Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage beckons to storm

Transcription

FloridaCatholic
WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG
|
Aug. 14-27, 2009
oF orlando
Your Faith. Your LiFe. Your CommunitY.
HEALTH REFORM
Care for all,
respect for life
key issues
for Catholics
sTAFF AnD WIRE REPORT
ORLANDO — As the House
of Representatives headed out of
Washington in early August for a
five-week summer recess and the
Senate soon followed, members of
Congress were vowing to listen to
their constituents’ views on health
care reform.
But from a Catholic perspective,
what should the American public
be telling their representatives and
senators about what promises to be
the hottest topic when Congress returns after Labor Day?
“We need health reform that respects the life and dignity of every
person, from conception to natural death,” said Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is
president and CEO of the Catholic
Health Association. “That means
the unborn, it means the patient
with multiple sclerosis, the patient
with cancer, the young mother, the
addicted, the mentally ill, the dying
patient and the frail, frail elderly.”
Florida Catholic Conference
spokeswoman Michele Taylor said
Aug. 7 the state’s bishops are urging individual Catholics to contact
their members of Congress at their
district offices during the recess “by
phone or, even better, schedule a
time to meet in person” to ask them
to “work to pass legislation that protects the life, dignity and health of
all.” Since the start of the debate,
the Florida and U.S. bishops have
pushed for universal, affordable
health care. In addition, she said,
the bishops seek a plan that keeps in
place current prohibitions on use of
federal funds for abortion, includes
no mandates for abortion coverage,
PLEASE SEE HEALTH, A8
Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage
beckons to storm-weary travelers
LAuRA DODsOn
Florida Catholic correspondent
ORLANDO — The Filipino community journeyed safely through a
torrential rainstorm to gather July
26 at the National Shrine of Mary,
Queen of the Universe here for an
annual pilgrimage and eucharistic
celebration in honor of the Virgin
of Antipolo, Our Lady of Peace and
Good Voyage.
Though some hunkered under
umbrellas, the downpour pelted
the pilgrims as they dashed over
the bridge from the parking lot,
across the vast open courtyard
that reverberated with the rumble
of thunder, and with sighs of relief
arrived at the welcoming doors
and the presence of the mother
they love.
“This is our third year to come to
the shrine to attend the feast of the
voyage,” shared Alice Medina of St.
Joseph Parish in Winter Haven as
she repaired the work of wind and
rain to her daughter’s appearance.
Seven-year-old Abby would soon
join the procession, carrying a
bouquet of a dozen red roses.
“I’m scared,” Abby whispered,
“and shy.”
Ryan Arcamo, 10 years old, from
St. Croix, was visiting his aunt Norma Camoes, a parishioner at Holy
Redeemer Parish in Kissimmee
SHRINE EVENT
the national Shrine of mary,
Queen of the universe, where the
annual pilgrimage for the local
Filipino community took place, has
been designated as a minor basilica
by Pope Benedict XVi. a celebration
solemnizing the designation will
take place Saturday, aug. 22, noon,
at the shrine, 8300 Vineland road,
orlando. the Florida Catholic’s
story about the designation may be
read at http://tinyurl.com/fc-basilica.
The statue of the Virgin of
Antipolo stands to the right of
the sanctuary at the National
Shrine of Mary, Queen of the
Universe in Orlando during
the annual celebration of the
feast of the Virgin who is also
known as Our Lady of Peace
and Good Voyage.
and a shrine sacristan. He was
thrilled to be a part of the entrance
procession. “This is my first time
and it is very exciting. It is in honor
of Mother Mary and there are a
whole lot of people celebrating.”
Outside it may have been rainy,
but inside it was bright as children
processed into the nave with letters spelling “Ave Maria.” Some
children carried yellow carnations. The banners of many parishes were borne proudly by men
and women in their barong Tagalog — the official Filipino formal
attire — shirts, dresses and capes
made from a fabric of pineappleleaf fibers.
Members of the Knights of Columbus Blessed Theodore G. Romzha fourth-degree Assembly 2279
from St. Nicholas of Myra Parish
in Orlando preceded the statue of
the Virgin of Antipolo. The statue
rolled on a platform referred to
as a “boat” down the center aisle
PHOTO BY ANDREA KUDLACZ | FC
Children, led by Irene Ong, Alyssa Lalata and Jeremiah Balbin, carry
letters spelling out “Ave Maria” at the celebration for the Virgin
of Antipolo July 26.
ahead of deacons and priests, and
Archbishop Bernardito C. Auza,
the apostolic nuncio to Haiti, who
is Filipino.
Archbishop Auza began the
celebration, “I would like to offer
this Mass sincerely for the Filipino
community and for those who have
come in the rain to celebrate.”
“Rain or shine, I’m here for
Mary,” stated Clarita Osborne of
All Souls Parish in Sanford who
arrived from the Bohol province
in the Philippines 27 years ago.
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Florida Catholic
Aug. 14-27, 2009
World War II veteran recalls chance
meeting with Pope Pius XII
Betty Ann WeBer
OrlandO — Unaware that he
was being watched, and shielding
his eyes from the Roman sun, Warren Teufel surveyed the majesty of
St. Peter’s Square. Suddenly, two
Swiss Guards stood before him.
“Are you an American soldier?”
they asked. Then, “The pope wants
to see you.”
It was July 12, 1944, Teufel’s
birthday. With a three-day pass in
his pocket, the 20-year-old lad from
New Jersey was celebrating. A personal invitation from the pope was
beyond his dreams.
Now a World War II veteran,
Teufel, 85, recently moved into the
Village Oaks assisted-living facility
in Orlando — after losing Evelyn,
his beloved wife of 57 years.
How well he remembers being
drafted March 12, 1943. The following August, he sailed to North Africa — Casablanca, Morocco. Then
it was on to Naples, Italy, for cryptographic training and code school,
and assignment to Headquarters
12th Air Force Command.
“I never saw action. But there
was one time in Caserta, Italy. The
Air Force was called in to bomb the
front lines. I was positioned in the
woods with my equipment to observe and code messages to send to
headquarters. I fell asleep.
“When I woke it was drizzling
and everybody was gone. I didn’t
know what to do, so I made my way
to a narrow road. Then I heard guttural voices. German soldiers appeared. I raised my hands to surrender. ‘Nein, nein. We surrender
to you.’ They pointed me in a safe
direction, and I turned them over
to a tank commander.”
But the best story was yet to
come.
Awarded a three-day pass, Teufel
and a buddy arrived in Rome July
11, 1944. “We saw the sights, the
Colosseum, Trevi Fountain. But the
next day was my 20th birthday. And
I told my pal, you can go find girls.
I’m going to the Vatican.”
Teufel had wandered around St.
Peter’s Square. “I was in awe of it, all
the buildings. It was beautiful.”
Then the encounter with the
Swiss Guards. They pointed to a
door and said, “Be there at this
time and give this paper to the person who answers. You might want
to buy something for the pope to
PHOTO CHARLES HODGES | FC
Keeping his treasures close,
Warren Teufel, veteran of World
War II, shows off the crucifix
Pope Pius XII blessed in 1944 at
the Vatican.
bless.” Teufel found plenty of vendors around the square and bought
a simple rosary.
At the specified hour he advanced to the appointed door, was
admitted, and directed to a room. “It
was the size of a basketball court,”
he recalled. “At one end there was a
stage with closed curtains. Slowly
they opened. I was very nervous.
And there he was, Pope Pius XII.
“He seemed ill, pale. Dark circles
under his eyes. He asked me questions about my insignia, stripes,
what I thought of the Italian people.
Finally he said, ‘Where are you
from?’
“When I said ‘Newark, N.J.,’ he
brightened and said, ‘Oh, just west
of New York City.’
“When he asked if I had anything
to bless, I held out the rosary. He
blessed it, then he took two fingers
of my hand and squeezed them.”
Dramatically, the pope exited.
“Later, a guard showed me the
grotto where popes were buried,
where I saw jewels and gold. And
a pillar that Jesus leaned against
while he was carrying the cross.”
Another gift awaited him as he
exited St. Peter’s at the end of his
visit.
“When I came outside, the Swiss
Guards were standing at the bottom of the steps. They handed me a
cross and said it was a gift from the
pope so I would remember my visit
to the Vatican.”
One of the first things Teufel did
when arriving back in the United
States was show his blessed rosary
and cross to his mother. “My moth-
er was a devout Catholic and I was
sure that by the next day everybody
in town would know about it.”
Laughing, he recalled high
school graduation — an illustration of his mother’s devotion to the
Church. “Everybody stayed out late
that night; it was tradition. I didn’t
get home until three in the morning. But I’ll tell you what, no matter
how late I got in, I knew my mother
would insist that I be at 7 o’clock
Mass. And I was.”
Teufel, who worked as an investigator and claims supervisor with
Mutual Casualty, is the proud father of two sons, Paul and Greg, and
daughter Laura. “Thanks to their
mother, they are fine kids.”
Confidently he said, “There’s
something out there that controls
everything we do. I’ve always had
faith in the Lord.”
The prized cross and rosary hang
on the wall over his bed. As Teufel
reminisced, a look of satisfaction
illuminated this veteran’s face. Of
all the American soldiers strolling
through Rome on one particular
day, Warren Teufel, on his birthday,
had been singled out.
“I still feel the squeeze on my
fingers.”n
Childhood meeting with Pope Pius XII remembered fondly
A St. Margaret Mary parishioner,
shares a first-person account of life
in a military family in 1940s Europe
and the destiny that led to her meeting the pope.
