MAGAZINE
190th year | issue 11
bringing faith into the home
november 2021 | living out your vocation | 1
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edi t or’s not e
THe Best Laid Plans “Momma, I don’t feel so good.” Those dreaded words always send a flurry of thoughts running through my mind, especially when uttered on a weekday morning. Out comes the thermometer, and when the inevitable 100.8 degrees registers on the screen, my husband and I start quickly recalculating our plans for the day. Suddenly, our priorities become: Do we need to make a doctor appointment? Are the other kids ok? We need to let school know. And, the always critical, who is staying home from work with them today? I admit, many times during this process I find myself grumbling the words, “Oh great, this is going to make my day and everything I planned impossible.” We recently had a sickness rolling through my home, taking us all down, one after the other. After thinking all were finally on the mend, I was distressed to have yet another child fall ill. Taking a deep breath, I settled everyone in for a day of recovery, popped my ear buds in and pulled up a Word on Fire Show episode entitled, “Your Life is Not About You.” “Here we go,” I thought. “I’m about to hear something that I need – but probably don’t want – to hear.” And sure enough, Bishop Robert Barron didn’t mince words: “Your life is not about you. It’s your life, yes it is a gift from God, but it’s not about you. It’s an ingredient in an infinitely higher Will which wants to use your life for His purposes.” He continued, “There’s a power, God’s power, the Holy Spirit, already at work in you that can do infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Your plans, your hopes, your projects are nothing compared to what God wants to accomplish through you. Paul’s point: learn to surrender to it.” (Ep. 248, Sept. 7, 2020)
While Bishop Barron’s words applied to my immediate situation, they also apply much more broadly to my vocation as a mother, a wife and even as an editor. I also thought about those words in the context of this issue of the magazine, which is dedicated to living out your vocation. Our lives are not about the things over which we want to maintain control, they are about living the life God wants for us. Trusting in God and living out our vocations doesn’t mean things will be easy; but it does mean that if we earnestly and prayerfully surrender to God’s Will, then greater things than we could ever imagine will happen. Sometimes those things are as small as easing a child’s fever-induced body aches with snuggles or volunteering to stay home so a spouse can manage urgent needs at work, and other times they are as big as discerning and answering a vocational call to move 850 miles from home to build a Catholic magazine. Living out our vocations may not allow us to fulfill our own selfish desires, but it means that we are living out the definite purpose for which God created us. Those people featured in this issue of The Catholic Telegraph learned to surrender to God, and He is using them to accomplish amazing work in fulfilling His Will on earth. Let us continue to pray that we may have the grace to do the same.
cteditorial@catholicaoc.org THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH 190th Year No. 11 • November 2021 513-263-6635 • thecatholictelegraph.com
PUBLISHER Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr
EDITOR Jessica Rinaudo
MEDIA SALES Deacon Graham Galloway
GRAPHIC DESIGN Emma Cassani
PHOTOGRAPHY Margaret Swensen
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT Dominick Albano
NEW MEDIA EDITOR Greg Hartman
SOCIAL MEDIA Katherine Geiger
100 East Eighth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 ctadvertising@catholicaoc.org The Catholic Telegraph (xUSPS 094-520) ISSN. 10736689 is published monthly by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 100 E 8th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati and at additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Catholic Telegraph, 100 E. 8th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
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contents news
living out your vocation columns
8 BEACONS OF LIGHT
22 UNLESS YOU BECOME LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN
7 QUESTION OF FAITH
EILEEN CONNELLY, OSU
Donating your body to science?
Father Kennealy, SJ, publishes new book on Cincinnati legend Father Francis Finn
14 A CLOSER LOOK
DOMINICK ALBANO
The absolute best part about being Catholic 10 A PRIEST’S PERSPECTIVE
FATHER DAVID ENDRES
DR. KENNETH CRAYCRAFT
FATHER EARL K. FERNANDES
24 CALLED TO MUSIC
Synodality: Walking with Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
KARY ELLEN BERGER
Christ the King and the myth of the “Wall of Separation”
Greg Pierson uses musical gifts to glorify God’s love
36 SEIZE THE MOMENT
12 NEW SCHOOL COMING TO BOND HILL
NICHOLAS HARDESTY
26 A LIFETIME OF SERVICE
Discerning God’s will
EILEEN CONNELLY, OSU
MATT HESS
CISE and Jesuits collaborate to found transformative boys’ school
Sister Laura Will, C.PP.S., celebrates 75 years as a religious sister
16 NATURAL BURIAL: A GENTLE RETURN TO THE EARTH
28 BROTHERS, CONVERTS, PRIESTS KARY ELLEN BERGER
42 CATHOLIC AT HOME
GAIL FINKE
Siblings Father Edward and Father Henry Share Paths of Conversion and Vocations to the Priesthood
KATIE SCIBA
32 MEET THE MOMS
DR. ANDREW SODERGREN
JESSICA RINAUDO
Original Unity: Flesh of my Flesh
Linda Moore and Julie VanHoose are mothers to priests and Serra Club members
45 DID YOU KNOW?
18 BLACK CATHOLIC HISTORY MONTH: NATIONAL CATHOLIC INTERRACIAL FEDERATION SARAH ATER
21 STUDENT REFLECTIONS ON BLACK CATHOLIC HISTORY MONTH
40 SHINE ON DOMINICK ALBANO
Five lies and a question about vocations
Your spouse as a cross? 44 THEOLOGY OF THE BODY
GAIL FINKE
34 BOOK REVIEW: EUCHARIST REVIEWED BY JENNIFER SCHACK
46 MAKING CATHOLIC MEMORIES WAYNE & MARIANNE TOPP
ON THE COVER PHOTO BY: MARGARET SWENSEN
Recently ordained siblings Father Henry Hoffmann, C.O., and Father Edward Hoffmann at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology. 4 | CONTENTS
38 LETTING FAITH LEAD THE WAY
Sweet St. Cecilia pianos
BONNY VAN
Aaron Marshall Embraces Vocation as Father and La Salle Principal
50 THE FINAL WORD DEBBIE STARESINIC
Vocation to love Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention for November – People Who Suffer from Depression: We pray that people who suffer from depression or burn-out will find support and a light that opens them up to life.
SEEK THE LORD ARCHBI S HO P D E NNIS M. SCH NUR R
All Souls Day immediately follows All Saints Day in the Church calendar for good reason: Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, reaffirms our ancient faith as Catholics “in the living communion which exists between us and our brothers and sisters who are in the glory of heaven or are yet being purified after their death” (LG, 51). In other words, a spiritual union exists among the faithful on earth (sometimes called the Church Militant), the souls in purgatory (the Church Suffering) and the saints in heaven (the Church Triumphant). The Apostles Creed calls this the “communion of saints.” All the faithful departed are part of the communion of saints, as are we. Perhaps we sense this most strongly when the litany of saints is sung at the Easter Vigil, at ordinations and at infant baptisms, giving the feeling that those canonized saints are truly there among us. However, from the earliest times our houses of worship have been filled with the presence of the saints in statues, paintings and stained glass windows. These images are like the family albums of our family of faith. The Church has canonized only a relatively small number of those who are with God. In the first reading for the Solemnity of All Saints, St. John in the Book of Revelation shares his vision of “a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue” (Rev. 7:9). Some of the readings that may be chosen for All Souls Day are reassuring about the fate of those who have gone before us. In one of them Jesus says: “And this is the will of the One who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what He gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day” (Jn. 6:39-40).
We look to canonized saints and to saintly people we have known as models of how to conform ourselves to Christ, and we ask for their intercession with God as we face difficulties in life. At the same time, we also need the help of our fellow pilgrims here on earth and pray for the souls in purgatory. We are all united in the Body of Christ. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The communion of saints is the Church” (CCC 946). God gave us the Church so that we have the assistance of other Christians to do together that which we cannot do alone – know and be transformed by Jesus Christ so we can follow Him back to union with the Father. Each of us has an important role in the communion of saints as we are all called to radiate the light of Christ to our dark world. We all do that in different ways. Our archdiocesan prayer for vocations stresses that God created each of us for some definite purpose. We are at our happiest when we identify that purpose and fulfill it, using our unique gifts and talents as God intended. At the same time, we are called to affirm and support the vocations of others. The millions of vocation prayers, as well as the support given to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology by the members of our local Church, have resulted in many new priests, deacons and lay pastoral ministers in recent years, for which I am very grateful. These individuals serve the faithful in their various ministries, and the faithful in turn sustain them with their encouragement and prayers. We must never forget that we are all on a journey back to the God who created us and we need help along the way from our fellow members of the communion of saints. S E E K T H E L O R D / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 5
BUSCA AL SEÑOR ARZOBISPO DENNIS M. SCHNURR
El Día de Todas las Almas sigue inmediatamente al Día de Todos los Santos en el calendario de la Iglesia por una buena razón: la Constitución Dogmática de la Iglesia del Vaticano II, Lumen Gentium, reafirma nuestra antigua fe como Católicos “del consorcio vital con nuestros hermanos que se hallan en la gloria celeste o que aún están purificándose después de la muerte” (LG, 51). En otras palabras, existe una unión espiritual entre los fieles en la tierra (a veces llamada la Iglesia Militante), las almas en el purgatorio (la Iglesia Que Sufre) y los santos en el cielo (la Iglesia Triunfante). El Credo de los Apóstoles llama a esto la “comunión de los santos”. Todos los fieles difuntos son parte de la comunión de los santos, al igual que nosotros. Tal vez lo sintamos con más fuerza cuando se canta la letanía de los santos en la Vigilia Pascual, en las ordenaciones y en los bautismos de infantes, dando la sensación de que esos santos canonizados están realmente allí entre nosotros. Sin embargo, desde los primeros tiempos nuestras casas de culto se han llenado con la presencia de los santos en estatuas, pinturas y vidrieras. Estas imágenes son como los álbumes familiares de nuestra familia de fe. La Iglesia ha canonizado sólo a un número relativamente pequeño de los que están con Dios. En la primera lectura para la solemnidad de Todos los Santos, San Juan en el Libro del Apocalipsis comparte su visión de “un gentío inmenso, imposible de contar, de toda nación y raza, pueblo y lengua” (Apocalipsis 7:9). Algunas de las lecturas que pueden ser elegidas para el Día de Todas las Almas son reconfortantes sobre el destino de aquellos que nos han precedido. En una de ellas Jesús dice: “Y la voluntad del que me ha enviado es que yo no pierda nada de lo que Él me ha dado, sino que lo resucite en el último día. Sí, ésta es la decisión de mi Padre: toda persona que al contemplar al Hijo crea en él, tendrá vida eterna, y yo lo resucitaré en el último día” (Jn. 6:39-40).
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Miramos a los santos canonizados y a las personas santas que hemos conocido como modelos de cómo conformarnos a Cristo, y pedimos su intercesión ante Dios mientras enfrentamos dificultades en la vida. Al mismo tiempo, también necesitamos la ayuda de nuestros compañeros peregrinos aquí en la tierra y orar por las almas en el purgatorio. Todos estamos unidos en el Cuerpo de Cristo. Como dice el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica, “La comunión de los santos es la Iglesia” (CIC 946). Dios nos dio la Iglesia para que tengamos la ayuda de otros Cristianos para hacer juntos lo que no podemos hacer solos: conocer y ser transformados por Jesucristo para que podamos seguirlo de vuelta a la unión con el Padre. Cada uno de nosotros tiene un papel importante en la comunión de los santos, ya que todos estamos llamados a irradiar la luz de Cristo a nuestro mundo oscuro. Todos lo hacemos de diferentes maneras. Nuestra oración arquidiocesana por las vocaciones enfatiza que Dios nos creó a cada uno de nosotros para algún propósito definido. Estamos en nuestro momento más feliz cuando identificamos ese propósito y lo cumplimos, usando nuestros dones y talentos únicos como Dios quiso. Al mismo tiempo, estamos llamados a afirmar y apoyar las vocaciones de los demás. Las millones de oraciones vocacionales, así como el apoyo dado al Seminario y Escuela de Teología Mount St. Mary’s por los miembros de nuestra Iglesia local, han dado lugar a muchos nuevos sacerdotes, diáconos y ministros pastorales laicos en los últimos años, por lo que estoy muy agradecido. Estas personas sirven a los fieles en sus diversos ministerios, y los fieles a su vez los sostienen con su ánimo y oraciones. Nunca debemos olvidar que todos estamos en un viaje de regreso al Dios que nos creó y necesitamos ayuda en el camino de nuestros compañeros miembros de la comunión de santos.
