Catholic Spirit, June 2020, Volume 38, Number 6

June 2020, Vol. 38, No. 6

 The official publication of the Diocese of Austin 

En Español: Páginas 27-31

Health is priority as the public is invited back to Mass

By Shelley Metcalf | Editor

As public Masses resumed in the Diocese of Austin on May 5, the physical and spiritual health of all parishioners was the main concern of diocesan leaders.

In a decree dated April 30, Bishop Joe Vásquez allowed the resumption of public Masses in compliance with health protocols established by the state of Texas. He also granted a dispensation for the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for those who are sick, those who are 65 and older, those who have been advised by healthcare providers to not attend Mass, those who sincerely believe their health or the health of others will be jeopardized by their attendance, and those who sincerely believe the limitations imposed by temporary protocols make attending Mass unreasonable. Those who are unable to attend Mass are encouraged to continue to watch or listen to Mass or to make other acts of spiritual devotion.

With the decree, the bishop distributed Ann Houghton, an altar server at St. William Parish in Round Rock, sanitizes her hands before Mass begins on May 17. (Photo by Gabriel Lujan)

protocols for parishes to implement that would help protect the laity as well as the clergy from the spread of COVID-19.

Father James Misko, Vicar General for the Diocese of Austin, said these protocols are spiritual opportunities to protect the people of God. “As our people return to our churches for the celebration of Mass, we must remember that as the body of Christ we are all interconnected. We must all work together to protect the health of one another,” he said.

The protocols include maintaining proper social distancing before, during and after Mass, providing hand-sanitizing stations upon entering churches, encouraging the use of face masks among parishioners and sanitizing churches after every Mass. Parishes are also encouraged to continue to offer livestream Masses on various social media platforms, so those who choose not to attend Mass can still participate.

Father Dean Wilhelm, pastor of St. William Parish in Round Rock, said COVID-19 evoked much fear and anxiety because “we have never done this before.

We have no reference point for this type of situation.”

It was very strange to be a shepherd with only a virtual flock for all the weeks when public Masses were suspended, he said.

“Even though I knew people were with us on livestream, I choked up when I prayed, ‘Listen graciously to the prayers of this family, whom you have summoned before you,’” he said.

During the first weekend of Masses on May 9-10, St.

William Parish, which with 7,200 registered families is the diocese’s largest parish, had a little more than 500 people attend Mass. The second week they welcomed about 800, said Ana-Cristina González, the chief operating officer at St. William.

“We were ready with overflow seating, but that wasn’t necessary during the first few weekends,” González said. “Going forward, though, I think we will need the overflow area.”

The parish is implementing the protocols endorsed by the diocese. As parishioners enter the church, the door is held open and they are greeted by an usher and asked to use hand sanitizer.

As parishioners move to the sanctuary, a staff member leads them to a seat, which is properly distanced from other parishioners. Communion is brought to the people in the pews by clergy and Eucharistic ministers wearing masks. Parishioners are asked to wear face masks and to receive communion in the hand. When Mass concludes, parishioners are dismissed pew by pew and asked to maintain social distancing as they return to their cars. Then the parish’s facilities team sanitizes the church after each Mass.

“I think we have to realize that we have a new normal, so every week we are trying to evaluate and figure out what our new normal is,” González said.

Buzz Gilliland, the parish business administrator at St. Paul Chong Hasang Parish in Harker Heights, said the parish

Frankie Alvarez receives the Eucharist during Mass at St. William Parish in Round Rock. Public Masses in the Diocese of Austin resumed on May 5 with the implementation of social distancing and other health protocols. (Photo by Gabriel Lujan)

is offering three extra Masses each weekend to accommodate the needs of parishioners and to maintain social distancing protocols.

“The drive to receive the Eucharist is certainly there,” Gilliland said. “As people feel comfortable with coming back to Mass, I expect we will see our numbers grow each week.”

He is also thankful to the faithful support of parishioners through the suspension of Masses and as the parish re-opened.

“Our people have been very generous, they have been very patient and understanding of the changes we have implemented,” he said.

González has worked closely with other parish business administrators to share information and resources on how

See SAFETY on Page 5

Bishop’s Interview

Serving those in need

Graduation 2020

Español

Bishop Vásquez looks forward to priestly ordinations on June 27.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul and parishes help neighbors make ends meet. PAGES 6-7

Congratulations to the seniors graduating from Catholic high schools. PAGES 11-20

Basados en la fe, los Vicentianos ayudan a aquellos necesitados.

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VOICES

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

THE MISSION OF THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

A PERSONAL REFLECTION

As the official newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin, the Catholic Spirit is dedicated to providing information, education and formation for the Catholic community of Central Texas. This mission calls for the newspaper: • to provide readers with an understanding of our Catholic faith and traditions; • to be a primary source of information on Catholic issues relevant to the community; • to be a unifying element for faith communities, both rural and urban, throughout Central Texas; • to show respect for and appreciation of all cultural groups and traditions; • to emphasize topics affirming the Catholic community and life, while acknowledging the humanity of the community and examining, with courage, topics that challenge and encourage growth in the faith.

Loss and healing in the age of COVID-19

HOW TO SUBMIT INFORMATION Deadline for submission of articles or information for the Catholic Spirit is the 10th of the month for publication in the following month’s edition. Deadline for the July-August issue is June 30.

Submit material in one of the following ways: • E-mail to catholic-spirit@austindiocese.org.

• Mail to Catholic Spirit, 6225 E US 290 HWY SVRD EB, Austin, TX 78723 Catholic Spirit has unrestricted editing rights.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Subscription rates are $12 for one year. To subscribe, send a check payable to Catholic Spirit to Catholic Spirit, 6225 E US 290 HWY SVRD EB, Austin, TX 78723. Members of a parish in the Austin Diocese may receive the newspaper for a reduced rate. Contact your parish staff for more information.

ADDRESS CHANGES Send all address changes to Catholic Spirit, 6225 E US 290 HWY SVRD EB, Austin, TX 78723. Please include your parish’s name and city. If receiving duplicate copies of the Catholic Spirit, call (512) 949-2443 or e-mail catholicspirit@austindiocese.org.

STAFF Publisher: Bishop Joe S. Vásquez Editor: Shelley Metcalf Assistant Editor: Christian R. González Advertising: Shelley Metcalf Spanish translation: Gina Dominguez Columnists: Father Harry Dean, Louis A. Gamino, Maureen Pratt, Louise Nelson and Sandra Martin Correspondents: Alfredo E. Cardenas, Ricardo Gandara, Enedelia J. Obregón and Mary P. Walker Catholic Spirit subscribes to Catholic News Service (CNS) and is a member of the Catholic Press Association. Catholic Spirit cannot be held liable or responsible for the content of any advertisment appearing within these pages. Advertisements are solely the responsibility of each advertiser.

Misleading advertising is never knowingly accepted. Complaints regarding advertising should be directed to the advertiser or to the Better Business Bureau.

Copyright 2020 by the Austin Diocese. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any editorial content, photograph, art or design is prohibited without written permission of the publisher Catholic Spirit (ISSN 0896-2715) is published 11 times annually (monthly except one issue in July/August) by the Austin Diocese.

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By Maureen Pratt | Catholic News Service

Some days, the losses we have sustained from the COVID-19 pandemic seem almost too great to comprehend.

So many families and friends are mourning the passing of loved ones fallen during the pandemic.

Once-fruitful jobs are gone. Businesses that we used to frequent are shuttered. Even our connection with nature is, in some ways, cut off as we endure self-isolation or quarantine.

With these losses comes inevitable grief. But even our “usual” ways of facing the losses, particularly of loved ones, are upended. Enforced distancing has compounded the difficult realization that the cherished mother, father, child, grandparent or friend is no longer alive.

Often, no satisfying “goodbye” has been said or it has been relayed remotely through another caregiving individual (often a health care worker, bless them!).

Sadly, some have gone into the hospital alone and died alone, too.

In the wake of the distant passage of someone we love, a void might seem to open within us, and a sense of unfinished longing or regret might surface.

We might struggle to make sense of the loss as if navigating through a fog or desperately desire to turn back the clock, reach out just once more and so say, “Goodbye. I love you.”

Or we might have regrets from past interactions with the person who has died, and added pain because we have no way of resolving them.

In more normal times, we would have the benefit of a regular way of dealing with our loss. A funeral and a burial all with family and friends around. Hugs, sympathy outpoured, perhaps even some laughter, and absolutely much shared love.

But today, in the time of pandemic, many places do not allow such rituals or rites of passage, and mourning the loss becomes as solitary and isolated as the “safer-at-home” orders dictate.

So, untethered to what is “normal,” how can we begin to heal?

If facing that question seems like moving deeper into the void created by loss, Easter, which we celebrate still, offers solace and a way to understanding.

The disciples could only stand by “at a distance” (Lk 23:49) as Jesus suffered horribly before dying.

They had no way to bring him comfort, and they

(CNS illustration; photo by Paul Haring)

couldn’t come close to him in his last moments or speak to him one more time.

And then, when some of them went to the tomb, intending to perform their customary burial traditions, the tomb was empty! How much more could this have compounded their grief; they could not find comfort even in their usual rituals.

But their loss, like the wide open tomb, was not empty. And their relationship with Jesus was not ended, but had really just begun.

With each day that the disciples awoke to the rising sun and the realization of Jesus’ resurrection, they grieved less, they hoped more. Through prayer and fellowship, they strengthened in faith and any sense of loss was replaced by a vibrant awareness that Jesus was still with them, still listening, still loving.

Although our losses bring great pain, and we might regret that we did not do or say all we should have before our loved one died or our lives were upended by the pandemic, we can take great inspiration from the legacy given by the disciples long ago.

Prayer by prayer, day by day, Easter remains as steady as God’s love, as real as grace. And we heal in a world changed with a faith that never dies.

Maureen Pratt is a popular speaker and bestselling author of seven books. She is a nationally syndicated columnist for Catholic News Service. Pratt’s website is www.maureenpratt.com.

FROM BISHOP VÁSQUEZ • The following priests have been appointed to three-year terms on the Priestly Life and Formation Committee, effective July 1: Father Barry Cuba, Father Brian Phillips and Father Amado Ramos.

OBITUARY Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Marie André Walsh, 101, died May 8 in Monroe, Michigan. She joined the sisters in 1939, and came to Austin in 1966, with four other sisters to set up a college for women, Maryhill College, at St. Edward’s University. After the two colleges merged, Sister Walsh started the Bilingual-Bicultural Teacher Education Program, a national award-winning program to train Spanish-speaking teachers for the bilingual classroom.

In 1986, she was appointed the first Vicar for Religious for the Diocese of Austin, serving in that role until 2004. Upon her retirement, she lived at the IHM Senior Living Community in Michigan. Memorials may be made to the IHM Retirement Fund, 610 W. Elm Ave., Monroe, MI 48162-7909.

Sister Marie André Walsh, IHM

JUNE 2020

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Flores will serve as diocesan priest and Army chaplain

By Mary P. Walker | Senior Correspondent

With joy and thanksgiving, Bishop Joe Vásquez will ordain Deacons Miguel Flores-Perez, Kyle Nesrsta, Zack Rodriguez, Will Rooney and Chris Smith to the priesthood on June 27.

Deacon Flores-Pérez, 42, and the oldest of the five men, forged his connection with the diocese while on military leave.

The son of Andrés and Shirley Flores, he is the second oldest of three boys.

Born in Puerto Rico, Deacon Flores grew up in a Catholic family that moved often due to his father’s Army career.

After high school, Deacon Flores attended Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia for three years, and was considering the priesthood. His education was cut short after the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, motivated him to enlist in the Army.

As an active duty soldier for more than eight years, he was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, he passed the rigorous selection process for Special Forces, commonly known as the Green Berets.

During his time in Special Forces, Deacon Flores felt God’s call to the priest-

hood in a more compelling way. Other soldiers, seeing him practice the faith, asked if he ever considered becoming a chaplain. After spending a year in Iraq without ever seeing a priest, he understood the importance of bringing the sacraments to those in the military.

“That experience really left a big impression on my heart,” he said. The example of the chaplains he knew growing up and those he served with in the Army clarified his discernment. He wanted to be a Catholic priest and a military chaplain.

One of his personal heroes is the late Father Emil Kapaun, who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courage and ministry during the Korean War. Father Kapaun rescued wounded soldiers and continued his ministry as a prisoner of war, eventually dying in the camp.

While on leave, Deacon Flores often visited his brother in Austin. Those visits fostered his connection to the diocese. He considers St. Mary Cathedral his home parish. In 2010, he left the Army and resumed his studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, graduating in 2012 with a degree in theology.

The Archdiocese for Military Services, in partnership with local dioceses, pro-

vides chaplains for the armed forces and their families. The archdiocese and the Austin Diocese entered into an agreement to accept Deacon Flores for seminary education and formation. He attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston.

Currently, he is a chaplain candidate in the Army Reserve. After his ordination to the priesthood, he will serve in the Austin Diocese for three years and continue his ministry in the reserve. He will then be ready for active duty as an Army chaplain.

Deacon Flores describes the blessings of formation as “being around other men who are passionate about the priesthood and the faith, and seeing our calling mature and develop.” He is grateful to family members, friends, the many priests who influenced and listened to him through the years, and those in the Army who encouraged his call. He is also grateful to the diocese and Bishop Vásquez for allowing him to eventually serve as a military chaplain.

As a priest, he looks forward to being a minister of God’s mercy within a parish and as a chaplain. For men and women who are wondering whether God is calling them to the priesthood or religious life, he suggests they go to a place where they can hear God’s voice more clearly.

Deacon Miguel Flores-Pérez

Seminaries, monasteries and convents can help, he said. They should not be afraid to commit, as God only desires the best for them.

He will celebrate Masses of thanksgiving June 28 at noon and 3:30 p.m. at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin and July 5 at 6 p.m. at Our Lady of the Atonement Parish in San Antonio.

Waco son prepares to become a diocesan priest

By Mary P. Walker | Senior Correspondent

As he pursues the call to the priesthood, Deacon Kyle Nesrsta, 32, is following the example of his uncle, Father Stephen Nesrsta, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Corn Hill.

The son of Edward and Julie Nesrsta,

Deacon Kyle Nesrsta

Deacon Nesrsta has one older brother and one younger sister. Baptized at St. Louis Parish in Waco, he grew up in Hewitt and considers St. Jerome in Hewitt/Waco his home parish.

Deacon Nesrsta believes he first heard God calling him to the priesthood after his confirmation. Becoming more active in the parish, he joined the youth group, and became a lector and an extraordinary minister of holy Communion.

Parishioners noticed his work in the parish and asked him if he had ever considered becoming a priest. Then pastor, Father Rakshaganathan Selvaraj (Father Raj), encouraged him to attend a discernment retreat.

Although he attended, Deacon Nesrsta was focused on studying music.

After high school graduation, Deacon Nesrsta attended McLennan Community College and then the University of Texas at Arlington, where he was active in campus ministry. Majoring in music, he played the saxophone. He also learned to play the euphonium, which enabled him to join the San Antonio-based Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. As a corps member, he traveled all over the country during the summers of 2008 and 2009.

After college, he moved back home and took a job in a warehouse for a

company servicing vending machines. He got a job at ESPN Central Texas where he worked a split shift, which turned out to be good for his discernment. He could go into church to pray as soon as it opened and had time in between to read the books that his uncle, Father Nesrsta, gave him.

Although he was attracted to the priesthood, he also wanted to be a husband and father and did not want to leave his own family behind to serve God’s people. Through his reading and prayer, his perspective changed. He became more open to God’s call in his life.

“Over time, it got to be less about what I wanted, and more about what God wanted, which turned out to be the same,” Deacon Nesrsta said.

His discernment also benefitted from observing his uncle’s priestly ministry and his participation in family events.

Through Father Nesrsta, he saw that priests come from and are “real people.” Now he talks to his uncle more than ever and feels blessed to join him in ministry through the sacrament of holy orders.

In addition to his family, uncle and Father Raj, Deacon Nesrsta is grateful for the help he received from now Bishop

Michael Sis and Father Brian McMaster, former diocesan vocation directors.

He began seminary life at St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana, which he credits with “bringing him out of his shell.” The seminary gave him the academic background, spirituality and confidence to proceed, he said.

The challenges of seminary life included the study of philosophy and adjusting to community life, which brought with it the blessings of praying the Divine Office and attending Mass together.