Alice McMAhon
Special to the Florida Catholic
WInTEr ParK — In November 1946, my parents and I were
en route from Vienna, by military
airplane, to Italy where we would
sail to the United States for a new
assignment. But the plane crashed
in the Alps and injuries to my parents forced our return to Vienna.
The city, where we lived for a year,
was cold and grim — divided into
four sectors, each controlled by one
of the major powers. Food was in
short supply, the city center badly
bombed, and water and electric
service were uncertain and at the
mercy of the Russians.
After a long hospitalization, we
finally arrived in Italy where my father, suffering from a broken back
and pneumonia, had chosen to
spend his recuperative leave.
It was spring of 1947. We were living in the Excelsior Hotel on the Via
Veneto in Rome.
Italy was warm and vibrant —
cafes served food on order, flower
stands were open on corners. Al-
though areas of the country still
showed the ravages of war, the
people themselves were liberated.
We could have a gelato, buy a toy,
go to a Tarzan movie dubbed in
Italian — essentials to an almost
12-year-old.
My somewhat on-again, offagain education was entrusted
to the nuns at the International
Marymount School on Via Nomentana. The highlight of the school
year for us 50 or so students was a
private audience with Pope Pius
XII. We were drilled for days: how
to address His Holiness, how to kiss
his ring, the perfect curtsy. On the
appointed day we were bused to
the Vatican, clad in our uniforms
— long-sleeved, double-breasted,
navy serge dresses with square
white collars, lisle stockings and
oxfords. To this daily attire were
added short white tulle veils and
white gloves for the papal audience.
At the Vatican, we were taken to
an audience chamber — an opulent room with a painted ceiling
and gilt cherubs. After a nervous
wait, the pope entered, dressed in
a simple white cassock and skullcap. He greeted each of us students
and nuns alike — and in response
we curtsied and kissed his ring.
Afterward, he spoke to us in Italian
PAPAL GiFtS
COURTESY
Twelve-year-old Alice McMahon,
center, poses with her parents
Maj. Gen. William McMahon
and Alice B. McMahon at the
Colosseum in Rome in 1947.
and English — the same message,
if my limited Italian served me —
urging us to be good students and
prayerful children. After he gave
us his blessing, he left the audience chamber and a chamberlain
gave each of us a blessed rosary in a
small paper packet embossed with
the papal seal.
Several weeks later, my father
announced that our family, just
the three of us, had been invited
for our own private audience with
the pope. My father, Maj. Gen. William McMahon, who served with
the U.S. Forces in Italy under Gen.
Mark Clark, wore his dress uniform;
ORL A2
Cindy Wooden, Catholic News
Service Vatican correspondent, noted
in a Weblog July 15 that while U.S.
President Barack Obama met with
Pope Benedict XVI, first lady Michelle
Obama and first daughters Malia and
Sasha Obama were greeted by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary
of state.
According to Wooden,
L’Osservatore Romana, the semiofficial newspaper of the Vatican,
stated Cardinal Bertone gave Sasha,
7, a puzzle of Michelangelo’s “Last
Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel, and
Malia, 11, a Vatican Museums watch.
Additionally, the cardinal gave both
girls a cap bearing Pope Benedict’s
coat of arms.
mother a long black crepe dress
and lace mantilla borrowed from
the wife of the hotel manager; and
I was in my Marymount uniform.
The Vatican sent a car to pick us up
and as the hotel staff on our floor
lined up to wish us a blessed visit, I
began to realize that this might not
be an ordinary audience.
At the Vatican, we were escorted
into the pope’s study, a cozy room
lined with bookcases. The pope was
seated at his desk, again dressed in
the simple white cassock and skullcap — and this time I saw that he
was wearing white slippers embroidered with the papal coat of arms.
After greeting us, the pontiff
asked us to be seated and spoke
at length with my father about the
Italian campaign and the first consistory after the war where cardinals were consecrated and which
my father had attended. He chatted with my mother about Italy, the
sights she had seen and, noticing
the knee-length cast protruding
from under her long dress, asked
about the air accident. With me, he
talked about school and remembered the earlier audience with the
Marymount students.
At the end of this audience, the
pope opened a desk drawer and
gave each of us a rosary. I must
have eyed the drawer full of rosaries covetously, for the pope smiled
and asked me, “And so, do you have
some little friends who would like
rosaries?” I nodded and was presented with a heaping handful.
Recently, I watched a segment of
a television news program that discussed the controversy surrounding this pope, his actions during
World War II, and the chances for
his beatification in the near future.
He was described as aristocratic
and austere, but all I could think of
was the smiling man filling a child’s
hands with rosaries. n
Aug. 14-27, 2009
www.thefloridacatholic.org
A3
Theology on Tap brings Gospel to
young adults at contemporary venues
Karen OsbOrne
DAYTONA BEACH — “Saturday
Night Live.” Gnosticism. Stage directions. The relevance of religion
in a modern age.
Young adults recently used all
these metaphors — and more — to
better understand Jesus at a recent
Theology on Tap meeting in Daytona Beach.
Theology on Tap — started more
than a decade ago in Chicago —
was founded to bring the Gospel
to places where young adults felt
comfortable, such as bars and restaurants. The Daytona Beach offshoot, founded a decade ago and
held until recently at Hooligans in
Ormond Beach, attracts more than
20 young adults during the school
year, continuing through the summer with a smaller core group.
Run by Father Timothy Daly,
pastor of the Basilica of St. Paul
here, and a core group of young
adults from local parishes and universities, the young adults study
both Scripture readings and selections from the catechism that
connect to the topic of the week.
This year, participants in Daytona
Beach are covering topics related to
the Trinity, discipleship and evangelization.
“I wanted to have faith sharing, discussion and education” for
young adults, said Father Daly. “So
many of us have an eighth-grade
understanding of faith. People
need to know about the knowledge
of the faith — they need discourse.
There are a lot of young adults who
were raised Catholic, but were not
connected to the Church. This is a
way of connecting them.”
Robin Pecoraro, a parishioner of
Our Lady of Hope in Port Orange
on summer leave from college,
noted that many committed young
Catholics who have been heavily
involved in youth groups feel bereft
when they reach young adulthood,
and lose their connections to high
school and college youth groups.
Some feel lost in large parishes, she
said.
At Theology on Tap, participants
discuss “things that relate to your
life, things you encounter every
day,” she said.
It’s that everyday connection of
faith to real life that draws most
of the Theology on Tap attendees.
Growing up, Embry-Riddle University student Paul Wirkowksi didn’t
always talk about faith or religion
with his friends outside of Mass,
even though his family went every
week. Going to college, and finding
Theology on Tap, changed all that.
“(Theology on Tap) expands my
faith with Christ. I learn things — it
deepens my knowledge of the Bible.
It makes me excited,” he said.
Bishop joins pilgrimage
to Doylestown shrine
On one recent balmy Sunday
night, nearly a dozen young adults
gathered at the Route 1 Restaurant
and Grill in South Daytona. Split
into two picnic tables and flanked
by beer advertisements, the young
adults started poring through biblical passages that put a focus on the
evening’s topic, “God the Son.”
“Let’s dig in,” Father Daly said,
passing out Bibles.
It’s those modern connections —
making the Gospel real and applicable — that attract young adults,
said Michael Phillips, a history
teacher and basilica parishioner.
He cited a recent performance at
the basilica by a priest who dressed
up as Paul and “talked using our
language,” he said. Instead of seeing Paul’s journey as something
inaccessible, “you start looking at
(Paul’s journey), going, ‘That happens now, and this happens now.’
It was so awesome.”
Theology on Tap makes EmbryRiddle University student Brian Lenahen feel “rejuvenated,” he said.
“It’s a great way to start the week. I
feel a sense of comfort and it helps
me clear my head.”
Attendee Brent Bowen said Theology on Tap gives him a place to
go where he can talk about religion comfortably, with people who
won’t look down on him for his interest. “There aren’t many people I
can sit down with who aren’t going
Conference will
offer the best of
Christmas
in august
Laura DODsOn
COURTESY
PLEASE SEE CONFERENCE, A24
ORL A3
ology on Tap participants across the
diocese. In October, the groups will
meet in Orlando for a special session and Mass with Bishop Thomas
Wenski.
At the end of the evening, as the
sun set behind the trees, it was almost too dark to read on the restaurant pavilion. So Father Daly,
like many of the participants, used
a modern method of illumination:
He read the closing prayer by the
light of a cell phone. n
For information on Theology on
Tap, please go to www.renewtot.
org. Ask a parish youth minister
about events in your area.
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Pilgrims begin the 57-mile trek from Sts. Peter and Paul Parish
in Great Meadows, N.J., to Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine in
Doylestown, Pa., Aug. 6. Bishop Thomas Wenski and seminarians
from the Diocese of Orlando joined the 22nd annual pilgrimage.
Traditionally, August is a time of increased pilgrimages to the
shrine at Jasna Gora in Poland that houses the image of Our Lady
of Czestochowa, also known as the Black Madonna. The shrine in
Doylestown houses a replica of this icon. The pilgrimage ended
with Mass Aug. 9.
ORLANDO — With a theme of
“Formed in His Image and Likeness,” the 2009 Orlando Liturgical
Conference will focus on the Incarnation, celebrating Advent and
Christmas in August.
