May 2012 - Diocese of Austin

MAY 2012
T H E
V O L U M E 3 0, N U M B E R 5
O F F I C I A L
P U B L I C A T I O N
O F
T H E
D I O C E S E
O F
A U S T I N
More land brings more serenity to Cedarbrake
BY ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat
Center in Belton has grown by
12 acres with the recent purchase of adjacent land that will
provide for more quiet space
for those seeking a spiritual
sanctuary.
“There is a greater hunger
for spirituality throughout the
diocese,” said Brian Egan, director of the retreat center. “We
have an obligation to feed that
hunger.”
Beverly Collin, assistant
retreat center director, said
the additional land secures
that space from outside development that would interfere
with the serenity needed for
retreats.
“Added to what is already
here, it will ensure this remains
a beautiful and prayerful place,”
she said.
The land, purchased last fall,
includes canyon views and an
overlook above Miller Springs.
Plans include adding benches at
various scenic views.
“Cedarbrake is beautiful to
begin with,” Collin said. “The
existing access along the canyon
will provide beautiful backdrops
for what is already here.”
As Egan recently led a visitor
Austin Diocese
6225 Hwy. 290 East
Austin, Texas 78723
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at Austin, Texas
BRIAN EGAN, the director of Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton, looks out on
the 12 acres that Cedarbrake recently purchased. The land features trails and scenic views
and will allow retreatants to experience peace in the quiet of nature. (Photo by Enedelia
J. Obregón)
on a tour of the land, butteries
uttered around the meadows
of wildowers and in the distance was heard the rushing of
the water from the springs as it
made its way to Leon Creek. He
noted that in the winter when
the trees drop their leaves, visitors will be able to see into the
canyon and glimpse the creek
and waterfall.
“People love the beauty of
nature,” Egan said. “It makes one
more aware of God’s creation.”
Three trails are being developed and have been named the
Trails of the Good Shepherd
and will have benches where
people can sit and reect. The
trails contain three distinct
paths, he said. The paths ––
Mount Tabor, Santa Cruz and
Psalm 23 –– are in the works
to bring retreatants to different parts of the area. Mount
Tabor is the mountaintop on
which Jesus was transgured.
Santa Cruz means Holy Cross
and along that path is a large
metal cross with several benches
where people can pray and reect. The Psalm 23 path was
inspired by the verdant meadows on the property (In green
pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me; he
restores my soul).
Egan said it is important for
the faithful to have a quiet place
to pray and get away from it all
See LAND on Page 3
MEDICAL
ETHICS
GRADUATION
2012
Expert in bioethics
gives presentation
in Corn Hill.
Page 3
Supplement features
senior classes from six
Catholic high schools.
Pages 15-18
BISHOP’S
ESPAÑOL
INTERVIEW
Legión de María:
A Jesús por
medio de María
Página 30
Bishop discusses his
“ad limina” visit with
Pope Benedict XVI.
Page 19
in order to be replenished.
“In Scripture we see that
Jesus often got away by himself
to pray for a while, probably
staying overnight,” Egan said.
He said he has found most
people like driving 90 minutes
to two hours to feel they are
leaving behind their daily routines. Cedarbrake is the only
diocesan retreat center and it is
geographically centered in the
middle of the diocese, which
ranges from West in the north,
Brenham and College Station in
the east, Mason to the west and
San Marcos to the south and
covers 25 counties.
“It’s two hours maximum to
drive here from anywhere in the
diocese,” Egan said.
One idea that is being considered for the new land is a hermitage, but so are more lodges
for weekend retreats. Whatever is done will be made after
prayerful consideration.
“We’ll let the Holy Spirit
guide us on how best to use this
land,” he said.
Part of the beauty of the
additional property is that it
sits behind the present section
of Cedarbrake that is developed. This puts it further away
from the hustle and bustle of
Highway 317, which was a rural
roadway when the retreat center
2
THE MISSION OF THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
VOICES
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
As the ofcial newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Austin, the CATHOLIC SPIRIT is dedicated to providing information, education and formation for the Catholic community
of Central Texas. This mission calls for the newspaper:
• to provide readers with an understanding of our Catholic
faith and traditions;
• to be a primary source of information on Catholic issues
relevant to the community;
• to be a unifying element for faith communities, both rural
and urban, throughout Central Texas;
• to show respect for and appreciation of all cultural groups
and traditions;
• to emphasize topics afrming the Catholic community and
life, while acknowledging the humanity of the community and
examining, with courage, topics that challenge and encourage
growth in the faith;
• to carry a commitment to social justice that will support
the renewal of the church in Central Texas.
CCCTX welcomes ‘The Catholic Guy’
HOW TO SUBMIT INFORMATION
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF CENTRAL
TEXAS held its sixth annual “Providing
Help, Creating Hope” luncheon April 13. The keynote speaker was Lino Rulli, the host of “The Catholic
Guy” on SiriusXM radio. The 2012 recipient of the Sister Helen Brewer Social Justice Award was
Mary Saniuk, a parishioner at St. John Neumann Parish in Austin, for her commitment to the Gabriel
Project Life Center. The recipients of the 2012 Social Ministry Partner Award are the Society of St.
Vincent de Paul-Diocesan Council of Austin and the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, who partnered
with CCCTX and other organizations to assist the victims of the Central Texas wildres. Nearly 500
people attended the luncheon. (Photos courtesy Arlen Nydam)
Deadline for submission of articles or information for the
CATHOLIC SPIRIT is the 10th of the month for publication in the
following month’s edition.
Deadline for the June issue is May 10.
You can submit material in any of the following ways:
• E-mail to [email protected].
• Mail to CATHOLIC SPIRIT, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723.
For additional information, call (512) 949-2443 or e-mail
us at [email protected]. CATHOLIC SPIRIT has
unrestricted editing rights.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Weigel speaks at Pro-Life Gala in Austin
Readers are encouraged to express their opinions on
articles published in CATHOLIC SPIRIT. Letters to the editor provide a forum of discussion for the local Catholic community.
The views expressed in the letters do not necessarily represent those of the editor or the publisher of CATHOLIC SPIRIT.
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STAFF
Publisher: Most Rev. Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin
Editor: Shelley Metcalf; (512) 949-2400,
[email protected]
Assistant Editor: Christian R. González; (512) 949-2400,
[email protected]
Advertising: Shelley Metcalf;
(512) 949-2400, [email protected]
Spanish translation: Beatriz Ferrer Welsh
Columnists: Barbara Budde, Mary Lou Gibson, Father
Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. and Melinda Rodriguez
Correspondents: Jennifer Kodysz, Cristina Lopez, Amy
Moraczewski, Enedelia Obregón, Michele Chan Santos,
Mary P. Walker and Donna Poston Williams
Catholic Spirit subscribes to Catholic News Service
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Copyright 2012 by the Austin Diocese. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any editorial content, photograph,
art or design is prohibited without written permission of the
publisher CATHOLIC SPIRIT (ISSN 0896-2715) is published 11
times annually (monthly except one issue in July/August)
by the Austin Diocese. Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, publisher,
6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723. Periodicals Postage
Paid at Austin, Texas.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Catholic Spirit,
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THE THIRD ANNUAL PRO-LIFE BENEFIT
GALA was held April 14 and benetted the diocesan Ofce of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste
Living. George Weigel, a well-known theologian
and author of “Witness to Hope,” a biography on
Blessed John Paul II, was the keynote speaker.
“In the work of defending life, our goal must be
to create an America in which every child is
welcomed in life as well as protected in law,” he
said. “We must change hearts and minds so that all may know the dignity of every human life from
conception to natural death.” During the gala, Margarita Sanchez, the mother of three young children,
was presented the St. Gianna Molla Scholarship to pursue higher education. Approximately 485
people attended the event. (Photos by Shelley Metcalf)
EIM workshops in May
The Ethics and Integrity in Ministry policies of the Austin Diocese were established in 2002 to
educate Catholics on how to help prevent sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. According
to the policies, all employees and those volunteers who minister to youth or vulnerable adults in
the diocese are required to complete an Application for Ministry, which permits the diocese to run a
criminal background check. Additionally, all new applicants are required to attend a three-hour EIM
workshop for adults within 60 days of their EIM application submission. Every three years employees
and volunteers must attend an EIM refresher course or the three-hour EIM workshop.
Upcoming EIM workshops are listed below. Please call the location you would like to attend at
the phone number listed so that enough materials are available. For more information regarding the
diocesan EIM policies, visit www.austindiocese.org or call (512) 949-2400.
Three-hour courses
May 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Mary Parish in Lampasas; (512) 556-5544
May 19 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Parish in San Marcos; (512) 353-8969
May 19 from 9 a.m. to noon at St. Joseph Parish in Bryan; (979) 822-2721
May 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Jerome Parish in Waco; (254) 666-7722
May 29 from 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin; (512) 892-2420
May 31 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at St. John Neumann Parish in Austin; (512) 328-3220
Refresher courses
May 5 from 10:30 a.m. to noon Holy Trinity Parish at Llano; (325) 247-4481
May 12 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Parish in San Marcos; (512) 353-8969
May 21 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary Parish in Lampasas; (512) 556-5544
May 22 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Austin Parish in Austin; (512) 477-9471
May 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at St. Anthony Parish in Bryan; (979) 823-8145
May 2012
CENTRAL TEXAS
3
Bioethics expert urges discussion on end-of-life care
BY MARY P. WALKER
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
“Death is part of our lives,
and we have to prepare,” said
Father Tad Pacholczyk, the
director of education for the
National Catholic Bioethics
Center. On March 24, Father
Pacholczyk presented “Ethical
Decision Making and Advanced
Planning for End of Life Care”
to 75 priests, deacons and lay
Catholics at Holy Trinity Parish
in Corn Hill.
The National Catholic Bioethics Center’s mission is to
defend the Catholic understanding of the dignity of human life
regarding heath care and life
sciences through research, education, consultation and publication.
Before addressing complex
end-of-life issues, Father Pacholczyk pointed out that our culture
promotes the idea that “our lives
are our own.” When health care
decisions are made from that
perspective, such things as euthanasia and withholding appropriate care can result. The Catholic
understanding is that our lives
are gifts from God, and we are
stewards of that gift.
Reading from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’
(USCCB) document, “Ethical
and Religious Directives for
Catholic Health Care Services,”
Father Pacholczyk emphasized
that “We have a duty to preserve
our life and to use it for the glory
of God, but the duty to preserve
life is not absolute, for we may
reject life-prolonging procedures
that are insufciently benecial or
excessively burdensome.”
Father Pacholczyk explained
that complex health problems
can make it hard to determine
what treatments are “insufficiently benecial or excessively
burdensome.” Most of us have
two conicting fears: the fear
that we will not get the health
care resources we need, and
the fear that too much medical
technology will be used without
a proportional benet.
When there are questions
about the moral course of action for health-related decisions,
Father Pacholczyk said, “We
have a dynamic decision process
where every variable counts.”
This means that such decisions
need to be made on a case-bycase basis. God calls us to use
“good, prudential judgment,”
and this judgment must encompass ethical principles that
respect human life.
Our faith teaches us that all
people have value and are created in God’s image, regardless
of age, stage of development,
infirmity or mental condition.
Father Pacholczyk cautioned that
some terminology depersonalizes
the sick and injured, which makes
it easier to discount their need
for care.
For example, the term “quality of life” implies that one can
stand in judgment over the totality of another’s life. He also expressed concern about referring
to those with brain injuries as
“vegetables” or in a “vegetative
state.” Rather he suggests that a
more accurate and respectful way
is to describe their condition is a
“low level of responsiveness.”
In discussing the use of feeding tubes, Father Pacholczyk explained that providing food and
water attends to the immediate
needs of a person. Just as infants
and young children need help
to be fed, those who are weak
and vulnerable may need this
help in a different way. The rst
approximate understanding of
a feeding tube is that of a “long
spoon.” A feeding tube can be
morally optional when it cannot
be expected to prolong life or
can cause problems that make it
excessively burdensome.
Father Pacholczyk used the
example of Terri Schiavo to
demonstrate an immoral withholding of appropriate, compassionate care through the
removal of a feeding tube.
Schiavo exhibited a low level
of responsiveness, but was not
terminally ill. She had received
food and nutrition via a feeding
tube for years. When her feed-
Egan said. “Our bishops have
always wanted to keep the costs
down.”
The generosity of a Central
Texas Catholic family that rst
made the center possible, Egan
noted. Irene and Judge Arthur
O’Connor donated the original
tract of land for the center in
1973. One of their descendants
still lives nearby, Egan said.
It was Judge O’Connor
who suggested the name Cedarbrake –– a time-honored
local name for the area to
then-Bishop Vincent M. Harris. A history of the center
includes a note written in the
1850s that referred to the area
as “a deep ravine in the cedarbrake three miles north of
Belton.” The area was a notorious hiding place for young
men attempting to avoid ser-
vice in the Confederate Army.
The Lodge was the first
building constructed and was
rst used for youth retreats in
1977. The chapel was built in
1981 and the library was added
eight years later. In 1991 the
rst three guest houses –– Columbus, St. Gertrude and St.
Francis –– were completed. The
Pavilion was built the same year
for open-air events and cookouts. Five years later three guest
houses were added along with
the Irene and Arthur O’Connor
Conference Center with dining
and ofce space. The chaplain’s
residence and guest house were
completed the same year.
For information on upcoming retreats at Cedarbrake
call (254) 780-2436 or visit
www.austindiocese.org (click
on “Retreat Center”).
FATHER TAD PACHOLCZYK, the director of education for the National Catholic Bioethics
Center, presented Catholic teaching on end-of-life care on March 24 at Holy Trinity Parish
in Corn Hill. (Photo by Mary P. Walker)
LAND
Continued from Page 1
was opened in 1976 on 32 acres.
The new addition brings the
total acreage to 44.
The new land also sits next
to a park owned by the city but
managed by the Corps of Engineers. The park includes Miller
Springs. So there can be no
development behind the newlyacquired land, Egan said.
The purchase of the land
was made possible through donations to the annual Catholic
Services Appeal, which provides
diocesan-wide support for social services, pastoral ministries,
youth programs, vocations, family life, lay ministry, Catholic
education and Christian formation. Egan said the CSA also
subsidizes retreats in order to
keep them affordable.
“We have one of the lowest costs for retreats in Texas,”
ing tube was removed, she died
13 days later as a direct result of
this action.
To avoid situations where
others may make heath care
decisions on one’s behalf that
do not respect one’s dignity,
are not in line with Catholic
moral values, or are not in one’s
best interest, Father Pacholczyk recommended having a
trusted surrogate. Living wills
and advanced directives can also
be useful tools, but they have
limitations, he said. Because
we cannot predict the future, a
living will cannot anticipate all
of the possible decisions that
may need to be made. Also a
person’s perspective can change
in the midst of treatment, which
may not reect what was documented in a living will.
Father Pacholczyk strongly
recommended that families
openly discuss issues of care
among themselves and with
their health care providers. Usually better decisions are made if
information is shared.
Father Pacholczyk reminded
the attendees that perhaps the
most important responsibility
we have toward those whose
lives on earth are nearing their
end is to help them prepare for
a “good death.” Elements of
such a death are making peace
with family and friends, making
peace with God and receiving
the sacrament of the sick, reasonably managing pain, dying
in reasonable surroundings, and
avoiding unduly burdensome
treatments.
He suggests that as ministers
to the sick we remind family
members, who may not practice
the faith or may be focused on
medical and care issues, to also
tend to the spiritual needs of
their loved ones who are sick
and dying.
Regarding pain and suffering
that cannot be alleviated, Father
Pacholczyk said, “Suffering will
almost always be part of our demise.” When the sick and dying
are able to accept their suffering
and unite it to the suffering of
Christ, he has witnessed a great
emotional and spiritual transformation, “that makes all the
difference.”
Resources for making ethical
decisions regarding health care
The National Catholic Bioethics Center’s website,
www.ncbcenter.org, has many resources to help answer
ethical questions about particular heath care decisions. In
addition, they offer a free consultative service for situations
where the issues are complex and the moral course of action
is not readily apparent from their published resources. Father
Pacholczyk also said that a person who is familiar with the
church’s teachings on end-of-life care can be of great help to
the sick, dying, chronically ill and their families.
Father Pacholczyk writes a monthly column on bioethics,
which beginning this month will be featured in the Catholic
Spirit (see Page 22).
CENTRAL TEXAS
4
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Program offers hope for those suffering infertility
BY MICHELE CHAN SANTOS
CORRESPONDENT
For Catholic women who
are experiencing fertility problems or who have suffered
through pregnancy loss, Sarah’s
Hope offers fellowship, prayer
and support in a confidential
environment.
Sarah’s Hope is a free spiritual support program that meets
the first Wednesday of every
month at the Vitae Clinic, 1600
W. 38th St., Suite 115, in Austin.
Participants begin with a rosary
at 6:45 p.m. followed by a meeting from 7 to 9.
The group was founded in
August 2011 by Jen Crowley, the
director of young adults, communications and ministries at St.
John Neumann Parish in Austin.
“At that time, my husband
and I had been struggling to
conceive for a year,” Crowley
said. “I personally needed a
support group of women with
whom I could share my cross.”
She had found “a great online community of Catholic
women struggling with fertility
problems,” Crowley said, but
there was nothing locally at that
time where women facing these
issues could meet in person.
The co-founder of the group
is Dr. Cari Henry, a family medicine physician. Dr. Henry decided to stay home with her
children after her second child
was born. She develops the curriculum for the support group.
Erin Butler facilitates the
group. She struggled with infertility for 14 years and is now the
mother of two adopted sons.
The meetings are condential. “We only share as much as
you’re comfortable with sharing,”
Crowley emphasized. “You can
come and listen or you can talk.”
Dr. Henry said because of
their Catholic faith, many couples choose not to
pursue certain medical infertility treatments, including
in-vitro fertilization
(IVF) or conceiving via sperm or egg
donation, which are
prohibited by Catholic teaching. For
more information
about church teaching on this issue, read
“Life-Giving Love in the Age
of Technology,” released by the
U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops at www.usccb.org/
upload/lifegiving-love-age-technology-2009.pdf.
Sarah’s Hope also organizes
couples’ retreats (called Sarah’s
Hope and Abraham’s Promise).
The most recent one took place
in April and another is planned
for fall, Crowley said.
Past discussions at the women’s support group have included nding hope through prayer,
nding love through marriage
and nding fruitfulness through
the Eucharist, Dr. Henry said.
Women in the group have
a diversity of experiences, from
never having conceived, to
having suffered miscarriage, to
mothers who are experiencing
secondary infertility (the struggle
to have more than one child).
It’s common and understandable to experience anger and
envy during these struggles,
Crowley said.
“There’s a lot of despair,”
she said. “It’s important to be
able to commiserate with other
women who will understand
your situation.”
Learning a friend or relative
is pregnant can be difcult, as
can invitations to baby showers. “It can be a struggle to be
excited for other people,” Dr.
Henry said.
Sarah’s Hope is not an ofcial ministry of the diocese, but
they do work in collaboration with the
diocesan Ofce of
Pro-Life and Chaste
Living.
Marie Seale, the
director of the Ofce of Pro-Life and
Chaste Living, is
thankful for the service Sarah’s Hope
provides.
“Sarah’s Hope
is providing a much-needed
ministry. We’re glad that they’re
here,” she said.
Sarah’s Hope is named for
Sarah in the book of Genesis,
who gave birth to her son Isaac
after many years of barrenness
as a result of a divine promise.
“We exist to give people
hope and to walk with them on
their journey to fruitfulness,”
Crowley said.
Anyone is invited to be a
praying member of Sarah’s Hope.
“You don’t have to have
struggled to conceive yourself;
this part of Sarah’s Hope is for
people who have a heart for this
struggle or who have loved ones
who have suffered through it,”
Crowley said. “Time involvement is only remembering the
members of our ministry in
prayer and adoring the Blessed
Sacrament for one hour at a
chapel near you during each of
our biannual retreats.”
To learn more about
Sarah’s Hope –– either the
meetings or becoming a
praying member –– e-mail
[email protected]
or contact Jen Crowley at (512)
736-7334.
C E D A R B R A K E R E T R E AT C E N T E R
...
5602 N. Hwy. 317 , Belton, TX MAILING ADDRESS; P.O. Box 58, Belton, TX 76513
To register, please call (254) 780-2436 or e-mail us at [email protected]
For a full listing of our retreats go to: austindiocese.org/cedarbrakelog
Looking
Looking
Ahead for 2012
July 19-25
Desert Solitude
Pat Stankus
August 8th
Parish Staff Day
August 17-19
Finding the Sacred in
Depression
Sharon Highberger
Love One Another As I Have Loved You,” May 10, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Father Chris Downey, pastor at Holy Family Parish in Copperas Cove, will present this day based on
the Lord’s command. Father Downey will reflect on this great commandment and challenge us to look
within to see how we witness these prophetic words. Mass and quiet time will be part of the day.
Cost is $30 and includes lunch.
Summer Silent Retreat, June 1-3
Cedarbrake is offering a weekend silent retreat. Spiritual Direction will be available if desired. The retreat begins on Friday evening with a light meal and concludes on Sunday morning with Mass. This is
an opportunity to spend some quiet time with the Lord. The cost is $150. All rooms are private.
Living Your Strengths; Discovering Your God Given Talents, June 15-17
What are my strengths? What should I do next? Why do I love some things and avoid others? These
are questions we ask ourselves all the time. This retreat will be based on the book, “Living Your
Strengths.” You will identify your strengths and talents and learn ways to use and develop them. Bev
Collin will facilitate this retreat. Cost is $170 for a double room and $200 for a private room. Commuter fee is $90. This includes the cost of the book, which is required.
Reflections on Psalm 23, July 11
Psalm 23 - “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”
We will examine this very popular Psalm based on several authors’ reflections as an invitation to
trust, hope and believe that the Good Shepherd is with us and will indeed lead us to eternal life. The
cost is $30 and includes lunch. Brian Egan will lead this day of reflection.
May 2012
CENTRAL TEXAS
5
Legion seeks to be closer to Christ through Mary
BY CRISTINA M. LÓPEZ
CORRESPONDENT
To Jesus through Mary,
the path of salvation which
St. Louis Marie de Montfort
so zealously preached and
promoted in his time, was
the impetus that led a man
named Frank Duff to gather a group of lay people to
pray and to discuss how best
to serve God and bring the
message of salvation to the
world. That meeting on Sept.
