View - Catholic Diocese of Brownsville

Transcripción

Volume 4, Issue 10
Serving More Than A Million Catholics in the Diocese of Brownsville
“Habemus
Catholic Charities
Gala benefits outreach
services
April 2013
3
Papam”
It’s Still Easter
Season continues through
feast of the Pentecost
4
Those Who Serve
Sister Therese Corkery of the
Presentation Sisters
6
Pope Francis
Pray for Vocations
Is the first pope…
• From the Americas
• From Jesuit order
• To take name Francis
World Day of Prayer for
Vocations Sunday, April 21
8-9
Is known to...
En Español
• Take the bus
Artículos sobre el Papa
Francisco y la campana
de la iglesia de Nuestra
Señora de la Misericordia
en Mercedes
and subway
• Cook his meals
• Have strong
devotion to Mary
• Visit the poor
• Have low-key style
• Love soccer
and tangos
11-13
Speaks...
Spanish, Italian,
English, French
and German
“VERBUM MITTITUR
SPIRANS AMOREM”
(“The WORD is sent
breathing love.”)
Papa Francisco
Jorge Mario Bergoglio
DIOCESE
2
Tome
el tiempo
para festejar
T
engo bonitos recuerdos de
las bellas reuniones familiares que celebrábamos en
el Domingo de Pascua. Quizá ustedes también tengan guardada en
su memoria escenas semejantes,
preciosas, cálidas, matizadas de
alegría y comunión.
Llegaban a la casa de mi
abuela todas las tías, los tíos, los
primos y cuñados para festejar la
belleza del día. De hecho, era la
casa de mis papás, pero como ella
siempre estaba con nosotros, era
— en sentido familiar — la casa
designada para las reuniones de
fiesta. Los hombres se encargaban
de asar la carne, y se enfocaban
con cierta seriedad a la gran labor
de preparar la comida. ¡En realidad se sentaban en el solar para
platicar, y de vez en cuando se
asomaban al asador! Hablaban de
guerras, y de trabajos, de deportes
y política. También revivían puntos de honor que habían defendido en otros tiempos.
Las tías se sentaban en la cocina, pelando papas y amasando
para tener listo el montón de
tortillas para la hora de la comida;
preparaban los pasteles de postre
con un gozo que no se duplicaba
durante todo el año. Era una
maravilla como ellas podian
manejar los asuntos de la preparación sin perder el ritmo musical
de la plática. Contaban cuentos
de personas que habían conocido
de chicas, historias de bailes y de
bromas, de tragedias, y grandes
dolores. Hablaban de quien se iba
casar, y de quienes entre las casadas estaban esperando dar luz a
un niño. Fueron momentos para
revivir la historia de la familia, y
anticipar la historia que aún no se
manifestaba.
Nosotros los chicos
jugábamos en el solar alrededor
de la casa, subiéndonos a los
árboles, asomándonos detrás
de las macetas para buscar las
cáscaras de huevo que habían
escondido los primos de mayor
edad. ¡Siempre resultaba un pleito
entre nosotros sobre quien había
The Valley Catholic - April 2013
Take time for the feast
I
have fond memories of the lovely family
reunions that we celebrated on Easter
Sunday. Perhaps you also have similar
memories; warm and beautiful scenes tinged
with joy and communion.
All my aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws
would arrive at my grandmother’s house to
celebrate the beauty of that day. Actually,
it was my parents’ home, but since she was
always with us, it was— in a family sense—
the designated home for family reunions.
The men were in charge of the barbecue,
and would focus their diligent efforts on
the preparation of the food. In reality, they
would sit in the yard and look at the grill
once in a while! They would talk about wars,
and work, sports and politics. They would
also relive points of honor that they had
defended in other times.
My aunts would sit in the kitchen, peeling potatoes and kneading the dough to get
the pile of tortillas ready for the meal; they
would prepare pies for dessert with a joyfulness that was not duplicated any other time
of the year. It was wonderful how they were
able to manage all the preparations without
losing the musical rhythm of their conversation. They would tell stories about people
they had met as children, stories of dances
they remembered and jokes, tragedies, and
great sorrows. They would talk about who
was getting married, and who among the
married was waiting to give birth. These
were moments to relive the family history,
and anticipate the history yet to come.
We children would play in the yard
around the house, climbing on the trees, and
peeking behind potted plants to look for
the egg shells that were hidden by our older
cousins. We always ended up arguing as to
who had found the last Easter egg!
descubierto primero el último
huevo de Pascua!
Al reflexionar sobre los recuerdos, aprecio aún más lo que
significaban aquellos momentos
divertidos y alegres. Fueron
tiempos llenos del sentido pleno
de la vida experimentada como
un regalo abundante, precioso y
fuerte. Se percibía palpablemente
la belleza y la bondad de la vida.
No teníamos mucho dinero, pero
si sabíamos en lo más íntimo de
nuestras entrañas que lo que más
valía en la vida no se compraba
con el dinero. Fueron momentos para regocijar en la luz de la
700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan, TX 78589-3042
Telephone: 956/781-5323 • Fax: 956/784-5082
Bishop Daniel E. Flores
Publisher
Brenda Nettles Riojas
Editor
Rose Ybarra
Assistant Editor
The Valley Catholic email:
[email protected]
Follow us on facebook
Catholic Diocese of Brownsville
www.cdob.org
Subscription rate
ZBG Studio/Graphic Design
$15 per year • $17 outside of Texas
$25 out of U.S.
Terry De Leon
South Texas Circulation
The Valley Catholic,
Circulation
Advertising
(956) 784-5055
Gustavo Morales
Lower Valley
(956) 266-1527
Gilbert Saenz
Upper Valley
(956) 451-5416
a publication of the
Diocese of Brownsville,
is published monthly
Member of
the Catholic Press Assocition
MOST REVEREND
DANIEL E. FLORES
BISHOP OF BROWNSVILLE
As I reflect on these memories, I now appreciate even more the meaning of those fun
and joyful moments. Those were times filled
with a full sense of life, lived as a plentiful,
precious and strong gift. The beauty and
kindness of life was perceived tangibly. We
didn’t have a lot of money, but we knew in
the deepest part of ourselves that the most
valuable things in life were not bought with
money. Those were moments to rejoice in
the light of the hope of life. Like any family
we had lived days of pain and sadness, of
loss and defeat, but in those moments of
unity and life we knew that the pain was
not what was going to last; on the contrary,
we felt in our bones that the joy we lived
together was the experience most proper for
us. Those were, in reality, moments in which
we anticipated the fullness of the eternal
life that our Lord Jesus Christ gives to us
through the superabundant grace of his
Resurrection.
Reflecting on memories makes us realize
that if it were not for the hope Jesus Christ
offers us, that flow of smiles, food, games
and stories could not have been possible.
It would have been impossible to savor so
intensely those moments of common joy
were we not certain that Christ was risen,
and that he had rescued all the good things
esperanza de la vida. Como toda
familia habíamos vivido días de
dolor y tristeza, de pérdida y derrota, pero en esos momentos de
comunión y vida sabíamos que el
dolor no iba perdurar; al contrario, sentíamos en los huesos
que en la alegría vivida en común
encontrábamos la experiencia
más propia para nosotros. Fueron, en realidad, momentos en
que se anticipaba aquella plenitud
de vida sin fin que nos regala el
Señor Jesucristo por medio de
la sobreabundante gracia de su
Resurrección.
Con la reflexión sobre los
recuerdos nos damos cuenta de
que sí no fuera por la esperanza
que nos ofrece Cristo Jesús, ese
flujo de sonrisas y comidas,
juegos y recuerdos no hubiera
sido posible. Hubiera sido imposible saborear tan intensamente
el momento de común alegría si
no tuviéramos la certeza de que
Cristo había resucitado, y que
había rescatado todo lo bueno de
of life. By the grace of his Resurrection, what
is noble in a human being was vindicated
and saved.
My beloved sisters and brothers in Christ
Risen, God has visited and redeemed us, and
He orients us to an everlasting familial feast!
Death falls defeated before the life our Lord
gives us; love, communion and joy triumph
over sorrow and loss. Our Lord opened
the way; He goes ahead of us to prepare an
eternal feast.
There are not many of those great ones
who went before us left, the ones who
prepared such special family days. They
have passed from this world. But there is
no doubt they taught us how to celebrate
like Christians. Christian culture starts with
the family, where the environment of faith
inspires great gestures of joy and festivity.
Nowadays it is more difficult for families
to celebrate like they used to. We are too
busy; we live far from our family members.
Work and worries invade even the sacred
space of our most important religious feasts.
This means that, as adults, we have an even
greater responsibility to make the necessary
effort to show our children the things that
really have value in life. It is up to us to teach
our children that faith in Christ resurrected
is the reason for the joy we share.
I wish you all the joy possible in these
days of Easter. I ask the Lord to grant you
countless moments of laughter, games and
family communion during these days of
celebration, and all year long. These are
moments given by the Lord, inviting us to
relish and anticipate what the Lord himself
has given to us through his Cross and Resurrection.
la vida. Por la gracia de la Resurrección lo noble del ser humano
ha sido vindicado y salvado.
Mis queridos hermanos y hermanas en Cristo resucitado, ¡Dios
nos ha visitado y redimido y nos
ha orientado hacia un banquete
familiar sin fin! La muerte cae
tumbada delante de la vida que
nos regala el Señor; amor, comunión y alegría triunfan sobre las
tristezas y las pérdidas. El Señor
nos ha abierto el camino; él va
por delante para prepararnos un
banquete eterno.
Ya no quedan muchos de los
grandes antepasados, los que
nos preparaban un día familiar
tan especial. Han pasado de este
mundo. Pero no cabe duda de
que ellos nos enseñaron como
festejar como Cristianos. La
cultura cristiana empieza en la
familia, donde el ambiente de la fe
inspira grandes gestos de alegría
y festividad. Hoy en día es más
difícil para las familias festejar a
la manera de antes. Estamos muy
Amen.
ocupados; vivimos alejados de
nuestros familiares. El trabajo y
las preocupaciones invaden hasta
el espacio sagrado de las grandes
fiestas de la religión. Eso quiere
decir que a nosotros los adultos
nos pertenecen unas responsabilidades aun más grandes para
hacer el esfuerzo necesario para
manifestar a nuestros hijos lo
que realmente tiene valor en la
vida. Nos corresponde enseñarles a nuestros hijos que la fe en
Cristo resucitado es la causa de la
alegría que compartimos.
Les deseo toda la alegría posible en estos días de la Pascua de
la Resurrección. Le pido al Señor
que les otorgué innumerables
momentos de risas, de juegos y
de comunión familiar durante
estos días de fiesta, y durante
todo el año. Son momentos que
el Señor nos regala, invitándonos
a saborear y anticipar lo que el
mismo Señor nos ha dado por su
Cruz y su Resurrección.
Amén.
Bishop Flores’ Schedule April
April 2
7 p.m.
San Benito
Confirmations at Our Lady Queen of the Universe
April 3
6 p.m.
Roma
Confirmations at Our Lady of Refuge
April 4
7 p.m.
Basilica
Confirmations for St. John the Baptist
April 6
7 a.m.
Cathedral
Blessing for Oblate Trail Riders
April 6
10 a.m.
Brownsville
Confirmations at the Cathedral
April 6
2 p.m.
St. Pius X, Weslaco
Opening Remarks for Vatican II Workshop
April 6
6 p.m.
Mission
Catholic Charities Gala
April 7
Noon
Brownsville
Divine Mercy, Mass (S)
April 7
3 p.m.
Brownsville
Divine Mercy, Mass (B)
April 11
6 p.m.
Mission
Confirmations at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
April 13
10:30 a.m.
Brownsville
Mass to Celebrate 100th Anniversary of Sacred Heart
April 13
5 p.m.
Edcouch
St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus ,Mass & Dedication,
April 14
Noon
Escobares
Sacred Heart, Mass & Inauguration/Blessing of CCD Building
April 14
4 p.m.
McAllen
Confirmations at Holy Spirit
April 15-18
All Day
South Padre Island
Priests’ Convocation
April 19
5 p.m.
McAllen
Mass for McAllen Pregnancy Center Gala
April 24
6:30 p.m.
Santa Rosa
Confirmations at St. Mary’s
April 25
7 p.m.
Mission
Confirmations at Our Lady of St. John of the Fields
April 29
7 p.m.
Olmito
Confirmations at Our Heavenly Father
April 30
6:30 p.m.
Brownsville
Confirmations at St. Luke
April 2013-
The Valley Catholic
Providing Help, Creating Hope
DIOCESE
3
JAIL MINISTRY
Para
servirles
By IRVING TAPIA
The Valley Catholic
DIAZ
RODRIGUEZ
LOPEZ
NAVA
Catholic Charities
Annual Gala set
for April 6
The Valley Catholic
Several families that have been
assisted by Catholic Charities of
the Rio Grande Valley have been
featured in The Valley Catholic,
families such as Francisco Diaz, a
single father of five from Weslaco,
who received assistance to pay his
electric bill; Norma Rodriguez, a
wife and mother of two from Mission battling cancer, who received
Christmas gifts for her children
and gift cards for food and other
household items; Leticia Lopez, an
Army Reservist and Iraq War veteran, who received assistance with
her rent after her wallet was stolen,
and Maria Nava and her elderly
mother, Aurora, from La Feria,
who received a trailer home after
Hurricane Dolly collapsed the roof
of their old home.
