The Catholic Telegraph August 2022

MAGAZINE

191st year | issue 8

bringing faith into the home

august 2022 | back to school | 1

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EDI TOR’S N OTE

Preparing to Fly When I look at photos of my children at summer’s beginning and then turn to the quickly-growing people standing before me at the school year’s start, I’m always taken aback. I shouldn’t be—after all, over summer everyone goes up a shoe size or two.

It’s bittersweet to watch our children grow in both size and opinions—and the older they get, the more opinions they have. These days I find myself answering questions about everything from how puppies are born to what happens when we die to gender and sexuality. And to think, I once thought parenting would be all about Christmas mornings and perfectly executed vacations. Facing life’s difficult moments and answering confusing questions is hard for all of us.

There’s a song by Ben Folds called “Still Fighting It”: “Everybody knows it hurts to grow up. And everybody does. It’s so weird to be back here. Let me tell you what. The years go on and we’re still fighting it. You’ll try and try, and one day you’ll fly away from me.”

The older and more independent our children grow, the more those lyrics take root in my soul. “One day you’ll fly away from me.” It makes me take a good hard look at myself. Have I done my job? Will you be ready to go into the world on your own?

Many times I feel I’m failing miserably. Some days the kids challenge me on faith, on life, on church. They push, they ask, they want to know. I do my best to respond, but at times the answer is simply, “I don’t know. I need to do more research and then let’s talk.” I have to remember they are poking at the nest to see what it’s made of. They’re looking at the outside world, taking it in, imagining where their paths will lead them. They are pushing so they can take flight. It’s my job to be there for them, to be a source from which they seek information so they don’t turn to YouTube or someone else who will fill their heads with false information.

But who do I turn to for answers? There are a lot of practical answers. I even reached out to our columnist, Dr. Sodergren, for help with answering their questions on gender and sexuality in the context of Theology of the Body.

The saints have a lot of good advice, too. Pope St. John Paul II said, “It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle.”

I need that reminder regularly: Not only to better align my own life to God’s will, but to be a good witness to my children. As this new school year begins and we send our darlings into school without us by their sides, I urge you to pray. Pray for their decision-making, their sanctity, their faith, yes. But pray also for yourself and your spouse, that you—that we—may be good witnesses to our children.

cteditorial@catholicaoc.org

THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH 191st Year No. 8 • August 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

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august

contents

back to school

columns

18 PAVING THE WAY

7 QUESTION OF FAITH

JOHN STEGEMAN

FATHER DAVID ENDRES

Schiess: The Summit’s first woman Head of School

Mary’s Assumption

20 FORMING STUDENTS TO BE SERVANTS BEGINS IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

KATIE SCIBA

ALLEGRA THATCHER

12 CATHOLIC AT HOME Home: A place of connection & faith

Catholic school bands page 26

Catholic Charities leads Catholic schools in bettering the community

16 A CLOSER LOOK

news

24 ROLE MODELS OF FAITH

34 SHINE ON

KARY ELLEN BERGER

DOMINICK ALBANO

8 EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Hutchinson-Smyth and Sandmann radiate love for Christ at McNicholas High School

Talent vs. hard work 36 SEIZE THE MOMENT

26 THE SOUND OF MUSIC

To be barely touched by Jesus

FATHER SEAN WILSON

A Refuge from the World 10 EMBRACING THE CALL REBEKAH DAVIDSON

Twins prepare to step into vocations as a wife and religious sister 39 BOOK REVIEW FATHER JOSHUA J. WHITFIELD

How Beautiful the World Could Be 40 COMMUNITY PREGNANCY RESOURCES 48 OUT & ABOUT IN THE ARCHDIOCESE

ON THE COVER PHOTO BY: MARGARET SWENSEN

Carroll High School students Chase Collins on Snare Drum, Sharmaine Cardano on clarinet, Andrew Gervais on mellophone.

4 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

BONNY VAN

Bands build community at Catholic schools 30 LITURGY ENRICHES SCHOOLS

DR. KENNETH CRAYCRAFT

Education for the Common Good

NICHOLAS HARDESTY

38 DID YOU KNOW? GAIL FINKE + EMMA CASSANI

St. Julie Billiart Church, Hamilton

JOHN STEGEMAN

44 KIDS’ CORNER St. Peter Julian Eymard

Diversity of Liturgy enhances student worship at St. Columban School

46 THEOLOGY OF THE BODY

32 A BRIGHT FUTURE PATRICIA MCGEEVER

Knowledge, procreation & the primordial sacrament

CISE scholarships allow more students to attend Catholic high schools

JOSHUA AGNEW

DR. ANDREW SODERGREN

50 THE FINAL WORD By right & duty: Fostering faith with your children at home

POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION FOR AUGUST Small Businesses

We pray for small and medium sized businesses; in the midst of economic and social crisis, may they find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.

Seek the Lord ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR

Growing up has always had its difficulties, but young people today face a particularly challenging environment in our country–rising violence, such as riots and horrific school shootings; civil discourse that is increasingly uncivil; and a secularist culture that continues to push faith to the margins as weekly religious practice declines.

In previous generations, American society, while far from perfect, generally reinforced the important values and virtues taught in Catholic homes and Catholic schools.

That is often no longer the case. Therefore, faithful and effective Catholic schools and religious education programs are needed more than ever. They are essential partners with students’ parents, who remain the primary religious educators of their children.

St. John Baptist de la Salle, patron saint of teachers, put into words what the Church has long understood, that instruction in the faith is done largely by the witness of discipleship–living the Gospel and not just teaching it. In a reflection to his teachers, he wrote: “In your teaching, the [children] in your charge must see by the way you teach that you are true ministers of God, full of true charity and sincere in carrying out your task. It is most important for you to realize that you are ministers not only of God but also of Jesus Christ and the Church.”

Pope St. Paul VI echoed the importance of personal witness in his 1975 apostolic exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi in which he wrote: “for the Church, the first means of evangelization is the witness of an authentically Catholic life, given over to God in a communion that nothing should destroy and at the same time given to

one’s neighbor with limitless zeal. . . . Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses” (EN 41).

The charge to Catholic teachers is thus to educate students for this life and prepare them for the next by instruction and by example. The very nature of authentic Catholic education is the search for goodness, beauty and truth and the cultivation of wisdom and virtue under the guidance of the Church. The various arts and sciences are pathways for growing closer to God since students learn in these the endless wonders of His creation. A passion for learning is a passion for Jesus Himself, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Catholic schools play an important role in forming disciples to know, love and follow Jesus. The teacher-ministers, principal-ministers and support staff of Catholic schools reflect this every day as they not only teach, but also model, the faith for our more than 40,000 students in this archdiocese. For that I am very grateful.

Although not all our students are Catholic, it is the mission of our schools to be Catholic in every classroom, lunchroom, hallway and gym. They are Christ-centered communities rooted in the Gospel message. At the same time, as I have frequently noted, Catholic schools are everybody’s schools because they form students into leaders who will help to make the world a better place–more peaceful, more civil, more faith-filled.

Please join me in keeping all students, parents and school principals, faculty and staff in our prayers as this new school year begins.

S E E K T H E L O R D / A U GUST 2022 | 5

Busca al Senor ARZOBISPO DENNIS M. SCHNURR

Crecer siempre ha tenido sus dificultades, pero los jóvenes de hoy enfrentan un entorno particularmente desafiante en nuestro país–el aumento de la violencia, los disturbios y los horribles tiroteos en las escuelas; el discurso civil que es cada vez más incivil; y una cultura secularista que continúa empujando la fe hacia los márgenes a medida que disminuye la práctica religiosa semanal.

En generaciones anteriores, la sociedad estadounidense, aunque lejos de ser perfecta, generalmente reforzó los valores y virtudes importantes que se enseñan en los hogares católicos y en las escuelas católicas. Esto, a menudo, ya no sucede. Por lo tanto, se necesitan más que nunca escuelas católicas fieles y eficaces y programas de educación religiosa. Estos son acompañantes esenciales de los padres de los estudiantes, quienes siguen siendo los principales educadores en la fe de sus hijos.

San Juan Bautista de la Salle, santo patrono de los maestros, puso en palabras lo que la Iglesia ha entendido desde hace mucho tiempo, que la instrucción en la fe se realiza en gran medida mediante el testimonio del discipulado–vivir el Evangelio y no sólo enseñarlo. En una reflexión dirigida a sus maestros, escribió: “Por tanto, los [niños], que han sido entregados a vuestro cuidado, han de ver que sois ministros de Dios porque ejercéis vuestro oficio con una caridad sincera y una fraternal diligencia. El pensar que sois no sólo ministros de Dios, sino también de Cristo y de la Iglesia, os debe ayudar a cumplir con vuestra obligación”.

El Papa San Pablo VI hizo eco de la importancia del testimonio personal en su exhortación apostólica de 1975, Evangelii nuntiandi, en la que escribió: “para la Iglesia el primer medio de evangelización consiste en un testimonio de vida auténticamente cristiana, entregada a Dios en una comunión que nada debe interrumpir y a la vez 6 | THE C ATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

consagrada igualmente al prójimo con un celo sin límites. . . . El hombre contemporáneo escucha más a gusto a los que dan testimonio que a los que enseñan o si escuchan a los que enseñan, es porque dan testimonio” (EN 41).

El encargo a los maestros católicos es, por lo tanto, educar a los estudiantes para esta vida y prepararlos para la próxima mediante la instrucción y el ejemplo. La naturaleza misma de la auténtica educación católica es la búsqueda de la bondad, la belleza y la verdad y el cultivo de la sabiduría y la virtud bajo la guía de la Iglesia. Las diversas artes y ciencias son caminos para acercarse a Dios ya que los estudiantes aprenden en ellas las infinitas maravillas de Su creación. La pasión por aprender es pasión por el mismo Jesús quien es el Camino, la Verdad y la Vida. Las escuelas católicas juegan un papel importante en la formación de los discípulos para conocer, amar y seguir a Jesús. Los maestros-ministros, los directores-ministros y el personal de apoyo de las escuelas católicas reflejan esto todos los días, ya que no sólo enseñan, sino que también modelan la fe para nuestros más de 40,000 estudiantes en esta arquidiócesis. Por esto estoy muy agradecido.

