The Catholic Telegraph - September 2023

MAGAZINE

192nd year | issue 9

bringing faith into the home

september 2023 | lay apostolates | 1

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EDITOR’S NOTE

A Testimony of Experience What inspires us? How can we take ownership of our faith and share it with others in an approachable, accessible way?

Should we try if we’re not good with words? What is our role as lay people in the evangelizing mission?

If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, you’re in good company. The faithful across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati are asking themselves the same things, and many are responding, fulfilling the charge to go out and spread the Good News through creative and inspiring endeavors.

Some are answering the call to physically serve those in need, while others are evangelizing the culture through art and beauty. Each mission is unique, but they are all oriented on the same purpose: bringing Christ and His Church to the people.

Pope Francis spoke on this topic this past February during his address to the presidents and representatives of Episcopal Commissions for the Laity, who were participating in the Conference “Pastors and lay faithful called to go forward together.” During that talk he urged for unity between the clergy and lay people.

“The lay apostolate is above all a witness! Testimony of one’s own experience, testimony of prayer, testimony of service to those in need, testimony of closeness to the poor and lonely people, testimony of acceptance, especially on the part of families,” Pope Francis said. “And so we are formed for the mission: going towards others. It is a training ‘in the field’ and at the same time an effective way of spiritual growth. (…) The tragedy for the Church today (is) that Jesus keeps

The Angelico Project: a lay apostolate that aims to evangelize through beauty.

knocking on the door, but from within, so that we let Him go out!”

Inside this issue of the magazine, you will read about laity in all areas of this archdiocese who are witnessing their faith through their God-given talents, including: a baker in Dayton who serves those in need; two mothers in St. Henry working to help families share faith at home; and a growing group of artists in Cincinnati sharing inspirations they receive from the transcendentals of goodness, beauty, and truth.

As Pope Francis said, “The laity live in the world and at the same time are part of the People of God.” I hope that this issue inspires you, helps you recognize your gifts and their value, and helps you consider how you can use them in your own unique way to share the Good News with the world.

cteditorial@catholicaoc.org

THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH 192nd Year No. 9 • September 2023 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

NEW MEDIA EDITOR Greg Hartman

DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT Trenton Scroggins

SOCIAL MEDIA Taylor Motley

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

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september contents Evangelizing Through Art page 14

lay apostolates

columns

14 EVANGELIZING THROUGH ART

FATHER DAVID ENDRES

REBEKAH DAVIDSON

Eucharistic miracles

Angelico Project transforms the culture through beauty

10 ST. JOSEPH’S TOOL BELT

7 QUESTION OF FAITH

TRENTON SCROGGINS

A Hunger to Help page 20

16 REDEMPTION AND RESTORATION

The Word became flesh and picked up a hammer

JOHN STEGEMAN

The Serenelli Project

28 BOOK REVIEW FATHER JACOB LINDLE

news 8 SEIZE THE MOMENT NICHOLAS HARDESTY

Your parish needs a discipleship pathway 12 DID YOU KNOW?

BY GAIL FINKE & ILLUSTRATED BY EMMA CASSANI

St. Francis Seraph, Over the Rhine 30 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS PATRICIA MCGEEVER

Kevin Bonecutter changes community with service 40 OUT & ABOUT IN THE ARCHDIOCESE

20 A HUNGER TO HELP KARY ELLEN BERGER

Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly

Bill Evans feeds the hungry through House of Bread

32 A CLOSER LOOK DR. KENNETH CRAYCRAFT

22 DOMESTICA MATT HESS

Synodality, Sensus fidei & development of doctrine

Helping build your home church

34 CATHOLIC AT HOME

26 THE SCHOOL OF FAITH

The rich young man’s struggle

KATIE SCIBA KARY ELLEN BERGER

Uniting schools around our shared faith

36 THEOLOGY OF THE BODY DR. ANDREW SODERGREN

42 THE FINAL WORD

Redeemed and called by Christ

ANN GUNDLACH

If they only knew

38 KIDS’ CORNER ILLUSTRATED BY EMMA CASSANI

St. Alphonsus Liguori

ON THE COVER PHOTO BY: DANNY SCHNEIBLE

Mara Hibner and Jackie Perry launched the Domestica Apostolate in the St. Henry Family of Parishes.

4 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION FOR SEPTEMBER For People Living on the Margins

We pray for those persons living on the margins of society, in inhumane life conditions; may they not be overlooked by institutions and never considered of lesser importance.

Seek the Lord ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR

After His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and sent the Holy Spirit upon them that they might continue His work of preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Through baptism we are incorporated into this mystery. Made partakers in His death and resurrection, we are commissioned to contribute to the Church’s mission. Each of us does so in a unique way, putting our individual gifts and talents at the service of Christ and His Gospel. Carrying out the work of the Church is our shared responsibility. Whether you are a cleric, consecrated religious, or lay man or woman, you have an important role to fulfill in the Church’s mission of bringing all people to know, love and follow the Lord.

The Second Vatican Council taught that the Church’s mission is essentially concerned with salvation, but “also includes the renewal of the whole temporal order” (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 5). Throughout history, human society has been damaged by many evils. It is for the Christian to share in the Spirit’s work of renewing the face of the earth (cf. Ps. 104:30).

Such sanctification of the world is accomplished primarily through the ministry of the Word and the sacraments, which strengthen us to bring Christ’s presence and virtues into the world.

In addition to the many particular functions the laity may fulfill in the Church, whether at the parish or elsewhere in the diocese, they play an indispensable role in the renewal of the temporal order precisely because they are immersed in it.

Through their work and relationships, lay men and women have the opportunity to bring the presence of Christ into every aspect of the civic arena, especially in the home and workplace.

Christian husbands and wives share and strengthen their faith

with each other and their children. The role of parents in establishing the faith’s foundations in their children through example and practice is irreplaceable. They also help their children to discern and follow their vocation in life (cf. AA, 11).

Young people, as the Council taught, are “impelled by a zest for life and a ready eagerness to assume their own responsibility, and they yearn to play their part in social and cultural life. If this zeal is imbued with the spirit of Christ and is inspired by obedience and love for the Church, it can be expected to be very fruitful. They should become the first to carry on the apostolate directly to other young persons, concentrating their apostolic efforts within their own circle, according to the needs of the social environment in which they live” (AA, 12).

By their presence and witness, the laity can infuse a Christian spirit into society in a way that clerics or religious alone simply cannot. They are present to help their brothers and sisters wherever they work, study, reside and spend their leisure time. Their lives are to be conformed to their faith so that they become the light of the world. Generosity, charity, mutual concern, honesty and all the other virtues of the Heart of Christ should permeate all they do so their neighbors may be led to what is true and good, and ultimately to Christ Himself (cf. AA, 13).

Christ’s work of redeeming humanity and restoring the world to the goodness which it had in the beginning will not be accomplished without each of us responding to God’s call to do our part. Everything we do is an opportunity to build the Kingdom. Therefore, strengthened by His grace, let us bring Christ’s presence to a world in need!

S E E K T H E L O R D / S E PT E M BE R 2023 | 5

Busca al Senor ARZOBISPO DENNIS M. SCHNURR

Después de su muerte y resurrección, Jesús se apareció a sus discípulos y les envió el Espíritu Santo para que continuaran su obra de predicación de la Buena Nueva del Reino de Dios. Por el bautismo somos incorporados a este misterio.

Hechos partícipes de su muerte y resurrección, recibimos el encargo de contribuir a la misión de la Iglesia. Cada uno de nosotros lo hace de una manera única, poniendo sus dones y talentos individuales al servicio de Cristo y de su Evangelio. Llevar a cabo el trabajo de la Iglesia es nuestra responsabilidad compartida. Tanto si eres clérigo, religioso consagrado o laico, tienes un papel importante que cumplir en la misión de la Iglesia, llevando a todas las personas a conocer, amar y seguir al Señor.

El Concilio Vaticano II enseñó que la misión de la Iglesia se refiere esencialmente a la salvación, pero “comprende también la restauración incluso de todo el orden temporal” (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 5). A lo largo de la historia, la sociedad humana se ha visto dañada por numerosos males.

