bringing faith into the home
191st year | issue 7
july 2022 | walking with moms MAGAZINE
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T HE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH 191st Year No. 7 • July 2022 513-263-6635 • thecatholictelegraph.com 100 East Eighth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 Thectadvertising@catholicaoc.orgCatholicTelegraph(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 St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT
A Mother’s Heart
Katherine Geiger
Jessica Rinaudo
DNA, in our God-given souls, to help mothers, fathers and children. And beyond just the simple desire to help, it is our calling as Catholics to not only support pregnant women, but to care for them and their children beyond birth.
While I speak specifically of moms here, I know many dads, grandparents and friends without children who, no questions asked, would do all of the above and more. Maybe it harkens back to the “It takes a village mentality,” but it’s in our
SOCIAL MEDIA
NEW MEDIA EDITOR
Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr
EDITOR’ NOTE
first child and he has a fever? My heart aches for you. Let me tell you about the acetaminophen and ibuprofen combo plus lukewarm baths that will bring it down. I’ve been there and it will be okay, Mama.
Your kid scored their first soccer goal? I’m cheering with you. First Communion? Thank you, Jesus! Struggling to make it through Mass? Oh yeah, been there, done that. Let me hold your baby so you can focus on your toddler. Tween angst? Oof. Let’s commiserate over coffee. Fighting with your spouse? I’ll listen without judgment and pray for you both.
Greg Hartman
I’ve been a bit emotional while working on this particular issue of the magazine. You see, when it comes to mothers and kids—in utero to toddlers, tweens, teens and everything in between—my mama heart often empathizes to the point of Thispain.isyour
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Margaret Swensen
PUBLISHER
This issue of the magazine shares just a fraction of the amazing ways we, as Catholics, do that. There are pregnancy care centers and organizations that help young moms who are floundering after giving birth. There are groups who help families get beds and find shelter and those who advocate for education. All of these organizations exist, yes, because we deeply desire to help others, but also because we believe in the dignity of human life; that God formed each and every one of us for some definite purpose. And though life on earth is fraught with struggles, suffering, confusion and mistakes, God gave us empathy, a desire to help and the means to do so.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Dominick Albano
MEDIA SALES
And this is not some phenomenon unique to me. When I told my mom friends recently that I had been in and out of Children’s Hospital for a week of diagnostic testing on my son, they all empathized and wanted to help. I had friends offer to sit with me at the hospital through an MRI; moms who jumped in to watch my other children; and a friend whose children made my son a “Get Well” card. I even called a mom friend to put her on backup babysitting alert as we ran to the ER in the middle of the night. I was so worried my son would head into surgery and I’d need my husband by my side. She didn’t even hesitate—going so far as to text me at 3 a.m. to make sure we were still okay, even with her own littles fast asleep at home.
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Deacon Graham Galloway
cteditorial@catholicaoc.org
37 FESTIVALS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE
KARY ELLEN BERGER Pregnancy Center East
KARY ELLEN BERGER
Foundational principles: Love in Action
HEALTHY MOMS & BABES
Creating a parenting network in Dayton
34 KIDS’ CORNER
36 THEOLOGY OF THE BODY
THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
ON THE COVER PHOTO
MARGARETBY: SWENSEN
Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides beds to thousands in the 20community
walking with moms columns
Mother and child in Milford, OH.
TONY STIERITZ
Healthy Moms & pageBabes23
The spousal meaning of the body
PARENTING SUPPORT
We pray for the elderly, who represent the roots and memory of a people; may their experience and wisdom help young people to look towards the future with hope and responsibility.
CSSMV connects with women to develop ongoing support & 23relationships
14 A CLOSER LOOK
32 SHINE ON DOMINICK ALBANO
july contents
GAIL FINKE + EMMA CASSANI St. Mary of the Woods
Extra love and joy: An unexpected diagnosis and a beautiful blessing
30 PREGNANCYCOMMUNITYRESOURCES
13 BOOK REVIEW
MARGARET SWENSEN Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life
Don’t let perfect get in the way of good
DR. ANDREW SODERGREN
33 DID YOU KNOW?
40 THE FINAL WORD ANN POIRIER
POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION FOR JULY For the Elderly
PATRICIA MCGEEVER
22 CATHOLIC AT HOME
news
16 FAMILY YOUTH INITIATIVE
BONNY VAN
28 HOPE & HEALING
DR. KENNETH CRAYCRAFT
KATIE SCIBA
12 SEIZE THE MOMENT NICHOLAS HARDESTY The gobsmacking gratuity of God
Motherhood & self care
St. Margaret of Antioch
10 EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL
KARY ELLEN BERGER
40 OUT & ABOUT IN THE ARCHDIOCESE
RV outreach helps women and children survive and thrive
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7 QUESTION OF FAITH FATHER DAVID ENDRES Baptism without godparents?
18 SLEEP TIGHT
KATIE SCIBA & JESSICA RINAUDO Project Rachel provides post-abortive support to women and men
Abortion practice after Roe
26 A PLACE FOR HOPE
8 BEACONS OF LIGHT
JEREMY HELMES My flesh for the life of the world
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ARCHBISHOP DENNI S M. SCHNURR
Seek the Lord
For the nearly 50 years since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down almost all state laws limiting abortion in its infamous Roe v. Wade decision, Catholics joined others of good will in picketing at abortion clinics and marching in Washington. These peaceful protests sought reversal of a judicial ruling that even some abortion supporters concede had no basis in constitutional law.
Pope St. John Paul II noted in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) that challenges facing expectant mothers include lack of support from the father, financial strains,
in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), called for the Church to be an evangelizing community of encounter and accompaniment, “standing by people every step of the way, no matter how difficult or lengthy this may prove to be” (EG 24). The pregnancy care centers and pro-life ministries across our archdiocese are among the many answers to that plea.
“Pro-life” is not just a slogan or even a philosophy; it is the Christian way of life that respects, defends and promotes what Pope St. John Paul II called “the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition of that person’s life” (Evangelium Vitae 81). This issue of The Catholic Telegraph highlights some of the many pro-life efforts that support expectant mothers in difficult circumstances, both during pregnancy and after their child is born.
Abortion has a special claim on our attention because it is an intrinsic evil that cuts life short at its most vulnerable moment. That has been the clear teaching of the Church since the first Christian century. Science now confirms that everything making a human being human is present in the earliest stages of pregnancy–a vulnerable being whose inherent and sacred dignity demands respect.
However, the reversal of Roe v. Wade would not by itself change people’s hearts to “love them both,” mother and unborn child. That is best accomplished by the good example of joyful witnesses to the culture of life generously assisting women in need. At the time of this writing, there has been no final decision on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, but the Church has always stood ready to help women during pregnancy and after delivery.
In 2020, in honor of and in response to the 25th anniversary of The Gospel of Life, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a nationwide, parish-based effort called “Walking with Moms in Need.” Its purpose is to increase the Church’s outreach and support to pregnant women facing difficult or unexpected pregnancies, and to effectively communicate those efforts. This ministry enables parishioners to know these moms in need, listen to them and help them obtain necessities for themselves and their Popechildren.Francis,
SEEK THE LORD / JULY 2022
Please join me in this prayer for pregnant mothers offered by the USCCB: O Blessed Mother, you received the good news of the incarnation of Christ, your Son, with faith and trust. Grant your protection to all pregnant mothers facing difficulties. Guide us as we strive to make our parish communities places of welcome and assistance for mothers in need. Help us become instruments of God’s love and compassion. Mary, Mother of the Church, graciously help us to build a culture of life and a civilization of love, together with all people of good will, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life. Amen.
concerns about her own health and that of her child, and pressures from family and friends. Crisis pregnancy centers have been there to help in such situations since even before Roe v. Wade. And in our local Church, numerous Catholic organizations have long offered pregnancy counseling. Yet, more can be done. As Pope Francis said in 2015, our parishes should be “islands of mercy in a sea of indifference.”
ARZOBISPO DENNIS M. SCHNURR
Busca al Senor
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El aborto exige nuestra atención, de manera especial, porque es un mal en sí que destruye la vida en su momento más vulnerable. Esa ha sido la clara enseñanza de la Iglesia desde el primer siglo cristiano. La ciencia confirma ahora que todo lo que hace que un ser humano sea humano está presente en las primeras etapas del embarazo: un ser vulnerable cuya dignidad inherente y sagrada demanda el respeto.
“Pro-vida” no es sólo un eslogan o incluso una filosofía; es el modo de vida cristiano que respeta, defiende y promueve lo que el Papa San Juan Pablo II llamó “la dignidad de cada persona humana, en todo momento y condición de su vida” (Evangelium Vitae 81). Esta edición de The Catholic Telegraph (El Telégrafo Católico) destaca algunos de los muchos esfuerzos pro-vida que apoyan a las futuras madres en circunstancias difíciles, tanto durante el embarazo como después del nacimiento de su hijo.
THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
El Papa Juan Pablo II señaló en su encíclica Evangelium Vitae (El Evangelio de la Vida) que los retos a los que se enfrentan las futuras madres incluyen la falta de apoyo del padre, las
El Papa Francisco, en su exhortación apostólica Evangelii Gaudium (La Alegría del Evangelio), pidió que la Iglesia fuera una comunidad evangelizadora de encuentro que, “acompaña a la humanidad en todos sus procesos, por más duros y prolongados que sean” (EG 24). Los centros de atención al embarazo y los ministerios pro-vida de nuestra archidiócesis son algunas de las muchas respuestas a esa petición.
Durante los casi 50 años transcurridos desde que la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos anuló casi todas las leyes estatales que limitaban el aborto en su infame sentencia Roe vs. Wade, los católicos se han unido con personas de buena voluntad para hacer piquetes en las clínicas de aborto y marchar en Washington. Estas protestas pacíficas han buscado la revocación de un fallo judicial que incluso algunos partidarios del aborto reconocen no tener base en el derecho
la reversión de Roe vs. Wade por sí sola no cambiaría el corazón de la gente a “amarlos a ambos,” madre e hijo por nacer. La mejor manera para lograr esto es con el buen ejemplo de los testigos alegres de la cultura de la vida que ayudan generosamente a las mujeres que lo necesitan. En el momento de escribir este artículo, no se ha divulgado la decisión final sobre el caso Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, pero la Iglesia siempre ha estado dispuesta a ayudar a las mujeres durante el embarazo y después del parto.