QU E ST IO N O F F A IT H
DONATING YOUR BODY TO SCIENCE? I am considering donating my body to science. What is the Catholic Church’s perspective? The question of anatomical donations, including donating one’s body to science, engages both the Church’s teaching about the human person and the related understanding regarding an individual’s freedom to discern and offer direction for how they wish their body to be treated after death. SOUL AND BODY
The Catholic view of the human person values not only one’s soul, but also the body. Because the members of the human race are made uniquely in the image and likeness of God, the body has an inherent dignity. This follows Scriptural teaching that the body is a “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19). Moreover, the body does not merely “contain” the soul. Rather, body and soul compose the unity of a human person. Thus, the body and its integrity must be respected. There are situations, however, in which the body may be donated, when given proper consideration. THE BODY AS GIFT
The ethics regarding donation of one’s body to science relate closely to the Church’s teaching on organ donation. The Catechism teaches, “Organ donation after death is a noble and meritorious act and is to be encouraged as an expression of generous solidarity” (§ 2296). The Church recognizes therapeutic uses of the body, including organ donations. Bodies are useful for scientific inquiry and training healthcare providers. Recognizing that donating one’s body to science can assist others, whether directly or indirectly, recent pontiffs praised anatomical gifts as acts of love and even a form of heroism. The Church cautions, however, that death must not be unnaturally hastened or prolonged for the purpose of donation.
CHRISTIAN BURIAL
While donating one’s body is praiseworthy, the presence of the body during the funeral is preferred. It allows for grieving and reminds us that the body is destined for future glory at the resurrection of the dead. When the body is not present for the funeral, as in the case of donation, there can be a memorial Mass but not the rite of Christian burial (including the reception of the body and final commendation). Parts of the donated body not used for therapeutic means are returned to the family of the deceased in the form of cremated remains. Once returned, a committal service should be held and the remains interred in the ground or a mausoleum. A QUESTION OF DISCERNMENT
The choice to donate one’s body to science must be a free choice; thus the Church encourages each person to determine his or her final plans. This includes, choosing whether to donate one’s body to science, whether to be embalmed or cremated, and where to be interred. When donating one’s body to science, indicate this desire in writing through a living will or health care power of attorney, and speak with loved ones. For the Christian, making a choice about donating one’s body to science is a personal discernment, with moral and spiritual facets, but without either moral obligation or prohibition. Each person should weigh the decision mindful of the dignity of creation and the importance of respecting the body in life but also after death. 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 / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 7
BY DOMINICK ALBANO
T H E ABS OLU TE B EST PA R T A B OUT B EING CAT H O L I C As the pastoral planning initiative Beacons of Light moves forward, Catholic Telegraph writers are meeting with its leaders to bring you the most up-to-date and accurate information, describe how decisions are made and clearly explain what to expect. Visit beaconsaoc.org to sign up for the free Beacons Update newsletter. Nothing is more terrifying than believing your child might die. My knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel as I wove around cars on the road. These people innocently going about their business with no urgency didn’t know my three-week-old son had a blood infection. They didn’t know that if we couldn’t get him treated at Children’s Hospital right away, the infection could travel to his brain and kill him in just a few hours. A thousand things were happening inside me: Fear, anger, despair, sadness. But there were also really practical thoughts like: Who is going to watch the other kids while we are at the hospital? I need to tell my work. I need to call my parents. What’s the fastest route to Children’s? Where do I park? How do I remain strong for my wife? And, of course, all of that was wrapped up in desperate, wordless prayer. And little Ezra wasn’t baptized yet. I grabbed my phone to call a priest to meet us at the hospital… but I had no one to 8 |
THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH
call. We just moved to Cincinnati. In our old city, there were a dozen priests I could call who would drop everything to be at the hospital for us. But we were in a new town, and I didn’t know what to do. I had one friend I thought could help. He is passionately Catholic and a Cincinnati native. He answered on the second ring. I frantically explained the situation, my voice cracking under the weight of sadness and fear. He understood quickly and said, “Alright, don’t worry about this. I’ve got it.” There was a priest waiting for us at Children’s Hospital when we arrived. He waited patiently while the hospital processed my son, and – when the moment was right – baptized him in the exam room. I let out a deep breath and squeezed my wife close to my side as we looked on. A moment of grace in the middle of chaos. Father stayed for a while. Very quiet. Rosary in hand. No advice. No words. Just a powerful presence of prayer. Today Ezra is going on his fifth birthday, a healthy, happy, rambunctious little boy with no sign of after-effects from his infection. When you hear the word “Church,” what comes to mind? For many, it’s a combination of buildings, a priestly hierarchy, an institution like a parish or school... maybe even the Pope!
When I hear the word Church, I think of people. My youth ministers in high school, who helped me encounter Christ for the first time. My best friend, who gave the first invitation to Church and continues to call me deeper in holiness. The seminarian my wife and I met in Rome on our honeymoon, who showed us the best place for gelato even though we were strangers. The priest who baptized Ezra in the hospital. The deacon we met on a mission trip who gave up working on Wall Street and moved his entire family to serve in Haiti after taking to heart the command, “Go, sell all your possessions and give them to the poor. Then come follow me.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “In Christian usage, the word ‘Church’ has three inseparable meanings: the People who God gathers in the whole world; the particular or local church (diocese); and the liturgical (above all Eucharistic) Assembly.” The Church is people. We think about it in different contexts and geographic locations, but at the end of the day, it’s the people. The assembly of the people of God doesn’t change. Location, time period, traditions, customs, leadership… that all changes. But wherever the Church has been at work in the world, there have been wonderful people radiating Christ to those around them. November is a month of gratitude, so this month is a great time to recognize and be grateful for the people God has gathered in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati: from our neighborhoods, to our parishes, to our region, to the entire archdiocese. With a 200-year history of wonderful people coming together to love and serve others and share the Good News, while some things will change because of Beacons of Light, but many – the most important things – won’t. And the absolute best part about being Catholic – the Church itself – will always be there to radiate Christ. WHAT COMES NEXT?
Now that the public comment period on the draft plan for the Families of Parishes is closed, the feedback received from priests, school leaders, parish ministers and laity will be considered in order to create the final Families of Parishes. While it is impossible to predict how long it will take to review and incorporate this feedback, the final Families of Parishes should be announced by the end of 2021. Nothing will change immediately. For the time being, parishes will continue to operate as they do now. Priest assignments for the new Families of Parishes will be announced in the Spring. The new Families of Parishes will be implemented beginning July 2022.
B EA CON S OF LI G HT
Glossary Body of Christ: The human body which the Son of God assumed through His conception in the womb of Mary and which now is glorified in heaven. This same body and blood, together with soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ are really and truly present in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Mystical Body of Christ: The Church is called the Mystical Body of Christ whose head is Christ and whose members are the faithful, an image of concurrent unity and diversity. Eucharist: The principal sacramental celebration of the Church, established by Jesus at the Last Supper, in which the mystery of our salvation through participation in the death and Resurrection of Christ is renewed and accomplished. The Mass renews the paschal sacrifice of Christ as the sacrifice offered by the Church. The Sunday celebration of the Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life. The Holy Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments of the Church and completes Christian initiation. Paschal Mystery: Christ’s work of redemption accomplished principally by His Passion, death, Resurrection and glorious Ascension, whereby “dying He destroyed our death, rising He restored our life.” The paschal mystery is celebrated and made present in the liturgy of the Church, and its saving effects are communicated through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, which renews the paschal sacrifice of Christ as the sacrifice offered by the Church. Baptism: The first of the seven sacraments and the “door” which gives access to the other sacraments. Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist constitute the “sacraments of initiation” by which a believer receives the remission of original and personal sin, begins a new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit, and is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ. Liturgy: In its original meaning, a “public work” or service done in the name of or on behalf of the people. Through the liturgy Christ our high Priest continues the work of our redemption through the Church’s celebration of the paschal mystery by which he accomplished our salvation. The liturgy unfolds through the official public prayer of the Church (e.g. the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, the celebration of the sacraments). Family of Parishes: A grouping of parishes led by a common pastor and characterized by collaboration and shared resources. A parochial vicar (or multiple parochial vicars) or retired priest may also serve a Family of Parishes. Synodality: A way of living the faith in a permanent manner at every level – in the parish, in the family and at the peripheries. All members of the Church, laity in addition to clergy, are to be engaged in this way of living. Synodality describes the journeying together of the People of God toward the New and Eternal Jerusalem. B E A CO N S O F L IG H T / N O V E M BE R 2021
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A PRI ES T’S P E RSPE CT IV E : B E A CO NS O F LIGH T
SYNODALITY: WALKING WITH CHRIST, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE VIRGIN MARY In last month’s issue of The Catholic Telegraph, we spoke of the need for “Families of Parishes” to journey together in a synodal way. Living a synodal life begins with the Holy Trinity. In this article, I want to explore more deeply the roots of this “journeying together” as the Family of God, beginning with Christ and His Eucharistic Presence, then turning to the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.
is deepened vertically and horizontally. God’s own agape is received bodily, so that His saving work may continue in and through the Church. Conscious of the gift, the Church goes forth to draw all of humanity together in unity. A parish or Family of Parishes must remain intimately connected to Christ in the Eucharist, prioritizing Sunday Mass and access to the Eucharist.
REMAINING CONNECTED TO CHRIST
POURING OUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
Synodality is a way of living the faith in a permanent manner at every level in the life of the Church and is rooted in the Paschal Mystery beginning with baptism, through which individuals share in the communion of the Trinity. Baptism involves the human response to the call to live in union with Christ through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 1:9). This communion purifies the person from sin, making him or her a new creation, an adopted child of God and member of the Church, opening the door to the other sacraments, including the Eucharist.
At the baptism of Christ, the voice of the Father was heard and the Holy Spirit descended over Him like a dove. This same Spirit, which was poured out on the apostles at Pentecost, has been poured into our hearts in baptism. The Holy Spirit introduces order (1 Cor. 12:1-20) amid the diversity of members and charisms in the Body of Christ so that members work together for the good of the whole Church (1 Cor. 12:14-31). Each member is given some manifestation of the Spirit in view of the good of the body. The gifts of the Spirit are gathered in the Church, where members serve and listen to one another reciprocally. The Church understands herself as a collective “we” in prayer, liturgy and discernment.
It is the Church which makes the Eucharist, just as the Eucharist makes the Church. In virtue of the Eucharist, the People of God as the Body of Christ journey together with diverse members (1 Cor. 10:17) under the headship of Christ. Christ, the Good Shepherd, leads the flock on its journey. He not only leads, but He also feeds the flock. In the reception of Holy Communion, communion with God 1 0 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH
MARY, A MODEL FOR THE CHURCH
The Holy Spirit, who is at the core of this ecclesial “walking together,” also overshadowed Mary, Mother of the Church and the model of discipleship, who lived this journey in
a privileged way. Although the Spirit was operating from the dawn of creation, in the fullness of time (Gal. 4:4) a qualitative leap was made in salvation history. By the Holy Spirit, Mary conceived the Word of God, who, in turn, was given as a gift to humanity. Mary and the Spirit “journey together” from the Annunciation through Pentecost.
