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Volume 7, Issue 7
Serving More Than A Million Catholics in the Diocese of Brownsville
NOVEMBER 2015
»Advent
Looking
to Mother
Mary’s
example
By KELLY BOTHUM
Catholic News Service
The Valley Catholic
Father Alejandro Flores, director of
the diocesan Respect Life Apostolate
looks on as a couple signs the Book of
Remembrance at the Mass of Innocents
on Oct. 13 at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish
in McAllen.
Mass of
Innocents
honors lost
babies
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
McALLEN — “Tonight we
gather as a people joined by a
common sorrow – the loss of
child, either newly born or still
in the womb,” said Bishop Daniel
E. Flores during his homily at the
Mass of Innocents on Oct. 13 at
the Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel in
McAllen. “It’s a loss which can and
does profoundly affect a family and
marks a family through the whole
course of its life.
“The faith of the Church that
we hear tonight is the faith that we
hear expressed in the prophet Isaiah, in the God who will destroy
death forever. To profess this faith
does not take away the sorrow, but
it does tell us to bear it with hope
and in a way it gives life in the sense
that it draws us together so that we
might console one another. God
will destroy death forever.”
The Mass of Innocents extends
healing to families who have experienced the loss of a baby before or
shortly after birth, whether the loss
was recent or happened decades
ago.
“There is a lot of pain and confusion that comes when the child
dies before baptism and this Mass
» Please see Mass p.16
Photos by Mobile Journalist Derek Janik/ The Valley Catholic
What happens when more than 1,300 teens gather for praise
and worship? Their joy is contagious. Top photo, from left,
Valeria Suarez, Gabbi Aviles and Jasmine Garcia from St. Pius X
Parish in Weslaco, were among those who attended the annual
YouthBLAST on Oct. 24 at Weslaco East High School. In the
photo on the right are youth from Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Church in McAllen.
More than 1,300 attend youth event
The Valley Catholic
WESLACO — More than
1,300 youth attended YouthBLAST, a one-day conference
to deepen, celebrate and share
the Catholic faith, on Oct. 24 at
Weslaco East High School.
The theme of the event was,
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God” from the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 5:8).
Bishop Daniel E. Flores addressed the youth along with keynote speaker Michael Marchand,
OUR HISTORY
a full-time student minister from
Houston. Soundwave, an alternative/pop/rock band from Austin
performed songs of praise and
worship.
The Office of Youth Ministry
of the diocese, which organized
the event, was able to reduce the
price of the event from $25 to $10
per person, thanks to a grant from
the Scalan Foundation, making
the conference accessible for more
parishes.
The number of attendees was
almost double the amount from
RED MASS
last year in spite of a heavy rain.
The city of Weslaco, where the
conference was held, received 10
inches of rain on the day of the
event.
“Despite the rain, there was a
lot of enthusiasm from the parishes,” said Monica Benitez, associate director of the Office of
Youth Ministry. “The band was
amazing, very energetic and Michael (Marchand) really hit the
nail on the head on the theme of
the event. He was a very dynamic
speaker.”
THOSE WHO SERVE
Patience is like a parking space
at the mall on Black Friday — it exists but it sure seems in short supply.
Instead, impatience has become the default. We don’t like
waiting for anything — for traffic
lights, for weight loss or even commercials that interrupt our favorite
shows. Even Christmas trees now
come already decorated.
This contemporary abhorrence
of waiting stands in stark contrast
to Mary. Her graceful patience is
something to consider, especially
as Catholics begin the prayerful
preparation of Advent.
Mary reminds us that waiting
is part of our Catholic faith. Sometimes God’s plan isn’t visible. Sometimes it’s nothing like we imagined.
Sometimes the only thing we know
is that we don’t know.
In that way, Mary is Advent.
She didn’t know what was happening the day Gabriel, the angel,
appeared to her. She was a frightened girl, barely a teenager and already betrothed to Joseph. Gabriel
tells her something that on the surface sounds absurd.
She, a virgin, would have a baby
by the Holy Spirit, and this child
will grow up to be the son of the
God. No details of how it will happen. Just wait for it to happen, Gabriel said.
And she accepted. She didn’t
ask Gabriel to let her think about it,
to return at another time or complain. She didn’t ignore God’s plan
or wait to see if he’d forget it.
Instead, she said, “Behold, I am
the handmaid of the Lord. May it
be done to me according to your
word” (Lk 1:39).
Her waiting and patience extend far beyond those nine months
of pregnancy. She endures more
than any mother ever. Gabriel
might not have told her, but Simeon gives her a glimpse of what the
future would hold when she and
» Please see Advent p.15
EN
EN ESPAÑOL
ESPAÑOL
Artículos sobre el sínodo de
la familia, el Adviento y el
viaje de Papa Francisco a
México en 2016.
“VERBUM MITTITUR
SPIRANS AMOREM”
(“The WORD is sent
breathing love.”)
St. Joseph Academy
celebrates 150 years
Page 3
Legal community gathers for
special liturgy
Page 6
Father Juan Manuel Salazar
Page 9
Páginas 11-13
2
DIOCESE
The Valley Catholic - November 2015
U.S. Bishops
to meet
Nov. 16-19
U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops
BALTIMORE — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will meet, November 16-19,
in Baltimore for their annual Fall
General Assembly. The bishops
will hear addresses by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville,
Kentucky, USCCB president, and
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó,
apostolic nuncio to the United
States.
The bishops will discuss and
vote on revisions to the proposed
USCCB strategic priorities for
USCCB’s next planning cycle.
The priorities, if approved, will
inform the writing of the Conference’s next strategic plan, which
will cover 2017-2020. The bishops
discussed and provided input on a
draft version of these priorities at
their Spring General Assembly in
St. Louis.
The bishops will also discuss
and vote on a new introductory
note and a limited revision to their
quadrennial statement on political responsibility, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.”
The revised statement, which is
reissued the calendar year before a
U.S. presidential election, will feature new language around issues of
public concern for Catholics. The
revisions are the result of a working group led by Cardinal Daniel
N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston,
USCCB vice president.
The bishops will discuss and
vote on a proposed formal statement, “Create in Me a Clean Heart:
a Pastoral Response to Pornography,” and discuss and vote on the
inclusion of Excerpts from the Roman Missal: Book for Use at the
Chair in dioceses of the United
States. They will also discuss and
vote on a proposed one-time national collection to fund the completion of the Trinity Dome in the
Basilica of the National Shrine of
the Immaculate Conception
The bishops will vote for USCCB treasurer-elect and the chairmen-elect of six USCCB committees: Catholic Education, Clergy,
Consecrated Life and Vocations;
Divine Worship; Domestic Justice
and Human Development; Laity,
Marriage, Family Life and Youth;
and Migration. They will also elect
the next general secretary, and
episcopal board members of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the
Seek, find and invite
T
he reality of immigration and the
growing population of peoples of Latin
American descent is a challenge and a
hope for the Catholic Church in the United
States. It is a challenge, because it is the living
circumstance that calls us to put into practice
the evangelizing dynamic that Pope Francis
calls for in Evangelii Gaudium. It is a great
hope because rising to this task offers us a
pathway to a renewed witness to the presence
of Christ in the Church.
There are no lack of statistics and research
studies to give us as pastors insight into what
is happening. The Hispanic presence in the
United States goes back for many generations,
and immigration patterns in our times are
diversifying and enriching this long historical presence. The Diocese of Brownsville is
uniquely capable of testifying to this dynamic
of tradition and newness.
But we priests and bishops cannot rely
simply on national studies to guide an
adequate pastoral response to new families
and individuals in our midst. The Church
is Universal, and is open to all who seek the
communion of Christ in the Apostolic Faith.
But Church life is local, and thus the local
church must assess and respond to the basic
questions of Church life: Who is here among
us? Where are they from and where do they
live? Do they feel welcome in our parishes
and in our diocese?
The first challenge we face as pastors
is to search for and encounter our people.
Immigrant communities experience disorientation and fear when they arrive to a new
locality. We must understand this, and find
ways to seek and find and invite. It is the local
community that can best answer the question
“where are immigrant families establishing
themselves, and what is their story?”
Here we can enlist the aid of some of the
ecclesial movements. If they are present in the
Diocese, a bishop can ask them to aid the pastors in seeking and finding those who have
not been able to seek and find the Church.
I have done so here in our diocese. Bishops
nationwide, I think, must rely on their parish
pastors and active laity to report about what
the situation on the ground is actually like.
But sometimes we as a Church are reluctant or lethargic in our efforts to go and find
out what the population that is not with us on
Sunday Morning is experiencing, or why they
may not have yet reached our doors. This
is the challenge that the current blessing of
immigration brings to us. Evangelii Gaudium
calls for just this kind of reorientation of our
pastoral perspective.
In a sense, the first question for us on
Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC).
The bishops will hear reports
including one by the chairmen of
collaborating committees on recommendations for the Jubilee of
Mercy; an update by Bishop Frank
700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan, TX 78589-3042
5FMFQIPOFt'BY
Bishop Daniel E. Flores
Publisher
Catholic Diocese of Brownsville
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Brenda Nettles Riojas
Editor
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MOST REVEREND
DANIEL E. FLORES
BISHOP OF BROWNSVILLE
Sunday morning is not “how do we serve our
people here?”. Rather, it is “how do all of us
here, better serve the population that is not
here, by seeking and finding and inviting?”.
This is the work of the whole Church, as the
Holy Father never tires of saying.
There is only one way to do this, really.
Send active parishioners to visit the new colonias and the neighborhoods with changing
populations. Invite the newly arrived to come
and meet with the pastor at a town-hall, a coffee, pan dulce, or whatever seems appropriate.
It is not simply the venue that speaks to the
immigrant family, it is the invitation itself.
Immigrant families often feel isolated or
quickly categorized. Not all immigrant families are from Mexico, for example, though
the general population may assume so. Many
Hispanic families claim English as a first
language, many do not. What we have to find
out is what the local situation is culturally,
linguistically and economically. Many assume
the recent arrivals are poor. A high percentage indeed is, but not all. We must find ways
for these families to sense that we want to
hear from them, to understand their experience in some way, and to welcome that experience into our parishes and communities.
We have a rich diversity of Latin American cultures in our midst. And each brings a
new dimension and experience of Catholic
Church life. We are always richer spiritually
when the prayer and devotion of others is
given space in our lives. This is the promise
that this moment brings to the Church in the
United States, and certainly here in the Valley.
We will be immensely richer spiritually as we
invite new families to bring their culture of
faith and hope into our parishes and communities.
Word will get around that the local
Catholic Church is eager to be hospitable and
willing to provide pastoral care in a way that
responds to the need. But that is the point, we
will not know the need if we do not know our
people. And we will not know them if we do
not seek and speak with them.
The Holy Father has great confidence in
the initiative and creative of our local communities. Sometimes it is better for a local
J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, on World Youth Day 2016
in Krakow; and an update by Cardinal Séan P. O’Malley, OFM Cap.,
of Boston on diocesan Project
Rachel Ministry on post-abortion
healing. Archbishop Timothy P.
Broglio of the Archdiocese for the
Military Services will present on
increasing the number of Catholic
priests ministering to the Catholic
faithful in the Armed Forces of the
United States. There will also be a
report and update by the Bishops’
Working Group on the Life and
Dignity of the Human Person on
communications research and convocation planning.
CRS chairman Archbishop
community to assess the situation at the
outset and form a plan that works for them,
aiming at seeking and finding and inviting.
One way of doing it is not always best; there
can be a variety. Local communities genuinely open to taking a risk for the sake of the
newcomers will be blessed by the Holy Spirit
for their initiative.
As a diocese encourages local “seek,
find and invite” initiatives in parishes and
missions, it becomes more possible for the
diocese to formulate a more realistic diocesan
plan for addressing the overall situation in
the local church. Here is where the strategic
use of language and cultural resources can be
thought about and put into practice.
Do we provide enough outreach and
formation in Spanish in key areas of the
Diocese? Is the younger population, youth
and young adults—often quickly bilingual
but still closely linked culturally to a Spanish
speaking environment--properly recognized
as a special hope and opportunity? Are our
older and more established communities sufficiently hospitable?
We must think universally, and act locally.
The great danger is that if we do not “seek,
find and invite” we will lose our own people
before we ever knew they were once with us.
True, we might lose them to another religion,
but it is more likely we will lose them to no
religion at all. For the sweep of the secular
pressure to live life with no reference to God
or the Church is immensely powerful. It is
an undertow that carries families away from
the grace of the Gospel and the Sacraments.
And, if we do not act, we will deny ourselves a
chance to live a more daring Gospel, one that
risks all for the sake of finding those whom
Jesus has put in our midst.
In the end, how we act now can help
us refurbish our pastoral priorities in that
evangelical mode that the Holy Father speaks
about. This in turn, serves as a paradigm for
all Church action, giving us an opportunity
to teach our people that the most important
question for an active Catholic is “who is not
here with us?”. And then, “how can we invite
them to feel welcome and be with us on our
pilgrimage of faith?”.
These are questions that the Lord would
have us all ask at any moment in our local
history. Ultimately this opens us up to the
possibility of a real encounter, and involves
our willingness to let the peoples with us
expand and open our perspective on life
and faith. In the end, it is not about making
immigrant families more like us, it is about
letting the encounter with others make us all
more like Jesus.
Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City
and CRS President Carolyn Woo
will present on how CRS programming is responding to Laudato Sí,
Pope Francis’ encyclical on ecology. Archbishop William E. Lori
of Baltimore, chairman of the Ad
Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty, will introduce a trailer to a
movie on Dignitatis Humanae, the
Second Vatican Council’s document on religious freedom. Bishop
Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, New
York, chairman of the Committee
on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and
Youth, will report on marriage and
family life ministry. Dominican
Sister Donna Markham, executive
director of Catholic Charities USA,
will also make a presentation.
The bishops will participate
in the canonical consultation of
three causes for canonization: Rev.
Aloysius Ellacuria, CMF, Sister Ida
Peterfy, SDSH, and Antonio Cuipa
and 81 companions. This is a step
in the Catholic Church’s process
toward declaring a person a saint.
The agenda also includes a report by the Subcommittee on the
Church in Latin America on the
50th anniversary of the Collection
for the Church in Latin America; a
report from the National Advisory
Council; discussion and vote of the
2016 Conference budget; and discussion and vote of the 2017 diocesan assessment.
Bishop Flores’ Schedule - November 2015
Nov. 1
10:30 a.m.
Cathedral
Mass for All Saints Day
Nov. 2
6:30 p.m.
San Juan
Memorial Mass at San Juan Nursing Home
Nov. 7
6 p.m.
Mission
Juan Diego Academy Gala
Nov. 8
1 p.m.
Mission
Mass at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church
Nov. 12
6:15 p.m.
Brownsville
Clergy Appreciation Dinner at KC Hall
Nov. 21
9:30 a.m.
San Juan
Mass for Lay Ministry
Nov. 21
11:30 am
Alton
Mass to install Deacon Candidates as readers at San Martin de Porres
DIOCESE
November 2015- The Valley Catholic
Editor’s note: Join us each month as we take a glimpse back in time and review the history of the Diocese of Brownsville.
St. Joseph Academy celebrates sesquicentennial
Courtesy photo
Brownsville school
opened by Oblate
priests in 1865
This is the original
St. Joseph Academy
building, erected
by the Missionary
Oblates of Mary
Immaculate in 1865.
This building housed
the school between
1865 and 1900.
The Valley Catholic
BROWNSVILLE — For several years the Missionary Oblates
of Mary Immaculate, who first
landed in Port Isabel from France
on Dec. 3, 1849, planned to open
a school in Brownsville.
