The Catholic Telegraph July 2022

MAGAZINE

191st year | issue 7

bringing faith into the home

july 2022 | walking with moms | 1

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EDI TOR’ N OTE

A Mother’s Heart 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 pain.

This is your 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

cteditorial@catholicaoc.org

THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH 191st Year No. 7 • July 2022 513-263-6635 • thecatholictelegraph.com

PUBLISHER Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jessica Rinaudo

MEDIA SALES Deacon Graham Galloway

GRAPHIC DESIGN Emma Cassani

PHOTOGRAPHY Margaret Swensen

DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT Dominick Albano

NEW MEDIA EDITOR Greg Hartman

SOCIAL MEDIA Katherine Geiger

100 East Eighth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 ctadvertising@catholicaoc.org The Catholic Telegraph (xUSPS 094-520) ISSN. 10736689 is published monthly by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 100 E 8th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati and at additional mailing office.

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| 3

july walking with moms 16 FAMILY YOUTH INITIATIVE BONNY VAN

Creating a parenting network in Dayton 18 SLEEP TIGHT Healthy Moms & Babes page 23

news 8 BEACONS OF LIGHT TONY STIERITZ

Foundational principles: Love in Action 10 EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL JEREMY HELMES

My flesh for the life of the world 13 BOOK REVIEW MARGARET SWENSEN

Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life 37 FESTIVALS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE 40 OUT & ABOUT IN THE ARCHDIOCESE

ON THE COVER PHOTO BY: MARGARET SWENSEN

Mother and child in Milford, OH.

contents

columns 7 QUESTION OF FAITH FATHER DAVID ENDRES

Baptism without godparents?

12 SEIZE THE MOMENT NICHOLAS HARDESTY

The gobsmacking gratuity of God

KARY ELLEN BERGER

14 A CLOSER LOOK

Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides beds to thousands in the community

DR. KENNETH CRAYCRAFT

20 PARENTING SUPPORT

KATIE SCIBA

Abortion practice after Roe 22 CATHOLIC AT HOME

KARY ELLEN BERGER

Motherhood & self care

CSSMV connects with women to develop ongoing support & relationships

32 SHINE ON

23 HEALTHY MOMS & BABES

DOMINICK ALBANO

Don’t let perfect get in the way of good

PATRICIA MCGEEVER

33 DID YOU KNOW?

RV outreach helps women and children survive and thrive

GAIL FINKE + EMMA CASSANI

26 A PLACE FOR HOPE

34 KIDS’ CORNER St. Margaret of Antioch

KARY ELLEN BERGER

Pregnancy Center East 28 HOPE & HEALING

St. Mary of the Woods

36 THEOLOGY OF THE BODY

KATIE SCIBA & JESSICA RINAUDO

DR. ANDREW SODERGREN

Project Rachel provides post-abortive support to women and men

The spousal meaning of the body

30 COMMUNITY PREGNANCY RESOURCES

40 THE FINAL WORD ANN POIRIER

Extra love and joy: An unexpected diagnosis and a beautiful blessing

POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION FOR JULY For the Elderly

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.

4 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

Seek the Lord ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR

“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.

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.

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.

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,

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.”

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 children.

Pope Francis, 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.

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.

S E E K T H E L O R D / JULY 2022 | 5

Busca al Senor ARZOBISPO DENNIS M. SCHNURR

“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.

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.”

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.

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.

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 constitucional.

Sin embargo, 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.

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 6 | THE C ATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

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.

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.

QUE ST IO N O F F A IT H

Baptism Without Godparents?

Are godparents necessary for baptism? If so, what are the requirements for godparents, and what does the Church expect of them?

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

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

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.

REQUIREMENTS FOR GODPARENTS

Neither the father nor mother may serve as a godparent, but

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.

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.)

AN ENDURING ROLE

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.

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.

FATHER DAVID ENDRES is associate professor of Church history and historical theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology.

Q U E S T IO N O F F A IT H / JULY 2022 | 7

FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES #6: LOVE IN ACTION

BY TONY STIERITZ

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.

“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).

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).

8 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

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 family.

This is 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”

(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!

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.

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).

• 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.

• 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.

• 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).

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!

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EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL

My Flesh for the Life of the World

BY JEREMY HELMES

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.

