here - Diocese of Austin

Transcripción

MAY 2013
T H E
V O L U M E 3 1, N U M B E R 5
O F F I C I A L
P U B L I C A T I O N
O F
T H E
D I O C E S E
O F
A U S T I N
Help, prayers pour into West after explosion
BY SHELLEY METCALF
CATHOLIC SPIRIT STAFF
Austin Diocese
6225 Hwy. 290 East
Austin, Texas 78723
Periodical
Postage Paid
at Austin, Texas
The small town of West,
which sits at the northern edge
of the Austin Diocese, has been
ooded with donations, disaster response teams, volunteers,
media and, perhaps most importantly, prayers since an explosion at a fertilizer plant on the
evening of April 17.
The explosion killed 14 people and destroyed at least 140
homes within several blocks
of the fertilizer plant. Many of
the dead were volunteer fire
department members and EMS
workers, as well as parishioners
of St. Mary, Church of the Assumption Parish in West.
Father Ed Karasek said the
phone had not stopped ringing
at the parish, where he has been
pastor for nearly 25 years. The
parish, which also has a Catholic
school, is about a mile from the
fertilizer plant and did suffer
some cosmetic damage from the
explosion.
Father Karasek said he had
talked to people from all over
the world in the days since the
tragedy.
“I have answered so many
questions, but everyone is praying for us,” he said. The diocese received a fax from Pope
Francis the morning after the
explosion, as well as various
letters from Cardinal Timothy
Dolan of New York, Cardinal
Daniel DiNardo of GalvestonHouston, Archbishop Gregory
Aymond of New Orleans and
Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey of
Corpus Christi. In recognition
of the town’s Czech roots, the
Cardinal-Archbishop of Prague
also sent a letter to the parish.
The letter from the Vatican
stated, “Saddened by the news
of the destruction caused by
the explosion in West, the Holy
Father asks you kindly to convey his heartfelt condolences
to the civil authorities and the
aficted families. He prays for
the eternal rest of the victims
and implores God’s blessings
of consolation and peace upon
those who mourn and all who
generously aid in the continuing
work of relief.”
On April 19, Bishop Joe
Vásquez visited Assumption
Parish for an Interfaith Service
of Remembrance for those who
died. During the service, local
Christian pastors offered their
reections and their support for
the victims of the tragedy.
“This community has experienced a tragic event that has
altered many lives. We mourn
the loss of your loved ones and
friends and we continue to pray
for the injured,” the bishop said
to the crowded church.
“What we have witnessed
in these days are acts of self
sacrice and compassion,” he
said. “In moments such as these
we see the best of what makes
us human, for these acts of
sacrifice and compassion are
reections of our God who is
real and present in each of us.”
After the service concluded,
the church leaders gave blessings and warm embraces to
family members and first responders.
“It was so touching for me
to be with the people of West
during this sad time,” Bishop
Vásquez commented after the
service.
Ericka Sammon, the principal
of St. Mary’s Catholic School in
West, said the outpouring of man
power and resources the town
has witnessed has been amazing.
She knows of 10 families from
the school who have lost their
homes.
“We have had people from
Dallas and from Austin who just
got in their cars and drove to
See WEST on Page 3
RESIDENTS OF
WEST comfort
one another
after an Interfaith
Prayer Service
April 19 at St.
Mary, Church of
the Assumption
Parish in West.
Ofcials say 14
people died when
a fertilizer plant
exploded the evening of April 17.
(Photo by Shelley
Metcalf)
HONORING
ST. JOSEPH
BOSTON
Cardinal O’Malley
encourages Bostonians
to build civilization
of love.
Page 11
Altars established to
give thanks to Jesus’
earthly father.
Page 8
BISHOP’S
ESPAÑOL
INTERVIEW
El Obispo ordenará
cinco sacerdotes
el 8 de junio.
Página 29
Urge lawmakers to
increase regulation on
payday lenders.
Page 19
help,” she said. “They knocked
on our door and asked, ‘What
can we do?’”
Sammon said the town has
been blessed with large amounts
of donations of household goods
and clothing.
“The particular need
we have right now at the
school is for monetary donations for the families who
have lost their homes,” she
said. “We want to help them
2
THE MISSION OF THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
As the ofcial newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Austin, the CATHOLIC SPIRIT is dedicated to providing information, education and formation for the Catholic community
of Central Texas. This mission calls for the newspaper:
• to provide readers with an understanding of our Catholic
faith and traditions;
• to be a primary source of information on Catholic issues
relevant to the community;
• to be a unifying element for faith communities, both rural
and urban, throughout Central Texas;
• to show respect for and appreciation of all cultural groups
and traditions;
• to emphasize topics afrming the Catholic community and
life, while acknowledging the humanity of the community and
examining, with courage, topics that challenge and encourage
growth in the faith;
• to carry a commitment to social justice that will support
the renewal of the church in Central Texas.
HOW TO SUBMIT INFORMATION
Deadline for submission of articles or information for the
CATHOLIC SPIRIT is the 10th of the month for publication in the
following month’s edition.
Deadline for the June issue is May 10.
You can submit material in any of the following ways:
• E-mail to [email protected].
• Mail to CATHOLIC SPIRIT, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723.
For additional information, call (512) 949-2443 or e-mail
us at [email protected]. CATHOLIC SPIRIT has
unrestricted editing rights.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Readers are encouraged to express their opinions on
articles published in CATHOLIC SPIRIT. Letters to the editor provide a forum of discussion for the local Catholic community.
The views expressed in the letters do not necessarily represent those of the editor or the publisher of CATHOLIC SPIRIT.
Letters to the editor should be limited to 250 words.
Name and full address of the writer must be provided,
though name will be withheld from publication on request.
We reserve the right to edit or withhold all letters. Please
e-mail to [email protected] or mail to Editor, Catholic Spirit, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
Subscription rates are $12 for one year. To subscribe,
send check payable to Catholic Spirit to CATHOLIC SPIRIT,
6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723. Members of a parish
in the Austin Diocese may receive the newspaper for a reduced rate. Contact your parish staff for more information.
ADDRESS CHANGES OR DUPLICATE MAILINGS
Send all address changes to CATHOLIC SPIRIT, 6225 Hwy.
290 E., Austin, TX 78723. Please include your parish’s
name and city. If receiving duplicate copies of the
CATHOLIC SPIRIT, call (512) 949-2443 or e-mail
[email protected].
STAFF
Publisher: Most Rev. Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin
Editor: Shelley Metcalf; (512) 949-2400,
[email protected]
Assistant Editor: Christian R. González; (512) 949-2400,
[email protected]
Advertising: Shelley Metcalf;
(512) 949-2400, [email protected]
Spanish translation: Gina Dominguez
Columnists: Barbara Budde, Mary Lou Gibson and
Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D.
Correspondents: Burnie Cook, Amy Moraczewski,
Enedelia Obregón, Michele Chan Santos and
Mary P. Walker
VOICES
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
God bless the people of West
LOUIS
MYNARCIK,
87, was a
resident of the
nursing home
in West that
crumbled when
a fertilizer plant
exploded on
April 17. The
people of West
remain in our
thoughts and
prayers as
they return to a
“new normal.”
A “normal” that
now involves
grieving those
who died, and
also giving thanks for the outpouring of support that has been shown to the town. Let us go forth
rejoicing in the knowledge that at the end of time God will conquer death and we will all dance ––
and polka –– together again. (Photo by Shelley Metcalf)
EIM workshops
The Ethics and Integrity in Ministry policies of the Austin Diocese were established in 2002 to
educate Catholics on how to help prevent sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. According
to the policies, all employees and those volunteers who minister to youth or vulnerable adults in
the diocese are required to complete an Application for Ministry, which permits the diocese to run a
criminal background check. Additionally, all new applicants are required to attend a three-hour EIM
workshop for adults within 60 days of their EIM application submission. Every three years employees
and volunteers must attend an EIM refresher course or the three-hour EIM workshop.
Upcoming EIM workshops are listed below. Please call the location you would like to attend at
the phone number listed so that enough materials are available. For more information regarding the
diocesan EIM policies, visit www.austindiocese.org or call (512) 949-2400.
Three-hour courses
May 8, 6 to 9 p.m., St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin, (512) 892-2420
May 20, 6 to 9 p.m., St. Elizabeth Parish in Pugerville, (512) 251-9838
June 1, 1 to 4 p.m., St. John the Evangelist Parish in San Marcos, (512) 353-8969
June 6, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., St. John Neumann Parish in Austin, (512) 328-3220
June 8, 9 a.m. to noon, Sacred Heart Parish in Elgin, (512) 281-3536
Refresher courses
May 9, 7 to 8:30 p.m., St. Mary Cathedral Parish in Austin, (512) 476-6182
May 15, 6:30 to 8 p.m., St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin, (512) 892-2420
May 21, 6 to 7:30 p.m., St. Mary Parish in Waco, (254) 753-0146
May 30, 6 to 7:30 p.m., San Jose Parish in Austin, (512) 444-7587
June 4, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Reicher Catholic High School in Waco, (254) 752-8349
June 8, 9 to 10:30 a.m., St. Louis Parish in Austin, (512) 454-0384
Msgr. Donald Frugé died April 19
Msgr. Donald Frugé died in Houston on
April 19 of cancer. He was 79 years old. He is
survived by ve sisters and four brothers-inlaw: Elizabeth and her husband, Roger E. Gonsoulin of Maurice, La.; Marjorie A. Frugé; Barbara and her husband, Dr. William H. Boylston;
Yvonne and her husband, C. Kenneth Breaux;
and Tessie and her husband, Dr. Guy K. PatterCatholic Spirit subscribes to Catholic News Service
son, all of Houston, as well as many nieces and
(CNS) and is a member of the Catholic Press Association.
nephews. He was preceded in death by his parCopyright 2013 by the Austin Diocese. All rights reents, Daniel H. Frugé and Leah LaFosse Frugé;
served. Reproduction of any editorial content, photograph,
by three siblings: Daniel J. Frugé, Msgr. Edward
art or design is prohibited without written permission of the D. Frugé, and Leah Jane Hodges.
publisher CATHOLIC SPIRIT (ISSN 0896-2715) is published 11
Msgr. Frugé was ordained a priest on April 22,
times annually (monthly except one issue in July/August)
1972, for the service of the Diocese of Galvestonby the Austin Diocese. Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, publisher,
Houston. Following ordination, he served as Ju6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX 78723. Periodicals Postage
dicial Vicar for the Tribunal in Houston. In 1981,
Paid at Austin, Texas.
he was awarded a doctorate in Canon Law (JCD)
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Catholic Spirit,
at the Catholic University of America in Washing6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, Texas 78723.
ton. In 1986, he was given permission to move
to Austin and assist Bishop John McCarthy, the
third bishop of
Austin. In Austin, he served as
Finance Officer
until early 2002,
when he retired
and then moved
back to Houston.
Msgr. Frugé
was a member
and former ofcer of the Canon
Law Society of
America. He was
also a member of
Msgr. Donald Frugé
the Canon Law
of Great Britain and Ireland. He was a veteran of
the U.S. Army.
Memorial contributions may be made to Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Blvd., Houston
77030.
May 2013
CENTRAL TEXAS
3
Bishop Vásquez will ordain ve priests on June 8
BY MARY P. WALKER
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
Bishop Joe Vásquez will ordain Deacons Augustine Ariwaodo, Jason Bonifazi, Ventura
Alejandro Caudillo, Barry Cuba
and Timothy Nolt to the priesthood June 8 at 10:30 a.m. at St.
Vincent de Paul Parish in Austin.
While all of the deacons are
united in their dedication to the
Catholic faith and look forward
to serving as priests in the Diocese of Austin, they come to the
sacrament of holy orders from
very different paths. Two are
converts to the Catholic faith.
Two had conversion experiences
that drew them deeper into Catholicism, and one knew that
he wanted to be a priest from a
young age. Geography also adds
to their diversity. Two of the deacons grew up within the boundaries of the Austin Diocese, while
the others come from Pennsylvania, Mexico and Nigeria.
Deacon Jason Bonifazi, age
33, graduated from Groesbeck
High School and considers his
home parish to be St. Mary in
Mexia. The youngest of three
boys, his parents are Michael
Bonifazi and Sheli Hanson.
After earning a business degree from Sam Houston State
University, Deacon Bonifazi
worked as a salesperson for a
wine distributor in Houston.
During this time, he also pursued
an MBA at the University of St.
Thomas. Raised as a Mormon, he
felt drawn to the Catholic Church
and began the Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults (RCIA) pro-
cess at the Co-Cathedral of the
Sacred Heart in Houston.
Baptized in 2004, he quickly
became active in parish life while
continuing his job and graduate
studies. He characterized his life
as “OK,” but he was not happy.
“I started questioning what
God was asking of me,” Deacon
Bonifazi said.
He began considering whether God was calling him to become
a priest. Because he was newly
baptized, he was not sure if this interest was a prompting from God
or his own enthusiastic response
to becoming Catholic.
He continued to discern this
question with a priest at the cocathedral while he nished graduate school. Knowing he could
not enter the seminary until he
had more experience as a Catholic, he contacted the Assumptionists, a religious order that also
sponsors lay missionaries. Under
their direction, he went to the
Philippines. After returning, he
entered the seminary, about two
years after his baptism.
At first, Deacon Bonifazi
found some aspects of seminary
life challenging. Used to the
“right and wrong” answers in his
business courses, he had to learn
a different way of thinking to
study philosophy and theology.
Also, living in a dorm and sharing
the structured lives of seminarians was an adjustment to a man
used to being on his own.
Anticipating his ordination,
Deacon Bonifazi said, “I look
forward to being in a parish, sharing my faith, and bringing people
to Christ. It is an exciting time for
the church and world.”
Deacon Tim Nolt, age 46,
also converted to the Catholic
faith and considers St. John
Vianney in Round Rock to be
his home parish. His parents are
Steve and Doris, and he has two
younger sisters. He grew up in
Lancaster, Pa., in an evangelical
Christian family that emphasized
sharing their faith. When he was
10, his father took a sabbatical
from his teaching job, and the
family went to Kenya for missionary work. While there, Deacon Nolt attended a school for
the children of missionaries.
When asked what brought
him to the Catholic Church, he
said, “It’s all about the music.”
Growing up in a family that
shared their many musical talents
through church, Deacon Nolt
received a bachelor’s degree in
piano performance from Juilliard.
He then came to Texas to study
piano at the University of Texas
at Austin, where he received a
master’s degree. While a student,
he taught piano to the daughter
of a Catholic family. Through this
family, he learned about Catholi-
looked toward town there was
huge mushroom cloud,” Pustejovsky said. She immediately
headed to town to help. The rst
place she stopped was the nursing home, where her mother-inlaw resides.
“There were so many people, young and old, who were
helping,” she said. “We were lifting people in wheelchairs up and
over debris. We knocked out
what was left of the windows
to lift people out on mattresses
and get them out of the rubble.”
As she was helping, she received the “code green” from
Providence asking all available
hospital personnel to come to
the hospital. She said she knew
she could not leave what she
was doing, but heard stories the
next day of how all of the hospital staff was lined up to help
when the busses started rolling
in with injured patients.
For the most part, Providence treated those with nonlife-threatening injuries. Bishop
Vásquez visited with two West
patients on April 19; both patients were expected to be released shortly, according to their
families.
The bishop returned to West
on April 21 to celebrate Mass at
Assumption Parish. The church
was full and more than 110
Knights of Columbus from
across Central Texas formed an
honor guard during the Mass. At
least two of the rst responders
killed by the blast were members
of the Knights of Columbus.
The town of West has a
population of about 2,800 and
Assumption Parish has about
1,275 families. The parish is 120
years old and has a rich Czech
heritage thanks to the Moravian
and German immigrants who
settled in the town in the 1870s.
Deacon Augustine Ariwaodo
Deacon Jason Bonifazi
Deacon Alex Caudillo
Deacon Barry Cuba
Deacon Tim Nolt
cism and had opportunities to
play for Mass.
With experiences in the
“house church” movement and as
a youth minister in a Presbyterian
church, Deacon Nolt explained
that in his “head” he was not considering Catholicism. However, he
was drawn to the faith.
“The Holy Spirit exposed
me to Catholic liturgy. Catholics
believe that Christ is present
through the liturgy, and I wanted
to learn more about it,” Deacon
Nolt said.
After a few weeks of fervent
prayer during an intense time of
his life, he felt a desire to become
Catholic to deepen his relationship to Christ. While waiting to
participate in an RCIA program,
he went on a men’s retreat. His
roommate planted the seed of a
possible religious vocation when
he asked Deacon Nolt if he had
ever considered the priesthood.
After becoming Catholic in 1999, he spent the next
eight years working in inforSee ORDAIN on Page 7
The Austin Diocese asked
all parishes to take up a special
collection for the people of West
on the weekend of April 20-21.
The diocese, through the work
of the Society of St. Vincent de
Paul and Catholic Charities of
Central Texas, will assist the town
with long-term case management
needs, including the distribu-
tion of furniture and household
goods when homes are rebuilt,
and counseling services for those
who are grieving the loss of a
loved one.
Monetary donations may
be given to Catholic Charities of
Central Texas at www.ccctx.org/
disaster or the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at www.ssvdp.org.
WEST
Continued from Page 1
with tuition and lunch fees and
help them get back to normal.”
Providence Hospital in
Waco, a member of Ascension
Health, the nation’s largest Catholic health system in the U.S., was
where many of the injured were
brought for care on the night of
the blast.
“It was a miraculous coming
together of staff, and within minutes of the rst calls coming in,
we were ready to go as a team,”
said Brett Esrock, the president
of the hospital, which treated
many of the injured from a West
nursing home that crumbled
from the impact of the explosion.
Peggy Pustejovsky, a parishioner of Assumption Parish and
a radiologist at Providence, was
at her home about three miles
outside of West when the explosion occurred.
“I heard a big boom and
the lights ickered and when I
FATHER ED
KARASEK
blesses a
volunteer
re ghter
on April 19
at Assumption Parish in
West. (Photo
by Shelley
Metcalf)
4
CENTRAL TEXAS
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Bishop ordains 11 men to permanent diaconate
BISHOP JOE VÁSQUEZ ordained 11 men to the permanent diaconate on April
13 at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar Park. Their assignments are below in
order as the men appear in the group photo on the left.
• Deacon John McCardle St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar Park (top left).
• Deacon Jim DiSimoni to Holy Family Parish in Copperas Cove.
• Deacon Ron Sykora to St. Mary, Church of the Assumption Parish in West.
• Deacon Tim Vande Vorde to St. Michael Parish in Uhland.
• Deacon Dave Cardon to St. Mary Parish in Lampasas.
• Deacon Pat Moran to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in College Station.
• Deacon Leroy Jan to St. Paul Parish in Austin (bottom left).
• Deacon Mike Forbes to St. William Parish in Round Rock.
• Deacon Jeff Cadenhead to St. Anthony Marie de Claret Parish in Kyle.
• Deacon Curt Haffner to St. John the Evangelist Parish in Marble Falls.
• Deacon David Ochoa to St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Austin.
(Photos by Adriana Waldbusser and Shelley Metcalf)
CENTRAL TEXAS
May 2013
5
Help for struggling marriages
Chastity events for youth feature Jason Evert
Are you and your spouse struggling with communication? Are things just
not what they used to be in your marriage? Don’t give up, there is help. Retrouvaille is a program for couples undergoing difculties in their marriage. For
condential information about Retrouvaille or how to register for the program
beginning with a weekend on May 17-19, call 1-800-470-2230 or visit the website at www.helpourmarriage.com.
THRiVE! Youth Events will be held May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas
Parish in College Station and May 18 at 9 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Parish and St.
Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin. All youth in seventh through 12th
grades and their parents are welcome to attend. Jason Evert, an author, speaker, and
host of EWTN’s “The Pure Life” and “Theology of the Body for Teens,” will be
the keynote speaker. More than just abstinence education, THRiVE incorporates the
Christian message of how we were created in God’s image that we might love him,
give love and be loved by others. For more information, visit www.thrivetexas.org.
Cedarbrake offers several retreats
A day of reection entitled “Mary, Woman of the Word” will be presented May
11 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. The
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist will lead this day, which is for
women of all ages. The cost is $35, which includes lunch.
A Silent Day of Reection will be presented May 17 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at
Cedarbrake. Father Angelo Bertini will celebrate Mass and spiritual direction will be
available. The cost is $25, which includes lunch.
Desert Solitude, a silent retreat, begins June 6 at 3 p.m. at Cedarbrake. This
is a seven-day silent retreat with centering prayer as the focus. Retreatants may
choose to attend three, four or six days. The cost varies from $300 to $900.
For more information or to register for any of these events, contact Cedarbrake
at (254) 780-2436 or [email protected].
Upcoming ordinations
Bishop Joe Vásquez will ordain Craig DeYoung to the transitional diaconate May
18 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Center in College Station. Bishop Vásquez will
ordain Deacons Augustine Ariwaodo, Jason Bonifazi, Alejandro Caudillo, Barry Cuba
and Tim Nolt to the priesthood June 8 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in
Austin. For information, contact (512) 949-2430 or [email protected].
Opportunities for teens and youth
Servus Dei, a service-oriented retreat, will be held June 20-22 at St. Austin
Parish in Austin. Servus Dei provides prayer experiences, engaging learning
activities based on the life of Jesus and Catholic social teaching and introduces
young adolescents to service as an integral part of Christian discipleship. For
more information, talk to the youth minister at your local parish.
TEC, an inter-generational retreat movement, will host its fth retreat, June
29–July 1, at Eagle’s Wings Retreat Center in Burnet. This retreat is open to all
who are 17 or older (those in high school must be in at least their junior year).
The cost for the weekend is $100; scholarships are available for those who need
assistance. Visit www.tec-ctx.org for more information.
Cross Training 2013 is scheduled for July 18-21 at Eagle’s Wings Retreat
Center in Burnet. This retreat for ninth graders during the 2013-2014 school
year is designed to prepare Catholic teens for the rigors of high school by arming them with the tools of their faith. The cost for the weekend is $185. Visit
https://scan.me/k2ncvb to register.
For more information on these events, contact the diocesan Youth Ofce at
(512) 949-2464 or [email protected].