Aunque no todos nuestros estudiantes son católicos, la misión de nuestras escuelas es ser católicos en cada salón de clases, comedor, pasillo y gimnasio. Son comunidades cristocéntricas arraigadas en el mensaje del Evangelio.

Al mismo tiempo, como he señalado con frecuencia, las escuelas católicas son escuelas para todos porque forman a los estudiantes para que sean líderes que ayudaren a hacer del mundo un lugar mejor–más pacífico, más cívico, más lleno de fe.

Por favor únanse a mí para mantener a todos los estudiantes, padres, directores de escuelas, profesores y personal en nuestras oraciones a medida que comienza este nuevo año escolar.

QUEST IO N O F F A IT H

Mary’s Assumption We believe that Mary was assumed into heaven body and soul, but was that before or after her death?

The belief in the Assumption of Mary is not based on eyewitness accounts, nor is it recorded directly in Scripture.

This means that the exact details are unknown, which leaves several scenarios open. When Pope Pius XII proclaimed the doctrine of the Assumption in 1950, he wrote, “The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus, 44).

MARY’S SINLESSNESS

What then is the evidence for the Assumption? Some theologians have argued that the Assumption is a direct consequence of the belief in Mary’s sinlessness. By her immaculate conception, she was preserved from all stain of original sin, and throughout her life, she did not sin. Because the punishment for sin is the body’s corruption and Mary did not sin, it seems reasonable that her body did not experience deterioration. Paul’s words in Romans 6:23 fittingly apply to the Mother of God: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”

DEATH OR SLEEP?

If bodily decay is the result of sin, it could be that she was immediately taken to heavenly glory at the end of her life— without experiencing death. Early tradition held that Mary fell asleep at the end of her life; various narratives describe her “dormition”—a kind of peaceful sleep. Though not necessarily precluding natural death, this language became popular among Eastern Christians. Accounts of her falling asleep date back to the 5th Century.

Despite this early tradition, Pope John Paul II concluded that Mary died a natural death. For, as he argued, if Christ tasted death, Mary must have as well: “The Mother is not superior to

the Son who underwent death.” As he expressed it, “To share in Christ’s Resurrection, Mary had first to share in his death.”

He cited Patristic sources that claimed the twelve apostles were present when Mary took her last breath.

BODY AND SOUL

Whatever the circumstances at the end of her earthly life, the commonly held belief is that it did not occasion the separation of her body and soul. As Pope Pius XII taught, “She did not have to wait until the end of time for the redemption of her body.” The normal separation of body and soul experienced at death did not occur in her case; she was taken body and soul into heaven.

For this reason, according to Christian tradition, there is no identified tomb of Mary. Empress Helena, who identified many Holy Land sites, did not assert a location for Mary’s burial or any knowledge of her body’s whereabouts. This fact is especially significant because of how seriously ancient cities vied for the bones of the apostles and martyrs: There is no historical record of such a search for Mary’s body.

HER ASSUMPTION, OUR RESURRECTION

Mary’s Assumption highlights our Catholic belief in the resurrection of both body and soul. Though we are not sinless and will taste death, as Pope Pius XII expressed, “Belief in Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven will make our belief in our own resurrection stronger and render it more effective” (Munificentissimus Deus, 42). That Mary was assumed into heaven reminds us that our homeland is not here on earth, but we will be raised one day—when our bodies and souls will be united at the final judgment.

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 / A U GUST 2022 | 7

EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL

Eucharistic Adoration: A Refuge from the World

BY FATHER SEAN WILSON

“And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself ” (Jn. 12:32).

Mass. In Eucharistic Adoration, our Lord in the Eucharist is lifted up before us, and He draws us to Himself.

Our Lord is lifted up multiple times during His Paschal Mystery: He is raised up on the cross, He is lifted up when He rises from the dead and He is lifted up when He ascends into heaven.

I experienced this profoundly in my own life. As a freshman at the University of Dayton, I found Eucharistic Adoration in a basement chapel. Drawn to Jesus in the Eucharist, I found myself returning to that chapel, multiple times each week to seek the Lord. In this hidden place, the Lord drew me to Himself and awakened a call to the priesthood.

And our Lord in the Eucharist is lifted up before our very eyes five times during the Mass. When bread becomes the Body of Christ, the priest lifts up the Body of Our Lord.

Similarly, when the wine is transformed into the Blood of Christ, the priest elevates the chalice for all to see. At the Eucharistic Prayer’s conclusion, the priest, with the deacon’s assistance, raises up the sacred species as he says, “Through Him, with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours almighty Father, forever and ever.” Again, at the invitation to Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ are elevated as the priest says, “Behold the Lamb of God … .” Finally, the Lord is lifted up for us in a personal way when we receive the Body of Christ, as the priest, deacon or other minister slightly raises the Host with the invitation, “the Body of Christ.”

Throughout my time in the seminary and six years of priestly ministry to today, I am still drawn to Jesus in the Eucharist. For a priest, the Eucharist in the Mass can become one function among many to complete—

These are powerful, thought-provoking and spiritually overwhelming moments during Mass. We get to behold the face of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Remarkably, this doesn’t end with Mass’s conclusion—Eucharistic Adoration is the prolongation of the five elevations during 8 |

THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

Father Sean Wilson photo by Danny Schneible

we attend committee meetings, prepare RCIA talks, visit the sick and celebrate the sacraments. However, I have found Eucharistic Adoration to be a refuge in the midst of activities. Jesus Christ listens to my griefs, solves my issues and simply offers His love. I continually come back to Eucharistic Adoration to be strengthened for the Lord’s work.

In being raised up, whether suspended on the cross then or in a monstrance during adoration now, Jesus Christ makes Himself vulnerable for us. He invites us into intimacy with Himself. He hears our prayers and petitions as we hear His still, small voice.

The four parishes where I serve as pastor are blessed with two perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapels. I’m encouraged by our parishioners who flock to Jesus in the Eucharist. There are parents raising four children who take a 2:00 a.m. hour every week, retirees who take multiple hours each week, and high schoolers who offer one hour a week, all doing so to stay with our Lord. These parishioners share that this hour of adoration is the best part of their week and they can’t imagine life without it.

Eucharistic Fact!

A ciborium, commonly known as known as a baldacchino, is also an architectural term. The concave structure overshadowed the altar and was most commonly supported by pillars.

Originally, a ciborium was used to designate the authority of royalty in the Western world. In the Church, the structure highlighted the authority and sacral nature of the Sacrifice of the Altar.

The baldachon, a cloth that draped from the canopy to the floor to obscure the Sacrifice of the Altar at the consecration, disappeared over time. Today, a cloth ciborium is used for Blessed Sacrament processions outdoors.

What if every Family of Parishes was blessed with a Eucharistic Adoration Chapel? What if our Archdiocese was graced with men and women, young and old, who were drawn to the Lord in the Eucharist? The Lord is lifted up before our eyes and hearts in Eucharistic Adoration. Will we allow Him to draw us to Himself?

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E U CH A R IS T IC R E V IV A L / A U GUST 2022 | 9

{ vo ca t i o ns }

embracing the call Twins Prepare to Step Into Vocations as a Wife & Religious Sister

BY REBEKAH DAVIDSON

1 0 |THE C ATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

Twenty-three-year-old identical twins Katherine and Hannah Geiger always planned their lives side-by-side. This changed, however, when they realized God was leading them down different paths. This year, Katherine, who works for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, is marrying her fiancé, Ben, while Hannah, a schoolteacher, is entering her first year of discernment with the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia in Nashville, TN. “[My faith] has meant being open to the Lord’s will,” said Hannah.

“Knowing that in the middle of things looking confusing or different than I thought, He is constant and steady.”

The Geiger twins lived with examples of both vocations in their Catholic home—through their parents and older brother Father Chris Geiger. They were able to witness the beauty in each vocation and recognize the possibilities when it came to living their lives for God. “My faith is something that requires everything of me,” said Katherine. “It has to be a conscious choice to invite the Lord into whatever is going on. There is no part of my life that is too small for Him to want to be a part of.”

She first felt the call to marriage while working at a family summer camp in 2019. She had dated Ben for only a short time and spent the entire summer apart from him. “I know this is what He has asked me to do, to enter into what’s good and hard about being a wife and mother,” said Katherine.

She explained that there was never a sudden moment when she knew she was supposed to marry Ben. Instead, God revealed more to her each day as the couple’s relationship grew. “It was a slow work that the Lord did, but there was never a doubt,” said Katherine. “His Grace was affirming that every step of the way.”

Hannah’s vocation was foreshadowed by her first encounter with sisters at a retreat during high school.

“I was so drawn to them,” said Hannah. “I thought that their life was so beautiful.”

For several years, though, Hannah did not give much thought to her vocation, then she attended a conference (at which Katherine met Ben) where God made clear that she needed to discern religious life. Like most young girls, she grew up planning to get married and was not at first very open to religious life.

“The Lord [made it] so obvious what His will was by working through and changing my desires,” said Hannah. “A vocation is what we’re made for and how we’re supposed to get to Heaven.

The one who knows that best is the Lord.”

Both Katherine and Hannah found the sacraments helpful in discerning their vocations. Going to Mass, Adoration, and

A vocation is what we’re made for and how we’re supposed to

get to Heaven.

confession enabled them to hear where God was calling them.

“Peace always came in front of the Blessed Sacrament,” said Katherine. “If [the struggle] wasn’t answered, there was peace and consolation.”

The twins also found that having spiritual direction and a Catholic community to build them up encouraged them in their discernment.

Once she enters the community, Hannah will only correspond with her family through letters; she is allowed to write Katherine twice a month. “I have a lot of hope because every sister I have met has said that the relationships with your family become so much deeper and closer because of the nature of your communication,” said Hannah.

While they are not sure what that communication will feel like once they enter their vocations, Katherine and Hannah will always have a special bond as twin sisters.

