Catholic hospital opens in Harker Heights

JULY/AUGUST 2012
T H E
V O L U M E 3 0, N U M B E R 7
O F F I C I A L
P U B L I C A T I O N
O F
T H E
D I O C E S E
O F
A U S T I N
Catholic hospital opens in Harker Heights
BY ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
With the opening of Seton
Medical Center Harker Heights,
Bell County now has a Catholic
hospital.
Bishop Joe Vásquez blessed
the chapel and the hospital ––
from its doors to its emergency
rooms –– at the June 8 dedication. Staff and members of
the Seton Healthcare Family
and LHP Hospital Group, the
corporation with which Seton
partnered to build the facility,
attended the blessing.
Daughter of Charity Sis-
ter Helen Brewer, chair of the
Seton Healthcare Family, welcomed Bishop Vásquez, noting
that the bishop would bless the
doors to the lobby in recognition that “when people come to
us for service and for care they
will receive the care that they
need and … they will be treated
with the greatest of respect, with
the greatest of dignity for who
they are.”
The bishop said God showers his love and blessing in a
particular way on those who are
in distress and who are sick, and
on those who assist and minister
to the sick.
“The sick and the hurting
are a special reection of Christ
himself. Did he not say that
whatsoever you do to for one of
them you do for him?” Bishop
Vásquez asked.
In partnering with LHP the
Seton Healthcare Family required that the joint venture
adopt, implement and maintain
Seton’s uncompensated care
policies that are part of its mission to serve the poor and vulnerable. Also, the joint venture
is required to be organized and
operated according to the Ethical and Religious Directives for
Catholic Health Care Services
(ERDs) as approved by the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Austin Diocese
6225 Hwy. 290 East
Austin, Texas 78723
Periodical
Postage Paid
at Austin, Texas
SETON MEDICAL CENTER HARKER HEIGHTS opened its doors in June. Seton Healthcare Family partnered with LHP Hospital Group to build the only Catholic hospital in Bell
County. (Photo courtesy Melissa Purl/Seton)
All associates, medical staff
and volunteers will be educated
to support the hospital’s Catholic mission and values, comply
with the ERDs and provide
reverent and holistic care to
patients and families, with a
special concern for the poor and
vulnerable.
Because this partnership is
between the Seton Healthcare
Family and LHP, the partners
sought and received permission
from Bishop Vásquez to pursue
the Catholic identity.
The three-story acute care
hospital is 192,400 square feet
and situated on a 23-acre site.
It has 83 licensed beds and a
total capacity of 138 beds. It
has an intensive care unit and
a women’s center for labor,
delivery and recovery with its
own dedicated entrance.
It has specialists in 20 elds,
including cardiology, obstetrics
and gynecology, intensive and
critical care, oncology and pain
management.
The emergency room is
staffed at all times by boardcertied staff and has a helipad.
The hospital also has a referral
relationship with Dell Children’s
Medical Center in Austin.
The hospital partners estimate the facility will have an
economic impact of $1.5 billion
in the Harker Heights community.
FORTNIGHT
FOR FREEDOM
See SETON on Page 5
GIRL SCOUTS
GSUSA faces criticisms
and seeks to clarify
misconceptions.
Page 9
Catholics pray and learn
more about defending
our religious liberty.
Page 4
BISHOP’S
ESPAÑOL
INTERVIEW
Las parroquias
ayudan a inmigrantes
a aprender Inglés.
Página 29
Celebrating the legacy
of Vatican II and the
New Evangelization
Page 19
After the blessing, the bishop praised the Daughters of
Charity for their commitment to
providing health care for Central
Texans, especially for the poor.
“Caring for the sick is part
of who we are as a Catholic
Church,” Bishop Vásquez said.
“Christ asked us to care for the
sick and poor.”
He said the Daughters of
Charity are following in the tradition of St. Vincent de Paul and
St. Louise de Marillac, founders
of the Daughters of Charity in
1655 in France. The Catholic
Identity Covenant agreement
with the Diocese of Austin to
have the new hospital have a
Catholic identify and Seton’s role
as a minority partner with LHP
“speak well” of the Daughters of
Charity and the Catholic Church.
“It’s an excellent example
of cooperation ... We are serving the needs of the community
and the common good,” the
bishop said.
Sister Brewer said the new
medical center is the 12th health
care ministry afliated with Seton in Central Texas. This does
not include clinics and other
services.
She said the Seton leadership, which consists mainly of
lay people, looked at responding
to the needs in certain areas of
2
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and traditions;
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growth in the faith;
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the renewal of the church in Central Texas.
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STAFF
Publisher: Most Rev. Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin
Editor: Shelley Metcalf; (512) 949-2400,
[email protected]
Assistant Editor: Christian R. González; (512) 949-2400,
[email protected]
Advertising: Shelley Metcalf;
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Spanish translation: Beatriz Ferrer Welsh
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Copyright 2012 by the Austin Diocese. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any editorial content, photograph,
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VOICES
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Father Scott makes his nal ‘good stop’
Paulist Father
Robert “Bob”
Scott died July
16 at St. Joseph’s
Home for the Elderly in Totowa,
N.J. He was 90.
Born in East
Orange, N.J.,
in 1921, Father
Scott studied at
St. Paul’s College
in Washington,
D.C. He made
his rst promise
with the Paulist community in 1943 and was ordained to the priesthood on May 3, 1949.
Father Scott’s rst pastoral assignment was
at the Paulist Center in Boston. He served various parishes and campus ministry programs in
the Northeast and as vocation director for the
Paulists throughout the rst three decades of
his priestly life.
He loved sports and was the chaplain for the
football team at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. The team perished in a plane crash
in November 1970. He was also known for
his homilies, in which he referred to Mass as a
“good stop.”
He served at campus ministry programs in
Ohio, California, Tennessee and North Carolina
before he came to Austin in 1981. He served at
St. Austin Parish in Austin from 1981 to 1986,
and he served as chaplain to Baylor University in Waco and Southwestern University in
Georgetown. He then semi-retired but came
back to Central Texas in 1999 to serve at St.
Paul the Apostle Parish in Horseshoe Bay. He
was in residence at St. Austin Parish in Austin
until May 2011.
The Mass of Christian burial was celebrated July
19 and Father Scott was buried in the Paulist Fathers section of St. Thomas the Apostle Cemetery
in Oak Ridge, N.J.
EIM workshops for end of July and August
The Ethics and Integrity in Ministry policies of the Austin Diocese were established in 2002 to
educate Catholics on how to help prevent sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. According
to the policies, all employees and those volunteers who minister to youth or vulnerable adults in
the diocese are required to complete an Application for Ministry, which permits the diocese to run a
criminal background check. Additionally, all new applicants are required to attend a three-hour EIM
workshop for adults within 60 days of their EIM application submission. Every three years employees
and volunteers must attend an EIM refresher course or the three-hour EIM workshop.
Upcoming EIM workshops are listed below. Please call the location you would like to attend at
the phone number listed so that enough materials are available. For more information regarding the
diocesan EIM policies, visit www.austindiocese.org or call (512) 949-2400.
Three-hour courses
July 28, 9 a.m. to noon at San Jose Parish in Austin - IN SPANISH; (512) 444-7587
July 28, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at St. Helen Parish in Georgetown - IN SPANISH; (512) 863-3041
July 29, 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Parish in Mason; (325) 347-5327
Aug. 2, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at St. Martin de Porres Parish in Dripping Springs; (512) 858-5667
Aug. 6, 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Julia Parish in Austin; (512) 926-4186
Aug. 11, 1 to 4 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Parish in San Marcos; (512) 353-8969
Aug. 14, 9 a.m. to noon St. Joseph Parish in Bryan; (979) 822-2721
Aug. 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Comanche Chapel at Fort Hood; (254) 287-1541
Aug. 18, 1 to 4 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist in San Marcos - IN SPANISH; (512) 353-8969
Aug. 19, 2 to 5 p.m. at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Burnet; (512) 756-4410
Aug. 22, 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Mary Parish in Hearne; (979) 279-2233
Aug. 25, 9 a.m. to noon at Sacred Heart Parish in La Grange; (979) 968-3430
Aug. 25, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Mary Parish in Lampasas; (512) 556-5544
Aug. 25, 9 a.m. to noon at St. Theresa Parish in Austin; (512) 451-5121
Aug. 25, 9 a.m. to noon at St. Helen Parish in Georgetown; (512) 863-3041
Aug. 25, 9 a.m. to noon at Holy Family Parish in Copperas Cove; (254) 547-3735
Aug. 26, 9 a.m. to noon at St. John Parish in Marble Falls - IN SPANISH; (830) 693-5134
Aug. 28, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at St. Gabriel Catholic School in Austin; (512) 327-7755
Aug. 29, 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin; (512) 892-2420
Refresher courses
Aug. 5, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Parish in Llano; (325) 247-4481
Aug. 6, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Mary Cathedral Parish in Austin; (512) 476-6182
Aug. 9, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Martin de Porres Parish in Dripping Springs; (512) 858-5667
Aug. 10, 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Parish in La Grange; (979) 968-3430
Aug. 13, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary, Church of the Assumption in Waco; (254) 753-0146
Aug. 14, 9 to 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Parish in Bryan; (979) 822-2721
Aug. 14, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at St. Mary Parish in Brenham; (979) 836-4441
Aug. 16, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Parish in La Grange; (979) 968-3430
Aug. 18, 9 to 10:30 a.m. at San Jose Parish in Austin; (512) 444-7587
Aug. 18, 10 to 11:30 a.m. at St. Albert the Great Parish in Austin; (512) 837-7825
Aug. 19, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Parish in Mason; (325) 347-5327
Aug. 22, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Burnet; (512) 756-4410
Aug. 25, 9 to 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary, Church of the Assumption in West; (254) 826-3705
Aug. 25, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at St. Theresa Parish in Austin; (512) 451-5121
Aug. 25, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at St. Helen Parish in Georgetown; (512) 863-3041
Aug. 25, 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Ascension Parish in Bastrop; (512) 321-3552
Aug. 27, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Comanche Chapel at Fort Hood; (254) 287-1541
Aug. 28, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Austin Parish in Austin; (512) 477-9471
July/August 2012
CENTRAL TEXAS
Bishop McCarthy ordained four priests June 9
BISHOP EMERITUS JOHN MCCARTHY ordained (from
left) Kurtis Wiedenfeld, David Trahan, Uche Andeh and Ryan
Higdon to the priesthood on June 9 at St. William Parish in
Round Rock. Due to illness, Bishop Joe Vásquez was not
able to celebrate the Mass. As of July 2, the new
priests have been given the following assignments:
• Father Uche Andeh as parochial vicar (associate
pastor) of St. William Parish in Round Rock.
• Father Ryan Higdon as parochial vicar (associate pastor) of St. Joseph Parish in Bryan.
• Father David Trahan II as parochial vicar
(associate pastor) of St. Mary Cathedral in Austin.
• Father Kurtis Wiedenfeld as parochial vicar
(associate pastor) of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
in College Station.
(Photos by Adriana Waldbusser and Shelley
Metcalf)
3
CENTRAL TEXAS
4
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Catholics observe Fortnight for Freedom
B Y M ARY P. W ALKER
MICHELE CHAN SANTOS
CORRESPONDENTS
AND
As a response to threats
against religious liberty, the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) designated June
21 to July 4 as the Fortnight
for Freedom. The Fortnight
encompassed the feast days of
great martyrs to the faith, who
suffered death at the hands of
civil authorities rather than compromise their religious convictions: St. John Fisher, St. Thomas
More, St. John the Baptist, St.
Peter and St. Paul. During this
time, Catholics were asked to
pray, fast, learn more about the
heritage of religious liberty in
our country and take action to
preserve this liberty.
Specic U.S. threats to religious liberty cited by the bishops include the passage of the
Affordable Care Act, which includes the HHS mandate and
threats to Catholic foster care
and adoption services and unjust
state immigration laws.
The U.S. bishops ultimately
opposed nal passage of the Affordable Care Act for three main
reasons:
• It allows the use of federal
funds to pay for elective abortions and for plans that cover
such abortions.
• It fails to include necessary language to provide essential conscience protection, both
within and beyond the abortion
context, as illustrated by the HHS
mandate to force religious and
other employers to cover sterilization and contraception.
• It fails to treat undocumented immigrant workers and
their families fairly, leaving them
worse off by not allowing them
to purchase health coverage in
the new exchanges created under
the law, even if they use their
own money.
“The nation needs affordable
health care reform that ensures
universal access to health care,
protects human life and dignity and respects the rights of
conscience of all,” said Bishop
Joe Vásquez. “Now that the
Supreme Court has upheld the
ACA, we hope that Congress
and the president will consider
amending the law to include
conscience protection, options
for immigrants and to exclude
coverage for elective abortions.”
In the Bryan/College Station
area, the Fortnight’s kickoff began with Mass at St. Mary Catholic Center, followed by a presentation on the domestic threats
to religious freedom by Arland
Nichols, the National Director of
Human Life International (HLI)
America. The mission of HLI
is to promote the culture of life
throughout the world.
“When you stand up for religious liberty, you do so as a good
Catholic, good Christian, and
good American,” Nichols told
the 400 attendees. He emphasized
that this liberty is not a partisan
issue, but one that is fundamental
to who we are as Americans.
Religious freedom encompasses much more than the right
to worship, Nichols explained.
It is the freedom to live out our
faith in the totality of our lives.
During a Mass at St. Mary
Cathedral on July 1, Bishop
Vásquez said Catholics must
ght for religious freedom.
“As Catholics, we care for
the poor, the sick, the immigrant, the orphan, the expectant
mother, because of our faith,”
Bishop Vasquez said. “This is
what is at stake.”
In response to a question,
Nichols explained that exemptions have been granted to other
organizations for provisions in
the law. However, he believes
that the abortion and contraception lobby prevented religious
organizations from fair consideration. Another injustice is that
there is no conscience protection for individuals and business
owners. They will be required
to purchase insurance to cover
these drugs and procedures even
if they morally object.
“The bishops have been clear
that this is an unjust law, which
is no law at all,” Nichols said.
The bishops are united in standing against this injustice, even to
the point of civil disobedience, if
necessary.
Bishop Vásquez said prayer is
the best weapon in this quest to
uphold our religious liberty.
The Fortnight was “a special
time when all Catholics were
praying to be more conscious
and aware of our religious freedom, and to exercise our freedom,” he said.
However, now that the Fortnight has concluded, the bishop
asked Catholics “to continue to
pray for the administration and
the church, that we can come to
a solution that works.”
St. Joseph Parish and St. Anthony Parish in Bryan called on
their members to pray the Patriotic Rosary during the Fortnight.
The rosary includes readings
from our Founding Fathers on
the importance of God, virtue
and religion for the future of our
nation. The “Our Father” in each
decade is a prayer for a different
branch of government, and each
“Glory Be” is for the conversion
of America. The 50 “Hail Marys”
are dedicated prayers for a particular state, and each decade
THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS called for the Fortnight for Freedom
June 21–July 4 as a response to recent threats against religious freedom. During the twoweek period, Catholics were called to prayer, education and action on preserving religious
freedom in the U.S. The bishops continue to encourage Catholics to pray and act on this
issue. (CNS photo)
concludes with a patriotic song
or hymn.
There are more than 40 other
religious liberty and conscience
protection challenges by dio-
ceses and Catholic organizations
making their way through the
judicial system. Nichols said the
bishops are courageously united
in standing up for this intrusion
on our liberty, and called on us
to do the same.
For information about the
ght for religious freedom, visit
www.fortnight4freedom.org.
A message from Bishop Joe Vásquez
As shepherd of the Diocese of Austin, I want to express my appreciation to all those who
participated in the Fortnight for Freedom. I especially want to thank our priests for being so united
and supportive in our commitment to speak out on religious freedom. I also thank our deacons
and men and women religious for their support. And, I am grateful to you, the laity, for having
made many efforts in unison with your pastors and parish leaders to educate yourselves on the
importance of religious freedom through your sacrices and most especially through your prayers.
The Fortnight for Freedom, the two-week period from June 21 to July 4, was dedicated as a
time of prayer, catechesis and peaceful action. This has been a special time of grace and blessing to our country and to our diocese.
In our diocese, the Fortnight for Freedom was observed in many ways. Special Masses were
celebrated. Rosaries and litanies were prayed, along with fasting and various catechetical programs that provided education on the issue of religious liberty. In addition, on the Fourth of July
our church bells rang in unison with bells across the country in support of our religious freedom.
The ght and struggle to protect our religious liberty continues. For current information you
may receive messages via your cell phone. If interested, simply text the word “Freedom” (for
Spanish text “Libertad”) to 377377 and you will be provided with news and other developments
on this important issue by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Let us continue to pray that a just resolution on this issue of religious freedom will be achieved.
As Catholics we will continue to be faithful to the mission entrusted to the church.
Un Mensaje del Sr. Obispo Vásquez
Como pastor de la Diócesis de Austin, quiero expresar mi agradecimiento a todos aquellos
que participaron en La Quincena para la Libertad (Fortnight for Freedom). Quiero agradecer
especialmente a nuestros sacerdotes por ser tan solidarios y unidos en nuestro compromiso
de hablar sobre la libertad religiosa. También les doy las gracias a nuestros diáconos y a los
religiosos y religiosas por su apoyo. Y, estoy agradecido con ustedes, laicos, por haber hecho
tantos esfuerzos al unísono de sus párrocos y líderes parroquiales para educarse a sí mismos
en la importancia de la libertad religiosa, por medio de sacricios y, muy especialmente, con
sus oraciones.
La Quincena para la Libertad (Fortnight for Freedom), el periodo de las dos semanas del 21
de junio al 4 de Julio, fue dedicado como un tiempo de oración, catequesis y acción pacíca. Este
ha sido un período especial de gracia y bendiciones para nuestro país y para nuestra diócesis.
En nuestra diócesis, La Quincena para la Libertad (Fortnight for Freedom) fué observada
en muchas formas. Celebramos Misas especiales. Se rezaron rosarios y letanías, con ayunos
y programas catequéticos que proporcionaron educación en el aspecto de la libertad religiosa.
Además, en el 4 de Julio las campanas en nuestras Iglesias tocaron al unísono, con las campanas de otras Iglesias en el país, apoyando la libertad religiosa.
La lucha y dicultad para proteger nuestra libertad religiosa continúa. Usted puede recibir
información vigente por medio de mensajes a su teléfono celular. Si le interesa, simplemente
envíe la palabra “Libertad” al 377377 y se le proporcionarán noticias y otras novedades sobre
este importante asunto de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB
por sus siglas en inglés).
Continuemos orando para alcanzar una resolución justa respecto a la libertad religiosa. Como
católicos, continuaremos siendo eles a la misión encomendada a la iglesia.
July/August 2012
CENTRAL TEXAS
5
Bishop blesses new Catholic hospital in Bell County
SETON
Continued from Page 1
the community when it was approached by LHP to embark on
the joint venture.
“It’s amazing how quickly everything came together”
regarding negotiations, Sister
Brewer said. “We were able to
build [Seton Harker Heights] in
less than two years after negotiations.”
Having a hospital with a
Catholic identify provides an
opportunity to offer a comprehensive approach to people’s
needs, she said.
“We believe we need to and
want to care for the whole person,” she said. That includes
spiritual needs of all people, no
matter their faith tradition.
“We don’t deny care because
they have a different faith tradition. And you don’t have to be
Catholic to work here,” Sister
Helen said. “But because of
our ethical and religious directives we don’t provide certain
services.”
Father Richard O’Rourke,
pastor at St. Paul Chong Hasang
Parish in Harker Heights and
dean of the Killeen/Temple
Deanery, said there is “a certain
amount of pride” in having a
Catholic hospital in the area.
He is especially happy to see a
hospital with a Catholic chapel, where Mass or Eucharistic
services will be offered. The
hospital will have a permanent
chaplain to minister to patients,
families, and staff of all faith
traditions.
“Part of the whole healing
process is healing the spirit, not
just the body,” he said. “They
need to be fed spiritually.”
Father O’Rourke said patients are not the only ones who
need to be fed spiritually; physicians and hospital staff need it
as well.
One of those who will be
nourished spiritually is Matt
Maxeld, CEO of Seton Medical Center Harker Heights
who was born and raised in
Temple.
Maxeld said this is the only
time LHP has requested Catholic identify through a diocese
rather than a Catholic hospital
group such as Ascension Health,
the national hospital group with
which Seton is afliated. It was
the joint venture partnership
board of directors who decided
to request Catholic identity, he
said. Negotiations took only
about 90 days.
“We felt it was very important,” Maxeld said. “Seton has a long-term commitment and tradition of service
in Central Texas. We felt the
best way to serve this region
was with a Catholic hospital.”
James Davis, is director of
Catholic Health Care Ethics
for the Seton Healthcare Family. He said Seton has become
a dominant health care provider in Central Texas because
of the quality of care and its
dedication to serving the poor
and vulnerable.
In fiscal year 2010, Seton provided $303 million in
charity care and $219 million
in community benet to improve community health.
The Vincentian 450-year
history continues into the 21st
century with the laity even as
the presence of the Daughters
of Charity is reduced, he said,
and the commitment to Catholic ethics continues a well.
“New technology to ensure
patient safety and how to use
information systems for better
patient care are important,” he
said. “We add the recognition of
the importance of the spiritual
and holistic aspects of healing.
With Seton, you get the full
package.”
