July 22, 2016 - Diocese of Springfield

The Mirr r
Vol. LII, No. 7
DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD—CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI
July 22, 2016
One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, Sharing Jesus
Poland here they come
3 million expected at WYD
By Linda Leicht
Branson, MO
A
group of 40 people, including seven high school
students from Branson, are
about to have the experience of a lifetime.
Tony and Lynn Melendez of
Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson, are leading the group comprised of other youth and adults
from the Diocese of SpringfieldCape Girardeau to Krakow, Poland,
where they will attend World Youth
Day 2016 on July 25-31.
The Melendezes have been
to just about every international
World Youth Days since Tony was
invited to perform at the Denver
event in 1993 with then-Pope St.
John Paul II. They are still overcome
with the experience every time they
go.
“It will be an adventure,” Lynn
said. “It is such a big celebration of
our faith.”
Tony, a talented musician
and song-writer, will perform at a
variety of venues during the twoweek trip, including the opening
ceremony with Pope Francis. Tony’s
talent as an accomplished guitarist
is made even more remarkable by
the fact that he was born with no
arms. He plays with his feet.
Father J. Friedel, pastor of St.
Peter the Apostle Parish in Joplin,
and St. Ann Parish in Carthage,
will be the priest/chaplain for the
group that also includes faithful
from California and New Jersey. He
History of WYD
Beginnings
In 1984 at the close of the Holy
Year of Redemption, over 300,000
young people from around the world
responded to the invitation of His Holiness John Paul II for an International
Jubilee of youth on Palm Sunday in
St. Peter’s Square. Looking out to the
crowds who answered his invitation
he said, “What a fantastic spectacle is
presented on this stage by your gathering here today! Who claimed that
today’s youth has lost their sense of
values? Is it really true that they cannot
be counted on?” It was at this gathering that Pope St. John Paul II entrusted
to the youth what is now known as the
World Youth Day Cross, to be carried
throughout the world as a symbol of
the love of Christ for humanity.
First WYD
The following Palm Sunday,
coinciding with the United Nation’s
International Year of the Youth, Pope
St. John Paul II took the opportunity
to welcome the youth of the world to
Rome again. The institution of World
Youth Day (WYD) was on Dec. 20,
1985. The first official WYD was held
in 1986.
International WYDs
POLISH PILGRIMS—Polish Pilgrims at WYD 2013 in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, threw confetti and reacted to hearing that Krakow Poland would
be the site for World Youth Day 2016. Around 40 pilgrims from Branson
and beyond will embark on the journey to WYD July 25-31. They will
be hosted by Tony and Lynn Melendez; priest chaplain is Fr. J. Friedel.
(Courtesy WYD.com)
will celebrate daily Mass with the
pilgrims as well as serve alongside
other priests and bishops in Krakow
in hearing confessions.
“I look forward to helping
people have a good, prayerful pilgrimage in Krakow,” Fr. Friedel said,
this being his second WYD. He was
also in Denver in 1993.
“I believe that World Youth
Day is a unique moment that every
youth should experience in their
lifetime, one that will draw them
The next issue of The Mirror will be Aug. 5, 2016.
If you would like to receive the diocesan newspaper via Email in digital format,
please contact Angie Toben at (417) 866-0841, or Email her: [email protected].
closer to God,” Fr. Friedel said.
“The sheer scope of World
Youth Day [in 1993] reminded
me, as a young priest, of the
universality of the Church. I
was reminded of the universal
call to holiness that each of us
have, young and old.”
“Now that I am older,” Fr.
Friedel said, “I am still struck
by where I fit into the scope of
things … in the Church, serving Jesus and his people. Every
young person should have
that same feeling, awe at these
events, to see that they too are
called to serve the Lord in their
own lives.”
Pope Francis will arrive in
Krakow July 27. This is the second World Youth Day during
his pontificate, the last being in
2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The first World Youth Day
was held in 1986 and is the
See WYD / 6
The following year brought about
a new tradition when the second event
and first international WYD took place
in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Every Palm
Sunday has since been designated as a
World Youth Day, alternately celebrated at the diocesan and international
levels. There have been 12 International World Youth Day celebrations, where
the youth continue to answer the invitation of the Holy Father in staggering
numbers and carry home the message
received there to be Christ’s light to
the world. While World Youth Day is
organized by the clergy and laity of the
Catholic Church, youth of all faiths are
invited to attend and encounter Christ,
making the gathering truly universal.
Reflection
In Toronto, the last International
WYD in which JPII was present, he told
the 800,000 gathered with him at the
vigil, “When, back in 1985, I wanted to
start the World Youth Days… I imagined a powerful moment in which the
young people of the world could meet
Christ, who is eternally young, and
could learn from him how to be bearers
of the Gospel to other young people.
This evening, together with you, I
praise God and give thanks to him
for the gift bestowed on the Church
through the World Youth Days. Millions of young people have taken part,
and as a result have become better and
more committed Christian witnesses.”
Source: World Youth Day.com
2 The Mirror
COLUMNS
July 22, 2016
Love, mercy & life: ‘Be her Joseph!’
By Tom Mealey
W
hen we first married, my
wife, Misty, and I were
the typical secular couple.
We relied on hormonal
contraception. Due to bad side effects,
that didn’t last long. Misty found out
about Natural Family Planning (NFP)
through a Catholic friend. Admittedly,
I was suspicious of all the “hocus
pocus” involving thermometers at
o’ dark-thirty in the morning and
observations written down in cryptic
symbols on the NFP chart. That would
all change in surprising ways once we
got into living the NFP lifestyle.
Before having children, Misty
had been an atheist and I had been
an agnostic. With our first child,
the miracle of life spurred a spiritual
awakening in us. We realized the
Holy Spirit had already led us into a
Catholic life. Even after our conversion, however, NFP grew our relationship with each other and with God in
MAKING SENSE
OUT OF BIOETHICS
Fr. Tad Pacholczyk
O
n rare occasions, babies can
be born with ambiguous
genitalia, and parents and
physicians may be uncertain
about whether a newborn is a little
boy or a little girl. While testing for
sex chromosomes is invariably part of
figuring out these cases, the genetics
alone may not always tell the whole
story.
Both genes and physiological factors like hormonal conditions in the
womb can contribute to our primary
and secondary sex characteristics and,
unsurprisingly, disorders in our genes
or our in utero hormonal milieu can
contribute to deflecting the development of our maleness or femaleness.
For the most part, our genetic
sex (XX female or XY male) serves as
the best guide to the true sex of an
individual, though in rare situations,
even the sex chromosomes themselves
can have anomalies. For example,
when somebody is born with Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY) they develop
not only as a male due to the presence of the Y chromosome and its
testosterone-producing influence, but
also as a “feminized” male because
of the influences of the additional X
chromosome.
When strong hormonal influences are at play, as in another disorder called Congenital Androgenital
Syndrome, a genetically normal XX
female can have increased testosterone production by her adrenal
glands, resulting in the development
ways we never expected.
We studied Pope John Paul II’s
“theology of the body” and became
excited about living out our faith and
sharing it. It was thrilling to learn
the compelling reasons behind the
Church’s beautiful teachings on sex
and marriage.
Much to my surprise, I also
learned how grateful my wife was that
I was willing to learn how her body
worked. Sharing the family planning responsibility, as well as finding
non-sexual ways of expressing affection and intimacy when we had
good reasons to postpone pregnancy,
strengthened our marriage and made
me a better husband and father.
When we became Catholic, I
knew I wanted to be the spiritual
leader of our family, but I didn’t understand what that entailed besides
herding our children to church on
Sundays. Through NFP and Scripture,
I discovered that I had a choice in the
kind of man—the kind of husband—I
was going to be.
We often blame Eve for eating
the forbidden fruit. But in Genesis,
we learn that after taking a bite, she
turned and offered the fruit to Adam,
who was with her. Adam didn’t stop
her and say, “This is a bad idea, let’s
go.” He did not protect his wife, but
stood by silently while the serpent
convinced her to surrender her holiness and damage her relationship
with God.
Then there was St. Joseph. When
Joseph obeyed the angel who told
him to bring Mary into his home, he
was accepting the public shame and
embarrassment of a pregnant fiancée.
He sacrificed his personal honor and
reputation to obey God and protect
Mary and Jesus.
The choice for a husband is clear:
he can be his wife’s Adam or he can
be her Joseph. A man can stand by
silently and allow his wife to suffer the
physical and spiritual consequences of
contraception. Or he can defend her
virtue, body, and soul by using NFP.
Today, contraception is accepted and
expected. Any man who forgoes it for
NFP will likely be exposed to ridicule
and criticism. But as St. Joseph taught
us, there are some things more important than the opinion of others. May
we husbands choose to be Joseph to
our wives!
©TM
Tom and Misty Mealey have
four children and live in the Diocese of
Richmond.
Seeing through the intersex confusion
of external male-like genitalia, even
though she also has ovaries, a vagina,
and a uterus.
Intersex persons
While the term “intersex” is
sometimes used to describe situations
where an individual has non-standard
genital anatomy, it typically has a
broader range of meanings. Some have
argued that a person has to be born
with both ovarian and testicular tissue
to count as being intersex, but “intersex” is an imprecise term that can describe a range of situations in which a
person is born with an internal reproductive anatomy or an external sexual
anatomy that is not in accord with the
typical expectations for femaleness or
maleness.
