Leading Off Bishops To Weigh Test

IN THIS ISSUE:
Bishop’s Interview
Thanksgiving and Advent.
See Page 2
Volume 69, No. 15
Leading Off
Beaumont, TX (CNS)—”We
hope and pray that our soldiers do
not die on the battlefields. Then
something like this happens on
one of our bases by a fellow soldier,” said Bishop Curtis J. Guillory of Beaumont about the Nov. 5
shootings at the Fort Hood Army
base in Texas that left 13 dead and
another 30 wounded.
“What happened today is a
tragedy. Our prayers are with
those who are affected and their
families, and I pray for comfort
and healing of those who were
shot,” he said.
The base, about an hour north
of Austin, is in the Austin Diocese. Monsignor Michael Mulvey,
Austin’s diocesan administrator,
said in a Nov. 6 statement: “All of
us are in shock by the horrors of
yesterday’s tragedy at Fort Hood.
Our prayers and tears go out to the
victims and their families. I have
spoken with the Archdiocese for
the Military Services and to Archbishop (Timothy P.) Broglio, and
I have offered the services of the
Diocese of Austin.”
Suspected in the shooting at
the base is Maj. Nidal Hasan, 39,
the Muslim, Virginia-born son of
Jordanian immigrants who was
scheduled to go soon on his first
deployment to the Middle East.
Providence, R.I. (CNS)—
Providence Bishop Thomas J.
Tobin asked U.S. Rep. Patrick
Kennedy, if as a Catholic, he really understands what it means
“to be a Catholic.” He questioned
if Kennedy could really describe
himself as Catholic since his
stance on abortion was “unacceptable to the church” and “scandalous to many of our members.”
Bishop Tobin made the comments in his “Without a Doubt”
column in the Nov. 12 issue of
The Rhode Island Catholic, his
diocesan newspaper.
He was responding to an Oct.
29 letter Kennedy sent to the
bishop in which he stated: “The
fact that I disagree with the hierarchy of the church on some issues does not make me any less
of a Catholic.”
“Well, in fact, Congressman, in
a way it does,” the bishop wrote.
“Although I wouldn’t choose
those particular words, when
someone rejects the teachings of
the church, especially on a grave
matter, a life-and-death issue like
abortion, it certainly does diminish their ecclesial communion,
their unity with the church.”
Non-Profit Org.
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Providing Comfort
St. Thomas Shawl Ministry.
See Page 7
PAID
Come Together
Unity Mass at St. Joseph’s.
See Page 12
Permit 309
Amarillo, TX
Serving Catholics in the Texas Panhandle - Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo
November 15, 2009
Bishops To Weigh Test-Tube To Deathbed Issues, Finish Work On Missal
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, left, joins hands with Samuel Majak Atak of St. Joseph’s Church, Amarillo, in
a show of unity during Bishop Zurek’s homily at a Unity Mass at the parish Nov. 1. Read more about
the Mass on page 12. (WTC Photo)
Multicultural Celebration To Honor Our Lady Of Guadalupe
Amarillo—Preparations continue for the 2009 Multicultural
Diocesan Celebration of Our
Lady of Guadalupe, set for Sunday, Dec. 6.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “One Church, One
America, One Family,” according
to Father Hector J. Madrigal, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, Amarillo, who is chairing this year’s
event.
Activities begin with a 2pm
procession from Our Lady of
Guadalupe Church at 1210 East
11th Street to the Amarillo Civic
Center at 401 South Buchanan.
Scheduled to lead the procession
are the Knights of Columbus,
Cortes Guadalupanas and diocesan matachines groups.
“We’ve added a new wrinkle to
this year’s festival, with the addition of parish floats,” said Father
Madrigal. “We’re inviting parishes to construct a float with a life
scene of the apparitions of Our
Lady of Guadalupe. This is a way
to visually teach the story of Guadalupe. One parish for example
will focus on Juan Diego’s uncle
who is in bed dying. In the story
Our Lady of Guadalupe tells Juan
Diego that there is no need for a
priest, ‘for his health is restored at
this moment.’ Others will focus
on Juan Diego’s visit to Bishop
Fray Juan de Zumarraga.”
The procession will also feature a tall image of Our Lady
of Guadalupe. Once the image
arrives at the Civic Center, Father Madrigal said several of the
newly ordained priests of the diocese will carry the image on their
shoulders to the altar.
Activities at the Civic Center
will begin with a prayer of dedication to Our Lady of Guadalupe,
followed by a trilingual liturgy in
English, Spanish and Dinka. After
the liturgy pan dulce and chocolate will be served, which will
include serenades to Our Lady of
Guadalupe.
“We have invited several
groups in the Diocese of Amarillo
to serenade Our Lady in their native language,” said Father Madrigal. “This diocesan celebration
will truly be one of diversity and
unity for our diocese and is open
to all the faithful,” he said. The
celebration is scheduled to conclude at 5pm.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is invoked by the universal church
as Patroness of the Americas. In
1531, a “’Lady from Heaven”
appeared to Juan Diego, a poor
Indian, in Mexico. She identified
herself as the Mother of the True
God.
She told Juan Diego where he
could pick roses in December and
instructed him to take them to the
bishop as a sign that he carried a
message from God’s mother.
When Juan Diego opened his
cloak and let the roses fall to the
ground as a sign to the bishop,
a far greater sign appeared. The
miraculous image of Our Lady of
Guadalupe was imprinted on his
tilma.
The tilma is a cloak made of
poor quality cactus-derived cloth,
which should have deteriorated in
20 years, but shows no sign of decay 477 years later and defies scientific explanations of its origin.
The image is preserved to this day
in the Basilica of Guadalupe in
Mexico City, and is sought out by
10 million pilgrims each year.
The miraculous appearance of
Our Lady of Guadalupe prompted
the conversion to Christianity of
some 6 to 9 million native North
Americans within 20 years.
For more information on the
diocesan celebration for Our Lady
of Guadalupe, contact Father
Madrigal at St. Joseph’s Church,
355-5621.
The Diocesan Pastoral
Center will close at noon
Wednesday, Nov. 25 for the
Thanksgiving holidays.
The DPC will reopen Monday, Nov. 30 at 9am.
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek
and the DPC staff wish everyone a safe, blessed and
Happy Thanksgiving
Washington(CNS)—Life issues from the test tube to the
deathbed are on the agenda for
the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops’ fall general assembly.
The meeting in Baltimore,
which begins Monday and runs
through Thursday, also will include what the bishops hope will
be their final consideration of
action items related to the Roman Missal and debate and vote
on a lengthy document offering
support to married couples and
affirming that true marriage can
only involve a man and a woman.
The meeting agenda also will
feature a preliminary report on
the causes and context study on
clergy sexual abuse of minors
conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a
report by the National Religious
Vocation Conference on a recent
study of religious vocations.
The bishops will hear the final
presidential address by Cardinal
Francis E. George of Chicago,
who is beginning the third year
of his three-year term as USCCB
president, and will choose chairmen-elect for five committees.
A draft document prepared by
the Committee on Pro-Life Activities looks at the issue of reproductive technologies, saying
that although the Catholic Church
shares the pain of married couples
facing “unanticipated childlessness,” some reproductive technologies “are not legitimate ways
to solve” infertility problems.
The
22-page
document,
“Life-Giving Love in an Age of
Technology,” is designed as a
companion to the bishops’ 2006
statement, “Married Love and the
Gift of Life,” which urged Catholic couples to reject the use of artificial contraception and to learn
how natural family planning can
benefit the marital relationship.
Like the earlier document,
“Life-Giving Love in an Age of
Technology” is in a question-andanswer format, with a short introduction.
“Some solutions offered to infertile couples do justice to their
dignity as individuals and as a
couple, and to the full human dignity of their child, by helping their
marital act to be life-giving,” the
draft document says. “Others are
morally flawed efforts to replace
the marital act that are not worthy
of the tremendous gift God offers
See “Bishops,” p. 3
2
West Texas Catholic
Bishop’s Interview
Eighty-nine years of service to the Church was represented Nov. 8 at St. Mary’s Church, Amarillo,
when Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, center, celebrated Mass with Monsignor Cal Stalter, left and Monsignor
Harold Waldow, right, on the occasion of their birthdays. Monsignor Stalter turned 85 on Nov. 8, while
Monsignor Waldow recently celebrated his 70th birthday. (WTC Photo)
WTC: Hard to believe as fast
as this year has gone by, Bishop Zurek, we are approaching
Thanksgiving and the Season of
Advent. Thanksgiving is something that we seem to take for
granted in this country. When
you think about it in the big picture, we should celebrate Thanksgiving everyday; we should be
grateful for every blessing we’ve
been given.
Bishop Zurek: That is true.
However, human as we are, it
seems important to target certain
days, certain times always to give
preeminence to help us really to
remember the depth of the gratitude we should have.
When I was a student in Rome,
our professors and the Roman
people, who would gather at the
seminary for Thanksgiving, they
found it absolutely amazing that
America, who they thought was
quite pagan in a sense, could set
aside through the government one
day to give thanks to Almighty
God. They were just amazed at
that!
I always like to go back to St.
Paul’s Letter to the Romans; he
clearly states there that the great
sin of the Romans, and in a sense
of humanity, is that “God made
Himself known to humanity.
Since the creation of the world
the invisible reality, God’s eternal
power and divinity, have become
visibly recognized through the
things He has made.” Therefore,
“it is inexcusable,” Paul says,
“that they do not glorify God as
God or in particular they do not
give Him thanks.” Paul sees that
lack of thanksgiving as probably
the greatest sin. God is in our
midst constantly through creation;
His fingerprint is on everything.
We should all give thanks; all
Paul’s letters begin with “thanks”.
That we as a government have set
aside a day and the Church has really grasped this;
We have a liturgy for it now,
special prayers in the Mass, a
special Preface that recounts, not
the passage of our people across
the ocean to arrive here, but goes
back to the time of Moses and the
pilgrimage from Egypt through
the Red Sea, through Sinai, to
the Promised Land. For many
people around the world, this is
the Promised Land because of the
freedoms we share. It is a wonderful day; I thank God that we
have this day and that so many
people, even of other denominations, have taken this on as a
day in which they decide this is
a Liturgical Day, a day when we
gather as God’s People and say
one big’ thank you’, that hopefully extends through the year.
WTC: What are you personally grateful for on this Thanksgiving 2009?
Bishop Zurek: I am always
grateful just about for everything.
Primarily I am grateful for my
Faith, for this great country that
allows freedom, freedom that for
the most part, when lived well, is
glorious. I am very grateful for
being Bishop of the Diocese of
Amarillo. This has given me a
wonderful opportunity to minister
to many people. I am grateful for
my priests, the religious, my deacons, for all the laity who make
up this wonderful diocese.
