MAGAZINE
189th year | issue 8
bringing faith into the home
july 2020 | domestic church | 1
Honor a Loved One with a Memorial in the Cathedral Gardens
The Cathedral has a fresh new look! Father Jan Schmidt and the parish maintenance crew have been hard at work moving tons of top soil, laying thousands of pavers, planting nursery stock and mulching to make the gardens more beautiful. This project is now nearing completion after three years of planning and a methodical, prayerful execution. We are pleased to offer the opportunity for members of our parish, the archdiocese and visitors to memorialize or honor family members and friends with a permanent place on the cathedral grounds. Recognize those who have gone before us, newly married couples, recent graduates and others with a tree, a bed of perennials, a bench, statue or fountain dedicated in their names. • tree $1500 • perennial bed $1100 • an entire garden $7500 (4 available) • bench, statue or fountain will depend on choice
If interested, please contact Father Jan Schmidt 513-263-6653 • jschmidt@catholiccincinnati.org 2 |
edi t or’s not e
Sharing & Living The Church at Home Despite our chaotic and busy lives, my husband and I do our best to instill faith and Catholic values in our children at home. Sometimes, we give those lessons with intention – praying together before meals and at bedtime, answering very specific questions from our young children about the origin of life and where God lives and, most recently, discussing the sin of racism and why it’s important to love all of God’s children as He loves them. Other times, those lessons are more spontaneous: showing our love for one another, placing Catholic children’s books on our shelves and singing “Jesus Loves Me.” Sometimes I feel like our efforts hit the mark, and other times they seem to go right in one ear and out the other. One morning I was very frustrated with my 5-year-old. As we were prepping to leave for school, she absconded with my phone and hid it, making all of us late for school and work. The drive to school was filled with lectures about stealing. At one point I said, “What’s it going to take to make you stop doing things like this?” To which her 8-year-old sister quickly responded, “She needs Saint Augustine because he’s the patron saint of bad decisions.” The laughter that ensued broke the tension and welcomed God and the saints into the conversation. So perhaps not all of our efforts are in vain! As we discussed the launch of the The Catholic Telegraph magazine and what its content would look like, time and again we were drawn to providing
resources to support the domestic church – the Church as it’s lived and shared at home, which then radiates out into our parishes, schools and the greater community. I knew, after our inaugural issue, that I wanted to explore this idea in a more focused way. Although it’s tempting to think of the domestic church as just young families with children, the definition is much broader than that, encompassing singles to seniors, young families to empty nesters and everything in between. Our feature story this month was written with that idea in mind, and offers practical faith resources for domestic churches of all shapes, ages and sizes (pg. 22 ). In this month’s issue, you’ll also find practical advice for setting up a personalized sacred space in your home; passing on an important legacy, and read about a variety of inspiring local Catholic families, new, young and old. I hope this issue inspires you to nurture your own domestic church, grow in your faith and share the love of Christ in your community.
cteditorial@catholiccincinnati.org
THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH 189th Year No. 8 • July 2020 thecatholictelegraph.com
PUBLISHER Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr
EDITOR Jessica Rinaudo
MEDIA SALES Deacon Graham Galloway
GRAPHIC DESIGN Emma Cassani
NEW MEDIA EDITOR Greg Hartman
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT Dominick Albano
PHOTOGRAPHY Margaret Swensen
BOOKKEEPING Karen Cromer
100 East Eighth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 ctadvertising@catholiccincinnati.org The Catholic Telegraph (xUSPS 094-520) ISSN. 10736689 is published monthly by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 100 E 8th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati and at additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Catholic Telegraph, 100 E. 8th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
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contents features
news
columns
8 THE CASE FOR SUNDAY
12 OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL FAMILY
ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR
JESSICA RINAUDO
Experiencing faith through family
Banding together in unprecedented times
7 QUESTION OF FAITH
FATHER RYAN T. RUIZ
Why going to Mass in person matters 18 THE CATHOLIC SENSES
FATHER DAVID ENDRES
KATIE SCIBA
16 A CHANGE OF PLANS
Sight, touch, sound, smell and taste Catholicism in your home
SUSIE BERGMAN
21 MAKING ROOM FOR PRAYER REBECCA SONTAG
Create your own sacred space
5 SEEK THE LORD
Wedding derailed by pandemic doesn’t shake couple’s faith 27 HELP WITH UNEXPECTED PREGNANCIES
Why are saints named in the Mass? 10 SEIZE THE MOMENT NICHOLAS HARDESTY
Tackling the tall task of parenthood 11 DID YOU KNOW?
EILEEN CONNELLY, OSU
GAIL FINKE & EMMA CASSANI
Elizabeth’s New Life Center opens in Dayton
St. Teresa of Avila Church
KATIE SCIBA
Resources to keep the fire of your faith burning at all stages of life
29 CARSON KISSELL
22 NURTURING YOUR FAITH
14 KIDS’ CORNER Sts. Zelie and Louis
PATRICIAL MCGEEVER
25 PROFILE: FR. DAVID DOSECK MARK DANIS
36 GOOD BONES
Radiating God’s divine mercy across the globe 30 BUILDING A FAMILY FOUNDATION
SUSIE BERGMAN
Series on the history of the northern communities of the archdiocese.
MAGAZINE
189th year | issue 8
bringing faith into the home
15 CATHOLIC AT HOME KATIE SCIBA
Ways to pray as a couple 19 SHINE ON
M.D. PITMAN
DOMINICK ALBANO
Dorff family is rooted in faith and the arts
Shining light on your legacy
34 PRIESTHOOD ORDINATION
BOB WURZELBACHER
26 BEING PRO-LIFE
E.L. HUBBARD
Labor trafficking happens here
Photos from the ordination of three new archdiocesan priests
32 A CLOSER LOOK DR. KEN CRAYCRAFT
july 2020 | domestic church | 1
ON THE COVER PHOTO BY: MARGARET SWENSEN
Immaculate Heart of Mary parishioners, Chima and Abbi John with their four daughters. 4 | CO N TE NTS
38 OUT & ABOUT IN THE ARCHDIOCESE
Religious freedom is rooted in dignity, not rights
40 MEETING RISING NEEDS
42 THE FINAL WORD
JOHN STEGEMAN
MARIANNE & WAYNE TOPP
St. Vincent de Paul provides outreach during pandemic
Parents of seven encourage faith celebrations year round
Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention for July: We pray that today’s families may be accompanied with love, respect and guidance.
SEEK THE LORD ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR
It is almost impossible to exaggerate the devastating effect social isolation has had in recent months on our lives as citizens, as workers and as members of a faith community for whom communal worship is a defining practice. At the same time, however, it has been heartening to hear stories of families drawing closer together and sharing live-streamed Masses in their homes.
how we can better radiate Christ. Clearly, the place to start is in our own families. That is where we are first called to seek the face of the Lord, convert to Him and allow Him to shine through us. No evangelistic efforts initiated from the pastoral center, parishes or schools of the archdiocese, no matter how well-planned or how well-executed, can be effective if the faith is not alive in the home.
In these dark days, the light of Christ continued to burn brightly in what the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, calls “the domestic church” (LG 11), meaning the family – even though for months Catholics throughout the world could only virtually assemble at the Eucharistic table.
The work of the domestic church is not primarily a matter of instruction, but of example. It has been wisely said that “faith is not so much taught as caught.” A joyful belief in the Lord who loves us is contagious. Thus, parents chiefly pass on the faith day-to-day by modeling it in their own loving actions, while also encouraging their children to pray frequently and to develop their own relationship with the Lord. Parents are the first and most important disciples and witnesses of Christ in the lives of their children.
The Church is universal, crossing time and space, but most of us experience it first through our families: our parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and extended family. Experiencing the Church through friends, neighbors, coworkers and classmates comes next. It has always been that way, reflecting Christianity’s roots in a Jewish religious tradition based largely on family rituals. The Holy Family was, in a sense, a domestic church before there was the Church. Lumen Gentium notes that “parents, by word and example, are the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children.” Teacher-ministers in Catholic schools and Parish Schools of Religion offer crucial support for this task, but the primary responsibility belongs to parents. It is an obligation that can be shared with godparents and teachers, but not delegated away. In my pastoral letter marking the upcoming 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Cincinnati, I call upon the faithful of our local Church to join me in reflecting on
It is my hope that all Catholics of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will strive to become more effective, joyful witnesses to their families and to their broader communities. In my bicentennial pastoral letter, entitled “Radiate Christ,” I offer 12 reflection questions that I again urge you to spend some time with as part of nurturing your own faith. The letter appeared in the June issue of The Catholic Telegraph and is available online at thecatholictelegraph.com/radiate-christ. Within this issue of the magazine, which is dedicated to the domestic church, you will find hopeful stories and faith resources to help you no matter what your stage in life or family situation. Each month The Catholic Telegraph connects the domestic church of your home to the local Church and the Church universal, providing inspiration and information for your faith journey. You do not walk that path alone. Holy Family, the first domestic church, pray for us!
S E E K T HE LO R D | 5
BUSCA AL SEÑOR ARZOBISPO DENNIS M. SCHNURR
Es casi imposible exagerar el efecto devastador que el aislamiento social ha tenido en los últimos meses en nuestras vidas como ciudadanos, como trabajadores y como miembros de una comunidad de fe para quienes el culto comunitario es una práctica definitoria. Al mismo tiempo, sin embargo, ha sido alentador escuchar historias de familias que se han unido más y comparten Misas en vivo en sus hogares. En estos días oscuros, la luz de Cristo continuó brillando intensamente en lo que la Constitución Dogmática sobre la Iglesia del Concilio Vaticano II, Lumen Gentium, llama “la iglesia doméstica” (LG 11), es decir, la familia – aunque durante meses los Católicos en todo el mundo solo podían reunirse virtualmente en la mesa Eucarística. La Iglesia es universal, cruza el tiempo y el espacio, pero la mayoría de nosotros la experimentamos primero a través de nuestras familias: nuestros padres, abuelos, hermanos, hermanas y otros familiares. Experimentar la Iglesia a través de amigos, vecinos, compañeros de trabajo y compañeros de clase llega después. Siempre ha sido así, reflejando las raíces del Cristianismo en una tradición religiosa Judía basada principalmente en los rituales familiares. La Sagrada Familia era, en cierto sentido, una iglesia doméstica antes de que existiera la Iglesia. Lumen Gentium señala que “los padres, por palabra y ejemplo, son los primeros heraldos de la fe con respecto a sus hijos”. Los ministros docentes en las escuelas Católicas y las Escuelas Parroquiales de Religión ofrecen un apoyo crucial para esta tarea, pero la responsabilidad principal corresponde a los padres. Es una obligación que se puede compartir con los padrinos y maestros, pero no se puede delegar. En mi carta pastoral que marca el próximo 200 aniversario del establecimiento de la Diócesis de Cincinnati, exhorto a los fieles de nuestra Iglesia local a que se unan a mí para reflexionar sobre cómo podemos irradiar mejor a Cristo. Claramente, el lugar para comenzar es en nuestras propias
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familias. Ahí es donde primero somos llamados a buscar el rostro del Señor, convertirnos a Él y permitirle que brille a través de nosotros. Ningún esfuerzo evangelístico iniciado desde el centro pastoral, parroquias o escuelas de la arquidiócesis, sin importar qué tan bien planeado o bien ejecutado, puede ser efectivo si la fe no está viva en el hogar. El trabajo de la iglesia doméstica no es principalmente una cuestión de instrucción, sino de ejemplo. Se ha dicho sabiamente que “la fe no se enseña tanto como se agarra”. Una creencia gozosa en el Señor que nos ama es contagiosa. Por lo tanto, los padres transmiten principalmente la fe día a día al modelarla en sus propias acciones amorosas, al tiempo que alientan a sus hijos a orar con frecuencia y a desarrollar su propia relación con el Señor. Los padres son los primeros y más importantes discípulos y testigos de Cristo en la vida de sus hijos. Espero que todos los Católicos de la Arquidiócesis de Cincinnati se esfuercen por convertirse en testigos más efectivos y alegres de sus familias y de sus comunidades. En mi carta pastoral bicentenaria, titulada “Irradiar a Cristo”, ofrezco 12 preguntas de reflexión con las que nuevamente les insto a pasar algún tiempo como parte de la nutrición de su propia fe. La carta apareció en la edición de Junio de The Catholic Telegraph y está disponible en línea en thecatholictelegraph.com/ radiate-christ. Dentro de este número de la revista, que está dedicada a la iglesia doméstica, encontrará historias esperanzadoras y recursos de fe para ayudarlo sin importar cuál sea su etapa en la vida o situación familiar. Cada mes, The Catholic Telegraph conecta la iglesia doméstica de su hogar con la Iglesia local y la Iglesia universal, proporcionando inspiración e información para su viaje de fe. No camina solo. Sagrada Familia, la primera iglesia doméstica, ¡ruega por nosotros!
