April 2011 - Catholic Diocese of Brownsville

Transcripción

April 2011 - The Valley Catholic
Volume 2, Issue 11
Serving over 900,000 Catholics In The Diocese of Brownsville
April 2011
Catholics
advocate
for bishops’
legislative
priorities
Holy Week
The Stations of the Cross
and a schedule for Holy
Week.
3
The Valley Catholic &
Texas Catholic Conference
of Bishops
New Home
Father Vicente and other
retired priests enjoy their
new homes.
5
Award-Winner
Superintendent Lisette
Allen wins national
honors.
7
Hundreds of new
Catholics will join
the Church at the
Easter Vigil Mass
on Saturday, April
23, 2011.
See related story on
page 16.
The Valley Catholic
Image of Jesus from Resurrection Church in Alamo.
» Please see Advocacy, p.15
Cavalry of
Christ
A look at the legacy of
the Oblate Fathers.
9
En Español
Artículos sobre el
Centro de Partos la
Sagrada Familia y Juan
Pablo II.
11-13
New & Improved
New site includes
updated directory,
parishes and schools
The Valley Catholic
“VERBUM MITTITUR
SPIRANS AMOREM”
(“The WORD is sent
breathing love.”)
AUSTIN — Representatives from
the Diocese of Brownsville were
among the more than 600 Catholics
from
throughout
INSIDE
the
state
who joined
▶ Texas Catholic
nine Texas
Conference 82nd
Legislative Session
bishops durPriorities
ing Advocacy Day at the
▶ Bishop Daniel
E. Flores leads the
State Capitol
Texas Senate in the
in
Austin
Advocacy Day Openon April 6
ing Prayer
to promote
PAGE 6
life, justice
and peace.
“We are
here today as Catholics to support
and be a voice to the voiceless, to
those who need to be heard, to
share the needs of our people who
we work with on a day-to-day
basis,” said Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic
Charities, who organized the local
delegation.
Pimentel, a Missionaries of Jesus
Sister, added, “We want to make
sure that our legislators know those
realities, those needs, so that when
The Diocese of Brownsville will
unveil their newly redesigned website
at www.cdob.org on Monday, April
18, which offers new features for the
faithful of the Rio Grande Valley, easy
to use navigation, and a more dynamic look.
The redesigned site provides an
improved source of information and
reflects the ideals, goals and energy
of the diocese. Visitors will receive
a comprehensive overview of the
diocese. New features include an
up-to-date directory of ministries,
parishes and Catholic schools. Each
visit us at cdob.org
parish and school listing is linked
ked
to Google maps for location assissistance.
The new site also includes a
wealth of digital resources, includding videos, audio files and photos.
os.
The site will also foster greaterr
community involvement and us-er-generated content.
“I am very happy that the Diocese is able to upgrade it’s website, and am grateful for all the
hard work and planning that
has gone into it,” said Bishop
Daniel E. Flores. “ I think the
new web format will help facilitate communication within
the diocese, and bring the Gospel
ospel
message more effectively to alll the
faithful.”
Solutio Software of Goddard,
ddard,
» Please see Website, p.16
The new website includes
up-to-date directory of ministries, parishes
and Catholic schools, as well as new digital reources like videos, audio
files and photos. Visit us at www.cdob.org
2
BISHOP
Cristo nos
muestra y
nos dirige
a la eterna
primavera
L
a primavera señala la
bondad de Dios, con sus
aves cantando y sus hojas
brotando. Durante un
breve momento no recordamos
que nos habíamos quejado, hace
dos meses, del invierno, con sus
días nublosos, sus noches alargadas, y (este año) sus escarchas
peligrosas. No tarda el verano, con
sus calores espantosos y sequías
prolongadas. ¿Nos hará olvidar
la primavera? ¿Nos fallará el
recuerdo de la bondad que surge
por todo alrededor durante abril
y mayo?
Dios nos creó en su bondad,
dándonos don sobre don: primero
la vida, y después las capacidades
maravillosas que tenemos para
aprender, amar, y ser bondadosos. Nos dotó con habilidades de
expresar con música y arte la felicidad que la vida nos ofrece. Nos
creó en bondad porque Él mismo
es la bondad. Nos creó con la eterna primavera en su mente. Toda
la creación, incluso el culmen que
somos nosotros, manifiesta la
bondad de su creador. Pero nos
viene la adversidad, la tentación, el
engaño, el pecado, y nos entristecemos, y fácilmente nos olvidamos
de aquella bondad abundante que
sostiene y soporta todo.
El daño más grave que nos
ha causado el pecado ha sido el
hacernos olvidadizos de la bondad
de Dios. El pecado es una decisión
consciente, pero la dinámica
psicológica que se repite con cada
pecado tiene algo que ver con el
olvido. Por una atracción impresionante, la bondad de lo creado
nos causa desear algo pasajero, y
olvidar la bondad eminente del
Dios que nos creó. Concretamente, el ser olvidadizos de Dios
se expresa cada vez que elegimos
amar más lo que Dios hizo que
amar a Dios mismo. Resulta que
el egoísmo, la codicia, la violencia,
envidias, celos, y muchas otras
maldades nos afligen por fuera, y
por dentro.
Es difícil amar al Dios que no
se puede ver, precisamente cuando
la tentación al pecado se presenta
en forma viva e impresionante.
The Valley Catholic - April 2011
Christ Jesus shows us, directs us
toward the eternal springtime
S
pringtime reflects the goodness of
God, with its singing birds and sprouting leaves. For a brief moment we
forget that we had complained two
months ago about the winter, with its cloudy
days and long nights, and (this year) its dangerous sleet. Summer is not far away, bringing
its frightful heat and prolonged times without
rain. Will the summer cause us to forget the
spring? Will our memory fail us? Will we forget the goodness that surges around us during
April and May?
God created us in his goodness, giving
to us gift upon gift; first the gift of life, and
then our marvelous capacities to learn, and to
love and to be bearers of goodness to others.
He gifted us with abilities to express through
music and art the happiness that life offers
to us. All creation, including us ourselves
who are the summit of creation, shows forth
the goodness of its maker. But then comes
adversity, temptation, deception, and sin,
and we grow sad, and easily we forget that
goodness that sustains and upholds all things.
The gravest wound that sin has caused
in us is exactly this: it has made us easily
forgetful of the goodness of God. Sin is a
conscious decision, but the psychological
dynamic that repeats itself with each sin has
a lot to do with forgetfulness. On account of
an impressive attraction, the beauty of what is
created causes us to desire something passing,
and to forget the eminent goodness of the
God who made us. Concretely, to be easily
forgetful of God expresses itself every time
we choose to love what God has made more
than we love God himself. From this follows
Pero, Dios es muy bueno, y en
Cristo Jesús nos ofrece la sanación que nos falta. Por obra del
Espíritu Santo, Dios Padre mandó
a su Hijo Amado a encarnarse
de la Virgen y tomar como suya
nuestra naturaleza humana.
Necesitábamos nosotros recibir el
amor de Dios en forma palpable.
La Bondad Eterna se dejó ver, y
se abrió completamente a nuestra
necesidad. Nos enseñó, nos curó,
nos alimentó, y como prueba
final de su amor, se entregó por
nosotros en la Cruz. Dios no
sólo nos abrazó, sino que se dejó
abrazar. Esto quiere decir que por
asumir la condición de su criatura,
se presentó en forma sensible en
toda su bondad como el Dios
amable. Contemplando a Cristo
recuperamos la capacidad de amar
a Dios así como lo merece, con
700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan, TX 78589-3042
Telephone: 956/781-5323 • Fax: 956/784-5082
Bishop Daniel E. Flores
Publisher
Brenda Nettles Riojas
Editor
Rose Ybarra
Assistant Editor
Terry De Leon
Circulation
The Valley Catholic e-mail:
[email protected]
The Valley Catholic, a
publication
of the Diocese of Brownsville,
is published monthly.
Subscription rate:
$15 per year • $17 outside of Texas
$25 out of U.S.
MOST REVEREND
DANIEL E. FLORES
BISHOP OF BROWNSVILLE
egoism, greed, violence, envy, jealousy and all
the many other maladies that afflict us from
without and from within.
It is difficult to love the God that we do
not see, especially when temptation to sin
presents itself in such a vivid and impressive
form. But, the Lord God is very good, and in
Christ Jesus he offers us healing for what ails
us. By the working of the Holy Spirit, God
the Father sent his Beloved Son to be born
of the Virgin Mary, and to take to himself
our human nature. We needed to receive the
love of God in a palpable way. So, the Eternal
Goodness allowed himself to be seen and he
opened himself up completely to our need. He
taught us, he healed us, he fed us, and in the
final proof of his love, he gave himself over for
us on the Cross. God not only embraced us,
but he also allowed himself to be embraced
by us. This simply means that by assuming
our condition, he presented himself in all of
his goodness, in a sensible form, allowing
us to know him as the God most loveable.
Contemplating Christ we recover the ability
to love God as He deserves, with all our mind,
toda nuestra mente, fuerza y alma.
El amor desordenado es como
un río que fluye sólo por costumbre, siguiendo de arriba para abajo
un curso que le parece inevitable.
¿Cómo puede un río seguir un
curso desde la playa a la montaña?
¿No sería por causa de un amor
tremendo dirigido a la bondad
que vive en las montañas? El
Amor Eterno nos llama a voltear
el curso, y amar el que vive en la
montaña, Cristo Jesús.
Y por eso, en la obra perfecta
de su amor, Cristo fue resucitado,
all our strength, and all our soul.
A disorderly love is like a river that flows,
as if only by custom, following a course from
above to what is below; this course seems to
it inevitable. How could a river seek a course
from the shore up to the mountain? Would
it not be on account of a tremendous love
directing the river to a great goodness that
dwells in the mountains? The Eternal Love
calls us to change our course, and to seek Him
who lives on the Mountain, Christ Jesus Our
Lord.
And thus, in the perfect work of his love,
Christ was raised from the dead, giving to us
a vivid and present impression of his unfailing
love. So intense is the glory of Christ Risen
that it animates us to change the course of our
lives. The Christian people run from below
to arrive at what is above, for indeed we seek
Christ Risen. He cures us of the forgetfulness
caused by sin; for, by contemplating the
beauty and goodness of his glory by means
of the faith, Christ Jesus shows us and directs
us toward the pristine beauty of the eternal
springtime. He calls us to an extraordinary
course, but with the help of Paschal grace, it is
a course that is truly within our reach.
I desire for all of you, together with your
families, that you rejoice today on this Easter
Sunday, and throughout the whole year,
in the grace of Christ Risen. And I ask the
Lord, glorious and true, that the mystery of
his triumph over sin and death encourage
everyone to continue the struggle of life with
confidence in the protection and goodness of
the God who has so loved us.
Amen.
dejándonos una impresión viva, y
presente de su inagotable bondad. Tan intensa es la gloria de
Cristo resucitado que nos anima
a voltear el curso de la vida. Los
cristianos corren de abajo para
llegar arriba, porque buscamos a
Cristo resucitado. Él nos cura de
ser olvidadizos a causa el pecado,
porque contemplando la belleza
y bondad de su gloria por medio
de la fe, Cristo nos muestra y nos
dirige a la belleza prístina de la
eterna primavera. Es un curso
extraordinario al que nos llama,
Bishop Flores’ Schedule
April 1-2
All Day
Houston
Keynote Speaker for Biennial Family Life Conference
April 3
10:30 a.m.
San Juan
Mass for Lenten Day of Reflection
April 3
3 p.m.
McAllen
Convocation Parish Mission Statement Event Lasting
April 3
4 p.m.
McAllen
Confirmations at Holy Spirit
April 4
2 p.m.
Brownsville
Administrative Council Meeting
April 5-6
All Day
Austin
Texas Catholic Conference Advocacy Day
April 7
7 p.m.
San Juan
World Youth Day Pilgrimage Meeting
April 10
Noon
Harlingen
Confirmations at Our Lady of Assumption
April 11
All Day
San Antonio
Texas Bishops’ Meeting
April 13-14
All Day
San Juan
Priest Assembly
April 15
5 p.m.
McAllen
Mass & Banquet for McAllen Pregnancy Center
April 16
10 a.m.
Brownsville
Invocation for Dedication of Aurora De la Garza & Joe Martinez Bldg.
April 16
2:30 p.m.
Speaker at Men’s Conference
McAllen
pero con la ayuda de la gracia de
la Pascua, es un curso verdaderamente alcanzable para nosotros.
Deseo que todos ustedes, con
sus familias, puedan regocijarse
hoy en este Domingo de Pascua, y
durante todo el año, en la gracia
de Cristo resucitado. Le pido al
Señor glorioso que el misterio
de su triunfo sobre el pecado y la
muerte nos anime a todos a seguir
la lucha de la vida con confianza
en la protección y bondad del
Dios que tanto nos ha amado.
Amen.
April
April 17
Noon
Palm Sunday Mass and Procession
April 19
6:30 p.m.
Chrism Mass
April 20
7 p.m.
Confirmations at Our Lady Star of the Sea
April 21
7 p.m.
Holy Thursday Mass
April 22
noon
Stations of the Cross
April 24
9 p.m.
Easter Vigil
April 25
2 p.m.
Administrative Council Meeting
April 26
6:30 p.m.
Finance Council Meeting
April 27
9:30 a.m.
Taping of Diocesan Insight
April 27
7 p.m.
Confirmations at St. Francis Xavier
April 28-29
All Day
Brownsville
San Juan
Port Isabel
Brownsville
San Juan
Brownsville
Brownsville
San Juan
Harlingen
La Feria
San Antonio
Mexican American Catholic College Board Meeting
April 30
10 a.m.
Brownsville
Confirmations at Immaculate Conception
April 30
6:30 p.m.
Brownsville
Confirmations at San Pedro
Holy Week Schedule
Stations
of
the Cross
1. TO START: A prayer of Preparation.
* PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Jesus our Lord, we would like to accompany you in the painful way of the cross
that you journeyed before to Calvary
and that you continue to journey today
with our pain and sufferings together
with our brothers and sisters. Help us
to get closer with sincerity to the reality of the cross so that we will respond
generously to your desires.
2. BEFORE EACH STATION: WE ADORE
YOU, Christ, and we bless you because
with your cross you have redeemed the
world.
3. AT THE END OF EACH STATION: Pray the
Lord’s Prayer
4. AT THE END OF THE WAY OF THE CROSS:
FINAL PRAYER
FORGIVE US, O LORD, have mercy on
us sinners.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores
Schedule for Holy Week
Palm Sunday, April 17
Noon Procession followed
12:30 p.m. Spanish Mass
Immaculate Conception
Cathedral
April 19
6:30 p.m. Chrism Mass
Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan
del Valle — National Shrine, San
Juan
Holy Thursday, April 21
7 p.m. Spanish Mass
Cathedral
Good Friday, April 22
Noon, Stations of the Cross
Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan
del Valle — National Shrine, San
Juan
3 p.m. Service
Holy Saturday, April 23
9 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass
Cathedral
Easter Sunday, April 24
10:30 a.m. English Mass –Live
stream
Cathedral
Parishes’ Schedules
Cathedral, Brownsville
Palm Sunday — April 17
Noon — Palm Blessing and
Procession around the Cathedral
Mass following
Holy Thursday - April 21
Noon — Confessions
7 p.m. — Last supper Mass,
Bilingual
FIRST
STATION: Jesus is condemned
to death
Good Friday — April 22
Noon — Confessions
3 p.m. Station of the Cross,
Bilingual
7:30 p.m. The Passion Service
Holy Saturday - April 23
Noon – Confessions
9 p.m. Easter Vigil - Bilingual
Easter Sunday - April 24
8 a.m.; 12:30 p.m.; 7 p.m. Mass
Spanish
10:30 a.m. Mass English
St Thomas mission,
Brownsville
Palm Sunday - April 17
9 a.m. Spanish Mass
8 p.m. Last Supper - Spanish
Good Friday - April 22
3 p.m. Live Station of the Cross
8 p.m. Passion
9 p.m. Easter Vigil - Spanish
Easter Sunday - 9 a.m.
SECOND
STATION: Jesus receives His
Cross
Sacred Heart mission,
Brownsville
11:30 a.m. English Mass
7 p.m. Last Supper Mass English
3 p.m. Station of the Cross and
the Passion Service
9 p.m. Easter Vigil - English
11:30 a.m.