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.

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.

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.”

1 0 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

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 phase.

As 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 Christ.”

Summer of 2023 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.

Eucharistic Fact!

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.

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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:// eucharisticrevival.org.

Over the coming months, 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 Jesus’ abiding presence in our Church.

E U CH A R IS T IC R E V IV A L / JULY 2022 | 11

S E IZ E T H E MO ME NT

The Gobsmacking Gratuity of God 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.

It’s a hard pill to swallow—but, that pill was mine just a couple months ago.

A BIG GULP AND A GOFUNDME

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’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. STUPEFYING GENEROSITY

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?

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.

THE GOD OF SOMETHING MORE

“Gratuitous” is not a word we typically associate with God. 1 2 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH

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 sometimes.

For example, 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.

That’s what gratuity looks like. That’s the kind of God we have.

WE ARE THE DIFFERENCE

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?

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.

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.

NICHOLAS HARDESTY is the associate director of Adult Evangelization and RCIA for the Center for the New Evangelization. | nhardesty@catholicaoc.org

BOOK REVIEW

Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life On Love, Friendship and Becoming the Person God Created You to Be

by Haley Stewart REVIEWED BY MARGARET SWENSEN

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life by Haley Stewart; Ave Maria Press; $16.95; published March 25, 2022 B O O K R E V IE W / J ULY 2022 | 13

A CLO SE R LO O K

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.

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?

BROADER SUPPORT POST-ROE

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 1 4 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

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.

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.

FUNDING CARE

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

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 State and federal policy related to childcare is another area couples afford adoption and encourage mothers to carry to in which we, as pro-life advocates, might need to adjust our term children they would be tempted to thinking. Proponents of governmentabort. supported childcare are often motivated Of course, programs must always by the desire for parents to rejoin the measure up to the Catholic principle workforce, rather than the child’s A post-Roe America will of subsidiarity: where practicable, welfare. An early return to the workforce demand even broader social policies and programs must be might be better for some families, and implemented by institutions closest to we must not gainsay that decision. On support for pregnant the challenge. Such programs will be the other hand, childcare credits or women, infants, children expensive, but if we are serious about other forms of public funding must also assist parents who choose to stay and young families, which discouraging abortion and encouraging parenting by intact families, we must be home in their children’s most formative must include governmental ready to help bear those costs. United, early years. While it is legitimate for policies and programs.

Catholics can be vocal advocates for life both parents to work outside the home, and for families. To do so credibly, we the decision should not be driven solely must set aside partisan politics and embrace the entirety of by financial necessity. If we reject subsidized childcare out Catholic moral doctrine, thereby properly enabling our faith of hand, we forfeit our ability to shape policy in a way that to animate our choices and actions. supports family-friendly programs, applicable to both parents who rejoin the workforce and those who choose to stay home. them in principle, we can help shape them in practice.

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

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.

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{ m en t o ri n g }

family youth initiative Creating a Parenting Network in Dayton

BY BONNY VAN

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 youth?)

Stefanow said founders Carol Tipton and Pat Banaszak started the hotline in 1978 to provide pregnancy tests for young women who called in.

“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.”

The founders then connected with Tri-County Right to Life 1 6 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH

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.

“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 child.”

About 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.

“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

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.”

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 youth.

“When 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.”

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.”

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 programs.

Looking to the 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.”

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W A L K IN G W IT H M O M S / JULY 2022 | 17

sleep tight Society of St. Vincent de Paul Provides Beds to Thousands in the Community

BY KARY ELLEN BERGER

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 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.

“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.”

Gallagher predicted that in 2022, SVDP will distribute at least 2,160 beds throughout Hamilton County.

“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.

Left: Seven-year-old Lakeeva received a bed through SVDP’s 2021 Day to Dream program.

1 8 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

“There is a saying in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, ‘No work of charity is foreign to the Society,’” noted Gallagher. “It is in this spirit that our Vincentians and staff find themselves helping in infinitely inventive ways. Ultimately, our Vincentians are incredibly humble people; they view their service as a calling or vocation, rather than volunteer work.”

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how to help Become a Vincentian

• In Hamilton County (53 conferences!), visit: SVDPcincinnati.org/conferences • Outside Hamilton County, to find a local conference visit: svdpusa.org

Make In-Kind Donations

(e.g., furniture, clothes or household goods) 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

Volunteer!