Sometimes the suggestion is
made that intersex individuals are,
in fact, neither male nor female, but
fluid, malleable or “bisexual,” with
sexual identity residing somewhere
between male and female. This kind of
explanation is untenable.
Human beings, along with most
other members of the animal kingdom, are marked by an ineradicable
sexual “dimorphism,” or “two-forms,”
namely, male and female. When problems arise in the development of one
of these forms, this does not make for
a new “third form,” or worse, for an
infinite spectrum of different sexual
forms.
Instead, intersex situations represent cases in which a person is either
male or female, but has confounding
physiological factors that make them
appear or feel as if they were of the
opposite sex, or maybe even both
sexes. In other words, the underlying sex remains, even though the
psychology or gender they experience
may be discordant. Put another way,
intersex individuals may be “drawn
away” from their intrinsic male or
female sexual constitution by various
anatomical differences in their bodies,
and by opposing interior physiological
drives and forces.
This can be further complicated
because of strong cultural forces that
contribute to the confusion by sanctioning a paradigm of complete malleability in human sexual behaviors that
militates against an understanding of
sex-based “hard-wiring.”
Sexual development disorders
Even though it may not be
popular to affirm the fact, people suffer from sexual development disorders
in much the same way that they suffer from other kinds of developmental
disorders, whether of the cardiac/
circulatory system, of the nervous/
intellectual system or others. No one,
of course, should be subjected to
bias or mistreatment due to a bodily
disorder they may have been born
with, but in treating such persons, we
always strive to return their cardiac or
intellectual functions to their proper
baseline, rather than inventing a new
abnormal as the norm and defining
that as a “treatment,” as some are
tempted to do with sexual development disorders.
While a newborn’s “intrinsic
maleness” or “intrinsic femaleness”
may be difficult to assess in certain
more complicated intersex cases, the
point remains that there is an “intrinsic” or “underlying” sexual constitution that we must do our best to
recognize, respect, and with which act
in accord. We must carefully acknowledge, nurture and accept our given
embodied sexual nature as male or
female. Willfully denying or acting
against that given nature will constitute little more than a prescription for
disillusionment and dishonesty.
Pope Benedict, in a December
2013 address, echoed these concerns
when he mentioned the errors found
in various new philosophies where
“sex is no longer a given element of
nature, that man has to accept and
personally make sense of …”
To live in an ordered way, with
an ordered masculinity or femininity,
is certainly one of the great challenges
of our time, and we can only undertake this important task by insisting
on the correspondence of our minds
to reality—especially to the deeply inscribed reality of our unique embodiment as male or female.
©TM
Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD serves
as the Director of Education at The
National Catholic Bioethics Center in
Philadelphia; see www.ncbcenter.org.
The Mirror 3
COLUMN
July 22, 2016
COME, AND
YOU WILL SEE
Bp. Edward M. Rice
A
On the Road Again! Road Rally 2016
s many of you recall, Bp.
to holiness expressed in the Catechism
James Johnston embarked
of the Catholic Church states, “All
on a “Road Rally” in 2014
Christians in any state or walk of life
with the intention of visiting
are called to the fullness of Christian
every parish within 17 days. During
life and to the perfection of charity.
each visit, he shared with everyone
All are called to holiness” (CCC 2013).
gathered the Mutually Shared Vision
As a diocese, that clear mandate, the
for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Gi- call to holiness, is all the more urgent.
rardeau. Our Sacred Purpose is clear,
Society says the many daily crosses
“… to joyfully live our Catholic faith
of life are to be avoided at all cost. By
as intentional disciples, leading all to
faith, however, we believe those crossa full life in Jesus Christ.” Our three
es, those that often come to us which
guiding values as disciples are “prayer,
we can do nothing about, are avenues
generous service, and enthusiasm.”
of grace. In fact, again, the catechism
Our five-year vision is “One Church,
states, “The way of perfection passes
East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving
by way of the Cross” (CCC 2015). If
Jesus, and Sharing Jesus.”
you want to grow in holiFinally, our three prioriness, discover and embrace
ties are “Grow in Holiness;
the cross in your life.
Form Intentional Disciples,
Being an “intentional
and being Sent to Witdisciple” is a popular idea
If you want
ness.” I am grateful to Bp.
these days. Author Sherry
Johnston for his visionary
Weddell’s book, Forming
to grow in
leadership for the diocese.
Intentional Disciples, highholiness,
I was recently asked if
lights the experiences of so
discover and
I would continue to promany Catholics who know
mote the Mutually Shared
where to go for the best fish
embrace the
Vision and I responded,
frys and who participate
cross in your
“Why wouldn’t I?” There
in parish sports programs
life.
has been a lot of “sweat
and send their children to
equity” put into the vision
Catholic schools, but have
by Bp. Johnston and the
no personal experience
diocesan Envisioning Team.
of Jesus. They seem to be
It would be, in a sense,
content with being “culdisrespectful to just throw all that
tural Catholics,” choosing not to be
work aside and begin from scratch.
immersed in the life of Jesus. In fact,
And, when you think of it, what
statistics show only seven percent of
bishop would not be thrilled to know
Catholics take time to pray or have
his people were focused on holiness,
made a conscious choice to be intenintentional discipleship, and witness?
tional about their relationship with
Of course, all of this sounds
Jesus. Pope Francis mentions in “Joy
good on paper, doesn’t it? And
of the Gospel” the necessity of going
therein lays the danger: After all the
after those who have been baptized
work, prayer, and reflection put into
but no longer practice the faith.
the Mutually Shared Vision, there is
How do we overcome the
the possibility of the final document
being framed, hung on the wall, and
immediately forgotten. What a tragedy that would be. The universal call
apathy?
The third priority of our “Mutually Shared Vision” gives the answer:
through witness. A witness can testify
to what he or she knows. A witness to
Jesus must therefore be able to testify
to the mercy, joy, love, and forgiveness of Jesus in his or her life. Then,
when I share my encounter of Jesus
with others, I become a witness.
Can I get a witness?
We recently had two Steubenville youth conferences at Missouri State University in Springfield.
Around 7,700 young people participating (see pp. 12-13).
They had spent the weekends
participating in Mass, in prayer before
the Blessed Sacrament, group faithsharing, and over 4,600 of them
celebrated the Sacrament of Penance
and Reconciliation. At the end of the
second conference, I challenged the
young people to consider how they
will answer the question, “How was
the weekend?” I told them to be prepared to answer the question because
as soon as they walk through the
door back home, someone will ask,
“How was the weekend?” And if they
just shrug their shoulders and said,
“Okay,” then they just missed their
first opportunity to witness to Christ.
A witness must testify to what has
happened, and in this case, how Jesus
has been active in their life.
So, I will revive the Road Rally
Revival in August! With the help of
The Catholic Center staff, I will begin
on Sun., Aug. 14 and end on Aug. 31.
And in every parish, I will have the
same message. I will share our Sacred
Purpose to joyfully live our faith as
intentional disciples, leading all to a
Bp. Rice’s prayer
intentions for August are:
As the Diocese marks its
60th anniversary, let us lift
up the priests and religious
serving the Church in Southern Missouri, asking God’s
blessings upon their lives
and ministries; God bless our
families and the youth of
the diocese so that each may
be drawn into a closer relationship with Christ.
full life in Jesus Christ. I will speak of
our values of prayer, service, and enthusiasm. I will re-propose our vision
of “One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, and Sharing
Jesus.” I will challenge all our parishes
to grow in holiness, form intentional
disciples, and witness to Jesus. What
bishop wouldn’t want that for his
people?
I look forward to meeting all of
you as the Bishop is “On the Road,
Again!”©TM
Read and/or hear Bp. Rice’s homily
at the July 17 closing Mass of the Steubenville youth conference: www.dioscg.
org.
Holy Trinity tot inquires about Bishop’s miter
Pope’s monthly
prayer intentions
August 2016
Universal:
Sports
That sports may be an opportunity for friendly encounters between peoples and they may contribute to peace in the world.
Evangelization:
Living the Gospel
That Christians may live the
Gospel, giving witness to faith,
honesty, and love of neighbor.
©TM
CUTENESS ALERT—Mercy staffer Karen Braun and her three-year-old son, Augie, went to Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral on July 8. Bishop Edward Rice held the liturgy for Peace and Healing in the wake of wide-spread violence
in our nation. Augie’s favorite word right now is “why” and after the liturgy, the half-pint-sized Cardinals fan
asked Bp. Rice “why” he was wearing “that hat,” … then this happened. …
(Photos courtesy Karen Braun)
4 The Mirror
REVIEW/ADULT FAITH
WORD ON FIRE
Bp. Robert Barron
How strange is the cross
F
leming Rutledge’s The
Crucifixion is one of
the most stimulating
and thought-provoking
books of theology that I have
read in the past 10 years.
Both an academic and a
well-regarded preacher in the
Episcopal tradition, Rutledge
has an extraordinary knack
of cutting to the heart of
the matter. Her book on the
central reality of the Christian faith is supremely illuminating, a delight for the
inquiring mind—and man,
will it ever preach. There
is so much of value in this
text that I have decided to
dedicate a number of articles
to analyzing it. For the purposes of this initial interpretive foray, allow me to focus
simply on two themes that
run through the entire book
and that ought to shape any
Christian’s understanding of
the cross: the sheer strangeness of the crucifixion and
the weight of sin.