THIRD
STATION: Jesus falls under the
weight of the Cross the first time
FOURTH
STATION: Jesus meets His Mother
St Luke,
Brownsville
7 p.m. Bilingual Mass of the
Lord’s Supper and Adoration
before the Blessed Sacrament until
12 midnight
3 p.m. Bilingual Service to
include the Liturgy of the Word,
Youth’s live presentation of the
Stations of the Cross, Veneration of
the Cross and Communion Service.
(A day of fast and abstinence)
9 p.m. Easter Vigil Bilingual
Mass, including the Sacraments
of Initiation
8a.m.; 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.
No Sunday 6 p.m. evening service
Holy Family,
Brownsville
FIFTH
STATION: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus
to carry the Cross
DIOCESE
7 p.m. Mass Bilingual w/
interpreted Sign Language
8:30 p.m. to midnight Adoration
of the Blessed Sacrament
5:30 p.m. Via Crucis will begin in
our parking lot
7 p.m. Bilingual w/interpreted
Sign Language
8:30 p.m. Silent Procession
followed by a rosary to Our Lady of
Sorrows
9 p.m. Easter Vigil Bilingual Mass
8:30 a.m. Mass Spanish
11 a.m. Mass English w/
interpreted Sign Language
Holy Communion and Procession,
Visits to Respository till 11:30 p.m.
1 p.m. Way of the cross at San
Felipe Neri Mission
7 p.m. Liturgy of the Passion
and Death of Our Lord. Holy
Communion and Veneration of
the Cross
8 a.m. Easter Vigil Mass
8 a.m. Mass San Felipe Neri
10 a.m. Mass Our Lady of the
Assumption
Noon – Mass Our Lady of the
Assumption
No evening Masses
Our Heavenly Father,
Olmito
6 p.m. Evening Mass of the
Lord’s Supper –bilingual
Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament until midnight
3 p.m. Stations of the Cross
outside of church
6 p.m. Veneration of the Cross
Service – bilingual
9 p.m. Easter Vigil – bilingual
8 a.m. Easter Sunday Mass with
Baptisms – bilingual
Noon Easter Sunday – Spanish
St. Anthony, Harlingen
April 16
5:30 p.m. Mass
8:30 a.m.; 10 a.m. Mass –
English
11:30 a.m. Mass - Spanish
April 19
7 p.m. Chrism Mass
7 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper,
/ Adoration till midnight
3 p.m. Live Stations of the Cross
7 p.m. Service of the Word
Veneration of the Cross
8 p.m. Easter Vigil of the Lord’s
Resurrection
8:30 a.m.; 10 a.m. Mass –
English
11:30 a.m. Mass - Spanish
Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Brownsville
6 p.m. Mass of the Last Supper;
washing of the feet; Adoration
of the Blessed Sacrament till
midnight
7:30 p.m. Misa de la Ultima
Cena; Lavatorio de Pies; Adoracion
del Santisimo Sacramento la
medianoche
No Morning Mass
3 p.m. Stations of the Cross; 7
Last words of Jesus – Bilingual
6 p.m. - The Veneration of the
Cross
7:30 p.m. – Adoracion de la
Santa Cruz
10 a.m. Holy Hour with Our Lady
of Sorrows
No 5 p.m. Mass
St Theresa of the Infant Jesus,
San Benito
Lord’s Supper
Noon - Living Stations of the
Cross from Our Lady of Guadalupe
to St. Theresa; Passion of Our Lord;
Silent Procession
8 p.m. Mass
9 p.m. Easter Vigil
Our Lady of Guadalupe mission,
San Benito
Lord’s Supper
Noon - Living Stations of the
Cross to St. Theresa; Passion of
Our Lord; Silent Procession
8 p.m. Mass
9 p.m. Easter Vigil
Queen of Peace, Harlingen
Every Friday during Lent Mass
at 6 p.m. Stations of the CrossBilingual
6:30 p.m. Passion Play
Presentation
7:30 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s
Supper-Bilingual
7:30 p.m. Passion of the LordBilingual
9 a.m. Easter Vigil-Bilingual
7:30 a.m. Spanish; 9 a.m.
English;
10:30 a.m. Spanish
Our Lady of the Assumption,
Harlingen
7:30 p.m. Mass
of the Lord’s
Supper,
SIXTH
STATION:
The face of Jesus is wiped by Veronica
Prince of Peace, Lyford
8 p.m. Mass
8:30 p.m. Mass
10 a.m. – Mass
St. Martin of Tours, Sebastian
6:30 p.m. Mass
5 p.m. Mass
8:30 a.m. Mass
Santa Monica, Santa Monica
5 p.m. Mass
11:30 a.m.
Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Raymondville
7:30 p.m. Mass and washing of
the feet
9 p.m. Baptisms, Communions,
and Confirmations during the Vigil
Services
7:30 a.m.; 11 a.m. Mass
St. Anne, Mother of Mary, San
Perlita
6 p.m. Mass and washing of
the feet
Services
St. Patrick, La Sara
6 p.m. Mass and washing of
the feet
Services (together with Hargill)
St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, Hargill
7:30 p.m. Mass and washing of
the feet
5:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross
Services (together with LaSara)
11 a.m. Mass
St. Francis Xavier, La Feria
Saturday – April 16
5:20 p.m. Blessings of Palm
outside
7:50 a.m. Blessings
3
of Palm
9:50 a.m. Blessings of Palm
11:20 a.m. Blessings of Palm
7 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper
followed by Adoration till midnight
(begin at the Chapel ending at
main church)
7 p.m. Veneration of thee Cross
8 p.m. Easter Vigil Celebration
No 5:30 p.m. Mass
Our Lady of Mercy, Mercedes
6:30 p.m. Mass and Adoration
until Midnight concluding with
night prayer.
7 a.m. Tenebrae
3 p.m. Solemn Liturgy
6:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross
8 a.m. Tenebrae
There will be no 5 p.m. Mass
7 a.m.; 9 a.m.; 11 a.m. MASSES
St Joseph, Donna
Office closing at noon
7 p.m. Mass of the Last Supper
8:30 p.m. – midnight Adoration in
Parish Hall
Office closed
Noon – Seven Last Words
1 p.m. - Procession from Cristo
Rey to St. Joseph
3 p.m. – Passion Service
6 p.m. – Pesame
3 – 5 p.m. Confessions
9 p.m. Easter Vigil
8 a.m. Mass – English
9:30 Mass – Spanish at Cristo
Rey mission
11 a.m. Mass – Spanish
Sacred Heart, Hidalgo
7:30 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s
Supper
4 p.m. Liturgy of The Lord’s
Passion,
“Veneration of the Holy Cross”
7:30 p.m. Pésame a la Virgen de
los Dolores
4-6 p.m. Confessions
9 p.m. Easter Vigil
St. Anne, Mother of Mary, Pharr
6 p.m. Bilingual Mass of the
Lord’s Supper
Washing of the Feet- Adoration
of the Blessed Sacrament (until
Mid-night)
Good Friday- April 22
1:45 p.m. Re-enactment of the
Lord’s Passion
(Church Parking Lot)
3 p.m. Communion Service with
Adoration of the Cross
7:30 p.m.—Easter Vigil (Bilingual)
FOURTEENTH
STATION: Jesus is laid in the
Sepulchre
THIRTEENTH
STATION: Jesus is laid in the
arms of His Blessed Mother
TWELFTH
STATION: Jesus dies upon the
Cross
ELEVENTH
STATION: Jesus is nailed to the
Cross
St Joseph the Worker, McAllen
7 p.m. Liturgy
4 p.m. “Siete Palabaras”
7 p.m. Liturgy
Easter Vigil - April 23
8 p.m. Mass
Holy Spirit, McAllen
Saturday – April 16
5:30 p.m. Mass-English
Palm Sunday – April 17
8:30 a.m.; Noon Mass- English
10 a.m. Mass – Spanish
April 18
8 a.m. English Mass
April 19
8 a.m. Spanish Mass
April 19
April 20
8 a.m. English Mass
7 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s
Supper; Procession of the Blessed
Sacrament to the Chapel
Adoration in the Chapel until
midnight
3 p.m. The Last Seven Words
» Please see Holy Week, p.13
SEVENTH
STATION: Jesus falls a second time
TENTH
STATION: Jesus is stripped of His
garments
NINTH
STATION: Jesus falls the third
time
EIGHTH
STATION: The women of
Jerusalem mourn for our Lord
4
DIOCESE
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Sponsor couples who serve in
the ministry of preparing engaged
couples for marriage work with
as many as 10 couples per year,
meeting with each couple four to 10
times.
These couples, who give so much
of their lives helping others, were
given an opportunity to enhance
their own relationship.
The sponsor couples gathered
on April 9 at the Bishop Marx
Conference Center in San Juan for
Lupita and Deacon Ramiro Davila
a marriage enrichment program
titled, “10 Great Dates,” which helps
couples build and sustain happy and
healthy marriages.
“We wanted to offer them
something different from the
continuing
education
and
Rene and Belinda Guajardo
formation they receive to carry out
their ministry,” said Lydia Pesina,
Director of the Family Life Office
for the Diocese of Brownsville. “This
program is enrichment for them as a
married couple, a little time to spend
just looking at each other eye to eye,
Al and Noreen Smith
nose to nose and really being able
to think about their own personal
marriage.”
Through the program, the couples
traveled down memory lane, talking
about how they met, what they
remember about their first date and
other relationship milestones.
They also discussed effective and
loving ways to resolve problems,
ways to build a creative love life and
much more, Pesina said.
» Please see Dates, p.16
DivineMercyConference
Lydia
Pesina
Director,
Family Life Office
Parents as
Partners
‘Taste and see ...’
Second annual conference
kicks off on May 1
T
he 1986 document by the
U.S. Catholic Bishops,
A Family Perspective in
Church and Society reminds us as
Catholic faithful that the family is
in partnership with all institutions;
ions;
(ex.) schools, medical institutions
ons
and the Church in the formation,
n,
care, and education of our children.
ldren.
It truly does take a village to raise
ise a
child. However, the main responnsibility not only of parenting but
ut of
truly educating children belongs
gs
to parents. When a person usess
the phrase in Spanish “el niño ess
bien educado” (the child is well
educated) he or she is referring
not exclusively to their academicc
education, but rather more specifi
cifically to their manners and social
ial
comportment. In our contemporary society we often hear
about parents abdicating their
parental responsibilities to schools
ools
and other institutions.
When our daughter Liana was
about five or six years old, she once
nce
asked me: “Mom, why do you
always have to tell me what to do?”
And I responded to her “Because
use
it is in my job description. I’m a
mother.” She responded by asking
ing
“But who made the job description,
ption,
you or God?” To which I replied,
d,
“actually both of us.” A few days
went by and she did something
mischievous and then she told me “
Mom, that’s in my job description,
ion,
I’m a kid!”. I learned from her that
hat
in important human relationships,
hips,
we truly do have “job descriptions”.
ions”.
We have specific roles and we need
to have clarity about what those
roles are.
Lumen Gentium ( Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church,
1965) states : “ From the marriage
iage
of Christians there comes the
family in which new citizens of
» Please see Parents, p.15
The Valley Catholic
CNS photo
ST. FAUSTINA AND JESUS’ DIVINE MERCY
A depiction of St. Faustina Kowalska and
Jesus, who entrusted his message of Divine
Mercy to the Polish nun, hangs at the
canonization Mass for St. Faustina April 30,
2000 at the Vatican.
BROWNSVILLE — Father Rodolfo Franco,
pastor of Parish of The Lord of Divine Mercy in
Brownsville, said the theme, “taste and see the
goodness of the Lord,” was a natural choice for
the second annual Divine Mercy conference and
celebration.
“We believe that there are so many wonderful
things happening in our communities but sometimes we don’t talk about them,” Father Franco
said. “We don’t talk about the blessings of God,
we don’t talk about the gifts of God. We don’t talk
about how God is so great by
blessing us with life, famDivine Mercy
ily, work and many other
conference &
things.”
celebrtion
The Divine Mercy conference and celebration
WHEN: Sunday,
will be held on Sunday,
May 1
May 1 from 9 a.m. to 7
TIME: 9 a.m - 7
p.m. at the Jacob Brown
p.m.
Auditorium in BrownsLOCATION: At
ville. Father Franco exthe Jacob Brown
tends an invitation to the
Auditorium,
Brownsville
faithful of the Rio Grande
Valley to attend this oneof-a-kind event.
“We want to bring the experience of the mercy
of God to all the people,” he said. “By experiencing the mercy and love of God, it becomes much
easier to reject sin and everything that is not
good for us.”
Pope John Paul II designated the Sunday after
Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday during the canonization Mass of Sister Faustina Kowalska in
April 2000. Pope John Paul II is scheduled for
beatification on Divine Mercy Sunday this year.
In 1931, St. Faustina had a vision of the risen Christ clothed in a white garment with two
large rays of light emitting from his heart — a
pale beam of light and a red beam of light. Jesus
instructed her to paint the image she saw with
the signature: Jesus, I trust in You, according excerpts from a 600-page diary the Polish nun kept
between 1931 and 1938 to record the revelations
she received about the Lord’s unlimted mercy.
Jesus also taught St. Faustina to pray the chaplet for sinners and for the world. The Lord asked
her to pray for souls, entrusting them to God’s
incomprehensible mercy; to tell the world about
» Please see Conference, p.16
New Chapel, New Home
Lay Ecclesial Ministry
“God calls, we respond”
G
The Valley Catholic
Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Peña and retired priests blessed their new chapel on March 17. Below, Fr. Jaime and Msgr. Pat
relax in their new living space. The new apartments offer more than 700 square feet of living space versus the accommodations
at the previous retirement home, which measured less than 300 square feet.
Retired priests now
enjoy twice the
space than before
The Valley Catholic
SAN JUAN — A new retirement
home complex for the retired priests
of the Diocese of Brownsville opened
on March 14 on the grounds of the
Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del
Valle — National Shrine.
Four retired priests of the diocese
have moved into their brand-new
apartments, which they described as
being more roomy and comfortable
than the old retirement home. The
new apartments offer more than 700
square feet of living space versus the
accomodations at the old retirement
home, which measured less than 300
square feet.
Each priest has his own apartment
complete with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, living room and
garage. Each apartment is handicap
accessible and is equipped with security and fire alarms as well as a medical alert system. The complex is gated
and secured.
“We have more space for our belongings and more privacy,” said
Father Jaime Cabañas. “We are very
happy with our new apartments.”
The complex consists of six apartments and common area with a
chapel and dining room so that the
priests can pray and eat meals together.
Msgr. Pat Doherty likes the proximity of his new apartment to the
basilica. He hears Confessions and
celebrates Mass there regularly.
“It’s very handy to be near the basilica,” he said. “It’s a short walk across
the parking lot.”
In addition to Father Cabañas and
Msgr. Doherty, Father Tomas Mateos
and Father Vicente Azcoiti also live in
the new retirement home complex.
Plans for the new retirement home
were drawn up in the spring of 2009,
said Rey Rivera, assistant to the director of the Buildings and Properties
Office of the Diocese of Brownsville.
The contractor was John Rigney of
Rigney Construction and Development in McAllen. The cost of the
project was $487,000.
The retirement home project was
initiated by Bishop Emeritus Ray-
5
DIOCESE
mundo J. Peña while he was in office.
In 2009, he dedicated monies from
the 100 Days of Blessings bishop’s appeal and the bishop’s annual dinner
to fund the project.
“They deserve to have decent living quarters after all their years of
dedicated service,” said Bishop Peña,
who blessed the chapel on March 17.
“Even through they are retired, all the
priests living in the retirement home
now continue to help out wherever
they can. They continue to serve by
celebrating the liturgy, hearing Confessions, ministering to the sick and
filling in for priests who are on vacation, retreat or ill.”
Msgr. Doherty said he and the
other priests living in the retirement
home complex are grateful to the
faithful of the Rio Grande Valley.
“We thank everyone who contributed the building of the retirement
home,” he said.
od calls. We respond.
This fundamental,
essential pattern in the
life of every believer appears
throughout salvation history.
The Father calls a chosen people,
patriarchs, and prophets. Jesus
calls his apostles and disciples.
The Risen Lord calls everyone to
labor in his vineyard, that is, in a
world that must be transformed
in view of the final coming of
the Reign of God; and the Holy
Spirit empowers all with the
various gifts and ministries for
the building up of the Body
of Christ.” (Co-Workers in the
Vineyard of the Lord, A Resource
for Guiding the Development of
Lay Ecclesial Ministry, United
States Catholic Conference of
Catholic Bishops, 2005).
