September 2012 - Diocese of Austin

Transcription

SEPTEMBER 2012
T H E
V O L U M E 3 0, N U M B E R 8
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 schools welcome new staff, students
BY MICHELE CHAN SANTOS
CORRESPONDENT
Catholic Schools in the
Diocese of Austin began the
2012-2013 school year with
renewed energy and a view
toward the future.
“This is an exciting time,”
said Dr. Ned Vanders, superintendent of Catholic Schools
in the Diocese of Austin
(CSDA). “We’ve got six new
principals and 86 new teach-
ers. New leadership brings
new ideas.”
Vanders was delighted to
introduce the new assistant
superintendent of CSDA,
Misty Poe. Poe was the principal of Cathedral School
of St. Mary in Austin for 10
years and head of the middle
school at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School in Austin for seven
years.
“It’s definitely an honor
to have this position and to
help with the formation of the
children in our diocese, both
spiritually and academically,”
Poe said.
Poe has been married to
her husband, Brandon Poe,
for 16 years. They have two
children –– Faith, 7, and
Chance, 15. The family attends St. Catherine of Siena
Parish in Austin.
“Misty has a 17-year track
record in our diocese. She’s
well-respected by her former
colleagues and peers. She
works collaboratively and is
Austin Diocese
6225 Hwy. 290 East
Austin, Texas 78723
Periodical
Postage Paid
at Austin, Texas
FATHER RANJAN CLETUS, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Temple, welcomes students
back to school on Aug. 17. St. Mary’s Catholic School welcomed Nisa Lagle as their new
principal this year. (Photo courtesy Kerrie Bourque)
able to think outside the box
and creatively solve problems
or issues. Misty embraces
technology and that is very important with today’s demands
of integrating technology into
our schools,” Vanders said.
“I’m excited that we have a
new assistant superintendent
to be able to provide the support and services that our
principals need.”
One of Poe’s responsibilities will be to oversee
CSCOPE, which is a software program and a comprehensive, customizable, userfriendly K-12 curriculum
management system built on
the most current researchbased practices in the field.
The multi-faceted system
provides the organizational
framework for professional
development, curriculum, assessment and innovative technology.
“This program will make
sure concepts are taught
when they are supposed to
be taught,” Vanders said. “It
brings standardization to all
our Catholic schools.” Training has been held at all 23
CSDA schools.
Poe will also monitor the
federal programs (Title I and
Title II) that operate on some
campuses, as well as oversee
religious education certifica-
See SCHOOLS on Page 3
PREJEAN VISITS
AUSTIN
GOLDEN
CATHOLIC
Red Mass speaker is
long-time opponent of
the death penalty.
Page 9
Swimmer makes hometown parish proud at
Olympics.
Page 15
BISHOP’S
ESPAÑOL
INTERVIEW
Compartiendo el
amor de Cristo, una
puntada a la vez.
Página 30
Our responsibilities
as faithful citizens.
Page 18
tion for those who teach religion.
Catholic Schools in the
Diocese of Austin form a unied school system made up of
23 Catholic schools ranging
from pre-kindergarten to 12th
grade that collectively educate
more than 5,000 students. The
entire school system stretches
from the city of West in the
north to Buda in the south,
and from the Bryan-College
Station area in the east to
Killeen in the west.
CSDA has a new website, www.csdatx.org, as well
as a Facebook page (search
for “Catholic Schools in the
Diocese of Austin”) and a
YouTube presence at http://
www.youtube.com/user/CSDATX.
Highlights from CSDA are
listed below:
St. Dominic Savio Catholic
High School in Austin has a new
principal, Dr. John Cummings,
who was the superintendent of
Catholic schools in the Diocese
of Saint Petersburg in Florida
for 12 years. St. Dominic Savio
now has an enrollment of more
than 350 students.
St. Mary’s Catholic School
in Temple has a new principal, Nisa Lagle. She previously
served as the school counselor
2
THE MISSION OF THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
As the ofcial newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Austin, the CATHOLIC SPIRIT is dedicated to providing information, education and formation for the Catholic community
of Central Texas. This mission calls for the newspaper:
• to provide readers with an understanding of our Catholic
faith and traditions;
• to be a primary source of information on Catholic issues
relevant to the community;
• to be a unifying element for faith communities, both rural
and urban, throughout Central Texas;
• to show respect for and appreciation of all cultural groups
and traditions;
• to emphasize topics afrming the Catholic community and
life, while acknowledging the humanity of the community and
examining, with courage, topics that challenge and encourage
growth in the faith;
• to carry a commitment to social justice that will support
the renewal of the church in Central Texas.
HOW TO SUBMIT INFORMATION
Deadline for submission of articles or information for the
CATHOLIC SPIRIT is the 10th of the month for publication in the
following month’s edition.
Deadline for the October issue is Sept. 10.
You can submit material in any of the following ways:
• E-mail to [email protected].
• Mail to CATHOLIC SPIRIT, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723.
For additional information, call (512) 949-2443 or e-mail
us at [email protected]. CATHOLIC SPIRIT has
unrestricted editing rights.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Readers are encouraged to express their opinions on
articles published in CATHOLIC SPIRIT. Letters to the editor provide a forum of discussion for the local Catholic community.
The views expressed in the letters do not necessarily represent those of the editor or the publisher of CATHOLIC SPIRIT.
Letters to the editor should be limited to 250 words.
Name and full address of the writer must be provided,
though name will be withheld from publication on request.
We reserve the right to edit or withhold all letters. Please
e-mail to [email protected] or mail to Editor, Catholic Spirit, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
Subscription rates are $12 for one year. To subscribe,
send check payable to Catholic Spirit to CATHOLIC SPIRIT,
6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723. Members of a parish
in the Austin Diocese may receive the newspaper for a reduced rate. Contact your parish staff for more information.
ADDRESS CHANGES OR DUPLICATE MAILINGS
Send all address changes to CATHOLIC SPIRIT, 6225 Hwy.
290 E., Austin, TX 78723. Please include your parish’s
name and city. If receiving duplicate copies of the
CATHOLIC SPIRIT, call (512) 949-2443 or e-mail
[email protected].
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;
(512) 949-2400, [email protected]
Spanish translation: Beatriz Ferrer Welsh
Columnists: Barbara Budde, Mary Lou Gibson and Rev.
Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D.
Correspondents: Cristina Lopez, Amy Moraczewski, Enedelia
Obregón, Michele Chan Santos and Mary P. Walker
Catholic Spirit subscribes to Catholic News Service
(CNS) and is a member of the Catholic Press Association.
Copyright 2012 by the Austin Diocese. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any editorial content, photograph,
art or design is prohibited without written permission of the
publisher CATHOLIC SPIRIT (ISSN 0896-2715) is published 11
times annually (monthly except one issue in July/August)
by the Austin Diocese. Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, publisher,
6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723. Periodicals Postage
Paid at Austin, Texas.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Catholic Spirit,
6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, Texas 78723.
VOICES
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
BY SHELLEY METCALF
CATHOLIC SPIRIT STAFF
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a
friend who had just spent a weekend on retreat.
Even though she had a great retreat experience and
came home rested and inspired, she admitted she was
already oundering within a few days.
“During the retreat, I felt so right with God. But
now between the kids and work and everything else,
I feel like I can’t nd that same rightness,” she said.
At the time, I commisserated with her and we
joked about “retreat highs” and how our husbands
would not appreciate it much if we went on retreat
every weekend in order to maintain our “rightness
with God.”
In the weeks since, I have thought a lot about
how I can better maintain my “rightness with God.”
Maybe if I go to daily Mass regularly; maybe if I go
to confession more; maybe if I read more Scripture;
maybe if I pray the rosary more. I constantly struggle
with wanting to do more so that I feel closer to God.
Ofcial notice
The Diocese of Austin has issued the following notice:
• Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Diane
Marie Bellard is hereby requested to contact Deacon Don Gessler at (512) 949-2483.
Then at Mass this past Sunday, the deacon addressed this struggle during his homily. The truth is,
he said, we all struggle with ourselves and with our
relationship with God. However, we have to remember that God is God; too often we put our human
limitations on him, but we must remember God is
much bigger and much more merciful that we can
even imagine, he said.
No matter how far away we may feel, God is
close; “He is even less than a heart’s whisper away,”
the deacon said.
He suggested that we not pray to be closer to
God but that we pray to be open to God. “Pray that
God will open your heart, your eyes, your ears, your
whole being so that you will know his presence, because he is near, we just aren’t open to him,” he said.
Yes, we need to go to Mass, pray, confess, etc., but
rst and foremost, we must be open to God.
Later I called my friend to tell her what the deacon had said, and she said something that brought it
all together for me.
“I think this is why we call faith a journey. We
don’t just nd God, and then we’re done. We have
to keep nding him in every moment,” she said.
And so the journey continues...
SHELLEY METCALF lives in Cedar Park
with her husband and two children.
They are parishioners of St. Margaret Mary Parish.
EIM workshops scheduled for September
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
Sept. 6 from 7 to 10 p.m. at St. Helen Parish, Georgetown; (512) 863-3041
Sept. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon at St. Albert the Great Parish, Austin; (512) 837-7825
Sept. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon at St. Mary Parish, Brenham; (979) 836-4441
Sept. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon at St. Francis on the Brazos Parish, Waco; (254) 752-8434
Sept. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, College Station; (979) 693-6994
Sept. 10 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart, Rockne; (512) 321-7991
Sept. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. IN SPANISH at St. Julia Parish, Austin; (512) 926-4186
Sept. 11 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Emmaus Parish, Lakeway; (512) 261-8500
Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon IN SPANISH at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Temple; (254) 773-6779
Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at St. Austin Parish, Austin; (512) 477-9471
Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon IN SPANISH at Emmaus Parish, Lakeway; (512) 261-8500
Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon IN SPANISH at St. Louis Parish, Austin; (512) 454-0384
Sept. 20 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at St. Thomas More Parish, Austin; (512) 258-1161
Sept. 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. at St. William Parish, Round Rock; (512) 255-4473
Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon IN SPANISH at Santa Teresa Parish, Bryan; (979) 822-2932
Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at St. Mary, Church of the Assumption, West; (254) 826-3705
Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at St. JoSept.h Parish, Killeen; (254) 634-7878
Sept. 23 from 2 to 5 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic Center, College Station; (979) 846-5717
Sept. 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Jerome Parish, Waco; (254) 666-7722
Sept. 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. at University Catholic Center, Austin; (512) 476-7351
Sept. 26 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic Center, College Station; (979) 846-5717
Sept. 29 from 9 a.m. to noon IN SPANISH at St. Ignatius, Martyr Parish, Austin; (512) 442-3602
Refresher courses
Sept. 8 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Temple; (254) 773-6779
Sept. 8 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Holy Family Parish, Copperas Cove; (254) 547-3735
Sept. 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Ascension Parish, Bastrop; (512) 321-3552
Sept. 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Our Lady’s Maronite, Austin; (512) 458-3693
Sept. 15 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary, Church of the Assumption, West; (254) 826-3705
Sept. 17 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at St. Anthony Parish, Bryan; (979) 823-8145
Sept. 18 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Emmaus Parish, Lakeway; (512) 261-8500
Sept. 19 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Thomas More Parish, Austin; (512) 258-1163
Sept. 20 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Austin Parish, Austin; (512) 477-9471
Sept. 29 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Austin; (512) 892-2420
CENTRAL TEXAS
Student from Austin’s St. Louis School wins scholarship
September 2012
BY CATHOLIC SPIRIT STAFF
Parker School Uniforms
and Catholic Schools in the
Diocese of Austin (CSDA)
collaborated to provide one
student a $1,000 scholarship
toward Catholic school tuition. More than 1,700 participants entered the online
contest. Many entrants shared
links to the contest with family and friends to increase their
chances of winning.
Sabra Olivieri was the winner. She gave the scholarship
to Emily Basquez, daughter
of her close friend Marcy
Basquez. They were presented
with a check at Parker School
Uniforms new store on North
Cross Drive in Austin.
Emily Basquez is a seventh
grader at St. Louis Catholic
School in Austin. She has at-
3
tended St. Louis since pre-kindergarten. She is involved in
basketball and volleyball and
keeps her faith and academics
a top priority.
“Some students choose
to transfer out of Catholic
schools in middle school, but
Emily said ‘no,’ she wanted to
stay at St. Louis,” said Marcy
Basquez. “We chose to keep
her at St. Louis with its environment of Catholic values
and strong sense of community to further guide her in her
faith, as well as her personal
and academic development.”
Dr. Ned Vanders, superintendent of Catholic Schools
EMILY BASQUEZ, a seventh grader at St. Louis Catholic School in Austin, was given a
in the Diocese of Austin, was
grateful for the support of
$1,000 scholarship thanks to an online contest sponsored by Parker School Uniforms and
Parker Uniforms.
the Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Austin. (Photo courtesy Jean Bondy)
“CSDA was pleased to offer this scholarship opportu- available at each of the cam- students and their families,” on the Catholic Schools in
the Diocese of Austin, visit
nity. In addition to the schol- puses, this is another way we Vanders said.
For more information www.csdatx.org.
arships and tuition assistance give back to our dedicated
2012-13 brings new energy to Catholic schools in Central Texas
SCHOOLS
Continued from Page 1
at St. Theresa’s Catholic School
in Austin. She has also been a
music teacher, school counselor
and assistant principal in her
career.
Holy Trinity Catholic High
School in Temple welcomed
Dr. Veronica Alonzo, who
formerly served as an assistant
principal at Bishop Dunne
Catholic School in Dallas.
This year, Holy Trinity’s students will have more spiritual
opportunities, thanks to the
work of a spiritual life committee and a deacon on campus. The school has a new
cafeteria/auditorium/storm
shelter, built with the help of
FEMA funds, and new locker
rooms in the gym.
Reicher Catholic High
School in Waco has a new
interim principal, Deacon Jeff
Heiple, who has worked at the
school for many years. They
also have a new bus route to
Corsicana. The school also
welcomed six new teachers
this year.
St. Gabriel’s Catholic
School in Austin has a new
THE NEW CATHOLIC SCHOOL PRINCIPALS met at the diocesan Pastoral Center on Aug.
1. The new principals include (front row from left) Nisa Lagle, St. Mary’s Catholic School in
Temple; Dr. Veronica Alonzo, Holy Trinity Catholic School in Temple; Kristy Barfknecht, St.
Joseph Elementary School in Bryan; (back row from left) Dr. John Cummings, St. Dominic
Savio High School in Austin; Jennifer Pelletier, St. Joseph High School in Bryan; Deacon Jeff
Heiple, Reicher Catholic High School in Waco. (Photo by Shelley Metcalf)
In the photo at left, kindergarteners from St. Joseph Elementary School in Bryan play with
Legos during the rst week of school. (Photo by Patty Blaszak)
head of upper school, James
Melone, and a newly built
prayer garden.
St. Joseph Catholic School
in Bryan has a new secondary school principal, Jennifer
Pelletier, and a new elementary school principal, Kristy
Barfknect. “Our (elementary)
enrollment is up to 216 students,” Barfknecht said. Every student will participate
in an enrichment program
where they will learn in-depth
computer skills and critical
thinking.
St. Joseph Catholic School
in Killeen has added a sixthgrade class.
Santa Cruz Catholic
School in Buda has added
a seventh-grade class. The
school has a new, more extensive afterschool athletics
program, said Principal Susan
Flanagan. The children will
play ag football and volleyball in the fall, basketball in
the winter and co-ed soccer
and track in the spring. Santa Cruz has two new teachers through the Notre Dame
ACE program as well.
At St. Mary’s Catholic
School in West, Principal Ericka Sammon said her teachers are excited about implementing the new CSCOPE
program. “I think it’s something that’s going to be good
for all our students,” she
said.
CENTRAL TEXAS
4
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Bishop encourages men to give witness to Christ
BY CHRISTIAN R. GONZÁLEZ
CATHOLIC SPIRIT STAFF
Men from all over the Diocese of Austin gathered for Mass
and fellowship July 21 at St.
Mary Cathedral in Austin.
Bishop Joe Vásquez celebrated the fourth annual Men’s
Mass sponsored by the Central
Texas Fellowship of Catholic
Men (CTFCM). He was accompanied by nine priests and ve
deacons. Men of all ages lled
most of the Cathedral pews;
many brought their sons, infants
to teenagers, with them.
“This group of Catholic men
gathers to be able to strengthen
their faith, to be able to live out
that Catholic faith in an active
way. You nourish yourselves,
you catechize yourselves … and
then you are able to live out that
(faith) … primarily in married
life. In that context of sacramental marriage, loving your wife,
taking care of her, providing
for her, giving yourself to her
and taking care of your children,
loving your sons, loving your
daughters, seeing them as a gift
from God, giving them a good
example, watching over them
so they can indeed follow God’s
ways and God’s path –– that’s
your responsibility,” Bishop
Vásquez said.
Men need to witness to their
families but also to the world in
everything they do, the bishop
said.
“You are also to give witness
to the world … In a world which
is so confused ... Men have to
provide some sense of direction
and … light to the world. You
have no light without Christ.
If you intend to bring light to
your families and the world and
society, wherever you are, you
are going to have to rst come
to Christ,” Bishop Vásquez said.
“Because you are faithful to God,
you come to Mass, you pray, does
not mean you’re not going to
struggle … be faithful to Christ
knowing he is always going to be
faithful to us.”
After the Mass, the men
gathered for fellowship in the
parish hall.
In existence since 2006, the
CTFCM has worked to fulll its
mission to help men live their
faith in everyday life primarily through parish-based men’s
fellowship groups. As of this
fall, more than 1,300 men at 19
parishes meet weekly to draw
their light from Christ, said Ken
Ciani, co-chair of CTFCM.
“The effort is to reach out
to men where they are … and
to create avenues that lead men
to a deeper relationship with
Christ, their families and community and to live their faith in
everyday life,” Ciani said. The
group is well-suited for those
men who may not be ready for
an all-out Bible study or may be
on the fence when it comes to
living their faith.
Save More. Enjoy More.
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“We give them an opportunity to talk to men just like
themselves,” he said.
The CTFCM is not a membership program that one has to
join or follow a certain curriculum, Ciani said. Many parishbased groups use the “That Man
Is You” program to facilitate
teachings and discussions.
“CTFCM is based on fellowship that helps form men
and leads them to conversions.
Each meeting does involve a
teaching … and small group
discussion,” Ciani said.
CTFCM is planning a conference, “Men Living Every
Day with Passion and Purpose,” for men on Feb. 16 at
St. William Parish in Round
Rock. The conference will feature Matthew Kelly and musical guest Eliot Morris. Tickets are $39 and are available at
www.dynamiccatholic.com.
BISHOP
JOE
VÁSQUEZ
celebrated
the fourth
annual
Men’s Mass
in July. The
Mass is
sponsored
by the Central Texas
Fellowship
of Catholic
Men. (Photo by Dale
Jarmush)
September 2012
CENTRAL TEXAS
5
Sharing the love of Christ one stitch at a time
BY ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
Earlier this year, Alicia Valdez Mendoza was looking for
a ministry that she could call
her own at Cristo Rey Parish in
Austin. She and her sisters had
worked in their parents’ 25-year
resale shop, but she wanted to
do more.
“I wanted to be productive,”
Mendoza said.
Reading the diocesan E-Pistle
one day, she saw a blurb about
a prayer shawl ministry. The EPistle is Friday communication
from the Austin Diocese that is
published on the diocesan web
site at www.austindiocese.org.
Yvonne Saldaña, administrative assistant for the diocesan
Ofce of Pro-Life Activities and
Chaste Living, placed the blurb in
the E-Pistle after witnessing the
power of prayer shawls.
“I had a death that touched
my heart,” Saldaña said. That
person had received a prayer
shawl. At that time, the only such
ministries she knew of were at St.
Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar
Park and St. Catherine of Siena
Parish in Austin.
Many of the shawls that are
knitted and crocheted are given
to the Seton Healthcare Family for their No One Dies Alone
program, which provides comfort to dying patients at the hospital who have no family at their
bedside.
When Mendoza called Saldaña looking to join a prayer shawl
ministry, Saldaña challenged her
to start her own.
In March, after receiving
permission from her pastor –
Conventual Franciscan Father
Mario Castro Martínez –– Mendoza and about a dozen women
launched the ministry at Cristo
Rey.
They meet every Thursday
evening, beginning with prayer
over the yarn and materials that
will be used to create the shawls,
over the hands that will knit and
crochet, and for those who will
receive them.
“We do this so God will
bless our work,” she said. “It’s
testimony to the gifts God has
blessed each of us with that goes
into the shawls. We pray each
THE FIRST BATCH OF PRAYER SHAWLS made by the Prayer Shawl Ministry at Cristo
Rey Parish in Austin was presented to Hospice Austin’s Christopher House in June. The
shawls are made for people who are sick or near death. (Photo by Enedelia J. Obregón)
recipient feels the power of love,
strength and faith.”
The rst batch of shawls was
donated in June to Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, which
offers compassionate end-of-life
care.
Father Martínez blessed the
Christi Center expands facilities
BISHOP JOE VÁSQUEZ recently visited the Austin nonprot, The Christi Center, which
has been providing free peer-based grief support services to Central Texans for more
than 25 years. He toured the facility, which recently expanded to include additional
meeting rooms, including a heart wall and children’s room, as well as a healing garden
and nature garden.
Susan and Don Cox (above at right of Bishop Vásquez), founders of The Christi Center,
formerly called For the Love of Christi, in honor of their daughter Christi who was killed
by a drunk driver in 1987, are long-time parishioners of St. John Neumann Parish in
Austin. Former Christi Center Board President and 2012 volunteer of the year Jimmy
Shields is a member of St. Helen Parish in Georgetown, and current board Vice President
Suzanne Torres is a member of St. Theresa Parish in Austin.
The Christi Center provides love, hope, comfort and ongoing support to children, teens
and adults adjusting to life after the death of a loved one, regardless of circumstances.
It provides grief support services to anyone –– free of charge –– for as long as they
need them and has helped more than 72,000 Central Texans in various stages of grief.
In addition to its peer-support services, The Christi Center educates the community
about grief and concerns of the bereaved. The majority of its funding is through individual donations. The Christi Center is located at 2306 Hancock Dr. in Austin and has a
satellite ofce at the Georgetown Community Resource Center, where it offers groups
in Williamson County. For more information, visit www.fortheloveofchristi.org.
shawls before they were given
to Christopher House. The Rev.
Melissa Russell, a chaplain at
Christopher House, was thankful
for the work of the ministry.
“It means so much to know
you are calling for every stitch to
be a comfort to those I serve,”
Russell told the group.
She said the shawls and blankets made by volunteers provide
color in the rooms of the patients
and warmth and comfort to each
person who receives one. Russell
said the gift of the shawls continue long after the person dies.
“It’s an invaluable gift,” she
said. Often the shawls go on to
comfort those left behind after
the death of a loved one.
“There was a person who left
a child behind,” Russell said. “I
told her she could take the shawl.
I put it around her shoulders.
It made her feel that she’s not
alone.”
Mendoza’s aunt, Emma
Montemayor inspired her attraction to the ministry. Montemayor, who died two years ago, loved
to crochet.
“She would make afghans
and give them away,” Mendoza
said. “She never sold them.”
Although Mendoza was not
handy with crocheting or knitting
needles, she learned to crochet so
she could undertake the ministry.
Each stitch also brought her
closer to her parish and the faith
which she had strayed from for
a while.
“It gave me the opportunity
to come back and make a difference,” Mendoza said. “I thank
God he chose me for this.”
Mendoza said “every stitch
links” everyone together, reminding them of their connection to
God.
“Each stitch is made with
love, faith and hope,” she said.
“We pray for each shawl recipi-
ent that they realize they are not
alone.”
The ministry also gave others
an opportunity to contribute to
the community.
“No one knew how to knit
or crochet when Alice started this
ministry,” said Dorothy Portillo.
“It’s something I hope we can
carry the rest of our lives. I plan
to continue doing this.”
One of the volunteers is
12-year-old Paulina Guerrero,
who will be in seventh grade
this fall.
“I always wanted to know
how to knit,” she said. “I also
wanted to be able to serve.”
Now that she’s learned, she
plans to continue making prayer
shawls.
“I like making shawls and
doing stuff with my hands,” she
said. “It’s a beautiful thing to
make.”
Frances Martínez sees much
love going into making the
shawls.
“I can pray while we are making them and hope the person
gets well,” she said.
Lily Reyes said the ministry is
teaching her patience.