A matter of shame
Rutledge indicates a
New Testament text that
most Christians pass over
without noticing how deeply
Fourth Thursday of every month
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton school cafeteria …
west/school parking lot entrance
7 p.m.
Next meeting is July 28
think that good news might
be a matter of shame? Well,
because this good news
centers around someone who
had been put to death on a
Roman cross—and it would
be difficult to imagine anything in the ancient Mediterranean world that was more
horrific than dying in such a
Arimathea, a high-ranking
manner.
Jewish official. We can clearly
The problem, of course,
see why Cicero referred to
is that we are the inheritors
crucifixion, with admirable
of centuries of artwork and
laconicism, as the summum
piety that present the cross
suplicium (the unsurpassable
as a moving, or even sacpunishment).
charine, religious symbol.
To be sure, the GosWe wear it as jewelry, and
pel proclaimed by the first
we hang it on the walls of
Christians involves the gloriour homes as a harmless
ous resurrection, but those
decoration. But for the men
initial evangelists never let
and women of Jesus’ time,
their hearers forget that the
death by crucifixion was not
one who had been raised
only painful; it was brutally
was none other than the
de-humanizing, humiliatone who had been crucified.
ing, and shaming. A person
Paul goes so far as to tell
condemned to this manner
the Corinthians, who had
of execution would
perhaps given in to
be stripped naked
too much realized
(the loin cloths on
eschatology, “For
most depictions of
I resolved to know
I consider
the crucified Jesus
nothing while I was
are not historically
with you except
this one of
accurate), nailed
Jesus Christ, and
the most
or tied to a crosshim crucified.” So
insightful
bar fitted into a
the question was—
stake, and then
and remains—why
theological
left for hours, or in books of the
would God’s salvamany cases days, to
tion of the hudecade.
suffer the excruman race have to
ciating (ex cruce,
include something
literally from the
as horrifying as
cross) pain of very
crucifixion? Why
slowly asphyxiatwould the Son of
ing while rocking up and
God have to endure not only
down on wounded hands
death, but as Paul eloquently
and feet in order to respirate.
specifies, “death on a cross”?
The mocking of the crucified,
Seriousness of sin
which is frankly described
The question neatly
in the Gospels, was part and
conduces to the second
parcel of the execution. The
of Rutledge’s points that
pathetic figure pinioned to
I should like to explore,
his instrument of torture and
namely, the seriousness of
exposed in the most brutal
sin. We live in a time when
and demeaning manner; he
the human predicament is
was meant to be insulted.
regularly denied, explained
When at long last the toraway, or ignored. “I’m okay
tured criminal died, his body
and you’re okay,” we tell one
was allowed to remain on
another, and we bask in the
the cross for days, permitculture’s reassurance that “I
ting animals to pick over his
am beautiful in every single
remains. Jesus’ rapid burial
way.” Despite the massive
was exceptional, a favor
counter-evidence from the
specially offered to Joseph of
Next Issue
God’s awful
work of love
peculiar it is, namely, Romans 1:16: “For I am not
ashamed of the gospel. It
is the power of God for the
salvation of everyone who
believes: for the Jew first and
then Greek.” It would be
hard to imagine the Buddha
or Mohammed or Confucius
implying that his doctrine is
something that might appear
shameful to people. But this
is precisely what the Apostle
Paul insinuates about what
he calls his gospel (good
news). Why would anyone
Come Renew Friendships—Cursillo Ultreya
WHEN:
WHERE:
TIME:
July 22, 2016
WHEN: Fourth Friday of every month
WHERE: St. Mary Cathedral, Cape Girardeau
TIME: 7 p.m.
Next meeting is July 29
In a time of turmoil … Christ is counting on you!!!!
Come renew friendships with Cursillistas friends
Upcoming Cursillo Weekends in the
Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau:
LOCATION: the beautiful Pinecrest Camp and Conference
Center, Fredericktown, MO (www.pinecrestcamp.org)
Dates: Women’s weekend - Feb. 23-26, 2017
Men’s weekend - March 23-26, 2017
For more information about Cursillo in the diocese, contact
Sharon Essner at [email protected], (573) 334-0373;
Anne Detten at [email protected], (417) 889-8615;
or Fr. Bill Hodgson at [email protected] or (573) 785-9635
moral disasters of the last
century, we are still beguiled
by the myth of progress:
with just enough technical
advancement, psychological
insight, and personal liberation, we will solve our
problems. On such a reading
of the human condition, all
we need is a good teacher, a
guru with brilliant spiritual
insights, or a stirring moral
exemplar to stir us to selfactualization. And if things
go wrong, a blithe word of
forgiveness should set them
right.
But with this sort of stupidity and superficiality the
Bible has no truck. The Scriptural authors understand sin
not so much as a series of
acts, but as a condition in
which we are stuck, something akin to an addiction
or a contagious disease. No
amount of merely human effort could possibly solve the
problem. Rather, some power
has to come from outside of
us in order to clean up the
mess; something awful has
to be done on our behalf in
order to offset the awfulness
of sin.
With this Biblical realism in mind, we can begin to
comprehend why the crucifixion of the Son of God was
necessary. The just rapport
between God and human
beings could not be re-established either through our
moral effort or with simply a
word of forgiveness. Something had to be done—and
God alone could do it. With
this line of thought, Rutledge
comes close to the muchmaligned speculation of St.
Anselm of Canterbury, and I
should like to make her brilliant recovery of Anselm the
subject of my next article. In
the meantime, I can’t urge
you more strongly to pick
up her book and read it with
care.©TM
Bp. Robert Barron is the
founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and an Auxiliary
Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los
Angeles.
The Mirror: Newspaper of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau USPS Publication 117-330 Publisher: The Most Rev. Edward Rice Editor: Leslie A. Eidson
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The Mirror 5
ANNOUNCEMENTS
July 22, 2016
Announcements
Parishes and organizations are invited to submit notices of future events
to be printed in the Announcements. They will be printed on a space-available basis. There is no fee.
Belleville, IL—The National Shrine of Our
Lady of the Snows, will present a Healing Day
of Reflection, “The Shadow Valley Journey: The
Journey of Grief” with Rev. Mike Rayson on Sat.,
July 30, 9 a.m., at the Edwin J. Guild Center.
Find helpful insights into healing from loss as
Rev. Mike Rayson, a native of Australia, shares
the story of the loss of his 11-yr.-old son, Sam,
in a horse riding accident. He uses music, testimony and theological reflection to explore the
themes of dying, death, and grief. Cost: $20.
Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact the shrine at (618) 397-6700,
ext. 6270; (314) 241-3400, ext. 6270; or
visit www.snows.org/programs.
Belleville, IL—The Missionary Oblates of
Mary Immaculate invite you to attend the 73rd
annual Healing and Hope Novena to Our Lady of
the Snows at the National Shrine of Our Lady
of the Snows, Sat., July 30-Sun., Aug. 7, 7:30
p.m. The thought-provoking reflections, beautiful music, special healing prayers, and closing
candlelight rosary processions all add up to a
memorable and prayerful experience. For more
information, contact the shrine at (618) 3976700, ext. 6276; (314) 241-3400, ext.
6276; or visit www.snows.org/novena.
Branson—Our Lady of the Lake Parish
is hosting its annual Arts and Crafts Festival,
Fri.-Sat., Oct. 7-8, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., and Sun., Oct.
9, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Venders needed. There will be
40 inside booths plus outdoor booths featuring a variety of unique gifts, handcrafted items,
home-grown fall vegetables, one-of-a-kind gifts.
No admission charge. In addition to the arts
and crafts booths, Olly’s Tasty Treats, baked
goods, snack items, and drinks as a fundraiser
for Our Lady of the Lake Youth. Catholic Campus
Ministry (CCM) lunch on the grounds Fri., and
Sat., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Treat the family to authentic Mexican dishes Sunday ONLY beginning 9
a.m. as a fundraiser for Hispanic Ministries. For
vendor information, Email [email protected],
or call Janet Bostnick at (417) 230-6060; or
contact Joyce Arnold (417) 334-2928, ext.
103; or Email [email protected].
Chaffee—St. Ambrose School is sponsoring the first annual alumni volleyball tournament,
Sept. 24, 5 p.m., in the school gym. Admission fee is donation only. For more information,
contact Mrs. Enderle at (573) 887-6711.
Proceeds will benefit the St. Ambrose School
scholarship fund.
KHJM
Catholic radio for Southeast Missouri
From Jackson to the Bootheel,
KH JM 89.1 FM brings the
Heart of Jesus and Mary
radio to the area.
Ozark—St. Joseph Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) will hold its annual garage
sale (600+ families), 1796 N. State Hwy. NN,
Ozark, Fri., Aug. 5, 7 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sat., Aug.
6, 7 a.m.-1 p.m., in the air conditioned parish
hall. Saturday is bag day—all other half-price.
Clothing for everyone, furniture, antiques, electronics, appliances, knick knacks, linens, toys,
crafts, and much more. For more information,
contact Jeanette Curtiss, (417) 725-6404.