Sinconstitucional.embargo,
Por favor, únanse a mí en esta oración por las madres embarazadas ofrecida por la USCCB: Oh Madre Santa, recibiste la buena nueva de la encarnación de Cristo, tu Hijo, con fe y confianza. Concede tu protección a todas las embarazadas que enfrentan dificultades. Guíanos en nuestro esfuerzo por hacer de nuestras comunidades parroquiales lugares de acogida y asistencia para las madres necesitadas. Ayúdanos a convertirnos en instrumentos del amor y la compasión del Dios bondadoso. María, Madre de la Iglesia, ayúdanos a crear la cultura de la vida y la civilización de amor, junto con todas las personas de buena voluntad, para alabanza y gloria de Dios Creador, y amante de la vida. Amén.
tensiones financieras, la preocupación por su propia salud y la de su hijo, y las presiones de la familia y los amigos. Los centros de ayudad para embarazos en crisis han brindado ayuda en tales situaciones incluso desde antes de Roe vs. Wade. En nuestra Iglesia local, numerosas organizaciones católicas han ofrecido, desde hace mucho tiempo, asesoramiento sobre el embarazo. Sin embargo, se puede hacer más. Como dijo el Papa Francisco en 2015, nuestras parroquias deben ser “islas de misericordia en medio del mar de la indiferencia.”
En 2020, en honor y en respuesta al vigésimo quinto aniversario de la encíclica, El Evangelio de la Vida, la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos (USCCB) lanzó un esfuerzo a nivel nacional, basado en las parroquias, llamado “Caminando con las Mamás Necesitadas.” Su objetivo es aumentar el alcance y el apoyo de la Iglesia a las mujeres embarazadas que se enfrentan a embarazos difíciles o inesperados, y comunicar eficazmente esos esfuerzos. Este ministerio permite a los feligreses conocer a estas madres necesitadas, escucharlas y ayudarlas a obtener lo necesario para ellas y sus hijos.
Baptism Without Godparents?
the parents may choose the godparents: one male and one female who are each at least 16-years-old and already received the sacraments of baptism, communion and confirmation. In addition, the sponsor must be someone “who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on” (Code of Canon Law, 874.1); in other words, the sponsor is to be a practicing Catholic.
By ancient tradition, however, the Rite of Baptism envisions the presence of godparents and addresses the sponsors’ role at several points. When present, the priest asks the godparents whether they are “ready to help the parents of this child in their duties.” The sponsors sign the child with the sign of the cross, the godmother places a white garment over the child and the godfather lights the baptismal candle from the Easter candle.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when person-to-person interactions were limited, many infant baptisms were held in private—some with only the parents, the child and the minister. Though preferred, baptismal sponsors (godparents) are not necessary for a valid baptism—sometimes their presence is not possible, as in an emergency in a hospital or home setting.
REQUIREMENTS FOR BAPTISM
FATHER DAVID ENDRES is associate professor of Church history and historical theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology.
Baptism is the gateway to the sacramental life—the person is incorporated into Christ and the Church. For this reason, baptism is not to be hindered. What is required for a valid baptism is flowing water, either poured over the person or the person immersed in it, while speaking the formula: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
GODPARENTS’ LITURGICAL ROLE
Are godparents necessary for baptism? If so, what are the requirements for godparents, and what does the Church expect of them?
Neither the father nor mother may serve as a godparent, but
AN ENDURING ROLE
Since the Church wishes to extend the grace of baptism to as many as possible, godparents are not essential. But whenever possible, at least one godparent should be chosen as a source of support and prayer for living out the Christian life.
QUESTION
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QUESTION OF FAITH
A baptized non-Catholic Christian may participate. Christians from the Eastern Churches not in communion with the Holy See, such as Greek Orthodox, can fulfill the role of sponsor, but only in addition to a Catholic sponsor (Directory on Ecumenism, 1993). Christian members of another ecclesial community, such as a Baptist, can fulfill the role of “witness” to the baptism, in which case there would be one sponsor and one Christian witness (Code of Canon Law, 874.2.)
The role of godparents is an important and enduring one, and it is both an honor and a duty. Through example, exhortation and prayer, the sponsor is meant to assist the baptized in living a Christian life. It is the role of the sponsors, along with the parents, to help the baptized remain faithful to their baptismal promises.
REQUIREMENTS FOR GODPARENTS
OF FAITH / JULY 2022
LOVE IN ACTION
BY TONY STIERITZ
FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES #6:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn.3:16).
During His ministry on Earth, Jesus revealed this love to us in very concrete ways. He healed the sick, He fed the hungry and He brought hope to the downhearted. He also kept close company with society’s outcasts, such as lepers, the lost sinners and despised Samaritans. Jesus mercifully responded to people’s physical, mental and spiritual anguish. He walked in their shoes, understood their sufferings and sincerely desired their liberation. As Pope Francis proclaimed in his Message for the Fifth World Day of the Poor, “Jesus not only sides with the poor; he also shares their lot” (no. 3).
not a new vision. In fact, the U.S. Catholic bishops forthrightly stated 30 years ago that “the Church’s social mission is an essential measure of every parish community”
The Church today must do the same. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI taught, this is why exercising the ministries of charity and social justice is one of the Church’s threefold responsibilities. Along with proclaiming the Word and celebrating the sacraments, “charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being” (Deus Caritas Est, no.25a).
THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
As the home of the Church, then, our parishes are to embrace the work of charity and justice as an integral part of their identities – although this may look different for each faith community. Parishes live this out, for example, by partnering with Catholic Charities or Catholic Social Services to assist at food pantries or welcome newly arrived refugee and migrant families to the community. Other ministries advocate to public officials for the lives of the unborn, for more public support for mothers in need or for an end to capital punishment. Some parishes conscientiously care for creation and future generations by using less energy and resources on parish grounds. Others proactively ensure involvement in the life and decision-making of the parish from those of minority backgrounds and those with disabilities. The list goes on.
The Beacons of Light “Love in Action” principle cheers on every Family of Parishes’ critical work to serve those in need, change systems that marginalize and oppress, protect human life from conception until natural death and build bridges of solidarity across the beautiful diversity of our one human
This article is the sixth in a series covering each of the six foundational principles of Beacons of Light, the pastoral planning process of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
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Explore Faith-Based Senior Care a t St. Margaret Hall
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Love in Action envisions that our Parish Families will: • Recognize the HUMAN DIGNITY of each person, who is created in the “image of God” (Gaudium et Spes, 12).
St. Margaret Hall, a member of the Carmelite System, is built to carry forth the mission of the Carmelite Sisters by proclaiming the value and dignity of the aged and infirm and providing collaborative ways to meet the needs of today’s elderly. As a faith-based, not-for-profit senior living community, providing compassionate care is a ministry for us, not just a job.
BEACONS OF LIGHT / JULY 2022
• Exercise the ministries of CHARITY and JUSTICE, with significant numbers of parishioners engaging in both direct service to the vulnerable and public advocacy to protect all life and care for creation.
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• EDUCATE and FORM parishioners, staff and clergy –utilizing the rich history of Catholic Social Teaching and Scripture – on what it means to be a community of “salt and light” in today’s world (Mt. 5:13-16).
• Create spaces of BELONGING that facilitate the inclusion, affirmation and meaningful participation of all Catholics in the community of faith.
• Inspire all members to SOLIDARITY, encountering Christ in all people, both locally and across the globe. As Pope St. John Paul II declared, “we are all really responsible for all” (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, no.38).
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(Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish). However, the Beacons of Light process offers new opportunities. With multiple church communities combining their ministries, talents and resources, this is a new moment for us to multiply our works of mercy. As we forge new relationships across former parish boundaries, now is our time to rediscover together the Gospel of love and to make a greater impact in the world!
We should all be asking ourselves what success is supposed to look like through this Beacons of Light reorganization. One outcome must certainly be an advancement of charity and justice ministries throughout our local Church. Or, more to the point, more people should experience God’s love more fully through our works of mercy. In addition, we should all expect that more parishioners will know the joy of furthering the kingdom of God. May the Holy Spirit guide our vital efforts for the sake of our parishes – and the world!
In response, the Love in Action team wants to support Families of Parishes in building social ministry structures that expand parishioner involvement, increase coordination among all involved and elevate the works of mercy to the highest consciences of parish identity.
Learn more about our discount pricing and move-in incentives by reaching out to St. Margaret Hall today!
The Eucharist makes the Church. This simple statement of belief is at the heart of what it means to be a Catholic Christian. The Church is the community of the baptized who gather each Sunday to do as Jesus commanded: to participate in His sacrifice on the cross and share a sacred meal together in His memory.
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Asphase.part
of the pastoral planning process, Beacons of Light is taking place in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati over the coming years, Archbishop Schnurr established the first principle—Eucharist—in these words: “The Mass is the source and summit of the whole Christian life. Accordingly, the Eucharist is the essential moment for building up and strengthening the parish community, along with the sacraments and other celebrations of the paschal mystery—the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus SummerChrist.”of2023
will begin the parish phase of the Eucharistic Revival. During this time, Families of Parishes will be invited to participate through special activities, opportunities for prayer and formation, Eucharistic worship outside of Mass and more. Families of Parishes will begin to assess their liturgical life, including the celebration of Mass, and plan to more fully realize the vision of truly being a Eucharistcentered community.
Jesus could have chosen to remain with us in any way, and indeed is present to us in so many ways throughout our lives. But He chose this special way, under the simple appearances and manner of ordinary, common food – bread and wine – to dwell with us, literally WITHIN us. Jesus took the most routine and mundane of daily activities – eating – and bestowed upon it a dignity unparalleled; in our celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass.
To this end, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) are calling for a three-year grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. They believe God wants to see a movement of Catholics across the U.S., healed, converted, formed and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—and sent out in mission “for the life of the world.”
BY JEREMY HELMES
The first year, which began on June 19, is a diocesan phase. Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr celebrated Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains and a Eucharistic procession followed to mark the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (traditionally known as “Corpus Christi”). This kicked off the diocesan
My Flesh for the Life of the World
Yet, we are experiencing a literal “crisis of faith” regarding the Eucharist. Regular participation in Mass is in decline nationally, and even as the pandemic continues to wane, we are nowhere near the level of Mass attendance of just two years ago. Also of concern is a recent national study showing that only a minority of Catholics believe in traditional understandings of Christ’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL
In the middle ages it was not uncommon to find the Eucharist hanging above the altar in a pyx held by a larger bowl called a columba or dove. Much like a dove descended to Noah to bring him a sign of peace after the flood and the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, so too would this dove ‘descend’ during communion to bring a sign of everlasting piece and God’s providence to the people: previously consecrated hosts of the Blessed Sacrament.
The final of the Revival’s three phases begins in 2024 at the national level, featuring a national Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. You can find more about these three phases and the entire Eucharistic Revival at https:// Overeucharisticrevival.org.thecomingmonths,
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The Catholic Telegraph will feature personal witnesses from ordinary Catholics about the Eucharist’s power in their lives. Our archdiocesan initiative TOGETHER can help you learn more about what we as Catholics believe about the celebration of the Eucharist. I encourage you to reflect on the meaning of the Eucharist in your own life. Next Sunday as you go to Mass, make sure to give thanks to God for the great gift of
Eucharistic Fact!
