4 WWW.THERECORDNEWSPAPER.ORG COMMENTARY THE RECORD FEBRUARY 3, 2022 In the evolution of language, it seems the word community has be- come synonymous with school - at least in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Take a look at the student testimo- nials in this week's Catholic Schools Week section (pages 5 to 8) and notice that three-quarters of the young writ- ers use community to refer to their places of learning. Everyone involved in educating them should feel a sense of pride. The school is the building, the in- stitution, the framework for the mis- sion. Community is the mission filled with the Spirit, brought to life in all its participants. For the young to count themselves among the participants - not just passive members - a school and all its parts have truly been animated by the Spirit. Nearly two years into this awful pandemic, when education has suf- fered so many setbacks and chal- lenges, that sense of community has never been more precious. And it's just what our children need. Assumption High School senior Allison O'Donnell, who had just one normal high school year before the pandemic began, writes that her school's community buoys her when she needs support. "For the times I feel stressed, I know that I can fall back on my school community, much like how I can fall back on Jesus in my rough times," she writes. Beyond that, the Assumption com- munity also helps her follow Jesus: "Our community values the words of Jesus and we live them out on a daily basis. We are Jesus' hands and feet on Earth and we are called to go out in the world and be His disciples, and Assumption has taught me to do just that." Kate Lancaster, an eighth-grader at St. Augustine School in Lebanon, Ky., sees her small school as a fam- ily in which members support one another and also lead one another to Jesus. "This family is full of young chil- dren and teenagers thirsting for faith and knowledge who are striving to grow in the love of Jesus," she writes. "Through this wanting for love, St. Au- gustine overflows with kindness and generosity. The teachers at St. Augus- tine focus on the importance of loving others and following God's pathways. They always remind us to treat others the way we would want to be treated." Near the end she adds, "I love my school community." Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz calls the archdiocese's centers of education "schools of love." In these schools, he writes in his message for Catholic Schools Week, "our students learn and experience a reality bigger than themselves. They are called daily, through prayer, ser- vice and learning, to focus on the per- son of Jesus and the call of the Gospel to see others with eyes of Jesus. They are encouraged to channel God's love for them into acts of service, compas- sion and love for others." The schools "provide a shining light for families, for the Church and for the broader community through their intentional, invitational and in- spirational call to students to be per- sons for others in whatever way they live out their vocation," he writes. "Sadly," he notes, "we can see the need for the fruits of communion - the common good and solidarity - in our fractured and often polarized world." It is sad that our world is fractured and polarized. But the Archdiocese of Louisville is full of men and women who have been educated in these school communities. They likely re- member what Kate and Allison de- scribe in their testimonials - the sense of community, of living for oth- ers, the mutual support you can find in a community. That isn't the realm of children; that's the kingdom of God and it's what we should be striving for. Let's learn from our schools and share their gifts with our broader communities. MARNIE McALLISTER Editor
Lessons from 'schools of love'
By CAROL ZIMMERMANN
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON - On Feb. 1, Xavier University of Louisiana was among a group of several historically Black colleges and universi- ties in the United States that received bomb threats. The threats to the univer- sity and at least 12 other his- torically Black colleges and universities came a day af- ter at least six other similar schools received these same threats. A tweet issued by the uni- versity Feb. 1 said: "Xavier University of Louisiana re- ceived a bomb threat early this morning and is cooper- ating with investigating law enforcement. The campus has been cleared and classes will continue as scheduled starting at noon." A statement from Patrice Bell, the university's vice president and chief of staff, said that when the school received the threat "an im- mediate evacuation of the area and a shelter in place for our residential students were issued" until the university received clearance from cam- pus, local, state and federal agencies. She also noted the univer- sity would "continue to in- crease surveillance and miti- gation efforts to safeguard its community." Xavier University of Loui- siana, the nation's only his- torically Black Catholic uni- versity, held its classes virtu- ally that morning. This was the second bomb threat the university re- ceived in less than a month. On Jan. 4, the university also was targeted along with other historically Black col- leges and universities. The recent wave of threats falling just before or at the start of Black History Month, observed every February, was not lost on school lead- ers and others. A Feb. 2 statement by the general