Help is needed at the Neyer Outreach Center.

Individuals and groups can get started by visiting: SVDPcincinnati.org/volunteer

Contributions

Learn how to make financial contributions and other ways to donate by visiting: svdpcincinnati.org/ways-of-giving/donate/

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr

OCTOBER 17-28, 2022 Join us on a spiritual journey to the land where Jesus was born, where he preached and healed, suffered, died and rose again. www.catholiccincypilgrimage.com W A L K IN G W IT H M O M S / JULY 2022 | 19

{ Pregnancy & Beyond }

Parenting Support Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley Connects with Women to Develop Ongoing Support & Relationships

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.

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 2 0 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH

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 unique.

“We 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

ongoing relationship — setting goals, checking in and more active case management.”

Roesch added that focusing on present and future opportunities for both mother and child is critical to CSSMV’s program.

The Pregnancy & Parenting Support program not only supports mom and baby, but the mother’s partner too, if he expresses interest in being involved.

Roesch said that

focusing on present and future opportunities for both mother and child

“If a woman 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 lives.”

“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 is critical to CSSMV’s Roesch noted, “Family is the focus is to keep that young mom in program. cornerstone of society—there are school, support her to graduate, and lots of different kinds of families. then work towards developments So… working to support young of plans for additional schooling, moms who are wanting the very best for themselves vocational training, or other post-graduate credentials. and their children is an important commitment for the We ask, ‘What do you want to be in the future and how mission of our organization.” can we help you get there?’”

W A L K IN G W IT H M O M S / JULY 2022 | 21

CAT HO LIC A T H O ME

Motherhood & Self Care 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.

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.

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.

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).

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 2 2 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

time, healthy eating, physical movement and attendance to her emotional needs—puts the proverbial oxygen mask on her first.

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.

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.

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.

KATIE SCIBA is a national speaker and Catholic Press Awardwinning columnist. Katie has been married for 14 years and is blessed with six children.

HEALTHY

moms & babes

BY PATRICIA MCGEEVER

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.’”

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 on page 24

| 23

continued from page 23 “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.

“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.”

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 children.

“They’re 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.”

The Catholic-based organization started 37 years ago when the Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Mercy, Dominican 2 4 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

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 women.

HMB also 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 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.

So, in many instances, we are starting from scratch; from health care to mental health to parenting.

A few years ago, the Sisters of Charity gifted HMB with a 4-family apartment building to help with the significant housing need.

�e "First Responders" in your neighborhood for pregnancy and parenting needs.

“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 housing.”

Healthy 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)

She said HMB 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.

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.

“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.’”

“Healthy moms, healthy babies, healthy futures; our community deserves no less!”

-Sr. Patricia Cruise President/CEO

Join us October 21st to celebrate our ministry at the Freedom Center!

Phone: (513) 591-5600 Website: www.healthymomsandbabes.org www.facebook.com/HMBCincinnati HealthyMomsandBabes513

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.

St. John Paul II CincinnatiRighttoLife.org

Sister Patricia Cruise, CEO W A L K IN G W IT H M O M S / JULY 2022 | 25

{ f or th e f ami l y }

a place for hope Pregnancy Center East

BY KARY ELLEN BERGER

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 Tri-State.

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.

“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 family.”

Curran said PCE accomplishes this by eliminating barriers for women, and their partners if they are in the picture.

This includes prenatal visits coordinated with 26 |

TriHealth, an independent adoption agency on campus, a maternity room with clothes for pregnant women and additional material, health and emotional services.

“One aspect 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.”

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.

“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.’”

How to Help Pregnancy Center East VOLUNTEERS On-site training, no previous experience required. Looking for good listeners.

College-age students or older.

MONETARY DONATIONS PCE is privately funded through grants, churches, and individual donations. supportpce.com

THEOLOGY OF THE BODY TEEN RETREAT

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 journey.

“With the Chastity 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.”

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• ssupportpce.com/created-a-theology-of-thebody-teen-retreat/

W A L K IN G W IT H M O M S / JULY 2022 | 27

Project Rachel provides post-abortive support to women and men

BY KATIE SCIBA & JESSICA RINAUDO

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.”