Mary and the Holy Spirit will help guide us along the path of discernment. Therefore, let us entrust ourselves to them, concluding with a prayer to Christ from the Swiss mystic Adrienne von Speyr:
“Dear Lord, grant that we contemplate and affirm you and your Church, and carry out what our mission demands, in an ever-new spirit, in the spirit of your THE MOTHER OF GOD IS A If, in the economy of salvation, the Mother’s consent. Grant also that we pray MODEL FOR ALL DISCIPLES Holy Spirit represents the condition of for this Spirit. We know you yourself are AND AN ICON OF SYNODAL possibility for the self-communication of where you send your Spirit. The Spirit God in Jesus on the part of the Divine, brought you to your Mother: the Spirit LIFE, REMINDING US OF THE then Mary, with her fiat, represents enabled her to carry you; and because in UNIVERSAL CALL TO LISTEN the condition of possibility of this her you found again your own Spirit, you ATTENTIVELY TO GOD WITH AN communication on the part of humanity. formed your Church. Since you have called Through her attentive listening and OPENNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. us into this Church, make from each one of openness to God, she fulfilled her us a place where the Spirit of your Church mission in bringing Christ to the world. She demonstrates blows, where the will of your Father is done together with you the characteristics of living this journey. She journeyed with and with the help of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” and in the Trinity, willingly receiving the love of the Father, bearing the Son within her womb, and becoming a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Mother of God is a model for all FATHER EARL K. FERNANDES disciples and an icon of synodal life, reminding us of the is the pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Cincinnati and holds a doctorate in moral universal call to listen attentively to God with an openness theology from the Alphonsian Academy in Rome. to the Holy Spirit.
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B E A CO N S O F L IG H T / N O V E MBE R 2021 | 11
New School Coming to Bond Hill CISE and the Jesuits Collaborate to Create Transformative Boys’ School BY EILEEN CONNELLY, OSU
Breaking the cycle of poverty and providing a faith-based education transforms lives. Firm in that belief, and with proven results, CISE and the Jesuits USA Midwest Province have come together to establish a new all-boys school in Cincinnati’s Bond Hill neighborhood. Tentatively named Cincinnati Jesuit Academy, it opens in the fall of 2023 at the site of the former St. Agnes School building and will serve boys in grades three to eight who are from inner-city communities and challenged by generational poverty.
who this time, specifically expressed interest in making a gift that would impact the lives of boys in need and keep them off the streets. Rodriguez said she left their initial meeting and prayed: “Guide me Holy Spirit, let me know what the city needs, the city that I have come to love, and that CISE can make this happen.”
CISE has served such Cincinnati communities for over 40 years and grown in the past three years to serve 2,300 children in 10 grade schools, expanded support in preschool classrooms and continued support for more than 300 scholars who then attended Catholic high schools. CISE also expanded its wraparound services to include mental health support, math education and nurses present in every school.
Three pillars resulted from her prayer and CISE’s examination of areas where expansion could make a transformational impact: 1) a neighborhood with concentrated poverty; 2) a neighborhood without a Catholic grade school option; and 3) a neighborhood with an existing (unused) school building owned by the archdiocese or a Catholic parish. The Bond Hill neighborhood emerged as the number one option, and included a closed grade school building owned by Church of the Resurrection.
The new school’s journey began with CISE’s commitment to broaden support for more inner-city students and with the incredible generosity of donors. In July 2019, donors approached CISE seeking a transformational gift. Mabe Rodriguez, CISE’s executive director, met with previous CISE donors, Beth Burchenal Jones and Toone Burchenal,
Messer Construction provided a cost estimate to rehab the school, from which CISE officials developed a proposal for donors: a Jesuit all-boys school. “The donors were extremely excited and supportive as their nephew and grandson had graduated from St. Xavier High School and they are strong believers of Jesuit formation of boys,” Rodriguez said. “My aunt and grandmother are very passionate about Catholic education and know the impact that St. X had on my life,” said Sam Burchenal, a 2012 St. Xavier High School graduate. “My time at St. X really changed my life, solidified my faith and values, and they want other kids to have that same experience. If you’re able to come into children’s lives during their formative years and help them
1 2 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH
Matt Couture, provincial assistant, secondary and presecondary education, noted the Jesuits’ history of serving youth in poverty and their grade school education models around the country, particularly for boys from lowincome communities, saying the new school will “focus care on each student, working with their families in a very comprehensive way and staying with them for the long haul. Working with CISE will give the students the best launch possible into adulthood.”
Deacon Royce Winters, Pastoral Administrator at the Church of the Resurrection; Mabe Rodriguez, CISE Executive Director; and Samuel Burchenal, grandson of the donors
As someone who lives and ministers in Bond Hill, Deacon Royce Winters is especially aware of his community’s need and is grateful for the opportunities this school will provide local youth. “This transformative model of education will truly address the plight of African-American boys living in poverty. To change their lives, and the lives of their families, we must educate them,” said Winters, pastoral administrator at Church of the Resurrection and director of the archdiocesan Office of African American Pastoral Ministries. “This is a school by the community, for the community and its transformative model will help remove and change the barriers that keep people poor.” “Poverty suppresses the ability to dream,” he said. “The new school will allow boys to dream in ways they haven’t before.”
academically and socially, help them embrace Christian values, it can impact their lives in the long run.” Doing their due diligence for the next two years, CISE staff members and advisors visited schools, examined education models, developed scenarios, put financials together and obtained approval from all appropriate entities, including Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, Father Dave Lemkuhl (Church of the Resurrection’s pastor), the CISE board of directors, the Midwest Jesuits’ provincial and the Jesuits’ superior general in Rome. Final approval was received on May 17, 2021. “As in other CISE supported schools, may the new school in Bond Hill help grow the relationship of students, parents, teachers, principal and staff with Christ who offers joy, peace and fullness of life. Know my prayers are with all of you,” said Archbishop Schnurr to supporters of the new CISE school. Jesuit Father Karl Kiser, provincial, said, “The Jesuits are privileged to partner with CISE and the Church of the Resurrection to open the newest Jesuit work in Cincinnati. We have deep roots in Cincinnati and the African-American community, and my brother Jesuits and I couldn’t be more excited to offer a Catholic, Jesuit education to boys from Bond Hill and neighboring communities.” N E W S / N O V E MBE R 2021 | 13
A CLO SE R LO O K
CHRIST THE KING AND THE MYTH OF THE “WALL OF SEPARATION” On Jan. 1, 1802, President Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to representatives of the Danbury, Connecticut Baptist Association, expressing his agreement with them about a certain understanding of religious liberty. Among other things, Jefferson said that he considered the religion clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution had built “a wall of separation between church and State,” thus erecting one of the most famous metaphors in American public life.
Unfortunately, two of the most prominent advocates of this position have been the two Catholic U.S. Presidents.
Jefferson’s letter had no legal status, of course, but this image was incorporated into U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including the famous case, Everson v. Board of Education, in which Justice Hugo Black declared that the “First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state,” which “must be kept high and impregnable.”
It should be readily apparent that such an opinion is expressly discriminatory toward persons of faith. In a democratic society, the source of an opinion should have no bearing on the right of a person to express it. Everyone who expresses an opinion in the public square seeks to “impose” it on others through the democratic process. Let the public agree or disagree with the opinion; but it should not be excluded solely on the basis that it is informed by religious faith, or any other source of moral formation. Yet the “wall of separation” metaphor is often invoked to do just that.
THE WALL OF SEPARATION
Most Americans, probably including most American Catholics, take the metaphor as expressing a true and salutary statement of religion’s proper relationship with public life generally and to issues of church and state particularly. An American politics’ staple is that the law should be “neutral” on questions of religion, and that matters of personal religious faith have no place in the consideration of public policy. This is a mistake. The “wall of separation” metaphor is contrary to Church teaching, injurious to Catholic witness in the public square, and corrosive of religious faith. As a threshold matter, people often invoke the metaphor to assert that policy opinions should be excluded from consideration if those opinions are informed by religious faith. “You are entitled to your private religious opinions,” so the reasoning goes, “but you cannot impose them upon others.” 1 4 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH
“I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute,” declared then-candidate John F. Kennedy in 1960. And in an email to his supporters in 2019, then-candidate Joe Biden said, “I refuse to impose my religious beliefs on other people.”
CONTRARY TO CHURCH TEACHING
More to the point of Catholic witness, however, the idea that religious faith should have no bearing or impact on civic or political life—that they should be separated by a high and impregnable wall—is contrary to the Church’s persistent and consistent teaching over the centuries. In an A.D. 494 letter to Emperor Anastasius, Pope Gelasius explained, “There are two powers, august Emperor, by which this world is chiefly ruled, namely, the sacred authority of the priests and the royal power. Of these that of the priests is the more weighty,” he continued, “since they have to render an account for even the kings of men in the divine judgment.” In
other words, not only is there no legitimate wall between politics and Christian faith, the former ought to conform to the latter. Now, of course, such a theology of politics is not possible to implement in a pluralistic, democratic society such as the United States. But simply because the relationship is not practicable does not mean that we should reject the principle. Indeed, the principle was given a modern expression by Pope Pius XI in 1925, when he instituted the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, celebrated by the universal Church at each liturgical year’s end. Contrary to the mythical wall of separation, Pope Pius declared, “all people, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society.”
Let the public agree or disagree with the opinion, but it should not be excluded solely on the basis that it is informed by religious faith... Like his predecessors and successors, Pope Pius rejected the notion that religious life should be separate from public life, still less that an impregnable wall should be erected between them. As he continued, “If, therefore, the rulers of nations wish to preserve their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their countries, they will not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ.” As noted above, this ideal is not practicable in a pluralistic society, where democratic debate and negotiation are necessary for public comity. But that does not imply that we Catholics should subscribe to a theory of church-state relations that is both at odds with consistent Catholic teaching and injurious to Catholic faith and witness. “When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King,” said Pius XII, “society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony.” If Christ is really the King of our lives, we will tear down the mythical “wall of separation between Church and state,” and express our faith boldly and without apology in the public square, the legislative assembly, the governor’s mansion, and the White House. 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. A CL O S E R L O O K / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 15
Natural Burial A Gentle Return to the Earth BY GAIL FINKE
CALVARY CEMETERY’S ST. KATERI NATURE PRESERVE
Every family’s reason for desiring natural burial is different. “I’ve talked to about 400 families pre-planning burials in the St. Kateri Nature Preserve,” said Scott Wright, Community Outreach Director for Calvary Cemetery in Dayton. “Some are concerned about the environment, some don’t like the chemical process of embalming, some just like the way the area looks and works.” Calvary Cemetery encompasses eight acres of land designed specifically for burials without vaults. Families inter cremated remains in biodegradable urns, natural wood or seagrass caskets – or forego a casket and use a traditional shroud. Named for St. Kateri Tekakwitha and planned with help from Brother Don Geiger, S.M., and the Marianists at Mount St. John Nature Preserve, the newer preserve opened in 2014. Planted with native prairie grasses and wildflowers, it includes a lake and walking paths that provide a natural setting for visitors’ quiet contemplation. “About 20-percent of our burials and presales are in the preserve,” Wright said. Families can choose burial spots near the gravel paths, which may be marked by engraved boulders, or in wide meadow areas bordered by stone “sheepfold walls” where the dead are memorialized together. With graves marked in the Global Information System, a GPS device helps staff take visitors to the 1 6 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH
The St. Kateri Tekakwith Nature Preserve at Calvary Cemetery in Dayton.
correct gravesite. “The biggest question we get is about scattering ashes in our preserve,” Wright said. While Catholic teaching permits cremation, ashes must be kept together and buried or interred in a way that respects the dignity of the human body. “We explain that scattering may sound romantic, but there’s no place to come and grieve. Calvary provides a place to come on birthdays and holidays, a place to be with the person, pray and remember.” He explained that providing a place to pray at the graveside is integral to the cemetery’s mission. Requests for burial in the nature preserve are so high that Calvary already plans an expansion. “This is not a passing fad,” Wright said. “When people say, ‘Mom and Dad are buried in the preserve, will there be space for me?’ we are committed to being able to answer ‘Yes.’ Calvary has been serving the people of the Dayton area for 150 years, and we will continue to be here for them.” NATURAL BURIAL IN CINCINNATI
All Catholic cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati permit traditional embalming as well as new alternatives not based on formaldehyde. While often requested in Dayton, the demand
for natural burials is still small in Greater Cincinnati, but Catholic families there have options. GATE OF HEAVEN CEMETERY
Gate of Heaven, Cincinnati’s diocesan cemetery, accommodates individual requests and plans to add a natural burial area. “Up until about a hundred years ago, pretty much every Catholic burial was a ‘natural burial,’” said Director of Cemeteries Thomas Jordan. However, Gate of Heaven was created in 1941 for vault burials. Rather than convert developed areas, Jordan said, “it’s better to use our undeveloped land and plan it that way, with natural grasses and wildflowers.” While the project is still in the early stages, Jordan says Cincinnati-area families may inquire now.
