Texas Catholic Herald - June 11, 2024

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

CLASS OF 2024

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Q&A WITH WEIGEL

Celebrating the top students and graduates around the Archdiocese ▪ SEE PAGES 18 - 19, 21 - 22

Get to know the 2024 Prayer Breakfast speaker George Weigel ▪ SEE PAGE 11

Little Tex says U.S. Catholics encounter fraternity, healing in annual military pilgrimage to Lourdes ▪ SEE PAGE 26

Celebrating 60 years of The Texas Catholic Herald

Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 1964

JUNE 11, 2024

VOL. 61, NO. 3

WALKING WITH THE LORD

PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

At left, pilgrims follow Daniel Cardinal DiNardo as he carries the Blessed Sacrament in the monstance through the streets of Galveston June 2 during a Eucharistic procession from St. Mary Cathedral Basilica to Sacred Heart Church. The St. Juan Diego Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage reached the Galveston-Houston on May 30 at St. Laurence Parish in Sugar Land, seen at right. SEE STORY ON PAGE 7.

SERVANTS OF THE LORD Archdiocese rejoices with three new priest ordinations

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA AND JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — An overflowing crowd at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart witnessed Daniel Cardinal DiNardo ordain three new priests June 1, thanking them for answering God’s “paradoxically clear yet mysterious summons.”

In his homily, Cardinal DiNardo told the transitional deacons about to become priests — now Father Luis Armas, Father Viet Nguyen and Father David Ramirez — “The Eucharist becomes the heart and center of your life, and as you celebrate the Eucharist, people

will know it. Not because you’re flashy, but because you are faithful.”

“I beg you brother deacons, now to become brother priests, share it,” he said.

As part of the ordination, Cardinal DiNardo laid hands on each of their heads and also anointed their hands, saying, “May the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power… guard and preserve you to sanctify the Christian people.”

“In a very unique way,” he said, “you come here as servants to be

THE FIRST WORD † 3

ordained, especially in the masterpieces of creation: the Eucharist and Reconciliation.”

Cardinal DiNardo recognized two concurrent celebrations happening that weekend, the Ordination Mass and the arrival of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which is part of the National Eucharistic Revival, and made a stop at the CoCathedral of the Sacred Heart the day before for Mass and Adoration.

Franciscan priest Father John

IN VOCATIONS

|

COLUMNISTS † 22 - 23

See PRIESTHOOD, page 4

|

ESPAÑOL † 29

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, at left, greets Father Viet Nguyen after receiving the first blessing of the newly ordained priest during the ordination Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart June 1.

| AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE † 31

2 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

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VATICAN NEWS

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People walk in procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major after Pope Francis Mass for the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ in Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran June 2. At corner, Pope Francis elevates the Eucharist during Benediction.

Corpus Christi procession is not sign of pride but invitation, pope says ROME (CNS) — When Catholics carry the Eucharist through the streets, “we are not doing this to show off or to flaunt our faith” but to invite others to share in the life that Jesus gives by making Himself a gift, Pope Francis said.

“Let’s make the procession in this spirit, “ the pope said on June 2 in his homily at a Mass for the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Pope Francis presided over the Mass in Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran, his cathedral as bishop of Rome. Víctor Cardinal Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, was the main celebrant at the altar.

After Mass, more than 3,000 people — cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, lay members of confraternities and sodalities, Romans and pilgrims — participated in the Corpus Christi procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, about a mile away. Rome Auxiliary Bishop Baldo

Reina carried the Eucharist under a canopy held aloft by eight men.

Pope Francis, who has difficulty walking and often uses a wheelchair, was driven to St. Mary Major to welcome the procession and lead Adoration and Benediction.

In his homily at the Mass, Pope Francis said the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist demonstrates that God is “not distant and jealous, but close and in solidarity with humanity; a God who does not abandon us but always seeks, waits for and accompanies us, even to the point of placing Himself, helpless, into our hands, subjecting Himself to our acceptance or rejection.”

“His real presence also invites us to be close to our brothers and sisters wherever love calls us,” the pope said.

The sign of bread is important, the pope said, because “it is the food of daily life, and with it, we bring to the altar all that we are and all that we have: our lives, work, successes and

VATICAN NEWS

failures, too.”

In some cultures, he said, if someone drops a piece of bread from the table, they pick it up and kiss it as a sign that “it is too precious to be thrown away, even if it has fallen.”

The Eucharist teaches Catholics “to bless, to gather and to cherish God’s gifts as a sign of thanksgiving” by not wasting food or talents, for example, but also by “forgiving and helping raise up those who make mistakes and fall because of weakness or lapses, acknowledging that everything is a gift and nothing should be lost, that no one should be left behind and that everyone deserves a chance to get back on their feet.”

Pope Francis also spoke about the fragrance of bread and how “every day we see too many streets that were once filled with the smell of freshly baked bread, but are now reduced to rubble by war, selfishness, and indifference!”

“We urgently need to bring back to our world the good, fresh aroma of the bread of love, to continue tirelessly to hope and rebuild what hatred destroys,” he said. †

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Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Archbishop, President & Publisher Jonah Dycus Communications Director & Executive Editor Rebecca Torrellas Managing Editor James Ramos Photo-Journalist & Content Editor Catherine Viola Advertising Manager Adriana Gutierrez, Kerry McGuire, Sean O’Driscoll, Nikki Pomer, Matthew Peña, Maria Saiz and Jo Ann Zuñiga Contributors An award-winning member of The Catholic Media Association The Texas Catholic Herald is published semi-monthly on Tuesdays, with one issue in June, July and August, by The Texas Catholic Herald Publishing Co., Inc., 1700 San Jacinto St., Houston, TX 77002.

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JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

THE FIRST WORD TANTI AUGURI

PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS Effective July 1 Father Luis Armas Parochial Vicar - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Houston Father Viet Nguyen Parochial Vicar - St. Anthony of Padua, The Woodlands Father David Ramirez Parochial Vicar - Prince of Peace, Houston Father Jose Kumblolickal Augustine, MSFS Parochial Vicar - St. Bartholomew, Katy Father Antonio Cisneros Parochial Vicar - St. Luke the Evangelist, Houston Father Benjamin Feuerborn, FSSP Parochial Vicar - Regina Caeli, Houston Father Mark Gazin, CSB Canon Lawyer - Tribunal Father Steven Huber, CSB Parochial Vicar - St. Anne, Houston Father Antonio Ortiz Parochial Vicar - St. Ambrose, Houston Father Ralph Roberts Prison Chaplain

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Above, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo cuts into his birthday cake during a celebration marking his 75th birthday at the biennial priests convocation in Galveston, where nearly 200 priests gathered for a four-day event. Below, Cardinal DiNardo speaks during the 2024 Priests Convocation.

Priests celebrate Cardinal DiNardo’s 75th birthday at convocation GALVESTON — At the biennial Archdiocesan priest convocation in Galveston, a large contingent of priests from around the Archdiocese gathered to honor the 75th birthday of Daniel Cardinal DiNardo in song and celebration. Held on May 22, the day before Cardinal DiNardo’s actual May 23 birthday, several priests also delivered brief speeches in recognition of Cardinal DiNardo’s leadership and guidance as Archbishop of Galveston-Houston.

In a personal address, Cardinal DiNardo shared that the most impactful moment as a priest was not his ordination as priest or bishop or his elevation to the College of Cardinals, but it was his first priest ordination that he presided over in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1999.

The evening included several special multilingual birthday greetings, including Italian and Chinese, as well as a guitar-driven rendition of ‘Las Mañanitas,’ a traditional Mexican birthday song sung by a group of Spanish-speaking priests.

In Spanish, they sang to Cardinal DiNardo: “On the day you were born / All the flowers were born / At the baptismal font / The nightingales sang.”

Both Archdiocesan and religious priests attended the four-day event, which focused on the theme of “Let the Word Speak,” a reflection of the encounter of Jesus and the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. The convocation also included solemn vespers at St. Mary Cathedral Basilica and two presentations from John

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BRIEFS Second-annual ecumenical choral festival performs June 15

HOUSTON — Join church choir members of all denominations for a performance on Saturday, June 15.

The ecumenical choir concert is set for 7 p.m. at The Centrum at Cypress Creek Christian Community Center, located at 6823 Cypresswood Dr. in Spring.

For more information, schedule and to purchase tickets, visit www.archgh.org/choralfestival. †

Popular summer young adult speaker series resumes in July

Bergsma, a theologian, and Adam Brill, director of the Archdiocesan Office of Worship.

The convocation, held every two years, is a three-fold opportunity for priests in the Archdiocese: educating priests on updates in the Archdiocese, a fraternal gathering of priests in fellowship and praying as one community together, according to clergy ministry leaders. †

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HOUSTON — Café Catholica, the annual young adult summer gathering presented by the Archdiocesan Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry, is set for four Mondays in July at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, located at 6800 Buffalo Speedway in Houston. The theme for the summer series is “Home With Him.” Open to young adults aged 18 to 39, Café Catholica offers opportunities to gather with nearly a thousand fellow young Catholics for Mass, dinner and talks. The event will be held July 8, 15, 22 and 29. It begins at 5:15 p.m. with Confession, followed by Mass at 6:15 p.m., dinner at 7:15 p.m. and the keynote speaker at 8:15 p.m.

Keynote speakers include Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic speakers Bob Lesnefsky and Kim Zember, and Brian Lennox, director of Faith Formation from St. Faustina in Fulshear.

No registration is needed to attend. Donations are accepted. For more information, visit www.archgh.org/ cafecatholica or call 713-741-8778. †

Registration open for 2024 AYC

HOUSTON — The 2024 Archdiocesan Youth Conference, set for July 26 to 28 at the Hilton Americas Hotel, gathers more than 1,000 participants and is one of the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization’s largest evangelizing events for youth of high school age.

Through this event, under the theme “Journey to Heaven,” young people will gather on a journey to rejuvenate their faith life and help them get serious about life in Christ and His Church. For more information on how to register, visit archgh.swoogo.com/AYC2024 or contact a parish’s youth ministry. †

4 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

LOCAL

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

Sin will not keep Jesus away

Jesus considers all the baptized to be His friends, Pope Francis wrote as the preface to the Italian edition of Jesuit Father James Martin’s latest book. ▪ SEE PAGE 30

Priests help faithful be nourished by the Eucharist, Word PRIESTHOOD, from page 1 Anthony Boughton, who had been accompanying the pilgrimage since its launch in Brownsville, concelebrated the Mass.

The perpetual pilgrims, the young people who are traveling the entire distance from Brownsville to Indianapolis, joined Father Boughton, including Camille Anigbogu, who found her spot in the choir loft turning pages for the organist, a familiar place for her as an organist herself.

Speaking directly to the three young men, Cardinal DiNardo said: “You are to help people discover [that] what is most simple is what is most omnipotent: the Father loves to empty Himself out in sending His Son, the Son loves to empty Himself out and being available to us even to the point of having His Body and Blood available to us in the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit like a beautiful flowing river is always emptying Himself out in moments and acts of grace.”

“Brothers, celebrate the Eucharist well,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “It is the representation of the Lord’s sacrifice on this altar and altars nearby, whereby God’s people are nourished — people want to be nourished with the Eucharist and with His Word.”

Alongside the Eucharistic Revival, Cardinal DiNardo encouraged the priests to continue offering Eucharistic Adoration so that the Eucharist may “seep into the hearts and souls of the people of God.” Dozens of other priests joined Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, and Abbot Gregory Boquet, O.S.B., of St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana in concelebrating the Mass.

At the end of the Mass, the three gave their first priestly blessings to Cardinal DiNardo, who knelt by the altar before them. Immediately after, the three priests turned to face the congregation, imparting another blessing upon their family and friends. After the ordination Mass, the crowd loudly applauded. †

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PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

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C L A S S OF 2 0 2 4

Please join the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, the IWA Board of Advisors, faculty and staff in extending congratulations and prayers for the IWA Class of 2024!

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Galveston-Houston embraces National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in prayer and procession

BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald GALVESTON — Slowly moving under billowing palm, oak and magnolia trees, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo lifted high the monstrance with the Eucharist as he processed in front of a crowd of more than a thousand from St. Mary Cathedral Basilica to Sacred Heart Church in Galveston.

In an epic celebration of both Corpus Christi Sunday and the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, the June 2 procession was the culmination of a series of events in the Archdiocese that drew thousands of Catholics from Houston and all over the world — some coming from as far as Canada and New York — turned out to celebrate and embrace Jesus in the Eucharist.

The St. Juan Diego Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which began its journey to Indianapolis at the Texas border city of Brownsville, arrived in the Archdiocese on May 30 when St. Laurence Parish in Sugar Land welcomed the pilgrimage group for an evening of prayer, testimony and Eucharistic Adoration.

Visitors heard several testimonies from local parishioners and members of the six perpetual pilgrims, a group of young adults who walked and followed the Pilgrimage all the way from Brownsville to Indianapolis, where the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress will be held in July.