Corresponde al cristiano participar en la obra del Espíritu de renovar la faz de la tierra (cf. Sal 104:30). Esta santificación del mundo se logra principalmente mediante el ministerio de la Palabra y los sacramentos, que nos fortalecen para llevar al mundo la presencia y las virtudes de Cristo.

Además de las muchas funciones particulares que los laicos pueden desempeñar en la Iglesia, ya sea en la parroquia o en cualquier otro lugar de la diócesis, ellos juegan un papel indispensable en la renovación del orden temporal precisamente porque están inmersos en él. A través de su trabajo y sus relaciones, los laicos tienen la oportunidad de llevar la presencia de Cristo a todos los aspectos del ámbito cívico, especialmente en el hogar y en el lugar de trabajo.

Los esposos cristianos comparten y fortalecen su fe entre sí 6 | THE C ATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

y con sus hijos. El papel de los padres en el establecimiento de los fundamentos de la fe en sus hijos mediante el ejemplo y la práctica es insustituible. También ayudan a sus hijos a discernir y seguir su vocación en la vida (cf. AA, 11).

Los jóvenes, como ha enseñado el Concilio, están “impulsados por el ardor de su vida y por su energía sobreabundante, asumen la propia responsabilidad y desean tomar parte en la vida social y cultural: celo, que, si está lleno del espíritu de Cristo, y se ve animado por la obediencia y el amor hacía los pastores de la Iglesia, permite esperar frutos abundantes. Ellos deben convertirse en los primeros e inmediatos apóstoles, de los jóvenes, ejerciendo el apostolado entre sí, teniendo en consideración el medio social en que viven” (AA, 12).

Con su presencia y su testimonio, los laicos pueden infundir un espíritu cristiano en la sociedad de una manera que los clérigos o los religiosos por sí solos no pueden. Están presentes para ayudar a sus hermanos y hermanas allí donde trabajan, estudian, residen y pasan su tiempo libre. Sus vidas deben conformarse a su fe para que se conviertan en la luz del mundo. La generosidad, la caridad, la preocupación mutua, la honradez y todas las demás virtudes del Corazón de Cristo deben impregnar todo lo que hacen, para que sus prójimos sean conducidos a lo que es verdadero y bueno y, en último término, a Cristo mismo (cf. AA, 13).

La obra de Cristo de redimir a la humanidad y devolver al mundo la bondad que tenía al principio no se llevará a cabo sin que cada uno de nosotros responda a la llamada de Dios para hacer nuestra parte. Todo lo que hacemos es una oportunidad para construir el Reino. Por tanto, fortalecidos por su gracia, ¡llevemos la presencia de Cristo a un mundo necesitado!

QUE ST IO N O F F A IT H

Eucharistic Miracles What are Eucharistic miracles? Do they still occur?

Eucharistic miracles are extraordinary events that confirm the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Though rare, they have occurred in various places and times in history.

The Church, through the local bishop, may investigate and ultimately approve them, but there is no obligation to render a judgment. Eucharistic miracles are not considered part of public revelation, and therefore, Catholics are not obligated to believe in them; however, they may help people live out their faith more fully.

FROM DOUBT TO BELIEF

These miracles are supernatural occurrences related to the consecrated bread or wine—usually the transformation of a host into flesh or the emission of droplets of blood.

One of the oldest and best-known Eucharistic miracles occurred in Lanciano, Italy, in the eighth century, when a host was transformed into human flesh and blood. Remnants of the host were preserved, and scientists tested them in the 1970s (and again 10 years later). The researchers determined that the relics of Lanciano were consistent with cardiac tissue. The blood, too, was tested and confirmed as human blood (type AB).

blood was a natural occurrence, such as the growth of a redcolored fungus.

RECENT MIRACLES?

Eucharistic miracles still occur. During 2013, in Legnica, Poland, a consecrated host was accidentally dropped on the ground. Efforts to dissolve the host in water were unsuccessful, and a portion of the host became red-colored. Testing determined the presence of human tissue. The local bishop recognized the miracle as a supernatural occurrence.

At a Liturgy of the Word and Communion Service during 2022 in Honduras, a lay minister discovered a blood-stained linen in the tabernacle. The bishop asked that scientific tests be completed, which determined the stain was produced by human blood of AB type—the same as was detected in the Lanciano miracle. The bishop recently recognized the new Eucharistic miracle as authentic.

PRIVATE REVELATION

While Eucharistic miracles can reaffirm belief in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, they are not considered part of the deposit of faith. They are among those things revealed in a particular time and place, but belief in them is not necessary for salvation.

In some reported miracles, such as the priest who witnessed the miracle in Lanciano, the phenomena occurred in response to his doubting the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

The miracle became a means to fortify the priest’s faith and the faith of many others—as it has for centuries.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says of all forms of private revelation: “It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history” (67). They may strengthen faith, especially in a time of doubt.

THE ROLE OF SCIENCE

Eucharistic miracles remind us that God continues to make Himself known through the extraordinary, but even in the absence of these rare events, we are reminded of the hidden miracle that occurs at each Mass: the Body of Christ truly present under the appearance of bread and wine.

Alleged miracles are not presumed to be authentic. The bishop of the place where the miracle may have occurred can choose to convene a group of experts to review the case. The panel looks for evidence of extraordinary phenomena and determines if there are natural explanations. Depending on the nature of the potential miracle, researchers look for evidence of tampering or artificial preservation. Scientific testing seems to have confirmed some miracles. In other cases, what appeared to be

FATHER DAVID ENDRES is 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 / S E PT E MBE R 2023 | 7

SE IZ E T H E MO ME NT

Your Parish Needs a Discipleship Pathway Have you ever tried getting somewhere new without a map?

Before Google Maps, when you needed directions, you either traced the route on a printed map, or you asked for directions.

Even today, if your phone dies, you run out of data or you’re outside cell service, you have to depend on a map or neighbor.

Short of that, you base success on luck and intuition, and that’s not the best way to get anywhere. With a road map, your potential for success increases exponentially. This seems like common knowledge, yet it can be a novelty to a community close to us all: our neighborhood parish. Every day, most parishes try to get somewhere new without mapping out the journey first.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

What’s the mission of the Church? Where are we supposed to be headed? My go-to source for an answer is Evangelii Nuntiandi, Pope Paul VI’s apostolic exhortation on the proclamation of the Gospel: “‘We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church.’ … Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize” (no. 14).

Once you decide as a parish that, like the Church, your reason for being is the proclamation of the Gospel and the building of disciples, then you need a way to get from where you are to where you want to be.

This is where the Discipleship Pathway comes in.

A PATHWAY FOR THE JOURNEY

A Discipleship Pathway is an intentional and integrated process by which the parish meets people’s spiritual needs and facilitates their faith journey’s progression. To put it simply, a Discipleship Pathway is the parish’s way of saying, “This is how we make disciples here.”

Typically, this Pathway involves a four-step process, with a primary ministry at each step and secondary ministries that draw people into the primary ministry.

8 | THE C ATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

A common Pathway looks like this: First is “PreEvangelization,” which prepares people to receive the Gospel through welcoming, helping and hospitality. Next is “Proclamation and Encounter,” which provides opportunities for people to experience the presence and power of Jesus, hear the Good News proclaimed, see it in action and decide to follow Him. After this is “Catechesis and Apprenticeship,” where new disciples learn how to live the Christian life and how to believe and worship as Catholics. Finally, there is “Missionary Initiation,” where disciples are empowered to witness to their faith, proclaim the Gospel and bring others into a personal relationship with Jesus.

The primary and secondary ministries for each step are based on the parish’s creativity and dynamism.

WHY YOU NEED ONE

Note that the Pathway doesn’t include everything your parish does. It only includes those ministries the parish prioritizes to make missionary disciples. This leads to the positives of a parish Pathway.

The Discipleship Pathway helps the pastor by funneling all decision-making through the metric of what will best serve the Pathway. It makes lay ministry more fruitful because, instead of trying random events and programs and hoping something sticks, leaders make intentional decisions to meet the people’s needs at each step. The Pathway encourages people by clearly communicating how the parish can serve them on their journey. When accepted, it establishes cohesion between parishes within a Family because everyone must be committed for the Pathway to succeed.

We talk a lot about moving from maintenance to mission.

Your Discipleship Pathway is how you get there. Don’t leave home without it.

