catholic east texas

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catholic east texas
CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS
Vol. 27 No. 5
Diocese of Tyler
March 14, 2014
East Texans ask: ‘What’s this money going to be used for?’
TYLER – Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, whose sense
of humor and understanding of the people of East Texas
endear him to the hearts of his flock, can joke even about a
serious matter.
Speaking at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to kick off the Bishop’s Appeal drive March 2, he told
the congregation, “I have good news and bad news.”
He paused a moment, then leaned forward with his
characteristic grin and added, “You don’t have to listen to
my recorded message about the Bishop’s Appeal. Instead,
you get me live and in person.”
He reminded those present of the beginning of the appeal immediately after the Diocese of Tyler was erected in
1987, when then-Father Joe was a young priest. “Bishop
Charles E. Herzig, who was ordained and installed as the
Lent services, events
planned in diocese
first bishop of Tyler Feb. 24, 1987, saw the need for an
annual appeal to help fund the diocese,” Bishop Strickland
said.
He grinned again, pointing to his greying hair, and
said, “I’m definitely old enough now to see the wisdom of
this action.”
Referring to the day’s readings, the bishop added,
“You have lived out what Paul spoke of in his letter to the
Corinthians. In the past 27 years as a local church, you
have been stewards of the mysteries of God. That is what
this community has been called to be.”
But he noted that East Texans are a practical breed and
said, “I know the question in your minds is, ‘What’s this
money going to be used for?’
“Through these 27 years, the Bishop’s Appeal has been
used to educate and form 40 priests in the Catholic faith,”
Bishop Strickland said, “and we have 10 in formation
now.”
He said the appeal helps the clergy throughout their
ministry, noting, “Beyond their formation, the Bishop’s
Appeal assists those who serve in the diocese now and
helps provide for the 13 retired priests who have served so
long and so well.”
Many of those retired priests, he said, still help out
where they can. For instance, the bishop said, “Msgr. John
Flynn has been a priest for over 60 years and he still continues to serve.” Msgr. Flynn assists the diocesan tribunal
and serves as a supply priest when a parish pastor is called
away or is ill.
Continued on page 3
Couples told: You are sign of what love of Christ is all about
TYLER – Looking out at a gathering of
young – and younger – married couples
Immacgathered at the Cathedral of the Immac
TYLER – Bishop Joseph E. Strickland has
ulate Conception in Tyler, Bishop Jo
Jorecorded a series of Lenten reflection videos
seph E. Strickland cried, “What a
to help Catholics in the Diocese of Tyler
treasure you are to the people of
deepen their prayer life in the penitential
God!
season.
“We are gathered to celeTitled The Psalms of Lent, each
brate your marriages,” he said;
video features Bishop Strickland re“what a joy it is to come to
toflecting on the Psalm reading for that
gether to celebrate your living
Sunday’s liturgy. They release each
out of this sign of Christ. You
Tuesday in English and Spanish and
are a sign of what the love of
are about 5-7 minutes long.
Jesus Christ is all about.”
The videos can be viewed via
Scores of couples from
the diocesan website, dioceseoftythroughout the diocese were
ler.org, or at the Diocese of Tyler
present at the inaugural marchannel on YouTube.
riage anniversary celebration
The Cathedral of the ImmacuFeb. 8 sponsored by the dilate Conception prays Stations of
ocesan Family Life Office.
the Cross Fridays, 6 p.m., in the
Special invitees were couples
Chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul and
celebrating increments of five
7 p.m. (Spanish), in the cathedral.
years of marriage – 5, 10, 15
A communal penance service will
and so on – and couples mark
markbe celebrated April 8 at 6 p.m. in the
ing any anniversary from 50
chapel.
and up during the year
year.
Other parishes throughout the dioBishop Strickland remindcese also are offering a number of Lented those present of the signifi
signifien programs to prepare the faithful for the
cance of marriage as the first sign of
solemn liturgies of Holy Week and Easter,
Christ’s public ministry. “There was
celebrated this year April 17-20.
a wedding at Cana in Galilee,” he said,
Carthage, St. William of Vercelli. Stareferring to the day’s Gospel; “there was
tions of the Cross are prayed Fridays at 6:30 p.m.
a wedding at Immaculate Conception in
KC fish fries are Fridays, 5-6:30 p.m., in the
Tyler. There was a wedding in Australia,
parish activity center. A St Patrick’s Day benDeacon Alex
… in New Orleans, … in New York.”
efit dinner and concert for “String Power” will
and Johnye Kobar
He waved his hand across the rows
be March 15 at 6 p.m. A Lenten retreat will be
of intent participants, light from the
held March 31-April 2, at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
overhead spots flickering off the gold trim of his white
(Spanish) A Lenten penitential service will be April 1 at
6 p.m.
Centerville, St. Leo the Great. Mary, Mother of the
New Evangelization parish mission will be March 29, 9:30
a.m.-2 p.m. Guest speaker will be Christopher Williston,
a former Baptist minister who converted to Catholicism.
Clarksville, St. Joseph. Confessions are heard every By SUSAN DE MATTEO
TYLER – Catholic Charities East Texas is launching
Friday at 5:30 p.m., followed by Mass at 6 p.m., Stations
of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. and a holy hour at 7 p.m. On Sun- a new parish nursing ministry, funded by a grant from the
CHRISTUS St. Michael Foundation and the Arkansas Indays, Stations are prayed at 10 a.m. and noon (Spanish).
Crockett, St. Francis of the Tejas. Father Peter Mc- tegrated Care Health Network.
Faith Community Health Ministries is a three-year piGrath leads morning prayer in the church Monday-Friday
at 8:30 a.m. Adoration, Stations, reconciliation and eve- lot program involving several Texarkana congregations,
ning prayer are celebrated every Friday, beginning at 6 including Sacred Heart Church. CHRISTUS St. Michael
p.m. Lenten fish fries are Fridays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-8 and AICHN have provided $169,000 to Catholic Charities
to train a nursing coordinator and eight licensed, registered
p.m. in the parish hall.
Frankston, St. Charles Borromeo. The church will nurses as a pastoral team offering faith-based community
hold its 17th annual fish fry March 16, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., in nursing.
“The team will do basic health screenings, such as for
the church hall. Donations will be accepted to benefit the
diabetes, heart disease and mental health issues, as well
church debt reduction fund.
Continued on page 2 as educational presentations and health fairs,” said Nell
vestments, and said, “this is the Gospel that many of
you heard at your own wedding.” The blessing of the
sacrament of marriage, he said, is epitomized by Deacon Alex and Johnye Kobar of Sacred Heart Church in
Palestine, celebrating 68 years of marriage this year.
But he added, “Those who have been married the
fewest number of years, yours is a blessing also. Every one of you living the commitment of marriage is a
blessing. You are a sacrament of Christ. Christ is alive
and present in us, not a distant Lord.”
Again he referred to the readings, from Tobit, Paul’s
letter to the Corinthians, the Gospel story of Cana, and
said, “I would call these the classics. In these readings
we have the message of the Lord about what marriage
is, the ancient message that is new today.”
Bishop Strickland shook his head in sorrow, adding,
“Your message is that your intimacy in marriage is sacred and noble, and how drastically the world has forgotten that. You are a counter-message to all the trash
that is out there. Thank you for being a living image
of the nobility of your union that the Book of Tobit reminds us of.”
The bishop told the couples that at the end of his
homily he would present certificates to those present
who celebrate 50 or more years of marriage during
2014. He raised both hands in amazement, saying, “20
couples married over 50 years!” He shook his head
again and pointed at the couples in the front pews of
the cathedral and said, “All of those years have been a
sign and a sacrament to the world that more desperately
needs it every day.”
He said that the church is not a building nor a hierarchy, but the people who are the body of Christ, and
noted, “You are a domestic church. It is about the love
of God, a real and committed love. The love of God,
that is what Corinthians speaks to us about: love never
fails.”
Continued on page 5
CCET starting parish nursing ministry
Lawrence, Catholic Charities director. “They will be advocates for health care, as well as bridges between members
of congregations and health providers. The goal is to help
empower individuals to be more involved and proactive in
their health care and to provide support for them in dealing
with any health issues.”
The ministry will focus as much on the spiritual as on
as the physical, Lawrence said.
“More and more studies are showing that faith and
spirituality are integral components of health and healing,”
she said. “Traditionally, doctors and other health professionals have addressed the physical side but have left the
spiritual side alone. With this program, our team members
will concentrate on both to present a holistic model of care.
Continued on page 8
2 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS March 14, 2014
DIOCESE
Reflections
As I mentioned last month I hope to continue
reflecting on the precepts of the church in the
coming months. You may remember that this
reflection is rooted in my overall discussion
of what the Lord asks of us as we seek to
follow him faithfully.
The reality that the Lord does clearly
ask something of us is reinforced by the
passage from the Gospel according to
St. Matthew which was proclaimed on
the seventh Sunday of Ordinary time,
Feb. 23. That passage concludes with
the Lord saying that we are “to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.”
Any rational person would exclaim that
this is truly impossible. How can any of
us hope to be perfect? But we immediately
turn to another passage in the Gospel where
the Lord says “with God all things are possible.”
Reminded that all things are possible with God,
we can turn to the first of the precepts of the church,
to assist at Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obliga-
tion.
Certainly this precept is at the heart of what it means to
be a practicing and faithful Catholic. We live in an age when
very often people will bristle at the idea of obligation. We
tend to resent the idea that we are obligated to do anything
and we can often have the idea that this encroaches on our
freedom.
Many of our non-Catholic brothers and sisters (and our Catholic brethren also)
may challenge the church’s right to lay down this precept as an obligation but the
church sees it as merely a development of the commandment to keep holy the
Lord’s Day. In a real sense the Lord has already established this as a law for his
people because as Catholics we know that the Mass is our greatest act of prayer and
worship. The commandments obligate us to keep holy the Lord’s Day and the way
we do this as Catholics is to join with the Body of Christ at Mass.
It is clear that merely following the letter of this precept is completely inadequate because attending Mass on Sunday should not be seen as legalistically
fulfilling an obligation but I often think of Holy Mother Church as a wise Mother
making it clear what is good for her children.
Thus in the context of this discussion the Lord asks us to join him for his sacrifice of love every Sunday. Expressed in this way I believe this precept begins to
move us to a deeper understanding of what this law of the church is really about.
Pope Francis constantly and beautifully reminds us that from our baptism we
are called to an ever deeper and more intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus. The
intimate and beautiful encounter with the Lord that every Sunday Mass is meant to
be becomes a touchstone of that ever-deepening relationship.
This moves us to the point of recognizing that the obligation to attend Mass on
Sundays and holy days is rooted in being a healthy Christian. Even as Sunday Mass
attendance falls far short of the ideal, attendance on holy days has fallen to a rather
dismal level in the church’s life. I would hope that pondering the loving invitation
of the Lord to encounter Him in an intimate way every Sunday will help us to be
strengthened in fulfilling this basic obligation and move us
Personal website:
to reflect on the meaning of holy days in our Catholic psybishopstrickland.com
che.
The Lord asks us to join him and be strengthened in his
Tweet at:
eternal
sacrifice of love every Sunday. Let us pray that we
Bishop J. Strickland @bishopoftyler
might always joyfully accept the Lord’s invitation.
Lent
From page 1
Gilmer, St. Francis of Assisi. Bilingual Stations are prayed every Friday at 7
p.m., followed by fellowship and a meal.
Gladewater, St. Theresa of the Infant
Jesus. Stations of the Cross are prayed
each Friday at 6:30 p.m., followed by a
soup supper.
Gun Barrel City, St. Jude. Stations of
the Cross are prayed Friday mornings following 8 a.m. Mass and at 7 p.m. (Spanish). A communal penance service will be
March 19 at 6:30 p.m., with both Englishand Spanish-speaking priests available.
Henderson, St. Jude. Children’s
Stations of the Cross are prayed every
Wednesday at 7:45 p.m. La Via Crucis is
prayed every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross are prayed every Friday
Marriage
From page 1
Striding across the white marble tiles
in front of the row upon row of married
couples, the bishop said, “However many
years you have lived your marriage, that is
what these words mean: love never fails. It
didn’t fail my parents, it didn’t fail you, it
doesn’t fail anyone baptized into the love
of Christ.”
Pointing to the ambo from which Deacon Jerry Besze had read the Gospel, Bishop Strickland said, “finally, there is that
Gospel message. ‘There was a wedding at
Cana in Galilee.’ Think of all the preparation that went into that, the invitations that
were sent out. That is a beautiful image.
Your marriage is not a private thing; others are invited. You are an image for all of
God’s people.”
Again the bishop returned to a key concern, repeating, “The world desperately
needs the image of commitment that you
offer. I’m sure that many times, that has
been your strength: ‘I said that I do, and I
will.’”
The bishop paused a moment, turning
slowly as he swept his gaze across the
gathering. “Our best message about marriage to us as a Catholic community,” he
said, “is you. You are living it out in our
midst.” o
at 6:30 p.m. KC fish fries are Fridays, 5:308 p.m. Father Jay Lucas leads Lenten reflections Thursdays at 6 p.m.
Holly Lake Ranch, Holy Spirit. Vespers are prayed every Friday at 5:30 p.m.,
followed by Stations of the Cross and a
soup supper. A KC fish fry will be March
14 and March 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the
parish hall.
Jacksonville, Our Lady of Sorrows.
Wednesdays of Lent will feature Mass at
6 p.m. followed by Stations, a soup supper and Lenten reflection. On Wednesdays,
Stations will follow 12:15 p.m. Mass. Fish
fries are Fridays, 5:30-8 p.m. A holy hour
will be prayed Sundays at 4 p.m., followed
by dinner at 5 p.m. A Lenten retreat will
be offered March 15-18 at 7 p.m., with English and Spanish presentations. Theme is
The Sacraments. A parish penance service
will be April 11 at 7 p.m.
Kilgore, Christ the King. A parish
penance service will be March 21 at 6 p.m.
Lindale, Holy Family. Stations of the
Cross are prayed Fridays at 5 p.m. Knights
of Columbus fish fries will be March 14
and April 4 and 11. A parish penance service will be April 10 at 7 p.m. Eucharistic
adoration is on Fridays, following the 8
p.m. Mass and lasting until 9 p.m.
Longview, St. Mary. Mass is celebrated on Fridays at 5:30 p.m., followed by fish
fries at 6 p.m. and Stations of the Cross at 7
p.m. Reconciliation services will be March
Calendar
March 15 – Bridges out of Poverty, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., cathedral, Tyler.
March 16 – Rite of presentation of candidates and elect, 3:30 p.m., cathedral, Tyler.
March 19 – Ask the Bishop with Bishop Strickland, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., St. Mary Chapel,
Stephen F. Austin University, Nacogdoches.
March 27 – Priests’ study day, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., chancery, Tyler.
March 29 – How Many Ways Can I Say “I Love You”?, Worldwide Marriage Encounter, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., cathedral, Tyler.
March 30 – Deacons’ convocation, Sacred Heart Church, Nacogdoches (contact Deacon Jerry Besze at 903-534-1077, ext. 166).
April 14 – Milam Joseph Golf Tournament, Willow Brook Country Club, Tyler.