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| 11EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL / JULY 2022
NICHOLAS HARDESTY is the associate director of Adult Evangelization and RCIA for the Center for the New Evangelization. | nhardesty@catholicaoc.org
The Gobsmacking Gratuity of God
It’s a hard pill to swallow—but, that pill was mine just a couple months ago.
Yes, we have a God of abundance, but abundance is not always what we see in the world. The homeless, the hungry, the abused and neglected—how is their cup overflowing?
STUPEFYING GENEROSITY
That’s what gratuity looks like. That’s the kind of God we have.
Something is “gratuitous” if it is beyond what is reasonable, and God is perfectly reasonable. He is reason itself. But He gives so generously that He appears to us to be quite unreasonable
My six-year-old son is autistic and minimally verbal. After trying several interventions over the years to help him communicate better, we were finally approved for an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (or “AAC”) device, which is a tablet or laptop that helps those with a speech or language impairment to communicate.
It was all very strange and bewildering, but eventually, I came to a conclusion that brought me some peace: People are gratuitously generous because that’s the kind of God we have.
To my surprise, within five hours our little crowd-funding campaign was fully funded! Then, an even crazier thing happened: People kept donating. For some reason, they just wanted to give us more money! It’s hard to believe that people can be that generous, that they can give beyond what is reasonable. I kept asking myself, “Why are they doing this?” It was starting to make me feel guilty. The devices were funded, was I just taking advantage of people’s sympathy?
WE ARE THE DIFFERENCE
when the wine ran out at the wedding feast in Cana, Jesus turned 150 gallons of water into the finest wine. When a multitude of 5,000 came to listen to Jesus, and it grew late with nothing for them to eat, He turned five barley loaves and two fish into enough food for everyone to have their fill—with 12 baskets of food left over. After Simon fished all night without success, Jesus commanded him to set out into the deep and cast his net again. Simon then caught so many fish that they broke his net and filled two boats to the point of sinking.
It’s a game-changer for kids like mine, but very expensive— close to $10,000, and then the purchase of a second “modeling device,” through which parents teach their child how to use the AAC device. We certainly couldn’t afford it. After investigating other solutions and coming up short, I finally took a big gulp, swallowed my pride and set up a GoFundMe.
The difference is us. As we’ve seen from Scripture, Jesus will perform miracles so His abundance breaks through. As Christians, we pray for these miracles, and we believe they can and will happen. But, we must take the extra step of giving, healing, serving, and defending the dignity of those in need.
I hate asking for help. In my pride I want to keep the appearance of having it all together; asking for help shatters that carefully crafted illusion. It requires me to admit I cannot solve all my problems on my own. It requires that I face my own weaknesses and inabilities.
Deprivation occurs whenever we don’t take both steps. But, like the 45 people who donated to our family’s need, when we respond to God’s generosity with our own generosity, we give others the experience of an unbelievable outpouring of grace and power. And with so much chaos and confusion in the world, it’s nice to have a good reason to be bewildered.
12 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
SEIZE THE MOMENT
Forsometimes.example,
A BIG GULP AND A GOFUNDME
THE GOD OF SOMETHING MORE “Gratuitous” is not a word we typically associate with God.
On Love, Friendship and Becoming the Person God Created You to Be
As Christians, we believe sin separates us from God. And separation from God is separation from our true selves. It seems our God-given dispositions contribute to our daily struggles as often as our successes. In her characters’ development, Jane Austen demonstrates that tendencies to particular evils, however naturally they seem to occur, are not natural at all and are, more importantly, not unchangeable.
Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life
Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life is a lively read and a welcome companion to Austen’s novels. Stewart laughs (and cringes) along with the reader as we delight in the oft ridiculous and occasionally virtuous characters in Austen’s invented worlds. While it is not necessary to have read all of Austen’s works to glean the moral lessons Stewart tries to clarify, this book is certain to make one eager to read (or re-read) the works of this “underestimated genius.” And we may, in the process, grow closer to becoming the person God created us to be.
In her book Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life, Stewart considers Austen’s six finished novels, dedicating a chapter to each and focusing on one dominant vice with its corresponding virtue. Stewart provides a close examination of these vices and the virtues that can overcome them. Using a Catholic interpretation, she looks beyond the pages of Austen’s novels, making regular references to The Divine Comedy with input from familiar philosophers: G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis and Alasdair MacIntyre, to name a few. She uses personal anecdotes and casual language so that the reader feels she was discussing Austen with a close friend—a goal Stewart hopes to facilitate through this book and its discussion questions.
by Haley Stewart
BOOK REVIEW
Austen’s heroines live in simplified worlds with small circles of acquaintances. These are distinctly Christian worlds in which sin has clear consequences. “It’s possible,” says Stewart, “to know what is right,” and characters “have the freedom to choose what is good.” Stewart claims that these simple, small worlds are the heart of Austen’s genius, inviting the reader to place himself in the shoes of particular characters.
Perhaps we can’t put a name to the sins that weigh on our hearts—they often masquerade as something else. But what if we could put a face to these afflictions? Author Haley Stewart thinks that Jane Austen can help—because we may find our most nagging vices look a lot like those of Elizabeth Bennet’s. Or Emma Woodhouse. Or Edmund Bertram. And so on.
What is keeping Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet from each other and their call to marriage? Pride (no surprise there). And the antidote to pride? Humility. Simple enough. But Stewart points out another facet of Austen’s genius: she does not sermonize. The power of Austen’s narratives do the work. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy endure an excruciating journey to self-discovery. They are each allowed to feel the weight of their misjudgments so that they may come to be free of them at last.
REVIEWED BY MARGARET SWENSEN
| 13BOOK REVIEW / JULY 2022
Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life by Haley Stewart; Ave Maria Press; $16.95; published March 25, 2022
“There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil,” Mr. Darcy admits to Elizabeth Bennet when she pokes fun at his seriousness.
Similarly, we Catholics should advocate generous, publicly supported, neonatal and early childhood healthcare programs funded by state or federal tax dollars. By affirming the legitimacy of public funding for early-childhood healthcare, we will have a stronger voice in how it is distributed and what is required to receive it. Economic incentives to keep and care for children are a legitimate effect of tax policy. By affirming
14 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
While Roberts’ admonition should be taken at face value, it is unlikely that the final decision in Dobbs will depart from the substantial holding of the leaked opinion. Assuming that is the case, the end of Roe is the occasion for American Catholics to reassess their policy positions regarding a host of issues, including public subsidies for prenatal and neonatal health care, mandatory paid parental leave, publicly subsidized or underwritten childcare, and adoption reform. Are ones’ currently held positions formed by Catholic moral doctrine or partisan political loyalty?
governmental policies and programs. As pro-life advocates, we Catholics must resist reflexively opposing such measures simply because they may not align with the current thought of our preferred political party. Our Catholic faith should relativize and subordinate everything else to itself.
It is common slander to say Catholics only care about the child until he or she is born. This is nonsense. Through crisis pregnancy centers, Catholic Charities, Catholic Social Services, and numerous other organizations, Catholics have been in the vanguard of compassionate care for pregnant women, newborn children, and young families. Along with these admirable and necessary services, a post-Roe America will demand even broader support for pregnant women, infants, children, and young families, which must include
A CLOSER LOOK
BROADER SUPPORT POST-ROE
We believe we must preserve the lives of all unborn children; this implies an obligation to programs that help women carry their babies to term, such as mandated paid family leave. The United States is the only wealthy western democracy without a federal law mandating that employers provide paid parental leave to their employees. While a handful of states require employers to provide varying amounts of paid leave, federal policy guarantees only six weeks of unpaid time off for some qualified workers. Many large employers do, of course, provide paid family leave on their own. Catholic institutions and Catholic-owned businesses should be leading examples of such benefits, even if not legally required. Discussions about the cost of such mandates, distribution and absorption of those costs, and other factors related to implementation of such policies are fair game, but they must be in the context of Catholic moral teaching, which transcends partisan politics.
Abortion Politics and Practice after Roe
On May 2, 2022, Politico, an online magazine, published a leaked draft majority opinion for the U.S. Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which tests Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban. Written by Associate Justice Samuel Alito, the Dobbs opinion holds that Roe v. Wade “was egregiously wrong from the start” and therefore, “must be overruled.” Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the authenticity of the leaked opinion the following day, but cautioned that it is not necessarily the Court’s final word.
FUNDING CARE
A CLOSER LOOK / JULY 2022 yourthatinterpretationTrustworthysupportscommunity AccuracyNow Language Services, a social enterprise of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, ensures language is never a barrier. We are here for you, 24 hours a day, for all of your interpretation, remote interpretation, translation, and transcription needs in more than 150 languages. MAXIMIZE YOUR SOCIAL IMPACT while acquiring your language service needs at accuracynow.com 6 hours servicesinterpretationof 1 session of mental health counseling 12 hours servicesinterpretationof Much-needed food assistance to 20 families 24 hours servicesinterpretationof 1 month of emergency rent assistance The dollars you spend go back into your community:
A post-Roe America will demand even broader support for pregnant women, infants, children and young families, which must include governmental policies and programs.
State and federal policy related to childcare is another area in which we, as pro-life advocates, might need to adjust our thinking. Proponents of governmentsupported childcare are often motivated by the desire for parents to rejoin the workforce, rather than the child’s welfare. An early return to the workforce might be better for some families, and we must not gainsay that decision. On the other hand, childcare credits or other forms of public funding must also assist parents who choose to stay home in their children’s most formative early years. While it is legitimate for both parents to work outside the home, the decision should not be driven solely by financial necessity. If we reject subsidized childcare out of hand, we forfeit our ability to shape policy in a way that supports family-friendly programs, applicable to both parents who rejoin the workforce and those who choose to stay home.
DR. KENNETH CRAYCRAFT is an attorney and the James J. Gardner Family Chair of Moral Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology.
Reversal of Roe is also an opportunity to address the enormous cost of adoption, which can be $20,000 to $45,000 through an agency. When not paid or subsidized by an employer, these
costs are often prohibitive for couples who desire to adopt newborns and infants. Laws and regulations streamlining the process, along with publicly subsidized costs, will help couples afford adoption and encourage mothers to carry to term children they would be tempted to Ofabort.course, programs must always measure up to the Catholic principle of subsidiarity: where practicable, social policies and programs must be implemented by institutions closest to the challenge. Such programs will be expensive, but if we are serious about discouraging abortion and encouraging parenting by intact families, we must be ready to help bear those costs. United, Catholics can be vocal advocates for life and for families. To do so credibly, we must set aside partisan politics and embrace the entirety of Catholic moral doctrine, thereby properly enabling our faith to animate our choices and actions.
| 15
them in principle, we can help shape them in practice.
“We changed the name to the Parenting Network because we had more dads coming in,” said Stefanow. “We know that getting them to keep their baby is only a portion of them having a good life. They need to know how to parent their
BY BONNY VAN
Creating a Parenting Network in Dayton mentoring
and found space at a local church to meet with young ladies and provide counseling, using the Heritage House curriculum, which gives guidance on pregnancy and parenting skills. The New Carlisle organization added two more locations, in Springfield and Fairborn, and the name was changed to the Women’s Network, until a few years ago.
