After confronting cancer, survivors conquer Kilimanjaro Diocesan

Transcription

T HE C ATHOLIC
M IRROR
After confronting cancer,
survivors conquer Kilimanjaro
Vol. 46, No. 1
The primary task of a diocesan newspaper is to “serve the truth with courage, helping the public see, understand
and live reality with the eyes of God.”
- Pope Benedict XVI, Nov. 25, 2006
January 20, 2012
Diocesan
school
enrollment
bucks state,
national trends
By Lisa Bourne
Staff Writer
On the eve of the Epiphany, Msgr. Frank Bognanno celebrated Mass for the cancer survivors and caregivers who
journeyed to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest point in Africa. The trip was coordinated by Dr. Richard
Deming, an oncologist with Mercy Medical Center and founder of Above and Beyond Cancer.
Photo by John Richard
By Lisa Bourne
Staff Writer
A pastor and deacon from
the Des Moines diocese have
just returned from a once-in-alifetime adventure.
Msgr. Frank Bognanno, 72,
and pastor of Christ the King
Parish in Des Moines, and
retired Deacon Dave Bartemes,
73, from St. Pius X Parish in
Urbandale, were among a group
of cancer survivors who
climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in
Africa, the highest peak on that
continent at more than 19,330
feet.
Nineteen cancer survivors
made the journey, 17 of them
summited with 21 support team
members.
They walked 40 miles on
the climb and spent a night
camping in the crater of the
now extinct volcano. The
temperature at the summit was
zero.
The trip was organized by
Des Moines oncologist Dr.
Richard Deming and led by
world
triathlete
Charlie
Wittmack, of St. Augustin
Parish in Des Moines.
Also on the trip was Tim
Meyer, of Holy Trinity Parish in
Des Moines.
It’s been 17 years since
Msgr. Bognanno’s initial
diagnosis of prostate cancer,
from which he experienced full
recovery. Three years ago the
cancer reappeared, but at a level
so low that the approach had
been to simply continue
monitoring things.
He’d been seeing Dr.
Deming for treatment. The
doctor asked Msgr. Bognanno
to join the cancer survivor
expedition.
“I was a little hesitant at
first,” said Msgr. Bognanno. “I
mean, my idea of camping is a
Motel 6 with black and white
television.”
He joined people from
across the country taking part in
the trip, including his own
niece, Anna Corulli from
Augusta, Ga.
A priest for nearly 47
years, Msgr. Bognanno has
completed triathlons in the past
and has continued to run and
walk regularly.
But six weeks before the
journey, his fitness regimen
changed, to one that prepared
him
to
climb
Mount
Kilimanjaro.
Dr. Deming, who is the
director of the Cancer Center at
Mercy Medical Center, led a
group to Mount Everest last
April, and has said that
climbing a mountain is a
metaphor that many cancer
survivors use to describe their
cancer experience.
The group flew more than
800 prayer flags at the peak for
Relay for Life, honoring cancer
victims and survivors.
Deacon Bartemes is in his
third remission since his 2008
prostate cancer diagnosis. As
the oldest member of the group,
he said he was more than ready
to go to Africa.
“Life is not about storing
treasure,” he said in response to
what his mantra might be.
Deacon Bartemes saw
mention of the trip in the
newspaper and right away went
to his computer to apply, said
his wife, Cora Bartemes.
“He never had any
hesitation,” she said. “It was
something that he immediately
wanted to do.”
Tim
Meyer’s
son,
Matthew, an account executive
in Mercy Medical Center’s
Public Relations and Marketing
Department in Des Moines,
encouraged his father to learn
more about Dr. Deming’s trip to
Mount Everest in 2011. Then,
Tim Meyer was diagnosed with
prostate cancer. He had surgery
Nov. 3, trained and climbed
Continued on page 10
Enrollment is up in Des
Moines diocesan schools, a
contrast to diocesan schools in
the rest of the state and nation.
Credit goes to marketing,
availability
of
financial
assistance, high test scores and
a recognition of the strong
academic and faith formation
in diocesan schools.
“Our enrollment is up 60
students from last year,” said
Darcie Tallman, marketing
specialist for the Des Moines
diocesan Schools Office.
There are 6,476 students in
the 17 diocesan schools this
year, up from 6,416 in 20102011. There has been a steady
increase from 6,284 in 20072008 to 6,313 in 2008-2009
and then to 6,348 in 20092010.
“The enrollment increase
has been spread across many
grade levels,” said Diocesan
Superintendant of Schools Dr.
Luvern Gubbels. “Enrollment
has increased slightly in first,
second, fourth, fifth, seventh,
eighth and tenth grades.”
The local trend contrasts
state and national trends.
“This year we were the only
diocese in the state of Iowa to
increase our enrollment,” said
Tallman. “The national trend
for Catholic school enrollment
has been declining overall.”
U.S. Catholic school
enrollment peaked during the
early 1960s when there were
more than 5.2 million students
in nearly 13,000 schools across
the nation, according to the
National Catholic Education
Association.
The 1970s and 1980s saw
a sharp drop in both the number
of schools and students. By
1990, there were roughly 2.5
million students in 8,719
schools. From the mid-1990s
though 2000, there was a
steady enrollment increase of
Continued on page 7
2
Diocesan News
Catholic Schools -- A Great Blessing
The Catholic Mirror, January 20, 2012
In the Heartland with Bishop Pates
Along with the rest of the
nation, the Diocese of Des
Moines is celebrating Catholic
Schools Week, January 29 –
February 5. The theme this
year is Catholic Schools –
Faith. Academics. Service.
Since becoming Bishop of
Des Moines, I continually grow
in my appreciation of what the
15 grade schools, 2 high
schools and one college, Mercy
College of Health Sciences, are
to our diocesan community.
This
appreciation
is
obviously shared. Since 2003
our aggregate enrollment has
grown from 6,189 to 6,476 at
the 17 grade and high schools.
Mercy College has grown by
217 students. These growth
statistics buck the regional and
national trends. Why?
I
contend the reasons are several.
first
is
the
The
to
Catholic
commitment
character of our schools. In our
diocese we owe an enormous
debt to the women religious
who, with fervent dedication
over
scores
of
years,
established this foundation in
identity by dedicating their
lives in order that the Spirit of
Jesus and our Catholic Church
might permeate our schools.
The baton has now passed to a
fresh generation. Engaging this
responsibility today is typically
a team in each institution
constituted by the pastor,
associate pastors and chaplains,
along with the school’s
administration and the entire
faculty and staff.
Like their predecessors,
each member of today’s school
team brings a faith and
acceptance of one’s role as a
part of the Body of Christ to the
school community which
mission they make their own.
The outcome is a culture
characterized by faith and
charity incorporating Catholic
By
Bishop
Richard E.
Pates
traditions and especially the
sacramental and prayer life of
our Church.
Naturally, the quality of
religious instruction is vital.
Conveying insight that it is
applicable to daily life is
essential. Our schools have
always sought to be faithful to
Church teaching. Two recent
developments have been of
assistance in this regard. All of
the religion textbooks in our
schools (and in our parishes’
faith formation programs) are
expected to be in conformity
with the Catechism of the
Catholic Church. A second
example is that the scope and
sequence of the teaching
materials have been organized
in a curriculum framework
where, if our students are
attentive, the texts provide an
organized understanding of the
Catholic Church and its faith by
the end of high school.
One area in which our
schools have been particularly
successful is that of academics.
Almost without qualification
The
they are first rate.
standardized test scores exceed,
on average, their counterparts
in other educational settings by
two or three points. Since
2003, in the state of Iowa 43
schools (both public and
private) have been accorded the
prestigious national distinction
“Blue Ribbon Schools.” Four
of them are from the Diocese of
Des Moines: Dowling Catholic
High School, Sacred Heart,
Holy Trinity, and St. Augustin.
To attain this ranking requires
considerable effort by an
Bishop’s
Schedule
BISHOP RICHARD E.
PATES
Publisher
[email protected]
ANNE MARIE COX
Editor
[email protected]
LISA BOURNE
Staff Writer
[email protected]
The Catholic Mirror (ISSN 08966869) is published monthly for $18
per year by the Diocese of Des
Moines, 601 Grand Ave., Des
Moines, Iowa 50309. Periodicals
postage paid at Des Moines.
POSTMASTER: Send changes to
THE CATHOLIC MIRROR, 601
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PHONE: (515) 237-5046
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DIOCESAN WEBSITE:
www.dmdiocese.org
Friday, January 20
Des Moines – “In the Heartland
with Bishop Pates,” 1150
KWKY, Des Moines; Spirit
Catholic Radio Network,
Omaha, 10 a.m.
Saturday, January 21
Des Moines – Deacon
anniversary
retreat
for
permanent deacons ordained,
August 2010, St. Ambrose
Cathedral & Catholic Pastoral
Center, 9 a.m.
Des Moines – Mass for Life,
Christ the King, 5 p.m.
Sunday, January 22
Des Moines – Mass for
Vietnamese New Year, St. Peter
Vietnamese Catholic Community, 10:15 a.m.
Des Moines – Ecumenical
Prayer
Service,
Catholic
individual school. It is well
worth it, I believe, since it
pushes that particular school to
a new level of institutional
excellence. Our schools also
strive to keep current with
instructional technology to
assist in addressing the different
approaches of learners.
The students in our
Catholic schools exercise great
energy and take pride in their
co-curricular activities. They
consistently rank high in drama,
music, debate, dancing and
other arenas of competition.
Team spirit contributes much to
this success as is indicated by
the Girls Cross County team of
Dowling
Catholic.
Team
members have been champions
in the state the last five years.
And the small but formidable
St. Albert football team is
always in the midst of the
championship mix.
Contributing
to
the
ongoing growth of our schools
is the intentional effort of
marketing the product. The
most effective manner is by
word of mouth as the parents at
St. Malachy School in Creston
have so effectively proven. In
addition, the diocesan Schools
Board and the Schools Office
are active in highlighting the
values
of
our
schools
throughout the community as
well as being of assistance to
The
individual schools.
Diocesan Marketing Committee and Darcie Tallman,
marketing specialist, of the
Schools Office, have been
recognized nationally for a
creative direct mail campaign
for children ages 1-5. One
essential piece in the future
growth of our schools is the
welcoming and including of the
burgeoning Hispanic population with which our diocese is
richly blessed.
An area that requires
constant attention is that of
finances so that our Catholic
schools are affordable for all
parents who want their children
to be students in them. To the
great credit of the parishes and
especially our pastors, there is
remarkable commitment via
parish subsidies that represent
generosity,
sacrifice
and
recognition of the value of
Catholic schools. A second
source of funds is tax credits,
strategically provided for by the
State of Iowa. A 65 percent tax
credit is granted to donors who
contribute to organizations who
provide scholarships to students
at non-public schools. In the
Diocese of Des Moines, this is
Tuition
the
Catholic
Organization or CTO. The
donation also qualifies for a
federal tax deduction meaning
that 90 percent of the donation
has tax benefits. In each of the
last few years this program has
provided
scholarships
approaching $2,000,000.00 for
www.dmdiocese.org
students in diocesan Catholic
schools. For more information
for both scholarship recipients
and donors see:
www.cto
dsmdiocese.org.
The diocese conducts a
fundraising campaign for
scholarships to our Catholic
schools in January known as
“Project HOPE.” Its purpose is
to assist those families who
might have short-term needs or
who have experienced an
unexpected setback or whose
situation has fallen through the
cracks. I encourage your
generosity to “Project HOPE.”
On the college/university
level, two programs are worthy
of our attention. Mercy College
of Health Sciences which is a
branch of Mercy Health
corporate family, provides
quality education in the health
sciences from its flagship
nursing programs to a Bachelor
of Science in Health Sciences
along with other programs in
allied health fields. The board,
faculty and staff under the
leadership of Barbara Decker,
its president, and Brian
Tingleff, its Vice President of
External Affairs, have been
conscientious in enhancing the
Catholic identity of Mercy
College as it successfully
accomplishes its mission. This
can be seen in its attentive
implementation of the “Ethical
and Religious Directives for
Catholic Health Care Services.”
Also,
contributing
significantly to the faith life of
university students is St.