Families can choose to inter cremated remains in biodegradable urns, use natural wood or seagrass caskets – or forego a casket and use a traditional shroud. CINCINNATI CATHOLIC CEMETERY SOCIETY
Jerry Auer, Director of Family Services at the Cincinnati Catholic Cemetery Society, said the Society’s three small, historic, Catholic cemeteries and one multi-faith cemetery allowed natural burials since its Green Choices program debuted in 2016. Cremated remains can be buried in biodegradable urns, and full-body burials, in which bodies are wrapped in shrouds and placed in bamboo “carriers,” occur in special areas that accommodate the additional maintenance caused by the ground settling. Vaults without bottoms are another alternative for full-body burials. “The person is lowered into the grave and touches the dirt directly,” Auer explains. “[The body] will return to the earth more quickly, but the top of the vault means no dirt is placed directly on top of it.” This allows families to choose any site. “More and more folks feel that God has made us from the Earth, and they want a relationship with the full creation God has made. Others don’t want to put anything back into the earth. They don’t want embalming chemicals and caskets as part of their footprint,” Auer said. “We look at our work from a missionary standpoint, and we’re listening to what people are asking for and providing it.”
At Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, our mission includes the fulfillment of sacred burial traditions and the care of the resting places of the deceased faithful. We dedicate these Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy to the people of God and His church, in life and in death, as servants of Christ.
Are you prepared? Let us help.
gateofheaven.org 513.489.0300 N E W S / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 17
Black Catholic History Month
National Catholic Interracial Federation A 1924 Movement Led to Interracial Dialogue and the Black Catholic Congress BY SARAH ATER
Early 20th Century America saw a modern, concerted effort to promote the Black community’s rights, needs and dignity. However, movements were difficult to sustain. In Cincinnati during the 1880-1890s, Daniel Rudd published the shortlived, groundbreaking newspaper American Catholic Tribune to evangelize the Black community, and founded the Black Catholic Congress, which met annually for its first years of activity, then became inactive for several decades. In Maryland during 1924, Dr. Thomas W. Turner, son of former slaves and an accomplished educator, botanist and activist, founded and led as its first president the Federated Colored Catholics, a Black-only organization designed to unite the roughly 250,000 Black Catholics in America. The Federation’s constitution outlined its goals to advance the spiritual and temporal needs of Black Americans; education, housing, status in the Church, and work opportunities were critical. They decried the lack of Black priests and pressed for their admittance in seminaries. Local chapters formed to advocate the Federation’s causes with their local bishops and parishes. 1 8 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH
They held annual meetings at different locations, and met twice in Cincinnati. The first, in 1928, was a one-day conference on “The Negro in Industry” and included Archbishop John McNicholas, O.P. and Dr. Turner as speakers. Professor Victor Daniel, principal of the Cardinal Gibbons Institute, a Catholic High School for Black students, spoke pointedly about the racism problem and Black workers being denied positions and proper training. These restrictions stressed an idea that Black men were inferior, an attitude difficult to reconcile with Christian teachings of the “Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man,” a phrase used regularly by Daniel Rudd. Dr. Turner commented on the need to form a Catholic Interracial Committee for making progress together and giving greater glory to God. His interracial committee idea grew beyond Dr. Turner’s vision, and it was soon proposed that the Federation itself become interracial. At its September 1932 meeting, the name changed to the “National Catholic Federation for Promotion of Better Race Relations,” then an
“illegal” meeting held in December voted Dr. Turner out. This movement was led by two white Jesuit priests, John LaFarge Jr. and William Markoe, who wanted the Federation to be unitive of the races rather than form separate groups. Cincinnati Black attorney George W.B. Conrad was elected president. By their 1936 meeting in Cincinnati, the group’s name changed again to the “National Catholic Interracial Federation.” Archbishop McNicholas spoke at length during this meeting regarding the Black community’s housing situation. “We have in Cincinnati a so-called slum-clearing project. The interests of the Negro were disregarded. Many Negroes have had to withdraw from the area that has been cleared in order to make way for the new buildings. They are going to suffer the most, because rents in the new developments will be too
high for them.” He also spoke to the need for Black churches, schools and priests to serve the people. Resolutions adopted include praying for Blessed Martin de Porres’ canonization, decrying injustices against Black people, especially lynching, urging the greater need of Catholic Church facilities to provide education among the Black apostolate, and deploring the trouble in Spain, including a declaration against communism and fascism. Moves were also made for the Federation’s cooperation with committees at the National Catholic Welfare Conference and Councils of Men and Women. Annual meetings continued until the early 1950s, when the organization disbanded. However, the Federation’s goals remained in the hearts of many and led to the Black Catholic Congress’ resurgence in 1987.
Resolutions adopted included praying for Blessed Martin de Porres’ canonization, decrying injustices against Black people, especially lynching, urging the greater need of Catholic Church facilities to provide education among the Black apostolate... B L A CK CA T H O L IC H IS T O R Y M O N T H / N O V E MBE R 2021 | 19
St. Josephine Bakhita
At the age of 7, St. Josephine Bakhita was kidnapped from her home in Sudan by slave traders. Everything happened so quickly and was so shocking that she couldn’t remember who her parents were or her name. She was nicknamed “Bakhita,” meaning “fortunate.” Her slave owners were very cruel. They beat her and did not let her wounds heal. On quiet nights, Bakhita stared up into the dark sky and twinkling stars and thought that there was something bigger than her out there. This thought calmed her and gave her hope. Bakhita didn’t know God until she was bought in Italy by new owners who practiced faith. After getting to know God, she felt drawn to the Catholic Church and was baptized and confirmed, taking the name Josephine. Her slave owners were moving to Africa and wanted her to come with them, but she refused to go. The Canossian Sisters helped Josephine win her court case against them. The judge concluded that since Josephine lived in Italy when slavery was made illegal, Josephine had actually been free since 1885. Josephine was so grateful to the Canossians Sisters that she fell in love with the order and became a Canossian Sister herself. St. Josephine Bakhita teaches us humility and the power of forgiveness. She did not hold grudges and always had a forgiving heart - even against her slave owners. Pray through the intercession of St. Josephine Bakhita for a humble and forgiving heart.
“Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!” - St. Josephine Bakhita FEAST D AY FEB 8 2 0 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH
bakhita court case forgiveness humility
fortunate hope
josephine kidnapped sisters slave
Student Reflections on
Black Catholic History Month Imani Todd DePaul Cristo Rey High School Class of 2023
Black Catholic History Month is important because it is a time to celebrate and learn about how God has reached so many people in the African-American community and how those people were changed by Him. One way we can learn about this ourselves is by looking back at slavery times. During slavery, Blacks were treated not as equal, individual people, but as property to white people. It was even believed that a slave counted as 3/4 of a person. Families, friends and lovers of [Black people] were separated because they were either sold or killed in different parts of the United States. Slavery was an extremely dark time for AfricanAmericans, and it seemed almost impossible to escape from that. However, God proves through slaves that nothing is impossible with Him. Take Harriet Tubman for example. Harriet was a godly Black woman because she prayed to God, believed in Him, and trusted Him through slavery times. Because she was on fire for the Lord, she became fearless when she helped more than 300 Black people escape slavery during her 19 trips through the Underground Railroad. She is often compared to Moses because of this. Like Harriet, Moses was also a godly person who helped free his own people from slavery. From this, we can learn that Black Catholic History Month is important because we celebrate that God can help us through our hard times and allow us to do the impossible only if we believe in Him.
Kiera Wright Chaminade Julienne High School Class of 2023
Black Catholic History is important to me because it gives me the opportunity to relate the suffering I feel to the suffering I read about people who look like me. Knowing that there are people in the Bible who know what it is like to experience the kind of misfortune that I try to avoid in life is a comfort to me and others like myself. Celebrating Black history in Catholicism is important because it allows for other Black people to feel more connected to Catholicism, and not like something that is not a part of their own culture.
Read more reflections online at thecatholictelegraph.com & on our Facebook & Instagram accounts: @thecatholictelegraph
B L A CK CA T H O L IC H IS T O R Y M O N T H / NOV. 2021 | 21
Unless You Become Like Little Children Father Kennealy Publishes New Book on Cincinnati Legend Father Francis Finn BY EILEEN CONNELLY, OSU
Just in time for his 90th birthday in September, Jesuit Father Thomas Kennealy, SJ had another reason to celebrate: the publication of his new book about a fellow Jesuit who he describes as “one of the greatest inspirations of my life.”
James Green, book editor, with Father Kennealy, SJ, author.
Unless You Become Like Little Children focuses on the life and legacy of Father Francis Finn, a much-beloved figure at Xavier University and well-known author of a popular faith-based novel series for young people. A St. Louis native, Father Finn entered the Society of Jesus in 1879. Ordained to the priesthood in 1891, he spent time at Marquette University before serving at Cincinnati’s then-St. Xavier College. As St. Xavier Church’s associate pastor, he helped local immigrant families, and in 1904, he was appointed the first director of the St. Xavier Commercial School for girls, which offered a two-year course of study in office skills, including bookkeeping and stenography. “He was a real innovator and became known as a social apostle,” Father Kennealy said. “He became very involved in helping the poor and the needy, and, in time, became one of the most loved preachers in Cincinnati.”
“You went away from [Father Finn’s] books thinking ‘this is the kind of person I’d like to be.’ I think my vocation, to some extent, came from his writings.”
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An avid reader since childhood, Father Finn believed strongly in literature’s influence on young people, writing stories with relatable characters, plenty of adventure, and emphasizing the importance of prayer and keeping true to one’s values. Father Kennealy recalls being particularly inspired by those stories during his high school years. “Father Finn’s approach was remarkable and very subtle,” Father Kennealy said. “He wrote exceedingly interesting stories that appealed to the adolescent mind, but also contained an underlying spiritual message that you weren’t even aware of. All of his characters had a very deep faith. They modeled purity, loved the Church, and, of course, loved Christ. You went away from his books thinking ‘this is the kind of person I’d like to be.’ I think my vocation, to some extent, came from his writings. Other Jesuits have told me the same thing.” When he retired two years ago, Father Kennealy began working on Unless You Become Like Little Children. As Xavier’s former historian, he found a wealth
of information about Father Finn in the university’s archives, including his memoirs, letters, original manuscripts and reviews of his novels.
supporting Xavier’s institutional identity. It was a joy to work with Father Kennealy and to assist him in publishing this book on the life of Francis Finn.”