“I fell in love with the rule of St. Benedict,” he said.

As a priest, Deacon Nesrsta looks forward to celebrating Mass and bringing the sacraments to the faithful. His advice to those considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life is to pray, especially in front of the tabernacle or through Eucharistic Adoration. He also encourages them to be open to others about their discernment and to receive spiritual direction.

He will celebrate Masses of thanksgiving June 28 at 11 a.m. at St. Jerome Parish in Waco (Hewitt), June 29 at 8 a.m. at St. Louis Parish in Waco and July 1 at noon at St. Peter Catholic Student Center in Waco.

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CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Elgin native was introduced to the faith while studying at UT

By Mary P. Walker | Senior Correspondent

Deacon Zack Rodriguez, 33, was baptized Catholic, but was not fully initiated into the faith until college. He is the son of Ricky and Doris Rodriguez of Elgin.

He has two older brothers, Luke and Mark. Along with Sacred Heart Parish in Elgin, Deacon Rodriguez considers St. John Vianney Parish in Round Rock to be his home parish.

His family attended different Protestant churches while he was growing up.

He characterized his early faith experience as Christian, with a strong social component. As a student at the University of Texas in Austin, he stopped attending church, adopted a secular mindset, and saw religion as something that kept him from doing what he wanted to do.

In the meantime, Deacon Rodriguez’ older brothers returned to their Catholic roots. While deployed to Iraq with the Marines, Luke rediscovered the beauty of Catholicism through the ministry of a chaplain. At the same time, Mark was a music director for a Lutheran congregation and “studied” his way back to the faith. The brothers, in turn, had lively discussions about Catholicism with their

parents, who at first were resistant, but later also returned to the faith.

Deacon Rodriguez witnessed the positive changes in his family, especially in his brother Mark. One day he stopped by the University Catholic Center and met with Father Ed Koharchik. Rather than a gentle inquiry about the faith, Deacon Rodriguez spent an hour telling him “what was wrong with the Catholic Church.” Father Koharchik patiently listened, and invited him back to talk again and to help other students paint the rectory kitchen.

“Little by little by little my heart was softened,” Deacon Rodriguez said. He joined the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult (RCIA) process at the University Catholic Center and received the sacrament of confirmation and his first Communion.

Deacon Rodriguez believes he first heard God’s call to the priesthood shortly after he was confirmed. Not having the courage, knowledge or experience to respond, he was scared, kept it a secret, and did not seek guidance.

“Because I didn’t grow up watching priests, I didn’t have a sense of the life of a priest,” he said.

He also stopped practicing the faith for

a time. However, he later discovered that the faith “was filling every kind of void that I was trying to fill on my own.”

After college, he was a real estate agent for a while. When he experienced God’s call again at age 24, he did not keep it a secret and sought guidance. While he was discerning, Father Michael O’Connor, then-pastor of St. John Vianney Parish, was his spiritual director. Deacon Rodriguez credits his example with introducing him to the blessings and challenges of the life of a diocesan priest.

Deacon Rodriguez’ seminary formation began at St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana, and continued at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

“The church pours herself into you as a seminarian, and you are afforded every opportunity to grow and respond to God’s grace working in your life,” he said.

As a priest, he looks forward to celebrating Mass and administering the sacraments, especially the sacrament of reconciliation, which was key to his own conversion story. He wants to bring that sacramental grace to others, he said.

He also encourages men and women who wonder if God is calling them to the priesthood or religious life to pray, and to

Deacon Zack Rodriguez

let others know they are considering it.

“The vocation is more than yourself or your understanding. You have to allow God to show you his tremendous love.

It’s about the relationship, not an end goal,” Deacon Rodriguez said.

He will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving June 28 at 11 a.m. at St. John Vianney Parish in Round Rock.

Rooney says prayer, community, service are keys to discernment

By Mary P. Walker | Senior Correspondent

Deacon Will Rooney, 28, first considered becoming a priest around the time he made his first Communion. He is the oldest of three boys. His parents are Megan and Bill Rooney who have long attended St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in

Deacon Will Rooney

College Station, where Deacon Rooney was an altar server and active in the youth group.

He is grateful that his mother “forced” him (a young teenager) to go on a retreat during which he grew in his love of Jesus and desire to be a disciple. He also had a powerful experience of receiving the Lord’s forgiveness through the ministry of a priest during the sacrament of reconciliation. “(This) encounter radically changed the course of my life,” Deacon Rooney said.

In high school, he was in the 4-H Club and FFA and raised turkeys, chickens and steers. In addition, he participated in robotics competitions. He went on to Texas A&M University and graduated in 2013 with a degree in biological and agricultural engineering.

While at A&M, he was active at St. Mary Catholic Center and served as the Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus Council #10624. He worked in an engineering lab and was the middle school youth coordinator at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. During this time, the late Father Wade Russell (who died in 2018) served at the parish.

“He had a great impact on me. Because

we worked together, he allowed me to see a priest’s life up close. This influenced me to consider the priesthood in a whole new light,” Deacon Rooney said.

After graduation, he studied at Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving and then at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston. The challenges included moving frequently and the sacrifices of community life. However, community life also brought great blessings, he said.

“Living with a group of men who are passionate about proclaiming the Gospel and pursing the priesthood was a wonderful gift in my life,” Deacon Rooney said.

Other blessings were the opportunity to study in the Holy Land for six weeks and spend the night inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Jesus’ empty tomb. A trip to Honduras, where he accompanied a mission priest to remote villages to celebrate Mass, taught him about the universality of the church.

There he grew in a sense of gratitude for his call to bring the sacraments to others.

Deacon Rooney is also grateful for the encouragement he received from his family and home parish. He said Chris Bartlett, the youth minister at St. Thomas

Aquinas when Deacon Rooney was in high school, served as a leader, mentor and friend. During his pastoral year at St. Louis King of France Parish in Austin, Fathers James Misko and Doug Jeffers demonstrated the day-to-day life of a priest in inspiring ways.

As a priest, Deacon Rooney looks forward to celebrating Mass and bringing the forgiveness of Jesus to others through the sacrament of reconciliation. He also feels privileged to accompany people in their walk with the Lord.

For those who are considering whether God is calling them to the priesthood or religious life, Deacon Rooney believes prayer, community and service are vital in discerning this call. Speaking and listening to God, family and friendships grounded in love and honesty, and service to others will help to hear God’s voice and give one the grace to respond to his plan, he said.

He will celebrate Masses of thanksgiving June 28 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in College Station, July 4 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Mary of the Visitation Parish in Lockhart and July 5 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Louis, King of France Parish in Austin.

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Smith appreciates support of priests, family, friends

By Mary P. Walker | Senior Correspondent

Deacon Chris Smith, 32, worked with many retreat teams before deciding to pursue the call to the priesthood. Deacon Smith is the son of Brien and Kathy Smith; he has two sisters. Growing up in College Station, his home parish is St. Thomas Aquinas, where the family is very active.

Deacon Smith was a member of the parish youth group, and served as a lector and an altar server. Educated in College Station public schools, he enjoyed soccer and basketball. Through scouting, he learned to appreciate God’s creation, shared many experiences with his father and attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

After high school, he attended Texas A&M University. While in college, he was a leader in campus ministry at St. Mary Catholic Center. He served on the youth retreat team, which visited parishes within a 100-mile radius and offered weekend retreats to middle and high school students. During his senior year, Deacon Smith served as a campus ministry intern. He graduated in 2010 with a degree in business marketing.

After college, Deacon Smith con-

tinued his work in retreat ministry. He joined the National Evangelization Team (NET), where he served for three years as a missionary and led a team of young adults that traveled to parishes in different parts of the country offering retreats.

Deacon Smith said he first heard God’s call to the priesthood shortly after confirmation. He was in eighth grade at a Steubenville Youth Conference and in prayer during Eucharistic Adoration.

He did not respond at the time because “I did not think being a priest was ‘cool’ and I wanted to live the American Dream of being a businessman with a big house and lots of kids,” he said.

Yet, the calling continued throughout college. He dated a few women with an eye toward marriage. During his time with NET, the call to the priesthood intensified.

“Once I said yes, I gained a lot of peace, joy and confidence that this is what God is calling me to do with my life,” Deacon Smith said. He has experienced many affirmations of this call throughout his time in the seminary.

Deacon Smith began formation at Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas, and continued at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Seminary life

Bishop issues changes to confirmation liturgies SAFETY Continued from Page 1 to implement the safety protocols but still be as welcoming as possible.

“The collaboration has been priceless,” she said. “We are truly all in this together, and it has been amazing to walk through this with other parishes who are going through the same thing.”

Going forward, González said, offering the sacraments is St. William’s main priority.

“Our candidates and catechumens will be welcomed into the church soon, then we will focus on first communions, confirmations, weddings and baptisms,” she said.

As the summer continues, the parish staff will look at ways to offer faith formation and other ministries in ways that maintain the health of all involved, González said.

Bishop Vásquez has also issued additional protocols for the celebration of confirmation through the end of 2020.

Confirmations canceled during March, April and May will be rescheduled, and there are many confirmation liturgies on the bishop’s calendar for the months ahead.

Because of social distancing protocols, when the bishop or Father Misko celebrates confirmation in a parish, the following protocols have been implemented. When possible, confirmation will be celebrated within the Liturgy of the Word. Confirmation liturgies will be limited to the candidate, sponsor and two guests (parents of confirmand).

Facemasks will be worn by candidates, sponsors and the minister of the sacrament. While pictures can be taken discreetly during the liturgy, the bishop will not be available for individual photos after the liturgy. The bishop asks parishes to livestream their confirmation liturgies so that as many people as possible can witness this milestone in the faith of the confirmands.

“I realize that our people may be disappointed with some of these protocols as they are different than what they may have been expecting. I wish they were not necessary, but I believe they are prudent during the time of this pandemic,” the bishop said in a memo to pastors.

For more information about the diocese’s response to COVID-19 and the protocols established for parishes, visit www.austindiocese.org.

brought him the joy of allowing God to form him in prayer, spiritual life and leadership. He also enjoyed his studies and the friendships he formed with his fellow seminarians.

For a short time in the seminary, Deacon Smith grieved that he would never have children of his own. However, God replaced this sadness with the joy of knowing he would have many spiritual children, as well as serve as an uncle to future nieces and nephews and the children of his friends.

Deacon Smith expressed his appreciation for the many priests who have influenced him through the years in his home parish, in college and through his work with NET. In addition, he always had the support of his family, the leaders in his parish youth group when growing up and his core of Christian friends, who encouraged his faith and vocation.

As a priest, Deacon Smith looks forward to celebrating the sacraments and walking with God’s people during the good and trying times in their lives.

His advice to those considering whether God is calling them to the priesthood or religious life is to “pray, pray and pray some more.” He especially recommends prayer through the Mass, the

Deacon Chris Smith

sacraments, and Eucharistic Adoration.

Because prayer teaches us about God and ourselves, the more we get to know God, the more he reveals the true desires of our hearts, he said.

He will celebrate Masses of thanksgiving June 28 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Center in College Station and July 5 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in College Station.

Announcements from the Diocese of Austin Opportunities for discernment On June 20, the diocesan Vocations Office will host its annual St. John Paul II Kayak Trip for young adult men discerning their vocation. The day will include morning prayer, Adoration, Mass, breakfast and lunch. This trip is an opportunity to set out on an adventure while building community among young men who are discerning their vocation. Find more information at https://kt.godiscalling.me or call (512) 949-2430.

The diocesan Vocations Office will host its annual high school men’s retreat, Quo Vadis, July 24-26 at Eagle’s Wings Retreat Center in Burnet. The seminarians who are studying for the diocese will lead this weekend retreat and help participants explore what it means to be a son of God. Find more information at https://qv.godiscalling.me or call (512) 949-2430.

Summer faith classes offered online Throughout the summer, the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis is offering a variety of courses to serve the needs of Catholic school educators, parish catechists, youth ministers and anyone who wants to learn more about their faith.

Topics range from Sacramental Theology to Ecumenism to Christian Leadership.

Courses feature instruction by experienced trainers and include printed materials and books for students. All courses will be held online. For a full list of the classes to be offered, visit www.austindiocese.org/summer-classes or call the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis at (512) 949-2492.

Pandemic prompts changes to collections The following changes have been made to special collections due to the COVID-19 closures. The collection for Seminarians and Priest Education and Formation will be taken up June 20-21. The Peter’s Pence Collection scheduled for the weekend of June 27-28 will now be taken up on the weekend of Oct. 3-4. The special collection for the Holy Land, originally set for Good Friday, will be taken up Sept. 12-13. For a complete list of all special collections, visit www.austindiocese.org/special-collections.

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CENTRAL TEXAS

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Grounded in faith, Vincentians help those in need

By Enedelia J. Obregón | Senior Correspondent

Before the COVID-19 pandemic sent unemployment through the roof, one in seven Texans –– 14% of the population –– was food insecure, meaning they lacked consistent access to enough food to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.

Today with unemployment numbers at record levels, local food pantries and their main supplier the Central Texas Food Bank are overwhelmed. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Austin (SSVdP) is among the Catholic organizations trying to help those in need.

On a recent Saturday morning, people lined up at the food pantry at the Vincentian Family Center in northeast Austin.

They included elderly people, young women with toddlers and babies, and men and women in their prime who had lost jobs. Volunteers helped those who were there for the first time to fill out forms.

Some of the volunteers handing out food were also first timers.

Maria and Brian Levin, parishioners at St. Theresa Parish in Austin, started volunteering after seeing a notice in their church bulletin.

“We have to do something,” Maria Levin said. “People who can’t help with money can at least help here.”

Maria Levin said the Vincentian Family Center has the infrastructure in place, making it easier to volunteer.

Brian Levin considers himself fortuMichael Tullius, the client services coordinator at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Austin, talks with clients after helping them load groceries into their car. The Vincentian Family Center in Austin is currently serving about 250 families per week. (Photo

by Enedelia J. Obregón)

nate to be able to work from home.

“There are an endless number of people who can’t work from home and are jobless,” he said. “Last weekend we had some Uber drivers who ... had been able to work until recently. This is all new to them.”

Michael Tullius, client services coordinator at SSVdP, said they saw a slight increase in people needing food prior to the stay-at-home order on March 24. That order led to immediate layoffs for people in the service industry such as restaurants and hotels.

“We had been seeing 130 people every week,” Tullius said. “Then it increased to about 160. Now it’s 200-plus –– 240 to 260.”

Clients can come for food every other week, Tullius said. They do not have to be Catholic to receive help.

The Vincentian Family Center gets food from the Central Texas Food Bank as well as from area grocery stores. It has been difficult to get food from grocery stores lately, he said. The center gets about 98% of its food from the food bank.

Staples such as eggs, milk, frozen meat and fresh produce are given out every week. This particular weekend bakeries had donated Mexican pan dulce, cupcakes, cookies and cakes.

“My daughter will like this,” said one woman as she admired a decorated cake.

“Her birthday is this week.”

As of mid-May, only the food pantry is open at the center. Requests for help with rent and utilities are referred to the client’s nearest conference. Across the diocese, the SSVdP is organized into 41 parish-based volunteer groups, called conferences, with more than 1,000 volunteers serving those in need.

SSVdP leaders said larger conferences are helping smaller conferences that may not have as many resources.

At St. Joseph Parish in Killeen, six of the 56 members of the conference are providing food to those in need. If people cannot come to the tiny food pantry, volunteers drive to people’s homes to deliver the food, said Yovanna Browne, conference secretary.

“Many people don’t have transportation,” she said. “When they come to the building, we give out food bags. We’ll take food to those who are home-bound.”

Many of the volunteers are older, and the fear of contracting COVID-19 has kept most of them at home, Browne said.

So the Killeen conference has reduced the pantry’s hours to Thursdays from 3-5 p.m. Six volunteers is just right, otherwise the pantry would get too crowded, she said.

Donations to the conference have remained steady, Browne said, and they can still help people with utilities and rent.

Roz Gutierrez, executive director of the diocesan SSVdP, said conferences are reporting a huge increase in the number of calls for help with rent and utilities.

The society is able to help because they receive money from the Austin Energy Plus 1 Fund that sets aside money for people in need of utility assistance. Austin Energy customers can donate to the fund by checking a box on their utility bills and adding an extra dollar with their utility payment.

The society works closely with other food pantries, Gutierrez said. If one gets too much bread, for example, they will share with another pantry that did not get enough.