Catherine of Siena Catholic
Student Center, Drake Newman
Community. Building on the
accomplishments of his priest
predecessors, Father Joel
McNeil oversees a growing and
thriving program that serves the
student needs of Drake
University through its multiple
programs. Particularly noteworthy are four recent
university graduates who lead
the FOCUS (Fellowship of
Catholic University Students)
initiative at Drake Newman
Community. They are a pure
gift to the students they serve.
More information about Drake
Newman Community can be
found
at
www.newman
connection.com.
In his three years in service
to Drake collegians, Father
McNeil has also pulled together
a diocesan-wide corps that is
seeking to establish ongoing
Catholic presence at the 10
institutions of higher learning
in the 23 counties of Southwest
Iowa constituting the Diocese
of Des Moines. It is a highly
valued undertaking given the
decisive character for many in
this age range regarding
lifelong faith and value
decisions.
As we celebrate Catholic
Schools Week in the Diocese of
Des Moines, there is much to be
proud of and especially much to
be grateful for. As always,
gratitude is owed in the first
place to Divine Providence,
which has inspired and guided
our Catholic schools in
achieving a remarkable impact
in Southwest Iowa.
Official
Bishop Richard Pates has made
the following appointments for the
Diocese of Des Moines.
Father Joseph Pins, as Director of Vocations and
Chaplain to the St. Thomas More Center effective
immediately. Father Pins will also remain as Pastor of Holy
Spirit, Creston and St. Edward, Afton until June 1, 2012.
Father Chris Hartshorn as Pastor of St. Augustin, Des
Moines, effective Feb. 16, 2012. Father Hartshorn will
continue to serve as Vicar General of the Diocese of Des
Moines.
Father Joel McNeil as Pastor of Corpus Christi Parish,
effective June 1, 2012.
Father Mark Owusu, currently Chaplain of St. Gregory
Retreat Center, Bayard, to pastor of St. Catherine of Siena
Catholic Student Center and Director of Campus Ministry for
the Diocese of Des Moines, effective April 1, 2012.
Bishop Richard Pates
Diocese of Des Moines
Sister Jude Fitzpatrick
Chancellor
Longtime diocesan advisor retires
Diocesan News
www.dmdiocese.org
By Lisa Bourne
Staff Writer
Deacon Mike Riley is
retiring as director of the
Tribunal after having assisted
the diocese in multiple ways for
more than 40 years.
He will continue as
director of the Tribunal, which
assists people who have been
divorced reconcile with the
Church, until a successor is
found or until June.
He plans to continue as
director of the permanent
diaconate and in service to St.
Ambrose Parish.
During his time in service
to the diocese, Deacon Riley
was involved in the acquisition
of two chanceries, the sale of a
bishop’s house, three bishops’
installations, served as finance
chairman of the papal visit and
longtime lay trustee for the
corporation.
In
diocesan
addition to serving as director
of the Tribunal, he is a vice
chancellor and member of the
diocesan Finance Council.
“In accepting Deacon
Riley’s resignation, I do so with
a heart full of gratitude for his
extraordinary contributions to
the Diocese of Des Moines,”
said Bishop Richard Pates.
Deacon Riley grew up in
Des Moines. He and wife,
Joyce, have five children and
12 grandchildren, the 13th due
in March, and three great
grandchildren. They will
celebrate 50 years of marriage
in June.
A
certified
public
accountant by trade, he was
part of the first diocesan
Pastoral Council and Finance
Council.
Bishop Maurice Dingman
asked Deacon Riley to be lay
trustee for the diocese in the
late 1960s, a role in which he
served until 2003.
“No doubt we’ll miss him
and his presence,” said retired
Joseph
Charron,
Bishop
C.PP.S. “To me, he always has
a balanced presence and I think
he listened to people before he
would come to a decision.”
Doris Klang and Cathy
Gearhart have both served as
administrative assistants in the
diocesan Tribunal since before
Deacon Riley came to the
office in 2000.
“He’s very easy to work
for,” Klang said. “He expects
things done in a timely manner,
but he’s very caring, whether
it’s business or on a personal
basis.”
Gearhart agreed. Deacon
Riley has had high expectations
in the Tribunal Office, she said.
At the same time, he’s very
flexible with his staff.
“Family comes first,” she
said. “He’s just a very warm,
caring person, and always has a
smile on his face.”
Father Ed Pfeffer knew
Deacon Riley before his
ordination to the diaconate,
having worked with him on
3
Deacon Mike Riley
finance matters when Father
served as chancellor and as he
had served with the Tribunal.
“He was a really good
friend,” Father Pfeffer said.
Deacon Riley helped to
better facilitate the budget
process and also made things
run more smoothly in the
Tribunal, said Father Pfeffer.
“I don’t know what we’d
have done without Mike,” he
said. “He’s been a wonderful
asset.”
Msgr. Larry Beeson has
worked with Deacon Riley on
the Tribunal.
“People who deal with him
know him as compassionate
and understanding,” he said.
A search committee led by
Father Christopher Pisut is
working to find a successor.
“I’m definitely anxious
about finding a replacement
that shows a pastoral outlook
for running this office,” Deacon
Riley said. “It’s a high priority
to find the right person.”
Ordained to the permanent
diaconate in 2001, Deacon
Riley served at Christ the King
Parish in Des Moines before
going to St. Ambrose Cathedral
in 2006.
“Deacon Mike gave our
parish his keen sense of good
business practices, but mainly
he gave us his heart,” said
Msgr. Frank Bognanno, pastor
of Christ the King Parish. “His
gentle spirit won the hearts of
us all.”
Deacon Riley is a quiet,
gentle man that performs
service often out of the view of
others, said Father John
Bertogli, rector of St. Ambrose
Cathedral.
“I know all join me in
wishing the very best to Deacon
Mike and Joyce as they
anticipate and then begin a much
deserved new phase of their lives
in retirement,” Bishop Pates
said. “Our heartfelt prayers are
with them.”
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4
www.dmdiocese.org
Opinion
Assist the elderly by volunteering as a guardian
One of the most difficult decisions a
family has to make involves how to deal
with an elderly family member who can
no longer make decisions for
themselves. I think most of us know of
someone who has faced this situation.
Usually with the help of the family
physician and an understanding
attorney, a power of attorney can be
easily drafted or a court ordered
guardianship obtained.
As an attorney, I do this work as the
bulk of my practice. And usually, there
is a bit of cooperation between family
members so that setting up a proper
arrangement for “Uncle Ned” is a fairly
easy process. If Uncle Ned agrees, a
power of attorney can be drafted and
signed, appointing a family member or
trusted friend as a surrogate decision
maker. If court action is necessary, you
only need to identify the person in need,
show that need, and provide for a
suitable surrogate and petition the court
accordingly.
Obviously, there are times when
family disharmony makes the process
more difficult, but in times like that at
Too often,
least there is a family.
however, that is either not the case or
family members are the reason for Uncle
Ned’s disabilities. Then the selection of
a surrogate – or guardian – is out of the
family’s hands and the courts rely on
volunteers to step forward to assume
those roles.
In 2011, Polk County had slightly
Take a break with
Deacon Mike
By Deacon
Mike Manno
less than 2,000 open guardianship cases;
approximately 26 percent of those –
about 530 – were being handled by the
Polk County Attorney’s Office, which
means that for those 530 cases there was
no family member or friend who had
petitioned the court for assistance.
Simply put: these were cases the
Department of Human Services
initiated.
Almost every day DHS will receive
a call from a neighbor, delivery person,
or police officer about someone who is
living alone and who is unable to care
for themselves. If the individual is
found to be in need of medical or other
type of care, DHS will seek an
emergency court order to place that
person in the proper facility, which
could be anything from a nursing home
to a hospital.
The initial emergency order is
usually good for only a few days, but it
can be renewed for up to about six
months. During this time DHS will
usually seek a guardian for the
individual. This can be a critical time,
for until a suitable guardian is found, the
individual will remain a ward of the
state and long-term care and placement
cannot be completed.
Sometimes the department gets
lucky and locates a family friend or
relative who will agree to accept the
responsibility. Often, however, no such
person can be found and a volunteer
guardian will be sought. Typically,
according to DHS workers, at any given
time there are 30 or so such cases
pending in Polk County alone.
There are, of course, several people
who give of their time as volunteer
guardians that DHS can rely on. One
individual I am familiar with currently is
handling nearly 60 such cases.
Naturally, you don’t need a crystal ball
to see that one coronary could implode
the system. Additionally, with the
greater awareness of the plight of elderly
persons who are in need of guardians,
there is an increasing need for more
volunteers.
Acting as a guardian can take as
much or as little time as one is willing to
give and certainly fulfills our Christian
obligation to perform the corporal works
of mercy, since you will be the conduit
for your ward receiving the necessities
of life.
Guardians are not financially
responsible for their ward, nor do they
take them into their homes. What they
do is to work with professionals from
DHS and other service agencies to make
placement and treatment decisions for
the ward. Thus, a guardian would be
asked to sign admission requests for
hospitals, applications for state
assistance or Medicare, Medicaid or
Social Security benefits, and to monitor
the ward’s treatment and condition and
make a brief yearly report to the court.
If additional court involvement is
necessary, the county attorney’s office
will file all the necessary paperwork.
sometimes
the
Additionally,
individual has property or has financial
resources that need to be managed. In
that case a conservator, along with a
guardian will be appointed (they can be
the same person). A conservator will
then manage the financial affairs of the
ward.
Volunteers do receive training from
DHS and the local county attorney’s
office, and personnel there are usually
very helpful if questions arise.
Helping those who cannot help
themselves is part of our duty as
Christian citizens. If you would like to
volunteer, or learn more about becoming
a volunteer guardian, contact DHS
volunteer coordinator Judy German. She
can be reached at 515-725-2743. For
those outside of Polk County, just
contact your nearest DHS office.
Remember, it is our duty to care for
those unable to care for themselves.
calisthenics for the brain.”
McCullough uses a 60-year-old
Royal typewriter to pound out his
thoughts on the page. “I’ve written
everything I’ve ever had published on
it,” he said. “It’s a superb example of
American manufacturing.”
But writing is not just an
intellectual exercise. It can also be a
religious one.
I recently interviewed Mitch
Albom, author of “Tuesdays With
Morrie,” the bestselling memoir in
history. The Detroit journalist told me
that writing is an inherently spiritual
endeavor. “You need to be infused with
a certain spirit in order to be able to
create,” he said, “and I believe all our
talents come from God.”
We write to make sense of our lives
and our world, to examine who we have
been and who we hope to become.
That’s what Anne Bradstreet did.
Among the British colonists settling in
America, she was the first to have a
book of poetry published. She
chronicled her first impressions, having
found “a new world and new manners,
at which [her] heart rose.” She wrote
her
about
her
pregnancy,
granddaughter’s death and the burning
of her home. In a poem honoring Queen
Elizabeth, written 13 year after
Bradstreet had arrived in Massachusetts,
she wrote of “terra incognita” – Latin for
“unknown territory,” “unexplored land.”
Stepping into 2012 with our private
struggles and secret hopes, our Catholic
faith and our varied education, each of
us faces terra incognita, and we owe it to
ourselves to process it on paper. Every
journey requires a journal.
Resolve to write in the New Year
Benjamin Franklin was 27 when he
dipped his pen in red ink, drew a sevencolumn, 13-row chart and resolved to
master all the moral virtues.
It was Sunday and the first day of
July. The last of the 13 British colonies
to be founded, Georgia, was being
settled, and each colony was working
out its own system of self government.
Young Franklin was ready to look
within and devise his own self
governance. He broke down his day –
eight hours of work, seven hours of
sleep, a two-hour lunch break – and
dedicated one week to each of the 13
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Twenty Someting
By Christina
Capecchi
virtues he had identified, beginning with
temperance.
“I was surprised to find myself so
much fuller of faults than I had
imagined,”
he
wrote
in
his
autobiography, “but I had the
satisfaction of seeing them diminish.”
It is an impulse that returns each
January: to systematically detect and
diminish one’s faults, day by day, row
by row, like yanking weeds or drilling
cavities.
This month we adjust to a new year
and celebrate the patron saint of writers,
St. Francis de Sales, and whether the
prospect of 2012 has you feeling
ambitious or overwhelmed, I can think
of no better response than writing.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and
historian David McCullough owes part
of his career to the fact that founding
fathers like Franklin wrote prolifically.