7, 1921, in Dublin, unexpectedly launched an organization called the Legion of Mary
whose reach now encompasses the entire world. Its mission is to assist parish priests
in their apostolic work and to
sanctify its members.
“We see ourselves as an
extension of the pastor and
helping him to do whatever
works he feels needs to be
done,” said Steve Dickman,
parishioner at St. Mary Cathedral and president of the
Legion of Mary for the Austin
Diocese.
Msgr. Joseph Deane, spiritual director for the Legion
of Mary, calls it an “extraordinary organization.” He remembers the legion’s founder,
Servant of God Frank Duff,
addressing the seminarians in
his native Ireland.
“He came to our seminary
when I was in Dublin. We
had a legion in the seminary
because he wanted to influence priests to take it with
them wherever they went.”
Msgr. Deane, whose father
and sister were members, has
worked with the organization
since 1959 when he was spiritual director of the legion in
his rst parish. The legionaries
have been his hands and feet
during much of his priesthood
helping him with the many
needs of the parish.
“(Lay people) can go to
places where we can‘t go and
they … are public witnesses
to the vitality of the Roman
Catholic Church. They are
the heart of the church; there
are millions of them where
there are only thousands of
(priests),” he said.
There are two kinds of
members: active and auxiliary
members. “Active members
come to a weekly meeting,
they pray the rosary, read a
spiritual reading and listen
to a spiritual talk from their
spiritual director and that’s
how they’re formed. They’re
spiritually fed and then they
go out and do two hours of
apostolic work,” explained
MEMBERS OF THE LEGION OF MARY collectively made or renewed their total consecration to Jesus through Mary on
March 26 at St. William Parish in Round Rock. Several such Masses were held at parishes throughout the diocese, including
St. Mary Cathedral in Austin, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Martindale and Santa Cruz Parish in Buda. The Legion of Mary
was founded in Dublin in 1921 and continues to strive to bring people closer to Christ through Mary, the Blessed Mother of
Christ. (Photo by Cristina M. López)
Lynda Villasana, parishioner
at St. William Parish in Round
Rock and secretary for the
Legion of Mary for the Austin
Diocese. The apostolic works
include visiting the sick and
elderly, praying the rosary at
funerals, visiting the imprisoned and catechesis among
other things.
Auxiliary members are the
praying force that strengthens
the Legion of Mary members
and their works. Both pray
Catholics in good standing who
together work on their own
sanctification through daily
recitation of the rosary and total consecration to the Blessed
Mother. On the Solemnity of
the Annunciation on March 26,
hundreds of people were consecrated to our Blessed Mother
during Masses at four different
parishes.
At St. William Parish in
Round Rock, Father Jonathan Raia said during his hom-
scribed by St. Louis de Montfort.
Patricia Peacher, member of the St. William Young
Adult Legion of Mary, renewed her consecration at
the Mass. She credits the legion with deepening her faith
through prayer and by carrying out works of mercy.
“If you are seeking something in a practical way to help
bring about the kingdom of
God … the Legion of Mary is
“The Legion of Mary is an army to bring God to others
through our Blessed Mother.”
–– Lynda Villasana, secretary for the Legion of Mary
the main prayers of the Legion called the Tessera. Today
there are some 3 million active members and 15 million
auxiliary members throughout
the world.
Active members make up
a praesidium within a parish,
a local group of the Legion of
Mary. Currently there are 22
praesidia within the diocese.
The Concilium is the highest council of the Legion located in Dublin, Ireland. The
Legion is modeled after an
ancient Roman army and uses
its terminology to describe its
hierarchy.
“The Legion of Mary is an
army to bring God to others
through our Blessed Mother,”
Villasana said.
Its foot soldiers are the
men and women of the church,
ily that consecration is like
Mary’s “yes” when God asked
her to become the Mother of
God. “Brothers and Sisters,
God’s plan still depends on
you and me, placing ourselves
at the Lord’s disposal. We
very seldom have much more
information than Mary did, he
asks very simply for a yes,”
he said. “That’s what total
consecration means, to place
ourselves entirely at the Lord’s
disposal. She (Mary) will guide
you; she will guide all of us
to make of ourselves and to
make of our lives a complete
gift to the Father.”
Total consecration is
promoted by the Legion of
Mary; however, anyone can
consecrate themselves to our
Blessed Mother by following the spiritual exercises pre-
really a helpful instrument to
do that. It’s also really great to
be involved in a community
and to build that bond with
one another; it strengthens
your faith to see those around
you so spirit lled and faithful,” she said.
As an auxiliary member of
the St. William Young Adult
Legion of Mary, John Tovar
prays for the members and, as
his work schedule allows, participates in their meetings and
activities. He said becoming a
member has had a transformational effect on his life.
“I started praying the rosary
in October 2009 at a time when
I was unhappy with my job, my
living arrangements, my health
and realizing that I had no direction in my life,” he said. Tovar
attended a Legion of Mary re-
treat where he felt transformed.
Since then he’s traded destructive habits for a deeper prayer
life and found peace. “Instead
of hanging around bars, I go to
the Adoration Chapel,” he said.
To commemorate the Legion’s 90th anniversary celebrated last September Villasana said they are reaching out
to parish priests to expand the
Legion of Mary within the diocese. Already they are working to establish three to ve
praesidia at different parishes
and the campaign will actively continue for the next two
years. At a minimum, four
people are needed to start a
praesidium.
Msgr. Deane said the
members are missionaries,
bringing themselves and others closer to Jesus through
Mary. Whether we know it or
not, he said, Mary affects all
of our lives.
“From the conception to
the cross, Mary is totally immersed and associated (with
Jesus). That’s humanity’s way
to Christ, it’s through his
mother. And if people say
why, well God decided this; it
wasn’t Mary’s decision or our
decision. In giving us Christ,
he gave us everything and he
gave us everything through
Mary,” Msgr. Deane said.
For more information
about the Legion of Mary or
how to begin a praesidium
in your parish please contact Steve Dickman at (512)
922-7137 or Lynda Villasana at (512) 269-0023 or visit
www.legionofmaryaustin.org.
CENTRAL TEXAS
6
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Jesuit priest’s Austin chapter draws to a close
BY AMY MORACZEWSKI
CORRESPONDENT
After 13 years of serving
the Austin Diocese in various
capacities, Jesuit Father Payne
and his faithful pug, Dude, are
packing up. Father Payne is
returning to a more traditional
Jesuit role as retreat director at Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House in the Dallas/Fort
Worth area. Though excited
to be reunited with his Jesuit brothers, he leaves Austin
with mixed emotions, having
built great relationships with
many diocesan priests and lay
people, he said.
The Society of Jesus, more
commonly known as the Jesuits, was founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 16th century
Europe. Since that time, it has
grown into the largest male
religious order in the world.
Best known for their work
in education, the Jesuits also
have a strong commitment
to spiritual development and
social justice.
Father Payne entered the
Jesuit novitiate directly from
his Galveston high school.
Early in his priesthood, he
taught at Loyola University in
New Orleans and Spring Hill
College in Mobile, Ala. The
young Jesuit then spent three
years studying theology in Toronto before returning to his
home state to complete his
graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin.
Though he loved the city back
in the 1970s, he had little hope
of ever returning to serve in a
diocese with no Jesuit schools
or retreat houses. However,
over the years he repeatedly
learned that, “Life has a way
of catching up with you.”
While on sabbatical at the
Jesuit School of Theology in
Berkeley, a former student
serving on the board at St.
Michael’s Catholic Academy
in Austin approached Father
Payne for assistance reorienting the Catholic identity of the
school. Initially he had doubts
about devoting himself to a
school unaffiliated with his
or any other religious order,
but after some reection realized this may be the answer
to his prayers. Priests and religious are constantly seeking
lay people to take a more active role in ministry and here
was a group doing just that.
How could he refuse to help,
he asked himself?
CCHD contest winners
THE CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT held a Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest earlier this
year. The theme was “Faith in Action! Uproot Poverty
Together.” Entries were submitted from across the Austin
Diocese.
The rst place winner for Collage Art was Francesca Modoff who submitted a collage with ways to uproot poverty
titled “Reach for the Stars.” The rst place winner for Digital
Media was Olivia Lynch who submitted a video entitled, “If
you teach a man to sh.” In it, she explained the causes
and solutions to poverty. Both students attend St. Gabriel’s
Catholic School in Austin.
Both entries were sent to Washington to compete nationally
with the rest of the art entries from dioceses across the U.S.
The Austin Diocese was notied on April 18 that Modoff’s
collage received honorable mention in the national contest.
(Photo by Shelley Metcalf)
JESUIT FATHER
JOHN PAYNE,
who is almost
always accompanied by his faithful
companion, Dude,
has worked in the
Austin Diocese for
13 years. (Photo
by Amy Moraczewski)
Father Payne eventually
agreed to the task and gained
permission from his superiors
to spend three years in Austin.
However, three years turned
into 13 when Bishop Gregory
Aymond enlisted his old friend
from the seminary in New Orleans to aid in the establishment
of San Juan Diego Catholic
High School in Austin. Based
upon the Cristo Rey model, San
Juan Diego provides a Catholic,
college preparatory education
in conjunction with a corporate work study program that
helps supplement tuition costs.
Currently Father Payne serves
on the board of another high
school founded on this same
principle, Cristo Rey Jesuit in
Houston, which opened in 2009.
In addition to education,
Jesuits have a legacy of spiritual formation and “finding
God in all things.” Bishop
Aymond observed this gift
in Father Payne and named
him Minister to Priests for the
Diocese of Austin. In seeking spiritual guidance from
priests, lay people may overlook the need for priests to receive on-going spiritual development of their own. This is
where Father Payne comes in,
simply being present to priests
on their spiritual journeys, a
job that is its own reward, he
said.
“Not only do we try to
serve others, but we encounter God in others, so in serving them they also serve us,”
Father Payne said.
Soon he will return to
serving the laity alongside his
Jesuit brothers at Montserrat
Jesuit Retreat House on Lake
Dallas. After years of living independently, he admitted the
return to life in community
may require a period of adjustment. Father Payne grew
to love opportunities to welcome guests into his home,
the rst home he could ever
call his own. He even learned
to cook at age 60 so he could
host dinner parties for friends
and families in the diocese.
An avid outdoorsman, Father Payne will miss the natural beauty of Austin and the
surrounding Hill Country. After devoting much of his life
to education, both studying
and teaching, Father Payne
said people may be surprised
to learn that he is most comfortable outdoors. Prior to
entering the priesthood, he
never would have envisioned
himself as an academic.
“I thought I would have
a life of adventure and not
be spending so much time in
books,” joked Father Payne.
Fortunately, he found a
way to combine both passions
by creating what he dubbed
“the camping retreat” while
serving at Loyola University
New Orleans and Spring Hill
College. As much as his education was a tool for reaching
people spiritually, simply taking the group out into nature
had an even more profound
effect. Students reluctant to
forgo a weekend on campus
for one at a secluded retreat
house jumped at the opportunity to go camping with their
friends.
Father Payne appreciates
the role of Pope John Paul
II, when as a bishop during
the Second Vatican Council,
he supported the approval of
what is known as the “Wanderer’s Mass.” This change
enabled many students to encounter the Eucharist who
otherwise may have gone
without Christ’s presence
throughout the formative college years. It has also allowed
Father Payne to celebrate
the liturgy in national parks
throughout the country, including Yosemite, Zion and
the Great Smokey Mountains.
Vacations always include
some form of outdoor adventure. In his younger days,
Father Payne enjoyed white
water rafting, scuba diving
and rappelling. These days he
usually sticks to hiking and
horseback riding.
“I’m 73 and it’s not what it
was when I was 43,” he said.
Nevertheless, he continues
to maintain an active lifestyle
and is eager to conquer the new
challenges that await him in the
Diocese of Dallas. Among all he
will miss about Austin is living
so near his beloved Longhorns.
As he said, “if you grew up in
Texas, football is the king of
all sports.” Fortunately he will
be relocating just north of his
other favorite team, the Dallas
Cowboys.
Although his time in Austin
was a departure from the norm
for a Jesuit priest, Father Payne
never ceased pursuit of the Jesuit missions of educational
and spiritual development. His
counsel for Catholic schools and
his spiritual counsel for those
priests who lead the parishes
across Central Texas will be felt
for many years to come.
CENTRAL TEXAS
May 2012
7
Married couples invited to getaway
Retrouvaille focuses on struggling couples
Married couples who are looking for a getaway and time to reconnect with
one another are invited to a Worldwide Marriage Encounter May 18-20 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. The weekend begins Friday at 7:30
p.m. and ends Sunday around 4 p.m. This is an opportunity for husbands and
wives to escape the daily distractions of life and focus on each other. For more
information or to apply to attend, contact Anh and Greg Thomas at (512) 677WWME (9963) or [email protected].
Retrouvaille is a program for married couples who feel bored, disillusioned, frustrated or angry in their marriage. This program has helped thousands of couples experiencing difculties in their marriage. For condential
information about or to register for the next program beginning with a weekend on May 18-20, call 800-470-2230, e-mail [email protected] or visit
www.HelpOurMarriage.com.
Evening of prayer, forgiveness is May 25
Awaken Your Spirit retreat is June 23-24
An Awaken Your Spirit retreat will be held June 23-24 at Cedarbrake Catholic
Retreat Center in. In response to Pope Benedict’s announcement of the “Year of
Faith,” this year’s retreat is designed to open hearts to experience the richness of
the Catholic faith in a new and deeper way. The weekend will include quiet prayer
and reection time, Mass, the sacrament of reconciliation, adoration and speakers
including Father James Misko of Belton, Father Steve Sauser of Pugerville and
Father John Kim of Austin. The cost is $75 for a double room and $95 for a single
room. Checks should be made out to St. William Parish with a notation “Awaken
Your Spirit.” Mail payments to 620 Round Rock West Dr., Round Rock TX 78681
(include name, address, e-mail and phone number along with payment). For more
Young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 are invited to a retreat entitled information, contact Lynda Villasana at [email protected] or call
“Spe Salvi, Saved in Hope” June 15-17 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center (512) 269-0023.
in Belton. Sarah Hayes, campus minister at St. Mary Catholic Center in College
Station, will lead participants as they reect on the virtue of hope and the salvaThe Altar Society of Santa Cruz Parish in Buda will present “The Deepest Longtion gained from it. Registration for the weekend is $120 (before May 30) and
includes T-shirt, accommodations and meals for the weekend. To register, go to ings of Our Heart,” a retreat for women, June 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Deane
www.austindiocese.org under Youth, Young Adult & Campus Ministry and look Hall at Santa Cruz in Buda. Dominican Sister Helen Raycraft will be the presenter.
for the link on the left. For more information, contact Adrian Sanchez at adrian- The cost is $20, which includes lunch, coffee and materials. For more information,
contact Oralia Garza at (512) 295-6973, e-mail [email protected].
[email protected] or (512) 949-2464.
Project Rachel of the Diocese of Austin and Austin Coalition for Life are
sponsoring an Evening of Prayerful Remembrance and Intercession May 25 from
7:30 to 9 p.m. at St. Louis Parish in Austin. As a community, everyone is touched
by each child lost through abortion. Everyone is invited to pray and intercede
on behalf of our community, seeking forgiveness and healing in God’s merciful love. For more information, contact Rebecca Niemerg at (512) 949-2488 or
[email protected].
Young adults invited to retreat June 15-17
Santa Cruz in Buda offers retreat for women
MEDICAL
SERVICES
DIRECTORY
To advertise in the Catholic Spirit Medical Services
Directory, call (512) 949-2443, or e-mail
[email protected].
FAMILY DENTISTRY
family dentistry
tim tischler, d.d.s.
3821 Juniper Trace, Suite 201
Austin, TX 78738
phone (512) 402-1955
www.drtimtischler.com
FAMILY PRACTICE
William Stavinoha, M.D.
Family Practice –– Board Certied
11671 Jollyville Road #102
Austin, TX
(512) 338-5088
www.stavinohamd.com
OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
The Vitae Clinic
Jeremy Kalamarides, D.O.
The Jefferson Building
1600 W. 38th St, Ste 115
Austin, TX 78731
512-458-6060
The Vitae Clinic, Inc., provides wellness, prenatal, delivery and
postnatal care for women, expectant mothers and babies in accord
with the teachings of the Catholic Church in conformity with the
Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare services.
OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE
The Center for Environmental
Medicine & Occupational Health, PA*
Anthony Hicks, M.D., MPH
• Occupational Injury Care
4100 Duval Road
• Preventive Medicine
Bldg. 4, Suite 202
• Environmental Toxicology
Austin, Tx 78759
• Second Opinion
(512) 832-9686 - phone
• Disability/Impairment Ratings
(512) 832-9661 - fax
• Independent Medical Examinations
*Member Austin WorkCARE Associates
OPTOMETRY
ORTHODONTICS
Oak Hill
Eye Care
Braces for Children and Adults
Examination & Treatment
of Eye Disease
Lasik Surgery
Contact Lenses & Optical
David W. Tybor, O.D.
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
(512) 288-0444
6000 W. William Cannon
Bldg A, Suite 100, Austin
www.oakhilleyecare.com
Michael Dillingham, D.D.S.
2 convenient locations in Austin
Call (512) 836-7924 or (512) 447-5194 to
schedule a complimentary consultation
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT
FAMILY & INTERNAL MEDICINE
Joseph M. C. Leary, M.D.
Dominion Family
Healthcare
Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology
Pediatric and Adult
Including Ear Diseases Sinus Surgery
Thyroid and Neck Surgery
6811 Austin Center Blvd., Ste. 300
Austin, Texas 78731
(512) 346-8888
Board certied in Family
Medicine & Internal Medicine
(512) 834-9999
6301 Parmer Ln. W. Suite 102
Austin,TX 78729-6802
THYROID & ENDOCRINOLOGY
8
CENTRAL TEXAS
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
5K will benet ML&F summer lunch program
BY ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
While many children look
forward to summer so they
can sleep late or go on vacation, there are some who
don’t look forward to those
10 weeks because it means
not having enough to eat at
home. To help ease the hunger, the Mobile Loaves and
Fishes Ministry (ML&F) at St.
Thomas More Parish in Austin started a summer lunch
program two years ago.
They began by making 200
sandwiches a week; last year
they made 400 sandwiches a
week. This year, the goal is
1,000 sandwiches a week. To
nance those meals, ML&F is
teaming up with St. Margaret
Mary Parish in Cedar Park
and St. Vincent de Paul Parish
in Austin to host a family 5K
run/walk and children’s 1K
run/walk on May 20 at Cedar
Park High School.
“A lot of people want to
do stuff to help” with ML&F,
said Matt Figlan, ministry director at St. Thomas More.
“But not everybody can go
out on the truck.”
ML&F is the largest minis-
try in the parish with 1,400 in
the database and 900 people
on teams.
The organization was
founded in 1998 by St. John
Neumann Parish in Austin to
feed the homeless and poor
and is recognized by its catering trucks with the shesand-loaves logo. Several parishes in Austin and churches
from other denominations
take food to various neighborhoods on a regular basis. Currently, 11 ML&F
trucks are in use.
“I honestly believe
that the call to ‘feed my
people’ is getting louder,” Figlan said. “People
are banging on our doors
wanting to do this, but
few people want to give
up their spot in the ministry.”
With the race/walk, there
is no limit to the number of
people who can help, he noted.
“God takes care of everything,” Figlan said. “The rst
year we did this we didn’t decide to do it until a week before school was out. We trust
that God will provide.”
Katie Hagen, coordinator
of the summer lunch program,
said she got involved with the
program after losing her job
as a parent support specialist at Spicewood Elementary
school due to budget cuts.
“There’s a reason the Lord
put me here,” she said. “Even
at our school there are people in need.” Most people,
she said, don’t realize that the
need is everywhere.
Help is needed “in our
back yard,” Figlan said. In
the Leander school district,
29 percent of the 32,000 students are on a free or reduced
lunch program. About 30 percent of the 40,000 students
in the Round Rock school
district are in the federal program, which is for families
who live in poverty. The parish boundaries cover parts of
both school districts.
Hagen said volunteers
take sack lunches to apartment complex commons areas
where the children then pick
up their lunches. That also
allows families and apartment
management to get to know
each other. This year, they will
be going to neighborhoods as
well.
“In some places there
may be 10 and in another
30,” she said. “But just
like the starfish in the
ocean, if you save one it
means everything to that
one.”
As word gets out
about the program, it
is likely those numbers
will keep growing because
poverty among children is
escalating. In early April, the
Census Bureau released statistics showing the child poverty rate was sharply higher
in Texas in 2010 — 25.7 percent, or 1.8 million children.
Only California had more
children in poverty, with 2
million. The federal government sets the poverty threshold at about $22,000 for a
family of four.
Though parishioners in
the past have hosted neighborhood walks, this is the rst
time that ML&F is organizing
a large event, said Laura Nye,
race coordinator.
“We wanted something
that would be a family event
and where people could have
fun for a cause. We also wanted it to be an opportunity for
fellowship and for families to
meet other families.”
The race will begin and
end at the Cedar Park High
School track eld and will include family-friendly events
and everyone is welcome, Nye
said.
“A lot of people want to
get involved but maybe are
not Catholic or don’t go to
a church,” she said. “If we
can get them involved maybe
they can take (ML&F) to their
church.”
There will also be a
ML&F booth with information on the ministry and an
opportunity for people to
“buy” a brown grocery bag
for $10 with a list of items
needed for the ML&F pantry.
For information and to
register for the 5K run/walk,
visit www.MLFFamily5K.org.
CALL OR E-MAIL US TODAY FOR OUR RATES.
Shelley Metcalf, Editor
(512) 949-2443
[email protected]
CENTRAL TEXAS
May 2012
9
Catholic Services Appeal surpasses $5 million
BY CATHOLIC SPIRIT STAFF
The Catholic Services Appeal set another record this year by surpassing its original goal of $4.4 million. As of April 15,
the annual appeal had raised more than $5 million in pledges and gifts from Catholics in Central Texas. To date, more
than $3.6 million has been collected with the remaining portion to be collected through the rest of the summer.
“With the economy showing signs of life, the annual appeal has experienced almost a 20 percent increase in pledges
and gifts over the last two years,” said Scott Whitaker, diocesan director of Stewardship and Development. This is primarily due to the generous and faithful people of the Diocese of Austin and a commitment to stewardship as a way of life.
