Thirty-third Sunday in

Ordinary Time

13 November 2016

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Saint Cecilia

P A R I S H

welcome!Welcome to Saint Cecilia Parish, a Roman Catholic community that gathers day by day, week by week, to know and make known the grace of God. By means of this abundant grace, we enjoy a diverse and close-knit parish family—young, old, rich, poor, of various ethnic origins and differing backgrounds. From our extraordinary music program to a growing children’s faith formation program; from the various liturgical ministries to the many opportunities for social outreach that the parish provides, Saint Cecilia is a vibrant community of faith, centered on prayer and worship that tries to keep the Gospel close to heart and to live by Jesus’ teachings.

Saint Cecilia Parish was established in 1888. At that time the Back Bay section of Boston along Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street was the residential section of the Yankee aristocracy. The maids (“Irish working out girls”) and coachmen who served these residents had long requested a church of their own. When Archbishop Williams granted their request and carved the parish from the territory of the Cathedral, they built a magnificent church out of their meager earnings.

The church was dedicated on April 22, 1894. Its architecture is Romanesque, XII Century Norman. The main altar, notable for its massive simplicity, was carved from a single block of white Carrara marble. The painting in the center reredos is a reproduction of da Vinci’s The Last Supper, and the dome above is an array of 24K gold rosettes.

For the sixtieth anniversary celebration in 1954, a massive renovation project was under-taken. During this renovation, a statue of Pope Saint Pius X (canonized that same year) was imported from Italy and placed on the right side of the sanctuary. Above the statue are paintings from Pius’ life. On the left side is a statue of Saint Patrick, principal patron of the Archdiocese of Boston, and above it are three scenes from his life.

Fourteen circular and sixteen square panels adorn the nave and arches of the church. The square panels are decorated with the symbols of Our Lady taken from the Litany of Loreto and the circular ones with symbols taken from the lives of the apostles. The great window of the Assumption—framed by the two oak cases of the organ—was installed in 1954 (the Marian Year) in spaces originally designed for windows but not until then used.

The original organ of 24 stops was built in 1902 by the Hutchings-Votey Organ Company, Opus 1465, and was rebuilt in 1954 with 32 stops. In 1998, Timothy Smith and Theodore Gilbert began a massive reconstruction of the organ. The current Smith & Gilbert Organ of 4 manuals, 50 ranks, and 2,926 pipes was dedicated on the Feast of Saint Cecilia, November 22, 1999.

Today we are experiencing something of an awakening within these old walls. We recently completed a major renovation, our numbers are increasing, and we continue to grow in our commitment to issues of peace, justice, and service to our neighbors, both near and far.

We’ve been right here on Belvidere Street, in the same building for 127 years, but that does not mean that life here is stale, stagnant, or even predictable. We are proud to be entrusted with the legacy of Saint Cecilia Parish, where everything is the same, yet always changing; where we honor tradition while embracing the future; where God’s love makes all things new.

weekly FOOD DONATIONS

First featured donation item is:TOMATO SAUCE!

Second featured donation item is:PASTA NOODLES!

Donations of featured items are preferred as these are more popular among Catholic Charities clients. Please leave food donations in the narthex baskets.

Ministers of the Liturgy

Saturday | 5:00 p.m.Very Rev. George Palliparambil, PIME, celebrantEve Nagler, lector

Sunday | 8:00 a.m.Very Rev. George Palliparambil, PIME, celebrantJim Dougherty, lector

Sunday | 9:30 a.m.Rev. John Unni, celebrant Very Rev. George Palliparambil, PIME, homilistWill Kelly, Zachary Boutin, &Karen McMenamy lectors Sunday | 11:15 a.m. Rev. John Unni, celebrantVery Rev. George Palliparambil, PIME, homilistMark Richburg, Chika Offurum, & Joe Castellano, lectors

Sunday | 6:00 p.m. Very Rev. George Palliparambil, PIME, celebrantLauren Miner and Jennifer Polley, lectors