For Camille Anigbogu, the visit to Archdiocese was a homecoming filled with faith, family and loved ones. The University of Houston and Incarnate Word Academy graduate is a Houstonian herself, proudly welcoming her fellow perpetual pilgrims to the Bayou City.

In Sugar Land, her family attended both events with her. They eagerly followed her journey on social media as she made her way towards Houston. Finally together with their daughter at St. Laurence, her parents, Monica and John Anigbogu, were glowing.

Throughout the weekend, Anigbogu saw several friends and even former teachers, often unexpectedly, eliciting surprised hugs and greetings.

“I’m so glad to be back in Houston,” Anigbogu said.“It reminds me of where I’m coming from and all of the people who have sacrificed and loved me over the years. I’m really glad that I’m getting to take that with me across the U.S. with my fellow Juan Diego route teammates and all the people who I’m going to encounter, all the Houston love.”

Joining the pilgrims are a group of friars and priests of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

“The Church is alive,” said Brother Agustin, one of the Franciscans. “Our Lady was with us tonight worshiping Jesus in the Eucharist; the Church is truly alive. The Holy Spirit is just moving.”

At one point during Adoration, Brother Agustin saw a young toddler run around the pew to see a deacon carrying the Blessed Sacrament in a procession. The Franciscan saw her face of awe and curiosity towards the monstrance and beamed as she saw that Jesus was coming her way.

Brother Agustin saw that moment as a reflection of the Christian’s journey.

“Every single one of the people here was just yearning to touch Jesus,” he said. “I’ve never seen something like this before, right? So the yearning to touch Jesus... This is why I say Mary’s with us; because Mary is always with Jesus, and she’s inviting us to be like her, just stay with Jesus... to be close to Jesus.”

After leaving St. Laurence on May 31, when storms rocked the Archdiocese, forcing the cancellation of an outdoor procession in Sugar See PILGRIMAGE, page 8

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PILGRIMAGE, from page 7 Land, the Pilgrimage traveled to the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston, where a Mass and Eucharistic Adoration was held.

The next morning, the pilgrims also attended the priesthood ordination Mass on June 1. Issy Martin-Dye, one of the perpetual pilgrims, had never attended one before and found the experience moving. “I haven’t even been to a big wedding either, and this was just like that; it was beautiful,” Martin-Dye said.

Then, in the afternoon, the pilgrims attended a young adult event at the University of St. Thomas that included a series of talks and testimonies given by the pilgrims, recreation and relaxation, as well as vespers, a Eucharistic procession around the campus and benediction.

Being with other young adults “made me feel very safe and comfortable,” Martin-Dye said. “These were my friends, my brothers and sisters. I enjoyed having the chance to relax and even play volleyball, which I love.”

The central Houston events also drew Eve Cox, a 19-year-old University of Dallas student from The Woodlands.

Though she’s not yet a baptized Catholic, the Eucharist and the Church’s teaching of the True Presence inspired her to pursue joining the Catholic Church when she’s back in college in the fall.

“The spiritual oneness of the Catholic Church inspired me,” Cox said. “The Eucharist unifies us and makes us one with the Father, just as [Jesus] is one with the Father. It’s really beautiful and makes so much sense to me.”

The pilgrim’s travel van includes a unique setup: a handcrafted wooden tabernacle holds the Blessed Sacrament when it’s reposed, and atop the tabernacle is a pedestal that can hold the monstrance. When the group travels for more than 30 minutes, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for the pilgrims to be in continual prayer.

In Houston, they drove around the city for an hour with the Blessed Sacrament exposed, praying for the Archdiocese and the city.

On Saturday night, the group trekked down to Galveston Island and stayed at a beach house along the Gulf of Mexico.

Martin-Dye said several of the pilgrims were able to jump into the water and swim.

On Sunday, June 2, the mother Church of Texas, St. Mary Cathedral Basilica, welcomed the pilgrim group for Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, presided over by Cardinal DiNardo.

Following Mass, Cardinal DiNardo led the mile-long Eucharistic procession to Sacred Heart Church just off Broadway Avenue.

Though the heat and humidity were nearly unbearable, save for a Gulf breeze that occasionally blessed the procession, church officials estimated that more than 800 attended. The basilica was standing room only, with dozens more listening from outside the basilica.

Block by block, the procession moved amongst historical homes, with residents watching from their balconies and porches. The monstrance would pass between Cardinal DiNardo, a Franciscan priest, and ultimately Father Jude Ezuma, pastor of Holy Family Parish of Galveston and Bolivar.

Fifteen-year-old Francis Barrett carried the processional cross the whole way.

“It was really peaceful and beautiful to be walking here,” Barrett said. “The trees, the houses, hearing the people singing in the background, it was really nice.” Though the cross was heavy and his arms tired at several points, Barrett said he focused on praying and keeping the cross held high.

Following a meeting with Cardinal DiNardo, the pilgrims made for their maiden voyage on the Bolivar Ferry — a Galveston right of passage — headed for their final Texas stop in Beaumont before crossing the border into Louisiana, ultimately heading to Indianapolis.

To follow the pilgrim group as they head to the National Eucharistic Congress, visit www.archgh.org/pilgrimage24. †

ISSY MARTIN-DYE

To see more photos and videos, visit www.archgh.org/pilgrimage24.

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JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

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10 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2024 GRADUATING CLASS OF FRASSATI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

The Board of Directors, administration, faculty and staff of Frassati Catholic High School are proud to recognize the Class of 2024.

The 70 members of the Class of 2024 have been accepted to 71 colleges and universities including Ave Maria University, Baylor University, Benedictine College, Catholic University of America, Christendom College, Creighton University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Fordham University, Loyola University Chicago, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, Universidad de Navarra, University of Glasgow, University of Notre Dame, University of St. Thomas, and Villanova University. Combined, they have been awarded more than $7.4 million in scholarships.

PRESENTING THE CLASS OF 2024 Alfredo Amparan Jessica Christine Bazaldua*‡ Dustyn Paolo Bedia Lucas Maria Boada*‡ Gabriel Ervin Briers* Alexander Minh Bui Isabella Sofia Campodonico*◊‡ Bridget Mary Carney Caleb LaCour Clemons Sophie Elizabeth Cossey* Virginia Kate Davis Nicole De Azevedo*‡ Madeleine Renee Dykes Benjamin Thomas Fedoruk*◊ Brendan Daniel Felicidario* Eric Garcia‡ Dominic Marco Luigi Gasper Sophia Gonzalez Enrique Eduardo Gonzalez-Vizzani Jr. Grant Christopher Gregory Pablo Miguel Guzman Edith Sarahi Hernandez Christopher Dutch Huard Gabrielle Torres Ignacio*‡ Christina Odette Ikhbeis

Kevin Michael Karger John Paul Kiliddjian Madelyn Elizabeth Killman*‡ Marko Josip Lovre Krstulovic-Opara Alexandria Lancey Andrew Langley Hannah Michaela Lapham* Jacob Edward Lee John Peter Loustalot Emilia Giovanna Maria Marchisio Lauren Elizabeth McCollor John Joseph Miggins Thomas James Miller Sofia Elena Miranda*‡ Miguelangelo Moschella Bortolussi Max Armin Munoz Thong Nhat Nguyen* Elias Jerome Nolin Isabella Grace Pellegrino Annie Grace Perry*‡ Allison Marie Pesce Stetson Michael Nickerson Popowitz Camila Pratt* Rodrigo Ernesto Quezada Athan Page Regitz

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FRASSATICATHOLIC.ORG 5/31/2024 9:45:17 AM

texas catholic herald 11

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

Q&A with George Weigel: A friendship with St. John Paul II, evangelization and today’s issues

BY REBECCA TORRELLAS AND SEAN O’DRISCOLL Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — The speaker for the 2024 Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast is George Weigel, who is a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a Catholic theologian, but most notably, St. John Paul II’s American biographer.

The event is set for Friday, June 21, at 7:30 a.m. at the Hilton Americas-Houston, located at 1600 Lamar St. in downtown Houston. This year’s theme is “The Good News in a Noisy World.”

Weigel, awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland on May 13, is author of The New York Times bestselling biography of St. John Paul II, “Witness to Hope,” published in 1999 and its sequel, “The End and the Beginning.”

Speaking with the Texas Catholic Herald, Weigel recalled his friendship with the beloved pope, who became a saint in on April 27, 2014, nine years after his death.

What are some lessons you learned from your friendship with St. John Paul II? John Paul II’s life was a seamless garment in which soul, mind and

emotions were thoroughly integrated.

Everyone wants to live with an undivided heart; John Paul II showed us how to do that by living in intimate friendship with Jesus Christ.

What part of St. John Paul II’s legacy do you feel still resonates today?

There are so many parts of his legacy that are even more GEORGE relevant and timely WEIGEL today than they were when he died.

His “Theology of the Body” is the best answer ever offered to the damage done by the sexual revolution. His call to the new evangelization animates the living parts of the world Church. His teaching on poverty as exclusion informs many Catholic efforts to empower the poor to become fully participant in society. And his love of Christ and Mary will always “resonate” in Catholic hearts and souls.

Looking to the upcoming presidential election, what advice do you have for Catholics on how they can approach some of the most important issues?

Legal protection for innocent life in all

stages and in all conditions must remain a priority for Catholics, but that has to be complemented by care for women in crisis pregnancies and for the gravely ill and dying. So, crisis pregnancy centers and the Catholic hospice movement are important instruments in rebuilding a culture of life in the United States.

As to the two principal candidates for president, Catholics (and everyone else) should demand that they stop shrieking and start talking seriously about the many challenges facing Americans at home and abroad.

In your writings, you have said the greatest hope for the Catholic Church is a Church where the Second Vatican Council is “rightfully understood and properly implemented.” What do you feel is needed for the Church to fully understand and embrace the teachings of the council?

That would take most of a book to explain, so let me refer you to the last section of my book, “To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II.” But to get things down to one sentence: Vatican II was never intended to reinvent the Catholic Church in imitation of the world, but to re-energize the Church for evangelization and mission in order to convert the world. Grasp that, and you’re

WANT TO GO?

ARCHDIOCESAN PRAYER BREAKFAST WITH GEORGE WEIGEL When: Where:

Friday, June 21 at 7:30 a.m.

Hilton Americas - Houston 1600 Lamar St. Register: archgh.org/prayerbreakfast Tickets: Starting at $75 on the way to a true understanding of the council.

What are you hoping attendees of the Prayer Breakfast for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will take away from your keynote address?

A sense of great hope for the future based on the many great things the Holy Spirit is inspiring in the Church today.

The Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast provides an opportunity for local Catholics to gather in faith and fellowship.

Hundreds are anticipated to attend this year’s event.

Tickets must be reserved or purchased prior to the event, which can be done online at www.archgh.org/ prayerbreakfast. Tables and sponsorship opportunities are available. †

Congratulations to the St. Catherine’s Montessori Class of 2024!

12 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

Congratulations Class of 2024

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

Houston’s Catholic, identity-forming, college-prepatory school for girls age three through Grade 12

Class of 2024 College Acceptances

Class of 2024 graduates earned more than $10.8 million in merit-based scholarships and were accepted to 127 colleges and universities: Abilene Christian University Arizona State University-Tempe Auburn University Babson College Baylor University Belmont University Binghamton University Blinn College Boston University Butler University California Institute of the Arts Case Western Reserve University Clemson University Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University-Ft Collins Denison University DePaul University Drexel University Eckerd College Elon University Fashion Institute of Technology Flagler College Gonzaga University Hampshire College Hendrix College Houston Christian University Howard University IE University-Madrid Indiana University-Bloomington James Madison University Kansas State University Kent State University at Kent Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University New Orleans Lynn University Manhattan College Marist College Marquette University Marymount Manhattan College Mississippi State University Nebraska Wesleyan University

New York University Northeastern University Oberlin College Ohio State University Oklahoma City University Oklahoma State University Pace University Pennsylvania State University Purdue University Queens University of Charlotte Randolph-Macon College Reed College Rhodes College Rice University Rider University Rochester Institute of Technology Saint Louis University Saint Mary’s College of California Saint Michael’s College Sam Houston State University San Diego State University Savannah College of Art and Design Seattle University Seton Hall University Southern Methodist University Southwestern University St. Edward’s University St. Mary’s University Stephen F Austin State University Syracuse University Tarleton State University Texas A&M University-College Station Texas Christian University Texas State University Texas Tech University The American University of Paris The University of Alabama The University of Tennessee-Knoxville The University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Dallas The University of Texas at San Antonio The University of the South

Trinity University Universidad de Navarra University of Arizona University of Arkansas University of California-Davis University of Colorado Boulder University of Connecticut University of Florida University of Georgia University of Houston University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois Chicago University of Kansas University of Kentucky University of Mary Hardin-Baylor University of Massachusetts-Amherst University of Memphis University of Miami University of Mississippi University of North Carolina-Charlotte University of North Carolina School of the Arts University of North Texas University of Notre Dame University of Oklahoma-Norman University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of Portland University of South Carolina-Columbia University of St. Thomas (TX) University of the Incarnate Word University of the Pacific University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Washington-Seattle Ursinus College Villanova University Virginia Tech Wichita State University Willamette University William & Mary Xavier University

duchesne.org

texas catholic herald 13

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

Encountering Christ, transforming lives through the RCIA journey

BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent HOUSTON — Embarking on the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) journey marks a pivotal moment in one’s faith life. Whether a catechumen or a ministry leader guiding others through the process, RCIA offers a profound and personal path to encounter Christ while preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.