“I’m learning to be patient
because I’m doing something
special for somebody else,” she
said.
The ministry has created a
close-knit group whose mission
has also benetted them, reducing the stress of work and trafc.
“We talk about whatever,”
said Mendoza, who works for
Travis County. “It’s also a great
support group. It keeps us going.”
Individuals who are interested in making prayer shawls
for the sick or in starting a prayer
shawl ministry at their parish may
call Yvonne Saldaña at the (512)
949-2486 or yvonne-saldana@
austindiocese.org.
6
CENTRAL TEXAS
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Missionaries help college students grow in faith
BY MARY P. WALKER
The Fellowship of Catholic
University Students (FOCUS) is
a national Catholic missionary
outreach that invites college students to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ within his
church, and to encourage and
inspire others to do the same.
Working with campus ministry
programs, Newman centers and
parishes that serve university
students, FOCUS extends their
effectiveness by directly engaging students at a time when they
make decisions and form habits
that affect the rest of their lives.
In the Austin Diocese,
FOCUS has been active at the
H.L. Grant Catholic Student Center (CSC) at Texas State University
in San Marcos for the last two
years, and at the University Catholic Center (UCC) at the University
of Texas for the last year. This
school year, FOCUS comes to St.
Peter Catholic Student Center at
Baylor University in Waco.
Elizabeth Lange, a former
FOCUS missionary and now
on the staff of the UCC, explained that FOCUS missionaries work as team, typically two
men and two women. They
identify student leaders in the
campus environment and invite
these leaders to form a deeper
relationship with Jesus Christ
and his church. In addition, the
missionaries train the students in
Scripture, church teachings and
techniques of evangelization,
empowering them to bring the
Gospel message to their peers.
For example, they learn how to
lead Bible studies and discuss
the “hard” issues of the Catholic
faith in a way that resonates with
college students.
The result is what FOCUS
calls a “spiritual multiplication.”
The student leaders will in turn
identify and motivate others leaders, and over time, begin to transform the campus community.
“FOCUS’s peer-to-peer ministry of evangelization is very effective in getting students excited
about growing spiritually, learning
more about their Catholic faith
and desiring to share their faith
with others,” said Paulist Father
Ed Nowak, director of campus
ministry at the UCC.
The FOCUS missionaries at the colleges are carefully
screened and selected.
“FOCUS does a great job
of identifying people who are
likely to succeed as missionaries
and training them. FOCUS is
very professional and attentive
to training, employing the best
known methods,” said Father
Brian Eilers, director of CSC
at Texas State University, who
extensively researched the organization before inviting them there.
In addition to their faith-
ful witness to the Gospel, the
missionaries’ dedication is demonstrated by prayer, attending
daily Mass and the requirement
that they must raise much of
their own nancial support. The
sponsoring parish or campus
ministry programs must also
secure funding to bring FOCUS
to their colleges.
Faced with limited resources
for campus outreach and evangelization, Father Eilers saw
FOCUS as a way to reach and
energize more Catholic students.
“We invited FOCUS to Texas State so that we would have
four full-time missionaries leading a movement of students into
a life of faith in Jesus Christ,”
Father Eilers said.
Before FOCUS, there was
little outreach on campus, and
only one Catholic Bible study.
During their rst year, FOCUS
helped establish 10 Bible studies
and trained seven student leaders in discipleship. During their
second year, “spiritual multiplication” led to 25 Bible studies
and 26 student leaders.
“This translates into student
leaders in all organizations who
are more dedicated to Jesus and
more knowledgeable about our
Catholic faith,” Father Eilers said.
Usually, the Bible studies are
established based on gender and
year in school, such as freshmen
women. This allows sensitive
topics regarding faith and morals
to be more freely and comfortably discussed among students
with similar concerns, questions
and experiences. FOCUS also
has an outreach to athletes and
those in fraternities and sororities.
Like Father Eilers, Father
Nowak and UCC FOCUS missionary team leader, Lauren Garcia, are excited about the progress FOCUS has made at the
University of Texas in just one
year. During that time, the missionaries identied and trained
20 student leaders, and offered
16 additional Bible studies. Mass
attendance has increased, and
the UCC looks forward to this
spiritual multiplication having an
even greater impact during the
coming school year.
Garcia herself is an example
of this spiritual multiplication in
action. Formerly a parishioner
and member of the youth group
of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in
College Station, she was mentored by the FOCUS missionaries when attending the University of Nebraska. Impressed by
their dedication and how she
was able to mature as a Catholic
leader under their guidance, she
applied to become a missionary.
She wanted to share what she
had experienced and empower
others in the same way.
This fall, FOCUS will begin
its ministry work at St. Peter
Catholic Student Center at Baylor University, which is known
for its Baptist heritage.
Father Daniel Liu, director
of campus ministry at St. Peter,
said that he believes the religious
environment of Baylor is an
asset, and will help Catholics
strengthen their own faith.
“I believe the Christian atmosphere at Baylor will be a
great starting point for evangelization. We have more in
common with fellow Christians
than with non-Christians or
those with a secular worldview,”
Father Liu said.
Baylor’s missionary team
leader, Marcus Schoch, believes
that positive ecumenism will
result when Catholic students
at Baylor become more knowledgeable, energized and skilled
in sharing their faith.
“This is quite an honor and
opportunity,” Schoch said.
Alison Tate, diocesan director of Youth, Young Adult and
Campus Ministry, said those involved in campus ministry within
the diocese agree that campus
ministers must address the spiritual hunger of college students
now to ensure a strong, vibrant
church in the years to come.
Articulating the goals of
FOCUS and all other efforts
to minister to college students,
Father Eilers said, “We want to
continue to win new students
for Jesus and to build them up
in him so that they are ready to
lead others to him.”
Service offers hope for couples struggling to conceive
BY MICHELE CHAN SANTOS
CORRESPONDENT
The “Future Full of Hope:
A prayer service for couples
struggling to conceive,” held
on July 25, offered solace and
fellowship for those attending.
About 50 people participated in the service that was
held at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Austin. The service was
organized by Gina Dominguez,
the education coordinator of
the diocesan Ofce of Pro-life
Activities and Chaste Living.
Father Alberto Borruel, pastor of St. Mary of the Visitation
Parish in Lockhart, presided
over the service. He is the moderator for Pro-life Activities in
the diocese.
The keynote speakers were
Angelique Ruhi-Lopez and Carmen Santamaria, the authors of
“The Infertility Companion for
Catholics: Spiritual and Practical
Support for Couples.”
Ruhi-Lopez has been married to her husband Richard
since 2003. They experienced
infertility for one year before
deciding to adopt their first
child from Vietnam. They also
have three biological children.
Ruhi-Lopez is a freelance writer
for The Florida Catholic and a
blogger and web editor for the
Archdiocese of Miami.
Santamaria married her husband Alex in 2001. They have
two biological children and two
adopted children. They experienced more than three years of
secondary infertility following
the birth of their second child
and continue to face this challenge. Santamaria is an attorney
and edits for the Association
of Corporate Counsel. She also
lives in Miami.
During her address, Santamaria described infertility as a
journey. Couples struggling to
conceive might feel that infertility denes them, but it doesn’t,
she said.
“Infertility is not who we
are, it’s where we are. It’s a
temporary stop. It’s not the
sum and whole of who I am,”
Santamaria said.
Many family members and
friends of infertile couples don’t
understand the pain infertility
brings and may offer insensitive comments or unhelpful
suggestions.
“Comparison is the death of
a spiritual life,” Santamaria said.
“When we compare our lives to
others, we start to sink. We need
to keep our eyes on God. The
Holy Spirit can be the salve that
heals others’ hurtful comments.”
She reminded the audience
that time spent praying in front
of the Blessed Sacrament is
healing, “with Jesus loving us
as we are.”
“Prayer does not always
change your situation, but it can
change your outlook,” she said.
Ruhi-Lopez, who spoke after Santamaria, talked about
Sarah and Abraham, the Biblical
couple who were infertile for
decades.
“The word ‘impossible’ is
not in God’s vocabulary,” RuhiLopez said. “The Lord hears
the cries of our heart whether
we speak them out loud or not.
You don’t have to say the perfect prayer for God to hear you.
What has God been hearing in
your heart?”
In the most emotional part
of the service, Father Borruel
conducted a Blessing and Laying
on of Hands. Couples with infertility came up to the altar and
Father Borruel laid his hands on
them and blessed them. Many
people were crying as they made
their way to the front of the
church; many of those in the
audience were teary as well.
Hymns, the Litany of St.
Gianna and a nal prayer completed the service.
Afterwards, there was a reception at the church that included booths from several organizations. The Vitae Clinic of
Austin, Marywood, a program
of Catholic Charities of Central
Texas that specializes in adoption, experts in Natural Family
Planning and others provided
information for attendees.
Marie Seale, the director of
the Ofce of Pro-life Activities
and Chaste Living, said this
was the second annual prayer
service. It was organized to
help celebrate NFP (Natural
Family Planning) Awareness
Week because the methods
used in NFP can help couples
conceive, as well as delay, preg-
nancy. Seale said she hopes to
do more than one event next
year, perhaps spread around the
diocese. Dominguez said they
might have a Spanish service as
well next year.
After the service, Father
Borruel said it’s important for
those around people struggling
with infertility to be sympathetic
to them and to listen.
“We need to continue to
pray for couples. When we talk
about life issues, we need to take
into consideration that there are
those who struggle to conceive,”
he said. “Some of them may
seek methods that are contrary
to church teaching.”
Father Borruel urged family
members and friends of such
couples to be compassionate.
“Be careful not to be insensitive. Be careful not to patronize
them. We are not walking in their
shoes, but we can walk with them
on their journey,” he said.
For more information regarding natural family planning,
contact the Ofce of Pro-Life
Activities and Chaste Living
at (512) 949-2486 or [email protected].
CENTRAL TEXAS
September 2012
7
Retreat for couples planning to marry
Gabriel angel trainings offered soon
“Together in God’s Love,” a marriage preparation retreat, will be held Oct. 26-28
at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. Couples preparing for marriage are
encouraged to register as soon as possible, as these retreats ll quickly. The weekend
includes talks on faith, communication, sexuality and stewardship in the context of
Catholic marriage. For registration information, contact your parish or the Catholic
Family Life and Family Counseling Ofce at (512) 949-2495 or rick-bologna@
austindiocese.org.
The Gabriel Project is a ministry of the diocesan Ofce of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living that offers support to women in crisis pregnancies. Those
who feel called to befriend women in need of emotional and spiritual support
due to a crisis pregnancy are encouraged to become a Gabriel Angel. The next
trainings are set for Sept. 29 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar Park and Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Santa Cruz Parish in
Buda. Lunch and all materials are provided as well as resources needed to assist
others. For additional information and to register, contact Rebecca Niemerg at
(512) 949-2488 or [email protected].
Walk benets Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The Friends of the Poor Walk was established in 2008 in celebration of the
Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s 175 years of service to the poor. Following 2008,
Friends of the Poor Walks have been held across country to raise awareness about
the plight of the poor and generate funds to assist those in need. The local Society
of St. Vincent de Paul will host its fth annual Friends of the Poor Walk Sept. 29 at
9 a.m. at East Metropolitan Park in Manor. The Walk does not have a registration
fee, but all walkers are encouraged to collect pledges from friends and family. The
funds raised will remain in the Austin community and will be used to aid the area’s
needy through home visits, food donations, and various other services. For more
information and walk registration, contact your parish St. Vincent de Paul Conference or visit www.svdpfriendsofthepoorwalk.org.
Married couples invited to weekend away
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].
MEDICAL
SERVICES
DIRECTORY
To advertise in the Catholic Spirit Medical Services
Directory, call (512) 949-2443, or e-mail
[email protected].
FAMILY DENTISTRY
family dentistry
tim tischler, d.d.s.
3821 Juniper Trace, Suite 201
Austin, TX 78738
phone (512) 402-1955
www.drtimtischler.com
Cedarbrake offers several retreats
“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.
“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.
“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 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 on any of these events, contact Cedarbrake at (254) 7802436 or [email protected].
OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
The Vitae Clinic
Jeremy Kalamarides, D.O.
The Jefferson Building
1600 W. 38th St, Ste 115
Austin, TX 78731
512-458-6060
The Vitae Clinic, Inc., provides wellness, prenatal, delivery and
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.
WEIGHT LOSS
Ideal Weight Loss
Medical Clinics
This will be your LAST Diet
No drugs 100% natural Medically monitored
Lose ONLY fat Preserve lean muscle
Anthony Hicks, MD, MPH
4100 Duval Rd., Bldg IV, Ste 202, Austin
(512) 577-6187
12912 Hill Country Blvd, Bldg F, Ste 238, Austin
(512) 470-9470
OPTOMETRY
ORTHODONTICS
Oak Hill
Eye Care
Braces for Children and Adults
Examination & Treatment
of Eye Disease
Lasik Surgery
Contact Lenses & Optical
David W. Tybor, O.D.
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
(512) 288-0444
6000 W. William Cannon
Bldg A, Suite 100, Austin
www.oakhilleyecare.com
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
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT
FAMILY & INTERNAL MEDICINE
Joseph M. C. Leary, M.D.
William Stavinoha, M.D.
Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology
Pediatric and Adult
Including Ear Diseases Sinus Surgery
Thyroid and Neck Surgery
6811 Austin Center Blvd., Ste. 300
Austin, Texas 78731
(512) 346-8888
Dominion Family
Healthcare
Family Practice –– Board Certied
11671 Jollyville Road #102
Austin, TX
(512) 338-5088
www.stavinohamd.com
Board certied in Family
Medicine & Internal Medicine
(512) 834-9999
6301 Parmer Ln. W. Suite 102
Austin,TX 78729-6802
THYROID & ENDOCRINOLOGY
8
CENTRAL TEXAS
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Brother teaches, ‘rocks with’ St. Edward’s students
BY AMY MORACZEWSKI
CORRESPONDENT
Brother Gerald Muller’s musical talents were discovered
as a young boy in rural North
Dakota, and thanks to voice lessons from a local opera singer,
they have taken him across the
country performing and teaching for nearly 80 years.
In addition to his musical
career, Brother Muller felt called
to the religious life from an early
age and decided to enter the
novitiate during his senior year
of high school. Brother Muller
continued on to the University
of Notre Dame as a music major and has devoted the last 67
years of his life to serving as a
Brother of the Congregation of
Holy Cross.
Born and raised on a farm,
Brother Muller began milking
cows at age 8 and rst drove the
family’s tractor at age 12. But
despite his agricultural upbringing, he said he was never meant
to be a farmer. Brother Muller
found his passion for music
at an early age and embarked
on a tour of the Upper Midwest, performing at creamery
meetings across North Dakota,
South Dakota and Minnesota.
However, his real claim to fame
transpired when the Crown
Prince of Norway paid a visit
to the small town of Hillsboro,
N.D. and the young Muller was
selected to welcome the prince
with his awless rendition of
the Norwegian national anthem.
Since then, Brother Muller
has taught music in Holy Cross
high schools across the country, sang with a San Antonio
opera chorus and established
the music department at St.
Edward’s University in Aus-
tin. While teaching in Sherman
Oaks, Calif., Brother Muller
gained exposure to the movie
business, educating future actors, including Mark Harmon, as
well as child stars, such as Jerry
Mathers, better known as “Beaver Cleaver.” He also taught
three current church leaders,
Cardinal William Levada, Archbishop George Niederauer and
Bishop Gerald Wilkerson, all
former students in his Latin
class and band at St. Anthony
High School in Long Beach.
Cardinal Levada currently
serves as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith in Rome, while Archbishop Niederauer leads the
Archdiocese of San Francisco
and Bishop Wilkerson serves as
auxiliary bishop to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
In 1978, Brother Muller offered his services to St. Edward’s
University to form a music program. When the program began,
he taught 24 credit hours as the
lone faculty member; today the
department has a faculty of 14
and the university now offers a
music minor, as well as a music
theater major.
While he plans to retire after the upcoming school year,
Brother Muller’s presence on
campus is as strong now as
it was on day one. Incoming
freshmen first encounter the
dynamic professor at orientation when he performs with his
band, “Brother Muller and His
Brothers.” Along with his four
band mates, who are all members of the St. Edward’s rugby
team, Brother Muller entertains
the student body with covers of
popular artists, including Kanye
West. He is quick to point out
that they clean up the lyrics to
the songs.
“I’m trying to get in the
record books as the oldest rock
and roller still living and breathing,” he joked. Performances
can be viewed on YouTube.
As if his music and teaching careers were not enough to
keep him busy, Brother Muller
has also maintained an active
writing career for many years.
He has written 100 biographies
for children on the lives of many
saints. Shortly after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., Brother Muller traveled
to Atlanta to conduct research
for a biography he felt called
to write. The city remained full
of chaos, only months after the
tragic murder, and many aspiring authors populated the area
with hopes of speaking to the
King family.
But it was Brother Muller,
an unknown writer, who nally
gained the trust of the family.
After numerous unreturned
phone calls, Brother Muller decided to depart Atlanta but upon
making one last call was invited
to the King family home, where
he spent hours listening to rsthand stories denied to even
the most renowned authors.
These deeply personal stories
are unique among all biographies of the well-documented
civil rights leader. Although
only a few thousand copies
were ever published, the book is
now available online and can be
downloaded on Brother Muller’s
at http://faculty.stedwards.edu/
geraldm/.
Despite his many passions
and professional pursuits, Brother Muller has never lost focus of
his primary vocation as a Brother
of the Congregation of Holy
Cross. Saint Andre Bessette, the
patron saint of the order, has
been an especially powerful inu-
HOLY CROSS BROTHER GERALD MULLER has a
love for music and education, which has led to a lifetime
lled with many faith-lled experiences. (Photo by Amy
Moraczewski)
ence in his life. Brother Andre is
known as a healer, and Brother
Muller experienced this grace on
multiple occasions. At one time,
Brother Muller broke both arms,
and one had yet to heal after an
entire year. Preparing to undergo
surgery, Brother Muller decided
to do a nine day novena to Brother Andre. On the ninth day, his
visit to the doctor revealed that
the broken arm had completely
healed. The doctor simply told
his patient, “It’s a miracle, and
I can’t tell you why.” Of course,
Brother Muller knew why.
While his teaching career
may come to an end in the
near future, Brother Muller will
remain active in the Austin community. He plans to continue in
his current role as director of
the liturgical choir at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin.
He will miss his students at St.
Edward’s University.
“Teaching for me is a joy.
You want to pass on what
you’ve learned, take your gift
and share what you love,”
Brother Muller said.
He will handle each future
challenge just as he has handled
those of his past, with God’s
grace.
“Being a published writer,
an opera singer, a choral and
instrumental conductor. I knew
I would be a teacher but I didn’t
know these other things would
happen. I never thought I would
teach a future cardinal, archbishop, or bishop or movie stars like
Mark Harmon and the Beaver.
God doesn’t answer any whys.
Things just happen. Don’t ask
why; it’s none of our business,”
Brother Muller said.
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.
September 2012
CENTRAL TEXAS
9
Red Mass will feature Sr. Prejean on Oct. 11
The most visible opponent
of the death penalty in the U.S.
will bring her message to Central
Texas on Oct. 11 as the guest
speaker at the diocesan Red
Mass at St. Mary Cathedral in
Austin.
Sister of St. Joseph Helen
Prejean, best known for her
book “Dead Man Walking:
An Eyewitness Account of the
Death Penalty in the United
States,” said there is hope that
more people will call for an end
to capital punishment now that
there is more dialogue about
the death penalty and more
grassroots efforts against legal
executions.
“It’s cutting edge,” she said
of the anti-death penalty movement. “It’s an issue of the dignity of life. The bishops are
being more assertive about it
and more people are in dialogue
about it.”
She said the grassroots organization, Catholic Mobilizing
Network, which advocates ending the death penalty, is another
sign that people are recognizing
it is time to end capital punishment.
Sister Prejean, 73, is optimistic that more people see capital
punishment as a life issue just
as abortion is seen as life issue.
“When John Paul II was in
St. Louis in 1999, he called for
an end to the death penalty,” she
said. “It had never been done
before.”
The late pope called the
death penalty “both cruel and
unnecessary.”
“A sign of hope is the in-
creasing recognition that the
dignity of human life must never
be taken away, even in the case
of someone who has done great
evil,” he said.
Sister Prejean, who is writing a book about her spiritual
journey since joining the then
Sisters of St. Joseph Medaille
in 1957, was invited to Austin
by the Red Mass Committee,
which is comprised of judges,
attorneys, legislators, law professors and students, paralegals and
law enforcement.
The Red Mass began in the
13th Century and traditionally
opened the term for the court
in most European countries.
It gets its name from the color
of the vestments worn by the
celebrants and government ofcials.
Attorney Jeff Gordon, cochair of the committee, said
that for three years they had
been trying to get Sister Prejean
to come to the “death penalty
capital of the United States.”
Texas has that distinction
since it leads the nation in the
number of executions. The most
recent occurred on Aug. 7 when
54-year-old Marvin Wilson, who
had an IQ of 61, was executed.
According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Wilson
was the 484th person executed.
Virginia, the state with the next
highest number of people executed, has carried out the death
penalty on 109 people.
“Who better to bring a
moral perspective to the legal
profession in Austin?” Gordon
said. “It’s good to get a fresh
perspective. It’s a perfect audience for raising those issues.”
Gordon said no matter what
a person’s position on politics
or the death penalty, it is always
healthy to hear an alternative
perspective, especially in the
context of faith.
Sister Prejean acknowledged
it will take lots of prayer and
work to end the mindset of
“an eye for an eye, a tooth for
a tooth.” Even though the U.S.
bishops have been calling for an
end to the death penalty for 25
years, many Catholics continue
to support its use.
A poll released this January by the Pew Research Center showed that while overall
support for the death penalty
dropped from a 1994 high of
80 percent, it is now 62 percent. Those gures don’t change
much for Catholics: roughly 60
percent of Catholics currently
support the death penalty.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2267) does not
exclude recourse to capital punishment if it “is the only possible
way of effectively defending
lives against the unjust aggressor.” But it also notes that cases
in which it’s necessary to execute an offender “are very rare,
if not practically nonexistent.”
Aside from ending a life,
Sister Prejean said the death
penalty also hurts those who are
involved in carrying out capital
punishment, as shown in the
2011 lm, “In to the Abyss: A
Tale of Death, A Tale of Life.”
The Werner Herzog independent lm explores why people
–– and why states –– kill.
“The lm shows what happens to you when you kill even
though it’s legal,” she said. “It
resonates with your soul and
you can’t shake it. It’s like shooting a person in the head. When
you pull the trigger or carry out
SISTER OF ST. JOSEPH HELEN PREJEAN will speak
at the annual Red Mass on Oct. 11 at St. Mary Cathedral
in Austin. (CNS photo by Peter Finney Jr., Clarion Herald)
orders from the state, someone
is responsible for actually carrying it out.”
Sister Prejean said being prolife means respecting the dignity
of human life from conception
to natural death.
“The death penalty renders
(convicted criminals) defenseless
and robs them of their dignity,”
she said. “When you execute
someone you are taking the
place of God. That is very arrogant.”
The death penalty also “is a
awed process,” she said.
“Texas has killed innocent
people,” she said, noting the
controversy over Cameron
Todd Willingham, who was
executed in 2004 for allegedly
setting a fire 13 years earlier
that killed his three daughters.
Subsequent evidence showed he
may not have set the re.
“Don’t you think we should
choose to be on the side of
humility and not play God?”
she asked.
Bishop Joe Vásquez will
celebrate the diocesan Red Mass
Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. at St. Mary
Cathedral in Austin. Everyone,
especially those in the legal profession, is invited. Cedarbrake
Catholic Retreat Center will also
present “A Morning with Sister
Prejean” Oct. 12 from 9:30
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the diocesan Pastoral Center in Austin.
For more information, contact
Cedarbrake at (254) 780-2436.
Sister Prejean will also speak
at St. Edward’s University in
Austin Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. The
event, sponsored by the Texas
Coalition to Abolish the Death
Penalty, is free of charge and
open to the public.
For information on the anti-death penalty movement, visit
http://catholicsmobilizing.org.
Guadalupanos gather with Bishop Vásquez in Taylor
GUADALUPANOS AND GUADALUPANAS gathered for the second
annual Guadalupanos meeting July 21 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Taylor.