today’s readingsMalachi 3:19-20a2 Thessalonians 3:7-12Luke 21:5-19

next sunday’s Readings2 Samuel 5:1-3Colossians 1:12-20Luke 23:35-4

special intentionsSunday, November 13 | 8:00 a.m.Ned Loughran, Month's Mind

Sunday, November 13 | 9:30 a.m.Ivan Nazario, 18th Anniversary

Sunday, November 13 | 9:30 a.m.Ignazio (Nelson) Maniscalco, Memorial

Sunday, November 13 | 11:15 a.m.Dennis J. Murphy, 25th Anniversary

Sunday, November 13 | 11:15 a.m.Ellen Baker, Memorial

Sunday, November 13 | 6:00 p.m.Mary Buckley, Special Intention

Wednesday, November 16 | 8:00 a.m.Francis Michael Connelly, Memorial

Friday, November 18 | 8:00 a.m.Maria Cristina Campo de Paez, Memorial

SAINT CECILIA PARISH

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our community news

Prayers & Occasions

Our SickPlease pray for all our sick and for those who are in need of our prayer, especially Annette Kulas, Anthony Simboli, Anne Frenette Handly, Roséa Aubrey, Owen Kyes, Pilar Estrada, Mildred McLaughlin, Pam Phillips, Brenna Smith, Michalina Maniscalco, Michael Patrick Kelly, Mark Anderson, Bill Downing, Skyler Stevenson, Silvana Franco, Silvia Basagni, Brian Donnelly, Theresa Wier, Bill Ahern, Lena Bryant, Kenny Borum, Kevin, George Driscoll, Mary Curley, Bill Pennington, Bryan Thomas, Joanne DeMare, Rachel Fitzgerald, Bob Carroll, John Morris, Mark Edward McHugh, Jean Hughes, Laura Bellias, Angelo Valente, Eugenia Valente, Betty Sellers, Jack Kacewicz, Daniel Grapski, Nancy Wolterman, Callie Boyce, Bill Croke, Mary Chisholm, Brian Burdette, Chuck Christian, John Pelletier, Tim Postma, Mary Jane Duggan, Maureen Kelly, Mary Maciora, Stephanie Brown, Scott Costigan, Bob Butler, Mary Dupont, Mary Jacobs, Mary Goodrow, Francesca Stanizzi, Hilary Dillon, Paul Lakschewitz, John Crozier, Pam Phillips, Meredith Deignan, and Louise Reohr.

Welcome to Saint Cecilia! We are pleased to welcome the following new members of our parish who have recently registered: Beata Dragovics of Cambridge, Torie Roig and Brian Argus of Brookline, Kevin and Linn Casey of Braintree, Omar Dengo of Boston, and Ryan Maloney of Wichita, Kansas. If you have not previously registered with the parish, there are forms in the narthex for this purpose or you canregister online at www.stceciliaboston.org.

For Our Elected OfficialsRemember to pray for our newly elected public officials. We pray that God will guide them in their public service and help them to work for the greatest good for those in greatest need.

November — the Month of All SoulsNovember is a traditional time to remember and prayfor our dead. During this month you are invited toinscribe the names of your deceased loved ones in The Book of the Names of the Dead. Beginning this weekend, this book will be located near the baptismal font and the Paschal candle as a reminder that the de-ceased have shared in the waters of baptism, dying with Christ and rising to new life.

Mission Appeal — Welcome Father PalliparambilThis weekend we welcome the Very Rev. George Palliparambil, PIME to Saint Cecilia for our annual Mission Appeal Weekend. Fr. Palliparambil will preach at all of the weekend liturgies. Fr. Palliparambil is the US Regional Superior of the PIME Missionaries—an international Society of Apostolic Life with upwards of 500 priests and brothers in seventeen countries who commit themselves to lifelong missionary service, espe-cially to non-Christians. PIME is the Latin abbreviation for the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions and was founded in Italy in 1850. Your customary generosity will be greatly appreciated.

The El Salvador Martyrs — November 16, 1989This Wednesday marks the twenty-seventh anniversary of the murder of six Jesuits, their housekeeper Elba Ramos, and her 15-year-old daughter Celina Ramos. They were brutally murdered at the University of Cen-tral America in El Salvador by soldiers of the Salvadoran Army who entered the Jesuit residence at night. These men stood with the poor and the oppressed of El Salva-dor, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Liberator. With their lay companions they made the ultimate sacri-fice for God, for the Church, and for their brothers and sisters. Remember them in your prayer. Pray, too, for all victims of war and for all who put themselves in harm's way at the service of the Gospel.

SAINT CECILIA PARISH

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Holy Martyr Ignacio Ellacuría, SJ, pray for us.

Holy Martyr Ignacio Martín-Baró, SJ, pray for us.

Holy Martyr Segundo Montes, SJ, pray for us.

Holy Martyr Juan Ramón Moreno, SJ, pray for us.

Holy Martyr Joaquín López y López, SJ, pray for us.

Holy Martyr Amando López, SJ, pray for us.

Holy Martyr Elba Ramos, pray for us.

Holy Martyr Celina Ramos, pray for us.

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

Calling all Cooks!Do you enjoy cooking? Might you occasionally be able to contribute a meal to a family who would truly benefit from it? Our growing Young Families group is looking for parishioners who would be willing to prepare and deliver meals to parents welcoming a new child into their families. This is a flexible commitment that allows you to participate as much or as little as your schedule allows. If you are interested, please e-mail Aubrey Hartnett (aubreymarie.cc@gmail.com) for more information.

Childcare Helpers NeededDo you enjoy spending time with babies and toddlers? The newly-formed Saint Cecilia Young Families group is looking to form a team of parishioners to help with childcare during their monthly parent meetings. Ideally, the slots would be staffed on a rotating basis, with each team member only needing to help once every two to three months. The parent meetings take place one Sunday per month following the 9:30 Mass. If interested, please contact Valerie at Valerie.diment@gmail.com.