“The loss of people writing –
writing a composition, a letter or a
report – is not just the loss for the
record,” he told Time magazine last
year. “It’s the loss of the process of
working your thoughts out on paper, of
having an idea that you would never
have
had
if
you
weren’t
[writing]…People [I research] were
writing letters every day. That was
Christina Capecchi is an awardwinning writer from Inver Grove
Heights, Minn. She can be reached at
www.ReadChristina.com.
Letters to the Editor
Bishop Richard Pates wishes to share
the following letter.
Your Excellency,
The Holy Father has asked me to
of
acknowledge
the
offering
$20,737.63 which you sent from the
Diocese of Des Moines as Peter’s
Pence for the year 2011.
His Holiness is grateful for this
charitable donation and for the
sacrifice which it required. He thanks
you and your people for this
expression of your devotion to the
Successor of Peter and your desire to
cooperate in the works of is ministry.
Assuring you and the clergy,
religious and laity of the diocese of a
remembrance in his prayers, the Holy
Father cordially imparts his Apostolic
Blessing.
With personal good wishes, I remain
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone
Secretary of State
www.dmdiocese.org
5
States legislative session begins
Opinion
The legislative session began with
the usual mix of speeches and
introductory committee meetings. Gov.
Terry Branstad presented his 17th
Condition of the State message to the
members of the General Assembly.
Proposed budget
The governor proposed a $6.2
billion budget for Fiscal Year 2013,
which is about a $230 million increase
over last year. Most of the increases are
in health care and education. He
announced a four-point jobs plan, which
would reduce commercial and industrial
property taxes by 40 percent over eight
years. The plan would also cut taxes for
smaller Iowa companies that provide
materials for big companies like John
Deere.
Education
The governor also discussed his
new education plan. He said education
“must be a greater priority,” and that the
goal would be to “turn good schools into
world-class schools.” The plan is
budgeted for $25 million, and includes:
• Retention of third-graders who do
not meet basic literacy requirements
• Make seniority a minor factor in
deciding which teachers are laid off
• Give all preschool students a
kindergarten readiness assessment
• Require high school students to
take end-of-course exams before they
graduate
• Eliminate requirements around
“seat time” for academic credit
• Increasing availability of online
classes
• Innovation acceleration fund
Late last week, the governor’s
education reform bill - 156 pages long was released in the House and Senate.
The bills are House Study Bill 517 and
Senate Study Bill 3009. We’re taking a
look at the bill, along with our ICC
Education Committee, to evaluate how
it might affect Catholic schools and
expand educational opportunities for
parents and students. You’ll be hearing
more about this in the coming weeks.
Ultrasound before abortion
Another bill of interest was filed
this first week of the session. House File
2033 by Rep. Walt Rogers (R-Cedar
Capitol Comments
By Tom
Chapman
Falls) would require that a woman be
offered the opportunity to view an
ultrasound of her baby before an
abortion is performed. This is a good bill
and once we assess where it fits in with
other possible pro-life legislation we’ll
let you know about any action alerts.
U.S. Supreme Court decides case on
“ministerial exception”
I wanted to make sure you got the
notice of an important decision handed
down by the U.S. Supreme Court last
Wednesday in the “Hosanna-Tabor”
case. The court voted unanimously to
uphold a church’s right to determine
whom its ministers are and banned
government interference in the process.
Bishop William E. Lori of
Bridgeport, Conn., chairman of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad
Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty,
said in a statement:
“The Supreme Court decision
marks a victory for religious liberty and
the U.S. Constitution. Freedom of
Religion is America’s First Freedom and
the court has spoken unanimously in
favor of it. The Founding Fathers would
be proud. Respect for the long-standing
‘ministerial exception,’ which is
grounded in the religion clauses of the
First Amendment and prevents the
government from interfering in the
employment relationship between a
Church and its ministers. This decision
makes resoundingly clear the historical
and constitutional importance of
keeping internal church affairs off limits
to the government - because whoever
chooses the minister chooses the
message. It’s a great day for the First
Amendment.”
I believe this may have implications
for being able to choose teachers in
Catholic schools, in that a role in
conveying the Church’s message and
carrying out its mission are relevant to
the “ministerial exception.” You can
read the decision for yourself at
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/
10-553.pdf.
Religious leaders join together in
support of marriage, religious liberty
Leaders of some of the largest
religious communities in the United
States have joined together in an open
letter to all Americans to voice their
shared concern for marriage and
religious freedom.
The letter, titled “Marriage and
Religious Freedom: Fundamental Goods
That Stand or Fall Together,” was
released Jan. 12. It can be found at
w w w. u s c c b . o r g / i s s u e s - a n d a c t i o n / m a r r i a g e - a n d family/marriage/promotion-anddefense-of-marriage/ecumenical-andinterreligious-activities.cfm. Signatories
include leaders from Anglican, Baptist,
Catholic, Evangelical, Jewish, Lutheran,
Mormon, and Pentecostal communities
in the United States.
Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan,
archbishop of New York and president
of the USCCB, was one of the four
signing Catholic bishops.
“Marriage and religious liberty are
at a crisis point in the United States,” he
said. “This letter is a sign of hope. Not
only are tens of millions of believing
citizens represented in the letter’s
signatories, but the letter itself testifies
to the growing and shared awareness of
just how important marriage and
religious freedom are to the well being
of our country. The letter makes a
compelling argument that needs to be
heard by all of us, especially those in
positions of authority: anyone truly
concerned with religious freedom must
also be a defender of marriage’s
perennial definition.”
Farm Bill
According to the National Catholic
Rural Life Conference, the Farm Bill is
our opportunity to shape the health,
equity, and long-term economic and
environmental sustainability of the U.S.
farm and food system. The National
Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is
launching its 2012 Farm Bill Campaign
as Congress returns to session later this
month. NCRLC is a long-time member
of this coalition.
In addition, Catholic Relief
Services will be advocating on the
international aspects on the Farm Bill,
particularly funds for Title II Food for
Peace and McGovern-Dole Food for
Education programs. CRS is also
suggesting moving away from the
practice of selling U.S.-grown food in
foreign countries to pay for aid
programs. It would be more efficient to
directly fund the programs.
Rural Ministry conference
Wartburg Theological Seminary’s
31st Annual Rural Ministry Conference
is being held on March 4-6. This year’s
focus is “Courage in a Caring
Community.” The Rural Ministry
Conference outreach is continuing to
grow and has become an ecumenical
conference for those working in small
town and rural parishes throughout the
Midwest. James Ennis, executive
director of the NCRLC, is one of the
speakers.
Participants can register online by
the
links
from
following
www.ruralministry.com.
Poverty Awareness Month
Because compassion for those who
are poor and vulnerable was a central
part of Jesus’ mission, the U.S bishops’
Poverty USA Campaign seeks to
broaden the general understanding of
and concern for people living in poverty
in America. The campaign strives to
engage as many people as possible in
our shared responsibility to care for
those who are in need. Help shed light
on the seriousness of poverty in America
and find ways to do something about it
by joining the Poverty Awareness
Facebook Event in January.
Follow legislative process
For more information about the
legislative process, visit www.legis.
iowa.gov. One innovation of the
legislature’s website this year is that live
video of floor debates will be available.
Tom Chapman is the executive director
of the Iowa Catholic Conference, the
public policy arm of the Catholic
Church in Iowa.
Catholic education helps today and tomorrow
High school students from St. Albert
Catholic Schools and Dowling Catholic
High School participated in an essay
contest. They wrote about what they
value most about their Catholic
education and how it will help them in
the future.
The winning essay from a St. Albert
student is below. The winner from
Dowling Catholic will be featured in the
February issue of The Catholic Mirror.
From the start of my education I
have been attending a Catholic school.
Being in this kind of environment has
really allowed me to grow in my faith
and everyday life.
Not only has my education helped
me in today’s world, but I feel I have
learned lifelong skills that will affect my
future.
Guest Column
By Nicole Bighia
Being a student at a Catholic school
has really opened up the door for many
opportunities. In a public school, these
opportunities wouldn’t have been
present.
As a part of a small, Catholic
school, I feel much more in sync with
God and my faith. I value this sense of
closeness the most. Having the ability to
be able to pray before every class gives
me the feeling of God’s presence in
everything I do and accomplish.
Attending weekly Mass and seasonal
reconciliation is something I proudly
share with others. Being able to
celebrate God in the seven hours I go to
school should be felt by every Catholic,
but sadly it isn’t.
Even in the sports in which I
participate, my faith is shown. When my
team huddles together before a meet to
say our prayer, I feel as though God will
be with us every mile of the way:
Leading and protecting.
Along with providing skills for
today, my Catholic education has given
me skills for the future as well. When I
go off to college, I will feel the need to
attend weekly and Sunday Masses
simply from the repetition of them
throughout life. Every night before bed,
I must pray and thank God for
everything he has given me or just to
talk to him. This has formed to be one
of my nighttime routines. With routines,
I am able to take time out of my busy
schedule and devote it to God. Through
Catholic education, this has grown
stronger.
I am confident in saying that when I
grow up and have a family of my own, I
will try my hardest to give the gift of
Catholic education like I had. With the
skills I have acquired over my 12 years
of being a part of Catholic school family,
I will help to influence the lives of
younger generations to come.
Nicole Bighia is a senior at St. Albert
Catholic Schools.
6
Jan. 21
Saturday
Franciscan Retreat
URBANDALE —St. Pius X
Social Justice Committee is hosting
a Franciscan Spirituality & Justice
parish retreat from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
in the Martha and Mary Room.
Susie Paloma, executive director
of the Center for Social Ministry,
social justice consultant, and
Franciscan associate, will facilitate
the retreat day. For questions or to
register, contact Bonnie Reed at
515-276-6988
or
rcubed0@
hotmail.com
You may also
contact the Center for Social
Ministry
at centerforsocial
[email protected]
Jan. 22
Sunday
Chicken & Noodle Dinner
INDIANOLA – St. Thomas
Aquinas Parish in Indianola is
serving dinner from 11:30 a.m.-2
p.m. Adults/$7, children 5-12/$3
and under 5/free. Tickets may be
purchased at the door.
Jan. 24
Around the Diocese
Tuesday
Catholic Widows and Widowers
DES MOINES — Business
meeting at 2 p.m. at St. Augustin
Church in the lower level. Bring a
sack lunch. We’ll have coffee.
Reminder: Dues for 2012 are $12.
Make checks out to C.W.W. and
mail to Vern Kahler, 1423 20th St.,
West Des Moines, IA 50265.
Jan. 27-29
Fri.-Sun.
Christian Experience Weekend
ANKENY – A women’s
Christian Experience Weekend will
be held at Our Lady’s Immaculate
Heart Church. Contact Jan Brown
at 515-964-5527 or jan.brown3
@mchsi.com or the parish at 515964-3038 with questions
Jan. 30 Monday
Wicked Wise Guys
WEST DES MOINES – Mike
Aquilina will talk about “Fathers of
the Church as Teachers” from 78:30 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi
Church in the large meeting room.
Registration is appreciated to help
with
planning.
For
more
information or to register, visit
www.sjeciowa.org or call St.
Joseph Educational Center at 515222-1092.
Feb. 5 Sunday
Free Throw Contest
OSCEOLA – Knights of
Columbus District #48 Free Throw
Contest is at Clarke Community
High School gym. Doors open at 1
p.m., contest starts 1:30 p.m.
Contestants are the winners of the
local contest from Creston,
Chariton, Leon/Mt. Ayr and
Osceola KC contests. No cost.
Winners will advance to regional
contest.
Feb. 9-11 Thurs. - Sat.
Seminary Visit
ST. PAUL, MINN — The Office
of Vocations is taking a trip with
any interested young men to visit
St. John Vianney Seminary. Come
and experience the real world of
seminary: attend Mass, prayer,
spiritual conferences with our
priests, hear testimonies from our
seminarians, and take a tour of the
University of St. Thomas Campus.
This opportunity is for men ages
16-24. There is no charge for the
event and all meals are provided.
Contact the Office of Vocations at
515-237-5014, at lsteinkoenig@
or
through
dmdiocese.org,
Facebook at Des Moines Diocese
Office of Vocations.