April 15 – Chrism Mass, 7 p.m., cathedral, Tyler.
April 17 – Holy Thursday, 7 p.m., cathedral, Tyler.
April 18 – Good Friday service, 3 p.m., cathedral, Tyler.
April 19 – Easter Vigil, sundown, cathedral, Tyler.
Some items have additional information in Que Pasa or in separate articles in today’s
Catholic East Texas.
Ethics and Integrity for Church Personnel
Diocese of Tyler
23, 3:30-5:30 p.m., and April 3, 6:308:30 p.m. Weekly reconciliation times are
Wednesdays, 5-6:15 p.m., and Sundays,
4-5:15 p.m. Dr. Kevin McQuaid will give a
presentation on the Shroud of Turin in the
parish center April 13 at 1:30 p.m. Living
Stations will be prayed April 17, 10 a.m.,
Continued on page 5
USPS 001726
Published monthly by the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, 1015 ESE Loop
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To avoid being discarded as spam,
include church name or city in subject line. Periodical postage paid at
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POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to:
1015 ESE Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701-9663
www.dioceseoftyler.org/tribunal
Publisher
Bishop Joseph E. Strickland
Report concerns or questions to Promoter of Justice
Confidential: 903-266-2159 • FAX: 903-939-1037
[email protected]
Report abuse of minors to: State of Texas, 800-252-5400
Editor
Jim D’Avignon
Reporter
Susan De Matteo
Bishop’s Appeal 2014
City
Parish/Mission
Northwest Deanery
Donors
Clarksville
St. Joseph
Cooper St. Clare
Emory
St. John the Evangelist
Grand Saline
St. Celestine
Mineola
St. Peter the Apostle
Mt. Vernon
Sacred Heart
Paris
Our Lady of Victory
Sulphur Springs St. James
Winnsboro St. Ann
Target
Pledged
CHURCH
Feb. 14, 2014 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS
3
Target %
0
4,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
2,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
8,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
3,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
18,000.00
580.00
3.22
0
8,000.00
180.00
2.25
0
63,000.00
7,100.00
11.27
0
25,000.00
675.00
2.70
010,000.00400.00 4.00
Southeast Deanery
Center
St. Therese
Chireno
Our Lady of Lourdes
Diboll
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Hemphill
St. Pius I
Lufkin St. Andrew
Lufkin
St. Patrick
Moral
Immaculate Conception
Nacogdoches Our Lady of Guadalupe
Nacogdoches
Sacred Heart
Nacogdoches St. Mary Student Center
San Augustine St. Augustne
Timpson Epiphany
010,000.000.00
0.00
0
4,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
22,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
9,000.00
0.00
0.00
035,000.001,300.00 3.71
040,000.001,875.00 4.69
0
9,000.00
960.00
10.67
0
10,000.00
5,737.80
57.38
060,000.000.00
0.00
0
1,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
5,000.00
1,000.00
20.00
05,000.00 0.00
0.00
West Central Deanery
Alto
Ven. Antonio Margil
Athens
St. Edwards
Canton
St. Therese
Chandler
St. Boniface
Flint
St. Mary Magdalene
Gun Barrel City St. Jude
Jacksonville
Our Lady of Sorrows
Lindale
Holy Family
Malakoff
Mary Queen of Heaven
New Summerfield Our Lady of Guadalupe
Rusk
Sacred Heart
Tyler
Catholic Student Center
Tyler
St. Joseph the Worker
Tyler
St. Peter Claver
Tyler
Sts. Peter and Paul Tyler Cathedral
Tyler
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Whitehouse
Prince of Peace
Wills Point
St. Luke
0
1,200.00
0.00
0.00
0
23,000.00 700.00
3.04
030,000.000.00
0.00
0
7,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
100,000.00 17,510.00
17.51
0
39,000.00
1,100.00
2.82
0
35,000.00
3,425.00
9.79
053,000,005,100.00 9.62
0
38,000.00
105.00
0.27
0
4,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
7,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
500.00
0.00
0.00
0
4,000.00
1,720.00
43.00
0
33,000.00
0.00
0.00
0
900.00
0.00
0.00
0
231,000.00 60,065.93
26.00
0
18,000.00
110.00
0.61
0
18,000.00
500.00
2.78
0
9,000.00
380.00
4.22
Bishop Strickland: ‘You’re being double-teamed tonight’
Appeal
From page 1
“Catholic Charities receives 5 percent
of the appeal funds,” the bishop continued.
“This enables it to work with immigration
issues and with the new parish nurse program now being developed in the Texarkana area.
“Evangelization efforts are supported
by the Bishop’s Appeal,” he continued,
“and efforts to form and welcome new
Catholics are supported by the Bishop’s
Appeal. We also are called to evangelize
and share our faith and we need to do more
of that.”
East Central Deanery
The bishop paused a moment and then
said, “Ministry to our youth also needs
Carthage
St. William of Vercelli
0
21,000.00
800.00
3.81 more effort.” The appeal now includes
Gilmer
St. Francis of Assisi
0
7,000.00
430.00
6.14 funding for such efforts.
Hallsville
Our Lady of Grace
0
9,000.00
120.00
1.33 Bishop Strickland said the appeal helps
Henderson St. Jude
017,000.00225.00 1.32 fund many more areas of diocesan effort,
Holly Lake
Holy Spirit
0
20,000.00
5,750.00
28.75 and spread his arms to enclose the entire
Jefferson Immaculate Conception013,000.001,130.00 8.69 congregation. “I thank you for your supKilgore
Christ the King
0
27,000.00
200.00
0.74 port, for reaching beyond this parish to the
Marshall St. Joseph
0
57,000.00
1,428.00
2.51 wider diocese,” he said.
Longview
St. Mary
0
105,000.00 7,700.00
7.33 “The Gospel reminds us, ‘Seek first the
Longview St. Matthew
0
62,000.00
1,405.00
2.27 Kingdom,’” he said. “The fulfillment we
Overton
Our Lady Queen of Angels 0
4,000.00
550.00
13.75 long for is ultimately found through seekLongview St. Anthony
018,000.002,470.00 13.72 ing first the Kingdom of God. We encourTatum
San Pedro the Fisherman 0
7,000.00
0.00
0.00 age you to continue the wonderful mission
Union Grove St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus 0 8,000.00
1,500.00
18.75 of being stewards of God here in the dioWaskom
St. Lawrence of Brindisi 0
5,000.00
0.00
0.00 cese.”
At a preliminary Appeal meeting in the
Southwest Deanery
Cathedral Center Feb. 18, Bishop Strickland was joined by his vicar general, BishBuffalo
St. Kateri Tekakwitha
0
11,000.00
700.00
6.36 op Edmond Carmody, who is in charge of
Centerville
St. Leo the Great
0
6,000.00
0.00
0.00 the appeal this year.
Crockett
St. Francis of the Tejas
0
15,000.00
625.00
4.17 Noting the sleet that rattled on the paveFairfield
St Bernard of Clairvaux
0
6,000.00
784.00
13.07 ment outside, Bishop Carmody praised the
Frankston
St. Charles Borromeo
0
14,000.00
1,349.00
9.64 group of donors and told them, “It took a
Hilltop Lakes St. Thomas More
0
5,000.00
200.00
4.00 lot of courage for you to leave your warm
Madisonvillle St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
0
15,000.00
400.00
2.67 homes and brave the weather to come there
Palestine Sacred Heart
040,000.005,295.00 13.24 and be asked for money.”
Teague
St. Mary
0
4,000.00
120.00
3.00 He quoted the late Mahatma Gandhi
Trinity
Most Holy Trinity
016,000.002,445.00 15.28 who, Bishop Carmody told the gathering,
once said, “I would become a Christian if I
Northeast Deanery
could find people living Christianity.”
Bishop Carmody said the observation
Atlanta St. Catherine of Siena
0
12,000.00
220.00
1.83 was a profound one and said, “I hope the
Daingerfield
Our Lady of Fatima
0
10,000.00
0.00
0.00 appeal will help people to know Christ and
Mt. Pleasant
St. Michael
0
34,000.00
1,280.00
3.76 to follow Christ.”
New Boston
St. Mary of the Cenacle
0
15,000.00
0.00
0.00 That’s why the Appeal is so crucial, he
Pittsburg Holy Cross
0
7,000.00
100.00
1.43 added. “We need the sacraments,” he said.
Texarkana Sacred Heart
0
60,000.00
7,300.00
12.17 “We need priests; we need our young peo
Totals
1,651,700.00 163,309.00
9.89 ple to be formed. That’s what we hope to
do. That’s what Bishop Strickland wants –
for people to know Christ.”
He said that not everyone can give a
great deal, but noted, “Everybody can give
something so other people can come to
Christ.”
Bishop Strickland, who gave the main
– if informal – address of the evening,
reminisced about his childhood in Atlanta
when he played football with neighborhood children and laughed, “You’re being
double-teamed tonight. You’re being asked
for money by two bishops.”
When the laughter died down, he took
a serious turn, saying, “Our Catholic faith
is our greatest treasure. The Bishop’s Appeal gives us the resources to have those
formation classes. We ordained 22 deacons
in December and January, and 40 priests
have been ordained for this diocese since
its foundation 27 years ago.”
He said the Appeal helped make that
possible, reminding those present that “our
Catholic faith is the way to Christ.” Bishop
Strickland paused, then said, “This whole
area really has been transformed in those
27 years. When the Diocese of Tyler was
formed, the cathedral was the only Catholic church in Smith County.”
He said the diocese has other sources
of revenue, primarily an assessment on the
parishes, but said, “The Bishop’s Appeal
brings in about half of all the revenues for
the diocese.”
He reminded the gathering of several
specific areas the appeal benefits, as he
did two weeks later in his homily at the
cathedral, and said, “We have a treasure
here that needs your support. To be able to
evangelize that one person who is looking
for God is what the Appeal is all about. We
need the resources to continue the work of
the church.”
Bishop Strickland shook his head in understanding, and said, “It’s not easy to let
go of your hard-earned dollars, but when
we are generous and share with others as
an act of faith, it all works out somehow.”
o
For more information on the Bishop’s
Appeal, Follow Christ in the Church and
with the Church, go to dioceseoftyler.org
and click on the far-right menu item, 2014
Appeal, which links to the BA website.
4 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS Mardh 14, 2014
C O M M E N TARY
How’s your time machine?
The middle part is crucial to our understanding
By JIM D’AVIGNON
Once upon a time …
… they lived happily ever after, as I suspected all
along. A-a-a-men!
Generally, this rendition of their favorite books drew
an indignant “Daddy! Do it right.”
It never ceased to amaze me,
when I was somewhat younger than
I am, that each of my daughters apparently had entire books memorized. I could never get by with skipping anything, let alone the entire
story. As a result, I know far more
about the literature of Dr. Seuss or
Richard Scarry or the Berenstain
Bears than I do about, for instance,
James Joyce or Joseph Conrad.
It’s probably one of the reasons I’m addicted to alliteration and can – usually – understand auctioneers’ chants.
And leaving out the middle of a story is one of the
things we sometimes do without even thinking about it.
My sweet bride is able to skip from an opening statement
to an apparently irrelevant conclusion that only makes
sense after I puzzle it out for a few days.
I thought about this last week after Debbie Scholl
brought something to my attention. Debbie is the secretary
at St. William of Vercelli Church in Carthage, and is featured with her husband Philip on the back page of today’s
Catholic East Texas. I arrived early and while we waited
for Philip, Debbie gave me a copy of a note that the church
groundskeeper had discovered taped to one of the crosses
in the Cemetery of the Innocents that the parish, like many
others in the diocese, had erected in front of the church to
symbolize the young lives lost to abortion.
The note opens with a verse from Jeremiah 31:15, as
translated in the New American Bible:
In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning,
of bitter weeping!
Rachel mourns her children,
she refuses to be consoled
because her children are no more.
This bold-type section is followed by a text in a computer font similar to Lucida Handwriting:
I pray for you, who would have been my
niece of nephew. When my sister told me
that she had chosen to abort you, I was
inconsolable. She told me that she would
have had to drop out of college if she had
chosen to let you live. She told me that
she would not have ben able to take care
of you, so she chose to abort you. I cried
so hard, and told her that if she had only
told me that Patrick and I could have adopted you, as adding one more child to
our family was something we could easily
do. She ended up dropping out of college
anyway, and never completed the degree.
She has never had another child, so the
only child she had she chose to abort in
1985. I never forget you. You would have
been exactly the age of your cousin Jennifer, because even as your mother told
me that she had you aborted, I was about
a month along in the pregnancy of your
cousin. I never had a niece or nephew to
love, and my children have never had a
cousin to love. Your loss is never forgotten, and I pray for you every night.
I must confess that my first thought on reading this was
cynical. Someone has crafted this, I thought; this is not a
real cri de coeur, I thought; this is just made-up. Then I
did think. Regardless of its origin, whether it is simply and
purely one woman’s cry as it purports to be or is a compendium of stories, it is real. Just as those rows of white
crosses in front of St. William Church along Loop 149 do
not actually have tiny children buried beneath the sod at
their feet, those children too are real.
The stories are real and we do ourselves and our children a great disservice if we look only at the beginning and
one putative ending. The missing middle part is crucial to
our understanding of the great loss to our lives and our
moral stature as a nation. Like Rachel, we should be inconsolable.
In our vast and multi-faceted church are many issues
and I should tell you that if the pro-life issues are your
primary concern, you should stop reading here. When I
opened this document on my screen, I glanced out my
office windows at the Bradford pears in full bloom and
thought to write about my garden and the new life burgeoning there. That’s when Debbie grabbed me by the ear
and said, “Read this.”
But I have a tiny bit of space left and I’m just going to
jump into another subject, no segue about it. I planted four
little trees last week, three dwarf cherries and a bay laurel
(laurus nobilis), with which I plan to flavor a great deal of
marinara sauce in coming years (the bay, not the cherries).
This, by a reasonable progression, made me think of Eddie, an usher at the 8 a.m. Mass at the cathedral and a St.
Vincent de Paul volunteer. Having planted three fruit trees,
I naturally wandered over to the huge fig tree in our back
yard to check on its status. Eddie, you see, loves figs and
always looks forward to our fig season.
Bear with me, now. This is going to make sense in a
moment. The St. Vincent group at the cathedral had a potluck dinner two weeks ago, but Eddie didn’t go. He told
us the day before he always felt guilty because when everyone else brought homemade food, all he brought was a
couple of jugs of tea.
Well, Eddie, we had lots of casseroles and tamales and
empenadas, but we ran out of tea. Regardless of your talent or gift, each contribution is important and appreciated.
This applies to figs and tea, and it applies even more to
the Bishop’s Appeal that launched at the beginning of this
month. Put a bit in for Eddie and, of course, the bishop. o
Question Corner:
By FATHER KENNETH DOYLE
Catholic News Service
Q. What is a Catholic’s obligation regarding the movie ratings issued by the Catholic News Service? Are they
binding? For example, is it a sin to see films rated “O
– Morally Offensive”? Not that any good Catholic would
want to see most of these films, but on occasion there is an
“O” film where the rating seems unwarranted. Or what if
a parent allows a teen to see a movie rated “A-III – For
Adults”? (Columbus, Ohio)
A. The ratings are meant as guidelines. They do not
bind in conscience. At the same time, they offer a valuable
resource, particularly for parents in choosing what is appropriate for their children. The ratings and reviews evaluate a film from a spiritual, moral and artistic point of view
against the background of the church’s teachings and of
Judeo-Christian values. So, I don’t believe that a faithful
Catholic should take them lightly.