PIE IN THE SKYSaint Cecilia volunteer pie sellers will be available after this weekend's Masses to take your orders for Thanks-giving pies to benefit one of our non-profit partner agencies, Community Servings. Pie in the Sky fosters community spirit and engages the public in the mission of Community Servings Massachusetts' free, home- delivered meals and nutrition program for the criti-cally ill. Each year, Boston's most generous restaurants, bakeries, caterers and hotels donate thousands of pies that over 750 volunteers then sell to family, friends and colleagues. Each pie costs $30, providing a week's worth of nutritious, home-delivered meals to a Commu-nity Servings' client. Even if you will be out of town for Thanksgiving, you can help by purchasing a pie and do-nating it to a Community Servings' client or you can buy a pie that will be served at Thanksgiving Day dinners for residents of Morville House and the Pine Street Inn. You can also buy pies online at www.pieinthesky.org. Please be sure to specify that your seller is a member of the Saint Cecilia team. For more information, please contact Mark Lippolt at mlippolt@hammondre.

Pine Street Women's Inn DinnerThe third grade families in our Children's Faith Forma-tion Program will be providing and serving dinner at Pine Street on Monday, November 14. The custom here at Saint Cecilia is that the families provide the entree and serve the dinner and we invite all parishioners to bring something that can be served for dessert. If you can, please bring something sweet with you to Mass next Sunday, November 13. There will be bins on the piano in the Parish Hall where you can leave your donations. In addition to cookies, brownies, etc., the women at Pine Street also enjoy bananas and clementines. Thank you for your generous support!

Halloween RecycledIf you live in a household that received too many pieces of Halloween candy or had a lot of candy left over at the end of the festivities, please consider donating it to the Pine Street Inn. This Sunday and next you can bring your remaining, individually-wrapped confec-tions to church and put them in the bin in the narthex. Saint Cecilia volunteers serve each month at the Men's Inn and these will make a nice treat for the guests we serve!

Christmas Concert ReceptionTuesday, December 13 | 7:00 p.m.

Our annual Christmas concert featuring the

Copley Singers will be taking place in just over

five weeks! Following the concert there will be a gala reception in the Parish Hall. This is one

of the highlights of the year at Saint Cecilia, but

we need quite a bit of help to make it happen. If you are able to assist with shopping, cooking,

decorating, setting-up the hall, and clean-up, we'd love to hear from you. Please contact Lisa Pickering if you would like to be part of

this year's hospitality team. lpickering@stceciliaboston.org

617-536-4548

CATHOLIC CHARITIES GALA

Greater Boston Catholic Charities' annual Christmas din-ner gala will be held on Friday, December 9th at 6:00 p.m. at the Seaport Hotel, Boston. Individual tickets for the gala, including dinner, dessert and dancing, are $500.

This year, Catholic Charities would like to extend a special invitation to young professionals and the younger family members of their long-standing supporters. Please join the Gala at 8:00 p.m.for the dessert reception plus great live music, dancing, and open bar. Young profes-sional individual tickets for dessert and the after-party are $200. All proceeds will benefit the programs and services of Greater Boston Catholic Charities' basic needs programs. For more information or to join the Saint Cecilia table at the event, please contact Mark Lippolt at mlippolt@hammondre.com.

PINE STREET INN LOW THRESHOLD THANKSGIVING DINNER

This Thanksgiving, we are celebrating the sixth annual Thanksgiving Dinner for Pine Street Inn Low Threshold Housing residents in our Parish Hall. This annual event is truly an expression of care and kindness for the residents. If you would like to participate in a small way, we are looking for contributions of the following items:

• Bottled water • Apple cider & juice• Fruit: apples, oranges, bananas, & grapes

(fruit can be dropped off at Saint Cecilia on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 20 or on Wednesday afternoon, November 23.)

• $10.00 Dunkin' Donuts, CVS, or Stop & Shop gift cards

You may leave these items in a basket located in the Parish Hall labeled "Pine Street Thanksgiving Dinner." If you bring fruit on Wednesday, November 23, please bring your donation to the Parish Hall using the entrance on St. Cecilia Street. As always, we are grateful for the gener-osity of our parishioners in supporting the Pine Street Inn Thanksgiving Dinner.

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saint cecilia parish

weekly drop-in meditationsEvery Tuesday I 7:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted)Parish Hall, Classroom 1

Join our ever-growing group of people new and old to meditate. We'll explain how it's done, meditate for 20 minutes, read a scriptural reading, and then have a 20 minute discussion. Come on by!

Prison and After MinistryMonday, Nov 14/28 I 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.Saint Cecilia Church

A team of six volunteers is needed to bring large quantities of food to feed men who are getting on their feet after prison.

Adoration Holy HourWednesday, November 16 I 7:00 p.m.Saint Cecilia Church Come pray with us as we adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for Eucharistic adoration with the Rosary, guided meditation, prayerful music, and sacred silence. After our prayer service, join us downstairs for fellowship, featuring hot mulled cider and snacks. We also need musicians.

Suppah ClubWednesday, November 30 I 6:30 p.m.Five Horses Tavern I 535 Columbus Ave

Suppah club is back! It's getting cold outside, so there's never been a better excuse to stay indoors and warm up with "modern American comfort food" in the company of your fellow young adults. Lim-ited to 8 people.

To RSVP for any of these activities, please email scyoungadults@gmail.com.

SAINTCECILIAYOUNGADULTSSaint Cecilia Young Adults ministry welcomes parishioners ages 20-40.

