CORPUS CHRISTI IN THE CITY

FloridaCatholic
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June 19-July 2, 2009
oF orlando
Your Faith. Your LiFe. Your CommunitY.
Voices unite
for louder
opposition
to death
penalty
HURRICANE
SEASON 2009
CORPUS CHRISTI
IN THE CITY
Stimulus
refreshes
agencies
for storm
survivors
LAuRA DODsOn
and DEnIsE O’TOOLE KELLY
of the Florida Catholic
The death penalty. The very
phrase provokes extremes of emotion, a passion for punishment or
a passion for life. It’s a final solution that in the eyes of the Catholic
Church isn’t a solution at all except
in extremely rare cases, but yet another step creating more violence
and victims.
Polls show a growing number of
Americans, and particularly American Catholics, are seeing the matter
in the same light as the Vatican and
the U.S. and Florida bishops. The
voices joining in the mounting call
for an end to the use of the death
penalty are coming from varied,
and in some cases surprising, quarters.
Inside this issue is a story summarizing Church teaching on the
death penalty and opinion-poll results, as well as the witness of Catholics and non-Catholics who are
intimately acquainted with — and
opposed to — the death penalty in
Florida and elsewhere. n
orlando Diocese also
benefits from new
planning guide on
disaster response
LAuRA DODsOn
Florida Catholic correspondent
PHOTOS BY VALETA ORLANDO| FC
Above, Bishop Thomas Wenski leads a procession
from the Cathedral of St. James in downtown
Orlando to Lake Eola June 14, the feast of Corpus
Christi. Bishop Wenski describes the Corpus Christi
procession as a public expression of what God calls
Catholics to do through the Eucharist, “to bring
the good news to the world. Mass must lead to
mission and the journey takes us beyond the walls
of our churches. This is a public manifestation of our
Catholic faith. … It expresses the power and glory
of this most Blessed Sacrament.”
At left, Elisa Veras and her daughter Berlis Diaz
from Holy Redeemer Parish in Kissimmee attend
Benediction after participating in the downtown
Corpus Christi procession from the Cathedral of St.
James to Lake Eola.
PLEASE SEE PAGE A8
FILE PHOTO
Catholics gather in prayer against
the death penalty.
ORLANDO — His voice literally sang in jubilation as Deacon Marcus Hepburn, emergency management specialist
for Cat holic For more on
Charit ies of Hurricane
Flor ida a nd season 2009,
t he F lor id a please see
C a t h o l i c Pages A2-A3.
Conference,
declared, “It’s Christmas in
June!”
Preparations for the 2009
hurricane season, which officially began June 1, have multiple facets that are empowering in the face of pending
disaster.
“As part of the federal stimulus package, a few months
ago Florida was given $30-plus
million from a Social Services
Block Grant (federal monies distributed to the states
through Title XX of the Social
Securit y Act) to reimburse
agencies in Florida that helped
PLEASE SEE STORM, A3
ATTENTION POST OFFICE — PLEASE DELIVER BY JUNE 19
inside: Moment of truth on immigration reform A4
Quick Reads
Classifieds
Crossword
Diocese Calendar
A6
A12
A9
A14
ORL A1
Diocese News
A2-4, 13-16
Editorial
A11
Living Our Faith
A10
Moment of History
A5
Scripture Readings
A11
Vatican News
A6
Movie Reviews
A9
Florida News
A5, 8, 10
A2
Your orlando communitY
Florida Catholic
June 19-July 2, 2009
HURRICANE SEASON 2009
Hurricane plans get early test
May deluge gives
Epiphany a dry run
for storm season
Laura DoDson
Florida Catholic correspondent
Port orange — At Church of
the Epiphany in Port Orange, hurricane preparation efforts have already weathered an early test during the rain deluge in mid-May.
“Almost 30 inches of rain fell
from May 17 to May 25,” explained
Virginia Bennett, administrative
coordinator for the parish. “We
had leaks throughout the parish,
the ceiling caved in one of the
meeting rooms but luckily we had
just reroofed the social hall. I don’t
even want to think about what interior damage we could have had.
We’re fixing roofs now — they’ll
be in good shape because we
know where the leaks are.”
Although not needed for this
storm, the social hall is used as a
shelter for residents of the mobile
home parks near the parish whenever evacuation becomes necessary. (Please see related story
on this page.) Bennett indicated
that in the back-to-back storms of
2004, the parks were badly damaged — some of the demolished
trailers are still not replaced —
and there aren’t enough shelters
to accommodate everyone.
“We just had a new roof put on
PLEaSE SEE EPIPHANY, A3
HurricAnE PrEPArEdnESS tiPS
The Central Florida Hurricane
Web site, www.flhurricane.com,
offers suggestions on hurricane
preparedness. First and foremost,
the site advises taking the word
of the National Hurricane Center,
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/, above
any other Web site on hurricanes,
including its Web site. The National Hurricane Center site is the
government’s official site.
The Central Florida site notes
the digital transition of television
in 2009 may make a difference in
preparation for some. “Note one
major difference this year with
preparedness is the digital TV
transition which will break most
older battery-operated televisions.
Although there are a few batteryoperated televisions that now
have digital capability, all reports
so far indicate that they are
rather poor qualitywise and more
expensive … relative to standard
battery-operated televisions.”
The Central Florida site further
states that preparation and
communication are key. Some
suggestions for items to have on
hand now:
• emergency numbers
• insurance policy paperwork
• lumber and nails for boarding up windows
• a week’s supply of water (generally two quarts to one gallon, per person, per day)
• ice
• cooler/ice chest
• beverages (powdered, canned or instant)
Storm
names
for 2009
FC FILE PHOTO
Storm surge can carry strong forces — some strong enough to take apart bridges. It’s
important to know whether your home lies in a flood zone or a zone that could be
affected by storm surge.