Q UE S TION OF F AITH
WHY ARE SAINTS NAMED IN THE MASS? One of the Eucharistic Prayers has a long list of saint names. What is the history of this prayer and why does it name so many saints?
the 12 apostles and several early popes. In the second litany, 15 saints are invoked: John the Baptist plus seven male and seven female saints, mostly martyrs of the early Church.
The Eucharistic Prayer with the lengthy list of saints is known as the First Eucharistic Prayer. Also called the Roman Canon because of its normative use in the Mass over the centuries, the prayer is perhaps the oldest continuously used Eucharistic Prayer in the Roman Church’s liturgy. It dates to at least the Fourth Century, though it likely existed even earlier.
Many of the saints named are popes or bishops connected to Rome or the wider Roman Empire. However, the list is more diverse. Chrysogonus was likely a layman and catechist. Cosmas and Damian, two Arabian-born physicians, were blood brothers (maybe even twins). The list includes martyrs such as Perpetua and Felicity from North Africa. Perpetua was a married noblewoman, and Felicity was her slave (then pregnant).
AN ANCIENT PRAYER
According to tradition, the essential elements of a Eucharistic prayer date to the apostles, but the prayers in use by the Church today developed over time. The First Eucharistic Prayer is among the earliest and is quoted substantially by St. Ambrose in his text on the sacraments, De Sacramentis, written in the Fourth Century. This prayer continued to evolve over time, but there were no significant changes made after the time of Pope Gregory the Great in the early Seventh Century. The prayer’s text spread to England by the Seventh Century, to France by the Eighth Century and to Spain by the Eleventh Century. The First Eucharistic Prayer became the only Eucharistic prayer of the Latin Church for centuries, until the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Even today, the First Eucharistic Prayer enjoys a certain primacy in the Church. It is the longest of the four chief Eucharistic prayers and is often prayed on Sundays, feast days and solemnities. TWO LITANIES
Each of the Eucharistic prayers asks for the intercession of the saints (at least Mary and Joseph by name), but the First Eucharistic Prayer is the only one to invoke a large number of saints. Twice during the prayer, a litany of saints is invoked. In the first litany, 26 saints are named, including each of
WHY SAINTS?
We may ask why the saints are mentioned at all. The Eucharistic Prayers are directed to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. When the saints are called upon in the Eucharistic Prayer, we pray to God “in communion” with them. In the introduction to the second litany of saints, we ask for “some share and fellowship” with the apostles and martyrs. Their inclusion in the Eucharistic Prayer then reminds us of the teaching on the communion of saints: that whenever we pray, earth unites with heaven. The prayer of the Mass unites the divine, the saints and us in the one offering of Christ. The inclusion of the saints in the First Eucharistic Prayer reminds us of our hope for fellowship with them in life eternal. The litany of saints, part of the development of the First Eucharistic Prayer through the Fourth Century, indicates that saintly intercession and the belief in the communion of saints was part of the earliest Christians’ belief and practice. FATHER DAVID ENDRES
is associate professor of Church history and historical theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology. QU E S T ION O F FA I T H | 7
B Y FAT HER RYAN T . RUIZ
The Case for Sunday After months of no public Masses, church doors are open again. But in the age of live-streaming Mass directly into homes, why should Catholics continue to attend Mass in person on Sundays?
March 8, 2020: the day on which Catholics of this archdiocese were last obliged to actively participate in the Sunday Eucharist. It remains a surreal reality to contemplate. For the first time in generations, the faithful were dispensed from an obligation that strikes to the heart of their identity as members of the domus Dei – the house of God. This unforeseen and lengthy Eucharistic fast has brought much suffering. However, the collective sense of salvation history, and the hope that arises from it, is too long for us to lose sight of God’s constant activity in the life of His people – even when clouds cover the sky, a common occurrence in southwest Ohio! Yet now as we have been able to gather once again at Mass, we face another interesting challenge. I imagine that for most, the importance of Sunday has never been in question. Sunday is the day of the Lord, after all, a day dedicated to His praise and glory. However, for others Sunday has sadly morphed into just another day of the week. Certainly this mentality is not the result of the current pandemic, as signs of Sunday’s atrophy have unfortunately grown stronger with each passing 8 | REFLECTION
year of each passing decade. Nevertheless, having been precluded from gathering on the day that St. Augustine termed “the Sacrament of Easter,” a day on which Christians from time immemorial exercised their baptismal priesthoods and celebrated the presence of the Risen Lord in their midst, has certainly not helped to stem the tide. Thus, perhaps even for us who have no doubts about Sunday’s significance, a reminder about its true identity and character could be of benefit. WHAT CASE, THEN, CAN BE MADE IN DEFENSE OF SUNDAY?
Well, to begin with the most obvious, it is the veritable “day of the Lord.” In 1998, St. John Paul II wrote an apostolic letter dedicated to the reality of Sunday in the life of the Church. In this letter the pope reflected on the theme of God’s rest as found in Genesis. When God rested from His work on the seventh day it was not a static form of rest, a kind of “divine inactivity;” rather, when God rested, He rested in order to gaze lovingly on all that He created so as to delight in it (Dies Domini 11). God’s rest is oriented towards communion with the creatures He made in His image and likeness, creatures
whose own approach to “rest” should mimic His. Thus, “Sunday rest” cannot merely be seen as a cessation of work, but rather a cessation of work that enables us to celebrate the mystery of God. Consequently, Sunday is not only the day of the Lord, but also the day of the Church. Granted, there is not a day in the liturgical year – save for Good Friday and Holy Saturday morning – when the Eucharist is not celebrated. However, it is at the Sunday Mass in which the local Church most readily exemplifies its vocation as the “Sacrament of Unity” (Sacrosanctum Concilium 26). It is here that so many “domestic churches,” individual families and households that comprise the principal nucleus of the parish and diocese, gather as one to offer fitting worship to God. It is at the Sunday Eucharist that the Church on earth – you and I – have the opportunity to engage in what St. Augustine called an “exercise of desire,” a looking forward to eventual worship of God in the banquet halls of Heaven. It is for this reason that many of the ancient Church Fathers not only entitled Sunday the “first day of the week,” but also the “eighth day,” a day of unique status that points both to participation in the earthly worship of the Lord, and to that in the world to come.
In a world that suffers from external tragedies and internal angst, the dedication of one day a week to the mental activity of “remembering” is vital to human flourishing. And this leads us to a final argument in defense of Sunday: it is the day of the Human Person. In a world that suffers from external tragedies and internal angst, the dedication of one day a week to the mental activity of “remembering” is vital to human flourishing. The festive nature of the Sunday Eucharist allows the faithful to put their daily concerns into their proper perspective. As Pope Francis notes, a believer is “essentially ‘one who remembers’” (Evangelii Gaudium 13). We remember that it was on a Sunday that the Lord defeated death; we remember that it was on Sundays that the early Christians gathered to memorialize Christ’s Paschal Mystery; we remember that it is on Sundays that our hearts are to be filled with the joy of the Lord, thus transforming the rest of our week. Although Catholics are temporarily dispensed from the obligation to assist at Mass on Sundays, we long for the day when that obligation is restored. For an obligation need not be an imposition, but rather an invitation to “never forget” that which makes us who we are: beloved sons and daughters of God, redeemed by Christ, and filled with the Spirit, Who leads us into the joy of our perpetual rest with the Lord.
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S E I Z E TH E M OM E N T
TACKLING THE TALL TASK OF PARENTHOOD How did you learn your prayers? Maybe it was from an elementary school teacher, a children’s book or a pious grandmother. Or, perhaps you learned your prayers from a kindly priest, a Sunday school catechist or a friend. I learned mine from my dad.
we say them in, and he knew every word. It was beautiful.
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
THE PERFECT PARENT
You should know something about my dad: He is the hardest-working and most selfless man I know. He would come home from work every night completely exhausted, yet he still found the energy to put his four sons to bed and pray with them.
We have many pressures and expectations placed on us as parents. We are the child’s first experience of who God is. We are the primary educators of our children. Our homes are supposed to be a domestic church. Our marriages are supposed to be an image of Jesus’ own love for the Church, and our families are supposed to be an icon of the Trinity. That’s a lot.
Prayer time is one of my fondest memories as a child. I remember getting the giggles and holding my breath to keep from derailing everything. I remember my mind wondering to other places and then being shocked to discover that all the prayers had been said. What I don’t remember is my dad ever getting impatient with us during prayer time. BIG SHOES TO FILL
Now I’m a dad, and I’m trying to live up to my dad’s example. It’s not easy. I lose my patience when my children avoid getting ready for bed, or when they decide, as I’m tucking them in, that they’re hungry, they need to use the bathroom, they need a drink, they need to find that stuffed animal they haven’t played with in years. Sometimes I’m so exasperated by the whole ordeal that I don’t even want to pray, and I rush through our prayers so I. Can. Just. Be. Done. I was convinced that this nightly routine of doing what I can – sometimes failing, sometimes not – was having little impact on my children. I would think to myself, “I’m not doing this the way my dad did.” WHAT IS ENOUGH?
I was especially concerned about my autistic son, who refused to say his prayers out loud with us. I would wonder, “Is he even learning them?” Then I overheard him playing with his younger sister one day. They were putting their toys to sleep, and he began leading the toys in prayer – like he was daddy. To my surprise, he said every prayer in the same order 1 0 | SEIZ E THE MOME NT
My son taught me a lesson that day: Sometimes the best you can do is show up. And that’s okay.
Then we get on social media and see how “perfect” everyone else’s family is, and it’s enough to make you want to just give up and quit. Icon of the Trinity? I’ll never live up to that ideal. THE GOSPEL TRUTH
You’re right, you won’t – not without Jesus. You certainly won’t if you don’t ever try. And at any rate, children don’t need perfect parents. There’s no such thing! Children just need parents who make the effort. Parents who pray when they don’t want to. Parents who love their children enough to even care what they do. Parents who make mistakes, but then apologize and try to do better the next time. I’m not talking about the bare minimum. I’m talking about seizing the moment, trying your best, and giving yourself a break. If you bring your imperfect self to meet the overwhelming task of parenthood, Jesus can work with that. He can use that. He can gently shape and mold that until you become the kind of parent you were meant to be. My hope is firmly rooted in that truth. It’s the only way I’ll be like my dad one day.
NICHOLAS HARDESTY
creates content and leads workshops for Contagiously Catholic, an archdiocesan initiative that seeks to empower parishes and schools to equip the laity for evangelization.
