July 4, 2011 - Diocese of Altoona

THE CATHOLIC
REGISTER
Official
Publication
of the Diocese
of Altoona - Johnstown
Volume LXXXVI, No. 5 Published Bi - Weekly
(USPS 094 - 280)
www.ajdiocese.org
July 4, 2011
Bishop Throws Support Behind School Choice Bill
Photos And Text
By Bruce A. Tomaselli
Humidity hung in the air
outside, and inside the Johnstown
Bishop McCort Catholic High
School library, educators and
business leaders came together
to discuss the hot button issue,
School Choice and the passing of
Senate Bill 1. The news conference rally was held on June 20.
“School Choice is not simply
and issue of public schools versus non-public schools,” Bishop
Mark L. Bartchak emphasized, “it
is a matter of what is fair, what is
right, and what is best for every
child.”
He said that by giving parents the power to choose where
their son or daughter is educated,
it is giving them a license to
succeed. “By giving parents the
power to choose, we are getting
the parents more directly involved in the education of their
children, and everyone knows
that we need to have parents
involved in educating our young
people.”
From Harrisburg came Amy
Hill, Communication director of
the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC); a group that has
contributed a tireless effort toward the passage of Senate Bill 1,
a tax credit scholarship program
that aids qualified students.
“School Choice is the talk
of the town in Harrisburg and
CHOICE: Bishop Mark L. Bartchak and Amy Hill, communication director for the Pennsylvania Catholic
Conference, discuss School Choice and Senate Bill 1 prior to the news conference held on Monday, June
20 at Bishop McCort Catholic High School, Johnstown.
everywhere else across Pennsylvania. The legislation most
talked about is Senate Bill 1,
the Opportunity Scholarship and
Educational Improvement Tax
Credit Act (EITC).
“The bill aims to increase
the (EITC) to $100 million making more scholarships available
to qualified students,” Hill explained.
The EITC is a tax incentive
program for businesses that
allows them to direct their tax
money, in this case, to schools for
scholarship to students in private
or public schools.
Also participating in the
news conference were Michael
Price, president of First Commonwealth Bank and a member of the Board of Trustees of
Bishop McCort Catholic High
School; Alena Stephens, a 2011
graduate of Bishop McCort;
and Jack Buchan, president and
CEO of Interstate insurance in
Johnstown and a member of the
Bishop McCort Board of trustees.
“I direct my tax dollars to
where they are best utilized,”
Buchan said of the EITC program
and School Choice. “This gives
every child the same chance to
attend the school they prefer.
“Every child has limitless
potential, but not all of them get
the same chance to develop.
“Choice works.”
Stephens is one of those
students who’s had the benefit
of developing her potential. “As
a recent graduate of Bishop McCort Catholic High School, I can
say that the EITC program was a
tremendous help to me and my
family. Without it I wouldn’t
have been able to attend the only
faith-based environment in the
area, Bishop McCort.
She said her years at Bishop
McCort Catholic High School
played a significant part in molding her into the person she is
today. “Bishop McCort was time
well spent. My Family and I are
grateful to all who support the
EITC.” She will attend Mount
Aloysius College in Cresson.
Price said his leadership
team had a very good meeting
with Bishop Bartchak and he
is looking forward to working
with him.
There’s no question where
Price stands on Choice legislation. “I believe a value-based
education is more important now
than ever. I’ve been a long time
advocate of Choice in education
and Catholic education.”
He said Catholic schools
expect excellence and command
respect. “I am committed to
Catholic education by way of
being on the board.”
(Continued On Page 12.)
Page 2
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
SAINT AUGUSTINE/SAINT MONICA: Saint Augustine Parish,
Dysart and Saint Monica Parish, Chest Springs, celebrated Confirmation on Saturday, April 30. Pictured are (left to right) First row:
Paul Hoover, Alexis Conrad, Dominic Donahue, Janette Shank,
Marcus Hoover. Second row: Father Joseph Fleming (pastor), Roy
Holtz (catechist), Carmelite of the Word Sister Linda LaMagna (director of religious education) and Janel Long (catechist).
SEVEN DOLORS: Celebrating First Holy Communion at Our
Lady of the Seven Dolors Parish in Beans Cove on Sunday, May
15 were (left to right) First row: Zachary Flinn, Zane Cessna, Lucas Cessna. Second row: Shelley Cessna (teacher), Father Richard
Tomkowsky (pastor) and Joan Martin (teacher).
SAINTS PETER AND PAUL: Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Philipsburg, celebrated Confirmation on Wednesday, June 1. Pictured
are (left to right) First row: Marikaye Clark, Katie Carpin, Kaila
Belinda, Callie Tocimak. Second row: Dallas Hussar, Michael Marcinko, Father Robert Kelly (pastor). Third row: Dakota Moore,
Dalton Granville, Tony Caprio.
SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA: Celebrating Confirmation at Saint Anthony of Padua Parish, Windber, were (left to right) Rozann Newcomer (catechist), Anthony Spinos, Danielle Newcomer, Stephen
Marchegiani, Adam Peterson and Ken Newcomer (catechist). Third Order Regular Franciscan Father
Rod Soha is pastor.
SAINT THERESE, JOHNSTOWN: First Holy Communion was celebrated on Sunday, May 1 at
Saint Therese Parish in Jonstown. Pictured are (left to right) First row: Joshua Bence (server), Mia
Jordan, Sarah Sorchilla. Second row: Franciscan Sister M. Catherine Paff (director of religious education), Chris Bence (server), Franciscan Father Bernard Karmanocky (pastor), Ann Figart and Margart
Hutchinso (teachers).
SAINTS CYRIL AND METHODIUS: Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish, Windber, celebrated Confirmation on Sunday, May 22. Taking part were (left to right) First row: Father Matthew Misurda (pastor), Sherry Zevorich, Erika Fleegle, Courtney Petrunak. Second row: Timothy Tallyen, Joseph Pipon
Jr., Krista Alt and Ileene Mattis (teacher).
In The Alleghenies
SAINT PATRICK, JOHNSTOWN: Saint Patrick Parish, Johnstown, celebrated Confirmation on Sunday, June 12. Pictured are (left to right) First row: Taylor Kubacka, Allison Haney, Karli McKissick,
Matthew McClain, Philip Glover. Second row: Father Matthew Reese (pastor), Todd Kapscos, Victoria
Maher, Kelsey Illuzzi, Kaylee Hollan and Andrew Glover. Not pictured is Jesse Cooper.
SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST, BELLEFONTE: Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Bellefonte,
celebrated First Holy Communion on Saturday, April 30. Pictured are (left to right) First row: Zacahary
Swanger, James Saylor, Adrienne Basalla, Luke Barnhart, Leland Calistri, Andrew Fedor, Claire Lucas,
Seth Shuey, Lily Gardner, Roman Criscitello, Isabella Pruss, Gabriel Moyer, Makena Baney, Stephen
Ivicic. Second row: Leeanne Carmack, Annalle Conklin, Keri Rose Carroll, Kaitlyn Berkey, Christopher Paloskey, Kira Watson, Hunter Noberger, Austin Knepp, Kasie Miller, Nathan Taylor, Alyssa
Packer. Third row: Evan Walker, Rianna Morris, Nicholas Capparelle, Emily Tobias, Robert Marsh,
Trent Fisher, Kyla Milanese, Madelyn Tice, Allison Ivicic, Zachary Markle, Reece Bloom, Elizabeth
Marchini, Logan Ellenberger, Isaiah Nadolsky, Father Valentine Bradley (parochial vicar). Fourth row:
Father Neil Dadey (pastor) and Deacon Thomas Boldin.