Maria Levin, a volunteer from St. Theresa Parish in Austin, helps a client at the food pantry at the Diocesan Society of St. Vincent de Paul Vincentian Family Center. (Photo by Enedelia J. Obregón)

While clients in the past were able to select their food, COVID-19 has changed that.

“We can’t do that now,” Gutierrez said.

“We prepackage it and give it out,” she said. “People also go through the line faster.”

It also makes it easier on clients, she said. People are walking up to the pantry after being dropped off at a nearby Capital Metro bus stop. Some come on bicycles. Sometimes two or three families carpool to the center.

She said people are having to make tough choices about their finances. Do they pay rent, utilities, other bills such as car payments or pay for groceries?

“People are also having to re-examine what is a need and what is a want,” she said, noting that it can be difficult.

With so many unknowns, the SSVdP will continue to help people as best they can.

“They are the face of God,” Gutierrez said. “It’s not just about giving them food and meeting their needs. We listen and pray with people. God is calling us to be present to each other. This is what my faith calls me to do.”

The food pantry at the Vincentian Family Center is located at 901 W. Braker Ln. in Austin. It is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Monetary donations and volunteers are needed. Visit www.ssvdp. org or call (512) 251-6995 to help.

JUNE 2020

CENTRAL TEXAS

7

Kyle parishioners heed the call to feed the hungry

By Ricardo Gandara | Correspondent

Several days a week, the reception hall at St. Anthony Marie de Claret Parish in Kyle transforms into a warehouse of workers busily packing boxes of non-perishable food items for the Central Texas Food Bank.

Parishioner Kent Gates leads workers — who are properly distanced, wearing masks and gloves — in prayer before they begin.

“The servant attitude comes out in people in times like these,” Gates said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The church hall serves as a packing facility where parish volunteers work four days a week to help the food bank meet the demand of hungry families.

As the nation has felt the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic at every level, the spirit of Christianity remains strong. St. Anthony is heeding the call to service, and the Knights of Columbus at St. Paul Chong Hasang Parish in Harker Heights are as well (see box below).

Father Uche Andeh, pastor of St. Anthony, is humbled by the generosity of his parishioners.

“This shows an incredible generosity with their time at a time when people are afraid and stay home … there are brothers and sisters out there who need this food … This is what it means to be a church, to take care of each other in a time of need,” he said.

While the volunteer effort at St. Anthony Parish practically happened overnight as the virus intensified and the food bank was slammed with demand, the volunteers proceeded with extreme care and careful planning.

Father Andeh said the safety of parishioners was foremost before he gave his approval.

“The food bank has a standard protocol to do this. We took those procedures and implemented the operation,” he said.

Jeff Gonzales, the director of operations at the food bank and a parishioner at St. Anthony, helped turn the reception hall into a satellite station for the food bank.

Harker Heights knights help neighbors in need

The Knights of Columbus at St. Paul Chong Hasang Parish in Harker Heights are also working to feed the hungry served by the Killeen Area Food Care Center in Killeen.

On Saturdays, wearing the masks and practicing safe social distancing, members stock shelves and load food items into paper sacks that are ultimately distributed to needy families.

“Members are extremely grateful for the opportunity to help their friends and neighbors,” said Charles Parker of the Knights of Columbus who is also an Army veteran who served at Fort Hood. He said participation goes hand in hand with the four principles of the organization: charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. (Photos courtesy Charles Parker)

“The pandemic is a disaster, and we need a back-up plan to get food to people,” Gonzales said. He worked with four other churches — Celebration Church in Georgetown, Austin Christian Church and Life Church and Greater Mt. Zion in Austin — to set up satellite stations to help with the distribution of food to the hungry in 21 counties in Central Texas.

“We had to plan that if we had an outbreak of cases at our warehouse, we needed locations where we could still handle food. Demand for food has increased, in some areas by 300 percent,” Gonzales said.

Every week the pre-packaged boxes — like the ones assembled at St. Anthony — are taken to the pantry’s main facility. The food is distributed using a drive-through system.

“These satellite locations are a phenomenal help and give us the relief due to the high demand,” Gonzales said.

Organizing the satellite location at St. Anthony went relatively smooth, he said.

Once the call for volunteers went out, parishioners stepped up to fill enough slots for the parish to work Wednesday through Saturday. Each day, morning and afternoon shifts are filled with 15 volunteers who work at properly distanced at tables in assembly line fashion to load boxes.

They wear masks and gloves and take hourly breaks to wash their hands.

Saturdays are reserved for families who bring their teenagers to pitch in. In some cases, the youth are fulfilling community service hours as they prepare for confirmation.

The satellite locations are overseen by food pantry auditors who organize the work and make sure safety procedures are followed, Gonzales said. Parish site

Ophelia Tenorio (near right), Lorena Sauceda and Kent Gates are among 50 volunteers who pack food boxes at St. Anthony Marie de Claret Parish in Kyle.

The non-perishable food items are then distributed by the Central Texas Food Bank. (Photo by Ricardo Gandara)

leaders like Gates are charged with making sure workers follow safety standards.

All the while, parishioners “develop good camaraderie,” Gates said.

Esther Diaz, a parishioner at St. Anthony, volunteers often with her fellow choir members.

“One day, we just started singing choir songs. Somehow, we managed through the masks,” she said.

Volunteering is a welcomed change these days, she said.

“It’s good to get out of the house to do something,” Diaz said.

St. Anthony Parish will continue their work for the food pantry until the area economy is restored to its previous robust pace or when the food pantry returns to standard operation. Until then, the satellite locations are essential, Gonzales said.

According to its website, the Central Texas Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas. The foodbank’s service territory includes: Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Gillespie, Hays, Lampasas, Lee, Limestone, Llano, McLennan, Milam, Mills, San Saba, Travis and Williamson counties.

Roughly 300 partner agencies work with the foodbank to serve families in 21 Central Texas counties at soup kitchens, food pantries, after-school programs, snack programs and other service sites. For more information, visit www. centraltexasfoodbank.org or call 1-800786-2616.

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CENTRAL TEXAS

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes in Caldwell celebrates 125 years

By Alfredo E. Cardenas | Correspondent

St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Caldwell is celebrating its 125th anniversary under the banner “Cultivating our Faith, Growing in Holiness Together.”

Father Melvin Dornak, the pastor of St. Mary Parish, said this milestone anniversary is not a mark in time, but rather affirming a parish alive with faith.

Through the shared memories of its 585 families, the parish is celebrating the many moments of grace administered at the parish through the beloved sacraments of our faith, he said.

An artistic depiction of St. Bernadette kneeling before Our Lady of Lourdes adorns St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Caldwell. The painting was salvaged by an area farmer who found it in a field after the parish was razed by the Great Galveston hurricane in 1900.

(Photo by Frances Pullin)

James and Sherri Chmelar are cochairs of the anniversary committee.

Events previously scheduled to celebrate the big anniversary were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they said.

On Aug. 9, the parish will celebrate a special Mass at 10 a.m. Following the Mass, festivities will continue on the parish grounds. The anniversary will wrap up Sept. 19-23 with a parish mission presented by Paulist Father Bruce Nieli. These events are dependent on the state of the pandemic, Chmelar said.

Catholics first came to the Caldwell area when Franciscan missionaries traveled on “El Camino Real” on their apostolic missions between San Antonio and East Texas. The parish is located on this route, known as the Old San Antonio Road. Inspiration for the parish began in 1892, when Father Charles Kacer came once a month from Frenstat to celebrate Mass in a decommissioned store. In 1895, parishioners built a small wooden church and the first Mass there was celebrated on Aug. 1 of that year.

Four years later, the parish purchased 3 acres adjoining to the church grounds and built a cemetery, which remains in operation today.

The following year tragedy struck.

On Sept. 8, 1900, the remains of a massive hurricane that came inland at Galveston razed the small sanctuary.

A painting of Our Lady of Lourdes, brought from France, was miraculously the only item salvaged. A farmer found it in a nearby field completely intact; today it remains prominently displayed in the nave of the church.

Because the storm destroyed the crops as well as the church, parishioners were not in a financial position to rebuild. Thankfully, Bishop N. A. Gallagher raised funds from communities in

the north and east sections of the country and a new chapel was built in 1901.

Bishop Gallagher dedicated the chapel on Sept. 18, 1901.

In the 1930s, Father Frank D. Urbanovski led the construction of one of the parish’s most unique and impressive additions — the Lourdes Grotto. Parishioners built this magnificent structure, which is still a centerpiece on the grounds of the church, entirely with petrified wood collected by area farmers. At the center of the grotto are statues of Our Lady of Lourdes, donated by the KJZT (now KJZT Family Life), and St. Bernadette, a gift of the Polanski brothers and sisters.

In 1984 the congregation demolished the 1901 church, and two years later erected the present church. Bishop John McCarthy dedicated the new sanctuary in April 1987. They added a free-standing bell tower to the front west side of the church, which Bishop McCarthy dedicated in April 1997. After adding paved parking lots in 2003, the parish made the final payment on the debt incurred to build the new church and held a ceremonial “note burning,” on Feb. 13, 2005.

Several priests and religious sisters have come from St. Mary Parish. Most recently Father Ed Karasek, ordained in 1987, is pastor of St. Mary Parish in Lockhart and Father Jesse Martinez,

Father Melvin Dornak and James and Sherri Chmelar, anniversary committee co-chairs, stand in front of Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, at St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Caldwell. (Photo by Alfredo E. Cardenas)

ordained in 2017, is associate pastor of St. Louis Parish in Austin.

The parish remains a vibrant faith community. In addition to Father Dornak, the church has three deacons, Ernesto Valenzuela Jr. and retired deacons Glen Wearden and John W. Young Jr. There are about 21 ministries active in the parish.

“We are growing together in holiness,” Father Dornak said. The parish currently has 585 registered families totaling 1,376 parishioners. Before the school year ended, there were 171 children enrolled in religious education, including 75 in first through sixth grades and 96 high school students.

While the church is seeing some “new families,” it remains “pretty much stable,” Father Dornak said.

For more information about St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Caldwell, visit www.stmaryscaldwell.com.

Ethics and Integrity in Ministry update REPORT ABUSE

Report abuse of a minor, elderly adult or an adult with a disability to local law enforcement or to the Texas Abuse Hotline at www.txabusehotline.org or (800) 252-5400 and to the diocese at www.austindiocese.org/report-abuse or (512) 949-2447.

EIM INFORMATION AND UPDATES

As of May 1, EIM Workshops and new EIM Application/Account registrations remain suspended. Please review the information below and keep checking your parish/school website and www. austindiocese.org/eim-compliance for updates.

Employees and current volunteers: 1. If your EIM compliance has lapsed or will expire soon, please visit www.austindiocese.org/workshop or www.austindiocese.org/taller-de-eim to complete the online training.

2. If you have not attended a prior EIM Workshop, you are welcome to complete the online training but will be required to attend an EIM Workshop within the year to remain compliant 3. The temporary online EIM training will continue to be available until October 31st (unless an extension is needed based on COVID 19 conditions) 4. If you do not already have an existing EIM account you will not receive compliance credit for completing the online training.

HAVE YOU, OR HAS SOMEONE YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCED ABUSE?

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez and the Diocese of Austin are committed to providing compassionate care to persons who have experienced abuse, particularly if committed by clergy or a church representative. If you have or if someone you know has experienced such abuse, contact the EIM Office at (512) 949-2447.

JUNE 2020

IN OU R W ORLD

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Nurse relies on the Holy Spirit in caring for COVID-19 patients

By Dave Hrbacek | Catholic News Service

Rebecca Maslow’s workday begins long before she walks through the doors of Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis where she is a nurse in the intensive care unit.

She takes a brief time to pray before going to work, seeking the help of the Holy Spirit to love and care for the patients she will see that day. Every time she walks into a room, she knows that this could be the patient’s last day of life. She must be ready to help them die.

That’s because, woven into her job description in recent months is caring for seriously ill and dying patients, most of whom have COVID-19. Since being assigned primarily to the intensive care unit in March, she now sees the worst of the pandemic every day. It is exhausting work, physically and emotionally and she can’t for a moment neglect the intensive protective regimen needed to keep her from getting the virus herself.

At the same time, she feels that avoiding the virus likely is a losing battle.

“I know that I will probably get it in the near future,” said Maslow, 28, who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2014 with a nursing degree and belongs to Nativity of Our Lord Parish in St. Paul.

“Most of us (hospital employees) have a resignation that we’ll probably get this at some point simply by being exposed to it so frequently, even though we’re taking these precautions.”

But, that is not the hardest part of being a nurse who is constantly exposed to the virus. The real hardship comes when she thinks about the care she cannot provide to the person lying in a bed unable to get up and, more importantly, unable to see visitors.

“The only people who are walking into their rooms are health care workers who are covered from head to toe in protective gear,” she told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “There was one patient that I was helping to care for. ... He was anxious and I was trying to comfort him. But, it just struck me — he could barely see my face. I’m smiling at him and he can’t see it because I have this mask over my mouth,

Nurses are among ‘the saints next door,’ pope says

By Cindy Wooden | Catholic News Service

The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn well-deserved attention to nurses and midwives, who are among “the saints next door,” dedicated to helping people in some of the most joyful or painful moments of their lives, Pope Francis said.

“Every day we witness the testimony of courage and sacrifice of health care workers, and nurses in particular, who, with professionalism, self-sacrifice and a sense of responsibility and love for neighbor, assist people affected by the virus, even to the point of putting their own health at risk,” the pope said in a message marking the May 12 celebration of International Nurses Day and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.

“Thank you for your service to humanity,” the pope wrote.

Pope Francis also paid tribute to the nurses who contracted the virus and died, assuring their families that “the Lord knows each of them by name.”

“In many countries,” he said, “the pandemic has also brought to light a number of deficiencies in the provision of health care,” including the need to invest in nurses and give them greater respect and recognition.

Pope Francis used his message to nurses to also “ask leaders of nations throughout the world to invest in health care as the primary common good, by strengthening its systems and employing greater numbers of nurses, so as to ensure adequate care to everyone with respect for the dignity of each person.”

Nurses and midwives, he said, have a “very special vocation” of being “guardians and preservers of life.”

“You are an image of the church as a ‘field hospital’ that continues to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ, who drew near to and healed people with all kinds of sickness and who stooped down to wash the feet of his disciples,” the pope said.

Nurses and midwives know that they need scientific and technical knowledge to help their patients, but that their vocation means also bringing “human and humanizing” qualities to their patient interactions.

“Taking care of women and men, of children and elderly, in every phase of their life from birth to death,” he said, “you are tasked with continuous listening aimed at understanding what the needs of that patient are in the phase that he or she is experiencing.”

“Before the uniqueness of each situation, indeed, it is never enough to follow a protocol, but a constant –– and tiresome! –– effort of discernment and attention to the individual person is required,” Pope Francis wrote.

my eyes are covered in protective covering, I have a surgical cap on my head, I have an isolation gown on and gloves.”

“Physical touch is such an important thing, right?” she said. “Especially when someone’s feeling isolated and alone. And, to not be able to have that connection with other people is just so hugely challenging.”

Fortunately, Maslow has devised new and equally meaningful ways to put her hands to work in providing care to COVID patients.

For one patient, she held an iPad in front of him so he could have a final Zoom call with his family as he lay dying. He was unresponsive, but at least family members could see him even though it wasn’t the same as being there.

“I can just vividly imagine the agony of not being able to be there as your family member, your loved one, is dying,” she said. “And, it just broke my heart as I was in the room. I was listening to what the family members were saying. And, the daughter was talking to her dad (the patient). She was forgiving him for all the hurts he had done (to) her throughout her life, telling him repeatedly how much she hopes he can go to God, knowing that she forgives him, knowing that she loves him and praying that he’ll accept God’s mercy and love.”

Silently, unbeknownst to the family, which couldn’t see her on the screen, Maslow took it all in — and prayed.

“I just got this sense of we’re all connected as the body of Christ,” she said. “And, somehow, in some small way, maybe the Lord was answering a little bit of her prayer, providing for her father by having me there when she couldn’t be there. I think in those moments, especially when it’s so hard to know what to say and there’s urgency in some of those heartbreaking situations, I just found myself more constantly praying, ‘Come, Holy Spirit.’”

Those three words spill from her lips often — before her 12-hour shifts, during the long and stressful hours with patients and long after her work for the day is done. Through them, she finds strength to keep going, and even to encourage her co-workers.