After you have read a review, I would recommend deciding whether to attend based on what you know of yourself, avoiding what might be troublesome morally.
By BILL DODDS
Catholic News Service
I was sitting around a table with other widowers and widows when a phrase from my early parenting days popped into my head.
During these support groups, it’s not unusual to talk about the guilt a person feels. It comes
out in questions such as: Why did I do that as her
caregiver? Why didn’t I do this? Why did I say
this to him the last time I saw him on the day he
died suddenly and unexpectedly? Why didn’t I say
that? Why didn’t I tell him just one more time how
much …?
The phrase that came to mind was: “The time
machine is broken.”
That’s what my late wife Monica and I used to
say to our kids when they were going on and on
about something that had happened. A sibling did
this to him. A classmate did that to her. There was
a missed recess or extra homework assignment
because one student broke a class rule. It went on
and on. Whatever it was, it was an outrage.
I hope Monica and I were patient when we
pointed out that there’s no going back to change or
fix things. Needless to say, none of our three ever
answered, “Oh, thank you so much for pointing
that out. I feel all better now.”
Humans want to change things, to fix them.
We want to climb into a machine and get a doover, and not just for big things, but for little things
that at the time seem like big things.
Why did I pick that paint color for the kitchen?
Why did I buy my new computer last week when
this week a much better one is on sale? Why didn’t
I stay in school and get that degree? Why did I
switch jobs? Why did I move here? Why did I wait
so long to retire?
But, of course, in life, some things can be
changed. You can repaint the kitchen, get an even
better computer or finish that degree online. Some
things, while not “fixed,” can be adjusted. We may
even start to see the pluses of a new job or location.
Truth be told, some of life’s harshest, unchanging realities can lead us to good changes, too. That
also comes up during a grief support group.
Some say, “I’m working at taking better care
of my own health.”
Others say, “I hug my kids and grandkids all
the time now and tell them I love them and I don’t
care if they feel a little embarrassed by that.”
The wisest will say, “I still think about what I
wish I could have done differently, but I’m starting
to remember more of what the two of us did right.
What we had. It was so good. And I’m starting to
realize that’s why, for now, I feel so bad. This grief
is awful. That love was worth it.”
What is a Catholic’s obligation regarding movie ratings?
Films are classified as “O” or “morally offensive”
when they “feature excessive violence, gratuitous sexuality or are laden, for no artistically valid reason, with
non-stop vulgarity,” according to the ratings page of Catholic News Service. Films that directly contradict church
teaching on such matters as suicide, adultery, euthanasia,
abortion or violent revenge also get this rating.
Such a rating is not given lightly, so I would agree with
you that rarely would seeing a film rated “O” be justified.
As for whether to allow your teenager to see a film rated as acceptable only for adults, if it were my child I would
want to first see the film to make a safe and informed judgment as to how he or she might receive it and react. o
Q. When are priests going to tell parents to leave the
children’s toys at home? I see tractors and cars roaming
across pews, little soldiers conducting wars and even
monster figures. We are just a couple of ticks away from
every child’s being there with iPads and movies. We used
to believe that children could learn self-control by sitting
quietly at Mass and not needing to be entertained. (La
Crosse, Wis.)
A. Topics like this are always chancy, because people
have a range of opinions, often strongly held. But I’ll run
the risk and give you my take.
It depends a lot on age. By the time a kid is 4, I would
hope that he or she were starting to pay some attention in
church, or at least sitting quietly. But when the child is 2,
let’s say, I have no problem with bringing toys – depending on the toys.
My least favorite are trucks and Super Balls. We
have a sloped church, and more than once I’ve been “attacked” at the altar by a rumbling 18-wheeler toy truck or
a high-bouncing spheroid.
Though not a toy, Cheerios are on my “non-preferred”
list. Coloring books would be fine, except that they involve crayons, which leave reminders of their presence.
Bringing stuffed animals is fine, and books with the
thick pages are acceptable (although even they can become
noisemakers should the toddler decide to throw them).
Having said all that, I’m just delighted to see little children in church, and I admire and applaud parents with the
patience to bring them. o
March 14, 2014 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS
5
DIOCESE
Nursing
From page 1
“Sometimes,” she said, “it’s not enough just to have
someone come by and check your blood pressure, organize
your medications or make sure you’re eating. Sometimes,
what we really need is someone to pray with us, someone
to read Scriptures with us, someone to bring us the love
and compassion of Christ. Some home health programs
draw a very clear line between health care and faith. We
say there is no line, and that the two are inclusive, rather
than exclusive.”
Churches involved in the pilot program will form
health ministry committees comprised of health care professionals and interested volunteers, Lawrence said.
“We are hoping to encourage a communal sense of responsibility for each other,” she said. “For so many people,
illness is isolating. It’s lonely. And it can be frightening.
Navigating this country’s health care system is intimidating, especially if you feel you have to do it alone.
“This program seeks to break down that isolation,”
Lawrence said. “With parish teams, we can train people to
do home health visits, either just to check up on people or
to assist them with medication, provide transportation to
doctors visits, or to help make homes more accessible to
people with special physical needs.”
The program, she said, was born of demonstrated need.
“We have really excellent hospitals in that part of the
state,” Lawrence said. “CHRISTUS St. Michael is just top
of the line, and they offer a wide range of programs to
serve all kinds of people facing all kinds of issues. But
many of those programs and services are underutilized,
whether because people don’t know about them or because
they just can’t get to them.
“So the hospitals have been looking at different ways
of better serving their populations, and CHRISTUS and
AICN came up with this grant for this program.”
The hospitals’ interest, she said, is simple.
“Hospitals today are putting more and more resources into preventive care,” she said. “They are looking to
keep people out of hospitals if they can, and to shorten
patient stays if they can’t. They’re looking for better health
outcomes. And what they’ve found through the examples
of other programs like this around the country is that this
works. Getting people involved in their own health works.
Getting a community involved in its members’ health
works. Emphasizing the spiritual aspect for people of faith
works. Providing follow-up care after a hospitalization
works. And all of these things together help lessen the
strain hospitals are feeling these days.”
Parish nurses will receive 48 hours of training. The
training sessions will be held every weekend in March at
Texarkana College in Texarkana. The grant covers tuition.
“The nurses will not be there to ‘practice medicine,’”
Lawrence said. “But they will be a resource. We’re hoping
this program catches on and that we can expand it to other
parishes in other parts of the diocese.”
For information about the program, call Catholic Charities East Texas at 903-258-9492.
Catholic Charities East Texas is partially funded
through the annual Bishop’s Appeal, which dedicates 5
percent of its revenues to the ministry. o
Lent
Pencil perfection – Canton
artist Michael Anthony Lawrence
presents his recently completed
graphite pencil portrait of Bishop
Joseph E. Strickland, fourth bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, to the
bishop. Lawrence has also sketched
Tyler’s first three bishops, Bishops
Charles E. Herzig, Edmond Carmody and Álvaro Corrada, SJ, as
well as former Tyler priest and now
Bishop Eduardo Nevares of Phoenix, Bishop William M. Mulvey of
Corpus Christi and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of
Galveston-Houston. Photo courtesy of
Deacon Rick Lawrence
Father Edgardo “Bing” Arellano addresses Two Hearts Conference
Susan De Matteo/CET
Enthronement of Hearts encouraged for Catholics
TYLER – Enthroning the Sacred Heart of Jesus and
the Immaculate Heart of Mary in homes allows families
to grow stronger spiritually and make reparations for
the “culture of death” afflicting modern society, Father
Edgardo “Bing” Arellano told participants at a Feb. 15-16
Alliance of Two Hearts conference in Tyler.
“Father Bing,” as he is known, is spiritual director of
the Alliance of Two Hearts, an international apostolate
centered on devotion to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate
Heart. He led the conference in Tyler.
“Conversion of the family” is one of the surest ways
to combat the culture of death, he said in his homily at
the closing Mass. As families consecrate themselves to
the two hearts and strengthen their faith, “they can make
reparation” for the sins of the world in what he called “the
urgent battle against the Enemy seeking to destroy the
church and the world.”
Father Bing encouraged participants to “enthrone”
pictures of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate
Heart of Mary in their homes and consecrate their families
to the two hearts. Families who enthrone the Two Hearts
also pledge themselves to frequent Mass attendance and
confession, prayer and holy hours.
“Parents, make reparations for your children,” he
said. “Children, make reparations for the holiness of your
homes. God has pledged his protection,” Father Bing said.
“If you enthrone the Two Hearts and consecrate yourselves
to them, no harm can come to you.” o
From page 2
behind the gym.
Longview, St. Matthew. Mass is celebrated on Fridays
at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Stations are prayed Fridays at 6:30
p.m., followed by KC fish fries, 7-9 p.m., in the parish hall.
Lufkin, St. Andrew. Stations of the Cross are prayed
every Friday at 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. (Spanish)
Lufkin, St Patrick. Come Lord Jesus Lenten mission
is every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the parish office. Stations
are prayed Fridays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Madisonville, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Stations of
the Cross are prayed Fridays, in English following the
5:30 p.m. Mass and at 7 p.m. in Spanish.
Malakoff, Mary Queen of Heaven. Stations of the
Cross are prayed Fridays at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Spanish.
Marshall, St. Joseph. KC fish fries are Fridays at 6:30
p.m., with a pancake supper April 11. A couples’ retreat,
Season of Change, Season of Hope, will be March 14,
5:30-9 p.m., and March 15, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. A Spanish healing Mass will be celebrated March 28 at 6:30 p.m. Youth
will conduct Stations of the Cross April 11 at 5:30 p.m.
Nacogdoches, St. Mary Catholic Campus Ministry,
Stephen F. Austin State University. Knights of Columbus fish fries are Fridays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Stations of the
Cross are prayed Fridays, 4:30 p.m., in the chapel. An
“Iron Men” men’s retreat will be March 28-29 at the campus center. A “beloved” women’s retreat will be March
28029 at the center. Both retreats are free.
Overton, Our Lady Queen of Angels. Fish fries will
be March 7 and April 4, 4-7 p.m.
Paris, Our Lady of Victory. Stations of the Cross are
prayed Fridays at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (Spanish), followed by a soup meal or fish fry.
Sulphur Springs, St. James the Apostle. Stations of
the Cross are prayed Fridays at 8 a.m., followed by Mass,
and 7 p.m. (Spanish), followed by Mass. Fish fries are Fridays at 6 p.m.
Texarkana, Sacred Heart. KCs will have fish fries
most Fridays. Stations of the Cross are prayed Fridays at 7
p.m. A parish mission featuring author Kim Brown will be
March 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Tyler, St. Joseph the Worker. Holy Face of Jesus devotions are held Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Confessions will be
heard Fridays, 5:45-6:10 p.m., followed by Stations at
6:20 p.m. and Mass at 7 p.m. There will be no devotions
the week of March 16, as Father Scott Allen will be away.
Whitehouse, Prince of Peace. Parish retreat will be
March 9-13, beginning at 6 p.m., featuring soup suppers
and reflections in English and Spanish. A reconciliation
service will be celebrated on March 13 with several priests
available for confession. o
Louise Diegel Daugherty
HOLLY LAKE – Bishop Joseph E. Strickland
celebrated Mass of Christian Burial for Louise Diegel
Daugherty Feb. 11 in Holy Spirit Church at Holly Lake
Ranch. Daugherty, 88, died Feb. 8. She was the mother of
Msgr. Ron Diegel, pastor of Holy Spirit.
Surviving are children, Msgr. Diegel, Dianne Laudt,
Melinda Hlavenka, Tony Diegel Jr., Chris Diegel and
Jennifer Arthur; a brother, Lou Gillespie; 12 grandchildren
and six great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Holy Spirit Building
Fund, 1612 S. FM 2869, Holly Lake Ranch, TX 75765. o
6 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS March 14, 2014
WORLD
Sheen sainthood cause takes big step
Mother of possoble miracle child – With evidence of
her son’s alleged miraculous healing boxed and sealed in front
of a portrait of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Bonnie Engstrom gives a reading at a 2011 Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral
in Peoria, Ill. Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria, president of
the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, said early March
6 he received word that the seven-member board of medical experts who advise the Vatican Congregation for Saints’
Causes has unanimously approved a miracle attributed to the
intercession of Archbishop Sheen. CNS photo/Tom Dermody, The
Catholic Post
PEORIA, Ill. (CNS) – A seven-member team of medical experts convoked by the Vatican reported there is no
natural explanation for the survival of a child delivered
stillborn and whose heart did not start beating until 61
minutes after his birth.
The survival of the child, James Fulton Engstrom,
now 3 years old and developing normally, was credited
by his parents to a miracle attributable to the intercession
of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, a Peoria diocesan priest who
gained fame for his 1950s television show “Life Is Worth
Living” and his 16 years at the helm of the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith.
The medical experts’ report was announced March 6 in
Peoria by the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, which
is headed by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria.
“Today is a significant step in the cause for the beatification and canonization of our beloved Fulton Sheen,”
Bishop Jenky said in a statement. “There are many more
steps ahead and more prayers are needed. But today is a
good reason to rejoice.”
James’ mother, Bonnie Engstrom, described what happened when she addressed a 2012 gathering of the Midwest region of the Catholic Press Association in Peoria.
When Engstrom was pregnant with James, a feeling
came over her that “God wants this baby to exist,” she
said. “Maybe he’s going to be the pope. We didn’t know,
but we were shooting high.”
During delivery, what caused James to be stillborn was
that his umbilical cord had knotted itself, cutting off his
blood flow and oxygen supply. The more he progressed
through the birth canal, the tighter the knot became. “He
was born stillborn,” Engstrom said, remembering how
“his arms flopped by his side” when she reached for him
to hold him.
Others at the home birth did CPR and chest compres-
sions for 20 minutes waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
Engstrom said she had no pre-composed prayer asking
for help from Archbishop Sheen. “I just kept repeating
his name over and over in my head: Fulton Sheen, Fulton
Sheen, Fulton Sheen,” she recounted. “I didn’t know what
else to do.”
At the hospital, James was described as “PEA,” for
“pulseless electrical activity.” Medics tried two injections
of epinephrine. Neither worked. A nurse held one of James’
feet in an effort to give him some measure of comfort, and
Engstrom said she remarked later, “It was so cold, it was
so cold. It was like in the saying ‘cold and dead.’”
Engstrom remembered that a doctor in the emergency
room said, “We’ll try for five more minutes, then call it,”
meaning recording the time of death. “If he had known
about the previous 40 minutes” of efforts to revive him before arriving at the hospital, she said, “he would have just
called it.” She added, “They were just about to call it when
his heart started beating – 148 beats per minute, which is
healthy for a newborn. And it never faltered.”