“Stewardship is not just another word for giving money; it’s a way of life. Yes, to some degree it’s about treasure, but
it’s also about time and talent. Stewardship is rst and foremost about recognizing that all our gifts are from God,” he said.
“We are thankful for the many blessings we continue to receive from so many of the faithful in our diocese.”
Below is a list of Catholic Service Appeal totals by parish city. For more details about CSA visit www.austindiocese.org/csa.
Parish by city
Goal
Cristo Rey in Austin
$30,000.00
Dolores in Austin
$18,000.00
Holy Cross in Austin
$11,200.00
Holy Vietnamese Martyrs in Austin $45,500.00
Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin
$15,500.00
Sacred Heart in Austin
$50,000.00
San Francisco Javier in Austin
$5,050.00
San Jose in Austin
$50,900.00
Santa Barbara in Austin
$5,900.00
St. Albert the Great in Austin
$130,000.00
St. Andrew Kim in Austin
$1,250.00
St. Austin in Austin
$63,000.00
St. Catherine of Siena in Austin
$145,100.00
St. Edward’s University in Austin
$2,750.00
St. Ignatius Martyr in Austin
$80,000.00
St. John Neumann in Austin
$208,350.00
St. Julia in Austin
$15,800.00
St. Louis in Austin
$135,000.00
St. Mary Cathedral in Austin
$100,000.00
St. Paul in Austin
$37,000.00
St. Peter the Apostle in Austin
$28,750.00
St. Theresa in Austin
$164,000.00
St. Thomas More in Austin
$186,000.00
St. Vincent de Paul in Austin
$87,000.00
University Catholic Center in Austin $4,550.00
Ascension in Bastrop
$54,300.00
St. Joseph in Bellmead
$25,000.00
Christ the King in Belton
$38,250.00
Holy Cross in Bertram
$4,400.00
St. Ferdinand in Blanco
$10,100.00
St. Mary in Bremond
$12,500.00
St. Mary in Brenham
$47,500.00
Santa Teresa in Bryan
$12,850.00
St. Anthony in Bryan
$36,000.00
St. Joseph in Bryan
$97,600.00
Santa Cruz in Buda
$52,000.00
St. Michael in Burlington
$1,700.00
Our Mother of Sorrows in Burnet
$7,500.00
St. Mary in Caldwell
$23,400.00
St. Monica in Cameron
$7,950.00
St. Margaret Mary in Cedar Park
$87,000.00
St. Stanislaus in Chappell Hill
$5,650.00
St. Philip in China Spring
$6,000.00
St. Mary in College Station
$42,000.00
St. Thomas Aquinas in Coll. Station
$85,000.00
Holy Family in Copperas Cove
$42,000.00
Holy Trinity in Corn Hill
$17,000.00
St. Joseph in Cyclone
$7,500.00
St. Joseph in Dime Box
$2,950.00
St. Martin de Porres in Drip.Springs $39,500.00
Sacred Heart in Elgin
$23,150.00
St. Joseph in Elk
$7,200.00
St. Mary in Ellinger/Hostyn Hill
$9,300.00
St. John in Fayetteville
$18,250.00
Santa Rosa in Florence
$37,550.00
St. Francis of Assisi in Franklin
$8,500.00
Holy Rosary in Frenstat
$7,700.00
Our Lady of Lourdes in Gatesville
$1,800.00
St. Helen in Georgetown
$123,000.00
St. Margaret in Giddings
$13,000.00
St. Peter in Goldthwaite
$550.00
Sts Cyril and Methodius in Granger $9,550.00
St. Thomas in Hamilton
$2,350.00
Pledged
$61,953.88
$17,825.25
$19,232.00
$63,690.04
$22,728.31
$36,292.96
$8,371.40
$56,296.07
$6,274.03
$107,626.82
$750.00
$71,372.42
$153,901.20
$3,485.00
$98,403.05
$270,921.66
$11,553.56
$147,088.05
$119,638.42
$48,078.00
$37,414.00
$180,766.00
$196,885.83
$104,544.01
$6,593.71
$54,212.00
$21,510.00
$61,518.96
$3,617.00
$9,763.00
$14,455.00
$58,172.00
$11,833.00
$49,668.05
$109,559.30
$70,550.75
$1,587.92
$9,688.00
$24,964.00
$8,025.00
$98,510.00
$5,570.00
$5,707.00
$45,497.00
$109,955.04
$55,808.26
$18,360.00
$12,425.00
$3,669.00
$41,428.00
$37,315.80
$6,400.00
$12,885.00
$24,040.00
$35,781.00
$10,215.00
$7,581.00
$3,672.52
$147,901.37
$17,812.00
$2,455.00
$9,233.00
$2,901.33
Paid
Gifts
Parish by city
Goal
$19,462.16
$11,682.25
$10,756.00
$51,688.68
$13,377.31
$23,994.43
$4,570.40
$26,302.07
$2,639.03
$72,851.80
$750.00
$58,324.42
$118,776.02
$2,885.00
$68,056.54
$223,637.79
$5,292.56
$107,191.51
$95,782.54
$30,199.00
$25,520.00
$147,220.00
$151,857.52
$75,182.49
$5,718.71
$36,921.00
$17,915.00
$40,990.98
$3,437.00
$7,518.00
$12,815.00
$49,408.00
$9,028.00
$38,732.05
$82,510.00
$44,895.76
$1,417.92
$6,628.00
$19,033.00
$6,525.00
$58,492.38
$4,405.00
$4,212.00
$32,832.00
$82,572.02
$39,275.82
$14,040.00
$12,150.00
$2,969.00
$27,943.00
$17,810.80
$6,105.00
$12,018.00
$22,235.00
$28,564.00
$7,675.00
$6,271.00
$3,027.52
$104,744.11
$10,939.50
$1,425.00
$7,713.00
$2,736.33
684
248
86
312
204
331
133
589
83
507
3
270
508
20
556
496
152
498
249
240
188
424
699
303
30
265
74
243
16
55
87
319
108
225
402
288
18
54
159
68
480
51
30
120
318
217
91
74
29
167
287
51
70
165
139
45
44
24
490
115
25
112
18
St. Paul Ch. Hasang in Hkr. Heights $98,000.00
St. Mary in Hearne
$5,700.00
St. Paul the Ap. in Horseshoe Bay $17,250.00
St. Patrick in Hutto
$29,400.00
Good Shepherd in Johnson City
$1,800.00
St. Joseph in Killeen
$47,800.00
St. Charles Borromeo in Kingsland $15,700.00
St. Anthony Marie de Claret in Kyle $28,000.00
Sacred Heart in La Grange
$21,000.00
St. Mary in Lago Vista
$53,350.00
Emmaus in Lakeway
$103,500.00
St. Mary in Lampasas
$4,600.00
Holy Family in Lexington
$4,200.00
Holy Trinity in Llano
$7,600.00
St. Mary in Lockhart
$35,000.00
Good Shepherd in Lometa
$3,950.00
Sacred Heart in Lott
$1,500.00
St. John in Luling
$9,500.00
St. Joseph in Manor
$6,350.00
Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Marak
$3,150.00
St. John in Marble Falls
$38,900.00
St. Joseph in Marlin
$9,750.00
Immac. Heart of Mary in Martindale
$8,000.00
St. Joseph in Mason
$3,900.00
St. Eugene in McGregor
$6,500.00
St. Mary in Mexia
$8,900.00
Our Lady of San Juan in Moody
$350.00
St. Elizabeth in Pugerville
$84,000.00
St. Mary in Pin Oak
$5,000.00
St. Joseph in Rockdale
$7,850.00
Sacred Heart in Rockne
$18,500.00
St. Matthew in Rogers
$3,450.00
St. Ann in Rosebud
$2,350.00
St. John Vianney in Round Rock
$46,000.00
St. William in Round Rock
$205,000.00
St. Stephen in Salado
$11,150.00
H.L. Grant Cath. Ctr. in San Marcos $17,700.00
St. John the Evang. in San Marcos $70,000.00
St. Mary in San Saba
$3,650.00
St. Paul in Smithville
$5,500.00
St. Ann in Somerville
$7,600.00
Queen of Angels Chap. in Spicewood $3,900.00
San Juan Diego in Stoney Point
$250.00
St. Mary in String Prairie
$7,850.00
Our Lady of the Lake in Sunrise Beach $1,150.00
Our Lady of Guadalupe in Taylor
$4,800.00
St. Mary in Taylor
$21,000.00
Our Lady of Guadalupe in Temple $13,350.00
St. Luke in Temple
$91,500.00
St. Mary in Temple
$60,400.00
St. Martin in Tours
$16,000.00
St. Michael in Uhland
$3,800.00
Sacred Heart in Waco
$16,600.00
St. Francis in Waco
$13,000.00
St. Jerome in Waco
$48,300.00
St. John the Baptist in Waco
$1,400.00
St. Louis in Waco
$119,000.00
St. Mary in Waco
$19,200.00
St. Peter Catholic Center in Waco
$3,000.00
Blessed Virgin Mary in Washington
$700.00
Assumption in West
$47,500.00
Visitation in Westphalia
$6,300.00
St. Mary in Wimberley
$20,500.00
Pledged
$137,218.00
$8,589.00
$15,612.00
$22,750.00
$2,215.00
$52,280.80
$14,425.00
$34,597.00
$24,082.00
$67,656.00
$134,225.59
$10,775.00
$3,734.00
$10,715.10
$26,091.55
$8,165.00
$1,970.00
$11,916.00
$6,751.08
$3,966.00
$36,381.50
$6,956.00
$8,345.00
$6,792.00
$6,764.00
$10,972.00
$225.00
$112,809.85
$3,755.00
$15,738.00
$29,854.00
$4,558.00
$2,335.00
$66,338.81
$209,542.97
$11,320.00
$17,580.00
$102,263.28
$6,692.00
$5,070.00
$7,667.00
$2,115.00
$489.00
$8,919.00
$1,330.00
$3,869.04
$19,998.20
$14,130.00
$106,303.00
$68,001.00
$17,385.00
$3,695.00
$15,636.55
$11,178.00
$59,438.00
$2,885.00
$123,049.00
$20,513.00
$3,171.06
$2,875.00
$45,680.00
$6,960.00
$20,278.00
Paid
Gifts
$95,237.33
$7,569.00
$12,592.00
$15,955.53
$2,075.00
$38,008.80
$12,055.00
$21,446.00
$21,380.50
$48,032.64
$113,363.61
$5,347.00
$2,634.00
$8,818.10
$13,457.55
$5,105.00
$1,210.00
$8,825.00
$4,966.08
$3,871.00
$34,681.50
$4,496.00
$4,689.00
$4,977.00
$4,279.00
$9,162.00
$225.00
$68,772.85
$2,610.00
$10,417.00
$22,826.00
$3,663.00
$2,150.00
$44,615.48
$145,982.89
$6,865.00
$11,490.00
$64,185.28
$3,893.87
$4,015.00
$6,424.00
$1,357.00
$234.00
$6,362.00
$1,090.00
$3,439.04
$17,035.20
$10,230.00
$78,948.36
$48,489.20
$16,110.00
$1,464.00
$8,744.55
$7,378.00
$45,767.00
$1,260.00
$102,521.00
$13,851.00
$2,346.06
$2,445.00
$39,613.00
$6,435.00
$12,073.00
457
64
64
107
16
414
71
209
148
205
277
78
20
65
173
17
11
84
33
50
63
47
75
36
42
54
4
595
17
131
161
36
26
182
657
52
59
498
50
48
54
14
21
61
13
24
162
139
326
254
143
25
156
214
225
22
319
140
10
15
298
83
101
CENTRAL TEXAS
Central Texans reach out to help orphanage in India
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
10
THE INDIA CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL TEXAS sponsored the construction of a dormitory at an orphanage in Dimapur, Nagaland in Northeast India. The
orphanage is run by Father O.C. Abraham and the Sacred Heart Sisters and is home to
40 children between the ages of 4 and 11. The children attend Catholic schools and are
taught to grow their own food. The
India Catholic Association of Central
Texas donated more than $16,000 for
the dormitory, which will house young
girls. The money was raised through
the Taste of India fundraisers that are
held annually. The 2012 Taste of India will be held Oct. 13 at St Thomas
More Parish in Austin. For more information, e-mail [email protected].
(Photos courtesy Ramona Kar)
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Explore historic Rome. Start with an audience with Pope Benedict XVI (subject to his schedule) followed by a city tour of Rome
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includes a private Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel. Tour the ruins at Pompeii with Mass at Our
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Maria Della Grazie and museum of St. Pio. Visit the Grotto of St. Michael in Monte Sant’Angelo, Lanciano, San Francesco church,
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construction was completed in 1290. Depart for home Thursday, September 20, 2012. Includes 17 meals. Your chaplain is Father
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Fatima and Apariciones Chapel of Fatima; and tour the Batalha monastery. Travel to Salamanca, Spain; visit the Old Cathedral
and New Cathedral; overnight in Valladolid, Spain. Visit Lourdes, France; celebrate Mass at the Grotto of Lourdes. Take the
high-speed train to Paris for two nights. Wednesday’s Paris highlight includes The Shrine of the Miraculous Medal with Mass
at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Thursday’s highlights include a full-day tour of Paris visiting the Louvre
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May 2012
IN OUR WORLD
11
Catholic educators gather for NCEA convention
BY CHRISTOPHER S. PINEO
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
A national and international
crowd of Catholic educators
converged on Boston April 11
to kick off the National Catholic
Educational Association 2012
Convention and Expo.
According to organizers, more than 10,000 participants registered for the
three-day event at the John
B. Hynes Convention Center.
The NCEA provided attendees more than 400 workshops
on topics relevant to Catholic education, an exhibit hall
showcasing 267 educationrelated venders, and a list of
nationally recognized keynote
speakers.
Oblate Father Ronald Rolheiser, president of the Oblate
School of Theology in San Antonio, gave the opening keynote address titled “It’s a Big
Enough Church.” He focused
the talk on delivering a message
of tolerance among the faithful,
enemies and even political rivals.
He addressed the danger of
becoming bitter and responding
to attacks with attacks, anger
with anger, and intolerance with
intolerance.
“There is just no virtue in
that, you are simply giving back
the energy received and we are
hard-wired for that. We are not
hard-wired for forgiveness,”
Father Rolheiser said.
He said the faithful need to
be inuenced by the writings of
the Gospel, and particularly the
story of Jesus washing the feet
of the disciples.
Father Rolheiser used the
image of Jesus removing his
outer garment as revealing his
true self. “He took off his outer
garment and he was able to then
reach across in ways we cannot
reach across when we have our
‘outer garments on.’”
Ned Vanders, superintendent of Catholic Schools for
the Austin Diocese, attended
the convention along with seven
administrators and ve teachers from nine Catholic schools
in the diocese. He enjoyed the
conference tremendously.
“Father Rolheiser’s keynote
was so powerful and dynamic
that participants were rushing
to the press release ofce afterwards for recordings of his
address,” he said.
After the keynote, Boston
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley celebrated the convention’s opening
Mass in the nearly lled Veteran
Memorial Auditorium, which
seats 3,000.
Before beginning the Mass,
the cardinal greeted the crowd
with a message of support for
the importance of the mission
of Catholic education.
“We are so grateful to all of
you for the goal that you have in
Catholic education, one of the
most important ministries of our
church,” the cardinal said.
Archbishop Wilton D.
Gregory of Atlanta joined bishops and archbishops from all
over New England, and the
country on the altar with the
cardinal.
In his homily, the cardinal
again touched on the mission of
Catholic schools in the Catholic
Church.
“Academic excellence is important, but we must be convinced that we have something
greater to give our students. We
can help them to rise and walk
in newness of life,” the cardinal
said.
The convention marked the
sixth time that Boston hosted
the NCEA convention since
1909; the city last hosted it 2004.
The Boston Archdiocese ranks
ninth among U.S. dioceses in
enrollment of Catholic school
students, with 122 schools serving 41,964 students.
O’Neill noted that the entire
region of New England host-
ed the convention, which she
said the Archdiocese of Boston
could not have accomplished
alone.
“We are especially proud to
partner with our fellow New
England dioceses, bishops and
education colleagues to showcase for the country the exceptional and inspiring story of
Catholic education in the United
States,” she said.
The Catholic dioceses of
New England including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island
and Vermont are co-hosted the
convention with the Boston
Archdiocese.
Combined, those dioceses
encompass more than 1,324
parishes serving more than 14
million people and they have
420 elementary and secondary schools enrolling 119,804
students.
The annual convocation of
the National Association of Parish Coordinators and Directors
of Religious Education and the
Catholic Library Association
held convocations and conventions concurrently with the
NCEA convention.
Parish catechetical leaders
and coordinators of religious
education participated in liturgies, workshops, networking
and prayer with Bishop Richard
J. Malone of Portland, Maine,
and Joe Paprocki, consultant for
faith formation for Loyola Press
in Chicago, who gave opening
and keynote addresses.
“One of the things NCEA
does best is to convene people, to gather them together
from all aspects of Catholic education to share ideas
and to learn from each other.
Our annual convention does
just that and we are looking
forward to this year’s meeting,” NCEA President Karen
Ristau said.
“You can tell our members
like Boston conventions because
we keep coming back. In addition to the wonderful programs
NCEA plans, Boston offers
so many opportunities for our
participants to gather and socialize informally after convention
hours,” she said.
During the convention, it
was announced that next year’s
convention will be held in
Houston, which was good news
for Vanders.
“The NCEA convention
being held in the state of Texas
for the very rst time will be
a historic occasion,” Vanders
said. “All Catholic schools in the
Diocese of Austin will attend
because it will be so close.”
Pope urges Cubans to be patient yet persistent
BY FRANCIS X. ROCCA
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
The Cuba that Pope Benedict XVI visited March 26-28
is a country where the Catholic
Church enjoys signicantly more
freedom and ofcial recognition
than it did when Blessed John
Paul II made the rst papal visit
to the island in 1998.
Since that time, the communist regime has made Christmas
a national holiday, and it now
allows Communist Party members to identify themselves as
practicing Catholics. In preparation for this year’s 400th anniversary of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, the venerated
statue was allowed to circulate
on a pilgrimage throughout the
country, an event that President
Raul Castro said “brought our
people together, believers and
nonbelievers.”
Such progress in religious freedom is what Cuban church leaders and Pope
Benedict himself have said
they hope to build on in the
aftermath his visit. But in
other dimensions of human
rights, the reform record of
the Cuban regime has been
less encouraging.
“People should be able to
express their opinions without fear and without punishment,” said Msgr. Jose Felix
Perez Riera, assistant secretary
of the Cuban bishops’ conference. “When somebody thinks
or expresses a different idea,
they accuse him of being paid
by the United States, of being
a traitor. Little (reforms), such
as permitting someone to
buy a cellular phone –– those
don’t seem signicant to me.”
Pope Benedict, in his public statements during and just
prior to his Cuba visit, afrmed the value of freedom.
“The church is always on
the side of freedom: freedom
of conscience, freedom of
religion,” he told reporters
March 23, in response to a
question about Cuba.
“God not only respects
human freedom: He almost
seems to require it,” the pope
said in his homily during a
Mass in Santiago de Cuba
March 26.
But addressing those frustrated by the pace of change
in Cuba after half a century
of communism, the pope said
that the “path of collaboration
and constructive dialogue”
between church and regime
there is long and “demands
patience.”
Msgr. Perez said Pope
Benedict was not saying that
Cubans should remain passive
in the face of oppression.
“I think that when the
Holy Father asks patience
it does not mean inactivity
... it does not mean crossing
your arms and letting things
happen without taking any
responsibility,” Msgr. Perez
said. “Perhaps he is thinking
of the gradualness (that is)
normal to human and social
processes.”
Msgr. Perez is the pastor
of Havana’s Church of St. Rita
of Cascia, where the Ladies in
White –– “Damas de Blanco”
–– attend Mass every Sunday,
then march down the avenue in
front, protesting human rights
violations by the regime.
The Ladies in White are relatives of Cubans who were imprisoned in 2003 for advocating
free elections and other political
reforms. The prisoners were
released in 2011 under a deal
brokered by Havana Cardinal
Jaime Ortega Alamino. Most of
those former political prisoners
went into exile abroad.
The Ladies have continued
protesting on behalf of other
prisoners of conscience who
they say are still inside Cuban
prisons. Members of the group
are frequently arrested and released in less than 24 hours.
They also have been attacked by
what they say are governmentcontrolled mobs.
For one of the Ladies, Alejandrina Garcia de la Rivas, 46,
the pope’s counsel is comprehensible yet hard to accept.
“As Catholics we understand the word patience ... anger, impatience, desperation
are sins,” she said. “But we are
afraid.”
Garcia voiced gratitude for
the welcome that Msgr. Perez
offers the Ladies at his church
and for the support they have
received from other members
of the Cuban hierarchy.
Bishop Manuel de Cespedes
Garcia-Menocal of Matanzas
was still a parish priest when
he ministered to Garcia’s husband in prison and has remained
a family friend, she said. She
noted that Archbishop Dionisio
Garcia Ibanez of Santiago de
Cuba forcefully defended the
Ladies from the threat of mob
violence earlier this year, and
Garcia said she remains thankful
for Cardinal Ortega’s work to
obtain the release of the group
that included her husband.
Garcia also said she appreciates the principles behind the
bishops’ nonconfrontational
strategy of dialogue with the
regime.
“I think (the bishops) have
the right idea, of reconciling all
Cubans, of helping all Cubans
without exception, even those
who oppress us,” she said. “But
they are also afraid; they are
afraid because they, too, suffer,
they are threatened.”
“I think (the bishops) have
a lot of good intentions: to reconcile all the Cuban people, to
help us all, without exception,
even those who oppress us,” she
said. “But they are also afraid.
They are afraid because they,
too, suffer. The government
threatens them.”
What the Ladies want, Garcia said, is for the Cuban bishops to insist that their dialogue
with the regime also include
representatives of the political
opposition. In Garcia’s view,
such representation would mean
real progress toward lasting political reform.
12
IN OUR WORLD
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Bishops write letters opposing budget cuts
BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
The U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops has expressed its concerns over
proposed cuts in federal programs serving the country’s
poorest and most vulnerable
people in a series of letters
to congressional leaders since
April 4 as debate over the scal year 2013 budget begins.