NICHOLAS HARDESTY Ready to discuss creating a Discipleship Pathway at your parish? Contact Nicholas Hardesty at nhardesty@catholicaoc.org.

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S T. JOSE PH’ S T O O L B E LT

The Word Became Flesh & Picked Up a Hammer My papaw was a lifelong carpenter. He was an incredibly strong man who knew how to use his tools and when to use them. He was a master problem-solver and loved serving others.

The genius of his handiwork was not limited to his workshop, however. Papaw was a family man. He loved his wife, his children and his grandchildren—we all meant the world to him, even more so than his work. I remember the love in his eyes when he would look upon me and talk with me about life. He was a great man who had his priorities straight.

God placed skilled handymen in the world, like my papaw, as an example for us on our path to Heaven. It was a message so important to our livelihood that God Himself, when He took on human flesh, desired to submit to and imitate a handyman—St. Joseph—and He has called us all to follow suit.

Although the world often looks down upon handymen (and family men at that), there is great value in observing them.

They hold mysterious truths that God is asking us to pay close attention to: 1. Handymen are active: The work of a handyman is busy.

He is constantly moving from one task to the next.

2. Handymen have priorities & are goal oriented: Each week, handymen face many decisions. “Do I take on this project or that one? Do I help this person in need, or do I go home and spend time with my wife who’s struggling right now? What about my relationship with God?” When determining their path forward with every call-to-action, handymen weigh priorities, establish goals (large and small) 1 0 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

and communicate when they choose not to move forward with a request.

3. Handymen are master problem solvers who know how to use their tools well and when to use them: We’ve likely heard the saying, “A tool means nothing if you don’t know how to use it.” Handymen know their tools, but they are not bound by them. They can think “outside the toolbox” so to speak, creating new tools to address unique situations.

4. Handymen get the job done: Manual labor is a lost art, and there’s a reason society has slowly moved away from it: A handyman’s life is challenging and can take a real toll on a person’s mind and body. These workers know what it means to “carry your cross.” And yet, with all their suffering, they keep going until the task is complete. This fortitude marks the heroic, saintly spirit of a handyman.

5. Handymen know how to rest well so they can work better: Being constantly active can be challenging but certainly has its perks. After a day of hard work, handymen know how to relax, kick back and enjoy the beauty of their hard work and all of creation—and their bodies and souls thank them for it. After a rejuvenating break, they’re ready to jump back into their craft.

6. Handymen are humble: You don’t often hear of handymen living in mansions, driving flashy cars, or having a “nice office with a fancy view.” No, if they aren’t working out of their trucks, handymen tend to be tucked away down back hallways, in offices crammed full of toolboxes, lockers and drawers filled to the brim with random greasy parts, dirty keys and general “safe-keepings.” This doesn’t bother them.

They don’t mind getting dirty or doing difficult work. And

they don’t mind the quiet detachment from the world their careers afford them. In the end, they know where they stand, and that’s what matters most.

In this new column, “St. Joseph’s Tool Belt,” I will provide practical examples for spiritually imitating a handyman’s life: finding the tools God provided us, knowing how (and when) to use them and straddling the ever-challenging balance between home and work life.

Through these practical examples, I pray you will find inspiration to take on your own life’s challenges—and with a greater sense of faith, hope, and charity.

So, what’s up with handymen? And why would God the Son (after taking on our humanity) choose to imitate them? Handymen are an icon of what we need to become to survive this treacherous world: Like God the Father.

TRENTON SCROGGINS Trenton is the Director of Digital Engagement for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. tscroggins@catholicaoc.org

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“We are a very active parish, with people who come from all over—about a third come from the neighborhood, and the rest drive in. The most common comment we get is that we’re a very welcoming community.” – Brother Tim Sucher, OFM, pastoral associate 1819 Irish Catholics built Christ Church.

1822 Diocese in Cincinnati established and Dominican Father Edward Fenwick appointed its bishop. Bishop Fenwick named Christ Church the cathedral and moved it to the current site of St. Francis Xavier Church.

1858 Cornerstone laid on site of the old Christ Church cemetery.

1860 St. Francis Seraph School for boys built.

1868-1898 Ornate, German-style statues, stained glass, paintings, murals and mosaics installed.

1908 New school was built (serving both boys and girls).

1970-2000 Renovations removed the high altar and communion rail and restored original steps.

St. Francis Seraph St. Francis received the stigmata (wounds of Christ) during a vision of a seraph, an angel usually depicted with six wings and on fire with love for God. For this reason, Francis is called “Seraphic Father,” and the Franciscans are called the “Seraphic Order.”

2010 The church’s inner-city ministries incorporated as a separate corporation, “St. Francis Seraph Ministries,” directed by the friars.

“With many of the changes and developments in Overthe-Rhine, the homeless people in particular aren’t welcome everywhere, but they know they’re welcome here. We’re now the gathering place for the neighborhood, especially out front. On any given day in the summer, you’ll find 30 to 40 people outside. They bring their lawn chairs, their blankets— sometimes their grills.”

– Brother Tim Sucher, OFM

Quick Facts 5 large stained glass windows behind the altar are for the cloistered friars.

12 |

A crypt beneath the church holds the remains of more than 40 people.

4 paintings from the original interior hang in the side chapels, depicting Franciscan saints.

Launching a New Renaissance of Catholic Art, Thought, and Culture

Theater

Sacred Architecture Tours

Candlelight Masses

Art Exhibitions

Film Screenings

Concerts

Learn more!

Get your Season Pass today!

www.AngelicoProject.org/join

B O O K R E V IE W / J ULY 2023 | 13

BY R EBEKAH D AVI D SO N | PHO TO S C O URTES Y A N G E L ICO P R OJ E CT

Angelico Project transforms the culture through beauty

Learning about a Catholic Arts Center in New York inspired Maureen Keller to create The Angelico Project.

Involvement with Chicago’s Catholic Arts Guild prompted Nancy-Carolyn Smith to do the same.

They approached the Archdiocese of Cincinnati with a business plan and secured funds to kickstart the nonprofit they co-founded, The Angelico Project.

“There are artists making beautiful art in our region and we want to showcase that,” said Smith, director of the Catholic Arts Guild. “Our outreach is to nurture artists in their faith and work. It’s also the idea that we need to know our faith. A big part of the guild and The Angelico Project is philosophy and theology.”

Through its Catholic Arts Guild, The Angelico Project provides artists using various mediums (such as music, writing, theater and visual art), with opportunities to grow and share their art through classes, workshops and shows.

“It’s evangelizing through beauty,” said Smith. “We want to build community between the artists, let the community know what’s being produced and network with patrons.”

1 4 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

Left: A patron walks through the Angelico Project’s Art Exhibition. Right: Nancy Carolyn Smith, one of the Angelico Project’s founders, greets the audience at an art event.

The first event was a Mass for artists, which now opens every season at St. Cecelia Parish in Cincinnati. The first of their four art shows took place in January 2020 with 300 attendees.

“Every time we put out a call for an event, people have come because there is a need for connecting with a group that’s true and beautiful [and] for showing the goodness and truth that the Church knows,” said Smith. “We artists can be stronger together than working individually.”

Not just for artists, The Angelico Project is for everyone interested in any art form.

“We are a Catholic culture organization,” said Brad Torline, The Angelico Project’s executive director. “We’re trying to evangelize through art, thought and culture.

It’s helping people encounter God through immersive experiences in the truth, goodness and beauty of the Catholic faith. It could be anything from food, music, [an] art show [or] film screenings.”

It hosts family movie nights, small group meetings, classes for philosophy and theology, church tours in the archdiocese and holy hours with sacred music.

“We try to tie it [the holy hour] in with the Liturgy,” said Torline. “You’re [steeped] in Church history and in the presence of our Lord. It’s really trying to draw all these elements together for a wholesome immersive experience. Faith is an act of the whole person—the intellect and the mind. If you immerse the whole person, it makes it easier for that person to take that leap or grow in that habit.”

The Angelico Project also looks at secular art, drawing out wholesome messages and seeing God within them.

“Art in general has a powerful effect on human beings,” said Torline. “One of the problems in our culture is that we have a lot of beautiful, engaging art that makes us desire things that are not good or true. That is what the Angelico Project is trying to remedy.”