Finances, war, epidemics and
even a deadly shipwreck prevented the priests from opening
the school as quickly as they had
hoped.
The Brownsville Academy, the
school now known as St. Joseph
Academy, opened after the Civil
War, on Nov. 2, 1865 on Elizabeth Street. Later, it was known as
St. Joseph College and St. Joseph
School for Boys, before adopting
the St. Joseph Academy name in
1930.
In its early years, the school
opened and closed several times
and for a time was run by the
Christian Brothers Catholic religious order, according to historian
Carl Chilton, who writes a regular
column for The Brownsville Herald about the history of St. Joseph
Academy.
In 1906, the Marist Brothers
took over the operation of the
school and have been present on
the campus since then.
According to Chilton, the first
Marist brothers to arrive were two
Frenchmen and a Spaniard who
endured difficult times. The three
of them served as the faculty of the
school and lived in meager conditions, sleeping on cots and selling
eggs from the chickens they acquired. Conditions gradually improved, more staff was brought in,
new buildings were constructed,
student enrollment went up and
by 1916, the school was accepting
boarders.
In 1926, the three-story building, known as the “Old St. Joseph
Academy,” was constructed on
a site near Sacred Heart Church
in downtown Brownsville. The
building consisted of classrooms,
an auditorium, a large library,
rooms for the boarders and much
more.
In 1943, the school acquired a
21-acre property near Palm Blvd.
with the intent of developing a
new campus there in the future. It
wasn’t until 1954, with the backing of Bishop Mariano S. Garriga,
that the school began its campaign
to raise funds for the new campus.
The campus on its present location was opened in March 1959,
serving boys in grades 7-12. The
larger campus allowed the school
to expand its academic and athletic offerings. In 1971, the school
became co-ed, accepting its first
female students in grades 7, 8 and
9.
Year after year, St. Joseph
Academy has accomplished a 100
percent graduation rate and 100
percent college acceptance rate.
The school, which is the largest in
the Diocese of Brownsville, cur» Please see Sesquicentennial p.8
What unites us: ‘We all love God’
The Valley Catholic
EDINBURG — Interfaith understanding will improve “if we
keep interacting with one another,
if we leave the door of dialogue
open,” said Imam Noor Ahmad
of the Masjid Umar Al-Farooq
Mosque in McAllen.
Before a crowd of more than
300, Imam Ahmad sat alongside
Bishop Daniel E. Flores of the
Diocese of Brownsville and Rabbi Claudio Kogan from Temple
Emanuel in McAllen for an Interfaith Conversation on Oct. 7 at the
University of Texas-Rio Grande
Valley in Edinburg.
“Yes, we have differences,”
Imam Ahmad said, “but the one
common theme, the one commonality we all have – we all love God.”
“No matter what color your
skin, no matter your race or where
you are from, that (love of God)
brings us together and that will always bring us together,” he said.
The emerging themes of the
evening centered on community,
the youth and family.
Carlos Sanchez, editor of The
Monitor, who served as moderator for the evening’s conversation,
started with a question about studies which suggest the millennial
generation is turning away from
organized religion in greater numbers than any previous generation.
“Do you think that’s an indicator
that younger people are losing faith
or are they losing faith in organized
religion?”Imam Ahmad said the
question is a relevant one which
concerns all three faiths. He said
there is a lack of role models and
“we need to stand up and take a
step. Each one of us is responsible.”
“If we all take the responsibility,
the world will have a better future,”
he added.
Bishop Flores said, “when it
comes to the millennial generation, you have to realize it’s a fairly
nuanced and complex generation.
It is very difficult to say in general
why trends tend to be going in one
direction or another. He said the
more fundamental question deals
with community. What is in question, he said for many, is “What is
my responsibility to those around
me? How is it that I belong? And is
it important to belong?”
“Being connected to the people
around you is crucial, and it’s a
commitment,” he said, adding, “As
churches and mosques and synagogues and other religious organizations, we have an immensely
important role in helping us rediscover the importance of community.”
Rabbi Kogan said the dialogues
in the community are setting an example for others. “We have many
things in common,” he said. Coming together to communicate and
listen is beneficial for everyone.
Talking about community,
Bishop Flores said, “We are called
first to appreciate the humanity
of the person in front of us.” That
is “One of the singular important
contributions of a religious mindset, which transcends a political
division and in some cases a geographical one.”
The interfaith conversation will
continue Thursday, Nov. 5 at the
McAllen Chamber of Commerce,
but this time among the faithful of
the different faiths.
The Valley Catholic
Faith leaders came together
to build peace and learn
more about each other in an
interreligious conversation
on Oct. 7 at the University
of Texas-Rio Grande Valley
Community Engagement
and Student Services
Building in Edinburg. Some
of the topics discussed were
family life, youth and ways
religion can contribute to
the whole of the community.
The Oct. 7 event was live-streamed by The Monitor and may be viewed
online at www.themonitor.com.
3
4
DIOCESE
»News Briefs
»Women speak for themselves en la Frontera
¡Siempre Adelante! We move in the direction of hope
W
hat would you do if
you were left alone on
Mars?
Each morning we make the
choice on how to face our day.
Sometimes, we can get discouraged by circumstances and the
challenges before us, those in
our personal lives and those on a
grander scale. Saint Junipero Serra, recently canonized by Pope
Francis during his U.S. Papal
Visit in September, lived by the
motto: ¡Siempre Adelante! Always
move forward.
Pope Francis at the Canonization Mass in Washington,
D.C., opened his talk saying
recalling the words of St. Paul,
“Rejoice in the Lord always! I say
it again, rejoice!” “This command,” said the Holy Father,
“resonates with the desire we all
have for a fulfilling life, a meaningful life, a joyful life... Something deep within us invites us to
rejoice and tells us not to settle
for placebos which simply keep
us comfortable.”
“At the same time, though,”
he added, “we all know the
struggles of everyday life. So
much seems to stand in the way
of this invitation to rejoice. Our
daily routine can often lead us
to a kind of glum apathy which
gradually becomes a habit, with
a fatal consequence: our hearts
grow numb. We don’t want
apathy to guide our lives… or do
we?”
How opportune that in
November we take time to give
Brenda
Nettles Riojas
Editor of The
Valley Catholic
thanks for the blessings in our
lives. Even the feasts of All Saints
Day and All Souls Day remind
us to celebrate life. We honor the
memory of the saints in heaven
and all our ancestors who went
before us.
As we give thanks, we can
also take time to reflect on the
direction our lives are moving.
Are they moving in the direction
of hope? Are we taking steps to
bring joy to others, to reach out
to our brothers and sisters in
need? Or are we letting apathy
guide our day?
No matter what is occurring
in our lives, no matter the challenges, we must move forward.
There are some noteworthy
takeaways from the movie “The
Martian” about an astronaut left
behind on Mars when his team
thought he was dead.
The astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon,
never gave up when he awoke
and found himself alone on
the planet. While some might
have given up in the face of the
extreme odds of survival, he
instead took action. He looked at
every possible way to stay alive.
He remained positive, focused
and looked for solutions.
The Martian is a story about
survival and perseverance.
Sometimes our days can feel like
we are on Mars, alone and miles
from a solution to our problems.
Each day we wake does not come
with a guarantee that it will be
easy, but guided by our faith
and trust in God we can find the
courage to move forward. Don’t
panic. Just as the astronaut in
The Martian, take time to figure
out what comes next. He did not
give up on life or remain idle
waiting for someone to come and
save him.
We read in Sirach 15:14, 17
“God in the beginning created
human beings and made them
subject to their own free choice.
Before everyone are life and
death, whichever they choose
will be given them.”
Just as the astronaut Mark
Watney had to overcome one
obstacle after another to the
point of what could have led him
to defeat, the world too presents
us with a slew of challenges. The
headlines remind us daily about
the struggles in our communities
and around the world.
We read about the plight of
migrants and refugees who embark daily on dangerous journeys
trying to flee from violence. In
the midst of this humanitarian
crisis are stories of hope, of men
and women who take the only
action they can to save their
children. Here in our commu-
»Family Life
The Valley Catholic
Bishop Daniel E. Flores announced on Oct. 14 that Father
Jorge Gomez has been appointed
Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Brownsville. Father Gomez assumes this role in conjunction with his roles as chancellor
of the diocese and pastor of Holy
Family Parish in Brownsville.
As Moderator of the Curia Father Gomez will assist the bishop
with the internal management of
the diocese.
Father Gomez replaces Msgr.
Heberto Diaz, who served as
Moderator of the Curia for more
than 13 years. Msgr. Diaz continues to serve as vicar general for the
diocese.
Bishop’s Annual
Dinner set for Dec. 4
The Bishop’s Annual Dinner is
scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4 at the
St. Joan of Arc Parish Hall, 109 S.
Illinois Ave. in Weslaco.
Please contact the Stewardship
and Development Office at
(956)784-5092 for sponsorship
opportunities or to purchase
individual tickets.
Your tax deductible donation
will fund Bishop Daniel E. Flores’
charitable giving throughout the
Diocese of Brownsville. The silent
auction, drinks and hors d’oeuvres
begin at 6 p.m. and the dinner and
dance will follow at 8 p.m.
Highlights from World Meeting of Families
Pope’s message focuses on families
‘Do not underestimate the power of kindness’
I
had the great joy of attending the World Meeting of
Families (WMOF) Congress
in Philadelphia Sept. 22 – 25, as
well as the Festival of Families on
Sept. 26 and the Papal Mass on
Sept. 27.
The WMOF was instituted by
St. John Paul II in 1992 to look
at strengthening the bonds of
the family unit across the globe.
The First WMOF took place in
Rome Italy in 1994. Since that
time a WMOF has been held in
a different country every three
years including Rio de Janeiro
Brazil, Manila Philippines, Valencia Spain, Mexico City, Mexico
and for the first time here in the
United States in Philadelphia with
approximately 17,000 pilgrims
attending.
For the past ten months, starting in January of this year, I have
dedicated each monthly column
to one of the ten topics of the
Preparatory Catechesis for this
WMOF.
Today I would like to share a
few highlights of my experience
at the Festival of Families and the
Papal Mass.
1) The Festival of Families was
eventful with big name entertainers such as Andrea Bocelli, Aretha
Franklin, and Mark Wahlberg.
As many of you saw on the news
coverage, the Holy Father really
enjoyed the performances and
entered into the stories of the
families highlighted.
nity, Catholic Charities of the
Rio Grande Valley helps 50 to
100 people each day. More than
25,000 have received assistance
at the respite center at Sacred
Heart Church in McAllen since
it opened in June 2014.
We read too about growing
infringement on religious freedom here in our own country.
Most tragically, we have also
heard about the horrors of human trafficking and the profiting from the organs of unborn
children.
Bishop Flores in his column
which we published in our October edition, “The Dismembered
children will rise to judge us,” reminds us “We cannot relent.” He
said, “We will continue to sound
the drum, today and tomorrow
and beyond.”
The bishop stressed we need
to “Let state and local officials
who are slow to express the
truth to higher levels of government know that the nation is
bleeding and the trafficking in
unborn children must end.” “Let
our faith in the Lord’s promise
strengthen us to fight unceasingly to help our nation find its soul
and reason again,” he said.
There is much work ahead
for each of us. We must continue
to speak up for the vulnerable.
We must look for ways to make
a difference. Thankfully, we are
not alone on our journey. Let us
remember Saint Junipero Serra’s
motto ¡Siempre adelante! We
must keep moving forward.
Father Gomez
named Moderator
of the Curia
Lydia Pesina
Director, Family
Life Office
His spontaneous comments
about family relationships including reconciliation after “flying
plates” arguments and mother in
law discussions depicted his down
home approach to Family Spirituality; that the sacredness of life
is most evident in the daily family
joys and struggles.
He reminded all of us that
what God loves the most is to
knock on the door of the families
and to fin_d the family who loves
each other; families who bring up
their children to grow and help
them move forwards to develop
a society of truth, goodness, and
beauty.
2) The Papal Mass on Sunday
with hundreds of thousands in attendance at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was a unique and
special experience for me. Seeing
the Holy Father pretty close when
he traveled through the Parkway
since I was right at the rail was a
blessing.
I was most touched by how
Holy Communion was served and
how reverend and quiet people
were as they maneuvered towards
the yellow umbrellas signifying
where the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion were
stationed all along both sides of
the parkway. I was reciting the
names of families and friends I
had written on a small piece of
paper to pray for them individually at the Papal Mass when the
Communion Minister appeared
right before me. An emotional
moment.
3) Pope Francis’ words to
families in his homily that Sunday
inspire us to continue to seek the
sacred in the most ordinary of
moments in our family life. He
reminded us “do not underestimate the power of kindness (in
the family) like the warm supper
we look forward to at night, the
early breakfast awaiting someone
who gets up early to go to work;
homey gestures; like the blessing
before we go to bed, or a hug after
we return from a hard day’s work.
He asked the crowd to reflect
on whether they yell or speak at
home: this can be an accurate
meter of the love they show their
family in their everyday life.
The Holy Father’s messages
to us in this historic visit to our
country are powerful reminders
to us that we can visit or revisit presently through accessible
media sites such as YouTube or
Rome Reports. May his words
continue to inspire all of us to
continue to cultivate love, kindness, compassion, and healing in
our family.
By LYDIA PESINA
The Valley Catholic
Here are some highlights from
the World Meeting of Families
(WMOF) Congress in Philadelphia
Sept. 22-25.
1. At the Opening Ceremony,
Donna Farrell, executive director
for the WMOF introduced “The
Sacred Now: Faith and Family in the
21st Century” mural as an official
contender to set a Guinness World
Record for “Most Contributions to a
Painting by Numbers.” Participants
were invited to start painting the
mural led by artist Cesar Viveros.
Also, Philadelphia Mayor
Michael
Nutter
presented
Archbishop Charles Chaput with a
custom made bicycle: a gift for the
pope from the City of Philadelphia.
2. The first keynote presenter,
Bishop Robert Barron, spoke about
“imago dei”; how we are each made
in the image of God which is not a
privilege, but rather our mission
and our responsibility. He quoted
the Church fathers who often said,
“God became man that man might
become (like) God;” that we might
be sharers in his very divine nature
which is love. He reminded us, “The
glory of God is the human being
fully alive.”
3. Dr. Gregory and Lisa Popcak,
Catholic counselors, presenters,
and authors of marriage and
family life issues talked about the
sacredness of family life. They
said (1) family life is intimate;
(2) family life is a communion of
persons; (3) relationship in family
life is radical love; (4) true love for
Catholic families is incarnational.
They emphasized family life is the
most important activity in which we
work, talk, play and pray together.
It is within family life that we find
great joy and where we can “hear”
what God is telling us to do right
now; intentionally.
The Popcaks quoted Pope
Francis as saying how important
it is to “waste time with our kids.”
They also highlighted five marks
of a Catholic family: (1) worship
together; (2) pray together; (3) are
called to intimacy; (4) put family
first; and (5) is a witness and sign.
4. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
from the Philippines gave a keynote
address entitled “The Family: A
Home for the Wounded Heart.” He
said all of us are wounded men and
women: all people have different
types of wounds: physical, spiritual,
emotional, relational, financial and
offered tips of how we as wounded
people can be agents of healing
because whatever the nature of a
person’s wound is, it always affects
the family. Most hurtful wounds are
inflicted by own family members
when families fight over property,
etc.
Cardinal Tagle said a person
can have a beautiful home and still
be homeless because a home is not
measured by how many acres the
house sits on, but rather a home
is a “gift of a loving presence.” He
recited a song from his youth that
states, “a chair is still a chair even
when no one is sitting there; but a
chair is not a house and a house is
not a home, when no one is there to
hold you tight and no one is there
to kiss goodnight….” He spoke
about the family as the “domestic
church”
who shares in Jesus’
mission of proclaiming the reign
of God through healing, solidarity,
and compassion and quoted I
Corinthians 12: If one member
suffers, all members suffer with it.