“Whatever is next is better because it’s what we’re being called into,” said Katherine. “It will be hard, but it will be better because God is not stepping back from us or abandoning us.”

V O CA T IO N S / A U GUST 2022 | 11

CATHO LIC A T H O ME

Home: A Place of Connection & Faith August’s arrival means summer is wrapping up. Vacations are over and we’re headed back to routine, with a little more structure than a month ago. Our noses are back at the grindstone for work, school and practices—and that means busyness. Days fly between August and May, with us dashing between home and the activities that fill our hours. Staying connected as a family can become elusive during this time.

parents, we set the example, setting a boundary around time with each other. Try this for the whole evening, or at least an hour before bed. The Lord is ready to receive us, hear us and talk to us every minute of the day. Let us imitate Him by making ourselves available to the precious souls under our same roof.

I offer a guide to maintain your home as a place of loving connection and solid faith.

Second to the Mass, the Rosary is the most powerful prayer we have. St. Padre Pio called it “the weapon of our times.” Satan confessed to Father Gabriele Amorth, a late exorcist in Rome, that “every Hail Mary of the Rosary is like a blow to the head for me. If Christians knew the power of the Rosary, it would be the end of me.”

BEGIN AND END THE DAY LOVINGLY

Dr. Meg Meeker, a well-respected Catholic pediatrician, said that a child’s day is directly influenced by how they’re greeted in the morning and the manner in which they’re put to bed.

Rushed and panicked wake-ups sky-rocket stress. For children who struggle to control their emotions, this tends to stay with them throughout the day.

Similarly, when bedtime is harsh or marked with frustration, as often happens with younger kids, children don’t fall asleep as easily or soundly. After learning how much we influence our children in these hours, I cultivated a more relaxed, loving start and end to each day. I give hugs and warm smiles as soon as I see my crew each morning because I want them to be certain they’re loved. Tucking them in, my husband and I say how much we love them, looking them in the eyes and giving sincere hugs and kisses. This is paramount, not for the sake of serenity itself, but so we are conduits of God’s love to our own children.

PHONE DOWN AND EYES UP AN HOUR BEFORE BED

This one’s not just for keeping up our melatonin production; it’s to make space for real connection among family. With hands free, we create availability. Whether it’s a quality conversation or a quick question in passing, any exchange between parents and children is worth creating the opportunity to interact. As 1 2 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH

PRAY THE ROSARY AS A FAMILY

This prayerful reflection on the life of Jesus, offered through the Blessed Virgin, guards the family and cultivates intimacy between Christ and us. It’s tempting to rush through monotonous prayer or avoid saying it at all, but such abundant benefits are a compelling invitation. Begin by praying a decade as a family, then increase to the whole Rosary when children can cooperate. Carry on in patience and diligence knowing there are no drawbacks to approaching God as a family.

Pope St. John Paul II said, “As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the world in which we live.” How well we love and receive each other and how we pray together in our homes is carried in our families’ hearts.

We’re back at it with lunchboxes, backpacks, practices and routine. Let these all be defined by the love cultivated among our family at home.

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

Can you help us preserve this magnificent basilica?

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains was erected in 1845 and has been a beacon shining brightly for the faithful across the Archdiocese. Each week, along with members of the parish, we welcome guests and visitors for daily Mass, tours and sacramental celebrations. As a member of the Archbishop Karl J. Alter Society or by joining other Friends of the Cathedral Basilica, or simply through a financial gift, we need your support.

Please consider a gift that will be applied to one or more of these important programs: $7,500 Installing an Ohio Historical Marker, denoting the Cathedral’s recent acceptance into this elite organization

$25,000 Installing directional and information signs to help welcome and guide visitors to the Cathedral

$10,000 Enhanced Art & Environment for Christmas

$30,000 Expansions and upgrades to the campus video and electronic safety and security program

$15,000 New liturgical furnishings for the Blessed Sacrament Chapel $20,000 Restoration of historical paintings in the Cathedral collection Name

Phone

Payment by check $

$125,000 New Mensa (top) for the Altar Non-Designated Gift Donate by credit card online at catholicaoc.org Email

Address

Make check payable to: Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains

Mail this form, along with your check to Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, 325 W 8th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Your donation is tax deductible. Save a copy of this document for your records!

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A CLO SE R LO O K

Education for the Common Good Over the past few years, there have been contentious public arguments over who has authority to educate children and what should be included (or excluded) from the curriculum.

Many politicians and pundits declared that parents should have little or no input into curriculum decisions and proposed learning outcomes. For example, a 2021 Washington Post opinion piece headlined, “Parents claim they have the right to shape their kids’ school curriculum. They don’t.” Similarly, a Virginia governor candidate declared that parents should have no say in school curriculum decisions (and the candidate lost). A prominent Harvard University professor opined that home schooling should be banned unless the curriculum passes detailed, intrusive government scrutiny of curriculum and viewpoints.

Concerned parents replied that this is nothing less than authoritarianism, and they nominated school board candidates that oppose such notions. Some states began mandating parameters and prohibitions in their public school systems, especially curriculum related to sexuality and gender. Of course, parents are free to send their children to parochial or private schools, which many do, but there are penalties: parents pay both tuition to their private schools and taxes that finance public schools. And some families cannot afford private or parochial options. Besides, if some politicians and regulators have their way, the state will also reach into these schools to manipulate their curriculum through onerous regulations or withholding federal funds.

As the nation’s children return to school in August, these 1 6 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

public arguments are an opportunity to consider an authentic Catholic understanding of education’s role, parents’ authority in providing it, and the goods to which education should properly be ordered.

TRAINING IN THE USE OF KNOWLEDGE

Education is not merely the primary responsibility of parents; properly understood it is the sole responsibility of parents because the very foundation and context for a well-educated person begins long before the first alphabet recitation or deciphering of a sum. Education is not merely the accumulation of memorized rules of grammar, arithmetic and science, nor the rote recitation of dates, places and names. Indeed, without a proper foundation in the human person’s nature and purpose, none of these can be properly assimilated into an “educated” student. Proper training in the use of knowledge is a necessary precondition for a complete education.

This is because the first “school” of the well-educated person is the school of virtue, a training that is solely the family’s responsibility, headed by the parents. As the Vatican’s 1983 Charter of the Rights of the Family put it, the family “is uniquely suited to teach and transmit cultural, ethical, social, spiritual and religious values, essential for the development and well-being of its own members and of society.” Such responsibility is rooted in, and informed by, the parents’ love of their children. In the words of Pope St. John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, “parents’ love is … the animating principle … guiding all

all knowledge toward love of God and others.

concrete educational activity, enriching it with the values of kindness, constancy, goodness, service, disinterestedness and self-sacrifice that are the most precious fruit of love.”

This brings us back to disputes about parents’ input for public schools’ curriculum. Unfortunately in many cases, the parents who complain The reality that some parents neglect do not want to change the fundamental or abdicate this duty does not refute approach to education. If education is the principle. Unfortunately, parents built upon a foundation of individual who were not well educated visit their autonomous rights, for which personal deficiencies on their offspring, but this liberty is the highest value, complaints heightens the family’s importance as about the edifice are just tinkering with the school of virtue. Knowledge can be, is a necessary the trim. If the parents themselves do and often is, a dangerous commodity. precondition for a not have a proper vision of the human In the hands of those not well trained to person, the educational reforms they use it, it is as likely to produce calamity complete education. desire are just variations on the theme as felicity. Thus we are compelled to they criticize. This, unfortunately, also reinvigorate our investment in proper applies to parochial and other Catholic schools. Before we catechesis, beginning in the home so that the family as the parents presume to have a voice in education, we must be first school of virtue may be reaffirmed and strengthened. clear about what a proper education entails.

To say that parents have sole responsibility for their children’s education is not to say that aspects cannot be delegated to DR. KENNETH CRAYCRAFT others; we can reasonably entrust children to those trained in is an attorney and the James J. Gardner Family specializations. But this delegation must ensure the context Chair of Moral Theology at Mount of the human person’s nature and purpose as a being ordered St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology. toward God, and thus develop the virtues necessary to order

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{ leadership }

paving the way

BY JOHN STEGEMAN

Schiess: The Summit’s First Woman Head of School Kelley Schiess became Head of School at Summit Country Day School (The Summit) July 1 of this year, the first woman in that position since the school became a co-educational institution in 1972.

the importance of loving every child. She taught me about our special culture and the history. She inspired my leadership. Carrying forward the mission and vision of the sisters is an honor and privilege.”

After a 13-year career at Xavier University, Schiess began working at The Summit in 2002, first as Director of Enrollment, Retention and Financial Aid, and most recently as Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Management and Community Engagement.

The Summit has a long history, founded in 1890 as Our Lady of Cincinnati by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. It began as an all-girl school, took on its current name in 1927, opened The Summit Boys School in 1941, and began coeducational classes in 1972. Since that time, all heads of school were men.

“I have been blessed to have had many strong women as mentors during my career, in particular Mary Foss Brinkmeyer, former assistant head of school,” said Schiess. “Mary was the first person I met when I started my Summit journey. She served as a teacher, mentor and friend. As I transitioned to The Summit, she taught me about the sacredness of our work here and 1 8 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

Schiess succeeds Rich Wilson, Head of School since 2010, and has high praise for him.

“The Summit is in a position of strength because of the leadership and careful stewardship that Rich Wilson and the Board of Trustees have provided,”

Schiess said. “Rich has been an exemplary model of a leader of character. He has contributed tremendously to our culture of excellence as a Catholic, independent school thanks to his extraordinary commitment, tireless devotion and tremendous passion for developing a culture of philanthropy.

“The Summit is a special place,” Schiess said. “I was drawn to the mission of educating leaders of character and the focus on educating the whole child. I remember when I was interviewing for the position with long time Head of School, Ed Tyrell. He told me that people do not change The Summit, but The Summit transforms those who experience it.”

“I have seen how The Summit transformed my own children,” she added. “Both [boys] were actively engaged in all five pillars of the school. The Summit’s rigor,

The Summit’s rigor, faith, opportunities and community prepared them exceptionally well for college and their careers today. faith, opportunities and community prepared them exceptionally well for college and their careers today.”

