January 2005
WORLD
NEWS
Orange County Catholic –
8 – Orange County Catholic
DIOCESAN NEWS
August 2005
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Diocese of Orange Honored for Programs to Protect Youth
Orange County high schools that concluded that a third of all teens report experiencing some kind of abuse in their relationships. “Save the Date” teaches teens to recognize abuse, the warning signs of abuse, and how abuse is manifested in teenage dating relationships. The Family Violence Project’s educational conferences are full-day training sessions held several times a year. At each conference, participants hear presentations from experts in the field of family violence, ask questions of guest speakers, interact with professional service providers and receive professional resource materials. The Diocese of Orange currently requires all new school teachers to enroll in the program. The diocese is sending 200 faculty and administrators from its schools to an upcoming event--the largest group in attendance from any organization. The educator’s conference focuses on familiarizing teachers and other professionals with their responsibilities as mandated reporters. “We feel it is crucial for our teachers and administrators to recognize all types of abuse and respond appropriately. The Diocese of Orange is working hard to be at the forefront of abuse education in our schools,” said Sally Todd, associate superintendent of schools. The diocesan Office of Faith Formation also has produced “Breaking the Silence” a , DVD created especially for students attending diocesan high schools and those young people who participate in its religious education and youth ministry programs. It uses an interactive DVD format to encourage teens to talk about sexual abuse and to recognize the warning signs of potential abuse. OCC
he Family Violence Project Honored the Diocese of Orange last month with its Award for Inspired Action, recognizing the diocese for its efforts in educating teachers and students about domestic violence, teen dating abuse, family violence and sexual abuse. The Family Violence Project is a nonprofit organization funded largely by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. It specializes in training influential community members to recognize and respond to family violence and abuse. “As a diocese, we are blessed to receive recognition for the comprehensive work we are doing to educate our students and teachers about abuse,” said Bishop Tod Brown. “We have pledged to continue our diligence in protecting children and young people in the Diocese of Orange.” The diocesan Office of Faith Formation has trained more than 1,500 educators and students in its “Save the Date” program, a teen-dating anti-violence curriculum, as well as supporting Family Violence Project educational conferences. “The Diocese of Orange school system is breaking new ground when it comes to abuse education and prevention programs. Mater Dei High School alone had 366 sophomore students and seven teachers taking part in its anti-violence educational curriculum this year,” said Jesse Rutherford, Family Violence Project content director. “Save the Date” is an activity-based curriculum developed by the Family Violence Project centered on building healthy teendating relationships. It was developed in response to a needs assessment conducted in
St. Justin Martyr Fire Causes $500,000 in Damage
ANAHEIM — A fire that swept through part of the choir loft and the rear section of the St. Justin Martyr Church building early on the morning of July 25 resulted in an estimated half million dollars in damage to the structure. No one was hurt in the blaze, which was reported shortly after 1:30 a.m., and firefighters saved several religious objects from being damaged. A total of 62 firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority and the Garden Grove and Orange fire departments controlled the fire in about a half hour. Investigators said they suspected the fire was intentional. The federal Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) posted a $5,000 reward “for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the church fire.” ATF officials said that there have been two dozen recent suspicious fires in the area, and that the incidents appeared to be escalating. Most of the fire damage was confined to the choir loft and roof. Many of the windows were broken and there was extensive water and debris damage to the pews and the floor of the church building. The rectory and school suffered minor smoke damage. Firefighters moved the representations of the Stations of the Cross, several statues and icons, kneelers, missalettes, song books and other items to the altar area--the part of the church farthest from the fire--and covered the icon of St. Justin with a tarp to shield it from damage. “A am very thankful that no one was injured in this fire,” said Father Joseph Nettekoven, the pastor of St. Justin Martyr Church. The rectory and parish offices, he said, were expected to be back in operation within a few days. He added that the parish community was “dedicated to moving forward with the upcoming school year, finding a temporary place to celebrate Mass and to rebuilding the interior of our church. I look forward to working with our diverse community to rebuild our parish so that it is even stronger than it has been in the past.” Mike Shaffer, the diocesan Director of Risk Management, said that the school “should be ready for the upcoming school year without any delay.” However, he added, the church building “will need extensive work and will not be available for Mass for some time.” OCC
Local Serrans Attend International Convention in Thailand
Chaldean Patriarch Visits Orange County
SANTA ANA — Patriarch Mar Emmanuel Delly III, the Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon and the leader of the Chaldean Catholic Church (above, standing), celebrated Mass at St. George Chaldean Catholic Church July 9 and was honored at a dinner at Knott’s Berry
Farm Resort Hotel later that evening. Bishop Tod Brown (right) was a special guest at the dinner honoring the patriarch, who was elected in 2003 as the head of more than 1.5 million Chaldean-Assyrian Catholics worldwide. OCC
group of Serrans from the Diocese of Orange, accompanied by Bishop Tod Brown, recently attended the international convention of the Serra Club in Bangkok, Thailand. The convention attracted cardinals, bishops and priests from throughout the world. The 63rd annual convention was held concurrently with the Fourth Continental Congress on Vocations. The theme of the
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combined gathering was “Be Not Afraid.” The Serra Club is an international organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting religious vocations. Diocese of Orange representatives (left to right, front): Wally Drazba, Harriet Drazba, Kathy Endres, Pat Manzo, Bishop Brown, Dieter Gonzales, Sandi Gonzales. Back row: Bob Endres, Maureen Kosinski, Carol Cagle, Father Michael McKiernan. OCC
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