Prayer
Carmelite Novena
Loretto: The Discalced
Carmelite Nuns of the Monastery of Saint Therese of Lisieux
will offer a novena and special
prayers to Our Lady of Mount
Carmel and Saint Therese from
Friday, July 8 to Saturday, July
16, the feast of Our Lady of
Mount Carmel. Following the
7:45 a.m. daily Mass, the Carmelite Nuns will recite special
novena prayers asking their
powerful intercession with God
for all the petitions recommended to them.
Those desiring to share in
the graces and blessings of these
spiritual exercises and in the
private prayers of the Carmelite
Nuns may send their petitions to
Mother Prioress, P.O. Box 57,
Loretto PA 15940.
Every Sunday afternoon
and every First Friday of the
month at 4:00 p.m., Benediction
of the Most Blessed Sacrament
is given in the public chapel of
Carmel, followed by veneration
of the relic of Saint Therese.
(Continued On Page 15.)
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
Page 3
SAINT ANNE: Celebrating First Holy Communion at Saint Anne
Parish, Davidsville were (top photo, left to right) First row: Isabella Sroscio, Nevan Napotnik, Megan Walerysiak. Second row:
Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Lewandowski (pastor) and
Veronica Badaczewski (teacher). Celebrating Confirmation were
(bottom photo, left to right) Erin Lischerelli, Katie Reckenr, Lucas
Spengler, Lucy Lappi (teacher), Nicholas Holsopple and Christopher Mazzarese.
Page 4
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
THE CATHOLIC
REGISTER
SERVING THE DIOCESE OF
ALTOONA - JOHNSTOWN
Published Bi - weekly at
Logan Boulevard
Hollidaysburg PA 16648
Subscriptions: $8.00 Parish Based
$18.00 Individual
Publisher:
Most Reverend Bishop
Mark L. Bartchak
Periodical Class Postage Paid At
Altoona PA and other mailing offices.
Postmaster send change of address to:
P.O. Box 413 Hollidaysburg PA 16648
Editor:
Rev. Msgr. Timothy P. Stein
Manager:
Bruce A. Tomaselli
(USPS 094 - 280)
Member Publication Of
The Catholic Press Association
Secretary:
Frances M. Logrando
Phone (814) 695 - 7563
FAX (814) 695 - 7517
Point Of View
1,358 times—that’s how
many times Lou & Louise have
repeated their wedding vows!
They have recited them every
Saturday since they married on
May 25, 1985. They’ve said
those vows on the phone when
they were 3,000 miles apart, the
beach and the golf course, at
the kitchen table, in front of the
Christmas tree, in church, and
even in the hospital. Once it was
a few days after bringing home
their newborn, another time a
day after a parent died. You realize what those vows are about,
Louise said, as you repeat them
“during good times and bad, in
times of sickness and of health.”
Imagine if married couples
repeated their wedding vows
in front of their young or even
grown children on their anniversary each year. Not only would
it reinforce the spouses’ commitment, but it would help to counteract the distorted picture of
marriage which children absorb
from our current culture.
A wedding anniversary is
really a family’s birthday, isn’t
it? That’s why one family has
a “family birthday cake” on the
parents’ anniversary, with everyone blowing out the candles together. Mom and Dad show their
wedding photos and the family
gets a “family present.”
Observing the “family
birthday” would be a respectful
and beautiful way to honor marriage even after the death of one
of the spouses.
Some families celebrate
their parents’ or grandparents’
anniversaries by attending Mass
together. Spouses could make
an informal “speech” about the
The
Bureau Drawer
By Susan Stith
Celebrating Marriage
CNS Photo/Karen Callaway, Catholic New World
joys, challenges, and sanctity
of marriage, or share stories of
their wedding and important
landmarks in their marriage.
One family turned what
would have been their parents’
50th anniversary, had they not
divorced, into a family jubilee
year. It began with as many as
possible attending Mass together, but also involved a special attempt to reconcile sibling squabbles. Throughout the entire year
they prayed for healing in their
family, gathered for picnics and
parties, and stayed in closer
touch with those out of town.
Many younger couples reread the readings they chose for
their wedding. Others find anniversaries to be an ideal time to
share the qualities and actions
most appreciated about each
other in the last year and maybe
set a goal as a couple to grow in
a particular aspect of their relationship.
What about gifts? One couple donated money to a missionary priest in Brazil. He bought
a treat for all the children in his
parish and told them this came
from the married love of an
American couple.
A simple way to acknowledge the life-giving aspect of
marital love overflowing beyond
immediate family is to perform
an act of service together around
one’s anniversary. Involving
children or letting them know
what you are doing and why certainly sends a clear message that
love is about giving.
The truth is we celebrate
what we value. So let us, in this
pro-marriage church, celebrate
marriage well, for every anniversary is an occasion to hold up
the light of Christ’s love glowing in us for the world to see.
Another
Perspective
By Monsignor Timothy P. Stein
Who Needs
The Catholic Press?
Who needs the Catholic Press?
Who needs a Catholic newspaper?
My dear readers, you do. You and the other members of your
parish, and your brothers and sisters in the many parishes throughout the eight counties of this Diocese of Altoona – Johnstown all need
to have a Catholic newspaper in your home.
You will remember that when I last wrote this column, I was
heading to Pittsburgh for the Catholic Media Convocation and convention of the Catholic Press Association. The four days I spent with
colleagues and friends convinced me more than ever of how very
much all of us in the Catholic Church need the witness of the Catholic
Press.
Certainly, during our convention there were many conversations
about the new means of social communication available to us today.
Blogs, Tweets, Facebook Posts, Pipl Profiles, Skype and websites
were not even dreamed of when most of us began our ministry in the
Catholic Press. We began as print journalists and were proud to be
described that way.
The amazing good news is that as much as many of us have
embraced those other forms of instant, electronic communication, we
are still proud to be known as print journalists working in the Catholic
Press, producing newspapers and magazines that reach thousands
upon thousands of homes on a regular basis.
I made the point at a roundtable discussion that as fine as all the
emerging new forms of communication might be, all of them have to
be invited into a reader’s home. A Catholic newspaper or magazine,
particularly one like ours which is sent by the Bishop’s mandate to
every registered household in the Diocese, arrives in the reader’s
home without an invitation. It comes into a reader’s home as a reminder that that household is connected to other households across
the Diocese, the state, the country and the world.
When I got back from the convention I found waiting for me another letter from a pastor who writes from time to time asking that we
reconsider mandated subscriptions. He makes the point that more
copies of The Catholic Register are found in the trash can of the
local post office than ever make it home. I don’t find that fact to be
insulting; I find it to be very, very sad.
That pastor, and many others like him in this Diocese, and in
other Dioceses, simply do not understand the value of the Catholic
Press. I was encouraged, at the convention, to meet a Bishop who
not only understands how important a Catholic newspaper is, but
actively supports the paper, and urges pastors to do so, too.
“A Catholic newspaper today is not a luxury. It is a necessity. And
to my mind, at least for the moment, it remains the best vehicle for
adult faith formation that we have,” said Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh, when he met with us Catholic journalists in a general session.
Bishop Zubik drew warm applause when he said “There has been no
greater and more consistent success in Catholic communications in
the United States than through the use of print,” and “absolutely and
fundamentally the best option ... to evangelize the evangelizers, is
through Catholic print.”
The three Bishops I have served as a Catholic journalist - - Bishop Hogan, Bishop Adamec and Bishop Bartchak - - have all shown
that they understand the need for a strong and vital Catholic Press.
They have consistently supported this Catholic newspaper by continuing the 100% subscription mandate policy. For that, I am most
heartily grateful.
Without the Catholic Register arriving at your doorstep or in
your mailbox every other week, it is possible that some of you might
not see any Catholic publications or media at all. So, like it or not,
friends, count on us to keep showing up.
You need us more than you might think you do!
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
Page 5
Bishop’s
Appointments
REVEREND VALENTINE J. BRADLEY,
appointed Parochial Administrator of Saint
Francis Xavier Parish in Cresson, effective
July 20, 2011.