Written by Gail Finke • Illustrated by Emma Cassani
The windows at St. Teresa of Avila in Price Hill are uniquely designed in the style of the oldest stained glass in the world! The side windows are patterned on the “prophet windows” in the clerestory of Germany’s Augsburg Cathedral. The Augsburg windows, made in 1065, are the world’s oldest stained-glass windows still in their original settings. St. Teresa of Avila’s windows are larger and grouped in threes, but include otherwise exact reproductions of three of the five Augsburg windows.
Bells for the second church building were purchased with the money from St. Teresa of Avila school children.
Made in 1851, St. Teresa Church was the first 11-bell set ever cast in the United States.
“These windows are absolutely unique in design. To our knowledge, there is no other church in the world which has such a set of prophet and saint windows in that style.” - Gabriel Mayer, Franz Mayer Co., Munich “Not a spade in the land ’til the sum is in hand” - slogan for the capital campaign to build the current church
Pastor Msgr. William “Wild Bill” Anthony and architect Jack Burdick took a trip through Europe for design inspiration.
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The carved Romanesque facade is based on the Abbey of Saint-Gilles in Arles, France. The interior columns and arches are based on St. Apollinare Nuovo and St. Francisco in Ravenna, Italy.
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St. Teresa’s has held an annual Corpus Christi procession for more than 40 years. Because of the coronavirus, the procession between St. Teresa and St. William has been cancelled for the first time since its revival in 1998. | 11
OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL FAMILY Banding Together in Unprecedented Times B Y JES S IC A RINAUD O
I’ll never forget the day Governor DeWine announced that schools across the state of Ohio would be closing in response to the coronavirus pandemic. As a full-time working mother of four children in Catholic schools, my feelings were a mix of shock, anxiety and incredulity. How, I thought, was I going to manage my workload while educating my children in the midst of a lockdown? My fears weren’t without merit. The scramble to close schools and shift to an entirely new teaching and learning plan over the course of a few days left teachers, parents and students overwhelmed and trying to do their best in the situation in which they found themselves. “Initially, I was in shock, and I think everyone was,” said Guardian Angels School first grade teacher Rachel Rodrigue. “Then I was worried and concerned about what the rest of the year would look like. This was unprecedented, and teachers had only one day to prepare three weeks of learning, which ultimately led to the rest of the year. I had a lot of questions. My main worry was the children and their wellbeing.” Despite this daunting task, across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Catholic elementary and high schools met the challenge head on and rose to the occasion. MAINTAINING CONNECTION
“For us, there were a couple of key questions that we had to answer right away,” said Carroll High School principal Matt Sableski. “Number one was how do we keep our kids engaged and learning? And number two, how are we going to ensure 1 2 | TH E C A THOLIC TELE GR A PH
that our students would have access to the learning?” Schools all faced the same problem: ensuring students had digital access to their teachers. Their answers to the problems varied, but they did find solutions, and quickly. Carroll High School worked to set up wi-fi hotspots for all of their students. Guardian Angels School offered extra tablets for families to borrow so students could have home computers to complete their work. “We wanted to focus on instruction and make sure our students were seeing their teachers every single day,” said Sableski. “We were able to take care of them not only academically, but see if they were emotionally OK. Are their needs being met?” Similarly, my own elementary-school-aged children continued to interact with their teachers via online instruction, and their instructors responded to our email questions in real time, at all hours of the day and well into the evenings. “I learned that flexibility is key,” said Rodrigue. “This was not an experience anyone could prepare for, so learning new teaching methods, being flexible, being creative and being understanding were all so important.” The message was clear: Catholic Schools are there for their students and their families. “It was a welcome situation that Carroll still had a schedule to adhere to and school work, interaction with their teachers, and somewhat of an interaction with other students. So that
has certainly helped assuage some of the worry, anxiety and concerns about everything going on,” said Hernan Olivas, who has three children at Carroll High School. AND CATHOLIC SCHOOLS HAD A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE DURING THIS CRISIS: FAITH.
“The teachers continued to do their prayers, which is important to us, which is part of the reason we chose Carroll,” said Olivas. St. Gertrude School Assistant Principal Travis Johnson agreed. “Catholic education is incarnational,” he said. “While nothing can replace this truth or compensate for all the beautiful traditions and celebration missed this spring, we did not allow a bad situation to be an excuse for forgetting who we are and what is truly important.” MOVING FORWARD
While no one could foresee the announcement of school closures in March, school officials, teachers and parents now look to the fall and wonder about the future. Is it worth it, parents ask, to continue to paying tuition when
students could once again be learning at home? Principal Sableski has an answer. “The level of instruction and support that we have been able to provide in this pandemic is extraordinary, and I would argue that you can’t get this level of instruction and support anywhere else. Allow us to help your child and support your child and educate your child during this time so that when things do come back – and they will come back – the transition back into normal schooling is more seamless. It will pay off. They will be able to interact with their classmates at a higher level. They will be able to be part of a community.” Distance learning was often a struggle in our home, but continued education wouldn’t have happened without the dedication and support of our Catholic school. What they pulled off in record time was nothing short of amazing. The relationship between Catholic schools and their school families is life-giving for both. We depend on them, and they depend on us. And no matter what next school year holds, they will be there for us.
THANK YOU FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT “I thank my God whenever I think of you; and every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped to spread the Good News from the day you first heard it up to the present.” Philippians 1:3-6 Since mid-March, when COVID-19 drastically changed all of our lives, I have been amazed at the work all 107 of our Catholic schools have done to continue Catholic education for every child in our care. This has been a monumental task that happened in what seemed like the blink of an eye through the efforts of many. PARENTS AND GUARDIANS
You are the primary educators of your children. You teach your children the importance of our Catholic faith in their lives that will serve them not only during their life on Earth, but also through eternity. Thank you for your love, perseverance, trust, support and
partnership as you worked from home and managed your household, while also keeping your children on task with their Catholic education. PASTORS, PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, TUTORS AND SUPPORT STAFF
You are the people who continue to build the Kingdom of God while instilling our Catholic faith and values into all students. You are also the people who have worked countless hours caring and educating each student in your Catholic school. Your will, determination, dedication and tireless efforts helped all children to grow and succeed.
BY S U S IE GI B B O NS
hard work is appreciated and respected. You showed the world your faith and resilience. Congratulations to all students on the monumental end of the 2019-20 school year. To the Class of 2020 who graduated in non-traditional ceremonies, carry your Catholic faith and unique memories with you as you embark on the next phase of your life’s journey. The Catholic Schools Office will be watching for and sharing all information regarding the reopening of schools in Ohio. Please join me in praying for a cure and the end of the pandemic.
STUDENTS
You are the people who changed and adjusted to new ways of learning in a heartbeat. Thank you for hanging in there when your world was turned upside down. Your | 13
Saints Zelie & Louis Martin
Before Zelie and Louis met each other in 1858, they both were interested in religious life, but God had other plans for them. Louis became a watchmaker and Zelie opened up her own business as a seamstress. Then, one day, their paths crossed and they fell in love. Zelie and Louis raised a very holy family together. In fact, their family was so holy that one of their children is also a saint - St. Thérèse of Lisieux (known as the Little Flower)! They had nine children, though four died in infancy. Their five daughters grew up to serve God through religious life. In 2015, Zelie and Louis Martin were the first husband and wife to be canonized together as a married couple! They are the patron saints of marriage and parents. Pray through the intercession of St. Zelie and St. Louis for your relationship with your parents.
“Serve GOD FIrST, TOGEThEr.” 1 4 | K IDS’ CORNE R
CHILDREN COUPLE FAMILY HOLY LOUIS
LOVING PARENTS SAINTS THERESE ZELIE
CATH OL IC AT H OM E
WAYS TO PRAY AS A COUPLE Last month we covered why praying as a couple is essential to every Christian marriage. Husband and wife are each made in the image and likeness of God, and together form a new creation in Christ. The relationship is inherently lifegiving and imitates God in its own particular way. When my best friend got married, the celebrating priest preached that married couples are the face of Christ to the world. If we’re going to shoot for bearing any kind of divine resemblance as husbands and wives, the way to do it is to be in touch with the Lord – and that means prayer. Though it may not come naturally or easily to both spouses, a steady, charitable invitation is the first step. Praying together doesn’t have to be long or eloquent to be beautiful – just real. St. Therese said that prayer is “a launching out of the heart toward God.” And there are a myriad of ways we couples can give our hearts when speaking to the Lord. TRADITIONAL PRAYER
Rote prayers draw our attention to the everlasting truths of our Catholic faith and have a deep impact on our hearts. A favorite prayer of mine is the “Glory Be.” Thoughtfully prayed by spouses, the “Glory Be” humbly acknowledges that our lives and relationships are in God’s hands, and that He alone is God and we are not. It compels us to set our sights on heaven as the focus of our thoughts and actions. For such a succinct prayer, it packs a punch. Ask any veteran husband or wife and they’ll tell you that spending your whole life bound together, though beautiful, is a challenge. Over the years, my husband and I have seen the depths of each other’s flaws and personal wounds. We’ve nearly been torn apart, then stitched back together through the power of prayer. Every couple needs spiritual protection in order to thrive and love each other as we are. It’s important to be aware, though not fearful, that Satan will work for the downfall of a relationship that imitates God; and so we need to arm ourselves. The prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
calls for a heavenly guard. Additionally, St. Padre Pio called the Rosary “the weapon of our times,” inviting Christians to reflect on the life of Jesus with His Holy Mother. A Rosary offered together, invoking the names of Jesus and Mary, drives away evil and fortifies our souls. SPONTANEOUS PRAYER
Still, to dive deeper into the joint spiritual life, praying spontaneously together is an awesome experience. Take turns speaking right to Jesus, baring your soul while your beloved listens. Tell the Lord how you’ve noticed His presence and blessings, then listen to your spouse do the same. Repeat with your heartfelt intentions. We offer thanksgiving and requests, then my husband and I ask each other if we did anything hurtful that day. If feelings were hurt, we bring them to the surface in the context of our prayer. We receive each other, forgive if necessary, and re-devote ourselves to Jesus and each other tomorrow. This type of couple prayer yields a kind of spiritual and emotional intimacy that I never thought possible for my husband and me. With spontaneous couple prayer, we’ve gotten to know and love each other more deeply than any other time in our marriage. The family, the domestic church, is the foundational unit of society. What happens between us at home makes its way into the world one way or another, and we know the best service we can offer is to be the face of Jesus to others. Prayer unites us as spouses when we come together and approach the throne of God. Praying together confesses that there is something beyond the life right in front of us – something that gives significance to our words and deeds during the day. Through it we will live and love as Christ. KATIE SCIBA
is a national speaker and Catholic Press Award-winning columnist. Katie and her husband Andrew have been married for 11 years and are blessed with six children. C AT H OL IC AT HO ME
| 15
Dylan and Claire Hesson Photo / Sarah Elizabeth Studio
A Change of Plans Versailles Wedding Derailed by Pandemic Doesn’t Shake Couple’s Faith BY S U S IE BE RG M AN
16 |
On Aug. 15, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, they have planned what they jokingly call “round two.” When Dylan and Clair Hesson of Versailles began planning their May 2020 wedding in Oct. 2019, they knew they might encounter a few small challenges along the way, but they never envisioned they would be thrust in the middle of a global pandemic and stay-at-home order. Clair is the daughter of Brenda and Doug Schmitmeyer, who hosted nearly 400 people on their family farm in July 2019 for the northern archdiocesan Rural Farm Mass. While the annual event always draws a large crowd, it pales in comparison to a rural, country wedding. “We had our wedding caterer plan for 450 people for supper” recalled Clair, “but luckily we hadn’t sent out our invitations before everything was shut down.” Their original plan was to be married in Newport at Sts. Peter and Paul Church by Clair’s great uncle, Father Jim Schmitmeyer. He was previously a priest in Darke County, but now serves at St. John the Evangelist in Borger, TX. As things began to change rapidly during the statewide lockdown, they eventually realized that Father Jim would not be able to travel to Ohio on May 9. “We were originally told that the stay at home order would expire on May 1, so we remained hopefully that we could still get married on the ninth” said Dylan, “but as we were communicating with the caterer and florists, we were learning that many people were canceling.” Through many positive conversations with Father Steven Shoup, the couple decided to proceed with their original date, no matter what the ceremony would look like. “Once we made the decision to move forward, it really became much easier on everyone. We knew we could only have 10 people in the church, so that meant the
exchanging of vows could only be witnessed by our parents, the Maid of Honor (Clair’s sister) and Best Man (Dylan’s brother). The biggest challenge was keeping our grandparents from sneaking in the church,” mused Clair. The vow ceremony, officiated by Father Shoup, was special and short – with no music, readings or communion. Despite the simplicity of the ceremony, the rural reception that waited outside the church helped make the day exciting. Nearly 100 friends and family gathered on the church lawn and in the parking lot to congratulate the newlyweds. “That was really cool to see so many people come out and support us after all we’ve been through. It really shows you how much people care,” said Dylan. Afterwards the family and a few close friends gathered at the home of Doug and Sherry Hesson, Dylan’s parents, for a private, mini-reception. On Aug. 15, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, they have planned what they jokingly call “round two.” Father Jim Schmitmeyer will be finally travel to Ohio to celebrate a unique “wedding” Mass. Clair will walk down the aisle again, this time, hopefully, with music and pews full of family and friends. Dylan will once again meet her at the altar, but this time there will be no exchanging of vows. Instead, they will receive a special blessing and the readings will reflect the solemnity of the feast day. Following the Mass, those 450 guests will, hopefully, celebrate with the newlyweds. Dylan and Clair are a testament to the true nature of a marital partnership. They relied on their faith, family and each other to carry them through difficult times. As they finalize details for Aug. 15, they continue to keep things in perspective and light-hearted, “We like to joke around and say ‘the next time we get married’ it will go much smoother.” T H E C AT H OL IC T E L E G R A PH | 17
TH E CATH O L I C SE N SE S BY K AT IE S C IBA
The domestic church is a family’s experience of being Catholic at home, but setting our attention on the things beyond this world can be a challenge when our to-dos are right in front of us. To focus your heart on faith, we recommend going through your basic senses. Humans are body and soul, so it makes sense that soulful self-care works beautifully with exterior experiences. Our churches are filled to the brim with sights, smells and sounds to stir us; bring that home with these few ideas.