The Catholic Church refers
to men and women who serve
in parishes, schools, diocesan
offices and Church institutions
under different capacities
and positions as “lay ecclesial
ministers.” When Co-Workers
in the Vineyard of the Lord was
published by the Bishops of the
United States in 2005; it was
intended to help as a resource
to help bishops bring about an
understanding for a fruitful
collaboration of ordained and
lay ministers in bringing about
the work of salvation of Jesus
Christ in the world.
The Second Vatican Council
document Lumen Gentium
(Dogmatic Constitution on the
Church, no. 40, 41) Calls all
followers of Christ namely, “that
all Christians in whatever state
or walk of life are called to the
fullness of Christian life and to
the perfection of charity, and
this holiness is conducive to a
more human way of living even
in society here on earth.”
The council in a matter of
urgency taught that “the forms
and tasks of life are many but
there is one holiness, which is
cultivated by all who are led
by God’s Spirit…All, however,
according to their own gifts and
duties must steadfastly advance
along the way of a living faith,
which arouses hope and works
through love.”
The Church calls lay men and
women to hear and answer the
Deacon
Luis Zuniga
Director, Office for
Pastoral Planning
& San Juan Diego
Ministry Institute
universal call to holiness and
“called by God to contribute to
the sanctification of the world
from within, like leaven, in the
spirit of the Gospel, by fulfilling
their own particular duties
(Lumen Gentium, no. 31).
As members of the church
the Catholic faithful by virtue
of the Sacrament of Baptism
participate in the threefold
ministry of Christ as priest,
prophet, and king. Lumen
Gentium spells out that the laity
are called to participate to bring
holiness to the world (priest),
witness the Gospel through daily
life (prophet) and work toward
building the kingdom (king);
therefore the laity participate
as do the bishops and priests
through sanctifying, teaching
and shepherding.
According to John L. Allen,
Jr., National Catholic Reporter
Senior Correspondent in a
keynote address to the Annual
Conference of the National
Association of Church
Personnel Administrators in
Chicago (American Catholic
demographics and the future
of ministry) he noted that,
“Already, one-sixth of the
roughly 40,000 priests serving
in the United States are from
abroad, and the American
church adds about 300 new
international priests every year.
Increasingly, the pastoral work
of the church in this country is
dependent upon these foreign
priests…future ministers will be
increasingly laity.
At present, there are slightly
more than 40,000 priests in the
United States and 31,000 “lay
ecclesial ministers,” meaning
laity working full-time or parttime for the church performing
ministries once done by priests
or religious: music ministry,
liturgy, CCD, RCIA, and so on.
At the moment, there are 5,500
» Please see We respond, p.14
After 28 years, birthing center still strong
The Valley Catholic
Courtesy photo
More than 6,000 babies have been born at Holy Family Birth Center since it opened
in 1983.
WESLACO — Molly MacMorris-Adix was born at Holy Family Birth Center 23 years ago.
Like many people who were born
there, she feels a strong connection to the facility.
The birth center is a peaceful
place consisting of several sunny
yellow cottages on a four-acre tract
of land. Three cottages serve as
birthing suites for mothers to bring
their babies into the world. While
the surroundings are beautiful, it
is the mission of the birth center
and the people who carry out that
mission that truly make the birth
experience special, Adix said.
Adix was raised primarily in
Oregon — her parents left the
Rio Grande Valley when she was
a toddler — but she has returned
to serve at the birth center as the
outreach coordinator.
“One of the things that makes
our birth center unique is that we
have a faith based in the Catholic
Church,” she said. “All of the care
that we provide is rendered in a
God-centered atmosphere. We
support and love all of our patients
as individuals. We provide them
with an opportunity to have a birth
experience that is blessed as all
births are.”
The birth center was founded in
1983 by four religious sisters, Sister Angela Murdaugh and Sister
Damien Francois of the Francis-
can Sisters of Mary, Sister Mary
Thompson of the Dominican
Sisters of Racine, Wis., and Sister
Anne Wojtowicz of the Sisters of
Charity, in response to an overwhelming lack of prenatal care in
the Rio Grande Valley. The Sisters
wanted to provide a safe and loving
place for mothers and their families to welcome their babies.
Each sister brought a strong
medical background to the center
including many years of experience working with expectant and
new mothers and their babies. To
date, more than 6,000 babies have
been born at the center.
Holy Family Birth Center follows
» Please see Birthing, p.14
DIOCESE
Tadeusz
Pacholczyk
Priest of the
Diocese of Fall
River
Making Sense
Out of Bioethics
The courage
to refuse
to cooperate
in evil
A
n electrician by trade, Tim
Roach is married with two
children and lives about an
hour outside Minneapolis. He was
laid off his job in July 2009. After
looking for work for more than a year
and a half, he got a call from his local
union in February 2011 with the news
anyone who is unemployed longs
for, not just a job offer, but one with
responsibility and a good salary of
almost $70,000 a year. He ultimately
turned the offer down, however,
because he discovered that he was
being asked to oversee the electrical
work at a new Planned Parenthood
facility under construction in St. Paul
on University Avenue. Aware that
abortions would be performed there,
he knew his work would involve him
in “cooperation with evil,” and he
courageously declined the offer.
Significant moral issues can
arise if we knowingly cooperate in
another’s evil actions, even though
we don’t perform those evil actions
ourselves. Some helpful “principles
of cooperation” have been developed
over the centuries in the Catholic
moral tradition as a way of discerning
how properly to avoid, limit, or
distance ourselves from evil, especially
intrinsically evil actions. In particular,
these principles enable us to recognize
that there are certain real-life situations
when we must refuse to cooperate.
A simple example can be helpful
to illustrate some of these principles:
suppose a nurse were to hand the
instruments to a physician performing
a direct abortion, or turn on the
suction machine used to dismember
the unborn baby. If the nurse intended
the abortion, she would be guilty of
formal cooperation in evil. Yet even if
she personally opposed the abortion
and did not share the intention
of the physician performing the
procedure, there would still be grave
moral objections to her cooperation.
Because she would be participating
in circumstances essential to the
performance of that particular act of
abortion, like handing instruments
or turning on the suction machine,
her cooperation would be morally
unacceptable, and would be known as
immediate material cooperation.
The key point, then, is that both
types of cooperation (formal and
immediate material) are morally
unacceptable. Whenever we are faced
with the temptation to cooperate in
intrinsically evil actions like abortion,
destruction of embryos for stem cell
research, euthanasia, assisted suicide,
or direct sterilization, morally we
must refuse. This is different, for
» Please see Courage, p.13
Advocacy Day
Texas Catholic
Conference 82nd
Legislative Session
Priorities:
The Texas Catholic Conference is the association of the
15 ordinary Roman Catholic
Bishops of Texas, and includes
the Auxiliary and Emeritus Bishops as consultative members.
A major function of the Conference is to be the public policy
arm of the Bishops of Texas before the Texas Legislature, the
Texas delegation in Congress,
and state agencies. The public
policy issues addressed by the
Conference include institutional
concerns of the Catholic Church
and issues related to Catholic
moral and social teachings. Because we are made in the image of God, there is an inherent
value of human life from which
all of our social obligations and
rights flow. The following list
highlights some of the priori-
ties of the Texas Bishops prior
to the 82nd Legislative session. The Bishops and staff of
the Conference will continue to
monitor and respond to any relevant matters before the Texas
Legislature.
BUDGET SHORTFALL: The Texas
Catholic Conference supports a
balanced approach to solving
the budget shortfall, including
seeking revenue to adequately
fund needed public services
and prepare Texas for the future.
1. LIFE AND FAMILY LIFE ISSUES: Our foundational principle to protect the life and dignity of all human persons calls
us to work to end abortion, euthanasia, destruction of human
embryos, cloning and assisted
suicide. Marriage and the family are central social institutions
that must be supported and
strengthened.
► Support state funding to
abortion alternative providers.
► Support “Choose Life” license plate legislation.
► Support the ability for women seeking abortions to view
ultrasound images of their unborn child.
► Support efforts to assure
that Woman’s Right to Know
brochures are distributed appropriately.
► Stop all public funding to
abortion providers.
► Ensure that abortion reporting is accurate and includes
maternal outcomes and
that abortion regulatory
violations are strongly enforced.
► Oppose any legislation that would allow or
fund embryonic stem
cell research.
► Support a ban
on all forms of human cloning, while
recognizing the life
of all human
embryos by
opposing leg-
Advocacy Day Senate Opening Prayer
Bishop Daniel Flores, Diocese of Brownsville
islation that would allow cloned
embryos to be destroyed.
► Support creation of regulatory standards for In-Vitro Fertilization Clinics.
► Support efforts to restrict
judicial bypass in parental consent law by requiring that minors seek bypass in their own
county.
► Support efforts to ensure
access to marriage for undocumented immigrants.
► Support the creation of regulatory standards for payday
lending to ensure that families
are not placed in overwhelming
financial situations.
2. IMMIGRATION: We recognize the historic and presentday contributions of immigrants
in Texas by supporting their
ability to work in a healthy environment in order to provide
for their families and continue
their valuable participation in
the community.
► Support comprehensive immigration reform including a
pathway to legalization.
► Support efforts to ensure
students who attend Texas public schools have access to instate college tuition.
► Oppose efforts to reduce
access to education for immigrants.
» Please see Advocacy Day, p.14
“
Lord God, heavenly Father, we humbly invoke your
assistance over this legislative assembly, and over
each of its members.
We ask that the deliberations of the Senate of the
State of Texas be imbued with a spirit of right judgment
and wisdom, and that the decisions made here reflect a
selfless and disinterested concern for the public good.
May each senator act with generous concern for the
good of all who dwell here, and may their votes be a
reflection of a good and clear conscience.
May they take to heart how their exercise of political
judgment will affect the lives of the children, women
and men who form the communities, great and small,
wealthy and poor, that make up the State of Texas.
O Lord, bless all of us in this state, to take up
generously our responsibilities to one another, that
ours may be a peaceable reflection of that kingdom of
justice, compassion and peace which, though not yet
come to fulfillment, is yet destined, by your grace, to
renew the face of the earth.
“
6
Photos by Cesar Riojas/ The Valley Catholic
7
DIOCESE/CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Superintendent receives national honor
The Valley Catholic
Lisette Allen, superintendent
of the Catholic schools in the
Diocese of Brownsville, is this
year’s recipient of the Catherine
T. McNamee, CSJ, Award.
This national award is presented to an individual or school that
promotes cultural and economic
diversity in Catholic education.
She will receive the award during
the National Catholic Education
Association (NCEA) Convention on April 25 in New Orleans.
“It is definitely an honor, very
humbling, because I love what I
do,” Allen said. “I don’t look at it
as a job, I look at my job as an
ability to serve and I try to do
that the best that I can.”
Allen, who has been superintendent since July 2008, oversees
the 14 Catholic schools in the
Diocese of Brownsville. She was
selected for the award in part
for her work at the University
of Notre Dame. For the last four
years, she has led the Alliance
for Catholic Education (ACE)
Diversity Workshop, which
emphasizes language acquisi-
tion, lesson planning for diverse
learners and classroom management for educators working in
Latino communities. Allen also
prepares educators for what to
expect with traditions and family dynamics.
“Through Mrs. Allen’s workshop, the ACE teachers have a
solid understanding of the area
and its culture before they come
to the Valley to do their work
and ministry,” said Ana Gomez,
principal at St. Luke School in
Brownsville.
Allen also highlights what
she calls the “beautiful relationship” the Catholic schools of the
diocese have with Mexico. Some
of the schools in the diocese
serve students from both
sides of the U.S.-Mexico
border. Allen works
closely with the principals and teachers to
ensure that the diversity
in our schools leads to a
greater understanding of
the global realities of the
world in which we live. She
» Please see National Honor, p.16
158 years and counting ...
Pilgrimage to Europe
By SISTER IRMA GONZÁLEZ
Special To The Valley Catholic
Each March, Incarnate Word
Academy (IWA) celebrates Incarnate
Word Academy Month commemorating
the many years of service in the Rio
Grande Valley. This year IWA celebrates
its 158th year in Brownsville.
www.iw-academy.org
In 1853, a few years after Texas was
admitted to the Union, four Sisters
of the Incarnate Word and Blessed
Sacrament arrived in Brownsville to
teach at the request of Bishop John
Mary Odin, the first bishop of Texas.
The Sisters spent a few months prior
to their arrival learning English
and Spanish in Galveston. Once in
Brownville they lost no time. Incarnate
Word Academy opened its doors on
May 7, 1853, five days after the arrival
of the Sisters. Since that date Incarnate
Word Academy has continued its
mission of Catholic education in South
Texas.
Students of every level learn
about the history of the Sisters of the
Incarnate Word and IWA in a variety
of ways. The younger children use a
coloring book. Older students review
the history by having guest speakers,
doing book reports or online research.
The month culminated with a Mass
celebrated on March 25, the Solemnity
of the Annunciation. Bishop Daniel
Flores was the celebrant and the
Incarnate Word Sisters working in
Brownsville renewed their vows. This
is a special day both for the Sisters
Courtesy Photos
The Incarnate Word Sisters working in Brownsville renewed their vows at a Mass celebrated by
Bishop Daniel E. Flores on March 25. The Incarnate Word Sisters have served the Brownsville
community since 1853.
and IWA, since on the Feast of the
Annunciation, the Church celebrates
the announcement to Mary that she
will be the mother of the Incarnate
Word. At the conclusion of Mass, the
Kindergarten class presented a video
representation of the coming of the first
Incarnate Word Sisters to Texas. To view
the video, log on to the IWA website,
www.iw-academy.org.
After Mass,
Bishop Flores visited the classrooms.
Incarnate Word Academy is
currently accepting applications for the
2011-2012 school year for students in
grades 3K through 8th grade. For more
information please contact the school
at 956-546-4486 or visit our website.
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School will hold their Annual Walkathon on Friday, May 6, 2011. Walkathon is a fund-raising event sponsored by the
Catholic School Office of The Diocese of Brownsville. Our school along with all Catholic Schools in the Diocese, will be participating in this event.
Approximately 600 parents and students participate in this event. Funds raised through this event will have a portion donated to the Diocese and the
balance will be used for the needed improvements and upgrades to the school. Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School will also be sponsoring its 13th
Annual Golf Classic and Car Raffle on May 13, 2011 at the Palm View Golf Course. Everyone in the community is invited to participate in the Golf Classic,
one of the finest tournaments in the Rio Grande Valley. Team sponsorships are available at $1,150, $2,150, and $5,000, or special monetary donations
benefiting the cause will also be accepted. Also, hole signs are available for $150. The grand prize for the car raffle is a choice of a 2011 MercedesBenz GLK350 or Mercedes-Benz C300. Car raffle tickets cost $100 and only 1,000 tickets will be sold. The drawing for the car will be held on Friday,
May 13, 2011 at the Palm View Golf Course at 6:00 pm. Additional car raffle tickets are available at the school or church office. Proceeds from this
tournament will go to the school’s Endowment and General Fund. Pictured is 2010 – 2011 Student Body.
The Valley Catholic
Twenty-seven seniors from the Oratory Athenaeum for University
Preparation in Pharr participated in a pilgrimage trip to Europe
from March 10-24, led by school director Father Mario Avilés of the
Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. The students visited
Fatima, Portugal; Avila, Spain; Lourdes, France and Rome among
other religious and historical cities. On March 23, the students
attended Pope Benedict XVI’s weekly audidence in St. Peter’s Square
at the Vatican. The students are shown here in front of the Basilica of
St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, one of the four papal basilicas.
14th Annual
Walkathon
Courtesy Photos
Students, faculty, staff, parents and grandparents of the Catholic
schools in the Diocese of Brownsville are gearing up for the 14th
annual Walkathon on May 6. Under the watchful eyes of local law
enforcement, each school will follow a secure route near their
campus. The goal of Walkathon is to shine a light on the good
that Catholic schools do for the community. Through pledges, the
students will also raise funds for scholarships. Shown are students
from St. Joseph School in Edinburg.
8
FAITH
»Sunday
Readings
The Word of God in the Life
and Mission of the Church
APRIL 3
(Fourth Sunday of Lent )
““Do you believe in the Son of
Man?” He answered and said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe
in him?”.”
Reading I: 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7,
10-13a
Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Reading II: Eph 5:8-14
Gospel: Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 1317,34-8
APRIL 10
(Fifth Sunday of Lent )
““I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he
dies, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die”
Reading I: Ez 37:12-14
Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17
Reading II: Rom 8:8-11
Gospel: Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17,
20-27, 33b-45
APRIL 17
(Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion)
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which
means, “My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?”