Other programs sponsored
by Catholic Charities of the Rio
Grande Valley that assist the community at large, such as Tim Coats,
which distributes jackets and coats
to needy Valley residents every Fall
and Winter and the Summer Food
Service Program, which provides
breakfast and lunch for children
when school is out for the summer,
have also been highlighted.
Each year, more than 100,000
Courtesy Photo
Dr. Lawrence and Esperanza Gelman will be presented with the Hope Award from
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley on April 6.
Valley residents receive assistance
from Catholic Charities of the Rio
Grande Valley, which serves people of all faiths.
Catholic Charities of the Rio
Grande Valley is hosting its third
annual Providing Help, Creating Hope Gala Night on Saturday,
April 6 at the Cimarron Country
Club in Mission to help fund these
and many other programs and services.
Dr. Lawrence and Esperanza
Gelman of McAllen have been selected to receive the Hope Award,
which honors those who serve the
most vulnerable members of society. Dr. Gelman, a pro-life activist,
and Mrs. Gelman will also deliver
the keynote address at the event.
“We, as a Church, have to continue the teachings and the work
that our Lord, Jesus Christ did
when he was on this earth,” said
Mrs. Gelman, who has also served
as a guide for Catholic prayer
workshops through the Talleres
de Oración y Vida program for
24 years. “Jesus Christ was concerned for the poor, the sick, the
needy, the marginalized and those
behind bars and I believe that the
Church continues that labor of
love through organizations like
Catholic Charities.
“We cannot call ourselves
Christians; we cannot call ourselves Catholics if we aren’t concerned for the poor and vulnerable.”
Dr. and Mrs. Gelman, who will
celebrate 34 years of marriage in
May, have four children.
“The Gelmans are a beautiful
couple who are a great example of
honorable values of commitment
to help others in need, defenders of
life, and they live out the Catholic
Social teachings to the fullest,” said
Sister Norma Pimentel of the Missionaries of Jesus and executive director of Catholic Charities of the
Rio Grande Valley.
Tickets for the gala are $100
per person and sponsorships are
available. Silent and live auction
items are also needed to help make
the event a success.
For more information, please
contact the San Juan office of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande
Valley at (956)702-4088.
“Promoting Life, Dignity, the Common Good”
Advocacy Day leads
Catholics to State
Legislature
The Valley Catholic
Catholics from the Rio Grande
Valley will join others from across
the state on Tuesday, April 9 at a
rally hosted by Texas bishops at
the State Capitol to promote the
Church’s values of life, justice,
charity, and religious freedom to
the 83rd Texas Legislature.
On this day, which has been
scheduled by the Texas Catholic
Conference (TCC) for Advocacy
Day, participants will have an opportunity after the rally to visit
the House and Senate chambers,
followed by Legislative visits with
specified representatives and senators.
Legislative Advocacy Day
The Valley Catholic
The Diocese of Brownsville will be chartering buses to travel to Austin for Advocacy Day
on Tuesday, April 9. Interested in attending? Please call (956) 702-4088. Shown in the
photo is Bishop Daniel E. Flores at the steps of the Capitol on Advocacy Day in 2011.
is an opportunity for Catholics
around the state to participate in
the political process by voicing
the concerns of the Texas Bishops.
Participants are invited to visit the
State Capitol and meet with legislative staff to discuss the Bishops’
Legislative Concerns regarding issues that affect the life and dignity
of the people of Texas.
The TCC, which advocates on
behalf of the Catholic Bishops of
Texas for policies and programs
that support the life and dignity of
every human person from conception through natural death, invites
Catholics to join the Texas Catholic Network to stay informed and
active on policy issues relevant to
the faith, receive news updates on
issues affecting the Church, and
get action alerts to raise your voice
in the public square.
The TCC has a webpage on
www.txcatholic.org devoted to
legislation filed during the 83rd
Legislative Session. The webpage
organizes bills of interest to the
Catholic faith by the six policy areas outlined in the Texas Catholic
Conference’s Legislative Agenda.
Each bill of interest listed on
the webpage includes a brief legislative analysis, a position statement, and a link to the full text of
the bill. Newly proposed legislation is added weekly.
SAN JUAN — Some say people
in jail will never change and that
those who are incarcerated are getting what they deserve. But people
also often forget St. John the Baptist,
St. Paul, and our Lord Jesus Christ
were all imprisoned. They were innocent; not all prisoners are. Nonetheless, “We are children of God
in need of atonement. We suffer as
pilgrims in this world and during
that suffering is where we encounter
Jesus and once we do encounter
him, we are never the same,” said
Ofelia de Los Santos, director of the
Office of Jail Ministry in the Diocese
of Brownsville.
De los Santos, a mother of three,
left her law practice about six years
ago and began her newest journey
as a volunteer with jail ministry
Now, as director of jail ministry
for more than a year, she coordinates some 120 volunteers in 23
different institutions across four
counties (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr
and Willacy) within the ministerial jurisdiction of the Diocese of
Brownsville. Additionally, she leads
a variety of Scripture studies in
jails and prisons, prepares young
Catholics in juvenile detentions for
their sacraments, helps organize
Eucharistic liturgy, as well as prayer
time on a regular basis.
• Summary:
The Jail Ministry in our diocese,
which has been in place for about
20 years, brings the Good News to
inmates and helps renew their faith.
At times, it includes introducing
them to the sacraments. The effort
began with only two volunteers led
by Sister Juliana Garcia of the Missionaries of Jesus.
• Missionary-Minded: The
ministry to witness God’s love and
his promise of redemption is for all
Christians. The best preparation and
protection before answering the call
to jail ministry is to partake regularly in the sacraments. Volunteers
of other faiths work alongside De
Los Santos and her team. One of the
challenges comes in finding fresh
ways to cater to the Catholic population. Jail ministry is constantly
evolving in new ways to reach the
needs of inmates. Everything from
music, movies, devotionals and the
rosary are used to educate them
about the Catholic faith.
• Goals: Jail ministry relies
on volunteers. In the future, the
ministry hopes to bring in more
youths, young adults and ministers
equipped to teach the word of God.
As those who are actively serving
in any ministry will tell you; the
harvest is plentiful and the workers
are few. One issue the ministry faces
is the lack of volunteers who can follow up on an inmate’s spiritual walk
upon being released.
• Where to Start: It begins with
a commitment. While it does take
some time to orient and process
volunteers, De los Santos said the
benefits are multifold for those in
need, the ministry and the volunteers. It can take up to six months
to process a volunteer’s background
check and training before entering
one of the state prisons.
It takes less time for volunteers
working with undocumented children in the U.S. Immigration and
» Please see Para servirles, p.16
4
DIOCESE
Workshop on Second Vatican
Council set for April 6
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
Dr. Richard R. Gaillardetz, the
Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology at Boston College, will be in our diocese to lead
a workshop titled, “What happened
at the Second
Vatican Council? Keys to
Understanding the Council.”
The workshop will be
held on Saturday, April 6
from 8:30 a.m.
to 3 p.m. at the GAILLARDETZ
St. Pius X Parish Conference Center in Weslaco.
Registration is $10 and includes
refreshments, lunch and handouts.
The event is being sponsored
by the diocesan offices of Catholic Schools, Family Life, Catechesis, Youth Ministry, Campus and
Young Adult Ministry, the Office of
Liturgy and Worship and the San
Juan Diego Ministry Institute.
Here is what Dr. Gaillardetz
had to say about the workshop:
The Valley Catholic: Fifty years
later, what is it about Vatican II that
we still do not understand?
Dr. Gaillardetz: For many
people in the Church, Vatican II is
more of a slogan than anything else
and so people will identify themselves, and say, “I belong to a postVatican II Church,” or maybe they
will criticize a pastor and say, “well,
he’s a pre-Vatican II pastor.” But if
you push people on what exactly
they mean by the Second Vatican
Council, it turns out, that in fact,
I’m not sure people have really
good understanding of what the
Council is about. They will know
a little bit about the changes in the
liturgy and sometimes, they will refer to changes that, in fact, were not
made in Vatican II, but were made
later. I think often times people
have very little sense of the deeper
and more profound theological vision of the Church that Vatican II
offered for us.
The Valley Catholic: The Second Vatican Council lasted more
than three years and generated numerous declarations, constitutions,
decrees and other documents. How
will you break all of this down into
a one-day conference?
Dr. Gaillardetz: That’s my job.
I think what is required is somebody who has studied the documents of the Second Vatican Council in detail and knows something
about the history of the documents
and knows how they are situated in
the larger tradition of the Church. I
hope that what I can do is identify
some of the major themes, some
of the more important developments of the Council and try and
identify where I think there is still
challenges waiting for us. I think, in
a lot of ways, there is a lot of the vision of the Second Vatican Council
that we still have to do some work
to realize.
The Valley Catholic: Without
giving too much away, what are
some of these glaring themes that,
in your opinion, need work?
Dr. Gaillardetz: The Council
said a great deal, for example, about
the work of the Holy Spirit in the
life of the Church that can be helpful. I sometimes think we can get
caught up in a competitive way of
thinking about the Church where
you’ve got sort of the clergy in one
place and lay ministers in the other
and they are sort of fighting over
turf and I think the Second Vatican
Council gave us a very different vision of the Church that is the Body
of Christ but animated by the Holy
Spirit, that transforms relationships
from competition to cooperation.
I will talk about ways in which we
can think of the ministry of the
ordained and lay ministry as cooperating with one another, not sort
of competing for ministerial turf. I
think the Council gave us a vision
of the whole Church as a school of
Christian discipleship when it talked about the universal call to holiness, that all of us are called to the
perfection of charity. I don’t know,
but I still think in some ways, we
don’t understand how radical that
vision is.
It’s Still Easter
CNS photo/Reuters
Decorative Easter eggs are displayed at a fair in Sofia, Bulgaria. Eggs, a traditional symbol of new life, are a central feature on
tables during the feast of the Resurrection. Easter, in the Latin church, is marked March 31 this year.
Season continues
through feast
of the Pentecost
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
Easter isn’t just for a day; it’s
for a whole season, a season that
lasts 50 days, even longer than the
40 days of the Lenten season. The
season begins with the Easter Vigil
and the Masses on Easter Sunday.
Easter reminds us that we have
new life in Christ but Easter Sunday is only the beginning.
Father William T. Penderghest
of the Congregation of the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary and pastor of Queen of Peace Parish in
Harlingen, said many forget that
the Easter season continues after
Easter Sunday.
“The Resurrection of the Lord
is the primary celebration of our
Christian life, new life in the Lord,
which is reinforced or lived out
because of the coming of the Spirit, the spirit that brings us alive to
the resurrected Christ,” he said.
“That is basically why the Easter
season endures for the time until
Pentecost, so that we might prepare for the coming of the Spirit
and come alive in Christ and live
the resurrected Christ’s life, who is
in us.”
This year the Easter season
lasts until May 19, the feast of the
Pentecost.
One way the Church calls to
mind God’s presence in the world
is through readings from the Acts
of the Apostles.
At Masses throughout the Easter season, readings from the Acts
of the Apostles take the place of
readings from the Old Testament.
“These readings tell the story of the Church’s earliest days,
and the beginnings of our faith’s
spreading throughout the ancient
world,” according to the United
States Conference of Catholic
Bishops. “These stories of heroism, controversies, persecutions
and miracles all testify to the
continued presence of the Risen
Christ in the world, through the
lives of his disciples, and the actions of the Holy Spirit.”
These readings also remind
us, that like the apostles, we are all
called to spread the Good News of
Christ Jesus.
As the Lenten season is observed with prayer, fasting and
almsgiving, the Easter season is
observed in preparation for the
coming of the Holy Spirit.
“We place ourselves in the
presence of the risen Lord,” Father
Penderghest said. “And like the
apostles, we pray for the coming
and intensity of the Spirit because
during the Easter season we bring
to fulfillment the Paschal mystery,
the Passion, Death, Resurrection
and Ascension of the Lord and the
coming of the Spirit that he sends
upon his Church so that he may
remain with us all days until he
comes again.
“So our preparation must be
to intensify our Christian life to
the point that we allow the Spirit
to direct and move us, because
Christ is in us, uniting us in anticipation of his return in glory. So
it is a prayer of anticipation, it is a
prayer of welcoming the Spirit, it
is a prayer of emptying ourselves
and allowing the risen Christ to
take over within us, which is what
the Spirit is called to do in us.”
Spreading the Gospel in the digital continent
By IRVING TAPIA
The Valley Catholic
WESLACO — “The Church
doesn’t have to change its teachings to reach young people, but it
must deliver the faith to them in a
different way to reach them and be
present,” Cardinal Seán O’Malley,
Archbishop of Boston wrote in
his foreword for “The Church and
New Media.”
The author of the book, Brandon Vogt poses a question to Christians about the digital continent:
“Will the Church remain silent, or
will her voice be proclaimed from
the rooftops (and laptops)? Will she
plunge the message of Christ into
Facebook feeds, blog posts, podcasts, and text messages, or will she
be digitally impotent?”