“We repeat Advent and Christmas every year because it reminds
us that we sometimes take for
granted that we’re formed in his
image and likeness,” shared Father
Robert Webster, diocesan director
of the Office of Liturgy and pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in
Clermont. “In particular, it reminds
us of the wonder and beauty of creation which God so loved that he
became a central part to remind
us that we are indeed formed in his
image and likeness.”
to judge me,” he said. “It’s good that
we study the catechism — you get
to see how the Church has evolved
and how it has stayed the same. It
feels right,” he said.
“On the very first night, I realized that it spoke to me,” said Phillips. “This is what I’ve been looking
for. It’s refreshing to be able to discuss these matters with people my
own age.”
Theology on Tap is a growing
program across the diocese. This
August, Theology on Tap groups
across the diocese will meet to plan
and implement a program that
will bring the Renew International
small-group study program to The-
A4
Florida Catholic
Aug. 14-27, 2009
Globalization makes us neighbors, but ‘love
in truth’ makes us brothers and sisters
Florida
Catholic
diocese of orlando
Vol. 70, No. 20
50 East Robinson St.
P.O. Box 1800
Orlando, FL 32802-1800
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Bishop Thomas Wenski
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thefloridacatholic.org
Pope Benedict XVI has written ity becomes mere sentimentality;
his third encyclical, “Caritas in without truth, the truth about man
Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”). The and his relationship to his Creator,
long-awaited encyclical (it under- “man neither knows the way to go,
nor even understands who
went revisions in the light
he is.”
of the present economic
Undergirding Benecrisis) commemorates
dict’s encyclical is a Christhe 40th anniversary of
tian vision of the human
Pope Paul VI’s “Populoperson, made in the image
rum Progressio” (“On the
and likeness of God, desProgress of Peoples”); but,
tined for communion with
it stands in continuity with
God. As the Fathers of the
the social teachings develBishop Second Vatican Council
oped by popes since Leo
XIII’s “Rerum Novarum”
Thomas reiterated, man is the only
God made for
in 1891.
Wenski creature
himself. This vocation to
As the world continues
transcendence, the pope
to confront the most serious economic recession in 80 years, argues, must be acknowledged if
the Holy Father calls for reform development is to proceed along
in economic and social systems, paths that will truly promote hunoting that the present crisis was man flourishing on this earth. Othbrought about not by the failure of erwise, seeming “advancements”
the market, but the failure of eth- in science, technology and other
ics in the business and financial spheres of human endeavor will
communities. “Truth matters,” the end up “dehumanizing” rather than
Holy Father is telling us — even in humanizing us. If we view ourselves
economics. Without truth, char- as no more than a chance develop-
ANTIPOLO
From A1
“The archbishop is from my home
province.”
In his homily, Archbishop Auza
cited “three special traits we express in worship: a strong sense of
family and community, the peace
and joy of knowing God is with us
and the devotion to our Blessed
Mother, Mama Mary, who is not
just a theological idea or historic
figure. She is our Mama who journeys with us and we bring our
faith practices wherever we go.”
“I’ve never seen so many Filipinos gathered in America,” shared
Elena Carreon from Bacolod City,
Philippines, who was visiting her
sister Cecelia Eco and her husband, Oro, from St. Rose of Lima
Parish in Poinciana, “and they
still have the Filipino flavor!”
“We were in Miami originally.
Send statewide news releases to
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All contents copyright © 2009, The Florida Catholic Inc.,
except stories and photos from Catholic News Service.
We had a little Filipino group and
we invited Bishop (Thomas) Wenski there,” explained Cecelia Eco.
“We are so excited that he has
spread the tradition.”
Oro Eco agreed, “He’s truly a
messenger of Our Lady and the
Lord. He brought all the tradition
here. Today is actually thanksgiving for our journey here in the
United States — for our protection
and all the blessings.”
“Thanks to Bishop Wenski, I’ve
shared the festivities of Our Lady
of Antipolo,” continued Archbishop Auza. “It’s a joy and I am very
pleased that even if we have been
away from our country for a long
time, there is still the witness of
our faith and traditions.”
Bishop Wenski concluded the
celebration by saying: “I’d like to
thank Archbishop Auza for celebrating this Mass today at the
National Shrine of Mary, Queen of
the Universe. The archbishop is in
ment in a mindless universe, then
why would we or anyone else have
any significance? In such a world
closed to transcendence, anyone
can justify using other human beings for their own ends and purposes.
“The solutions to the current
problems of humanity,” the pope
writes, “cannot be merely technical, but must take account of all the
needs of the person, who is endowed
with body and soul, and must take
the Creator, God, into consideration.” That three-quarters of the
world’s population lives in poverty
or that millions still die of starvation
is not because there are not enough
riches or food to go around, nor is it
because there are too many people.
Population is not the source of poverty but rather the inequitable distribution of the world’s resources. A
Haitian proverb says “Bondye konn
bay; men, lezom pa konn separe”
(“God knows how to give; but men
do not know how to share”). It is our
not knowing how to share, “this lack
of brotherhood among peoples and
individuals” that accounts for poverty and underdevelopment in our
world. Globalization, Benedict observes, has made us all neighbors
but it hasn’t made us brothers and
sisters.
“Love in truth” does reveal to us
that, in fact, we are brothers and
sisters; “Love in truth” does bind
us to one another as “our brother’s
keeper.” God’s love for all his creatures must be mirrored in the way
we care for one another — through
acts of love and solidarity that are
grounded in the truth that every
human life is sacred and that all
humanity forms one family.
This 30,000-word encyclical is
not an easy read, but its message is
a profound restatement of the challenge of living the Gospel in the 21st
century. It is a clarion call to fidelity:
fidelity to man that requires fidelity
to truth, which alone can guarantee
human freedom and the possibility
of integral human development. n
HistoricAL roots
The roots of the feast of Our Lady of
Peace and Good Voyage, also known
as the Virgin of Antipolo, date back to
the Spanish colonial era of the 1600s,
when trade between Mexico and
the Philippines was at its height. The
newly appointed governor of the Philippines, Don Juan Niño de Tabora, left
Acapulco, Mexico, for Manila on the
El Almirante on March 25, 1626, carrying with him a brown image of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. For three months,
the El Almirante survived dangerous
the service of the Holy See as the
ambassador of the pope to Haiti.
The nuncio represents the pope
wherever he goes. Today, in the
person of the archbishop, we are
blessed with the presence of the
pope as well.
“It is only fitting that a nuncio
celebrates Mass here because
just recently Pope Benedict XVI
seas and a fire aboard the ship until
it docked in Manila on July 18, 1626.
The image became known as Our Lady
of Peace and Good Voyage, a symbol
of the Blessed Mother’s protection.
Each May in the Philippines, thousands
of pilgrims travel to pay homage to the
Virgin of Antipolo.
On July 23, 2005, at the urging of
Bishop Thomas Wenski, the Ministry
to the Filipinos celebrated the feast
for the first time in the Diocese of
Orlando.
elevated the shrine to a minor basilica. I am gratified and edified
that you did not allow the rain to
keep you away and I’m sure Our
Lady of Antipolo will bless you for
being here today,” Bishop Wenski
said. “May her prayer always be
our prayer: ‘Let it be done unto me
according to your will.’” n
LooK onLine for more of tHe fLoridA cAtHoLic
Go to www.thefloridacatholic.org every
day to find fresh news and features from
around the state, the country and the
world.
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it phone and Internet connections in your
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her account of the drill in a multimedia
presentation produced by online editor Ed
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No topic taboo for Catholic AIDS
ministers. “No referrals, no treatment,
just, ‘Oh, by the way, you have full-blown
AIDS.’ They didn’t expect me to live a
year.” That’s how Lynda Canatsey recalled
her 2007 diagnosis, and explained why
she was on hand for the second annual
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Ministers assembly at Resurrection Parish
in Winter Garden. “People here will be
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gathering of ministers from across Florida,
as well as from Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Hawaii and El Salvador. Read about it on the
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Aug. 14-27, 2009
florida news
a5
Sister acts
Women religious play roles as diverse as the needs of the Church
KAREN OSBORNE
ORLANDO — Once upon a
time, American Catholics could
identify religious sisters by a simple set of criteria: They strolled
up and down the aisles at Catholic schools and hospitals, dressed
in voluminous black and white
robes.
Times have changed.
Today, scores of religious orders serve Florida’s dioceses in
hundreds of ways. Modern sisters
run outreach programs for farmworkers, teach secondary school
and run Catholic colleges. They
take care of the sick and infirm,
encourage vocations, watch over
diocesan budgets and advocate
for the poor. Some are parish musicians, and others are counselors. Some wear habits; some wear
a veil or dress completely in street
clothes.
All of them share the mission
that has united religious women
for centuries: to love and serve
God and others through prayer,
work and contemplation.
This year and next, the Vatican
will place a spotlight on American
religious women through an apostolic visitation, which will examine the current state of nuns’
lives and work. The visitation also
aims to look at possible reasons
behind dwindling vocations to
religious orders, and may lead to
recommendations and changes
from Rome.
The wide-ranging, comprehensive survey will be conducted by
volunteers, who will visit more
than 400 Catholic convents, motherhouses and religious institutions where American sisters live
and work. Congregations will also
be required to send information
about their work, activities and
prayer life to the Vatican, as well
as meet with officials.
RESPONDING TO GOD
Go to www.thefloridacatholic.org for a glimpse at the diverse lives and backgrounds of these six of Florida’s many religious sisters:
• Sister Jeanne Drey, Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. Sister Drey does outreach for St. Patrick Parish, Apalachicola, Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
• Sister Michelle Fernandez, Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Sister Fernandez is assistant principal of St. Mary Cathedral School, Miami, Archdiocese of Miami.