WTC: We turn from Thanksgiving now to the Advent Season.
It seems, from my perspective,
we have forgotten that Advent is
a preparatory season to welcome
the Christ Child. Do you disagree? Please elaborate.
Bishop Zurek: In Advent we
always celebrate the preparation.
Theologically, in the first part of
Advent, we really look forward to
the Second Coming of Christ; it’s
all about coming. All the readings are geared towards that during the first part of Advent. It’s
only when we get to the 17th of
December, that the focus is on
the First Coming of Christ, to remember His birth at Bethlehem,
the importance of the Incarnation,
when “He became one of us”. As
our Eastern Catholic Churches
say, “So that we could become
like God.” We sometimes forget
the in-between ‘coming’ of which
St. Bernard reminds us. In between the First and the Second
Coming there is the ‘Coming of
NOVEMBER 15, 2009
Christ to the Christian every day
of our lives’. I would love our
people to become more conscious
of the fact that when our hearts
are open, are sinless as we can
possibly be in this human life,
the Lord constantly wants to walk
with us, to come into our lives as
into a tabernacle to help us affect
His Will by the love we have for
one another.
WTC: Do you have any advice for the faithful in preparing
for Advent?
Bishop Zurek: Absolutely.
We always say we don’t have
time. My immediate response
is that we make time for what
we wish to do. Many will do a
lot with shopping; that’s a given.
Many will do a lot in planning and
baking for parties and gatherings.
They will be going to gatherings.
Is it too much to ask of our dear
people who have baptized, consecrated with the Gift of the Spirit
in that Baptism, to make time for
daily prayer? That is the prepa-
ration we need: Sunday Eucharist, maybe daily Eucharist when
we can, but above all to pray together.
We have a wonderful custom
in the use of the Advent Wreath.
Many parishes furnish the prayers
for the Advent Wreath or they can
be found on the internet. You just
need to buy four candles, even one
will do if you can’t afford four.
When your family gathers around
the table, make a concerted effort to gather in prayer, the most
perfect preparation for the Lord’s
Coming. Each day is a perfect
preparation for the celebration of
the Lord coming at Christmas and
even for the preparation of His
Coming at the end.
I wish everyone a very Blessed
Thanksgiving and that they can
gather to give thanks for what
they have and who they are. I
also wish that they make Advent
a time of prayerful watching and
prayerful waiting for His Coming. “Lord Jesus, COME!”
Rome (CNS)—Pope John
Paul II lives on “because he has
remained in people’s hearts,” said
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re,
prefect of the Congregation for
Bishops.
“The light of his teaching and
example was not extinguished
with his death,” the cardinal said
during a conference to present a
new book on the late pope’s legacy.
Monsignor Slawomir Oder,
postulator of Pope John Paul’s
sainthood cause, also spoke at the
conference Nov. 4 at the parish of
Rome’s Polish community.
Asked about a date for the beatification of the pope, who died
in 2005, Monsignor Oder said the
Congregation for Saints’ Causes
is studying the case and he could
not guess when they will finish.
“I can tell you that we are following all of the procedures foreseen for these cases. Everything
is moving at a natural rhythm. I
understand many people want
this to happen sooner, but as Pope
Benedict told us: ‘Do it quickly,
but do it well.’ And this is what
we are doing,” Monsignor Oder
said.
Rome’s mayor, Gianni Alemanno, told reporters in late October that he expects the beatification to take place in Rome in
2010, and he said the city government would work with the Vatican
to facilitate the visit of a massive
group of people expected to come
for the ceremony.
Asked if Alemanno knew
something concrete, Monsignor
Oder said, “I think he was expressing the desire we all have in
our hearts.”
“It’s difficult to make any prediction at this point, but one can
always express a desire. Obviously the desire is that the beatification would take place soon. If this
desire is accompanied by prayer,
perhaps it will be fulfilled,” Monsignor Oder said.
The conference marked the
launch of a new book about Pope
John Paul’s lasting impact on the
church and the world. Written by
Gian Franco Svidercoschi, the
book is titled Un Papa che non
Muore: L’Eredita di Giovanni
Paolo II” (literally, A Pope who
Does Not Die: The Legacy of
John Paul II) and is available in
Italian and in Polish.
Cardinal: John Paul II’s Legacy Lives On
D i o c e s a n A s s e m b l y P raye r I n t e n t i o n s
For inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit as St. Teresa of Jesus Parish, in Friona of the South Deanery, continues to pray and prepare for the Diocesan Assembly. -Weekend of November 15th
For inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit as St. Joseph's Parish, in Amarillo of the Central Deanery, continues to pray and prepare for the Diocesan Assembly. -Weekend of November 22nd
For inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit as St. Patrick's Parish and Our Mother of Mercy Parish, in Shamrock and Wellington of the East Deanery, continues to pray and prepare for the Diocesan Assembly. -Weekend of November 29th
*The goal of the prayer intentions is to identify our brothers and sisters throughout the Diocese and unite in prayer each week as we ask the Holy Spirit to guide each parish’s growth in understanding of what it means to be a local Church in communion with the Universal Church.
NOVEMBER 15, 2009
Bishops...from p. 1
to husband and wife by calling
them together as spouses and parents.”
Also up for debate by the bishops is a proposed revision to the
directives that guide Catholic
heath care facilities, which would
clarify that patients with chronic
conditions who are not imminently dying should receive food
and water by “medically assisted”
means if they cannot take them
normally.
“As a general rule, there is
an obligation to provide patients
with food and water, including
medically assisted nutrition and
hydration for those who cannot
take food orally,” says the revised
text of the “Ethical and Religious
Directives for Catholic Health
Care Services” proposed by the
U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine.
“This obligation extends to patients in chronic conditions (e.g.,
the ‘persistent vegetative state’)
who can reasonably be expected
to live indefinitely if given such
care,” the new text adds.
Deleted from the directives
would be a reference to “the
necessary distinctions between
questions already resolved by the
magisterium and those requiring
further reflection, as, for example, the morality of withdrawing
medically assisted hydration and
nutrition from a person who is in
the condition that is recognized
by physicians as the ‘persistent
vegetative state.’”
With five votes on the English
Local/National
translation and U.S. adaptations
of the Roman Missal, the bishops
hope to conclude nearly six years
of intense and sometimes contentious consultations. Each section
of the missal must be approved by
two-thirds of the USCCB’s Latinrite membership and will then be
sent to the Vatican for “recognitio,” or confirmation.
While awaiting Vatican approval of all sections of the missal, the U.S. church will begin
“a process of catechesis,” said
Msgr. Anthony Sherman, executive director of the USCCB Office of Divine Worship, “so that
everyone is ready to move along
when we get the final text from
the Vatican.”
The final five units of the missal are: the proper of saints, a collection of specific prayers to each
saint included in the universal
liturgical calendar; the commons,
a collection of general prayers for
celebrating other saints; the Roman Missal supplement; the U.S.
propers; and U.S. adaptations to
the Roman Missal.
The 57-page proposed pastoral
letter on marriage is to be issued
in hopes of reversing what the
bishops call “a disturbing trend”
toward viewing marriage as “a
mostly private matter” with personal satisfaction as its only goal.
The letter, called “Marriage:
Life and Love in the Divine Plan,”
is another component in the bishops’ National Pastoral Initiative
for Marriage, which began in November 2004.
West Texas Catholic
3
Pope: Immigrants Can Make Important
Contributions To Society
Bishop’s Schedule
SUNDAY, NOV. 15THURSDAY, NOV. 19
USCCB Meetings, Baltimore
SATURDAY, NOV. 21
10:00am-2:00pm,
Central
Deanery Diocesan Assembly
Gathering, St. Mary’s Church,
Amarillo
SUNDAY, NOV. 22
1:00pm, Mass, Inauguration
of Hispanic Ministry, St. Joseph’s
Church, Amarillo
TUESDAY, DEC. 1
10:00am-12:30pm,
Presbyteral Council Meeting, Chancery,
Amarillo
SATURDAY, DEC. 5
5:30pm, Installation Mass,
Father Gregory Bunyan, Sacred
Heart of Jesus Church, Spearman
SUNDAY, DEC. 6
2:00-5:00pm, Diocesan Guadalupe Procession and Celebration, Amarillo Civic Center
The next issue of The West
Texas Catholic will be
dated Sunday, Dec. 6.
The deadline for stories
advertisements and other
submissions is Nov. 25.
Vatican City (CNS)—People
should not look upon immigrants
as problems, but as fellow brothers and sisters who can be valuable contributors to society, Pope
Benedict XVI said.
The migration of peoples represents a chance “to highlight the
unity of the human family and the
value of welcoming, hospitality
and love for one’s neighbor,” he
said Nov. 9.
The pope spoke during an audience with participants of the
Sixth World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees taking place Nov. 9-12 at the
Vatican.
The pope underlined the dramatic difficulties many migrants
face in their efforts to survive
or improve living conditions for
themselves and their families.
“The economic crisis, with the
enormous growth in unemployment, diminishes the possibilities
of employment and increases the
number of those who aren’t able
to find even unsteady work,” he
said.
The economic divide between
industrialized and poor countries
continues to grow, he said, and
many people have no choice but
to leave their homeland in search
of a living -- even if it means accepting inhuman working conditions and experiencing great difficulties fitting in someplace new
with different language, culture
and rules.
Many immigrants today are
fleeing “humanly unacceptable”
living conditions, but they are not
finding “the reception they hoped
for elsewhere,” said the pope.
Globalization means that
working for the common good
must extend beyond national borders, he said. True development
comes through solidarity, addressing the unequal distribution of
the world’s resources, “dialogue
between cultures and respect for
legitimate differences,” he said.
The pope said today’s phenomenon of world migration can
offer that needed opportunity to
meet new cultures, foster understanding between peoples, build
peace and promote development
that benefits all nations.
Christians must be open to listening to the word of God who
calls people to imitate Christ in
caring for others and to “never be
tempted to despise and reject people who are different,” he said.
Conforming one’s life to
Christ’s means seeing every man
and woman as a brother or sister,
children of the one God, he said.
This sense of brotherhood
leads to being caring and hospitable toward others, especially
those in need, he said.
“Every Christian community
that is faithful to Jesus’ teachings
cannot but feel respect and concern for all people ... especially
for those who find themselves in
difficulty,” he said.
4 West Texas Catholic
November 15, 2009
Local/International
Pope: Human Values, Europe’s 74 To Represent Diocese At Kansas City Youth Event
Amarillo—A group of 74 for each coast. Combined atten- pate in the NCYC spirit online.
Future Rooted In Christianity
people will represent the Diocese dance at the regional conferences We already have groups of young
Vatican City (CNS)—Leaders who want to promote authentic human values and the future of
Europe should rediscover, protect
and promote the cultural and religious legacy that blossomed on
the continent during the Middle
Ages, said Pope Benedict XVI.