• cereal
• prepared canned goods (soup, vegetables, fruit, etc.)
• snack foods such as nuts, chips, crackers and cookies
• spreads such as peanut butter and jelly
• bread
• dried fruits and raw vegetables
• dry and canned pet food
• baby food and formula
• manual can opener
• bottle opener
• pocket knife
• napkins and paper plates
• plastic cups and plastic silverware
• extra batteries
• flashlights and bulbs
Testing waters to go to perpetual adoration
is just part of 94-year-old’s faith journey
Laura DoDson
Florida Catholic correspondent
Port orange — It had already been raining for three days
and nights when Billie Nash, 94, set
out for her holy hour May 20 in the
perpetual adoration chapel of her
parish, Church of the Epiphany in
Port Orange.
“I was alone all those days and
nights,” Nash explained, “and I
thought, ‘I have to get there.’ That
hour does me so much good.”
When Billie and Everett Nash
moved here in 1971, they became
active in the parish almost immediately. Billie enjoyed coordinating
social activities and in the 1980s
Everett started Wednesday afternoon bingo. Ten years ago, when
Everett passed away, Billie started
going to the parish on Wednesday
‘I was alone all those
days and nights, and I
thought, “I have to get
there.” That hour does
me so much good.’
Billie Nash
mornings to help with bingo setup,
but then at 3 p.m. would go to the
adoration chapel to spend an hour
in prayer.
“The church is only 10 minutes
away,” she explained. “I was almost
there and saw a small circle of water in the road, but beyond it was
OK. I proceeded into the middle
and the car stopped completely. I
tried to get it started, but nothing
was working. So I pulled up my
slacks and stepped into water up
to my knees — that day I put flats
on with my stockings instead of my
usual high heels — and started to
walk to the office to get some help
from my buddies.”
Fortunately, Jack Woods of the
maintenance staff heard Nash holler as she struggled to walk. He was
eventually able to start the motor,
push her 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Sierra out of the water and follow
her safely home.
“When I got home, I opened the
door and got down on my knees
and thanked God,” Nash said. “I
thank God for everything at least
100 times a day. The most I thank
him for is that my brain is still pretty good. I do my finances. I drive
to the church and grocery store. I
have to go to the hairdresser. I’m
sensible enough to stay put now.” n
ORL A2
• battery-operated television or radio
• windup or battery-powered clock
• garbage bags
• toilet paper
• a few changes of clothes and sturdy shoes
• extra pair of contact lenses and contact solution
Ana
Bill
Claudette
Danny
Erika
Fred
Grace
Henri
Ida
Joaquin
Kate
Larry
Mindy
Nicholas
Odette
Peter
Rose
Sam
Teresa
Victor
Wanda
Source:
National
Hurricane
Center
Former evacuee reflects fondly
on refuge in Epiphany social hall
Laura DoDson
Florida Catholic correspondent
Port orange — Kay Carroll’s description of evacuating
for Hurricane Jeanne in September 2004 rings with superlatives
you would expect of a vacation
resort experience.
“It was wonderful, unbelievable,” Carroll gushed. “The mattresses we slept on weren’t very
comfortable, but the food was
delicious. Everyone was just wonderful. We played games and sang
songs. We prayed the rosary.”
W hen Carroll and her husband, Michael, were told by police they had to leave their home
in the Tanglewood Mobile Estates
in Port Orange, they simply went
five minutes away to the social
hall at their parish — Church of
the Epiphany.
“It wasn’t crowded,” Carroll
explained. “There were 40 or 50
people. We slept on mattresses
on the floor and mine was next to
a family with a little boy. I woke
up in the middle of the night with
his leg around my neck. I gently
moved it, but he woke up. In the
morning, he came to wake me
with, ‘Breakfast is ready.’”
The Carrolls have been parishioners for 27 years and are so
very proud of the philosophy of
the parish, “The people built the
church, it’s theirs, it’s their home
and they have a right to stay in
it.”
W hen asked about evacuating again, Carroll indicated that
she would do only one thing differently: “I might take my pillow
along next time.” n
June 19-July 2, 2009
Your orlando communitY
www.thefloridacatholic.org
A3
HURRICANE SEASON 2009
Praying for safekeeping from storms
STAFF REPORT
ORLANDO — Prayer is a way to
ask for help while centering hearts
on God, Bishop Thomas Wenski
reminded churchgoers June 1 at
the Mass to Avert Storms at the
Cathedral of St. James. The Mass
is celebrated every year on June 1,
the official start of the hurricane
season.
In his homily, Bishop Wenski
said: “The catechism teaches that
prayer ‘is the lifting up of our minds
and hearts to God.’ And while we
pray that God keeps the storms
away this year, we, in the very act
of prayer, also seek to keep our
hearts turned to the Lord whatever
may happen. In fact, if our hearts
are sufficiently turned to the Lord,
then we won’t need any calamities
STORM: Parishes gather with Catholic
Charities to put together response plans
From A1
For more information on Catholic
Charities of Central Florida Inc.
and to read its latest newsletter,
please visit www.cflcc.org.
neighbors.
“At the beginning of this hurricane season, we turn to God and
pray that we will be spared from
the ravages of nature this year. We
pray for the safety of our nation, of
our neighbors in the region. And in
prayer, we ask that our confidence
in him will inspire courage in us.
Such courage will help us be ready
to meet whatever challenges that
EPIPHANY:
Shelters gear up
for another year
From A2
the Father Frank Smith Social
Hall,” said Father Michael E.
Giglio, pastor, “and we’ll be
continuing the evacuation efforts there that we have had in
the past.”