BISHOP JOE
VÁSQUEZ
blessed Seton
Medical Center
Harker Heights
on June 8. Missionaries of the
Sacred Heart
Father Richard
O’Rourke (right),
pastor of St. Paul
Chong Hasang
Parish in Harker
Heights, is proud
to have a Catholic
hospital in Bell
County. (Photo
courtesy Seton)
CENTRAL TEXAS
6
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Parishes offer English classes for immigrants
BY ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
Scene 1: A couple walks
into a restaurant. “Welcome to
Morales’ Restaurant,” says the
hostess.
“How long is the wait?” asks
the man. “There is no wait,”
replies the hostess. “Would you
like to sit inside or outside?”
“Inside,” the woman replies.
“Would you like a booth or
a table?” the hostess asks. “A
booth,” the couple replies.
After the couple is seated,
a waiter appears with menus
and asks, “May I take your order?” and the couple proceeds
to order.
It’s an everyday scene in
many places except this one. This
is not a restaurant. It’s a corner
of the parish activity center at St.
Elizabeth Parish in Pugerville
and there is a full house watching
the skit. This is part of the graduation program for the English
as a Second Language ministry.
The intermediate and advanced
students chose to do skits about
everyday scenes such as going
to a restaurant or to the doctor
to show their progress to their
families.
The students are a variety of
ages and from different countries. Among them were Kiem
V. Nguyen, 69, and his wife, Hoa
Thi Pham, 72; who were in the
primary level class.
“I want to learn English because I want to communicate
when I go to a doctor or do
things,” Nguyen said, through
a friend who translated from
Vietnamese. “So I go to school.”
Carmen Cardona, 57, wants
to learn English so she can become a U.S. citizen. Her granddaughter, Nohemi Ramírez, is
one of the ESL teachers.
Cardona had to wait eight
years to be allowed into the U.S.
from Mexico, and she wants to
be able to communicate with her
great-granddaughter.
“It’s necessary to speak English,” said Cardona, who is in
the intermediate level. “I want
to become a citizen because the
laws may change and I might not
be able to later.”
Laura Beury, 30, had tears in
her eyes as she carefully searched
for the words in English to express her feelings.
“I want to be a good citizen
for this country,” said Beury, an
intermediate student. “I have
a daughter. She’s 5. She speaks
English and Spanish and will be
in Kindergarten this year. I want
her to be proud of her mom. It’s
hard. I am alone in this country
except for my husband. He stays
home so I can come to class.”
Another intermediate student, Elizabeth Pérez, read aloud
a special thank you she wrote for
teachers.
Celinda Martínez, ESL coordinator at St. Elizabeth, noted
proudly after the ceremonies
that Pérez had learned enough
English to get her driver’s license.
Pérez said in Spanish that
when she first arrived in this
country, she felt her lips “were
sealed.”
“Three years ago I began to
study,” she said between bites
of food from different countries
the students brought to celebrate
their graduation. “I didn’t know
the numbers or what to say if
asked ‘What is your name?’ I
didn’t understand anything.”
Three years have made a
huge difference.
“Now my ears are open and
my lips can give thanks and express what I feel,” she said. “If
I didn’t know English, I would
remain in a dark hole. Upon
learning you can see a light.”
She thanked her teachers for
giving her the opportunity to be
involved in her children’s education. Her children are 9 and 4.
“My children are very proud,”
she said, beaming. “They correct
me and help me with words I
don’t know. I can understand
what they say. I can communicate
with their friends. I don’t have
enough words of gratitude.”
Father Pedro GarcíaRamírez, the pastor of St. Elizabeth, can relate.
“I am the product of ESL,”
the priest told his congregation
when the program was started
three years ago.
So when Martínez approached him about starting
the ESL ministry, “How could
I say no?” he said.
Father García-Ramírez was
born in Nuevo Laredo and his
family moved to Austin when he
was a child. He learned English
through a Catholic Charities
program at St. Edward’s University from the VESS (Volunteers for Education and Social
Services) program.
“I still remember her name
–– Maureen Dillon,” he said.
“She was the daughter of a judge
in Redford, Mich., and was a
student at St. Edward’s. I owe
her what I became.”
ESL, the priest said,
“changed my life.” Learning
English enabled him to enter
seminary when he was 30.
Martínez said the program
also offers students an opportunity to learn about the American
culture so they can become participants rather than outsiders
looking in.
“They don’t know about
Thanksgiving,” Martínez said,
citing an example. “Some classes
have a traditional feast and learn
about the American tradition that
they can do at home.”
The ministry is a collaborative partnership between the
ESL program and the parishes,
said Alejandra Hamlet, liaison
between the parish ministries
and the ESL program. She and
Angie Beckham, a parishioner
at St. Ignatius, Martyr Parish
are volunteer mentors for the
parish ministries throughout the
diocese.
Hamlet, a pre-Kindergarten
teacher at St. Louis Parish in Austin who was born in Mexico, said
that reaching out to immigrants
is a reality the church has to face
since many are Catholic.
“The reality in the church
is that immigrants are majority
Catholic and need a safe place
they can relate to from their experience growing up,” she said.
“That’s the church.”
Learning English opens the
door for immigrants into the
wider community as well as their
faith community, she noted.
Learning English also strength-
ens their families, Beckham said.
“The kids are learning English and their parents depend
on them to translate,” she said.
“It puts the kids in a position of
power. That’s a position parents
should have.”
Hamlet said that disparity can
destroy families. If parents can
communicate with teachers, the
children are more likely to stay
in school.
Martínez said the program
started with 60 students. This
year there were 138 students
from numerous countries. Classes follow the public school calendar. Training for volunteer teachers is held in the summer. The
program at St. Elizabeth had 19
volunteers this past school year.
There is no cost to volunteer.
Students pay a $35 fee and
materials are provided by the
ESL program at a very low cost
since they buy the books in bulk,
Hamlet said.
“Even that $35 is a struggle for some,” Martínez said.
“That’s grocery money for some
people. I’ve paid for some when
I saw how hard they worked but
just didn’t have the money.”
Martínez said it takes “great
courage” to relocate from a native country and the ministry
helps make the transition easier.
Other Austin parishes with
ESL ministries are Cristo Rey,
Holy Vietnamese Martyrs, St.
Ignatius, Martyr and San José.
St. William Parish in Round
Rock is in the process of restarting its ESL ministry.
For information or to volunteer, contact Celinda Martínez
at (512) 554-3313.
Programs prepare lay ministers to serve as leaders
DURING A MASS ON JUNE 21 at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin (left),
Bishop Joe Vásquez recognized lay ministry graduates of the Diocesan
Institute Ecclesial Ministry Program. Many of these lay people currently serve in leadership positions in their parishes and will use what
they have learned through the program to continue ministering in their
respective parishes. (Photo by Charlene O’Connell)
ALSO DURING THE MASS on June 21, Bishop Vásquez recognized those
individuals who have completed the requirements to serve as spiritual directors in the Austin Diocese through the Diocesan Institute of Spiritual Direction. The three-year program is run by the Austin Diocese and is designed to
prepare people for the ministry of spiritual direction.
(Photo by Charlene O’Connell)
CENTRAL TEXAS
July/August 2012
7
Body of Christ processes through Austin streets
steps of the Capitol. There the
B Y D E A C O N G U A D A L U P E crowd knelt and prayed espeRODRIGUEZ
cially for the U.S.
GUEST CORRESPONDENT
Father Albert Laforet, rector of the Cathedral, led the
St. Mary Cathedral in Aus- crowd in praying the Our Fatin held its second annual ther, Hail Mary and Glory Be
Corpus Christi procession on for our country and religious
June 10, the Solemnity of the freedom.
Body and Blood of Christ.
Father Laforet, carrying
Hundreds of Catholics from the monstrance, and 13 altar
throughout the Austin Dio- servers, two seminarians, two
cese processed from the Ca- deacons, three priests and the
thedral to the State Capitol.
rest of the crowd then proFather John Kim, associate cessed back to the Cathedral
pastor of the Cathedral, car- for benediction and the Diried the monstrance holding vine Praises.
the Body of Christ as many
This year on the Feast of
groups and organizations car- Corpus Christi, Pope Beneried their banners in a public dict XVI reminded everyone
display of faith.
of the beauty of adoration of
The police closed three Blessed Sacrament.
streets so that the EucharisSpending time in protic procession safely reached longed silence before the Euits destination at 11th and charist “is one of the most
Congress where the rst altar authentic experiences of our
was located. There the faith- being church,” and it finds
ful knelt, prayed and sang as its complement at Mass when
Jesus was enthroned as King Catholics “celebrate the Euof the City. Cantors from the charist, listening to the word
Scola Cantorum Choir led the of God, singing, approaching
crowd in song.
together the table of the bread
Father Biju Antony, also of life,” the pope said.
an associate pastor at the CaTruly entering into comthedral, then led the proces- munion with someone, he
sion to the second altar at the said, is accompanied by “ex-
changing glances and intense,
eloquent silences full of respect and veneration.
“If this dimension is missing, even sacramental communion can become a supercial
gesture on our part,” the pope
said.
He went on to explain
how Mass and Eucharist adoration go hand in hand.
“Communion and contemplation cannot be separated, they go together. To really
communicate with another
person I must know him, I
must be able to be in silence
close to him, to hear him and
to look at him with love,” he
said.
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8
CENTRAL TEXAS
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Former atheist shares her conversion story
BY MARY P. WALKER
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
On the day before Mother’s
Day, approximately 250 mothers, daughters, grandmothers
and godmothers from parishes
in the Bryan/College Station
area attended a brunch celebrating motherhood in the Catholic
tradition. The brunch was sponsored by St. Thomas Aquinas
Parish and Regnum Christi, and
included prayer, music and a
May crowning.
The theme was “Walking
in Mary’s Footsteps: Becoming
Women of Virtue,” and each
of the 34 tables was dedicated
to Our Lady under one of her
titles. The keynote speaker, Jennifer Fulwiler, an Austin wife,
mother of ve, writer and blogger, chronicled her journey from
atheism to Catholicism.
This journey was long and
took some surprising turns.
Prior to adulthood, Fulwiler has
no memory of believing in God,
and thought that those who
did were indulging in fairytale
thinking. However, Fulwiler
said that through the example
of her father, she was blessed
with a questioning mind, which
ultimately drove her to search
for the truth.
After college, she met her
future husband, Joe. In many
ways they were the perfect
couple. Although not attending any church, Joe was raised
Baptist and believed in God.
Intelligent and accomplished,
Joe made her wonder how
such a rational person could
hold such beliefs. Amused
at her unbelief, he remarked,
“You’re too smart to be an
atheist. It won’t last.”
Fulwiler said the only religious value they shared was
being anti-Catholic. They were
married in a ceremony where
religion and tradition were deliberately excluded.
A year later, the birth of
their son and the experience of
motherhood caused Fulwiler to
question her tightly held nonbelief. One of the questions
that atheists have to deal with is
the value of life. If you do not
believe in God or in his moral
order, why is a newborn’s life
more valuable than those of
animals whose mental processes
are more complex? Also, she
could not accept that her love
for her son was merely the result of chemical reactions in her
brain.
Fulwiler believes that this
questioning allowed God to reveal himself to her as a force of
love in the world, and she began
a quest to discover this force,
stating, “I knew it was real. I
knew it was personal. I knew it
wanted me to nd it.”
In her research, she was
helped by a book written by a
former atheist who had become
a Christian. The author argued
the case for Christianity with the
ABOUT 250
WOMEN
and girls
attended
a Mother’s
Day brunch
sponsored
by St.
Thomas
Aquinas Parish in College Station
and Regnum
Christi. (Photo by Mary
P. Walker)
vocabulary and arguments that
she understood. She also read
the Bible. However, she was
uncomfortable with the sad fact
that Christianity is not unied in
beliefs or morality.
“To have different denitions of what is good is to have
different denitions of what is
God,” Fulwiler said. As a result,
she considered “giving up” on
Christianity. Yet, she persevered
and not only came to believe
that God existed, but also that
God became man through the
incarnation of Jesus Christ. The
question then became “How
would she and her family live
the Christian life?”
Through the Internet, Fulwiler observed that Catholic
bloggers were the most reasoned debaters with atheists.
Although still anti-Catholic, she
studied the church fathers and
more contemporary authors.
Believing that God was
inspiring her efforts, Fulwiler
realized that the only important question was whether the
Catholic Church was guided
by God in her teachings. If
so, she must believe. For her,
the sexual abuse scandal, as
terrible as it was, highlighted
that in spite of the sins of
the members, the Catholic
Church has continued since
the time of Christ.
When she and her husband
began to live in accordance with
Catholic teachings, Fulwiler felt
as if her life had started anew.
In 2007, they joined the Catholic Church and are practicing
Catholics.
Fulwiler knew the source
of the love she was seeking is
Jesus Christ and that throughout the ages, Catholics have
looked to Mary to bring them
into a closer communion with
Jesus. When Fulwiler felt herself to be spiritually “stuck,”
she asked God to give her a
relationship with his mother
and she believes Mary moved
her relationship with God
from intellectual acceptance
to an all-consuming commitment.
Fulwiler blogs at
www.conversiondiary.com.
Retreats sponsored by Cedarbrake
Conference offered for liturgical leaders
Finding the Sacred in Depression, a weekend retreat, will be held Aug. 17-19 at
Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. This retreat is designed to help those
struggling with depression. Certain spiritual practices can guide the pathway to God’s
peace and comfort. Sharon Highberger, MPM, will be the presenter. The cost is
$155 for a double room, $185 for a private room and $75 for commuters. For more
information, contact Cedarbrake at (254) 780-2436 or [email protected].
“Growing in Holiness,” a day of reection, will be held Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. at St. Albert the Great Parish in Austin. Franciscan Father Albert Haase
from Relevant Radio will discuss true self and false self. The cost is $30, which includes lunch. For more information or to register, contact Cedarbrake Retreat Center
at (254) 780-2436 or [email protected].
“The Lord’s Prayer,” a weekend retreat, will be held Sept. 14-16 at Cedarbrake
Retreat Center in Belton. Franciscan Father Albert Haase from Relevant Radio will
reect upon the words of the Lord’s prayer and highlight how they are a summary
of all that Jesus taught and lived. The cost is $155 for a double room and $185 for
a private. For more information or to register, contact Cedarbrake Retreat Center at
(254) 780-2436 or [email protected].
The diocesan ofces of Worship and Hispanic Ministry will host a conference entitled “Preparing the Banquet” Sept. 8 at the Norris Conference Center in
Austin. The day is for clergy and those who serve in any type of liturgical ministry.
Workshops will be presented in English and Spanish, and the keynote address will
be bilingual. To register, visit www.austindiocese.org or contact Kathy Thomas at
(512) 949-2429 or [email protected].
Rosary Crusade offers retreat on Aug. 18
The Austin Rosary Crusade will celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary
with a retreat in Spanish on Aug. 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Ignatius Martyr
Parish in Austin. The day will include a procession with matachines, the rosary, the
sacrament of reconciliation, Mass and live music. Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez
from St. Mary Cathedral will be the presenter and Bishop Joe Vásquez will celebrate
Mass at noon. For more information, contact Ignacio Moreno at (512) 443-4111 or
(512) 940-0698.
Young adults invited to TEC weekend
A Together Encounter Christ (TEC) weekend will be held Sept. 1-3 at Eagle’s
Wings Retreat Center in Burnet. TEC is a movement of spirituality for young adults
ages 17 to 24 and is founded and unfolds within the living traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. For more information, contact the Youth, Young Adult and
Campus Ministry Ofce at (512) 949-2464 or [email protected].
“Living the Good News” Conference is Sept. 15
The Charity and Justice Secretariat of the Austin Diocese will present a
conference entitled “Living the Good News” Sept. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin. This conference will address the
Gospel call to promote the life and dignity of every person from conception,
throughout their lives until natural death. Jack Jezreel, the founder and executive director of JustFaith Ministries, will be the English keynote speaker. Arturo
Chavez, president of the Mexican American Catholic College in San Antonio,
will be the Spanish keynote speaker. For more information or to register, visit
www.austindiocese.org or contact Yvonne Saldaña at (512) 949-2486 or
[email protected].
Trainings for marriage prep facilitators
Training sessions for those who would like to offer the diocesan marriage preparation program, Together in God’s Love, in their parish or deanery will be held Sept.
13 and Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the diocesan Pastoral Center in Austin.
To register or for more information contact Rick Bologna at (512) 949-2495 or
[email protected].
Couples encouraged to get away together
Married couples who are looking for a getaway and time to reconnect with one
another are invited to a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Sept. 28-30 at Cedarbrake
Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. The weekend allows couples to escape the daily
distractions of life and focus on each other. The retreat begins Friday at 7:30 p.m.
and ends Sunday afternoon. For more information or to register, contact Kenny and
Anne Roberts at (512) 522-8409 or [email protected].
July/August 2012
IN OUR WORLD
9
Girl Scouts address criticism, correct rumors
BY CHRISTIE L. CHICOINE
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Tina Kent credits the Girl
Scouts for teaching her skills
in leadership, conict resolution and critical thinking and
for giving her an appreciation
for the outdoors and opportunities to travel.
Kent became a Brownie at
age 8 in her native Vermillion,
S.D., and remained a Scout
until she was a teenager in
Waco, Texas.
Now a wife and mother
of ve, Kent lives in the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pa., and
is a Girl Scout troop leader
in York, Pa., where her troop
meets at St. Joseph Catholic
School.
Her daughter Maggie, 7, a
rst-grader at the school, is a
Girl Scout Daisy. Kent hopes
daughter Ruth, 3, will one day
join her sister in the Scouts.
Among other projects, her
troop makes Christmas and
Valentine’s Day cards for the
elderly and this year donated
46 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to the local Catholic food
pantry and sent 85 boxes to
a girls’ school in Afghanistan.
“As Catholics, we are
called to be serving other people, to be reaching out, to
be trying to do good in this
world,” said Kent, 44, who
became a Catholic at Easter
2003 when she was 35.
Kent is well aware of claims
by some that the Girl Scouts
of the USA promotes Planned
Parenthood and its advocacy of
birth control and abortion. Others have complained that some
printed material distributed to
Scouts contained references that
countered the Catholic Church’s
teachings.
After looking into the criticism herself, she told Catholic
News Service, “I just don’t buy
that it’s happening.”
Kent acknowledged, however, the organization on occasion
may end up “associating with
people who are associating with
people who are not who the
Catholic Church would choose
to be associating with.”
The Girl Scouts of the USA,
known as GSUSA, is marking
its 100th anniversary this year.
It has 3.2 million girl and adult
members. An estimated 500,000
Catholic girls and adults in the
U.S. are involved in Girl Scouts.
Criticism of the Girl Scouts
as an organization has surfaced
off and on over the last several years and earlier this year
made the rounds again on the
Internet.
In response GSUSA has
strongly stated it “does not have
a relationship or partnership
with Planned Parenthood and
does not plan to create one” and
takes no position on abortion or
birth control. “Parents and volunteer troop leaders in Catholic
churches,” it said, “have total
control of the Girl Scout programming their girls receive.”
Given the large number
of Catholics involved in Girl
Scouts, such concerns prompted
the bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and
Youth at its mid-March meeting
to discuss GSUSA’s “possible
problematic relationships with
other organizations” and questions about some of its materials
and resources.
In a March 28 letter to his
fellow bishops, committee chairman Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades
of South Bend-Fort Wayne,
Ind., said some questions may
need to be answered at the national level and others at the
local level.
Among other actions, he
said the committee wants to
develop a resource bishops can
share with priests, youth ministers, pro-life directors, educators
and others in their diocese on
Catholic identity for troops and
guidance for parents.
Bishop Rhoades said the
committee “afrmed the good
service” Catholic Girl Scouts
have provided and continue to
provide to their communities
and to the church. “Catholic
Girl Scout troops have served
girls and young women for
many years, and the committee is grateful for this service,”
he said.
The bishop invited Robert
McCarty, executive director
of the Washington-based National Federation for Catholic
Youth Ministry in Washington, and Kathleen Carver, the
federation’s associate director
and communications director,
to the meeting to give committee members their perspective on the claims made about
the Girl Scouts.
The federation’s website,
www.nfcym.org, has a question-and-answer section on
the issue, and according to
McCarty, dialogue between
the national Girl Scouts ofce
in New York and the federation has been ongoing.
McCarty told CNS that the
bishops’ Secretariat for Laity, Marriage, Family Life and
Youth would convene a group
soon to discuss what resources and tools would help create
dialogue among church and
Girl Scout leaders “more in-
CATHOLIC GIRL SCOUTS with Troop 508 sell Girl Scout cookies in late February at a
shopping plaza in Great Neck, N.Y. Some claim the Girl Scouts promotes Planned Parenthood and its advocacy of birth control and abortion, but the organization strongly denies
such accusations. A U.S. bishops’ committee plans to develop a resource bishops can
share with priests, youth ministers, pro-life directors, educators and others in their diocese
on Catholic identity for Catholic Scout troops and guidance for parents.(CNS photo by
Gregory A. Shemitz)
tentionally” and provide clear
guidelines for predominantly
Catholic troops where “Catholic teaching is honored and
at the forefront.”
Beyond the church’s relationship with Girl Scouts is
the bigger issue of “how does
the church engage secular organizations?” McCarty stated. “We advocate for church
teaching through direct engagement and honest respectful dialogue.”
In an earlier interview with
CNS, McCarty said he has met
with Girl Scout leaders in New
York to convey concerns the
federation has heard from the
field, though he rejected the
claim that Girl Scouts promotes
Planned Parenthood.
