Hija de Dios, Madre de nueve MAY 2015
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VOL. 50 NO. 5
Publisher Most Rev. Wm. Michael Mulvey, STL DD Editor Alfredo E. Cárdenas ACardenas@diocesecc.org
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María Consuelo Martínez, una madre católica como cualquier otra se encuentra haciendo su mejor esfuerzo por hacerlo bien. Sobre todo, dice que lo más importante es tener siempre a
Dios como eje y pilar en nuestra vida y en la familia. Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic
Theological Consultant Father Joseph Lopez, JCL Associate Editor Mary E. Cottingham MCottingham@diocesecc.org Administrative Assistant Adel Rivera ARivera@diocesecc.org Correspondents Rebecca Esparza, Luisa Scolari, Dayna Mazzei Worchel If you or someone you know would like to receive the South Texas Catholic call us at (361) 882-6191 Office Address: 620 Lipan Corpus Christi TX 78401-2434 E-MAIL: stc@diocesecc.org www.southtexascatholic.com FAX: (361) 693-6701
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INSIDE 4 VIEWPOINTS Mothers sacrifice their own comfort for their families
PARISH LIFE 21 Bishop continues with pastoral visits to parishes
FROM THE DIOCESE NATIONAL NEWS 11 NEWS 32 Bishop Mulvey celebrates fifth Masters champion, product of anniversary of his episcopacy
Dallas Jesuit school, remains humble
VOCATIONS VATICAN NEWS 16 Keeping 36 connected: Celebrating War of the sexes: Gender theory consecrated life
is the problem, not solution
NEWS BRIEFS OUR FAITH 19 Cathedral 40 concert features return Paul’s First Letter to Timothy of Dee Donasco
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MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 3
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VIEWPOINTS
Mothers sacrifice their own comfort for their families Bishop Michael Mulvey
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South Texas Catholic
Most Reverend Michael Mulvey is bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
n the beginning God “created them male and female” (Gn 5:2). These words from the accounts of creation reveal to us a beautiful plan. God crowned his creation with human beings, distinguishing them as male and female and providing them with the gift of generating life in their union. The union of man and woman in marriage is the human image of the divine life that is shared in the Blessed Trinity. This profound mystery has many wonderful aspects to experience and reflect upon throughout our lives. God’s own unity generates the gift of the Holy Spirit. Marriage celebrates and witnesses to a sacred union that brings together two distinct persons in such a real way that it has the potential of creating a child. Unitive, life-giving love between a husband and wife is under great challenge in our society today. Many men and women live unaware of this loving plan for their lives.
A natural and good desire for lasting union is attempting to be fulfilled by selfish and empty relationships. Couples look to the other to please themselves without thought of giving of themselves as a gift to each other. Rather than being appreciated as the gifts of love that they are, children are too often treated as property to be manufactured, traded and even discarded. It is an important task of the Church and its leaders to express the truth of this relationship, a relationship that is written in the heart of every human being. As we celebrate Mother’s Day during the month of May,
we recall the importance of the woman in the family relationship. She embraces the complimentary union in her vocation, offering her body to receive and nurture this gift and fruit of love, the unique and irreplaceable human being that grows within her. It is she who, by nature, protects and sacrifices her own comfort for the life of her child. It is the mother who nurses the child in many ways–physically, spiritually and emotionally– drawing close to her husband for strength and support in these early and demanding years of infancy. This undeniable bond along with the strength from
➤ It is the mother who nurses the child in many ways–physically, spiritually and emotionally–drawing close to her husband for strength and support... 4 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
The Virgin Mary, motherhood and the family of God Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT is a member of the order of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity.
By Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT
M Contributor
ary’s motherhood, like motherhood in general, was lived out quietly behind the scenes. St. John Paul II pointed out “History is written almost exclusively as the narrative of men’s achievements, when in fact its better part is most often molded by women’s determined and persevering action for good (Papal Message on Women’s Conference to Mrs. Gertrude Mongella, May 1995).” Mary achieved more than any other human being. This was done in the most intimate way in the context of her divine motherhood, a role that God asked her to live, and which she joyfully assented to! She continues to bring souls to life in grace and to love saints into being, so essential and eternal is her motherhood to who she is. But just as God took his own flesh from the body of Mary, so every child comes into this world through the body of
a mother. Every conception is a kind of annunciation, God asking permission of the woman to bring a new life into the world because his creative love has delighted in the thought of that particular and unique little one. He “entrusts the human person to her in a special way” (Pope John Paul II) and asks every woman’s immediate care and participation in the formation of the life he gives. Just as he sent his own Son to be his ultimate gift to a world
MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 5
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God’s outpouring of grace continues to guide her in supporting and forming her children to become witnesses of God’s love in our world. What a great gift God has given us in the sacrificial love of mothers. And sometimes these sacrifices are even more profound, especially when a mother finds herself in a difficult situation, or when a young woman suffers because of a misguided view of true love. We live in an imperfect world, as Jesus encountered in his time here on earth. He reached out in forgiveness to the woman who was about to be stoned. He evangelized the Samaritan woman at the well. He comforted the woman who washed his feet with her tears of sorrow for her sins. And now Jesus offers this same compassion and help to each one of us through his beloved Church. Let us remember that our world confuses temporary pleasure with lasting happiness. Our Catholic Church has the tools to help both women and men rediscover the beauty of spousal relationships and family life. We are here to guide, to nurture and to bring each woman, each mother to her full potential and full realization. May Almighty God bless each of our mothers during this month of May that is devoted to Mary, the mother of Jesus and wife of Joseph. May Mary, along with all of the mothers in Heaven continue to inspire us and intercede for us in their prayers.
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➤ The work of pointing the way and leading people to the kingdom that is not of this world is not an easy work. It requires death to self. dying from sin, so he sends every child to be a gift to a world in desperate need of his goodness. Some are meant to show the face of Christ’s mercy, others his compassion. Some will be teachers in his likeness; others will bring his miracles into people’s lives. Others will spend and consume themselves to heal and unite us all into one family of Our Father. Every mother wants greatness for her child. That greatness will be measured by the part they play in the greatest drama ever, the drama of redemption, the battle for souls, the battle for the brothers and sisters of our own particular age. The call on every life is to participate in redeeming its own age. Every gift of Christ made incarnate in the lives of those born into this world is meant to serve this. It should be no surprise then that the attack on family is so strong today. We have an enemy who fights ferociously to keep us from living the image and likeness of God, especially as mothers and fathers. He hates the reflection of the Incarnation in every newborn child. And he despises the communion of Trinitarian love that each family is called to live. Mothers have a particular answer to this, which is seen most clearly in the life of our Blessed Mother at the foot of the Cross. In Christ, all the joys and sufferings, sorrows and glories of motherhood are taken up into his mystery and become redemptive. Archbishop Fulton Sheen puts it
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this way, “The pains which a woman bears in labor help to expiate the sins of mankind, and draw their meaning from the agony of Christ on the cross. Mothers are, therefore, not only co-creators with God; they are co-redeemers with Christ in the flesh” (Three to Get Married). There is likewise a Eucharistic reflection which St. John Chrysostom notes; “As a woman nourishes her child with her own blood and milk, so does Christ unceasingly nourish with his own blood those to whom he himself has given life.” If we are to imitate Christ and become one with him in all things, motherhood is truly a privileged place where, with Christ, a woman can fully say, “This is my body which is given up for you.” The tragedy today is that so many women are saying instead, “This is my body and I will not give it up for you.” They have not seen nor understood the greatness of their calling. The work of pointing the way and leading people to the kingdom that is not of this world is not an easy work. It requires death to self. But God takes even the most insignificant daily realities and makes them fruitful in this work. Mary did for Jesus everyday what all mothers do for their children, dressing them, washing them, feeding them, teaching them. It is hidden work but has immeasurable value. Mothers know this better than others. They not only live out the
paschal mystery in their own flesh and spirit, but they also live it out for and with their children. Their boundless love bleeds redeeming grace into the lives of their sons and daughters. Mary is the most profound example of this. But it is clearly seen in the lives of women like St. Monica, St. Gianna Molla, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and countless mothers whose lives will never be known to anyone outside of their immediate circles, until they get to heaven that is, where they will be honored and esteemed for their deep and faithful participation in the creation of God’s own family. Human motherhood, along with human fatherhood, comes directly from the hand of God. Both are, in fact, a reflection of and participation in God’s own fatherhood that is Divine. When God created man he considered what would be the human expression of the life he himself lives. His answer was family, and family constituted as mother, father and children. In the simplicity of God, our life on earth is meant to be about what our life in heaven will be like. The real stars in heaven will be mothers, for without their “yes” to our existence, none of us would have a chance of going there. But the supreme star will be our Queen, our Mother Mary whose “yes” to God’s love gave us our Savior and Redeemer, the chance to once again call God our Father, and the gift that every heart longs for: to live in the perfect family forever.
VIEWPOINTS
The Church is our spiritual mother Father J. Patrick Serna Contributor
Father J. Patrick Serna, Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sinton.