“Now is a great time to get a season pass because we’re about to launch our biggest season ever,” said Torline.

Its seasons run from September through early June; find events posted on the Facebook page and website (www. angelicoproject.org). Join as an artist or receive a season pass to all ticketed events as a founding member for $10 per month at www.angelicoproject.org/join. The organization is about 100 members from its goal of 500.

L A Y A P O S T O L A T E S / S E P T E M BE R 2023 | 15

RE DE M P TI O N A ND RESTORAT ION :

THE SERENELLI PROJECT

BY JOHN STEGEMAN

There is a place for everyone in the Church, but mainstream society often overlooks those convicted of serious crimes. The non-profit Serenelli Project, brainchild of CEO Marty Arlinghaus, aims to be a place of refuge, healing and redemption for just such men. It will be a residential facility that may, in time, develop into a religious order.

1 6 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

The experience changed Serenelli. When released after 27 years, he joined the Capuchin Friars as a gardener and laborer and was eventually accepted as a lay brother.

He spent the rest of his life in service to their community until his death in 1970.

The Serenelli Project signed its articles of incorporation in 2020, during the pandemic. The timing was fortuitous as it allowed Arlinghaus and his team to move deliberately in figuring out the project’s logistics.

Though it has no residents yet, the Serenelli Project purchased property in Sedamsville, on Cincinnati’s west side. Arlinghaus is hopeful they can acquire the long-closed Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and Arlinghaus, the director of prison ministry for the

rectory as well. The men in the community

archdiocese, was inspired by a prisoner, Cole Varner,

would work to restore the church as part of

who was serving nine years for selling drugs. He

their monastic life.

repented while incarcerated and asked Arlinghaus if it was possible for a man like him to become a priest.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

The answer was technically, yes, but many challenges would exist.

“We need to create an order or a monastery for guys like this,” Arlinghaus said. “This monastery is designed for guys coming out of prison to take reentry and religious life and kind of fuse the two together. Maybe we can create religious life out of the reentry experience and the incarceration experience.”

By “guys like this,” Arlinghaus means men like Varner, but also like Alessandro Serenelli, who was convicted for the attempted rape and the murder of 11-year-old St. Maria Goretti. Goretti forgave Serenelli on her deathbed and appeared to him in a vision several years into his incarceration.

L A Y A P O S T O L A T E S / S E PT E MBE R 2023 | 17

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

At the center of this project is God’s love and the power of forgiveness.

“It’s quite rough but the bones are good,” Arlinghaus

At the center of this project is God’s love and the power

said of the church. “It was German immigrants who

of forgiveness. As Christ Himself said, “There will be

built it and they built it well… It’s a massive project but

more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than

we feel like marrying two massive projects together is

over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of

actually the solution for a lot of these guys. The men

repentance.”

coming out of prison are massive projects in one respect, and then you’ve got a church that’s a massive project.

“The charism, which the volunteers and the residents will

They both need so much attention and love and purpose

have as Serenellis, is to make reparation for the worst,

for their being.”

most heinous crimes committed in the world. Rape, murder, just about anything that makes the headlines.

The project is moving forward. On June 17, Archbishop

Things that our own patron Alessandro committed, but

Dennis M. Schnurr dedicated the St. Maria Goretti chapel

he received forgiveness and restoration. Our spirituality is

at the Serenelli house on Delhi Avenue. Fundraising has

to just commend all those cases and situations, the victim

been successful, though more is needed. Arlinghaus

and the offender, to the mercy of God,” said Arlinghaus.

plans to have eight men in permanent residence within 10 years and offer two-year internships for others, to

To learn more about the Serenelli Project, visit

learn trades and ways to re-enter society.

www.serenelliproject.org.

1 8 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

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Su Casa Hispanic Center of Cincinnati 26th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Silent Auction

Friday, October 13

6:00 - 11:00 pm

Music Hall Ballroom

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 7/20/23 7:37 AM | 19 L A Y A P O S T O L A T E S / S E P T E MBE R 2023

B Y K A R Y EL L EN B ER G ER

BILL EVANS AT MIAMI VALLEY MEALS | PHOTO BY DANNY SCHNEIBLE 2 0 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

Whether it’s a quick trip through a drive-thru, a heat-and-eat meal or a feast for guests, food is an essential part of our daily lives. Bill Evans, a parishioner of Our Lady of the Rosary in Old North Dayton, always had a passion for food and ensuring no one goes hungry.

That is evident in his many projects. At age 79, Evans is never idle; always working one mission while another idea waits in the back of his mind.

A University of Dayton graduate (“The Golden Flyer Class of 1967” Evans noted), he may be most well known for founding Evans Bakery in 1969 with his wife, Rosemary. When his baking career was winding down, he became the Executive Director of the House of Bread.

“Founded in 1983 by Sister Dorothy Kammerer and Pharmacist Joe Bettman, it remains, to this day, a community kitchen open 365 days a year, serving a hot meal to those in need,” said Evans.

The House of Bread became the foundation for his then-future charitable works. He started with SMART (Science and Math Attracting Ready Talent) where he and others taught children math and science on Saturday mornings. In 2005, he began “Set the Banquet Table” to raise money for hunger-related charities, hosting baking lessons and leading dinner parties inside participants’ homes to show how to create a meal from start to finish. Contributions collected from these events were given to the host’s choice of hunger-related charities.

This went well until the pandemic hit; Evans’ mission quickly changed. He brought chefs laid off just prior to the pandemic to the House of Bread where they helped workers create meals—because hunger doesn’t stop in a pandemic.

Together with others, they started the non-profit Miami Valley Meals. Its mission of “Serving those

Founded in 1983... it remains, to this day, a community kitchen open 365 days a year...

B I L L EVA N S

who serve the hungry” re-purposes into chef-inspired meals food that would otherwise be thrown out.

After leading the charge for Miami Valley Meals, Evans stepped away to begin his most recent project, Luke Meets Nehemiah (LMN).

“Luke 14:12-14 and Nehemiah 8 … speak to feeding hungry people … to sharing,” said Evans. LMN responds to YOUR neighbor who you are looking after, but you are unavailable. Enter LMN at your neighbor’s door on your behalf with a bag of groceries with basic items: milk, eggs, protein, non-perishable items, a $25 grocery gift card, frozen convenience meals (perhaps from Miami Valley Meals) and two bus passes. Enough to keep your neighbor nourished properly until you return.”

For Evans, these charities do more than feed the hungry— they’re doing God’s work and showing that everyone is welcome at Christ’s table.

And don’t worry, Evans is already thinking of his next project. “Probably I will help someone tie together a bed and breakfast ministry.

L A Y A P O S T O L A T E S / S E P T E MBE R 2023 | 21

DOMESTICA

Helping Build Your Home Church

BY MATT HESS

At the end of each Mass, Catholics are sent out, sustained and prepared by the Liturgy to “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” Partaking of the Eucharist is just the start of our work to build the Kingdom of God, not the end. But for many, this sending out might be a stumbling block, something that perplexes us, an unknown that paralyzes our faith life. What does glorifying the Lord with our life in our families, homes and even our workplaces look like? How can we share the Good News of Jesus with those who might not find it as appealing as we do?

The Domestica Apostolate seeks to give lay faithful the tools for deepening the Catholic faith in their homes and hearts, so they might sanctify the world from within. Their idea is that 2 2 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

the Christian family and physical home might be an island to the world in need of the oasis of Christ’s love and mercy. By witnessing the joy of the Gospel, turning to the sacraments, learning the teachings of the Church, praying each day, employing sacramentals, and offering radical hospitality, the family builds their domestic church. This apostolate is designed to build a community of families to make those actions easier, supporting the universal call to holiness, which invites all the faithful to aspire to Christ’s perfect love.

Helping families establish a robust Domestic Church to engage the world was an idea that founder Mara Hibner pondered for quite a while.

Hibner said, “For me personally the mission is simply to strengthen the Catholic faith and for

us to know our role more deeply as laity…it’s vital for us to know and learn our faith. For us to live the faith in our daily, ordinary lives.”