Anthony Garcia, a neophyte and former Army veteran, began his RCIA journey in college encouraged by a friend when he found himself searching for answers. His upbringing had not been particularly religious, and his military experiences had shaken his belief in God. Despite initial skepticism, he decided to give the process a chance.

During the evangelization stage, he observed others with a mix of doubt and curiosity. One person’s genuine grin during the session particularly caught his attention.

“I didn’t understand what he was smiling for,” Garcia said. “But even when I was driving home after the meeting, I still thought about that guy, just genuinely happy to be learning about the Word of God. I couldn’t remember if I had ever been that happy in my life, so I decided to come back. I stuck with it, and I couldn’t be happier.”

During the RCIA process, Garcia found peace in letting go of his past mistakes and focusing on personal growth. As he studied the history of the Eucharist, he grasped the profound significance of Jesus’ sacrifice, seeing it as an opportunity for redemption rather than a license for impunity.

“When Jesus took the place of the lamb in the New Testament, it was not a ticket for us to do whatever we want without consequence,” Garcia said. “It was an opportunity for us to relieve ourselves of past transgressions so that we can have a better relationship with God. Once I accepted that my sins do not define me and understood the purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice, I realized there’s never an absence of potential to dedicate yourself to God.” Garcia now understands the emptiness that no material possession or relationship can fill, encouraging those who feel a yearning for fulfillment to explore RCIA. “If you were given a chance to solve your problems, why not give RCIA a chance — why not give God a chance?”

Garcia said. “I know I need to have a continual presence in this Church because relying on myself for answers led me down a long path of false pleasures that only tore me down. Coming back to the Church to seek the guidance of others, also seeking to know God, is the best way I can grow my faith besides actually living the Word the best I can.”

Pamela Bilnoski embarked on her RCIA journey seeking answers to longstanding questions about the existence of God, her purpose and the identity of Jesus. Growing up attending Clear Lake Bible Church, her mother emphasized prayer and Bible reading, yet

The 2024 Diocesan Services Fund theme is “We are the Lord’s.” DSF operates in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston each year to help the Church carry out the ministries of teaching and sanctifying. DSF brings the needed financial resources to carry out 64 ministries.

DSF IN ACTION PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo presides over a Rite of Election Liturgy at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in late February. The Liturgy is part of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

Pamela often grappled with uncertainty and found it challenging to comprehend the teachings fully.

Upon joining RCIA, she became immersed in a supportive community that prioritized teaching and discipleship.

Bilnoski found solace in the detailed explanations, especially those in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

“Coming to Church, being in His presence, and then actually consuming Him, being a part of the feast and the Mass, is the whole purpose of Church,” Bilnoski said. “Otherwise, we’re just a social club and can meet anywhere. I also learned in RCIA about the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and how Jesus is here to forgive us.”

A significant learning opportunity during RCIA profoundly influenced Bilnoski’s prayer life: the Rosary. Though she had a prayer life before, she said the Rosary draws her closer to Christ through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“Our Lady has pointed me to Christ,” Bilnoski said. “All of His life is in the Rosary, and each decade is a reminder of what I should think about and contemplate in my prayer life.”

Bilnoski expressed her eagerness to serve the Church by joining ministries like RCIA, where people are nurtured in their faith journey.

“I want to help serve here because more and more people have questions and are searching for answers,” she said.

“Now that I have the knowledge, it’s my duty and opportunity to help teach them about Jesus.”

Eby Kurian, director of Adult Faith Formation and RCIA at Mary Queen Catholic Church in Friendswood, encourages neophytes like Garcia and Bilnoski, newly received, to become leaders in the RCIA process and help others find their way to the Church.

Kurian himself underwent a transformative journey that shaped his leadership role. As a young man in college, he encouraged his Hindu best friend to explore Catholicism through a music ministry, leading to his friend’s

DIOCESAN SERVICES FUND

conversion. Later, while serving as a campus minister in Miami, he and his wife guided a Chinese student through RCIA, eventually becoming his Godparents.

“The Church exists to evangelize as the body of Christ,” said Kurian. “I’ve always

This new video series brings to life the ministry featured in this story. Hear from people personally impacted by God’s grace through these DSF ministries.

SCAN TO WATCH OR VISIT ARCHGH.ORG/ DSFINACTION

See RCIA, page 14

Archdiocesan

Prayer Breakfast Friday, June 21 | 7:30 a.m.

Hilton Americas Houston 1600 Lamar St. | Houston, TX 77010

Featuring

George Weigel

Author, Theologian and Journalist

“The Good News in a Noisy World” Purchase your tickets today at

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14 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

IN MEMORIA Pray for the following priests whose anniversaries of death are during the month of July.

July 4, 1992 July 5, 1895 July 5, 1984 July 6, 1927 July 7, 1939 July 8, 1920 July 8, 2002 July 9, 1930 July 9, 2005 July 10, 1989 July 10, 2003 July 11, 2002 July 12, 1968 July 12, 1980 July 13, 1999 July 14, 1962 July 14, 2014 July 15, 1970 July 15, 1985 July 15, 2008 July 16, 1960

Rev. Rene M. Vermillion, CSB Rev Patrick Kellett Msgr. Thomas M. Cemon Rev. M.J. Crowe Rev. Patrick J. O’Reilly, CSC Rev. Michael Martin Crowe Rev. Guy Fregeau Rev. James Chaland Rev. Walter N. Sheffield Rev. John D. Oster, SJ Msgr. C.J. Alleman Rev. Warren J. Freret Rev. A.M. Maechler Rev. John C. McDonald, MS Rev. Angelo Moscato, cs Rev. Eugene Burbott, CSB Rev. Charles Lynch,CSB Rev. Chester C. Ball, SSJ Rev. Peter S. Harnett Rev. John LaBauve, SVD Msgr. Matthew J. Daly

July 16, 1962 July 17, 1932 July 17, 1994 July 18, 1943 July 18, 1996 July 18, 2002 July 18, 2002 July 19, 1947 July 19, 2001 July 19, 2011 July 19, 2013 July 20, 1918 July 22, 2002 July 23, 2009 July 24, 2000 July 25, 1968 July 26, 1988 July 29, 2011 July 30, 2001 July 31, 1997 July 31, 2001

Rev. Joseph G. Robinson Rev. John Joseph Harte Bishop Enrique San Pedro, SJ Rev. R.C. Frei Rev. John Nijenhuis, OCarm Rev. Eugene Gillece Rev. Clifton J. Natho Rev. Louis A. LeBlanc Rev. Ralph G. Schmidt, Jr. Rev. Richard DiLeo, SCJ Rev. Bernard C. Snock Rev. William J. Lee Rev. J.B. Huynh Ngoc Tran Msgr. Leroy H. Braden Rev. Thomas D. Sheehan, OP Rev. William B. O’Toole, CSB Rev. Rodney Poythress Rev. Frank W. Jones Rev. Alvin F. Dixon, SVD Msgr. Gilbert F. Pekar Rev. John O’Rourke, SSJ

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

OBITUARY Matthew D. Fitzgerald

SUGAR LAND — Matthew David Fitzgerald, father of Ryan Fitzgerald, who works in the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Tribunal, died on Monday, April 29, at the age of 66.

A funeral Mass was held on June 1 at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land.

Interment is in Glenwood Cemetery in Houston. †

Trees fall in severe storms at area cemeteries

Expand and deepen our hearts . . .

Please pray for all victims of violence everywhere and their families.

Pray for those being executed in Texas and their families:

July 16: Ruben Gutierrez

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CEMETERIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE

A stormy spring and summer have toppled trees not only in Houston and Galveston neighborhoods, but also at surrounding cemeteries like the Archdiocese’s Holy Cross Cemetery at 3502 North Main in Houston, pictured with gravestones intact. Crews were busy clearing and shredding branches and trunks to clear the debris. Stacy Batey, director of the Office of Catholic Cemeteries, said Holy Cross Cemetery, located north of downtown Houston by I-45 North, and St. Vincent Cemetery by Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church on Navigation Boulevard, just east of Downtown Houston, were the hardest hit, but Mount Olivet in Dickinson also required some cleanup.

RCIA, from page 13 loved introducing the person of Jesus to others in both formal and informal settings and realize what a beautiful process the Church has to bring people in to learn more about the faith. I truly enjoy walking with them and sharing about Jesus, and if it is God’s will, then I am blessed to become a witness as they receive the Sacraments of Initiation or enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.”

Since the pandemic, Kurian has seen a surge in families, couples and individuals from diverse backgrounds, including immigrants and those of other large denominations, seeking to join RCIA at Mary Queen. He said the welcoming, nonjudgmental setting where Catechumens and Candidates feel comfortable asking questions and exploring their faith makes them feel at home.

Last March, Kurian witnessed the transformative power of the Holy Spirit as close to 1,500 newly elect were welcomed into the Church during the Archdiocesanwide Rite of Election held at several parishes in the Houston area. This ceremony exemplified the culmination of the RCIA process, a vital component of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, which is among the 60-plus ministries supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF).

Adam Brill, director of the Office of Worship, said the DSF plays a crucial

role in supporting not only RCIA but also various other processes and programs across the Archdiocese.

“The DSF funds enable us to assist parishes lacking full-time liturgists,” Brill said. “This ensures they comprehend the Church’s liturgical vision, enhancing worship experiences and facilitating encounters with Christ for all who seek Him within our parish walls.”

Brill invites individuals interested in leadership roles within the RCIA process to attend the OCIA Intensive Workshop hosted by the Archdiocese from Friday, June 21 to Saturday, June 22.

This workshop will introduce the newly approved Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), which will replace the RCIA process.

Attendees will benefit from esteemed speakers, practical workshops and resources that provide insights into the new process, address challenges as opportunities for growth, and help leadership teams develop strategic plans tailored to their parish’s unique needs.

To learn more about the Office of Worship’s RCIA process, go to www. archgh.org/RCIA. To donate to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s DSF annual appeal, go to www.archgh. org/DSF. The DSF supports 64 ministries, whether direct service or education, which require this critical funding to remain in operation. Out of each gift given to DSF, 100% of every dollar goes directly to supporting these ministries. †

texas catholic herald 15

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

EDUCATION Incarnate Word Academy concludes 150-year celebrations

BY HOLLY BERETTO Herald Correspondent HOUSTON — When the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament first came to Houston in April of 1873, there was no way they could know the community of faith they were about to build in downtown Houston would still be there a century and a half later.

Sent from Lyon by way of Brownsville, Mother Gabriel Dillon, accompanied by Sister Mary Lawrence and Sister Marie Therese, came on the invitation of Bishop John Odin, the first bishop of Galveston.

He would die before the sisters arrived, but they would carry out his desire to educate young people across his diocese, which included the entire state of Texas.

Settling in a former Franciscan monastery and then moving to 609 Crawford St., the sisters hosted Mass in their new home while opening the Academy of the Incarnate Word the following year. At the time, Houston itself was less than a century old but emerging as an important center of commerce in the South. Incarnate Word Academy (IWA), like the city it would call home, would grow together, changing to meet the times and welcoming those willing to work to fulfill their dreams.

Now, when IWA concluded its 150th celebration — its Class of 2024 graduated with special stoles marking the sesquicentennial — the school stands as a bridge connecting the past to the future.

“Looking at all that we have today and looking back at our history is a strong reminder that we stand on the shoulders of giants who were faithful to incarnational spirituality, an educational vision, and served with spirit and courage. For this, we are all grateful,” said Sister Lauren Beck, C.V.I, president of IWA, about the milestone.

Mother Dillon would become the school’s first principal, assisted by Sisters Lawrence and Therese. In those early days between 1873 and the late 1880s, they embraced an ethos that education was for everyone, and the academy educated the daughters of Houston’s oldest families, newcomer settlers to Texas and freed slaves.

While the sisters were building the curriculum and educating those first students, designer Nicholas Clayton oversaw the plans and construction of the first school building and church, all of which were completed in 1905.

That was the same time the academy shifted its focus from serving as a finishing school and started its journey as a college-preparatory institution. That was unusual at the time when young women were still expected to make lives inside the home and not go on to higher education. But it speaks to IWA’s legacy of providing a strong educational foundation alongside its deeply rooted Catholic faith.

“When you start a mission, coming over one way from France, think about the level of courage that took,” said Cathy Stephen, IWA’s principal. “Bringing the mission forward is still important today because we believe in a space where girls can be heard and hone their voices, skills, and talents to be successful wherever they go.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF INCARNATE WORD ACADEMY

Students at Incarnate Word Academy use the library located in the old Clayton Building in the 1950s.