Springfield—The Secular Franciscan Fraternity will meet, Sat., July 30, beginning with
lunch at noon (optional), then at 1 p.m. in the
day chapel at Holy Trinity Parish. Contact for
new inquirers is Steve Moncher, stevemoncher@
gmail.com, or call (417) 861-2109.
Springfield—Immaculate Conception
Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) will
host the Regional Council of Catholic Women,
Thu., Sept. 1, in the parish community room.
Registration and a continental breakfast will
be at 9 a.m., followed by a business meeting at
9:30 a.m. Mass, lunch, and entertainment will
conclude the day. For more information contact
Karen Soetaert, (417) 887-7929.
Springfield—St. Agnes Cathedral Parish
Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) will hold its
annual garage sale, Fri., Aug. 5, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.,
and Sat., Aug. 6, 7 a.m.-11 a.m., in the school
gym. Lots of reasonably-priced clothing, furniture, books, household appliances, toys, and
much more. All proceeds benefit PCCW parish
projects. For more information, contact Iris
Bounds, [email protected].
Attention educators! Our ‘Saint of the Week’ cartoons
often feature a downloadable coloring page for youth
Schedule
The next safe environment in-service opportuni
ties will be held at the
following locations:
Sat., July 30
1-4 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . Nativity of Our Lord, Noel (Span
ish)
Tue., Aug. 2
6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Immaculate Conception, Jacks
on
Wed., Aug. 10
8:30-11:30 a.m. . . . . . St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Sprin
gfield
Mon., Aug. 15
3-6 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Our Lady of the Lake, Brans
on
Wed., Aug. 31
4:30-7:30 p.m. . . . . . . St. Peter the Apostle, Joplin
Mon., Sep. 12
6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . St. Mary Cathedral, Cape Girar
deau
Thu., Sep. 15
6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Sacred Heart, Poplar Bluff
Sat., Oct. 15
9 a.m.-12-noon . . . . . . St. Vincent de Paul, Cape Girar
deau
Tue., Oct. 18
6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . St. Denis, Benton
Mon., Nov. 7
5:30-8:30 p.m. . . . . . . . Our Lady of the Lake, Brans
on
Sat., Nov. 12
9 a.m.-12-noon . . . . . . . St. Vincent de Paul, Cape Girar
deau
Tue., Nov. 15
9 a.m.-12-noon . . . . . . . The Catholic Center, Sprin
gfield
Tue., Nov. 15
6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . McAuley Catholic High Schoo
l, Joplin
Mon., Dec. 5
6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . Guardian Angel, Oran
Thu., Jan. 5, 2017 6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . McAu
ley Catholic High School, Joplin
Sat., Jan. 28, 2017 9 a.m.-12-noon . . . . . . . . . St. Vincen
t de Paul, Cape Girardeau
Sat., April 29, 2017 9 a.m.-12-noon . . . . . . . . . St. Vincen
t de Paul, Cape Girardeau
Preregistration is necessary; go to www.virtus.org
and click on “registration” on the left
or call your parish/school office for assistance;
or call Ken Pesek at The Catholic Center,
(417) 866-0841; or Email him at kenpesek@diosc
g.org. Participants must be present for
the entire training. Training sessions are for adult
s only. Schedules may be found on the
diocesan events calendar at www.dioscg.org, or
at www.virtus.org.
6 The Mirror
DIOCESAN NEWS
July 22, 2016
Poland: 3 million expected at WYD
He also had a particular greeting for the Polish
largest recurring gathering
youth upon his first visit
of youth in the
as Pope to their
Catholic Church.
country.
The theme for
“For me, it is
2016 WYD is
a great gift of the
centered around
Lord to visit you,”
Every young
the Beatitudes
Pope Francis said,
person should “You are a nation
and Matthew 25,
“Blessed are the
that throughout
see that they
merciful, for they
its history has exare called to
will be shown
perienced so many
serve the Lord trials, some parmercy.” Of course,
in their own
this being the
ticularly difficult,
Jubilee Year of
and has persevered
lives.
Mercy, much of
through the power
what Pope Francis
of faith, upheld
will bring to World
by the maternal
Youth Day Krakow
hands of the Virwill be inspired by mercy.
gin Mary.”
In a video greeting
released July 19, to those
Hometown pilgrims
making their way to Poland
Diocesan pilgrims will
Pope Francis said he is lookbegin their trek in Prague,
ing forward to being with
visiting the Church of the
the youth.
Holy Infant. The next day,
“I am very anxious to
they will visit The Church
meet you and to offer the
of the Miraculous Black
world a new sign of harMadonna at Czestochowa
mony, a mosaic of different
where Pope St. John Paul
faces, from many races,
II made a pilgrimage after
languages, peoples, and
being elected to the Chair of
cultures,” Pope Francis said,
Peter.
“but all united in the name
On their third day in
of Jesus, who is the Face of
Poland, the group will go
Mercy.”
to Auchwitz and visit the
From Page 1
MUSICIAN AND MENTOR—Tony Melendez stood amid youth during a concert he performed
in the Madrid Arena 2011. Melendez has attended every World Youth Day since 1993 in Denver. He will perform at WYD 2016 in Krakow, Poland. His wife, Lynn, is Catholic Campus
Minister at College of the Ozarks in Branson, MO. They are parishioners of Our Lady of the
Lake Parish, Branson.
(Photo courtesy of Lynn Melendez)
Holocaust Museum there.
Next up will be a trip to
Wadowice, the birthplace of
Pope St. John Paul II.
The day before World
Youth Day begins, the group
will arrive in Krakow where
they will engage in community service projects with the
Felician Sisters.
The next five days will
be filled with scheduled
WYD activities. They will
attend Tony’s concerts, as
well as several catechetical sessions each morning
with participating bishops,
and pray with other international pilgrims, often
exchanging trinkets, religious medals, or souvenirs
with each other. In the
afternoons, they will choose
from a variety of events,
including musical concerts,
dance troupes, and theater
presentations, to Adoration, Masses, and reconciliation services. With Krakow
being a very walkable “old
town,” points of interest will
include the Main Market
Square where can be seen
St. Mary Basilica, a stunning
Gothic architecture from
the 14th century. Although
On the Web
View Pope Francis’
video to youth
www.dioscg.org
it is said a church stood on
the site more than 100 years
even before that, the top left
tower of the basilica holds
a crown, representing Mary
as the Queen of Heaven and
of Poland. St. Adalbert is
there, too, the oldest church
in Krakow, dating from the
10th century.
On Friday, the Pope will
lead the Stations of the Cross
in Blonia Park, or “Campus
Misericordiae” (“Field of
Mercy”), as the special site
designed specifically for the
WYD Papal Vigil and closing
Mass is being called.
But the biggest happenstance is Saturday, Lynn
said. That is when everybody
in the city pilgrimages to the
park, which is located just
outside Krakow. It is about
seven miles from the group’s
hotel, and they expect
to hike there with their
backpacks.
The Pope will lead a
prayer service in the park
and end with Adoration. As
many as 3 million people are
expected to be present.
“It’s amazing to hear
silence among 3 million
people during Adoration,”
Lynn said. “It’s a beautiful
experience.”
Everyone will then
sleep under the stars Saturday night, and the Pope
will return to celebrate the
closing Mass on Sunday
morning.
The group will return to
Branson on Aug. 1, excited
to share their experiences.
“Dear brothers and
sisters, I send you this
message as a pledge of my
affection,” Pope Francis said
in his welcoming video on
July 19. “Let us keep close to
one another in prayer. I look
forward to seeing you in
Poland!”©TM
For more information on
World Youth Day Krakow, visit
www.worldyouthday.com.
Leslie Anne Eidson contributed to this article.
DIOCESAN NEWS
July 22, 2016
The Mirror 7
Diocesan priority: Grow in Holiness
Annual conference offers unique opportunities
for spiritual growth, healing, renewal
By J.B. Kelly
Springfield
A
relatively young group in the
diocese has seen much success in recent years coordinating conferences fostering
spiritual growth and renewal.
Are you searching for strength
and healing in your life? The
Strengthening & Healing Souls planning team invites everyone in the
diocese to ‘grow in holiness’ by attending its event. The next gathering
will be Aug. 19 and 20 in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield,
and will highlight “The Merciful
Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
Speakers at this free event include Fr. Dermot S. Roache, SMA, Fr.
David Baunach, Kathleen McCarthy,
and Bob Gannnon. In addition to
Mass, Adoration, and opportunities
for confessions, spiritual guidance
may be sought from attending priests
and religious sisters.
©TM
SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT​—Author
and lay evangelist Kathleen McCarthy will speak at the Aug. 1
​ 9 and 20
Strengthening & Healing Souls conferences at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Parish in Springfield. ​(Photo by J.B. Kelly)
Job Openings
Custodial Work—Joplin Area Catholic Schools System, McAuley/St.
Peter Campus, Joplin, MO. Need two part-time employees for a morning
shift and evening shift. Beginning salary $8 an hour.
Reading/Computer Teacher—St. Peter Middle School (6-8), Joplin,
MO. Missouri certified. Catholic preferred.
Before and After School Daycare Employee—Elementary & Middle
School students for both morning and evening shifts. Morning/7:15-8:30
a.m. and evening/2:45-6 p.m. The hourly rate is minimum wage. Located
at St. Peter Middle School.
For more information, contact Gene Koester, principal, (417) 6249320, or [email protected].