People and their pets — in
cages of course — are welcome
to evacuate to the hall. “The
shelters don’t allow pets, and
most of our people won’t evacuate without their pets,” Bennett said, “The last hurricane,
we had two dogs, three cats
and a cage of birds.”
Telephone lines were down
for eight days during the May
storms, but communication
was maintained through the
answering service and e-mail
because the Internet service
provider remained intact.
“There was massive flooding,” Bennett continued. “The
main emergency evacuation
route, Dunlaw ton Avenue,
went under water. All of the
systems in place worked beautifully, but high tide and high
winds sent water back up canals.”
Streets leading to the parish
flooded, so bingo was canceled
the night of May 19 and the following afternoon. Parishioners
scheduled for the 24/7 adoration chapel were told, “If you
can get here, good for you!”
Bi l l ie Na s h, se em i ng l y
younger than her 94 years,
was one of those who tried,
but a f looded car and kneedeep water kept her from the
3 o’clock date in the chapel
which she has kept weekly for
the past 10 years. (See related
story Page A2.)
“We hope everyone is safe;
that they take the proper precautions and are prepared,”
Father Giglio said, concluding,
“We as Church family will be
there for them.” n
ORL A3
lie ahead of us. Catholic Charities
of Central Florida has in past years
grown in its capacity to respond
to the emergencies that natural
disasters can create. As Catholics,
we should be proud of what Catholic Charities does and we should
continue to support this diocesan
agency. Catholic Charities is ready
for this season — and so should we
be.” n
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survivors of the storms of 2008,”
Hepburn explained.
“But now they’ve extended that
reimbursement all the way back
to the storms of 2005 — Dennis,
Katrina, Rita and Wilma,” Hepburn added. “What’s really exciting is that our agencies did a lot
in 2005.”
It is too early yet to know how
much of the funds will be released
to Catholic Charities of Central
Florida Inc.; however, the funds
are fully unencumbered — recipient agencies will be able to use
them in whatever way deemed
necessary.
I n add it ion, Hepbu r n a nnounced that parishes in the
Diocese of Orlando will be debuting a new program for disaster
preparedness — “Six-Step Parish
Planning Guide.”
“It’s going to put into the hands
of the parishes a simple and easy
guide to make parishes and communities less v ulnerable and
more resilient,” Hepburn stated.
At the inv itation of Catholic Charities of Central Florida,
representatives from St. Mar y
Magdalen Parish in Altamonte
Springs and St. Stephen Parish
in Winter Springs joined other
faith-based community agencies
at a Seminole County workshop
June 4 where the “Six-Step Parish
Planning Guide” is offered as part
of the long-term recovery efforts.
“We just completed our goals
and objectives for the next five
years,” shared Rosemary Kazyk,
steward for ministry to the sick
and bereavement for St. Mary
Magdalen Parish, “and one of
them is to have a disaster plan in
place by 2011.”
Steps include how to canvas
the special-needs populations of
elderly and disabled and create
concrete plans for them, what to
do in the event of a disaster and
the procedures for long-term recovery. The document also considers the pastoral care issues of
reaction to stress and compassion
fatigue of volunteers.
The guide had its origins with
the “All Hazard Plan” developed
by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in 2002-2003. With
permission from its aut hors,
Hepburn rewrote the plan with
the appropriate modifications
for each diocese in Florida. Together, Hepburn and Tim Dinan,
a member of Catholic Volunteers
in Florida who is working as the
emergency response and disaster
relief coordinator at the Catholic
Charities headquarters in Orlando, have developed a facilitators’
guide and produced the userfriendly “Six-Step Parish Planning Guide.”
Vince Edman, facilities director for St. Mary Magdalen Parish,
added, “There are so many talented volunteers out there who
can be called upon to carry out
this plan for the community and
there’s no one better than Catholic Charities to direct them.”
“Sometimes we focus on natural disasters,” Dinan said, “but
it can be any disruption, for example a computer virus or a pandemic like swine flu. Disaster can
be classified in many ways and
there are different components to
the plan — different procedures
for tornadoes, or fires or hurricanes. Any time these disasters
come about, our plans are fluid
and can always be made better to
help the public.”
Sarah Moody, marketing assistant for Catholic Charities,
concluded, “Catholic Charities
of Central Florida has a disaster plan for all regions of central
Florida. We have a lot to plan for
— a continuous learning program
that we continuously update. The
consumer too must prepare now.
Don’t wait for the media to announce a storm is coming.” n
to teach us to keep our priorities
straight. If our hearts are turned to
the Lord, we won’t need the fury of
nature to remind us of the brevity
of life or of the importance of person over possessions. Such was
the heart of Tobit in today’s first
reading who performed what we
Catholics would call the corporal
works of mercy fearlessly — despite
persecution and ridicule from his
A4
Your orlando communitY
Florida Catholic
June 19-July 2, 2009
Moment of truth on immigration
Florida
Catholic
diocese of orlando
Vol. 70, No. 17
50 East Robinson St.
P.O. Box 1800
Orlando, FL 32802-1800
407-246-4800 Fax 407-246-4942
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Bishop Thomas Wenski
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The stakes are high as President
Obama and congressional leaders
plan to meet to discuss immigration reform.
President Obama pledged during the campaign that immigration would be a top priority of his
administration and that he would
push to enact it in the first year of his
term. The White House has framed
the meeting as an attempt to ascertain whether immigration reform is
politically possible this year and to
begin a process toward achieving
that goal.
Some supporters of reform, however, are concerned that the meeting is more political show than substance, designed to assuage them
that the president is working toward
reform and therefore keeping his
promise, when in reality there is no
intention to move a bill in the first
year.
Such an outcome would be a
mistake. While opinions differ as to
whether it is politically wise to move
immigration reform legislation in
the first year, the president cannot
afford to leave supporters emptyhanded.