Feb. 12 Sunday
Natural Family Planning Classes
WEST DES MOINES — The
next three-part series of classes on
www.dmdiocese.org
the sympto-thermal method of
natural family planning is
scheduled from 6-8:30 p.m. at St.
Francis of Assisi Church. Cost is a
one-time fee of $135 for all course
materials, classes, one year of
consultation
with
certified
instructors, plus a one-year
subscription to Family Foundations magazine. Online registration is required at www.ccli.org.
For more information, call Renee
or Kerry at 515-278-1623 or send
an email to reneemcguire@
hotmail.com.
Feb. 17-19
Fri.-Sun.
Christian Experience Weekend
ANKENY – A men’s Christian
Experience Weekend will be held
at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart
Church. Contact Charlie Hoover at
515-965-5717 or cwhoover@
mchsi.com or the parish at 515964-3038 with questions
Feb. 18 Saturday
St. Joseph Trivia Night
WINTERSET – The next St.
Joseph’s Trivia Night begins at
6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Church in
Winterset. Free will offering for
wine and beer. Preregistration
required. Get the registration form
and
more
info
at
saintjosephchurch.net, or contact
Teresa
Kordick
at
[email protected] or 515-3210825.
Catholic Daughters of the
Americas
DES MOINES — Court Ave
Maria No. 302 will meet at noon at
the Basilica of St. John. Mass
celebrated by Msgr. Robert
Chamberlain, lunch and business
meeting follow. Dr. Tom Neal from
St. Joseph Educational Center will
speak.
June 9-18
Medjugorje Pilgrimage
URBANDALE – Travel to
Medjugorje with Msgr. Joe
McDonnell. For more information
Ellen
Miller
at
contact
[email protected]; 515-979Marilyn Lane at
0730 or
[email protected].
Basilica choir releases CD
The choir of the Basilica of
St. John has released a CD in
honor of the Blessed Mother.
“This has been a long time in
the making,” said Scott Rieker,
music director at the parish.
The CD, called, “Virgo
Serena – A Hymn to the Mother of
God” includes 12 masterworks
from the Catholic musical
tradition, encompassing more than
800 years of music.
“The goal was to create a
unified program, that highlights
the way Mary has been honored in
music through the centuries, as
well the pivotal role Mary plays in
salvific history,” said Rieker.
The album was recorded on
location in one marathon recording
session and features 31 singers
from the parish’s choir, as well as
the recently restored 1962
Casavant pipe organ.
CDs can be purchased
through the parish, at Divine
Treasures bookstore, and at
www.basilicamusic.org.
Highquality digital downloads may also
be purchased at the website.
Proceeds benefit the renovation
and expansion of the parish’s pipe
organ.
Fish fry dinners
Des Moines, St. Anthony Parish: every Friday night during Lent. (Feb.
24 – March 30) Serving from 5–7 p.m. at the parish hall, 15 Indianola
Ave. Cost: $7.50/Adults – $5/Children, All are welcome, sponsored by
the Father Victor Romanelli Knights of Columbus.
Urbandale, St. Pius X: Served from 5-7 p.m. each Friday (Feb 24 –
April 6). Sponsored by the St. Pius X Holy Name Society and served
in the parish center. Menu features baked and fried fish, French fries,
mac and cheese, cole slaw and pizza. Beverage is included. Cost:
$7/adults, $4/children (5-12), $25/families.
West Des Moines, Sacred Heart: Served from 5:30-7 p.m. each Friday
of Lent (Feb. 24 – March 30) in the Sacred Heart School gym. Menu
includes all-you-can-eat fried and baked fish, various side dishes,
baked potato or fries and a drink. Cheese pizza is also offered.
Homemade desserts will be available for purchase. Cost is $8/adults,
$5/kids ages 3-10, under 3 is free with a $35 immediate family
maximum. All proceeds benefit youth ministry programs.
Osceola, St. Bernard Parish: Served from 6–7:30 p.m. each Friday
(Feb. 24, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30) at St. Bernard parish hall: 222 E.
Pearl St., Osceola; Cost is $8/adults, $4/youth (4-12), no charge for
children (3 and under) and $25 for a family. Menu includes deep fried
fish, baked fish, baked potato, salads, dessert and drink.
In the Heartland
With Bishop Pates
“In the Heartland With Bishop Pates” is
a weekly, hour-long radio show broadcast
that airs live on Fridays at 10 a.m. on KWKY 1150 AM, Des
Moines, and Spirit Catholic Radio 102.7 FM, Omaha,
www.kwky.com and www.kvss.com. The show is replayed on
KWKY on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and Sundays at 8 & 11 a.m., 2, 5,
and 9 p.m. Upcoming show topics are:
• Jan 20 -- Catholic Schools Week
• Jan 27 -- To be determined
• Feb 3 -- Evangelization through technology
• Feb 10 -- Bishop Pates and the USCCB Committee for
International Peace & Justice
Call in with questions at 10:45 a.m.
Fridays at 515-223-1150 or email
[email protected]
Diocesan schools
increase enrollment
www.dmdiocese.org
Continued from page 1
1.3 percent despite continued
closings of schools.
In the last decade, 1,755,
or 21.5 percent of schools, were
reported to have closed or
consolidated, according to the
NCEA. The number of students
declined by 587,166, or 22.1
percent. Elementary schools
have been most affected.
Why the upward trend for
the Des Moines diocese?
Credit lies in marketing,
academic achievement, tuition
assistance and the faith
component, Tallman said.
“Our test scores are above
state and national scores,” she
said. “Parents are seeking a
faith-based education and there
are growing sources of tuition
assistance, including CTO
(Catholic Tuition Organization)
and Project HOPE (Help Our
Parents Educate).”
Iowa Test of Basic Skills
results for 2009-2010 and
2010-2011 shows diocesan
schools performing higher than
the state and national scores,
said Tallman.
The ACT data for 2011
shows diocesan high schools
received a composite score of
24.4, which compares with
Iowa’s composite score of 22.3,
she said.
In 2009, a commitment
was
made
to
increase
marketing efforts.
Diocesan
Schools
Marketing Committee Chair
Clark Smith was involved in
developing the marketing plan,
both through his work on the
committee and his firm Smart
Solutions
Group,
which
donated expertise in the plan’s
development.
He has praise for both the
marketing committee and
Tallman in raising awareness of
diocesan schools.
“Darcie is the big reason
for our success,” Clark said.
“She took the plan and
implemented everything that
was in it.”
In addition, parish schools
have
developed
active
marketing committees and they
are taking advantage of what
the committee and Tallman
have developed for them to use.
“We realize that we have
been too timid in the past to tell
our story of success,” said Dr.
Gubbels.
Dr. Gubbels said additional
financial resources are also a
factor.
Project HOPE had an
increase by $20,000 this
current year and more than $1.8
million was dispersed through
the
Catholic
Tuition
Organization, said Dr. Gubbels.
Plus, he said, there is a
strong professional development
plan for administrators and
teachers, he said.
Diocesan School Board
Chair Craig Hastings said the
spiritual component in the
Catholic schools is also a
factor.
“Parents see the value of
our schools in educating the
whole student, not just
academically, but spiritually,”
he said. “We have the ability in
our schools to address spiritual
needs and instill values that
carry over into all of the
student’s activities. I think our
schools fill that role superbly.”
Mercy College
enrollment up
Mercy College of Health
Sciences in Des Moines
reported a record increase of
5 percent in enrollment for
the 2011-2012 school year
over the previous year.
Mercy College is the
only Catholic college in the
Diocese of Des Mones.
The school has 833 fulland part-time degree-seeking
students.
7
First-grade
student Atem
Kodok gets help
from teacher Kay
Weishaar at St.
Patrick School in
Perry. Behind
them is student
Patton
Culbertson.
St. Patrick School
is among several
schools in the
Diocese of Des
Moines that saw
enrollment go up
this school year.
St. Patrick has 21
more students
this school year.
Photo by Lisa Bourne
8
Diocese blessed with exceptional teachers
By Dr. Luvern Gubbels
Diocesan Schools Superintendent
In celebration of Catholic
Schools Week, I would like to
honor our exceptional teachers.
It is the passion and dedication
of our 451 faculty plus a large
number of support staff who
operate our 17 Catholic schools.
One of my favorite parts of
my job is being able to visit the
classrooms at our schools. I’m
always amazed with the caliber
of our teachers as they further
the mission of Catholic schools,
and how they engage and
challenge the students in the
classroom.
On a recent visit, I entered a
high school classroom just as the
teacher was beginning his class
with a prayer that was focused
on the needs and intentions of
the students. This teacher
certainly serves as a great role
model for the students. After
Teachers at St. Augustin School in Des Moines take a lunch break.
the prayer, he immediately
launched into his math lesson
for the day with no time wasted.
We have many, many more
teachers who are good spiritual
Some extra special care
Below includes portions of a
letter Jeff and Becky Gross
wrote for the Harlan Tribune.
By Jeff and Becky Gross
When our youngest son
struggled a bit in preschool at
Shelby
County
Catholic
School, his teachers, Joy
Petersen and Shelli Schaben,
worked with him to help him
grow.
His kindergarten teacher,
Yvonne Gaul was amazing,
keeping us informed of what
was going on and how we could
help him at home.
His first grade teacher,
Holli Plambeck, noticed that he
blinked a lot while he read. She
asked him questions about why
he would blink. He told her that
the words moved around on the
paper and it was hard to see
them.
She asked more questions
and decided to do some
research on her own time. She,
his past teachers and the
principal, Ann Andersen, talked
about his frustration. After
doing her research, she
recommended that we take him
to see a developmental
optometrist because she felt he
might be a candidate for vision
therapy. Praise God for her!
Turns out he has double
deficit, the most serious reading
dysfunction. We cannot express
enough how grateful we are to
his first grade teacher for
making the effort to give our
son some extra special time and
research the things she was
seeing with him. If this was not
caught, he could have continued
to struggle for the rest of his
school years.
We are so grateful for the
staff at Shelby County Catholic
School for working as a family
to give that extra special care
to their students and the
families of their students.
Shelby County Catholic School first grade teacher
Holli Plambeck with student Clay Gross.
and instructional leaders like
this teacher.
Thanks to the teachers of
the Diocese of Des Moines, our
students are not only receiving
The gift of a
Catholic
education
By Darcie Tallman
Diocesen Marketing Specialist
Project HOPE, also known
as Help Our Parents Educate,
gives children the opportunity
to receive a quality Catholic
education
by
providing
scholarships to families in need.
Over the last 31 years,
Project HOPE has been able to
provide access to Catholic
education to more than 7,800
students. Last year, Project
HOPE provided an average gift
of $521 to 116 students from
families with the greatest
financial need.
Today, there are many
people who desire a Catholic
education for their child but
need assistance with tuition.
The average cost to families for
Catholic elementary school
tuition is approximately $2,390
per student.
“I know St. Patrick School
is right for all three of my
children and I wouldn’t want
anything more than continuing
being part of St. Pat’s School
and Parish,” said Bernadette
Goodwin, a Project HOPE
recipient.
Help provide the gift of a
Catholic education and consider
giving to Project HOPE.
Donate online at www.dm
diocese.org/donate.cfm or you
can drop your gift in your parish
collection basket the weekend
of Jan. 28-29.
top academic training, but they
are learning about God and good
Christian values that will lead
them through life. My most
sincere thanks to our teachers
for serving as the learning
guides for our students and how
they model faithful citizenship
for the Catholic Church and
society.
Dowling Catholic’s new teachers
bring out-of-the-box lesson plans
By Darcie Tallman
Diocesan Marketing Specialist
Dowling Catholic High School offers a rigorous
professional development program for its first and second year
teachers to provide them with good mentoring and teaching
strategies.
The state emphasizes the importance of creating lesson
plans that stimulate critical thinking skills and are relevant to
the real world. Dowling Catholic works hard to create “rigor”
in its classrooms and this is taught and emphasized with all
teachers.
Recently, the first- and second-year teachers implemented
some out-of-the box lesson plans that stimulate critical thinking
skills by engaging students in tasks that are applicable to the
real world.
For example, leadership students learned conflict
resolution and negotiation by writing and acting two scenarios
between a married couple. Math students worked with college
funds by researching college tuition costs and used data to
determine how much they would need to invest now to afford
it.
In Spencer Waugh’s Advanced Composition class, students
became “Adolescents of the 1950s.” Students were asked to
interview another friend or family member so they could learn
more about teenage life in a different decade.