WHAT: St. Mary Cathedral Family Life Ministry & Light the Fire Ministries
are sponsoring an evening dedicated to the Holy Year of Mercy, with live
music, song, praise, worship, fellowship, and snacks! Last year’s, “This
Is My Body,” was an amazing event. You don’t want to miss this year!
WHEN: Sat., Aug. 6 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Notre Dame Regional High School Cafetorium in Cape Girardeau
WHO: All ages are welcome!
COST: Admission is FREE!
MORE INFORMATION: Jim Keusenkothen (573) 579-5677
or Email [email protected]
8 The Mirror
DIOCESAN NEWS
ROAD RALLY REVIVAL 2016
One Church, East to West
PARISH NAME
CITY
DATE
SCHEDULE
Our Lady of The Cove Parish
Our Lady of the Lake Parish
Our Lady of The Ozarks Parish
St. William Parish
St. Leo the Great Mission Church
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
St. Michael Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
St. Mary Parish
St. Joseph Parish
St. John Vianney Parish
St. Sylvester Parish
Christ the King Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
St. Jude Chapel
St. John the Baptist Mission Church
St. Mark Parish
St. Vincent de Paul Mission Church
St. Francis De Sales Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
Holy Trinity Parish
St. William Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
St. Catherine of Siena Mission Church
St. Elizabeth Parish
St. Peter the Apostle Parish
St. Mary Parish
St. Patrick Catholic Mission Church
St. Peter the Apostle Parish
St. Mary Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
St. Ann Parish
St. Agnes Parish
St. Canera Parish
St. Mary Parish
Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Mission Church
St. Edward Parish
Holy Family Parish
St. Lawrence Parish
Kimberling City
Branson
Forsyth
Gainesville
Ava
Mansfield
Mountain Grove
Cabool
Willow Springs
Thayer
West Plains
White Church
Mountain View
Eminence
Bunker
Salem
Montauk
Licking
Houston
Roby
Lebanon
Conway
Marshfield
Buffalo
Bolivar
Humansville
El Dorado Springs
Stockton
Lamar
Greenfield
Joplin
Joplin
Webb City
Carthage
Sarcoxie
Neosho
Seneca
Noel
Cassville
Shell Knob
Monett
Sun., Aug. 14
8 a.m. Mass
Noon gathering (after 10:30 a.m. Mass)
1:30 p.m. gathering
4 p.m. gathering
8 a.m. Mass
9:30 a.m. gathering
11 a.m. gathering
12:30 p.m. gathering
2 p.m. gathering
4 p.m. gathering
5:30 p.m. gathering
8 a.m. Mass
9:30 a.m. gathering
11 a.m. gathering
1 p.m. gathering
3 p.m. gathering
No scheduled gathering, stop and brief visit.
5 p.m. gathering
8 a.m. Mass
10 a.m. gathering
Noon gathering
1:30 p.m. gathering
3 p.m. gathering
5 p.m. gathering
8:30 a.m. Mass
10 a.m. gathering
11:30 a.m. gathering
1 p.m. gathering
3 p.m. gathering
5 p.m. gathering
8:30 a.m. Mass
10 a.m. gathering
11:30 a.m. gathering
1 p.m. gathering
2:30 p.m. gathering
4 p.m. gathering
8:30 a.m. gathering
10:30 a.m. gathering
1 p.m. gathering
2:30 p.m. gathering
5:30 p.m. Mass
Mon., Aug. 15
Tue., Aug. 16
Wed., Aug. 17
Thu., Aug. 18
Fri., Aug. 19
Sat., Aug. 20
July 22, 2016
On the Ro
Bishop Edward M
each parish and
Diocese of Springfie
Aug. 14-3
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B
ishop Edward Rice wi
Road Rally Revival 20
he will visit each par
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his new flock. Bishop will affir
Vision (diocesan purpose, valu
priorities), and share his thou
Jesus, Serving Jesus, and S
Church, East to West.
Please consult the parish v
plans to be present when Bp. R
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within any given region. Watc
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“Diocese of Springfield-Ca
July 22, 2016
The Mirror 9
DIOCESAN NEWS
8 a.m. Mass
9:45 a.m. gathering (after 8:30 a.m. Mass)
11:30 a.m. gathering
1:30 p.m. gathering
4 p.m., Holy Trinity’s 50th Anniv. Celebration
8:30 a.m. Mass
10 a.m. gathering
11:15 a.m. gathering
12:30 p.m. gathering
2 p.m. gathering
3:30 p.m. gathering
4:45 p.m. gathering
9:30 a.m. gathering (after 8:30 a.m. Mass)
11 a.m. gathering
6 p.m. Mass—first day of MSU academic year.
SS Peter & Paul Parish
St. Mary Parish
St. Susanne Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
Holy Trinity Parish
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
Immaculate Conception Parish
St. Joseph The Worker Parish
St. Francis of Assisi Parish
St. Joseph Parish
Holy Trinity Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
St. Joseph Parish
St. Agnes Cathedral
Catholic Campus Ministry
Pulaskifield
Pierce City
Mount Vernon
Springfield
Springfield
Springfield
Springfield
Ozark
Nixa
Billings
Aurora
Verona
Springfield
Springfield
Springfield
Sun., Aug. 21
mission is a go!
60th anniversary of the Diocese
Catholic Night at Springfield Cardinals
Springfield
Springfield
Wed., Aug. 24
Thu., Aug. 25
7 p.m. Mass­—St. Agnes Cathedral
7 p.m.
ill embark on the 2,000-mile
016 in August during which
rish and mission in the diomeet and greet the faithful of
rm the 2014 Mutually-Shared
ues, five-year vision, and key
ughts and hopes on Loving
Sharing Jesus in our One
St. George Mission Parish
St. Benedict Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
St. Teresa Parish
St. Ann Parish
St. Cecilia Parish
Sacred Heart Parish
St. Eustachius Parish
Immaculate Conception Parish
St. Henry Parish
St. Francis Xavier Parish
Guardian Angel Parish
St. Denis Parish
St. Lawrence Parish
St. Augustine Parish
St. Joseph Parish
Catholic Campus Ministry
Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation
Old St. Vincent Chapel of Ease
St. Vincent De Paul Parish
Immaculate Conception Parish
St. Ambrose Parish
St. Joseph Parish
St. AnthonyMission Church
St. John Parish
St. Michael the Archangel Parish
Ste. Marie du Lac Parish
St. Philip Benizi Church
Our Lady of Sorrows Mission Church
St. Catherine of Siena Parish
Our Lady of Sorrows Mission Church
Van Buren
Doniphan
Poplar Bluff
Dexter
Glennonville
Malden
Kennett
Caruthersville
Portageville
New Madrid
Charleston
Sikeston
Oran
Benton
New Hamburg
Kelso
Scott City
Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau
Jackson
Chaffee
Advance
Glennon
Leopold
Fredericktown
Ironton
Viburnum
Lesterville
Piedmont
Williamsville
Fri., Aug. 26
12:30 p.m. gathering
2:30 p.m. gathering
4 p.m. gathering
5:30 p.m. gathering
8:30 a.m. gathering
9:45 a.m. gathering
11:15 a.m. gathering
1 p.m. gathering
2:30 p.m. gathering
5 p.m. Mass
9 a.m. gathering (after 8 a.m. Mass)
11 a.m. gathering (after 10 a.m. Mass)
12:30 gathering
1:45 p.m. gathering
2:45 p.m. gathering
3:45 p.m. gathering
5 p.m. gathering
8 p.m. Mass
8 a.m. Mass
9:30 a.m. gathering
10:30 a.m. gathering
Noon gathering
1:30 p.m. gathering
3 p.m. gathering
4 p.m. gathering
5:15 p.m. gathering
10 a.m. gathering
11:30 a.m. gathering
1:30 p.m. gathering
3:30 p.m. gathering
5:30 p.m. Mass
9 a.m. Mass
oad Again
M. Rice will visit
d mission in the
eld-Cape Girardeau
31, 2016
visitation schedule and make
Rice visits your parish or misis subject to change slightly
ch for the final schedule.
els on social media,
@DioSCG
ape Girardeau”
Mon., Aug. 22
Tue., Aug. 23
Sat., Aug. 27
Sun., Aug. 28
Mon., Aug. 29
Tue., Aug. 30
Wed., Aug. 31
10 The Mirror
DIOCESAN NEWS
July 22, 2016
Happy new priest wants to bring love to people
By J.B. Kelly
Leopold, MO
T
he diocese wrapped up its 2016 ‘ordination season’ on the evening of Fri., June
24—the Solemnity of the Nativity of St.
John the Baptist—with the priestly ordination of Charles Dunn. The liturgy was held in
the recently-renovated St. John Parish in Leopold, Fr. Dunn’s home parish. It was the second
ordination of a diocesan priest this summer: Fr.
David Baunach was ordained on May 28. Colby
Elbert and Joseph Stoverink were ordained to the
diaconate on June 10.
Fr. Dunn commented that as he entered the
Church prior to his ordination, he was greeted by
a contingency of diocesan priests. He was struck
at how his ‘spiritual family’ was growing.
“I realized, ‘I’m going to be getting a whole
lot more brothers!’” he said. The ritual of each
of the priests placing their hands on his head
following Bp. Edward Rice doing so in the Prayer
of Ordination, Dunn added, was an especially
emotional moment in the liturgy.”
