world mission sunday - Diocese of Kalamazoo

Transcripción

T he O ffic i al P u b l i ca ti o n fo r t h e C a t h o l i c Dioc ese of K alamaz oo
OCTOBER 2013
www.dioceseofkalamazoo.org
Volume 16 Issue 8
The Good News
World Mission Sunday
A Eucharistic
Celebration for
all the World
People often overlook
the poor in their midst.
On Sunday, October 20.
World Mission Sunday helps to
remind us that they are neither
forgotten nor unimportant. It is
one day each year when the whole
Catholic world unites in supporting missionaries. The missionaries’ concern for the poorest in
society is a powerful witness of
God’s love.
Sign up today at
www.dioceseofkalamazoo.org/programs
INSIDE NEWS
2 | Jubilarian Sisters
3 | Bishop’s Perspective
5 | A reflection on Cursillo
6 | Respect Life
10 | Página en Español
12 | Back to School News
Goldy-weds honored by
bishop at annual Mass
See page 7 for more
information on
World Mission Sunday.
Bishop Bradley and priests heading to
Kenya to visit sister diocese
This month Bishop Paul J. Bradley,
along with Msgr. Michael Hazard, Vicar
General and pastor of St. Joseph Parish,
Kalamazoo and Rev. John Peter Ambrose,
MSFS, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Watervliet
will travel to the Diocese of Lodwar in
Kenya, the diocese’s “sister.”
The idea for the Diocese of Kalamazoo
to collaborate with the Diocese of Lodwar
was first suggested by Msgr. Hazard and Sr.
Maureen Metty, a sister from the Congregation of St. Joseph. Both had a long friendship
with Bishop Dominic Kimengich who has
connections to the St. Joseph parish community and whose seminary education was
funded in part due to the generosity of
parishioner Mary Agnes McGrail.
Bishop Dominic Kimengich is shown above visiting with children in
the Diocese of Lodwar, Kenya.
The pastoral visit marks the first time
Bishop Bradley will visit the African diocese
to gain greater insight into the plight of the
people and ways the two dioceses can connect going forward.
“Since my first introduction to Bishop
Dominic and the faithful people of the Diocese of Lodwar, both personally and through
our mutual connections, I have been so
moved by their faith and hope and knew our
good people here would benefit from a
deeper connection,” said Bishop Bradley.
The trip has been planned for October 15
through October 30th. Plans include the celebration of Mass at the diocese’s Cathedral,
also named after St. Augustine. In addition
the group will visit a Kenyan hospital, a
Students from Queen of Peace girls academy are shown above. The
refugee camp, a parish near the border of
school is one of two the Diocese of Lodwar has opened recently.
Ethiopia and have a chance to participate in
the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. In addition the two bishops will meet with the diocesan staff
at the Diocese of Lodwar’s pastoral center.
As reported earlier the two dioceses, though worlds apart, share many common elements. Both have the
same diocesan patron saint (St. Augustine); both are similar in size and number of parishes; and both have similar goals and challenges.
In a letter to the parishioners of St. Joseph Parish, Kalamazoo, Bishop Dominic wrote: “I believe that this
collaboration between the faithful of Kalamazoo and Lodwar will mutually enrich all of us with fruits of love
Story continued on page 2
James and Rosalie Caldwell, St. Monica, Kalamazoo, parishioners, celebrated 66 years of marriage at the recent annual Diocesan Golden Wedding
Anniversary Mass with Bishop Bradley. Close to 100 certificates were sent to
couples across the diocese marking 50 plus years of marriage.
While the biggest news story
in 1963 was the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy,
close to 100 couples throughout
the diocese will remember that as
the year they began their married
life together.
On September 8, the Blessed
Mother’s birthday, Bishop Paul J.
Bradley welcomed 52 of those
couples to St. Augustine Cathedral
for the annual Diocesan Golden
Wedding Anniversary Mass.
After the crowd honored the
couples’ commitment to each other
with a standing ovation, Bishop
Bradley shared other notable
events that occurred during that
year including the opening of the
second Vatican Council and his
own high school graduation.
“Even as all of us gather here
with you, applaud you, rejoice
with you, and celebrate you, only
you know what it’s taken to keep
‘preaching’ that sermon each and
every day. Only the two of you
know all the details of your life
journey together,” he said.
During his homily Bishop
Bradley shared with the Mass-
goers a quote from Pope Francis
on the importance of marriage that
the Holy Father said to more than
3 million young people at World
Youth Day held in Rio de Janiero
this past summer.
“Saying ‘yes’ forever to one’s
spouse is a revolutionary act! I ask
you to be revolutionaries. I ask
you to swim against the tide; yes, I
am asking you to rebel against the
culture that seeing everything as
temporary and that ultimately believes you are incapable of true
love. I have confidence in you and
I pray for you. Have the courage to
‘swim against the tide’ and be
happy.”
After the Mass the couples
were honored at a reception and
invited to have commemorative
photos taken with Bishop Bradley.
The Diocesan Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass is held annually at St. Augustine Cathedral
and sponsored by the Secretariat
for Parish Life and Lay Leadership. Couples celebrating that
milestone in 2014 are encouraged
to share that information with their
parishes.
“ Wa i t i ng i n J o y f u l H o p e ”
2 | The Good News
From the Editor
By Victoria Cessna
Communication Director & Editor of The Good News
“I’d never met a murderer before–there weren’t exactly
any in my circle.”
That was just one of the self-deprecating comments
shared by Sr. Helen Prejean as she spoke with a small, captivated group
during her recent stop in Kalamazoo. The feisty, kind-hearted nun is bestknown for her work with death row inmates which she wrote about in her
memoir, Dead Man Walking, now celebrating its 20th publishing anniversary. The book was made into an Oscar-winning movie and helped propel
Sr. Helen into the national spotlight for her efforts to abolish the death
penalty.
It’s pretty easy to love the doting grandmothers and adorable cooing
babies, but murderers? People who have done unspeakable acts of violence? Are we to love them, too? According to the command of Jesus, we
are. “Love one another.” Jesus was pretty clear on the subject and so is
Sr. Helen. When she ministers to death row inmates she tells them, “Your
life is worth more than the worst thing you’ve ever done. You are a child
of God.”
As beautifully flawed human beings we have a tendency to assign
different levels of worth and value to different lives. But our faith compels us to avoid that tendency. Pope Francis recently encouraged a group
of Catholic doctors to help spread, and give witness to, a “culture of life.”
“…remind all,” he said, “through actions and words, that in all its phases
and at any age, life is always sacred and always of quality. And not as a
matter of faith, but of reason and science. There is no human life more sacred than another, just as there exists no human life qualitatively more
meaningful than another.”
When she was 16 years old Debbie Cuevas (now Morris) was kidnapped, terrorized and repeatedly raped by Robert Willie—the death row
inmate at the center of the Dead Man Walking movie. She escaped the ordeal and somehow managed to move on, but not without understandable
difficulties. After the movie was released she contacted Sr. Helen and
began a process toward healing and forgiveness. Her experience of working as a teacher with behaviorally-challenged students helped her see her
attacker in a new light. At one time, he too had been an innocent child.
What led him astray? Did he lack the love and care every child deserves?
It was only when Debbie could empathize with Robert Willie as he might
have been as a child, that she was able to forgive him.
October is Respect Life month in our Church. It’s a tall order but
each life, at every stage, from saints to the murderers, deserves our respect
as a fellow child of God with a God-gifted soul. Jesus commanded it.
Pope Francis encourages it. And we should get it too.
Local woman appointed secretary for
National Council of Catholic Women
Carolyn Morrison, President of the Kalamazoo Diocesan Council of Catholic
Women, has been elected as the Secretary of the National Council of Catholic Women.
The new position took effect in late September after the induction ceremony at the national convention.
Morrison began her association with the council 45 years ago starting a young moms
guild. She served as her Altar/Rosary Society (CCW) President, the diocesan Vice PresiCarolyn Morrison
dent and now as the President of the Kalamazoo Diocese Council of Catholic Women and
the Detroit Province Director for NCCW. She is a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Coldwater.
The National Council of Catholic Women was organized in 1920 at the request of the US Bishops to be an
umbrella for all Catholic women and all Catholic women’s organizations. NCCW acts to support, empower and
educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service.
Dr. Karen Ristau awarded President’s Award by the
National Catholic Educational Association
Dr. Karen Ristau, St. Mary of the Lake parishioner, will receive the President’s
Award from the National Catholic Education Association during the Seton Awards ceremony to be held Monday, Oct. 7 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The Seton Award is NCEA’s highest honor, given in recognition of significant contributions to Catholic education. The award is named in honor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
(1774-1821), the first native-born American saint.
“The NCEA Seton Awards program recognizes great leaders who are supporting
Catholic education in many ways. At the same time, it’s an excellent opportunity to encourage others to follow in the footsteps of these individuals who are helping to
strengthen Catholic schools for the next generation, ” said Brother Robert Bimonte,
Dr. Karen Ristau
NCEA president.
Dr. Karen Ristau served as the ninth president of the National Catholic Educational Association from 2005
to 2013. Ristau began her career in California as a teacher and later became principal of Our Lady of Fatima
School in Modesto, California. In subsequent years she was a high school principal; vice president and dean of
faculty at St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana; vice president for academic affairs at Saint Joseph College,
West Hartford, Connecticut; and faculty member and director and chair of programs in education leadership at
the University of St. Thomas in the Twin Cities. She is a member of St. Mary of the Lake Parish, New Buffalo.
Jubilarian Sisters celebrate anniversaries
Sisters of the Congregation of
St. Joseph celebrated their
jubilee anniversaries at Holy
Family Chapel this past
summer on July 22 with
Bishop Paul J. Bradley.
Shown are:
Top row (L-R) Sr. Mary Ellen
Walenta (60 years), Sr. Patricia
Foley (60 yearrs), Sr. Regina
Marie Cermak (60 years),
Sr. A. Barbara O’Donohue (60
years), Sr. Mary Louise Germain
(75 years).
Pope Francis
October Intentions
People in Despair. That those feeling so
crushed by life that they wish to end it
may sense the nearness of God’s love.
Middle row (L-R) Sr. Maureen
Metty (25 years), Sr. Sheila
Clauss (60 years), Sr. Patricia
Altermatt (60 years), Sr. Lois
Barror (60 years).
World Mission Day. That the celebration
of World Mission Day may help all
Christians realize that we are not only
receivers but proclaimers of God’s word.
The Good News for the
Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo
I hereby designate The Good News as the
official publication of the Diocese of Kalamazoo.
All notices and regulations, appointments,
assignments, etc. issued under the caption “Official” are to be regarded as official communications of the
Bishop of Kalamazoo. Opinion columns, features and
letters to the editor that appear in the publication do not
necessarily reflect the opinions held by The Good News
or the Diocese of Kalamazoo.
+Most Rev. Paul J. Bradley
Bishop of Kalamazoo
October 2013
The Most Rev. Paul J. Bradley
PUBLISHER
Victoria Cessna, ext. 350
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR & EDITOR
Terry L. Hageman, ext. 302
GRAPHIC DESIGNER & ADVERTISING
Jeannette Mattheis, ext. 230
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Fanny Tabares, Director of Hispanic Ministry,
ext. 236 — SPANISH EDITOR
Kim Beaubien
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
PUBLISHED: monthly/10 times per year
DISTRIBUTION: The first weekend of the month via parish bulletins.
Circulation: 20,000. DEADLINES: Advertising reservations by the 1st of the month preceding
the month of publication. Mailing address: THE GOOD NEWS, Diocese of Kalamazoo, 215 N.
Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3760. Fax 269-349-6440, Telephone: 269-903-0163.
Email: [email protected].
NOTICE: The November edition will be distributed in all parishes November 2 & 3.
Catholic Press
Association
www.dioceseofkalamazoo.org
Mission Statement of The Good News: The Good News is the official newspaper of the Catholic Diocese
of Kalamazoo. The Bishop of Kalamazoo is the publisher and president. The Good News is an extension in
the print medium of the teaching authority of the Bishop. Therefore, it must always and at all times present
Catholic teaching in an orthodox, authentic and balanced manner. Its mission and goals proceed from this
fundamental reality.
The mission of The Good News, therefore, is to enable its readers to grow in their Catholic faith, to
develop as mature, well informed Catholics and to deepen their commitment to, and relationship with,
the Lord, their Catholic faith and their Church.
First row (L-R) Sr. Beth Pero (50 years), Sr. Mary Ann McCarron (50 years), Sr. Rita Ann Teichman (50 years),
Sr. Theresa Howard (50 years).
Bishop Bradley and priests heading to Kenya — continued cover story
and salvation. I cannot help but link the reality of the two dioceses reaching out to one another to the love and
generosity of the wonderful Christians of St. Joseph Parish, who are the people
behind the Good News of twinning our two dioceses.”
Bishop Dominic further reports that the Diocese of Lodwar has just concluded a diocesan Synod. “This is a meeting of those Christians,” he explained,
“both the laity and the clergy, selected to study the situation of the diocese and
identify the most pressing needs.”
The diocese is working on a five-year pastoral plan. Additionally the diocese is in the process of establishing two primary schools: St. Augustine for
boys and Queen of Peace for girls. Both schools are entrusted to two congregations of nuns to run: St. Augustine to Sisters of Mary and Queen of Peace to the
Assumption Sisters of Eldoret.
Stay tuned on the diocesan Facebook and Twitter accounts for live coverage of the trip. Also send warm wishes and prayers to our sisters and brothers in
Lodwar by sending an email to [email protected].
Bishop Dominic helps his
friend Mary Agns McGrail celebrate her 100th birthday.
october 2013
The Bishop’s Perspective
Life: Our greatest gift
As I write this month’s article for you, my dear Family of Faith, we find ourselves in one of the calendar’s most special months: October. In this month, we
enjoy the beauty of fall with the crisp air, the brilliant, gorgeous fall colors, and
breathtaking landscapes, pumpkin patches, apple-picking and corn mazes. October transitions us into the baseball playoffs and the World Series (could there possibly be a match up between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates?), as
well as the mid-season college and professional football rivalries. October is the month of
special devotion to our dear Blessed Mother, in particular the Month of the Rosary. And of
course, October is the month when the Church focuses our attention on the precious gift of
human life---our need to value life, protect life, and respect human life.
As we read the daily headlines, we can not help but realize that human life is valued and
respected less and less: the tragic terroristic attack on a public mall in Nairobi, Kenya which
took the lives of more than 150 innocent people; congressional gridlock over political differences, resulting in huge funding cuts impacting the poorest of our poor and marginalized fellow citizens; and so many other acts demonstrate a decreasing respect for human life.
However, our faith demands that we not turn to despair when facing these challenges, but
rather to focus on ways in which we are living our lives that shows how much we appreciate
and value all of human life for the gift from God that it is.
That basic Truth is what is at the heart of the amazing teaching coming almost every day
from our Holy Father Pope Francis. He consistently talks about the need for us to foster deep
faith in the saving mystery of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and then, to translate that
deep faith into action in our daily lives.
Recently our Holy Father made international headlines when he gave an interview to a
Jesuit magazine (translated into English for America magazine here in the U.S.) entitled “A
Big Heart Open to God.” This in-depth (10,000 word) interview covered a wide range of topics, beginning with the Pope shocking the interviewer who asked him: “Who are you?” by answering very humbly: “I am a sinner!,” to what the Pope’s preferences are in the areas of art,
literature and movies.
Unfortunately, as is often the tendency of those in the media, there have been attempts to
take some of Pope Francis’ words out of context, trying to imply that, since he did not frequently speak about the very grave issue of abortion—the very topic often at the center of
“Respect Life” month---that he did not see it as important. Of course, that is completely not
the case. In fact, the very next day in a meeting with Catholic Doctors from around the
world, Pope Francis said this about the evil of abortion:
"Every child that isn't born, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of
Jesus Christ, has the face of the Lord," he said. 'The first right of the human person is his life.
He has other goods and some are precious, but this one is fundamental – the condition for all
the others'”.
We are called to protect the dignity of all human life, and we are called to do so at every
stage of the human life cycle, from the very beginning and vulnerable stage of life—the unborn-- to the final stage of human life, before passing from this life into eternal life.
How do we do this? In this very special Respect Life Month, I would urge all of us to
consider the following three simple, but essential, practices.
First, we must embrace the practice of prayer. Before anything else, we must develop
and foster a personal relationship with our Loving God and Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ
through our weekly Mass attendance, as well as through daily, prayerful conversation.
Second, we must devote time and energy to learning more about our faith. We
should regularly be growing in understanding and appreciation of our faith, through reading
and reflection on God’s Holy Word and through the rich teachings of the “Catechism of the
Catholic Church,” rather than basing our understanding on information we read in the headlines and soundbytes of the secular media. Throughout this “Year of Faith,” which comes to a
close next month, it is my hope that all of us have benefited in some ways, that we have
grown in our faith, and that we have entered into the spirit of the “New Evangelization,” so
essential for all of us as we live in the midst of the cultural challenges of our day and time.
Third, we are called to action. As People of Faith, we are also called to be good citizens of our country, fully engaged in our political processes and legislative activities, which
so directly impact the future direction of our country. In light of that, it is critically important
for us to participate in those processes through our active involvement and to let our faith
guide our choices. Just in the past several weeks, there have been a number of very serious
international, national and local issues calling for our active response. In response to the Syrian atrocities of the use of chemical weapons against their own people, our Holy Father spoke
out for peace and called on all of us to pray and act, but also to contact our congressional representatives to work for a non-violent solution to these atrocities. In our own country, we
have been asked to speak up for the protection of the dignity of our immigrant sisters and
brothers and their families through a comprehensive reform of our immigration policies. At
the state level, we have worked for the protection of Medicaid reform to ensure health care
for low-income persons.
All these issues---war, immigration, healthcare---begin with the starting point that these
are all Respect Life issues. If we do not each value the precious gift of human life entrusted
to us----the gift given by God at the very moment of our conception----and work to protect it,
Continued on page 4
The Good News | 3
La Perspectiva del Obispo
La vida: Nuestro regalo más grande
Al momento de escribir el artículo de este mes para ustedes, mi querida familia en la fe, nos encontramos en uno de los meses más especiales del calendario:
Octubre. En este mes, disfrutamos de la belleza del otoño con el aire fresco, los
magníficos colores brillantes de otoño, y sus impresionantes paisajes, sembríos de
calabazas, manzanas y laberintos de maíz. Octubre nos lleva a la transición de los
desempates de Béisbol y a la Serie Mundial (¿Hasta un posible partido entre los
Tigres de Detroit y los Piratas de Pittsburgh?), así como las rivalidades del fútbol profesional
y universitario de la temporada. Octubre es el mes de devoción a nuestra querida Madre Santísima, es en particular, el mes del Rosario. Y, por supuesto, octubre es el mes en que la Iglesia centra nuestra atención en el precioso don de la vida humana --- nuestra necesidad de
valorar la vida, de proteger la vida y de respetar la vida humana.
Al leer los titulares, diariamente, podemos notar que la vida humana se valora y se respeta cada vez menos. El trágico ataque terrorista en un centro comercial público en Nairobi,
Kenia, que tomo la vida de más de 150 personas inocentes, vemos el estancamiento del Congreso sobre diferencias políticas, resultando en enormes recortes presupuestales que afectan a
los más pobres de los pobres y marginados de nuestros conciudadanos, estos y muchos otros
actos demuestran una disminución por el respecto a la vida humana. Sin embargo, nuestra fe
exige que no recurramos a la desesperación al enfrentarnos a estos retos, sino que más bien
nos centremos en formas que muestran lo mucho que apreciamos y valoramos TODA la vida
humana que es un don de Dios.
Esa verdad básica es lo que está en el corazón de la enseñanza increíble llegando casi
todos los días de nuestro Santo Padre Francisco. Él habla constantemente acerca de la necesidad que tenemos de fomentar la fe profunda en el misterio salvífico de la vida, muerte y resurrección de Jesús, para luego traducir esa profunda fe en acción en nuestra vida cotidiana.
Recientemente el Santo Padre llegó a los titulares internacionales cuando dio una entrevista a una revista de los jesuitas (traducido al inglés para la revista América aquí en los
EE.UU.), titulada " Un gran corazón abierto a Dios." Esta entrevista profunda de 10.000 palabras abarcó una amplia gama de temas, hasta las preferencias del Papa en las áreas del arte, literatura y el cine, el Papa sorprendió al entrevistador cuando le preguntó: "¿Quién eres tú? " y
respondió con mucha humildad: "! Soy un pecador!”.
Por desgracia, como suele ser la tendencia de los medios de comunicación, ha hecho intentos de tomar algunas de las palabras del Papa Francisco fuera de contexto, tratando de insinuar que, como él no habló con frecuencia sobre la gravísima cuestión del aborto - tópico que
a menudo está en el centro del mes de respeto a la vida --- que el no lo veía tan importante.
Por supuesto, que ese no es el caso en lo absoluto. De hecho, al día siguiente, en una reunión
con médicos católicos de todo el mundo, el Papa Francisco dijo esto sobre lo malvado del
aborto:
“Cada niño que no ha nacido, pero es condenado injustamente de ser abortado, tiene el
rostro de Jesucristo, tiene el rostro del Señor”, dijo. “ El primer derecho de la persona humana
es su vida. Tiene otros bienes y algunos son preciosos, pero éste es fundamental - la condición
para todos los demás”.
Estamos llamados a proteger la dignidad de toda vida humana, y estamos llamados a hacerlo en todas las etapas del ciclo de la vida humana, desde el primer momento y la etapa vulnerable de la vida – antes de nacer – hasta la etapa final de la vida humana, antes de pasar de
esta vida a la vida eterna.
¿Cómo hacemos esto? En este mes tan especial de Respeto a la Vida, insto a todos a considerar las siguientes tres prácticas sencillas, pero esenciales.
En primer lugar, la práctica esencial de la oración. Antes que nada, tenemos que desarrollar y fomentar una relación personal con nuestro amoroso Dios y Padre, y con Su Hijo Jesucristo a través de nuestra asistencia a la misa semanal, así como a través de la conversación
orante diaria.
En segundo lugar, tenemos que dedicar tiempo y energía a aprender más acerca de nuestra fe. Deberíamos estar creciendo regularmente en la comprensión y el aprecio de nuestra fe,
a través de la lectura y la reflexión sobre la Santa Palabra de Dios y a través de las ricas enseñanzas del " Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica ", en lugar de basar nuestra comprensión en información que leemos en los titulares y frases gancho de los medios de comunicación
seculares. Este " Año de la Fe ", llega a su fin el próximo mes, mi esperanza es, que todos
nosotros nos hayamos beneficiado de alguna manera, y hayamos crecido en nuestra fe, y entrado en el espíritu de la "Nueva Evangelización “, tan esencial para todos nosotros, ya que vivimos en medio de los desafíos culturales de cada día.