The case will next be reviewed by a board of theologians. With their approval, the case could move on to the
cardinals and bishops who advise the pope on these matters. Finally, the miracle would be presented to Pope Francis, who would then officially affirm that God performed
a miracle through the intercession of Archbishop Sheen.
There is no timeline as to when these next steps might take
place.
If the Engstrom case is authenticated as a miracle,
Archbishop Sheen would be beatified, elevating his from
“venerable” to “blessed.” A beatification ceremony could
conceivably take place in Peoria, according to the foundation, which promotes his sainthood cause. In general, a
second miracle would need to be authenticated for canonization. o
Appeal not measurable yet in church attendance
Gene Therapies Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration Feb. 25-26. o
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Pope Francis’ popularity began immediately after his March
13, 2013, election when he walked onto the balcony and humbly greeted the crowd in St.
Peter’s Square. His appeal has been on a fast track ever since, causing many to speculate
a possible “Francis effect” of increased numbers of Catholics going to church. Although
there has been anecdotal evidence of a resurgence of interest in the church since the
pope’s election, it may still be too early to see if this interest translates to new or returning members to the fold. A Pew Research Center report released March 6 reiterates what
most people likely realize: Pope Francis is immensely popular among U.S. Catholics – so
much so that eight in 10 have a favorable view of him. But according to the poll’s results,
the pope’s popularity has not brought more people to Mass or the sacraments. The polling – conducted Feb. 14-23 among 1,821 adults nationwide that included 351 Catholics
– found no change in the number of Americans – 22 percent – who identify themselves as
Catholic now and those who did prior to the election of Pope Francis. The data also found
no change in self-reported rates of weekly Mass attendance among Catholics, which the
report said remains at 40 percent. o
Fast for Families spotlights immigration reform
Hunger, not religion, cause of conflict, says professor
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Hunger, not religion, is the root cause of conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, said professor Charles Steinmetz of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
“A hungry man is an angry man. If there is no job and you cannot feed your family
or kids, it leads to extremism,” said Steinmetz, a visiting assistant professor of history
at the Catholic university. Using Nigeria as an example, he said the Islamic extremist
group “Boko Haram sees the government as unable to assist the people.” In recent weeks,
Boko Haram killed approximately 250 Nigerians in attacks that targeted Christians and
moderate Muslims. Among those killed were 59 children. The group has been fighting to
impose Shariah, or Islamic law, throughout the country. Historically, the southern region
of Nigeria has been predominately Christian, while the northern region is predominately
Muslim. Though it appears that the violence comes from religious differences, in many
ways “it is almost coincidental that these issues break across religious lines,” Steinmetz
told Catholic News Service in a phone interview. An underlying cause of conflict in Nigeria is the legacy of colonialism, which left an indelible mark on the economic policies
of sub-Saharan Africa, he said. o
Research into three-parent babies considered
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Fertilization techniques that would create babies from the
DNA of three or four people to prevent the transmission of inheritable genetic diseases
are being questioned by ethicists and others who say the procedures fail basic ethical and
moral standards. Chief among the concerns is that the techniques, which involve replacing a mother’s mitochondria with that of an egg donor, would pass on genetic alterations
with unknown implications for future generations. The techniques are controversial because they involve altering an embryo’s DNA, leading to questions about whether the
government should approve the creation of, in effect, genetically modified humans. In
addition, the techniques rely upon in vitro fertilization, which the Catholic Church has
long opposed as immoral. In IVF, a woman’s eggs are removed, united with sperm in a
laboratory, and then implanted in the womb of the mother or a surrogate. The two forms
of the technology to overcome mitochondrial disease – maternal spindle transfer and
pronuclear transfer – were discussed during a hearing called by the Cellular, Tissue and
WASHINGTON (CNS) – The traditional Lenten practice of fasting is being paired
this year with the latest round of an ongoing campaign called Fast for Families, intended
to bring attention to the campaign for immigration reform. On Ash Wednesday, March 5,
more than two dozen presidents of Catholic colleges and universities pledged to fast for
24 hours in support of the effort. Their effort is one piece of the latest iteration of Fast for
Families, which also includes weekly commitments to fasting, local ongoing fasts and
cross-country stops at in-state congressional offices by national leaders of the campaign
that last fall was based in a tent on the National Mall. In a letter announcing their fast,
the college presidents said their 24-hour act of solidarity and prayer “for those who still
suffer because of cruel and impractical immigration policies” was a symbolic way of
opening the season of Lent by remembering “Christ’s journey of suffering in the desert
wilderness” by praying for immigrants who hunger and thirst for justice. The presidents
said they “draw encouragement from students on our campuses who work tirelessly to
turn this vision into a reality. Brave dreamers are inspiring their peers to join them in the
struggle for justice and dignity. Catholic students are praying and mobilizing and calling
on Congress to act.” o
Dates for 2015 display of Shroud of Turin announced
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Archdiocese of Turin, custodian of the Shroud of Turin, has announced that the shroud, venerated by many as the burial cloth of Christ, will
be on public display April 19-June 24, 2015. The archdiocese said the 67-day display will
be the longest period of time that the 14-foot-by-4-foot linen cloth has ever been available
for public viewing; providing a window of more than two months not only will allow
more faithful to see it, but also will make it easier for Pope Francis to schedule the visit
he has said he wants to make. At the same time, the Turin announcement said, the public
display will coincide with several events in Turin for young Catholics arriving to mark
the 200th anniversary in 2015 of the birth of St. John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians.
In early March, the archdiocese also announced that it had chosen a theme for the 2015
display: “The greatest love.” Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin said, “The greatest
love is God’s for men and women,” a love reflected in Jesus, “the son of God made man,
who accepted death on the cross for the salvation of all, in every time and every situation.” o
Copts differ on whether Christians persecuted
CAIRO (CNS) – Egypt’s minority Christians have various opinions regarding claims
that they are being persecuted in their predominantly Muslim country. In separate interviews with Catholic News Service, Copts – the name for Egypt’s indigenous Christians – agreed that that their nation was facing major difficulties, including turmoil and
violence, which had touched their personal lives in some way. Most of 12 interviewees,
from a variety of professional and educational backgrounds, expressed similar concerns
that Coptic immigration to the West was endangering the community’s historic presence
in the North African country, where Christians make up about 10 percent of an estimated
85 million people and constitute the Middle East’s largest Christian minority. But they
offered different views over whether they thought they were being targeted for their faith
and, if so, over whether the situation was worse now than it has been in the past. o
V I S I Ó N H I S PANA
March 14, 2013 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS 7
V I S I Ó N H I S PANA
Reflexiones...
Excmo. Señor Obispo Joseph E. Strickland
Como lo mencioné, el mes pasado, espero seguir reflexionando sobre los Precep
tos de la Iglesia durante los meses siguientes . Recordarán que esta reflexión está
enraizada en mi contemplación general sobre lo que Dios nos pide al seguirlo
fielmente. La realidad, de lo que el Señor claramente pide de nosotros, se afianza
en el pasaje del Evangelio según San Mateo, el cual fue proclamado el séptimo
domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, 23 de febrero. El pasaje concluye con el Señor
diciendo que debemos ser “perfectos como nuestro Padre del cielo es perfecto.”
Cualquier persona, racional, diría que esto es ciertamente imposible, ¿cómo podemos esperar ser perfectos? Pero inmediatamente vemos otro pasaje en el Evangelio donde el Señor dice “con Dios todas las cosas son posibles.”
Recordando que todas las cosas son posibles para Dios podemos regresar al primero de los Preceptos de la Iglesia, asistir a Misa todos los domingos y fiestas de
guardar.
Ciertamente este precepto está en el corazón de lo que significa ser católico practicante fiel. Vivimos en una era donde muy a menudo la gente es indiferente ante
la idea de “obligación”. Solemos resentir la idea de que estamos obligados a hacer
algo y a menudo pensamos que esto invade nuestra libertad. Muchos de nuestros
hermanos y hermanas no católicos (y también nuestros hermanos católicos) desafían los derechos de la Iglesia y ponen este precepto como una mera
“obligación”, pero la Iglesia lo ve, simplemente, como un desarrollo del mandamiento para santificar el Día del Señor. En un sentido real el Señor estableció este
como una ley para Su pueblo porque como católicos, sabemos que la Misa es el
acto más grande de oración y alabanza. Los mandamientos nos obligan guardar el
Día del Señor y la manera en que lo hacemos, como católicos, es uniéndonos al
Cuerpo de Cristo en la Misa.
Está claro que es completamente inadecuado seguir este mandato simplemente, a
la letra, porque el asistir a Misa los domingos no debería ser visto como un cumplimiento legalista de una obligación. Muchas veces pienso, en la Santa Madre
Iglesia, como Madre sabia que claramente pone de manifiesto lo que es bueno
para sus hijos.
Así, en el contexto de esta reflexión, el Señor nos
pide que cada domingo nos unamos a Él, a Su
sacrificio de amor. Expresado de esta manera,
creo que, este precepto nos mueve a una más
profunda comprensión sobre lo que esta ley de la
Iglesia trata realmente. El Papa Francisco constantemente y hermosamente nos recuerda que,
desde nuestro bautismo, estamos llamados a una
relación profunda e íntima con el Señor Jesús.
Este encuentro hermoso e íntimo con el Señor,
cada domingo en la Misa, pretende convertirse
en un re-toque para esa relación que cada vez es
más profunda.
Esto nos lleva al punto de reconocer que el precepto de asistir a Misa los domingos y días festivos esta enraizado en el intento
de ser un cristiano saludable. Aún cuando la asistencia a la misa dominical está
muy lejos de lo ideal, la asistencia en los días festivos se ha reducido a un nivel
deprimente en la vida de la Iglesia. Espero que al meditar la invitación amorosa
del Señor para encontrarse con Él, de una manera intima cada domingo, nos ayude a fortalecernos en el cumplimiento de esta obligación básica y movernos a
reflexionar sobre el significado de los días festivos en nuestra psique Católica.
El Señor nos pide que nos unamos a Él y nos fortalezcamos en Su sacrificio de
amor eterno cada domingo, oremos para que aceptemos siempre la invitación del
Señor con alegría .
Página Personal de la Red Social - Bishopstrickland.com
Tweet at: Bishop J. Strickland @ Bishopoftyler
El papa les aconseja a parejas comprometidas que no olviden que no es solamente el 'Sí'
Por Carol Glatz
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS)
El pasado 14 de febrero el sol brillaba,
después de una semana de fuertes lluvias, e iluminó a las
30,000 personas que
se habían reunido en
la Plaza de San Pedro en audiencia pública en este día,
día dedicado a las parejas que habían terminado los
cursos de preparación para el matrimonio, con planes
para casarse dentro de la iglesia este año.
El papa les dijo en su saludo a cientos de parejas comprometidas el día de la fiesta de San Valentín que no
tuvieran miedo de construir una relación permanente y
amorosa, dentro de una cultura en donde casi todo es
pasajero y de úsese y tírese.
El Papa Francisco les aconsejo a las parejas comprometidas que no olviden que después del 'Sí' sigue el
'¿Podría yo…?’ ‘¡Gracias!’ ‘Lo siento mucho.’
El secreto para una unión amorosa y duradera, dijo,
incluye el trato mutuo con respeto, amabilidad y gratitud; y nunca permitir que las luchas diarias y las riñas
estorben el hacer las paces y decir "Lo siento mucho".
"La familia perfecta no existe ni tampoco el marido o
la esposa perfecta, sin mencionar a la perfecta señora
suegra", dijo en medio de sonrisas y aplausos.
"Es que todos somos pecadores", dijo; pero "si aprendemos a decir lo siento y pedimos perdón, el matrimonio perdurará".
La idea de "Decir 'el Sí' para siempre" se originó en el
Pontificio Consejo para la familia; y su presidente es el
arzobispo italiano Vincenzo Paglia, obispo que fue de
Terni, sede que había venido desde San Valentín, obispo mártir de Terni del siglo III.
El arzobispo le dijo al papa que las jóvenes parejas
presentes en la plaza eran evidencia del gran número
de personas que quieren "ir contracorriente", cultivando un amor que dure por siempre y recibir la bendición
de Dios.
Las parejas comprometidas que habían ido a la audiencia recibieron un cojincillo con la heráldica del papa
Francisco y su firma. El cojincillo tenía dos listones de
satín para asegurar los anillos que se intercambiarían
en la ceremonia del matrimonio.
Tres de las parejas compartieron con el papa sus propias ideas y preocupaciones de cómo vivir dentro de
un matrimonio cristiano y le pidieron consejo.
El papa se sinceró diciendo que le habían dado las
preguntas por adelantado y que había escrito las respuestas, pero eso no lo detuvo para amplificar sus explicaciones, proporcionando más ejemplos y poniendo
énfasis en ciertos puntos.
"La vida en común es un arte, una jornada paciente,
bella y maravillosa"; pero eso no quiere decir que
"termine cuando se gane el corazón de la otra persona
y viceversa", dijo. Más bien, ¡"es exactamente entonces cuando empieza"!
“Para tener una familia saludable”, dijo, “se requiere
totalmente el uso frecuente de tres expresiones: '¿Podría yo…? ¡Gracias! Lo siento mucho’".
Las personas deben de ser más atentas a la forma como se tratan mutuamente, dijo. Deben cambiarse "las
pesadas botas de montaña" para caminar con mayor
delicadeza en la vida de otra persona.
El amor no es rudo ni agresivo, dijo, sino que es cortés
y amable; y en un mundo, que "con frecuencia es violento y agresivo, necesitamos mucha mayor cortesía".
Las parejas necesitan la fortaleza de reconocer cuando
hayan hecho algo mal y pidan perdón. La reacción
"instintiva" de echarle la culpa a otra persona "es la
causa de muchos desastres", empezando con Adán,
que comió el fruto prohibido. Cuando Dios le preguntó
si lo había hecho, dijo el papa, Adán se quitó la culpa
inmediatamente, diciendo "'¡Oh, no, ella, que está allí
fue quien me la dio!' Y así, acusó a la otra persona
para evitar decir 'Lo siento mucho', 'Perdón'".
Obviamente, las parejas cometerán errores y discutirán, pero "nunca, nunca, nunca dejen que termine el
día sin hacer las paces", dijo el papa.
Y no se necesita decir un discurso elocuente, dijo, pero
las cosas se tienen que aclarar, pues si no, los malos
sentimientos de adentro "se vuelven fríos y duros y es
mucho más difícil hacer las paces" con el transcurso
del tiempo.
Muchas personas no pueden imaginarse sentir amor y
estar casadas dentro de un matrimonio que dure para
siempre, o tienen miedo de ello, porque creen que el
amor es solamente un sentimiento o estado emocional
y físico, dijo; no obstante, "el amor es algo que nos
relaciona y que crece".
Intenciones de oración del
Santo Padre confiadas al apostolado de
la oración para el año 2014
MARZO
Universal:
Derechos de la mujer
Para que todas las culturas respeten los
derechos y la dignidad de la mujer.
Por la evangelización:
Vocaciones
Para que numerosos jóvenes acojan la
invitación del Señor a consagrar sus vidas
al anuncio del Evangelio.