Bishop Joe Vásquez celebrated Mass with the Guadalupanos and
stressed the importance of evangelization. During the homily the bishop invited
participants to be inspired by Our Lady of
Guadalupe to evangelize their families and
communities and to share the faith with
everyone around them. He encouraged
them to grow in the Guadalupanos’ mission to evangelize by learning more about
the Catholic faith, growing in their leadership skills and expanding their service in
parishes. He said it is also important to
pass on the faith to the new generations of
young people who will lead the organization in the future.
(Photos courtesy Celia M. Segura)
CENTRAL TEXAS
10
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Helping teens realize the value of chastity
Teachers and others who
work with youth had an opportunity to learn how to teach teenagers about the sacredness of their
bodies using the “Theology of
the Body for Teens” curriculum.
Colin McIver, a contributing
author to the TOB for Teens
High School and Middle School
studies, led the facilitator training, which was sponsored by
the diocesan Ofce of Pro-Life
Activities and Chaste Living
in conjunction with San José
Parish in Austin. The day-long
event brought together religious
education teachers, priests and
others who work with youth to
San José Parish to get an overview of the teaching materials,
how to use the materials and ask
questions of one of the authors.
McIver, who teaches theology at St. Scholastica Academy
in Covington, La., also serves
as the religion department chair
and campus ministry coordinator. He travels nationally and internationally as a team member
and speaker for Dumb Ox Productions, bringing the message
of purpose and purity to youth.
Suzie Plyler, who teaches
high school religious education
at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Austin, said she was looking for a program that would
keep teenagers engaged after
receiving the sacrament of conrmation.
“They’ll come for DCYC or
Godstock but won’t attend RE
regularly,” she said. “It’s hard
to keep them interested after
conrmation.”
She heard of “Theology of
the Body,” the compilation of
weekly audiences by Blessed
John Paul II on the divine
meaning of the human body
and human sexuality.
“I see a great need for this,”
Plyler said. “I see so many kids
who don’t love themselves.
They need the freedom to be
who they are without the external things involved. It takes a
long time to make kids see that.
Lupe Velásquez, religious
education director at San José,
was looking for a way to reach
the 600 middle and high school
students at his parish.
“We do have teen pregnancies,” he said. “A lot of kids
don’t know who to talk to or
how to deal with sexuality or
family issues. A lot of issues
teens are dealing with have to
do with sex.”
Religious education teachers
don’t always know how to deal
with this sensitive issue, he said.
Having a church-approved program that deals with sexuality
from a spiritual aspect is helpful.
“As adults, we don’t always
realize what teens are going
through until we hear it from
the kids,” he said. Often, by the
time adults hear about an issue,
it has become a problem.
McIver said today’s teens
face many challenges that have
not been present in previous
generations. The rst is technological.
He described them as “digital natives” and “speed demons”
who have never not had technology readily available. They
text, they’re on Facebook or
other social media such as Twitter, often simultaneously.
“Teens are searching,” McIver said. “The church in many
ways is surging with excitement
and participation of youth.”
But getting the proper message out is a challenge, he acknowledged, because they are
bombarded by so many different
messages at all times.
“Spiritually, there is a disintegration between body and
soul,” he said. “Their faith and
their life have been compartmentalized.”
The stakes are high. Physically, 40 percent of girls ages 1419 are sexually active. Emotionally, those girls are three times
more likely to be depressed.
The suicide rate for sexually active girls ages 12-16 is six times
higher than for those who are
not sexually active.
Boys are not immune. Sexually active teenage males are
twice as likely to struggle with
drug abuse and eight times more
likely to commit suicide.
The task before us is to support parents, who are the primary educators, he said.
“Parents must insist on positive values of chastity and its
capacity to generate true love
for other persons,” McIver said.
“This is the most radical and important moral aspect of chastity:
Chastity in one’s state in life is
possible and chastity brings love.
Chastity is a prerequisite to being able to love.”
McIver said “Theology of
the Body” brings the wisdom
of the church through the ages
delivered for our times.
“Teens think they’ve heard it
all before,” he said. “They think
they know the story. When you
tell teens about the Church
teaching on chastity and sex they
think they know what you’re going to say.”
However, Theology of the
Body delivers the message differently.
“We are the bride and Christ
is the bridegroom,” McIver said.
“That’s the reality of our baptism. Hearing the story in a new
language makes for something
intense.”
TOB is not just about sex,
either, he noted.
“John Paul II witnessed the
smearing of the dignity of the human person,” McIver said. “He
lived through Nazism, the Holocaust, communism, totalitarianism, economic utilitarianism.”
He saw the need for Gospel
relevancy in the modern world.
The male-female relationship,
McIver said, is the substratum of
all ethics and culture. He understood the longing to understand
what it means to be human.
Many people don’t understand
that sex is rst an identity before
it’s an action.
“Sex is who you are rst,”
he said. “TOB is about identity.
It’s not just about chastity or
abstinence. It goes much deeper
than that.”
For those teens who are or
have been sexually active, the
“message is of hope and healing,
not condemnation.”
McIver said each chapter in
the curriculum opens with a story
and then follows with prayer and
Scripture to connect the lesson.
“Care is the main teaching,”
he said. “There is a comprehensive discussion and words of
wisdom. We are always digging
deeper. There is science which
backs up what God has created.”
Finding out one’s identity
and learning to discern what God
wants from us is the rst step,
McIver said. Sex, the action, is
the gift given to humans to express marital love. It is the closest
a man and woman can become
to express that love. Trust in a
relationship brings freedom, he
said. Knowledge brings trust.
Therefore, knowledge and trust
in Jesus gives us freedom.
For information on Theology of the Body for Teens, call
1-800-376-0520 or visit www.
thetheologyofthebody.com/
information/teens. For more
information about the church’s
teaching on human sexuality,
contact the diocesan Ofce of
Pro-Life Activities and Chaste
Living at (512) 949-2486 or
yvonne-saldana@austindiocese.
org.
Workshop for liturgical leaders is Sept. 8
Conference focuses on justice, charity
The diocesan ofces of Worship and Hispanic Ministry will host a conference entitled “Preparing the Banquet” Sept. 8 at Norris Conference Center in
Austin. This day is specically designed for priests, deacons, sacristans, members of the, parish liturgy committee, leaders of the usher/greeter/hospitality
ministry, trainers for lectors and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion,
directors or coordinators of liturgical music, as well as those who plan the art
and environment, and RCIA leaders and team members. 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) 9492429 or [email protected].
Living the Good News Conference, a day for reection and education, will be held
Sept. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin. The conference will be offered with both English and Spanish presenters, including keynote
presenters Jack Jezreel, executive director of JustFaith Ministries and Arturo Chávez,
president of the Mexican American Catholic College in San Antonio. The conference is sponsored by the diocesan Secretariat for Justice and Charity and will offer a
wide array of workshops on topics such social justice, pro-life activities, immigration,
criminal justice and the death penalty. A Criminal Justice track will cover basic support
activities a parish can develop to support formerly incarcerated persons in their community. The cost is $25 in advance or $30 at the door; scholarships are available. For
more information and to register, visit www.austindiocese.org or call (512) 949-2486.
John Allen speaks at dinner on Oct. 6
The Adult Faith Formation Ofce of St. John Neumann Parish in Austin will host a dinner event featuring John Allen on Oct.
6 at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall. John Allen is a correspondent for
The National Catholic Reporter who has covered the Catholic
Church for many years. Tickets to the dinner are $45 each. For
more information, visit www.sjnaustin.org or contact Nancy Biehler at (512) 328-3220.
Giddy Up Go Bus Trips
800-354-1288
www.giddyupgobustrips.com
Day Trips around Central Texas ––
Painted Churches, Wineries, Missions,
Homestead & Heron Nest, Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, Washington on the Brazos, and
coming soon Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit in Fort Worth
Struggling couples invited to retreat
A Retrouvaille weekend can help married couples who feel alone, who are
frustrated or angry with each other, who argue or have just stopped talking
to each other. Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi with a long i) helps couples
through difcult times in their marriages. The next program begins with a
weekend Oct. 5-7. For local assistance, call 800-470-2230, or visit the website at
www.HelpOurMarriage.com.
COURAGE OF AUSTIN
Homosexuality and Hope
Call Fr. Becker: (512) 863-3041
(must dial area code from Austin)
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.couragerc.net
September 2012
IN OUR WORLD
11
Young Lebanese see papal visit as sign of hope
About 500 of Lebanon’s
some 10,000 Scouts will be
assisting during the entire
weekend of the pope’s visit
to Lebanon, mostly serving as
ushers.
“I think he is here also to
deliver a message of peace and
to reinforce the diversity of
Lebanese society, especially
with what is happening in
countries near us. There is a lot
of war. So he is here to tell us
not to be afraid. I am sure he
will ask us to build the peace,
to have faith,” Semaan said.
Saher Dawood, a 30-year
old Chaldean Catholic refugee
from Baghdad who has been
in Lebanon for two years, said
the pope’s visit “will give the
youth a push in their faith
and hope because they (the
youth) don’t have this strong
Population
4 million
Catholics
52%
Parishes
1,131
Priests
1,501
hope now.” Dawood is one
of some 30,000 Christian refugees from Iraq now living in
Lebanon.
Samieh Traboulsi, a Chaldean Catholic deacon, added
that Lebanon is “in big danger
now, because all the young
people are immigrating to
Europe, the Gulf and other
countries.”
Father Bou Hadir said not
only logistical preparations are
under way for the pope’s visit:
“We also have to prepare our
hearts.”
For the nine days before
the visit, Catholic churches
will conduct a novena of
prayer.
“We are waiting with love,
enthusiasm and prayer for this
visit of the father to his children,” Father Bou Hadir said.
ER
SE RAN
A
EA
N
LEBANON
IT
government organizations,
youths with special needs, religious and seminarians, and
representatives of other Mideast countries.
“The Middle Eastern
countries are now living a socalled ‘spring.’ But a lot of
places are seeing that spring
turning into winter and fall
because we see blood and terror around us,” said Father
Bou Hadir, referring to the
instability in the region.
“But we have faith that the
real spring is our youth having
real faith in God,” he added.
The priest said Pope Benedict’s visit would reinforce
what Pope John Paul II said
when he visited in 1997, “that
Lebanon is more than a country, it’s a message of peace
and coexistence between the
East and the West.”
Of Lebanon’s population
of nearly 4 million, approximately one-third is Christian.
The country’s population belongs to 18 different religions,
12 of which are Christian.
Joe Zoulikian, a 33-yearold Armenian Catholic who
works at the American University of Beirut, described
Pope Benedict’s visit as “very
emotional, because the head
of Catholic Church is coming
to Lebanon while the region is
full of war and revolutions.”
“For us it’s a (sign of)
hope to stay,” Zoulikian said.
Joseph Semaan, a 36-year
old Maronite from Beirut who
works as a technology manager and represents the Scouts
of Lebanon on the youth
meeting planning committee,
said the pope’s visit “will give
us empowerment and hope.”
ED
Lebanon’s younger generation of Catholics sees Pope
Benedict XVI’s Sept. 14-16
visit to their country as a sign
of hope in a region embroiled
with violence.
Marielle Boutros, a 25-year
old Maronite Catholic from
Jbeil who teaches science at
a Catholic school, said the
pope’s visit “means that even
though we are suffering and
don’t have stability, there is
someone in this world who
cares for us and wants us to
stay here.”
“That’s why he’s coming
here, to tell us to stay here
and not to quit our cause,”
she said.
Firas Wehbe, a 34-year old
Maronite Catholic who heads
up the sales unit of a bank,
said the pope’s visit “is a sign
of hope for the youth, a support for them to stay in their
country and the Middle East,
especially with the turbulent
situation around us.”
Wehbe said that when
Pope John Paul visited Lebanon in 1997 and the country
was under Syrian occupation,
it was “a bad situation.”
“But now, it’s all the region,” Wehbe said. “So I
think that this visit is a sign
from God, a message for us
to resist in a Christian way:
through our beliefs, to stay
here in the holy lands and
to live our lives according to
the Bible. Otherwise, we can
go everywhere in the world.
But here, we have a message
to live all together with other
religions, especially Muslims.”
“I’m talking from personal
experience, because I live in
Tripoli, which is 90 percent
Muslim,” Wehbe said. “In
fact, we don’t have problems
as Christians, but the city is
experiencing political problems related to the situation in
Syria. The conict in Syria is
affecting the city, but we hope
it will end soon.”
Clashes between pro- and
anti-Syrian groups in Tripoli
in May and June killed up to
25 people.
The Vatican spokesman,
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said despite instability from Syria that has spilled
across Lebanese borders,
preparations for the trip “are
proceeding without any uncertainties on the Vatican’s part.”
In fact, he said, the pope mobile has already been shipped
to Lebanon.
During his visit, Pope
Benedict will present a major document addressing concerns expressed at the 2010
Synod of Bishops on the
Middle East, but on Sept. 15
he is expected to meet with
about 30,000 young people at
Bkerke, the patriarchal seat of
the Maronite Catholic Church,
north of Beirut.
Father Toufic Bou Hadir, president of the Maronite
Patriarchate’s Youth Department, has been planning the
visit with a team of youth representatives from Lebanon’s
Catholic rites –– Maronite,
Syriac, Armenian, Chaldean,
Melkite, Coptic and Latin ––
as well as representatives of
Scout associations, apostolic
movements, students, non-
SYRIA
Beirut
M
BY DOREEN ABI RAAD
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
EUROPE
AFRICA
ISRAEL
©2012 CNS
Pope: We are made to be in relationship with God
BY CINDY WOODEN
Everything that happens
in life, whether it rst appears
good or bad, is a reminder
that human beings do not
have absolute control over
their own destinies but were
made to be in a relationship
with God, Pope Benedict XVI
wrote.
“Each thing, each relationship, each joy, like each
difficulty, finds its ultimate
meaning in being an occasion
for a relationship with the Innite, the voice of God who
continually calls us and invites
us to raise our sights and to
discover in him the fullness of
our humanity,” the pope said
in a message to participants
in an annual meeting of the
Communion and Liberation
movement.
The Aug. 19-25 meeting in
Rimini, Italy, was to focus on
people’s relationship with the
innite.
In his message, released at
the Vatican on the meeting’s
opening day, Pope Benedict
said the natural human yearning for innity or eternity is,
at its foundation, recognition
that human beings are creatures.
“This word –– creature
–– seems to be old-fashioned.
People prefer to think of
themselves as self-made and
artisans of their own destiny.
Considering the person a creature can be uncomfortable
because it implies an essential
reference to something other
or better,” he said.
In fact, however, whether
they believe in God or not,
human beings have that inkling that they are not in complete control and that they
were made for eternity, he
wrote.
Recognizing God as creator and entering into a relationship with him “does not
hide or diminish, but brilliantly reveals, the greatest and supreme dignity of man, who is
called to life in order to have
a relationship with life itself,
with God,” the pope wrote.
Some people ask how it
is possible for a finite creature like a human being to
have a real relationship with
the innite God, he said. For
Christians, the answer is that
God assumed a nite form in
Jesus Christ.
“From the Incarnation, the
moment in which the Word
was made esh, the unbridgeable distance between the nite and innite was erased,”
Pope Benedict wrote.
Also Aug. 19, the pope
recited the Angelus with visitors in the courtyard of the
papal summer villa at Castel
Gandolfo. Commenting on
the day’s Gospel reading, the
pope said that by taking on
human form, Jesus was able
to suffer and die for the redemption of all humanity.
“We need to accept him
with faith, not be scandalized
by his humanity,” the pope
said.
Jesus continues giving
himself to his followers in the
Eucharist, his body and blood,
he said.
“Let us rediscover the
beauty of the sacrament of the
Eucharist, which expresses
all the humility and holiness
of God: his making himself
small, a fragment of the universe to reconcile it completely in his love,” the pope said.
IN OUR WORLD
12
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Challenges to marriage among Knights’ top concerns
BY ELISABETH DEFFNER
Supreme Knight Carl A.
Anderson called the number of
attendees at the Knights of Columbus 130th supreme convention in Anaheim “a testament to
the growth and development”
of the international fraternal
organization.
More than 2,000 Knights
from around the world –– many
of them with their wives and
children –– along with 12 cardinals and more than 70 bishops
attended the Aug. 6-8 convention.
Anderson made the comments at the States Dinner, a
high point of the convention
that brings Knights together in
a celebration of patriotism.
The bishops, archbishops
and cardinals attending the dinner processed through a massive exhibit hall in the Anaheim
Convention Center, each waving
a ag and smiling at the Knights
cheering from either side of the
aisle. After the clergy reached
their seats on the dais, the assembly joined in the national
anthems of countries in which
the Knights are represented.
Later, as dinner was served,
an orchestra performed the anthems of each U.S. state, as well
as Canadian provinces.
The celebratory tone carried
through the keynote speech of
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of
New York, a member of the
Knights of Columbus for more
than 30 years, who got a big
laugh after thanking Anderson
for booking him into the honeymoon suite of the hotel where
the convention took place.
He went on to say he wanted
to turn his audience’s attention
away from “the crimson tide”
of bishops and cardinals seated
before them and focus instead
on the Knights and their wives,
and the sacrament of marriage.
“We Catholics are hopeless
romantics, you know, when it
comes to married love,” he said,
recalling something a staff member had said to him when he was
the archbishop of Milwaukee. In
striving to increase vocations to
the priesthood and religious life,
Jan Ruidl told him, he was not
thinking along the right lines.
“The greatest vocation crisis
today is to lifelong, loving, faithful, life-giving marriage,” she
said. “You take care of that one,
and you’ll have all the priests
and sisters you need.”
“For an increase in vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life and the sacrament
of marriage’ should perhaps
become the new phrasing for
a prayer of the faithful at every
Mass,” Cardinal Dolan went on,
referring not to high divorce
rates –– but to low sacramental
marriage rates.
Other speakers focused on
the issue of religious liberty –– a
hot topic at a convention with
“Proclaim Liberty Throughout
All the Land” as its theme.
Pointing out that the clergy and the faithful of the U.S.
had launched a robust defense
of the fundamental right of
religious freedom, Archbishop
Richard W. Smith of Edmonton, Alberta, –– the newly
elected president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic
Bishops –– noted that their
neighbors to the north are
also facing many challenges to
their religious freedom.
“Freedom of religion is not
merely the right to freedom of
worship –– it’s the right to live
out our beliefs in the public
square,” he said. “On an issue of
such fundamental importance,
we must be vocal.”
In his homily during the
opening Mass, celebrated earlier
that day, Orange Bishop Tod D.
Brown also touched on the issue
of religious liberty.
“We face a growing secularism, attacks on the value and
gift of human life, attempts to
redefine traditional marriage,
and serious curtailment of our
religious rights,” said Bishop
Brown, a Knight of Columbus
for 40 years. “Certainly, there
is a clear and demanding need
today for the new evangelization called for by Blessed John
Paul II and, now, Pope Benedict
XVI.”
These are difficult times
–– just as St. Juan Diego lived
in difcult times, he said. “In
those tumultuous times in Mexico, Our Lady (of Guadalupe)
brought a message of love and
peace. Millions of native peoples
embraced Christianity in the
years that followed,” Bishop
Brown said.
As the patroness of the
Americas, and of the Knights
of Columbus, Mary provides a
model of how to respond to the
Lord’s call, a model that will be
all the more important as clergy
and laypeople around the world
begin to respond to the call to
the new evangelization.
“I’m confident,” Bishop
Brown said, that the Knights
“will be in the front ranks of the
evangelizers.”
CARDINAL ROGER M. MAHONY (left), retired archbishop of Los Angeles, New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and Supreme Knight Carl Anderson are pictured during the 130th
Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus in Anaheim, Calif. (CNS photo by Tim Rue)
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Year of Faith
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Host: Deacon Jerry Klement
Spiritual Director: Fr. James Ekeocha of St. Luke Parish in Temple
Tour includes: Roundtrip Air from Dallas, First Class/Select Hotels, Most Meals,
Professional Driver/Guide & Comprehensive Sightseeing. Visits to Waterford, Killarney, Galway, Connemara, Knock, Sligo and Dublin
For more information, contact Deacon Klement at (254) 773-1561 or
(254) 718-0454 or [email protected].
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IN OUR WORLD
September 2012
13
Pro-life directors remain joyful despite challenges
BY ELISABETH DEFFNER
Pro-lifers must be joyful in
the work they do, said Cardinal
Daniel N. DiNardo, chairman
of the U.S. bishops’ Committee
on Pro-Life Activities.
“This is a beautiful time for
us to gather and get energized for
a difcult year ahead,” he said as
he began his homily at Mass Aug.
6 during the Diocesan Pro-Life
Directors’ Meeting held in the
Diocese of Orange, Calif.
Sixty directors attended the
meeting organized by the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life
Activities.
Throughout the conference,
which was not open to reporters, presentation topics dealt
with the challenges facing prolife ministers and activists in the
U.S. today. Archbishop William
E. Lori of Baltimore, who chairs
the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee
on Religious Liberty, gave the
opening keynote.
Marie Seale, the diocesan
director of Pro-Life Activities
and Chaste Living, attended the
conference and participated in
a panel that discussed what di-
ocesan pro-life ofces are doing
across the country.
Seale said gathering with fellow pro-life directors “reminds us
that we are not alone in the work
that we do and reorients us to our
vital” Catholic foundation.
“The work that we do as
pro-life directors does not exist
in a vacuum; faith is related to
minding Massgoers that he did
so with “joyful obedience.”
“We have to be joyful,” he
said. “No one likes a sour prolifer!”
Cardinal DiNardo was the
principal celebrant at the Mass at
La Purisima Church in Orange.
Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown
and more than half a dozen
“set out to be the most ridiculed ... and vilied man among
psychotherapists,” said Mary
McClusky, the secretariat’s special projects coordinator, in her
introduction.
“Normally someone who
made such a discovery would be
greeted with acclaim, awards,”
she said. “The ofcial reaction
“The work that we do as pro-life directors does not exist in
a vacuum; faith is related to freedom and this is inextricably
tied to the dignity of the human person.”
–– Marie Seale, diocesan director of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living
freedom and this is inextricably
tied to the dignity of the human
person,” she said.
On the evening of Aug. 6,
the focus was less on the challenges facing pro-life workers
than on the joy of pro-life work.
“We in the pro-life movement –– because the days can
be long –– there are moments
... that we may think the work is
just a burden on us,” Cardinal
DiNardo, of the Archdiocese
of Galveston-Houston, said in
his homily.
“But Jesus carried the burden first,” he continued, re-
priests attending the conference
concelebrated the Eucharist
with the cardinal.
The Mass preceded the celebratory high point of the meeting, the People of Life Dinner
Banquet –– an event that gave
meeting attendees an opportunity to relax with one another and
with Diocese of Orange staff
and to celebrate the work of the
award recipients: Dr. Vincent
Rue and Sister Paula Vandegaer,
a Sister of Social Service.
Rue, a psychotherapist who
provided the rst clinical evidence of post-abortion trauma,
to Vince’s research was basically
to ridicule and ostracize him.”
In his acceptance speech,
Rue noted that he had seen
his father, the vice president
of a marriage and family therapists’ association, suffer similarly when he spoke out against
pornography long before mainstream America realized how big
a problem it was.
“The only thing that matters
at the end of the day is we made
a difference and stood for the
truth,” Rue said.
Based in the greater Los
Angeles area, Sister Vandegaer
worked as the editor of Heartbeat
magazine, founded International
Life Services and worked with
agencies including Southern
California’s Right to Life League,
Holy Family Services and the
Welfare Bureau of Los Angeles.
She came to pro-life work
not so much because of the
unborn, she said, “but because
of my concern about what was
happening to the women.”
“The vision the Catholic
Church has about the dignity of
women is very, very important,”
she added.
Addressing herself to Cardinal DiNardo and Bishop
Brown, she noted that the work
of church leaders in the pro-life
movement is vital.
“You’ve taken a beating and
have kept the vision going,” she
told them. “That’s very, very
important for those of us who
are on the grass-roots.”
Concluding the awards ceremony, Tom Grenchik, executive director of the bishops’
pro-life secretariat, presented
Susan Wills, the secretariat’s assistant director of education and
outreach, with a special award
recognizing her pro-life work.
Wills is planning to retire
within the next year.