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“And from there, they realized that these girls needed more than a pregnancy test,” said Stefanow, “They needed some mentoring and counseling, and [so we] worked with them in helping them keep their babies.”
family youth initiative
The founders then connected with Tri-County Right to Life
25 years ago, Stefanow said, volunteers and staffers noticed a huge increase in the number of calls from girls as young as 12 asking for pregnancy tests.
16 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
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said founders Carol Tipton and Pat Banaszak started the hotline in 1978 to provide pregnancy tests for young women who called in.
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Building healthy future generations begins with providing support for younger generations today. That’s according to Nikki Stefanow, Executive Director of Family and Youth Initiatives, based in New Carlisle. Since its inception as a crisis pregnancy hotline some 44 years ago, Family and Youth Initiatives (FYI) has added support for new parents, mentoring for youth, programs for middle and high schoolers and, surprisingly, a community garden. (Overseen by Jim Tipton, son of an FYI founder, what could be more apropos than a community garden when your goal is to grow healthy
“Now most of them were not pregnant, most of them were not even doing anything to get pregnant, but they didn’t know that,” said Stefanow, who became executive director in July 2020. “And so they started doing a Real Life Teen Choices program back then. Now, we do a 5-day in-school
Professional Portfolio Management
future, Stefanow said that regardless of the forthcoming Supreme Court decision, “I think we’re going to see the same things we’re seeing—people who want to keep their babies, who want to be good parents and they want some support to do that. They want some skills and they want some education. They want to have hope that they can move forward.”
They serve clients in additional ways through phone and Zoom appointments. Stefanow noted that a number of experienced volunteers dropped out of the front lines during the pandemic. While she misses their wealth of knowledge, she said the shutdown forced her and the team to refocus their
Stefanow said that each year the Parenting Network counsels 250 families; the mentoring program sees about 150 children; and the Real Life Teen Choices program is presented to 5,000 students. It’s all done with a staff of 20 and 55 volunteers, “but we could easily use 100 volunteers.”
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© 2022 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC 4210412 01/22
program where we go in and talk to them about abstinence, setting long-term goals, healthy relationships and all kinds of at-risk behaviors. Right now, vaping is huge so we talk to them about that as well. We go into middle schools and high schools in seven different counties.”
are certified as National
| 17WALKING WITH MOMS / JULY 2022
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The mentoring program, which includes both one-on-one and group settings, is available in elementary, middle and high schools, and the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center. Stefanow said the group has learned through the years the importance of a caring adult building a relationship with the “Whenyouth.we
become that for them, they start opening up and they start sharing things … and we’re able to get those children identified and get them the help that they need then.”
Left: Seven-year-old Lakeeva received a bed through SVDP’s 2021 Day to Dream program.
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for everyone — whether that is a child preparing for school or an adult facing a day’s responsibilities. No matter what a person’s “tomorrow” holds, sleep is one of life’s necessities. Unfortunately, having a comfortable and safe sleeping environment is not always possible for those in need.
“For [such] individuals and families . . . this program provides more than just a place to sleep,” said Gallagher. “These beds are tangible symbols of stability, security, dignity and comfort”—fundamentals that many young mothers and families struggle to obtain.
18 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
sleeptight
Gallagher predicted that in 2022, SVDP will distribute at least 2,160 beds throughout Hamilton County.
“St. Vincent de Paul - Cincinnati’s Bed Program serves families who have suffered a range of traumatic experiences—eviction from their previous dwelling, bed bug infestations, homelessness, domestic abuse, or financial emergencies—that simply do not make a bed purchase possible,” said Kristen Gallagher, Marketing & Communications Manager for SVDP - Cincinnati. “For adults and children who have suffered these traumas, their previous beds (if they had one) were often lost or left behind during their family’s housing crisis. When these families establish a new place to stay, they are not always able to provide beds for each member of the family.”
For more than 150 years, leaders at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Cincinnati (SVDP - Cincinnati) have helped thousands of people through a wide array of services in Hamilton County. That’s why, in addition to resources like medications, food and emergency funds for rent and utility bills, they also operate a bed program.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Provides Beds to Thousands in the Community
BY KARY ELLEN BERGER
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In 2021, SVDP distributed more than $419,000 of furniture and clothing from their Thrift Stores to neighbors in need at no cost. Free home pick-up of large items can be arranged by calling: 513-421-CARE
•
Join us
| 19WALKING WITH MOMS / JULY 2022
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr
Make In-Kind Donations
(e.g., furniture, clothes or household goods)
OCTOBER 17-28, 2022 on a spiritual journey to the land where Jesus was born, where he preached and healed, suffered, died and rose again.
how to help
Contributions Learn how to make financial contributions and other ways
Volunteer!
Become a Vincentian In Hamilton County (53 conferences!), visit: •SVDPcincinnati.org/conferencesOutsideHamiltonCounty,to find a local conference visit: svdpusa.org
Help is needed at the Neyer Outreach Center. Individuals and groups can get started by visiting: SVDPcincinnati.org/volunteer to
donate by throughbeings—andIt’svocation,humbleways.staffGallagher.‘No“Theresvdpcincinnati.org/ways-of-giving/donate/visiting:isasayingintheSocietyofSt.VincentdePaul,workofcharityisforeigntotheSociety,’”noted“ItisinthisspiritthatourVincentiansandfindthemselveshelpingininfinitelyinventiveUltimately,ourVincentiansareincrediblypeople;theyviewtheirserviceasacallingorratherthanvolunteerwork.”avocationthatembracesthedignityofallhumanaconceptthatsomeonewhoisservedSVDPwillnotexperienceonlyinadream.
20 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH {
Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley Connects with Women to Develop Ongoing Support & Relationships
Laura Roesch, the Chief Executive Officer of CSSMV, said around 1,750 individuals were served through the organization’s Pregnancy & Parenting Support program in 2021, and it assisted thousands more families since its initiation in the 1980s.
“A majority of these individuals are served through our community health outreach,” said Roesch. “We target underserved neighborhoods where there are high rates of
Parenting Support
BY KARY ELLEN BERGER
A commitment to serving parents before, during, and after pregnancy is one of the many ways Catholic Social Services of Miami Valley (CSSMV) makes a difference for families in the northern part of the archdiocese.
infant mortality. We identify pregnant women and women with children under the age of one. We assess their needs, access to resources, and connect them to those resources that will help them have healthier birth outcomes and improve maternal wellness.”
Meeting families where they are in the community is an essential aspect of CSSMV’s program, and its personcentered approach is also what makes CSSMV’s outreach
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Pregnancy & Beyond
“Weunique.are
intentionally out in the community to make those connections…” said Roesch. “We’re finding women who are in need of deeper services and then can develop a more
Roesch said that focusing on present and future opportunities for both mother and child is critical to program.CSSMV’s
| 21WALKING WITH MOMS / JULY 2022
ongoing relationship — setting goals, checking in and more active case management.”
“Family is the cornerstone of society—there are lots of different kinds of families. So… working to support young moms who are wanting the very best for themselves and their children is an important commitment for the mission of our organization.”
“Ifinvolved.awoman is still with her partner and he is engaged in a healthy way to support his partner and support his child, then we involve him in these activities as well,” shared Roesch. “We recognize that children do best when they have two healthy involved parents in their Roeschlives.”noted,
“We offer parenting and coparenting education, early child development where we teach about developmental milestones, and we also work in schools,” said Roesch. “For example, we have a program called Teen Parents Learn where our focus is to keep that young mom in school, support her to graduate, and then work towards developments of plans for additional schooling, vocational training, or other post-graduate credentials. We ask, ‘What do you want to be in the future and how can we help you get there?’”
The Pregnancy & Parenting Support program not only supports mom and baby, but the mother’s partner too, if he expresses interest in being
Roesch added that focusing on present and future opportunities for both mother and child is critical to CSSMV’s program.
Andrew and I are blessed with six children, but a quick head count adds up to just five. Our youngest child, Meg, was born into heaven in 2018—every day our family asks her to pray for us. When I miscarried, friends rushed to my side like Mary to Elizabeth. They brought meals, cried with me and shared their own stories of loss. Though the experience was my own, I felt understood in nearly every aspect of what happened.
time, healthy eating, physical movement and attendance to her emotional needs—puts the proverbial oxygen mask on her first.
But what helps such support penetrate my heart is my own ability to receive it, and that calls for self-awareness and selfcare. “Self-care” is a buzz term typically equated with “selfpampering,” but it’s far more foundational than a glass of wine in a bubble bath. A mother’s care for herself—personal prayer
CATHOLIC
KATIE SCIBA
None of these gestures solved the problems. The pans of lasagna and conversations didn’t bring my Meg back to me, and the gift didn’t mend our marriage, but when these women stood with me, I held my head a little higher and braved the darkness with their light. To this day, I am grateful to have been carried by such loving friends.
And along with that support, I rely on Jesus and our Heavenly Mother for grace and guidance in my motherhood. Our Lord experienced the same earthly temptations we do, and He looks upon us with love and mercy. Mary walks with us in all circumstances. She knows the humble crown of motherhood and, though full of grace, she endured unexpected pregnancy, frequent moves, her Child’s death and all manner of trials in between. Though each mother’s challenges differ, we endure similar core experiences that call us to be present to and uphold each other. Mary is not burdened by our need for her and, together with her Son, never ceases to love us.
is a national speaker and Catholic Press Awardwinning columnist. Katie has been married for 14 years and is blessed with six children.
Strong motherhood is upheld not only by friendships, but, even more so, by a robust marriage. If the family is the foundational building block of society, marriage is the foundation of the family. It’s difficult to articulate how much our marriage affects my heart, but suffice it to say, Andrew’s support and love effect a confidence in my motherhood that wouldn’t otherwise be there. Though the state of our relationship doesn’t dictate the quality of my love and care for our sweet crew, it has an impact on it. “Where one alone may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken” (Eccl. 4:12).
Still, when I think of everything I need and want to do to tend to myself, the list feels too long. So I take a minute to talk to my own heart: “There’s a lot going on this morning. How are you with all of it?” Then I let my heart respond with honesty. Whatever my emotions tell me, I take time to validate them, express empathy to myself, and tell the truth; for example, “It’s a challenge to find calm and get much done when you’re interrupted. That’s frustrating. Let’s pause to help the kids, tell them you’re working on something, then choose a time with fewer interruptions.” You’ll find that introspection opens your eyes to inner goings-on, giving you a chance to take care of your emotions instead of pushing them aside.
Let’s be women who rush to another mom’s side when she needs it, and who pray our husbands love us as Jesus does. Let’s make and take time to examine our own hearts, repeatedly turning to Heaven “from whence comes our help.” The result will be a graceful motherhood, strong in love given and in love received.