In January, Anna Maria
Chavez, a Catholic who has
been the Girl Scouts CEO
since last November, came to
Washington from New York,
along with the chair of GSUSA’s
board of directors, to meet with
McCarty.
“For nearly 100 years, we
have partnered with the Catholic
Church to support the growth
and development of millions
of girls,” Chavez told CNS. “It
is a wonderful legacy and we’re
grateful for the opportunity to
participate in the process that
will only enhance our partnership.”
She said her organization
has had meetings with Catholic
dioceses around the country and
said “those conversations have
been very valuable in strengthening that relationship.”
“Working closely together,
we will continue to provide girls
with the courage, confidence
and character they will need to
make our world a better place.”
McCarty said the assertion
Girls Scouts has a relationship
with Planned Parenthood arose
from a statement the previous CEO made in 2004 on
broadcast television in which
she listed the organization as
one group among many with
whom the Scouts maintained a
relationship.
“That,” he stressed, “was
eight years ago, and, that has
changed.”
Other criticism has been directed at the World Association
of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts,
known as WAGGGS, which,
for example, has advocated for
emergency contraception for
women in Third World countries, McCarty said. GSUSA is
one of WAGGS’ 145 member
organizations.
In the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Deacon
Dana Allen Nearmyer, a consultant for evangelization and
Catholic formation in the archdiocese, said Catholic leaders are
concerned by the fact the GSUSA sends money to WAGGGS.
“We’ve said that’s not acceptable,” Deacon Nearmyer
said. “Our recommendation
would be that they would stop
funding the World Association
of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.”
No Scouts’ dues or registration fees go to WAGGGS, but
GSUSA sends investment earnings to the international group.
McCarty likened the relationship between the Girl Scouts
and WAGGS to that between
the United States and the United
Nations. That association, he
said, does not imply that the
U.S. is aligned with everything
the U.N. advocates.
“The Vatican has a role at
the U.N. I don’t see the Vatican
walking away from the U.N.,”
he added. “The Vatican is there
to engage the U.N. through the
lens of Catholic social teaching
and church teaching.”
Another criticism arose over
Girl Scout material that included
a link to a play written by a girl
who questioned her parents and
the Catholic Church, McCarty
said. “When we raised that issue with the Girl Scouts, they
took it out. They reprinted their
books.”
“We’re certainly not looking
at banning Girl Scouts, unless
that’s a directive,” Deacon Nearmyer told CNS.
“We appreciate being part
of the conversation and moving
the curriculum of Girl Scouting
to its more traditional, original
roots –– protecting families. We
also value their national connection and notoriety,” he said.
“But ... at some point, if parishes are looking for something
that’s a more substantial faith
organization, Girl Scouts is only
going to be able to carry them
so far because they’re a secular
organization.”
For more information
about Scouts in the Austin
Diocese, visit http://scouting.
austindiocese.org/.
IN OUR WORLD
10
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Taking stock of Pope Benedict XVI’s work year
BY FRANCIS X. ROCCA
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Every year about this time,
American legal journalists review the recently ended Supreme Court term, trying to
identify trends and themes that
cut across the court’s most important rulings.
As it happens, the court’s
October-through-June term coincides almost exactly with what
we might call the papal year,
which starts when the pope
returns to the Vatican each fall
and ends when he leaves for the
papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo (where he relocated this year July 3). Almost all of
the Vatican’s important business
gets done in this span, making it
the most relevant unit of time to
use when analyzing the papacy’s
activity and its implications for
the church as a whole.
So what can the 2011-12
papal “term” tell us about where
Pope Benedict XVI is leading
the church?
If there was one message that
the Vatican’s agenda and statements this year seemed designed
to convey, it was that the world
needs the Catholic Church’s help
to solve its most urgent social and
economic problems.
In five speeches over the
course of six months to U.S.
bishops on their “ad limina”
visits to Rome, Pope Benedict
said that the health and prosperity of American society as a
whole require the engagement
of its Catholic citizens, in delity to the church’s teaching on
contentious matters, including
marriage, abortion, euthanasia,
immigration and education.
On a November visit to the
West African country of Benin,
the pope said that a “church reconciled within itself can become
a prophetic sign of reconciliation in society,” on a continent
divided by often violent ethnic
and religious conicts.
Conceding no realm of
human activity as beyond the
church’s scope, the Vatican
delved into the highly technical
field of international finance
with a controversial October
document blaming the world’s
economic crisis on a “liberalism
that spurns rules and controls”
and proposing global regulation
of the nancial industry and international money supply.
Pope Benedict made it clear
that the church’s appeals to secular society should be made not in
terms of faith but in terms of the
“natural moral law” accessible
to all through the use of reason.
He notably included prominent
agnostic “seekers of the truth”
alongside religious leaders at an
October meeting to promote
peace and justice in Assisi, Italy.
Yet the pope also insisted
that the church’s commitment
to social justice must never be
separated from a faith that transcends this world. During a trip
to Mexico and Cuba in March,
the pope said that the “church
is not a political power, it is not
a party,” and told a crowd of
more than 600,000 at an outdoor Mass that “human strategies will not sufce to save us”
from war and injustice.
The following month, the
Vatican published a “doctrinal
assessment” of the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women
Religious. The document, which
had been expressly approved by
Pope Benedict, recognized the
LCWR’s adherence to Catholic
teaching in its promotion of
social justice, but concluded
that the group’s neglect of the
church’s doctrine on a number
of important moral issues, including abortion and euthanasia,
reected a crisis “characterized
by a diminution of the fundamental Christological center and
focus of religious consecration.”
Pope Benedict also emphasized a link between the church’s
contributions to society and
its right to freedom of religion,
which he championed against
varying degrees of restriction in
communist Cuba, Mexico with
its legacy of anti-clericalism,
and the U.S., where the Obama
administration seeks to make private Catholic institutions provide
insurance covering sterilizations
and contraception, in violation
of the church’s moral teaching.
As always, of course, the
Vatican made some of its biggest news this year in ways that
it had not planned at all.
The biggest such story was
undoubtedly the so-called “VatiLeaks” affair, the publication
of dozens of condential correspondence and reports, including letters to Pope Benedict
himself, and the subsequent
arrest of the pope’s butler on
charges of “aggravated theft.”
While the documents themselves fuel an image of the Vatican as plagued by infighting,
Pope Benedict has said that
he expects his collaborators to
work together as a family.
In October, the pope removed Archbishop Carlo Maria
Vigano, author of several leaked
letters accusing specific Vatican ofcials of corruption and
incompetence, from his job as
secretary-general of the governor’s ofce of Vatican City.
In an apparent sign of esteem
for the archbishop’s ability and
integrity, however, the pope appointed him to the key post of
nuncio to the U.S.
After months of furor over
the leaks, in July, Pope Benedict
defended Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of
state, against “unjust criticism”
in the Italian media, thus showing his appreciation for his longtime lieutenant, who had served
under the future pope as secretary of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith, when
then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
was the congregation’s prefect.
The papal “term” marked
another chapter in the ongoing narrative of the Vatican’s
relationship with the breakaway
traditionalists of the Society of
St. Pius X, who reject some
teachings of the 1962-65 Second
Vatican Council and subsequent
modernizing changes to the
church.
In September, the Vatican
presented the traditionalists with
a “doctrinal preamble” outlining
certain teachings, presumably
including those of Vatican II,
which the breakaway group
would have to accept as a condition for reconciliation. In June,
the Vatican presented them with
a draft document proposing that
a reintegrated society would
hold the canonical status of a
personal prelature, in effect an
international diocese under the
direct authority of the pope.
As the Vatican awaited the
traditionalists’ final response
to these overtures, in late June,
Pope Benedict named U.S.
Archbishop Augustine Di Noia
to focus personally on the SSPX
negotiations. The appointment
of Archbishop Di Noia, a distinguished theologian and longtime
collaborator of the pope, underscores Pope Benedict’s extraordinary determination to bring
a group of separated brethren
back into the Catholic family.
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July/August 2012
IN OUR WORLD
11
Bishops discuss charter, religious liberty, more
BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
During the public sessions
of their spring meeting in Atlanta, the U.S. bishops received
a 10-year progress report on
their abuse charter, voted to
draft a message on work and
the economy, and heard reports
about religious liberty issues in
the U.S. and abroad.
They also listened as an Iraqi
bishop made an impassioned
plea on behalf of Iraq’s dwindling Christian population and
called on the U.S. prelates to
press the Obama administration
to take steps to protect religious
rights in the Middle Eastern
country.
The meeting was June 13-15,
with public sessions the rst day
and a half; the rest of the time
was scheduled for executive
session and not open to media
coverage.
On the opening day, the bishops voted 171-26 to move ahead
with a draft of a message on work
and the economy as a way to
raise the prole of growing poverty and the struggles that unemployed people are experiencing.
It is expected to be ready in time
for a nal vote at the bishops’ fall
meeting in November.
Titled “Catholic Reections
on Work, Poverty and a Broken
Economy,” the message would
advance the bishops’ priority
of human life and dignity to
demonstrate the new evangelization in action, explained Bishop
Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton,
Calif., chairman of the Com-
mittee on Domestic Justice and
Human Development.
It would be a follow-up to
a Sept. 15, 2011, letter by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of
New York, president of the U.S.
bishops’ conference, in which
he urged bishops and priests
across the country to preach
about “the terrible toll the current economic turmoil is taking
on families and communities.”
Al J. Notzon III, chairman
of the lay-led National Review
Board, presented a report marking the 10th anniversary of the
“Charter for the Protection of
Children and Young People.”
The charter was part of the U.S.
bishops’ response to the clergy
abuse scandal that was a major
concern when they met in Dallas in 2002.
While the Catholic Church
has taken major steps in addressing allegations of clergy sexual
abuse, it must continue to be
vigilant in assuring that victims
and their families will receive the
attention and care they deserve,
Notzon told the bishops.
Meeting that transparency
remains a crucial component
of building and maintaining
credibility among the Catholic
faithful as well as the general
public, he said.
Despite the successes, Notzon said the church’s credibility
continues to suffer because many
Catholics and the broader community not only believe clergy
sexual abuse remains at a high
level but also think that local
bishops continue to cover up the
problem by not reporting allega-
tions of abuse to local authorities.
“This suggests a trust problem and must be met with scrupulous adherence to the charter,” he said.
In a presentation on religious liberty issues, Archbishop
William E. Lori of Baltimore
,chairman of the bishops’ Ad
Hoc Committee on Religious
Freedom, acknowledged the
U.S. bishops’ “fortnight for freedom” campaign has come under
heavy criticism in the secular
media, in the blogosphere and
by some Catholics as being a
partisan political effort.
But the two-week period
was meant to be free of politics and will emphasize church
teaching on religious freedom,
he said.
“Already we realize that defending religious freedom is
not a walk in the park,” he said.
“We’ve seen some reaction to
our work that is sometimes hostile, sometimes unfair and inaccurate and sometimes derisive.”
At the end of the discussion on religious freedom in the
U.S., the bishops afrmed by a
unanimous voice vote a recent
statement of the USCCB Administrative Committee regarding the
HHS mandate titled “United for
Religious Freedom.”
In his remarks to the assembly, Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop
Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad
made an impassioned plea on
behalf of Iraq’s dwindling Christian population, and called upon
the U.S. bishops to press the
Obama administration to take
steps to protect religious rights
in the Middle Eastern country.
He said the country’s Christians are being targeted by Muslim extremists bent on ridding
the country of all religious minorities.
He said in the session presented by the bishops’ Committee on International Justice and
Peace that the difculties Christians face emerged only after the
2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
“As leaders of the church
in the United States,” he told
the bishops, “you bear a special responsibility toward the
people and Christians of Iraq.
In 2003 your government led
the war that brought some terrible consequences. The U.S.
government can and must do
all it can to encourage tolerance
and respect in Iraq, to help Iraq
strengthen the rule of law and
to provide assistance that helps
create jobs for Iraqis, especially
those on the margins.”
In a report on the Year of
Faith, set to begin in October, Bishop David L. Ricken
of Green Bay, Wis., chairman
of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, said
the 2012-13 church-wide observance stems from Pope
Benedict XVI’s call for a new
evangelization. He said it will
incorporate television, radio,
social media and numerous online resources to better connect
–– or reconnect –– Catholics
with their faith.
In a presentation June 14,
Bishop John C. Wester of Salt
Lake City, chairman of the U.S.
bishops’ Committee on Com-
munications, said the new evangelization calls for using new
forms of media to reach people
in their everyday lives.
From electronic books
to social media to traditional
forms of print and broadcast,
the church is rethinking how
to carry its teachings and its
stances on public policy issues
to broader audiences, including
Catholics, he said.
Serious questions revolve
around how to effectively communicate the church’s work
while remaining true to authentic church teaching, Bishop
Wester said.
The spring assembly opened
with Mass celebrated by Atlanta
Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory
at Sacred Heart of Jesus Basilica,
who urged his fellow bishops
to recall the life of St. Anthony
of Padua to help them renew
religious life. The saint –– whose
feast day was June 13 –– demonstrated a deep devotion to
Christ through his preaching.
“Certainly here our contemporary church ought to seek
his assistance since we seem to
have lost something of our condence and vitality in proclaiming the Gospel,” Archbishop
Gregory said in a brief homily.
“Unfortunately, we may also
have occasionally misplaced
clerical integrity and the facility
of announcing the good news
of Jesus Christ with conviction. Religious life has suffered
confusion and needs serious
renewal. That, perhaps, St. Anthony can once again help us to
rediscover,” he said.
Investigation of Vatican leaks continues
BY CAROL GLATZ
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
The father of the pope’s
personal assistant, who is under
arrest in connection with the
so-called “VatiLeaks” scandal,
described his son as an honest, faithful Catholic and said
he hoped his son’s “sacrice”
would help the church rid itself
of corruption.
Paolo Gabriele, the pope’s
personal assistant, is a person of
“absolute honesty ... great generosity and moral integrity,” who
is deeply devoted to the church
and the pope, Andrea Gabriele
said in a letter sent to the Italian
television station Tgcom 24.
The letter was published
on the broadcaster’s website
July 15.
Paolo Gabriele was arrested
May 23 after condential letters
and documents addressed to
the pope and others within the
Vatican administration were
allegedly found in his Vatican
apartment.
Similar documents had been
published in Italian media over
the past several months warning
of corruption, abuse of power
and a lack of nancial transparency at the Vatican.
Gabriele was being detained
in a security cell on the Vatican
grounds on charges of aggravated theft. The 46-year-old
father of three is the only person
charged so far after a nearly twomonth Vatican-led investigation.
“As a father and a Christian,
I hope the whole truth comes
out to the benecial advantage
of the church,” the detainee’s
father wrote.
His son “is personally paying
the price of a situation that still
isn’t easy to understand,” and
won’t be until the motive has
been made public, he said.
“I hope above all that this
tremendous sacrifice carries
spiritual fruit” not only for
those in a position of responsibility within the church, but
for furthering the repeated desire of Pope Benedict XVI for
the “necessary cleaning of the
church,” Andrea Gabriele said.
In his letter, the father sought
to defend the younger Gabriele
against the “distorted and often
false and offensive” accusations
being made in the media, which
have accused the assistant of trying to harm the reputation of the
church and pope.
The letter came after a Vatican prosecutor decided to keep
Gabriele detained beyond the
usual 50 days according to Vatican law.
The Vatican spokesman,
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, told reporters July 12 that
Gabriele would probably stay in
custody for another 10 days to
allow the Vatican court to gather
more evidence.
The Vatican court has ques-
tioned a number of witnesses,
but none of them has been held
or charged with anything, Father
Lombardi has said.
The investigating judge, Piero Antonio Bonnet, is expected
to wrap up the formal questioning process, which began June 5,
and reach a conclusion by the
end of July, the Vatican spokesman said.
The judge can decide whether to dismiss the case or have
Gabriele stand in a Vatican trial
that would be open to the public.
If Gabriele is ordered to
stand trial, which would not
begin before the end of September, he might be allowed to
leave the Vatican detention cell
for house arrest, Father Lombardi said.
Meanwhile, a commission of
three cardinals recently wrapped
up its parallel inquiry of the leaks
and was due to meet with the
pope in mid-July to report its
ndings.
The papal commission, led
by Cardinal Julian Herranz, 82,
was established in March to investigate the leaked letters and
documents; it reports directly
to the pope.
Father Lombardi said the
commission, which includes
88-year-old retired Slovak Cardinal Jozef Tomko and 81-yearold retired archbishop of Palermo, Cardinal Salvatore De
Giorgi, spoke with numerous
members of the Roman Curia
and other Vatican ofcials.
While the Vatican tribunal
was to look into taking legal action against those who gave the
documents to reporters, the cardinal commission was meant to
help the pope understand fully
the reasons behind the leaks
and the problems they appear
to indicate.
The Vatican Secretariat of
State was to carry out an administrative review of every Vatican
ofce.
IN OUR WORLD
12
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Archbishop Sheen is a step closer to sainthood
BY FRANCIS X. ROCCA
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Pope Benedict XVI has
approved the heroic virtues
of U.S. Archbishop Fulton J.
Sheen, the Vatican announced
June 28, clearing the way for
the advancement of his sainthood cause.
Among the others honored
in decrees announced the same
day were rst prelate of Opus
Dei, the Canadian and IrishAmerican founders of two orders of religious women, a priest
murdered by the Sicilian Maa,
and 154 martyrs killed during
the Spanish Civil War.
Archbishop Sheen heroically lived Christian virtues
and should be considered
“venerable,” said a decree issued by the Congregation for
Saints’ Causes and signed by
Pope Benedict. Before the
archbishop can be beatified,
the Vatican must recognize
that a miracle has occurred
through his intercession.
The decree came just more
than 13 months after Bishop
Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria, Ill.,
presented Pope Benedict with
two thick volumes about the
life of Archbishop Sheen, whose
home diocese was Peoria.
Archbishop Sheen, who was
born in Illinois in 1895 and died
in New York in 1979, was an
Emmy-winning televangelist.
His program, “Life is Worth
Living,” aired in the United
States from 1951 to 1957.
Last September, a tribunal of
inquiry was sworn in to investigate the allegedly miraculous
healing of a newborn whose
parents had prayed to the archbishop’s intercession.
The Vatican also announced papal decrees approving the beatification of
158 men and women, including 156 martyrs, all but two of
them Spaniards, killed during
their country’s 1936-39 Civil
War.
Father Giuseppe Puglisi,
a Sicilian priest and activist
against organized crime who
was killed by the Mafia in
1993, was another of the martyrs recognized.
Martyrs do not need a miracle attributed to their intercession in order to be beatified.
However, miracles must be recognized by the Vatican in order
for martyrs to be canonized.
Other decrees recognized
the heroic virtues of eight men
and women, including:
• Bishop Alvaro del Portillo,
the rst prelate of Opus Dei.
• Mother Marie-Josephte
Fitzbach, founder of the Good
Shepherd Sisters of Quebec.
• Mother Mary Angeline
Teresa McCrory, the Irish-born
founder of the Carmelite Sisters
for the Aged and Inrm, who
died in New York state in 1984.
ARCHBISHOP Fulton Sheen
(CNS photo)
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IN OUR WORLD
July/August 2012
13
‘Icons’ collected from Vietnam Veterans Memorial
BY NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Duery Felton Jr. calls them
“icons.”
The religious articles gathered
up each day at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington
are just a small part of the estimated 400,000 items left in honor
of a veteran and collected twice
daily by National Park Service
employees since the memorial
opened 30 years ago.
But for Felton, curator of
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Collection held at the Museum
Resource Center in Landover,
many of the items represent a
mystery that will never be solved.
He holds up a small cross on
a pedestal. A piece of paper afxed to the bottom says the cross
was made from square nails used
to build the original St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church in Kasson,
Minn., in 1873.
But that doesn’t answer Felton’s many questions: Who left
the item and for whom? What
did the church mean to the veteran or the person who left the
cross?
“Most of the three-dimensional objects in the collection
come with no explanation of
what it is or what it means,” he
said.
There is even a box of rocks
left at the memorial on the National Mall. Felton isn’t sure, but
he thinks some veterans bring
the rocks as a symbol that they
have “put their burdens down”
and left their bad memories of
Vietnam at the memorial.
“This is a collection unlike
any other,” Felton said. It is the
only collection in which the public decides what will be included,
the only one made up of items
left by the living for the dead and
the only one in which “the bias
of what is worthy is taken out” of
the curator’s hands, he said.
But Felton believes that is
more than appropriate for a memorial to those who served in “a
completely different kind of war”
–– the only U.S. war that was
never ofcially declared.
“It’s Vietnam, so you can
leave logic out the door,” he said.
With the exception of plant
matter, food and unaltered U.S.
ags, every item left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is preserved and cataloged. The ags
are given to veterans’ hospitals,
visitors to the memorial or civic
groups such as the Boy Scouts or
Girl Scouts.
The collection started almost
by accident when a park ranger
who thought the items had been
left inadvertently started a kind
of lost and found, thinking those
who had left the items would
return for them one day.
When no one came back for
the items –– and more were donated each day –– the collection
was born.
The most popular items left
at the memorial are notes or
letters, many of which are not
addressed to a specic veteran.
Thousands of metal bracelets
commemorating a specic Vietnam prisoner of war or missing in
action also have been left behind.