FAITH
November 2015 - The Valley Catholic
»Sunday
Readings
The Word of God in the Life
and Mission of the Church
NOVEMBER 1
(Solemnity of All Saints)
Reading 1
RV 7:2-4, 9-14
Responsorial Psalm
PS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
Reading 2
1 JN 3:1-3
Alleluia
MT 11:28
Gospel
MT 5:1-12A
NOVEMBER 8
(Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary
Time)
Reading 1
1 KGS 17:10-16
Responsorial Psalm
PS 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
Reading 2
HEB 9:24-28
Alleluia
MT 5:3
Gospel
MK 12:38-44 OR MK 12:41-44
NOVEMBER 15
(Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary
Time)
Reading 1
DN 12:1-3
Responsorial Psalm
PS 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
Reading 2
HEB 10:11-14, 18
Alleluia
LK 21:36
Gospel
MK 13:24-32
NOVEMBER 22
(The Solemnity Our Lord Jesus Christ,
King of the Universe)
Reading 1
DN 7:13-14
Responsorial Psalm
PS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Reading 2
RV 1:5-8
Alleluia
PS 85:8
Gospel
LK 21:25-28, 34-36
NOVEMBER 29
(First Sunday of Advent)
Reading 1
JER 33:14-16
Responsorial Psalm
PS 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
Reading 2
1 THES 3:12—4:2
Alleluia
PS 85:8
Gospel
LK 21:25-28, 34-36
The word of the Lord abides for ever.
This word is the Gospel which was
preached to you” (1 Pet 1:25; cf. Is
40:8).
Disciples in Mission: Six Weeks
with the Bible
»Making Sense of Bioethics
5
»Color Me
The mystery of male-female complementarity
J
ames Parker came out at age
17 and later entered into a relationship with another man.
He worked as a gay activist for
a while, but his personal experiences of intimacy and human
sexuality eventually led him to
grasp that “same-sex marriage
just doesn’t exist; even if you want
to say that it does.” He concluded
that trying to persuade those
with homosexual inclinations
that they can have marriage like
heterosexual couples is basically to
“hoodwink” them: “Deep down,
there is no mystery between two
men, ultimately.“
This striking insight helps
bring into focus the authentic and
remarkable mystery we encounter
in the joining of husband and wife
in marriage. That abiding mystery
touches on their one flesh union
and reveals an inner fruitfulness, enabling them to contribute
together something greater than
either can do alone, namely, the
engendering of new life in the
marital embrace. Ultimately, that
life-giving mystery flows from
their radical male–female complementarity.
Pope John Paul II commented
on this “mystery of complementarity” when he noted how “uniting
with each other [in the conjugal
act] so closely as to become ‘one
flesh,’ man and woman, rediscover, so to speak, every time and
in a special way, the mystery of
creation.”
The personal and bodily
complementarity of man and
woman, along with the “duality of
a mysterious mutual attraction,”
reminds us, again in the words of
the Pope, how “femininity finds
itself, in a sense, in the presence of
masculinity, while masculinity is
confirmed through femininity.”
In recent times, nevertheless,
the importance of the bodily and
spiritual complementarity of man
and woman has come to be diminished and even negated in the
Tadeusz
Pacholczyk
Priest of the
Diocese of Fall
River
minds of many, largely due to the
diffusion of contraception. This
way of intentionally impeding our
own procreativity has effectively
diminished and even undermined
our ability to perceive the inner
order and interpersonal meaning
of our own sexuality. Pope John
Paul II once described the root
truth about human sexuality as
that “characteristic of man — male
and female —which permits them,
when they become ‘one flesh,’
to submit at the same time their
whole humanity to the blessing of
fertility.”
The routine promotion of
contraceptive sexual relations
across all strata of society has effectively collapsed the mystery of
sexuality into the trivial pursuit of
mutually-agreed-upon pleasurable sensations. It has managed
to reconfigure that sexuality into,
basically, sterile acts of mutual
auto-eroticism. Men and women,
neutered and neutralized by various surgeries, pharmaceuticals,
or other devices, no longer really
need each other in their complementary sexual roles, with homosexual genital activity claiming the
status of just another variant of the
same game. This depleted vision of
our sexuality strips out the beautiful mystery at its core and diminishes our human dignity.
Human sexuality clearly
touches deep human chords, including the reality of our solitude.
In the depths of the human heart
is found a desire for completion
through the total spousal gift
of oneself to another, a gift that
profoundly contributes to alleviating our primordial sense of human
solitude. Both Pope John Paul II
and Pope Francis have noted how
the deeper mystery of communion
that we seek through intimacy is
connected to this desire to overcome solitude. We are ultimately
intended for communion, so our
experiences of human solitude
draw us into relationship, and
beckon us to an encounter with
the other.
Yet the union of friendship
that arises between two men, for
example, or between two women,
while clearly important in helping
to overcome solitude, can be predicated only on non-genital forms of
sharing if their friendship is to be
authentic, fruitful and spiritually
life-giving. Genital sexual activity
between members of the same sex
fails to communicate objectively
either the gift of life or the gift of
self. Such activity countermands
authentic intimacy by collapsing
into a form of consensual bodily
exploitation, contradicting the
very design and meaning of the
body in its nature as masculine
or feminine. It represents, in fact,
the lifeless antithesis of nuptial
fruitfulness and faithfulness.
The beauty and meaning of
every sexual encounter in marriage, then, is rooted not only in
faithful and exclusive love, but also
in the radical complementarity of
spouses manifested in the abiding
mystery of their mutual procreativity. Pope Francis, speaking at
the 2015 Synod of Bishops and
addressing the theme of The Vocation and Mission of the Family in
the Church and in the Contemporary World, reiterated this divine
design over human sexuality when
he stressed: “This is God’s dream
for his beloved creation: to see it
fulfilled in the loving union between a man and a woman, rejoicing in their shared journey, fruitful
in their mutual gift of self.”
National Bible Week emphasizes Word of God
as central focus of Catholic life
T
he United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is
inviting parishes, Catholic
schools, Catholic groups and
families to participate in National
Bible Week during the month of
November. The theme for this
year is “The Bible: A book for the
Family” as a way to promote the
reading of sacred scripture and
also to mark the 50th Anniversary
of Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican
Council Dogmatic Constitution on
Divine Revelation.
“For this reason, the Church
has always venerated the Scriptures as she venerates the Lord’s
Body. She never ceases to present
to the faithful the bread of life,
taken from the one table of God’s
Word and Christ’s Body. In Sacred
Scripture, the Church constantly
finds her nourishment and her
strength, for she welcomes it not
as a human word, “but as what it
really is, the word of God.” “In the
sacred books, the Father who is
in heaven comes lovingly to meet
his children, and talks with them.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church
#103, 104).
St. Jerome once said that “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance
of Christ” and the Church teaches
the importance of understanding
Deacon
Luis Zuniga
Director, Office for
Pastoral Planning
& San Juan Diego
Ministry Institute.
the Sacred Scriptures as part of our
salvation history. Both Christ and
Scripture are given “for the sake of
our salvation” (Dei Verbum, #11).
Therefore, every time we read
or hear the Word of God, we are
taken ever deeper into the mystery
of God’s love for his people as
revealed fully in Jesus Christ.
National Bible Week highlights
the desire of the Church that the
Word of God must be a central
focus of all Catholic life in all its
aspects. The Church also draws
nourishment from the Word in
numerous ways including liturgy,
prayer, evangelization, catechesis,
biblical exegesis and theology.
However, the Word of God begins
at home “the domestic Church”
(every Catholic home is a domestic church) and this provides for
parents to plant the seeds with
their children in understanding the
Word of God.
“Parents are encouraged to
be not only the first but the best
of teachers for their children in
the ways of the faith. Parents help
fulfill this challenge by ensuring
that Scripture, the living Word of
God, is given due emphasis in the
life and activity of the home. The
more deeply the Word is rooted in
the home, the more the entire family grows in relationship to Christ
and to one another.” (Making the
Word of God a Part of Your Home,
USCCB National Bible Week
Resource).
National Bible Week also
emphasizes for Catholic families to
enthrone the Bible in their homes
as a way to show that God is the
center of their lives. The Bible is to
be enthroned (place of prominence
and honor) in a visible place in the
home with a candle, crucifix, icons,
flowers; these are called saramentals because they remind us of
the holy. By placing the Sacred
Scriptures in a prominent place in
the homes, families demonstrate
that God is always present in their
homes and in their lives.
National Bible Week also
marks the 50th Anniversary of the
Second Vatican Council Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on
Divine Revelation, Nov. 18, 1965),
» Please see Bible p.7
Courtesy photo
On Nov. 27, 1870, the Virgin Mary
showed St. Catherine the medal of
the Immaculate Conception, now
universally known as the “Miraculous
Medal.” She commissioned St.
Catherine to have one made, and to
spread devotion to this medal.
»Feast Day
Nov. 28
Spotlight on
St. Catherine
Labouré
Catholic News Agency
On Nov. 28, the Church honors St. Catherine Labouré, the
humble Daughter of Charity to
whom Mary appeared, requesting that the Miraculous Medal
be stamped so that all who wear
it would receive great graces.
St. Catherine Labouré was
born in France on May 2, 1806.
She was the ninth of 11 children.
Upon her mother’s death, when
Catherine was eight years old,
the young girl assumed the responsibilities of the household.
It was said of her that she was a
very quiet and practical child.
Eventually she became a
Daughter of Charity, and when
she was still a novice at the age
of 24, the Virgin Mary appeared
to her for the first time. Later,
Mary appeared once again and
requested that Catherine have
a medal made portraying Mary
just as she appeared.
It took two years before Catherine was able to convince her
spiritual director to have the
medal created, but eventually, he
listened to her and 2,000 medals
were made. Their dispersal was
so rapid and effective that it was
said to be miraculous itself.
After the visions ceased, St.
Catherine Labouré spent the rest
of her life in humble and obedient service as the portress, and
worked with the sick in a convent outside of Paris. She spent
that time in silence, not telling
her superior that she was the one
to whom Mary appeared and
gave the medal until 45 years
after.
She died in Paris on December 31, 1876 and was canonized
in 1947 by Pope Pius XII. Her
incorrupt body lies in the crypt
of the convent.
6
DIOCESE
The Valley Catholic - November
2015
Legal community celebrates Red Mass
The Valley Catholic
During the banquet, Thomas Mengler, J.D.,
president of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio,
gave three suggestions during his keynote address:
1. Find a quiet moment to listen to yourself and to
listen to God; 2. Work on your faith life; and 3. Be
sowers of the seed.
To illustrate his points, Dr. Mengler used images
from the University’s seven-volume Heritage
Edition of The Saint John’s Bible, which was on
display at the banquet.
The Valley Catholic
The legal community gathered Oct. 8 for
the Red Mass which is celebrated each
year to invoke God’s blessing upon all
protectors and administrators of the law,
including lawyers, judges, government
ofÀcials and law enforcement agents, as
well as their families and support staffs.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores celebrated the
21th annual Red Mass at Sacred Heart
Church in Edinburg. “Blessed Are the
Merciful” was the theme of this year’s
event.
White Mass brings faith, medicine together
The Valley Catholic
McALLEN — The annual White Mass for the special intentions of
health care professionals was celebrated by Bishop Daniel E. Flores on Oct.
15 at Our Lady of Perpetual Church in McAllen. A reception sponsored
by the Office of Health Ministries was held in the parish hall after the Mass
where four local doctors shared their experiences of healing and what they
have witnessed tending to the people of God in their profession.
The White Mass, named for the color traditionally worn by those in
the healing profession of medicine, gathers health care professionals under
the patronage of St. Luke to ask God’s blessing.
Dr. Jason Peters
Family physician, Harlingen
Dr. Peters said every health care
professional is called to pray and discern how
they are going to incorporate faith into their
practice.
“Part of doing that is having a daily prayer life.
I don’t claim to be the perfect prayer warrior,
but I do try to keep a routine. I wake up at 5:15
every morning and that’s my prayer time. To
start out, I go on a two-mile run and I pray the Rosary. It kind of gets
my mind awake a little bit and then I do a little devotional afterwards.
“Doing that every day, reading the daily Mass readings, attempting
to allow the spirit to work in me, to speak to me, I think really makes
a big impact on how I practice medicine that day and how I approach
patients that day.”
%S'FMJY3JWFSB
Neurologist, Harlingen
Dr. Rivera talked about the need to bring
spirituality back into physical healing. “In
history, if you think about the beginning of
times, healing has never been only about
physical healing. It’s never been. You think
about tribes, think about the witch doctors
… there was always a connection between
the spiritual and the physical healing. They
would invoke the spirits, they would pray … As the years went on,
at some point, it got split up and so our faith and our teachings and
what we believe in were omitted completely from medicine and then
as providers we focused only on health care.”
Dr. Michael D. Sander
Orthopedic surgeon, Edinburg/Weslaco
“I think as Catholic Christians, we are in
a unique position, because people who are
suffering want meaning to their suffering and
when a patient suffers, whether they know it
or not, their suffering is united with Christ’s
suffering on the cross. We are able to bring
that into the patient’s care and to the patient’s
experience and help with hope, help with anxiety and help them to
realize they are not suffering in vain.”
Dr. Stephen Robinson
Family physician, Harlingen
Dr. Robinson runs Culture of Life
Ministry, a free health care clinic. He said
God asked him to pray more, not just silently,
but with his patients.
In the last two years, all but two of
Dr. Robinson’s patients have immediately
accepted his offer to pray with them.
“In my practice, there has only been one
person who said no and they were on cocaine at the time and only
one person was kind of unsure. He was Muslim and he had just come
into the country. … I would say patients love prayer. It has been good
for them. I have had numerous people thank me for praying for them
as a physician and it has been overwhelmingly good for me and my
spiritual walk.”
Mass photos by Jackie Cortez,/The Valley Catholic
In his homily, Bishop Flores
touted the advances of technology
in the world, but also its limitations.
“I think it is particularly
important in our modern
world where if we’re not careful,
technology sort of substitutes the
human. … It’s important that we
recognize that in terms of a people
of faith, we cannot allow anything
in this world to eclipse the human
dimension of it all and that’s why
it’s so important that the simple
contact, a smile, taking a little extra
time to help someone sort of face
the uncertainties of the human
condition in such a way that they
are not alone.”
DIOCESE
Catechists honored for sharing the faith
7
»Youth ministry
Delegation to
attend national
conference
The Valley Catholic
The diocesan Office of Youth
Ministry will lead a delegation of
58 youth and adults from across
the Rio Grande Valley at the biennial National Catholic Youth Conference on Nov. 19-21 at Lucas Oil
Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
More than 23,000 youth and
youth ministers are expected to
attend the three-day conference,
which will include prayer, community and empowerment for Catholic teenagers and their adult chaperones. The theme of the event is,
“Here I am, Lord.”
Keynote speakers will include
Carolyn
Woo, president and
CEO of Catholic Relief Services;
“The Cooking Priest,” Father Leo
Patalinghug of Baltimore, who
hosts a cooking show, “Grace Before Meals” and leads an apostolate
by the same name to strengthen
families around the dinner table
and Chris Padgett, a songwriter,
musician, speaker, college professor and worship leader from
Stubenville, Ohio.