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.

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 existed.”

Her experience of pregnancy, abortion and pain remained buried for 22 years. “I never told anyone. I never discussed it with my husband,” she admitted.

PROJECT RACHEL

Sarah knew about Project Rachel, a ministry for those 2 8 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

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.’”

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 joy.”

Often 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

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.”

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.”

“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.”

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.’”

“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.”

“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.”

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.”

Call 513-784-0531 for the Project Rachel helpline or email hopeandhealingcinci@gmail.com for help. You can also visit projectrachelohio.org.

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.

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.

SPREADING LOVE AND MERCY

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 W A L K IN G W IT H M O M S / JULY 2022 | 29

{ community resources }

Pregnancy 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.

Downtown Cincinnati OLD ST. MARY’S PREGNANCY CENTER

123 E. 13th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 513.929.9165

Clifton LIFE FORWARD

Clifton Center 2415 Auburn Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45219 513.961.7777 www.lifeforwardcincy.org

East Side PREGNANCY CENTER EAST

4760 Madison Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45227 513.321.3100 www.pregnancycentereast.com LIFE FORWARD

Loveland Center 11020 S. Lebanon Rd. Loveland, OH 45140 513.961.7777 www.lifeforwardcincy.org 3 0 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

A CARING PLACE

4446 Mt. Carmel-Tabasco Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45244 513.753.help (4357) After Hours Help Line: 513.427.ACP1(2271) www.acaringplace.org help@acaringplace.org

Georgetown PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER “A PLACE OF HOPE”

852 Mt. Orab Pike Georgetown, OH 45121 937.378.6853 www.pregnancyhope.com info@pregnancyhope.com

Hamilton

PATHWAY TO HOPE

202 S. Monument Ave. Hamilton, OH 45011 513.895.2229 1.800.712.HELP (4357) Text: 513.443.2155 www.pathwaytohopepcc.org info@pathwaytohopepcc.org

Harrison REACH OUT PREGNANCY CENTER

803 E. Broadway St. Harrison, OH 45030 513.367.7710 www.reachoutpregnancy.com Hillsboro SOUTHERN OHIO PREGNANCY CENTER

135 W. Walnut St. Hillsboro, OH 45133 937.393.2990 24 hr hotline 800.395.4357 www.pregnantnotpregnant.com www.sopcwecare.com info@pregnantnotpregnant.com

Lebanon WOMEN’S CENTER— LEBANON

736 Columbus Ave., Suite A Lebanon, OH 45036 513.934.1777 www.womenscenterohio.com

Middletown COMMUNITY PREGNANCY CENTER

3717 Roosevelt Blvd.

Middletown, OH 45044 513.424.2229 www.pregnancychoice.net

Mt. Healthy/ North College Hill WOMEN’S CENTER MT. HEALTHY

8146 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45231 513.620.8844 womenscenterohio.com

Northern Kentucky NEW HOPE CENTER

228 Thomas More Parkway Crestview Hills, KY 41017 859.341.0766 www.newhopecenter.com

OXFORD WOMEN’S CARE CENTER

10 Reagh’s Way Oxford, OH 45003 513.523.1814 oxfordwomenscarecenter.com West Side PREGNANCY CENTER WEST

4900 Glenway Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45238 513.244.5700 www.pc-west.org WOMEN’S CENTER WESTERN HILLS

3267 Westbourne Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45248 (Opening: 8/29/22)

Springdale/Forest Park LIFE FORWARD

Springdale Center 11345 Century Circle West Cincinnati, OH 45246 513.961.7777 www.lifeforwardcincy.org WOMEN’S CENTER FOREST PARK

1230 W. Kemper Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45240 513.620.8844 womenscenterohio.com Southeast Indiana PREGNANCY CARE CENTER OF SE INDIANA

62 Doughty Rd. Suite 5 Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 812.537.4357 www.helpimpregnant.org

Our work to save lives is just beginning!

God bless all who make our mission possible.

Scan here to support our work.

pc-west.org 513-244-5700

W A L K IN G W IT H M O M S / JULY 2022 | 31

SH INE O N

Don’t Let Perfect Get in the Way of 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 goodness.

Here are some things to remember as we shine a light on the goodness of walking with moms.

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.

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.