The largest item held in the
collection is believed to be a
painting on a 9-foot-by-5-foot
sliding glass door that shows a
scene in Vietnam and displays
the names of all those who were
POWs or listed as missing in
action.
Donated with the door is a
full-size reproduction of a tiger
cage, like the ones that held
POWs during the war. The cage
is currently on display at the
Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History.
There is a Harley-Davidson
motorcycle bearing a Wisconsin license plate with the word
HERO. The group of Wisconsin
THIS YEAR marks the 30th anniversary of completion of
The Wall, which was dedicated Nov. 13, 1982. About 4
million visitors a year walk past its black granite panels inscribed with the names of 58,267 men and women killed or
missing in action. (CNS photo by Nancy Phelan Wiechec)
veterans that donated it has asked
that no one be allowed to sit on
the motorcycle until all those
MIA in Vietnam have been accounted for.
According to the Department
of Defense, 1,664 veterans are
still missing in action in Vietnam.
Those items indicate a great
deal of pre-planning, but other
donations are spontaneous.
“It’s not unusual to see children go through their backpacks
and leave whatever the popular
toy of the day is,” Felton said.
“Every item is precious,” he
A Permanent Place to Visit
Offers Healing
Our Lady of Guadalupe Garden, located within the grounds of Cook-Walden
Memorial Hill Cemetery, offers a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe with
a kneeling Juan Diego. This garden offers a wide selection of monument and
memorialization options.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Garden was recently blessed according to Catholic tradition.
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Receive a 50% discount in Our Lady of Guadalupe Garden at
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added. “It might be a fourthplace karate medal, but for a
person to leave it ennobles this
offering.”
Religious items –– medals, Bibles, rosaries, crosses and
similar articles –– make up a
signicant part of the collection.
Among the most popular medals
are those dedicated to St. Michael
the Archangel, patron saint of
paratroopers; St. Anthony of
Padua and St. Nicholas, both
considered the patron of sailors;
and St. Therese of Lisieux, patron
of pilots and air crews.
14
IN OUR WORLD
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Native Americans eager for Kateri’s canonization
BY CHAZ MUTH
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
With the beat of a drum
sounding and the scent of burning sage and sweet grass permeating the hot, humid air, Native
American Catholics honored a
woman they already consider a
saint July 14, her feast day.
This year’s celebration was
special, because in October the
Algonquin-Mohawk woman who
died more than 400 years ago will
at long last become a saint.
That jubilant feeling was
demonstrated as pilgrims from
as far away as Georgia and Quebec stepped off the buses they
took for their journey to the
National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in Fonda, N.Y.
Many kneeled before the many
statues of the Native American
woman who devoted herself to
the Catholic faith.
“I wanted to be in the place
where she lived, where she was
baptized and where she is still
honored,” said Eddie Ryder of
Bay Shore, a town on Long Island. “I’m part Native American
and I’ve always wanted to come
here and really feel Kateri’s presence.”
Kateri’s sainthood cause was
opened in 1932, and she was declared venerable in 1943. In June
1980, she became the rst Native
American to be beatied, giving
her the title “Blessed.”
In December, Pope Benedict
XVI advanced her sainthood
cause by signing the decree recognizing the miracle needed for
her to become a saint. On Feb.
18, the pope announced she
would be canonized at the Vatican Oct. 21, along with six others.
As Franciscan Father Mark
Steed prepared to celebrate the
feast day Mass in a rustic pavilion on the shrine’s 200 acres of
wooded land on the north bank
of the Mohawk River, he thought
about how important it is for
North American Catholics with
an indigenous background to
nally have a saint of their own.
“It authenticates who they
are as a people, and who she was
as an individual living all of those
numbers of years ago,” Father
Steed told Catholic News Service.
“It gathers them in now to the
whole church. So, they are not
sitting on the fringe. Now they
are part of the inner circle.”
The recognition and acceptance is very important to Native American Catholics in both
Canada and the U.S., he said.
“It’s not a fairy story. We
see in Blessed Kateri what part
she played in bringing God and
Jesus into her world,” Father
Steed continued. “This young
maiden of Jesus took her part in
the ongoing proclamation of the
word of God.
“We cannot re-create her
relationship with God. That
was hers. She was a person lled
with the love of Jesus. We, too,
must step into our world of
ministry. We celebrate today
this role model of holiness and
we strive to see that we are holy,
too,” he said.
Theresa Steele told CNS she
felt an enriched sense of pride in
both her heritage and Catholicism as she participated in the
Mass. She is over the moon that
Kateri will be canonized in October, but she said for herself the
ceremony is merely a formality.
“Growing up back home
and for many natives my age or
older, we were raised believing
she was already a saint,” she
told CNS. “We didn’t know she
wasn’t already a saint. We didn’t
know what canonization meant.
We were told she was our saint
in heaven.”
Blessed Kateri, known as
“the Lily of the Mohawks,” was
born to a Christian Algonquin
mother and a Mohawk father in
1656 along the Hudson River in
what is today upstate New York.
A Jesuit missionary baptized her
in 1676 when she was 20. A year
later she ed to Canada and died
there in 1680.
She astounded the Jesuits
with her deep spirituality and her
devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She took a private vow of
chastity and devoted herself to
prayer and to teaching prayers to
the children and helping the sick
and elderly.
MICHELLE SHERLOCK of August, Ga., prays in front of
a statue of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha on her July 14 feast
day in Fonda, N.Y. Blessed Kateri will be canonized Oct.
21. (CNS photo by Nancy Phelan Wiechec)
LUMEN GENTIUM
July/August 2012
15
Bishop Joe S. Vásquez presented the 2012 Lumen Gentium awards to the following
individuals in recognition of their service and faithfulness. Recipients were nominated by
their pastor or diocesan staff.
“Gathered together in the people of God and established in the one body of Christ under one head, the laity –– no maer who they
are –– have, as living members, the vocaon of applying to the building up of the church and to its connual sanccaon all the powers
which they have received from the goodness of the Creator and from the grace of the Redeemer.
“The apostolate of the laity is a sharing in the salvic mission of the church. Through bapsm and conrmaon all are appointed to
this apostolate by the Lord himself. Moreover, by the sacraments, and especially by the Eucharist, that love of God and man which is the
soul of the apostolate is communicated and nourished. The laity, however, are given this special vocaon: to make the church present
and fruiul in those places and circumstances where it is only through them that she can become the salt of the earth. Thus, every lay
person, through those gis given to him, is at once the witness and the living instrument of the mission of the church itself “according to
the measure of Christ’s bestowal” (Eph. 4:7) ...
— No. 33, The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), Second Vatican Council, November 21, 1964
Tommy and Shirley Adanandus
Margaret Arney
José † and Victoria Campos
St. Joseph Parish, Killeen
St. Ann Parish, Rosebud
San José Parish, Austin
Mark Alvarez
Santiago Arredondo
Norma Cavanaugh
St. Joseph Parish, Rockdale
St. Ann Parish, Somerville
Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish, Granger
Troy and Mary Anthony
Jack Buckley Jr.
Holy Cross Parish, Austin
St. Mary Catholic Center, College Station
Jose Gaudencio Porrio and
Maria Guadalupe Cazares
Sacred Heart Parish, Austin
Maria Arenas and Paula Gonzales
Liz Burton-Garcia
Manuel and Blanca Cazares
Santa Teresa Parish, Bryan
St. William Parish, Round Rock
St. Monica Parish, Cameron
Julie Arensman
Krystle Cagandahan
Rudolph “Rudy” J. Cepak
St. Joseph Parish, Elk
University Catholic Center, Austin
Holy Trinity Parish, Corn Hill
LUMEN GENTIUM
16
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Mary Cortez
Michael and Danielle Devault
Enrique “Henry” Hernandez
Gerry and Lisa Kasberg
St. Mary, Hearne
St. Mary, Church of the Assumption, Waco
Sacred Heart Parish, Elgin
St. Martin Parish, Tours
Teresa Crable
Jim and Liz DiSimoni
Lola Hohn
Melissa Kelly
Emmaus Parish, Lakeway
Holy Family Parish, Copperas Cove
St. Joseph Parish, Mason
St. Martin de Porres Parish,
Dripping Springs
Jeannette R. Cunningham
Joe and Mae Fazzino
Joe and Denise Huerta
Lynwood and Jeanette Kleypas
Sacred Heart Parish, Waco
St. Joseph Parish, Bryan
St. Louis Parish, Austin
Church of the Visitation, Westphalia
Mary Cunningham
Larry and Waldine Frugé
Michael and Ana Jackoskie
Roque and Carmen Lavalle
St. Jerome Parish, Waco
St. John the Baptist Parish, Fayetteville
St. Paul Parish, Austin
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Taylor
Dan and Lita Daniel
Debra Green
Rita G. Jonse
Bryan and Jennifer Leasure
Christ the King Parish, Belton
St. Thomas More Parish, Austin
St. Joseph Parish, Manor
St. Ignatius, Martyr Parish, Austin
Rudy and Terri Delgado
Peter and Terry Gruning
Lloyd and Ernestine Jordan
Margaret “Peg” Maher
St. Austin Parish, Austin
H.L. Grant Catholic Center, San Marcos
Our Lady of the Lake Parish,
Sunrise Beach
St. Mary Parish, Wimberley
Paul and Denice Detzel
Dannie and Terry Hefner
Elizabeth Junek
Bruce McAtee
St. Elizabeth Parish, Pugerville
St. Paul Chong Hasang Parish,
Harker Heights
St. Mary Parish, Caldwell
St. Mary Parish, Temple
July/August 2012
LUMEN GENTIUM
17
Pablo and Margarita Mendez
Anh and Lien Pham
M. Eugenia “Jeannie” Rodriguez
Charlotte A. Spence
St. Mary Parish, Lampasas
Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Parish, Austin
St. Mary Parish, Brenham
St. Mary Parish, San Saba
Marie Muñiz
LaVerne Pick
Jose “Joe” Sanchez
Maryrae Stein
St. Margaret Parish, Giddings
St. Luke Parish, Temple
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Austin
St. Anthony Marie de Claret Parish, Kyle
Bob and Ileana Napoles
Bernard A. Pivonka
Morag Sell
Gary Strodtbeck
St. Patrick Parish, Hutto
Holy Rosary Parish, Frenstat
Diocese of Austin: Ofce of Youth,
Young Adult and Campus Ministry
St. Ferdinand Parish, Blanco
Mario and Maria Olivarez
Vernon and Candy Pohlmeier
Ilario “Larry” Simonette
Ocia Sweed Sr.
St. Eugene Parish, McGregor
St. John Neumann Parish, Austin
St. Stephen Parish, Salado
Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Washington
Lucy Perez
Daniel Pokluda
Bennie and Waldine Skutca
Robert and Kelly Tavarez
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Temple
St. Mary, Church of the Assumption, West
St. Mary Parish, Ellinger/Hostyn Hill
St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Austin
Mary Lou Pesina
Nancy Posvar
Merlene Slavik
Louis and Genevieve Tepera
St. Francis On The Brazos Parish, Waco
St. Joseph Parish, Cyclone
Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish, Marak
St. Matthew Parish, Rogers
Mary Jane Pfeifer
Tommy and Sherry Rodgers
Regina South
Charmiel Teresi
St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Kingsland
St. Mary, Our Lady of the Lake Parish,
Lago Vista
St. Anthony Parish, Bryan
St. John Vianney Parish, Round Rock
LUMEN GENTIUM
18
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Ben and Mary Ulcak
Mary Williams
Walter and Kathleen Yucikas
St. John the Evangelist Parish, San Marcos
St. Mary Parish, Lockhart
St. Margaret Mary Parish, Cedar Park
Stephen and Kathleen Venzon
Larry and Ruth † Wisneski
Edwin and Donna Zimmerhanzel
Ascension Parish, Bastrop
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, College Station
Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Kovar
Photos of the following recipients were unavailable:
Arthur and Elzena Ambrose
St. Paul Parish, Smithville
Delia Villarreal and
Esperanza Campos
St. Albert the Great Parish, Austin
Roel and Mary Buegeler
St. Michael Parish, Burlington
Richard G. Cernosek
Sacred Heart Parish, La Grange
Elvira Gonzales
Our Lady of San Juan Parish, Moody
Michael Horsley
Charles Walden
St. Theresa Parish, Austin
St. Peter Catholic Student Center, Waco
Kristin Elizabeth Kinald
Santa Rosa Parish, Andice
Sean McGuire †
Diocese of Austin: Ofce of Social Concerns
Gary and Milly Summy
St. Peter Parish, Goldthwaite
Louise Willett
St. Mary Parish, Mexia
Marjorie Tellez
Good Shepherd, Johnson City
Sponsor of the 2012 Lumen Gentium Ceremony
July/August 2012
GOOD NEWS
19
Renewing and refreshing the message of Christ
BISHOP JOE S.
VÁSQUEZ is the fth
bishop of the Austin
Diocese. He shepherds more than
500,000 Catholics in 25 Central
Texas counties.
Editor: Bishop, in the fall in the
Catholic Church will celebrate the
50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council opening. Tell us about
the Council and why it is so important in our Church history?
Bishop Vásquez: The Second
Vatican Council is one of the most
signicant events of the 20th century
that effected the Catholic Church. In
many ways, the Council brought about a
renewal of our church. When the Council was convened in 1962 by Pope John
XXIII, he wanted an “aggiornamento,”
which is Italian for “make new” or “up
to date.” Under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, the Council came together not
to deal with doctrinal controversies as
other councils had, but it came together
with the intent to renew and refresh the
church’s teachings and the Catholic faith.
The Council sought to make the faith
real and present and to make it credible
for people in modern society.
Vatican II produced a rich set of
documents from apostolic constitutions,
declarations and decrees and the Council
particularly affected the liturgy. Because
of Vatican II, the language for the Mass
changed; Catholics went from Mass celebrated strictly in Latin to being able to
celebrate the Eucharist in the vernacular
of the people. This meant people could
understand and participate in the Mass
in their own particular language. The
Council also renewed the liturgy itself
and Masses became more vibrant and
encouraged the laity to participate more
than they had previously. “In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy,
this full and active participation by all
the people is the aim to be considered
before all else,” says the Constitution
on the Sacred Liturgy (“Sacrosanctum
Concilium”), which was promulgated by
the Second Vatican Council.
Vatican II also instigated many other
important documents, including four
apostolic constitutions. The Apostolic
Constitution on the Modern World
(“Gaudium et Spes”) reected on how
the church did not see the world as being an enemy but rather how we were
sent into the world to evangelize. Therefore, we were not to be afraid, we were
to go forth and proclaim Christ to all the
nations. The Council also helped us understand how we can form relationships
with other religions, especially those with
our Muslim and Jewish brothers and
sisters.
Vatican II’s Declaration on the
Relation of the Church with NonChristian Religions (“Nostra Aetate”)
points out that all humans are made in
the image and likeness of God; therefore, there is no room for hatred based
on religion, color or culture. “Lumen
Gentium,” the Dogmatic Constitution
on the Church, helps us understand
that the church is rst and foremost
a mystery founded by Christ for the
purpose of inviting all of humanity to
salvation. Therefore, the church herself
is a pilgrim people where the ordained
and the laity have a vital role to play.
All the documents produced by Vati-
can II exemplied how the church sees
herself and how we understand the
message entrusted to her to bring hope
and joy to the world.
Editor: In many ways Vatican
II helped people better understand
their faith. Pope Benedict XVI
hopes to once again bring people
closer to Christ with the New Evangelization. Will you tell us more
about that?
Bishop Vásquez: Yes, the Holy
Father has declared this new synod,
which will take place Oct. 7-28 at the
Vatican. The synod’s theme is “The
New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.” The Holy
Father sees evangelization as a priority
for the church. He is very concerned
that though much of the world sees
itself as Christian and says it believes
in God, secularization, individualism
and materialism are serious threats to
humanity and to Christianity.
Extreme secularization sees the
church as having little or nothing to
contribute to society. Secularization
means God is being kept out of the
public place; that is to say, it is acceptable to worship and pray to God
in church, but it is not acceptable to
bring God into the workplace, into
our public schools and into society in
general. With the New Evangelization,
the pope wants people to understand
that our Catholic faith demands that
we bring God wherever we go. We
can’t separate God from our lives – he
is always with us! When we go to Mass
on Sunday, when we go to work or
when we go to school or when we go
out to do our shopping or to a movie,
God is with us.
POPE JOHN XXIII (left) signed the bull convoking the Second Vatican
Council Dec. 25, 1961. He wrote that he would convene the council so
that the church would contribute positively to the solution of modern
problems. The council assembled for its rst session Oct. 11, 1962.
(CNS photos)
Individualism means the person becomes the ultimate decider and judge for
all of his actions. Thus morality becomes
subjective as the individual is the decider
of truth and becomes his own god. We
know this is prevalent in society today.
However, Christianity tells us there is ultimate truth and morality that we should
abide by and as Jesus taught us, we
should love God above all else and love
our neighbor as ourselves. The Holy
Father wants us to better understand this
concept and share it with others through
the New Evangelization.
Materialism is also another threat
to Christianity. People seem to be so
absorbed with consumption and spending money. We obviously need money
to be able to live and we need a good
economy so that people can thrive, but
when money and things become more
important than people and God, then
our faith is threatened. With the New
Evangelization, Pope Benedict XVI
does not want to distribute a new or
different message. However, he wants
to reintroduce people to the message
of Jesus Christ, our Savior. He wants to
bring Christ to people who have already
heard of Christ and may be Christian
but aren’t living out their faith and aren’t
connected to the church. He wants to
make the message of salvation alive and
real for everyone who believes.
Christ is the hope of the world.
The church has one primary purpose
and that is to go out into the world and
tell others about Christ. That was the
great commission of Jesus at the end
of the Gospel of Matthew. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I have commanded you. And behold,
I am with you always, until the end of
the age.” As Catholics, we are sent into
the world. The Holy Father has taken
the New Evangelization as one of his
primary themes for his papacy, and this
is why he has called for the synod.
Editor: What is your prayer for
the diocese as we move forward
with this?
Bishop Vásquez: My prayer for
the diocese is that all of us will deepen
our faith in Jesus. You and I are
Catholic because Jesus has come into
our lives and we have experienced him
personally; we nd him in each other
and we nd him in the community that
we call the Catholic Church. I pray that
we may all experience Christ, not only
personally but communally; that is,
when we come to Eucharist and when
we celebrate the Mass and the Sacraments, we will nd Christ. He is there!
He is alive! He is not a memory. Christ
is real. He is here for you and for me.
This is what gives us hope. This is
what gives us life. This is what gives us
purpose and meaning. To nd Christ
is to nd life, purpose and meaning. I
pray that we will all experience Christ
more fully.
GOOD NEWS
20
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Five steps to strengthening the sacrament of matrimony
BY LUPE GARCIA, LPC-S, LMFT-S
GUEST COLUMNIST
The diocesan Ofce of Family
Counseling and Family Life seeks to
help couples fulll their vocation to
married life. Here are ve ways to
build and maintain a strong marriage.
1. Make time for each other
The biggest reason that people lose
their connection and grow apart is that
they don’t make time for each other. We
get so involved in life’s obligations that
we forget to make time for the most important people in our lives. We prioritize
jobs, friends, bills and children before
our spouse. If we viewed marriage as a
paying job, some of us might have been
red for slacking or worse yet, not even
showing up. We encourage couples to
make their relationship a priority by
scheduling a date night every week or at
least twice a month. Dates don’t have to
be extravagant –– enjoy a cup of coffee
together, take a walk in the park, or go
dancing; the goal is to be together.
2. Have meaningful communication
Most couples in counseling cite
“communication problems” as the major reason for their visit. Ultimately, most
of them are communicating; they just
aren’t communicating effectively or profoundly. They communicate supercially: “What time are you getting home?,”
“The kids’ game is at six o’clock,” etc.
Therefore, when couples schedule
time with each other, we want them to
communicate intentionally and with
meaning. Take the time to get to know
each other and reconnect. Don’t just
make plans and coordinate schedules,
but nd out about each other’s goals,
hopes, dreams and desires. Talk about
what is going well in the relationship
as well as what needs work. In order to
communicate effectively, it is important
to share openly and clearly, but it is more
important to listen and try to understand
what the other is sharing.
3. Create a connection
The difference between being alone
and being lonely is the presence or lack
of a connection. We can feel lonely in
the presence of people. Spending time
with one’s spouse isn’t just about being
in the same room; it is about making an
emotional, physical or spiritual connection. A big factor in making a connection is acknowledging the other person
and genuinely being interested in who
they are and what they have to say.
People forget the importance of greeting
each other and saying goodbye. Even
more so, the connection is strengthened
by participating in activities that couples
mutually enjoy, by sharing laughter, by
having lunch together, by sending each
other notes and by hugging and kissing. Every now and then, we encourage
couples to take a trip down memory lane
and remind each other why they committed to spending their lives together.
4. Don’t be so kid-centric
When a couple receives the blessing of co-creating with God, their lives
and marriage are changed forever. The
parental vocation calls us to be a good
steward and provide nancially and
spiritually for our children. However,
prioritizing children over one’s marriage is a great disservice to the children’s
education and livelihood. They need a
loving mother and father who support
them, but more so than that, they need a
mother and father who love and respect
each other. The parents are their blueprint
for marriage and parenting. Couples who
are not living a sacramental marriage or
disagreeing constantly about parenting are
teaching those behaviors to their children.
We recommend that parents try not to
over schedule their children and not to allow their children to take all of their time
to the point that there is no time to be
together as a couple. Also, try not to allow
the children to overtake the marriage bed.
