Texas Catholic Herald - May 9, 2023

DEDICATING MAY TO THE BLESSED MOTHER THROUGH THE ROSARY

As Catholics turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary in May, learn again how to pray the Rosary and pray for mothers of all kinds.

▪ SEE PAGES 4 & 5

CELEBRATING 175 YEARS OF

Landmark gala marks Archdiocese’s 175th anniversary

Cardinal DiNardo thanks 1,100 attending ‘intimate’ dinner

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — As Daniel Cardinal DiNardo welcomed the crowd attending the Archdiocese’s 175th anniversary gala in the ballroom of the Hilton AmericasHouston on April 20, he joked, “There’s nothing like having an intimate dinner with 1,100 of your closest friends.”

Bill Balleza, retired news anchor of KPRC Channel 2, serving as the master of ceremonies, began the evening, welcoming a trilingual invocation delivered first in English by Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS; then Father Thu Ngoc Nguyen in Vietnamese and Father Miguel Solorzano in Spanish.

They prayed, “As You have blessed us over these last 175 years, O Lord, we seek Your blessings on the days that lay ahead.”The invocation was followed by a performance by the Schola of St. Mary’s

See ANNIVERSARY, page 7

VATICAN

Human potential expands exponentially when people work together, pope says

BUDAPEST (CNS) — Meeting leading Hungarian academics, researchers and inventors, Pope Francis said humility and humanity are the keys to creativity and to ensuring that technology serves people and not the other way around.

The last event of Pope Francis’ visit to Hungary April 28 to 30 was a stop at the Information Technology and Bionics Department of Péter Pázmány Catholic University in Budapest. The department brings together engineers, computer programmers, biologists, neurologists and physicians to create devices that assist people with a variety of physical limitations.

With representatives of other Hungarian universities and from the “world of culture” present, the pope

See

page 2

MEETING THE MAN OF THE SHROUD

Faith unfolds as new Shroud of Turin exhibit reveals surprises

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA AND JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — Entering a cavelike entrance, visitors at the National Museum of Funeral History in north Houston confront a life-size statue lying in the tomb, a replica of the man’s body image from the Shroud of Turin.

Sculpted by Italian artist Luigi Enzo Mattei, the body shows some of the suffering endured but in a subdued manner. The dark, bronze-colored resin statue highlights a gaping hole in his side, in each of his wrists, his feet and other wounds.

Across on a wall of the compact space, a 14-foot replica of the wellknown Shroud of Turin looms as the possible burial cloth of Jesus.

The exhibit reveals a few surprises. Rather than a“crown”of thorns, a replica of what Roman soldiers created is called

a “helmet of thorns” displayed in a case.

Based on the wounds indicated on the shroud, the thorns covered the head and extended into the neck.

Also, in a nearby case, the expected long wooden shaft of a Roman spear. But

the large diamond-shaped spearhead is bigger than expected and was used to violently thrust upward into the sides of the crucified rather than a slash usually

See SHROUD, page 6

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo views a 14-foot replica of the Shroud of Turin gifted to the Archdiocese by the Archdiocese of Turin in Italy now housed at the National Museum of Funeral History in north Houston. Cardinal DiNardo dedicated the new exhibit during its grand opening last month.

FAITH

Pope: Jesus offers truth, freedom

HUNGARY, from page 1

asked them to consider the meaning of the maxim, “Know thyself.”

The first step of knowing oneself, he said, is to recognize “our limitations and, consequently, to curb the presumption of self-sufficiency.”

“This proves beneficial precisely because, once we realize that we are creatures, we become creative,” he said. “We learn to immerse ourselves in the world instead of attempting to dominate it.”

Too often, the pope said, the modern world acts like technology has no limits, but it ignores the fact that people do.

“Flesh and blood human beings are fragile, and it is precisely by experiencing this that they come to realize their dependence on God and their connectedness to others and to creation,” he said.

The “amazing potential” of human ingenuity, he said, is not what one person can achieve alone but what individuals can achieve when they work with others, combining areas of expertise, challenging and supporting one another.

Freedom and truth are essential as well, the pope said.

Hungary’s experience of communism, which claimed to offer truth, severely restricted people’s freedom, he said. And now, “consumerism promises a hedonistic, conformist, libertine ‘freedom’ that

enslaves people to consumption and to material objects.”

“How easy it is to pass from limits imposed on thinking, as in communism, to the belief that there are no limits, as in consumerism,” the pope said, and “to pass from a blinkered freedom to an unbridled freedom.”

The truth Jesus offers, he said, expands freedom because it expands connections.

“The key to accessing this truth is a form of knowledge that is never detached from love, a knowledge that is relational, humble and open, concrete and communal, courageous and constructive,” Pope Francis said. †

THE HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY

PRAYER INTENTION: FOR CHURCH MOVEMENTS AND GROUPS

A living Church is a Church in movement, and ecclesial movements, as Pope Francis said in this month’s video produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, “are a gift, they are a treasure in the Church.”

Just as the apostles received the gift of proclaiming the Resurrection in different languages on Pentecost two thousand years ago, so today, church movements and groups speak “different languages,” he said. And “each day,” through their creativity, “they rediscover in their

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charism new ways of showing the attractiveness and the newness of the Gospel.”

He continued: “We pray that Church movements and groups may rediscover their mission of evangelization each day, placing their own charisms at the service of needs in the world. Let us pray that ecclesial movements and groups may daily rediscover their mission, an evangelizing mission, and that they place their own charisms at the service of the world’s needs.” †

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Pope Francis waves after celebrating Mass with about 50,000 people in Budapest’s Kossuth Lajos Square, with the Hungarian Parliament building in the background on April 30.

Scan to watch this month’s prayer video from Pope Francis

THE FIRST WORD

Regina Caeli

The Church’s Easter Prayer

BRIEFS

Priesthood and transitional diaconate ordinations set

HOUSTON — Catholics across the Archdiocese are invited to attend the ordinations of priests and transitional deacons.

The transitional deacon ordination is set for Saturday, May 13, at 10 a.m. Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, will ordain seminarians Luis Armas, Viet Nguyen and David Ramirez as transitional deacons, continuing their path to the priesthood.

The priestly ordination is set for Saturday, June 3, at 10 a.m. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will ordain Deacon Matthew Krusleski, Deacon Zachary Muldrow and Deacon J Serrato to the priesthood.

The ordinations will both take place at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Parkway in downtown Houston and will be livestreamed online at www. archgh.org/live. †

Café Catholica Lite set for May 11

HOUSTON — The Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry will host the next Café Catholica Lite at St. Patrick Church, located at 1010 35th St. in Galveston, on May 11 from 7 to 8:45 p.m.

The speaker is Father Robert Murphy, SJ, vocations promoter with the Jesuits, and his talk will be “How to Make a Decision: Discerning the Ignatian Way.” The night will include light snacks, the talk, a Q&A and communal prayer. The talk will be available to view online as well at www. archgh.org/cafecatholica.

The Café Catholica program seeks to help young adults ages 18 to 39 encounter Christ and His Church. All young adults are invited to Café Catholica Lite throughout the year. For more, contact the Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry at yacm@archgh.org or 713-741-8778. †

Registration open for 2023 AYC

HOUSTON — The 2023 Archdiocesan Youth Conference, set for July 28 to 31 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 “Gift Received, Gift Shared,” young people will gather on a journey to rejuvenate their faith life, to help them get serious about life in Christ and His Church. For more information on how to register, visit archgh.swoogo.com/AYC-2023 or speak to your parish youth minister. †

DSF annual appeal to support Archdiocesan ministries continues

HOUSTON — This year, the theme of the annual Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) appeal is “God is the Strength of My Heart.” The annual campaign to support 64 Archdiocese-wide ministries is under way and the local Church is asking parishioners to continue their generous giving to DSF.

The fund supports a variety of ministries, such as those forming youth in Catholic faith; providing support and preparation for clergy; teaching, evangelizing, worshipping and outreach to the incarcerated, aging, poor and sick; and programming to strengthen Christian families, among many others.

A full list of the ministries supported can be found at www.archgh.org/dsf. The Archdiocese counts on DSF funds to help meet the needs of people in the region. To pledge online, visit www.archgh.org/dsf. †

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia. The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia, has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia! For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia. Let us pray:

O God, who through the resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, did vouchsafe to give joy to the world; grant, we beseech you, that through his Mother, the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

A stained glass window at Our Lady of Lourdes in Hitchcock depics the coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

LOCAL

Looking to Mary as a model of discipleship

Taking to heart the treasures of the Rosary

BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — In May of 2021, Pope Francis encouraged Catholics around the world to continue the tradition of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Mother and the Rosary and said: “Each day of this month of May, we will entrust toYou, Mother of Mercy,” the many people in our lives.

While the Rosary, with its 50-plus beads and several prayers, might feel overwhelming, praying the traditional devotion doesn’t have to take up that much time and can be a quick and simple, if not sometimes urgent, prayer to the Blessed Mother, according to Sister Maria Goretti Thuy Nguyen, OP.

“It can be a convenient prayer,” she said. “Whenever I need to have a quick prayer, I just reach out on my side, and I have it right there,” referring to her black Rosary that her Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province congregation carry as part of their habit.

According to tradition, St. Dominic received the Rosary from the Blessed

Mother herself in 1214. She appeared to him in a vision and instructed him to use the Rosary to preach the Gospel and to convert souls. St. Dominic did as he was told, and the Rosary quickly became a popular devotion among Catholics.

“The Rosary is [the Dominicans’] treasure,” she said. “A Dominican won’t be a Dominican without it; we are incomplete without the Rosary.”

Someone once told her that when

3 WAYS TO HONOR MARY

1. BRING FLOWERS TO MARY Brighten Mary’s day with a bouquet near a Marian statue in your home or parish.

someone holds onto a Rosary and prays with one, they’re holding the hand of the Blessed Mother, she said.