The John Paul II Life Center’s
Second Annual Benefit Dinner
Wed. Dec. 5, 2012 7:00 PM Dinner
Tickets and Sponsorships available at
www.jpiilifecenter.org
K EYNOTE S PEAKER
a benefit for the
Good Samaritan Gabriel Project Life Center
a ministry of Catholic Charities of Central Texas
With guest speaker Bryan Kemper
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Thank you to our sponsors:
T Most Reverend Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop
The
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of Galveston–Houston, USCCB Pro-Life Chair
D IGNIT Y
IN
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Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Hilgers, founder of
D
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NaPro TECHNOLOGY
I NVOCATION
T Very Reverend Joe S. Vásquez,
The
Bishop of Austin
B
The John Paul II Life Center has a three-fold mission:
Red-C Catholic Radio
St. Anthony Catholic Church
Sponsorships and tickets available. For more information contact
Denise Ramos at 979-822-9340 or [email protected].
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IN OUR WORLD
New plan to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission
14
BY PAUL JEFFREY
Catholic health care workers are offering enthusiastic
support to an ambitious global plan to stop the transmission of the virus that causes
AIDS from pregnant mothers
to their children.
Discussed during the XIX
International AIDS Conference July 22-27 in Washington, the plan involves increasing the availability of the
drugs that reduce HIV levels in the body so that transmission does not occur. In
wealthy countries, the availability of such drugs has lowered transmission rates to virtually zero, but that’s not the
case in countries most heavily
affected by the HIV epidemic.
“We really do have hope
that we can stop AIDS in
children,” said Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo, a special adviser
on HIV and AIDS to Caritas
Internationalis who sits on
the 15-member international
steering committee that is supervising the program.
In 2010, 390,000 children
were born with HIV and
more than 700 children died
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
each day, almost all of them
in India and 21 countries of
sub-Saharan Africa, according
to the United Nations.
As a result, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/
AIDS –– known as UNAIDS
–– in 2011 announced a plan
to prevent transmission of the
disease to children by assuring
that pregnant women get the
testing, treatment and counseling they need to stop the virus
from spreading. With funding
from the U.N. and the U.S.
government, The Global Plan
towards the Elimination of New
Infections among Children by
2015 and Keeping their Mothers
Alive takes aim at the 22 hardest
hit nations.
Msgr. Vitillo said an important key to the program’s
success is testing women early, so that any who are found
to carry the virus can be put
on antiretroviral medications.
The women then continue
the medication through birth
and breast-feeding. While initial programs had discontinued women once the child
stopped nursing, Msgr. Vitillo
said that approach has been
largely discarded in favor of
keeping the woman on antiretroviral drugs indenitely.
“We don’t want to save
the children and then have
them lose their mothers,”
Msgr. Vitillo told Catholic
News Service.
Another part of the program involves early testing
of children so that if any are
infected, they can receive
prompt medical treatment.
Msgr. Vitillo said the program faces challenges that bedevil the entire response to HIV.
“To make this work, we
have to figure out what obstacles women face, why they
cannot access testing or if they
do get tested why they may not
come back for the results. It’s
often a problem of stigma and
discrimination, and we need to
combat that by involving the
entire community in the HIV
response,” he said.
Health planners say the program can succeed only by becoming “male friendly” in order
to prevent male partners from
discouraging women of getting
involved or from continuing
treatment.
Msgr. Vitillo said both
Catholic Relief Services and the
Catholic Medical Mission Board
have worked to design programs
for women that intentionally
reach out to men.
“Sometimes direct communication between husband and
wife isn’t present or effective,
so it takes a little encouragement
for the men to be convinced
that it isn’t just women’s business,” Msgr. Vitillo said during
a July 25 news conference.
Catholic participation in the
program was detailed in a report
by the Catholic HIV/AIDS
Network, released during the
conference.
According to researcher
Becky Johnson, the survey included 40 Catholic programs in
the target countries. While 95
percent of the programs were
involved in the national AIDS
programs within their respective
country and thus follow national
guidelines for treating the virus,
only 17 percent of the programs
had been previously involved in
planning or implementing the
global plan.
Msgr. Vitillo, one of four
civil society representatives on
the global steering committee,
said that while the church’s
role was well respected both
internationally and in local
communities, there often was
resistance in the middle –– national governments –– where
officials, “concerned about
losing funding or losing con-
Men & Women
Work From Home
Blessing Others!
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trol of the programs, have
a mixed record of including
civil society in designing their
response.”
Catholic agencies face
several challenges in implementing the program. The
survey found a need for resources beyond just what is
needed for testing and treatment. Johnson said many of
the agencies also need funding
to help women travel to testing and treatment. Nutritional
support also was identied as
a critical need.
Maryknoll Father Richard
Bauer, who until this year ran
a wide-ranging HIV education and treatment program in
Namibia, said that country’s
experience proves that combining the church’s reach with
an emphasis on mothers will
yield signicant results.
“In order to inform women
of the choices they can make to
have their baby be HIV negative, we need the community’s
involvement,” Father Bauer
said. “We especially need the
churches, and we need to preach
about this on Sunday. This is the
work that the church has always
done well, and its involvement
makes me hopeful it will really
happen.”
To advertise, call
(512) 949-2443 or
e-mail catholic-spirit@
austindiocese.org.
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September 2012
IN OUR WORLD
15
Gold medalist is considering becoming Catholic
BY JULIE FILBY
For swimmer Missy Franklin, a rising senior at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Co.,
“there is nothing like wearing a
cap with my country’s ag on it.”
“I always remember, though,
that I’m not just representing the
U.S. but also my family, friends,
team, school and Colorado!”
She made those comments
early this year in a Q-and-A interview with the Denver Catholic
Register, newspaper of the Denver Archdiocese.
That was before she earned a
spot on the U.S. women’s Olympic swimming team, before she
was a gold medalist.
Ranked rst in the world in
the 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke, rst in the country in the
100 freestyle, and second in the
100 backstroke, she was at that
point still some months away
from the Olympic swim trials in
Omaha, Neb. She had just set a
record-breaking performance at
the girls’ 5A Colorado championship swim meet in Fort Collins.
It would be an understatement to say a lot has happened to
the 6-foot-1 swimmer since then.
Franklin, 17, one of the youngest members of the women’s
swimming team, won four gold
medals and a bronze medal in the
Olympics.
After Franklin won the gold
medal in the women’s 100 backstroke nal July 30, Washington
Post reporter Janice D’Arcy
called her “one of America’s new
sweethearts” and said the teen
“is rewriting the Olympic script”
with the way she and her family
have approached her training.
Unlike so many athletes, Franklin
has stayed with the same coach
she has had since childhood and
has remained part of her same
swim club all these years, according to D’Arcy.
When it comes to her high
school teammates at Regis,
Franklin told the Register: “I love
swimming with my Regis Jesuit
sisters. I’m so proud of each and
every one of them. Nick Frasersmith, my high school coach; and
Todd Schmitz, my club coach,
worked together so I could t
high school swimming into my
training.”
Franklin started swimming
competitively when she was 5
years old.
Asked how she has stayed
grounded with all her success and
the attention it has brought, Franklin said: “I have the best friends and
family in the whole world.”
“I love being with them and
MISSY FRANKLIN won four gold
medals at the London 2012 Olympic
Games. Franklin is
a senior at Regis
Jesuit High School
in Aurora, Colo., in
the Denver Archdiocese. (CNS
photo by David
Gray of Reuters)
having fun. My friends and I do
all the usual high school activities
including going to dances, out
to see movies, and shopping,”
she said.
At home, she and her parents, Richard and D.A. Franklin,
“don’t talk about swimming, but
enjoy just being together,” she
said. The Franklin household
includes Ruger, an 8-year-old
Alaskan Malamute.
“We support each other and
enjoy great family moments such
as cuddling on the couch, in front
of the re, watching ‘The Sound
of Music,’” she told the Register.
“I have the best support system
in the world.”
Franklin is not a Catholic,
but she said life as a student at
a Jesuit-run high school has her
considering joining the church.
“My experiences at Regis
Jesuit have absolutely impacted
my spiritual life, in so many ways.
I am considering converting to
Catholicism; I’m currently Protestant,” she said.
“Going into Regis Jesuit, my
faith was not a very big aspect of
my life. Taking my rst theology
classes, going to my rst Masses,
going on my first retreats, I
began to realize how important
God is in my life and how much
I love him and need him,” she
continued.
Franklin said her relationship
with God grew so much in her
rst three years at the school. “I
am very happy with where I am
with him right now, although
there is a lot of more work to
do,” she added.
Her junior year really affected
her. “I have had two of the best
experiences of my life,” she said,
referring to the annual Kairos retreat for juniors she attended and
her participation in a two-week
service project.
“Both of these changed my
life,” Franklin said. “I am so
thankful for Regis Jesuit, for they
have brought God and so much
meaning into my life.”
Catholic swimmer makes Michigan parish proud
BY MIKE HORAN
After all of the St. John Neumann parishioners who wished
to sign an autograph book had
written their messages of “good
luck” and “Go USA!” the book
was packed up with the Schmitt
family and headed to London.
Olympic swimmer Allison
Schmitt, a 22-year-old parishioner of St. John Neumann Parish
in Canton, Mich., received the
book when her family arrived and
couldn’t believe the support she
was getting.
“She’s just so appreciative of
the support she’s received from
the parish, from the community,” said Gail Schmitt, Allison’s
mother. “Just being able to share
the happiness, joy and hard work
with everybody is really important to her and she was really
touched by it.”
Allison Schmitt, who could
not be reached for comment,
won three gold medals, a silver
and a bronze in this year’s 2012
Summer Olympics, and St. John
Neumann is abuzz about its
Olympic gold medalist.
“We’ve had parishioners
emailing stuff throughout the
whole week (of Allison’s events),
saying how she did in preliminaries, how she did in the seminals
and nals. They’ve posted pictures from the sports blog online,” said Father Ron Richards,
pastor of the Canton parish.
“Most of the parish is aware
of what’s been happening,” the
priest told The Michigan Catholic, newspaper of the Detroit
Archdiocese.
Gail Schmitt spoke of her
daughter’s accomplishments but
was most proud of the person
she has become.
“Of course I’m so proud of
her. I’m proud of her accomplishments in the pool and the
hard work and dedication that it
takes to get there; it’s just amazing,” she said. “But what really
makes me feel good is repeatedly
any time we meet anyone that has
anything to do with her or with
swimming, the rst thing they say
is how much of a light she is and
how much she is so positive and
a joy to be around. That’s something she’ll have her whole life.”
Luzvilla Dresbach, an extraordinary minister of holy
Communion at St. John Neumann, had a chance to meet
Allison in 2008 after she won
a bronze medal in the Beijing
Olympics. Along with her husband, Jim, she has followed the
swimmer’s career ever since.
“She was so gracious and
wasn’t too proud; she was just so
happy,” Dresbach said. “She was
wearing her medal on her neck,
and I asked if she could take a
picture with me and if I could
wear the medal. I think the pride
and joy of our parish is so full of
faith for her that she would do
well, and she’s done everything
we’ve wished for.”
Father Richards, who used to
coach swimming at Brother Rice
High School in Bloomeld Hills,
has had a special connection with
Allison whenever she has been
home and at Mass.
“Every time I’ve talked her
she’s been really gracious and always comes up and says hello and
sees how things are going,” he
said. “She’s the fastest (freestyle
swimmer) in the world –– that’s
enormous, it’s just gigantic. The
U.S. has the best swimmers in the
world, and she’s not only the best
for the U.S., she’s the best in the
world. The amount of strength
and dedication and hard work it
takes to reach that level, there’s
no way to explain it.”
Although Father Richards is
pleased to have Allison as a pa-
ALLISON SCHMITT, a parishioner at St. John Neumann
in Canton, Mich., nished the Olympics with three gold
medals, a silver and a bronze. (CNS photo by Tim Wimborne, Reuters)
rishioner, he explained it’s more
important that she is believer in
God and could be a role model
for young Catholics.
“It’s more than having an
Olympic swimmer in our parish; it’s having someone who
believes in our faith,” he said.
“Whenever she’s home from
school, she’s here at Mass. It’s
really cool to have someone
who believes in God and celebrates God, but is also able
to take the gifts God gave her
and really put it to success. It’s
a great representative of a good,
quality young Catholic person
from our parish to be.”
IN OUR WORLD
16
O
ur nation faces political challenges that demand urgent moral choices.
We are a nation at war, with all of its human costs; a country often
divided by race and ethnicity; a nation of immigrants struggling with
immigration. We are an afuent society where too many live in poverty; part of a
global community confronting terrorism and facing urgent threats to our environment; a culture built on families, where some now question the value of marriage
and family life. We pride ourselves on supporting human rights, but we fail even to
protect the fundamental right to life, especially for unborn children.
We bishops seek to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with
the truth, so they can make sound moral choices in addressing these challenges. We
do not tell Catholics how to vote. The responsibility to make political choices rests
with each person and his or her properly formed conscience.
Why Does the Church Teach About
Issues Affecting Public Policy?
The church’s obligation to participate in shaping the moral character of society
is a requirement of our faith, a part of the mission given to us by Jesus Christ. Faith
helps us see more clearly the truth about human life and dignity that we also understand through human reason. As people of both faith and reason, Catholics are
called to bring truth to political life and to practice Christ’s commandment to “love
one another” (Jn 13:34). According to Pope Benedict XVI, “charity must animate
the entire lives of the lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived as
‘social charity’” (Encyclical “Deus Caritas Est,” no. 29).
The United States Constitution protects the right of individual believers and
religious bodies to participate and speak out without government interference,
favoritism, or discrimination. Civil law should recognize and protect the Church’s
right and responsibility to participate in society without abandoning our central moral
convictions. Our nation’s tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when
religious groups and people of faith bring their convictions into public life. The
Catholic community brings to the political dialogue a consistent moral framework
and broad experience serving those in need.
Who in the Church Should Participate
in Political Life?
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
enables us “to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right
means of achieving it” (“Catechism of the Catholic Church,” no. 1806). Prudence
shapes and informs our ability to deliberate over available alternatives, to determine
what is most tting to a specic context, and to act. Prudence must be accompanied
by courage which calls us to act. As Catholics seek to advance the common good,
we must carefully discern which public policies are morally sound. A good end does
not justify an immoral means. At times Catholics may choose different ways to respond to social problems, but we cannot differ on our obligation to protect human
life and dignity and help build through moral means a more just and peaceful world.
Doing Good and Avoiding Evil
There are some things we must never do, as individuals or as a society, because
they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor. These intrinsically
evil acts must always be rejected and never supported. A preeminent example is
the intentional taking of human life through abortion. It is always morally wrong
to destroy innocent human beings. A legal system that allows the right to life to be
violated on the grounds of choice is fundamentally awed.
Similarly, direct threats to the dignity of human life such as euthanasia, human
cloning, and destructive research on human embryos are also intrinsically evil and
must be opposed. Other assaults on human life and dignity, such as genocide, torture,
racism, and the targeting of noncombatants in acts of terror or war, can never be
justied. Disrespect for any human life diminishes respect for all human life.
As Catholics we are not single-issue voters. A candidate’s position on a single
issue is not sufcient to guarantee a voter’s support. Yet a candidate’s position on a
single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the
promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from
receiving support.1
Opposition to intrinsically evil acts also prompts us to recognize our positive duty
to contribute to the common good and act in solidarity with those in need. Both
opposing evil and doing good are essential. As Pope John Paul II said, “the fact that
only the negative commandments oblige always and under all circumstances does not
mean that in the moral life prohibitions are more important than the obligation to
do good indicated by the positive commandment” (Encyclical “Veritatis Splendor,”
no. 52). The basic right to life implies and is linked to other human rights to the
goods that every person needs to live and thrive — including food, shelter, health
care, education, and meaningful work. The use of the death penalty, hunger, lack of
health care or housing, human trafcking, the human and moral costs of war, and
unjust immigration policies are some of the serious moral issues that challenge our
consciences and require us to act.
In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in
political life is a moral obligation. As Catholics, we should be guided more by our
moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group. In
today’s environment, Catholics may feel politically disenfranchised, sensing that no
party and few candidates fully share our comprehensive commitment to human
life and dignity. Catholic lay women and men need to act on the Church’s moral Making Moral Choices
Difcult political decisions require the exercise of a well-formed conscience aided
principles and become more involved: running for ofce, working within political
parties, and communicating concerns to elected ofcials. Even those who cannot by prudence. This exercise of conscience begins with always opposing policies that
vote should raise their voices on matters that affect their lives and the common good. violate human life or weaken its protection. “Those who formulate law therefore
have an obligation in conscience to work toward correcting morally defective laws,
lest they be guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against the common good”
How Does the Church Help Catholics
(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB], Catholics in Political Life).
to Address Political and Social Questions?
When morally awed laws already exist, prudential judgment is needed to deterA Well-Formed Conscience
mine how to do what is possible to restore justice — even if partially or gradually—
The church equips its members to address political questions by helping them without ever abandoning a moral commitment to full protection for all human life
develop well-formed consciences. “Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the from conception to natural death (see Pope John Paul II, Encyclical “Evangelium
human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act. . . . [Every person] is Vitae,” no. 73).
obliged to follow faithfully what he [or she] knows to be just and right” (“Catechism
Prudential judgment is also needed to determine the best way to promote the
of the Catholic Church,” no. 1778). We Catholics have a lifelong obligation to form common good in areas such as housing, health care, and immigration. When church
our consciences in accord with human reason, enlightened by the teaching of Christ leaders make judgments about how to apply Catholic teaching to specic policies,
as it comes to us through the church.
this may not carry the same binding authority as universal moral principles but cannot be dismissed as one political opinion among others. These moral applications
The Virtue of Prudence
should inform the consciences and guide the actions of Catholics.
The church also encourages Catholics to develop the virtue of prudence, which
September 2012
IN OUR WORLD
What Does the Church Say About Catholic
Social Teaching in the Public Square?
Seven Key Themes
A consistent ethic of life should guide all Catholic engagement in political life.
This Catholic ethic neither treats all issues as morally equivalent nor reduces Catholic
teaching to one or two issues. It anchors the Catholic commitment to defend human
life and other human rights, from conception until natural death, in the fundamental
obligation to respect the dignity of every human being as a child of God.
Catholic voters should use Catholic teaching to examine candidates’ positions
on issues and should consider candidates’ integrity, philosophy, and performance.
It is important for all citizens “to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign
rhetoric critically, and to choose their political leaders according to principle, not
party afliation or mere self-interest” (USCCB, “Living the Gospel of Life,” no.
33). The following themes of Catholic social teaching provide a moral framework
for decisions in public life.2
17
Caring for God’s Creation
Care for the earth is a duty of our Catholic faith. We all are called to be careful
stewards of God’s creation and to ensure a safe and hospitable environment for
vulnerable human beings now and in the future.
Conclusion
In light of Catholic teaching, as bishops we vigorously repeat our call for a
renewed politics that focuses on moral principles, the defense of life, the needs of
the weak, and the pursuit of the common good. This kind of political participation
reects the social teaching of our Church and the best traditions of our nation.
Notes
1. For more on the moral challenge of voting, see Forming Consciences for
Faithful Citizenship, nos. 34-39. Visit www.faithfulcitizenship.org.
2. These themes are drawn from a rich tradition more fully described in the
“Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church from the Pontical Council for
Justice and Peace” (Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
The Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person
2005). For more information on these seven themes, see www.faithfulcitizenship.
Human life is sacred. Direct attacks on innocent human beings are never morally org. For information on how we bishops of the United States have applied Catholic
acceptable. Within our society, life is under direct attack from abortion, euthanasia, social teaching to policy issues, visit www.faithfulcitizenship.org.
human cloning, and destruction of human embryos for research. These intrinsic evils
must always be opposed. This teaching also compels us as Catholics to oppose geno- This brief document is a summary of the U.S. bishops’ reection “Forming Concide, torture, unjust war, and the use of the death penalty, as well as to pursue peace sciences for Faithful Citizenship.” For a wide range of educational and other
and help overcome poverty, racism, and other conditions that demean human life. resources to help share Faithful Citizenship, visit www.faithfulcitizenship.org.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
The family, based on marriage between a man and a woman, is the fundamental
unit of society. This sanctuary for the creation and nurturing of children must not
be redened, undermined, or neglected. Supporting families should be a priority for
economic and social policies. How our society is organized — in economics and
politics, in law and public policy — affects the well-being of individuals and of society.
Every person and association has a right and a duty to participate in shaping society
to promote the well-being of individuals and the common good.
Rights and Responsibilities
Every human being has a right to life, the fundamental right that makes all other
rights possible. Each of us has a right to religious freedom, which enables us to live
and act in accord with our God-given dignity, as well as a right to access to those
things required for human decency — food and shelter, education and employment,
health care and housing. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities — to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
While the common good embraces all, those who are in greatest need deserve
preferential concern. A moral test for society is how we treat the weakest among
us — the unborn, those dealing with disabilities or terminal illness, the poor and
marginalized.
Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Copyright © 2007, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. This text
was printed in the Catholic Spirit with permission from the USCCB.
Bishops encourage Catholics to pray
novena before election
The U.S. bishops encourage Catholics to pray a novena for life, justice and
peace before the November election.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has made available for download
a “Novena for Faithful Citizenship” at www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/
prayers/novena-for-faithful-citizenship.cfm. At that link there is also a podcast
of the novena available to download.
The “Novena for Faithful Citizenship” runs for nine days and can be used
consecutively, one day each week, for nine days prior to the election, or in any
way that works best for a community or individual.
“Novena” comes from the Latin word “novem,” meaning nine, and the prayer
form rst appeared in the Middle Ages in France and Spain. A novena is usually held prior to a special feast or for a special intention.
The USCCB Web site suggests ways Catholics
can pray the “Novena for Faithful Citizenship”:
The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Economic justice
calls for decent work at fair, living wages, opportunities for legal status for immigrant
workers, and the opportunity for all people to work together for the common good
through their work, ownership, enterprise, investment, participation in unions, and
other forms of economic activity.
• Start Sept. 4 or 11 and pray for nine consecutive Tuesdays, up until the general election.
Solidarity
• Begin praying the novena Oct. 28, nine days
before the election, and continue each consecutive day.
We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and
ideological differences. Our Catholic commitment to solidarity requires that we
pursue justice, eliminate racism, end human trafcking, protect human rights, seek
peace, and avoid the use of force except as a necessary last resort.
• Start the novena on any day of the week,
whenever people gather, and pray on that day
every week.
• Create any combination and feel free to pray
the novena more than once.
GOOD NEWS
18
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Our rights, responsibilities as faithful citizens
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, with the
presidential election in November, faithful citizenship is on the
minds of many. What does it
mean to be a faithful citizen?
Bishop Vásquez: In 2007, the
U.S. bishops published a teaching
document called “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,”
which is designed to help us as
Catholics exercise our rights and duties as members of this democracy.
This document helps Catholics form
their consciences, contribute to civil
society and shape their choices for
political ofce in light of Catholic
teaching.
Faithful citizenship is rst and
foremost about human dignity. We
are made in the image and likeness
of God. God has created us as social
beings, thus we have the responsibility and obligation to be of service
to others and to be involved in the
political arena. We are called to take
seriously our democratic responsibilities and our rights as human beings.
We are called to create a society that
is based on morality, on justice, on
peace and that serves the common
good. As Catholics, we are obligated
to participate in the political issues of
the day and to bring our moral values
into the political arena.
The understanding of religious
freedom has come into play, especially recently with the HHS mandate. Ironically, our religious freedom
gives us the right and the responsibility to get involved and to bring
our faith and our principals into the
political arena. This is why protecting
our religious liberty is so important.
As Catholics we should be able to
bring our faith into the marketplace
without fear and the government
should respect our rights to exercise
that freedom. This is guaranteed by
the First Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution. Forming our consciences as Catholics involves delving
into our faith and into the political
issues of our day as we decide for
whom we are going to vote on election day.
Editor: Forming one’s conscience requires research and
in-depth knowledge of the candidates’ views on a variety of topics.
It’s obvious we must be diligent
in our formation. However, many
still ask, why doesn’t the church
just give us a voter’s guide?
Bishop Vásquez: The bishops
have been very clear that we cannot
and will not tell people how to vote
or for whom to vote. We encourage people to form their consciences
through prayer, being informed on
the issues and understanding the
church’s teaching on these issues. We
have created the Faithful Citizenship
document to help in this process.
We want people to know the truth,
understand the truth, incorporate the
truth into their own lives and then
look at the issues that are before
them in the political sphere and in
society.
Voter’s guides are often partisan,
and they do not always explain what
motivates a politician to vote in a
particular way. They are based on a
particular issue or created for a particular group of people. Therefore,
they are not helpful to us and can
become divisive. Instead we need to
apply Catholic teaching in the political sphere and form our consciences.
