News Bulletin Archive And a Butterfly.... With all the depressing news of joblessness, housing foreclosures, stock market, and big three automakers, it is refreshing to read this story in the LA Times. A monarch butterfly has a chance of completing its species' migration to central Mexico, thanks to some tiny cardboard sprints, a bit of contact cement and a trucker from Alabama. About three weeks ago, Jeannette Brandt was out for a bike ride in rural Hadley, NY, when she spied the injured butterfly and took it home in her emptied water bottle. She and her partner, Mike Purwana, fed it rotting pears and water mixed with honey from bees they keep. The butterfly fattened, but the question remained: What about the broken wing? A search on the Internet turned up a nine-minute video demonstration posted by the Live Monarch Foundation, a nonprofit group, on how to fix a broken wing. On Sunday, the couple took the healed monarch in a shoebox to Scotty's, a popular and busy truck stop about 35 miles north of Albany. Anybody looking for company on the trip south? Eventually, a trucker from Alabama, on his way to Florida, raised his hand. A few days later, the trucker called: The butterfly was loose in Florida with its mended wing. -Times Wire Service An Open Letter to President-elect Barack Obama Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, wrote an open letter to President-elect Obama. In it he suggests a model of cooperation, calling it "the two-way street". He says: "One direction of the two-way street is for the faith community to offer you its prayers and support. You will need that given all that we are facing...... The other...is what the faith community can say back to you. I believe there is more that the faith community can offer you, which previous administration, from both parties, haven't fully availed themselves of. For example, on the issue of poverty, you know who the people are who live and work alongside the poor in the worst neighborhoods in this country....Likewise I would suggest that the combined experience of internationally respected faith-based international relief and development organizations based here in the US, the many missions and missionaries sent all over the world from American congregations, and the networks of relationships religious service organization have in virtually every country of the world might be greater than ....government agencies.... We must do two more things....1) We can bring people together on the great moral issues of our time from across political dividing lines because we have a "ministry of reconciliation." 2) There will be times when our prophetic vocation will require us to challenge your administration, when that is needed. That is always the hardest thing... But I think you could do that and even know that you need that sort of accountability. ..So I call upon you to open up that "two-way street" with the community of faith - as soon as possible. We are ready for a new relationship, and I believe that you are too. God bless you, my brother." Guantanamo Again While newscasts have concentrated on the presidential campaign and the economic crisis, the story of the 17 Chinese Muslims-- detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2002 --remains basically hidden. Most recently the Federal District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina ruled that the 17 detainees (whom the government had determined were not enemy combatants) should be released to some American families who agreed to take them in. The government continues to battle the ruling. Synod Focuses Catholics on Scripture The Bishops of the world have been meeting in Rome for a synod from October 5 to October 26. Pope Benedict XVI urged the bishops to think big - asking them to ponder how the Bible might fuel renewal in all aspects of the lives of the people of God. Later during the meeting, Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec City issued a strong call for what he called "spiritual exegesis" of the Bible, not just intellectual understanding but personal faith and commitment. At another time, Bishop Salvatore Fisichella argued that Dei Verbum, a document of the Second Vatican Council, gives a piece of "authentic dogmatic progress" that still needs to be adequately studied and developed. He went on to say that "It's important that we commit ourselves to constructing a culture that sees scripture as a living word." Go Green! The environment has certainly taken center stage lately. In fact, some are talking about “environment fatigue” – though I think that now is a little too soon for that. However, the Holy Father brought up this topic seven times during his visit for World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia last month. The entire August 8, 2008 issue of the National Catholic Reporter is on the greening of the Catholic church. It states on page 6, Appreciation for nature as the “book of creation” was a leitmotif of the early church. In that sense, (Pope) Benedict’s ecology is a return to the sources. LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious) and CMSM (Conference of Major Superiors of Men) passed a joint resolution on climate change at their August 2008 meeting. They resolved action for justice in this area, “ to seek concrete ways to curb environmental degradation, mitigate its impact on the poorest and most vulnerable people, and restore right relationships among all God’s creation; and to foster a consciousness of care for God’s creation among all…” Some suggestions: replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent ones; use Energy-rated appliances; use programmable thermostats; buy locally grown foods; buy hybrid cars; unplug cell phone chargers & other appliances when not in use; reduce personal use of hot water, electricity and heat; use public transportation when possible. They also urge action to promote clean energy legislation and urging of candidates to take action on climate change. CRS in Georgia Tbilisi, Georgia, August 21, 2008 -- As an estimated 128,000 Georgians who fled violence in early August struggle to stay afloat in temporary shelters, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is providing emergency aid to displaced people throughout Georgia. After fighting broke out in and around the areas of Tskhinvali, Gori and the Kodori Valley, tens of thousands fled their homes, sometimes on foot, for safer areas. A CRS assessment team was immediately dispatched to Georgia to join CRS staff already on the ground. Arriving in Tbilisi via Yerevan, the team visited makeshift shelters and assessed the most immediate needs, including food, clothes, cookware, mattresses, bedding and hygiene supplies. CRS' partner, Caritas Georgia, began feeding hundreds of people from its existing soup kitchens and bakeries on August 10th. "CRS partners on the ground were able to swing into action immediately," says LeAnn Hager, Acting Head of Office for CRS Georgia. "In the first days of the crisis, they fed thousands of people who would otherwise have gone hungry." CRS is focusing on the health of the displaced people, most of whom are living in crowded, unsanitary buildings without adequate bathroom. CRS is providing soap, detergent, toilet paper and sheets – desperately needed. Professional Soccer At this time of the Olympics in China, we admire the young people who pursue winning a gold medal at this world event. Here is one athlete of professional soccer who made news in another way. Chase Hilgenbrinck, 26, who is playing for The Revolution, the US Major League Soccer Team for New England, has just announced that he is entering the seminary in the diocese of Peoria, Illinois. He says "At one time, I thought the call might be professional soccer. I found my life is hungry for something else." Let's give Chase a gold medal for sure! Children of the world The other day I enjoyed watching two young children splashing around in the water of a fountain in a shopping center. What sheer joy on their faces! Then I read today an Associated Press article that reported many children are employed to search for gold in "bush" mines throughout Africa, but especially in Senegal. What a contrast. Join us today in praying for the children of our world....especially those who are abused in any way, those who are hungry, those without parents, those ill or maimed, those unloved or cared for ...no matter where they live. May our God bless them and allow them to enjoy a childhood.