Catholic Teens 6-26-07
Hey All—
All of us have a natural inclination toward heroes. They are a good thing—people we look up too and seek to emulate. What boy hasn’t pretended to be Michael Jordan or LeBron James when playing basketball? The saints are also “heroes”---and unlike sports figures or celebrities, they will not disappoint. In the same way we seek to emulate the skills of a Jordan or a Bryant, we can also seek to emulate the lives of the saints. One such “hero” was recently recognized. A married man with 7 children, Odoardo Focherini, worked at a newspaper. He lived during the horrors of WWII in Italy. He was given the opportunity to help rescue Jews. Many would’ve just stayed away from the danger---saying “it’s not my problem.” Not Focherini---he risked his own life and in the process helped save more then 100 Jews. For that work, a work he attributed to his Christian faith, he was arrested, sent to a concentration camp himself, and died. As Christ tells us in the Gospels, “there is no greater love, then for one man to lay down his life for his friends.” Amen, and thank God for such “heroes”!
Pope Commemorates Holocaust HeroJournalist Saved More Than 100 Jews VATICAN CITY, JUNE 7, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI commemorated the 100th anniversary of the birth of an Italian Catholic who was murdered by Nazis after saving the lives of numerous Jews. The Pope said that Odoardo Focherini is "an unforgettable model of a virtuous Christian husband whose example continues to speak to the Church today," in a message sent to the Diocese of Carpi through Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Focherini died in the concentration camp of Hersbruck on Dec. 27, 1944. The papal message commemorates the anniversary of his birth, June 6, 1907. The Holy Father "wishes that this significant occasion serve to remember the luminous message and the courageous witness to the Gospel of a generous layman who, imitating Christ, gave himself unceasingly for the salvation of his brethren," the message said. Biography Focherini was the manager of the newspaper L'Avvenire d'Italia. He was married and had seven children. In 1942, the director of the newspaper asked him to help some Polish Jews that had come to Italy on a Red Cross train, and had been sent to Bologna by Archbishop Pietro Boetto of Genoa. Focherini thus began an intense campaign in favor of Jews. He organized a network to expatriate Jews to Switzerland and thus saved the lives of at least 105 people. On March 11, 1944, Focherini visited Enrico Donati at Ramazzini Hospital in Carpi to plan the latter's escape to Switzerland using the network. After the visit, Focherini was arrested. He had just one interrogation, and was accused of writing a letter in which he stated that he was helping Jews “not for money, but out of pure Christian charity.” He was sent to a concentration camp where he died nine months later at the age of 37. Because of his network, which endured two years, the Union of Jewish Communities in Italy awarded him a golden medal in 1955. And Yad Vashem proclaimed him Righteous Among the Nations in 1969. His cause for canonization began in 1996. He will be remembered on Saturday at a Mass in Carpi. Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, will attend. ZE07060702
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Intentions:
- For all those seeking work.
-For all those being influenced away from God.
-For the upcoming Steubenville Youth Conferences.
-For peace in the world and an end to terrorism.
-For all the other intentions you hold in your hearts, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Announcements:
The Youth Group, Generation JPII: Watch for summer announcements!
Vacation Bible School: July 23-27th:
- We’re looking for volunteers to help! Shoot me an email if you’re interested in being a part of this. The school is for grades 1-5 and runs from about 8am to Noon each day. We’ll even be including JPII on one of the days!
God bless you!
Phil Lawson
For more information on St. Peters check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com
Catholic Teens is a weekly email from Phil Lawson to Catholic Teenagers. To receive these weekly reflections, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com. On the other hand, if you’d like to be removed from this list, please send an email indicating that.
All of us have a natural inclination toward heroes. They are a good thing—people we look up too and seek to emulate. What boy hasn’t pretended to be Michael Jordan or LeBron James when playing basketball? The saints are also “heroes”---and unlike sports figures or celebrities, they will not disappoint. In the same way we seek to emulate the skills of a Jordan or a Bryant, we can also seek to emulate the lives of the saints. One such “hero” was recently recognized. A married man with 7 children, Odoardo Focherini, worked at a newspaper. He lived during the horrors of WWII in Italy. He was given the opportunity to help rescue Jews. Many would’ve just stayed away from the danger---saying “it’s not my problem.” Not Focherini---he risked his own life and in the process helped save more then 100 Jews. For that work, a work he attributed to his Christian faith, he was arrested, sent to a concentration camp himself, and died. As Christ tells us in the Gospels, “there is no greater love, then for one man to lay down his life for his friends.” Amen, and thank God for such “heroes”!
Pope Commemorates Holocaust HeroJournalist Saved More Than 100 Jews VATICAN CITY, JUNE 7, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI commemorated the 100th anniversary of the birth of an Italian Catholic who was murdered by Nazis after saving the lives of numerous Jews. The Pope said that Odoardo Focherini is "an unforgettable model of a virtuous Christian husband whose example continues to speak to the Church today," in a message sent to the Diocese of Carpi through Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Focherini died in the concentration camp of Hersbruck on Dec. 27, 1944. The papal message commemorates the anniversary of his birth, June 6, 1907. The Holy Father "wishes that this significant occasion serve to remember the luminous message and the courageous witness to the Gospel of a generous layman who, imitating Christ, gave himself unceasingly for the salvation of his brethren," the message said. Biography Focherini was the manager of the newspaper L'Avvenire d'Italia. He was married and had seven children. In 1942, the director of the newspaper asked him to help some Polish Jews that had come to Italy on a Red Cross train, and had been sent to Bologna by Archbishop Pietro Boetto of Genoa. Focherini thus began an intense campaign in favor of Jews. He organized a network to expatriate Jews to Switzerland and thus saved the lives of at least 105 people. On March 11, 1944, Focherini visited Enrico Donati at Ramazzini Hospital in Carpi to plan the latter's escape to Switzerland using the network. After the visit, Focherini was arrested. He had just one interrogation, and was accused of writing a letter in which he stated that he was helping Jews “not for money, but out of pure Christian charity.” He was sent to a concentration camp where he died nine months later at the age of 37. Because of his network, which endured two years, the Union of Jewish Communities in Italy awarded him a golden medal in 1955. And Yad Vashem proclaimed him Righteous Among the Nations in 1969. His cause for canonization began in 1996. He will be remembered on Saturday at a Mass in Carpi. Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, will attend. ZE07060702
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intentions:
- For all those seeking work.
-For all those being influenced away from God.
-For the upcoming Steubenville Youth Conferences.
-For peace in the world and an end to terrorism.
-For all the other intentions you hold in your hearts, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Announcements:
The Youth Group, Generation JPII: Watch for summer announcements!
Vacation Bible School: July 23-27th:
- We’re looking for volunteers to help! Shoot me an email if you’re interested in being a part of this. The school is for grades 1-5 and runs from about 8am to Noon each day. We’ll even be including JPII on one of the days!
God bless you!
Phil Lawson
For more information on St. Peters check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com
Catholic Teens is a weekly email from Phil Lawson to Catholic Teenagers. To receive these weekly reflections, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com. On the other hand, if you’d like to be removed from this list, please send an email indicating that.
posted by Phil Lawson at 8:49 AM
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