One of the most powerful movements of the Holy Spirit she experienced was while caring for a man dying of respiratory failure. While in the room with him the day he died in early April, a doctor who had been seeing him told Maslow that the man was a Christian. This inspired Maslow to action as she walked over to his bedside.

Like other patients, the man was dying

Rebecca Maslow is a nurse in the intensive care unit of Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. She is a parishioner of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, Minnesota. (CNS photo by Dave Hrbacek)

alone, and Maslow wanted to offer him tangible comfort. She had been with him throughout the morning and even had prayed silently over him. Now, knowing he was a Christian, she offered something more. She felt like she had “this green light to be more bold with him.”

“I just sat next to him and held his hand,” she said. “And, I leaned in really close to his ear so he could hear me. And, I told him that I had heard that he was a Christian, that I was, too, and that I was going to pray over him. So, I traced the cross on his forehead. After that, I was able to just stay by his bed and hold his hand. I was not busy at all that day, which is very odd.”

She called it “such a blessing” to be with him for an hour and a half. She said he looked “calm and comfortable” after she prayed over him. He died a little while later, with Maslow still holding his hand.

Providing such care for patients has its roots in her own tragedy. On July 4, 2010, her younger brother Alex died in a car accident at the age of 16. The pain of that loss connects her to the suffering of the patients and families she sees today. But, it does come with an emotional price.

“It’s really hard because of what my family experienced,” she said. “It’s really hard for me to see families grieving. I have trouble keeping my composure.”

“When I see someone weeping, crying over their family member, it brings me right back,” she added. “It’s hard to know, sometimes, what to do with that. But, I think, even though that’s hard, it’s emotionally taxing for me, I think it’s taught me, it’s carved out a space in my heart where I can maybe empathize and love these people in a way that I wouldn’t have been able to do before.”

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CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Parish outreach methods may change ‘forever,’ says evangelist

By Peter Finney Jr. | Catholic News Service

During two months of social isolation, the work of American business has migrated, ready or not, into the home.

If pajamas have become the new workplace attire and the sofa has been transformed into the new desktop, where does that leave a U.S. Catholic Church yearning to stay connected with its parishioners through online liturgies and Facebook Live spiritual pep talks pumped into living rooms by social media?

For Scot Landry, the Boston-based Catholic evangelist whose vocation as co-leader of Dynamic Catholic requires him to think in broad strokes, the church has a unique opportunity to step up to the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think the Catholic Church and every parish is going to be different because of the virus and how we’ve responded,” said Landry, qualifying his answer because of the unknowns about how long it will take to find a vaccine or a therapeutic medicine to combat the virus. But, “the par-

ishes that have invested in technology and robust communication with their parishioners have done much better throughout the last eight weeks.”

One of the major advances, Landry said, will be in the number of parishes who move forward with plans to offer online giving so that people can more easily “support the mission.”

“Some of the parishes who have

Communication is key, Landry said, because not all age or demographic groups are reached through the same methods of communication. immensely struggled over the last eight weeks are the ones that relied almost exclusively on the weekly Sunday offertory,” Landry told the Clarion Herald, New Orleans’ archdiocesan newspaper.

“Liturgically, it’s a very important part of our Mass to bring up the gifts, but it’s far from ‘best’ if our parishes are going to have consistent support from their parishioners.”

Livestreamed Masses are here “forever,” Landry said.

“Most growing parishes, down the

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road, will continue to broadcast a lot of their liturgies and a lot of their events,” he said. “It’s an open question on how much parishes invest in that. Does it become a central part of their outreach or does it become just a part of their outreach?”

The massive changes in remote learning in schools also have ushered in a technological movement, Landry said.

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It’s going to accelerate the idea of the ‘flipped classroom,’ where a lot of instruction happens on video. Then, when people gather with the teacher, it’s more to ask questions,” Landry said.

“The flipped classroom could be a great model for handing on our Catholic faith to people because many parishes have been challenged with (having enough) catechists.”

Landry works with 61 parishes across 12 U.S. dioceses. One of the biggest questions he has had to grapple with is how fearful Catholics will be to return to Mass.

“Somewhere in the neighborhood of 50% of our regular Mass attendees on Sunday will be cautious in returning or scared to come back,” Landry said, including seniors and families with younger children.

“While there is a strong desire for the Eucharist, how will every faithful Catholic look at the idea of a crowded, packed church ever again? We used to look at the Christmas and Easter crowds, if we were able to get a seat, and say, ‘Isn’t that wonderful how packed it is?’ I do think people are going to look at a packed church now and say, ‘Do I really want to be in a packed church?’”

With most dioceses across the U.S. “dispensing” Catholics from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass, Landry said parishioners may begin choosing to attend weekday Masses, when the churches will be less crowded.

The most important thing a diocese – or a parish – can do right now for parishioners is to “over-communicate,” Landry said.

“It’s to speak from the heart about the care for everybody individually and the care for the community when it regathers and that we want to be safe,” Landry said. “Then each parish needs to figure out how it can distribute Communion to the homebound or those who choose to stay home during this time in much larger numbers than most parishes have ever

been asked to do. That would allow people to still participate in Mass and satisfy that hunger for the Eucharist.”

Communication is key, Landry said, because not all age or demographic groups are reached through the same methods of communication.

“Think in terms of the multiple platforms – who is the best target audience for that platform and how the message could be shaped slightly differently to reach the people that read that platform?” he said.

Printed bulletins and Catholic newspapers remain important platforms, Landry said, “because for some of the most generous people in the church today in terms of their giving, that’s how they access information about the church and the diocese.”

Landry is working with 10 parishes across the Archdiocese of New Orleans on a pilot program to raise the level of evangelization within their respective communities.

He heaped praise on Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Mandeville, Louisiana, for the way in which it has become a “dynamic” online parish through Masses, devotions and email communication.

He also said St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Slidell, Louisiana, has done wonderful online Masses, and St. Pius X Parish in New Orleans came up with an idea to pair up two parishioners who are living alone to serve as telephone buddies to each other.

Several parishes have reached out to parishioners by telephone to let them know they are thinking about them and asking if they have specific needs or prayer requests.

“Parishes across the country love the idea of calling their parishioners,” Landry said. “We mentioned the idea, and probably half of our parishes started calling the next day. One parish in California called 5,000 families in one week.”

The biggest takeaway from the virus quarantine, Landry said, is the recognition of “how fragile life is.”

“Sometimes people, particularly young people, consider themselves invincible and that they might be the first people besides Jesus to not die,” Landry said. “Life is fragile. Loneliness is high.”

“This is an awesome opportunity for the Catholic Church to stand ahead and provide the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. We’ve always been the largest caring organization on the planet,” he added. “It would be awesome if because of the outreach of parishes today, that people saw us as the leader in caring and as the leader in prayer.”

GRADUATION 2020

JUNE 2020

Graduation SPOTLIGHT Dear Catholic School G raduates, On behalf of Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, the Office of Ca tholic Schools, I extend my congratulations to the Class of 2020!

Despite all the challenges and many transitions, you have made it.

I know this was not what you had in mind, when you started your senior year; however, this does not reduce the significance of your achievements and accomplishments.

You deserve to be celebrated for your many gifts, talents and achievements, while also giving glory to God for His faithfulness throughout this unprecedented time. Your class is special. I met many of you during my school visits and you earned a very special place in my heart. I am honored to be your superintendent.

As you reflect on your high school years, don’t forget to thank God for the ways He used your time in high school to shape and prepare you for the next chapter of your life.

We have witnessed your potential, we celebrate with you, and we believe in you! Be well, stay safe, and know we are thinking of you and wishing you all the best as you begin a new journey.

Misty Poe, Supertintendent of Catholic Schools

National Merit Scholars Recognized On March 4, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez celebrated the St. Thomas Aquinas Mass honoring select middle school students for their leadership and service to the community, and high school students recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Association. This year there were 14 student scholars recognized as Finalists, Semifinalists, Commended and National Achievement. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) – a test that serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.6 million entrants each year – and only 50,000 students meet published program entry and participation requirements.

Additionally, three students were recognized by The College Board as a part of the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP), which identifies academically outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school students. Each year the NHRP honors about 7,000 of the highest scoring students from more than 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT.

To find a Catholic school near you, visit CSDATX.ORG

11

GRADUATION 2020

12 12

Class of 2020 Highlights

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Abram

Ashley

Bryce

Charley

Christopher

Ethan

Gracie

Inaara

Jackson

Jaelin

JohnAnthony

Kassidy

Kaylee

Madison

Megan

Natalie

Noah

Peter

Ryleigh

Sheridan

Bishop Reicher’s Class of 2020 may be small, but this group is mighty in talent and ambition: đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“Bishop Reicher’s Class of 2020 achieved 100% college acceptance and received over $2.5 million in

scholarships.

đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“Our students are disciples of Christ, and also leaders: 90% of the class participated in National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, German National Honor Society, Student Government and/or Campus Ministry. đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“More than half of the class has a cumulative average of 90 or above, and all of the seniors have an average above 80!

www.BISHOPREICHER.org

(254) 754-2041

Zachary

GRADUATION 2020

JUNE 2020

Class of 2020 Highlights

13 13

Anamaria

Andrew

Anne Marie

Ashley

Christian

Dina

Dominique

Jackie

Jackie

James Jay

Jewel

Jonas

Jose

Linda

Margaret

Reagan

Reagan

Samuel

Savannah

Spencer

Stormy

Sydney

Tyler

Wesley

Yaquelin

Ziri

Our 26 seniors have shown true character in the face of unprecedented challenges and have risen to become the Christian leaders of tomorrow, today! We are so proud of their giving hearts and their commitment to their education. Some of their accolades: đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“Every senior held a leadership position in an extracurricular activity. đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“Collectively they have served over 1,500 hours of community service this year alone. đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“ Our 26 seniors have been accepted to 72 colleges, universities, and technical schools, and have collectively received scholarships offers of $2.3 million.

www.HOLYTRINITYCHS.org

(254) 771-0787

GRADUATION 2020

14 14

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Abraham

Aidan

Aileen

Alyssa

Ana

Ariel

Augustine

Axel

Cesar

Christelle

Christopher

Cynthia

Destiny

Emily

Jayson

Jonathan

Jose

Juan

Juliana

Karla

Kevin

Litzy

Mariolqui

Nathaniel

Stephanie

Tirzah

Victor

Zayda

Class of 2020 Highlights đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“The SJD Senior Class of 2020 received over $8 million in meritbased scholarships with acceptances to 68 universities across the country, including Penn State University, Purdue University and Hawai’i Pacific University.

đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“SJD became the 40th high school in the U.S. to become

affiliated with the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Seniors Juan, Ana, Kevin, Mariolqui and Litzy represented the student body by attending the Holy Cross Immersion Leadership Retreat last summer. Senior Shahain received the prestigious Moreau Scholarship (awarded to one graduate at a Holy Cross high school) which will cover the cost to attend St. Edward’s University all four years.

đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“đ&#x;Ž“In SJD athletics, Seniors Ariel and Ana led the Women’s Soccer team to District and Area Championships. Senior Abraham repeated as the TAPPS Men’s 2A Cross Country State Champion, setting a new course record this year.

www.SJDCHS.org

Oscar

Oyuki

(512) 804-1935

Roberto

Shahain

GRADUATION 2020

JUNE 2020

On behalf of the entire St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School Community,

15 15

Abigail

Abigail

Adam

Adrian

Adrianna

Ainsley

Alexandria

Alina

Alysiah

AnaLisa

Andrea

Angela

Anna

Annabel

Brendan

Brendan

Brenna

Britney

Caitlin

Cameron

Camila

Carson

Catherine

Cecilia

Christopher

Cole

Collin

Connor

I congratulate our graduates. In addition to the many faith, academic, and athletic distinctions our students have garnered over the last four years, the Class of 2020 and their families also earned the distinction of showing dedication, perseverance, and faith in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this commitment to servant leadership and scholarly excellence, we thank our graduates and their families. It is your commitment as members of Savio’s community that has enabled these students to achieve this most-auspicious milestone, and what assures us the members of the Class of 2020 will continue to achieve and persevere as faithfilled, visionary, and inspirational leaders in service to the church and the world. Congratulations, Class of 2020, every day is a great day to be an Eagle!

Dr. Enrique Garcia, Principal

www.SAVIOCHS.org

(512) 388-8846

GRADUATION 2020

16 16

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

David

Elizabeth

Elle

Emily

Emily

Ethan

Frances

Frank

Gage

Garrett

Grace

Grace

Haoran

Isaac

Isabel

Isabella

Jack

Jade

Janie

Joanne

John

Jonathan

Joseph

Julia

Julie

Julio

Justice

Katherine

Kelsy

Kyla

Kyra

Lenci

Linh

Luke

Luke

Madalynne

Madilyn

Mariette

Marta

Mason

Matthew

Matthew

Maya

Mengmeng

Miles

Morgan

Natalie

Nathan

Noah

Quinton

Reilly

Reilly

Ruijie

Ryan

Sarah

Sasha

GRADUATION 2020

JUNE 2020

Seth

Siyi

Tanya

Trinity

17 17

Victoria

Troy

William

Yeji

Not Pictured: Mikayla Vic

Yi

Yuanhan

Zachary

“THE VERY FIRST TRUTH I WOULD TELL EACH OF YOU IS THIS:

God loves you!

IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHETHER YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD IT OR NOT.

, you are infinitely loved.”

I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF IT. AT EVERY MOMENT

- Pope Francis, Christus Vivit (112)

GRADUATION 2020

18

Many congratulations to the Class of 2020.

You traveled abroad and completed internships during Winter Term, signed to play collegiate sports, attended weekly Mass, volunteered, and appeared in concerts and plays. And that was just the first semester! Since the COVID-19 crisis struck, you’ve stayed on track with distance learning and received college acceptances. On Decision Day, you proudly displayed your new college spirit wear – from Texas A&M, UT and Texas Tech to UCLA, Wellesley and Wesleyan. Yours is a graduating class like no other before it. In true St. Michael’s character, you rose to unprecedented challenges to successfully navigate a very different senior year.

Our hopes and prayers go with you.

www.SMCA.com

CATHOLIC SPIRIT 19

Alec

Alexander

Alexcia

Allison

Alyssa

Annika

Avery

Avery

Camille

Carlos

Caroline

Caroline

Casey

Cassidy

Collette

Connor

Cristina

Derrick

Drew

Easton

Elena

Emily

Eric

Garrett

Grant

Halle

Hanna

Helena

(512) 328-2323

GRADUATION 2020

JUNE 20 2020

19

Hui

Hunter

Ian

Isabel

Isabella

Jack

Jack

Jackson

Jaxon

Jessica

Johnston

Joshua

Julian

Kathryn Georgia

Kolby

Lachlan

Larissa

Luc

Lucia

Major

Manuel

Mary Frances

Mary

Matthew

McLain

Meredith

Mia

Michael

Oliver

Olivia

Race

Raul

Reagan

Reece

Ryan

Taylor

Theresa

Thomas

Virginia

Wenquan

Not Pictured: Aaliyah

William

William

Xiaojie

Yue

Zhonglin

“Young people CAN OFFER THE CHURCH THE BEAUTY OF YOUTH

BY RENEWING HER THE ABILITY TO REJOICE with new beginnings.”

- Pope Francis, Christus Vivit (37)

GRADUATION 2020

20 18

Dear Class of 2020, Even though your time at St. Joseph Catholic School has come to an end, you will forever be within the fabric of our community. Your time here has been a combination of academic and spiritual growth, ensuring continued success in your next adventures. Take with you the spirit of service you built during your years at St. Joseph, and remember you never “graduate from your faith.”

Keep St. Joseph School in your prayers, as you will always be in the prayers of the faculty and staff. Good luck and God bless. You will be missed!