SIG HT
Mary" and "Holy God We Praise Thy Name." Listen to
Deck your halls with Catholic images and art to draw your
Catholic podcasts and meditations. We suggest praying out
eyes heavenward. Put a crucifix in every room to recall that
loud by yourself and with your family; just hearing your
love calls for sacrifice; place images or statues of Mary and
own voice speaking to God underscores the participation.
the saints in your kitchen to remember that feeding the
Mass often begins with bells - ring some of your own at
hungry and giving drink to the thirsty are holy works.
home to begin a meal or prayer.
Decorative wisdom from scripture in frames or on chalkboards also helps us to think of the life beyond this
SMELL
one. Some of my favorite decorative pieces are a pair of
Flowers, incense, candles and oil are fantastic go-tos to
anchor bookends, which remind me of the verse “We have
send the aroma of our faith wafting through the house.
this hope as an anchor for the soul” (Hebrews 6:19).
T OUC H
heaven, and Mary herself is often represented with roses.
The sense of touch is typically used with purpose; when we
Burning incense during individual or family prayer time
touch another person or an object, we choose to pay
reminds us that our intentions and thoughts rise to the
attention to it. In prayer, take hold of your rosary beads as
throne of God. Using scented candles and oils like
you consider the Lord’s life and mercy, cradle a statue or
frankincense make us more cognizant of our relationships
holy image in your hands while praying to God or asking a
with Jesus, especially if they’re used during particular
saint’s intercession. Pull the crucifix off the wall to hold it
times of celebration or prayer.
close. Etsy has countless options for Catholic plush and toys for little ones. Older children and adults can wear
TASTE
devotional medals and jewelry. Additionally, it’s important
Now this is a fun one! When we think of upping our faith
to extend touch to others. As spouses and parents,
experiences, tasting isn’t usually the first idea to come to
intentionally touching our family members reminds us that
mind, but it certainly shouldn’t fall to the wayside. Make
these are the people God intentionally placed with us and
desserts for Sundays and feast days - make it simple or go
for us. Hugs and kisses go a long way with this recognition
with a theme. Bake bread for the feast of St. Benedict or
in mind.
crown-shaped sugar cookies for the Queenship of Mary.
SOUND
18 |
Many flowers carry Christian or Marian significance; for instance, gladiolus signify the ascension of Jesus into
Normal meals can be elevated to holy ones with Pinterest and a little creativity. Above everything else, it’s paramount
When it comes to filling the house with sacred sound, music
to our identity and life as Catholics to “taste and see” God’s
is immediately effective. Stream Christian radio to hear
goodness through the Eucharist. Holding the Sacred Host in
intimate experiences of forgiveness and love from Christ.
our mouths, allowing it to dissolve slowly, keeps our
Play Gregorian chant or instrumental hymns for a calmer
attention on the miracle of the Son of God uniting Himself
tone. Teach your family traditional songs like "Immaculate
to us.
S H IN E ON
SHINING LIGHT ON YOUR LEGACY What will people remember about you after you die? The 2000 film Cast Away tells the story of FedEx employee Chuck Noland, who washes up on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. After four years of isolation, he is rescued and finds himself on a plane home, accompanied by his best friend, who tells him he had long been assumed dead. “We had a funeral and a coffin and a gravestone… the whole thing.” “You had a coffin? What was in it?” “Well, everybody put something in. You know, just a cell phone or a beeper, some pictures. I put in some Elvis CDs.” You can see this look of emptiness – a sort of hollow sadness – when Noland realizes that this is what he was remembered for. While the concept of legacy technically refers to an inheritance or bequest, we use the term broadly to refer to what we will pass on to those who will come after us: our children and our children’s children. But I’d like to call your attention to another use of the term. In computing, the term legacy is often used to refer to systems or software that are, technically speaking, out of date, but have nonetheless become irreplaceable because of the essential functions they perform. What do you do for your family that is irreplaceable? The truth is, most of what we pursue is entirely replaceable. Work. Money. Possessions. Achievements. The pursuit of more is an endless cycle of replaceable activities. The sad truth? So many people spend so much of their lives living and working and sacrificing for a legacy that simply won’t last, while the aspects of who you are and what you do that are truly irreplaceable have stood before you the whole time, just waiting to be grasped. We end up working so hard and sacrificing so much for the temporary, when the
eternal stands before us in the simplest of moments, the most common of opportunities. No one makes a lasagna that I like more than my mom. There is no one with whom I’d rather share good news than my dad. There has never been someone better to call when I was stuck on a crossword than my grandmother. I chose three, but there are a thousand more. Simple. Commonplace. And utterly irreplaceable. And true legacy – the kind of legacy God calls us to – brings us to the essential. No one will ever love me more than my mom. No one will ever sacrifice more for me than my dad. No one will ever be a bigger supporter of me than my grandma. Their love and sacrifice point towards a higher good, a greater power: the love of God. The sacrifice of Jesus. In Matthew 5: 13-14, Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth, the light of the world. That’s what I hope to pass on to my children. Some people pass on money. Some people pass on property. Some people get their names written in their alma mater’s quarterly magazine. My hope, my prayer, is that someday, when I die, my children and grandchildren will remember, above anything else, how much I loved them and how much I sacrificed for them. I hope the love of Christ will flow through me, into them, and the love of Christ will radiate into every aspect of their lives. What will your legacy be? “Just so, your light must shine!” Matthew 5:16 DOMINICK ALBANO
is the director of digital engagement for The Catholic Telegraph, as well as an author and national speaker. He and his wife have been married for 13 years and have four sons. SHI NE O N | 19
2 0 | RADIA TE CHRIST PA S TO R A L L ETTER
Making Room for Prayer B Y REB EC CSONATAG A S ONT AG REBECCA
The majesty and magnificence of God is inescapable. It is in every single breath taken, of theGod windsisthat keep the birds The majesty and magnificence inescapable. It in is in the sky and, far above even that, the force that pins countless ery single breath taken, the winds that keep the birds in the stars to the fabric of the universe. Every beat of every y and, far above even that, the force that pins countless stars heart, every wave that has ever broken upon a shore: we are the fabric of thebyuniverse. Every beat of every enveloped constant reminders of God’s vast heart, love forevery us all. ave that How has ever broken upon a shore: we are enveloped is it that we could, even for a moment, forget the by profound grandeur andvast generosity of God’s onstant reminders of God’s love for us all.endless gifts?
plowing through white noise of daily ow is itThe thatrelentless we could, even for athe moment, forget the existence can stifle gratitude and wonder, even dimming our ofound grandeur and generosity of God’s endless gifts?
relationship with God. Annoyance, frustration, distraction and self absorption can derail even the most devoted of souls The relentless plowing through the whitelove noise of daily from their true calling, that is, to know, and serve God. istence can gratitude even are dimming And stifle it is through prayerand thatwonder these obstacles dissolvedour like the with morning sun burning away last night’s fog. distraction lationship God. Annoyance, frustration,
nd self-absorption can derail even the most devoted of souls is much more than a single act. It is, as stated by om theirPrayer true calling, that is, to know, love and serve God. the Catechism, the actual relationship itself between each nd it is through prayer that these obstacles are dissolved like individual and God. Anytime our hearts cry out our prayers e morning sun burning last night’s are heard, and thereaway are plenty of timesfog. prayer comes easily. Sometimes, though, it takes intentionality, maybe even the
setting more of a routine, for this intimate rayer is much thantoa make singleroom act.inItouris,lives as stated by the exchange with God, Jesus and the saints. Because regardless atechism, the actual relationship itself between eachof or notAnytime prayer takes effort, is always essential. dividualwhether and God. ouradded hearts cryitout our prayers e heard. And there are plenty of times prayer comes easy. Here are some steps you can take to carve out ometimes, though, it takesinintentionality, space for prayer your home. maybe even the tting of a routine, to make room in our lives for this timate exchange with God, Jesus and the saints. Because PICK A SPOT a placeorin not yourprayer home that willadded be devoted solely gardless Choose of whether takes effort, it isto prayer. Whether it’s an entire room, a chair by a window, or a ways essential.
pretty box holding your favorite book of prayers and a rosary, mark off a portion of your home for this singular purpose. Set some apart yoursteps sacred space from the hectic distractions of the are you can take to carve mundane so that your focus is with God and His Saints.
ere ut space for prayer in your life. FILL IT WITH GOOD THINGS
ICK A Remaining SPOT intent on your conversation with God is the hoose a goal. placeMeditating in your home thatvictory will be solely to on Christ’s overdevoted death while gazing ayer. Whether it’s an entire room, a chair by a window, or a etty box holding your favorite book of prayers and a rosary, ark off a portion of your home for this singular purpose. Set
at a crucifix can draw one closer into God’s great mystery. Likewise, an image the Virgin Jesus ongreat her myste crucifix can of draw one Mary closersnuggling into God’s lap can pull the mind and heart ever closer to understanding Likewise, an image of the Virgin Mary snuggling Jesus the love God has for each of us. Religious icons, carvings, her lap can pull the mind and heart ever closer paintings and more can be used to sharpen our focus on our understanding the love God has for each of us. Religio beloved Lord as our hearts spill forth.