• Sister Teresa Urioste, Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Sister Urioste works in faith formation at St. Mary Cathedral Parish, Miami.
• Sister Eulalie George, Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm. Sister George is volunteer coordinator for the Lourdes/McKeen Residences in Palm Beach, Diocese of Palm Beach.
• Sister Roberta Schmidt, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Sister Schmidt retired last year as superindent of schools for the Diocese of Venice.
• Sister Juliet Ateenyi, Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Reparatrix. Sister Ateenyi ministers to the sick at Blessed Trinity Parish in Ocala, Diocese of Orlando.
diocese and serving in so many
different ways.”
VOCATION
For religious women, a vocation
is a call to be “all for God,” according to Sister Michelle Fernandez of
the Servants of the Pierced Hearts
of Jesus and Mary, a Miami-based
order that attracts quite a few
young Catholic women. Like Sister Fernandez, Sister Worley explained that, before career and
job, a sister is first “a religious ...
engaged in building the kingdom
of God.”
Traditional theologies sometimes paint a religious sister as
being a “bride of Christ,” an image
that many modern sisters still embrace. According to Sister Worley,
that relationship is still one of the
strongest and most powerful images for modern religious women.
Sister Fernandez agreed. “To be
a religious is first to be a spouse of
Christ. With that love comes a lot
of responsibility, but also a great
joy.”
HABIT
Before Vatican II, sisters were
required to wear formal, uniform habits. Sisters chose to keep,
modify or shed the habit after Vatican II depending on their order’s
charism, philosophy and way of
life. For modern sisters in Florida,
there seems to be no “right” or
“wrong” answer regarding the
wearing of the habit — just the
answer that works the most with
the order’s charism, or guiding
principle.
The original habit of the Sisters of St. Joseph was meant to reflect their mission to move out of
the convent walls and work with
people in the streets and marketplaces, according to Sister Roberta
Schmidt, a Sister of St. Joseph of
Carondelet. In the 17th century,
this meant the dress of regular
women, particularly widows at
the time — headdresses and long,
flowing robes.
Because of this, Sister Schmidt
and others of the Sisters of St. Joseph order often choose secular
dress — in her case, professional
clothing favored by administrators and educators.
The Sisters of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary Reparatrix, a Ugandan order that supports a mission at Blessed Trinity Parish in
Ocala, believes that the habit is an
outward sign of a sister’s distinct
commitment and consecration to
God.
“I am a bride for Christ, and
my habit is my full-time wedding
dress,” said Sister Juliet Ateenyi,
who works in ministry to the sick
at Blessed Trinity.
Sister Eulalie George said her
order, the Carmelite Sisters for the
Aged and Infirm, kept the habit
for similar reasons, but modified
it to fit their order’s modern health
care needs. The floor-length robes
were shortened, and the nuns
were no longer required to wear
long rosary beads, “which were
always catching on bedsides and
getting broken,” she said.
For the Sisters of the Pierced
Hearts of Jesus and Mary, each
color and element of the order’s
brow n-a nd-t aupe habit ha s
a meaning, said Sister Teresa
Urioste.
HOMEGROWN
The Sisters of St. Joseph of St.
Augustine — whose members
serve in many capacities in all seven Florida dioceses — came to the
Sunshine State from France 140
years ago at the request of Bishop
Augustin Verot to help build the
parishes, schools and charities
that are at the heart of Floridian
Catholic life today.
These days, the Sisters of Saint
Joseph teach, run hospitals and
catechetical programs, and run
outreach ministries — and that’s
ROP A5
COURTESY PHOTO
Sisters Teresa Urioste, from left, Emma Rueda and Michelle Fernandez,
all Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, pose with a class
at St. Mary Cathedral School in Miami.
only the beginning.
“This has always been a strong
characteristic of our congregation
— always serving wherever the
needs of the Church were, whether it’s schools, hospitals or the
migrant ministry,” said
Sister Worley, a former
resident of the Archdiocese of Miami.
which consists mostly of psalms
and hymns designated for specific
times of each day — and the rosary. They go to adoration and Mass
regularly, and engage in both private meditation and community
prayer. For a religious,
Sister Worley said, Eucharist is the lifeline
from which all ministry
flows.
PRAYER AND
“The Carmelite rule
THE EUCHARIST
says that we live a comAnother strong charmon life and that we
acteristic for sisters is
pray always — and that
an active prayer life that
we spend time with the
is at the center of their
Lord every day in the
Sister Roberta
day. Most sisters follow
Blessed Sac ra ment,
Schmidt
monastic or contemplathat we nourish our
tive rules that advocate a balance souls so that our lives can nourish
of prayer and work, and root their the lives of others,” Sister George
daily ministries in prayer.
explained.
Each day, most sisters in Florida
PlEASE SEE SISTERS, A7
pray the Liturgy of the Hours —
SPIRITED...
& SPIRITUAL
PlEASE SEE SISTERS, A7
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What will the Vatican visitors
see when they set their focus on
Florida?
They might see that sisters
statewide share a single philosophy: They respond, in love, to the
needs of the Church and the communities where they live.
“If there is a need and you have
any skills that you can lend, then
that’s where you belong,” said Sister Jeanne Drey of the Dominican
Sisters of Sinsinawa, who serves
in outreach at St. Patrick Parish in
Apalachicola. “Some people term
it as a call.”
Sister Elizabeth Worley, chief
operating officer of the Diocese
of Orlando, sees the roles of modern sisters as “a mosaic,” she said.
“(Sisters) are living all over the
MeeT a few of florida’s reliGioUs sisTers
A6
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FLORIDA
Former Floridian
new ambassador
to Vatican
ORLANDO — Former Floridian and Catholic theologian Miguel
Diaz was confirmed by the U.S. Senate Aug. 4 as the ninth U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. Diaz attended
St. Thomas University in Miami,
graduating in 1988 with a bachelor’s
degree in history. He later was academic dean at St. Vincent de Paul
Regional Seminary in Boynton
Beach.
“We are proud that our university
was responsible for his educational
foundation, which has contributed
to his global leadership role in various ways. … He is the kind of role
model we think of as we explain St.
Thomas’ mission of developing leaders for life,” Msgr. Franklyn M. Casale, St. Thomas University president,
Florida Catholic
said in May, when the White House
announced Diaz’s nomination.
A professor of theology at the
College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph,
Minn., and St. John’s University in
Collegeville, Minn., Diaz is the first
Hispanic to serve in the post. He
said he planned to move his family
to Rome and present his credentials
to Pope Benedict XVI as soon as possible. He and his wife, Marian, have
four children.
NATION
$100 million
contract aids
disaster work
WASHINGTON — The expertise
honed by years of resolute follow-up
work with natural disaster victims
has landed Catholic Charities USA
a five-year federal contract potentially worth more than $100 million.
The contract with the Department
of Health and Human Services is
the first the Alexandria, Va.-based
agency has received from the federal government.
Father Larry Snyder, president
of Catholic Charities USA, said the
contract will allow the agency to
step in immediately in the days after
a natural disaster strikes anywhere
across the U.S. or its territories to
ensure that victims’ basic needs are
met and to follow up on individual
cases for up to 18 months.
The contract governs disasters
such as hurricanes, tornadoes,
floods and earthquakes provided
a federal disaster declaration is issued. It calls for the agency to organize national, regional and local
teams to respond quickly and to
work with disaster victims to meet
their immediate needs as well as
long-term needs in putting their
lives back together.
Knights pass
resolutions
at convention
PHOENIX — The Knights of Columbus passed a number of resolutions touching on right-to-life issues,
marriage, violence and pornography, among others, during the fraternal organization’s 127th supreme
convention. The Aug. 4-6 convention drew thousands of Knights
from across the globe to Phoenix.
The life resolution cited a personal appeal from Pope Benedict XVI
calling on the Knights to “defend
the moral truths necessary for a free
and humane society, including the
fundamental right to life of every
human being.” For the full story in
Aug. 14-27, 2009
Bishops 2009
VAletA orlAndo | FC
Seven of Florida’s nine active bishops pose Aug. 3 before a Mass in the
diocese of orlando Chancery chapel. Pictured, back row from left, are
Venice Bishop Frank J. dewane, orlando Bishop thomas Wenski, St.
Augustine Bishop Victor Galeone and Palm Beach Bishop Gerald M.
Barbarito. In the front row, all from Miami, are, from left, Auxiliary Bishop
Felipe J. estevez, Archbishop John C. Favalora and Auxiliary Bishop John
G. noonan. not pictured are Pensacola-tallahassee Bishop John H. ricard,
SSJ, and St. Petersburg Bishop robert n. lynch.
the Florida Catholic’s online edition,
please go to http://tinyurl.com/fcknights.
First Latina
makes court
more Catholic
WASHINGTON — Judge Sonia
Sotomayor became the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court, after the
Senate confirmed her appointment
Aug. 6 by a 68-31 vote. Sotomayor,
55, is the sixth Catholic currently on
the nine-member court, the most
ever at one time.
She was sworn in Aug. 8. A New
York native and daughter of Puerto
Ricans who struggled to be sure
their two children were well-educated, Sotomayor is President Barack Obama’s first Supreme Court
nominee.
Compiled from Catholic News Service and Florida Catholic reports.