MEDICAL SERVICES
DIRECTORY
WEIGHT LOSS
Ideal Weight Loss
Medical Clinics
This will be your LAST Diet
No drugs 100% natural Medically monitored
Lose ONLY fat Preserve lean muscle
Anthony Hicks, MD, MPH
4100 Duval Rd., Bldg IV, Ste 202, Austin
(512) 577-6181
12912 Hill Country Blvd, Bldg F, Ste 238, Austin
(512) 470-9470
To advertise in the Catholic Spirit Medical Services Directory, call (512) 949-2443,
or e-mail [email protected].
www.LastDietATX.com
OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
OPTOMETRY
ORTHODONTICS
The Vitae Clinic
Oak Hill
Eye Care
Braces for Children and Adults
Jeremy Kalamarides, D.O.
The Jefferson Building
1600 W. 38th St, Ste 115
Austin, TX 78731
512-458-6060
The Vitae Clinic, Inc., provides wellness, prenatal, delivery and
postnatal care for women, expectant mothers and babies in accord
with the teachings of the Catholic Church in conformity with the
Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare services.
Examination & Treatment
of Eye Disease
Lasik Surgery
Contact Lenses & Optical
David W. Tybor, O.D.
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
(512) 288-0444
6000 W. William Cannon
Bldg A, Suite 100, Austin
www.oakhilleyecare.com
Michael Dillingham, D.D.S.
2 convenient locations in Austin
Call (512) 836-7924 or (512) 447-5194 to
schedule a complimentary consultation
FAMILY PRACTICE
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT
FAMILY & INTERNAL MEDICINE
Joseph M. C. Leary, M.D.
William Stavinoha, M.D.
Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology
Pediatric and Adult
Including Ear Diseases Sinus Surgery
Thyroid and Neck Surgery
6811 Austin Center Blvd., Ste. 300
Austin, Texas 78731
(512) 346-8888
Dominion Family
Healthcare
Family Practice –––– Board Certied
11671 Jollyville Road #102
Austin, TX
(512) 338-5088
www.stavinohamd.com
Board certied in Family
Medicine & Internal Medicine
(512) 834-9999
6301 Parmer Ln. W. Suite 102
Austin,TX 78729-6802
THYROID & ENDOCRINOLOGY
6
CENTRAL TEXAS
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Clergy, volunteers work together to ‘visit prisoners’
BY ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN
In recent years, several parishes have renewed efforts to
minister to the needs of the incarcerated in the six prison units
in Gatesville. Along with other
volunteers from throughout the
Diocese of Austin, they follow
Jesus’ teachings in Matthew
25:36 to visit those in prison.
The lack of a permanent
Catholic presence in Texas prisons –– where about 18 percent
identify themselves as Catholic
–– created the spark for volunteers and area priests to emphasize recruitment efforts in the
Diocese of Austin, said Deacon
E. Generes “Doots” Dufour,
head of the diocesan Criminal
Justice Ministry.
Six of the 15 prisons that are
located in the Diocese of Austin
are in Coryell County, and the
parishes in the county are small,
rural parishes without a lot of
resources.
Gatesville
One of those on the frontline is Father Timothy Vaverek, pastor of Our Lady of
Lourdes Parish in Gatesville,
which has 90 families, as well
as St. Thomas in Hamilton,
which has 40 families. He also
ministers to the 120 Catholics
in the four units in Gatesville,
which has 8,000 inmates.
Volunteers from the other
parishes in the area are a tremendous help, Father Vaverek said.
“There is no way one person can serve all these people
without the support of other
parishes,” he said. “Without
outreach from the parishes,
this cannot happen.”
Deacon Dufour, who is
also chair of Texas Catholic
Correctional Ministers, which
represents prison/jail ministries from each diocese in
Texas, said the spiritual component is necessary for two
reasons: Jesus asked us to do
it and it is necessary for the
rehabilitation of inmates who
will leave prison and have to
function well once they return
to society.
That’s what attracted John
Gilluly, a parishioner at Emmaus Parish in Lakeway, to
prison ministry. Gilluly is a
volunteer and helps Deacon
Dufour at the diocesan Criminal Justice Ministry. He rst
learned of the ministry while
living in Houston 15 years
ago.
“I did a Cursillo and saw
these prayer chains,” he said.
“One third of them were
white. I asked what they
meant. I was told, ‘they were
young offenders in prison
praying for you.’ That just
blew me away. They had nothing to offer us but prayers.”
When he was asked to do
prison ministry, it took him a
year to reply.
“I was skeptical at rst,”
he said. “I was afraid I’d be
judgmental, but God planted
the seed in my heart.”
He still remembers one
inmate he met at a four-day
KAIROS ecumenical retreat
he attended in the maximumsecurity Eastham Unit in
Lovelady.
“This guy was in for 25
years for murder,” Gilluly
said. “He said his one purpose
had been to get out and take
out the guy who had put him
in there. After the retreat, he
talked about forgiveness. It
was a very moving experience.”
When Gilluly retired and
moved to Lakeway in 2005, he
contacted Deacon Dufour to
volunteer.
Deacon Dufour, who has
been working in prison ministry since 1986, likes to paraphrase Luke 10:2: The harvest
is abundant, but the laborers
are few.
Working together
The numbers are staggering. One in nine men in Texas
is either in jail or prison, on
probation or parole or involved in the criminal justice
system in some manner. Within the diocese, about one-fth
of the 25,000 incarcerated are
lapsed or cultural Catholics,
Deacon Dufour said.
Few people are as forgotten
as those in jail, he said. There
is no excusing the crimes they
have committed, but they are
children of God who need to
be fed spiritually.
The church teaches that correctional ministry begins with
the recognition that the dignity
of the human person applies
to both victim and offender.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in their document,
“Responsibility, Rehabilitation,
and Restoration: A Catholic
Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice,” state that “We
are guided by the paradoxical
Catholic teaching on crime and
punishment: We will not tolerate the crime and violence that
threatens the lives and dignity of
our sisters and brothers, and we
will not give up on those who
have lost their way. We seek
both justice and mercy. Working together, we believe our
faith calls us to protect public
JOHN
GILLULY
(left) and
Deacon
Doots Dufour
staff the diocesan Ofce of
Criminal Justice Ministry.
They work
with parishes
to recruit
volunteers to
help minister
to inmates in
jails and prisons. (Photo
by Enedelia
J. Obregón)
safety, promote the common
good, and restore community.
We believe a Catholic ethic of
responsibility, rehabilitation
and restoration can become the
foundation for the necessary
reform of our broken criminal
justice system.”
Deacon Dufour said most
people who are incarcerated
have several things in common:
they dropped out of school, they
grew up in homes where there
was abuse and neglect, they
have a history of drug or alcohol
abuse or addiction, there is no
father present in their daily lives
and they had no spiritual life.
“The spiritual element is
important to rehabilitation,”
he said. “But they’ve had bad
lives. Even when saying the Our
Father we have to be careful
because for many of them their
fathers were a bunch of rats.”
Volunteers
Byron Johnson is a distinguished professor of the Social
Sciences and director of the
Institute for Studies of Religion
and director of the Program on
Pro-social Behavior at Baylor
University. He has written extensively on religion and rehabilitation in prison.
In his book, “More God,
Less Crime,” he argues that faith
communities can help address
crime, offender rehabilitation
and the aftercare programs that
former prisoners need.
Perhaps the best known
such program is the Prison
Fellowship, started in 1976
by Chuck Colson of Nixon
and Watergate infamy after he
served time in federal prison.
The Protestant ministry ––
with eager ministers and their
own funding –– came to Texas
prisons in 1997 and launched
a program called InnerChange
Freedom Initiative. In a January
2012 article in “Corrections Today” magazine, Johnson noted
the success of the program.
A study that took six years to
complete showed that prisoners who graduated from the IFI
program had re-arrest rates of
17.3 percent compared to 50
percent for those who had not
participated.
Recidivism is a big problem,
Deacon Dufour said. Prisoners
do not have the skills necessary
to live in society. Through their
ministry, volunteers serve as
mentors who model the positive
behaviors they will need to participate in society. Deacon Dufour
also works with prison guards on
how to promote pro-social values
based in mutual respect and effective communication.
“That type of training needs
to go all the way up the chain of
command,” he said.
Father Tom Chamberlain
began his prison ministry in
1998 while a pastor in Taylor
and continues doing so now as
pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Temple.
“It’s a challenge,” he said.
“Volunteers have to drive great
distances. It’s time consuming.
And it can be frustrating …”
Even though volunteers make
plans ahead of time, there can be
last minute changes, which may
mean they are turned away when
they get to the prison to work
with the inmates, he said. There
may be a prison-wide lockdown
or a unit may be locked down or
maybe the person one is mentoring is not allowed out for an
infraction.
Real changes
But Father Chamberlain,
who often goes monthly to the
women’s units in Gatesville to
offer Mass and hear confessions,
said he has noticed one recurring issue: sexual abuse from
their father gure or partner.
“They also need consistency,” Father Chamberlain said.
“They always ask, ‘are you going to be here next time?’ They
haven’t had consistency in their
lives.”
He also said that most in-
mates are genuine in their desire
to change.
“Some real changes happen
when they go to confession,” he
said. “It’s a good opportunity
to develop a relationship with
God.”
Father Chris Downey, pastor
of Holy Family Parish in Copperas Cove, said about half of
his pool of 12 volunteers visit the
Gatesville units once a month.
That includes the Mountain View
Unit, death row for women, including two Catholics.
“There is always a long line
for confession,” Father Downey
said.
The incarcerated people are
“hungry” for spiritual nourishment, he said. He and his volunteers offer the sacraments and
catechesis, including condensed
versions of RCIA. Retreats are
also offered.
“Jesus told us on the last day
how we are going to be judged,”
he said. “If you love Jesus, you
take care of the least of our
brothers and sisters. They can’t
come to us, so we have to go
to them. We can’t witness if we
don’t visit.”
Father Downey said we
need to remember that none
of us deserve God’s mercy: it
is a gift.
“What’s the difference between us and them?” he asked.
“We’re all sinners. But civil laws
have put them in prison. But
there are crimes that are not
considered to be against civil
laws that are sins in the eyes of
God … There are many people
in jail who are free interiorly and
there are many people not in jail
who are not free.”
For information in criminal
justice ministry at the diocesan
level, call Deacon Doots Dufour
at (512) 949-2462 or go to www.
austindiocese.org/ofces-ministries/ofces/criminal-justiceofce.
For information on the Texas Catholic Correctional Ministers, go to www.TxCCm.org.
May 2013
CENTRAL TEXAS
7
Advancing the new evangelization with social media
BY ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN
As the global Catholic community welcomes Pope Francis,
how do we use social media to
continue the new evangelization
of our families, parish, friends
–– virtual and physical –– and
the world? That was the challenge presented to the “Catholic
nerds” at an unofcial South by
Southwest Interactive workshop
by Austin Catholic New Media (www.austincnm.com) on
March 12 at St. Mary Cathedral
in Austin.
About 40 tech-savvy faithful
heard from social media gurus
about podcasting, Facebook,
Twitter, blogging and other fairly
new methods of communication.
Workshop presenters included ACNM founders Jason
Elizondo and Chris Williston,
parishioners of St. Thomas More
Parish in Austin, and Cristobal
Almanza of St. William Parish
in Round Rock, who is the site’s
executive director and designer.
They shared their challenges of
launching the website and writing
about their faith in an increasingly
secular world. They organized in
October 2010 and had their website up by February 2011.
“This thing was going to be
about networking,” Elizondo
said about contacting other Catholics through social media. “But
the Holy Spirit took over.”
The organization attracted
other writers, including some
Catholic moms who were blogging independently. He said that
thanks to regular contributions
from several talented writers, the
pressure of writing daily posts has
diminished and has enabled each
writer to post every two weeks or
so instead.
Father Chris Decker, president and chairman of the board
for Catholic Underground (catholicunderground.com) who also
serves as co-host of the site’s
weekly podcast, said that before
taking on any method of social
media the faithful rst have to
discern their role in parish life,
their talents and their personal
mission. It also is very important to be knowledgeable about
church teachings and to be deeply grounded in catechesis, he said.
Only through prayer and discernment can a person determine
if God is calling one to a certain
mission or if it’s just something
one wants to do.
“Just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should,”
said Father Decker, who is a
priest for the Diocese of Baton
Rouge, La. “The hunger of my
heart has to be in harmony with
everything else. When it’s not,
that’s what gets us into trouble.”
Father Ryan Humphries,
managing editor and panelist
for Catholic Underground, said
that as Catholics, we need to ask
ourselves what we can do for the
glory of God with the skills as
well as the faults that God has
given us.
Catholics with social media
skills can use their God-given talents to creatively evangelize and
reach those people in the pews as
well as those who are not at Mass
on Sundays.
“I’m sick and tired of what
is not working in the church
today,” said Father Humphries,
a priest of the Diocese of Alexandria, La. Instead of the negative,
he focused on the thought that
there might be new ways that
do work.
“Why not use social networking for prayer requests?”
he suggested. “Imagine if the
Catechism could be turned into
three-minute YouTube videos?”
Sometimes people get so excited about an idea that they jump
in before praying and discerning.
“You pray,” Father
Humphries said. “If God says
‘wait,’ you have to be willing to
be obedient to God. Don’t stop
practicing your art.” Sometimes
God wants the person or the idea
to mature.
Father Decker said there is
a myth that the church is always
behind the times in embracing
new ideas or technology.
“The church always discerns
things prayerfully,” he said. “The
church is always at the forefront,
but is not always quick to use it.
We always discern how it is to be
used. That takes time.”
Among those in attendance
was Alex Martinez, business
administrator at Our Lady of
Wisdom Parish at Texas State
University in San Marcos. He said
the parish uses Twitter and Facebook to reach as many people as
possible about events happening.
“We’re just trying to keep
up,” Martinez said. “It’s easier
to reach (college students) this
way.”
Martinez said their 700
“likes” on Facebook give them
a very general idea of how many
people have access to what they
post.
Martinez was there with
fellow parishioner Kayla Urbanovsky, who serves as the
parish communications director.
She said trafc was increasing on
the parish website (txstatecatholic.org) as well as on Twitter (@
olwisdomtxstate).
“You can update every time
you need to and people can easily
share stuff about our parish,” she
said. “That way they know what’s
going on.”
That’s a plus for the parish,
which is on the edge of campus
and where students are in and out
throughout the day, she said.
him to read it to grow deeper
in his faith.
“I fell in love with the beauty
of the faith. The teachings are
coherent,” Deacon Cuba said.
He explained that after reading
the catechism, he “got really into
being Catholic,” and wondered
if God was calling him to the
priesthood. Not knowing how
to become a priest, he turned
to the Internet, where a website
advised him that most large cities have vocation directors. He
decided to track down the one
for Austin. At that time, Father
David Konderla was the vocation
director for the diocese.
“He is a good model of a
happy priest. His happiness was
contagious. I saw the possibility
of living such a happy life, and
entered the seminary after high
school,” Deacon Cuba said.
In addition to the responsibilities of seminary life, Deacon
Cuba served in the U.S. Navy
Reserve for three years. He has
traveled extensively, visiting Costa Rica, which he particularly enjoyed, most of western Europe,
Canada and Korea. He even
speaks some Korean.
After ordination, Deacon
Cuba looks forward to preaching
and teaching, and believes that
a priest has a great privilege and
responsibility in serving people
in times of joy and sorrow and
through the sacraments. He also
looks forward to the administrative responsibilities of the ofce,
and he admits that he is a bit
unusual in that regard.
Originally from Abia State
in southeastern Nigeria, Deacon
Augustine Ariwaodo, age 36,
marvels that God’s plans for his
life brought him to the Austin
Diocese. He considers St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Pugerville
his home parish. He is the son
of Monica and Matthias, who is
deceased. One of six children,
Deacon Ariwaodo grew up in
a devout Catholic family. He
has a brother and sister living
in Nigeria, a sister who is a nun
with the Handmaids of the Holy
Child of Jesus in the United
Kingdom, and another brother
in London. His sister, Joy, whose
name Deacon Ariwaodo says
described her disposition, died in
a car accident in 2003. They had a
close relationship, and he believes
that her prayers in heaven have
helped him on his journey toward
the priesthood. He is hoping his
mother and all his siblings will be
able to attend his ordination.
Deacon Ariwaodo’s father
was a primary school teacher and
assistant to his pastor.
“I was surrounded by different priests and nuns. I just loved
the way they served people.
That’s what I wanted to do,” he
said. Considering the priesthood
at a young age, he was especially
inuenced by the stories he heard
about a deceased pastor, who was
known for his sanctity and selfless service.
In 2005, he received a degree
in theology from the Pontical
Urban University in Rome, which
was afliated with his seminary in
Nigeria. In 2008, he came to the
U.S. to attend a friend’s ordination, and was asked to continue
as a seminarian for the Diocese
of Savannah, Ga., studying at St.
Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa.
Shortly afterwards, he transferred
to the Austin Diocese, which
now feels like home to him. He
expressed his appreciation for
the welcome and support he has
received, and he is in the process
of becoming an American citizen.
Hoping to return these blessings, Deacon Ariwaodo said, “I
want to be an inspiring presence,
a good example, just like the
priest I heard about. I want to
help people realize that God is
present in their midst. He loves
them and is closer than they
could ever imagine.”
Deacon Ventura Alejandro (Alex) Caudillo, age 32,
was born in Mexico and came
to the U.S. when he was 15 with
his parents, who sought better
educational opportunities for
their children. The youngest
of 13 children, he is the son of
José and Maria, who is deceased.
He hopes that his father, who
lives in Mexico, and most of his
siblings will be able to attend his
ordination.
After arriving in the in U.S.,
Deacon Caudillo lived in Tyler
for a short time, moved to Cali-
fornia, and then came to Waco in
1998. St. Francis on the Brazos is
his home parish. He graduated
from Midway High School, attended McLennan Community
College and received a bachelor’s
degree in social work from the
University of Texas at Arlington.
Deacon Caudillo had been
away from the church for a period of time, and credits God,
some powerful spiritual experiences and his search for meaning with bringing him back. He
became very involved with parish
life, serving as a lector, a member
of the RCIA team and an extraordinary minister of holy Communion. He also visited the sick and
was involved in retreats and the
religious education program.
He believes that three things
led him to listen and respond to
God’s call to the priesthood: he
wanted to lead a life of meaning and purpose; others asked
and encouraged him to consider
becoming a priest; and nally,
the example of a priest he knew
transformed the idea of becoming a priest into the desire to
become a priest.
Deacon Caudillo praised the
formation process with helping
the seminarians discover what
God calls them to do as priests.
He said that he wants “to serve
others, to be there when they
have difficult times and need
somebody to trust, and help
them know that with God, there
is something better in life.”
ORDAIN
Continued from Page 3
mation technology for the city
of Georgetown, as a part-time
musician and performing in a
chamber group. He entered the
seminary in 2007. In addition
to his studies and formation for
the priesthood, seminary life
also gave him the opportunity to
improve his organ playing skills.
Although his parents had a
period of adjustment to Deacon
Nolt’s conversion, today they are
proud that he is dedicating his life
to God as a priest.
“My years of discernment
and formation have impressed on
me how much priestly formation
is a family affair. It is humbling to
receive the prayers of the Christian faithful during this time,”
Deacon Nolt said.
After ordination, he looks
forward to being part of a parish family, serving them through
Mass and the sacraments, and
helping them in their times of
need.
Born and raised in Austin,
Deacon Barry Cuba, age 27,
considers St. Catherine of Siena
his home parish. A graduate of
James Bowie High School, he is
the son of Karen Cuba, and has
a younger sister.
During his early high school
years, Deacon Cuba worked
in a grocery store and thought
he might continue in a management career through the
store chain. A friend gave him
a copy of the “Catechism of the
Catholic Church” and advised
CENTRAL TEXAS
8
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
School community builds St. Joseph altar
BY MARY P. WALKER
St. Joseph Catholic School
in Bryan was established in
1894. Under the inspiration
of its patron saint, the school
has a rich history of educating
youth and serving the community. On March 19, the
feast of St. Joseph, husband
of Mary, the school community set out to honor him in
a special way. After talking to
parents and doing some research, secondary school principal Jennifer Pelletier learned
about the Sicilian custom of
building and decorating an
altar in gratitude to St. Joseph
for his love and generosity.
With many Catholics of
this heritage living in the Bryan/College Station area, she
felt that creating a St. Joseph
altar would be a communitybuilding experience that reinforced the classroom lessons.
“It is vital in our culture
that the students be steeped
in all the traditions of the
church. They need to have
a solid foundation of traditions and experiences to turn
to when their faith is challenged,” Pelletier said.
The custom of the altar
is believed to have originated
in the 1500s in Sicily. After
praying to St. Joseph for rain,
farmers created a three-tiered
altar in thanksgiving. Prayer,
feasting and feeding the poor
were part of the celebration.
When families of Italian and
Sicilian heritage came to the
U.S., they brought this custom
with them.
Traditionally, the altar is
draped in white and decorated with statues, confectionary
masterpieces and owers. Figs,
plentiful in Sicily, are used in
large decorated cookies. Each
cookie represents a saint or religious symbol and has a spiritual
meaning. Every year, families in
the Bryan/College Station area
sponsor altars, and the school
drew from their expertise to
build their own.
With ambitious plans, the
students, parents, faculty, staff
and members of the community went to work. Spring
break was the week before
the feast day, and many took
their time off to come back to
school to help. The gym was
the only area big enough to
accommodate the construction of the altar, the feast day
Mass, and the traditional meal
following the Mass. Boy Scout
Troop 383 led the effort to
put protective covering on
the oor and constructed the
structure of the altar.
Women with years of
experience patiently taught
a group of middle and high
school girls how to make the
traditional fig cookies. Mary
Cash, one of these experts,
has three generations of altar
memories. Her grandmother, mother and other family
members created altars. She
wants to make sure the tradition continues and enjoyed
passing on her knowledge to
the students. The intricacy of
WITH THE ASSISTANCE of the community, the students, teachers and families of St. Joseph Catholic
School in Bryan constructed a St. Joseph altar in the
school gym. (Photos courtesy Patty Blaszak)
McCaffrey and Father Ryan
Higdon blessed the altar and
celebrated Mass.
After Mass, the feasting
began with rituals handed
The meal itself was a delicious spiritual meditation full
of symbolism. Because the
feast occurs during Lent, spaghetti with meatless sauce is
“It is vital in our culture that the students be steeped in
all the traditions of the church. They need to have a solid
foundation of traditions and experiences to turn to when
their faith is challenged,”
–– Jennifer Pelletier, principal of St. Joseph Catholic High School in Bryan
the cookies required the use
of specially crafted tools.