Reading I: Mt 21:1-11
At the Mass Is 50:4-7
Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
It is truly right and just to give thanks?
W
e continue our catechetical series on the
Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass this month with a focus on
the preparation of the gifts which
begins the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the first part of the great
Eucharistic Prayer.
In most parishes on Sundays,
there is an offertory procession.
During this procession bread
and wine are brought forward.
Often times the money offering
and food for the poor are also
presented. Simultaneously, the
chalice and missal are placed on
the altar along with the linens
necessary for Mass such as the
corporal and purificators. There
is usually song during this transition period. The offertory song
need not speak of offering bread
and wine but should reflect the
feast or liturgical season being
celebrated.
It is in the bringing forward of
bread and wine that we, the Body
of Christ, the Church, should see
ourselves being brought forward
to be sacrificed with Jesus Christ
as a pleasing sacrifice of praise.
Just as the many grains of wheat
are crushed to make the one
bread and the many grapes are
crushed to make the one wine, so
too, we the members of Christ’s
Body die to ourselves and present
ourselves to be offered to the
Father with Jesus Christ in the
Holy Spirit.
It is in the great Eucharistic
Prayer that the bread and wine
are substantially changed into the
Body and Blood of Christ by the
power of the Holy Spirit at the
hands of the ministerial priest.
The ordained priest presides
over the assembly in charity and
during the Mass acts in persona
Christi capitis, that is, in the
Reading II: Phil 2:6-11
Gospel:
APRIL 24
“Were not our hearts burning
within us while he spoke to us on
the way and opened the Scriptures
to us?”
The Mass of Easter Day
Reading I: Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Reading II: Col 3:1-4 or
I Cor 5:6b-8
Gospel: Jn 20:1-9 OR Mt 28:1-10
or (at an afternoon
Mass) Lk 24:13-35
The Liturgy of the Word has
as its main part readings from
Sacred Scripture. In these
readings God is speaking to
his people, opening up to them
the mystery of redemption and
salvation, offering them spiritual
nourishment to enable them
to be Christ’s living witnesses
before the world. (GIRM, 55).
The Church confidently teaches
that in the word proclaimed,
Christ himself is truly present.
(Sacrosanctum Concilium, 7).
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Coordinator,
Office of Liturgy
& Worship
person of Christ, the head. This
truth has been somewhat overshadowed since Vatican II. It is
important for us to remember
that the Mass is a re-presentation
of the sacrifice of Jesus on the
cross. For those who remember
the Baltimore catechism, we
recall that this re-presentation
is experienced in an unbloody
manner. We must also remember that this is not a new sacrifice.
Christ died once and for all as
the letter to the Hebrews reminds
us. In this re-presentation of that
sacrifice every generation is able
to participate in Christ’s sacrifice
which brings forgiveness for our
sins.
In this part of the Mass, most
of the changes in the new translation affect the priest’s prayers.
In the people’s response to the
presider’s invitation to prayer,
most of that prayer remains the
same except with the addition of
the word holy in the last phrase.
So the assembly will say….”and
the good of all his holy Church.”
With that, the celebrant prays the
prayer over the gifts and all are
ready to begin the great Eucharistic Prayer.
The preface dialogue begins
the Eucharistic Prayer. As we
already know, the first response
will be “and with your spirit.” The
next exchange has no change.
However, the third response has
significantly changed. When the
priest invites us to give thanks,
—
Father Greg Labus serves as Coordinator of Liturgy & Worship in the
Diocese of Brownsville and is pastor
of Our Lady of Mercy in Mercedes.
The Alleluia Season
Mt 26:14—27:66 or
27:11-54
(Easter Sunday: Solemnity of the
Resurrection of The Lord)
Father Greg
Labus
we will respond with a short
declarative statement: “It is right
and just.” In the preface which
follows, the celebrant elaborates
why it is right and just to give
God thanks and praise. The preface reflects a particular feast or
the liturgical season by recalling a
facet of the history of salvation.
The preface concludes with
the singing of the Sanctus. This
ancient hymn of praise begins
by praising the thrice holy Lord.
The first part of this text is taken
from Isaiah 6:1-3. The second
half is what the gospel of Matthew 21:9 says the people shouted
when Jesus triumphantly entered
Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The
people were quoting a verse from
psalm 118: “Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord.”
There are two Hebrew words
in the Sanctus. They are hosanna
and sabaoth. Hosanna remains in
the English text untranslated. It
means “save us.” Older English
translations of the Sanctus did
not translate sabaoth either. This
word refers to God’s command
over an army of angels. In
the new translation it has been
rendered as “hosts.” That is the
only change in this acclamation.
Instead of “Lord God of power
and might,” we will now sing
“Lord God of hosts.” Because
there is minimal change in this
prayer, many of our most popular
musical settings of this text have
been easily adapted.
Next month we will continue
our catechesis on the Eucharistic
Prayer.
“
Jesus is risen! Alleluia!
Alleluia!” From the first day
that the apostles preached
the gospel, the resurrection of
Jesus has been its cornerstone.
Jesus foretold his resurrection,
and rose by his own power.
His resurrection is both a
life-giving mystery and a sign
that confirms our faith. The
resurrection is an historical fact.
The apostles bore witness to it
from what they had seen and
heard and touched.
The Catholic Church has
always taught, against all denials,
that Christ’s rising from the dead
was an objective historical event,
for which there is convincing
evidence.
Christ’s death had been a
devastating blow to his Apostles.
They had truly believed in him,
but after his horrible death
on the cross as a condemned
criminal, their faith was
completely shaken. When the
women who first visited the
tomb brought them the first
reports of his rising, the Apostles
could not believe it.
When the risen Jesus himself
appeared to them, they thought
they were seeing a ghost. The
Gospels make no secret of their
early doubts. When the risen
Jesus appeared to his followers,
Msgr. Robert
Maher
Vicar General
for the Diocese
of Brownsville
almost always additional proofs
were required to identify him.
He ate with them, and he had
them touch his wounds. “See
my hands and my feet” he said,
“that it is I myself. Touch me and
see, for a spirit has not flesh and
bones as you see that I have” (Lk
24:39).
By his presence, words, and
gestures, Christ led his Apostles
toward faith. In the Acts of the
Apostles 1:3, we read: “To them
He presented himself alive after
his passion by many proofs,
appearing to them, and speaking
of the kingdom of God”.
The outer signs and words
were confirmed also by the
inner gift of the Spirit. Acts 5:32
reads “We are witnesses to these
things, and so is the Holy Spirit
whom God has given to those
who obey him.”
For those in Jerusalem at the
time, there was the witness of the
empty tomb. But there was also
much more: the transformation
of the Apostles and the confident
testimony they gave to the risen
Christ, the miraculous cures
they worked in his name, and
the new energy of their lives
that showed the inner presence
of the Spirit. Many saw these
signs and believed, and they too
received the gift of the Spirit and
began to share in the life of the
resurrection.
Others did not believe, and
indeed some sought to discredit
the word of Christ’s rising. The
soldiers guarding the tomb were
bribed to say “His disciples came
by night and stole him away
while we were asleep” (Mt 28:13).
Through all the Christian ages,
there have been persons who
have tried to explain away the
Easter events. Some declare that
Christ did not actually die on
the cross, but survived to serve
as a sort of underground leader.
Others suggest that the apostles
may have had real visions of
Jesus and that he rose in some
purely spiritual sense, but not
bodily.
The problem with such denials
of the bodily resurrection,
though, is that they create more
problems than they solve. If
» Please see Alleluia, p.15
CNS photo/courtesy of Photo Viron
Bernadette Soubirous sits for a portrait
taken in Lourdes, France, shortly before
she left for the convent in Nevers in 1866.
The image was taken by a photographer
whose family still operates a photography
business and shop just outside the gates of
the Lourdes sanctuary.
»Feast Day
- April 16
Spotlight on
St. Bernadette
From staff and wire report
Each year, millions of Catholics from around the world
flock to the small town of
Lourdes in Southern France
to visit the grotto where the
Blessed Mother appeared to St.
Bernadette 18 times in 1858.
The oldest of nine children, Bernadette Soubirous
was born into a poor family in
1844. She was also sickly and
illiterate and often ridiculed,
even by her teachers. Bernadette was 14 and searching for
firewood with her sister and
a friend when Mary first appeared to her in a cave on the
banks of the River Gave on
Feb. 11, 1858.
The visions continued for
several weeks. Two weeks later, a spring emerged from the
cave and the waters were found
to miraculously heal the sick.
One month later, on March
25, the vision told Bernadette
that she was the Immaculate
Conception and that a church
should be built on the site.
Civil and even some Church
authorities tried to frighten
Bernadette into retracting her
accounts, but she remained
faithful to the visions.
In an effort to escape her
celebrity, Bernadette entered
the Sisters of Notre Dame in
Nevers, about 300 miles away
from Lourdes in 1866. She
was diagnosed with a painful,
incurable illness soon afterward and died in 1879 at the
age of 35. Her incorrupt body
is on display in a chapel in the
Church of St. Gildard at the
convent where St. Bernadette
lived for 13 years. Pope Pius XI
canonized her in 1933.
Many pilgrims fill containers with holy water and visit
the baths at Lourdes as a response to the invitation of the
Blessed Mother to Bernadette
to, “go drink of the spring and
wash yourself there.”
PARISHES
THOSEWHOSERVE: Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
9
»Birthday
Wishes
The list of birthdays and
ordination anniversaries is
provided so that parishioners
may remember the priests in their
prayers and send them a note or
a card.
April
» Birthdays
5 Rev. Jaime Torres
8 Rev. Gerald McGovern
8 Rev. Alfonsus McHugh
15 Rev. Carlos Zuniga
20 Rev. Albert Lelo-Luemba
20 Rev. Samuel Arispe
» Anniversaries
The Cavalry of Christ
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
T
he first historian of
the
worldwide
Oblate
congregation wrote this about
the Missionary Oblates of Mary
Immaculate in deep South Texas.
“Their story will be something
of a novel. ... War, hurricanes,
revolutions, yellow fever, drought,
calamities of all kinds, heroism of
the Apostles, martyrs of duty and
charity, nothing will be missing.”
As the Oblate story unfolded
in South Texas, historians would
detail the stories of the Cavalry
of Christ, a group of priests who
traveled throughout the sparsely
populated Lower Rio Grande
Valley on horseback. Wearing
cassocks, cowboy hats and
boots, they spread the Gospel
and established churches upon
their arrival from France in 1849.
The Oblates first planted roots
in Brownsville before founding
a second chapel in Roma in
1854 and a third at La Lomita in
present-day Mission in 1861. The
three establishments served as
command centers of sort for their
vast territory.
It was the epic Oblate story
from the Rio Grande Valley that
captivated a young Armand
Mathew in the 1930’s. The future
Oblate priest was an eighth-grader
at a St. Columbanus Grammar
School in Chicago when an Oblate
recruiter visited the school and
shared photos of the South Texas
mission.
“I had never heard of them (the
Oblates) before,” Father Mathew
said. “We were hundreds of miles
away from where the Oblates
lived and worked. I was fascinated
The Valley Catholic
Top: Taken on Jan. 29, 1911, this
photo of the Cavalry of Christ
exemplifies the early work of
the Missionary Oblates of Mary
Immaculate in the Rio Grande Valley.
Above: The Oblates held a district
meeting and reunion in 2009 at the La
Lomita Chapel in Mission, marking the
160th anniversary of the arrival of the
first wave of Oblates to the Valley.
Right: Father Jim Pfeifer, left and Father
Roy Snipes and their dogs Fritz, Cantina
and Valentine, outside the rectory of
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
by their story, their sense of
adventure. And the recruiter, he
exuded enthusiasm for being a
priest and an Oblate. This struck
me strongly.”
Today, Father Mathew remains
captivated by the Oblate story in
the Valley and feels blessed to be a
part of it.
“There is nothing, in my mind,
more rich than the tradition of the
Oblates right here in the Valley,”
said Father Mathew, 88, who
serves in Brownsville. “The church
of the Valley is the work of the
Oblate fathers. When the Oblates
arrived here in 1849, there was
nothing.”
Only Oblate priests served the
people of Valley from 1849 until
1930, according to the book The
Catholic Church in Rio Grande
Valley – A Journey of Faith.
The Missionary Oblates of
Mary Immaculate were founded
by Eugene De Mazenod in 1816
to serve to the poor in the French
countryside and later branched out
to take on difficult and dangerous
missions in areas of the world
where the Church was weak.
South Texas fit the bill for
difficult and dangerous. Every
time a priest set out on his horse
to preach the Gospel, his life was
at risk. Seven priests died between
1853 and 1862, according to
the Oblates archives. Those that
survived battled the elements
and the challenges of traversing
uncharted land. In response to
the harsh conditions, founder De
Mazenod famously said, “Cruel
Texas mission!”
Oblate Father Roy Snipes, 65,
said he thinks about the men
whose footsteps he is following
when he feels the urge to complain.
“The old guys sure did sacrifice
a lot,” said Father Snipes, pastor of
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
in Mission. “When I gripe, I have
to stop and remember that driving
around in my air-conditioned
Escort, that’s not such a bad deal.”
There are currently nine Oblate
priests serving in the Diocese
of Brownsville, who strive to
continue their legacy as “country
priests” — salt of the earth guys
with a down to earth love of the
people, said Oblate Father Jim
Pfeifer, parochial vicar of Our
Lady of Guadalupe Church in
Mission.
Father Pfeifer, 84, who was born
and raised in Alamo, was the first
in his family to enter the Oblate
seminary, followed by his cousins,
Father Ted Pfeifer and Bishop
Michael D. Pfeifer, who leads the
Diocese of San Angelo.
» Please see Christ, p.16
Bishop Flores, priests to celebrate Chrism Mass
The Valley Catholic
The Valley Catholic
Bishop Daniel E. Flores and the priests of the Diocese of
Brownsville gathered for the annual Chrism Mass in 2010 at
the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine.
SAN JUAN — Bishop
Daniel E. Flores and the
priests of the Diocese of
Brownsville will gather for
the annual Chrism Mass
at 6:30p.m. on Tuesday,
April 19 at the Basilica of
Our Lady of San Juan del
Valle-National Shrine.
The Chrism Mass is one
of the most solemn and
significant liturgies of the
Church.
During this liturgy, the
bishop
CHRISM
will bless
MASS
the oil of
The Mass will be
live streamed at
chrism,
the newly-redethe
oil
signed diocesan
of
the
Web site
sick and
www.cdob.org.
the oil of
catechum e n s
that will be used in the
parishes throughout the
coming year.
At this Mass, the ministry of the priests and deacons is also acknowledged.
They are invited to renew
their ordination promises
and to receive prayers of
support from the faithful.
All the faithful in the
diocese are invited to
be at the Mass, however
those who are unable to
attend may watch the celebration online.
13 Rev. Jose Mario Galindo
17 Rev. Joseph Ayissi Kmoumu
22 Rev. George Kerketta
28 Rev. Lee Dacosta
30 Rev. Jaime Torres
MAY
» Birthdays
2 Rev. Msgr. Luis Javier Garcia
7 Rev. Jose Villalon
9 Rev. Emilio Vega
14 Rev. Jorge A. Gomez
23 Rev. Roy Lee Snipes
24 Rev. Gregory Kuckmanski
25 Rev. Michael Amesse
27 Rev. Francisco J. Solis
» Anniversaries
2 Rev. Carlos Zuniga
5 Rev. Msgr. Gustavo Barrera
5 Rev. Francisco Castillo
10 Rev. Michael Amesse
10 Rev. Timothy Paulsen
11 Rev. Msgr. Louis Brum
12 Rev. Emmanuel Bialoncik
15 Rev. Honecimo Figueroa
16 Rev. Thomas Luczak
19 Rev. Jose E. Losoya
23 Rev. George Gonzalez
23 Rev. Alejandro Flores
23 Rev. Miguel Angel Ortega
24 Rev. Gregory Kuckmanski
25 Rev. Juan Pablo Davalos
25 Rev. Eduardo Gomez
25 Rev. Juan Rogelio Gutierrez
25 Rev. Alphonsus McHugh
25 Bishop Raymundo J. Peña
25 Rev. Juan Pablo Robles
26 Rev. Oliver Angel
26 Rev. Martin De La Cruz
26 Rev. Ruben Delgado
27 Rev. Mario A. Castro
27 Rev. Gerald Frank
27 Rev. Jose Luis Garcia
27 Rev. Gregory Labus
27 Rev. Eduardo Ortega
27 Rev. Oscar O. Siordia
27 Rev. Francisco J. Solis
27 Rev. Aglayde Rafael Vega
28 Rev. Alfonso Guevara
29 Rev. Jorge A. Gomez
29 Rev. Ignacio Tapia
29 Rev. Salvador Ramirez
30 Rev. Gerald McGovern
30 Rev. Amador Garza
30 Rev. Terrence Gorski
30 Rev. Ernesto Magallon
30 Rev. Mishael Koday
30 Rev. Larry Wiesler
10
IN THE NEWS
Pope: To be
holy is to
love God,
others
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY — Everyone
is called to holiness, which is
simply striving to imitate Christ,
particularly in loving God and
loving others, Pope Benedict XVI
said.