Photos by Moble Journalists/The Valley Catholic
The 2015 Catechetical Convocation
was held on Sept. 19 at the McAllen
Convention Center. More than 1,700
catechists who serve in the Diocese
of Brownsville’s parishes, mission
churches and Catholic schools attended
the event. Bishop Daniel E. Flores
commissioned the catechists for their
ministry and awarded service pins to
catechists who have completed 10, 20,
25 and 30+ years of faith formation
ministry.
10 Years
Brownsville Deanery
Holy Family – Brownsville
Maria Concepcion Garza
Irma Sanchez
Linda Vallejo
Carmen Vidal
Mary, Mother of the Church –
Brownsville
Patricia Fiori
William D. Fiori
Gloria L. Salazar
Patty Y. Salinas
St. Joseph – Brownsville
Delia Garcia
Christina Villarreal
San Benito Deanery
St. Helen – Rio Hondo
Melva Juarez
Our Lady, Queen of the Universe–
San Benito
Elia Gonzalez
St. Benedict – San Benito
Tae Nam Meza
Harlingen Deanery
St. Anthony – Harlingen
Melva Iris Tamez
Veronica Zamarron
Prince of Peace – Lyford
San Juanita Garcia
David Lee Martinez
Marina Olga Martinez
Martha Ann Martinez
San Martin de Porres – Weslaco
Amelia T. Martinez
Anadelia Nañez
St. Pius X – Weslaco
Jaime Campos
Hilaria C. Parmer
Pharr Deanery
Resurrection – Alamo
Francisco Briones
Cynthia Garcia
Angelica Garza
Sally Hernandez
Janie Mercado
Rebecca Olivarez
Norma Perales
Sacred Heart – Hidalgo
Violeta E. Aparicio
Agripina Montes
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini – Pharr
Juani Balderas
Cuahtemoc Espinoza
Maria De la Luz Lara
Dora Ramirez
Maria I. Narez
Lorena Guzman
Guadalupe Arteaga
25 Years
Weslaco Deanery
St. Joseph – Donna
Dolores A. Simmons
Holy Spirit – Progreso
Rosie Anderson
San Martin de Porres - Weslaco
Janie A. Garcia
Pharr Deanery
20 Years
Belinda Cantu
Beatriz Rodriguez
Idolina Vela
Brownsville Deanery
Mission Deanery
St. Joseph – Brownsville
Susana Sanchez
Our Lady of San Juan De Los
Campos –Mission
Diana T. Guerra
Maria Elena Garcia
Paula Rodriguez
Weslaco Deanery
Sacred Heart – Mercedes
Maria Genoveva Blas
Terry M. Garcia
San Martin de Porres – Weslaco
Carlos Carlin
Janie Garcia-Marin
Our Lady of Sorrows – McAllen
Carmen Estrada
Joe Martinez
Weslaco Deanery
St. Joan of Arc – Weslaco
Letty Aleman
Flora Estela Bulnes
Corina S. Puente
Our Lady of Refuge – Roma
Mariana Guerra
Dora Guillen-Salinas
McAllen-Edinburg Deanery
Sacred Heart – Edinburg
Aleida Lopez
Susana F. Mena
Maria De Los Angeles Morales
Immaculate Conception
– Rio Grande City
Sr. Gayle Jean Hurban, SSND
Sr. Dianne Mary Maresh, OSB
Cristina Hernandez
Our Lady of Guadalupe –
Raymondville
Maricela B. Berna
Maria Oralia Cortinas
Sacred Heart – Mercedes
Maria M. Betancourt
Adalia Moreno
Joe Moreno
Jody Valderas
Rio Grande Deanery
St. Margaret Mary – Pharr
Mike Watts
Sacred Heart – McAllen
Cristina Fuentes
Bruce Ramirez
Myrna Rivera
Mariana Sanchez
Joel Vargas
St. Joseph the Worker – McAllen
Gloria Avendaño
Fermin Estrada
St. Joseph – Donna
Delila Cardenas
Rene Cardenas
Vanessa Davis
Alicia Guerrero
Angie Zamora
Ida Garza
Mercedes Falcon
Sandra K. Juvera
Sylvia Vazquez
Pharr Deanery
Isabel De la Rosa Forquer
McAllen-Edinburg Deanery
Our Lady of Sorrows – McAllen
Iris Treviño
St. Joseph the Worker – McAllen
Rita Castillo
Alicia Suarez
Our Lady of Holy Rosary – Mission
Raquel Palomo
30 Years
Brownsville Deanery
Teresa M. Zepeda
Weslaco Deanery
Frances Perez
San Martin de Porres - Weslaco
Juan Rodriguez
Pharr Deanery
Josie Briones
Emma Cano
Idolina Morales
Mission Deanery
Campos –Mission
Julie V. Gutierrez
St. Joseph the Worker – San Carlos
Melissa Cerda
Melinda Flores
40 Years
Mission Deanery
Brownsville Deanery
Our Lady of Guadalupe – Mission
Esther Hernandez
Norma Vasquez
Our Lady of Guadalupe – Mission
Rosalinda Garcia
Leticia Hernandez
Elva C. Botello
San Pedro – Brownsville
Francisca Lopez
Rene Salinas
San Cristobal Magallanes &
Companions – Mission
Maria G. Segura
Harlingen Deanery
Rio Grande City Deanery
Weslaco Deanery
St. Joseph the Worker – San Carlos
Eloisa Galaviz
Elvida Garza
Mary Guerrero
Mission Deanery
Campos– Mission
Belinda Garza
San Cristobal Magallanes &
Companions – Mission
Maria Fernanda Garcia
Immaculate Conception
– Rio Grande City
Melicia Mitzie Olivarez
Immaculate Heart of Mary – Harlingen
Maria Lydia Hernandez
Mary Reyes
Dolores Casarez
Bible,
continued from pg. 5
which is one of four dogmatic constitutions also considered the pillars of the Church in the modern
world. Dei Verbum deals with the
Divine Revelation and the Word
of God and was written in a way
to respond to the need of helping
Catholics to become much more
familiar with the Sacred Scriptures.
Many of our separated brothers
and sisters have accused Catholics
of being ignorant of the Bible.
Dei Verbum, spelled out in
great detail what Holy Mother
Church believes and teaches with
regard to divine revelation, primarily as it is found in the (Bible)
Sacred Scriptures. This dogmatic
constitution also emphasized the
importance of understanding the
deposit of faith: “Sacred Tradition
and Sacred Scripture make up a
single sacred deposit of the Word
of God” (Dei Verbum, 10).
“Tradition and Sacred Scripture are bound closely together
and communicate one with the
other. Each of them makes present
and fruitful in the Church the
mystery of Christ. They flow out
of the same divine well-spring
and together make up one sacred
deposit of faith from which the
Church derives her certainty about
revelation.” (Compendium of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church,
14).
We gather from Dei Verbum
(Dogmatic Constitution on Divine
Revelation) that the Catholic faith
is based on divine revelation; that
the Church was founded by the
Lord Jesus Christ and was sent by
him to spread the gospel of God’s
love to all of humanity; that Jesus
is the Word of God, the “Incarnate
Word” who revealed God’s plan to
redeem the human race by his passion, death and resurrection; this
we call the “paschal mystery.”
For further information regarding National Bible Week 2015:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/
national-bible-week/index.cfm
8
DIOCESE
Year of Consecrated Life
Prison retreat
Religious communities serving in our diocese
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Founders: Father Pierre Coudrin and Henriette
Aymer de Cheralarie
When and where was the community founded?
Christmas of 1800 in France
How long has your community served the
diocese? The priests began providing pastoral care
to Queen of Peace Parish in Harlingen in 1967 and to
Sacred Heart Parish in Edinburg in 1977.
Charism(s): Aware of our heritage,
we witness and proclaim the Love of
God as found in the Hearts of Jesus
and Mary. This call directs us to serve
the mission of the Church and the
needs of all people with emphasis on
helping the needy and abandoned
around the world.
Apostolate(s): Parish Ministry,
Retreat Ministry, Foreign Ministry,
Chaplaincies, and Lay Ministries;
Youth / Young Adult; Men of the Sacred Heart; Secular Branch; Enthronement of the Sacred Heart.
Contact information: Rev. William T. Penderghest, SS.CC; Queen of Peace Church, 1509 New Combes
Hwy, Harlingen, Texas 78550. Phone: (956) 423-6341; Website: www.sscc.org
Courtesy photos
Top photos, from
left, Father Jerry
Shanley and
Father William
Penderghest
of Queen of
Peace Parish
in Harlingen.
Botton photo,
from left, Father
Christopher
Santangelo,
Father Manoj
Kumar Nayak
and Father
Richard Lifrak
of Sacred
Heart Parish in
Edinburg.
Courtesy photo
Bishop Daniel E. Flores and Father George Gonzalez, Diocesan Prison Chaplain, celebrated
Mass at Segovia Prison in Edinburg on Oct. 4 concluding a three-day Kolbe Prison Retreat
led by Mario Rodriguez a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in McAllen. Kolbe Prison
Ministry operates under the direction and coordination of the CDOB Jail/ Prison Ministry
OfÀce.
Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate
Founder: Margaret Healy Murphy
When and where was the community founded? San
Antonio in 1893
How long has your community served the diocese? The
Sisters taught at St. Joseph School in Alamo beginning in
1926 and have served in a wide variety of ministries in the
Rio Grande Valley since then.
Charism(s): To manifest the compassion of Jesus by
offering our lives and service through the Church and we
listen to the challenge of the Church to us to be a prophetic
voice of change in a world of injustice and poverty.
Apostolate(s): The Sisters are involved in Catholic
education, religious education, pastoral care, social work and
health care in Louisiana, Mississippi, Mexico and Zambia.
Locally, Sister Therese Cuningham is serving at La Posada
Providencia in San Benito assisting those seeking asylum.
Sister Jane Frances Ambrose ministers to the elderly in
Brownsville.
Contact information: Sister Gabriel Hession, SHSp., 300
Yucca St., San Antonio, TX 78203. Phone: (210) 533-5149
Website: www.shsp.org
Courtesy photo
Three Marist Brothers gather in the teacher’s lounge/kitchen of the living quarters at St.
Joseph Academy in the 1920s.
Sesquicentennial,
Courtesy photos
Top photo: Sister Therese Cuningham teaches English to a
refugee at La Posada Providencia in San Benito. Bottom photo:
Sister Jane Frances Ambrose visits elderly and inÀrmed in the
Brownsville area.
We will feature religious communities serving
in our diocese every month throughout the Year of Consecrated Life.
Deacon, World War II veteran dies
Los Saenz native
served Brownsville
parish for 25 years
Deacon Heriberto A. Treviño
July 2, 1923 - Oct. 16, 2015
The Valley Catholic
Deacon Heriberto A. Treviño,
93, of Brownsville died on Oct. 16
at his residence.
Born in Los Saenz, Texas, he
had resided in Brownsville since
1954. He was ordained a deacon
for the Diocese of Brownsville in
1990 and served at Mary, Mother
of the Church Parish.
In addition to serving at
Masses, he worked with the prebaptismal team, visited the sick in
nursing homes and also helped his
wife, who was involved with the
Altar Rosary Society.
Deacon Treviño worked as a
teacher for 15 years and as a technologist with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture for 20 years. He was
a life member for at least 40 years
of the Order of the Alhambra of
the Alva Caravan Number 91 and
a life member of the Knights of
Columbus Council 1553, 4th Degree. He served in the U.S. Navy
during World War II.
Deacon Treviño was preceded
in death by his wife, Leonor “Lee”
G. Treviño, who passed away in
2013 as well as four sisters and six
brothers.
He is survived by his brother,
Jesus M. Treviño, numerous nieces and nephews and other family
members.
A Rosary was prayed on the
evening of Oct. 19 at DarlingMouser Funeral Home in Brownsville. A funeral Mass was celebrated by Bishop Daniel E. Flores at
Mary, Mother of the Church Parish on Oct. 20. He was transferred
to his hometown of Los Saenz on
Oct. 21 for committal services.
rently has an enrollment of 565
students.
St. Joseph Academy was recently named the National Hispanic Institute’s High School of the
Year, an honor given to one school
in the United States each year.
Founded in 1979, the National
Hispanic Institute promotes educational and leadership opportunities for Latino students.
“It reaffirms the work we have
been doing for the past 150 years
here in Brownsville,” said Michael
J. Motyl, interim president of St.
Joseph Academy. “The NHI program is one of many enriching opportunities and experiences that
Saint Joe offers our students in our
goal to mold them into the saints
and scholars of our community.”
DIOCESE
Those Who Serve:
9
Father Juan Manuel Salazar
How does one become a priest?
In his own words:
‘A priest is a man
chosen by God’
Father Juan Manuel Salazar,
director of the Office of Vocations,
was ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Brownsville on May 25,
2013. The Edinburg native served
in the Marine Corps for 10 years
before entering the seminary. While
enlisted, Father Salazar served as
a Marine Embassy Guard, an elite
group of Marines with top security
clearance. The Guard provides
security at American Embassies,
Consulates and other government
offices around the world.
Cesar Riojas/The Valley
Catholic
Above, Father Juan
Manuel Salazar, at his
ordination to the holy
priesthood on May 25,
2013 at St. Anthony
Church in Harlingen.
Left, as a Marine
Embassy Guard, Father
Salazar, protected
President Bill Clinton
during an ofÀcial state
visit to El Salvador.
By FATHER JUAN M. SALAZAR
The Valley Catholic
Being in the military, I came
across many people from many
diverse backgrounds. One in particular, was named Patrick Robertson. He was of Irish descent from
Illinois, and was working towards
his re-conversion into the Catholic faith. I say “re-conversion” because Patrick, even though raised
Catholic, had accepted atheism
early in his adult life. Now after
several years away he was coming
back home.
Patrick, soon after I met him,
began an RCIA program at the
base chapel and I was honored to
be asked to be his sponsor. One of
the many topics about the faith we
shared concerned my discernment
into the priesthood and what the
priesthood meant.
Patrick was very curious about
my desire to be a priest and we often discussed it. This was actually
very helpful to my discernment.
Here I hope to express the
thoughts and truths which I
2f¿cial White House photo
shared with Patrick during the
RCIA process.
When the question is asked,
“what is the priesthood?” there are
several ways to attempt to answer
this. One method is to begin by
answering “How one becomes a
priest” to get a better grasp of his
mission and purpose. The Code of
Canon Law states that:
“By divine institution, the
sacrament of [Holy] orders establishes some among the faithful
as sacred ministers through and
indelible character which marks
them (CCL 321).”
What this means is that a priest
is a man chosen by God. In other
words, no one can choose to become a priest on his own without
first being called by God. This
‘calling’ is not necessarily exclusively direct between God and
the person, but is also expressed
through the community of the
faithful (through prayer for vocations, etc.) of which that man
is called to serve (Patores Dabo
Vobis, No. 37). Therefore, the
choice involved is not the desire
to be a priest on personal merit
or reason, but a choice purely out
of love in response to that Divine
Love which he is being called to
serve. Thereby doing so, the priest
imitates Christ who is Head of the
Church.
The sacrament of Holy Orders
is described as hierarchal, which
means that “the divinely instituted
ecclesiastical ministry is exercised
in different degrees by those who
even from ancient times have
been called bishops, priests, and
deacons” (CCC 1536/1554). This
structure divided into the three
different grades is what makes up
the magisterium of the Church.
The first grade of Holy Orders
is the diaconate “which is intended
to help and serve” the laity (CCC
1554). The deacon’s ministry is
a ministry of Charity. It can be
exercised in a transitional way,
which means a step towards the
priesthood or in a permanent state
where the deacon, usually married, remains a deacon in the service at one church for life.