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f the Bible is filled with masculine language for God, and it is, then the Bible is also filled with feminine language for the way God’s love is expressed to us. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the Church is referred to as God’s bride, and as the nurturing “mother” to his children. We encounter church as a mother, not only in the Bible or Church documents, but in art and architecture as well. To understand church as “mother,” is to understand better the feminine expressions of God’s love. Church as a feminine “mother” is what the 17th century architect Bernini had in mind when he built the colonnades for St. Peter’s Square. Bernini strived to represent the church with maternal and welcoming attributes; so, the colonnades are made to look like welcoming arms. These words from Scripture convey a maternal element, which Bernini captured in his architecture for St. Peter’s Square, “I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like those who raise an infant to their cheeks; I bent down to feed them (Hos 11:4).” While we can experience God’s love in countless ways, we receive his love in a preeminent way by and through the sacraments,
which presuppose the central role of his bride and our mother, the Church. The sacraments, the liturgy and God’s word nurture us at church with the bands of God’s love. When we receive God’s love from the Church, we come into contact with a mother’s love. We are reminded of God’s love in language that is maternal, where it is written, “As an eagle incites its nestlings, hovering over its young, so he spread his wings, took them, bore them upon his pinions (Dt 32:11).” This maternal expression of divine love is also conveyed through the prophet when he says, “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you...(Is 66:13).” How are we to understand the maternal love of God, vis-a-vis a God who is predominantly described in “father” and “son” language? The answer is found by delving more deeply into the spousal relationship of the bridegroom, Jesus, to his bride and our
mother, the Church. We encounter the following words in the Bible, as well as in the Rite for Sacrament of Marriage, “‘...the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh (Mk 10:8).” Since the Church is the bride of Christ, and since Christ is the bridegroom (cf. Eph 5:25; Rv 19:7; Mk 2:19), can God and the Church be understood to be partaking in a spousal unity? The answer is “yes.” Since God is the bridegroom and his Church is his bride, God’s love can be, and is, expressed in feminine ways through that same Church. Our God is transcendent and is not limited in how he can demonstrate his love; however, his Church is the ordinary and routine venue for his loving expressions, which are manifested as sacraments, his word or liturgical prayer. Just as human babies experience love for the first time in the wombs of their mothers, we
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children of God experience his love tangibly through sacraments and liturgy, in the womb of the church, the sanctuary, where spiritual life begins and is then nurtured. Water is necessary for physical, as well as spiritual, life. Jesus refers to himself, when he said, “Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (Jn 4:14).” Jesus also teaches that water is necessary for salvation, when he says to Nicodemus, “I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit (Jn 3:5).” Just as a human mother gives life giving water to the baby of her womb, so too, Mother Church gives her children the waters which are necessary for spiritual life. We, God’s children, drink of God’s living water whenever we come to Mother Church for sacraments, liturgy or the word. God’s children receive spiritual life from Mother Church at
baptism, and our spiritual life is renewed every time we eat and drink from her sacraments. The Church Militant, made up of those of us still living on Earth, is referred to in Scripture in terms of pregnancy, motherhood and the labor pains (cf. Jn 16:21). St. Paul even says, “... all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now (Rom 8:22).” God has gone to great lengths to give us maternal language when speaking about the Church; it is therefore imperative that we understand the Church in those same terms, with those maternal attributes. The first bride, Eve, came from the side of her husband, Adam. It has been said that the bride of Christ, the Church, came from his sacred side, when, “…one soldier thrust a lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out (Jn 19:34).” Just as blood and water comes forth when new life is born, so too, it came when the Bridegroom gave
birth to his bride and our mother, from his sacred heart. The family is referred to as the “domestic church” in the Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium (#11). In the family, a husband and wife are in relationship, and ideally there is new life from that relationship. Families are referred to as domestic churches, because the relationship between husband and wife are the best earthly reflections of God’s relationship to his bride, the Church. We are reminded of the spousal relationship between Christ and his bride, where it is written, “Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her...(Eph 5:25).” God has given us his bride, to be our maternal source of spiritual nourishment. Mother Church is there for us, to help us in this life with the spiritual food of prayer and sacraments, as we strive for life everlasting in the Church Triumphant in heaven.
Headlines from southtexascatholic.com ◗◗ Bookmark our Web site to keep up to date on all the happenings in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
• Our Lady of Guadalupe in Alice holds ministries conference
• Children at The Ark resting easy thanks to ‘Day of Giving’
• Sacramental Class held first Communion at Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission
• Autism Awareness Month celebrated at St. John Paul II
• Alice parish reenacts live Stations of the Cross • New Mission Hall Ground Breaking in Concepción
8 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
• Chrism Mass starts Holy Week in Diocese of Corpus Christi • Islander Catholics participate in The Big Event • Permanent diaconate to begin a new inquiry class
• 22nd Annual Diocesan Science Fair held at St. John Paul II High School on March 28 • Interact Club displays activity at Rotary conference • Incarnate Word Academy athletes sign letters of intent • Eighth grade Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory student wins state Geography Bee
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‘… most beautiful five years of my life’
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fifth anniversary of his episcopacy Rebecca Esparza Correspondent
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ishop Michael Mulvey celebrated the fifth anniversary of his installation as bishop with a special Mass on March 25. More than two-dozen priests and deacons from throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi participated in the Mass at the Corpus Christi Cathedral where a standing-room-only gathering of the faithful converged from throughout South Texas to commemorate the bishop’s five years of service to the diocese. When reflecting upon his last five years as bishop, three particular highlights stand out for him. “Although there were many more highlights, I particularly enjoyed getting to know the priests of the diocese and learning to build a presbyterate with them; visiting the parishes throughout the diocese and spending time with parishioners in their parishes; and being present to inmates in our detention
Bishop Mulvey celebrates Mass of Thanksgiving for his five years as bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Rebecca Esparza for the South Texas Catholic
facilities,” he said. During his homily, Bishop Mulvey recalled the day he was asked to serve as bishop and responded with a “Yes” to God’s call, much like the Virgin Mary did more than 2000 years ago. He called on all Catholics to also say “yes” to will. “Her simple, humble ‘Yes, Let it be done to me’ remains the hallmark and model for every person. As our lives become more complicated and our lives become more polluted with so much false teachings, we need, as a Church, to take a step back and live in the humility of that simple, young virgin in Nazareth,” Bishop Mulvey said. The bishop warned against the human inclination to go against God’s will. “We live in a world where human will wants to reign supreme, as if we know everything, as if we know what’s best. The true follower of Jesus Christ,
has the courage to stop, turn off the noise, reject the falsehoods and simply stand in front of our savior and say ‘Let it be done to me.’” He called on everyone within the church to stand together in unity. “The answer to our problems in daily life, the answer to our concerns, is Jesus Christ. Through our baptism, Christ is alive in each one of us, deep within us. He is there. God lives in us, with us and among us. As we march forth in this world of ours, we march forth together, with Jesus among us. When we are gathered together in unity, he is there. Let us continue to see God’s will in our own lives. Mary is the model of ‘Yes’ to God’s will,” he said. “God bless you and thank you for these beautiful five years together. On Dec. 11, 2009, I got that call,” Bishop Mulvey recalled. “My response was an immediate ‘Yes.’ These have been MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 11
✝NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE
Bishop Mulvey celebrates
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some of the most beautiful five years of my life. Let us all continue to say yes to whatever God asks of us, so we may serve him, love him and see his presence in each other and especially in the poor.” Rhonda and Sam Ganz, longtime members of the Bishop’s Guild, brought gifts up to the altar during the Mass and noted they felt honored to participate in the celebration. “We will never forget the chance to be part of this special Mass to honor Bishop Mulvey and are humbled at the chance to play a small role in celebrating his fifth anniversary,” Rhonda Ganz said. Kristina Spate said his homily touched her deeply and resonated. “His message was meaningful and timely, considering what’s happening
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in our world right now. I was deeply affected by it and will continue to reflect on what he said,” she said. “He talked about making more time for God and having a deeper, stronger connection with God. There are so many distractions in our world now, it’s sensory overload.” Spate said there used to be a time when stores were closed on Sundays. Now they provide 24/7 access to almost anything. The bishop’s homily reminded her that it is important to have time to just sit still, pray, be alone and reflect on one’s faith. After the Mass, attendees gathered outside in the courtyard for a reception to honor Bishop Mulvey. Therese Schneider, who has been a member of the Cathedral Choir for the past 28 years, said she was thrilled to be a part
of the anniversary celebration. “It meant a lot for me to participate and honored to lend my voice to commemorate this special occasion. It was a beautiful Mass,” she said. “I feel so blessed to have had the chance to be a part of this celebration.
Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody joined other priests from the diocese to celebrate Bishop Mulvey’s fifth anniversary. It was Bishop Carmody’s retirement that made possible his elevation to the episcopacy, Bishop Mulvey said. Rebecca Esparza for the South Texas Catholic
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I volunteer for just about anything church related that I have the opportunity for. Volunteering for the church makes my life complete,” Dr. Mary Jane Garza, a member of the Bishop’s Guild said. As for the future of the diocese, Bishop Mulvey said he wants to continue building and forming his presbyterate spiritually and strengthen educational opportunities. “I’m dedicated to increase the number of new vocations. It is important that we continue to develop our efforts for evangelization and catechesis on all levels, beginning with the children and youth. This includes our CCD programs in the parishes and Catholic Schools. I want to see them develop a strong love for the Gospels and the word of God and apply the word to their lives in order to evangelize themselves to be missionary disciples,” he said. Bishop Mulvey would also like to see a deeper appreciation for the sacraments and liturgy. “Campus and Young Adult Ministry also must continue to develop in parishes and in the diocese,” he said. “Another important area that we are now beginning to explore is adult education, especially the area of Catholic Social Teachings and Doctrine.” He has the highest hopes that speaking and acting on important issues within the Church will be emphasized in the coming years, he said. “It is important that we–clergy, religious and laity–have a solid grasp of the Church’s rich heritage of social doctrine–respect for human life and human dignity, the family, economy, poverty, immigration. Finally, I hope and pray for unity–that we can join together in the oneness of mind and heart worthy of Christ’s Body in order to be a strong witness of Jesus Christ.”
