SEPTEMBER 2021
the phi lipian
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F S T . P H I L I P N E R I C AT H O L I C C H U R C H
Edge Program Kicks Off New Year With Excitement and Welcomes New Leadership
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ne beautiful aspect of the Catholic Church is that it offers a deep treasure trove of knowledge, full of so much history and tradition. This is where the Edge program plays an important role in our parish, taking Catholic teaching and breaking it into digestible lessons for our middle school youth. In turn, the lessons speak to our youth’s questions regarding their faith. The new year of Edge kicks off in September, with sessions taking place every other Wednesday and Sunday. We are also excited to welcome our new Middle School Coordinator, Mary Caddell. Mary comes to us having served
on the Diocese of Charleston Diocesan Ministry team for about nine months. In this role, she traveled the diocese hosting retreats with a team. She is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, having studied youth ministry and catechetics. Raised in Marietta, Ga., Mary was involved in youth ministry as a teen. In fact, it was at a retreat during her senior year of high school when she felt called to go into youth ministry. “The Lord placed that call on my heart, and it was pretty straightforward after that,” Mary says. Mary enjoys playing the keyboard and singing, as well as taking naps! When she is back at home, she loves continued on back cover
Mary Caddell looks forward to her new role at St. Philip Neri.
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Stewardship and Evangelization: Using Our Time and Talents to Spread the Good News
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esus came to save the world and to draw all men to Him. When we think of the salvific work of Christ, many of us think of His life, death, resurrection, and His ascension into glory. And while those salvific events are of primary importance in salvation history, it doesn’t end there. Christ wants everyone to know the salvation He has won for them. He wants every soul to experience heavenly glory. Therefore, after having conquered death through His cross and resurrection, Christ commissioned His disciples to carry the Gospel to the world. They were charged to “preach the Gospel to all nations,” winning, through their words and examples, souls for the kingdom! What a task! The disciples were overwhelmed at the thought of carrying the Gospel to all nations after Christ had returned to heaven. But the Lord assured them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). When the Holy Spirit descended upon them on the feast of Pentecost, all those in the crowd were amazed. They all spoke in different tongues, preaching the same message, and everyone there could understand! And so it was that the Church was
established through the power of the Spirit and for the purpose of evangelization. Each of us has been baptized in that Spirit, and through that, made a member of the Church. It is, thus, up to each and every one of us to actively participate in the Church’s mission — proclaiming the Good News to all the world and building up the Kingdom of God! Each of us must re-evaluate how we are using the gifts God has given us to build up His Kingdom. Do we preach the Good News in all that we do and say? The same Spirit that descended upon the apostles that first Pentecost remains with us now, giving us the strength and courage to labor in the vineyard of the world. Christ came to save the world, and He established the Church as the “universal sacrament of salvation” (Christifideles Laici, 2), by which many people throughout the world would know the glory of His truth. St. Paul describes the Church as one body with many parts. And just as each part of the body has a particular function, so each member of the Church has a particular calling, but united as one body in the Spirit, all of the members are to carry out the Church’s one mission. How is God calling you to carry out this mission? What particular gifts has He given you with which you ought to build the Kingdom?
Each of us must re-evaluate how we are using the gifts God has given us to build up His Kingdom. Do we preach the Good News in all that we do and say? The same Spirit that descended upon the apostles that first Pentecost remains with us now, giving us the strength and courage to labor in the vineyard of the world.
A Letter From Our Pastor
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An Ongoing Opportunity to Change the World Dear Parishioners,
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n his letters, St. Paul often began by greeting his “brothers and sisters.” Every time I read one of these letters, it reminds me that you and I truly are sisters and brothers in the Body of Christ, the Church, but especially here in our parish. We need to understand that we are indeed a family, and the way we see and treat one another is fundamental to the health and happiness of this family. Our spiritual family doesn’t stop at the walls of our church, but rather, extends to include every man and woman created in God’s image and likeness. You may be familiar with the term “Catholic Social Teaching,” part of which is built on a commitment to the poor. These are the beliefs that guide Catholics on how to apply the faith to all aspects of life, and they lay the framework for the Church’s teachings on the dignity and sacredness of human life. Once we make a commitment to be disciples of Jesus and pursue stewardship as a way of life, the principles of Catholic Social Teaching become very easy to incorporate into our lives. Catholic Social Teaching has been around since those first followers of Jesus tried to balance their new faith with the realities of living in a world of Roman oppression. Jesus reminded His disciples then, just as He reminds us now, that caring for and administering to the poor should be at the core of all we do. Recall when the Lord said in Matthew, “For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you
welcomed me; I was naked and you gave me clothing; I was ill and you cared for me; I was in prison and you visited me.” This is our foundation as we seek to embody mercy and justice to our fellow man and should be one of our major goals as a faith community. Many of our parish ministries provide for us an opportunity to do just as Jesus asked — to serve those most in need. As we move into the fall season, with Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas soon to follow, now is a good time for us to recommit ourselves to addressing the needs we see around us — both as a parish society and as individuals. I am proud of our collective efforts in assisting and serving the poor, but I also know that we can do more. Many of us personally need to get involved in these efforts. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has a great love and regard for the poor and, like Jesus, he reminds us often of what we need to do. Pope Francis once said in a homily, “The measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.” Together, we can make a difference. Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Fabio Refosco, C.O.