Church leaders are going online and utilizing the new media.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI did
something no other pope has ever
done in the history of Christianity - he sent out a parting message
via Twitter. “Thank you for your
love and support. May you always
CNS photo/L ‘Osservatore Romano via Reuters
Pope Benedict XVI posted his first tweet on Twitter account @Pontifex Dec. 12, 2012 in
Paul VI hall at the Vatican.
experience the joy that comes from
putting Christ at the centre of your
lives.”
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
was the first pope to tag on a Twitter account to his already bustling
schedule. With the username @
Pontifex, Benedict XVI launched
his account on Dec. 12, 2012, the
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
with these words, “Dear friends,
I am pleased to get in touch with
you through Twitter. Thank you for
your generous response. I bless all
of you from my heart.”
In March, millions around the
world followed the conclave and
papal election on social media.
Soon after his election, Pope Francis continued the new tradition and
asked for prayers in his first tweet,
“Dear friends, I thank you from my
heart and I ask you to continue to
pray for me.”
Benedict XVI also brought the
Vatican to the palm of people’s
hands with the ‘Pope App,’ which
the Vatican launched a day prior
the pope’s message for World Communications Day. The theme for
2013 is “Social Networks: portals
of truth and faith; new spaces for
evangelization.”
News articles, papal homilies,
and other multimedia can all be accessed via the “Pope App.”
As a result of the Second Vatican Council (Inter Mirifica, 1963),
World Communication Day is
celebrated around the globe on
the Sunday before Pentecost. This
year the date falls on May 12. Although the celebration is scheduled
for May, the Holy Father’s message
for World Communication Day is
published every year alongside the
Feast of St. Francis de Sales (patron
saint of writers and journalists) to
give the faithful a time to reflect on
the theme and message.
Inter Mirifica is Latin for
“Among the Wonderful’’ and is
taken from the first sentence of the
decree which states, “Among the
wonderful technological discoveries which men of talent, especially
in the present era, have made with
God’s help, the Church welcomes
and promotes with special interest those which have a most direct
relation to men’s minds and which
have uncovered new avenues of
communicating most readily news,
views and teachings of every sort.”
Among those embracing new
avenues to grow in their faith are
young adults in the Diocese of
Brownsville like Joseph Zamora
from Our Lady of Sorrows Church
in McAllen. ‘’I get to learn new
things about my faith and doctrine
because of social media. If I have a
question, somebody on YouTube
has probably given a good answer.
It’s like having an appointment
with a priest or a cardinal without
having to make that appointment,”
Zamora said.
After growing up Protestant
her whole life, Anne Manious from
Saint Joseph Parish in Edinburg
and a recent convert to the Catholic faith uses social media to play
catch-up. ‘’It connects you with
other Christians in other parts of
the world and lets you know what
they are doing. Like the YouTube
channel ‘She is Catholic,’ if it didn’t
exist, the blessing wouldn’t exist ei» Please see New Media, p.15
April 2013
»Sunday
Readings
The Word of God in the Life
and Mission of the Church
APRIL 7
(Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday
of Divine Mercy)
Reading I
ACTS 5:12-16
Responsorial Psalm
PS 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
Reading II
REV 1:9-11A, 12-13, 17-19
Gospel
JN 20:19-31
APRIL 14
(Third Sunday of Easter)
Reading I ACTS 5:27-32, 40B-41
Responsorial Psalm
PS 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13
Reading II REV 5:11-14
Gospel
JN 21:1-19
OR
JN 21:1-14
APRIL 21
(Fourth Sunday of Easter)
Reading I
ACTS 13:14, 43-5
Responsorial Psalm
PS 100:1-2, 3, 5
Reading II REV 7:9, 14B-17
Gospel
JN 10:27-30
APRIL 28
(Fifth Sunday of Easter)
Reading I
ACTS 14:21-27
Responsorial Psalm
PS 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Reading II REV 21:1-5A
Gospel
FAITH
- The Valley Catholic
JN 13:31-33A, 34-35
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
T
Second Vatican Council
he Second Vatican
Council was an Ecumenical (formal gathering of all the bishops of
the universal church with voting
representation of both the East and
West) Council which gathered in
the autumns of four years from
1962 through 1965. It was Blessed
Pope John XXIII (born Angelo
Giuseppe Roncalli) who convoked
the Council on Oct. 11, 1962,
with bishops from all over the
world. The goal of the council was
to define the nature, scope, and
mission of the Church with 2,450
participating out of 2,908 eligible
to attend. Pope Paul VI (born
Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini) brought the
Council to a close on December 8,
1965 completing the work of his
predecessor.
Many regard the Second Vatican Council as the most significant
event in the modern era of the
Catholic Church. The Council was
instrumental for renewal in the
self-understanding of the Church,
its inner life and its relationship to
other Christian traditions, other
religions and the world. Those participating in or who lived through
the time of the Council felt a
profound, exhilarating sense of
renewal and virtually experienced
a new Pentecost.
Blessed Pope John XXIII (was
beatified on Sept. 3, 2000) believed
that the Church should look at
the “signs of the times” in order
to meet the needs of the times. He
used the Italian word “aggiornamento” meaning “a bringing up to
date” and is known to have said in
his opening speech of the council
“I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can
see out and the people can see in.”
He had in mind a “pastoral council” in order to make the Christian
message more understandable to a
changing world. He believed that
the church had to find new and
I
5
Deacon
Luis Zuniga
Director, Office for
Pastoral Planning
& San Juan Diego
Ministry Institute.
better ways to convey the message
of the faith.
Sixteen documents were approved under the Second Vatican
Council and are divided into three
types: four Constitutions, three
Declarations and nine Decrees.
The four key constitutions of the
Council are considered the four
main pillars of the work of the
council. According to Edward
Hanenburg author of the book The
Concise Guide to the Documents
of Vatican II: “The Constitutions
treat substantive doctrinal issues
that pertain to the very nature of
the Church.” Therefore the Constitutions are considered authoritative summaries of the official
teachings of the Catholic Church
in regard to doctrine and belief.
The following are the four constitutions of the Second Vatican
Council and a brief description of
each: The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (in Latin: Sacrosanctum Conciliium,SC) was approved
on December 4, 1963 with a vote
of 2,147 in favor and 4 against. The
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
was considered a major document
reforming the Liturgy and recalled
the Church’s proclamation of the
Gospel not only in word, but also
in sacred signs and sacraments.
The whole People of God is to be
involved in the Church’s worship
and these signs and sacraments are
to be intelligible to all. It established that the Mass (liturgy) is the
source and summit of the Christian life. Therefore, for the liturgy
to be effective, the faithful must be,
well disposed, know what they are
doing and participate.
The Dogmatic Constitution
on the Church (in Latin: Lumen
Gentium, LG) was approved on
November 21,1964 with a vote of
2,151 in favor and 5 against. This
was a very strong document discussed and debated by the Council, however was widely supported
because it provided a new focus
for the church. The Church is the
sacrament of salvation, formed
of the whole people of God in
whose service hierarchy is placed.
Authority is at the service of all
and both clergy (bishops, priests
and deacons) and laypeople (non
ordained) are called to participate
in the Church’s mission because
the church lives and acts in the
world. It highlighted the call to
holiness as universal and that the
way to holiness is love because we
are part of the great “communion
of saints”. It also emphasized that
the blessed Virgin Mary takes her
place, among God’s people and all
devotion to her must ultimately
lead to Christ, the Lord.
The Dogmatic Constitution on
Divine Revelation (in Latin: Dei
Verbum,DV) was approved on
November 18,1965 with a vote of
2,344 in favor and 6 against. Also
a strong document stating that the
Church moves forward in time,
developing a deeper understanding of what is handed down about
the Reign of God. Emphasizes on
that the Word of God is communicated through Sacred Scripture,
Sacred Tradition; referred by the
Catechism of the Catholic Church
as the Deposit of Faith and the
teaching authority of the Church
(Magisterium), all linked and
directed by the Holy Spirit. It highlighted that our response to God’s
revelation is faith and through
faith we entrust our whole selves
to God.
The Pastoral Constitution on
» Please see Vatican II, p.6
The miracle of life
t is a wonder to behold and to
recall that each of us that walk
this earth and all who have
ever walked this earth is a unique
creation of God; created in “His
image and likeness”. In Genesis
2:7 we read “Then the Lord God
formed man of dust from the
ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living being.”
I have often pondered on the
unique and special role that obstetricians, nurses, midwives and
nurse midwives have in assisting
women to deliver new life into this
world. They have a special window
into God’s creative power at work
as they experience a newborn
baby take its first breath of life.
I think that perhaps one of the
reasons that I am so conscience
of the miracle of childbirth is that
I physically never gave birth to a
child. My husband Mauri and I
were childless for the first eleven
years of our now 38-year-marriage
and then we adopted a month-old
baby girl. Parenting Liana for the
past 27 years has been a joy and an
adventure.
Recently, as our daughter was
expecting a child, I prayed that I
might be part of witnessing the
birth of our first grandchild. I did
not, however, anticipate witnessing
the birth so up close and personal.
On the late evening of Feb. 28, she
began feeling nauseous and was
»Family Life
Lydia Pesina
Director, Family
Life Office
uncomfortable for several hours
but being a first-time mom and my
never having given birth, and because she was not due until March
22, we all thought it was something
she ate. However, as the hours
and the discomfort continued, we
decided to dress and ready in case
it was an early labor.
Shortly after 3 a.m. she realized
this baby was coming now! We
called EMS but before they arrived,
this baby was heading into this
world so all she could do was lay
down in the closest place, which
was Mauri and my bed; she gave
one big push and baby Elian came
right into my hands; we did not
have enough time to even consider
what was happening.
Witnessing this child taking
his first breath and seeing the pulse
of life in the umbilical cord was a
wonder I never thought I would be
privy to. It was a sacred moment
I will never forget and a blessing
from God for which I shall always
be grateful.
EMS arrived just in time to assist with the umbilical cord and after birth baby care and to transport
new mom and new baby to the
Women’s Hospital at Renaissance
where the doctor awaited to care
for them both. Mind you, I am not
advocating for home births; we are
blessed to have so many specialists in this area in our day and
time that are prepared for all the
situations which might arise. For
whatever reason this child came
into this world in the way that he
did, I know that the Providence of
God is ever present.
During this past couple of
weeks, it occurred to me that during my lifetime I have been witness
to a very peaceful death; that of
my grandfather Dionicio Reyna in
1977 and now I have had the blessing of witnessing the beautiful and
natural birth of my first grandchild
who was literally born into my
hands.
Both of these events are reminders of the cycle of life; of the
transitions from one part of our
journey to another as we cherish
our life and our life in the Lord. It
occurred to me that perhaps one
of the greatest miracles of life is
how we live each day of our life in
between those transitions. May the
Lord continue to guide us as we
each strive to live the Miracle of
Life in every breath we take.
Courtesy photo
A stained glass window depicts St. Zita
at Winchester Cathedral in Winchester,
Hampshire, England.
»Feast Day
- April 27
Spotlight on
St. Zita
Catholic News Agency
On April 27, the Catholic Church honors Saint Zita,
a 13th century Italian woman
whose humble and patient service to God has made her a patron saint of maids and other
domestic workers. Born into
poverty during the early 1200s,
Zita was taught by her mother
from an early age to seek God’s
will in all circumstances. She
had already developed a strong
prayer life by the time she was
sent, at age 12, to work in the
home of the Fatinelli family in
Lucca. Zita’s employers lived
near a church where she managed – by waking up extremely
early in the morning – to attend
daily Mass. She looked upon
her work primarily as a means
of serving God, and kept herself
mindful of his presence during
long hours of exhausting tasks.
Her presence in the Fatinelli
household, however, was inexplicably unwelcome and met
with harsh treatment for a number of years. Zita suffered hostility and abuse from her employers, including fits of rage and
beatings. The young woman
faced these trials with patience
and inner strength developed
through a life of prayer. In time,
the members of the household
came to value her service, and
appreciate the virtues she had
acquired through God’s grace.
Zita maintained her humility
when she was promoted to a
position of responsibility within
the Fatinelli home. She continued to view her earthly responsibilities as a service to God, and
to seek his presence through
prayer and fasting.
Throughout her life, Zita
found a source of strength and
consolation in the Mass and
Holy Communion, which frequently moved her to tears. Despite her many responsibilities,
she frequently set aside time to
recall God’s presence through
contemplative prayer in the
course of the day.
After foretelling her own
death and spiritually preparing
for it, Saint Zita died in Lucca
on April 27, 1271.
The Church’s liturgical veneration of St. Zita was introduced in the early 1500s, and
confirmed by Pope Innocent
XII in 1696. In 1580, her body
was exhumed and found to be
miraculously incorrupt. It is
venerated today in the Basilica
of St. Frediano, where she attended Mass during her life.
6
DIOCESE
»Birthday
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.