En tercer lugar, estamos llamados a la acción. Como personas de fe, estamos llamados a
ser buenos ciudadanos de nuestro país, participando plenamente en los procesos políticos y en
las actividades legislativas, que afectan directamente la dirección futura de nuestro país. A la
luz de esto, es muy importante para nosotros participar en esos procesos envolviéndonos más
activamente y dejando que nuestra fe guíe nuestras decisiones. Sólo en las últimas semanas,
ha habido una serie de graves problemas internacionales, nacionales y locales que piden nuestra respuesta activa. En respuesta a las atrocidades Sirias del uso de armas químicas contra su
propio pueblo, el Santo Padre alzó la voz en favor de la paz e instó a todos a orar y actuar;
pongámonos en contacto con nuestros representantes en el Congreso para trabajar por una solución no violenta a estas atrocidades. En nuestro propio país, se nos ha pedido alzar la voz en
favor de la protección de la dignidad de nuestros hermanos y hermanas inmigrantes y sus familias a través de una reforma integral de las políticas de inmigración. A nivel estatal, hemos
trabajado por la protección de la reforma de la ayuda médica, Medicaid, para asegurar la atención de salud para las personas de bajos ingresos.
Todos estos temas: --- guerra, inmigración, salud --- comienzan con el punto de partida
de que todas estas son cuestiones de Respeto a la Vida. Si cada uno de nosotros no valora el
4 | The Good News
Pope: Calling folks is no big deal,
media reports just tip of iceberg
By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Picking up the telephone and calling people out of the blue is no
big deal for Pope Francis, according to a Vatican
official.
Msgr. Dario Vigano, director of the Vatican
Television Center, said the pope told him that
the many calls the journalists have brought to
light are just the tip of the iceberg: “Good thing
they don’t know about all the ones I have
made!” the pope reportedly said.
In an interview Sept. 13 with Famiglia Cristiana, an Italian Catholic
magazine, Msgr. Vigano said that during a recent meeting with the pope,
he asked the pontiff about the media frenzy over reports of papal cold
calls.
The monsignor said the pope looked at him amazed and said, “Tell
the journalists that my calls are not news.”
According to Msgr. Vigano, the pope said, “That’s the way I am; I’ve
always done this, even in Buenos Aires,” where he served first as auxiliary bishop beginning in 1992 and archbishop from 1998 until his election
as pope this past March.
He said the pope explained how any time he got “a card or a letter
from a priest having difficulties, from a family or a prisoner, I would respond.”
The pope said, “For me, it’s much easier to call, to ask about the
problem and suggest a solution, if there is one. Some people I call, others
I write to instead,” according to Msgr. Vigano.
The monsignor told the magazine he has gotten several calls himself
from the pope and not all of them were work-related. “Once he called me
at the office to wish me happy birthday.”
The head of the Vatican’s television production center said the constant stream of papal calls signals a kind of telephonic pastoral care.
Being able to hear someone’s voice allows the caller to understand
the feelings of the person on the other line and get “in tune with” the person’s problems and needs, he said.
Getting a call from the pope sends a strong signal that God cares, he
said. If the pope “takes it upon himself to call me, it means I am special to
him and above all in God’s heart,” he said.
The Bishop’s Perspective Continued from page 3
then we will continue to witness a decline in
society’s value of human life. When we work
to respect human life and basic dignity of
every person, the result is peace, harmony and
love.
One of the ways to witness to respect human life
is “40 Days of Life,” which begins in early October
every year and lasts for 40 days. Perhaps you might
want to find out more information about that way that
we can witness for the value of human life. I would be
happy for you to join me on October 7 as I will lead
the rosary with those who are participating in that “40
Days for Life” activity, or to participate in other ways
of witnessing. Perhaps you might want to help advocate for the poor and volunteer at one of the many St.
Vincent DePaul chapters in our diocese. Or perhaps
you might want to focus on your own family, and encourage family practices in learning and being nurtured in our faith and various “Respect Life” witnesses
through one of your parish Respect Life programs, or a
diocesan-sponsored course or workshop.
Whether you choose to focus on prayer, learning
or action during this special month of October, or no
matter what ways you choose to respect human life in
this month, and in all the months to come, just remember that our loving God created you; that He loves
you; that He is with you every step along your life
journey; and that He is waiting for you, and every
human being, with open, loving arms to embrace you
into eternal life----a life that will know no dis-respect,
but only loving acceptance for all eternity.
May God Bless You.
october 2013
don precioso de la vida humana que se nos ha confiado
---- el don dado por Dios en el mismo momento de
nuestra concepción ---- y trabajamos para protegerlo,
entonces seguiremos siendo testigos de una disminución
del valor de la vida humana en nuestra sociedad.
Cuando trabajamos para respetar la vida humana y el
respeto básico para la dignidad de cada persona, el resultado es la paz, la armonía y el amor.
Una de las prácticas maravillosas que tiene lugar
cada comienzo de octubre es " 40 Días por la Vida". Tal
vez deseen obtener más información acerca de esta manera en que podemos ser testigos del valor de la vida
humana. Me encantaría que se unan a mí el 7 de octubre
que guiare el Rosario con aquellos que están participando en la actividad de " 40 Días por la Vida ", o participar en otras formas de dar testimonio. Tal vez es
posible que deseen ayudar a abogar por los pobres y ser
voluntarios en uno de los muchos servicios parroquiales
de San Vincente DePaul en nuestra diócesis. O tal vez
es posible que desee centrarse en su propia familia, y
fomentar prácticas familiares en el aprendizaje y el ser
nutridos en la Fe y varios testigos de Respeto a la Vida a
través de uno de los programas de su parroquia de Respeto a la Vida, o un curso patrocinado por la diócesis o
taller.
Hagas lo que hagas durante este mes especial de
octubre, o no importa qué forma elijas para respetar la
vida humana en este mes , y en todos los meses, sólo recuerda que nuestro Dios amoroso te creó, que te ama,
que Él está contigo en cada paso a lo largo de tu viaje
por la vida, y que Él te está esperando a ti, y a cada ser
humano , con los brazos abiertos para abrazarte a la
vida eterna ---- una vida que no conocerá falta de respeto, sólo amorosa aceptación por toda la eternidad .
Que Dios los bendiga.
Gaylord bishop named to succeed Archbishop of Newark, NJ
Bishop Bernard A. Hebda, Bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord, was appointed by Pope Francis as Coadjutor
Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark. The appointment was announced in Rome on September 24.
On behalf of the Church in the Diocese of Kalamazoo, I wish to extend my congratulations and prayerful best wishes to Bishop Bernard A. Hebda, Diocese of Gaylord, on
his appointment by our Holy Father as Coadjutor Archbishop for the Archdiocese of
Newark. While this is truly a great loss for the faithful in the Diocese of Gaylord, a
“sister” diocese to our Diocese, having been founded within days of each other in July
1971, this is a wonderful gift to the faithful of the Archdiocese of Newark.
I have had the personal privilege of knowing and working alongside Bishop Hebda
for many years as priests in our home Diocese of Pittsburgh. I was overjoyed to welcome him to Michigan in December 2009, just six months after I was installed as
Bishop of Kalamazoo. His brilliant mind and extensive experience in administration,
coupled with his fervent pastoral heart, will serve the faithful of the Archdiocese of
Newark well. It is certainly no surprise that our Holy Father has recognized his talents and appointed him to shepherd the flock of more than 2 million Catholics in Newark. My prayers are with
him and the priests, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese of Gaylord during this time of transition.”
For more information visit: http://www.dioceseofgaylord.org
Bishop Bradley to headline KDCCW fall day of spiritual renewal
Stop in to shop our great gift selection for
First Holy Communion & Confirmation
First Missals
White gloves & ties
Gift Bibles Medals
Rosaries
Bishop Bradley will be the keynote speaker for the Kalamazoo Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s annual fall day of spiritual renewal on October 10 at St. Augustine Cathedral and Crowley Center. Focusing on
helping the fallen away Catholics in our life to return to the faith, Bishop Bradley will be speaking on “Welcome Home.” Mike DeBoer of St. Philip Parish and a member of the Welcome Home team since its inception,
will follow up with a talk on Welcome Home Ministry, a lay ministry of compassionate listening and discussion
to support returning Catholics. He will discuss how the program developed at St. Philip Parish, team membership and training as well as questions. The event goes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and costs $15, including lunch.
Register by contacting Carolyn Morrison at 517-617-5682 or [email protected].
Annual October counts conducted this month in parishes
Cooperatores Veritatis
340 East Michigan Avenue in downtown Kalamazoo
Mon-Fri: 9 am - 6 pm Sat: 10 am - 4 pm Phone: 269-553-0482
www.newmansbookshoppe.com
Free parking in front of the store on both sides of Michigan Ave.
This month across the 59 parishes in the diocese ushers will count the number of Mass attendees at each
weekend Mass. This annual tradition occurs at many dioceses across the United States in what’s often referred
to as “October Count.” This is the fourth consecutive year an “October count” has been conducted in the diocese and Chancellor Michael Emmons says the information is useful for many purposes including strategic
planning and analyzing the effectiveness of Mass times.
The month of October is chosen for its place within the “Ordinary Time” of the liturgical calendar when attendance is thought to be more representational then at other times such as Lent or Advent when attendance
may swell due to the liturgical season.
National studies from leading universities to Gallop polls suggest weekly Mass attendance is anywhere
from 42 percent to 26 percent of all self-identified Catholics.
Information gathered this month will be shared with pastors by the end of 2013.
october 2013
Cursillo enjoys revival in the diocese
A new Cursillista reflects on the experience
By Pete Mallett
I recently made a Cursillo
(cur-SEE-yo) retreat weekend at
St. Joseph Parish, Kalamazoo—
three well-spent days and nights
reinvigorating my faith. Cursillo
helps lay people become effective
Christian leaders over the course
of a three-day weekend retreat experience and then asks participants
to take what they have learned
back into the world.
Arriving for the retreat on
Thursday evening of the 15th of
August was a blessing being the
Feast of the Assumption of our
Blessed Mother Mary, affording
me an opportunity to start the
weekend off with evening Mass.
The first night of the Cursillo we
introduced ourselves to each other,
received some information about
the weekend, prayed together and
closed the evening in silence and
reflection. The three days went
from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., allowing
maximum time together and with
the Lord. A wonderful example
was set throughout the weekend of
starting and ending everything we
did with prayer. The weekend included fifteen spiritual talks called
“rollos” (roy-YOS), some given by
priests and deacons and some by
lay people. Each talk was structured and included personal testimony to illustrate the speaker’s
journey of faith and God’s work in
their lives.
The theme for the weekend
was being “In Colors” which is
akin to being in God’s grace. For
that reason, Cursillo people, a.k.a.
(Cursillistas), greet saying “De
Colores!” (meaning In Colors) to
each other. I can tell you that the
song De Colores was sung many
times together throughout the
weekend, the first time with a bit
of apprehension but by the end of
the weekend, singing arm and arm,
you could hear and see and feel the
Holy Spirit working.
The weekend was put on almost exclusively by cursillistas,
many of whom had made their re-
treat weekend decades ago yet
there they were, still with fervor
and joy in their faith, supporting
the 19 men who were making their
Cursillo weekend. The weekend
was replete with personal spiritual
growth and has been enhanced by
attending the recommended
weekly small group reunions (after
the weekend). A major aspect and
benefit of Cursillo is becoming a
member of an order of fellow cursillistas committed to encouraging
each other to live out their lives
with faith and hope and charity.
