South Texas Catholic Winter Issue - Vol. 60, No. 4

South Texas

Catholic SERVING THE CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI

A CHURCH OF HOPE WI NT E R

2024

IS S UE

Keep up with the faith at

southtexascatholic.com VOL. 60 NO. 5 Publisher Bishop Michael Mulvey, STL DD Director of Communications and Public Relations Katia Uriarte Philipello kuriarte@diocesecc.org Assistant Director of Communications and Public Relations Jesse DeLeon jdeleon@diocesecc.org

INSIDE

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| INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP MICHAEL MULVEY: Igniting and Generating a Spirit of Hope

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| ENTREVISTA CON OBISPO MICHAEL MULVEY: Encendiendo y generando un espíritu de esperanza

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| OVERCOMING THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS: Bishop’s Conference encourages parishes to care for mental health

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| SUPERAR EL ESTIGMA DE LA ENFERMEDAD MENTAL: La Conferencia Episcopal anima a las parroquias a cuidar la salud mental

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| SUPERNORMALLY STIMULATED AND DISILLUSIONED: Why are our kids so different today?

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| A “PAINTER FOR GOD” ON HIS WAY TO HEALING: We don’t know why things happen to us – but deferred dreams can become a path to salvation

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| “THE YOUTH ARE THE CHURCH OF TODAY”: An interview with Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR, President of Franciscan Jason Rodriguez decided to University of become “a painter for God.” Steubenville, on ministering to a generation that grew up differently

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| LITANY OF HEALING AND REPENTANCE IN THE EUCHARIST: A litany that was composed and led by Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, at the 10th National Eucharistic Congress held in Indianapolis

Managing Editor Susanne Janssen sjanssen@diocesecc.org Theological Consultant Very Rev. Richard Libby, Chancellor rlibby@diocesecc.org Communications Specialist Adel Sauceda asauceda@diocesecc.org Social Media Coordinator and Videographer Elizabeth Morales emorales@diocesecc.org Broadcast Technical Director Richard Luna rluna@diocesecc.org Communications Administrative Assistant Analisa Iber aiber@diocesecc.org Correspondents Rebecca Esparza and Jessica Rohr Translator/Correspondent Gloria Romero Contributors: Dr. Crystal Collier, Fr. Dave Pivonka TOR, Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB

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A prayer to bring our sufferings and doubts before the Lord.

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| “PROCLAIM JESUS’ WORDS AND BE SERVANTS OF ALL”: Bishop Mulvey ordained ten permanent deacons to serve the Church in our diocese

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| GOING INTO A JUBILEE YEAR… WITH A LOT OF HOPE: State of the Diocese 2024: The highlights of the year and new plans for the Cathedral

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| FOLLOWING JESUS: “And power was with him for healing”: Fr. Brady Williams, SOLT reflects on Lk 5:17-26

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| SIGUIENDO JESUS: “…Y el poder del Señor estaba en su mano para sanar”: Una reflexión sobre Lucas 5:17-26

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| BIOETHICS 101: Taking His Place Alongside Us: How Christmas teaches us about the fundamental value of human life

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| WOMAN OF STRENGTH: St. Dymphna, Patron Saint of those suffering from mental illness

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| BEING PILGRIMS OF HOPE: The Jubilee Year in our diocese: Six Holy Sites and Special Masses

The bishop ordained ten permanent deacons by laying his hands on them.

ON THE COVER: The Ordination to the Holy Orders of the Permanent Diaconate, picture: Susanne Janssen

Submit your News and Stories! Send us your parish, school, ministry news stories, pictures and calendar events via our online form at diocesecc.org/send-news or via email to stc@diocesecc.org. If you have any questions, call STC at (361)693-6609.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Bishop Michael Mulvey and the staff of the Office for Safe Environment and Child and Family Resources are committed to assisting those who have faced abuse of any kind. For immediate assistance, support, and referral information, please call Victim Assistance Coordinator Stephanie Bonilla at (361) 693-6686.

El obispo Michael Mulvey y el personal de la Oficina del Medio Ambiente Seguridad y Recursos para Niños y Familias están comprometidos a ayudar a aquellos que han sufrido abusos de cualquier tipo. Para asistencia inmediata, apoyo e información de referencia, llame al Coordinador de Asistencia a Víctimas Stephanie Bonilla al (361) 693-6686.

In the spirit of proper stewardship, the Diocese of Corpus Christi encourages reporting any financial abuse concerns or related issues. Report confidentially to: financialconcerns@diocesecc.org En el espíritu de una administración adecuada, la Diócesis de Corpus Christi alienta a informar cualquier inquietud de abuso financiero o problemas relacionados. Informe confidencialmente a: financialconcerns@diocesecc.org

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INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP MICHAEL MULVEY

Igniting and Generating a Spirit of Hope

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ccording to a recent study, more than 40% of young people struggle with their mental health – and still, some people see mental illness as a stigma. What can the Church do to raise awareness?

Bishop Mulvey: Mental health affects so many people today. Perhaps many of us know someone who is affected by it. We have to be aware of these challenges and seek treatment options to get the psychological support we need. Additionally, our environment plays a critical role in mental health; factors such as bullying, loneliness, and a lack of acceptance can exacerbate these issues.

The response from the Church should not only be to raise awareness but also to take action: to foster a sense of being Church together. We need to walk with young people, ensuring that we are not only bringing them together or organizing activities but participating with them—playing soccer with them! We really need to be close to young people, not just as a group, but also individually. I encourage pastors and parishioners to open their doors to young people, dedicate extra time to those in need, and build a sense of community as a proactive response.

Sometimes, we hesitate to get involved because we 4

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may perceive it as an issue reserved for the family.

However, we can still reach out and offer help to the family without overstepping boundaries. It’s important to let people know that we care and are here to support them.

Pope Francis chose hope as the theme for the Jubilee Year 2025 – because it’s what our world needs! What does hope mean to you? How can we be more hopeful?

Bishop Mulvey: Hope is an integral part of our lives. We are created in the image and likeness of God, allowing us to look beyond ourselves in search of more—more beauty, more joy.

To cultivate hope and joy, we must first examine ourselves and ask, “Why am I not in a hopeful or joyful mood?” Self-examination and self-awareness are often lacking in our society. It’s important to reflect on what brings us momentary pleasure but ultimately leads to feelings of hopelessness. We should consider what we surround ourselves with that may hinder our growth.

The answer lies in looking beyond ourselves.

I can either sit back and say, “There are so many people in need,” or I can say, “I have something

to give them, which is myself, which is love going beyond myself and my love.” This is the key to hope!

If I accompany them, I receive as well. By lightening their burdens, joy returns to me. That is how we are made in God’s image and likeness: we thrive when we give to one another, like the Father to the Son, and the Son to the Father. In that dynamic of giving and receiving, loving and being loved, hope returns because only love is the key to hope.

Christian love put into practice this year could ignite and generate a spirit of hope, confirming that it is possible to go beyond the situation that I or another person find ourselves in.

Our world today is marked by darkness, difficulties, uncertainties and wars. What makes you hopeful in today’s world?

Bishop Mulvey: What gives me hope is God’s presence in the Church today. And I don’t want to use a buzzword, but synodality makes me hopeful.

It simply means coming together, listening, being close to one another, understanding, and welcoming each other. These attitudes dispel the darkness, even within ourselves. When I am willing to leave my own darkness and enter into someone else’s, I discover not their darkness but rather light.

This is part of our tradition. If you start reading about the lives of the saints, you’ll find examples of what I mean. They experienced darkness but transcended it, ultimately finding the light, which they then shared with others. Jesus Himself experienced a moment of darkness in His life when He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:45). In that moment, He felt extreme and absolute loneliness, which is the absence of God. Yet, He moved beyond that feeling and said, “Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit” (Lk 23:26). That’s the mystical experience of the Church. We have a mission to bring light into the darkness, just as God gave light to Jesus.

What is the reason that the Church calls for a Jubilee Year?

Bishop Mulvey: The first Jubilee, or Holy Year, was proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300. This tradition of the Church calls for a year of conversion and reconciliation. If we look at humanity today, it’s clear that we need to push a “reset button” every now and then.

We can do this personally each night when we engage in an Examination of Conscience, allowing us to reset for the next day. However, it’s no secret that our world is in a dark place right

now—humanity needs a whole year to restart.

One suggestion I have for people during this Year of Hope and beyond is to eliminate the darkness that I can control. Certain images, jokes, and stories can plant darkness in our hearts. There seems to be an insatiable quest for what is ugly and evil. We need a Holy Year to say no; evil breeds hopelessness, while beauty and goodness provide hope.

We should ask ourselves, “What is creating darkness in my life? What groups do I associate with that are not beneficial? What jokes do I repeat? Who do I speak ill of?” It’s important to stop these negative influences, turn off the internet, and disconnect from television in order to create a new space in our lives for positive and beautiful moments that draw us closer to God and fill us with hope.

Is that one reason why we should go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Sites in our diocese?

Bishop Mulvey: We are a pilgrim people – this is an image from the Second Vatican Council. Going on a pilgrimage helps us remember something we often forget amid our busy, active days. How many times have you thought about being a pilgrim this week? Probably not once!

Many people enjoy walking the Camino in Spain to Santiago de Compostela, and a pilgrimage, even a short one, can take you out of your comfort zone – even if you drive to a Holy Site.

However, it’s essential to travel in a meaningful way: turn off the radio, say the rosary, and be in a car with others talking about God. It transforms a regular journey into a sacred experience leading to a holy place. A pilgrimage is a sacred duty to walk together with God to a place where we can pray alongside others.

This year, we wanted the Blessed Mother to accompany us on our journey of hope because she is a mother of hope—she will never let us down. We should invite her to be part of our pilgrimage! That’s why we chose churches in our diocese dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victrix of Schoenstatt Shrine as our Holy Sites so that our Mother may guide us on this path.