“They were surprised that they enjoyed the interview with
the relative,” said Waugh.
Waugh said that while the students were engaged in the
project, they learned multiple lessons. They connected with a
different time period, compared the trends of today to the past,
used a particular writing mode, used appropriate citations and
practiced their presentation skills.
“The number one comment we consistently hear is that
students really enjoy these projects – they are fully engaged in
the task and in the high-level thinking,” said Dr. Jim Dowdle,
principal at DCHS. “That’s why students are so interested.
They are engaged in the critical thinking, in the task, and it’s
relevant to their life.”
Catholic Schools Week
9
The week of Jan. 29 is National
Catholic Schools Week. The
Catholic schools from the Diocese
of Des Moines are celebrating with
a variety of activities and open
houses. Visit an open house and
learn more about Catholic schools.
For a listing of all the open
houses, visit
www.dmdiocese.org/catholicschools.cfm.
Some of the diocese’s exceptional teachers
Sheryl Dales
St. Pius X School, Urbandale
Sheryl Dales
has
been
teaching information literacy
skills for the past
five years at St.
Pius X School.
She works with
students in grades K-8 to help
them build and refine the
technology skills they will need
for high school and beyond.
Dales’s research and grant
writing skills has secured more
than $10,000 to enhance
technology at St. Pius X.
Phyllis Damgaard
St. Albert Catholic Schools
Phyllis Damgaard has been
the elementary
p h y s i c a l
education
teacher at St.
Albert Catholic
Schools for 19
years and is the
tennis coach for
St. Albert High School.
She serves on the school’s
health committee and always
encourages healthy living
throughout the curriculum. She
is innovative. For example, she
added a unit on roller skating
which is now done throughout
the K-12 program.
Jay Flaws
Sacred Heart School
Jay Flaws began his teaching
career
as
a
physical education
teacher at Sacred
Heart School in
West Des Moines
in 1981. His 30year tenure at
Sacred Heart has
been truly remarkable.
He
had
“differentiated
instruction” for every student in
his class long before the term
became popular. He always goes
the extra mile to teach and coach
students.
Mary Hingtgen
St. Theresa School
Mary Hingtgen is an
exceptional
fourth and fifth
grade teacher at
St.
Theresa
School not only
because of her
educational
background, but
because of her strong faith
foundation. She makes each
child feel special and that they
can succeed.
Hingtgen is an innovative
teacher always looking for the
latest research to be certain she is
providing the very best for her
students. She turns math into an
interactive subject in which
students practice multiple ways
to problem solve real life
situations.
Ryan Lensing
Dowling Catholic High School
Ryan Lensing has been a fulltime teacher in
Dowling Catholic’s science
department for
the past six
years.
He has been
a leader among
his peers, and has volunteered
many hours by speaking at
several receptions prior to the
construction of the new building.
Lensing devotes much time
and energy to creating and
teaching lessons that stimulate
students’ interest, challenge their
thinking and make important
connections to the students’
futures as global citizens.
Theresa Lynch
Holy Family School
Theresa Lynch is a sixth grade
teacher and has been at Holy
Family School for nine years.
One of her many
qualities is her
exemplary
ability to build
relationships
with students.
Lynch has high
standards for her
students and she insists every
child achieves at his or her
highest potential.
Lynch often mentors new
teachers at Holy Family School.
She is a quiet leader who models
for other teachers how to work
with students. She ensures the
teachings of Christ are infused
into everything she does in the
classroom.
Karen Mandernach
Assumption School
Karen Mandernach teaches
first and second grade at
Assumption School. She has 21
years
of
educational
experience with
the last 12 at
Assumption.
Mandernach is
a
nurturing
teacher,
a
necessity for young children. It is
apparent that she differentiates in
the classroom because she
expects and gets different
qualities from different students.
She is always the one to
volunteer, the one to stay longer
than anyone and the one people
go to for help.
Sister Joanne Mauro
St. Anthony School
The “Dancing Nun,” the
“Little Nun,” or
the “Bingo Nun”
have been terms
of endearment to
recognize Sister
Joanne Mauro at
St.
Anthony
School.
This
special Sister of Humility is a
member of our teaching staff and
has been working with children
in Catholic schools for 50 years.
Sister Joanne has been the
guidance counselor for 29 years
at St. Anthony School, the
school she graduated from in
1953. Over the years, she has
been a huge influence on
hundreds of kids in need of
someone who can listen, talk,
and cry with them.
Sharon McLoughlin
Christ the King School
Sharon McLoughlin has
taught 42 years, all of them at
Christ the King
School. She is a
first
grade
teacher
and
a s s i s t a n t
principal. Her
first priority is
her students. She
takes seriously her responsibility
of teaching children how to read,
and is always seeking ways to
improve her teaching.
McLoughlin has made a
difference in the lives of many
students. Last year, she became
a mentor for a middle school
student. This year, the student
asked McLoughlin if they could
continue
their
mentor
relationship.
Her positive
mentorship has been key to this
student’s success.
Janet Meisenheimer and
Amy Surma
St. Malachy School
Janet Meisenheimer, second
grade teacher,
and Amy Surma,
fifth
grade
teacher at St.
Malachy School,
h
a
v
e
transformed their
professional life
through active
participation in
professional
development
workshops and
coursework.
During the past three years, these
teachers have participated in
Making Sense of Math
Professional
Development
courses.
Meisenheimer, who has
taught 21 years at St. Malachy
and Surma, who has taught 16
years, are passionate about what
they do and go above and
beyond to assure they are
reaching and challenging all of
their students.
Julie Mooney
St. Albert Catholic Schools
Julie Mooney is a high school
science teacher and has been
teaching at St. Albert Catholic
Schools for 13
years. She is the
head
of
the
s c i e n c e
department where
she encourages
her colleagues to
always be looking for better
ways to teach.
Mooney loves to try new
ideas
and
incorporates
technology into her curriculum.
Students engage in many science
labs, from creating a bungee
jump for an egg to examining
and dissecting multiple organs
systems. Mooney always does
her best to help her students rise
to their best.
Tiffany Mulligan
Shelby County Catholic School
Tiffany Mulligan is the third
grade teacher at Shelby County
Catholic School. In her 10 years
of teaching, she
has inspired and
challenged her
students to learn.
Mulligan gets
to know each
one
of
her
students and helps them set
individual learning goals.
Whether racing cars down ramps
to learn about force and motion,
planning and operating their own
store and investing their profits,
or building beaver dams to learn
about
organisms
and
adaptations, Mulligan finds
ways to engage students in their
learning with many creative,
hands on, real-life lessons.
Maureen O’Meara Casey
St. Augustin School
Maureen O’Meara Casey has
27 years of educational
experience, with 17 of those at
St.
Augustin
School. As the
reading resource
teacher, students
from all grades
depend on her to
help them hone
and develop their reading skills.
Nathan Sweers, a fifth
grade student, says the best thing
about Casey is that she always
says, “Don’t get stressed, just do
your best!”
Her advanced knowledge of
CRISS strategies has also helped
everyone on the faculty become
more adept at using them in the
classrooms.
Joni Schnoes
St. Francis of Assisi School
Joni Schnoes is a student
support teacher working with
students in grades
K-4. She has 12
years
of
educational
experience, all in
Catholic schools,
with four of those
years being at St.
Francis.
Her love of teaching and
learning are evident as you speak
with her about student needs.
She is always willing to go
above and beyond her duties as a
teacher. Whenever she is a part
of a team or leads a group, one
can be assured that it will be
done
thoroughly
and
professionally.
Kathleen Sherzan
Holy Trinity School
Holy Trinity alumna Katheen
Sherzan has been teaching at
Holy
Trinity
School for four
years
as
an
innovative
and
energetic fourth
grade teacher.
She
builds
relationships with students and
takes time to truly get to know
each of them through interest
surveys, learning profiles and
conversations in the classroom.
Her classroom is equipped with
an interactive Promethean board,
document camera and individual
student
response
devices
(clickers). She utilizes this
technology in all lessons to
deliver instruction and engage
students.
Jennifer Simmons
St. Joseph School
Jennifer Simmons has been
teaching
science
and
mathematics at St.
Joseph School for
the past 13 years.
S i m m o n s
believes the best
way for students to
appreciate
science,
learn
concepts and think critically is to
allow the students to actively
construct ideas through their
own inquiries, investigations and
analyses.
Simmons is also known for
her use of technology in the
classroom. She wrote, and was
awarded a grant for the addition
of iPads which are being used by
students this year to enhance
their education.
Sister Nan Ross dies at age 83
Journey for
cancer survivors
10
Diocesan News
Mount Kilimanjaro.
“It’s been a very positive
experience for him,” Matthew
Meyer said.
The trip and its preparation
have meant his father hasn’t
had to experience the feeling of
being alone that many can have
with a cancer diagnosis.
“It’s been great to watch
this group of people embrace
their cancer diagnosis and
really use it to motivate
themselves and motivate each
other,” he said.
Msgr. Bognanno planned
to celebrate Mass each day for
the group on the expedition.
“I look at it as a chance to
get closer to God and, maybe
for people on the trip, coming
closer to God, too,” he said.
He’ll begin radiation
treatment upon his return to
Des Moines.
For more information or to
see blog posts and photos go
to
www.aboveandbeyond
cancer.com or facebook.com/
mercydesmoines.
ADRIAN, MICH. —
Dominican Sister Mary Cecile
Quirke, formerly known as Sister
Michael Cecile Quirke, died at
the Dominican Life Center in
Adrian, Mich. Jan. 10. She was
87 years of age and in the 64th
year of her religious profession
in the Adrian Dominican
Congregation.
Sister Mary Cecile was born
in Chicago. She spent 26 years
ministering in education in Des
Moines; Cleveland; Detroit; and
many other cities.
In the Diocese of Des
Moines, she served as a teacher
at St. Augustin School from
1948-1953.
Sister became a resident of
the Dominican Life Center in
Adrian, Mich. in 2001.
Memorial gifts may be
made to Adrian Dominican
Sisters, 1257 E. Siena Heights
Drive, Adrian, Mich., 49221.
Former St. Augustin School teacher dies
Sister Nan
(John
Ross,
William),
83,
died Dec. 19, at
Hall,
Marian
Dubuque, Iowa.
Burial was in the
Mount Carmel cemetery.
She was born in Newton in
1928 and entered the Sisters of
Charity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, also known as BVM
sisters, with first vows in 1949
and final vows in 1954.
In the Diocese of Des
Moines, Sister Nan served in
ministry and as a tutor at Mt.
Ayr Elementary School in
Maloy from 1996–2009.
She taught elementary
school in Iowa City and Cedar
Rapids; Chicago; Anchorage,
Alaska; and Californa, where
she was principal at one school.
She served as pastoral
associate and director of
religious education in Holy
Cross, Alaska.
She was assistant to the
administrator of the motherhouse,
and
served
as
administrator of the BVM
Center at Mount Carmel, both
www.dmdiocese.org
in Dubuque.
She is survived by nieces,
nephews and the Sisters of
Charity, BVM, with whom she
shared life for 64 years.
Memorials may be given to
the Sisters of Charity, BVM
Support Fund, 1100 Carmel
Drive, Dubuque, Iowa 52003,
online
at
or
www.bvmcong.org/whatsnew_
obits.cfm.
Two chalices were stolen
from Holy Family Church in
Council Bluffs last October.
One chalice was taken
from the sacristy and the other
from the tabernacle, according
to Father Ken Halbur.
Corpus Christi Parish staff
noticed the 100-plus, year-old
chalices missing on a Thursday
after they had been used for
Sunday Mass that week.
After a police report was
filed and subsequent newspaper coverage, the theft was
covered by an Omaha
television station. The story
prompted the antique dealer
where the thief had tried to sell
the chalices to contact another
dealer to whom the thief had
been referred and ultimately
sold the items, said Father
Halbur.
The second dealer, who’d
paid $1,100 for the chalices,
returned them to the parish, he
said.
One
chalice,
having
belonged to Bishop Thomas W.
Drumm, was received intact.
The other chalice had been
dismantled for the stones it
contained. The cup and base
were returned.
Pictures of the original
chalice have been used in the
restoration process, which is
being handled in Omaha.