Father Steve Sauser Pastor, St. Joseph Catholic School System

www.STJOSEPHSCHOOLBCS.com

(979) 822-6641

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Adam

Christopher

Eleanor

Elisa

Hannah

James

Jasmine

Joseph

Kaitlyn

Matthew

Olivia

Qian

Rebecca

Reghan

Rohini

Roland

Samuel

Sydney

Wei

Yang

GRADUATION 2020

JUNE 2020

Forming children in

21

wisdom and holiness

BISHOP REICHER CATHOLIC SCHOOL 2102 N. 23rd, Waco (254) 754-2041 | bishopreicher.org

ST. AUSTIN CATHOLIC SCHOOL 1911 San Antonio, Austin (512) 477-3751 | staustinschool.org

ST. LOUIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL 2114 St. Joseph Blvd., Austin (512) 614-6622 | slcsaustin.org

CATHEDRAL SCHOOL OF SAINT MARY 910 San Jacinto, Austin (512) 476-1480 | smcschoolaustin.org

ST. DOMINIC SAVIO CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 9300 Neenah Ave., Austin (512) 388-8846 | saviochs.org

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL 520 Washburn St., Taylor (512) 352-2313 | stmarystaylor.org

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL 9400 Neenah Ave., Austin (512) 246-4455 | holyfamilycs.org

ST. GABRIEL’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL 2500 Wimberly Ln., Austin (512) 327-7755 | sgs-austin.org

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL 1019 S. 7th, Temple (254) 778-8141 | stmarys-temple.org

HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 6608 West Adams Ave., Temple (254) 771-0787 | holytrinitychs.org

ST. HELEN CATHOLIC SCHOOL 2700 E. University Ave., Georgetown (512) 868-0744 | shcslions.org

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL 507 W. Spruce, West (254) 826-5991 | stmaryswest.com

SACRED HEART CATHOLIC SCHOOL 545 E. Pearl, LaGrange (979) 968-3223 | sacredheartschoollg.com

ST. IGNATIUS MARTYR CATHOLIC SCHOOL 120 W. Oltorf, Austin (512) 442-8547 | school.st-ignatius.org

ST. MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC ACADEMY 3000 Barton Creek Blvd., Austin (512) 328-2323 | smca.com

SAN JUAN DIEGO CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 2512 South First St., Austin (512) 804-1935 | sjdchs.org

ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL 600 S. Coulter, Bryan (979) 822-6641 | stjosephschoolbcs.org

ST. THERESA’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL 4311 Small Drive, Austin (512) 451-7105 | st-theresa.org

SANTA CRUZ CATHOLIC SCHOOL 1100 Main St., Buda (512) 312-2137 | sccstx.org

ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL 2901 E. Rancier, Killeen (254) 634-7272 | sjcskillen.org

Let us share what Catholic schools have to offer your family and children.

GOOD NEWS

22

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

BISHOP’S INTERVIEW

The sacrament of holy orders configures a man to Christ Bishop Joe S. Vásquez is the fifth bishop of the Austin Diocese, which is home to more than 610,000 Catholics.

Editor: Bishop, we are continuing our exploration of each of the sacraments. This month our focus is on holy orders. What is this sacrament and who can receive holy orders?

Bishop Vásquez: The sacrament of holy orders was given to the church by Jesus Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says holy orders “is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry” (CCC, 1536). Holy orders is a vocation in which the person is configured to Christ. His essence is changed and he now serves in persona Christi.

Only a baptized man may be ordained in the sacrament of holy orders. To summarize the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Jesus chose men to be the twelve apostles and the foundation of the ministerial priesthood, and the apostles continued this practice as have their successors down through history. By baptism, all the members of the church share in Christ’s holy priesthood.

It is called “the common priesthood of the faithful” because the entire church shares in it. To build up this priesthood, Christ gives us the ordained ministries of bishops, priests and deacons through the sacrament of holy orders.

Editor: This sacrament creates bishops, priests and deacons. Tell us more about these ministries.

Bishop Vásquez: The sacrament of holy orders is given by degrees: diaconate (deacons), presbyterate (priests) and episcopate (bishops). Those three orders work in tandem; they work together to carry out the work of Christ through his church.

The order of the diaconate is about a man being called to serve others. Deacons may baptize, preach and administer holy Communion. In the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles called seven men to assist them. We know those men as the first deacons. As the apostles were proclaiming the word of God, instructing the people and celebrating the Eucharist, they needed the assistance of the deacons to carry out their work.

Today, and especially since Vatican II, we continue the tradition of ordaining men to the diaconate.

The order of the presbyterate continues the work of Christ, particularly preaching, celebrating the Eucharist and forgiving sins. These sacraments were given to us by Jesus at the Last Supper, and also on the first Easter Sunday when Jesus appeared to the apostles, and said, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.” He breathed upon them, giving them the Holy Spirit. Christ instituted these sacraments, which continue today in our church. Priests are also called to be coworkers with their bishop, and priests promise obedience to the bishop in service to God’s people.

The episcopate, the bishops, receive the fullness of the sacrament of holy orders. They are the successors to the apostles, and only they have the power to confirm and to ordain. Bishops are called to be pastors, to protect, guide and nurture their local church. One of the primary roles of a bishop is to uphold the magisterium of the church and ensure the integrity of the sacraments. They also belong to the college of bishops and exercise their authority in union with the pope, who is the head of the college of bishops and successor of Peter.

Editor: What is the current status of men studying for the priesthood in our diocese?

Bishop Vásquez: We are very fortunate in the Diocese of Austin; long before I was named bishop in 2010, the bishops of Austin have diligently worked to create a culture of vocations. There are currently 28 men in formation, and over the next five years we expect to ordain about three new priests per year.

The diocesan Office of Vocations continues to help men discern the call to the priesthood.

We have been blessed with solid vocations directors, a couple of whom have been named bishops.

Father Jonathan Raia has served as vocation director since 2014.

In July, I will assign him to be the director at the University Catholic Center in Austin, and Father Greg Gerhart will serve as vocation director beginning on July 1. I am confident he will continue the good work of fostering a culture of vocations in our diocese, parishes and families.

Editor: What do you consider the most critical factor in a man’s decision to become a priest?

Only a bishop can administer the sacrament of holy orders and thereby ordain a deacon, priest or bishop. In the photo above, Bishop Joe Vásquez ordained Father Henry Finch on June 8, 2019.

On June 27, Bishop Vásquez will ordain five men to the priesthood. See stories on Pages 3-5. (Photo by Arlen Nydam)

“There is no greater joy for me as a bishop than to ordain a man as a priest of Jesus Christ. The world needs Christ. People hunger for Christ. The priest is called to serve the people. The men I will ordain will go into the world to celebrate the sacraments, forgive sins, anoint the sick, and through the power for young men, who then begin to of the Holy Spirit, transform bread and wine to the Body and yearn for Christ and listen for his call.

Editor: What is your prayer for Blood of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist.” those who will be ordained on June –– Bishop Joe Vásquez Editor: On June 27, you will ordain five men to the priesthood. What does that mean to you?

Bishop Vásquez: There is no greater joy for me as a bishop than to ordain a man as a priest of Jesus Christ. The world needs Christ. People hunger for Christ.

The priest is called to serve the people.

The men I will ordain will go into the world to celebrate the sacraments, forgive sins, anoint the sick, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, transform bread and wine to the Body and Blood of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Priests are called to spiritually nourish and feed God’s people. On the day of ordination, I am filled with joy to ordain a man to continue the great work of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Vásquez: Obviously, there are many factors in a man’s decision to become a priest, but I believe the most important factor to a man’s vocation is his family. To me family is essential; nothing substitutes for a mother and father faithfully living out their vocation and providing a strong family life for their children.

Another critical factor is the presence of good, holy and joyful priests in a man’s life. As a young man, I was blessed to have the support of my wonderful family and to know priests who were filled with joy and who encouraged me to listen for God’s call. Joyful and holy priests who are dedicated to Christ provide solid examples of faith

27?

Bishop Vásquez: I pray these men will be open to the grace of God. May they open their hearts, souls, minds and bodies to the Holy Spirit. May they allow the Holy Spirit to conform their lives and hearts into Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Amen.

Editor: What is your prayer for the deacons and priests in our diocese?

Bishop Vásquez: I pray we live faithfully to the promises and vows we made to God on the day we were ordained. Let us renew our zeal and reawaken that grace which was given to us in the sacrament of holy orders as deacons, priests and bishop. May we joyfully carry out the work of Christ until he returns and establishes his kingdom forever. Amen.

2020 Census JUNE 2020

Tagline Available in Multiple Languages GOOD NEWS

23

A PERSONAL REFLECTION

This old tie that binds one generation to the next After I had earned a doctorate and landed a job as a clinical psychologist, I wanted to dress the part.

I bought a full Chinese Traditional Chinese Simplified Arabic I noticed something wrong as I knotwardrobe of professional clothes early ted my tie. The soothing maroon fabric in my career. In the process, I had a few adorned with tiny blue and gray hexadiscussions about men’s fashion with gons was marred by a tiny patch of white. my dad, who appreciated quality garIs that a smudge? A spot? In the rush ments. However, he had too many other for work, there was no time to change. I financial obligations with raising a large shifted the tie a bit off-center and tucked family to be a dapper dresser.

French the offending area discreetly behind my On one occasion, I turned the tables on Haitian Creole collar. Satisfied that it looked passable, dad and took him on a shopping trip to I didn’t think about it again until I got an upscale clothing store. With disposable home that evening. income to spend and three decades of After removing the tie, closer inspecgratitude to express, I wanted to treat him. tion revealed the problem was not a spot.

Dad picked out a couple of fine cotton Rather, the fine silk threads had frayed dress shirts he could wear to his state in the “torque zone” where years of office job. Then we went to the tie distyingJapanese and untying had taken a toll on the play. He lingeredKorean a bit to sift through the Polish delicate fabric. It was clear — the tie was options, perhaps savoring the moment as Louis A. Gamino (center) hugs his faworn out. much as the choices.

After dad died in 2007, I asked my ther, Joseph Gilbert Gamino, and his This verdict was not easy to accept. A “He’s paying for me this time,” he said mother for the two neckties so I could mother, Mabel Rose Gamino, in this haberdasher once told me, “A silk foulard to the clerk with a pride-in-my-son smile. have them as keepsakes. For the last photo taken outside their home in Oklahoma City circa 2004. (Photo courtesy is a perishable commodity,” meaning it After deliberating, he chose two silk ties several years, I have worn both these ties Louis A. Gamino) will not wear forever. But this cravat was that coordinated well with either a white many times. Sometimes because they not just another necktie in my closet. It or blue shirt. The frayed tie now draped matched my shirt or slacks. Sometimes had a story to tell. in my hands was one of them. because I wanted to be reminded of dad.

Yet something still puzzled me. Why Portuguese Russian Sometimes both reasons. I was reluctant did this particular tie wear out? In my to part with this precious talisman. closet are dozens of other silk ties I have I showed the problem to my wife, owned for years and worn countless Marla, who is an accomplished costume times. None of them frayed like this one. designer and expert tailor. Knowing my Then the embedded truth hit me — wear sentimental attachment to the necktie, is proportional to wear. If I did not wear she offered a remedy. She could rip out this tie enough times to wear it out, dad the entire lengthwise seam, trim the Spanish Tagalog Vietnamese did. lining, and re-crease the tie’s silk to create That realization took me back to love. fresh edges and conceal the frays on the Dad certainly wore that tie more often backside. There were no guarantees how than I knew. It must have meant far more this flaying and reshaping would turn out. to him than I ever guessed. He probably It might look great or it might become a thought of me when he wore it, just as hopeless mess that would ruin what was I thought of him when I put it on. This left of the beloved tie. old tie that binds is powerful enough to As I considered this prospect, I hold that love, regardless of its frayed and thought of the human body. Age and vulnerable state. wear will wrinkle skin, erode joints and Consider the message this worn-out tie fray the tissues of organs and vessels. offers for Father’s Day. The gift of human Could a person be taken apart top to life is a miracle so sublime that it contains bottom, parts tightened, and then sewn a spark of divine love. That love brings back together to be better than before? out the very best in us when nurtured by When we participate in the Census we declare that No, probably not. Therefore, it seemed attentive parents, doting grandparents, disrespectful to tear asunder a work of art special relatives, dedicated teachers, we are part of “we the people” and we refuse to be — this necktie — under the pretense of friendly neighbors and true friends. A excluded from the critical resources and political refashioning it into an improved version love that binds no matter how frayed our representation that we deserve. Everyone counts of itself. hearts or timeworn our hands. And when Instead, I decided to keep the tie as is we pass it on, it never goes away. in the eyes of God, and so we must work to ensure and reserve it for those occasions when Louis A. Gamino is a clinthat everyone is counted by our government.

I most need a boost. In those honorary ical psychologist at Baymoments, I resort to the off-center placelor Scott White Health ment to hide the fraying. and a member of St. I still have the tie and, more imporDiocese of Austin Luke Parish in Temple. tantly, the tie that binds my father and Secretariat of Life, Charity and Justice Find more about him at me in a continuing alliance, even all these www.LouisGamino.com. years after his death.

By Louis A. Gamino | Columnist

As people of faith, we believe in the dignity of every person

GOOD NEWS

24

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Prison ministry offers grace, peace to those in every prison unit

By Father Harry Dean | Guest Columnist

Part of St. Paul’s greeting to the Romans, which concludes verse 7, is one way to sum up our attempts at ministry among the incarcerated “…to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Called to be holy; extending the grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ — these are precisely the elements of life and love in Christ Jesus which can thrive in the prison setting — but oftentimes they do not. We in our sinful human state attempt day after day and week after week, liturgical calendar after liturgical calendar, to present to the incarcerated the call to be holy through the grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ministry to the incarcerated is for every soul associated within the prison units where incarcerated souls serve their sentences for crimes against the human family.

Bishop Joe Vásquez asks us to serve not only the “offenders” as they are called but also the corrections officers, the prison administrators, our fellow Christians and non-Christians bringing their own efforts at ministry to the incarcerated; as well as

medical and teaching staff.

What we bring in our sinful humanity becomes infused into the lives of those whom we serve in their sinful humanity. When all parties recognize the truth of that reality then God can help us lay down our preferred pride and get to the divine exchange arising from God’s grace and Christ’s peace. The divine exchange we seek to see, to be, to provide, grinds and chisels its way through that human sinfulness as we let the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament lead us and change us incrementally into the image of Christ all the while in a setting far different than what we live “on the outside” of the prison walls.

The Evil One is active among us in the incarcerated life, often bidding us to downplay our sin, to nurture feelings of disrespect and hostility and chief among all tactics — to fear trust and trust fear.

The call to holiness nurtured by God’s grace and Christ’s peace truly can and does diminish the sway of the Evil One among the incarcerated though each victory in Christ is constantly surrounded by the Evil One’s rage at divine success.

The Evil One’s rage shows up in awful and destructive fashion among those who give themselves over to his sway.

Among the incarcerated we see ruined

For up-to-date information from the Diocese of Austin, visit us online On the Internet at www.austindiocese.org On Facebook search “Diocese of Austin” On Twitter, go to @AustinDiocese

lives as evidence of the Evil One’s goals.

But redeemed life in the power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ can heal ruined lives and give glory to the Father.

This redemption in Christ and glory of the Father lends life and love to ministry among the incarcerated benefitting those of us who minister as much as those to whom we minister.

Ministry among the incarcerated is not for everyone. It requires leaving behind some “outside world” thinking and entering into the frame of function unique to the institutional prison setting.

It forces confrontation with the truth of our own sinfulness, but it is a force that can move the flock and the shepherd into the ever welcoming and loving hands of our merciful God. St. Paul’s greeting to the Romans fittingly prepares us to arrive at the conclusion to his letter and proclaims the underpinnings of ministry among the incarcerated: “Now to him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery

The Restorative Justice Ministry in the Diocese of Austin seeks to reduce trauma within correctional facilities, reduce recidivism and increase public safety through a growth in faith and healing for offenders, ex-offenders, their families and for the victims of crime. For information, visit www.austindiocese.org/ restorative-justice or call (512) 949-2460.

kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Father Harry Dean serves with Deacon Ronnie Lastovica in the Gatesville Restorative Justice Ministry. Together they provide a pastoral presence to men and women inmates incarcerated in TDCJ prison units in the Gatesville region.

The ministry is also available to serve TDCJ correctional facility staff and anyone associated with the incarcerated.

Father Dean was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Austin in 1996.

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GOOD NEWS

25

FAITH THROUGH ART

Praying with the women of the church at St. Austin Parish

By Louise Nelson and Sandra Martin | Guest Columnists

Women of Faith Unbound (WOFU) formed to explore the roles of women in the Catholic Church. We began by presenting a series about women leaders of the early church, to teach about the important contributions women who followed Jesus made to the founding of the church.

Art both teaches and inspires, and since the sanctuary of St. Austin Parish in Austin did not include any images of women other than those of Mary, we received our pastor Paulist Father Chuck Kullmann’s approval to add statues of St. Mary of Magdala, who brought word of Jesus’ resurrection to the apostles, and St. Phoebe, who carried St. Paul’s letters to the Romans.