The letters from Bishop
Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton,
Calif., chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice
and Human Development,
and Bishop Richard E. Pates
of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace,
urge Congress to draw a
“circle of protection” around
programs that serve “the least
among us.”
The letters were sent after the House of Representatives adopted on March 27
a $3.5 trillion budget resolution –– with a $600 billion
deficit –– written by Rep.
Paul Ryan, R-Wis. The plan
calls for massive spending
cuts in nonmilitary programs,
turning Medicaid into a block
grant program administered
by the states, reshaping Medicare over the next decade,
and simplifying the tax code
by closing loopholes and lowering individual and corporate tax rates.
A common message in
the letters focuses on the necessity of “shared sacrice by
all, including raising adequate
revenues,” the elimination
of unnecessary military and
other spending and fairly addressing long-term costs associated with health insur-
ance and retirement costs.
In a letter to the House
Agriculture Committee, Bishop
Blaire said the House-passed
budget “fails to meet these
moral criteria.”
A summary of each letter
follows.
• April 4 to the House Subcommittee on Transportation,
charged to families receiving
housing assistance, saying very
low-income families would be
harmed, especially at a time
when wages are stagnant and
food and gas prices are rising.
• April 16 to the House
Agriculture Committee:
A letter signed by Bishop
Blaire urged the committee
Appropriations Subcommittee
for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies:
Support for 10 domestic and
international food and nutrition
programs that affect the lives of
people worldwide was outlined
in a two-page letter.
“Adequate nutrition is es-
“These cuts are unjustied and wrong. If cuts are necessary,
the committee should rst look towards reducing and targeting
commodity and subsidy programs that disproportionately go
to large growers and agribusiness.”
–– Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif.
Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies:
As one of the largest private providers of housing services for poor and vulnerable
people, the Catholic community sees a growing need for
assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development. Cutting funds
for housing programs “could
cause thousands of individuals and families to lose their
housing and worsen the hardship of thousands more in
need of affordable housing.”
The bishops urge the leaders to protect funding for housing for the elderly, people with
disabilities, and people with
AIDS; Veterans Affairs-supported housing; McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance
Act programs; Section 8 rental
assistance; and other programs
that ensure safe and affordable
housing for vulnerable Americans.
The bishops also repeated
their concern about proposals to increase the minimum
amount of rent that can be
to “resist for moral and human reasons unacceptable
cuts to hunger and nutrition
programs.”
Acknowledging that the
committee is under instruction
to cut $33.2 billion from agricultural programs, the USCCB
urged Congress to “protect
essential programs that serve
poor and hungry people over
subsidies that assist large and
relatively well-off agricultural
enterprises.”
The letter pointed particularly to proposed cuts in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known
as food stamps, and how such
cuts will harm hungry children,
poor families, vulnerable seniors
and workers who cannot nd
work.
“These cuts are unjustied
and wrong. If cuts are necessary,
the committee should rst look
towards reducing and targeting
commodity and subsidy programs that disproportionately
go to large growers and agribusiness,” Bishop Blaire wrote.
• April 16 to the Senate
sential to protect human life
and dignity. We urge support
for just and sufcient funding
for agriculture policies that
serve hungry, poor and vulnerable people while promoting good stewardship of the
land and natural resources,”
the bishops said.
They opposed cuts in domestic programs such as the
Women, Infants and Children nutrition program; the
Emergency Food Assistance
Program for food storage and
distribution grants in local
communities; Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program; Commodity Supplemental Food Program serving
low-income seniors, pregnant
and breastfeeding women and
infants and children; Conservation Stewardship Program that helps farmers conserve and care for farmland;
and Value Added Producer
Grants that help farmers and
ranchers develop new farm
and food-related businesses
to increase rural economic
opportunity.
International programs
cited as vital and undeserving
of funding cuts include Title
II Food Aid; the “safe box”
provision to help chronically
hungry communities build lasting agricultural capacity that
minimizes the impact of severe
weather and other catastrophes;
and Local and Regional Procurement of food commodities
to reduce food assistance costs
and shorten delivery times.
The bishops also called for
increasing the amount of cash
resources in the Title II program for nutrition education
and other agricultural programs
that increase the quality and
amount of food that poor farmers produce.
• April 17 to the House
Ways and Means Committee:
Bishop Blaire renewed the
USCCB’s “strong opposition
to unfair proposals that would
alter the child tax credit to exclude children of hard-working immigrant families.”
The bishops have been
longtime supporters of the
credit because of its pro-work
and pro-family orientation and
for being “one of the most effective anti-poverty programs
in our nation.” In 2009 2.3
million people, including 1.3
million children, were kept
out of poverty by the credit.
Denying the credit to children
of immigrants, the majority
of whom are American citizens, would harm vulnerable
children, increase poverty and
“would not advance the common good,” the letter said.
“To exclude these children
who are American citizens from
the child tax credit is unjust and
wrong. We urge you to actively
and publicly oppose such measures.”
Vatican approves blessing for unborn children
BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Just in time for Mother’s
Day, U.S. Catholics parishes
will be able to celebrate the new
Rite for the Blessing of a Child
in the Womb.
The Vatican has given its approval to publication in English
and Spanish of the new rite,
which was approved by the U.S.
bishops in November 2008.
The blessing will be printed
in both languages in a combined
booklet.
“I can think of no better day
to announce this news than on
the feast of the Annunciation,
when we remember Mary’s ‘yes’
to God and the incarnation of
that child in her womb that
saved the world,” said Cardinal
Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the
USCCB Committee on Pro-Life
Activities.
The blessing was prepared
to support parents awaiting
the birth of their child, to encourage parish prayers for and
recognition of the gift of the
child in the womb, and to
foster respect for human life
within society.
It can be offered within the
context of Mass as well as outside of Mass, and for an individual mother, a couple or a
group of expectant parents.
“We wanted to make this
announcement as soon as pos-
sible so that parishes might begin to look at how this blessing
might be woven into the fabric
of parish life,” said Archbishop
Gregory M. Aymond of New
Orleans, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Divine
Worship. “Eventually the new
blessing will be included in the
Book of Blessings when that
text is revised.”
The Vatican approval, or
“recognitio,” came from the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.
The blessing originated
when then-Bishop Joseph E.
Kurtz of Knoxville, Tenn.,
(now archbishop of Louisville,
Ky.) asked the pro-life committee to see if such a bless-
ing existed. When none was
found, the committee prepared a text and submitted it
to the divine worship committee in March 2008.
The blessing includes intercessions “for our government
and civic leaders that they may
perform their duties with justice
and compassion while respecting the gift of human life” and
“for a safe and healthy pregnancy for all expectant mothers
and for a safe delivery for their
children.”
It also expresses concern
“for children who are unwanted,
unloved, abandoned or abused,
that the Lord will inspire his
people to protect and care for
them.”
If used as a blessing outside
Mass, the service includes introductory prayers, Scripture readings, intercessions, the actual
blessing of the mother and child,
and a concluding rite.
“May almighty God, who
has created new life, now bless
the child in your womb,” the
blessing says. “The Lord has
brought you the joy of motherhood: May he bless you with
a safe and healthy pregnancy.
You thank the Lord today for
the gift of your child: May he
bring you and your child one
day to share in the unending
joys of heaven.”
There are also optional
prayers for fathers, for families
and for the parish community.
IN OUR WORLD
May 2012
13
Resist unjust laws, join in ‘fortnight for freedom’
BY NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
American Catholics must
resist unjust laws “as a duty of
citizenship and an obligation of
faith,” a committee of the U.S.
bishops said in a new statement
on religious liberty.
Titled “Our First, Most
Cherished Liberty,” the 12-page
statement by the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty also
calls for “a fortnight for freedom” from June 21, the vigil of
the feasts of St. John Fisher and
St. Thomas More, to July 4, U.S.
Independence Day.
“This special period of
prayer, study, catechesis and
public action would emphasize both our Christian and
American heritage of liberty,”
the committee said. “Dioceses
and parishes around the country could choose a date in that
period for special events that
would constitute a great national
campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty.”
Made public April 12, the
document was approved by the
U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops’ Administrative Committee during its March meeting
for publication as a committee
statement.
The ad hoc committee
opened its statement with several “concrete examples” of recent
threats to religious liberty, saying
that “this is not a theological or
legal dispute without real-world
consequences.”
Cited rst was the Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate that most health
plans must include contraception,
sterilization and some abortioninducing drugs free of charge,
even if the employer is morally
opposed to such services.
“In an unprecedented way,
the federal government will
both force religious institutions
to facilitate and fund a product
contrary to their own moral
teaching and purport to dene
which religious institutions are
‘religious enough’ to merit protection of their religious liberty,”
the statement said. “These features of the ‘preventive services’
mandate amount to an unjust
law.”
Among other examples of
“religious liberty under attack”
the bishops named:
• Immigration laws in Alabama and other states that “forbid what the government deems
‘harboring’ of undocumented
immigrants –– and what the
church deems Christian charity
and pastoral care to those immigrants.”
• An attempt by the Connecticut Legislature in 2009 to
restructure Catholic parishes.
• Discrimination against
Christian students on college
campuses.
• Government actions in
Boston, San Francisco, the District of Columbia and the state
of Illinois that have “driven local Catholic Charities out of the
business of providing adoption
or foster care services” because
the agencies would not place
children with same-sex or unmarried heterosexual couples.
• A New York City rule that
bars small church congregations
from renting public schools on
weekends for worship services,
while allowing such rentals by
nonreligious groups.
• Changes in federal contracts for human trafficking
grants that require Catholic
agencies “to refer for contraceptive and abortion services in
violation of Catholic teaching.”
The statement quotes the
Founding Fathers and the Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr. to bolster its arguments.
Rev. King, writing from jail
in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963,
described an unjust law as one
“that is out of harmony with the
moral law,” and said he agreed
with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.”
“An unjust law cannot be
obeyed,” the bishops’ statement
said. “In the face of an unjust
law, an accommodation is not
to be sought, especially by resorting to equivocal words and
deceptive practices.
“If we face today the prospect of unjust laws, then Catholics in America, in solidarity with
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urgent priority.”
The bishops assigned special
responsibility for advancing religious freedom to several groups:
• Those who hold public
office must “protect and defend those fundamental liberties guaranteed by the Bill
of Rights,” regardless of their
political party.
• Leaders of Catholic hospitals, universities and social
service agencies “who may be
forced to choose between the
good works we do by faith, and
delity to that faith itself” were
encouraged to “hold firm, to
stand fast and to insist upon
what belongs to you by right as
Catholics and Americans.”
• Priests must offer “a catechesis on religious liberty suited
to the souls in your care,” a
responsibility that is shared with
“writers, producers, artists, publishers, lmmakers and bloggers
employing all the means of communications.”
In addition to the “fortnight
for freedom” June 21 to July 4,
the bishops designated the feast
of Christ the King –– Nov. 25
this year –– as “a day specically
employed by bishops and priests
to preach about religious liberty,
both here and abroad.”
“Our First, Most Cherished Liberty: A Statement on
Religious Liberty” is available
at www.usccb.org/issues-andaction/religious-liberty/our-rstmost-cherished-liberty.cfm.
Beck Funeral Home
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our fellow citizens, must have
the courage not to obey them,”
it added. “No American desires
this. No Catholic welcomes it.
But if it should fall upon us,
we must discharge it as a duty
of citizenship and an obligation
of faith.”
The bishops also distinguished between conscientious
objection and an unjust law.
“Conscientious objection
permits some relief to those
who object to a just law for
reasons of conscience –– conscription being the most wellknown example,” the committee said. “An unjust law
is ‘no law at all.’ It cannot
be obeyed, and therefore one
does not seek relief from it,
but rather its repeal.”
The statement also raised
the issue of religious freedom
abroad and said “the age of martyrdom has not passed.”
“Assassinations, bombings
of churches, torching of orphanages –– these are only the most
violent attacks Christians have
suffered because of their faith
in Jesus Christ,” the bishops
said. “It is our task to strengthen
religious liberty at home, ... so
that we might defend it more
vigorously abroad.”
The statement called on
“American foreign policy, as
well as the vast international
network of Catholic agencies”
to make “the promotion of
religious liberty an ongoing and
14
IN OUR WORLD
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Pope celebrates 85th birthday with Bavarians
BY CAROL GLATZ
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 85th birthday with guests
who treated him to Bavarian
“oompah” music and folk dancing in the apostolic palace.
Bavarian bishops, ministerpresident of Bavaria –– Horst
Seehofer, and a 150-person regional government delegation
visited the pope April 16 in the
Vatican’s Clementine Hall.
They were accompanied by
a small Bavarian band, three
female singers and 10 children
who danced the skirt-swirling,
shoe-stomping, thigh-slapping
“Schuhplattler” before the pope.
The pope’s 88-year-old
brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger,
also attended the festivities as
well as representatives from the
Lutheran Church and the Jewish
community in Bavaria.
The children, dressed in traditional costume, presented the
pope with white owers and a
maypole covered with colorful
ribbons. They also recited a
German birthday poem.
The delegation presented
the pope with gifts of a wooden crucix sculpted by a wellknown 18th-century Bavarian
woodcarver, Ignaz Gunther, and
a large Easter basket lled with
traditional cakes, dark bread,
ham and painted eggs.
In his address to the pope,
Seehofer said Bavaria was still
the most-Catholic region in
Germany and that it was still
common to find the crucifix
hung in public schools and small
roadside shrines maintained
throughout the area.
“You’ve always stayed Bavarian and we’re very grateful
for that,” he told the pope.
In his address, Cardinal
Marx thanked the pope for his
delity to the faith, saying he
was an important example to
all bishops of loyalty and obedience.
The pope, who smiled and
clapped during the 40-minute
event, thanked everyone present
and noted how the different cities, people and ages represented
there were “a reection of all the
stages in my life.”
He said the music and instruments reminded him of his
childhood. His father used to
play the stringed zither, he said,
and, as children, he and his siblings would sing “God Greets
You,” which was sung at the
Vatican event.
“This is the sound of my
youth, present and future,” the
pope told his guests.
At the end of the celebration, everyone, including the
pope, sang the Bavarian state
anthem.
Earlier in the day, the pope
celebrated a private Mass in the
Pauline Chapel with his Bavarian guests and Vatican ofcials.
In an impromptu homily,
the pope said, “I nd myself on
the last stretch of my journey in
life, and I don’t know what is
awaiting me.”
“I know, however, that the
light of God exists, that he is risen, that his light is stronger than
any darkness and that God’s
goodness is stronger than any
evil in this world, and this helps
me go forward with certainty,”
he said.
He thanked his deceased
parents for his birth, which happened on Holy Saturday, and his
baptism –– another life-giving
event –– the same day, he said.
The pope asked whether it
was “responsible or too unpredictable” to simply bring forth
new life. While life is a gift, “it
is surrounded by a larger question,” he said.
“Life becomes a true gift
if one can also make a promise, together with (life), that is
stronger than any misfortune
that can threaten us, that (life)
be immersed in a strength that
guarantees that it is good to be
human,” he said.
That is why birth must be
accompanied by rebirth, or baptism, he said, because it is also
being welcomed into a community of faith in Christ that gives
people the certainty and hope
that it truly is good to exist and
be alive.
The Vatican set up a special
email address ([email protected]) so well-wishers could send a note marking
the pope’s birthday and the
seventh anniversary of his election April 19.
CHILDREN
DRESSED
in the
traditional
Bavarian
garb greet
Pope Benedict XVI with
a bouquet
of owers
during the
pontiff’s 85th
birthday celebrations in
the Clementine Hall at
the Vatican
April 16.
(CNS photo
by L’Osservatore
Romano via
Reuters)
GRADUATION 2012
May 2012
A letter from Dr. Ned Vanders, Superintendent of Catholic Schools
Dear 2012 Graduates,
Bishop Joe Vásquez joins me and the Catholic Schools Ofce in congratulating you on your graduation! The milestone day
is upon us. In a few weeks, you will walk across the stage to be given a well-earned document – your high school diploma,
and more specically a Catholic high school diploma. The graduation ceremony is the beginning of a new chapter in your
lives.
It is our hope that in the years ahead, you will recall fond memories of your teachers, friends, and your days in high school.
But most importantly, our desire, as educators and family, is that you leave with a strong foundation of the teachings of Jesus
Christ and a the certainty that you will make a difference in the world.
As you go forth into the next phase of life and beyond, we are condent that you will come to realize the gift of your days
spent at a Catholic high school and will come to a fuller appreciation with each passing year.
We are most grateful to your parents and guardians for entrusting you to us and we pray that each of you are prepared with
the faith and academic foundations to sustain you throughout your journey as you move forward to make your dreams reality.
You will be greatly missed!
May God bless each of you abundantly.
Ned Vanders, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Austin
CONGRATULATIONS
To the Class of 2012 Graduates of our six Catholic High Schools:
Your achievement is a great milestone!
Best wishes for the future and
may God bless all your future endeavors.
7KH&DWKROLF6FKRROV2IÀFHDQG'LRFHVDQ6FKRRO$GYLVRU\%RDUG
15
GRADUATION 2012
St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin
16
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Principal: Kevin Calkins
Baccalaureate Mass: St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar Park on June 2 at 7 p.m. with Bishop Joe Vásquez
Graduation: St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School on June 3 at 10 a.m.
San Juan Diego Catholic High School in Austin
Principal: Pam Jupe
Baccalaureate Mass and
Commencement Exercises: May 29
at 6 p.m. at San José Parish in Austin
with Bishop Joe Vásquez
Congratulations Class of 2012!
May the Lord prepare for you a blessed future,
guided by the Holy Spirit and strengthened in faith and love.
Talk Radio for Catholic Life
Prayer Line: 1-888-577-5443 | Donor/Listener Line: 1-877-291-0123
GRADUATION 2012
St. Joseph Catholic High School in Bryan
May 2012
17
Principal: Beatrice Janssen
Baccalaureate Mass: May 20 at 11:30 a.m.
at Christ the Good Shepherd Chapel in Bryan
with Bishop Joe Vásquez
Commencement: May 26 at 10 a.m. at Christ the
Good Shepherd Chapel in Bryan
Reicher Catholic High School in Waco
Principal: Arlene Anderson
Jones
Baccalaureate Mass:
May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at
St. Louis Parish in Waco
with Bishop Joe Vásquez
Commencement: May 19 at
2 p.m. in Waco Hall at
Baylor University
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the website below to enter to WIN the $1,000 scholarship for Catholic
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GRADUATION 2012
Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Temple
18
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Principal: Chris Mosmeyer
Baccalaureate Mass: May 26 at 10 a.m.
at St. Mary Parish in Temple with Bishop Joe
Vásquez
Graduation: May 26 at 2 p.m.
at Holy Trinity Catholic School
St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in Austin
Principal: Sharon
Scamardo, M.Ed.
Baccalaureate Mass:
June 1 at 7 p.m. at
Emmaus Parish in
Lakeway with Bishop
Joe Vásquez
Commencement: June
2, at 11:30 a.m. at St.
Edward’s University
Recreation & Convocation Center in Austin
Congratulations to the St. Michael’s Catholic Academy Class of 2012!
Tray Christian Absher-Carrillo
Sarah Michelle Allen
Andres Raul Alvarez
Eri Ramiro Amezcua Cuellar
Brianna Nicole Ball
Seth Lawrence Blanke
Luke Gordon Bohmfalk
Amy Marie Breen
Reyna Bea Buitron
Vanessa Nicole Carrizales
Martha Angelica Charur
James Anthony Cimino
Teresa Maria Cruz
Alec Esteban Cudmore
Caleb Jackson Dautel
Joshua Pete Dautel
Jordan Travis Demarest
Cody Timothy Dowling
Megan Marie Doyle
Elizabeth Arista Durkin
Chase Henderson Easley
Jared Allen Eichler
Aylin Elizabeth Eker
Phillip Allen Flagg
Anthony Jacob Flores
William Perry Gigliotti
Ryan Lee Griffith
Clarencio Ignacio Guerrero
Paul S Hamilton
Seung Ju Han
Ashley Michelle Hancock
Stuart G Heinlein
Daniel Joseph Henderson
Joseph Gabriel Hernandez
Theresa Clare Hodapp
Sydney Paige Holmes
Abigail Cristine Huffman
Ashley Nicole Jones
Jack Cullen Kiser
Megan Elizabeth Lawyer
Hyo Jung Lee
Alec Smith Lewis
Leopoldo Lopez Trevino
Cella Ann Mahoney
Connor Thomas Malone
Meredith Amelia Mancill
Marissa Anne Martin
Zachary Aaron Mata
Jacob Michael Maxin
Lauren Lillian McCabe
Founded 1984
St. Michael’s Catholic Academy is a college-preparatory
school founded by laity within the Diocese of Austin
to serve a diverse student body. Combining academic
excellence with faith formation and co-curricular
learning opportunities, St. Michael’s prepares the
whole student for leadership, service and decisionmaking consistent with Catholic values.
www.smca.com
3000 Barton Creek Blvd. Austin, Texas 78735
512 | 328-2323
Conor Elizabeth McClendon
Zachary Clark McDonald
Kerri Ann McGonigle
Ryan Patrick McGonigle
Christina M. Mendoza
Derrick John Merkel
Irene Florence Minderhoud
Linsey Niccole Mirtsching
Jeffrey North Mitchell
Christa Rae Morales
Sierra Ashley Mountain
Joan Musiimenta
Emma Souad Nicolas
Ryan James Nolen
Anderson Wöerheide Norton
Helena Felour Nourzad
Radica Vijay Patel
Bryce Keaton Peters
Alexandra Nicole Petrucci
Martin Anthony Prado
Timothy Daniel Reech
John Andrew Rice
Jorge Alejandro Rodriguez Solorzano
Patrick Louis Roland
Keaton J Ross
Benjamin James Russell
Allison Haley Saft
Gabriela Salinas
Christine Elizabeth Samarchi
Kyle Aman Sarradet
Caroline Joan Schneider
Blake Ann Seeker
Natali Nicole Sepulveda
Taylor Ryan Sexton
John Robert Shea
Ellen Elizabeth Smith
James John Snikeris
Madison Marie Solano
William Slaughter Stanka
Clay Ross Stuart
Hannah Kathryn Thompson
Carlos Daniel Trejo Martinez
Kylie Ann Valentine
Dianna Michelle Verduzco
Cameron William Waites
Theodore Patrick Warhoe
Kyle Orris Watson
Caitlin Ann Whiteley
Vincent D Whitenight
Kasey Alexandra Zimmermann
GOOD NEWS
May 2012
19
Visiting with the Holy Father about Central Texas
BISHOP JOE S.