EXECUTIVE & EDITORIAL STAFF:
Parish Services Manager: Mary St. Pierre,
[email protected]
Office Manager: Pat Spencer,
[email protected]
Layout Editor: Ann Borowski Slade,
[email protected]
Projects Editor: Jean Palombo-Gonzalez,
[email protected]
Online Editor: Ed Foster Jr., efoster@
thefloridacatholic.org
Bishop Thomas Wenski is pleased
to announce the following appointments
John A. Torres
Effective June 1:
OrlANDO — Celestin Gato left
his homeland to study abroad in
1994, four days before Hutus began
a systematic genocide of Tutsis and
moderate Hutus.
He had no idea he would have to
leave his country for good.
Upon hearing of the horrors that
befell his country, Gato scrambled
to locate family members, many
of whom had escaped the country
and were living in a refugee camp
in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.
Being of mixed race — part
Hutu and part Tutsi — things were
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All contents copyright © 2009, The Florida Catholic Inc.,
except stories and photos from Catholic News Service.
ployer verification system is based
is fraught with errors and must be
seriously revamped. Moreover, the
Department of Labor, in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, should take steps to
enforce the rights of workers in the
workplace, for those of both immigrant and U.S. laborers.
To its credit, the administration
has taken small steps in these areas, such as shifting enforcement
priorities away from migrant workers through work-site raids to employer investigation and prosecution. Much more needs to be done,
however, and with the public backing and leadership of the president,
Congress should help.
Perhaps later this year or early
next, as the economy improves,
the time will be ripe for immigration reform. In the meantime, the
government must take important
preparatory steps to ensure that the
American public is ready for it, and
that the voices of dissent are neutralized. In order to move immigration reform forward, President
Obama needs to take action, not
just hold a meeting. n
Survivor of Rwandan genocide embraces
freedom but can’t forget a deadly past
Florida Catholic correspondent
STATE OFFICES: 50 E. Robinson St.,
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What must emerge from
cultural fear — fear that
this meeting is a substanimmigrants from other
tive plan which shows that
lands are taking over the
the administration intends
American way of life, leavto win this battle, even if it
ing us a nation we will
might take longer than exeventually not recognize.
pected.
A detailed national intefrom tHe
Such a plan should ingration strategy which
BisHoP
clude legislative and adprovides the tools for imministrative actions that
to integrate into
Thomas migrants
increase public confidence
U.S. society would help alWenski lay such fears.
that immigrants are integrating into U.S. society
The administration
systematically, and that
also must demonstrate
the government would be able to that the infrastructure is in place
efficiently implement and enforce a to identify and process 12 million
new immigration system.
people, as well as implement other
I am not talking about more bor- programs which may come along
der enforcement. I am speaking of with immigration reform. To show
initiatives to show that, if we do in- this, progress must be made in retend to require 12 million people to ducing the current waiting times for
earn citizenship, the infrastructure citizenship and other immigration
is in place to ensure that they are benefits, which often can take years.
processed and able to learn English In an era defined by Hurricane Kaand civics in a reasonable time peri- trina, government competency is
od. In short, the administration must an issue which cannot be ignored.
prove that these new immigrants,
Finally, the administration must
now in the shadows, can emerge and show that it will be able to hold
become good Americans.
unscrupulous employers accountThe issue that opponents of im- able in any new system. The datamigration reform like to exploit is base upon which the current em-
especially dangerous for him.
The Rwandan genocide resulted
in the mass killings of hundreds
of thousands of people. Over the
course of about 100 days, approximately 800,000 people were murdered.
“Life was hard,” he said, referring to the refugee camp. “I wanted
to continue my studies but could
not. Everything was so unstable.”
Gato wound up leaving for the
Republic of Guinea in West Africa
where he lived for 10 years until his
application for refugee status to the
United States was accepted.
Thanks to help from Catholic
Charities of Central Florida Inc.,
the 37-year-old Gato — along with
APPointments
his wife and three children —
settled in the Orlando area. Gato
works in a bakery, but he cannot
escape the fear of the things he has
seen.
“Of course I do have concerns,”
he said in explaining why he would
not allow Florida Catholic to publish his real last name or take a
family photo. “You never know.”
The family arrived June 26,
2006, and within 90 days both Gato
and his wife had full-time jobs.
“The family arrived as a ‘free
case,’ meaning that they did not
have any family in the area,” said
Deborah Cruz, refugee resettle-
Father Lemier
Guillaume,
from the
Basilica of
St. Paul,
Daytona Beach,
to parochial
administrator of
St. Jude Parish in
Ocala.
Father Vilaire Philius, newly
ordained, to parochial vicar of
St. Margaret Mary Parish, Winter
Park.
Father Edward M. Waters,
from Holy Cross Parish, Orlando,
to parochial administrator of St.
Timothy Parish, Lady Lake.
Please see REFUGEE, A13
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ORL A4
next dose of history? You don’t have
to. The Florida Catholic’s 70th anniversary
series “A moment of Catholic history in
Florida,” which appears in each biweekly
print issue, is a weekly feature on the Web
site. Turn to Page A5 for the current installment, and check online June 26 for the
next, Web-exclusive installment. Follow
the 70 Years link on the home page. An
archive of all the “moments” to date also
is online.
to advertising in all media. Political advertising not accepted. Periodicals postage paid at
Orlando, FL 32862 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to The Florida Catholic, P.O. Box 4993, Orlando, FL 32802-4993. Member, Catholic Press
Association; subscriber to Catholic News Service (CNS).
June 19-July 2, 2009
Your orlando communitY
www.thefloridacatholic.org
A13
REFUGEE: Naturalization ceremony
part of World Refugee Day observance
FROm A4
COURTESY PHOTO
The small community of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Bartow is known for coming together to accomplish
great things.