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ENTREVISTA CON OBISPO MICHAEL MULVEY

Encender y generar un espíritu de esperanza

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egún un estudio reciente, más del 40 % de los jóvenes tienen problemas de salud mental y, aun así, algunas personas ven la enfermedad mental con estigma. ¿Qué puede hacer la Iglesia para crear conciencia?

Obispo Mulvey: La salud mental afecta a muchas personas hoy en día. Tal vez muchos de nosotros conozcamos a alguien que la padece. Tenemos que ser conscientes de estos desafíos y buscar opciones de tratamiento para obtener el apoyo psicológico que necesitamos. Además, nuestro entorno juega un papel fundamental en la salud mental; factores como el acoso, la soledad y la falta de aceptación pueden agravar estos problemas.

La respuesta de la Iglesia no debe ser solo crear conciencia, sino también actuar: fomentar un sentido de ser Iglesia juntos. Necesitamos caminar con los jóvenes, asegurándonos de que no solo los reunamos u organicemos actividades, sino que participemos con ellos, ¡jugando fútbol con ellos!

Realmente necesitamos estar cerca de los jóvenes, no solo como grupo, sino también individualmente.

Animo a los pastores y feligreses a abrir sus puertas a los jóvenes, dedicar tiempo extra a los necesitados y crear un sentido de comunidad como respuesta proactiva.

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A veces, dudamos en involucrarnos porque podemos percibirlo como un problema reservado para la familia. Sin embargo, podemos acercarnos y ofrecer ayuda a la familia sin sobrepasar los límites.

Es importante que las personas sepan que nos preocupamos y que estamos aquí para apoyarlos.

El Papa Francisco eligió la esperanza como tema para el Año Jubilar 2025, ¡Porque es lo que nuestro mundo necesita! ¿Qué significa la esperanza para usted? ¿Cómo podemos tener más esperanza?

Obispo Mulvey: La esperanza es una parte integral de nuestras vidas. Hemos sido creados a imagen y semejanza de Dios, lo que nos permite mirar más allá de nosotros mismos en busca de más: más belleza, más alegría.

Para cultivar la esperanza y la alegría, primero debemos examinarnos a nosotros mismos y preguntarnos: “¿Por qué no siento que tengo esperanza o porque no me siento alegre?” El autoexamen y la autoconciencia a menudo faltan en nuestra sociedad. Es importante reflexionar sobre lo que nos da placer momentáneo pero que al final nos lleva a tener sentimientos de desesperanza.

Debemos considerar lo que nos rodea y que puede estar obstaculizando nuestro crecimiento.

La respuesta está en mirar más allá de nosotros mismos. Puedo sentarme y decir: “Hay tanta gente necesitada”, o puedo decir: “Tengo algo que darles, que soy yo mismo, que es el amor que va más allá de mí y de mi amor”. ¡Esta es la clave de la esperanza!

Si los acompaño, también recibo. Al aliviar sus cargas, la alegría se regresa a mí. Así es como estamos hechos a imagen y semejanza de Dios: prosperamos cuando nos damos unos a otros, como el Padre al Hijo y el Hijo al Padre. En esa dinámica de dar y recibir, amar y ser amado, regresa la esperanza porque solo el amor es la clave de la esperanza.

El amor cristiano puesto en práctica este año podría encender y generar un espíritu de esperanza, confirmando que es posible ir más allá de la situación en la que me encuentro yo o la otra persona.

Nuestro mundo de hoy está marcado por la oscuridad, las dificultades, las incertidumbres y las guerras. ¿Qué le da esperanza en el mundo de hoy?

Obispo Mulvey: Lo que me da esperanza es la presencia de Dios en la Iglesia hoy. Y no quiero usar una palabra de moda, pero la sinodalidad me da esperanza. Simplemente significa reunirse, escuchar, estar cerca unos de otros, comprenderse y acogerse mutuamente. Estas actitudes disipan la oscuridad, incluso dentro de nosotros mismos. Cuando estoy dispuesto a dejar mi propia oscuridad y entrar en la de otra persona, no descubro su oscuridad sino más bien la luz.

Esto es parte de nuestra tradición. Si empezamos a leer sobre las vidas de los santos, encontraremos ejemplos de lo que quiero decir. Experimentaron la oscuridad, pero la trascendieron, y finalmente encontraron la luz, que luego compartieron con otros. Jesús mismo experimentó un momento de oscuridad en su vida cuando gritó: “Dios mío, Dios mío, ¿por qué me has abandonado?” (Mt 27:45).

En ese momento, sintió una soledad extrema y absoluta, que es la ausencia de Dios. Sin embargo, Él fue más allá de ese sentimiento y dijo: “Padre, en tus manos encomiendo mi espíritu” (Lc 23:26). Esa es la experiencia mística de la Iglesia. Tenemos la misión de llevar luz a la oscuridad, así como Dios le dio luz a Jesús. ¿Cuál es la razón por la que la Iglesia convoca a un Año Jubilar?

Obispo Mulvey: El primer Jubileo, o Año Santo, fue proclamado por el Papa Bonifacio VIII en 1300. Esta tradición de la Iglesia exige un año de conversión y reconciliación. Si observamos a la humanidad de hoy, está claro que necesitamos presionar un “botón de reinicio” de vez en cuando. Podemos hacerlo personalmente cada noche cuando realizamos un Examen de Conciencia, esto nos permite reiniciarnos para el siguiente día. Sin embargo, no es ningún secreto que nuestro mundo en este momento está

en un lugar oscuro: la humanidad necesita un año entero para reiniciarse.

Una sugerencia que tengo para las personas durante este Año de la Esperanza y más allá es eliminar la oscuridad que podemos controlar.

Ciertas imágenes, chistes o historias pueden sembrar oscuridad en nuestros corazones.

Parece una búsqueda insaciable de lo que es feo y malo. Necesitamos un Año Santo para decir no; el mal genera desesperanza, mientras que la belleza y la bondad brindan esperanza.

Deberíamos preguntarnos: “¿Qué está creando oscuridad en mi vida? ¿Con qué grupos me relaciono que no me benefician? ¿Qué chistes repito? ¿De quién hablo mal?” Es importante detener estas influencias negativas, apagar el Internet y desconectarnos de la televisión para crear un nuevo espacio en nuestras vidas para momentos positivos y hermosos que nos acerquen a Dios y nos llenen de esperanza. ¿Es esa una de las razones por las que deberíamos hacer una peregrinación a los Santos Lugares de nuestra diócesis?

Obispo Mulvey: Somos un pueblo peregrino; esta es una imagen del Concilio Vaticano II. Hacer una peregrinación nos ayuda a recordar algo que a menudo olvidamos en dentro de nuestros días ocupados y activos. ¿Cuántas veces a la semana hemos pensado en ser peregrinos? ¡Probablemente ni una sola vez! A muchas personas les gusta caminar el Camino de Santiago en España, y una peregrinación, incluso corta, puede sacarte de tu zona de confort, incluso si conduces hasta un Lugar Sagrado.

Sin embargo, es esencial viajar de una manera significativa: apagar la radio, rezar el rosario y estar en un automóvil con otras personas hablando de Dios. Transforma un viaje normal en una experiencia sagrada que conduce a un lugar sagrado. Una peregrinación es un deber sagrado de caminar junto con Dios a un lugar donde podemos orar junto a otros.

En este año, queremos que la Santísima Virgen nos acompañara en nuestro viaje de esperanza porque ella es una madre de esperanza, que nunca nos decepcionará. ¡Debemos de invitarla a ser parte de nuestra peregrinación! Es por eso que elegimos iglesias en nuestra diócesis dedicadas a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y al Santuario de Nuestra Madre Tres Veces Admirable, Reina y Victoriosa de Schoenstatt como nuestros Lugares Sagrados para que nuestra Madre nos guíe en esta jornada.

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BISHOP’S CONFERENCE ENCOURAGES PARISHES TO CARE FOR MENTAL HEALTH

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Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Illness

Mental Health is crucial for our well-being, yet many people in need don’t have access to adequate treatment.

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ver centuries, there was no way that someone who committed suicide could receive a Catholic burial. It was a “sinful death,” but it was not understood yet that it is the consequence of an illness – not lack of willpower or discipline. Today, science knows more about how people develop suicidal thoughts and how our mental health affects our whole well-being. Still, treatment is not entirely seen as equal to any other medical care.

Since the Church could be tempted to “keep praying” and “have more faith,” the bishops of the United States felt the need to address this topic with information and resources, providing an analysis with actual data on why we should take it seriously.

Here are excerpts of the USCCB statement on why Mental Health matters, taken from remarks of Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, to the Plenary Assembly of Bishops in Baltimore, MD, November 15, 2023: 8

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“Our nation faces a dire mental health crisis.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in five adults live with mental illness. Mental illness is pervasive. Apparently, half of Americans are expected to have some form of mental illness during their lifetime (U.S. Department of Health). And mental health challenges are even more common. Yet they retain a pernicious stigma.

They can interfere with individuals seeking treatment and finding an understanding community to support them. A review of data from 144 studies of participants from around the world revealed that the stigma of mental illness remains one of the top barriers to accessing mental health care.

“We are particularly concerned about the mental health state of adolescents. Almost all indicators of poor mental health among high schoolers increased over the past decade. In 2021, 42% of students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, up from 28% a decade earlier. 22% seriously considered attempting suicide, up from

Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth launched the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign with the collaboration and support of a coalition of national Catholic organizations and ministry networks.”

These remarks are not the only initiatives in the Catholic Church. Bishop John Dolan of Phoenix, Arizona, lost three of his family members to suicide.

After being installed as bishop, he launched a Mental Health Ministry in his diocese that offers educational resources and accompaniment and raises awareness inside the Church for addressing mental health.

Several parishes have tapped into the resources an offspring of this ministry offers – the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. It gathers concepts other parishes developed, trains point persons in parishes to become Mental Health Ministers and provides information on how to accompany parishioners. That could include praying with them, keeping companionship and pointing out resources and providers.

For all this to happen, we must reduce the stigma of mental illness – there is still fear, ignorance and hurtful attitudes that can arise, for example, after the suicide of a parishioner. Resources and awareness that some parishioners might struggle with the news or might judge the family can help to handle these situations better.