Eventually she talked to her parish priest, Father Andrew Hess, who encouraged her and gave her the tools to get Domestica off the ground. He continues to be actively involved in the apostolate, making sure the heart of the apostolate remains in the heart of the Church. While Domestica is connected to the St. Henry Family of Parishes, any family is welcome to join and take advantage of the resources and responsibilities of living out the Domestica apostolate.

Around the same time Hibner launched Domestica, God placed Jackie Perry in Hibner’s life, and together they built a newsletter they could send out to families who wanted to grow their Catholic faith and radiate the joy of their relationship with Christ to the wider community. This past February, they launched their newsletter. The pair send it out at the beginning of every month to around 400 subscribers. The newsletter has a featured topic every month. Some past issues focused on the Easter Triduum, conversion of heart, vocations to religious life, and the remodel of St Joseph. Many feature people from the local community witnessing their faith and relating it faithfully to Church teachings.

The newsletter is just the start of the plans they have for Domestica. Hibner and Perry plan to grow the apostolate slowly. In the context of their vocations

as mothers in growing families, there is a lot going on. At times, work on this project takes a backseat to gaining first-hand experience in their own Domestic churches.

Hibner said, “As Domestica grows, so do we! In all honesty, it’s a desire to grow our domestic churches right alongside other families and individuals walking the path to heaven and sainthood.”

The newsletter was the first part of their vision for the apostolate, and they continue to further their ideas and dreams. In the future, they hope to formally enroll families in the Domestica with certain requirements for the family, to help them grow in holiness.

Some practices would include observing the five precepts of the Church, daily prayer as a CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

L A Y A P O S T O L A T E S / S E P T E MBE R 2023 | 23

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

family, displaying a crucifix in the home, scheduling a home blessing and other devotions.

“We’ve also had some conversations about ‘little dreams,’” says Hibner. “Some of those include things like a digital print shop, clothing merchandise and maybe even a retreat someday.” Hibner and Perry created Domestica stickers with their logo to help get the word out. Although they are currently operating with the oversight of their pastor, their hope is to grow the apostolate and eventually become a lay association under the archbishop’s jurisdiction.

So, how might we glorify the Lord or announce the Gospel by our lives after attending Mass? One way is to build up the domestic Church within your household, to radiate Christ to those in need of His love. “With Domestica,” says Perry, “We aim to be an aid in that perpetual growth process, so that we may all know and live this beautiful faith of ours more deeply.”

This new apostolate in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati seeks to give laity the tools that lead them to holiness so that by living a life of faith we might, as Pope St. John Paul II says, “Become what you are!”

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L A Y A P O S T O L A T E S / S E PT E MBE R 2023 | 25

THE SCHOOL OF

faith

he Holy Family School of Faith was created a bit by accident and a lot

by Providence. It came about after founders Dr. Mike Scherschligt and Troy Hinkel taught classes about Catholicism at Kansas University.

“The classes were wildly popular, so popular in fact that parents of students were driving from Kansas City to attend the classes,” said John Leyendecker, the Director of Mission with the Holy Family School of Faith. “The Archbishop of Kansas City at the time became aware of it and came to some of the classes and then informed Dr. Scherschlight that this was the formation he needed for his Catholic school teachers in the archdiocese.”

Today, School of Faith reaches tens of thousands of individuals annually, with a goal to connect individuals in a way that they grow closer to God and share His good works with others.

With the School of Faith for seven years, Leyendecker said,“So many peoples’ and teachers’ lives have been transformed and helped by how God has used the School of Faith. That’s what drives me. Christ and the Church changed my life and I’m compelled and grateful to share that with others.”

The School of Faith connects individuals through formation tools and events, including their Daily Rosary Meditation Podcast, Spiritual Mentorship Institute, pilgrimages and Catholic Teacher Formation.

“We use the word ‘formation’ because it’s more than just teaching people,” said Leyendecker. “We certainly do teach and have an intellectual component to our catechesis, but it’s more than that. With our Rosary Podcast, we invite people to pray it together and to form groups with other couples and families; to get together regularly to not only pray it together, but to foster friendships through

ST O RY BY K ARY EL L EN BERG E R | P H O T O S CO U R T E S Y T H E S CH O O L O F F A IT H 26 |

having a conversation about the meditation and what Our Lord or Our Lady are stirring in their hearts.”

Many Archdiocese of Cincinnati educational leaders have taken part in the School of Faith, including those at St. James School in White Oak, Piqua Catholic School and The Center For Early Learning at Piqua Catholic School.

“We began School of Faith at St. James in the 201617 school year,” said Chrissy Riggins, Principal at St. James School. “We were an inaugural school in Cincinnati. Ultimately, our mission as Catholics is to make disciples of Christ, and how can we expect our staff to give what they don’t have? We wanted to provide our staff an opportunity to develop their own faith in order to share that with each other and with the children.”

“School of Faith is an ongoing ‘faith formation’ program for our school team,” said Bradley Zimmerman, Principal at Piqua Catholic School and The Center For Early Learning at Piqua Catholic. “The most important part of Piqua Catholic is our faith, and it’s vital for us to continue to learn more about the gospels and foundations of the Catholic faith to be able to serve our families and share the Good News of God.” Both principals agree that the School of Faith has

St. James School teachers engage one another during a School of Faith session.

made a significant impact both in and out of the classroom. Riggins recalled how one pilgrimage impacted her.

“For me personally, it was the pilgrimage to the Holy Land that John Leyendecker leads each summer—for me specifically, the site of the Visitation,” said Riggins. “Half of our staff has been to the Holy Land at this point.”

Zimmerman added, “They have constructed a program that is designed to inspire and encourage a deeper relationship with the Holy Trinity and those around us. We have so much respect and trust in their leadership to aid us in our ministry as a Catholic school.”

School leaders interested in the School of Faith are encouraged to learn more by contacting Leyendecker at john@schooloffaith.com.

John Leyendecker teaching at the Mount of Olives on School of Faith’s recent pilgrimage.

| 27

BOOK REVIEW

Prudence Choose Confidently, Live Boldly

BY FATHER GREGORY PINE, O.P.

REVIEWED BY FATHER JACOB LINDLE

If you’ve never been to a Buc-ee’s before, there’s really no way to comprehend the experience: 120 gas pumps, 80 fountain drink dispensers, 31 cash registers. Returning from my annual retreat with a few brother priests, the car ran low on gas, so we stopped at Buc-ee’s. I thought we just needed fuel, but Buc-ee’s had a different plan: dozens of fridges, countless aisles and a beaver mascot walking around the store. I didn’t know I wanted sugar-roasted pecans until the delicious smell overwhelmed me. I didn’t know I wanted a barbecue grill until I saw 50 lined up. If there ever was a gas-station embodiment of the American dream, I found it off I-75.

Faced with all the choices, what was I to do? How does the American dream avoid becoming a consumerist nightmare?

After a week of peace and tranquility at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament, I was quickly tempted to forget the beauty of the Poor Clares’ prayerful poverty and return to my parishes with way too many inconvenient conveniences.

What I needed—as Father Gregory Pine, O.P. so masterfully explained in his recent book Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly—was prudence.

Father Pine acknowledges that prudence is frequently misunderstood; the word itself evokes a mild boredom at best, with connotations of paralyzing caution. In other words, it is the enemy of fun and happiness. However, as the author makes clear from his subtitle and throughout his book, prudence is not the enemy of our happiness but its servant and safeguard. Every human being—whether just walking into Buc-ee’s or discerning his vocation—faces choices. Amid these choices, multiple values and goods are at play. How does one choose confidently and live boldly amid the plenitude of 2 8 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

(non-essential) possibilities?

We need a life of virtue through which we are not just free from sin, but free for good and impelled joyously towards it. More specifically, we need prudence through which we can survey the possibilities in counsel, make a judgment about which is best and command that it should be done. Without prudence’s compass, we are left wandering aimlessly, lost not only in Buc-ee’s but also in life.

In his book, Father Pine preaches, like his spiritual father St. Dominic, the Gospel of God’s grace and our participation in that life through virtue. And like his teacher St. Thomas Aquinas, he teaches in a thorough and accessible way how we enter into such a life.