The Rosary doesn’t require a Breviary, a book of daily Catholic prayers, or an app to pray, she said. Reciting the Rosary also doesn’t require a book or a Bible to be taken off a shelf or long preparation for other prayers — it could even be just a short decade, she said.

“For the Rosary, it’s just so convenient,” she said.“You can pray anytime, anywhere.”

FINDING PEACE WITH THE ROSARY

That anywhere can include time sitting in traffic on the highway, when stuck behind a stopped train or even when waiting at a traffic light.

“I feel peace, even when I am tired or don’t want to kneel and pray,” Sister Nguyen said. “The Rosary gives me peace... while I pray the Rosary, I am at peace, and things that happen around me won’t bother me that much because Mary is holding my hand.”

That focus helps other distractions lessen, especially when praying the Rosary. Taught by Dominicans in catechism class and in her children’s choir, Sister Nguyen remembered a day when the sister leading the choir was asking everyone who their baptismal saint was, the tradition where Catholics take on the name of a saint who might inspire their faith life and devotion.

Sister Nguyen said “Mary,” and then learned about the seemingly endless titles that the Blessed Mother has in her many devotions when the Dominican teacher mentioned “Mary, Mother of God,” “Mary of the Holy Rosary” and “Mary, the Annunciation.”

Sister Nguyen, now an associate director with the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis of the Archdiocese, said she learned about “Mary of the Assumption” that day, understanding the tradition of the Assumption, how Mary went into heaven to live with God.

A very young Sister Nguyen realized then she “wanted to be in Heaven with God” like Mary and took on the name of Mary, the Assumption, as her favorite saint. This, in turn, became her favorite mystery of the Rosary, the Fourth Glorious Mystery-The Assumption: “The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son’s Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of His Body.” (CCC, 974).

“Whenever I pray to that mystery, I always fall in love with the heavenly scene with Mary,” she said.

2. PRAY A ROSARY OR NOVENA ON MOTHER’S DAY

Mother’s Day can be a difficult time for many who have lost their mother. Pray for them on this special day.

3. CARRY A ROSARY (OR TWO!) IN YOUR POCKET OR PURSE

Keeping a Rosary handy is a good way to remember to pray, or to lend to a stranger or a friend in a time of need.

SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL PRAYER

The Rosary was part of her childhood faith life. She recalled how her family would stay after Mass to pray the Rosary or visit the different statues around the Church and offer prayers. These devotions always included the Hail Mary, she said.

“It’s a simple prayer that we always pray. So without any intention, Mary, of course, is always there, even if we didn’t ask for her protection or her guidance, but I believe that she’s always there even if we don’t ask,” she said.

Like many other Dominicans, as well as other consecrated men and women religious, Sister Nguyen carries a Rosary as part of her habit. The beads clack about as they step, either in their pocket for some or coming from their hips at their side.

“In the ancient time, people went to war with a sword. So our habit with the Rosary on our side... is like a weapon for us to protect ourselves from harm,” she said. “Whenever we are in trouble or in any need of assistance, heavenly assistance, we just take out our spiritual weapon: the Rosary on our side.”

The Rosary is always something that can be shared in community or even with just one other person, she said. She recommends any good Catholic should keep a Rosary in their pocket during the day, either to pray with or for simple meditation or reflection by just holding it.

An even better Catholic, one who likes to pray the Rosary together with others, might carry another Rosary, perhaps in a pocket or a bag, to share.

Sister Nguyen carries an extra Rosary with her to lend to a friend or someone who might need one.

Perhaps Sister Nguyen, and the many others who pray the Rosary, take to heart what the late Pope Benedict XVI said in May of 2008: “When reciting the Rosary, the important and meaningful moments of salvation history are relived. The various steps of Christ’s mission are traced. With Mary, the heart is oriented toward the mystery of Jesus. Christ is put at the center of our life, of our time, of our city, through the contemplation and meditation of His holy mysteries of joy, light, sorrow and glory.” †

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo prays a Rosary during a unified Rosary prayer service with other U.S. bishops in praying for the United States in October of 2020.

Contemplating Christ with the heart of Mary

In an April 25, 2020 message, Pope Francis encouraged “everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary,” especially during the month of May, when Catholics express their “love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary,” he said.

He suggested praying with a group or individually, emphasizing the key to praying was “always simplicity,’ he said.

Pope Francis also suggested two prayers to add to recitations of the Rosary. The first prayer turns to Mary as a “sign of salvation and hope,”and entrusts the world to her as “Health of the Sick” who “at the foot of the cross, were united with Jesus’ suffering, and persevered in your faith.” The first prayer concludes with the Memorare.

The second prayer expounded upon a line from the Memorare: “We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God.”

Imploring the Blessed Mother, Pope Francis’ prayer continued: “Mother

Praying the Rosary

1. Make the Sign of the Cross

2. Holding the Crucifix, say the Apostles’ Creed

3. On the first bead, say 1 Our Father

4. Say 3 Hail Marys on the 3 following beads

5. Say the Glory Be

6. For each of the 5 decades, announce the Mystery, then say the Our Father

7. While on each of the 10 beads of the decade, next say 10 Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery. Then say a Glory Be. After each decade, the Fatima Prayer and the Sub Tuum Praesidum may be said.

8. After saying the 5 decades, say the Hail, Holy Queen, then The Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel may be said, followed by this:

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Together: Let us pray, O God, whose Only Begotten Son, by his life, Death, and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

9. Conclude the Rosary with the Sign of the Cross.

of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts

Hail Holy Queen

Glory Be

Hail Mary Our Father

The Apostles Creed

be opened to confidence and trust.” In the face of challenge, “Contemplating the face of Christ with the heart of Mary our Mother will make us even more united as a spiritual family,” he said, “and will help us overcome this time of trial.” †

The Prayers of the Rosary

The Apostles’ Creed

Hail Mary on each bead

First mystery

Glory Be Fatima Prayer

Next mystery, then Our Father

The Mysteries of the Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries

Traditionally prayed on Mondays and Saturdays

1. The Annunciation of the Lord to Mary

2. The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

3. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

4. The Presentation of our Lord

5. Finding Jesus in the Temple

The Sorrowful Mysteries

Traditionally prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays 1. The Agony in the Garden 2. The Scourging at the Pillar 3. The Crowning with Thorns 4. The Carrying of the Cross 5. The Crucifixion and Death

The Glorious Mysteries

Traditionally prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays

1. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

2. The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven

3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost

4. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

5. Mary is Crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth

The Luminous Mysteries

Traditionally prayed on Thursdays

1. The Baptism in the Jordan

2. The Wedding at Cana

3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom

4. The Transfiguration

5. The Institution of the Eucharist

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

The Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

The Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Glory Be (The Doxology)

Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Hail Holy Queen (The Salve Regina)

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

The Fatima Prayer

O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.

The Sub Tuum Praesidium

We fly to your protection, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

The Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and you, O prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast down to hell Satan and the other evil spirits, who prowl through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Shroud exhibit draws visitors into the Paschal Mystery

SHROUD, from page 1

depicted.

The shroud exposition sits adjacent to the museum’s lengthy exhibit on the death of the popes and features two life-size, back-lit screen displays of the shroud’s photonegative scans from official studies. Visitors have room to view the shroud upclose, a certified linen reproduction gifted to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston from the Archdiocese of Turin, Italy.

The shroud replica is just one of seven authentic reproductions recently made available by Turin officials for public display around the world. The linen, made from flax grown in Bergamo, Italy, was used by Lino Val Gandino, for the shroud during the coronavirus pandemic in November of 2020.

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, who blessed the new exhibit with holy water said to a preview crowd of about 200: “The Shroud of Turin and devotion to it has had a varied history in the Church, and in the world, but has led many to contemplate more deeply the central mysteries of the Christian faith, principally the historical reality of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.”

Recognizing that Orthodox Easter had just been celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church a week prior, Cardinal DiNardo said “Holy Friday is a celebration of Christ’s burial,” which includes a tapestry of Christ in the tomb that’s carried into the middle of the church.

“People recognize that the Shroud is a place to recognize what Christ did for us,”

he said. “Honoring a symbolic Shroud of the dead Christ is important to grow in our devotion. This exhibit is in keeping with the long history of honoring the Shroud of Christ as an important item of devotion among the Christian faithful.” With the replica of the shroud now on display, Cardinal DiNardo blessed the image for its goal of public veneration and education. He said he hoped the exhibition would inspire visitors who come to learn more about the Passion, death and burial of Jesus “might be moved to learn more

about the ministry of Christ as it shines forth in the Gospels themselves.”

Cardinal DiNardo also applauded the exhibit as the result of a long collaboration between the Archdiocese of Turin and active Catholics of the local Church in Galveston-Houston.

Another speaker, Nora Creech, served as the principal developer of the museum exhibit entitled “The Most Famous Burial of All Time,” which opened April 26.

Creech, who earned a Master of Arts in Faith and Culture from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, also completed the Shroud Studies course offered by the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, Italy. She collaborated with Father Jared Loehr, LC, who, then a transitional deacon in ministry in Houston, had visited the museum. Father Loehr, now in Dallas, met Creech through the online course offered by his congregation’s pontifical university that also houses a permanent exhibit on the shroud in Rome.

Creech highlighted the detailed study by a team of researchers completed in 1978 by the Shroud of Turin Research Project, known as STURP. Based on the findings of their scientific investigations, they concluded that “the shroud image is that of a real human form of a scourged, crucified man. It is not the product of an artist. The blood stains are composed of hemoglobin and give a positive test for

‘THE MOST FAMOUS BURIAL OF ALL TIME: THE SHROUD OF TURIN’

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Sun: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE National Museum of Funeral History

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serum albumin.”

In conjunction with a separate event in Houston, scientist Rudolph Dichtl and technical photographer Barrie Schwortz, who were part of that STURP, the first and only U.S. examination of the shroud, also came to speak on an expert panel.