“I thought I could compile this into a biographical sketch, then it turned into a book,” Father Kennealy said. “The title of the book fits in very well with the work Father Finn did and the talent he brought to preaching. He appreciated the innocence and idealism of children. And, it’s what Jesus meant: that we should emulate the faith, hope and trust of children.”
The university library marked the book launch and Father Kennealy’s 90th birthday on Sept. 22 in the McDonald Library. Looking back on his life and ministry, he said, “I’ve had many good friends and colleagues, and have been fortunate to live a long life filled with many, many blessings from God.”
Father Kennealy was gratified when the Xavier University Library expressed interest in publishing his work. They used the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library’s Espresso Book Machine to print on demand. “This a unique opportunity for the Xavier University Library to take an unconventional step into the traditional role of publisher,” said Ken Gibson, university library director. “Several staff contributed to the success of the project, including one of our librarians, who provided significant editing and who worked with the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library to print the book. We also saw this as a chance to help bring forward a piece of local history in a way that highlights the value of the library’s university archives in
L IV IN G O U T Y O U R V O CA T IO N / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 23
CALLED TO MUSIC Greg Pierson Uses Musical Gifts to Glorify God’s Love BY KARY ELLEN BERGER
Music is a language like no other. Whether you speak English, Spanish, or another of the thousands of languages, music is a language that can speak to everyone. As Greg Pierson, a parishioner and Minister of Music at Mother of Christ Church in Winton Hills said, “It’s the language that God has made available to use to express our relationship with Him and also to invite other people to a relationship with Him.” For Pierson, music was instilled at a young age. “My journey began in my teen years,” he said. “Around age 15 or 16, I was taught a few guitar chords. From there I somehow became embedded into music.” “At that time I was very introverted and spent a lot of time alone but music became something that was a form of expression for me and a language I could use that helped me through,” Pierson said. “I embraced it and never let go of it.” He continues living out his gift of music not only at Mother of Christ Church, but also through The PiersonYoung Project.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PIERSON-YOUNG PROJECT: PIERSON-YOUNGPROJECT.COM
“In 2015, one of the musicians I played with (Stephan Young) was interested in making a CD because he had some music and he knew I had some music,” Pierson said. “We worked with Bobby Fisher and came up with the name The Pierson-Young Project because at that point we didn’t know what was going to happen. But it has turned into a ministry. We didn’t really count on that, it happened organically.”
“There are few things that are more powerful than music.” 24 |
Pierson and Young continue working together, sharing their music and God’s love. They produced another CD, offer clothing merchandise, and perform when they can, including in Share the Journey — a Concert for Compassion this past September. Pierson said that while they mostly perform locally, their music has been heard around the world. In addition to music, he said that he wouldn’t be where he is today without his family - Gwen, his wife of 37 years, Kara, his daughter, and Max, his son. Pierson and Gwen have been members of Mother of Christ Church for 42 years, joining after they were married. Both children were baptized there. He wasn’t born into Catholicism, though. Becoming Catholic is something Pierson doesn’t take for granted. “The connection between Catholicisim and your personal relationship with God was a big difference [between Catholicism and other religions],” he said. “Even to this day that’s still a major thing for me. I look at the church in terms of what my relationship is with God. I was blessed to be able to choose it because I saw what the church really was.” Along with his music stewardship, Pierson is involved with Mother of Christ Church in various ways, including recently completing a third term on the parish council. And don’t expect him to slow down anytime soon. Even though he retired from the workforce, Pierson continues to innovate ways for bringing music to the world. “There are few things that are more powerful than music.”
L IV IN G O U T Y O U R V O CA T IO N / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 25
A Lifetime of Service Sister Laura Will, C.PP.S. Celebrates 75 Years as a Religious Sister BY MATT HESS
This year Sister Laura Will, C.PP.S. celebrates 75 years with the Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton) along with her classmates, Sisters Ruth Ann Meyer and Eva Roehrich, C.PP.S. Together, they mark 225 years of religious life, of which Sister Will says more than 125 years were spent in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, working in kitchens, teaching students and caring for the elderly. In reflecting on her 75 years, Sister Will said, “I never regretted them and I really thank God for my vocation.” Throughout her life as a sister, she sought to be a life-giving presence to the students, elderly and ill she encountered. In return, these people and experiences were lifeI wanted giving to her.
After 44 years of ministering in schools as a teacher and principal, she felt called to care for the elderly and ill, which enabled her to give back to her religious community. These were the sisters at Emma Hall, the Sisters of the Precious Blood nursing wing in Maria Joseph Center. Music played an essential role throughout Sister Will’s ministry. She said that, for her, “music is a special presence of God in my life.” Many teaching assignments were in a music classroom and, even as principal, Sister Will enjoyed substitute teaching. She later returned to teaching, spending more than a decade teaching music at Immaculate Conception School in Celina. Her memories of singing to be able with her students are joy-filled ones.
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to help people...
Today, in retirement, music remains part Sister Will’s vocation began in grade of Sister Will’s ministry. While residing at school when she observed her teachers and I really wanted to Salem Heights, the sisters’ central house in visited two aunts in the Precious Blood be a sister. Dayton, she ministers to her community Community. She could see herself in as a choir member and helps plan their either of these professions as an adult and liturgical singing music. She also spends time in prayer and was pleased when her teacher informed her that she could be contemplation, lifting up the world’s needs to God. Helping both a sister and teacher. This satisfied the calling Christ put people through her prayer while assisting the sisters enables in her heart, “I wanted to be able to help people… I really Sister Will to continue doing good during, what she calls, wanted to be a sister,” said Sister Will. this “special time of grace.” After entering the Sisters of the Precious Blood at age 16 It is easy to see that each place and ministry of her vocation in 1946, Sister Will began her spiritual formation and was a gift from God; a grace He gave to her and to the education, eventually attaining her goal as a sister educator. Church. Sister Will’s 75 years of service celebrates Christ’s Starting with younger grades, she moved up the ranks and redeeming love poured out for His people. lived in six different states as her experience grew. 2 6 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH
RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS
Proceeds from the Annual Retirement Fund for Religious appeal enable the National Religious Retirement Office to distribute financial assistance to hundreds of religious communities each year. They underwrite educational opportunities that are designed to enhance eldercare and promote comprehensive retirement planning as
Give to Those Who Have Given A Lifetime
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has 50 religious congregations with more than 725 men and women. Most are past the age of retirement and continue to serve in the local community.
well as provide consultation that offers expertise and practical assistance to religious communities.
Options to Donate Donate Dec. 11 & 12 at your parish, or drop off your donation at your parish. Donate by mail using the attached envelope. Participate in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s #GivingTuesday and select “Retirement Fund for Religious” as the beneficiary. L IV IN G O U T Y O U R V O CA T IO N / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 27
BROTHERS CONVERTS PRIESTS Siblings Father Edward and Father Henry Share Paths of Conversion and Vocations to the Priesthood BY KARY ELLEN BERGER
For many, practicing the Catholic faith is a given. Their families were Catholic, they were baptized Catholics and they continued living out their faith as they grew up and established their own families. Others, however, choose to become Catholic and embrace what it means to be a member of this religion. Fathers Edward and Henry Hoffmann not only chose Catholicism as their religion, they also chose to take up the Word of God daily by becoming priests. Father Henry first moved towards conversion while at college in Michigan. “I was received into the Catholic Church at the parish near my college, St. Anthony’s in Hillsdale, Michigan, in the Easter Vigil of 2013,” Father Henry said. “I studied history at Hillsdale College, and, as St. John Henry Newman would put it, ‘To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.’ I don’t think that one can honestly and sincerely study the history of Christianity and not be led to the truth of the Catholic faith. But it was the incarnational and sacramental beauty of the Church that most attracted me. I wanted to be Catholic long before my intellect accepted its doctrinal truth, because of the Church’s beauty and the wonderful tradition that she embodies.” Father Edward followed in his brother’s footsteps shortly after Father Henry’s journey to Catholicism began. “Father Henry’s conversion was a big influence
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on me,” Father Edward said. “In addition, providence put a few authors in my life that brought me to the Church: First, C.S. Lewis, who moved me much closer to the faith, and Ignatius of Antioch, who brought me in the door. Ignatius, a martyr from the early Church, wrote letters to various churches in which a careful reader can discern all the essential elements of Catholic doctrine and discipline present in the late first century — an incredible witness to the apostolic origin of the Catholic faith.” He continued, “When I became convinced that the Catholic Church was the Church that our Lord founded, I was left with nothing but to convert. Lastly, learning about the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima was another big influence on my decision to convert — the Mother of God told us to pray the Rosary and be Catholic — why not do it?” The brothers followed different paths to the priesthood, but both wanted to serve the Church. “As a Protestant, I thought if I ever became Catholic, I would want to be a priest, and then, I did become Catholic, so I started thinking about a vocation right away,” Father Henry said. “Initially, I was attracted to religious life, but after visiting several religious communities, I felt a call to serve as a diocesan priest and entered the seminary for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. “After two years of Pre-Theology studies, I left the
“That was a powerful moment, only surpassed when I was able to lay my hands on him at his ordination, and know that we shared as brothers in the most precious gift that God can give to men.”
Father Henry Hoffmann, C.O. blesses his brother, Father Edward Hoffmann, at his ordination to the priesthood.
L IV IN G O U T Y O U R V O CA T IO N / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 29
“I was in Army ROTC when I discerned my vocation to archdiocese and joined the Cincinnati Oratory of St. Philip the priesthood, and already had a commitment to serve Neri in downtown Cincinnati. I joined the Oratory because in the Army,” said Father Edward. “God had narrowed of a desire to lead a more meditative life, and because of my down my options to those that would permit me to be a attraction to the Latin liturgy. The Oratory combines a lot military chaplain in a few years. That led me to discern the of elements of both religious and diocesan life. Essentially, diocesan priesthood, in which I’m Oratorian priests are like diocesan now honored to serve. After three priests who live together and years of service in the Archdiocese pray together, and are united by of Cincinnati, I’ll serve at least the sacred bond of charity in one When I became five years as an active-duty Army communal life, under the provost convinced that the chaplain.” of the house.” Having a desire to spread God’s goodness via the Army, Father Edward noted that seeing Father Henry’s journey helped lead him to become a priest for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Catholic Church was the Church that our Lord founded, I was left with nothing but to convert.
“My closest friends in college were discerning a vocation to the priesthood as well,” Father Edward said. “I was at a Traditional Latin Mass at Sacred Heart Church [with Father Henry] when it finally hit me that God was calling me to be a priest.”
Each brother participated when the other received the sacrament of Holy Orders, making their commitment to the Church even more special.
“Father Edward was the deacon for my ordination, so it was he who called my name to summon me to the altar,” Father Henry said. “That was a powerful moment, only surpassed when I was able to lay my hands on him at his ordination, and know that we shared as brothers in the most precious gift that God can give to men.”
Franciscan Poor Clare Nuns Cincinnati, Ohio
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Our Mission: To pray for the needs of the Church, the World and all people. Mission: Women ages 22-50: Do Our you feel called to the contemplative life? To pray for the needs of the Church, the World and all people.