Sleepy Bartow church is a
‘small parish with a big heart’
Teresa LanTigua PeTerson
Special to the Florida Catholic
BARTOW — Father Pete Mitchell
doesn’t work in advertising, but the
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish pastor
came up with a fitting slogan: the
small parish with a big heart.
Parishioners have proved time
and again in 56 years that they are a
giving and caring community.
Responding to the Alive in Christ
Campaign, the parish has once
again come together to accomplish
something great.
“People really pitch in here. There
is a strong sense of community.
People are proud of their church,”
said Father Mitchell.
St. Thomas Aquinas is participating in Wave III of the Alive in Christ
Capital and Endowment Campaign,
which kicked off earlier this year.
The parish has met and exceeded
its fundraising goals.
The campaign will pay for local
parish needs such as an update and
expansion of the current church, as
well as diocesan needs such as providing more Catholic school tuition
assistance and expanding Catholic
Charities of Central Florida Inc.
“When we were first told of the
Alive in Christ Campaign there was
a lot of hesitation and even some
resistance because of the economy.
But we have been extremely successful. If anyone had told me that
we would have done this well, I
wouldn’t have believed them,” Father Mitchell said.
Parishioners Oziemar and Barbara Woodard chaired the Alive
in Christ committee at St. Thomas
ALiVE in cHriSt
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
is participating in the Alive in
Christ Capital and Endowment Campaign to fund the
urgent needs of parishes
and to fulfill the mission of
the Diocese of Orlando that
was identified during the
18-month synod listening
sessions in 2005-06. The
campaign invites all to grow
in personal, living relationship with Christ, lead others
to holiness and share God’s
love by contributing time,
talent and treasure.
Aquinas.
“When I found out we had exceeded our goal I was surprised and
elated,” Oziemar Woodard said. “It
has been a joy to serve in this capacity and make a difference. What
we’re doing will affect many future
generations, just like the sacrifices
of those who came before us. This
is our time.
“It has been fantastic to make a
difference and to support the bishop
and the goals of our diocese and to
meet the needs of our local church,”
he said.
This isn’t the first time the St.
Thomas Aquinas community has
helped its parish.
When Father Mitchell arrived in
2000, the church was in disrepair.
Pews were falling over, the roof
was rotting and paint was peeling.
Weekend work crews were organized, and volunteers pitched in to
paint the walls inside and out and
make needed repairs.
Oziemar
Woodard
is a lector,
catechist and
extraordinary
minister
of holy
Communion
at St. Thomas
Aquinas
Parish in
Bartow.
COURTESY
PHOTO
Back in the 1950s, shortly after St.
Thomas Aquinas had been established as a mission, the community
gathered in a wooden structure that
was in need of more than just a little
tender loving care.
“The original church looked like
an old Army barracks and it was so
badly constructed we eventually
had it condemned,” said Dr. Paul
Coury.
Until a new church could be
built, Mass was celebrated at the
Bartow Civic Center, and each Sunday volunteers transformed the auditorium into a place of worship.
“We had to set up the altar and
chairs each week but no one complained,” Coury said. “That shows
how dedicated the people are. We
will make sacrifices to help when
needed.” n
Peterson is the communications
manager for the Diocese of Orlando.
ORL A13
ment coordinator with Catholic
Charities. “Our agency provided
them with their initial housing,
furnishings, orientation and employment assistance.”
This June 20, the family will
celebrate World Refugee Day
free from the fear of violence and
genocide that caused them to
move thousands of miles from
their home.
For many years, countries were
celebrating their own refugee
days. Finally, efforts were coordinated to celebrate June 20 — long
known as Refugee Day in Africa —
worldwide. This was done mainly
as a sign of solidarity with Africa,
which traditionally has the highest number of refugees.
For Gato and his family, the
day is close to the anniversary of
their arrival in this new country
where they had to learn culture,
language and customs. One thing
Gato said he was surprised to
learn here were all the overnight
job opportunities.
“Catholic Charities helped me
with the job and the culture,” a
thankful Gato said. “They gave us
an idea of what to expect.”
Events on June 20 — including
a naturalization ceremony in Orlando featuring Bishop Thomas
Wenski — are meant to focus on
the fundamental need for protection from poverty, violence and
other persecution.
For Gato and his wife, the focus
will be to continue the educational opportunities here for their
children.
“Celestin and his wife value education very much and are dedicated to providing their children
with all the opportunities they
can,” Cruz said. n
World Refugee Day 2009 will be
celebrated Saturday, June 20, 11
a.m.-3 p.m., at the Orlando Public Library, 101 E. Central Blvd.,
downtown Orlando.
DOMINICAN DISPATCH
Priest brings Spirit’s wisdom
back from visit to Haiti
This is one in a series of regular
dispatches from Orlando’s
sister diocese of San Juan de la
Maguana, Dominican Republic.
FaTher Fred ruse
Special to the Florida Catholic
LA CUCARITA, Dominican Republic — I spent Ascension Thursday in Haiti, Les Cayes to be exact.
This is a city in the southern part
of the country, below the capital,
Port-Au-Prince. It is on the Caribbean Sea and in the part of Haiti
closest to Colombia.
Along with Bishop Thomas
Wenski, I attended the installation of Bishop Guire Poulard, the
new bishop of Les Cayes. The installation was my “excuse” to visit
Haiti. And it was the opportunity
to do so with a veteran “Haitian,”
Bishop Wenski.
Every turn in the trip, while
an unknown, was a wonderful
adventure. It gave me the chance
I have wanted for some time to
begin to explore this poorest of all
countries. And, as the Spirit would
have it, one of my first guides was
the newly appointed papal nuncio, Archbishop Bernardito Auza.
He served as my unofficial host
for the trip. His companionship,
along with Bishop Wenski, was
one of the things that emerged
from the various unknowns that
filled these three days.