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?

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.”

3 2 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

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.

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!”

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.

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.

But just because we aren’t perfect, doesn’t mean we can’t do some good.

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

1856 Written by Gail Finke Illustrated by Emma Cassani

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.

1920

Father William Welch, pastor of St. Patrick in Bellefontaine, began celebrating Masses at Orchard Lake for vacationers and summer residents.

1 Medallion of the Trinity, by Blanck Studio of Art, above the sanctuary in the nave.

1927

1 Mural by Blanck Studio of Art, featuring two angels and waters symbolizing the sacraments.

St. Mary of the Lake Chapel constructed on donated land.

Assistant pastors at St. Patrick served as “Resident Summer Pastors.”

2 Wooden triptychs in the style of Fra Angelico painted

by Carl Fuchs, a liturgical artist, for Sts. Peter and Paul Church (Norwood), donated in 1996.

1942

Father Anthony Wolf became the first full-time resident pastor.

1957

Side wings added.

“The 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 “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

1961

Arson destroys much of the main church. Masses celebrated at San Juan Amusement Park.

1962

Rebuilt church dedicated as “St. Mary Immaculate,” but the faithful continued to call it by its original name.

1992

Major church addition completed and new altar dedicated.

2018

OUR LADY OF FATIMA AT INDIAN LAKE 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.

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.

2021-22

Major church restoration included a repainted interior and new wooden sanctuary floor, frame, crucifix, and mural.

D ID Y O U K N O W ? / JULY 2022 | 33

St. Margaret

34 |

of Antioch

In the third or fourth century, Margaret was born

When Margaret rejected the engagement of a

in Antioch, Syria, and her mother passed away

royal named Olybrius, he ordered that she be

soon after. Her father, a pagan priest, sent her to

tortured and thrown in a dungeon. According to

live with a caregiver who treated Margaret as if

legend, the devil in the form of a dragon was also in

she was her own daughter. Margaret found Jesus

the dungeon and swallowed her whole. However,

and Christianity through her caregiver, but when

her prayer never ceased and she held tightly onto

she was older and returned home, her father

a cross. This irritated the dragon and caused his

was furious that she did not worship his idols. He

belly to burst, releasing Margaret unharmed. The

locked her in her room for days as punishment, but

next day, Olybrius’ men tried to kill her numerous

Margaret was steadfast in her prayer, and God

times, but God protected her, which caused many

protected her. When her father realized she would

people who witnessed it to convert to Christianity.

never renounce her faith, he banished her from his

After multiple execution attempts failed, Margaret

home.

was beheaded.

Returning to her caregiver, Margaret committed

Nothing about St. Margaret is known for certain,

her life fully to Jesus, but still faced many trials.

but St. Joan of Arc claimed to hear St. Margaret of

She was beautiful and many men noticed her

Antioch’s voice. She is the patron saint of childbirth,

and asked for her hand in marriage. She always

especially for mothers facing difficult labor. Her

declined, saying that her spouse was Jesus.

feast day is July 20.

St. Margaret of Antioch Pull-Tab Craft Supplies: Printable Craft Directions thecatholictelegraph.com/ st-margaret-pull-tab-craft

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• St. Margaret of Antioch Craft Template (printed on card stock) • Wax paper • 2 popsicle sticks • Colored pencils • Scissors • Ruler • Tape • Glue Stick

caregiver dragon dungeon joan of arc legend olybrius pagan priest steadfast st margaret swallowed M A K IN G CA T H O L IC M E M O R IE S / JULY 2022 | 35

POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II’S THEOLOGY OF THE BODY

The Spousal Meaning of the Body This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB).

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.

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.

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?

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 3 6 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

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.”

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 15:5).

Indeed, we are 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).

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.

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Festivals

IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CINCINNATI July + August + September Full Listing at catholictelegraph.com ST. JOSEPH FAMILY PATRIOTIC FESTIVAL

July 3, 4 p.m. – 12 a.m.

July 4, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Auglaize County Fairground, 1001 Fairview Dr., Wapakoneta 419-738-2115 ST. THOMAS MORE

July 8, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m.

July 9, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.

July 10, 1 p.m. – 9 p.m.