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16%, and 18% made a suicide plan, up from 13% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

“The data further reveals disparate mental health outcomes based on race. It further shows that while boys and girls are suffering deeply, they can face distinct challenges. We’re also troubled by the data indicating a disproportionate number of individuals who identify as LGBTQ face mental health difficulties. We must pay particular attention to these differences in our pastoral work and advocacy efforts.

Compounding this issue is the shortage of mental health resources.

“In 2021, less than half of the adults with a mental illness received mental health services. More than one-third of the U.S. population lives in federally designated mental health professional shortage areas. The psychiatric workforce is projected to diminish through 2024, leading to a nationwide shortage of between roughly 14,000 and 31,000 psychiatrists.

“Even when mental health resources are available, they may not be affordable. In 2021, over a quarter of adults with a mental illness perceived an unmet need for mental health services, and the most common reason for not receiving services was the cost of care. Lack of access to mental health treatment has particularly negative impacts in inner cities where the high level of law enforcement interactions leads to the criminalization of mental health in areas with high concentrations of black and brown people.

“We, as Catholics, can and must respond to this challenge with the hope and compassion of our Lord. Individuals with mental illness and those facing mental health challenges are created in the image and likeness of God. They retain their Godgiven dignity. If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health, our message is clear. You are the treasure of the church. Jesus teaches, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Lk 12:34). To quote Fratelli Tutti, “In the face of so much pain and suffering, our only course is to imitate the Good Samaritan” (no. 67). Through this campaign, we seek to respond to that call and to follow in the compassionate footsteps of Jesus. Our service to our suffering brothers and sisters must be both pastoral and social.

“As Pope Francis wrote, ‘The parable shows us how a community can be rebuilt by men and women who identify with the vulnerability of others, who reject the creation of a society of exclusion and act instead as neighbors, lifting up and rehabilitating the fallen for the sake of the common good.’ Given the challenge, the USCCB’s response is a very modest first step. However, we hope to build on it in the year ahead. To recap, last month, on October 10th, World Mental Health Day, the Committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development and on

Parishes should be prepared to accompany those who suffer from depression and mental illness.

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LA CONFERENCIA EPISCOPAL ANIMA A LAS PARROQUIAS A CUIDAR LA SALUD MENTAL

Superar el estigma de la enfermedad mental

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urante siglos, era imposible que alguien que se suicidaba recibiera sepultura católica.

Era una “muerte pecaminosa”, pero aún no se comprendía que es consecuencia de una enfermedad, no de la falta de fuerza de voluntad o de disciplina. Hoy en día, la ciencia sabe más sobre cómo las personas desarrollan pensamientos suicidas y cómo nuestra salud mental afecta a todo nuestro bienestar. Aun así, el tratamiento no se considera del todo igual a cualquier otra atención médica.

Dado que la Iglesia podría verse tentada a “simplemente seguir rezando” y “tener más fe”, los obispos de Estados Unidos sintieron la necesidad de abordar este tema con información y recursos, proporcionando un análisis con datos reales sobre por qué deberíamos tomárnoslo en serio.

He aquí parte de la declaración de la USCCB sobre por qué es importante la Salud Mental: “Nuestra nación se enfrenta a una grave crisis de salud mental. Según el Centro para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades, más de uno de cada cinco adultos vive con una enfermedad mental. La enfermedad mental es omnipresente. Al parecer, se espera que la mitad de los estadounidenses padezcan algún tipo de enfermedad mental a lo largo de su vida (Departamento de Salud de EE.UU.). Y los problemas de salud mental son aún más comunes. Sin embargo, conservan un estigma pernicioso. Pueden interferir en la búsqueda de tratamiento y de una comunidad comprensiva que les apoye. Una revisión de los datos de 144 estudios con participantes de todo el mundo reveló que el estigma de la enfermedad mental sigue siendo uno de los principales obstáculos para acceder a la atención sanitaria mental.

Nos preocupa especialmente el estado de salud mental de los adolescentes. Casi todos los indicadores de mala salud mental entre los estudiantes de secundaria aumentaron en la última década. En 2021, el 42% de los estudiantes experimentaba sentimientos persistentes de tristeza o desesperanza, frente al 28% de una década antes. El 22% consideró seriamente intentar suicidarse, frente al 16%, y el 18% hizo un plan de suicidio, frente al 13% (Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades).

Los datos revelan además resultados dispares 10

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en materia de salud mental en función de la raza.

Muestra además que, aunque los chicos y las chicas suf ren profundamente, pueden enf rentarse a retos distintos. También nos preocupan los datos que indican que un número desproporcionado de personas que se identifican como LGBTQ se enfrentan a dificultades de salud mental. Debemos prestar especial atención a estas diferencias en nuestra labor pastoral y de defensa de los derechos.

La escasez de recursos de salud mental agrava este problema.

En 2021, menos de la mitad de los adultos con una enfermedad mental recibían servicios de salud mental. Más de un tercio de la población estadounidense vive en zonas de escasez de profesionales de salud mental designadas por el gobierno federal. Se prevé que la mano de obra psiquiátrica se contraiga hasta 2024, lo que provocará una escasez nacional de entre 14.000 y 31.000 psiquiatras.

Incluso cuando se dispone de recursos de salud mental, puede que no sean asequibles. En 2021, más de una cuarta parte de los adultos con una enfermedad mental percibían una necesidad insatisfecha de servicios de salud mental, y la razón más común para no recibir servicios era el coste de la atención. La falta de acceso a tratamientos de salud mental tiene repercusiones especialmente negativas en los centros urbanos, donde el alto nivel de interacciones con las fuerzas del orden conduce a la criminalización de la salud mental en zonas con altas concentraciones de población negra y parda.

Nosotros, como católicos, podemos y debemos responder a este desafío con la esperanza y la compasión de nuestro Señor. Las personas con enfermedades mentales y las que se enfrentan a problemas de salud mental han sido creadas a imagen y semejanza de Dios. Conservan la dignidad que Dios les ha dado. Si usted o un ser querido está luchando con la salud mental, nuestro mensaje es claro. Tú eres el tesoro de la Iglesia. Jesús enseña: «Porque donde esté tu tesoro, allí estará también tu corazón» (Lc 12, 34). Citando a “Fratelli Tutti,” «Ante tanto dolor y sufrimiento, nuestro único camino es imitar al Buen Samaritano» (n. 67). Con esta campaña, pretendemos responder a esa llamada

Pixabay La salud mental es crucial para nuestro bienestar, pero muchas personas necesitadas no tienen acceso a un tratamiento adecuado.

y seguir las huellas compasivas de Jesús. Nuestro servicio a nuestros hermanos y hermanas que sufren debe ser tanto pastoral como social.

Como escribió el Papa Francisco, «La parábola nos muestra cómo una comunidad puede ser reconstruida por hombres y mujeres que se identifican con la vulnerabilidad de los demás, que rechazan la creación de una sociedad de exclusión y actúan en cambio como prójimos, levantando y rehabilitando a los caídos por el bien común.» Dado el desafío, la respuesta de la USCCB es un primer paso muy modesto. Sin embargo, esperamos que se amplíe en el próximo año. Para recapitular, el mes pasado, el 10 de octubre, Día Mundial de la Salud Mental, los Comités de Justicia Doméstica y Desarrollo Humano y de Laicos, Matrimonio, Vida Familiar y Juventud lanzaron la Campaña Nacional Católica de Salud Mental con la colaboración y el apoyo de una coalición de organizaciones católicas nacionales y redes de ministerios.”

Comentarios del Arzobispo Borys Gudziak de la Arquidiócesis Católica Ucraniana de Filadelfia, Presidente del Comité de Justicia Doméstica y Desarrollo Humano, ante la Asamblea Plenaria de Obispos en Baltimore, MD, 15 de noviembre de 2023.

Estas observaciones no son las únicas iniciativas en la Iglesia católica. El obispo John Dolan, de Phoenix (Arizona), perdió a tres miembros de su familia por suicidio. Tras ser investido obispo, puso en marcha en su diócesis un Ministerio de Salud Mental que ofrece recursos educativos y de acompañamiento y sensibiliza a la Iglesia para que aborde la salud mental.

Varias parroquias han aprovechado los recursos que of rece un vástago de este ministerio: la Asociación de Ministros Católicos de Salud Mental.

Recoge conceptos desarrollados por otras parroquias, forma a personas puntuales de las parroquias para que se conviertan en Ministros de Salud Mental y ofrece información sobre cómo acompañar a los feligreses. Eso podría incluir rezar con ellos, mantener la compañía e indicar recursos y proveedores.

Para que todo esto ocurra, debemos reducir el estigma de las enfermedades mentales: sigue habiendo miedo, ignorancia y actitudes hirientes que pueden surgir, por ejemplo, tras el suicidio de un feligrés. Los recursos y la conciencia de que algunos feligreses pueden tener dificultades con la noticia o pueden juzgar a la familia pueden ayudar a manejar mejor estas situaciones.

S O U T H T E X A S C AT H O L I C

INVIERNO 2024

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WHY ARE OUR KIDS SO DIFFERENT TODAY?

Supernormally Stimulated and Disillusioned

BY CRYSTAL COLLIER, PHD, LPC-S

1 Attachment Early childhood face-to-face interactions are critical for establishing secure attachments, building relationships, and providing the basis for emotional maturity. Babies and toddlers cannot self-regulate, and first, they must learn how to co-regulate, a process by which a caregiver attunes to the needs of a child by mimicking emotional expressions and then providing care and comfort. However, overexposure to screens decreases face-to-face time. The mirror neurons that assist in developing social and emotional skills have fewer opportunities to fire.

Indirect exposure to screens, such as having the TV on in the background, can distract children from exploring or playing with toys, reduce cognitive processing, interfere with memory and reading comprehension, and reduce the quality of parentchild time. Brexting – texting while breastfeeding – can cause babies to dysregulate and disrupt feeding.