Sr. Vickie • 513-825-7177 • VocationDirectorOSC@gmail.com Our dailyLearn life includes of the Eucharist, personal and Morecelebration at: PoorClaresCincinnati.org communal prayer, community work, study, recreation and rest.
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| 31
Meet the Moms Linda Moore and Julie VanHoose are Mothers to Priests and Serra Club Members BY JESSICA RINAUDO
“I always encouraged my kids to be who they were created to be… share what they are and what they have with God. Everyone has their own gifts, so whatever that is should be used to bring glory to God’s name and bring people to the Church.” These words were shared by Julie VanHoose, mother to Father Chad VanHoose, of the Diocese of St. Paul, and two married daughters. VanHoose and Linda Moore, mother to Father Ethan Moore, of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, always centered their lives around Catholic faith and prayer, using them to encourage their children along the paths God wants for them. Both Moore and VanHoose prayed the rosary with their families and always attended Mass on Sundays, even while on vacation. Even though Moore said she raised her family in the faith, she was surprised to learn that her son, Ethan, might have a vocation to the priesthood. “Father Earl Fernandes was his high school teacher at Lehman Catholic High School. We sat down for an endof-the-year parent meeting and he said, ‘Well if anyone in the entire school has a vocation to the priesthood, it would be Ethan.’ And of course, I almost fell off my chair,” Moore laughed. 3 2 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH
She said Ethan went on to college for nursing, but despite earning top grades throughout high school and college, he struggled to pass the second-year technical examination. “I think God blocked him. Of course, the teachers said that never happens, so they gave him three tries. He couldn’t pass. He was pretty devastated,” said Moore. “The last two years of his college, he took philosophy and theology and got degrees in both of those... After that, he graduated and had a girlfriend, a fiancé, and was in the real world for a while.” But, she said, a trip to Medjugorje while spending a semester abroad confirmed Father Ethan’s vocation. Through proud tears, Moore said, “One of the seers there said, ‘I feel within this little group… one of them is going to be a priest.’ Then he got a pain in his heart and said, ‘It’s me.’” VanHoose said that when Father Chad was a child everyone thought he would become a priest, yet she saw his special love for seniors and thought he might be called to work in geriatrics. Before leaving for college, Father Chad told his mother, “Mom, if I was called to be a priest, the Lord would put obstacles in my way and I wouldn’t be going to college.” But hosting NET ministers for 25 years in their home made an impact on Father Chad. “After college he went to St. Paul and was a NET missionary for one year, and then on staff [at NET] for six,” said VanHoose.
Originally Father Chad told his parents he felt called to marriage, then he came home one Thanksgiving and said, “Mom and Dad, I’ve got something to tell you. I’m going to enter the seminary in the fall.” “The number one reason that he is a priest, I feel it in my heart, is that we had that joyful, loving pastor,” said VanHoose. “We had a holy Lebanese priest who was a beautiful witness of what a pastor is. Chad loved him and still has a picture of them on his First Communion day at his work.” Even before their sons became priests, both Moore and VanHoose prayed often for vocations and were involved with vocation-related ministries. That ultimately led them to join the Serra Club, an international organization recognized by the Holy See as the global lay apostolate for vocations in the Catholic Church.
“
The number one reason that he is a priest, I feel it in my heart, is that we had that joyful, loving pastor. “We are lay men and women who are praying, nurturing, supporting vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life. But not just that, holy families, too,” said VanHoose. Active across the archdiocese, including in Sidney where Moore resides and in Cincinnati where VanHoose lives, the Serra Club gathers year-round to not only pray for vocations, but also spread awareness and educate youth about being who God is calling them to be. They host banquets following priestly ordinations and provide a large dinner for priests before the annual Chrism Mass so that all priests can visit with one another.
Will we pass on our faith? The Church and our archdiocese needs your help to secure our future seminarians, postulants, priests and religious.
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In the northern deaneries, the Serra Club sponsors Stations of the Cross for Vocations at Maria Stein and provides scholarships for those who otherwise might be unable to afford the time of discernment as seminarians and men and women pursuing religious vocations. “I feel like it’s a calling. I’m participating with the Lord to pray for these young men and women listening where God is calling them. Also being able to affirm and love our priests,” said VanHoose. The Serra Club is always looking for new members. Learn more: In St. Marys and Sidney Deaneries: Linda Moore at (937) 538-1416. In Cincinnati deaneries: Julie VanHoose at julievanhoose57@gmail.com.
vocation@cpps-preciousblood.org vocations@preciousbloodkc.org @ CPPSVocations L IV IN G O U T Y O U R V O CA T IO N / N O V E MBE R 2021 | 33
BOOK REVIEW
Eucharist by Bishop Robert Barron REVIEW BY JENNIFER SCHACK
I don’t know about you, but there came a point in my adult life when suddenly the Eucharist seemed perplexing and oddly foreign. I needed more ownership of something I had begun taking for granted. I needed a better understanding of why Jesus instituted the Eucharist. Thankfully, I started listening to then-Father Robert Barron’s sermons regularly. I quickly gained an appreciation of his preaching on the Real Presence in the Eucharist. I often reflect on Bishop Barron’s frequently stated insight: the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist results in a real change in us who receive Him. So, I was delighted to dive into his book, Eucharist, published by Word on Fire Institute.
“
This new book by Bishop Barron is the book that has helped me to fill in more gaps in my understanding of the biblical truth of the “messianic banquet.”
I opened the book to both hear his formative thoughts and discover who aided him in understanding the Eucharist. His primary source is obvious, so it is no surprise that the book is grounded in Scripture. It focuses on three aspects of the Eucharist:
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sacred meal, sacrifice and Real Presence. Bishop Barron roots each aspect in biblical teaching and explores them in his familiar style: using story, referencing the Bible and citing saints and theologians. Although I greatly respect books about the Eucharist that focus on meditations, reflections and prayer, Bishop Barron’s new book filled gaps that helped me understand the biblical truth of the “Messianic Banquet,” as he calls it. A great communicator, skilled in both writing and preaching, Bishop Barron distills biblical teachings and truths, making them relevant to our times, and brings a depth of understanding and heart to his work. This again holds true in his book, Eucharist.
Eucharist by Bishop Robert Barron is published by Word on Fire Institute. It is available for purchase at bookstore.wordonfire.org, $19.95.
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SE IZ E T HE MO ME NT
DISCERNING GOD’S WILL “What do you want me to do, Lord?” We all know someone wrestling with this question. It could be a child, spouse, coworker, or friend. If they see us as holy or knowledgeable and we are close or in authority over them, they may ask us, “What do you think I should do?” We want to be able to seize that moment. This can be a difficult question to answer, and there are many different ways to do it, but I recommend these three steps. 1. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
To answer the big question of what is God’s Will, we first have to answer a series of smaller questions. Try praying with the following: • Will this help me pursue holiness? • Does it give God glory? • Will this help me fulfill the duties of my state in life? • What does my state in life allow? • Does it make sense based on my skills and talents? • What are the pros and cons of each option? • What does my conscience tell me about the morality of each option? These questions help filter out life’s noise and dig down to the heart of what God wants for us. 2. BEGIN LIVING DIFFERENTLY
After a couple is married several years, they don’t need to ask each other what they desire in a given situation. They just know. They’ve shared their lives enough to intuit the other’s will. We can have that same intuitive relationship with God, once we begin living differently. Just improving our prayer lives, receiving the sacraments regularly, and looking for the fruits of the Spirit fosters a relationship with God that makes it easier to discern His Will. A few minutes a day: Prayer is key. It’s how we get to know 3 6 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH
God and grow to love Him better. The more we know and love God, the better we discern His Will. Even a few minutes a day can make all the difference. Choose a time, a place, and a method of praying and you are well on your way. Grace for the keeping: Sin darkens the intellect and weakens the will – diminishing God’s two gifts for discerning His Will. The remedy is grace, which we receive through the Mass and the Sacraments. Try going to Confession at least once a month – it’s easy if you schedule it! Also, look for a nearby parish offering a Mass you can attend during your lunch break. Flesh and fruit: In Galatians 5:19-23, Paul lists the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit (look them up!). If we make decisions drawing from the works of the flesh, we will almost always choose wrongly. But, if we make decisions based on the fruits of the Spirit, or if we see these fruits born by the Spirit in ourselves or others after we make a decision, we can be sure we have chosen rightly. 3. FOLLOW YOUR HEART
It’s true, our hearts are not infallible. As Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). The heart may not be the only guide we use to discern God’s Will, but it can be one of them. After all, God created the “heart,” the inner-life where the soul, will, and desires are located. He planted desires there to draw us to Him. If our hearts leap at the thought of an action, there’s something to that. So, it’s worth hearing what the heart has to say – and if we love God and are filled with His love, then our hearts will be worth following. As Augustine said, “Love God, and then do what you will.” That’s probably the best advice anyone could give. NICHOLAS HARDESTY
is the associate director of Adult Evangelization and RCIA for the Center for the New Evangelization, an archdiocesan initiative that empowers parishes and schools to equip the laity for missionary discipleship. nhardesty@catholicaoc.org.
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Aaron and Megan Marshall with their six children.
Letting Faith Lead the Way Aaron Marshall Embraces Vocation as Father and La Salle Principal BY BONNY VAN
Running a high school of 565 students is no small feat, especially when every student is a boy finding his way through his teen years. But that challenge was exactly what Aaron Marshall, principal at La Salle High School in Cincinnati, was looking for when discerning how to merge his profession and faith. A life-long public school educator as both a teacher and administrator, Marshall reached the pinnacle of his career, principal at a topnotch school with ample support and resources, when he began considering his future. “I was there for 10 years and towards the end of my time there, I had a lot of conversations with people, my wife included, ‘What’s next? What’s next?’ And the common
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denominator in all those conversations was, ‘How do I take my personal mission, my faith, and grow it closer to my professional mission? What does that look like?’” Marshall said. Growing up in northeast Ohio, Marshall’s parents were both teachers, his mother at a Catholic grade school. He attended 7 a.m. Mass every Sunday with his brother and parents despite living 20 minutes from the church. With six children of their own, three adopted, Marshall and his wife, Megan, are building their own family traditions, and Catholic education plays a significant role. Their family includes Joe, a University of Dayton
“When you’re in public school, you have your home life, which you build around going to Sunday Masses and family traditions around your faith, but in a way you have to dial that back when you’re in a public school,” said Marshall. “And so [at La Salle], it’s much more seamless. It’s part of “My faith has always been important to me personally. At the daily work we do professionally here with our staff and the schools I’ve served in before coming to La Salle, people our students. So whether you’re here at work or at home knew my faith was important to me and or some event associated with La Salle, it’s very seamless. You can talk openly it would come up in different situations about God and openly about your faith and scenarios and settings, but in public “How do I take my and not have to worry about someone schools you can only take it so far,” said personal Mission, my judging or critiquing or whatever the Marshall. faith, and grow it closer case may be in public education. Also, it’s something that centers everything. A chance call from a former colleague at to my professional the end of one school year led him to La So if I’m at a meeting here at school or mission?” I’m at a function at home or anything Salle, he said. in between, there’s a commonality that we all share - we’re here because of Jesus “It wasn’t even on my radar to look for Christ. And so, I think the ‘living out your vocation’ is done another job because I just loved where I was, and I said, ‘I gotta check this out.’ And I came over to La Salle and one on a regular daily basis. thing led to another and I felt it was a great opportunity “My belief is ‘How do you help your fellow neighbor?’ I for me personally and professionally, and certainly a great believe we’re all called to make life better for others... And opportunity for my family, and we made the switch and I I look at it, my neighbors are the people I work with, the came here,” said Marshall. people at home, the people I live in community with. And so, living out that vocation is doing things for and with “We looked at [the job opportunity] through multiple lenses, people, my neighbors, that are directly [who we see] through not just a financial one, but the idea of having our boys come the eyes of the Lord,” he said. to this school, how cool was that going to be!” he said. freshman; Anna, a senior at Mount Notre Dame High School; Luis, a La Salle freshman; Victor, an eighth-grader at St. Mary School; Michael, a third-grader at Cardinal Pacelli School; and, Mary, age five.