April
» Birthdays
1 Rev. Francois Tsanga
1 Rev. Patrick Wells
5 Rev. Jaime Torres
8 Rev. Gerald McGovern
8 Rev. Alfonsus McHugh
15 Rev. Carlos Zuniga
20 Rev. Samuel Arispe
4 Sister Tuila Giraldo, OP
5 Sister Irma Gonzalez, IWBS
8 Sister Francisca Okwara, DDL
3 Deacon Benito Flores
6 Deacon Javier A. Garcia
12 Deacon Julio Castilleja
12 Deacon Irineo Gonzalez Jr.
15 Deacon Luis Zuñiga
20 Deacon Jose A. Solis
21 Deacon Jose Guerra
24 Deacon Alejandro Gamboa
» Anniversaries
22 Rev. George Kerketta
26 Rev. Jose R. Torres III
28 Rev. Lee Dacosta
30 Rev. Jaime Torres
24 Deacon Inocencio Diaz
27 Deacon Antonio Osorio
MAY
» Birthdays
2 Rev. Msgr. Luis Javier Garcia
5 Rev. Jose Villalon
7 Rev. Hector Cruz
14 Rev. Jorge A. Gomez
23 Rev. Roy Lee Snipes
24 Rev. Gregory Kuczmanski
25 Rev. Michael Amesse
27 Rev. Francisco J. Solis
7 Deacon Antonio Osorio
10 Deacon Juan Pablo Navarro
14 Deacon Roberto Cantu
21 Deacon Juan M. Delgado
7 Sister Therese Cunnigham,S.H.Sp
» Anniversaries
2 Rev. Carlos Zuniga
5 Rev. Msgr. Gustavo Barrera
5 Rev. Francisco Castillo
7 Rev. Francois Tsanga
10 Rev. Michael Amesse
10 Rev. Timothy Paulsen
11 Rev. Msgr. Louis Brum
12 Rev. Emmanuel Bialoncik
15 Rev. Honecimo Figueroa
15 Rev. Paul Roman
16 Rev. Thomas Luczak
19 Rev. Jose E. Losoya
23 Rev. Alejandro Flores
23 Rev. George Gonzalez
23 Rev. Miguel Angel Ortega
24 Rev. Gregory Kuczmanski
25 Bishop Emeritus
25
25
25
Raymundo J. Peña
Rev. Alphonsus McHugh
Rev. Eduardo Gomez
Rev. Juan Pablo Davalos
» Please see Anniversaries, p.15
Those Who Serve:
Sister Therese Corkery, PBVM
A ministry of presence
Iowa native leaving
the Valley after 25
years of service
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
WESLACO — “I like to think
of it as walking them home,” said
Sister Therese Corkery of the Sisters of the Presentation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, a caregiver at
Aurora House hospice in Weslaco.
“It’s being the hands and the mouth
and the feet of one who is not able
to do that anymore.”
For more than 11 years, Sister
Corkery has served in the ministry
of hospice care — almost six years
at Aurora House and five years at
Comfort House in McAllen. Hospice care is end-of-life care that
provides medical, psychological
and spiritual support to the patient
and their loved ones. The goal of
hospice care is to help those who
are dying have peace, dignity and
comfort in their final days.
“Hospice work is a ministry
that requires strength and grace
and above all, love for your fellow
human beings and (Sister) Therese
has all those qualities,” said Alton resident Irma Cantu, a friend
and former co-worker at Comfort
House. “She’s an excellent caregiver. She is very Christ-like in the
way she treats people.”
“I think God has prepared me
for it (hospice care) along the way,”
Sister Corkery said. “I was in Bolivia for 16 years before coming to
the Valley and I used to go down
and visit the people in the hospital.
That was kind of a beginning there
in the little pueblo.”
After 25 years of service in
the Diocese of Brownsville, Sister
Corkery is returning to the town of
Entre Ríos in southern Bolivia to,
as she puts it, to “retire.” She will
leave the Valley on May 1.
Sister Corkery, 73, will be living
with and serving alongside two sisters from her community, which is
based in Dubuque, Iowa.
“I’d like to think my ministry
in Bolivia as one of presence, to
be available for whatever,” Sister
Corkery said. “We used to kind of
joke that what we do there is, ‘at
Vatican II,
continued from pg. 5
the Church in the World of Today
(in Latin: Gaudium et Spes, GS)
was approved on December 7,
1965 with a vote of 2,147 in favor
and 4 against. Considered a historic document because it speaks
to the church and to all people
about the joy, hopes, dreams, griefs
and anxieties of the human family
and addresses the whole world.
The Church reads the signs of the
times and interprets them in the
light of the Gospel. The Church’s
mission is to proclaim the Gospel
in the world. It highlighted the fact
that God’s voice echoes in our very
depths and is called “conscience”
because we have an inborn hunger
for God.
May our understanding of the
documents of the Second Vatican
Council bring us to a deeper commitment as Catholics and closer
to our faith as we witness Christ in
the world.
Courtesy Photo
Sister Therese Corkery of the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary has served as a caregiver in a variety of ministries in
the Rio Grande Valley for 25 years. She is “retiring” on May 1 and will return to her community in Entre Ríos, Bolivia.
the door ministry,’ because many
people will come from all over and
knock at our door. Maybe they
need some help with medicines.
Maybe they have a problem with
their children or maybe they just
want to talk, I want to be there
to help and spend the time with
them.”
One of the populations assisted by the Presentation Sisters
in Bolivia is the Guaraní, a group
of indigenous peoples who have
inhabited the area for thousands
of years. Many of them speak only
the Guaraní language, which can
present challenges in a country
where Spanish is the predominant
language. The sisters have helped
many Guaraní obtain their legal
documents and government services while empowering them to
preserve their language and culture.
Kathy Scheuerman, director of
Aurora House, said she is excited
for Sister Corkery’s new adventure
in Bolivia but admits she will be
missed very much.
“I don’t how we are going to
do it without her, personally,”
Scheuerman said. “She is so knowledgeable in so many areas and she
helps with everything. There is not
much that she can’t do, but more
than anything, we are going to
miss her presence, her smile and
her willingness to listen.”
Sister Corkery’s service in the
Valley also includes two years of
parish ministry at St. Margaret
Mary Church in Pharr and 11 years
of providing residential care for
special needs children at a home
she established in San Juan called
La Posada del Valle.
A native of Fairbank, Iowa,
Sister Corkery entered the community of the Presentation Sisters
of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Sept.
8, 1958.
“I was taught by Presentation Sisters from the time I was in
kindergarten all the way through
graduating from high school,” she
said. “I really felt I was called to
be a sister from the time I was in
fourth grade. I know it seems unreal or unusual, but I really did. It
was the year I was confirmed.”
Sister Corkery was number 12
in a family of 13 children, 10 boys
and three girls.
“We grew up on a farm,” she
said. “We were very poor.”
Her family was very strong in
its Catholic faith. They prayed the
Rosary together every night. The
family also yielded two religious
vocations. Her brother, number
seven of her siblings, is a Carmelite
priest.
“Like the axiom states, ‘the
family that prays together, stays together,’” she said.
April 2013
DIOCESE
»Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference
“Go and Make Disciples of All Nations”
The Valley Catholic
Bishop Daniel E. Flores greets a woman from the Pueblo de Palmas colonia in Peñitas, whose home was repaired by youths from
St. Paul Church in Mission in June 2012. The parish invites teams from other churches to join them in this endeavor this summer.
The Valley Catholic
Looking to celebrate your
Catholic faith with other young
people from across the diocese?
Join us at the Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference (DCYC)
to deepen, celebrate and share
your Catholic faith. This powerful experience serves as our local World Youth Day 2013 in the
diocese. Our keynote speaker is
Chris Padgett. His presentation
of the faith and evangelization is
unforgettable. The weekend will
be filled with laughter, prayer
and fellowship.
The DCYC will take place at
the San Juan Pastoral Center at
700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd,
San Juan, Texas 78589. Registration is $75 before June 1 and $85
after June 1. Overnight accommodations at the Basilica Hotel
are included in the registration.
Contact your parish youth
ministry coordinator or DRE to
register as a group. For more information, email Angel Barrera
at [email protected]. Registration forms and guidelines are
available for download at www.
CDOBYM.org/DCYC .
Catholic Youth Renovation Project: June 23-29, 2013,
sponsored by St. Paul Church
in Mission
This year, the Office of Youth
Ministry is partnering with St.
Paul Church in Mission to invite parish youth ministries to
participate in this great service
project. This unique week-long
high school service experience
gives young people the opportunity to live out our Catholic
teachings on social justice. Youth
work in teams to help construct/
reconstruct homes for low-income families. It is a moving and
impactful experience to see our
youth empowered to share their
gifts and talents with others in
ways they had never imagined.
To participate, your parish
needs to comprise a team of 7
youth, 1 young adult, 1 female
adult leader and 1 male adult
leader. The cost per person will
be $100. This includes your overnight stays, meals and a shirt.
For more information, visit
www.CDOBYM.org/CYRP or
email Angel Barrera at abarrera@
cdob.org.
7
How to deal with bullies
WESLACO — The Caravan Alley Players, a theater
ensemble from Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, is presenting “Sound,”
on Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m.
at the Weslaco ISD Performing Arts Center, 500 E.
6th St. Admission is $5.
Written by the students
and their theater teacher,
Carmelite Father Benjamin
Aguilar, “Sound” deals with the realities of
bullying. The story centers on the new kid
in town, Andrew, who quickly becomes a
target for ridicule and humiliation by the
popular crowd at his high school.
Andrew receives abuse from four bullies on a daily basis and is pushed to the
limit. Andrew hatches a plan for revenge
and bands together with three other bullying victims. Together, they form an al-
liance and work together to
plot against the school’s four
leading bullies.
“It is important for people to learn that bullying is
an unfortunate reality for too
many kids,” Father Aguilar
said, when asked about the
importance of the show. “How
often does this happen in real
life? Some kids, for whatever
reason, do not stop other kids
from bullying — maybe it’s because they,
too, feel helpless.”
This hard-hitting drama uses adult
language and explores themes that are not
meant for audiences under the age of 13.
Anyone under 13 years of age must
have a release signed by their parents. The
forms will be available on site.
For more information, please call
(956) 943-1297.
“Noche de Alegría”
Courtesy photo
The Oratory of St. Philip Neri School System is celebrating its 30th Anniversary
at its annual Spring gala, Noche de Alegría on Saturday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m.
This year’s gala theme honors the schools’ patron saint, St. Philip Neri, with black
and white décor signifying his priestly cassock with a touch of red symbolizing his
joyous heart. Committee members seated, from left: Elida Paris (Director), G.
Yvonne Pérez, (President), Oralia G. Cantú, (Board President), Carolina Caballero,
Beatriz Medina and Norma Uvalle. Standing, from left: Elfie Ontiveros, Maricela Y.
Pérez (Development Officer), Carina Munguía, Lili Cantú, Laura Pérez and Sylvia
Hernández. Not shown:Lisa Martinez, Cindy Schammel and Jode Vaughan. Call
Development Officer, Maricela Pérez at (956) 781-3056 ext. 602 for more information
on tickets and sponsorship opportunities.
The Lord Provides
Courtesy
On March 1st, 2013, the sophomores of Juan Diego Academy went to Pueblo
De Palmas Colonia in La Joya to help a needy family paint their house. The service
retreat day is part of the Campus Ministry program at JDA. Sister Fatima Santiago,
who coordinates the work done by the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary in the colonia, worked with Principal Bob Schmidt and Guidance Counselor
Yolanda Flores to make the retreat happen.
The family told Sister Fatima that they would like help painting their house.
Through several fundraising Spirit Days at the school, sophomores raised the funds
necessary to buy the paint and supplies to do the work. After the students painted
the house, they concluded their retreat with Mass at the Saint Anne’s Mission in
the colonia, which is led by Sister Fatima, along with several other sisters. It was a
moving and enjoyable experience for all.
The students got to meet the family, as well as learn about teamwork. In addition,
students were reminded that making an effort to help others with a servant’s heart
is part of God’s calling for each of us. Sophomore Alan Guerra stated, “The retreat
made me realize how God has blessed me in my life and how fortunate I am to have
the opportunities that are before me”.
Written by Myriam Ibarra and Maddy Klement
8
DIOCESE
Meet our Seminarians
“Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.”
(Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2)
World Day
of Prayer for
Vocations
April 21
The Valley Catholic
World Day of Prayer will be
observed on Sunday, April 21,
also known as “Good Shepherd
Sunday.” The purpose of this day
is to publically fulfill the Lord’s instruction to, “Pray the Lord of the
harvest to send laborers into his
harvest” (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). Please
pray that young men and women
hear and respond generously to
the Lord’s call to the priesthood,
diaconate, religious life, societies of
apostolic life or secular institutes.
There are currently 24 seminarians studying for the priesthood at various seminaries across
the country, preparing to serve the
69 parishes and 45 missions in the
Diocese of Brownsville.
Prayer for Vocations
O God, Father of all Mercies,
Provider of a bountiful Harvest,
send Your Graces upon those
You have called to gather the
fruits of Your labor;
preserve and strengthen them in
their lifelong service of you.
Open the hearts of Your children
that they may discern Your Holy
Will; inspire in them a love and
desire to surrender themselves
to serving others in the name of
Your son, Jesus Christ.