After Mass, Bishop Mulvey visited with the faithful at a reception hosted by the Bishop’s Guild at the Cathedral Courtyard. At right he is with Therese Schneider and below with Rhonda and Sam Ganz. Rebecca Esparza for the South Texas Catholic
MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 13
✝ VOCATIONS
Questions parents have about religious vocations, Part 2 Father Joseph Lopez, JCL Contributor
Father Joseph Lopez, JCL, is Vocations Director for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
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arents with children considering a life as a priest or religious sister or brother often have many questions. This is the second of two-part series in which we will review some of these questions. Perhaps you have not thought of all these questions or perhaps you have others, but it is important that you honestly consider these questions so that you can provide your son or daughter the support they need. Q. I am worried that my son or daughter is not suited to serve the Church. The very individuals who are in discernment commonly express these same concerns. They are usually due to certain temperaments or failings. The priesthood and religious life require a high caliber of skills, abilities and psychosexual maturity. However, they are not reserved to “the perfect.” If every young man who experienced the first movements in his heart to serve the Church waited until he felt completely worthy to begin his discernment, we may not have any priests at all. A genuine vocation is not measured by one’s feelings of worthiness,
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but rather by one’s desire to respond to God’s call to serve the Church as a disciple of Christ. The academic and formation programs offered in the seminary and in religious communities seek to develop natural skills and abilities and to remedy any weaknesses or deficiencies. Before the discernment process reaches this stage, however, the most supportive action parents can take is to encourage their son or daughter to be faithful to God’s call.
Q. Is it normal for my son or daughter to have doubt and faith throughout the process?
Yes, doubt and faith are both part of the process of discerning and preparing for a
vocation; questioning is normal and doubt is part of being human. Having doubts about one’s abilities and worthiness will happen. But we have to tell ourselves that it is God’s grace that effects the change in us and that makes this possible. We need to realize that sometimes we will naturally move forward under our own excitement and sometimes we will need to very consciously put one foot in front of the other.
Q. Who pays for everything?
Each religious community and diocese establishes its own financial policies concerning its candidates. Typically, candidates for a religious community are
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or convent and discern that a life of single-hearted service in the Church is not for him or her. There is nothing shameful about withdrawing from a program for this reason. The time spent in formation should never be considered a waste. Your son or daughter will have grown in holiness, self-awareness and in personal maturity through the entire process of discernment and by his or her time in a formation program.
Discernment is an ongoing process. Becoming a candidate with a diocese or religious community does not mean that your child is obligated to become a priest, sister or brother. Formation directors will help your child discern whether this choice is a good one. Your child may decide that he or she is called to serve the Church in some other way, such as by being married and raising children. Prayer and reflection will help your child develop a better sense of God’s call. It is possible that your son or daughter could spend as few as five days or as many as five years in seminary
family members and take part in family celebrations and events. Many families find an even stronger bond with children and siblings who have chosen a Church-related vocation. In a unique way, the parish and community also becomes an extended family for them.
Q. Do priests and sisters Q. What if my son or daughter remain connected to their changes his or her mind? What families? happens if my son or daughter Yes, priests and sisters continue leaves seminary or convent to support and be supported by the members of their families. They visit before its completion?
If your son’s discernment leads him to enter seminary, his departure will be similar to a son leaving home to attend college or to enlist in the military. There will be an inevitable transition period for all parties. If a son enters seminary to study for the priesthood, he will most likely make visits home during Thanksgiving, Christmas and ...Christian Home-like Living over the summer in a Senior Setting vacation each Mount Carmel Home year. Throughout his formation in An Assisted Living Facility seminary, he will Operated by the Carmelite Sisters D.C.J. be encouraged to maintain and (361) 855-6243 4130 S. Alameda St. develop family Corpus Christi, Texas 78411 Facility ID # 000607 relationships
through occasional visits and by frequent communication.
Q. I’m worried that my son or daughter will be lonely living a celibate lifestyle.
There is a difference between aloneness and loneliness. A celibate life can be a fulfilling life. Moments of solitude or aloneness are required for prayer, reflection, homily preparation and rest. Still, no vocation is immune to loneliness; every human being has some lonely moments, whether he or she is married, single, priest or religious. Priests and religious must always be vigilant in maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, brother priests, parishioners and fellow members of one’s religious community, as well as enjoying recreational pursuits.
Q. I’m sad I’ll never be a grandparent or have a daughter- or son-in-law.
This is a common response from parents; but, in fact, there are no guarantees you would be one even if your child had not entered the priesthood or religious life. Although the presence of grandchildren would offer much happiness, every parent desires first and foremost that their son or daughter live a joyful and fulfilled life. If God is calling your son or daughter to serve the Church as a priest or consecrated religious person, fulfillment, happiness and holiness of life will only be fully realized by faithfully responding to this call. The Church recognizes with great respect and appreciation this sacrifice of parents. We trust that God will bless them abundantly—in ways you may not understand now—through your son or daughter’s happiness as a priest, brother or sister. MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 15
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expected to cover the cost of their tuition, room and board and, other related expenses until they profess vows. Dioceses often help their seminarians cover part of their expenses. For both, candidates for religious communities and dioceses, scholarships, loans and grants are available. A lack of finances should never prevent someone from responding to God’s call to religious life or the priesthood. Feel free to call the Diocesan Vocations Offices to learn more.
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Sister Annette Wagner, IWBS is Director of the Office of Consecrated Life for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
Celebrating Consecrated Life:
KEEPING CONNECTED Sister Annette Wagner, IWBS Contributor
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ne of the essentials of any strong relationship is keeping connected. Members of consecrated life are well aware of this truth. Since relationships in consecrated life are multi-directional; so are the opportunities available to keep connected. The most obvious relationship is between the individual and God who has called the individual into consecrated life. Others include relationships with those living the same life in a particular congregation or community and those encountered through service—either being served by or serving with the religious. The ways members keep connected within and beyond community vary in style from community to community. However, one means remains constant in all congregations: prayer. Prayer life in a community is its life-breath. It is what holds the member close to God.
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It is what holds the members close to each other and together in God. Because religious are both individual and members of a larger reality, prayer in consecrated life is multi-faceted. First is individual prayer. Each member designates a certain amount of time daily to keeping an individual or particularized connection with God who loves and sustains him or her. There are so many options to choose from during this time. Contemplation, meditation, centering prayer, use of a mantra, just enjoying God’s presence—whatever the method, the individual has the opportunity to open
herself or himself totally to the presence and action of God in a conscious, willing and welcoming manner. Next, as a member of a congregation with a particular charism and spirituality, the individual may also have committed to share in certain prayers, like the rosary or other devotionals. Sharing these prayers—whether alone or with others—both strengthens and offers an experience of the bond that holds these members together—as called by God to their community within their spirituality. Finally, as a baptized member of the Church, the individual participates in liturgical prayer.
✝ VOCATIONS
The term liturgy literally means “the work of the people.” And what work has Christ left for his people to continue; the work of salvation. Thus, all members of the people of God, all members of the body of Christ continue the work of salvation initiated by Christ. The good works or service may vary, but the liturgy remains the same. Liturgy, by its very name is a community effort that cannot be celebrated in private. A particular number of members pray in the name of the entire body for the entire body to accomplish God’s will of salvation. Religious pray as and for the Church in the Liturgy of the Hours and the sacraments, particularly the Mass. In the Liturgy of the Hours, the times (hours) and efforts of the day are celebrated and blessed. For most congregations, the two major “hours” or times of prayer are lauds (morning
prayer) and vespers (evening prayer). Morning prayer celebrates the gift of another day in God’s creation and asks for God’s blessing upon the efforts of the day. Evening prayer marks the end of the day’s efforts with a return to the home community and asks for God’s blessing on movement into a time of rest. Celebration of Mass or Eucharist—indeed any sacrament—moves participants past the focus of chronological time and daily cares into the timeless reality of the Paschal Mystery and the eternal accomplishment salvation. In that sense, all members of the body of Christ—no matter where or when they celebrate Eucharist—meet in celebrating the timelessness of God’s limitless love and salvation. Opportunities for liturgy, shared prayer and individual prayer are available to every parishioner, every follower
of Christ. However, members of consecrated life enjoy the extra assistance of structures and companionship in pursuing daily a strong and supportive prayer life. In addition to daily prayer, religious communities guarantee their members a variety of other opportunities that may be characterized by their spirituality: annual extended retreats, monthly days of recollection, particular weekly services, seasonal observances and special feasts. Does all this seem like a lot? What else can hold together a community of individuals very often from a variety of backgrounds and experiences? What else can keep religious involved in service that can both invite and challenge? What else can keep an individual religious focused on her or his goal of total and eternal union with a God who calls ever closer? What else?
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18 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
Help Us Prevent Financial Abuse The Diocese of Corpus Christi at the recommendation of the Diocesan Financial Council and Presbyteral Council have furthered their commitment to good stewardship and nancial accountability on behalf of generous donors by instituting a nancial abuse hotline. The Diocese of Corpus Christi has selected an independent third party, The Network, to provide you with a new way to anonymously and condently report nancial abuse and fraud. Employees, parishioners, volunteers, vendors and other interested parties will be encouraged to report concerns they have regarding nancial misconduct within the Diocese of Corpus Christi. All inquiries will be treated promptly and discreetly. Callers will have the right to remain anonymous. Call 1-877-571-9748
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Bishop Michael Mulvey and the staff of the Office for Safe Environment and Child and Family Resources are committed to assisting in the healing process for victims and survivors of abuse. If you or someone you know is in need of such services, call Stephanie Bonilla, Director of the Office for Safe Environment and Child and Family Resources at: (361) 693-6686 (office) or (361) 658-8652 (cell) for immediate assistance.
Office for Safe Environment and Child and Family Resources
The Cathedral Concert Series presents Mozart’s timeless masterpiece Requiem, in the Corpus Christi Cathedral on Friday, May 15, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Dee Donasco returns home to the cathedral as featured guest soloist. The Philippine-born Donasco is rapidly establishing herself as an artist to watch. At age 10 she won the National Music Competitions for Young Artists in the Philippines. After moving to the U.S. at age 13, she became a member of the Corpus Christi
Cathedral Pontifical Chorale for 10 years and served as the cantor for five years. Lee Gwozdz and Guadalupe Rivera Jr. will conduct the Cathedral Choirs of more than 100 voices and members from the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra. For more information about tickDee Donasco ets call (361) 888-7444.