Schwortz said, “At first, I said ‘I’m Jewish and not interested in participating in the study.’ But then I changed my mind. I examined for paint or any pigment.

I immediately realized this is not a painting, artwork or manufactured. I knew it was authentic.”

Electrical engineer and physicist Rudolph Dichtl said the team actually slept in the room with the shroud since they were granted only 125 hours to examine, which they did over five days.

Regarding the image of a person on the shroud, “the question of how the image was produced or what produced the image remains, now, as it has in the past, a mystery,” the STURP team concluded. Researchers said, “there are no chemical or physical methods known which can account for the totality of the image, nor can any combination of physical, chemical, biological or medical circumstances explain the image adequately.”

Dichtl said, “As a scientist, there is no doubt to me that the cloth is authentic. As a Christian, I believe it could be the burial cloth of Jesus.”

In April 2020, amid the pandemic, the Archdiocese of Turin held a special livestream event, showing the original shroud to the world through the internet.

In response to this event, Pope Francis wrote that he was joining the millions of viewers to also turn his gaze “to the Man of the Shroud, in whom we recognize the features of the Servant of the Lord, that Jesus realized in His passion.’” †

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo blesses a new Shroud of Turin exhibit at the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston on April 26. The exhibit, which is open now, features an authentic replica of the 14-foot Shroud of Turin gifted to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston by the Archdiocese of Turin in Italy, as well as other original items used in the study of the original shroud.

175th gala reflects the faith, dedication of many

ANNIVERSARY, from page 1

Seminary.

Stan Marek, chair of the gala, took the stage and asked those present to join him in a moment of silence to remember three beloved local bishops who passed away over the last two years — Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Rizzotto, 89, on Jan. 17, 2021; Auxiliary Bishop George Sheltz, 75, on Dec. 21, 2021; and Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Fiorenza, 91, on Sept. 19, 2022.

“This is an opportunity to come together and celebrate the many ways we live out the Gospel,” Marek said. “Caring for the poor, the sick, the refugee; supporting our parishes and clergy; it’s a celebration of our faith and why we do it.”

The evening featured six honorees — each representing different areas of commitment and service across the Archdiocese. Cardinal DiNardo described them as exemplifying the countless men and women who have helped the Gospel of Christ flourish in southeast Texas for nearly two centuries through their dedication and support. The six honorees were Sister Heloise Cruzat, O.P.; Deacon Gerald DuPont; Trini Mendenhall; The Scanlan Foundation; James Studdert; and Raye G. White.

“In honoring these individuals,” said Cardinal DiNardo, “we recognize those who have generously contributed their time and talent to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the local Church of Galveston-Houston.”

The first honoree alphabetically was Sister Cruzat, who was born in Houston and joined the Dominican Sisters of Houston in 1951. “To all my religious sisters, my presence on this stage shows our community’s and clergy’s support for all we do,” Sister Cruzat said. “You all remain a vital part of the ministry of this Church.”

The next honoree, Deacon DuPont, served as the first full-time director of the Permanent Diaconate for GalvestonHouston. “This honor is humbly accepted on behalf of all deacons and their wives, who gave their time, talent and treasure,” Deacon DuPont said. “No one achieves alone, but as a community.”

Mendenhall, the third honoree and co-founder of Fiesta Mart and president of Fulton Shopping Center, has dedicated her life to serving others. Her acceptance, humble as the other honorees, had her concluding by turning to Cardinal DiNardo on the stage, saying, “My dear Cardinal, grazie mille (a thousand thanks).”

PHOTOS BY DANIEL PAWLOWSKI/UP IN THE AIR FILMS

[At right] The vestments of the late Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza are seen on display, part of a special display of historic artifacts from the Archdiocesan archives.

[Far right and below] A breviary belonging to Bishop Nicholas Gallagher from 1882, and his Rosary and golden crosier, was also on exhibition.

[Far below] Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, second from left, is seen with, from left to right, Bishop David Toups of Beaumont, Auxiliary Bishop Gary Janak of San Antonio and Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas. At least nine bishops, one from as far as California, attended the event, with many having roots in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Larry Massey, president of the Scanlan Foundation, accepted the honor on behalf of the foundation and trustees that have provided $150 million in grants to support the Church and its ministries, calling it “God’s money.”

Honoree Studdert is a native Houstonian and founding member of Notre Dame parish in 1969, serving as a volunteer director of religious education. He was described as a person who “embodies what it means to be Church.”

Honoree White continues as the executive vice president and chief compliance officer of Fayez Sarofim & Co. after starting with the firm since its inception in 1958. She graciously thanked the Archdiocese and was humbled “to be able to share such blessings.”

A first-of-its-kind exhibition featured artifacts and historic items from the Archdiocesan archives, such as crosiers and miters of the diocese’s early bishops. Organized by Lisa May, director of archives, the considerable gallery also included photos and other vestments of more recent leaders, like Archbishop Fiorenza. The evening concluded with a multi-choir finale presented by the Archdiocesan Choir, the Catholic African American Choir, and the parish choirs of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Monica — 92 voices in all. †

SISTER HELOISE CRUZAT, O.P. DEACON GERALD DUPONT

TRINIDAD MENDENHALL

RAYE G. WHITE JAMES STUDDERT

SCANLAN FOUNDATION

Forming catechists to live out their vocation, pass on a living faith

BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent

HOUSTON — The role of the catechist, one who answers the vocational call to educate children, young people and adults in the Catholic faith, involves the sharing of a living, conscious and active faith, one that opens hearts “to hear the Gospel and accept the invitation to live and grow in Christian life.” (Pope Francis, Third International Congress on Catechesis, Sept. 2022)

The office of the Archdiocese that supports this important ministry work is the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (OEC), which currently serves pastors, catechetical leaders and catechists whose primary role is directing religious education, sacramental preparation and faith formation for children and adults. Approximately 500 people reportedly serve as catechetical leaders who oversee and coordinate over a thousand volunteer catechists ministering in 151 parishes across the Archdiocese.

Because participation in parish religious education and sacramental preparation programs is on the rise, Amy Auzenne, director of the OEC, said there is a critical need for well-formed catechetical leaders to replace those who have retired since the pandemic or left

the field of parish ministry completely.

“We are now in the process of recruiting and equipping the leaders who will come after them, which includes promoting the ministry of catechesis and evangelization as a rich and meaningful response to our baptismal call,” said Auzenne. “We identify potential leaders and help them to discern their call to parish ministry, as well as accompany them in their first few years of ministry work, both in-person and online.”

The OEC provides leadership training

for catechists at every level, from new catechists to experienced veterans. One program that has seen an increase in enrollment is the Formation Toward Christian Ministry (FTCM), offered in English, and Formación para el Ministerio Cristiano (FPMC), provided in Spanish. Introductory courses about Catholic theology are available for adults who are serving in parish ministry and want to deepen their commitment to Jesus and more fully answer their baptismal call to service as a mature disciple.

Auzenne said the OEC also maintains standards of formation for parishbased catechists and offers recognition in the form of certificates for those who meet and exceed those standards. This process offers three levels of catechist certificates with courses in theology, teaching strategies and spirituality.

In addition to training, the ministry provides expertise and resources for parishes in the areas of systematic religious education, especially as it relates to the official Archdiocesan curriculum for students in grades prekindergarten to fifth grade. The ministry also provides sacramental preparation in the areas of infant baptism, RCIA adapted for children, First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Adult Confirmation.

All programs offered are aligned with the Catechetical Framework for Lifelong Faith Formation plan that was promulgated by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo in 2013. OEC was instrumental in the writing of the plan in collaboration with the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization (OACE) and the Catholic Schools Office.

“This document outlines the basic teachings of our faith for people at every stage of development, from early childhood to mature adult,” said Auzenne. “It is the only document of its kind in the United States and serves as the basis for all catechetical ministry in the Archdiocese.”

OEC is one of 60-plus ministries supported by the annual Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) appeal, which Auzenne said has been instrumental in keeping the cost of the catechetical leadership training and other program materials affordable and accessible to those called to serve in this ministry.

Valerie Ponce, director of Religious

Education at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, is one recipient of grants provided through the DSF that covered the costs of classes, training, and other required certificate courses.

“I have been involved with religious education for almost 30 years, working closely with the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for guidance and support,” said Ponce. “In addition to helping those of us in economically challenged situations receive adequate and ongoing training, the DSF has truly been a tremendous blessing in providing books for our students that we otherwise could not possibly provide. I give thanks to the office and its wonderful staff who, over the years, have, and continue to be, available to assist us in the handing on of the faith.”

Auzenne said the DSF also directly supports the Ministry with Persons with Disabilities that is part of the OEC by providing resources and training for ministry leaders about best practices for including persons with disabilities in Sacrament preparation, catechesis and liturgies. This support allows the ministry to offer sensory-friendly Masses a few times a year and provide supplemental tools to catechists to use in the classroom, such as sensory kits. As members of the Archdiocesan Building Committee, OEC advocates for persons with disabilities by helping parishes find ways to make their buildings more accessible and conducive to their needs.

“As part of the initiative to identify and form new catechetical leaders, we would love to develop a program with additional DSF funding that would provide paid ministry internships to local youth and young adults who have an interest in parish ministry as a career,” said Auzenne.

To learn more about OEC’s catechetical leadership training and resources for religious education and sacramental preparation, go to www.archgh.org/oec. To donate to the DSF, go to www.archgh. org/DSF. The DSF supports each of these 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. †

The 2023 Diocesan Services Fund theme is “God is the Strength of My Heart.” 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.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF EVANGELIZATION AND CATECHESIS

The Office of Evangelization and Catechesis hosts an annual leadership training day called “Genesis.”

EDUCATION Sugar Land Catholic school claims winning poet laureates two years in a row

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — Out of more than 800 Catholic school students submitting poems in an annual contest, 16 were chosen for their winning imagery at an awards ceremony sponsored by Catholic Literary Arts.