Another season of motherhood saw our marriage on the rocks. When our relationship was burdened with pain and anger, my heart was frail; taking care of our children was a struggle. A dear friend sent me a gift and a loving note of support. Her simple gesture told me that I was seen and in her prayers while Andrew and I worked through healing.
Motherhood & Self Care
AT HOME
22 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
When Generra England learned she was pregnant, she was just about to begin her senior year of high school. “I had a lot of people in my ear saying, ‘You’re not going to succeed. You’re not going [to] do this, you’re not going to [do] that. [You’re] going [to] be in the system all your life.’”
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continued on page 24
HEALTHY moms & babes
BY PATRICIA MCGEEVER
But England found a mentor who not only told her she could succeed; they also helped her do it. Healthy Moms & Babes (HMB) helped the teen mom graduate from North College Hill High School, and she earned a scholarship to Wright State University. An outreach ministry, HMB is geared toward African-American women, facilitates access to prenatal care and other services, and educates expectant mothers on parenting and self-sufficiency.
continued from page 23
So, in many instances, we are starting from scratch; from health care to mental health to parenting.
connects women to other agencies. “We … partner with the food bank and … Sweet Cheeks [the diaper bank],” said Sister Cruise. That organization hands out 20,000 diapers each month in Hamilton County.
HMB’s other home visit program, Help Me Grow, works with moms to prepare their child for preschool, continuing the home visits for three years. These two programs currently serve about 140 moms and their
not coming from situations where things have been good in their lives,” said Sister Tricia Cruise, President and CEO of HMB. “So, in many instances, we are starting from scratch; from health care to mental health to parenting.”
“She used to come over and help me with my son while I did my schoolwork,” said England. “She was a big help. We went over goals. She helped me buy my first car. I was working at Kings Island at the time; she helped me come up with a budget plan.”
“They’rechildren.
24 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
HMBwomen.also
“We do a lot of education with these moms,” said Sister Cruise. For a year, a staff member visited England and helped her through challenges.
Sisters, and Franciscan Sisters funded an RV to reach expectant moms in at-risk neighborhoods. Many of those sisters were nurses or had healthcare backgrounds. That RV outreach continues today, visiting about two dozen neighborhoods for five days each week, and then health fairs on weekends throughout the summer. While not a clinic, it offers free health services, helping about 1,500
HMB receives referrals for its programs and women learn of it through word-of-mouth or Facebook. They include the homeless, the battered, and the young. A growing number are Hispanic.
The Catholic-based organization started 37 years ago when the Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Mercy, Dominican
Sr Patricia Cruise President/CEO
Healthy
“I love it,” she says. “I love helping my clients. I tell them, ‘I was once in your shoes, so I can relate to a lot of things. I’m giving back. To see someone grow as I did, your dream can come true. I’m not here to judge.’”
Sister Patricia Cruise, CEO
Join
“If I had the money, I would have 10 more of them because the need is huge,” said Sister Cruise. “There are a lot of owners who no longer want to take Section 8
St. John Paul CincinnatiRighttoLife.orgII
healthy
We should ask ourselves how much we support pregnant women and if we are doing enough in our local community. ...we can start right now by supporting women in our community, who may be contemplating abortion.
e "First Responders" in your neighborhood for pregnancy and parenting needs
A few years ago, the Sisters of Charity gifted HMB with a 4-family apartment building to help with the significant housing need.
�
us October 21st to celebrate our ministr y at the Freedom Center!
“Healthy moms, babies, healthy futures; our community deserves no less!”
As for England, she transferred to Cincinnati State after a death in her family and studied to become a Community Health Worker. She graduated, received her certificate, and enjoys working with people. Having asked Sister England for a job about six years ago, she’s now the one making home visits and mentoring young pregnant girls.
Shehousing.”saidHMB receives money from the state, TriHealth helps on many levels, and Mercy Health provides funding. The remaining monies must be raised, so they write a lot of grant requests.
Moms & Babes is a Catholic based organization for 36 years that answers God's call to serves at risk women of childbearing age and their children so that they may survive and thrive Services we provide due to COVID 19: Doctor Referrals Assistance with insurance and social services Home Visiting Women s Health Information Support before during and a�ter pregnancy Health Education (prenatal, postnatal, nutrition and more) Phone: (513) 591 5600
| 25WALKING WITH MOMS / JULY 2022 Website: www healthymomsandbabes org www facebook com/HMBCincinnati HealthyMomsandBabes513
No matter where women are in their pregnancy journey, the staff and volunteers at Pregnancy Center East (PCE) have their doors open and are ready to help. For 40 years, PCE has provided services to women. In 2021, according to the organization’s executive director, Laura Curran, 2,600 services were provided to women from 98 zip codes throughout the NoTri-State.matter
Pregnancy Center East
PCE accomplishes this by eliminating barriers for women, and their partners if they are in the picture. This includes prenatal visits coordinated with
a forplacehope
where women are in their pregnancy journey, the staff and volunteers at Pregnancy Center East (PCE) have their doors open and are ready to help. For 40 years, PCE has provided services to women.
BY KARY ELLEN BERGER
{ for the family }
“We are here to help families cope with an untimely pregnancy, to help women and men lower their fear and increase their hope,” said Curran. “After that, we are there for them with all kinds of support—emotional, spiritual, physical—for many years. Sometimes, many assume a pro-life organization is only interested in saving the baby, but what we’re interested in is rescuing the entire Curranfamily.”said
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“Oneservices.aspect
The mindset is consistent throughout PCE’s services, including its Chastity Education Program. This August the program is hosting “CREATED: A Theology of the Body Teen Retreat,” to ignite a passion and confidence within teens to talk about their faith life and encourage others to do the same. It has two tracks, one for rising seventh and eighth grade students and one for rising high school students, and its organizer and PCE’s Chastity Education Manager, Elizabeth McKinney, noted the program is for students anywhere on their faith
“Withjourney.theChastity
• August 3-5
PCE is privately funded through grants, churches, and individual donations. supportpce.com
| 27
WALKING WITH MOMS / JULY 2022
“We are the mercy side of the pro-life movement in that we are there to look at that woman, who is terrified, in the eye and call for her gifts,” said Curran. “So often, women come in here, no matter their age, and have been told they’re too poor, they’re too uneducated, they don’t have enough money—they have been told all these things and not one positive thing has been said to them. So what we do, we are the first ones to actually say to them, ‘See this baby as a blessing.’”
that makes us different is our male mentoring program,” continued Curran. “So often the man is ostracized in this decision [to carry a child to term], but we found that the father of the baby can be one of the most significant influences on whether a woman chooses life for her baby or not. When a man comes in, we’ll have him talk with a male mentor and then unite them with the woman in the ultrasound room. That has been really successful for us.”
• 7th-8th grade students: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• 9th-12th grade students: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• body-teen-retreat/ssupportpce.com/created-a-theology-of-the-
TriHealth, an independent adoption agency on campus, a maternity room with clothes for pregnant women and additional material, health and emotional
How to Help Pregnancy Center East
• Free
On-site training, no previous experience required. Looking for good listeners. College-age students or older.
• Sacraments, food, live music, designed to inspire and encourage a teen.
CREATED: A Theology of the Body Teen Retreat
Curran added that one purpose for the services provided by PCE is to focus on the positives even when it may seem like there are few or none.
VOLUNTEERS
office, our mindset is going from a place of, ‘This is why God is good and this is why Theology of the Body is good,’” said McKinney. “People know why things are bad, not as many people talk about why what is good is good.”
Curran agreed that in everything PCE provides, “We go forth in confidence, not in fear.”
THEOLOGY OF THE BODY TEEN RETREAT
Becky Schoenfeld, Associate Director of the archdiocese’s Respect Life Ministries, has witnessed Project Rachel’s powerful impact on post-abortive women. “I was able to facilitate my first weekend retreat in April. On Friday of the retreat, two new participants showed up, and you could tell they felt uneasy and unsure about what the weekend was going to entail. They looked sad, tired and very closed-off. By Sunday morning, they were radiating with the love of Christ in their hearts. They were laughing, smiling and experiencing the joy of the Holy Spirit. This is a perfect example of what Project Rachel does. It allows post-abortive women and men to finally break down those walls of guilt and shame and fill their hearts with love and Oftenjoy.”
Project Rachel provides post-abortive support to women and men
Sarah and her boyfriend later married and had two more children. “I realized I had done something wrong. I took my first baby away.” The reality brought a heavy burden to her heart and relationships. “Having an abortion is not a crime, but I imprisoned myself without bars,” she said. Sarah explained that her heart hardened as she realized the gravity of her abortion.
unconsidered by society, post-abortive dads struggle differently than post-abortive moms. “It’s a different loss,” said Kara Ross, former Associate Director of Respect Life Ministries. “They feel they had little control or maybe
Sarah knew about Project Rachel, a ministry for those
PROJECT RACHEL
She separated herself from friends and her merciful Father.
“I was functioning and doing all the right things; raising a Catholic family, working. I became very busy and didn’t have time to feel the shame and guilt,” but life was like a flatline, Sarah said. She felt no highs or lows. “I just Herexisted.”experience of pregnancy, abortion and pain remained buried for 22 years. “I never told anyone. I never discussed it with my husband,” she admitted.
She was 19 years old when she found out she was pregnant. Afraid of disappointing her parents, Sarah (name chaned to protect identity) and her boyfriend decided to abort their child. “We were in quick and then the baby was gone,” she said, “and it was something I never talked about.”
suffering after abortion where people extend compassion to mothers, fathers and any others affected, without judgment. Though her relative worked with the ministry, it was only after his passing that she felt compelled to attend a support group. Immediately she felt the peace of being received and understood, “I felt a hundred-pound weight lifted from my shoulders. It was God saying, ‘I’ve been waiting 22 years for you.’”
28 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
BY KATIE SCIBA & JESSICA RINAUDO
Such was and is Sarah’s case. In addition to attending a Project Rachel support group, she went on a bi-annual retreat. “I went in broken on Friday and came out loved on Sunday,” she said, smiling. “The Project Rachel women loved me until I could love myself.” Sarah was able to move forward in her life, embracing her past, and asking forgiveness from family and God. After years of silence, she and her husband were able to process together their experiences from decades ago.
She added, “I want people to know that they’re still loved by God. It’s so important to know that you can reconcile and accept forgiveness.” Sarah also mentioned speaking mercifully about post-abortive parents. “There’s so much judgment. Calling post-abortive mothers murderers doesn’t call them to return to God,” she said. “If you know someone who is post-abortive, be present and listen. Love them and help them to get healing.”
SPREADING LOVE AND MERCY
Ultimately, Project Rachel is a means for suffering souls to be restored in love. Suffering opens an opportunity for transformation, enabling all those affected by abortion to become better people.