Over the years, the school has expanded and enriched what was already a strong curriculum. The school named its first lay principal in 1994 and launched a pioneering leadership series in 2010 that would evolve into IWA’s Young Leaders Program, the first of its kind among Catholic schools and one of the few in the nation that helps students understand that leadership is multifaceted and every student has leadership potential.

The school’s current building was completed in 2017. Its modern white exterior adorned with red awnings is a downtown landmark. Its 18,500 square feet are an extension of the old school.

In the courtyard stands the historical marker that announces IWA’s beginnings as one of the city’s — and the state’s — important education landmarks. That’s just one more example of how the old and new stand side by side at IWA, proving its ability to grow alongside the city it calls home.

When you talk to IWA students and alumnae, the concept of home is one that’s heard frequently, although it’s usually expressed with the word “sisterhood.” Multi-generational families of women educated within the walls of “the 609” are not uncommon stories.

“Everyone at IWA knew everyone,” said Dominique Bartholet, a 1994 graduate of the school who is now an attorney. “I never felt like I was a number there.You really become part of a family.”

The school allowed her to thrive, she said, and she graduated as salutatorian with a scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin. But, she chose to attend Trinity University instead, which she felt was big enough but still a small enough environment where she could find her way.

Last year, her oldest daughter Danielle, graduated IWA and now attends Emerson College, where she’s pursuing her dream of being a writer.

Bartholet’s youngest daughter, Madeline, is currently at IWA; she’ll graduate in 2027.

“They wear the same plaid skirt I did,” she said of her daughters, and she likes the legacy of a shared experience.

“IWA really prepared me for college,” said Danielle. “I learned how to advocate for myself and speak up for other girls.

That’s been super helpful in college, and I feel like I can approach my professors, and I am so prepared academically.”

She’s loved watching her sister go through her freshman year. The two have different likes, and that’s made their IWA experiences different. Danielle was on

the school newspaper and took part in theater at IWA and with St. Thomas High School. Madeline tried out for sports teams and has taken up modeling.

“But all three of us — my mom, my sister and I — have this connection through IWA,” Danielle said. “We’ll all have rings from the same high school.

We have the same values and core surrounding us.”

Over the course of the school’s yearlong anniversary, it hosted a series of events to mark the occasion, including a gala and an open house showcasing documents, artifacts and memorabilia from the last 150 years, including a statue of the Virgin Mary that was displayed when the school opened.

That’s surely something Mother Dillon would’ve been proud of, even if it wasn’t something she could foresee. But the legacy she and those who came after have left behind is one that’s important for the school and the city it serves.

“I think Houston is built on those renegades and those brave pioneers who were ready to go out there and change the world,” Stephen said. “I’m humbled by the legacy of this school and very proud to carry that forward each year with a new group of freshmen.” †

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16 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD EDUCATION

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STRAKE JESUIT

CLASS OF 2024

As graduates of a Catholic, Jesuit institution, these young men of the Class of 2024 are uniquely prepared for both college and the world that awaits them. They are Men for Others, formed to live out the call of Christ to actively contribute to building a more just and loving society.

The six traits that they carry with them are described as the Strake Jesuit Graduate at Graduation. These young men have been challenged to become Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Religious, Loving, Committed to Doing Justice, and Physically Fit.

Carter Julian Abel Maxwell Kelly Abel Thomas Finn Adamson Alexander Ademayowa Adegbesan Sean Ronald Ahlgren Jake Logan Aigner Faysal Fadi Alameddine Cristian Tomas Alarcon Ryan Greene Allen Charles Edward Alley Lance Jeremiah Mones Alonte Andres Esteban Amaya David Charles Anders Tobias George Arayath Alan Courtenay Arnold III John Mark Artlip Anthony Walid Baaklini Farah James Baba Giovanni Paolo Ballerini Christopher Barnes, Jr. Greyson Poole Barrett Rodney Patrick Barry IV Christopher Luke Bascom Antoine Nkwakwo Bate-Osoh Alan Samuel Belloso-Simone Paul Clemens Belton Alonso Ignacio Benavides Christian Geoffrey Bennett Dylan Lloyd Bentsen Dimitrios Nikolaos Bernitsas Benjamin Reed Black Joseph Mason Bollinger Sebastian Boza Ethan Mitchell Bradford

Nathan Christopher Brallier Jake Austin Brannen Michael Andrew Brindle Chase Michael Broadnax Mark Christopher Broussard Caleb Derek Bryan Andrew Leamon Buettgen Brayden Thomas Burrow Robert Buttram Joshua Alan Cander Adrian Sebastian Cardenas William James Caro Richard Greyson Carr Jordan Roy-Alan Carroll Christian Joseph Casares Andres Pablo Castellanos Matthew Christopher Cavers Julio Alexander Tlaloc Ceno Blake Meyer Chandler Noah Benjamin Chang Howard Daniel Chapman Arjun Rao Chimata JohnPaul Kim Chincuanco David Michael Chiu Mason Joseph Chiu Diego Antonio Cholico Joseph Hopkins Clark Jace Rix Clay Austin Wyatt Codwell Hubert Oxford Colley Maximiliano Concha Pinto Garrett Laughlin Connell Bennett Dickason Connelly Ian James Conner

Joshua Mana O ‘I’ O Cordova Joshua Lolek Cortes Ryan Richard Cortez Connor Houston Couch Alejandro Creixell Evan Reese Criner Michael Deon Crutchfield II Alejandro Cruz Samuel Ryan Dachman Jonathan Daniel Edward Thomas Davila Micah James Davis Andrew Patrick Dennis Andrew Joseph Deroche Clarke Gregory Dillard Preston Tyler Dillard Joseph Danh Dinh Albert Ernest Dion III Alessandro Javier Cruz Directo Adrian T. Doan Charles Putzka Donnell Robert Edward Downs Graham Michael Drouilhet Matthew Robert Dubec Conner Luke DuMay Luke Christoph Duncan Jacob Alexander Eddington Ian Mitchell Elfman William Caden Ellison Luca Ermoli David Escobedo Diego Tan Estrella Matthew Francis Fenz Gabriel Anthony Olencio Fernandes

Emiliano Kenneth Fernandez Santiago Antonio Fernandez Ryan Eugene Fetzer Preston Flowers Jackson George Hammond Forkner Taylor Fuentes Xavier Gallart Jared Serrano Garcia Nicolas Xavier Garcia Nicholas Garrido Kyle John Randal Garvis Enrique Gasca John William Gatlin Dorian Alexander Gee Owen Michael Gibney Kavin Deepak Gidvani William Walter Gillette Maximus George Gitschel Rodolfo Gonzalez Vidal Logan Carter Graham Matthew Douglas Grant Dominic Joseph Green Amar Auden Griffin Paul Jacques Grover Noah Matthew Gubbels Adrian Kaleo Guerrero Jackson Perry Ham Jacob Orengo Hanel Marcus Jermaine Harris II Harrison Davis Hendricks Maxwell Daniel Herbert Mateo Sebastian Hernaez Angelo Gabriel Hernandez Nicholas Eliseo Hernandez

Javier Hernandez-Molina Leo Aidan Karol Heuring Daniel Bennett Hill Luis Martin Hinojosa Royce Adrian Holder Carson Joseph Hopper Dillon Jeffrey Hopper Nicholas Charles Horton Robert Emmanuel Humber Rafaele Harry Hunter Ali Saif Husain Jacob Tidwell Hyman Russel Anton Hymel Kenechukwu Martin-Benedict Igbokwe Nicholas Macallan Jacobsen Nathaniel Isaac James Jackson Carter Jamison Dylan Lawrence Jimenez Richard Henry Johnigan IV Luke Parker Johnson Reece Alexander Johnson Evan Cash Johnston Zachary Sam Jones Stephen Giovanni Joseph Erick Daniel Juarez Martinez Vincent Evan Jumalon Abel Paul Sholey Kallely Mutua Kasinga Samuel Ralston Kennett Mikaeel Abid Khan Sebastian Amin Khayat Andrew Gyung-Min Kim Ryan Ashton Laird Gunn Singh Lamba

EDUCATION

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

Luke Eason Landmesser Joseph S. Lasala III Michael Christopher Latiolais John Wayne Le Bleu II Jack Wesley Ledet Hunter Hsia Lee Henry Taylor Leemann Brody Richard Leffler Quinn Joaquin Lesniak Owen Aiden Leung Jason H. Lin Henry Joseph Loft Andrew Ray Love Jack McManus LoVoi Nathan Luka Christian Antonio Luna William Richard Lydecker Owen Dexter Lynch Brendan Stephen Lyon Jack Regis Magnus Cadel Greenwood Malanga Matthew Joseph Mallon Alec Josue Mancilla Sebastian Foley Manero Juan Pablo Andres Marinovic Lucas Michael Marinovic George Thomas Marks Zachary Chase Marshall Daniel Alberto Martinez II Joaquin Antonio Martinez Gabriel Eugenio Martinez Reyes Quentin Jacob Martino Henry Joseph Maytum Daniel Alfonso McCord

Gabriel Michael McGinnis Matthew Hawkins Mead Alejandro Tomas Mejia Kaleb Cy Melancon John Calvin Meloy V David Martin Menchaca Sebastian Mendez Brian Matthew Middleton William Michael Mihelick Adam John Miller Christopher Bradley Miller Jr. John Paul Miranda Murray Cooper Mitchell Noah David Mitchell Santino Luca Moretti Ameer Nader Moussa Matias Sebastian Mur Derek Joseph Murphy Anil Wesley Naik Nicholas Andrew Nair Charles Anderson Nedwed Tristan Connor Newman Mark Danh Ngo Jonathan Dang Khoa Nguyen Jonathan Viet Nguyen Kasey Duc Thang Nguyen Mason Hoang Nguyen Michael Anh-Minh Nguyen Michael Steven Nguyen Noah Thomas Nguyen Vincent Nguyen Deng Levi James Norvell Brandon Anthony Novak Jaylen Amir Odili

John Christian Ohlenburg Ebubechukwu Gerald Okeke Franco Aiden Lopez O’Malley Matthew Isaac O’Neal Conor Marschall Orchard Hayden George Osborn Sutton Hale Palumbo Patricio Parra William Kalpesh Patel Collin James Peery Evan David Pendleton Julian Patrick Phillips Ryan Michael Plakos Matthew Karuna Prabhu Jackson Henry Priesmeyer Nicholas George Puig Evan Jonathan Queen John David Quickfall Villar Oscar Alberto Quiñones Jaimes Rishabh Aanand Raaj Andres Felipe Ramirez Burke Ellis Ramirez Samuel Amador Ramirez Ethan Luke Reumuth James Todd Rheaume Felipe Riascos Luke Matthew Ritter Christopher Zeke Rivera Justice Legend Robinson Marcos Geoffrey Rodriguez Walter Helm Rorschach Remington Alan Roth Charles Crockett Ruffeno Alexander Robert Roy Saba

texas catholic herald 17

Armando Diego Saenz Ray Keanu Saenz Diego Sarmiento Luke Elliot Schexnaildre Jonathan David Segrist Robert Wilbanks Sellers Jr. Ryohn Narayan Sen Michael Gabriele Sena Alex Thomas Shield Lucas Jay Sieler Walter Kelom Siller Bryson Hayden Sims Reid Anthony Smaistrla Christopher Hatton Smith Ellis Masterson Smith Ethan Joseph Smith Ethan Samuel Smith Wesley Charles Smith Elliot Ravenel Smythe Tyler Haynes Socha Maximo Aaron Soto Zachary Edward Stanton Aidan Robert McGovern Still Alexander Maksim Strachan Roberto Helios Suarez-Rivero William Steen Suell Patrick Thomas Sullivan Charles Wright Suman Dominick Joseph Summa Ryan Sun Philippe T. Tamayo Prinze T. Tamayo Hampton Miles Teltschik Thomas Varapagasam Thampoe

Luke Thomas Tholany Benjamin Quoc To Adan Gabriel Torres Matthew Welder Trail Andrew Joshua Treese Cooper Tully William Tully Hunter Rexx Uptmor Elijah John Tulud Uyenco John Robert Vaio Oscar Carlos Valdés Jef Van Hout Louis Van Hout Ellis Brian Vance Luke McCarthy Vandermeer Nicholas Wesley Varner Enrique Velasco Roman Matthew Vessels Jaxson Cole Villarreal Paul Minh Vo Braden Evert Walker Jack Powell Walker John-Paul Matthew Webber Craig Dontrell Webster-Hall Gene Lu Wei Nathan Duke Wei Wesley William Westbrooks Joseph Michael Wieland Jackson David Wisdom Jack Greenwood Wise III Robert Wood Homer Jon Jackson Young Owen Regan Zoeller

18 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD CLASS OF 2024

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

CLASS OF 2024

ONE QUILT IS COMPLETED, A NEW ONE BEGINS

G

raduation is the celebration of putting the last stitch on the quilt of high school. As loved ones take the quilt they helped their children make and lovingly cherish, the senior Class of 2024 is looking to their future with dreams, hopes and goals, searching for those new patches that will be part of their lives as college students and continued through adulthood.