Instrumental in forging Europe’s Christian identity was the
Benedictine monastery of Cluny
in France, he said during his general audience in the Vatican’s Paul
VI hall Nov. 11.
The pope continued his catechesis on the Christian culture
of the Middle Ages by highlighting the monastic reform launched
by the monastery of Cluny in the
10th century.
Founded during an era marked
by profound social decay, political instability, war and widespread poverty, the monastery of
Cluny “represented the spirit of a
deep renewal of monastic life by
returning it to its original ideas”
of strict observance to the Rule of
St. Benedict and making the liturgy the center of monastic life,
the pope said.
The reform “stressed the solemn celebration of the Liturgy of
the Hours and holy Mass” and
promoted the use of sacred music,
art and architecture to contribute
to the beauty and solemnity of
worshiping God, he said.
The monks stressed the importance of silence in their daily lives
because they knew “that the purity of the virtues they aspired to
necessitated private and constant
meditation,” the pope said.
The influence of Cluny quickly
spread throughout the continent,
he said, and its reforms had a positive impact on both the renewal
of monastic life and the universal
church.
Many bishops and some popes
had been monks from Cluny and
they took concrete action in expanding the spiritual renewal begun there, building on Cluny’s
reputation for sanctity and its devotion to evangelical inspiration
and perfection.
In addition, the pope said,
those connected with Cluny
fought “two serious evils that
afflicted the church during that
period”: clerical immorality and
simony -- the buying or selling
of ecclesiastical offices and other
sacred things.
“The celibacy of priests returned to being appreciated and
lived and more transparent procedures were introduced for staffing
ecclesiastical offices,” he said.
“Cluny helped forge the continent’s Christian identity by its
emphasis on the primacy of the
spirit, respect for human dignity,
commitment to peace and an authentic and integral humanism,”
Pope Benedict said.
This “important and precious
contribution” from 1,000 years
ago must not be forgotten, he
added.
“Let us pray that those who
are concerned about authentic humanism and the future of Europe
may know how to rediscover,
value and defend the rich cultural
and religious heritage” from that
time, he said.
Thanks for reading
The West Texas Catholic
Publisher: Bishop Patrick J. Zurek
Editor-in-chief: Chris Albracht
Spanish Editor: Ramón Saldaña
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of Amarillo Thursday, Nov. 19
through Saturday, Nov. 21 at the
National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), which is expected
to draw a crowd of 23,000 attendees, according to Oscar Guzman,
diocesan youth director.
“The NCYC is an exciting,
biennial three-day experience of
prayer, community, and empowerment for Catholic teenagers and
their adult chaperones,” he said.
“The schedule includes general
sessions and workshops addressing a wide variety of topics as
well as opportunities for reconciliation, daily liturgy and special activities such as concerts,
a dance and comedy club. The
thematic park is a unique venue
incorporating traditional exhibits
with interactive educational and
recreational activities.”
NCYC began in 1983 following in the footsteps of its predecessor conference, the CYO biennial national convention. In its
early days, NCYC took place on
a regional basis, with one session
was a few thousand. In 1991, the
two conferences merged into one
national event. In the mid 1990s
interest in NCYC began to increase.
An integral part of the 2009
NCYC is the Virtual Pilgrimage,
which offers an online experience of NCYC,
according
to
Guzman. Features of the Virtual Pilgrimage
include
live
streaming
of
general
sessions, and Virtual Pilgrimage
Guides for both youth and adults.
The Virtual Pilgrimage is online
at http://www.mycatholicvoice.
com/ncyc
“All NCYC participants and
their supporters are urged to join
the Virtual Pilgrimage to participate fully in the NCYC experience,” said Guzman. “I also
encourage any young people or
youth groups who are not able to
travel to Kansas City to partici-
people from as far away as Japan
that will attend virtually. All are
welcome: youth, parents, family, youth ministers and parishioners.”
The 74 person delegation from
the Diocese of Amarillo includes
29 from Sts. Peter and Paul
Church, Dumas; 20 from St. Anthony’s of Padua Church, Dalhart;
nine from Sacred Heart of Jesus
Church, Spearman; six from St.
John the Evangelist Church,
Borger; Borger; and six from
Cristo Redentor Mission, Gruver.
Also making the trip to Kansas
City are Bailey Higgins from St.
Joseph’s Church, Amarillo; Allison Batenhorst from St. Mary’s
Church, Umbarger; Toni Morales
from San Jose Church, Lockney
(in the Diocese of Lubbock) and
Oscar Guzman.
“I ask for your prayers that this
pilgrimage will be in the hearts
of the teens and adults going and
that it may help us in our earthly
journey until we come to be with
our Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.
KEEP YOUR GERMS
TO YOURSELF
WASH YOUR HANDS
Wash your hands often. Scrub for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
COVER YOUR COUGH
Use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. No tissue around? Your sleeve will do.
STAY HOME
If you get sick, stay home until you’re well so you don’t spread more germs. Steer clear of others who are sick. GET YOUR SHOTS
Protect yourself by getting all your flu shots. You need both the seasonal flu shot as well as the new H1N1 shot.
Stopping the flu is up to you.
TexasFlu.org
November 15, 2009
Around The Diocese
Vega Sausage Dinner
Vega—Sausage with all the
trimmings will be served today
(Sunday) from 11am to 2pm at
the annual German Sausage Dinner at Immaculate Conception
Church. Donations will be accepted for the dinner, which will
go toward the building fund for a
new church.
tion, call the parish at 358-1351.
Annual Turkey Dinner
Amarillo—The annual St.
Mary’s Turkey Dinner is set for
today (Sunday) from 11am to
3pm at the parish Activity Center
at 1200 South Washington. Tickets are $9 at the door for adults,
while children four to twelve
years old eat for $5. Take out dinners will be available.
Retrouvaille Retreat Scheduled
Amarillo—Retrouvaille is a
lifeline for couples that are willing to reach out for help. In today’s society many marriages
suffer from the neglect that comes
from over-commitment to work,
recreational activities or just an
overall breakdown in communication for any number of reasons.
Perhaps you should take time out
from your busy schedule to spend
some time improving your marriage. Register for the next Retrouvaille Program that will be
offered Friday, Dec. 11 through
Sunday, Dec. 13. Call Rob or
Mary Griffith at 806-282-2500 or
email retrocouple@suddenlink.
net or visit the website at www.
HelpOurMarriage.com.
Gerken Lecture
Amarillo—Historian J. Michael Harter, author of The Journey of the Diocese of Amarillo:
75 Years on the Llano Estacado,
1926 - 2001, will present an illlustrated lecture on Rudolph Aloysius Gerken, first Bishop of Amarillo today (Sunday) at 3pm at the
Diocesan Museum and Archives
Center, 2200 North Spring.
Harter earned a Master of Arts
degree in History from West Texas A&M University in Canyon,
writing his thesis on the history
of the Catholic Church in West
Texas from 1916 to 1933.
Harter’s lecture will be under
the auspices of the Catholic Historical Society of the Diocese of
Amarillo and is open to the public, free of charge.
A special guest at the Harter
lecture will be Ed Gerken of Amarillo, nephew of Bishop Gerken.
DMAC curator Ann Weld will
have a number of books, including Harter’s The Journey of Faith
of the Diocese of Amarillo, on
display for sale, as well as membership forms in the CHS for calendar year 2010.
Annual dues are $20 for individuals, families, parishes, and
organizations. All proceeds go
into the CHS Building Fund to
add a much-need storage wing to
the museum. Museum and CHS
staffers are volunteers.
Needlepoint Tickets On Sale
Amarillo—Tickets are on sale
for an opportunity to win a needlepoint Santa created by Monsignor
Joseph Tash, pastor of St. Thomas
the Apostle Church. Tickets are $5
each and can be purchased from
any member of the Altar Guild at
St. Thomas. The drawing for the
needlepoint Santa will take place
Sunday, Nov. 22 at the 11:15am
Mass. Find out more by calling
the parish at 358-2461.
Annual Turkey Dinner
Amarillo—St.
Hyacinth’s
Church will serve up its fifth annual Thanksgiving Dinner Sunday, Nov. 22 from 11am to 2pm at
the church, 4500 West Hills Trail.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $4
for children six to eleven. Children under five eat free. The meal
will also feature a bake shop and
silent auction. For more informa-
Christmas Luncheon
Amarillo—The Bishop DeFalco Retreat and Conference
Center will offer its annual Women’s Christmas Luncheon Bake
Sale Friday, Dec. 4 from 10am to
2pm. Find out more by calling the
retreat center at 3830-1811.
Advent Gala Dec. 12
Amarillo—The second annual
School Sisters of St. Francis Advent Gala and FUN-Raiser is set
for Saturday, Dec. 12 at 6:30pm
in the Heritage Room of the Amarillo Civic Center. Tickets are
$100, which admits two people
and includes a steak dinner. A
reverse drawing will be offered
for a chance to win a $7,500 Visa
gift card or two free airline tickets
to anywhere in the world, with a
value up to $2,500. Music during the evening will be provided
by Anderson, Fletcher and Key,
More information can be obtained
by going online to www.panhandlefranciscans.org or by calling
Sister Mary Michael Huseman in
Panhandle at 537-3182.
Thematic Retreats Set
Amarillo—Thematic Diocesan Retreats celebrating the Year
for Priests are underway in the
Diocese of Amarillo, under the
guidance of diocesan youth director Oscar Guzman. The final retreat of 2009 is scheduled Saturday, Dec. 19 at St. Elizabeth Ann
Seton, Turkey, with additional
retreats set for 2010. The cost is
$15.00 per participant, which includes two meals, a t-shirt and retreat supplies. There is no charge
for adults but it only includes the
meals. Registration forms can be
obtained from parish youth ministers and can also be downloaded
at www.covenantteen.com.
Nazareth Christmas Pagaent
Nazareth—For the first time
in 17 years, Holy Family Church
will present a Christmas Pageant
Sunday, Dec. 20 and Wednesday,
Dec. 23, with performances both
evenings at 7:30. Learn more by
calling the parish at 806-9452616 or go online to www.hfpn.
org. A story on the pageant will be
featured in the Sunday, Dec. 6 issue of The West Texas Catholic.
West Texas Catholic
5
St. Mary’s Life Teen CD
Amarillo—The Life Teen
Ministry at St. Mary’s Church
has recorded a CD, Build This
Church, with all sales proceeds
benefiting the new church building fund. The CD will contain 15
cuts, including Holy is His Name,
Heart of Worship and Mighty to
Save. To pre-order a CD or for
more details, contact Dr. Kevin
Raef in Canyon at 655-2358 or
email him at kraef@amaonline.
com.