VÁSQUEZ is the fth
bishop of the Austin
Diocese. He shepherds more than
500,000 Catholics in 25 Central
Texas counties.
Editor: Bishop, you just returned to Austin from your trip
to Rome for the “ad limina” visit.
What is an “ad limina” visit?
Bishop Vásquez: Yes, I was in
Rome for almost two weeks during the
middle of March. The “ad limina” visit
is a visit that all bishops make to Rome
every ve to seven years. The trip has
two primary purposes: to present to
the Holy Father a state of the diocese
report that gives him an understanding of the faith life in our diocese and
to celebrate Mass at the tombs of St.
Peter and St. Paul.
The term “ad limina” visit (the full
term is “ad limina apostolorum”) is
taken from the Latin “to the threshold
of the apostles.” This is a pilgrimage
that is made by bishops to Rome to
celebrate Mass at the tombs of the
apostles Peter and Paul. The “ad limina” visit expresses the unity between
the bishop of a particular diocese with
the Holy Father as the successor of
Peter. It is also the opportunity for us
as bishops to meet with the Holy Father and have a conversation with him
about the diocese that we serve and the
people we care for.
Each bishop presents a quinquennial report, which is basically a state
of the diocese. This report describes
the different pastoral ministries and
activities of the diocese: religious
education programs, family life ministries, youth ministries, priestly formation, pro-life activities, social ministries, vocations and Catholic Charities
–– it includes all the different ofces
and functions of the diocese.
Editor: How was your visit
with the pope?
Bishop Vásquez: The bishops of
Region X of the U.S., which includes
POPE BENEDICT XVI met with bishops from Texas on their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican on March 16. (CNS
photo by L’Osservatore Romano)
the metropolitan provinces of the
Archdioceses of Galveston-Houston,
San Antonio and Oklahoma City
traveled together to Rome. The
Diocese of Austin belongs to the
metropolitan province of GalvestonHouston, and we met as a province
with the Holy Father on March 16.
The bishops of Austin, Beaumont,
Victoria, Brownsville, Corpus Christi,
Tyler and Galveston-Houston met
with the Holy Father at the same
audience.
During our visit, we were able to
present a theme of importance in our
own particular diocese to the Holy
Father. I spoke to the Holy Father
about our young people. I focused
on the strong faith of our youth and
of our expanding campus ministry
programs. I also discussed the importance of vocations and I mentioned
that in our region, and particularly
in the Diocese of Austin, there is a
BISHOP JOE VÁSQUEZ, center, concelebrates Mass with bishops
from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas at the tomb of Blessed John Paul
II in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on March 20. (CNS photo by Paul
Haring)
growing culture of vocations. I have
witnessed a hunger in our young
people. They are actively seeking
God and they are striving to build a
relationship with him. This is truly a
beautiful thing to behold. The Holy
Father was interested in this discussion and was very grateful to hear this
news.
As we concluded our time with
the Holy Father, he communicated
to us the importance of the New
Evangelization. He encouraged us
to present the Gospel message to be
fresh and new for this day and this
time. Through the New Evangelization, we are called to help people
understand how Christ is speaking to
them through the Gospel.
Editor: The pope celebrated
his 85th birthday on April 16. How
did he seem as far as his health is
concerned?
Bishop Vásquez: Yes, Pope
Benedict XVI is blessed to have celebrated his 85th birthday last month. I
was amazed at how alert and attentive
he was to each of us during our visit.
The pope was very engaged and he
commented on each of the bishops’
presentations.
Being the pope at 85 years of age
must be demanding and yet he nds
strength from God that allows him
to serve the universal church. When I
spoke about young people, he said he
was pleased to know that our youth are
interested in seeking God and in nding God. Let us continue to ask God
to watch over the Vicar of Christ and
protect him and give him long life.
Editor: What else did you do
while in Rome?
Bishop Vásquez: As I said
before, the “ad limina trip” includes
two primary things: the visit with the
Holy Father and to celebrate Mass
at the tombs of St. Peter and Paul.
As bishops, we also visited different ofces and departments of the
Roman Curia at the Vatican, known
as dicasteries. We visited dicasteries such as the Congregation for the
Bishops, Congregation for the Clergy
and Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith. We also met with various
pontical commissions to dialogue
about questions that we had or issues
that they wanted to discuss. It was
a very open gathering and through
these meetings, we learned much
about the faith in other parts of the
world and the Vatican ofces learned
more about the faith in our part of
the world. We have to understand
our church is global with many needs
and challenges, and yet we form one
body of Christ.
Editor: As we move forward
into the next ve years, what is
your prayer for the Austin Diocese?
Bishop Vásquez: My prayer is
that the Austin Diocese will continue
to build upon what God has already
given us and we are grateful for his
abundant blessings. As a diocese, we
are very pro-life, and I pray we may
continue to create a culture of life. I
also pray that God will continue to
bless our efforts to create a culture of
vocations. May God strengthen our
faith in Jesus Christ so that Central
Texas may see the face of Christ
more clearly in the eyes of our brothers and sisters. May we proclaim the
New Evangelization throughout our
diocese so that Christ and his message will be fresh and new and full of
hope for our people.
GOOD NEWS
20
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Ways to live out our Easter joy
BY BARBARA BUDDE
COLUMNIST
The stores have put away their
Easter bunnies and all the candy and
baskets have been sold. However, we
are still in the Easter season and will
celebrate the great feast of Pentecost
at the end of this month. During Lent
we give things up or do extra kindness or spend more time in prayer;
but what can we do or what should
we be doing during this season? How
has the spirit of the Risen Christ
taken hold of us and transformed us?
What new life is stirring in us and
gives witness to others of the Good
News of God’s love and mercy? Here
are a few ideas:
• Reach out to someone in your
parish, at your work or in your neighborhood whom you don’t particularly
like and get to know them a bit better.
Jesus’ ministry was all about reconciliation. There are those whom we will
never like, but knowing more about
them might help us to have greater
compassion and more openness toward them. I am quite sure that it took
some time for the disciples of Jesus to
accept Matthew the tax collector (traitor and collaborator with the enemy) as
an equal, yet they did. For Easter nd
a way to be in community with a “Matthew” in your world.
• Read and study the U.S. bishops’ statement, “Our First Most
Cherished Liberty,” on Religious
Liberty at www.usccb.org/issuesand-action/religious-liberty/our-rstmost-cherished-liberty.cfm. In it they
make clear that the
church cannot and
will not obey any
unjust law. The
bishops cite many
examples including
the HHS mandate
and immigration
laws in states like
Alabama. Being
an Easter people
means proclaiming
freedom from every
form of injustice,
including those
passed by legislators or mandated
by government
structures.
• Practice Faithful Citizenship by
participating in elections. Many cities
and counties will be holding local
elections this month and the state
primary elections will be held on May
29. Inform yourself on the issues and
vote for the candidates that will pro-
mote the values we know will build a
just, loving and strong society.
• Many of our brothers and
sisters nd it hard to live in Easter
joy because of the circumstances
of their lives. Practice solidarity by
reaching out to someone who is in
need. Contact a local nursing home
to see if there are
residents with
no family nearby
and begin to visit
them. Commit to
working in a local
food pantry; join
the Society of St.
Vincent de Paul or
the Ladies of Charity or a ministerial
alliance that serves
the poor. Contact
your parish Gabriel
Project and support someone with
a crisis pregnancy.
Become a mentor
or tutor to a child. There are many
ways to make a difference by giving
the gift of presence.
• In his rst general audience of
the Easter Season, Pope Benedict told
pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, Peace
“was a gift, the gift the risen one
made to his friends. At the same time
it was a commission: the peace which
Christ had bought with his blood was
for them, but it was also for everyone
else, and the disciples would have to
carry it throughout the world.” As his
disciples today, we are commissioned
to bring that peace to our world.
What can you do to bring peace to
your corner of the world? All of us
feel anger, but we don’t have to give
into it, we don’t have to speak violent
or hurtful words and we should do
everything possible to avoid violent
actions.
We have an opportunity during
this holy Easter Season to model for
the world what Easter joy, Easter
peace and Easter reconciliation look
like by the way we live and act toward
one another. Let’s relish the great gift
of Christ’s life that has been given to
us, it is better than chocolate and better for us!
BARBARA BUDDE
is the diocesan
director of social
concerns. She
can be reached at
(512) 949-2471 or
barbara-budde@
austindiocese.org.
Make some space…
OUR LADY OF THE
ROSARY CEMETERY
& PRAYER GARDENS
...and time for yourself.
Franciscan sisters invite you to join
other discerning women 18-30
during Spring 2012 Retreats.
Years later, I still
Visit www.fscc-calledtobe.org
The World Needs You. God Calls You. We Invite You.
GOOD NEWS
May 2012
21
Collection for Retired Clergy and Religious
The special collection Retired Clergy and Religious was taken up Dec. 10-11. If your parish nds an error, call the diocesan Finance Ofce at (512) 949-2400. For
more information on this collection, visit www.retiredreligious.org.
Parish
Totals
Austin Central Deanery
Austin, Cristo Rey
Austin, Holy Cross
Austin, Our Lady of Guadalupe
Austin, St. Austin
Austin, St. Ignatius
Austin, St. Julia
Austin, St. Mary Cathedral
Austin, San José
Austin Central Deanery Totals
$1,370.02
$378.00
$2,166.76
$3,812.67
$9,441.51
$493.94
$4,919.13
$7,363.50
$29,945.53
Parish
$2,421.00
$1,965.00
$3,153.56
$4,178.60
$6,346.00
$7,016.58
$2,477.00
$3,907.71
$1,390.10
$32,855.55
Bastrop, Ascension
Elgin, Sacred Heart
Lockhart, St. Mary of the Visitation
Luling, St. John
Martindale, Immaculate Heart
Rockne, Sacred Heart
Smithville, St. Paul
String Prairie, Assumption
Uhland, St.Michael
Bastrop/Lockhart Deanery Totals
$2,576.53
$1,244.45
$1,767.55
$648.75
$363.25
$1,538.37
$981.00
$498.00
$190.93
$9,808.83
Bryan/College Station Deanery
Austin South Deanery
Austin, Our Lady of Sorrows (Dolores) $297.00
Austin, St. Andrew Kim
$200.00
Austin, St. Catherine of Siena
$7,843.73
Austin, St. John Neumann
$15,880.87
Austin, St. Paul
$3,832.17
Austin, St. Peter the Apostle
$2,201.00
Austin, San Francisco Javier
$339.00
Austin, Santa Barbara
$831.25
Lakeway, Emmaus
$2,185.00
Austin South Deanery Totals
$33,610.02
Brenham/La Grange Deanery
Brenham, St. Mary
Chappell Hill, St. Stanislaus
Dime Box, St. Joseph
$1,324.00
$1,042.00
$1,419.86
$1,615.00
$47.00
$88.55
$470.00
$400.35
$492.00
$7,814.77
Bastrop/Lockhart Deanery
Austin North Deanery
Austin, Holy Vietnamese Martyrs
Austin, Sacred Heart
Austin, St. Albert the Great
Austin, St. Louis
Austin, St. Theresa
Austin, St. Thomas More
Austin, St. Vincent de Paul
Cedar Park, St. Margaret Mary
Lago Vista, Our Lady of the Lake
Austin North Deanery Totals
Totals
Ellinger/Hostyn Hill, St. Mary
Fayetteville, St. John
Giddings, St. Margaret
La Grange, Sacred Heart
Lexington, Holy Family
Old Washington, St. Mary
Pin Oak, St. Mary
Rockdale, St. Joseph
Somerville, St. Ann
Brenham/La Grange Deanery Totals
$156.00
$342.50
$417.51
Bremond, St. Mary
Bryan, St. Anthony
Bryan, St. Joseph
Bryan, Santa Teresa
Caldwell, St. Mary
College Station, St. Mary
College Station, St. Thomas Aquinas
Franklin, St. Francis of Assisi
Frenstat, Holy Rosary
Hearne, St. Mary
Bryan/College Station Totals
$700.00
$1,041.03
$1,341.00
$310.00
$986.36
$3,016.00
$3,332.21
$392.00
$638.00
$696.46
$12,453.06
Georgetown/Round Rock Deanery
Andice, Santa Rosa
Corn Hill, Holy Trinity
$1,389.50
$1,386.00
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If anything should happen to you, what
would happen to them? We’re here to
help you make sure that their futures are
secure. Don’t leave it to chance.
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Parish
Totals
Georgetown, St. Helen
Granger, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
Hutto, St. Patrick
Manor, St. Joseph
Pugerville, St. Elizabeth
Round Rock, St. John Vianney
Round Rock, St. William
Taylor, Our Lady of Guadalupe
Taylor, St. Mary of the Assumption
Georgetown/Round Rock Totals
$6,115.66
$1,101.75
$782.51
$527.04
$4,470.19
$3,970.60
$15,985.00
$570.45
$2,059.36
$38,358.06
Killeen/Temple Deanery
Belton, Christ the King
Burlington, St. Michael
Cameron, St. Monica
Copperas Cove, Holy Family
Cyclone, St. Joseph
Harker Heights, St. Paul Ch. Hasang
Killeen, St. Joseph
Marak, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
Rogers, St. Matthew
Rosebud, St. Ann
Salado, St. Stephen
Temple, Our Lady of Guadalupe
Temple, St. Luke
Temple, St. Mary
Westphalia, Visitation
Killeen/Temple Deanery Totals
$977.00
$127.00
$755.00
$5,161.00
$314.00
$12,411.50
$2,797.51
$326.00
$106.00
$180.00
$459.00
$1,075.00
$5,203.00
$3,105.00
$659.00
$33,656.01
Lampasas/Marble Falls Deanery
Bertram, Holy Cross
Burnet, Our Mother of Sorrows
Goldthwaite, St. Peter
Horseshoe Bay, St. Paul the Apostle
Kingsland, St. Charles Borromeo
Lampasas, St. Mary
Llano, Holy Trinity
Lometa, Good Shepherd
$426.09
$843.00
$53.00
$2,310.75
$477.91
$530.07
$447.96
$1,158.00
JOE WOLF
979-968-9800
[email protected]
General Agent, serving the
Diocese of Austin
245-519-1492
[email protected]
Killeen • Harker Heights
Copperas Cove • Granger
JODY SUPAK
DOUG SUPAK
979-968-5332
[email protected]
LaGrange • Giddings
Somerville • Texas A&M
979-968-5332
[email protected]
Bryan-College Station
Brenham • Caldwell
LOUIS BARRON
CLINT HAJOVSKY
512-750-7491
[email protected]
Pflugerville • Taylor
Hutto • Elgin
254-295-0430
[email protected]
Temple • Rockdale •
Hearne • Mexia
PETE PEREZ
EDDIE MAZUREK
512-743-2315
[email protected]
Central Austin Area
512-301-1218
[email protected]
Austin • Smithville • Blanco
Bastrop • Wimberly
RICKY ADAMS
PHILIP REYNA
254-644-2802
[email protected]
Waco • West
CHARLES GUENAT
254-939-1981
[email protected]
Temple • Belton
210-789-9683
[email protected]
Round Rock • North Austin
DOUG DEGROOT
512-294-2406
[email protected]
Georgetown • Cedar Park
Marble Falls • Burnet
Totals
San Marcos Deanery
Blanco, St. Ferdinand
$499.54
Buda, Santa Cruz
$3,714.43
Dripping Springs, St. Martin de Porres $3,313.57
Johnson City, Good Shepherd
$356.10
San Marcos, H.L. Grant Center
$746.00
San Marcos, St. John
$2,977.00
Wimberley, St. Mary
$1,080.07
San Marcos Deanery Totals
$12,686.71
Waco Deanery
China Spring, St. Phillip
Elk, St. Joseph
Gatesville, Our Lady of Lourdes
Lott, Sacred Heart
McGregor, St. Eugene
Marlin, St. Joseph
Mexia, St. Mary
Tours, St. Martin
Waco, Sacred Heart
Waco, St. Francis on the Brazos
Waco (Hewitt), St. Jerome
Waco, St. John the Baptist
Waco (Bellmead), St. Joseph
Waco, St. Louis
Waco, St. Mary of the Assumption
Waco Deanery Totals
$503.87
$450.00
$363.25
$318.00
$400.50
$264.00
$470.25
$1,000.00
$402.00
$634.12
$6,724.55
$111.00
$740.00
$4,382.09
$1,429.01
$18,192.64
Miscellaneous
Grand Totals
$2,750.00
$239,643.48
Austin Catholic Diocese parishioners, employees
and volunteers are eligible for membership.
Whole Life • Term • Annuities • Long-Term Care • IRA • Disability
TOM SUPAK AGENCY
Parish
Marble Falls, St. John
$574.33
Mason, St. Joseph
$327.19
San Saba, St. Mary
$247.00
Sunrise Beach, Our Lady of the Lake
$117.00
Lampasas/Marble Falls Totals
$7,512.30
Join today – rbfcu.org
Austin
512-833-3300
Toll-free
1-800-580-3300
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22
GOOD NEWS
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Sorting through the ‘gray haze’ to nd moral ground
REV. TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK, PH.D.
COLUMNIST
One widely-encountered idea today
is that there is no black and white
when it comes to morality, only a kind
of “gray area.” This is often taken to
mean that we really can’t know with
certainty what is right and wrong, allowing us to “push into the gray” as
we make certain moral decisions that at
rst glance appear to be immoral.
The behavior of the semi-legendary
gure of Robin Hood is sometimes
mentioned as an example of this “gray
area” phenomenon, since he was a
character who would steal money
(morally bad) for the purposes of helping the poor (morally good).
By focusing on the good intentions
motivating our choices, and by arguing
that morality is ambiguous and mostly
“gray” anyway, a person can more easily justify and provide cover for morally
problematic actions. When we begin
to scrutinize the claim that morality is
“gray,” however, we encounter signicant problems and contradictions.
The romanticized exploits of Robin
Hood, for example, end up providing
little more than a “veil of gray” that
quickly dissolves when we place ourselves in the rst-person situation of
being the victim of his thievery, having
our own windows broken and our own
goods plundered. Those who have been
robbed of their possessions will often
describe afterwards, in vivid detail, the
awful awareness of personal violation,
the crushing of their feeling of security,
etc. In these circumstances, we see the
moral problem with Robin Hood’s depraved actions, and appreciate the direct,
black and white character of the universal moral injunction against stealing.
Universal moral prohibitions are
clearly at the heart of any discussion
about the “grayness” of morality. Many
human actions, when freely chosen,
will always be unacceptable. These
actions, referred to as “intrinsic evils,”
are immoral regardless of circumstance. Adultery would be an example
of an intrinsic evil. Regardless of how
much a married man may desire to
be with a new romantic ame, and
regardless of how terrible his current
marriage and sex life may appear to be,
the decision to have sexual relations
with someone who is not his spouse
will invariably constitute an act of
moral depravity on his part. Every wife
who has suffered indelity on the part
of her husband, and every child who
has seen the betrayal of their mother
by their father can attest that there
is no such thing as a “gray zone” for
adultery. Many people who recognize
that an action may be black may still
be tempted to think that because their
intentions are white, the “gray” action
may be done. But good intentions cannot bleach the blackness of a deed.
Acknowledging the existence of
intrinsic evils and recognizing the binding character of absolute moral prohibitions is an important part of our own
moral growth and awakening. Indeed,
morality itself, as an inner determinant
of man’s character, is not fundamentally “gray” at all, but is, by its very
nature, a code of black and white. In
the nal analysis, the cult of moral
grayness is too easily a revolt against
xed and essential moral values.
Although xed moral values must
always guide our decisions, correctly
applying a general moral principle to
a particular situation will often require
specic knowledge of the circumstances and details of that situation.
For example, I might have to
grapple with the question of whether
I have a moral duty to get out of
bed and go to work in the morning.
Whenever a particular set of circumstances prevail (I am healthy; today is
a workday; my employer expects me
to be present at the workplace; my
vehicle is functioning normally), then I
would reasonably conclude that I have
a moral duty to go to work because
of the objective moral commitments I
have as a company employee — and,
likely, the other employees who would
“take up the slack” would resent my
absence. Meanwhile, if I am very sick,
I might reasonably conclude that I do
not have a moral duty to go to work.
Of course, deciding to stay in bed all
day out of mere laziness would constitute an objective failure in terms of my
moral duty. The question of my moral
duty to go to work, then, is not a “gray
area” at all, nor a matter of relative
morals, but rather a question of careful
discernment, weighing of variables,
seeking to do the good, and so on.
In sum, the objective lines of our
moral obligation may sometimes be
difcult to discern, and may even appear gray at rst glance, but when we
sort out the relevant details and seek to
purify our own motives, and become
willing to submit to the binding character of absolute moral prohibitions, that
gray haze can dissipate, enabling us to
see the real moral lines that were there
all along.
FATHER TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK,
PH.D. earned his
doctorate in neuroscience from Yale.
He is a priest of
the Diocese of Fall
River, Mass., and
serves as the Director of Education
at The National
Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. For more information, visit
www.ncbcenter.org.
St. John of Beverley helped mute learn to speak
BY MARY LOU GIBSON
COLUMNIST
The market town of Beverley
in England owes much of its history and present day popularity to its
founder St. John of Beverley. He was
the Bishop of Hexham and then the
Bishop of York in the early part of the
eighth century when that part of England was then the Anglian kingdom of
Northumbria.
The rst structure that St. John
built in the forest that became the
town of Beverley was a double monastery for the use of both sexes. Paul
Burns writes in “Butler’s Lives of the
Saints” that this was the custom of the
times. The rst Christian church in
Beverley was dedicated to St. John the
Evangelist.
Little is known about St. John’s
early life. He was born at Harpham in
Yorkshire and studied at a school in
Canterbury established by St. Theodore. Burns noted that St. John was
taught by St. Adrian of Canterbury. His
early priestly career was as a monk in a
double monastery at Whitby where he
was consecrated bishop of Hexham. In
705, he was promoted to the bishopric
of York where he met the Venerable
Bede and ordained him as a deacon
and priest.
Years later, Bede wrote about
St. John in his book, “Ecclesiastical
History of the English People” and
described many miracles of healing.
