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Volume 5, Issue 4
10th Annual
Mass for
health care
professionals
Ethicist to address
Affordable Care Act
The Valley Catholic
McALLEN — The Diocese of
Brownsville’s Health Ministries
Department invites all health care
professionals to the 10th Annual
White Mass celebration scheduled
at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17 at
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in McAllen. A conference and dinner will follow the
Mass. The event is free.
Dr. John Brehany, executive director and ethicist for the Catholic
Medical Association, will deliver
the keynote address at the conference.
In his talk on “A future for
Catholics in health care? Challenges and Opportunities,” Dr. Brehany
will focus on the implications of the
Affordable Care Act, struggles over
conscience rights, and religious liberty.
He will also discuss what will
be required if Catholics are to remain in the healthcare ministry as
individuals and institutions.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores will
celebrate the Mass, which is traditionally held around the Feast Day
of St. Luke (Oct. 18), the patron
saint of physicians and surgeons.
It is called a “White Mass” because
health care workers traditionally
wear white coats or uniforms. In
the Church, white is also a symbol
of healing and peace.
Following the Mass, Bishop
Flores will bless the health care
professionals in attendance.
“There is a lot of confusion and
a lot of uncertainty about the Affordable Care Act,” said Father Edouard Atangana, director of health
ministries for the diocese. “Ask any
physician, any physician assistant,
any office manager or billing clerk
and nobody knows what is going
to happen. So many things are unclear about the delivery of health
care in our country.
“In the midst of all this confusion, in the midst of all this uncertainty, during this time where there
are more questions than answers,
information and prayer become
even more relevant.”
To RSVP or for more information, call (956) 784-5007.
Serving More Than A Million Catholics in the Diocese of Brownsville
October 2013
A sign of growth
Our Heavenly
Father mission
becomes a parish
St. Anne Church
becomes quasiparish; new religious
order charged with
developing mission
territory
The Valley Catholic
By BRENDA NETTLES RIOJAS
The Valley Catholic
PEÑITAS — While some parishes in the country are closing or
merging, the Diocese of Brownsville, which has the largest population in the country with about 1.2
million Catholics, is creating new
parishes.
In response to the growth in
western Hidalgo County, Bishop
Daniel E. Flores decreed the establishment of a new quasi-parish in
the Pueblo de Palmas colonia in
Peñitas with St. Anne as its patron
saint effective Sept. 8, the Feast
of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. He named Father Michael
Montoya, a Missionary of Jesus
priest, as the quasi-parish’s first
pastor.
“Deep in my heart, I know this
is where the Church needs to be,”
Bishop Flores said when he asked
the Missionary of Jesus priests to
establish the new quasi-parish.
For Sisters Fatima M. Santiago
and Carolyn Kosub of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (ICM), who
first came to the area in 2004 and
helped build the church in 2009,
the creation of the quasi-parish is
a milestone to celebrate.
“Today I cannot but sing along
with Mary, our Mother, the beautiful song of Magnificat,” said Sister
Santiago who has been administering the church and running
the catechetical programs for four
years.
She added, “Thanks to our
Bishop Daniel Flores, for his trust,
vision and discernment to divide
the parish of La Joya into four
communities and our new parish into four communities and to
name St. Anne to be the mother
church.”
The Missionary Sisters of the
MEET STEWARD
Courtesy Photos
Father Michael Montoya, pastor of the new St. Anne Quasi-Parish, celebrates Mass
at St. Anne Church in Pueblo de Palmas colonia in Peñitas. The new quasi-parish
inclues three parish missions — St. Michael Church in Los Ebanos, Our Lady of
Guadalupe Church in Sullivan City and San Juan Diego Church in El Flaco colonia.
ST. MICHAEL CHURCH, Los Ebanos
ST. ANNE QUASI-PARISH, Peñitas
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH,
Sullivan City
SAN JUAN DIEGO CHURCH,
El Flaco colonia
Immaculate Heart of Mary were
invited in 2004 to help after a tornado hit and destroyed several
homes. After accessing the needs
of the area, the sisters remained
and started Proyecto Desarollo
Humano, a non-profit organization, to provide needed services to
the people in the community.
St. Anne Church is legally
owned by the ICM sisters. The sisters are transferring its care to the
diocese.
“When we built St. Anne’s in
2009, I never dreamed that I would
live to see it become the mother
church of a parish,” said Sister Kosub. “We were merely responding
to the needs and requests of our
people. God has certainly worked
wonders. I am thrilled to be united with the other faith communities in our new parish, and I know
that God is with all of us.”
Father Montoya came to the
Rio Grande Valley in April to be-
LOS MATACHINES
» Please see Growth p.18
THOSE WHO SERVE
OLMITO — “¡Hoy comenzamos a vivir como una parroquia!
(Today we begin to live as a parish!)” said Father Héctor José Cruz
Lesbros before the start of the noon
Mass on Sunday, Sept. 15 at Our
Heavenly Father Church in Olmito.
The church filled to capacity in
celebration of its official designation as a parish.
“I am so happy to celebrate this
Mass now as a parish here at Our
Heavenly Father,” Father Cruz, parish administrator, said as he greeted
parishioners after the celebration.
“I ask God for his blessings for
the entire community and for the
diocese that now has one more
parish,” he added. The Diocese of
Brownsville, which encompasses
the counties of Cameron, Hidalgo,
Starr and Willacy, now has 71 parishes and 44 mission churches.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores established the parish in response to the
“growth and development taking
place in the northwest sector of the
City of Brownsville,” and “to provide more adequately for the pastoral care of the people of God,” reads
the decree erecting the new parish.
“I appreciate the Bishop and
everyone in the diocese who facilitated this designation,” Father Cruz
said.
Father Cruz, a Marist Priest of
the Society of Mary, has been serving the parish since Sept. 12, 2007.
He congratulated the community
on the milestone, and wrote in the
parish bulletin, “Today our mission
arrives to its maturity and becomes
a formal parish.”
In his letter to parishioners,
Father Cruz referred to comments
Bishop Daniel E. Flores made during a visit to St. Anthony Parish in
Harlingen where the bishop likened the building of a new church
or opening new parishes to moving
forward on a pilgrimage in the life
of the Church.
“It takes commitment; it takes
working together; it takes plan» Please see New Parish p.18
EN ESPAÑOL
Artículos sobre el crecimiento
de la iglesia Católica en
el Valle, los matachines, y
programa para la formación
del ministerio laico.
“VERBUM MITTITUR
SPIRANS AMOREM”
(“The WORD is sent
breathing love.”)
Stewardship mascot helps
with children’s appeal
Page 3
First Matachines Festival set
for Nov. 16
Page 6
Father Leo-Francis Daniels,
C.O.
Page 11
Páginas 13-17
DIOCESE
2
Mensaje de Los
Obispos de las
fronteras de
México, Texas,
y Nuevo México
a los Católicos a
a los hombres y
mujeres de buena
voluntad
“
He visto la aflicción de mi
pueblo” (Ex. 3,7).
Los Obispos de las fronteras
de México, Texas y Nuevo México,
saludamos a todos ustedes deseándoles la paz y todo bien en el Señor
Jesús.
Reunidos en nuestra segunda
asamblea del presente año, hemos
compartido nuestra preocupación
por la situación de millones de
personas indocumentadas, que
migran a los Estados Unidos.
Particularmente nos preocupa la
afectación de tantas familias que se
han visto divididas por la falta de
una conveniente Reforma Migratoria comprensiva. Al presente, los
más dañados son los miles de niños y jóvenes que se ven privados
de sus padres y de otros familiares.
Queremos mirar la realidad
del fenómeno migratorio desde
la perspectiva divina. Así como
Dios sintió compasión por su
pueblo esclavo en Egipto, así
ahora se conmueve y nos llama a
la compasión y misericordia hacia
nuestros hermanos indocumentados. También Jesús, el Buen Pastor,
se compadecía al ver la multitudes
extenuadas (Cf. Mt.14,14) y como
sus pastores del momento actual,
queremos poner a latir nuestro
corazón al ritmo del suyo.
Estamos en un momento en el
cual los líderes de Estados Unidos
van a tratar el tema de la Reforma
Migratoria, como una de sus prioridades. Como pastores queremos
contribuir a este momento para la
reflexión y la acción con una carta
que estamos preparando para presentarla en el momento oportuno,
y la titularemos “Familia más allá
de las fronteras”.
The Valley Catholic - October 2013
Message from the Bishops of the border regions of Mexico, Texas
and New Mexico to Catholics and to men and women of good will
“
I have seen the affliction of my people”
(Ex. 3,7).
The Bishops from the border regions of
Mexico, Texas and New Mexico greet all of
you, wishing you peace and every good thing
in the Lord Jesus.
Gathered together in our second assembly of the current year, we have shared
our preoccupation over the situation affecting millions of undocumented persons who
migrate to the United States. In particular
we are deeply concerned about the burden
affecting so many families who have found
themselves divided because of the lack of a
suitable and Comprehensive Immigration
Reform. At present, those most injured are the
thousands of children and young people who
find themselves deprived of their parents and
other family members.
We seek to view the reality of the
migration phenomenon from the divine
perspective. Just as God had compassion for
his people enslaved in Egypt, so now he is
moved, and he calls us to compassion and
mercy towards our undocumented brothers
and sisters. Further, Jesus the Good Shepherd
felt compassion upon seeing the exhausted
multitudes ( cf Mt 14,14). As their current
shepherds we want to make our hearts beat in
rhythm with theirs.
We are at a moment in which the leadership of the United States is taking up the issue
of Immigration Reform as one of its priorities.
As shepherds we wish to contribute to this
moment of reflection and action with a letter
we are currently preparing, so that we might
present it at an opportune time; we will entitle
this forthcoming document “Family Beyond
Borders”.
Immigrants make of their journey a true
Los migrantes hacen de
su marcha una verdadera peregrinación de fe y esperanza, y
así nos inspiran a todos, incluso
a nosotros sus pastores. Por eso
desde ahora queremos animar la
esperanza de ellos y de todos los
que en ellos reconocemos el rostro
de Cristo, para contribuir con
nuestra oración y con la acción
que cada uno pueda ofrecer, para
lograr lo más posible en favor de
estos hermanos nuestros.
Con todo respeto nos dirigimos también quienes tienen la
responsabilidad de la realización
de esta Reforma Migratoria en
los Estados Unidos, para que
Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S.
Archbishop of San Antonio
MOST REVEREND
DANIEL E. FLORES
BISHOP OF BROWNSVILLE
Archbishop Constancio Miranda Weckmann
Archdiocese of Chihuahua
Bishop Mark J. Seitz
Bishop of El Paso
pilgrimage of faith and hope, and thus they
inspire us all, including us their shepherds. This
is why at this time we want to encourage their
hope, and the hopes of all of us who see in them
the face of Christ. We want to contribute with
our prayer, and with the action that each one
can offer, to achieve all that might be possible in
favor of our brothers and sisters.
With utmost respect we direct ourselves to
those who are responsible for the enactment of
an Immigration Reform in the United States, so
that they might put all their determined energy
into this effort, conscious of the human dignity
of each immigrant, and conscious of what they
contribute to the progress and development of
this country.
Asking The Lord that all families might remain united, we wish to commit ourselves and
invite all of you to take up this same commitment to work in favor of the family, an institution willed by God as the foundation of society.
We entrust this task that belongs to everyone, to the maternal intercession of Our Lady of
Guadalupe, and to Saint Toribio Romo, patron
of immigrants.
El Paso, Texas, a los 8 días del mes
de septiembre del año del Señor de
2013, Año de la Fe.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores
Diocese of Brownsville
Bishop Gustavo Rodriguez Vega
Bishop of Nuevo Laredo
Bishop Oscar Cantú
Bishop of Las Cruces
Bishop Alonso Gerardo Garza Treviño
Bishop of Piedras Negras
Bishop Michael Pfeifer, OMI
Bishop of San Angelo
Bishop James Tamayo
Bishop of Laredo
Bishop Jesús José Herrera Quiñones
Bishop of Nuevo Casas Grandes
Bishop Raymundo Peña
Bishop Emeritus of Brownsville
Bishop José Fernández
Bishop Emeritus of Chihuahua
September, 8, 2013
El Paso, Texas, USA
pongan todo su empeño en la
misma, siendo conscientes de la
dignidad humana de cada uno
de los migrantes, y de lo que ellos
contribuyen al progreso y desarrollo del País.
Pidiendo al Señor que todas las
familias puedan mantenerse unidas, queremos comprometernos e
invitarles a todos ustedes a asumir
el mismo compromiso de trabajar
en favor de esta institución, querida por Dios como fundamento de
la sociedad.
Encomendamos esta tarea de
todos, a la intercesión maternal de
Santa María de Guadalupe, y de
Santo Toribio Romo, patrono de
los migrantes.
Bishop Ruy Rendón Leal
Bishop of Matamoros
» To read more about the border bishops, see p. 12
Courtesy Photo
Bishops from border dioceses in Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico attended a
meeting in El Paso and announced the publication of a forthcoming document on
Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The dioceses and archdioceses represented
at the El Paso gathering included, from Mexico: Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez,
Cuauhtemoc-Madera, Matamoros, Monterrey, Nuevo Casas Grandes, Nuevo Laredo,
Piedras Negras-Catedral Mártires de Cristo Rey, and Saltillo; from Texas: Amarillo,
Brownsville, El Paso, Lubbock, San Angelo, and San Antonio; as well as the Diocese
of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan, TX 78589-3042
5FMFQIPOFt'BY
Bishop Daniel E. Flores
Publisher
Brenda Nettles Riojas
Editor
Rose Ybarra
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is published monthly
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Bishop Flores’ Schedule October
Oct. 2
6 p.m.
Pharr
Confirmations at St. Jude Thaddeus
Oct. 3
5 p.m.
San Juan
Beginning of Year Gathering with Religious
Oct. 5
9:30 a.m.
Basilica
Mass for SJDMI Basic Formation Classes
Oct. 5
6 p.m.
Edinburg
St. Joseph School Gala
Oct. 6
10 a.m. Segovia Unit State Prison
Mass
Oct. 7
7p.m.
Brownsville
1er Encuentro de Jóvenes Recién Inmigrados con su Obispo
Oct. 10
9:30 a.m.
San Juan
Talk for Professional’s Day for DREs
Oct. 10
11:30 am
San Juan
Mass for Professional’s Day for DREs
Oct. 10
7 p.m.
McAllen
1er Encuentro de Jovenes Recien Imigrados con su Obispo
Oct 17
8 a.m.
McAllen
Our Lady of Sorrows School Mass
Oct. 17
6:30 p.m.
McAllen
White Mass - Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Oct. 19
10 a.m.
Mission
Mass St. Paul (90th Anniv. of CDA Court St. Rose of Lima #827)
Oct. 19
2 p.m.
San Juan
Pastoral Planning Workshop
Oct 24
8:15 a.m.
Edinburg
St. Joseph School Mass
Oct. 24
6:30 p.m.
Edinburg
Red Mass
Oct. 26
9:30 a.m.
Weslaco HS
Mass for 2013 Youth BLAST
Oct. 27
3 p.m.
Pharr
Valley Interfaith 30th Anniversary
DIOCESE
October 2013 - The Valley Catholic
20th Annual
Red Mass set
for Oct. 24
The Valley Catholic
EDINBURG — Bishop Daniel E. Flores will celebrate the 20th
annual Red Mass at 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, Oct. 24, at St. Joseph
Parish, 114 W. Fay St. in Edinburg.
The church is located two blocks
south of the Hidalgo County
Courthouse.
The Red Mass is celebrated
to invoke God’s blessing upon all
protectors and administrators of
the law, including lawyers, judges,
government officials and law enforcement agents, as well as their
families and support staffs.
The Mass will be followed by a
banquet at St. Joseph School. The
theme of the night’s festivities is
based on Matthew 25:40, “…whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
The Red Mass is a longstanding tradition in the Catholic
Church that dates back to 13th
century Paris. The first Red Mass
was celebrated in the United States
on Oct. 6, 1928 at the Church of St.
Andrew in New York City.
The celebrant, concelebrants,
deacons and honored guests enter
the church in procession wearing red vestments or red clothing,
symbolizing the Holy Spirit’s role
in guiding those who seek and pursue justice in their daily lives.
In the Rio Grande Valley, the
Red Mass is held annually in the
fall, alternating between Hidalgo
and Cameron counties. Protectors
and administrators of the law from
all over the Valley and of all faiths,
as well as the public, are invited to
attend.
For more information, contact
Chris or Ester at (956) 318-2470.