As seniors begin to sew their own quilts, the Texas Catholic Herald takes a look at the accomplishments of the top students of the Archdiocesan graduating Class of 2024.

CRISTO REY JESUIT COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL The Outstanding student from Cristo Rey Jesuit (CRJ) College Preparatory School’s 2024 graduating class is Nancy Garcia. She will be going to the University of St. Thomas in the fall, where she will be majoring in psychology. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, Garcia has earned the highest academic distinction, while serving as student body president. She NANCY also participated in GARCIA basketball and cross country and served as a student ambassador. Her other involvements included the CRJ Garden Club, Art Club, Magis Ministry and youth council.

2024 Valedictorian. She will be attending Texas A&M University in College Station in the fall.

Thompson was heavily involved in Breakthrough Houston, where she volunteered as an eighth-grade STEM teacher.

Thompson also volunteered at the Tuttle School in Briarwood during her junior year and as a teacher’s assistant for kindergarten through second-grade HANNAH students. She hopes to THOMPSON continue her mission of education for all in college by volunteering in schools and charities in College Station.

Andrea Lessmann is the Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart Class of 2024 Salutatorian. She will be attending Notre Dame University in the fall to study marketing and finance. Lessmann served with Duchesne’s Social Awareness program and by teaching young kids swimming. At school, she was involved in the Key Club, Spirit Club, soccer team and swim team. She hopes to grow the small art business she’s been working on for the last few years and combine the business ANDREA education with that LESSMANN artistic pursuit.

DUCHESNE ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART

FRASSATI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Hannah Thompson is the Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart Class of

The Frassati Catholic High School Class of 2024 Valedictorian, Annaliese

Turner, will be attending the University of Oklahoma in the fall to study civil engineering.

Turner has served the Frassati Catholic community as a sacristan and an altar server. Additionally, ANNALIESE she has supported her TURNER school community as a student ambassador.

In school, she was a member of the Book Club, ASL Club, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Acts of Mercy Club, Robotics Club and Swing Dance Club, as well as being a two-sport athlete in cross country and ISABELLA tennis.

CAMPODONICO The Frassati Catholic High School’s 2024 Salutatorian, Isabella Campodonico, will be attending the Universidad de Navarra, Spain, to major in applied management. Campodonico served as a student ambassador, working with prospective students. She was a member of the National Honor Society.

INCARNATE WORD ACADEMY Incarnate Word Academy’s 2024 Valedictorian, Lauren Gentry, will attend Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and major in biological engineering with a minor in Spanish.

Throughout the last four years, she

has volunteered as a ranch hand at Lone Oak Ranch in Anahuac, helping to preserve Texas’ marshland.

Additionally, she volunteered with young softball players around Houston.

While at IWA, she was senior class president, captain of the softball team, a member of the varsity basketball team and the president of IWA’s sports club — LAUREN CLASH. She hopes GENTRY to graduate from LSU and attend medical school to become a cardiovascular surgeon and become fluent in Spanish to support Texas’ Latino community.

IWA’s 2024 Salutatorian, Jane Volf, will attend Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where she’ll major in business and political science as well as play on the women’s soccer team. In the last four years, she has volunteered at the LifeHouse of Houston, a prolife organization devoted to caring for pregnant women and their babies throughout and after their pregnancies.

JANE She also spent the VOLF past summer as a volunteer at Camp Smiles, a week-long summer camp for kids with cerebral palsy. While at IWA, she was a part of the National Honor Society, Campus Ministry team, ambassador, president of Falcons 4 Life, Math Honors Society, and she played varsity sports in soccer, cross country and tennis.

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

O’CONNELL COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL The O’Connell College Preparatory School Class of 2024 Valedictorian is Mateo Esqueda. He will attend the University of Texas at San Antonio in the fall, majoring in film and media studies and minoring in creative writing.

He assisted the faculty and staff as a school ambassador and had the opportunity to host visiting students MATEO during school and ESQUEDA mentor new students who transferred to O’Connell from other schools.

Esqueda served the community in diverse ways through his involvement with the National Honor Society and Campus Ministries. They were able to organize and hold events, such as canned food drives, personal care packets for the homeless, and working with the Galveston Food Bank. His senior capstone project involved more than 100 hours of volunteering and fundraising to provide a donation to support the Galveston’s Children’s Center.

He was also a member of both the varsity basketball and baseball teams.

His goal is to build a successful career as a screenwriter and to share stories and events through writing and producing films.

The O’Connell College Preparatory School Class of 2024 Salutatorian is Cailyn Molly-Jo Wohleb. She will attend Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, in the fall and major in hospitality administration with a focus on culinary arts.

At school, Wohleb was part of the National Honor Society, German Honor Society, theater, CAILYN varsity tennis and a MOLLY-JO school ambassador.

WOHLEB In the community, she volunteered over 170 hours with the Rosenberg Library. She organized and participated in numerous charitable activities such as can food drives, personal care packets for the homeless, and working with the local food pantries and the Galveston Food Bank distribution.

ST. AGNES ACADEMY The St. Agnes Academy’s Class of 2024 Valedictorian is National Merit Scholarship winner Melinda Dae. She will be attending University of Texas at Austin in the Polymathic Scholars Honors Program, where she will study neuroscience.

In the community, Dae has volunteered as a skate therapy coach, sharing her love of ice skating with individuals with MELINDA disabilities. She’s also DAE served on the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, advocating for safe driving initiatives, and interned at MD Anderson Cancer

CLASS OF 2024 Center, where her research presentation earned a People’s Choice award. On campus, Dae served on the St. Agnes Student Council and co-led the speech and debate team, where she was a four-time national qualifier — a first in St. Agnes’ history.

The St. Agnes Academy Class of 2024 Salutatorian is Abigail Hou. While in school, Hou served the Dominican Preaching Team, helping to plan and lead retreats, and a member of the varsity field hockey team.

After discovering her love for computer science, Abby accepted a position to conduct machine learning research and presented ABIGAIL it at the MIT UnderHOU graduate Research Technology Conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Next year, she will be attending Northwestern University in Illinois, continuing her studies in computer science.

ST. JOHN XXIII COLLEGE PREPARATORY The St. John XXIII College Preparatory’s Class of 2024 Valedictorian is Rebecca Sandweg. She will be attending the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in psychology and finance as a double major.

In school, Sandweg was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Hispanic Honor Society, and the National Science REBECCA Honor Society.

SANDWEG She was a Lion Ambassador and played basketball as a freshman. She participated in the Spanish Club, the Earth Club, and the Treat People with Kindness Club and was a summer math tutor. In the community, she volunteered for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Brookwood Community, St. Faustina Catholic Church VBS, and the Houston Food Bank.

Sandweg has several academic achievements, including the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Award as a sophomore, and was named a College Board National AP Scholar with Distinction as a junior.

The St. John XXIII College Preparatory’s Class of 2024 Salutatorian is Ana Granados. She will be attending the University of Notre Dame and plans to study architecture.

As a sophomore student, Granados served as president of the National Honor Society, co-president of the Art Club, and secretary of the National Spanish Honor Society. She ANA is also a member of GRANADOS the National Science Honor Society, a Lion Ambassador, and a member of various school clubs. As a junior, she played golf.

Off-campus, Granados volunteered for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Child Advocates of Fort Bend, The Lord’s Kitchen, and the Parks Youth Ranch.

Some of her many achievements include participation in the Rice

Architecture Summer Immersion Program and attendance at Camp ARCH, a construction science camp at Texas A&M University. She also received the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Award and was named an AP Scholar with Distinction.

ST. PIUS X HIGH SCHOOL The St. Pius X High School Class of 2024 Valedictorian is Granger BeringJames. She will attend Rice University, majoring in statistics.

In school, BeringJames was a member of the tennis team, sports medicine, student ambassadors, student council, National Honor Society and Panther Peer Tutoring.

In GRANGER the community, BERING-JAMES she assisted at the Houston Food Bank and volunteered at Camp Blessing the summer before her senior year, where she was a buddy for a camper with seizures.

She took care of her, always ensuring she was safe and having fun. She hopes that she can make an impact on the medical field through data science and quicken the recovery time for illnesses through determining means of earlier diagnosis.

Olasubomi Bolatito Majekodunmi is the St. Pius X’s Class of 2024 Salutatorian.

She will attend the University of Kentucky, majoring in biology on the premed track.

In school, Majekodunmi was a varsity basketball player and manager, part of the Recycling OLASUBOMI Club, National BOLATITO Honors Society, MAJEKODUNMI student ambassadors, tennis manager and Service Club. In the community, she volunteered at a hospital called St. Claire Healthcare and helped patients and physicians. She hopes to be a physician.

ST. THOMAS HIGH SCHOOL The St. Thomas High School (STH) Class of 2024 Valedictorian is Campbell Brown. He will attend the University of Texas at Austin, planning to participate in the Plan II honors program while also pursuing a pre-med track.

At St. Thomas, Brown was president of both the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society and the CAMPBELL Quiz Bowl Club.

BROWN He has served the community through his work as an Eagle Scout, completing renovations to the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church as his Eagle Scout Project. Additionally, Brown served in a volunteer position at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital last summer.

“I hope that I can make a meaningful impact on the communities I will be a part of in college and grow in my faith,” he said.

texas catholic herald 19

The St. Thomas High School Class of 2024 Salutatorian is David Neason. He will be attending Texas A&M University in College Station to study biomedical e n g i n e e r i n g or petroleum engineering.

DAVID Neason was the NEASON secretary of the Computer Science Honor Society, which hosted computer science classes for kids in Houston who did not have technology classes at their schools. In school, he was president of the Quiz Bowl Club junior year, played trombone in the STH band for three years, played varsity tennis all four years of high school and a member of the Ad Altare Dei society.

In the future, Neason aspires to use his experience and hopefully a degree in engineering to make changes in the medical device industry, including technology for replacement heart valves.

STRAKE JESUIT COLLEGE PREPARATORY Zachary Jones is Strake Jesuit’s Class of 2024 Valedictorian. He is going to attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall to study applied and computational math and statistics.

At Strake Jesuit, Jones was a fouryear member of the chamber orchestra, serving as first chair violist his senior year. He was a threeZACHARY year letterman on JONES the water polo team, who placed as region finalists this season. He was also involved with the freshman retreat, twice serving as a small-group leader, and represented Gonzaga House on the House Council.

Outside of school, Jones was involved in the Boy Scouts of America, achieving Eagle Scout in September 2023. As a lifelong Astros fan, he is interested in the realm of sports and business statistics, as well as paying forward the gift of his education through teaching.

The Salutatorian of Strake Jesuit, class of 2024, is Alessandro Directo. He plans to attend Rice University in the fall to study engineering.

Directo traveled to Mexico multiple times to attend a service project centered around giving English and faith-based classes to young children.

Every summer, ALLESANDRO he volunteers at DIRECTO Leadership Camp Texas, helping young boys grow into great leaders by fostering virtues and learning leadership skills.

In addition to his community service, Directo has been a dedicated member of the Strake Jesuit rugby team since his freshman year, serving as captain and leading the team to multiple winning seasons. During his time at Strake Jesuit, Directo was also the president of the Ultimate Frisbee Club and the Filipino Student Association. In the future, Directo hopes to pursue an MBA and seek engineering-related entrepreneurial opportunities in Houston. †

20 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD EDUCATION

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

Presenting the Class of 2024!

126 GRADUATES 12 MAGNA CUM LAUDE 2 NATIONAL MERIT COMMENDED SCHOLARS

11 SUMMA CUM LAUDE 11 CUM LAUDE 13 NATIONAL MERIT RECOGNITIONS

54 NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERS

118 UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES

$9.2M IN SCHOLARSHIPS

159 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

St. Pius X High School | 713.692.3581 | 811 W. Donovan St. Houston, TX 77091 | stpiusx.org

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

EDUCATION

texas catholic herald 21

Scholarships help Archdiocesan students set a course for the future at area Catholic high schools HOUSTON — Eighth-grade students in the Archdiocese are taking the next step in Catholic education as they move onto high school, several of whom have received scholarships to area Catholic high schools.

Here are the scholarship winners reported to the Texas Catholic Herald:

the Piliar Scholarship to St. John XXIII. Ines Fournier received the Summa Cum Laude Scholarship to Incarnate Word Academy. Reese Nguyen received the Alumnae Association Scholarship to St. Agnes. Nathalie Romero-Raas received a scholarship to St. John XXIII. ST. LAURENCE - SUGAR LAND Alejandro Cividanes received the Knights of Columbus Scholarship to Strake Jesuit. Addison Shimer received the St. Agnes Academy Merit Scholarship to St. Agnes.

EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - KATY Maria Paulina Arriola Alvarado and Logan Khoury received the Lion Pride Scholarship to St. John XXIII College Preparatory. Alli Garrity and Amelie Moloney received the SJ23 Achievement Scholarship to St. John XXIII. OUR LADY OF FATIMA - GALENA PARK Osvaldo DeLeon received the Basilian Scholarship to St. Thomas High School.