Ending a long series of general
audience talks about saints and
doctors of the church, the pope
spoke about the meaning of
holiness and how it is achieved.
Addressing
an
estimated
12,000 people in St. Peter’s
Square April 13, Pope Benedict
said there are three simple rules
for living a holy life:
► “Never let a Sunday go by
without an encounter with the
risen Christ in the Eucharist; this
is not an added burden, it is light
for the entire week.”
► “Never begin or end a day
without at least a brief contact
with God” in prayer.
► “And along the pathway of
our lives, follow the road signs
that God has given us in the Ten
Commandments, read in the light
of Christ; they are nothing other
than explanations of what is love
in specific situations.”
The pope said he knows most
people, aware of their limits and
weaknesses, think it wouldn’t be
possible to be a saint.
By CINDY WOODEN
ROME — Pope John Paul II is being
beatified not because of his impact on
history or on the Catholic Church, but
because of the way he lived the Christian
virtues of faith, hope and love, said
Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the
Congregation for Saints’ Causes.
“Clearly his cause was put on the
fast track, but the process was done
carefully and meticulously, following the
rules Pope John Paul himself issued in
1983,” the cardinal said April 1, during a
conference at the Pontifical University of
the Holy Cross in Rome.
The cardinal said the church wanted
to respond positively to many Catholics’
hopes to have Pope John Paul beatified
quickly, but it also wanted to be certain
that the pope, who died in 2005, is in
heaven.
Cardinal Amato said the sainthood
process is one of the areas of church
life where the consensus of church
members, technically the “sensus
fidelium” (“sense of the faithful”), really
counts.
“From the day of his death on April
2, 2005, the people of God began
proclaiming his holiness,” and hundreds,
if not thousands, visit his tomb each day,
the cardinal said. A further sign is the
number of biographies published about
him and the number of his writings that
are translated and re-published.
“In the course of a beatification
virtues of
faith,
hope
&love
John Paul II being
beatified for holiness,
not papacy
cause, there is the vox populi,” he said,
which must be “accompanied by the vox
dei (voice of God) — the miracles — and
the vox ecclesiae (voice of the church),”
which is the official judgment issued
after
interviewing
eyewitnesses
a
n
d
consulting
w i t h
Cardinal implores House
to support legislation
historians, physicians, theologians and
church leaders to verify the candidate’s
holiness.
Beatification and canonization are
not recognitions of someone’s superior
understanding of theology, nor of the
great works he or she accomplished,
he said. Declaring someone a saint,
the church attests to the fact that he or
she lived the Christian virtues in a truly
extraordinary way and is a model to be
imitated by others, the cardinal said.
The candidate, he said, must be
perceived “as an image of Christ.”
Cardinal Amato said, “the pressure
of the public and of the media did not
disturb the process, but helped it”
because it was a further sign of Pope
John Paul’s widespread reputation for
holiness, which is something the church
requires proof of before it moves to
beatify someone.
Bishops’ Website Honors
Legacy of Pope John Paul II
WASHINGTON —The United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
has launched a new website to honor the
legacy of the late Pope John Paul II. The
site (www.usccb.org/popejohnpaulii/)
features a 17-minute “John Paul II
Memorial Video,” which recaptures
touching moments and key messages
during the late pope’s visits to the
United States. Other contents on the site
include a biography and a timeline, as
well as major writings, backgrounders,
canonizations and beatifications, and
more.
Several essays by USCCB experts also
explore Pope John Paul’s influence and
legacy in areas as diverse as East-West
relations, his interaction with mass
media, ethical use of technology, or
the social mission of the Church. New
essays will be posted leading up to his
beatification.
WASHINGTON — Cardinal Daniel
N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston
urged members of the House April
6 to support legislation that would
guarantee the rights of Americans
to buy health insurance “that meets
their medical needs and respects
their deepest convictions.”
The cardinal, chairman of the U.S.
bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said the Respect for Rights
of Conscience Act of 2011, H.R.
1179, “will help ensure that the new
health reform act is not misused to
violate the religious freedom and
rights of conscience of those who
offer and purchase health insurance
coverage in our nation.”
Church-giving seen rebounding, ...
By NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN
WASHINGTON — Church giving
is beginning to rebound from
challenges posed by the recession,
according to a new survey involving
mostly Protestant churches.
In the third annual “State of
the Plate” survey, which included
responses from more than 1,500
congregations, 43 percent of the
responding churches said donations
were up in 2010, 39 percent said they
were down and 18 percent said they
remained the same as the year before.
“There is good news here but also
some continuing bad news,” said
Brian Kluth, founder of Maximum
Generosity who began the State of
the Plate surveys in 2009 to measure
the effects of the recession on
... but Catholic picture may be different
church giving. Christianity Today
International and the Evangelical
Council for Financial Responsibility
joined with Kluth’s group in soliciting
responses to the latest survey from
among their constituencies.
Because the three organizations
work primarily with Protestant
congregations, most of the
responses came from evangelical
(24 percent), Baptist (23 percent),
nondenominational (21 percent),
mainline Protestant (13 percent) or
charismatic/Pentecostal
churches
(12 percent). Only 2 percent of the
responding congregations described
themselves as Catholic or Orthodox.
But a Catholic expert in giving said
the survey results might or might not
reflect Catholic giving patterns.
“Despite the economy, people
support causes to which they feel the
most attachment and engagement,”
said James K. Kelley, president of the
International Catholic Stewardship
Council.
Noting that giving increased during
eight of the 10 years of the Great
Depression, Kelley said “offertory
collections should not be down at
this time” as long as churches are
welcoming and community-building
places that educate parishioners
properly about the need to return
their time, talent and treasure to God.
Kelley, who is director of
development for the Diocese of
Charlotte, N.C., said the stewardship
council urges Catholic parishes to
follow the eight recommendations of
Charles Zech, director of the Center
for the Study of Church Management
at Villanova University, in his 2006
book, “Why Catholics Don’t Give
And What Can Be Done About It,”
and subsequent publications.
Zech outlines “the eight things
the strongest parishes did,” Kelley
said, and found that if other parishes
adopt those practices they should not
be damaged by a tough economy.
A key “best practice” is financial
accountability and transparency, he
said, adding that “if you communicate
well and often, our experience is the
offertory does not go down.”
The State of the Plate survey found
that declines in church giving were
greatest in the Southeast states —
West Virginia south to Florida and as
far west as Louisiana. In the previous
two surveys, the Pacific states —
California, Oregon, Washington,
Alaska and Hawaii — were found to
be hardest hit in terms of declining
church collections.
Asked about a proposed plan by
the federal government to change
the deductibility of charitable
contributions, 91 percent of the
respondents expressed concern that
this would negatively impact giving.
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL
11
Peligros inminentes
Refugio mexicano
es parada segura
para migrantes en
viaje peligroso
Por DAVID AGREN
SALTILLO, México — Padre
Pedro Pantoja nunca anda con
rodeos al dirigirse a los huéspedes que se quedan el refugio
migratorio de él, especialmente al
advertirles de los peligros inminentes en las restantes 200 millas de su viaje desde esta ciudad
mexicana norteña hasta la frontera estadounidense en Laredo,
Texas.
“Ustedes están a punto de entrar en el territorio de la muerte”,
él dijo a unos 100 huéspedes
mayormente centroamericanos
durante una reunión nocturna
en Belén, Posada del Migrante a
fines de marzo.
“Por favor, no tomen livianamente la información que estamos a punto de darles”, él dijo.
Aunque refugios tales como
Belén
continúan
alojando,
vistiendo y alimentando migrantes cansados que transitan
por México en sus viajes hacia
Estados Unidos y ofrecen claves
acerca de qué esperar al cruzar la
Foto CNS/David Agren
Padre Pedro Pantoja aparece el 28 de marzo parado fuera del refugio que él opera en Saltillo, México. Padre Pantoja dijo que ha
recibido amenazas de la pandilla criminal Los Zetas y que su personal ha sido seguido.
frontera, estos ahora ofrecen una
variedad de otros servicios.
El personal del refugio provee
consejo de cómo mantenerse seguro y evitar ser secuestrado, así
como apoyo espiritual, psicológico y legal al creciente número de
migrantes que llega con historias
de horror de robo, violaciones
sexuales y secuestros por pandillas criminales. Entre los proscritos más notorios están Los Zetas,
ex soldados elites convertidos en
matones involucrados en la masacre de 72 centro y sudamericanos en un rancho del norte de
México en agosto.
El nuevo rol ha puesto en riesgo los refugios y los miembros del
personal, especialmente porque
el secuestro de migrantes se ha
convertido en un gran negocio
para Los Zetas, de quienes analistas de seguridad dicen que han
SÍN
DOLOR
venerada por toda
la Iglesia Católica.
Aun después de
las beatificaciones
del papa Juan XXIII
y madre Teresa de
Calcuta el Vaticano
insistió en mantener la regla restrictiva aunque obispos
de todo el mundo
solicitaron permiso
para celebrar Misas
del día de fiesta en
sus diócesis.
El cardenal Vallini dijo que el
Vaticano reconoce
que el papa Juan
Pablo es una “figura universal” y,
por lo tanto, es probable que Misas públicas sean aprobadas para
más diócesis que solamente Roma
y Cracovia, donde él sirvió como
arzobispo.
Padre Lombardi dijo a reporteros que la gruta bajo la Basílica
de San Pedro estaría cerrada al público los días 29 y 30 de abril mientras los trabajadores del Vaticano
se preparan para mover el ataúd
del papa Juan Pablo desde su lugar
de sepultura en la gruta hasta la
capilla de San Sebastián, en el piso
principal de la basílica.
El cuerpo del beato Inocencio
XI, quien fue sepultado originalmente en la capilla, será transferido el 8 de abril al Altar de la
Transfiguración, más cerca del altar principal, dijo padre Lombardi.
La oficina de comunicaciones
diocesanas, trabajando con el
Pontificio Consejo Para las Comunicaciones Sociales y ayudada
por adultos jóvenes voluntarios,
también anunció la adición de una
página de la beatificación a la rediseñada sede de Internet para los
jóvenes, www.pope2you.net.
Monja francesa curada de
Parkinson hablará durante de
oración para Juan Pablo II
Por CINDY WOODEN
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO
— La monja francesa cuya curación fue aceptada como el milagro necesario para la beatificación
del papa Juan Pablo II compartirá
su historia con los peregrinos en
una vigilia de oración en Roma la
noche antes de la Misa de beatificación.
El cardenal Agostino Vallini, vicario papal para Roma, dijo que la
vigilia del 30 de abril incluiría “el
preciado testimonio” de Joaquín
Navarro-Valls, ex portavoz papal;
del Cardenal Stanislaw Dziwisz de
Cracovia, Polonia, quien fue el secretario personal del papa durante
casi 40 años; y de la hermana Marie-Simon-Pierre, la miembro de
las Hermanitas de la Maternidad
Católica que había sido diagnosticada con la enfermedad de Parkinson y se curó en el 2005 mediante
la intercesión del papa Juan Pablo.
El cardenal Vallini, otros funcionarios de la Diócesis de Roma y el
padre jesuita Federico Lombardi,
portavoz del Vaticano, realizaron
una conferencia de prensa el 5 de
abril para discutir los detalles de la
beatificación del papa Juan Pablo
el 1 de mayo y otros eventos en
torno a la ceremonia.
Después de la vigilia de oración
en el Circus Maximus de Roma,
ocho iglesias localizadas entre el
lugar de la vigilia y el Vaticano se
mantendrán abiertas toda la noche
para que los peregrinos oren, dijo
el cardenal.
El cardenal también anunció
que las oraciones para la Misa y el
oficio de las lecturas para el día de
fiesta del Papa Juan Pablo deben
ser aprobadas antes de la beatificación, aunque dijo que la gente
tendrá que esperar hasta la Misa
de beatificación para enterarse
cuál será la fecha del día de fiesta
del papa Juan Pablo cada año.
El Vaticano, él dijo, será “muy
flexible” en conceder permiso de
usar los textos del beato Juan Pablo
en todo el mundo.
Generalmente, cuando alguien
es beatificado, sólo los católicos
de su diócesis u orden religiosa
pueden celebrar públicamente la
Misa del beato el día de su fiesta.
Con la canonización, la persona,
reconocida como santa, puede ser
asumido el control de las redes del
contrabando humano mientras
corrompen departamentos de
policía, agentes de inmigración y
gobiernos municipales a lo largo
de las rutas más viajadas por los
migrantes.
Padre Pantoja dijo que ha recibido amenazas de muerte y que
miembros del personal han sido
seguidos. Computadoras del refugio fueron robadas en diciembre.
Miembros de la pandilla Mara
Salvatrucha, de quienes padre
Pantoja dijo que trabajan con Los
Zetas, han intentado entrar al
refugio Belén.
“Cuando han amenazado a los
representantes de refugios de migrantes ... han dicho: ‘No toquen
nuestra mercancía’, que son los
migrantes”, él explicó.
La Comisión Nacional de
Derechos Humanos de México
informó que durante un periodo
de seis meses se secuestraron
11,333 migrantes indocumentados.
El informe encontró que los migrantes están siendo secuestrados
en grupos grandes y detenidos
hasta que sus parientes en Estados Unidos paguen rescate enviando los fondos por cablegrama
mediante los mismos servicios
de transferencia de dinero usados
por los trabajadores emigrantes
para enviar remesas a casa. Éste
culpó la participación de funcionarios policiales, y públicos también, e informó que la tortura es
usada para extraer la información
de comunicación con los parientes de los migrantes.
Padre Pantoja llamó el secuestro “el negocio perfecto”
porque la mayoría de los migrantes le teme a las autoridades tanto
como a las pandillas y raramente
denuncian los crímenes cometidos contra ellos.
DivinaMisericordia
Parroquia prepara conferencia y
fiesta de la Divina Misericordia
The Valley Catholic
BROWNSVILLE — El padre Rodolfo Franco, pastor en la parroquia del Señor de la Divina Misericordia en Brownsville, dijo que
el tema, “Prueba y veras que bueno es el Señor,” fue una elección
natural para la segunda conferencia y fiesta anual de la Divina Misericordia.
“Nosotros creemos que hay tantas cosas maravillosas ocurriendo
en nuestras comunidades, pero a veces no hablamos de ellas,” dijo el
padre Franco. “No hablamos acerca de las bendiciones de Dios, no
hablamos sobre los regalos de Dios. No hablamos acerca de cómo
Dios ha sido tan bueno al bendecirnos con vida, familia, trabajo y
tantas otras cosas.”
La conferencia y fiesta de la Divina Misericordia se llevará a cabo
el domingo primero de mayo, de 9 a.m. a 7
p.m. en el auditorio Jacob Brown en BrownsDivina
ville. El padre Franco extiende una invitación
Misericordia
a los creyentes del Valle del Río Grande para
conferencia
& celebración que asistan a este evento único.
“Queremos que todas las personas experiCUANDO: Domenten la misericordia de Dios,” dijo. “Al senmingo, 1 Mayo
tir la misericordia y amor de Dios es mucho
HORARIO:
9 a.m - 7 p.m.
más fácil rechazar el pecado y todo lo que no
LOCATION: En
es bueno para nosotros.”
El Jacob Brown
El papa Juan Pablo II designó el domingo
Auditorium,
después de la Pascua como Domingo de la
Brownsville
Divina Misericordia durante la misa de canonización de la hermana Faustina Kowalska
en abril del año 2000. La beatificación del papa Juan Pablo II está
programada para el Domingo de la Divina Misericordia de este año.