Migrant
Welcoming
Festival Oct. 19
The Valley Catholic
McALLEN — The Basilica of
Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine is hosting its annual
Migrant Welcoming Festival on
Saturday, Oct. 19 to celebrate and
thank Our Lady for the safe return
of migrant families from the Rio
Grande Valley.
A special Mass is held in honor of the migrant families in late
spring to bless them before they
travel north for job opportunities.
The festival is held in the fall to welcome them home.
The event, scheduled for 9 a.m.
to 10 p.m., will feature food, rides,
a car and cycle show, live entertainment and more.
The highlight of the festival is
the presentation of the Migrant
Family of the Year. Deacon Julio
and Mrs. Enedina Castilleja of San
Juan, who traveled up north for
more than 20 years with their family, are this year’s honorees. Deacon
Castilleja, who was ordained to the
permanent diaconate 23 years ago,
has served at the basilica for 10
years.
Proceeds from the festival will
be used to build a new maintenance facility for the basilica.
TEACHING
STEWA RDSHIP
The Valley Catholic photos
Children from parishes and a Catholic School participated in the Àlming of a video for the Children·s Appeal.
Mascot promotes
seven faith habits for
the Year of Faith
The Valley Catholic
WESLACO — Steward the
Caterpillar made his grand entrance in time to meet and greet
136 children in the Diocese of
Brownsville who attended a video
filming at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Weslaco for the
Children’s Stewardship Appeal.
Steward is the mascot for
the children’s appeal that will be
launched in October. This year’s
theme focuses on the Seven Faith
Habits for the Year of Faith.
The diocesan Stewardship
and Development Office hosted
the filming on Aug. 21 with children from 16 parishes and one
parochial school participating in
the event. During the session, students were divided into smaller
groups for catechetical instruction on six of the seven faith habits.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores talked
to the children and taught them
the seventh faith habit, prayer
before meals, before sitting down
with them for a pizza supper.
The children also listened to a
story “The Day Steward Arrived”
written by Rosie Rodriguez, development director for the Diocese of Brownsville.
Rodriguez said the children’s
appeal is unique to the diocese.
It was first launched in 2011. The
goal, she said is “That all children
participate, not just in giving
money, but in pledging time and
talent.”
Rodriguez said Steward, the
mascot, was created to encourage children to learn more about
stewardship. “He is being commissioned to go out and take the
message of stewardship out to the
parishes.”
Also, the video highlighting
the children’s appeal and teaching the Seven Faith Habits will be
Above: A new booklet titled “The Day Steward Arrived” explains how a caterpillar
named Steward came to be the mascot for the Diocese of Brownsville Children·s
Appeal. Below: Miguel Santos, director of Campus and Young Adult Ministry,
teaches children about prayer before bedtime.
provided to every church in the
diocese.
Rodriguez said the filming
event was a collaborative effort of
the parishes and diocesan ministries who see a great value in the
teaching of stewardship as a way
of life.
In September, Rodriguez led
a session about the Children’s Appeal at the International Stewardship Conference in Dallas.
7 FAITH HABITS FOR THE YEAR OF FAITH

Offer a prayer at mealtime
Call upon the saints
Give thanks to God each night
Reach out to help a neighbor in need
Savor a few minutes of silence
Ask for God·s blessings each morning
Receive the Holy Eucharist for strength and nourishment
3
OFFICE OF VOCATIONS
Para
servirles
The Valley Catholic
The call to serve as a priest,
religious brother or sister
ultimately comes from God,
rooted in Baptism to serve
God’s people.
Once a person feels an
interest — even a slight interest — to serve God as a priest
or religious, the Office of
Vocations of the Diocese of
Brownsville is here to foster
that call and help them through
the discernment process and
beyond.
Father Juan Pablo Davalos,
director of vocations for the
diocese, encourages men and
women who may be hearing
a call from God to serve as a
priest or religious to contact the
Office of Vocations.
He and his team don’t push
anyone to enter the priesthood
or religious life but rather, they
assist the individual in cooperating with God’s will.
They help men and women
discern a call to the priesthood
or religious life through prayer,
retreats, visits to the seminary
or convent and other opportunities.
“I encourage you to reflect
and pray, asking God to open
your heart to His call; you may
be receiving a genuine call,”
Father Davalos said. “It is a
real mystery how God calls his
people; therefore, this office is
meant to walk you through the
basic information and discernment on how a person becomes
a priest or religious sister or
brother. I hope and pray that
you also allow God to speak to
your heart. The possibilities can
be immense and the rewards
out of this world.”
The Office of Vocations
also works to create awareness
about the priesthood and religious life at parishes, Catholic
schools, local colleges and
universities and more.
Father Davalos also answers
correspondence from seminarians and priests from outside of
the diocese who are interested
in serving here. He evaluates
each man on a case-by-case
basis to see if he is a good fit to
serve the faithful of the Valley.
Those discerning a call to
religious life will be introduced
to brothers and sisters from the
many religious communities
in the Rio Grande Valley. They
will also be provided resources
and contact information for
communities outside of the
Valley.
Men who answer God’s call
to the diocesan priesthood will
continue to work with the Office of Vocations. The director
of vocations serves as an advisor and mentor and is committed to seeing men through the
formation journey from start to
finish, from discernment to his
ordination to the priesthood.
Ministry: Office of Vocations
Director: Father Juan Pablo
Davalos
Phone: (956) 784-5060
Email: [email protected]
4
DIOCESE
»Family Life
Lydia Pesina
Director, Family
Life Office
Saints and
Sinners
W
e often hear the
phrase that all
of us are “saints
and sinners.” It
is important to remember that
because we are made in the “image and likeness of God” we are
all called to be saints; to be holy.
But also, in today’s world people
don’t often want to talk about
“sin” but all of us are “sinners;”
all fall short of the glory of God
because in our humanness we
“fail one another”; we “break relationship” with one another and
with God which is what sin is.
As a society, perhaps it would
be helpful for us to remember
that the seven deadly sins:
wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust,
envy, and gluttony, which have
been recognized for thousands
of years are still the human
weaknesses that can lead us
to other “sins,” other breaks in
relationship with our loved ones
and with God.
Probably one of the most
important tasks in the long journey of life is to become a saint.
We are all called to holiness. In
fact, one of the Catholic Church
teachings is that in marriage,
husbands and wives are called
to make their spouse a saint; it
is in our job description, so to
speak. But what does that mean
in practical terms?
A short example: when my
husband Mauri and I married 39
years ago, I was very stubborn
and inflexible; well I still am, but
to a much lesser degree because
Mauri helps me to see those
faults that I have to work on and
I have to use that awareness to
keep working on them.
In a course that I teach to
singles called “How to avoid a
Jerk/Jerkette,” the author, John
Van Epp states that what makes
a person a jerk or jerkette is
“persistent resistance;” when we
persistently resist working on
that which we know we have to
work on.
At our Diocesan Staff Retreat last year, the Retreat Master,
Father Thomas Sepulveda stated,
“It is not our duty to change
ourselves; that duty is God’s; our
duty is to struggle. God’s grace
is in the struggle itself. God is
the Creator; it is up to God to
bring it to fruition.” For me, it is
very consoling to think that I just
need to keep in the struggle to
improve, and God will provide
the grace and the time for my
transformation.
I need the rest of my life and
then some to become a saint.
My paternal grandmother, Clara
Sepulveda Reyna loved me very
much so she often said “Mi Lilita
es una santa” (my Lilita is a saint)
to which my mother would say
“Preguntenle al marido” (ask
her husband) which of course
meant that who better than my
husband knows what I am really like! Our spouse and other
family members know us at our
best and at our worst and love us
anyway.
Yes, we are all called to be
saints in this life and in the next;
but also, the Catholic Church has
a long tradition of recognizing
those with an exceptional degree
of holiness and virtue through
canonization. Almost every
day of the calendar year has a
saint day but also, we celebrate
All Saints Day on Nov. 1 which
is where the word Halloween
comes from (eve of a holy day).
The concept of All Saints Day
is tied in with the Church’s
teaching of the Communion of
Saints; the belief that all of God’s
people in heaven and on earth
are connected in communion.
Matthew 27:53- “…tombs were
opened, and the bodies of many
saints who had fallen asleep were
raised.”
The Catechism of the
Catholic Church 956: “Being
more closely united to Christ,
those who dwell in heaven fix
the whole Church more firmly
in holiness…They do not cease
to intercede with the Father
for us….So by their fraternal
concern is our weakness greatly
helped.”
Let us pray for one another,
that we might seek God’s grace
to protect and guide us in our
journey of life to be more saint
than sinner.
The Valley Catholic
Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Peña blessed a new altar for the
St. Joseph Chapel of Perpetual Adoration in Alamo on Sept. .
Above: The Capuchin Poor Clare Sisters prepare the altar for
Mass.
The St. Joseph Chapel of Perpetual Adoration is a Diocesan
chapel run by Capuchin Poor Clares. It is open daily from 8 a.m.
to 8 p.m.
Senior Olympics
The Valley Catholic
Nursing homes, assisted living communities and adult day care
centers across the Rio Grande Valley are invited to participate in
the 5th Annual Senior Olympics on Friday, Oct. 18 at the San Juan
Nursing Home, a Catholic facility located on the grounds of the
Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine. Events
include a dance contest, wheelchair races, race walking, distance
throws, basketball and a singing contest. The registration fee is
5 per person and includes lunch, a T-shirt and a goody bag.
Historically, the event draws more than 5 participants. Swag
items are still needed for the event bags and sponsorships are
still available. For more information on the Senior Olympics,
please call (956) 787-1771.
For the latest
news visit
www.cdob.org
facebook.com/Catholic-Diocese-of-Brownsville
Priest appointments announced
The Valley Catholic
Effective Aug. 6, 2013
Rev. Michael Gnanaraj, appointed Parochial Vicar of Our
Lady, Star of the Sea Parish in
Port Isabel and its mission Laguna
Heights Chapel in Laguna Heights
and relieving him of his responsibilities at Immaculate Heart of
Mary Parish in Harlingen
rent assignment as Vice-Chancellor, Priest Secretary of the Bishop,
and Diocesan Director of Vocations and Seminarians and relieving him of his responsibilities
as Moderator of the Pastoral Team
in solidum at St. Mary Parish in
Santa Rosa, Prince of Peace Parish
in Lyford and its missions of Santa
Monica in Santa Monica and Saint
Martin of Tours in Sebastian
Effective Aug. 23, 2013
Rev. Jose Lobaton, OFM, appointed Parochial Vicar of Holy
Family Parish in Edinburg and Sacred Heart Parish in McAllen, in
residence at Holy Family Parish in
Edinburg
Rev. Michael J. Koday, appointed Parish Administrator of
St. Mary Parish in Santa Rosa and
relieving him of his responsibilities
at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in
McAllen and as Chaplain for the
South Texas College in Weslaco
Effective Sept. 1, 2013
Rev. Juan Pablo Davalos, appointed Pastor of The Parish of
the Lord of Divine Mercy in
Brownsville, while retaining cur-
Rev. Peter (Raju) Antonisamy,
OMI, appointed Parochial Vicar
of Our Lady of Refuge Parish in
Roma and its missions Holy Fam-
ily in Los Saenz, Holy Trinity in
Falcon Heights, Lamb of God in
Fronton and Saint Joseph in Salineno.
Rev. Michael A. Montoya, MJ,
appointed Pastor of the new quasiparish, St. Anne in Peñitas, Texas
and its missions St. Michael in Los
Ebanos, Our Lady of Guadalupe in
Sullivan City and Centro Catolico
San Juan Diego in El Flaco and relieved of his responsibilities at Our
Lady, Queen of Angels Parish in La
Joya and its’ missions St. Anthony
in Peñitas and St. Mary Magdalene
in Abram.
Rev. Hector J. Cruz, SM, Parish
Administrator of the new parish,
Our Heavenly Father in Olmito,
Texas in conjunction with present
assignments
DIOCESE
»Sunday
Readings
The Word of God in the Life
and Mission of the Church
OCTOBER 6
( Twenty-seventh Sunday in
Ordinary Time)
Reading I HB 1:2-3; 2:2-4
Responsorial Psalm
PS 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Reading II 2 TM 1:6-8, 13-14
Gospel
LK 17:5-10
OCTOBER 13
(Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary
Time)
Reading I 2 KGS 5:14-17
Responsorial Psalm
PS 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
Reading II 2 TM 2:8-13
Gospel
LK 17:11-19
OCTOBER 20
(Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary
Time)
Reading I
EX 17:8-13
Responsorial Psalm
PS 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Reading II
Gospel
2 TM 3:14-4:2
LK 18:1-8
OCTOBER 27
(Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Reading I
SIR 35:12-14, 16-18
Responsorial Psalm
PS 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
Reading II 2 TM 4:6-8, 16-18
Gospel
LK 18:9-14
The word of the lord abides for ever.
This word is the Gospel which was
preached to you” (1 Pet 1:25; cf. Is
40:8).
With this assertion from the First
Letter of Saint Peter, which takes up
the words of the Prophet Isaiah, we
find ourselves before the mystery of
God, who has made himself known
through the gift of his word.
This word, which abides for ever,
entered into time. God spoke his
eternal Word humanly; his Word
“became flesh” (Jn 1:14).
This is the good news. This is the
proclamation which has come down
the centuries to us today.
Disciples in Mission: Six Weeks
with the Bible
On the web:www.cdob.org
Email: [email protected]
5
The beatitudes and Pope Francis
By DAN EBENER
Special to The Valley Catholic
For the past two to three years,
I have been focused on the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10). Since
writing a book on the beatitudes
and leadership last year, I have
been speaking at conferences and
leading retreats around the country. In most cases, there have been
opportunities to engage people in
dialogue about applying the beatitudes to life, ministry and leadership.
So imagine my delight when I
read these words of Pope Francis
from his message to some 30,000
Argentine delegates to World
Youth Day:
“Look, read the beatitudes:
that will do you good. If you want
to know exactly what to do, read
Matthew 25, which is the standard
by which we will be judged. With
these two things, you have the action plan: the beatitudes and Matthew 25. You do not need to read
anything else. I ask you this with all
my heart.”
When we place the beatitudes
into the context of Matthew’s Gospel, we can see why the pope connected the beatitudes – the opening lines of the Sermon on the
Mount – to Matthew 25 – the story
of the Final Judgment.
The beatitudes describe the
inward journey of Christian discipleship: To be poor in spirit,
mourning, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure of heart,
peace-loving and persecuted – are
qualities of the righteous. They are
signs of the kingdom. The beatitudes provide a list of eight qualities for those who aspire to the
kingdom of God.
The beatitudes start with the
idea of placing our complete confidence in God (poverty of spirit).
They conclude with the lesson that
those who live and lead by these
beatitudes are likely to be criticized, ridiculed or even persecuted
for the sake of righteousness. The
outcome of the first and last beatitude is the same: “for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3
and 5:10).
In Matthew 25:31-46, we hear
the only description by Jesus of
the Final Judgment. This story
describes
the outward
journey of
Christian
discipleship:
To feed the
hungry, give
drink to the
thirsty, welcome
the
DAN EBENER
stranger, clothe
the naked and visit the sick and
imprisoned are the actions of the
righteous. They are the keys to the
kingdom. This story provides a list
of six works of mercy for those who
aspire to the kingdom of God.
Initially, Jesus describes those
who perform the works of mercy as
“the sheep” who are “on his right”
(Matthew 25:32, 33 and 34). Later
in the story, Jesus describes them
as “the righteous” (Matthew 25:37
and 46). This word “righteous” is a
rich and significant term that goes
to the heart of the two Scriptural
passages the pope is asking us to
read.
Have you ever wondered why
we say, “It is right and just” in the
Offertory Prayer of the Mass? It is
interesting because dictionaries often use the word “right” to define
“just” and vice versa.
I would suggest that to be right
and just is to be righteous. To be
righteous means to be “right with
God” and “just with the people.”
The beatitudes provide a road
map to reflect on the inward journey of the righteous. The story of
the Final Judgment provides the
keys to the outward journey of the
righteous. In both of these Scriptural passages, it is the righteous
who are the inheritors of the kingdom of heaven.
It has been a gift these past few
years to focus on the beatitudes –
and to place them into the context
of the Gospel of Matthew. I was
happy to see Pope Francis elevate
them in his comments in Brazil. I
couldn’t agree more that these two
readings from Matthew provide a
call to action for ourselves and our
Church.
—
Dan R. Ebener is author of “Blessings for Leaders: Leadership Wisdom from the Beatitudes.” See www.
blessingsforleaders.com.
&YQFSUPO
servant
leadership to
speak Oct. 19
Article originally published in the
Catholic Messenger, newspaper of
the Diocese of Davenport.