icons, carvings, paintings and more can be used to sharp MAKE A RITUAL ourITfocus on our beloved Lord as our hearts spill forth. Rituals are a human invention that serve a human need. Jesus doesMAKE not become because you always use a kneeler ITmore A perfect RITUAL in your home’s prayer space. Likewise, God doesn’t need us to Rituals are a human invention that serve a human light a white candle blessed by a priest before we pray.
nee Jesus does not become more perfect because you always u yourprayer home’s space. Likewise, G Butawekneeler may needin it. Your ritualprayer is a customizable series doesn’t white candle blessed by a pri of steps. Andneed when us usedtotolight beginaand end time of intentional prayer, it enables us to leave the world of social media and before we pray.
cable news at the door. Genuflecting, kissing the cross, lighting a candle, playing a hymn, burning incense or using But we may need it. Your prayer ritual is a customizab set beginning and ending prayers: these are just a few ideas series of steps. And when used to begin and end time that can be personalized to help slip off the smothering mantle intentional prayer, it enablesasuswetogive leave the world of the world’s chaos and distraction ourselves and of soc and cable news theand door. our media full attention over to God’satlove care.Genuflecting, kissing t
cross, lighting a candle, playing a hymn, burning incense and ending prayers: these are just a f Prayer is a necessity and not luxury. It is a necessity for each ideas that can be apersonalized to help slip off t person in each family. Get up early or set aside time at night smothering mantle of the world’s chaos and distraction and share that time so that all in the household can grow in weBut give ourselves our stick full to attention overother to God’s lo God. when you find and the time, it and enable andmembers care. to do the same. family MAKE IT Aset HABIT using beginning
LikeMAKE all worthwhile there is growth and improvement IT Athings, HABIT withPrayer practice. Set a reminder youra phone is a necessity andonnot luxury.orItanisalarm a necessity on your clock. Keep doing it. Somedays you may feel like each person in each family. Get up early or set aside time you’re flying with the angels! Somedays, you will feel flat night and share that time so that all in the household c and uninspired. Somedays, it might feel completely forced. in relationships, God. But when find time, Butgrow with all there you is a lot to the be said juststick for to it a enable members to do showing up.other There family will be ups and downs butthe the same. trajectory, the ultimate path, is always closer and closer to God. There is nothing important than things, our relationship Like more all worthwhile therewith is God. growth a Make the space. improvement with practice. Set a reminder on your pho
or an alarm on your clock. But keep doing it. Somedays y FE A T U R E | 21 may feel like you’re flying with the angels! Somedays, y
Nurturing YOUR FAITH Resources to Keep the Fire of Your Faith Burning at All Stages of Life B Y KA T I E S C I B A
2 2 | RADIATE CHRIS T PA S TO R A L L ETTER
The Catholic Church offers belonging to everyone regardless of your status in life. Children, teens, singles, marrieds, parents and seniors can live a full Catholic life, both serving others and being spiritually fed by Jesus. Our faith is a fire in need of inspiration to stay lit and lively. With determination, the ability to learn and a handful of resources, greatness is within reach.
Here are some practical resources to keep your faith stoked at any age. Young Children Kids like to get their hands (and mouths) on everything, so the key to fanning their faith is to present them with books and toys relevant to Christ and built for them. Wooden rosaries come in an array of colors and withstand a child’s active piety… or being thrown across the room. Saint peg dolls introduce kids to our heavenly heroes and have a way of making play time into pray time. Don’t forget to stock your kids’ shelves with board books on the lives of the saints. Reading about ordinary people with an extraordinary love for God is inspiring. Kids will find lifelong friends reading about the saints, and you could even hang pictures of their favorites in their rooms. Teens With school, activities, social media and budding social lives, there are plenty of attention-grabbers for teens. Check into your parish’s youth group to encourage Catholic friendships for your kids. These groups are led by adults who work to aim teens toward heaven. These days, with in-person get togethers a bit on the rare side, Benedictine Catholic Youth Conference is taking their main event online this year for a virtual, igniting experience. The speakers are stellar, relatable and will fuel the faith, guaranteed. Also online is Lifeteen.com – a site made for Catholic teens looking to fortify their beliefs and get their questions answered. For a break from screens, the books Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco and Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints will give depth and vision to any teen’s understanding of the faith.
Singles We all need to grow spiritually as individuals. The Lord gave every one of us a desire for Himself that only He can satisfy, and He wants to make us whole. Spending time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament refuels us and sets our sights on the divine. The book Single & Catholic: Finding Meaning in Your State of Life is a great read that underscores the fact that we are made complete by Jesus, and that with Him, life is thrilling and full. For an in-person experience, the National Catholic Singles Conference is held annually, and this October, Denver is hosting. NCSC has been referred to as “the event that ministers to single Catholics.” Across the archdiocese, parishes host young adult and/ or singles groups to cultivate community and to support the idea that your unique gifts are good and needed in the Church. Single or married, we’re all walking around with wounds. Be Healed by Dr. Bob Schuchts walks us through our own brokenness and helps us invite Christ in to heal us. Free from the past, we can move forward in faith and joy to better love ourselves and others.
“The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” Pope Benedict XVI | 23
the importance of faith to your kids; end the day by thanking God for your blessings and asking Him for help. Allowing our kids to hear our heartfelt, vulnerable prayers to the Lord sets the example of an intimate relationship with Jesus. Proverbs 22 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is older, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). Parenting in the faith has to be deliberate. For reinforcements, check out Don’t Let the Culture Raise Your Kids by Marcia Segelstein and Made This Way: How to Prepare Kids to Face Today’s Tough Moral Issues by Leila Miller and Trent Horn.
Marrieds Binding ourselves to another person in holy matrimony is a beautiful and huge undertaking. Joint prayer in any manner is a step toward heaven - which is the goal of every marriage – and a powerful buoy to stay afloat. Spousal Prayer: A Way to Marital Happiness by James Keating is enlightening for any green or seasoned married couples; The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman demystifies our natural tendencies and the thought patterns of our spouses and teaches how to best communicate with them. Dayton is home to the Discovering Our Deepest Desire ministry. Designed for thriving or struggling marriages, the program brings Jesus back to the center of your relationship. Ready to work on your marriage virtually? With Formed. org, you can stream the Augustine Institute’s Beloved series, which reveals God’s design for your sacrament and the deep joy available therein. The archdiocesan website has information about Natural Family Planning and ministries for struggling relationships like Retrouvaille and Marriage Disciples. Parents It’s the task of parents to beckon their children to heaven in taking responsibility for young, immortal souls. Never will we be so called to imitate the love and mercy of God than in parenthood. Along with Sacred Scripture, The Imitation of Christ calls us out of ourselves and into a holy way to treat ourselves and our children. Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Add a brief morning offering to the prayer before breakfast; display Catholic art and images around the house to convey 2 4 | FEATURE
Seniors “Even to your old age, I am the same, even when your hair is gray I will bear you... and I will carry you to safety” (Isa. 46:4) After what felt like forever but went by in the blink of an eye, life is quieter. With plenty of years behind and ahead, there is still the opportunity to learn and grow in spirituality. Wisdom comes not with age, but with humility and allowing oneself to learn. This time is ideal for drawing closer to Jesus in friendship and supporting your family through prayer. Praying for Our Adult Sons & Daughters: Placing Them in the Heart of God by John and Therese Boucher provides direction on entrusting our grown children to the Lord’s care and knowing He will provide for them. St. Padre Pio, St. Columba, St. Hedwig and St. Jerome were all elderly when they passed away and they understood the difficulties associated with age. St. Joseph is the patron saint of a happy, holy death; we can ask his intercession for our own passing – whenever it may occur – that it be full of God’s grace and mercy.
Father David Doseck
Eaton Priest’s Vocation Formed & Forged by Childhood Examples B Y MARK D ANIS
Father David Doseck remembers knowing as a child that Jesus Christ was a real person. He also knew Jesus loved him. Today, encountering love is the heart of this busy priest’s lifelong vocation.
pursuing the same desires and ambitions as many young men. He wanted to be a good athlete, find a high-paying career and, according to him, be famous. But two memorable events helped redirect the focus of his future plans.
Father Doseck is the Pastor of St. Mary Church in Camden, St. John Church in New Paris and Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Eaton. When asked about the greatest challenge he faces, he describes maintaining the delicate balance of uniting three communities while retaining the distinct and beautiful history of each individual parish. He also humbly acknowledges his own steep learning curve as a relatively new pastor.
As a high school sophomore, he went on retreat. After receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, he describes a profound experience of, “resting in and desiring to do the Father’s will.” It was in that moment he first considered the possibility of becoming a priest. Later, he completed undergraduate studies in philosophy at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, OH, and Theological studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology in Cincinnati. This was where the second incident occurred.
“I am still learning the things that a more experienced pastor would already know,” said Father Doseck. Through it all, he is guided by a clear vision of his priestly calling. This vision was formed and forged by the examples and experiences of his own childhood. “I remember good and holy priests growing up. Mom and Dad would invite them to our house for dinner and other family gatherings.”
I remember good and holy priests growing up. Mom and Dad would invite them to our house for dinner.
When asked how these men helped shape his priesthood, he offers this description of the priests he encountered as a boy, “The priest was seen as a man of prayer, but also a man of common sense, a man willing to be with people in all different walks of life.” Father Doseck’s perspective closely resembles that of Pope Francis, who asks his priests to, “be shepherds with the smell of sheep.” Father Doseck also credits his own family’s influence. As the fourth of five children, he recalls his parents gathering him and his two brothers and two sisters every evening to pray. His years as a student at Botkins High School were spent
On the day of his ordination in 2017, his older brother, Josh, approached him and said, “David I have seen you happy at other times, but today you seem truly joyful.” Father Doseck recalled his exact response, “That is because I am what God is calling me to be: a priest forever!”
Today, Father Doseck’s greatest joy is in helping people experience and be part of the Church’s mission of proclaiming the the Good News that we are each loved eternally. He describes his approach this way: “To be with the people in my parishes – at family gatherings, on a fishing boat, in the farm fields or barn stalls, at the sports arenas or ball diamonds, gathered together at the Altar of Sacrifice, visiting the sick and elderly, or comforting a grieving family. To sum it up, it is my joy to be united to Christ in His love for His people.” Father Doseck explained that the joy he experiences in being with the people of his parishes stems from his earliest desire for the priesthood, “To love others as Christ would want to love them.” IN PR O FI LE | 25
B E IN G PR O- L IF E
LABOR TRAFFICKING HAPPENS HERE it is new, differing charges are typically cross-jurisdictional, thus requiring more resources. It can also be difficult to prove coercion, especially if the victim was so manipulated they don’t even see it as against their will, or are too fearful to testify.
Harold had a good job and a master’s degree in India, but an employer promised him a much better job in the U.S., so he jumped at the chance. Upon arriving in the U.S., the employer asked him to turn over all his identification documents and cash for safekeeping. At first, he was told the good job and a nice house were coming, that he just needed to be patient and work temporarily in a restaurant. This quickly turned to working long hours under the threat that he would be arrested if he tried to escape, since he had no money and his trafficker had his papers. He and his family continued to be exploited and abused for nearly two years. Labor trafficking appears in many forms, and Harold’s is one local example. I spoke with Tonya Folks, human trafficking liaison at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office, who explained that labor trafficking is “recruiting, harboring or exploiting someone’s labor through force, fraud or coercion.” Exploiting someone’s vulnerability to force their work meets that definition. Holding someone’s legal papers is one way to do this, but it can happen to U.S. citizens as well. Anne was an elderly woman living alone on social security. After a couple got to know her, they offered to let her live with them if she turned over the rights to her checks, promising to let her keep $300 a month for spending money. It seemed like a great deal to Anne. She quickly discovered, however, that they had no intention of ever giving her any money, and made her work harder every day with less access to food. She never left simply because they had her identification and her money, and she had nowhere to go. DIFFICULT TO PROVE
I also spoke with Christina Back, an immigration and family law attorney. She told me that trafficking can be very difficult to prosecute. For starters, it is a new area of law that only began around 2000. Because 2 6 | B EING PRO- LIFE
Samantha Searls of the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center added that because trafficking is so difficult to prosecute, law enforcement often resorts to finding something they can more easily charge – like a health or fire code violation – in order to get victims out of the situation. The difficulty with that, however, is that traffickers just pay a fine and open up shop somewhere else. WHAT CAN WE DO?