REVEREND JAMES B. COVENEY, granted retirement at his request and given Senior Priest status, effective July 20, 2011.
REVEREND GEORGE M. GULASH, appointed Pastor of Saints Cyril and Methodius
Parish in Windber, effective July 20, 2011.
REVEREND MATTHEW E. MISURDA, appointed Pastor of Our Lady of the Sacred
Heart Parish in Portage, effective July 20,
2011.
REVEREND RONALD V. OSINSKI, appointed Pastor of Saint Mark Parish in Altoona, effective July 20, 2011.
REVEREND BRIAN L. WARCHOLA, appointed Parochial Vicar of Saint John the
Evangelist Parish in Bellefonte and Blessed
Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Penns Valley,
as well as Sacramental Minister at the State
Correctional Institution at Rockview, effective June 4, 2011.
DEACON RICHARD T. GOLDEN, appointed to diaconal service at Saint Bartholomew
Parish in Wilmore and Most Holy Trinity Parish in Southfork, effective June 4, 2011.
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Friday, July 15 is the deadline date for
the submission of First Holy Communion, Confirmation, May Crowning and
Graduation photos.
Page 6
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
HOLY ROSARY: Holy Rosary Parish in Juniata, Altoona, celebrated First Holy Communion on Sunday, May 15 and Confirmation
on Wednesday, June 1. Pictured in the top photo are (left to right)
First row: Nicholas Petucci, Conner Bagrosky, Sophia Roefaro, Estelita Seaton, Aidan Kelly, Chayse Berardi. Second row: Monsignor Michael Servinsky (pastor). In the bottom photo are (left to
right) First row: Jared Fee, Ryan Stuby, Morgan Mercer, Jonathan
Kelly. Second row: Kenneth Dodson III and Monsignor Servinsky.
SAINT MARK: Saint Mark Parish in Altoona celebrated First Holy Communion on Sunday, May 1.
Taking part (top photo) were (left to right) First row: Diane Newberry-Mitchell (catechist), Nia McAlkich, Evan Sanders, Cassie Kyle, Parker Cumming, Valerie Kahley (CCD coordinator). Second row:
Sandy Newberry,Catechist, Nicholas Leberfinger, Gabriel Sankey, Lydia Baum, Jacob Salisbury, Tracey
DelBiondo (catechist). Third row: Kaite Cumming (server), Father James B. Coveney (pastor), Max
Sankey and Timothy Leberfinger (servers). Celebrating Confirmation on Wednesday, June 1 (bottom
photo) were (left to right) First row: Trinda Roberts, Sabrina Filkosky, Julia Connelly. Second row:
Chase McCullogh, Matthew Yingling, Ben Mitchell, Father Coveney and Kyle Cheslock.
SAINT ALOYSIUS: Celebrating First Holy Communion at Saint Aloysius Parish, Cresson, were (left
to right) Allison Hoover, Nicole Hoover, Ella Pearson, Joseph Mastri, Brandon Farabaugh, Deanna Cassidy, Servant of the Sacred Heart Sister Marietta Therese (catechist). Second row: Susan Stith (catechist), Gregory Caldwell, Nicholas Cully, Austin Pfahler, Gavin McConnell, Kyanna Schilling, Kaylee
Fogle, Michelle Bossler (aid). Third row: Sister of Saint Ann Melany Pereira (teacher), Jacob Tsikalas,
Carter Smith, Michael Nagle, Meagan Wheeler, Logan Michina, Grant Bosler and Father John Brynes
(pastor).
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
A Prince In The Service
Of The Great King
The Servant Of God
Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin
1770 - 1840
First King Of The Netherlands
Was Friend Of Father Gallitzin
.
:
y
x
The “Russian” Prince m
:Priest Demetrius Augustine
Gallitzin was born far away
from the Russian homeland of
his ancestors. The Prince was
born December 22, 1770 at The
Hague, the capital city of the
Netherlands, where his father
was serving as Ambassador Extraordinary of Empress Catherine the Great.
The Netherlands held a
unique position in a continent
where monarchs held sway; it
was a republic, with an hereditary head of state, known as the
“Stadholder.” When the senior
Prince Gallitzin was serving as
ambassador to the Netherlands,
the Stadholder was William V,
Prince of Organe - Nassau. William V would be the last Stadholder of the Netherlands.
Stadholder William V was
married to Princess Wilhelmina
of Prussia. Prince - Ambassador Gallitzin also had a Prussian
wife, the former Countess Amalia von Schmettau. Perhaps because their wives came from the
same country, a close friendship
united the two Princes. William
Prayer For
Father Gallitzin’s Intercession
Gracious and loving God, in your providence you sent your
faithful servant, Father Demetrius A. Gallitzin, to sow the
seeds of faith among the people of the Allegheny Mountains.
May you listen to his intercession for us in our day, even as
we ask that we be allowed to invoke him publicly as our patron
with you.
Pour out your merciful love upon us and hear our prayer. We
humbly beseech you to grant us the favor of (name your intention).
Finally, we ask for the courage to serve you faithfully and to
give you praise. May we do it in the strength of your Spirit, in
witness to Jesus, as did Demetrius when he preached your
Word and baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
t
e
,
s
+ + +
Kindly send information about favors granted to:
The Cause for the Servant of God
Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin
Diocese Of Altoona - Johnstown
927 South Logan Boulevard
Hollidaysburg PA 16648
WILLIAM I
V and Wilhelmina themselves
became parents of a son on
August 24, 1772. This prince,
christened William Frederick,
and the little Prince Demetrius
Gallitzin became playmates
and fast friends. When Prince
Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin
grew up to become a missionary priest in Western Pennsylvania, Prince William of Orange
- Nassau would remember their
friendship, and would provide
the Prince - Priest with financial
aid.
Just as the French revolution and the eventual rise to
power of Napoleon Bonaparte
would change the destiny of
Prince Demetrius, sending him
to the New World, those same
forces impacted the life of
Prince William. The 19 - year
- old prince married his cousin,
another Princess Wilhelmina of
Prussia in 1791. A year later
their son, William, was born.
If the French revolution had
not marked the end of the Dutch
republic in 1795, William of Orange - Nassau would have succeeded his father as stadholder.
Instead, the Orange - Nassau
family was forced into exile in
England. Prince William left his
wife and son there and returned
to the continent, to fight as a
General in the Prussian army.
He later returned to his English
exile, returning to the Netherlands in 1813, only after the ultimate defeat of Napoleon.
William returned to a new
Netherlands, now recognized as
a principality. He ruled as sovereign prince for two years, and
in 1815 was proclaimed the first
King of the Netherlands, and
Grand Duke of Luxembourg,
reigning as William I. A great
- grandson of King George II of
the United Kingdom, William
I was the 648th Knight of the
Order of the Garter. Although a
member of the Dutch Reformed
Church, he was also the 876th
holder of the prestigious Order
of the Golden Fleece, traditionally a Catholic honor, in Spain.
William earned a reputation
as the ‘merchant king’, promoting trade and industry and tak-
Page 7
ing advantage of many of the
innovations which had been
introduced under the French
Occupation of 1795-1813. But
William I was an authoritarian
ruler. In 1830 the Belgians rebelled against his policies and
proclaimed their own state. In
1840, in what remained of the
Netherlands after Belgian secession, he was forced to accept
greater influence for parliament.
A week after this humiliation he
abdicated.
In 1936, the English King,
Edward VIII, abdicated his
throne to marry “the woman he
loved.” Similar considerations
also played a part in the abdication of William I. His new
spouse was a Belgian, Catholic
woman,
Countess Henrietta
d’Oultremont. Her ethnic origin
and her religion made her unacceptable to the King’s subjects,
and helped propel him from his
throne.
King William I died at his
Berlin palace in 1843. He lies
buried with his descendants, the
Kings and Queens of the Netherlands in the Royal Crypt at the
Nieuwe Kerk, in Delft.
