The Valley Catholic June 19, 2018 | Page 8

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COMMUNITY

By Gregory Kepferle

CEO , Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and President , Charities Housing Development Corporation

On June 23 , Bishop Patrick McGrath celebrates 50 years of Handicapables in the Diocese of San Jose with an anniversary Mass at Saint Williams Parish at 11 a . m . We will be honoring Handicapables founder , Nadine Calliguri . For those who have had the

Celebrating Today ’ s Wounded Healers

privilege of meeting Nadine , you are immediately drawn to her spirit of joy , compassion , and persistence . She is a groundbreaking pioneer in the world of disability rights , especially in the Catholic Church . Founded in the era of civil rights movements , and four years before the Center for Independent Living got its start in Berkeley , Handicapables brought together men and women of faith to celebrate their spirituality and to socialize in ways that broke barriers and recognized their God-given dignity as capable human beings . They do not

define themselves by their disability , but by their capability . Over the years the description of people living with conditions that chronically impaired their abilities changed from crippled , to handicapped , to disabled . But that merely described one aspect of their lives . Handicapables focuses attention on an individual ’ s possibilities , independence , mutual interdependence , strengths , and resiliency through shared spirituality and community .

How many of us have had to deal with our own health challenges from

June 19 , 2018 | The Valley Catholic

physical or mental illnesses ? Imagine a group where all are welcome , regardless of ability . Imagine a group formed of wounded healers , who through their joy and generosity bring healing to wounded souls , and release their neighbors from isolation into a welcoming community of prayer and play . Such is Catholic Charities ’ Handicapables .

To RSVP or to learn more about the program , visit www . catholiccharitiesscc . org / handicapables-program or contact Saida Nagpurwala at ( 408 ) 325-5257 or Snagpurwala @ CatholicCharitiesSCC . org .

Cian Keeney ’ 19

Can one week in Lake Tahoe surrounded by fellow Catholic high schoolers deepen your faith ? The Diocesan Youth Retreat ( DYR ) is an annual event held in Zephyr Point , Lake Tahoe for high schoolers . It is organized by a team from the Diocese of San José Diocese Office of Youth and Young Adults . It includes youth group leaders from various parishes across the diocese .

This year , the retreat took place

Refl ections on the Diocesan Youth Retreat

June 11-15 . The chaplain for the event is Father Brendan McGuire from Holy Spirit Parish , who is passionate on sharing the good news to teenagers and young adults . A big part of the retreat is connecting with others , which is done in small groups of around 8-12 people .

For Katherine Meagor , her small group experiences “ added to the amazing experience with their own testimonies and personal stories ” which “ deepened [ her ] love for those around [ her ] and understood how God calls us to get to know others so that we can truly see Him .”

While creating relationships with oth ers , the seclusion and beauty of Lake Tahoe never ceases to amaze retreatants . The beauty of the lake strikes the camper and reveals God ’ s creation in a new way . Isabel Hernandez , a servant leader , said that she has “ had some of my closest encounters with

God while on these retreats .”

Among the many exciting activities that take place , jumping in the lake , messy games , and sunrise and sunset masses are popular highlights that occur . As the theme of the retreat changes each year , participants are always in for a new treat . If they are open to letting the Lord into their life , DYR can truly help youth deepen their faith .

For more information regarding Youth Ministry please visit www . dsj . org / youth .

Standing in Solidarity : One World Cup Soccer Match Benefi ts Refugee Foster Youth

By Adelene Gallego Ramos

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Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and 5 Catholic high schools in the South Bay joined together on April 28 to host One World Cup , a friendly soccer game that benefited refugee foster youth living in the Bay Area .

Student athletes from Archbishop Mitty , Bellarmine , Saint Francis , Notre Dame , and Presentation high schools gathered with refugee youth from across the Bay Area to form two teams that competed in the 2 nd annual One World Cup at Archbishop Mitty High School . The game brought youth of different backgrounds together through the universal language of soccer .

“ This was a wonderful opportunity to stand with refugees , to let refugees in our community know that they are welcomed and valued ,” said Angela Albright , Division Director , Refugee Foster Care , Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County . “ There is still a lot of uncertainty in our country ’ s climate on the overall view of the refugee crisis , and now it is more important than ever to stand in solidarity and show our support through unifying events like this .”

Local high school students and youth from Catholic Charities ’ Refugee Foster Care program participate in One World Cup 2018 .

Catholic Charities ’ Refugee Foster Care program resettles unaccompanied refugee minors into long-term foster homes throughout the Bay Area and provides supportive services to both the youth and families . Working throughout eight counties , it is the only refugee foster program in northern California that serves orphaned refugee children fleeing terror , poverty , and oppression .

In 2017 , Archbishop Mitty High School students rose to action to fight for the rights of refugees . The students partnered with Catholic Charities to create One World Cup . The friendly soccer game is now an annual event .

To learn more about Catholic Charities ’ Refugee Foster Care program , visit http :// catholiccharitiesscc . org / refugee-foster-care .