Teach all Your faithful to follow
their respective paths in life
guided by Your Divine Word and
Truth.
Through the intercession of the
Most Blessed Virgin Mary,
all the Angels, and Saints, humbly hear our prayers and grant
Your Church’s needs, through
Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Source: USCCB
Ariel
Herrera
Arturo
Cadrenas
Arturo
Castillo
Derlis
Garcia
Jaumave,
Tamps MX
Tuxpan,
Jalisco MX
Cd. Maderos
Tamps., MX
San Pedro
Garza Garcia,
Nuevo Leon ,
MX
Date of Birth: Aug. 28, 1968
Parents: Felicitas Mata Alonso;
Tomas Herrera Alvarez, deceased
Tell us about your calling to
the vocation? At age 32 I visited St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
in Pharr. While I was helping the
people I also recieved my sacrament of Christian Initiation and
realized that I could consecrate
my life to God and be a priest.
Jesus G.
Garza
McAllen
Date of Birth: Sept. 9, 1972
Parents: Delia and Guadalupe
Garza
the vocation? I believe I got my
call when I made my First Communion when I was eight years
of age. But it took me forever to
surrender to the Lord.
Valle
Perez
Guatemala
Parents: Juventino Perez
and stepmother Genoveva Blas
Date of Birth: Dec. 15, 1983
Parents: Isabel Jimenez, Jose
Noe Castillo, deceased
the vocation? I was an altar
sever in my home parish. One
day I was asked if I would go
to the seminary in order to find
out more about the priesthood.
I went and I prayed really hard
to God to help me decide if I
was being called to the priesthood. After several years, I am
close to priestly ordination. I am
happy for the gift God has given
me throughout these years of
formation.
Parents: Ma. Teresa Garcia;
Roberto Garcia
the vocation? I guess the calling was always there. Ever since
I was 17, I have been involved
with the Church. In this journey,
the call was always there but it
wasn’t until Father Tapia invited
me to a vocations retreat and
I went thinking that it would be
a nice quiet time with our Lord.
I had not gone to a retreat in a
while. I went and it was clear by
the end that God was calling me
to something more.
Ernestro
Madrid
Jacob
Edward
Quilantan
Ernest
Ukwueze
Etzatlán,
Jalisco, MX
Raymondville
Enugu State,
Nigeria
Date of Birth: April 20, 1979
Parents: Mercedes Avalos;
Arturo Cardenas
the vocation? When I was 7, I
met in the streets of my hometown Father Nazario Vasquez.
He was on his way to distribute
communion to the sick and told
me, “I want you to come to 7
p.m. Mass.” I did not ask permission to go. He invited me to be
an altar server, but I told him to
talk with my parents about it. He
was a good example of service
to the poor and a good example
of a faithful priest. At 14, he
invited me to become a priest.
Date of Birth: Feb. 27, 1989
Parents: Delia Zaines de Madrid; Ernesto Madrid Lopez
the vocation? 11 years ago I
joined the seminary in Jalisco.
I completed junior high and
finished high school seminary
in Guadalajara. My senior year,
Father Oscar Siordia, invited me
to the Diocese of Brownsville.
During this Year of Faith, God
has given me the confidence of
being sure of my calling. I ask
God for the grace to know about
Him, to grow in friendship with
His Son Jesus Christ.
Date of Birth: Nov. 12, 1993
Parents: Neida and George
Quilantan
Tell us about your calling
to the vocation? It all began
when I was a child, I would pretend to celebrate Mass at home.
As I grew older, the thought of
being a priest was in the back of
my mind and I thought of being a
Fire Marshal/Paramedic. Senior
year I had this intense love and
attraction for the Eucharist.
During Holy Hour at the Diocese
Vocations Retreat I felt that
the Lord was calling me to the
priesthood. My response “Let
your will be done Lord.”
Date of Birth: July 25, 1982
Parents: Deceased Elizabeth
and Joseph Ukwueze
the vocation: I started nurturing
the feeling to become a priest
from a tender age but it became
more not long ago. I believe
strongly in the saying that “God’s
time is the best.” I started my
seminary formation in Nigeria
and Tanzania at the Tansian University and Salvatorian Institute
of Philosophy and Theology,
respectively. To God be all glory
and honor. Amen.
April 2013
DIOCESE
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
9
April 21, 2013 - Good Shepherd Sunday
Zambrana
Joel R.
Flores
Jose
Garza
Joshua
Carlos
Juan M.
Salazar
McAllen
McAllen
Matamoros,
Tamps., MX
Brownsville
Edinburg
Date of Birth: Mar. 11, 1983
Parents: Ma. Elena Hernadez ;
Jose Garza, deceased
the vocation? My call to the
priesthood began when I was
around 8 years old. I used to attend mass in Matamoros; I liked
how Father celebrated Mass
and wanted to do the same. As
a teenager, this call became
stronger, it was time to discern
what I wanted to do in my life.
I knew about the Hermandad
Discipulos de Jesus in San Luis
Potosi, some brothers invited me
to do a vocational experience
with them.
Parents: Beatrice and Cruz
Carlos
the vocation? God has been
knocking on my door since I was
a little boy. I have memories of
attending Mass. I pretended to
be a priest at home celebrating quasi-Masses with my little
brother and sister. As I grew,
the thought of being a priest
remained present also of being
a doctor or a scientist. Attending
Mass and participating as an
altar server, helped me to realize
that I should not be afraid to
embrace the call that God.
Jesus
Family: All the parishioners of
St. Joseph the Worker Parish in
McAllen
to the vocation? My calling
came after high school and after
having to return home early
from college, and my whole life I
always enjoyed serving the Lord
and I felt God’s calling to start in
the seminary.
Parents: Diamantina and Robert
Flores
to the vocation? My parents
teaching me about our Faith,
sharing what comes from God in
receiving the Eucharist. I learned
so much from the people I
served in the hospital, I decided
to look for ways to give back.
Serving the poor and spending time before the Blessed
Sacrament became the way
I conversed with God daily. It
increased my love for Him and
I said, “yes,” to Our Lord. That’s
where I am today.
Date of Birth: May 7, 1976
Parents: Dominga and Manuel
Salazar
the vocation? What I will say
is that it is a process/ a journey
that one matures and grows in
emotionally, intellectually and
above all spiritually. St. Gregory
describes it in these words;
“Those who run toward the Lord
will never lack space… One
who is climbing never stops; he
moves from beginning to beginning, according to beginnings
that never end.”
Jude
Njumbe
Leonel
Rodriguez
Ricardo
Chavez
Oscar
Ortega
Pedro
Hernandez
Konye,
Cameroon
Montemorelos,
Nuevo Leon,
MX
Los Mochis,
Sinaloa, MX
Reynosa,
Tamps., MX
Harlingen
Parents: Maria Elena and
Ricardo Flores, deceased
to the vocation? I decided to
become a priest when I was 6
years old. How? I do not know.
I always have thought that the
priestly vocation is an act of
charity and love.
Date of Birth: April 15, 1978
Parents: Maria V. Felicitas and
Ramon Ortega
the vocation? I met Jesus in
2002 at a youth encounter of
the Charismatic Renewal. Since
then, I started my journey to
Christ. With the support of my
priest, I worked in evangelization
and prayer for the sick, experiencing the power of God. I think
the best form of help for people
is spreading the love of God.
I felt the calling of God. As a
priest, I want to share the love of
God with everyone I meet.
Parents: Odilia Ebude and
Godfred Njumbe
the vocation? My admiration for
the priesthood started at age 6. I
loved seeing the priest, admiring
their gestures during the Mass.
I would go home and imitate
them. This admiration motivated
me and I became one of the
youngest altar servers at the
age of 8. Becoming a priest has
been nourishing. I have always
had that love and feeling of
being close to and serving at the
altar. Priesthood is a service and
a giving to the kingdom of God.
Parents: Araceli and Leonel
Rodriguez
the vocation? My Vocation story
begins when I was 23 yrs old
and a volunteer at the Basilica of
Our Lady of San Juan del Valle
- National Shrine and Father
Eduardo Ortega was the rector.
He talked to me about the priesthood. I felt that God was calling
me, but I didn’t want to go. I went
to a vocational retreat at La Lomita, met Father Tapia and after
prayer and discernment decided
to apply to become a seminarian
for the diocese.
Date of Birth: Oct. 24, 1990
Parents: Maria Consuelo and
Blas Hernandez
the vocation? For many years
my calling was complicated. I
was stubborn and afraid of why
God wanted me. A significant
moment that sparked my vocation was a quote, “The heart will
be restless until it rests in the
Lord.” It was on the feast day of
St. Francis of Assisi that I heard
those words and I decided to
give God a fair chance in my life.
I found myself thinking more and
followed my heart to priesthood.
I have peace of mind.
Victor
Fabela
Aaron
Flatt
Joe
Hernandez
Baldemar
Garcia
Rene
Gaytan
McAllen
San Benito
Mission
Harlingen
Magdalena,
Jalisco, MX
Parents: Alejandra & Victor
Fabela
Tell us about your calling to the
vocation? What helped me to answer the call to the priesthood is my
pastor and role model Msgr. Gustavo Barrera. Witnessing what he
does inspired me to say “yes Lord
I will follow you to the priesthood;
I will follow you to the end.” I love
and know with faith and reasoning
that Jesus is the high priest and if
one day I become a priest he will
work through me with my faith, and
others will see that Jesus is real and
lives with us.
Date of Birth: Feb. 25, 1986
Parents: Carmen Castillo and
Gregory Flatt
the vocation? My calling to the
seminary began when I was 21
years old. I felt that I needed to
head in the direction God was
calling me. What really affected my
vocation was my devotion to the
Blessed Virgin Mary when I took a
trip to Medjugorje to visit the the site
of the apparitions. I really felt that
Our Blessed Mother lead me in this
direction. I pray every day for guidance and help through my journey
here at the seminary and I trust in
God that whatever my future holds
it will be to serve him.
Date of Birth: July 13, 1992
Parents: Teresa & Jose
Hernandez
vocation? When reflecting on my
personal calling to become a priest,
I can immediately recognize that
this calling was indeed one that
was an accumulation of events and
experiences that fundamentally
acted as the foundation for me to
be receptive to this unique calling.
From a young age, being exposed
to the Church by my parents, as
they actively advocated (most times
against my childish reluctance) to
attend Mass and CCD was a great
blessing as it helped cultivate within
me a sense of prayer and ecclesiastical fellowship.
Parents: Antonia & Baldemar
Garcia
vocation? It all started in Adoration
to the Blessed Sacrament. All one
really need to learn about their vocation is silence to listen to the Lord.
Especially in modern day today
where there is so much noise created by the secular society. It took
me all of high school to figure out
that the Lord was calling me to be
closer to him. One cannot ever fully
know what he Lord has planned for
him, but one just has to have faith in
God’s plan for each one of us.
Date of Birth: Oct. 30, 1985
Parents: Javier Gaytán Garcia
and Antonia Rosales López
vocation? I come from a good and
devout Catholic family. They taught
me the basic principles of the Faith
and the human values that inspire
us as a community; that is to say,
how to be a good Christian and a
good citizen. Early in life I played
soccer, I played for “Deportivo
Azteca” a team in Tequila. However,
because all the games were on
Saturday and CCD classes were
also at this time my mom took me
out of the team so I could attend
CCD classes. I have realized since
that “God has many ways to draw
us to Himself”.
10
IN THE NEWS
Diocese
celebrates
with the
World
Pope Francis
Holy Father
begins papacy
pledging to
protect church,
human dignity
By CINDY WOODEN
Catholic News Service
The Valley Catholic
SAN JUAN — Bishop Daniel E. Flores joined Catholics
around the world, and here in
the Rio Grande Valley in giving thanks
to
God
on March
13 for the
election
of Pope
Francis as
the 265th
successor
of Saint
BISHOP FLORES
Peter.
“ H e
was the Cardinal Archbishop
of Buenos Aires in Argentina, and thus the first Pope
to come from the New World.
He was trained as a Jesuit, and
is known for his love for the
poor, simplicity of life, and
gentle good humor. He is a
man of deep prayer. He is now
the Bishop of Rome, and universal pastor of the Catholic
Church. God has asked him to
be pastor and spiritual father
to us all, and we are overjoyed
that he has accepted this call,”
Bishop Flores said.
“That he has taken the
name of Francis suggests to
us that as the new Bishop of
Rome, he will lead the Church
in the style of the beloved saint
whose name the Holy Father
now shares. I ask everyone
to join in prayer for the new
pope, as he himself asked the
crowd assembled in Saint Peter’s Square, and in a special
way ask that we all recognize
in him the sign of the unity in
faith, hope and love that The
Lord Jesus Christ wills for his
Church.”
During a Mass of thanksgiving for the new pope at
the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral in Brownsville on
March 14, Bishop Flores said
“the vocation of us all is to bear
testimony to Christ. The pope
is called to this, and so are we.”
“The Church witnesses to
the hope that is ours in knowing that Christ crucified is
risen from the dead. He is alive
and continues to bring light to
our darkness.”