Restoration is expected to
be completed soon.
Last November, Our Lady
of Carter Lake site of Corpus
Christi Parish experienced the
theft of a desktop computer.
There was no forced entry
apparent in the parish office or
other items identified as
missing, said Father Halbur.
A police report was filed in
the Our Lady of Carter Lake
theft as well.
Thefts of chalices, computer
reported in Council Bluffs
Diocese found to
be compliant with
charter
The Diocese of Des
Moines is in compliance with
the
data
collection
requirements for the 2010/2011
audit period for the Charter for
the Protection of Children and
Young People, according to
Stonebridge Business Partners,
the firm that conducted the
review. Bishop Richard Pates
received a letter dated Nov. 21,
2011 indicating the diocese is
in compliance.
Centennial perspective on
living and following Christ
Centennial
www.dmdiocese.org
Following the Nov. 6 Centennial Celebration, The Catholic
Mirror is printing the text of the four individuals who spoke
about living and following Christ. Next month, watch for the
texts from Ron and Maria Vakulskas Rosmann, of Shelby County.
By Antonio Banuelos
When I was in my early
childhood catechism preparing
for my First Communion, my
teacher used to tell us that the
Eucharist was a way to be closer
to Jesus. I specifically remember
her saying that “Jesus wants to be
my friend and be with me at all
times.” I used to wonder how
someone as important, and
especially as busy as Jesus, would
have the time to be my friend. My
parents would tell me: “When you
want to make a new friend, you
have to talk to that person.”
Prayer was always present in my
life. It was my way to get to know
him better and find out if he really
wanted to be my friend. My
parents had a lot of emphasis on
prayer but they did not give me
much basis. Most of my Bible
school was from the Gospel and
from the Old Testament. The Old
Testament would continuously
tell me that people spoke to God
through the prophets and though
the priests. How can I be a friend
of Jesus if I have to talk to him
through a third party?
In middle school, I
discovered the letter of the
Apostles. There I found the
answer on how to pray. In
Philippians 4:6-7 I read “Do not
be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. And
the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.” I am easily taken
by the speed of the world which
pulls us me in a hundred different
directions. The fast pace of my
live, even in my teen years, has
brought new levels of anxiety and
stress. I am so overwhelmed
sometimes that it is difficult to
find Jesus in my schedule. That
simple passage always has the
answer to my stress. Why worry?
Why the constant whirlwind?
Once I start shaking, I forget that
God is the one who decides what
will be, not me. I forget that it is
God who controls what will
happen, regardless of how much I
try to change it.
Even Jesus, in the midst of
his passion, abandoned by his
friends, seeing his disciples
sleeping, instead of losing it and
complaining, he presented his
request to God: “Father, if you are
willing, remove this cup from me;
yet not my will, but yours be
done.”
As I have embarked in
different endeavors in my life, as
have left my homeland, as I
struggle with the crossroads of
two cultures, I come back to that
passage; unfortunately most of
the times I remember it when I am
about to check myself in the
asylum. However, once I take the
opportunity to stop, breathe and
By Antonio Banuelos
Cuando
cursaba
el
Catecismo en mi infancia,
preparándome para mi Primera
Comunión, mi maestro nos decía
que la Eucaristía era una manera
de estar más cerca de Jesús.
Recuerdo específicamente
que nos decía que “Jesús quería
ser mi amigo y estar conmigo
siempre.” Yo me preguntaba
cómo alguien tan importante y
especialmente tan ocupado
como Jesús podía tener tiempo
para ser mi amigo. Mis padres
me decían: “Cuando quieres
conseguir a un nuevo amigo,
tienes que hablar con esa
persona.” La oración siempre ha
estado presente en mi vida. Fue
siempre la forma en que podía
conocer mejor a Jesús y
descubrir si Él quería en realidad
ser mi amigo. Mis padres hacían
mucho énfasis en la oración pero
no me dieron mucha base. La
mayoría de mis clases de
Catecismo se enfocaban en los
Evangelios y en el Antiguo
El Antiguo
Testamento.
Testamento
me
decía
constantemente que el pueblo
hablaba con Dios por medio de
los profetas y los sacerdotes.
¿Cómo podía entonces ser
amigo de Jesús si tenía que
hablar con Él usando a un
intermediario?
Fue en la Secundaria
cuando descubría las Cartas de
los Apóstoles. Ahí encontré la
respuesta a cómo orar. En
Filipenses 4:6-7 leí “No se
angustien por nada, y en
cualquier circunstancia, recurran
a la oración y a la súplica,
acompañadas de acción de
gracias, para presentar sus
peticiones a Dios. Entonces la
paz de Dios, que supera todo lo
que podemos pensar, tomará
bajo su cuidado los corazones y
los pensamientos de ustedes en
Cristo Jesús.” A mí me atrapa
fácilmente la velocidad del
mundo, el cual me jala en
cientos de direcciones opuestas.
El paso acelerado de mi vida,
incluso desde mi adolescencia,
me ha traído a inexplorados
niveles de estrés y ansiedad. A
veces estoy tan ocupado, que me
es difícil encontrar a Jesús en mi
agenda. Ese pasaje es siempre la
respuesta a mi estrés. ¿Por qué
preocuparme?
¿Por qué el
constante torbellino? Cuando
empiezo a desfallecer, se me
olvida que Dios es quien decide
lo que será, no yo. Se me olvida
que es Dios quien controla lo
que sucederá, sin importar lo
mucho que intente cambiarlo.
Incluso Jesús en medio de su
pasión, abandonado por sus
amigos, viendo a sus discípulos
durmiendo, en vez de perder la
cabeza y renegar, presentó su
plegaria a Dios: “Padre, si Tú así
lo deseas, aleja este cáliz de mí,
pero que se haga Tu voluntad, no
la mía.” Al empezar diferentes
proyectos en mi vida, cuando
dejé mi tierra natal, cuando
batallo con el choque de dos
culturas, vuelvo a ver ese pasaje;
desafortunadamente, la mayoría
de las veces cuando lo recuerdo
es cuando estoy a punto de ser
internado en el manicomio. Sin
embargo, una vez que me doy la
oportunidad de detenerme,
recognize God’s might and love, I
can put my prayer before him. I
heard Msgr. (Frank) Chiodo say
on the radio one time: “There is a
God, and I am not him.”
When I see projects take a
complete opposite direction to
what I expected and I start
assuming the position to pull my
hair off, my wife will tell me:
“You have not prayed enough,
have you?” Prayer allows me to
realize that Jesus is the one
carrying me when I only see on
set of prints. It is in finding that
peace when I present my request
to God that allows me to see Jesus
in my everyday life. Even a
simple “Glory to God” or an even
simpler “Good Morning, Jesus”
sets a whole different perspective
to my day. My days are better
when I put it in God’s hands in
thanksgiving. I am following
Christ, regardless of what the
world holds for me.
Prayer has helped me follow
Christ. However, prayer by itself
can become a very personal and
individual aspect of my faith. It
helps me feel Jesus as my heart is
burning. It’s one thing is to feel
him, and another to HAVE HIM
next to me. In prayer, I
communicate with Jesus and I
follow Jesus.
But it is through community
that I live with Jesus. Jesus tells
us in Matthew’s Gospel “For
where there are two or three
gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them”
(18:20).
So, in order to have Jesus
here, I need others around me so I
can have him in our midst. That
respirar y reconocer el poder y el
amor de Dios, puedo entonces
presentarle mi oración. Escuché
una vez a Monseñor Chiodo en
el radio decir: “Hay un Dios,
pero no soy yo.” Cuando veo
que mis proyectos toman una
dirección totalmente opuesta a la
que esperaba y estoy empezando
a arrancarme el pelo, mi esposa
me dice” “¿No has orado lo
suficiente, verdad?” La oración
me permite darme cuenta de que
Jesús es quien me lleva en sus
brazos cuando veo un solo par
de huellas en la arena. Es
cuando puedo encontrar esa paz
al presentar mi plegaria a Dios
11
Antonio Banuelos shared his perspective on living and
following Christ during the Nov. 6 Centennial
Celebration last year.
Photo by Lisa Bourne
need to live in Christ and to have
Christ has led me to participate
actively in my community.
I have been a Knight of
Columbus for five years and a
member of the Christian Family
Movement for the last three. I
need to be surrounded by those
whose hearts are burning to walk
and live in Christ. I am certain
that every time that I meet with
them, Jesus is in our midst. We
learn a lot from each other into
how to build the Kingdom, into
how to make the world a little
better. When I invite another man
to join the Knights or when my
wife, Mayra, and I visit a family
to invite them to Christian Family
Movement I am inviting more to
be around me so that Jesus will be
more in our midst.
As an engineer, I like to think
mathematically. Jesus said two or
three gathered in his name is
enough for him to be in our midst.
How much more presence will he
have if it is 10, 20 or 50? Why am
I a Knight? So I can live better in
que puedo sentir la presencia de
Jesús en mi vida diaria. Mis días
son mejores cuando lo pongo en
manos de Dios en señal de
agradecimiento. Entonces estoy
siguiendo a Cristo, sin importar
lo que el mundo me depara.
La oración me ha ayudado a
Seguir a Cristo. Sin embargo, la
oración por sí misma puede ser
un aspecto muy personal y
privado de mi fe. El orar me
ayuda a sentir a Jesús cuando mi
corazón está ardiendo. Pero una
cosa es el sentirlo y una muy
diferente es TENERLO junto a
mí. En la oración estoy en
comunicación con Jesús y sigo a
Christ. Why do we promote
Christian Family? Because being
with my friends brings me to
Christ.
Outside my wonderful wife
and kids, the rest of my family is
back in Mexico. We now have a
great extended family that
accompanies us in walking in
Christ. I know that it is through
prayer that I can have a deep
relationship with Christ. But I
also know that it is only through
my
involvement
in
the
community that I will be living in
Christ. When Jesus looks at me
and says “Follow Me” it is my
community that will push me
when I hesitate and that will pick
me up when I fall. Jesus knows
that my legs are weak, and that is
why he gave me such a large
family through my community
and such a wonderful home in my
diocese.
Antonio Banuelos is a parishioner
of St. Ambrose Cathedral Parish.
Jesús. Pero es por medio de mi
comunidad que Vivo con Jesús.
Jesús nos dice en el Evangelio
de San Mateo “Pues donde están
dos o tres reunidos en mi
Nombre, allí estoy yo, en medio
de ellos” (18:20). Entonces,
para poder tener a Jesús aquí,
necesito a otros alrededor mío,
para que Él esté en medio de
nosotros. Esa necesidad de Vivir
en Cristo y de Tener a Cristo me
ha llevado a permanecer activo
en mi comunidad. He sido
Caballero de Colón por cinco
años y miembro del Movimiento
12
Building Commission considers upcoming parish projects
www.dmdiocese.org
By Lisa Bourne
Staff Writer
The
Diocesan
Building
Commission has had a full list of
projects for consideration in recent
months.
The Building Commission oversees
parish building or renovation projects
that exceed $50,000 or involve a
liturgical space.
Collaboration between parishes and
the diocese also is encouraged for
smaller projects that don’t require
commission review, said Norm
Bormann, diocesan director of Property
Management.
“We still want to see contracts even
when the numbers are below $50,000,”
Bormann said. “Contracts need to have
the correct language to protect the parish
and the diocese.”
Spotlight on construction,
renovation around the diocese
The following is a snapshot
of some upcoming projects for
which the Diocesan Building
Commission provided guidance.
St. Luke the Evangelist
Parish, Ankeny
The new diocesan parish is
taking first steps toward a
formal planning process that
will result in a master plan for
the parish and eventual
construction
of
parish
buildings.
St. Peter and Paul Parish,
Atlantic
The parish is looking at plans
for an expansion of its
geothermal HVAC system.
St. Patrick Parish, Corning
The parish recently repaired
the roof of the church from hail
damage, and is now repairing
interior water damage resulting
from the roof and repainting the
interior of the church.
Carpeting was to be done the
first week in January and the
pews are also being refinished.
St. Albert Schools, Council
Bluffs
The
school
suffered
significant damage from a
hailstorm in August 2010, with
damage to roofs, skylights,
rooftop HVAC units and more.