The second grade of Holy
Orders is the sacred priesthood,
where the priest acts ‘In Persona
Christi’. The priest imitates Christ
the High Priest in offering to God
“in an un-bloodied way [the Paschal Mystery] looking back to the
Last Supper which is looking forward in full commitment to the
Sacrifice on Calvary” (Dettling
Oct’06).
The third grade of Holy Orders
is the highest and by the grace of
the Holy Spirit, is the fullness of
the priesthood that is exercised
by the Bishop, a successor of the
Apostles.
The fullness of the sacrament
of Orders is conferred by Episco» Please see Father Salazar, p.15
Committee raising funds to rebuild country church
Chapel served
ranching families
in early 1920s
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
Sylvia Perez Kotzur remembers attending Mass at San Luisito,
known as Guadalupe El Torero
Church, as a little girl.
The church, which is believed
to have been built between 1918
and 1920, is located 17 miles west
of Linn off of Farm-to-Market
Road 1017, about 10 miles from
San Isidro.
“The church was small and
cute, quaint,” she said. “It had a celestial blue trim and benches and
wood plank floors. I was too young
to listen to the sermon, so I would
look out the windows at the cattle
grazing outside.
“I don’t have vivid memories,
but I have fond memories of the
elders coming together for Mass.”
Today, the brown adobe church
is abandoned and dilapidated,
prompting concerns from residents, neighboring communities
and even travelers.
Courtesy photo
Guadalupe El Torero Church in northwestern Hidalgo County, located near the Starr
County line, is believed to have been erected between 1918 and 1920. Local residents
are raising money to rebuild the church keeping its historic character.
The concerns were shared with
Father Jose Rene Angel in 2010,
who was the pastor of St. Isidore
Church in San Isidro at the time.
Father Angel agreed that the building needed attention and a committee was formed in December
2010.
Decades of neglect and weather damage have taken a heavy toll.
The committee consulted with var-
ious experts in the field of historic
preservation and were told they
cannot restore the existing structure.
The committee aims to rebuild
the church, keeping its original
footprint.
Father Joaquin Zermeño,
the current pastor of St. Isidore
Church, envisions using the new
church on patronal feast days and
for baptisms and small weddings.
“It will be an alternative site for
liturgical services,” he said.
Most of the members of the
committee have a deep rooted ancestry in the area dating back to the
Spanish Land Grant era and they
wish to honor their forefathers by
rebuilding the church.
“We want to pay tribute to the
church and the community who
donated and labored to build this
church as a special place of worship for their families,” said Kotzur,
who lives about half a mile from
the church. “I’m from the area,
raised there all my life. It’s a shame
to see a church go down and no
one want to fix it up.”
Father Zermeño said another
$40,000 is needed to complete the
project, which will be paid for exclusively by fundrasing.
In addition to private donations, the committee has held a
raffle annually since 2011 to raise
funds for the project.
The one-room chapel was
originally built behind the home
of Juan Cavazos and Luisa Bazan
Cavazos for the families in the surrounding areas.
The Catholic Church in San
Isidro was about 10 miles away,
which was quite a distance on
horse and buggy, the mode of
transportation in that day.
Juan Cavazos purchased 10
acres of land from his wife’s mother, Epigmenia Treviño Bazan. It
was part of the land known as the
San Ramon Land Grant, which
was originally granted to Julian
Farias by the king of Spain.
Of those 10 acres, one acre was
donated to Father Gustavo Gollbach of the Missionary Oblates of
Mary Immaculate on Feb. 17, 1936.
Father Gollbach was the pastor of
Immaculate Conception Church
in Rio Grande City and provided
pastoral care to the little chapel.
On Oct. 26, 1936, Father Gollbach donated the acre to Bishop
Emmanuel B. Ledvina of the Diocese of Corpus Christi and his successors.
To make a donation to the rebuilding project, make checks payable to Guadalupe El Torero Catholic Church and mail to San Isidro
Catholic Church, P.O. Box 60, San
Isidro, TX 78588.
To purchase or sell raffle tickets, contact Roberto Peña at (956)
607-5975. Tickets are $3 for a
chance to win one of 26 prizes. The
drawing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on
Saturday, Nov. 21 at the San Isidro
Church parish hall.
10
IN THE NEWS
The Valley Catholic - November
Synod had difficult moments
Pope Francis
waves as he
leaves a session
of the Synod of
Bishops on the
family at the
Vatican Oct. 24.
By CINDY WOODEN
VATICAN CITY — The first
task of the Catholic Church “is
not to hand down condemnations or anathemas, but to proclaim the mercy of God,” Pope
Francis told members of the Synod of Bishops on the family.
At the end of the synod’s final
working session Oct. 24, Pope
Francis was honest about the
differences of opinion present
among synod participants and
about the tone of their discussions sometimes exceeding the
bounds of charity. But he framed
all those differences as an opportunity for learning.
“In the course of this synod,
the different opinions that were
expressed freely — and, unfortunately, sometimes with methods
that were not completely charitable — certainly led to a rich and
lively dialogue,” the pope said.
The synod, he said, was a
time of trying “to broaden horizons in order to overcome every hermeneutic of conspiracy
or closed-mindedness so as to
defend and spread the freedom
of the children of God (and) to
transmit the beauty of Christian
newness, which sometimes is
covered by the rust of a language
that is archaic or simply incomprehensible.”
“For the church,” he said,
“concluding the synod means
to go back to really ‘walking together’ to bring to every part of
the world — every diocese, every
community and every situation
— the light of the Gospel, the
embrace of the church and the
support of the mercy of God.”
The synod sessions, the pope
said, were designed to have people speak openly about the needs
of families and to face them
“without fear and without hiding
our heads in the sand.”
The gathering, he said, was
a time “to witness to all that the
Gospel remains for the church
the living source of eternal new-
ness against those who want to
‘indoctrinate’ it into dead stones
to hurl at each other.”
Clearly, he said, the threeweek synod did not resolve every
problem facing families or even
every question of how the church
can best minister to them.
But it did try “to enlighten
them with the light of the Gospel
and the 2,000-year tradition and
history of the church” formulated
in ways people today can understand.
Without acting as if every
form of modern family life was
equally valid, but also without
“demonizing others,” he said, the
synod wanted “to embrace fully
and courageously the goodness
and mercy of God who surpasses our human calculations and
wants nothing other than that ‘all
would be saved.’”
Georgia priest wins Lumen Christi Award
Pastor promotes unity
in multi-cultural
church community
Appeal in response to
1PQF'SBODJTMFUUFS
on the environment
By CINDY WOODEN
VATICAN CITY — The presidents of the U.S. and Canadian
bishops’ conferences joined leaders
of the regional bishops’ conferences of Asia, Africa, Latin America,
Oceania and Europe in signing
an appeal for government leaders to reach a “fair, legally binding
and truly transformational climate
agreement” at a summit in Paris.
Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, president of the
Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, signed the appeal Oct. 26
at the beginning of a joint news
conference at the Vatican.
The appeal, Cardinal Gracias
said, was a response to Pope Francis’ letter on the environment and
an expression of “the anxiety of all
the people, all the churches all over
the world” regarding how, “unless
we are careful and prudent, we are
heading for disaster.”
The appeal is addressed to negotiators preparing for the U.N.
Climate Change Conference in
Paris Nov. 30-Dec. 11. The bishops
The list of birthdays and ordination anniversaries is provided so that
parishioners may remember the priests, deacons and religious in their
prayers and send them a note or a card.
November
Rich Kalonick, Catholic Extension/Catholic News Service
Father Fredy Angel of Ray City, Ga., poses for a photo at St. Anthony of Padua Church’s
construction site Aug. 15. The Georgia priest won this year’s Catholic Extension Lumen
Christi Award.
community of African-American,
white, Latino and Asian-American Catholics closer together; has
planted, grown and nurtured a
deeper faith among his parishioners; has motivated and educated
children, youth and adults; has
earned the respect of the area’s
larger, non-Catholic community;
and now leads the parish in the
building of a new church.
Undertaking such an ambitious construction project has
instilled pride and great expectations in its members and is already
resulting in a more prominent and
visible presence of Catholicism in
an area where Catholics are only a
small minority.
On Oct. 5, Catholic Extension
announced that Father Angel is
the recipient of the 2015-16 Lumen Christi Award from Catholic
Extension, which will be presented
Nov. 8 during a celebration in Ray
City. “Lumen Christi” is Latin for
“Light of Christ.” The award honors an individual or group who
demonstrates how the power of
faith can transform lives and com-
munities. Recipients are honored
not only for the light and hope
they bring to forgotten corners of
the country, but for inspiring others to be “Lights of Christ” as well.
Catholic Extension President
Father Jack Wall said, “We are
honoring Father Fredy Angel for
the inspiration he gives not only
to the growing Catholic population in southern Georgia, but to
all American Catholics. Father
Fredy embodies the service and
courage of America’s missionary
priests who are playing a critical
role in building up the fabric of
our church and of this nation.”
At 41, Father Angel is the
second-youngest Lumen Christi
recipient, and the youngest priest
recipient.
Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer
of Savannah, who nominated him,
said from the first time he met him
in 2011, “Father Fredy impressed
me with his genuineness, his simplicity, his zeal, his enthusiasm, his
joy. He seemed to be a man who
was really in love with what he was
doing.”
called for “courageous and imaginative political leadership” and for
legal frameworks that “clearly establish boundaries and ensure the
protection of the ecosystem.”
The bishops also asked governments to recognize the “ethical
and moral dimensions of climate
change,” to recognize that the climate and the atmosphere are common goods belonging to all, to set a
strong limit on global temperature
increase and to promote new models of development and lifestyles
that are “climate compatible.”
The appeal calls for decisions
that place people above profits, that
involve the poor in decision making, that protect people’s access to
water and to land, are particularly
mindful of vulnerable communities and are specific in commitments to finance mitigation efforts.
The appeal said that most people — whether or not they believe
in God — recognize the planet as “a
shared inheritance, who(se) fruits
are meant to benefit everyone. For
believers, this becomes a question
of fidelity to the creator, since God
created the world for everyone.”
One of the main reasons Pope
Francis chose this year to publish
his ecology encyclical “Laudato Si”
is because he wanted it to influence
the confererence, also known as
COP 21.
»Birthday & Anniversary Wishes
» Birthdays
By MEIRAD SCHEREREMUNDS
RAY CITY, Georgia — The
construction of St. Anthony of
Padua Church in Ray City, scheduled to be dedicated in March, is a
dream come true for Catholics in
this area of southern Georgia near
Valdosta in the Savannah Diocese.
Retired Savannah Bishop J.
Kevin Boland said, “What you
see happening in Lakeland and in
Adel, in Nashville and in Ray City,
in all of that part of south Georgia, that’s kind of a miracle in the
South. The reason why the church
there is able to accomplish this —
with the help of Catholic Extension, of course, and with the help
of others — is the vibrancy of the
faith of the Catholic people.”
For the past eight years, Father Fredy Angel has been the
pastor of St. Anthony of Padua’s
predecessor parish — Queen of
Peace in Lakeland and its missions — which covers three counties. In that role he has been the
energetic, tireless and enthusiastic
shepherd, teacher, motivator and
guiding force behind what one of
his parishioners called a “revival”
among Catholics there.
“In the Protestant churches
here, they talk about revival week,”
said parishioner Chris Chammoun. “But really with us it’s been
a revival of eight years. We’ve been
reviving our spirit and bringing in
new people who are excited about
coming to church.”
In the process of that revival,
the pastor has also bound a diverse
Bishops plead for
climate change action
Paul Harring/Catholic
News Service
Differences are an
opportunity for
learning, pope says
2015
5
9
10
16
17
20
22
23
28
Rev. Mario Castro
Rev. Eduardo Gomez
Rev. Raju Antonisamy, OMI
Rev. Ruben Delgado
Rev. Jose J. Ortiz, CO
Rev. Lawrence Klein
Rev. Luis Fernando Sanchez
Msgr. Agostinho Pacheco
Rev. Esteban Hernandez
7
10
11
12
14
15
20
20
24
28
29
30
Deacon Genaro Ibarra
Deacon Catarino Villanueva
Deacon Israel Sagredo
Deacon Juan F. Gonzalez
Deacon Inocencio Diaz
Deacon Alberto X. Chapa
Deacon Jesus Reyes
Deacon Benito Saenz
Deacon Juan Barbosa
Deacon Heriberto Solis
Deacon Francisco Garza
Deacon Graciano Rodriguez
5
7
13
13
Sister Patricia McGraw, ISM
Sister Rosalia Vadala, OSF
Sister Luella Walsh, OSB
Sister Cynthia A. Mello, SSD
» Anniversaries
27 Rev. Jose Rene Angel, JCL
28 Rev. Samuel Arispe
4 Deacon George Terrazas
11 Deacon Jose Luis Mendoza
30 Deacon Reynaldo Q. Merino
»
1
1
9
10
11
15
December
Birthdays
Rev. Oliver Angel, JCL
Rev. Andres Gutierrez
Rev. Emmanuel Kwofie
Rev. Simon Brzozowski, MSF
Rev. Msgr. Gustavo Barrera
Rev. Arturo Castillo
25 Rev. Ignacio Luna
29 Rev. Jerzy E. Maika
30 Rev. Gregory Labus
24 Sister Margarita Ortiz, OP
9
17
22
31
Deacon Jose G. Gonzalez
Deacon Gilberto Lopez
Deacon Roberto Cano
Deacon Crawford A. Higgins
3
8
13
13
13
17
19
19
21
28
30
Rev. Gustavo Obando
Rev. Alejandro G. Fajardo
Rev. Genaro Hernriquez
Rev. Joel Grissom, SM
Rev. Rodolfo Franco
Rev. Msgr. Juan Nicolau, Ph.D
Rev. Francisco Acosta
Rev. Thomas Pincelli
Rev. Donald Kelley, SS.CC
Rev. Richard MacDonald, SCJ
Rev. Robert DeLong, MSF
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Deacon Hector Garcia
Deacon Gerardo Aguilar
Deacon Antonio M. Arteaga
Deacon Ramiro Davila Jr.
Deacon Paulo Escobar
Deacon David Espinoza
Deacon Francisco R. Flores
Deacon Reynaldo I. Flores
Deacon Javier A. Garcia
Deacon Oscar Garcia
Deacon Silvestre J. Garcia
Deacon Jose G. Gonzalez
Deacon Gilberto Guardiola Jr.
Deacon Crawford A. Higgins
Deacon Amando Peña Jr.
Deacon Graciano Rodriguez
Deacon Gerardo J. Rosa
Deacon Rodolfo Sepulveda Jr.
Deacon Raymond Thomas Jr.
Deacon Nicolas E. Trujillo
Deacon Catarino Villanueva
Deacon Armandin Villarreal
Deacon Luis Zuñiga
» Anniversaries
Noviembre 2015 - The Valley Catholic
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL 11
Documento final del Sínodo
reafirma doctrina de la Iglesia
Resalta belleza de
la familia y el plan
de Dios para ella
Por WALTER SÁNCHEZ SILVA
ACI Prensa
VATICANO — Los trabajos
sobre el Sínodo de los Obispos
han terminado esta noche en el
Vaticano y el documento final,
producto de la reflexión de todos
los padres sinodales, ha reafirmado la doctrina católica sobre el
matrimonio, su indisolubilidad; y
ha resaltado la belleza de la familia
y del plan de Dios para ella.
El texto, compuesto por 94 numerales fue votado uno a uno. Todos fueron aprobados con los dos
tercios requeridos como mínimo:
en este caso 177 votos.
En el numeral 1, votado unánimemente por todos los obispos
presentes (260 votos), el Sínodo
agradece “al Señor por la generosa
fidelidad con la que tantas familias cristianas responden a su vocación y misión, incluso ante los
obstáculos, las incomprensiones y
los sufrimientos”.