“They caught on so fast.
They are very creative,” Cash
said. Other volunteers donated
homemade cookies, pastries and
cakes to ll the altar.
In addition to creating the
altar, the school made a special
effort to be spiritually prepared
for the feast of St. Joseph. Prior
to the feast, they made a nineweek novena to the saint, and
prayed the rosary in Italian.
On the feast day, Msgr. John
down for centuries. Three students, representing members
of the Holy Family, processed
through the gym, stopping
and asking for food and shelter. They were refused at the
rst two stops. On their third
try, they were invited to sit
at a table and were served a
festive meal. Other students,
each representing a particular
saint, were also served. After
the Holy Family and the saints
ate, the rest of the students
enjoyed their meal.
the traditional main course.
Bread crumbs, representing
the sawdust of St. Joseph’s
work as a carpenter, are sprinkled on top. Hardboiled eggs,
representing new life, are added to the plate. Students bearing trays of the homemade
cakes, cookies and pastries
circulated through the gym,
making dessert the favorite
part of the meal.
Junior Ellie Lipscomb represented St. Peregrine, the patron saint of cancer patients.
This saint has special significance for her because her
mother is undergoing cancer
treatment.
“It was an honor to be
picked as a saint and know
that the school is there for
students going through difcult times. It showed that the
school community will help us
get through these challenges,”
Lipscomb said.
Pelletier believes the success of this year’s altar establishes it as a new tradition at
the school. Freshmen Mary
Starnes was one of the students who learned to make
the g cookies, and she served
desserts to her fellow students.
“The altar was a good reminder to me that as Catholics
we have to go out and serve
the community. The experience of serving strengthened
my relationship with other
students, and helped build up
the family atmosphere in the
school,” Starnes said.
Catholic Campaign for Human Development can help you...
CCHD GRANT
APPLICATIONS
Available: Sept. 1
Due: Nov. 1
Trips to Scotland, France, Ireland, Shrines of Europe and much more...
ranging from $3,599—$4,699 for 2013.
Prices are ALL-INCLUSIVE w/airfare from anywhere in the continental USA
Visit www.NCRLC.com to learn more about CCHD grant guidelines,
success stories, and grant writing resources.
NATIONAL CATHOLIC RURAL LIFE CONFERENCE
provides free consulting services to rural nonproﬁt organizations
interested in applying for national CCHD grants.
Call: (515) 270-2634. Email: [email protected] or [email protected].
Italy/Switzerland: Jun. 15-27, Jun. 22-Jul. 4, Jun. 29-Jul. 11, Jul. 6-18 …
Italy Regular: Jun. 15-23, Jun. 22-30, Jun. 29-Jul. 7, Jul. 6-14, Aug. 31-Sep. 8 ...
Holy Land: Jun. 10-20, Jun. 17-27, Jun. 24-Jul 4, Aug. 26-Sep. 5, Sep. 2-12 ...
Holy Land/Italy: Jun. 10-23, Jun. 17-30, Jun. 24-Jul. 7, Jul. 1-14, Aug. 26-Sep. 8 …
Ireland/Scotland: Jun. 15-27, Jun. 22-Jul. 4, Jun. 29-Jul. 11, Jul. 20-Aug. 1 …
Italy/Lourdes/Fatima: Jun. 15-27, Jun. 22-Jul. 4, Jun. 29-Jul. 11, Jul. 6-18 …
713-393-7161 | 855-842-8001
www.proximotravel.com
Carmela A. Dupuis - Executive Director
email: [email protected]
May 2013
CENTRAL TEXAS
9
CENTRAL TEXAS
10
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
College students spend spring break helping others
BY MICHELE CHAN SANTOS
CORRESPONDENT
Most people associate college students on spring break
with parties on the beach. But
for hundreds of Catholic college
students in the Austin Diocese,
spring break this year meant
volunteering on a mission trip in
another state or country, helping
those in need.
Alison Tate, the diocesan
director of Youth, Young Adults
and Campus Ministry, said mission trips give students the opportunity to learn about the
church, as well as justice and
mercy on a different level.
“When students travel on a
mission trip, they get involved
with justice they learn about in
the Gospel and in Catholic social
teaching. These immersive service experiences promote justice
and peace and raise consciousness of social issues on campus
and among their peers,” she said.
Whether they were rebuilding
tornado-ravaged neighborhoods
in Joplin, Mo., serving the poor
in Honduras, assisting kids at
an inner-city elementary school
in Chicago or building houses
in Belize, the students devoted
their time, hard work and energy
to improving the lives of others.
Many campuses throughout the
diocese sent students to do good
works; here is a sample of what
some of them did.
Joplin
On May 22, 2011, a tornado
struck Joplin, killing 161 people
and destroying a third of the city,
including the high school and St.
John’s Regional Medical Center
(which are both being rebuilt).
The tornado caused more than
$2 billion in damage.
Troy Menendez, a senior at
Texas A&M University majoring
in mechanical engineering and an
intern at St. Mary Catholic Center
AGGIES
from St. Mary
Catholic Center in College
Station spent
their Spring
Break helping rebuild
homes in Joplin, Mo. The
town is still
suffering from
the effects
of a tornado
that ripped
through
nearly two
years ago.
(Photo courtesy of Troy
Menendez)
in College Station, led a group of
10 students on a trip to Joplin.
“We’ve been doing a domestic mission trip every year since
Hurricane Katrina,” Menendez
said. “We chose Joplin because
the town is still very much recovering from the tornado.”
For a week, the students
volunteered with Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, doing
home repair and reconstruction.
“In Joplin, there are a lot of
empty lots with bare basements.
We helped clean some of those
up,” Menendez said. “Joplin is
in a semi-forested area but where
the tornado struck there is not a
single tree. You can still see the
path of the tornado.”
The students enjoyed getting
to know the people of Joplin.
“It was wonderful how grateful the community was, how welcoming everyone was,” Menendez said. “People would come
up to us all the time and thank
us for being there. I think we
all admired the resilience of the
people in Joplin, how they have
been able to persevere.”
Honduras
Father Will Straten, the associate pastor at St. Mary Catholic
Center in College Station, and
Rachael Cadena, a campus minister at St. Mary, led a group of 13
to Honduras.
“It was an evangelization
mission,” Father Straten said.
“In Honduras a lot of people live
in the hills in small villages. The
area we went to had only one
priest, who oversees 100 village
missions. Because there are so
many, he only gets to them two
times a year. We went to do little
missions in those towns.”
The volunteers from A&M
and another group went into the
remote mountain villages to give
separate programs for children,
youth and adults.
Some of the topics were
“What is Lent,” “How to Love
STUDENTS from
St. Edward’s
University in Austin
volunteer with the
Little Sisters of the
Poor in Denver
during their spring
break. (Photo courtesy St. Edward’s
University)
and Respect One Another,”
and teaching the children praise
and worship songs with hand
motions. Some of the students
spoke Spanish and there were
translators for the other students.
Father Straten stayed very
busy celebrating the sacraments.
Because the towns do not see a
priest very often, he celebrated
Mass and administered the sacrament of anointing of the sick
many times. He took care of
many baptisms and first Holy
communions as well.
The greatest spiritual lesson
for the students was “the realization that even though they might
not speak the language they could
all speak the language of love. One
of our students mentioned that.
You could smile, sing, color, play
with the children,” Father Straten
said. “To realize that even with the
language barrier and cultural barrier we are still one church.”
Eleven missions
The Alternative Spring Break
program at St. Edward’s University in Austin was very successful,
sending a total of 105 St. Edward’s students, faculty, staff and
alumni on 11 different service
trips, held in locations across the
country and in Canada.
Liza Manjarrez, assistant director of campus ministry at St.
Edward’s, said the trips provide
opportunities for students to
practice their faith through service.
“Our four pillars are doing
justice, living simply, engaging
spiritually and building community,” Manjarrez said. “For at least
10 years we’ve been engaged in
service to different communities.
In the last ve years the program
has more than doubled in size.”
The alternative spring break
trips were Apache Awareness
–– volunteering with the White
Mountain Apache Tribe in White
River, Ariz.; Border Experience
–– working with local groups
that assist immigrants in El Paso;
Entertaining Angels –– helping
at-risk youth in Los Angeles,
Calif.; Gulf Coast Recovery ––
helping with oil spill recovery
in Louisiana; Homelessness and
Hospitality –– working at Andre
House, a shelter for the homeless in Phoenix, Ariz.; Hurricane
Katrina Relief –– building homes
with Habitat for Humanity in
Biloxi, Miss.; Inner City Education –– tutoring and counseling
at a school in New York City;
Mile High Poverty –– assisting
the homeless in Denver, Colo.;
Poverty in Appalachia –– volunteering with nonprots to help in
the poor in Appalachia; and Urban Immersion –– doing service
at local agencies and a school in
inner-city Chicago. The nal trip
brought students to Montreal,
Canada, to work at the L’Arche
Community, an organization that
assists adults with mental and
physical disabilities.
The trips have a genuine and
deep impact on the students,
Manjarrez said. She organizes the
trips for St. Edward’s and went
on the Apache Awareness trip
this year.
“It’s easy to talk about Catholic social teaching from the outside. It’s so different when we
can put a face to that name,” she
said. “Now, when we talk about
immigration, it’s not a faceless
issue anymore. When we learn
about people who are homeless,
students have said, ‘I know their
names and their stories and their
story enriches my life.’”
Continued Manjarrez, “We
hope they can take the lessons
they learn on the trip and apply
them in other parts of their lives.”
Belize
Nine students from the University Catholic Center at the
University of Texas in Austin
traveled to Belize City, Belize,
to volunteer with Hand in Hand
Ministries, an international organization that helps the poor.
While many Americans think
of Belize as a popular cruise
destination, what they don’t realize is that 65 percent of Belize’s
residents live in extreme poverty.
“In Belize, Hand in Hand
Ministries builds houses and
volunteer groups do most of the
labor,” said Lindsay Wilcox, a
campus minister at the University
Catholic Center. Wilcox organized the trip and accompanied
the students.
“We did a little bit of everything –– sawing lumber, roong,
painting,” Wilcox said.
The volunteers with Hand in
Hand purchase materials for the
home and help construct it. The
recipients of the houses must
provide proof of ownership of
a piece of land, help with the
building of their home and attend
classes. In the last decade, more
than 180 families who formerly
were living in terrible conditions
have received a decent home
through this program.
The UT students helped an
older couple build their home,
Wilcox said.
Programs like the Spring
Break Mission Trip “are very crucial to what we do,” Wilcox said.
“The students travel and have
some fun and go to new places,
but they go to serve.”
May 2013
IN OUR WORLD
11
Boston cardinal urges for ‘civilization of love’
BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Even though “the culture
of death looms large” today,
the light of Christ the Good
Shepherd “can expel the darkness and illuminate for us a
path that leads to life, to a
civilization of solidarity and
love,” said Boston Cardinal
Sean P. O’Malley.
“I hope that the events of
this past week have taught us
how high the stakes are,” the
cardinal told the congregation at the Cathedral of the
Holy Cross April 21, referring to the Boston Marathon
bombings April 15 and the
subsequent manhunt for the
perpetrators.
“We must build a civilization of love, or there will be
no civilization at all,” Cardinal
O’Malley said in his homily at
the Mass of the Good Shepherd, which he offered for the
repose of the souls of those
killed in the bombings and the
aftermath.
Prayers were also offered
for those physically injured
and “for the brave men and
women who saved countless
lives as rst responders.”
The attack left three people dead and more than 170
people seriously injured. By
April 18, the FBI had identied two brothers who came
to the U.S. years ago as from
the Russian region of Chechnya –– Tamerlan Tsarnaev,
26, and Dzhokar Tsarnaev,
19.
The two men terrorized
the Boston area overnight
April 18. While they were on
the run, they fatally shot Officer Sean Collier, who was
with the campus police force
at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. Tamerlan was
shot dead by police, and by
the evening of April 19 they
apprehended Dzhokar, whom
they found hiding in a boat in
a backyard. He was severely
wounded and as of April 22
remained hospitalized in serious condition.
In his homily, Cardinal
O’Malley talked of how Jesus,
before he was crucied, said:
“They will strike the shepherd
and the sheep will scatter.”
“That is what happened to
his disciples after the Crucixion, as they scattered in fear,
doubt and panic,” the cardinal
said.
“On Easter, the Good
Shepherd returns to gather
the scattered; Mary Magdalene in grief, Thomas in
doubt, Peter in betrayal,” he
continued. “We too are scattered and need the assurance
of the Good Shepherd, who
lays down his life for us, who
comes to gather us in our
scattered in our brokenness
and pain, scattered by failed
marriages, lost employment,
estranged children, illness, the
death of a loved one, soured
relationships, disappointments
and frustrations.”
When the bombings occurred and in the days that
followed “we are all scattered
by the pain and horror of the
senseless violence perpetrated
on Patriot’s Day,” Cardinal
O’Malley said.
He recalled that April 14,
the Sunday before the marathon and the Massachusetts
civic holiday on which it always takes place, the priest
saying the 11:30 a.m. Mass at
AN EARLY
MORNING runner
pauses April 21
to say a prayer
at a memorial to
the victims of the
Boston Marathon
bombings near
the scene of the
blasts on Boylston
Street in Boston.
(CNS photo by Jim
Bourg, Reuters)
the cathedral “led a special
blessing for the many runners
who participated in the Mass.”
A week later, the congregation included some of
those injured in the attack and
“those who witnessed the terrible events that unfolded at
the finish line of the marathon,” Cardinal O’Malley said.
“Everyone was profoundly
affected by the wanton violence and destruction inicted
upon our community by two
young men unknown to all of
us,” he said.
“It is very difcult to understand what was going on in
the young men’s minds, what
demons were operative, what
ideologies or politics or the
perversion of their religion. It
was amazing to witness, however, how much goodness and
generosity were evidenced in
our community as a result of
the tragic events they perpetrated,” he added.
In recent days, “we have
U.S. PRESIDENT Barack Obama talks to Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston during the
“Healing Our City” interfaith memorial service April 18 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross
for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. (CNS photo by Brian Snyder, Reuters )
experienced a surge in civic
awareness and sense of community,” Cardinal O’Malley
said. “It has been inspiring to
see the generous and at times
heroic responses to the Patriot’s Day violence.
“Our challenge is to keep
this spirit of community alive
going forward. As people of
faith, we must commit ourselves to the task of community building.”
He urged his listeners to
heed what Jesus teaches in the
Gospel –– “that we must care
for each other, especially the
most vulnerable; the hungry,
the sick, the homeless, the
foreigner; all have a special
claim on our love.”
“We must be a people of
reconciliation, not revenge.
The crimes of the two young
men must not be the justication for prejudice against
Muslims and against immigrants,” he emphasized. “The
Gospel is the antidote to the
‘eye for an eye and tooth for a
tooth’ mentality.”
After Mass, when asked
about the fate of suspect
Dzhokar Tsarnaev if found
guilty of the bombings, Cardinal O’Malley told reporters
the Catholic Church opposes
the death penalty, “which I
think is one further manifestation of the culture of death in
our midst.”
In his homily, he reminded
his listeners of the parable of
the good Samaritan, a story,
he said, “about helping one’s
neighbor when that neighbor was from an enemy tribe,
a foreign religion, a hostile
group.”
“We know so little about the
two young men who perpetrated
these heinous acts of violence.
One said he had no friends in
this country, the other said his
chief interests were money and
his career,” Cardinal O’Malley
said. “People need to be part
of a community to lead a fully
human life.
“As believers one of our
tasks is to build community,
to value people more than
money or things, to recognize
in each person a child of God,
made in the image and likeness of our Creator.”
He added, “The individualism and alienation of our
age has spawned a culture of
death. Over a million abortions a year is one indication
of how human life has been
devalued. Violent entertainment, lms and video games
have coarsened us and made
us more insensitive to the pain
and suffering of others.
“The inability of the
Congress to enact laws that
control access to automatic
weapons is emblematic of the
pathology of our violent culture.”
He said “the innocent victims who perished this week
–– Martin Richard, Krystle
Campbell, Lu Lingzi and Ofcer Sean Collier, will live in
eternity.”
“Life is not ended, merely
changed –– that is the message of Easter. As (the Rev.)
Martin Luther King expressed,
‘Death is a comma, not a period at the end of a sentence,’”
Cardinal O’Malley said.
A private funeral Mass for
Krystle Campbell, 29, was celebrated the morning of April
22 at St. Joseph Church in
Medford. At the request of
the family, no media were allowed inside the church for
the Mass.
An overow crowd lled
St. Ann Parish in Dorchester for the April 21 Mass to
remember 8-year-old Martin
Richard and where mourners prayed for his family and
for the other victims of the
bombings and their families.
IN OUR WORLD
12
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
At ordination, pope says Jesus’ voice is unique
BY CINDY WOODEN
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Before ordaining 10 men to
the priesthood, Pope Francis
prayed privately with them in
the sacristy and entrusted them
to Mary’s care.
The private moment April
21 was a repeat of a practice he
began as bishop before celebrating an ordination Mass, according to Vatican Radio.
The 10 new priests –– six
Italians, two Indians, a Croatian and an Argentine –– had
prepared for the priesthood in
one of three Rome diocesan
seminaries.
Pope Francis’ homily, the
Vatican said, was basically the
text suggested for ordinations by
the Italian bishops’ conference,
although Pope Francis added
personal remarks and observations as he delivered it.
He told the new priests they
would have “the sacred duty of
teaching in the name of Christ
the teacher. Impart to everyone
the word of God which you
have received with joy.”
The pope, who frequently mentions the wisdom and
lessons he learned from his
grandmother, told the men,
“Remember your mothers, your
grandmothers, your catechists,
who gave you the word of God,
the faith –– the gift of faith.”
“Meditating on the law of
the Lord, see that you believe
what you read, that you teach
what you believe and that you
practice what you teach,” he
said. “Remember, too,” he added, “that the word of God is
not your property; it is the word
of God. And the church is the
custodian of the word of God.”
In looking at the pastoral
and sacramental ministry the
men will be called to carry out,
Pope Francis told them to “never tire of being merciful” in
gathering people into the church
through baptism and forgiving
sins in the name of Christ and
the church.
“You will comfort the sick
and the elderly with holy oil,” he
said. “Do not hesitate to show
tenderness toward the elderly.”
Pope Francis told the new
priests to remember they are chosen from among the faithful and
“appointed on their behalf for
those things that pertain to God.
Therefore, carry out the ministry
of Christ the priest with constant
joy and genuine love, attending
not to your own concerns, but to
those of Jesus Christ.”
“You are pastors, not functionaries,” he told them. “Be
mediators, not intermediaries.”
The ordinations are traditionally part of the pope’s celebration of the World Day of
Prayer for Vocations, which
takes place on the fourth Sunday
of Easter each year when the
Gospel reading presents Jesus
as the good shepherd.
Reciting the “Regina Coeli” prayer at midday with tens
of thousands of people in St.
Peter’s Square, Pope Francis
said the day’s Gospel says the
sheep hear Jesus’ voice and
follow him. “This is a beautiful
parable.”
“The mystery of the voice
is striking; from the time we are
in our mother’s womb we learn
to recognize her voice and that
of our dad,” he said. “From the
tone of a voice we can perceive
love or contempt, affection or
coldness.”
“The voice of Jesus is
unique,” Pope Francis said. “If
we learn to distinguish it, he will
guide us on the path of life, a
path that leads us even beyond
the abyss of death.”
The pope asked young peoPOPE FRANCIS embraces one of the 10 priests he
ple to listen carefully for Jesus’
ordained in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican April 21.
voice and to ask for help in dis(CNS photo by Paul Haring)
cerning his call, his plan for their
lives, and then have the courage began chanting the pope’s name the greeting,” he said. “But greet
in Italian –– “Francesco.”
Jesus, too. Shout ‘Jesus, Jesus’
to follow him.
“Thank you very much for loudly.”
Young people in the square
Pope: Jesus never disppoints, never deceives
BY CINDY WOODEN
Following Jesus isn’t complicated, but it may take courage and it always requires recognizing that human beings
aren’t God, Pope Francis said
in two of his morning Mass
homilies.
The pope celebrated Mass
April 20 with volunteers who
work at a Vatican pediatric
clinic for immigrants and for
the poor, and April 22 with
the staff of the Vatican press
ofce. Both Masses were held
in the chapel of the Domus
Sanctae Marthae, where the
pope lives.
“Sometimes we are
tempted to be too much our
own bosses and not humble
children and servants of the
Lord,” the pope said during
the April 22 Mass, according
to Vatican Radio.
In the day’s Gospel reading (Jn 10:1-10), Jesus describes himself as the “gate
for the sheep” and talks about
POPE FRANCIS gestures as he leaves his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on April 10.
(CNS photo by Paul Haring)
thieves and robbers who try to
climb over or under the fence
to get into the sheepfold.
Pope Francis said there
is a constant temptation to
“nd other gates or windows
for entering into the kingdom
of God, but one can enter
only through that gate called
Jesus.”
Even within the Christian
community, he said, there are
“climbers,” who want to give
themselves glory or choose
a path to happiness that isn’t
Christ.
“Some of you may say:
‘Father, you’re a fundamentalist!’ No, simply put, this is
what Jesus said,” the pope
told the congregation. Jesus
is “a beautiful gate, a gate of
love, a gate that does not deceive, is not false. He always
tells the truth, but with tenderness and love.”
The way to show that you
have entered the fold through
Christ, he said, is to be living
examples of the beatitudes ––
“be poor, be meek, be just”
–– and “do what Matthew 25
says” by feeding the hungry,
welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the
sick and visiting prisoners.
Pope Francis asked the
press ofce employees to join
him in asking God for the
grace to remember always
to knock at the door that is
Christ.
“Sometimes it’s closed ––
we’re sad, we feel desolation,
we have trouble knocking,” he
said. “Do not go looking for
other doors that seem easier,
more comfortable, closer.”
“Jesus never disappoints,”
the pope said. “Jesus never
deceives.”
Two days earlier, celebrating Mass with the pediatric
clinic volunteers, Pope Francis
spoke about “lukewarm Christians,” who –– consciously or
not –– try to build a church to
their own liking, demanding it
measure up to their expectations rather than trying to live
up to its expectations.