RSVP and more when you type URL: eepurl.com/bBbbLr

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

New Choir Members NeededWe are in need of new choir members for our morning choirs, as well as for our 6:00 p.m. choir. If you have a musical talent to share with the community, we woul love to have you join us. We look forward to hearing from you! Please stop by and see Richard Clark after Mass, call him at 617-536-4548 or e-mail: RClark@stceciliaboston.org. You can also find more information about our music ministry at www.stceciliaboston.org/music-ministry/

PREMIERE OF WORK IN MEMORY OF OSCAR ROMERO

The Seraphim Singers will premiere a new choral work honoring Oscar Romero. Composed by Saint Cecilia Music Director, Richard Clark, the text is taken from the poem I Am the Land: A Poem in Memory of Oscar Romero by award winning literary activist E. Ethelbert Miller (b. 1950). The poem is a tribute to the late Archbishop of El Salvador. Romero was assassinated on March 24, 1980 while celebrating Mass and was beatified by Pope Francis on May 23, 2015.

There will be two performances:

• Sunday, November 6, 2016 | 3:00 p.m.The Eliot Church of Newton474 Centre Street, Newton

• Sunday, November 13, 2016 | 3:00 p.m.First Church in Cambridge11 Garden Street, Cambridge

$20 Adults/$15 Students and SeniorsTickets are available at the door and online at seraphimsingers.org.

THANKSGIVING AT MORVILLE HOUSE

Once again, we will be serving Thanksgiving dinner at Morville House, a 147-unit federally subsidized home for low-income elders. Once again, we are looking for volun-teers to help and are in need of the following:

• 5 Turkeys—20 to 25 lbs. each, roasted, carved, and delivered to Morville House anytime on Wednesday, November 23 or by 10:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning

• 6 people are needed to assist with prep work. The set-up crew should arrive to Morville House by 10:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning.

• 20 people are needed to serve and clean-up. You need to be at Morville House by noon on Thanks-giving. Dinner is served at 12:30 p.m.; clean-up is finished by 3:30 p.m.

• Desserts are needed—especially cookies, brown-ies, and cake. Please deliver your desserts to Morville House anytime on Wednesday, November 23 or by noon on Thanksgiving Day.

If you can help, please sign-up in the narthex today and next Sunday. Morville House is located at 100 Norway Street in East Fenway. For more information, please con-tact Kim Kates at kkates86@aol.com or 781-608-3938.

AIDS Memorial Quilt

Saint Cecilia Rainbow Ministry will commemorate World AIDS Day on the Second Sunday of Advent (December 4) at the 11:15 Mass. If you know of anyone from this parish or from the former Jesuit Urban Center who has died of AIDS and whose name is not already inscribed on our AIDS Memorial Quilt, please e-mail their names to Melon Regis-Civetta at nanniemelon@aol.com and we will inscribe them prior to December 4.

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

NEWS FOR YOUNG FAMILIES—PRESENT & EXPECTING—AND THOSE WHO WOULD

LIKE TO HELP THEM• If you are a parent of a child younger than four years of age, please consider joining our growing Young Families group! We currently meet monthly between the 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. lit-urgies for fellowship and mutual support as we navigate the ups and downs of life with young children. The best way to stay in touch is to join our listserv—if you're not on it already, e-mail Erin at erin.ramsey.1@gmail.com.

• If you are expecting a child in the coming months and would be interested in connecting with other expecting parents, we want to hear from you. Please e-mail Sarah Donohue (sara-helliottgoodale@gmail.com) for more information and details on an upcoming social for expecting parents.

WISDOM AND MATURE SPIRITUALITY GROUP The next meeting of the Wisdom and Mature Spirituality Group will take place inext Sunday, November 20 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the Conference Room in the Parish Pastoral Center. Our topic will be "Growing Through Strug-gle" based on the book Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope by Joan Chittister, OSB.This book is available on Amazon and in local libraries. A twelve minute video is available on You-Tube under the title: "Joan Chittister, The Spirituality of Struggle — Part 1 PG# 5105." There will be printed material on this topic available for meeting attendees. If you are in the second half of life and are interested in spiritual growth, please join us on November 20!

SPIRITUAL LIFE YOGA One definition of yoga is "to join together." Join us for a yoga class to join together your breath and move-ment, grounding yourself in the present moment. Use this practice to honor your mind, body, and spirit. We will move through an all levels yoga class, with specific attention to breath and alignment. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Participants should wear com-fortable clothing and should bring a water bottle and a yoga mat. Other props will be provided. Classes will be take place from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will be held in CL5 on the following Sundays:

• November 13 • December 4

If you have any questions or would like to reserve a spot, please e-mail fellow parishioner and yoga instruc-tor Amy Aubrecht at aubrecht.amy@gmail.com. Drop-ins are welcome provided that space is available. There is no fee for this class, but donations will be gratefully accepted.

Peace Activist and Granddaughter of Dorothy Day

Martha Hennessy, granddaughter of Dorothy Day, speaks on life and work in community, Catholic Social Teaching, and peacemaking efforts in the tradition of the Catholic Worker movement. Martha will describe the vision of her grandmother, Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, who dedicated her life to spread-ing God's mercy. A retired occupational therapist and grandmother of seven, Martha has experienced impris-onment as a result of her protest of war and nuclear power/weapons, the use of drones, and the torture of prisoners in Guantanamo. She has traveled to Russia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Palestine to under-stand the effects of war.