BEING PRO-LIFE PODCASTS JUNE 30 Tonya Folks, Montgomery City Human Trafficking Liaison JULY 7 Harold D’Souza, trafficking victim JULY 14 Samantha Searls, Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center JULY 21 Christina Back, immigration and family law attorneyCincinnati
First of all, look for signs. If employees arrive and leave together in the same vehicle, or show signs of sleeping at the place of business, those are red flags. If employees are unwilling to engage in any conversation about how they like their job, that could be another red flag. If you do suspect trafficking, call the National Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or especially with foreign nationals, the Department of Homeland Security’s tip line at 866-3472423. Either way, it is not a problem if you report something that isn’t an issue, but you could be saving a life. This is not the end of the story. To watch the interviews with Harold, Tonya, Samantha and Christina, head to thecatholictelegraph. com/beingprolife to check out the podcasts and find more resources on how to help. Together, we can be more aware of the signs of trafficking, and help put an end to this hidden injustice that plagues our communities. BOB WURZELBACHER
is the director of the Office for Respect Life Ministries. He and his wife, Cindy, live in Sharonville with their two young daughters.
HELP WITH UNEXPECTED PREGNANCIES ELIZABETH’S NEW LIFE CENTER OPENS IN DAYTON B Y E I LEEN C ONNEL L Y, OS U
A 14-year-old girl in distress recently visited Elizabeth’s New Life Center (ENLC) with her aunt and boyfriend. Olivia was visibly upset as she shared that her family was forcing her to consider an abortion and threatening to kick her out of the house if she didn’t agree. Fortunately, with support from the Center, Olivia found the courage to carry her baby to term. The Women’s Center on North Dixie Drive in north Dayton is ENLC’s seventh and newest facility, opened Feb. 25, with the goal of serving women and families who are at-risk for abortion, premature births and infant mortality (death before age one). “We place our centers in areas that have the highest vulnerability for women considering an abortion,” explained Hannah Carr, manager at the North Dixie site. “We specifically chose this area as a result of the Memorial Day tornado last year. We realized that this was an area that was directly affected and we wanted to be a resource to the community.” “This effort fulfills a strategic goal of our board and staff to find ways to help women choose life who are most vulnerable for abortion. From the data we have, this region and the surrounding zip codes have a great need for additional pregnancy center resources. Thanks to the benevolence of our donors and the Knights of Columbus, we are able to provide immediate pregnancy testing, 3D/4D ultrasound and educational services to a highly vulnerable population,” said Vivian Koob, executive director of ENLC. Other free services offered at the center include prenatal vitamins, information about prenatal development, and referrals both to prenatal care and to community organizations that help with food, housing, job training and more. Carr shared the story of Shailey, another recent client, who visited in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Initially excited about her pregnancy, Shailey returned the next day devastated that the baby’s father was not supportive and had ended their relationship. “We were able to talk about her options and provide resources so she didn’t feel so alone,” Carr said. “Unfortunately, after the ultrasound, we learned that it may not be a viable pregnancy.
Being available for these women in crisis when they just need a listening ear, support and the love of Jesus is one of the most fulfilling aspects of the women’s center. “I find one of the most rewarding things of this ministry to be celebrating with our clients when they choose life,” she added. “It is heartbreaking to walk alongside a woman in distress, especially when she is confused about her circumstances or what the ‘right’ decision is. But it’s incredible to see her come back later stating that she has chosen to be brave and to keep her child. We truly get to see direct results of how God is working in their lives and providing for their every need.” All women facing unexpected pregnancies are welcome to visit Elizabeth’s New Life Center. For more information, please contact the center at (937) 938-5667. JO IN OUR TEAM & MAKE A DIFFERE NCE Elizabeth’s New Life Center needs your help to “save babies and change lives.” We have a variety of work hours and flexibility in schedule to meet your availability. Our Ultrasound Staff makes a difference every day and plays a key role in helping women choose life for their unborn children.
• Are you an RDMS? • Are you prolife and want to put your beliefs into action? • Are you looking for a change from the high stress environment of a hospital or other medical facility?
To learn more call Terry at 937-226-7414 or email your resume and cover letter to employment@elizabethnewlife.org When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the babe in her womb leapt for joy. Luke 1:41
T H E C AT H OL IC T E LE G R A PH | 27
Carson Kissell with his rosary that was once used by St. Pope John Paul II. (Photo by Margaret Swensen). 2 8 | N EWS
Carson Kissell Radiating God’s Divine Mercy Across the Globe B Y PAT RIC IA MC GEEVER
A 3:00 every afternoon Carson Kissell, 13, picks up his rosary that was once used by St. Pope John Paul II, and leads hundreds of people in prayer for an end to the coronavirus. His fingers are fused from scar tissue caused by a rare genetic skin disease, yet they move across the beads as he prays the Divine Mercy Chaplet daily on Facebook Live. The videos, once posted, get thousands more views from people as far away as Ireland, New Zealand and the Philippines. “I was surprised,” said Carson of the following his new ministry is gaining. He got the idea from family friends who are praying the Rosary daily for an end to the pandemic, but Carson chose the Divine Mercy Chaplet so as not to compete. “The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a devotion we’ve been praying for years,” said Carson’s dad, David. Carson is a natural on camera. He recites the prayers by heart and shares a bit about his own personal pain and suffering. The Facebook Live posts first went up on his mom, Kristy’s, Facebook page, but she soon started getting thousands of friend requests from strangers who wanted to join Carson in prayer. So the family created a public Praying with Carson Facebook page (@PrayingwithCarson). “The day Pope Francis gave his blessing to the world at the end of March, [Carson’s broadcast] went around the world and got 60,000 views,” said David. In other words, Carson went viral. EWTN picked up on Carson’s daily broadcasts, and shared what he is doing on their EWTN Nightly Broadcast. With that exposure, his followers and fellow prayer warriors swelled, often commenting about how much Carson inspires them. Carson’s original intention behind launching the broadcast was to pray for an end to the coronavirus, but soon, people began posting their own prayer intentions.
“We get a ton each day. My mom is my stage crew,” who writes them all out, he said. Carson is the oldest of three boys. He has Epidermolysis Bullosa, which means his skin is very fragile and easily tears and blisters. The slightest rub or bump can hurt him. The disease also affects his internal organs. There is no cure. His youngest brother has it, too. “I’m missing colagen seven, and without that my skin can come off with a lot of friction,” said Carson. “So imagine grass without the roots. Without the roots, it pretty much just comes right off.” Carson wears contact lenses to protect his eyes from abrasions. His body is wrapped from neck to toe to protect it from injury, and the dressing changes take about three to four hours each day. The family usually has a home health nurse to help with the boys, but because of the pandemic, they’ve been on their own since March. “My mom is the angel who does that every other day,” said Carson. Taking a bath can be particularly hard. “During my baths, I offer my suffering for the intentions in the comments,” he said about those posted on his Facebook site. Carson also has a devotion to St. Pio of Pietrelcina who suffered the stigmata, the wounds of Christ in his side, hands and feet. “He wore wraps like me,” said Carson. The Kissells attend St. Bernard of Clairvaux parish and the children are home schooled. Despite his suffering, Carson is a happy, typical teen who enjoys video games. He also enjoys writing and reads some of his work during the live broadcast. Carson isn’t sure he’ll continue his daily prayer session on Facebook once the pandemic ends, but, he will continue to pray. “Prayer is pretty much everything in our family,” he and David both said. “It’s like food. You can’t live without it. Food for the soul.” T H E C AT H OL IC T E L E G R A PH | 29
Dan and Martha Dorff with their grandchild and children.
BUILDING A FAMILY FOUNDATION DORFF FAMILY ROOTED IN FAITH AND THE ARTS BY M. D . P I TM AN
“When Dan and I got married, we had no idea that we were creating a future,” said Martha Dorff. “We just thought we were getting married.” As the Over-the-Rhine couple, formerly of Loveland, discovers life as a retired couple – Dan from a career as a graphic designer and Martha from Schickel Design, a company started by her father, they continue to hold tight to the things important to them: family, creativity and their Catholic faith.
I’ve always loved painting ever since I was a kid,” he said. “We went to museums in Philadelphia all the time. I was always amazed by the different ways of seeing things. It was kind of like an introduction of color, to me. Color and gesture, different ways – impressionists in particular – to present reality.” Like his art, Dan’s music is a mixture of what he was exposed
“We’re called as Christians to be the salt and light,” said Dan, a native of Philadelphia. “If we’re going to be salt and light, we have to be that in all we do, as much as possible.” Dan grew up as one of 12 children, and moved to Ohio as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War. He worked in grounds maintenance at Grailville in Loveland, where Martha’s mother happened to be involved as a member of the Grail, a national female-operated Catholic lay organization. Dan’s mother was a member of the Grail in Philadelphia. Dan’s first love was music, but he eventually fell in love with art, and continues to create both today.
3 0 | NEWS
Dan Dorff’s painting, “Holy Man of Humble Heart” was featured in the Angelico Project’s Mid Winter Light Exhibition.
to as a child: classical, folk, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, rhythm and blues and jazz. Martha admired her father, which is why she went on to be a designer, mixing her love of art and architecture. “I’m an architect and a painter, but underneath everything, really, I’m a designer,” she said. “My dad was a designer, and I idolized him as a child. I thought he was just wonderful – still do, actually – and I wanted to do what he did.”
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Martha worked beside her father beginning in 1970, and took over his design firm in 2000 until her retirement last year. Her daughter Rebecca now runs the family business. Dan and Martha met in the early 1970s, and married on June 16, 1974, during the summer of Dan’s second year at the Art Academy in Cincinnati. Their life together as Catholics didn’t begin until 1987, when Dan rediscovered Christ. He had always been a person of faith, but was finding himself “in a desert land” where he couldn’t find
His art and music are reflections of his religious rediscovery. happiness in what he did. A friend led him to Christ again, and since then his faith has played an important part in his life. His art and music are reflections of his religious rediscovery. The Dorffs, including their four children, made multiple albums, including Cool Water and Grace, both of which can be found on Spotify. They were also involved in the Angelico Project’s Mid Winter Light Exhibition. The Angelico Project’s mission is about transforming culture by “evangelizing souls and transforming the culture by promoting the good, the true and the beautiful through the arts, thought and culture.” This supports Martha’s view of faith in Christ as a “link in a cultural chain.” The Dorffs link is being artists, and for Martha, it includes architecture as well as music and painting. “I think we have a cultural chain that we are born into, and … we need to create our culture every day,” she said. “If we feel it’s going to be given to us, we need to keep making it.”