Couples who make their marriage a pri-
ority are setting a great example of what
a healthy family should look like.
5. Invite God into the marriage
This is probably the most important
piece of advice that we can give. It may
seem obvious, but we have seen many
couples forget that they actively need to
invite God to participate in their marriage. We rely on each other so much that
we put too much pressure on the other
person. It is impossible for any human
being to meet another human being’s
every want and need. Turn to the Holy
Family for help! We have a heavenly
father and mother who are always here
for us. Use the sacraments as a means
to get closer to God as an individual, as
a couple and as a family. We encourage
couples to pray together and attend Mass
together and participate in parish activities as a family. This not only strengthens
a marriage, but it also strengthens the
individuals’ relationships with God.
The diocesan Ofce of Family
Counseling and Family Life provides
counseling for married couples in English and Spanish.
LUPE GARCIA is a licensed counselor and the director of the diocesan
Office of Family Life and Family
Counseling. She can be contacted
at (512) 949-2495 or lupe-garcia@
austindiocese.org.
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OUR LADY OF THE
ROSARY CEMETERY
& PRAYER GARDENS
Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery serves Catholics from around
our Diocese. Read Msgr. Louis Pavlicek’s reflection.
“
A Catholic cemetery is Holy Ground. With reverence we have the opportunity to visit the sacred shrine where the body of our loved one has
been placed in the womb of the earth to await the final day of glory with the
resurrection. It is a place of silence, prayer and reflection. We read the name
and dates on the marker
stone and ponder in our
hearts the flame of love alive
within our hearts. Our Lady
of the Rosary Cemetery in
Georgetown offers this kind
of peaceful environment.
The beauty of creation that
surrounds the graves with
its trees, flowers, grass, birds
and many artistic markers
draws us into contemplation. We are affirmed in our
Catholic belief that life is
transformed into new life.
Some quiet time at Our
Lady of the Rosary enables us to make that spiritual connection with our
loved one recalling the times shared together and we carry that treasure in
our hearts as we continue to be faithful to our calling.
”
330 Berry Lane, Georgetown, Texas 78626
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Are you looking for a JOB?
Are you interested in working for the Diocese of Austin, Catholic Charities of Central Texas
or a local parish or Catholic school? If so, visit www.austindiocese.org and click on
“Employment.” Job postings have a link to the application for employment, which can be
mailed or submitted electronically.
GOOD NEWS
July/August 2012
21
The tales of two ‘Marys’ who were devoted to Jesus
BY MARY LOU GIBSON
COLUMNIST
St. María de Jesús Sacramentado
The Mexican Constitution of 1917
strengthened existing bans on public
religious practice, clerical participation
in Mexican political affairs and limited
the rights of the clergy of the Catholic
Church. Mexican citizens reacted to
these changes by staging rallies and
marches during a long period of peaceful
resistance. But when the once peaceful
anti-government rallies and marches
became more violent, a few skirmishes
took place in 1926. The violence escalated in January 1927 when the Cristeros,
the rebels, attempted a full scale revolt
against the Mexican government.
During these years of political
unrest and instability (1917-1926), a
group of nuns known as the Daughters
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus worked
at a charity hospital in Guadalajara. At
the heart of this dedicated group was
their superior, María de Jesús Sacramentado, also known as Madre Nati.
Madre Nati was born María Natividad
Venegas de la Torre in Jalisco, Mexico
on Sept. 6, 1868. She was the youngest
of 12 children. Her mother died when
she was very young and her father, an
attorney, gave up his career to work for
charity. Sarah Gallick writes in “The
Big Book of Women Saints” that the
family suffered nancial hardships as a
result. María was a deeply pious child
and spent her free time giving religious
instruction to her neighbors and caring
for the poor. She entered the Daughters of Mary, a well known Catholic
youth group, when she was 15.
After serving for years with a lay
group at the hospital as nurse, pharmacist and bookkeeper, Maria entered
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religious life in 1905 when she was 37
years old. She took her vows in 1910
and was appointed vicar in 1912 and
elected superior in 1921. Under her
leadership the Daughters became a
religious order.
Madre Nati worked to get donations to build a residence for the sisters
in 1922. By 1925, the Mexican government had conscated the property of
church schools and hospitals including
the seminary in Guadalajara. These
actions drove the church underground.
Violence spread and the Cristero Rebellion was underway.
Guadalajara was the scene of
much bloodshed. Gallick reported that
priests were hunted down and arrested
and executed by ring squad. Others
were stabbed with bayonets or hanged.
Madre Nati and her sisters continued
to operate Sacred Heart Hospital
throughout the years of rebellion
OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
The Vitae Clinic
Jeremy Kalamarides, D.O.
The Jefferson Building
1600 W. 38th St, Ste 115
Austin, TX 78731
512-458-6060
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postnatal care for women, expectant mothers and babies in accord
with the teachings of the Catholic Church in conformity with the
Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare services.
and guerilla warfare. Writer Ann Ball
credits Madre Nati with strengthening
her religious order during these years.
She especially cared for priests, Ball
writes, and prayed for them and helped
seminarians.
Although some churches reopened
in 1929, violent conicts continued
sporadically for years in Mexico.
Madre Nati spent her last days in
prayer and meditation and died on July
30, 1959. She was canonized in 2000
along with 25 Mexican priests martyred
during the Cristero Rebellion. St. María
de Jesús Sacramentado is Mexico’s
rst female saint and her feast day is
observed on July 31.
Mariam of Jesus Crucied
Mariam Baouardy’s childhood
was a disaster. She was born on Jan.
5, 1846, in Abelin, modern Israel, the
See SAINTS on Page 22
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OPTOMETRY
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Oak Hill
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Examination & Treatment
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Lasik Surgery
Contact Lenses & Optical
David W. Tybor, O.D.
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(512) 288-0444
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Michael Dillingham, D.D.S.
2 convenient locations in Austin
Call (512) 836-7924 or (512) 447-5194 to
schedule a complimentary consultation
FAMILY PRACTICE
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Joseph M. C. Leary, M.D.
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6811 Austin Center Blvd., Ste. 300
Austin, Texas 78731
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THYROID & ENDOCRINOLOGY
22
GOOD NEWS
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Working as a team to fulll the mission of the diocese
BY CARMEN CORTES-HARMS
GUEST COLUMNIST
Accomplishing the mission of the
Diocese of Austin is an undertaking that requires the work of many.
Numerous faithful clergy, laity and
volunteers work together to assist
Bishop Joe Vásquez as the shepherd of
the Austin Diocese.
The mission statement, “We, the
Diocese of Austin, through the Word
and Eucharist, prayer, formation
and education, social ministries and
advocacy, embrace diverse cultures
throughout the diocese so that
together, as the Catholic Church, we
may continue the mission of Christ
in the world today,“ can only be accomplished with a team of dedicated
and committed professionals. The
Diocese of Austin extends its services
throughout 25 counties in Central
Texas, to 127 parishes, 23 schools,
and more than 500,000 Catholics.
The diocesan staff members are the
extra hands that Bishop Vásquez
needs to fulll his mission.
Nearly 90 lay employees, volunteers and more than a dozen clergy
(priests and deacons) and religious
sisters make up the staff of the
Austin Diocese. Presuming that every
clergy and employee works 40 hours
per week (50 or 60 hour work weeks
are not out of the ordinary), the diocesan staff contributes approximately
200,000 hours of labor per year. The
diocesan staff is a devoted and dedicated group working as one in the
pursuit of the same objective. Every
staff member in their own particular
way works and contributes toward
the accomplishment of the Diocese
of Austin’s mission.
On July 1, 2011, the Austin Diocese adopted the Secretariat Model
as its primary structure (see the
organizational chart below). In the
last year this new model has helped
increase the efciency, accountability
and communications of the diocesan
ofces and ministries. Guided by
Bishop Vásquez and inspired by the
Holy Spirit, the diocesan staff works
diligently for the Catholic community
of Central Texas.
CARMEN CORTES-HARMS is the Human Resources Coordinator for the
Austin Diocese. She can be contacted at (512) 949-2451 or [email protected].
For a larger version, visit www.austindiocese.org/resources/general/5162.pdf.
SAINTS
Continued from Page 21
13th child and only surviving offspring
of the family. Her 12 brothers all died
in infancy. Her family was Catholic of
the Melkite Greek-Catholic Rite.
Matthew Bunson writes in “John
Paul II’s Book of Saints” that after she
was orphaned at the age of 3, she was
adopted by an uncle and taken to Alexandria, Egypt where she was trained
as a domestic servant. When she was
13, she experienced a severe physical
and emotional setback. According to
Bunson, she was working for a Muslim
family and was treated kindly. But,
later, when she refused to convert, she
was brutally attacked by one of the
family members. She recovered and
went on to serve as a domestic in other
families.
Sarah Gallick describes another
account of what happened to Mariam
and caused her physical injuries. She
writes that Marian ran away at age
13 to avoid an arranged marriage
and was befriended by a sympathetic
Muslim. But when she refused to
convert to Islam, he ew into a rage,
cut her throat and left her for dead.
She believed that she was brought
back to life by the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Her story was so fantastic that
few people believed it, but doctors
could not explain the livid scar on
her neck and the damage to her vocal
chords.
After she recovered, she went to
work for the Nadjar family who took
her to France where she was drawn to
the religious life. She spent two years
as a postulant in a convent in Mar-
seilles. It was then, Gallick writes, that
she began to have mystical experiences.
During these ecstasies she prayed, “I
am in God, and God is in me ... I no
longer have a will, it belongs to God.”
She also experienced the stigmata,
and was seen levitating at prayer and
having visions. These scenes disturbed
the other nuns so that they asked her
to leave. She returned to the Carmelite
convent at Pau where she made her
novitiate.
In 1870, she went with a delegation
to found a Carmel convent in Mangalore, India. She took her nal vows
there and chose the name Mariam of
Jesus Crucied. She then began a series
of journeys back to Pau and later to
Bethlehem to found a Carmel convent
there. It was while she was working to
open a second foundation in Nazareth
that she fell while carrying water to the
workers. She broke her arm and it became infected with gangrene. She died
of the infection in Bethlehem on Aug.
26, 1878. She was beatied by Pope
John Paul II in 1983.
Blessed Mariam Baouardy (Mariam
of Jesus Crucied) is sometimes called
the “Little Arab” and is considered the
patron of peace for the Holy Land. She
is commemorated by the Carmelites on
Aug. 26.
MARY LOU GIBSON is
a member of St. Austin Parish in Austin.
She is a retired state
employee.
GOOD NEWS
July/August 2012
23
Reections on ‘Our First, Most Cherished Liberty’
BY BARBARA BUDDE
COLUMNIST
The Fortnight for Freedom has
passed, but our prayer, study and
action in support of religious liberty
must continue. The statement “Our
First, Most Cherished Liberty” from
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ ad hoc Committee on Religious
Liberty gives much guidance in these
endeavors. The bishops’ insistence on
religious liberty is not focused on the
defeat or election of any candidates
for any ofce in the upcoming election. Rather the efforts of the bishops
through the Fortnight for Freedom
and our continuing advocacy are to
change the hearts and minds of any
and all that create laws or policies
that prevent any person from living their values and practicing their
religion.
Throughout the bishops’ statement they refer to the call of our faith
to work for the common good. For
us, this is a matter of faithful citizenship. How can we serve one another,
especially the poor and vulnerable in
ways that do not violate our religious
beliefs and our consciences? Catholic
Charities USA traces its history back
to the work of the Ursuline Sisters
who opened schools, hospitals and
services for the poor in New Orleans
in 1727. By the early 19th century the
Catholic Church was under attack in
France and Louisiana was a territory
of the young U.S. The superior of the
Ursulines in New Orleans wrote to
President Thomas Jefferson seeking assurances that the government
would not infringe upon their work
and they received it. Today we ask for
those same assurances.
The bishops quote Archbishop
Thomas Rodi of the Archdiocese of
Mobile, Ala. who with other religious
leaders led suit against the state of
Alabama because the immigration
legislation passed there would prevent
the church from serving the undocumented. That legislation would make
it illegal for priests to celebrate the
sacraments with undocumented persons, for catechists to teach undocumented children, for food pantries to
serve hungry undocumented persons,
or for neighbors to give rides to
church to an undocumented person
on their street.
Similar legislation has been proposed in Texas and thankfully it has
been defeated. Similarly, Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson and Bishop
Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix have
both vigorously opposed anti-immigrant legislation in Arizona. Parts of
those laws have been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Catholic Charities agencies have
been providing foster care and adoption services for decades. Now agencies from coast to coast are being
forced to close these programs because
they will not place children in homes
of same sex couples or opposite sex
couples who are not married but cohabitating. Contracts offered by states
no longer allow these Catholic Charities agencies to follow their religious
convictions thus programs are closing.
These examples point to the fact
that the insistence of the bishops
on religious liberty is not a partisan
issue. Both political parties in different states and in different ways have
passed legislation that infringes on
religious liberty and puts the work of
the church in jeopardy.
The HHS mandate is particularly
important because it is an issue that
affects every state and every diocese.
That is why the Fortnight for Freedom was so important and why we
need to continue to pray, study and
act. Few people knew about the Alabama law outlawing such Christian
activity, but the HHS mandate made
us all aware that there are multiple
threats to which we need to attend.
What can we do? Become a Faithful Citizen. Study the issues and not
just what is best for you and your
family, but as the bishops say, what
policies will support the common
good. Stay informed through Catholic
news sources –– the diocesan web site
(www.austindiocese.org), the Texas
Catholic Conference (www.txcatholic.
org) and Catholic News Service (www.
catholicnews.com). These sources alert
viewers to issues that may not surface
in the secular press. Also register to
vote and vote in November. Form
relationships with elected ofcials and
communicate with them about for religious liberty concerns as well as other
topics. Take time to pray, to study and
then act so that together we can work
to protect religious freedom across this
great land of ours.
BARBARA BUDDE
is the diocesan
director of social
concerns. She
can be reached at
(512) 949-2471 or
barbara-budde@
austindiocese.org.
The Legion Of Mary in the Austin Diocese
www.legionofmaryaustin.org
invites everyone to Mass with Bishop Joe Vásquez
on Friday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m.
at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin
to commemorate the close of the 90th anniversary year
of the Legion of Mary and to answer the call of Pope Benedict
XVI for the “Year of Faith.”
“To rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed,
and to reect on the act of faith, is a task that every believer must make his own, especially in the course of this Year.” (Pope Benedict XVI)
Vengan a celebrar la Santa Misa
con nuestro Obispo Joe Vásquez
Viernes, Septiembre 7, 2012 a las 6 p.m.
en la Catedral de St. Mary’s en Austin
Para conmemorar el 90 Aniversario de la Legion de Maria
y respondiendo la llamada del Papa Benedicto XVI para “El Año de la Fe.”
“Para redescubrir los contenidos de la fe profesada, celebrada, vivida y rezada, y reexionar sobre
el mismo acto con el que se cree, es un compromiso que todo creyente debe de hacer propio, sobre todo en este Año.”
(Papa Benedicto XVI)
For more information on the Legion of Mary e-mail Lynda Villasana at
[email protected] or call (512) 269-0023.
GOOD NEWS
24
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
The ‘ordinary’ or ‘extraordinary’ in terms of ventilators
BY REV. TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK, PH.D.
COLUMNIST
The use of ventilators can pose
particularly challenging problems during end-of-life situations for families.
When should we place a loved one
on a ventilator? If somebody is on a
ventilator, can we ever “pull the plug?”
Understanding our moral duty depends
upon whether the use of a ventilator
in a particular case can be considered
“ordinary” or “extraordinary.”
Ordinary interventions can be
understood as those medicines,
operations and treatments that offer
a reasonable hope of benet for the
patient and that can be obtained and
used without excessive pain, expense,
or other signicant burden. Use of
a ventilator will sometimes satisfy
these criteria, and other times it will
not, depending on the specics of the
patient’s situation.
Consider a young woman with
serious pneumonia who is having
difculty breathing and is placed on
a ventilator. The physicians treating
her believe the pneumonia eventually
can be controlled so that she can be
weaned off the ventilator and breathe
on her own in a few days or a week.
They believe the device will be needed
mostly as a temporary “bridge to healing,” that it will be effective while in
use, and that it will not impose much
burden on her. In such circumstances,
the use of the ventilator could reason-
ably be considered “ordinary” and thus
morally obligatory.
Whenever there is a considerable
hope of recovery from the illness by
making use of a particular means (a
ventilator, in this case), and when the
patient can employ the means without
much difculty or burden, it is likely
to be “ordinary” treatment. Thus, in
the experienced hands of a well-trained
physician, in a developed country with
access to proper medication and equipment, intubation and ventilation of a
patient can be a low-burden intervention.
The difculties associated with using a ventilator, however, can become
notable depending on the details of a
patient’s situation. Dr. Stephen Hannan, a pulmonary and critical care
specialist in Fort Myers, Fla. recently
summarized some of the burdens
associated with ventilation, noting
particularly “…the physical discomfort
of the endotracheal tube going from
the mouth, traversing the oropharynx, crossing the larynx, and reaching
the trachea. Sedation, analgesics, and
physical restraints are often necessary.
The patient cannot talk while ventilator support is in use. The ventilator
exposes the patient to greater risks
of infection and barotrauma [damage
to the lung tissue from the pressure
of ventilation]. Even an untrained
observer will recognize that the burden
imposed by a ventilator with a standard
endotracheal tube is much greater than
the burden of a feeding tube.”
We can consider an example that
highlights these burdens: an 85 year old
grandfather is placed on a ventilator
after suffering several serious strokes
that damaged his brainstem so that
he cannot breathe on his own. The
physicians treating him are convinced
that the damage from his most recent
stroke will continue to get worse, with
the nearly-certain outcome that he will
die in a few hours or days. Assuming
that he is unconscious, and that other
matters have been taken care of (last
sacraments, opportunities for loved
ones to say goodbye, etc.), the family
could reasonably conclude that continued ventilation would be “extraordinary” and decide to have the ventilator
disconnected, even though it would
mean their grandfather would be
expected to die in a matter of minutes
without it. Such an act of withdrawing
the ventilator would not be an act of
euthanasia, because he would be dying
due to the underlying condition. It
would be a recognition of the burdensomeness of continued ventilation and
an acknowledgement that heroics are
not required, especially when death is
imminent.
Occasionally ventilators may end
up being part of a long-term solution
for a patient. Christopher Reeve, who
played Clark Kent in the movie “Superman,” for example, was able to live
for several years with a tracheostomy
and a ventilator following an equestrian accident that severely damaged
his spinal cord. The ventilator, while
clearly a burden, offered many benets
to his situation as well, and in the nal
analysis, seemed to be a reasonable
and proportionate intervention for his
particular set of circumstances.
Other cases with ventilators can
be more difcult to decide, because a
prognosis may be uncertain or debated.
Sometimes the expense of providing long-term ventilation and critical
care may need to be factored into the
judgment about whether ventilation is
ordinary or extraordinary. Determining whether there will be a “reasonable
hope of benet” to a particular patient
by using a ventilator can be challenging. Each case must be considered on
its own merits, as we seek to make
a good prudential judgment, and to
provide for our loved ones in a way
that corresponds to their real medical
needs, so that we neither neglect nor
overburden them in the face of powerful medical technology.
FATHER TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK,
PH.D. earned his
doctorate in neuroscience from Yale.
He is a priest of
the Diocese of Fall
River, Mass., and
serves as the Director of Education
at The National
Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. For more information, visit
www.ncbcenter.org.
Collection for Catholic higher education
The special collection Catholic higher education was taken up Feb. 11-12. If your parish nds an error, call the diocesan Finance Ofce at (512) 949-2400. For more
information about this collection, visit www.austindiocese.org/dept/religious_ed/masters_theology.php.
