Texas Catholic Herald - Sept. 22, 2020

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

PASTORAL PLAN

Webinar discusses tenant rights as thousands face eviction ▪ SEE PAGE 6

New objectives renew action to combat racism, sex abuse ▪ SEE PAGE 8

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

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

HEALING AFTER LAURA

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VOL. 57, NO. 7

HOLY FATHER REJOICES WITH PILGRIMS’ RETURN

Parishes bring hope, chainsaws to Acadiana

BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — Just as the Cajun Navy fearlessly came to Texas’s aid during the floods of Hurricane Harvey, Houstonians didn’t wait to head to Lake Charles bring supplies in the catastrophic wake of Hurricane Laura.

One day after Laura lashed Lake Charles, St. John Vianney (SJV) Catholic Church parishioners David and Maria Gobea, alongside Juaquin and Natalie Arellano, trekked through the wreckage of downed trees, utility poles and debris to Lake Charles with fresh food and supplies. That weekend they’d provide at least 200 meals for families, as well as other aid workers passing through.

Gobea said Lake Charles was a ghost town, as most had evacuated and still had yet to return. Few residents were seen on most roads.

During one meal delivery, Maria visited a homeowner and found him See LAURA, page 5

CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis greets family members as he arrives to lead his general audience in the San Damaso courtyard at the Vatican Sept. 9. The pontiff welcomed members of the public for his general audiences when in-person gatherings resumed in September.

Pope prays for families, students as unusual fall semester begins VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In a letter to people participating in a virtual Marian pilgrimage, Pope Francis offered words of encouragement to families struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pope’s message, which was signed on his behalf by Pietro Cardinal Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, was sent to Bishop Stefano Russo, secretary general of the Italian bishops’ conference, and to participants in the 13th Annual National Pilgrimage for Families to Pompei and Loreto.

The Vatican published the message Sept. 13.

In it, Cardinal Parolin conveyed the pope’s gratitude to the promoters of the pilgrimage for organizing the event “in this time in which families are suffering particularly from the hardships due to the pandemic.” He encouraged them to “draw hope and strength from prayer

FORMED FOR OTHERS

St. Mary’s Seminary welcomes 17th rector HOUSTON — St. Mary’s Seminary Chapel saw two landmark events in the lineage of leaders of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese on the same day.

On Sept. 13, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo formally installed Father Eurel Manzano as the 17th rector of St. Mary’s Seminary, and also welcomed six men who publicly professed their candidacy to the priesthood, including Christopher Meyer, Luis Garcia and Jacob Ramirez, all of Galveston-Houston; Caleb De La Rosa and Genaro Garza of the Diocese of Brownsville; and Fernando Ricaud of the Austin Diocese.

With his hand on the Gospels, Father Manzano proclaimed his oath of fidelity to the Church after professing his faith in the presence of all those attending.

Former rectors also concelebrated the Mass, including Monsignor Chester Borski, who served as rector from 1982 to 2001 and was the first diocesan rector after a 31-year absence of diocesan leadership, and Father Trung Nguyen, who previously led the seminary from 2010 to 2020.

Now-Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of the Diocese Victoria, who served as rector from 2001 to 2010, was unable to

See POPE, page 2

THE FIRST WORD † 3

See SEMINARY, page 3

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COLUMNS † 12 - 13

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PHOTO BY MARLON BARAO/ ST. MARY’S SEMINARY

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, third from left, celebrated the Mass of Installation for Father Eurel Manzano, far right, at St. Mary’s Seminary on Sept. 13. Former rectors Monsignor Chester Borski and Father Trung Nguyen, far left to right, also joined in concelebrating the Mass.

ESPAÑOL † 16 - 17

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MILESTONES † 19

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Pope: “Draw hope and strength from prayer ... to move forward” POPE, from page 1 and fraternal communion in order to move forward.”

Around the world, including in Italy, children and teens were returning to school for the first time in months.

An estimated 5.6 million Italian students returned to classrooms Sept. 14 amid questions over whether there were enough teachers, sufficient desks and facemasks to keep everyone safe.

Acknowledging the challenges facing students today, the pope expressed his hope that the “reopening of the school year will be lived by all with a great sense of responsibility.”

Concluding the letter, Cardinal Parolin said Pope Francis was praying for families in Italy, Europe and around the world so that they “may continue to form that great river that spreads life, faith, hope and love in God’s people and in all of society.”