En ese mismo numeral, los
Fotos por Paul Haring/Catholic News Service
obispos reunidos en el Sínodo
recuerdan las palabras del Papa El Papa Francisco después de la última sesión del sínodo sobre la familia en el
Francisco en la homilía de inicio Vaticano el 24 de octubre. El Cardenal Daniel DiNardo, el arzobispo metropolitano
el 4 de octubre, cuando explicó de Galveston-Houston, habla con el Cardenal John Njue de Nairobi, Kenya.
que Dios creó al hombre y a la
mujer. El Señor, dijo luego el San- señalan que “el hombre y la mujer, que “según el orden de la creación
to Padre en esa ocasión, “une los con su amor fecundo y generativo, el amor conyugal entre un hombre
corazones de dos personas que se continúan la obra creadora y co- y una mujer y la transmisión de la
aman y los une en la unidad y en laboran con el Creador en la his- vida están ordenados el uno a la
toria de la salvación a través de la otra (Gn 1, 27-28)”.
la indisolubilidad.
“En este modo el Creador ha
Esto significa que el objetivo sucesión de las genealogías”.
En el numeral 41, titulado hecho partícipes al hombre y a la
de la vida conyugal no es sólo vivir juntos, sino también amarse “Jesús y la familia”, los prelados mujer en su obra de su creación
para siempre. Jesús restablece así resaltan que “el ejemplo de Jesús y al mismo tiempo los ha hecho
el orden original y originante. (…) es paradigmático para la Iglesia. El instrumentos de su amor, confinSolo a la luz de la locura de la gra- Hijo de Dios ha venido al mundo doles a su responsabilidad el futuidad del amor pascual de Jesús en una familia. En sus treinta años turo de la humanidad a través de
será comprensible la locura de la de vida oculta en Nazaret –perif- la transmisión de la vida humana”,
gratuidad de un amor conyugal eria social, religiosa y cultural del prosigue.
Los padres sinodales dedican
único yusque ad mortem” (hasta Imperio– Jesús ha visto en María y
José la fidelidad vivida en el amor”. luego tres numerales: 66, 67 y 68
la muerte).
El texto hace también un breve para referirse a la importancia de
En el numeral 5, aprobado
por 256 votos, los obispos resaltan resumen sobre lo que enseña el la educación de los hijos. En el 67
magisterio
de la Iglesia a través destacan que “es importante que
que “también hoy el Señor llama
al hombre y a la mujer al matri- del Concilio Vaticano II, el Beato los padres se involucren activamonio, los acompaña en su vida Papa Pablo VI, San Juan Pablo II, mente en el camino de preparafamiliar y se ofrece a ellos como Benedicto XVI y Francisco, para ción para los sacramentos de la
luego tratar del tema de la familia iniciación cristiana, en calidad de
don inefable”.
En el numeral 23, titulado en la doctrina cristiana en el capí- primeros educadores y testimonios de fe para sus hijos”.
“Migrantes, prófugos y persegui- tulo tres.
El tema de los homosexuales
El numeral 48 titulado “Indos”, aprobado por 253 votos contra 4, los obispos afirman que “la disolubilidad y fecundidad de la se plantea en el numeral 76 y se
historia de la humanidad es una unión esponsal” –aprobado por enfoca desde el acompañamiento
historia de migrantes: esta verdad 253 votos contra 6– resalta que “la que puede realizar la Iglesia a las
está inscrita en la vida de los pueb- irrevocable fidelidad de Dios a la familias en donde alguno de sus
los y las familias. También nuestra alianza es el fundamento de la in- miembros tiene la tendencia hofe lo reafirma: todos somos per- disolubilidad del matrimonio. El mosexual.
Este párrafo del documento,
amor completo y profundo entre
egrinos”.
Este numeral indica además los cónyuges no se basa solo en las aprobado por 221 votos contra
que cuando la migración es capacidades humanas. Dios sos- 37, precisa además que “no existe
forzada y es “fruto de situacio- tiene esta alianza con la fuerza de fundamento alguno para asimilar
o establecer analogías, ni siquiera
nes de guerra, de persecución, de su Espíritu”.
De otro lado, el numeral 62 tit- remotas, entre las uniones hopobreza, de injusticia, marcada
por las peripecias de un viaje que ulado “La transmisión de la vida” mosexuales y el designio de Dios
pone con frecuencia en peligro –aprobado por 259 votos– subra- sobre el matrimonio y la familia”,
la vida, traumatiza a las personas ya la importancia de “las familias como señala un documento de la
y desestabiliza a la familia”. “El numerosas en la Iglesia que son Congregación para la Doctrina de
acompañamiento a los migrantes una bendición para la comunidad la Fe.
El desafío de los divorciados
exige una pastoral específica con cristiana y la sociedad, porque la
las familias en migración, pero apertura a la vida es exigencia in- vueltos a casar se trata específicamente en los numerales 83, 84,
también con los miembros de los trínseca del amor conyugal”.
“Con estas luces, la Iglesia ex- 85 y 86. En ellos hay una amplia
núcleos familiares que se quedan
presa su viva gratitud a las familias explicación sobre la importancia
en los lugares de origen”, agrega.
En distintas ocasiones durante que acogen, educan y llenan de de acogerlos en la Iglesia y recorel Sínodo, los obispos habían so- afecto y transmiten la fe a sus hi- darles que no están excomulgados
licitado un documento que tuvi- jos, de modo particular a los más aunque su situación es irregular;
era una mayor cantidad de citas frágiles y marcados por la discapa- y plantea una serie de orientaciones para acompañar a estos fieles
de las Sagradas Escrituras. En el cidad”, prosiguen.
El numeral 63, aprobado por y cuidar especialmente el bien de
numeral 39 explican cómo se trata
este tema en el libro del Génesis y 237 votos contra 21, indica luego los hijos.
Foto de cortesía
El Adviento es el período de preparación para celebrar la Navidad y comienza
cuatro domingos antes de esta Àesta. Ademis se encuentra en el comienzo del Axo
Lit~rgico católico. Este axo, comenzari el domingo 29 de noviembre.
La corona de Adviento
La tradicion católica
promueve la oracion
y union familiar
ACI Prensa
La Corona de Adviento tiene
su origen en una tradición pagana
europea que consistía en prender
velas durante el invierno para representar al fuego del dios sol, para
que regresara con su luz y calor
durante el invierno. Los primeros
misioneros aprovecharon esta
tradición para evangelizar a las personas. Partían de sus costumbres
para enseñarles la fe católica. La
corona está formada por una gran
variedad de símbolos:
La forma circular
El círculo no tiene principio ni
fin. Es señal del amor de Dios que
es eterno, sin principio y sin fin, y
también de nuestro amor a Dios y
al prójimo que nunca debe de terminar.
Las ramas verdes
Verde es el color de esperanza y
vida, y Dios quiere que esperemos
su gracia, el perdón de los pecados
y la gloria eterna al final de nuestras
vidas. El anhelo más importante
en nuestras vidas debe ser llegar a
una unión más estrecha con Dios,
nuestro Padre.
Las cuatro velas
Nos hace pensar en la obscuridad provocada por el pecado que
ciega al hombre y lo aleja de Dios.
Después de la primera caída del
hombre, Dios fue dando poco a
poco una esperanza de salvación
que iluminó todo el universo como
las velas la corona. Así como las tinieblas se disipan con cada vela que
encendemos, los siglos se fueron
iluminando con la cada vez más
cercana llegada de Cristo a nuestro
mundo.
Son cuatro velas las que se ponen en la corona y se prenden de
una en una, durante los cuatro
domingos de adviento al hacer la
oración en familia.
Las manzanas rojas que adornan la corona representan los frutos del jardín del Edén con Adán
y Eva que trajeron el pecado al
mundo pero recibieron también la
promesa del Salvador Universal.
El listón rojo representa nuestro
amor a Dios y el amor de Dios que
nos envuelve.
Los domingos de Adviento la
familia o la comunidad se reúne en
torno a la corona de adviento. Luego, se lee la Biblia y alguna meditación. La corona se puede llevar al
templo para ser bendecida por el
sacerdote.
Sugerencias
a) Es preferible elaborar en familia la corona de Adviento aprovechando este momento para
motivar a los niños platicándoles
acerca de esta costumbre y su significado.
b) La corona deberá ser colocada en un sitio especial dentro del
hogar, de preferencia en un lugar
fijo donde la puedan ver los niños
de manera que ellos recuerden
constantemente la venida de Jesús
y la importancia de prepararse para
ese momento.
c) Es conveniente fijar con
anticipación el horario en el que
se prenderán las velas. Toda esta
planeación hará que las cosas salgan mejor y que los niños vean y
comprendan que es algo importante. Así como con anticipación
preparamos la visita de un invitado
importante, estamos haciendo esto
con el invitado más importante que
podemos tener en nuestra familia.
d) Es conveniente también
distribuir las funciones entre los
miembros de la familia de modo
que todos participen y se sientan
involucrados en la ceremonia.
Por ejemplo:
un encargado de tener arreglado y limpio el lugar donde irá
la corona antes de comenzar con
esta tradición navideña.
un encargado de apagar las
luces al inicio y encenderlas al final.
un encargado de dirigir el
canto o de poner la grabadora con
algún villancico.
un encargado de dirigir las
oraciones para ponerse en presencia de Dios.
un encargado de leer las lecturas.
un encargado de encender
las velas.
12
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL
»Sínodo de
Obispos
El Papa
establece
un nuevo
dicasterio
para laicos
Por JUNNO
AROCHO ESTEVES
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO
— El papa Francisco anunció el
establecimiento de una nueva dependencia dedicada a los laicos, la
familia y la vida en la que se combinarán las responsabilidades de dos
concejos pontificios.
El Papa hizo el anuncio el 22 de
octubre, durante la sesión vespertina del Sínodo de Obispos dedicado
a estudiar la familia.
“Hemos decidido el establecimiento de un nuevo dicasterio con
competencia para los laicos, la familia y la vida, que reemplazará al
Concejo Pontificio del Laicado y el
Concejo Pontificio de la Familia.
La Academia Pontificia de la Vida
se agregará a este nuevo dicasterio”,
dijo el Papa.
Las responsabilidades de esta
nueva dependencia se detallarán
en un documento que prepara una
comisión al respecto, que ya ha sido
designada, dijo el Papa.
Los miembros del Concejo
Internacional de Cardenales del
Papa han estado trabajando la idea
durante meses. El cardenal Dionigi Tettamanzi, obispo jubilado
de Milán, fue el encargado por el
Papa para estudiar la viabilidad del
nuevo dicasterio.
Después de una presentación
hecha por el cardenal Tettamanzi,
el Concejo presentó una propuesta
formal para la fusión de los actuales
Concejos, respectivamente dedicados al presente al laicado y a la familia, y para agregar la Academia
Pontificia de la Vida a la jurisdicción del nuevo dicasterio.
El Concejo Pontificio del Laicado, establecido en 1967 por el
beato Pablo VI, se encargaba de
vigilar el apostolado de laicos y “su
participación en la vida y misión
de la iglesia”, considerados los laicos individualmente y por medio
de organizaciones y movimientos
(dentro de la iglesia).
Fue reformado después de 10
años e integrado como dicasterio
permanente de la Curia Romana.
El cardenal Stanislaw Rylko es el
actual presidente del Concejo.
El Concejo Pontificio de la Familia había sido establecido el 9 de
mayo de 1981 por San Juan Pablo
II y vino a reemplazar al Comité de
la Familia, creado por el papa Pablo
en 1973. El arzobispo Vincenzo Paglia encabeza este Concejo, por el
cual se promueven los ministerios
pastorales y apostolados, dedicados
al apoyo de familias y a la defensa
de la vida humana.
Aunque no se ha recibido información sobre quién estará a
cargo del nuevo dicasterio, el papa
Francisco dijo que se presentará el
texto de la comisión especial sobre
la competencia del mismo y que se
prestará a discusión ante el Concejo de Cardenales, puesto en el calendario del 10 al 12 de diciembre
próximo.
The Valley Catholic - Noviembre 2015
Vaticano confirma que el papa
'SBODJTDPWJBKBSÈB.ÏYJDPFO
7JTJUBSÈMB#BTÓMJDB
de Guadalupe y la
capital del país
Por DAVID AGREN
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO — La
conferencia de obispos mexicanos
y el Vaticano han confirmado que
el papa Francisco visitará México
en el 2016, marcando su primer viaje a este país fuertemente
católico en las postrimerías de la
agitación debido a la violencia, el
crimen y la corrupción.
El obispo auxiliar Eugenio
Lira Rugarcía de Puebla, secretario general de la conferencia, dijo a
Catholic News Service que el papa
viajará a México el año próximo,
aunque las fechas y los detalles
estaban todavía por determinarse.
El padre jesuita Federico
Lombardi, portavoz del Vaticano,
le proveyó información similar a
la red Televisa, añadiendo que el
viaje probablemente ocurriría durante la primera mitad del 2016 e
incluirá una parada en la capital,
Un peligrino camina de rodillas hacia la Basílica de Guadalupe. El Papa Francisco
visitari la Basílica de Guadalupe en 2016.
Ciudad de México.
El papa Francisco había pensado visitar México, hogar de la
segunda población católica más
grande del mundo. Después de
visitar las Filipinas el año pasado,
el papa dijo que quería caminar
desde México entrando a Estados
Unidos “como señal de herman-
dad y de la ayuda de los inmigrantes”, junto con visitar la Basílica de
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, el
santuario mariano más visitado
del mundo.
Él dijo en septiembre que planeaba entrar a Estados Unidos en
un cruce de frontera, ir desde Ciudad Juárez hasta El Paso, Texas,
pero optó por ir a Cuba después
que el país comunista y Estados
Unidos, con ayuda del Vaticano,
terminaron su distanciamiento.
La migración, en forma de
centroamericanos viajando cruzando México y cayendo víctimas de criminales y funcionarios
públicos corruptos, es uno de los
asuntos potenciales en la agenda
del papa Francisco en México.
Una visita a principios del
2016 se daría mientras el país
continúa confrontando vicios
como la corrupción, la cual ha
implicado al presidente, y la inseguridad en estados tales como
Michoacán y Guerrero, este último siendo donde 43 estudiantes
fueron secuestrados y presuntamente asesinados en septiembre
del 2014 por policías que actuaban compinchados con criminales.
El papa Benedicto XVI realizó un viaje papal a México
en marzo del 2012, visitando el
estado de Guanajuato. Su visita
atrajo unas 600,000 personas a la
Misa final, doblando las expectativas, aunque su mensaje se mantuvo fuera de asuntos incómodos
como la seguridad.
13 hechos sorprendentes de la
fascinante vida de San Juan Pablo II
Era conocido como
el papa peregrino,
papa de la familia
ACI Prensa
Karol Jósef
Wojtyla, mis
conocido
como San Juan
Pablo II, nació
en Wadowice
(Polonia) en
1920.
ACI Prensa
Rescatamos estos 13 asombrosos hechos de la vida del gran
Pontífice.
San Juan Pablo II tuvo una juventud muy dura por el ambiente
de odio y destrucción de la Segunda Guerra Mundial con la invasión
nazi, pero su fe lo llevó a ingresar
al seminario de manera clandestina. Es ordenado sacerdote en
1946 y Obispo polaco en 1958, en
el que escoge su lema oficial “Totus Tuus” (todo tuyo), en honor a
María Santísima.
1. A los 15 años casi muere
por un disparo accidental
Un amigo le estaba mostrando
un arma que creía descargada. Cuando el amigo en broma apretó el
gatillo a poca distancia frente a él,
el arma se disparó. Afortunadamente (o milagrosamente), la bala
no lo rozó.