When parents with children under five use more technology, their children exhibit more sulking, f rustration, whining, hyperactivity, and temper tantrums. This lack of eye contact and face-to-face interaction may cause attachment and self-regulation problems, which later could set the stage for increased risky behavior and relational problems.

Connection to a digital global village fails to 12

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Courtesy of Crystal Collier

I

s the digital native iGeneration evolving into technologically enhanced humans or devolving into anxious, self-focused, concrete thinkers suffering chronic disillusionment proportionate to their screen exposure? Technology has changed our lives for the better in so many ways; however, exposing children to screens too young is yielding adverse health effects, including obesity, sleep problems, cognitive deficits, language delays, social and emotional development issues, and executive functioning deficits. Research indicates that overexposure to media screens is rewiring our neural networks and especially negatively impacting the developing brain and body. Parents and caregivers should consider five critical categories of digital dangers created by screen exposure and use brain-based parenting techniques to prevent them from becoming problems.

Dr. Crystal Collier, PhD is a psychotherapist, researcher, and educator based in Houston. She leads the Smart Families Program implemented at St. Pius X School in Corpus Christi.

increase neurotransmitters such as dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin compared to in-person interaction. Plugging into screens for hours every day leads to social isolation, depression, anxiety, meaninglessness, hopelessness and can increase suicide risk. These mood issues plague the iGeneration and represent statistically significant mental health problems unseen in previous generations.

2 Physical Health There is a link between screen time (TV, computer, phone, etc.) and physical health issues, including childhood obesity, myopia (near-sightedness), and sleep problems. Increases in screen exposure plus reduced time spent outdoors yields poorer nutrition and reduced immune response. Childhood and adolescent obesity rates have more than tripled since the 1970s. More than 81% of adolescents worldwide are physically inactive, and 59% of children will be obese by the age of thirty-five.

Failure to get the recommended amount of sleep and screen-free play time is associated with executive

function and learning problems, as well as reduced emotional regulation, focus, and memory.

3 Overstimulation Early and continuous screen exposure is associated with emotional reactivity, anger, and anxiety. A constant media stream of fast-moving stimuli and less time spent experiencing and dealing with real-life stress leave today’s youth drained and unprepared.

Tech manufacturers integrate supernormal (colorful, fast-moving) stimuli into games, apps, websites, and phones to increase visual stimulation and turn on the limbic system’s reward pathway, which is associated with addiction.

A constant stream of novelty, more information, and eye-catching supernormal stimuli keep us constantly checking, looking for likes, and creating new posts for fear of missing out. This can result

in a constant state of insufficiency: the feeling of never being done — because there is always another episode to binge on, another level of a game to reach, or a new app to play. Children may not get the same sense of completion they would get from finishing a book or completing a Lego project. Such a state of insufficiency and constant screen stimulation may drain the brain of resources, energy, and creativity.

Popcorn brain and techno-tantrums can result from the brain adapting to and craving constant technological stimulation. Exposure to multiple screens and switch-tasking between them results in children taking an average of three hours longer to complete homework. When children get bored too quickly and look for a screen to plug into, their brain loses the opportunity to develop networks for coping with uncomfortable emotions or tolerate slowerpaced activities.

Recommended screen time per age, following the American Pediatric Society’s guidelines and the Surgeon General’s recommendations, with tips to meet children’s neurodevelopmental needs and limits S O U T H T E X A S C AT H O L I C

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5 Motivation As the brain adjusts to a constant stream of dopamine from fast-moving, supernormal stimuli and multiplescreen input, craving for more becomes constant.

Gaming and gambling mechanics integrated into educational and recreational software feed a hunger for points, badges, stars, and level-ups, wiring children’s brains to seek extreme rewards.

Extrinsically rewarding learning and play come at the peril of intrinsic engagement. Absorbing information to achieve leaderboard status robs children of the joy of learning for love or mastery.

References and useful literature: • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). (2023, May).

Screen time guidelines. Center of Excellence Social Media and Youth Mental Health • Collier, C. (2020). The NeuroWhereAbouts Guide: A Neurodevelopmental Guide for Parents and Families that Want to Prevent Youth High-Risk Behavior.

Lightening Source Publishing.

• United States. Public Health Service. Office of the Surgeon General. (2023). Social media and youth mental health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General.

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As a result, more young people struggle with motivation. A lack of intrinsic drive yields feelings of purposelessness and meaninglessness and, in return, can lead to depression and increased suicide risk. Social media and video games that promote or glamorize high-risk behavior and first-person shooting increase the risk of eating disorders and substance use issues, decrease empathy, and lead to more aggressive attitudes and behavior. When media condition children to wonder, “What’s in it for me?” societies suffer from their disconnection and disillusionment.

Technology companies hire teen testers and hook them up to machines that monitor their brain waves and emotional reactions to identify and replicate stimulating programming code to lure children and adults into a world of mass-produced, addiction-for-profit supernormal stimuli. Between 9-15% of media users develop gaming addiction, and more acquire PIMU (Problematic Interactive Media Usage). When life pales in comparison to the adventures in video games or must compete with a constant stream of funny pet videos or the inescapable draw of a doom scroll, media users, their partners, their children, and their pets feel alienated, abandoned, and not as important as what is on the screen.

Solutions First and foremost, know your neuro! Learn your child’s neuro whereabouts, their needs and limits at each neurodevelopmental stage. However, it is essential to remember that not all media affect all children in the same way. Parents should consider developmental levels when assessing the impact of media on each child.

Pixabay

4 Learning Producers of learning games market their products by selling the promise of developmental or educational benefits such as accelerated learning, alphabet recognition, reading skills acquisition, or increasing language or math skills. However, research has demonstrated no effect, or even negative effects, from using digital learning tools, especially under the age of three. A transfer deficit often occurs, meaning digital learning fails to transfer to real-life skills.

The more screen or TV exposure children experience when young, the more likely they will have problems with attention, cognitive ability, and language skills. The quick edits, flashing lights, and auditory cuts from gamified learning software may overstimulate the developing brains of preschool and elementary-age children. Instead of learning skills, children accrue watching skills.

As kids grow and enter school, their attention span increases, and their working memory capacity grows. However, early exposure to screens, continued exposure to multiple screens, and technology distractions interfere with sustaining attention and overload the working memory, derailing the learning process. Then, absorption of material, deep learning, imagination and creative problem-solving suffer.

Unknowingly, parents are the guiltiest culprits of distraction by texting kids when they are in school.

Unfortunately, each classroom distraction can yield up to a nine-minute loss in learning!

Outdoor play is a great change after using screens.

WE DON’T KNOW WHY THINGS HAPPEN TO US – BUT DEFERRED DREAMS CAN BECOME A PATH TO SALVATION

A “Painter for God” on His Way to Healing

BY SUSANNE JANSSEN point where he tried to pray. At a certain point, he felt like Job, who lost everything but still believed in God’s goodness. Could he do the same? At Easter 2007, he had a conversion experience and understood: “God wants to save everyone; His Love goes beyond our weaknesses.” He went back home and tried to get back on his feet.

The following year, he offered his hands to God after almost losing them while living on the streets.

“He told me to ‘go out and tell everyone I love them.’

So, I wanted to be a painter for God – use my hands to preach the Gospel and my words only when necessary.”

Suddenly, his world was not black and white anymore but full of color. He performed live painting acts all over the U.S., found a job, and met his wife, Rebecca–they have been married now for 12 years.

There are setbacks, and the haunting voices are still there. “But I know the devil is already defeated. We will be saved.”

S. Janssen

J

ason Rodriguez grew up in Corpus Christi with three brothers and one sister. “We were all raised Catholic, and we were a strong family unit,” he says. Jason grew up as an artist—his works were displayed at school, and he understood that he had a unique gift.

With his friends, he started making movies – not an easy endeavor before 2001, but he read all the books he could find on that topic and dreamt of becoming a filmmaker. “Steven Spielberg was my all-time favorite,” he says. He wanted to tell stories just like Spielberg did.

A few years later, he came closer to achieving his dreams: he was studying digital animation, which meant using computers and—back then— required a lot of programming. “I didn’t like working on computers, and along all these struggles, I lost my way.” He experimented with drugs, got in trouble, and married his childhood sweetheart, but it didn’t end well—they separated in 2004.

The same year, during the Christmas season, God intervened in his life, as he describes it. It was the year of the “Christmas Miracle” in Corpus Christi when it snowed on Christmas Day. “It was so unusual, but then it happened on Jesus’ birthday,” he reflects.

For Jason, it was the beginning of “a three-year movie,” as he named it.

Strange things began to happen. He recounts that once he returned to his house and that when he came back inside, his room was in disorder. Trash was all over the place. The things he cherished the most were broken or thrown in the trash bin. He couldn’t make any sense of it, and asking his mom why someone would do something like that, she just asked him, with tears in her eyes, “Jason, why are you acting like this?”

He left home and walked the streets for three years, homeless, finding food in dumpsters and was lost to his family and friends. “I felt that I was in a movie, like ‘The Truman Show,’ where everyone was watching what Truman was doing – everyone I would encounter knew everything.”

Haunted by burning and itching sensations and feeling that all food tasted poisoned, he came to the

Jason Rodriguez loves to paint live in front of his audience.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH FR. DAVE PIVONKA, TOR, PRESIDENT OF FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY OF STEUBENVILLE, ON MINISTERING TO A GENERATION THAT GREW UP DIFFERENTLY

S. Janssen (2)

“The Youth are the Church of Today”

Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR is the president of Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio.

W

hat are the main struggles young people face today? Did it change over the last years?

Fr. Dave Pivonka: Young people today have different struggles and issues, but human nature is what it is, and I don’t think the challenges are substantially different. Young people want to be seen, they want to be loved, they want to be known. They want to know that they matter. They want to know that God is present to them. While they’ve got issues with social media, which helps complicate some of those desires, their desires and hearts are not different.

Does the Church accompany them in those struggles?