CORReCTION TO
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Aug. 14-27, 2009
florida news
a7
SISTERS: Devotion to charism fuels consecrated religious sisters’ way of life
From A5
For Sister Fernandez, prayer goes
“hand in hand” with her daily activities. “I bring prayer to the small
details of my work so I can sanctify
what I do. The daily inconveniences and the daily events are also a
prayer, and I feel that’s central to
our way of life,” she said. Through
this kind of prayer, she explained,
“you realize how the journey of being a religious is an adventure and
also a love story.”
CHARISM
When a woman decides to answer a call to religious life, it’s not
just a matter of phoning the nearest order. During a rigorous discernment process, the candidate
visits numerous orders and usually
chooses the one whose charism,
or driving principle, closely aligns
with her call.
Sister George felt called to ministry to the elderly and infirm, so she
joined an order that specifically
served that population. Sister Drey
was attracted to the Dominicans’
concentration on preaching and
teaching, as well as their mission —
“veritas” or “truth” in Latin, which
brings an intellectual and academic focus to the Dominicans’ work.
“Your way of life is a way of
preaching. I really like the idea of
focusing on study and prayer and
community, always having support. Study is a priority in seeking
out the truth,” explained Sister
Drey.
Sister Schmidt’s devotion to her
order’s charism of reconciliation
led her to participate in the Selma,
Ala., civil rights march in 1965. Sister Worley said she and her fellow
sisters always keep reconciliation
as a guiding light. “Whatever we
are doing, it is related to the building up of the people of God and the
work of the Church,” she said.
Both Sisters Urioste and Fernandez felt themselves drawn to
the Servants of the Pierced Hearts
because of their emphasis on what
Sister Fernandez calls “love to the
extreme” — a full gift of self to God
and to ministry, she explained.
No matter which charism resonates most deeply with a woman
in discernment, said Sister Fernandez, one thing is the same: “When
you feel you want to be all for God,
then that’s religious life — and
you’re willing to pay whatever price
that may mean in love and in total
freedom, then that’s usually a call
to religious life.”
COMMUNITY
Sister Elizabeth Worley, Sisters of St. Joseph, chief operating officer
for the Diocese of orlando, stands on the steps of the Cathedral of
St. Patrick in New York City after an April 19, 2008, mass for priests,
deacons and religious celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.
their lives as sisters.
“We are family!” Sister Urioste
explained.
Community life is also a place
where sisters can concentrate on
one of their most important callings: to live Gospel values in everyday life and to “give witness to the
good news of Jesus,” according to
Sister Schmidt. Even retired sisters
stay present to their communities, she said, and focus on “living
a lifestyle that is compatible with
the Gospel values. That does not
change.”
MISSION TERRITORY
Many orders came to Florida in
the 1800s, brought like the Sisters of
St. Joseph of St. Augustine to serve
growing Catholic populations in
parishes and schools. Today, missionaries are still arriving.
Sister Ateenyi, who came to
America from Uganda eight years
ago “open to anything they asked
me to do,” said that being a religious sister is being a true citizen
of the world. Because of the universality of the Catholic Church,
“everywhere you go is home,” she
explained. “Everywhere they need
missionaries, even where people
are more spiritual ... missionary
work can never end.”
VisiT froM VaTiCan
Women religious in Florida, along
with those in the rest of the United
States, are learning more details
about an apostolic visitation set to
begin in January 2010. A document
outlining topics to be studied was
distributed July 28 to 341 leaders of
religious congregations to share with
their members. The topics are related
to the life and operation of the
orders: identity; governance; vocation
promotion, admission and formation
policies; spiritual life and common
life; mission and ministry; and finances. A questionnaire based on the
document will be distributed to superiors general Sept. 1 in preparation
for visits next year. The comprehensive study of U.S. institutes of women
religious, announced in January, was
ordered by the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life
and Societies of Apostolic Life, and
is being directed by Mother Mary
Clare Millea, superior general of the
Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Read the full story from Catholic
News Service at http://tinyurl.com/
fc-nuns.
THE FUTURE
Many sisters in Florida — especially the Sisters of St. Joseph of
St. Augustine and the Adrian Dominicans — began their careers as
teachers. But, as Catholic schools
closed over the past few decades
for many reasons, “very few women
religious (remain) in the schools,”
said Sister Schmidt.
These changing needs and falling numbers have started conversations within the orders themselves
as to how sisters can continue to
serve the needs of the Church in
a more challenging time. For ex-
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Religious sisters in Florida also
feel a call to live in community,
whether it is in a small apartment
with one or two other sisters or in
a large convent with many others.
Sisters pray together, live together
and eat meals together. Sisters find
community life “central” to feeding
FLorIDA CATHoLIC PHoTo BY KArEN oSBorNE
ample, the Dominican Sisters of
Sinsinawa are “talking about what
(these new statistics) might mean,
who we will draw (in the future)
and how what we are is changing,”
said Sister Drey.
With the prevailing cultural
movement pushing away from a
monolithic Catholic culture where
parochial schools were heavily supported by parishioners, sisters wear
many different hats.
“Vatican II, in a sense, freed us to
use our gifts in a more widespread
manner,” Sister Schmidt said.
“Religious women are a gift to the
Church.”
Sister Worley said she believes
“there’s no limit to what a religious
can do. They are here to be part of
the fabric of the diocese in a profound witness of the eternal presence of Christ among us. By virtue of
religious vows, each of us is committed first and foremost to be present to
the Lord. From that intimacy flows
our ministry of service. Whatever it
is, that ministry flows from the intimacy that we have first known in
the presence of the Lord.” n
Aug. 14-27, 2009
A21
ALIvE IN CHRIST CAmPAIGN
Top 10 life-changing steps of progress
In the Diocese of Orlando, our
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
You, the members of Christ’s faith- Church is truly Alive in Christ!
I share with you some of the great
ful, are joining together to make the
synod vision a reality through the fruits of your faith and your generosAlive in Christ Campaign, our first ity.
Here are the Alive in Christ pridiocesewide capital campaign.
It is all too apparent that our orities and the progress that has
world has changed quite dramati- been made in each area. The priorities were identified during
cally in the 18 months since
the 18-month synod when
launching the campaign.
Christ’s faithful gathered
We face unprecedented
to explore opportunities
economic uncertainty, and
and to define a new vision
many of our families and
for the Diocese of Orlando.
neighbors are experiencCentral to this vision is a
ing great hardship. No one
renewed commitment to
knows how long this presLead and Share the
ent situation will last. What
Bishop Grow,
living faith we have rewe do know is that the Lord
Thomas ceived from the apostles
calls us to Grow, Lead and
Share our living faith, and
Wenski and those who have gone
before us.
despite our challenges, you
are responding to this call
with great love and humility.
TOP TEN LIFE-CHANGING
With half of our 92 parishes and STEPS OF PROGRESS
missions engaged at some level, you
• PACE ADJUSTED BUT STILL
have pledged close to $70 million and MOVING FORWARD: The Diocese
we are well on our way to reaching of Orlando has 25 actively progressthe halfway point of our goal of $150 ing building projects in the design,
million. It is with great conviction permitting or construction phase.
and confidence in God’s grace that Of these 25, 20 are projects of the
the clergy and the many members of Alive in Christ campaign, 17 are parChrist’s faithful across our diocese ish projects, three are synod priority
are leading this bold effort, and we projects.
are experiencing great success. We
• CAMPAIGN REACHING THE
are already being touched by the POOR AND MARGINALIZED: Of
fruits of this campaign as we experi- the $150 million that is being raised,
ence the transformational power of $90 million is staying at the local parGod’s extraordinary love.
ish level for new construction, debt
As we continue with the Alive in reduction and establishing/enhancChrist Campaign over the next two ing endowment for tuition assisyears, please pray that the Lord will tance. (Of those parishes participatbless our efforts and grant us His ing in Waves I-III of Alive in Christ,
grace, so that we might better serve seven parishes plan to establish new
as instruments of His will on earth.
tuition endowments or grow their
existing tuition endowments.) Other
parishes, through Alive in Christ,
are supporting the Mission Office,
which serves the people of the Dominican Republic. Still other parishes have chosen to assist people in
another land, such as Haiti, or local
missions within our nine-county diocese, such as Centro Guadalupano
Mission in Polk County or San Jose
Mission in Volusia County.
• NEW INTERPAROCHIAL
SCHOOL: The John Paul II Catholic Academy is scheduled to open in
August 2011 in east Seminole County
in Oviedo.
• NEW PARISHES AND MISSIONS: Santo Toribio Romo Mission
in Lake County was officially dedicated March 15 of this year.
• CATHOLIC CAMPUS MINISTRY: A 4-1 vote by the Seminole
County Commission recently gave
the University of Central Florida the
approval to build a residential/commercial facility that will include a
Catholic Campus Ministry Center.
Construction is slated to begin this
summer and the plan is to be completed by the fall of 2010.
• CATHOLIC CH AR ITIES
OF CENTRAL FLORIDA: Alive
in Christ has touched Catholic
Charities of Central Florida in a
variety of positive ways, all stemming from the planning begun
with the Synod Commission. The
purchase and renovation of the new
headquarters, and the renovation
of the service center has enabled
Catholic Charities to plan for future
growth in services and expansion
of its ministry to respond to the increased and urgent demand for help
MISSION INDEPENDENCE
in all regions of the diocese. Of note,
two new medical clinics have been
established and another is about to
open in collaboration with Catholic Charities of Central Florida. St.