Page 8
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
Word of Life
The Pope
Teaches
By Pope Benedict XVI
Psalms Still Show Christians
How To Speak To God
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI said that
the Book of Psalms from the Old Testament is a timeless and
powerful “prayer book” that teaches Christians how to communicate with God.
The 150 “inspired songs” were originally gathered by the
Jewish people, but were prophetic of the coming of Jesus
Christ, the pope said June 21 at the weekly general audience
in St. Peter’s Square.
Indeed, he said, the prayers from the Book of Psalms
were used by Jesus himself, “thus revealing their full and profound meaning.”
The pope recently has discussed the importance of prayer
in his weekly catechism talks, concentrating on Old Testament
figures and the relevance of their stories to contemporary
Christians.
Pope Benedict said the prayers, or songs, manifested all
the shades of human nature, emotions and faith, making them
particularly relevant today for their ability to “teach us how to
pray.”
Everyone can relate to the complex and often contradictory expressions of the human condition found in the Psalms,
the pope said, citing “joy and suffering, desire for God and
feelings of unworthiness, happiness and sense of abandonment, faith in God and painful solitude, fullness of life and fear
of death.”
The pope said that the prayers in the Book of Psalms
showed the inseparable intertwining of supplication, laments
and praise. Believers pray to God lamenting a condition but
asking for intercession, knowing they will be heard by a good
and merciful God, the pope said. Prayers of praise are offered
when supplications have been answered or confessions received with forgiveness, he said.
Many of the psalms are attributed to David, the king of
Israel who, the pope said, “was a complex figure, an indefatigable seeker of God” and was someone who foreshadowed
the coming and mystery of Christ.
King David, he said, “knew the value of supplication and
of praise” in expressing his prayers.
Vatican Radio said that Pope Benedict would elaborate on
some of the better-known psalms during future weekly audiences.
At the end of the audience, the pope looked pleased when
a young boy in a white cap gave him three goldfish in a bowl.
The boy was a member of a Don Orione youth group that gave
60 goldfish to Pope Benedict to mark the 60th anniversary of
his ordination to the priesthood. The goldfish will find a home
in the fountains of the Vatican gardens, according to the website of the group, Piccoli Orioni.
ONE MORE TIME: In 1963 Bishop J. Carroll McCormick joined the Sisters of Mercy in breaking
ground for Ihmsen Hall, a dormitory at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson. The college was then a
two - year junior college for women. The new building was named for Mother Mary DeSales Ihmsen,
foundress of Mount Aloysius and first Reverend Mother of the Loretto - Cresson Sisters of Mercy.
Are we being knocked
senseless with all that is happening?
One look at what we ingest
through the media would say
that this is a very real possibility.
Take, for example, the horrendous earthquake, tsunami
and nuclear fallout in Japan; the
unrest in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya
and Syria; Osama bin Laden’s
death; the monster tornado that
killed at least 130 people in Joplin, Mo.; the Mississippi River
valley underwater from massive
flooding; and wildfires of historic proportion. Add to this our
own personal domestic problems, and it becomes too much
to bear.
On the brighter side, we are
experiencing the awesome recovery of the American auto industry, the stock market soaring
and manufacturing rising substantially. But this teeter-totter
existence also has a way of increasing our anxiety level.
By the time this column is
published, many of these issues
will have been replaced by new,
and in some cases, even more
important ones. Our minds will
have been bombarded with a
plethora of new tragedies spliced
The Human Side
By Father Eugene Hemrick
Taking Control Of
Our Senses
in between uplifting surprises.
In the midst of any swirl of
events, we need to ask: “Is all
of this overwhelming us to the
point of knocking us senseless?
Do we just let ourselves get
caught up in it, or is there a way
to cope with it better?”
During a dissertation defense that examined the effect of
killings on the children of Northern Ireland, I learned that these
children would walk over dead
bodies or through glass-ridden
streets with little to no sense of
the brutality and barbarism that
surrounded them. Their feelings
had been numbed, their sensitivity to beauty, order and peace
totally dulled. They had been
knocked senseless.
How do we avoid this happening to us?
One way is to realize how
daily events keep us earthbound,
creating tunnel vision. When
they consume our time totally,
they literally imprison our minds
and blind us.
To counter this, there is a
need to rise above and outside
our immediate world.
But how is this achieved?
It is done by entering another world -- God’s world -and generating a bird’s-eye view
of the present world through
the eyes of God. In practice, it
means taking decisive steps to
avoid insensitivity: praying for
divine guidance on ways to alleviate suffering and the causes
of war and inhumanity.
(Continued On Page 9.)
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
Question Corner
By Father Kenneth Doyle
Divorce
And Communion
Q. If a Catholic gets married
by a priest, later gets divorced,
then gets married by a judge, can
that person still receive the holy
Eucharist?
A. The short answer is “no,”
but there is so much more to it
than that.
First, to explain the rule:
The church is a communion of
persons linked by a shared set of
religious beliefs and practices.
Reception of the sacraments,
particularly the Eucharist, is an
indication that an individual accepts the beliefs of the church
gand the guidelines of its teachaing.
,
One of those guidelines is
that a Catholic should marry
in a Catholic ceremony or, at
least, with the permission of the
church.
Assuming, as seems to be
indicated, that you have not obtained an annulment from the
first marriage, that marriage is
still considered by the church as
valid. As such, the second marriage would not be recognized
by the church.
I don’t think this should be
seen as the church’s presuming to render a judgment on the
state of a person’s soul before
God (for only God can safely do
that). It should be seen simply
as an indication that the church,
like any organization of human
beings, has rules that govern
membership and regulate behavior.
I would suggest that you
continue to attend Mass regularly.
Too often, people in a situation like this conclude that Mass
attendance is pointless since
they have rendered themselves
ineligible for full participation
through holy Communion.
That is unfortunate, because
usually the person still shares in
the core beliefs of the church
and would derive spiritual satisfaction and helpful guidance by
continuing to attend Mass.
I would also urge that you
sit down with a priest of your
choosing and discuss the circumstances of the first marriage
and the reasons for its breakup.
It could well be that, even if that
marriage lasted several years,
there might be grounds for the
church to consider an annulment
-- serious immaturity, for example, or emotional instability (on
the part of one marriage partner
or both) going back to the time
of the marriage.
It seems obvious that reception of the Eucharist is important
to you, so it would certainly be
worth the effort to open that possibility.
It should also be noted that
too often Catholics who are separated or divorced but who have
never remarried refrain from
taking Communion because
they feel that they have “broken
a big rule” and are therefore ineligible to receive.
The truth is this: The church
believes that, in fidelity to the
teaching of Jesus, marriage is
forever, and that spouses should
always enter a marriage with
this understanding and do their
best to make the marriage last.
However, there are some
situations (domestic abuse is
a clear-cut one, but there are
certainly others) where, for the
good of everyone involved, separation is advisable.
When the rift is irreparable, divorce is often a necessary consequence so that legal
obligations -- such as alimony,
child custody or child support
-- can be clarified and assigned.
(Sometimes this sad result happens even though the marriage
partners have done everything
reasonably possible to make the
marriage work.)
Divorce itself, without remarriage, does nothing to disqualify a Catholic from the sacraments.
Taking Control
Of Our Senses
(Continued From Page 8.)
Blessed Mary Teresa
Ledochowska
1863-1922
July 6
CNS
Born in Austria to a Polish count and his Swiss wife, she gave up
her position as lady-in-waiting to a Tuscan grand duchess to devote
her literary and organizational skills to the African missions and
anti-slavery movement. In 1894 she founded the Institute of the
Sisters of St. Peter Claver, which was formally approved in 1899.
She stressed the importance of lay involvement, promoted literacy
among Africans, and produced Bibles, catechisms and periodicals
in African languages. She died in Rome at her order’s generalate
and was beatified in 1975.