Read and apply this book to your life to grow in virtue: you will be happier, freer and more full of life! Prudence stands at the head of the virtues as their charioteer. Like a car driver, it directs all the vehicle’s component parts and passengers to get to their end. It will not only help you navigate the overwhelming choices at Buc-ee’s, it will also take you to much better places. Through the power of God’s grace given in Jesus Christ, prudence will help you to heaven, and make the journey there the best possible adventure. Father Pine’s book is a helpful guide on the journey.

Father Jacob Lindle is the parochial vicar for the Mary, Queen of Angels Family of Parishes.

Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly by Father Gregory Pine, O.P.; Our Sunday Visitor Press, 2022; 168 pages; $16.95.

PROTECT

Women.

Families.

Children.

PR OT ECT

An extreme amendment is on the Ohio ballot in

November that threatens

PR OT ECT

the health and safety of

women, the rights of parents and the lives of pre-born babies up to 9 months.

Join us in praying a 54-Day Rosary

Sign up for a daily email

Novena beginning Friday, Sept. 15,

reminder with novena prayers

for the defeat of this amendment.

here, or at pray54ohio.org.

B O O K R E V IE W / S E PT E MBE R 2023 | 29

BY P AT RI C I A MC GEEV ER

One small, random act of kindness can start a ripple effect that creates a wave of good will and deeds. And one man’s mission to complete 143 such acts immediately impacted a neighborhood streets’ appearance and the attitudes of those he met on his journey. Kevin Bonecutter’s goal of 143 acts was inspired by the favorite number of a man he admired.

“Mr. Rogers has always been one of my heroes,” said Bonecutter. “His whole message was spreading love and kindness throughout the world.” 143 was Mr. Rogers’ code for the phrase “I love you,” each numeral being the number of letters in each word of the phrase.

Bonecutter’s first good act, on June 2, was cutting the grass for a nearby apartment building, and he cut a lot more during his 44 day mission. He cut so much that it caught the attention of Cincinnati’s City Manager, Sheryl Long, who reached out to thank him for what he was doing.

He also picks up trash on his walk to Sunday Mass at St. Martin of Tours parish in Cheviot. “Working as a probation officer, our whole job is [to be] agents of 3 0 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

change. But change is very gradual when you’re working with people. The nice thing about picking up litter and cutting grass is you get to see immediate change.”

How did Bonecutter choose the many different acts?

“I turned that over to God,” he said. “Some things just popped in my head.”

He anonymously paid for someone’s carry-out meal, gave a ride to an elderly man using a walker in the rain, painted over graffiti that was an eyesore on a vacant building and dropped off books at a Little Free Library.

A pop-up party at the Cheviot public pool gave kids and adults the chance to spin a wheel and win a prize— there was a line for two straight hours. After he posted each act of kindness on his Facebook page, others

noticed his work, and some chose to help him reach his goal. Bonecutter came home one day to find $145 (that’s $143 plus $2) and a nice, unsigned note in his mailbox telling him to use the money for good works. It helped restock St. Martin’s food pantry with canned goods and toiletries.

“I went to Kroger [and] picked out 143 dollar items, but some were a little bit better deal, [and] I didn’t really do the math with tax and everything else. It was $146.”

His purchase cost him just one dollar more than the original gift. “What Kevin donated would probably service 40-50 families,” said Steve Brunette, who runs the pantry. “It was quite a bit.”

These good deeds inspired scout leader, Katie Molumby, who led her girls to collect hygiene products for women and assemble 40 gift bags. They handed these out to women at random in downtown Cincinnati.

“Some didn’t take it, some liked the idea and said save it for someone else,” said Molumby. “Some were ecstatic.”

Sharing that the afternoon effort was eye-opening for the girls, she said, “They took a lot away from it—having that feeling of being able to give to somebody and meeting new people and putting in the work to do it.”

As he drove past St. Francis Seraph one day, Bonecutter was inspired to throw a pizza party, “There is a really high homeless population that sits outside the church.” He thought he could put up a pop up tent and hand out slices. While estimating the cost to buy 20 pizzas, divine intervention helped, he said. NYPD Pizza’s owner made a surprise call, asked to be part of Bonecutter’s efforts and offered the 20 pizzas at no cost. Others donated drinks, and the crowd outside church had a surprise treat.

As his quest toward 143 kind acts continued, others donated cases of water, soft drinks, snacks, candy and toys. Spring Grove Cemetery sent a minivan full of excess flowers, which he planted outside businesses.

A bakery donated 13 dozen cupcakes to the YWCA’s Battered Women Shelter. When a Cincinnati television station aired a story on Bonecutter’s efforts, affiliates around the country picked it up. He’s been interviewed by radio stations in Seattle, WA, and Mansfield, OH, and friended on Facebook by people in Texas and Virginia who want to follow his journey. Because he hopes all who hear the story will be inspired to make their own acts of kindness, he created the “143 Random Acts of Kindness” Facebook page for others to post their own good deeds.

His mission ended in mid-July with act 143, the one he considers his most rewarding. He was able to meet the family of and bring presents to a little girl celebrating her fourth birthday while in the hospital, in need of a heart transplant. The next day, her family sent pictures of her smiling as she opened the gifts, buoyed by that wave of good will that continues to flow.

One small, random act of kindness can start a ripple effect that creates a wave of good will and deeds.

N E W S / S E P T E MBE R 2023 | 31

A CLO SE R LO O K

Synodality, Sensus Fidei & Development of Doctrine Beginning on October 4, 2023, two years after launching convened the whole Church in Synod in October 2021,” it a process known as the “Synod on Synodality,” bishops, commences. “Beginning at their most vital and elementary theologians and other participants will assemble at the level, the local Churches across the globe have initiated Vatican for the first session of “For a Synodal Church: the consultation of the People of God,” it continues. This Communion, Participation, and Mission.” My optimism for would ideally be the case; unfortunately, the data suggests the Synod’s success is persistent, albeit guarded. It is proper otherwise. According to a September 19, 2022 report from for the Magisterium to engage in the process of listening to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, only about one the Holy Spirit’s promptings as He speaks to and through percent of the 66.8 million Catholics in the U.S. participated the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. Indeed, that in the “listening sessions” that are at the Synod’s heart. While is among the more important of the the composition of those one percent is bishops’ various roles. The Magisterium anecdotal, it seems to be dominated must be alert to the voice of the Spirit as by persons less interested in listening He guides the Church into a deeper and and more interested in agitating for Working with theologians, broader understanding of the truth of the substantial changes in Church doctrine the Magisterium guards Gospel. This process must be undertaken and practice, including changes that the essential truth of the with great care and circumspection, would contradict well-settled tradition rooted in the venerable tradition of the and dogma. In other words, a significant deposit of faith, so that Church’s settled doctrine. number of participants—on both sides of contradictory doctrines are major questions—seem more determined not promulgated.

Beginning with the “Preparatory to dictate terms to the Holy Spirit than Document” in October 2021, I have to listen to His prompting. been hopeful that the Synod would create a steady and clear course, with a well-defined goal as to its purpose. For this to The difference between dictating and listening is crucial happen, Synod participants must be diligent and attentive. because it plays on the most fundamental questions of the They must distinguish between the Spirit’s subtle prompting doctrine’s development and the integrity of articles of faith. and the noisy agitation of voices clamoring for radical change, The 2021 Preparatory Document explained that the Synod if not abandonment, of central Church teachings. on Synodality’s purpose is to assess and evaluate the state of the “sensus fidei,” or “sense of the faithful” of the whole This challenge is illustrated in the very first sentences of Church. The sensus fidei is explained in the Catechism of the the Instrumentum Laboris, the Fall sessions’ agenda. “The Catholic Church: “All the faithful share in understanding People of God have been on the move since Pope Francis and handing on revealed truth” (CCC 91). Guided by the 3 2 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

Holy Spirit, the Catechism continues, “The whole body of the faithful … cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people, when, ‘from the bishops to the last of the faithful,’ they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals” (CCC 92). With this as background, the Preparatory Document for the Synod explains, “Every synodal process, in which the bishops are called to discern what the Spirit is saying to the Church…by listening to the People of God, … is an evident form of that ‘journeying together’ which makes the Church grow.”

This discernment process is sometimes called the “development of doctrine.” As most richly taught by the great theologian, St. John Henry Newman, doctrine develops as the Church’s knowledge of the truth of the Gospel grows deeper, broader and richer. No single generation of the Church can attain an inexhaustible understanding of the richness of the whole deposit of faith. Theologians and the Magisterium have complementary roles and responsibilities in doctrine’s development. Theologians probe faith’s depths and boundaries, testing the limits of doctrinal integrity.