8 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS March 14, 2014
V I S I Ó N H I S PANA
V I S I Ó N H I S PANA
“La Familia como Iglesia domestica, Iglesia Universal”
Por el P. Carlos Rangel
TYLER, TX—El Santo Padre
Francisco, nos ha expresado su
deseo firmísimo de invitar a
todos los fieles de buena voluntad para que este año 2014, oremos mucho por la familia. Precisamente el Sínodo de obispos
en unión con el Santo Padre,
que se llevara a cabo el mes de
octubre, 2014 en Roma, tratara
de analizar la realidad de la familia en el mundo actual, viéndola desde la perspectiva de la
Familia de Nazareth y los valores humano-espirituales que ofrece. Son
muchos y muy graves los desafíos que las familias de hoy están padeciendo, y la Iglesia nos unimos en oración y espíritu de caridad para hacer
examen serio sobre posibles auxilios. Desde la erección de nuestra Diócesis de Tyler, hace 26 años, bajo el apoyo espiritual y pastoral de nuestros
pastores diocesanos, y ahora con Msgr. Joseph E. Strickland, nuestro 4o
Obispo, nos alegramos de anunciar sobre el gran éxito, que nuestros encuentros y conferencias Marianas han obtenido.
Gracias al equipo coordinador, encabezado por el Rev. Raymundo
Garcia y Rev. Mary-John Bowlin, entre otros fieles laicos, religiosas,
sacerdotes y diáconos que fiel y generosamente han alegremente colaborado. Se han esforzado, desinteresadamente, en planear, desarrollar y
ejecutar tales talleres, en diversos puntos de nuestra diócesis del Este de
Texas.
Después de haberse llevado a cabo por varios años en la Centro Madre Teresa, en Bullard, Texas, el pasado octubre 2013 lo celebramos en
la Escuela Católica Regional T.K. Gorman, en
Tyler, Texas, nuestra
sede episcopal. Cabe
señalar que el evento fue indudablemente una
bendición grande para nuestra diócesis, pues la muy florida y rica participación de fieles, de mas de 35 parroquias y misiones lo demostró. Esto
es, por supuesto, motivo de jubilo y gozo espiritual, puesto que es un gesto palpable del grande amor y honor con que se le da ese merecido homenaje a la Estrella de la Nueva Evangelización, Maria, Madre de Dios, la
Teotokos, quien nos ofrece siempre el mejor regalo, que es su propio Hijo, Jesucristo, único Dios vivo y verdadero, encarnando en ella, para participarnos de su
divinidad y luego humanidad redimida.
DESDE YA, dicho equipo coordinador, les pide a todos los amantes
devotos y fieles de buena voluntad, que APUNTEN la fecha, 11 DE OCTUBRE, 2014, para nuestra PROXIMA “CONFERENCIA MARIANA”,
la cual también se llevara a cabo, Dios mediante, en la ESCUELA CATOLICA REGIONAL, T.K. GORMAN, en Tyler, Texas, casi vecina de
la Cancillería, en el Loop 323 y de la Capilla de Stos. Pedro y Pablo.
Jóvenes peruanos apoyan próxima
Marcha por la Vida 2014
LIMA, PERU- Levantando sus voces por los que no tienen voz y con la
convicción de que la vida es sagrada
desde la concepción hasta la muerte
natural, más de 500 jóvenes de Lima
(Perú) se han registrado hasta el momento como voluntarios para ser parte
de la Marcha por la Vida 2014, que el
año pasado reunió a más de 100 mil
personas.
Los jóvenes entre 16 y 30 años que
pertenecen a distintas organizaciones
de la ciudad, participaron el pasado
sábado 22 de marzo en el primer encuentro de voluntarios convocado por
los organizadores en la Universidad
Femenina del Sagrado Corazón, donde
se comprometieron a participar arduamente por la Marcha por la Vida Lima
2014 cuyo reto este año es alcanzar
los 200 mil participantes.
Durante el encuentro los voluntarios
recibieron por parte de los organizadores las camisetas oficiales del voluntario, así como un kit de información
útil para su misión.
Parte de sus tareas, serán repartir
volantes, vender camisetas de la Marcha, recolectarán donaciones por medio de alcancías y difundirán las actividades previas, durante y después de
la marcha por las redes sociales.
La Marcha por la Vida se llevará a
cabo el próximo 22 de marzo y recorrerá una de las avenidas más céntricas de la ciudad.
Según Oscar Escalante, miembro del
comité organizador, este es el “evento
más popular del país y que triplica en
número, con la participación de más
de 100 mil personas, a todas las manifestaciones que en un año se presentan
en el Perú como huelgas y paros”.
En esta manifestación de amor y de
alegría por la vida, participan personas
de todos los credos, instituciones,
ideologías, de buena voluntad, etc,
que defienden los valores de la vida y
la familia.
Por el momento, nos unimos en oración con el Santo Padre, Papa
Francisco y nuestro Sr. Obispo, Joseph, rezando muy seria, alegre y devotamente, el santo Rosario de cada 12 de mes o diario, voluntad amorosa
de nuestra Madre celestial, por el bien de la humanidad, y sobre todo de
cada familia, en particular. Esas fechas por supuesto, nos recuerdan el
gran Milagro Guadalupano, de Maria Virgen a San Juan Diego en el vecino país de México, y de la gran fe que nuestra Iglesia Católica ha puesto en quien fuera la predilecta hija de Sion, la esposa purísima y castísima
de San Jose, la siempre Virgen Maria, madre del verdadero Dios, por
quien se vive. Dios nuestro Padre celestial, nos siga bendiciendo abundantemente este proyecto Mariano Diocesano, ya que para El, es todo lo
que realizamos en espíritu de fe, esperanza y caridad alrededor de nuestra
Diócesis de Tyler, en honor y homenaje a quien nos regalo como nuestra
Madrecita.
Sírvase llamar para cualquier pregunta, duda o inquietud con el P.
Raymundo Garcia (936) 634-6833 Coordinador del Movimiento Mariano Diocesano, Diócesis de Tyler.
Integrantes del Equipo Parroquial para la Iniciación Cristiana de la parroquia de
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Esta fotografía fue tomada durante el día de formación,
ofrecido por la oficina diocesana de Formación en la Fe, para los equipos parroquiales de la Iniciación Cristiana el pasado 22 de Febrero del 2014 en la Parroquia de St.
Peter Claver, Tyler.
V I S I Ó N H I S PANA
March 14, 2014 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS 9
V I S I Ó N H I S PANA
¡Cine, Cámara, Acción !
Reseñas de Algunas Películas del Momento
¿De que tratan? ¿Vale la pena verlas?
Por Catholic News Service
NUEVA YORK (CNS) – Lo siguiente son breves resúmenes de las películas del momento. Dichas películas
han sido reseñadas recientemente por Catholic News
Service.
"About Last Night" (Screen Gems)
Esta versión vulgar de las costumbres contemporáneas
de citas combina comedia áspera con drama hueco según rastrea las fortunas románticas de dos mejores amigos y compañeros de trabajo (Kevin Hart y Michael
Ealy) que son flechados, respectivamente, por la lujuria
(con Regina Hall) y por el amor (con Joy Bryant). La
naturaleza revoltosa impulsada por la pasión de la primera relación contrasta con el carácter más moderado
de la otra. No obstante, ambas comienzan con un encuentro casual, mientras que el lazo supuestamente más
respetable culmina en lo que pasa, en este contexto,
como un importante compromiso mutuo: la importante
decisión de cohabitar. La actualización libre del director Steve Pink de la película de Edward Zwick de 1986,
basada como su predecesora en la obra teatral de David
Mamet de 1974 "Sexual Perversity in Chicago", carece
de toda apariencia de madurez moral. Opinión degradada de la sexualidad humana, fuerte contenido adulto
incluyendo actividad sexual no marital gráfica con desnudez parcial y cohabitación; uso de drogas, implacable
humor sucio, unos cuantos casos de obscenidad, lenguaje áspero y crudo predominante. La clasificación de
Catholic News Service es O -- moralmente ofensiva. La
clasificación de la Asociación Cinematográfica de
América es R -- restringida. Menores de 17 años de
edad requieren acompañamiento de padre o guardián
adulto.
advertidos fuertemente. Parte del material podría ser
inapropiado para niños menores de 13 años de edad.
"Robocop" (Columbia)
Hombre y máquina se fusionan, por cuarta vez, en esta
adición a la franquicia de ciencia ficción dirigida por
José Padilha. Su rehecho sirve algo del caos sin sentido
y la violencia innecesaria de la original de 1987, pero
incluye algunos mensajes oportunos sobre la avaricia,
la corrupción y los peligros de jugar a ser Dios. En el
2028 un policía de Detroit (Joel Kinnaman) se convierte en peón en el intento de un malvado conglomerado
de convencer al pueblo estadounidense de que el futuro
del control del crimen yace en su fabricación de un
nuevo híbrido humano-mecánico. El principal oficial
ejecutivo de la empresa (Michael Keaton) y el científico principal de este (Gary Oldman)) pronto se enteran
de que su creación tiene mente propia y una agenda que
no necesariamente es de su agrado. Intensa violencia de
acción incluyendo juego de armas, algo de lenguaje
obsceno y áspero. La clasificación de Catholic News
Service es A-III -- adultos. La clasificación de la Asociación Cinematográfica de América es PG-13 -- padres
"Vampire Academy" (Weinstein)
Pálida aventura de fantasía en la cual una benigna vampira adolescente (Lucy Fry) y su tutora en entrenamiento mitad humana (Zoey Deutch), quien a la vez hace el
doble de su mejor amiga, batallan contra una raza de
maléficos chupasangres, así como contra amenazas
internas desde dentro de los confines supuestamente
seguros de la escuela del título (presidida por Olga
Kurylenko y Gabriel Byrne). Ellos también encuentran
tiempo para el amor mientras la drenavenas le entrega
su corazón a un chico malo marginado social (Dominic
Sherwood) y el aprendiz guardaespaldas se enamora de
la mucho mayor entrenadora de artes marciales (Danila
Kozlovsky). Una de las características de los no muertos buenos en la adaptación del director Mark Waters
de una serie de libros de la novelista Richelle Mead es
que asisten a una versión de la iglesia. Pero el hundir
colmillos como una metáfora del sexo nunca está lejos
de la superficie, más problemáticamente cuando el personaje de Deutch permite que el de Fry se alimente de
ella. Eso y otros ingredientes hacen que esta receta poco atractiva, que depende demasiado de la mitología
autorreferencial, una porción inapropiada para los adolescentes que son su objetivo. Mucho combate cuerpo a
cuerpo y violencia de acción con sangre mínima, actividad sexual sismográfica no marital, numerosas referencias sexuales, lenguaje craso considerable. La clasificación de Catholic News Service es A-III -- adultos. La
clasificación de la Asociación Cinematográfica de
América es PG-13 -- padres advertidos fuertemente.
Parte del material podría ser inapropiado para niños
menores de 13 años de edad.
La Parroquia de San Francisco de Tejas tiene una invitación para las Quinceañeras
St. Francis of Tejas Church has an invitation for Quinceañeras
“Ofreciendo una Sesión de Formación para Quinceañeras”
“Offering a session of formation for Quinceañeras “
Fecha/Date:18 de Mayo 2014/May 18, 2014
Hora/Time: 3pm - 8pm
Almuerzo/Lunch: 2-3pm
Lugar/Location: St. Francis of the Tejas Church
609 N. 4th Street
Crockett, TX 75835 (936)544-5338
Por favor regístrese antes del 01 de mayo de 2014. Please register before May 01, 2014.
Ética e Integridad para
el Personal de la Iglesia
Diócesis de Tyler
www.dioceseoftyler.org/tribunal
La Renovación Carismática Católica
Si tiene alguna pregunta o duda
Favor de llamar al
Invita a TODOS los lideres y servidores de los diferentes grupos de oración
Promotor de Justicia
de nuestra diócesis a un “Retiro para Servidores”
Confidencial: (903) 266-2159
El cual se llevará acabo el día sábado 22 de marzo de 8am a 6pm en el
Knights of Columbus Hall ubicado en el 3509 SSW Loop 323 en
Tyler, Texas. (El salón está al cruzar el Restaurante “Sweet Sue’s”)
Registrarse antes del 17 de marzo a: [email protected] o al (903) 830-8755
*No habrá cuidado de niños*
FAX (903) 939-1037
[email protected]
Para reportar abuso de menores llame a:
Estado de Texas (800) 252-5400
10 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS March 14, 2014
V I S I Ó N H I S PANA
V I S I Ó N H I S PANA
FELICIDADES
Padre Hank Lanik & Padre John J. Gómez!
Misión cuaresmal de Nuestra parroquia
P.P. Redentorista
Fecha: Domingo, 15 de marzo al Miércoles, 18 de marzo
7:00
Domingo: Bautismo y Confirmación
Martes: Matrimonio y el Orden Sacerdotal
Martes: Reconciliación y Unción de los Enfermos
Miércoles: Eucaristía
Cada noche se darán los mismos temas
en la iglesia y el salón parroquial en Inglés y Español
Tyler, TX. El lunes, 10 de febrero nuestro Obispo Joseph
Strickland anuncio oficialmente la asignación del Padre Hank
Lanik como 4° rector de la
Catedral de la Inmaculada
Concepción en la Diócesis de
Tyler.
El Padre Lanik actualmente es
párroco de la parroquia de St.
Anthony en Longview, TX. El
Padre Lanik asumirá el cargo,
como rector, de la Catedral el
día primero de abril del presente año.
A su vez el pasado 14 de
febrero el Padre John Jairo
Gómez, actual párroco de la
parroquia de Holy Cross en
Pittsburg, TX. Fue asignado,
por el Obispo Joseph Strickland como Vicario Judicial
para esta diócesis. El padre
Gómez hizo su juramento durante el Retiro Anual para los
Sacerdotes de la diócesis, el
cual se llevó a cabo durante la
ultima semana del mes de febrero.
Esta es una oportunidad para los católicos,
ya sea la preparación para estos sacramentos
o la renovación de su entendimiento del poder de los sacramentos
Nuestra Señora
de los Dolores Iglesia Católica
Dirección: 102 1023 Corinth Road Jacksonville
903-586-4538 o 903-258-3911
www.oloschurch.com
El Matrimonio: El Amor y la Vida en el Plan Divino
Por Hna: Angélica Orozco, EFMS
El Comité de Laicado, Matrimonio, Vida Familiar
y Juventud y la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos
de Estados Unidos publicaron un documento en
el año 2010, en el cual, además de defender lo que
es el matrimonio, especifican ciertos desafíos que
los matrimonios enfrentan día con día. Los desafíos enumerados en este documento son los siguientes: (1) Los anticonceptivos. A este respecto el documento dice que el uso de estos “cierran
la posibilidad de la procreación y separan los significados unitivo y procreador del matrimonio”.