800 Ohio Pike, Cincinnati 513-753-2563 or 513-752-2080 IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

July 15 – 17 7820 Beechmont Ave., Cincinnati 513-388-4466 ST. CECILIA FESTIVAL

July 15, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m.

July 16, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.

July 17, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.

3105 Madison Rd., Cincinnati 513-871-5757 ST. JAMES THE GREATER FAMILY FESTIVAL

July 22, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m.

July 23, 5:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.

July 24, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.

3565 Hubble Rd., Cincinnati 513-741-5300 www.stjamesfestival.com

ST. BARTHOLOMEW

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST

July 29 6 p.m. – 1 p.m.

July 30, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

July 31, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.

9375 Winton Rd., Cincinnati 513-522-3680

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 Chester 513-777-6433

ST. DOMINIC

July 28, Texas Hold ‘em Tournament, 7 p.m. – 12 p.m.

July 29, 5 p.m. – 12 p.m.

July 30, 5 p.m. – 12 p.m.

July 31, 3 p.m. – 11 p.m.

4551 Delhi Pike, Cincinnati 513-471-7741 ST. MARGARET OF YORK

July 29, 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

July 30, 5 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

July 31, 3 p.m. – 8 p.m.

9483 Columbia Rd., Loveland 513-697-3100 HOLY CROSS-IMMACULATA

Aug. 5, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Aug. 6, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.

30 Guido St., Cincinnati 513-721-6544 ST. ALOYSIUS

Aug. 7, 11 a.m. –7 p.m.

3350 Chapel Rd., Shandon 513-738-1014 ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

July 30, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.

2832 Rosebud Dr., Cincinnati 513-922-0715

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

ST. ANN ANNUAL FESTIVAL

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

OUR LADY OF LOURDES FESTIVAL

July 29, 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

July 30, 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

3064 Pleasant Ave., Hamilton 513-863-4963 3 8 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

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

ST. MARY CHURCH PIGFEST

Aug. 6, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

3398 State Route 125, Bethel 513-734-4041 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 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. 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 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

ST ELIZABETH ANN SETON

ST. JOHN NEUMANN

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. 3, 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Sept. 4, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

12191 Mill Rd., Cincinnati 513-742-0953

ST. MARY FUNFEST

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

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. IGNATIUS LOYOLA

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., Cincinnati 513-661-6565 ALTERFEST KETTERING

ST. REMY RUSSIA

ST. CLEMENT FESTIVAL AND PIG ROAST AT VINE STREET PARK

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 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

CINCINNATI HISPANIC FESTIVAL

OUR LADY OF THE VALLEY SEPTEMBERFEST

Sept. 4, 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Saint Boniface Grounds 1750 Chase Ave., Cincinnati 513-277-0391 NATIVITY OF OUR LORD PLEASANT RIDGE

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 ST. ANGELA MERICI HOMECOMING FESTIVAL

Sept. 4, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

U.S. 50 and Stone Alley, Fayetteville 513-875-5020

Sept. 17, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Sept. 18, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.

330 W. Vine St., Reading 513-554-1010

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GRAND RAFFLE 1st - $10,000 cash*

JULYFEST RIB’N-BILLY FRIDAY JULYFEST ROCKS! COUNTRY JAM AND 7:00pm The Doug Hart Band BLUES

*Subject to IRS tax withholding at time of prize delivery.

9:30pm That Arena Rock Show

2nd - Two 2022 UC Bearcats Football Season Tickets

GRAND RAFFLE

1st - $10,000 cash*

6:00pm Rucca

4th - $500 cash

5th - LG 43" NanoCell 75 Series UHD Smart webOS TV

CATHOLIC TUITION CATHOLIC TUITION RAFFLE RAFFLE Greater Cincinnati Catholic K–12 – Split the pot

Greater Cincinnati Catholic HELICOPTER GOLF BALL K-12 Split the Pot DROP RAFFLE Closest to pin wins $1,000*

HELICOPTER GOLF The Michelle Robinson Band BALL DROP RAFFLE

SATURDAY JULYFEST COUNTRY JAM

3rd - Blackstone 4-Burner Flat Top Grill with Accessories

6th - $250 cash

ST. JUDE OKTOBERFEST

JULY 24 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.

The Whammies

JULY 23 5:30 p.m. - 12 a.m.