Hoping to build on the school’s traditions, Schiess noted that one priority is strengthening the school’s mission and identity as a Catholic, independent school guided by the Notre Dame hallmarks. Other priorities include a commitment to remaining a diverse, inclusive community, the expansion of community partnerships, the retention and recruitment of top teachers and staff and the school’s financial stability going forward.

“I am eager to partner with the community to build upon our strengths to ensure the tradition of excellence continues,” she said. “It is also a perfect time to introduce bold new thinking and innovation that will prepare future Summit generations to improve the world they will inherit. My focus for our future is student-centered.

It is about joy. It is about understanding that the growth in grace and wisdom, social [and] emotional well-being, learning and formation of each child from 18 months through grade 12 is the reason we exist.”

B A CK T O S CH O O L / A U G UST 2022 | 19

Forming students to be servants begins in Catholic Schools Catholic Charities leads Catholic schools in bettering the community

BY ALLEGRA THATCHER

If you looked in St. Gertrude School’s windows on their service day last year, you would have seen elementary students bustling about the room, creating welcome cards to Afghan refugees. The reason?

A partnership between Catholic schools and Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio (CCSWO).

Mary Anne Bressler is the Parish and Community Engagement Coordinator at CCSWO who, with her team, gives themed presentations in Catholic schools to raise students’ awareness of peoples’ needs in Ohio. During the 2021-22 school year, CCSWO staff met with students at Mercy McCauley High School, St. Ursula Academy, McNicholas High School and St. Gertrude School to share the realities of immigration and what students can do to help.

2 0 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

A CCSWO success story for schools’ involvement is the Su Casa Hispanic Center in Cincinnati, which is now served by summer interns who experienced community service themselves early in their lives.

“You see the full circle when people are given the opportunity,” said Su Casa Director Giovanna Alvarez. “Through relationships and collaborations with different Catholic schools and universities, the center provides all kinds of resources for the Latino and immigrant communities of Cincinnati. Over 5,000 people receive yearly assistance, from case management, to family reunification, health promotion services and educational services.”

St. Xavier High School students volunteer for Su Casa’s tutoring services, St. Ursula Academy youth provide childcare and both Moeller and Mount Notre Dame High Schools’ students also assist the center. Online Spanish service learning courses and tutoring are provided through a partnership with Miami University, Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati.

“That’s the formation the [students] have received at a Catholic school. To give back, to support this community,” Alvarez said.

“There are other people who have received these services and now they’re working here as part of the team at Catholic Charities and as staff at Catholic schools.”

A Su Casa teacher shared that the Latino students from the 2020 remote summer camp, learned advanced remote learning and tech skills at Su Casa. They then assisted their American classmates during the school year.

What starts as learning in the classroom must be actively applied, said Teresa Davis, theology teacher and Community Engagement Director at McNicholas High School. She spoke highly of CCSWO’s support for leading her students in community service.

“The resources, the personal engagement, helps shore up the foundation of learning of Catholic high schools and it really does flesh out book learning and lets the kids see that it’s applicable stuff,” she said.

Davis said her students regularly volunteer at the St. Vincent de Paul Pantry, Guardian Angels and Mt. Washington Cemetery and tutor at Sands Montessori and Mt. Washington Elementary. Ten hours of service are mandatory, but she emphasized that, from day one of freshman year, students are taught “it’s about compassion, not about compulsion.”

Immigration lawyers were among those

B A CK T O S CH O O L / A U G UST 2022 | 21

Davis shared that a senior initiated a school supply drive, determining the supplies needed and where to take it, then organizing it all himself. The result? The school delivered 10 boxes of supplies to local elementary schools.

Another senior, Chloe Jones, who won the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s inaugural Blessed Frassati Scholarship Award, was touched by the difficulties of those reentering society after time in prison. She decided to pursue a media advocacy minor with her marketing major at Kent State University.

who presented to McNicholas students this year. “I teach Comparative World Religions and we talk about immigration and refugees,” said Davis. “But these lawyers came in and fleshed it out with human stories that made the learning more engaging.”

Bressler conversed with Social Justice and Comparative World Religions classes about immigration statistics, and ways students could engage with Su Casa, charity work and more.

“They have so many threads out in the community that the kids were interested in,” said Davis. “It’s one thing to hand a bag of food to someone, but we teach the children how to engage with people. … We emphasize that these are real people like you, they just have a different set of problems.

Catholic Charities really knows how to get to the heart of that.”

“We do as Jesus did. He went to the home of these people and said, ‘I’ll heal you, but I’ll hang out with you too, and get to know you because you count,’” said Davis.

To encourage service, Davis said, “Give them some agency.”

2 2 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH

Davis has plenty of suggestions for those wanting to get involved.

“I do believe teenagers want to be engaged in community service, but they just don’t know how, and there’s got to be an adult somewhere in their proximity that can lead them.”

For the 2022-23 school year, Bressler’s CCSWO plan invites schools to creatively participate in service through four categories of involvement: Learn, Pray, Share and Give.

“Our hope is that we’ll get schools who really kind of dive into this in a big way, and if they participate in each of the four categories, then we will call them Catholic Charities Champions.”

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BY KARY ELLEN BERGER

Who are role models?

Dictionaries say they are people others look up to as positive examples. Most of us can name at least one person we identify as a role model in our life. This is true for McNicholas High School theology teachers, Jeff Hutchinson-Smyth and Mary Beth Sandmann. Alumni of the school, they shared that their role models have been family members, current and former faculty and each other.

“I didn’t grow up going to church and it really was the teachers at McNick who gave me an up close seat to what it looks like to live in a way that’s animated by Christian faith,” said Hutchinson-Smyth. “I chose to be baptized my freshman year at McNick and then was confirmed my junior year. I think that owned experience of faith that I had was really a testimony to the witness of a number of different teachers in and beyond the classroom.”

Many see Hutchinson-Smyth and Sandmann as role models for their own dedication and service.

“Jeff and Mary Beth radiate a contagious love for Christ and 24 |

the Church,” said McNicholas Principal, David Mueller.

“Students admire them as trustworthy and authentic faith witnesses who both level with students about the truths of the faith and inspire them to grow in faith. Both invite students to grow in relationship with Jesus through prayer and the sacraments, and also by following Jesus’ example of serving others and implementing Catholic Social Teaching.”

With over 50 years of combined experience serving the McNicholas community, the two teach and organize retreats for students. Hutchinson-Smyth is also the Director of Mission & Ministry and Sandmann co-leads faculty and staff adult faith development.

“It’s necessary for us to take time out of our busy demanding daily lives to really give focus and to connect with God,” said Sandmann. “For students, it’s being present in liturgical celebrations and in the retreats that we offer, in addition to classroom instruction. After students graduate, they may not find that opportunity structured for them, so it’s important to share this path and community with them.”

“We get to see how everything is connected to our celebration of the Eucharist,” said Hutchinson-Smyth.

“It’s not fragmented into going to church for an hour and then shutting off that aspect of our lives and going to class. We show how everything is integrated and connected to God and His glory.”

faith formation academic excellence compassionate leadership

They acknowledged that their jobs are a ministry to both students and adults. Their guidance and love for Christ is exuberant and shared with all at McNicholas High School, said Mueller.

“They both cultivate a spirit of teamwork that draws colleagues and students to take active roles in faith development,” said Mueller.

And while their roles could take them elsewhere, Hutchinson-Smyth and Sandmann treasure being at their alma mater and part of its faith-based community.

“We’re called to be welcoming and meet students where they are,” said Sandmann. “One of the many things that I enjoy doing with my students is look at the upcoming Sunday readings and discuss what speaks to them. This is one way we can guide them and help them grow to be who they are called to be. They’re wonderful people with a purpose and we try to affirm that.”

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“The first football game always feels electric,” said Carl Soucek, band director for 23 years at Carroll High School (CHS) in Dayton. “The sense of anticipation and excitement is paramount.”

Throughout the summer, Catholic high school bands across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati were blowing their horns, clanging their cymbals and beating their drums as they prepared to hit the football field and stands this fall. Some rehearsals began the first week of June to learn spirit music and movements on the field.

Introductory workshops, overnight camps and band practices filled other weeks, and by mid-July, many young musicians picked up their instruments and hit the field.

“As a marcher, getting into the swing of memorizing music and movements can be difficult, but the payoff is definitely worth it in the end,” said drum major CeCe Sharp, a senior at CHS. In addition to the notes and sheet music, band students must march to the beat of the same drum, working together to make music.

“Learning how you fit into the whole as a musician is challenging,” said Sophomore Claire McEachen, who plays the alto saxophone in the CHS band.

“There is a lot of personal responsibility as far as learning the music. There is a layer of trust between everyone while on the field and it can seem daunting having such a large amount of people relying on you. However, this layer of trust allows us to adapt when mistakes happen and motivates everyone to support one another.”

And, that’s why band programs are so special, according to Paul Kindt, director of the combined Mount Notre Dame (MND) /Archbishop Moeller band.

26 |

Bands Build Community at Catholic Schools

BY BONNY VAN

Nothing heralds the change of seasons from summer to fall like the rat-a-tat-tat of snare drums in a high school marching band.

“Band is more about making great people than it is about making great music,” he said. “From parents to staff to members, we keep the family spirit strong by working together and being social. There’s an eight-person student leader team (the Core Team) whose only focus is teambuilding and creating family.”

“The Carroll High School music department is a family,” said Soucek. “Everyone looks out for one another, and families are drawn to help the program in many ways.

The students find that sense of family among their peers as well. They feel safe, welcomed and appreciated not only by the staff, but by each other.”

And the students concur. Carter Sokolis, a Junior trumpet player at Elder High School in Cincinnati, said his favorite part of being in the band is “the small-time communal aspect of it.”

“I am able to have an impact and each person plays an important role,” he said. “But most importantly, it is a time to hang out with some of my best friends both in and outside of school, further strengthening our bond through the shared experiences.”