Also, I want to stress as a church,
we do not endorse candidates or
political parties, distribute partisan
materials, invite candidates to speak
or make church facilities available for
partisan political purposes.
Editor: Tell us about the key
components of Faithful Citizenship.
Bishop Vásquez: There are
seven key themes that the church
embraces as part of the social teaching of the Catholic Church. These
are considered fundamental issues
for all humans. They don’t only apply to Catholics; they also apply to
everyone in society.
The rst one has to do with the
right to life and the dignity of the human person. We understand that life
is sacred and God given. Therefore,
we are to preserve the lives of the
unborn and the most vulnerable and
defenseless among us. We are called
to advocate for life and to defend it.
Then there is the call to family,
community and participation. The
family is the fundamental unit of society, and supporting families should
be a priority. As Catholics Christians,
we dene marriage between a man
and a woman and we are called to
support the sacrament of matrimony
in the public square.
The third theme is rights and
responsibilities. Every human has the
right and responsibility to take care
of oneself and to take care of others.
We must help ensure that everyone
has equal opportunities to food and
shelter, education and employment,
and health care and housing.
The fourth theme is the option
for the poor and vulnerable. We are
called to work toward the common
good and we also believe that those
who are in the greatest need require
preferential concern. We must commit to helping the poor and marginalized in our society.
The fth theme is the dignity of
work and workers’ rights. Economic
justice involves the opportunity to
work for just wages and the opportunity for legal status for immigrant
workers. Every worker should be
justly compensated for their work
and provided safe working conditions.
The sixth theme of solidarity
focuses on the fact that we are one
human family, no matter our racial,
ethnic, economic or ideological differences. We are called to defend
our human rights and to protect the
rights of those who are most vulnerable in our society.
Lastly, we are called to care for
God’s creation. Nature is a gift to
us from God; therefore, we have to
preserve it and care for it not just for
us but for the generations to come.
Editor: We are called not only
to vote but to advocate. How can
we make our voices heard in daily
life?
Bishop Vásquez: As Catholics,
we are called to be engaged in political life and we are called to be as
informed as possible of the policies
our government is instituting. What
are the issues and policies that are
taking place? What are the things that
are being debated every day in Congress? The church is always attentive
to what government is doing so that
we can ensure the needs of the common good are being met. We have to
speak out for the common good and
we have to pray; we have to be involved; we have to be informed; we
have to understand what the church
teaches about particular topics and
issues and we have to make our
voices heard accordingly. None of us
is excluded from getting involved!
Editor: What is your prayer for
the U.S. as we prepare to elect our
next president and other political
leaders?
Bishop Vásquez: My prayer is
that as American citizens, we will take
seriously this responsibility of faithful citizenship. May we see the ability
to participate in the political arena as
a privilege and not be afraid to stand
up for what we believe. I pray that we
will all have the desire to do what God
wants us to do so that we can develop
a community that serves the common
good and we can create a society that
cares for all, especially the most vulnerable and the weakest among us.
Please note: Only U.S. citizens
who have registered to vote may vote
on Nov. 6. Voter registration ends
Oct. 9. For voter registration information, visit www.votetexas.gov.
ELECTION
DAY is Nov.
6 and the
deadline to
register to
vote is Oct.
9. (CNS
photo)
GOOD NEWS
September 2012
19
Scouting is a form of youth ministry
BY FATHER MATTHEW KINNEY
GUEST COLUMNIST
“Scout Meeting, Monday at 7
p.m. in the Parish Hall.” In the parish
where I grew up, I was accustomed
to seeing this reminder in our bulletin
every week. As a child, this announcement was one of the only things that I
bothered noticing in the bulletin. Even
years later — it has been about 15
years since I was a Scout — the connection between Scouting and my parish is deeply imprinted in my memory.
There were weekly troop meetings in
the parish hall; the church’s parking
lot was frequently used as a staging
point for our campouts; and the parish
SCOUTS
participate
in a Scout
recognition
Mass last
year. (CNS
photo)
library was where I passed my “Board
of Review” and thus became an Eagle
Scout.
There is a long history of collaboration between the Catholic Church
and the many forms of Scouting, but
it wasn’t until I became the Diocesan
Chaplain for Scouting that I realized
how strong that bond is. Once again
returning to my childhood, I recall the
sense of patronage in our association
with the parish, a sense that the parish
was doing us a favor by lending us a
room every week. While I still feel that
our gratitude to the parish was appropriate, I now nd the sense of “doing
us a favor” misleading. Scouting is not
just another activity or entertainment
that the parish supports, Scouting is
youth ministry.
The word ministry is key, and it
is not a word I use lightly. Ministry is
work that builds up the kingdom of
God, work that directly assists us in
living the Gospel. While Scouting in
no way replaces the youth ministries
in our parishes, it directly supports
them. This direct support is something
I experienced in my youth and is the
same experience of those involved in
the Scouting movement today.
The National Catholic Committee
on Scouting uses the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishop’s guide to youth
ministry, “Renewing the Vision,” to
chart how the goals in Catholic youth
ministry match the goals of Scouting.
Through Scouting — whether it be
for boys or girls, children or teens —
our youth become better citizens and
better Catholics. Scouting doesn’t only
teach how to set up a tent; it teaches
virtues. One of the rst things that all
of us memorized as Boy Scouts was
the 12 points of the Scout Law — a
list of 12 attitudes and virtues including
trustworthy, brave, obedient, and, signicant for me as a Catholic, reverent.
Across all of the various forms and
ages of members, all Scouts make a
personal promise to serve God, country and community. It is impossible to
enter Scouting without being formed
by these promises and ideals.
Once we realize that Scouting
is youth ministry, we can shift the
thought that parishes are doing Scouts
a favor by offering them a room to
meet. Many of our parishes already
reap the benets of Scouting as youth
grow into better citizens and better
Catholics. But the patronage mentality, the sense of “doing a favor” is still
prevalent. I believe that by creating a
collaborative attitude between Scout
leaders and parish youth ministers, and
between Scout leaders and pastors,
the effectiveness of this ministry will
thrive. Most importantly, our Youth
will become better Catholics by being
good Scouts.
Scouting is different than other
youth activities, be it soccer, volleyball or marching band. Only Scouting
makes that intentional effort toward
growth in service, virtues, leadership
and duty to God. Scouting is different;
Scouting is youth ministry.
FATHER MATTHEW KINNEY is the
diocesan Scouting chaplain
and associate pastor of St.
Anthony Parish in Kyle. He can
be reached at (512) 268-5311
or [email protected].
C E D A R B R A K E R E T R E AT C E N T E R
...
5602 N. Hwy. 317 , Belton, TX MAILING ADDRESS; P.O. Box 58, Belton, TX 76513
To register, call (254) 780-2436 or e-mail [email protected].
For a full listing of our retreats and access to our Facebook page go to austindiocese.org/cedarbrake
Looking
Ahead for 2012
Oct. 20
Day of Reflection
Fr. James
Ekeocha
Nov. 2-4
Sleeping with
Bread
Growing In Holiness, Sept. 13, at St. Albert the Great in Austin from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Award winning author and co-host of “Spirit and Life” on Relevant Radio, Fr. Albert Haase, OFM, will
lead us in a presentation dealing with the true self and the false self. We will discuss the 10 characteristics of the true self which indicates we are growing in the person God created us to be. The cost is
$30 and includes lunch. PLEASE REGISTER THROUGH CEDARBRAKE.
Sept. 14-16, The Lord’s Prayer
In this weekend retreat, Sean Herriott, host of Morning Air on Relevant Radio, and Fr. Albert Haase,
OFM, co-host of “Spirit and Life” on Relevant Radio, will reflect upon the words of the Lord’s Prayer
and highlight how they truly are a summary of all that Jesus taught and lived. The cost is $155 for a
double room and $185 for a private room.
Oct. 4, St. Francis of Assisi Day of Reflection from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Dr. Manuel Cortez will lead this day of reflection based on the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi. He has
been a Secular Franciscan and student of St. Francis spirituality for many years. Dr. Cortez is a spiritual
director and retired psychiatrist. Cost for this day is $30 and includes lunch.
Oct. 12, Sister Helen Prejean from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in Austin
Cedarbrake Retreat Center along with the diocesan Secretariat for Justice and Charity will present “A
Morning with Sister Helen Prejean.” The event will be held at the diocesan Pastoral Center (6225 Hwy
290, Austin) on Friday, Oct 12. Sister Helen, CSJ is a Sister of St. Joseph, the author of “Dead Man
Walking,” and a leading American advocate for the abolishment of capital punishment. The cost is $10.
PLEASE REGISTER THROUGH CEDARBRAKE.
GOOD NEWS
20
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
St. Wenceslas (Václav) built Christianity in Bohemia
BY MARY LOU GIBSON
COLUMNIST
“Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even.”
There are ve more stanzas to
this famous St. Stephen’s Day (Dec.
26) carol written by John M. Neale
in 1853. But why Neale chose St.
Wenceslas (also spelled Wenceslaus)
as a model for this popular carol
remains a mystery because it is not
based on any true incidents in this
10th century saint’s life. According to Rosemary Rogers and Sean
Kelly writing in “Saints Preserve Us,”
Wenceslas was unknown in England
where the carol was written and never
visited there. But he gained something
of a folk hero’s status when “Good
King Wenceslas” became an enduring
favorite holiday carol.
Wenceslas (or Václav) was the
eldest son of Duke Wratislaw of Bohemia, a Christian, and his nominally
Christian wife Drahomira. The tension between Christianity and paganism created strife in Wenceslas’ family and dened all of the major events
in his life from 907-929 and eventu-
ally led to his death. Omer Englebert
reports in “Lives of the Saints” that
Christianity had only recently been
introduced into the country by Sts.
Cyril and Methodius and had not yet
become deeply rooted.
Wenceslas was 13 when his
father was killed in battle against
the Magyars (Hungarians) in 921.
Up until this time, Wenceslas had
been educated by his grandmother,
Ludmilla, a devout Christian. After
the duke’s death, the family split into
warring factions and his mother,
backed by anti-Christian factions,
appointed herself regent. Paul Burns
writes in “Butler’s Lives of the
Saints” that when Ludmilla tried
to persuade Wenceslas to assume
power to keep Christianity alive, she
was murdered by Drahomira’s supporters.
For the next year or so, Drahomira vented her hatred of Christianity by persecuting Christians.
When Wenceslas was named duke
in 922, his mother was banished. He
announced he would support God’s
law and would rule with justice and
mercy. He built churches, recalled
priests from exile and worked for
the religious and educational improvement of his people. Wenceslas
also cultivated friendly relations with
OUR LADY OF THE
ROSARY CEMETERY
& PRAYER GARDENS
Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery serves Catholics from around
our Diocese. Read what Fr. Brian McMaster, Director of Vocations
for the Diocese of Austin, has to say about his experience.
“
A young priest grows through his experiences. The encounters he has
with the people of his first parish help to shape and gently mold his heart
to have the compassion of the Heart of Jesus. One of the most formative
experiences is that of journeying with a family as a loved one is dying or has
recently passed away. I was
blessed in my first years as
a priest to be assigned to St.
Helen parish in Georgetown
at the time that Our Lady
of the Rosary Cemetery
opened. I had the privilege
of presiding at some of the
first burials there. As my
own heart grew and my
understanding of priestly
identity and compassion
grew, I was blessed to reflect
upon this holy “space” that
brought comfort to others
and strength to me. Our
Lady of the Rosary is genuinely such a holy space that allows for families
grieving to receive the comfort of faith and to know the truth of the beatitude,
“Blessed are you that mourn.”
”
330 Berry Lane, Georgetown, Texas 78626
XXXPMPUSDPNt
the rest of the Christian world particularly the German Empire.
Biographer David Farmer writes
in the “Oxford Dictionary of Saints”
that Wenceslas even recognized
the German King Henry I as the
successor of Charlemagne and his
own overlord. This action fueled
the growing anti-German reaction
in the country and angered many
nobles who were already upset with
the clergy’s inuence in Wenceslas’
counsels. Many of the nobles aligned
themselves around his brother,
Boleslas, who hated Christianity like
his mother did.
While Wenceslas was duke he
controlled the western and southern parts of Bohemia. Meanwhile,
Broleslas built a power base in
the east. There was a short period
of time when Wenceslas became
reconciled with his mother and
brother, but Broleslas continued to
be inuenced by friends who sought
to overthrow Wenceslas. There was
no lack of political intrigue in the life
of this saint.
When Wenceslas married and
had a son, Broleslas lost his chance
of succession and entered fully into
the treasonous plot being planned.
Thus it happened Burns writes
that Wenceslas was invited to visit
Broleslas presumably to celebrate the
dedication of a new church of Sts.
Cosmas and Damian. He ignored
warnings from friends about the
danger of a treasonous plot and
went. As Wenceslas was on his way,
he was attacked by Broleslas and a
group of his nobles. He died asking
God to forgive his brother. Later,
his mother took charge of his body
and enshrined it in St. Vitus Church
in Prague.
His feast on Sept. 28 was celebrated from 985 and he became Bohemia’s patron saint after about 30
years. His picture was engraved on
coins and the Crown of Wenceslas
was regarded as a symbol of Czech
nationalism and independence. His
name is Polish and means “greater
glory.” He is also the patron saint
of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and
Moravia. Since 2000 the feast of St.
Wenceslas is a public holiday in the
Czech Republic. The rst president of the Czech Republic, Václav
Havel, was named after him.
MARY LOU GIBSON is
a member of St. Austin Parish in Austin.
She is a retired state
employee.
September 2012
GOOD NEWS
21
Beginning the school year on the right foot
BY LUPE GARCIA, LPC-S, LMFT-S
GUEST COLUMNIST
The time is once again upon
us where the stores are lled with
back to school clothes and supplies.
Some of us are relieved that the kids
won’t need constant entertainment
or babysitting anymore and others of
us are frantic because everything has
to be purchased all at once. There
are others who are sad because their
baby is starting Kindergarten or their
baby is entering their senior year of
high school and ready to y the coop.
Whatever the feeling the rst days of
school bring, one thing is for sure, if
we don’t stop to enjoy it, we might
miss it. Here are some simple suggestions for families to establish to get
the most out of each moment spent
together.
Establish a routine
Children of all ages not only need
routines, they thrive on them. During summer they have more liberties
because they don’t have the same
obligations. At least a week before
school starts, get the kids into their
sleeping patterns. Have them go to bed
at the same age-appropriate time every
night and wake up at the time they will
be waking up for school. Every child
needs a different amount of sleep, so
by starting in advance, parents can
judge how much sleep each child needs
to be alert and well-rested.
Once school starts and the homework and activities begin, children
will need help setting a schedule so
they are not overwhelmed. Help
each child realize how long it takes
to complete their homework. For
example, children often need help
recognizing that 20 minutes is not
enough time to complete four
different assignments. This
may mean limiting their
media time and even their
extracurricular activities
if need be. It is important
for kids to be involved in
extracurricular activities
and be able to socialize,
but if their education suffers, extracurriculars should
be the rst to be downsized.
A family calendar with all the family
members’ activities and events listed
is often helpful so that everyone is
prepared for the week. Also, preparing lunches and clothes the night
before may save frustration and time
in the morning.
Try to make it a part of the family
routine to eat meals together on a
regular basis. Also, consider making
prayers a part of the family bedtime
routine. This could mean praying a
decade of the rosary or just having
each family member pray for a person
or give thanks for a particular moment
that happened during the day. Many
times parents learn more about their
child’s day simply by listening to their
prayers.
Meet the teachers
Teachers spend the most time
with children during the day. I
encourage parents to get to know
their children’s teachers and open the
lines of communication so that each
child’s education is a collaborative
effort. If something is happening at
school, teachers are our allies. And if
a child is struggling at home, let their
teacher know. Teachers are invaluable
resources for parents, but the lines of
communication must work in both
directions.
Please don’t forget to pray for
teachers. They have a big job!
Talk to the children
We tend to forget that our kids
have minds of their own; lled with
their own feelings, thoughts and opinions. Take the time to ask them how
they feel about going back to school
and the specic grade they are entering. They may not open up right away
or they may just give a quick answer,
so try to ask them specic, open-ended
questions that they can’t just answer in
a word or two. For example, ask them
what subject they think is the most
challenging. This can help parents
monitor the child’s anxiety levels.
Make time to talk to each child,
perhaps around the dinner table each
night or at breakfast in the morning.
Be ready to listen and reply if they do
open up. Most importantly, don’t make
the conversation all about school, ask
about their friends and interests, too.
The hustle and bustle of preparing
for another school year can become
solely a checklist instead of an opportunity to spend time with our children.
May we relish every minute with our
children and make many precious
memories with them.
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.
Standing on faith to bridge the partisan gap
BY BARBARA BUDDE
COLUMNIST
It is time once again to act on our
call to faithful citizenship. This means
registering to vote, which needs to
be complete by Oct. 9 (go to www.
VoteTexas.gov for more information). It means voting on Nov. 6 and
following up after the election. There
will be many who want to tell us how
to vote over the course of the next
few months. They will have lists of
key issues that are “important” to the
church, but if the source is not the
Austin Diocese, the Texas Catholic
Conference or the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops, then they are probably incomplete lists.
In the midst of the current partisan (thus polarized) environment, the
great gift we can offer to our country
is to be truly Catholic and to ll all the
spaces between the polarized ends of
the political spectrum.
In “Forming Consciences for
Faithful Citizenship” the U.S. bishops write, “The Catholic community
brings important assets to the political dialogue about our nation’s future.
We bring a consistent moral framework – drawn from basic human
reason that is illuminated by Scripture
and the teaching of the church –– for
assessing issues, political platforms
and campaigns. We also bring broad
experience in serving those in need
–– educating the young, caring for
the sick, sheltering the homeless,
helping women who face difcult
pregnancies, feeding the hungry,
welcoming immigrants and refugees,
reaching out in global solidarity and
pursuing peace” (12). As the political parties pull to the right and left,
we link arms, as Catholics, across a
whole range of issues rooted in our
values and experiences.
Many in the church give courageous witness to the intrinsic evil of
abortion by praying outside of clinics
and acting as sidewalk angels or
counselors, others in the church work
tirelessly to undo the systemic effects
of racism that still infect our society.
Both are working to address intrinsic
evils, both are necessary.
Many in the church work to support pregnant women so they can
bring their child to full term; others
work to ensure that every child born
on this earth has the food, clothing,
shelter and medicine they need to
grow and thrive. Both are working in
support of life and dignity.
Some in the church work to ensure that mothers and their children
have housing and support services.
Other Catholics work to ensure that
the homeless, the elderly, immigrants
and refugees or those coming out of
prison have those same services. All
are doing the work of the church. All
are living out the values of our faith.
Some Catholics pray for life outside of abortion clinics, others pray
for life outside of prisons or state
facilities to end the use of the death
penalty. Both groups are witnessing
to our commitment to God’s gift of
life to every person.
St. Paul reminds us that we have
different gifts and different ministries.
That is true in our work as faithful citizens. We are not all called to
the same cause, to the same kind of
work or to the same kind of witness.
However, we are all called to form
our consciences, to act according to
our well-formed conscience and to
live our faith conscientiously.
Whether we are working to end
racism, torture, abortion or the death
penalty; whether we are working for
the life and dignity of children who
are not yet born or children who are
already born; whether we are active
in justice or housing or health care or
poverty or criminal justice work, we
are all on the same team and we need
to honor and respect the way God
has called each and every one of us.
Political parties or those working with them will want to divide us,
but as the body of Christ we can and
must stand together holding to values
and issues each end would want to
dismiss or diminish. We stand for
every person and the whole person;
we stand for the common good; we
stand for life and justice. With God’s
grace and wisdom, we can bridge the
middle and bring a holistic moral vision to our nation’s political debate.
BARBARA BUDDE
is the diocesan
director of social
concerns. She
can be reached at
(512) 949-2471 or
barbara-budde@
austindiocese.org.
GOOD NEWS
22
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
The embryo that grew up
BY REV. TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK, PH.D.
COLUMNIST
Those who seek to justify abortion often try to minimize or deny the
humanity of the embryo. In a recent
online forum, for example, one participant wrote: “I became a human being
at the point that my senses functioned
as those of a human being. Before that
I was just a mass of cells.” Another followed up: “A pile of cells in a woman’s
uterus is not a human being. It lives off
of and is part of that woman’s body.”
The implication, of course, is that a
woman ought to be able to do what
she wants with her body, including
the removal of any particular “pile of
cells” that might pose a threat to her
freedom.
Yet those cells are not posing a
threat in the same way that cancerous
tumor cells might. Instead, the cells of
the embryo will upset her lifestyle by
demanding that several months hence,
she focus her attention on a bubbly,
gurgling baby, and then a few years
later, on a young child who needs an
education, and then on a boisterous
and strong-willed adolescent transitioning into adulthood, and then, possibly,
on grandchildren, and so on. The cells
of the embryo are not “just” a pile of
cells, but an orchestration of living
humanity known as a human being,
marvelously complex, highly-ordered
and structured, growing, expanding
and developing in precise ways with
each passing hour of intrauterine life.
Embryos, of course, do not spontaneously transform into human beings at the moment that their senses
start to function, any more than they
spontaneously transform into human beings at the moment that their
kidneys start to purify waste, or their
intestines start to process nourishment, or their heart starts to beat,
or their limbs start to move, or their
brain begins to function, each of
which occurs at different time points
along the embryo’s normal path of
growth and development.
The embryo’s growth and development involves carefully choreographed
biochemical steps and physiological
changes that can be partially derailed
by certain drugs. In the late 1950s and
early 1960s, for example, the drug thalidomide was prescribed to pregnant
women as a cure for morning sickness,
but was quickly found to cause severe
developmental defects and malformations in the newborn. Thalidomide’s
devastating effects resulted in the
drug’s being banned worldwide, after
more than 10,000 children had been
born with major thalidomide-related
problems, including shortened or missing arms, hands extending from the
shoulders, missing thumbs, and similar
problems with the lower extremities,
as well as abnormalities in the eyes,
ears, heart, genitals, kidneys, and other
organ systems.
Philosophers and politicians will
sometimes argue that an embryo
prior to 8 weeks of gestation is not
yet a human being, and suggest that
early abortions, embryo experimentation, etc. should therefore be acceptable. The thalidomide drama of the
late 1950’s and early 1960’s makes it
clear that if women were not pregnant with a human being prior to 8
weeks of age, then taking a teratogen
(causing embryo malformations) like
thalidomide would not raise any concerns, since no human being would
be present to be harmed by the drug.
If there was no being that was human
during the rst trimester, then no
disabilities would have occurred. But
it is well known that the most drugsusceptible time during a pregnancy
is the rst trimester, specically
between the fourth and seventh week
of gestation. Most of the children
born without limbs were exposed to
thalidomide during this time, when
abortion advocates like to dissimulate
and pretend that no human being is
actually present.
Each human being arises at
fertilization and exists as a biological
continuum thereafter: at the joining of the sperm with the egg cell’s
membrane, a measurable depolarization occurs across that membrane
that sets in motion a cascade of bio-
chemical events and changes that will
continue in a stepwise, uninterrupted
fashion leading to the adult taxpayer.
Meanwhile, the egg, if simply left to
itself in the absence of sperm, will
manage to live but for a few hours,
and then die. Upon fusion with a
sperm, however, the egg qua egg no
longer exists, and an embryo, a human being at the earliest stage of his
or her existence, genetically distinct
from his or her mother, will be simultaneously engendered and launched
onto the trajectory of “growing up,”
representing a new entity that can live
for more than a hundred years. Such
embryos are rst nourished in the
maternal womb, then at the maternal
breast, then at the family dinner table
and at fast food restaurants. Each of
us is precisely such an embryo who
has been allowed to grow up.
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 Relief Services
The special collection for Catholic Relief Services was taken up March 17-18. If your parish nds an error, call the diocesan Finance Ofce at (512) 949-2400. For
more information about this collection, visit www.crs.org.