ACTS Retreats Set
Amarillo—An ACTS (Adoration, Community, Theology
and Service) Retreat for teens
is scheduled Thursday, Dec. 31
through Sunday, Jan. 3. An ACTS
Retreat for men is set for Thursday, Jan. 14 through Sunday, Jan.
17 and an ACTS Retreat for women will be offered Thursday, Feb.
11 through Sunday, Feb. 14. All
three retreats will take place at the
Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center,
2100 North Spring. Download
forms at www.bdrc.org or call the
retreat center at 383-1811.
Engaged Encounter Dates
Amarillo—The first Engaged
Encounter retreats of 2010 are
scheduled in Slaton on Friday,
Jan. 15 through Sunday, Jan. 17
and in Amarillo on Friday, Feb.
19 to Sunday, Feb. 21. Cost of the
retreat is $160 for couples attending the Amarillo retreat and $150
for those attending the retreat in
Monsignor Joseph Tash, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Church,
Amarillo, shows off the needlepoint the St. Thomas Altar Society
will give away Sunday, Nov. 22 during the 11:15am Mass. (WTC
Photo courtesy of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Amarillo)
Slaton. For additional information, contact Jerry or Agnes Ballard in Amarillo at 353-0907.
Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat
Amarillo—The next Rachel’s
Vineyard Retreat will be offered
Friday, Feb. 5 through Sunday,
Feb. 7. Learn more by calling
Gwen Johns at 678-4673.
NFP Classes
Amarillo—Natural
Family Planning Classes are offered
throughout the Diocese of Amarillo in English and in Spanish.
For Spanish classes, contact Delia
Alarcon at 383-1041. Information
on classes in English can be obtained by calling Dr. Faye Usala,
diocesan director of Natural Family Planning and Fertility Care
at 358-2880. For classes in the
South Deanery, call Mrs. Cyril
Brockman in Nazareth at 806945-2246.
Respect Life Mass and Rosary
Amarillo—A special Diocesan
Mass for the intention of Respect
for Life is celebrated Saturday
mornings at 9:30 in Mary’s Chapel at St. Mary’s Church, 1200
South Washington. Following
the Mass, the rosary for an end to
abortion and the conversion of all
abortion workers and supporters
is recited on the sidewalk in front
of the former Planned Parenthood
center at 15th and Taylor at 10am.
2500 S. Coulter
353-0700
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6
Local/International
West Texas Catholic
2009-2010 SEMINARIANS
Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo
Arthur Rodriguez
Assumption Seminary
2600 W. Woodlawn Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78228-5196
Birthday: September 12
Scott Schwind
Assumption Seminary
2600 W. Woodlawn Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78228-5196
Birthday: July 24
Oscar Imbachi
Conception Seminary
P.O. Box 502
Conception, MO 64433-0502
Birthday: December 30
Joe Lafuente
Josephinum Seminary
7625 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43235
Birthday: January 17
Josh Elzner
Conception Seminary
P.O. Box 502
Conception, MO 64433-0502
Birthday: September 21
Carmelo Morales
Pontifical North American College
00120 Vatican City State
Europe
Birthday: July 16
David Schrock
Assumption Seminary
2600 W. Woodlawn Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78228-5196
Birthday: October 12
Garrett Meyer
Josephinum Seminary
7625 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43235
Birthday: April 16
Adam Gonzales
Conception Seminary
P.O. Box 502
Conception, MO 64433-0502
Birthday: October 12
Shane Wieck
Conception Seminary
P.O. Box 502
Conception, MO 64433-0502
Birthday: November 23
Nathan Kennedy
Fr. Scott Raef
Conception Seminary
P.O. Box 502
Conception, MO 64433-0502
Birthday: August 11
Vocations Director
P.O. Box 1548
Dalhart, TX 79022
Birthday: April 22
November 15, 2009
Reconcilable Differences:
The Church And Modern Arts
Vatican City (CNS)—Once
made in heaven, the marriage between art and the church has long
been on the skids. “We are a bit
like estranged relatives; there has
been a divorce,” said Archbishop
Gianfranco Ravasi, president of
the Pontifical Council for Culture. Much of contemporary art
walked away from art’s traditional vocation of representing the
intangible and the mysterious, as
well as pointing the way toward
the greater meaning of life and
what is good and beautiful, he
said. And the church has spent the
past century “very often contenting itself with imitating models
from the past,” rarely asking itself whether there were religious
“styles that could be an expression of modern times,” he added.
Local
November 15, 2009
West Texas Catholic
Shawl Ministry Provides Comfort For Those In Need
Pam Blatzheim, left and Norma Fix, of the St. Thomas the Apostle
Prayer Shawl Ministry, visit while working during a meeting earlier
this month. For more information on the St. Thomas the Apostle
Prayer Shawl Ministry or to make a contribution, contact the parish at 358-2461. (WTC Photo)
Amarillo—It began as a simple gift for Pat Wilcox and her
husband on the occasion of their
50th wedding anniversary from
St. Ann’s Church in Coppell.
“For our anniversary the parish
gave both of us prayer shawls,”
she said. “ I had never
heard of the prayer shawl
ministry. Then my daughter, who is a parishioner
there, was diagnosed with
colon cancer, so they also
gave her a shawl.
“When I came home, I
thought it a wonderful ministry
they had going. So I started making prayer shawls. Then a friend
of mine, Marcia Kelley, said
she’d also like to do that, as did
our friend Jan McCoy.”
The three were the founders
and organizers of the St. Thomas
Shawl Ministry, which was established in July 2008. A year later,
30 members of the group have
knitted 370 shawls.
Initial funding for
supplies was furnished
by donations from parishioners and St. Thomas Altar Guild. The Guild
continues to finance the
project. It takes three
skeins of Lyon Brand
Homespun yarn for each shawl.
Donations for the project are appreciated, said Wilcox. Each of
the St. Thomas Prayer Shawls are
anywhere from 30 to 36 wide by
The Diocesan Calendar
Please check the diocesan calendar at:
www.amarillodiocese.org/calendar.html
to avoid scheduling conflicts.
To have your event placed on the Diocesan Calendar
click the link on the calendar page, or e-mail
[email protected]
60 to 72 inches tall.
The purpose of the ministry
is to provide a shawl to those in
need of comfort. Special prayers
are said by the knitter/crocheter at
the beginning, during and at the
completion of each shawl. The
finished shawls are blessed and
given in a gift bag with a prayer
included. A Trinity cross is attached to each shawl.
“I started putting a Trinity
Cross on each shawl at the beginning of this ministry,” said Wilcox. “The Trinity Cross is God
the Father holding his arms out
with God the Son on the Cross
and God the Holy Spirit on top
of the Cross. We’ve been very
blessed with donations for the
Crosses, which we put on all of
our shawls.”
The shawls are distributed by
the Social Concerns Committee
and may be obtained by request
from their office at St. Thomas
Church.
Recipients include the sick,
homebound, those who have lost
a loved one, or anyone with a special need.
Meetings take place Wednesday evenings at 6:30 in the parlor
of St. Thomas the Apostle Church
and newcomers are always welcome, according to Wilcox.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry was
founded in 1998 by Janet Bristow
and Victoria Galo in Hartford,
Conn., a ministry that has spread
nationwide in churches and parishes. It’s a ministry that been
7
carried on from St. Thomas in the
last 17 months.
“There’s been many stories of
St. Thomas Prayer Shawl recipients who have started this ministry in their church,” said Wilcox.
“My niece from Wisconsin received one of our shawls; she’s
since started a prayer shawl ministry at her church.
“Friends of Monsignor (Joseph) Tash from Frisco received
a prayer shawl from us; she has
begun a prayer shawl ministry at
her church.”
For more information about
the St. Thomas Prayer Shawl
Ministry or to make a donation to
assist this ministry, call the parish
at 358-2461.
8
West Texas Catholic
Español
Entrevista con el Obispo Patrick J. Zurek
WTC: Parece increíble, lo rápido que ha pasado este año, Obispo
Zurek, ya se acercan el Día de
Acción de Gracias y el Tiempo
de Adviento. En este país parece
que damos por hecho la acción
de gracias. Viéndolo bien y por
completo, debiéramos celebrar la
acción de gracias todos los días;
debiéramos dar gracias por cada
bendición que se nos ha dado.
Obispo Zurek: Eso es cierto.
Pero como humanos que somos,
parece importante marcar ciertos
días u ocasiones para dar preeminencia que nos ayude a recordar
la profundidad de la gratitud que
debemos tener. Cuando yo era
estudiante en Roma, a nuestros
maestros y a la gente romana que
se reunían en el seminario para
el Día de Acción de Gracias, les
parecía asombroso que los Estados Unidos, que ellos consideraban tan paganos, reservaran por
decreto del gobierno, un día para
dar gracias a Dios Omnipotente.
¡Les causaba gran asombro! A mí
siempre me gusta hacer referencia
a la Carta de San Pablo a los Romanos en donde dice claramente
que el gran pecado de los romanos, y en cierto sentido de toda
la humanidad, es que “Dios se
manifestó a la humanidad. Desde
la creación del mundo. La realidad invisible, el poder eterno y la
divinidad de Dios se han manifestado visiblemente en lo que Él ha
hecho”. Por eso, dice Pablo “es
inexcusable que no lo glorifiquen
como Dios, o en particular que no
le den gracias”. Quizá Pablo ve
en esa falta de gratitud, el pecado
más grande, puesto que Dios está
constantemente entre nosotros en
la creación; su huella está en todo.
Cada carta de San Pablo comienza
con “gracias”. Todos debiéramos
dar gracias de que por medio del
gobierno hemos dedicado un día
y de que la Iglesia en verdad lo ha
adoptado. Tenemos una liturgia
para ese día, oraciones especiales
en la Misa, el prefacio no recuerda el cruce de nuestra gente por el
oceano para llegar aquí, sino que
se translada al tiempo de Moisés
y la salida de Egipto por el Mar
Rojo, por el Sinaí y a la Tierra
Prometida. Para mucha gente de
todo el mundo, esta es la Tierra
Prometida por las libertades que
compartimos. Es un día admirable; doy gracias a Dios que tenemos este día y que tanta gente,
aún de otras denominaciones, han
decidido que este es un Día Litúrgico en el que nos reunimos como
Pueblo de Dios para decir un gran
Amarillo—Continúan
los
preparativos para la Celebración
Multicultural Diocesana de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del domingo, 6 de diciembre.
El tema de la celebración de
este año es “Una Iglesia, Una
América, Una Familia”, según
dijo el Padre Héctor J. Madrigal,
párroco de la Iglesia de Saint Joseph en Amarillo y director del
evento de este año.