Msgr. White to celebrate priestly ordination Msgr. Lawrence E. White will celebrate the 45th anniversary of his ordination with Mass at 11 a.m., at Ss. Cyril & Methodius, followed with a parish picnic under the school pavilion. As a special feature of the celebration, all couples over whose wedding ceremony Msgr. White presided will also be recognized. Msgr. White was ordained a priest 45 years ago on May 9, 1970. During his 45 years in priestly ministry
he has united many couples in marriage. All couples from any parish Msgr. White has served and who he presided over their marriage sacrament are invited to join him in celebrating his priesthood and their sacramental marriage. For more information call the Msgr. Lawrence parish office at (361) 853-7371. White
Rosalie Williams, Vice President, left, and Ellen Zdansky, KJT State Director, present Bishop Michael Mulvey with two checks: one for the Priests and Religious Retirement Fund and one for the Seminarian Education fund. Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic
MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 19
✝NEWS BRIEFS
Cathedral concert features return of Dee Donasco
20 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
On Sunday, April 12, Bishop Michael Mulvey celebrated Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Ramirez, Immaculate Conception Mission in Concepcion and St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus in Premont as part of his pastoral visits to parishes in the diocese. At Our Lady of Guadalupe Bishop Mulvey was presented with a wood carving of Our Lady of Guadalupe done by parishioner Robert Lerma. At Immaculate Conception the bishop visited the site where the new parish hall is being built. In Premont—the mother parish—he blessed the recently built youth house. The bishop also made pastoral visits to St. James in Bishop on April 19 and to Our Lady of Pilar Parish in Corpus Christi on April 26. He is scheduled to visit Holy Family in Taft on May 3 at 9:30 a.m. Mass and May 10 at Immaculate Conception Parish in Skidmore for 9 a.m. Mass and at St. Francis Xavier Mission in Tynan for the 11:00 a.m. Mass. “I want to thank pastors, deacons and parishioners at the parishes that I visit for their heartwarming welcome during my parish visits,” Bishop Mulvey said.
Bishop Michael Mulvey made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Ramirez (top photo); Immaculate Conception in Concepcion (middle photo); and St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus in Premont. Pastor John Ouellette, at right, concelebrated each Mass with the bishop. Contributed photos
MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 21
✝PARISH LIFE
Bishop makes pastoral visits to parishes
Hijos son la mayor log
22 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
Luisa Scolari
M Corresponsal
aría Consuelo Martínez, una madre católica como cualquier otra se encuentra haciendo su mejor esfuerzo por hacerlo bien. “Para poder lograr esta importante y ardua tarea es importante saber que no estamos solas y debemos pedir y aceptar la guía y fortaleza que el Espíritu Santo nos da,” la señora Martínez dijo. Sobre todo, ella dijo, lo más importante es tener siempre a Dios como eje y pilar en la vida y en la familia. Católicos tienen la obligación de compartir su manera de vivir. Cuando la fe es firme, es la raíz en donde está la gracia de Dios. Los hijos de pequeños no entienden pero aprenden de como asumen la responsabilidad los padres. Es por eso que debemos vivir mostrándoles la bendición que es permanecer unidos como familia y enseñarles la dignidad que existe al ser honrados y responsables, Martínez dijo. Enseñar a sus hijos la diferencia entre el bien y el mal es un compromiso que se lleva tiempo. Corregirlos no quiere decir que no los amas. Hay que enseñarles la diferencia entre
María Consuelo Martínez rodeada por su familia de nueve hijos y su esposo Roosevelt Martínez. Foto contribuido
MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 23
✝VIDA CATÓLICA
gro de madre de nueve
✝ VIDA CATOLICA
María Consuelo Martínez está muy orgullosa de sus nueve hijos, todos son graduados de la universidad, incluyendo dos que dio a la Iglesia; en la parte superior izquierda, el Padre Frank Martínez, párroco de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro y Padre Pedro Martínez, pastor en San Pablo el Apóstol. Luisa Scolari por South Texas Catholic, Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic y Foto contribuido
lo bueno y lo malo para que ellos lleguen a crecer en su espíritu y en su mente. “No puedo decir que siempre fue fácil pero fue bueno” dijo Martínez, quien se casó muy joven con Roosevelt Martínez y se vinieron a vivir a Corpus Christi. Su marido falleció hace dos años. Ella era de Alice y el de Cruz Calle en el condado de Duval. Empezaron su vida matrimonial rentando un pequeño apartamento cerca de la iglesia Sagrado Corazón en Comanche y de ahí se cambiaron a una pequeña casa en Gollihar donde comenzaron la familia. “Cuando mis hijos eran pequeños, me acostumbraba llevarlos a que ayudaran al ejército de salvación y así
24 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
pudieran contar las bendiciones que tenían,” Martínez dijo. “Y mi esposo los llevaba a la labor de la sandía y el melón para que conocieran como había crecido él y enseñarles como en lo más sencillo se encuentra la esencia de la alegría y la bendición de vivir.” En 1964 ella vivió su cursillo y dijo que fue la bendición más grande para ella y para su esposo. Estaban muy joven y ya con cinco hijos. “Quién iba a pensar que yo iba a tener la paciencia, el compromiso y la responsabilidad de querer ser buena esposa y buena madre, ya que por ser hija única, solo tengo un hermano, tenía un temperamento muy fuerte,” señora Martínez dijo. “Pero por el cariño, paciencia y personalidad de
mi esposo y ver como jugaba con los niños, pues me comencé a bajar del caballo. En el movimiento de Cursillos, el Señor Jesús fue el único que me pudo quitar el temperamento.” Aprendió mucho en el Cursillo y también en el ACTS porque dan la fuerza que viene de Dios y el entendimiento del valor de la gracia para poder formar un hogar y desarrollar el valor de la fe en los hijos. Cuando los padres llevan a los hijos en un ambiente donde se ayuda a los pobres, en donde se sirve, aprenden a ser líderes y a humillarse cuando las cosas no trabajan bien. “Eso se va empapando en ellos y los padres tienen que estar mostrando siempre que sí se puede esa manera de
✝ VIDA CATOLICA
vivir, estando siempre conectado con Dios. Sin Dios nada, con Dios todo,” ella dijo. “Por eso mi mama siempre decía ‘primero Dios’. Los matrimonios jóvenes deben de estar muy consientes que la manera de vivir en ese hogar tiene que ser vivida y no solo dar los sermones y regaños. Los hijos deben de ver que los padres están siempre esforzándose y que se aman, y que en los momentos en los que no están de acuerdo entra la fe, el perdón y la compresión.” La familia creció hasta nueve hijos. “Con tantos hijos siempre permanecíamos involucrados con el CCD, ya sea preparando para bautizos, catecismo, primeras comuniones o confirmaciones, porque me interesaba que mis hijos estuvieran bien preparados y entendieran muy bien que eran los sacramentos y la doctrina,” la señora
Martínez dijo. “Les enseñaba que no solo se trata de comprender y entender sino vivirlo.” Los consejos dieron buena fruta. Su mayor orgullo, la señora Martínez dijo, son sus hijos y su familia. Todos, menos dos, graduaron a la Universidad de Tejas en Austin. Y esos dos fueron al seminario y hoy son sacerdotes. Bobby, el mayor de la familia, estudió comunicaciones y sirvió en la marina. María del Rosario graduó de trabajadora social y tiene cinco hijos y nueve nietos. Cynthia Margot se recibió de administradora de empresas y ahora es directora regional de State Farm. Joanna gradúo como consejera y finanzas y trabaja en el hospital militar ayudando a los soldados y a sus familias a restablecerse cuando regresan. Nelda estudió ciencias políticas y
actualmente es la alcalde de la ciudad de Corpus Christi. Luego viene Francisco Javier, quien asistió al seminario en Corpus Christi y se graduó en St. Mary’s en Houston y es el párroco de la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro. María Magdalena estudió para consejera y después hizo su maestría en consejería educacional y su doctorado en Albuquerque, Nuevo México y es la directora de los programas de ayuda a los estudiantes para que terminen el colegio. Pedro Gregorio también estudió en St. Mary’s en Houston y actualmente es el Párroco de San Pablo Apóstol en Flour Bluff. La última Consuelo Ileana tiene créditos en periodismo, artes plásticas, maestra de inglés y drama, y trabaja en ciencias computacionales. “Todos ellos son mi mayor logro,” dijo la señora Martínez.
Ayudenos a Prevenir el Abuso Financiero La Diócesis de Corpus Christi por medio de la recomendación del Concilio Diocesano de Finanzas y el Concilio Presbiteral han llevado su dedicación mas allá para la buena administración y responsabilidad nanciera en nombre de donantes generosos al instituir un “hotline” para reportar el abuso nanciero. La Diócesis de Corpus Christi ha seleccionado un tercer partido independiente, La Red, para proporcionarle a usted con una manera para reportar anónima y condencialmente el abuso nanciero e fraude. Los empleados, los parroquianos, los voluntarios, los vendedores, y otros partidos interesados estan impulsados para reportar las preocupaciones que tengan respeto a la conducta de påca ética nanciera dentro de la Diócese de Corpus Christi. Todas las investigaciones serán tradas inmediatamente y discretamente. Personas que llamen tienen el derecho de mantenerse anónimas.
Llamada 1-877-571-9748
Obispo Michael Mulvey y el personal de la Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia se comprometen a ayudar en el proceso de curación de las víctimas y sobrevivientes de abuso. Si usted o alguien que usted conoce está en necesidad de estos servicios, llame a Stephanie Bonilla, Director de la Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia: (361) 693-6686 (oficina) ó (361) 658-8652 (celular) para asistencia inmediata.