“I was just so moved inside.” Fr. Dunn said.
“I loved that moment.”
solidified,” Fr. Dunn said.
So, after six years of discernment and
formation, Fr. Dunn’s “yes” to the Lord brought
him back to his home parish to be ordained a
priest. Beginning a life of service in southern
Missouri—the ‘heart of the Bible Belt’—will not
be without its challenges, and Fr. Dunn expressed optimism at bringing the love of Christ
to everyone he encounters in the diocese.
“Love breaks through any barrier,” Fr.
Dunn said, “as I think we can see from the
example of Pope Francis. I hope that the love I
show people will bring them to Christ.”
Inspiration and spiritual nourishment
Fr. Dunn said that he has found Eucharistic
Adoration to be of great benefit to his spiritual
life. Adoration is something he said he needs “to
continually return to” for inspiration and nourishment, in addition to the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass. He finds comfort in turning to the Blessed
Virgin Mary to ask for intercessory prayer, too,
and counts St. Thérèse of Lisieux as another
‘heavenly friend.’
“(Thérèse) had such great trust in the
Lord,” Fr. Dunn said. “I ask her to help me trust
ANOINTING OF HANDS—Bishop Edward M. Rice
anointed the hands of Charles Dunn during his ordination to the priesthood June 24 in St. John Church,
Leopold. Fr. Dunn (below) participated in the ​Eucharistic Prayers at the consecration of the Eucharist.​
Ordination to the Priesthood
FR. CHARLES DUNN
PHOTOS BY DEAN CURTIS/THE MIRROR
Catholic ‘family roots’ solidified vocation
As was the case with the other recentlyordained in the diocese, Dunn gives credit, to
family for helping encourage, inspire, and support him in his journey to priesthood.
“My Grandma Eftink and my Great-Aunt,
Sr. Marie Ambrose Peters, always encouraged me
to the priesthood from when I was very young,”
Fr. Dunn said, “so you could say that it was
always in the back of my mind.”
Fr. Dunn said that it wasn’t until 2009 that
he began to feel a particularly strong call to the
priesthood after hearing the vocation stories of
several diocesan priests during a Project Andrew
dinner.
“I felt a burning sensation in my heart,”
he said. “I realized that this was the path God
wants me to follow.”
After finishing a Master of Arts degree in
History, Fr. Dunn entered into priestly formation and studies in 2010 at St. Meinrad Seminary
in Indiana. The seminary experience, he said,
forces a man to “take a hard look” at himself
“and realize where you need Christ’s help in
your life.”
“Seminary asks you, ‘Can you trust Jesus
enough to do His work?’” Fr. Dunn said.
Three years into his formation, Fr. Dunn
took part in the Institute for Priestly Formation
program in Omaha, NE. Over the summer for
several weeks, he was able to dedicate himself to
prayer and study with other seminarians from
around the country. This structure along with
periods of silence allowed God to ‘speak’ more
clearly to Fr. Dunn.
“It was in Omaha that my vocation was
Jesus more every day.”
“God is great and He can work through
anyone, great or small,” Dunn said.
“Do not be afraid if He is calling you to do
something, either as a married person, priest, or
religious,” Fr. Dunn said. “He will give you the
grace necessary to do well and carry on through
any joy or struggle you have. Do God’s will for
you and you will find joy!”
Fr. Dunn’s first assignment in priestly
ministry is as the Associate Pastor of Immaculate
Conception Parish in Springfield.
©TM
July 22, 2016
The Mirror 11
DIOCESAN NEWS
Homily
Bishop Edward M. Rice
St. John Church, Leopold, MO
‘Remember … it belongs to God’
S
SIGN OF PEACE—Fr. David Baunach, who was ordained to the priesthood May
28, offered the sign of peace to Fr. Charles Dunn June 24. After Fr. J. Friedel
testified to his worthiness (top right), Bp. Edward M. Rice, the clergy, religious,
and faithful in St. John Church, Leopold, were happy to receive Rev. Mr. Charles
Dunn as a candidate to the priesthood. At the request of the bishop (above), newly ordained Fr. Charles Dunn imparted a blessing to The Most Rev. Edward M.
Rice June 24 on the steps
of St. John Church, Leopold, MO.
ASSIGNMENT—Bp. Edward Rice shared with Fr. Charles Dunn that his first
assignment as a priest would be as Associate pastor of Immaculate Conception
Parish, Springfield. This beautiful cake (above, left) awaited well-wishers at the
reception for Fr. Charles Dunn after his ordination to the priesthood June 24.
Clergy of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (above) readied to process
into St. John Church, Leopold, MO, for the priesthood ordination of Charles
Dunn on June 24.
pecial congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Dunn and all the family as you celebrate the priesthood ordination of your son and
brother. Thanks also to the parish of St. John the Apostle as you
see a native son of the parish ordained. Your prayerful support,
along with the loving, prayerful support of his family has enabled
Charles to embrace the call the Lord has placed on his heart. We pray
that more young men and women of this parish will respond to the
Lord’s call to service in the Church.
Our ordination occurs within the celebration of the Solemnity
of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. He is unique in that he has two
feasts: one commemorating his birth, today, and his martyrdom on
Aug. 29. The readings for his birth illustrate the primacy of God in
the life of St. John. In the reading from Isaiah we hear that, “The
Lord called me from birth … the Lord gave me my name … the Lord
has spoken … The Lord (would make Isaiah) a light to the nations.”
Time and time again, Isaiah understood that his call to be a prophet
was the plan of God. God initiated, God sustained, and God brought
his life to completion.
We see this also in the circumstances surrounding the birth of
John the Baptist. Elizabeth was beyond the age
of childbearing and was unable to conceive.
Her husband, mystified by it all and filled with
doubt, was struck mute. But underneath we
The more you
see the plan of God unfolding.
decrease, the
I would imagine that you, Charles, are
pondering how you have come to this momore Jesus will
ment, soon to lay prostrate on the floor as an
be revealed in
act of total giving, I would imagine you may
your life and
be mystified by it all. How did your life come
to this point? But, unlike Zechariah who reministry.
sponded with doubt and was struck mute, you
have responded with faith, and with the laying on of hands you will, like John the Baptist,
rise up to preach to the nations. And when
you feel unqualified or overwhelmed by it all, remember, it is not
your work, it belongs to God. Like Isaiah, “The Lord has called you …
The Lord gave you your name. …” And if you allow it, The Lord will
make you, a light to the nations here in southern Missouri. Again,
not because of you but because you have been open to the work of
God in your life.
John the Baptist had a two-fold response to the Lord’s call. First,
when Jesus came upon John baptizing in the Jordan, John recognized
Jesus, pointing Him out to the people, “Behold, the Lamb of God.”
Charles, that is what you are called to do. First, to recognize the presence of Jesus in our world. That can only be accomplished through
prayer, profound prayer, daily prayer, in the prayer of the Church,
and in your private prayer. If not, you will fail.
People are confused these days. There is so much chaos in our
world. You, in your priestly ministry, are called to point out the presence of Jesus, bringing people to a closer relationship with Christ,
especially through the sacraments so that in the midst of the chaos,
they might come to know Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the
life.
Second, you must decrease so that Jesus may increase. It should
be obvious, but let me say it anyway: the priesthood is all about Jesus. And so the more you decrease, the more Jesus will be revealed in
your life and ministry. The more you embrace His invitation to chastity, the more your chaste love will bear fruit in spiritual sons and
daughters. The more you embrace obedience, the more God’s will be
done. The more you embrace a simple lifestyle, uncluttered by the
things of this world, all the more will Christ be your greatest treasure.
And, let me offer, too, a thought on the patron of your parish, another St. John—the Apostle. It was this John who knew the
intimacy of Jesus at the Last Supper and who was faithful at the foot
of the Cross. Imitate that same intimacy in the celebration of the
Eucharist and in your quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
Imitate that fidelity in the crosses that will come your way. Define
your priesthood by the altar and the cross, and I have no doubt your
priesthood will bear fruit!
©TM
12 The Mirror
DIOCESAN NEWS
July 22, 2016
Thirsty for God: Steubenville 2016
By J.B. Kelly
Springfield
“I
’ve gone to countless Catholic
retreats, but Steubenville was much
different!” Such were the
sentiments of Claire Croley,
17, first-time attendee at a
Steubenville Mid-America
Youth Conference. Croley is
a parishioner at Holy Trinity
in Springfield an incoming
senior at Springfield Catholic
High School.
Held in JQH Arena on
the campus of Missouri State
University (MSU), Springfield, the Steubenville MidAmerica Youth Conferences
were over two weekends, July
DIOCESAN YOUTH—Bishop Edward Rice met with groups
of diocesan youth attending the Steubenville Mid-America
Youth Conferences in Springfield on each of the Saturday
mornings of the two weekend conferences. He encouraged the
young people to more prayerfully consider what their vocation
might be and offered a Miraculous Medal to everyone “at the
cost of one ‘Hail Mary.’” In the background were seminarians
Daniel Belken and Rev. Mr. Joseph Stoverink. (Photo by J.B. Kelly)
8-10 and July 15-17, and had
the look and feel of a rock
concert. In fact, they were
set up as such—with a stage,
three big video screens, and a
roof-to-floor curtain in front
of seats in the west section.