Las actividades empezarán
a las 2pm con la procesión de
la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de
Guadalupe, calle 11 #1210 Este al
Centro Cívico de Amarillo, calle
Buchanan 401 Sur. Caballeros
de Colón, Cortes Guadalupanas y
grupos de matachines irán en procesión con los fieles.
“Añadimos algo nuevo al festival este año: carros alegóricos
parroquiales”, dijo el Padre Madrigal. “Invitamos a las parroquias
a que preparen un carro alegórico
con una escena de las apariciones
de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.
Esta es una forma visible de enseñar la historia de Guadalupe. Por
ejemplo, alguna parroquia puede
representar al tío de Juan Diego
que está moribundo. En la historia, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
dice a Juan Diego que no necesita
un sacerdote porque ‘en ese momento el tío ha sanado’. Otros
pueden representar la visita de
Juan Diego al Obispo Fray Juan
de Zumárraga”.
La procesión también lucirá
una imagen alta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Cuando la
imagen llegue al Centro Cívico,
varios sacerdotes recién ordenados en nuestra diócesis llevarán a
la imagen en hombros al altar.
Las actividades en el Centro Cívico empezarán con una
oración de dedicación a Nuestra
Señora de Guadalupe y continuarán con una liturgia trilingüe en
inglés, español y dinka. Después
de la liturgia se servirá pan dulce
y chocolate, y habrá serenata a
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.
“Hemos invitado a varios grupos de la Diócesis de Amarillo a
dar serenata a Nuestra Señora en
su lengua natal”, dijo el Padre
Madrigal. “Esta celebración será
realmente de diversidad y unidad
para la diócesis, y se invita a todos los fieles”. La celebración
terminará a las 5pm.
La iglesia universal invoca
a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
como Patrona de las Américas.
En 1531, una “Señora del Cielo”
se le apareció a un indio pobre de
México llamado Juan Diego, y
se identificó como la Madre del
Verdadero Dios. Le dijo a Juan
Diego en dónde podía cortar rosas
“gracias” que espero se extienda
por todo el año.
WTC: ¿Qué agradece usted
personalmente este Día de Acción
de Gracias de 2009?
Obispo Zurek: Siempre doy
gracias, y casi que por todo.
Primeramente doy gracias por
mi Fe, por esta gran nación que
permite la libertad; libertad que
en gran parte, al vivirla bien, es
gloriosa. Estoy muy agradecido
por ser Obispo de la Diócesis de
Amarillo. Esto me ha dado una
maravillosa oportunidad de servir
a mucha gente. Doy gracias por
mis sacerdotes, las religiosas, mis
diáconos, por todos los fieles que
forman esta diócesis.
WTC: Cambiemos del tema
de Acción de Gracias al Tiempo
de Adviento. A mí me parece que
hemos olvidado que el Adviento
es un tiempo de preparación para
recibir a Cristo como Niño Dios.
¿Está usted de acuerdo o no? Por
favor díganos.
Obispo Zurek: Durante el
Adviento siempre celebramos la
preparación.
Teológicamente,
en la primera parte del Adviento,
esperamos la Segunda Venida
de Cristo; todo se refiere a su
segunda venida y todas las lecturas hablan de eso al principio
Celebración Diocesana de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
en diciembre y que se las llevara
al obispo como señal de que traía
un mensaje de la madre de Dios.
Cuando Juan Diego abrió su
tilma y dejó caer las rosas al suelo
como señal para el obispo, apareció una señal aún más grande.
La imagen milagrosa de Nuesta
Señora de Guadalupe estaba grabada en su tilma.
La tilma es una manta hecha
de fibras de maguey que debiera
haberse deteriorado en unos 20
años, pero 477 años después, no
demuestra deterioro alguno y sí
desafía las explicaciones científicas respecto a su origen. La imagen se preserva en la Basílica de
Guadalupe en la Ciudad de México y 10 millones de peregrinos la
visitan cada año.
La aparición milagrosa de
Nuestra Señora de Gadalupe inspiró la conversión al cristianismo
de unos seis a nueve millones de
indígenas de Norteamérica en sus
primeros 20 años.
Para mayores informes sobre
la celebración diocesana de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, llame al
Padre Madrigal en Saint Joseph al
355-5621.
El Centro Pastoral Diocesano
cerrará al mediodía el
miércoles, 25 de noviembre,
Día de Acción de Gracias.
El Centro abrirá de nuevo el
lunes, 30 de noviembre
a las 9am.
ASAMBLEA
DIOCESANA
ESCUCHEN. COMPRENDAN. PROCLAMEN.
El Obispo Patrick J. Zurek y
el personal del Centro Pastoral
desean a todos un feliz Día de
Acción de Gracias de plena
bendición y seguridad.
del Adviento. Después del 17 de
diciembre cambia el enfoque a la
Primera Venida de Cristo; recordamos su nacimiento en Belén,
la importancia de la Encarnación,
cuando “Dios se hizo como uno
de nosotros”, las Iglesias Católicas Orientales dicen, ‘para que
nosotros pudiéramos hacernos
como Él”. A veces olvidamos su
venida intermedia, de la cuál San
Bernardo dice: Entre su Primera
y su Segunda Venidas, ‘Cristo
viene a los cristianos cada día de
nuestras vidas’. ¡Qué gusto me
daría si nuestra gente se hiciera
más consciente de que cuando
nuestros corazones están dispuestos, y tan libres de pecado
como pudiéramos estarlo en esta
vida humana, el Señor desea andar constantemente con nosotros,
entrar a nuestras vidas como a
un tabernáculo para ayudarnos a
hacer su voluntad por medio de
nuestro amor mutuo.
WTC: ¿Tiene algún consejo
para los fieles en preparación para
el Adviento?
Obispo Zurek: En absoluto.
Siempre decimos que no tenemos tiempo, y mi respuesta inmediata es que hallamos tiempo
para lo que queremos hacer. De
hecho, muchos harán muchas
15 de Noviembre, 2009
compras. Muchos harán muchos
planes, cocinarán para sus fiestas
y reuniones. Irán a las reuniones.
¿Es demasiado pedir a la gente
bautizada, consagrada con el Don
del Espíritu en su Bautismo, que
hallen tiempo para hacer oración
diaria? Esa es la preparación que
necesitamos: la Eucaristía cada
domingo y quizá la Eucaristía
diaria cuando sea posible, pero
sobre todo debemos orar unidos.
Tenemos una bella costumbre en
el uso de la Corona de Adviento.
En muchas parroquias se proveen
oraciones para la Corona de Adviento o también se pueden hallar
por Internet. Necesitan adquirir
cuatro velas, o pueden usar una
sola vela si no pueden comprar
cuatro. Al reunirse en familia
a la mesa, procuren reunirse en
oración, es la mejor preparación
para la Venida del Señor. Cada
día es perfecto para prepararse a
celebrar la venida del Señor en
Navidad o para su venida final.
Deseo a todos un bendito
Día de Acción de Gracias y que
logren reunirse para dar gracias
por lo que tienen y por lo que
son. También deseo que hagan
del Adviento un tiempo de vigilia
y oración esperando Su Venida.
“¡VEN, Señor Jesús!”
La Iglesia Necesita Tener Debates Sanos,
Realizados Con Precaución, Dice el Papa
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO
(CNS)— La iglesia católica
necesita debates sanos entre los
teólogos para aumentar la comprensión de la fe, pero el debate
debe mantener siempre la enseñanza oficial eclesiástica y debe
realizarse de manera que no confunda a los fieles, dijo el papa
Benedicto XVI.
Los debates teológicos del siglo doce entre San Bernardo de
Clairvaux y el teólogo francés
Abelard, demuestran “la utilidad
y necesidad de discusión teológica
sana en la iglesia, especialmente
cuando las cuestiones debatidas
no han sido definidas por el magisterium, que debe mantenerse
como punto esencial de referencia”, dijo el papa.
Durante su audiencia general
del 4 de noviembre el papa habló
de lo que los católicos modernos
pueden aprender de los debates
entre San Bernardo, quien seguía
la tradición teológica monástica
de fe y la oración, y Abelard,
quien seguía la tradición escolástica del uso de la razón.
Varias veces la iglesia condenó
las posturas teológicas de Abelard,
particularmente respecto a lo que
él enseñaba sobre la Trinidad.
El papa dijo que la censura del
trabajo de Abelard es recordatorio
a los teólogos de dar precedencia
a los principios de la fe que vienen de la revelación y no a las
interpretaciones sugeridas por
la filosofía. Cuando un teólogo
se pierde en el error, el Vaticano
debe intervenir al servicio de la
verdad, dijo el papa.
El papa Benedicto dijo que
entre las razones por las cuales
San Bernardo pidió que el papa
condenara a Abelard “había una
preocupación por salvaguardar a
los creyentes simples y humildes,
que debían ser defendidos cuando
había riesgo de que ellos se confundieran o desviaran” por el trabajo de ciertos teólogos.
El papa dijo que la gente también debe recordar que al final
San Bernardo y Abelard se reconciliaron. “En ambos prevaleció
un reconocimiento de la preocupación que debe ser mantenida
en el corazón siempre que se presente una controversia teológica:
es decir, para salvaguardar la fe
de la iglesia y hacer que la verdad triunfe en la caridad”, dijo el
papa. El papa dijo también que
San Bernardo sospechaba de la
teología escolástica porque ésta
aparentaba estar abierta a cuestionar hasta las enseñanzas cristianas más básicas.
“Los temores de San Bernardo
no carecían de fundamento”, dijo
el papa, y añadió que la enseñanza de Abelard sobre la moralidad
era ambigua porque él insistía que
las intenciones de una persona
eran los criterios finales para determinarse si una acción es buena o mala. El papa describió tal
posición como “una subjetividad
peligrosa”.
“Como sabemos, esto es muy
relevante en nuestra era en que
la cultura aparenta estar marcada
por una creciente tendencia hacia
el relativismo ético (en el cual)
solamente yo decido qué es bueno para mí en este momento” y
las acciones no son vistas como
objetivamente buenas o malas,
dijo el papa Benedicto.
15 de Noviembre, 2009
Declaración sobre la Reforma para el
Cuidado de la Salud
De los Obispos de la Conferencia
Católica de Texas
En el 2005, la Conferencia Católica de Texas publicó una declaración pastoral sobre la necesidad urgente de reformar la manera
en que nuestro gobierno provee para el cuidado de la salud del pueblo.
Hoy en día, cuando se debate en el capitolio el asunto del cuidado de
la salud, los Obispos de Texas consideramos que nos conviene declarar
una vez más nuestro deseo de que nuestros líderes nacionales trabajen
unidos para llevar a cabo reformas que afirmen el respeto a la vida en
el sistema nacional de salud.
Mejorar el sistema nacional de salud es responsabilidad de todos.