To oversee the project, we enlisted a parishioner of St. Austin to serve as project manager, and formed an advisory committee consisting of three WOFU members, another parishioner who designs furniture, and Father Kullmann.

In 2018 the project manager began by researching wood carving studios. Though the carving of religious wooden statues is a diminishing art, three studios expressed interest in the project: Agrell Architectural Carving (UK/USA), Ferdinand Stuflesser 1875 (northern Italy), and The Sculpture Studio (Arizona).

The selection process began by asking the three studios to prepare a drawing of Mary of Magdala, for which we provided many details. One of the key specifications was that the statues should be similar in style to the current statues of Sts. Peter and Paul in our sanctuary. We wanted the statues to appear as if they had been a part of our physical church from its beginning, just as women have been an integral part of the historical church from its inception. After reviewing the drawings and prices, we asked two of the studios to prepare half-size clay scale models.

Based on the models, as well as the sculptors’ sensitivity and attention to the committee’s input and criteria, we awarded the commission to Mark Carroll of The Sculpture Studio. The proximity of Mark to Texas was one of the

factors involved in his commission, but the primary reason was his work best embodied our vision of the project.

Once we identified the sculptor, the long and arduous process of moving the statues toward completion began.

This involved providing feedback to the artist about their postures, hand gestures, facial expressions, robes and the items they carried.

“God is in the details,” and we wanted every detail, from the sandals on their feet to the expressions on their lips, to portray the holiness and

humanity of Sts. Phoebe and Mary of Magdala.

The carved statues were shipped unstained to Austin in the fall of 2019.

The furniture designer on our committee donated his time to finish them – carefully matching the stain to the existing statues of Sts. Peter and Paul – and hang them in the sanctuary. As we had hoped, the two new saints blended in perfectly with the existing statuary as if they had been there forever.

In December, St. Austin Parish held a blessing ceremony to welcome

The sculpture of St. Phoebe hangs on the right side of the sanctuary and is faces the congregation. She holds a scroll in her left hand and her right hand is raised either in the pose of a teacher or to offer the Peace of Christ. (Photo courtesy Mark Landers)

Sts. Mary of Magdala and Phoebe into our community of saints. Everyone is invited to come see and pray with these beautiful works of art.

Women of Faith Unbound is a community of Catholic women founded in Austin in 2012. Louise Nelson, a founding member of the organization, and Sandra Martin, the project manager, are parishioners of St. Austin Parish in Austin.

The sculpture of St. Mary of Magdala hangs on the left side of the sanctuary and faces the crucifix at St. Austin Parish in Austin. She holds a jar of ointment and is pointing to Christ (the crucifix) with her left hand. (Photo courtesy Mark Landers)

The Faith through Art column is featured in every other issue of the Catholic Spirit. The column is presented by the Diocesan Fine Arts Council, which seeks to raise awareness and appreciation of fine religious art and encourage the use of religious fine art in the parishes, schools and homes in the Diocese of Austin. For more information, visit www. austindiocese.org/fine-arts-council.

IN OU R W ORLD

26

Calendar of events

Official schedule The official schedule for Bishop Joe Vásquez is listed below. Dates and times are subject to change.

Mark your calendars for these events that are coming up across the Diocese of Austin. Send entries for this section to catholic-spirit@austindiocese.org.

June-Aug.: Throughout the summer, the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis is offering a variety of online courses about the Catholic faith. Details: www.austindiocese.org/summer-classes or call (512) 949-2492.

June 7: Holy Trinity Parish in Corn Hill will host its annual fundraiser. Plates of fried chicken, sausage, dressing, noodles and green beans will be sold via drive through from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $10 each. Details: www.holytrinityofcornhill.org.

June 9: The Diocese of Austin will host a series of webinars in Spanish to explore how technology can enrich ministry.

Webinars will provide an introduction to marketing, social media and other online platforms. The webinars will be held at 7 p.m. on June 9 and 23, July 7 and 21,

and Aug. 4. Details: www.austindiocese. org/webinar-espanol.

June 20: The diocesan Vocations Office will host its annual St. John Paul II Kayak Trip for young adult men discerning their vocation. The day will include morning prayer, Adoration, Mass, breakfast and lunch. Details: https://kt. godiscalling.me or call (512) 949-2430.

July 18: The annual Catholic Men’s Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. at St. Albert the Great Parish in Austin.

July 24-26: The Vocations Office will host its annual high school men’s retreat, Quo Vadis. The seminarians from our diocese will lead this weekend retreat as we explore what it means to be a son of God. Details: https://qv.godiscalling.me/ or call (512) 949-2430.

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez June 4: Secretariat Directors’ Meeting, Pastoral Center, 9 a.m.

June 5: Monthly Budget Meeting, Pastoral Center, 8:30 a.m.

Mass for 75th Anniversary, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Temple, 5 p.m.

June 8: USCCB Committee Conference Call, noon June 18: Catholic Foundation, Pastoral Center, 11 a.m.

June 27: Priesthood Ordination, St. William Parish, Round Rock, 10:30 a.m.

June 28: Mass for 150th Anniversary, St. John the Baptist Parish, Fayetteville, 10 a.m.

July 1: Monthly Budget Meeting, Pastoral Center, 8:30 a.m.

July 11: Mass with Commissioning of Spiritual Directors, St. Mary Cathedral, Austin, 5:30 p.m.

July 18: 12th annual Men’s Mass, Austin, 9:30 a.m.

July 26: Mass for 150th Anniversary, St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Waco, 10:30 a.m.

July 30: Finance Council, Pastoral Center, 11 a.m.

July 31: Monthly Budget Meeting, Pastoral Center, 8:30 a.m.

5602 N HWY 317, Temple, TX 76502

June 18: Monthly Morning Meditation with Father Albert Haase, OFM

Aug. 4: Cedarbrake on the Road at St. Helen Parish in Georgetown

The Monthly Morning Meditation retreat will be on the third Thursday of each month starting June 18 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Temple. Mass begins at 9 a.m. then Franciscan Father Albert Haase will present; retreat ends with closing prayer experience at 11:30 a.m.

Subsequent morning retreats will be July 16 and Aug. 20. The cost for each is $25 or $60 for all three sessions.

The next Cedarbrake On the Road retreat will be Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Helen Parish in Georgetown. Franciscan Father Albert Haase will explore practical ways to grow in a deeper relationship with God by learning how he speaks in our everyday lives. Cost is $40 and includes lunch.

July 10–12: Six Great Catholic Spiritualties

Aug. 9–14: Religious Sisters & Lay Women Preached Retreat

The Six Great Catholic Spiritualties retreat is July 10–12 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Temple. It will be based upon the first semester of our School of Contemplative Living. The retreat will help participants discern which of the six spiritualties (Benedictine, Carmelite, Cistercian, Dominican, Franciscan and Jesuit) fits them best. The cost is $250 for a single room, $200 per person for a shared room and $100 for commuters.

The Religious Sisters and Lay Women Preached Retreat is Aug. 9–14 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Temple. Franciscan Father Albert Haase, chaplain at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center, will explore the Lord’s Prayer as a mission statement to be lived in the life of every disciple. The cost is $450 and includes private room with private bath, all linens and meals.

July 23: Let Go and Let God

An Icon Writing Retreat will be held Aug. 17–20 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Temple. Our Lady of Tenderness will be the Icon participants will be writing. Details: www.cedarbrake.org.

The Let Go and Let God retreat is July 23 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Temple. This is a day of exploring what “letting go and letting God” means. Cindy Isaacson, a retreat presenter for more than 15 years, will explore why we cling to things or situations that bring us sadness or harm. Cost is $40 and includes lunch.

To register, call the Cedarbrake office at (254) 780–2436. www.cedarbrake.org • cedarbrake@austindiocese.org

Aug. 17–20: An Icon Writing Retreat

Aug. 21–23: Greater than a Mother’s Love The Greater Than a Mother’s Love: The Maternal-Fraternal Tension of Francis’ and Clare’s Spirituality retreat will be held Aug. 21–23 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Temple. Franciscan Father Gilberto Cavazos-González will present. Details: www.cedarbrake.org.

The retreat schedule is dependent on COVID–19 restrictions.

ESPAÑOL

JUNE 2020

27

ENTREVISTA AL SEÑOR OBISPO

Con el sacramento de las órdenes sagradas, los hombres realizan la misión de Cristo El Obispo José S. Vásquez es el quinto obispo de la Diócesis de Austin, que es el hogar de más de 610,000 Católicos.

Editora: Señor Obispo, estamos continuando nuestra exploración de cada uno de los sacramentos.

Este mes, nuestro enfoque es en las órdenes sagradas ¿Cuál es este sacramento y quién puede recibir las órdenes sagradas?

Obispo Vásquez: El sacramento de las órdenes sagradas fue dado a la iglesia por Jesucristo. El Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica dice que las órdenes sagradas “es el sacramento gracias al cual la misión confiada por Cristo a sus apóstoles sigue siendo ejercida en la iglesia hasta el fin de los tiempos: es, pues, el sacramento del ministerio apostólico” (CCC, 1536). Las órdenes sagradas son una vocación en la que la persona es configurada a Cristo. Su esencia es cambiada y ahora él sirve en el nombre de Cristo.

Solo un hombre bautizado puede ser ordenado en el sacramento de las órdenes sagradas. Para resumir el Catecismo para Adultos de los Estados Unidos, Jesús escogió hombres para ser los doces apóstoles y la base del sacerdocio ministerial, y los apóstoles continuaron esta práctica como lo han hecho sus sucesores a lo largo de la historia. Por el bautismo, todos los miembros de la iglesia comparten en el sacerdocio sagrado de Cristo. Es llamado “el sacerdocio común de los fieles” por que la iglesia entera comparte en él. Para construir este sacerdocio, Cristo nos dio los ministerios ordenados de los obispos, sacerdotes y diáconos a través del sacramento de las órdenes sagradas.

Editora: Este sacramento crea obispos, sacerdotes y diáconos.

Díganos más sobre estos ministerios.

Obispo Vásquez: El sacramento de las órdenes sagradas es dado por grados: diaconado (diáconos), presbiterado (sacerdotes) y episcopado (obispos). Esas tres órdenes trabajan en tándem; trabajan juntas para llevar a cabo el trabajo de Cristo a través de su iglesia.

La orden del diaconado se trata de un hombre siendo llamado a servir a otros.

Los diáconos pueden bautizar, predicar y administrar la Sagrada Comunión.

En los Hechos de los Apóstoles, los apóstoles llamaron a siete hombres para que los asistieran. Conocemos a esos

hombres como los primeros diáconos.

Mientras los apóstoles proclamaban la palabra de Dios, instruyendo a la gente y celebrando la Eucaristía, ellos necesitaban asistencia de los diáconos para llevar a cabo su trabajo. Hoy, y especialmente desde el Vaticano II, continuamos la tradición de ordenar a hombres al diaconado.

La orden del presbiterado continúa el trabajo de Cristo, particularmente el predicar, celebrando la Eucaristía y perdonando pecados. Estos sacramentos nos fueron dado por Jesús en la Última Cena, y también en el primer Domingo de Pascua cuando Jesús se apareció a los apóstoles y les dijo “Aquellos a quienes perdonen sus pecados les serán perdonados”. Él respiró sobre ellos, dándoles el Espíritu Santo. Cristo instituyó estos sacramentos los cuales continúan hoy en nuestra iglesia. Los sacerdotes también están llamados a ser compañeros de trabajo de su obispo, y los sacerdotes prometen obediencia al obispo en servicio de la gente de Dios.

El episcopado, los obispos, reciben la plenitud del sacramento de las órdenes sagradas. Ellos son sucesores de los apóstoles, y solo ellos tienen el poder de confirmar y ordenar. Los obispos están llamados a ser pastores y a proteger, guiar y nutrir a su iglesia local. Uno de los papeles primarios de un obispo es defender el magisterio de la iglesia y asegurar la integridad de los sacramentos. Ellos también pertenecen al colegio de obispos y ejercitan su autoridad en unión con el papa, quien es la cabeza del colegio de abogados y sucesor de Pedro.

Editora: El 27 de junio, usted ordenará a cinco hombres al sacerdocio ¿Qué significa esto para usted?

Obispo Vásquez: No hay mayor gozo para mí como obispo que ordenar a un hombre como sacerdote de Jesucristo. El mundo necesita a Cristo; la gente tiene hambre de Cristo; y el sacerdote está llamado a servir a la gente. Los hombres que ordenaré irán al mundo a celebrar los sacramentos, perdonar pecados, ungir a los enfermos, y a través del poder del Espíritu Santo, transformar pan y vino en el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Cristo en el sacramento de la Eucaristía. Los sacerdotes están llamados a nutrir y alimentar espiritualmente a la gente de Dios. En el día de la ordenación, estoy lleno de gozo de ordenar a un hombre para que continúe el gran trabajo de Jesucristo.

Editora: ¿Cuál es el estatus en la actualidad de los hombres estudiando para el sacerdocio en nuestra diócesis?

Obispo Vásquez: Somos muy afortunados en la Diócesis de Austin; mucho antes de que yo fuera nombrado obispo en 2010, los obispos de Austin habían trabajado diligentemente para crear una cultura de vocaciones. Actualmente hay 28 hombres en formación, y en los próximos cinco años esperamos ordenar alrededor de tres nuevos sacerdotes por año.

La Oficina de Vocaciones diocesana continúa ayudando a los hombres a discernir el llamado al sacerdocio.

Hemos sido bendecidos con directores de vocaciones sólidos, un par de los cuales han sido nombrados obispos.

El Padre Jonathan Raia ha servido como director de Vocaciones desde el 2014.

En Julio, lo asignaré como director del University Catholic Center en Austin, y el Padre Greg Gerhart servirá como director de Vocaciones comenzando el 1 de julio. Estoy seguro de que él continuará el buen trabajo de fomentar una cultura de vocaciones en nuestra diócesis, parroquias y familias.

Editora: ¿Qué considera usted que sea el factor más crítico en la decisión de un hombre de convertirse sacerdote?

Obispo Vásquez: Obviamente, hay muchos factores en la decisión de un hombre de convertirse en sacerdote, pero creo que el factor más importante para la vocación de un hombre es su familia.

Para mí, la familia es esencial; nada substituye a una madre y un padre que vivan fielmente su vocación y provean de una vida familiar fuerte para sus hijos.

Otro factor crítico es la presencia de sacerdotes buenos, santos y gozosos en la vida de un hombre. Como joven, fui bendecido de tener el apoyo de mi maravillosa familia y de conocer sacerdotes llenos de gozo y que me animaron a escuchar el llamado de Dios. Sacerdotes gozosos y santos que están dedicados a Cristo proveen de ejemplos sólidos de fe para los jóvenes, quienes, entonces, comienzan a anhelar a Cristo y a escuchar su llamado.

Editora: ¿Cuál es su oración por aquellos que serán ordenados el 27 de junio?

Sólo un obispo puede administrar el sacramento de las órdenes sagradas y por lo tanto, ordenar un diácono, sacerdote u obispo. En la foto de arriba, el Obispo Vásquez ordenaba al Padre Henry Finch el 8 de junio de 2019. El 27 de junio, el Obispo Vásquez ordenará cinco hombres al sacerdocio. Vea las historias en las páginas 29-31. (Foto por Arlen Nydam)

Obispo Vásquez: Oro por que estos hombres estén abiertos a la gracia de Dios. Por que abran sus corazones, almas, mentes y cuerpos al Espíritu Santo.

Que permitan que el Espíritu Santo ajuste sus vidas y corazones a Jesús, el Buen Pastor. Amén.

Editora: ¿Cuál es su oración por los diáconos y sacerdotes en nuestra diócesis?

Obispo Vásquez: Oro por que vivamos fieles a las promesas y votos que hicimos a Dios en el día en que fuimos ordenados. Que renovemos nuestro celo y reavivemos la gracia que nos fue dada en el sacramento de las órdenes sagradas como diáconos, sacerdotes y obispo.

Que, con gozo, llevemos a cabo el trabajo de Cristo hasta que Él regrese y establezca su reino para siempre. Amén.

28

ESPAÑOL

CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Basados en la fe, los Vicentianos ayudan a aquellos necesitados Por Enedelia J. Obregón | Corresponsal

Antes de que la pandemia del COVID-19 disparara el desempleo, uno de cada siete Texanos - 14% de la población-no contaba con alimento seguro, lo que significa que les hacía falta el acceso a alimentos de manera consistente para llevar un estilo de vida saludable y activo.