“There’s such a special bond in the band,” said Sharp, who plays the French horn. “When freshmen come to their first day of high school, they already have 60 or more people they can talk to, a place they can sit at lunch and a place to go before and after school.” continued on page 28

B A CK T O S CH O O L / A U GUST 2022 | 27

The connections made among students extend past the band room and school halls.

Susan Cassidy, a second-year band director at Elder High School in Cincinnati, tells her students “music performs three major functions: art, entertainment and service.”

“We serve the community in many ways,” said Cassidy. “We march in community parades; some of the students have performed Taps at patriotic ceremonies; and some of my former students perform at Mass in their parishes. At our core, we are a service organization.”

According to Cassidy, the Elder band program dates back to1930—she is only the sixth band director in the school’s history. The pandemic put a damper on participation, so she started her term with just 27 students, but there are 45 students signed up for the coming school

“

When freshmen come to their first day of high school, they already have 60 or more people they can talk to, a place they can sit at lunch and a place to go before and after school. year and she hopes to grow to 100-strong by 2024. Kindt, an alumni of the Moeller band, has been rebuilding the MND/Moeller band since 2016, increasing from 19 students to the current 82. Meanwhile, the CHS band, formed in 1968, has held steady with 75-80 members.

28 |

Each band director does double duty by working in Catholic middle schools to develop new talent and interests. Cassidy said that even after getting the job at Elder, she kept her former position at Our Lady of the Visitation “since we need good feeder programs in the Catholic grade schools if we want strong high school band programs.”

And that is music to everyone’s ears!

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Liturg y Enriches School Diversity of Liturgy Enhances Student Worship at St. Columban School

BY JOHN STEGEMAN

It’s no wonder Catholic schools offer Mass to their students, for in it is found the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Catholic faith. With Mass as the center of Catholic worship, Church tradition also offers a myriad of devotions and methods of prayer.

St. Columban Catholic School in Loveland has a particular spiritual life program that explores the richness of that tradition with students. Students gather each week for communal liturgy, which is often Mass, but sometimes it’s adoration, communal rosary, stations of the cross, Taizè prayer or Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours.

A trio collaboratively leads the program: Director of Music, Mary Bellman; Coordinator of Religious Education, Terri Kerley; and Director of Faith Formation, Scott Mussari. “[Students] really like things where they can be more engaged than just sitting in the pews,” Bellman said. “For Taizè prayer we decorate the church with candles and icons and they like sitting around those. We notice a change 3 0 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

in that students participate very well in their singing and responses. A lot of that is because we work hard at making them realize this is their responsibility as members of the assembly.”

“We don’t treat them as children saying, ‘You can only do so much,’” Kerley said. “We tell them, ‘You are children, and this is an appropriate way to pray.’”

Mussari added that these practices are more than an educational curiosity—they are a spiritual food that feeds the students. “There is a benefit to having our students be familiar with these different and various liturgies of our Church,” Mussari said. “There’s a whole spectrum of all these ways that we can pray. The more we can familiarize them and get them to appreciate and practice those; it is a benefit that will enhance their entire spiritual life when they leave St. Columban school.”

As the three customize liturgies to the students’ lives, the students’ participation benefits the parish as well.

The program seeks to involve students in serving, lectoring, becoming extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and participating in the choir or bell choir.

our school children to the wide variety of the ways that Catholics pray,” Bellman said. “That is what we do on Thursdays. We expose them to all kinds of devotional and liturgical prayer.”

“It’s really geared to them and what they’re experiencing in their life,” said Kerley.

“Sometimes we’ll even gather when things happen in the world. [After a school shooting] we all went to church and just prayed together.”

“We were very lucky when Father Larry Tensi came as our pastor in 2003,” she added. “He was very on board with what we were doing. I came here in 1992 and a lot of this was already in place.”

For Taizè prayer we decorate the church with candles and icons and [students] like sitting around those.

“We have some parishioners who, when we have Mass with the kids, will choose to come to that Mass because they just like the energy in the church,” Bellman said. “There are a couple daily Mass goers who choose to come.”

“This actually started back when Father Terry Smith was our pastor in the 1990s, and it was his vision to expose

Bellman said Father Chris Worland, who became pastor of St. Columban and St. Margaret of York on July 1 as part of Beacons of Light, wants to continue these efforts.

“I think we’ll probably wait and see right now,” Mussari said. “Then down the road, as part of our family, we’ll see at what level we can incorporate all this or share ideas with our new family members at St. Margaret of York.”

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CISE student Lupito Bucio prepares for school at Mount Notre Dame.

{ high school students }

A Bright Future CISE Scholarships Allow More Students to Attend Catholic High Schools

BY PATRICIA MCGEEVER

A record number of freshmen at Cincinnati’s Catholic high schools this fall will come from the city’s inner-city Catholic grade schools.

In disadvantaged neighborhoods, they are supported by the Catholic Inner-City Schools Education Fund (CISE) whose mission is to help children out of poverty by providing quality education. This year, 203 eighth graders graduated from CISE schools, and 148 of them are moving on to Catholic high schools.

“The total enrollment last year in high schools was about 300 students,” said Phil McHugh, Interim Director of CISE. “So if we can keep this pace up for the next few years, we’ll have doubled the number of CISE elementary school students in Catholic high schools.”

Guadalupe (Lupita) Bucio graduated from St. Cecilia this year and is enrolled to begin at Mount Notre Dame this fall.

“I really did like it,” said Lupita of her grade school experience. “There were a lot of opportunities and a lot of preparing me for what’s next.”

Her parents switched Lupita and her older sister, Fatima, from public school after meeting St. Cecilia’s principal. They learned about opportunities St. Cecilia offers and how Ohio’s Ed Choice Vouchers could cover some tuition.

32 |

THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

“We are Catholic, so it was just good for us,” said Lupita’s mother, Lilia. “I

always said to them, we saw in that moment we were doing the right thing. We liked the school.”

Lupita received one of the 100 CISE scholarships awarded this year. Every CISE eighth grader can apply to receive between $3,000 and $6,000.

The objective is clear: Ensure a child’s financial situation does not prevent him or her from attending a Catholic high school.

“Through the generosity of our donors and our partnership with the local Catholic high schools, we’re now in a position to offer a Catholic high school education to any CISE eighth graders who desire that,” said McHugh.

For Lupita’s family, every little bit helps. “We work, but definitely we cannot afford it,” said Lilia of the tuition. “For example, now, in high school, it’s almost $16,000 every year.” Add the cost of extracurricular activities and the price is out of reach for many families.

Lupita is looking forward to participating in sports and theater at Mount Notre Dame (MND). Right now, she’s studying piano and vocals.

“I want to be a singer and an actor,” she said. “I’m hoping that MND will help me out with a lot of things I’m looking forward to doing, to prepare and to really look forward to the career I’m interested in having.”

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SH INE O N

Talent vs. Hard Work The desire for perfection—the ugly stepsister to fear of failure—is a mind killer. It causes serious damage to emotional and spiritual health. Teach young learners it’s okay to try hard things and fail.

In her book Grit, Angela Duckworth explores how much talent matters in achieving success, as compared to good old hard work. Duckworth is the founder and CEO of Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance scientific insights that help children thrive. Her research uncovered an insight, which she describes through mathematical equations:

THE THIRD OBSTACLE IS LAZINESS.

Talent x Effort = Skill and Skill x Effort = Achievement Her point? Talent matters, but effort matters twice as much.

Laziness is a deadly sin. It’s the desire for comfort above everything else. It puts easy in front of virtue—the polar opposite of effort.

As young people across the archdiocese embark on another academic year, I’m shining a light on the four biggest obstacles to success and what the Bible says about each of them.

THE FIRST OBSTACLE IS EGO.

Ego says I don’t need it. Help, knowledge, hard work, discipline… insert your favorite necessary virtue. Ego kills effort, because it says effort isn’t necessary.

“Pride goes before disaster, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

(Prv. 16:18). So how do we help our young learners avoid ego?

We encourage them to do hard things. Duckworth wrote that her family has an “everyone has to do a hard thing” rule.

Whether it’s violin lessons or training for a marathon, her husband, children and she all have to do a hard thing. And they talk at dinner each night about how it’s going. Encourage young learners to take risks and face challenges. It will teach them humility, the ultimate killer of ego.

THE SECOND OBSTACLE IS FEAR.

Specifically, the fear of failure. I often tell kids on the baseball team I coach, “If you walk up to the plate expecting to strike out, you most likely will.”

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil.

4:13). How do we help our young learners avoid fear? We teach them that it’s okay to fail. Ask your kids at dinner what they failed at that day. Encourage them to take risks. Help them to choose hard things. The more effort they believe they need to put in, the better off they will be.

3 4 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

“In seedtime sluggards do not plow; when they look for the harvest, it is not there,” (Prv. 20:4). You can’t have the harvest if you won’t plant the seeds. If anyone is going to avoid laziness, they must first learn to be uncomfortable. Encourage small acts of self-sacrifice everyday—have a water instead of a coke, turn the thermostat up a degree or two. There are a thousand different ways to help young learners avoid laziness, and it all starts with helping them break free from their love of comfort.

THE FOURTH OBSTACLE IS IGNORANCE.

Young learners need to learn! A young person can have all the grit and determination in the world, but still need help.

“Train the young in the way they should go; even when old, they will not swerve from it” (Prv. 22:6). Here we thank God for the many teachers—professionals, yes, but also the mothers, fathers, coaches and grandparents who teach our young people and help them grow.

We like to tell kids they can do anything if they put their mind to it. That might not be completely true. But if we remove the obstacles of ego, fear, laziness and ignorance, and we encourage our children to put in the effort, I’m certain we (and they) will be amazed by what they can achieve.

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

OPEN E S U HO SAVE THE DATE! Sunday, October 30 | 1 – 3:30 p.m.

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Join us for student-led tours, meet our faculty and staff, and see all that Mercy McAuley has to offer!

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Classes Start Aug. 22 B A CK T O S CH O O L / A U G UST 2022 | 35

S E IZ E T H E MO ME NT

To Be Barely Touched by Jesus I’m always reflective at 3:00 a.m. Recently up at that early hour because the baby wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t with the baby.