council of the Adri- an Dominican Sisters said they were "horrified by the series of bomb threats that have closed down historically Black colleges and universi- ties during the past month" including those that occurred on "the first day of Black His- tory Month." "Although no bombs have been found, these terrify- ing and disruptive threats of violence against innocent students, faculty and staff are an assault against the foundational freedoms of our democracy - and a threat to us all," the sisters added. They said that as women of faith, they "stand in soli- darity with our Black broth- ers and sisters at these iconic educational institutions and call for a thorough investiga- tion and prosecution of these despicable hate crimes." The sisters said they prayed that "God's loving care and protection" would surround and safeguard these schools and also prayed "for the conversion of all whose hearts are poisoned by hatred." Both the FBI and the Bu- reau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said they were investigating the school threats. On Jan. 31, after the first wave of recent threats, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said they were "cer- tainly disturbing" and said the White House was in touch with federal law enforcement leadership about them. In a Feb. 1 statement, the NAACP said it was monitor- ing these threats and noted that the "Black community has long been plagued by threats of domestic terrorism against them in their schools, homes and houses of worship." The organization added that it was "all too concern- ing that we are seeing a re- surgence of these threats" especially as the country en- tered Black History Month. In other reaction, the lead- ers of the Congressional Bi- partisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus said in a Jan. 31 statement that they were deeply disturbed by recent bomb threats at these cam- puses. "Learning is one of the most noble and most human pursuits, and schools are sa- cred places that should al- ways be free from terror," the statement said. The group also stressed that "solving these crimes and bringing those responsible to justice should be a top priority for federal law enforcement." Xavier University of Loui- siana opened in 1925 and currently has about 3,000 students. It got its start from St. Katharine Drexel, who opened a high school in 1915 on the property where the university was founded by the saint and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the order St. Katharine founded in 1891.
Xavier University of Louisiana receives bomb threats Feb. 1
Feb. 6: Extreme living
JEM SULLIVAN
In "Life Below Zero," a popular reality television show, viewers follow the lives of men and women who choose to live in the Alas- kan wilderness, close to or above the Arctic circle. Their daily way of life is harsh as they face extreme challenges as subsistence hunters who must survive off the land for the food they eat and for their livelihood. One sees them hunting for caribou, moose, seal, birds or fish as they showcase their hunting skills, knowledge of the environment and virtues like patience and prudence. But even these fearless sub- sistence hunters return emp- ty-handed from a hunting or fishing trip or a scouting expedition. Failure is a daily part of their rugged existence, and they often reflect on how it strengthens their sense of be- ing called to live this extreme way of life. On this Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we reflect on the call we receive to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus sees two boats on the lake and fisher- men washing their nets after a night of hard work when they failed to catch anything. Jesus gets into Simon's boat. He is about to work a miracle, but Jesus does not stay at a distance from those he calls. Rather, Jesus enters close to the heart of their lives, into the boat of their livelihood. Jesus commands Simon Peter to "put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon Peter recalls his failed fishing trip as he responds to Jesus saying, "But at your command I will lower the nets." Simon Peter's trust in Je- sus bears good fruit in a great catch of fish to the point that their nets are tearing. The fishermen are rightly as- tounded by this miracle of Jesus who then calls them to follow him and sends them on a mission saying, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." Luke concludes this mira- cle story by telling us simply that the fisherman left ev- erything to follow Jesus as his disciples. This same personal call of God is heard by the prophet Isaiah in the first reading. God first cleanses the proph- ets' lips as a seraphim angel touches his mouth with a burning ember. Once purified of sin, the prophet responds to God's voice calling, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" Cleansed and called, the prophet responds, "Here I am ... send me!" Similarly, the apostle Paul preaches the core Gospel of Jesus' life, death and resur- rection and recalls how God's grace changed his life when Jesus appeared to him and called him to discipleship. By virtue of baptism and confirmation, we are cleansed of sin and called to be dis- ciples of Jesus Christ. God speaks to us in his word and gives us his divine grace and presence in the Eucharist. So, it is fitting that we join the psalmist who says, "In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord," as we pray, "speak to me, Lord."