The Remains

CCG

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

in Sa

7:15pm

9:30pm 90 Proof Twang

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CANNED GOOD RAFFLE 6:30pm Johnny Fink and the Intrusion SUNDAY RIBʼN-BILLY AND BLUES 4:00pm Star Devils

1 canned good or $1 = 1 ticket, $500 Prize

Parking for passenger cars available on-site.

Shuttle parking available at WT Elementary and Recker & Boerger on Friday & Saturday.

*Split the pot if less than 400 tickets sold RAFFLE & LIVE MUSIC KIDS’ RIDES BID & BUY facebook.com/JulyFest CASINO ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

@STMJulyFest

CANNED GOOD RAFFLE

800 OHIO PIKE

1 canned good or $1 = 1 ticket, $500 Prize

FOOD & DRINK

STTM.ORG / JULYFEST STM_JulyFest

ST. WILLIAM PRICE HILL ROCK THE HILL MUSIC FESTIVAL

Sept. 24, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.

(Age 21+ Only) 4108 W. Eighth St., Cincinnati 513-921-0247

July smoyfest.org 29 - 31 F E S T IV A L S / JULY 2022 | 39

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out & about 1) LEHMAN CATHOLIC SUPERIOR CHOIR & BAND 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.

2) ST. IGNATIUS SCHOOL CELEBRATES 75 YEARS 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.

3) ROYALMONT GRADUATING CLASS Royalmont Academy in Cincinnati celebrated their 12 graduating seniors in May! 4) NEW ART AT CARDINAL PACELLI 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.

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ACROSS 1 It was thought to be the abode of unbaptized but innocent 6 Tide 10 LA problem 14 Like some halls 15 Mountain range 16 Garment of ancient Rome 17 Titled 18 The Immaculate Conception 19 British nobleman 20 One, to Pierre 21 Collars 23 Place where language was confused, in Genesis 24 Makes sorrowful 26 Follower of Hosea 28 Alphabet string 29 Teachings 33 Catholic vampire actor 36 Assess 37 Narrow inlet 38 PDQ 39 Unskilled laborers 41 Ding ___ 42 Irish bishop-saint whose feast day is February 6 43 Units of electrical resistance 44 The Lord appeared to Isaiah on this

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 like Marceaux 4 Honey insect 5 Peculiarity 6 Deadens 7 Periods of history 8 Berne’s river 9 Wood starter 10 Breaks the seventh commandment 11 Biblical kingdom 12 Barbarous person 13 “…they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with ___” (Mt 27:34) 22 Short text chanted before and

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 ender 31 Waterfall 32 Wise 33 Sanctuary light 34 A kind of friendly 35 Very strong wind 40 Large flightless birds 41 First name in an 1857 Supreme Court decision 43 Hog sound 45 Faltering 47 Large homopterous insect 50 Certain works 51 Develop 52 Seductively beautiful woman 53 Rows 54 Marian color 55 For fear that 56 Capital of Yemen 57 Five virgins in Matthew 25 60 BC summer setting 61 Sometimes we have to come up for some 63 Naught

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JULY 2022 | 41

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THE FINAL WORD with Ann Poirier

Extra Love & Joy An Unexpected Diagnosis and a Beautiful Blessing

“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.

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.

“No,” I answered bluntly. “Why would I test for Down syndrome?”

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.

“It’s just a simple little blood test,” my doctor answered.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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 4 2 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH

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.

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.

The

Father, The image 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 first 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.

FIND JOY HERE! Join us for our next Pre-Planning

Amen.

Seminars on August 16th, 2022.

2:00pm or 6:00pm 11000 Montgomery Road 45249

RSVP by August 12th

at 513-489-0300 ext. 239 Please call us to or email your name, phone number, parish and the seminar time that you would like to attend to:

community@gateofheaven.org.

*You are also welcome to call us and arrange a private pre-planning meeting.

Consider the benefits of pre-planning now: Freezing Price • Affordable Payment Options and Financing • Conserving Life Insurance • Peace of Mind Notice: Recognizing the challenging economic climate, Gate of Heaven Cemetery has temporarily held 2021 prices.

gateofheaven.org • 513-489-0300 facebook.com/gateofheavencemetery

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100 E. 8th St. • Cincinnati, OH 45202

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