Su Santidad, el Papa Benedicto XVI, al dirigirse al Consejo Pontificio
para el Cuidado de la Salud, reiteró esta responsabilidad, afirmando
que “ir en ayuda del ser humano es un deber porque es una respuesta al
derecho fundamental de la persona y porque el cuidado de la persona
redunda en beneficio del grupo”.
La moral católica enseña que cada ser humano, desde el momento
de su concepción hasta su muerte natural, tiene una dignidad innata
que le merece ciertos derechos y protecciones, inclusive el derecho
fundamental a la vida y el derecho a un sistema de salud accesible, el
cual se deriva del derecho a la vida.
Como Obispos Católicos de Texas, esperamos que esa reforma a la
legislación sea promulgada como ley. Sin embargo, debemos también
expresar nuestra preocupación de que las propuestas actuales para reformar el sistema nacional de salud que se están considerando en la
Cámara de Diputados y en el Senado de Estados Unidos todavía no
alcanzan el nivel de garantizar estos derechos y protecciones fundamentales.
Una verdadera reforma del sistema de salud debe mantener políticas públicas duraderas que impidan el uso de fondos para el aborto
y respeten las conciencias de los que proveen el cuidado de la salud.
El lenguaje usado en la enmienda Capps, que es parte de varias iniciativas de ley que se han propuesto, no aseguran adecuadamente la
protección de toda la vida humana. Además, las estructuras de costo de
cualquier nuevo plan para el cuidado de la salud no deben imponer un
cargo financiero excesivo para las personas y familias de ingresos bajos o moderados. También se deben tomar medidas para salvaguardar
la salud de todos en la sociedad, incluyendo a los pobres, los ancianos
y los inmigrantes. Se les debe permitir a los inmigrantes legales y a
sus familias el acceso oportuno y accesible a pólizas para el seguro
médico, y a la vez, ofrecer una red adecuada para los que permanecen
sin seguro para la salud.
La reforma del sistema nacional de salud es una preocupación vital
para nosotros en Texas, puesto que nuestro estado tiene uno de los
números más altos de personas sin seguro médico en la nación. El cuidado de la salud es un componente básico del ministerio de la Iglesia
Católica. En Texas hay 43 hospitales católicos para cuidado intensivo,
8 asilos para ancianos y otras 17 organizaciones de servicio patrocinadas por católicos incluyendo el cuidado de los moribundos, la salud en
el hogar, ayuda para vivir, y casas de asistencia para millones de personas mayores. La Iglesia misma es un importante comprador de seguros de salud para miles de empleados en nuestras múltiples agencias
e instituciones. La Iglesia Católica en Texas aporta tanto experiencias
como convicciones en el asunto de la reforma del sistema nacional de
salud.
Los Obispos Católicos de Texas continuaremos apoyando la reforma del sistema nacional de salud de tal manera que respete la vida de
todas las personas humanas al mismo tiempo que provea acceso asequible al cuidado de la salud para todos. Seremos un aliado dedicado
en la promoción de una reforma en este tema de la vida y la muerte;
pero si la forma final de la legislación no incluye un lenguaje aceptable
en estas áreas, tendremos que oponernos enérgicamente. Seguiremos
orando para que los líderes de nuestra nación pongan a los pobres y
los más vulnerables en primer lugar, porque es sólo cuando hagan eso
que nuestra nación logrará una reforma genuina del sistema nacional
de salud.
Día Mundial de la Juventud 2011
Amarillo—Una junta para
discutir planes de la diocesis
para asistir al Día Mundial de la
Juventud (DMJ) 2011 en Madrid
tendrá lugar el 16 de enero a las
6pm en el Convento Franciscano,
Calle 18 Noreste #4301, informó
el director juvenil diocesano Oscar Guzmán.
“Conforme se aproxima el
DMJ 2011, deseamos reunir a todos quienes estén considerando ir
a Madrid,” dijo Guzmán. “Invitamos especialmente a quienes ya
se registraron con la Delegación
Diocesana de Amarillo”.
Habrá una breve convivencia
con el tema “Hemos puesto nuestra esperanza en el Dios Vivo,”
con el Obispo Patrick J. Zurek, y
además se pondrán al día los detalles logísticos del DMJ 2011.
Guzmán recuerda a quienes se
han comprometido a asistir que el
depósito total de $1,050 es pagadero en la junta del 16 de enero,
y aclara que la cantidad completa
es retornable hasta que la Diócesis de Amarillo tenga que pagar a
externos.
Español
West Texas Catholic
Por Toda La Diócesis
Salchicha Alemana en Vega
Vega—La Iglesia Immaculate
Conception tendrá su comida de
salchicha alemana con todos los
complementos hoy domingo de
11am a 2pm. Como costo del platillo se aceptarán donativos que
se aplicarán al fondo de construcción de su nuevo templo.
Comida De Pavo Anual
Amarillo—La comida de pavo
anual de la Iglesia Saint Mary
será hoy domingo de 11am a 3pm
en el salón de la iglesia ubicado
en la calle Washington 1200 Sur.
Los boletos de venta a la entrada
cuestan $9 por adulto y $5 por niños de cuatro a doce años. Habrá
platillos para llevar.
Estudio Sobre El Obispo
Gerken
Amarillo—El historiador J.
Michael Harter, autor de The
Journey of the Diocese of Amarillo: 75 Years on the Llano Estacado 1926-2001, presentará una
cátedra ilustrada acerca de Rudolph Aloysius Gerken, el primer
Obispo de Amarillo, hoy domingo
a las 3pm en el Museo Diocesano
y Centro de Archivos ubicado en
la calle Spring 2200 Norte.
Harter obtuvo su Maestría de
Artes en Historia de la Universidad de West Texas A&M en
Canyon y escribió su tésis sobre
la historia de la Iglesia Católica
en el Oeste de Texas de 1916 a
1933.
La presentación será gratuita
y estará abiera al público, auspiciada por la Sociedad Histórica
Católica (CHS) de la Diocesis de
Amarillo.
Como invitado especial a la
presentación, estará Ed Gerken
de Amarillo, sobrino del Obispo
Gerken.
Ann Weld, curadora del museo
tendrá varios libros en exhibición
y a la venta, inclusive el libro del
señor Harter antes mencionado.
También habrá oportunidad de
hacerse miembro de la Sociedad
Histórica para el año 2010.
La cuota anual es de $20 por
persona, familia, parroquia u organización. Los ingresos se dedicarán al Fondo de Construcción
de la CHS para añadir espacio al
museo. El personal del Museo y
de la CHS son voluntarios.
Rifa De Un Bordado
Amarillo—Se venden boletos para la rifa de un Santa Claus
hecho por Monseñor Joseph
Tash, párroco de Saint Thomas
the Apostle. Las Damas del Altar (Altar Guild) de Saint Thomas
venden boletos de $5 cada uno, y
la rifa será en la misa de las 11:15
el domingo, 22 de noviembre.
Para myores informes llame a la
parroquia al 358-2461.
Comida De Pavo Anual
Amarillo—La Comida anual
del Dia de Acción de Gracias de
la Iglesia de Saint Hyacinth será
el domingo 22 de noviembre de
11am a 2pm en el salón parroquial
ubicado en West Hills Trail 4500.
Para mayores informes llame al
358-1351.
Gala de Adviento
Amarillo—La segunda Gala
de Adviento Anual de las Hermanas de Saint Francis y su FUNRaiser tendrán lugar el sábado
12 de diciembre a las 6pm en el
salón Heritage del Centro Cívico
de Amarillo. Mayores informes,
www.panhandlefranciscans.org.
Retiros Temáticos
Amarillo—Hay Retiros Diocesanos Temáticos que celebran
el Año del Sacerdote guiados por
el director juvenil Oscar Guzmán.
El último retiro de 2009 será el
sábado 19 de diciembre en Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton en Turkey,
y habrá otros retiros en 2010. El
costo de $15 por participante incluye dos comidas, una camiseta
y útiles del retiro. No se cobra
a los adultos pero solamente incluye las comidas. Formularios
de participación y mayores informes se pueden conseguir del
dirigente juvenil de su parroquia
o en www.covenantteen.com.
Función Navideña de Nazareth
Nazareth—Por primera vez
en 17 años, la Iglesia de Holy
Family presentará su Espectáculo
Navideño el domingo 20 y miércoles 23 de diciembre con funciones a las 7:30 las dos noches.
Mayores informes en la parroquia
llamando al 806-945-2616 ó en
www.hfpn.org.
Ordenen CDs de Life Teen
Amarillo—El grupo Life
Teen Ministry de la Iglesia de
Saint Mary está grabando un CD,
para venta a beneficio del fondo
9
de contrucción del nuevo templo. El CD contiene 15 piezas
que incluyen Holy Is His Name,
Heart of Worship y Mighty to
Save. Para compras por adelantado o para más detalles, llamen
al Doctor Kevin Raef en Canyon
al 655-2358 ó escriban a kraef@
amaonline.com.
Retiro Juvenil de ACTS
Amarillo—Habrá un Retiro
Juvenil de ACTS (Adoración,
Comunidad, Teología y Servicio)
del jueves 31 de diciembre al domingo, 3 de enero en el Centro
de Retiros Bishop DeFalco, calle
Spring 2100 Norte. Obtenga solicitud y formulario de www.bdrc.
org o llame al centro de retiros al
383-1811.
Encuentro de Prometidos
Amarillo—Los primeros retiros del Encuentro de Prometidos (Engaged Encounter) del año
2010 serán en Slaton del viernes
15 al domingo 17 de enero y en
Amarillo del viernes 19 al domingo 21 de febrero. El costo
del retiro es de $160 por pareja en
Amarillo y $150 en Slaton. Para
mayores informes llamen a Jerry
o Agnes Ballard en Amarillo al
353-0907.
Clases de PFN
Amarillo—Se ofrecen clases
de Planeamiento Familiar Natural (PFN) por toda la Diócesis de
Amarillo en inglés y en español.
Para informarse sobre las clases
en español llamen a Delia Alarcón
al 383-1041. Para informarse sobre las clases en inglés llamen a
la Doctora Faye Usala, directora
diocesana de PFN y Atención de
Fertilidad al 358-2880.
10 West Texas Catholic
May They Rest in Peace
Amarillo—O. William “Bill”
Hayes, 91, passed away Oct. 30. Mass
was celebrated Nov. 2, St. Thomas
the Apostle Church, Monsignor Joseph Tash, pastor, presiding. Burial
was in Llano Cemetery. Survivors
include his wife, Elizabeth; five children, Lt. Col. Kemp William Hayes
of Leesburg, Fla., Kerry Matthews of
Waco, Susan Bray of Holyoke, Mass.,
Christina Chambers of New York
City and Celeste High of Amarillo;
six grandchildren, Russell Hayes
of Tyler, Kerry Ochoa of Colorado
Springs, Colo., Hannah Williamson
of Schaumburg, Ill., Holly Sienicki
of Goodyear, Ariz., and Katherine
and Jessica High, both of Amarillo;
and five great-grandchildren.
both of Amarillo; a sister, Iris Quinones of Amarillo; his grandparents,
Nicolas Quinones, Maria de los Angeles G. Quinones, Pedro Tremillo
and Maria Tremillo, all of Durango,
Mexico; and his girlfriend, Alicia
Leal of Amarillo.