The baby was with my wife, nursing fitfully. I was downstairs in the recliner, trying to sleep, having just stormed out of the bedroom because, of all things, the baby wouldn’t stop touching me.

I know, not my finest hour, but hear me out. It’s not that I mind being touched. After all, I’m a hugger. I’ll shake your hand or give you a pound, or you can put your arm around me.

I just don’t like to be barely touched, like when I’m holding a baby and his foot grazes my hip bone or when my arm slightly touches the arm of the person sitting next to me.

Most people don’t seem to mind, but it makes me want to climb a wall. It shocks my whole body, yanks me out of the deepest sleep—I absolutely cannot stand to be barely touched.

As I sat in the darkness thinking about this, I felt remorse. I’m ashamed that I’m this way; not only because it means my wife is left alone with the baby, but because Jesus barely touched people and they barely touched Him, and it was enough to bring them healing.

What do I do when He reaches out to me?

THE TOUCH OF JESUS

9:25), Peter’s mother-in-law (Mk. 1:31), the blind man at Bethsaida (Mk. 8:23) and the boy with the unclean spirit (Mk. 9:27) were all healed when Jesus took them by the hand.

Sometimes, people barely touched Him, and that healed them too. For example, the woman with a hemorrhage (Mt. 9:2022) and the sick people in Gennesaret (Mt. 14:34-36) simply touched the fringe of Jesus’ garment and they were healed.

That was the power of touching Jesus and being touched by Him. HE REACHES OUT TO YOU AND ME

Jesus reaches out to me too, but, as in those long nights with the baby, I’m not always receptive. He whispers, “You should go to Confession,” but I don’t always go. He speaks in the readings at Mass, but I don’t always listen. He seeks me in the presence of the poor, but I don’t always greet Him. I dismiss, I ignore, I recoil.

Recently, I’ve learned that when I’m lying beside the baby and I’m all touched out, the solution is not to avoid him. If he’s looking for me in the middle of the night, he’ll stretch and grope until he finds me, no matter how far I scoot away.

But if I move in closer, then we’re touching—but not barely touching—and he feels safe enough to sleep.

Being a carpenter’s son, Jesus’ hands were likely strong, calloused and rough from working with wood, stone and heavy tools. But, we see in Scripture that His touch was healing and gentle.

I’m going to try that approach with Jesus. After all, He’s always reaching out, always yearning to be close, not in a harassing way, but in a way that says, “I’m open to you. I love you. I want to heal you.” I’m determined to draw near Him.

Sometimes Jesus healed with a simple command: “Rise, take up your bed and go home” (Mt. 9:6); “Go, your son will live” (Jn. 4:50); “Lazarus, come out!” (Jn. 11:43).

Stretch and grope and you will find Him too, and you will also find your healing. That’s just as true at 3:00 a.m. as it is at any other time.

But, often it was by touch, and specifically by taking someone’s hand into His. Like His Father in heaven who took the Jews “by the hand” and led them out of Egypt (Heb. 8:9), Jesus brought healing and new life with a loving hand. Jairus’ daughter (Mt. 3 6 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

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

The Dear parishioners, our society is now facing a historically high inflation rate. As important as it is for families to pre-plan their cemetery arrangements, we at Gate of Heaven Cemetery recognize that this expense is often not a top priority in the face of tightening budgets and increased household expenses. In keeping with our ministerial objectives, we have resolved to freeze our prices through the end of 2022, even as we are experiencing significant supplier increases and other inflated costs.

Consider the benefits of pre-planning NOW: Lock in Prices • Affordable Payment Options • Conserve Life Insurance • Peace of Mind

Are you prepared? Let us help.

Call us to arrange a private pre-planning meeting or attend our

Pre-planning Seminar on August 16, 2022 at either 2PM or 6PM. Call us to RSVP by August 12th at 513-489-0300 or email us, community@gateofheaven.org.

Find Joy Here!

We are a non-profit cemetery whose ministry is to serve through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Our Family Services Advisors are compassionate and sensitive professionals prepared to guide you and your family through every step of the planning process.

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

| 37

1830

St. Stephen parish founded by German settlers.

1832

A devastating fire in the newly named, renovated and combined St. Julie Billiart Church in Hamilton required a second renovation and delayed its opening by two years.

St. Stephen Church built on land purchased by Protestants for that purpose; led by Franciscans.

1854

New red brick church built around the old one; its ornate interior featured an elaborate carved altar, side altars, and raised pulpit.

1893

Transepts added to give the floor plan a cross shape.

1912

Tudor Gothic façade and tower, designed by Hamilton architect Andrew Benzing, added; stained glass windows from Zettler Studios in Munich installed.

1989

Renovation in St. Stephen Church begun for the new St. Julie Billiart Church, formed from St. Stephen, St. Mary and St. Veronica.

1 Central tower featuring clocks and copper dome 2 Cemeteries associated with the parish, St. Stephen (and St. Stephen Old Cemetery) and St. Mary’s

1990

Fire a month before the planned dedication destroys the church.

Hamilton firefighters save the historic stained glass windows.

12 Vertical stained glass windows; additional rose windows

1992

Entirely rebuilt inside the original walls; St. Julie Billiart Church dedicated.

1999

Spanish-language community begins meeting. Spanishlanguage Masses offered.

2022

Parish Family of St. Julie, Queen of Peace, St. Aloysius, St. Joseph, and St. Peter in Chains created.

Written by Gail Finke Illustrated by Emma Cassani 3 8 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

ST. JULIE BILLIART Paralyzed after wtinessing someone try to murder her father, Julie was confined to bed for more than 20 years and had to be smuggled from her home town of Cuvilley, France, in a haycart during the Revolution. After a miraculous healing in 1804 on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, she and a friend founded the Sisters of Notre Dame in Amiens, but clashed with local priests over its then-unusual structure (lay and religious sisters were treated equally, and both served when and where they were needed). The growing congregation moved to Namur. Julie made more than 120 journeys to found convents and schools.

She died in 1816 after only 12 years in religious life.

“They built the new church [in 1854] around the old church!

Records say people were coming to Mass in the old church while the new one was being constructed.”

- Pam Long, parishioner Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe In this century the Spanishspeaking parishioners have made this day-long (and far into the night) celebration a local favorite, attended by more than 1000 worshipers.

BOOK REVIEW

How Beautiful the World Could Be Christian Reflections on the Everyday

by Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt

REVIEWED BY FATHER JOSHUA J. WHITFIELD

Writing and reading good homilies is a rich theological and literary tradition due for revival. Good preaching has always been worthy of a wide audience (think of the Cappadocians, St. Augustine, St. John Henry Newman), and today’s best preaching contributes to that tradition.

Gratitude is due to Eerdmans Publishing for this collection of everyday homilies offered by an ordinary preacher in How Beautiful the World Could Be. Of course, Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt is a well-known theologian and author (his book, The Love That Is God, is excellent), but he is by no means a spiritual “influencer.” Rather, Bauerschmidt is firstly a deacon serving a parish. And that’s what the collected homilies are: parish preaching by a Church deacon.

Indeed, their ordinariness is what makes these homilies such a worthy contribution. “Preaching is theology at perhaps its most particular,” Bauerschmidt writes. A good preacher should not only “pull the Scriptures into our moment but… pull our moment into the Scriptures.” He preaches the Gospel in relation to the economy, war, abortion, racism, Covid and more. He brings the Gospel of Jesus Christ alive, to bear upon his parishioners’ hearts and minds, inviting his listeners—and now his readers—to see how God works within this world’s worst and best, resisting politicized reductions and inviting us all to imagine just how beautiful the world could be. Such is precisely what it means for a preacher to be a “mediator of meaning,” which Deacon

Bauerschmidt ably proves himself to be.

His book is also worthwhile—especially for preachers— as a textbook on preaching or, better, as an exemplum. St. Augustine said that it’s often better not to teach preaching by going over the rules of rhetoric but, rather, by learning from good preachers. This book offers such an opportunity.

For each homily and each section of homilies, Bauerschmidt provides a brief introduction, rich in homiletic experience and wisdom. While reading this book, I kept thinking of fellow preachers with whom I wanted to share it. Hopefully, it will find its way into the hands of many—deacons, priests and bishops—anyone humble enough to learn a new homiletic thing or two.

But you needn’t be a preacher to read or be enriched by How Beautiful the World Could Be. Its wider readership will likely be laity, for whom it is not just a collection of homilies but a spiritual guide as well. Such is a trait of homilies worth publishing: those that serve the reader’s meditation and prayer.

Father Joshua J. Whitfield, a priest of the Diocese of Dallas, TX, and author of The Crisis of Bad Preaching: Redeeming the Heart and Way of the Catholic Preacher.

How Beautiful the World Could Be by Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt; Eerdmans; 242 pages; $22.99 B O O K R E V IE W / A U G UST 2022 | 39

{ 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.