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L IV IN G O U T Y O U R V O CA T IO N / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 39
SH INE O N
FIVE LIES AND A QUESTION ABOUT VOCATIONS Your vocation is the single most important aspect of your life. Living out your vocation will lead to happiness. Failing to live out your vocation will lead to dismay. All of that is true, but doesn’t it also sound a little terrifying? Whether you are trying to discern your vocation, or already know what it is and feel (sometimes) like a failure, your vocation shouldn’t terrify you. This month we’re going to shine a light on how we think about vocation and debunk five lies we tell ourselves. LIE 1: VOCATION IS AN OBLIGATION
Taking out the trash is an obligation. The work meeting that makes you late for dinner with your family is an obligation. Vocation is a privilege. You are called to something. You were made for a purpose. Your vocation is a manifestation of that purpose. And that’s nothing to be terrified of – that’s something to celebrate. LIE 2: YOU CAN PICK THE WRONG VOCATION
God is not a game show host asking which door you think will lead to happiness: Choose wisely and your life of joy awaits! Choose poorly and a bucket of slime falls on your head. Discernment is choosing between two good things. When you’re choosing between something good and something evil, you don’t need discernment, although you might need courage, grace or fortitude. Discernment is about asking the right question, working whole-heartedly to figure it out, praying about it and moving forward with God. LIE 3: YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT YOUR VOCATION QUICKLY
If you’re a devout Catholic young adult, being single can be terrifying. It’s like, “Hey lady! What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you a nun or a mom yet?” or “Hey fella! What’s your deal? How come you aren’t a priest or a dad yet?” 4 0 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH
God’s time is not our time. God never rushes. You don’t have to rush. Take your time. God is working. LIE 4: YOUR VOCATION IS GOING TO MEAN SACRIFICE
This statement is only true insofar as ALL of life requires sacrifice. This is the way life works: You want something. You want something else. You can’t have both. You have to make choices. Life requires sacrifice. But living out your vocation delivers joy. Dorothy Day said, “You will know your vocation by the joy that it brings you.” Sometimes life is scary or miserable or hurtful. But vocations aren’t. LIE 5: AMBITION AND VOCATION ARE OPPOSITES
St. Terese of Lisieux said, “God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realized; so in spite of my littleness, I can hope to be a saint.” Living any vocation means service, but in service there is greatness. The desire to be a mother, father, priest, religious sister, single person or deacon is not in conflict with the desire to be great. So go ahead and desire to do something great with your life and know that your vocation will lead you to greatness, not away from it. Okay, so what is the one question that really matters when it comes to vocation? “God, what do you want me to do?” That’s it. That’s the question. The very nature of vocation rests on the belief that God made you for a purpose and has a plan for your life. In each moment we can ask this one simple question and be spurred towards sainthood. No matter the circumstances, the timing, your state in life… ask this question with sincerity and respond to it with prayer and trust that God is with you. DOMINICK ALBANO
is the director of digital engagement for The Catholic Telegraph, as well as an author and national speaker. He and his wife have been married for 14 years and have four sons.
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CATH O LIC A T HO ME
YOUR SPOUSE AS A CROSS? My husband and I shuffled our kids into the pew Sunday morning and listened to a gospel we had heard dozens of times before: Then Jesus told His disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt. 16:24-25) Such familiar words struck a new chord within me. Father’s homily spoke to embracing struggle and pain, noting that doing so is often life-giving and enables us to live more fully. He joked that husbands and wives were probably sitting next to their crosses, which of course yielded a collective chuckle and a few nudges among the congregation. All joking aside, my thoughts settled on the concept. Christ’s own cross – bearing it, being nailed to it and dying on it – was His means of salvation; and the whole point of marriage, according to The Baltimore Catechism, is “to enable the husband and wife to aid each other in securing the salvation of their souls.” Following this logic, taking up our crosses is a matter of fully participating in our marriages. The sacrament itself secures us to each other like the Lord to His cross. Jesus parted with the cross after dying, just as spouses are joined “until death [do] they part.”
fatigue, Danielle’s abilities gradually declined for parenting, helping with household tasks, and working professionally; and it was hard for both husband and wife. He frequently turned to a good friend for emotional support, but eventually his understandable laments turned into resentful complaining. “Patrick,” his friend sighed, “this is the sickness.” Once reminded of his vows, Patrick recognized that, in his resentment, he wasn’t accepting or taking up his cross. Of course, every one of us can be difficult to love because we each bring challenges to our marriage. Be it illness, trauma, quirks or bad habits – and barring any harmful or abusive circumstances – taking up our crosses involves accepting the good and the bad with arms wide open. Because we vowed to do so and so did our spouses, we’re free to ask for the same and should expect it. The domestic life is fraught with imperfections - character flaws, sickness, challenging seasons - and the mark of accepting the crosses within our vocations is that we take them in stride rather than running the other way. It’s paramount to our own holiness that we become cognizant of thoughts and behaviors that dishonor our spouses so we can replace them with those that honor them.
Simple enough, right? Just accept and embrace the ups and downs! But the ideal starting point to discern whether we’re fully engaged in marriage is our wedding vows. They make the perfect marital examination of conscience.
And the result? More love. Respecting, serving and delighting in our spouses as Christ did all people in the gospels opens our eyes to better see them as the Lord does, which empowers us to become conduits of His love for them.
All those years ago, many of us stood before our spouses, God and our families and declared, “I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” When considering my own behavior as a wife, these powerful words draw attention to the significance of my thoughts and behaviors toward my husband.
Place your spouse’s name within Christ’s command: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take ________ and follow me…” In this moment, recommit yourself knowing that in handing over yourself for the sake of your beloved, Heaven is on the other side.
Our friend, Patrick, and his wife, Danielle, were married for only a couple of years when Danielle was diagnosed with a chronic illness that exhausted her. Because of her incessant 4 2 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEG RAPH
KATIE SCIBA
is a national speaker and Catholic Press Awardwinning columnist. Katie and her husband, Andrew, have been married for 13 years and are blessed with six children.
Each student at St. Rita School for the Deaf is unique and has individual needs. To meet those needs we have: • Small Class Sizes- Teacher to student ratio 1:4 • 5 Speech and Language Pathologists and a Full Time Audiologist • Barrier free, language-rich academic environment that encompasses American Sign Language and various other tools • Work Study program where they learn valuable skills to help them be successful in a “hearing world”
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” - Psalm 139:14
Each child is treated as an individual coming to us from various backgrounds and with different needs. We do not mold the child to our way of teaching, we teach to the child’s way of learning. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to make a difference in the lives of the students who need to develop communication and language. Donations can be made by going to www.srsdeaf.org or by filling out this form.
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ORIGINAL UNITY PART 1: FLESH OF MY FLESH POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II’S THEOLOGY OF THE BODY This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). In previous articles, we saw how Pope St. John Paul II used the term “original solitude” to refer to the human search for identity. As we interact with the world around us seeking answers to fundamental questions about who we are and why we are here, we discover that we are alone among bodily creatures. This is so because only the human body reveals a person – a free, rational subject capable of self-awareness and self-determination. As a person, man is unique in the physical world, and the human body, therefore, takes on a special, sacramental character. The human body reveals and makes present the spiritual reality we call “person” and points in a veiled way to his transcendent Creator in whose image man is made. Having explored these fundamental truths of our identity, let us turn to the second of the original experiences: original unity. The pope guides us to reflect on Genesis 2 where we read about the creation of the woman from the rib of man. Man’s search for his identity left him longing for a “helper fit for him” (Gen 2:20b), but what sort of “help” is this that he is lacking? He needs someone like himself to help him discover his identity and vocation. He needs another embodied person. Guiding man along the path of self-discovery, the Lord forms the woman out of man’s rib and presents her to him. In response, he exclaims, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Gen 2:23a). The phrase “at last” signifies that the search is over; his helper has been found. The rest of the sentence speaks to the kind of help that the woman provides. Her embodied presence shows the man who he is and what he is made for. Her body is like the man’s in that her body, too, reveals a person. Her body too “is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine” (TOB 19:5). Her body reveals another “partner with the Absolute” who is capable of “genuinely human activity” (TOB 7:2). Like me, she too is “set into a unique, exclusive, and unrepeatable relationship with God himself ” (TOB 6:2). 4 4 | THE CATHOLIC TE LEGRAPH
With the woman’s creation, the biblical language used in Genesis shifts from speaking about man in an inclusive sense (i.e., humanity) to using the gendered language of man/male and woman/female. This is not to say that human nature is now divided or that man and woman are separate kinds of creatures. Rather, male and female now constitute “two different ‘incarnations,’ that is, two ways in which the same human being, created in the image of God, ‘is a body’” (TOB 8.4). Human nature is indeed one, yet there are now two ways of being human: male and female. Though fundamentally distinct, man and woman are utterly equal in dignity, united in the same human nature. As Pope St. John Paul II remarked in his apostolic letter on the dignity of women (Mulieris dignitatem), “Man is a person, man and woman equally so, since both were created in the image and likeness of the personal God” (no. 6). Continuing to reflect on the unity of man and woman in their common humanity, the pope went on to observe, “The woman is created by God ‘from the rib’ of the man and is placed at his side as another ‘I,’ as the companion of the man, who is alone in the surrounding world of living creatures and who finds in none of them a ‘helper’ suitable for himself. Called into existence in this way, the woman is immediately recognized by the man as ‘flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones’ and for this very reason she is called ‘woman’” (no. 6). The equal dignity of man and woman is unmistakable and founded on our creation as embodied persons sharing the same human nature. Equally unmistakable is the fact that our bodies differ precisely in our maleness or femaleness. This distinction of sex is a decisive aspect of our human identity and vocation and will therefore be the focus of further reflections. DR. ANDREW SODERGREN, MTS, PSY.D. is a Catholic psychologist and director of psychological services for Ruah Woods. He speaks on topics related to the integration of psychology and the Catholic faith. He and his wife, Ellie, have been married 21 years and have five children.
Written by Gail Finke Illustrated by Emma Cassani
St. Boniface in Northside began as one parish, split into two, and reunited 130 years later.
1853 St. Aloysius Parish founded. 1861 St. Aloysius splits into St. Patrick (Irish, on original site) and St. Boniface (German, on new site). 1863 First St. Boniface Church built. 1866 Father Joseph Paul Wittler, St. Boniface’s first pastor, dies of pneumonia at age 37 after spending the previous three years raising money to build and complete the church.
Four Chaplains Mass
Held every February for more than 40 years, the Four Chaplains Mass at St. Boniface honors the chaplains (a priest, a rabbi, and two ministers) who died together on the SS Dorchester in 1943. The service includes color bearers from the Boy Scouts, VFW, American Legion and all military branches; a rifle salute; a tribute to current service members and veterans; and a presentation of “Taps.”
1879 First St. Bonifice School completed. 1927 Current church built on new site in the Romanesque style, featuring an impressive baldacchino made of Italian marble beneath a golden half-dome and topped with a stained glass depiction of the Holy Spirit as a dove.
