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WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Democratic senator waged a filibuster into the night Wednesday, an attempt to force a vote on gun control legislation three days after 49 people were killed at a Florida nightclub in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history....
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) -- Omar Mateen graduated from community college with a criminal justice degree, worked as a security guard and wanted to be a police officer....
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- "Please, don't let my hand go," Eddie Justice begged Demetrice Naulings. The two best friends huddled together in the women's bathroom with about 40 other terrified club-goers....
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) -- The body of a 2-year-old Nebraska boy who was snatched off a Walt Disney World beach by an alligator and dragged underwater was recovered Wednesday, ending a ghastly search at one of the world's most popular tourist destinations....
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The Latest on the massacre at a gay Orlando nightclub (all times local):...
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Police offered stress counseling and debriefing Wednesday to the SWAT team and other officers who witnessed the nightclub carnage, as the FBI tried to reconstruct the killer's movements and figure out what role his wife may have played in the plot....
Peoria, Ill., Jun 15, 2016 / 10:58 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The stalled beatification cause of Archbishop Fulton Sheen could soon resume, thanks to a petition by his family members weighing in on where he should be buried.Joan Sheen Cunningham, the archbishop’s oldest living relative, was joined by other relatives of the archbishop in filing the legal petition with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, asking that the body be transferred to Peoria, Illinois.“With the progress that the cause has already made, a beatification could be celebrated shortly after the arrival of the remains in Peoria and with the approval of Pope Francis,” the Diocese of Peoria said June 14 in its comment on the petition.The transfer could take place as soon as the court grants approval, according to the diocese. The petition seeks to inter the archbishop in a crypt in St. Mary’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Peoria. It claims that “in the very near future” the Vatican w...
Peoria, Ill., Jun 15, 2016 / 10:58 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The stalled beatification cause of Archbishop Fulton Sheen could soon resume, thanks to a petition by his family members weighing in on where he should be buried.
Joan Sheen Cunningham, the archbishop’s oldest living relative, was joined by other relatives of the archbishop in filing the legal petition with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, asking that the body be transferred to Peoria, Illinois.
“With the progress that the cause has already made, a beatification could be celebrated shortly after the arrival of the remains in Peoria and with the approval of Pope Francis,” the Diocese of Peoria said June 14 in its comment on the petition.
The transfer could take place as soon as the court grants approval, according to the diocese. The petition seeks to inter the archbishop in a crypt in St. Mary’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Peoria. It claims that “in the very near future” the Vatican will order the beatification ceremony to be held in Peoria.
The Diocese of Peoria said that Bishop Daniel Jenky, C.S.C., is “immensely grateful” for the work of Cunningham and her family. The bishop is looking forward to resuming the archbishop’s cause of beatification.
In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI authorized a decree that recognized the heroic virtues of the beloved archbishop, who served as host of the “Catholic Hour” radio show and the television show “Life is Worth Living.”
Archbishop Sheen also authored many books, with proceeds supporting foreign missions. He headed the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and served as an auxiliary bishop of New York and as Bishop of Rochester. He continued to be a leading figure in U.S. Catholicism until his death in 1979 at the age of 84.
Sheen was born in the Peoria diocese and served as an altar boy at its cathedral, where he was ordained a priest in 1919.
The Peoria diocese opened the Cause for Canonization in 2002 after the New York archdiocese said it would not explore the case.
Despite the progress of the cause for beatification, Archbishop Sheen’s body became the subject of an impasse between the Peoria diocese and the New York archdiocese. His body is interred in the crypt of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. The Peoria diocese was unable to obtain permission to exhume and transfer the archbishop’s remains. Bishop Jenky suspended the beatification cause in September 2014.
The Archdiocese of New York said that Archbishop Sheen expressly stated his desire that his remains be interred in New York. The archdiocese also cited an official instruction from the Holy See 10 years ago that Sheen’s body not be moved to Peoria.
Due to this instruction, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said in 2014 that he was hesitant to exhume the body before receiving explicit permission from the Vatican and from close family members.
Now, officials in the Peoria diocese hope for further action.
“I am confident that the Archdiocese of New York will cooperate fully with the request of the family of Archbishop Sheen,” Monsignor James Kruse, vicar general of the Diocese of Peoria, said June 14.
“On several occasions, the archdiocese has declared its desire to cooperate with the wishes of the family,” he said. “I cannot imagine that the archdiocese would oppose the family’s petition presented to the court. It is our hope that the archdiocese will offer their consent to this petition to expedite these matters.”
According to the diocese, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has no objection to the transfer of the body. It added that the congregation has repeatedly voiced appreciation for the diocese’s promotion of the beatification cause.
Joan Sheen Cunningham’s petition said that if Archbishop Sheen knew he would be declared a saint, he would have wanted to be interred in Peoria’s St. Mary’s Cathedral. The petition noted his first Holy Communion and his priestly ordination took place at the cathedral. His parents are buried within blocks of the cathedral, and most of his living relatives still reside near Peoria.
“A shrine to Archbishop Sheen is in the process of being built next to the altar in St. Mary’s where the marble crypt is to be located,” the petition said.
The New York archdiocese is pleased at the apparent progress, but more steps may be necessary, said archdiocese spokesperson Joseph Zwilling.
He told CNA that the archdiocese had made its own proposal several weeks previously, after securing the advice and consent of Cunningham.