Burns reports that many of these
miracles are unauthenticated, but there
is one story that has been repeated in
many of John’s biographies.
It was St. John’s habit to devote
some time to contemplation and he
routinely retired to a cell beside the
church of St. Michael near Hexham.
Michael Walsh writes in “Butler’s Lives
of the Saints” that St. John used this
time of retirement from the world for
spiritual refreshment. It was his custom
to take with him some poor person,
whom he served during that time.
One time he took with him a youth
who had never been able to speak.
Burns reports that St. John carried out
a form of speech therapy with the boy
making him repeat simple sounds and
gradually building these up into words
and sentences. After St. John made
the sign of the cross upon the boy’s
tongue and continued to teach him, the
boy miraculously began to speak.
St. John continued to be associ-
ated with miracles during and after his
lifetime. He always showed special care
for the poor and handicapped. In 717,
his health failed and he retired to the
monastery at Beverley where he died
in 721. He was canonized in 1037 by
Pope Benedict IX.
The popularity of his cult was
a major factor in the prosperity of
Beverley during the Middle Ages and
his shrine was one of the most popular
pilgrim centers for centuries. Edward
I helped to further the cult and made
funds available to build a shrine where
St. John’s relics were translated in
1307. St. John of Beverley is remembered in many writings including that
of Alcuin who in the 8th century recounted a long history of the miracles
of St. John in his poem on the saints of
York. He was also remembered in the
writings of King Athelstan in the 9th
century and St. John Fisher in the 16th
century. Julian of Norwich referred
to St. John in her 14th century book,
“Revelations of Divine Love,” as a
“dear worthy servant to God.”
By some accounts, St. John of
Beverley’s reputation was reported to
be greater than that of any northern
saint, except for St. Cuthbert. Writer
Richard McBrien reports in “Lives of
the Saints” that King Henry V credited
the intercession of St. John for the glorious victory of Agincourt. In a synod
in 1416 the king ordered that John of
Beverley’s feast be kept throughout
England. However, his feast is not kept
by the Church of England today, but
that of Julian of Norwich’s is, on the
following day. His May 7 feast is also
not on the General Roman calendar.
Devotion to St. John led to the
building of a tremendous Gothic abbey
church, but Henry VIII ordered the
destruction of his shrine in 1541 as
part of the English Reformation. He
closed the monastery as well, but the
church survived as a parish church. His
relics were discovered by workmen in
a vault and are venerated in the church
today.
About 800 students presently attend the Beverley Grammar School,
the oldest grammar school in the country, founded by St. John in 700.
MARY LOU GIBSON is
a member of St. Austin Parish in Austin.
She is a retired state
employee.
GOOD NEWS
May 2012
23
ICOS merger brings more help for immigrants
BY MELINDA RODRIGUEZ
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS
In 2011, the Catholic Charities
Board of Directors, with the support
of Bishop Joe Vásquez, embarked on
the journey to set a new direction for
Catholic Charities. The new direction
cast a new light on the core programs of Catholic Charities which are
Disaster Relief, Adoption and Foster
Care, Parish Social Ministry, Pregnancy
and Prenatal services, Long-term Case
Management and Immigration Legal
Services. Equipped with a new direction, the staff of Catholic Charities
began the process of strengthening and
improving programs and services to
increase its ability to serve more individuals throughout the diocese.
Last August, Catholic Charities
began a discussion with Immigration
Counseling and Outreach Services
(ICOS) about the possibility of acquiring the Austin nonprot. ICOS was
established in 1987, with authorization
from the U.S. Department of Justice,
to assist low-income persons in Central Texas with immigration law and
applications for U.S. Citizenship. As
discussions continued, the staff and the
board of directors of Catholic Charities
and ICOS realized that incorporating
ICOS into Catholic Charities would
result in the ability of the ILS Program
at Catholic Charities to better serve
the growing immigrant community.
ICOS, with a team of accredited and
bilingual immigration case managers, was equally enthusiastic about the
opportunity to bring its long history
and success of serving immigrants and
refugees to Catholic Charities. It’s important to understand the signicance
of the expansion of the ILS Program,
but before that can happen, I feel that
it’s important to address why Catholic
Charities offers this service.
The challenges related to immigration reform are complex and at times
polarizing. The simple truth is that programs such as the ILS Program are not
focused on harboring undocumented
immigrants or encouraging them to
illegally migrate to our country. The
Immigration Legal Services Program is
focused on providing a humanitarian
and dignied response to the immigration legal needs of persons that have a
legal pathway to U.S. Citizenship. Our
clients represent 32 foreign countries
and all social-economic levels. Most
of them have not been able to obtain
their citizenship due to economic
hardship. They simply cannot afford
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855-842-8001
email: [email protected]
Carmela A. Dupuis | Executive Director
Is there an abortion in your past?
We can help you nd healing and peace.
Call Project Rachel
Toll free
1-877-We Care 2
in Austin: 238-1246
Ofce of Pro-Life Activities~Catholic Diocese of Austin
Project Rachel Retreats are held several times each year. This is a retreat for anyone seeking
reconciliation and peace after abortion. For more information, call (512) 238-1246 in the Austin
area or toll-free 1-800-We Care 2. All calls are condential.
COURAGE OF AUSTIN
Homosexuality and Hope
Call Fr. Becker: (512) 863-3041
(must dial area code from Austin)
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.couragerc.net
the high costs associated with quality,
private legal representation. Regretfully, a vase majority of them have
spent thousands of dollars paying for
immigration legal advice from persons
not qualied to provide such and as a
result their pathway to citizenship has
become long and arduous.
It is because we are a Catholic
organization that programs such as the
Immigration Legal Services Program
offers affordable legal services, education, outreach and advocacy to the
immigrant community. The expansion
of our ILS Program will increase our
ability to strengthen families that are
separated because they cannot afford
immigration legal representation or as
in the case of a recent ILS client from
Haiti that needed a temporary Visa to
obtain life-saving cancer treatment in
the U.S. That is why acquiring Immigration Counseling and Outreach Services (ICOS) of Austin is signicant.
Our mission is to help families
become self-sufcient, to advocate for
the vulnerable and unborn, to be the
voice for those that are marginalized
and to unconditionally give respect and
dignity to everyone we serve regardless
of their past life, their level of education,
their economic status and their religious
beliefs. Our purpose is to see the face of
Christ in those we serve. We’re here to
serve and to advocate for everyone in
need, including immigrants.
So while the immigration issue continues to be a “political football” among
candidates, Catholic Charities will focus
on fullling the mission of Jesus Christ.
When ICOS and the ILS Program are
joined later this spring, individuals and
families waiting to reunite with their
loved ones residing in foreign countries,
laborers anxious to receive their work
permits and those that have a right to
become U.S. citizens will know that
Catholic Charities cares despite the
politics surrounding the issue. We will
fulll the “duty imposed by human
solidarity and by Christian charity by
giving our brothers and sisters from
foreign counties a hospitable reception”
as called for by Pope Paul VI in “On
the Development of Peoples.” We will
extend the hand of Christ to everyone
in need.
MELINDA RODRIGUEZ
is executive director
of Catholic Charities
of Central Texas. She
may be contacted at
(512) 651-6100 or
melinda-rodriguez@
ccctx.org.
CULTURE
24
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Exhibit of late pope’s artifacts will open in 2013
BY PETER FINNEY JR.
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
A major exhibit of the personal effects of Blessed John
Paul II, titled “I Have Come to
You Again,” will open its threecity U.S. tour in the Archdiocese
of New Orleans in February
2013, and the exhibit organizer
who has handled four previous Vatican exhibits in the U.S.
said he was bracing for record
crowds.
Joining Archbishop Gregory
M. Aymond of New Orleans
April 13 to formally announce
the exhibit was Father Malcolm
Neyland, a priest of the Diocese
of Lubbock, who also serves as
director of the nonprot National Exhibits Association.
He said he expected a huge
turnout because the former pope
is such a beloved gure to both
Catholics and non-Catholics.
“All I can do is look back
at the last four Vatican exhibits,
which were frescoes and other
types of art and mosaics,” Father
Neyland said. “Those always
brought in 200,000 to 300,000
people. This venue will bring in
a lot more because we’re dealing with a people’s pope, with a
person who is very, very loved
to this very moment. I would
predict at least over 200,000 or
300,000 easily.”
The New Orleans exhibit
will open Feb. 4, 2013, and run
through early May. It will be
housed at Schulte Hall on the
campus of Notre Dame Seminary.
The exhibit will move on to
the Archdiocese of Seattle from
Poland, and from the Vatican
collections in Rome. They will
include items such as his baby
crib, the skis he used in crosscountry skiing expeditions, the
cassock in which he was ordained, vestments, the Mass kit
he used when camping and his
desk from Krakow.
The exhibit will be broken
down into four time periods:
Pope John Paul’s childhood and
when Blessed John Paul visited
New Orleans and spoke to hundreds of thousands at the Superdome and at an outdoor Mass at
the University of New Orleans.
“It was one of the greatest
events in the recent history of
the city of New Orleans,” Archbishop Aymond said. “He’s
coming back, but in a different
way. This will be an opportunity for people to have contact
The items will be drawn from Pope John Paul II Center in
Krakow, Poland, and from the Vatican collections in Rome.
They will include items such as his baby crib, the skis he
used in cross-country skiing expeditions, the cassock in
which he was ordained, vestments, the Mass kit he used
when camping and his desk from Krakow.
June through August and then to
the Archdiocese of Washington,
D.C., from September through
November.
Father Neyland said more
than 100 artifacts from the late
pope, including a rst-class relic
–– a vial of his blood that was
drawn just before his death in
2005 –– will be on display. The
items will be drawn from Pope
John Paul II Center in Krakow,
adolescence (1920-38); his years
as a laborer, priest, bishop, archbishop and cardinal in Poland
(1939-78); his tenure as the rst
Polish pope (1978-2005); and
the years following his death
through his beatication on May
1, 2011.
Archbishop Aymond, who
served as bishop of Austin from
2001 to 2009, was rector of
Notre Dame Seminary in 1987
with a saintly man, a man who
gave his life for the church.
There was an attempt on his
life. He was a man who led the
church as a great prophet, as a
great priest and as our universal
shepherd.”
There will be a nominal
charge for admission –– $8 for
adults –– but schoolchildren
will be able to attend for free.
Tickets were expected to be
available beginning April 18
through the National Exhibits
Association website, www.nationalexhibits.org.
Additional lighting and temporary walls will be added to
Schulte Hall to accommodate
the exhibit, but Archbishop
Aymond said he did not think it
would be a major expense. The
archdiocese is seeking sponsors
for the exhibit to help the National Exhibits Association with
its costs.
Archbishop Aymond said
he was working with the New
Orleans Police Department to
develop plans for traffic and
parking in the area around the
seminary.
“We looked at other locations, but we were very
concerned about affecting the
neighborhood,” Archbishop
Aymond said. “One (location)
was in the French Quarter at the
Ursuline Convent, but there was
a concern about buses getting to
it. I really don’t think there will
be a problem. We’re going to
have all that managed through
the police department.”
Father Neyland said about
200 volunteers would be needed
throughout the course of the
three-month exhibit.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hopes of the poor ever perish. Psalm 9:19
May 2012
BULLETIN BOARD
NFP classes....................
25
For Your
Information
Catholic Charities of Central
Texas will host an Open House May
4 from 8:30 to 10 a.m., with a ribbon
cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. The public
is invited to tour their new facilities at
1625 Rutherford Lane in Austin. Staff
members will be available to discuss the
many programs and services Catholic
Charities provides to the Diocese of
Austin. For information, contact Sarah
Rose at (512) 651-6105 or Sarah-Rose@
ccctx.org.
The Assembly of Catholic Professionals will meet for the quarterly luncheon May 9 at 11:30 a.m. at the Hyatt
Regency Town Lake in Austin. Kerry
Robinson of the National Leadership
Roundtable on Church Management will
be the guest speaker. To register, visit
www.austindiocese.org/acp.
Dinners for single, Catholic men
(ages 18 and older) with an openness to a
priestly vocation and discernment will be
held May 9 and June 13 from 7 to 8:30
p.m. at the Borromeo House in Austin.
The evenings include dinner, prayer
and a presentation with discussion on
topics such as the priesthood, seminary,
prayer, discernment and spiritual life.
For more information, contact Father
Brian McMaster at (512) 949-2405 or
[email protected].
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Austin (CCRA) will host its
monthly Mass May 11 at 7 p.m. at San
José Parish in Austin. These Spirit-lled
Masses offer the opportunity to experience and rediscover the power Jesus
promised us through the Holy Spirit.
For information, contact Sabrina Perez
at (512) 466-7669.
The Ladies of Charity of Austin
will meet May 12 at the diocesan Pastoral Center at 6225 Highway 290 East in
Austin. Father Matt Iwuji will celebrate
Mass at 9:30 a.m. and the business
meeting will follow at 10 a.m. For more
information, contact Jo Alvarez at (512)
452-4588 or [email protected].
Pax Christi Austin will meet May
20 at 7 p.m. at the Father John Payne
House at St. Ignatius, Martyr Parish in
Austin. Pax Christi is a Catholic peace
and justice movement that works and
prays to create a world that reects the
peace of Christ. For more information,
contact Bob Rankin at bob_rankin@
att.net.
Project Rachel of the Diocese of
Austin and Austin Coalition for Life
are sponsoring an Evening of Prayerful
Remembrance and Intercession May 25
from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at St. Louis Parish
in Austin. As a community, we are all
touched by each child lost through abortion. St. Paul reminds us, if one member
of the Body of Christ suffers, we all
suffer together (Cor 12:26). Everyone is
invited to pray and intercede on behalf
of our community, seeking forgiveness
and healing in God’s merciful love. For
more information, contact Rebecca
Niemerg at (512) 949-2488 or [email protected].
Hispanic young adults are invited
to Mass (in Spanish) May 25 at 9 p.m.
at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in
Austin. Participants will pray the rosary
beginning at 8:30 p.m. For more information contact Juan Torres at (512) 4155908 or Lily Morales at (512) 363-3609
or [email protected].
Diocesan ofces will be closed May
28 in observance of Memorial Day.
Sarah’s Hope is a free spiritual support program for couples struggling with
fertility problems or pregnancy loss. The
next women’s support group meeting is
June 6; the rosary will be prayed at 6:45
p.m. and discussion begins at 7 p.m. at
the Vitae Clinic in Austin, 1600 W. 38th
St., suite 115. For questions or to sign
up, contact SarahsHopeAustin@gmail.
com. Sarah’s Hope is not a ministry of
the Austin Diocese.
A Discernment Dinner for single,
Catholic men (high school age) will be
held June 6 at 7 p.m. at St. William Parish Rectory in Round Rock. Men with
an openness to encountering Christ,
discovering their identity and their mission are invited to join others for dinner,
evening prayer, a presentation and discussion. For more information, contact
Father Jonathan Raia at (512) 255-4473
or [email protected].
A Culture Camp for children ages
4 to 10 will be held June 18-22 in the
Annex Building at St. Ignatius, Martyr
Catholic School in Austin. The camp
will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
extended care hours from 1 to 4 p.m.
will be available. Students will learn about
jazz, opera, hula dancing, arts and crafts.
For more information, contact Vivian
Kay at [email protected] or
Monique Dacheff at [email protected].
Servus Dei, a program for middle
school youth, will be held June 21-23 at
St. Austin Parish in Austin. The program
is designed to call middle schoolers to a
conversion of heart through activities
that show the dignity of each person.
Activities include service projects, fellowship, catechesis and prayer. For
information, contact Adrian Sanchez at
[email protected] or
(512) 949-2464.
Quo Vadis (Latin for “Where are
you going?) will be held June 23-24 at St.
Thomas More Parish in Austin. It is designed to help young men in high school
grow spiritually and allow them to think
and pray about what God might be asking them to become. The retreat includes
Mass, adoration, time for fun and recreation, and the opportunity to get to know
other young men pursuing holiness from
around the diocese. For information, contact the Vocation Ofce at vocations@
austindiocese.org or (512) 949-2430.
An information session on the
Creighton Model of natural family planning will be held May 10 at 7 p.m. at St.
John Neumann Parish in Austin. To
register, e-mail name and the date of the
class to [email protected].
Introductory sessions to the
Creighton Model of natural family planning will be held May 19 at 10 a.m. and
June 11 at 7 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic
Center in College Station. Registration fee is $20. To register online visit
www.aggiecatholic.org/fccsm or e-mail
[email protected].
An information session on the
Creighton Model of natural family planning will be held May 19 at 10 a.m. at
Seton Williamson in Round Rock. To
register, e-mail name and the date of the
class to [email protected].
A series of classes on the SymptoThermal Method of natural family planning will begin May 19 at 2 p.m. at St.
William Parish in Round Rock. To register, visit http://register.ccli.org.
The Austin Couple to Couple
League will offer a natural family planning Introduction Seminar May 20 at 3
p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in
Austin. The class will satisfy the Austin
Diocese requirement for marriage. To
register, call Sam and Katrina Hartsock
at (512) 899-8294.
An introductory seminar on the
Billings Ovulation Method of natural
family planning will be held June 6 at
7:30 p.m. at St. Thomas More Parish in
Austin. To learn more about this method, visit www.woomb.org. To attend
the seminar, contact Amanda and Ryan
Ransom at [email protected].
An information session on the
Creighton Model of natural family planning will be held June 7 at 7 p.m. at
Seton Medical Center in Austin. To
register, e-mail name and the date of the
class to [email protected].
A series of classes on the Billings
Ovulation Method will begin June 13
at 7:30 p.m. at St. Thomas More Parish
in Austin. The course costs $100 and
is comprised of three classes held over
a three to six week period. To make
reservations or for more information,
contact Amanda and Ryan Ransom at
[email protected].
Retreats.........................
Married couples who are looking
for a getaway and time to reconnect with
one another are invited to a Worldwide
Marriage Encounter May 18-20 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton.
The weekend begins Friday at 7:30 p.m.
and ends Sunday around 4 p.m. This is an
opportunity for husbands and wives to escape the daily distractions of life and focus
on each other. For more information or
to apply to attend, contact Anh and Greg
Thomas at (512) 677-WWME (9963) or
[email protected].
Retrouvaille is a program for married couples that feel bored, disillusioned,
frustrated, or angry in their marriage. This
program has helped thousands of couples
experiencing difculties in their marriage.
For information about or to register for
the next program beginning with a weekend on May 18-20, call 800-470-2230,
e-mail [email protected] or visit
www.HelpOurMarriage.com.
TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) #2
will be held May 26-28 at Eagle’s Wings
Retreat Center in Burnet. Those who are
17 to 24 are invited to TEC, a three-day
retreat based on the Paschal Mystery of
Jesus Christ. Visit www.tec-ctx.org for
information and applications.
A Summer Silent Retreat will be
offered June 1-3 at Cedarbrake Catholic
Retreat Center in Belton. The retreat
begins on Friday evening with a light
meal and concludes Sunday morning
with breakfast. Spiritual direction will be
available. The cost is $150; all rooms are
private. For more information, contact
Cedarbrake at (254) 780-2436 or [email protected].
Living Your Strengths, a weekend retreat, will be held June 15-17 at
Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center
in Belton. Beverly Collin will lead the
retreat based on the book of the same
name. For information, contact Cedarbrake at (254) 780-2436 or cedarbrake@
austindiocese.org.
Young adults between the ages of
18 and 30 are invited to a retreat entitled
“Spe Salvi, Saved in Hope” June 15-17
at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center
in Belton. Participants will reect on the
virtue of hope and the salvation gained
from it. Registration for the weekend is
$120 (before May 30). To register, go
to www.austindiocese.org under Youth,
Young Adult & Campus Ministry and
look for the link on the left. For more
information, contact Adrian Sanchez at
[email protected] or
(512) 949-2464.
Send in your items!
CATHOLIC SPIRIT offers this page, “For Your
Information,” as a “community bulletin board.”
Items of general interest of upcoming parish and
diocesan events, including parish social events,
will be printed at no charge at the discretion of
the editor. The deadline for material is the 10th
of the month, with publication occurring the
rst week of the following month. Material may
be e-mailed to catholic-spirit@austindiocese.
org or faxed to (512) 949-2523.
BULLETIN BOARD
Parish and community events................................
26
San Juan Diego Catholic High
School (SJDCHS) will host its annual
Rose Gala May 4 from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
at the AT&T Executive Education and
Conference Center, 1900 University
Ave. on the University of Texas campus in Austin. The Rose Gala includes
a cocktail hour followed by dinner, live
and silent auctions, and an after-party
with a DJ and dancing. For information, including tickets and sponsorship
opportunities, visit www.rosegala.com.
Young adults (20s and 30s) are
invited to “The Well” on the rst Friday (May 4) of each month at 7:30 p.m.
at St. John Neumann Parish in Austin.
The night includes adoration, praise and
worship and a presentation. For more
information, visit www.sjnaustin.org.
Women ages 16 and older are invited to a MinHI Retreat May 5 from 10
a.m. to noon at Morris Hall at St. John
Neumann Parish in Austin. The retreat
will be a women’s brunch celebrating
the New Feminism of Blessed John Paul
II. For more information, visit www.
sjnaustin.org.
St. Margaret Mary Parish in
Cedar Park will host its 27th an-
Burse
The Diocesan Council of Catholic
Women has completed a burse for the
Clerical Endowment Fund (CEF) in
honor of Holy Cross Father Joseph F.
Houser.
The totals for the burse as of March
31, 2012, are listed below by council.
Austin Council
$742.00
Brazos Valley Council
$605.00
Central Council
$158.00
Eastern Council
$848.00
Northern Council
$326.00
Southern Council
$431.00
Temple Council
$599.00
Previous Balance
$2,910.52
Total
$6,619.52
The Clerical Endowment Fund provides low-cost loans to parishes. Interest
from the loans is used to educate diocesan
seminarians. For information, contact either Father Ed Karasek at (254) 826-3705
or Mary Ann Till at (512) 353-4943.
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
nual SpringFest May 6 on the parish
grounds. The festival will be held
from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will include international foods, live music,
games for all ages, inatables, bingo,
silent auction and more.