Parish
Totals
Austin Central Deanery
Austin, Cristo Rey
$1,247.93
Austin, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$1,198.54
Austin, St. Austin
$2,717.05
Austin, St. Ignatius
$1,056.69
Austin, St. Julia
$598.55
Austin, St. Mary Cathedral
$1,799.49
Austin, San Jose
$2,567.50
Austin Central Deanery
$11,185.75
Austin North Deanery
Austin, Holy Vietnamese Martyrs
$1,590.00
Austin, Sacred Heart
$1,589.00
Austin, St. Albert the Great
$2,010.98
Austin, St. Louis
$2,925.00
Austin, St. Theresa
$3,228.00
Austin, St. Thomas More
$4,362.46
Austin, St. Vincent de Paul
$1,146.00
Cedar Park, St. Margaret Mary
$2,931.85
Lago Vista, Our Lady of the Lake
$757.05
Austin North Deanery
$20,540.34
Austin South Deanery
Austin, St. Andrew Kim
$200.00
Austin, St. Catherine of Siena
$4,372.13
Austin, St. John Neumann
$4,942.47
Austin, St. Paul
$2,122.76
Austin, St. Peter the Apostle
$1,171.00
Austin, San Francisco Javier
$411.00
Austin, Santa Barbara
$443.57
Lakeway, Emmaus
$1,894.00
Austin South Deanery
$15,556.93
Brenham/La Grange Deanery
Brenham, St. Mary
$936.62
Chappell Hill, St. Stanislaus
$467.00
Dime Box, St. Joseph
$224.00
Ellinger/Hostyn Hill, St. Mary
$205.00
Parish
Totals
Fayetteville, St. John
$562.00
Giddings, St. Margaret
$1,375.56
La Grange, Sacred Heart
$929.03
Lexington, Holy Family
$164.00
Pin Oak, St. Mary
$197.00
Rockdale, St. Joseph
$468.80
Somerville, St. Ann
$270.00
Washington on the Brazos, St. Mary
$33.00
Brenham/La Grange Deanery
$5,832.01
Bastrop/Lockhart Deanery
Bastrop, Ascension
$1,251.09
Elgin, Sacred Heart
$803.68
Lockhart, St. Mary of the Visitation
$2,343.83
Luling, St. John
$357.04
Martindale, Immaculate Heart
$335.00
Rockne, Sacred Heart
$1,011.00
Smithville, St. Paul
$762.00
String Prairie, Assumption
$434.00
Uhland, St.Michael
$188.26
Bastrop/Lockhart Deanery
$7,485.90
Bryan/College Station Deanery
Bremond, St. Mary
$450.00
Bryan, St. Anthony
$849.64
Bryan, St. Joseph
$588.00
Bryan, Santa Teresa
$192.75
Caldwell, St. Mary
$819.90
College Station, St. Mary
$3,692.43
College Station, St. Thomas Aquinas $2,120.48
Franklin, St. Francis of Assisi
$1,116.00
Frenstat, Holy Rosary
$258.00
Hearne, St. Mary
$528.00
Bryan/College Station Deanery
$10,615.20
Georgetown/Round Rock Deanery
Andice, Santa Rosa
$1,331.00
Corn Hill, Holy Trinity
$1,440.00
Parish
Totals
Georgetown, St. Helen
$3,208.61
Granger, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
$702.00
Hutto, St. Patrick
$196.00
Manor, St. Joseph
$490.83
Pugerville, St. Elizabeth
$2,292.52
Round Rock, St. John Vianney
$180.00
Round Rock, St. William
$7,304.50
Taylor, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$511.36
Taylor, St. Mary of the Assumption
$1,223.05
Georgetown/Round Rock Deanery $18,879.87
Killeen/Temple Deanery
Belton, Christ the King
$1,724.00
Burlington, St. Michael
$107.00
Cameron, St. Monica
$451.00
Copperas Cove, Holy Family
$3,422.50
Cyclone, St. Joseph
$208.00
Harker Heights, St. Paul
$3,381.00
Killeen, St. Joseph
$2,622.80
Marak, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
$108.00
Rogers, St. Matthew
$300.93
Rosebud, St. Ann
$182.51
Salado, St. Stephen
$383.00
Temple, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$843.00
Temple, St. Luke
$2,181.00
Temple, St. Mary
$1,573.00
Westphalia, Visitation
$580.00
Killeen/Temple Deanery
$18,067.74
Lampasas/Marble Falls Deanery
Bertram, Holy Cross
$294.00
Burnet, Our Mother of Sorrows
$367.00
Goldthwaite, St. Peter
$73.00
Horseshoe Bay, St. Paul the Apostle $1,208.00
Kingsland, St. Charles Borromeo
$448.63
Lampasas, St. Mary
$424.33
Llano, Holy Trinity
$214.58
Lometa, Good Shepherd
$177.00
Parish
Totals
Marble Falls, St. John
$439.66
Mason, St. Joseph
$203.98
San Saba, St. Mary
$252.01
Sunrise Beach, Our Lady of the Lake
$107.00
Lampasas/Marble Falls Deanery
$4,209.19
San Marcos Deanery
Blanco, St. Ferdinand
$384.96
Buda, Santa Cruz
$2,655.82
Dripping Springs, St. Martin de Porres $976.22
Johnson City, Good Shepherd
$221.95
Kyle, St. Anthony Marie de Claret
$1,389.13
San Marcos, H.L. Grant Center
$389.00
San Marcos, St. John
$2,586.50
Wimberley, St. Mary
$694.48
San Marcos Deanery
$9,298.06
Waco Deanery
China Spring, St. Phillip
$161.25
Elk, St. Joseph
$150.00
Gatesville, Our Lady of Lourdes
$237.28
Hamilton, St. Thomas
$214.00
Lott, Sacred Heart
$147.00
McGregor, St. Eugene
$463.26
Marlin, St. Joseph
$333.35
Mexia, St. Mary
$262.00
Tours, St. Martin
$505.00
Waco, Sacred Heart
$300.00
Waco, St. Francis on the Brazos
$590.16
Waco (Hewitt), St. Jerome
$2,959.32
Waco, St. John the Baptist
$154.65
Waco (Bellmead), St. Joseph
$546.00
Waco, St. Louis
$3,629.02
Waco, St. Mary of the Assumption
$914.00
Waco, St. Peter Catholic Center
$206.30
Waco Deanery
$11,772.59
Grand Total
$133,443.58
July/August 2012
BULLETIN BOARD
Retreats.........................
25
For Your
Information
Killeen Prayer Vigils for Life will
be held July 28 and Aug. 25 and will begin with Mass at 8:30 a.m. at St. Joseph
Parish in Killeen. After Mass, a caravan
and procession to pray the rosary at
Killeen Women’s Health Center will
be held at 9:45 a.m. All will return to
St. Joseph for closing and fellowship
at 11:15 a.m. For more information,
contact Karen Hinze at (254) 986-1134.
The diocesan Pro-Life and Chaste
Living Ofce will host a Volunteer Appreciation Day July 28 beginning at 11:30
a.m. at Mel’s Lonestar Lanes in Georgetown. Bowling will begin at noon and
pizza will be served on the lanes at 1 p.m.
All those involved in pro-life activities of
any kind and those interested in getting
involved are invited to attend. Register at
centraltexasprolife.org, or call (512) 9492486 to ensure enough lanes are available.
Theology on Tap, a ministry for
young adults, will be held Aug. 1; live
music begins at 6 p.m. and the presentation will start at 7 p.m. Alison Tate,
the diocesan director of Youth, Young
Adults and Campus Ministry, will lead
a discussion on the Year of Faith. For
more information, contact Jennifer
Kodysz at (512) 949-2467 or [email protected].
Sarah’s Hope is a free spiritual support program for couples struggling with
fertility problems or pregnancy loss. The
next women’s support group meeting is
Aug. 1; the rosary will be prayed at 6:45
p.m. and discussion begins at 7 p.m. at
the Vitae Clinic in Austin, 1600 W. 38th
St., suite 115. For questions or to sign
up, contact SarahsHopeAustin@gmail.
com or (512) 736-7334. Sarah’s Hope
is not a ministry of the Austin Diocese.
A Prepare-Enrich premarital assessment training session for priests,
deacons and other lay ministers will be
held Aug. 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St.
William Parish in Round Rock. The fee
is reduced for priests and deacons. For
more information or to register, contact
Brenda Bible, LCSW, at (512) 769-4430.
The Cursillo Community of the
Austin Diocese invites everyone to
its rst Intra Diocesan Ultreya on Aug.
12 at 1 p.m. at the Cursillo Center in
Jarrell. The Ultreya will be comprised
of all three language groups Spanish,
English and Vietnamese and will feature
testimonies and fellowship with other
Cursillistas. For information, contact
Adolfo “Doc” Alvarez at (512) 784-7964
or [email protected].
Join the Byzantine Catholic Community of Austin for the Divine Liturgy
of St. John Chrysostom every second and
fourth Sunday at 5 p.m. at Our Lady’s
Maronite Catholic Church in Austin. For
more information, e-mail Father Daniel
Forsythe at [email protected].
The English Cursillo Movement of the Austin Diocese hosts
School of Leaders meetings on the
second and fourth Tuesdays of the
month at the Cursillo Center at 250
W FM 487 in Jarrell. The meetings
are from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on the second
Tuesday and from 7 to 9 p.m. on the
fourth Tuesday. Cursillistas are invited to learn more about the movement
in the diocese. For more information,
contact Robin Spencer at (254) 5183609 or [email protected].
Diocesan ofces will be closed in
observance of the feast of Assumption
of Mary on Aug. 15.
The Austin Prayer Vigil for Life
is scheduled for Aug. 18 at St. Helen
Parish in Georgetown. Mass will begin
at 7 a.m. Following the Mass, adoration
of the Blessed Sacrament will be in the
church and a caravan will travel to Whole
Women’s Health on N. IH 35 where the
rosary will be prayed at the site from 8:20
to 9:50 a.m. Benediction will follow at St.
Helen at 10:30 a.m. Refreshments will be
served at 10:40 a.m. All are invited to attend. For more information, contact Bob
Christiansen at (512) 255-8551.
The Austin Rosary Crusade will
celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of
Mary with a retreat in Spanish on Aug.
18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Ignatius,
Martyr Parish in Austin. The day will
include a procession with matachines, the
rosary, the sacrament of reconciliation,
Mass and live music. Deacon Guadalupe
Rodriguez from St. Mary Cathedral will
be the presenter and Bishop Joe Vásquez
will celebrate Mass at noon. For more
information, contact Ignacio Moreno at
(512) 443-4111 or (512) 940-0698.
Pax Christi Austin will meet Aug.
19 at 7 p.m. at the Father John Payne
House at St. Ignatius, Martyr Parish in
Austin. Pax Christi Austin, which meets
the third Sunday of every month, is a
member of Pax Christi International and
Pax Christi USA, the Catholic peace and
justice movement that works and prays
to create a world that reects the peace
of Christ. For more information, contact
Bob Rankin at [email protected].
Diocesan offices will be closed
Sept. 3 in observance of Labor Day.
Catholic Scripture Study of Austin
will begin Sept. 12 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Louis
Parish in Austin. The weekly two-hour
Bible study consists of prayer and discussion, and is open to everyone. This year’s
focus is on the book of Genesis. Register
online at www.cssaustin.org or contact
Rosemary Howard at (512) 345-3687.
Wednesday evening Catholic
Scripture Study will begin Sept. 19
at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday morning
Catholic Scripture Study will begin Sept.
20 at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar
Park. The weekly Bible study consists
of prayer and discussion, and is open
to everyone. This year’s focus is on the
book of Genesis. For more information,
contact Bob Gorski at (512) 636-2927 or
[email protected].
Married couples who are looking
for a getaway and time to reconnect with
one another are invited to a Worldwide
Marriage Encounter Aug. 3-5 or Sept.
28-30 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat
Center in Belton. The weekend begins
Friday at 7:30 p.m. and ends Sunday
around 4 p.m. This is an opportunity
for husbands and wives to escape the
daily distractions of life and focus on
each other. For more information or to
apply to attend, contact Anh and Greg
Thomas at (512) 677-WWME (9963) or
[email protected].
A day of reection for Scouts will
be held Aug. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. at St. Anthony Parish in Kyle. For
more information, visit http://scouting.
austindiocese.org/.
Finding the Sacred in Depression, a weekend retreat, will
be held Aug. 17-19 at Cedarbrake
Catholic Retreat Center in Belton.
This retreat is designed to help those
struggling with depression. Certain
spiritual practices can guide the pathway to God’s peace and comfort.
Sharon Highberger will be the presenter. The cost is $155 for a double room, $185 for a private room
and $75 for commuter. For more
information, contact Cedarbrake
at (254) 780-2436 or cedarbrake@
austindiocese.org.
A Marriage Encounter weekend will be held in Spanish Aug. 31Sept. 2. Married couples are invited
to spent 44 hours focusing on one
another and the reasons why they are
married. The weekend will focus on
communication techniques that will
help any marriage. For more information, contact Rodrigo and Claudia
García at (512) 844-0785 or (512)
406-4183.
A Together Encounter Christ
(TEC) weekend will be held Sept.
1-3 at Eagle’s Wings Retreat Center
in Burnet. TEC is a movement of
spirituality for young adults ages 17 to
24 and is founded and unfolds within
the living traditions of the Roman
Catholic Church. For more information, contact the Youth, Young Adult
and Campus Ministry Ofce at (512)
949-2464 or [email protected].
“Growing in Holiness,” a day of
reection, will be held Sept. 13 from
9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Albert the
Great Parish in Austin. Franciscan Father Albert Haase from Relevant Radio
will discuss true self and false self. The
cost is $30, which includes lunch. For
more information or to register, contact
Cedarbrake Retreat Center at (254) 7802436 or [email protected].
“The Lord’s Prayer,” a weekend retreat, will be held Sept. 14-16
at Cedarbrake Retreat Center in Belton. Franciscan Father Albert Haase
from Relevant Radio will reect upon
the words of the Lord’s prayer and
highlight how they are a summary of
all that Jesus taught and lived. The
cost is $155 for a double room and
$185 for a private. For more information or to register, contact Cedarbrake
Retreat Center at (254) 780-2436 or
[email protected].
“The Spirituality of St. Francis
of Assisi,” a day of reection, will be
held Oct. 4 from 9:30 to 2:30 p.m. at
Cedarbrake Retreat Center in Belton.
Dr. Manuel Cortez, a spiritual director
and retired psychologist, will share his
love for St. Francis and his message to
share the Gospel. For more information,
contact Cedarbrake at (254) 780-2436 or
[email protected].
Retrouvaille (pronounced retrovi) has helped thousands of couples at
all stages of disillusionment or misery
in their marriage. For condential information about Retrouvaille or how
to register for the program beginning with a weekend on Oct. 5-7, call
1-800-470-2230 or visit www.helpourmarriage.com.
Burse
The Diocesan Council of Catholic
Women has completed a burse for
the Clerical Endowment Fund (CEF)
in honor of Father Matt Iwuji.
The totals for the burse as of May
31, 2012, are listed below by council.
Austin Council
$1,234.00
Brazos Valley Council
$2,028.00
Central Council
$132.00
Eastern Council
$1,355.00
Northern Council
$1,188.00
Southern Council
$1,550.00
Temple Council
$538.00
Western Council
$141.00
Previous Balance
$404.52
Total
$8,570.52
The Clerical Endowment Fund provides low-cost loans to parishes. Interest
from the loans is used to educate diocesan
seminarians. For information, contact either Father Ed Karasek at (254) 826-3705
or Mary Ann Till at (512) 353-4943.
Send in your items!
CATHOLIC SPIRIT offers this page, “For Your
Information,” as a “community bulletin board.”
Items of general interest of upcoming parish and
diocesan events, including parish social events,
will be printed at no charge at the discretion of
the editor. The deadline for material is the 10th
of the month, with publication occurring the
rst week of the following month. Material may
be e-mailed to catholic-spirit@austindiocese.
org or faxed to (512) 949-2523.
BULLETIN BOARD
Parish and community events................................
26
The Guadalupanas of Santa
Cruz Parish in Buda will host a retreat Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
in Deane Hall. Father Charlie Garza
will present “Sin and Forgiveness,”
and Father John Kim will present
“The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” The cost is $20, which includes lunch. For information, contact
Teresa Morales at (512) 773-4768 or
[email protected].
The Ladies’ Club from St. Elizabeth Parish in Pugerville will host
its annual Rummage Sale Aug. 11 from
7 a.m. to noon in the parish hall. Items
will include clothing, shoes, household
goods, small appliances, baby items and
treasures for all. A preview sale will be
available Aug. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m.; entrance fee is $2 or three canned goods.
For more information, contact Alice
Duerr at (512) 990-1019.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Austin (CCRA) will host its
monthly Mass Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. at St.
Helen Parish in Georgetown. A healing
service will follow the Mass. These joyful
Spirit-lled Masses offer the opportunity
to experience and rediscover the power
Jesus promised us through the Holy
Spirit. For information, contact Sabrina
Perez at (512) 466-7669 or visit www.
ccraustin.org.
St. Catherine of Siena Parish in
Austin will host a Garage Sale Aug. 18
in the parish parking lot. The sale will
run from 7 a.m. to noon. For more information, contact Sandra Soto at (512)
921-2740 or Mary Guzman at (512)
588-9844.
St. Monica Parish in Cameron will
host a Homecoming Festival Aug. 19 on
the parish grounds. Spanish Mass will be
celebrated at 7 a.m. and a polka Mass
will be celebrated at 10 a.m. featuring
the Taylor Czech Chorus. Barbecue beef
and sausage will be served beginning at
10:30 a.m. for $8 per plate. A live country auction will begin at 3 p.m. Activities
include a horseshoe tournament, bingo
and games for all ages.
St. William Parish in Round Rock
will host a night with the Round Rock
Express Aug. 20 at the Dell Diamond
in Round Rock. Father Dean Wilhelm will throw out the first pitch.
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Families are invited to the game. It is
also $1 soda and hotdog night. Visit
www.saintwilliams.org to print the order
form or order online.
St. Ignatius, Martyr Parish in
Austin will host its fourth annual Dinner, Dance and Auction Aug. 25 in the
Father Gene Dore Family Center on
the parish grounds. This year’s theme is
“Deep in the Heart of Texas.” A hearty
southern meal will be served and live
music will be provided. There will also
be live and silent auctions. Tickets are
$40 each and can be purchased by calling the parish ofce at (512) 442-3602.
Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish
in Marak will host its annual Homecoming Picnic Aug. 26 on the parish
grounds. Home-fried chicken and sausage will be served beginning at 11 a.m.;
tickets are $9 each. Entertainment by
the Praha Brothers will go from 12:30
to 3:30 p.m. An auction will begin at 3
p.m. Games and entertainment for all
ages will be available throughout the day.
St. Louis Parish in Austin will
host the Alpha Course beginning
with a kick-off dinner Aug. 26 at 6
p.m. in Wozniak Hall. The course
will be offered on Sundays from Sept.
9 through Nov. 18 from 5:30 to 8
p.m. Father Larry Covington and the
pastoral team will lead the course.
Each session will include a meal and
learning about the basics of Christian
faith and Jesus’ teachings. Childcare
is available with advance registration.
For more information, contact Coral
Migoni-Ryan at (512) 454-0384 or
[email protected].
Hispanic young adults are invited
to Mass (in Spanish) Aug. 31 at 9 p.m.
at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in
Austin. Participants will pray the rosary
beginning at 8:30 p.m. For more information, contact Juan Torres at (512)
415-5908 or Lily Morales at (512) 3633609 or [email protected].
Hispanic young adults are invited
to attend an interparish reunion on Sept.
1 at 5:30 p.m. at San Francisco Javier
Parish in Austin. For more information,
contact Juan Torres at (512) 415-5908
or Lily Morales at (512) 363-3609 or
[email protected]
Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish
in Granger will host its annual Bazaar
Sept. 2 on the parish grounds. A meal
of barbecue, fried chicken, dressing and
all of the trimmings will be served at 11
a.m. Activities include an auction at 1:30
p.m., games for all ages and a dance at
7 p.m.
St. John Parish in Fayetteville will
host its annual Picnic Sept. 2. The day
will begin with a polka Mass at 10 a.m.
Barbecue beef, pork and sausage will
be served at St. John’s Recreation Hall
beginning at 11 a.m. Other activities
include a country auction at 1:30 p.m.,
bingo, music and activities for all ages.
St. Helen Parish in Georgetown
will host a Women’s Catholic Scripture
Study Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
beginning Sept. 4 in the St. Rita Activity
Center. This year’s study will be of The
Synoptic Gospels. It offers opportunities
for deepening relationships with God,
for group discussions and for making
Catholic friendships. To register and
for more information, contact Birdie at
(512) 864-9881.
ENDOW presents classes for
women on “Aquinas for Beginners,
Part I: A Tour of the Summa Theologiae” on Wednesday evenings from 7
to 9 p.m. from Sept. 5 through Nov.
7 at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy
in Austin. ENDOW (Educating on
the Nature and Dignity of Women) is
dedicated to the promotion of a “new
feminism” based on the teachings of
Blessed John Paul II. The cost is $80,
and scholarships are available. To register, visit www.endowonline.org. For
more information, call DeeAnn Smith
at (512) 789-7699.
The diocesan ofces of Worship
and Hispanic Ministry will host a conference entitled “Preparing the Banquet”
Sept. 8 at the Norris Conference Center
in Austin. The day is for clergy and
those who serve in any type of liturgical
ministry. Workshops will be presented
in English and Spanish, and the keynote
address will be bilingual. To register, visit
www.austindiocese.org or contact Kathy
Thomas at (512) 949-2429 or [email protected].
St. Joseph Parish in Marlin will
host a Fall Festival Sept. 9 on the parish
grounds. Fajita plates will be served from
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; plates are $8 each. Activities include a live auction and games
for all ages.
Holy Trinity Parish in Llano will
host is 23rd annual Fried Chicken Dinner Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
at St. Mark’s Hall, which is next to the
church. Tickets are $9 in advance and
$10 at the door. Dinner includes fried
chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, green
beans, a roll, dessert and iced tea. Plates
are available via drive-through, take-out
or dine-in.
Training sessions for those who
would like to offer the diocesan marriage preparation program, Together in
God’s Love, in their parish or deanery
will be held Sept. 13 and Sept. 15 from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the diocesan Pastoral Center in Austin. To register or for
more information, contact Rick Bologna
at (512) 949-2495 or rick-bologna@
austindiocese.org.
St. Stephen Parish in Salado
will host a golf tournament Sept. 15
at Mill Creek Golf Course in Salado.
The day will begin with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. The format is a four-person
scramble. For more information, contact Gene Martinka at (254) 535-4036.
The Charity and Justice Secretariat of the Austin Diocese will present a conference entitled “Living the
Good News” Sept. 15 from 8:30 a.m.
to 4 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish
in Austin. This conference will address
the Gospel call to promote the life and
dignity of every person from conception, throughout their lives until natural
death. Jack Jezreel, the founder and executive director of JustFaith Ministries,
will be the English keynote speaker.