Saints
If we are blessed with prosperity, it also translates into
demonstrating our gratitude by
sharing our good fortune with
those less fortunate.
As Christ went off alone to
pray often, we too should seek
some form of quiet in order to
more fully see God’s workings
in this world.
To be consumed by
world events solely and not rise
above them is to deprive ourselves of our best means for remaining sensible in a frequently
senseless world.
Page 9
Spirituality
For Today
By Father John Catoir
Saint Paul On Joy
St. Paul wrote that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,”
against which “there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23).
This fundamental truth tells us that, for example, if we want to
be a more joyful person, we must learn to invoke the Holy Spirit
right from the beginning.
Why? Because spiritual joy is the infallible sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
With God’s help, it is possible to live a more joyful life. After
we accept the gift of joy, which God gave us at our baptism, we
must strive to put on a grateful heart.
A grateful heart enables us to shed our old habits of self-pity
and fear. God wants us to change our ways by rejecting negative
emotions and by training ourselves to choose joy over sorrow.
I see a need to stress over and over again that a truly joyful
life is possible only when you are able to control your thoughts
and reject your toxic thinking!
This idea of controlling your thoughts is the most challenging
aspect of the spiritual life -- and one that people ask me about
continually. To do it correctly, you have to clear your mind of all
kinds of toxic thinking, such as fear, resentment, hatred, vindictiveness and on and on.
It’s a big order, I know, but the goal is worth it.
Fear is indeed the enemy of joy.
Jesus said, “Do not be afraid” (Mt 28:10). Learning how to
reduce fear to an acceptable level, however, will take time.
Grace builds on nature. It will take a strong will, a grateful
heart and a clear mind to rid oneself of toxicity, living joyfully because of the knowledge of God’s love.
In my book Enjoy Your Precious Life, I try to deal with the
how-to in more detail. The words “happiness” and “joy” are
closely related, but they are not exactly the same.
In the strict sense, happiness comes to us more from the
gratification of our senses, whereas joy comes from within the
soul. Happiness fades quickly because it only gratifies our sense
for a little while, whereas joy abides in the soul forever.
We crave good food and music; we need warmth on a cold
day; we love the smell of clean, fresh air and the sight of a beautiful sunset. These are good, but the fullness of happiness requires
something more, namely the joy of the Holy Spirit abiding in our
heart.
Sensual happiness and inner joy combine to bring us the fullness of joy here on earth.
St. Augustine was right when he said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord”; nevertheless, we can still experience true joy here on Mother Earth.
We hear the Lord assuring us that “in the world you will have
trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33).
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude, and it is the greatest
honor we can give to Almighty God.
Be at peace, then, and try to live joyfully because of the
knowledge of God’s love.
I offer this little article as a personal gift of love. Please stop
sabotaging your chances for greater happiness and learn to control your fears.
Joy is the gift of God’s love, and it is already yours.
Clear away the rubble. Decide to smile more and complain
less. Make God happy by being grateful “in all circumstances” (1
Thes 5:16).
Page 10
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
FREEDOM IN CHRIST CONFERENCE
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Fri., July 15 6:30PM-9:30PM
Sat., July 16 8:30AM-9:00PM
Registration $75, married couple $120, priest/religious $40
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email: [email protected]
Attention Business Owners
Why send your state taxes to Harrisburg when you can convert
them into tuition assistance for our Catholic school students?
• Earn EITC tax credits at little or no cost to you
• Help us award a $1,000 K-12 scholarship for less than $100 or
award a Pre-K scholarship at no cost
• C and S Corporations, general and limited partnerships eligible
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email: [email protected]
SISTER DONNA MARIE
LEIDEN S.C.
SISTER MARY ELIZABETH
McCAULEY S.C.
Charity Sisters,
Altoona Natives Celebrate
Golden Jubilees
Two Sisters of Charity of
Seton Hill, both natives of Altoona, will celebrate their golden jubilees on Sunday, July 10.
Sister Donna Marie Leiden
and Sister Mary Elizabeth McCauley entered the congregation
in Greensburg on September 8,
1961.
Sister Donna Marie, a native of Saint Mark Parish, serves
as director of education for the
Diocese of Altoona - Johnstown,
a position she was appointed to
in 2007. In this ministry, Sister
Donna Marie embraces the challenge to continue the mission
of Catholic education and enjoys interacting with principals,
teachers and students.
Prior to accepting administrative responsibilities, Sister
Donna Marie had extensive experience as an educator. She
has served as a teacher, assistant
principal, vice principal, guidance counselor and principal
at ten schools in the Altoona
- Johnstown, Greensburg and
Pittsburgh Dioceses, including
serving as principal of Bishop
McCort Catholic High School,
Johnstown. From 1989 until
1997 Sister Donna Marie served
as a general councilor for the
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill.
In 2004, Sister Donna Marie was a recipient of the Prince
Gallitzin Cross Award.
Sister Mary Elizabeth is
a native of Cathedral of the
Blessed Sacrament Parish. Sister Mary Elizabeth has served in
education, social services, and
in internal ministries for the congregation.
During her 28 year tenure as an educator, Sister Mary
Elizabeth taught at 12 schools
in the Pennsylvania Dioceses
of Greensburg and Pittsburgh,
and in the Arizona Dioceses of
Phoenix and Tucson. Her social
service ministries include social
worker for Catholic Charities in
Greensburg, and site manger for
the Bloomfield Senior Center,
Bloomfield.
Sister Mary Elizabeth
served as administrator of Assumption Hall, the former retirement home for the Sisters
of Charity. She was director
of ancillary services at Caritas
Christi, the Motherhouse of the
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill,
and was building supervisor
there from 2000 - 2006.
For the past five years Sister
Mary Elizabeth’s major responsiblities have been in records
management for the Sisters of
Charity Human Resources Office at DePaul Center, Greensburg. She is also gift shop manager at Caritas Christi.
The Sisters of Charity of
Seton Hill serve in five countries
and in 18 Dioceses and Archdioceses in the United States.
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
Nuclear Physicist Or Priest? How One Man
Chose God Over Gamma Rays
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -Raised Catholic by Jewish and
Catholic parents, Msgr. Robert
L. Stern loved his faith but never
planned on becoming a priest.
The outgoing head of the
international Vatican agency
Catholic Near East Welfare
Association said that when he
was in college, the priesthood
seemed like a “gloomy road”
and he had his eyes instead on
the brighter path of becoming a
nuclear physicist.
“It was the ‘in’ thing at the
time,” he told Catholic News
Service at CNEWA’s central office at the Vatican.
But God had different plans
for the native New Yorker, and
the “temptation” to enter ordained life grew while he was
an undergraduate student.
The tall, spritely 78-yearold clergyman said he only
thought about the priesthood because he felt the Holy Spirit calling him strongly and “I wanted
to do what God wanted.”
Yet it was with “fear and
trepidation” that he started exploring a priestly vocation in his
junior year at college.
However, the increased
workload of getting up to speed
on Latin and Greek, which were
necessary at the time before
entering a diocesan seminary,
meant he had to compromise
and pursue a less demanding
major in mathematics.
“I started out in one direction and God pushed me in another,” he said.
That priestly ministry soon
took him on a 24-year-long
“fantastic and wonderful learning experience” when he was
asked to lead CNEWA from its
New York City headquarters in
1987.
Established in 1926 by Pope
Pius XI, the association serves
the churches and peoples of the
Middle East, Northeast Africa,
India and Eastern Europe, areas
where there are indigenous and
ancient Eastern-rite churches
and where Catholics are a minority.
Its programs focus on formation of clergy, religious and
lay leaders, building religious
and social service institutions,
caring for children in need and
humanitarian aid and development.
But when Msgr. Stern came
on board in 1987, he did more
than just fill in for his successor,
the late Bishop John G. Nolan.