St. Louis Parish in Austin is
hosting an Apologetics Series on
Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Wozniak Hall. Rob Koons, a professor
of philosophy at the University of
Texas and parishioner at St. Louis,
will speak on proofs and evidence
(philosophical, scientific, historical
and theological) that support the tenets of our Christian faith. The series
will continue on Monday evenings
through May 21. For information,
contact Amy Allert at (512) 454-0384,
ext. 220.
Annunciation Maternity Home
will host its 10th annual Banquet May
10 beginning at 6 p.m. at St. Helen
Parish in Georgetown. Bishop Wm.
Michael Mulvey of the Corpus Christi
Diocese will be the keynote speaker.
Tickets are $35 per person. Sponsorships are available. For information, contact Annunciation at (512) 864-7755 or
www.thematernityhome.org.
The St. William’s Children’s
Choir will make their debut with the
St. William Festival Choir, performing
John Rutter’s “Mass for the Children,”
May 12 at 7:30 p.m. at St. William Parish in Round Rock. Using the theme
“Waking to Sleeping,” Rutter blends
hymns, melodies, harmonies and traditional Latin texts throughout the performance. The concert is free. For more
information, call (512) 255-4473 or visit
www.saintwilliams.org.
Couples of Faith, an enrichment
program for married couples, is underway at St. John Neumann Parish
in Austin. The program meets on the
second Saturday (May 12) of the month
at 7 p.m. in the St. Timothy Room.
Married couples are invited to come as
they are and come as they can. For more
information, visit www.SJNAustin.org/
CouplesOfFaith.
Between the Masses, an adult faith
formation series, is underway at St. John
Neumann Parish in Austin on Sundays
at 10:15 a.m. in the St. Timothy Room.
For more information, contact Nancy
Biehler at (512) 328-3220 ext. 108 or
[email protected].
A golf tournament will be held May
14 beginning at 12:30 p.m. at Barton
Creek Crenshaw Course in Austin. It will
benet St. John Neumann Knights of
Columbus and the Society of St. Vincent
de Paul. Information, registration and
payment are available at www.sjnkc.org.
Young adults are invited to join
St. John Neumann Parish in Austin for
happy hour May 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at
Truluck’s Downtown in Austin. Young
adults are invited to enjoy fellowship and
conversation with others in a relaxed
atmosphere. For more information,
contact Jen Crowley at (512) 328-3220,
ext. 121 or [email protected].
The Austin Capital Area Chapter
of the St. Mary’s University Alumni
Association is holding its annual golf
tournament at Plum Creek Golf Club in
Kyle on May 19. The tournament begins
with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. The entry
fee is $80, which includes a barbecue
dinner. All proceeds go to scholarships
for Austin area students. For more
information, visit www.stmarytx.edu/
alumni/index.php?site=alumniAlumni
Chapters#alumniAlumniChaptersAust
in or call Gene Sekula at (512) 799-5420.
The Knights of Columbus #7975
will host a blood drive May 20 from
9 a.m. to noon at St. Anthony Marie
de Claret Parish in Kyle. Registration
is available at www.InYourHands.org
(sponsor code “Kyle”). Walk-ins are
welcome. For more information, contact
Ernest Garcia at (512) 268-2937.
St. Monica Parish in Cameron
will host Mary’s Fest 2012 May 20 on
the parish grounds. The day will begin
with Mass and the crowning of Mary
at 10 a.m. Homemade enchilada plates
will be served at 11 a.m. for $8 each.
Activities include a horseshoe tournament, live music, food booths, bingo
and cake wheel.
Dolores Parish in Austin will host
its annual Jamaica May 20 from 1 to 10
p.m. on the parish grounds. Activities
include music, food, games and more.
The Knights of Columbus at St.
John Neumann Parish in Austin will
sponsor a blood drive May 24 in Morris
Hall on the parish grounds. To sign up,
call (512) 328-3220.
St. Mary Parish in Brenham will
host its fth annual “100 Days of Summer” Festival May 27 beginning at 9 a.m.
on the parish grounds. Activities include
a live auction, silent auction, games for
kids, live music, cake walk, talent show
and food booths from many different
ethnic groups.
Young adults in their 20s and
30s, married or single, with children or
without, are invited to join St. John Neumann Parish in Austin for worship, food
and fellowship. Young adults meet on
the fourth Sunday of each month (May
27) for 11:30 a.m. Mass and brunch.
Gathering begins prior to Mass in front
of the archway in the middle of the
church Narthex; after Mass, participants
will go out for brunch.
A “Quick Journey Through the
Bible” will be offered at St. Margaret
Mary Parish in Cedar Park on Mondays
beginning June 4 from 9:30 to 11:30
a.m. and it will repeat on Tuesdays
beginning June 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. To
learn more, call Gina Simmons at (512)
260-2309 or (512) 740-7853 or e-mail
[email protected].
Sacred Heart Parish in Lott will
host its seventh annual Picnic and Barbecue Cook-Off June 23-24 on the
parish grounds. Barbecue judging will
be held from 9 a.m. to noon on June
24. Barbecue dinner will be served June
24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Plates are $8
for dine-in or carry-out. Other activities
include games for all ages, a country
store and a live auction at 1 p.m. For
more information, call Richard Greger
at (254) 721-2952.
St. Joseph Parish in Elk will host
its annual Picnic June 24 from 11 a.m.
to 3 p.m. on the parish grounds. An auction will begin at 1 p.m. and there will be
activities for all ages.
Pastoral support for victims of sexual abuse
The Diocese of Austin is committed to providing condential and compassionate care to victims of sexual abuse, particularly if the abuse was
committed by clergy or a church representative. If you have experienced abuse by someone representing the Catholic Church, please contact
the diocesan coordinator of pastoral care at (512) 949-2400.
Apoyo pastoral a las víctimas de abuso sexual
La Diócesis de Austin se compromete a proporcionar ayuda condencial y compasiva a las víctimas de abuso sexual, especialmente si el
abuso fue cometido por el clero o un representante de la iglesia. Si usted ha sufrido abusos por parte de alguien que representa la Iglesia
Católica, por favor comuníquese con el coordinador diocesano del cuidado pastoral al (512) 949-2400.
How to report an incident of concern
The Diocese of Austin is committed to preventing harm from happening to any of our children or vulnerable adults. If you are aware of sexual
or physical abuse and/or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult, state law requires you to report that information to local law enforcement or
the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at (800) 252-5400 or www.dfps.state.tx.us. Additionally, if the suspected abuse is by
clergy or an employee or volunteer of any diocesan parish, school or agency, a Notice of Concern should be submitted to the diocesan Ethics
and Integrity in Ministry Ofce at (512) 949-2400. The l Notice of Concern can be found at www.austindiocese.org (click on the link HOW TO
REPORT ABUSE). Reports may be made anonymously.
Cómo reportar un caso de abuso
La Diócesis de Austin está comprometida a la prevención del daño que se cause a cualquier niño o adulto vulnerable. Si usted está enterado
del abuso sexual o físico y/o abandono de un niño o adulto vulnerable, la ley estatal requiere que se reporte esa información a la policía local
o el Departamento de Servicios Familiares y de Protección del Estado de Texas al (800) 252-5400 o al sitio: www.dfps.state.tx.us y además,
si la sospecha de abuso es por parte del clero, empleado o voluntario de cualquier parroquia, escuela u organización de la diócesis, se debe
enviar un Reporte de Abuso y debe ser presentado a la Ocina de Ética e Integridad en el Ministerio de la diócesis al (512) 949-2400. El Reporte de Abuso se encuentra en nuestra página de Internet diocesana: www.austindiocese.org ( Haga click en la liga COMO REPORTAR UN
CASO DE ABUSO). Estos reportes pueden ser hechos de manera anónima.
ESPAÑOL
May 2012
27
Paciencia, progreso: Opiniones diferentes
sobre cómo tratar con el régimen cubano
POR FRANCIS X. ROCCA
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
La Cuba que el Santo Papa
Benedicto XVI ha visitado entre
el 26 y el 28 de marzo es un
país donde la Iglesia Católica
disfruta de una libertad y de un
reconocimiento ocial signicativamente mayores de los que
tenía cuando el beato Juan Pablo
II realizó la primera visita papal
a la isla en 1998.
Desde entonces, el régimen
comunista ha convertido la
Navidad en una festividad nacional, y ahora permite que los
miembros del Partido Comunista se identiquen a sí mismos
como católicos practicantes.
En preparación por el 400
aniversario de la Virgen de la
Caridad del Cobre este año, se
permitió que la venerada estatua
circulara en peregrinaje por todo
el país, un acontecimiento que el
presidente Raúl Castro dijo que
“unió a la gente, creyentes y no
creyentes”.
Un progreso tal en la libertad religiosa es lo que los líderes
de la Iglesia cubana y el mismo
Papa Benedicto XVI han dicho
que esperan construir como
consecuencia de su visita. Pero
en otros ámbitos, como los
derechos humanos, el historial
de reformas del régimen comunista ha sido menos alentador.
Monseñor José Félix Pérez
Riera, secretario adjunto de la
conferencia episcopal cubana,
pidió “que las personas puedan
manifestar sus opiniones sin
miedo y sin castigo”.
“Cuando alguien expresa
un pensamiento diferente, le
acusan de estar pagado por los
Estados Unidos, de ser una
persona traidora... Pequeñas
(reformas) como que la persona
pueda comprar un celular no me
parecen signicativas”.
El papa Benedicto, en sus
pronunciamientos públicos durante y justo antes de la visita
a Cuba, rearmó el valor de la
libertad.
“La Iglesia está siempre
de parte de la libertad: de la
libertad de conciencia, de la
libertad de religión”, les dijo a
los periodistas el 23 de marzo,
en respuesta a una pregunta
sobre Cuba.
“Dios no sólo respeta la libertad humana, sino que parece
necesitarla”, armó el Papa en
su homilía de la Misa en Santiago de Cuba el 26 de marzo.
Dirigiéndose, sin embargo,
a los que están frustrados por el
ritmo de los cambios en Cuba
después de medio siglo de comunismo, el Papa dijo que “el
camino de colaboración y de
diálogo constructivo” entre la
Iglesia y el régimen es largo y
“requiere paciencia”.
Mons. Pérez dijo que el Papa
Benedicto XVI no está diciendo que los cubanos deberían
permanecer pasivos frente a la
opresión.
“Creo que cuando el Santo
Padre pide paciencia, no signica inactividad... no signica
cruzarse de brazos y dejar que
las cosas pasen sin ningún tipo
de responsabilidad”, dijo Mons.
Pérez. “Quizá está pensando
en la gradualidad normal que
tienen los procesos humanos y
sociales”.
Mons. Pérez es el rector
de la iglesia de Santa Rita de
Casia en La Habana, donde
las Damas de Blanco acuden a
Misa todos los domingos, para
luego marchar por la avenida
de enfrente, en protesta por las
violaciones de derechos humanos del régimen.
Las Damas de Blanco son
familiares de cubanos que fueron encarcelados en 2003 por
haber promovido elecciones
libres y otras reformas políticas.
Los prisioneros fueron liberados en 2011 tras un acuerdo
mediado por el cardenal de La
Habana Jaime Ortega Alamino.
La mayoría de esos ex presos
políticos se encaminaron al exilio en el extranjero.
Las Damas han seguido protestando en defensa de otros
prisioneros que, según aseguran, todavía están en cautividad
en distintas cárceles de Cuba.
Las integrantes del grupo son
arrestadas con frecuencia para
ser luego puestas en libertad en
menos de 24 horas. También
han sido atacadas por bandas
que, según aseguran, están controladas por el gobierno.
Para una de las Damas, Alejandrina García de la Rivas, de
46 años, el consejo del Papa
es comprensible pero difícil de
aceptar.
“Nosotras como católicas
entendemos lo que es la palabra paciencia… la ira, la impaciencia, la desesperación, es un
pecado”, dijo. “Pero tenemos
miedo”.
García manifestó su agradecimiento por la acogida que
les ofrece monseñor Pérez en
su iglesia y por el apoyo que han
recibido de otros miembros de
la jerarquía cubana.
El obispo Manuel de Céspedes García-Menocal de
Matanzas era todavía el sacerdote de una parroquia cuando
atendió al marido de García en la
cárcel, tras lo que ha mantenido
la amistad con la familia, explicó
García. También señaló que,
este año, el arzobispo Dionisio
García Ibáñez de Santiago de
Cuba defendió enérgicamente
a las Damas de la amenaza que
supone para ellas la violencia de
las bandas y volvió a manifestar
su reconocimiento al trabajo que
llevó a cabo el cardenal Ortega
para obtener la liberación del
grupo en el que también guraba su marido.
García también dijo que
comprende los principios que
hay detrás de la estrategia de no
confrontación y diálogo con el
gobierno que siguen los obispos.
“Yo creo que (los obispos)
tienen muchas buenas intenciones de que podamos tener
una reconciliación todos los
cubanos, de ayudarnos a todos
los cubanos, sin excepción, inclusive a los que nos oprimen”,
dijo, “pero también tienen miedo, tienen miedo porque ellos
también sufren, los amenaza el
gobierno”.
Lo que quieren las Damas,
señaló García, es que los obispos cubanos insistan en que su
diálogo con el régimen pueda
incluir también a representantes de la oposición política.
Desde su punto de vista, dicha
representación significaría un
progreso real hacia una reforma
política duradera.
Antes de la llegada del
Papa Benedicto XVI a Cuba,
las Damas solicitaron públicamente mantener un breve
encuentro con él durante su
visita. En la víspera de su último
día en el país, cuando García y
otra integrante del grupo, Laura
María Labrada Pollán, fueron
entrevistadas por Catholic News
Service, parecía muy poco probable que el Papa fuera a acceder
a su petición. A pesar de ello, las
dos esperaban con ilusión poder
unirse a otras Damas de Blanco
en la Misa que el Papa iba a celebrar el día siguiente en la Plaza
de la Revolución de La Habana.
No tuvieron la oportunidad.
Las dos fueron arrestadas antes
de las 6 a.m. del 28 de marzo,
explicó García, y llevadas a una
prisión militar en las afueras de
La Habana, donde fueron fotograadas, pesadas y se les tomó
la huella dactilar. La policía las
devolvió a la casa de Labrada a
las 3 p.m., cuatro horas después
de que la Misa del Papa hubiera
terminado.
Pastoral Juvenil celebra con su Pastor
POR PADRE JESUS FERRAS
Más de 300 jóvenes adultos
hispanos de la diócesis de Austin
participaron de la ya tradicional
Misa mensual que el pasado
mes de marzo fue celebrada
por nuestro Obispo, Mons. Joe
Vásquez. La misa, como todos
los meses, se celebró en la Parroquia de N. S. de Guadalupe
en Austin a las 9 PM después
del rezo del Santo Rosario. Al
inicio de la celebración, el P.
Jesús Ferras, ISP, director de la
Pastoral Juvenil Hispana de la
Diócesis, le presento al Señor
Obispo unas palabras de acogida
que interpretan el sentir de la
juventud hispana de nuestra
diócesis de Austin. La Misa fue
preparada por el grupo juvenil
de la parroquia Santa Cruz en
Buda y concelebrada por el
P. Jesús, el P. Kirby Garner y
el P. Charlie Garza de Santa
Cruz y Fray Florencio Rodriguez. El coro estuvo a cargo de
los jóvenes del movimiento de
Arcoíris.
A continuación algunas de
las palabras dirigidas al Señor
Obispo: Le agradecemos de
corazón que usted presida hoy
nuestra misa mensual de jóvenes
que es la instancia en la cual todos los grupos juveniles y movimientos hispanos de nuestra
diócesis se reúnen a celebrar al
Señor escuchando su palabra y
en torno a la mesa de la Eucaristía. Usted, como nuestro padre
y pastor, nos honra y nos alegra
con su presencia. Desde hace
mucho tiempo anhelábamos
este encuentro de la juventud
hispana con su pastor.
Esta, monseñor, es una juventud que avanza en el creVer JUVENIL en la
página 28
EL SR. OBISPO MONS. JOE VÁSQUEZ celebró Misa con Pastoral Juvenil el 30 de marzo
en la Parroquia Our Lady of Guadalupe en Austin. (Foto cortesía de Pastoral Juvenil)
28
ESPAÑOL
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
La Fe es un don que nos ayuda a recibir la Salvación
POR EDGAR RAMIREZ
DIRECTOR DEL MINISTERIO HISPANO
Las lecturas del segundo domingo
después de la esta de resurrección presentan dos realidades que parecen estar
opuestas. Por un lado, en la lectura de
Hechos de los Apóstoles (4,32-35) se
nos presenta una comunidad que cree
con un sólo corazón y una sola mente.
Ninguno entre ellos pasaba necesidad,
y se les distribuía según lo que cada uno
necesitaba. La narración de la primera
comunidad, la comunidad de los once
apóstoles en el Evangelio de Juan
(20,19-30), es una comunidad oculta
tras puertas cerradas, una comunidad
escondida por miedo a las autoridades,
una comunidad que no vivía en la más
perfecta armonía.
Jesús se presenta y les da su saludo
de paz. Parece que la paz es lo que
en ese momento ellos necesitan. De
acuerdo a las historias de resurrección
de los 4 evangelistas, la noticia de la
resurrección de Jesús fue una noticia
que no todos los apóstoles y discípulos
aceptaron inmediatamente. Después del
saludo de paz, Jesús los bendice con el
Espíritu Santo y les invita a perdonar
los pecados en su nombre. Tomás no
vio esto.
Tomás parece ser el único apóstol que verbaliza una realidad que los
demás apóstoles y discípulos no se
atreven a hablar: la duda. El testimonio de sus hermanos y hermanas de
comunidad no es suciente para que él
crea que su maestro está vivo. Y a pesar
de que expresa su duda a la comunidad,
la comunidad no lo expulsa o margina,
sino al contrario lo acepta tal y como
es. Tomás sólo representa un sector
de la comunidad Cristiana que tuvo
dicultades en aceptar la resurrección
de Jesús. San Pablo toca este tema en
algunas de sus cartas, invitando a los
lectores a creer y a vivir sabiendo que
la resurrección es una realidad. Tomás
lo único que hace es expresar su duda y
encuentra que en su comunidad eso no
lo hace un extraño ni lo excluye.
Muchas veces la razón y nuestros
sentidos se convierten en la única
forma en que apreciamos la realidad. La
razón busca la verdad, y busca probar
que la verdad es esa. Tomás confía en
su razón y ésta le dice que la resurrección de Jesús no es posible. A través
de la historia de la humanidad hemos
conocido las tensiones que existen
entre la razón y la fe. Sin embargo,
es importante reconocer que las dos
buscan conocer la verdad. Dios ha
puesto en nosotros estos dos dones que
nos ayudan a responder a ese llamado
interior: la razón de nuestro existir. Juan
Pablo II, papa y beato ilustró muy bien
esta realidad en su carta encíclica “Fides
et Ratio,” en ella llama a la fe (teología)
a continuar el diálogo con la razón (losofía). La capacidad de razonamiento
es algo que los seres humanos vamos
adquiriendo y aumentando al madurar, con la experiencia que nos ofrece
la vida, nuestras comunidades, etc. y
algunas veces la educación formal nos
ayuda a razonar de forma más estructurada.
La fe es algo distinto a la razón. La
fe es una gracia, es decir un don. La
fe es una relación personal. La fe es
una relación comunitaria. La fe busca
dialogar con la razón con respeto y
con apertura. La fe es ultimadamente
necesaria para recibir la salvación que
Cristo Jesús ofrece.
Tomás el mellizo es la razón
luchando con la fe. Tomás es la lucha
que yo tengo cuando mi fe es cuestionada por la muerte, la enfermedad o el
sufrimiento que vivo o que he visto en
otros. Tomás es también esos momentos en mi vida donde lo único que puedo decir es ¡WOW!, ese fue Dios que
se manifestó en mi vida y sus palabras
a Jesús después de que se le aparece:
¡Señor y Dios mío!, son esas palabras
que uno puede expresar sólo cuando la
razón y la fe encuentran que la verdad
es Dios.
La primera comunidad Cristina
encuentra que la duda de Tomás es sólo
parte de lo que signica ser cristiano,
y le brinda un espacio a Tomás donde
pueda expresar su duda, y crecer en su
fe. En esta comunidad de fe hay espacio para Tomás y su duda. La comunidad encuentra la paz que Cristo les dejó
y aprende que perdonar es esencial para
mantener esa paz. Perdonar a Tomás
por su duda debió haber sido una de las
primeras tareas de la comunidad.
Hoy en día nuestra fe es combatida
de muchas maneras. Nuestra cultura,
especialmente la cultura de los Estados
Unidos favorece a la razón sobre la fe,
el placer sobre el crecimiento espiritual
y el amor como último n, y el secularismo sobre la existencia de Dios. Es
decir se nos inculca la idea de que somos autosucientes y que las respuestas
a las preguntas sobre nuestra existencia
y nuestro destino nal pueden ser contestadas por nuestra razón.
Por otro lado, hay otros sectores
en la población que utilizan la fe para
nes políticos y para crear un ambiente
de intolerancia religiosa y cerrazón al
diálogo.
Nuestra comunidad Hispana no
es ajena a esta realidad. Aún cuando
seremos la mayoría de católicos en los
Estados Unidos, somos la población
que más rápidamente deja sus valores de fe y sus comunidades de fe al
“hacerse más americanos”. Es también
necesario mencionar que los hispanos
estamos dejando la Iglesia católica para
ser parte de comunidades donde el
entendimiento de la fe y las acciones
que le siguen son extremistas o fuera
de contexto. Estas situaciones están
sucediendo más rápidamente en las
familias inmigrantes recién llegadas y
en los jóvenes. “¿Quién, en realidad,
podría conocer la voluntad del Señor?
La razón humana avanza tímidamente,
nuestras reexiones no son seguras,
porque en un cuerpo perecible pesa
enormemente el alma, y nuestra cáscara
de arcilla paraliza al espíritu que está
siempre en vela”. Sabiduría 9, 13-15
¿Qué hacer cuando la duda o la falta
de fe se presenta en su familia, en su
comunidad, con usted mismo?
La primera comunidad nos regala el
primer domingo de pascua una buena
lección. Tomás duda la resurrección
de su maestro, pero encuentra en la
tolerancia de la comunidad el testimonio que le hace reconocer que hay
una verdad que ellos conocen, que él
no conoce todavía. El testimonio de
la comunidad que ha visto a Jesús, y
que encuentra la paz después de haber
visto a su maestro, perdona la duda de
Tomás. Así Tomás puede encontrarse
con su Señor y Dios en medio de esta
misma comunidad.