The Valley Catholic
Transformational
leaders
transform themselves, others,
their organizations and ultimately, they transform society,
said Dr. Dan Ebener, author of
“Servant Leadershop Models for
Your Parish.” “Leadership starts
as an inner journey,” he said. “It
takes prayer, personal reflection
and self-monitoring to build the
character we need for leadership.”
Dr. Ebener will conduct a
workshop on Servant Leadership on Saturday, Oct. 19 from
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the St.
Pius. X Conference Center in
Weslaco, 600 S. Oklahoma Ave.
The seminar, sponsored by
the San Juan Diego Ministry Institute, will include the strategic
planning, team-building and
leadership skills that he teaches
for the Master of Organizational
Leadership program at St. Ambrose University.
Dr. Ebener has been developing leaders for churches, businesses and community organizations since 1976, and continues
to work as director of stewardship and parish planning for the
Diocese of Davenport, Iowa.
Believing that professors
should practice what they teach,
Dr. Ebener has provided consultation in these areas to more than
75 organizations through his
business, Quad City Leadership
Consulting, Inc. Drawing from
experience in the classroom and
his consulting practice, Dr. Ebener has spoken to audiences
in 43 states and 20 countries,
and is the author of two books,
“Servant Leadership Models for
Your Parish” and “Blessings for
Leaders.”
Registration is $15 and includes refreshments, lunch and
handouts. To register, call (956)
784-5059.
The darkened eye of pornography
T
he world was shocked
when the tragic and
twisted case of Ariel
Castro burst recently
into the limelight. Before he took
his own life in prison earlier this
month, he had kidnapped and
repeatedly raped, humiliated,
and beaten three young women
held captive inside his Cleveland
house for more than 10 years.
At his sentencing in August, he
blamed his longstanding habit
of watching two to three hours
a day of pornography for his
crimes: “I believe I am addicted
to pornography to a point that it
really makes me impulsive and
I don’t realize what I’m doing is
wrong.”
To what extent pornography
is directly related to violence
remains up for debate (explaining
any complex human behavior
in simple cause and effect terms
»Making Sense
Out of Bioethics
Tadeusz
Pacholczyk
Priest of the
Diocese of Fall
River
can be exceedingly difficult).
What is beyond dispute is that
pornography sets the stage for
viewing women in an exploitative
way, as sexual fodder for the
gratification of men. In fact,
the widespread availability and
consumption of pornography
has arguably become the most
pervasive objectifying force in
society today.
In a recent newspaper
discussion about pornography, one
male participant remarked that
most men do not end up marrying
supermodels, so he thought
pornography wasn’t a bad thing,
since it enabled “the goods” that a
few women possessed to be spread
around and shared. He seemed to
have no compunction about using
women as pawns in the endgame
of satisfying male lust.
The gaze we direct towards
each other can easily go astray,
demeaning not only ourselves, but
others around us as well. When
one’s gaze is directed askance, as
Bishop Paul Loverde or Arlington,
Virginia, noted in a 2006 letter
on pornography, “one becomes
the kind of person who is willing
to use others as mere objects of
pleasure.” The impure gaze of
pornography, focused on “body
parts,” or “performances,” takes on
» Please see Pornography, p.19
CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)
St. Francis of Assisi is depicted in a
stained-glass window at St. Hyacinth
Church in Glen Head, N.Y. The feast of
St. Francis, patron of peace, animals
and the environment, is celebrated
Oct. 4.
»Feast Day
- October 4
St. Francis
of Assisi
Catholic News Agency/EWTN
On Oct. 4, Roman Catholics
celebrate the feast of St. Francis
of Assisi, the Italian deacon who
brought renewal to the Church
through his decision to follow
Jesus’ words as literally as possible.
In a January 2010 general
audience, Pope Benedict XVI
recalled this “giant of holiness”
as a “great saint and a joyful
man,” who taught the Church
that “the secret of true happiness” is “to become saints, close
to God.”
The future St. Francis was
born on an uncertain date in the
early 1180s, one of the several
children born to the wealthy
merchant Pietro Bernardone
and his wife Pica. He originally
received the name Giovanni
(or John), but became known
as Francesco (or Francis) by his
father’s choice.
Unlike many medieval
saints, St. Francis was neither
studious nor pious in his youth.
His father’s wealth gave him access to a lively social life among
the upper classes, where he was
known for his flashy clothes and
his readiness to burst into song.
Later a patron of peacemakers,
he aspired to great military feats
in his youth and fought in a war
with a rival Italian city-state.
A period of imprisonment
during that conflict turned
his mind toward more serious
thoughts, as did a recurring
dream that suggested his true
“army” was not of this world. He
returned to Assisi due to illness
in 1205, and there began consider a life of voluntary poverty.
Three major incidents confirmed Francis in this path. In
Assisi, he overcame his fear of
disease to kiss the hand of a
leper. Afterward, he made a pilgrimage to Rome, where he deposited his money at St. Peter’s
tomb and exchanged clothes
with a beggar. Soon after he
returned home, Francis heard
Christ tell him in a vision: “Go,
Francis, and repair my house,
which as you see is falling into
ruin.”
Francis began to use his father’s wealth to restore churches. This led to a public quarrel in
which the cloth-merchant’s son
removed his clothing and declared that he had no father except God. He regarded himself
as the husband of “Lady Poverty,” and resolved to serve Christ
as “a herald of the Great King.”
6
DIOCESE
Stepping into an ancient tradition
Pharr parish hosts
first-ever Matachines
festival on Nov. 16
Cabrini Xavier Church, 8001 S.
Cage Blvd. in Pharr.
When
interpreting
the
danzas, the beating drum invites
an intricate choreography of
performers to step front and
center. It takes weeks, even months
of rehearsal to get to this point.
No one knows this better
than Betty Muro of St. Joseph the
Worker Parish in McAllen. She
helps choreograph the danzas.
“When I lived in Zacatecas,
Mexico I used to dance in
the festivals for Our Lady of
Guadalupe. So when I moved to
Texas, I had the hope of forming a
group here. It began with a small
ministry in my home parish.
Eventually, people started calling
me to help them choreograph their
danzas,” Muro said. “I was honored
because that is what I wanted
since the beginning. I wanted this
tradition to spread.”
Different cultures incorporate
their own symbolism to the
movements and the characters of
the ritual dance, according to a
range of references.
“Our group is called Los
Guadalupanos and I play the
character of el viejito,” said Omar
Cuevas from St. Frances Xavier
Cabrini Church.
El viejito is not simply an
‘old man’ in this performing art,
according to Cuevas and Muro.
With a grotesque mask and
creating loud noises typically in
Náhuatl (an indigenous language
spoken in parts of Mexico), the
character personifies the evil in the
world that tries distracting us from
praying to God and Our Lady.
Like most Hispanic traditions,
family is in the core of the
celebration.
“My brother is the drummer
and my niece is one of the
Matachines,” Cuevas said. “It is a
community where families become
involved. The idea is for this to
grow and the younger generation
to take over. We want to uphold
our Mexican traditions.”
For more information on
the Matachines Festival, call St.
Frances Cabrini Parish at (956)
787-3554.
By IRVING TAPIA
The Valley Catholic
PHARR—Vibrant feathers in
an array of colors such as gold,
silver, bright reds and greens,
embroidered images of saints,
like the Virgen of Guadalupe,
drape the dance movements of the
Matachines.
The danza de los Matachines,
a form of dance-drama typically
performed on feast days and other
special occasions, depicts the
struggle between good and evil,
usually involving 12 to 18 dancers
who represent different characters,
according to The Catholic Church
in the Rio Grande Valley: A Journey
of Faith, a pictorial history book
about the Diocese of Brownsville.
The Spanish brought the ritual
with them to the New World and
over time incorporated Mexican,
Indian and American religious
and social symbols. The costumes
feature brilliant colors, bells and
elaborate masks representing a
mixture of Spanish, Mexican and
Indian dress.
While some ethnic groups have
traded in their folk dances for the
full stream of American culture, la
danza de los Matachines continues
to be a prevalent art form in
numerous Catholic communities
in the Rio Grande Valley.
St. Francis Cabrini Church in
Las Milpas, a community located
in South Pharr, is hosting its
first-ever Matachines Festival on
Saturday, Nov. 16. Organizers said
the goal of the event is to unite
Matachines from all over the Valley
and to promote this art form.
All Matachines dance groups
are encouraged to attend the
festival, which organizers hope will
become an annual event.
A procession featuring dancers
from across the diocese will begin
at 2 p.m. at Junior’s Supermarket,
located at 6501 S. Cage Blvd.
in Pharr and end at St. Frances
The Valley Catholic and courtesy photos
Matachines groups from throughout
the Rio Grande Valley are invited to
participate in the Àrst-ever Matachines
Festival on Saturday, Nov. 16. A
procession will begin at p.m. at
Junior·s Supermarket, located at 651
S. Cage Blvd. in Pharr.
Above and right: File photos of
Matachines performing in a procession
for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
in Brownsville.
Bottom right: Matachines from St.
Joseph the Worker Church in McAllen
practice their dance steps.
Bottom: Matachines from Mary, Mother
of the Church in Brownsville.
Blessing of the Animals
Help Us Grow
Let’s Work together to share the Good
News. As we enter our fifth year of
publishing The Valley Catholic, we want
to expand our circulation and reach out
to more readers. To do this, we need your
help. We invite you to advertise your
business or organization in the newspaper.
Our monthly circulation of 26,500 includes
direct mailings to more than 3,500 homes
and is distributed to 69 parishes, 45
mission churches, and 280 other locations
in the Rio Grande Valley, including
medical facilities, retail and restaurant
establishments.
Photos by Amber Donaldson/Mobile Journalist, The Valley Catholic
Several churches in the Diocese of Brownsville will have the Blessing of the Animals in honor of St.
Francis, patron of animals and the environment on or around Oct. 4. For the complete schedule, please
visit the Diocese of Brownsville·s web site www.cdob.org. All animals are invited but should be properly
restrained.
As the official newspaper of the Diocese of
Brownsville, we are the only Catholic news
source providing comprehensive coverage
in the Rio Grande Valley.
To donate or reserve an ad,
call (956) 785-5055
DIOCESE
»Hope in Action: A Spotlight on Youth
7
New gymnasium
Impacting other lives
Student golfer inspires
through leadership
The Valley Catholic
MERCEDES – The desire
to serve the church is a gift that
comes from within, deep down
from within the roots of our soul,
and it is how one serves that exposes the beauty of one’s soul.
Louie Salinas, youth minister
at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in
Mercedes said Ruben Alex Cantu
is one young man who willingly
serves the church with whatever
needs she may have, allowing us
to view his inner beauty.
Cantu, who grew up in Mercedes, attended Our Lady of Mercy Church since childhood and
was confirmed this past spring by
Bishop Daniel Flores.
Salinas said Cantu is a natural
born leader. If there is any project
needed to be done by the youth at
Our Lady of Mercy Church he is
either nominated by his peers to
lead or willingly volunteers for a
leadership role.
He has been a dedicated altar
server for three years and always
helps with any parish luncheon/
potluck, Chalupa, fiesta, etc. During this year’s summer softball
league he served as prayer leader.
Salinas added, “This dependable, intelligent, humble young
man inspires any one he encounters. His willingness to serve is
something similar to Mary’s fiat,
her ‘yes’. If asked to do something for the parish, or for anyone
in need, his answer is always yes
with no hesitation. His example
inspires others to serve.”
Name: Ruben Alex Cantu
School/Grade: He is a
straight-A student in the graduating class of 2015, a junior, at
Mercedes High School. He participates and exceeds in extracurricular activities at school which
include golf and baseball.
What I do at Our Lady of
Mercy Church: Prayer leader for
Softball Team and Youth Gatherings, TEEN ACTS team member.
Talents/Gifts: Golfing, seeing
the good in others, kind hearted,
Courtesy Photo
Ruben Alex Cantu, an excellent student and avid golfer, makes time for the Lord,
volunteering his time and talents at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Mercedes.
humble.
Best Movie Ever: “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” I watch it
all the time before my golf tournaments to get pumped up.
Most Listened to song on my
IPod?: “The Hurt” and “The Healer,” which was our theme song for
my ACTS retreat.
TV shows I never miss:
Americas Got Talent, American
Ninja Warrior and The Big Bang
Theory.
Book I’d read again (and
again): The Giver by Lois Lorry. I
read it in 5th grade and have read
it every year since.
Future Plans: Hopes to graduate distinguished from high
school. After graduating Cantu
plans on attending the University
of Texas at Austin or Baylor pursuing a career in either Medicine
or Engineering. “I want to be a
pediatrician because when I was
small I would always get sick and
they really help me out, it kind of
inspired me to want to be a doctor.
But because I’m good at math I’ve
been considering engineering.”
Meaningful Quote: “A life is
not important except the impact
it has on other lives.” - Jackie Robinson “I really like it because it’s
inspiring, it motivates oneself to
do something.”
Who has made an influence
in my life?: Of course I chose
my mother and father. My father
helps me out with golf. He’s the
one who introduced me to the
sport. He’s always motivating me
to go to practice to keep up with it.
They both help me out when
it comes to my grades. And I also
chose my mother because she really sees how much faith I have. I
don’t see it as much as she does.
She says I have a really strong
faith, that’s how she describes it to
everyone.
Cantu advanced to Regionals
for golf last spring.
Courtesy photo
Bishop Daniel E. Flores celebrated Mass and blessed the new gymnasium at
Juan Diego Academy in Mission. Earlier this year, the school earned acceptance into the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) for
athletic competition. JDA has been placed into TAPPS level 1A, District 5.
For the present and the future
—
If you would like to nominate a student to be featured in “Hope in Action: A Spotlight on Youth,” please
email Angel Barrera, director of
Youth Ministry, at abarrera@cdob.
org.
Courtesy photo
Teens invited to YouthBLAST
“Go and Make
Disciples” theme
for Oct. 26 event
The Valley Catholic
Hundreds of high school
youth from across the Diocese
of Brownsville will come together from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on
Saturday, Oct. 26 at Weslaco East
High School, 810 S. Pleasantview
Dr., in Weslaco to celebrate their
faith.
The theme of YouthBLAST
2013, “Go and Make Disciples
of All Nation”, summons young
people to take a call to mission,
living as witnesses of the Risen
Christ.
Angel Barrera, Director of
Youth Ministry, says the context
of the theme, taken from the end
of Matthew’s gospel, is to reflect
the Resurrection of Christ. The
disciples, who, until then, were
frightened and locked away for
fear of the Jews, encounter Christ,
the victor over death.
Barrera said, “The theme of
YouthBLAST 20113 seeks to motivate each participant to let the
light of the Risen Christ dissipate
the darkness of feat and doubt. It
encourages young people to be
missionaries, even in situations
of conflict, in countries where
Christians are persecuted and
amid a secularized world that
does not want to live Christian
values.”
YouthBLAST features two
keynote speakers: Ike Ndolo,
from Tempe Arizona, whose
debut album “We Are Beggars”
debuted at number four on the
Christian music chart in 2009,
and Stephanie Clouatre Davis
from Hammond, Louisiana, who,
for more than 20 years, has inspired audiences with her brutal
honesty and poignant humor,
utilizing the courage of her faith
to reveal how she has, (and we
can) overcome the challenges of
daily life.
For more information, please
contact; Angel Barrera at (956)
784-5042 or email: abarrera@
cdob.org.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores blessed and dedicated a new gymnasium at St.
Joseph Catholic School in Edinburg on August 1. “This is a magniÀcent
accomplishment,” said Sister Kathleen Murray of the Daughters of Charity,
principal of the school. “Parents for the last 1 years have been working
towards this day. It is a building for the present and the future.” Both the A
and B volleyball teams from the school won their Àrst games played in the
new gymnasium.
Walking Pilgrimage: Walk by Faith
The OfÀce of Youth Ministry is planning a walking pilgrimage experience for
high school youth in the McAllen area on Saturday, Nov. 9. The pilgrimage
will begin at St. Joseph the Worker Church and continue to Our Lady of Sorrows Church and Ànish at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.
The focus of the event is prayer and service. The 5 registration cost
includes the event, meals, and shirt. It also affords two new pairs of shoes to
young people in need.
CARITAS of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church will partner with the OfÀce of
Youth Ministry in this event to distribute the shoes.
For more information, please contact Angel Barrera at (956) 784-54 or
[email protected].
8
DIOCESE
Bishop burns mortgage
Debt on St. Anthony
Church paid off
By MICHAEL SWARTZ
Special to The Valley Catholic
HARLINGEN — Bishop
Daniel E. Flores came to
Harlingen Sunday, but this time
it was not to ordain a new priest
or to bestow the sacrament of
Confirmation on a group of
teenagers. This time the bishop
came to burn a mortgage.