2. Tuvo una “novia” judía en
su juventud
Su nombre era Ginka Beer y
era “una belleza judía, con ojos
estupendas y cabello negro azabache, delgada, una magnífica
actriz.” Aunque no se puede describir con precisión el vínculo
entre Karol Wojtyla y Ginka, ella
fue la primera y posiblemente la
única con quien tuvo una relación
romántica.
3. Fue actor y dramaturgo
Era miembro de una compañía de teatro y consideraba la
actuación como carrera antes de
descubrir su vocación al sacerdocio.
4. A los 21 años de edad ya
había perdido a todos sus familiares directos
Su madre murió cuando él
tenía 8 años por complicaciones
en un parto, sus tres hermanos
murieron durante su infancia, y
su padre murió de un ataque al
corazón cuando él tenía 21 años.
5. Fue atropellado por un
camión nazi durante la Segunda
Guerra Mundial
En febrero de 1944, mientras
regresaba a casa del trabajo, fue atropellado por un camión alemán.
Los oficiales alemanes se detuvieron y, al ver que estaba inconsciente y malherido, detuvieron un
automóvil para usarlo como ambulancia y llevarlo al hospital. Pasó
dos semanas internado. La terrible
experiencia, y su sorprendente recuperación, le confirmaron su llamado al sacerdocio.
6. Fue arrestado por soldados
nazis y escapó escondiéndose detrás de una puerta
En agosto de 1944, durante un
levantamiento polaco, soldados
nazis barrieron su ciudad para arrestar a todos los hombres jóvenes.
Al entrar en su casa, se escondió
detrás de una puerta. Los soldados registraron la casa, pero no lo
encontraron y se fueron. Luego se
escondió en la residencia de su Arzobispo, donde permaneció hasta
el final de la guerra.
7. Asistió al Concilio Vaticano II como obispo y ayudó a
redactar varios documentos
Colaboró en la redacción del
texto final de Dignitatis humanae,
el Decreto sobre la libertad religiosa, y Gaudium et spes, la Constitución Pastoral sobre la Iglesia en
el mundo actual.
8. Fue el primer Papa no italiano desde el siglo XVI
Juan Pablo II era polaco y no
hemos tenido un Papa italiano
desde él: Benedicto XVI es alemán,
y Francisco es argentino.
9. Como Papa habló 9 idiomas con fluidez
Sabía polaco, latín, griego antiguo, italiano, francés, alemán,
inglés, español y portugués. En su
juventud estuvo familiarizado con
unos 12 idiomas.
10. Visitó 129 países durante
su pontificado
Esto lo convirtió en uno de los
líderes mundiales que más ha viajado en la historia y le hizo ganar el
sobrenombre de “Papa Peregrino”.
11. Beatificó y canonizó a más
personas que el resto de los Papas
que lo antecedieron... juntos
Beatificó a 1.340 personas y
canonizó a 483 personas. Esta cifra
supera a todos los beatos y santos
canonizados por todos los Papas
anteriores a él en toda la historia
de la Iglesia.
12. Fue héroe de un cómic de
Marvel en los años ‘80s
Sí, has leído bien y puedes leer
más de esto aquí. No estaba solo:
la Beata Madre Teresa de Calcuta
y San Francisco de Asís también
protagonizaron libros de historietas.
13. Es el cuarto Papa que ostenta el título de “el Grande”
Aunque el otorgamiento del
título no tiene proceso oficial y
es solamente por el uso popular,
sólo otros tres papas en la historia
han merecido tal honor: San León
Magno (440 hasta 461), San Gregorio el Grande (590-604), y San
Nicolás Magno (858-867).
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL 13
Noviembre 2015 - The Valley Catholic
Gregory A. Shemitz/
Andrea Bocelli
saluda al Papa
Francisco en el
Encuentro Mundial
de las Familias el
26 de septiembre
en FiladelÀa .
Andrea Bocelli habla de
su profunda fe católica
El tenor italiano ha
WFOEJEPNÈTEF
milliones de discos
Por EDUARDO BERDEJO
ACI Prensa
ROMA — “La mía es una fe
fruto del razonamiento”, afirmó
el tenor italiano Andrea Bocelli, durante un programa de la
televisión italiana donde narró
pasajes de sus encuentros con el
Papa Francisco y la labor que realiza con su fundación para ayudar a los más necesitados.
El pasado 13 de octubre el
programa “Bel tempo si spera”
de Tv2000 emitió una entrevista
con Bocelli, en la que el reconocido cantante recordó que nació
en una familia muy unida y que
su fe “es fruto del razonamiento”.
“Tomo prestada una frase
que fue usada en otro contexto y
para otras razones: la fe es ‘fundamento granítico de la necesidad objetiva histórica’. No se
puede pensar que se es hijo de la
casualidad. Es una tontería absurda”, expresó.
Bocelli dijo que creer “ser
hijo del azar” sería como pensar
que “esta casa viene de la nada”,
pues así como tuvo que haber alguien que la construyó, “del mismo modo y con mayor razón”
es con el universo, “que es algo
extremadamente complejo que
supera nuestra imaginación”.
“No se puede ser hijo de la casualidad. Por tanto mi fe nace así”,
afirmó.
El tenor, que se define un
católico ferviente y defensor de
la vida, indicó que la fe es “natu-
ralmente un camino, porque si
uno está interesado en profundizar una cosa, debe hacer también sus sacrificios como se hacen para aprender la matemática
o el piano. Existen sus ejercicios,
así como la matemática exige las
tablas de multiplicar y otras cosas, el piano las escales y los arpegios, así la fe precisa también
sus ejercicios espirituales que
van desde la oración a más. Solo
se hace así, si nos adecuamos a
este tipo de disciplina, se hacen
descubrimientos sensacionales”.
Durante el programa, Bocelli
también explicó los objetivos y
origen de su fundación. “La vida
te ha reservado tanta fortuna y
en torno a ti hay tantas situaciones difíciles”, que uno debe hacer
algo, indicó.
El cantante italiano dijo que
quien lo inspiró fue la persona
de un sacerdote, a quien “defino como un héroe de nuestros
tiempos porque es una persona
ha dedicado toda su vida a trabajar en los lugares donde hay
mucho sufrimiento.
En ese sentido, contó su
amistad con el Papa Francisco.
“Pedí poder reunirme con el
Papa para hablar sobre mi fundación y fui recibido rápido,
prácticamente”.
“Conocí al Papa y a sus colaboradores y debo decir que
quedé impresionado sobre todo
por toda la atención que dan al
prójimo. Son personas que verdaderamente creen en aquello
que hacen y se comportan con
una coherencia verdaderamente
admirable”, afirmó el tenor,
quien en julio pasado conmovió
Roma y las redes sociales con
su interpretación de Amazing
Grace en la Plaza de San Pedro.
»La Alegría de Vivir
San Junípero Serra
L
os historiadores tratan de
poner en contexto los eventos que sucedieron cientos
de años atrás, a veces de forma imparcial y otras no, pero la verdad
es difícil tener una idea clara de
eventos tan controversiales como
la conquista y la colonización de
territorios. Sabemos que nuestro
estado de Texas, Nuevo México,
Arizona, Nevada y todo California formaron parte del territorio
mexicano, lo que originalmente
era llamado La Nueva España
antes de la independencia, y que
fueron monjes franciscanos los
que instituyeron misiones en todos
esos territorios desolados y alejados del centro político de la ciudad
de México, estas misiones siguen
de pie, y en muchos casos fueron
el motivo de la formación de ciudades que hoy en día son americanas pero que siguen manteniendo
sus nombres y sus tradiciones. Fue
fray Junípero Serra, a quien se le
encargo evangelizar los territorios
inhóspitos de la alta California en
1766, quien inicio el desarrollo
agrícola de el estado de mayor
producción en nuestra nación,
California, también fueron los
monjes los que iniciaron el cultivo
de la vid, lo que hoy se ha convertido en una prestigiosa industria
vinícola en el mismo estado, pero
su obra fue criticada y cuestionada entonces por la sociedad e
incluso la misma iglesia, pues no
se consideraba a los nativos como
Msgr. Juan
Nicolau
Sacerdote jubilado
de la Diócesis de
Brownsville
seres humanos, se les veía como
algo extraño y hostil, sin embargo
Junípero insistía en que los indígenas vivieran dentro de las misiones, para protegerlos de los excesos
y abusos de algunos militares, en
las misiones no solo cristianizaban
a los indígenas, además les enseñaban agricultura, ganadería, oficios
para hacer sus comunidades
sustentables por lo que muchos
pueblos indígenas abandonaron
sus costumbres nómadas y dejaron
de hacer la guerra entre tribus,
sin embargo al vivir juntos fueron
expuestos a nuevas enfermedades
que traían los europeos, para
las cuales su sistema inmune
no estaba preparado por lo cual
murieron cientos de miles, lo hoy
en día es motivo de controversia.
No se pueden disputar los hechos,
es claro que el trabajo misionero
de fray Junípero fue la columna
vertebral de la civilización europea
en California, muchas fueron sus
obras, sin embargo también es
cierto que las poblaciones originales fueron mermadas a causa de
su contacto con los “blancos”, se
calcula que de los 325,000 indígenas que habitaban originalmente
esos territorios, fueron 60,000 los
que murieron debido al contagio
de nuevas enfermedades contraídas al trabajar en las misiones en
los siguientes 50 años desde que
tuvieron el primer contacto con los
europeos recién llegados. Algunos
descendientes de esos pueblos
originales aborrecen la figura de
fray Junípero, así como muchos
detestan la figura de Cristóbal
Colon por los mismos motivos, sin
embargo es innegable la importancia que tuvo el trabajo fundador
de fray Junípero en lo que es hoy
el gran estado de California. Nadie
puede saber que habría sido de
esos pueblos originales si no se
hubieran mezclado con la población española, mexicana, sajona
y asiática en los cientos de años
que han pasado desde la aparición
de las primeras misiones, tal vez al
no ser cristianos cuando California
paso de México a la unión americana hubieran sido exterminados
por considerarlos salvajes, lo que
desgraciadamente paso en muchas
otras regiones según lo registra la
historia americana. Los restos de
Miquel Junípero Serra descansan
en la Misión de San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, hoy Carmel,
California, donde murió a los 70
años, después de haber dejado
un legado innegable que ha sido
reconocido por la importancia
que tiene en la historia de nuestro
país y el ejemplo de su caridad
cristiana.
El Papa: La victoria por el cielo
se gana con pequeños esfuerzos
Por JUNNO
AROCHO ESTEVES
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO
(CNS) – Como los atletas, los cristianos deben entrenarse en santidad para ganar “la gran victoria de
los cielos”, dijo el papa Francisco en
una Misa tempranera.
En la homilía de esa Misa, celebrada el 19 de octubre en la capilla
de su residencia, conocida en latín
como “Domus Sanctae Marthae”
(Casa de Santa Marta), el Papa presentó sus reflexiones sobre la primera lectura tomada de una carta del
apóstol San Pablo, dirigida a los
romanos, en la que les hace un llamado a los cristianos para que presenten su respectivo cuerpo “como
esclavos para la justificación de la
santificación”.
Aunque la conversión es un deber y uno debe de entrenarse como
atleta que se prepara para una
competencia, el Papa dijo que la
santificación no se origina en esos
esfuerzos.
“Los esfuerzos que hacemos,
este trabajo diario de servir al Señor
con nuestra alma, nuestro corazón,
nuestro cuerpo, con nuestra vida
entera, solamente le abre la puerta
al Espíritu Santo”, dijo el Papa. “¡Es
Él el que viene a habitar dentro de
nosotros y nos salva! ¡Él es el dón
de Jesucrito!”
Empero, el Papa reconoció que
debido a nuestra debilidad, debido
al pecado original y al demonio,
El camino de la salvación ² aÀrmó el Papa ² es el de las Bienaventuranzas: “la
primera es la pobreza de espíritu”, es decir, no estar apegado a las riquezas que –
si se las poseen – deben estar “al servicio de los demis, para compartir, para que
tanta gente vaya adelante”.
la tentación de regresar a nuestros
antiguos hábitos es constante. El
camino para la conversión, dijo,
está hecho “de poquito en poquito
todos los días “, incluso aunque
haya dificultades.
Como ejemplo, el Papa habló
de una mujer que sufría de cáncer
y que él había conocido.
Ella, a pesar de sufrir de tan terrible enfermedad, “se desenvolvía
con alegría “ y “actuaba como si
estuviera sana’.
“Y hablando de esta actitud, la
mujer me dijo: ‘¡Padre, daría cualquier cosa por vencer el cáncer!’
Y así es lo mismo que les debe de
pasar a los cristianos”, dijo el Papa.
“Nosotros que hemos recibido este
dón en Jesucristo y hemos salido
del pecado, de la vida de iniquidad
“ debemos seguir adelante, “un
paso cada día”.
Estos pequeños esfuerzos, dijo,
“nos ayudan a no caer, a no regresar, a no retornar a nuestra iniquidad; sino a seguir adelante en
busca de este dón, esta promesa de
Jesucristo que es precisamente el
encontrarnos con Él”.
“Pidámosle esta gracia al Señor:
que seamos fuertes, que seamos
fuertes en este entrenamiento de
vida en busca del encuentro con Él,
para que recibamos el dón de la justificación, el dón de gracia, el dón
del Espíritu Santo en Jesucristo”,
dijo el Papa.
14
DIOCESE
A'PSUIFZPVUIJO&M4BMWBEPSUIFSFJTOPGVUVSF
'BUIFSUPATUBSUBMM
over’ to give his
daughters a better life
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
McALLEN — When Carlos
Larios arrived at the immigrant
respite center at Sacred Heart Parish McAllen on Oct. 25 with his
two teenage daughters, he heard
the staff and volunteers needed
help cleaning the bathrooms. Even
though he and his daughters were
exhausted and hungry after traveling for 25 grueling days, he quickly
offered his assistance.
Behind the warm smile and
the helpful demeanor was a man
whose pain could not be hidden.
His wife left their native El Salvador when the girls were two and
three years old to come to the
United States, purportedly to get a
job and arrange a home for all of
them, but she left them and her old
life behind.
Larios, 40, raised his daughters,
Karla, 17 and Gloria, 16, with the
help of his grandmother. He owned
a small store and bought a modest
home. His daughters were thriving
at school.
Violence in El Salvador has
surged in recent years. In August
2015, more than 900 people were
killed, including 47 police officers
and 16 soldiers, according to statistics from the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC). The youth are
disproportionately affected by the
violence as they are recruited and
targeted by gangs.
Larios and his family have been
touched by the violence. His brother was murdered and in September,
his daughter Gloria was kidnapped
by a gang. He paid a ransom and
she was returned to him after several days.
For Larios, the kidnapping was
the last straw. He took two days to
get his affairs in order, which included selling his business — “everything I had worked for,” he said
— and fled for the United States,
“to start all over.”
“For the youth in El Salvador,
there is no future,” Larios said.
During their journey north,
Karla — “and only Karla for some
strange reason,” he said — was
detained by the authorities in Veracruz, Mexico. He said he had
to pay a large fine to have her released. They continued to the
United States and crossed the Rio
Grande River into Rio Grande
City. They were lost in the brush
for eight hours before they were
apprehended by the U.S. Border
Patrol. At the detention center, he
was separated from his daughters
for four days and didn’t know their
whereabouts.