The
school
completed
temporary repairs to last
through the winter. Final repairs
will be completed this spring
All Saints Parish, Des Moines
The parish is looking at
remodeling the gym into
classrooms
for
religious
education and a needed HVAC
system upgrade. The parish is
early in the process.
Christ the King Parish, Des
Moines
The sanctuary was recently
renovated and the altar
Plans
include
replaced.
additional
new
liturgical
furniture.
In addition, the parish is
developing a senior housing
project of 28 apartments to be
located on Southwest Ninth
Street. A separate corporation
from the parish was formed for
the housing project.
Catholic Pastoral Center, Des
Moines
Construction of the new staff
parking lot is complete.
St. Augustin Parish, Des
Moines
The parish is planning for a
complete remodeling of the
rectory.
Corpus Christ Parish - Queen
of Apostles, Council Bluffs
The parish has requested
permission to expand the parish
parking lot. Plans are to use
land where a garage once sat.
Our Lady of Holy Rosary
Parish, Glenwood
The parish is renovating the
church, including new lighting
Bormann’s involvement in the
process from beginning to end allows
him to function as an advocate for
parishes.
The commission comprised of
clergy, staff and laity has expertise in
construction, engineering, architecture
and facilities management. Members are
available to parishes for consultation.
The Building Commission also makes
certain parishes make correct use of
volunteers and in-kind donations.
The varying situations are as unique
as each parish and everything must follow
guidelines of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops.
“Our goal is to become involved as
early as possible,” said Bormann. “If you
think you’re going to have a project, give
us a call.”
Bormann can be reached at 515-2298008.
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Indianola is in the process of building a new church.
Photo supplied by Father Ray McHenry
and sound system, new dormer
windows, a new baptismal font
and entrance.
St. John Parish, Greenfield
The parish is continuing
with plans for a remodeled
entrance and bell tower.
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish,
Indianola
The parish is building a
new church. The foundation has
been laid. Three walls are
finished
including
the
decorative stone south interior
wall.
St. Patrick Parish, Lenox
The parish is developing
plans for a new parish hall. An
architect is finalizing plans.
St. Mary of the Assumption
Parish, Panama
The parish is planning to
demolish the old school
buildings and build a new
parish hall on the site. A
company has been hired for the
feasibility study as well as an
architect to do preliminary
plans.
St. Mary Parish, Shenandoah
The parish is working on
its capital campaign and
finalizing costs for its
multipurpose building project.
St. Pius X Parish, Urbandale
The
parish
received
permission to move forward
with an unplanned HVAC
project to replace failing
equipment. A new boiler and
electric heating units were
installed.
Holy Trinity Church of
Southeast Warren County
The parish is replacing the
roof on the church and rectory.
Dowling
Catholic
High
School, West Des Moines
Dowling Catholic continues
longterm renovations with a
project involving the chapel.
St. Francis of Assisi Parish,
West Des Moines
Three big projects were part
of the St. Francis 2009 Debt
Retirement/Capital Campaign.
The parish replaced the
control system for part of the
building, added reheat coils in
the respective rooms for better
control of local heating and
cooling and reconfigured the
roof top heating and air
conditioning units
The north entrance was
made ADA compliant and a
heated sidewalk was added.
Added building security
measures were put in place.
St. Boniface Parish, Westphalia
The parish is preparing to
demolish the old school
building. Asbestos has been
removed and bids are being
collected for demolition.
Victim Assistance
Advocate
The diocese’s Victim
Assistance Advocate is a staff
member at Polk County Victim
Services. She helps victims of
sexual abuse of minors by
clergy through a complaint
process and in seeking support
and counseling services. She
can be reached at
515-286-2024 or
[email protected].
Bishop’s Schedule
www.dmdiocese.org
Pastoral Center, 4 p.m.
Monday, January 23
Des Moines – Vocations team
meeting, Catholic Pastoral
Center, 8:30 a.m.
Monday, January 23 Thursday, January 26
Orlando, Fla. – Catholic
Episcopal Ongoing Formation
& Support; Good Leaders
Good Shepherds
Friday, January 27
Des Moines – “In the
Heartland with Bishop Pates,”
1150 KWKY, Des Moines;
Spirit Catholic Radio Network,
Omaha, 10 a.m.
Saturday, January 28
Des Moines – Installation Mass
of Father Chris Reising, pastor,
Our Lady of the Americas, 4:30
p.m. (English) & 6:30 p.m.
(Spanish)
Sunday, January 29
Des Moines – Installation Mass
of Father Chris Reising, pastor,
Our Lady of the Americas, 9:30
am (Bilingual), 12:30 p.m.
(Spanish) & 6 p.m. (Spanish)
Monday, January 30
Moines
Des
– Attend
presentation by speaker Mike
Aquilina, St. Catherine of
Siena, Noon
Monday, January 30 –
Tuesday, January 31
Washington,
D.C.
–
Interreligious
Leadership
meeting,
U.S.
Initiative
of
Catholic
Conference
Bishops
Wednesday, February 1
Des Moines – Diocesan
Executive Committee meeting,
Catholic Pastoral Center, 10
a.m.
Des Moines – Catholic Schools
Week liturgy & awards
ceremony, St. Joseph, 2 p.m.
Des Moines – Annual Diocesan
Appeal kick-off, Catholic
Pastoral Center, 6:15 p.m.
Thursday, February 2
Council Bluffs – Catholic
Schools Week liturgy & awards
ceremony, St. Albert Schools,
9:30 a.m.
Atlantic - Annual Diocesan
Appeal kickoff, Ss. Peter &
Paul, 6:15 p.m.
Friday, February 3
Omaha, 10 a.m.
Saturday, February 4
Des Moines – Ribbon cutting
for new senior residence, Christ
the King, 10:30 a.m.
Panora – Mass, confirmation
retreat, St. Thomas More
Center, 3:15 p.m.
Audubon – Ministry blessing
Mass of Father Emmanuel
Agwuoke, C.S.Sp., administrator, St. Patrick, 5 p.m.
Sunday, February 5
Audubon – Ministry blessing
Mass of Father Emmanuel
Agwuoke, C.S.Sp., administrator, St. Patrick, 8:30 a.m.
Exira – Ministry blessing Mass
of Father Emmanuel Agwuoke,
C.S.Sp., administrator, Holy
Trinity, 10:30 a.m.
Panora – Mass, confirmation
retreat, St. Thomas More
Center, 4 p.m.
Des Moines – Dinner
auctioned at Christ the King, 6
p.m.
Tuesday, February 7
Des Moines – Visit of John
soy Caballero de Colón? Para
poder vivir mejor en Cristo.
¿Por
qué
promuevo
el
Movimiento Familiar Cristiano?
Porque el estar con mis amigos
me lleva a Cristo.
Fuera de mi maravillosa
esposa y maravillosos hijos, el
resto de mi familia se quedó en
México. Ahora tenemos una
gran familia adoptiva que nos
acompaña en nuestro Caminar
con Cristo. Sé que es por la
oración que puedo tener una
profunda relación con Cristo.
Pero también sé que solamente
al estar involucrado en mi
comunidad que podré Vivir en
Cristo. Cuando Jesús me voltee
a ver y me diga “Sígueme” será
mi comunidad la que me empuje
al verme titubear y que me
levantará cuando caiga. Jesús
sabe que mis piernas son débiles
y es por eso que me ha dado tan
enorme
familia
en
mi
comunidad y un maravilloso
hogar en mi Diócesis.
Centennial Celebration perspective
Familiar Cristiano por tres.
Necesito estar rodeado por
aquellos cuyos corazones están
ardiendo para Caminar y Vivir
en Cristo. Estoy seguro que
cada vez que me reúno con ellos,
Jesús está en medio de nosotros.
Aprendemos mucho los unos de
los otros acerca de cómo
construir el Reino, de cómo
mejorar un poco nuestro mundo.
Cuando invito a otro hombre a
unirse a los Caballeros, o cuando
Mayra y yo visitamos a una
familia para invitarlos al
Movimiento Familiar Cristiano,
estoy invitando a más gente
alrededor mío para que Jesús
esté aún más presente entre
nosotros. Siendo Ingeniero,
tiendo a pensar las cosas
matemáticamente. Jesús dijo
dos o tres reunidos en su nombre
es suficiente para que Él esté
presente.
¿Qué tanta más
presencia no tendrá si nos
reunimos 10, 20, ó 50? ¿Por qué
Carr and Steve Colecchi,
executive
staff,
U.S.
Conference
of
Catholic
Bishops
Des Moines – Catholic
Charities Board of Directors
meeting, Catholic Pastoral
Center, 9 a.m.
St. Meinrad, Ind. – “With
Bishops, for Bishops” program,
St. Meinrad Seminary
Friday, February 10
Omaha, 10 a.m.
Greenfield - Installation Mass
of Father Ken Gross, pastor, St.
John, 5:15 p.m.
Sunday, February 12
Greenfield – Installation Mass
of Father Ken Gross, pastor, St.
John, 8 a.m.
Massena – Installation Mass of
Father Ken Gross, pastor, St.
Patrick, 10 a.m.
Des Moines – Mass with
students at St. Catherine of
Drake
Newman
Siena,
Community, 5 p.m.
Monday, February 13
Des Moines – Meeting of
Diocesan Finance Council,
Catholic Pastoral Center, Noon
Tuesday, February 14
Des Moines – Iowa Catholic
Conference Legislature Breakfast, State Capitol, 7 a.m.
Des Moines – Iowa Catholic
Conference meeting, Catholic
Pastoral Center, 9:30 a.m.
Washington, D.C. – Mass for
Social Concerns Assembly,
U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops, Washington Marriott
Wardman Park, 10:45 a.m.
Des Moines – Diocesan
Executive Committee meeting,
13
Catholic Pastoral Center, 10
a.m.
Des Moines – Bishop’s
Council meeting, Embassy
Club, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, February 17
Omaha, 10 a.m.
Urbandale – Morning prayer,
metro-area choir retreat, St. Pius
X, 9 a.m.
Corning – Blessing of Ministry,
Lazarus
Kirigia,
Father
administrator, St. Patrick, 5:30
p.m.
Sunday, February 19
Lenox – Blessing of Ministry,
Father
Lazarus
Kirigia,
administrator, St. Patrick, 8:30
a.m.
Corning – Blessing of Ministry,
Father Kirigia, administrator, St.
Patrick, 10:30 a.m.
14
www.dmdiocese.org
Escuelas Católicas -- Un Gran Bendictión
En las Tierras Centrales con el Obispo Pates
Al igual que el resto de la
nación, la Diócesis de Des
Moines está celebrando la
Semana de Escuelas Católicas
del 29 de Enero al 5 de Febrero.
El tema de este año es Escuelas
Católicas
–
Servicios
Académicos de Fe.
Desde que fui nombrado
Obispo de Des Moines, mi
aprecio crece continuamente por
lo que hacen por la comunidad
diocesana las 15 escuelas
primarias,
2
escuelas
preparatorias y una universidad,
Mercy College de Ciencias de la
Salud.
El aprecio es compartido,
obviamente. Desde el 2003,
nuestra inscripción acumulada
ha crecido de 6,189 a 6,476 en
las 17 escuelas primarias y
preparatorias. Mercy College
tiene 217 alumnos más. Estas
estadísticas de crecimiento
superan
las
tendencias
By
Bishop
Richard E.
Pates
regionales y nacionales. ¿Por
qué? Yo alego que las razones
son muchas.
La
primera
es
el
compromiso de la personalidad
Católica de nuestras escuelas.
En nuestra Diócesis tenemos una
gran deuda con las mujeres
religiosas quienes, con ferviente
dedicación durante muchos
años, establecieron esta base en
identidad, al dedicar sus vidas
para poder lograr que el Espíritu
de Jesús y que nuestras Iglesia
Católica pudieran penetrar
nuestras escuelas. Ahora se ha
pasado la batuta a una
Travel with Father Phil Kruse
August 15-25, 2012
Three days in Copenhagen
Seven-day cruise with ports of call at Stockholm,
Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Estonia
Itinerary: P.O. Box 6, Bellevue, IA 52031
563-872-3234, [email protected]
Esta
generación fresca.
responsabilidad hoy en día la
llevan a cabo, generalmente, un
equipo en cada institución
constituido por el párroco,
vicarios, y capellanes, junto con
la administración de las escuelas
y todos los maestros y demás
personal.