Parishioners
from
St.
Anthony’s Catholic Church
gathered around Bishop Daniel
E. Flores outside as he placed
the mortgage note for the church
into a fire pit normally used only
to light the “Easter fire” the night
before Easter.
The
burning
of
the
mortgage signaled St. Anthony’s
parishioners have officially paid
off the debt on their new church
built in 2003.
St. Anthony Pastor Father
Larry Klein wrote a check for
$475,000 to pay off the remaining
debt on the mortgage. Donations
from hundreds of parishioners,
along with a variety of bar-b-ques
and other fundraisers, helped
raise the money to pay off the
new church at E. Van Buren and
11th Street, which can seat up to
1,100 attendees with its upstairs
balcony.
Courtesy photo
Bishop Daniel Flores burns a mortgage note outside St. Anthony·s Catholic
Church in Harlingen Sunday morning. Under the leadership of St. Anthony
Pastor Larry Klein, center, the church Ànished paying off a 1.75 million
mortgage 1 years after the church was completed in .
The church, one of the
largest in Cameron County, was
dedicated by Bishop Raymundo J.
Peña 10 years ago, after a similar
fundraising effort by St. Anthony
parishioners, spearheaded by
the pastor at that time, Father
Tom Pincelli.
St. Anthony’s
parishioner Rolando Rubiano
said the parish originally
borrowed $1,750,000 to build the
new church.
“This truly has been a
community effort,” said Rubiano’s
wife, Cindy. “We are blessed to be
in the beautiful debt-free church
that we have.”
Bishop Flores likened the
building of a new church – or
opening new parishes such as
the Diocese of Brownsville is
planning in Olmito and western
Hidalgo County – to moving
forward on a pilgrimage in the
life of the church.
“It takes commitment, it
takes working together, it takes
planning, but most of all it takes
perseverance and patience,”
the bishop told St. Anthony
parishioners. “But the church
exists before there is a building
– the church exists when there
is community of faith that shares
the Eucharist.”
The original St. Anthony
Church, which still stands at the
corner of E. Harrison and 10th
Street, was built in 1940. That
smaller building is now used as
a parish hall and cafeteria for St.
Anthony Catholic School.
The school, which was
founded in 1946, serves students
from the pre-kindergarten level
through 8th Grade, offering daily
prayer and Catholic religion
classes, in addition to academic
instruction.
Father Klein said it feels
“wonderful” that the new church
is paid off and said the parish is
thankful to God and to all the
people who made it possible.
With the church debt out
of the way, Father Klein and St.
Anthony parishioners are now
focused on raising funds for a
new multi-purpose community
building which would include a
new parish hall, a gymnasium for
school and parish youth activities,
a new religious education
building with classrooms for
school and CCD religion classes,
and kitchen facilities.
Prayer for Respect
Life Month
O Mary,
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust
the cause of life
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are
PDGHGLI¿FXOW
of men and women
who are victims of brutal
violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of
misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe
in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with
gratitude throughout their lives
and the courage to
bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good
will, the civilization of truth
and love, to the praise
and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.
Blessed John Paul II
Evangelium Vitae
DIOCESE
9
Catechists honored
Catechists who have completed 10,
20, 25, and 30 and 40 years of faith
formation ministry were awarded
special pins by Bishop Daniel E.
Flores at the annual Catechetical
Convocation on Sept. 28.
40 YEARS (4 honorees)
Our Lady of Guadalupe Raymondville
Christina Caldera
Sacred Heart - Mercedes
Mary Ann Del Toro
San Pedro - San Pedro
Bertha Peña
Elias Peña
St. Helen - Rio Hondo
Paul Cavazos
Nora Lozoya
Prince of Peace – Lyford
Gracie Bennack
Lolly Q. Cavazos
Norine Smith
Martha Villarreal
Queen of Peace - Harlingen
Martin Rodriguez
Martha Martinez
Martha Rodriguez
St. Paul - Mission
St Francis Xavier - La Feria
Our Lady of Perpetual Help _ McAllen
Diamantina Flores
Our Lady of Guadalupe Raymondville
Maria M. Guerra
Our Lady of Queen of the Angels La Joya
Amalia Villarreal
Our Lady Star of the Sea Port Isabel
Petra M. Orta
Queen of Peace - Harllingen
Benny Perez
Carlos Perez
Dora Schoonover
Sacred Heart - McAllen
Mark Kent
Sandra Lee Kent
Our Lady of Holy Rosary Mission
Leticia Loya
Zulema Tapia
Carmen Aceves
Paul Barrera
Maria Genoveva Blas
Carmen Diaz
Terry Garcia
Gracie Johnson
Leopoldo Johnson
Alma Quintanilla
Irene Rodriguez
Dr. Daniel Treviño
Linda Treviño
San Martin de Porres – Weslaco
Anna Maria Barrientes
Esmeralda Guerra
St Frances Xavier - Pharr
Rosalinda Piñerio
Bertha Vaquera
Joe Vaquera
Holy Spirit – McAllen
Joann Gomez
Maria Elena Velazquez
Blanca Torres
St Paul - Mission
Lidia Garcia
Esmeralda Garza
Mary Kauffman
Rosa Lilia Ledesma
Our Lady of Refuge - Roma
Herlina G. Barrera
Sylvia Canales
Holy Family – Brownsville
Eloisa Flores
Rolando Flores
Amparo Martinez
Our Lady of Guadalupe - Brownsville
Our Lady of Perpetual Help – McAllen
Our Lady of Sorrows – McAllen
Melinda G. Lopez
Arminda Martinez
Chris Mills
Belen Teran
Sacred Heart – McAllen
Olga Victoria Snelling
St. Joseph the Worker – McAllen
Maria Moreno
Olga Irene Lopez
Diana Perez
Our Lady of Guadalupe Harlingen
Sacred Heart – Edinburg
Rosario Gutierrez
Sr. Francis Xavier - La Feria
Virginia De La Cruz
Margarita Garza
Holy Spirit - Progreso
Rosie Anderson
Isabel Garza
Joyce Zavala
Holy Family - Edinburg
6R¿D2UWL]
St Joseph - Edinburg
Rachel Hernandez
Teresa Jaramillo
Our Lady Queen of the Angels - La
Joya
Gustavo Sifuentes
St Paul - Mission
Alma Arriola
Ana Guerra
Argelia Maldonado
Eloina Peña
Maria Concepcion Peña
Otalia Sarabia
San Felipe de Jesus –
Brownsville
Jessica Hernandez
Walda Islas
Delma Sanchez
Alicia M. Soto
Wendy Garza
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary - Mission
6R¿D&RURQDGR
Mary De La Rosa
Our Lady, Queen of the Angels- La Joya
Maria G. Montelongo
Marian M. Reyes
Siprano Trevino
Nancy L. Velasqeuz
San Martin de Porres - Alton
Beatrice Garza
Cristina Salinas
Tina Salinas
St. Paul - Mission
Bertha Castillo
Kristee Lee
Janice Nevanen
Ginger Padilla
Rebecca Salazar
Karla Warren
Immaculate Conception - RGC
Maria Teresa Alvarez
Sr. Gayle Hurban, SSND
Maria Elena Olivarez
Clarissa Alvarez
Margarita Bocanegra
Jose Cuestas
Olga Cuestas
Amanda Flores
Angelina Garcia
Rosalinda Hinojosa
Elodia Leal
Bertha Olivares
Aimee Rios
The Valley Catholic
Turkeyfest, a festival sponsored by St. Joseph School in Edinburg every November, is the school·s chief fundraiser.
Calendar of Fall Fun
Please support these upcoming
fundraising events. For most
parishes, schools and other Catholic
organizations, these events are more
than just fun and games — they are
also a main source of income for the
entire year.
Oct. 5
BROWNSVILLE — Incarnate Word
Academy, 244 Resaca Blvd. Fall carnival,
featuring food, games, music and fun
from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (956) 546-4486
Oct. 5
BROWNSVILLE — San Pedro Church,
7602 Old Military Rd. Casino Night
from 8 p.m. to midnight. Doors open at
7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per couple,
$25 for individuals. There will also be a
silent auction. (956)542-2596 or (956)
545-6178
Oct. 5
LA JOYA — Our Lady Queen of Angels
Church, 814 S. Leo Ave. Jamaica from 3
p.m. to 11 p.m. Live music, food, games
and more. (956) 585-5223
Oct. 5
SANTA ROSA — St. Mary Church, 101
San Antonio Ave. Parish festival from
4 p.m. to 10 p.m. There will be games,
IRRGOLYHPXVLFDQGJUHDWUDIÀHSUL]HV
(956) 636-1211
Oct. 5-6
BROWNSVILLE — St. Eugene de
Mazenod Church, 5409 Austin Rd.
Annual kermes from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
0XVLFJDPHVIRRGDQGUDIÀHSUL]HV
(956) 831-9923
Oct. 5-6
RIO HONDO — St. Helen Church/St.
Vincent de Paul Mission, 228 Huisache
Ave. PeaceFest from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
featuring food, games, live music by Red
9HOYHWDQG/RV&LW\%R\V5DIÀHLVIRU
a chance to win 10 prizes. Visit the parish
Facebook page www.facebook.com/
sthelenriohondo for more details. (956)
748-2327
Oct. 6
HIDALGO — Sacred Heart Church,
Hidalgo City Pavilion, 200 Patsy Dr.
Fall Jamaica from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
featuring live music from four different
bands, folklorico dance presentations,
games, rides, food and traditional bingo
ZLWKJUHDWSUL]HV5DIÀHRI
9,6$SUHSDLGFDUGDQGRWKHUSUL]HV
Tickets are 3 for $10. (956) 843-2463
Oct. 11-13
BROWNSVILLE — Holy Family Church,
2308 E. Tyler. Fall kermes from 6:30 p.m.
WRSPIHDWXULQJJDPHVIRRGUDIÀH
(tickets 3 for $5), karaoke and live music
(Banda La Kineña performing Saturday
night). (956) 546-6975
Oct. 12
HARLINGEN — Knights of Columbus
of Harlingen Council 2785, Tony Butler
Municipal Golf Course, 2640 South “M”
Street. First K of C Memorial Scholarship
*ROI7RXUQDPHQWWREHQH¿WWKH0DUWLQ
Segura Scholarship fund. Tee time is set
for 8 a.m. Entry fee is $75 per player,
WKUHHPDQVFUDPEOH3UL]HV¿UVWSODFH
$900; second place, $600; and third
place $300. A third of the prizes will be
in the form of gift cards from Tony Butler
Pro Shop. Door prizes, goodie bags,
longest drive and closest to the pin prizes
will also be given away. Registration
deadline is Friday, Oct. 4. (956) 423-9044
Oct. 13
ROMA — Our Lady of Refuge Church,
4 St. Eugene de Mazenod Ave. Peter
.HUDOXP20,)DOO)HVWLYDOWREHQH¿W
parish and its missions in Los Saenz,
Fronton, Salineño and Falcon Heights
at 5 p.m. Festival features a variety of
entertainment, games, food, carnival
rides, a spooky house and chalupa
ELQJR5DIÀHRISUL]HVZLWKDJUDQG
prize of 2013 Ford Edge. (956) 849-1455
Oct. 19
SAN JUAN — Basilica of Our Lady of
San Juan del Valle-National Shrine, 400
N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd. Migrant
Welcoming Festival from 10 a.m. to 9
p.m. featuring a car and cycle show,
food, music, rides, entertainment and
more. (956) 787-0033
Oct. 19-20
BROWNSVILLE — St. Luke Church
and School, 2800 Rockwell Dr. Fall
Festival from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. featuring
food, games and a variety of music
DQGHQWHUWDLQPHQW5DIÀHWLFNHWVDUH
($5,000 Visa gift card grand prize and
nine other prizes). (956) 541-1480.
Oct. 26
MERCEDES — Our Lady of Mercy
Church, 322 S. Vermont. Fall Fest from
4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Food, rides, games,
FKDOXSDELQJRDQGDUDIÀHIHDWXULQJ
prizes. (956) 565-1141
Oct. 26
McALLEN — Our Lady of Sorrows
School Escape to India Gala from 6 p.m.
to midnight at the McAllen Convention
Center, 700 Convention Center Blvd.
(956) 686-3651
Nov. 2
WESLACO — San Martin de Porres
$QQXDO'DQFHDQG5DIÀHIURP
p.m. at St. Joan of Arc Church, 109 S.
,OOLQRLV6WIHDWXULQJOLYHPXVLFDQGUDIÀH
Tickets are $5 with grand prize of 2013
Ford Fusion. (956)968-2691 or (956)
975-5185
Nov. 2
BROWNSVILLE — Mary, Mother of the
Church Parish, 1914 Barnard Rd. All
6DLQWV)DOO)HVWLYDODQG5DIÀHIURPWR
10 p.m. Food, games, live music and
more. (956) 546-3800
Nov. 2
MISSION — Juan Diego Academy,
5208 South FM 494. Night of Glitz and
Glamour Gala, based on the Roaring
20s. Dinner, live entertainment, silent
and live auctions and much more. (956)
583-2752
Nov. 3
HARLINGEN — St. Anthony Catholic
Church & School Fall Festival, 209 South
WK6W+DUOLQJHQ5DIÀHDWSP
Tickets are $5 with grand prize of tuition
voucher for St. Anthony School for one
year.
Nov. 8-10
BROWNSVILLE — Immaculate
Conception Cathedral, 1218 E. Jefferson.
Annual Kermes from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
)RRGJDPHVOLYHPXVLFDQGUDIÀH
featuring 18 prizes. (956) 546-3178
Nov. 9
EDINBURG — St. Joseph School, 114
W. Fay. Turkeyfest featuring turkey
plates, signature food booths, games,
rides, entertainment, live and silent
DXFWLRQUDIÀHZLWKJUDQGSUL]HRI1LVVDQ
(956) 383-3957
Libreria Católica J. C. Enterprise
www.jcenterprise.biz
[email protected]
MATERIALES SOBRE:
Evangelización, Catequesis para adultos y niños, Bíblico, Litúrgico,
Teología, Filosofía, Moral, Biblias Temáticas, Vida de Santos en DVD’S
Libros sobre Matrimonio, Familia, Educación a los hijos, Dinámicas,
Camisetas, 5osarios, ,magenes, Materiales para Bautismo, Con¿rmación,
Primera Comunión, Pro-Vida y Juegos Didácticos
EDITORIALES:
DESCLEE DE BROUWER, PATMOS, EUNSA, HERDER, EDIBESA,
MONTE CARMELO, SAN PABLO, RIALP, DABAR, COBEL, GOYA….
Algunos títulos Bilingues, Inglés, Español y Portugués
VENTAS: Brownsville, Texas
Enrique de la Cruz (956) 371-3923 Mary 465-9830 Nancy 459-3360
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
10
DIOCESE
Month of the Rosary
Catholic News Agency/EWTN
Discover the power
and peace of this
sacred devotion
By ARCHBISHOP
GEORGE J. LUCAS
Catholic News Agency
During the month of October,
the Church invites all of us to take
up the prayerful devotion of the
rosary. The rosary is a good way to
pray at any time of the year, in any
circumstance. If you have never
been used to praying the rosary,
this is a good time to take it up and
learn it — it is not burdensome or
difficult. You may want to take it
up again if you have put it aside for
a while.
The rosary helps make our
journey with Mary through the
mysteries of faith more concrete.
The rosary is called a “popular”
devotion. This is not only because
it is prayed by so many. It is a
people’s devotion. It can be learned
and prayed by anyone. It is literally
in the hands of the people. It came
into wide use in some places when
people looked for a way to follow
the example of monks who prayed
the Liturgy of the Hours at times
throughout the day. Most of the
faithful would not have had access
to books containing, the 150
Psalms, and many would not have
been able to read in any case. The
How to pray a
family Rosary
The Valley Catholic
A pilgrim at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine prays the Rosary.
rosary provided a means of prayer
that was portable and accessible to
all.
The beauty and simplicity
that attracted people to the rosary
centuries ago still draw us to this
devotion in our time. The format is
a simple contrast to the complexity
of modern culture. Whether we
pray the rosary alone or in a group,
it draws us out of the isolation that
our world often encourages. We
meet Mary in this prayer, which
is clearly offered to God and
not to her. She helps us face the
particular challenge we may find
at the moment in our journey of
faith.
I invite you to make use of
this age-old Catholic prayer with
a renewed consciousness and
reflection on the mysteries of
God’s love for us in Jesus Christ.
Mary, the mother of Jesus,
is our spiritual guide through
these mysteries. No one in the
communion of saints is closer to
Jesus than she is. We imagine Mary
at prayer when, in the fullness of
time, the angel announced to her
God’s plan for her participation in
the salvation of the world.