According to Zwilling, this proposal would balance Sheen’s desire to be permanently buried in New York with “the understandable desire of the Diocese of Peoria to have his earthly remains present in their diocese for the celebration of his long hoped-for beatification.”
Zwilling said the New York archdiocese asked the Peoria diocese to reopen the cause with the understanding that Sheen’s remains would be sent to Peoria for a beatification ceremony as soon as it was announced. The archbishop’s remains would then be returned to the crypt at St. Patrick’s Cathedral “at an appropriate time.”
“The Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome tells us all that is holding up the cause is the letter from the Bishop of Peoria reopening the cause he closed two years ago,” said the archdiocese’s spokesman.
He said the archdiocese will need some time to review Cunningham’s legal petition, but he said it is “definitely encouraging that the Diocese of Peoria seems ready to reopen the cause.”
“Bishop Daniel Jenky and all who have done so much to advance the cause of the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen are owed a great debt of gratitude for all of the work that they have accomplished thus far,” he said. “If it be God’s will, may we soon be celebrating the news that Archbishop Sheen will be beatified in Peoria.”
Archbishop Sheen’s intercession is credited with the miraculous recovery of a pronounced stillborn American baby from the Peoria area.
In June 2014, a panel of theologians that advises the Congregation for the Causes of Saints ruled that the baby’s recovery was miraculous.
The baby, later named James Fulton Engstrom, was born in September 2010 showing no signs of life. As medical professionals tried to revive him, his parents prayed for his recovery through the intercession of Fulton Sheen.
Although the baby showed no pulse for an hour after his birth, his heart started beating again and he escaped serious medical problems.
By Christine Young and Teresa PetersonORLANDO,Fla. (CNS) -- Since the worst shooting attack in America occurred June 12,Catholic Charities of Central Florida has been working in the background tohelp victims, survivors and family members in whatever way possible. Just hours after the shooting at a gay nightclub called the Pulse in Orlando that left 50 dead (including the gunman) andmore than 50 wounded, six bilingual staffers from Catholic Charities arrived atthe Hampton Inn in downtown Orlando, a meeting place for family and friends ofthe victims. Deacon David Gray of the Diocese of Orlando was coordinating apastoral response to the crisis and spread the word about the need for Spanish-speaking translators. The team of six didn't think twice about going where theywere needed.Maria Torres, one of the teammembers, is an accredited representative for Comprehensive Refugee Services atCatholic Charities of Central Florida. She was on the scene as families arrivedto find out if their lov...
By Christine Young and Teresa Peterson
ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -- Since the worst shooting attack in America occurred June 12, Catholic Charities of Central Florida has been working in the background to help victims, survivors and family members in whatever way possible.
Just hours after the shooting at a gay nightclub called the Pulse in Orlando that left 50 dead (including the gunman) and more than 50 wounded, six bilingual staffers from Catholic Charities arrived at the Hampton Inn in downtown Orlando, a meeting place for family and friends of the victims.
Deacon David Gray of the Diocese of Orlando was coordinating a pastoral response to the crisis and spread the word about the need for Spanish-speaking translators. The team of six didn't think twice about going where they were needed.
Maria Torres, one of the team members, is an accredited representative for Comprehensive Refugee Services at Catholic Charities of Central Florida. She was on the scene as families arrived to find out if their loved ones had survived or had been killed after the gunman opened fire at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Torres was on hand to help translate for Spanish speakers and offer support and consolation to victims' families.
"It was something I needed to do. It could have been me. I could have been the parent, sibling or friend searching for their loved one. This realization gives me sensitivity for others. When I received the call to help from our leaders at Catholic Charities, I did not hesitate to go and help," she said.
Close
to 30 percent of Orlando's population is Hispanic, and some 300,000 people of
Puerto Rican heritage live in the metropolitan area. Of those shot dead, more
than half of them were of Puerto Rican origin, four were Mexican citizens and
one man was from the Dominican Republic, according to law enforcement officials.
Torres saw the raw emotion unfold among family and friends of the victims and felt called to be the face of compassion and show Christ's mercy to grieving family and friends.
"I was there to support, console and gather in prayer with the victims' families and friends waiting for the news about their loved ones. I was there to help them hold onto hope," Torres told the Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Orlando Diocese. "I was there when officials began to announce the names of people going to the hospital. There was screaming and crying as families and friends heard or didn't hear their loved one's name.
"I helped console a man and his family while they waited for news about his brother. Together we held hands and prayed in a circle."
Catholic Charities continues to fill a need in the community. Orange County officials have called on Catholic Charities Immigration Services to help families of victims who are out of the country to arrive in the U.S. for funerals. Their Family Stability program also is providing funds to help with funeral costs for family members.
"We are serving in the background. We are the mortar that connects the bricks to help people put their lives back together. You can't rebuild without mortar. We are trying to help each family with their individual needs," said Gary Tester, executive director, Catholic Charities of Central Florida.
Catholic Charities has established a fund with $20,000 to help the victims and also are asking for donations to help meet the needs. To donate, visit www.cflcc.org and visit the donate page. In the comments box, indicate "support victims of shooting."
In the midst of tragedy, the Catholic Charities office has received calls of support from people around the country. Supporters from Maryland have knitted prayer shawls and are sending them to Orlando for distribution to victims and loved ones so they know that many are praying for them in their time of need.
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Young and Peterson write for the Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Diocese of Orlando.
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