En 1931, Santa Faustina tuvo una visión de Cristo resucitado,
vestido con ropas blancas y con dos largos rayos de luz emanando
de su corazón− un rayo de luz pálido y otro rojo. Jesús le dio instrucciones de que pintara la imagen que ella vio con la firma: Jesús,
en ti confío; de acuerdo con extractos del diario de 600 páginas que
la monja polaca mantuvo entre 1931 y 1938 para grabar las revelaciones que recibió de sobre la infinita misericordia del Señor.
Jesús también enseño a Santa Faustina a rezar la Guirnalda por
los pecadores y por el mundo. El Señor le pidió que rezara por las
almas, encomendándolas a la incomprensible misericordia de Dios;
que le dijera al mundo de la misericordia de Dios y que empezara
» Por favor lea Fiesta, p.14
12
Por ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
natural en la vida de la mujer, y que
cada mujer y su familia debe recibir cuidado personalizado y mano a
mano de una forma compasiva, respetuosa y enfocado en la familia. El
centro cuenta con parteras certificadas, enfermeras registradas y con
personal dedicado y con experiencia.
Desde el momento en el que una
El centro también proporciona
una gran variedad de programas
educacionales, así como clases para
WESLACO — Molly MacMorrispadres e información sobre la lacAdix nació en el Centro de Partos la
tancia. Después de que nace el bebé,
Sagrada Familia hace 23 años. Como
los miembros del personal también
muchas personas que nacen ahí, ella
hacen visitas a domicilio según sean
siente una fuerte conexión con el
necesarias. El centro también ofrece
edificio.
exámenes para el bienestar de la muEl centro de partos
jer y el bienestar del
es un lugar tranquilo
niño.
que consiste de varias
El Centro de Partos
salas soleadas amarilla Sagrada Familia es
las esparcidas en un estambién la única instapacio de cuatro acres.
lación en el Valle que
Tres salas sirven como
proporciona partos en
áreas de nacimiento
el agua, un método de
para que las madres
dar a luz que se está
traigan a sus bebés al
haciendo cada vez más
mundo. Mientras que
popular. Quienes lo
los alrededores son
proponen creen que
hermosos, es la misión
el parto en el agua le
del centro de partos y
aminora el dolor a la
las personas que se enmujer y le da más oxigcargan de llevar a cabo
eno al bebé, además de
esa misión lo que realotros beneficios.
mente hace especial la
Crystal Stewart, enexperiencia dar a luz,
fermera registrada que
dijo Adix.
trabaja en el centro de
Adix fue criada prinpartos, dio a luz a su
cipalmente en Oregon
hijo menor, Christian,
— sus padres dejaron
en el Centro de Partos
el Valle del Río Grande
la Sagrada Familia. De
cuando era una niña
sus cuatro hijos, dos
— pero ha regresado al
nacieron en hospitales.
centro de partos para
Stewart dijo que
servir como coordinael centro de partos
dora.
era más cálido y más
“Una de las coacogedor, comparado
sas que hace único a
con sus experiencias
nuestro centro de parcon partos en hostos es que tenemos fe
pitales. Cada sala de
basados en la iglesia
partos en el centro
Católica,” ella comenincluye una cama exta. “Todos los cuidatra, una cocineta y una
dos que proveemos se
sala para el uso de los
prestan en una atmósmiembros de la familia
fera centrada en Dios.
o amigos.
Apoyamos y queremos
“Mi esposo y mis
a todos nuestros paciotros tres hijos estuentes como individuos.
vieron conmigo,” dijo.
Les proveemos con
“Ellos fueron parte
una oportunidad para
de la experiencia del
tener una experiencia
parto y estaban ansiode parto que sea bensos por conocer a su
decida, como lo son
nuevo hermano bebé.”
todos los nacimientos.
Stewart señaló que
El centro de partos
el centro de partos está
fue fundado en 1983
afiliado con varios
por cuatro hermanas
hospitales y transferreligiosas, hermana
irán a las madres y/o
Ángela Murdaugh y
al bebé en caso de que
la hermana Damien
se presenten compliFrancois de las hercaciones. Las madres
manas Franciscanas
con un embarazo de
de María, la hermana
alto riesgo serán genMary Thompson de
eralmente
dirigidas
las hermanas Dominia que den a luz en un
cas de Racine, Wis.,
hospital.
y la hermana Anne
Cientos de personas
Wojtowicz
de
las
que
han nacido en el
Courtesy Photo
hermanas de la Cari- El Centro de Partos la Sagrada Familia en Weslaco es la única instalación en
Centro de Partos la Sadad, como respuesta el Valle que proporciona partos en el agua. La ciudad de Weslaco emitió una
grada Familia se juna la abrumadora falta proclamación declarando el 9 de abril como el día del Centro de Partos la
taron para su reunión
de cuidado prenatal Sagrada Familia. En la foto, Molly MacMorris-Adix, izq., Crystal Stewart de el
anual y fiesta de cumen el Valle del Río centro de partos y Miguel Wise, alcalde de Weslaco.
pleaños el 9 de abril.
Grande. Las hermanas
La ciudad de Weslale querían brindar un
co emitió una proclugar seguro y amable a las madres madre se entera de que está embaraz- lamación declarando el 9 de abril
y sus familias para que le dieran la ada, hasta sus visitas postparto, ella como el día del Centro de Partos la
bienvenida a sus bebés.
es vista por los mismos profesionales Sagrada Familia.
Cada hermana aportó fuertes an- médicos y miembros del personal.
Aquellos que asistieron a la fiesta
tecedentes médicos al centro, incluyCuando llegue para dar a luz a su de cumpleaños anual son los verendo muchos años de experiencia bebé, ella será recibida y atendida daderos testimonios del centro de
trabajando con mujeres embarazadas por caras familiares y nunca se le partos, dijo Adix.
y nuevas madres con sus bebés. A la dejará sola mientras esta en labor de
“También estamos empezando a
fecha, más de 6,000 bebés han nacido parto. Alguno o todos los miembros ver la segunda generación de bebés
en el centro.
de la familia, incluyendo niños, son de la Sagrada Familia,” comentó.
El Centro de Partos la Sagrada Fa- invitados a presenciar la labor de “Muchos de nosotros que nacimos
milia sigue el modelo de parteras, el parto y el nacimiento, dependiendo aquí sentimos la necesidad de recual cree que el parto es una parte en los deseos de la madre.
gresar a decir hola y gracias.
d a n d o
LUZ
e n u n a
ATMÓSFERA
centrada en
DIOS
Centro de partos sigue
modelo de parteras
The Valley Catholic
Perla Salazar reza en la capilla del Santísimo
Sacramento en la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de
San Juan del Valle. Salazar, junto con otros 535
catecúmenos del Valle, van a ser bienvenidos a la
iglesia Católica durante la vigilia de Pascua por medio
del Bautismo, Confirmación y la Eucaristía.
“Esta es
mi casa”
El trayecto hacia la fe
para una nueva CatÓlica
Por ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
McALLEN — Perla Salazar fue criada en
un hogar que no estaba apegado a ninguna
religión. Sus padres decidieron dejar que ella y
sus hermanos escogieran sus propios caminos
espirituales de adultos.
De adulto, Salazar exploró distintas
religiones. Visitó muchas religiones de distintas
denominaciones pero como ella lo pone,
“ninguna se sentía como la correcta”
Después de descubrir la fe Católica, Salazar
encontró lo que estaba buscando.
“Esta es mi casa,” dijo. “Mis ojos han sido
abiertos y es increíble saber que Él está ahí sin
importar nada.”
Salazar, junto con otros 535 catecúmenos de
alrededor de la Diócesis de Brownsville, van a
ser bienvenidos a la iglesia Católica durante la
vigilia de Pascua mediante los tres Sacramentos
de Iniciación− Bautizo, Confirmación y Sagrada
Comunión. Cientos de hombres y mujeres,
llamados candidatos, serán traídos en plena
comunión con la iglesia Católica.
Salazar, edad 28, había estado buscando una
hogar espiritual por casi toda su vida, pero su
necesidad de Dios cayó en un punto crítico
cuando sufrió múltiples tropiezos en su vida
personal.
“Después de muchos sube y bajas, me encontré
sola,” dijo ella.
El trayecto de Salazar hacia la fe Católica
empezó hace cerca de dos años cuando entró a
la oficina de la iglesia del Sagrado Corazón en
McAllen.
“Visitar una iglesia Católica había estado en mi
mente por mucho tiempo,” comentó ella, “Un día
estaba en el centro y decidí entrar a ver.”
Salazar preguntó acerca de los horarios de Misa
y empezó una conversación sobre la fe Católica
con la secretaria de la iglesia, quien según Salazar,
contestó todas sus preguntas con paciencia. La
secretaria la puso en contacto con Sandra Kent,
la directora de educación religiosa.
“Ella no sabía que esperar, pero estaba
dispuesta y abierta a cualquier cosa,” dijo Kent
quien inscribió a Salazar en el Rito Cristiano de
Iniciación de Adultos (RCIA).
Salazar empezó a acudir a las clases de RCIA y
a ir a Misa con regularidad. Casi inmediatamente
también entró al coro de la iglesia y se volvió
activa en la parroquia.
Salazar dice que también formó un lazo muy
especial con nuestra Santa Madre.
“Sentí una cercanía inmediata hacia María,”
dijo ella. “María atravesó por tantas cosas en
su vida, tanto gozo y tanto dolor, pero siempre
estuvo ahí para su Hijo a lo largo de Su vida…
Se siente mal el saber que otras denominaciones
» Por favor lea Mi Casa, p.13
Holy Week,
continued from pg. 3
Holy Communion
7 p.m. The Lord’s Passion
Holy Communion
8 p.m. Easter Vigil Celebration
Easter Sunday – April 24
Regular Sunday Mass Schedule:
8:30 a.m.; Noon - English
10 a.m. – Spanish
Our Lady of Sorrows, McAllen
7 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper; Washing of
the Feet, and Procession – Church (English)
8 p.m. – Midnight Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament – Chapel
Parish offices closed Fast (reduced food) and
abstinence (no meat)
3 p.m. Stations of the Cross (live presentation)
– Church (English)
6 p.m. Divine Mercy Novena and Chaplet
(English – in the church)
7 p.m. Good Friday services (Readings,
Passion, Adoration of the Cross, Holy
Communion) – Church (bilingual)
Parish offices closed
8 p.m. Services (New Fire, Readings, Baptism)
and Mass of the Resurrection – Church
(bilingual)
9 p.m. Easter Vigil
7:30 a.m.; 9 a.m.; 10:45 a.m. English Mass
12:30 p.m. Spanish Mass
Monday April 25 – April 29
Saturday - April 30 6:30 p.m. Divine Mercy
Novena and Chaplet (English – in the church)
May 1 - Divine Mercy
2 p.m. Holy Hour
3 p.m. Chaplet
3:30 p.m. Benediction
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, McAllen
April 16
11 a.m.; 5:30 p.m. English Mass
7:30 a.m. English Mass;
9 a.m. English Procession
1 p.m. Spanish Mass;
3 p.m. Spanish Procession
Procession into the Church after the blessing
of the palms beginning on the west side of the
Church (outside the Sacristy) about 15 minutes
before the Mass.
Holy Week:
Monday - April 18
7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Mass
Tuesday -April 19
Wednesday - April 20
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Ministries, Organizations & Groups Schedule
7 p.m. Mass – Bilingual
8 to 9 p.m. - Altar Servers, Altar Society,Ladies
Club, Students, RCIC
9 to 10 p.m. - Ladies Club, C.C.D. Teachers,
Choirs, Staff, Matachines, Youth
10 to 11 p.m. - Youth, Eucharistic
Ministers,Lectors, RCIA, Ushers and Sacristans
11 – 12 p.m. - ACTS, Pre and Post Confirmation,
Parish Council, RCIA, Finance Council
2 p.m. Stations of the Cross in the Chruch
3 p.m. The Lord’s Passion Service in the
Church and Seven Last words- with veneration
of the Holy Cross - Bilingual
4:30 p.m. -The Passion presentation by the
Confirmation students in the Parish Hall
7:30 p.m. - ACTS live Stations of the Cross
beginning in the Parish hall.
Easter Vigil/ - April 23
7 p.m. Mass -Bilingual
Note: This will be a two-hour celebration
7:30 a.m.; 1:00 p.m. Spanish Mass
9 a.m. English Mass; 3 p.m. Spanish Mass
11a.m.; 5:30 pm English Mass
Holy Family, Edinburg
6:30 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper followed
by the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament midnight
10 a.m. Neighborhood Via Crucis
3 p.m. Veneration of the Cross
Mi Casa,
Continúa de la pág. 12
no la reconocen como nosotros lo
hacemos. Realmente me rompe el
corazón.”
Los padres de Salazar apoyan la
decisión de volverse católica.
“Ellos siempre han dicho, ‘ve a
donde sea que te sientas mejor,’” dijo
ella.
Su fe recién descubierta, sin
embargo, ha presentado desafíos en su
7:30 p.m. Passion
9 p.m. Easter Vigil
9 a.m. Spanish Mass
11 a.m. English Mass
1 p.m. English Mass- Youth
St. Paul, Mission
7 p.m. Mass
8 p.m. – midnight Adoration
2 p.m. Live Stations
6 p.m. Good Friday Service
9 p.m. Easter Vigil
8 a.m. English Mass
9:45 a.m. Spanish Mass
11:30 a.m. English Mass
San Martin de Porres, Alton
5:30 p.m. Comida con toda la Comunidad
Parroquial en el salón de actos múltiples.
9:00a.m. Procesión de Junior’s, con la Familia
de los K of C.
10 a.m. Santo Vía crucis representado por
cuadros plásticos.
2 p.m. Reflexión sobre las siete Palabras.
5 p.m. Liturgia de la Palabra de Dios,
Veneración de la Santa Cruz y recepción de la
Sagrada Comunión.
6 p.m. Procesión del Silencio (se invita que
hombres y mujeres vengan vestidos de negro).
7 p.m. Pésame a la Virgen de los Dolores
(Día de silencio, Reflexión y espera)
7 p.m. Solemne Vigilia Pascual:
1. Rito de la Luz, bendición del fuego,
procesión del Cirio, pregón Pascual.
2. Liturgia de la palabra, canto de gloria, rito
del agua (y los que recibieron la formación en
RCIA,recibirán los tres sacramentos), Liturgia
Eucarística.
DOMINGO DE RESURRECION
7 a.m.; 9 a.m.; 11 a.m.; 1 p.m. Misa
Immaculate Conception, Rio Grande City
7 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper; Adoration of
the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight
1 p.m. Live Way of the Cross
7 p.m. Adoration of the Cross/Communion
Service
9 p.m. Easter Vigil
7 a.m. Mass-Immaculate Conception
9 a.m. Mass Sacred Heart
11a.m. Mass Immaculate Conception
1p.m.
Mass Immaculate Conception
13
Juan Pablo II
By CINDY WOODEN
ROMA — El papa Juan Pablo
II está en proceso de beatificación no por su destino cumplido en la historia de la Iglesia
Católica, sino por la forma
cristiana como vivió las virtudes de fe, esperanza y amor,
dijo el cardenal Angelo Amato,
prefecto de la Congregación de
Causas de Santificación.
“Claramente su causa fue
puesta a paso acelerado,
pero el proceso fue hecho
cuidadosa y meticulosamente,
siguiendo las reglas que el
mismo papa Juan Pablo había
establecido en el año 1983”,
dijo el cardenal el 1º de abril,
durante una conferencia en la
Universidad Pontificia de la
Santa Cruz, en Roma.
El cardenal dijo que la iglesia
quería responder positivamente a la esperanza de
muchos católicos para hacer
que el papa Juan Pablo sea
beatificado rápidamente; pero
que también quería cerciorarse
de que el papa Juan Pablo,
quien murió en 2005, esté en
el cielo.
En proceso de beatificación por santidad y
no por su papado, dicen oradores
El cardenal Amato dijo que
el proceso de santidad es un
aspecto de la vida de la iglesia
en donde el consenso de los
miembros de la iglesia, técnicamente, el “sensus fidelium”
(“consenso de los fieles”), de
veras cuenta.
“Desde el día de su muerte,
el 2 de abril de 2005, el pueblo
de Dios empezó a proclamar su
santidad”, y cientos, si no miles
de personas, visitan su tumba
a diario, dijo el cardenal. Una
señal más es el número de
biografías publicadas acerca de
él y el número de sus escritos
que se han traducido o vuelto a
publicar.