Hoy, con los números del desempleo en niveles récord, las despensas locales y su proveedor principal, el Central Texas Food Bank, están sobrepasados. La Society of St. Vincent de Paul en su Concilio de Austin (SVdP) está entre las organizaciones Católicas tratando de ayudar a aquellos necesitados.

Una mañana reciente de sábado, la gente se formó en línea en la despensa de alimentos del Vicentian Family Center en el noroeste de Austin. Este grupo de personas incluían a gente mayor, mujeres jóvenes con niños pequeños y bebés, y hombres y mujeres en su edad auge que habían perdido sus empleos. Los voluntarios ayudaron a aquellos que estaban ahí por primera vez a llenar formularios.

Algunos de los voluntarios entregando alimentos estaban ahí también por primera vez.

María y Brian Levin, parroquianos de St. Theresa Parish en Austin, comenzaron a servir como voluntarios después de ver un anuncio en su boletín parroquial.

“Tenemos que hacer algo,” dijo María Levin. “La gente que no puede ayudar con dinero, puede, al menos, ayudar aquí”.

María Levin dijo que el Vicentian Family Center tiene la infraestructura, lo que hace más fácil ayudar aquí”.

Brian Levin se considera a si mismo afortunado de poder trabajar desde casa.

“Hay un número infinito de personas que no pueden trabajar desde casa y están desempleados,” dijo.

“El verano pasado, tuvimos unos conductores de Uber quienes…no han podido trabajar recientemente. Todo esto es nuevo para ellos”.

Michael Tullius, coordinador de los servicios al cliente en SVdP, dijo que vieron un pequeño incremento en la gente que necesitaba alimentos antes de la orden de quedarse en casa emitida el 24 de marzo. Esa orden llevó a despidos inmediatos para la gente en la industria del servicio, tal como en restaurantes y hoteles.

“Habíamos estado viendo 130 personas por semana,” dijo Tullius. “Entonces se incrementó a alrededor de 160. Ahora es más de 200, entre 240 y 260”.

Los clientes pueden venir por comida cada dos semanas, dijo Tullius. No tienen que ser Católicos para recibir ayuda.

El Vicentian Family Center recibe alimentos del Central Texas Food Bank así como de supermercados del área. Ha sido difícil recibir comida de supermercados últimamente, dijo. El centro recibe alrededor del 98% de sus alimentos del banco de alimentos.

Básicos tales como huevos, leche, carne congelada y productos frescos son donados cada semana. Este fin de semana en particular, las panaderías han donado pan dulce, pastelillos, galletas y pasteles.

“A mi hija le gustará esto,” dijo una mujer mientras admiraba el decorado del pastel. “Su cumpleaños es esta semana”.

Hasta mediados de mayo, sólo la despensa de alimentos está abierta en el centro. Peticiones de ayuda con renta y utilidades son referidas a la conferencia más cercana al cliente. La SVdP Society está organizada en 41 grupos parroquiales, llamados conferencias, con más de 1,000 voluntarios a lo largo de la diócesis.

Los líderes de SVdP dijeron que las conferencias más grandes están ayudando a conferencias más pequeñas que puede que no tengan tantos recursos.

En St. Joseph Parish en Killeen, seis de los 56 miembros de la conferencia están proveyendo de comida a aquellos necesitados. Si la gente no puede venir a la pequeña despensa de alimento, los voluntarios manejan a la casa de las personas para entregar la comida, dijo Yovanna Browne, secretaria de la conferencia.

despensa se llenaría, dijo.

Las donaciones a la conferencia han permanecido estables, dijo Browne, y todavía pueden ayudar a la gente con utilidades y renta.

Roz Gutierrez, directora ejecutiva de la SVdP diocesana, dijo que las conferencias están reportando un gran incremento en el número de llamadas de ayuda para la renta y utilidades. La sociedad puede ayudar por que recibe dinero del fondo de Austin Energy Plus 1 que separa dinero para la gente que necesita asistencia con sus utilidades. Los clientes de Austin Energy pueden donar al fondo al marcar un cuadro en sus recibos de

Hoy, con los números del desempleo en niveles récord, las despensas locales y su proveedor principal, el Central Texas Food Bank, están sobrepasados. La Society of St. Vincent de Paul en su Concilio de Austin (SVdP) está entre las organizaciones Católicas tratando de ayudar a aquellos necesitados.

“Mucha gente no tiene transporte,” dijo. “Cuando vienen al edificio les damos bolsas de alimentos. Llevamos comida a aquellos que están confinados en su hogar”.

Muchos de los voluntarios son mayores, y el miedo de contraer COVID-19 los ha mantenido a la mayoría en casa, dijo Browne. Así que la conferencia de Killeen ha reducido las horas de la despensa a los jueves de 3-5 p.m. Seis voluntarios está bien, de otra manera, la

pago y agregar un dólar extra con su pago de utilidades.

La sociedad trabaja de cerca con otras despensas de alimentos, dijo Gutierrez.

Si alguna recibe demasiado pan, por ejemplo, comparten con otra despensa que no recibió mucho.

Mientras que los clientes en el pasado podían escoger su comida, COVID-19 ha cambiado eso. “No podemos hacer eso ahora,” dijo Gutierrez. “Nosotros pre empaquetamos todo y lo damos,” dijo.

María Levin, una voluntaria de St. Theresa Parish en Austin, ayuda a un cliente de la despensa de alimentos en el Society of St. Vincent de Paul Vicentian Family Center Diocesano.

(Foto por Enedelia J. Obregón)

“La gente también avanza en la fila más rápido”.

También es más fácil para los clientes, dijo. La gente camina a la despensa después de haber sido dejada en alguna parada de autobús de Capital Metro cercana. Algunos vienen en bicicletas. Algunas veces dos o tres familias comparten un vehículo para venir al centro.

Ella dijo que la gente está teniendo que tomar decisiones fuertes sobre sus finanzas ¿pagan la renta, las utilidades, hacen otros pagos tales como los del auto o pagan por abarrotes?

“La gente están también teniendo que re-examinar qué es una necesidad y qué es un deseo,” dijo, haciendo notar que esto puede ser difícil.

Con tantas incertidumbres, la SVdP Society continuará ayudando a la gente de la mejor manera en que sea posible.

“Son el rostro de Dios,” dijo Gutierrez.

“No se trata solo de darles comida y cubrir sus necesidades. Los escuchamos y oramos con la gente. Dios nos está llamando a estar presentes unos para otros.

Esto es lo que mi fe me llama a hacer”.

La Despensa de Alimentos en el Vicentian Family Center, 901 W. Braker Ln. en Austin, está abierta los sábados de 9 a.m. al medio día. Se necesitan donaciones monetarias y voluntarios. Visite www.ssvdp.org o llame al (512) 251-6995 para ayudar.

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Flores servirá como sacerdote diocesano y capellán de la Armada Por Mary P. Walker | Corresponsal

Con gozo y agradecimiento, el Obispo José Vásquez ordenará a los Diáconos Miguel Flores-Pérez, Kyle Nesrsta, Zack Rodriguez, Will Rooney y Chris Smith al sacerdocio el 27 de junio.

El Diácono Miguel Flores-Pérez, de 42 años, y el mayor de edad de los cinco hombres, forjó su conexión con la diócesis mientras se encontraba en una licencia militar. Hijo de Andrés y Shirley Flores, es el segundo de tres varones. Nacido en Puerto Rico, Flores creció en una familia Católica que se mudaba con frecuencia debido a la carrera Militar de su padre.

Después de la preparatoria, el Diácono Flores asistió al Christendom College en Front Royal, Virginia por tres años, y se encontraba considerando el sacerdocio.

Su educación fue cortada por el terror de los ataques del 11 de septiembre del 2001, que lo motivaron a enlistarse en el ejército.

Como un soldado activo por más de ocho años, él fue enviado tanto a Irak como a Afganistán. Además, él aprobó el riguroso proceso de selección para las Fuerzas Especiales, comúnmente conocidos como Boinas Verdes.

Durante su tiempo en las Fuerzas Especiales, el Diácono Flores sintió el llamado de Dios al sacerdocio de una manera más fuerte. Otros soldados lo vieron practicando la fe, y le preguntaron si alguna vez había considerado convertirse en un capellán. Después de pasar un año en Irak sin haber visto a un sacerdote ni una vez, él entendió la importancia de llevar los sacramentos a aquellos en la milicia.

“Esa experiencia realmente dejó una gran impresión en mi corazón,” dijo. El ejemplo de los capellanes que él conoció cuando estaba creciendo y de aquellos que sirvieron con él en el Ejército, clarificaron su discernimiento. Él quería ser un sacerdote Católico y un capellán militar.

Uno de sus héroes personales es el difunto Padre Emil Kapaun, quien recibió la Medalla de Honor póstuma por su valor y ministerio durante la Guerra de Corea.

El Padre Kapaun rescató a soldados heridos y continuó su ministerio como un prisionero de guerra, muriendo, eventualmente en el campamento militar.

Mientras estaba en licencia, el Diácono Flores visitó con frecuencia a su hermano en Austin. Esas visitas fomentaron su conexión con la diócesis. Él considera a St. Mary Cathedral su parroquia. En 2010, él dejó el ejército y continuó sus

estudios en la University of St. Thomas en Houston, graduándose en 2012 con un título en teología.

La Arquidiócesis para Servicios Militares, en asociación con diócesis locales, provee de capellanes para las fuerzas armadas y sus familias. La arquidiócesis y la Diócesis de Austin entraron en un acuerdo de aceptar al Diácono Flores para la educación y formación. Él asistió al St. Mary’s Seminary en Houston.

Actualmente, es un capellán candidato en la Reserva del Ejército. Después de su ordenación al sacerdocio, él servirá en la Diócesis de Austin por tres años y continuará su ministerio en la reserva. Él, entonces, estará listo para servicio activo como un capellán del Ejército. Él cree que su experiencia como un miembro de la familia militar y un soldado activo le dan un entendimiento de las necesidades espirituales y los retos de los miembros del Ejército y sus familias.

El Diácono Flores describe las bendiciones de la formación como el “estar alrededor de otros hombres apasionados por el sacerdocio y la fe, y ver nuestro llamado madurar y desarrollarse”. Él está agradecido con los miembros de su familia, los muchos sacerdotes que lo influenciaron y escucharon a lo largo de

los años, y aquellos en la Armada que lo animaron en su llamado. Él también está agradecido con la diócesis y el Obispo Vásquez por permitirle servir, eventualmente, como un capellán Diácono Miguel Floresmilitar.

Pérez Como sacerdote, él espera con ansia ser un ministro de la misericordia de Dios dentro de una parroquia, así como capellán. Para los hombres y mujeres que se están preguntando si Dios los está llamando al sacerdote o la vida religiosa, él sugiere que vayan a un lugar en el que puedan escuchar la voz de Dios más claramente. Los seminarios, los monasterios y los conventos pueden ayudar, dijo. No deben de tener miedo a comprometerse, ya que Dios solo desea lo mejor para ellos. Él celebrará Misas de acción de gracias el 28 de junio a las 12:00 y a las 3:30 p.m. en St. Mary Cathedral en Austin, y el 5 de julio a las 6 p.m. en Our Lady of the Atonement Parish en San Antonio.

Hijo de Waco se prepara para convertirse en un sacerdote diocesano Por Mary P. Walker | Corresponsal

Mientras persigue su llamado al sacerdocio, el Diácono Kyle Nesrsta, de 32 años, se encuentra siguiendo el ejemplo de su tío, el Padre Stephen Nesrsta, pastor de Holy Trinity Parish en Corn Hill. Hijo de Edward y Julie Nesrsta, él tiene un hermano mayor y una hermana menor. Bautizado en St. Louis Parish en Waco, creció en Hewitt y considera St. Jerome, en Waco, su parroquia.

El Diácono Nesrsta cree haber escuchado por primera vez a Dios llamándolo al sacerdocio después de su confirmación. Convirtiéndose más activo en la parroquia, se unió al grupo juvenil, y se convirtió en lector y en ministro extraordinario de la Sagrada Comunión.

Los parroquianos notaron su trabajo en la parroquia y le preguntaron si él había considerado alguna vez convertirse en sacerdote. Entonces, el Padre Rakshaganathan Selvaraj (Padre Raj), lo animó a atender un retiro de discernimiento. Aunque atendió, el Diácono Nesrsta estaba más enfocado en estudiar música.

Después de graduarse de preparato-

ria, el Diácono Nesrsta asistió al McLennan Community College y después a la University of Texas en Arlington, en donde fue activo en el ministerio universitario. Estudiando la licenciatura en música, él tocaba el saxofón. También aprendió a tocar el bombardino, lo que le permitió unirse al Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps con base en San Antonio. Como miembro de este grupo, él viajó por todo el país durante los veranos de 2008 y 2009.

Después de la universidad, él se mudó de nuevo a casa y tomó un empleo en un almacén para una compañía que vendía máquinas dispensadoras. Él obtuvo un empleo en ESPN Central Texas donde trabajó un turno dividido, lo que resultó ser algo bueno para su discernimiento. Él pudo ir a la iglesia tan pronto como esta abría y tenía tiempo entre turnos para leer los libros que su tío, el Padre Nesrsta le dió.

Aunque él estaba atraído al sacerdocio, también quería ser un esposo y un padre y no quería dejar a su familia atrás para servir a la gente de Dios. A través de su lectura y oración, su perspectiva cambió. Se abrió más al llamado de Dios en su vida.

“Con el tiempo, se volvió menos so-

bre lo que yo quería y más sobre lo que Dios quería, lo que terminó siendo lo mismo,” dijo el Diácono Nesrsta.

Su discernimiento también se benefició de observar el ministerio sacerdotal de su tío y su participación en eventos familiares. A través del Padre Nesrsta, él vió que los sacerdotes vienen de “gente real”. Ahora, él habla con su tío más que nunca y se siente bendecido de unirse a él en el ministerio a través de las órdenes sagradas.

Además de estar agradecido con su familia y con su tío, el Padre Raj, el Diácono Nesrsta está agradecido por la ayuda que él recibió del ahora Obispo Michael Sis y del Padre Brian McMaster, antiguos directores diocesanos de vocaciones. Él comenzó la vida seminarista en St. Joseph Seminary College en Covington, Louisiana, a la que da crédito de “sacarlo de su caparazón”. El seminario le dio la formación académica, la espiritualidad y la confianza para proceder, dijo. Él continuó su formación en St. Mary’s Seminary en Houston.

Los retos de la vida de seminarista incluyeron el estudio de la filosofía y ajustarse a la vida comunal. En el momento en el que entró al seminario

universitario, el Diácono Nesrsta estaba acostumbrado a vivir independientemente y era mayor que muchos de los estudiantes. La vida en comunidad también trajo las bendiciones de orar la Liturgia de Diácono Kyle Nesrsta las Horas y asistir a Misa juntos.

“Me enamoré de la regla de San Benito,” dijo.

Como sacerdote, el Diácono Nesrsta espera con ansia celebrar Misa y llevar los sacramentos a los fieles. Su consejo para aquellos considerando una vocación al sacerdocio o la vida religiosa es orar, especialmente frente al tabernáculo o a través de la Adoración Eucarística. Él también los anima a estar abiertos a otros sobre su discernimiento y a recibir dirección espiritual. Él celebrará Misas de acción de gracias el 28 de junio a las 11 a.m. en St. Jerome Parish en Waco (Hewitt), el 29 de junio a las 8 a.m. en St. Louis Parish en Waco y el 1 de julio en St. Peter Catholic Student Center en Waco.

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Nativo de Elgin fue introducido a la fe mientras estudiaba en UT Por Mary P. Walker | Corresponsal

El Diácono Zack Rodriguez, de 33 años, fue bautizado Católico, pero no fue completamente iniciado en la fe hasta la universidad. Él es hijo de Ricky y Doris Rodriguez de Elguin. Él tiene dos hermanos mayores, Luke y Mark. Junto con Sacred Heart Parish en Elgin, el Diácono Rodriguez considera a St. John Vianney Parish en Round Rock como su parroquia.

Su familia atendió diferentes iglesias protestantes mientras que él crecía. Él caracterizó su experiencia de fe temprana como Cristiana, con un componente social fuerte. Como estudiante en la University of Texas en Austin, él dejó de ir a la iglesia y adoptó una mentalidad secular, viendo a la religión como algo que le impedía hacer aquello que él quería hacer.