Fr. Pivonka: Certainly, the church needs to embrace young people better and make space for them. I hear often, “The youth are the Church in 16

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the future.” I reject that – the youth are the Church of today. Young people have something to offer to the Church precisely because they are young.

We need their zeal and their passion. Sometimes, they don’t think things through totally, but that’s what it is to be young and grow. And I don’t want young people to be all grown up. I want them to be young, vibrant, and alive. The Church needs to make a place for them. There is freshness because they don’t know what God did yesterday. We need to ask their opinion and give them strength that allows them to continue moving forward.

What is different for today’s young people?

Fr. Pivonka: Their world is different. They’re being raised in a world that’s changed a lot. There’s a greater sense of fear among young people— they fear relationships, they fear the unknown, they fear the known, they fear being seen, they

fear not being seen, and the Church needs to recognize that. However, there is a mental health crisis among young people. Why? That is quite complicated and depends on different factors.

However, the Church needs to reach out and minister to them differently than in the past.

What are good ways to reach them?

Fr. Pivonka: To work with young people, a relationship is necessary. That is hard for some people because working with young people is messy and frustrating. We need to be able to walk with them. Young people have so much to offer, but we can’t just do the same things we have always done. We need to be able to meet them where they are.

So, it needs to go beyond prayer and worship…

Fr. Pivonka: Prayer is essential, but we need to focus on relationships. Most young people’s lives are impacted because somebody older than them cares and is concerned about them, and that is the key. At Franciscans, we have three main characteristics: encounter, conversion, and community. We want to create an environment where young people encounter Jesus: in the chapel, in the classroom, or on the athletic fields.

Second, enable them to have an authentic conversion where their life changes! Pope Francis talks about an encounter that causes them to be different; it causes them to change. Ultimately, the third characteristic is that faith happens in community. We don’t do that by ourselves. We walk with one another; we encourage one another, support one another, and challenge one another.

That’s really what we’re trying to do at Franciscan University. And in many ways, that’s what the Church wants to do.

Fr. Pivonka: One of the scariest statistics is that 75% of young people who attend Church when they are 18 years old will not attend Church anymore within five years. That’s just such a tragic statistic, but it’s proving to be true across the board. What you do for those five years after high school has a huge impact. That’s why I love what we’re doing at Franciscan University, creating an environment of faithfulness. The other important factor is how the family lives their faith. If their parents have a personal relationship with Christ, it significantly impacts young people. So that’s what I would say, moms and dads: Don’t just go to church out of obligation!

What are the reasons that families don’t live out their faith?

Fr. Pivonka: One reason Father Mike Schmitz mentioned it at the National Eucharist Congress is indifference. It’s not that people don’t necessarily know or believe; they don’t care. They’re indifferent.

They don’t have any passion or any firm foundation.

What can we do? Giving witness. This is an invitation for people that are out in the world: St Francis believed that people in the world can change the world. We need nurses, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and business professionals to be faithful to the Gospel. So much of the faith life is lived in private. But when you have a casual conversation around the water fountain, when you’re having lunch, you can talk about your faith and share what’s important to you, and that’s how you can impact other people.

The Church often focuses on those who adhere to more conservative traditions because they seem more fervent…

Fr. Pivonka: My concern is that the Church will lose a significant part of the young population unless we learn to embrace diversity. If you see women with veils, there is a sense of devotion, and those who kneel for communion are recognizable.

Still, another part of the population may express it differently, or they’re just struggling with doubts, and that person is just as important as anybody else. Unfortunately, we might say they’re different, and we don’t engage them and eventually lose them. What is needed is accepting them, inviting them, building a relationship and leading them to Jesus.

Many young people leave the Church after Confirmation. Is the Church doing enough to reach out to them?

Fr. Dave Pivonka at the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, Youth Program in Indianapolis.

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Litany of Healing and Repentance in the Eucharist

BY FR. BONIFACE HICKS, OSB

(3) S. Janssen

This litany was composed and led by Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, for Friday night’s Revival Session at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in 2024. This is intended to be prayed as a group before the Blessed Sacrament with a leader and responses. It can also be prayed personally and devotionally anywhere.

The adoration on Friday night at the National Eucharistic Congress focused on the healing power of the Eucharist.

J

esus, we all have places in our hearts and in our histories that have been hurting for a long time. Some wounds might be selfinflicted, but the wounds caused by others tend to cut most deeply. At the same time, there is also a sacred place in each of us where we can be alone with You and the whole Trinity. The most powerful healing can begin by bringing those painful places into a relationship with You, who loves us infinitely. … We want to be gentle with ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to descend with all the gentleness of the dewfall onto our thirsty hearts. We pray for courage now as we hold all the hurting places in our hearts before 18

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Your loving gaze. Close your eyes (if you are comfortable doing so) and take a deep breath.

Breathe in the Holy Spirit…Come, Holy Spirit.

Breathe out negativity.

Breathe in the Holy Spirit…Come, Holy Spirit.

Breathe out all that is not of Him. Notice your heartbeat – each heartbeat is a gift.

God wants you – He made you.

He knit you together with love, with His own hands in your mother’s womb.

You are a masterpiece of His loving creativity He has chosen you.

He sees you He gazes at you with love

Bringing our suffering to the Lord can help us heal.

He delights in you Now, I want to invite you on a journey of healing and reconciliation.

Jesus wants to lift you up and see your whole life through His eyes of healing and hope.

Try to zoom out, letting yourself be lifted up away from the details.

He wants to lift you up so you can see your whole life from your conception in your mother’s womb to this very moment. He is lovingly drawing near to you with the Father.

There is only love.

Together, He looks on your whole life with you.

He looks on you and your whole life with love.

Through your whole life, there is a golden thread of goodness. You are made in His image.

Even where there are deep sorrows, the Holy Spirit weaves a golden thread of goodness. As you look together on your life.

You may see some darker moments, clouded moments, harder moments.

Some of those moments might be too hard to enter into right now, and that is ok. There are some sins and failures.

There are times of weakness. There are times you were hurt.

He wants to bring healing to your whole life: healing for your hurts, healing for your failures.

He has only compassion for you, loving care.

[pause] He honors you and wants to protect you. [pause] Try to open your heart to Jesus’s healing love.

If any of these heart movements are difficult, that’s ok. You can still let Jesus draw close. Please repeat after me: Jesus, I believe in you.

Jesus, I believe in your Real Presence in the Eucharist. Jesus, I believe you are here with me.

Jesus, I believe you are in my heart. Jesus, I believe in your love for me.

Jesus, I believe your love is greater than every sin.

Jesus, I believe your love is greater than all evil.

Jesus, I believe your love can free me from my sin.

Let’s practice the response several times: Jesus, heal my heart with Your love.

For the times I’ve felt abandoned…

For the times I’ve been betrayed…

For the times I’ve been rejected…

For the times I’ve been forgotten…

For the times I’ve been disappointed…

For the times I’ve been let down by the Church…

For the times I’ve been lonely…

For the times I’ve been desperate…

For the times I’ve been lost…

For the times I’ve been dejected…

For the times I’ve been used…

For the times I’ve been neglected…

For the times I’ve been starved for love…

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Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, is a Benedictine Monk and Director of Spiritual Formation at St. Vincent Seminary in Pennsylvania.

For the times I’ve been deprived of affirmation…

For the times I’ve lost my way…

For the times I’ve gone astray…

For the times I’ve made the wrong choice…

Let’s practice the response several times: Jesus, come close to me. Whenever I feel unseen...

Whenever I feel ignored...

Whenever I feel unimportant...

Whenever I feel useless...

Whenever I feel alone...

Whenever I feel abandoned...

Whenever I feel like it would be better if I didn’t exist...

Whenever I feel misunderstood...

Whenever I feel used...

Whenever I feel forgotten...

Whenever I feel angry...

Whenever I feel anxious...

Whenever I feel depressed...

Whenever I feel envious...

Whenever I feel lustful...

Whenever I feel afraid...

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Let’s practice the response several times: Please forgive me, Jesus.

For the times I’ve used others...

For the times I’ve failed to see...

For the times I’ve hardened my heart to a person in need...

For the times I’ve failed to do the right thing...

For the times I’ve given in to peer pressure...

For the times I’ve lied when someone needed me to tell the truth...

For the times I’ve looked away when someone needed my help...

For the times I’ve closed my ears to the cries of the helpless...

For the times I’ve chosen comfort over courage...

For the times I’ve turned my back on someone who was hurting...

For the times I’ve ignored my feelings...

For the times I’ve silenced the cry of my heart...

For the times I haven’t been God’s mercy for others...

For the times I’ve invalidated my own feelings...

For the times I’ve believed the lies of others...

For the times I’ve repeated the lies of others...

For the times I’ve suppressed righteous anger...

For the times I’ve given up in despair...

For the times I’ve failed to share You with someone who needed Him...

For the times I’ve wrongly hid my faith from others...

For the times I’ve misrepresented You in my words and actions...

For the times I’ve caused scandal by my words or actions...

For the times I’ve brought hatred instead of love...

For the times I’ve brought division instead of peace...

For the times I’ve brought gossip instead of charity...

For the times I’ve torn down when I could have built up...

Let’s practice the response several times: Jesus, help me to believe When I doubt the power of God’s love...

When I doubt God’s love for me...

When I struggle to trust...

When I doubt that I am worthy of love...

When I doubt that I have a place in anyone’s heart...

When I wonder if I am enough...

When I doubt I have what it takes...

When I feel helpless...

When I feel useless...

When I doubt that I have anything to offer...

When I doubt that I can make a change...

When I doubt that my efforts matter...

When I feel hopeless...

When I want to give up on my neighbor...

When I want to give up on my enemy...

When I want to give up on the Church...

When I want to give up on myself...

When I want to give up on God...

Jesus, I need you. Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus, I love you.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Make my

heart like unto yours.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Good Shepherd who rescues the lost. You are the Divine Physician who heals the sick. You are the Savior Who washes away our sin in your Blood. You are the Beloved Son who shares your sonship with us along with the love of the Father. We know that even if we do not feel it, you will continue this work of healing in our hearts. We trust that you love us and desire our wholeness and flourishing.