The Acts of the Apostles (9:31) describes the early
Christian community as walking “in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of
the Holy Spirit,” which Pope
Francis said means living with
a sense of God’s presence and
in adoration of the Lord.
“When we are in the presence of God, we do not do
bad things or make bad decisions. We are in God’s sight
with joy and happiness,” he
said. “This is the security of
the Holy Spirit, that is the gift
that the Lord has given us ––
this comfort –– that keeps us
going.”
The New Testament also
talks about those who knew
Jesus, followed him a bit and
even admired him, but decided that what he was asking was just too much. They
probably said to themselves,
“We have good sense, don’t
we?” the pope said.
“Good-sense Christians”
keep their distance, he said.
They become “Christian satellites” orbiting around the
church, but not part of it, not
committed to growing in their
faith or helping the church
grow.
“Let us pray for the
church, that it will continue
to grow, unite, walk in the
fear of God and with the security of the Holy Spirit,” he
said. “May the Lord deliver
us from the temptation of
that so-called ‘common sense,’
and from the temptation to
grumble against Jesus because
he is too demanding.”
IN OUR WORLD
May 2013
13
Pope names cardinals to advise on Vatican reform
BY FRANCIS X. ROCCA
Amid rising concerns about
corruption and mismanagement
in the central administration of
the Catholic Church, Pope Francis named an international panel
of cardinals to advise him on
the latest reform of the Vatican
bureaucracy.
The Vatican Secretariat of
State announced April 13 that
the pope had established the
group –– which includes Boston
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley and
Sydney Cardinal George Pell
–– to “advise him in the government of the universal church
and to study a plan for revising
the apostolic constitution on the
Roman Curia, ‘Pastor Bonus.’”
“Pastor Bonus,” published
in 1988, was the last major set of
changes in the Roman Curia, the
church’s central administration
at the Vatican. It was largely an
effort at streamlining by reassigning responsibilities among
various ofces, rather than an
extensive reform.
Complaints about the shortcomings of Vatican governance
increased markedly during 2012
following the “VatiLeaks” of
confidential correspondence
providing evidence of corruption and mismanagement in
various ofces of the Holy See
and Vatican City State. That affair prompted a detailed internal
report, which Pope Benedict
XVI designated exclusively for
the eyes of his successor.
The College of Cardinals extensively discussed the problems
in meetings preceding the conclave that elected Pope Francis
last month. According to the
April 13 Vatican statement, the
suggestion for an advisory panel
on reform arose during those
meetings.
Only one member of the
new panel is a full-time Vatican ofcial: Cardinal Giuseppe
Bertello, president of the commission governing Vatican City
State. All of the others currently
serve as diocesan bishops.
The group’s coordinator is
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras,
who is also president of Caritas
Internationalis, a Vatican-based
umbrella organization for national Catholic charities around
the globe.
The other members are
Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, retired archbishop of
JOE WOLF
Santiago, Chile;
Cardinal Oswald
Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai,
India; Cardinal
Reinhard Marx
of Munich and
Freising, Germany; and Cardinal
Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of
Kinshasa, Congo.
They will
meet for the rst
time Oct. 1-3,
2013, the Vatican
statement said,
but are “currently
in contact” with
Pope Francis.
The panel’s
membership represents ve continents, with the
largest number –– three members –– coming from the Americas. Three members, more than
any other linguistic group, hail
from English-speaking countries
(counting India). Two members
are native speakers of Spanish.
Only one member shares the
Italian nationality of the majority
of Vatican employees.
Both Pope Paul VI and
Blessed John Paul II also named
international panels of cardinals
JODY SUPAK
245-519-1492
[email protected]
Killeen, Harker
Heights, Copperas
Cove, Granger
979-968-5332
[email protected]
LaGrange, Giddings,
Somerville, Texas
A&M
EDDIE MAZUREK
DOUG SUPAK
512-301-1218
edwin.mazurek@
kofc.org
Austin, Smithville,
Blanco, Bastrop,
Wimberley
979-968-5332
douglas.supak@
kofc.org
Bryan-College Station,
Brenham, Caldwell
TED PATAKI
DWAYNE DUNGEN
512-983-6303
theodore.pataki@
kofc.org
Cedar Park, Taylor,
West Austin
979-732-1557
dwayne.dungen@
kofc.org
Fayetteville, Columbus
LOUIS BARRON
CLINT HAJOVSKY
512-750-7491
louis.barron@
kofc.org
Pflugerville, Hutto,
Elgin
254-295-0430
clinton.hajovsky@
kofc.org
Temple, Rockdale,
Hearne, Mexia
PETE PEREZ
RICKY ADAMS
512-743-2315
[email protected]
Central Austin
254-644-2802
ricky.adams@
kofc.org
Waco, West
PHILIP REYNA
CHARLES GUENAT
210-789-9683
philip.reyna@
kofc.org
Round Rock, North
Austin
254-939-1981
charles.guenat@
kofc.org
Temple, Belton
DOUG DEGROOT
WILLIAM JENSEN
512-294-2406
douglas.degroot@
kofc.org
Georgetown, Marble
Falls, Burnet
512-282-2656
william.jensen@
kofc.org
to advise them on curial reform.
A 1986 commission of six cardinals, whose recommendations
contributed to “Pastor Bonus,”
included two Italians, an Austrian,
a Canadian, a Venezuelan and a
Nigerian. All were serving as Vatican ofcials at the time.
The 15-member Council
of Cardinals for the Study of
Organizational and Economic
Problems of the Holy See,
established in 1981, also contributed to the process that
produced “Pastor Bonus.” It
has continued to meet twice
a year, among other reasons
to review the consolidated nancial statements of the Holy
See and Vatican City State.
The Holy See –– whose
major organs consist of the
Secretariat of State, nine congregations, 12 councils and three
tribunals –– employed 2,832
employees as of the end of 2011.
Its nancial statements for 2011
showed a decit equivalent to
about $19.4 million at current
exchange rates.
Put Some Financial Certainty Into Your Life
Did you know the Knights of
Columbus can provide a safe haven
for your retirement funds? We have
alternatives to CDs and money
market accounts, and ways to help
stabilize your IRA or 401(k).
We also offer guaranteed minimum
interest rates. Now is a good time to
secure the wealth that will fund your
future.To learn more, contact your
agent today.
Life Insurance • Disability • Retirement Products • Long-Term Care
There is no more highly rated life insurer in North America
TOM SUPAK AGENCY
SERVING THE AUSTIN DIOCESE
Tom Supak, General Agent
979-968-9800
[email protected]
Call Tom to learn about career opportunities.
IN OUR WORLD
Bishops: Immigration bill on right track, changes sought
14
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
BY PATRICIA ZAPOR
Without getting into specifics, a panel of bishops said
April 22 that a comprehensive
immigration bill introduced the
week before is on the right track,
though they alluded to some
aspects they would like changed.
In a teleconference about
the Border Security, Economic
Opportunity and Immigration
Modernization Act of 2013, or S.
744, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan
of New York also said the fact
that the men believed by police to
be the Boston Marathon bombers were immigrants is “a terribly
unjust and completely irrational
argument” for suggesting immigration reform shouldn’t happen.
About the same time as the
teleconference, the Senate held its
second hearing on the bill, with
tempers aring among Judiciary
Committee members over comments by some senators linking
the bombings with the immigration legislation.
Cardinal Dolan, the president
of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the connection is
awed for several reasons. First,
he said, it’s “illogical, unfair and
unjust” to label an entire class
of hardworking people because
of the actions of a few. Second,
he said, “good, solid, fair im-
PEOPLE RALLY for comprehensive immigration reform
April 10 near the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (CNS photo/
Larry Downing, Reuters)
migration reform” would make
enforcement of immigration
laws easier, because there would
be better records of who the immigrants already here are.
“We’ve been through this
before,” said the cardinal. “When
the Irish came, there were people
who said ‘we can’t let those
Irish in because of those Molly
Maguires.’” He explained that
the Molly Maguires were “a tiny
minority of Irish who did resort
to violence.” The Molly Maguires
were a secret society that operated in Ireland and the U.S. and
were linked to a string of violent
acts in the 19th century.
“What a travesty it would
have been,” to deny immigration
to other Irish because of a small
minority, said Cardinal Dolan,
adding that the angle seems to
have arisen because opponents
of comprehensive immigration
reform “will seize on anything.”
Among concerns with the bill
raised by Cardinal Dolan and two
other bishops on the teleconference were:
• That the requirements for
undocumented immigrants to
participate in a path to citizenship will leave many behind,
said Los Angeles Archbishop
Jose H. Gomez, chairman of the
USCCB’s Committee on Migration. He said the period of time
the bill sets out for immigrants
who are in the country illegally
to get green cards and naturalize
–– 13 years –– is too lengthy
and the cutoff date for arrival
–– Dec. 31, 2011 –– “leaves too
many behind.”
• The bill would end a
system by which U.S. citizens
may petition to bring in certain
family members, including
siblings.
• It includes requirements
for certain border security goals
to be met before provisions allowing people to legalize their
status can kick in. Salt Lake
City Bishop John C. Wester,
chairman of the Committee on
Communications, said 10 years
of ramped-up attention to border security hasn’t stemmed the
tide of immigrants.
Enforcement-only approaches “don’t work if they’re not balanced by humane policies,” said
Bishop Wester.
• The root causes of migration should be included in the
bill. “When are we going to address the push factors, people
escaping poverty,” asked Bishop
Wester. He said attention must
be paid to helping people stay in
their home countries if they so
choose.
Bishop Wester said the way
to ensure a good immigration
reform bill passes is to “get the
human story out.”
“Lots of folks intentionally give wrong and bad information,” said Bishop Wester, saying
facts get skewed “to foment
passion and discord.” Much antiimmigrant sentiment is grounded
in fear, he added, and that fear is
“is put there by people who have
an agenda.”
Cardinal Dolan, whose academic background is in American
history, said there have often
been spasms of anti-immigrant
fervor in the U.S., which “at its
roots, very often, is anti-Catholic
vitriol.”
He said he sees parallels between historic anti-Catholicism
and anti-Muslim sentiment today.
Cardinal Dolan said he recently
met with some New York Muslim leaders who wanted to learn
from the Catholic story of assimilation.
“They were sincere in asking,” he said, “tell us how you did
it. How did (Catholics) become
respected as reliable American
citizens without losing the elements of their faith?”
Cardinal Dolan said Catholics
should be called upon to keep
their antennae up for prejudices
against others that mirror the
struggles Catholics have historically faced.
May 2013
GRADUATION 2013
A letter from Dr. Ned Vanders, Superintendent of Catholic Schools
Dear 2013 Graduates,
Bishop Joe S. Vásquez joins me and the Ofce of Catholic Schools staff in congratulating you on your graduation! The
landmark day will soon be here when you receive your high school diploma. Without a doubt, you will have a host of
family, teachers and friends sitting in the audience proudly watching and remembering, as if yesterday, the rst day of
school and all the other memories that led up to this day. Most likely, you as well will be recalling moments of your past
years, and in almost the same moment, you may be experiencing a little apprehension about going forward in this new
chapter of your life.
As you go forth, may you come to realize the gift of your days spent at a Catholic high school and come to a fuller appreciation of Winston Churchill’s quote, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” You
leave high school with a strong foundation of the teachings of Jesus Christ and a belief that you can make a difference
in the world.
We are most grateful to your parents and guardians for entrusting you to us; and we pray that each of you is prepared
with the faith and academic foundations to sustain you throughout your journey as you move forward to make your
dreams reality. You will be greatly missed! However, it will not be too very long that you, like so many others before you,
will return through our doorways, as alumni or parents, to contribute to the community and life of the Catholic school.
May God bless each of you in the days ahead.
Ned F. Vanders, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Austin
CONGRATULATIONS
To the Class of 2013 Graduates of our six Catholic High Schools:
Your achievement is a great milestone!
Best wishes for the future and
may God bless all your future endeavors.
2IÀFHRI&DWKROLF6FKRROVDQG'LRFHVDQ6FKRRO$GYLVRU\%RDUG
15
GRADUATION 2013
St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin
16
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Interim Principal: Dr. Joan Wagner
Baccalaureate Mass: May 31 at 6 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Austin
Graduation: June 1 at 10 a.m. at St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School Gymnasium
San Juan Diego Catholic High School in Austin
Principal: Pam Jupe
Baccalaureate Mass and
Commencement Exercises: May 28
at 6 p.m. at San José Parish in Austin
Congratulations Class of 2013!
May the Lord prepare for you a blessed future,
guided by the Holy Spirit and strengthened in faith and love.
Talk Radio for Catholic Life
Prayer Line: 1-888-577-5443 | Donor/Listener Line: 1-877-291-0123
GRADUATION 2013
St. Joseph Catholic High School in Bryan
May 2013
17
Principal: Jennifer Pelletier
Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation: May
24 at 6 p.m. at Christ the Good Shepherd
Chapel in Bryan
Reicher Catholic High School in Waco
Principal: Deacon Jeff Heiple
Baccalaureate Mass: May 16
at 6:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart
Parish in Waco
Graduation: May 18 at 5 p.m.
at Waco Hall at Baylor
University in Waco
ENTER TODAY FOR YOUR CHANCE TO
WIN one of two $1,000
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL TUITION FROM
At Catholic school, children learn to shine with a light they carry with them
into the world. We would like to help bring that light into your family. Visit
the website below to enter to WIN one of the two $1,000 scholarships
for Catholic school tuition from Parker School Uniforms. If you are a lucky
winner, you’ll be able to give this great blessing to the student of your choice.
Enter today at www.csdatx.org
GRADUATION 2013
Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Temple
18
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Principal: Dr. Veronica Alonzo
Baccalaureate Mass: May 23 at
7 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe
Parish in Temple
Graduation: June 1 at 2 p.m. at
Holy Trinity Catholic High School
Gymnasium in Temple
St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in Austin
Interim Principal:
Dr. Michael Volonnino
Baccalaureate Mass:
May 31 at 7 p.m. at
Emmaus Parish in
Lakeway
Graduation: June 1
at 11:30 a.m. at St.
Edward’s University
Convocation Center in
Austin
GOOD NEWS
May 2013
19
Bishops call for restrictions on payday lending
BISHOP JOE S.
VÁSQUEZ is the fth
bishop of the Austin
Diocese. He shepherds more than
530,000 Catholics in 25 Central
Texas counties.
Editor: Over the last few
years, you have taken a public
stand to enforce restrictions on
payday lenders in Austin and in
our state. Tell us about this issue.
Bishop Vásquez: Yes, last
year I joined the effort of a variety
of groups urging the Austin City
Council to pass a city ordinance to
limit where payday lenders could be
located and how much money they
could lend. Then recently I testied
in the Texas Senate on behalf of
the Texas Catholic Conference and
the 15 Catholic dioceses in Texas in
opposition to a bill that was voted
out of the Senate Business and
Commerce Committee which we
believed did not go far enough ––
and in some places was even worse
than current law –– to regulate
payday and auto title lending from
the worst usurious practices and
from further taking advantage of
the poor.
Fortunately, the efforts of the
Texas bishops, along with other
advocates, to impose reasonable
restrictions on the payday and auto
title lending industry have been
heeded. On the oor of the Texas
Senate, a number of much stronger amendments were added to the
bill to restrict the charging of high
fees and even higher interest rates
on short-term loans. In particular, the bill as it passed the Senate
contained provisions that require
fees be included in calculating the
amount of debt to be imposed on
borrowers as a percentage of their
income; sets a 36 percent APR, sets
a 180 day maximum term on all
loans, with no renancing on multipayment loans and allows cities to
enact local ordinances, like the one
in Austin.
Even better, the Chairman of
the Senate Business and Commerce
Committee, John Carona, accepted
the amendments and publicly committed that he will hold to those
changes in any negotiations with the
House in conference committee.
While CSSB 1247, as amended,
is not perfect, it establishes a strong
rst step toward regulating and
containing these predatory lending practices. The bill now moves
to the House of Representatives,
where our advocacy efforts will
continue to confront an intense and
well-nanced campaign by payday
lenders and their lobbyists to ght
any such restrictions.
Regulation is needed because
the exploitation of the poor is
only getting worse. A proliferation
of payday and auto title lending
storefronts have ooded shopping
centers and neighborhoods and we
are bombarded by the radio and
television commercials that promise “easy” and “same-day” cash to
entice desperate families in need of
help to pay for medical emergencies, groceries, rent or utilities.
Instead of the promise of easy
short-term loans, however, nancially vulnerable families get
trapped in a continuous cycle of
debt of fees and interest from
which they cannot escape. When
combined, these fees and interest
often reach annual percentage rates
(APR) of more than 500 percent,
some have gone as high as 659
percent. According to industry data,
Texans paid more than $23 per
$100 borrowed for a 14- to 30-day
loan –– nearly twice the cap of $10
to $15.50 per $100 that 17 other
states require. In 15 other states ––
and for certain military borrowers
where the federal military rate cap
is strictly enforced –– payday loans
are capped at 36 percent APR. In
Texas, payday lenders circumvent
BISHOP JOE VÁSQUEZ as well as several other Texas bishops and Catholics from across the state gathered at
the State Capitol on April 9 for Catholic Advocacy Day. The bishops and the lay people visited with state representatives with one consistant message, defending the life and dignity of every person: born and unborn, citizen and
undocumented, young and elderly, persons with or without disabilities. One particular issue that the Texas bishops
and the Texas Catholic Conference have been working on during this legislative session involves more regulation
on payday and auto title lenders. Through more regulation, the bishops hope to reduce the exploitation of the working poor who are often forced to take out high-interest payday loans to pay for basic necessities such as medicine,
groceries or rent. (Photo by Christian R. González)
the federal 36 percent rate protection by offering military families
loans more than 90-days.
We are not looking to force
these lending outts out of business. We are merely looking to rein
in the more egregious practices of
bad actors. We are committed to
seeing a meaningful reform bill that
improves the situation for borrowers in Texas.
Editor: Why is this important
to the Catholic Church?
Bishop Vásquez: Our basic
Christian principles require us
to protect and defend the poor
and vulnerable. Our parishes and
Catholic Charities witness the high
cost of being poor every day as we
assist families forced into alarmingly high debt when they take
out a payday or auto title loan to
cover an unexpected expense. In
the teachings of our faith we have
many warnings about usury and
exploitation of people. Lending
practices that, intentionally or unintentionally, take unfair advantage
of one’s desperate circumstances
are unjust. Catholic social teaching
demands respect for the dignity
of persons, preferential concern
for the poor and vulnerable, and
the pursuit of the common good.
These principles, coupled with our
teaching on economic justice, underscore our questioning of current
payday lending practices.
Studies show that minority
women are the most affected by
these loans when struggling to make
ends meet for their families, and
whom are more likely to le for
bankruptcy, experience eviction and
defer medical care because they are
in debt to payday lenders. These
are the people on whose behalf
we are called to speak out because
often they have no voice, and we
are called to defend the poor and
vulnerable from practices that will
ultimately undermine their human
dignity.
Editor: What is your prayer
for this bill as it moves in the
legislative process?
Bishop Vásquez: My prayer
is that our state legislators would
modify this bill and take into account
the testimonies that have been given
by the Texas Catholic Conference,
other religious groups and consumer
protection organizations. We need
restrictions on these payday lenders
and auto title lenders in our state.
I pray that we will focus on the
needs of the poor and vulnerable
throughout our communities, and
that we will stand together to protect
them from being used or mistreated,
especially when it comes to usurious
payday lenders and auto tile lenders.
I pray that people will express their
resolve to increase restrictions on
payday lending.
GOOD NEWS
20
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Mary: A loving example of faith, motherhood
BY LUPE GARCIA, LPC-S, LMFT-S
COLUMNIST
Motherhood is a beautiful blessing, but it certainly has its challenges.
Whether a woman is a mother of
one or seven, an adoptive mother,
a foster mother, a single mother, a
godmother, an aspiring mother, or a
spiritual mother, she is not alone in
her journey. There are other women
on this rollercoaster of emotions
–– from pure joy to frustration to
utter exhaustion. We learn from each
other, we encourage one another and
we empathize with one another. We
can also take great comfort in the
arms of our Blessed Mother Mary.
She is the perfect role model for each
of us as women, no matter where we
are in our lives or what circumstances
surround us. She is our refuge and
advocate, and she teaches us about
faith and being open to God’s divine
plan.
There is a natural worry that
comes with the huge responsibility that is motherhood. We fear the
unknown, we doubt ourselves and
we are not sure if we are “ready.”
However, motherhood does not
have to be so worrisome if we stop
trying to control every situation and
instead place our trust in God. Mary
demonstrated her courage and faith
in God when she opened herself
to God’s will. Hers was an unconventional pregnancy that had severe
consequences in her life, and yet she
accepted it with an open heart.
Accepting God’s will when it is
not what we had planned is very difcult. No matter how children come
into our lives, we have to trust that
God has a plan for us and for them.
Maybe a couple is not in the best
nancial situation to have a child.
Perhaps a woman is not married and
has no idea how she will support herself and a child. Sometimes children
come pre-packaged as an instant inherited family after
a sibling passes
away. Like Mary,
we must remember
that God has a
plan and we need
to trust in that plan
and in him.
We all have our
hopes and dreams
for our children,
siblings, nieces,
nephews, godchildren and grandchildren. It is certainly
necessary for us to
be supportive and
loving yet set limits
for our children.
There are also
times when we have to allow them
the opportunity to grow into their
own person and establish their own
relationships. There comes a point
where we have to let them think
for themselves and make their own
Tax-Deferred Annuities
Do Your Long-Term
& Retirement Savings
Plans Stack Up?
z
IRAs
z
Rollovers
3.30
%*
APY
*Includes Current Yield +
.00% irst Yer Addinl Interest
erri . Marne
usnastroaor
5105
homas . rei
o
55
Monica Mi$es$a
eme
5"05
!ase oub
Weimar
""51111
#d ' rancis ua
aee(ie
""1
Securing Families’ Lives Since 1901
decisions. We can assume that Mary
had at least a small personal desire to
have her son just be a normal carpenter and not have to suffer and give
up his life for us. However, she had
the courage to put him and others
before her own desires. When his
time came, she moved out of the way
and let Jesus go to work in his public
ministry. Mary teaches us to be loving
and compassionate, but also gives us
an example of how to detach out of
love.