And of the dozens of local schools that participated, the outstanding poet laureate came from the same school — St. Theresa Catholic School in Sugar Land — as the previous poet laureate.

Not coincidentally, the principal of that school, Francesca Rice, spoke as keynote at the Archdiocesan Middle School Sacred Poetry Contest awards ceremony on April 19 at the University of St. Thomas after being welcomed by University President Richard Ludwick.

Describing how poetry and writing are as important to the academic curriculum as math and science, Rice told the auditorium of students, their families, school staff and supporters, “Poetry helps us see into the soul of another person.”

“Using rhythm, streaming words together, it is a tool for developing oneself — a form of self-expression of what is true, good and beautiful,” she said.

Even more to the point with society’s focus on young people’s state of mind with social media, poetry can be therapeutic for both the writer and the reader, Rice said.

“Depression and anxiety can be treated with writing and reading poetry to help express pain as well,” she said.

Sarah Cortez, an author and founder of Catholic Literary Arts, announced this year’s theme to focus on the Luminous Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan, the Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration and/or the Institution of the Eucharist.

This year, 16 winners from Archdiocesan Catholic middle schools — students from sixth, seventh and eighth grade — won first, second and third place prizes, plus honorable mentions.

Each of their poems were printed in an anthology booklet. Each student

also won tuition to attend the Fearless Catholic Writers summer workshop on the St. Thomas campus.

Samantha Court, an eighth grader who won first place from St. Theresa Catholic School in Sugar Land, was selected as the Poet Laureate for the year, winning $500.

Writing her poem titled “Amor in Amnis” (Latin for “Love in the Stream”), Court said she pictured a father who had witnessed Jesus’ Baptism describing the event to his young son:

“But what we had not realized —

Dear boy, I hope that you’ll believe A Higher One had exercised His love in form of man who’d leave But not before there came the day When love incarnate did achieve As dipped beneath the waves of grey And skies threw open, wings glowed bright,

To open clouded eyes that day.”

Court said, “I wanted to convey the beauty of Baptism and the relationship between Father and Son with a See POETRY, see page 10

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC LITERARY ARTS

From left to right, Francesca Rice, St. Theresa Catholic School in Sugar Land principal; St. Theresa teacher Samuel Klumpenhouwer, poet laureate Samantha Court with her parents Caroline and Christopher Court.

CELEBRATING A LEGACY

IN LEADERSHIP

St. Pius X taps new head of high school

HOUSTON — On April 25, officials at St. Pius X High School, located at 811 W. Donovan St.in north Houston, announced that the high school has named a new head of school: John William Bates V, who will assume the role starting July 1.

Bates comes with nearly two decades of working several roles in local Catholic schools in the Archdiocese. Before joining St. Pius X, he was the principal at Assumption Catholic School in Houston. He also was an assistant principal at St. Michael Catholic School in Houston and had previously taught at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory.

Bates holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Education from University of St. Thomas. St. Pius X High School was founded in 1956 as a coeducational high school collaboration between the Dominican Sisters of Houston and the then-Diocese of Galveston-Houston. According to a 2021 school profile, at least 550 students call the campus home. For more information, visit www.stpiusx.org. †

POETRY, from page 9

IWA’s 150th anniversary gala makes history

HOUSTON — Incarnate Word Academy (IWA) kicked off its 150th Anniversary with a historymaking gala, “An Evening of Heart and Spirit.” The event, held on Friday, April 14, at The Post Oak, set school records for attendance and raised $1.5 million for the school.

More than 400 supporters of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament turned out to celebrate the joint anniversaries of both the congregation and the founding of Houston’s first Catholic school. Popular live auction items included a trip to Rome that featured a Papal audience, an Astros First Pitch package, and dinners with Houston-area priests and IWA sisters.

Attendees included Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’ Oro, CRS, Raye White, Dona and Al Clay, The Astros Foundation, University of St. Thomas President Richard Ludwick, Superior General of the Basilian Fathers Kevin Storey, CSB, Ginny and Dennis Malloy, Tracy and Jim Fish, and several of the religious in the Archdiocese. Co-chairs were Jennifer and Jeffrey Hill and Megan and George Oggero. The event was emceed by Jeb Bashaw.

IWA was founded by the congregation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in 1873 on the same downtown Houston block between Crawford and Jackson streets, now adjacent to Minute Maid Park. †

personal touch.”

Her teacher, Samuel Klumpenhouwer, teaches theology, Latin, English and Liberal Arts at St. Theresa and also taught last year’s Poet Laureate Maria Jesko.

Dr. Debra Haney, Archdiocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, thanked all those involved, including UST, the Scanlan Foundation, which underwrote the program, and the Catholic Literary Arts.

Recognizing the growing trend of naming poet laureates in the U.S., Dr. Haney told Court she is “following a long tradition.”

There was a second poetry award

Catholic Literary Arts Where You Learn to Write with Spirit

www.catholicliteraryarts.org

PROUDLY PRESENTING THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR’S

ceremony for the LUX poetry contest for independent Catholic schools and home-schooled students on April 26, also at UST. Winners also received free tuition for a Catholic writing summer camp.

The poet laureate for the LUX contest is eighth grader and homeschooled student Nina Marinelli for the poem “Light Speaks in the Luminous Mysteries.”

An excerpt:

“The Light of God illuminates, giving to us saving grace.

Sinners, unworthy to receive, His body and blood.

A mystery so deep, when He says to us, ‘Do this in remembrance of me.’” †

2023 Poet Laureate: Samantha Court

Archdiocesan Middle

School Sacred Poetry Contest

1st Place Co-Winners: Eden Moore, St. Rose of Lima and Sonja Trimarchi, St. Jerome

2nd Place Winner: Joshua Jose, St. Vincent de Paul

3rd Place Winner: Andrew Landreneau, St. Ambrose

Honorable Mentions: Jon Carroll, St. Vincent de Paul and Jacqueline Lundy, St. Laurence-Sugar Land

1st Place Winner: Halley Abdulahad, St. Helen

2nd Place Winner: Nikita Dementyev, St. Theresa-Sugar Land

3rd Place Co-Winners: Danny Vu, St. Laurence-Sugar Land; Anahi Garcia, Resurrection Catholic School; Kristen McCain, Epiphany Catholic School

1st Winner: Samantha Court, St. Theresa Catholic SchoolSugar Land

2nd Place Winner: Abigail Phalen, St. Theresa Catholic SchoolSugar Land

3rd Place Winner: Jayden Guerrero, St. Francis de Sales

Honorable Mentions: Katherine Lojo, St. Laurence-Sugar Land and William Chiasson, St. Theresa-Houston

2023 POET LAUREATE’S POEM

Amor in Amnis

The lamp lit up the room with light

As father sat by son and said, “I’ll tell a tale for you tonight.

“The reeds sprung from the riverbed, “The sky was bright, the sun shone high,

“And John the Baptist there had tread.

“We’d crowd around and we would try

“To hear his words that’d shine and gleam

“Like rivers dance through deserts dry.

“And Jordan was that bubbling stream

“Where he’d bring those to be baptized

“And come out cleansed as in a dream.

“But what we had not realized — “Dear boy, I hope that you’ll believe —

“A Higher One had exercised “His love in form of man who’d leave “But not before there came the day “When love incarnate did achieve “As dipped beneath the waves of grey

“And skies threw open, wings glowed bright, To open clouded eyes that day.”

Samantha Court

JOHN WILLIAM BATES V

PHOTO BY JACOB POWER

Sister Maria Eleanor Caisido, C.V.I., Sister Virginia O’Donnell, C.V.I., President of Incarnate Word Academy Sister Lauren Beck, C.V.I. and Sister Carmel O’Malley, C.V.I., celebrate the success of “An Evening of Heart and Spirit Gala.”

To be a disciple is to follow the model of the teacher so closely that we begin to act and live as the teacher does.

As Catholics, our teacher is Jesus, the Son of God, and so discipleship means not only following His model but aligning our own wills with His. It is to follow the instruction given by Mary at Cana to “do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5). No one followed this instruction and aligned their will more perfectly to God’s than Mary, the perfect model of discipleship. We learn from Mary’s fiat to say yes in a wholehearted way. Mary also offers us other valuable lessons from her life in the Gospels that can deepen our understanding of discipleship.

In Luke’s gospel, Mary receives the incredible news that she is to be the mother of God alongside the equally astonishing news about Elizabeth’s pregnancy in old age, and we are told that she travels “in haste” to visit and tend to her cousin. Pope Francis writes that Mary is “the woman of prayer and work in Nazareth, and she is also Our Lady of Help, who sets out from her town ‘with haste’ to be of service to others” (Evangelii Gaudium 288). Mary remains for three months with Elizabeth,

Mary as a model of discipleship

presumably to care for her through the birth of her son while pregnant herself.

The visitation demonstrates the call to serve others and highlights the fact that “if one part [of the body] is honored, all parts share its joy” (1 Cor 12:26). Discipleship is not a lone journey and not solely for our own growth and good. Being a disciple means recognizing our role in service to our community, despite what may be happening to us personally. Like Mary, we must always acknowledge the gifts that God has given to us and respond in trust and praise. Like Mary, we must also recognize the work that God is doing in others with praise. It also means being ready to respond with generosity “in haste” with the love of God for others.

by VICTORIA MASTRANGELO

The great prayer of praise, the Magnificat, highlights another aspect in the life of discipleship: hope in God’s promises and an attitude of thanksgiving

for his saving work. Mary demonstrates gratitude not only for what God has done for her individually but the gift that is bestowed through her for all the world’s salvation. We, too, receive gifts from God that are not only for our own benefit but to be used to build God’s kingdom here on earth. We, too, have a role to play in salvation history, and we are called to see our place in this larger story and to be thankful to the God who bestows so many gifts and graces upon us. The Magnificat is also a reminder to look back at the mighty works of God, which hint at the great things still to come, and to place our hope in the fulfillment of that promised future. Mary also models the inner life of the disciple. We are told that upon hearing from the shepherds who visited the infant Jesus (Lk 2:19) and after finding 12-yearold Jesus at the temple (Lk 2:51), that she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”What God reveals sometimes takes time to understand. What He may be calling us to is not always immediately clear. Mary demonstrates the need to pause, to hold things in prayer, to make space for God not just in our active lives

but also in our hearts. Our ability to hear God’s call, to be moved to serve another, to hope and trust in God’s promises and work toward building the kingdom can only grow from an inner disposition of humility, listening, reflection and obedience. While we are often called to follow and to do something in the world, we must also accept the call to just be with and behold the mystery that is God.