“En el curso de una causa
de beatificación, existe la ‘vox
populi’ (voz del pueblo)”, dijo,
que debe ser “acompañada por
la ‘vox dei’ (voz de Dios), los
milagros, y la ‘vox ecclesiae’
(voz de la iglesia)”, que da el
juicio último, después de haber
entrevistado a testigos oculares
y consultado a historiadores,
médicos, teólogos y dirigentes
de la iglesia para verificar la
santidad.
La beatificación y la canonización no son reconocimientos de ser superior que
entiende de teología, ni de los
grandes trabajos que se hayan
hecho, dijo. Al declarar a alguien santo, la iglesia atestigua
el hecho de que tal persona
vivió las virtudes cristianas en
forma verdaderamente extraordinaria y que es un modelo a
imitar, dijo el cardenal.
St Joseph the Worker, San Carlos
April 19
7 p.m. - Mass
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
8:30 p.m. – Midnight, Visitation of the Blessed
Sacrament
3 p.m. - Way of the Cross
Celebration of the Passion of the Lord
6 p.m. - Service of the Passion of the Lord
8 p.m. - Pésame a la Virgen
8 p.m. - Easter Vigil
Night watch of the Lord’s Resurrection
8:00 a.m. Spanish
Resurrection of the Lord
9:45 a.m. Spanish - St. Theresa
11 a.m. English St. Anne
1 p.m. English
Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle –
National Shrine, San Juan
11:30 a.m. confessions
7 p.m. washing of the feet, Blessed Sacrament
till midnight. Distribution of bread after Mass
5:30 p.m. confessions
11:30 a.m. confessions
Noon – Stations of the Cross, Liturgy of the
word and Veneration of the Cross
5 p.m. Pésame a La Virgen
5:30 p.m. confessions
9:30 a.m. Pésame a La Virgen
9 p.m. Holy Saturday Mass
6 a.m.; 1 p.m.; 5:30 p.m. Spanish Mass
7:30 a.m.; 11 a.m. Bilingual Mass
9 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. English Mass
For parishes not listed, please call the parish
directly for the schedule.
matrimonio. El esposo de Salazar y su
familia política son Testigos de Jehová.
“Hemos aceptado no estar de
acuerdo, pero ha sido difícil,”
comentó.
Kent dice que ella ve la conversión
de Salazar como una respuesta al
llamado de Dios.
“Ella ha sido llamada y ha tratado
tan desesperadamente de contestar
el llamado, con todo y los desafíos.
dijo Kent. “Ella ha sido obediente
y fiel. Ella sabe que esto proviene
de algo más grande. Ella es un
testimonio de fe.”
Arturo Mauri, CNS File Photo
Courage,
example, from what theologians call
“remote cooperation” in another’s
evil, as, for example, is done by the
postal carrier who delivers letters to
an abortion facility; although what
occurs there might sicken the carrier’s
stomach, delivering the mail would
not constitute an essential ingredient
to the wrongful destruction of human
life that occurs there.
On the other hand, driving
someone to an abortion clinic so she
can undergo an abortion, assisting as
a nurse in the operating room during
a tubal ligation, or thawing out human
embryos from the deep freeze so that
a researcher might vivisect them for
their stem cells — even if we opposed
the practices — all would constitute
unacceptable forms of immediate
material cooperation with evil.
Real world decisions about
cooperation can be daunting
and complex. Pharmacists, for
example, cannot in good conscience
provide the morning-after pill
for use by a woman who has had
consensual sex and wishes to avoid
a pregnancy. The morning-after pill
has a contraceptive effect, and may
sometimes also work by altering the
uterine environment and preventing
implantation of an embryo (causing
a pregnancy loss/abortion). Even if
the pharmacist personally opposed
both contraception and abortion, by
providing the pill and knowing the
purposes to which it would be put, he
would cooperate in wrongdoing in an
immediate and material way.
In fact, a pharmacist in these
circumstances would not even be able
to refer the woman to a co-worker,
because if he were to do so, he would
still be cooperating in an essential
way in the causal chain leading to the
prevention or ending of a pregnancy.
He would rather have to decline to
assist her, forcing the woman herself to
initiate a new sequence of choices and
actions that would not involve him —
approaching a different pharmacist, for
example, who might then provide the
drug. For a pharmacist to choose the
morally correct course of action in this
situation not only requires fortitude,
but also could cause significant tension
with his supervisor, the pharmacy
owner and with others who work
there, particularly if such a scenario
had not been discussed ahead of time.
Modern health care is replete
with situations that tempt us to
cooperate immorally in evil. Clearly,
certain activities like abortion are
not authentic medicine at all, but
rather, acts of immorality veiled
behind the professionalism of white
coats and institutional protocols.
Great care, discretion, and courage
are required as we seek to avoid
cooperation in medical situations
where immoral practices may not
only be tolerated, but even at times
almost imposed on us.
Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned
his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale
and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He
is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, MA,
and serves as the Director of Education at
The National Catholic Bioethics Center in
Philadelphia. See www.ncbcenter.org
14
DIOCESE
Fiesta,
Continúa de la pág. 11
un movimiento en la Iglesia enfocado en la misericordia de Dios.
La conferencia y fiesta de la
Divina Misericordia contará con
ponentes que hablarán sobre la
misericordia, amor y bondad de
Dios y la oración de la Liturgia
de las Horas. La Hora Santa y
la oración de la Guirnalda de la
Divina Misericordia dirigida por
el Obispo Daniel E. Flores se llevara a cabo a las 3 p.m. El obispo
Eméritus Raymundo J. Peña celebrará misa a las 6 p.m.
Los tres coros de la parroquia
We Respond,
seminarians in America but an
estimated 18,000 women and
men preparing to be lay ecclesial
ministers, so by 2020 or so the
corps of professional lay ministers
will exceed the number of priests.
The growth in lay ecclesial
ministry is the “tip of the spear,”
symbolizing a broader expansion
of lay roles that includes the
growth of new movements,
the expansion of lay volunteer
and missionary programs, the
emergence of parish and diocesan
councils and review boards…
the Catholic population of the
future in the United States, like the
country as a whole, will be older.
The most rapidly growing
demographic sub-segment of the
American population is actually
not immigrants, legal or undocumented, but the elderly. In 2005,
there were 34.7 million Americans
who were 65 and above; by 2050,
the U.S. Census Bureau projects
that number will 75.9 million,
Advocacy Day,
► Oppose attempts to reduce access to healthcare for immigrants.
► Oppose federal and state funding for a fence along the Texas-Mexico border.
► Oppose local and state entities
enforcing federal immigration laws.
► Oppose efforts that make acquiring Texas drivers’ licenses and
identification documents more difficult for immigrants.
3. EDUCATION: We recognize parents as the primary educators of
their children through supporting
parental choice in education.
► Support expansion of the school
breakfast program to include state
subsidies for the universal free
breakfast program offered by the
USDA.
► Support a School Choice experimental program to ensure equal
educational choices for poor families.
► Support tax credits or tax deductions for educational expenses.
► Support increased access to
public and private pre-kindergarten
programs.
► Support efforts to reduce high
school dropouts.
► Support abstinence-only education in Texas schools.
► Support access to quality, affordable before and after school care
for public and private schools.
4. HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: We
show God’s special concern for the
poor and vulnerable by supporting
programs that make health care
more affordable and accessible,
del Señor de la Divina Misericordia también cantarán a lo largo
del día y los feligreses pondrán
en escena una obra representando las visiones de Santa Faustina.
Se otorga una indulgencia plenaria el Domingo de la Divina
Misericordia bajo las condiciones
usuales de toda indulgencia plenaria (una confesión sacramental
dentro de un lapso de 20 días, comunión Eucarística y oración por
las intenciones del Papa.)
Para más información sobre el
evento, contacte la parroquia del
Señor de la Divina Misericordia
al (956) 544-2112 o visite la página de internet de la parroquia
www.lordofdivinemercy.com.
meaning the 65+ population will
more than double within a halfcentury.
Catholics in the United States
are actually slighter younger than
the general population, because
of the lower average age among
Hispanics and their higher-thanaverage birth rates, but nonetheless
the Catholic population is also
graying. By 2030, the Catholic
church in America will have an additional 6.8 million members over
the age of 65.” (National Catholic
Reporter, April 30, 2010).
As we can see from these demographics there is a great need for
a greater participation of our laity
in the life and the mission of the
Church; it will be up to us to respond to the challenge of a deeper
commitment to “lay ecclesial ministry” as we recognize the many
gifted and generous co-workers in
the vineyard of the Lord to which
all the baptized are called.
—
Deacon Luis Zuniga, serves as
Director of the Office for Pastoral
Planning and the San Juan Diego
Ministry Institute for Lay Leadership Formation.
environmental protections and support for morally appropriate health
research.
► Support improvements of the eligibility system, including adequate
staffing levels, streamlined processes and documentation requirements, and outreach and application assistance, to ensure prompt
access to food and health care assistance during this recession.
► Enroll every eligible child in CHIP
& Medicaid with 12 months continuous eligibility.
► Support efforts to increase
awareness of the risks of premature birth and ensure access to
medical care for mothers and babies via the CHIP Perinatal program.
► Support adequate reimbursement for CHIP & Medicaid providers.
► Increase access to mental
health care, including services for
the homeless.
► Support efforts to reform the
current Advance Directives statute
to expand the family notification
period while maintaining the ethical
standards of care and protecting
providers’ consciences.
► Recognize nutrition and hydration as ordinary medical care.
► Support initiatives in public
health related to obesity, cancer
prevention, and healthy lifestyles.
► Support a pharmacist conscience clause bill that allows pharmacists to opt out of selling morning after pills to minors.
► Support funding for adult stem
cell research and for the expansion
of the Texas Cord Blood Bank.
► Support protection and improvement of air, land, and water quality,
especially as it impacts poor com-
Young Adult Movie Night set for May 6
The Diocese of Brownsville will
host a “Young Adult Movie Night”,
an event for Catholic singles, young
couples and friends to attend a
premiere of the epic film, THERE
BE DRAGONS on Friday, May 6.
The showing will take place at 7
p.m. at the Cinemark Tinseltown
Theatre in Mission. An after-party
to mingle and share reflections
with those who attended the
premiere will follow at Roosevelt’s
at 7, in McAllen. Tickets purchased
through the diocese will benefit
young adults travelling to World
Youth Day in Madrid, Spain this
summer. For more information
or tickets, contact Miguel Santos:
[email protected].
Birthing,
the midwives model of care, which
believes that birth is a normal
part of woman’s life and that each
woman and her family should receive personalized, hands-on care
that is compassionate, respectful
and family centered. The center is
staffed with certified nurse midwives, registered nurses and other
dedicated and experienced staff
members.
From the time a mother first
learns that she is pregnant through
her postpartum visits, she is seen
by the same medical professionals
and staff members.
When she arrives to deliver her
baby, she is greeted and treated
by familiar faces and is never left
alone while she is in labor. Any
and all family members, including
children, are invited to be present during labor and delivery, depending on the mother’s wishes.
The center also provides a wide
variety of educational programs,
munities and the unborn.
► Support efforts to increase access to affordable housing.
► Support efforts to end human
trafficking and provide care for victims.
► Support services that provide
care and dignity for aging Texans.
► Support services that provide
care and dignity for Texans with disabilities.
5. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM: We
support fiscal and moral reform in
our state’s criminal justice system
with an emphasis on ending the
death penalty and supporting successful rehabilitation and reintegration of those re-entering society.
► Support an abolition or a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in Texas.
► Support a ban on executions of
people who were mentally retarded
at the time of the offense.
► Increase funding and support for
the chaplain corps within the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice
(TDCJ), including ensuring access
to inmates by all chaplains.
► Support increased funding for
the corrections, community supervision and parole divisions of
the TDCJ, including funding for the
training and salaries of officers in
those areas.
► Support efforts to improve access to medical care for the incarcerated in Texas.
► Support efforts to assist in the
transition of ex-offenders into society, including the opt-out ban on
drug felons receiving food stamps
and student loans.
► Support efforts to reform the juvenile justice system in Texas.
such as parenting classes and information on breast freeding.
After the baby is born, the staff
members also make home visits
to patients as needed. The center
also provides well-woman and
well-child exams.
Holy Family Birth Center is also
the only facility in the Valley that
provides water birth, a method of
delivery that is becoming increasingly popular. Proponents believe
that water birth provides less pain
for the mother and more oxygen
for the baby, among other benefits.
Crystal Stewart, a registered
nurse who works at the birth center, gave birth to her youngest son,
Christian at Holy Family Birth
Center. Of her four children, two
were born in hospitals.
Stewart said the birth center
was warmer and more inviting,
compared to her experiences with
hospital births. Each birthing suite
at the center includes an extra bed,
kitchenette and living area for the
use of family members or friends.
“My husband and three older
children were with me,” she said.
“They were part of the birth experience and excited to meet their
new baby brother.”
Stewart pointed out that the
birth center is affiliated with several hospitals and will transfer
a mother and/or baby in case of
complications. Mothers experiencing a high-risk pregnancy will
generally be instructed to give
birth in a hospital setting.
Hundreds of people who were
born at Holy Family Birth Center
gathered for the center’s annual
reunion and birthday party on
April 9. The City of Weslaco also
issued a proclamation declaring
April 9 as Holy Family Birth Center Day.
Those who attend the annual
birthday party are the true testaments to the birth center, Adix
said.
“We are also beginning to see a
second generation of Holy Family babies,” she said. “Many of us
who were born here feel the need
to come back and say hello and
thank you.”
Saturday,
May 21, 2011
12, 25, 50, 62.5,
and 125-mile routes
Route follows the famous Oblate Trail
along Military Highway, an area the
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
traveled by horse more than 100 years ago
to celebrate Mass in the remote communities
along the Rio Grande River.
For more information
(956) 787-8571
(956) 542-2501
www.cdob.org/oblateride
DIOCESE
»Media Resource Center
» Calendar of Events
Recommended by SISTER MAUREEN CROSBY, SSD
Coordinator of the Media Resource Center - Diocese of Brownsville
»Worth Watching
First Easter
Format:VHS
Year of production: Vision Video
(2002)
Written by: Sr. Kathleen Glavich, SND
Length:25 minutes
The facts: This is an excellent video
to teach children ages 4-10 the
meaning and significance of the
crucifixion and resurrection. As he
wanders the streets of Jerusalem
seeking food, Nate, a young orphan
comes face to face with Jesus.
Seeing Jesus suffer on the cross
instills an awareness of God in
Nate, forever changing his heart
and his mind.
Advocacy,
they come to make decisions on
legislation that they want to pass
they are aware that there are people
out there who are affected by their
decisions.”
After boarding a bus in San Juan
at 3 a.m., the group of 52 arrived just
in time for the press conference on
the Capitol South Steps in Austin.
Speaking on the Bishops policy priorities were Daniel Cardinal DiNardo
(Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston),
Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller
(Archdiocese of San Antonio), Wm.
Michael Mulvey (Diocese of Corpus
Christi), Plácido Rodríguez (Diocese
Alleluia,
did not really rise from the dead, there
is no adequate way of accounting for the
empty tomb, resurrection appearances,
miraculous growth and resiliency of the
Church, or the readiness of countless
numbers of his followers to forsake all
to follow him, and even to lay down
their lives in witness of their faith in him.
Nor could we account for the personal
testimony of countless millions of
Christians over the ages who have said, “I
»From the Bookshelf
Resurrection
Format: VHS
Year of production: American Bible
Society (2001)
Length: 11 minutes
The facts: Narrated by Jim Caviezel,
who starred as Jesus in the
Passion of the Christ film, this
video recounts the Resurrection
according to the Gospel of John
20:1-31. This is the sixth video in
the American Bible Society’s Life
of Christ series. The piece is short
but it effectively gets the message
across.
of Lubbock), Mark Seitz (Diocese of
Dallas), Kevin Vann (Diocese of Fort
Worth), and Joe Vásquez (Diocese of
Austin), Daniel E. Flores (Diocese of
Brownsville).
At the conference, the Bishops
released an interfaith statement on
the state budget. “The state budget
is a moral document that reflects the
priorities and values of our state,” the
faith leaders explained. “We urge our
state leaders to look at these choices
from the ‘bottom-up,’ by protecting
and defending the life and dignity of
the poorest and most vulnerable who
have little legislative presence or representation.”
After the press conference the bishops were recognized in the House
and in the Senate
Bishop Flores, who led the open-
have met Jesus Christ.” and “Jesus Christ
has saved me and set me free.”