The most difcult yet essential
lesson that Mary
teaches us is her
willingness to accept
suffering. From the
very beginning of
her open “Yes” to
God, she prepared
herself to whatever
was to come. Now,
this is undoubtedly easier said than
done for anyone, but
she showed us that
it is possible to go
through agony and
still remain faithful.
There are few things
in this world that
are more painful than losing a child
or watching one’s child suffer. This
type of heartbreak is so personal that
sometimes even sharing experiences
with others who are going through it
is not comforting.
ndon Middeton
West
51
rian #r$&t
Waco
5""11
005
uc$hot
Westhaia
5511"
LUPE GARCIA is a
licensed counselor and the director of the diocesan
Office of Family
Life and Family
Counseling. She
can be contacted
at (512) 949-2495 or lupe-garcia@
austindiocese.org.
“I liked this trip so much, I’m going back!”
“Autumn Leaves” Tour
Visits Historic East
14 Days
ats . Wie
i !ountr
5
Mother Mary exemplied the
strength and courage it takes to move
forward with heartbreak by relying on
God’s mercy and the help of others.
Mary was with Jesus at the foot of
the cross, and she surrounded herself
with the disciples as they tried to
understand Christ’s passion, death
and resurrection. In this time of
confusion and grief, she relied on her
family and friends –– Joseph, Mary
Magdalene, the disciples whom she
then viewed as her children. When
we suffer such immense pain in our
lives, we may be tempted to isolate
ourselves, but we must remember to
turn to our loved ones and let them
help us deal with our pain, just as
Mary did after Jesus’ death.
In this month of May, let’s pray
that we become more like our mother
Mary, who is the epitome of motherhood. May we delve into the Gospels
and learn more about Mary and her
sacred motherhood to Jesus and the
church. May we always turn to her
for consolation in our journey as
women and mothers of faith.
from
$1539*
Depart September 27, 2013
Mass Included Some Days
Your Chaplain, Father Daniel Gerres, Senior
Priest at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Wilmington,
DE, this will be Fr. Gerres second time as
chaplain on this YMT New England Tour.
Niagara Falls
Arrive in the birthplace of our Nation, Philadelphia and enjoy a sightseeing tour. Then
your scenic journey begins offering spectacular and colorful vistas through Amish
Country to Gettysburg where you will see the most important battlefield of the Civil
War. Travel north with a stop at the Corning Museum of Glass into Ontario and aweinspiring Niagara Falls for two nights! Then head back to upstate New York where you
will board a cruise through the 1000 Islands. Next, drive through the six-million-acre
civilized wilderness of the Adirondack region, with a stop in Lake Placid and then into
the forest area of New England: The White Mountains, including Franconia Notch State
Park, New Hampshire, then view the incredible waterfalls at Flume Gorge and enjoy a
trip on the Cannon Aerial Tramway. Next drive along the New England coast to Boston,
with a city tour and visit Cape Cod, exploring Chatham and Provincetown with coastal
scenery and village shops. View the gorgeous Mansions of Newport, Rhode Island en
route to Bridgeport, Connecticut and tour New York City seeing all the major sights of
the “Big Apple.”
*Price per person/double occupancy. Add $159 tax, service & gov’t fees. Airfare is extra.
*Interest rates are subject to change.
Minimum guaranteed rate is 1.50% .
ome ce an ntonio e
as. .1
For details, itinerary, reservations & letter from YMT’s chaplain
with his phone number call 7 days a week:
1-800-736-7300
May 2013
GOOD NEWS
21
Now is the time to take better care of the Earth
BY BURNIE COOK
COLUMNIST
Welcome to Passage of Green,
a quarterly column that will focus
on environmental issues and how
they relate to our faith. I am Burnie
Cook, a Catholic currently living in
Austin and an advocate for our environment and the arts. From a young
age, I felt that the planet needs our
attention. My parents can attest –– I
had a special quote by Charles F.
Kettering hung in my room: “We
should all be concerned about the
future because we will have to live
the rest of our lives there.” My attention turned even more so to environmental concerns as I worked for
a commercial and industrial roong
company that had a focus on being
“green” and improving energy-efciency and sustainability.
Our Catholic faith calls us to
be good stewards of this beautiful
planet that God has blessed us with.
In the grand scheme of things, we
only call this earth “home” on a
temporary basis. Our true home will
be in Heaven with Our Lord and
Savior. However, while we are here
on this earth, we have a certain re-
sponsibility to take care of it. Marty
Haugen’s song “Eye Has Not Seen”
in verse two poetically reminds us:
“Our lives are but a single breath,
we ower and we fade, yet all our
days are in your hands, so we return
in love what love has made.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops wrote a pastoral statement
in 1991 entitled “Renewing the
Earth.” I encourage everyone to read
or reread the statement as it discusses the need for us to take better care
of our planet in light of Catholic
social teaching.
“A distinctively Catholic contribution to contemporary environmental awareness arises from our
understanding of human beings as
part of nature, although not limited
to it. Catholics look to nature, in
natural theology, for indications of
God’s existence and purpose. In
elaborating a natural moral law, we
look to natural processes themselves
for norms for human behavior. With
such limits in mind, Pope John Paul
II in “Centesimus Annus” urged
that in addition to protecting natural
systems and other species, we “safeguard the moral conditions for an
authentic ‘human ecology’” in urban
planning, work environments, and
family life (“Centesimus Annus,”
38). Nature is not, in Catholic teaching, merely a eld to exploit at will
or a museum piece to be preserved
at all costs. We are not gods, but
stewards of the earth,” the bishops
wrote in the statement.
As stewards of the earth and
especially in this month of May, I
encourage everyone to spend some
time in prayer with our Mother
Mary. Let us pray for the intercession of our Blessed Mother that
she will help us to understand
how we can take better care of our
other mother, Mother Nature! Let
us work on reducing, recycling and
reusing things in our daily lives.
For many being “green” is
considered a passing fad, but the
statistics don’t lie. If we don’t
make very specific changes and
take better care of the earth, our
children and grandchildren will
suffer. There are so many small
things that can be done to better
the environment. Reusable shopping bags help us to reduce the
amount of pollution that plastic
shopping bags cause. The city of
Austin has banned plastic bags,
which I applaud. It would be nice
to see restaurants follow suit and
reduce the use of Styrofoam cups
and take-out plates.
As I go forth with this column,
I will discuss some of the small
steps that we can take and some of
the large steps that we can take to
be better stewards of the environment. Some of the resources I will
be using include “The Environment”
by Pope Benedict XVI and “Green
Discipleship: Catholic Theological
Ethics and the Environment” edited
by Tobias Winright. In closing, let us
seek the intercession of our Mother
Mary and St. Francis of Assisi as we
undertake the challenge to take better care of the Earth.
BURNIE COOK
and his wife
Maggie are
parishioners
of St. Vincent
de Paul Parish
in Austin. He
enjoys spending time with
family and friends. Aside from the
environment, his other passions
include marketing communications,
lm, music and the arts. Look for
“Passage of Green” on Facebook
and Twitter.
Travel with Fr. Tom & Other Catholics!
Spain Pilgrimage
Plus Fatima, Portugal & Lourdes, France
14 Days
from
$2099*
Depart September 24, 2013
Fatima
Cathedral
Fly into Madrid (2 nights) to start your Catholic Pilgrimage. You’ll tour Madrid, the
Royal Palace, and the Toledo Cathedral. Visit Segovia and Avila (1 night) with private
Mass at St. Theresa Convent. Visit the Old and New Cathedrals in Salamanca with
Mass; and Fatima, Portugal (2 nights) with sightseeing, time for personal devotions
and Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Basilica. Experience Sunday Mass and tour at Bom
Jesus Church and Shrine in Braga and tour Santiago de Compostela (2 nights) and
visit sanctuaries, Bernadette’s House and Celebrate Mass at Chapel Lourdes - at the
Grotto. Sightsee in Barcelona (2 nights) including the Cathedral, choir and Mass. Fly
home Monday, October 7, 2013. Includes daily breakfast and 11 dinners, English/Spanish
speaking tour director throughout! Your YMT chaplain: Father Thomas Westhoven,
SCJ, from Franklin, WI. This will be Father Tom’s third European Pilgrimage with
YMT Vacations. Single room add $650.
*Price per person based on double occupancy. Plus $299 tax, services & gov’t fees. Airfare is extra.
For details, itinerary, reservations & letter from YMT’s chaplain
with his phone number call 7 days a week:
1-800-736-7300
GOOD NEWS
22
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
The special collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development was taken up Nov. 17-18. If your parish nds an error, call the diocesan Finance Ofce
at (512) 949-2400. For more information about this collection, visit www.usccb.org/about/catholic-campaign-for-human-development/collection/.
Parish
Totals
Parish
Totals
Parish
Totals
Austin Central Deanery
Austin, Cristo Rey
$1,152.62
Austin, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$1,031.73
Austin, St. Austin
$2,553.03
Austin, St. Ignatius
$3,218.42
Austin, St. Julia
$378.11
Austin, St. Mary Cathedral
$2,044.56
Austin, San Jose
$1,910.50
Austin, University Catholic Center
$20.00
Austin Central Deanery Totals
$12,308.97
Ellinger/Hostyn Hill, St. Mary
$273.00
Fayetteville, St. John
$693.06
Giddings, St. Margaret
$1,046.00
La Grange, Sacred Heart
$1,299.05
Lexington, Holy Family
$116.00
Old Washington on the Brazos, St. Mary $25.00
Pin Oak, St. Mary
$128.00
Rockdale, St. Joseph
$415.77
Somerville, St. Ann
$373.59
Brenham/La Grange Deanery Totals $7,728.12
Georgetown, St. Helen
$5,747.46
Granger, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
$1,006.00
Hutto, St. Patrick
$311.00
Manor, St. Joseph
$457.30
Pugerville, St. Elizabeth
$1,362.00
Round Rock, St. John Vianney
$1,919.61
Round Rock, St. William
$9,388.70
Taylor, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$370.10
Taylor, St. Mary of the Assumption
$1,211.48
Georgetown/Round Rock Deanery $24,181.53
Austin North Deanery
Austin, Holy Vietnamese Martyrs
$1,700.00
Austin, Sacred Heart
$2,272.50
Austin, St. Albert the Great
$3,195.00
Austin, St. Louis
$2,759.84
Austin, St. Theresa
$2,475.00
Austin, St. Thomas More
$5,081.42
Austin, St. Vincent de Paul
$1,692.21
Cedar Park, St. Margaret Mary
$3,363.75
Lago Vista, Our Lady of the Lake
$1,017.00
Austin North Deanery Totals
$23,556.72
Bastrop/Lockhart Deanery
Bastrop, Ascension
$1,407.38
Elgin, Sacred Heart
$694.14
Lockhart, St. Mary of the Visitation $2,385.92
Luling, St. John
$642.81
Martindale, Immaculate Heart
$416.00
Rockne, Sacred Heart
$1,029.00
Smithville, St. Paul
$783.00
String Prairie, Assumption
$470.00
Uhland, St.Michael
$378.28
Bastrop/Lockhart Deanery Totals
$8,206.53
Austin South Deanery
Austin, Our Lady of Sorrows (Dolores) $792.00
Austin, St. Andrew Kim
$249.00
Austin, St. Catherine of Siena
$4,390.52
Austin, St. John Neumann
$4,516.98
Austin, St. Paul
$3,411.81
Austin, St. Peter the Apostle
$1,164.00
Austin, San Francisco Javier
$273.00
Lakeway, Emmaus
$1,769.00
Austin South Deanery Totals
$16,566.31
Bryan/College Station Deanery
Bremond, St. Mary
$460.00
Bryan, St. Anthony
$954.00
Bryan, St. Joseph
$925.00
Bryan, Santa Teresa
$148.00
Caldwell, St. Mary
$231.00
College Station, St. Mary
$1,332.52
College Station, St. Thomas Aquinas $2,390.14
Franklin, St. Francis of Assisi
$302.75
Hearne, St. Mary
$434.50
Bryan/College Station Deanery Totals $7,177.91
Killeen/Temple Deanery
Belton, Christ the King
$2,261.00
Burlington, St. Michael
$182.00
Cameron, St. Monica
$302.00
Copperas Cove, Holy Family
$3,049.00
Cyclone, St. Joseph
$214.00
Harker Heights, St. Paul Ch. Hasang $3,005.00
Killeen, St. Joseph
$2,468.00
Marak, Sts. Cyril and Methodius
$198.00
Rogers, St. Matthew
$293.00
Rosebud, St. Ann
$227.00
Salado, St. Stephen
$468.00
Temple, Our Lady of Guadalupe
$693.00
Temple, St. Luke
$2,073.00
Temple, St. Mary
$1,809.55
Westphalia, Visitation
$567.00
Killeen/Temple Deanery Totals
$17,809.55
Brenham/La Grange Deanery
Brenham, St. Mary
$2,732.65
Chappell Hill, St. Stanislaus
$404.00
Dime Box, St. Joseph
$222.00
Georgetown/Round Rock Deanery
Andice, Santa Rosa
$1,272.38
Corn Hill, Holy Trinity
$1,135.50
Thank you!
Lampasas/Marble Falls Deanery
Bertram, Holy Cross
$98.65
Burnet, Our Mother of Sorrows
$448.96
Goldthwaite, St. Peter
$102.00
Horseshoe Bay, St. Paul the Apostle $1,312.50
Kingsland, St. Charles Borromeo
$397.26
Lampasas, St. Mary
$574.72
Llano, Holy Trinity
$299.30
Lometa, Good Shepherd
$155.00
Parish
Totals
Marble Falls, St. John
$542.00
Mason, St. Joseph
$242.27
Sunrise Beach, Our Lady of the Lake $164.00
Lampasas/Marble Falls Deanery Totals $4,336.66
San Marcos Deanery
Blanco, St. Ferdinand
$340.68
Buda, Santa Cruz
$4,490.77
Dripping Springs, St. Martin de Porres $931.60
Johnson City, Good Shepherd
$227.00
Kyle, St. Anthony Marie de Claret
$2,092.36
San Marcos, Our Lady of Wisdom
$206.00
San Marcos, St. John
$2,597.00
Wimberley, St. Mary
$1,054.02
San Marcos Deanery Totals
$11,939.43
Waco Deanery
Elk, St. Joseph
Gatesville, Our Lady of Lourdes
Hamilton, St. Thomas
Lott, Sacred Heart
McGregor, St. Eugene
Marlin, St. Joseph
Mexia, St. Mary
Tours, St. Martin
Waco, Sacred Heart
Waco, St. Francis on the Brazos
Waco (Hewitt), St. Jerome
Waco, St. John the Baptist
Waco (Bellmead), St. Joseph
Waco, St. Louis
Waco, St. Mary of the Assumption
Waco, St. Peter Catholic Center
West, Church of the Assumption
Waco Deanery Totals
Grand Totals
$260.00
$251.34
$153.00
$177.00
$28.00
$98.75
$462.31
$585.00
$400.00
$597.10
$2,230.19
$75.00
$991.83
$3,813.05
$812.85
$236.08
$764.00
$11,935.50
$145,747.23
to our sponsors at the Catholic Charities
7th Annual Benefit featuring Lou Holtz.
Partner in Charity
Presenting Sponsors
Scanlan Foundation
Strake Foundation
Partner in Unity
Donald West Bennett
Cheryl and John Sauder
Partner in Faith
Luci Baines Johnson
and Ian Turpin
Dr. and Mrs. John Schneider
Mr. and Mrs. Mike L. Owens
J.R. Schneider Construction &
the Kim and John Mansour Family
Giselle and Steve Rohleder
Terri and Chris Von Dohlen
Media Partners
1379 Family Sports Shop Lindsay and Mike Rosenthal
Alliance Tech - in honor of Howard
Blackwood
Lisa and Chris Ameel
The Beathard Family
Ben E. Keith Beverages
Molly and Paul Benson
Pamela and Tom Bernhardt
Laura and Steve Beuerlein
Shannon and Paul Cameron
& Christy and Chris Merritt
In memory of Fr. Philip Chung-Jin &
Mary Agnes Kim - Susan and Eric Shaffer
Ann and Joe Daly
& Mary and Jerry Bell
Kelley and Tom Daniel
Mary and Charles Dickerson
& Catherine and Kevin Morse
DuBois, Bryant & Campbell, LLP
Kathleen and Chris Earthman
Leah and John Esparza
& Keili and Ted Smith
Fans of Notre Dame
Nina and John Faulkner
Ann and Tim Finley
The Frederick Gisevius Family Foundation
Debra and John Gilluly
Hartford Mutual Funds
Erika and John D. Holmes
Kristin and Tony Holt
& Robyn and Will Waldrip
Imagecraft Exhibits
Jackson, Kivlin and Wilson Families
Corey Jackson and Melissa Cady
The John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy
Memorial Foundation
Michael Johnson
Kerri Kallus
Ladies of Charity, Lake Travis
Kirsten and Scott Luke
Joi and Rich Martin
Shannon and Terry McDaniel
Audrey and Lou Munin
Suzanne and Reagan Nash
Mary and Will Pitts
St. Austin’s Eagles Fans
St. Austin’s Catholic School
St. Michael’s Catholic Academy
St. Vincent de Paul Stores
of Central Texas
Kitty and Robert Tunmire
Sonia and Walter Wendlandt
Laura and David Wieland
May 2013
GOOD NEWS
23
Religious women taught, served the poor
BY MARY LOU GIBSON
COLUMNIST
There were some radical new ideas
in education being introduced in the
early years of the 19th century by two
remarkable women – Karolina (Caroline) Gerhardinger of Bavaria and Magdalena Gabriela di Canossa of Verona,
Italy. The religious congregations they
founded broke new ground in how
teachers were trained, how education
was made more available to the rural
poor and how women governed their
own congregations.
Karolina was born in Regensburg,
Bavaria in 1797 and was educated
by the Canonesses of Our Lady. She
went on to become a teacher at their
school. This experience led her to form
a congregation of teachers to educate
the poor, especially the rural poor. She
wrote a Rule for this new congregation based on that of the Canonesses
of Our Lady and made her religious
profession taking the name of MaryTeresa. Because of her devotion to
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, she
later came to be known as Mary-Teresa
of Jesus.
Mother Teresa became superior
and established a mother house in
Munich in 1837. Paul Burns writes
in “Butler’s Lives of the Saints” that
as the congregation grew, it took the
name of the School Sisters of Notre
Dame. Within 10 years, there were
more than 50 houses in Bavaria.
Burns writes that the Congregation’s purpose was to provide sisters
to work in pairs in rural schools. Sarah
Gallick writes in “The Big Book of
Women Saints” that the sisters lived in
groups of two or three. Mother Teresa
created a unifying central government
designed to maintain a common spirit
among the religious women. The new
bishop did not appreciate these innovations and threatened to excommunicate her, but she persevered. When
the congregation’s constitution was
approved by Pope Pius IX in 1865, it
allowed Mother Teresa and her successors, rather than local bishops, to
govern the congregation.
In 1847 Mother Teresa took three
sisters to Pennsylvania answering a call
from German emigrants. However, the
local bishop did not welcome them, so
the group traveled to Baltimore where
they staffed schools founded by Father
John Nepomucene Neumann. Later
the sisters extended their mission to
health and social care to serve Czech
immigrant communities.
The Congregation provided homes
and night school for basic education for
girls working in factories. They also started the rst kindergartens and the rst
technical high schools in Bavaria. The
Holy See approved the Congregation in
1854. It was also called the Poor School
Sisters of Notre Dame at the time.
By the time of her death in 1879,
Mother Teresa had spent 46 years of
her life in religious service. She was
beatied by Pope John Paul II in 1985
and her memorial day is variously listed
as May 8 or 10. Today, the School
Sisters of Notre Dame are organized
in seven provinces in the U.S. They
are involved in teaching, health care
and social services, and work as prison
chaplains and spiritual directors. There
are sisters working in South and Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia and
the Pacic Islands.
Magdalena of Canossa was born in
1774 into a wealthy family in Verona,
Italy. Her father was the Marquis
Ottavio of Canossa and her mother,
Maria Teresa, was a lady in waiting to
the court in Vienna. Her family status
suddenly changed when her father died
when she was ve. After a period of
mourning, her mother remarried and
left Magdalena and her three siblings in
the care of their uncle Jerome. Editor Michael Walsh writes in “Butler’s
Lives of the Saints” that the children
suffered much from the harshness of a
French governess during this time.
As a young teenager, Magdalena
thought of becoming a Carmelite nun
and briey entered the convent, but
left after a short time to come back to
the family estate, which she began to
manage at age 19. Yet she nourished a
dream of dedicating herself to charity
and did what she could to help poor
girls in Verona.
Matthew Bunson writes in “John
Paul II’s Book of Saints” that by 1803,
Magdalena was free of the affairs of
the estate and began her apostolate
of providing an education for every
young boy or girl. Encouraged by her
spiritual director, she began working
in hospitals, giving alms, instructing
people in the catechism and visiting the
sick and destitute. Her relatives were
horried, but she only did more charity
even lodging two poor girls in her own
home and opening a refuge and school
in the poorest part of the city.
She opened her rst school in 1808
with classes for girls in practical subjects
as well as numbers and literacy. As her
teaching and religious life unfolded, she
organized her group into the Daughters of Charity in 1819. The members
were dedicated to establishing schools,
training teachers for rural areas and supporting women patients in the hospital.
Magdalena also opened high schools and
colleges and made special provision for
deaf and dumb students.
She received papal approval for her
congregation in 1828. Today, they are
known as the Canossian Daughters of
Charity. In 1831 she founded the Institute of the Sons of Charity and later a
Third Order for lay people.
Magdalena developed great powers of recollection and prayer in her
spiritual life. There were reports of
her enveloped in ecstasy on several
occasions and once she was seen to
be lifted from the ground. She tried
to describe her mystical experiences
in her Memoirs. Burns noted that she
had a special devotion to Our Lady
of Sorrows and that she saw Mary as
“mother of charity” and constantly put
that image before her Sisters. She also
saw the crucied Christ in the poor,
the sick and the suffering.
Towards the end of her life she
suffered from a painful back ailment
and could only sleep sitting up. She
died on April 10, 1835, in Verona. She
was declared Blessed in 1941 and was
canonized by Pope John Paul II in
1988. Her feast day is sometimes kept
on April 10, the day of her death, but
more often is listed as May 8.
Today, the Canossian Daughters
of Charity number more than 4,000
sisters working in 21 countries. The
men’s Institute has 200 priests and lay
brothers in Italy, Brazil and the Philippines.