Working with theologians, the Magisterium guards the

essential truth of the deposit of faith, so that contradictory doctrines are not promulgated. The latter, Newman wrote, is the “corruption” of doctrine, not its development.

As the Synod on Synodality progresses, Pope Francis and his advisors will be attentive to the voice of the Spirit as He guides them more deeply into the fullness of the truth. This necessarily will involve resisting the zeitgeist of prevailing articulations of secular morality so the continuity of developing doctrine can be maintained. My prayer is that the Church’s understanding of the truth of the Gospel will emerge from this process more acute and sure than it was when the Synod on Synodality began. As Catholic Christians, we affirm the sensus fidei as discovered, interpreted, articulated and developed by the Church’s Magisterium. Thus, we must join in prayer for the Synod’s success, not so that any faction might prevail, but so that the truth of the Gospel may be sustained and communicated in fresh and invigorating ways.

DR. KENNETH CRAYCRAFT is an attorney and the James J. Gardner Family Chair of Moral Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology.

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St. Clement Festival & Pig Roast LIVE MUSIC • GAMES • FOOD & DRINKS

Friday, September 8 7–11p.m. | Drinks • Food • Music • Games STAGGER LEE BAND on stage 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 9

3 p.m. Mass | 4–11 p.m. Festival OMEB on stage 4–6:30 p.m. • BUZZ BIN on stage 7–11p.m.

Sunday, September 10

1–8 p.m. | Bengals on TV • Drinks & Food Specials for the Game THE HANKY PANKS on stage 4–7:30 p.m.

Vine Street Park, St. Bernard, OH

A CL O S E R L O O K / S E PT E M BE R 2023 | 33

CATHO LIC A T H O ME

The Rich Young Man’s Struggle “I’ve done a lot of funerals, and I’ve never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul.” – Father Bruce H. Living simply is a stirring in my soul. Among the methods to pare down one’s possessions and activities, there is one that transcends cultural fads and speaks to the heart of our relationship with Jesus: Christian minimalism. It begins with asking Jesus what He is calling us to, then uses that invitation to measure our material, temporal and spiritual needs accordingly.

What distracts us from following our unique call goes. This prayerful process yields peace, order and a holy contentment from knowing that we have what we need.

And it’s not just a theory. I’ve had a front row seat to families, couples and priests ridding their lives of excess then experiencing a renewed zeal for life. Every so often I moonlight as a Catholic minimalist consultant, invited by someone who is overwhelmed to help bring clarity and order. I point them to Jesus as they scrutinize what stays in their homes and on their calendars.

When I need inspiration for myself or clients, the rich young man’s story in Mark 10:17-31, compels me to eliminate distraction. The young man humbly approaches Jesus to ask what he can do to gain eternal life. Affirming his adherence to the Commandments, the young man hears, “Sell your possessions, give to the poor, and follow me.” He walks away dejected, too attached to what Jesus asked him to sacrifice.

Jesus beckons each of us to a custom-made plan, a charge suited to our God-given gifts, and He equips us with the needed graces to do it. It is our path to holiness and deep, abiding joy.

Through holy minimalism we maintain what we need to follow the Lord and detach from the rest; hence Christ’s invitation to the almost-disciple.

I’ll apply this to my own Catholic family: God calls me to love my husband and our children, as well as to make our home welcoming to guests. Our small home is not overrun with stuff, but it looks lived-in. God also called me to my apostolates 3 4 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH

of writing, speaking and consulting, so I keep what I need to support that work. Material simplicity means whatever is enough to say “yes” to God is enough. What fails to serve a purpose, whether for the body or soul, goes.

My heart breaks when the rich young man walks away from Christ’s invitation. How could anyone be so stuck on his stuff that he walks away from Jesus? But then I check myself, because the reality is I do it all the time. We sin. We go our own ways. I wish so much that instead of walking away, the rich young man had asked Jesus for help. The Lord asks big things of us, but He never asks us to do them alone—he gives us grace and sustains us through the process.

Life is chock full of attachments that distract us from intimacy with the Lord. Letting go of the materials or activities that make us hesitate to be with Jesus is paramount to holiness and peace.

Of course, it’s not wrong to keep what we want or use, but occasionally giving up items makes room for a deeper devotion to God. Remember, store up your treasure in heaven.

I initially took on minimalism so that our little house would fit our growing family. Decluttering made our space feel new and refreshing; but as I kept adding to the donation pile, I saw more clearly how much people matter. It brought me joy to serve others’ needs and look for ways I could help their days be easier.

The mindset of keeping things “just in case” dissolved, replaced by confidence that God provides. He always has.

Practicing minimalism in light of God’s unique call for each of our lives yields a previously unrealized peace and freedom, as well as a renewed gratitude and joy in Christ. It is far less a cultural trend and much more a soul matter. Begin now. Address a small portion of counter top, or even the apps on your phone.

Take small steps to realize the sanctifying freedom of simplicity.

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

“I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church’s energies to a new evangelization...

No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples.”

– Pope Saint John Paul II

Burying the dead is part of our ministry to the Body of Christ. Our faith in God, and hope of eternal life calls us to not only believe in Christ, but also to live as followers of Christ in our thoughts, words and actions.

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| 35

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

Redeemed and Called by Christ Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB).

For the last several months, we have explored the effects of our first parents’ fall from grace. We explored the nature of their sin and how it disrupted the harmony they previously experienced with God, within themselves, with each other and with the rest of creation. As a result, concupiscence (i.e., disordered desire) and shame became hallmarks of our human experience. Having reviewed the various aspects and causes of shame, as well as its positive, protective value in a fallen world, we delved into the problem of shamelessness and the most notorious example of shamelessness today— pornography. It is now time, with the help of Pope St. John Paul II, to shift our gaze from our origin and fall to our redemption and call to glory.

Indeed, if the story of the human person and human love ended with sin, it would be a very bleak tale. Thanks be to God that He did not abandon us to the power of sin and death, but fashioned a remedy for us out of our own humanity. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, took on our human nature, becoming like us in all things but sin, suffered and died for our sake and rose to eternal glory. As the fathers of the 3 6 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH

Second Vatican Council taught: “He Who is ‘the image of the invisible God’ is Himself the perfect man. To the sons of Adam He restores the divine likeness which had been disfigured from the first sin onward. Since human nature as He assumed it was not annulled, by that very fact it has been raised up to a divine dignity in our respect too. For by His incarnation the Son of God has united Himself in some fashion with every man. He worked with human hands, He thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, He has truly been made one of us, like us in all things except sin” (Gaudium et spes, 22).

Christ united Himself with us, taking on our human nature and uniting it with His divinity forever. In doing so, He revealed to us anew our worth in God’s eyes and raised our dignity to an unprecedented level. As the Council fathers said, this dignity even includes the human body. As Pope St. John Paul II quipped, “Through the fact that the Word of God became flesh, the body entered theology... I would say, through the main door” (TOB 23:4). The human body has become theological, the meeting place between God and humanity.

By taking on our human nature, suffering and dying for us and rising to eternal glory, Jesus also opened the path to sanctity for us. Throughout his earthly ministry, He called his disciples to holiness of life. His preaching and example established the New Law of the Gospel as the standard for all human conduct, especially for those who bear the name Christian. This New Law “‘fulfills,’ refines, surpasses, and leads the Old Law to its perfection” (CCC, 1967). By giving us this law and

DIVINE MERCY UNIVERSITY

Thanks be to God that He did

not abandon us to the power of sin and death,

but fashioned a remedy for us out of our own humanity. empowering us to fulfill it with the grace of the Holy Spirit, Jesus provided the path and the means for all of us to achieve holiness and enter into eternal life.

Pope St. John Paul II frequently recalled the teaching of the Second Vatican Council known as the “universal call to holiness.” He adamantly taught that holiness— indeed, sainthood—is possible for each and every one of us and is, in fact, an essential aspect of everyone’s vocation. None of us are exempt from this call, nor is it impossible for us to achieve it with the abundant help of God’s grace. In TOB, he particularly explored the implications of Christ’s redemption, the New Law of the Gospel and the call to holiness for the relationship between the sexes and our experience of spousal love. I invite you to continue this journey through TOB with me as we explore in subsequent articles the late pope’s precious insights into our moral life in Christ and the redemption of our bodies.