Bishop Flores said, “We are
grateful that God has given us
the first pope who comes from
“the Americas”. He brings to
the leadership of the Church
the experience of faith, hope,
and charity, the suffering and
the ongoing struggle to promote human dignity that have
formed part of our experience
in the Americas. This is a great
gift to the world and to us all.
Pope Francis will bring this
richness to bear as he gives his
testimony on behalf of Christ
crucified and risen.”
“Without our testimony
on behalf of Christ, the world
slowly loses its hope in the
future. Our work is urgent, to
give this testimony. The world
needs to meet Christ.”
CNS photo/Paul Hanna, Reuters
ABOVE: Pope Francis celebrates
his inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s
Square at the Vatican March 19.
LEFT: The pallium is fitted on Pope
Francis during his inaugural Mass
in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican
March 19. With his fisherman’s
ring and the pallium, the main
symbols of the Petrine office, the
pontiff chose styles in continuity
with two of his predecessors.
VATICANO — Pope Francis formally began his ministry as bishop
of Rome and as pope by pledging to
protect the Catholic Church, the dignity of each person and the beauty of
creation, just like St. Joseph protected
Mary and Jesus.
“To protect creation, to protect
every man and every woman, to look
upon them with tenderness and love is
to open up a horizon of hope,” he told
between 150,000 and 200,000 people
gathered under sunny skies in St. Peter’s Square and the nearby streets.
With representatives of other
Christian churches and communities,
delegations from 132 countries, Jewish
and Muslim leaders as well as Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains present, Pope Francis preached the Gospel,
but insisted the values it espouses are
essentially human, “involving everyone.”
While the rites and rituals of the
inauguration of his ministry as pope
took place immediately before the
Mass, the liturgy itself was a celebration of the feast of St. Joseph, patron of
the universal church.
The new pope stood at a lectern
to read his homily, sticking to the text
he had prepared in advance. At times
his voice was extremely soft and other
times it was quite loud; he punctuated
with clenched fists his remarks about
the strength required to be tender and
compassionate to others.
“In the Gospels,” he said, “St. Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his
heart we see great tenderness, which
» Please see Papal Ministry, p.15
First pope in history from the Americas
Argentina’s Cardinal
Bergoglio elected
266th pontiff
By FRANCIS X. ROCCA
AND CINDY WOODEN
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY — Argentine
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio,
76, the leader of a large urban
archdiocese in Latin America, was
elected the 266th pope and took
the name Francis.
He is the first pope in history
to come from the Western Hemisphere and the first non-European
to be elected in almost 1,300 years.
The Jesuit was also the first member of his order to be elected pope,
and the first member of any religious order to be elected in nearly
two centuries.
The election March 13 came
on the second day of the conclave,
on the conclave’s fifth ballot. It was
a surprisingly quick conclusion to
a conclave that began with many
plausible candidates and no clear
favorite.
The new pope was chosen by
at least two-thirds of the 115 cardinals from 48 countries, who cast
their ballots in secret in the Sistine
Chapel.
His election was announced in
Latin from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, to a massive crowd
CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano
Newly elected Pope Francis checks out of the church-run residence March 14 where
he had stayed in Rome. The pope returned to the residence where he stayed before
becoming pontiff and insisted on paying the bill, despite now effectively being in
charge of the business, the Vatican said.
under the rain in the square below
and millions watching around the
world.
White smoke poured from the
Sistine Chapel chimney at 7:05
p.m., signaling that the cardinals
had chosen a successor to retired
Pope Benedict XVI. Two minutes
later, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began pealing continuously to
confirm the election.
At 8:12, French Cardinal JeanLouis Tauran, the senior cardinal
in the order of deacons, appeared
at the basilica balcony and read
out in Latin: “I announce to you
a great joy: We have a pope! The
most eminent and most reverend
lord, Lord Jorge Mario, Cardinal
of the Holy Roman Church, Bergoglio, who has taken for himself
the name Francis.”
The crowd in the square responded with cheers, applause
and the waving of rain-soaked national flags.
Ten minutes the later the new
pope appeared. He sought prayers
for Pope Benedict and spoke of
the journey the church was about
to begin.
“Now I would like to give my
blessing. But first, I will ask a favor. Before the bishop blesses his
people, he asks that you pray to
the Lord to bless me, the prayer
of the people for the blessing of
their bishop. Let’s pray for me in
silence,” he said.
Pope Francis has had a growing reputation as a very spiritual
man with a talent for pastoral
leadership serving in a region with
the largest number of the world’s
Catholics.
Since 1998, he has been archbishop of Buenos Aires, where his
style is low-key and close to the
people.
He rides the bus, visits the
poor, lives in a simple apartment
and cooks his own meals. To many
in Buenos Aires, he is known simply as “Father Jorge.”
He also has created new parishes, restructured the administrative offices, led pro-life initiatives and started new pastoral
programs, such as a commission
for divorcees. He co-presided over
the 2001 Synod of Bishops and
was elected to the synod council,
so he is well-known to the world’s
bishops.
The pope has also written
books on spirituality and meditation and has been outspoken
against abortion and same-sex
marriages.
Jorge Bergoglio was born in
Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital
city, Dec. 17, 1936.
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL
Papa Francisco
April 2013
Llamado a servir
11
Primer
Pontífice
latino
americano
ACI/EWTN Noticias
VATICANO — Con el anuncio
del “¡Habemus Papam!” por primera vez en la historia de la Iglesia fue
elegido en el Cónclave un Papa de
América Latina, concretamente de
Argentina.
El Papa Francisco fue elegido
por el Cónclave de 115 cardenales
entre los cuales se encontraban 19
latinoamericanos. Otro argentino
presente en la Capilla Sixtina fue el
Cardenal Leonardo Sandri.
América Latina es el continente donde se encuentra el mayor
número de católicos del mundo. De
los casi 1,200 millones de católicos,
586 millones viven en el continente
americano.
Brasil, con 123 millones de
fieles bautizados es el país con mayor número de católicos del mundo.
Le sigue México, con casi 93 millones. Los católicos en Argentina
son el 89,25 por ciento de la población total.
¿Quién es
el Papa
Francisco?
ACI/EWTN Noticias
VATICANO — Los 115 cardenales electores eligieron hoy al
Cardenal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, de
76 años de edad, hasta hace unas
horas Arzobispo de Buenos Aires
(Argentina), como Pontífice. El
elegido ha tomado el nombre de
Francisco.
El ahora Papa Francisco nació
en Buenos Aires el 17 de diciembre de 1936. Estudió y se diplomó
como técnico químico, pero al decidirse por el sacerdocio ingresó en
el seminario de Villa Devoto.
El 11 de marzo de 1958 pasó al
noviciado de la Compañía de Jesús,
estudió humanidades en Chile, y
en 1960, de regreso a Buenos Aires,
obtuvo la licenciatura en Filosofía
en el Colegio Máximo San José, en
la localidad de San Miguel.
Entre 1964 y 1965 fue profesor de Literatura y Psicología en el
Colegio de la Inmaculada de Santa
Fe, y en 1966 dictó iguales materias
en el Colegio del Salvador de Buenos Aires. De 1967 a 1970 cursó
Teología en el Colegio Máximo de
San Miguel, cuya licenciatura obtuvo.
El 13 de diciembre de 1969 fue
ordenado sacerdote. En 1971 hizo
la tercera probación en Alcalá de
Henares (España), y el 22 de abril
de 1973, su profesión perpetua.
Fue maestro de novicios en la
residencia Villa Barilari, de San
Miguel (años 1972/73), profesor en
la Facultad de Teología y Consultor
de la Provincia y Rector del Colegio
Máximo.
El 31 de julio de 1973 fue
elegido provincial de la Argentina,
cargo que ejerció durante seis años.
Estuvo en Alemania, y al volver la
superioridad lo destinó al Colegio
del Salvador, de donde pasó a la
iglesia de la Compañía, de la ciudad
de Córdoba, como director espiritual y confesor. Entre 1980 y 1986
fue Rector del Colegio Máximo de
San Miguel y de las Facultades de
Filosofía y Teología de la misma
Casa.
El 20 de mayo de 1992, Juan
Pablo II lo designó Obispo Titular
de Auca y Auxiliar de Buenos Aires. El 27 de junio del mismo año
recibió en la Catedral primada la
ordenación episcopal, y fue pro» Por favor lea Papa Francisco, p.15
Elección de Su
Santidad es un
rechazo al poder
ACI/EWTN Noticias
CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano
IZQUIERDA SUPERIOR: El Cardenal Argentino
Jorge Mario Bergoglio lava y besa los pies de los
residente del asilo para drogadictos durante la
Misa del Jueves Santo en el 2008 en la iglesia
de un barrio pobre en Buenos Aires, Argentina.
El Jesuita de 76 años se convirtió en el primer
papa latinoamericano el 13 de marzo, tomando el
nombre de Francisco.
DERECHA SUPERIOR: El recién elegido Papa
Francisco rompe el sello para entrar a su
residencia en el Vaticano el 15 de marzo. El
Jesuita de 76 años se convirtió en el primer papa
latinoamericano el 13 de marzo y se instalará el
19 de marzo como el líder de más de un millón de
católicos.
IZQUIERDA INFERIOR: Papa Francisco deja la
Capilla Sixtina después de haber sido elegido
papa y justo después de aparecer por primera vez
en el balcón central de la Basílica San Pedro en
el Vaticano el 13 de marzo. El Jesuita de 76 años
se convirtió en el primer papa latinoamericano el
13 de marzo y se instalará el 19 de marzo como el
líder de más de mil millones de católicos.
VATICANO — El vocero del
Vaticano, Padre Federico Lombardi, señaló en conferencia de prensa
que la elección del Papa Francisco,
el hasta ahora Cardenal argentino
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, es una llamada al servicio y al rechazo del
poder.
El portavoz de la Santa Sede recordó que el nuevo Papa “es jesuita
y los jesuitas se caracterizan por el
servicio a la Iglesia recogiendo todos los carismas que el Señor nos
da, allá donde se necesitan, pero
intentando evitar los puestos de
poder”.
El Padre Lombardi, él también
sacerdote jesuita, resaltó luego que
“para mí esta elección asume el
significado de una llamada al servicio, una llamada fuerte y no una
búsqueda de poder o de autoridad.
Estoy convencido absolutamente
de que tenemos un Papa que quiere
servir. Su elección ha sido la elección de un rechazo del poder”.
“Estoy muy contento de que
haya sido elegido un latinoamericano. Sabemos las esperanzas que
había en ese continente en el que
vive la mayor parte de los católicos”,
precisó.
Sobre el nombre que escogió, el
Padre Lombardi dijo que “la elección del nombre Francisco es muy
significativa- Es un nombre que
nunca antes había sido elegido y
evoca sencillez, testimonio evangélico. Ambas cosas las atestigua
su primera y sencilla aparición en
público”. “Es una señal de gran espiritualidad pedir la bendición del
pueblo para él, antes de dar la suya;
una espiritualidad que recuerda la
de su predecesor”.
12
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL
»Vida Familiar
»La Alegría de Vivir
Líbranos del mal
C
omo reconciliar la idea de
un “acto de Dios”, como
llaman las aseguradoras
a los actos de la naturaleza que
pueden llegar a cambiarnos toda la
vida de un momento a otro, con la
verdadera interacción de Dios en
nuestra vida.
Ha salido en todos los noticieros como a un hombre literalmente se lo trago la tierra, así sin
ninguna advertencia, se desvaneció el suelo bajo su recamara
y simplemente lo enterró a una
profundidad de 50 pies, lo que
calculan las autoridades es la
profundidad de ese hundimiento
de tierra.
Su hermano trato de salvarlo
y casi perece en el acto, la casa
tuvo que ser demolida y por
miedo a desestabilizar el subsuelo
y hacer más grande el área del
hundimiento, las autoridades explicaron a la familia que no había
manera de recuperar el cuerpo
de ese cristiano, solo se colocaron
algunas flores como memorial y el
sitio de hecho se convertirá en su
profunda tumba.
Esto pasa también cuando
hay un derrumbe en la industria
minera, a veces los socavones de
excavación terminan siendo la
última morada de aquellos que ahí
perecieron, pues sacarlos arriesga
la vida de sus compañeros trabajadores, o pone en riesgo a la mina
a más derrumbes, entonces aquellas áreas se llenan de concreto y
quedan así selladas para siempre.
¿Cuántos de nosotros no
hemos utilizado el nombre de
El milagro de la vida
racho, que no respete las reglas
de tráfico y al pasarse un alto se
impacte contra nosotros, como suPastor, Our Lady
cede demasiadas veces al año aquí
of Perpetual Help
en nuestro Valle, muchas de las
Church in McAllen veces con consecuencias fatales.