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A C L OS E R L OOK
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS ROOTED IN DUTY, NOT RIGHTS In America, July is the month of freedom, as we celebrate the anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence. But while the July 4th holiday officially commemorates national political sovereignty, we are more likely to think about liberty in terms of individual autonomous rights. Independence Day encomiums have more to do with the 1791 Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the Constitution – than with the 1776 Declaration of Independence. Even more specifically, in July Christians celebrate the so-called “first freedom” found in the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law... prohibiting the free exercise” of religion. But a closer look at the political philosophy informing the American institution of religious liberty demonstrates that it was intended by its proponents to dilute, erode and undermine authentic religious commitment and witness, not to protect it. As such, perhaps we Catholics should focus on a better foundation of religious liberty, found not in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but in the Vatican II’s declaration on religious liberty, Dignitatis Humanae Personae. THE RIGHT NOT TO BELIEVE TRUTH For both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, for example, freedom of religious conscience is not rooted in the truth of Christian faith (or any other religious claim), but rather in the autonomous right to reject any such truth outside the subjective conscience of the individual. Conscience is not considered to be the application of truth to moral action, but rather the declaration that there is no such truth to be applied to moral action, other than the unfettered choice of the individual. As such, religious truth is not discovered. Rather, it is “created” by the conscience of the individual, as an exercise of will. 3 2 | A CLOSER LOOK
As Madison put it, “Religion consists in voluntary acts of individuals,” not in transcendent truth. And he believed that broad public confession of particular religious truth is to be discouraged, as it may form a coherent witness against the power of the state. The purpose of religious liberty then is not to protect religious conscience, but rather to spawn a proliferation of religious sects. This undermines the ability of any church to inform or shape public policy. For this reason, for example, Madison was strongly opposed to religious institutions owning real and personal property. Similarly, for Jefferson the purposes and goals of individual religious liberty are not protection of the individual conscience in conforming to truth, but rather dilution of faith in any truth, such that its influence on public life would be marginalized. He considered his University of Virginia to be a microcosm of his national aspiration to weaken the faith of religious believers – to, as Jefferson put it, “soften their asperities, liberalize and neutralize their prejudices, and make the general religion a religion of peace, reason and morality.” And in an 1822 letter, he said, “I trust that there is not a young man now living in the United States who will not die a Unitarian.” Jefferson believed that the American establishment of religious liberty, as canalized in the First Amendment, was the vehicle for doing that. THE DUTY TO EMBRACE TRUTH In 1965, the Second Vatican Council promulgated Dignitatis Humanae Personae, suggesting a very different foundation for religious liberty. In Dignitatis, the foundation for freedom of religion is not autonomous individual rights but rather the dignity of the human person, created in God’s image to love and worship Him.
This dignity does not manifest itself in the subjective right to believe nothing. Rather its effect is in the objective duty to believe, conform to, and promulgate the truth of the Gospel. This dignity-based duty is rooted in the very truth of creation, fall and redemption.
informing the First Amendment. “Freedom means that all people are to be immune from coercion,” explains Dignitatis, “in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs.” Religious faith is a moral act, which means that (like all moral acts) it must be free.
“We believe that this one true Religious faith Thus, religious freedom – rooted in religion subsists in the Catholic is a moral act, the dignity of the human person – and Apostolic Church,” declares implies a regime of rigorous immunity Dignitatis, “to which the Lord Jesus which means from coercion and protection for committed the duty of spreading it that (like all religious exercise. These immunities abroad among all men.” Religious moral acts) it and protections are for the sake of liberty, therefore, is subordinate to embracing religious truth, rather and at the service of truth. The right must be free. than institutionalizing individual of conscience is ordered toward – autonomy and undermining and therefore judged by – this truth. authentic faith. And they are a surer foundation for The reciprocal principle of the duty to seek the truth is not authentic religious liberty. the right to reject it, but rather the liberty “to embrace... and hold fast to it.” As Dignitatis puts it, we are “bound to adhere to the truth, once it is known, and to order [our] DR. KENNETH CRAYCRAFT whole lives in accord with the demands of truth.” is an attorney and the James J. Gardner By no means is this a rejection of religious freedom. On the contrary, it is a foundation for a more robust and genuine regime of religious liberty than is offered by the principles
Family Chair of Moral Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology. He holds a Ph.D. in moral theology from Boston College, and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law.
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Pr i e s t hood Ord i n ati on Congratulations to Newly Ordained Fathers Benson Lokidiriyo, Christopher Komoroski and Andrew Reckers Photos by E.L. Hubbard, courtesy of Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology
3 4 | PRI ESTHOOD ORD IN A TI O N
ARCHDIOCESE OF CINCINNATI PRIEST ASSIGNMENTS Effective July 1, 2020 • Rev. Craig Best, to Pastor of Holy Trinity, West Union and St. Mary Queen of Heaven, Peebles.
• Rev. Christopher Komoroski, to Parochial Vicar of St. Monica-St. George Parish Newman Center and Holy Name, Cincinnati.
• Rev. Adam Puntel, to Pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Mt. Repose and St. Andrew, Milford.
• Rev. Benson Lokidiriyo, to Parochial Vicar of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Mt. Repose and St. Andrew, Milford.
• Rev. Barry Stechschulte, to Pastor of St. Susanna, Mason. • Rev. Alexander Witt, to Pastor of Holy Rosary, St. Marys and St. Patrick, Glynwood. • Rev. James Ackerman, S.J., to Parochial Vicar of St. Francis Xavier, Cincinnati. • Rev. Robert Farrell, to Parochial Vicar of St. Francis de Sales, Lebanon and St. Philip the Apostle, Morrow.
• Rev. Ignatius Madanu, to Parochial Vicar of Incarnation, Centerville. • Rev. Andrew Reckers, to Parochial Vicar of Coldwater Cluster (Holy Trinity, Coldwater; St. Anthony, St. Anthony and St. Mary, Philothea). • Rev. Jeff Stegbauer, to Parochial Vicar of Winton-Wyoming Pastoral Region (St. Matthias, Cincinnati, Our Lady of the Rosary, Greenhills and St. James of the Valley, Wyoming).
• Rev. Andrew Smith, to Parochial Vicar of St. Christopher, Vandalia and St. John the Baptist, Tipp City. • Rev. Jedidiah Tritle, to Parochial Vicar of Petersburg Region (St. Joseph, Wapakoneta St. John the Evangelist, Fryburg; St. Lawrence, Rhine and Immaculate Conception, Botkins). • Rev. Lambert Ulinzwenimana, to Parochial Vicar of St. Aloysius Gonzaga and St. Jude, Bridgetown. • Rev. Timothy Fahey, to Director of Campus Ministry for Wright State University, Fairborn. • Rev. Ethan Moore, to Pastor of St. Monica-St. George Parish Newman Center and Holy Name, Cincinnati.
• Rev. Jason Williams, to ViceChancellor while continuing as Master of Ceremonies to Archbishop Schnurr. Effective August 1, 2020 • Rev. Eugene Schnipke, C.PP.S., to Pastor of Precious Blood, Dayton, St. Paul, Englewood and St. Rita, Dayton. Effective August 15, 2020 • Rev. Michael Nartker, S.M., to Pastor of St. Francis de Sales, Cincinnati. Effective August 24, 2020 • Rev. Kenneth Alt, C.PP.S., to Parochial Vicar of Marion Catholic Community. Effective September 8, 2020 • Rev. Matthew Jozefiak, C.PP.S., to Pastor of Marion Catholic Community. T H E C AT H OL IC T E L E G R A PH | 35
St. Aloysius Church in Carthegena was built by Anton DeCurtins in 1877.
BY SUSIE BERGMAN
Good Bones Series on the History of the Land of Cross-Tipped Churches in the Northern Archdiocese
Last month we took a broad look at the Land of the CrossTipped Churches, a unique scenic byway of churches that pepper the horizon throughout Mercer, Auglaize and Darke Counties. The 33 churches and religious sites still standing are a historical diamond shining among the flat, fertile farm lands of the area. In this article, we are going to take a closer look at the “bones” of these structures and how their style evolved over many generations. To conduct this journey, I enlisted the help of local historian, Matthew Hess. Hess is the Director of Ministry at Maria Stein Shrine, a structure known as the epicenter of the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches. “The bones of these buildings are what makes them famous. Without the work of local architects and contractors such as Goehr and DeCurtins, as well as other more widely known people and firms, the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches might not have ever had these red brick, cross-tipped gems” said Hess. In the early 1800s, the landscape of this area was very different than it is today. German and French immigrants dealt with swampy ground and dense forests. Buildings, including churches, were constructed close together to make travel easier. First generation churches (1845-1865) were log buildings with a style similar to a basic log cabin. Interestingly, St. John Church in Fryburg is the only church that has retained its original structure and remains completely unaffected. Second generation churches (1865-1885) were typically small brick, rectangular structures with stout spires. St. Augustine in Minster and St. Michael in Ft. Loramie are the only two churches that still have the original brick sections incorporated into their current structure. The small but beloved Holy Family Church in Frenchtown was built in 1866 by Anton Goehr and still stands today. An immigrant from Germany, Goehr settled in Minster with his family in 1833 when he was 10-years-old. His father taught him carpentry, later adding design and contracting to his skill set. Goehr worked on 30 churches in the area, including the first two St. John Churches in Maria Stein. 3 6 | A LO OK BACK
One of the most prolific contractors of the area was Anton DeCurtins. DeCurtins came from Switzerland in 1849 to Cincinnati and eventually settled in Carthegena with his wife and eight children. The DeCurtins were a talented family who designed, built and decorated churches, schools and homes. The family’s architectural mark on the area lasted for more than 90 years and spanned many generations. Many family members were skilled in church painting and woodworking, The DeCurtins family. including the construction of pews and organs. St. Aloysius, their home parish in Carthegena, was built by Anton DeCurtins in 1877. It was a unique design that included a projecting tower and tall spire. This was their first design of many that would follow in the area, and influenced the addition of steeples to many pre-existing simple churches. Hess noted, “The long spire of this church was a hit. On one level it spoke to older members of the community who would
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have remembered spires like these in the old country. On another level it was awe inspiring as the spires, which can still be seen for miles around, seemed to reach to the heavens.” Two of the local churches were designed by nationally known architect Adolphus Druiding who came to America in 1865 after studying architecture in his native Germany. The church in St. Henry, an outstanding piece of Victorian Gothic revival architecture, and the third church in Maria Stein were his designs. Druiding trusted local carpenters, the DeCurtins, to execute his work. These buildings, drawing eyes and souls to heaven, continue to animate the faith of the people. In the courtyard of Maria Stein Shrine, there is a display of all 33 churches. Additionally, inside the Shrine’s Heritage Museum, you can get a closer look at the history of the early settlers and contractors who made this faith-filled area what it is today.
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OUT AND ABOUT IN THE ARCHDIOCESE
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1) GA CLASS OF 2020
Guardian Angels School held a drive-thru parade and parking lot graduation ceremony for its Class of 2020 on May 20. The graduates and their families remained in their vehicles for the duration of the event. The ceremony was much different than what was originally planned for the graduating class, but it was definitely a memorable experience!
2) KHS RECEIVES PILGRIM SHELL
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An Archdiocese of Cincinnati member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem was awarded the Pilgrim Shell at a ceremony in Jerusalem on Mar. 6. Rev. Ibrahim Shomali, Chancellor of the Latin Patriarchate, presented Sir Edmon L. Poore, KHS with the decoration on behalf of the Latin Patriarch, H.E. Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
3) HAND-WASHING STATION With collaboration from the City of Cincinnati, Franciscan Ministries’ program - Tamar’s Center - continues to be a lifeline for those who are living on the streets. Tamar’s worked with the Greater Cincinnati Water Works to install an outside hand-washing station, making this necessity more convenient for those in need.
4) OFFERING CONGRATULATIONS
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Nativity School teacher Theresa Olivas was out and about on May 18, in conjunction with Virtual 8th Grade Graduation Night. The upper school teachers placed congratulatory signs at the homes of the Class of 2020.
5) MAY CROWNING AT HOME May Crowning is traditionally the first of the spring events for the senior class at St. Ursula Academy (SUA) each year. Since this event could not happen at school this year, SUA surprised the girls at their homes at a safe social distance. SUA President Lelia Kramer, Principal Mari Thomas, teachers and staff delivered some celebratory May Crowning items to the homes of every Class of 2020 senior. 3 8 | OU T & ABOUT
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DISCERNING LIFE AS A SISTER?
