Denver Catholic

2 I CATHOLIC LIFE AUGUST 13, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP'S COLUMN MOST REV. SAMUEL J. AQUILA In 1936, Niepokalanow (the City of the Immaculate) was home to over 900 Franciscan friars and was the largest Catholic media operation in Poland. Its state-of-the-art presses published 1million magazines each month and 125,000 daily newspapers, while its radio station beamed the Gospel to thousands of Poles. St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe and his friars were so effec- tive at spreading the good news that the Nazis, who invad- ed Poland in September 1939, determined that they must not be allowed to continue their ministry. But St. Maximilian was not frightened. He trusted totally in Mary Immaculate to protect him, and at the same time, to make him an instrument of divine mercy in a world whose light seemed to be rapidly dimming. I turn to his ex- ample this week because the Church celebrates the "Saint of Auschwitz" on Aug. 14. The world has not changed much since World War II shook the foundations of Europe 75 years ago. Europe and the rest of the world are still populated by men and women whose hearts need to be healed, whose hearts need to come to know Jesus, and this is what I would like to refl ect on in this column. Jesus reminded the Pharisees throughout his ministry that it is what is in their hearts that matters the most. In Matthew 15:11 he put it this way: "it is not what goes into the mouth that defi les a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defi les." And in Matthew 15:18 he pro- claims, "…what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart." In other words, we must guard our hearts against temptations and be vigilant so that they do not become hardened by sin. This is not easy in today's world. All too often, instead of letting our hearts be transformed by God's mercy, we let them become calloused by refusing to help those in need or by not defending the good. This past week CNN featured a segment on people who did nothing when a person was shot or attacked right in front of them. Instead, they just walked by, and in one case from New York City, several people stepped over a man who had just been shot before their eyes. Atrocities are also taking place in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. And we are presented with a choice: do we choose mercy or indifference? Do we let our hearts be moved by charity, or do we let them become calloused? St. Maximilian understood this battle well. Before he was arrested for the second and fi nal time on Feb. 17, 1941, the Nazis permitted him to publish one last edition of his daily newspaper so they could obtain proof that he was aiding the resistance. In that paper, St. Maximilian wrote: "No one in the world can change truth. What we can do and should do is to seek Mother Mary, grant us hearts like yours! For more informa on and to register: www.HikeforHospice.org or call 303-561-5790 Join us for the 9th annual Hike for Hospice to benefit Porter Hospice and St. Anthony Hospice Sunday, September 14, 2014 Check in between 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m Olinger Mount Lindo, off Hwy. 285 South, Morrison, CO For more informa on and to register: www.HikeforHospice.org or call 303-561-5790 Sunday, September 14, 2014 Check in between 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m Olinger Mount Lindo, off Hwy. 285 South, Morrison, CO Join us for the 9th annual Hike for Hospice to benefit Porter Hospice and St. Anthony Hospice Sunday, September 14, 2014 Sunday, September 14, 2014 Check in between 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m Olinger Mount Lindo, off Hwy. 285 South, Morrison, CO Join us for the 9th annual Hike for Hospice to benefit The Catholic Register Proudly Supports Presen ng Sponsor: Right At Home BY JULIE FILBY The hashtag #HowToDad was trending on social media recent- ly following a Cheerios' com- mercial with a positive message about being a good dad and how "awesome" it is. Last week a blog post from software CEO Max Schireson, explaining that he is stepping down his demanding job to spend more time with his family, went viral. These are two exam- ples demonstrating the impor- tance of fatherhood, and that the role of dads is on people's minds. The 2014-2015 Archbishop's Lecture Series will also focus on fathers when Paul Vitz, Ph.D., delivers his lecture "The Great Importance of Fathers for Fam- ilies—and How Mothers and Others Can Support Them" at 7 p.m. Sept. 2 in Bonfi ls Halls on the St. John Paul II Campus in south Denver. In his talk, Vitz will cover the large body of social science re- search on the importance of fathers for the family, as well as the many ways this can be encouraged in the present situation. "Catholics along with the culture at large have lost sight of the importance of fathers," Vitz continued. "This import- ant issue needs to be brought to the attention of all Catholics and Christians, and we need to consider what to do about it—in particular how to give fa- thers the support they need and deserve." Vitz is a senior scholar at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Arlington, Va. Prior to that he served many years as a professor of psychology at New York Univer- sity. His teaching and research has been focused on the inte- gration of Christian theology, especially Catholic anthropolo- gy, with psychology. Vitz's books include: "Faith of the Father- less: The Psychology of Atheism," "Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Wor- ship" and "The Self: Beyond the Post-Modern Crisis." He is cur- rently studying topics such as the psychological importance of fathers, the psychology of hatred and forgiveness, and the psychology of the virtues. "Dr. Vitz is an expert on the family in light of what social science can teach about it," said David Uebbing, chan- cellor and special assistant to Archbishop Samuel Aquila. "His talk will highlight how important fathers are for the stability of the family, and con- tribute to the lecture series' overall theme." During the upcoming year, Uebbing said, the entire series will focus on the family because the broader Church is focus- ing on the family in 2014-2015. The unoffi cial year of the family kicks off with the bishops' syn- od on the family called by Pope Francis at the Vatican Oct. 5-19, 2014, and ends with the World Meeting of Families in Philadel- phia in September 2015. "To keep our local Church focused on the same important theme, the Archbishop's Lec- ture Series will focus on where the family is today," Uebbing said, "and breathe the life of the Church's teachings into the situation." Additional topics to follow in future lectures are expected to include the mother's role in the family, cultivating family life with a missionary spirit, and a panel discussion with fami- lies engaged in mission work. Speakers will be announced when they are available. The St. John Paul II Center campus is at 1300 Steele St. The lecture is free, open to the public and does not require advance registration. For more information, email info@arch- den.org or call 303-715-3230. Julie Filby: 303-715-3123; julie. fi lby@archden.org; www.twitter. com/DCRegisterJulie Lecture to cover not only #HowToDad but #WhyToDad ARCHBISHOP'S LECTURE SERIES KICK OFF Speaker: Paul Vitz, Ph.D. Lecture: "The Great Impor- tance of Fathers for Families— and How Mothers and Others Can Support Them" When: 7 p.m., Sept. 2 Where: Bonfi ls Hall, St. John Paul II Center, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver Questions: info@archden.org or 303-715-3230 Sign-up: Not required; fi rst- come, fi rst-seated DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-722-4687 OR CIRCULATION@ARCHDEN.ORG Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Denver Catholic Register (USPS 557-020) is published weekly except the last week of December and the fi rst week of January, and in June, July and August when it goes bi-weekly. The Register is printed by Signature Offset in Denver. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. Subscriptions: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic Register, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or e-mail circulation@archden.org. Editorial: 303-715-3215 or editor@archden.org Advertising: 303-715-3253 or dcrads@archden.org Circulation: 303-715-3211 or circulation@archden.org Online: www.DenverCatholicRegister.org General Manager Karna Swanson Editor Roxanne King Business Manager Michael O'Neill PAUL VITZ, PH.D. See Aquila, Page 4 "This ward the The place ous existence and religious gees in 200,000 homes Peace From Page

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