Cincinnati

Clifton

CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF SW OHIO Mid-Pointe Tower 7162 Reading Rd., Ste. 600 Cincinnati, OH 45237 513.241.7745 ccswoh.org

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

HEALTHY MOMS AND BABES 2270 Banning Rd., Ste. 200 Cincinnati, OH 45239 513.591.5600 healthymomsandbabes.org OLD ST. MARY’S PREGNANCY CENTER 123 E. 13th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 513.929.9165 ST. VINCENT DE PAUL 1125 Bank St. Cincinnati, OH 45214 513.421.0602 svdpcincinnati.org MATER FILIUS 513.351.3368 Mfqc.org materfiliusqc@mfqc.org 4 0 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

Dayton CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES Center for Families 046 Brown St. Dayton, OH 45409 Dayton daytime: 937.223.7217 x2125 or x2120 937.296.1007 cssmv.org DAYTON RIGHT TO LIFE 425 N. Findlay St. Dayton, OH 45404 937.461.3625 daytonlife.org ELIZABETH NEW LIFE CENTER 359 Forest Avenue, Ste. 105 Dayton, OH 45405 937.228.2222 24-hr. help line: 1.888.755.5918 womenscenterohio.com

ELIZABETH NEW LIFE CENTER 4787 Burkhardt Ave., Ste. 201 Dayton, OH 45403 937.610.7777 24-hr. help line: 1.888.755.5918 womenscenterohio.com MIAMI VALLEY WOMEN’S CENTER 4247 Philadelphia Dr. Dayton, OH 45405 937.262.7414 womenscenter.org mvwc@womenscenter.org East Side PREGNANCY CENTER EAST 4760 Madison Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45227 513.321.3100 pregnancycentereast.com LIFE FORWARD Loveland Center 11020 S. Lebanon Rd. Loveland, OH 45140 513.961.7777 lifeforwardcincy.org

A CARING PLACE 4446 Mt. Carmel-Tabasco Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45244 513.753.help (4357) After Hours Help Line: 513.427.ACP1(2271) acaringplace.org help@acaringplace.org Fairborn FAMILY & YOUTH INITIATIVES PARENTING NETWORK (Fairborn Network) 954 N. Maple Ave. Fairborn, OH 45324 937.879.3313 *Building located behind Parish Center of Mary Help of Christians fyiohio.org Georgetown PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER “A PLACE OF HOPE” 852 Mt. Orab Pike Georgetown, OH 45121 937.378.6853 pregnancyhope.com info@pregnancyhope.com Greenville DARKE COUNTY PREGNANCY HELP CENTER 105 W. Third Street Greenville, OH 45331 937.548.2731 24-hr. hotline: 937.547.1112 info@dcphc.org dcphc.org Hamilton PATHWAY TO HOPE 202 S. Monument Ave. Hamilton, OH 45011 513.895.2229 1.800.712.HELP (4357) Text: 513.443.2155 pathwaytohopepcc.org info@pathwaytohopepcc.org

Harrison REACH OUT PREGNANCY CENTER 803 E. Broadway St. Harrison, OH 45030 513.367.7710 reachoutpregnancy.com Hillsboro SOUTHERN OHIO PREGNANCY CENTER 135 W. Walnut St. Hillsboro, OH 45133 937.393.2990 24-hr. hotline 800.395.4357 pregnantnotpregnant.com sopcwecare.com info@pregnantnotpregnant.com Huber Heights MIAMI VALLEY WOMEN’S CENTER Grove Park Offices 7079-A Taylorsville Rd. Huber Heights, OH 45424 937.236.2273 womenscenter.org mvwc@womenscenter.org Kettering ELIZABETH NEW LIFE CENTER 1377 E. Stroop Rd., Ste. 301 Kettering, OH 45429 937.643.4673 24-hr. help line: 1.888.755.5918 womenscenterohio.com MIAMI VALLEY WOMEN’S CENTER 2345 W. Stroop Rd. Dayton, OH 45439 937.298.2822 womenscenter.org mvwc@womenscenter.org Lebanon ELIZABETH NEW LIFE CENTER 736 Columbus Ave., Ste. A Lebanon, OH 45030 513.934.1777 24-hr. help line: 1.888.755.5918 womenscenterohio.com

WOMEN’S CENTER— LEBANON 736 Columbus Ave., Suite A Lebanon, OH 45036 513.934.1777 womenscenterohio.com Middletown COMMUNITY PREGNANCY CENTER 3717 Roosevelt Blvd.

Middletown, OH 45044 513.424.2229 pregnancychoice.net Mt. Healthy/ North College Hill WOMEN’S CENTER MT. HEALTHY 8146 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45231 513.620.8844 womenscenterohio.com New Carlisle FAMILY & YOUTH INITIATIVES PARENTING NETWORK (New Carlisle Network) 468 N. Dayton-Lakeview Rd. New Carlisle, OH 45344 937.845.0900 fyiohio.org Northern Kentucky NEW HOPE CENTER 228 Thomas More Parkway Crestview Hills, KY 41017 859.341.0766 newhopecenter.com OXFORD WOMEN’S CARE CENTER 10 Reagh’s Way Oxford, OH 45003 513.523.1814 oxfordwomenscarecenter.com

CO M M U N IT Y R E S O U R CE S / A U G UST 2022 | 41

Sidney

Southeast Indiana

West Side

ELIZABETH NEW LIFE CENTER 2579 Michigan St. Sidney, OH 45365 937.498.4425 24-hr. help line: 1.888.755.5918 womenscenterohio.com

PREGNANCY CARE CENTER OF SE INDIANA 62 Doughty Rd., Suite 5 Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 812.537.4357 helpimpregnant.org

PREGNANCY CENTER WEST 4900 Glenway Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45238 513.244.5700 pc-west.org

NORTHERN COUNTIES CENTER 1201 Fairington Dr. Sidney, OH 45365 937.498.4593 Springdale/Forest Park LIFE FORWARD Springdale Center 11345 Century Circle West Cincinnati, OH 45246 513.961.7777 lifeforwardcincy.org WOMEN’S CENTER FOREST PARK 1230 W. Kemper Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45240 513.620.8844 womenscenterohio.com

Urbana SYCAMORE HOUSE PREGNANCY Center of Champaign County 315 Sycamore Street, P.O. Box 775, Urbana, Ohio 43078 937.653.3154 sycamorehouse.org Wapakoneta FAMILY LIFE CENTER OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY 116 E. Auglaize St., Ste. B Wapakoneta, OH 45895 419.738.HOPE (4673) alyssa@flcac.com flcac.com

WOMEN’S CENTER WESTERN HILLS 3267 Westbourne Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45248 Opening: 8/29/22 Wilmington NEW LIFE CLINIC 100 S. South Street Wilmington, OH 45177 937.382.2424 newlifesupport.org Xenia MIAMI VALLEY WOMEN’S CENTER 245 S. Allison Ave. Xenia, OH 45385 937.374.0001 womenscenter.org mvwc@womenscenter.org

Springfield FAMILY & YOUTH INITIATIVES PARENTING NETWORK (Springfield Network) 1027 W. High Street Springfield, OH 45506 937.322.3514 fyiohio.org PREGNANCY RESOURCE CLINIC OF CLARKCOUNTY 1010 S. Limestone St. Springfield, OH 45505 937.525.3780 yourpregnancyresource.org ROCKING HORSE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARENT INFANT CENTER 651 South Limestone St. Springfield, Ohio, 45505 937.322.4939 rockinghorsecenter.org 4 2 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

Post-Abortive Healing If you have experienced an abortion and are in need of healing, there is hope. Visit projectrachelohio.org.

Cincinnati

Liberty Township

THE EVE CENTER 7038 Blue Ash Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45236 513.985.9959 evecenter.org

THE EVE CENTER 5962 Hamilton-Mason Rd. Liberty Twp, OH 45011 513.985.9959 evecenter.org

THE EVE CENTER 707 Edgewood Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45211 513.985.9959 evecenter.org

Call or text our confidential helpline:

(513) 784-0531

25 YEARS. A QUARTER CENTURY. Su Casa Hispanic Center, a program of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio continues its legacy in serving the most vulnerable new neighbors in Greater Cincinnati.

Su Casa began as a ministry led by Fr. Joe Nelson and parishioners from St. Charles Borromeo (“San Carlos”) Church in Carthage in 1997. Today, Su Casa is the leading social service provider for the Latino/Hispanic community in Greater Cincinnati.

DONATE securely online at ccswoh.org or mail in your donation Enclosed is my gift of: £$25 £$50 £$100 £$250 £$500 £$__________

Su Casa 25th Anniversary Awards Dinner Friday, September 16, 2022 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. | TQL Stadium Dinner includes reception with cash bar and auction, entertainment and awards presentation, and an after party with DJ and dancing.

2 5 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y AWARDS DINNER & SILENT AUC TION

Tickets are available at: ccswoh.org/su-casa-25-awards-dinner.

If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation to Su Casa at ccswoh.org/donate.

Name _____________________________________

Address ___________________________________

E-Mail ____________________________________

City ______________________________________

Phone _____________________________________

State ________________ Zip __________________

Please make checks payable to: Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, Mid Pointe Tower, 7162 Reading Rd., Ste. 600, Cincinnati, OH 45237

CT_HalfPage_SuCasa_July v3 22_186.indd 1

6/30/22 10:53 AM

Evening for Life with Greater Cincinnati’s Pro-Life Community

Surgeon, Soldier, Sister Thurs., Oct. 20, 2022

Sharonville Convention Center

Sister Deirdre Byrne

Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary 2020 RNC Speaker

Reservations required

CincinnatiRighttoLife.org

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA

105 LABOR DAY FESTIVAL AND FRIED TH

CHICKEN DINNER

Grand Raffle: $5,000 Runner-Up $500

$100 Drawings every 1/2 hour

Live Entertainment! Games!!

Fried Whole Chickens and Half Chicken Dinners Carryout - Indoor / Outdoor Seating Available

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4781 E Morris Church St. Morris, IN

September, 5th 2022 11am to 6pm St. Anthony Campus, Morris, IN License # 002382

812-934-6218

B A CK T O S CH O O L / A U G UST 2022 | 43

Born in 1811, St. Peter Julian Eymard grew up in a poor family in southern France. He loved the Eucharist from an early age. When he was six his sisters lost him, but found him at last in the local church with his head bowed close to the tabernacle. He said he wanted to listen to Jesus better and more.

St. Peter Julian endured many hardships while growing up. He suffered from illnesses his whole life, lost his mom when he was a teenager and his dad when he was 20, and struggled through strained relationships, money troubles, and public embarrassment. He also grew up after the French Revolution, which was a time in France where many people did not like the Church or its priests.

Despite all of these difficulties, he became a priest at age 23. St. Peter Julian loved the Eucharist and he loved Mary, so he joined the Marianist order, whose members devote themselves to thinking like Mary and 4 4 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

loving others as she would. His love for Mary and his Marianist brothers helped him grow in love for Jesus the Eucharist.

As he grew older, St. Peter Julian noticed that many people did not know how deeply Jesus’ loved all people. To help others know of God’s love and God’s presence with them in the Eucharist, at age 45, he created his own order, the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. God gave him the grace and skills he needed to found the order, including organization and a love for teaching others about the Eucharist and the Catholic faith. He was known for speaking the truth and was a dynamic homilist. Known as the “Apostle of the Eucharist,” he died at age 57. August 1 marks his feast day and 155 years since he died.