Amarillo—Edward Allen Pope,
85, passed away Oct. 29. Mass
was celebrated Nov. 11, St. Mary’s
Church, Monsignor Harold Waldow,
pastor, presiding. Inurnment took
place Nov. 13, Dallas-Fort Worth
Cemetery, Dallas. Survivors include
his wife, Virginia; a brother, Norman
Pope of Austin; a daughter, Janace
Pope Ponder and husband David of
Amarillo; a daughter-in-law, Debby
Pope; four grandchildren, Paige Garmon, Abby Mitchell, Carmen Juckett
and Courtney Pope; six great-grandchildren, Michael Clouse, Peyton
Garmon, Madison Garmon, Shelby
Garmon, Kaylee Mitchell and Jacob
Juckett; nieces and nephews; and
many close friends and other family
members.
Guymon,Okla.—Clydean “Starr”
Walker, 45, passed away Oct. 30.
Mass was celebrated Nov. 5, St. Peter the Apostle Church, Father Bill
H, Pruett, presiding. Burial was in
Elmhurst Cemetery. Survivors include her husband, Mark; a daughter,
Desiree Dakota Walker of Guymon;
a son, Desmond Alan Harless of
Stillwater; her father, Roy Ellard of
Guymon; her mother, Venita Brogden
of Dumas; two sisters, Judy Walle of
Dumas and Sharon Kay Mask of British Columbia; and a brother, William
Woods of Texas.
Amarillo—Eulice Quinones, 23,
passed away Oct. 30. Mass was celebrated Nov. 2, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Burial was in Llano
East Cemetery. Survivors include his
parents, Sergio and Margarita Quinones of Amarillo; two brothers, Sergio
Quinones Jr. and Israel Quinones,
Cactus—Bartola M. Diaz, 83,
passed away Oct. 30. Mass was celebrated Nov. 3, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Burial was in Northlawn Memorial Gardens. Survivors
include nine children, MaLuz Diaz,
Pomposo Diaz, Juana Ledesma, Petra Sarmiento, Luisa Diaz, Francisco
Diaz, Bartola Avalos, Ignacio Diaz,
all of Cactus, and Enedine Jimenez of
Amarillo; and 26 grandchildren.
Hereford—Ina Dominguez Tovar,
60, passed away Oct. 30. Mass was
celebrated Nov. 3, San Jose Church,
Father David Contreras, presiding.
Burial was in Twin Oaks Memorial Park Cemetery, Artesia, NM.
Survivors include her husband, Ramon; a daughter, Angel Zamora of
Albuquerque, N.M.; a son, Michael
Olguin of Hereford; her father, Pedro Dominguez of Portales, N.M.; a
brother, Enrique Dominguez of Albuquerque; a sister, Gloria Aguilar of
The Office of the Victim’s Assistance
Coordinator for the Diocese of Amarillo
Clovis; and five grandchildren.
grandsons.
Nazareth—Virginia“Virgie”Stork
Gerber, 87, passed away Oct. 31.
Mass was celebrated Nov. 3, Holy
Family Church. Father Ken Keller,
pastor, Father Nick Gerber and Deacon Jerome Brockman, presiding.
Burial was in Holy Family Cemetery.
Survivors include seven sons, Eugene Gerber of Keller, Rick Gerber
of Austin, Carroll Gerber, Keith Gerber and Dan Gerber, all of Nazareth,
Kevin Gerber of Plainview and Harold Gerber of Menard, five daughters,
Donna Charanza, Beverly Hill, Sandee Hoelting and Glenda Birkenfeld,
all of Nazareth, and Tricia Rose of
Canyon; 27 grandchildren; 16 greatgrandchildren, five sisters, Delores
Heiman and Dorothy Pohlmeier, both
of Nazareth, Evelyn Hill of Lubbock,
Lola Jean Bell of Grandbury and Viola Pohlmeier of Tulia.
Amarillo—Faydelle Ollinger, 77,
passed away Nov. 3. Mass was celebrated Nov. 6, St. Joseph’s Church,
Father Hector J. Madrigal, pastor,
presiding. Entombment was in Memorial Park Cemetery. Survivors include her husband, Raymond; four
children, Danny Ollinger and wife
Debbie, Nell Ollinger, Diane Hassler
and husband J.D., all of Amarillo, and
Tim Ollinger and wife Rhonda of Dumas; seven grandchildren, Matthew
Ollinger and wife Nichole, Leslie
Ollinger, Joseph Mata, Melanie Mata,
DeMera Ollinger, Shelby Ollinger
and Holly Ollinger; her siblings, H.L.
King, Annie Louise Whittekin, Ruth
Mae Glass, Billye Williams, Gaynelle
Bishop and Ruby Bolf; and 14 greatgrandchildren.
Amarillo—Alvie “A.J.” Newsom,
81, passed away Nov. 3. Mass was
celebrated Nov. 5, Immaculate Heart
of Mary Church, Groom, Father
Raj Samala, CMI, pastor, presiding.
Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery,
Groom. Survivors include his wife,
Leona; three daughters, Kay Pratt
and husband Cary of Claude, Linda
Williams and husband Garvin of
Amarillo and Bunny York of Groom;
two sons, Dan Babcock and wife Rebecca of Robertson, Wyo., and Jack
Cagle and wife Alison of Pampa; two
sisters, Neta Ann Todd and Laraine
Melton, both of Tulia; seven granddaughters, Christi Olson and husband Clint of Canyon, Jo Lee Junell
and husband Brandon of Amarillo,
Karen Loughran and husband Sean
of Rochester, Minn., Stephanie Farris and husband Adrian, Bobbi Shae
Baskett and husband Jeremy, all of
Amarillo, Chelsea Pratt of Dallas
and Tifini Williams of San Antonio;
three grandsons, Amos Babcock of
Anchorage, Alaska, Andy York and
Melissa of Colorado Springs, Colo.,
and David York of Amarillo; seven
great-granddaughters; and five great-
Childress—Hector Dominguez
Jr., 27, passed away Nov. 3. Mass
was celebrated Nov. 6, Holy Angels
November 15, 2009
Church, Father Jim Schmitmeyer,
pastoral administrator, presiding.
Burial will be in Childress Cemetery.
Survivors include his father, Hector
Dominguez of Childress; his mother,
Luz Maria Argueta of Childress; his
wife, Jessica; three daughters, Natalie, Emily and Clarissa, all of Childress; a brother, Eddy Dominguez of
Washington state; two sisters, Soledad Dominguez of Fort Worth and
Cecilia Dominguez of Childress; and
his grandparents, David Dominguez
of Childress and Crispin and Reina
Argueta of Mexico.
Amarillo—Gilbert Morin Solis,
55, passed away Nov. 7. Survivors include his wife, Joann Solis; a daughter, Sylvia Solis; two sons, Gilbert
Solis Jr. and wife Rachel and Steven
Andrew Solis; his mother, Margaret
Rubalcaba and husband Ponsiano
“Pancho”; a sister, Rosie Charles; a
brother, David M. Solis; 14 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
Pope Says Hope Of Eternal Life Helps People Face Life, Death
Vatican City (CNS)—Hope
and faith in eternal life give
Christians strength to overcome
the difficulties of daily life and
the pain of death, Pope Benedict
XVI said during a Mass honoring
cardinals and bishops who died
during the past year.
In the face of death, believers
possess “the hope of immortality,” the pope said during the memorial Mass Nov. 5 in St. Peter’s
Basilica.
Pope Benedict told the cardinals, bishops, ambassadors and
faithful gathered at the basilica’s
Altar of the Chair that death is “a
disturbing enigma” that brings
with it the “painful separation
from loved ones.”
But faith “sustains us in these
moments that are full of sorrow
and dismay,” he said.
Faith also helps people get
through all obstacles that are part
of life, he said.
“There is no lack of difficulties
and problems on our paths, with
situations of suffering and pain,
moments that are difficult to understand and accept,” he said.
However, “all of this grows
in value and meaning if it is considered in the perspective of eternity,” he said. Trials borne with
patience “are all to our spiritual
advantage here on earth but above
all in our future life in heaven,”
he said.
If believers persevere in doing
good works, the pope said, “our
faith, purified by many trials, will
one day shine in all of its glory”
when it is demonstrated before
Jesus.
Direct concerns, questions, or to report sexual abuse contact:
Belinda Taylor
1615 S. Roberts
Amarillo, TX 79102
806-372-1092
Fax: 806-372-7869
FUNERAL HOME INC.
Please remember in prayer the clergy of the Diocese of
Amarillo who died during the month of
November:
Father Aram Berard, S.J., Nov. 9, 2008
Father John H. Krukkert, Nov. 11, 1947
Father Joseph Gregor, C.M., Nov. 15, 1980
Monsignor Richard Vaughan, Nov. 15, 2000
Father Hubert J. Halfman, Nov. 17, 1976
Father Norbert Wagner, Nov. 19, 1979
Father Gerald Lynch, Nov. 25, 1979
Father Ed Graff, Nov. 25, 2002
Father Francis Kaminsky, Nov. 26, 1957
Father Joseph Gilligan, S.A., Nov. 26, 1987
Monsignor Peter DiBenedetto, Nov. 28, 1995
Father Anthony Catalina, Nov. 30, 1968
Father Jerome A. Hancox, Nov. 30, 1974
Our locally owned funeral home is not associated with Schooler-Gordon, owned by Service Corporation International, Houston, Texas
November 15, 2009
Couples Retreat Scheduled
Local/National
Amarillo—A Couple’s Retreat, sponsored by St. Valentine
Catholic Radio (1360 AM) and
TOOLS (Teams of Our Lady),
is set for Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5 at St. Hyacinth’s
Church. 4500 West Hills Trail.
The theme of the retreat is
Marriage, Love and Sacrifice and
will feature a keynote address by
Deacon James Keating.
Activities on Dec. 4 begin at
7pm and are free to the public,
according to Stephanie Frausto,
Life and Family Life Director for
the Diocese of Amarillo.
Registration for the Dec. 5 ses-
sion begins at 9am, with Bishop
Patrick J. Zurek welcoming participants to the retreat at 10:00.
The first session begins at
10:30, followed by lunch at noon
and the second session at 1:15pm.
The retreat concludes with Mass
at 5pm.