Msgr. Stern rebuilt and revitalized the agency and expanded
its reach.
“The first thing was really
going back to the sources and
saying what is the mandate of
the Holy Father,” he said.
He said he discovered that
the agency was meant not only
to help the Eastern churches and
support the people and institutions under the jurisdiction of
the Congregation for Eastern
Churches, but also to educate
Roman Catholics in the West
about their Catholic brothers
and sisters in the East and to
work for Christian unity.
With the monsignor’s guidance, CNEWA embarked on a
unique approach to ecumenical
cooperation, not by basing relations on theological discussions,
but on the concrete contribution
of aid and assistance.
“Our policy, almost a mantra we give to our staff, is we
say, ‘Work as though the church
is one unless you encounter a
difference,’” he said.
That approach has opened
doors to good relationships with
Orthodox and even some Protestant and evangelical communities in the countries CNEWA
serves, he said.
It took years to build up
enough trust with some groups
because “of course they would
wonder what is the real agenda”
every time CNEWA would meet
with them and ask how it could
be of help, he said.
But eventually someone
would ask for funds to fix a
leaky church roof or to send an
everyone who speaks Arabic is
Muslim.
The myriad varieties of traditions, liturgies and attitudes
within the Catholic Church represent a sort of “ecclesiastical
gene pool” in which the more diverse it is, the stronger and more
resilient the church as a whole
will be, he said.
Msgr. Stern said he planned
to spend the rest of the year helping his successor, Msgr. John E.
Kozar, “learn the ropes” and
fit into his new role. The priest
from Pittsburgh’s election by the
CNEWA board was approved by
the Vatican in June.
Msgr. Stern said he won’t be
assigned to a new post because
of his age. But he is ready for
whatever new adventure awaits.
He said he hopes to continue to
put to good use his knowledge
and expertise about the Middle
East and Eastern churches.
“(Or) I can run off and raise
tomatoes,” he said. “Whatever
God wants.”
CNS Photo/Paul Haring
MONSIGNOR ROBERT STERN
Orthodox priest for graduate
studies. “It was in little small
steps like that of helpfulness that
we started to develop a working
relationship” with non-Catholic
communities, Msgr. Stern recalled.
“In some places we almost
helped build the first bridges toward dialogue with some of the
Orthodox churches,” he said,
citing the agency’s work in Ethiopia.
“The spirit is, ‘We’re your
brothers and sisters and we’re
one church,’” he explained. It
was an attitude which put people
at ease so they would share their
needs “because they’re not being humiliated by the charity.”
Msgr. Stern helped CNEWA
extend and strengthen its programs in Egypt, India and Eritrea as well.
Having guided the establishment of field offices and
the training of local staff, Msgr.
Stern compared his work to being the quartermaster who supplies and manages the logistics
of a national army. Such a position calls for someone who
is happy working behind the
scenes, building “a really good
and hopefully enduring management structure and fundraising”
with transparent financial operations, he said.
While successful on the
Page 11
ground, Msgr. Stern believes
CNEWA still has “an uphill
battle” in enlightening Roman
Catholics in North America that
Catholicism has deep roots in
the East and that “not everyone
who wears a sari and golden
bangles is a Hindu” and not
The Academy of Sacred Music
2011 Choral Institute Concert
World Premiere Performance!
Mass of Pentecost
A Contemporary Composition by Bruce Trinkley
Featuring Robert Long
and the Choral Institute Choir
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 806 Thirteenth Avenue • Altoona
Thursday, July 14 • 8:00 p.m. $5.00 Suggested Donation
Page 12
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
Press
Conference,
Rally Held
To Urge Support
For School
Choice
Legislation
In State
Senate
SHOW OF SUPPORT: Bishop Mark L. Bartchak showed
his support for Senate Bill 1
by addressing a Monday, June
20 press conference at Bishop
McCort Catholic High School,
Johnstown. Next to the podium
road signs were displayed, urging the public to support the
measure which will help progress the cause of school choice
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(Continued From Page 1.)
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He noted that 97% of the
Bishop McCort seniors will
continue on to higher education
this year. “Pennsylvania lacks
competition among its schools,’
Price said. “I applaud Bishop
Bartchak’s efforts toward education.
The Bishop feels that all
students should have the option,
financially, to attend a school
of their choice. “Families with
financial resources have options.
But hard-working, tax-paying
parents without the same means
find themselves limited in a
system that is not serving their
child well.
“It is time for Pennsylvania
lawmakers to right this wrong.
As a society, we must support
parents as they strive to provide
the best education for their child.”
And, as far as Hill is concerned, we all benefit from well
educated students. “A good education helps children grow up to
be good, capable citizens,” she
said. Growing as many good citizens as we can will help ensure
a better and brighter future for
all of us.”
Tony DeGol facilitated the
meeting.
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
Tax Credits Big Help
To Private Schools
By Bruce A. Tomaselli
Jack Buchan is a caring man
and he wants his corporate tax
dollars to work for others.
He’s a huge proponent of the
Educational Improvement Tax
Credit (EITC) program.
The EITC provides companies with a 75% tax credit for donations to non-profit scholarship
programs. The amount jumps to
90% if a business commits to the
tax program for two years.
“The tax dollars are being
invested in the local community
where they can be best utilized
instead of being lost in bureaucracy,” which Buchan said is very
important to him. “It’s getting
invested in the local community.”
As the owner of Interstate
Insurance Management and
Mountain Premium Finance,
Buchan knows of what he speaks.
He’s participated in the program
since 2008.
For participation longevity
one only needs to look at Ward
Trucking. The company has been
involved with tax credit scholarships since the EITC program’s
inception in 2001.
“This is a great way to contribute much more to your charities of choice, and increase your
contribution ten-fold” explained
Bill Ward. “I direct the bulk of
my tax credits for scholarships to
Altoona Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School and Saint John
Parochial School in Lakemont,
Altoona.” He also contributes to
the local Boy Scouts of America
Chapter.
The Pennsylvania EITC program began in 2001 as a way to
get the business community more
involved in education.
Simply explained, it’s a way
for local businesses to support
non-profit programs, in this case
schools, at a minimal cost, instead of sending their tax dollars
to Harrisburg.
Ward is a big believer in
Catholic education and “I believe
the EITC program is important to
its survival. I’m glad we can help
local students and local schools.”
Ward says the big thing is to
get the word out to businesses and
“I don’t know why any business
wouldn’t want to be a part of the
tax credit program.”
Communicating the benefits
of participating in the EITC
program is Chris Ringkamp.
“Participating in this scholarship
program can make a huge impact,
much more than giving money
directly to a charity,” said Ringkamp, who is diocesan director
of development.
The state of Pennsylvania
sets a cap limit on tax credits,
which is directed as scholarships,
and “is distributed on a firstcome,” explained. Ringkamp,
says the cap may be increased
for the next application period.
The program opens annually on
July 1 and continues through the
following June 30 or until all the
tax credits have been claimed.
“EITC tax credits can only
be accessed through an approved
scholarship organization, such as
the Altoona - Johnstown Second
Century Scholarship Fund,” said
Ringkamp.
The non-profit Second Century Scholarship Fund awards
EITC financial aid scholarships
to income-eligible students attending Catholic schools in the
Altoona-Johnstown Diocese.
Buchan is able to see the
direct result of his contributions
because he is also a member of
the Johnstown Bishop McCort
Catholic High School Board of
Trustees.
Buchan said the “scholarships enable more kids to be
involved in education and a more
diverse groups of kids. It removes
the barrier of tuition for many
students.
“Children benefit when they
can experience different cultures,
religions and economic backgrounds. All students are not
Catholic, but they all receive a
faith-based education regardless
of their faith.” He says we need
to develop more leaders and less
followers.
According to Ringkamp,
there has been over $5.5 million
in tuition assistance distributed
through 7,300 scholarships.