Parish
Totals
Austin Central Deanery
Austin, Cristo Rey
$1,268.36
Austin, Holy Cross
$492.00
Austin, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$1,423.10
Austin, St. Austin
$6,806.03
Austin, St. Ignatius
$4,514.32
Austin, St. Julia
$518.58
Austin, St. Mary Cathedral
$2,674.67
Austin, San Jose
$2,947.50
Austin, University Catholic Center
$987.08
Austin Central Totals
$21,631.64
Austin North Deanery
Austin, Holy Vietnamese Martyrs
$1,500.00
Austin, Sacred Heart
$2,326.00
Austin, St. Albert the Great
$3,568.62
Austin, St. Louis
$3,168.00
Austin, St. Theresa
$3,527.00
Austin, St. Thomas More
$7,220.34
Austin, St. Vincent de Paul
$3,583.33
Cedar Park, St. Margaret Mary
$4,307.59
Lago Vista, Our Lady of the Lake
$1,518.61
Austin North Totals
$30,719.49
Austin South Deanery
Austin, St. Andrew Kim
$128.00
Austin, St. Catherine of Siena
$6,700.94
Austin, St. John Neumann
$5,581.70
Austin, St. Paul
$3,033.23
Austin, St. Peter the Apostle
$1,549.00
Austin, San Francisco Javier
$137.00
Lakeway, Emmaus
$2,536.00
Austin South Totals
$19,665.87
Bastrop/Lockhart Deanery
Bastrop, Ascension
$1,676.15
Elgin, Sacred Heart
$752.48
Lockhart, St. Mary of the Visitation
$2,245.74
Luling, St. John
$651.57
Parish
Totals
Martindale, Immaculate Heart
$284.00
Rockne, Sacred Heart
$1,159.86
Smithville, St. Paul
$864.00
String Prairie, Assumption
$499.00
Uhland, St.Michael
$196.75
Bastrop/Lockhart Totals
$8,329.55
Brenham/La Grange Deanery
Brenham, St. Mary
$1,220.40
Chappell Hill, St. Stanislaus
$650.00
Dime Box, St. Joseph
$376.01
Ellinger/Hostyn Hill, St. Mary
$382.00
Fayetteville, St. John
$1,232.51
Giddings, St. Margaret
$1,027.15
La Grange, Sacred Heart
$1,389.01
Lexington, Holy Family
$210.00
Old Washington, St. Mary
$344.40
Pin Oak, St. Mary
$314.00
Rockdale, St. Joseph
$279.05
Somerville, St. Ann
$462.00
Brenham/La Grange Totals
$7,886.53
Bryan/College Station Deanery
Bremond, St. Mary
$710.00
Bryan, St. Anthony
$1,103.84
Bryan, St. Joseph
$881.00
Bryan, Santa Teresa
$299.00
Caldwell, St. Mary
$409.59
College Station, St. Mary
$6,546.88
College Station, St. Thomas Aquinas $3,686.51
Franklin, St. Francis of Assisi
$457.00
Frenstat, Holy Rosary
$435.99
Hearne, St. Mary
$327.00
Bryan/College Station Totals
$14,856.81
Georgetown/Round Rock Deanery
Andice, Santa Rosa
$1,987.00
Corn Hill, Holy Trinity
$1,355.00
Georgetown, St. Helen
$5,922.14
Parish
Totals
Granger, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
$1,173.00
Manor, St. Joseph
$551.81
Pugerville, St. Elizabeth
$3,066.37
Round Rock, St. John Vianney
$211.00
Round Rock, St. William
$10,215.50
Taylor, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$945.39
Taylor, St. Mary of the Assumption
$1,914.45
Georgetown/Round Rock Totals
$27,341.66
Killeen/Temple Deanery
Belton, Christ the King
$1,997.00
Burlington, St. Michael
$191.00
Cameron, St. Monica
$754.00
Copperas Cove, Holy Family
$4,653.00
Cyclone, St. Joseph
$209.00
Harker Heights, St. Paul Chong Has. $4,371.00
Killeen, St. Joseph
$4,932.56
Marak, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
$235.00
Rogers, St. Matthew
$336.00
Rosebud, St. Ann
$240.00
Salado, St. Stephen
$651.00
Temple, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$913.00
Temple, St. Luke
$3,078.00
Temple, St. Mary
$1,652.00
Westphalia, Visitation
$708.00
Killeen/Temple Totals
$24,920.56
Lampasas/Marble Falls Deanery
Bertram, Holy Cross
$212.50
Burnet, Our Mother of Sorrows
$769.00
Goldthwaite, St. Peter
$81.00
Horseshoe Bay, St. Paul the Apostle $2,346.00
Kingsland, St. Charles Borromeo
$1,286.33
Lampasas, St. Mary
$754.06
Llano, Holy Trinity
$458.16
Lometa, Good Shepherd
$187.00
Marble Falls, St. John
$455.00
Mason, St. Joseph
$391.26
Parish
Totals
San Saba, St. Mary
$318.52
Sunrise Beach, Our Lady of the Lake
$138.00
Lampasas/Marble Falls Totals
$7,396.83
San Marcos Deanery
Blanco, St. Ferdinand
$425.25
Buda, Santa Cruz
$5,018.56
Dripping Springs, St. Martin de Porres $1,789.01
Johnson City, Good Shepherd
$206.00
Kyle, St. Anthony Marie de Claret
$1,478.22
San Marcos, H.L. Grant Student Ctr.
$543.94
San Marcos, St. John
$3,646.50
Wimberley, St. Mary
$986.07
San Marcos Totals
$14,093.55
Waco Deanery
Elk, St. Joseph
$315.00
Gatesville, Our Lady of Lourdes
$617.23
Hamilton, St. Thomas
$225.00
Lott, Sacred Heart
$93.00
McGregor, St. Eugene
$463.26
Marlin, St. Joseph
$442.35
Mexia, St. Mary
$397.50
Tours, St. Martin
$805.00
Waco, Sacred Heart
$450.00
Waco, St. Francis on the Brazos
$599.15
Waco (Hewitt), St. Jerome
$3,179.50
Waco, St. John the Baptist
$50.00
Waco (Bellmead), St. Joseph
$750.00
Waco, St. Louis
$3,809.37
Waco, St. Mary of the Assumption
$1,152.85
Waco, St. Peter Catholic Center
$300.00
West, Church of the Assumption
$3,192.00
Waco Deanery Totals
$16,841.21
Miscellaneous
Grand Total
$500.00
$194,183.70
GOOD NEWS
September 2012
23
Collection for World and Home Missions
The special collection for World and Home Mission was taken up on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22. If your parish nds an error, call the diocesan Finance Ofce at
(512) 949-2400.
Parish
Totals
Austin Central Deanery
Austin, Cristo Rey
$1,360.15
Austin, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$2,772.06
Austin, St. Austin
$1,535.04
Austin, St. Ignatius
$5,007.82
Austin, St. Julia
$354.84
Austin, St. Mary Cathedral
$1,337.95
Austin, San Jose
$1,881.50
Austin Central Totals
$14,249.36
Austin North Deanery
Austin, Holy Vietnamese Martyrs
$2,582.00
Austin, Sacred Heart
$2,312.00
Austin, St. Albert the Great
$2,880.00
Austin, St. Louis
$2,934.30
Austin, St. Theresa
$2,874.00
Austin, St. Thomas More
$3,890.24
Austin, St. Vincent de Paul
$4,935.93
Cedar Park, St. Margaret Mary
$1,429.00
Lago Vista, Our Lady of the Lake
$1,063.66
Austin North Totals
$24,901.13
Austin South Deanery
Austin, Our Lady of Sorrows (Dolores) $1,085.00
Austin, St. Andrew Kim
$200.00
Austin, St. Catherine of Siena
$4,423.71
Austin, St. John Neumann
$6,739.67
Austin, St. Paul
$3,664.62
Austin, St. Peter the Apostle
$2,381.82
Austin, San Francisco Javier
$324.00
Austin, Santa Barbara
$252.48
Lakeway, Emmaus
$2,023.00
Stony Point, San Juan Diego
Austin South Totals
$21,094.30
Bastrop/Lockhart Deanery
Bastrop, Ascension
$1,121.00
Elgin, Sacred Heart
$424.50
Lockhart, St. Mary of the Visitation
$2,863.12
Parish
Totals
Luling, St. John
$268.92
Martindale, Immaculate Heart
$405.41
Rockne, Sacred Heart
$492.00
Smithville, St. Paul
$959.00
String Prairie, Assumption
$263.00
Bastrop/Lockhart Totals
$6,796.95
Brenham/La Grange Deanery
Brenham, St. Mary
$3,049.09
Chappell Hill, St. Stanislaus
$382.00
Dime Box, St. Joseph
$268.00
Ellinger/Hostyn Hill, St. Mary
$407.60
Fayetteville, St. John
$1,124.25
Giddings, St. Margaret
$1,077.03
La Grange, Sacred Heart
$1,657.67
Lexington, Holy Family
$317.00
Old Washington, St. Mary
$80.30
Pin Oak, St. Mary
$271.00
Rockdale, St. Joseph
$328.40
Somerville, St. Ann
$444.25
Brenham/La Grange Totals
$9,406.59
Bryan/College Station Deanery
Bremond, St. Mary
$750.00
Bryan, St. Anthony
$1,346.14
Bryan, St. Joseph
$4,058.00
Bryan, Santa Teresa
$1,741.00
Caldwell, St. Mary
$471.00
College Station, St. Mary
$9,280.09
College Station, St. Thomas Aquinas $3,421.85
Franklin, St. Francis of Assisi
$835.00
Frenstat, Holy Rosary
$423.00
Hearne, St. Mary
$770.00
Bryan/College Station Totals
$23,096.08
Georgetown/Round Rock Deanery
Andice, Santa Rosa
$1,549.00
Corn Hill, Holy Trinity
$1,712.00
Georgetown, St. Helen
$5,991.15
Parish
Totals
Granger, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
$942.37
Hutto, St. Patrick
$1,356.03
Manor, St. Joseph
$1,456.23
Pugerville, St. Elizabeth
$10,279.01
Round Rock, St. John Vianney
$98.00
Round Rock, St. William
$12,074.00
Taylor, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$400.00
Taylor, St. Mary of the Assumption
$1,009.37
Georgetown/Round Rock Totals
$36,867.16
Killeen/Temple Deanery
Belton, Christ the King
$1,870.00
Burlington, St. Michael
$130.00
Cameron, St. Monica
$341.00
Copperas Cove, Holy Family
$4,564.00
Cyclone, St. Joseph
$179.00
Harker Heights, St. Paul Chong Has. $4,016.00
Killeen, St. Joseph
$3,157.13
Marak, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
$295.00
Rogers, St. Matthew
$371.25
Rosebud, St. Ann
$157.93
Salado, St. Stephen
$450.00
Temple, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$687.00
Temple, St. Luke
$5,180.00
Temple, St. Mary
$2,915.26
Westphalia, Visitation
$745.00
Killeen/Temple Totals
$25,058.57
Lampasas/Marble Falls Deanery
Bertram, Holy Cross
$396.42
Burnet, Our Mother of Sorrows
$701.00
Goldthwaite, St. Peter
$210.00
Horseshoe Bay, St. Paul the Apostle $1,392.36
Kingsland, St. Charles Borromeo
$613.53
Lampasas, St. Mary
$327.75
Llano, Holy Trinity
$385.54
Lometa, Good Shepherd
$279.00
Marble Falls, St. John
$220.00
Parish
Totals
Mason, St. Joseph
$389.87
San Saba, St. Mary
$447.87
Sunrise Beach, Our Lady of the Lake
$180.00
Lampasas/Marble Falls Totals
$5,543.34
San Marcos Deanery
Blanco, St. Ferdinand
$642.01
Buda, Santa Cruz
$3,401.41
Dripping Springs, St. Martin de Porres $1,099.13
Johnson City, Good Shepherd
$375.61
Kyle, St. Anthony Marie de Claret
$4,157.46
San Marcos, H.L. Grant Student Ctr. $1,099.68
San Marcos, St. John
$2,508.70
Wimberley, St. Mary
$1,114.39
San Marcos Deanery Totals
$14,398.39
Waco Deanery
China Spring, St. Phillip
$231.73
Elk, St. Joseph
$125.00
Gatesville, Our Lady of Lourdes
$382.00
Hamilton, St. Thomas
$117.00
Lott, Sacred Heart
$55.00
McGregor, St. Eugene
$499.00
Marlin, St. Joseph
$10.00
Mexia, St. Mary
$1,049.00
Tours, St. Martin
$650.00
Waco, Sacred Heart
$700.00
Waco, St. Francis on the Brazos
$632.68
Waco (Hewitt), St. Jerome
$1,855.54
Waco, St. John the Baptist
$113.62
Waco (Bellmead), St. Joseph
$346.00
Waco, St. Louis
$3,345.00
Waco, St. Mary of the Assumption
$1,192.72
Waco, St. Peter Catholic Center
$573.66
West, Church of the Assumption
$1,019.00
Waco Totals
$12,896.95
Miscellaneous
$171.02
Grand Total
$194,479.84
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Visit Cuba
Its People & Culture
9 Days
from
$2698*
Travel with Fr. James Dallen and other Catholics
Departing February 19, 2013
Discover Cuba’s colonial history and vibrant culture! YMT’s fullyescorted Cuba program is operated under U.S. government peopleto-people license # CT-18935 issued to YMT Vacations, and the
itinerary will include a full-time series of educational exchanges and
interaction with local people. You’ll never forget the scenery, history
and culture of this beautiful island nation!
From Miami, you’ll fly to Havana; highlights include five nights in Havana,
two nights in Santa Clara, Old Havana, Revolucion Plaza, the Che
Guevara Museum, Ernest Hemingway’s farm, and visits to the scenic
towns of Remedios, Cienfuegos and much more. Learn about authentic
daily Cuban life through interactions with local people. This fully-escorted
program includes eight nights hotel accommodations, round-trip airfare
from Miami to Cuba, a full-time schedule of activities per the itinerary, a
professionally-trained Cuban guide and 15 meals. US law requires that all
participants of this program adhere to the full time schedule of people-topeople activities. *Price per person, based on double occupancy. Add only
$400 for single
g room. Airfare to/from Miami is extra.
Group Leaders Travel Free!
Organize a group from your church on this or other YMT faith based packages.
For reservations & details & letter from YMT’s chaplain with
his phone number call 7 days a week:
1-800-736-7300
JODY SUPAK
JOE WOLF
979-968-5332
[email protected]
LaGrange • Giddings
Somerville • Texas A&M
245-519-1492
[email protected]
Killeen • Harker Heights
Copperas Cove • Granger
LOUIS BARRON
DOUG SUPAK
512-750-7491
[email protected]
Pflugerville • Taylor
Hutto • Elgin
979-968-5332
[email protected]
Bryan-College Station
Brenham • Caldwell
PETE PEREZ
CLINT HAJOVSKY
RICKY ADAMS
EDDIE MAZUREK
512-743-2315
[email protected]
Central Austin Area
254-295-0430
[email protected]
Temple • Rockdale
Hearne • Mexia
254-644-2802
[email protected]
Waco • West
512-301-1218
[email protected]
Austin • Smithville • Blanco
Bastrop • Wimberly
CHARLES GUENAT
PHILIP REYNA
254-939-1981
[email protected]
Temple • Belton
DWAYNE DUNGEN
979-732-1557
[email protected]
Fayetteville • Columbus
210-789-9683
[email protected]
Round Rock • North Austin
DOUG DEGROOT
512-294-2406
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Georgetown • Cedar Park
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CULTURE
24
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Mitchell bequest gives church revenue stream
BY MARY ANNE CASTRANIO
Because of a generous bequest from Joseph Mitchell,
the late nephew of celebrated
author Margaret Mitchell, the
Atlanta Archdiocese now owns
50 percent of the literary rights
to her Pulitzer prize-winning,
best-selling novel, “Gone With
the Wind.”
But what does this mean
for the Archdiocese of Atlanta?
The short answer: continuing
revenue from sales of books and
merchandise and participation
in protecting the copyright of
Margaret Mitchell’s legacy.
Deacon Steve Swope, who
has been instrumental in making
arrangements for the bequest,
said the archdiocese will be diligent in continuing to honor
Mitchell’s opus, following in the
footsteps of her late brother,
prominent Atlanta attorney Stephens Mitchell.
He said, “His mission was to
protect the dignity of the work,
and we are going to carry that on.
We are going to ercely protect it
from infringement. We have an
obligation to do that.”
First published in 1936
by Macmillan, the book sold
176,000 copies at its original release and was a runaway success.
According to Publishers Weekly,
by the end of 1938 more than a
million copies had sold, and that
number doubled after the release
of the movie in 1939.
Today, an estimated 30 million copies have sold worldwide.
Simon and Schuster now publishes the book, which sells an estimated 75,000 copies every year
in hardcover and other formats.
According to “Margaret
Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind:
A Bestseller’s Odyssey From
Atlanta to Hollywood,” by Ellen
F. Brown and John Wiley Jr., the
publisher expects a “protable
future for the remainder of the
copyright term,” which ends in
the U.S. in 2031, some 95 years
after the rst publication.
The book has been translated
more than 30 times, including in
countries as diverse as Albania,
Chile, Denmark, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Turkey, Japan, Finland, the
former Yugoslavia and Burma.
New editions continue to be
published in Europe and Asia, although the copyright has expired
in Canada and Japan.
When Margaret died in 1949,
and her husband, John Marsh,
three years later, their estate and
the entire literary rights went to
her brother, Stephens, a real estate attorney and faithful Catholic
in Atlanta. He in turn left the
rights in trusts split between his
sons, Eugene and Joseph.
In the 1960s, Stephens later
turned to law partners Paul H.
Anderson Sr. and Thomas Hal
Clarke Sr. for help in managing
the copyright protection of his
sister’s book in the U.S. and
abroad. Formally called the Stephens Mitchell Trust, the group
was known as “the Committee.”
Paul H. Anderson Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps in
1976 to work with the Mitchell
estate, along with Thomas Hal
Clarke Jr., the son of the other
attorney. Together they have protected the copyright for decades.
While the senior Clarke is retired
at 98, the senior Anderson at 94
still serves on the Committee and
has a perspective of the copyrights going back to the 1950s.
According to the junior Anderson, Stephens “did more than
anyone to preserve and enhance
the rights” of his sister’s work.
The Committee, said Anderson, “had the duciary responsibility to manage the business.”
As loyal friends of Stephens, they
have protected the book against
copyright infringements, including those who have wanted to
write sequels, produce dramas,
create musicals and other works
based on “Gone With the Wind.”
They have pursued litigation in several cases, with mixed
success. And Anderson said
that they “choose their battles”
carefully.
In Japan, where the copyright recently expired, there is a
“Gone With the Wind” drama.
A Canadian production is going
on, without permission of the
estate, though the copyright has
expired there, so none is required.
Producers of the Canadian drama
have asked for the right to take
the production to the international stage. Anderson said they’ll
wait to see how that production is
received in Canada.
Sales are still brisk in countries across the globe, particularly,
said Anderson, in “countries who
have suffered defeat in war.”
Anderson said the owners
of the trusts –– and the archdiocese is now one of the owners –– are entitled to “fairly
signicant” royalties from proceeds of book sales (the original
novel and the two authorized
sequels), merchandising, and
at least $100,000 per year from
the movie rights. He declined to
name an exact gure.
The caretaking of the trust
and the literary rights will continue to be done by the lawyers
of the Committee, on behalf of
Eugene’s heirs and the Archdiocese of Atlanta, in a new entity
recently established to continue
the tradition of protecting one
of the best-selling novels in the
world.
VARIOUS EDITIONS of “Gone With the Wind” are part of a multimillion-dollar bequest
made to the Archdiocese of Atlanta by Joseph Mitchell, Margaret Mitchell’s nephew. (CNS
photo by Michael Alexander, Georgia Bulletin)
Ladies of Charity Annual Card Party
and Fashion Show
protect her future
Secure your Income
Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
St Louis Parish, Wozniak Hall, 7601 Burnet Rd in Austin.
Lunch, door prizes, silent auction,
fashions by St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store.
Tickets: $10 each, available at the door or by calling
(512) 459-8247.
Do both with a
CHARITABLE
GIFT ANNUITY
from CRS.
All proceeds go to benet local charity services.
Contact CRS today:
E crs.org/annuities
c 1-888-277-7575, ext. 7324
m [email protected]
The official international humanitarian
agency of the Catholic community in the
United States.
Trips to Scotland, France, Ireland, Shrines of Europe and much more...
ranging from $3,599—$4,699 for 2012.
Prices are ALL-INCLUSIVE W/ Airfare from anywhere in the continental USA
Italy/Switzerland: Oct. 6-18, Oct. 13-25, Oct. 20-Nov. 1, Nov. 3-15 2013: April 6-18 …
Italy Regular: Oct. 6-14, Oct. 13-21, Oct. 20-28, Nov. 3-11 2013: April 6-14 …
Holy Land: Oct. 2-12, Oct. 8-18, Oct. 15-25, Oct. 22-Nov. 1, Oct. 29-Nov. 8, Nov. 5-15
Holy Land/Italy: Oct. 1-14, Oct. 8-21, Oct. 15-28, Oct. 29-Nov. 11 2013: April 1-14 …
France/Portugal/Spain: Oct. 6-18, Oct. 20-Nov. 1 2013: April 27-May 9, May 4-16 …
Italy/Lourdes/Fatima: Oct. 6-18 2013: April 20-May 2, April 27-May 9, May 4-16 …
To advertise, call (512) 949-2443.
www.proximotravel.com
email: [email protected]
855-842-8001
Carmela A. Dupuis | Executive Director
September 2012
BULLETIN BOARD
NFP classes....................
25
For Your
Information
Diocesan offices will be closed
Sept. 3 in observance of Labor Day.
An Adult Education Night on
Thrive! will be offered from 5:15 to
8:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at the Waco Convention Center and Sept. 5 at St. William
Parish in Round Rock. The purpose
of this event is to educate all the adults
who have a role in the sexual education
of youth: parents, pastors, educators,
health professionals and social workers.
The message will focus on communicating to youth that they can be loved
now, as they yearn to be, but in ways
consistent with biblical teaching. For
more information, contact the Ofce of
Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living at
[email protected] or
(512) 949-2486.
Theology on Tap, a ministry for
young adults, will meet Sept. 4 at Casa
Chapala (3010 West Anderson Ln. in
Austin). Deacon Kevin Jackson will
discuss faith, politics and the upcoming
elections. Live music will begin at 6 p.m.
and the presentation begins at 7 p.m.
For more information, contact Jennifer
Kodysz at (512) 949-2467 or [email protected].
The diocesan offices of Worship and Hispanic Ministry will
host a conference entitled “Preparing the Banquet” Sept. 8 at 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].
The Justice and Charity 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. For more
information or to register, visit www.
austindiocese.org or contact Yvonne
Saldaña at (512) 949-2486 or [email protected].
Pax Christi Austin will meet
Sept. 16 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].
The Austin Prayer Vigil for Life is
scheduled for Sept. 15 at Holy Cross in
Austin. 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 Austin 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 Holy
Cross 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.
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.
The Killeen Prayer Vigil for Life
will be held Sept. 22 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.
Those who feel called to befriend women in need of emotional
and spiritual support due to a crisis
pregnancy are encouraged to become
a Gabriel Angel. The next trainings
are Sept. 29 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar
Park and Oct. 6 at Santa Cruz Parish
in Buda. Lunch and all materials are
provided as well as resources needed
to assist others. For additional information or to register, contact Rebecca
Niemerg at (512) 949-2488 or [email protected].
The diocesan Scouting Mass will
be held Sept. 29 at St. Anthony Parish
in Kyle. For more information about
Scouting in the Austin Diocese, visit
http://scouting.austindiocese.org/.
The annual Deacon Convocation
will be held Oct. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4
p.m. at St. Helen Parish in Georgetown.
For more information, contact Deacon
Bill Hobby at (512) 949-2427 or [email protected].
The annual diocesan Red Mass
will be held Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. at St. Mary
Cathedral in Austin. Bishop Joe Vásquez
will celebrate the Mass, and Sister of St.
Joseph Helen Prejean will be the guest
speaker.
The Catholic Physician’s Guild
invites all to save the date for the annual
White Mass for those who serve and
are served by the healthcare ministry.
The Mass will be held Oct. 18 at 6 p.m.
at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin. Bishop
Joe Vásquez will celebrate the Mass. For
more information, contact Kathleen
Lawson at [email protected] or visit
www.catholicphysiciansguildofcentraltexas.org.
A series of classes on the Billings Ovulation Method of natural
family planning will begin Sept. 8 at
St. John Neumann Parish in Austin.
The course consists of three classes
over a six-week period. For more information, contact Amanda and Ryan
Ransom at [email protected].
A series of classes on the SymptoThermal Method of natural family
planning will be held beginning 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.