Forty years since the
first youth conference, the
Mid-America conferences are
coordinated by the St. Louis
Archdiocesan Office of Youth
Ministry in partnership with
Franciscan University of
Steubenville, OH. Since the
inaugural conference, approximately 66,000 Catholic
youth and chaperones have
been brought closer to God
and His Church.
As the former Auxiliary
Bishop of St. Louis, Edward
M. Rice has been present
in Springfield for 18 consecutive youth conferences.
This year, he didn’t have to
travel from St. Louis. As the
newly installed Bishop of
Springfield-Cape Girardeau,
his office is just blocks away
from MSU.
Bishop Rice held opening Masses for staff and volunteers each Friday morning
YOUTH CONFERENCES—Sam and Kent Donze from St. Joseph Parish, Springfield, posed with Bp. Edward M. Rice at
the Steubenville Youth Conference held July 8-10 in the JQH
Arena on the campus of Missouri State University, Springfield.
(Photo by Katie Newton/The Mirror)
of the conferences. He also
blessed the weekends each
Friday evening, participated
at Masses, and gave the homily on the closing Sunday,
July 17.
‘I Thirst’
At that evening session
July 16, teens counted down,
“five, four, three, two, one,”
for the gates to open, then
rushed through the concourse so quickly that their
wake blew pamphlets off a
vocations table.
Once in the seating
area, it was concert city. A
beach ball flew about the
arena floor, cell phones dotted the air as teens danced
and sang along to, Lynyrd
Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home
Alabama,” and Jon Bon Jovi’s
“Livin’ on a Prayer.”
“Whoa, we’re half way
there…”
“Whoa, livin’ on a
prayer…”
That lyric perfectly describes #SteubyStL—livin’ on
a prayer, as in God Himself
and His son, Jesus Christ.
With another recordcrowd of more than 7,700
youth and chaperones from
15 states, 564 of those youth
represented 20 parishes
within the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.
“It was inspiring to see
thousands of Catholic youth
Annual Glennonville Picnic
Sat., July 30, 2016
Southern Fried Chicken & BBQ Pork
Potatoes, Gravy, Cole Slaw, Corn, Green Beans, Homemade Desserts
$10 Adults and $5 Children (6-12)
Serving from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; carry-outs from 3-5 p.m.
Miss Heartland Pageant
Contact Kim Lynn (573) 276-8300 or Kendra Carr (573) 778-8505
Pedal Tractor Races
begin at 11 a.m. (Ages 0-13) Contact Amanda Bader (573) 776-5545
Horseshoe Tournament
Contact Stan Bader (573) 328-4914
Music throughout the afternoon
Antique Tractor Show
Dance 8 p.m.-Midnight
Mass schedule: St. Teresa, Sun., 8 a.m.; St. Ann (Malden) Sat., 4 p.m.
For more information call (573) 328-4544
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION—Fr. Mike Schmitz paused with the Blessed Sacrament next to a
group of Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocesan youth and chaperones during the Eucharistic
Procession on Saturday evening, July 16, at the Steubenville Mid-America Youth Conferences
in Springfield. The weekend retreats highlighted prayer, sacraments, adoration, educative ses (Photo by J.B. Kelly)
sions, and fellowship.
worshipping God,” said Croley. “It’s hard to find other
people my age who actually
care about their faith.”
The focus of the 2016
youth conferences surrounded the themes associated
with John 19:28 (“I thirst”)
and Romans 5:8 (“God shows
his love for us in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us”). The speakers emphasized that God’s
love—His ‘thirsting’ for
us—is evident in the Paschal
Mystery and the establishment of His Church.
ENCOUNTER GOD—Elizabeth Kiblinger of St. Vincent
de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau visited with Bp. Edward Rice on Saturday morning, July 16, following the
morning Mass at the Steubenville youth conferences
in Springfield. The weekends
were held July 8-10 and July
15-17 in the JQH Arena on
the campus of Missouri State
University. (Photo by J.B. Kelly)
The Mirror 13
DIOCESAN NEWS
July 22, 2016
Jesus is the reason
Talks focused on men
and women’s constant inner
draw to authentic love and
truth, which God has revealed
to us in a person: Jesus Christ.
“Jesus truly is the Way,
the Truth, and the Life!”
said speaker Pete Burds, a
Franciscan University graduate and current Director of
College Campus Ministry for
the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Burds said that while
Christianity is often reduced
by some to merely a ‘moral
compass’ or a set of rules, in
reality Christianity is founded
upon a person—Christ—and
we are sustained in relationship with Him through the
Church, which He founded.
“He really showed us
the way how to live, how
to know that we are loved,”
Burds said, standing before
Jesus in picture form, hanging
upon the cross at the Crucifixion, on the gigantic stage
backdrop.
In each Eucharistic procession, on Saturday night of
each weekend, Jesus strolled
through the arena, in the
form of a simple host inside
a monstrance. But this was
no rowdy moment, rather,
about 3,500 teens were in
reverent silence as the procession snaked through the
seating area, hitting sections
on the floor, in the first deck,
and the upper deck. Whether
floor seats or nosebleeds, Jesus
came by each person in JQH
Arena.
“Taking the Lord
through the congregation is
a beautiful thing; it really is,”
said Bp. Rice, who has led
processions in the past but
not this year. Fr. Chris Martin, vocations director for St.
Louis, and Fr. Mike Schmitz,
a priest from the Diocese of
Duluth, MN, and a keynote
speaker, had the honors this
time.
For Bp. Rice adoration
and the Eucharistic procession
are second behind Masses in
terms of the “wow” factor at
Steubenville.
“Masses are the coolest,”
said Bp. Rice, who celebrated
six over the two weekends. He
celebrated Mass for volunteers
before teens arrived on both
weekends. He celebrated both
Saturday Masses, though Fr.
Schmitz preached the homily
in Week 2, and he concelebrated the closing Mass of
the first weekend with Abp.
Robert J. Carlson.
Make a resolution
Reflecting on the ‘busyness’ of Martha and quiet of
Mary in the Gospel reading of
the day (Luke 10:38-42), Bp.
Rice gave a passionate homily
at the closing Mass July 17.
“Sometimes we are like
Martha, busy with many
things,” Bp. Rice said. Many
of you have summer jobs,
sports camps, youth group;
during school, you have
the homework and pressure
and busyness and drama of
high school. Sometimes, like
Martha, we feel swamped and
overwhelmed.”
“In the midst of all that
there is also the desire for
prayer, to be like Mary,” Bp.
Rice said, “hoping for the
opportunity, just to steal a
couple of moments to sit at
STEUBENVILLE—Youth from St. Mary Parish, West Plains, were some of the 574 diocesan
young people that took part in the July Steubenville Mid-America Youth Conferences in Springfield.
(The Mirror)
the feet of Christ.”
He told the youth that
there is a tradition of making
a resolution at the end of a retreat, so that when the youth
go home, the goodness of the
retreat doesn’t end.
“Make a resolution to
never miss Sunday Mass,” Bp.
Rice said. “Maybe resolve to
go to a weekday Mass, too,
or resolve to make a visit to
the Blessed Sacrament during
Eucharistic Adoration.”
“Put down the Pokemon
Go and read a chapter every
night from the Scriptures or
pray the rosary or read a good
spiritual book,” Bp. Rice said
to thunderous applause.
“Oh yeah, you clap
now,” Bp. Rice said, “but let’s
see you do it!”
©TM
Dave Luecking of St. Louis
contributed to this article.
To learn more about the
Steubenville Mid-America Conferences, listen to keynotes, view
photos, and more, visit http://
steubystl365.com/.
Homily of
Bishop Rice
‘There are an estimated 400,000 priests
worldwide and I pray
to God that not one of
them will get up to the
pulpit this Sunday and
preach how important
it is to be balanced in
life—because I think
that is ridiculous. I’ve
promised chastity
and obedience to the
Church and Her people.
I’ve given my physical
body and my will to the
Church. …There is no
balance in that. I’m in—
I’m in all the way. I’m
supposed to be an “alter
Christus” in the world,
“another Christ.” There
is no balance in that, it’s
all or nothing. You’re in
or you’re out!’
More at dioscg.org.
SEND TO WITNESS—Kris Frank gave the keynote address
on Saturday evening, July 16, during the second weekend
of the Steubenville Mid-America Youth Conferences. Frank
challenged the youth to ponder the meaning of God’s love for
them and what their response should be. Over 570 youth and
chaperones from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
took part in the weekends.
(Photo by J.B. Kelly)
14 The Mirror
DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING
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Thoughts on recent
From Page 16
from ours. But the point is that these
are the experiences of many, if not
most, African-Americans.
Active listening
The first step in listening is
to accept the stated experiences of
many African-Americans without
discounting or doubting them, to
respectfully acknowledge them. A
respectful reply could be as simple
as saying, “I’m sorry that this has
happened to you in the past and still
continues in our country. Thank you
for telling me so that I can better
understand.”
White Americans also have experiences with race that are painful.
In fact, one of the greatest difficulties in this time of political correctness is that many of the feelings
and experiences of white Americans
are excoriated and/or disallowed. In
some sense they are not even allowed
to express them at all without being
shamed or sidelined.
There is much dismay and fear
among many white Americans at the
soaring rate of crime in poor neighborhoods, the high rate of black-onblack crime, and the further breakdown of African-American families.