Page 13
Photo By Chris Ringkamp
CONTRIBUTION: Sister of Charity Donna Marie Leiden (left), diocesan director of Education, accepts
an Education Tax Credit contribution from, Pat Kirby, vice president-regional manager of First Commonwealth Bank. Looking on is Saint Agnes Sister Mark Plescher, director of Elementary Education.
FESTIVAL
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124 Maple Avenue, Woodvale, Johnstown, PA
July 23th & 24th
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Sun. Noon-10 pm
Spaghetti Dinner
Sunday, July 24th, 11am - 5pm
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Children 12 & Under - $4
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Special Attractions:
Saturday: Rosie & The Jammers - 6 to 10 pm
Sunday:
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Clay Bowser - 4 to 6 pm
Jack & Barb LaBarko (Oldies) - 7 - 10 pm
Letrent's
Pharmacy
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Page 14
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
Now Showing
‘Mighty Macs’
Writer Has Personal
Stake In Story
By Mark Pattison
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON
(CNS)
-- Imagine being able to write a
movie about something that you
were a part of, even if it was just
a little bit.
That’s Tim Chambers’ story,
and it will be brought to the big
screen this fall in “The Mighty
Macs,” which he wrote, directed
and produced.
“The Mighty Macs” tells
the story of the women’s basketball team at Immaculata College
in the Philadelphia suburbs that
won the NCAA women’s basketball championship in 1972,
the year that college women’s
basketball converted to the fullcourt game we see today.
“I really had a personal experience with the story itself,”
Chambers told Catholic News
Service in a June 5 telephone
interview.
“I grew up in Philadelphia.
I’m one of 12 kids, eight brothers, four sisters, It’s important
because when I was a kid I
vividly remember the Mighty
Macs. Their campus was about
25 minutes from my hometown.
When their gym burned down,
they practiced at my parish,” St.
Anastasia in Newtown Square,
Chambers said.
Chambers had already
dabbled in movie production,
having produced the 2004 film
“Miracle,” about the 1980 U.S.
Olympic men’s hockey team.
After he was featured in a profile
of the movie and its behind-thecamera team in the Philadelphia Inquirer, someone from
Immaculata contacted him about
the possibility of making a movie about the school’s legendary
women’s basketball team.
He remembers the request:
Sunday Mass
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the Cathedral of
the Blessed Sacrament, Altoona
10:00 a.m. WFBG Radio, 1290 AM
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Live from Saint John Gualbert Cathedral
Downtown Johnstown
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10:30 a.m. (Early Edition 5:30 a.m.)
A half - hour of local Church news and features
CNS Photo/The Maximus Group
THE MIGHTY MACS: Marley Shelton, who portrays Sister Sunday, and Carla Gugino, who portrays
head coach Cathy Rush, star in a scene from the movie “The Mighty Macs.” The movie tells the story
of the women’s basketball team at Immaculata College in the Philadelphia suburbs that won the NCAA
women’s basketball championship in 1972, the year that college women’s basketball converted to the
full-court game played today.
“Can you take a look at the story
of the Mighty Macs and find out
if it’s film-worthy?” Chambers
did. “As a writer, I’m looking
for a number of things. All of the
inspiring sports film genres use
sports as a metaphor for some
other lesson of life or some other
greater cause.” One example he
gave was “Remember the Titans,” which is on its surface is
about high school football, but
on a deeper level is about race
relations.
“For me I always felt the
story of the Mighty Macs and of
Cathy Rush, the head coach, was
a story of equality, of dreams,”
Chambers told CNS. “With her
championship she united the
campus and changed a generation of young women, all of
whom went on to very successful careers.”
Carla Gugino, the mom
from the “Spy Kids” movies,
plays Rush; David Boreanaz
(“Bones”) plays her husband.
Also featured is Oscar-winner
Ellen Burstyn as Mother St.
John.
He said he knew he was on
the right track when he received
an opportunity to sell the script
-- but “chose not to because they
weren’t going to let me direct
it. I put my producer hat on and
used my economics degree from
Penn. I touched on my Catholic
friends from Philadelphia (to)
see if they would support it,” he
recalled. “We passed the basket,
as they say here in Philly.”
Chambers was taught by the
Immaculate Heart Sisters, who
run Immaculata College, during
his grade and high school years.
“I felt like this was the opportunity for me to make my directorial debut,” he said. “I think
of the layers and the nuances -not only of the plot of the story,
but the nuances of our faith and
how relevant it was to that team,
that campus, those people, and
how it is lived today.”
As a practicing Catholic,
he noted, his faith has been his
“bedrock” and given him confidence. It’s “the foundation of
what I’ve tried to practice every
day. Some days are better than
others ... but I turn it over” to
God, he added. “That’s my philosophy.”
In assembling the script,
Chambers got to meet not only
some of the former players, but
some of his former teachers.
“The excitement and euphoria
that surrounded the school at the
time was incredible. I was reconnected with some of the sisters that taught me at the grade
school. In that respect, it was a
lot of fun,” he said.
Coming Up On ‘Proclaim!’
Upcoming guests on “Keeping The Faith,” Bishop Mark
L. Bartchak’s segment of “Proclaim!” will include:
Sunday, July 10 - - Monsignor Timothy Stein and Bruce
Tomaselli of The Catholic Register join Bishop Mark
as the two veteran journalists mark 25 years with the
newspaper.
Sunday, July 17 - - Bishop Mark sits down for his monthly interview with “Teen Talk” host Adam Wood.
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
May
They Rest
In Peace
dent at Mount Aloysius College,
Cresson, and also served as college archivist.
The funeral Mass for Sister
Alice Louise Davis R.S.M. was
celebrated on Thursday, June 16
in Blessed Sacrament Chapel at
Mercy Center, Dallas. Committal was at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Carverton.
Memorial donations may be
made to Mercy Center, P.O. Box
370, Dallas PA, 18612.
Sister Alice Louise
Davis R.S.M.
Siser Alice Louise Davis,
a member of the Mid - Atlantic Community of the Sisters
of Mercy of the Americas, died
Monday, June 13 at Mercy Center, Dallas. She was 89.
Sister Alice Louise was
born December 13, 1921 in Ebensburg, the daughter of the late
Joseph and Winifred (O’Hara)
Davis.
She was preceded in death
by sisters Betty Davis, Mary
Jane Belferman and Catherine
Hallam.
Sister Alice Louise is survived by a brother - in - law, H.
Richard Belferman, and nephews Richard, John and J. David
Belferman.
A 1939 graduate of Ebensburg High School, she received
a bachelor of science degree
from West Chester University,
a master’s degree in elementary
education from Penn State University, and a doctoral degree in
education from Temple University, Philadelphia.
Sister Alice Louise entered
the Sisters of Mercy in Dallas
on September 8, 1955, and made
her profession of vows on August 16, 1955.
She was a member of the
faculty of Misericordia University, Dallas; the University of
Scranton; and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Sister Alice Louise served
as special assistant to the presi-
Brother Luke D. Stone
T.O.R.
Brother Luke D. Stone, a
Third Order Regular Franciscan Friar, 70, died at Heartland
Nursing Home, Keyser, WV, on
Friday, June 17.
He was born February 6,
1941, in Wilkes- Barre, PA, he
was the son of the late Peter and
Margaret (Selingo) Stone. He
is survived by his brother and
sister-in-law Jerome and Dorothy Stone of Kingston, PA, other
family members, and his Franciscan community.
Brother Luke attended Lee
Park Elementary School, middle
school at Benjamin Franklin Junior High School, and graduated
from Hanover Township Memorial High School in Wilkes-Barre
in1958. He attended one year
of college at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, NY, and one
year at King’s College, WilkesBarre. He earned his Bachelor’s
degree in English and Secondary Education from Saint Francis University in 1971, and a
Master’s in Religious Education
and Pastoral Ministry from La
Salle University, Philadelphia,
in 1982.