“We weren’t able to have the Four Chaplains Mass this year because of Covid, but we get calls about it all the time. We tell everyone we’re having it in 2022, if Covid permits it! Anyone and everyone is invited.” - Jenni Lindgren, Business Manager “In the 1930s our school was placed on the official bomb shelter list, and we got a call every year from the government to see if it was still there. They only took us off the list less than 10 years ago, because it’s not handicap-accessible and there are no showers.” - Jenni Lindgren, Business Manager “I grew up in St. Boniface and went to school there. That place is a hidden gem in the city of Cincinnati. The stained glass windows alone are awe-inspiring.” - Bob Dehner, former parishioner
1933 Current school built.
St. Boniface Born in England, St. Boniface evangelized the Franks. Archbishop of what is now Germany, St. Boniface became known for chopping down an oak tree considered holy by pagans, who later converted when no harm came to him. In 754 he and companions were murdered by Frisian bandits who were dismayed to find the dead men’s luggage contained books instead of gold.
1991 St. Patrick parishioners process to St. Boniface with their saint’s statue to reunite the parishes in the St. Boniface building. St. Patrick pastor Father Joseph Robinson named pastor – as was his great-great uncle once – and remains so for nearly 30 years. 2019 St. Charles Borromeo Church in Carthage, largely Spanish-speaking, closes; most Spanish-speaking members move to St. Boniface. D ID Y O U K N O W ? / N O V E MBE R 2021 | 45
SWEE T S T. CE CI LI A P I AN O S
life. Her parents, however, still gave her in marriage to a young pagan named Valerian. During their wedding celebration, while music played
B Y WA Y NE & MARIANNE TOP P
to the pagan gods, Cecilia quietly sang a psalm of purity in her heart, asking Jesus for the strength to remain true to the consecration she made before the wedding. That evening, she informed Valerian of her consecration and of the guardian angel standing at her side to protect her. She explained that in order for him to see this angel, he must first become a Christian. Because of her insistence and powerful witness, Valerian agreed. Upon his return to her, Valerian saw the angel adorn Cecilia with a crown of roses and lilies (foreshadowing her martyrdom). From that moment, husband and wife served the Christian community. Valerian buried the martyred Christians while Cecilia preached and converted people to the faith. Eventually captured and sentenced to death, Cecilia survived suffocation and the executioner’s three attempts to behead her. However, after three days of prayer and preaching, St. Cecilia died from her neck
If you ever wanted to see my Grandpa Fred smile, all you had to do was turn on some old Gospel music, get out the guitar, or sit at the piano and start playing some chords. No matter what you played, Grandpa started singing along. Very rarely, though, he just sang the song’s melody. He always added his own harmony perfectly on key. When you sang with Fred, you were making beautiful music. It’s the type of music I imagine St. Cecilia, named “Queen of Harmony” and patron of musicians, heard on her wedding night when she joined her heart in song with the angels.
wounds. When her body was exhumed more than 1,300 years later in 1599, St. Cecilia’s tomb emanated an aroma of flowers and her body was incorrupt. Her Bridegroom truly protected her. The Church celebrates St. Cecilia’s entrance into heaven on Nov. 22. During Mass on this day, we get to re-echo the psalm of purity she sang in her heart on her wedding day. It is my prayer that, as our children grow, they too can bring their souls into such close harmony with the will of God and will one day join my grandpa and the beautiful choir of saints and angels in heaven.
Born into a noble family in late 2nd Century Rome to pagan parents, St. Cecilia was moved by the new, growing faith and chose Christianity at an early age. She spent her time caring for Rome’s poor and learning more about Jesus and Christian doctrine. Soon she gave her heart entirely to Jesus and consecrated herself to Him alone for the rest of her
Scan this with your phone to view a tutorial video online! 4 6 | THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH
SUPPLIES • 4 wafer cookies (any flavor) • 2 squares of a Hershey’s chocolate bar • White frosting • Sharp knife • Toothpick • TIME COMMITMENT: 1-2 ROSARIES • AGE LEVEL: 3+
St. Aloysius Fall Festival
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Delicious Turkey Dinner All-You-Can-Eat Cafeteria Style Served 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Booths & Games Come for a day in the country & enjoy yourself!
3350 CHAPEL ROAD, SHANDON, OHIO
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Leave one wafer whole for the piano bench. 2. Use the other three wafers to make the piano. a. Cut one wafer into two pieces that are seven squares long (use the grid on top of the wafers). b. Ice one long edge of each seven-square piece (these are your piano legs).
“The St. Joseph Home community is built on love, kindness, and faith. This is where individual differences and abilities are nurtured and celebrated. Life here is a blessing.” —Anne Keefe, retired Board Chair
c. Place another whole wafer horizontally across the two (piano leg) iced wafers (this is your keyboard). d. Place the other whole wafer standing on its long edge behind the horizontal wafer (this is the piano back). e. Draw the keyboard. i.
Cover the top of the keyboard wafer with frosting.
ii. Cut off a sliver of a long edge from each square of chocolate. iii. Divide one chocolate square into two pieces and the other into three pieces. iv. With a knife, mark lines on the smooth side of the chocolate to separate your piano’s “black keys” – the larger pieces make three keys, the smaller pieces make two. v. Draw keys in the white icing using a toothpick. 3. Use the last wafer to make the piano bench. a. Cut off a seven-square piece and two pieces that are two squares. b. Frost the top edge of each two-square piece. c. Place the seven-square piece horizontally on top of the frosted portion.
Our donors provide a nurturing home for children and adults with complex disabilities. Make your year-end gift this Christmas to support this ministry of compassionate care for meaningful, dignified lives.
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St. Boniface Fall Festival
Sunday, November 21 • 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. Turkey & Roast Beef Dinners Fun for All Ages: Basket Booth, Kids’ Area, Christmas Booth, Beer, Bid & Buy + More! Grand Prizes: $2,000, $1,000 & $500
1750 Chase Ave., Northside • (513) 541-1563 M A K IN G CA T H O L IC M E M O R IE S / N O V E M BE R 2021 | 47
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1) CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
San Antonio Church in Cincinnati will celebrate their 100th anniversary next year. Leading up to the anniversary celebration, they will highlight each decade over the last 100 years with Mass followed by a reception in the lower hall. Volunteers take special care to decorate the hall with historical facts and benchmarks. Pictured: The Augustine family after Mass.
2) CROSS COUNTRY AT ROYALMONT
Royalmont Academy’s Cross Country team in Cincinnati trains daily with Coach Beth Brink who has been OVCC Cross Country Coach of the Year three times in a row. Brink is passionate about helping the student athletes do their personal best.
3) ALUMNI AWARD
Sister Victoria Vondenberger, RSM, has been selected to receive the Sister Mary Virginia Sullivan highest alumni award from from Our Lady or Cincinnati College, later called Edgecliff College, now part of Xavier University.
4) WALKING FOR A CAUSE
On Friday, Sept. 17, St. Michael School in Sharonville participated in their annual Walk-A-Thon (WAT) fundraiser promoting school spirit and highlighting students’ acts of kindness and respect. Students raised funds for school programs, technology and supplies. 4 8 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH
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A Catholic family-owned funeral home since 1877 513.891.8373
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ACROSS 1 Victorious church hall cry 6 Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22–23) 10 Where Samson died 14 Lion sounds 15 Line about which a rotation occurs 16 Rivers in Spain 17 Atlas blowup 18 Of the highest quality 19 Years in old Rome 20 Bishops’ headdresses 22 OT prophetic book 23 Billiard implements 24 Contemptuous one 25 Nathan told David that taking Bathsheba was like stealing this (2 Sam 12:3) 27 Embers 31 Black bird, for short 34 Biblical tooth action? 38 Poetic expression 39 Catholic author of Brideshead Revisited 41 Fishy 42 Legendary emperor of China 43 Responsibility 44 Catholic comedian/ actor who started on SNL 46 Airport letters 47 Pond scum 48 “Bind them upon your heart always; ___ them about your neck.”
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NAEGELE KLEB & IHLENDORF FU N ERA L HOM E 3900 Montgomery Rd | 513.631.2240 Serving Norwood, St. Bernard & surrounding communities
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THE FINAL WORD with Debbie Staresinic
VOCATION TO LOVE According to St. John Paul II
“Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it.” – Pope St. John Paul II According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the common vocation of Christians is to become holy and evangelize (CCC 1533). According to Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body,” the ultimate vocation of all Christians is to make a gift of ourselves to others. There is, of course, no conflict between the two – both point to a vocation to love. The universal vocation to holiness is, in fact, the universal vocation to love. It is to love Christ so much that we do whatever we can to become more holy, and then love others so much that we do whatever we can to bring the message of Christ to the world. WHAT IS LOVE?
The Bible tells us that God is love. If you’re Catholic, you’ve probably heard this phrase dozens of times. These words are so familiar that we may hear them without allowing the wonder of their meaning to register. How is it that God is love? Our Christian faith informs us that God is a communion of three distinct persons in a relationship of love. The fact that there are three persons in one God is a mystery, one that we will only fully understand in heaven. Yet we can learn about love by looking at the Trinity. Created in God’s image, we are called to be in a loving relationship with God and one another. The Second Vatican Council, under the influence of Karol Wojtyla, developed our understanding of love by linking the “willing of another’s good” to “self-gift.” To will another’s good requires that, among other goods we desire for them, 5 0 | THE F INAL WORD
we also desire to give them our very selves. In short, we love by willing the good of the other and by making a gift of ourselves to them. Pope St. John Paul II repeats the theme of self-gift throughout his writings referring often to one of his favorite passages from Vatican II: “Man cannot find himself except through a sincere gift of self.” (Gaudium et Spes, 24) Self-gift is how we fulfill the meaning of our existence. In his Letter on the Dignity and Vocation of Women, Pope St. John Paul II writes, “To say that man is created in the image and likeness of God means that man is called to exist ‘for’ others, to become a gift.” (Mulieris Dignitatem, 7) GOD’S LOVE THROUGH OUR UNIQUE VOCATION
As Christians, we received our primary vocation through the sacraments of initiation, but we are not all called to live out this vocation in the same manner. Each one of us is called to love and evangelize in a unique way. Whether one’s path is to be married, ordained as a priest or deacon, consecrated as a religious brother or sister, or whether one is single and still discerning, the purpose of the journey is the same. We are called to live a life of love and holiness through a sincere and fruitful gift of self to others. Only when we view human love through the lens of divine love can the mystery of love begin to unfold in our lives. To the extent that our hearts reflect God’s love, we will experience the joy for which we have been created. Here in this life and for eternity in heaven. DEBBIE STARESINIC
is the founder of On a Mission to Love and author of Theology of the Body Rosary Meditations and On a Mission to Love: Rosary Meditations for Children and Families. Debbie and her husband Dan live in Mason and are blessed by their four children and six grandchildren.
Can you help us preserve this magnificent and historical basilica? If you’ve been to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains recently, you’ve almost certainly noticed the scaffolding that surrounds its exterior and the crew of workers embarking on more than $4,200,000 of $50,000,000 in deferred maintenance on the 175 year-oldchurch building. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains was built in 1845 as a tribute to the faith of immigrant Catholics. It was rescued from ruin in the 1950s and today is a shining symbol of that same Catholic faith. But it needs your help if it is to remain that same impressive symbol and home to all Catholic people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Become a “friend of the Cathedral Basilica” with your contribution to sustain and preserve St. Peter in Chains. Should you wish to fully fund any particular portion of the need, please contact Fr. Jan Schmidt, Rector.
I would like to support our cathedral basilica. Please specify how you would like to direct your donation. Friends of the Cathedral Basilica Archbishop Karl J. Alter Society (gifts of $1,000 or more) Donate by credit card online at cathedralaoc.org
Name _________________________________ Address _______________________________ ______________________________________ Phone _________________________________ Email _________________________________ Payment by personal check $________________ (preferred)
Mail this form, along with your check made payable to Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains: 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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