Fill our hearts as we worship You and receive You in all Your love in this Holy Eucharist. We make this prayer in your Name, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The television, internet and radio broadcasts of The Service of Lessons and Carols and the Midnight Mass at Corpus Christi Cathedral on Dec. 24 at 11:30 p.m. are presented live thanks to a generous gift from

H-E-B and its partners desire that everyone remembers the true meaning of Christmas.

KDF-TV (Check cable guide for ch. #) Audio: KLUX-HD 89.5 & klux.org Live video stream: goccn.org

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BISHOP MULVEY HAS ORDAINED TEN PERMANENT DEACONS TO SERVE THE CHURCH IN OUR DIOCESE

“Proclaim Jesus’ Words and be Servants of All”

BY SUSANNE JANSSEN

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(4) S. Janssen

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he Corpus Christi Cathedral was brimming with family members and friends of the ten candidates for the Holy Order of the Permanent Diaconate. Excitement was in the air when, on November 9, the ten men walked down the aisle to sacred festive music, followed by many fellow deacons from the diocese, priests, Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody and Bishop Michael Mulvey. The ten men have studied for five years to reach this moment to serve the Church. Their families certainly made sacrifices, but they all grew together in faith and prayer.

Approved as worthy and prepared to be ordained, each one was called by name to proceed to the sanctuary. In his homily, Bishop Mulvey reminded them that they are called to assist the bishop and the priests “to be servants of all.” He mentioned some of the tasks of deacons – to prepare the altar, to distribute the body of Christ, and to proclaim the Word: “The Word with the capital W is Jesus Himself… what you proclaim are not your words, but Jesus’ words.” The bishop told the men that when delivering a homily, they should not favor philosophy or any ideology but live the Word before preaching: “God is Love, and every Word of the Scripture is a revelation of this love.” The bishop recommended, “Let the Gospel become your daily food.”

As deacons, they will witness the sacrament of marriage, preside over funerals and prepare the altar: “Prepare it with your heart, as you prepare the vessels for the sacrament…Each of these duties is not a job to be performed, but it is Jesus in you who is doing it.” He reminded them of 1 Cor 2:16, where Paul wrote, “Do everything with the mind of Christ.”

The third task of deacons is charity – “Giving of ourselves, sacrificing ourselves for others.” The bishop emphasized that, as Catholics, one cannot only love those who think like us or who would give anything in return. “Everyone is created and loved by God.” By seeing Jesus in every person, we should aim to love everyone. “And don’t wait

Bishop Mulvey reminded the deacons to serve and love everyone.

for others to take the initiative – take the first step.” Lastly, if a Christian tries to be like Christ, who humbled himself by dying on the cross, they should take Jesus and Mary as models for humility.

By laying his hands on them and praying, the bishop ordained the ten candidates as deacons.

He handed the Gospel to each one to be worthy proclaimers of the Word. Then, he and all the deacons gathered around the altar and welcomed them with a fraternal embrace as new members of the clergy. The ten newly ordained then served for the first time as deacons during the liturgy of the Eucharist.

At the end, Bishop Mulvey thanked the wives who supported their husbands and needed to be able to let them go when they had to serve.

He gave the deacons their new assignments: Deacon Michael Brady will serve at Corpus Christi Cathedral and serve as Master of Ceremonies for the Bishop. Deacon Thomas Gonzalez was

The newly ordained deacons are welcomed with thunderous applause.

The bishop ordains each deacon by laying his hands on them and praying over them.

assigned to Ss. Cyril and Methodius. Deacon Brian Iber stays at St. Pius X and will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the Bishop. Deacon William Larsen continues at St. Philips the Apostle. Deacon Charles Mendoza goes to serve at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Corpus Christi. Deacon Edward

The wives hand over the clerical garments.

Mireles moves to St. Anthony in Robstown, Deacon Ray Saenz to St. John Nepomucene in Robstown.

Deacon Adrian Perez stays in St. Joseph, Corpus Christi, Deacon Adrian Rodriguez in Sacred Heart, Sinton and Deacon Vincent Stark in Most Precious Blood.

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STATE OF THE DIOCESE 2024: THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR AND NEW PLANS FOR THE CATHEDRAL

Going into a Jubilee Year… with a Lot of Hope

(3) S. Janssen

BY SUSANNE JANSSEN

Students of the Newman Center in Corpus Christi enjoyed experiencing the whole Church at the 3rd Annual State of the Diocese.

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he third annual State of Diocese was an enormous success. People mixed and mingled at 27 Ministry tables, from Catholic Schools to Human Resources to Scouting and the Farm of Hope. Sandra Ficenec, a parishioner at Corpus Christi Cathedral, opened the evening with a prayer before the Scouts presented the colors.

MC’s Katia Uriarte Philipello and Jesse DeLeon handed the microphone to Justin Medina, who invited everyone to join him for the Blessing of the Food.

After the meal, accompanied by live music

by Carissa and Andrew Reyes, a video highlighted the work of Sr. Caritas Sparke, SOLT and the Youth Ministry in our Diocese. The video was about two big youth gatherings with more than 200 teens taking part, plus several smaller gatherings in rural areas, showing a new blossoming of young people feeling at home in the Church.

Bishop Mulvey started his keynote address 24

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with the highlights of the past year: Silver and Gold Marriage Celebration at the Cathedral in February, his visits to the two Newman Centers in Corpus Christi and Kingsville, the BBQ with the Bishop celebrating all high school and college graduates and many parish confirmations.

The bishop covered these events: more than 150 people entered the Catholic Church or received their sacraments, altar servers and scouts were recognized for their service, the Blue Mass honored all those working as first responders, while the Red Mass brought together those in the legal field.

He also spoke about the synodality retreat in Alice, which marked the start of a deeper exploration of this meaningful style of being Church: “It’s all about listening—because God listens to us,” the bishop said.

Sandra Ficenec, who participated in a synodality workshop in San Antonio, where Bishop

More than 650 people followed the invitation and learned about new initiatives in our diocese.

Jesse DeLeon and Katia Uriarte Philipello from the Diocesan Communications team led the evening.

Mulvey was one of the keynote speakers, shared how listening profoundly changed her relationship with her youngest son.

An unforgettable event was the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which passed through our diocese on the St. Juan Diego route. Our Bishop Mulvey was installed as the State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus. At the same time, Sir Knight Ron Alonzo was elected the Texas State Deputy. Bishop Mulvey celebrated his 75th birthday with a Mass with many of his brother priests concelebrating. He thanked all priests and deacons, saying, “You are a blessing for the diocese, and you are a blessing for me.”

On June 14, the bishop will ordain three new priests. He said there are only three more seminarians, and priests are needed to celebrate the Eucharist. A culture that fosters vocation is needed: “All of us who are here are vocation directors,” meaning everyone can pray for and work for vocations. The bishop is asking that every parish dedicate at least one day of adoration per

month to pray for vocations, and he pointed out that every deanery will provide workshops on how to create vocation teams throughout the diocese.

On December 24, begins the Jubilee Year of Hope. “We are pilgrims of hope,” said Bishop Mulvey. By walking together, praying together, and serving together, we can find hope even in dark times.

Lastly, the bishop presented an exciting project – to light up the cathedral with beauty.

“Our Cathedral is beautiful, but it needs some help – the pews are in bad shape, and we want to put the tabernacle back into the center.” He showed some stunning pictures of a design done by a studio from Verona, Italy. The people applauded and expressed immediate support for the project.

After a brief exchange of thoughts and questions, the evening ended with a musical homage to our Lady, the Ave Maria by Franz Schubert. The bishop thanked everyone for their attendance, saying, “Together with Jesus in our midst, we can go ahead. And He is here tonight.”

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25

A REFLECTION ON LK 5:17-26

“And Power was with Him for Healing”

BY FR. BRADY WILLIAMS, SOLT

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t seems like today, many people are suffering from various kinds of illnesses ranging from cancers, lung and heart problems, diabetes, stress, fatigue, and especially mental health issues. Sometimes, the number of people asking for prayers for themselves or loved ones feels overwhelming. There is so much suffering and a profound need for the healing power of Jesus, particularly through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

A quick thumb through the synoptic Gospels reveals countless times and circumstances that the sick came to Jesus for healing. Matthew and Luke, in particular, indicate numerous times that crowds of people came with various ailments, wanting to be healed by Jesus, their Primary Care Physician! It is astounding to hear such statements by the evangelists: “And he went about … healing every disease and every infirmity among the people … and he healed them all” (Mt 4:23, 24).

The evangelists did not specify the type of healing these people experienced, but they were healed. This is still the case today! Although we might initially think only of physical healings, Jesus seeks to heal the whole person, soul and body, for we are embodied spirits. As understood in the New Testament, healing involves restoring wholeness.

One encounter in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5:17-26, stands out in terms of healing soul and body and demonstrates the true purpose of Christ’s healing power. The event opens up with an electrifying statement: “And power was with him for healing” (5:17). Was it something in Jesus’ demeanor, the soothing words in his preaching, or just a sense of the charisma of being in his presence? Whatever the case, Luke perceives something fascinating is about to happen, typically when Jesus gets involved.

Four friends carry their friend on a stretcher and try to get to Jesus but are unable to because of the crowd. They decide to do something daredevilish by climbing up on the roof, tearing a hole in it, and lowering their friend down in front of Jesus. Couldn’t they have just waited outside for Jesus to finish up? Indeed, that must have crossed 26

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Fr. Brady Williams, SOLT, is the Director of Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center and Novice Servant of the SOLT.

the mind of the owner of the house, who now has to file an insurance claim.

Indeed, we should be amazed at the sheer determination of this man’s friends, who could not wait any longer to get him to Jesus. And Jesus recognizes their faith: “seeing their faith …” (5:20.

It is because of their faith that Jesus heals this man. This reminds us that faith is something communal. So often, parents or relatives of a loved one ask for prayers and call for a priest to come and anoint someone.