She will be speaking on Thursday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 5 Linden Place, Brookline. Please RSVP to stmarybrookline@gmail.com.

PARISH DAY OF RECOLLECTION DECEMBER 3

On Saturday, December 3 the Saint Cecilia Parish Rainbow Ministry will sponsor a day of recollection. This will be held in the Parish Pastoral Center from 9:30 to 4:00 and the theme is: "An Invitation to Incarnation." Our speaker will be H. John McDargh who is an associate professor of theology in the Theology Department at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Boston College. The cost to participate is $10 and will include a light lunch.

This is a prelude to our commemoration of World AIDS Day on Sunday, December 4. On this day we will have our customary solemn reading of the names inscribed on our Saint Cecilia AIDS Memorial Quilt at the 11:15 liturgy followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. We hope you will join us for both of these significant events. For more information or to sign-up to attend the retreat, please contact Melon Regis-Civetta at nanniemelon@aol.com or 617-584-5422. It is important to have an accurate head-count so that we are sure to have enough food.

"If we could make our hearts a cow stall,Christ would be born again on the earth."

"We are all meant to be mothers of God ...for God is always needing to be born."

Meister Eckhart, OP14th Century Mystic and Scholastic

PRISON AND AFTER

Every Monday night the Prison and After Committee hosts an evening of discussion and dinner for men who have recently been released from a prison or jail. If you have served time, please join us. All you need to do is come to the Parish Pastoral Center entrance on St. Cecilia Street between 5:45 and 6:00. For more information, please e-mail scprisonandafter@gmail.com or call 617-752-2885.

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saint cecilia parish

Christmas In PrisionPlease Help

Bridgewater State Hospital is a psychiat-ric prison hospital where 325 men with very serious mental illnesses live, some for a short

period of evaluation and some for a lifetime. Though it is a hospital, it is also very much a prison setting complete with barbed wire, correction officers and prison food. It can be one of the saddest, dreariest places on

earth during the holiday season. You can help to change that. The Catholic Chaplain, Peg Newman, is a parishioner here at Saint Cecilia. She is collecting the following items to give to the men on Christmas Eve:

• Stick Deodorant• Shampoo• Soap• Toothpaste

Any of these items will be very much appreci-ated. A bag with these items will be the only gift these men will receive. They will put the items to good use, but more importantly, they

will know that they are being thought of and

cared about. Your gift will be an expression of God's love.

There is a bin in the narthex where these items can be dropped off. Please feel free to contact Peg if you have any questions or if you would like to make a cash donation — 617-943-6511 or peg3newman@gmail.com.

"In truth I tell you in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me." Matthew 25:40

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

An Evening of Food & Funfeaturing The Fulani Haynes Jazz Collaborative

Honoring Kathe McKenna, co-founder of Haley House

Tickets: www.haleyhouse50.bpt.me(suggested price of $65, sliding scale available)

More information at haleyhouse.org/50yearsQuestions? 617-236-8132, info@haleyhouse.org

Celebrating 50 years of food with purpose and the power of community

HALEY

HOUSE

6:30 pm, Boston College High School150 Morrissey Blvd, Dorchester, MA

Volunteer sign-up required - Please contact Ann to join the team!

anntenfour@yahoo.com

12 – 15 people needed on SATURDAY, November 19 from 1–5 p.m.

We will be cutting and labeling gift tags, cutting ribbons, setting up

and decorating our Advent Giving Tree.

New volunteers encouraged to join our team!

Other volunteers needed to collect, sort and deliver gifts beginning

Sunday, November 27

Save the Date! Advent Giving Tree Volunteers

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

In commemoration of the twenty-seventh anniversary of the murder of six Jesuits and their companions at the University of Central America in El Salvador, this article is reprinted from the November 10, 2009 edition of National Catholic Reporter.

Twenty years ago, on November 16, 1989, I was study-ing theology at the Jesuit community in Berkeley, Calif., when my friend Steve Kelly knocked on the door and asked if I had heard the news. I hadn’t. He broke down telling me of the brutal deaths early that morning of six Jesuit priests at the University of Central America, the Jesuit university in San Salvador. I had known those Jesuits from my time in El Salvador in 1985, when I lived and worked in a refugee camp. I was shocked and grief-stricken.

Their deaths set in motion a series of actions that changed my life. Steve and I decided then and there to do something. We gathered friends, drove into San Francisco and held vigil at the Salvadoran Consulate. That night, we facilitated a large public meeting about the murders and our response. Over the weekend, we held prayer services and organizing meetings, and on Monday morning, nearly 2,000 of us gathered outside the U.S. Federal Building in San Francisco to demand an end to U.S. military aid to El Salvador. That day, 120 of us, including 18 Jesuits, were arrested and jailed for kneel-ing down and blocking the building’s entrance. It was the largest Jesuit protest in U.S. history.