I traveled by bus from Santo Domingo, a six-hour drive. The cross-
st. andrew school faculty
visit sister diocese school,
please see Page A16
over from the Dominican Republic
into Haiti happened easily. The
checkpoint is sort of a hole-in-thewall type of place, a good bit of it
presently flooded. Between the two
gates, the Dominican Republican
gate and the Haiti gate, there is a sort
of duty-free zone full of markets. I
am not sure if it is really duty-free,
but there was a wide assortment of
sales going on in that space.
The two gates are only remarkable as they are so very small. The
one on the Dominican Republic
side is very narrow and partly
underwater. The driver passes
through it very carefully, so as not
to knock out the gate itself.
Continuing into Haiti, about
one and a half hours later, the road
arrives in the capital. The roads in
Port-au-Prince were packed with
people and vehicles. It was a crawl.
While my arrival at the bus station was fine, my arrangements
to be met by a contact person fell
apart. Small matter. A taxi driver
took me under his wing. Of course,
it meant business for him. But he
was very gracious. I suspect it was
God’s plan that this be some sort
of assist to this man’s economy, as
well as the hotel where he took me.
The next day I was at the airport
to meet up with Bishop Wenski.
While waiting, I was “found” by
PlEASE SEE RUSE, A14
a14
around Your communitY
RETREATS/DAYS
OF PRAYER
San Pedro Spiritual
Development Center, summer
programs, 2400 Dike Road, Winter
Park. 407-671-6322 or visit www.
sanpedrocenter.org.
• “Art and Spirituality,” watercolor, July 21, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Cost: $25, includes all supplies.
Bring a bag lunch.
• “Summer Sabbath Overnights,” July 8-9, pastoral care ministers; July 15-16, health
care workers; July 22-23, teachers
and catechists. Sessions begin 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and end at noon
Thursdays. Led by Society of the Precious Blood Father Ben Berinti.
Cost: $80, includes room, dinner, breakfast and program.
• Summer parish leadership institute. July 8, “Prisms for Seeing Your Parish and Ministry”; July 15, “The Parish as Learning Community”; July 22, “Empowering Others for Collaboration.” Classes: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost: $30 per session; $80 for all three sessions. Price includes
lunch. Led by: Franciscan Father
Patrick Quinn; Carol Stanton, Ph.D.; and Society of the Precious Blood Father Ben Berinti.
• “Tending the Fire Within: a Retreat for Artists,” July 31-Aug. 2, led by Father Ben Berinti and
Betty Shaw. Check in Friday, 4 p.m.; depart Sunday at noon. Cost: $180 for private room and all meals; $140 for shared room and all meals. PARISH EVENTS
African Children’s Choir
RUSE
FROM A13
a couple of priests who told me the
bishop’s plane was going to be late
and that we could wait inside. I noticed that one of these priests had
the customary bishop’s pectoral
cross. I also noticed that he was not
Haitian, but Filipino. I just followed
along and as if by magic, doors
opened as we approached.
Bishop Wenski must have pulled
off some pretty spiffy arrangements,
I thought.
We eventually arrived in a suite
of rooms. I joined the priest with the
pectoral cross in a very posh area
with very comfortable couches. He
ordered us some coffee. We began
a bit of conversation and I eventually asked about his particular work
here in Haiti and asked about the location of his diocese. I knew he was
a bishop by the cross. He explained
to me that he was the apostolic nuncio (ambassador of the Holy See) to
Haiti. Then I knew how all those
doors opened. We were in the diplomatic suite of rooms at the airport.
He could not have been more
gracious and personable, and certainly unassuming.
Bishop Wenski arrived and he,
too, was ushered from the mainstream of passengers into this suite
where all he had to do was flash his
concert: June 24, 7 p.m., Our Lady
of Lourdes Parish, 201 University Blvd., Daytona Beach. All proceeds of free-will offering will go toward the choir organization’s relief and development projects in Africa to provide education, food, shelter and medical assistance to Africa’s orphans and needy children.
“Hoop Heaven” basketball
camp: June 29-July 3, 8 a.m.-noon, Holy Name of Jesus athletic center, 3060 N. Highway A1A, Indialantic. A fun atmosphere in which boys and girls in grades three through
seven learn age-appropriate
basketball skills by grade level.
Baskets will be 8 feet for younger campers. Cost: $50, includes
a T-shirt. For information, call George Borell, 321-777-7630
Florida Catholic
Bereavement training for
2009: Saturdays through June 20, Holy Redeemer Parish, 1603
N. Thacker Ave., Kissimmee; Sept. 12-Oct. 3, St. Patrick Parish, 6803 Old Highway 441 S., Mount Dora. For people interested in becoming
bereavement ministers within
their parishes, the diocesan Office of Family Life and Pastoral Care offers training in four sessions on successive Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Lunch is provided. Please
contact your parish bereavement
coordinator or pastor, or Donna
D’Ambrosio, diocesan pastoral care manager, at 407-246-4883.
Gospel music workshop:
June 27, 9 a.m.-noon, University of Central Florida, Visual Arts Building 146, 4000 Central Florida
Blvd., Orlando. Features JoAnne Stephenson, D.M.A., soprano, associate professor of voice; Glenn Osborne, director of liturgical music, Diocese of Orlando; and the St. Andrew Parish gospel choir. Call Gretchen Demps Simmons, 407-297-0356 or 407-968-9387.
Retrouvaille program
for struggling marriages:
July 10-12, San Pedro Spiritual Development Center, 2400 Dike
Road, Winter Park. This diocesesponsored program can help
marriages that have grown
strained and distant, share little
meaningful communication or where separation or divorce is
considered. Not group therapy
or counseling, program offers opportunity to rediscover what
once was. Information and registration: 407-977-8136. All calls confidential.