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Meet the Behrm I
f you visit the Behrmanns at their home these days, you just might find yourself refreshed by the divine wellspring of God’s Word. “Prayer is an important part of our family life,” Angela Behrmann says. “This past year, we committed to listening to Fr. Mike’s Bible in a Year podcast, which covers the entire Bible in 365 days. During it, this amazing priest explains Scripture and salvation history. We have learned so much from it! I encourage everyone to begin this program because it has made a great impact on my family. Listening to and understanding God’s Word has changed my life.” Leaning on the sturdy pillar of the Sacred Scriptures, Angela and her husband, Will, and their three children, Hannah, Andrew, and Brandon, seek to follow Christ in their home and far beyond. Day by day, Angela particularly devotes herself to a profound prayer life, receiving from it tremendous peace, love, and joy. “I love Mary,” she says. “She has been at my side from the beginning. She helps me and guides me closer to Christ. I say the Rosary daily, which is a habit I began when one of my children was extremely ill, and now I say a decade for each member of my family each day. I am able to pray it while I am driving, waiting in line, or doing, well, almost anything! Mary wants to help us. We need to give her a chance. She will bring us to Christ.”
Will and his sons at Scouts
Angela and Will Behrmann
The Behrmann children — Hannah, Andrew and Brandon
Bringing children to the heart of Christ is one of Angela Behrmann’s deepest desires as well. “There are so many talented, knowledgeable, loving people in our parish family that can help our children and our families learn,” Angela says. “We need each other. We could do so much more to help our children grow in their Catholic faith, but it takes all of us to help them know about God’s love.” Ever since the Behrmanns began attending our parish in 2008, they have been serving our faith community generously and enthusiastically. “As soon as we joined the parish, we enrolled our oldest child in Faith Formation and I began teaching Faith Formation,” Angela says. “I love teaching children. I have learned so much about the love of God by teaching them. As we know, God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. I have taught all ages and grade levels within the Catholic Church for over 25 years.” Over the years, Angela has also enjoyed helping out with Vacation Bible School and the Italian Festival. Recently, she was also invited to lead the Altar Server Ministry. As a couple, Will and Angela have dedicated much of their time and talent to work with teenage boys and young men.
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anns :
Living a Life of Prayer, Service and Gratitude “Scout Troop 219 is an incredible ministry at St. Philip Neri,” Angela says. “It involves an energetic, fun, and dedicated group of scouts and leaders who help our youth grow into the men that God intended them to be. The Religious Emblems program for Catholic Scouts meets the boys where they are at — they love Scouting and the program shows them that being a good scout and a good Catholic go hand-in-hand. There is both a middle school (Ad Altare Dei) and high school (Pope Pius XII) program that gives scouts a place to learn about God’s love, and support each other as they seek to be leaders in our community.” The scouts spend about a year learning, doing service projects, spending time with Catholic leaders, and praying and having fun together. “As the Scoutmaster for Troop 219, my husband spends many days and nights supporting our youth as they develop,” Angela says. “He is an amazing role model not only for my children but for all of the scouts as well.” For Angela, serving and living in stewardship each day has been positively impactful. “I’ve always been taught that you get out of something what you put into it,” she says. “For me, getting involved, helping others, and making a difference help me be a better person and grow closer to Christ.
Hannah Behrmann with Life Teen friends
Fr. Fabio teaching the Behrmann children about Liturgy and worship
Will and his sons at Scouts
Stewardship is a way of life. For it to be truly rewarding, it has to be integrated into my daily life.” Lastly, Will and Angela encourage their children to embrace stewardship, as well. “Hannah is working to get teens involved in helping with the Social Justice Ministry,” she says. “This involves learning about and helping with homelessness, poverty, fair market trade, and voting with a Catholic conscience. Furthermore, Hannah and my older son are acolytes and lectors, and my younger son is an altar server.”