MARY LOU GIBSON is
a member of St. Austin Parish in Austin.
She is a retired state
employee.
Are you interested in working for the Diocese of Austin,
Catholic Charities of Central
Texas or a local parish or
Catholic school? If so, visit
www.austindiocese.org.
Abortion in your past?
1-877-WeCare2
1 - 8 7 7 - 9 3 2-2 7 3 2
[email protected]
www.austindiocese.org/projectrachel
To advertise, call (512) 949-2443.
24
GOOD NEWS
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
Peace is possible with the help of God
BY BARBARA BUDDE
COLUMNIST
“So this is the invitation which I
address to everyone: Let us accept the
grace of Christ’s Resurrection! Let us
be renewed by God’s mercy, let us be
loved by Jesus, let us enable the power
of his love to transform our lives too;
and let us become agents of this mercy,
channels through which God can
water the earth, protect all creation and
make justice and peace ourish.
And so we ask the risen Jesus, who
turns death into life, to change hatred
into love, vengeance into forgiveness,
war into peace. Yes, Christ is our
peace, and through him we implore
peace for all the world” (Pope Francis, “Urbi et Orbi” address on Easter
Morning).
In his Easter message to Rome and
the world, Pope Francis asked us to
pray for peace in all the places where
war and violence are raging or threatening to break out: the Middle East,
Africa and Asia. We may think that the
pope’s words are nice but impossible.
How can there ever be peace? We may
wonder how is resurrection possible in
this crazy world?
We are in the midst of the great
season of Easter when we celebrate
God’s triumph over sin, death, evil
and violence. Peace is possible because
God wills it, but we must cooperate
with God by wanting it, working for it
and praying for it.
The Gospels are lled with stories
of Jesus forgiving sinners, even those
who killed him. There are no stories
of Jesus acting violently towards others ever! Sure, Jesus got angry at the
merchants and money changers in the
temple, but he overturned tables, he
never struck another person and he
rebuked Peter for turning to violence.
After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared
to the demoralized and terried disciples and spoke these words, “Peace
be with you.” He breathed his spirit of
peace and forgiveness on them sending
them out to proclaim God’s peace and
forgiveness to the world.
For four centuries the early Christian community rejected violence. Only
at the end of the fourth century did St.
Augustine articulate narrow parameters
when Christians could defend them-
selves against aggressors, but only with
sorrow and under strict limits.
So in this age when terrorism and
nuclear threats loom large, what are
we to do? Pope John Paul, who saw
violence and suffered it at the hands of
the Nazis gave this exhortation in his
World Day of Peace message of 2004:
“All of you, hear the humble appeal of
the Successor of Peter who cries out:
today too, at the beginning of the New
Year 2004, peace remains possible.
And if peace is possible, it is also a
duty!”
Peace will remain impossible if we
believe it to be. The early Christians
were no different from us, their world
and their hearts were just as violent,
but they believed that our God who
changes hearts, who forgives sins and
who saves the world could act in their
lives. God is here to help us and God
wants to help us. We must stop thinking it is impossible; we must let God
help us.
Peace starts with our own conversion. We must practice seeing everyone
as God’s beloved child, pray for every
enemy, seek God’s grace to transform
violent thoughts or words before they
become violent actions, pray for peace,
and avoid television programs, movies and video games that are violent or
glorify violence.
Pax Christi, the Catholic peace
movement, founded in the war-torn
ruins of Europe in 1945, has many
resources for peacemaking. Visit their
webpage at www.paxchristiusa.org for
information on peacemaking, books,
prayer cards and more. The Institute for
Peace and Justice in St. Louis, Mo., has
been producing materials for families
and children for more than 30 years.
Visit their website at www.ipj-ppj.org.
May we take Pope Francis’ words
to heart and accept the grace of Christ’s
Resurrection. That grace can transform
us so that we can be God’s agents in
bringing about a world of peace. With
God all things are possible!
BARBARA BUDDE
is the diocesan
director of social
concerns. She
can be reached at
(512) 949-2471 or
barbara-budde@
austindiocese.org.
DNR orders should be considered case-by-case
BY REV. TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK, PH.D.
COLUMNIST
Resuscitating a patient who undergoes a cardiac arrest or stops breathing
often involves multiple procedures.
When a resuscitation “Code Blue”
is called in the hospital (or on a TV
show), something like a medical “ash
mob” comes together to try to save the
patient. The sequence of events typically involves a combination of CPR,
airway assistance, medications and
shocks to the heart when the resuscitation is performed in a clinical setting.
Sometimes these interventions can
seem unwarranted or extreme, and
people wonder whether it would be
OK to ll out a “Do Not Resuscitate”
order (DNR) for themselves or for
a family member. Would declining
permission to resuscitate someone
mean they are abandoning their loved
one? Each crisis or emergency situation will have unique contours, and the
question of our moral duty to provide
resuscitation will vary with the details
of each case. Sometimes a DNR order
will be a reasonable choice; other times
it will not.
If a DNR order is chosen, the condition of the patient must be such that
the intervention would be of no signicant benet to him or her. Sometimes
out of a generalized fear of medical
technology, people may decide to put
a DNR in place many years before any
serious medical situation arises. Without knowing the medical particulars of
their own future situations, however,
this would be an unwise and ill-advised
step. It can also be premature to decline a full code early in the course of
a progressive disease, as resuscitation
might well offer a bridge to healing
or to another extended period of life.
As the patient’s condition worsens,
though, he or she may later decide
that a full code has become unreasonable, and choose a DNR at that point.
These judgments are tricky to make,
because the specics of each case differ, and those specics change with
time and disease progression. DNR’s
should be put in place only when the
circumstances warrant it, that is to say,
on a case-by-case, patient-specic basis. In other words, when CPR/resuscitation can reasonably be determined
to no longer offer a hope of benet to
the patient or if it entails an excessive
burden to him, at that time a DNR can
be put into place.
Some of the possible burdens that
may need to be considered in deciding
whether to pursue resuscitative interventions for a patient would include some
of the following: the risk of rib or other
bone fractures, puncture of the lungs
by a broken bone (or from the trauma
of lung compression and decompression), bleeding in the center of the chest,
cerebral dysfunction or permanent brain
damage, the small risk (about 3 or 4
percent) that the patient might end up
entering a vegetative state, and subsequent complications if the patient ends
up staying on a ventilator for an extended period following the resuscitation.
During resuscitative efforts, elderly
patients are more likely to experience
complications or to have ribs break during CPR. Younger patients, on the other
hand, tend to show a greater resilience
and are often better able to tolerate CPR.
Patients suffering from advanced cancer
are also known to fare poorly following
resuscitative efforts.
In terms of overall statistics, when
a patient codes in the hospital and all
resuscitative measures are taken, patients
frequently do not end up leaving the
hospital, especially when they are elderly
or have other co-accompanying conditions. Based on data from the National
Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (NRCPR), studies have determined
that patients who undergo cardiac arrest
in the hospital have an overall survival to
discharge rate of about 17 percent. The
rate drops even lower (to around 13 percent) for cancer patients. In other words,
the benets are oftentimes few and
short-lived, while the burdens tend to be
high. There are, of course, exceptions —
while many patients do not experience
signicant benets from resuscitative
measures, a small percentage do.
So when death is imminent, and
disease states are very advanced (perhaps with multiple organ failure), and
assuming other spiritual matters, such
as last sacraments, have been addressed,
a DNR order may not raise any moral
problems. The key consideration in making the judgment will be to determine
whether the benets of resuscitation
outweigh the burdens.
DNR orders can be misused, of
course, if they are broadly construed as
calling on medical professionals to abandon or otherwise discontinue all care
of a patient. Even as patients may be
declining and dying of serious underlying
illnesses, we must continue to care for
them, support and comfort them, and
use the various ordinary means that they
may have been relying on, such as heart
and blood pressure medications, diuretics, insulin, etc.
We should always seek to do what is
ethically “ordinary” or “proportionate”
in providing care for our loved ones,
though we are never obligated to choose
anything that would be heroic, disproportionate or unduly burdensome when
it comes to CPR or other resuscitative
measures.
FATHER TADEUSZ
PACHOLCZYK, PH.D.
is a priest of the
Diocese of Fall
River, Mass.,
and serves as the
Director of Education at The National
Catholic Bioethics
Center in Philadelphia. For information, visit www.ncbcenter.org.
May 2013
BULLETIN BOARD
NFP classes....................
25
For Your
Information
A Discernment Dinner for
single, Catholic men (ages 18 and
older) with an openness to a priestly
vocation and discernment will be held
May 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Borromeo House in Austin. The evening
includes dinner, prayer and a presentation. For more information, contact Father Brian McMaster at (512)
949-2430 or fr-brian-mcmaster@
austindiocese.org.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Austin (CCRA) will host
its monthly Mass and a 24-Hour Pentecost Celebration May 17 at 7 p.m.
at Holy Cross Parish in Austin. Father Robert Becker will celebrate the
Mass. Worship will continue until
the closing with the Pentecost Vigil
Mass at 5:30 p.m. Musicians interested in playing during the service may
contact Gary Moore at (512) 4702539 or [email protected].
For more information, contact Sabrina Perez at (512) 466-7669 or visit
www.ccraustin.org.
THRiVE! Youth Events will be
held May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in College Station
and May 18 at 9 a.m. at St. Vincent
de Paul Parish and St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin.
All youth in seventh through 12th
grades and their parents are welcome
to attend. Jason Evert, an author,
speaker, and host of EWTN’s “The
Pure Life” and “Theology of the
Body for Teens,” will be the keynote
speaker. More than just abstinence
education, THRiVE incorporates the
Christian message of how we were
created in God’s image that we might
love him, give love and be loved by
others. For more information, visit
www.thrivetexas.org.
Bishop Joe Vásquez will ordain
Craig DeYoung to the transitional
diaconate May 18 at 10:30 a.m. at St.
Mary Catholic Center in College Station.
Father Nathan Cromley, prior
of the Community of St. John in
Laredo, will lead a series of monthly
lectures entitled Secularism in the
Family at St. Mary Cathedral. The
next lecture will be held May 19.
Mass will be celebrated at 5:30 p.m.
and the presentation will be at 6:30
p.m. in the school library. For more
information, contact Celia Martinez at
[email protected] or (512) 441-9914.
Pax Christi Austin meets the
third Sunday of every month at 7 p.m.
at the Father John Payne House at
St. Ignatius Martyr Parish in Austin.
Everyone is welcome. Pax Christi
Austin is a member of Pax Christi
International and Pax Christi USA,
the Catholic peace and justice movement that works and prays to create a
world that reects the peace of Christ.
For more information, contact Bob
Rankin at [email protected].
Diocesan ofces will be closed
May 27 in observance of Memorial
Day.
A Discernment Dinner for high
school age Catholic men will be
held June 5 at 7 p.m. at St. William
Parish Rectory in Round Rock. Men
with an openness to encountering
Christ and discovering their identity
and their mission are invited to join
others for dinner, evening prayer,
a presentation and discussion. For
more information, contact Father
Jonathan Raia at (512) 600-8154 or
[email protected].
Bishop Joe Vásquez will ordain
Deacons Augustine Ariwaodo, Jason
Bonifazi, Alejandro Caudillo, Barry
Cuba and Tim Nolt to the priesthood
June 8 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Vincent
de Paul Parish in Austin. For information, contact (512) 949-2430 or
[email protected].
Quo Vadis (Latin for “Where
are you going?) will be held June 2021 at St. Thomas More Parish in Austin. This is a two-day retreat designed
to help young men in high school
grow spiritually and allow them to
think and pray about what God might
be asking them to become. The retreat is for incoming freshmen to incoming seniors from throughout the
Diocese of Austin. Participants will
have the opportunity to explore the
themes of prayer, virtue, leadership
and discernment. The retreat includes
Mass, adoration, time for fun and recreation, and the opportunity to get to
know other young men pursuing holiness. The retreat is staffed by seminarians preparing for the priesthood
and is co-sponsored by the diocesan
Vocation Ofce and the St. Thomas
More Parish Vocation Committee.
For more information, contact the diocesan Vocation Ofce at (512) 9492430 or [email protected].
Servus Dei, a service-oriented
retreat for sixth through eighth
graders, will be held June 20-22 at St.
Austin Parish in Austin. Servus Dei
provides prayer experiences, engaging
learning activities based on the life
of Jesus and Catholic social teaching
and introduces young adolescents to
service as an integral part of Christian
discipleship. For more information,
talk to the youth minister at your local
parish.
Cross Training 2013 is scheduled for July 18-21 at Eagle’s Wings
Retreat Center in Burnet. This retreat
is for incoming ninth graders and is
designed to prepare Catholic teens for
the rigors of high school by arming
them with the tools of their faith. The
cost for the weekend is $185. Visit
https://scan.me/k2ncvb to register.
All couples and individuals interested in learning about the Creighton
Method of natural family planning are
welcome to attend this introductory
class on May 13. Register online at www.
aggiecatholic.org/fccsm or call (979)
846-5717. The cost is $20.
An introductory session on natural
family planning will be held May 13 at
7:30 p.m. at St. Thomas More Parish in
Austin. To register contact Amanda or
Ryan Ransom at ransomsnfp@gmail.
com.
An introductory session on natural
7 p.m. at St. Martin de Porres Parish in
Dripping Springs. To register contact
Mary Quevedo at (512) 773-8725 or
email [email protected].
A series of classes on the Billings
Ovulation Method of natural family
planning will begin May 20 at 7 p.m. at
St. William Parish in Round Rock. Subsequent classes will be held June 3 and
June 17. The cost is $100 per couple.
To register e-mail Amanda and Ryan
Ransom at [email protected].
An introductory session on natural family planning will be held May
30 at 7 p.m. at St. Martin de Porres
Parish in Dripping Springs. Couples
are invited to learn more about the
different methods of natural family planning. To register contact Mary
Quevedo at (512) 773-8725 or e-mail
[email protected].
A class on Family of the Americas Ovulation Method of natural
8 p.m. at St. Martin de Porres Parish
in Dripping Springs. For more information or to register contact Mary
Quevedo at (512) 773-8725 or e-mail
[email protected].
An introductory class on the
Creighton Model of natural family planning will be held June 3 from
6:30 to 9 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic
Center in College Station. Couples
will receive credit for premarriage
preparation. The cost to attend is $20.
Register online at www.aggiecatholic.
org/fccsm or contact (979) 846-5717
or [email protected].
Retreats.........................
A day of reection entitled “Mary,
Woman of the Word” will be presented May 11 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center
in Belton. The Dominican Sisters of
Mary, Mother of the Eucharist will lead
this day, which is for women of all ages.
The cost is $35, which includes lunch.
For more information or to register,
contact Cedarbrake at (254) 780-2436 or
[email protected].
Retrouvaille (pronounced retrovi) has helped thousands of couples at
all stages of disillusionment or misery
in their marriage. For condential information about Retrouvaille or how to
register for the program beginning with
a weekend on May 17-19, call 1-800470-2230 or visit the website at www.
helpourmarriage.com.
A Silent Day of Reection will be
presented May 17 from 9 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat
Center in Belton. Father Angelo Bertini
will celebrate Mass and spiritual direction
will be available. The cost is $25, which
includes lunch. For more information,
[email protected].
“Together in God’s Love,” a marriage preparation retreat, will be held
May 17-19 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. Couples preparing for marriage are encouraged to register as soon as possible, as these retreats
ll quickly. The weekend includes talks
on faith, communication, sexuality and
stewardship in the context of Catholic
marriage. For registration information,
contact your parish or the Catholic
Family Life and Family Counseling Ofce at (512) 949-2495 or rick-bologna@
austindiocese.org.
Desert Solitude, a silent retreat,
begins June 6 at 3 p.m. Catholic Retreat
Center in Belton This is a seven-day silent
retreat with centering prayer as the focus.
Retreatants may choose to attend three,
four or six days. The cost varies from
$300 to $900. For more information,
[email protected].
TEC, an inter-generational retreat movement, will host its fth retreat, June 29 – July 1, at Eagle’s Wings
Retreat Center in Burnet. This retreat is
open to all who are 17 or older (those
in high school must be in at least their
junior year). The cost for the weekend is $100; scholarships are available
for those who need assistance. Visit
www.tec-ctx.org for more information.
Send in your items!
CATHOLIC SPIRIT offers this page, “For Your
Information,” as a “community bulletin board.”
Items of general interest of upcoming parish and
diocesan events, including parish social events,
will be printed at no charge at the discretion of
the editor. The deadline for material is the 10th
of the month, with publication occurring the
rst week of the following month. Material may
be e-mailed to catholic-spirit@austindiocese.
org or faxed to (512) 949-2523.
BULLETIN BOARD
Parish and community events................................
26
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
St. Patrick Parish in Hutto will
host a Saints & Sinners After-Dark
5K and MusicFEST with Soundwave on May 4. The 5K will start at
sunset and Soundwave will play at 9
p.m. at Hutto High School Stadium
(Hwy. 79 and FM 685). The cost is
$25 for the Neon 5K and $10 for the
concert. For more information, visit
www.active.com (search Saints
and Sinners after-dark 5K) or
www.saintsandsinners5k.com.
St. Margaret Mary Parish in
Cedar Park will host its 28th an-
Burse
The Diocesan Council of Catholic
Women has completed a burse for
the Clerical Endowment Fund (CEF)
in honor of Father Sae Eul Kim, associate pastor of St. Francis of Assisi
Parish in Franklin and St. Mary Parish in Hearne.
The totals for the burse as of March
31, 2013, are listed below by council.
Austin Council
$567.00
Brazos Valley Council
$537.00
Central Council
$169.00
Eastern Council
$586.00
Northern Council
$1,110.00
Southern Council
$700.00
Temple Council
$444.00
Previous Balance
$2,709.71
Total
$6,822.71
The Clerical Endowment Fund provides low-cost loans to parishes. Interest
from the loans is used to educate diocesan
seminarians. For information, contact either Father Ed Karasek at (254) 826-3705
or Mary Ann Till at (512) 353-4943.
nual SpringFest May 5 on the parish
grounds.The festival will be held from
11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will include
international foods, live music, games
for all ages, inatables, bingo, a silent
auction and more.
The Mobile Loaves and Fishes
2013 MLF Family 5K and Kids K will
be held May 5 at Cedar Park High
School in Cedar Park. The 5K will
begin at 8 a.m. and the kids’ fun run
will begin at 9 a.m. Early registration
is $30 for the 5K and $35 on race day.
The kids’ fun run is $10 per child for
youngsters age 10 and under. Early
registration for families is $75 per
family for up to six members and $80
on race day. Early registration packets
can be picked up on May 4 from 11
a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Life Teen House
at St. Thomas More Parish in Austin.
To register or to become a sponsor
visit www.MLFFamily5k.org.
Ascension Parish in Bastrop
will host its first Ascension Fiesta
May 5 at 11 a.m. Activities will include
bingo, a garage sale, a water slide, live
music and much more. There will
be fun for all ages. All proceeds will
benet the parish Religious Education
Program. For more information, call
(512) 321-3552.
The fourth annual Christ Child
Society Evening for the Ladies will
be held May 8 at 6 p.m. at St. William Parish Hall in Round Rock. The
evening will open with appetizers, followed by a full meal, and a variety of
desserts. Two live jazz bands and hula
dancer will perform followed by a testimonial by a benefactor. The Christ
COURAGE OF AUSTIN
Child Society of Texas was formed
May 2002 and strives for fellowship
and service to our community’s youth
who are most in need of spiritual,
physical, emotional or economic support. All members have a respect for
life and the desire to help a child. For
more information about tickets, contact Rose Zavala at (512) 255-6458
and or [email protected].
The 11th Annunciation Maternity Home Banquet will be held
May 9 in the St. Rita Center at St.
Helen Parish in Georgetown. Registration and a silent auction will begin
at 6 p.m. A live auction, dinner and
program will start at 7 p.m. Sponsorships seat tables of eight and the
prices are Faith ($300), Hope ($500)
and Love ($1000); individual tickets
are $35 each. Auction items and volunteers are need. Online registration
and more information are available
at www.thematernityhome.org or by
calling (512) 864-7755.
A Performing and Fine Arts Festival will be held May 9 from 6 to 8 p.m.
at St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic School in
Austin. Activities include food, games,
arts and crafts stations, music, dance
and more. All proceeds will benefit
the Friends of the Arts Funds at the
school. For more information, visit
www.st-ignatius.org.
St. Mary Parish in Wimberley will
host their annual Spring Festival May 11
from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be music, food and fun for the whole family.
The Austin Capital Area Chapter
of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio will host a golf tournament May 18
Pilgrimage to Holy Land & Jordan
Jan. 3–14, 2014 (12 days)
$3,199 Roundtrip from Austin
Homosexuality and Hope
Host: Deacon Jerry Klement
Spiritual Director: Fr. Brian Eilers,
Our Lady of Wisdom in San Marcos
Call Fr. Becker: (512) 863-3041
(must dial area code from Austin)
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.couragerc.net
at Plum Creek Golf Course in Kyle. For
more information, visit www.stmarytx.
edu/alumni/ or call Gene Sekula at
(512) 799-5420.
St. Monica Parish in Cameron will
host a Country Dance May 18 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Simon and George
Memorial Hall in Cameron. The cost at
the door is $8 per person.
St. Mary Parish in Brenham will
host its 100 Days of Summer Festival
May 19 beginning at 9 a.m. on the parish
grounds. Activities include a silent auction from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., a live auction
at 12:30 p.m., games for all ages, a water
slide and more.
St. Monica Parish in Cameron
will host its Mary Fest 2013 May 19 on
the parish grounds. Mass and the coronation of Mary will begin at 10 a.m. A
homemade enchilada dinner will begin at
10:30 a.m.; tickets are $8 per plate. Activities include live entertainment, bingo,
horseshoe tournament, and games for
all ages.
Dolores Parish in Austin will host
its annual Jamaica May 19 from 1 to 10
p.m. on the parish grounds. Activities
include live music, food booths, games
for all ages, a silent auction, bingo and
loteria.
St. Mary Parish in Hearne will
host a softball tournament June 8 from
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hearne Little
League Park. All funds raised will be
used for a new parish roof. Team registration forms and rules can be picked
up at the parish ofce or by e-mailing
Candace at [email protected]
or Amanda at amontgomery@hearne.
k12.tx.us.