Day of recollection for Lay
Carmelites: July 11, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Annunciation Parish, 1020 Montgomery Road, Altamonte Springs. Sponsored by the Lay Carmelites of the parish. Speakers include: Father Richard HoLung,
founder of Missionaries of the Poor; and Father William Gohring,
hospital chaplain. A love offering of $15 will cover both brunch and lunch. Information and R.S.V.P. to Jo Rac, 407-332-6863; or Hely Dalida, 407-869-5072.
Second Catholic Assembly
on AIDS: Aug. 5, 8:30 a.m.-Aug. 7, 5:30 p.m., Resurrection Parish, 1211
S. Vineland Road, Winter Garden. Sponsored by the Southeastern Conference of Catholic AIDS Ministers (SECCAM), the assembly will cover such issues as health
disparities, the AIDS crisis among ethnic communities, social justice,
Catholic prevention education
Healing prayer: First, second
and fourth Mondays, 9-11 a.m., St. John Vianney Parish, 6200 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando.
Call parish office: 407-855-5391.
Healing prayer: First Mondays,
7 p.m., Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, 201 University Blvd., Daytona Beach. Call Gary and Vivian Bowden, 386-673-1330 or e-mail [email protected].
Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament: Monday through
Saturday, 7:10 a.m. until start of 8:30 a.m. Mass, and Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon; first Sundays, noon-6 p.m., Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels; rosary for vocations daily following Mass, St. Brendan Parish, 1000 Oceanshore Blvd., Ormond
Beach. 386-441-1505.
Pray rosary for life: Third
passport and forgo all those other
documents we usually have to wrestle with.
With that, we piled into the nuncio’s car and headed off toward Les
Cayes. Not until I tried to open a
window was it explained that the
car had an armor suit. It was bulletproof. That’s when I noticed that the
windows were at least an inch thick
… and you didn’t roll them down.
Likewise, the doors were the weight
of a wheelbarrow full of concrete.
During the trip I got a good history of the trials of Haiti and the dangers, as well as how the nunciature
(residence and offices of the nuncio)
had suffered sabotage in the past. A
previous nuncio had been seized
and beaten during more severely
tense political days. The caution
continues for now. Of course, Haiti
is a bit different from those days, in
some respect.
The capital is a mess — a disaster
as far as traffic management and
trash disposal. The cathedral dominates the capital horizon. Governmental buildings are nearby, each
nearly encased in piles of garbage.
Market vendors choke the streets.
It is also the scene of the poverty.
I saw that reality more and more:
people selling fruits and other items
while positioned atop piles of trash;
pigs wandering through these piles
scavenging for food; children running; drainage water passing along
the edge; and some piles of smoldering trash not completely eliminated
by fire.
Everyone is selling something.
Later we arrived at a parish rectory where we met the priests of that
parish and the mayor and some
seminarians. We had lunch. I had
the chance to talk with some of the
priests who spoke Spanish. Amazing
how Spanish has become a connecting language for me. I always spoke to
these priests of their people who live
and work in the mountains where I
live and that I see myself, in part, visiting Haiti in their name, seeking to
better understand their struggle.
Bishop Wenski has a Haitian
“grandmother”! She lives in Les
Cayes. So, we had the chance to
visit her and surprise her family and
neighborhood with the visit of the
pope’s delegate, the nuncio. What a
wonderful moment.
Les Cayes is where Bishop Wenski got his Haiti start, so to speak.
We arrived at the residence of the
bishop of Les Cayes and were joined
by many other bishops of Haiti. We
had supper and headed off to a diocesan celebration in honor of the
new bishop. Many of the parishes
had prepared talent moments —
singing, dancing, poems. A real
glimpse of life — stunning.
The next day the ceremony began, almost on time, at 8:20 a.m.
Processions of choirs, priests and
bishops weaved their way toward
the cathedral through the streets
of Les Cayes, entering the packed
church to song. The four-hour service flowed well — long, but well.
I kept thinking, though, that the
gathering never really reached the
feel that I witnessed when the Miami Haitian community celebrated
Bishop Wenski’s welcome to the
Orlando Diocese at the National
Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. There they were really rocking and he was dialoguing with
them through song and chant. The
Les Cayes moment was good music, but subdued in comparison. I’m
not sure what is authentic Haitian
Church in that respect. Maybe the
Haitian Church in exile has a different texture by nature of its exile. Or
maybe something is still longing to
emerge in Les Cayes.
I had a ticket to return to the Dominican Republic on the bus the
next morning at 8:30. I was delighted when the nuncio told me he had
to get back to the capital for a plane
trip that evening. I told him to count
me in for that return trip.
So, it was now noon and it was to
be a race to head back. We had already planned our signals: The closing song was about to get under way,
he spoke to the bishop, reverenced
the altar and nodded at me. I left by
one side, he the other and meeting
in the sacristy, we flew to the wait-
CONFERENCES/
MEETINGS/
OTHER EVENTS
ORL A14
June 19-July 2, 2009
orLAndo diocESE communitY PaGE
SuBmiSSion dEadLinES
The Florida Catholic welcomes calendar items of coming events for your parish or organization. Due to time required for production and mailing, we need
to receive items at least five weeks before requested publication. Send items to:
Around Your Community, Florida Catholic, P.O. Box 1800, Orlando, FL 328021800; by fax, send items marked Around Your Community to 407-246-4942; or
e-mail to, [email protected].
Announcements for ongoing activities will be removed after 60 days. For
continued coverage, announcements must be resubmitted.
for youths, parish ministry and much more. Full conference and daily rates are available. For more
information and to register, please visit www.seccam.org.
PRAYER SESSIONS/
MASSES
and fifth Saturdays, 7 a.m., abortion facility on Lucerne Terrace in downtown Orlando.