Soon we were organizing similar demonstrations at the nearby Concord Naval Weapons Station and joining theprotests at the Federal Building in Los Angeles. Steve and

I and a group of priests and Salvadoran women embarked on a 21 day fast for an end to U.S. military aid to El Salvador. Martin Sheen and I flew to D.C. to sit in at the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Building. I helped organize a rally in front of San Francisco’s City Hall with Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Kris Kristofferson that brought out 12,000 people. We worked tirelessly for an end to U.S. military aid, and I think our efforts made a differ-ence. But the deaths of the Jesuit martyrs touched us permanently.

Twenty years later, I call them to mind and heart:Segundo Montes. Head of the University of Central America sociology department, director of the new human rights institute, superior of the Jesuit commu-nity, Segundo worked every weekend with the poor in Quezaltepeque. He had a big red beard, and people called him “Zeus.” “I consider it a duty to work for hu-man rights,” he once said. “It is the duty of every human being who has the sensibility and sensitivity to the suffer-ing of people.”

Ignacio Martín Baró. Vice president of the University of Central America, social psychologist, expert in the field of public opinion in El Salvador, he worked every week-end in the poor parish of Jayaque.

Juan Ramón Moreno. Assistant director of the pastoral institute at the University of Central America, secretary of the Jesuit province, teacher of novices, he founded a Jesuit newsletter and set up a state of the art library in the new Romero Center which the death squads com-pletely destroyed after killing the Jesuits.

Remembering the Jesuit Martyrs

By JOHN DEAR

(Article continues on page 14)

“The vocation of the church and of the followers of Je-sus,” he wrote “is to be the innermost recess of Christ’s compassion.”

Amando López. Former head of the San Salvador seminary and of the Jesuit Univer-sity in Managua, Nicaragua, he worked every weekend among the poor in Soyapan-go. I remember having lunch with him once and asking him about his friend, Jean Donovan, killed in 1980.

Joaquín López y López. The oldest, he had recently been diagnosed with can-cer. One of the founders of the University of Central America, he also founded “Fe Y Alegria,” a network of 13 schools that served eight thousand impoverished Sal-vadoran children, as well as two clinics which served 50,000.

Elba and Celina Ramos. Elba was the cook of the Je-suit house of studies down the road. That night, she brought her 16 year old daughter Celina to the Uni-versity of Central America thinking they would be safer there on campus during the rebel offensive. They had been sleeping in a parlor room next to the Jesuit house when the death squads stormed the community. A few weeks earlier, Celina told a classmate that she hated violence so much that she would never again even kill an insect.

Ignacio Ellacuría. The university president, a world re-nown theologian and philosopher, and well known public figure in El Salvador, he helped write Archbishop Rome-ro’s pastoral letters, envisioned a new type of Jesuit university committed to social justice, and in 1985, held a nationally televised open forum at the university where he methodically outlined, exposed and denounced the right wing government and its death squads.

Ellacuría was fearless and outspoken, a true prophet of justice and peace. He disturbed the so-called peace of

the U.S.-backed regime, so the warmakers killed him. And they took no prisoners.

In other words, there was a reason they were assassinated. Their deaths were not an accident. The

government knew what it was doing. Many think the Salvadoran president ap-proved the assassinations a few hours earlier. He was using the same logic of vio-lent deterrence that killed every martyr from Jesus to Dorothy Stang. But what these governments never understand is that nonvio-lent martyrs for justice and peace rise up in the people, pushing us to take similar risks for justice and peace, urging us to disturb the false peace, forcing us to speak out.

When our group of Jesuit scholastics met Ellacuría in 1985, he told us: “The pur-pose of the Jesuit university in El Salvador is promote the reign of God. But you can’t be for the reign of God unless you are also publicly actively against the anti-reign.” You are not truly for peace and justice

unless you are also speaking out publicly and working actively to end war and injustice. That night, during a dinner for us, the university Jesuits showed us the bullet holes from the many attacks and bombing raids they had suffered over the years.

Twenty years later, El Salvador’s war has subsided but its poverty and crime have increased. We’ve suffered through two wars on Iraq, September 11th, Afghanistan, Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Obama, and watched the steady increase of extreme poverty, global starvation, global warming and global violence. What can we learn from the Jesuit martyrs that will help us today? Recently, I spoke during a week-long commemoration at St. Louis University and offered a few possible lessons.

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First, the Jesuit martyrs were concerned about the world as it really is, what they called “Reality,” and the world they saw is the same world today--a culture of violence, war and empire. Today, the notorious El Salvador of war, poverty and unimaginable violence has become the world. The whole world has become El Salvador! Like the martyrs, we need to talk about it, name it and do what we can to stop global poverty, wars and violence. If we do, we might also reach the heights of El Salvador’s spec-tacular saints, prophets, theologians and martyrs.

Second, the martyrs denounced war, poverty and vio-lence as “social sin.” They knew these tragedies were unjust, immoral and impractical, but they went further and named systemic injustice as a violation of God’s will, as blasphemy and idolatry. We are all guilty of mortal sin by allowing billions to suffer under poverty, war and vio-lence, they taught, and true repentance means working to eradicate these injustices.