Thomas Aquinas Parish in St. Cloud
and San Pedro Jesus Maldonado
Mission in Wildwood (St Paul’s, Leesburg) have responded to the growing
need for compassionate health care
for the underinsured. St. Thomas
Aquinas is participating in Wave III
of Alive in Christ and plans to use
a portion of campaign proceeds to
expand the operation of its medical clinic and purchase new equipment. A third clinic soon to open is a
partnership between St. Mary of the
Lakes
Eustis, St.Catholic_Orlando
Patrick in Mount
9631 in
Florida
Dora and Catholic Charities of Cen-
See yourself at
tral Florida.
• ST. JAMES CATHEDRAL: Of
the $10 million for the Cathedral of
St. James projects, $3 million is part
of a synod priority. The remaining
$7 million is raised from the parish
community itself and other families
throughout the diocese who have
been a part of the cathedral parish
community or have participated
with the cathedral.
• SAN PEDRO CENTER: The
center has begun yet another successful summer Scripture camp on
the newly remodeled campsite. The
newest additions to San Pedro Center include a new air-conditioned
split bunkhouse that sleeps 80, and
8/6/09
1:05 PM
Page 1
PLEASE SEE PROGRESS, A23
BARRY UNIVERSITY
• The second-largest
private, Catholic university in the Southeast • Classes offered in both Miami
Shores and Orlando • www.barry.edu/counseling
PhD in Counseling with a specialization in Marital, Couple, and Family
Counseling/Therapy
MS and EdS Degrees with specializations in:
� Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling/Therapy*†
� Mental Health Counseling*†
� Rehabilitation Counseling
� School Counseling†
� Dual Specialization in Marital, Couple, and Family
Counseling/Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
� Dual Specialization in Mental Health Counseling and
Rehabilitation Counseling
*Master’s degree meets all academic requirements for licensure in Florida.
†Master’s program fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and
Related Educational Programs.
Barry University’s PhD in Counseling program in
Miami Shores and Orlando is now nationally accredited
by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling
and Related Educational Programs.
ADRIAN DOMINICAN
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
11300 NE Second Avenue
Miami Shores, FL 33161
305-899-3741
800-756-6000, ext. 3741
[email protected]
Orlando Location
COURTESY
ORL A21
19586-0814
Children dressed in costume and ready to celebrate the Dominican Republic’s Independence Day Feb. 27
stand on the grounds of what is left of the hospitality house in La Cucarita in San Juan de la Maguana,
Orlando’s sister diocese. The hospitality house sustained a fire in January that consumed part of the
building. Behind the children is the church. To the far right is Sister Bernadette Mackay, director of the
Mission Office of the Diocese of Orlando. A special collection for the sister diocese will be taken up in
parishes Sept. 13. (See Page A18 for a seminarian’s account of a recent visit to La Cucarita.)
2000 N. Alafaya Trail, Suite 600
Orlando, FL 32826
800-756-6000, ext. 3719
[email protected]
a22
around Your communitY
PARISH EVENTS
Big Band dinner dance: Aug.
29, 6:30 p.m. dinner, 7:30 p.m.
music begins, Ascension Parish
hall, 2950 N. Harbor City Blvd.,
Melbourne. Catered roast beef
dinner and the music of the
21-member SwingTime Jazz Band.
Transportation for those who
don’t drive at night and child care
available. Tickets: $20 per person,
limited to first 350. Call Carmella
and Tom Falcone, 321-255-9604.
Dinner presentation for
families with children: Sept. 16,
7 p.m. dinner, 7:30 p.m. program,
Holy Family Parish life center,
5125 S. Apopka-Vineland Road,
Orlando. Dr. Ray Guarendi will
present “Back to the Family,” a
presentation geared for all who
have children in their lives. Cost:
$25 per person. Reservations
required. Contact: www.unafides.
com or Chris Caruso at 407-2542566.
CONFERENCES/
MEETINGS/
OTHER EVENTS
Marian Congress 2009: Aug
14 and 15, Holy Family Parish,
Orlando. This inaugural English
and Spanish simultaneous
congress will feature international
scholars Father Manuel Carreira of
the Comilla University, Spain; and
Father Joseph Roten, director of
the International Marian Research
Institute at the University of
Dayton, Ohio. Event also includes
spiritual direction, eucharistic
adoration, reconciliation, music
and praise. Tickets: $30. Limited
number. Contact: Tomas Evans,
diocesan Hispanic Catholic
Communications director, 407236-4926 or 407-592-3236, or
[email protected].
Orlando Liturgical
Conference 2009: Aug. 2729, Orlando Airport Marriott,
7499 Augusta National Drive,
Orlando. “Formed in His Image”
theme of annual event which will
focus on Advent and Christmas
seasons. Presentations by Father
J. Michael Joncas; Jerry Galipeau;
David Anderson; Sister of Divine
Providence Linda Gaupin,
diocesan director of Religious
Education Office; and others.
Spanish-language music session.
Registration information at www.
orlandoliturgicalconference.org or
call 407-246-4860.
“Boundaries and Ethics in
Ministry” workshop: Sept. 10,
10 a.m.-noon or 7-9 p.m., San
Pedro Center, St. Francis Hall, 2400
Dike Road, Winter Park. Presented
by international lecturer and
clinical psychologist, Father
Raymond P. Cary, a professor at
Mount Angel Seminary Graduate
School of Theology, St. Benedict,
Ore. No fee. Registration, with
time selection, required to Robert
Diaz, [email protected].
Renew: Theology on Tap
comprehensive process: Sept.
24, 7-9 p.m., Holy Family Parish,
Orlando. Young adult leadership
team training. Parishes should
confirm participation with Kathy
Motyka, 908-769-5400, ext. 117,
or [email protected]; or
contact Michelle Fischer, diocesan
director of Youth and Young
Adult Ministry, 407-246-4867 or
[email protected].
Florida bishops’ Respect
Life Conference: Oct. 16-18,
Marriott Hotel in Lake Mary, 1501
International Parkway, Lake Mary.
The Orlando Diocese will host the
2009 Florida bishops’ conference
themed, “The Love That Satisfies.”
Conference opens with youth
night Oct. 16, and closes with
a White Mass for health care
professionals Oct. 18, celebrated
by Bishop Thomas Wenski. Topics
include: best practices in ministry,
Theology of the Body, human
trafficking, legislative issues
and evangelization. For more
information or to register, contact
Liz Clayton at 407-246-4819 or
[email protected], or
visit www.advocacyjustice.org.
For hotel reservations, contact the
Marriott, 407-995-1100.
PRAYER SESSIONS/
MASSES
Healing prayer: First, second
and fourth Mondays, 9-11 a.m.,
St. John Vianney Parish, 6200 S.
Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando.
Call parish office: 407-855-5391.
Healing prayer: First Mondays,
7 p.m., Our Lady of Lourdes
Parish, 201 University Blvd.,
Daytona Beach. Call Gary and
Vivian Bowden, 386-673-1330 or
e-mail [email protected].
Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament: Monday through
Saturday, 7:10 a.m. until start
of 8:30 a.m. Mass, and Monday
through Friday from 9 a.m. to
noon; first Sundays, noon-6
p.m., Chapel of Our Lady of the
Angels; rosary for vocations daily
following Mass, St. Brendan
Parish, 1000 Oceanshore Blvd.,
Ormond Beach. 386-441-1505.
Pray rosary for life: Third
and fifth Saturdays, 7 a.m.,
abortion facility on Lucerne
Terrace in downtown Orlando.
St. Augustine’s Respect Life
Committee invites fellow Catholics
to join them in praying the rosary.
407-699-4328.
Divine Mercy chaplet:
Wednesdays, 3 p.m., St. Faustina
Parish, 320 U.S. Highway 27,
Clermont. Call the parish office:
352-394-0020.
Liturgy of the Hours:
Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m.-noon
and 7-9 p.m., St. Anthony Parish,
820 Marcum Road, Lakeland.
Includes exposition of the Blessed
Sacrament, and clergy and lay
ministers to answer questions.
Contact: Ken Drummer, 863-8588047, ext. 214.
Mass at Port Canaveral:
Sundays, 10:30 a.m., chapel of
the Stella Maris Apostleship of
Florida Catholic
the Sea, Seafarers’ Center, 720
Mullet Road, Cape Canaveral.
The center is located near the
docks of the cruise ships so that
those about to embark can easily
attend Mass. All are welcome. For
more information, contact Servite
Father Carl Feil, 321-866-0143.
SECULAR
COMMUNITIES
Lay Carmelites, St. James:
First Saturdays, Mass at 8 a.m.,
followed by meeting and spiritual
development until 11:30 a.m., St.
James Cathedral, 215 N. Orange
Ave., Orlando. Contact: Kathleen
Richardville, 407-898-3902.
Lay Carmelites, St. Therese
of the Child Jesus: Fourth
Saturdays, Mass at 9 a.m.,
followed by meeting and
spiritual development, Ascension
Parish, 2950 N. Harbor City Blvd.,
Melbourne. Contact: Agatha
Bobitka, TOC, 321-253-2833.
of the Child Jesus and Holy
Face: First Saturdays, Mass at 8:15
a.m., followed by meeting and
formation in Carmelite spirituality,
St. Peter Parish, 359 W. New York
Ave., DeLand. Contact: Kathleen,
386-624-7754 or ggibbons3@cfl.
rr.com.
Community 1015: Fourth
Tuesdays, 10 a.m. after Mass and
Benediction, St. Vincent de Paul
Parish, 5323 E. County Road 462,
Wildwood. Contact: Mary Dillon,
TOC, 352-259-4198.
Lay Carmelites: For
information about other
communities throughout the
Diocese of Orlando, contact Steve
Riddle, regional coordinator, 407855-9954.