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6) MOTHER’S DAY PROCESSION
St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Liberty Township hosted a special outdoor Eucharistic procession on Mother’s Day. Parishioners gathered in the church’s large parking lot to join in the procession and adoration.
7) DRIVE-THRU GRAD CELEBRATION
On May 19, Mercy McAuley High School celebrated its Class of 2020, on what would have been their graduation night, with a fun drive-thru celebration on campus. Seniors were greeted by employees, coaches, the Parent Pack and Sisters of Mercy, and received special gifts along the route. Among these special gifts was a booklet
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of more than 200 inspiring letters written by alumnae, employees and friends of Mercy McAuley.
8) PAINTING MESSAGES OF LOVE
Sister Marie-Cecile, a Discalced Carmelite Nun of the Daughters of St. Elias climbed a ladder and spray-painted windows covered in cardboard on the two buildings they are renovating with inspiring slogans, including: “God is love” and “the world will change when hearts change.” She painted while protesters passed the building, which belongs to the sisters in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. The video of Sister Marie-Cecile quickly went viral and was picked up and shared by tens of thousands of people.
As a community dedicated to the Blood of Christ, we recognize the preciousness of life, the need for reconciliation in our world, and the needs of the poor and those in the margins. We respond to these needs and try to be a life-giving, reconciling presence. Since our charism calls us to live a spirituality, not a particular ministry, we are able to be a reconciling presence as educators, social workers, advocates, doctors, pastoral ministers and volunteers. preciousbloodsistersvocations.com
Visit our website to learn more about us and the formation process, get discerment resources, and check out our events!
T H E C AT H OL IC T E LE G R A PH | 39
BY JOHN STEGEMAN
MEETING RISING NEEDS ST. VINCENT DE PAUL PROVIDES OUTREACH AMID PANDEMIC When much of the country shut down beginning in March over pandemic concerns, St. Vincent de Paul Cincinnati (SVDP) ramped things up. The local charity that helps with everything from pharmacy needs to food and rent assistance, saw the need for its services increase as more and more people found themselves out of work.
Mike Dunn, executive director of SVDP Cincinnati. “From mid-March to the end of April demand really boomed.”
“We anticipated the need for our services would increase dramatically and it did,” said Skip Tate, director of community relations for St. Vincent de Paul Cincinnati. “We don’t anticipate a drop off, at least not for a significant period of time because the people who need our services will be the last to recover.”
“We’re very sensitive to the fact that the number of people who come through our doors on a daily basis is a large number and we don’t want them to get sick while they’re coming to us,” he said.
Meeting the increased need came with a challenge. Because of the coronavirus, new safety measures and social distancing had to be implemented. At SVDP’s food pantry, neighbors would normally walk the aisles selecting groceries for their families, but for now volunteers are prepackaging food based on family sizes. Those in need drive up to the door and pick up their food without making physical contact with anyone. Likewise, the charitable pharmacies SVDP operates are utilizing a drive-up/walk-up method. Home visits for people seeking various types of assistance have become phone calls, and for a time SVDP’s seven thrift stores were forced to shut down. This led to the temporary layoff of nearly 300 employees in March, but the organization was able to extend payroll and insurance benefits for a while. When the stores reopened in mid-May, with social distancing in force, SVDP was able to offer everyone their job back. “We have been able to maintain most all of our services throughout, modified, but still able to be maintained,” said 4 0 | N EWS
Though Ohio was coming out of coronavirus lockdown in May, Tate said the organization would move carefully before returning to pre-virus operations.
St. Vincent de Paul relies on donations from individuals and corporations to serve people in need. While the lockdown restrictions have eased, the economic fallout could continue to keep demand for their services high for some time. “We do think this is not unfortunately a sprint, this is probably more like a marathon,” Dunn said. “The longer it goes the more difficult it’s going to get collectively. We’re doing our best to be there for that.” Dunn added that the greater Cincinnati community has always stepped up to help SVDP meet its need, and that is continuing today. “It has been unbelievably heartwarming to see how the community has responded to us and, more importantly, for our neighbors,” he said. “It has been difficult, but all the while the community is stepping up to match that.” To help in SVDP’s mission, the organization is asking for financial gifts, in-kind donations and even donations of personal protective equipment like facemasks for employees. To learn more, visit svdpcincinnati.org/News/ How_You_Can_Help/.
Catholic Crossword 7
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Four generations of family service to Eastern Cincinnati
48 Sign outside a greasy spoon 49 Hebrew for “son of” 51 Ark builder 53 Manhattan ingredient 54 “His Eye is on the ___” 58 Bound 60 AKA Matthew (Lk 5:27) 61 Mr. ___, Marquand detective 63 Rite in the Catholic Church 67 Opera highlight 68 Out of control 69 Playing marble 70 Sitter’s bane 71 Nautilus captain 72 Finds pleasing 73 “Auld Lang ___” 74 Singles 75 Judges DOWN 1 Leah, to Jacob 2 PDQ 3 Lively, as in sailing 4 Japanese-American 5 U.S. inventor 6 Type of deacon 7 About 8 Hinge 9 Lively intelligence 10 Archdiocese in
A Catholic family-owned funeral home since 1877 513.891.8373
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ACROSS 1 “Fort” diocese in Indiana 6 The Roman Pontiff 10 Skirt length 14 “Let me repeat…” 15 Greek goddess of strife 16 Do paper work 17 Tehran tongue 18 Confirm, in a way 19 Hayes of “The Mod Squad” 20 Foil relatives 21 Heath 22 Two together 23 The Diocese of Des Moines is here 25 Paul wrote him a letter 27 Exclamation of surprise 30 Novena number 32 Type of cross 33 CCXIV halved 35 Trim 37 God’s life in us 41 They blew these outside the walls of Jericho 43 Utmost 44 Tradition says Bartholomew preached here 45 140 characters of text 46 Abound
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Victoria 11 Utterly stupid person 12 A non-coveting commandment 13 Rarin’ to go 24 Finish first 26 Gift bearers 27 Sieben follower 28 Acknowledge 29 Take on 31 Consumed 34 Intoxicate 36 Greek term for Mary as the Mother of God 38 Purim month 39 Augustine’s The ___ of God 40 Facility 42 26D followed it 47 Avril follower 50 Catholic star of “Everybody Loves Raymond” 52 Messenger 54 Thick slices 55 Erle’s lawyer 56 Pertaining to birds 57 They brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus 59 Motherless calf 62 Heavy book 64 Bring into existence 65 Up and ___!
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HAMILTON
AL-JOE’S
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Serving the Archdiocese for 137 years!
NOTICE: We published the incorrect lattice of the crossword puzzle in the June issue. E-mail cteditorial@ catholiccincinnati. org, and we’ll be happy to send you the correct version of the crossword puzzle.
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173 N. BROOKWOOD AVE.
The Complete Garden Store • 513-894-3291 Pet Foods and Supplies Dog Furnishings
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• Household Duties • Respite Care • Hospice Care Support Services
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• Companionship • Personal Care • Meals & Nutrition • Transportation
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T H E C AT H OL IC T E L E G R A PH | 41
THE FINAL WORD with Marianne & Wayne Topp
MAKING CATHOLIC MEMORIES
Growing up, Marianne’s parents were known for throwing great parties. Perhaps the most famous was their Easter party. This wasn’t the late Sunday morning brunch you’re used to; it was a party to end all parties. It’s well known that during Lent, Catholics fast from meat, favorite foods or perhaps even bad habits. So, the moment Easter arrives, they are ready to celebrate the Risen Lord with great enthusiasm and excitement, as they finally enjoy some of their favorite treats. At midnight on Easter morning, Marianne’s family would open their doors for the biggest celebration of the year. There was always food galore and any beverage you desired. The promise was that, at this party, you would be able to indulge in whatever you gave up for Lent (except the bad habits). The party would go into the wee hours of the morning. Singing, laughing, celebrating… sometimes late enough to pick up the morning paper on the way home. Fast forward nearly 20 years. We have now been married for 15 years and have seven children of our own. We decided very early in our marriage that we wanted our lives to be marked by the same joy and enthusiasm for Catholic life as those extravagant Easter parties. As newlyweds, we started simple. We invited our friends to join in the fun of her parents’ tradition. Then, we began to throw our own festive Mardi Gras party, marked by homemade crepes and cream puffs (and anything else we were about to give up for Lent). As the Lord blessed us with children, we began to realize the limitless opportunities for Catholics to celebrate throughout the year! We began to celebrate our children’s feast days with gusto! On the feast of St. Justin, patron of public speakers, we got out our karaoke machine; on the feast of St. Lydia, dyer of purple cloth, we got out a tie dye kit; on the feast of St. Martin of Tours, we roasted s’mores over a bonfire (because it’s a German tradition to celebrate the end of Fall on St. Martin’s Day with a fire). As more children came along, we discovered more amazing baked goods, delicious 4 2 | TH E F INAL WORD
and eclectic foods, and various cultural traditions. Today, at least 14 days out of the year, we celebrate the lives of the saints for whom each of our children are named (each of our kids has a patron for both their first and middle names). Celebrating our faith this way has helped develop a love and excitement for Catholic traditions in all of our children, and that motivates us to constantly search for more opportunities to bring Catholic fun into our home. This year, because we had extra time on our hands resulting from the stay at home order, we added some traditions we had never tried before. We made a paper mâché tomb for Good Friday, and celebrated the month of May with lavender cookies for Mary. We even found recipes for baking rolls that are meant to remind us of Judas’ betrayal! All the while, we’ve discovered that, as we attempt to create memories with our children, we continue to learn and grow in our love for the faith we both inherited from our parents. Our celebrations are not always extravagant, and sometimes they are as simple as giving our child some flowers, letting that child pick what to have for dinner, or meeting up with their godparents for ice cream. The process is simple: we look at the Catholic calendar we get from our parish every year to find an upcoming feast day and celebrate with flare! We may not be known for hosting the “biggest celebration of the year,” but in our children’s eyes, we are certainly known for having the most fun and making the best Catholic memories. WAYNE & MARIANNE TOPP have been married 15 years and have seven children. They live in Cincinnati. Wayne is the Managing Director for Young Adult Evangelization and Discipleship and has been working for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for the past 13 years. Marianne is a registered nurse and stay at home mom. The two love spending time baking, cooking and making Catholic memories with their kids.
Diligently serving those in need.
Now more than ever before, those who are hungry, homeless, sick, and in despair need our services and spiritual support. Can you help? Visit StAnthony.org/Covid to show your support.
The Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist 1615 Vine St, Ste 1 • Cincinnati, OH 45202-6492 friarworks@franciscan.org • 513-721-4700, ext. 3219
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT For more than a century, Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio has served local families in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. We continue to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic through the blessing of caring volunteers, dedicated staff and generous donors who have shared their gifts to sustain our works of mercy. You empower us to feed the hungry, promote good health and mental wellness, secure employment, and guide struggling families. Thank you for being a part of the Catholic Charities’ family responding together. May God grant us hope and healing today and always. YOUR SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL TO SUSTAINING OUR WORKS OF MERCY DONATE TODAY AT www.ccswoh.org/donate
SUSTAIN WORKS OF MERCY IN SOUTHWESTERN OHIO Enclosed is my gift of: £$25 £$50 £$100 £$250 £$500 £$__________ Please make checks payable to: Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio Mid Pointe Tower, 7162 Reading Rd., Ste. 600 Cincinnati, OH 45237
CT_July 7.25x4.75 _Final 20_142.indd 1
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5/26/20 12:48 PM
100 E. 8th St. • Cincinnati, OH 45202
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