What happens next is decisive: “Jesus said to the paralytic: your sins are forgiven” (5:20).

Naturally, this raised some eyebrows, especially from the scribes and Pharisees. Too, I wonder if the paralytic’s friends, and maybe the paralytic himself, were not a little disappointed. After all, doesn’t Jesus see that he is paralyzed? He doesn’t need absolution – however good that might be; he wants to walk – he needs physical healing!

The ones who let down their friend have

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been apparently ‘let down’ by Jesus. This may be our initial reaction to the healing power of Christ.

We undoubtedly desire physical healing, which often happens, even if gradually. However, the healing power of Jesus over sins and the strengthening and comfort that He brings in times of illness and suffering cannot be underestimated. This is the primary aspect of healing passed down to us in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

“The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age …. The assistance from the Lord by the power of His Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul, but also of the body if such is God’s will” (CCC 1520).

Which is easier for Jesus: to heal our soul or our body (c.f. 5:23)? Actually, both are easy for Him. Jesus does indeed heal the paralytic of his paralysis so that he “rose up and went home glorifying God” (5:25). Our immobility, too, both spiritual and physical, is restored so that we can accomplish God’s will energetically.

We should rediscover the beauty and power of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Through it, Jesus lays his hands on us, frees our souls from sin, anoints our bodies with his healing salve, strengthens us in times of weakness, and most gloriously, unites us with Himself so that our suffering may serve Him in some capacity. Yes, power is in Him to restore us to wholeness.

Healing of the blind man by A. N. Mironov (2009)

Silver & Gold

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS CELEBRATION Those blessed with celebrating 25 or 50 years of Sacramental Marriage are invited to attend a special Silver & Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael Mulvey

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2025 AT 9:30 A.M. Corpus Christi Cathedral | 505 N. Upper Broadway A light reception will follow in St. Joseph’s Hall at the Cathedral Couples that register before the deadline will receive a certificate from Bishop Mulvey recognizing their Silver or Golden Anniversary. Registration is open to any validly married couple celebrating 25 or 50 years of marriage in 2025.

To receive an Anniversary Certificate please submit registration by January 31, 2025 Online Registration: diocesecc.org/anniversarymassregistration or scan the QR code:

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WINTER 2024

27

UNA REFLEXIÓN SOBRE LUCAS 5:17-26.

“Y el poder del Señor estaba en su mano para sanar”

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POR PADRE BRADY WILLIAMS, SOLT

Cristo sanando al cojo en el estanque de Betesda, da Pieter van Lint, década de 1640.

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arece que hoy en día, muchas personas sufren de diversos tipos de enfermedades, que van desde cánceres, problemas pulmonares y cardíacos, diabetes, estrés, fatiga y, especialmente, problemas de salud mental.

A veces, la cantidad de personas que piden oraciones para sí mismas o para sus seres queridos parece abrumadora. Hay mucho sufrimiento y una profunda necesidad del poder sanador de Jesús, particularmente a través del Sacramento de la Unción de los Enfermos.

Un vistazo rápido a los Evangelios sinópticos revela innumerables ocasiones y circunstancias en las que los enfermos acudieron a Jesús para ser sanados. Mateo y Lucas, en particular, indican numerosas ocasiones en las que multitudes de personas acudieron con diversas dolencias, queriendo ser sanadas por Jesús, su médico de cabecera o de atención primaria. Es asombroso escuchar estas declaraciones de los evangelistas: “Y Jesús anduvo por todas partes… sanando toda clase de enfermedad y de dolencia en el pueblo… y los sanó a todos” (Mt 4:23, 24).

Los evangelistas no especificaron el tipo de sanación que experimentaron las personas, solo, que fueron sanadas. ¡Esto sigue siendo así hoy!

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Al principio podríamos pensar exclusivamente en curaciones físicas, pero Jesús busca sanar a la persona completa, alma y cuerpo, porque somos espíritus encarnados. Tal como se entiende en el Nuevo Testamento, la sanación tiene que ver con restaurar la integridad.

En un hallazgo dentro del Evangelio de Lucas, capítulo 5:17-26, se encuentra el verdadero propósito del poder sanador de Cristo al curar cuerpo y alma. La declaración comienza con una frase electrizante: “…y el poder del Señor estaba en su mano para sanar” (5:17). ¿Fue algo en el comportamiento de Jesús, o las palabras tranquilizadoras de su predicación, o simplemente esa sensación por el carisma de estar en su presencia? Sea como fuere, Lucas percibe que algo fascinante está a punto de suceder, algo típico de Jesús cada vez que interviene.

Cuatro hombres llevan a su amigo en una camilla e intentan llegar hasta Jesús, pero no pueden debido a la multitud. Deciden hacer algo temerario: suben al techo de la casa, hacen un agujero en él y bajan a su amigo poniéndolo frente a Jesús. A caso ¿no podrían haber esperado afuera a que Jesús terminara? (De hecho, eso debe haber pasado por la mente del dueño de la casa, que

ahora tiene que presentar una reclamación al seguro).

Sin duda, deberíamos estar asombrados por la determinación absoluta de estos hombres, que no podían esperar más, para llevarlo ante Jesús.

Y Jesús reconoce su fe: “viendo la fe de ellos...”

(Lc.5:20). Es por su fe que Jesús sana a ese hombre.

Esto nos recuerda que la fe es algo comunitario; ya que con frecuencia son los padres o familiares de un ser querido, quienes piden oraciones y llaman a un sacerdote para que acuda a ungir al enfermo.

Lo que sucede a continuación es decisivo: “Jesús dijo al paralítico: tus pecados te son perdonados” (Lc.5:20). Naturalmente, esto levantó algunas cejas, especialmente las de los escribas y fariseos. Yo también, me pregunto si los amigos del paralítico, o el paralítico mismo, no estaban un poco decepcionados. Después de todo, ¿Qué Jesús no ve que está paralizado? Lo que necesita no es la absolución, por muy buena que esta sea; lo que él quiere es caminar,- ¡necesita la curación física!

En este caso, los que aparentemente decepcionaron a su amigo, se han visto a su vez “decepcionados” por Jesús. Esta puede ser nuestra reacción inicial al poder sanador de Cristo. Sin duda deseamos la curación física, que a menudo ocurre, aunque sea gradualmente. Sin embargo, el poder sanador de Jesús sobre los pecados y el fortalecimiento y alivio que Él brinda en

tiempos de enfermedad y sufrimiento no puede ser subestimado. Este es el aspecto primario de la curación que se nos transmite a través del sacramento de la Unción de los enfermos.

“La primera gracia de este sacramento es la de fortalecer, dar paz y valor para sobreponerse a las dificultades que acompañan a una enfermedad grave o a la fragilidad de la vejez… La asistencia del Señor con el poder de su Espíritu tiene por objeto llevar al enfermo a la curación del alma, pero también a la del cuerpo, si esa es la voluntad de Dios” (CIC 1520). ¿Qué es más fácil para Jesús: curar nuestra alma o nuestro cuerpo (cf. 5,23)? En realidad, ambos son fáciles para Él. Jesús efectivamente cura al paralítico de su parálisis, porque “…él se levantó y se fue a su casa glorificando a Dios” (5,25). Nuestra inmovilidad, tanto espiritual como física, también es restaurada para que podamos cumplir la voluntad de Dios con energía.

Debemos redescubrir la belleza y el poder del sacramento de la Unción de los enfermos. A través de él, Jesús impone sus manos sobre nosotros, libera nuestras almas del pecado, unge nuestros cuerpos con su bálsamo sanador, nos fortalece en tiempos de debilidad y, lo más glorioso, nos une a Él mismo para que nuestro sufrimiento pueda servirle de alguna manera. Sí, Él tiene el poder de restaurarnos totalmente.

PLATA Y ORO

Misa de Celebración de Aniversario de Bodas Las parejas bendecidas por celebrar en el año 2025, 25 o 50 años de matrimonio sacramental, están invitadas a una Misa especial de aniversario de bodas de plata y oro, precedida por el Obispo Michel Mulvey.

DOMINGO 9 DE FEBRERO DE 2025, A LA 9:30 A.M. Catedral de Corpus Christi | 505 N. Upper Broadway

A continuación se ofrecerá una pequeña recepción en el Salón San José de la Catedral.

Las parejas que se registren antes de la fecha limite recibirán un certificado (de manos) del Obispo Mulvey del Obispo Mulvey reconociendo su aniversario de plata o de oro. La inscripción está abierta a cualquier pareja válidamente casada que celebre 25 o 50 años de matrimonio en 2025.

Para recibir un Certificado de aniversario, envíe el registro antes del 31 de enero de 2025 Registro en línea: diocesecc.org/anniversarymassregistration o escanea el código QR:

S O U T H T E X A S C AT H O L I C

INVIERNO 2024

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HOW CHRISTMAS TEACHES US ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE

Taking His Place Alongside Us

BY FR. RICHARD LIBBY

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e are preparing to celebrate Christmas, the birthday of Jesus Christ, one of the most important days on the Church calendar and certainly one of the most joyful.

Christmas is a time for us to remember the joys of childhood and to spread that joy to those around us, adults and children alike. Christmas is a time when people tend to be even more generous to those who are in need. From a Christian perspective, Christmas is a time when we take special notice of Jesus in the people around us.

This seems particularly fitting because Christmas is the time when Jesus came to take His place among us.

Jesus didn’t descend f rom Heaven with thunder and lightning or ride down in a flaming chariot. He took His place among us as a child in the womb, entering this human life very much like we entered it. We celebrate His incarnation on March 25th, exactly nine months before Christmas, so He was a Child in the womb for nine months before His birth.

At His birth, Jesus took His place alongside all newborn babies. A baby is weak, helpless, and dependent upon his or her parents, and Jesus took upon Himself this same weakness and helplessness. Mary and Joseph welcomed Him with joy and love; every child deserves to be welcomed with joy and love.

Jesus took His place alongside every young child in every family. Despite being the Son of God, He submitted Himself in obedience to Joseph and Mary. “He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them . . .” (Luke 2:51). Jesus is the model for every child, as the Holy Family is the model for every family.