Secular Order of Discalced
Carmelites: First Saturdays, 8:30
a.m. prayer, 8:45 a.m. Mass, 9:30
a.m.-noon meeting and study of
Carmelite saints and rule, St. Joseph
Parish, 5210 Babcock St. N.E., Palm
Bay. Contact: Kathy Stauffacher,
OCDS, 321-242-4504.
Secular Franciscan Order,
Lady Poverty Fraternity: First
and third Tuesdays, begins with
evening prayer at 7 p.m., Mary,
Mother of God Chapel, San Pedro
Spiritual Development Center, 2400
Dike Road, Winter Park. Meeting
follows. Contact: Tony Walter, SFO,
[email protected].
Secular Franciscan Fraternity:
Fourth Saturdays, 10 a.m., Queen
orLAndo diocESE communitY PaGE
SuBmiSSion dEadLinES
The Florida Catholic welcomes calendar items of coming events for your parish or organization. Due to time required for production and mailing, we need
to receive items at least five weeks before requested publication. Send items to:
Around Your Community, Florida Catholic, P.O. Box 1800, Orlando, FL 328021800; by fax, send items marked Around Your Community to 407-246-4942; or
e-mail to, [email protected].
Announcements for ongoing activities will be removed after 60 days. For
continued coverage, announcements must be resubmitted.
of Peace Parish hall, Ocala. Secular
Franciscans commit themselves
by promise, not vow, to live the
Gospel life of Jesus Christ in the
spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. 352854-5647 or 352-793-7071.
Secular Franciscan Order, St.
Francis Fraternity: First Sundays,
12:30 p.m., St. Francis of Assisi
Parish, Building B, 834 S. Orange
Blossom Trail, Apopka. Call Jeane
Fwaynos, SFO, 407-869-6716.
Secular Franciscan Fraternity,
Little Flowers of St. Francis:
Second Saturdays, following the
8:30 a.m. Mass, Epiphany Parish,
parish house 5, 201 Lafayette St.,
Port Orange. Peg, 386-677-7089.
Secular Order of the Servants
of Mary (Servite), Mary, Queen
of the Servants Community:
Second Saturdays, 10:30 a.m., Our
Lady of Grace Parish center, 300
Malabar Road, Palm Bay. Laypeople
who promise to live the Gospel
life, especially the Servite charisms
of social justice, compassion and
hospitality, using the life of Mary
as example. Contact: Phil Borsik,
SOSM, 321-728-0509.
Secular Order of the Servants
of Mary (Servite), Our Lady of
Sorrows Community: Second
Fridays, 9:30 a.m., St. Timothy
Parish ministry building, Lady Lake.
Secular Servites are laypeople and
ordained who commit themselves
by promise to live the Gospel life
of Jesus Christ, and to deepen the
knowledge and acts of devotion to
Mary and extend her presence to
the whole world. Contact: Donald
Siple, SOSM, 352-750-4877.
Secular Order of the
Servants of Mary, St. Peregrine
Community: Second Saturdays,
10:30 a.m., St. Catherine of Siena
Parish, St. Peregrine Room, 2750
E. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee.
Contact: Adriana Bentum-Tilus,
SOSM, 407-288-3701.
Secular Franciscan Fraternity,
San Damiano: First Wednesdays,
after 8:30 a.m. Mass and rosary,
St. Mark Parish, Highway 42,
Summerfield. Contact: Kathryn
Hampel, SFO, 352-750-6334.
ONGOING
MEETINGS
Msgr. Bishop Knights of
Columbus Council 2112: Regular
business meeting, first Mondays,
8 p.m., at the council hall, 5727
Cornelia Ave., Orlando. Rosary,
7:30 p.m. Meeting is open to all
Knights who have taken their first
degree. Contact: Grand Knight Bill
Mazanec, 407-678-2112.
Our Lady of Grace Knights
of Columbus Council 13243:
Regular business meeting, first
Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Social meeting
when announced third Mondays,
7:30 p.m., Our Lady of Grace Parish
activity center, 300 Malabar Road,
Palm Bay. All local and visiting
Knights are welcome. Contact:
Grand Knight Joe Perry, 321-9840397.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Knights of Columbus Council
13300: Regular business meeting,
first and third Mondays, 7 p.m.,
St. Vincent de Paul Parish social
hall, Wildwood. All local and
visiting Knights are welcome to
attend, Contact: Chancellor Gerald
Haggerty, 352-205-8182.
Corpus Christi Knights of
Columbus Council 14132:
Regular business meeting, second
Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m., 851 Building,
851 Celebration Ave., Celebration.
Open to all local and visiting
Knights. Contact: Grand Knight
John Ricci, 407-473-1222.
Pope John Paul II Knights
of Columbus Assembly 2982:
Regular business meeting, first
Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., Knights
of Columbus hall, 6725 Babcock
St., Palm Bay. All local and/or
visiting fourth-degree Knights
are welcome to attend. Contact:
Faithful Navigator Frank Ferrante,
321-720-6982.
Tree Blessing
After evening prayer
and parish awards
July 22 at St. Mary
Magdalen in Altamonte
Springs, Father
Charlie Mitchell, right,
pastor, conducts a
blessing of the trees
with the assistance
of Deacon Henry
Libersat, left center.
The trees were planted
for the evening’s
event, one of many
marking the parish’s
50th anniversary.
18753-0814
CHARLES HODGES | FC
ORL A22
Aug. 14-27, 2009
Aug. 14-27, 2009
St. John Vianney celebrateS 50 yearS
Seminarian
conVocation
PhoToS by ChArLES hoDGES | FC
Aug. 4, the feast day of St. John
mary Vianney, was the beginning
of many special celebrations
marking the 50th anniversary of
St. John Vianney Parish in orlando.
That evening, bishop Thomas
Wenski presided at a special
celebration of the Eucharist that
welcomed former priests of the
parish and other special guests.
Despite a severe thunderstorm,
the church was filled to capacity.
Left, Sandra Patricia Camacho, on
behalf of County Commissioner
Linda Stewart, presents Father Paul
henry, pastor, with a proclamation
from the office of orange County,
commemorating 50 years of service
to the Church community and its
neighbors.
PhoTo VALETA orLANDo | FC
Dominic buckley, seminarian,
bows his head in prayer July 31
at a mass celebrated by bishop
Thomas Wenski during the
convocation for seminarians
at San Pedro Spiritual Center
in Winter Park. The three-day
convocation was organized by
the office of Vocations, headed
by Father miguel Gonzalez.
The convocation provided
an opportunity for new and
returning seminarians to
become acquainted, to listen to
theological experts and spend
time in reflection. The diocese
currently has 25 seminarians.
buckley offered a reflection
of his time in the Dominican
republic. See story, Page A18.
Teenage alumni help spruce up school for new year
Laura DoDson
MELBOURNE — For two weeks,
teenage brothers Cameron and Steven Gross helped ready Our Lady of
Lourdes Catholic School campus
here to welcome back students to
school.
When Lourdes Wyatt, principal
of their elementary alma mater,
asked for help with removing some
tree branches, their “yes” was only
the beginning of the transformation of the entire campus.
“We mulched, planted, anything
they needed help with,” Cameron,
17, told the Florida Catholic last
week as he and his brother tended
to the plants.
“We moved furniture, set up
the parish hall and cut the grass
when staff was on vacation,” added
16-year-old Steven.
“Both young men continued to
have a positive attitude even when
the task was overwhelming at
times,” said Wyatt.
Why would a teenager spend the
latter part of summer vacation volunteering to move furniture and do
yard work?
“My eighth-grade teacher, Mr.
Charles Kelly, really opened my
LAUrA DoDSoN | FC
Teen brothers Cameron and Steven Gross put the finishing touches on the flower bed they have prepared
to greet the preschool children at our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in melbourne.
MORE COVERAGE — For more
back-to-school stories, please
see Pages A9-16.
eyes to God and my education,” explained Cameron.
Steven added, “I learned more
here in three years than in all the
years I did in public school.”
Cameron and Steven aren’t the
only family members helping the
school. “It’s all a family affair here,”
said Wyatt. “Mr. (Shawn) Gross is
on the school board, Mrs. (Wendy)
Gross is our sports photographer
and youngest son, Joshua, is a seventh-grader and also a very hardworker.”
ORL A23
The brothers look forward to returning soon as senior and sophomore students, respectively, to
Melbourne Central Catholic High
School.
Wyatt concluded, “They have
brought so much joy and help in
preparing for this school year.” n
A23
PROGRESS
From A21
St. Francis Hall, a dining and
conference facilit y that accommodates up to 118 guests.
Two portable buildings have
recently been installed and are
providing much-needed space
for programs and ministries. A
building containing two fully
equipped classrooms is serving the needs of the Diocesan
Lay Ecclesial Ministry Formation Program, and an annex to
the San Pedro Administration
Building is providing four additional staff offices.
• E N DOW M EN T FOR
CLERGY AND LAY LEADERS: Thirty-five priests from
the Diocese of Orlando completed a two-year professional
development prog ra m designed to help them grow in
their ministry as servant leaders. The “Good Leaders, Good
Shepherds” program, initiated
at the recommendation of our
diocesan synod, continues to
receive positive reviews from
participating clergy.