In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Project Rachel has 30 priests who attend retreats and days of reflection. “They tell the men and women who come, ‘You are welcome, you are wanted and forgiven.’” These clergy received special training from licensed counselors for helping others address the trauma of abortion. “They are human and honest,” Ross said. “Every single one has been an instrument of mercy and love to these people hurting.”
The love and mercy continue to flow through Sarah’s emotional scar. Because of her healing, she was able to reach out to a young woman who planned to have an abortion. The young mother chose life for her child, and
“I want people to understand that having an abortion isn’t solving a problem,” said Sarah. “No one told me that I would have bigger problems when I walked out the door. No one told me it was a baby.”
| 29WALKING WITH MOMS / JULY 2022
Call 513-784-0531 for the Project Rachel helpline or email hopeandhealingcinci@gmail.com for help. You can also visit projectrachelohio.org.
“Project Rachel not only serves women who are seeking healing after an abortion, but also other women considering making that same choice. We give our information to local pregnancy centers, so sometimes we get calls from a woman who is contemplating an abortion and wants to talk to someone who knows how she is feeling,” said Schoenfeld. “It’s so impactful because they get to hear first-hand the experience of someone who has walked that path. The women in this ministry are our best pro-life advocates because they have gone through the pain and suffering of an abortion. They don’t judge a young woman who calls the helpline wanting to talk through her options. We get to point her in a direction so she can receive the help, resources, and support that she needs to choose life for her baby through parenting or placing her baby for adoption.”
“Please pray that more mothers would be open to Project Rachel,” Shoenfeld said. “Pray for the mothers and fathers affected by abortion. Sharing your story of abortion in Project Rachel can bring intense healing.”
they didn’t know it happened. They come from a place of powerlessness and feel they lost the chance to be a dad for selfish reasons.” These men often seek counsel from the Project Rachel priests. “They need to hear they can still be good men.”
Sarah was able to meet and hold the newborn girl who was saved. “I saw my little girl when I held her, and I thought, ‘I didn’t save your life, but we saved hers.’”
Hamilton PATHWAY TO HOPE 202 S. Monument Ave. Hamilton, OH 45011 1.800.712.HELP513.895.2229 (4357)
Hillsboro
{ community resources }
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER “A PLACE OF HOPE” 852 Mt. Orab Pike Georgetown, OH 45121 info@pregnancyhope.comwww.pregnancyhope.com937.378.6853
A CARING PLACE 4446 Mt. Carmel-Tabasco Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45244 513.753.help (4357)
LIFE FORWARD Clifton Center 2415 Auburn Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45219
Georgetown
30 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
LIFE FORWARD Loveland Center 11020 S. Lebanon Rd. Loveland, OH 45140 www.lifeforwardcincy.org513.961.7777
135 W. Walnut St. Hillsboro, OH 45133
SOUTHERN PREGNANCYOHIOCENTER
www.reachoutpregnancy.com513.367.7710
www.lifeforwardcincy.org513.961.7777
www.womenscenterohio.com513.934.1777
East Side
OLD ST. MARY’S PREGNANCY CENTER 123 E. 13th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 513.929.9165
After Hours Help help@acaringplace.orgwww.acaringplace.org513.427.ACP1(2271)Line:
WOMEN’S CENTER— LEBANON
PREGNANCY CENTER EAST 4760 Madison Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45227 www.pregnancycentereast.com513.321.3100
REACH OUT PREGNANCY CENTER
803 E. Broadway St. Harrison, OH 45030
Harrison
info@pregnantnotpregnant.comwww.sopcwecare.comwww.pregnantnotpregnant.com24937.393.2990hrhotline800.395.4357
Lebanon
736 Columbus Ave., Suite A Lebanon, OH 45036
Pregnancy
Downtown Cincinnati
Clifton
Text: info@pathwaytohopepcc.orgwww.pathwaytohopepcc.org513.443.2155
All of the pregnancy centers offer pregnancy testing and confidential services. They are happy to refer pregnant women to resources, such as housing, medical care, and other needs.
PREGNANCY CENTER WEST 4900 Glenway Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45238 www.pc-west.org513.244.5700
WOMEN’S CENTER FOREST PARK 1230 W. Kemper Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45240 womenscenterohio.com513.620.8844
3717 Roosevelt Blvd. Middletown, OH 45044 www.pregnancychoice.net513.424.2229
PREGNANCY CARE CENTER OF SE INDIANA 62 Doughty Rd. Suite 5 Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 www.helpimpregnant.org812.537.4357
our work.
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Northern Kentucky
Middletown
Mt. Healthy/ North College Hill
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COMMUNITY PREGNANCY CENTER
NEW HOPE CENTER 228 Thomas More Parkway Crestview Hills, KY 41017 www.newhopecenter.com859.341.0766
WOMEN’S CENTER MT. HEALTHY 8146 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45231 womenscenterohio.com513.620.8844
WOMEN’S CENTER WESTERN HILLS 3267 Westbourne Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45248 (Opening: 8/29/22)
WALKING WITH MOMS / JULY 2022
OXFORD WOMEN’S CARE CENTER 10 Reagh’s Way Oxford, OH oxfordwomenscarecenter.com513.523.181445003
LIFE FORWARD Springdale Center 11345 Century Circle West Cincinnati, OH 45246 www.lifeforwardcincy.org513.961.7777
| 31 Our work to save lives is just beginning! God bless all who make our mission possible. 513-244-5700pc-west.org
Heregoodness.aresome
My friend’s answer was simple, “Ideally, he would have been born into a loving home and stable family life, and would have never needed to be adopted. I love my brother. My parents love him. He loves all of us. But it doesn’t change the fact that, for him, there will always be pain there.”
THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
Life is never perfect. Would it be “ideal” if all pregnancies took place within loving, healthy marriages in stable homes and with prepared hearts? Sure. But perfect isn’t going to happen on this side of heaven.
things to remember as we shine a light on the goodness of walking with moms.
Pain and suffering are universal. There are no perfect parents, just as there are no perfect people. Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes circumstances are totally outside our control. The more we alleviate guilt and fear in the hearts of women who are unexpectedly pregnant or in crisis pregnancies, the quicker we can help them. First, let them know we aren’t caught up on perfect. Then, we can share with them the good that God can bring, no matter the circumstances.
32 |
Presence is powerful . No ministry can do everything. No service will ever be complete. Some people who need help won’t know about the ministries that can help them. And, the more cynical will always be there to tell you, “You’ve forgotten about this! You’re not doing enough!”
SHINE ON
DOMINICK ALBANO is The Catholic Telegraph’s director of digital engagement, an author and national speaker. He and his wife have been married for 14 years and have four sons. dalbano@catholicaoc.org
Good can sometimes hurt. A friend of mine has an adopted brother, and he told me something that I’ll never forget. He said casually, “Well obviously my parents adopting my brother wasn’t ideal for him.” His statement stopped me in my tracks. This was the most loving home I have personally encountered, with two incredible parents. I didn’t understand. How could he have found himself in a better situation?
But just because we aren’t perfect, doesn’t mean we can’t do some good.
Sometimes we get so caught up wishing things were perfect that we fail to move forward. The Church’s pro-life ministries seek to serve women who are unexpectedly pregnant, in crisis pregnancies, or struggling to make ends meet after giving birth, and to serve post-abortive women and men. With that in mind, this advice reminds us that, though our circumstances might not be perfect, God’s plan is always anchored in grace and
Don’t let perfect get in the way of good. You can’t help everyone, but you can probably help someone. You can’t do everything, but you can probably do something. Each of us can contribute. Knit a baby blanket, donate diapers, volunteer in a pregnancy center, buy coffee for that mom trying to get her double stroller through the coffee shop door, offer free babysitting for the young couple who lives next door.
You matter. Your support matters. Showing up is half the battle, so don’t sit on the sidelines. Do what you can to walk with moms, even if it seems small.
Don’t Let Perfect Get in the Way of Good
Sometimes the good thing – the best thing – might still hurt. Empathy and compassion are paramount to the prolife movement. Reaching out for help might be the hardest thing the person you’re trying to serve has ever done. And, sometimes, the help you’re offering hurts too.
The Catholic Church wants to support and serve mothers and has many ministries devoted to providing services and material goods for moms. But don’t forget - we are the Church. Don’t say, “I’m too old” or “too young,” or “not good enough,” “not wealthy enough” or “not knowledgeable enough.” We aren’t perfect. We never will be.
1 Medallion of the Trinity, by Blanck Studio of Art, above the sanctuary in the nave.
| 33DID YOU KNOW? / JULY 2022
1927
1942
2021-22
1962
1856
2sacraments.Woodentriptychs in the style of Fra Angelico painted by Carl Fuchs, a liturgical artist, for Sts. Peter and Paul Church (Norwood), donated in
“The1996.mural shows streams of water coming from the cross and branching into seven streams, one for each sacrament. Sheep are depicted drinking from the streams of life. This shows the grace of the sacraments flowing from the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and that people at Mass are able to drink from those streams of life. I think that’s a beautiful truth to meditate on during the sacrifice of the Mass.”- Father Shawn Landenwitch, pastor
Dedicated to the parish church but not owned by it, Our Lady of Fatima Shrine on the shore of Indian Lake is all that remains of a Catholic amusement park owned by George Quatman, Sr., a major donor to St. Mary of the Woods. Maintained by the American Society of Ephesus, it features a 43ft. fiberglass statue of Our Lady of Fatima, once the largest in the world. St. Mary of the Woods holds an annual outdoor Mass at the shrine.
Rebuilt church dedicated as “St. Mary Immaculate,” but the faithful continued to call it by its original name.
Major church restoration included a repainted interior and new wooden sanctuary floor, frame, crucifix, and mural.
Father William Welch, pastor of St. Patrick in Bellefontaine, began celebrating Masses at Orchard Lake for vacationers and summer residents.
2018
“Russells Point is the only sister city in the United States with Fatima, Portugal. Our parish has a special devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, in part because of the Shrine about a mile away. We’ve had a Eucharistic Procession to the Shrine and Family Fun Day there each fall since 2017, for the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparition.”- Father Shawn Landenwitch, pastor
The marsh area of Lewistown Reservoir at Old Indian Lake was created for the Miami-Erie Canal, transforming the area into a booming summer resort and amusement destination.
1 Mural by Blanck Studio of Art, featuring two angels and waters symbolizing the
1920
1961
St. Mary of the Lake Chapel constructed on donated land. Assistant pastors at St. Patrick served as “Resident Summer Pastors.”
1992 Major church addition completed and new altar dedicated.
Father Anthony Wolf became the first full-time resident pastor.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA AT INDIAN LAKE
Arson destroys much of the main church. Masses celebrated at San Juan Amusement Park.
1957 Side wings added.
A day after establishing a sister city relationship with Russells Point, OH, the Mayor of Fatima, Portugal, attended the annual outdoor Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, one mile from St. Mary Immaculate’s church.