The Diocese of Kalamazoo is
reviving Cursillo for the English
speaking community. Additional
retreats are being planned for both
men and women including a
women’s retreat the weekend of
June 19-22, 2014.
For more information on how
you can get involved contact Tim
Moskalik ([email protected]),
lay director for the diocese.
Living Rosary Society offers simple way to pray
By Kimberly Beaubien
Venerable Pauline Marie Jaricot founded the Living Rosary Society in 1826 to encourage busy working people to pray by committing to say one decade of the rosary every day. Organized into groups of 15
people, each person is assigned a specific decade to meditate upon so that all decades of the rosary are covered. Each person prays a part, but gets the benefit of the whole rosary. This confraternity has spread
throughout the world, and now it will soon have a strong presence in our own diocese.
St. Mary’s Parish in Kalamazoo is piloting the Living Rosary Society at their parish this year. Rev.
David Grondz, pastor of St. Mary’s said that “at the church dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, we want to
practice a special devotion to her. That is why we are starting the Living Rosary Society here.” But St.
Mary’s is not the only parish that can have a special devotion to Our Lady. The bishop has approved this
pilot program for the diocese and other pastors have been invited to get involved. Anyone in the diocese
may sign up to pray a decade.
Those who already have many devotional practices may also join the Society. Having one assigned
decade does not need to replace other devotions, but may help focus ones’ prayers.
“The practice of praying one decade is a bit monastic because it gives people an opportunity to meditate more on one aspect of the faith,” said Fr. Grondz. “One principle of the spiritual life is not just to do a
lot of prayers but to do a little bit well.”
To join, people need only submit their name and they will be assigned a decade. They must commit to
praying one Our Father, ten Hail Mary’s and one Glory Be will meditating on their assigned mystery every
day. They may pray the decade any time of the day or night. There may also be some occasional gatherings
at the parish for devotions during the year. To sign up or learn more about the Living Rosary Society, contact St. Mary’s Parish 269-342-0621.
The Good News | 5
The Other Six Days
Maybe
By Jane Knuth
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in
need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in
him? Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
—The first letter of St. John 3:16-18
The donors to the St. Vincent de Paul Society are generous. At the
thrift store we struggle to keep up with the enormous quantity of clothing
that is delivered to our back door every week. People around here understand John’s letter, and they put their understanding into actions.
Last month we volunteers were opening bags and sorting the clothing according to quality and season when we came across a sack full of
socks. The pairs were carefully bound together with rubber bands to prevent them being separated, which was unusually thoughtful. Most of the
socks were in excellent condition and some were brand new. The person
who had donated them obviously knew something about what St. John
had to say.
One pair had a handwritten note tucked under the rubber band, so I
pulled it out and read it. In tidy script was written, “maybe.”
I paused to think for a moment — what could this mean? Then, loosening the rubber band, I looked over the pair of socks carefully. They
were slightly used, but not worn — certainly no holes or runs. I dumped
out the bag and searched for any additional warnings — nothing. All the
other socks were unqualified.
These “maybe” socks remind me of the numerous “maybe” possessions sitting idly in my house. It’s not because I need them, it’s because I
am not ready to give something away which is still in very good condition. “Maybe” I will give that chair away when it is a little more tattered,
or the radio when it is completely obsolete. “Maybe” I will keep the unworn skirt in my closet until the fashion changes. And the extra stainless
flatware in the basement is too valuable to go to a stranger.
“Maybe” I don’t really understand the first letter of John.
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6 | The Good News
october 2013
Bishop Bradley to lead rosary on October 7
during 40 Days for Life fall campaign
Young missionary gets help
from her parish to build an
ark in the Philippines
Participants come together to pray for the end of abortion in the bi-annual 40 Days for Life campaign. This fall Bishop Paul J. Bradley will
lead the rosary on October 7th near the Planned Parenthood facility on
Michigan Avenue in Kalamazoo.
This ecumenical effort has taken place in 501 cities and helped save
7,536 lives, 83 workers quit and close 40 abortion clinics. The 40 Days
for Life campaign is taking place right now from September 25 to November 3. People are needed to pray, fast, and participate in the local
vigil outside Planned Parenthood at 4201 West Michigan Avenue in
Kalamazoo. There will also be a Midpoint Rally at the Planned Parenthood sidewalk on Tuesday, October 15th at 7 p.m.
To learn more and to sign up, visit:
www.40daysforlife.com/kalamazoo.
By Cathie Thomasma
You may know the story of Noah building the Ark but
did you know that Holy Angels Parish in Sturgis built an
Ark?
The story begins when at the age of 19, Elsa
Thomasma, fell in love with the Philippines. Beginning in
2009 Elsa spent her summer months caring for babies and
disabled children. Two years later Elsa jumped at the opportunity to spend the fall of her senior year of college studying
abroad, this time inspiring donations from others to build
homes for five families. Volunteer s for the Visayans, the
non-profit she has continued to work for, was happy to have
more hands digging footings and septic tanks.. She helped
build homes in the small Philippine rural community of
Cangumbang, six feet off the ground, to help families survive the persistent floods in the
area. When Elsa returned home
to the United States to complete
her degree she had a bigger
dream, a new call, one that
seemed almost impossible without a miracle, yet she was determined.
As Elsa wrote in her blog
August 7, 2012: “My hope is that
Cangumbang, can have a place to
seek refuge from the devastating
floods which reek havoc on their
community multiple times each
year. Cangumbang is filled with
beautiful children and their families who optimistically bare hardships, yet each year the flood
waters reach depths nearing their
rooftops.”
Holy Angels parishioner’s generous support helped build a much needed flood
Fundraising during the sum- shelter for a small rural town in the Philippines.
mer and early fall of 2012 was
going very slowly only about $200 had been collected so the goal of $20,000 seemed far off. When an enthusiastic Sharon Matkin, youth director and Father German Perez-Diaz at Holy Angels decided to collaborate. They
invited Elsa to share her vision with the parish and after the first weekend more than $4,000 was raised. Within
a month the number climbed to $20,000 and the Holy Angels Ark Project was well underway.
Earlier this year Elsa returned to the country to manage the building of the Ark and on March 12th the digging of the footings began. Along with the trained carpenters, many community members joined the project
each day from the elderly who cleaned up materials around the site to toddlers who carried small bags of sand
from the road to the site to be used in the many batches of hand-mixed cement.
By May, the Ark had truly taken shape, with the main floor sitting over 10 feet above the ground. When
construction costs were higher than expected because of some essential improvements to the building design,
with a heavy heart Elsa wrote to Father German and her Holy Angels family asking for help. They did not disappoint her, within a few weeks the additional funds were provided. In all over $28,000 was collected to build
the center and provide for the families.
Now the Ark for Cangumbang is completed and will provide the community with an evacuation center during times of flood, the rest of the year it will be used for daily feeding programs and many community activities. A blessing ceremony was held on August 23rd.
You can read all the details and see dozens of pictures of the Ark Project by reading Elsa’s Blog: ttp://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/elsat/5/1377555184/tpod.html#_
March for Life events
Bishop Paul J. Bradley participates in first
Diocesan Youth March for Life last year.
NATIONAL:
Commemorating
Roe v Wade anniversary
in Jan. 2014 in
Washington, DC area.
If you are planning to
take youth to the Youth
Rally and Mass for Life
sponsored by the
Archdiocese of
Washington, DC on Jan.
22, 2014, you will need
to request tickets for that
event through our
diocesan liaison, Lisa
Irwin. Deadline for
requests is Oct. 7.
Contact Lisa at
269-903-0177 or
lirwin@dioceseofkala-
mazoo.org for more information.
The Diocese of Arlington, VA also sponsors a “Life is Good” youth
rally and Mass from 9:00 -11:30 a.m. on Jan. 22nd. For more
information and to reserve tickets go to http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/youth/lifeisverygood.php.
LOCAL: The Diocese of Kalamazoo will have local commemorations as well. Watch for information regarding a special Mass on
Jan. 22nd, and the 2nd Diocesan Youth March for Life on Saturday,
Jan. 25th. For more information contact Lisa Irwin at 269-903-0177
or [email protected].
october 2013
Diocese Partners with Parents
By Mary Brost Reck
Parenthood doesn’t come with comprehensive guidebooks but the Church is working
to help families navigate the journey and build sturdy foundations of faith for themselves
and their children.
Last month the Diocese of Kalamazoo hosted “Strong Catholic Families, Strong
Catholic Youth” in English and “Fortaleciendo Familias en la fe” in Spanish at Lake Michigan Catholic Elementary school in St. Joseph, Mich.
The initiative was lead by the diocesan Secretariat for Parish Life and Lay Leadership
(and in part funded by a grant from the Catholic Home Missions committee,) in order to
help meet the diocesan goal of “Strengthening the Domestic Church.” Last year participants
in a diocesan-wide survey cited the need for family-based resources from the church.
The process has been developed in partnership by the National Federation for Catholic
Youth Ministry, the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers, and the National Catholic Educational Association.
Billed as more of a “process” than a “program,” one aspect of the Strong Catholic Families
approach is to incorporate specific strategies into existing sacramental preparation, groups,
and gatherings, rather than adding another “program” to already over-extended families.
With help in prioritizing and living the faith, parents are offered tools to help build strong
Catholic families, and strong Catholic youth.
The free morning session was geared specifically for parents. Eighty-two participants
from 17 parishes throughout the diocese attended.
The workshop was presented by Dr. Greg “Dobie” Moser, Executive Director of Youth
and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Cleveland. Moser is part of the development
team that has presented this process in 60 dioceses over the past five years. Ms. Katherine
Angulo, from the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, presented sessions to Spanish-speaking participants in another room of the school.
Sessions included a lot of give and take between the presenters and their audience.
Small group discus-sion was also part of the learning process. Moser and Angulo used contemporary research, personal sto-ries, and practical strategies to offer parents support and
hope for their task.
Parents were encouraged to reflect on their own faith, take heart in the Faith of their
children, identify areas of strengths and weaknesses, and learn ways to share their Faith,
with their families and beyond.
A second session held at LMC later that same day was geared to diocesan and parish
leaders, priests, deacons, religious education directors, youth ministers, and any other
parish staff. The goal here is to bring these strategies to individual diocesan parishes. This
will enable local faith communities to partner with parents in passing on our faith to the
next generation. It is part of an ongoing effort to implement new reflections, plans, and
evaluations to assist families in our diocese.
St. Martin of Tours, Vicksburg, Immaculate Conception, Hartford and San Felipe de
Jesus, Fennville are three of the parishes will begin adopting the “Strong Catholic Families/Strong Catholic Youth” pro-cess this year. For more information contact: Timothy McNamara, 269-903-0139.
John Dillon left, Deanery
Coordinator for the Domestic Church, and Karen Meyers of Our Lady of the
Lake, Edwardsburg, share
the difficulties they face
raising children in the Faith
in today’s world at the
diocesan program for parents on building strong
Catholic families.
The Good News | 7
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY
My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Most Reverend
Paul J. Bradley
Bishop of Kalamazoo
Very Rev. Larry Farrell
Diocesan Director of
The Ponifical Society
Our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis, has shown himself to be a
great teacher with the heart of a missionary. Like Jesus, he teaches by
word and example, keeping the poor, the troubled and the vulnerable in
clear view at all times. In that spirit I write to you today. Our Catholic
Church, at every level and by its very nature, is missionary. Its origin
is in the very mission of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit. It is in
Christ alone that “salvation is offered to all people, as a gift of God’s
grace and mercy” (see Ephesians 2:8; Romans 1:16).