During this blessed “Alleluia!” season,
let us all acclaim Christ our Lord and
Savior. Let us join in offering the Church’s
prayer of praise and thanksgiving: “God
our Father, by raising Christ your Son
you conquered the power of death and
opened for us the way to eternal life. Let
our celebration raise us up and renew our
lives by the Spirit that is within us.”
—
Msgr. Robert Maher is Vicar General of
the Diocese of Brownsville and pastor of
St. Joseph parish in Edinburg.
Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Peña’s Calendar
April 1
7 p.m. San Martin de Porres Auction
Weslaco
April 2
All day St. Margaret Retreat for Men
Pharr
April 3
6 p.m. Mass – Comunidad AMA Event –Civic Center
McAllen
April 9
All day St. Margaret Retreat for Women
Pharr
April 11 10 a.m. TX Bishops’ Meeting
April 12 9 a.m. Mass-Guadalupe Regional Middle School
Brownsville
April 13
Priest Assembly
San Juan
April 13 7 p.m. Confiramtion - St. Benedict
San Benito
April 15 5 p.m. Mass & Banquet for McAllen Pregnancy Center McAllen
April 17 10 a.m. Confirmation - Lord Divine Mercy
Brownsville
April19 6:30 p.m. Chrism Mass
San Juan
April 30 10 a.m. Confirmation - St Paul
Mission
On going:
Mass at St. Joseph Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, 727 Bowie St., Alamo
8 a.m. on Monday thru Friday
4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
*Please note NO MASSES WILL BE HELD FROM APRIL 8-28
Holy Hour will be heldWeekly every Thursday at 7 p.m., 727 Bowie St., Alamo
1st: Vocations to the Consecrated Life (active and contemplative) and for the
Sisters and Brothers in our diocese and the success of their mission
2nd: Vocations to the Permanent Diaconate the deacons (permanent and
transitional) of the diocese and their families
3rd: Vocation to Married Life: for the welfare and sanctification of all the families in the diocese and for building up the Kingdom in our domestic churches
4th: Vocations to the priesthood and the priests of the diocese for the success of their ministry
Jesus
of Nazareth
Length: 400 pages, hardcover
Author: Pope Benedict XVI
Publisher: Doubleday (2007)
The facts:The Holy Father states
his purpose for writing the book
in the introduction: “I have
attempted to develop a way
of observing and listening to
the Jesus of the Gospels that
can indeed lead to personal
encounter and that, through
collective listening with Jesus’
disciples across the ages, can
indeed attain sure knowledge
of the real historical figure of
Jesus.” The second volume,
“Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week,”
which focuses on the key events
of Jesus’ final days, was released
on March 10.
My mouth is a
Volcano
Authors:Julia Cook
Publisher: National Center for Youth
Issues (2005)
Length: 32 pages, paperback
The facts: This story provides
parents and teachers a way
to teach children the value of
respecting others by listening and
waiting for their turn to speak. It
gives the reader advice on how to
manage their thoughts and words
without interrupting. A winner of
the Association of Educational
Publishers Distinguished
Achievement Award.
ing prayer in the Senate, asked that
“each senator act with generous concern for the good of all who dwell
here, and may their votes be a reflection of a good and clear conscience.
“May they take to heart how their
exercise of political judgment will affect the lives of the children, women
and men who form the communities, great and small, wealthy and
poor, that make up the State of Texas.”
(http://www.txcatholic.org/index.
php/news/1091-advocacy-day-senate-opening-prayer-bishop-danielflores-diocese-of-brownsville-)
In the Catholic moral tradition,
responsible citizenship is a virtue and
participation in the political process
is a moral obligation. All believers
are called to faithful citizenship -- to
become informed, active, and re-
sponsible participants in the political
process.
Catholics advocated on a broad
range of diverse issues including the
state budget, sonogram access, payday lending, immigration, an education tax credit program, creation of
a state health care exchange, human
trafficking, and the death penalty.
The Bishops have a broad legislative agenda that includes 49 policy
priorities. The Texas Catholic Conference (TCC), which is the public
policy voice for the Bishops of Texas,
is tracking over 500 bills pertaining
to Catholic moral and social teachings. The Conference encourages all
Catholics to be faithful citizens and
engage in advocacy during and after
the legislative session. Learn more
about TCC at www.TXcatholic.org.
Parents,
followers of Jesus Christ. The simple
things we do daily or regularly can
go a long way in teaching and forming: daily meal time prayers, reflection guides during special seasons
such as Advent or Lent, providing
for others in need through contributions of clothing, food and/ or
service, family rosary, going to websites together that offer formation
and prayer such as Loyola Press, bed
time prayers and night time blessings as well as weekly Mass.
In Ephesians 6: 1-4, St. Paul states
Children, obey your parents [in the
Lord], for this is right. “Honor your
father and mother.” This is the first
commandment with a promise,
“that it may go well with you and
that you may have a long life on
earth.” Fathers, do not provoke your
children to anger, but bring them
up with the training and instruction
of the Lord. There is a philosopher
that has stated that “prophets are
not called to success but to fidelity”.
May we as parents, remember that
in our “role as parents” we too are
called not to success but to fidelity; to be faithful in parenting, in
teaching clearly, in supporting and
most of all in loving. Sometime
ago, I wrote a “job description” for
parents. It is just a simple reminder
of some of the special and specific
things we are called to do as Christian parents. If you are interested
in a copy of it, feel free to e-mail
me at [email protected]. May the
Lord continue to provide as with
the wisdom needed to parent and
be disciple-makers and the grace to
know how.
human society are born and, by the
grace of the of the Holy Spirit in
Baptism, those are made children
of God so that the People of God
may be perpetuated throughout
the centuries. In what might be
regarded as the domestic church
the parents, by word and example,
are the first heralds of the faith with
regard to their children. As parents
we are the primary educators of our
children and the primary catechists
of our children. We rely on parochial or public school personnel to
partner with us in our children’s
education because their profession
provides them with expertise in a
particular academic field, but it is
still our responsibility to be aware
of our child’s strengths, limitations
and progress in their academics.
When our daughter was of grade
school age, we were grateful that
the Catholic School she attended
required homework in every subject
because we were better able to assist
her and partner with the school in
her progress.
As families, we rely on our
parish Catechetical programs to
provide religious instruction and
faith formation. And as grateful
as we are for all that the volunteer
catechists provide, as parents, we
recognize that although the parish
is in partnership with us, we are the
primary catechists. As parents, we
are disciple-makers. We have the
grand responsibility to form faithful
15
April
2
Spring Auction and Dinner
San Martin de Porres,Weslaco
2-3
For Better and Forever
(Family Life Office)
4
Counselors’ Meeting
(Catholic Schools Office)
7
Principals’ Meeting
9
Sponsor Couple Marriage
Enrichment Day
16
Sponsor Couple Coordinator
Training (Family Life Office)
17 Palm Sunday
18 Passover
19 Chrism Mass
21-23 Paschal Tridum
(Office of Catechesis)
21
Holy Thursday
Diocesan Offices
Closing at Noon
22
Good Friday
Diocesan Offices
Closed
22
23
24
25
Earth Day
Holy Saturday
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday
27
Administrative
Professional Day
27
NCEA – New Orleans
28
Take your daughter/son
to work day
May
1
Divine Mercy Sunday
3
National Teacher’s Day
3
Professional Day
(Office of Catechesis)
5
6
Cinco de Mayo
Walkathon
7
Convalidation Conference
8
9
Mother’s Day
Counselors’ Meeting
6-12
12
Nurses’ Week
Principals’ Meeting
13-15
15
17
21
Armed Forces Day
Diocesan Council Metting
Oblate Trail Ride
(Development Office)
21-22
30
Catholic Engaged
Encounter (Family Life
Office)
Retiro Pre-Matrimonial
Memorial Day
Diocesan Offices Closed
Please submit your schedule to be published
in The Valley Catholic by the first Friday of
each month by email at [email protected]
or fax: (956) 784-5082.
16
DIOCESE
OURCATHOLICFAMILY
‘This Is My Home’
New Catholic
shares conversion
story to the faith
By ROSE YBARRA
The Valley Catholic
The Valley Catholic
Perla Salazar takes a few moments to pray in the Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament Chapel at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle. Salazar, along
with 535 other catechumens from across the Valley, will be welcomed into the
Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil.
National Honor,
has also implemented principles
from Welcoming the Stranger Among
Us: Unity in Diversity, a pastoral
statement released by the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops that encourages all Catholics to
receive newcomers with a genuine
spirit of welcome.
Allen also promotes economic
diversity in the diocese through the
tuition assistance program, which
Christ,
“The first Oblates were called to
preach to the people in their dialects,
not in highfalutin French,” Father
Pfeifer said. “We are called to be a
servant and priest of the poor. From
Africa to France to Texas, I think
that is the common thread of all the
Oblates. We all have that enthusiasm
for the ordinary people.”
Oblate Father Gerard Barrett, 72,
pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea
Church in Port Isabel and a native
of Ireland said he was drawn to the
Oblates because of their unassuming
nature. In 1854, the Oblates established
a chapel in Inchicore on the outskirts
of Dublin, their first in Ireland.
“The Oblates had a spirit among
them that I didn’t find anywhere
Website,
performed the site’s redesign. Recognizing the evolution of online communications, the diocese is integrating
social media components with links to
Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
One of the goals of the new site is to
McALLEN — Perla Salazar was
raised in a home that did not adhere
to any religion. Her parents decided
to let her and her siblings choose their
own spiritual paths as adults.
As an adult, Salazar explored
different religions. She visited
many churches of a variety of
denominations but as she puts it,
“none of them felt right.”
After discovering the Catholic
faith, Salazar found what she was
looking for.
“This is my home,” she said. “My
eyes have been opened and it’s
incredible to know that He is there,
no matter what.”
Salazar, along with 535 other
catechumens from across the
Diocese of Brownsville, will be
welcomed into the Catholic Church
during the Easter Vigil through the
provides scholarships.
Father Mario Avilés of the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip
Neri and director of the Pharr Oratory Schools credits Allen for her
commitment to generating funds for
Catholic school students and staff.
“As superintendent of Catholic
schools in the Diocese of Brownsville, a very poor area, it is difficult
for many families to provide a private
school education for their children,”
Father Avilés said. “Mrs. Allen works
hard to make a Catholic school education accessible to as many families
as possible through the diocesan-
wide Spirit Awards and Walkathon,
which raise money for scholarships.”
Father Avilés said that Allen dutifully searches for grants to help the
teachers in the diocese.
“Our teachers don’t receive as
much money as they could in the
public sector so she is always promoting grants to support the teachers and their work,” he said.
Allen and her husband, Daniel,
reside in Harlingen with their two
sons, Douglas, 15, a student at St.
Joseph Academy in Brownsville and
Seth, 10, a student at St. Anthony
School in Harlingen.
else,” Father Barrett said. “They were
very likeable. I felt a strong sense of
camaraderie.”
The Oblate legend and way of life
that enthralled him and his fellow
Oblates so much have not inspired
very many young men as of late,
Father Snipes said. In keeping with
the worldwide trend, vocations are
also down for the Oblates.
“It’s beyond anything we can
put our finger on — of course,
it has something to do with our
society being more superficial and
materialistic,” Father Snipes said. “I
was fascinated and amazed by the
Oblates, now, it seems that who we are
and what we do doesn’t stir people as
vigorously, or intensely or as deeply.”
The lack of vocations concerns
the Oblate priests. They wonder
if their tradition of passing on the
Oblate cross will continue. Each
Oblate is given a cross on the day
of profession. The cross serves as
a constant reminder of the virtues
of humility, charity and modesty,
according to the Oblates. When an
Oblate dies, his cross is passed on to
a new Oblate. The cross serves not
only as a continuance of the legacy of
founder De Mazenod but as a symbol
of Oblate brotherhood.
When Father Pfeifer was ordained,
he received a new cross because,
“there weren’t enough to go around.”
“These days, there are too many to
go around,” Father Pfeifer said.
During a recent visit with the
students at Our Lady of Guadalupe
School, Father Snipes shared the story
of the Oblate cross.
“I hope someday that a young man
will take this cross from me when I
die,” he said. “I hope that there will be
a young man to pick it up.”
inspire community involvement and
more engagement in ministry. The
new site will provide opportunities for
Catholics to enrich their faith as well
as opportunities to share the Gospel by
donating their time, talent and treasure.
The new site will also provide resources to learn more about our faith,
such as information on the seven Sacraments and how to receive them, the
benefits of Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament and Adoration schedules
and more.
The latest news from The Valley
Catholic, the official news portal of the
diocese, will also be available through
the new site.
The launch is only the beginning.
Visitors can expect to see more changes
and features through the site in the the
near future through increased community participation and feedback.
three Sacraments of Initiation —
Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy
Communion. Hundreds more men
and women, called candidates, will
be brought into full communion with
the Catholic Church.
Salazar, 28, had been searching for
a spiritual home most of her life but
her need for God hit a critical low as
she suffered multiple setbacks in her
personal life.
“After a lot of ups and downs, I
found myself alone,” she said.
Salazar’s journey to the Catholic
faith began about two years ago when
she walked into the office of Sacred
Heart Church in McAllen.
“Visiting a Catholic church had
been on my mind for a while,” she
said. “One day, I was downtown and
I decided to walk in and check it out.”
Salazar asked for a Mass schedule
and started a conversation about the
Catholic faith with the church secretary,
who Salazar says patiently answered all
of her questions. The secretary put
her in contact with Sandra Kent, the
director of religious education.
“She didn’t know what to expect,
but she was willing and open to
whatever she encountered,” said Kent,
who enrolled Salazar in the Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
Salazar began attending RCIA
classes and going to Mass regularly.
Almost immediately, she also joined
the church choir and became active
in the parish.
Salazar said she also formed a
very special bond with Our Blessed
Mother.
“I felt an immediate closeness to
Mary,” she said. “Mary went through
so much in her life, so much joy and so
much pain but she was always there for
her Son throughout His life. … It feels
bad to know that other denominations
don’t acknowledge her as we do. That
really breaks my heart.”
Salazar’s parents are supportive of
her decision to become Catholic.
“They’ve always said, ‘go wherever
you feel comfortable going,’” she said.
Her newfound faith, however, has
presented challenges in her marriage.
Salazar’s husband and in-laws are
Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“We’ve agreed to disagree, but it’s
been hard,” she said.
Kent said that she sees Salazar’s
conversion as the answer to a call
from God.
“She has been called and she has
been trying so desperately to answer
that call, challenges and all,” Kent said.
“She has been obedient and faithful.
She knows this comes from something
greater. She is a testament to faith.”
Dates,
change. They have been married for
almost 35 years.
“We’ve attended a lot of programs
but I really feel that this is the
best,” Mrs. Martinez said. “It really
enhanced our marriage. We needed
lifting in our marriage. We give, give,
give but we needed to receive and we
feel that we received today.
“As married couples, you get into
comfort zones,” Mr. Martinez said.
“We tend to drift away from each
other, even though we are sponsor
couples and set the example for
other people. Sometimes, we don’t
set an example to ourselves. This
program challenges you to come
back to the basics, respecting each
other, loving each other, nourishing
your relationship which we don’t
always do.”
Jose and Claudina Cruz of San
Martin de Porres Church in Weslaco
said it was, “a beautiful program.”
They have been married for 28 years.
“After so many years of marriage,
we believe that we know everything
there is to know about each other but
we learned new things about each
other today,” Mrs. Cruz said. “This
really motivated us and provided us
spiritual support. We hope to pass
that on to the couples we prepare for
marriage.”
Mary and Steve Martinez of Our
Lady of the Assumption Church in
Harlingen said it was a blessing to
focus on their own marriage for a
Conference,
God’s mercy and to start a movement
in the Church focusing on God’s mercy.
The Divine Mercy conference and
celebration will feature speakers discussing the mercy, love and goodness of
God and the praying of the Liturgy of
the Hours. A Holy Hour and the praying of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy led
by Bishop Daniel E. Flores will be held
at 3 p.m. Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J.
Peña will celebrate Mass at 6 p.m.
The three choirs from the Parish
of The Lord of Divine Mercy will also
sing throughout the day and parishioners will stage a drama representing St.
Faustina’s visions.
A plenary indulgence is granted on
Divine Mercy Sunday under the usual
conditions of every plenary indulgence
(a sacramental confession within 20
days, Eucharistic communion and a
prayer for the intentions of the pope.)
For more information about the
event, contact the Parish of the Lord
of Divine Mercy at (956) 544-2112.
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April 2011 - Catholic Diocese of Brownsville

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