Programa de Radio en Español en KLUX 89.5 HD-1 y “Listen Live” en KLUX.org Domingos a las 7:00 a.m. con el P. Juan Fernando Gámez P. José Naúl Ordóñez
Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 25
✝ CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Incarnate Word Academy students and supervisor Dennis Kenedy, at left, help build ramp for elderly woman in Big Wells, as her son lends a helping hand. Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic
On mission: Youth and adults are rewarded for labor of love Mary Cottingham
T
South Texas Catholic
he Incarnate Word Academy Missions Team had an adventure of a lifetime. More than 100 IWA students learned how to troubleshoot, problem solve, think of others, make sacrifices, work as a team and trust in God and each other. The team repaired, rebuilt and refurbished more than 50 homes of elderly and disabled people living in Asherton, Batesville, Big Wells,
26 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
Catarina and La Pryor, as well as two homes in Corpus Christi. The project took months of planning before its execution, which was the
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✝CATHOLIC EDUCATION
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1. Girls in Catarina help woman clear her yard of debris. 2. Students measure ceiling tiles, before cutting them and replacing the water damaged tiles in Immaculate Conception Church in Asherton. 3. Students load concrete for jobs in La Pryor. 4. Students refurbish kitchen in a Batesville house. Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic and Priscilla Ramos, Incarnate Word Academy
week leading up to Easter Sunday. “I think the main reason it’s so successful is because it is a student run organization,” Sister Rosa Maria Ortiz, IWBS said. The Missions Program started in September when she prepped the student leaders as they underwent faith formation. Team leaders gave talks on different aspects of faith and service every Wednesday for two hours. The students and adult chaperones boarded a bus on Sunday, March 29, and headed for the communities in the Diocese of Laredo. They began work on Monday and were expected to have most of the jobs finished by Holy
Thursday. Each community was invited to join the Mission Team at Mass at each of the sites. After Stations of the Cross, they packed up on Good Friday and headed back to Corpus Christi Saturday morning. The Corpus Christi group worked on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. In Asherton, student Cesar Hernandez said the experience was “life changing.” He visits family in Mexico and said the level of poverty was about the same in Asherton. “Most of us take the things we have for granted. Going to mission made me realize what we have isn’t for us to keep. It brought me closer to God. We prayed every night MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 27
✝ CATHOLIC EDUCATION
and that was new to me.” After evening prayer the teams evaluated their day. The evaluation process was called “Rose, thorn and bud.” Each project was given either a rose–what they felt good about; a thorn–projects that were challenges; and the bud–was their hope. Some of the students assigned to Asherton are on the IWA track team. They took orders at night, woke up at 5 a.m. to run and then made breakfast for the adults. “We adults in Asherton were spoiled. We had French toast and omelets. That has never happened before–on any of the prior mission trips,” Sister Rosa said. In Batesville, students Paris Shirley and Dana Alonso Bauer helped to build decks, redid a kitchen and built a porch. “Even with adult supervision, you had to learn to problem solve. You would go to your teammates at
Students share stories after lunch in Immaculate Conception Parish Hall in Asherton. Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic
28 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
Sister Rosa Marie Ortiz, IWBS prepared and guided students on Missions Team. Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic
night and you would have to troubleshoot,” Shirley said. “From my experience it’s humbling myself, seeing the sacrifices that I can make for a person can make it worthwhile. They were very happy with what we did for them,” Bauer said. For senior Michelle Ndwaru, a team leader in Big Wells, this was her third and final IWA mission trip. She said her group in Big Wells really bonded. Ndwaru plans to do more service in Austin where she will go to college next year.
Senior Trey Dimas did not think he would have much fun on the mission, but on the bus ride to Big Wells he realized that not only was it going to be fun, it was going to be daring. “One day we were walking down the street when a car stopped us and thanked us for all the hard work we did. That’s when it hit me, we really made a difference,” Dimas said. Dimas had the last shift at the Holy Thursday adoration in St. Michael the Archangel Church in Big Wells. “I was tired, but it was good to connect with God after a long day of working,” he said. In Catarina, the people at St. Henry Mission spoke only Spanish. The mission team consisted of a group of girls, led by Sister Jo Ann Saenz, IWBS and parent Maria G. Leon. They went to pre-determined houses to visit with people who “just needed to talk and
✝ CATHOLIC EDUCATION
pray with them,” Sister Jo Ann said. Three of her students spoke Spanish fluently and interpreted what was said so the others would feel included. At the request of one woman they helped clear her home and yard which was cluttered with junk and debris. On Thursday Sister Jo Ann presided over Holy Thursday Service because no priest was available. She washed the feet of an older man, a woman, a toddler and some of the girls on the Missions Team. Her group also learned the long version of the Stations of the Cross in Spanish. “It was very humbling and I was very proud of my girls,” Sister Jo Ann said. Many of the students thought the mission experience was, “eye opening.” Junior Cristina Madero had never experienced the level of poverty she saw in La Pryor and had an
Sister Jo Ann Saenz, IWBS presided over Holy Thursday Services, because a priest was not available. Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic
Student Marco Garcia said he wants to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives and make the world a better place. He had heard about one group of students in La Pryor who volunteered to temporarily lift a boy and his wheelchair into his home until they were able to build him a ramp. The boy had never been able to walk. “This kid goes to school every day without being able to walk. People forget how fortunate we really are,” Garcia said. When Garcia’s team built a ramp for an elderly man who used a walker, he
opportunity to help so many people. “Even though they were so poor, they were still committed to their Church and they still believed in God and had hope,” she said. In addition to seeing that level of commitment, Even though they were so poor, she learned how to use tools and build they were still committed to their things. “We worked Church and they still believed in a lot. It was tiring, rewarding and fun,” God and had hope. she said. –Cristina Madero
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Priscilla Ramos, top left, and her team of IWA students in La Pryor built a muchneeded ramp for the Mata family’s son. Before they could complete the ramp, students lifted him in and out of the house to his wheelchair so he could get to the bus that picked him up for school. Julio Ramos, Incarnate Word Academy
MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 29
✝ CATHOLIC EDUCATION
remembered “The old guy was so happy that every time he saw us he told us ‘you guys made such an impact in my life.’ I think it was Ghandi who said, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world,’ and if I can make a difference in one life, it makes it worth it,” he said. Adult volunteers, including some parents, ate, slept and worked alongside students at each location. Most of the towns had between seven to 15 projects and each project had to be near completion in three days. Parent Margot Coco, one of the team leaders, said the mission experience left her humbled and enlightened. Their group stayed at St. Joseph Church in La Pryor and their facility had showers and parishioners brought dinners to
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the church. Some of the locations did not have showers and the youth and adults made the best of it with makeshift showers that consisted of a stand-up tent and water from a hose. In Asherton, volunteer—and a painter by trade—Brian Pekar did not expect to enjoy working with the youth. “I thought they were kids, but I underestimated them,” Pekar said. He went on the trip as an overseer of building projects, but got way more then he expected. “I didn’t expect near the quality of work or that I would enjoy working along side them and I saw what the students got out of it. They not only worked as a team, but they were able to enjoy themselves at the end of a long day,”
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5. Father Jan Ziemniak, Pastor to St. Michael, the Archangel Mission washes the feet of a few IWA students and parishioners on Holy Thursday in Big Wells. 6. In Catarina girls pray the Stations of the Cross in Spanish at St. Henry Mission on Good Friday. 7-8. Scenes played out by students from live Stations of the Cross in La Pryor. Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic and Priscilla and Julio Ramos, Incarnate Word Academy
30 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
✝ CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Pekar said. A handful of students at his sites painted three houses in three days. He was pleased to see that. “These young adults are able to invest in something other than themselves,” Pekar said. “I am impressed with the scope of what Sister Rosa takes on. It’s a large project to govern and they do a good job in making it happen.” This was the fourth consecutive year that Sister Rosa— normally a religion teacher—has spearheaded the mission. She was quick to point out that she had a lot of help.
She and Jamie Faught traveled to all the sites three times, before the actual mission work began. They took photos and brought them to Peter Matl who figured out how much lumber it would take and the approximate cost of each project. Matl drew plans of each of the sites in all five towns of LaSalle and Dimmit Counties. Moms Monica Ellison and Courtney Thorud made sure everyone had plenty of food to eat. Fundraisers and contributions provide for the materials, travel, meals and other costs of the mission.
To see more photos of this event go to:
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Mass video replays on local public access channels Cathedral Sunday Mass: Wed. 7 p.m. , Thurs. 10 a.m. “La Santa Misa”: Tues. 7 p.m. & Wed. 10 a.m.
Internet Podcasts & video at GoCCN.org:
Cathedral Sunday Mass, La Santa Misa, Our Shepherd’s View, Simmillas De Experanza, Labors of Love, and Con Permiso
For H-D Radio Information: KLUX.org MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 31
U.S. golfer Jordan Spieth hugs his father, Shawn, as his mother, Chris, looks on after the 21-year-old won the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia. Spieth attended St. Monica Catholic School in Dallas and graduated in 2011 from Jesuit College Prep in Dallas. Mark Blinch, Reuters, Catholic News Service
Masters champion, product of Dallas Jesuit school, remains humble Seth Gonzales
Catholic News Service
E
ven after becoming the toast of the sports world, golfer Jordan Spieth, a 21-year-old Dallas Jesuit graduate, remained humble and down-to-earth as he worked the crowds at Augusta, handled the media, and bantered with morning and late night talk show hosts after his historic win.