Tour includes: Roundtrip Air from Austin, walking where
Jesus walked through the Holy Land, from Mt. Tabor to
Galilee to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Jordan River.
For more information, contact Deacon Klement at
(254) 773-1561 or (254) 718-0454 or [email protected].
Pastoral support for victims of sexual abuse
The Diocese of Austin is committed to providing condential and compassionate care to victims of sexual abuse, particularly if the abuse was
committed by clergy or a church representative. If you have experienced abuse by someone representing the Catholic Church, please contact
the diocesan coordinator of pastoral care at (512) 949-2400.
Apoyo pastoral a las víctimas de abuso sexual
La Diócesis de Austin se compromete a proporcionar ayuda condencial y compasiva a las víctimas de abuso sexual, especialmente si el
abuso fue cometido por el clero o un representante de la iglesia. Si usted ha sufrido abusos por parte de alguien que representa la Iglesia
Católica, por favor comuníquese con el coordinador diocesano del cuidado pastoral al (512) 949-2400.
How to report an incident of concern
The Diocese of Austin is committed to preventing harm from happening to any of our children or vulnerable adults. If you are aware of sexual
or physical abuse and/or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult, state law requires you to report that information to local law enforcement or
the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at (800) 252-5400 or www.dfps.state.tx.us. Additionally, if the suspected abuse is by
clergy or an employee or volunteer of any diocesan parish, school or agency, a Notice of Concern should be submitted to the diocesan Ethics
and Integrity in Ministry Ofce at (512) 949-2400. The l Notice of Concern can be found at www.austindiocese.org (click on the link HOW TO
REPORT ABUSE). Reports may be made anonymously.
Cómo reportar un caso de abuso
La Diócesis de Austin está comprometida a la prevención del daño que se cause a cualquier niño o adulto vulnerable. Si usted está enterado
del abuso sexual o físico y/o abandono de un niño o adulto vulnerable, la ley estatal requiere que se reporte esa información a la policía local
o el Departamento de Servicios Familiares y de Protección del Estado de Texas al (800) 252-5400 o al sitio: www.dfps.state.tx.us y además,
si la sospecha de abuso es por parte del clero, empleado o voluntario de cualquier parroquia, escuela u organización de la diócesis, se debe
enviar un Reporte de Abuso y debe ser presentado a la Ocina de Ética e Integridad en el Ministerio de la diócesis al (512) 949-2400. El Reporte de Abuso se encuentra en nuestra página de Internet diocesana: www.austindiocese.org ( Haga click en la liga COMO REPORTAR UN
CASO DE ABUSO). Estos reportes pueden ser hechos de manera anónima.
ESPAÑOL
May 2013
27
Obispos abogan por restricciones a préstamos inmediatos
Una vez en el Senado, un número de
enmiendas mucho más fuertes fueron
agregadas a la propuesta de ley para
obispo de la Diócesis
restringir el cargo de cuotas altas y los
de Austin. Es pastor
aún más altos intereses sobre préstapara casi 500,000
mos a corto plazo. En particular, la
católicos en 25
propuesta, tal como fue aprobada por
condados en el
el Senado, contuvo previsiones que reCentro de Texas.
quieren que las cuotas sean incluidas en
el cálculo de la cantidad de deuda que
Editora: En los últimos años,
será impuesta a los prestatarios como
usted ha tomado una posición
un porcentaje de sus ingresos; establece
pública para aplicar restricciones a
una taza de porcentaje anual de 36 por
prestamistas inmediatos en Austin
y en nuestro estado. Díganos sobre ciento, un término máximo de 180 días
en todos los prestamos, sin renanciaesto.
miento en préstamos de múltiples paObispo Vásquez: Sí, el año
gos y permite a las ciudades promulgar
pasado me uní a una variedad de grupos instando al municipio de la ciudad mandatos locales, como el de Austin.
Aún mejor, el Presidente del Code Austin a aprobar una ordenanza
municipal que limite los lugares donde mité del Senado de Negocios y Comercio, John Carona, aceptó las enmiendas
los prestamistas inmediatos pueden
y públicamente se comprometió a
ubicarse y cuanto dinero pueden presostener esos cambios en cualquier
star. Además, recientemente testiqué
en el Senado de Texas, representando a negociación con el Congreso Estatal en
la Conferencia Católica de este estado y su comité de conferencia.
A pesar de que la CSSB 1247, con
a las 15 diócesis católicas de Texas, en
su enmienda, no es perfecta, establece
oposición a una propuesta de ley que
un paso rme hacia la regulación y el
fue aprobada por el Comité del Secontrol de dichas prácticas predatorias.
nado de Negocios y Comercio, la cual
La propuesta avanza ahora a la Casa
creemos que no abarcaba lo suciente
de Representantes, donde nuestros
– y en algunos lugares resultaba aún
esfuerzos continuarán para enfrentar
peor que la ley actual — para regular
una intensa campaña bien nanciada
los préstamos inmediatos y los que se
por los prestamistas instantáneos y
realizan por medio del título de auto
sus grupos de cabildeo, la cual tiene el
y proteger de prácticas usureras y de
mayores abusos a los pobres. Afortun- propósito de pelear contra cualquiera
adamente, los esfuerzos de los obispos de dichas restricciones.
La regulación se necesita porque
de Texas junto con otros defensores,
la explotación de los pobres está
para imponer restricciones razonables
a la industria de préstamos inmediatos empeorando. Una proliferación de
y por título de auto han sido atendidos. lugares de préstamos inmediatos y a
E L O BISPO J OE S.
VÁSQUEZ es el quinto
través del título del auto ha inundado
centros comerciales y vecindarios y
somos constantemente bombardeados
por comerciales de radio y televisión
que prometen efectivo “fácil” y “en
el mismo día” para atraer a familias
desesperadas con necesidad de pagar
emergencias médicas, abarrotes, renta y
utilidades.
En lugar de obtener las promesas
de estos préstamos fáciles a corto
plazo, familias nancieramente vulnerables quedan atrapadas en un
círculo continuo de deudas de cargos
de interés del cual no pueden escapar.
Al combinarse, estos cargos e intereses, con frecuencia alcanzan tasas de
porcentaje anuales (APR por sus siglas
en inglés) mayores del 500 por ciento
y algunas se han elevado hasta el 659
por ciento. De acuerdo con datos de
la industria, los texanos pagaron más
de $23 dólares por cada $100 dólares
prestados a un plazo de 14 a 30 días –
casi el doble del límite de $10 a $15.50
dólares por cada $100 dólares prestados que otros 17 estados exigen. En
otros 15 estados – y para ciertos prestatarios militares, donde la tarifa federal
militar límite es estrictamente aplicadalos préstamos inmediatos tienen como
límite tasas de porcentaje anuales de
36 por ciento. En Texas, prestamistas
inmediatos esquivan la protección de
los límites de tasas de porcentajes de
36 por ciento ofreciendo a familias
militares préstamos a plazos mayores
de 90 días.
No estamos tratando de que estos
negocios de préstamos salgan del mercado. Estamos únicamente tratando
EL OBISPO JOE VÁSQUEZ así como otros obispos de Texas y Católicos de todo el estado se reunieron en
el Capitolio el 9 de Abril por el Día Católico de la Intercesión (Catholic Advocacy Day, en inglés). Un asunto en
particular en el que los obispos de Texas y la Conferencia Católica de Texas han estado trabajando durante esta
sesión legislativa implica más regulaciones a los prestamistas inmediatos y sobre título de auto. (Foto por Christian
R. González)
de regular las prácticas de quienes
actúan mal. Estamos comprometidos
a encontrar un proyecto de reforma
signicativo que mejore la situación de
los prestatarios en Texas.
Editora: ¿Por qué es esto importante para la Iglesia Católica?
Obispo Vásquez: Nuestros principios cristianos básicos nos piden que
protejamos y defendamos a los pobres
y vulnerables. Nuestras parroquias y
Caridades Católicas son testigos de los
altos costos de ser pobre diariamente
a través de la asistencia a familias que
se ven forzadas a adquirir alarmantes
deudas cuando tienen que obtener
un préstamo inmediato o a través del
título de su auto para poder cubrir un
gasto inesperado. En las enseñanzas de
nuestra fe tenemos muchas advertencias sobre la usura y la explotación de
la gente. Prácticas de préstamos que de
manera o no intencional se aprovechan
de las circunstancias desesperadas de
alguien son injustas. Las enseñanzas
católicas demandan respeto hacia la
dignidad de las personas, preocupación
preferencial por los pobres y vulnerables y la búsqueda del bien común.
Estos principios, aunados a nuestras
enseñanzas sobre justicia económica,
subrayan la importancia de nuestro
escrutinio de las prácticas actuales de
préstamos inmediatos.
Estudios muestran que mujeres
pertenecientes a minorías son las más
afectadas por este tipo de préstamos
cuando se encuentran luchando por
proveer para sus familias y también son
las que más comúnmente se declaran
en quiebra, son evacuadas de sus viviendas y postergan cuidados médicos
por que tienen deudas con prestamistas
inmediatos. Éstas son las personas
por las que estamos llamados a alzar
nuestras voces por que con frecuencia
estas personas no tienen voz, estamos
llamados a defender a los pobres y
vulnerables de prácticas que minen su
dignidad humana.
Editora: ¿Cuál es su oración
por este proyecto de reforma de
ley mientras pasa por el proceso
legislativo?
Obispo Vásquez: Mi oración es
porque nuestros legisladores estatales modiquen esta ley y tomen en
cuenta los testimonios dados por
la Conferencia Católica de Texas,
otros grupos religiosos y organizaciones de protección al consumidor.
Necesitamos restricciones para los
prestamistas inmediatos y aquellos
que prestan dinero por título del auto.
Oro porque nos enfoquemos en las
necesidades de los pobres y vulnerables a través de nuestras comunidades
y que permanezcamos unidos para
protegerlas de ser usadas o maltratadas, especialmente cuando se trata de
abusos de prestamistas inmediatos o
de préstamos de autos usureros. Rezo
por que la gente exprese su resolución a aumentar las restricciones a
préstamos inmediatos.
28
ESPAÑOL
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
María, un ejemplo de fe y maternidad
POR LUPE GARCIA, LPC-S, LMFT-S
COLUMNISTA
La maternidad es una hermosa
bendición, pero ciertamente tiene sus
retos. Así se trate una mujer que es
madre de uno o de siete, de una madre
adoptiva, de una madre de hogar
sustituto, de una madre soltera, de una
madrina o de una mujer que aspira a
ser mamá, ninguna está sola en su viaje.
Hay otras mujeres involucradas en esta
montaña rusa de emociones que van
desde la alegría pura y la frustración,
hasta el cansancio más grande. Aprendemos unas de otras, nos alentamos
unas a otras y nos identicamos unas
con otras. Podemos también recibir
gran consuelo en los brazos de nuestra Bendita Madre, María. Ella es el
modelo perfecto para cada uno de
nosotras como mujeres, sin importar
en qué momento estamos de nuestras
vidas o cuáles son las circunstancias
que nos rodean. Ella es nuestro refugio
y nuestra defensa y nos enseña sobre la
fe y sobre estar abiertos al plan divino
de Dios.
Hay una preocupación natural que
acompaña a la enorme responsabilidad de la maternidad. Tememos a lo
desconocido, dudamos de nosotras
mismas y no estamos seguras de si
estamos “listas”. De cualquier manera,
la maternidad no tiene que ser preocupante si dejamos de tratar de controlar
cada situación y ponemos nuestra
conanza en Dios. María demostró su
valor y su fe en Dios cuando se abrió
a la voluntad de Dios. El suyo fue un
embarazo no convencional que tuvo
grandes consecuencias en su vida, y
aún así, ella lo aceptó con un corazón
abierto.
Aceptar la voluntad de Dios
cuando ésta no es lo que habíamos
planeado es muy difícil. No importa
cómo vengan los
niños a nuestras vidas,
tenemos que conar en
que Dios tiene un plan
para nosotros y para
ellos. Tal vez una
pareja no está en la mejor situación nanciera
para tener un niño. Tal
vez una mujer no está
casada y no tiene idea
de cómo se mantendrá
a sí misma y al niño. A
veces los niños vienen
en paquete como familia heredada instantáneamente cuando un
hermano muere. Como María, debemos recordar que Dios tiene un plan
y que necesitamos conar en ese plan
y en Él.
Todos tenemos esperanzas y
sueños para nuestros hijos, hermanos,
sobrinas y sobrinos, ahijados y nietos.
Es ciertamente necesario que apoyemos a nuestros niños, pero al mismo
tiempo les jemos límites. También
hay momentos en que debemos darles
la oportunidad de crecer como las
personas que son y de establecer sus
propias relaciones. Llega un momento
en que tenemos que dejarlos pensar
por ellos mismos y tomar sus propias
decisiones. Podemos asumir que María
tuvo, al menos, un pequeño deseo de
que su hijo fuera un carpintero normal
y no tuviera que sufrir y dar su vida
por nosotros. De cualquier manera,
ella tuvo el valor para ponerlo a Él y
a otros antes que sus
propios deseos. Cuando llegó su tiempo,
se quitó del camino y
dejó a Jesús trabajar en
su ministerio público.
María nos enseña a
todos a ser amorosos y
compasivos, pero también nos da un ejemplo
de cómo desprenderse
por amor.
La lección más
difícil y esencial que
María nos enseña es su
disposición para aceptar
el sufrimiento. Desde el
principio de su abierto “sí” a Dios, ella
se preparó para lo que pudiese venir.
Esto es indudablemente más fácil de
decir que de hacer para cualquiera, pero
ella nos enseñó que es posible atravesar
la agonía y aún así permanecer el. Hay
pocas cosas en el mundo más dolorosas que perder un hijo o ver a nuestro
hijo sufrir. Este tipo de dolor es tan
personal que a veces el solo compartir
la experiencia con otros que están pasando por ello, no nos consuela.
María madre ejemplicó la fuerza
y el valor que se requiere para seguir
adelante con el corazón roto conando
en la misericordia de Dios y en la ayuda
de otros. María estuvo con Jesús al pie
de la cruz y se rodeó de los discípulos
mientras trataba de entender la pasión
de Cristo, su muerte y resurrección. En
ese tiempo de confusión y aicción,
ella se apoyó en su familia y amigos
– José, María Magdalena, los discípulos a quienes ella veía como sus hijos.
Cuando sufrimos un dolor tan inmenso
en nuestras vidas y estamos tentados
a aislarnos, debemos recordar voltear
hacia nuestros seres queridos y dejarlos
ayudarnos a lidiar con nuestro dolor,
tal como María lo hizo después de la
muerte de Jesús.
En este mes de mayo, oremos para
que seamos como nuestra madre María,
epítome de la maternidad. Que profundicemos en el Evangelio y aprendamos
más sobre María y su sagrada maternidad hacia Jesús y la iglesia. Que siempre
volteemos hacia ella para recibir su consuelo en nuestro viaje como mujeres y
madres de fe.
LUPE GARCÍA es
una consejera certicada y directora
de la Ocina Diocesana de la Vida
Familiar y Consejería Familiar. Se
le puede llamar a
(512) 949-2495 o
[email protected].
Compartiendo nuestras bendiciones
Apocalipsis 7:12.
El encuentro con Jesús vivo
produce un cosquilleo que espontáneamente nos lleva a alabarlo por las
En las historias de la Resurrección maravillas que ha hecho con nosotros,
de Jesús de entre los muertos, parece
con el Universo, con su amor. Este
que siempre hay una constante. Los
encuentro es una invitación a proclaque son testigos oculares de la Resumar al mundo que Jesús está vivo, una
rrección de Cristo siempre salen con ur- invitación a compartir con mis hermagencia a dar testimonio de lo que vieron nos y hermanas a través de mi palabra
–– que Jesús, el maestro está vivo.
y mis acciones lo que he visto, las
De la misma manera María, cuando maravillas que Dios ha hecho en mí. Y
estaba embarazada de Jesús, no pudo
hacemos esto porque sabemos que
sino espontáneamente proclamar la
ellos merecen, como nosotros, el
grandeza de Dios: “Alaba mi alma la
saberse envueltos por el amor incondigrandeza del Señor y mi espíritu se
cional de Dios Padre en Cristo Jesús.
alegra en Dios mi salvador,” Lucas
De alguna manera usted y yo,
1:46-47. Tal como los Israelitas cancomo los apóstoles, somos correspontaron a Yahvé al cruzar el mar rojo y
sables de la salvación de los demás. Ser
verse libres de la esclavitud impuesta
discípulos de Cristo nos lleva naturalen ellos por los egipcios, “Canto a
mente a ser corresponsables del otro,
Yahvé, esplendorosa es su gloria,
somos corresponsables del Cuerpo de
caballo y jinete arrojo en el mar,”
Cristo. La corresponsabilidad son las
Éxodo 15:1. Tal como lo haremos el
obligaciones que usted y yo tenemos
día en que nos veamos cara a cara con en común por el uno y por el otro, por
nuestro Creador, “Amén, alabanza,
toda la Iglesia, todo la humanidad.
gloria, sabiduría, acción de gracias,
Esta corresponsabilidad la prachonor, poder y fuerza a nuestro Dios
ticamos de muchas maneras; la más
por los siglos de los siglos. Amén,”
obvia es dando testimonio por medio
POR EDGAR RAMIREZ
DIRECTOR DEL MINISTERIO HISPANO
de la palabra del mensaje de amor de
Cristo: proclamando su palabra. No
está de más recordar que las acciones
arrastran y que por el amor que nos
tenemos unos con otros nos conocerán.
Las acciones que nos ayudan a
expresar nuestra corresponsabilidad
por todos y cada uno de los billones
de seres humanos que compartimos el
mismo cielo y tierra son el cuidar los
recursos naturales que tenemos –– el
agua, la comida, el aire; el educarnos
en los problemas y realidades de otras
culturas y naciones; en ser ciudadanos
activos que votan y pagan impuestos
responsablemente; al participar como
voluntarios en alguna organización
social de ayuda para los pobres, los
enfermos y los jóvenes; el orar por los
menos afortunados, por los que más
necesitan la misericordia y amor de
Dios; al compartir responsablemente
parte de las bendiciones económicas
que hemos recibido ya sea en la colecta dominical o al contribuir económicamente en alguna organización que
ayude a los más necesitados. Somos
corresponsables cuando cuidamos
nuestros cuerpos, cuando hacemos el
mejor esfuerzo por ser buenos padres,
madres e hijos, cuando educamos a los
más jóvenes en la fe Cristiana, cuando
amamos sin reparo.
Usted y yo estamos invitados con
urgencia, hoy más que nunca, a proclamar que Dios está vivo, a compartir
la buena nueva con todos, no porque
tenga que hacerse, sino porque es lo
único que podemos hacer ante tantas
bendiciones recibidas, aun en medio
de las cruces de dolor y sufrimiento.
El ser corresponsables con los demás,
nosotros mismos y la creación entera,
es una forma de no olvidar lo que es
importante –– el amor, que entre más
se da, más se obtiene.
EDGAR RAMIREZ
es el Director del
Ministerio Hispano
para la Diócesis de
Austin. Se le puede
llamar al (512) 9492468 o por correo
electrónico a [email protected].
ESPAÑOL
May 2013
29
El Obispo ordenará cinco sacerdotes el 8 de junio
POR MARY P. WALKER
CORRESPONSAL
El Obispo Joe Vasquez ordenará a los Diáconos Augustine
Ariwaodo, Jason Bonifazi, Ventura Alejandro Caudillo, Barry
Cuba y Timothy Nolt al sacerdocio este 8 de junio a las 10:30 del
día en la parroquia de St. Vincent
de Paul, en Austin.
Aunque a todos los diáconos les une su dedicación a la
fe Católica y esperan con ansias
servir como sacerdotes en la
Diócesis de Austin, cada uno ha
venido hacia el sacramento de
las órdenes sagradas a través de
distintos caminos.
Dos se han convertido a
la fe Católica. Dos han tenido
experiencias de conversión que
los han llevado a una mayor profundidad dentro del Catolicismo,
y uno supo que quería ser sacerdote desde muy joven.
La geografía también inuye
en su diversidad. Dos de los
diáconos crecieron dentro de los
límites de la Diócesis de Austin,
mientras que los demás vienen de
Pennsylvania, México y Nigeria.
Diácono Jason Bonifazi,
de 33 años, se graduó de la preparatoria Groesbeck y considera
como su parroquia a St. Mary
en Mexia. Es el más joven de
tres hermanos, sus padres son
Michael Bonifazi y Sheli Hanson.
Después de obtener un título
de la universidad de Sam Houston State, el diácono Bonifazi
trabajó como vendedor para una
distribuidora de vinos en Houston. Durante ese tiempo, también trabajó en la obtención de
una maestría en la universidad de
St. Thomas. Aunque fue criado
mormón, se sintió atraído hacia
la Iglesia Católica y comenzó el
proceso del Rito de Iniciación
Cristiana para Adultos (RCIA
por sus siglas en inglés) en la CoCatedral del Sagrado Corazón en
Houston.
Bautizado en 2004, muy
pronto se volvió activo en la vida
parroquial mientras continuaba
en su empleo y en sus estudios de
postgrado. El decía que su vida
estaba “ok”, pero no era feliz.
“Comencé a preguntarme
¿qué era lo que Dios pedía de
mí”, dijo el diácono Bonifazi.
Comenzó a considerar si tal
vez Dios lo estaba llamando a
convertirse en sacerdote. Porque
había sido bautizado recientemente, no estaba seguro si su
interés venía de Dios o de su
propia entusiasta respuesta a
haberse convertido en Católico.
Continuó discerniendo sobre
esta pregunta con un sacerdote
de la co-catedral hasta que terminó sus estudios de postgrado.
Sabiendo que no podía entrar
al seminario hasta que hubiese
tenido más experiencia como
Católico, contactó a los Asuncionistas, una orden religiosa
que patrocina misioneros laicos.
Bajo su dirección, fue a Filipinas.
A su regreso, entró al seminario, aproximadamente dos años
después de su bautismo.
Al principio, el diacono Bonifazi encontró retadores algunos
aspectos de la vida del seminario.
Acostumbrado a las respuestas
“correctas e incorrectas” de sus
cursos de negocios, tuvo que
aprender una nueva manera de
pensar para estudiar losofía y
teología. Además, vivir en un
dormitorio y compartir las vidas
estructuradas de los seminaristas
requirió un ajuste de un hombre
acostumbrado a vivir solo.