In every nation, World Mission Sunday will be observed on the weekend of October 19-20. This essential observance is an experience in
learning for us all. It is a time for us to be inspired by the heroes of our
Church who serve God’s beloved children in places of poverty, injustice, even outright persecution. The priests, religious, and lay missionary groups make it possible for the most needy to encounter Christ, the
Sacraments, and living Word of God, and thereby to live in hope of
heaven.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is the Holy Father’s chief missionary arm,
providing resources for more than 1,150 mission dioceses the world over. No work of the
Church is more central to her reason for being. Nothing is more important! So, I am asking that every parish and all the Faithful experience the fullness of World Mission Sunday.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith oversees the worldwide celebration of this
most important day, representing and acting in the name of the Pope himself. In his address in advance of World Mission Sunday, Pope Francis summarizes well the direction on
which we must stay! “The Church – I repeat again – is not a relief organization, an enterprise or an NGO, but a community of people, animated by the Holy Spirit, who have lived
and are living the wonder of the encounter with Jesus Christ and want to share this experience of deep joy, the message of salvation that the Lord gave us. It is the Holy Spirit that
guides the Church in this path.”
The theme for the United States’ observance of this day is: “Do good on earth.” This is
taken from the words of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the young Carmelite Sister who is the Patroness of the Missions. It is a call to put faith into action! The materials prepared by the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith highlight the missionary efforts of the Salesian
Sisters in Chennai, India, and their pastoral work among young women and girls who are
victims of trafficking and slavery. The Sisters save the girls’ lives, and with love they
teach and celebrate the Faith. It is a most inspiring glimpse into missionary realities today.
At a time when the needs in the Missions have grown substantially, and the urgency of the
cry of the poor is all the more pronounced, I ask you for the gift of your generosity. With
the mutual efforts of our clergy and faithful, every parish in this local Church should embrace a true concern to do the very best for those most in need. Jesus commissioned His
apostles and told them, “As the Father has sent me, so I have sent you” (John 20:21). That
is the eternal challenge and privilege of all the Church’s servants and all the faithful. Let
us pray that this year World Mission Sunday will touch each of us deeply, and that we will
be united in providing true assistance where it is needed most, for the sake of Christ! I
thank you in advance for your serious and generous response to the needs of others. In the
end, the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church instruct us: “It is by what they
have done for the poor that Jesus Christ will recognize his chosen ones” (CCC, 2443).
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The Most Reverend Paul J. Bradley
Bishop of Kalamazoo
For more about this important celebration of the universal Church, please visit the special
World Mission Sunday web site: www.IAmAMissionary.org.
Katherine Angulo, of the Diocese of Raleigh, far left presents the Spanish-speaking sessions of
“Strong Catholic Families, Strong Catholic Youth” at Lake Michigan Catholic Elementary in St.
Joseph.
8 | The Good News
october 2013
A Lady with a Purple Veil 10 Rosary Tips for Rosary Strugglers
By Very Rev. German Diaz Perez
I was in my parish office on
Tuesday morning, July 23, when I
received a call from Mrs. Diana
Campbell, a parishioner of Holy Angels Catholic Church. She asked me
if her husband, Mr. Phillip Campbell, who was a Protestant and dying
of cancer, could have his funeral
service at Holy Angels. She also said
if I was available to visit her husband since he had requested to see
me. I responded that I will be at their
home to visit him and to talk about the funeral service the next day at
9:15 am. On Wednesday, I arrived at their home at 9:15 am. and after a
brief conversation and before I met Mr. Campbell, I asked her if he
wanted to become Catholic. Her answer was, “No.”
I held his right hand, knelt before his bed and put my left hand on
his forehead. Then, he placed his left hand over my left hand. I closed
my eyes and began leading the prayer. During the prayer, I said to him,
“Don’t be afraid! God chose our heavenly Mother Mary to give His Son
Jesus to us. She plays an important role in His plan of salvation. Let us
trust in her intercession. As when our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to
Juan Diego in Mexico and he was supposed to meet her in a certain
place, but he took a different road because his uncle was ill and he was
worried, running to bring a priest to administer the sacrament of the
anointing of the sick to him. Then, our Lady appeared to Juan Diego and
said, ‘Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear. Am I not here, who is
your Mother?’” After saying this, I started reciting the Hail Mary. During
this prayer, I opened my eyes and saw that he was reciting the Hail Mary
along with me.
Once our prayer was over, I stood and saw that he was crying and
asked him why.
“Because when we were praying, behind you, there was a beautiful
Lady with a purple veil,” he replied. “She smiled at me and disappeared.”
After reassuring him that she always walks with us to bring us to her
Son, I asked him, “Do you want to become Catholic?” Immediately, in
the midst of tears, he said, “yes, father. I want to be Catholic.” I told him
that I was going to come back the next day, Thursday, at 9:15 am to baptize him, give him Communion, and administer to him the sacrament of
Confirmation. He agreed.
On Thursday, July 25, the feast of the Apostle James, I arrived at the
Campbell home accompanied by two religious sisters from Colombia:
sisters Esperanza and Yamile and our seminarian Paul Bogan.
Mrs. Campbell walked us to his room, and after a brief explanation
about the sacraments he was going to receive, I baptized him, “In the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” In tears of
joy, he praised the Lord saying, “Thank you, Lord.” And after receiving
the Body of Christ, he exclaimed, “My First Eucharist.” Then, I administered the sacrament of Confirmation. We, the five people who were witnesses of what had taken place, cried for joy. There was a feeling of great
peace in the room. I told him what St. Louis de Montford used to say,
“To Jesus through Mary.” Mr. Campbell, with a big smile, repeated it
three times, “To Jesus through Mary.” After congratulating and welcoming him to the Catholic Church, I blessed him. We said good bye, and left
the room.
Mrs. Campbell walked us to the door, but before leaving, I asked
her, “Did you ever ask him to become Catholic?” She answered, “Yes, I
did. But he didn’t want to become Catholic because we Catholics, he
said, give too much importance to Mary.” At this, we made some comments on what our Blessed Mother has done for him, and then we departed.
Mr. Phillip Campbell died the following Monday, July 29. His funeral Mass, as every good Catholic deserves, was celebrated on Thursday, August 1, at 11:00 am at Holy Angels Catholic Church, a week after
receiving the three sacraments of initiation.
Yes, “To Jesus through Mary.”
Very Rev. German Perez is the pastor, Holy Angels Parish, Sturgis and
the dean of the Southeast Deanery for the Diocese of Kalamazoo.
recommend The Rosary with Fra
Angelico and Giotto by
Domenico Marcucci. If you are
fond of stained glass images, try
Mysteries of the Rosary from
Stampley Enterprises.
By Rhonda Ortiz
Confession: The Rosary and I
have a love-blah relationship.
Love: because the Rosary was the
first “Catholic” prayer I ever
prayed. Praying the Rosary was a
major part of my conversion from
evangelical Protestantism to
Catholicism, helping me to begin
to love Mary. Through it I started
to see Our Lord through her eyes
and her heart.
If you are like me, you’ve
probably discovered a few tricks to
help you overcome your struggle to
love and pray the Rosary. The following are ten tips that have helped
me move past my objections toward a renewal of my dedication to
this important prayer.
Ten Tips for Cultivating a
Love of the Rosary
1. Remember your freedom. As a guilt-prone person who (unfortunately) often thinks in terms of
“ought” and “should,” it is important for me to remember the freedom I have in Christ. Failing to
pray the Rosary — or pray the
Rosary well — does not automatically consign a person to the “bad
Catholic” pile.
It is possible to actively love
and honor the Blessed Mother
without praying the Rosary, as
many of our Eastern Rite brothers
and sisters show us.
Ultimately, any devotion is for
the sake of our relationship with
God. God does not coerce us into
loving Him but waits for our free
cooperation with His grace. Mary
is no different.
2. Remember the many good
reasons for choosing to pray
the Rosary:
Devotion to the Rosary is woven
into the Catholic religious and cultural fabric.It has a long tradition
within the Latin Rite. Saints,
popes, and clergy have encouraged
it for centuries.
It is a “compendium of the
Gospel” (Bl. John Paul II).
Many Marian apparitions call for
increased devotion to the Rosary.
And more!
3. Read Rosarium Virginis
Mariae.
Bl. John Paul II’s 2002 letter
opening the Year of the Rosary explains the history, meaning, and
method of praying the Rosary. By understanding why we pray
the Rosary, we are better able to
embrace it.
4. Aim for one good decade instead of five sloppy ones.
I, for one, have a short attention
span. It’s better to meditate deeply
on one mystery of the Rosary than
rattle off five decades while the
mind wanders aimlessly.
If you prefer, set a time limit
instead of limiting yourself to one
mystery. A friend of mine commits
to fifteen minutes of the Rosary
daily. However far she gets, she
gets. If she doesn’t finish, she doesn’t fret.
5. Pray a Scriptural Rosary.
The first time I prayed the Rosary,
a year before I came into the
Church, I used the Christianica
Scriptural Rosary. At the time I
was terrified that I might offend
God by praying the Rosary. Perhaps, I thought, if I prayed a Scriptural Rosary (hey, it’s the Bible!)
and stuck to the non-offending Sorrowful Mysteries, God would be
lenient with me for trying out this
papist thing.
I secretly holed up in my dorm
room one Friday night and, trembling, gave it a whirl. And in the
middle of praying the Crowning
with Thorns I had a breakthrough
of understanding and empathy for
Our Lord.
At the time, my college
language class had been reading
Molière’s Le Misanthrope, a
biting satire of seventeenth-century
French aristocratic life. As I
prayed, the story of Christ’s Passion unfolding slowly through the
praying of a Scriptural Rosary, I
noticed, for the first time, the
mockery of Our Lord by the
Roman soldiers. It was every bit as
offensive as the ugly “wit” of
Molière’s French salon — though
more so. And I was overwhelmed
by empathy for Jesus’ suffering.
The format of a Scriptural
Rosary made this possible — that,
and God’s grace.
Besides the Christianica Scriptural Rosary, I recommend Christine Haapala’s Psalter of Jesus and
Mary, another personal favorite.
Haapala interprets the mysteries
through the Psalms and Proverbs,
giving a fresh perspective to each
story.
6. Pray the Rosary using
sacred art. Sometimes we just need a visual
aid. An artist’s interpretation of
events in the life of Jesus and Mary
can give us new insights into the
mysteries of the Rosary. I highly
7. Pray the Rosary while
listening to sacred or
devotional music.
Sacred music is meant to lift our
senses and stir our devotion, especially when we’re struggling spiritually. My husband and I
particularly enjoy Heinrich Ignaz
Franz von Biber’s Rosary Sonatas,
which are musical meditations on
the traditional three sets of mysteries.
8. Pray the Rosary while doing
mundane or repetitive tasks.
You may not have great meditation
or profound insights, but vacuuming with the Rosary is better than
vacuuming without the Rosary.
And a long road trip always begins
best with a Rosary.
I like to pray the Rosary and
the Chaplet of Divine Mercy while
I exercise, especially when I’m
jogging. The prayers tick through
my head, keeping pace with my
feet. And I’m convinced that Mary
hauls my gasping, panting self up
the steep hill on which our house
sits every time I run.
9. Pray with committed family
and friends.
“For where there are two or three
gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them”
(Mt. 18:20). We find strength in a
community of believers. Seeing
others praying joyful Rosaries can
help us grow in our own appreciation for it.
10. Pray in front of the
Blessed Sacrament.