The retreat costs $30 a couple
and is limited to 200 couples.
“Your marriage is worth one
day to grow deeper in love with
your spouse and your Savior,”
said Frausto.
For more details on the retreat,
contact Frausto at 678-4673.
Washington (CNS)—Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago,
president of the U.S. bishops,
praised the U.S. House for approving a reform bill that provides “adequate and affordable
health care to all” and “voting
overwhelmingly” for a prohibition on using federal money to
pay for most abortions.
An amendment to ban abortion funding sponsored by Rep.
Bart Stupak, D-Mich., and other
House members passed 240-194,
and led to passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act
in a 220-215 vote.
In a statement issued late Nov.
9, the cardinal lauded the Nov. 7
vote and urged the Senate to follow the House’s example.
Members of the House “honored President (Barack) Obama’s
commitment to the Congress and
the nation that health care reform
would not become a vehicle for
expanding abortion funding or
mandates,” he said.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops “will remain vigilant
and involved throughout this entire process to assure that these
essential provisions are maintained and included in the final
legislation,” he said.
He said the bishops “remain
deeply concerned” about health
care reform as the debate now
moves to the Senate, which will
now take up its own version of
health care legislation. Assuming
that measure passes, differences
between the bills will be worked
out in a conference committee
and both House and Senate will
have to vote again on the final
version.
Cardinal George said the Catholic Church is concerned about
how health reform “affects the
poor and vulnerable, and those at
the beginning and end of life.”
“We will continue to insist
that health care reform legislation
must protect conscience rights,”
he said. “We support measures to
make health care more affordable
for low-income people and the
uninsured. We remain deeply concerned that immigrants be treated
fairly and not lose the health care
coverage that they now have.”
“In the national discussion on
how to provide the best kind of
health care, we bishops do not
claim or present ourselves as experts on health care policy,” he
said. “We are not prepared to assess every provision of legislation
as complex as this proposal.
“However, health care legislation, with all its political, technical and economic aspects, is
about human beings and hence
has serious moral dimensions,”
he added.
11
WYD 2011 Meeting Scheduled
Amarillo—A meeting to discuss diocesan plans for attending
World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid
is set for Saturday, Jan. 16 at 6pm
at the Franciscan Convent. 4301
NE 18th St., according to diocesan youth director Oscar Guzman.
“As we continue to move forward towards WYD 2011, we
want to get everyone together
who might be considering going
to Madrid,” said Guzman. “We
especially invite those already
registered with the Amarillo Diocesan Delegation.”
Cardinal Praises Vote For Health Reform
With Ban On Abortion Funding
St. Hyacinth’s Catholic Church
5th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner
Sunday, November 22, 2009
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
4500 West Hills Trail, Amarillo, TX
$8.00 for adults/ $4 for child (6 to 11)
Children 5 and under eat free
Tickets available at St. Hyacinth’s office or
at the door. Visit our Bake Shop and Silent
Auction. Call 358-1351 for more
information.
West Texas Catholic
The evening will consist of a
short sharing with the theme “We
have set our hope on the Living God,” with Bishop Patrick J.
Zurek, followed by an update on
the logistics of WYD 2011.
Guzman
reminds those
already committed to attending that
the total down
payment
of
$1,050 is due
at the Jan. 16 meeting, with the understanding that the total amount
is refundable until payment needs
to be made by the Diocese of Amarillo to outside parties.
The Diocesan WYD Cross
continues to make its way around
the diocese and is St. Ann’s
Church, Canyon this month.
“We ask for prayers for all
the youth of the nation and those
from our diocese that are preparing their hearts, souls and minds
for a pilgrimage of a lifetime,”
said Guzman.
For more information on
WYD 2011, contact Guzman at
383-2243.
Seminary Burse Report
Diocese of Amarillo
Contributions: thru October 2009
Donations in Honor/Memory of
Andrew Kershen
Clarence & Mildred Betzen
Francis Diller
John Cassanta
Mrs. Kathleen Colwell
Msgr. Norbert Kuehler
Other
Sammy Gonzales Sr.
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
75.00
5,000.00
100.00
50.00
20.00
50.00
15.00
40.00
5,350.00
Open Burses
Andrew Kershen
Amarillo Diocesan Council of Catholic Women No. 2
Arnold Husmann
Arthur Hapanowicz
Catholic Daughters of the Americas Burse No. 2
Catholic Family Fraternal of Texas
Catholic Life Insurance, Umbarger
Catholic Order of Foresters
Clarence & Mildred Betzen
Clementine Renner
Diocesan Committee of 2000
Francis Diller
Francis Neusch
Fred Teichman
Holy Trinity
Joan Frost
John Cassanta
Josephine Lange Burse No. 2
Kathleen Colwell
Knights of Columbus
Matilda Baca
Jim Todd
Msgr. Fred Hyland
Msgr. Kevin Hand
Msgr. Pete Debenedetto
Msgr. Peter Morsch
Msgr. Monroe Matthiesen
Msgr. Norbert Kuehler
Msgr. Vaughn
Owen Seamans
Rev. Gary Sides
Rev. J. Arnold Carlson
Rev. Richard Neyer
Sammy Gonzales Sr.
Serra Club of Amarillo Burse No. 4
St. Anthony's Church - Hereford
St. John the Evangelist
Undesignated and Miscellaneous
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
75.00
1,460.33
475.00
100.00
2,300.00
1,724.10
100.00
220.00
5,000.00
2,500.00
2,558.50
100.00
300.00
75.00
3,402.00
25.00
50.00
233.56
1,190.00
3,532.00
125.16
25.00
1,000.00
1,100.00
1,667.65
4,373.18
300.00
50.00
180.00
4,020.00
485.00
100.00
1,810.00
40.00
4,510.00
3,675.00
3,128.70
427.83
Total Open Burses
Closed Burses
Total Original Burses
$
$
$
52,363.01
845,575.67
897,938.68
$
$
$
28,767.00
841,731.48
870,498.48
Market Value of Investments as of 06/30/2009
Catholic Life Insurance Seminary Endowment Fund
Mission Management & Trust Co.
12 West Texas Catholic
The Back Page
One Parish, Together In Christ
Amarillo—Representing several entities, several cultures and
speaking several languages while
gathering under the commonality
of Catholicism, parishioners at St.
Joseph’s Church gathered Nov. 1
to celebrate a Unity Mass.
Why a Unity Mass?
“We used the opportunity of
celebrating a Unity Mass to bring
our parish together, to maintain
our unity as one parish family
and to bring about reconciliation
between the different groups and
the different entities,” said Father
Hector J. Madrigal, pastor at St.
Joseph’s. “It’s really more to affirm the unity we have in our faith
as Christian Catholics.”
“I am talking about the three
entities here: the day care center, our elementary school and
the parish. We also have three
primary ethnic groups here: the
Hispanic community, the Anglo community and the Sudanese
community. I consider this parish
very much a multi-cultural community. We also have Bosnians,
so we included petitions during the Unity Mass in Croatian.
Since we have Filipinos, we also
included Tagalog, in addition to
the Spanish, English and Dinka.
In some liturgies we have even
had Gaelic because we have a few
Irish in the parish as well.
“We are trying to include everyone, to be inclusive, to recognize and to celebrate the fact that
God is present in all of us. We
reflect that presence in different
cultures, languages and expressions of faith.”
What moved Father Madrigal
the most about this Unity Mass?
“I think the presence of Bishop (Patrick J.) Zurek as a sign of
unity,” he said. “When he took
the hand of Sudanese man and an
Hispanic woman was probably the
highlight. It was the picture of a
Black person, an Hispanic person
and a white person holding hands
together. But more importantly
it was the bishop’s words saying
that it is a sign of unity that needs
to be shown to the world.
“We need to show to society
that this unity can be done. I
feel very privileged that here in
St. Joseph’s we are consistently
working at living that unity as a
form of testimony to society. It’s
part of our mission. Our Mission
Statement begins with the statement that we are a Catholic Family, united in our Catholic Faith,
where we welcome all God’s
Children. We literally mean that
we are here to embrace all God’s
Children, no matter what color
their skin is, what language they
speak, or where they are in their
Journey of Faith. We feel that
is part of our mission: to reach
out and to welcome, while being
hospitable to all peoples. I think
we’re beginning to celebrate that
and live it on a regular basis in
this parish.”
Father Madrigal said the Nov.
1 Unity Mass won’t be the last of
its kind for his parish.
“We celebrate this once a year
as a community; but it’s an everyday experience,” he said. “Every
weekend we welcome people; we
have a bilingual liturgy at 11:00
on Sunday, in English and Dinka.
At 1:00 we have a Spanish Mass
that we began this summer. It’s a
sense of mission, of welcoming;
the Hispanic community is being trained to go out and knock
on doors in the neighborhood to
reach out to the people. We will
not be concerned about their language or their skin color. We will
go out to every household within
our parish boundaries and invite
them to our parish community.
“I think this is a great sign of
the unity that we are seeking in
the Diocese of Amarillo through
the Diocesan Assembly. I know
Bishop Zurek is leading us into a
greater unity as a diocese. We can
see that at St. Joseph Parish it is
possible.
“There’s a stone in front of the
altar that says ‘Unity in Christ’.
Three years ago, each parishioner
came forward and touched the
Unity Stone as a sign of commitment to that unity and recognizing
that it is our mission as St Joseph
Parish.”
Phil Seidenberger
Parish Council President
St. Joseph’s Church
“It was beautiful, and it brought
so many cultures, so many different lifestyles together to show that
we truly are the Body of Christ.”
Jane O’Grady
Choir Member
St. Joseph’s Church
“It was awesome. Just bringing all the different cultures together made it amazing. We were
in the presence of God and Bishop
Zurek did a wonderful job. It was
enlightening and spiritual.”
November 15, 2009
Father Hector J. Madrigal, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, Amarillo, addresses the congregation
Nov. 1 at a Unity Mass at the parish. (WTC Photo)
A special trilingual choir of St. Joseph’s parishioners performed at a Nov. 1 Unity Mass at the parish, under the direction of Yolanda Hernandez, left and pianist Ramon Saldana. (WTC Photo)
Speaking Out: What Were Your Impressions of the Unity Mass?
Marco Contreras
Hispanic Community
St. Joseph’s Church
“It was great. Everything
about the Mass was good. Everything was perfect and God was
present.”
Bol Ngor
Sudanese Community
St. Joseph’s Church
“That was wonderful. It was
wonderful because Bishop Zurek
was there. It was wonderful because of our choir, and how we
sang together in Spanish, English
and Dinka. That was so amazing.”
Sonia Higgins
Director
Impacting Teens Youth Group
St. Joseph’s Church
“It was beautiful. It was a
wonderful expression of who we
are as a parish, everyday.”