Craft Directions st-margaret-pull-tab-craftthecatholictelegraph.com/ Check our Youtube for the craft video! CatholicTelegraphyoutube.com/user/
MAKING CATHOLIC MEMORIES / JULY 2022
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Referencing one of his favorite passages from the Second Vatican Council, Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “The body has a ‘spousal’ meaning because the human person… is a creature that God willed for his own sake and that, at the same time, cannot fully find himself except through the gift of self” (TOB 15:5). How do we “find” ourselves by making a gift of self?
all called to see in each other’s bodies a person who must be treasured as a supreme gift from the Creator. By receiving one another in this way, we help each other “find” ourselves, discovering the truth of our “giftness.” We are then emboldened to reveal and welcome each other more and more deeply such that our “mutual gift creates the communion of persons” (TOB 17:3). Thus, the spousal meaning of the body means that through this giving and welcoming, accepting and finding, our bodies proclaim to us the eternal truth that “happiness is being rooted in Love” (TOB 16:2).
All of creation is a gift held in being at every moment by God, whose inner life is an eternal giving and receiving of love. Since the very meaning of our existence is gift, and we are made in the image of God who is love, the fulfillment of our being and existence is to give ourselves away in love (i.e., selfgift). When we make a “total” gift of self, we give our whole selves—body, soul, past, present and future—to another. This most complete form of self-gift is properly called “spousal,” and the proper “place” for this spousal gift is marriage. The human body, which reveals our maleness or femaleness, shows us that man and woman are made for this kind of spousal gift of self. The body bears witness to the fact that man and woman are made to belong to each other in an exclusive, permanent way through which may flow the blessing of children.
In applying these insights to the encounter between our first parents described in Genesis 2, Pope St. John Paul II wrote of how the man and woman beheld in one another “a beauty that goes beyond the simply physical level of ‘sexuality.’” They looked on each other with a “deep availability for the ‘affirmation of the person.’” The man and woman saw more than just their sexual features but “through the body someone willed by the Creator ‘for his own sake,’ that is, someone unique and unrepeatable, someone chosen by eternal Love” (TOB 15:4). Though they were naked, they felt no shame because they perceived that they were completely safe in the person-affirming gaze of the other. They discovered that each of their bodies revealed a mystery we call “person,” and through their reciprocal self-giving and welcoming of one another, they discovered their true value as gifts to be treasured. In this way, our first parents discovered the spousal meaning of the body and its essential connection to man’s “original happiness” (TOB Indeed,15:5).weare
36 |
Reflecting in this way on the human body and the logic of gift led Pope St. John Paul II to coin the phrase the “spousal meaning of the body.” This concept was crucial in his thinking about the human person, so much so that he used the term a total of 117 times in Theology of the Body, prompting the editor of the English edition to refer to it as “the single most central and important concept in TOB” (M. Waldstein, TOB, p. 682). Let’s unpack this concept further.
DR. ANDREW SODERGREN, MTS, PSY.D. is a Catholic psychologist and director of psychological services for Ruah Woods. He speaks on the integration of psychology and the Catholic faith. He and his wife, Ellie, have five children.
This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB).
better or worse—in the other’s reception of us. If we are fully “welcomed” and “accepted” by the other as a gift, we discover the truth of our “giftness.” We learn, “I am a gift, a person to be loved, respected, treasured.”
POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II’S THEOLOGY OF THE BODY
The Spousal Meaning of the Body
THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
According to the late pope, we discover who we are in how we are received by another, especially in those moments when we are truly “naked,” not necessarily physically but truly vulnerable with another, revealing our inmost selves. In those moments of deep encounter, we “find” ourselves—for
| 37FESTIVALS / JULY 2022 3105 MADISON OAKLEYROAD LIVE MUSIC EACH NIGHT FRIDAY - 7/15 GEE YOUR BAND SMELLS TERRIFIC: 8 PM - MIDNIGHT SAT URDAY - 7/16 DAN VARNER BAND: 8 PM - MIDNIGHT SUN DAY - 7/17 SAFFIRE EXPRESS: 6 - 9 PM With food and fun, the Flea Market, Bid ‘N Buy, and, back by popular demand... MAJOR AWARDS! 1st Prize – $10,000, 2nd Prize – $1,000 and 3rd Prize – $500 JULY 15-16-17
July 8, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m.
ST. DOMINIC
July 31, 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. 4551 Delhi Pike, Cincinnati 513-471-7741
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
July 15 – 17 7820 Beechmont Ave., Cincinnati 513-388-4466
IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CINCINNATI
July 15, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Aug. 7, 11 a.m. –7 p.m. 3350 Chapel Rd., Shandon 513-738-1014
July + August + September
ST. CECILIA FESTIVAL
July 22, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m.
ST. BARTHOLOMEW
July 31, 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. 9483 Columbia Rd., Loveland 513-697-3100
ST. THOMAS MORE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS Aug. 12, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Aug. 13, after 5 p.m. Mass until 12 a.m. 9377 State Route 119W, Anna 937-394-3823
ST. MARGARET OF YORK
July 23, 5:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.
ST. ANN ANNUAL FESTIVAL
ST. ALOYSIUS
July 16, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.
July 30, 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. 3064 Pleasant Ave., Hamilton 513-863-4963
July 28, Texas Hold ‘em Tournament, 7 p.m. – 12 p.m.
ST. JAMES THE GREATER FAMILY FESTIVAL
Aug. 5, 6 p.m. –11 p.m. Aug. 6, 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. Aug. 7, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. 9080 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd., West 513-777-6433Chester
ST. BRIGID Aug. 12, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Aug. 13, 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. Aug. 14, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. 312 Fairground Rd., Xenia 937-372-3193
HOLY CROSS-IMMACULATA
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
ST. MARY CHURCH PIGFEST Aug. 6, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. 3398 State Route 125, Bethel 513-734-4041
July 31, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. 9375 Winton Rd., Cincinnati 513-522-3680
July 9, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.
ST. BERNADETTE FESTIVAL Aug. 19, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 20, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 21, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. 1479 Locust Lake Rd., Amelia 513-753-5566
38 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
Aug. 5, 6:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. Aug. 6, 5 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. 509 Harrison Ave., Harrison 513-367-9086
July 4, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Auglaize County Fairground, 1001 Fairview Dr., Wapakoneta 419-738-2115
OUR LADY OF THE VISITATION Aug. 12, 6:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 13, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 14, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. 3172 South Rd., Cincinnati 513-922-2056
SACRED HEART Aug. 12, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 13, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 14, 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. 400 Nilles Road, Fairfield 513-858-4210
ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST
July 10, 1 p.m. – 9 p.m. 800 Ohio Pike, Cincinnati 513-753-2563 or 513-752-2080
July 29, 5 p.m. – 12 p.m.
July 30, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. 2832 Rosebud Dr., Cincinnati 513-922-0715
OUR LADY OF LOURDES FESTIVAL
Full Listing at catholictelegraph.com
July 30, 5 p.m. – 12 p.m.
July 29, 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
July 30, 5 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
July 29, 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Aug. 5, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 6, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. 30 Guido St., 513-721-6544Cincinnati
July 29 6 p.m. – 1 p.m.
July 24, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. 3565 Hubble Rd., Cincinnati www.stjamesfestival.com513-741-5300
Aug. 5, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 6, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 7, Noon – 8 p.m. 5361 Dry Ridge Rd., Cincinnati (513) 385-8010
July 30, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Festivals
July 17, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. 3105 Madison Rd., Cincinnati 513-871-5757
July 3, 4 p.m. – 12 a.m.
ST. JOSEPH FAMILY PATRIOTIC FESTIVAL
ST. REMY RUSSIA
ST. WILLIAM PRICE HILL ROCK THE HILL MUSIC FESTIVAL Sept. 24, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. (Age 21+ Only) 4108 W. Eighth St., 513-921-0247Cincinnati
July 29 - 31 smoyfest.org J U LY 8 - 10
CINCINNATI HISPANIC FESTIVAL
FRIDAY
JULYFEST ROCKS! 7:00pm The Doug Hart Band 9:30pm That Arena Rock Show 6:00pm Rucca 7:15pm The Michelle Robinson Band 9:30pm 90 Proof Twang SATURDAY JULYFEST COUNTRY JAM 4:00pm Star Devils 6:30pm Johnny Fink and the Intrusion SUNDAY RIBʼN-BILLY AND BLUES Parking for passenger cars available on-site. Shuttle parking available at WT Elementary and Recker & Boerger on Friday & Saturday. 800 OHIO PIKE STTM.ORG/JULYFEST FRIDAY 6PM 12AM SUNDAY 1PM – 9PMSATURDAY 5PM – 12AM 1st - $10,000 cash* *Subject to IRS tax withholding at time of prize delivery. 2nd Two 2022 UC Bearcats Football Season Tickets 3rd - Blackstone 4-Burner Flat Top Grill with Accessories 4th $500 cash 5th LG 43" NanoCell 75 Series UHD Smart webOS TV 6th $250 cash GRAND HELICOPTERRAFFLEGOLF BALL DROP RAFFLE Closest to pin wins $1,000* *Split the pot if less than 400 tickets sold CATHOLIC TUITION RAFFLE Greater Cincinnati Catholic K–12 – Split the pot ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CANNED GOOD RAFFLE 1 canned good or $1 = 1 ticket, $500 Prize JUL CCG FES T S T . T H O M A S M O R E 2018 STM_JulyFest@STMJulyFestfacebook.com/JulyFest800 OHIO PIKE STTM.ORG / JULYFEST 6PMFRIDAY-12AM 5PMSATURDAY-12AM 1PMSUNDAY-9PM RAFFLECASINO& LIVE MUSIC KIDS’ RIDES BID & BUY FOODDRINK& JULYFESTROCKS! COUNTRYJULYFESTJAM RIB’N-BILLYANDBLUES JULY 8–10 GRAND RAFFLE 1st - $10,000 cash* CATHOLICRAFFLETUITION Greater Cincinnati Catholic K-12 Split the Pot HELICOPTER GOLF BALL DROP RAFFLE ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CANNED GOOD RAFFLE 1 canned good or $1 = 1 ticket, $500 Prize 3565 Hubble Rd., White Oak • stjamesfestival.com Festival SaintJames Parish SATURDAY: Makers Market + Petting Zoo SUNDAY: Richie’s Chicken Dinner, 4–6:30 Great Food and Fun for the Whole Family! JULY 22 6 p.m. - 12 a.m. Second Wind JULY 23 5:30 p.m. - 12 a.m. The Remains JULY 24 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. The Whammies M AJOR AWARD $10 k JEWELRY RESALE BOOTH BASKETS & BID N’ BUY
Sept. 2 ,6 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sept. 3, 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sept. 4, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. 5935 Pandora Ave., Cincinnati 513-531-3164
Aug. 19, 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. Aug. 20, 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. Aug. 21, 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. 5900 Buckwheat Rd., Milford 513-575-0119
Sept. 9, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sept. 10, 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sept. 11, 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. 4626 Vine St., St. Bernard 513-641-3176
Sept. 4, 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. Saint Boniface Grounds 1750 Chase Ave., 513-277-0391Cincinnati
ST. MARY FUNFEST
ST. CLEMENT FESTIVAL AND PIG ROAST AT VINE STREET PARK
ST. ANGELA HOMECOMINGMERICIFESTIVAL
Sept. 2, 6:30 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sept. 3, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sept. 4, 12 p.m. – 11 p.m. 101 St. Remy St., Russia 937-526-3437
ST. SUSANNA MASON Sept. 9, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. Sept. 10, 4 p.m. – 12 a.m. Sept. 11, 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. 500 Reading Rd., Mason 513-398-3821
Sept. 3, 4 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sept. 4, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. 12191 Mill Rd., Cincinnati 513-742-0953
ST. IGNATIUS LOYOLA
ALTERFEST KETTERING
Aug. 19, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 20, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 21, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. 2853 Erie Ave., Cincinnati 513-321-1207
ST ELIZABETH ANN SETON
| 39FESTIVALS / JULY 2022
Aug. 26, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 27, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. Aug. 28, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. 5222 North Bend Rd., 513-661-6565Cincinnati
Sept. 2, 7 p.m. – 12 a.m. Sept. 3, 12 p.m. – 12 a.m. Sept. 4, 1 p.m. – 12 a.m. 940 E David Rd., Kettering (937) 434-2059
NATIVITY OF OUR LORD PLEASANT RIDGE
ST. JOHN NEUMANN
Sept. 4, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. U.S. 50 and Stone Alley, 513-875-5020Fayetteville
OUR LADY OF THE VALLEY SEPTEMBERFEST Sept. 17, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sept. 18, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. 330 W. Vine St., Reading 513-554-1010
ST. JUDE OKTOBERFEST Sept. 24, 4 p.m. – 12 a.m. Sept. 25, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m. 5924 Bridgetown Ave., (513)Cincinnati574-1230
The school office at Cardinal Pacelli has a wonderful new piece of art thanks to the school’s first graders. Through a grant from Brazee Studios, the students created fused glass flowers, which were then collectively mounted in a frame.