'Surprising bursts of joy and kindness'
REBECCA SIM
When you work providing lower-cost legal services to immigrants, including refu- gees and asylees, you get to meet resilient, fascinating people who carry with them some of the most profound stories you'll ever hear. Most of their narratives feature hardship in a leading role, and yet most also build on surprising bursts of joy and kindness. As director of Immigration Legal Services at Catholic Charities of Louisville, I work with a team of five other pro- fessionals, providing lower- cost and sometimes no-cost legal services to immigrants seeking everything from work authorization to family reuni- fication and from asylum to their path for legal citizen- ship. I'd like to share some of their stories with you. Sophia came to the United States from Honduras alone at age 12 to escape an unsafe environment and gangs that had begun to harass her on the way to school. She was reunited with her mother shortly after her arrival in March 2016. We began the long jour- ney of applying for special immigrant juvenile status and representing her in re- moval proceedings. Now her deportation case has been closed, her green card appli- cation was finally approved in July and she can finish high school knowing that her status in the U.S. is secure. She also has the option to further her education here if she chooses. Joseph was a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo who, with his family, had lived for many years in a refugee camp in Burundi. He, his wife, and nine children arrived in Louisville in May 2015, but his parents, who simply were not processed as quickly, remained in the camp. In September 2015, we filed an application request- ing for his parents to be pro- cessed to join the family. These applications almost al- ways move slowly, but when COVID-19 hit, the process came to a full stop. Five years later, though, Joseph's family finally reunited. A little over six years ago, we began working with a cli- ent from Mexico who now lives in Nelson County. As a survivor of extreme domestic violence who participated in the investigation of the crimes committed against her, she received the certification from law enforcement necessary to pursue a U visa. (A U visa is for victims of certain crimes who can be helpful to law en- forcement and government in investigating and prosecuting criminal activity.) We assisted her with the visa application and she fi- nally received approval last summer. Now she has legal status in the U.S. and will be eligible to apply for perma- nent residence three years from now. In 2018, we filed asylum applications for a brother and sister based on domes- tic violence by their father. Three-plus years later, those applications were approved. Now, these young people are able to live in the U.S. with- out fear of deportation or repercussions. We worked with a family for six years to help the wife secure permanent lawful res- idence. It was a long process, but last May she had her final interview with the U.S. Consulate and obtained her permanent residency. Now she, her U.S.-born husband and their U.S.-citizen daugh- ter can enjoy life together. You may have noticed in all of these stories the length of time it takes to move a case from start to finish. It is common for our cases to take years to resolve. Our program charges flat fees for services, but even those who contribute nothing receive our help thanks to grants and donations aimed at covering those costs. We're proud of what we do and humbled by the lives of our clients. Rebecca Sim is the pro- gram director of Immigration Legal Services with Catholic Charities of Louisville.
Does Jesus free us from sin and death?
FATHER KENNETH DOYLE
A
. Perhaps the best answer to your question is found in the New American Bible, in a footnote to the early verses of Chapter 8 of Paul's Letter to the Romans. There we read: "Through the redemptive work of Christ, Christians have been liberated from the terrible forces of sin and death. ... At the cross God broke the power of sin and pronounced sentence on it. ... The same Spirit who enlivens Christians for holiness will also resurrect their bodies at the last day." So you are right: We do sin, and we do die; but Je- sus, by his own suffering and death, offers us the path to ultimate happiness. If we are sorry for our sins and seek forgiveness from the Lord, we are assured of joy and life that are eternal.
Q
. Throughout the year - but especially during the Christmas season - we hear from many sources (homilies, meditation guides, etc.) that Christ came "to free us from sin and death." Generally, that notion is just presented without any expla- nation of its meaning. This is confusing since in reality we do sin, and we do die. Could you help me understand?
QUESTION CORNER SHARE THE JOURNEY SPEAK TO ME LORD
EDITORIAL
President Most Rev. Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D., Archbishop of Louisville Editor Marnie G. McAllister Advertising Director Jennifer L. Jenkins Editor Emeritus Glenn O. Rutherford
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THE RECORD
Archdiocese of Louisville
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Is 6:1-8 Psalm 138:1-8 Second Reading: 1 Cor 15:1-11 Gospel: Lk 5:1-11
e pro- ration tholic
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