Al
igual
que
sus
predecesores, cada miembro de
los equipos escolares de hoy en
día trae su fe personal y su
aceptación del papel que tiene
como parte del Cuerpo de Cristo
ante la comunidad escolar y
cuya misión la hacen propia. El
resultado es una cultura
caracterizada por la fe y la
caridad
incorporadas
en
tradiciones
Católicas
y
especialmente en las vidas
sacramentales y de oración en
nuestra Iglesia.
Naturalmente, la calidad de
la instrucción religiosa es vital.
Es esencial transmitir una visión
que puede aplicarse a la vida
diaria.
Nuestras escuelas
siempre han buscado ser fieles a
las enseñanzas de la Iglesia. Ha
habido dos circunstancias
recientes que han ayudado en
este aspecto. Se espera que
todos los libros de texto
religiosos en nuestras escuelas
(y en los programas de
formación de fe de nuestras
parroquias)
estén
en
conformidad con el Catecismo
de la Iglesia Católica.
La
segunda circunstancia es que el
enfoque y secuencia de los
materiales de enseñanza se han
organizado en un marco
curricular en el que, si los
alumnos ponen atención, los
textos ofrecen un entendimiento
organizado de la Iglesia Católica
y su fe para cuando terminen la
preparatoria.
Un área en la que nuestras
escuelas han tenido éxito
particularmente es en la
académica.
Casi
sin
comparación son de primer
nivel. Las calificaciones que
obtienen en los exámenes
sistemáticos
exceden,
en
promedio, por dos o tres puntos
a las obtenidas por otras
instituciones académicas. Desde
el 2003, en el estado de Iowa, 43
escuelas (tanto públicas como
privadas) han recibido la
prestigiada distinción nacional
de “Escuela Listón Azul.”
Cuatro de ellas son de la
Diócesis de Des Moines: la
Preparatoria Dowling Catholic
High School, Sagrado Corazón,
Holy Trinity y San Agustín.
Para obtener esta distinción la
escuela debe hacer esfuerzos
muy considerables. Y, yo creo,
esos esfuerzos valen la pena, ya
que hace que esa escuela en
particular se esfuerce para
alcanzar un nuevo nivel de
excelencia
institucional.
Nuestras escuelas se esfuerzan
para estar al corriente con
nuevas
tecnologías
de
instrucción para que ayuden a
utilizar diferentes métodos de
enseñanza para los pupilos.
Los estudiantes en nuestras
escuelas Católicas tienen mucha
energía y están orgullosos de sus
actividades extra-curriculares.
Ellos tienen consistentemente
altas marcas en drama música,
debate, baile y otras disciplinas
de competencia. El espíritu de
equipo contribuye ampliamente
a este éxito como lo indica el
equipo Femenil de Campo
Traviesa de Dowling Catholic.
Miembros de este equipo han
sido campeones estatales los
últimos cinco años. Y el equipo
de fútbol americano de Saint
Albert, pequeño pero valeroso,
está siempre en medio de la
pelea por el campeonato.
El mercadeo premeditado
de nuestro producto contribuye
al continuo crecimiento de
nuestras escuelas. El método
más efectivo es pasando la voz,
como lo han demostrada tan
efectivamente los padres de
familia en la escuela de San
Malaquías en Creston. Además,
la Comisión de Escuelas de la
diócesis así como la Oficina de
Escuelas siempre están activos
en resaltar entre la comunidad
los valores de nuestras escuelas
así como ofreciendo asistencia a
escuelas
de
manera
individualizada.
El Comité
Diocesano de Mercadotecnia y
Darcie Tallman, especialista en
mercadeo de la Oficina de
Escuelas, han sido reconocidos a
nivel nacional por una creativa
campaña de correo directo para
niños en edades entre 1 y 5 años.
Una
parte
esencial
del
crecimiento a futuro de nuestras
escuelas es el acoger e integrar a
la creciente población Hispana,
la cual es una rica bendición para
nuestra diócesis.
Un área que necesita una
constante atención es la de las
finanzas, de manera de que estén
al alcance de todos los padres
que quieran que sus hijos sean
estudiantes en nuestras escuelas
Católicas. En gran parte por el
esfuerzo de nuestras parroquias,
y más particularmente nuestros
párrocos, existe un gran
compromiso por media de
subsidios de las parroquias que
representan
generosidad,
sacrificio y reconocimiento al
valor de las escuelas Católicas.
Una segunda fuente de ingresos
son los créditos fiscales,
otorgados estratégicamente por
el estado de Iowa. Se les otorga
un crédito fiscal de 65 por ciento
a los donantes que contribuyen a
organizaciones que ofrecen
becas a estudiantes en escuelas
privadas. En la Diócesis de Des
Moines, tal organización es la
Organización de Colegiatura
Católica (CTO por sus siglas en
Tuition
inglés:
Catholic
Organization).
El donativo
también es deducible en los
impuestos federales, lo que
significa que un 90 por ciento
del donativo tiene beneficios
fiscales. En cada uno de los
años recientes este programa ha
otorgado
becas
que
se
aproximan a un valor de
$2,000,000 para estudiantes en
las escuelas Católicas de la
Diócesis. Para más información
tanto para donantes como para
beneficiarios del programa
visiten: www.ctodsmdiocese.org.
En enero, la diócesis lleva a
cabo
una
campaña
de
recaudación de fondos para
becas en nuestras escuelas
Católicas llamado “Proyecto
Esperanza” (“Project Hope” en
inglés.) El propósito es de dar
asistencia a aquellas familias
que puedan tener necesidades a
corto plazo o que están pasando
o que han tenido algún problema
inesperado o cuya situación ha
empeorado. Los invito a ser
generosos con el “Proyecto
Esperanza.”
nivel
profesional/
A
universitario, hay dos programas
que merecen nuestra atención.
Mercy College de Ciencias de la
Salud, que es parte de la familia
corporativa
del
Sistema
Servicios de Salud Mercy, ofrece
educación de calidad en ciencias
de la salud iniciando con su
afamado
Programa
de
Enfermería y contando ahora
con su Licenciatura en Ciencias
de la Salud junto con otros
programas en campos de la
salud. El comité directivo, los
estudiantes y el personal, bajo el
liderazgo de Barbara Decker,
presidenta del Colegio, y Brian
Tingleff, su vice-presidente de
Asuntos Externos, han estado
conscientes en mejorar la
identidad Católica de Mercy
College a la vez que tienen éxito
en cumplir con su misión. Esto
se puede ver en su exitosa
implementación
de
las
“Directivas Éticas y Religiosas
para Servicios Católicos en
Cuidados de Salud.”
También, una significante
contribución con la fe de
estudiantes universitarios es el
Centro Estudiantil Católico
Santa Catalina de Siena,
Comunidad Newman de Drake.
Continuando con la labor de los
sacerdotes que le preceden, el
Padre Joel McNeil está a cargo
de un programa creciente y
próspero que atiende las
necesidades de los estudiantes
de la Universidad de Drake por
medio de múltiples programas.
Cabe hacer notar los cuatro
recién
graduados
de
la
universidad que están a cargo de
la iniciativa FOCUS (Grupo de
Estudiantes
Universitarios
Católicos, por sus siglas en
inglés) en la Comunidad
Newman de Drake. Ellos son un
don para los estudiantes a los
que dan servicios.
Pueden
encontrar más información sobre
la Comunidad Newman de
Drake
en
www.newman
connection.com.
En sus tres años sirviendo a
los estudiantes de Drake, el
Padre McNeil también ha
lanzado cuerpos a nivel diócesis
que buscan establecer una
presencia Católica continua en
las 10 instituciones de nivel
superior en los 23 condados del
Suroeste
de
Iowa
que
constituyen la Diócesis de Des
Moines. Esta es una misión de
gran valor, dada la personalidad
decisiva de las personas en esa
edad respecto a sus decisiones
en fe y valores.
Conforme celebramos la
Semana de Escuelas Católicas
en la Diócesis de Des Moines,
hay mucho de que estar
orgullosos y especialmente
mucho
por
qué
estar
agradecidos. Como siempre, la
gratitud se le debe en primer
lugar a la Divina Providencia, la
cual ha inspirado y guiado a
nuestras escuelas Católicas para
que consigan tener un gran
impacto en el Suroeste de Iowa.
www.dmdiocese.org
The Question Corner
Q. Will our cat and dog
be with me and my family in
heaven? Every day I say the
rosary to ask God to help me,
but then sometimes I can’t go
to sleep at night worrying
about what will happen to our
pets when they die. I have no
one to talk to but you, so I’m
hoping you can answer me.
(Flemington, N.J.)
A. I SUPPOSE the
philosophical
traditional
position would be that only
human beings have immortal
souls. On the other hand, the
revered British author C.S.
Lewis once said that, since the
loyalty of pets often exceeds
human fidelity, dogs and cats
may well find their way to
heaven with their masters.
Left to a plebiscite, the
vote is split. A few years back,
ABC News did a poll and
found that 43 percent of
Americans think that dogs
and cats go to heaven (that
figure goes up to 47 percent
among pet owners), 40
percent said no, and the rest
were reserving judgment.
The most honest answer
is that we do not know. What
our faith does tell us, though,
is that the joys of heaven are
beyond compare, beyond our
poor power even to imagine
them. So, it’s safe to say that
if in heaven you need your
pets to be happy, they’ll be
right there with you.
Q. If I’m not mistaken,
there is something in the
church’s marriage law called
an “internal forum solution,”
where an individual asks for
the
equivalent
of
an
annulment in the sacrament of
penance. This allows for a
civil marriage to take place
and for both partners to
receive the Eucharist while
one or both parties are
waiting for an annulment to
be granted. Normal marriage
privileges, including sexual
relations, would be expected
and allowed during this
period. The civil marriage
Question Corner
By Father
Ken Doyle
could then be blessed in the
church after the annulment
has been granted.
Is
this
information
correct? (Oskaloosa, Iowa)
A. BASICALLY, NO — or,
to be more precise, that
solution is not as generally
available nor as permissive as
you portray it.
The “internal forum
solution” is an option that is
very closely defined and,
because of that, applicable
only to a very limited number
of people. To explain: In his
1982 document “Familiaris
Consortio,” Pope John Paul II
said that admission to the
Eucharist can be obtained by
a divorced and remarried
couple
whose
previous
marriages have not been
annulled — but only on the
condition that they “take on
themselves the duty to live in
complete continence, that is,
by abstinence from the acts
proper to married couples.”
This
arrangement,
sometimes referred to as a
“brother-sister relationship,”
would apply only to couples
who are unable to separate
because of the circumstances
(e.g.,
responsibility
for
bringing up children) but who
would pledge themselves to
refrain
from
conjugal
relations unless and until a
church annulment were
obtained.
So it does not seem to be
a popular or widely used
option.
Questions may be sent to
Father Kenneth Doyle at
[email protected]
and 40 Hopewell St., Albany,
N.Y. 12208.
Business Directory
15
Bishops’ pastoral letter: ‘You are not alone’
‘WASHINGTON (CNS) —
An emotional pastoral letter to
immigrants from the U.S.
Hispanic and Latino Catholic
bishops
offers
love,
encouragement,
welcome,
sympathy and assurance that
“you are not alone or forgotten.”
“We recognize that every
human being, authorized or not,
is an image of God and therefore
possesses infinite value and
dignity,” begins the letter
released on the feast of Our Lady
of Guadalupe, Dec. 12. “We
open our arms and hearts to you,
and we receive you as members
of our Catholic family. As
pastors, we direct these words to
you from the depths of our heart.
We urge you not to despair,” said
the letter signed by 33 bishops. It
thanks immigrants for “the
Christian values you manifest to
us with your lives — your
sacrifice for the well-being of
your
families,
your
determination and perseverance,
your joy of life, your profound
faith and fidelity despite your
insecurity
and
many
difficulties.”
Centennial video now on Mediacom
“Witnessing to Christ,” a 28-minute video
highlighting six lay people from around the Diocese of Des
Moines talking about how they live the gospel in every
moment, will be airing at 6:30 p.m. on Mondays and
Thursdays on Mediacom Channel 17 in the Des Moines area
through Holy Thursday.
The diocesan Communications Office hopes to get
the video airing on public access cable channels in other parts
of the diocese soon.
16
www.dmdiocese.org

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