Dice además que el uso de los anticonceptivos
“suscitan muchas otras consecuencias negativas,
tanto personales como sociales. (2) Las uniones
del mismo sexo. A esto, los obispos declaran que
“Puesto que el matrimonio y las uniones del mismo sexo son realidades diferentes, no es discriminación injusta oponerse al reconocimiento legal
de las uniones del mismo sexo. Estas uniones
plantean una amenaza multifacética al bien de las
personas y de la sociedad. (3) El divorcio. En
cuanto a esto, los Obispos animan a la pareja a
vivir plenamente su unión matrimonial diciendo:
“El Matrimonio esta destinado a ser una unión y
alianza para toda la vida, que el divorcio pretende
romper. Las parejas en problemas así como las
personas divorciadas son alentadas a confiar en la
ayuda de Dios y acudir a los recursos de la Iglesia
en busca de apoyo y sanación”. (4) La cohabitación. A este último punto, dicen: “Muchas parejas
viven juntas en una relación sexual sin el matrimonio. Esto siempre esta mal y es objetivamente
inmoral, porque el completo don de uno mismo
solo puede realizarse dentro del compromiso publico y permanente del matrimonio. La cohabitación puede tener efectos negativos sobre las parejas mismas, así como sobre los hijos que sean parte de la relación. El documento termina con una
invitación de los Obispos a que los matrimonios
crezcan en el conocimiento y desarrollo de las
virtudes teologales, la fe, la esperanza y el amor.
“El amor, dice el documento, está en el corazón
de la vocación del matrimonio. Llama a los conyugues a imitar a Jesús con su disposición a sacrificarse en las situaciones cotidianas el uno para el
otro y por sus hijos. Las parejas deben también
crecer en las virtudes morales de la prudencia, la
justicia y la templanza”.
Como familia de Dios, todos los católicos estamos llamados a apoyarnos los unos a los otros.
Las familias sufren de muchas maneras, violencia,
injusticia, infidelidades, drogas, alcohol, amistades malsanas, etc. Ser solidarios los unos con los
ostros en un llamado fuerte a vivir de acuerdo al
evangelio y vivir según el evangelio es una necesidad que todo bautizado tiene. Apoyándonos los
unos a los otros lograremos un mundo mejor porque tendremos familias mejores.
La promesa al Obispo del 2014, “Bishop’s Annual Appeal”, "Seguir a Cristo en la Iglesia y con la Iglesia" tiene, para este año, una meta
de $1.6 millones. El luchar juntos para lograr esta meta nos proporciona una gran oportunidad para unirnos como católicos del noreste de
Texas y así apoyar los programas y servicios que la Diócesis de Tyler ofrece. Estos servicios son: (1) Apoyo al clero -Asistencia para sacerdotes jubilados-pensionados, Seguro Medico para el Clero jubilado-pensionado. (2) Apoyo a seminaristas, las vocaciones y la juventud,
Formación de seminaristas, Educación de Seminaristas y programa de discernimiento, Oficina de Vocaciones, Ministerios de la juventud.
(3) Evangelización y Formación en la Fe, Formación en la Fe, Evangelización y Pastoral Parroquial, Vida Familiar, Ministerio Hispano.
(4) Servicios Sociales y Servicios Especiales -(atención a los necesitados), Servicio de ética e integridad, Servicios del Tribunal, Catholic
East Texas—periódico diocesano, Caridades Católicas, Campus Ministry—Ministerio Universitario.
DIOCESE
March 14, 2014 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS
11
Pope Francis creates 19 cardinals as retired pope watches
By CINDY WOODEN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – On a feast day commemorating the authority Jesus gave to St. Peter and his successors – the popes – Pope Francis created 19 new cardinals
in the presence of retired Pope Benedict XVI.
To the great surprise of most people present, the retired
pope entered St. Peter’s Basilica about 15 minutes before
the new cardinals and Pope Francis. Wearing a long white
coat and using a cane, he took a seat in the front row next
to Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict’s presence at the consistory Feb. 22, the
feast of the Chair of Peter, marked the first time he had
joined Pope Francis for a public prayer service in the basil-
ica. Pope Benedict resigned Feb. 28, 2013, becoming the
first pope in almost 600 years to do so.
Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of
Washington, said all the already existing cardinals went
over to greet Pope Benedict. “The ushers kept saying,
‘Please, your eminences, take your seats, the Holy Father
is coming,’ and we thought, ‘But, but .…’”
Before beginning the service, Pope Francis walked
over to Pope Benedict, who removed his zucchetto to greet
Pope Francis. The scene was repeated at the end of the
consistory.
The new cardinals, including Cardinal Gerald Lacroix
of Quebec and Vincent Nichols of Westminster, England,
publicly recited the Creed and swore obedience to the pope
Cardinals-designate watch pope – Cardinals-designate watch as Pope Francis venerates St. Peter’s tomb in St. Peter’s
Basilica at the Vatican Feb. 22 as he arrives to lead a consistory at which he created 19 new cardinals. Retired Pope Benedict
XVI attended the ceremony, making his first appearance with Pope Francis at a public liturgy. CNS photo/Paul Haring
After a year, pope still full of surprises
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When Cardinal Jean-Louis
Tauran walked onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, telling the crowds in Latin: “I announce to you a
great joy. We have a pope!” not many people recognized
the name of then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Now, just one year since his March 13, 2013, election,
there are still many things most people do not know about
the 265th successor of Peter.
Here is a list of things people should know about Pope
Francis. He:
1. Has a way with birds: Pope Francis expertly handled
a white dove and a green parrot during different general
audiences in St. Peter’s Square. According to the pope’s
sister, Maria Elena Bergoglio, the future pope had a parrot
when he was in the seminary. And because he loved to
play jokes, she said, “I wouldn’t put it past him that he
taught the little beast a swear word or two instead of how
to pray.”
2. Has colorful work experience on his resume: In addition to having worked sweeping floors in a factory and
running tests in a chemical laboratory as a teenager, the
pope also used to work as a bouncer. Later, when he was
no longer kicking troublemakers out of clubs, he taught
high school literature and psychology, which, he said,
helped him discover the secret to bringing people back ...
to church.
3. Was a Jesuit Oskar Schindler: When then-Father
Bergoglio was head of the Jesuit province in Argentina, he
ran a clandestine network that sheltered or shuttled to safety people whose lives were in danger during the nation’s
murderous military-backed dictatorship.
According to witnesses, the future pope never let on to
anyone what he was doing, and those who were helping
him find rides or temporary housing for “guests” never realized they had been part of his secret strategy until years
later.
4. Is a homebody with missionary zeal: Even though
he has traveled extensively, the future pope considers himself “a homebody” who easily gets homesick. However,
he wanted to join the Society of Jesus because of its image
as being “on the frontlines” for the church and its work in
mission lands.
He wanted to serve as a missionary in Japan, but he
said his superiors wouldn’t let him because they were concerned about his past health problems.
5. Has an achy back: When the pope was 21, the upper
half of his right lung was removed after cysts caused a severe lung infection. While that episode never caused him
further health problems, he said his current complaint is
sciatica.
The worst thing to happen in his first month as pope
was “an attack of sciatica,” he said. “I was sitting in an
armchair to do interviews and it hurt. Sciatica is very painful, very painful! I don’t wish it on anyone!”
6. Was the strongest contender behind then-Cardinal
Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 conclave. If the Argentine
had been elected pontiff then, he would have chosen the
name John after Blessed John XXIII and taken his inspiration from “the Good Pope,” according to Italian Cardinal
Francesco Marchisano.
However, during the 2013 conclave, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes told the newly elected pope, “Don’t
forget the poor,” and that, the pope said, is when it struck
him to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, “the man of
poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects
creation.”
7. Starts his day at 4:30 a.m. “I pray the breviary every morning. I like to pray with the psalms. Then, later, I
celebrate Mass. I pray the rosary,” he has said. His workday includes reading letters, cards, documents and reports
as well as meeting cardinals, bishops, priests and laypeople. He eats lunch between noon and 1 p.m., then rests for
about 30 minutes before returning to work.
But his favorite part of the day is eucharistic adoration
in the evening. o
and his successors before receiving from Pope Francis a
red hat, a ring and the assignment of a “titular church” in
Rome, becoming part of the clergy of the pope’s diocese.
After they received their red hats, each of the new cardinals walked over to Pope Benedict and greeted him.
Cardinal Lacroix, accompanied by his mother and father at an afternoon reception, said Pope Benedict’s presence “surprised me so much that I broke down in tears.”
When he went to greet the retired pope, he said he told
him, “Holy Father, you are the one who called me to be a
bishop.”
Only 18 of the archbishops Pope Francis had chosen to
be among the first cardinals created during his pontificate
were present.
The oldest of the new cardinals – and now the oldest
cardinal in the world – Cardinal Loris Capovilla, 98, was
not present at the ceremony although he became a cardinal
the moment Pope Francis pronounced his name. A papal
delegate will deliver his red hat to his home in northern
Italy.
In his homily Pope Francis did not mention the standard point that the cardinals’ new red vestments are symbols of the call to serve Christ and his church to the point
of shedding their blood if necessary. Rather, he focused on
their being called to follow Christ more closely, to build up
the unity of the church and to proclaim the Gospel more
courageously.
The Bible, he said, is filled with stories of Jesus walking with his disciples and teaching them as they traveled.
“This is important,” the pope said. “Jesus did not come
to teach a philosophy, an ideology, but rather a ‘way,’ a
journey to be undertaken with him, and we learn the way
as we go, by walking.”
After listening to a reading of Mark 10:32-45, Pope
Francis also spoke about the very human, worldly temptation of “rivalry, jealousy (and) factions” the first disciples
faced.
The reading is a warning to the cardinals and to all
Christians to put aside concerns of power and favoritism
and “to become ever more of one heart and soul” gathered
around the Lord, he said.
Pope Francis told the new cardinals, who come from
15 different countries – including very poor nations like
Haiti and Ivory Coast – that the church “needs you, your
cooperation and, even more, your communion, communion with me and among yourselves.”
“The church needs your courage,” he said, “to proclaim the Gospel at all times” and “to bear witness to the
truth.”
The pope also told the cardinals that the church needs
their “compassion, especially at this time of pain and suffering for so many countries throughout the world,” and
for so many Christians who face discrimination and persecution. “We must struggle against all discrimination,” he
said.
“The church needs us also to be peacemakers, building
peace by our actions, hopes and prayers,” he said.
The consistory brought to 218 the total number of cardinals in the world; 122 cardinals are under the age of 80
and eligible to vote in a conclave.
The 18 cardinals who received their red hats from the
pope were Cardinals:
• Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, Italian, 59.
• Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of
Bishops, Italian, 73.
• Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, German, 66.
• Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for
Clergy, Italian, 72.
• Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, England, 68.
• Leopoldo Brenes Solorzano of Managua, Nicaragua,
64.
• Gerald Lacroix of Quebec, 56.
• Jean-Pierre Kutwa of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 68.
• Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 63.
• Gualtiero Bassetti of Perguia-Citta della Pieve, Italy,
71.
• Mario Poli of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 66.
• Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul, South Korea, 70.
• Ricardo Ezzati Andrello of Santiago, Chile, 72.
• Philippe Ouedraogo of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso,
69.
• Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato, Philippines, 74.
• Chibly Langlois of Les Cayes, Haiti, 55.
• Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, retired archbishop of
Pamplona, Spain, 84.
• Kelvin Felix, retired archbishop of Castries, St. Lucia, Antilles, 81. o
12
CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS March 14, 2014
PAR I S H
Que Pasa
A Lenten marriage retreat, Season of Change, Season
of Hope, will begin with 8 a.m. Mass March 15 in St. Joseph Church in Marshall and conclude at 2 p.m., sponsored
by the diocesan Family Life Office. For more information,
contact the office at 903-534-1077, ext. 165.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Immaculate Conception Conference, will sponsor a one-day workshop for
those working with individuals and families living in poverty. Bridges out of Poverty will be held 9 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. March 15 in the Cathedral Center in Tyler for persons
interested in helping end poverty one person, one family,
one neighborhood, one community at a time through systemic change. The workshop will combine videos, discussion groups and a question and answer session to provide
a better understanding of different economic classes and
suggest possible remedies to both symptoms of poverty and its underlying causes. Registration begins at 8:30
a.m. and a light lunch is included in the free workshop.
For more information, contact Kelly Jackman at 903-5701800 or email her at [email protected].
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Immaculate Conception Conference, will hold an Ozanam Orientation beginning with a 9 a.m. Mass April 5 at St. Mary Church in
Longview. A light lunch will be included in the free seminar. For more information, contact Lynn Fisher at 902597-2208 or email her at [email protected].
A Celebration of Confirmation and Beyond retreat will
be held April 4-6 at Twin Oaks Ranch in Lindale. For more
information call 903-963-9146 or visit http://tylerevangelization.com.
The diocesan Family Life Office has scheduled an additional English-language Marriage Preparation Day from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 26 in the Margil Center at Sacred
Heart Church in Nacogdoches. Previously scheduled Marriage Preparation Days are May 17, Aug. 9 and Nov. 8.
All of these sessions are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., in English at the
diocesan chancery in Tyler and in Spanish at Our Lady of
Guadalupe Church in Tyler. For more information, contact
the diocesan Family Life Office at 903-534-1077, ext. 165,
or visit dioceseoftyler.org.
West Central Deanery meetings will be held April 1 at
St. Teresa Church in Canton and June 3 at St. Peter Claver
Church in Tyler. Each meeting begins with dinner at 7
p.m., followed by presentations.
A pilgrimage to Italy for the canonization of Popes
John XXIII and John Paul II will be held April 21-30.
Participants will visit Rome and Vatican City as well as
Venice Padua, Assisi, Florence, Naples and the Isle of Capri. Cost is $2,895. For more information, contact Father
Bernard Boteju at 903-520-8062 or email fatherbernard@
aol.com.
Memorial chalice – Father Denzil Vithanage, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Marshall, holds a memorial chalice presented by the Knights of Columbus in memory of Father Denzil’s father, Andrew Vithanage. The presentation was made at
a memorial Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph E. Strickland at St. Joseph Catholic School in Marshall Feb. 10. Each week a
family from the parish takes the chalice to their home to pray for vocations. Showing the chalice after Mass are, from left,
Grand Knight Lloyd Curry, Deacon Juan Gonzalez, Bishop Strickland, Father Vithanage, Faithful Navigator Charles Reeves
and Third District Master Bill Elliott. Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Church
Athens
St. Edward Church. The parish garage sale will be
held March 15.
Carthage
St. William of Vercelli Church. The Knights of Columbus will hold fish fries in the parish activity center
5-6:30 p.m. each Friday during Lent (except Good Friday). Cost is $7 adults, $4 for children 12 and younger. At
6:30 p.m., the Knights will lead the Stations of the Cross
in the church.
Two special events are planned in coming days. Women of the parish are invited to an All that Glitters evening
social a6 6:30 p.m. March 10. Participants are asked to
bring appetizers to share and to wear their brightest bling.
An Irish Fest will be held at 6 pm. March 15 to benefit
Project String Power. Tickets are $10 at the door or available from Pat Templin. The event will feature great food
and music.
The parish will hold a Lenten retreat at 6 p.m. March
31-April 2. Sessions will be held in English at 6 p.m. and
in Spanish at 7:30 p.m.
Flint
St. Mary Magdalene Church. Community meals
served during Lent on March 14, 28 and April 4 and 11
will feature music, prizes and different menus.