Although Mary had been
prepared for her unique role in
God’s plan, she had the freedom
to accept it or not. God had made
her full of grace. She made her life
a gift back to God, “Let it be done
to me according to your word.”
The “Word” which shaped Mary’s
whole being from then on is Jesus,
the Son of God.
At the time that Mary put
her life in God’s hands, she could
not have known everything that
her gift would mean. She walked
by faith through the mysteries
of Jesus’ birth, life teaching,
suffering, death and resurrection.
She learned at every step what it
meant not only to be the mother
of Jesus, but also to be his disciple.
At Pentecost, she received the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in
the midst of the infant Church. Her
ongoing fidelity strengthened the
apostles to carry out the mission,
given to them by the Lord, to bring
the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Mary remains with us in the
communion of saints. She is called
“Mother of the Church,” and that
title describes not just an honor,
but an active role she plays in the
life of the Church in every age. She
helps guide us today, as she guided
the first followers of Jesus.
Having been claimed by Christ
in baptism, we learn, as Mary did,
how to give ourselves to Him more
freely all the time, cooperating
with the grace that is God’s gift to
us.
As Mary learned, we also learn
that our saying yes to God must be
renewed each day.
—
The Most Reverend George J. Lucas
is Archbishop of Omaha, Neb.
Personalize it: Each family member should have their own
Rosary. Children may play with
it. Girls may wear it as a necklace.
Boys will try to use it as a lasso.
That’s fine. It helps them become
familiar with a Rosary. Eventually
they will learn and grow in reverence for their Rosary.
Create a habit: Set a time that
is comfortable for your family and
that works without adding stress.
When it doesn’t happen, don’t give
up entirely, just pick it up again the
next day.
Create a space: Set the tone
for prayer so young children understand this is different than other
family activities. If possible, light
a candle and play some soft, background, instrumental music.
Keep it simple: The Rosary is
a great way for young children to
learn the Hail Mary, Our Father
and Apostle’s Creed and to learn
about the lives of Jesus and his
Mother Mary.
Involve all family members: If
children have a role, they will participate more fully and be more attentive. Let them lead a reflection
or the prayers depending on their
age.
Opportunity to teach: Use
the Rosary as a starting point to
teach children about other aspects
of their faith. Children are curious and will ask questions. Pause
in prayer as necessary to answer
their questions. As they get older,
you can hold their questions until
prayer is complete.
Just start: There’s no time like the
present and no place like home.
DIOCESE 11
Those Who Serve:
Father Leo Francis Daniels, C.O.
Devoted to helping others cultivate talent
Founder of Oratory
Schools recognized
for 30 years of service
By BRENDA NETTLES RIOJAS
The Valley Catholic
PHARR — “From the shadows
and darkness into the Light,” the
motto of the Oratory schools established 30 years ago by the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip
Neri of Pharr, exemplifies the work
of the schools’ founder Father Leo
Francis Daniels.
Father Daniels, an Oratorian
priest who came to the Rio Grande
Valley in 1974, believes in the formation of the laity to carry out
God’s mission. “Lay people have
been my inspiration,” he said.
You have to “trust in lay leadership,” he added. This trust has
seen the growth of the Oratory
Academy that started in 1983 with
15 pre-kinder and kinder students.
It now has three schools – the
Oratory Academy (3PK-8th), the
Athenæum for University Preparation (9th-12th), and the Newman
Institute (PK-6 in Reynosa, Mexico), and serves 700 students.
The Athenæum for University
Preparation opened in 1998 as the
first Catholic High School in Hidalgo County.
From the start, Father Daniels
said the founders wanted to establish a bicultural, dual language
school. “It was going to represent
the area and not a school representative of mid America.” At the
school, every child has to master
English and Spanish.
Father Daniels was honored
in August for 30 years of service
in Catholic education in the Rio
Grande Valley by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools. However,
he said the credit belongs to the lay
people who helped him develop
the school. The school is a “lay-run
institution,” he said.
He along with a group of lay
faithful started the school at a time
when other Catholic schools were
closing in the Rio Grande Valley
and across the United States.
“We gathered Catholic leaders
under the shade of a pecan tree,”
he said. “We met and prayed. The
school was started after prayer….
We started with nothing. Someone donated a piece of land and we
rented some space at St. Jude Parish.”
“God has been good to us,” he
said. Father Daniels said he trusted
from the start the school would
be a success. “It’s the way the Lord
The Valley Catholic/Terry De Leon
From left, Yvonne Perez, president
of the Oratory Schools; Father Leo
Francis Daniels, an Oratorian priest who
founded the Oratory schools in Pharr;
and Rey Rosas from St. Joseph Academy
in Brownsville were honored on Aug. at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
in McAllen for years of service in
Catholic education. Vicar General
Msgr. Heberto Diaz, Jr. presented each
with service pins following the Mass
celebrating the opening of the school
year.
wanted it. I couldn’t imagine it failing.”
Yvonne Perez, a founding
member of the Oratory Schools,
credits Father Daniels with her
own faith formation. She said he is
a visionary and is always teaching.
While she said his homilies tend to
go long, “you learn something different in each one… He’s extremely
insightful.”
“A Connecticut Yankee, he
helps you see the beauty of your
own culture and our own language,” Perez said.
She said Father Daniels helped
her and others realize the role the
laity has in the church. “He always
reminds us that it’s our church and
our role, and we at times can be an
example to the religious and not
just the other way around.”
Perez adds, “He taught me not
to compartmentalize my faith and
my Church so that it becomes every step you take and every breath
you take…He taught us that Philippians’ spirit of laity.”
Father
José
Encarnación
Losoya, pastor of St. Jude Thaddeus
Church in Pharr, said Father Daniels is a collaborator. “He shares an
awareness that you don’t have to do
it all by yourself; God’s plan is for us
to work together.”
As rector of the school, Father
Daniels has established high expectations based on formation of
personal identity and the fruits of
a classical liberal education not just
for graduates of the Pharr Oratory
school system, but for himself and
the lay people he works with.
Perez calls him “a man for all
ages and all cultures.”
For a man who says he was rejected as a newborn, Father Daniels
has made it his mission to recognize the talents of others and help
them develop to better serve the
Church.
“I was born rejected,” he said.
The first born on Jan. 1, 1938 in
Hartford, Conn., during a hurricane, he said his 18-year-old mother did not want to hold him for the
newspaper photo, so a nurse held
him for the front page of the Hartford Times.
Father Daniels, a French Canadian raised in Connecticut,
attributes his vocation to his
grandmother’s superstition and
his Catholic education. He was
taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Carondelet in Hartford, Conn.
Father Daniels shared that his
“mémère” (grandmother) said he
would become a priest because he
had a cowlick that was uncontrollable.
His aunt, who paid for his education, advised him to belong to
a religious order, so that he could
belong to a family, a community of
priests. The oratory has served as
his family for more than 40 years.
At 74, Father Daniels continues
to serve as provost and religious
superior of the Congregation of the
Oratory of St. Philip Neri of Pharr,
and celebrate Mass at St. Jude
Thaddeus Church in Pharr and Sacred Heart Church in Hidalgo.
On Oct. 20, 2007, at the 40th
Anniversary of the Pharr Oratory,
Father Daniels received two honors
from the Holy See in Rome.
In addition to receiving a Papal
Blessing from the Pope Benedict
XVI, Father Francis also received
the “Crucis pro Ecclesia et Pontifice,” which is also known as the
“Cross of Honor” given for distinguished service to the church by lay
people and clergy.
Father Daniels earned degrees
in theology, philosophy, sociology
and counseling.
Fluent in five languages, Father
Daniels continues his work at the
Oratory and teaches high school
Latin and French classes.
He is currently editing a book
he completed for his doctoral studies.
»Birthday & Anniversary Wishes
The list of birthdays and ordination anniversaries is provided so that
parishioners may remember the priests, deacons and religious in their prayers
and send them a note or a card.
October
» Birthdays
2 Rev. Marco A. Reynoso
4 Rev. Francisco Acosta
10 Rev. Cesar U. Partida
11 Rev. Paul Roman
13 Rev. Joel Grissom, SM
13 Rev. Eddie Villa
14 Rev. Eka Yuantoro, MSF
16 Rev. Edouard Atangana
16 Rev. Msgr. Heberto Diaz
18 Rev. Jean Olivier Sambu
28 Rev. Frank Gomez
31 Rev. Tomas Mateos
10 Brother Moises A. Lopez, MSC
10 Sister Jane Frances Ambrose, SHSp
25 Sister Elizabeth Iruka, DMMM
27 Sister Gayle Hurban, SSND
5 Deacon Jesus P. Galvan
6 Deacon Bruno Cedillo
6 Deacon Francisco R. Flores
13 Deacon Eduardo Ovalle
14 Deacon Ignacio R. Gonzalez
15 Deacon Eduardo Reyna
17 Deacon Guillermo Castañeda Jr.
20 Deacon David Espinoza
22 Deacon Oscar Garcia
23 Deacon Alvin H. Gerbermann
» Anniversaries
17 Rev. Roy Lee Snipes, OMI
28 Rev. James Pfeifer, OMI
November
» Birthdays
5
9
10
16
17
20
22
23
28
Rev. Mario Castro
Rev. Eduardo Gomez
Rev. Joseph Ateba
Rev. Ruben Delgado
Rev. Jose J. Ortiz, CO
Rev. Lawrence Klein
Rev. Luis Fernando Sanchez
Rev. Agostinho Pacheco
Rev. Esteban Hernandez
7 Deacon Genaro Ibarra
10 Deacon Catarino Villanueva
11 Deacon Israel Sagredo
12 Deacon Juan F. Gonzalez
14 Deacon Inocencio Diaz
15 Deacon Alberto X. Chapa
20 Deacon Jesus Reyes
20 Deacon Benito Saenz
24 Deacon Juan Barbosa
28 Deacon Heriberto Solis
29 Deacon Francisco Garza
5 Sister Patricia McGraw, ISM
7 Sister Rosalia Vadala, OSF
13 Sister Luella Walsh, OSB
13 Sister Cynthia A. Mello, SSD
» Anniversaries
27 Rev. Jose Rene Angel
28 Rev. Samuel Arispe
4 Deacon George M. Terrazas
11 Deacon Jose Luis Mendoza
30 Deacon Reynaldo Q. Merino
12
NATIONAL
5FYBT.FYJDPCPSEFSCJTIPQTQMBO
pastoral letter on family immigration
By PATRICIA ZAPOR
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON - After a
gut-wrenching visit with young
children in the El Paso, Texas,
area who are in immigration detention, the bishops of the border
region of Texas and Mexico have
decided to write a joint pastoral
letter on how families are harmed
by the current immigration system.
San Antonio Archbishop
Gustavo Garcia-Siller told Catholic News Service in a Sept. 12
phone interview that after visiting
the children who were brought
to meet the bishops at an El Paso
parish and learning their stories,
the bishops wanted to draw attention to the family effects of the
broken immigration system.
He told about meeting a girl
of 6 who has been in detention
since her parents were deported
four years ago. Apparently both
her mother and father were killed
soon after they were returned to
Mexico and their daughter has
been a ward of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agency ever since, as official systems of two countries have slowly
churned to place the girl with another member of her family.
That girl and the other children in ICE custody intensely
long to be with their families, he
said. “Here in this country are 11
million undocumented people.
How many of their children risk
losing a parent because they lack
documents” and could be deported, he asked.
The pastoral letter to be issued
in the next month is intended to
“bring some sane, rational understanding” of the many ways
families are broken apart by the
current immigration system,
Archbishop Garcia-Siller said.
In a Sept. 8 statement as the
meeting closed, the bishops said
the burdens on families divided
because of problems with the
immigration system particularly
concern them.
“At present, those most injured are the thousands of children and young people who find
themselves deprived of their parents and other family members,”
the message announcing plans for
a pastoral letter said. “We seek to
view the reality of the migration
phenomenon from the divine
perspective. Just as God had compassion for his people enslaved in
Egypt, so now he is moved, and he
calls us to compassion and mercy
towards our undocumented
brothers and sisters. Further, Jesus
the good shepherd felt compassion upon seeing the exhausted
multitudes. As their current shepherds we want to make our hearts
beat in rhythm with theirs.”
For years, the bishops of U.S.
and Mexican dioceses along the
border have met twice a year to
discuss issues of mutual concern,
heavily focused on immigrationrelated matters. Archbishop Garcia-Siller said such sessions more
than a decade ago led to the first
joint pastoral letter of the U.S. and
Mexican bishops conferences,
“Strangers No Longer: Together
on a Journey of Hope.”
Preplanning your funeral
or cemetery arrangements
gives you and your loved
ones peace of mind.
Don’t wait.
Call now, and make
your plan today.
Congolese nun wins U.N. prize
Sister Angelique
works with
internally
displaced women
By MARK PATTISON
WASHINGTON - “It is not my
work only. It is the Lord’s.”
Such was the summation of Sister Angelique Namaika, a member
of the Augustine Sisters of Dungu
and Doruma, as she spoke to reporters in an international conference call upon winning the Nansen
Refugee Award bestowed annually
by the U.N. High Commissioner
for Refugees.
Sister Angelique has been
working for the past four years with
women forced to leave their homes
in the northeastern Congolese
bush because of the ongoing civil
strife in the Congo.
Many of the women have been
forced to marry members of the
Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel
group led by Joseph Kony, whose
activities have destabilized not only
Congo but disrupted life in neighboring African nations as well. Last
year, she testified to Congress and
the U.N. Security Council about
LRA-caused instability in the region.
Speaking through an interpreter during the Sept. 12 conference
call, Sister Angelique said, “When
I arrived here in Congo in 2003, I
started helping women who didn’t
have a chance to go to school. So
when the displaced women came
in 2009, I greeted them in the communities where I was doing training -- Because I saw that these
women were vulnerable, even more
vulnerable than the other women I
was helping, because these women
were traumatized, and they didn’t
have a chance.”
“Since they were living so far
away from the center,” she continued, “I moved my training and
teaching activities to the center
where they (the displaced women)
were living.”
She estimated she has helped
2,000 women in her ministry in
Congo, including those she helped
CNS photo/Brian Sokol, courtesy UNHR
Sister Angelique Namaika, a member of the Augustine Sisters of Dungu and
Doruma, smiles as she instructs a literacy class Aug. 1 in Congo. Sister Angelique
received the 1 Nansen Refugee Award from the U.N. High Commissioner
for Refugees Sept. 17 for her work with women forced to leave their homes in
northeastern Congo because of long-term civil strife.
CNS photo/Brian Sokol, courtesy UNHR
Sister Angelique Namaika, a member
of the Augustine Sisters of Dungu and
Doruma, is pictured following an Aug. 1
literacy class she instructs in Congo.
prior to her work with displaced
women. Currently, she is helping
150 women “because this is what I
can do with the means I have.”
The Nansen Award, officially
announced Sept. 17, comes with a
cash prize ($100,000) donated by
the winner to a charity of his or
her choice. The award was to be
presented in a ceremony in Geneva
Sept. 30. Afterward, Sister Angelique was scheduled to go to the
Vatican to meet with Pope Francis
Oct. 2.
The nun was herself among the
internally displaced in 2009 as a result of LRA violence.
Sister Angelique detailed one
success story of the many women
she has helped.
The girl had been kidnapped at
age 14, held by the LRA for a year
and a half and impregnated. She
escaped and, with no skills, was reduced to trying to sell charcoal in
the street. When Sister Angelique
was told of the teen’s presence, “I
directly went to listen to her story.
So I found her and I saw that her
kid was malnourished,” she recalled.
“The girl, the mother of that
baby, also needed help because she
had a sexually transmitted disease.
I helped them first with food and I
took her to the hospital for her to
get some medical care. And then I
thought if I continue to help with
only food and don’t teach her how
to find herself food, it’s not going to
work,” Sister Angelique said.
“I taught her how to bake
bread, so after a few days she was
already baking her own bread and
selling her bread in the center. I
also taught her how to sew. I taught
her sewing. But one thing also, one
problem she had was she was rejected by her mom. Her mom said
it was her fault that she was caught
by the LRA. So the girl came back
to me again and left the baby with
me and (went) back to the bush.”
Sister Angelique convinced the
teen to stay with her for a month.
“I gave her advice, then I went
to her mom’s house to do mediation. So the two of them, the mom
and the girl, they reconciled and
today they are on good terms,” she
said. “The girl is happy because
she felt love, and the good news
is today’s she’s married and has a
second child. Her work as a baker
of bread brings her a good income
and you can see that she’s happy.”