An introductory session on the
Creighton Model of natural family
planning will be held Sept. 13 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
[email protected] 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 Couple to Couple
League will offer a natural family planning Introduction Seminar Sept. 23 at 3
p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in
Austin. The class will satisfy the Austin
Diocese requirement for marriage. To
register call Sam and Katrina Hartsock
at (512) 899-8294.
Retreats.........................
Married couples are invited to a
one-day marriage retreat entitled “Do
Whatever He Tells You” Sept. 8 from
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Deane Hall at
Santa Cruz Parish in Buda. The speakers
include Father Charlie Garza and Greg
and Julie Alexander. The cost is $30
per couple. There will be a children’s
retreat entitled “Mother Mary Retreat”
at the same time hosted by Santa Cruz
Catholic School. To register, call Jimmy
and Joanna Mancini at (512) 569-6963 or
e-mail [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.
“The Lord’s Prayer,” a weekend
retreat, will be held Sept. 14-16 at Cedarbrake Retreat Center in Belton. Franciscan Father Albert Haase will present.
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].
“Mary Teach Us To Pray,” a
retreat led by Dominican Sister Helen
Marie Raycraft, will be held Sept. 15
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the H.L. Grant
Catholic Student Center at Texas State
University in San Marcos. The cost is
$20, which includes breakfast, lunch and
program materials. For information, call
“Sawndra” at (512)396-3410 or Charlene
at (512) 749-0138.
“Breath of Life – Being Open to
the Miracles in our Everyday Lives,”
a retreat for women, will be held Sept.
15 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Albert
the Great Parish in Austin. Women are
invited to come together to nurture their
relationship with God and deepen their
prayer life. Cheryl “Max” Maxwell will
be the presenter. The cost is $20, which
includes lunch and materials. For a registration form, contact Janice Ingram at
[email protected] or (512) 836-7839.
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 kenny.
[email protected].
Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi
with a long i) has helped tens of thousands of couples through difcult times
in their marriages. The program provides
the tools to help get troubled marriages
back on track. It will give couples the
opportunity to rediscover each other
and examine their lives together in a
new and positive way. For condential
information about the upcoming Austin
weekend, Oct. 5-7, call 1-800-470-2230
or visit www.HelpOurMarriage.com.
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
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. To register and
for more information, contact Birdie at
(512) 864-9881.
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.
St. Paul Parish in Austin will offer
a Bible study for adults Sept. 11 through
May 2013. The focus will be on the
“Acts of the Apostles.” Sessions will be
available on Tuesdays 1 to 2:30 p.m. or
from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $65 to
cover the materials. For more information, contact Deacon John Pickwell at
(512) 280-4460.
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.
ENDOW presents: “Aquinas for
Burses
The Diocesan Council of Catholic
Women has completed a burse for
the Clerical Endowment Fund (CEF)
in honor of Father Louis Brusatti.
The totals for the burse as of June
30, 2012, are listed below by council.
Austin Council
$907.00
Brazos Valley Council
$633.00
Central Council
$1,865.00
Eastern Council
$1,396.00
Northern Council
$1,504.00
Southern Council
$952.00
Temple Council
$785.00
Previous Balance
$570.52
Total
$8,612.52
The Diocesan Council of Catholic
Women has completed a burse for
the Clerical Endowment Fund (CEF)
in honor of Father James Robertson.
The totals for the burse as of July 31,
2012, are listed below by council.
Austin Council
$1,092.10
Brazos Valley Council
$351.00
Central Council
$2,357.00
Eastern Council
$687.00
Northern Council
$910.00
Southern Council
$3,728.36
Temple Council
$423.00
Previous Balance
$612.52
Total
$10,160.98
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.
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Beginners, Part I: A Tour of the Summa
Theologiae.” 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. Classes will be held
Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m.,
Sept. 5 through Nov. 7 at St. Michael’s
Catholic Academy in Austin. The class is
open to all women. The cost is $80, and
scholarships are available. To register,
visit www.endowonline.org. For more
information, call DeeAnn Smith at (512)
789-7699.
Catholic Scripture Study of Austin
will begin Sept. 12 at 9:30 a.m. at St.
Louis Parish in Austin. The weekly twohour 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.
St. Paul Parish in Austin will hold
its annual Fall Festival Sept. 21 from 5
to 10 p.m. and Sept. 22 from noon to
10 p.m. on the parish grounds. Activities
include food booths, pony rides, game
booths, kiddie-size train rides, cake walk,
gift basket drawings, bingo, live music
and silent auction.
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.
“The Bible Timeline 2.0: The
Story of Salvation” will be offered on
Sundays from 6 to 8 p.m. beginning
Sept. 16 at St. Margaret Mary Parish in
Cedar Park. This study takes participants
on a journey through the entire Bible
using a unique color-coded system.
Visit www.biblestudyforcatholics.com
to preview a sample lesson and video.
For more information, contact Ginger
Parten at (512) 900-1100 or glake22@
yahoo.com.
Catholic Scripture Study will begin
Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Margaret
Mary Parish in Cedar Park. The study
will also be held on Thursdays beginning Sept. 20 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Margaret
Mary. 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].
St. Michael Parish in Uhland will
host its annual Festival Sept. 29 and 30
on the parish grounds. Activities include
live music, a variety of foods and games
for all ages.
The Austin Society of St. Vincent
de Paul will host its fth annual Friends
of the Poor Walk Sept. 29 at 9 a.m. at
East Metropolitan Park in Manor. The
St. John/St. Paul the Apostle Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society
will host a walk Sept. 29 at Johnson Park
in Marble Falls. The walks do not have
a registration fee, but all walkers are encouraged to collect pledges from friends
and family. The funds raised will remain
in the community and will be used to aid
the area’s needy through home visits,
food donations, and various other services. For more information and walk
registration, contact your parish St. Vincent de Paul Conference or visit www.
svdpfriendsofthepoorwalk.org.
St. Mary Parish in String Prairie
will host its annual Homecoming Festival Sept. 30 on the parish grounds. The
day begins with Mass at 10 a.m. Beef
barbecue plates with all the trimmings
will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be live music as well as an
auction, food booths, children’s activities
and horse rides.
St. Jerome Parish in Waco will
celebrate its 30th anniversary on Sept.
30 from noon to 4 p.m. on the parish
grounds. Activities include bingo, inatables, games for all ages, a dunking booth
and live and silent auctions. Barbecue
plates will be available as well. For meal
tickets and more information, contact
the parish ofce at (254) 666-7722 or pat.
[email protected].
Sacred Heart Parish in Austin will
host its ninth annual Fiesta Sept. 30 from
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the parish grounds.
Activities include live music, dancing,
a variety of food booths and children’s
booths such as a mini train and face painting. For more information, call the parish
at (512) 926-2552 or e-mail sacredht@
grandecom.net.
St. Elizabeth Parish in Pflugerville will host its annual Fiesta Sept. 30
from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the parish
grounds. Activities include food booths,
live music, games and live and silent auctions. For more information, visit www.
stelizabethpf.org.
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in College Station will host its annual AquinasFest Oct. 5-7 on the parish grounds.
Activities include bingo, dancing, games
for all ages, a variety of foods and live and
silent auctions. For more information,
visit www.stabcs.org.
St. Mary Parish in Lampasas will
host its Fall Festival Oct. 5-7 on the parish
grounds. A barbecue cookoff will begin
Friday at 4 p.m. and a turkey dinner will
be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday’s events
include a volleyball tournament, barbecue
judging and a dance. Sunday will feature
a silent auction, live music, games for all
ages and a mechanical bull.
St. William Parish in Round Rock
will host Oktoberfest Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m.
in the parish hall. Tickets are $25 each and
include entertainment and an authentic
German dinner. For more information,
call (512) 255-4473 or visit www.saintwilliams.org/oktoberfest2012.
St. William Parish in Round Rock
will host its Fall Festival Oct. 6 from 11
a.m. to 8 p.m. on the parish grounds. Activities include a variety of food booths,
entertainment for all ages and live music.
For more details, contact (512) 255-4473
or visit www.saintwilliams.org/fallfestival2012.
St. John Parish in Luling will host
its annual Fall Festival Oct. 6-7 on the
parish grounds. The festival begins Saturday at 4:30 p.m. with food, games, a cake
auction, bingo and DJ music. Sunday’s
events begin at 11 a.m. with a turkey lunch
from 11 to 2, a live auction at 1 p.m. and
bingo.
Ascension Parish in Bastrop will
host its Fall Festival Oct. 7 from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m. on the parish grounds. Activities
include a barbecue lunch, food booths,
games for all ages, bingo, and live and
silent auctions.
St. Mary Parish in Hearne will host
its annual Fall Festival Oct. 7 from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m. on the parish grounds. A meal
of spaghetti and meatballs will be served
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities include a
variety of food booths, games for all ages,
face painting, horseshoes and bingo. A
live auction will begin at 1 p.m.
Life Chain of Georgetown will be
held Oct. 7 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. This is an
opportunity to witness to the dignity of
life and pray silently for an end to abortion. It will begin in the parking lot of
Crestview Baptist Church. There will be
music, songs and prayer at 2 p.m. For
more information, contact Julie Tefft at
(512) 635-8910 or (512) 863-0039. This is
not a ministry of the Diocese of Austin.
St. Elizabeth Parish in Pugerville
will host an ACTS retreat for women
in English Oct. 11-14. To register, visit
www.stelizabethpf.org or call Denise
Foster at (512) 904-0989.
Join Catholics to pray the rosary in
the public square to support life. Mass will
be celebrated Oct. 13 at 9:30 a.m. at St.
Mary Cathedral in Austin. All are asked to
process to the State Capitol immediately
after Mass. The Rosary Rally is from noon
to 2 p.m. Bring your rosary, a blanket to
sit upon and water. This rosary rally is
not an ofcial ministry of the Diocese of
Austin.
Our Lady’s Maronite Catholic
Church will present “Saint Sharbel – His
Life and Miracles” at the Highland Galaxy Theater, 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd. in
Austin. The rst presentation, in English,
will be Oct. 14 at 1:30 p.m. The second
presentation, in Spanish, will be Oct. 21
at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person.
Each presentation will begin with opening remarks by Msgr. Don Sawyer, pastor
of Our Lady’s Maronite. Then a series of
testimonials of individuals who have been
recipients of St. Sharbel’s intercessory
miracles will be shown. The movie about
his life will be shown and prayer cards
will be distributed. For more information,
contact Our Lady’s Maronite at (512) 4583693 or [email protected].
St. Stephen Parish in Salado will
host its annual Fall Festival Oct. 21 on
the parish grounds. Brisket and sausage
plates will be served beginning at 11
a.m. for $8 per plate. A live auction
will begin at 1 p.m. Activities include
carnival games, horseshoes, a cakewalk
and more.
The second annual Annunciation
Maternity Home Charity Golf Tournament will be held Oct. 29 at Berry Creek
Country Club in Georgetown. Registration begins at 11 a.m. The cost is $100
per player, which includes a fajita dinner,
player’s bag and golf. Sponsorships and
volunteer opportunities are available.
For more information, visit www.thematernityhome.org or call Alyssia at (512)
864-7755.
September 2012
ESPAÑOL
27
Nuestros derechos, y responsabilidades como
ciudadanos eles
variedad de temas. Es obvio que
todos debemos ser diligentes en
nuestra formación. Sin embargo,
obispo de la Diócesis
muchos todavía se preguntan, ¿por
de Austin. Es pastor
qué la Iglesia no nos da sólo una
para casi 500,000
guía del votante?
católicos en 25
Obispo Vásquez: Los obispos
condados en el
han dejado muy claro que no podeCentro de Texas.
mos, y no le diremos a la gente cómo
Editora: Señor Obispo, con la
votar o por quién votar. Alentamos
elección presidencial en noviema la gente a formar sus conciencias
bre, el concepto de Ciudadanía
a través de la oración, de informarse
Fiel está en la mente de muchos.
sobre las cuestiones y la comprensión
¿Qué signica ser un ciudadano
de las enseñanzas de la Iglesia sobre
el?
estos temas. Hemos creado el docuObispo Vásquez: En 2007, los
mento Ciudadanía Fiel para ayudarles
obispos de Estados Unidos publien este proceso. Queremos que la
caron un documento de enseñanza
gente sepa la verdad, comprenda la
titulado “Formando la conciencia para verdad, e incorpore la verdad en sus
ser ciudadanos eles”, diseñado para propias vidas y luego vean los temas
ayudarnos como católicos a ejercer
que están delante de ellos en la esfera
nuestros derechos y deberes como
política y en la sociedad. Las guías
miembros de esta democracia. Este
para votantes son a menudo pardocumento ayuda a los católicos a
tidistas, y no siempre explican lo que
formar sus conciencias, a contribuir
motiva a un político a votar de una
a la sociedad civil y a dar forma a sus
manera en particular. Se basan en un
elecciones políticas a la luz de la ense- tema en particular o son creadas para
ñanza católica.
un grupo particular de personas, por
Ciudadanía el es, ante todo, sobre lo tanto, no son útiles para nosotros
la dignidad humana. Estamos hechos
y pueden llegar a ser divisorias. En su
a la imagen y semejanza de Dios. Dios lugar debemos aplicar la enseñanza
mismo nos ha creado como seres
católica en la esfera política y formar
sociales, por lo tanto, tenemos la resnuestras conciencias.
ponsabilidad y la obligación de estar al
Además, quiero destacar que como
servicio de los demás y de participar
Iglesia, no apoyamos a candidatos o
en la arena política. Estamos llamados a partidos políticos, no distribuimos
a tomar en serio nuestras responsabi- materiales partidistas, ni invitamos a
lidades democráticas y nuestros derelos candidatos a hablar o hacemos dischos como seres humanos. Estamos
ponibles las instalaciones de la iglesia
llamados a crear una sociedad que se
para nes partidistas.
base en la moral, en la justicia, en la
Editora: Háblenos de los compaz y que sirva al bien común. Como
ponentes claves de Ciudadanía Fiel.
católicos, estamos obligados a particiObispo Vásquez: Hay siete
par en los asuntos políticos del día y
temas principales que abarca la Iglesia
a llevar nuestros valores morales a la
Católica como parte de su doctrina
arena política.
social. Estos temas son considerados
La comprensión de la libertad
aspectos fundamentales para todos los
religiosa ha entrado en juego, sobre
seres humanos. No sólo aplican a los
todo recientemente con el mancatólicos, sino que también, aplican a
dato de HHS. Irónicamente, nuestra
todas las personas en la sociedad. El
libertad religiosa nos da el derecho
primero tiene que ver con el derecho
y la responsabilidad de participar y
a la vida y con la dignidad de la perllevar nuestra fe y nuestros principios sona humana. Estamos conscientes de
a la arena política. Es por esto que
que la vida es sagrada y de que Dios
proteger nuestra libertad religiosa
nos la ha dado. Por lo tanto, tenemos
es tan importante. Como católicos
que preservar la vida de los no natos
debemos ser capaces de llevar nuesy de los más vulnerables e indefensos
tra fe al ambiente público sin temor,
entre nosotros. Estamos llamados
y el gobierno debe respetar nuestro
a proteger la vida y a defenderla.
derecho a ejercer esa libertad. Esto se Luego está el llamado a la familia, a
garantiza en la Primera Enmienda de
la comunidad y a la participación. La
la Constitución de los Estados Unifamilia es la unidad fundamental de
dos. La formación de las conciencias,
la sociedad y apoyar a la familia debe
como católicos, implica profundizar
ser una prioridad. Como católicos,
en nuestra fe y en los asuntos políticristianos, denimos el matrimonio
cos de nuestro tiempo a medida que
entre un hombre y una mujer y estadecidimos por quién vamos a votar el mos llamados a apoyar el sacramento
día de las elecciones.
del matrimonio en la plaza pública.
Editora: Formar nuestra conEl tercer tema son los derechos y las
ciencia requiere investigar y
responsabilidades. Cada ser humano
conocer profundamente los puntos tiene el derecho y la responsabilidad
de vista de los candidatos en una
de cuidar de sí mismo y de cuidar de
E L O BISPO J OE S.
VÁSQUEZ es el quinto
los demás. Debemos ayudar a asegurar que todo el mundo tenga las mismas oportunidades a los alimentos y al
albergue, a la educación y al empleo, y
a la salud y la vivienda.
El cuarto tema es la opción por
los pobres y vulnerables. Estamos
llamados a trabajar por el bien común
y también creemos que los que están
en mayor necesidad requieren atención preferencial. Debemos comprometernos a ayudar a los pobres y a los
marginados de nuestra sociedad.
El quinto tema es la dignidad del
trabajo y los derechos de los trabajadores. La justicia económica implica
la oportunidad de trabajar por salarios
justos y la oportunidad de un estatus
legal para los trabajadores inmigrantes.
Cada trabajador debe ser justamente
compensado por su trabajo y ser
proveído con condiciones de trabajo
seguras.
El sexto tema de la solidaridad
se centra en el hecho de que somos
una sola familia humana, sin importar
nuestras diferencias raciales, étnicas,
económicas o ideológicas. Estamos llamados a defender nuestros
derechos humanos y a proteger los
derechos de las personas más vulnerables de nuestra sociedad. Por último,
todos estamos llamados a cuidar de la
creación de Dios. La naturaleza es un
regalo de Dios para nosotros, por lo
que tenemos que preservarla y cuidar
de ella, no sólo para nosotros sino
para las generaciones venideras.
Editora: Estamos llamados
no sólo a votar, sino a defender.
¿Cómo podemos hacer que
nuestras voces se escuchen en la
vida diaria?
Obispo Vásquez: Como católicos, estamos llamados a comprometernos en la vida política y a estar
lo mejor informados posible sobre
las políticas que nuestro gobierno
está poniendo en práctica. ¿Cuáles
son los problemas y las políticas que
están sucediendo? ¿Cuáles son los
asuntos que se debaten todos los días
en el Congreso? La Iglesia siempre
está atenta a lo que el gobierno está
haciendo para poder asegurarnos de
que las necesidades del bien común
se están cumpliendo. Tenemos que
hablar por el bien común y tenemos
que orar, tenemos que estar involucrados, tenemos que estar informados,
tenemos que entender lo que la Iglesia
enseña sobre temas y problemas especícos y, como consecuencia, tenemos
que hacer que nuestras voces sean
escuchadas. ¡Ninguno de nosotros
está excluido de involucrarse!
Editora: ¿Cuál es su oración por
los Estados Unidos mientras nos
preparamos para elegir a nuestro
próximo presidente y a otros líderes políticos?
Obispo Vásquez: Mi oración es
que como ciudadanos estadounidenses, tomemos en serio esta responsabilidad de ser ciudadanos eles. Que
podamos ver la posibilidad de participar en la arena política como un privilegio y no tener miedo de defender
lo que creemos. Rezo para que todos
tengamos el deseo de hacer lo que
Dios quiere que hagamos, para que
podamos desarrollar una comunidad
que sirva al bien común y podamos
crear una sociedad que se preocupa
por todos, especialmente por los más
vulnerables y los más débiles entre
nosotros.
Nota: Solamente los ciudadanos
estadounidenses que se han registrado para votar podrán votar el 6 de
noviembre. El registro de votantes
termina el 9 de octubre. Para información sobre el registro de votantes,
visite www.votetexas.gov.
EL 6 DE NOVIEMBRE es el día de las elecciones, y el último día para
registrarse para votar, es el 9 de octubre. Sólo los ciudadanos estadounidenses que están inscritos para votar pueden hacerlo. (Foto CNS)
ESPAÑOL
28
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Nuestros retos nos ayudan a crecer en la fe
POR EDGAR RAMIREZ
DIRECTOR DEL MINISTERIO HISPANO
The National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for
Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM) es
una organización que reúne a todos
los directores de ministerio hispano
de todas las diócesis de los Estados Unidos, una organización laica
apoyada 100% por los obispos de
los Estados Unidos; y nuestra diócesis está representada por mi ocina.
Tuve la oportunidad de participar en
su reunión anual en el mes de Agosto
y de aprender más sobre la realidad
nacional de los Católicos hispanos en
Estados Unidos.
Los hispanos somos ya casi la
mitad de todos los Católicos en los
Estados Unidos. Es decir, en un par
de años por cada 2 Católicos en este
país, uno será hispano. Es importante
señalar que ser hispano no signica
necesariamente que esa persona habla
español. Ser hispano va más allá de
hablar español o no; es compartir
una misma cultura, la cultura hispana.
Muchos de nuestros jóvenes hispanos
aun cuando no hablen español se
identican como hispanos, mexicanos, salvadoreños, etc.
En esta reunión de NCADDHM
compartimos con varios obispos y
arzobispos de diferentes diócesis y
arquidiócesis del país. Por cierto,
nuestro Obispo Joe S. Vásquez será
el moderador episcopal de NCADDHM a partir del año que entra, pero
lamentablemente no pudo asistir a la
reunión de Agosto. En las conversaciones que tuvimos entre directores
y obispos hablamos de los cientos de
bendiciones que los hispanos hemos
traído a este país, esta sociedad y a la
Iglesia Católica en los Estados Unidos. Se habló de que la familia, el sacricio, la fe, las tradiciones, la esperanza, el espíritu alegre y de esta, los
jóvenes hispanos, la hospitalidad, el
amor a la Virgen María, a los santos y
los sacramentos como algunas de las
bendiciones que los hispanos traemos
a la Iglesia y a el país en general.
En esta reunión se habló de que
la primera lengua en la que se predicó
a Cristo resucitado en lo que hoy es
“Preparando el Banquete”
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 líderes de ministerios litúrgicos parroquiales. Habrá
talleres en inglés y en español y también tendremos presentaciones bilingües. Para
registrarse en español o inglés por favor visite el sitio de internet de la Diócesis
de Austin www.austindiocese.org o llame a Kathy Thomas al 512-949-2429 o por
correo electrónico [email protected]. Para preguntas en español
sobre la conferencia puede llamar Edgar Ramirez, Director del Ministerio Hispano, al (512) 949-2468 o por correo electrónico [email protected].
“Viviendo la Buena Nueva”
La secretaría de Justicia y Caridad de la Diócesis de Austin ofrecerá una
conferencia titulada “Viviendo la Buena Nueva” el día 15 de Septiembre en la
Parroquia de St. Catherine of Siena en Austin de las 8:30 a.m. a las 4:00 p.m. La
conferencia ofrecerá oradores tanto en inglés como en español. Los oradores
principales serán Jack Jezreel, Director ejecutivo de los ministerios JustFaith
y Arturo Chávez, presidente del Mexican American Catholic College de San
Antonio. Este evento será patrocinado por la Ocina de Justicia y Caridad de la
Diócesis de Austin. “Viviendo la Buena Nueva” ofrecerá una variedad de talleres
que abarcarán diversos temas, tales como los derechos de los trabajadores y la
solidaridad, liderazgo, la familia, los derechos y deberes de todos los seres humanos, qué signica que la Iglesia opta por los pobres y mucho mas. Regístrese
hoy en www.austindiocese.org o llame al (512) 949-2486.
Los jóvenes adultos hispanos
Los jóvenes adultos hispanos están invitados a la Misa en español que será
celebrada el 28 de septiembre a las 9 p.m. en la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de
Guadalupe en la ciudad de Austin. Los participantes rezarán el rosario a partir
de las 8:30 p.m. Para más información comuníquese con Juan Torres al (512)
415-5908 o Lily Morales al (512) 363-3609 o [email protected].
“San Charbel - Su Vida y Milagros”
La Parroquia Our Lady’s Maronite presentará “San Charbel - Su Vida y Milagros” en el Teatro Highland Galaxy, 6700 Middle Fiskville Road en Austin. La
película será presentada en español, el 21 de octubre, a la 1:30 pm. Los boletos
cuestan $10 por persona. Cada presentación se iniciará con palabras de apertura
por parte de Monseñor Don Sawyer, pastor Our Lady’s Maronita. Enseguida,
una serie de testimonios de personas que han sido receptores de los milagros de
intercesión de San Charbel será mostrado. Se mostrará la película sobre su vida
y tarjetas de oración serán distribuidas. Para obtener más información, llame a la
Parroquia Our Lady’s Maronite al (512) 458-3693 o [email protected].
el territorio de los Estados Unidos, y
más especícamente en la Florida y
Texas, fue español. Mucho antes que
los ingleses llegaran a las costas de
Massachusetts en 1620, ya el Cristianismo había llegado a trevés de misioneros españoles. Así pues la primera
Misa Católica en el territorio actual de
los Estados Unidos fue celebrada en
español y las comunidades Católicas
mas ancestrales fueron comunidades
donde se hablaba español. Así pues
la presencia Católica en la historia de
los Estados Unidos comenzó con los
Católicos que hablamos español (Juan
Ponce de León) y ahora en un futuro
bien cercano seremos ya la mayoría
de Católicos en este país y en los que
el futuro de la misión recaerá. “Vayan
y hagan discípulos de todas las naciones.” Mateo 28,9.
