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Crossing the line?

08 Mar 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Because God acquits us, Saint Paul asks in this Sunday's reading from the Letter to the Romans, who will condemn? Latino activists in Arizona, and their supporters nationwide, are concerned that allegedly heavy-handed arrest tactics used by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to counteract illegal immigration amount to racial profiling. Thousands of protesters marched through Phoenix last Saturday. The march in Phoenix also attracted about 150 Arpaio supporters. Marchers called for comprehensive immigration reform and a stop to what they say are abuses of 287(g), shorthand for a section of a 1996 law used to allow local police officers to be deputized as immigration officials. It was intended to be a tool for finding and deporting serious criminals in the country illegally, but opponents argue it is being used to question anyone who happens to look Latino. Arpaio operates the largest 287(g) program in Arizona with 160 trained deputies. He held a news conference after the demonstration last Saturday and vowed to continue the program. "We're not backing down," he said. A report by the Government Accountability Office released Wednesday says the government has failed to determine how many of the thousands of people deported under the 287(g) program were the violent felons it was devised to root out. Some law enforcement agencies had used the program to deport immigrants "who have committed minor crimes," the report said, and at least four agencies referred minor traffic offenders for deportation. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has ordered a review of the program. A top official at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency was set to testify on the program at a Congressional hearing Wednesday afternoon. Source: Articles by the Arizona Republic, Susan Gamboa for the Associated Press, and Randal C. Archibold for the New York Times

maricopa county janet napolitano deportation government accountability office 287g protests phoenix racial profiling illegal immigration heriff joe arpaio immigration and customs enforcement agency

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Catholics, come home for the holidays

06 Sep 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The reading from the Letter of James encourages us to show impartiality toward all who enter the assembly to worship. Officials of the Archdiocese of Chicago, concerned that two-thirds of area Catholics are not entering the assembly to attend Mass on a regular basis, will unveil a "Catholics Come Home" evangelization program this coming holiday season that will include a blitz of TV advertising. The exact number of ads has not been settled on, but they could reach 2,000 or more, meaning the average TV viewer in the Chicago area might see them 25 times during their five-and-a-half-week run, church officials said. The time is right for this type of evangelization effort because "we see a larger number of people inactive in their faith," said Nancy Polacek, the point person on Catholics Come Home for the archdiocese. The campaign ran last year in Phoenix, Arizona and Corpus Christi, Texas and results were considered impressive. "Our study indicated a 12-percent increase [in Sunday Mass attendance] across the board," said Ryan Hanning, coordinator of adult evangelization for the Diocese of Phoenix. Source: An article by ChicagoCatholicNews.com

Evangelization diocese of phoenix archdiocese of chicago chicago catholics come home advertisements television nancy polacek ryan hanning phoenix inactive catholics

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Catholics, come home for the holidays

06 Sep 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The reading from the Letter of James encourages us to show impartiality toward all who enter the assembly to worship. Officials of the Archdiocese of Chicago, concerned that two-thirds of area Catholics are not entering the assembly to attend Mass on a regular basis, will unveil a "Catholics Come Home" evangelization program this coming holiday season that will include a blitz of TV advertising. The exact number of ads has not been settled on, but they could reach 2,000 or more, meaning the average TV viewer in the Chicago area might see them 25 times during their five-and-a-half-week run, church officials said. The time is right for this type of evangelization effort because "we see a larger number of people inactive in their faith," said Nancy Polacek, the point person on Catholics Come Home for the archdiocese. The campaign ran last year in Phoenix, Arizona and Corpus Christi, Texas and results were considered impressive. "Our study indicated a 12-percent increase [in Sunday Mass attendance] across the board," said Ryan Hanning, coordinator of adult evangelization for the Diocese of Phoenix. Source: An article by ChicagoCatholicNews.com

Evangelization diocese of phoenix archdiocese of chicago chicago catholics come home advertisements television nancy polacek ryan hanning phoenix inactive catholics

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Searing heat scorches Southwest

07 Jul 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Jesus sends the disciples out in pairs in this Sunday's gospel, warning any town that does not welcome them that when the time of reckoning comes, "it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.” The heat is nearly intolerable these days for towns across the U.S. Southwest, as triple-digit temperatures become the norm in an extended heat wave.High temperatures brought discomfort to much of the region on Sunday as many parts of the area were coming off several record-breaking heat days and bracing for more sizzling temperatures. The National Weather Service’s thermometer recorded a peak temperature of 128 degrees in Death Valley National Park, which ties the record for the hottest June day anywhere in the country. The National Park Service thermometer—200 yards away—recorded a temperature of 129.9, which breaks that record.Elsewhere across the region things weren't much better. In Las Vegas the mercury shot up to 117 degrees on Sunday to tie the city’s record high and cause more discomfort for residents and tourists in the sprawling desert city. In Utah a record 105-degree heat caused an interstate on-ramp to buckle in Salt Lake City and hampered firefighters in their battle against three wildfires.The 119-degree high in Phoenix on Saturday marked the fourth-hottest day in metro Phoenix since authorities started keeping temperature records more than 110 years ago. The high temperature for the area hit 115 on Sunday. The hot, dry conditions also contributed to a deadly wildfire that claimed the lives of 19 firefighters Sunday evening.Homily hint: Events like heat waves, droughts, and powerful storms that seem to visit us with increased regularity should remind us of the fragility of the ecosystem. Christians are called to be responsible stewards of creation. Step up efforts in your own congregation or community to recycle, reduce, and rethink any activity that is not environmentally sustainable. Sources: Articles by the Associated Press and CNN

phoenix wildfires southwest heat wave death valley las vegas firefighters

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