As St. John Paul II reflected, “From Mary, we learn to surrender to God’s will in all things. From Mary, we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary, we learn to love Christ… Learn from her to be always faithful, to trust that God’s word to you will be fulfilled and that nothing is impossible with God. Turn to Mary frequently in your prayer “for never was it known that anyone who fled her protection, implored her help or sought her intercession was left unaided” (Homily, 6 Oct 1979). †

Victoria Mastrangelo is a wife, mother, campus minister and theology teacher at St. Agnes Academy.

On April 28, there was another mass shooting in America. This one was in the small town of Cleveland, Texas, just north of Houston. Four adults and one child were murdered by their neighbor, who was apparently provoked by their request to stop firing his gun outside their home.

Since May of last year, there have been mass shootings at a private Christian school in Nashville, a bank in Louisville, a dance studio in California, a Wal-Mart in Virginia, a nightclub in Colorado Springs, a Fourth of July Parade in Illinois, a Church potluck in Birmingham, and an elementary school in Uvalde. Dear Lord, Uvalde.

Also, since May of last year, there were mass shootings at a supermarket in Buffalo, a church in Sacramento, a high school in Michigan, a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis, an office building in Boulder, and two massage parlors in Atlanta. This is a partial list; there are too many to name here. It is likely there will be another even before this column is published on May 9. (For a complete list, you can visit www. gunviolencearchive.com)

A recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that nearly one in

Gun violence is a pro-life issue

five Americans (19%) have lost a loved one due to gun violence, most due to suicide.

descendants may live.” (Deut. 30:19)

by AMY AUZENNE

When added to the number of people who have seen someone shot (17%), those who have been threatened with a gun (21%), those who have shot a gun in self-defense (4%), and those who have been shot (4%), the number of Americans affected by gun violence rises to nearly three out of five people.

These statistics tell us what doctors, nurses, law enforcement, mental health professionals, EMTs, and common sense have long told us: gun violence is a public health crisis that impacts every part of our society. Moreover, it is a scandal against the dignity of the human person and a grievous failure on all our parts to uphold the common good. In short, gun violence is a respect life issue, every bit as critical as abortion, the death penalty and euthanasia.

Unfortunately, those who advocate for permissive gun legislation have been

effective in discouraging respect life advocates from speaking about gun violence.

We have been told that such discussions are “too political” and warned that respect life advocates who engage in them will alienate themselves from social and financial supporters.

Friends, the Gospel is political. The pages of Scripture clearly reveal that God takes sides, especially in issues of life and death: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your

It is worth noting that God does not say that He has set before us Democrats and Republicans; conservatives and liberals; or Fox News and MSNBC. Clearly, the call to respect life is bigger than any of our partisan divisions. As a starting point, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has listed a number of common-sense reforms such as increasing access to mental health and placing limits on civilian ownership of military weapons in their 2020 document, “Backgrounder on Gun Violence: A Mercy and Peacebuilding Approach to Gun Violence.”

There are many advocates for the lives of the unborn, the condemned, and the terminally ill who boldly share the Gospel of life in a world that is beset by a culture of death. But our silence on the issue of gun violence makes us worse than hypocrites — it make us complicit. The Gospel contains the salt and light that is so desperately needed here — will we have the courage to proclaim it? †

Amy Auzenne, MSW, MACE, is the director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.

Preparing for the National Black Catholic Congress 2023

On Jan. 4, 1899, in his address to the first National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC), held in Washington D.C., William H. Smith stated, “Truth is the strongest armor a person can possess, and we are told ‘You shall know the truth,’ and ‘truth shall make you free.’ Our object is, or should be, the truth.” At the conclusion of the Congress, 200 delegates met with President Grover Cleveland, and Father Augustus Tolton celebrated High Mass.

The NBCC convenes a national Congress every five years. The next Congress will be held July 20 to 23 at the Gaylord National in National Harbor, Maryland.

by FATHER REGINALD

Black Catholics and those who minister to Black Catholics in the United States will come together for a celebration of faith and culture. Each Congress renews and develops its mission with a pastoral plan.

With the announcement of the 2023 Congress, All the dioceses of the United States were encouraged to have a gathering to discuss the theme of the upcoming Congress: “Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive.” Back on Nov. 19, 2022, as vicar for Catholics of African descent, I called upon the Catholic leaders in the African American community from throughout the Archdiocese to gather and reflect on topics to present to the NBCC for discussion during the Congress meeting in July 2023.

During this gathering, Evelyn Wagner Wright led the

discussion of the history of the Black catholic leaders of our Archdiocese’s participation in past congress events. Paul Ledet Jr. led the discussion on the Scripture from the theme of the Congress. Next, Corlis Simmons led the discussion on an action plan which our Archdiocese presented for consideration of the Congress to present in July. Finally, Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, closed out the gathering with a challenge to all the African American Catholic Church leaders to move forward in celebrating and unifying all the diverse communities within the Catholic Church of Galveston-Houston.

In preparation for the NBCC XIII Congress, A Day of Reflection and Preparation will be held at St. Hyacinth Catholic Church on June 17. This day of preparation is for all those African American Catholics from throughout the Archdiocese who will be attending the Congress to pray, reflect and prepare for the NBCC 2023 meeting in July. †

Father Reginald Samuels is the vicar for Catholics of African Descent and pastor at St. Hyacinth Catholic Church in Deer Park.

SAMUELS

PHOTO COURTESY OF FATHER REGINALD SAMUELS Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, closed out a gathering of Archdiocesan Catholic leaders in the African American community with a challenge to move forward in celebrating and unifying all the diverse communities within the Catholic Church of Galveston-Houston.

“The Gospel contains the salt and light that is so desperately needed here — will we have the courage to proclaim it?”

WORLD

Youth Day helps inspire young

serve others, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — World Youth Day is an antidote against indifference, isolation and lethargy, Pope Francis said.

Since World Youth Days were established by St. John Paul II in 1985, “they have involved, moved, stirred and challenged generations of women and men,” he said in the preface of a new book,“A Long Journey to Lisbon,” by Aura Miguel, a Portuguese journalist for Rádio Renascença. Vatican News published the preface on May 2.

The initial intuition that inspired St. John Paul “has not faded,” Pope Francis wrote, as today’s world, especially its young people, is facing enormous changes and challenges.

Young people, he wrote, “risk selfisolation every day, living in a virtual environment much of their life, ending up as prey to an aggressive market that creates false needs.”

“Getting out of the house, heading out with fellow travelers, having important experiences of listening and prayer combined with moments of celebration, and doing it together, makes these moments precious for everybody’s life,” he wrote.

“We really need young people who are at the ready, eager to respond to God’s dream, to care about others, young people who discover the joy and beauty of a life spent for Christ in service to others, to the poorest, to the suffering,” the pope said.

Pope Francis repeated his call to young people not to live life “standing on a balcony watching life go by,” avoiding getting involved and getting their hands dirty, putting a screen between them and the rest of the world.

“Many times I have told (young people) not to be ‘couch potatoes,’” not to be “’anesthetized’ by people who benefit from having them ‘dumb and numb,’” he wrote.

IN BRIEF

Being young is the time for dreaming, the pope wrote, and for being open to the real world, “discovering what is really worthwhile in life, struggling to conquer it; it is opening oneself to deep and true relationships, it is engaging with others and for others.”

But, he wrote, the world is facing so many challenges: the pandemic has shown that “we can only save ourselves together”; there is “the vortex of war and rearmament”; the arms race “seems unstoppable and threatens to lead us to self-destruction”; there is the war in Ukraine; and many wars and conflicts continue to be forgotten, “so much unspeakable violence continues to be perpetrated.”

How are young people to respond, the pope asked? “What are they being called to do with their energy, their vision of the future, their enthusiasm?”

“They are called to say, ‘We care.’ We care about what is happening in the world” and about “the fate of millions of people, of so many children, who have

Religious sisters help survivors of 2019 Easter bombing in Sri Lanka attacks heal from psychological wounds

KATUWAPITIYA, Sri Lanka (OSV News) — On Saturday afternoons, Niranjalee Yasawaradana kneels down before three crosses in an open ground, talking for hours or sometimes crying, a practice she has continued for the past four years.

Her husband, Sampath Wickramaratna, and two daughters are buried there along with more than 100 others who were killed on Easter April 21, 2019, at St. Sebastian’s Church in Sri Lanka, near the nation’s capital of Colombo.

Niranjalee combines this graveyard visit with a Saturday evening Mass in the same church where her entire family died in the terrorist attack. She said she has been able to overcome her anger over their deaths with the help of a religious sister who has served as a counselor, one of hundreds helping survivors of the blasts. Since the attack, some 200 sisters from more than 20 congregations involved in helping the victims of three separate church attacks recover from their trauma and lead a normal life, according to ministry officials, including sisters who lead the St. Sebastian’s school.

Approximately 272 people, including more than 50 children, were killed, and 500-plus injured on that day in separate suicide bomb attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels in Sri Lanka.

The largest casualty — 116 deaths, mostly Sri Lankan Catholics — occurred in Katuwapitiya’s St. Sebastian’s Church, followed by St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, with 55 deaths. Some 47 foreigners were killed in successive blasts in three hotels in Colombo.