A men’s ACTS retreat will be held March 20-23. Cost
is $160. For more information, call Albert Chabarria at
903-216-7778, Kyle Garner at 903-721-2912 or Pablo
Lara, 903-721-8450.
Frankston
St. Charles Borromeo Church. The parish will hold
its 17th annual fish fry 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 16 in the
church hall on U.S. 155 just north of Frankston. Donations
will be accepted for the church debt reduction fund.
Jacksonville
Essay winners – Steve Carden,
grand knight of Knights of Columbus Council #11093, St. Mary
Church in Longview, presents
awards Jan. 31 to local winners of
an essay contest sponsored by the
council. Sophie Kubicek and William DelZotto are eighth-graders
at St. Mary Catholic School in
Longview. DelZotto’s essay will go
on to be judged on the diocesan and
state levels. The theme of the essays
was The Importance of Religious Freedom. Photo courtesy of St. Mary Catholic
School
Our Lady of Sorrows Church. The parish is calling
for volunteers to work in its fourth annual community garden project. The church provides the land and water and
volunteers plant, water, weed and harvest vegetables for
local needy. For more information, call the church at 903258-3911.
Lindale
Holy Family Church. The parish will have a penance
service at 7 p.m. April 10 at the church.
Longview
St. Mary Church. A liturgy workshop for those interested in serving as altar servers, choir members, lectors,
ushers or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion will
be held 9:30 a.m. to noon March 22 in the parish center.
Lenten fish fries will be served by the Knights of Columbus Council #11093 after the 5:30 p.m. Mass each Friday during Lent (except Good Friday). Cost is $8 adults,
$4 for children ages 3-10, free for children under 3.
St. Mary Catholic School. Applications are available
in the church offices for two $1,000 scholarships to be
awarded to a member of St. Mary Church, St. Matthew
Church or St. Anthony Church in Longview or Our Lady
of Grace in Hallsville. Deadline is April 21. For more information, call Lisa Williams at 903-663-2925.
St. Matthew Church. Right to Life of East Texas will
Continued on page 13
March 14, 2014 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS
PAR I S H
On retreat – Thirty women from six dioceses gathered for a retreat Feb. 28-March 2. The
retreat, Come Away, My Beloved, a first for the Diocese of Tyler, offered a weekend of teaching,
13
ministry, fellowship and fun as participants learned how to hear and recognize God’s voice.
Photo courtesy of KerygmaTexas.com
Que Pasa
From page 12
hold its annual garage sale at the John Paul
II Family Life Center a block southeast of
the church on March 21-22.
The Longview Catholic School Endowment Fund will sponsor the 21st annual Msgr. Szapka Memorial Golf Classic
May 10 at the Wood Hollow Golf Club in
Longview, with tee times 9 a.m. to noon.
Entry fee is $110 per person, which includes green fee, cart, raffle tickets and a
$10 donation to the endowment fund). For
more information, contact Robert Walker at 903-736-5757, email him at [email protected] or call the Wood Hollow Golf Club, 903-663-4653.
Marshall
St. Joseph Church. A Lenten marriage retreat, Season of Change, Season
of Hope, will begin with Mass at 8 a.m.
March 15 and conclude at 2 p.m., sponsored by the diocesan Family Life Office.
For more information, contact the office at
903-534-1077, ext. 165.
Sulphur Springs
St. James the Apostle Church. Lenten fish fries will be held at 6 p.m. Fridays
in Lent through April 11. Cost is $10 adults
all you can eat, $7 for a four-piece plate
and $6 for children under 10. The meals
are provided by the Knights of Columbus
Council #8975.
A Mexican breakfast will be served after the 9 a.m. Mass March 9. Donations are
welcome.
Stations of the Cross in English will be
held after the 8 a.m. Mass each Friday and
in Spanish after the 7 p.m. Mass.
Texarkana
Sacred Heart Church. Sacred Heart
parishioners are invited to join members of
St. Edward Church on the Arkansas side of
> >
>
Texarkana for a parish retreat at the Benedictine Monastery at Subiaco, Ark., June
20-22.
Tyler
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The second annual White Mass
recognizing those in the medical community will be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. March
8 in the cathedral. Father Nolan Lowry will
be the homilist. A reception will follow in
the Cathedral Center. Contact ekosnik@
mac.com for more details.
The next Covenant of Love Date Night
will begin at 6:30 p.m. March 15 in the Cathedral Center, sponsored by Marriage and
Family Ministry. The ministry will also
sponsor a St. Patrick’s Day party for families 3-4:30 p.m. March 16 in the Cathedral
Center, featuring crafts, snacks and a movie. Email [email protected] for more
information.
The Knights of Columbus will hold fish
fries March 21 and April 4 at the KC Hall
on WSW Loop 323.
A healing Mass will be celebrated
March 20 in the Chapel of Sts. Peter and
Paul on the campus of Bishop T.K. Gorman Regional Catholic Schools in Tyler.
Father Basil Aguzie of the Missionary
Society of St. Paul, pastor of Holy Cross
Church in Austin, will be the celebrant.
Adoration and confession will begin at 5
p.m. followed by praise and worship and
Mass. For more information, call 903-3433567.
A farewell reception to Father Anthony
McLaughlin, cathedral rector, will follow
the 5:30 p.m. Mass March 22.
The Italian-American community will
celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph with a potluck 4-6 p.m. March 23 at the KC Hall on
WSW Loope 323 in Tyler. Please RSVP by
March 19 to Terri Page at 903-597-6867 or
Jim Gaspirini, 903-530-5986.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter will
sponsor a marriage enrichment event beginning with an 8:30 a.m. Mass March 29
at the cathedral. The featured topic, How
Many Ways Can I Say ‘I Love You’? will be
followed by lunch. For more information,
email [email protected].
The 22nd annual Milam Joseph Golf
Tournament will be held April 14 at Wil-
low Brook Country Club to benefit the Tyler Catholic School Foundation. For more

he
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 54 Fast plane
 55 Little bit
rossord
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56 France and
Germany river
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information, call 903-521-0934 or email
[email protected].
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© 2014 www.tri-c-a-publications.com
Based on these Scripture Readings: 1 Cor 4: 1-5;
Mt 6: 24-34 and Gn 2: 7-9, 3:1-7; Rm 5: 12-19; Mt 4:
1-11 and Gn 12: 1-4a; 2 Tim 1: 8b-10; Mt 17: 1-9

1 Cliff
5 Fortify
8 Saloon
11 Priest title (Spanish)
13 Legume
14 Vane direction
15 Pounce
16 Beige
17 Day of the wk.
18 Sodden
20 11 were piping
22 Can’t serve two
26 Retired persons group
27 Mormon state
28 Sagas
30 Ruby
31 Spore plants
probably in 41A also
32 If you eat, you
will _ _ _
35 Great Eastern saint
36 “Called to a ___ life”
37 Raised from the ____
39 Small, graceful
antelopes
41 Eden
43 Congressional vote
44 Bullfight cheer
45 Klutz
47 Stewards are worthy of
51 Christmas month
52 Employ
53 Afloat (2 wds.)

1 Hertz
2 Uncooked
3 Hoopla
4 Expansion
5 Liable
6 Do not sow or ____
7 Madmen
8 He and James and John
9 Jacob’s name meant
10 Honey makers
12 Fencing sword
19 Eden had many
21 Old-fashioned Dads
22 Stein
23 Adam & Eve did to fruit
24 Surface to air missile
25 Hyssop branch
29 Mosaic
31 Fading away (2 wds.)
32 Pain unit
33 Peaked
34 A symbol for
the Father
35 Evil
36 God knows motives
of ___
37 Dells
38 Construct
40 Sixth Greek letter
41 Adam & Eve wanted
to be like ___
42 Space administration
46 Good shepherd make
sure sheep are
48 America
49 Galilee water
50 Sticky black
substance
14 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS March 14, 2014
DIOCESE
Teachers throughout diocese receive formation endorsements
TYLER – Educators involved in religious formation
classes throughout the Diocese of Tyler took a variety of
classes during the past year.
Endorsements earned include:
Basic – Rita Bosold, St. Ann, Winnsboro; Helen Braun,
Michael Strain, St. Mary, Longview; Lydia Chabarria, St.
Therese, Canton; Enereida Dixon, Ana Pareides, Our Lady
of Sorrows, Jacksonville; Maria Escobedo, Mary Sue
Jagers, St. Joseph, Marshall; Jackie Fabos, Blanca Garcia,
St. Peter Claver, Tyler; Ben Fletcher, Marina Martinez,
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Tyler;
Also, Sara Flynn, Sacred Heart, Palestine; Dianne M.
Hester, St. Peter the Apostle, Mineola; Glenda Moore, St.
Lawrence of Brindisi, Waskom; Enrique Nuñez, Noralba Nuñez, Our Lady of Guadalupe, New Summerfield;
Jodi Phillips, SFAS, Nacogdoches; Sister Kopnstancja, St.
Mary Magdalene, Flint.
Beginning – Mary Stefanie Brunner, Angelica Cordero, St. Patrick, Lufkin; Ana Decious, St. Michael, Mt.
Pleasant; Catherine Eleuze, Jennifer Grabeel, Ryan Las-
seigne, Shallon Lasseigne, St. Mary, Longview; Mike
Lakey, Silvia Stroman, Tonya Wenzel, Immaculate Conception, Jefferson; Edna Landaverde, St. Francis of Assisi,
Gilmer; Jessica Landers, Sacred Heart, Palestine; Janie
Landin, Our Lady of Sorrows, Jacksonville;
Also, Ruby Lynch, Juana Ramirez, St. Peter the Apostle, Mineola; Glenda Moore, St. Lawrence of Brendisi,
Waskom; Enrique Nuñez, Pat Oviedo, Sonia Rubio, Evelia Suarez, Inocenia Suarez, Our Lady of Guadalupe, New
Summerfield; Jodi Phillips, SFA, Nacogdoches; Sister
Konstancja Sledziewska, St. Mary Magdalene, Flint; Sue
Teets, Cyknthia Trahan, St. Francis of the Tejas, Crockett;
Claudia Tovar, St. Patrick, Lufkin;
Also, Simona Vallejo, St. Andrew, Lufkin; Diana
Velez, Our Lady of Sorrows, Jacksonville; Margo Williams, St. Pius I, Hemphill; Meriah Wright, Sacred Heart,
Nacogdoches.
Intermediate – Daisy Black, Our Lady of Fatima,
Daingerfield; Ben Fischer, Mariela Gonzalez, Maria “Lily”
Mendez, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Tyler;
Vincenta Maldonado, Lazaro Maldonado, Leticia Philbert,
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Tyler; Sue Owens, Yvette Stabbs,
Our Lady of Sorrows, Jacksonville; Jodi Phillips, SFA,
Nacogdoches; Charlene Silva, St. Therese, Canton.
Advanced – Jodi Phillips, SFA, Nacogdoches; Bob
Poinsett, Frances Poinsett, Janie Sepulveda, Sacred Heart,
Palestine; Beverly Wilson, St. Mary, Longview.
Advanced renewal – Loiette Dixon, Sacred Heart,
Palestine; Bernita Hull, St. Bernard, Fairfield; Diana Peña,
St. Mary of the Cenacle, New Boston; Carl Turner, Diane
Turner, St. Joseph, Marshall; Elizabeth Wieze, St. Peter
the Apostle, Mineola.
Professional religious educator – Sandra Lara, St.
Jude, Henderson.
PRE renewal – Kay Hish, Prince of Peace, Whitehouse; Deacon Trevor Wells, St. Mary, Longview.
Christian initiation – Mariela Gonzalez, Cathedral of
the Immaculate Conception, Tyler; Deacon Trevor Wells,
St. Mary, Longview.
Prison ­– Brandon Pennington, Tennessee Colony. o
Letters to the Editor
Diocesan giving supports
Catholic communications
To the Editor:
A recent check from the Diocese of Tyler for $9,172.01
will be posted to the 2013 Collection for the Catholic
Communication Campaign.
I am grateful for the generous gifts of the parishioners in
your diocese.
Sincerely,
Bevin C. Kennedy,
Assistant director, promotions
Office of National Collections
Church in Latin America
aided by East Texas giving
St. Jude member
attains Eagle rank
HENDERSON – Tytus Lee Griego, 18, a son of Lee
and Nicol Griego, has been awarded the Eagle Scout rank.
A member of Troop 316 chartered at First United
Methodist Church in Henderson, Griego attends
Henderson High School and plans to pursue a career in
law enforcement. He is a member of St. Jude Church in
Henderson.
On his way to the Eagle, Griego served as assistant and
later senior patrol leader. He is a Brotherhood member of
the Scout honor camping fraternity Order of the Arrow,
and earned 28 merit badges, surpassing the 21 required
for Eagle. For his Eagle Scout project, he organized and
directed cleaning, repair and painting of the gazebo at
Lake Forest Park in Henderson.
Fewer than 5 percent of all Boy Scouts attain the Eagle
rank. o
To the Editor:
On behalf of the Subcommittee for the Church in
Latin America, I would like to express my gratitude to
the Diocese of Tyler for its generous contribution of
$24,607.55 for the 2013 Collection for the Church in Latin
America. The subcommittee awarded 393 pastoral grants
in 2013 totaling $5,548,716 for such projects as formation
of seminarians and religious, youth ministry projects and
support of pastoral activities.
On behalf of the subcommittee and those who benefit
from the collection, I offer my humble thanks.
Bishop Eusebio L. Elizondo, MSpS
Auxiliary bishop of Seattle,
Chairman, USCCB Subcommittee
on the Church in Latin America
Catholic Relief Services collection soon
To the Editor:
On behalf of Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president
of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I extend my
gratitude for the contribution of $26,919.12 from the 2013
Father Poandl sentenced in federal sex case
CINCINNATI – Glenmary Father Robert “Bob”
Poandl was sentenced Feb. 12 to seven and a half years
in prison after his September conviction on federal child
sex charges.
He was found guilty in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati of transporting a 10-year-old boy to Spencer, W. Va.,
in 1991 and sexually assaulting him.
His attorney had asked for a lesser charge, noting that
Father Poandl has been diagnosed with late-stage kidney
cancer.
Father Poandl served in the Diocese of Tyler from
1993-1999 in the Mount Vernon, Daingerfield and Pittsburg area and was involved with Marriage Encounter and
Retrouvaille.
Diocesan officials say no one in East Texas has come
forward claiming abuse by the priest since his indictment
in 2010. Public notices encouraging victims to come forward are placed in Catholic East Texas and parish bulletins. A message also is posted on the diocesan website at
dioceseoftyler.org on the Ethics and Integrity page.
After the priest’s conviction last year, Father Gavin
Vaverek, diocesan promoter of justice, said no one in the
Tyler Diocese had come forward with any allegations of
impropriety, but that a number of people “made statements
of support of his ministry during his time here.”
As promoter of justice, Father Vaverek coordinates the
diocesan response to allegations of impropriety or abuse
by church personnel.
“I would again remind everyone that anyone with a
suspicion of illegal behavior should contact the civil authorities,” he said last year. “Anyone with any suspicion of
abusive or improper behavior by church personnel should
contact my office. All communications are confidential.”
Father Vaverek emphasized that the State of Texas
mandates that any suspicion of abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult must be reported to the state.