Her suggestions to restore
peace in the region begin with “the
grace of conversion to Joseph Kony
... so that he just stops his atrocities and leaves the bush. And if this
happens, women will feel safe to go
back home and it will be better. It
will also help with their trauma.
“What is important is to help
women who have suffered and
have been traumatized,” she said.
“It is the women who are raising
the kids, so it is important for them
to be able to go back.”
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL
Octubre 2013 - The Valley Catholic
13
Tiempo de crecimiento
La Iglesia de Santa Ana se vuelve cuasiparroquia; nueva
orden religiosa encargada de desarrollar territorio misionero
Por BRENDA NETTLES RIOJAS
The Valley Catholic
PEÑITAS — Mientras que algunas parroquias en el pais están
cerrando o uniéndose, la Diócesis
de Brownsville, la cual tiene la población más grande del pais con
cerca de 1.2 millones de Católicos,
está creando nuevas parroquias.
En respuesta al crecimiento en
el lado oeste del Condado de Hidalgo, el Obispo Daniel E. Flores
decretó el establecimiento de una
nueva cuasiparroquia en la colonia Pueblo de Palmas en Peñitas
con Santa Ana como su santa patrona, oficialmente el 8 de sept., la
celebración del nacimiento de la
Santa Virgen María. Él nombró al
padre Michael Montoya, Sacerdote
Misionario de Jesús como el primer
pastor de la cuasiparroquia.
“En el fondo de mi corazón, sé
que la Iglesia necesita estar aquí,”
dijo el Obispo Flores cuando les
pidió a los sacerdotes Misioneros
de Jesús establecer la nueva cuasiparroquia.
Para las Hermanas Misioneras
del Inmaculado Corazón de María
(ICM), Fátima M. Santiago y Carolyn Kosub de las, que llegaron por
primera vez al área en el 2004 y
ayudaron a construir la iglesia en
el 2009, la creación de la cuasiparroquia es un peldaño para celebrar.
“Hoy no puedo hacer más que
cantar con María, nuestra madre,
la hermosa canción de Magníficat,”
dijo la Hermana Santiago quien ha
estado administrando la iglesia y
dirigiendo los programas catecúmenos por cuatro años.
Añadió, “Gracias a nuestro
obispo Daniel Flores, por su confianza, visión y discernimiento para
dividir la parroquia de La Joya en
cuatro comunidades, y por nom-
Fotos de cortesía
Miembros de la comunidad se reunieron con el Obispo
Flores para hablar sobre el crecimiento de la iglesia
Católica en el oeste del Condado de Hidalgo.
El Padre Montoya celebro la primera Àesta patronal de
la Iglesia de Santa Ana el 6 de Mulio. Otila Garza, Munto
con todos los feligreses continuaron con una Àesta baMo
las estrellas.
brar a Santa Ana como madre de
la iglesia.”
Las Hermanas Misioneras del
Inmaculado Corazón de María
fueron invitadas en el 2004 a ayudar después de que el impacto de
un tornado destruyera varias casas.
Después de evaluar las necesidades
del área, las hermanas se quedaron
y empezaron Proyecto Desarrollo
Humano, una organización no
lucrativa, para proveer servicios
necesarios para las personas de la
comunidad.
La Iglesia Santa Ana pertenece
legalmente a las Hermanas ICM.
Las Hermanas transferirán su cuidado a la diócesis.
“Cuando construimos Santa
Ana en el 2009, nunca soñé que
viviría para verla convertirse en la
iglesia madre de una parroquia,”
dice la Hermana Kosub. “Solamente respondíamos a las necesidades y peticiones de nuestra gente.
Sin duda Dios hizo maravi-llas.
Estoy emocionada de estar unida
con las otras comunidades de fe en
nuestra nueva parroquia, y sé que
Dios está con todos nosotros.”
El Padre Montoya vino al Valle
del Río Grande en abril para comenzar a trabajar en la comunidad.
Él estaba ayudando en Nuestra Señora Reyna de los Ángeles en La
Joya y sus Misiones: Santa María
Magdalena, San Miguel en Los
Ébanos, San Antonio en Peñitas y
» Por favor lea Cuasiparroquia, p.17
La Iglesia Padre Celestial se convierte en parroquia
Por BRENDA NETTLES RIOJAS
The Valley Catholic
OLMITO —“¡Hoy comenzamos a vivir como una parroquia!”
dijo el Padre Héctor José Cruz
Lesbros antes de que comenzara la
Misa de mediodía el domingo 15
de septiembre en la Iglesia Padre
Celestial en Olmito.
La Iglesia, llena en toda su capacidad en celebración por su designación oficial como parroquia.
“Estoy tan contento de celebraresta Misa ahora como parroquia aquí en Nuestro Padre
Celestial,” dijo el Padre Cruza, administrador parroquial, mientras
saludaba a los feligreses después de
la celebración.
“Pido a Dios su bendición
para toda la comunidad y para la
diócesis que ahora tiene una parroquia más,” añadió. La Diócesis de
Brownsville, que cubre los condados de Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr y
Willacy, ahora cuenta con 71 parroquias y 44 misiones.
El Obispo Daniel E. Flores estableció la parroquia en respuesta
al “crecimiento y desarrollo que se
estaba teniendo en el sector noro-
este de la ciudad de Brownsville,”
y “para proveer adecuadamente
un cuidado pastoral de la gente de
Dios,” escrito en el decreto que constituye a la nueva parroquia.
“Agradezco al obispo y a todos
en la diócesis quienes facilitaron su
nombramiento,” dijo el Padre Cruz.
El Padre Cruz, un Sacerdote
Marista de la Sociedad de María, ha
servido a la parroquia desde el 12
de septiembre del 2007. Él felicitó
a la comunidad por este peldaño,
y escribió en el folleto de la parroquia, “Hoy nuestra misión llega
a la mayoría de edad y se convierte
formalmente en parroquia.”
En su carta a los feligreses, el
Padre Cruz se refirió a los comentarios del Obispo Daniel E. Flores,
hechos en su visita a la Parroquia
San Antonio en Harlingen donde el
obispo comparó un edificio o una
nueva iglesia – o el establecimiento
de nuevas parroquias a “un movimiento hacia delante en una peregrinación en la vida de la Iglesia.
“Se necesita compromiso; se
necesita trabajar en conjunto; se
necesita planeación; pero sobretodo se necesita perseverancia y
paciencia,” dijo el Obispo a los par-
The Valley Catholic
El Padre Héctor José Cruz Lesbros, administrador parroquial, celebro la primera misa
como parroquia de la Iglesia Padre Celestial en Olmito el 15 de septiembre.
roquianos de San Antonio. “Pero la
iglesia existe antes de que haya un
edificio – la iglesia existe cuando
hay una comunidad de fe que comparte la Eucaristía.”
La parroquia de Nuestro Padre
Celestial, la cual cuenta con más de
500 familias, primero se convirtió
en una misión de la parroquia de
Nuestra Señora Estrella del Mar en
Puerto Isabel en 1964. Cuando la
misión era llamada Iglesia Católica
de Santa Ana. Después de tres años
la iglesia fue unida como misión a
la Parroquia Santa Cecilia en los
Fresnos hasta el 2006, cuando los
límites parroquiales cambiaron y se
convirtió la misión de la Parroquia
de Nuestro Señor de la Divina Misericordia en Brownsville.
Desde el principio, la comunidad se esforzó por construir su iglesia. Antes de ser designada como
misión, los miembros de la comunidad efectuaron una serie de recaudaciones a mediados de los 50s
para comprar el primer barracón
que serviría originalmente como la
iglesia.
Antes de eso, la primera Misa se
llevó a cabo bajo un árbol de ébano
en una escuela en Olmito en marzo
de 1995. Algunas de las primeras
clases de catecismo fueron impartidas en un cobertizo de vegetales,
bajo la sombra de un árbol.
Después, la comunidad utilizó
un salón o el auditorio de una escuela. Una vez que se compró el
barrancón, la iglesia fue nombrada
Iglesia Católica de Santa Ana. La
comunidad siguió recaudando
fondos y con la ayuda de la Sociedad Americana para la Expansión
Católica, construyeron una iglesia
en 1967. El Obispo Humberto Medeiros dedicó la nueva iglesia el 23
de septiembre de 1967.
Un año antes de su 25 aniversa» Por favor lea Parroquia, p.15
14
The Valley Catholic - Octubre 2013
Santos y pecadores
A
menudo escuchamos
la frase de que todos
nosotros somos “santos
y pecadores”. Es importante
recordarlo porque estamos
hechos a la “imagen y semejanza
de Dios” todos somos llamados
a ser santos; a ser benditos. Pero
también, en este mundo las
personas a menudo no quieren
hablar del “pecado” aunque
todos seamos “pecadores”; todos
quedamos cortos de la Gloria de
Dios porque en nuestra humanidad nos “fallamos uno al otro”,
nosotros “rompemos la relación”
entre nosotros y con Dios, eso
es el pecado. Como sociedad, tal
vez sería de ayuda para nosotros
el recordar que los siete pecados:
ira, avaricia, pereza, orgullo, lujuria, envidia y gula, los cuales han
sido reconocidos por miles de
años, todavía son las debilidades
humanas que nos pueden llevar a
otros “pecados”, otras separaciones con nuestros seres queridos y
con Dios.
Probablemente una de las
tareas mas importantes a lo largo
de nuestro camino por la vida es
el convertirnos en santos. Todos
somos llamados a la santidad.
De hecho, una de las enseñanzas
de la Iglesia Católica es que en el
matrimonio, esposos y esposas
son llamados a hacer santos a sus
esposos; es nuestra descripción
laboral, por así decirlo. Pero
¿qué significa eso en términos
prácticos? Un corto ejemplo:
cuando mi esposo Mauri y yo
nos casamos hace 39 años, yo
era muy testaruda y obstinada;
aún lo soy, pero de una manera
mucho menor porque Mauri me
»Vida Familiar
Lydia Pesina
Directora, Oficina
de Vida Familiar
ayuda a ver esas faltas en las que
tengo que trabajar y he utilizado
ese conocimiento para seguir
trabajando en ellas.
En un curso que enseño a
personas solteras llamado “Como
evitar a un Cretino/a” el autor,
John Van Epp dice que lo que
hace a una persona un cretino/a
es la “resistencia persistente”,
cuando nos resistimos persistentemente a trabajar en aquello
que sabemos que tenemos que
trabajar. El año pasado en nuestro
Retiro de los Trabajadores Diocesanos, el Maestro del Retiro,
Padre Thomas Sepúlveda dijo que
“nuestro trabajo no es cambiarnos; ese es el trabajo de Dios;
el nuestro es esforzarnos. La
gracia de Dios está en el esfuerzo
mismo. Dios es el Creador; depende de Dios traerlo a fruición.”
Para mi, es un gran alivio pensar
que solamente necesito seguir esforzándome para mejorar, y Dios
va a proveer la gracia y el tiempo
para mi transformación.
Necesito el resto de mi
vida y un poco más para ser
santa. Mi abuela paterna, Clara
Sepúlveda Reyna, me amaba
mucho y a menudo decía “Mi
Lilita es una santa” a lo que mi
madre respondía “Pregúntenle
al marido”, lo que por supuesto
significaba que quien mejor que
mi esposo podría saber como
soy realmente. Nuestros esposos
y otros miembros de familia nos
conocen en nuestros mejores y
peores momentos y nos aman de
todos modos.
Sí, somos llamados a ser santos en esta vida y en la que sigue;
pero también, la Iglesia Católica
tiene una larga tradición de
reconocer a aquellos con un nivel
excepcional de santidad y virtud
a través de la canonización. Casi
cada día del calendario tiene un
santo, pero también, celebramos
el día de Todos los Santos el 1º de
noviembre, que es de donde viene
la palabra Halloween (víspera
de un día santo). El concepto
del día de Todos los Santos está
atado a las enseñanzas de la
Iglesia sobre la Comunión de los
Santos; la creencia de que todas
las personas de Dios en el cielo y
en la tierra están conectadas en
comunión. Mateo 27: 52 “…los
sepulcros se abrieron y resucitaron varias personas santas que
habían llegado ya al descanso.”
El Catecismo de la Iglesia
Católica 956: “Sean unidos mas
cercanamente a Cristo, aquellos
que moran en el cielo vindican
la Iglesia entera con firmeza en
la santidad… Ellos no cesan
de interceder con el Padre por
nosotros… Así que por sus
preocupaciones fraternales es que
nuestra debilidad es socorrida.”
Oremos unos por otros, para
que busquemos la gracia de Dios
para proteger y guiarnos en el
camino de la vida para ser mas
santos que pecadores.
Su anuncio ayuda al ministerio del periódico – The Valley Catholic
Para anunciarse llame al (956) 784-5055
Sacerdotes y seglares en el
movimiento de cursillos
E
l movimiento de Cursillos de
Cristiandad es una obra de la
Iglesia. La Iglesia tiene por
misión la enseñanza y propagación
de la doctrina de Cristo para la
santificación de los hombres y mujeres, quienes son los que integran
esa Iglesia. Esa misión se desarrolla
por muchos y diferentes canales..
Para ello, la Iglesia posee sus estructuras debidamente organizadas
en forma jerárquica. Esas estructuras desarrollan su actividad por la
labor que realizan tanto los obispos
y sacerdotes como los seglares. La
union en el trabajo de magisterio
y de apostolado de estos brazos del
Cuerpo Místico de Cristo, hacen un
complemento entre sí que permite
llevar el mensaje de Cristo a toda la
humanidad.
En efecto, la labor que la Iglesia
realiza por medio de sus ministros
en la administración de sacramentos, en la enseñanza y en función
del gobierno de esas estructuras,
no es otra cosa que la respuesta al
mandato de su fundador, Cristo,
cuando instituyó el sacerdocio.
Pero Cristo, al instituír su
Iglesia, no quiso que esa labor fuera
solo para los sacerdotes; su mando
de evangelización estaba dirigido
a todos los hombres de todos los
tiempos y todos los continentes.
Es evidente que una humanidad tan grande como la de nuestros
tiempos es un campo demasiado
vasto para el número reducido de
sacerdotes.
Es menester, pues, que los
seglares seamos la legion de colaboradores de los sacerdotes, pero,
claro, con la debida dependencia
jerárquica, postulado fundamental
en la estructura de la Iglesia.
Por otra parte, la condición, le
es más difícil llegar.
Así, pues, la comunión de actuación de aquel hombre que ha dedi-
Msgr. Juan
Nicolau
Pastor, Our Lady
of Perpetual Help
Church in McAllen
cado su vida al sacerdocio y que
por lo tanto, vive en un medio que
le permite una preparación sólida y
una profundización en el conocimiento del dogma y la religión
en general, y la de aquel hombre
que ha dedicado su vida a otras
labores, también valiosas, pero más
cercanas a las quae viven la mayoría
de los seres humanos, y por lo tanto
más comprensibles para muchos,
hacen un complemento capaz de
abarcar la humanidad entera.
Es, pues, la concepción de la
labor apostólica del seglar, dirigida
y orientada por la jerarquía y los
sacerdotes, lo que fundamenta la
existencia de las asociaciones y
movimientos de apostolado seglar.
Muchas y muy diversas son las
organizaciones y movimientos de
este tipo en nuestros tiempos: lo
cual demuestra un evidente renacer
de la inquietud apostólica de los
laicos. Organizaciones y movimientos todos muy valiosos y de
innumerables beneficios para la
humanidad.
Uno de los movimientos es
el del Cursillo de Cristiandad. El
éxito de este movimiento obedece
sin duda alguna a la gracia de Dios,
quien ha querido que los Cursillos
de Cristiandad sean un movimiento de renovación Cristiana. Ahora
bien, el mensaje de la doctrina de
Cristo, expuesto en los Cursillos
de Cristiandad por sacerdotes y
» Por favor lea Sacerdotes p.19
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL 15
Parroquia,
continúa de la pág. 13
rio, la iglesia fue destruida en un
incendio el Miércoles de Ceniza,
el 13 de febrero de 1991. Fue
reconstruida un año después a
tiempo para conmemorar el aniversario de plata el 23 de sep. De
1992.
Amelia García, miembro
de por vida quien creció a una
cuadra de la iglesia, dijo recordar
las loterías y los pasteles para recaudar fondos y todo el trabajo
que su madre y otros miembros
de la comunidad hicieron por la
iglesia. “Mi madre ayudaba con
todo.”
García, quien coordina el
programa de educación religiosa,
dijo que ha visto el crecimiento
de la comunidad a través de los
años. “Nuestro primer grupo de
confirmación (en el 2005) fueron
tres niñas, ahora tenemos 200 estudiantes registrados.”
