World events of '05 echoed in Diocese

Here is a review of major news items about the Albany Diocese that appeared in The Evangelist during the 12 months of 2005:

JANUARY: Bishop Howard J. Hubbard says Catholics must aid tsunami survivors...Two sisters join same Resurrection religious order...Rev. Donald Rutherford of the Albany Diocese chosen to lead priests at Baghdad military headquarters...Bishop calls for parish revitalization at national symposium...Diocese sets record for disaster relief with tsunami giving...Priest-to-be James Ebert describes seminary life...Bishop speaks out against death penalty...Tsunami relief surpasses $560,000...Six parishes in Watervliet and Green Island consolidate into one.

FEBRUARY: The Evangelist welcomes thousands of new readers through free copies during Catholic Press Month...Bishop says Catholics must combat poverty...Sgt. Richard Lopez, a Catholic from the Albany Diocese stationed in Iraq, makes his First Communion...Book about assassination of President Abraham Lincoln mentions connections to Capital District...Immaculate Conception, Glenville, parishioners track exercise during Lent to boost physical, spiritual health...196 people from 56 parishes in the Diocese join the Church in the Rite of Election...Bishop says report by U.S. bishops shows progress against clergy sexual abuse...Catholics at Immaculate Conception parish, Glenville, link to Tanzanian town...Acquaintance of Sister Dorothy Stang, who was murdered in Brazil, describes her.

MARCH: Diocesan Catholic Charities releases report on poverty in the Diocese...Bishop puts tsunami disaster in perspective of faith...Diocese's vocations efforts show success...Our Lady of Angels parish in Albany slated to close...Catholic Charities in Diocese battles human trafficking...Bishop writes on Eucharist at Easter...Debate on Terri Schiavo prompts questions on end-of-life care...Bishop urges trust and collaboration when parishes close.

APRIL: Pope John Paul II, who dies after leading the Church for 26 years, is commemorated in special issue of The Evangelist...Bishop outlines traits of next pope...Polish priests recall meeting Pope John Paul...Pope Benedict XVI is elected...Bishop calls new pope "warm and intelligent"...Catholics express hopes and prayers for Benedict XVI...Rev. Gary Mercure of Sacred Heart and St. William's, Troy, recalls meeting Benedict.

MAY: Parishioner of St. Edward's in Clifton Park, Ying Burkett, teaches Chinese language and culture at parish...Diocesan youths prepare for World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany...Teens pray for miracle for brain-injured peer Sara Orleanski...Michele Armstrong of Corpus Christi, Round Lake, becomes Trappistine sister...Tsunami relief hits $1.2 million...Basketball team at Christian Brothers Academy, Albany, known for service work.

JUNE: Faith buoys couple, whose son has Down syndrome, through 50-year marriage...Our Lady of Fatima parish, Schenectady, hosts panel on capital punishment...Keynoter Rev. Ronald Rolheiser tells Spring Enrichment attendees that faith will draw others to Church...Rev. Matthew Frisoni ordained a priest of the Albany Diocese...Catherine Andrews of Catholic Charities in Delaware/Otsego Counties named 2005 New York State Woman of Distinction...Out-of-state Catholics tell why they attend churches in Albany Diocese.

JULY: Bishop says Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha is a model for all...Diocese seen in lead on future of parishes...Alumnus of Siena College, Loudonville, was on London train bombed by terrorists...South Vietnamese refugees reunite in Diocese...Annual Bishop's Appeal campaign smashes records...Thomas O'Connor, founder of Residents Encounter Christ, named Volunteer of the Year by Coxsackie Correctional Facility.

AUGUST: Bishop lists pitfalls of priesthood and keys to success...Diocesan youth leave for World Youth Day in Germany...Colleen Kelly, co-director of Sept. 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, speaks on conscience at peace conference...Bishop reaffirms zero tolerance but decides not to seek automatic laicization for abusive priests...Researcher debates why Albany Cathedral looks like one in Cologne, Germany.

SEPTEMBER: The Evangelist hands out free copies to 6,000 new readers, hoping to boost subscriptions...Youth from Albany describe amazement, inspiration at World Youth Day...Bishop says Catholics must help immigrants...Hurricane Katrina disaster triggers rush of aid from Church...Faith sustains Logan family of St. Matthew's, Voorheesville, awaiting return of father from Iraq...Diocese continues huge response in wake of Katrina...Military chaplain Rev. Donald Rutherford, home on leave, shares stories of Iraq...Catholics' giving to Katrina survivors surpasses $500,000...Holy Spirit School, East Greenbush, welcomes family of hurricane survivors...Catholic Charities volunteers report on recovery after Katrina...Bishop says stem-cell debate should consider ethics and science...Diocesan push urges education tax credits.

OCTOBER: Witnesses recall life and death on Lake George after tour boat Ethan Allen capsizes...Carmelite sisters pack for first time in 82 years for move from Schenectady to Rochester Diocese...Hurricane relief tops $1 million...Pat Picher of Saratoga Springs recalls successful treatment with morally acceptable adult stem-cell treatment...St. Mary's parish, Nassau, "adopts" Mississippi family of Katrina survivors...Catholics debate when it would be morally acceptable to leave Iraq...Several natural disasters leave some Catholics with "compassion fatigue."

NOVEMBER: Religious ed program at St. Joseph's, Schoharie, is run by parents...Reservist Lt. Col. Bob Logan, home from Iraq, defends mission...Parish convening impresses Catholics...The Evangelist highlights Catholic teens in annual special issue...Bishop notes that "Nostra Aetate" Vatican document on interfaith relations revolutionized Church in 1960s...Bishop further claims interfaith relations are at crucial juncture...Katrina survivor regroups in Diocese.

DECEMBER: Bishop asks Catholics to think of poor during Advent...Bishop releases statement on new Vatican instruction regarding priestly ordination of homosexuals...Nativity/St. Mary's parish, Stuyvesant Falls, boasts of long-time volunteer Joseph Conte...Claire Sellitti of St. Thomas, Delmar, describes how being held hostage in home with her husband affected their faith...Bishop sends Christmas greetings to Catholics in Diocese.

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