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.

Programs Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology APA Accredited* Master of Science in Psychology (Online) No GRE Required Master of Science in Counseling (Online/Hybrid) Licensure Spiritual Direction Certificate A Journey of Faith The IPS Doctoral Program ( Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the Commision on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA)*

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divine mercy

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Color the Saints!

Feast Day: August 1

His father made him practice the harpsichord for three hours a day.

Wrote many popular hymns and taught them to the people in parish missions.

Alphonsus played the harpsichord, a musical instrument similar to a piano. Instead of using hammers to hit the strings like a piano, the harpsichord has parts inside that gently pluck the strings to make a special twinkling sound, a bit like a mix of a guitar and a piano.

Besides art, music and writing, his other hobbies included: riding, fencing and a card game.

Wrote 111 works on theology and spirituality, his most noted being “The Glories of Mary.”

Patron saint of confessors, moral theologians and the lay apostolate.

3 8 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH

In 1723, while visiting the sick, Alphonsus had a mystical experience. Surrounded by light, he heard God’s call. He immediately offered himself as a novice at the Oratory and made a solemn resolution before Our Lady’s statue.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori loved God very much.

From painting to playing music and writing, he glorified God. Think about what you enjoy doing.

How can you incorporate God into your daily activities and passions?

Alphonsus Apostolate Confessor Glories Harpsichord Hymns Lay Liguori Mission Musician Mystical Oratory Our Lady

Find the word puzzle answer key and all printables at: thecatholictelegraph.com/kids-corner

I will do this by...

Today I will invite God into...

K ID S ’ CO R N E R / S E PT E M BE R 2023 | 39

out & about in the Archdiocese

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2) Alumni Gathered at GSMS Good Shepherd Montessori School in Cincinnati welcomed back alumni for a special evening gathering on July 21. Alumni and families from the first graduating class to this years’ graduates took part in the event.

2 1) Associates Minister with Sisters In September, the Associates of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati will commemorate their 50th anniversary.

Associates volunteer with sponsored ministries of the Sisters of Charity Community. Some work in parishes, schools and hospitals. Others are the caretakers of their families where they bring the legacy of love and service to the next generations. A special gathering and Mass is planned at the Community’s Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse on Sept. 2, 2023.

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4) St. Charles Bible Camp Third graders at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Kettering’s 28th Bible Camp learned about the “Superheroes of the Bible.” Church volunteers were pleased to welcome 171 campers to their summer program.

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3) Faith and Learning at St. Julie’s St. Julie Billiart Church in Hamilton made a big splash in the lives of over 120 participants during their summer Vacation Bible School. Marcum Park Splash Pad provided a perfect ending to the week.

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ACROSS 1 One of the three in 1 Corinthians 5 ___ magna 10 Mild oath 14 Affirm with confidence 15 Shun 16 Architect Mies van der ___ 17 Bundle 18 Impertinence 19 Facility 20 Hairy Addams cousin 21 An eccentric person 22 Church Law 23 Tried out 25 Streetcar 27 Pay ending 28 Number for the last Leo 29 Defensive weapon (abbr.)

32 June birthstone 35 Hie’s partner 36 Avril follower 37 Ratio words 38 What the choir does 40 St. ___ Chrysostom 41 Naval rank (abbr.)

42 “…and the ___ was God” (Jn 1:1) 43 Sausage 44 Tropical cuckoo 45 Continental money 46 In the name of the Father, and of the ___…

47 Wife of Shiva

48 Advent foliage 52 One of the seraphim or cherubim, for example 55 Paul surprised a soldier when he spoke this 58 Playbill feature 59 Heavy hammer 60 Coniferous evergreen forest 61 Abbreviation, abbreviated 62 Beak 63 One way to buy stock 64 “___ my sheep.” (Jn 21:17) 65 Full of unresolved questions 66 Of necessity 67 Unit of computer memory DOWN 1 Distinctive dress worn by religious 2 Egg-shaped 3 Rawhides 4 Poetic before 5 North American country with approximately 40% Catholic population 6 ___ plaisir 7 Flesh of a hog 8 Turning 9 Summer drink 10 The pharaoh had one about fat cows and lean cows

11 Horse of mixed color 12 Charlie Chan’s remark of surprise 13 Prom attendee 21 Jacob’s ___ 22 Son of Eve 24 Bull 26 Rivers in Spain 28 Tic-tac-toe alternatives 29 Cupid 30 Sounds of disgust 31 Aromatic herb 32 Size of type 33 Jock’s network 34 To you, to Pierre 38 Spiritual principle of human beings 39 Supply with water 40 St. Peter’s feast day is the 29th of this month 42 Well-being 43 John Paul II’s “On Human ___” 46 Takes an oath 47 Maiden name of a Catholic princess 49 Type of monastery 50 Dalai Lama’s homeland 51 Multitude 52 Both (prefix) 53 Inexperienced person 54 Deep hollow 56 Matured 57 See 10A 60 Convert into leather 61 Military location (abbr.)

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H O P E C A P P A D R A T A V E R A V O I D R O H E B A L E N E R V E E A S E W A C K O C A N O N I T T T R A M T E S T E D O L A X I I I A B M A N O N M A I P E A R L S I N G S J O H N I S T O W O R D W U R S T C P O E U R O S O N A N I K A L I W R E A T H G R E E K B I O A N G E L T A I G A A B B R M A U L B I L L A T P A R F E E D I F F Y N E E D S B Y T E

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S E P T E MBE R 2023 | 41

THE FINAL WORD with Ann Gundlach

If They Only Knew About a year ago I applied for a grant to help my fledgling magazine, Embodied, that is grounded in Pope St. John Paul II’s writings about the human person. I was struck by one question: “For whom does your heart break?” This brought an immediate wave of deep sadness, but I now see it was a sweet moment of grace, a consolation from the Lord that I am on the path He wants me on.

You see, my heart breaks for all the young people who have walked away from or disregarded the Catholic faith of their youth—including some of my children. Granted, scandals provided many with a justification, but in my experience the choice is more often rooted in a failure to see any value in the Church, anything relevant to their lives...anything beautiful.

What I am much less consistently sure of is why He called me to help more people become aware of these teachings—to show others the beauty. I have felt unworthy because I lack a theology degree. But the call persisted for so long that my spiritual director finally said, “If you don’t try to make this happen—whether you succeed or fail—you are being disobedient to the Holy Spirit.” Yikes! So, I quit my job, started a non-profit, and we are now in our second year of publication.

This breaks my heart! My breath is often taken away, and I am brought to tears by the indescribable beauty Christ has led me to know. If they only knew what they were walking away from!

But this is hard! On the magazine front, things are good.

Readers love it, and we recently won four awards for excellence from the Catholic Media Association—including third place for Magazine of the Year! Yet, things remain a struggle financially. I lack the funding to grow at a quicker pace and worry about how long I can keep going, but at the same time I know how blessed I am for such opportunities to grow in trust that God will see me through, no matter what.

I could fill numerous pages with stories of the many people and events that shaped my faith journey. However, several years ago I could no longer deny that it was Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body that tied together so many faith-related elements and completely erased every remaining speck of doubt that God really loves me—And everyone else!

My heart changed. Think black-and-white to color.

After I converted one child’s old bedroom to my Embodied office, my daughter gifted me with beautiful, framed quotes for inspiration, including, “In God’s plan nothing happens by chance,” and “Do not be afraid,” from Pope St. John Paul II. My favorite is: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire,” from St. Catherine of Siena. I’m choosing to trust those words. Every day.

God raises up saints when He knows we need them, and praise God that in today’s gender-confused world we have Pope St. John Paul II and his beautiful explanations on the dignity of being made male and female, with the call to love as God loves through a complete gift of self. Of this, I am completely sure.

4 2 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH

ANN GUNDLACH and her husband, Greg, are parishioners of St. Ignatius Church and have three children and four grandchildren. She is the editor and founder of Embodied magazine. To learn more and subscribe, visit: https://embodiedmag.org/

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