St. Augustine’s Respect Life Committee invites fellow Catholics to join them in praying the rosary.
407-699-4328.
Divine Mercy chaplet:
Wednesdays, 3 p.m., St. Faustina Parish, 320 U.S. Highway 27, Clermont. Call the parish office: 352-394-0020.
Liturgy of the Hours:
Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m.-noon
and 7-9 p.m., St. Anthony Parish, 820 Marcum Road, Lakeland. Includes exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and clergy and lay ministers to answer questions.
Contact: Ken Drummer, 863-8588047, ext. 214.
Mass at Port Canaveral:
Sundays, 10:30 a.m., chapel of the Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea, Seafarers’ Center, 720 Mullet Road, Cape Canaveral. The
center is located near the docks
of the cruise ships so that those about to embark can easily attend
Mass. All are welcome. For more information, contact Servite Father Carl Feil, 321-866-0143.
ing “armored” car with vestments
flying. Off we went.
We arrived four hours later with
enough time to eat something as we
had missed the planned celebration
meal in Les Cayes. I saw him off at
his gate and his driver took me to
the residence managed by the Little
Brothers where I would stay the
night and in the morning walk a
three-block distance to the bus.
The return bus ride was longer as
it was packed, and that meant a lot
longer process at the checkpoint on
the border. Still, all went well.
I have so many things to share with
the folks here in the hills of the Dominican Republic, certainly toward
appreciating the life and history of the
Haitians who work side by side with
them, as well as the message from Ascension Thursday in Haiti. The message seems caught up in the motto of
Bishop Poulard’s coat of arms: “Bloom
where you are planted.”
Certainly, this is the way the
Spirit wants to speak to the Dominicans where I live. I am sure of that.
For nothing is by accident or “happenstance.” All the twists of this trip
confirmed that. n
Father Ruse, who was assigned
pastoral duties to the sister diocese, resides in the mountain town
of La Cucarita. The countries of
the Dominican Republic and Haiti share the same land mass.
June 19-July 2, 2009
advertisement
www.thefloridacatholic.org
a15
Take a Closer Look at Oakmonte Village . . .
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its opening in June. The 25-acre
campus is conveniently located in
the heart of Lake Mary/Heathrow
and promises to be the independent
living option for seniors.
With an extensive amenities
package that includes a performing
arts center, bistro café, health and
banking services, movie theater, fitness
facilities, and restaurant-quality dining,
Oakmonte Village will have all the
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CALL 407.444.0147 TODAY TO SCHEDULE A TOUR.
18123
ORL A15
A16 Your orlando communitY
Florida Catholic
June 19-July 2, 2009
DEACON ORDINATION
Lying prostrate before
Bishop Thomas Wenski,
14 men profess vows of
obedience to become
permanent deacons
during their ordination
June 13 at the National
Shrine of Mary, Queen of
the Universe in Orlando.
Assisting Bishop Wenski
are center, Father Ed
McCarthy, rector, and
far right, Deacon Robert
Gray, director of the
permanent diaconate.
In his homily, Bishop
Wenski said: “With
the imposition of
hands and the prayer
of consecration, the
Lord will pour out the
Holy Spirit upon these
acolytes and consecrate
them deacons. Fourteen
of them, chosen from
the ranks of mature
married men, will be
permanent deacons
ordained for the service
of this local Church, the
Diocese of Orlando.”
COURTESY PHOTO
Faculty members from St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando —
guidance counselor Jennifer O’Brien, top left, and fifth-grade teacher
Capresse Smith, top center — participate in a spring mission trip to
Orlando’s sister diocese of San Juan de la Maguana.
Orlando teachers share
tips with mission schools,
get blessings in return
VALETA ORLANDO | FC
Jennifer O’Brien, guidance
counselor at St. Andrew Catholic
School, and colleague Capresse
Smith, fifth-grade teacher, joined 13
other educators from the Diocese of
Orlando on an education mission
trip to the Diocese of Orlando’s
sister diocese of San Juan de la
Maguana, Dominican Republic,
this spring. O’Brien recounts
highlights of her six-day visit.
Jennifer O’Brien
Special to the Florida Catholic
19336
ORL A16
ORLANDO — Off we went on a
short two-hour flight to a world far
different from the one we were used
to here at home. After a brief stop in
Santo Domingo, the capital of the
Dominican Republic, we began a
five-hour journey into the mountains en route to the village of La
Cucarita. Thirteen other teachers
from the Diocese of Orlando joined
us. The purpose of our mission was
to help the Catholic school teachers
in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana.
The 15 of us split into groups of
three. Our group stayed in La Cucarita and traveled to our respective
schools each day. Capresse Smith
and I visited the mission school in
the village of Los Guayayos. Each
group spent time observing and
providing feedback at its assigned
Dominican Dispatch: Priest
finds blessings in visit to Haiti,
please see Page A13.
school. Some observations were in
relation to ways the teachers could
improve their instruction, but other
observations were about their compassionate nature and their work
ethic.
On the final day in the mountains, all of the educators from the
Diocese of Orlando got together
with all of the Dominican teachers
and we held a workshop based upon
long-term goals for the teachers and
our observations during our visits.
We came to the Dominican Republic with excitement about all we
could teach the people there, but
we quickly realized that this mission was about much more than
the passing along of information.
The peace and beauty of the landscape as we rode a donkey or hiked
to school, the smiles of the beautiful children playing in the dirt, and
the sense of community we experienced as we visited the neighbors
made us keenly aware of the presence of God in everyday life. We
departed the Dominican Republic thankful for the opportunity
to share that which we have been
blessed to learn, but also appreciative of the opportunity to embrace
the simple things in life that we so
often take for granted. n