Casi siempre los que perecen
en dichos accidentes son quienes
ni la debían ni la temían, pues eran
transeúntes inocentes que iban a
Dios en vano? Como cuando usasu trabajo, o al hospital a dar a luz,
mos las expresiones “que me caiga
como acaba de pasar en Nueva
un rayo”, “que la tierra me trague”
York. Así que persígnate diario “te lo juro por la Virgencita”
amente en el nombre del Padre,
al tratar de asegurar a alguien la
del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo,
veracidad de nuestras acciones, sin
encomiéndate a la Virgen y reza
embargo estando claro como el
para que seas librado de todo mal,
día que estamos mintiendo.
pues no sabemos ni la hora ni el
Pues tal vez un día si caiga el
día en que podamos ser llamados
rayo sobre nosotros, como pasa a
a rendir cuentas al creador.
miles de gentes por el mundo cada
Trata de tener tu concienaño, o se abra el suelo que pisamos
cia tranquila y estar en paz con
sin advertencia alguna, lo que pasa
aquellos que amas, pues no está
en Florida unas 2500 veces al año,
en tus manos la forma en que
claro que la mayoría de las veces
culmine tu día, podría darse el
solo con pérdidas económicas y
caso de ser el último, así que vívelo
con la perdida de una vida como
a plenitud y dando gracias a Dios
esta ultima vez.
cada día que te permite irte a la
Y que estos actos sucedan,
cama tranquilo de haber hecho el
en realidad no indica de manera
bien y de haberle dicho a aquellos
alguna que dichas personas
que comparten tu vida cuanto los
afectadas por estos accidentes de
amas, pues está muy bien podría
la naturaleza tengan alguna cuanta
ser tu despedida.
pendiente con Dios, de ninguna
…Y recuerda que Dios te ama
manera son ellos más pecadores
y yo también.
que nosotros.
En cualquier momento
Mons. Juan Nicolau, Ph.D. STL
podemos sufrir de un infarto
Presidente del equipo de acción
fulminante, un aneurisma que nos
sobre inmigración de Valley Interprovoque una embolia o muerte
faith; Pastor de la iglesia de Nuestra
cerebral, o simplemente al cruce
Señora del Perpetuo Socorro. Es
de cualquier intersección estamos
psicoterapeuta familiar y consejero
a merced de algún loco, o borprofesional
Msgr. Juan
Nicolau
E
s una maravilla contemplar
y recordar que cada uno de
nosotros que caminamos
sobre la tierra y todos los que han
caminado sobre ella, son una creación única de Dios; creados a “Su
imagen y semejanza”. En Génesis
2:7 leemos “Entonces Yavé Dios
formó al hombre con polvo de la
tierra; luego sopló en su nariz un
aliento de vida, y el hombre tuvo
aliento y vida.”
He reflexionado a menudo
sobre la singularidad y el rol
especial que tienen los obstetras,
enfermeras, parteras y enfermeras
parteras al ayudar a traer nueva
vida a este mundo. Tienen un panorama especial del poder creador
de Dios a medida que experimentan el primer aliento de vida de un
recién nacido. Creo que tal vez una
de las razones por las cuales soy
tan consiente del milagro del parto
es porque físicamente yo nunca di
a luz. Mi esposo Mauri y yo no tuvimos hijos por los primeros once
años de los treinta y ocho años de
nuestro matrimonio, y después
de eso adoptamos una bebé de
dos meses. Criar a Liana por los últimos veintisiete años ha sido una
dicha y una aventura.
Recientemente, durante el
embarazo de nuestra hija, yo pedí
en oración poder ser testigo y presenciar el nacimiento de nuestro
primer nieto. Lo que no anticipé
fue presenciar el parto tan de cerca.
En la noche el 28 de febrero, ella
empezó a tener náuseas y a sentirse
incomoda por varias horas, pero
como era madre primeriza y no
estaba programada hasta el 22 de
marzo, todos pensamos que había
Lydia Pesina
Directora, Oficina
Vida Familiar
sido algo que comió. Sin embargo,
conforme pasaron las horas y el
malestar continuaba, decidimos
vestirnos y alistarnos en caso de
que fuera labor temprana.
Justo después de las 3 a.m. ella
se dio cuenta de que el bebé iba a
nacer ¡ya! Llamamos a la ambulancia pero antes de que ellos llegaran
el bebé estaba llegando a este
mundo, así que lo único que pudo
hacer fue acostarse en el lugar más
cercano, que era mi cama y la de
Mauri; dio un fuerte empujón y el
bebé Elian cayó justo en mis manos. Ni siquiera tuvimos tiempo de
considerar lo que estaba pasando.
Presenciar cómo este niño
tomaba su primer aliento y ver el
pálpito de vida en el cordón umbilical fue una maravilla de la que
jamás pensé ser parte. Fue un momento sagrado que nunca olvidaré
y una bendición de Dios por la que
estaré agradecida siempre.
La ambulancia llegó a tiempo
para ayudar con el cordón umbilical y los cuidados post natales, y
para trasladar a la nueva madre y
al nuevo bebé al hospital Women’s
Renaissance, donde el doctor los
esperaba para cuidar de ambos.
Hay que considerar que no estoy
» Por favor lea El Milagro, p.13
7th Annual Paisano Festival
When: Where:
Time: Saturday April 20, 2013
Benedictine Monastery
Rio Grande City, FM 3167
11:30 am to 7:00 pm
Come join us for a day of music, family time, food, fun, and helping a
good cause. There will be a variety of dishes such as chilli con papas,
roasted corn, pork ribs, sweet and sour venisons, fajitas, tacos,
hotdogs, hamburgers, and much more. Music throughout the day,
childrenÕs games and fun for all. All proceeds will help in the building of
a new retreat dormitory at the monastery. Come with all your family.
For More Information call 486-2680
April 2013
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL 13
El Milagro,
continúa de pág. 12
abogando por los partos caseros; somos bendecidos al tener
tantos especialistas en esta área
hoy en día que están preparados
para todo tipo de situaciones que
puedan surgir. Sea cual sea la
razón por la cual este niño llegó
al mundo en la forma que lo hizo,
sé que la Providencia de Dios está
siempre presente.
Durante las últimas semanas,
me vino a la mente que durante
mi vida he sido testigo de una
muerte muy tranquila, la de mi
abuelo Dionicio Reyna en 1977,y
ahora he tenido la bendición de
presenciar el hermoso nacimiento
natural de mi primer nieto, quien
literalmente nació en mis brazos.
Ambos eventos son recordatorios
del ciclo de la vida; de la transición
de una parte del camino a otro
mientras apreciamos nuestra vida
y nuestro vivir en el Señor. Me
vino a la mente que tal vez uno
de los milagros más grandes de
la vida es cómo vivimos cada día
de nuestra vida entre esas transiciones. Que el Señor continúe
guiándonos mientras seguimos
tratando de vivir el Milagro de la
Vida en cada respiro.
Suena la campana
Parroquia apoya
proyecto de
renovación
The Valley Catholic
MERCEDES — Después de
más de tres décadas de silencio, la
campana de la iglesia de Nuestra
Señora de la Misericordia en Mercedes sonará de nuevo.
Se limpiará la campana y la
vivienda será restaurada, dijo Javier Solís, director de la oficina de
construcción y propiedades de la
diócesis. La campana, que ha estado puesta en el campanario por
más de 30 años, fue bajada el primero de marzo.
El proyecto de renovación está
patrocinado por una donación de
la fundación John G and Marie
Stella Keneddy Memorial y donaciones de los feligreses. El trabajo
fue terminado por Charisma Construction of Mission.
La campana de bronce tiene inscrita la fecha 1º de mayo de 1910
y pesa 450 libras. La campana fue
donada a la iglesia por la familia
de Rafael Cavazos Ramírez. Fue
comprada a la compañía E.W.
Vanduzen de Cincinnati, Ohio, de
acuerdo al libro, “La Parroquia Recuerda,” el cual fue publicado por la
Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia en su aniversario número
cincuenta en 1959.
Obtener la campana fue, por
mucho tiempo, el sueño del Padre Adrián Borne de los Misioneros Oblatos de María Inmaculada,
quien trabajo como primer director de la Misión de Mercedes. Él
LMMM Valley No. 1
LMMM Valley No. 2
2200 N. 10th St. Suite C
(956) 630 2330
Mc Allen, Tx. 78505
806 S. Cage Blvd
(956) 283 0995
Pharr, Tx. 78577
LMMM Valley No. 3
LMMM Valley No. 4
902 West Harrison Av.
(956) 425 7018
Harlingen, Tx. 78550
3001 E. Expressway 83
(956) 968 8685
Weslaco, Tx. 78596
LMMM Valley No. 5
LMMM Valley No. 7
1627 Price Road
(956) 546 7255
Brownsville, Tx. 78521
305 E. University Dr.
(956) 386 1383
Edinburg, Tx. 78539
LMMM Valley No. 8
770 W. Elizabeth St.
(956) 544 4806
Brownsville, Tx. 78520
“ La original y auténtica de las carnes marinadas”
Fotos de cortesía
La campana de Nuestra Señora de la
Misericordia en Mercedes fue bajada el
primero de marzo para renovarla.
La comunidad planea una celebración
para cuando la campana sea regresada a
su lugar en el campanario.
reemplazó la campana pequeña
y el campanario con esta campana albergada en una torre de 83
pies en aquel tiempo, “para que el
sonido de la nueva campana fuera
escuchado a lo lejos y llamara a las
personas a la Misa y oraciones.”
El libro también señala que se
le dio un sobrenombre a la camapa,
bautizada con el apodo, “Estefana.”
La comunidad planea una celebración para cuando la campana
sea regresada a su lugar en el campanario.
14
DIOCESE
History ride April 6
along Oblate Trail
The Valley Catholic
The 8th Annual Oblate Trail
Ride, a bicycle tour with 25 and
62.5 routes, is scheduled for Saturday, April 6.
T-shirts will be provided
for the first 500 registered riders. The first seven riders from
Brownsville to Mission have
been asked to honor an Oblate
Priest from the historical photo
on flyer by bearing his name for
the duration of the ride.
The route follows the famous
Oblate Trail along Military
Highway, an area the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
traveled by horse more than 100
years ago to celebrate Mass in
the remote communities along
the Rio Grande River.
Pre-registration
is
$25
through April 1. On site registration the day of the event will
be $30. A $5 discount will be
applied for each member of a
group of five or more.
Funds raised from this event
will go towards the Catholic
Campaign for Human Development to help break the cycle of
poverty in the Valley. For additional information about the
ride call Rosie Rodriguez or
Jesse Salinas at (956) 781-5323.
McAllen Pregnancy Center
fundraiser set for April 19
The Valley Catholic
McALLEN — The McAllen Pregnancy Center, a pro-life
facility, is hosting its fourth annual, “Guardian Angels of the
Unborn” fundraising gala on
Friday, April 19, at 6 p.m. at the
McAllen Convention Center.
The keynote address will
be delivered by Father Shenan
J. Boquet, president of Human
Life International. This Catholic
apostolate is based in Front Royal, Va. and strives to build a culture of life through education,
outreach, advocacy and service.
The festivities will begin at
5 p.m. with a Mass celebrated
by Bishop Daniel E. Flores at St.
Joseph the Worker Church, 2315
Ithaca Ave. in McAllen.
The McAllen Pregnancy
Center primarily serves women
in crisis pregnancy, providing
free, confidential services such
as pregnancy tests, sonograms,
counseling and baby clothing
and supplies in a non-judgmental setting.
For more information, including sponsorship opportunities, contact Elisa Cedeño at
(956) 631-4585.
The bell tolls
Mercedes parish
restores a piece
of history
The Valley Catholic
MERCEDES — After more
than three decades of silence, the
bell at Our Lady of Mercy Church
in Mercedes will ring once again.
The bell was cleaned and the
housing was refurbished, said Javier Solis, director of the diocesan
Building & Properties Office. The
bell, which had been sitting in
the bell tower for more than 30
years, was taken down on March
1 and was returned to the parish
on March 14. Several parishioners
stopped by to get a close-up look
at the historic bell before it was
returned to its proper place in the
tower on March 15.
Parishioners are making plans
for an official dedication Mass and
will announce the date once it is
confirmed.
The renovation project was
funded through a grant from the
John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy
Memorial Foundation and donations from parishioners. The work
is being completed by Charisma
Construction of Mission.
The brass bell, which is inscribed with the date of May 1, 1910,
weighs 450 pounds. The bell was
donated to the church by the family
of Rafael Cavazos Ramirez. It was
purchased from the E.W. Vanduzen
Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, according
to the book, “A Parish Remembers,”
which was published for Our Lady
of Mercy Church’s 50th anniversary
celebration in 1959.
Rafael J. Cavazos, the greatgrandson of Rafael Cavazos
Ramirez, traveled to Our Lady of
Mercy Church from his home in
Edinburg to see the bell before it
was returned to the tower.
Obtaining the bell had been a
longtime dream of Father Adrian
Bornes of the Mission Oblates of
Mary Immaculate, who served as
the first director of the Mission of
Mercedes in the early 1900s. He replaced a smaller bell and bell tower
with this bell, housed in an 83-foot
tower at the time, “so that the sound
of the new bell would be heard far
and wide summoning the people to
Mass and devotions.”
Courtesy photos
Rafael J. Cavazos, the great-grandson of
the original donors of the bell, visited the
parish. The bell was hoisted out of the
bell tower so that it could be refinished.