Jesus took His place alongside all laborers since Joseph, a carpenter, raised him. It is widely held that Joseph taught his trade to Jesus. “Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary . . .?” (Mk 6:3).

The people “took offense” at Jesus; apparently, they were not willing to be taught by a carpenter.

However, work is a gift from God, and Jesus highlights its dignity in taking His place alongside laborers.

Jesus took His place alongside immigrants and refugees on the flight to Egypt (Mt 2:13-15).

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Fr. Richard Libby, Chancellor of the Diocese and Pastor at St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus parish in Corpus Christi, answers questions on bioethics.

Even today, many people flee their homelands to escape persecution. Jesus is right there beside them because He underwent the same experience.

Jesus took His place alongside those who were hungry (Mt 4:2) and homeless (Matthew 8:20). Jesus took these conditions upon Himself willingly when He might just as easily have lived in a fine home and eaten the best foods. Jesus’ willing embrace of poverty teaches us that it is important to see Him in the homeless, the hungry, and the poor. As Mother Teresa used to say, “Whenever I meet someone in need, it’s really Jesus in His most distressing disguise.”

Jesus took His place alongside mourners, as well. It’s hard to imagine how Jesus could mourn because He is God. Yet, as hard as it is for us to understand, John 11:35 reads, “And Jesus wept.”

This was just before the raising of Lazarus, and Jesus had met with Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha. According to St. John Henry Newman, mere words were inadequate, and the only way He

Pixabay Jesus came down from Heaven to share our human endeavors and sufferings.

could express His love and compassion for them was through His tears. The word “compassion” means “suffering with,” and so Jesus freely chose to suffer with Mary and Martha in their time of grief. We all experience grief and loss at times, and we know that Jesus has taken His place right alongside us in those moments.

In His passion, Jesus took His place alongside criminals who faced punishment for their crimes.

No matter what crimes they had committed, they still had their human dignity, which Jesus affirmed

by His suffering and dying with them. One of them sought Jesus’ mercy, and Jesus promised to take him to Heaven (Lk 23: 42-43).

In His death, Jesus took His place alongside all of those who died. None of us will escape death, but Jesus, too, died. He died so that we might know His presence and comfort in our last moments, but even more, He died so that our deaths might lead us to the Heavenly Kingdom.

We celebrate Jesus’ birth every year because it marks the day the long-awaited Savior was born. He took His place alongside newborn babies; for nine months before, He had taken His place alongside babies in the womb. Later, He would take His place alongside children, laborers, criminals, immigrants, refugees, homeless people, and more. In each case, He affirmed their human dignity, which He shared with them. He continues to take His place alongside people in every circumstance of life.

May our celebration of Christmas remind us of our need to respect and defend every human life, from conception to natural death.

SS. CYRIL & METHODIUS CATHOLIC CHRUCH 3210 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND DR. CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS 78415

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Send your question for Fr. Libby on bioethics to stc@diocesecc.org S O U T H T E X A S C AT H O L I C

WINTER 2024

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ST. DYMPHNA: PATRON SAINT OF THOSE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS

A Martyr by the Hand of Her Own Father

BY ELIZABETH MORALES

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orn in Ireland in the 600s, Dymphna was the only child of a pagan king named Damon and a Christian mother. Dymphna was secretly baptized, and at the age of fourteen, she devoted her life to Christ, taking a vow of chastity.

Soon after, her mother, who was known for her beauty, passed away.

Losing his wife caused the king to retreat into severe grief and depression. Battling temperamental mood swings, his mental health began to decline. Advised by his counsel to remarry, the king agreed under the condition that his next wife would be as beautiful as his first spouse.

Determined to discover someone as fair, the king’s search proved unsuccessful, and he could not replace the elegance of his first bride with another woman. His envoys began to poison the king’s thoughts with an evil idea to marry Dymphna, who possessed a striking resemblance to her mother.

Initially appalled at the thought, the king’s desperation allowed immorality to enter his family.

Informed of her father’s plan, Dymphna sought advice from her confessor, Father Gerebernus, who encouraged her to flee.

Dymphna departed her father’s court by boat with her confessor, two trusted servants, and the court jester. Arriving in Belgium, the group attempted to begin a new life in the town of Geel. Tradition holds they settled near a shrine dedicated to St. Martin of Tours, with Dymphna using her wealth to establish a home for the sick and poor in the region.

Despite Dymphna’s effort to escape, her father’s spies located the group’s whereabouts by identifying similar coins to their own that were used in the area where her group lived.

Upon conf ronting Dymphna and Fr. Gerebernus, Damon ordered the confessor to be killed, and when he commanded Dymphna to return with him, she refused. At her rejection, the king struck Dymphna’s neck with his sword, severing her head. She received her crown of martyrdom at the age of fifteen.

Abandoning their bodies, the king returned to Ireland. The villagers of Geel gathered the bodies

The beheading of Saint Dymphna by Gottfried Maes, Brussels, 1688.

of Father Gerebernus and Dymphna, burying them in a cave.

Centuries later, in 1349, a church was built in Dymphna’s honor that eventually burned down.

In 1532, the new Church of St. Dymphna in Geel was erected and consecrated above the grounds where her body was initially laid to rest. Her relics remain in a silver reliquary inside the church. Both churches were known for pilgrim visits by people seeking healing from mental illnesses.

An overflow of mentally ill people led to the townspeople welcoming the visitors into their homes. This custom has continued in Geel, Belgium, until the present day.

Dymphna was beatif ied before the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. She was canonized in 1247.

Fr. Gerebernus was canonized preCongregation for the Causes of Saints, and his remains were moved to Germany.

St. Dymphna’s Disciples is a current ministry that focuses on serving those impacted by mental health conditions. There also is the Catholic Institute for Mental Health Ministry at the University of San Diego, with St. Dymphna as its patron. A National Shrine of St. Dymphna is located in Massillon, Ohio.

Saint Dymphna is the patron saint of people with nervous system disorders, mental diseases, epilepsy, depression, mental health professionals, victims of incest and domestic abuse, and runaways. Her feast day is May 15.

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THE JUBILEE YEAR IN OUR DIOCESE: SIX HOLY SITES AND SPECIAL MASSES

Together on a Hopeful Journey

BY JESSE DELEON

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ope Francis has proclaimed 2025 a Holy Year of Jubilee, an event that occurs every 25 years.

He decided to theme it “Pilgrims of Hope.”

Every faithful is invited to undertake a pilgrimage to receive special graces and Plenary Indulgences.

However, since not everyone can make a pilgrimage to Rome or the Holy Land, every diocese can declare Holy Sites.

For the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Bishop Mulvey has declared the following Churches as Holy Sites: • Corpus Christi Cathedral • Our Lady of Guadalupe, Corpus Christi • Our Lady of Guadalupe, Alice • Our Lady of Guadalupe, Sarita • Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, Pawnee • Schoenstatt Shrine Lamar, Rockport Since Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron of our diocese, most of the Holy Sites are dedicated to her. Pilgrims can pick up at their parish or download and print a Pilgrim’s Passport to collect stamps while visiting every Holy Site throughout the Holy Year.

Pilgrimage is a fundamental element of every Jubilee event, as setting out on a journey is commonly associated with searching for meaning in our lives.

People can visit the Holy Doors in Rome and Assisi, designated by Pope Francis. The undertaking of a pilgrimage will allow participants to experience the Holy Year of Jubilee on a much deeper, meaningful level. “A pilgrimage allows us to escape from our routine and daily life. The sacrifice we make—taking on a journey and spending some time with the Lord—allows us to grow in faith and our relationship with the Eucharist,” says Fr. Pete Elizardo, Director of the Office of Divine Worship in our Diocese.

The Holy Year will start on December 24, when Pope Francis will open the Holy Door at St. Peter’s in Rome, and concludes on Sunday, January 9, 2026.

Bishop Michael Mulvey will open the Holy Year in our diocese at the 5 pm Vigil in Corpus Christi Cathedral.

Central to every Holy year of Jubilee is the possibility of getting a Jubilee Indulgence – also known as Jubilee Grace. To obtain these indulgences, the faithful are called to: • Visit a Holy Site for the Jubilee • Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin • Have sacramentally confessed their sins 20 days before or after receiving the indulgence.

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• Receive the Holy Eucharist.

• Pray for the intentions of the pope. Recite the Apostles Creed and offer one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and Glory Be. According to the Church’s tradition, these Plenary Indulgences can also be obtained for those who have already passed away, with the possibility of obtaining two plenary indulgences for the deceased in one day.

Fr. Pete clarifies that it is not a matter of checking some boxes but rather a search for grace: “We should not have the mentality of a grocery store—a Plenary Indulgence is always growing in faith. But the Church also recognizes that it is not only a moment for us.

The sacrifices that we make can benefit the ones gone before us.” This is tied to the theme of Hope: “Hope is never an act of self-serve but of self-giving.”

When visiting a Holy Site, Fr. Pete suggests taking time and “simply being silent.” We often want to dominate the prayer; we are afraid of silence “when all we need to do is listen to the Lord.” That doesn’t mean that we should not bring to God our questions and intentions; “we can voice them, bring them to the Lord, but then listen.”

Whoever cannot carry out a pilgrimage – thinking about the sick and the homebound – there are possibilities for a virtual pilgrimage, attending a live-streamed Mass, praying and spending time with the Lord at home. During the Holy Year, Bishop Mulvey will visit each Pilgrimage Jubilee Churches to preside at a sacred liturgical celebration or devotion and impart the Papal Blessing with the ascribed plenary indulgence. These celebrations will be livestreamed on the diocesan Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

Plenary indulgences obtained during the Jubilee Year can also be applied to souls in purgatory with the possibility of obtaining two plenary indulgences for the deceased in one day, according to the Apostolic Penitentiary.

WINTER 2024 ISSUE South Texas Catholic 555 N Carancahua St, Ste 750 Corpus Christi, TX 78401-0824 (361) 882-6191