Catholic Life Ministries

By Lori and Robert Fontana

Many of you may recall that about three years ago we asked you to sign a petition to the Archbishop of Seattle supporting our request that he vindicate the work that I did in the Diocese of Yakima in exposing the cover up of clergy sexual abuse by diocesan leaders.  Since I first became aware of diocesan cover-up and opposed it in September, 2004, up to the present, I have been vilified and retaliated against by church leaders from the Diocese of Yakima.  Not only was I banned from teaching at any Catholic institution in the diocese, but diocesan leaders also interfered with my working in other dioceses.

Pope Francis published a document in 2019 stating that whistle-blowers must be protected, and that Archbishops were responsible for investigating local bishops.  On the strength of that new policy, and the continued interference in our work from Yakima officials, we decided to write the Archbishop of Seattle, Paul Etienne, to intervene.  He initiated an investigation led by an attorney/investigator from out-of-state who would be an independent investigator.  The investigator completed his work in the Fall of 2020.  His report is sitting on the desk of an unnamed Vatican official.  The “wheels of justice” turn slowly in Rome.  Remember, after the Lutheran Reformation, it took 500 years for the Vatican to allow the Mass to be celebrated in the local vernacular instead of in Latin.

Recently, Lori and I made a short retreat.  In our reflection, the Holy Spirit placed it on our hearts to be more intentional about surrendering this issue to God in prayer.  To that end we wrote the following prayer, and we are inviting friends and CLM benefactors and sponsors to pray it with us.  Our hope is to pray the prayer as a Novena in the nine days leading up to the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19, March 11 – 19.

Good and gracious God, Father of Jesus, and our Father,

We need your help.  Over three years ago we petitioned the Archbishop of Seattle to vindicate the work that Robert did in the Diocese of Yakima to expose the cover-up of clergy sex abuse of minors and vulnerable adults by diocesan leaders.  The case has been investigated and the information gathered has been sent to a Vatican office where it now sits awaiting review and a decision.

Our God, we surrender this entire process to you.  We are confident that our appeal is just.  If clergy and lay employees of the Catholic Church are too fearful of retaliation to speak out about suspected abuse of a child, youth, or vulnerable adult, or about abuse cover-up by church leaders, then no child, youth, or vulnerable adult is safe.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon the Vatican officials who are reviewing the documents of this case.  Help them to look at the material through the eyes of the thousands of victims who have prayed that someone would stand up for them, protect them, and advocate for them, but no one did.  Give our church leadership the wisdom and courage to do what is right to make our church a safe place.

We entrust this prayer to you, Holy Abba, through your Beloved Son, Jesus who told his disciples to ““Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Mt 19:14

By Robert Fontana

No, there is no such thing as “Present the Children to God Day.”  BUT I THINK THERE SHOULD BE!  … celebrated on February 2^nd or on the first Sunday in February.

February 2^nd is the Feast of the Presentation, a day when Catholics and other Christians remember the Biblical story of how Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to present the newborn child to God:

When the days were completed for their purification – according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord… Luke 2:22

Let’s do this with our kids and grandkids.  Let’s have a grand procession into the church with all the children of the Church.  Let them march in with balloons, streamers, and banners while playing horns, beating drums, and banging tambourines to make a joyful noise unto the Lord as did King David who entered Jerusalem in festive dance!  Let the entire Mass be filled with exuberant joy as we present our children to God, the children who are not simply the future Church, but the Church now as young ones discovering how much they are loved by God and how much God wants to use them to bring God’s love to the world of their daily lives.

It’s a simple message, but it needs to be done in an over-the-top fashion oriented towards children who are usually ignored by the adult way of doing things at Sunday Mass.  I read a study that by the time the average Catholic child is 11 or 12, he or she has checked out of Church, and Church / faith has very little or no meaning in her / his life.  Part of the problem is the dominant American culture, so alluring in its offerings for pleasure and material success.  These enticements can easily distract children and youth away from a life in the Spirit that can be far less tangible and, frankly, less fun.

But we Catholics and other Christians also make it hard for children and youth to find faith relevant to their lives because Sunday worship is something they must endure, and because the daily purpose of being a follower of Jesus is poorly understood.

We cannot change all this at one Sunday Mass and parish event.  But we can invite our parishioners, those families who are regular participants and those who come just at Christmas and Easter, to bring the children to church on the Feast of the Presentation (or the first Sunday of February) and join with the parish community in presenting the children to Godin imitation of Joseph and Mary.

What would such a presentation look like?

1. Let the presiding priest skip his processional entrance so that the focus is all on the children who are welcomed by Father and invited to process around the church as they make a joyful noise of song and praise. Banners, streamers, balloons can be prepared ahead of time, and children could be invited to bring from home any horn, drum and/or tambourine to carry with them up and down the aisles while the cantor leads the community in singing a joyous hymn such as Ode to Joy.
2. The ministries of lector, cantor, and choir could be filled by children who have been trained to do the readings and lead singing for the psalm response and songs.
3. Father could invite a few children who have prepared to help with the homily, to share stories of how they know that God loves them and how each tries to show that love in daily life.
4. During the preparation of gifts all the children could be invited to come forth and place canned goods in front of the altar to be given to the local food bank or St. Vincent de Paul Society.
5. Children could be invited to join Father around the altar and to repeat his gestures as he leads the community through the Eucharist prayer.
6. Children would then return to their seats after the Our Father to give their parents the sign of peace.
7. After communion the children would be invited to gather around the baptismal pool/font. The entire assembly then would extend hands over them as Father invites the Holy Spirit to come upon the children and invites the children to open their hearts to the Holy Spirit.  After concluding with “Amen,” the children bless themselves with the baptismal water and return to their parents.

Conclusion: Father would remind the children that they are the Church of today. God needs them and so does the community of faith. “Grab your instruments, children, and process with me out of the church to the parish hall to continue our celebration!”  After Mass, there would be cake and ice cream and fruit for all in the parish center, along with face painters to offer the emblems of an angel or a butterfly.

“Present your Child to God” Day is not an event on the Church calendar, but I think it should be!