The Real Presence works miracles
in our lives. I find that many of my
objections, bad habits, and antipathies melt away in front of the
Tabernacle. There is perhaps no
better place on earth to pray the
Rosary than in the presence of
Christ, who loves His Mother and
wishes us to love her and, like St.
John, bring her into our own homes
(cf. John 19:26-27).
Praying the Rosary, I’m learning that sometimes the thing I don’t
like is the thing I most need. God
can take my efforts, however small,
and transform the thing I don’t
sometimes like into an activity of
grace. The Rosary can be that
grace-filled opportunity. It can
even become the thing we Rosary
strugglers love the most.
Rhonda Ortiz is a member of the Catholic
Writer’s Guild and a blogs at naptimenovelist.com. She lives with her husband and
young son near Holland, Mich. This article
was originally posted on
CatholicMom.com.
october 2013
Fr. Barron shares insights on engaging the culture
Exclusive interview with popular Catholicism narrator
Editor’s Note: During a recent visit with
Bishop Paul J. Bradley, Fr. Robert Barron
shared time with members of the diocesan
pastoral staff and shared his insights on the
new evangelization and engaging the culture. Following is an excerpt and slightly edited version of that conversation.
Q: What does the new evangelization
mean to you? How do you define that
term?
Fr. Barron: John Paul II said in 1983 the
new evangelization is new in ardor, new in
method and new in instruction.
The ardor is needed specifically in these
Postconciliar times. The Second Vatican
Council was meant to bring the message of
Christ out into the world.
New in expression: a lot of the work we are
doing in the new media has been trying to
Bishop Paul J. Bradley, left, visits with Rev. Robert Barron, at the
reach out to a secularized culture. That’s
why the Internet and YouTube is so important Diocesan Pastoral Center
then they roam around. I love that about the internet.
because it is so clearly outside of the Catholic world.
I’ve got 290 videos on there and they’re all just floatYou’re talking to secularists, rationalists, atheists,
ing out there 24/7 in cyberspace. So someone might
[and] people that hate religion.
see one on gay marriage and watch that, but then you
We need to find new expressions to engage them.
hope that might lead them to something else.
How do you talk about God in a way to people who
When we were coming of age, we got so pre-octhink it is just a bunch of superstition? How do you excupied
with the hot button issues that that is all people
press the Church’s vitality to people who just look at
knew
about
Catholicism. Oh yeah, they’re against
its checkered past – witch hunts and inquisitions, and
birth
control,
they are against divorce and remarriage.
now the sex abuse scandal – and just think it is a toPeople
didn’t
know about God and eternal life and retally compromised institution? The Bible: a lot of peodemption
and
grace and the Incarnation and Michael
ple think it is just myth, pre-scientific mumbo jumbo.
Angelo.
All
of
that was forgotten.
How do you present the Bible as inspired by God?
The
work
I’ve
been trying to do is to bring the
Then lastly new in method. I’ve got tools that
beautiful
to
the
fore.
Show people the beauty of the
[Bishop] Fulton Sheen would have died for. You can
faith.
And
then
we’ll
get to the hot button issues later.
put a YouTube video up and within 20 minutes you’re
My
instinct
is
not
to
lead
with those because the hackgetting emails from the South China Sea or Nepal.
les
go
up
and
people’s
resistance
goes up. Lead with
That’s extraordinary.
Chartres Cathedral and ask, what made that possible?
Q: Do you have a sense of what has caused the onWhat is the world that produced that?
going secularization of our society?
Q: People are afraid to get involved in the new
Fr. Barron: It’s the disenchanted world. People are
convinced they can find complete happiness within the media. What are some baby steps?
Fr. Barron: There’s a couple of levels to that question.
structures of the world: wealth, pleasure, honor and
In some ways it is really easy. When I was starting out,
power will give you all the joy you can ever get. That
ideology, which is backed up by the success of the sci- if you wanted to write something – this was academic
writing – you had to sit down and write an article, then
ences and their attendant technology has led to this
send it to America or Commonweal or someplace and
worldly view and the shutting down of the transcenhope maybe someone will read it and maybe someone
dent – mocking it, marginalizing it as extra-scientific
will publish it. And then if you were really lucky,
superstition.
maybe someone would lay eyes on your article.
One of the deeper causes perhaps: the Deism that
Now, anyone can start a website or put something
shaped America so much. If God is simply a distant
up
on
YouTube. We were able, with just a small donasupernatural being, then with time he eventually betion,
to
start putting things up on the web that didn’t
comes irrelevant. Thomas Jefferson could still hold on
th
look
like
we were filming in your mother’s basement
to a Deistic view of God, it made since in the 18 cenor
something.
That’s how we started, and we’ve been
tury, but by our time people think who needs him?
going
ever
since.
Just try it. Try to do a commentary.
Personally I also think it’s our own fault. We’ve been
Then
launch
it
out
there and see if it works.
so un-compelling in our presentation of the Gospel. Of
The
other
part
of your question: the moral side of
the risen Jesus and who God really is.
it.
Q: Do you think that the Church should specifically
It is a sticky, dangerous world, the internet and
address controversial topics just so we can appear
Facebook. It is also a world for warriors. When I
in the spotlight and be part of the dialogue?
started with YouTube, I didn’t even know people can
Fr. Barron: That’s a fair question and I wrestle with
comment on people’s videos. I found out really fast.
that too. I do these weekly commentaries. I try to mix
You are way outside the walls of the church. And bethem up. I’ll do some on pop culture – that’s designed
lieve me, everybody has something to say. About 70%
to draw people in. For example I’ll do one on a movie
of the comments on my videos are sharply negative.
like “Batman.” Then some I’ll do one on a hot button
But I’ve gotten used to it. I like to engage people there.
issue. I did one on gay marriage a while ago. That was I tell my students, you’re a warrior if you go into that
off the charts in terms of views. Then I’ll try to mix
world. You can’t expect people to throw flowers at you
those in with something on Scripture or a doctrinal
if you start presenting publicly the Church’s views. A
issue. And those don’t get as many views, but the hope lot of opposition will be coming your way.
is that you draw people in with the hot button ones and
The Good News | 9
Father Robert Barron releases new documentary, Catholicism: The New Evangelization
September 4, 2013 “Catholicism: The New
Evangelization,” the second
installment of Word On
Fire’s new documentary
and multimedia formation
program, is now available.
Hosted by Father Robert
Barron, the documentary
focuses on the challenges
the Church faces today,
such as the emergence of
“the new atheism” and relativistic attitudes toward
questions of faith and
morality.
The initial documentary, “Catholicism,” illustrated what the Church
believes and why. “Catholicsm: The New Evangelization” demonstrates
how to put faith into action in today’s increasingly secular world. It examines the factors that have created this secularized culture, and outlines
specific action steps for Catholics who want to share the faith with others.
Fr. Barron showcases numerous examples of individuals and groups
proclaiming the Gospel with creativity and innovation. Whether it’s in
the United States, England or Australia, the film shows the Church alive
with a renewed spirit, talking about the Lord with new expressions, and
reaching out globally with new media.
The 90-minute DVD starts with the definition and history of the
New Evangelization, and then takes us on a world tour to witness examples of new ardor, new expressions and new methods.
“Catholicism: The New Evangelization” is accompanied by a study
program for adult faith formation, which was written by Brandon Vogt,
author of, The Church and the New Media, and a well-known Catholic
blogger and advocate of the Church’s evangelization efforts via the new
media.
For more information, including how to order, visit: www.wordonfire.org
Global Marketplace at St. Catherine’s of Siena
Shop early for unique holiday gifts. Entrance is free and open to the public.
The church is located at 1150 W. Centre Street, Portage, Michigan.
St. Catherine’s of Siena,
Portage, Marian Hall
Saturday, Nov. 9
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
All profits go to Marketplace
vendors to support their
continued good work helping workers
of the world to be fairly compensated for the
goods and services they produce.
For more information, contact Ed Bachleda.
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (269) 327-1159.
Special Journey to the
Shrines of Ireland
Join Father Robert Creagan
October 15 – 24, 2014
Learn More During a Special Presentation by SeaLandAir Travel
Thursday, October 24, 2013 • Time: 6:30 pm
at St. Catherine of Siena
1150 West Centre St., Portage, Michigan
Please RSVP by calling
SeaLandAir Travel
Phone: 269-657-5529
Email: [email protected]
10 | The Good News
Agradecemos profundamente a todos los voluntarios que
directamente e indirectamente ayudaron en el ministerio
con los campesinos migrantes. Los invitamos a una cena
de agradecimiento el jueves 3 de octubre del 2013 a las
6:00p.m. en el auditorio del Lawrence Education Center,
1521 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, MI. El Obispo Paul Bradley estará presente para agradecerles en persona.
San Francisco de Asís
Por Fanny Tabares
El próximo 4 de octubre celebramos la fiesta de San Francisco de Asís; un santo
muy popular por su bondad, sencillez y amor a la naturaleza y a los animales. Ese día
como parte de la religiosidad popular de Estados Unidos, en muchas parroquias se llevan las mascotas al estacionamiento o entrada de las Iglesias para ser bendecidas.
San Francisco, nació en Asís, un pueblito de Italia en el año 1882 y murió a la
edad de 44 años. En tan poco tiempo de vida, dejó enseñanzas de cómo vivir la simplicidad y sencillez del Evangelio. Aunque era un joven rico y mundano, dejó todo
para vivir en la pobreza como un ermitaño y servir a los pobres. También fue el fundador de la Orden Religiosa de los Franciscanos.
Escribió el Cántico de las Criaturas:
Altísimo y omnipotente buen Señor,
tuyas son las alabanzas,
la gloria y el honor y toda bendición.
A ti solo, Altísimo, te convienen
y ningún hombre es digno de nombrarte.
Alabado seas, mi Señor,
en todas tus criaturas,
especialmente en el Señor hermano sol,
por quien nos das el día y nos iluminas.
Y es bello y radiante con gran esplendor,
de ti, Altísimo, lleva significación.
por la hermana luna y las estrellas,
en el cielo las formaste claras y preciosas y bellas.
Alabado seas, mi Señor, por el hermano viento
y por el aire y la nube y el cielo sereno y todo
tiempo,
por todos ellos a tus criaturas das sustento.
Alabado seas, mi Señor, por el hermano fuego,
por el cual iluminas la noche,
y es bello y alegre y vigoroso y fuerte.
por la hermana nuestra madre tierra,
la cual nos sostiene y gobierna
y produce diversos frutos con coloridas flores y hierbas.
por aquellos que perdonan por tu amor,
y sufren enfermedad y tribulación;
bienaventurados los que las sufran en paz,
porque de ti, Altísimo, coronados serán.
por nuestra hermana muerte corporal,
de la cual ningún hombre viviente puede escapar.
Ay de aquellos que mueran
en pecado mortal.
Bienaventurados a los que encontrará
en tu santísima voluntad
porque la muerte segunda no les hará mal.
Alaben y bendigan a mi Señor
y denle gracias y sírvanle con gran humildad.
San Francisco de Asís, también ha sido famoso por su oración: “Señor, hazme
Instrumento de Tu paz. Donde haya odio, siembre yo amor…” El mismo Papa actual,
el Papa Francisco, escogió su nombre como símbolo de sencillez y pobreza. Celebremos con alegría esta fiesta de sencillez y humildad frutos del amor.
Calendario/Calendar
Octubre/October
3 (Jueves) 6:00 - 8:00p.m., Cena de Agradecimiento para todos los voluntarios del Ministerio
Migrante. Auditorio del Lawrence Education Center, 1521 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, MI. (Appreciation Dinner for All Migrant Ministry Volunteers.)