SACRED HEART - CONROE William Barnes and Sophie Gonzalez received the Spirit of Frassati Award to Frassati Catholic High School.

ST. ANNE - HOUSTON Rocco Dalati received a scholarship to Strake Jesuit.

ST. ANNE - TOMBALL Luke Espinosa and Kinley Leonard received a scholarship to Frassati. Cana Harrison and John LeCompte received the Spirit of Frassati Award to Frassati.

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA - THE WOODLANDS James Curtin and Aryanna Lorenzetti will attend Frassati with the Bishop

PHOTO BY ERICA PARAS/ST. AUGUSTINE SCHOOL

Graduating 2024 eighth-grade students at St. Augustine School in Houston greet their youngest classmates following a ceremony. Two students, Erik Capuchino and Carolina Rodriguez, received scholarships to attend Catholic high schools.

George Sheltz Scholarship. Ellie Tressel and Sammy White received the Spirit of Frassati Award to Frassati.

ST. AUGUSTINE Erik Capuchino received the Basilian Scholarship to St. Thomas. Carolina Rodriguez received the Ashley Barras ‘99 Memorial Scholarship to St. Agnes Academy.

ST. EDWARD - SPRING Abigail Behan received the Ann Henthorn Scholarship to St. Pius X High School. Gavriella Dichoso and Michael Saunders received the Spirit of Frassati Award to Frassati. Paige McCullum received the Jackie Lee Jordan Memorial Scholarship to St. Pius X. Louis Peguero

and John Philip Runge received the Frassati Scholarship to Frassati.

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON Angel Delgado received the Newman Scholarship to Cathedral High School.

Gabriella Herrera received the Veritas Scholarship Award to St. Pius X. Joseph Phu received the Lion Pride Scholarship to St. John XXIII. ST. HELEN - PEARLAND Tate Erb received the St. Thomas High School Award for Excellence to St. Thomas.

ST. JOHN PAUL II Matthew Del Rio received the St. Joseph the Worker Scholarship to St. Pius X. Shabnam Ebrahimi received

ST. THERESA - HOUSTON Christopher Bolanos received the Award of Excellence to St. Thomas. James Lenton received the Ignatian Scholar Award to Strake Jesuit. Austin Reiff received the Merit Scholarship Award to St. Pius X. Megan Holden Schmidt received the Janet Erskine Stuart Award to Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart.

ST. THERESA - SUGAR LAND Nikita Adrian Dementyev received the 2024 Ignatian Scholar Award to Strake Jesuit. Angela Martin received the Pillar Scholarship, Matilde Santizo received the Achievement Scholarship and Kylie Tran received the Roncalli Scholarship, all to St. John XXIII. ST. VINCENT DE PAUL Gillian Adjovu received a scholarship to St. Agnes. Nicholas Broussard received a scholarship to Strake Jesuit. Khanh Le received a scholarship to St. Agnes.

Nico Pacini received a scholarship to St. Thomas. †

22 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD EDUCATION

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

Schools, parishes and ministries celebrate graduates HOUSTON — In celebration and recognition of the graduates of the Class of 2024, parishes, schools and ministries around the Archdiocese held special Masses, ceremonies and gatherings, honoring all graduates, whether from pre-kindergarten, junior high, high school or college. †

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON - NEWMAN CENTER

ST. LAURENCE

STRAKE JESUIT

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Primary and specialty health care services, counseling and mental health services, dental and vision.

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texas catholic herald 23

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

YOUTH Encouraging high school grads to find a home in your parish Congratulations to the graduating high school class of 2024! As they step off the stage with their diplomas in hand, what lies ahead? How will they navigate this transition from high school? Will the self-centered culture around them sway them, or will they choose to shine brightly for Jesus and positively impact the world?

A report from the Springtide Research Institute titled “The State of Religion & Young People 2021-Catholic Edition” shows a concerning trend among surveyed Catholics aged 13 to 25.

It found that 52% attend Mass once a year or less, with 27% never attending.

Only 23% attend Mass weekly or more, while 19% go monthly.

Despite these challenges, there are many ways to involve recent high school grads in parish life and help them go out and make disciples. Many grads, facing the complexities of adulthood, might not see the parish as a source of guidance

and support. However, these youths are vital to the livelihood of a parish because they bring new energy and fresh ideas to the table.

It is crucial to understand the many challenges that recent by high school grads face as they become adults.

NORSON FERNANDEZ They wrestle with big questions about life and faith, trying to stay true to their Catholic beliefs while being independent and figuring out right from wrong. It is essential to offer them opportunities to explore who they are and grow closer to God in a supportive community.

Programs like Alpha or small groups for young people give them a place to talk about their questions of faith and life’s challenges, helping them on their

journey to Heaven.

If we want to see recent high school graduates in church every week, we need to make them feel at home and regularly connect them to people from the parish. They need guidance and support from older adults. Parish mentorship and internship programs can help with that. In my parish, high school and college students can serve as interns in our communications ministry and have helped create social media content, worked with our preschool marketing, and giving feedback on our new church website.

When parish leaders need volunteers, they should seek recent graduates.

Instead of recruiting them just because they are there, they should be invited to serve in volunteer roles based on their gifts and talents.

For example, encourage them by saying, “You would be great as a greeter at Mass because you’re always friendly.

That could make people happy when they come to church.” By making these connections through engaging activities and events, recent graduates feel important and part of the parish.

Encouraging recent graduates to lead and shape their communities spiritually is also important. Spiritual events should be created with them, not just for them.

By intentionally including them in planning activities fostering spiritual growth, such as young adult retreats, and inviting them to leadership roles, like pastoral council members, we show them that what they do matters and that we want to hear what they have to say.

Helping young people grow

• Director - Office of Aging • Associate Director Special Youth Services • Stewardship and Engagement Manager • Development Coordinator • HR and more...

• Faith Formation • Facilities • Youth Ministers and more...

spiritually and personally means meeting all their needs. Classes, workshops and resources tailored to them could range from spiritual gifts workshops to personal finance classes to help them on their journey. Celebrating their achievements makes them feel valued and keeps them engaged.

In Pope Francis’ exhortation, Christus Vivit, addressed to young people, he urges us to “find ways of keeping close to the voices and concerns of young people” and “appreciate the vision but also the criticisms of young people.” Imagine the profound impact on the Church if we truly embraced this call with our recent high school graduates.

We are called to build relationships, provide mentorship, and foster spiritual growth among our young people. This week, try connecting with your parish youth minister or a parish leader who works regularly with high schoolers to see how you can support recent graduates. By listening to their needs and offering guidance, we create an environment where they feel valued and empowered to grow.

Let us build vibrant parish communities where recent Catholic high school graduates don’t just fade away from the Church and become another unfortunate statistic but become leaders who take up space at our Sunday Masses and parish events, eager to make disciples and set the world on fire! † Norson Fernandez is the coordinator of communications at Prince of Peace Catholic Community in Houston.

24 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

COLUMNISTS

Come Holy Spirit

When students delve into the Blessed Trinity, they often focus on God the Father or God the Son, inadvertently overlooking the third member of the Godhead — the Holy Spirit. Despite being the least discussed among the three persons of God, the Holy Spirit is pivotal in campus ministry as it “builds, animates and sanctifies the Church” (CCC, No. 747).

The Holy Spirit is not just a concept but a person to be known, loved and related to. Just as we know and love the Father and the Son, we can also know and love the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the enabler of all campus ministry, forging personal connections that strengthen the community and each individual’s spiritual journey.

Though we may not be able to perceive when and where the Holy Spirit comes from tangibly, we can observe the effects of the Spirit. Jesus analogizes the Holy Spirit to the wind. We can hear the wind blowing but cannot see it. We do, however, perceive the effects of the wind.

by SIMON POWELL

For example, when you see a tree swaying, you know the wind is blowing. Similarly, in campus ministry, we can see the effects of the Holy Spirit. For instance, we know the Holy Spirit is at work when students show love, joyfulness, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and service.

I have been fortunate this year to see these effects in several

students.

During our mission trip to Dallas this past spring, I saw the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in action.

Students at times avoid manual labor where possible, but as they worked for those in need, they did this work with love, joyfulness, kindness and generosity — all of which were manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s presence and influence.

I have seen students develop new

strengths within them as the Holy Spirit is present, leading, transforming and guiding them. One student was inspired to learn more about Scripture this year.

As the Spirit inspired the writing, so does the Spirit inspire the reading, and I have been amazed at her insightful reflections and how she is growing the mind and heart of Christ within herself.

Another student recently entered the Church this Easter and was transformed by sacramental grace, mainly through the Eucharist. He was graced with an ability to forgive those who had abused him in the past, something which he struggled with deeply before then. These transformations are not just nice stories but real-life examples of the Holy Spirit’s power at work in these young people’s lives.

Our adult Confirmation program was a testament to the transformative effects of the Holy Spirit. One student shared how she felt a stronger connection with the Body of Christ and is now inspired to participate more actively in the Sacraments, communal prayer, and

fostering friendships with fellow believers on their shared faith journey.

It is challenging for students to evangelize other students — their friends and peers. Still, several have been empowered to speak and witness courageously, just as the first disciples were enlivened by the Holy Spirit and filled with enthusiasm to continue the mission of Jesus.

“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

If our lives are under the power and care of the Holy Spirit, we may only sometimes know where we will be led, but we can always know that it will be the right place for us. † Simon Powell serves as director of Campus Ministry at Sam Houston State University Catholic Student Center in Huntsville.

The Knights of the Altar It is worth noting that there is a shortage of priests in the Archdiocese and nation. The reality is that if there are no priests to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, then there is no Eucharist to sustain and strengthen the souls of the faithful.

Pope Benedict XVI once said, “Without the Eucharist, the Church quite simply would not exist” (Angelus, June 26, 2011). During this Eucharistic Revival, it is necessary to rekindle Eucharistic piety and cultivate holy vocations to the priesthood in our parishes.

In 2023, a survey was prepared and released by Georgetown’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The survey showed that amongst the responses of the newly ordained (334 of 458), 72% of religious priests and 71% of

diocesan priests once served as altar boys.

This supports the 1994 letter from the Congregation of Divine Worship regarding the tradition of having boys serve at the altar and the obligation of parishes to by foster priestly vocations.

To assist our youth, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton THOMAS Catholic Church, where VU I have assisted, has overhauled the altar serving program within the last decade. This formally established the Guild of Altar Servers (boys and girls) and the Knights of the Altar (only boys). The result has led to an increase of more than 100 servers. About 90% of servers are boys, and half of them belong to the Knights of the Altar.

The Knights have a hierarchical system that is distinguished by their liturgical garment. The new apprentice begins his service wearing the white alb and cincture. After some time, they are promoted to knight by receiving the cassock and surplice. Finally, they can advance and wear medals proper to the Knight Commander, Senior Knight Commander, and Master Knight. This is all based on age, experience, but most importantly, piety.

With the organization, boys and young men are given a place to strive for holiness and excellence. In imitation of the virtues of a Christian Knight, they are taught to love, protect and serve Our Eucharistic Lord at the altar. They are formed by the graces that flow from the Holy Mass, fostering a culture of reverence and responsibility. Finally, they learn what it means to unite as brother knights in prayer, leadership,

and fraternity.

The parents of our knights have consistently mentioned how much their sons love to serve and the sense of responsibility it has taught them. Several of our older knights continue to serve and lead even after graduating from high school. For many of our knights, the Knights of the Altar has been the way for them to grow in holiness. It has allowed them to continue to know, love and serve Our Lord Jesus Christ. For the parents, it is their prayer and hope that one day, the Lord will call their sons to serve as His priests in our Archdiocese.

For more information on the Knights of the Altar, please email vocations@ archgh.org. † Thomas Vu is a seminarian at St. Mary’s Seminary.

JUNE 16

First Reading: Ez 17:22-24

Resp. Psalm: Ps 92:2-3, 13-16

Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:6-10

Gospel: Mk 4:26-34

JUNE 23

First Reading: Job 38:1, 8-11

Resp. Psalm: Ps 107:23-26, 28-31

Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:14-17

Gospel: Mk 4:35-41

JUNE 30

First Reading: Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24

Resp. Psalm: Ps 30:2, 4-6, 11-13

Second Reading: 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15

Gospel: Mk 5:21-43 or Mk 5:21-24, 35-43

JULY 7

First Reading: Ez 2:2-5

Resp. Psalm: Ps 123:1-4

Second Reading: 2 Cor 12:7-10

Gospel: Mk 6:1-6

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2024!

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“Who e ve r h a s a h eart full of love, alw a y s ha s s om et hing t o give.” -Po pe S t. J o hn X X III www.sj23.org

Katy, Texas

26 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

WORLD

U.S. Catholics encounter fraternity, healing in annual military pilgrimage to Lourdes (OSV News) — Surrounded by almost 15,000 military personnel worldwide, Airman 1st Class Quenton Cooper felt a deep sense of fraternity during a May 24 to 26 pilgrimage to Lourdes, France.