“Estoy muy contenta. No
pensé que íbamos a crecer para
convertirnos en una parroquia.
Había tantos obstáculos,” dijo
ella. “Olmito es muy pequeño.
No ha sido fácil, pero lo hemos
logrado.”
De acuerdo con el censo del
2010, la población de Olmito es
de 1, 210 habitantes. Pero la comunidad está creciendo. García
dijo que las nuevas áreas de subdivisión han ayudado a incrementar el número de familias en
la parroquia.
Ella dijo que es reconfortante
ver el nivel de participación.
“Mientras que la mayoría de
las personas que ayudaron en
aquellos primeros días ya se
fueron, sus descendientes se
mantienen activos… Ni siquiera
tienes que preguntar, todos ayudan con lo que se necesita hacer.”
Danza de los Matachines
Primer festival de
Matachines el
16 de noviembre
Por IRVING TAPIA
The Valley Catholic
PHARR — Plumas vibrantes en una gama de colores como
oro, paleteado, rojos brillantes y
verdes, imágenes de santos bordados, como la Virgen de Guadalupe,
adornan los movimientos de la
danza de los Matachines.
La danza de los Matachines, es
un estilo de baile-actuación usualmente presentado en los días de
fiesta y otras ocasiones especiales,
representa la lucha entre el bien y el
mal, por lo regular involucrando de
12 a 18 bailarines que representan
diferentes personajes, de acuerdo
con Un Camino de Fe, un libro pictórico de historia sobre la Diócesis
de Brownsville.
Los españoles trajeron el ritual con ellos al Nuevo Mundo y
a través del tiempo incorporaron
símbolos sociales y religiosos de
los mexicanos, indígenas y americanos. Los vestuarios exhiben colores brillantes, campanas y máscaras
detalladas representando la mezcla
de la vestimenta española, mexicana e indígena.
Mientras que algunos grupos
étnicos han cambiado sus bailes
folclóricos por el torrente de la
cultura americana, la danza de los
Matachines continua siendo una
forma de arte prevalente en numerosas comunidades católicas en
Valley Catholic Photos
La danza de los Matachines continua siendo una forma de arte prevalente en numerosas comunidades católicas en el Valle del Río Grande. La Iglesia St. Francis Cabrini en
las Milpas está organizando el primer festival de Matachines el 16 de noviembre.
el Valle del Río Grande.
La Iglesia St. Francis Cabrini
en las Milpas, una comunidad localizada en el sur de Pharr, esta
será anfitriona del primer festival
de Matachines el sábado, 16 de
noviembre. Los organizadores dijeron que la meta del evento es el de
unir a Matachines de todo el Valle y
promover este estilo de arte.
Se les invita a todos los grupos
de danza Matachines que asistan
al festival, el cual esperan los organizadores se convierta en un evento
anual.
Una procesión con bailarines
de las diócesis empezará a las 2 p.
m. en el Supermercado Juniors,
localizado en el 6501 S. Cage Blvd.
en Pharr y terminará en la Iglesia
St. Frances Cabrini Xavier, 8001 S.
Cage Blvd. en Pharr.
Cuando están llevando a cabo
la danza, el sonido del tambor incita una elaborada coreografía de
los bailarines al centro. Les toma
semanas, hasta meses de práctica
para llegar a este punto.
Nadie sabe de esto mejor que
Betty Muro de la parroquia San
José Obrero en McAllen. Ella ayuda
a coreografiar las danzas.
“Cuando vivía en Zacatecas,
México, solía bailar en el festival de
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Así
que cuando me mudé a Texas, tenía
la esperanza de formar un grupo
aquí. Empezó como un ministerio
muy pequeño en mi parroquia.
Eventualmente, las personas empezaron a llamarme para ayudarlos a realizar la coreografia de sus
danzas,” dijo Muro. “Me sentí honrada porque eso es lo que yo quería
desde el principio. Quería que esta
tradición se propagara.”
Diferentes culturas han incorporado sus propios símbolos en el
movimiento y los personajes del
ritual de la danza, de acuerdo con
varias referencias.
» Por favor lea Matachines p.19
16
E
The Valley Catholic - Octubre 2013
Programa para la formación
del ministerio laico
Nueva casa de retiro
l Obispo Flores anuncio al
Presbítero la apertura del
programa diocesano para
el ministerio eclesial laico. En su
carta a los sacerdotes, les escribe:
“Durante las sesiones de escucha
en la cual participaron más de
2,500 feligreses en cada decanato
de la diócesis; los que atendieron
compartieron conmigo su gran fe
y compromiso por la Iglesia. Al
escuchar las inquietudes, sueños y,
metas para el futuro, una de la prioridades pastorales identificadas fue:
la formación de nuestros laicos”.
Dijo que después de consultar
con el Consejo de Sacerdotes y con
el Consejo Pastoral Diocesano está
contento con el inicio del programa
de formación para laicos comprometidos. Al momento el Obispo
Flores invita a los párrocos de cada
Iglesia a recomendar miembros
de cada parroquia al programa
de formación para servir mejor al
pueblo de Dios por medio de su
ministerio.
El programa diocesano de
formación para los laicos es de tres
años, los primero dos se enfocan
en los elementos básicos de la fe y
la vida de la iglesia. El programa
de formación brinda enormes
oportunidades para el desarrollo espiritual de cada uno de los
participantes. Al mismo tiempo, el
programa de formación ofrece el
conocimiento y capacidades para
el ejercicio de diversos ministerios pastorales. El último año de
la formación tendrá por enfoque
un área de especialidad ministerial así como: la evangelización, la
catequesis, la liturgia, ministerio
con jóvenes y jóvenes adultos, formación de adultos, con los encarce-
Deacon
Luis Zuniga
Director, Office for
Pastoral Planning
& San Juan Diego
Ministry Institute.
lados, en los hospitales, preparación
sacramental, etc.
En el documento Colaboradores en la viña del Señor, los obispos
de los Estados Unidos, describen el
origen de los ministerios laicos de
manera simple, y al mismo tiempo,
profunda: “Dios llama. Nosotros
respondemos.” Esta realidad toma
una dimensión especial y demanda
una respuesta de todos los fieles
Católicos laicos. Los obispos continúan: El llamado básico es igual
para todos los seguidores de Cristo,
a saber, “que todos los fieles, de
cualquier estado o condición, son
llamados a la plenitud de la vida
cristiana y a la perfección de la caridad, que es una forma de santidad
que promueve, aun en la sociedad
terrena, un nivel de vida más humano”... Las mujeres y los hombres
laicos escuchan y contestan el
llamado universal a la santidad,
fundamental y exclusivamente en el
ámbito secular. Se los encuentra “en
todas y en cada una de las actividades y profesiones, así como en las
condiciones ordinarias de la vida
familiar y social con las que su existencia está como entretejida. Aquí,
están llamados por Dios a cumplir
su propio cometido, guiándose por
el espíritu evangélico, de modo que,
igual que la levadura, contribuyan
desde dentro a la santificación del
mundo” (Colaboradores en la Viña
del Señor, un recurso para guiar el
desarrollo del ministerio eclesial
laico en los Estados Unidos, Conferencia Episcopal de los Obispos
de los Estados Unidos, 2005).
Quizás nos podemos preguntar ¿Qué es el ministerio laico? La
denominación “ministro eclesial
laico” no constituye, en sí misma,
el título de un cargo específico. No
utilizamos este término con el fin
de establecer un nuevo rango u
orden entre los laicos. Utilizamos,
en cambio, esa terminología como
un adjetivo, para identificar una
realidad creciente y en desarrollo,
para describirla más plenamente, y
para buscar una comprensión más
profunda de la misma bajo la guía
del Espíritu Santo.
El término refleja ciertas realidades claves. El ministerio es laico
porque se trata de un servicio realizado por personas laicas. Su base
sacramental es el Sacramento de la
Iniciación, no el Sacramento de la
Ordenación. El ministerio es eclesial porque ocupa un lugar dentro
de la comunidad de la Iglesia, cuya
comunión y misión sirve, y porque
está sometido al discernimiento,
la autorización y la supervisión
de la jerarquía. Finalmente, es un
ministerio porque implica una
participación en el triple ministerio
de Cristo, que es sacerdote, profeta
y rey. “En este sentido original, el
término ministerio (servitium)
manifiesta sólo la obra con la cual
los miembros de la Iglesia prolongan, a su interior y para el mundo,
la misión y el ministerio de Cristo”
(Colaboradores en la Viña del
Señor).
The Valley Catholic
El Obispo Daniel E.
Flores celebro una misa
al aire libre y bendiMo
a las casa de retiro
de María Llena de
Gracia in Brownsville
el 1 de agosto. La
casa también sirve
como convento de las
Hermanas Misioneras
de Jesús. Para más
información llame a
(956) 54-18.
Siembra Buena Salud
DIABETES. La diabetes es una enfermedad causada por la
incapacidad del cuerpo de producir suficiente insulina o utilizarla
adecuadamente. Síntomas más comunes:
Hambre Excesiva
Sed Excesiva
Fatiga
Frecuencia de orinar
Pérdida de peso
La diabetes es la quinta causa de muerte entre los hispanos.
Si tu estas experimentando uno de estos síntomas, por favor consulte a su médico.
Clases Gratis…. Proyecto Juan Diego Brownsville, Texas
(956) 542-2488
Cuasiparroquia,
San Guillermo en la ciudad de Sullivan.
La nueva cuasiparroquia va a
incluir tres misiones parroquiales,
Iglesia San Miguel en Los Ébanos
y la iglesia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la ciudad de Sullivan, que
estaban unida a la Parroquia Nuestra Señora, Reyna de los Ángeles en
La Joya, y la Iglesia San Juan Diego,
antiguamente unida a San Martin
de Porres en Alton.
El Padre Montoya dijo, “Este es
un gran momento para empezar
los nuevos cimientos aquí a lo largo
de la frontera.”
Él dijo que cada una de las igle-
sias tiene una comunidad dinámica y cada una “tiene sus propias
historias maravillosas que contar.”
El Padre Montoya expresó algo
de azoramiento con el trabajo previo. Él dijo que sabía de los retos
cuando aceptó la invitación del
obispo.
“Cuando el obispo nos pidió
que estableciéramos la nueva parroquia, nos enfrentamos con una
parroquia que no tiene una rectoría para los sacerdote, no tiene
oficinas, ni personal excepto en las
áreas en donde las hermanas han
atendido,” escribió en una historia
que compartió con su orden religiosa.
“El grupo de cuatro iglesias que
comprenden la nueva parroquia ni
siquiera tienen suficiente fondos
para sostener a un sacerdote. En un
lugar que puede necesitar dos o tres
sacerdotes solamente para cubrir
las demandas de las necesidades
sacramentales, decir que este es un
reto no es suficiente.”
“En mi conversación con el
Obispo Daniel Flores,” él dijo, “Sé
que estoy pidiendo mucho a su
comunidad y que la tarea de establecer esta nueva parroquia de la
nada es intimidante. Pero creo en
mi corazón que aquí es en donde
necesitamos estar como iglesia.
Es un reto misionario frente a
nosotros… entre la gente pobre,
aquellos que inmigraron a ese lugar
por varias razones. ¡Mi corazón me
dice que aquí es donde necesitamos
estar!”
Como cuasi-parroquia, una
parroquia bajo desarrollo, la diócesis proveerá asistencia por un año.
Esto incluye un subsidio único de
$25, 000 y fondos para el salario del
pastor y el seguro. También, un segundo monto será recolectado en
las parroquias de la diócesis para
beneficiar a la nueva cuasiparroquia, en una fecha que determinará
el concilio presbiteriano.
Actualmente la parroquia es dirigida desde la sacristía de la Iglesia
de Santa Ana. Sin embargo, debido
a la distancia entre los límites de la
parroquia, el Padre Montoya dice
que hay planes para construir dos
centros pastorales – uno en la parte
este de la parroquia en la Iglesia de
Santa Ana y otra en la parte oeste
de la parroquia en Nuestra Señora
de Guadalupe en la ciudad de Sullivan.
El Padre Montoya dijo que sabe
que el trabajo de desarrollo de una
17
parroquia en una de las áreas más
pobres de la diócesis a lo largo de
la frontera es en donde ha sido llamado a servir y que confía que será
guiado por Dios. “Con las personas
de la nueva parroquia, nos embarcamos a soñar juntos por una comunidad de amigos y discípulos
llamados a proclamar las Buenas
Nuevas.”
“Así que sin oficinas, ni personal, ni programa educativo religioso, ni siquiera un lugar para que
los sacerdotes se queden, nosotros
los Misioneros de Jesús, llenos de
confianza y esperanza en la Providencia de Dios que ha guiado
nuestro trabajo misionario hasta
ahora, nos lanzamos a establecer
nuevos cimientos en la Diócesis de
Brownsville.”
18
DIOCESE
New Parish,
continued from pg. 1
ning; but most of all it takes
perseverance and patience,” the
bishop told St. Anthony parishioners. “But the church exists before
there is a building – the church
exists when there is a community
of faith that shares the Eucharist.”
Our Heavenly Father Parish,
which now has some 500 families, first became a mission of Our
Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Port
Isabel in 1964. At the time the
mission was named Santa Ana
Catholic Church. Three years
later the church was attached as
a mission to St. Cecilia Parish in
Los Fresnos up until 2006 when
parish boundaries changed and it
became a mission of Our Lord of
Divine Mercy Parish in Brownsville.
From the start, the community worked to build their church.
Before it’s designation as a mission, the community members
held a variety of fund-raisers in
the mid-50s to purchase the first
barrack that originally served as
the church.
Before that the first Mass was
held under an ebony tree on the
grounds of the Olmito School in
March, 1955. Some of the first
catechism classes were taught in
a vegetable shed and under the
shade of a tree.
Later the community used a
Growth,
gin working in the community. He
was assisting at Our Lady, Queen
of Angels Parish in La Joya and
its missions St. Mary Magdalene,
St. Michael in Los Ebanos, St. Anthony in Peñitas and St. William in
Sullivan City.
The new quasi-parish will include the three parish missions,
St. Michael Church in Los Ebanos and Our Lady of Guadalupe
Church in Sullivan City, which
were previously attached to Our
Lady, Queen of Angels Parish in La
Joya, and San Juan Diego Church,
previously attached to San Martin
de Porres in Alton.
Father Montoya said, “This is
an exciting moment for us to be
starting a new foundation here
along the border.”
He said each of the mission
The Valley Catholic
Community members Àlled Our
Heavenly Father Church in Olmito
to capacity on Sept. 15 for the
Àrst Mass of the newly named
parish.
classroom or school auditorium.
Once the barrack was purchased,
the church was named Santa Ana
Catholic Church. The community continued raising funds and
with the help from the Catholic
Extension Society of Amercia,
they built a church in 1967.
Bishop Humberto Medeiros dedicated the new church on Sept. 23,
1967.
A year before its 25th anniversary, the church was destroyed in
a fire on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 13,
church communities are dynamic
and each “have their amazing stories to tell.”
Father Montoya did express
some trepidation with the work
before him. He said that he knew
the challenges when he accepted
the bishop’s invitation.
“When the bishop asked us to
establish the new parish, we were
confronted with a parish that does
not have a rectory for the priest,
no offices, no staff, except in areas
where the sisters have been ministering,” he wrote in a story he
shared with his religious order.
“The collection in the four
churches that comprise the new
parish is not even enough to support one priest. In a place that can
use two or three priests just to
cover the sacramental demands,
saying that this is a challenge is an
understatement.”
“In my conversation with Bishop Daniel Flores he said, “I know
that I am asking your community
a lot and that the task of establishing this new parish from grounds
up is daunting. But I believe in my
heart that this is where we need to
be as a church. It is the missionary
challenge for us… among the poor
people, those who migrated to the
place for varied reasons. My heart
tells me that is where we need to
be!”
As a quasi-parish, a parish
under development, the diocese
will provide assistance for a year.
This includes a one-time grant
of $25,000 and funds for the pastor’s salary and insurance. Also, a
second collection will be taken at
all parishes in the diocese for the
benefit of the new quasi-parish,
on a date to be determined by the
presbyteral council.
Currently the parish is run
from the St. Anne Church sacristy. However, due to the distance
within the parish boundaries,
1991. It was rebuilt a year later in
time to mark the silver anniversary on Sept. 23, 1992.
Amelia Garcia, a life-long
member who grew up a block
from the church, said she remembers the early bingo and cake
walk fundraisers and all the work
her mother and other community
members did for the church. “My
mother helped with everything.”
Garcia who coordinates the
religious education program, said
she has seen the growth of the
community over the years. “Our
first confirmation group (in 2005)
was three girls, now I have 200
students registered.”