• PA RT N ER SHIPS BETWEEN THE LOCAL AND
LARGER CHURCH: The parishioners of St. Luke in Brevard County, a Wave III parish,
are helping to lead an extraordinar y effort by generously
contributing their entire share
of Alive in Christ proceeds to
Catholic Charities of Central
Florida, to provide assistance
to struggling individuals and
families throughout southern Brevard County. Catholic
Charities will begin detailed
research to identify the most
critical needs in the area, with
the goal of establishing an
appropriate regional service
center. Partnerships between
St. John Vianney and Catholic
Charities in Orange and Osceola counties will establish a satellite service center on Orange
Blossom Trail in south Orlando
to meet the needs of the underserved.
“The Alive in Christ Campaign is an expression of the
lived hope of our people who
with faith and love are investing in the future of this local
Church. In these difficult economic times, such an investment requires extraordinary
generosity. But such generosity
is only a small return for God’s
own generosity to us in His gift
of Himself to us. We know that
whatever we can give is never
surpassed by what through
faith He has given and continues to give to us. Through Alive
in Christ, the Catholic community of Central Florida will be
able to witness to the hope that
is ours in Christ.”
+Bishop Thomas Wenski
A24 Your orlando communitY
Florida Catholic
Apopka youths get help from
AmeriCorps and stimulus package
Laura DoDson
ApopkA — Seeing teenagers and
college students working summer
jobs each year brings back memories for many adults. What may be
unexpected is the destination of
their paychecks. In addition to the
usual clothes and school supplies,
many help to pay family expenses,
putting food on the table for siblings,
parents and extended family.
“I’m helping my grandmother
pay her bills,” shared Toni Payne,
who is 16 and starting her junior
year at Apopka High School. “And
I’m paying my cell-phone bill,” she
grinned.
Thanks to the federal workforce
stimulus plan, 12 young people are
being paid to help out in two programs at the Hope CommUnity
Center — the home of the diocesan
ministry to the farmworker community in Apopka. The stimulus
plan signed into effect in February
made money available to states to
fund summer jobs programs for
teens and young adults ages 14-24
who come from low-income families and have at least one risk factor,
such as homelessness, foster care or
LAurA DoDSoN | FC
It was a mad dash for some
children to pass under their
counselors’ arms as the game
music played during summer
camp at Hope Community Center
in Apopka.
teen pregnancy.
“We were able to get a grant to
pay for six workers, in addition to
the 12 workers who came through
the workforce program,” said Sister
of Notre Dame de Namur Ann Kendrick. Sister Kendrick is the Notre
Dame AmeriCorps site co-director
and is in charge of community relations for the ministry.
She added: “We’re offering camps
on site for more than 50 children
each session ages 5-8, then 9-12, and
will finally take the program into the
trailer parks and neighborhoods for
the last two weeks. And in another
program, the students are actually
working on the computers for local
businesses.”
In the computer lab, Toni was
working under the direction of Jennie Trump, an AmeriCorps volunteer, creating an instruction guide
on how to make deposits and loans
for new tellers of Pennies for Power
Youth Credit Union, which functions under the direction of the
Community Trust Federal Credit
Union that serves the farmworker
community.
Trump holds a bachelor’s degree
in economics from Iowa State University and is from Minneapolis.
“I wanted to get some work experience in public service before I go
on to graduate school,” explained
Trump, who will be completing her
AmeriCorps service and entering
Ohio State University in September
to pursue an advanced degree in
economics.
“I feel like through AmeriCorps I
have fulfilled my goals. I did something useful; I learned a lot about
different lifestyles in my own coun-
try and I learned how to work with
people,” Trump said.
AmeriCorps is the result of the
1993 National and Community Service Trust Act which established
a network of national service programs to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health and the
environment.
Pedro Cordero is a 17-year-old
Apopka High School senior hoping
to become an architect. “I’m happy
I’m here, meeting new people, learning about working at a credit union,”
he said. “I’m helping my parents and
saving my money for college.”
Down the hall were the joyous
squeals and din of children at play.
Marcus Moore, 20, is enrolled at
Valencia Community College hoping to become a Web designer, and
was actively engaged helping a table
of children make picture frames. “I
don’t have any little brothers or sisters, so this is a good start,” he said.
The students are earning $250
per week for six weeks and all had
applied for the program through
school or the center. “I know fathers
and mothers who are looking for
jobs,” Moore said. “This is a blessing
and I’m taking advantage of it.” n
Apopka nuns named ‘Citizens of the Year’ in Orange County
Laura DoDson
ApopkA — The four Sisters of
Notre Dame de Namur who work
with the poor and migrant community in Apopka — Sisters Cathy
Gorman, Gail Grimes, Ann Kendrick and Teresa McElwee — knew
something special was afoot. They
received an invitation to the Community Conference of Orange
County Neighborhood Services
Development as nominees for an
award.
They were unprepared, however, for what came next: They were
named Citizens of the Year.
“We had no idea,” Sister Grimes
said. “Sister McElwee and I represented the community on July 19
at the Renaissance Senior Center
at Curry Ford Community Park
in Orlando because both Sister Gorman and Sister Kendrick
were away. Several organizations
and people were presented with
awards, but then Orange County
Mayor Richard T. Crotty cited the
achievements over the years of
the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur with the Notre Dame AmeriCorps.”
AmeriCorps is the result of the
1993 National and Community
Service Trust Act which established a network of national ser-
FILE PHoTo
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur pose for a photo during a
farmworkers’ fundraiser last year in maitland. Seated in front is
Sister Cathy Gorman. In the back row, left to right, are Sisters Teresa
mcElwee, Ann Kendrick and Gail Grimes.
vice programs to meet critical
needs in education, public safety,
health and the environment.
“Every year, the program gets
better and better,” explained Minerva Colon who is an employee of
the Hope CommUnity Center, but
began as a Vista volunteer under
AmeriCorps in 2001. “Since the sisters cannot reach out to everybody
in the community, the AmeriCorps
volunteers are their arms.”
The Apopka program, which
began 13 years ago with two volunteers, is part of the national
contract the Sisters of Notre Dame
de Namur have signed with Ame-
riCorps. This year, there were 29
volunteers.
“Our accomplishments this year
include more than 44,000 hours of
community service — in schools,
a domestic violence shelter and
teaching parenting skills,” Colon
added. “More than 500 students
were tutored in area classrooms
and after-school programs; they
supported students in Wekiva and
Apopka High Schools who are the
first in their families to finish high
school and go on to college; and
nearly 100 adults learned to speak
English — giving them the chance
to be active and engaged citizens.
ORL A24
They do great work and are very
important to us.”
AmeriCorps volunteer Shirley
Bratton is completing her second
year serving at Harbor House
— a domestic violence shelter —
through the Apopka program. “I
wanted to find something to give
back,” Bratton shared. “I was a
victim of domestic violence and it
was a ‘God-thing’ that an opening
was available at the shelter. It was
a transition in my life and AmeriCorps gave me the bridge.”
Bratton is enrolled in Liberty
University’s online program to
get a degree in Christian counseling and hopes to return to Harbor
House where she sees the need.
“The sisters have helped me so
much,” she said. “They encourage us, they’re always happy to see
us. Every Friday we have a meeting at the center and they give us
food, we can make copies (of office
work) — just anything we need. It’s
our home away from home. It’s like
family.”
“It’s a wonderful program,” Sister Grimes said. “All the people
in the schools treasure our AmeriCorps volunteers and have hired
many of them after they completed
their service. The program enables
us to extend our outreach greatly
beyond what we can do here and
that’s what the award was for.” n
Aug. 14-27, 2009
CONFERENCE
From A3
The conference will be at the
Orlando Airport Marriott from
Aug. 27 to 29 with a lineup of renowned presenters in liturgy,
catechesis, music, art and the
catechumenate. The program
will also include a special Spanish music session.
Featured speakers at the event
include: Sister of Divine Providence Linda Gaupin, senior director of religious education for
the Diocese of Orlando; Sister of
Notre Dame de Namur Kathleen
Harmon, music director for the
Institute of Liturgical Ministry in
Dayton, Ohio; and Father J. Michael Joncas, composer and associate professor of Catholic Studies
at the University of St. Thomas in
St. Paul, Minn. “Participants will
be led to experience the harmony
between liturgy and catechesis
that will enable them to deepen
the parish’s experience of the
Advent-Christmas season,” said
Sister Gaupin, who will be presenting workshops as well.
Father Joncas said he hopes
participants come away with
many blessings including, “the
blessing of praying in common
with other people who share
an interest in Catholic worship
without having to be the ‘ones
in charge’; of deepening their
knowledge of how the Church
calls us to celebrate the Incarnation season of Advent-Christmastide … and the blessing of being
in contact with new music, visual
art, vesture and ritual objects being created for worship by our
composers and artisans.”
Jerry Galipeau, David Anderson and Society of the Precious
Blood Father Ben Berinti will also
join Father Webster and several
others in presenting workshops.
“Su r pr i s e s w i l l u n fold
throughout this conference,” Father Webster concluded. “It will
be an unfolding event — a rich liturgical experience of the best of
the seasons — or the best that one
can do Advent and Christmas in
August.” n
Conference registration is available at www.orlandoliturgicalconference.org
APPointmEntS
Bishop Thomas Wenski is pleased to
announce the following appointments:
Effective June 1:
Father Pedro Cordeno, from
parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish, Rockledge, to parochial vicar of Holy Cross
Parish, Orlando.
Father Rex Familiar, from parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Orlando,
to parochial vicar of St. John Vianney
Parish, Orlando.
Salvatorian Father Eugeniusz
Grytner, to parochial vicar of St. Teresa
Parish, Titusville.

Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage beckons to storm

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