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Rory McIlroy, and is watching his already rising status accelerate significantly. Spieth’s win at the Masters has inspired the Dallas Jesuit community, but perhaps none more so than the school’s golf team, which was preparing for a regional tournament during the Masters tournament. Jesuit golfer Cameron Suhy said the team members were constantly checking their phones to get the latest on Spieth, who only four years Jordan Spieth ago was in their shoes playing golf for Jesuit. “It was pretty nerve-wracking the whole week just watching him having to sit on the lead but when he finally pulled it out, it definitely gave our team a lot of confidence,” Suhy said. “We saw that a kid from Jesuit could win on golf’s biggest stage.” During his time at Jesuit, Spieth led the team to three Class 5A state titles in the University Interscholastic League. Jesuit golf coach Cathy Marino, herself a 10-year veteran of the LPGA, said while Spieth definitely stood out on the golf course, he was just a normal teenager. “When he was on the team, he was one of the guys,” Marino said. “He was a regular high school kid a lot of the time and I was glad to see that. I think that’s important especially once you turn pro and it becomes a business.” For Spieth, the Masters win brought him a paycheck of $1.8 million. He already has an endorsement deal with Under Armour and there is talk that other lucrative endorsement deals are
in the works. He was on various morning shows and late night shows April 13-14. Unlike other Masters champions who take the week off following the tournament, Spieth said that he would play the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina, April 16-19 because he wanted to give back to the tournament that was good to him when he turned pro. That loyalty is not surprising for those who see Spieth on the national stage. They say he is the same young man with the same value system that he had embraced at Dallas Catholic schools, including his elementary school, St. Monica Catholic School. “Jordan was always respectful to staff and students alike,” said Colette Corbin of the school’s Student Services Department. “He was one of those kids that would just stay and help clean up in the cafeteria if he saw that I was short on students helping. He was considerate of others’ feelings and tried to include other students that might otherwise not be part of a group.” And Jesuit’s Earsing said Spieth will be an inspiration for students, parents and teachers in Dallas Catholic schools. “I think it’s a hope of everybody who works in Catholic education that you see somebody who is achieving at such a high level, who is also a wonderful model for our students,” Earsing said. “Jordan is just the common man who achieves greatness through the blessings and talent God has given him to the maximum.” (Gonzales is a staff writer for The Texas Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Dallas. The newspaper’s Cathy Harasta contributed to this report.) MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 33
✝NATIONAL NEWS
That is no surprise to those who know the new Masters champion, who set course records at Augusta, Georgia, from April 9-12 on his way to the coveted prize and the iconic green blazer. They say he has kept family first, especially his younger sister, Ellie, who is autistic. “He is just very genuine,” said Steve Koch, athletic director at Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, which claims Spieth as a graduate of its class of 2011. “He says what he believes. He believes in supporting others, taking care of others before he takes care of himself.” Michael Earsing, the president of the Jesuit school, said that the foundation of family, balance and caring for others has no doubt created a different perspective for Spieth, one that will serve him well after winning the Masters. “We talk about Ignatian balance in everything we do and I think Jordan and his family are a really good example of that balance,” Earsing said. “When we talk about balance, we talk about love. We talk about how much he loves his sister, someone he loves and who has kept him grounded. We talk about how important life is to all of us as Catholics. What a wonderful thing.” At the Masters, Spieth became the second-youngest player to win and was the first to reach 19 under par in the tournament. His 28 birdies in the four rounds at the Masters is a tournament record. He also logged the best scores after 36 and 54 holes. And if that were not enough, he is only the fifth player in tournament history to lead from start to finish. He finished 18-under par, 270. Spieth is now ranked as the second-best golfer in the world behind
✝ NATIONAL
Laity called to be on ‘frontlines’ of using media in new evangelization Nate Madden
Catholic News Service
L
aypeople are meant to be “out on the frontlines” of using media in the new evangelization, said a speaker at a panel discussion at The Catholic University of America in Washington.
The panel consisted of leaders in Catholic broadcasting and communications and was held in honor of the 75th anniversary of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s first televised service on Easter 1940. It was part of a weeklong celebration of the legacy of the 20th-century Catholic evangelist. Speakers on the panel titled “Media and the New Evangelization” included Father Robert Reed, president of the CatholicTV Network of the Boston Archdiocese; Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, founding CEO of Canada’s Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation; and Michael Warsaw, CEO of the Eternal Word Television Network. Following a short video on the life of Archbishop Sheen, the panel discussed how his example could be used in current efforts to spread the Gospel through broadcast and social media. “He was America’s priest,” said Father Reed in discussing the popularity of the archbishop’s prime-time weekly television show, “Life is Worth Living.” He said that while the means of broadcast have changed in scope and nature, “the (evangelical) mission is identical,” even in a
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“…faith cannot be relegated” to private sanctuaries…it “can only develop in the public square.” world that is “moment-centric and spiritually famished.” Father Rosica said that he takes away two important lessons from the life and example of Archbishop Sheen. “The first is that faith cannot be relegated” to private sanctuaries, but that it “can only develop in the public square.” The second lesson, according to Father Rosica, is that “when faith becomes ideology, it loses its identity,” which he said should remind the faithful how to spread the Gospel to others. Father Rosica went on to say that one of the greatest challenges for the new evangelization in a world of ever-changing media is to “tell the ancient story in fresh, new and exciting ways.” When asked whether the Catholic
Church had fallen behind other denominations in media utilization in recent years, especially in the age of social media, the speakers emphasized the importance of embracing these means as a new method for creatively sharing the church’s message. “The challenge is to be creative with new media,” said Father Reed, whose network now features a game show, “WOW: The Catholic TV Challenge,” and a reality show, “House+Home,” both of which he hosts. Because of the many forms of new media, Father Rosica said, “we have to operate on many platforms at the same time.” However, Warsaw warned that while social media, blogs and other forms of new media are quite popular with younger demographics, “you
✝ NATIONAL
don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” explaining that linear television is still an invaluable tool in spreading the message because of its ongoing pervasiveness in the American household and American life in general. Father Rosica concurred, saying that “five million tweets mean nothing” unless those sending the message find a way to adequately convey “the embrace of Christ.” To this point, Warsaw added that, regardless of the means in which the message is sent, those engaged in evangelism through media must remember to craft messages that emphasize and embrace “beauty, truth and goodness,” so that the “authoritative message of truth” will attract others to the Catholic Church. Warsaw also pointed out that the
mission for Catholic broadcasters and evangelists is different than that of some other denominations. Whereas some evangelists of other denominations use media as an “alternative to interacting with a local church,” Warsaw reminded the audience “we are a sacramental church...Everything needs to be focused on bringing people into the local church.” When the panel was asked on how Archbishop Sheen would have adapted to the age of social media, Father Rosica focused more on his actual legacy than speculations about what he would post. Because of the archbishop, Catholics were not afraid to share their faith publicly but “after a few decades, several have gone back in the closet,” said Father Rosica, adding that he hopes for a renewal
that will have the same effect. “But I don’t think (Sheen) would be caught up with tweets,” he added. When an audience member asked about the need for Catholic media to “lead to something beyond itself,” Father Rosica replied that the goal of evangelical media “is to lead people to something more beautiful than the medium itself.” In closing, the panel discussed the role of laity in the new evangelism. All concurred that laypeople have a role to play in spreading the Gospel across all forms of media. Evangelism, especially in media “needs to be the work of the laity,” Warsaw said “not just the clergy.” While there “should still be a presence” of the clergy in production, Father Rosica said, laity should be “out on the front lines” of the new evangelization.
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MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 35
✝ VATICAN
War of the sexes: Gender theory is the problem, not solution Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
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radicating male and female identities does nothing to solve the problem of unfair or disrespectful treatment based on people’s gender, Pope Francis said.
“Getting rid of the difference is the problem, not the solution,” he said April 15 during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square. The right way to solve the problems and conflicts in male-female relations is to have men and women “talk to each other more, listen to each other more, know each other better, care more for each other,” he said. The pope continued a series of general audience talks about the family by beginning the first of two talks on
“the difference and complementarity between men and women.” He said the two talks would serve as the foundation for two later talks dedicated to the sacrament of marriage. At the end of the audience, Pope Francis personally greeted the husband and a daughter of Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death in 2010 under Pakistan’s controversial laws against blaspheming Islam. Bibi’s family came to Rome as part of a campaign to rally international support
for her release. In his main audience talk, Pope Francis said that when God created humanity in his image, he did so for man and woman together, “as a couple,” in a state of sharing and harmony. Sexual differentiation, therefore, exists not for creating conflict or a situation of subordination, but for reciprocity and fruitfulness; “for communion and generation, always in the image and likeness of God,” the pope said. “We are made to listen to each other and help each other,” he said. “We can say that without mutual enrichment in this relationship–in thinking and action, in feelings and work, even in faith–the two can’t even
Pope Francis greets family members during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Paul Haring Catholic News Service
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European countries distinguish between religious, civil marriages Jonathan Luxmoore
A
Catholic News Service
s some in the United States consider whether religious and civil marriages should be separated, they might look to practices in Europe, where most countries have long distinguished between the two. “Whereas the Catholic Church has a clear vision of the special meaning of marriage, it’s viewed in the civil context as a contract between two people—and it’s a fact of modern society that such contracts vary,” Thierry Bonaventura, spokesman for the 34-country Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, said. “In general, however, the system works well here. The church accepts civil unions, and the state is happy to see religious marriages take place if they’re registered with the civil authorities.” Today, the 47 member-countries of the Council of Europe, with their combined population of 820 million, generally concur on marriage criteria concerning age, consent and kinship. However, rules and procedures vary on associated property and inheritance rights, as well as on parenting, marital names and mutual duties, while attitudes to civil and religious marriages reflect historical experiences, cultural standards and social expectations. “In countries with a harmonious tradition of church-state separation, the state acts in agreement with the church to regulate marriages,” Msgr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz, a Polish church expert, said. MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 37
✝ VATICAN
understand fully what it means to be a man and woman.” Modern culture has done much to open up a new and deeper understanding of men and women, “but it also has introduced many doubts and much skepticism,” he said. “For example, I wonder if so-called gender theory may not also be an expression of frustration and resignation that aims to erase sexual differentiation because it no longer knows how to come to terms with it,” the pope asked. With gender theory, which argues that male and female characteristics are largely malleable social constructs, he said, “we risk going backward.” “God entrusted the earth to the covenant between man and woman: its failure drains the world of affection and obscures the heavens of hope,” he said. There are many “worrying” signs of the failure to live out God’s original plan of reciprocity and harmony, he said, as he pointed out two things “I think we have to commit ourselves to with greater urgency.” “The first: It is beyond question that we have to do much more in favor of women,” such as making sure “that women not only are listened to more, but that their voice carries real weight, (is) an acknowledged authority in society and the church,” he said to applause. A powerful guiding light, the pope said, is “the way in which Jesus considered women,” especially in a social and historical context that was much “less favorable than ours” and in which women “were really in second place.” Humanity has gone only “a tiny way” along the path God wants everyone to take, he said. “We still have not grasped fully the things that the feminine genius can give us, what society and we can be given by women who know how to see things with another pair of eyes that complement men’s ideas. It is a path to take with more creativity and audacity,” he said to more applause. The second thing that needs urgent attention, the pope said, is to see “if the collective crisis of faith in God, which is very harmful to us–afflicting us with resignation, skepticism and cynicism–may not be linked to this crisis of the covenant between men and women.” In fact, it is said that “communion with God is reflected in the communion of the human couple and that the loss of faith in the heavenly Father generates division and conflict between men and women.”
