truth and salvation. You speak much, little children, but you work little on your conversion. That is why, convert and start to live my messages, not with your words but with your life. In this way, little children, you will have the strength to decide for the true conversion of the heart. Thank you for having responded to my call

For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

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PROVERB OF THE DAY

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the decision of the Lord that endures."

Proverbs 19: 21

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October 19, 1998 volume 9, no. 204   DAILY CATHOLIC