“The way the detained children and teenagers are treated in
the United States is truly reprehensible,” Larios said. “Four days
without a bath, without a change
of clothes, without a toothbrush,
without a warm meal …”
The Valley Catholic
Above, left: Carlos Larios, 40, with his daughters, Karla, 17 and Gloria, 16. Fearing for their safety, the family left El Salvador
after Gloria was kidnapped by a gang for ransom. Above right: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Àtted Carlos Larios
with an electronic monitoring device, which he will wear until his hearing with an immigration judge in November.
“It was super cold and we only
had a foil sheet to cover ourselves,”
Gloria Larios said. “Because it was
so cold, I got sick.”
“I don’t care that they treated
me this way, I am a grown man,
but not the children,” Carlos Larios said. “It is cruel. This is a severe problem that needs to be addressed.”
The Larios family was reunited
upon their release from the detention center and brought to Sacred
Heart Parish.
“This is the first time in 25 days
we have been treated with kindness
and dignity,” Carlos Larios said.
With an electronic monitoring
device strapped to his ankle, he
and his daughters were heading for
Houston to stay with family. His
first order of business, he said, was
to enroll his daughters in school
and begin the job he had waiting
for him.
Carlos Larios said he is fully
prepared for his November court
date with an immigration judge.
He plans to present the police report detailing his daughter’s kidnapping and other documents in
hopes they will be allowed to stay
in the United States.
After surviving a kidnapping,
Gloria Larios knows moving to the
United States is best for her and her
family.
“But it hurts to leave my great-
grandma behind,” she said. “She’s
82-years-old and wouldn’t have
been able to make this trip, but she
gave us her blessing. She wants us
to have a good life, a safe life.”
Prayer has played a vital role
throughout their journey, Gloria
Larios said, adding that she felt a
sense of peace when she realized
they were brought to a church.
“We prayed the whole way,” she
said. “We could not cope without
him. Thanks be to God we made
it.”
Carlos Larios vows to return to
McAllen to volunteer at the respite
center – the place that gave him
hope – if he is allowed to stay in the
country.
The Valley Catholic
Baby Minerly,
10 months, from
Honduras plays at
the respite center
at Sacred Heart
Parish in McAllen
as he and his
mother wait for a
bus to Tennessee.
‘Our numbers have gone up’
More volunteers
needed at respite
center in McAllen
The Valley Catholic
McALLEN — The immigrant
respite center at Sacred Heart Parish in McAllen has served more
than 26,000 people from more than
30 countries since it opened its
doors in June 2014.
Media coverage has dwindled
compared to the early days of the
center leading many to believe the
number of refugees visiting the
center is down, but the humanitarian crisis persists.
“We are seeing more refugees
now monthly in 2015 on average
than we saw in 2014,” said Deb
Boyce, director of development
and communications for Catholic
Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. “Our numbers have gone up.
That data defies the notion that the
numbers are down.”
More volunteers are needed to
serve the rising numbers of refugees. The center, which is housed
in the parish hall of Sacred Heart
Church, is located at the corner of
Dallas and 15th Streets in downtown McAllen. Hours of operation
are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a
week, 365 days a year. Volunteers
need a valid ID and a heart of service. Orientation is provided.
The majority of the refugees
passing through the center come
from El Salvador, Honduras and
Guatamela, however, the number
of refugees from other countries is
on the rise.
“Recently, we have being seeing increasing numbers of refugees
from Romania, Sri Lanka, India,
China, Bangladesh and many
countries in Africa,” Boyce said.
DIOCESE 15
»Media
Resource
Center
New altar blessed in Donna
» Calendar of Events
November
1
Recommended by SISTER
MAUREEN CROSBY, SSD
Coordinator of the Media Resource
Center - Diocese of Brownsville
»From the
Bookshelf
Flunking
Sainthood
»Worth Watching
La Santa
Misa De Las
Americas:
Format: VHS Length: 57mins
Audience: All
Publication:Nov. 28, 1991
Multi-cultural, multi-racism & multi-lingual
Thanksgiving service at San Fernando
Cathedral, San Antonio, TX; Diocese of
San Antonio, TX,
Saint
Elizabeth Of
Hungary
Format: DVD Length: 30 minutes
Audience: Children 3-12
Production: EWTN 30:00
St. Elizabeth of Hungary always trusted
in God’s divine direction and providence
throughout good times and bad.
1
Mass for children with special
needs and their families (Holy
Family Church, Brownsville)
7
5th Annual Gala (JDA, Mission)
7
Sponsor Couple Training I
(Family Life 2f¿ce)
11 Veterans Day
12 DRE Certi¿cation Classes
(2f¿ce of Catechesis)
14-15 Retiro PreMatrionial
Bishop Daniel E. Flores joined Father Robert DeLong of the Missionaries of the Holy Family on Oct. 11 to bless the newly
renovated St. Joseph Church in Donna. The church was originally built in 1979. St. Joseph Church was established as a parish
in 1928.
Advent,
England, 1620. The Pilgrims are setting
for far-off America. They are leaving
behind friends and safe homes. They
are afraid. What will they ¿nd in the new
land? Will they survive? Their true story
is full of surprises.
Daylight Saving Time Ends
10 Clase para Certi¿cado come
DER (2f¿ce of Catechesis)
Event photos taken by Andrea Rodriguez, Alicia Rodriguez, Gaby Hernandez and Flor Hernandez, Mobile Journalists for The Valley Catholic
Format: Paperback Length: 48 pgs
Audience: Children, ages 3-8
Author: Linda Hayward & James
Watling,
Publication:1990
All Souls Day
1
6-8 Catholic Engaged Encounter
Format: Paperback Length: 179 pgs
Audience: Adults
Author: Jana Reiss, 1st edition
Publication:Paraclete Press 2011
Thanksgiving every day! Meeting Jesus
in the kitchen or not, practice makes
imperfect, centering prayer, Jesus prays,
look! A squirrel! Seven? Five? Three
times a day will I praise You.
The First
Thanksgiving
All Saints Day
2
Joseph present Jesus in the temple.
He says: “(and you yourself
a sword will pierce) so that the
thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed” (Lk 2:35).
Mary watches Jesus grow from
an infant to a boy, the kind who
gets lost in the temple and can’t
understand why his parents worry.
Father Salazar,
pal consecration, that fullness,
namely, which both in the liturgical tradition of the Church and in
the language of the Fathers of the
Church is called the high priesthood, the acme of the sacred ministry (Vatican II LG 21, 373).
In a special way the priest is a
co-worker of the bishop. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
states that they are “sharers in his
consecration and mission; and
these, in their turn, duly entrusted
in varying degrees various members of the Church with the office
of their ministry” (CCC 1562).
The authority that Christ passed
on over to the apostles, and continued through their successors
the bishops, are also shared by
the priest which “Christ himself
builds up and sanctifies [to rule
over] his Body” (CCC 1563).
The obvious question now
left to answer is “how does one
She watches him rise, nudging
him along for his first miracle at
Cana, then suffers the ultimate
heartache. She stands at the cross
watching her son die a terrible
death.
And still she waits.
Her patient waiting provides
a roadmap of faith for us. Steady,
obedient, faithful, she simply follows the path God has drawn for
her.
During Advent, we should all
be so willing to wait and listen to
what God is really saying to us.
That means slowing down and
savoring the moment rather than
pushing to get to the next great
thing.
It also means accepting suffering, if need be, because we don’t
know when it will turn to joy. It
means appreciating the struggles
because eventually they lead to
successes. It’s treasuring the unexpected.
Mary did just that, and look
how it turned out for all of us.
become a priest?” All potential
priests go through a Seminary
Formation program which consists of four pillars that help the
applicant to empty themselves so
that one can be filled of Christ.
The four formation pillars consist
of Human formation, Spiritual
formation, Intellectual formation and Pastoral formation and
are interdependent and interrelated with each other. The Human formation pillar seeks to
“foster” in the potential priest a
sense of “communion, someone
who makes a gift of himself and
is able to receive the gift of others”
(USCCB 36). Next is the Spiritual
formation pillar, which seeks to
help the potential priest to “live in
an intimate and unceasing union
with God the Father through his
Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy
Spirit” (USCCB 42).
Following the above two pillars is the Intellectual formation
pillar.
Apart from acquiring
knowledge through reason, it is
also important “to acquire a personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is the fullness and
completion of God’s revelation
and the one Teacher” (USCCB
53). And the last formation pillar is Pastoral formation. As the
name implies, this pillar is the
“culmination” of the other three
pillars in that it prepares a candidate to be a “true shepherd who
teaches, sanctifies, and governs”
his flock (USCCB 76-77).
In the end, my discussions
with my friend Patrick not only
helped in my discernment process, but we both came out a
little more informed about what
a priest is called to do in service.
How the priest is an essential part
of the ministry of the church in
particular the sacraments. We
also learned more about the
structure and hierarchy of the
Church and the varying degrees
of its ministers. And finally, what
it takes to form a well rounded,
priest with the formation pillars
in focus. Wherever Patrick may
be now, I hope and pray Christ
will always remain close to his
heart.
Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Peña’s Calendar
November 14
November 16-19
November 24
9 am
All Day
noon
Serra Talk at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Harlingen
USCCB General Meeting
Baltimore
Diocesan Thanksgiving Mass/Luncheon
San Juan
On going:
8 a.m. Mass Monday - Saturday at St. Joseph Chapel of
Perpetual Adoration, 727 Bowie St., Alamo
3 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph Chapel of Perpetual Adoration,
727 Bowie St., Alamo
7 p.m. Holy Hour Weekly every Thursday at 727 Bowie
St., Alamo
1st: Intention to the Consecrated Life (active and
contemplative) and for the Sisters and Brothers in our
diocese and the success of their mission
2nd: Intention to the Permanent Diaconate the deacons
(permanent and transitional) of the diocese and their
families
3rd : Intention to Married Life: for the welfare and
sanctification of all the families in the diocese and for
building up the Kingdom in our domestic churches
4th: Intention to the priesthood and the priests of the
diocese for the success of their ministry
5th: Intention to Pope Francis
15 Market Days
(CDA#2540, McAllen)
19 Professional Day
21 Convalidation Conference
26-29 Men’s Spanish Cursillo
27 Happy Thanksgiving
Diocesan 2f¿ces Closed
28 Thanksgiving Holiday
29 First Sunday of
Advent
December
4
Advent Day of ReÀection
5-6 For Better Forever
6
Mass for children with special
needs and their families
(Holy Family, Brownville)
8 Immaculate Conception
Diocesan Of ces Closed
12 Feast of Our Lady of
Guadalupe
24 Christmas Eve
25 Christmas Day
26 Christmas Holiday
Please submit your advvent schedule to be
published in The Valley Catholic by the first
Friday of each month by email at tdeleon@
cdob.org or fax: (956) 784-5082.
Volunteers needed
for Sharing Baskets
The Valley Catholic
Volunteers are needed on
Tuesday, Nov. 24 in San Juan and
Brownsville from the annual Sharing Basket project, which provides
food for 5,000 families in need just
in time for Thanksgiving.
Volunteers are invited to come
to the Basilica Auditorium in
San Juan from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or
Catholic Charities in Brownsville,
located at 955 W. Price Rd., from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m.
Volunteers of all ages and abilities are needed and appreciated.
For more information, call
(956) 702-4088.
16
DIOCESE
Our Catholic Family
‘The faith is what keeps us going’
Vela Perpetua Altar
Society marks 125th
anniversary
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
RIO GRANDE CITY — The
bonds of faith and friendship have
brought the women of the Vela Perpetua Altar Society at Immaculate
Conception Church in Rio Grande
City together for 125 years.
The Vela Perpetua Altar Society
was established in 1890 by Louisiana Davis, the daughter of Henry
Clay Davis, who founded Rio
Grande City in 1848 after the Mexican War. The society was recognized at a Mass on Sept. 19 for 125
years of service to the parish.
The mission of the society is to
honor Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to promote a devotion
to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the
Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The organization’s original purpose was to clean the altar and
care for the altar cloths. Today, the
group no longer handles those responsibilities but they continue
to organize the First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and daily Rosaries throughout the
Mass,
is meant to be offered to be a place
of healing and to give all those parents the opportunity to name their
child and commend them to God,
who is rich in mercy,” said Father
Alejandro Flores, director of the diocesan Respect Life Apostolate and
pastor of San Juan Diego Parish in
McAllen, who organized the Mass.
“From the moment of a child’s
conception, they were important
to God,” Bishop Flores said. “God
gave them a name.”
During his homily, Bishop
Flores shared that he and his family
experienced the loss of a son and
brother.
“I’m particularly grateful for
this Mass because it touches me
personally,” he said. “I grew up
hearing my mother and father talk
about the big brother I never knew,
who had died. He would have
been my father’s oldest, son, Javier.
Eric Sánchez/The Valley Catholic
Members of the Vela Perpetua Altar Society from
Immaculate Conception Church in Rio Grande City,
pictured with Father Jesus G. Garza, were honored on
the occasion of the organization’s 125th Anniversary
at a Mass on Sept. 19.
months of May, the month of Mary;
June, which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and October,
the month of the Rosary.
In October, the society also organized a public Rosary in the town
square, not only to promote a devotion to the Rosary, but also to pray
for humanity, said Ramona Olivares, president of the Vela Perpetua
Altar Society and a member since
1988.
ON THE LOSS OF A BABY
“
“ From the moment of a
child’s conception, they were
important to God. ... God gave
them a name.
- Bishop Daniel E. Flores
From his homily at the Mass of Innocents at
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in McAllen
I grew up watching my parents deal
with it in a human way. Sometimes,
they would just start crying.
“To this day, 57 years later, my
mother still talks to me about my
brother, which tells me just how
profound is the mark, that even for
a brief time, a child leaves on the
family.”
Bishop Flores said he looks forward to meeting his big brother Javier someday.
“Ever since I was a little boy and
to this day, I tell myself and I tell
God, I look forward to heaven so
I can meet the brother my mother
talks about,” he said. “I believe this,
“The best way for evil to succeed
is for the good people to do nothing,” she said.
The society also assists as needed
in any church related activities, in
the form of either service or fundraising. Monthly meetings are
held on the third Saturday of each
month.
For Aminta Reyna Alaniz, secretary of the Vela Perpetua Altar
Society, belonging to the group is
because it is the faith of the Church,
the faith of the prophet.
“The world may lose its reason,
but the Church will not lose her
faith.”
During the Mass, parents were
invited to write their baby’s name
in a Book of Remembrance. For
some parents, it was the first time
they had given their child a name.
The line of people waiting to
inscribe their message in the book
extended down the center aisle of
the sanctuary to the back of the
church.
Pregnancy and infant loss
touches many families. Each year
in the United States, about a million pregnancies end in miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a
newborn baby.
Father Flores said those who
have experienced the loss of a baby
can additionally seek help at their
parish.
“I encourage you to talk to your
priest about finding healing and
consolation in our God,” he said.
continuing a family legacy of faith
and service. She credits the influence of her late mother, who was
also a member of the group, for her
own involvement.
“To me, it’s about holding on to
and believing in the strong Catholic
values that were instilled by our ancestors,” said Alaniz, who joined the
group in 1981. “The faith is what
keeps us going.”
Currently, the society consists of
about 30 members. The group uses
a referral system for membership.
They seek prayerful women in good
standing with the Church to join.
Olivares said they are particularly
proud of the longevity of the group
and strive to keep the tradition of
the society alive and thriving.
“What other organization is
125-years-old and still going?” she
said.
The Valley Catholic
Bishop Daniel E.
Flores writes the name
of his older brother,
Javier, in the Book of
Remembrance at the
Mass of Innocents on
Oct. 13 at Our Lady
of Sorrows Parish in
McAllen. The Mass
of Innocents extends
healing to families who
have experienced the
loss of a baby before or
shortly after birth.

View - Catholic Diocese of Brownsville

Transcription

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