St. Peter Julian Eymard is the patron saint of Saint Jean Baptiste Catholic Church in New York City.

Young St. Peter Julian Eymard Altar Scene Printable Craft Directions thecatholictelegraph.com/ MCMAug22Craft

“The Eucharist is the supreme proof of the love of Jesus.

After this, there is nothing more but Heaven itself.”

Craft Directions Video thecatholictelegraph.com/ MCMAug22Video Apostle Blessed

Supplies: • Altar Craft Template (printed on cardstock) • One extra piece of cardstock (the wall) • Popsicle stick • Scissors • Glue • Scotch tape • Colored pencils/crayons

Congregation Eucharist Grace Jesus Listening Marianist Mary Preaching Presence Sacrament K ID S ’ CO R N E R / A U G UST 2022 | 45

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

Knowledge, Procreation & the Primordial Sacrament more than just their sexual features. Rather, they saw in one another’s bodies “someone willed by the Creator ‘for his own sake,’ that is, someone unique and unrepeatable, someone chosen by eternal Love” (TOB 15:4). They beheld a person In recent articles, we reflected on the logic of gift and the to be treasured as a gift, not used as a means to an end. spousal meaning of the body. Our very existence is a gift Nonetheless, they were still moved by natural attraction of from God that He lovingly gives us at every moment. The the sexes as they beheld the mystery of the person revealed dignity of man, made in God’s image, requires that every through the masculine or feminine body. This desire, however, human person always be received and treasured as a gift. was properly ordered and in harmony with the dignity of the When we are welcomed and accepted in this way, we discover person, not tainted with selfishness, as in our “giftness,” thus “finding” ourselves the case of fallen humanity. In that state, (i.e., discovering our true dignity). man and woman could come to “know” each other through conjugal relations Since the logic of gift permeates the In this way, each “finds” in a pure, dignified way, infused with very structure of our being and essence, himself anew, now as a holiness and respect for the person. we find our deepest fulfillment when we cooperate with this logic by making father or a mother. They According to the late pope, through a gift of ourselves to others in love. find themselves, too, in the encounter by which the man and This takes place in a special way in the the face of the child who woman “know” each other, they discover encounter between man and woman. the hidden power of procreation. While Through our bodies we discover our is the image of their love. the features of her body point to the equal and profound dignity, but also possibility of motherhood, the woman’s the reality of the sexual difference—our hidden capacity to conceive new life and nurture it in her maleness and femaleness. This unity in human nature and womb is only gradually revealed over time. In this way, difference of sex creates the capacity for spousal communion, husband and wife discover through her body that their which we fulfill by making a total gift of self to each other. mutual “knowledge” in conjugal relations is intrinsically This total gift of self through spousal love between a man connected with the blessing of fruitfulness. The presence of and a woman is the essence of marriage. the child reveals that their spousal gift of self is naturally oriented toward, and finds its crowning in, motherhood and Pope St. John Paul II reflected on the encounter of the first fatherhood. Indeed, it is through receiving her husband’s man and woman before the Fall and how they were naked self-gift and giving herself in return that the woman receives before each other and felt no shame because they beheld This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB).

4 6 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

the gift of her motherhood. Similarly, it is through his wife that the man discovers and receives his fatherhood.

In this way, each “finds” himself anew, now as a father or a mother. They find themselves, too, in the face of the child who is the image of their love.

Pope St. John Paul II saw marriage and family as the climax of creation. Before sin entered the world, the coming together of man and woman in marriage and subsequent begetting of new life was infused with God’s grace. Not only could it bestow earthly life to new human beings, but also, it was the means by which God intended to convey divine life to the entire human family. Thus, the pope referred to marriage as the “primordial sacrament,” by which he meant that in the beginning, marriage was the efficacious sign of God’s plan to share His own divine life with humanity, drawing all of us into the intimacy of His eternal, divine Communion. In light of this, let us pray and work to renew a sense of reverence for the sanctity of marriage and the awesome responsibility of cooperating with God to bring new life into the world.

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.

The 5200 Club is a fundraising raffle that supports

Church of the Assumption Parish in Mt. Healthy When you purchase a 5200 Club ticket for $10 (or 6/$50), you are eligible to win $100 each week for 52 weeks. You heard that right after you win, your ticket goes back in the hopper! Winners are posted in the bulletin and a check is mailed to them.

First drawing will take place on September 19, 2022 with the final drawing on September 11, 2023.

Complete this ticket and return with your payment to: Church of the Assumption • 7711 Joseph St • Cincinnati, OH 45231 OR PURCHASE ONLINE: www.assumptionmthealthy.org Name Address City, State, Zip Phone (optional)

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out & about 1) MARIANIST SISTERS CELEBRATE JUBILEES The U.S. Province of the Marianist Sisters gathered in San Antonio in May. The assembly included the installation of the Provincial Council, the renewal of temporary vows of Sister Emily Sandoval and the jubilees of Sister Evangeline Escobar, FMI (60 years), and Sisters Gretchen Trautman, FMI (50 years). The province also marked the 70 years of profession of Sister Marie Abmayr, FMI. 2) KNIGHTS & DAMES ARCHBISHOP’S DINNER Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati, celebrated Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains for members of the Cincinnati/Dayton Knights of the Holy Sepluchre before their annual Archbishop’s Dinner on May 11. Forty Knights and Dames attended.

3) VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL CLASS Royalmont Academy in Cincinnati celebrated their 12 graduating seniors in May! 4) NEW ART AT CARDINAL PACELLI Recent graduate Kamaria Gragston received the Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Award at DePaul Cristo Rey High School’s All-School Awards ceremony on May 20. She lives in Colerain Township and is a graduate of the Hamilton County Mathematics & Science Academy.

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FUNERAL SERVICES

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U N I T E

1 One of the 12 2 Join 3 More pleasant 4 Model to be imitated 5 Photo-___ 6 Day on which the sun, moon, and stars were created in Genesis 7 Doggie name 8 Israel’s airline 9 Anglo-Saxon writing symbol 10 Minor Prophet of the 6th century 11 Musical instrument 12 Spoils or plunder 13 Jedi master 24 Squeal

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25 Capital of the Bahamas 27 Tread the boards 28 Split in the Church 29 “Skedaddle!”

30 Small mountain lake 31 Jolly Roger hand 32 Fellow 33 She gets what she wants 34 Gallic agreements 35 Spy agcy.

39 Mon. of St. Pat 40 A street in Damascus featured in Acts 44 Doze 46 Number of pieces of silver Judas got for betraying Jesus 47 Catholic poet/ essayist John Samuel ___ 49 Veranda 50 Once more 51 Act of Contrition word 52 Gospel with the most chapters (abbr.)

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23 Garden tempter 26 Her eyes were described in Genesis 27 Serves at Mass 32 Capes 35 CL + CL 36 Ark passenger 37 Holy ___ 38 Director and creator of the Silent Bob character 40 Annoyed 41 Ring king with a sting 42 Road service org.

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THE FINAL WORD with Joshua Agnew

By Right & Duty Fostering Faith with Your Children at Home

There are thousands of tips and techniques out there for all aspects of parenting. But the single most important one gives meaning and purpose to the joys and struggles of everyday life: eternal salvation!

God has given us charge over our children for His good purpose; namely, to teach them to know, love and serve Him in this life, so they may be happy with Him in the next. Sometimes we partner with Catholic schools or parish programs to teach them about their faith, but we must reinforce it at home.

Parents, this is our right and duty; this is our path to heaven.

I offer some tips to help you foster your children’s faith.

PRAY WITH AND FOR YOUR KIDS.

Teaching children to pray is one of the best habits we can instill in them. Our Blessed Lord already knows everything about us, but communication is how relationships are built.

Our connection with our children is strengthened when they share their joys, problems, concerns, accomplishments, etc. with us. These conversations mature as they grow older, as does our relationship with God as our faith matures.

Not all parents are comfortable engaging in prayer out loud, so practice! Do not be afraid to start now, even if your children are older. It will become a habit and take root in your family.

Here are a few practical times to pray with your children: Morning offering: These vary by age and maturity, but you are offering every thought, word, and deed for the day to God. Grace before meals: “Bless us O Lord and these Thy gifts…”

Night prayer before bed: “Now I lay me down to sleep...”

TAKE YOUR KIDS TO MASS

Yes, going to Mass on Sunday is an obligation for Catholics, but it is because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ loves us and knows our every need. He knows we must be strengthened by communing with Him, by physically receiving Him. In 5 0 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH

doing this, not only are we edified as parents to conquer the great task of raising children, but our children grow up seeing that God takes priority. We want our children to obey when we give them rules and boundaries, but they need us to show them by example. Just as we have more knowledge than our children and wish to guide them properly, God has infinitely more knowledge than us, and asks us to have faith in Him. APOLOGIZE TO YOUR KIDS

We are parents, and thus are the teachers of our children.

The teacher is always right, right? Not really. Assuming we are parenting with truth, we may not always do so in charity.

I’m sure you can think of a time when your response to a belligerent child or snarky teenager was less than charitable.

It is okay to say you are sorry for reacting the wrong way or doing the wrong thing. God gives us the sacrament of Confession to do the very same thing, to repair our relationship with Him for our wrongdoings. If we want to teach our children to apologize, then we must lead by example. Let your children know you are sorry when you are wrong. Let them know you go to Confession and take them when they are of age. We are to be a people of forgiveness and mercy as God has shown us!

The Church teaches us that, “Parents have the most grave duty and the primary right to take care as best they can for the physical, social, cultural, moral and religious education of their offspring” (Code of Canon Law 1136). We all want our children to make good and prudent choices. Children learn by what they are exposed to, especially by what we do and allow as parents. It is imperative that we give our children the foundation needed to make good choices, prepare them for life in this world and set them on the path to heaven.

JOSHUA AGNEW is the Deputy Superintendent of Catholic Identity for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He is a husband and father of nine children.

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