✝ VATICAN
“In others, however, where churchstate ties are traditionally hostile, they act quite separately. But there’s been a modus vivendi here too—although marriage laws make no mention of churches, it’s recognized that churches exist and conduct their own ceremonies.” In Britain, clergy of the established Church of England are legally obliged to conduct public marriages, and the civil register is traditionally signed in church as part of the wedding ceremony. Similar procedures apply in other countries with official state churches, such as predominantly Lutheran Finland and Denmark, where religious marriages are recognized by the state if civil law conditions are complied with. In France, by contrast, religious marriages are not recognized and must be preceded by a civil ceremony, under rules dating from the 1804 Napoleonic Code and 1905 Separation Law. Versions of the same procedure apply in Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, while in Spain and Germany a legally binding marriage must also be conducted by a state official. Antoine Renard, president of the European Federation of Catholic Family Associations, thinks the French system, carefully negotiated, represents a “balanced agreement.” “Civil marriage is the legal norm here, and it’s a tradition we can all share in common, whatever our religious beliefs and practices,” Renard said. “The clarity of knowing the state isn’t interested and won’t interfere in religious marriages is better than the situation in some countries, where the lack of precise rules can have a negative impact on marriages.” In Poland, a new system of “concordat marriages” was introduced under a 1998 treaty with the Vatican, nine years after the collapse of communist rule. This requires marrying couples
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to obtain a “no-impediment” notice from the state registry office, which must be completed and returned by the priest within five days of their church wedding, enabling the marriage to be entered in both parish and civil registers. A similar system—”matrimonio concordatorio”—operates in Italy, as well as in predominantly Catholic Slovakia and in Malta, which accepted civil marriages in 1975 and divorces only in 2011 after a referendum. “The priest acts in effect as a state official, and there’s no conflict between civil law and canon law,” explained Msgr. Mazurkiewicz, a former secretary-general of the Brussels-based Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community. “This is a huge change from communist times, when the state tried to control every aspect of life, and Catholic clergy were prosecuted for conducting marriages without a prior civil union.” Marriage rules and procedures also vary among Europe’s traditionally Orthodox countries. In Greece, where civil ceremonies were introduced only in 1983, church marriages are recognized by the state, but must be registered at the local registry office within 40 days to be legally valid. In Russia, however, religious marriages have no civil or legal status and are viewed, as in France, as a purely private church matter. “A high number of practical unions aren’t formalized here even under civil law, and disputes are often resolved solely on witness testimonies,” Msgr. Igor Kovalevsky, secretary-general of the Russian Catholic bishops’ conference, said. “Although the Catholic Church advises marrying couples to avoid complications by registering their marriages under civil law, we don’t have to inform the state when we conduct weddings,
since these are private religious events,” he said. Although registered heterosexual marriages are recognized throughout the European Union under a 1978 Hague Convention, this is not the case with same-sex marriages, which were first allowed in 2001 in the Netherlands. Eight EU countries—Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Britain— currently permit homosexual marriages, while a larger number recognize samesex registered partnerships. Church responses have varied. The official Lutheran Church of Denmark permitted same-sex weddings in 2013, with an opt-out provision for objecting pastors, while Lutheran churches in the Netherlands, Sweden and some German states also conduct blessings for same-sex couples. However, these were banned after a lengthy debate in the Church of England and are rejected in all cases by the Catholic Church. “The Catholic Church has only one vision of marriage, as the union of a man and woman, and it’s engaged in these debates to make its position clear,” said Bonaventura. “But the decision of some states to change the nature of marriage has caused obvious tension, especially in countries where church and state are separate, but the church is being asked to recognize same-sex unions.” Same-sex issues aside, Renard thinks the current system–of separate civil and religious marriages–is satisfactory, at least in France. He said disputes are rare and most people seem content to cooperate with the existing system. Msgr. Mazurkiewicz said he thinks U.S. experts should learn from European practices and leave marriage issues to be resolved at state rather than federal level.
✝ OUR FAITH
Sister Guadalupe Maria Cervantes, PCI Contributor
Sister Guadalupe Maria Cervantes, PCI is a member of the Pax Christi Institute.
W
e have heard proclaimed the joyous Gospel tidings, the living and risen Jesus spoke to us in the words of Scripture. He has told us that he came to seek and to save. He has exhorted us to carry our cross after him if we wish to be his disciples. He has given proofs of his goodness and love. He has told us of the beauty of heaven and the reward awaiting those who strive to attain it. We have listened to a homily that explains to us the Word of God and relates it to our needs and hopes. Still under the wondrous spell of his great miracles, his sublime teaching and his divine example, and as part of the Liturgy of the Word, the congregation with joy cries out: “I believe.” There is no more appropriate time than now to pour forth to Jesus the beautiful profession of our faith. Truly, the faithful soul must out of necessity break forth in jubilation: “My Lord and my God, I believe in You, I believe in Your Word.” The Church gives us a prayer to recite as our response. It is a prayer composed by the fathers of two councils–Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381. From the very beginning of
Christianity, candidates were asked to make an act of faith before Baptism. As time went on it became clear that there was need of a creed so that faith truths could be expressed more completely. The bishops composed a summary of what Christians truly believe: a creed (a word that comes from the first words of a creed in Latin Credo–I believe). We begin by renewing our faith in God our Father, who created the world and gave us life and a soul at our conception. Praise the Father for our gift of life and for creating us in his image and likeness. As we affirm one faith in Jesus Christ, Son of
➤ Christ gave us the Church and the sacraments to assure us that we would have a way to receive the gifts of salvation throughout our journey to God.
MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 39
✝ OUR FAITH
MASS: Liturgy of the Word: Profession of faith
✝ OUR FAITH
God and Son of Mary, we acknowledge his divinity and humanity. The Church asks us to bow our heads at the words about the incarnation of Jesus Christ because the most solemn moment of history deserves an act of reverence from us. Our continued reflection on the saving work of Jesus includes his passion, death, resurrection and second coming. The whole process is called the “paschal mystery” because Jesus passes through death to life for our sakes. It is mystery because we can only know it with faith and this truth needs to be revealed to us. The Creed leads us to an act of faith in the Holy Trinity and what each divine person does for us. The Spirit is God and gives us divine life, the gift of faith, and all the graces we need to be living and courageous witnesses to Christ. Finally, we are asked to renew our faith in the Church and the sacraments. Christ gave us the Church and the sacraments to assure us that we would have a way to receive the gifts of salvation throughout our journey to God. The Creed concludes with the call to believe in our resurrection from the dead and eternal life in heaven.
General Intercessions: Prayers of the Faithful
The Liturgy of the Word concludes with a series of prayers for the needs of the Church, the local parish and each member of the worship assembly. The General Instruction for the Roman Missal says that in the Prayers of the Faithful, we exercise our priestly role in interceding for all of humanity. Our minds are often filled with images of suffering from around the world. As Catholics we should never forget that it is our duty to intercede endlessly on behalf of all people.
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Paul’s First Letter to Timothy Sister Kathleen McDonagh, IWBS Contributor
Sister Kathleen McDonagh, IWBS is a member of the order of the Incarnate Word of the Blessed Sacrament.
I
n the many New Testament Pauline letters, some are shorter than others. In the liturgical readings at Mass, we hear sections of the longer letters read frequently. Less frequently do we come in contact with the shorter letters; however, they too contain wise teachings. Let us take time, then, to consider the content of Paul’s shorter letters. Of these, two are addressed to Timothy with the first containing six chapters and the second just three. In the First Letter to Timothy, Paul addresses Timothy in loving terms as “my true child in faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Tm 1:2).” After the greeting, Paul begins with a warning to Timothy to focus on the spiritual and positive and to call others to do the same. Paul urges Timothy to “instruct certain people not to teach false doctrines or to concern themselves with myths and endless genealogies…rather than the plan of God that is to be received by faith. The aim of this instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (1 Tm 1:3-5).” Paul is obviously personally focused on the spiritually positive, and he is urging Timothy, his disciple, to make the same focus his own. Paul is aware that some people have deviated from the spiritual, putting all their emphasis on law. In his opinion, this is erroneous. Paul tells Timothy, “…law is meant not for a righteous person but for the lawless and unruly…and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching (1 TM 1:9-10).” Later, Paul reflects on how he has experienced God’s goodness to him and expresses his gratitude for his mercy. He
✝ OUR FAITH
describes himself as having “once been a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant,” but then goes on to describe how the Lord has treated him; “…I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief (1 Tm 1:13).” Paul then urges Timothy to “fight a good fight by having faith and a good conscience (1 Tm 1:18-19).” In Chapter 2, Paul urges Timothy to approach God on behalf of everyone. He specifies kings and everyone in authority as people who specially need prayer, and he makes it quite clear that his objective is for the followers of Christ to lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our Savior who wills everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth (1 Tm 2:2-4). In 1 Tm 2:8-15, Paul specifies how
adults should pray. Today, many people would disagree with Paul’s statement that women should not teach or have authority over men. In our times, however, this has changed, and Church leaders now do appoint women to authoritative situations. Paul teaches that women “will be saved through motherhood provided that they persevere in faith and love and holiness with self-control (1 Tm 2:15).” In Chapter 3, Paul specifies qualifications required for various ministers–these also not necessarily the same as those required today. The qualifications he lists for bishops include the statement that the bishops should be “irreproachable, married only once, temperate, self-controlled, decent, hospitable, able to teach (1 Tm 3:2).” A married bishop is urged to “keep his
children under control with perfect dignity for, if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of the church of God (1 Tm 3:5)?” Paul then addresses the fact that Timothy and his church members should not need his presence in order to behave as members of the God’s household. They too relate directly to God. Central to the mystery of devotion in the household of God is Christ himself, “Who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory (1 Tm 3:16). ” If we are dedicated Christian people, Christ is central in our lives. Let us live always in awareness of and response to him.