Brother Luke entered the
Province of the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis in
1962, made his first profession
of the vows of poverty, chastity,
and obedience in 1964 at Sacred
Heart Friary in Winchester, VA,
and pronounced his final vows
in 1967 at the Chapel of the
Immaculate Conception on the
campus of Saint Francis University.
Brother Luke served locally
as a member of the food service
staff of Saint Francis University
and the former Mount Assisi
Friary in Loretto from 1964 to
1967. For the next four years he
was assigned to the library staff
at Saint Francis Seminary in Loretto and assisted in the education and formation of seminary
students, both diocesan and
Franciscan.
Brother Luke served as an
educator and in province leadership roles. From 1991 to the
time of his death, Brother Luke
served on the staff of Assumption Parish, Keyser, in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston,
as a pastoral associate to Father
Ivan Lebar, T.O.R., pastor.
A Memorial Mass wasl
be celebrated at Assumption
Church, Keyser. on Monday,
June 20, with Father Ivan Lebar
as principal celebrant.
The funeral Mass for Brother Luke D. Stone T.O.R. was celebrated on Tuesday, June 21, at
the Chapel of Saint Francis Friary, Loretto with Father Christian R. Oravec, T.O.R., Minister
Provincial of the Sacred Heart
Province, as principal celebrant.
Committal was at the Franciscan
Friars Cemetery on the campus
of Saint Francis University, Loretto.
Robert M. Orr Sr.
July 2, 1927 - June 24, 2011
Robert M. Orr, 83, of Huntingdon died Friday, June 24.
He was born July 2, 1927 in
Floral Park, Long Island, N.Y.,
son of Thomas and Mary (Mineur) Orr.
Surviving are his wife, Barbara (Reynolds); children: Robert Orr; Father Joseph T. Orr,
pastor of Saint Agnes Parish and
sacramental minister at Immacualte Conception Parish, Lock
Haven; Bonnie Turner; Daniel
Orr; John Orr and Patrick Orr;
and a sister, Irene Smith.
The funeral Mass for Robert M. Orr Sr. was celebrated by
his son, Father Joseph T. Orr on
Monday, June 27 at St. Matthew
Church, Tyrone. Committal with
military honors by the Tyrone
Honor Guard was at Oak Grove
Cemetery.
In The
Alleghenies
Schools
Graduation
Nicktown: Eighth grade
graduation was celebrated by
Page 15
Northern Cambria Catholic
School following Mass on Friday, June 3.
The graduates were: Brandon Amigh, Mark Dumm, Daniel Dunchak, Kallin Eget - McGlynn, David Kline, Jacob Kline,
Vincent Lessard, Alexander
Mateyczyk, Bryant Onkst, Benjamin Stollo, Elijah Weiland,
Darrin Weinzierl and Krista
Wenturine.
Father Lawrence L. Lacovic, school pastor, and Benedictine Father Job Foote, pastor of
Saint Nicholas Parish, presented
the diplomas.
Felician Sister Mary Lee
Przyblyski is principal.
Thirteen of the graduates
will continue their Catholic education at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, Ebensburg.
The Shrine Of Saint Peregrine
At The Church Of
The Visitation Of The Blessed Virgin Mary
1127 McKinley Avenue,
Johnstown PA 15905 - 4323
Saint Peregrine is the
Patron Saint of
Cancer Sufferers.
He is a powerful intercessor
with God for all those
who are seeking good health.
Saint Peregrine (1260 - 1345)
was a Servite Friar canonized
in 1726. His feast is May 1.
Father Barry Baroni and the faith community at Visitation of
the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish invite you to send your prayer
intentions to the new Shrine of Saint Peregrine at their parish church. The suggested donation for a candle to burn at
the Shrine is $3.00; a novena booklet may be obtained for
$1.00. All intentions will be remembered at every Mass celebrated at the parish for a period of 30 days.
Please remember my intentions at the Shrine:
Name:
Address:
Intention:
Page 16
The Catholic Register, July 4, 2011
Diocese Schedules Faith Day For July 10
Annual Event
Will Again Be Held At
Blair County Ballpark
Photo And Text
By Bruce A. Tomaselli
PERIODICAL RATE MAIL
Nothing defines America
more than its national pastime.
Faith and family are two
more common threads that bind
us as a nation.
Sunday, July 10 is the perfect day to celebrate your faith
and family at the Annual Faith
Day with Altoona Curve. The
Pittsburgh Pirate AA affiliate
will take on the Bowie Baysox
in a 6:00 p.m. game.
The Faith Day, sponsored
by the Altoona - Johnstown Diocese, will have activities for all
ages, including a 3:00 p.m. Mass
celebrated by Bishop Mark L.
Bartchak, concelebrated by the
priests of the Diocese. The Mass
will satisfy the Sunday obligations.
“Things are going great,”
said Francine Swope, chairperson for the annual event. She is
also the Coordinator of Youth
Ministry, Religious Education
and Sacramental Preparation.
“I’m excited because there is so
much enthusiasm on the part of
the parishes. I’ve been getting
a lot of phone calls asking how
they can participate in the events
of the day.”
Tony DeGol, co - chairperson for the event and Secretary
for Communications, feels that
assigning a point person to each
parish has gone a long way in
raising the level of participation.
The pair have been assisted in
planning the event by a committee of diocesan staff persons.
“The point persons have
gone directly to pastors in order
to help them get the word out
about the fun day at the ballpark,” he said.
Bishop Bartchak, a baseball
fan, is excited to be throwing out
the symbolic first pitch of the
game, in addition to celebrating the Mass on the infield at the
Blair County Ballpark.
Father Brian Saylor, pastor
of Saint Rose of Lima Parish in
Altoona, will offer his talents by
singing the National Anthem to
begin the game.
One of the big events is the
Parade of Parishes on the field
prior to the 6:00 p.m. first pitch.
Flags bearing the names of the
parishes will lead each group of
marchers. “You don’t need to
be preregistered to participate
and anyone can take part. An
announcement to gather for the
parade will be made through the
stadium public address system,”
said DeGol.
Once again children will be
able to win small prizes at the
carnival-type games, located
down the right field line. Priests
PARADE OF PARISHES: The Parade of Parishes took to the field at Blair County Ballpark during the
2010 Faith Day Celebration. The Parade will be repeated at this year’s observance on Sunday, July 10.
and parishioners are being lined
up to participate in the between
inning games, which should be
a lot of fun. “We seem to be
getting a lot more inquiries this
year about the games,” Swope
added.
Pre - recorded welcome
messages from Bishop Bartchak and several priests will
be televised on the scoreboard
throughout the game.
“Parishes have the option
of buying tickets for their parishioners,” Swope said, “and
many are buying them as gifts
of appreciation for altar servers,
religious education teachers or
choirs, along with many other
parish ministry groups.”
Tickets are available only
THE CATHOLIC
Faith Day, sponsored by the Altoona - Johnstown Diocese, will have activities for all ages,
including a 3:00 p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop
Mark L. Bartchak, concelebrated by the priests
of the Diocese. The Mass will satisfy the Sunday obligation.
through the Altoona Curve
Ticket Office up until the
day of the game by calling,
1-877-99CURVE, or online at
altoonacurve.com.
Many parishes and business
are making the day possible including Thomas Automotive,
which has contributed a “Home
run” sponsorship.
As a sort of service project
for the day, the diocese requests
that each fan bring a nonperish-
REGISTER
Official Publication of the
Diocese of Altoona - Johnstown
able food item or monetary donation to aid Catholic Charities.
Swope and DeGol both feel
this a great opportunity to have
fun with other parishes and become acquainted with persons
throughout our diocese.
“This is another opportunity
for Bishop Bartchak to interact
with the faithful of the diocese,
and a great time to show support for our new bishop,” DeGol
added.