Anticipando su ordenación,
el diácono Bonifazi dijo, “Espero
con ansias estar en una parroquia, compartir mi fe y atraer a
la gente hacia Cristo. Este es un
momento emocionante para la
Iglesia y el mundo.”
Diácono Tim Nolt, de 46
años, también se convirtió al
Catolicismo y considera como
su parroquia a St. John Vianney
en Round Rock. Sus padres son
Steve y Doris y tiene dos hermanas más jóvenes. Creció en Lancaster, Pennsylvania en el seno de
una familia Cristiana Evangélica
que enfatizaba el compartir la
fe. Cuando tenía 10 años, su
padre tomó un año sabático de
su trabajo de profesor y la familia se mudó a Kenia a realizar
trabajo misionero. Mientras se
encontraba ahí, el diacono Nolt
acudió a la escuela para hijos de
misioneros.
Cuando se le preguntó qué
lo atrajo hacia la Iglesia Católica,
el contestó, “todo gira alrededor
de la música.”
Al crecer en una familia que
compartía sus muchos talentos musicales con la iglesia, el
diácono Nolt recibió una licenciatura en ejecución pianística
de la escuela Julliard. Entonces
vino a Texas a estudiar piano
a la Universidad de Texas en
Austin, donde recibió el grado
de maestría. Mientras estudiaba,
dio clases de piano a la hija de
una familia Católica. A través de
esta familia, él aprendió sobre el
Catolicismo y tuvo la oportunidad de tocar en Misa.
Con experiencias en el movimiento “la casa iglesia” y como
un ministro juvenil en una Iglesia
Presbiteriana, el diácono Nolt
explicó que en su “cabeza” no
estaba considerando el Catolicismo. Sin embargo, fue conducido
hacia la fe.
“El Espíritu Santo me expuso a la liturgia Católica. Los
Católicos creen que Cristo está
presenta en la liturgia y yo quería
Diácono Augustine Ariwaodo
aprender más sobre ello.” Dijo el
diácono Nolt.
Después de algunas semanas
de oración ferviente durante
un tiempo intenso de su vida,
sintió el deseo de convertirse
en Católico para profundizar en
su relación con Cristo. Mientras
esperaba para participar en un
programa de Rito de Iniciación
Cristiana para Adultos, participó
en un retiro para hombres. Su
compañero de cuarto plantó la
semilla de una posible vocación
religiosa cuando le preguntó si
alguna vez había considerado el
sacerdocio.
Tras convertirse en Católico
en 1999, pasó los siguientes ocho
años trabajando en tecnología de
la información para la ciudad de
Georgetown, como un músico
a tiempo parcial y tocando en
un grupo de cámara. Entró al
seminario en 2007. Además de
sus estudios y formación para el
sacerdocio, la vida del seminario
también le dio la oportunidad
de mejorar sus habilidades para
ejecutar el órgano.
Aunque sus padres pasaron
por un periodo de ajuste a la
conversión del diácono Nolt,
hoy están orgullosos de que esté
dedicando su vida a Dios a través
del sacerdocio.
“Mis años de discernimiento
y formación me han impresionado sobre cuánto la formación
para el sacerdocio es un asunto
familiar. Te da humildad el recibir
tantas oraciones de eles cristianos durante este tiempo.” Dijo el
diácono Nolt.
Después de su ordenación,
espera con ansias ser parte de
una parroquia familiar, sirviendo
a través de la Misa y los sacramentos y ayudando en tiempos
de necesidad.
Nacido y criado en Austin,
el Diácono Barry Cuba, de 27
años considera a St. Catherine of
Siena su parroquia. Se graduó de
la preparatoria James Bowie y es
el hijo de Karen Cuba. Tiene una
hermana menor.
Durante sus primeros años
de escuela, el diácono Cuba trabajó en una tienda de abarrotes
y pensó que podría seguir una
carrera gerencial a través de la
Diácono Jason Bonifazi
Diácono Alex Caudillo
Diácono Barry Cuba
Diácono Tim Nolt
cadena a la que pertenecía la
tienda. Un amigo le dio una copia del “Catecismo de la Iglesia
Católica” y le aconsejó leerla para
crecer más profundamente en
su fe. “Me enamoré de la belleza
de la fe. Las enseñanzas son coherentes,” dijo el diácono Cuba.
Explicó que después de leer el Catecismo, se interesó “realmente en
ser un Católico”, y se preguntó si
Dios lo estaba llamando al sacerdocio. Sin saber cómo convertirse
en sacerdote, acudió a la Internet,
donde un sitio le informó que la
mayoría de las grandes ciudades
tienen directores vocacionales.
Decidió buscar a uno en Austin.
En ese tiempo el Padre David
Konderla era el director vocacional de la Diócesis.
“Él es un buen ejemplo de
un sacerdote feliz. Su felicidad
era contagiosa. Vi la posibilidad
de vivir una vida tan feliz y entré
en el seminario al terminar la preparatoria.” Dijo el diácono Cuba.
Además de sus responsabilidades en la vida del seminario, el
diácono Cuba sirvió en la reserva
de la Marina de Estados Unidos
(U.S. Navy en inglés) por tres
años. Ha viajado extensivamente,
visitando Costa Rica, la cual disfrutó particularmente, la mayoría
de los países del oeste de Europa,
Canadá y Corea. Incluso habla
algo de coreano.
Después de ordenarse, el
diácono Cuba espera con ansias
el predicar y el enseñar y cree
que un sacerdote tiene el gran
privilegio y la responsabilidad de
servir a la gente en tiempos de
alegría y tristeza y a través de los
sacramentos. Además, espera
con ansia las responsabilidades
administrativas de la oficina
aunque admite que es algo que
no ha hecho con frecuencia.
Originalmente del estado
de Abia en la parte sureste de
Nigeria, el Diácono Augustine
Ariwaodo de 36 años de edad,
se maravilla de que los planes
de Dios para su vida lo hayan
traído a la Diócesis de Austin.
Él considera la parroquia de St.
Elizabeth de Hungría en Pugerville, su parroquia. Es el hijo
de Mónica y Matthías, quien
ya falleció. Uno de seis hijos, el
diácono Ariwaodo creció en una
familia Católica devota. Tiene un
hermano y hermana viviendo en
Nigeria, una hermana que es religiosa con la orden de las Obreras
del Niño Jesús (Handmaids of
the Holy Child of Jesus, en inglés) en Inglaterra y un hermano
en Londres. Su hermana Joy,
de quien el diácono Ariwaodo
dice, su nombre describía su disposición, murió en un accidente
automovilístico en 2003. Tenían
una relación cercana y él cree
que sus oraciones en el cielo son
lo que le ha ayudado en su viaje
hacia el sacerdocio. Espera que
su madre y todos sus hermanos
puedan atender la ceremonia de
ordenación.
El padre del diácono Ariwaodo fue maestro de primaria
y asistente de su pastor. “Estuve
rodeado por diferentes sacerdotes y religiosas. Me encantaba
la manera en que servían a la
gente. Eso es lo que yo quería
hacer.” Dijo. Considerando el
Ver JUNIO en la página 30
ESPAÑOL
Una creciente presencia demanda mayores responsabilidades, dicen dirigentes latinos
30
POR CAROL GLATZ
Consciente de las señales de
los tiempos, la Iglesia Católica
quiere darle la mano y abrirle los
brazos a más personas y asignarl mayor responsabilidad a la
creciente comunidad latina, dijo
un grupo de dirigentes católicos
latinos de los Estados Unidos.
La elección que llevó a cabo
el 13 de marzo el Colegio de
cardenales de un papa originario de Latinoamérica hizo esta
tarea más evidente, le dijeron
al Catholic News Service tres
de los dirigentes más altos de
la Asociación Católica de Dirigentes Latinos, o CALL, cuyas
ocinas centrales están en Los
Ángeles.
La elección del papa Francisco “es una señal de la importancia de los latinos y de
los pueblos ‘del continente de
esperanza’ como le han llamado
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
algunos papas al continente
americano”, dijo el arzobispo
José H. Gómez de Los Ángeles.
El tener un papa de Buenos Aires, Argentina, también
“demuestra verdaderamente la
madurez de la fe católica en el
continente americano”, dijo.
Un papa latino “hará más
compactas a nuestras comunidades. En verdad muchas de
nuestras comunidades hispanas
o latinas se van a identicar más
con la iglesia y a sentirse más unidas”, dijo Diana Vela, presidenta
y directora ejecutiva de CALL.
La clave será que las comunidades latinas capitalicen
“este regalo de un papa latino”,
que capitalicen en su creciente
población y en sus propias habilidades de dirigencia, espiritualidad y cultura, de manera
que se pueda beneciar a toda
la sociedad, como también a la
iglesia universal, dijo Tommy
Espinoza, presidente de la directiva de CALL.
Espinoza, Vela y el arzobispo Gómez, quien es el cofundador y moderador episcopal de
la organización, tomaron parte
de un grupo de peregrinos que
fue a Roma del 7 al 12 de abril,
en el que también se incluyeron
dos docenas de representantes
de seis grupos de los 10 capítulos de los Estados Unidos.
El grupo había estado yendo a
Roma cada tres años, desde su
fundación en el año 2007.
La peregrinación de este
año se hizo más especial, dijo
Vela, debido a que coincidió
con la elección del primer papa
originario de Latinoamérica, y
también a que el grupo se alojó
en la casa que lleva el nombre
latino de Domus Sanctae Marthae (casa de Santa Marta), que
es la misma residencia de huéspedes del Vaticano en donde
el ahora papa estaba alojado.
El grupo tuvo la oportunidad
de reunirse con el papa actual
varias veces en el refectorio, y el
arzobispo Gómez celebró Misa
con el papa en la capilla de la
residencia.
Los tres dirigentes de CALL
estuvieron de acuerdo en que la
presencia enorme y creciente de
los católicos latinos, especialmente en los Estados Unidos,
se traduce en mayor responsabilidad para conocer, vivir y
compartir la fe y ser miembros
activos de la iglesia.
“A veces existe la tendencia
de solamente realizar las cosas
normales, como ir a Misa y eso”,
dijo el arzobispo Gómez.
“Pero yo creo que es importante que todos los latinos sientan que son una parte esencial
de la iglesia de los Estados Unidos”, dijo; y por esto es que el
arzobispo Charles J. Chaput de
Philadelphia, el obispo Thomas
J. Olmstead de Phoenix, y un
buen número de dirigentes latinos de San Antonio y otras
partes decidieron formar la organización CALL.
Las personas de negocios y
los políticos han reconocido que
la comunidad latina es vital para
su continua viabilidad y éxito,
dijo Espinoza.
“Todo mundo quiere aprovechar algo de la población
hispana (latina) pues observan
cómo va aumentando. Quieren
aprovecharse de su poder de
compra, de sus votos y de sus
negocios”, dijo Vela.
Pero, además, dijo ella,
“ha sido hermoso ver” cómo
la Iglesia se ha dado cuenta
de este cambio y “ha estado extendiendo la mano y
abriendo los brazos para todos
nosotros”.
La meta del grupo CALL
es la de establecer una red de
relaciones entre los dirigentes de
negocios latinos y profesionales,
ayudarles a que crezcan en su
fe y a utilizar sus recursos y su
inuencia para llevar los valores
del Evangelio a la comunidad en
grande, dijo Espinoza.
Jornadas Mundiales de la Juventud esperan gran incremento
ganizador. Y dijo que el comité
espera unos 800,000 peregrinos
inscritos para el inicio del evento, que será del 23 al 28 de julio.
Miembros del comité local
El Vaticano hasta ahora no
organizador de las Jornadas había anunciado la fecha exacta
Mundiales de la Juventud dicen de la asistencia del papa Francisque esperan que asistan hasta co, pero ha indicado que ése será
2.5 millones de jóvenes a los su primer viaje internacional.
eventos que se llevarán a cabo
Castro dijo que, aunque el
en Río de Janeiro, tomando en registro no es requerido para la
cuenta la reciente elección de un mayoría de eventos planeados
papa argentino.
para las Jornadas Mundiales
“Hasta ahora ya tenemos de la Juventud, sí se recomienunos 200,000 peregrinos inscri- da, pues con la contraseña de
tos, pero el registro dura hasta registro los peregrinos tendrán
el último día del evento”, dijo acceso a transporte gratuito a
Carol de Castro, coordinadora muchos de los eventos, recibirán
de prensa del comité local or- un paquete de peregrino con
POR LISE ALVES
importante información acerca
de los eventos de la ciudad. Si
el peregrino en cuestión ha optado por el paquete en el que se
incluyen comidas, se incluirá una
lista de restoranes acreditados.
Los argentinos forman el
grupo mayor de extranjeros
(en relación a Brasil) que se
han inscrito para ofrecer sus
servicios en forma voluntaria
para los eventos que durarán 6
días; esto, a pesar de que dicha
inscripción ya se había cerrado
cuando el nombre del nuevo
papa fue anunciado a nales de
marzo. Aproximadamente un 15
por ciento de los 60,000 voluntarios escogidos son de la tierra
vernácula del papa Francisco.
Los organizadores dicen
que se espera que para el 23
de junio haya disponibles más
de un millón de camas para los
peregrinos, en muy diversos
sitios, como casas particulares,
escuelas, centros de recreación
e iglesias. Los peregrinos podrán alojarse en forma gratuita
a partir del 21 de julio y hasta el
31 del mismo mes, dijo Vinicius
Arouca, voluntario del comité
de hospitalidad.
Funcionarios brasileños dicen que la seguridad pública en
Río de Janeiro será más estricta
de lo normal en los meses de
junio y julio, pues en la ciudad se
llevarán a cabo al nal de junio
las nales de la Copa Mundial
de futbol soccer, administrada
por la FIFA.
El gobierno brasileño ha
facilitado los requisitos de visa
y ha exceptuado a los peregrinos de pagar impuesto de visa
si prueban que están inscritos
para las Jornadas Mundiales de
la Juventud.
La mayoría de ciudadanos
europeos y latinoamericanos no
necesitan visa para ingresar a
Brasil; sin embargo, las personas
que exhiban pasaporte de países
como los Estados Unidos, Canadá, Australia y Japón sí necesitarán visa de ingreso.
sus padres quienes buscaban
mejores oportunidades de estudio para sus hijos. El más joven
de 13 hermanos, es el hijo de
José y María, quien ya falleció.
Él espera que su padre, quien
vive en México y la mayoría de
sus hermanos, puedan asistir a
su ordenación.
Después de su llegada a
Estados Unidos, el diácono
Caudillo vivió en Tyler por
una temporada corta, se mudó
entonces a California y vino
después a Waco en 1998. Su
parroquia es St. Francis on
the Brazos. Se graduó de la
preparatoria Midway, asistió al
McLennan Community College
y recibió una licenciatura en
servicio social de la Universidad
de Texas en Arlington.
El diácono Caudillo había
estado apartado de la Iglesia
por un periodo de tiempo y da
crédito a Dios, a algunas experiencias espirituales poderosas y
a su búsqueda por signicado,
de haberlo traído de regreso. Se
involucró mucho en la vida parroquial, sirviendo como lector,
miembro del programa del Rito
de Iniciación Cristiana para
Adultos y ministro extraordinario de la Santa Comunión.
También visitaba a los enfermos y se involucró en retiros
y programas de educación religiosa.
Él cree que tres cosas lo
guiaron a escuchar y responder
a la llamada de Dios al sacer-
docio: quería tener una vida
de significado y propósito;
otros le pidieron y alentaron
que considerara el convertirse
en sacerdote; y nalmente, el
ejemplo de un sacerdote que
conoció que transformó la idea
de convertirse en un sacerdote
en el deseo de convertirse en
sacerdote.
El diácono Caudillo alabó
el proceso de formación ya
que ayuda a los seminaristas a
descubrir lo que Dios les llama
a hacer como sacerdotes. Él dijo
que quiere “servir a otros, estar
ahí cuando tienen dicultades
y necesitan a alguien en quien
conar, y ayudarles a saber que
con Dios, hay algo mejor en la
vida.”
JUNIO
Continúa de la Pagina 29
sacerdocio a una edad temprana,
estuvo especialmente inuenciado por las historias que escuchó
sobre un pastor fallecido que
fue conocido por su santidad y
su servicio generoso.
En 2005, recibió el título de
teología de la Universidad Urbana Ponticia de Roma, la cual
estaba aliada a su seminario
en Nigeria. En 2008 vino a los
Estados Unidos para asistir a
la ordenación de un amigo y se
le pidió que continuara como
seminarista para la Diócesis de
Savannah, Georgia, estudiando
en el Seminario de St. Vincent en Latrobe, Pensilvania.
Poco después, se transrió a
la Diócesis de Austin, la cual
siente como su hogar ahora.
Expresó su apreciación por
la bienvenida y el apoyo que
recibió y está en proceso de
convertirse en un ciudadano
americano.
Esperando poder devolver
estas bendiciones, el diácono
Ariwaodo dijo, “Quiero ser una
presencia inspiradora, un buen
ejemplo, como el sacerdote del
que escuchaba. Quiero ayudar a
la gente a darse cuenta de que
Dios está presente en medio
de ellos. Que Él los ama y está
más cerca de lo que se pueden
imaginar.”
Diácono Ventura Alejandro (Alex) Caudillo, de 32
años, nació en México y vino
a los Estados Unidos cuando
teñía 15 años en compañía de
SITINGS
May 2013
31
THE THREE- AND FOUR-YEAR-OLDS from
the St. Jerome Little Lions Learning Center
reenacted the washing of the feet, participated
in a Last Supper, and held an Easter egg hunt.
(Photos courtesy Angie Chancellor)
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS from Sacred Heart Parish in
Austin worked with the Greater Area Youth Summer Program to
help youth nd summer jobs. At the end of the training, the Knights
provided a meal for the youth. (Photo courtesy Lupe Perez)
TEENS FROM St. Jerome Parish in Waco reenacted the Stations of the Cross in mime form.
THE CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAS of Sacred Heart
Parish in La Grange held
their family dinner and
47th anniversary celebration on March 10. Eleven
scholarships were awarded to high school seniors.
(Photo courtesy Elizabeth
Kallus)
BISHOP JOE VÁSQUEZ and Dr. Ned
Vanders visited St. Ignatius Martyr
Catholic School in Austin. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Leasure)
ST. AUSTIN CATHOLIC SCHOOL students visited
the State Capitol for the 2013 Catholic Advocacy
Day. Students also wrote letters to their District
Representatives. (Photo courtesy Leah F. Esparza)
ST. MICHAEL’S
CATHOLIC ACADEMY in Austin expanded and remodeled
its weight room and
developed a program
that helps students with
strength and conditioning. (Photo courtesy
Corinne Callahan)
CYAN
VAUGHN,
a junior at
Reicher
Catholic
High School
in Waco,
earned an
Honorable
Mention and
a $250 scholarship for a piece of art he submitted.
(Photo courtesy Suzanne Hack)
JANICE SMITH’S rst
grade class at St. Louis
Catholic School in Waco
celebrated Pope Francis’
inauguration. (Photo
courtesy Brandy Kramolis )
THE CHOIRS for Reicher Catholic High School in Waco
earned various awards at the 2012-13 TAPPS Regional
Music Competition. (Photo courtesy Suzanne Hack)
BISHOP JOE VÁSQUEZ conrmed 40 youth at St. John Vianney Parish in Round Rock. Also, 13 teens received the sacrament of rst holy
Communion and were then conrmed. (Photo courtesy Rilla Chacka)
DURING HOLY WEEK, the eighth graders at
St. Louis Catholic School in Austin hosted a
Resurrection Egg Hunt for their Kindergarten
buddies. Students also reenacted the Stations
of the Cross. (Photos courtesy Renee Gately)
SITINGS
32
C ATHOLIC S PIRIT
THE TEENS from St. Martin de Porres Parish in Dripping
Springs performed a live Stations of the Cross for the parish on Good Friday. (Photo courtesy Allison Rice)
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC
SCHOOL won second place
for the One Act Play competition in Carrollton. They will
compete at the state level
on May 11. (Photo courtesy
Alpa Brannam)
BISHOP JOE
VÁSQUEZ
celebrated
Mass for the
50th anniversary of Holy
Family Parish
in Copperas
Cove on
March 10.
(Photo courtesy Linda McHugh)
ST. GABRIEL’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL in Austin
reenacted the Last Supper
and held its 14th Annual
Washing of the Feet on
Holy Thursday. (Photos
courtesy Erika AllenWalsh)
THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION classes
at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in
Martindale along with students from
Texas State University in San Marcos
reenacted the Stations of the Cross
on March 22. (Photo courtesy Father
Antonio Perez)
FOURTH GRADE
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION students from
St. Stephen Parish in
Salado presented a live
Stations of the Cross
March 22. (Photo courtesy Laura Snyder)
ALYSSA SNYDER,
a senior attending
Holy Trinity Catholic High School in
Temple, was awarded a Father Michael
Scanlan Scholarship
from Franciscan University of Steubenville. The scholarship
covers full tuition for
four years of study,
beginning fall 2013.
(Photo courtesy
Laura Snyder)
FRESHMEN AT ST. MARY PARISH in
Brenham reenacted the Last Supper and
the washing of the feet during Holy Week.
(Photo courtesy Michael Derkowski)
STUDENTS FROM SANTA CRUZ CATHOLIC SCHOOL In
Buda participated in a PSIA meet March 2 at St James Catholic School in Seguin. (Photo courtesy Michele Jeanmarie)
HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC
HIGH SCHOOL in Temple
won the TAPPS 2A State
Academic title. Altogether, the
students took home a record
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF CEN335 awards for the season. It TRAL TEXAS’ Junior Board organized
is the school’s seventh state
a group of young adults to collect, aschampionship in academics
semble and distribute Easter Blessing
and the 10th year in a row in
bags to those in need. Bags included
which the school has been
the food, toys and games and candy.
either rst or second. (Photo
(Photos courtesy Sarah Rose)
courtesy Chris Mosmeyer)
Send photos by the 10th of the month to [email protected].

here - Diocese of Austin

Transcripción

Documentos relacionados

- St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church

Calendar of Events this Week Daily Mass Schedule

Bulletin 08-14-2016 - Holy Trinity Church

assigned clergy - Church of the Little Flower

February 1, 2015 - St. John Neumann Catholic Church