May Liturgical Calendar 1 | Fri | Easter Weekday | white/white [Saint Joseph the Worker] Acts 13:26-33/Jn 14:1-6 (283) or, for the Memorial, Gn 1:26—2:3 or Col 3:1415, 17, 23-24/ Mt 13:54-58* (559)
34-35, 44-48/1 Jn 4:7-10/Jn 15:9-17 (56) Pss II
red [Saint John I, Pope and Martyr] Acts 19:1-8/ Jn 16:29-33 (297)
11 | Mon | Easter Weekday | white | Acts 16:11-15/Jn 15:26—16:4a (291)
19 | Tue | Easter Weekday | white | Acts 20:17-27/Jn 17:1-11a (298)
2 | Sat | Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church | white | Memorial | Acts 13:44-52/Jn 14:7-14 (284)
12 | Tue | Easter Weekday | white/ red/red [Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs; Saint Pancras, Martyr] Acts 16:22-34/Jn 16:5-11 (292)
20 | Wed | Easter Weekday | white/ white [Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest] Acts 20:28-38/Jn 17:11b-19 (299)
3 | SUN | FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER | white | Acts 9:26-31/1 Jn 3:18-24/Jn 15:1-8 (53) Pss I
13 | Wed | Easter Weekday | white/ white [Our Lady of Fatima] Acts 17:15, 22—18:1/Jn 16:12-15 (293)
4 | Mon | Easter Weekday | white | Acts 14:5-18/Jn 14:21-26 (285)
14 | Thu | The Ascension of the Lord11 | white | Solemnity | [Holyday of Obligation] | Acts 1:1-11/ Eph 1:1723 or Eph 4:1-13 or 4:1-7, 11-13/Mk 16:15-20 (58) Pss Prop
21 | Thu | Easter Weekday | white/red [Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs] Acts 22:30; 23:6-11/Jn 17:20-26 (300)
5 | Tue | Easter Weekday | white | Acts 14:19-28/Jn 14:27-31a (286) 6 | Wed | Easter Weekday | white | Acts 15:1-6/Jn 15:1-8 (287) 7 | Thu | Easter Weekday | white | Acts 15:7-21/Jn 15:9-11 (288) 8 | Fri | Easter Weekday | white | Acts 15:22-31/Jn 15:12-17 (289) 9 | Sat | Easter Weekday | white | Acts 16:1-10/Jn 15:18-21 (290) 10 | SUN | SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER | white | Acts 10:25-26,
15 | Fri | Easter Weekday | white/ white [Saint Isidore] Acts 18:9-18/Jn 16:20-23 (295) 16 | Sat | Easter Weekday | white | Acts 18:23-28/Jn 16:23b-28 (296) 17 | SUN SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER12 | white | Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26/1 Jn 4:11-16/Jn 17:11b-19 (60) Pss III 18 | Mon | Easter Weekday | white/
22 | Fri | Easter Weekday | white/ white [Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious] Acts 25:13b-21/Jn 21:15-19 (301) 23 | Sat | Easter Weekday | white | Morning: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31/Jn 21:20-25 (302) 24 | SUN | PENTECOST SUNDAY13 | red | Solemnity | Vigil: Gn 11:1-9 or Ex 19:3-8a, 16-20b or Ez 37:1-14 or Jl 3:1-5/Rom 8:22-27/Jn 7:37-39 (62) Extended Vigil: Gn 11:1-9/Ex 19:3-8a, 16-20b/Ez 37:1-14/Jl 3:1-5/Rom 8:2227/Jn 7:37-39 (62) Day: Acts 2:1-11/1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Gal 5:16-25/ Jn 20:19-23 or Jn 15:26-27; 16:12-15
(63) Pss Prop 25 | Mon | Weekday (Eighth Week in Ordinary Time) | green/white/white/ white [Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church; Saint Gregory VII, Pope; Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin] Sir 17:2024/Mk 10:17-27 (347) Pss IV 26 | Tue | Saint Philip Neri, Priest | white | Memorial | Sir 35:1-12/Mk 10:28-31 (348) 27 | Wed | Weekday | green/white [Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop] Sir 36:1, 4-5a, 10-17/Mk 10:32-45 (349) 28 | Thu | Weekday | green | Sir 42:1525/Mk 10:46-52 (350) 29 | Fri | Weekday | green | Sir 44:1, 9-13/Mk 11:11-26 (351) 30 | Sat | Weekday | green/white [BVM] Sir 51:12cd-20/Mk 11:27-33 (352) 31 | SUN | THE MOST HOLY TRINITY | white | Solemnity | Dt 4:32-34, 39-40/ Rom 8:14-17/Mt 28:16-20 (165) Pss Prop
MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 41
✝ MAY CALENDAR
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May 2 from 8 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. at Christ the King Parish in Corpus Christi (3423 Rojo St). Day begins with Mass. Light breakfast and lunch provided. The day will be led by members of Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center. Register at www.deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext. 321.
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May 2, from 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. in the Cafetorium at St. John Paul II High School (3036 Saratoga Blvd.) in Corpus Christi. The competition is intended to increase awareness and help educate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). For more information contact Jon Gain at (361) 855-5744.
3rd Annual Spring Fiesta at Immaculate Conception
Evening of Eucharistic Adoration and Global Rosary
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Global Living Rosary
May 13 at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Perpetual Adoration Chapel (1200 Lantana). All are welcome. Join 60 children who will be forming the beads of a Living Rosary. Come and bring your family.
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Women’s Ignatian Spiritual Exercises Retreats May 14-17 at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center (1200 Lantana). The retreat is directed by Sister Miriam James Hiedland SOLT, a nationally known speaker. Register www.deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext. 321.
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OLCC Golf Tournament
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Saint Francis Xavier Annual Spring Festival
May 3 begins at 12 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier (323 Frio Street) in
May 16 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Oso Beach Municipal Golf Course (5801 S. Alameda) in Corpus Christi. Proceeds benefit Our Lady of Corpus Christi. For more information go to: www.olcc-golf.eventbrite.com or call Al Lujan at (361) 215-8173 or email: alfredlujan@yahoo.com or call Carlos Trujillo at (361) 742-2946 or email: golfsmith3@yahoo.com.
All Services FREE: • Pregnancy Test • Limited Ultrasound • Baby Supplies • Parenting Classes • Adoption Information • Abortion Recovery Classes
4730 Everhart Rd
361.991.2008 www.ccpregnancy.org
42 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | MAY 2015
Msgr. Lawrence White 45th Anniversary of Ordination and sacrament of marriage
ay 17 at 11 a.m. and will be M followed with a parish picnic under the school pavilion. The parishioners of Ss. Cyril & Methodius parish and all the couples over whose wedding ceremony Msgr. White presided are invited to attend. For more information call the parish office at (361) 853-7371.
May 7 from 7-8:30 pm. at St. Pius X Church (5629 Gollihar). Children from St. Pius Catholic School will form the Living Rosary and Father James Kelleher, SOLT, an internationally known speaker, will give a talk on Mary. All are invited.
Robotics competition
May 2 from 4 p.m.-12 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church in Concepcion. There will be live music and dancing featuring Groupo Vidal, Bo Walker Band, Palacios Brothers. There will also be food and drink, a variety of booths, games, a train ride for children, arts and crafts. Bring your lawn chairs. No coolers please. In addition there will be an independent trail ride. For information on the trail ride call Joe Salinas (trail ride boss) at (361) 537-4149.
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Tynan. There will be games, food, fun, fellowship, live music, dancing and Folklorico dancers.
Day of Reflection and Prayer
Magnificent Mozart
May 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Corpus Christi Cathedral (505 N. Broadway). Magnificent Mozart with the Cathedral Choirs and The Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra and guest soloist Dee Donasco. For VIP memberships for priority reserved seating and more information call (361) 888-7444.
OLCC Healing Retreat
May 29-31 begins Friday at 5 p.m. and ends on Sunday 3:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Corpus Christi (1200 Lantana). Weekend consists of a series of talks on healing, periods of reflection asking God to show us where we need healing and concludes with a Healing Service. Register www.deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext. 321. To see more calendar events go to:
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In Loving Memory
FATHER THOMAS FRANCIS SHOWALTER, SOLT Sept. 6, 1957 – July 13, 2013
e h t t a e s u a C d o o G a r o f g n i w Take a S M P 2 1 M A 8 M O R F 6 1 Y A M , Y A D R SATU
T N E M A N R U O T F L OLCC GO AT THE OSO BEACH MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE 5801 S. ALAMEDA • CORPUS CHRISTI
Proceeds Benefit Our Lady of Corpus Christi www.olcc-golf.eventbrite.com
For more information call or Email: Al Lujan at (361) 215-8173 at alfredlujan@yahoo.com or Carlos Trujillo (361) 742-2946 at golfsmith3@yahoo.com
MAY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 43
May 2015 Issue SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC P.O. Box 2620 Corpus Christi, TX 78403 (361) 882-6191
• Yearly Class Retreats • Pro-Life Club • Vocations Club • Senior Leadership Retreat • Weekly Mass and Confession
St. John Paul II High School NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR OUR CATHOLIC IDENTITY
CLASSES BEGIN AUGUST 10 Open Registration for the 2015-2016 school year
• Serving those less fortunate • STEM Club (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) • Rotary Interact Club
3036 Saratoga Blvd. • Corpus Christi, TX 78415 (361) 855-5744
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