Arturo Chavez, president of the Mexican
American Catholic College in San Antonio, will be the Spanish keynote speaker.
For more information or to register,
visit www.austindiocese.org or contact
Yvonne Saldaña at (512) 949-2486 or
[email protected].
St. Joseph Parish in Cyclone will
host its 67th annual Picnic Sept. 23 on
the parish grounds. Home-fried chicken
and sausage will be served beginning at
11 a.m. Activities include live music,
bingo, games for all ages and a live auction beginning at 2 p.m.
NFP classes..............................................................
Introductory sessions on the
Creighton Model of natural family
planning will be held Aug. 4 and Sept.
1 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Seton Williamson, Room 3 in Round Rock. The
cost to attend is $30. Individuals may
register by e-mailing austinfcc@gmail.
com or by calling (512) 474-2757 and
leaving a message (provide your name,
address, phone and the date you would
like to attend).
The Sympto-Thermal Method of
natural family planning is 99 percent effective at postponing pregnancy and is
approved by the Catholic Church. The
Sympto-Thermal Method Class consists
of three classes spaced about one month
apart and is for engaged or married
couples. Classes will begin Aug. 11 at
2 p.m. at St. William Parish in Round
Rock. To register, visit http://register.
ccli.org.
A series of classes on the SymptoThermal Method of natural family
planning will begin Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. at
St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin.
The classes are spaced about one month
apart and will help couples learn how
to identify the three common signs of
fertility and infertility. To register or for
more information, visit http://register.
ccli.org.
An introductory session on the
Creighton Model of natural family
planning will be held Aug. 16 from 7
to 8:30 p.m. at Seton Medical Center in
the Main Conference Room in Austin.
The cost to attend is $30. Individuals
may register by e-mail at austinfcc@
gmail.com or calling (512) 474-2757 and
leaving a message (provide your name,
address, phone and the date you would
like to attend plus who referred you).
The Austin Fertility Care Center
will present an informational session on
natural family planning Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.
at St. Austin Parish in Austin. The cost
is $20. Couples will receive a certicate
of attendance. Couples may register for
classes by e-mailing austinfcc@gmail.
com or by calling (512) 474-2757 and
leaving a message (provide names, an address and phone number, wedding date,
and referring parish or priest).
The Austin Couple to Couple
League will offer a natural family planning Introduction Seminar Aug. 19
at 7 p.m. at St. Thomas More Parish
in Austin. The class will satisfy the
Austin Diocese requirement for marriage. To register, call Nick and Monica
Warren at (512) 257-0857 or e-mail
[email protected].
A series of classes on the SymptoThermal Method of natural family
planning will begin Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at
St. Mary Cathedral in Austin. The classes
are spaced about one month apart and
will help couples learn how to identify
the three common signs of fertility and
infertility. To register or for more information, visit http://register.ccli.org.
July/August 2012
ESPAÑOL
27
Renovando y actualizando el mensaje de Cristo
E L O BISPO J OE S.
VÁSQUEZ es el quinto
obispo de la Diócesis
de Austin. Es pastor
para casi 500,000
católicos en 25
condados en el
Centro de Texas.
Editora: Señor Obispo, en el
otoño, la Iglesia Católica celebra
el 50 aniversario de la apertura del
Concilio Vaticano II. Cuéntenos
sobre el Concilio y, ¿por qué es tan
importante en nuestra historia de la
Iglesia?
Obispo Vásquez: El Concilio Vaticano II fué uno de los eventos más importantes del siglo XX que marcaron a
la Iglesia Católica. En muchos sentidos,
el Concilio llevó a cabo una renovación
de nuestra iglesia. Cuando el Concilio
fue convocado por el Papa Juan XXIII
en 1962, el quería un “aggiornamento”,
que es el italiano para “hacer nuevo” o
“actualizar”. Bajo la guía del Espíritu
Santo, el Concilio se reunió, no para
hacer frente a controversias doctrinales
como otros concilios habían hecho,
sino con la intención de renovar y
refrescar las enseñanzas de la iglesia y la
fe católica. El Concilio buscaba hacer
la fe real y presente, haciéndola creíble
para la gente de la sociedad moderna.
El Concilio Vaticano II produjo
un amplio conjunto de documentos,
de constituciones apostólicas, declaraciones y decretos y el Concilio afectó
particularmente la liturgia. Gracias al
Concilio Vaticano II, se cambió el idioma de la misa, los católicos pasaron de
celebrar la misa estrictamente en latín a
poder celebrar la Eucaristía en la lengua
vernácula del pueblo. Esto signicó
que la gente podía entender y participar en la misa en su idioma particular.
El Concilio también renovó la liturgia
misma y la misa se hizo más vibrante y
alentó a los laicos a participar más de lo
que habían hecho anteriormente. “Al
reformar y fomentar la sagrada Liturgia
hay que tener muy en cuenta la activa
participación de todo el pueblo”, dice la
Constitución sobre la Sagrada Liturgia
(“Sacrosanctum Concilium”), que fue
promulgada por el Concilio Vaticano II.
El Concilio Vaticano II también
instigó muchos otros documentos
importantes, entre ellos cuatro constituciones apostólicas. La Constitución
Apostólica sobre el Mundo Moderno
(“Gaudium et Spes”) reexionó sobre
cómo la iglesia no ve al mundo como
un enemigo, sino más bien la forma
en que fuimos enviados al mundo para
evangelizar. Por lo tanto, no deberíamos tener miedo, sino ir adelante a
proclamar a Cristo a todas las naciones. El Concilio también nos ayudó
a entender cómo podemos establecer
relaciones con otras religiones, especialmente aquéllas con nuestros hermanos
y hermanas musulmanes y judíos.
La declaración del Concilio Vaticano II sobre la relación de la Iglesia
con las religiones no cristianas (“Nostra
Aetate”) señala que todos los seres
humanos están hechos a imagen y
semejanza de Dios, por lo tanto, no
hay lugar para el odio por motivos de
religión, color o cultura . “Lumen Gentium”, la Constitución dogmática sobre
la Iglesia, nos ayuda a comprender que
la Iglesia es ante todo un misterio fundada por Cristo con el propósito de invitar a toda la humanidad a la salvación.
Por lo tanto, la Iglesia misma es un
pueblo peregrino, donde los ordenados
y los laicos tienen un papel vital que
desempeñar. En todos los documentos
producidos por el Concilio Vaticano II
se ejemplica cómo la iglesia se ve a sí
misma y la forma en que entendemos
el mensaje que se le ha conado para
llevar esperanza y alegría al mundo.
Editora: En muchos sentidos,
el Concilio Vaticano II ayudó al
pueblo a entender mejor su fe. El
Papa Benedicto XVI espera llevar
una vez más a la gente más cerca de
Cristo con la Nueva Evangelización.
¿Puede decirnos más sobre eso?
Obispo Vásquez: Sí, el Santo Padre ha convocado este nuevo Sínodo,
que tendrá lugar del 7 al 28 octubre
en el Vaticano. El tema del Sínodo
es “La nueva evangelización para la
transmisión de la fe cristiana.” El Santo
Padre considera que la evangelización
es una prioridad para la iglesia. Él está
muy preocupado de que, aunque gran
parte del mundo se ve a sí mismo
como cristiano y dice creer en Dios, la
secularización, el individualismo y el
materialismo son serias amenazas para
la humanidad y el cristianismo.
La secularización extrema ve a la
iglesia como si tuviera poco o nada que
aportar a la sociedad. La secularización
signica que Dios se mantiene fuera
del lugar público, es decir, es aceptable adorar y orar a Dios en la iglesia,
pero no es aceptable introducir a Dios
en el lugar de trabajo, en nuestras
escuelas públicas y en la sociedad en
general. Con la Nueva Evangelización,
el Papa quiere que la gente entienda
que nuestra fe católica nos exige llevar
a Dios a dondequiera que vayamos. No
podemos separar a Dios de nuestras
vidas— ¡El está siempre con nosotros!
Cuando vamos a misa los domingos,
cuando vamos al trabajo o cuando
vamos a la escuela o cuando salimos a
hacer nuestras compras o al cine, Dios
está con nosotros.
Individualismo signica que la
persona toma decisiones y jusga por
sí mismo todas sus acciones. Así, la
moralidad se hace subjetiva ya que el
individuo es el que decide la verdad y se
convierte en su propio dios. Sabemos
que esto es frecuente en la sociedad
actual. Sin embargo, el cristianismo nos
EL PAPA JUAN XXIII (a la izquierda) rmó la Bula que convocó el Concilio
Vaticano II, el 25 de diciembre de 1961. Él escribió que iba a convocar al
Concilio para que la iglesia hiciera una contribución positiva a la solución de
los problemas modernos. El Concilio se reunió para su primer período de
sesiones el 11 de octubre de 1962. El 50 aniversario del inicio del Concilio es
este año. (Fotos de CNS)
dice cuál es la última verdad y la moralidad que debemos acatar. Como Jesús
nos enseñó, debemos amar a Dios
sobre todas las cosas y amar a nuestro
prójimo como a nosotros mismos. El
Santo Padre quiere que entendamos
mejor este concepto y lo compartamos
con otros a través de la Nueva Evangelización.
El materialismo es también una
amenaza para el cristianismo. La gente
parece estar absorta en el consumo y
en gastar dinero. Obviamente necesitamos dinero para vivir y necesitamos
una buena economía para que la gente
pueda progresar, pero cuando el dinero
y las cosas con más importantes que
la gente y Dios, entonces nuestra fe
está amenazada. Con la Nueva Evangelización, El Papa Benedicto XVI no
busca distribuír un mensaje nuevo o
diferente. Sin embargo, él quiere volver
a introducir a la gente al mensaje de
Jesucristo, nuestro Salvador. Él quiere
llevar a Cristo a las personas que ya han
oído hablar de Cristo y quienes pueden
ser cristianos, pero no viven su fe y no
están conectados a la iglesia. Él quiere
que el mensaje de la salvación viva y sea
real para todo aquel que creé.
Cristo es la esperanza del mundo.
La iglesia tiene un objetivo primordial y
ese es salir al mundo y hablarles a otros
acerca de Cristo. Esa fue la gran comisión de Jesús al nal del Evangelio de
Mateo. “vayan, pues, a hacer discípulos
a todas las naciones, bautizándolos en
el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del
Espíritu Santo, y enseñándoles a observar todo cuanto yo les he mandado.
Y he aquí, yo estoy con ustedes todos
los días hasta el n del mundo. “Como
católicos, somos enviados al mundo.
El Santo Padre ha tomado la Nueva
Evangelización, como uno de los temas
principales de su ponticado y es por
ello que ha convocado el Sínodo.
Editora: Entonces, ¿cuál es la
oración de la diócesis a medida que
avancemos con este llamado?
Obispo Vásquez: Mi oración por
la diócesis es que todos profundizemos
nuestra fe en Jesús. Usted y yo somos
católicos, porque Jesús ha entrado en
nuestras vidas y lo hemos experimentado personalmente, lo encontramos
en el otro y lo encontramos en la
comunidad que llamamos la Iglesia
Católica. Rezo para que todos podamos
experimentar a Cristo, no sólo personalmente, sino en comunidad, es decir,
cuando vamos a la Eucaristía y cuando
celebramos la Misa y los Sacramentos,
vamos a encontrar a Cristo. Él está allí,
¡Él está vivo! Él no es un recuerdo.
Cristo es real. Él está aquí para usted y
para mí. Esto es lo que nos da esperanza. Esto es lo que nos da la vida. Esto
es lo que nos da sentido y signicado.
Encontrar a Cristo es encontrar la vida,
el propósito y el signicado. Rezo para
que todos experimentemos a Cristo
más plenamente.
28
ESPAÑOL
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Cinco maneras de fortalecer un matrimonio
POR LUPE GARCÍA, LPC-S, S-LMFT
COLUMNISTA INVITADA
A medida que ayudamos a preparar
a las parejas para el matrimonio y damos
consejo a las parejas que están luchando
para permanecer juntos, la Ocina
Diocesana de Consejería y Vida Familiar
tiene por objetivo ayudar a las parejas
a llevar a cabo su vocación a la vida matrimonial. Aquí hay cinco maneras de construir y mantener un matrimonio fuerte.
Hagan tiempo para estar juntos
La razón más importante por la cual
las personas pierden su conexión y se distancian es que no hacen tiempo para estar
juntos. Estamos tan involucrados en las
obligaciones de la vida que nos olvidamos
de hacer tiempo para las personas más
importantes en nuestras vidas. Damos
prioridad a nuestros puestos de trabajo,
a los amigos, a las cuentas y a los niños
antes de nuestro cónyuge. Si se considerara el matrimonio como un trabajo
bien remunerado, algunos de nosotros
podríamos haber sido despedidos por
desatender el trabajo, o peor aún, por ni
siquiera estar presentes. Nosotros alentamos a las parejas a hacer de su relación
una prioridad programando una cita a la
semana o por lo menos dos veces al mes.
Las citas no tienen que ser extravagantes
— disfrutar de una taza de café juntos,
dar un paseo por el parque, o ir a bailar;
el objetivo es estar juntos.
Comunicación signicativa
La mayoría de las parejas en consejería citan “los problemas de comunicación” como la razón principal de su
visita. En última instancia, la mayoría de
ellos se comunican pero simplemente no
se comunican ecaz o profundamente.
Se comunican supercialmente: “¿A
qué hora te vas a casa?”, “El juego de
los niños es a las seis”, etc. Cuando las
parejas programan el tiempo entre sí,
queremos que se comuniquen intencionalmente y con signicado. Se tomen el
tiempo para llegar a conocerse y volver
a conectar uno con otro. No se limite a
hacer planes y coordinar horarios, pero
conozca las metas, esperanzas, sueños
y deseos de su pareja. Hable acerca de
lo que va bien en la relación, así como
lo que se necesita mejorar. Con el n
de comunicarse de manera efectiva, es
importante compartir abierta y claramente, pero es más importante escuchar
y tratar de entender lo que el otro está
compartiendo.
Establezca una conexión
La diferencia entre estar solo y
sentirse solo es la presencia o ausencia
de una conexión. Podemos sentirnos
solos en la presencia de personas. El
pasar tiempo con su cónyuge, no se trata
sólo de estar en la misma habitación,
sino que se trata de hacer una conexión
emocional, física o espiritual. Un factor
importante en hacer una conexión es
reconocer a la otra persona y realmente
estar interesado(a) en quienes son y lo
que tienen que decir. La gente se olvida
de la importancia de saludarse y despedirse. Más aún, la conexión se fortalece
mediante la participación en las actividades que las parejas disfrutan mutuamente, compartiendo la risa, comiendo
juntos, enviándose uno al otro notas y
por abrazos y besos. De vez en cuando,
alentamos a las parejas a tomar un viaje al
pasado y recordar la razón por la que se
comprometieron a pasar sus vidas juntos.
No se centren en los niños
Cuando una pareja recibe la bendición de la co-creación con Dios, sus
vidas y el matrimonio cambian para
siempre. La vocación de los padres nos
llama a ser buenos administradores y
proveer económica y espiritualmente
para nuestros hijos. Sin embargo, dando
prioridad a los niños sobre el propio
matrimonio es un gran perjuicio a la
educación de los niños y a los medios de
subsistencia. Ellos necesitan una madre
amorosa y un padre que los apoyan,
pero más que eso, necesitan una madre
y un padre que se aman y se respetan
mutuamente. Los padres son su modelo
para el matrimonio y la crianza de los
hijos. Las parejas que no viven un
matrimonio sacramental o no están de
acuerdo constantemente en cómo ser
padres están enseñando sus comportamientos a sus hijos. Recomendamos
que los padres no traten de sobreprogramar a sus hijos y no les permitan
que sus hijos tomen todo su tiempo al
punto de que no hay tiempo para estar
juntos como pareja. Además, traten de
no permitir a los niños invadir la cama
matrimonial. Las parejas que hacen que
su matrimonio sea una prioridad están
dando un gran ejemplo de cómo debe
de ser una familia sana.
Invite a Dios en el matrimonio
Este es probablemente el consejo
más importante que podemos dar. Puede
parecer obvio, pero hemos visto que
muchas parejas se olvidan de que activamente necesitan invitar a Dios a participar
en su matrimonio. Nos apoyamos el uno
en el otro tanto que ponemos demasiada
presión sobre la otra persona. Es imposible para cualquier ser humano llenar
todos los deseos y necesidades de otro
ser humano. ¡Acuda a la Sagrada Familia
en busca de ayuda! Tenemos un Padre
Celestial y una madre que siempre están
aquí para nosotros. Haga uso de los sacramentos como un medio para acercarse
a Dios como persona, como pareja y
como familia. Alentamos a las parejas a
rezar juntos y a asistir a Misa y participar
en las actividades de la parroquia como
una familia. Esto no sólo fortalece un
matrimonio, sino que también fortalece
las relaciones de cada individuo con Dios.
La Ocina Diocesana de
Consejería y Vida Familiar ofrece
asesoramiento en inglés y español para
las parejas casadas. Para obtener más
información, llame al (512) 949-2495.
no es la fe, pero si el comienzo y parte
fundamental.
Dios se ha manifestado de varias
formas y en diferentes culturas, pero
la más grandiosa manifestación fue a
través de la persona de Cristo Jesús. En
la persona de Jesús el rostro amoroso
de Dios se nos fue revelado, junto con
la invitación de ser parte del Reino aquí
en la tierra y después de la muerte. Jesús
nos invitó a vivir amando al prójimo, al
enemigo, a perdonar al que nos ofende,
a denunciar las injusticias, a trabajar por
paz, a ser luz para el mundo, a amar
a Dios por sobre todas las cosas, y a
compartir con él la vida eterna. Como
respondemos a esta invitación es la fe.
La fe es un don, que más ahora que
nunca nuestra sociedad necesita, especialmente nuestras nuevas generaciones.
Las nuevas generaciones creen que
las cosas en el mundo no mejorarán,
que se les está heredando un mundo
en caos, sin respuestas, sin rumbo. Y
cuando se hacen esas preguntas sobre
su origen, destino y razón de ser, no
encuentran más que silencio, pues Dios
no ha sido introducido a su vida por
sus padres y comunidades. Tienen en
sus corazones esa búsqueda divina,
pero las respuestas que encuentran son
vacías, sin luz, sin esperanza.
La fe es la respuesta que le damos
a esa búsqueda divina. Dios es nuestro
destino y origen; ¿qué signica esto
para usted? ¿Qué quiere Dios de usted,
qué le pide? ¿Qué le responde usted a
Dios al escuchar su palabra?
¿Qué celebraremos en el año de la
fe? Ha habido muchos momentos en
mi vida donde mi fe en Jesucristo, en
su presencia sanadora, su amor compasivo y su protección me sostuvieron
rme. He visto las maravillas de Dios
en mi vida y en los demás. Soy testigo
de cómo Dios sana, libera, anima,
ama, perdona y salva. ¡Y eso hay que
celebrarlo!
Usted también ha visto las bendiciones que la fe en Cristo Jesus le ha
traído a su vida, a sus seres queridos,
a un amigo, a su comunidad. Estoy
hablando de esas historias de fe donde
Dios se manifestó sanando, limpiando,
amando, de forma extraordinaria. Le
invito a compartir su historia conmigo,
con nuestra comunidad. Las historias
seleccionadas serán publicadas en
el periódico como parte de nuestra
celebración como Diócesis ¿Cuál es su
historia de fe?
Edgar Ramirez es el Director del
Ministerio Hispano para la Diócesis
de Austin. Se le puede llamar al (512)
949-2468 o por correo electrónico a
[email protected].
Celebrando nuestra fe
POR EDGAR RAMIREZ
DIRECTOR DEL MINISTERIO HISPANO
El próximo 11 de octubre celebraremos en toda la Iglesia Católica el año de
la fe. El Papa Benedicto XVI nos invita
a que de Octubre 2012 a Octubre 2013
celebremos, compartamos y conozcamos nuestra fe. Nuestra Diócesis
tendrá una variedad de celebraciones,
talleres, y conferencias en español para
que celebremos nuestra fe.
Cualquiera que sea su fe, sea
poca o mucha, ¡celébrela!, ¡conózcala!
Nuestras futuras generaciones necesitan
saber que es la fe, celebrarla y vivirla.
Nuestras sociedades necesitan en este
momento reexionar sobre la fe y la
dimensión espiritual del ser humano, su
llamado y destino. Esta invitación del
Papa Benedicto XVI me parece especialmente importante en estos momentos en que nuestras sociedades están
luchando por balancear un secularismo
agresivo que pretende olvidar un hecho
inevitable: los seres humanos pertenecemos a una realidad más grande que
la material. Pero por otro lado también
está ese discurso que utiliza la fe para
convertirla en una serie de reglamentos,
leyes, status quo, y discurso político que
alejan de Dios a los suyos; y esta reali-
dad la podemos observar en sociedades
no solo cristianas. Este llamado de S.S.
Benedicto XVI puede ser un soplo
divino para encender la fe de todos los
católicos y así mostrarle al mundo los
frutos de nuestra fe e inspirarlo a seguir
buscando esas respuestas reconociendo
su naturaleza divina y destino divino.
¿Qué es la fe? Observando la
perfección en naturaleza y la complejidad del ser humano, los hombres no
podemos más que preguntarnos: ¿Por
qué este mundo? ¿De dónde venimos?
