ADDENDA

National Catholic Reporter, April 7, 2000 by Theresa Malcolm

A VERMONT CATHOLIC COLLEGE rescinded an invitation to Gloria Steinem to speak in its Peace and Justice lecture series, citing fears that the renowned feminist would speak about the church's positions on topics such as homosexuality and abortion. "We wanted the conversation to be about women, not about Catholicism and abortion," Kathleen O'Dell-Thompson, vice president of Trinity College, said in mid-March. Democratic Vermont state representative Mary Sullivan quit her job as spokesperson for the college to protest the rescinding of the invitation.

HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS are gathering signatures on petitions distributed by the Oregon Catholic Conference asking for a statewide vote in November on a proposed "Life for a Life" initiative. The initiative would replace the death penalty as a maximum punishment with the sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole. Oregon's Life for a Life Committee needs a little more than 89,000 valid signatures by July 7 to place the initiative on the ballot.

THE FIRST ISSUE of La Vida Catolica, a monthly Catholic Hispanic newspaper, has been published by the Boston archdiocese. Fr. James Gaudreau, director of the Office of the Hispanic Apostolate, is editor. The newspaper will be distributed at Sunday Mass in the 36 parishes that celebrate a Spanish-language Mass. At least 20,000 copies would be distributed in an area with a readership of at least 100,000, according to La Vida Catolica.

IN A SANTA CLARA COUNTY court arraignment March 16, attorneys representing Fr. Carl A. Schipper entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of the San Francisco priest to five counts of transmitting harmful materials over the Internet. The charges arise from Internet conversations the priest allegedly had over a six-month period with investigators posing as minors. Schipper, 57, was arrested March 2 at his Santa Rosa home. He was released on $50,000 bail.

A JUBILEE YEAR PENTECOST Mass in Tampa, Fla., June 10 for upwards of 20,000 people was canceled after officials at the Ice Palace denied an additional day's rental for event preparation. In a March 22 letter to all the priests of the St. Petersburg diocese, Bishop Robert N. Lynch said his request to rent the arena for the additional day at the same $15,000 rate was declined by the Ice Palace. "The management of the Ice Palace will not make it available to us, saying only that they are holding the date for a possible evening concert," Lynch said.

THE LORETTO COMMUNITY has cancelled $250,000 in debt and interest in commemoration of the Jubilee Year 2000. The community of religious women cancelled debts owed it by national and international organizations focusing on housing, economic development, long-range social change and issues related to women and children.