“I am very happy. I didn’t
think we were ever going to become a parish. There were so
many obstacles,” she said. “Olmito is too small. It hasn’t been easy,
but we’ve done it.”
According to the 2010 census, the population for Olmito
is 1,210. But the community is
growing. Garcia said the new subdivisions in the area have helped
to increase the number of families
at the parish.
She said it is rewarding to see
the level of participation. “While
most of the people who helped in
those (early) days are gone, their
offspring remain active…You
don’t even have to ask, everyone
helps with what needs to be done.”
“It feels good. I feel proud that
we made it. The whole community has been there,” Garcia said.
Father Montoya said that plans
are underway to build two parish
pastoral centers – one on the eastern part of the parish at St. Anne
Church and another on the western part of the parish, at Our Lady
of Guadalupe in Sullivan City.
Father Montoya said he knows
the work in developing the parish
in one of the poorest areas of the
diocese along the border is where
he is called to be and he trusts he
will be guided by God. “With the
people of the new parish, we set out
to dream together of a community
of friends and disciples called to
proclaim the Good News.”
“And so with no offices, no
staff, no religious education program, not even a place for the
priest to stay, we the Missionaries
of Jesus, full of trust and hope in
the Provident God that has guided
our missionary work all along, we
set out to establish a new foundation in the Diocese of Brownsville.”
Pope: Judging
others kills, reflects
cowardice in facing
own defects
By CAROL GLATZ
VATICAN CITY — People who
judge and criticize others are hypocrites and cowards who are unable
to face their own defects, Pope
Francis said.
Gossip, too, is “criminal” as it
destroys, rather than exalts the image of God present in others, he
said in his early morning homily
Sept. 13 at his residence of Domus
Sanctae Marthae.
“Those who live judging their
neighbors, speaking badly of them,
are hypocrites because they don’t
have the strength, the courage to
look at their own defects,” he said.
“Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not
perceive the wooden beam in your
own,” he said, referring to the day’s
Gospel reading according to St.
Luke.
Every time “we judge our brothers and sisters in our heart, and
worse, when we talk about it with
others, we are killer Christians,”
imitating Cain who committed “the
first homicide in history.”
Gossip, too, has “this dimension
of criminality” because there is no
such thing as “innocent gossip,” he
said. “If one of us gossips, certainly
he is a persecutor, someone violent.”
St. James the Apostle said the
tongue is for praising God, “but
when we use our tongue to speak
badly of our brother or sister, we
use it to kill God,” he said, killing
“the image of God in our brother.”
Instead, people need to pray
and do penance for others and, he
said, “if it’s necessary, speak to the
person who can solve the problem.
Don’t tell everybody about it.”
People need “a gesture of conversion,” he said, because just as St.
Paul was “a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man” he
was “mercifully treated.”
The pope asked people to pray
for “the grace of conversion from
the criminality of gossip to love,
humility, meekness, gentleness and
the magnanimity of love toward the
other.”
Your advertisements help support the ministry of The Valley Catholic. Call us at (956) 784-5055 to reserve a space.
DIOCESE 19
»Media Resource Center
» Calendar of Events
Recommended by SISTER MAUREEN CROSBY, SSD
Coordinator of the Media Resource Center - Diocese of Brownsville
Leonie!
St. Thérèse
of Lisieux: My
Vocation is
Love
October
»From the Bookshelf
»Worth Watching
Beyond the
Catechist’s
Tool Box
The Boy Who
Met Jesus:
Segatashya of
Kibeho
10 Professional Day
2I¿FHRI&DWHFKHVLV
11 Vision of Initiation Ministry
5&,$2I¿FHRI&DWHFKHVLV
11 Sponsor Couple Training 1
Spanish (Family Life)
14 Columbus Day
Observed
Format:Available in VHS and DVD
Year of production: Pauline (1997)
Length:21 minutes
The facts:The story of Thérèse,
commonly known as “the Little Flower.”
This young Carmelite nun, who spent
her entire adult life behind cloistered
walls, lived her love for God and others
so intensely that she was declared the
patroness of missionaries. She was
passionately convinced that God loved
her and wanted others to experience
WKDWVDPHFRQ¿GHQFH
Format:DVD
Year of production: Holy Trinity
Productions (2010)
Length:90 minutes
Executive producer: Barbara
Middleton
The facts: 7KLV¿OPWHOOVWKHVWRU\
of Leonie Martin, the older sister of
St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Leonie was a
sickly and challenging child, suffering
from chronic health and behavioral
problems. Leonie’s aunt, a religious
sister, however, had faith in Leonie,
describing her as a young woman with
an admirable character and a heart
of gold. Leonie ultimately entered the
community of the Visitation Sisters and
made her religious profession in 1900.
Length: 92 pages, paperback
Author: Joe Paprocki
Publisher: Loyola Press (2013)
The facts: A step-by-step guide to help
catechists make the most of the short
time they have with their students. The
average religious education class is
only 75 minutes and this book offers
practical advice on how to deliver
the Good News to young people in
a concise, yet complete way. Also
available in Spanish under the title,
Más allá de la caja de herramientas del
catequista.
Length:248 pages, paperback
Authors:Immaculee Ilibagiza, Steve
Erwin
Publisher: Hay House (2011)
The facts: 7KH¿UVWIXOODFFRXQWRI
Segatashya’s life story. Segatashya, a
shepherd born into a poor and illiterate
pagan family in Rwanda, never attended
school, never set foot in a church and
never saw a Bible. One summer day in
1982, while the 15-year-old was resting
beneath a shade tree, Jesus Christ paid
him a visit. Jesus asked him to go on a
mission to remind mankind how to live a
life that leads to heaven.
17 White Mass - McAllen
(Health Ministry)
19-20 New Life Retreat
(Family Life)
21 Theology Class
2I¿FHRI&DWHFKHVLV
22 Clases de Teologia
2I¿FHRI&DWHFKHVLV
24 Red Mass - McAllen
(Tribunal )
26 Youth Blast
27 National WYD Celebration
November
Pornography,
its own momentum and quickly
draws us away from the relational
commitments and responsibilities
implied in our human sexual
nature.
One of the key objections
to pornography is that it sets
up a fantasy world without the
risks and challenges that exist in
real relationships. It warps and
distorts the beautiful gift of human
sexuality, so it no longer serves as
an interpersonal force for bonding
and building families, but instead
devolves into an exploitative
and isolating force in the lives of
those who fall prey to it, changing
its clients, in the words of one
commentator, into “basement
dwellers” and “bottom feeders.”
On the other hand, the
glance of authentic sexual love,
flowing from a pure gaze, avoids
denigrating others as a means for
self-gratification, and draws man
and woman into an abiding, life-
giving union.
The need for that pure
inner gaze has never been more
succinctly expressed than in that
timeless pronouncement uttered
two millennia ago: “Your eye is the
lamp of your body; when your eye
is sound, your whole body is full
of light; but when it is not sound,
your body is full of darkness.
Therefore be careful lest the light
in you be darkness” (Luke 11:34).
We see just how dark the
darkness was in the life of Ariel
Castro. Through pornography
addiction, a skyrocketing
phenomenon today, our eye easily
becomes darkened and shuttered.
This darkness affects not
just the men who view it, but
also women who may not
themselves be regular consumers
of pornography. Women may
be drawn into the subtle and
demeaning trap of objectification
when they are pressured to serve
as compliant proxies for the acting
out of their spouse’s hard core
pornographic fantasies. Instead of
relating to the actual person they
are with, they may instead feel
obligated to play a role in satisfying
various desires and fetishes. In
this way, pornography may impact
the way consensual relationships
develop between men and women,
weaving a warped and exploitative
element into the early stages of the
relationship.
The average woman may
also struggle with a sense of
inadequacy when it comes to
competing with or measuring
up to the naked women of the
internet, particularly in the face
of pervasive airbrushing, silicone
implants and photoshopping of
porn models. These concerns
about undue pressure on women
apply not just to the pornography
industry but even to the modern
fashion industry with its frequently
provocative designs, and to the
numerous soft porn initiatives
such as the Sports Illustrated
swimsuit edition. It should come
as no surprise when ordinary
women and girls manifest loathing
and abusive tendencies towards
their own bodies, when they
feel threatened by impossible
comparisons and expectations.
The enduring glance, sparked
by the sexual attractiveness of
the other, is never meant be
directed askance by the vicious
snare of pornography, but instead
to point towards a personal and
commited marital love, purified
of exploitative and objectifying
tendencies.
—
Sacerdotes,
de Cursillos de Cristiandad un
testimonio palpable de la eficacia
que para la causa de la Iglesia es la
labor hermanada en el apostolado
del clero y el laicado.
continúa de la página 14
Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Peña’s Calendar
Sept. 30 - Oct. 2
All Day
Assumption St. John Alumni
Port Isabel
October 9
6 p.m.
Ministry/Sacraments at Evins Juvenile Edinburg
October 17
6:30 p.m. White Mass
McAllen
October 18-30
All Day
Bronc Awakening Retreat
Rio Grande City
October 20
1 p.m.
Mass @ Evins Juvenile
Edinburg
October 30
6 p.m.
Ministry @ Evins Juvenile
Edinburg
On going:
Mass at St. Joseph Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, 727 Bowie St., Alamo
8 a.m. & 4 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph
Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, 727
Bowie St., Alamo
Holy Hour will be held Weekly every
Thursday at 7 p.m., 727 Bowie St.,
Alamo
Every Sunday: 6 p.m. & 9 p.m.
Confessions/Mass at UTPAEdinburg
1st: Vocations to the Consecrated
Life (active and contemplative) and
for the Sisters and Brothers in our
diocese and the success of their
mission
2nd: Vocations to the Permanent
Diaconate the deacons (permanent
and transitional) of the diocese and
their families
3rd : Vocation to Married Life: for
the welfare and sanctification of all
the families in the diocese and for
building up the Kingdom in our
domestic churches
4th: Vocations to the priesthood
and the priests of the diocese for the
success of their ministry
5th: Vocations to the Pro-Life
Intentions
seglares, permite a quienes asisten
al Cursillo percibir dicho mensaje a través de la vivencia, como
cristianos, de seglares como ellos y
de la orientación didáctica basada
en el conocimiento especializado
del sacerdote.
Es, pues, el Movimiento
Matachines,
“Nuestro grupo se llama Los
Guadalupanos y yo actúo el personaje del viejito,” dijo Omar Cuevas de la Iglesia St. Frances Cabrini
Xavier.
El viejito no es simplemente un
anciano en este acto, según Cuevas
y Muro. Con una máscara grotesca
y produciendo sonidos fuertes típicamente en Náhuatl (un idioma
indígena hablado en regiones de
México), el personaje interpreta
el mal en el mundo y trata de distraernos de rezar a Dios y a Nuestra
Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned
his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale
and did post-doctoral work at Harvard.
He is a priest of the diocese of Fall
River, MA, and serves as the Director
of Education at The National Catholic
Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See
www.ncbcenter.org
1
All Saints Day
'LRFHVDQ2I¿FHV Closed
2
All Souls Day
1-3 Catholic Engaged Encounter
)DPLO\/LIH2I¿FH
3
Daylight Savings Time
Ends
5
Election Day
7
Advisory Team with Bishop
2I¿FHRI&DWHFKHVLV
8-9 Retrio Pre-Matrimonial
)DPLO\/LIH2I¿FH
11 Veteran’s Day
12 Professional Day
2I¿FHRI&DWHFKHVLV
15 Vital 3. 0
16 Continuing Ed Session (QJOLVK)DPLO\/LIH2I¿FH
17 Continuing Ed Session 6SDQLVK)DPLO\/LIH2I¿FH
—
Mons. Juan Nicolau, Ph.D. STL
es pastor de la iglesia de Nuestra
Señora del Perpetuo Socorro. Es
psicoterapeuta familiar y consejero
profesional con licencias.
Señora.
Como varias tradiciones hispanas, la familia es el centro de la
celebración.
“Mi hermano toca las percusiones y mi sobrina es una de las
Matachines,” dijo Cuevas. “Es una
comunidad donde las familias se
involucran. La idea es que esto
crezca y las generaciones más
jóvenes tomen este lugar. Queremos que resguarden nuestras tradiciones mexicanas.”
Para mayor información sobre
el Festival de Matachines, llama a
la parroquia St. Frances Cabrini al
(956) 787-3554.
21 Theology Class
2I¿FHRI&DWHFKHVLV
22 Clases de Teologia
2I¿FHRI&DWHFKHVLV
21-24 NCYC
(Youth Ministry)
23 Convalidation
)DPLO\/LIH2I¿FH
28-29 Thanksgiving
Holiday
Diocesan
2I¿ces Closed
Please submit your schedule to be
published in The Valley Catholic by the
first Friday of each month by email at
[email protected] or fax: (956) 784-5082.
20
DIOCESE
Our Catholic Family
90 years of service to the community
Catholic Daughters
in Mission to
celebrate milestone
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
M
ISSION — The Catholic
Daughters
of
the
Americas (CDA), Court
St. Rose of Lima #827 is celebrating
its 90th anniversary with a Mass at
10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 at St.
Paul Church, 1119 Francisco Ave.
in Mission. Bishop Daniel E. Flores
and Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J.
Peña are scheduled to celebrate the
special liturgy.
Three of the five state CDA
officers and other dignitaries are
also expected to attend the event.
The City of Mission also issued
a proclamation to Court #827 in
September, congratulating the
ladies on 90 years of service to the
community.
Instituted at St. Paul Church in
1923, Court St. Rose of Lima #827 is
one of the oldest CDA courts in the
Rio Grande Valley.
For 90 years, court members
have been helping the community
and each other. Today, membership
is open to any Catholic woman
in good standing with her parish.
When representing the CDA at
Mass and other events, the ladies
traditionally wear all white clothing,
a custom that began with the
Texas CDA courts and has spread
throughout
the
international
organization.
“Our motto is charity and unity
and that is really the main thrust
of the work that we do,” said Sylvia
Wolfe, chair of the 90th Anniversary
committee and a member of Court
#827 since 1997.
Estela Salinas, 86, a member of
Court #827 for 45 years, said the
CDA has evolved “for the better”
over the years.
Salinas served as the regent
— the leader — of Court #827 for
three, two-year terms. She was the
first Hispanic to serve as regent for
the court.
“In 1923, when the Court was
started, it was just Anglo ladies,”
she said. “They would not accept
Hispanics.”
Court #827, which currently
has 50 members, is affiliated with
To subscribe
Name __________________________________
Address _________________________________
City _____________ State ________Zip ________
E-mail address ____________________________
For more information call (956) 781-5
Courtesy photo
Members of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court St. Rose of Lima 87 from St. Paul Church in Mission.
the state, national and international
courts. The CDA was formed in
New York in 1903 and has more
than 75,000 dues-paying members
throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico,
Mexico, Guam and the Virgin
Islands.
At the national and international
level, CDA is committed to raising
funds for many worthy causes,
including Habitat for Humanity,
which constructs homes in
To receive a copy at home each
month mail your payment with
your contact information to:
700 N. Virgen de San
Juan Blvd.
San Juan, TX 78589-3042
$15 per year /
$17 outside of Texas
partnership with low-income
families; Smile Train, which
provides free surgeries to children
born with clefts; Catholic Charities
USA and several organizations that
provide assistance for retired priests
and religious.
Locally, Court #827 works hard
for their parish and the community,
Wolfe said, assisting numerous
causes, including Our Lady of
Guadalupe Catholic School in
Mission; Comfort House, a hospice
in McAllen; local food pantries; prolife organizations and the Catholic
Youth Restoration Project, a group
of youth and youth leaders from
St. Paul Parish who complete home
improvements for families in need.
The Court meets on the second
Thursday of every month at the St.
Paul Church parish hall.
“In our parish, the Catholic
Daughters are there, ready to help,
when called upon for an emergency
or anything for the parish,” said
Father Gregory M. Kuczmanski,
pastor of St. Paul Church. “I can
pick up the phone and ask any of
them, ‘do you think you can give me
this or that for this family in need?’
and they are going to do what they
can do to help.”
Members of the CDA look after
the community and their parish but
they also look after one another.
The members have seen each other
through happy times – births,
wedding anniversaries and such.
They have also comforted each
other through difficult times, such
as illnesses and deaths in the family.
Prayer is the lifeblood of the
CDA, Wolfe said, adding that the
Internet and email have made
it easier to share their prayer
intentions and network with their
CDA sisters in the Valley and
beyond.
“We pray for people here in our
community but we also pray for
people outside of the Valley,” Wolfe
said. “Recently, we were praying for
a CDA member in El Paso, whose
husband is critically ill. We are one
large prayer circle.”

View - Catholic Diocese of Brownsville

Transcripción

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