in the Archdioceseout & about1
40 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
1) LEHMAN CATHOLIC SUPERIOR CHOIR & BAND
3) ROYALMONT GRADUATING CLASS
The Lehman Catholic Limelighters and Concert Band participated in the Music In the Parks Festival at Kings Island on May 7. Lehman Catholic, along with numerous other schools, took center stage to showcase their gifts and talents. The LCHS Limelighters received a Superior (I) rating and the highest score in the show/jazz choir category. Pictured: Choir Director Maura Gavit and Band Director Kaitie Welch.
Royalmont Academy in Cincinnati celebrated their 12 graduating seniors in May!
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4) NEW ART AT CARDINAL PACELLI
St. Ignatius School in Monfort Heights highlighted the school’s 75th anniversary when the Class of 2022 graduated on May 20. This class, 119 students strong, earned about $1.9 million in academic scholarship offers for high school.
2) ST. IGNATIUS SCHOOL CELEBRATES 75 YEARS
Archdiocese of Cincinnati
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513-385-0511 5527 Cheviot Rd. (White Oak/Monfort Heights) 10211 Plainfield Rd. (Blue Ash/Evendale/Sharonville) 513.385.0511 White Oak / Monfort Heights 5527 Cheviot Rd. Blue Ash / Evendale / Sharonville 10211 Plainfield Rd. 3183 Linwood Avenue • Mt. Lookout Square Serving Eastern Hills, Mt. Lookout & Hyde Park 321-0404 FourtogenerationsoffamilyserviceEasternCincinnati. George H. 1910 John1920H. J.H.(Don)1948 Steve1975 Since 1910 rohdefuneral.com • 513.321.0404 3183 Linwood Ave. | Mt. Lookout Square Directors: Steve Rohde, Denise Mercier, Darrell Schneider Four generations of family service to Eastern Cincinnati
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| 41JULY 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 9 20 3 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 59 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 wwwwordgamesforcatholicscom Catholic Crossword CMYCYMYCMYMCK JB Magazine Ad.pdf 1 9/22/20 2:42 9 GOMSPAENOBMIL AGOTLARUDEIVI LRAEYRAMDEMAN LEBABSBANENU LEOJSNEDDAS SLESNUOCTSR AIRETARISOGUL GNODSNOEPPASA ENORHTSMHOLEM EARSUOICERP TSEDLIMSNNI IIDTPEWKCALB ERUNIRIAPADEL RECINCSIDDESU SNELGYERTANTE moc scilohtacrofsemagdrow www ACROSS 1 It was thought to be the abode of unbaptized but onappeared44resistance43Februarywhose4241laborers39383736actor332928Hosea2624confused,language23212019Conception1817ancient161514106innocentTideLAproblemLikesomehallsMountainrangeGarmentofRomeTitledTheImmaculateBritishnoblemanOne,toPierreCollarsPlacewherewasinGenesisMakessorrowfulFollowerofAlphabetstringTeachingsCatholicvampireAssessNarrowinletPDQUnskilledDing___Irishbishop-saintfeastdayis6UnitsofelectricalTheLordtoIsaiahthis 46 ___ Blood of Jesus 48 “Norma ___” 49 Taverns 50 Most temperate 54 Color of smoke if no pope is elected 57 Peter did this after he denied Jesus 58 502 to Caesar 59 Castor’s mother 60 Two of a kind 62 Accustom 64 Applied 65 Flat circular plate 66 More pleasant 67 Sicilian volcano 68 Deuce beater 69 Valleys DOWN 1 Second pope 2 An ex of Donald 3 Acted chanted22withwine13person1211commandmentthe10987654MarceauxlikeHoneyinsectPeculiarityDeadensPeriodsofhistoryBerne’sriverWoodstarterBreaksseventhBiblicalkingdomBarbarous“…theygaveJesustodrinkmixed___”(Mt27:34)Shorttextbeforeand after a psalm 23 The “B” of N.B. 25 Let go of 26 Saint of the Hundred Years’ War 27 Surpass 29 Rosary starter 30 Buck and switch 333231enderWaterfallWiseSanctuary light 34 A kind of friendly 35 Very strong wind 40 Large flightless 41birdsFirst name in an 1857 Supreme Court 43decisionHog sound 45 Faltering 47 homopterousLarge insect 50 Certain works 51 Develop 52 63somehave61setting60Matthew5756555453beautifulSeductivelywomanRowsMariancolorForfearthatCapitalofYemenFivevirginsin25BCsummerSometimeswetocomeupforNaught Subscriptions for the faithful of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati are FREE! To subscribe, visit our website, or call The Catholic Telegraph offices at 513-263-6635.
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42 | THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH
When my doctor asked if I wanted to test our unborn baby for Down syndrome, I knew that most people who get a positive result end up having an abortion—and that thought made me sick. I left that doctor’s appointment content with our decision to pass on all prenatal testing.
“No,” I answered bluntly. “Why would I test for Down
THE FINAL WORD with Ann Poirier
Alice is love. She is four years old now, and she’s smart, funny and the most joyful child I ever met. She does gymnastics and dance classes. She goes to preschool and recently won the “happy-go-lucky award” in her class. She is thriving. Her extra chromosome is extra love and extra joy. Having a child with Down syndrome is nothing like I thought it would be. People with Down syndrome can do anything—but Alice’s abilities do not make her worthy of life; she is worthy of life simply because God created her and she is meant to be here—just like every other baby ever conceived.
I have always been pro-life. For my entire life, I knew in my heart that life begins at conception and that every little soul is worthy of life—regardless of their gender, circumstances of conception, if they were planned or unplanned and whether or not they have a unique diagnosis.
“It’ssyndrome?”justasimple
An Unexpected Diagnosis and a Beautiful Blessing
I would be lying if I said that learning we had a child with a disability was an easy pill to swallow. It wasn’t. Fear enveloped me and seemed to paralyze me for weeks. But when I came to terms with her diagnosis, I realized something I always knew but seemed to temporarily forget—God doesn’t make
little blood test,” my doctor answered.
The Down syndrome abortion statistics are staggering. Of those women who have a prenatal test for Down syndrome, 67-percent choose abortion. When I think about these women, I so vividly remember the fear that accompanies the diagnosis. But fear is a liar—and when you choose faith over fear and let God’s plans unfold, your life changes forever.
Fast forward to the spring of 2018, and our second baby was born! Another girl and she was beautiful. We named her Alice. When she was an hour old, a doctor looked at me and coldly said, “We think your baby has Down syndrome.” That moment will forever be the most pivotal moment of my life.
mistakes. Alice was not a mistake, her diagnosis was not a mistake and me being chosen as her mom was not a mistake. God gave me Alice for a reason—and I decided that I would spend my life shouting her dignity and showing everyone that she is just as worthy of life as you and me.
Extra Love & Joy
I looked at Tim sitting in the corner of the room. He shook his head no.“No,” I steadfastly told the doctor. “We don’t want to test.”
“Do you want to test for Down syndrome?” My doctor posed this question to me in the fall of 2017. I was newly pregnant with our second child. My husband, Tim, and I already had a little girl, Lucy, and we were excited to add another child to the mix.
With all the pro-life news lately, I smile, thinking about all the babies with Down syndrome who are about to come into the world because people will no longer be able to get an abortion based on this diagnosis. And, even more people will discover what I’ve learned through Alice—disabilities aren’t scary, every child is worthy of life and these babies are sent to teach us what life is all about.
ANN POIRIER lives in Cincinnati with her husband, Tim, and their four children: Lucy, Alice, Calvin and Peter. She writes a blog about Down syndrome and spends her time advocating for those with disabilities and trying to change perceptions. Ann is writing two books. Both center on the blessing of Down syndrome.
Join us for our next Pre-Planning Seminars on August 16th, 2022. 2:00pm or 6:00pm 11000 Montgomery Road 45249
Notice: Recognizing the climate, Gate of Heaven Cemetery has temporarily held 2021 prices.
gate ofh eave n.o rg • 513-489-030 0 f aceb ook. c o m/gate ofh eave n cemeter y
Please call us to RSVP by August 12th at 513-489-0300 ext. 239 or email your name, phone number, parish and the seminar time that you would like to attend to: community@gateofheaven.org.
JOYFINDHERE!
the bene ts of pre-planning now: Freezing Price
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*You are also welcome to call us and arrange a private pre-planning meeting.
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of the Virgin is found in your Church. Mary had a faith that your Spirit prepared and a love that never knew sin, for you kept her sinless from the rst moment of her conception. Trace in our actions the lines of her love, in our hearts her readiness of faith. Prepare once again a world for your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.Amen.
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