April 2013
DIOCESE 15
»Media Resource Center
» Calendar of Events
Recommended by SISTER MAUREEN CROSBY, SSD
Coordinator of the Media Resource Center - Diocese of Brownsville
»From the Bookshelf
»Worth Watching
The Secrets
of Jonathan
Sperry
El Gran
Milagro
Breakfast
with
Benedict:
Daily
Readings
April
Benziger Bible
Stories
2
NCEA Houston TX
(Catholic Schools Office)
6
Vatican II Workshop
6
Oblate Trail Ride
6
Catholic Charities Gala
11 Advisory Team
(Office of Catechesis)
Format:DVD
Starring: Gavin MacLeod, Robert
Guillaume, Jansen Panettiere
Production:Five & Two Pictures (2008)
Length:96 minutes
Format: DVD
Director: Bruce Morris
Producer: Pablo Joe Barroso
Production: Quality Films (2012)
Length:69 minutes
A Christian family film about faith and
forgiveness, “The Secrets of Jonathan
Sperry” is a compelling story concerning
an elderly man who shares his faith with
a young boy and how that simple act
has a positive ripple effect and shapes
the lives of many.
An inspiring story, told in Spanish, that
exemplifies faith and hope. It also tells
the story of the unseen gift of going to
and participating in church, a gift many
of us take for granted. The film also
encourages us to live the Eucharist after
we leave Mass and to appreciate the
mystery and the gift of the Eucharist.
It is also available in English under the
title, “The Greatest Miracle.”
LETTE INSURANCE AGENCY
AUTO, HOME, LIFE
COMMERCIAL, HEALTH,
ANNUTIES
Two locations to better serve you
145 Boca Chica Blvd
Brownsville, TX
1402 N. 23rd St.
McAllen, TX
956-546-7232
956-682-3154
1-866-546-7232
[email protected]
Length: 205 pages, hardcover
Author:Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Publication: Our Sunday Visitor (2009)
Pope Benedict’s legacy will likely be his
writing – he is a great writer. Excerpts
from his homilies, speeches, documents,
and writings will inspire and challenge
you to a greater devotion to Christ in
everything you do. With these fiveminute reflections, you can gain the
spiritual wisdom of one of the most
prolific theologians of our time.
Papa Francisco,
continúa de pág. 11
movido a Arzobispo Coadjutor
de Buenos Aires el 3 de junio de
1997.
De dicha sede arzobispal es
titular desde el 28 de febrero de
1998, cuando se convirtió en el
primer jesuita que llegó a ser primado de la Argentina. Sucedió
en el cargo al Cardenal Antonio
Quarracino.
Era Ordinario para los fieles
de rito oriental residentes en la
Argentina y que no cuentan con
Ordinario de su propio rito. En
la Conferencia Episcopal Ar-
April 3
7 p.m.
Confirmations – St. Benedict
San Benito
April 6
10 a.m.
Talk/Confessions – Sacred Heart
Edinburg
April 6
6 p.m.
Confirmations – Lord of Divine Mercy
Brownsville
April 7
10 a.m.
Mass – Lord of Divine Mercy
Brownsville
April 13
5 p.m.
Confirmations – St. Paul
Mission
April 14
10 a.m.
Mass – St. Theresa
Edcouch
April 16
7 p.m.
Confirmations – Our Lady of Good Counsel Brownsville
April 19
6 p.m.
Confessions – Evins Juvenile Center
Edinburg
April 20
10 a.m.
Mass – Evins Juvenile Center
Edinburg
April 22
10 a.m.
Texas Bishops
April 24
6 p.m.
Confirmations – Our Lady of Perpetual Help McAllen
April 25
7 p.m.
Confirmations – St. Joseph
Brownsville
Knights of Columbus Convention
Corpus Christi
April 26-28 All day
On going:
Monday - Saturday
8 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph Chapel of
Perpetual Adoration, 727 Bowie St.,
Alamo
Every Tuesday UTPA/Edinburg:
noon – Mass
2 p.m. Counseling
5 p.m. Adoration
Every Sunday UTPA-Edinburg:
6 p.m. Confessions
7 p.m. Mass
Holy Hour will be held Weekly every
Thursday at 7 p.m., 727 Bowie St.,
Alamo
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
13 Sponsor Couple Training II
A collection of adapted Bible stories
from Creation to the Resurrection,
children love the engaging retellings
and attractive pictures. Although it was
written for children, this book offers an
easy and entertaining read for all ages.
23 In-Service Catechesis
(Family Life Office)
20-21 For Better for Forever
26 Walk-a-thon
27 Vital 3.0
27 Sponsor Couple Training II -
New Media,
Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Peña’s Calendar
Length: 317 pages, hardcover
Retold by: Geoffrey Horn and Arthur
Cavanaugh
Illustrator: Arvis Stewart
Publication:Benziger (1980)
ther,” Manious said.
According to the Second Vatican document (Inter Mirifica,
1963), when modern technology
is properly utilized it can be of
great benefit to mankind but on
the flip side it can also be used
to cause harm. There must be a
guide and set boundaries on using tools of communication responsibly. Father Carlos Zuniga
Papal Ministry,
is not the virtue of the weak, but
rather a sign of strength of spirit
and a capacity for concern, for
compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love.”
“We must not be afraid of
goodness, of tenderness,” Pope
Francis said.
The new pope said exercising
the role of protector as St. Joseph
did mean doing so “discreetly,
humbly and silently, but with an
unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard
to understand.”
The Gospels present St. Joseph as a husband to Mary, “at
her side in good times and bad,”
and as a father who watched over
Jesus, worried about him and
taught him a trade, the pope said.
St. Joseph responded to his
called to be a protector “by being
constantly attentive to God, open
to the signs of God’s presence and
receptive to God’s plans, and not
simply his own,” the pope said.
Fidelity to God’s word and
gentina ha sido vicepresidente
(2002-2005); y como miembro
de la Comisión Ejecutiva ha sido
miembro de la Comisión Permanente representando a la Provincia Eclesiástica de Buenos Aires.
Ha integrado, además, las
comisiones episcopales de Educación Católica y de la Universidad Católica Argentina, de la que
es Gran Canciller.
Creado Cardenal presbítero
el 21 de febrero del 2001; recibió
la birreta roja y el título de San
Roberto Belarmino. Asistió como
Relator General Adjunto a la X
Asamblea Ordinaria del Sínodo
de Obispos, Ciudad del Vaticano
realizado del 30 de setiembre al
27 de octubre de 2001.
of Saint Pius Parish in Weslaco
said, “Priests ought to be trained
in this endeavor and must make
the time to reach out to all the
faithful who are versed in the
means of communication. It is
imperative we take this task seriously.”
At the request of some of his
friends and parishioners, Father
Zuniga launched a new Facebook page called ‘RGV Catholic.’
“It has my reflections, homilies
and commentary on events that
involve the Catholic faith in the
Valley and in the world,” he said.
God’s plan for individuals and for
all of creation makes the difference, he said, calling on everyone
to be sensitive and loving toward
those in their care, especially toward children, the aged, the poor
and the sick.
“In the end, everything has
been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible
for it,” he said. “Be protectors of
God’s gifts.”
When people fail to respect
creation, when they ignore
“God’s plan inscribed in nature,”
or when they treat each other
with disrespect, he said, “the way
is opened to destruction, and
hearts are hardened.”
“Tragically, in every period
of history there are ‘Herods’ who
plot death, wreak havoc and mar
the countenance of men and
women,” he said.
Pope Francis asked the government leaders present and all
those with responsibility in the
field of economics, politics and
social life to stand firm when destruction and death threaten human dignity, human life and the
environment.
Bilingual
29 National Day of Appreciation
for Pastors
May
Catholic Engaged
Encounter (Family Life
Office)
3-5
4
Convalidation Conference
10 Mother’s Day
12 Ascension Sunday
19 Pentecost
23 Advisory Team
25-26 Retiro Pre0Matimonal
27 Memorial Day
Diocesan Offices 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.
Anniversaries,
25 Rev. Juan Rogelio Gutierrez
26 Rev. Andres Gutierrez
26 Rev. Oliver Angel
26 Rev. Jesus Paredes
26 Rev. Luis Roberto Tinajero
26 Rev. Martin De La Cruz
26 Rev. Ruben Delgado
26 Rev. Tómas Matéos
27 Rev. A. Rafael Vega
27 Rev. Eduardo Ortega
27 Rev. Francisco Solis
27 Rev. Gerald Frank
27 Rev. Gregory Labus
27 Rev. James Erving
27 Rev. Jose Luis Garcia
27 Rev. Mario A. Castro
27 Rev. Oscar Siordia
28 Rev. Alfonso Guevara
29 Rev. Ignacio Tapia
29 Rev. Jorge A. Gomez
29 Rev. Luis Fernando Sanchez
29 Rev. Salvador Ramirez
31 Rev. Amador Garza
31 Rev. Ernesto Magallon
31 Rev. Mishael Koday
31 Rev. Terrence Gorski
16
DIOCESE
Our Catholic Family
Sister Zita Telkamp nominated for Lumen Christi Award
Bishop applauds her
for ‘welcoming the
stranger’
The Valley Catholic
SAN BENITO — Bishop Daniel E. Flores nominated Sister Zita
Telkamp of the Sisters of Divine
Providence, program director
for La Posada Providencia in San
Benito, for the 2013 Lumen Christi
Award.
Presented annually by Catholic Extension, the Lumen Christi
Award honors an individual or
group working in one of America’s
poor mission dioceses who, “demonstrates how the power of faith
can transform lives and communities.”
La Posada Providencia is an
emergency shelter for indigent
men, women and families, many
of whom have fled to the U.S. to
escape famine, natural disasters,
torture or other life-threatening
situations. The majority of those
receiving assistance from La Posada Providencia arrive as referrals
from immigration attorneys and
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. They stay
at the shelter as their cases work
Courtesy Photo
“I have my own little foreign mission right here,” said Sister Zita Telkamp, shown with
with Bishop Daniel E. Flores at La Posada Providencia in San Benito.
their way through the court system. Some stay at the shelter for a
few days while others may stay for
up to a year.
As program director, Sister
Telkamp oversees the development
and delivery of La Posada Providencia’s services, the shelter’s operational and financial management,
and staff and volunteer activities for
the shelter program, which oper-
To subscribe
Name __________________________________
Address _________________________________
City _____________ State ________Zip ________
E-mail address ____________________________
For more information call (956) 781-5323
ates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The shelter has served more than
6,000 immigrants from more than
70 countries since 1989.
Sister Telkamp, however, is
not just an administrator. She is a
chauffeur, teacher, friend and much
more. Sister Telkamp also lives on
the property where the shelter is
located, meaning she is virtually on
call around-the-clock.
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
“I am ‘jill’ of all trades,” she said.
“I not only pay the bills, but I do a
lot of driving because our clients
have a lot of appointments — at
the attorney, court, doctor … .
Sometimes, there are three or four
appointments within a couple of
hours.”
In his nomination letter, Bishop
Flores stated, “Under Sister Zita’s
care, the residents at La Posada
are provided access to the services
they need for their next resettlement step and are encouraged to
embrace the notion that they can
achieve successful futures with
hard work and their inherent skills.
Welcoming the stranger is a Gospel
value that is practiced daily at this
haven for those without a home. I
am most grateful to the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence and Sister Zita for their commitment to the poor.”
A native of Brussels, Illinois,
Sister Telkamp entered the community of the Sisters of Divine
Providence in 1950. She knew from
a young age that she wanted to be a
religious sister.
“I attended our local public
schools from kindergarten to fifth
grade,” she said. “In sixth grade, I
attended St. Mary Parochial School
and my teacher was a missionary
who had served in Puerto Rico
for many years. She used to tell us
stories about her mission activities
in Puerto Rico — teaching in the
mountains and teaching very poor
children. I knew then that I wanted
to be a sister just like my teacher
and that I wanted to go to a foreign
mission, which never happened.
“Now, every meal I eat, I am joined
by at least 12 different cultures from
all over the world so I have my own
little foreign mission right here.”
“Sister Zita is tireless in her
dedication to this ministry and so
welcoming to those who come to
our door, tending to their needs,”
said Sister Thérèse Cunningham
of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and
Mary Immaculate, who serves as a
client mentor at La Posada Providencia.
“We have lived and worked
together for six years. I can really
testify to her deep love for those
who have to leave their homeland.
Sometimes, they are forced to flee
from their homeland, facing the
pain of separation from their loved
ones. She has listened to many,
many stories and dried many, many
tears.”
The Lumen Christi Award is
accompanied by a $50,000 grant
— $25,000 for the honoree and
$25,000 for his or her nominating
diocese.
Finalists for the 2013 Lumen
Christi Award are expected to be
announced in April, with the final recipient determined and announced this summer.
Catholic Extension is a national
fundraising organization committed to supporting and strengthening poor mission dioceses across
the United States.
Para servirles,
said the ministry is always in need
of Bibles, catechisms, rosaries and
prayer cards.
Customs Enforcement (ICE) or in
the juvenile detention centers.
There are other ways to help
with Jail ministry that do not
require on site visits. De los Santos
Office: Jail Ministry
Director: Ofelia de los Santos
Phone: (956) 702-4088
Fax: (956) 782-0418
Email: [email protected]

View - Catholic Diocese of Brownsville

Transcripción

Documentos relacionados

Dedicado a todas las personas que creen en la musica