To report suspicions to Father Vaverek, call 903-2662159 or email [email protected].
To report suspicions to the State of Texas, call 800252-5400. o
Catholic Relief Services collection in the Diocese of Tyler.
This collection supports six Catholic agencies whose
programs help families suffering from war, famine,
extreme poverty and natural disasters. They also aid the
victims of human trafficking, unaccompanied minors and
immigrants trying to reunite with their family members.
Our next collection is scheduled in most dioceses March
29-30. The millions of people who benefit from this
collection continue to rely on our prayers and financial
support for basic daily needs. We offer our heartfelt
gratitude to the priests and parishioners of the Diocese of
Tyler for their commitment and generosity to the Catholic
Relief Services collection. They demonstrate genuine love
and compassion for all who are helped the collection.
Gratefully yours in Christ.
Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr
Archbishop of Cincinnati
Chairman, Committee on National Collections
Tyler gifts assist typhoon victims
To the Editor:
We have received a check for $39,539.35 for the
Typhoon Haiyan Recovery Collection. I am grateful to the
parishioners in your diocese.
(In addition to the amount sent to the Office of National
Collections, diocesan funds totaling $16,945.43 were
remitted directly to Father Gus Tharappel, MSFS, for
support of Fransalians seminarians who are from the area
hit by the typhoon.)
Sincerely,
Bevin C. Kennedy,
Assistant director, promotions
Office of National Collections
Tyler enables CUA to give students aid
To the Editor:
On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and Board of
Trustees of The Catholic University of America, I thank
the parishioners of the Diocese of Tyler for their continued
support of the national collection for CUA.
The Diocese of Tyler’s generous contribution of $19,661
assists students who attend the university. Along with other
funds and awards, the university is able to award financial
aid to 80% of our undergraduate students.
Gratefully yours,
John Garvey
President
Donations aid Holy Father’s ministry
To the Editor:
On behalf of the Holy Father, I thank the Diocese of
Tyler for its offering of $23,707.27 as Peter’s Pence for the
year 2013.
His Holiness very much appreciates this donation and
the sacrifices which it entailed. The gift not only assists
him in his universal pastoral ministry but is also a witness
to the people’s communion in faith and love with the
Successor of Peter.
Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
March 14, 2014
PEOPLE
CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS
15
Profile
From page 16
uary, 1986, followed by Naomi
Kristen, in February, 1987.
Philip went into the RCIA
program, accompanied by Debbie, and on Oct. 13, 1989, became
Catholic. “It was a Friday 13th
with a full moon,” Philip said.
“For what that’s worth.”
The whirlwind engagement
and maternal disapproval triggered another drive in Philip. He
had been working at various jobs
ever since dropping out of Bible
college, but his life took a sudden
turn.
“All my life I had been put
down,” he said. “My mother told
me I was stupid.”
Part of this perception came
because his eldest brother was
especially bright. “He used to
bring math books home to read
for fun,” Philip said. “Alan was
the golden child.” Philip was the
youngest, after Alan and Tim.
“I needed to prove I was
smart,” Philip said. He enrolled
in Weber State College in Ogden,
Utah, where he studied math and
physics. “I wanted to go into the
aerospace field,” he said; “but
when I graduated in 1991, the
cold war had ended, the Berlin
Wall was down and there were
massive layoffs in my field.”
Instead of working in an
aerospace
he industry, Philip found
himself selling computers in retail. “That’s all right,” he said.
“Having
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Back in Utah, Debbie told
Philip about the offer and asked
if he wanted to go. “I said sure,
and gave six months’ notice.” The
family moved to DeBerry, about a
dozen miles northeast of Carthage
near the Louisiana state line.
“We loved the area, but it was
a real culture shock,” Debbie said.
“Philip was overqualified for everything around here, so I went to
work as a seamstress.” They did
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© 2014 Tri-C-A Publications
not at first attend St. William of
Brindisi Church in Carthage, but
turned their eyes north and went
to St. Mary of the Pines Church
in Shreveport.
When the girls started school
in August of 1993, however, the
orientation swung around 180 degrees and the family focused on
Carthage.
“I had been teaching faith
formation at St. Rose of Lima
Church in Layton, Utah,” Debbie
said, “and when Father found out
about that, he said, ‘We’ve been
waiting for you.’”
Then-pastor Father Ben Smylie, she said, called for teachers.
Later, she added, “The Lord
picked me up by the seat of my
breeches to go up and be part of
the parish council.”
She began teaching faith formation in Carthage, and Philip
became involved in the religious
education program and RCIA in
the late ’90s.
Other changes rocked the
family during this time. Within
10 months of moving to Texas,
Philip’s mother died, and a month
later, his father followed her. “We
went back to Utah for Mom’s
funeral, and then a month later,
turned around and did it all over
again,” he said.
In 2004, his Uncle Pete died
and he
the family went to Pennsylvania for that funeral. “I met my
grandparents (on her biological

rossord
father’s side) and two of my three
new sisters then,” Debbie said.
“Later I got to meet the rest of the
family.”
In addition to her work sewing custom clothing and later
helping manage the company,
Debbie picked up a paper route in
1998, rising at 4:30 every morning to deliver the Marshall Messenger, Longview News-Journal
and Shreveport Times, a job she
still holds.
“When Father Ben left, they
needed a secretary,” Debbie said.
“It was only part-time, but I felt
that was what the lord wanted.
That was my mission – to be secretary and teach formation.”
Since she was by then working about 40 hours a day, Debbie
dropped her management job and
concentrated on the paper route(s)
and secretarial duties.
Philip had been unemployed
for about a year before he went to
work for WalMart. “I’m a geek.
I know electronics,” he said, “so
of course they put me in sporting
goods and I don’t play sports;
then they put me in gardening and
I don’t know a pansy from a petunia.” He intended to work there
for about six months but ended up
staying 10 years.
Then Debbie, in a casual conversation with a librarian from
Panola College, found the school
was looking for an electronics lab
technician.
Philip got the job, but he still
worked at WalMart as well. “I
was putting in about 70 hours a
week and it threw me into a deep
depression,” he said. “We were
in a tight financial situation, but I
couldn’t keep working 70 hours a
week.”
At the time of his uncle’s
death, Philip and Debbie helped
auction off the estate, and received a small windfall from that,
which helped.
“It was a small inheritance,”
Debbie said, “but it enabled us to
buy my brother’s property here.”
On the down side, however,
that meant a personal loss. “We
had looked forward to having an
extended family together when
we moved here,” she said. “Instead, everybody left. They’re all
back in Utah while we’re here in
Texas.”
Tight times continued, and the
family lived on rice and beans,
macaroni and cheese. “Samaritans helped us, and the secretarial
job went up to 40 hours a week,”
Debbie said. “But the church is in
need, too, so I’ve backed off to
about 30 hours here.”
Another death helped Debbie
and Philip, but at the cost of his
brother Alan, who was teaching statistics at the University of
Utah. Alan died of a heart attack,
and Philip was his beneficiary.
“He wanted me to be quit of my
job at WalMart,” Philip said.
This was an important change
for Philip, whose health had begun to deteriorate. Despite all their
difficulties, however, both Philip
and Debbie continued to work in
and for the church.
Philip taught RCIA for a couple of years and in the late 1990s
helped found a local chapter of
the Legion of Mary. He also is a
Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus.
In addition to her secretarial
duties, Debbie spent years teaching faith formation, is a former
director of the faith formation
program and now serves as an advocate for the diocesan tribunal.
Neither Debbie nor Philip
seem to find anything unusual
about their various involvements.
“If the Lord calls, you have to
listen,” Debbie said, “especially
if he’s using Father’s voice and
looking you right in the eye.” o
> >
>

P I P I T
A R C M A M
Lenten Mission
A Redemptorist
R O S E
K I A
U Parish
F O
D E Sunday,
I S M
I March
O N
S 15
O S– Wednesday, March 18
U P O N
A F I R7:00
E p.m.
A N G E L S
S P I C E S
L Y E
E MO T E R
& Confirmation
A C T H Sunday:
I I I
EBaptism
V E R
Tuesday:
Matrimony
& Holy Orders
A D U L T S
I O U
ATuesday:
S Y L U M Reconciliation
C H R I S T & Sacrament of the Sick
S T I F F W HWednesday:
O A
Eucharist
H O E
F F A U R B A N
E L L
L U G
L E A S E
talks will be given
R E D Each
E N night
E D Rthe
Y Esame
R
in
the
church
© 2014
Tri-C-A
Publications and parish hall
in English and Spanish
Childcare available
Refreshments nightly
This is an opportunity for Catholics,
whether preparing for these sacraments
or renewing their understanding
of the power of the sacraments.
  rossord
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
he
1023 Corinth Road
Jacksonville
903-586-4538 or 903-258-3911

S P A
L A W S www.oloschurch.com
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16 CATHOLIC EAST TEXAS March 14, 2014
Profile
The music spoke to me
that was the first crack in the shield;
I looked for answers
By JIM D’AVIGNON
CARTHAGE – The roads traveled by Philip and
Debbie Scholl stretch across the country, from Virginia to California, Oregon to Texas, and they sampled many belief systems enroute.
But in the end, all roads led to Texas, and all
faith centered on Jesus Christ and the teachings of
the Catholic Church.
Debbie, a daughter of Daniel Marion Kozerski
and Elise Hall, was born in Fort Smith, Va., and
moved with her family to Florida when she was 5 or
6. About a decade later, when Debbie was 16, they
moved to the San Fernando Valley in California,
where her father’s work in electro-mechanical research led him.
“My father was Catholic, but he left the church
when he married Mom,” Debbie said. “I was raised
– I don’t know – Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran.”
Debbie finished high school in California and attended Pierce College, but was prone to an ongoing
sense of depression.
Whatever denominations she had experienced
growing up, Debbie was left with a void and a need
for something more. “A girlfriend and I left California looking for God,” Debbie said. They also had
a sense of impending finality to this world’s social
structure. “We wanted to be prepared,” she said.
“We went to the backwoods (Clayton, Ga.) to learn
how to live off the land.”
In Georgia, Debbie met Father Anthony Jablonski, a priest working in American mission areas. He
gave the young woman Christian Initiation training
for a couple of years and when the priest was transferred to North Carolina, Debbie followed. There,
in 1976, Debbie became a Catholic at a small church
in West Jefferson, N.C.
“Father wanted us to take another year of instruction,” she said. She did, and was confirmed in
North Carolina. Her friend became pregnant, and
Debbie subsequently moved into a local home that
took in wayward girls, where she served as a “big
sister.”
“Steve and Mary’s child was born in June,” Debbie said, “and in 1978, I moved back to California.”
From there she went to Ogden, Utah, where she was
nanny and housekeeper for her brother’s wife
By the time Debbie was in her
late 20s, she felt a need for something
more in her life. “About 1980-81, because I was almost 30 I felt I needed
socializing. I was single and hungry.”
That hunger led her to join a square
dance group which was to change her
life.
But put Debbie on hold for a moment, and look at Philip. He was born
in Harrisburg, Pa., where his father was a civilian
contractor at Olmstead AFB (closed in 1969).
When Philip was four years old, the family
moved to Clearfield, Utah, a couple of miles outside
Salt Lake City. “When I was there, our home was
surrounded by orchards and fields,” he said. “Today,
that’s all urban sprawl. You’d never think it was
ever anything but city.”
In 1965, when Philip was five, his father’s boss
invited the family to his independent fundamentalist
church. “I didn’t know what that was,” Philip said,
“but I remember it was very anti-Catholic. The sermons were full of fire and brimstone and the preacher tried to instill a fear of God, a God who was very
wrathful and vengeful. They really did a number on
me.”
Philip paused a moment, remembering. “I kept
thinking there has to be something more than reading the Bible and singing the psalms.”
He ran across a musical score, “Calm Is the
Night” (by Jack O’Hagan) sung by the monks of
Westin Priory. “The music spoke to me of mysteries
I didn’t understand,” Philip said. Because he felt
others wouldn’t approve, he listened to the music in
the closet.
“That was the first crack in the shield,” he said.
“When I left home, I looked for answers.” His
search led him to enroll in a Bible college in Oregon, where he studied an accelerated program in
Greek.
“I was disappointed,” he said. “They taught a
sort of disproportional theology. I saw how they had
to twist everything around. They’d tell me, ‘The
Bible says this, but really means that.’”
Philip was also disappointed in the college library, which, he said, seemed very limited in scope.
He went to nearby Mt. Angel Catholic Seminary and
got a library card. “That was kind of a haven there
for me,” he said. “I started looking up things and
found that the theology I had been studying was not
really historical. In fact, it was only about 200 years
old. The whole package started about the 1830s.
I felt a truly historical college had to go back to
Christ.”
Philip did not return to his college for a second
semester, but returned to Utah to work
The Lord picked me up
by the seat of my breeches
to go up and be part of the council
Philip and Debbie Scholl Jim D’Avignon/CET
of mysteries I didn’t understand –
He also took time out for fun. “My Mom and
Dad were square dancers, so I joined a Single
Swingers dance club,” Philip said. “That’s where I
met Debbie, and she was Catholic”
Despite his searching, however, “I wasn’t ready
to become Catholic, even though I no longer wanted
to be what I had been.”
“We danced the second dance and I immediately
started falling in love,” Debbie said. “The first time
we danced was on Sept. 17. In late October I found
out he was eight years younger (than me).” Her
birthday is Nov. 3 and Philip’s is Nov. 24.
The age difference didn’t matter, as it turned
out, however. “We never even talked about getting
married,” she said. “We just considered ourselves
engaged.”
Philip chimed in, “Six months to the day after
we first danced, on St. Patrick’s Day, we were to
be married. My mother disowned me, but that only
lasted a couple of weeks. We said we’d move the
wedding back to February, but my mother said, ‘Oh,
no, we have too much to do to get ready.’ She came
around.”
By their second date, Philip had begun asking
about Debbie’s faith. “I researched it and I wanted
something, but the first time you go to Mass, people
are doing weird things – standing, kneeling, everybody together. I asked myself, where’s the script?”
As a result, Philip said, “I became Lutheran as
a compromise. They got me. I was baptized in the
Lutheran church.” Even after he married Debbie in
1984, Philip maintained his search. At the time of
their marriage, also, Debbie found out she had a natural father living in the East, along with three sisters
she had never known about.
Philip had been touched by Catholicism and continued to look into the faith. “At the time I was a security guard working 12-hour shifts,” he said. “But
I decided it was time to sit down and re-evaluate my
core beliefs. I started looking for books about the
Catholic Church.
Philip ran across a book, Father Smith Instructs
Jackson (by John Francis Noll and Albert J. Nevins,
published by Our Sunday Visitor in 1975) which
made a huge difference in his thinking. “I was
shocked,” he said. “The pastor said to read the Bible, but just don’t believe what some
people say about it.”
Debbie laughed. “He didn’t tell me
what he had been doing,” she said.
“The first I knew about it was when he
stormed upstairs and said, ‘We’re not
married.’”
“I was surprised and upset,” she
said. “I told him, ‘We can’t be not
married; we have two children.’” Rachelle Michelle had been born in JanContinued on page 15

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