Cooper was one of 183 American pilgrims who journeyed to Lourdes for the annual International Military Pilgrimage.

Every year since 1958, the French army has invited soldiers from across the world to come together for three days of festivities, prayer and fraternity in Lourdes, the frequented pilgrimage site where Mary is believed to have appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858.

“This trip has bolstered my spiritual life because it has reminded me that I’m not alone in my prayer life and that the Church is not just located in one country, but it’s a community that extends all over the world,” Cooper told OSV News. “It is this reminder that no matter who we are, we need to thrive, and God will put us in.

He will always put us where He needs us to help others grow in their faith.”

Known for its healing miracles, Lourdes is often frequented by pilgrims seeking either physical, spiritual or

OSV NEWS PHOTO

U.S. military members of the Warriors to Lourdes program in an undated photo pose on the steps of the Rosary Basilica at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France with Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, center, and Bishop Scott McCaig, head of the Military Ordinariate of Canada (with beard).

mental healing. Thus, the weekend pilgrimage places a special emphasis on

ord’s Give online at give.archgh.org or scan here to give

healing, military chaplain Father Philip O’Neill told OSV News.

“The message of Our Lady of Lourdes is to come for the sake of healing, which is a message that resonated in the assembly,” said Father O’Neill, a U.S. Air Force chaplain with the rank of captain who is currently based in Germany. “We have so many of our veterans who bear the historical scars of war, and to have them all brought together at the foot of the altar to have them brought to the healing waters of Lourdes really was profound.”

For over 20 years, the Knights of Columbus and the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services have co-sponsored the Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage, bringing both active-duty service members and veterans worldwide to seek healing through the pilgrimage.

Retired U.S. Col. Paul Zeternick made his first Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage in 2013. Moved by the experience, he has returned year after year and now serves as a team leader, helping to organize the trip.

“Lourdes is a great place of peace, and this pilgrimage is a time to reflect on who you are, what you’re doing, and where you need to grow,” Zeternick said. “Every time I have attended the pilgrimage, I have experienced growth both as a pilgrim and now as a team leader.”

Now, as a team leader, the most impactful moments of each pilgrimage are witnessing the participants encounter the Lord’s healing touch and experience his merciful love.

“We’ve been offering a special program addressing moral injury, where we talk about post-traumatic stress disorder and how there are different techniques and methods towards healing,” Zeternick

said. “We also emphasize how the Catholic faith, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, is so important in moving forward with the healing process.”

But the pilgrimage offers more than healing and a spiritual encounter; it provides the opportunity for participants to experience fraternity with the global Church.

“In my experience, when military personnel come together with soldiers from other nations, which we do frequently, it is when we are training for war. We engage in the shared practice of warfare, shared strategies and growth in our abilities,” Father O’Neill said.

He said, “As far as I know, this is the only event of its kind where members from so many different countries come together in the name of peace, prayer and healing.”

These fraternal moments were daily occurrences as service members from different countries would sit at cafes and drink coffee or have a meal together, sharing their military and faith experiences.

“What you see on the streets of Lourdes over the course of this week is an incredible fraternity,” Father O’Neill said. “We not only gather to pray and go through the Liturgies and the rituals, but we are also there to be together.

You’ll see service members from every country having coffee or dinner together, sharing a beer or wine. It is a wonderful, incredibly uplifting sight.”

Perhaps the greatest sign of fraternity and unity was the reaction toward Ukrainian troops present at the pilgrimage. Throughout the week, the pilgrims encountered soldiers who traveled from the front lines in Ukraine to seek healing and pray for peace at Lourdes.

“We had many Ukrainian troops at the pilgrimage as well,” said Father O’Neill, who is also a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut. “They received special sympathy and support and became something like minor celebrities.

I think everybody was greeting and saluting the Ukrainians throughout the three days and during the opening and closing ceremonies. When all the flags were marched through the basilica, everybody was clapping and cheering as the Ukrainian flag was processed in.”

Witnessing the Ukrainian soldiers’ faith and devotion left an impression on the other pilgrims, such as Cooper, reminding them that God triumphs over evil.

“I wasn’t expecting to see Ukrainian troops, but their presence at the pilgrimage reminded me that no matter what you’re experiencing, God is the ultimate defender and peacekeeper, and without Him, we cannot triumph over evil,” Cooper said. †

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NATION

Experts discuss the urgency and effect of climate issues among U.S. Latinos WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Environmental change is a great challenge, a priority, and often a matter of life and death for some vulnerable Hispanic communities, which is why caring for the planet is vital, said experts May 22 at an event sponsored

by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.

During the dialogue “Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Latino Priorities: Hearing the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor,” panelists said that the climate crisis must be addressed quickly and collectively because environmental degradation threatens entire communities, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjívar-Ayala, echoing Pope Francis’s words, said that we must listen to both cries as they are connected. “This is why the Earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor,” the bishop said, drawing from the encyclical “Laudato Si’.”

The bishop — who, during a May 18 speech to graduates of Georgetown’s College of Arts and Sciences, stressed that how we treat the vulnerable in society is an indicator of whether we are a great nation — delved into the Catholic Church’s position on the issue. “Our common home is like a sister with whom we share our lives and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us,” he said.

Bishop Menjívar-Ayala added that the effects of humans thinking they have the right to plunder the Earth at will is reflected in the damage to the land, water, air and all forms of life. Panelists also highlighted Pope Francis’ urgent appeal to our conscience and call for an inclusive dialogue on the future of our planet.

“Latino communities in the U.S., who already experience a number of social inequities, are among those most affected and most concerned about the costs of climate change,” said Christian Soenen, the Initiative’s project manager, at the opening of the meeting on climate change, environmental justice, and Latino priorities.

According to surveys, Hispanics tend to be more concerned about environmental issues than other Americans, said Mark Hugo Lopez, director of race and ethnicity research at Pew Research Center. “Threequarters of Latino adults say that their communities are impacted at least some by environmental issues,” he said.

Lopez said 70% report air and water pollution, as well as trash and landfills in their communities. He added that twothirds of Hispanics say climate change is caused by human activity — more than the general population. More than other groups, they see this issue as a challenge for communities, the nation and the world. They are more concerned, he said, about environmental degradation in their communities.

“About 61% of Latinos say addressing climate change is something that the

OSV NEWS PHOTO

Participants in the May 22 Latino Leader Gathering on “Climate Change, Environmental Justice and Latino Priorities: Hearing the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor.” From left to right are Mark Hugo Lopez, Silvia Foster-Frau, Christian Soenen, Elena Gaona and Bishop Joseph Tyson (via livestream).

president and congress should do as a top priority,” he said but added that the economy and inflation rank higher as priority issues. Notably, surveys show hyper-awareness and engagement with what is happening in the local community distinguishes the Latino population from other groups.

“For a lot of our communities, it’s literally a matter of life and death, and while climate change is here, it has been here longer and felt more deeply by communities that are Latino in the U.S.,” said Elena Gaona, a communications specialist who has held multiple roles in non-profit organizations — including Catholic Climate Covenant — and government agencies.

She emphasized that some states suffer extreme heat and its consequences while explaining that polluting oil refineries are located in minority neighborhoods — which do not protest. “These effects are just felt deeply longer and in every stage of our lives,” she said.

Bishop Joseph J. Tyson said that in his Diocese of Yakima, in Washington state, a large part of his diocese is made up of undocumented people. “They are very vulnerable working in the fields taking in the smoke from forest fires, exposure to pesticides and then you know labor practices that are not always fair” and are dangerous, he said. The prelate is the episcopal liaison for the Catholic Covenant and chairman of the U.S. bishop’s Subcommittee on Pastoral Care for Migrants, Refugees and Travelers.

“Environmental problems disproportionately affect low-income communities,” said Silvia Foster-Frau, a national investigative reporter for the Washington Post. “(They) also have disproportionately high rates of illnesses and conditions.”

Foster-Frau, who was part of a team whose series of stories won a Pulitzer Prize in 2024, added that it is very difficult for those communities, lawyers and activists to prove that a particular environmental factor exacerbates these

long-term conditions and illnesses. She pointed at the effect of “illegally high

levels of arsenic” that the majority Latino city of Sunland Park, New Mexico, had in their drinking water for 16 years.

“It really is incumbent on the government to make sure that there are arsenic treatment plants that are up and running and working constantly to keep the drinking water safe,” she said.

The panelists also highlighted ways ordinary people become environmental activists to protect their health and safety.

One example is mothers in Maryland who are concerned that their children have asthma and advocate for electric buses. Now, their children are breathing better, and their health has improved.

These are mothers who become community leaders and meet with legislators, share their stories and change laws, said Gaona, echoing examples from other participants.

“When we become civically engaged like that, they’re not just voting. They are speaking up, organizing, attending meetings, signing petitions, sometimes running for office,” she said. “And so that’s what it takes.” †

28 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

2024

st. thomas high school May Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge guide you in all your future endeavors!

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JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

MUNDO CATÓLICO Liderazgo servicial “Entonces se levantó de la mesa, se quitó el manto y se ató una toalla a la cintura. Echó agua en un recipiente y se puso a lavar los pies de los discípulos, y luego se los secaba con la toalla que se había atado” (Jn 13, 4-5).

Este amor de dar la vida por sus amigos se puede entender dentro del contexto del discipulado. La palabra discípulo que significa aprendiz, es alguien que se une con lealtad a las instrucciones y compromisos del maestro.

El Evangelio según San Mateo, constituye una verdadera escuela de discipulado y misión. Discípulo es una palabra importante para Mateo. Se encuentra 73 veces en su Evangelio, comparado con 46 y 37 veces en Marcos y Lucas. Esel único nombre que Mateo emplea para los seguidores de Cristo, y se junta frecuentemente conel verbo “seguir”, otro desus vocablosfavoritos. Dios llama a todos a la santidad, este llamado se le conoce “vocación”, una vocación personal

que cada uno debe reconocer, acoger y desarrollar.

El Señor forma a sus discípulos como amigos, por eso hay que gritar a los cuatro vientos y decirle al mundo. “Es bueno seguir a Jesús; es bueno ir con Jesús; es bueno el mensaje de Jesús; es bueno salir de uno mismo, a las periferias del mundo y de la existencia, para llevar a Jesús.” Dios nos ha llamado, y continúa llamando, y es la misma voz del Espíritu Santo que hace la invitación, y es en sí una vocación. Esta invitación, es el deseo de emprender y buscar el Reino de Dios y dirigir toda mi persona hacia la persona de Jesus de Nazaret. El Señor llama a todos, pero solo pocos le escuchan, y en este encuentro personal que tiene la persona con Cristo es donde se aprende a reconocer hacer su voluntad y no la mía “Es necesario que él crezca y que yo disminuya” (Jn 3,30). Los auténticos discípulos como lo hicieron los apóstoles tuvieron la mirada fija en el cielo, pero

los pies bien firmes en el suelo y ¿esto de donde lo aprendieron? ¡Del mismo Señor! acordémonos del lavatorio de los pies. Los discípulos aprendieron a ser amigos, porque aprendieron del propio por maestro a ser sencillos como la paloma, a ser humildes y no ADRIAN ALBERTO prepotentes, a ser HERRERA serviciales, así se forma en la escuela de liderazgo al estilo de Jesús.

Pero no es cualquier tipo de liderazgo, no es un liderazgo como hoy en día se vende o se promueve en las grandes empresas. Al contrario, el estilo de Jesús es un liderazgo servicial que requiere estar abiertos a una relación con Cristo, es una relación entre amigos, donde la persona se deja moldear y formarse por su palabra, acciones y enseñanzas. Es un

liderazgo que nos interpela y desafía “Amen a sus enemigos y recen por sus perseguidores”“sean ustedes perfectos como es perfecto el Padre de ustedes que está en el Cielo” (Mto 5, 44.48). No es un liderazgo que busca protagonismos, ni tampoco es un liderazgo referencial, en cambio, su palabra dice “Por el contrario, el que quiera ser el más importante entre ustedes, debe hacerse el servidor de todos, y el que quiera ser el primero, se hará esclavo de todos” (Mc 10, 43b-44).

“Ser discípulo de Jesús significa hacerse conforme a él, que se hizo servidor de todos hasta el don de sí mismo en la cruz”. Pidamos al Señor que aleje nuestros espejismos de grandeza y que más bien nos dé un corazón servicial dispuesto a ser obedientes bajo la luz del Magisterio. † Adrian Alberto Herrera es director asociado para la Oficina de Evangelización y Catequesis en la Arquidiócesis.

Papa Francisco: Miren hacia dentro para resolver la guerra, el hambre, la injusticia CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) — Los problemas sociales y políticos que asolan a la sociedad moderna sólo pueden resolverse dejando que el Espíritu Santo sane la confusión interior de la humanidad, dijo el Papa Francisco.