Mientras tanto, los hermanos mayores del Diácono Rodriguez volvieron a sus raíces Católicas. Luke, mientras estaba en Irak con los Marines, redescubrió la belleza del Catolicismo a través del ministerio de un capellán. Al mismo tiempo, Mark fue director musical para una congregación Luterana y

“estudió” su camino de regreso a la fe.

Los hermanos, también, tenían discusiones vivaces sobre el Catolicismo con sus padres, quienes, al principio se resistían, pero después volvieron a la fe. El Diácono Rodriguez fue testigo de los cambios positivos en su familia, especialmente en su hermano Mark.

Un día, él visitó el University Catholic Center y conoció al Padre Ed Koharchik. En lugar de una pregunta gentil sobre la fe, el Diácono Rodriguez pasó una hora diciéndole “qué estaba mal con la Iglesia Católica”. El Padre Koharchik escuchó pacientemente y lo invitó a que regresara a platicar otra vez y a ayudar a otros estudiantes a pintar la cocina de la rectoría.

“Poco a poco, mi corazón se fue suavizando,” dijo el Diácono Rodriguez. Él se unió al proceso del Rito de la Iniciación Cristiana para Adultos (RCIA) del University Catholic Center y recibió el sacramento de la confirmación y su primera Comunión.

El Diácono Rodriguez cree que escuchó a Dios por primera vez llamándolo al sacerdocio, un poco después de que fue confirmado. Sin tener el valor, el conocimiento o la experiencia para responder, tenía miedo y lo mantuvo

un secreto, y no buscó una guía.

“Por que no crecí observando a sacerdotes, no tenía una idea de lo que es la vida de un sacerdote,” dijo. Él también dejó de practicar la fe por un tiempo. Sin embargo, más tarde descubrió que la fe “estaba llenando cualquier tipo de vacío que yo estaba tratando de llenar solo”.

Después de la universidad, él fue un agente de bienes raíces por un rato.

Cuando él experimentó el llamado de Dios otra vez a los 24 años, él no lo mantuvo en secreto y buscó quien lo guiara. Mientras estaba discerniendo, el Padre Michael O’Connor, entonces pastor de St. John Vianney Parish, fue su director espiritual. El Diácono Rodriguez da crédito a su ejemplo por haberlo introducido a las bendiciones y retos de la vida de un sacerdote diocesano.

La formación seminarista del Diácono Rodriguez comenzó en St. Joseph Seminary College en Covington, Louisiana y continuó en el Pontifical North American College en Roma. Él disfrutó su experiencia como seminarista.

“La iglesia se derrama en ti como seminarista, y se te concede toda opor-

tunidad para crecer y responder a la gracia de Dios trabajando en tu vida,” dijo.

Como sacerdote, él espera con ansia celebrar Misa y administrar los sacramentos, especialmente el Diácono Zack Rodriguez sacramento de la reconciliación, que fue clave en su propia historia de conversión. Él quiere llevar las gracias del sacramento a otros, dijo. Él También anima a hombres y mujeres que se preguntan si Dios los está llamando al sacerdocio o a la vida religiosa a orar, y a dejar que otros sepan que lo están considerando.

“La vocación es más que tú mismo o tu entendimiento. Tienes que permitir que Dios te muestre su tremendo amor.

Se trata de la relación, no de una meta final,” dijo el Diácono Rodriguez. Él celebrará una Misa de acción de gracias el 28 de junio a las 11 a.m. en St. John Vianney Parish en Round Rock.

Rooney dice que la oración y la comunidad fueron claves para el discernimiento Por Mary P. Walker | Corresponsal

El Diácono Will Rooney, de 28 años, consideró por primera vez convertirse en sacerdote alrededor del tiempo en el que hizo su primera Comunión.

Sus padres son Megan y Bill Rooney quienes, por mucho tiempo, han asistido a St. Thomas Aquinas Parish en College Station, donde el Diácono Rooney fue un servidor de altar y estuvo activo en el grupo juvenil. Él está agradecido de que su mamá lo “obligó” a ir en un retiro cuando era un joven adolescente. Durante el retiro, él creció en su amor por Jesús y su deseo de ser un discípulo. También tuvo una poderosa experiencia al recibir el perdón del señor a través del ministerio de un sacerdote durante el sacramento de la reconciliación.

“Este encuentro cambió radicalmente el curso de mi vida,” dijo el Diácono Rooney. En la preparatoria, él estaba en el 4-H Club y criaba pavos, pollos y reces. Además, él participó en competencias de robótica. Después de graduarse, el Diácono Rooney asistió a

Texas A&M University. Se graduó en 2013 con un título en ingeniaría biológica y agricultural.

Mientras estaba en A&M, él estuvo activo en St. Mary Catholic Center y sirvió como el Gran Caballero para los Caballeros de Colón, Concilio #10624.

Trabajó en un laboratorio de ingeniaría y fue el coordinador juvenil de secundaria en St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.

Durante este tiempo, el difunto Padre Wade Russell servía a la parroquia. “Él tuvo un gran impacto en mí. Por que trabajamos juntos, me permitió ver la vida de un sacerdote de cerca. Esto me influenció a considerar el sacerdocio en una luz completamente nueva,” dijo el Diácono Rooney.

Después de graduarse, él fue aceptado para los estudios seminarios, primero en Holy Trinity Seminary en Irving y después en St. Mary’s Seminary en Houston. Los retos incluían el mudarse frecuentemente y los sacrificios de la vida en comunidad. Sin embargo, la vida en comunidad también trajo grandes bendiciones, dijo. “Vivir con un grupo de hombres que están apasionados por proclamar el Evangelio y perseguir el

sacerdocio fue un maravilloso regalo en mi vida,” dijo el Diácono Rooney.

Otras bendiciones fueron la oportunidad de estudiar en la Tierra Santa por seis semanas y pasar la noche en la Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro, el sitio de la tumba vacía de Jesús. Un viaje a Honduras, donde acompañó a un sacerdote misionero a una villa remota para celebrar Misa, le enseñó sobre la universalidad de la iglesia. Ahí, él creció en un sentido de gratitud por su llamado a llevar los sacramentos a otros.

El Diácono Rooney también está agradecido por el ánimo que recibió de su familia y su parroquia. Él dijo que Chris Barlett, el ministro juvenil de St. Thomas Aquinas cuando el Diácono Rooney estaba en la preparatoria, sirvió como líder, mentor y amigo. Durante su año pastoral en St. Louis King of France Parish en Austin, los Padres James Misko y Doug Jeffers demostraron la vida diaria de un sacerdote en maneras inspiradoras.

Como un sacerdote, el Diácono Rooney espera con ansia celebrar Misa y llevar el perdón de Jesús a otros a través del sacramento de la reconciliación.

También se siente privilegiado de acompañar a la gente en su camino con el Señor.

Cuando tiene tiempo, le gusta cocinar, hacer senderismo, leer y jugar Ultimate Frisbee.

Diácono Will Rooney Para aquellos que están considerando si Dios los está llamando al sacerdocio o la vida religiosa, el Diácono Rooney cree que la oración, la comunidad y el servicio son vitales en discernir este llamado. Hablar con Dios y escucharlo, - tener - familia y amigos basados en el amor y la honestidad, y el servicio a los demás, les ayudará a escuchar la voz de Dios y a darles la gracia de responder a su plan, dijo. Él celebrará Misas de acción de gracias el 28 de junio a las 11 a.m. en St. Thomas Aquinas Parish en College Station, el 4 de julio a las 5:30 p.m. en St. Mary of the Visitation en Lockhart y el 5 de julio a las 9:30 a.m. en St. Louis King of France Parish en Austin.

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Smith aprecia el apoyo de sacerdotes, familia y amigos Por Mary P. Walker | Corresponsal

El Diácono Chris Smith, de 32 años, trabajó con muchos equipos de retiros antes de decidirse a seguir el llamado al sacerdocio. El Diácono Smith es el hijo de Brien y Kathy Smith; tiene dos hermanas. Creció en College Station, siendo su parroquia familiar St. Thomas Aquinas en donde la familia es muy activa.

El Diácono Smith fue un miembro del grupo juvenil de la parroquia, y sirvió como lector y servidor de altar. Educado en las escuelas públicas de College Station, él disfrutaba del futbol y el basquetbol. A través de los Scouts, él aprendió a apreciar la creación de Dios, compartió muchas experiencias con su padre y obtuvo el rango de Águila Scout.

Después de la preparatoria, él asistió a Texas A&M University. Mientras estaba en la universidad, fue un líder del ministerio universitario en St. Mary Catholic Center. Él sirvió en el equipo de retiros juveniles, el cual visitaba parroquias dentro de un radio de 100 millas y ofrecía retiros de fin de semana a estudiantes de secundaria y preparatoria. Durante su úl-

timo año, el Diácono Smith sirvió como practicante de ministro universitario. Se graduó en 2010 con un título en mercadotecnia para negocios.

Después de la universidad, el Diácono Smith continuó su trabajo en el ministerio de retiros. Se unió al National Evangelization Team (NET), en el que sirvió por tres años como un misionero y lideró un equipo de jóvenes adultos que viajaban a parroquias en diferentes partes del país ofreciendo retiros.

El Diácono Smith dijo que escuchó por primera vez el llamado de Dios al sacerdocio poco después de su confirmación. Él estaba en octavo grado en Steubenville Youth Conference y en oración durante la Adoración Eucarística. Él no respondió en el momento por que “no creí que ser sacerdote era ‘cool’ y quería vivir el sueño americano de ser un hombre de negocios con una casa grande y muchos niños,” dijo.

Aún así, el llamado continuó a través de la universidad. Él salió con algunas mujeres pensando en el matrimonio.

Durante su tiempo con NET, el llamado al sacerdocio se intensificó.

“Una vez que dije que sí, gané mucha

paz, gozo y confianza de que esto es a lo que Dios me está llamando a hacer con mi vida,” dijo el Diácono Smith. Él ha experimentado muchas afirmaciones a este llamado a lo largo de su tiempo en el Arabic seminario.

El Diácono Smith comenzó su formación en el Holy Trinity Seminary en Dallas, y continuó en el Pontifical North American College en Roma. La vida en el semaniario le dio el gozo de permitir que Dios lo formara en oración, vida espiriFrench tual y liderazgo. Él también disfrutó sus estudios y las amistades que formó con sus compañeros seminaristas.

Por un corto tiempo en el seminario, el Diácono Smith hizo un duelo por el hecho de que nunca podría tener hijos propios. Sin embargo, Dios reemplazó su tristeza con el gozo de saber que él tendrá muchos hijos espirituales, así como Japanese será tío de sus futuros sobrinos y de los hijos de sus amigos.

El Diácono Smith expresó su aprecio por los muchos sacerdotes que lo han influenciado a través de los años en su parroquia hogar, en la universidad y a través de su trabajo con NET. Además, él siempre ha contado con el apoyo de su Portuguese familia, los líderes de su grupo parroquial

juvenil cuando estaba creciendo y su núcleo de amigos Cristianos, quienes lo Chinese Simplified han animado en su fe y vocación.

Como sacerdote, el Diácono Smith espera con ansia celebrar los Diácono Chris Smith sacramentos y Haitia caminar con la gente de Dios durante los tiempos buenos y los difíciles. Su consejo para aquellos que están considerando si Dios los está llamando al sacerdocio o a la vida religiosa es “orar, orar y orar más”. Él, especialmente recomienda la oración a través de la Misa, los sacramentos y la Adoración Eucarística. Por que la oración nos enseña sobre Dios y sobre Korean nosotros mismos, mientras más conocemos a Dios, él más nos revela su verdadero deseo para nuestros corazones, dijo. Él celebrará Misas de acción de gracias el 28 de junio a las 10 a.m. en St. Mary Catholic Center en College Station y el 5 de julio a las 11 a.m. en St. Thomas Aquinas Parish en College Russian Station.

Seminarios Web sobre Tecnología en Español

La Diócesis de Austin llevara a cabo una serie de seminarios web en español para explorar cómo la tecnología puede enriquecer el ministerio. Los seminarios web proporcionarán una introducción al marketing, las redes sociales, descubrir herramientas en línea y cómo navegar por diferentes plataformas. Los seminarios web se realizarán los martes a las 7 p.m. el 9 y 23 de junio, 7 y 21 de julio y 4 de agosto. Para más información y registro visite: www.austindiocese.org/webinar-espanol.

Spanish

Tagalog

REPORTE EL ABUSO Reporte el abuso de un(a) menor, un adulto mayor o un adulto con una discapacidad a la policía o a la línea directa del Abuso de Texas en www.txabusehotline.org o llamando al (800) 252-5400 y a la diócesis en www.austindiocese.org/report-abuse o al (512) 949-2447.

INFORMACIÓN DE EIM Y ACTUALIZACIONES Hasta el 1 de mayo, los Talleres de EIM y el registro para la Aplicación/Cuentas permanecen suspendidos. Por favor revise la información de abajo y continúe checando el sitio web de su parroquia/escuela y www.austindiocese.org/eim-compliance para leer actualizaciones.

1. Si su cumplimiento con EIM ha expirado o expirará pronto, por favor, visite www. austindiocese.org/workshop o www.austindiocese.org/taller-de-eim para completar el entrenamiento en línea.

2. Si no ha asistido a un Taller de EIM previo, usted es bienvenido a completar el entrenamiento en línea pero se le requerirá que asista a un taller de EIM dentro del siguiente año para permanecer en cumplimiento.

3. El entrenamiento temporal en línea estará disponible hasta octubre 31 (a menos que se requiera una extensión, basada en las condiciones del COVID-19).

4. Si usted no tiene ya una cuenta de EIM existente, no recibirá crédito para estar en cumplimiento por completar el entrenamiento en línea.

¿HA, USTED, O ALGUIEN QUE USTED CONOCE, EXPERIMENTADO ABUSO? El Obispo José S. Vásquez y la Diócesis de Austin están comprometidos a proveer de cuidado compasivo a personas que han experimentado abuso, particularmente si fue cometido por el clero o un representante de la iglesia. Si usted o alguien que conoce ha experimentado tal abuso contacte a la Oficina de EIM llamando al (512) 949-2447.

Como gente de fe, creemos en la dignidad de toda persona Cuando participamos en el Censo declaramos que somos parte de la comunidad y nos negamos a ser excluidos de recursos importantes y la representación política que merecemos. Todos contamos a los ojos de Dios, por lo que debemos trabajar para garantizar que todos seamos contados por el gobierno.

Diócesis de Austin

Secretaría de Vida, Caridad, y Justicia

SIGHTINGS

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On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19, Father Joven Saavedra, the associate pastor of St. Mary, Immaculate Conception Parish in Brenham traveled throughout the Brenham area to bless and pray for the health and well-being of the people. His 120-mile journey took him through Brenham, Old Washington, Somerville and Latium. (Photos courtesy Rosi Romero)

Jeff and Sheila Bosworth, parishioners of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Dripping Springs, coordinated a birthday parade for Father Justin Nguyen, the pastor of the parish. Father Nguyen was truly surprised to see the long line of cars that came out to wish him a happy birthday. (Photos provided by Michael Kersten)

Austin Diocese 6225 Hwy. 290 East Austin, Texas 78723

CATHOLIC SPIRIT Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, Texas

Members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Joseph Parish in Killeen delivered groceries to local families. The groceries were provided by parishioners and the local HEB. (Photos courtesy Ana Resto)

Working with the “Mums of Alums” group at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in Austin, Tracy and Jarrett Anderson organized St. Michael’s families to donate nearly 8,000 N95 respirator facemasks to Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin.

(Photo courtesy Laura Duggan)

Parishioners from St. John Vianney Parish in Round Rock donated masks to the Round Rock Fire Department. The parish choir collaborated with the contemporary choir at St. John Neumann Parish in Austin to produce an online Virtual Tenebrae service, complete with someone at the church to extinguish the candles. (Photos courtesy Rilla Chaka) Through its COVID-19 Initiative, St. John Neumann Parish in Austin has donated groceries, diapers, wipes, children’s puzzles, books and toys, and toiletries and hygiene products as well as masks for families in need.

The parish is working with various local outreach organizations to get the donations to local families. (Photos courtesy Jonathan Campbell)

Send photos for the July/August issue by June 30 to catholic-spirit@austindiocese.org. Publication is not guaranteed.