El esfuerzo de todos los obispos
de Estados Unidos de reconocer y
valorar la presencia hispana y sus
contribuciones al país y a la Iglesia
comenzaron desde los años 70s. Ya
en los 80s varias diócesis y/o arquidiócesis en el país comenzaron a
abrir ocinas para el ministerio hispano a nivel diocesano y por supuesto a
apoyar a las parroquias/comunidades
que servían a los hispanos en español
o ingles.
El pasado 12 de diciembre los
obispos hispanos de los Estados Unidos hicieron eco de la voz de sus hermanos obispos no-hispanos en una
carta a los inmigrantes y políticos; y
salieron de nuevo a la defensa de los
inmigrantes hispanos que esperan una
reforma migratoria pronto. Esta carta,
como muchos otros documentos,
acciones y esfuerzos que los obispos
han hecho a favor de la presencia hispana, es un claro signo de bienvenida
de los obispos a nuestra comunidad
hispana- su casa es mi casa.
En la reunión de NCADDHM
también se hablaron de los retos que
la presencia hispana trae a la nación
y a la Iglesia. Entre los retos están:
1) la falta de conocimiento sobre
la fe Católica, su razón, origen y
enseñanzas entre los hispanos, 2) el
ascendiente número de hispanos que
están dejando la Iglesia Católica y/o
la fe Cristiana, 3) los jóvenes hispanos
no están siendo evangelizados por
sus padres y las parroquias/diócesis
ofrecen pocas o ninguna oportunidad
para que estos crezcan en su fe, 4)
la falta de hispanos en posiciones de
liderazgo dentro de la Iglesia y la sociedad, 5) la urgencia de una reforma
migratoria, 6) la desunión y ruptura
de la familia hispana, 7) los pocos
recursos en español para evangelizar
y catequizar, 8) la poca conexión que
los hispanos Católicos practicantes
tienen con la estructura de la Iglesia,
es decir, aun cuando participan de
los sacramentos en alguna comunidad/parroquia, muchos de ellos no
están registrados, o no forman parte
o contribuyen con algún servicio o
ministerio, 9) el creciente número de
jóvenes hispanos que no se gradúan
de la highschool – preparatoria, 10)
el rechazo, racismo y pobre juicio de
algunos sacerdotes, empleados parroquiales o diocesanos que expresan
en contra los hispanos y su presencia
en las parroquias, grupos parroquiales, etc. Es elemental remarcar que
muchos de estos retos los enfrentan
otras comunidades y de alguna son
los retos de toda la Iglesia en Estados
Unidos y de toda la Iglesia Universal.
Mis amigos en Cristo, cada uno
de estos retos es una oportunidad.
Las semillas del Evangelio siguen
dando fruto en nuestra comunidad,
y los obispos en esta conferencia
reconocieron estos frutos en los
diferentes movimientos parroquiales:
la Renovación Carismática, ACTS,
Cristo Renueva Su Parroquia, Cursillos,
Movimiento Familiar Cristiano, etc.
Nuestra comunidad hispana Católica
está sedienta de formación y comprometida a aprender. Nuestra diócesis
actualmente tiene casi más de 60 parroquias que ofrecen Misa en español
y muchas de ellas tienen más que sólo
Misa en español: programas para niños, retiros, movimientos, grupos de
oración, etc. Los jóvenes en nuestra
diócesis (de varias parroquias) han
formado una de las mejores pastorales juveniles hispanas en el país,
reconocida a nivel nacional. Muchas
de nuestras ocinas diocesanas tienen
personal bilingüe para así responder
mejor a su llamado a evangelizar a la
comunidad hispana. Nuestro Obispo
Joe S. Vásquez es hispano y su presencia es una bendición y un signo
de cómo los hispanos estamos igual
que al principio de la historia de esta
nación siendo instrumentos de Dios
para la construcción de su reino.
Usted y yo, como bautizados
compartimos la misma misión que
tienen todos los bautizados del
mundo entero, la misión de la Iglesia:
evangelizar. Mis amigos en Cristo,
que Dios nos continúe bendiciendo
para que tomemos responsabilidad
de la fe que Dios tiene en su pueblo
hispano. Que todos estos retos sean
una oportunidad para que usted lleve
a cabo la parte que le corresponde
como padre de familia, esposa, hijo,
estudiante, ministro, diácono, sacerdote, empleado, etc. Que la Virgen
de Guadalupe continúe intercediendo
por su pueblo hispano para que
usted y yo seamos sus mensajeros, así
como San Juan Diego lo fue. Celebre, conozca y comparta su fe, la fe
de nuestros padres, la fe de nuestros
abuelos, la fe de los apóstoles, la fe
Católica.
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].
September 2012
ESPAÑOL
29
Que comience el nuevo año escolar
POR LUPE GARCIA, LPC-S, LMFT-S
COLUMNISTA INVITADA
Una vez más ha llegado el tiempo
en el que las tiendas se llenan con la
ropa y útiles escolares para el regreso
a clases. Algunos de nosotros estamos aliviados de que los niños ya no
necesiten entretenimiento o cuidado
constante y otros estamos desesperados
porque todo se tiene que comprar al
mismo tiempo. Hay otros que están
tristes porque su bebé está comenzando
kindergarten o su bebé está entrando en
su último año de escuela preparatoria y
está listo para volar del nido. Cualquiera
que sea la sensación de los primeros
días de escuela, una cosa es cierta, si no
nos detenemos a disfrutarla, podríamos
perdérnosla. He aquí algunas sugerencias sencillas para establecer en la
familia, a n de sacar el máximo provecho de cada momento que pasemos
juntos.
Establezca una rutina estable
Los niños de todas las edades no
sólo necesitan rutinas, se desarrollan
en ellas. Durante el verano tienen
más libertades, ya que no tienen las
mismas obligaciones. Por lo menos
una semana antes de que comiencen
las clases, inicie a los niños en sus
patrones de sueño. Que se vayan a la
cama a la misma hora apropiada para
su edad cada noche y se levanten a la
hora que se despiertan para la escuela.
Cada niño necesita una cantidad diferente de sueño, así que estableciendo
la rutina con anterioridad, los padres
pueden juzgar la cantidad de sueño
que cada niño necesita para estar alerta
y bien descansado.
Una vez que empiecen las clases
y comiencen las tareas y actividades,
los niños necesitarán ayuda para
establecer un calendario a n de no
sentirse abrumados. Ayude a cada niño
a comprender el tiempo que tarda
en completar su tarea. Por ejemplo,
los niños a menudo necesitan ayuda
para reconocer que 20 minutos de
tiempo no es suciente para completar
cuatro trabajos diferentes. Esto puede
signicar limitar su tiempo dedicado a
los medios de comunicación, e incluso
sus actividades extracurriculares si es
necesario. Es importante que los niños
participen en actividades extracurriculares y puedan socializar, pero si afecta
su educación, estas actividades deben
ser las primeras en suspenderse. Un
calendario familiar con todas las actividades de los miembros de la familia
y los eventos anotados a menudo es
útil para que todos estén preparados
para la semana. Además, preparar las
comidas y la ropa la noche anterior
puede ahorrar tiempo y frustración
por la mañana.
Trate de hacer que la rutina de la
familia incluya comer juntos regularmente. También, trate que las oraciones sean parte de la rutina familiar a la
hora de acostarse. Esto podría signicar rezar una decena del rosario o
simplemente pedir a cada miembro de
la familia que ore por una persona o
de gracias por un momento particular
que pasó durante el día. Muchas veces
los padres aprenden más sobre el día
de su hijo simplemente escuchando
sus oraciones.
Conozca a los maestros
Los maestros pasan más tiempo
con los niños durante el día. Recomiendo a los padres conocer a los profesores de sus hijos y abrir las líneas
de comunicación para que la educación de cada niño sea un esfuerzo de
colaboración. Si algo está pasando en
la escuela, los maestros son nuestros
aliados. Y si un niño tiene dicultades
en casa, que su maestro sepa. Los
maestros son recursos invaluables para
los padres, pero las líneas de comunicación deben funcionar en ambas
direcciones.
Por favor, no se olvide de orar por
los maestros. ¡Ellos tienen un gran
trabajo!
Hable con los niños
A veces olvidamos que nuestros
niños tienen una mente propia, llena de
sus propios sentimientos, pensamientos
y opiniones. Tómese el tiempo para
preguntarles cómo se sienten acerca de
regresar a la escuela y el grado especíco al que están entrando. Puede que
no respondan abiertamente o que sólo
le den una respuesta rápida, por lo
tanto, trate de hacer preguntas especícas pero abiertas que ellos no puedan
responder en una o dos palabras.
Por ejemplo, pregúnteles cuál es la
materia más difícil. Esto puede ayudar
a los padres a controlar el nivel de
ansiedad del niño.
Tome tiempo para hablar con
cada niño, tal vez alrededor de la
mesa de la cena cada noche o en el
desayuno por la mañana. Esté preparado para escuchar y responder si
están abiertos. Lo más importante es
no hacer la conversación sólo acerca
de la escuela, pregúnteles de sus amigos e intereses, también.
El ajetreo y el bullicio de la preparación para un nuevo año escolar
pueden llegar a ser únicamente una lista
de vericación en lugar de una oportunidad de pasar tiempo con nuestros
hijos. Podemos saborear cada minuto
con nuestros hijos y hacer muchos
recuerdos preciosos con ellos.
Lupe García es una consejera
certicada y directora de la Ocina
Diocesana de la Vida Familiar y Consejería Familiar. Se le puede llamar a (512)
949-2495 o lupe-garcia@austindiocese.
org.
Los Guadalupanos se reúnen con el Obispo Vásquez en Taylor
LOS GUADALUPANOS Y LAS GUADALUPANAS se reunieron
para su segunda reunión anual de los Guadalupanos, el 21 de julio
en Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Taylor.
Mario Godoy llevó a los participantes a través de la historia de
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Él dijo que su aparición a Juan
Diego como una imagen con la que podía identicarse y hablándole en su lengua natal fue un acto de evangelización que puso en
marcha un gran número de evangelizaciones en los siglos por venir.
El Sr. Obispo Joe Vásquez celebró la Santa Misa con los
Guadalupanos y destacó la importancia de la evangelización.
Durante su homilía, el Sr. Obispo invitó a los participantes a ser
inspirados por Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe para evangelizar a sus familias y
comunidades y compartir la fe con todo el
mundo que les rodea. Les alentó a crecer
en la misión de los Guadalupanos “para
evangelizar el aprender más sobre la fe
católica, creciendo en sus habilidades de
liderazgo y expandiendo su servicio en
las parroquias. El dijo que es importante
transmitir la fe a las nuevas generaciones
de jóvenes que dirigirán la organización
en el futuro.
Edgar Ramírez, el director diocesano de
la Oficina del Ministerio Hispano, también estuvo en la reunión. Él y Gustavo
Rodríguez, de la Ocina Diocesana de
Educación Religiosa compartieron las
muchas oportunidades de formación en la fe que la diócesis ofrece
en español e inglés. (Fotos cortesía de Celia M. Segura)
ESPAÑOL
30
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Compartiendo el amor de Cristo, una puntada a la vez
POR ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN
CORRESPONSAL PRINCIPAL
A principios de este año,
Alicia Valdez Mendoza estaba
buscando un ministerio que
pudiera llamar suyo en la Parroquia Cristo Rey en Austin. Ella
y sus hermanas habían trabajado
en la tienda de segunda mano
que había sido el ministerio de
sus padres durante 25 años, pero
ella quería hacer más. “Yo quería
ser productiva”, dijo Mendoza.
Leyendo la E-pistle de la
diócesis un día, vio un artículo
sobre un ministerio de mantos
de oración. La E-pistle es la
Comunicación de la Diócesis de
Austin que se publica los viernes
en el sitio Internet diocesano en
www.austindiocese.org. Yvonne
Saldaña, asistente administrativa
de la Ocina Diocesana de Actividades Pro-Vida y Castidad,
colocó el artículo en la E-pistle
después de presenciar el poder
de los mantos de oración.
“Hubo una muerte que tocó
mi corazón”, dijo Saldaña. Esa
persona había recibido un manto de oración. En esa ocasión los
únicos ministerios que conocía
de este tipo estaban en la parroquia St. Margaret Mary en
Cedar Park y en la parroquia St.
Catherine of Sienna en Austin.
Muchos de los mantos que son
de punto y ganchillo se dan a
la Familia de Seton Healthcare
para su programa Nadie Muere
Solo, que ofrece comodidad a
los pacientes moribundos hospitalizados que no tienen familiares al lado de su cama.
Cuando Mendoza llamó a
Saldaña buscando unirse a un
ministerio del manto de oración,
Saldaña la desafió a iniciar el
suyo propio. En marzo, después
de recibir el permiso de su párroco –– el Padre Franciscano
Conventual, Mario Castro Martínez –– Mendoza y alrededor de
una docena de mujeres iniciaron
el ministerio en Cristo Rey. Ellas
se reúnen todos los jueves por
la tarde, comenzando con una
oración sobre el hilo y los materiales que utilizarán para crear
los mantos, sobre las manos que
tejen, sobre los ganchillos, y por
quienes los reciben.
“Hacemos esto para que
Dios bendiga nuestro trabajo”,
dijo. “Es un testimonio de los
dones con los que Dios ha bendecido a cada una de nosotras
y se vuelcan en los mantos.
Oramos para que cada destinatario sienta el poder del amor, la
fuerza y la fe”.
El primer lote de mantos
fue donado en junio a Christopher Hospice Austin House,
que ofrece cuidado compasivo
al nal de la vida. Padre Martínez bendijo los mantos antes de dárselos a Christopher
House. La Rev. Melissa Russell, capellán de Christopher
House, agradeció el trabajo del
ministerio.”Signica mucho saber que están orando para que
cada punto sea un consuelo
para aquellos a los que servimos”, dijo Russell al grupo. Ella
dijo que los mantos hechos por
voluntarias proporcionan color
a las habitaciones de los pacientes y calidez y comodidad a cada
persona que recibe uno. Russell
dijo que el regalo de los mantos perdurará mucho después
de que la persona muera. “Es
un regalo invaluable”, dijo. A
menudo, los mantos consuelan
a los que se quedan después de
la muerte de un ser querido.
“Hubo una persona que dejó a
una niña atrás”, dijo Russell. “Le
dije que podía tomar el manto.
Lo puse sobre sus hombros. La
hizo sentir que no estaba sola”.
La tía de Mendoza, Emma
EL PRIMER LOTE DE MANTOS DE ORACIÓN realizado por el Ministerio de Mantos de
Oración de la Parroquia Cristo Rey en Austin, se presentó en junio al hospicio de Austin
Christopher House. Los mantos están hechos para personas que están enfermas o cerca
de la muerte. (Foto por Enedelia J. Obregón)
Montemayor le inspiró atracción
por el ministerio. A Montemayor, quien falleció hace dos
años, le encantaba el crochet.
“Ella hacía chales para regalarlos”, dijo Mendoza. “Ella nunca
los vendió”.
Aunque Mendoza no tenía
práctica con el ganchillo o con
tejer, aprendió a hacer crochet
para poder emprender el ministerio. Cada puntada también
la hizo acercarse a su parroquia
y a la fe de la que ella se había
alejado por un tiempo. “Esto me
dio la oportunidad de volver y
hacer una diferencia”, dijo Mendoza. “Doy gracias a Dios que
me eligió para hacerlo”.
Mendoza dijo que “cada
puntada une a todas las personas, recordándoles su conexión
con Dios. Cada puntada se hace
con amor, con fe y con esperanza”, dijo. “Oramos por cada
uno de los destinatarios de los
mantos para que se den cuenta
de que no están solos”.
El ministerio también dio a
otros una oportunidad de contribuir a la comunidad.”Nadie
sabía cómo tejer de punto o
ganchillo cuando Alice comenzó
este ministerio”, dijo Dorothy
Portillo. “Es algo que espero
podamos continuar por el resto
de nuestras vidas. Pienso seguir
haciéndolo”.
“Una de las voluntarias
tiene 12 años de edad, Paulina
Guerrero, quien estará en séptimo grado este otoño. “Siempre
había querido poder aprender
cómo tejer de punto”, dijo. “Yo
también quería poder servir”.
Ahora que ha aprendido, tiene
planes de seguir haciendo mantos de oración. “Me gusta hacer
mantos y hacer cosas con mis
manos”, dijo. “Es una cosa
hermosa.”
Frances Martínez ve que se
pone mucho amor en hacer los
mantos, “Puedo rezar mientras
los estamos haciendo y espero
que la persona se recupere”,
dijo. Lily Reyes dijo que el ministerio le está enseñando a ser
paciente, “Estoy aprendiendo a
ser muy paciente porque estoy
haciendo algo especial para alguien más”, dijo ella.
El Ministerio ha creado un
grupo muy unido a quienes su
misión también les ha beneciado, reduciendo en ellas el
estrés causado por el trabajo o el
tráco. “Hablamos de cualquier
cosa”, dijo Mendoza, quien trabaja para el Condado de Travis.
“También es un grupo de gran
apoyo. Esto nos permite seguir
adelante”.
Las personas que estén interesadas en hacer mantos de
oración para los enfermos o en
iniciar un ministerio de mantos
de oración en su parroquia, pueden llamar a Yvonne Saldaña
al (512) 949-2486 o [email protected].
Servicio celebrado para parejas que sufren de infertilidad
POR GINA DOMINGUEZ
CORRESPONSAL
Dios no nos abandona en
nuestros retos ni en nuestros
sufrimientos en los que estamos llamados a sostenernos
rmes en nuestra fe, la cual nos
recuerda que Dios tiene un plan
para cada uno de nosotros y que
ese plan es por nuestro bien
y para nuestra salvación. Este
fue el mensaje que la Ocina
de Actividades Pro-Vida y Castidad comunicó a los asistentes
al servicio de oración titulado
“Future Full of Hope” (“Un
Futuro Lleno de Esperanza”)
ofrecido para parejas que sufren
con la cruz de la infertilidad, el
pasado 25 de Julio como parte
de la Semana Nacional Sobre la
Planicación Natural Familiar
que se celebró del 22 al 28 de
Julio pasados.
En dicho servicio, ofrecido en la Parroquia de St. Vincent de Paul, se contó con la
presencia del Padre Alberto
Borruel moderador de asuntos
Pro-Vida para la Diócesis de
Austin, quien oró por y con
las parejas. También presentes
estuvieron Carmen Santamaría y
Angelique Ruhi-López, autoras
del libro “Infertility Companion for Catholics” quienes se
dirigieron a los asistentes con
un bello y positivo mensaje en
el que les recomendaron poner
su confianza enteramente en
el Señor, para quien todas las
cosas son posibles y quien en
su innita misericordia sólo nos
dará aquello que es bueno para
nosotros.
Durante la ceremonia, los
asistentes pidieron la intercesión
de San Gerardo María Mayela,
patrón de madres, embarazos y
nacimientos y de Santa Gianna
Beretta Molla, madre y esposa
virtuosa, quienes con su ejemplo
de sacricio y obediencia a la
voluntad de Dios nos recuerdan
que cualquiera que sea Su plan
para nosotros debemos mantenernos eles a Él.
Al concluir la ceremonia se
invitó a las parejas asistentes a
una recepción en la que se les
ofreció información sobre los
distintos servicios para personas
con problemas de infertilidad
que ofrecen diversas organizaciones que colaboran con la
Ocina de Actividades Pro-Vida
y Castidad, tales como el Centro
de Vida Juan Pablo II y el grupo
de apoyo “Sarah’s Hope” y se
les dio información sobre los
métodos de Planificación Familiar Natural aprobados por la
Iglesia recordándoles que dichos
métodos no sirven únicamente
para evitar un embarazo, sino
que pueden también ser usados
para lograr uno si se usan correctamente y se cuenta con la
asesoría de un instructor certicado.
El servicio de oración “Un
Futuro Lleno de Esperanza” es
un evento hasta ahora ofrecido
solo en inglés. La Oficina de
Actividades Pro-Vida y Castidad
espera que en su edición de 2013
también pueda ser ofrecido en
español.
Si a usted le gustaría conocer
más sobre la información otorgada a las parejas durante este
servicio, por favor comuníquese
conmigo a través de mi correo
electrónico gina-dominguez@
austindiocese.org y con gusto y
en español, le proporcionaré la
información distribuida durante
este evento.
SITINGS
September 2012
HOLY TRINITY PARISH IN LLANO welcomed local children for Vacation Bible School
during the last week of July. (Photo courtesy Roberta Lindsey)
31
THE YOUTH GROUP of Holy Family Parish in
Copperas Cove held a car wash to raise money for
World Youth Day 2013 in Brazil. (Photo courtesy
Meghan James)
THE YOUTH
of San José
Parish in Austin
participated in
the Diocese of
Austin Softball
Tournament on
July 29. (Photo
courtesy Erik R.
Diaz)
A WORKSHOP FOR INTERNATIONAL PRIESTS was held July 25-27
at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. The workshop featured
insights on the enculturation process and the priestly ministry in the
Austin Diocese. (Photo courtesy Carmen Cortes-Harms)
MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE attended a
retreat sponsored by the Guadalupanas
at Santa Cruz Parish in Buda on Aug.
4. Father John Kim and Father Charlie
Garza were the guest speakers. (Photos
courtesy Teresa Morales)
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS #7975 of St. Anthony Parish in Kyle
held a blood drive on July 10 in which 36 people donated blood. Two donors received rst aid kits during the blood drive. (Photo courtesy Ernest
A. Garcia)
MORE THAN 20
SQUIRES from the
Junior Columbian
Squires Circle at San
José Parish participated in the investiture
ceremony on July 28.
(Photo courtesy Rita
Velasquez)
ST. ALBERT THE
GREAT PARISH IN
AUSTIN held Vacation
Bible School in June.
(Photos courtesy Elois
White)
MEMBERS OF
THE ST. LOUIS
PRAYER BLANKET MINISTRY in
Austin presented
a check to the St.
Vincent de Paul
Society of St. Louis
Parish in Austin.
(Photograph courtesy Patsy Alvarez)
Send photos by the 10th of the month to [email protected].
SITINGS
32
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
THE T. DON HUTTO RESIDENTIAL
CENTER held a
Volunteer Appreciation Dinner
last spring. John
Gonzales was
recognized as
the “Volunteer of
the Year.” The
volunteers donate
Bibles, religious
items and their
time at the center.
(Photos courtesy
Kevin Howard)
MEMBERS OF THE ST. MARY’S ALTAR SOCIETY
in Bremond sewed 14 prayer blankets with Scriptures
from Psalms. The blankets are given to those who are
seriously ill. (Photo courtesy Tori Robertson)
ST. JOHN PARISH IN FAYETTEVILLE held Vacation Bible
School July 16-20. The youth learned about the pope and saints
such as St. Peter. (Photo courtesy Amy Babin)
THE HOELSCHER-BUXKEMPER FAMILY held a reunion
June 23-24 at
the Knights of
Columbus Hall in
Columbus. Msgr.
Elmer Holtman celebrated Mass with the family, which migrated from
Germany in 1846. (Photo courtesy Darwin Brokmeyer)
A NEW CHAPTER OF THE LEGION OF
MARY began meeting Aug. 7 at St. Patrick
Parish in Hutto. Addy Miro is the president.
(Photo courtesy Jose R. Gonzalez)
YOUNG MEN from around the diocese attended the “Quo Vadis” discernment retreat
in June at St. Thomas More Parish in Austin.
(Photo courtesy Paul-Michael Piega)
THE KNIGHTS
OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL #9997 of
St. Thomas
More Parish in
Austin donated
a new barbecue grill with
accessories
to the Borromeo House in
Austin. (Photo
courtesy Peter
Pang)
Send photos by the 10th of the month to [email protected].
SISTER DESIREE
JOSEPH (center) entered into the Apostles of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus Novitiate in Connecticut. She is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Norman
Joseph of Austin and
attended the University of
Texas. (Photo courtesy
Sr. Lisa Retort, ASCJ)

September 2012 - Diocese of Austin

Transcription

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