There is also a frustration when,
despite the emergence of a strong
ADVERTISING
July 22, 2016
tragedies and racial tensions
black middle-class in many regions
and the election (and reelection)
of an African-American president,
many activists minimize progress and
still label the United States a racist
country.
Most white Americans do not
simply lay this at the feet of the
African-American community. The
causes are also seen as rooted in a
poorly designed, patronizing welfare
system that has undermined poor
families, isolated them in housing
projects and inferior schools, and
locked many into a suffocating cycle
of intergenerational poverty.
But again, publicly expressing
such thoughts, fears, or experiences
is extremely difficult in today’s politically correct culture. And thus resentments simmer and honest conversations about mutual solutions seem
impossible.
The terrible, radical acts of
an isolated gunmen has surely not
helped the advancement of honest,
respectful, candid discussion of our
various experiences. But I remain
convinced that such conversation is
essential. We ought not to doubt or
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excoriate the experiences of others.
Some will say, “What good
will listening do? It’s just a bunch of
talk.” Perhaps, but if real listening
can take place, maybe better understanding and mutual respect will
pave the way to better, more mutually-satisfactory solutions. I know it’s
big and idealistic, but I think there’s
a place for big and idealistic—even in
this cynical, decaying culture of ours.
I’m no policy wonk; I’m just a
white guy who has loved and ministered to God’s people in largely African-American parishes for a long and
wonderful time. There’s something
about this long conversation over
the years that has fostered mutual
respect, love, and understanding. We
talk about God and about the stuff of
life: family, the death of loved ones,
the latest movie, football, the weather, and how bad traffic is getting.
People are people.
After all these years I can say to
my parishioners, “For you, I am your
pastor. With you, I am your brother.
From you, I am your son.”
Life lived together can do that.
Race gives way to relationships, fears
to familial feelings, concerns to commonality, and different experiences
to delightful enrichment. It’s a long
conversation that isn’t over yet, but
that already blesses us.
Thank you, Lord. Help us to
listen.©TM
A priest of the Archdiocese of
Washington, Msgr. Pope is pastor of
Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Church.
Among his many ministries, he conducts a weekly Bible study at the White
House.
The Mirror 15
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16 The Mirror
ADULT FORUM
GUEST
COLUMN
National Day of Prayer
for Peace: Sept. 9
Msgr. Charles
E. Pope
Washington
I
n light of recent incidents of violence and
racial tension in communities across the
US, the president of the US Conference of
Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has invited all
dioceses across the country to unite in a Day of
Prayer for Peace in Our Communities.
The day of prayer will be celebrated on
the feast of St. Peter Claver, Sept. 9, and will
serve as a focal point for the work of a special
task force Abp. Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, KY,
appointed to promote peace and healing during this time of great strain on civil society.
“I have stressed the need to look toward
additional ways of nurturing an open, honest,
and civil dialogue on issues of race relations,
restorative justice, mental health, economic
opportunity, and addressing the question of
pervasive gun violence,” Abp. Kurtz said. “The
Day of Prayer for Peace and special task force
will help us step forward to embrace the suffering, through unified, concrete action. Animated by the love of Christ, we hope to nurture
peace and build bridges of communication and
mutual aid in our communities.”
The purpose of the task force is to help
bishops engage the challenging problems
directly, by various means: gathering and
disseminating supportive resources and “best
practices;” actively listening to the concerns
of members in troubled communities and law
enforcement; and building strong relationships
to help prevent and resolve conflicts. The task
force will conclude its work with a report on its
activities and recommendations to the November General Assembly.
Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta,
former USCCB president, will chair the task
force.
“I am honored to lead this Task Force
which will assist my brother bishops, individually and as a group, to accompany suffering
communities on the path toward peace and
reconciliation,” said Abp. Gregory. “We are
one body in Christ, so we must walk with our
brothers and sisters and renew our commitment to promote healing. The suffering is not
somewhere else, or someone else’s; it is our
own, in our very dioceses.”
Other members are: Abp. Thomas G.
Wenski of Miami, chairman of the USCCB
Committee on Domestic Social Development;
Bp. Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, LA,
chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee for African American Affairs; Bp. John H. Ricard, SSJ,
Bishop Emeritus of Pensacola-Tallahassee, FL,
former chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee
on the Church in Africa, member of the USCCB
Subcommittee for African American Affairs,
and member of the board of the National Black
Catholic Congress; and Bp. Jaime Soto of Sacramento, CA, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human
Development (CCHD).
The task force will also have numerous
bishop consultants, including USCCB vice president Card. Daniel N. DiNardo of GalvestonHouston, as well as bishops whose jurisdictions
have experienced extreme gun violence, or
who otherwise bring special insight or experience on related questions. An equal or smaller
number of lay consultants with relevant expertise will be appointed soon.
©USCCB
Thoughts on recent tragedies
and racial tensions
We tend to doubt the
experiences of others,
especially when they are
different from ours.
F
July 22, 2016
or some 24 of my 27 years
as a priest I have lived in
and ministered to largely
African-American parishes
and communities. It has been a
great blessing to me spiritually,
liturgically, and personally.
As you may imagine, I get
a lot of questions from people
when racially-charged events appear in the news. I’m asked what
my parishioners think as well as
what I think.
As I write this, the past week
began with the death of two
African-American men, Philando
Castile and Alton Sterling, in
interactions with the police. Their
deaths are certainly tragic and
appear prima facie to be unnecessary, even possibly criminal. And
while the investigations into the
circumstances must continue, the
videos are nevertheless horrible to
watch. Add to this a long string of
recently publicized deaths under
similar conditions and the result
is a widespread, deeply held belief
among African-Americans that
the weapons of law enforcement
are too quickly drawn, guilt is too
easily presumed, and deadly solutions are too frequently the recourse when the dispatcher notes
that the subject is a black male.
The week ended with the
tragic shooting death of five
police officers in Dallas and
injury of several others. These
officers had no connection with
the questionable deaths earlier
in the week other than the blue
uniforms they wore. Whatever injustices police in other cities may
have committed, the shooting
of the Dallas policemen was an
egregious crime that will likely set
back any reasonable discussions
on these matters for a long time.
Violent responses only encourage
more injustice and more violence.
Absolutely no one is helped by
this act of declared vengeance by
the assailant, a man who does not
deserve to be named.
On July 17, three police officers were killed in Baton Rouge,
LA, while others were wounded.
In the midst of all of this,
how should we respond? Something tells me that the first step
is to stop and really listen to one
another.
Not a spokesman
Although I have pastored
in and been immersed in the
African-American community
for many years, I often humorously note, “I’ve been white all
my life.” I cannot begin to know
the depths of what it feels like to
be African-American in a country with a history like ours. I am
not, and cannot be, a spokesman
for the black community. And
thus, I resist answering those who
ask me what my parishioners
think. My response can only be
inadequate.
But I can say that I have
learned to listen and simply to
accept the experiences of others,
experiences that often surprise
me because I’d like to think we’ve
made more progress than what I
hear. My parishioners are people
whom I trust and I will not doubt
their experiences just because
they aren’t mine, or because I
think America isn’t or shouldn’t
be like that. Our parishioners
have varied backgrounds. Many
are college-educated. Some are
government employees; some
own their own businesses. Some
work in healthcare: doctors, nurses, or nursing home staff. Others
are teachers, lawyers, or work on
Capitol Hill. Still others have ITrelated jobs, work in retail, or are
involved in real estate. Although
some of our parishioners are poor,
overall my parish is an uppermiddle-class African-American
parish. With 600 in attendance
(120 of whom are children), the
offertory alone is almost a million
dollars per year; other donations
amount to another 200,000. We
are not a poor, black, inner-city
parish by any definition.
Despite this, most of my
parishioners (many of whom earn
six figures) can attest to the ongoing frustration of “driving while
black,” “shopping while black,”
and “hailing a taxi while black.”
A man in my parish who is nearly
age 60 and a professional with
a job on K Street, rejoices that
Uber has arrived; prior to that it
was very difficult for him to get
a cab. He once filmed his attempts. Empty taxi after empty
taxi drove right past him only to
stop further up the block to pick
up another patron, usually white
and/or female.
Stories like this shock me.
I think to myself that this can’t
possibly still be going on in
America. But these are people
I trust and have lived with for
a long, long time; they are not
fired-up activists looking for
trouble. They are talking about
experiences that are realities for
them. I once took a walk with an
African-American deacon from a
nearby Catholic parish. He was
wearing trousers and a buttondown shirt—ordinary, “respectable” clothing. We stepped into
a store and he said to me, “Now
watch. I am the ‘face of crime.’
We’re going to get extra scrutiny.”
Dubious, I kept a little distance
from him so that I could observe.
Sure enough, that extra scrutiny
was subtle but undeniably there.
Many African-Americans
have also experienced problems
with their treatment by the police. This is not to say that every
interaction with law enforcement
is bad every time. But it is common enough that many AfricanAmericans do not have the same
level of trust in the police that
white Americans do. The widespread anger in the black community is not artificially created
by activists or by the media; even
if they at times light the fuse,
the powder keg comes from past
experiences and from events that
are still happening today.
This may not be your experience or mine. We tend to doubt
the experiences of others, especially when they are different
See Tensions / 14