5 (Sábado) 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. Conferencia por el Año de la Fe. (Conference for the Year of
Faith).
10 – 13 Cursillos de Hombres
12 (Sábado) 8:30a.m. – 5:00p.m. Programa de Formación Pastoral y de Liderazgo, Tercer
Año de Formación. Tema: Los Sacramentos por el Padre Fabio Garzon. (Hispanic Pastoral
Leadership Formation Program, Third Year of Formation, Topic: The Sacraments by the Rev.
Fabio Garzon).
17 – 20 Cursillos de Mujeres
19 (Sábado) 10:00a.m. – 3:00p.m. Encuentro Pre-Matrimonial, para parejas que se van a
casar. También para parejas de matrimonio interesadas en reflexionar sobre su vida. Lugar:
St. Joseph, 936 Lake Street, Kalamazoo, MI. (Pre-Marriage Encounter in Spanish for those
who will be getting married and for married couples who would like to have a day of reflection)
Noviembre/November
1(Viernes) Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day)
2 (Sábado)Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead)
9 (Sábado) 8:30a.m. – 5:00p.m. Programa de Formación Pastoral y de Liderazgo, Tercer
Año de Formación, Tema: “Doctrina Social de la Iglesia” por Feliciano Tapia. Lugar: Lawrence
Education Center. (Hispanic Pastoral Leadership Formation Program, Third Year of Formation.
Topic: “Catholic Social Teaching” by Feliciano Tapia)
19 (Sábado) 10:00a.m.-12m. Comité Diocesano de Pastoral Hispana, Reunión anual con el
Obispo y el Comité Diocesano de Liturgia. Centro Pastoral Diocesano (Hispanic Ministry Diocesan Pastoral Committee meeting, Diocesan Pastoral Center), Kalamazoo
Nota/Note: Si necesita más información sobre esta agenda, comuníquese con la Oficina del
Ministerio Multicultural e Hispano al 269-903-0197. For more information regarding this
calendar, contact the Office of Multicultural and Hispanic Ministry at 269-903-0197.
october 2013
Violencia Domestica en las Comunidades Hispanas
Qué es la Violencia Domestica:
Es una serie de comportamientos controladores que una persona (de cualquier sexo), en una relación íntima,
utiliza para ejercer poder y control
sobre la pareja. La violencia doméstica
es tan seria y frecuente en la comunidad hispana así como en otros grupos
raciales y étnicos. Las víctimas hispanas, sin embargo, hacen frente a
desafíos únicos adicionales al buscar
ayuda y tratar de parar la violencia de
pareja, haciendo sus situaciones aún
más complejas.
Por qué las victimas no buscan
ayuda: Creencia que es más seguro
permanecer donde se encuentra, (la
víctima es experta en su propia situación), La violencia aumenta si el abusador percibe que la víctima se está
retirando, falta de apoyo de la familia
y amigos, querer conservar su origen,
temor que al irse la violencia se extienda hacia su familia o amigos, Pre-
sencia de niños y/o de animales domésticos, Dependencia financiera, Incapacidad mental o física, amenaza de
suicidio, concepto errado del amor de
pareja (si no te cuida no te ama), y en
algunos casos: no hablar ingles, amenaza de deportación, falta de conocimiento sobre sus derechos y de las
leyes de inmigración, Sentido de responsabilidad por la familia.
Cómo ayudar a alguien que está
siendo abusado: Escuche de manera
tranquila y créale a la persona, no imponga sus propios valores, no transmita su acuerdo o desacuerdo, no
minimice el comportamiento del abusador, sea compasivo, dígale a la persona que no es su culpa, recuérdele
que el abuso es una decisión y que no
está sola, resalte las fortalezas del sobreviviente, dele apoyo emocional,
ayude a la persona a hacer un plan de
seguridad, dele información para
aprender acerca de las dinámicas del
abuso domestico, Informe acerca de
los derechos legales, Anime a buscar
ayuda, los servicios son confidenciales.
Línea de Ayuda Nacional contra la
Violencia Domestica: 1-800-799-7233
Línea de Ayuda en St. Joseph y Cass
County: 1 -800- 828-2023
Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services
en Three Rivers: 269- 273- 6154 ext.
108 en Español
En conmemoración del Mes Nacional de Concientización acerca de la
Violencia Domestica, se celebrará una
Vigilia el Jueves 10 de octubre, 2013
a las 7 P.M. en el Patio de la Corte de
Saint Joseph, Centreville, MI y el
Martes 01 de Octubre, 2013 a las 7
P.M. en la casa Bonine (Underground
Railroad site) entre M-60 y Penn Rd.
El tema de la observancia es: “Voces
contra la Violencia.”
Fortaleciendo las Familias en la Fe
por Veronica Rodriguez
El pasado sábado 14 de septiembre la Diócesis de Kalamazoo
ofreció el primer paso para la iniciativa “Fortaleciendo Familias
en la Fe.” Este proceso es en colaboración con la Federación Nacional para
Ministerios de Jóvenes Católicos (National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry) y está diseñado para motivar a los padres de familia a involucrarse
más plenamente en el desarrollo de la fe de sus hijos y en el liderazgo de la
parroquia para que brinde, tanto a los padres como a las familias, el apoyo necesario para que puedan transmitir la fe a sus hijos. El taller también se ofreció en inglés, “Strong Catholic Families: Strong Catholic Youth” y fue
presentado por el Dr. Greg “Dobie” Moser, Director Ejecutivo del Ministerio de Jóvenes de la Diócesis de Cleveland, Ohio.
Nuestra conferencista para el taller en español, fue Katherine Angulo de la Diócesis de Raleigh, Carolina del Norte, conferencista a nivel nacional. Ambos conferencistas dieron excelentes y dinámicas presentaciones. En la primera sesión dirigida
a padres de familias, Katherine nos mostró diferentes dinámicas, ideas prácticas e historias personales para ayudar a las familias a enseñar la fe a sus hijos en casa. En la segunda parte dirigida al liderazgo parroquial y diocesano, mostró cómo una
parroquia puede brindar el apoyo a las familias para la formación en la fe de sus hijos. Eso no quiere decir agregar más programas a los que ya se están ofreciendo, sino incluir “Fortaleciendo las Familias en la Fe” en los programas o actividades
que ya están establecidos en la parroquia.
En el taller en español participaron líderes de las parroquias de la Inmaculada
Concepción en Hartford, San José en Kalamazoo y de San Gabriel en Berrien
Springs. El siguiente paso de la Diócesis es apoyar directamente a las parroquias
en Fortaleciendo las Familias en la Fe (Strong Catholic Families: Strong Catholc
Youth). Estén atentos para el seguimiento en su parroquia. Recuerde que los padres de familias son los primeros maestros de catequesis de los niños.
Rincón de los Jóvenes hispanos/latinos
Por Veronica Rodriguez
Gran Desafío Juvenil – el pasado domingo 22 de septiembre las Hermanas Misioneras Siervas del Divino Espíritu y el Padre Fabio Garzon presentaron un taller de
vocaciones para jóvenes coordinado desde la Oficina de la Pastoral de Jóvenes y
Jóvenes Adultos Hispanos e Iglesia Domestica de
la Diócesis. Fue una tarde de aprendizaje, participación y diversión. Los jóvenes se rotaron para escuchar testimonios personales sobre las diferentes
vocaciones: sacerdocio, vida religiosa, matrimonio y vida laical y para compartir sus
sueños y esperanzas del futuro. Participaron alrededor de 26 jóvenes de diferentes parroquias.
Evangelio de Mateo: Claves para Estudiar y Conocer la Biblia #14
Por Fanny Tabares
Hoy nos concentraremos rápidamente en el Evangelio de Mateo.
Cuando Mateo conoció a Jesús, era un recaudador de impuestos para el imperio Romano “Jesús al irse
de allí, vio a un hombre llamado Mateo en su puesto de cobrador de impuestos, y le dijo: ‘Sígueme’.
Mateo se levantó y lo siguió” (Mateo 9,9). Este oficio de cobrador de impuestos, no era visto con buenos
ojos por los judíos; en aquella época, era considerado como injusto; sin embargo, Jesús invitó a Mateo
para ser uno de sus doce discípulos Mateo 9,9-13. Mateo escribió el evangelio alrededor del año 85 después de la caída de Jerusalén.
Así como Lucas, también Mateo se basó en el evangelio de Marcos para escribir su Evangelio que como
dijimos anteriormente, la palabra Evangelio significa Buena Noticia. Su Evangelio, se escribió en una comunidad cristiana
de origen judío y griego. Para Mateo Jesús representa el nuevo Moisés, el profeta mayor y el Mesías prometido al pueblo
judío. Para Mateo, Jesús proclama el Reino de Dios, cumple los escritos de la Sagrada Escritura y enseña la nueva ley.
Mateo rescata de las enseñanzas de Jesús el rechazo a la hipocresía y a la doble moral, Mateo 6,1-2 y a las formas defectuosas de piedad. Mateo es famoso por su texto de las bienaventuranzas Mateo 5,1-16, mencionadas también en Lucas 6, en
una conexión directa con el Salmo 34: 7-23. El evangelio implica un cambio de vida, una transformación.
Buena suerte en tu lectura y reflexión bíblica. Si tienes preguntas o deseas que tratemos algún tema, comunícate conmigo o por correo electrónico:
[email protected]. Por teléfono al 269-903-0209. (Este tema de estudio bíblico, continuará en la próxima edición con el tema del Evangelio de
Juan).
october 2013
Catechism of the Catholic Church. Contact: Sheryl O’Connor, 616-291-7443 or
[email protected].
Here & There
Here & There publishes parish,
Catholic school and diocesan-sponsored events. Submissions should
be sent to Vicki Cessna,
[email protected]
2014
SAVE THE DATE
March 22: Diocesan Youth Rally.
Keynote speaker Jackie Francois. Contact: Tim McNamara, 269-903-0139 or
[email protected].
OCTOBER
CENTRAL DEANERY
Kalamazoo:
October 6: Red Mass, St. Augustine
Cathedral, Bishop James A. Murray
presiding, 11:30 a.m. Annual diocesan
Mass honoring those in the legal profession. Reception immediately following in the Crowley Center.
October 7: Why Faith: Mary: As Intercessor, St. Mary Rectory meeting
room, St. Mary Parish, Kalamazoo, 6
pm. A new program intended to assist
faithful Catholics in learning more about
their faith and learning how to be succinct in defending the faith. Meets the
first Monday of the month. Contact:
Jamin Herold, 269-903-0141 or
[email protected].
SOUTHEAST DEANERY
weekly on Wednesdays, 6:30-8 p.m. or
Sundays 9:15-10:45 a.m. Contact: St.
John Bosco Parish, 269-668-3312.
October 19: Monthly Energizer, St.
John Bosco Parish, Mattawan, 6 – 8
pm. The Monthly Energizer gives you a
bolt of faith energy each month as we
gather for music, talks, (crafts for kids)
and adoration. Meets the third Saturday
of the month Sept. – May with a break
in December. Contact: Jamin Herold,
269-903-0141, [email protected] or Tim McNamara,
269-903-0139, [email protected].
EASTERN DEANERY
Battle Creek:
October 18: On the Rock – Young
Adult Offering, Art Exhibit, Battle
Creek, 7 pm. Join young adults college
age through 30s as together we embark
on a year long journey to encounter
Jesus Christ as he is present among us
and within our daily lives. Cost: TBD
Contact: Tim McNamara,
269-903-0139 or
[email protected].