¿Tiene usted fe? ¿Qué le hace dudar? ¿Qué le ayuda a tener fe? ¿Encuentra en su comunidad apoyo cuando su
fe se convierte en duda? ¿Apoya usted
a esos miembros de su familia o de su
comunidad que están creciendo en su
fe o que no tienen fe? Recuerde, la fe es
un don.
Edgar Ramírez es el Director del
Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis
de Austin. Se le puede llamar al (512)
949-2468 o por correo electrónico a
[email protected].
JUVENIL
Continúa de la Página 27
cimiento de su fe y que desea ser protagonista en la vida de la Iglesia. Es una
juventud que anhela la santidad. Es una
juventud que se toma en serio su lugar
como laicos jóvenes activos en la vida de la
Iglesia, tanto a nivel diocesano como también a nivel nacional e internacional. Signo
de este compromiso en estos últimos años
han sido las Misiones Urbanas en nuestra
diócesis, como respuesta al llamado del
Santo Padre a ser Discípulos y Misioneros
de Jesucristo en nuestra sociedad.
Pero también lo ha sido nuestra
participación como pastoral juvenil en
los programas nacionales de formación
como lo es el programa nacional de Verano del Instituto Fe y Vida, así como la
participación en la Jornada Mundial de
la Juventud en Madrid y próximamente
en Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Todo ello con
una gran cuota de esfuerzo y sacricio
personal dada las situaciones muchas
veces difíciles y delicadas de muchos de
nuestros jóvenes, los cuales son inmi-
grantes y que están solos al no tener a
sus familias en este país el cual los acoge
como su nueva casa. La Iglesia los acoge
siempre como madre en esta nueva casa.
Estos son solo algunos ejemplos de la
vida de nuestra pastoral, la cual ha llegado
a servir de inspiración para otras pastorales
juveniles a nivel nacional. Nos alegra, con
mucha humildad, que nuestro esfuerzo y
dedicación sea tomado como ejemplo por
otras diócesis de nuestro país.
Señor obispo, estos son algunos de
los jóvenes hispanos católicos de nuestra
diócesis de Austin que están esta noche
aquí reunidos, en esta parroquia que
generosamente nos abre sus puertas cada
mes y que está dedicada nuestra madre,
la Virgen de Guadalupe, para escuchar
las palabras de nuestro pastor. Con su
corazón de pastor le pedimos que nos
bendiga en esta celebración de la Santa
Misa que usted preside entre nosotros.
Muchas gracias por estar aquí junto a
nosotros hoy.
LOS JÓVENES ADULTOS HISPANOS están invitados a la Misa en
español que será celebrada el 25 de mayo a las 9 p.m. en la Parroquia
de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la ciudad de Austin. Los participantes rezarán el rosario a partir de las 8:30 p.m. Para más información
comuníquese con Juan Torres al (512) 415-5908 o Lily Morales al (512)
363-3609 o [email protected]. (Foto cortesía de Pastoral Juvenil)
ESPAÑOL
May 2012
29
Visitando al Santo Padre sobre el Centro de Texas
E L O BISPO J OE S.
VÁSQUEZ es el quinto
obispo de la Diócesis
de Austin. Es pastor
para casi 500,000
católicos en 25
condados en el
Centro de Texas.
Editora: Señor Obispo, acaba de
regresar a Austin después de su viaje
a Roma para su visita “ad limina”.
¿Qué es una visita “ad limina”?
Obispo Vásquez: Sí, yo estuve en
Roma durante casi dos semanas a mediados de marzo. La visita “ad limina” es
una visita que todos los obispos hacen
a Roma de cada cinco a siete años. El
viaje tiene dos objetivos principales:
presentar al Santo Padre un informe
sobre el estado de la diócesis, que le da
una comprensión de la vida de fe en
nuestra diócesis, y celebrar la misa en
las tumbas de San Pedro y San Pablo.
El término “ad limina” (la expresión
completa es “ad limina apostolorum”)
se toma del Latín “hasta el umbral
de los apóstoles”. Esta es una peregrinación realizada por los obispos
a Roma para celebrar la Misa en las
tumbas de los apóstoles Pedro y Pablo.
La “ad limina” expresa la unidad entre
el obispo de una diócesis en particular
con el Santo Padre como sucesor de
Pedro. También es la oportunidad para
nosotros como obispos de reunirnos
con el Santo Padre y tener una conversación con él acerca de la diócesis que
servimos y del pueblo que cuidamos.
Cada obispo presenta un informe
quinquenal, que es básicamente un estado de la diócesis. Este informe describe
los diferentes ministerios y actividades
pastorales de la diócesis: los programas
de educación religiosa, los ministerios
de la vida familiar, pastoral juvenil, la
formación sacerdotal, las actividades
pro-vida, los ministerios sociales, vocacionales y de Caridades Católicas —
que incluye todas las diferentes ocinas
y funciones de la diócesis.
Editora: ¿Cómo fue su visita con
el Papa? ¿Cuánto tiempo ha podido
pasar con él?
EL SANTO PAPA BENEDICTO XVI se reunió con los obispos de Texas, en sus “visitas ad limina en el Vaticano
el 16 de marzo. (SNC foto de L’Osservatore Romano)
Obispo Vásquez: Los obispos de
la Región X de los EE.UU., que incluye
las provincias metropolitanas de la
Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston,
San Antonio y Oklahoma City viajaron
juntos a Roma. La Diócesis de Austin
pertenece a la provincia metropolitana
de Galveston-Houston, y nos reunimos
como provincia con el Santo Padre el
15 de marzo. Los obispos de Austin,
Beaumont, Victoria, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Tyler y Houston Galveston-se reunieron con el Santo Padre en
la misma audiencia.
Durante nuestra visita, pudimos
presentar un tema de importancia, en
nuestra diócesis en particular, al Santo
Padre. Hablé con el Santo Padre acerca
de nuestros jóvenes. Me concentré
en la gran fe de nuestros jóvenes y de
nuestros programas en expansión de
apostolado universitario. También me
habló de la importancia de las vocaciones y le he dicho que en nuestra región,
y particularmente en la Diócesis de
Austin, hay una creciente cultura de vo-
EL SR. OBISPO JOE VÁSQUEZ, centro, concelebra la misa con los
obispos de Texas, Oklahoma y Arkansas en la tumba del Beato Juan
Pablo II en la Basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano, el 20 de marzo. (Foto
CNS por Paul Haring)
caciones. He sido testigo de un hambre
de nuestros jóvenes. Ellos están activamente buscando a Dios y se esfuerzan
por desarrollar una relación con él.
Esto es realmente algo hermoso de ver.
El Santo Padre estaba interesado en la
discusión y estuvo muy agradecido de
escuchar esta noticia.
Al llegar a la conclusión de nuestro
tiempo con el Santo Padre, nos comunicó la importancia de la Nueva Evangelización. Él nos alentó a presentar el
mensaje del Evangelio de una manera
fresca y nueva para este día y en esta
ocasión. A través de la Nueva Evangelización, estamos llamados a ayudar a la
gente a entender cómo Cristo está hablándoles a ellos a través del Evangelio.
Editora: El Santo Papa celebra
su cumpleaños número 85 el 16 de
abril. ¿Cómo se ve en cuanto se
reere a su salud?
Obispo Vásquez: Sí, el Santo Papa
Benedicto XVI ha sido bendecido por
haber celebrado su cumpleaños número
85 el mes pasado. Me sorprendió la forma
en que estaba alerta y atento a cada uno de
nosotros durante nuestra visita. El Papa estaba muy interesado y comentó sobre cada
una de las presentaciones de los obispos.
Ser el Papa a los 85 años de edad
debe ser agobiante y, sin embargo,
encuentra la fuerza de Dios que le
permite servir a la iglesia universal.
Cuando he hablado de los jóvenes,
dijo que estaba encantado de saber que
nuestros jóvenes están interesados en
la búsqueda de Dios y en encontrar a
Dios. Continuemos pidiéndole a Dios
que vele por el Vicario de Cristo y le
proteja dándole una larga vida útil.
Editora: ¿Qué otra cosa hizo
mientras estaba en Roma?
Obispo Vásquez: Como he dicho
antes, el “viaje ad limina”, incluye dos
cosas principales: la visita del Santo Pa-
dre y celebrar la misa en las tumbas de
San Pedro y San Pablo. Como obispos,
podemos también visitar las diferentes
ocinas y departamentos de la Curia
Romana en el Vaticano, conocidas
como dicasterios. Visitamos dicasterios
como la Congregación para los Obispos, Congregación para el Clero y la
Congregación para la Doctrina de la
Fe. También nos reunimos con varias
comisiones ponticias y dialogamos sobre las preguntas que teníamos o temas
que querían discutir. Fue una reunión
muy abierta ya través de estas reuniones, hemos aprendido mucho acerca
de la fe en otras partes del mundo y
las ocinas vaticanas aprendieron más
acerca de la fe en nuestra parte del
mundo. Tenemos que entender que
nuestra iglesia es global con muchas
necesidades y desafíos, y sin embargo,
formamos un solo cuerpo de Cristo.
Editora: A medida que avanzamos en los próximos cinco años,
¿cuál es su oración por la Diócesis
de Austin?
Obispo Vásquez: Mi oración es
que la Diócesis de Austin continúe
construyendo sobre lo que Dios ya
nos ha dado y estamos agradecidos
por sus abundantes bendiciones.
Como una diócesis, que es muy provida, yo rezo para que podamos seguir
creando una cultura de la vida. También rezo para que Dios siga bendiciendo nuestros esfuerzos para crear
una cultura de vocaciones. Que Dios
fortalezca nuestra fe en Jesucristo,
para que el centro de Texas pueda ver
el rostro de Cristo con más claridad en
los ojos de nuestros hermanos y hermanas. Podemos proclamar la Nueva
Evangelización a través de nuestra
diócesis, para que Cristo y su mensaje
sea nuevo y fresco y lleno de esperanza para nuestro pueblo.
ESPAÑOL
30
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
La Legión acerca a sus miembros a Cristo por
medio de María
POR CRISTINA M. LÓPEZ
CORRESPONSAL
A Jesús por medio de María,
el camino de la salvación que
San Luis María de Montfort
predicó con tanto celo y promovió en su tiempo, fue el impulso que llevó a un hombre
llamado Frank Duff a reunir
a un grupo de laicos para orar
y discutir la mejor forma de
servir a Dios y llevar el mensaje
de salvación al mundo. En esa
reunión el 7 de septiembre de
1921 en Dublín, inesperadamente, puso en marcha una
organización llamada la Legión
de María, cuyo alcance abarca
ahora todo el mundo. Su misión
es ayudar a los párrocos en su
labor apostólica y de santicar a
sus miembros.
“Nos vemos a nosotros mismos como una extensión del
pastor y le ayudamos a hacer
cualquier trabajo que él siente
que debe hacerse”, dijo Steve
Dickman, feligrés de St. Mary’s
Cathedral y presidente de la
Legión de María en la Diócesis
de Austin.
Monseñor Joseph Deane,
director espiritual de la Legión
de María, la llama una “organización extraordinaria”. Él recuerda al fundador de la Legión,
el Siervo de Dios Frank Duff,
dirigiéndose a los seminaristas
en su Irlanda natal.
“Él vino a nuestro seminario, cuando estaba en Dublín.
Tuvimos una Legión en el seminario porque quería inuir en
los sacerdotes que la llevaran
con ellos a dondequiera que
fueran. “Monseñor Deane,
cuyo padre y hermana eran
miembros, ha trabajado con
la organización desde 1959,
cuando era director espiritual
de la Legión en su primera parroquia. Los legionarios han sido
sus manos y sus pies durante la
mayor parte de su sacerdocio,
lo han ayudado con las muchas
necesidades de la parroquia.
“(Los laicos) pueden ir a
lugares a donde no podemos
ir y ellos... son testigos públicos de la vitalidad de la Iglesia
Católica Romana. Ellos son el
corazón de la iglesia, hay millones de ellos en los que hay
sólo unos miles de sacerdotes”,
dijo.
Hay dos tipos de miembros,
miembros activos y miembros
auxiliares. “Los miembros activos asisten a una reunión semanal, rezan el rosario, leen una
lectura espiritual y escuchan
una charla espiritual de su director espiritual y así es cómo
LOS MIEMBROS DE LA LEGIÓN DE MARÍA en conjunto hicieron o renovaron su consagración total a Jesús por María el
26 de marzo en la parroquia St. William en Round Rock. Varias misas se celebraron en las parroquias de la diócesis, entre
ellas en la Catedral de St. Mary en Austin, Immaculate Heart of Mary en Martindale y la parroquia Santa Cruz en Buda. La
Legión de María fue fundada en Dublín en 1921 y continúa esforzándose para acercar a las personas a Cristo por medio
de María, nuestra Santísima Madre. (Foto por Cristina M. López)
se forman. Están alimentados
espiritualmente y luego salen
a hacer dos horas de trabajo
apostólico”, explicó Lynda Villasana, feligrés de la parroquia
St. William en Round Rock y
secretaria de la Legión de María
en la Diócesis de Austin. Las
obras apostólicas son las visitas
a los enfermos y a los ancianos,
a rezar el rosario en los funerales, a visitar a los presos y la
catequesis, entre otras cosas.
Miembros del Cuerpo Auxiliar son la fuerza de la oración
que fortalece a los miembros
de la Legión de María de y sus
obras. Ambos grupos rezan
las oraciones principales de la
Legión llamada Tessera. Hoy
en día hay unos 3 millones de
miembros activos y 15 millones
de miembros del equipo en
todo el mundo.
Los miembros activos constituyen un praesidium en una
parroquia, un grupo local de la
Legión de María. Actualmente
hay 22 praesidia en la diócesis.
El Concilium es el consejo
más alto de la Legión ubicado
en Dublín, Irlanda. La Legión
sigue el modelo de un antiguo
ejército romano y utiliza su
terminología para describir su
jerarquía.
“La Legión de María es
un ejército para llevar a Dios
a los demás a través de nuestra Santísima Madre”, dijo Villasana.
Sus soldados de a pie son
los hombres y mujeres de la
Iglesia, los católicos de buena
reputación que juntos trabajan
por su propia santicación a
través del rezo diario del rosario y la total consagración
a la Santísima Virgen. En la
Solemnidad de la Anunciación
el 26 de marzo, cientos de personas fueron consagrados a
la Santísima Virgen durante
las misas en cuatro parroquias
diferentes.
En la Parroquia St. William en Round Rock, el Padre
Jonathan Raia, dijo durante la
homilía que la consagración es
como el “sí” de María cuando
Dios le pidió que se convirtiera
en la Madre de Dios. “Hermanos y hermanas, el plan de
Dios todavía depende de ustedes y de mí, poniéndonos a
la disposición del Señor. Muy
pocas veces tenemos más información de la que tuvo María,
El simplemente pide un “sí”,
dijo. “Eso es lo que signica la
consagración total, para ponernos a la entera disposición del
Señor. Ella (María) les guiará,
ella guiará a todos nosotros
para hacer de nosotros mismos
y de nuestra vida una ofrenda
total al Padre”.
La consagración total es
promovida por la Legión de
María, sin embargo, cualquier
persona puede consagrarse a la
Santísima Virgen, siguiendo los
ejercicios espirituales prescritos
por San Luis de Montfort.
Patricia Peacher, miembro
de los Jóvenes Adultos de la
Legión de María, renovó su
consagración en la Misa. Ella
le da crédito a la legión, de la
profundización de su fe mediante la oración y mediante
la realización de las obras de
misericordia.
“Si usted está buscando
algo de una manera práctica
para ayudar a traer el reino de
Dios... la Legión de María es
realmente un instrumento útil
para hacerlo. También es muy
bueno el ser parte de una comunidad, construir ese vínculo
con otros, fortalece tu fe ver
los que te rodean tan llenos del
Espíritu y tan eles”, dijo.
Como miembro auxiliar
de los Jóvenes Adultos de la
Legión de María en St. Williams, Juan Tovar reza por los
miembros y si su horario de
trabajo lo permite, participa
en sus reuniones y actividades.
Dijo que hacerse miembro ha
tenido un efecto transformador
en su vida.
“Empecé a rezar el rosario en octubre de 2009 en un
momento en que no estaba
contento con mi trabajo, mis
planes de vida, mi salud y dándome cuenta de que no tenía
sentido en mi vida”, dijo. Tovar
asistió a un retiro de la Legión
de María, donde se sintió transformado. Desde entonces ha
cambiado hábitos destructivos
por una vida de oración más
profunda y encontró la paz.
“En lugar de pasarme el tiempo
en bares, me voy a la Capilla de
Adoración”, dijo.
Para conmemorar el 90vo
aniversario de la Legión celebrada el pasado septiembre
Villasana dijo que están abordando a los párrocos para ampliar la Legión de María en la
diócesis. Ya se está trabajando
para establecer de 3 a 5 praesidia en las distintas parroquias
y la campaña continuará activamente durante los próximos
dos años. Se necesitan cuatro
personas como mínimo, para
empezar un praesidium.
Monseñor Deane dijo que
los miembros son misioneros,
se traen a ellos mismos y a
otros más cercanos a Jesús por
medio de María. Lo sepamos
o no, dijo, María, afecta la vida
de todos.
“Desde la concepción hasta
la cruz, María está totalmente
inmersa y asociada (con Jesús).
Ése es el camino de la humanidad a Cristo, es a través de su
madre. Y si la gente dice por
qué, bueno, Dios lo decidió
así, no fue la decisión de María
o decisión nuestra. Al darnos
a Cristo, él nos dio todo y nos
dio todo a través de María “,
Monseñor Deane dijo.
Para obtener más información acerca de la Legión de
María o sobre cómo empezar
un praesidium en su parroquia,
por favor póngase en contacto
con Steve Dickman al (512)
922-7137 o (512) 269-0023
con Lynda Villasana o visite
www.legionofmaryaustin.org.
SITINGS
May 2012
THE FROGS (Fully
Relying On God) Youth
Group at St. Anthony
Parish in Kyle presented
the Stations of the
Cross, while weaving
in a skit about the pain
and suffering caused by
bullying. (Photo courtesy
St. Anthony/Kyle)
31
BIANCA SICICH
and Jenna Sommer, seniors at
St. Dominic Savio
Catholic High
School in Austin,
created an outdoor
Marian shrine for
their Girl Scout
Gold Award project.
Father Daniel Liu
recently blessed the
shrine. (Photo courtesy Sarah Saniuk)
THE EIGHTH GRADERS of St.
Louis Catholic School in Austin
hid “Resurrection Eggs” for the
Kindergarteners to nd during Holy Week (at right). The
older children then discussed
the meaning of the eggs with
the younger children. St. Louis
students also re-enacted the
Stations of the Cross on Holy
Thursday. (Photos courtesy
Renee’ Gately)
STUDENTS AT ST. THERESA Catholic
School in Austin took top honors at the
regional PSIA contest and went on to
compete at the state contest at Texas
Christian University in Fort Worth. Fifth
graders at St. Theresa School held a
Passion play during Holy Week. (Photos
courtesy Suzanne Leggett)
ST. MARGARET MARY PARISH in Cedar Park held its
ninth round of “Christ Renews His Parish” (CRHP) retreats.
A weekend for men and a weekend for women were offered
in March. (Photo courtesy Raymond M. Estrada)
THE WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER of the Austin-Central
Texas Area recently selected leaders to serve as their 2012-2013
Ecclesial Team: Father James Ekeocha, pastor of St. Luke Parish in
Temple, and Charlie and Mary Copeland, parishioners of St. Mary of
the Visitation Parish in Lockhart. (Photo courtesy of Mary Copeland)
THE THIRD GRADE
Religious Education
class at St. Martin de
Porres Parish in Dripping Springs presented
a play of the Last Supper on March 28. (Photo
coutesy Susan Bonner)
Send photos by the 10th of the month to [email protected].
THE GRUPO
JUVENIL AMIGOS en
Cristo from St.
William Parish
in Round Rock
attended the
Mass celebrated
by Bishop Joe
Vásquez on
March 30. To
join, contact
Hugo Sanchez at
(512) 627-8635.
(Photo courtesy
Alex Quesada)
SITINGS
32
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
FATHER ADAM MARTINEZ,
pastor of St. Joseph Parish in
Killeen, baked Valentine’s cakes
for the parish religious education
students and teachers. (Photo
courtesy Mary Alaniz)
THE QUIZ BOWL TEAM at
Holy Family Catholic School
in Austin competed in the
National Quiz Bowl Championship in Chicago April
20-22. (Photo courtesy Kelly
Hagemeier)
“A LENTEN JOURNEY OF HEALING,” the seventh annual Lenten women’s conference sponsored
by the San José Council of Catholic Women, was
held Feb. 25. About 145 women attended the retreat. (Photo courtesy Rosie Castillo)
FATHER
HOWARD
GOERTZ
blessed a
pro-life memorial at St.
John Parish
in Luling on March 25. The Knights of Columbus Council 8190
helped construct the memorial. (Photo courtesy Willie Lopez)
MSGR. DON SAWYER and Our
Lady’s Maronite Parish in Austin held a Lenten retreat entitled
“Prayer, Forgiveness and Renewal” at Cedarbrake Retreat Center.
(Photo courtesy Lee J. Moore)
MEMBERS
of the Legion
of Mary
gathered for
prayer and
Mass on
March 18 at
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Martindale. (Photo courtesy Father Antonio Perez)
A GROUP OF
SEMINARIANS from
the Austin Diocese
went on a mission to
Jamaica March 9-18.
They spent time
with the Mustard
Seed Communities
(MSC) in Moneague,
Jamaica. They worked with disabled young adults and children
affected by HIV/AIDS. (Photo courtesy Amado Ramos)
ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL in
Bryan held an alumni baseball game on Feb.
18 (top photo) and a Science Fair March 28
(bottom). Drew Veazey, a sophomore at St.
Joseph, installed new landscaping around the
statue of Mary
for his Eagle
Scout project.
(Photos courtesy
Patty Blaszak)
SEMINARIANS from the Austin Diocese studying at
St. Joseph Seminary College in Louisiana created a
St. Joseph’s altar on the Feast of St. Joseph. (Photo
courtesy Henry Cuellar)
Send photos by the 10th of the month to [email protected].