Third, the martyrs call us to take sides--to side with the world’s poor and margainalized, to live in solidarity with them as best we can. They challenge us to befriend the poor, serve the poor, learn from the poor, liberate the poor, defend the poor, struggle with and for the poor, and ideally practice a downward mobility that leads us to become one with the poor. That was the journey of Jesus and the Jesuit martyrs; it’s our journey too.

Fourth, the martyrs teach us to move from charity to justice. Yes, we have to serve specific suffering people, as each of them did, but we also have to ask why the poor are suffering and impoverished. As we do, we join the struggle for social and economic justice. The martyrs teach us to connect the dots around the world and learn that the struggle is one.

Fifth, the martyrs call us to make a preferential option for peace and nonviolence. They urge us to pursue global disarmament for a global redistribution of wealth, and thus to herald a new world of nonviolence. They want us to make sure that no one ever takes up the gun again. Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani, their blood, spilled in the garden in front of their house, cries out: “Put down the sword!” It says: the age of the death squads is coming to an end. The martyrs push us to resist and end the work of the ultimate death squads--in the Pentagon, Los Alamos, Livermore Labs, the SAC base, Creech AFB, Fort Hood, Congress and the White House.

Sixth, the martyrs call us to follow the nonviolent Jesus “as he carries his cross” in pursuit of God’s reign of jus-

tice and peace. They spoke about the cross, wrote about the cross, and took up the cross as nonviolent resistance to war and systemic injustice. They knew from the deaths of their friends, including Rutilio Grande, Arch-bishop Romero, and Ita Ford, that the only way to radical social change is through the paschal mystery. Today, few speak about the cross. This anniversary reminds us that every Christian is summoned to take up the cross of non-violent resistance to global injustice.

Seventh, the Jesuit martyrs demonstrate how every Catholic university, college, high school, retreat cen-ter, and parish could become a center for justice and peace. The University of Central America was the model Jesuit university. There was no other place like it in the hemisphere. I was amazed, as they toured us around in 1985, at their ambitious attempt to change national opinion and “reality.” It was a training camp in peace and justice. Every course, paper, and department was aimed at the nonviolent transformation of El Salvador. Imagine if every Jesuit, Catholic, and Christian university today were aimed at the disarmament and transformation of the United States; if these universities refused to take a penny from the Pentagon, banned ROTC, taught nonvio-lence, required every student to labor on behalf of the poor, and became a school of justice and peace! Not only would we begin to change our society; we would start to match the example set by the martyrs.

Eighth, Ellacuría and the Jesuit martyrs call us to become prophets of justice and peace. They were not afraid to speak publicly and became fierce communicators. The right wing accused of them being political, but they understood their public stand for justice and peace as a requirement of the Gospel. They expected every Chris-tian to speak out. They would not tolerate our silence, our fear, our apathy, or our false humility (which lets us off the hook). I’m convinced that Ellacurí a and the other martyrs would want us to denounce our govern-ment’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our massive military budget, our funding of the occupation of the Palestin-ians, our failure to protect the environment, our nuclear arsenal, and our refusal to eradicate global starvation. They would want us to be the voice of the voiceless, to communicate with our people as best we can so that this militarism ends and those resources are spent instead on food, homes, healthcare, education, employment and dignity for the world’s poor.

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Ninth, the Jesuit martyrs remind us that life is short. Their blood calls us to wake up, practice a mature Chris-tianity, use our talents wisely, and spend our days work-ing on behalf of the world’s poor. Their deaths warn us not to waste the precious time we have been given. They cry out: Seek God! Seek God’s reign! Love one another! Serve the least, hunger and thirst for justice, and make peace while there is still time.

Tenth, Ellacuría and the Jesuit martyrs invite us to be people of true hope. They avoided the cheap hope so common in our comfortable, apathetic culture. Instead, the martyrs point us to the hope of Jesus on the cross, the hope that comes close to despair, the hope that pursues justice and peace even though it seems so futile. The martyrs teach us to place our hope in God, and so, to know that the outcome, the results of our work, are in God’s hands. As we learn this hard lesson, we find the strength to give our lives too for a new world with-out war, poverty, nuclear weapons and global warming, whether or not we live to see the fruit of our work. We know it is God’s work, and so we go forward in hope, even joy, because we know now that our lives have joined the cause of God.

“We are people of the Gospel, a gospel that proclaims the reign of God, and that calls us to try to transform this earth into as close a likeness of that reign as possible,” Ellacuría wrote. As we remember Ellacurí-a and the Jesuit martyrs, let’s pledge to carry on their work, follow their Gospel example, share their prophetic mission, and practice their fearless faith and bold hope. As we do, we too will be blessed.

Rev. John Dear is an internationally known voice for peace and nonviolence. He is a longtime activist, popular lecturer, author, and movement organizer. Dear has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize, most notably in January 2008 by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

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PRAYER AFTER AN ELECTION

God of all nations,Father of the human family,

we give you thanks for the freedom

we exerciseand the many blessings of

democracy we enjoy

in these United States of America. We ask for your protection

and guidance

for all who devote themselves to

the common good,

working for justice and peace at home and around the world.We lift up all our duly elected leaders and public servants,

those who will serve us as presi-dent, as legislators and judges,

those in the military and

law enforcement.Heal us from our differences and

unite us, O Lord,

with a common purpose,

dedication, and commitment to achieve liberty and justice

in the years ahead for all people,

and especially those who are most

vulnerable in our midst.Amen.

From Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers

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Parish RESOURCES

Parish Office & Mailing Address18 Belvidere Street, Boston, MA 02115Hours | Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.Phone | 617 536 4548Fax | 617 536 1781E-mail | info@stceciliaboston.orgWebsite | www.stceciliaboston.org

Parish StaffRev. John J. Unni, PastorMary Kaye, Pastoral Director of Operations, mkaye@stceciliaboston.orgMark Donohoe, Pastoral Associate for Administration, mdonohoe@stceciliaboston.orgScott J. MacDonald, Director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development, smacdonald@stceciliaboston.orgJeanne Bruno, Coordinator of Pastoral Outreach, jbruno@stceciliaboston.orgRichard J. Clark, Director of Music and Organist, rclark@stceciliaboston.orgLisa Pickering, Events and Facilities Manager,lpickering@stceciliaboston.orgMegan Riggle, Business and Marketing Coordinator,mriggle@stceciliaboston.org

Assisting ClergyRev. Erick Berrelleza, SJRev. Arthur M. CalterRev. Peter Grover, OMVRev. Peter Gyves, SJRev. James Shaughnessy, SJ

Schedule for LiturgyWednesday, Thursday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m.Lord’s Day | Sat 5:00 p.m.; Sun 8:00, 9:30, 11:15 a.m., and 6:00 p.m.Holy Days | 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Liturgy of the HoursEvening Prayer and Morning Prayer, as announced. Please check the bulletin for dates and times.

ReconciliationAvailable at St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine (617-266-5999 x221), St. Francis Chapel in the Prudential Center (617-437-7117), and St. Anthony Shrine (617-542-6440). Please call for scheduled times.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the communal process through which non-baptized men and women become members of the Catholic Church. It is also suitable for those baptized in different faith traditions who are interested in becoming Catholic, or, for those who were baptized Catholic, but have yet to receive the sacraments of eucharist and confirmation. For more information, please contact Scott MacDonald.

Faith Formation for ChildrenTo register your child for our Faith Formation Program, please contact Scott MacDonald.

Care of the SickTo arrange for the Sacrament of the Sick, for Holy Communion to be brought to those unable to attend the Sunday celebration, or for Viaticum for the Dying (Holy Communion for those in danger of death), please contact the parish office. It is always possible to anoint the sick during regularly scheduled liturgies.

Baptism for InfantsInfant baptism is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. For more information, please contact Mark Donohoe.

MarriageCouples who wish to prepare for marriage should contact Mark Donohoe in the parish office at least six months in advance.

Order of Christian FuneralsThe parish is prepared to celebrate the Vigil (wake) in the church. Please contact the parish office for more information.

Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) TeamThe CAP Team is responsible for training all parish staff and volunteers in mandated reporting laws and the Protecting God’s Children program (VIRTUS). They also provide consultation and support to anyone in the parish who has concerns about reporting child abuse and neglect. Please contact Lois Flaherty (loisflaherty@gmail.com), Maria Roche (maria.roche15@gmail.com), Letitia Howland (l_howland@hotmail.com), or Erin Young (erin.t.young@gmail.com) if you have any questions or concerns.The Archdiocese of Boston has in place a vigorous program to protect children from harm and to educate its ministers and faithful about the nature of abuse, with a goal of increasing knowledge, creating a safe environment for children, and recognizing and reporting potentially dangerous situations. The full text of the policy is also available in the narthex and parish office, as well as on our website.

For Those with Celiac DiseaseIf you have celiac disease, please let us know. We have a supply of low-gluten altar bread available for those who cannot tolerate gluten.

Hearing Assistance in ChurchThe church is equipped with an FM listening device. Small receivers are available for anyone who may have trouble hearing the sound system. Simply request a receiver from any one of our greeters before Mass.

Access for the DisabledThe church is accessible by elevator.

Sunday ParkingThere is reduced rate parking for $11.00 at the Hynes Auditorium Garage located on Dalton Street (next to Summer Shack/Kings) on Sundays until 3:00 p.m. and every evening after 4:00 p.m. Please be sure to ask one of our greeters for a parking validation ticket before leaving Mass. Discounted parking is no longer available at the Hilton Boston Back Bay, but reduced-rate parking continues to be available on Sundays only at the Prudential Center South Garage (enter at Huntington Avenue or Dalton Street); up to 4 hours: $14.00, up to 5 hours: $20.00.

Saint Cecilia Rainbow MinistrySaint Cecilia Rainbow Ministry is a GLBTQ community at Saint Cecilia. For more information, contact stceciliarainbowministry@gmail.com.

Joining Our CommunityWe’re happy that you’re with us! Our community offers a warm, spiritual home for a diverse group of Catholics. We come from many neighborhoods in and around Boston but also have parishioners from as far afield as Marlborough, Newburyport, and Stow. Please introduce yourself to a staff member, drop in for coffee on Sunday, or fill out a new parishioner form in the narthex.