“My husband and children were well prepared for Easter with fast and prayer during Lent, not knowing Jesus would call them back on that special day,” Niranjalee told Global Sisters Report in March, a month ahead of the bomb attacks’ fourth anniversary. †

no water, no food, no medical care, while the rulers seem to be competing to see who can spend the most on the most sophisticated armaments,” he wrote. “We care about everything,” including all of creation and the digital

world, “which we are challenged to change and make more and more humane.”

“World Youth Days have been an antidote to life on a balcony, to the anesthesia that makes people prefer the couch, to disinterest,” Pope Francis said in the preface.

“World Youth Day is an event of grace that awakens, broadens horizons, strengthens the heart’s aspirations, helps people dream, to look ahead,” he wrote. “It is a planted seed that can bear good fruit.”

World Youth Day 2023 is scheduled to take place in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 1 to 6, and the motto for this year’s event is a passage from Luke’s Gospel: “Mary arose and went with haste.”

In his formal message for World Youth Day 2023, published last year, Pope Francis said that the figure of Mary shows young people “the path of closeness and encounter” at a time when “our human family, already tested by the trauma of the pandemic, is racked by the tragedy of war.” †

CNS PHOTO Pope Francis arrives with World Youth Day pilgrims for the July 30, 2016, prayer vigil in Krakow, Poland.

True faith is open to others, pope repeatedly says on papal visit to Hungary

BUDAPEST, Hungary (CNS)

— Praising the piety and charity of Hungarian Christians and their commitment to supporting traditional family life, Pope Francis said Christ also calls them to open their hearts — and perhaps their borders — to others in need.

When it comes to the Church or to society, isolationism is not Christian, the pope said in a variety of ways during his visit to Budapest, Hungary, April 28 to 30.

Because of the 86-year-old pope’s mobility issues, the trip was confined to the capital, and the official schedule was lighter than usual. But, as is normal for the pope, he used part of his long midday breaks and early evenings for private meetings, including with Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion of Budapest and Hungary.

Flying back to Rome on April 30, the pope confirmed that he and Metropolitan Hilarion had spoken about Russia’s war on Ukraine, and he said the Vatican has some special “mission” underway, but he declined to provide details.

The pope also spoke about the war with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who, despite being a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has condemned the war. But within the European Union, he has consistently voted against sanctioning Russia and against sending

weapons to Ukraine.

Orbán has claimed his position makes him the only European leader siding with Pope Francis, although the pope has insisted Ukraine has a right to defend itself.

In his first speech in Hungary — to government and civic leaders and diplomats serving in Budapest — the pope encouraged the leaders to foster greater European unity rather than going their own way.

The “passionate quest of a politics of community and the strengthening of multilateral relations seems a wistful memory from a distant past,” he said

on April 28 in his speech at the former Carmelite monastery that now houses Orbán’s office.

“More and more,” the pope said, “enthusiasm for building a peaceful and stable community of nations seems to be cooling, as zones of influence are marked out, differences accentuated, nationalism is on the rise, and ever harsher judgments and language are used in confronting others.”

Ukraine is one of Hungary’s eastern neighbors, and Hungarians have assisted some 2.5 million Ukrainians who have crossed the border since Russia’s war on Ukraine began in February 2022. About

with regard to others; the closed doors of our individualism amid a society of growing isolation; the closed doors of our indifference toward the underprivileged and those who suffer; the doors we close toward those who are foreign or unlike us, toward migrants or the poor.”

Orbán and President Katalin Novák, who have promoted the migration restrictions, were among the estimated 50,000 people attending the Mass in the square in front of the Hungarian Parliament building.

The pope also preached openness April 28 during a meeting with Hungary’s bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and catechists.

He called Hungarian Catholics to embrace “prophetic welcome” or “prophetic receptivity,” which, he said, “is about learning how to recognize the signs of God in the world around us, including places and situations that, while not explicitly Christian, challenge us and call for a response.”

Christians grow in “prophetic receptivity,” he said, by “bringing the Lord’s consolation to situations of pain and poverty in our world, being close to persecuted Christians, to migrants seeking hospitality, to people of other ethnic groups and to anyone in need.”

Pope Francis met with more than 10,000 Hungarian young people in a sports arena April 29 and listened to four of them share how they have overcome

One of them, Tódor Levcsenkó, a 17-year-old student in Miskolc, Hungary, and the son of an Eastern Catholic priest from the Eparchy of Mukachevo in Western Ukraine, told his peers that their sense of mission and purpose can be “numbed by the fact that we live in safety and peace,” but only a few miles away, across the border, “war and suffering are

GOD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART

we cannot do as individuals, we can do through the big heart of the Archdiocese in our DSF-supported ministries.

– Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Archbishop of Galveston-Houston

CNS PHOTO Pope Francis greets about 100 children and young people who gathered outside the Church of St. Laszlo in Budapest, Hungary, to pray for Pope Francis April 29 during his papal visit to Hungary.

‘God is with us’ amid evil of mass shooting, says Cleveland deacon

CLEVELAND (OSV News) — As the small Texas community of Cleveland grapples with a mass shooting, the local Catholic parish is turning to prayer and trust in God.

“God is with us amid evil,” Deacon Larry Terrell of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cleveland, told OSV News May 1. The small town, located some 45 miles northeast of Houston, was the scene of an April 28 execution-style murder of four adults and one child at a residence.

The victims were Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9. All were shot at point-blank range with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

Two of the victims were found covering two unharmed children, according to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers.

Neighbor Francisco Oropesa, 38, is believed to have targeted the victims, who lived next door after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his backyard late that evening.

After a massive manhunt that included more than a dozen agencies, Oropesa was apprehended on May 2. He was found in the home of his long-time partner, Divimara Lamar Nava, stowed under a pile of laundry in a closet just a few miles from the massacre site after a tip helped lead authorities to him, San Jacinto County Sheriff officials said. Nava was also arrested.

St. Mary’s Masses on April 29 and 30 were offered for the victims and their loved ones, who were not known to be parishioners, said Deacon Terrell.

A number of parishioners also attended an April 30 evening prayer vigil organized by the Cleveland Independent School District at Northside Elementary School, where Laso had been a student, added Deacon Terrell.

The tragedy followed an April 23 mass shooting north of Jasper, Texas, some 90 miles from Cleveland. In that incident, 11

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teens ranging in age from 15 to 19 were wounded by gunfire at an after-prom party. Four teens were charged in the attack and in a second shooting that took place minutes later in downtown Jasper.

In an April 29 message posted on the Diocese of Beaumont’s social media, Bishop David L. Toups said the Cleveland

shooting was “another act of senseless gun violence” that had struck the diocese “for the second time in a week.”

“It saddens me for the communities of Jasper and Cleveland that they now have to heal the wounds of doubt and fear in the hearts of all of (us),” said Bishop Toups. “It should deeply upset all of our sensibilities that a thousand violent crimes occur every year in Beaumont alone.”

The bishop pointed to the “need to work together and pray as a community to build a civilization of peace and hope with greater respect for the sanctity of all life.”

“May we as a nation experience a conversion of heart respecting the rights and the dignity of all persons,” he said.

The first step in that conversion is trusting God, said Deacon Terrell, noting that Scripture repeatedly encourages the faithful not to fear.

“God is in control, and he will be with these families,” said the deacon. “God is for justice, and we’ll let God handle this. God is going to combat this gun violence in our country now. He is with us all the way to the end. … We have to keep (these families) in our prayers and pray for our country.” †

Full descriptions for each open position are available online: www.archgh.org/ employment

St. Mary’s Seminary: Administrative Assistant to the Rector

Development Department: Development Coordinator

Legal Department: Legal Counsel

Internal Audit: Senior Internal Auditor

Office of Aging: Administrative Assistant

Catholic Cemeteries: Family Services Associate

Special Youth Services: Administrative Assistant

Office of the Permanent Diaconate:

Director of Admissions and Scrutiny

Director of Field Education

St. Dominic Center: Part-Time Weekend Receptionist

St. Dominic Village Retirement Home: Support Specialist to Retired Priests

Interested candidates may send a cover letter, with salary requirement, and resume to resume@archgh.org with the job title on the subject line.

*Submissions that do not include the salary requirement will not be moved forward for consideration.

OSV NEWS PHOTO

An aerial view shows an Federal Bureau of Investigation van where a search is being conducted for Francisco Oropeza, 38, who police say shot dead five neighbors in Cleveland, Texas.

NATION

U.S. bishops release North American final document, end continental stage of Synod

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) have issued the North American final document for the Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.

Begun in late 2022, the Continental Stage of the Synod was the second stage of the three-year process initiated by Pope Francis in October 2021. For the North American Continental Stage, the United States and Canada held 12 virtual assemblies: seven in English, three in Spanish, and two in French between December 2022 and January 2023. In total, 931 delegates and 146 bishops from Canada and the United States were appointed to participate in one of these 12 assemblies to share their reflections and responses to the Document for the Continental Stage (DCS) issued by the Holy See’s General Secretariat of the Synod in October 2022. Those reflections were brought together by the North American writing team to create the final document.

“I think one of the aspects of the

continental process that was quite impressive was the specific inclusion of a ‘Spiritual Conversation’ apart from the discussions on the content of the regional documents,” said Jim Barrette, Secretariat Director of Pastoral and Educational Ministries for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

“Participants in the Continental Phase from our archdiocese were very moved by the spiritual reflections this phase. We experienced many spiritual reflections in the archdiocesan synodal listening sessions, but the Continental Phase gave the ‘Spiritual Conversation’ extra emphasis.”

As to the content of the Continental Phase, Barrette said the three key themes – “Called and Gifted Through Baptism,” “Communion with Christ and One Another” and “Sent Forth on Mission” – resonated with the themes from Galveston-Houston.

“In the specifics topics under those themes there were some items that were “largely outside of our experience, for example merging, clustering, or combining parishes,” Barrette said, “while others seemed more specific

to our experience than others, like congregations comprised of multiple significant ethnic groups.”