¿Cuál es la razón de nuestra existencia? ¿Por qué el mal? ¿Cuál es nuestro
destino después de la muerte? Desde
el comienzo de las civilizaciones, los
seres humanos hemos buscado estas
respuestas.
Lo invito a tomar unos minutos de
silencio para que recuerde o haga consciente ese momento en su vida donde
estas preguntas surgieron. Algunas
veces estas preguntas nos surgen en
medio de tragedias, o en momentos de
felicidad también. Le comparto que estas preguntas llegaron a mí a los 8 años.
Ahí por primera vez me pregunté el por
qué y para qué de mi ser. “Por eso nos
viene incluso el deseo de salir de este
cuerpo para ir a vivir con el Señor,”
2 Cor. 5:8. Este anhelo de Dios fue
sembrado en nosotros. Este llamado
ESPAÑOL
Las parroquias ayudan a inmigrantes a aprender Inglés
July/August 2012
POR ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN
CORRESPONSAL PRINCIPAL
Escena 1: Una pareja entra
en un restaurante. “Bienvenido
al Restaurante de Morales”, dice
la antriona.
“¿Cuánto tiempo hay que
esperar?”, Pregunta el señor. “No
hay espera”, responde la antriona. “¿Le gustaría sentarse adentro
o afuera?”
“Adentro, contesta la señora”. ¿Quiere una banca o una
mesa?”, pregunta la antriona,
“una banca”, contesta la pareja.
Después de que la pareja está
sentada y con menús, aparece
un mesero y pregunta: “¿Puedo
tomar su orden?” Y la pareja procede a ordenar.
Es una escena cotidiana en
muchos lugares, excepto éste.
No se trata de un restaurante. Se
trata de una esquina del centro
de actividades parroquiales en
la Parroquia St. Elizabeth en
Pugerville donde hay casa llena
viendo el sketch, que es parte
del programa de graduación del
ministerio de Inglés como Segundo Idioma. Los estudiantes
de nivel intermedio y avanzado
optaron por hacer parodias de
escenas cotidianas, como ir a
un restaurante o al médico para
mostrar su progreso a sus familiares.
Los estudiantes son una
variedad de edades y de diferentes países.
Carmen Cardona, de 57 años,
quiere aprender Inglés para poder
convertirse en ciudadana de los
EE.UU. Su nieta, Noemí Ramírez,
es una de las maestras de ESL.
Cardona tuvo que esperar
ocho años para ser admitida en
los EE.UU. de México, y quiere
ser capaz de comunicarse con su
bisnieta.
“Es necesario hablar Inglés”,
dijo Cardona, quien se encuentra
en el nivel intermedio. “Quiero
convertirme en ciudadana, porque
las leyes pueden cambiar y quizás
no pueda hacerlo más adelante”.
Laura Beury, de 30 años, tenía
lágrimas en sus ojos mientras
buscaba cuidadosamente las palabras en Inglés para expresar sus
sentimientos.
“Quiero ser una buena ciudadana de este país”, dijo Beury,
una estudiante de nivel intermedio.
“Tengo una hija. Ella tiene cinco
años. Habla inglés y español y estará en Kindergarden este año. Yo
quiero que ella esté orgullosa de su
mamá. Es difícil, estoy sola en este
país, excepto por mi marido. Él se
queda en casa para que yo pueda ir
a la clase”.
29
LOS ESTUDIANTES de
Inglés practican
ordenar comida
en un restaurante durante una
clase de ESL
en la Parroquia
St. Elizabeth
en Pugerville.
(Foto de Enedelia J. Obregón)
Celinda Martínez, coordinadora de ESL (inglés como segunda
lengua, por sus siglas en inglés) en
St. Elizabeth, después de las ceremonias, con orgullo tomó nota de
que Isabel Pérez había aprendido el
suciente inglés para poder obtener
su licencia de manejo.
Pérez dijo que cuando llegó
por primera vez a los EE.UU.,
sintió que sus labios estaban “sellados”. “Hace tres años empecé a estudiar”, dijo entre bocado y bocado
de comida de diferentes países, que
para celebrar, los estudiantes trajeron a su graduación. “No sabía los
números ni qué decir si me preguntaban: “¿Cuál es su nombre? “Yo
no entendía nada.” Tres años han
Noticias y eventos
El Encuentro Matrimonial Mundial en Español les hace una atenta invitación a todos los matrimonios a vivir un n de semana de 44 horas de trabajo enfocados uno en el otro, alejados de sus diferentes
tareas y con la única nalidad de reforzar y rearmar la razón por la cual unieron sus vidas. En el n
de semana aprenderán una técnica de comunicación para ayudarles a tener una mejor relación; esto no
quiere decir que estén mal, sino que siempre podemos estar mejor. Todos los que estén interesados para
recibir más información pueden comunicarse con Rodrigo o Claudia García a los teléfonos (512) 8440785 y (512) 406-4183. Los próximos nes de semana de encuentro son Agosto 31 y Septiembre 1 y 2.
La Ultreya Intra Diocesana de Cursillos de la Diócesis de Austin invita a todos a su Primera
Ultreya Intra Diocesana el 12 de agosto a la 1:00 p.m. el Centro de Cursillos de Cristiandad en Jarrell. La Ultreya estará compuesta por los tres grupos en español, vietnamita e inglés, y contará con
testimonios y compañerismo con otros cursillistas. Para más información, póngase en contacto con
Adolphus “Doc” Álvarez al (512) 784-7964 o [email protected].
La Cruzada del Rosario de Austin celebrará la esta de la Asunción de María con un retiro
en español el 18 de agosto de 8 AM a 4 PM en la Parroquia de St. Ignatius Martyr, en Austin. El día
incluirá una procesión con matachines, el rosario, el sacramento de la reconciliación, la Misa y música
en vivo. El diácono Guadalupe Rodríguez, de la Catedral de St. Mary será el presentador y el Señor
Obispo José Vásquez celebrará la Santa Misa al mediodía. Para obtener más información, llame a
Ignacio Moreno al (512) 443-4111 o (512) 940-0698.
La Ocina de Culto Divino y la Ocina de Ministerio Hispano ofrecerán una conferencia
llamada “Preparando el Banquete” el 8 de Septiembre en el Centro de Conferencias “Norris Conference Center” en Austin. Este evento es para los clérigos y todos aquellos lideres de ministerios
litúrgicos parroquiales. Habrá talleres en inglés y en español y tendremos presentaciones bilingües
también. Para registrarse en español o inglés por favor vaya al sitio de internet de la Diócesis de
Austin www.austindiocese.org o contacte a Katty Thomas al 512-949-2429 o por correo electrónico
[email protected]. Para preguntas en español sobre la conferencia puede contactar
a Edgar Ramirez, Director del Ministerio Hispano, al 512-949-2468 o por correo electrónico [email protected].
La secretaría de Caridad y Justicia de la Diócesis de Austin ofrecerá una conferencia titulada
“Viviendo la Buena Noticia” el 15 de septiembre de las 8:30 a.m. a las 4:00 p.m. en la parroquia St.
Catherine of Siena en Austin (4800 Convict Hill Rd. Austin, TX 78749). En esta conferencia reexionaremos y aprenderemos sobre el llamado del Evangelio para promover la vida y dignidad de todo
ser humano desde su concepción, el transcurso de su vida y hasta su muerte natural. Jack Jezreel,
fundador y director ejecutivo de JustFaith Ministries será el presentador principal en inglés. Arturo
Chavez, presidente del Mexican American Catholic College en San Antonio será el presentador principal en español. También tendremos varios talleres en inglés y español. Para registrarse en inglés o
español por favor visite el sitio de internet de la Diócesis www.austindiocese.org o contacte a Yvonne
Saldaña al 512-949-2486 o por correo electrónico: [email protected]. Para preguntas
sobre la conferencia en español por favor llame a Edgar Ramirez, Director del Ministerio Hispano,
al 512-949-2468 o por correo electrónico: [email protected].
hecho una gran diferencia.
“Ahora mis oídos están abiertos y mis labios pueden dar gracias
y expresar lo que siento”, dijo. “Si
yo no aprendiera inglés, me quedaría en un agujero obscuro. Al
aprender usted puede ver una luz”.
Agradeció a sus maestros por
darle la oportunidad de participar
en la educación de sus hijos. Sus
hijos tienen 9 y 4 años de edad.
“Mis hijos están muy orgullosos”, dijo, sonriendo. “Ellos
me corrigen y me ayudan con las
palabras que no conozco. Puedo
entender lo que dicen. Me puedo
comunicar con sus amigos. No
tengo palabras sucientes de agradecimiento”.
Padre Pedro García Ramírez,
párroco de St. Elizabeth, puede
comprenderlo.
“Yo soy producto de ESL”,
dijo el sacerdote a su congregación
cuando el programa se inició hace
tres años.
Cuando Martínez se acercó a
él para iniciar el ministerio de ESL,
“¿cómo podría yo decir que no?”,
dijo.
Padre García Ramírez nació
en Nuevo Laredo y su familia se
mudó a Austin cuando él era un
niño. Aprendió inglés a través de
un programa de Caridades Católicas, en la Universidad St. Edward’s,
de VESS (Voluntarios para la Educación y Servicios Sociales, por sus
siglas en inglés).
ESL, el sacerdote dijo, “cambió
mi vida”. El aprendizaje de Inglés
le ayudó a entrar en el seminario
cuando tenía 30 años.
Martínez dijo que el programa
ofrece a los estudiantes la oportunidad de aprender también sobre la
cultura estadounidense para que
puedan ser participantes en vez de
solo mirar a los demás.
El ministerio es una colaboración entre el programa de ESL
y de las parroquias, dijo Alejandra
Hamlet, enlace entre los ministerios
de la parroquia y el programa de
ESL. Ella y Angie Beckham, una
feligrés de la parroquia St. Ignatius,
Martyr en Austin, son mentores
voluntarias para el ministerio parroquial en toda la diócesis.
Hamlet, quien es maestra de
Pre-Kinder en la Parroquia St.,
Louis en Austin, nació en México,
y dijo que alcanzar a los inmigrantes
es una realidad que la Iglesia tiene
que afrontar, ya que muchos son
católicos.
“La realidad de la Iglesia es que
los inmigrantes son en su mayoría
católicos y necesitan un lugar seguro con el que puedan identicarse
mientras crecen”, dijo. “Esa es la
iglesia”.
El aprendizaje del inglés abre
la puerta a los inmigrantes en la
comunidad en general, así como
en su comunidad de fe, señaló. El
aprendizaje del inglés también fortalece sus familiares, dijo Beckham.
“Los niños están aprendiendo
inglés y sus padres dependen de
ellos para interpretar”, dijo. “Pone a
los niños en una posición de poder.
Esa es una posición que los padres
deben tener”.
Hamlet dijo que esa disparidad puede destruir familias. Si los
padres pueden comunicarse con
los maestros, los niños tienen más
probabilidades de permanecer en
la escuela.
Martínez dijo que el programa
comenzó con 60 estudiantes. Este
año hubo 138 estudiantes de numerosos países. Las clases siguen el
calendario de la escuela pública. La
formación de maestros voluntarios
se lleva a cabo en el verano. El
programa en St. Elizabeth tuvo 19
voluntarios este pasado año escolar.
Los estudiantes pagan una
cuota de $35 y los materiales son
proporcionados por el programa
de ESL a un costo muy bajo, ya que
compran los libros al por mayor,
dijo Hamlet.
Martínez dijo que requiere
“gran valor” dejar su país de origen
y este ministerio ayuda a hacer la
transición más fácil.
Otras parroquias en Austin
con ministerios de ESL son Cristo
Rey, Holy Vietnamese Martyrs,
St. Ignatius Martyr y San José. La
parroquia St. William en Round
Rock se encuentra en el proceso de
reiniciar su Ministerio de ESL.
Para más información o
para ser voluntario, comuníquese
con Celinda Martínez al (512)
554-3313.
30
ESPAÑOL
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Trabajando en equipo para cumplir con la misión de la diócesis
POR CARMEN CORTES-HARMS
COLUMNISTA INVITADA
El cumplimiento de la misión de la
Diócesis de Austin es una empresa que
requiere el trabajo de muchos. Numerosos clérigos eles, laicos y voluntarios trabajan juntos para ayudar al Sr.
Obispo Joe Vásquez como el pastor de
la Diócesis de Austin.
La declaración de nuestra misión:
“Nosotros, la Diócesis de Austin, por
medio de la Palabra y la Eucaristía, la
oración, la formación y la educación,
los ministerios sociales y la promoción,
abrazamos a las diversas culturas en
toda la diócesis, para que juntos, como
la Iglesia Católica, podamos continuar
la misión de Cristo en el mundo de
hoy”, sólo se puede lograr con un
equipo de profesionales dedicados y
comprometidos. La Diócesis de Austin
extiende sus servicios a lo largo de 25
condados en el centro de Texas, a 127
parroquias, y 23 escuelas católicas, más
de 500,000 católicos. Los miembros
del personal diocesano son las manos
adicionales que el Sr. Obispo Vásquez
necesita para cumplir su misión.
Casi 90 empleados laicos y más de
una docena de clérigos (sacerdotes y
diáconos) y religiosas forman el personal de la Diócesis de Austin. Suponiendo que cada clérigo y empleados
trabaja 40 horas a la semana (50 o 60
horas semanales no están fuera de lo
normal), el personal de la diócesis contribuye aproximadamente 200,000 horas
de trabajo por año. El personal de la
diócesis es un grupo dedicado y especializado, de corazones y almas, trabajando
como uno en la búsqueda del mismo
objetivo y cada miembro del personal en
su particular forma trabaja y contribuye
hacia el logro de la misión de la Diócesis
de Austin.
El 1o. de julio de 2011, la Diócesis
de Austin adoptó el Modelo de la Secretaría como su estructura primaria (véase
el cuadro a continuación). En el último
año este nuevo modelo ha ayudado a
aumentar la eciencia, la responsabilidad y las comunicaciones de las ocinas
diocesanas y de los ministerios. Guiados
por el Sr. Obispo Vásquez e inspirados
por el Espíritu Santo, el personal de la
diócesis trabaja diligentemente para la
comunidad católica del centro de Texas.
Carmen Cortés-Harms es la
Coordinadora de Recursos Humanos
de la Diócesis de Austin. Ella puede ser
contactada en el (512) 949-2451 o
[email protected].
Pastoral support for victims of sexual abuse
The Diocese of Austin is committed to providing condential and compassionate care to victims of sexual abuse, particularly if the abuse was
committed by clergy or a church representative. If you have experienced abuse by someone representing the Catholic Church, please contact
the diocesan coordinator of pastoral care at (512) 949-2400.
Apoyo pastoral a las víctimas de abuso sexual
La Diócesis de Austin se compromete a proporcionar ayuda condencial y compasiva a las víctimas de abuso sexual, especialmente si el
abuso fue cometido por el clero o un representante de la iglesia. Si usted ha sufrido abusos por parte de alguien que representa la Iglesia
Católica, por favor comuníquese con el coordinador diocesano del cuidado pastoral al (512) 949-2400.
How to report an incident of concern
The Diocese of Austin is committed to preventing harm from happening to any of our children or vulnerable adults. If you are aware of sexual
or physical abuse and/or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult, state law requires you to report that information to local law enforcement or
the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at (800) 252-5400 or www.dfps.state.tx.us. Additionally, if the suspected abuse is by
clergy or an employee or volunteer of any diocesan parish, school or agency, a Notice of Concern should be submitted to the diocesan Ethics
and Integrity in Ministry Ofce at (512) 949-2400. The l Notice of Concern can be found at www.austindiocese.org (click on the link HOW TO
REPORT ABUSE). Reports may be made anonymously.
Cómo reportar un caso de abuso
La Diócesis de Austin está comprometida a la prevención del daño que se cause a cualquier niño o adulto vulnerable. Si usted está enterado
del abuso sexual o físico y/o abandono de un niño o adulto vulnerable, la ley estatal requiere que se reporte esa información a la policía local
o el Departamento de Servicios Familiares y de Protección del Estado de Texas al (800) 252-5400 o al sitio: www.dfps.state.tx.us y además,
si la sospecha de abuso es por parte del clero, empleado o voluntario de cualquier parroquia, escuela u organización de la diócesis, se debe
enviar un Reporte de Abuso y debe ser presentado a la Ocina de Ética e Integridad en el Ministerio de la diócesis al (512) 949-2400. El Reporte de Abuso se encuentra en nuestra página de Internet diocesana: www.austindiocese.org ( Haga click en la liga COMO REPORTAR UN
CASO DE ABUSO). Estos reportes pueden ser hechos de manera anónima.
SITINGS
July/August 2012
31
PASTORAL
JUVENIL HISPANA held Marian
Masses during
the month of May,
where young adults
offered roses to
Mary. The group
also had their annual Corpus Christi
procession from
St. Ignatius, Martyr
Parish to St. Mary
Cathedral in Austin.
(Photos courtesy
Lily Morales)
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
PARISH IN AUSTIN held
Vacation Bible School June
11-15. More than 100 volunteers hosted 231 children
and teens for the week.
(Photos courtesy St. Vincent
de Paul Parish)
COLUMBIAN SQUIRES
from St. Paul Chong
Hasang Parish in Harker
Heights completed a service project at Cedarbrake
Catholic Retreat Center in
Belton. (Photos courtesy
Brian Egan)
YOUTH from
Blessed Virgin
Mary Parish in Old
Washington recently
made their rst
Holy Communion.
(Photos courtesy
Peachie Burlin)
THREE MEN made their nal vows
and one made his rst profession to the
Dominican Missionaries for the Deaf
Apostolate community at the Shrine of the
Little Flower Basilica in San Antonio. The
religious vows ceremony was held entirely
in American Sign Language. The brothers
serve in several dioceses, including the
Austin Diocese at St. Ignatius, Martyr Parish in Austin. (Photo courtesy Father Tom
Coughlin, OP Miss.)
FATHER KURTIS WIEDENFELD led a youth
“adventure” to Lake Whitney State Park for teens
from St. John Parish in
Fayetteville and St. Mary
Parish in Ellinger. (Photo
courtesy Amy Babin)
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS of St. Monica Parish in
Cameron hosted a social after
Mass. Parishioners enjoyed
donuts, kolaches, coffee and
juice. (Photos courtesy Frank
Klecka)
THE FIRST SEMESTER of
Prayer and Life workshops has
concluded at several parishes
in the Austin area. More parishes are planning to begin the
Spanish workshops in the fall.
(Photos courtesy Aida Calderon)
FATHER BRIAN EILERS celebrated Mass at the Baptistery of St.
Lydia near Philippi in Greece. He and Deacon Jerry Klement led
a group of Central Texans on a pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey
in May. (Photo courtesy Linda Burke)
Send photos by the 10th of the month to [email protected].
SITINGS
32
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS PARISH in
College Station held
a procession on the
feast of Corpus Christi.
More than 500 people
attended Mass and
the procession, which
concluded with benediction and commissioning of 126 extraordinary ministers of holy
Communion. (Photos
courtesy St. Thomas
Aquinas Parish)
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL won the
Private Schools Interscholastic Association
(PSIA) AA Overall rst
place academic title.
They are the second
Catholic school to win the
Overall Championship
in the 15-year history of
PSIA. (Photo courtesy
Kelly Hagemeier)
THE KNIGHTS OF
COLUMBUS of St.
Jerome Parish in
Waco awarded $500
scholarships to three
graduating seniors
this year. (Photo
courtesy Angie
Chancellor)
THE KNIGHTS OF
COLUMBUS from St.
John Neumann Parish
in Austin hosted a golf
tournament May 14
that beneted the Society of St. Vincent de
Paul and other charities. (Photo courtesy
Jen Crowley)
THE KJZT OF LA GRANGE (left)
presented a donation of $562.50
to Sacred Heart Catholic School
in La Grange. It will be used for
technology needs at the school.
(Photo courtesy Amy Foster)
THE CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS OF
THE AMERICAS of Sacred Heart
Parish in La Grange presented scholarships to four local seniors on May
28. (Photo courtesy Elizabeth Kallus)
THE EIGHTH GRADE CLASS from St. Joseph Catholic
School in Bryan traveled to Washington, D.C. in June.
They visited historical sites and The Basilica of the National
Shrine of The Immaculate Conception. (Photo by Liz Smith)
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
spearheaded a fundraising campaign
to raise money so CareNet could
purchase an ultrasound machine. Carl
London of the St. Jerome Council
#13005 and Tony Raineri the District
111 Deputy presented a check for
$62,462 to Deborah McGregor of
CareNet Pregnancy Center of Central
Texas on June 18. (Photo courtesy
Dave Hargrave)
ST. MATTHEW IN ROGERS has created a
prayer garden with the help of the parish community. It includes the Stations of the Cross, a rosary
garden and an Advent garden, which features a
re pit and four benches that symbolize the four
weeks of Advent. The garden brought together
many parishioners to create art, lay rock, dig
holes, plant trees and plants and create a place
of worship and prayer.
(Photos courtesy Alisa Furman)
BISHOP JOE VÁSQUEZ conrmed 240 students at St. William Parish in Round Rock. He said it was the most he had
ever conrmed in one service. He also conrmed 200 students
in June at St. William Parish. (Photo courtesy Chris Bartlett)
ABOUT 60 PEOPLE attended a three-week study on “The Origin
of the Bible” hosted by St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar Park.
The study focused on the Catholic Church’s role in the formation
of the canon of the Bible. (Photo courtesy Gina Simmons)
Send photos by the 10th of the month to [email protected].