“Podemos decir que a nuestro alrededor existe un caos externo, un caos social, un caos político: pensemos en las guerras, pensemos en los muchos niños que no tienen nada que comer, en las muchas injusticias sociales: este es el caos exterior”, dijo en su audiencia general en la Plaza de San Pedro el 29 de mayo.

“Pero”, dijo, “también existe un caos interno, dentro de cada uno de nosotros. ¡El primero no puede curarse si no empezamos a curar el segundo!”.

Comenzando una nueva serie de charlas en la audiencia, “El Espíritu y la Esposa”, sobre la relación entre el Espíritu Santo y la Iglesia, la esposa de Cristo en la teología cristiana, el Papa Francisco pidió a los cristianos que “hagamos un buen trabajo para que nuestra confusión interior se transforme en una claridad del Espíritu Santo”.

“Es el poder de Dios el que lo hace”, dijo. “Nosotros le abrimos nuestros corazones para que Él pueda hacerlo”.

El Papa Francisco dijo que incluso en las primeras líneas de la Biblia, el relato del Libro del Génesis de Dios creando el cielo y la tierra, “el Espíritu de Dios se nos aparece como el poder misterioso que hace que el mundo pase de su estado inicial informe, desierto y sombrío a su estado ordenado y armonioso”.

“El Espíritu crea la armonía, la armonía en la vida y la armonía en el mundo”, dijo, añadiendo que el Espíritu Santo es el que mueve la creación del “caos al cosmos, es decir, de la confusión

FOTO DE CNS

El Papa Francisco viaja en el papamóvil en la Plaza de San Pedro después de su audiencia general semanal en el Vaticano el 29 de mayo.

a algo bello y ordenado”.

Y el Nuevo Testamento relata cómo el Espíritu está presente en momentos clave de la nueva creación, dijo el Papa Francisco, como cuando la paloma desciende sobre el Jordán durante el bautismo de Jesús o cuando Jesús sopla sobre los discípulos y les ordena “reciban el Espíritu Santo” del mismo modo que Dios sopló vida en Adán.

Pero fue San Pablo quien “introduce un nuevo elemento en esta relación entre el Espíritu y la creación” al identificar la causa del sufrimiento presente en la creación como “la corrupción y el pecado de la humanidad que ha arrastrado (a la creación) en su alejamiento de Dios”.

“Esto sigue siendo tan cierto hoy como entonces”, afirmó. “Vemos los estragos que la humanidad ha causado y sigue causando en la creación”, especialmente por parte de aquellos que tienen una “mayor capacidad para explotar los recursos naturales”.

El Papa Francisco ensalzó el modelo de San Francisco de Asís, que “nos

muestra una salida, hermosa, para volver a la armonía del Espíritu: el camino de la contemplación y la alabanza”.

La vocación de la humanidad en el mundo, dijo el Papa, “consiste en anteponer la alegría de contemplar a la alegría de poseer”, señalando que “nadie

se ha alegrado más de las criaturas que Francisco de Asís, que no quería poseer ninguna de ellas”.

Después de su discurso, el Papa Francisco habló sobre la primera celebración de la Iglesia de la Jornada Mundial del Niño, organizada en Roma el 25 y 26 de mayo, y sobre el encuentro con niños ucranianos heridos en la guerra.

“La guerra es siempre crueldad; estos niños deben empezar a caminar (con piernas artificiales), a moverse con brazos artificiales; han perdido la sonrisa”, dijo.

“Es horrible, muy triste, cuando un niño pierde su sonrisa, recemos por los niños ucranianos”.

El Papa también pidió oraciones por Palestina, Israel y Myanmar y otros países en guerra.

Escrito tras el Sínodo de Obispos de 1974 sobre la evangelización, el documento profundiza en el papel de todos los cristianos, y no sólo de los miembros del clero, a la hora de compartir el Evangelio. †

APOYO PASTORAL A VÍCTIMAS DE ABUSO SEXUAL DEL CLERO En un continuo esfuerzo por facilitar atención pastoral a las victimas de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, el Cardenal DiNardo gustaría recordar a los fieles de la Arquidiócesis la disponibilidad del Coordinador de Ayuda a Víctimas. Si alguien ha sido victim de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, se les anima llamar a la Diane Vines al 713-654-5799. Por favor rece por la sanación de las víctimas del abuso y por todos los que sufren de alguna manera.

30 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

WITHIN THE ARTS

Sin will not keep Jesus away, pope pens in preface to Father Martin’s book VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesus considers all the baptized to be His friends and will always try to restore them to life and health as He did with His friend Lazarus in the Gospel, Pope Francis wrote.

“Jesus is not afraid to come close to us, even when we ‘stink’ like a dead person buried for three days,” the pope wrote in the preface to the Italian edition of Jesuit Father James Martin’s book,“Come Forth: The Raising of Lazarus and the Promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle.”

The Italian edition, published by the Vatican publishing house, was scheduled for release on June 4 and Vatican News published the pope’s preface in Italian and English June 3. Father Martin said the upcoming paperback edition of the book in English also would carry the pope’s preface.

Pope Francis praised the book for how it “makes the biblical text come alive” with a reading that is “always ‘loving,’ never detached, nor coldly scientific.”

“Father James has the perspective of

a person who has fallen in love with the Word of God,” the pope wrote, adding that reading the book made him wonder “how often we manage to approach Scripture with the ‘hunger’ of a person who knows that that word really is the Word of God.” “The fact that God ‘speaks’ should give us a little jolt each and every day,” Pope Francis wrote. The Bible is a “love letter” that God sent to people living in every time and every place.

Pulling up a copy on one’s phone or opening a pocket edition “when we have an important meeting, or a difficult encounter or a moment of unease,” the pope said, can help people understand how the Bible is “a vibrant witness to a God that is not dead and buried on the dusty shelves of history.”

Turning to the focus of the book — the raising of Lazarus — Pope Francis said Father Martin helps readers see that “in the end Lazarus is all of us.”

“We are also his friends; we too are, sometimes, ‘dead’ due to our sin, our shortcomings and infidelity, our

discouragement which degrades us and destroys our soul,” the pope wrote.

But Jesus was not afraid to approach Lazarus, who had been dead three days, Pope Francis wrote, and He “is not afraid of our death or our sin. He stops only in front of the closed door of our heart, that door that opens only from the inside and that we double-lock when we think that God can no longer forgive us.”

“Jesus is not afraid to approach the sinner, any sinner, even the most fearless and brazen,” the pope continued. “He only has one concern: that no one gets lost, that no one loses the chance to feel the loving embrace of His Father.”

OSV NEWS PHOTO

This is the cover image of “Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle” written by Jesuit Father James Martin and published by HarperOne, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishing. The upcoming paperback edition will have a translation of the preface Pope Francis wrote for the book’s Italian edition.

MOVIE RATINGS By OSV News A-I – SUITABLE FOR ALL • The Garfield Movie (PG)

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ANNUAL

A-II – SUITABLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN • IF (PG)

C o n c e rt 7 pm, Saturday, June 15 f e at u r i n g Requiem by John Rutter Ecumenical Choir of 200 Voices with Orchestral Accompaniment Gonzalo A. Ramos Conducting The Centrum Cypress Creek Christian Community Center Spring, Texas

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A-III – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS • Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (PG-13)

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• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (PG-13) • Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13) • Tarot (PG-13) • The Fall Guy (PG-13) • The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (PG-13) • We Grown Now (PG-13) • Wildcat (NR)

L – LIMITED MATURE AUDIENCE • Challengers (R) • Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (R) • The Strangers: Chapter 1 (R) O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE • Abigail (R) • Bad Boys: Ride or Die (R)

texas catholic herald 31

JUNE 11, 2024 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE ► FOR SUBMISSION DETAILS AND MORE LISTINGS, VISIT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.

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CORPUS CHRISTI

JUNE 11-JUNE 15

SHOE DRIVE, St. Angela Merici (9009 Sienna Ranch Rd., Missouri City). Parish shoe drive collects gently worn, used and new shoes of all kinds until June 15. Shoes are donated to developing countries to create employment.

Donate shoes in drop boxes in church narthex and parish office.

Send it to Around the Archdiocese!

Scan the QR code and fill out the form and submit to the TCH

JUNE 14-15

MUSIC FESTIVAL, The Centrum at Cypress Creek Christian Community Center (6823 Cypresswood Dr., Spring). Second annual Summer Sacred Music Choral Festival features an ecumenical choir of 200 voices from across Houston under the direction of Gonzalo Ramos of the Bravura Concert Series and the Houston Cecilia Chamber Choir. Rehearsals take place Friday and Saturday. The Saturday concert will feature a full, professional orchestra. Tickets: archgh.org/choralfestival.

JUNE 14-16

YOUNG ADULT RETREAT, Friday 5 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). “Do Whatever He Tells You” provides an opportunity to spend a weekend with Christ and other young adults. Adults ages 18 to 30 and parish groups are welcome. Cost: $265. Scholarship available upon request. 713-464-0211 ext. 10; holynameretreatcenter.com.

MARRIED COUPLES RETREAT, Friday 7 p.m. to Sunday 4 p.m., St. Anthony of Padua (7801 Bay Branch Dr., The Woodlands). Non-residential Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend provides time away from the distractions of everyday life for a married couple to reconnect and revitalize their marriage. Stay in your own bed at night and come to the church during the day for the sessions. $200 application fee. Apply: houstonme. org. 713-482-1791; flores@welovewwme.com.

JUNE 21-23

WOMEN’S RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30

PHOTO BY CHRIS DUFFEL

Parishioners at St. Thomas More Parish in southwest Houston are led by Father Oscar Dubon, pastor, and Father Christopher Plant, parochial vicar, during a Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession on June 2, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood. Parishes around the Archdiocese also held Eucharistic processions, Adoration and devotions that same weekend.

p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Three-day retreat, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Presence,” includes Mass, Reconciliation, conferences and time for prayer. Parish groups, mother/daughters (16+), and individuals are welcome. $265. 713-4640211 ext. 10; holynameretreatcenter.com.

JULY 3

HOLY HOUR, 7 to 8 p.m., Sacred Heart (507 S 4th St., Richmond). A Eucharistic Adoration Holy Hour, held every first Wednesday of the month, includes Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. sacredhrt.com/adoration.

JULY 12-14

prayer. Parish groups, couples and individuals are welcome. $265. 713-464-0211 ext. 10; holynameretreatcenter.com.

JULY 13

SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES, 7 to 9 p.m., Lone Star Flight Museum (11551 Aerospace Ave., Houston). Features radio talk show hosts Debbie Georgianni and Adam Blai of the Spirit World, includes Q&A on angels and demons and how the spiritual and physical worlds interact. Cost: $75, includes food and drink. grnonline.com.

JULY 20

FUNDRAISER, 6:30 p.m., Holy Family Church

(1510 5th St., Missouri City). Black Catholic Ministry Group Summer Dance includes music, dancing, food for sale and several raffles. gloriareed2014@comcast.net.

JULY 26-28

MARRIED COUPLES RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston).

This three-day retreat, “Love on Flames,” with retreat master Father Kingsley Nwoko, STL. Married couples welcome. $430 per couple. The registration fee includes lodging, meals and materials. 713-464-0211 ext. 10; holynameretreatcenter.com.

••• For additional listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA

SILENT RETREAT, Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Three-day retreat with Father Elmer Herrera-Guzman includes Mass, Reconciliation, conferences and time for

The Archdiocese has open positions in our Schools, Parishes and the Chancery.

32 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • JUNE 11, 2024

MILESTONES IWA, Annunciation break ground on new parking garage

A NEW CHAPTER

Columbiettes begin chapter in the Archdiocese

PHOTO COURTESY OF INCARNATE WORD ACADEMY

On May 2, Annunciation Catholic Church and Incarnate Word Academy (IWA) broke ground on their new parking garage, to be completed in March 2025. Local dignitaries such as Daniel Cardinal DiNardo; Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale; Phyllis Laurenzo Mandola; as well as the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament; Father Paul Felix, pastor of Annunciation Catholic Church; IWA President Sister Lauren Beck; and representatives from Harvey Construction, turned out to support the ceremony. Sister Beck and Cardinal DiNardo thanked everyone for the work they have done to launch this project and shared positive wishes for the students, parishioners and Astros fans who will benefit from this beautiful new facility.

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“Let us follow the example of “Let us of follow of St. Francis Assisithe andexample take care

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS

St. John of the Cross Knights of Columbus #13166 has had a Ladies Auxiliary for the past several years. On May 17, the first-ever exemplification in the Archdiocese for the Columbiettes took place at St. John of the Cross in New Caney. The Columbiette’s mission is to assist the Knights in their mission to benefit the church and community and assist the priest. To join the Columbiettes, email Columbiettes13166@gmail.com. You do not have to be a member of St. John of the Cross to join.

For more information about the Columbiettes, visit www.supremecouncilcolumbiettes.com.

MANAGING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION Questions about subscription, circulation or need to change an address? Call 713-652-4444 or email TDIELI@ARCHGH.ORG for assistance. Visit ARCHGH.ORG/TCH for more information.