October 9: RCIA 2 Mystagogia, North
Meeting Room, Crowley Center, St. Augustine Cathedral, Kalamazoo, 6:30 – 8
pm. For all those who have received
sacraments through the RCIA process.
Topic: Sanctification of Rites and Rituals. Contact: Jamin Herold,
269-903-0141 or [email protected].
Portage:
October 12, 26: Faith in All Things,
FIAT Women’s Study Group, St.
Catherine of Siena Parish, Portage, 10
am – Noon. Meets Saturdays twice a
month. Bring a Bible and
Catechism. Contact: Jamin Herold,
269-903-0141 or
[email protected].
October 14: Theological Debate Club
for Men. Topic: Teaching and Ruling
Authority. TGI Fridays, West Main
Street, Kalamazoo, 7-9 pm. Meets the
2nd Monday, every other even-numbered months. Contact Jamin Herold,
Diocese of Kalamazoo, 269-903-0141.
LAKESHORE DEANERY
October 16: RCIA 2 Mystagogia,
North Meeting Room, Crowley Center,
St. Augustine Cathedral, Kalamazoo,
6:30 – 8 pm. For all those who have received sacraments through the RCIA
process. Topic: Sacraments. Contact:
Jamin Herold, 269-903-0141 or
[email protected].
October 19-20: Marriage Discovery
Weekend, Transformations: CSJ Spirituality Center, Kalamazoo. A marriage
preparation weekend for engaged couples. Contact: Jane Bodway, Secretariat
for Parish Life & Lay Leadership, 269903-0147.
October 20: White Mass, St. Augustine Cathedral, Msgr. Martin presiding,
11:30 a.m. Annual diocesan Mass celebrating those in the healthcare field. Reception immediately following in the
Crowley Center.
process. Topic: Sanctification of Sinners. Contact: Jamin Herold,
process. Topic: Dealing with Temptations. Contact: Jamin Herold,
269-903-0141 or
[email protected].
Mattawan:
October 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30:
Uncover the Mysteries of Revelation
Video & Discussion Series, St. John
Bosco Parish. All are invited to join in
The Good News | 11
Benton Harbor:
October 9, 16, 23, 30: Sharing Christ,
St. Bernard Church & Parish Center,
Mass at 5:30 pm, program to start at
6:30 pm. A seven week program including a Saturday retreat. You are not required to attend all sessions. No cost
but registration is requested. Contact:
SS John & Bernard Parish, 269-9252425 or [email protected].
Bridgman:
October 16: Protecting God’s Children for Adults, Our Lady Queen of
Peace Parish Church Hall, 6 pm. To
sign up for the session visit
https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_li
st2.cfm?theme=0
!
EW
Joseph:
NOctober 16:St.
Stewardship Network
Meetings, St. Joseph Parish Rose Center, 6:30 pm. Each meeting will focus on
one specific stewardship topic and also
allow for idea sharing with the group.
The meetings are open to pastors, staff
members and lay leaders throughout
the diocese who are interested in learning more about stewardship as it applies
to parish life. Contact: Terry Hageman,
NORTHERN DEANERY
Allegan:
October 21: Adult Faith Formation
with Jamin Herold, Sacred Heart
Parish, Allegan, 7-8:30 pm. Jamin
Herold presents adult faith formation
programs. The fall topic is: Evangelizing
Catholics: What does it mean to be an
Evangelizing Catholic, and how do we
do it. Contact: Jamin Herold, 269-9030141 or
[email protected].
Dorr:
October 19, 26: Adult Catechism
Classes with Fr. Harry Potter, St.
Stanislaus Church & School, 9:15 am
gather & Pray the Rosary in the church,
9:45 – 11:30 class in Art/Science Room.
Join Fr. Harry on an exploration of the
Coldwater:
October 16: Protecting God’s Children for Adults, St. Charles Borromeo
Parish Hospitatlity Room of Parish Hall,
6 pm. To sign up for the session visit
https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_li
st2.cfm?theme=0
Sturgis:
October 20: Year of Faith Pilgrimage
Holy Angels Parish, Sturgis, 2 – 5
pm. Schedule: 2 pm tour of the parish
facilities; 3 pm presentation on the local
history*; 4 pm Q & A; refreshments; additional tour; 5 pm closing prayer and
dismissal. Contact: Fr. Bob Creagan,
269-327-5165.
Union City:
October 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25,
26, 27: Noah’s Ark Corn Maze, Our
Lady of Fatima, Union City 1-8 pm.
Contact: 517-741-3184.
Three Rivers:
with Jamin Herold, Immaculate Conception Parish, Three Rivers, 7-8:30
pm. Jamin Herold presents adult faith
formation programs. The fall topic is:
Evangelizing Catholics: What does it
mean to be an Evangelizing Catholic,
and how do we do it. Contact: Jamin
Herold, 269-903-0141 or [email protected].
SOUTHWEST DEANERY
with Jamin Herold, St. Anthony Parish,
Buchanan, 7-8:30 pm. Jamin Herold
presents adult faith formation programs.
The fall topic is: Evangelizing Catholics:
What does it mean to be an Evangelizing Catholic, and how do we do it. Contact: Jamin Herold, 269-903-0141 or
[email protected].
NOVEMBER
November 16, 17: Collection for
Home Heating Assistance
CENTRAL DEANERY
Kalamazoo:
November 3: Diocesan Confirmation
Mass with Bishop Paul J. Bradley, St.
Augustine Cathedral, Kalamazoo, 3
p.m. followed by diocesan reception.
November 3: Year of Faith Pilgrimage
– St. Joseph Motherhouse, Nazareth,
2 – 5 pm. Schedule: 2 pm tour of the
parish facilities; 3 pm presentation on
the local history*; 4 pm Q & A; refreshments; additional tour; 5 pm closing
prayer and dismissal. Contact:
Fr. Bob Creagan, 269-327-5165.
November 4: Why Faith: Saints, St.
Mary Rectory meeting room, St. Mary
Parish, Kalamazoo, 6 pm. A new program intended to assist faithful
Catholics in learning more about their
faith and learning how to be succinct in
defending the faith. Meets the first Monday of the month. Contact: Jamin
Herold, 269-903-0141 or [email protected].
November 6: RCIA 2 Mystagogia,
process. Topic: Redemptive Suffering.
Contact: Jamin Herold, 269-903-0141
or [email protected].
process. Topic: Call to Holiness. Contact: Jamin Herold, 269-903-0141 or
[email protected].
November 17: Year of Faith Closing
Mass with Bishop Paul J. Bradley, St.
Augustine Cathedral,
11:30 a.m.
process. Topic: Resurection of the Body
(Last Things). Contact: Jamin Herold,
269-903-0141 or
[email protected].
Mattawan:
November 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24: Uncover the Mysteries of Revelation
Video & Discussion Series, St. John
Bosco Parish. All are invited to join in
weekly on Wednesdays, 6:30-8 p.m. or
Sundays 9:15-10:45 a.m. Contact:
St. John Bosco Parish, 269-668-3312.
November 9: In the Footsteps of St.
John Neumann, a Day of Reflection
for Adults with Disabilities, Pretty
Lake Vacation Camp Retreat Center,
Mattawan, 10 am – 6 pm. Cost: $15,
scholarships available. Registration
deadline, October 31. Contact:
Lisa Irwin, 269-903-0177 or
[email protected].
November 16: Monthly Energizer,
St. John Bosco Parish, Mattawan, 6 – 8
pm. The Monthly Energizer gives a bolt
of faith energy each month as we
gather for music, talks, (crafts for kids)
and adoration. Meets the third Sat. of
the month Sept. – May with a break in
December. Contact: Jamin Herold,
269-903-0141, [email protected] or Tim McNamara,
269-903-0139, [email protected].
Paw Paw:
November 12: Adult Faith Formation
with Jamin Herold, St. Mary Parish,
Paw Paw, 7-8:30 pm. Jamin Herold
presents adult faith formation presentations. The fall topic is: Evangelizing
Catholics: Contact: Jamin Herold, 269903-0141 or [email protected].
Portage:
November 2,16: Faith in All Things,
FIAT Women’s Study Group, St.
Catherine of Siena Parish, Portage, 10
am – Noon. Meets Saturdays twice a
month. Bring a Bible and
Catechism. Contact: Jamin Herold,
269-903-0141 or
[email protected].
3427 Gull Road, Kalamazoo 49048
Please register in advance.
Music as a Spiritual
Teacher- What Our
Souls Learn by
Listening
Maestro Raymond Harvey
Tuesday, Oct. 29; 7 - 9pm
Explore how music moves the
heart and touches
our soul, with our
own Raymond
Harvey, nationally
acclaimed
Conductor and
Music Director of
the Kalamazoo Symphony
Orchestra.
Fr. William Meninger
At
Transformations!
Re-invigorated Christian
Contemplative Practice
through Centering Prayer
along with
Fr. Thomas Keating
Fr. Basil Pennington
Saturday, Nov. 2, 9am - 4pm
Fr. Meninger, OCSO will be
speaking on St. Julian of
Norwich & Contemplative
Living.
More info & register at
TransformationsCenter.org
269-381-6290 ext. 310
Making a Report of Sexual Misconduct
A report of sexual misconduct may be initiated at the Diocese of Kalamazoo’s
Sexual Misconduct Question and Reporting Line: 877-802-0115. A caller will be requested
to provide his or her name and telephone number. All calls regarding
sexual misconduct will be returned, usually within one hour. This toll-free
telephone number has been established as a part of the diocese's effort to protect
children, young people and other vulnerable people in our schools, parishes and ministries.
This line is for reporting suspected sexual misconduct or child abuse within diocesan institutions and ministries only. If you have some other concern about diocesan schools, parishes
or ministries, please contact the appropriate
diocesan school, parish or office directly. In all cases of sexual abuse you
are encouraged to report all cases to the local police or protective services.
12 | The Good News
Bishop Goes Back to School
Last month Bishop Bradley celebrated a number of “back to school” Masses throughout the diocese. This year the diocese welcomes more than 3,200 students in the 22 Catholic schools and
two preschools. Shown below are: Bottom: the entire student body of St. Joseph Elementary and
Middle School, Battle Creek; Top left: Bishop Bradley visits with two students from St. Therese,
Wayland, before Mass with five of the Northern Region schools; Top right: Bishop shakes hands
with Hackett Catholic Central Student, Nick Masztak.
october 2013
Parish hosts Theology of the Body workshop
More than 40 people, representing parishes from both the Diocese of Kalamazoo and the
Diocese of Grand Rapids, enjoyed a day-long Theology of the Body program. Sr. Helena
Burns, a Daughter of St. Paul, conducted the workshop at St. Stanislaus Parish, Dorr.
International music star headlines
fundraising concert on
October 14th
Tajci (pronounded TY-chi) was an international
singing sensation in her native Croatia when she
traded in fame for anonymity in the United
States. This month she marks her 1,000th concert in the United States and brings her “All is
Possible” concert to the Kalamazoo County
Expo Center on October 14th at 7 p.m. The concert is a special fundraising event for Vineyard
Academy, a school in the Catholic tradition, located in Richland.
Tajci’s music covers the universal themes of
love, faith, family and marriage and she shares her spiritual journey during her concert. Tickets are $20 (plus processing fees if bought online). For more information
visit: www.vineyardacademy.org or contact Christina Butkiewicz, 269-217-9799. To
learn more about the artist visit: idobelieve.com and tajci.net.
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world mission sunday - Diocese of Kalamazoo

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