Bishop Raymond Poisson of SaintJérôme-Mont-Laurier, president of the CCCB, welcomed the release of the final document and expressed gratitude at the conclusion of the Continental Stage.

“We wish to extend our most profound gratitude to all those who participated in the North American Continental Stage,” he said.“In a special way, we would like to thank all those throughout the continent who kept the process and those involved in prayer over these last five months. The Holy Spirit is truly at work in the Church in North America, and we hope this final document will serve to strengthen our communion as sisters and brothers in Christ.”

The final document from North America, along with the contributions of the six other continental assemblies, will form the basis of the Instrumentum Laboris to be released by the General Secretariat of the Synod in June 2023.

IN BRIEF

Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine, who has been shepherding the synodal process in the United States, commented on the significance of the final document.

“This document is an important step in our commitment to become a more synodal Church,” he said.

Begun in October 2021, the “Synod on Synodality” was recently extended by Pope Francis through October 2024, to allow for more time for reflection and discernment from both the local and universal Church. The universal phase of the Synod will be held in two parts, the first in October 2023 and the second a year later in October 2024.

The final document for the Continental Stage is available in English, Spanish and French. More information about the North American Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod – For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission, and other resources can be found at usccb.org/synod. †

‘Eye-opening experience’ the Church needs is found in Eucharist, says U.S. apostolic nuncio

WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV News) — Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, said he is “convinced that the Church today is in need of an eye-opening experience,” similar to the experience of the two disciples who encountered Jesus along the road to Emmaus following the Resurrection, but who did not recognize Him until they shared a meal.

“We have seen many of our brothers and sisters leave the Church disillusioned, thinking that Christ is not the answer to their quest for happiness and meaning,” he said April 26 at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

“We experience on a daily basis the hardships of living out the faith in the face of a society that is increasingly secularized and polarized. The temptation to remain stuck in the past is real; the path forward is often difficult to discern and discouragement can set in,” Archbishop Pierre said. “But now, as then, the risen Christ walks with us to help us find the way. He is the way, and we recognize him as such in the breaking of the bread. The Eucharist is the place of this encounter that grants discernment, that affords a new vision of reality, an ecclesial vision of reality.” †

CNS PHOTO Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, second from left, meets with Pope Francis and other members of the preparatory commission for the general assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican in March.

MUNDO CATÓLICO

El Papa Francisco decide que las mujeres sean miembros con derecho a voto en el Sínodo de los Obispos

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS)

— Al menos tres docenas de mujeres serán miembros con derecho a voto de la asamblea del Sínodo de los Obispos en octubre, según ha decidido el Papa Francisco.

En una decisión formalizada el 17 de abril, “el Santo Padre aprobó la extensión de la participación en la asamblea sinodal a los ‘no obispos’: sacerdotes, diáconos, hombres y mujeres consagrados, hombres y mujeres laicos”, dijo la oficina sinodal en un comunicado el 26 de abril.

El cardenal Jean-Claude Hollerich, relator general del sínodo, dijo a los periodistas el 26 de abril que alrededor del 21% de los 370 miembros del sínodo no serían obispos y que al menos la mitad de ese grupo serían mujeres.

Según el cardenal, la incorporación de mujeres y jóvenes garantizará que “la Iglesia esté bien representada” en la oración y los debates previstos del 4 al 29 de octubre en el Vaticano. “Será una alegría tener a toda la Iglesia representada en Roma para el sínodo”.

“Como pueden ver, el espacio en la tienda se está ampliando”, dijo a los periodistas el cardenal Mario Grech, secretario general del sínodo, haciéndose eco del título que se había elegido para el documento de trabajo de la recién terminada fase continental del sínodo. En el documento se afirma que en las sesiones de escucha locales y nacionales del Sínodo se plantearon preguntas constantes sobre cómo promover una mayor inclusión en la Iglesia católica manteniéndose fieles a la doctrina de la Iglesia.

“El Sínodo de los Obispos seguirá siendo un sínodo de obispos”, dijo el cardenal Grech, pero se “enriquecerá” con representantes de toda la Iglesia.

La decisión del Papa de ampliar las categorías de los miembros del sínodo, decía la declaración de abril, “está en continuidad” con la creciente comprensión de la Iglesia católica de la dimensión sinodal de la Iglesia y

EN BREVE

Scaramuzzi, reportero de La Repubblica, en la oficina de prensa del Vaticano el 26 de abril de 2023. El Vaticano acababa de anunciar la decisión del Papa Francisco de contar con mujeres y laicos como miembros con derecho a voto en el sínodo.

“la consiguiente comprensión de las instituciones a través de las cuales se ejerce”.

Desde que se reinstituyó el Sínodo de los Obispos tras el Concilio Vaticano II, todos sus miembros con derecho a voto han sido hombres. Los miembros eran principalmente cardenales y obispos, excepto los 10 sacerdotes — y recientemente un hermano religioso — elegidos por la Unión de Superiores Generales.

Ahora, en lugar de que la Unión de Superiores Generales elija a 10 miembros con derecho a voto, la oficina dijo que elegirá sólo a cinco sacerdotes o hermanos. Y la Unión Internacional de Superioras Generales elegirá también a cinco hermanas o monjas.

Los sínodos anteriores han incluido a mujeres como “auditoras” sin derecho

Papa Francisco: El potencial humano se expande exponencialmente cuando las personas trabajan juntas

BUDAPEST, Hungría (CNS) — Al reunirse con destacados académicos, investigadores e inventores húngaros, el Papa Francisco dijo que la humildad y la humanidad son las claves para la creatividad y para asegurar que la tecnología esté al servicio de las personas y no al revés.

El último acto de la visita del Papa Francisco a Hungría, que tuvo lugar del 28 al 30 de abril, fue una parada en el Departamento de Tecnología de la Información y Biónica de la Universidad Católica Péter Pázmány de Budapest. Este departamento reúne a ingenieros, programadores informáticos, biólogos, neurólogos y médicos para crear

dispositivos que ayuden a personas con diversas limitaciones físicas.

Con la presencia de representantes de otras universidades húngaras y del “mundo de la cultura”, el Papa les pidió que reflexionaran sobre el significado de la máxima “Conócete a ti mismo”.

El primer paso para conocerse a uno mismo, explicó, es saber reconocer “los propios límites y, en consecuencia, frenar la propia presunción de autosuficiencia”.

“Esto hace bien, porque es sobre todo reconociéndonos criaturas cuando nos volvemos creativos”, afirmó. “Aprendemos a sumergirnos en el mundo en vez de intentar dominarlo”. †

a voto, un grupo que incluía a muchas mujeres.

El Papa Francisco ha eliminado la categoría de “auditor” de los participantes en el sínodo, según el Vaticano. En su lugar, habrá un grupo de 70 miembros no prelados que representan a “diversas agrupaciones de fieles del Pueblo de Dios”, incluyendo sacerdotes, mujeres consagradas, diáconos y laicos de todas partes del mundo.

El Papa elegirá a los 70 de una lista de 140 personas seleccionadas por obispos y organizadores de seis agrupaciones regionales de obispos y

por la Asamblea de Patriarcas de las Iglesias Católicas Orientales. Las seis agrupaciones regionales son: el Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano y Caribeño, conocido como CELAM; el Consejo de Conferencias Episcopales de Europa; el Simposio de Conferencias Episcopales de África y Madagascar; la Federación de Conferencias Episcopales de Asia: la Federación de Conferencias Episcopales Católicas de Oceanía; y la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos y la Conferencia Episcopal Católica de Canadá juntas.

Cada uno de los siete grupos episcopales designará a 20 personas, dice el comunicado, y “se pide que el 50% de ellas sean mujeres y que se destaque también la presencia de jóvenes”.

Además de los 10 religiosos elegidos por sus grupos de superiores y los 70 miembros no obispos nominados por los grupos continentales, el Papa Francisco podrá incluir a “miembros no obispos” entre los miembros que él indique.

Y, ya que la dirección de la secretaría del sínodo serán miembros de pleno derecho, eso incluye a la hermana Nathalie Becquart, misionera de Xavière, subsecretaria del sínodo. El cardenal Hollerich añadió que, después de todo el trabajo que han realizado para preparar el sínodo, “sería muy injusto” excluirlos como miembros.

La mayoría de los miembros del sínodo serán obispos elegidos por su conferencia episcopal o por su sínodo de obispos católicos orientales. El número de delegados que puede elegir cada conferencia depende de su tamaño. Las conferencias episcopales con más de 200 miembros — como las de Italia, Brasil y Estados Unidos — elegirán a cinco miembros. †

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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.

FOTO DE CNS

La Hermana Misionera Xavière Nathalie Becquart, subsecretaria del Sínodo de los Obispos, habla con Iacopo

WITHIN THE ARTS

Vatican revives centuries’-old school for young artisans

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When Alice Fantoni specialized in fine arts in high school, the question people posed over and over was, “But what will you do with that?”

What she did, she told Catholic News Service (CNS), was keep pursuing her passion of working with marble and stone, and she enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy; and still people keep asking, “So, you want to be

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an artisan … but where will that get you?”

Turns out, it got Fantoni, 21, privileged access to the private workshops, corridors and nooks of St. Peter’s Basilica, where she is one of 20 students at a unique new school dedicated to encouraging young people to practice traditional crafts and

She has found important support, she said, thanks to people like Pope Francis and others who wanted to establish

the School of Fine Arts and Traditional Trades of the Fabbrica di San Pietro.

“They wanted to set up this school precisely for this reason: to counteract a little this situation (of doubt or pushback) that comes with wanting to become an artisan or traditional craftsman” in the 21st century, she said during a special event held in the basilica’s atrium April 19.

The evening event, sponsored by the Fabbrica — the office responsible for the basilica’s upkeep — and the Fratelli Tutti Foundation, celebrated the first soonto-be graduating class of the six-month program that launched in January.

The school offers three specialized programs: woodworking; masonry and decorative and ornamental plastering; and stonework and carving. Starting in the fall, the school will add programs for mosaics and metalworking.