“There are so many talented, knowledgeable, loving people in our parish family that can help our children and our families learn. We need each other. We could do so much more to help our children grow in their Catholic faith, but it takes all of us to help them know about God’s love.” — ANGELA BEHRMANN
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T H E H I S T O R Y O F S T. A N N E CATHOLIC SCHOOL S
t. Anne Catholic School has a particularly rich history that begins in 1951 with 17 students enrolled in kindergarten and first grade. In 1954, St. Anne became the first racially integrated school in the state. Over the years, the school has grown tremendously, and while many things have changed, others have stayed the same. “For seven decades we have held onto our foundational traditions like our May Crowning and our Saints Program,” says Principal Shaileen Riginos. “Over the past 15 years, we have broadened who we serve tremendously. Our school community reflects the increasing diversity of the church and our growing Vietnamese and Hispanic populations.” Today, St. Anne Catholic School serves over 300 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The mission of the school is to serve the whole person when educating students. “Spiritually, we serve students with faith formation throughout the school day, and emotionally, we have very small class sizes and nurturing teachers and staff,” Principal Riginos says. “Academically, we balance the tradition of Catholic education with current instructional practices, and physically, we have opportunities for students to play sports from 3 years old through high school. Finally, culturally, our students are learning through music, band, liturgical choir, art, and other ways.” Principal Riginos joined St. Anne in 2010 as a parent and a former educator in public schools. She became a teacher at the school in 2011 and then Associate Principal for a year before becoming Principal in 2013. “My children led me to St. Anne School, but once I saw the incredible things they were doing, I couldn’t wait to get a job here,” Principal Riginos says. “I appreciate all our traditions like our Kindergarten Graduation, the sweatshirt our eighthgraders design every year, and the mural our sixth-graders create for the school.” This unique school spirit — rooted in faith, family, and tradition — has been an important part of life at St. Anne’s for many generations. Sister Maryanne Winterberg, IHM, served as our Principal from 1986 to 1992. During her time at our school, there was one class for each grade — up to sixth. “It was very nice for a fire drill because every class opened up to a porch!” she laughs. Sr. Maryanne recalls that she initially felt overwhelmed when she received the assignment to serve at our school — it was her first assignment as Principal, and it required her to move from her home in Philadelphia to South Carolina. “But it was a wonderful experience,” Sr. Maryanne says.
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“Ignited by Faith, United in Learning” “People there were so welcoming. I still keep in touch with many of them. “It was a very family-oriented spirit there — it was just a happy place,” Sr. Maryanne adds. “The faculty and the parents were extremely helpful. I have lots of memories there, from making pretzels on the porch every Ash Wednesday, to when we were actually on the front page of an educational magazine for having a map of the United States painted in the schoolyard. Parents came, and we had stencils made. The children were wonderful, we were happy, and teachers were happy.” As the school has grown over the years, it is now comprised of two campuses — St. Anne’s Lower School Campus is located near St. Anne Catholic Church, and the Upper School Campus is near St. Philip Neri Catholic Church. Principal Riginos sees the distance between campuses as an advantage for the larger Catholic community. “We have an opportunity to serve the broader community as the only Catholic school in this county,” Principal Riginos says. “We have an opportunity to bring parishes closer together, and we also have students from all the parishes in our community here.” While the past 18 months have been challenging, as we head into a new year, the focus for Catholic schools in the diocese will be “Ignited by Faith, United in Learning.” “We have learned so many new ways of teaching and learning in these past months,” Principal Riginos says. “The faculty and staff here at St. Anne have put together some unique plans for next year, and it will be one of the best years ever.” This coming academic year will be a year of unity in faith and learning as we celebrate the rich history of St. Anne Catholic School. “We are one Catholic school community from kindergarten through 12th grade,” Principal Riginos says. “Together, we will focus on strengthening our community in Christ, and unity is the key to success.”
If you would like more information about the history of St. Anne Catholic School, please contact Principal Shaileen Riginos at sriginos@charlestondiocese.org or 803-324-4814.
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Edge Program
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playing with her dog. Working on the Diocesan Ministry team, she found a real love for working with middle school youth — so she’s very excited to embark on this new journey at our parish. “On the Diocesan Ministry Team, I loved seeing how teens, coming from all different backgrounds and environments, encountered the Lord in different ways,” she says. Mary loves having the opportunity to work for the church and serve our youth. Having answered the Lord’s call to her during that high school retreat, she truly believes this is her vocation. “Being that my work revolves around Jesus, I get to talk about Him,” she says. “I love that I can talk about my faith at work. Also, the people I get to work with are incredible. I’ve met really amazing people
who have become very special to me.” Mary can’t wait to get to know our middle school youth and parishioners. There will be a parent meet-and-greet in mid-September. Besides the Edge program sessions, there will also be a trip to the Junior High Youth Rally this fall. Mary also wanted to take an opportunity to share the story of Blessed Chiara Luce Badano. Born in Italy in 1971, Chiara had a lot of friends and loved to sing and dance. She was diagnosed with a painful and deadly bone cancer when she was 17. She gave all her suffering up to the Lord and didn’t fear death. Chiara died at age 19 and is in the process of being canonized — for Mary, Blessed Chiara’s example offers encouragement, that we may strive to live as modern-day saints.
To stay up-to-date with middle school youth group events, please visit our parish website at www.saintphilipneri.org. You may also follow the program on Instagram at spnedge.