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Enrollment, including room and board, is completely free, just like the artisan school and apprenticeships the basilica ran centuries ago, said Pietro Zander, who is in charge of the necropolises and artistic heritage for the Fabbrica.

“That school has been brought back to life, so this knowledge doesn’t get lost,” he told CNS.

In his 35 years at the Fabbrica, he said, “I have seen so many exceptional

craftsmen retire, then die, and they never got to pass on their skills to others.”

Today, the basilica’s team of “sanpietrini,” the church’s specialized artisans and workers, “are, for the most part, made up of men,” Zander said. But “our archival documents from the 1500s and 1600s show we had masons, woodworkers, glaziers, mortar makers and cartdrivers bringing in materials by wagon to St. Peter’s who were women.”

Eight of the 20 students graduating in June are women, and in addition to Italians, there are students from Peru, Germany and Belarus.

The students attend lectures by top experts in their field for part of the day, followed by hands-on work and practice with the basilica’s artisans.

“I was able to touch Michelangelo’s Pietà with my own hands, to see it up close, and to see how to make tools for working on stone,” she said. “We still have another two months left, so who knows what else we’ll learn.”

Art has been around since the dawn of humanity, she said, “so it will not disappear, but it should be encouraged.”

“This school is creating new artists,” she said, “and, who knows, maybe another Leonardo da Vinci will emerge.”

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE

For ATA submission details and additional listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.

MAY 10

WORKSHOP, 9:30 to 12 p.m., Emmaus Spirituality Center (12211 Memorial Dr., Houston). Maureen Bacchi hosts a spiritual directors’ development day on the insights of Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin for a better understanding of growing and becoming love through God’s grace. Cost: $40. info@ emmausspiritualitycenter.com; 281-241-9678; www.emmausspiritualitycenter.com.

BUS TRIP TO SHROUD EXHIBIT, St. Bernadette (15500 El Camino Real, Houston). Bay Area Council of Catholic Women host a trip for men and women 50 and older to the new Shroud Exhibit at the National Museum of Funeral History and Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill for lunch. Meet at 8:45 a.m. at the church. Cost: $15/ person; food is on your own. RSVP by May 5 to 713-254-2815; sbalfour2009@gmail.com.

MAY 12

TAIZE PRAYER SERVICE, 7:30 p.m., Villa de Matel Chapel (6510 Lawndale St., Houston). Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word host a Taize prayer for young adults with contemplative music and chant, readings, candles, silence and prayer, in partnership with Taize friends in Houston. Concludes with simple reception. 713-928-6053; sistersofcharity.org/ya.

MAY 13

OUR LADY OF FATIMA SCHOOL GALA, 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., Mainland City Centre (10000 Emmett F. Lowry Exwy., Texas City). Fiesta de Fatima Gala at the Marquee benefits Our Lady of Fatima School - Texas City and includes mercado market, Mariachi reception, fiesta dinner, drinks, music and dance. 409-766-0498; 409-933-2560.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA MASS, 9:30 a.m., Notre Dame (7720 Boone Dr., Houston). Our Lady of Fatima Mass and Hijos and Hijas Consecration. A Rosary will be recited at 9:30 a.m. followed by a bilingual (English and Spanish) Mass at 10 a.m.

MAY 19-21

WOMEN’S RETREAT, Friday at 6 p.m. to Sunday

HOUSTON DOMINICAN FAMILY GROWS

MAY 26-28

ENCOUNTER WEEKEND, Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Married couples’ retreat from the distractions of life and reconnect and revitalize marriage by focusing on each other and learning new ways to communicate more effectively in a private, positive atmosphere. $200 application fee. Apply at www.houstonme.org. 713-482-1791; flores@welovewwme.com.

MAY 27

WORKSHOP, 9:30 a.m., Emmaus Spirituality Center (12211 Memorial Dr., Houston). “Resurrection in Moment, Resurrection in Movement” will deepen understandings of Easter and Pentecost as God’s resurrection moment. 281-241-9678; emmausspiritualitycenter.com.

JUNE 3-4

SUMMER FESTIVAL, St. Patrick (4918 Cochran St., Houston). Festival with live music, games and food.

at 12:30 p.m., Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center (430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston). Threeday “Rise Up in Christ’s Love: Generations in Action” retreat includes Mass, Reconciliation, conferences and time for prayer. Parish groups, mother/daughters (16+), and individuals are welcome. Cost: $265. 713-464-0211 ext. 10; www.holynameretreatcenter.com.

MAY 20

ZYDECO MATINEE, 1:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., St. Peter Claver (6005 N Wayside Dr., Houston). The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary Council and Court 152 host an evening of food and live music by Keyun & The Zydeco Masters and DJ T-Mike. $10 pre-sale tickets, or $15 at the door. 832-250-4271; 713-301-9218.

Courtney Orsak. After one year of inquiry and formation studying the Dominican charism and life, the 11 new members made their first commitment to the group. Founded 15 years ago by Sister Carol Mayes, OP, the group of women and men living the Dominican charism currently has more than 150 members. Father John Rooney, a member of the Dominican Family, celebrated the Mass on Good Shepherd Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter. At the Mass, other members also made recommitments. For more information, visit dfhouston.org or call 713-440-3718. Sacco

CRAWFISH BOIL, 4 to 9 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (10114 Hwy 6, Hitchcock). Family event includes karaoke,

music by Mike’s Mobile Music, sponsorship tables, boiled crawfish plates and additional pound servings, hot dogs and beverages also available for sale. Open to the public, free parking. 409-925-3224; Tickets: www. ololchurch.org/crawfish.

JUNE 8-11

MEN’S ACTS RETREAT, Thursday 5:30 p.m. to noon on Sunday, Circle Lake Retreat Center (19000 Circle Lake Dr., Pinehurst). St. Rose of Lima (3600 Brinkman St., Houston) hosts a ACTS retreat for men 18 years old and older. Cost: $250, $50 deposit required and includes lodging, meals, snacks and transportation. Register: www. stroselima.org/acts. 832-291-0679.

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PASTORAL SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE

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Please note that due to space and other factors, we cannot guarantee placement or frequency in Around the Archdiocese, but we will do our best to get your event into the section.

In a continuing effort to provide pastoral care to victims of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo would like to remind the faithful of the Archdiocese of the availability of the Victims Assistance Coordinator. Anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel is encouraged to call Diane Vines at 713-654-5799. Please keep in daily prayers the healing of victims of abuse and all who suffer in any way.

PHOTO BY THE DOMINICAN SISTERS OF HOUSTON

Eleven men and women joined the Houston Dominican Family at an April 30 commitment Mass and celebration, including (left to right) Kelly Bruso; Stewart Heatwole; Catherine Barber; Audrey VonVorstel; Mary Tysor; Mary Puccini; Mark Zeitzmann; Denia Puerto-Rivera; Michael Duprey; Ellie Zeitzmann; and

Family

CCSF contributes $130,900 to St. Mary’s Seminary

HOUSTON — To mark the more than 90 years of supporting seminarians at St. Mary’s Seminary, many supporters gathered at the seminary in Houston to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Catholic Clerical Student Fund (CCSF) at the group’s annual luncheon.

The organization, which has provided more than $6.7 million in seminary support, presented a $130,900 check to Daniel Cardinal DiNardo on April 22.

The CCSF was established in 1933 to feed the seminarians during The Great Depression and the beginnings of what would lead to World War II.

The fund is supported by Mass enrollments through gifts of $3 or more. Those who are enrolled are the beneficiaries of the prayers of the seminarians and of Masses regularly celebrated at the seminary for the intentions of the members.

The money received by the fund from memberships is invested, and the income from the investments is given to help support the seminary. Enrollments are

IN LEADERSHIP

tax-deductible. These enrollments are included in a working burse until the burse totals $15,000.

At the luncheon, six burses were presented in honor of Father Trung V. Nguyen, past rector of St. Mary’s Seminary; Monsignor William Young, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Houston; Father Drew Wood, pastor of St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land; Moreno and Frank Lundy of the Serra Club; Karen Davis of the Bay Area Deanery Council of Catholic Women; and Eligius Michael Brezina Sr.

The burses’ totals will be added to the current investments.

Catholic singer-songwriter John Michael Talbot led a prayer and meditation to conclude the luncheon.

For more information or to nominate someone for a burse, contact Beverly Brumbaugh at catholicclericalstudentfund@gmail.com or visit smseminary.org/catholic-clericalstudent-fund. †

NCEA honors recipients of the 2023 President’s Award

HOUSTON — The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) 2023 President’s Awards were presented to five honorees at the annual NCEA 2023 Convention in Dallas on April 10. Among them was Aad de Lange, chief financial officer for the Archdiocese.

He received the Monsignor John F. Meyers Award, which is presented to an individual who has provided substantial support for Catholic education through contributions in the areas of development, public relations, scholarship programs, financial management or government relations.

De Lange most notably promoted growth for Catholic schools in the areas of development, scholarships and tuition assistance for students and for various capital improvements.

The NCEA Lifetime Commitment Awards are

new in 2023 to recognize individuals who, over a career, have advanced the mission of Catholic education. Given in honor of past NCEA presidents, the 2023 honorees demonstrate change and inspiration to further the mission of Catholic education, said NCEA President and CEO Lincoln Snyder.

“Catholic school communities nationwide are blessed to have individuals and organizations such as our honorees as devoted and faithful servants to the Gospel values we hold dear and a deep commitment to the mission of Catholic school education,” Snyder said. †

PHOTO MEGAN DOHERTY/ FOR THE HERALD

Above, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrates Mass at the Chapel on April 22 at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston for the Catholic Clerical Student Fund (CCSF). At right, Sarah Snell with the CCSF, far right, presents a $130,900 check to Cardinal DiNardo and Father Eurel Manzano, rector of St. Mary’s Seminary, at left.

AAD DE LANGE