Impossible to bear tragic loss of a child without God’s help, pope says VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Without God’s help, it is impossible to bear the tragic loss of a young life, Pope Francis said.

“Every tragic death brings with it great pain. But when it snatches (the lives of) five adolescents and a young mother,

THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON-HOUSTON Publishing since 1964 (USPS 936-480) 713-652-8215 • Fax: 713-659-3444 tch@archgh.org • archgh.org/tch Circulation 713-652-4408 Advertising ads@archgh.org • 713-652-4407 CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis speaks to pilgrims while he greets the crowd as he arrives for his general audience in the San Damaso courtyard at the Vatican Sept. 16.

it is immense, unbearable without God’s help,” he told members of the victims’ families Sept. 12.

Five teenagers ranging from 14 to 16 years of age and a 39-year-old woman accompanying her daughter died in the early hours of Dec. 8, 2018, at a nightclub in the Italian town of Corinaldo, near the Adriatic seaport city of Ancona. Almost 200 people were injured at the nightclub.

The tragedy was triggered by a gang using hot pepper spray so they could

Putting Faith Into Action

FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP FAITHFULCITIZENSHIP.ORG

Informed voting is virtuous: register to vote.

In their statement on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. Catholic bishops remind Catholics, “We are called to bring together our principles and our political choices, our values and our votes, to help build a better world” (no. 14). In Texas, the voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 5. Mail-in voter registration forms are available at the County Voter Registrar’s office, and applications can be found at libraries, government offices, or high schools or online at www.votetexas.gov.

Political engagement is part of our Catholic Call

The U.S. bishops urge Catholics to form their consciences through being open to truth, studying Scripture and Church teaching, examining facts and background information, and prayerful reflection (no. 18). Visit www.faithfulCitizenship.org to learn about the steps that can be taken to gain information, watch videos and access other great resources on conscience formation for faithful citizens.

Political engagement is our responsibility: Learn about the issues!

The U.S. bishops also lift up various issues of different moral weight and urgency. Some issues they mention include: “protecting the unborn, refugees and immigrant families; fighting racism and religious intolerance; aiding those impacted by poverty and conflict; preserving the family; and caring for our common home.” Learn more about the issues and watch brief videos at www.FaithfulCitizenship.org. †

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steal people’s valuables during the confusion. A stampede to an emergency exit and overcrowding on a dilapidated balustrade led to its collapse, sending people plummeting some five feet down where they landed on top of one another.

The pope thanked the group for sharing their sorrow and joining in prayer.

He said he recalled the shock he felt upon hearing the news of the tragedy in the early hours of what was the feast of the Immaculate Conception. †

LAURA RECOVERY EFFORTS To donate to the Hurricane Laura relief efforts, please contact one of the following Catholic Charities:

BEAUMONT Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas 2780 Eastex Freeway Beaumont, TX 77703 Web: www.catholiccharitiesbmt.org Email: catholiccharities@ catholiccharitiesbmt.org Phone: 409-924-4400 Toll Free: 1-855-924-4400 Fax: 409-832-0145 LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana 1225 2nd St. Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: 337-439-7436 Fax: 337-439-7435 Web: www.catholiccharitiesswla.com WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/LAURARECOVERY

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Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Archbishop, President & Publisher Jonah Dycus Communications Director & Executive Editor Rebecca Torrellas Managing Editor James Ramos Designer & Reporter Catherine Viola Graphic Designer & Advertising Manager Annette Baird, Kerry McGuire and Jo Ann Zuñiga Contributors The Texas Catholic Herald, an awardwinning member of The Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada, is published semi-monthly on Tuesdays, except for one issue in June, July and August by The Texas Catholic Herald Publishing Co., Inc., 1700 San Jacinto St., Houston, Texas 77002.

Subscription rate: $15 per year; $20 outside Texas; $35 out of U.S. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX and other distribution points.

Postmaster: Send address changes to P.O. Box 907, Houston, TX 77001 TCH publishing schedule Issue date: October 13 Deadline: Noon on September 22 Issue date: October 27 Deadline: Noon on October 13

On the cover Pope Francis CNS PHOTO

Housing

PHOTO BY TIERRA MALLORCA

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other

Suffix:___________ Name: ______________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________________ City: ______________________________ State: _______ Zip: _________________________________ Phone #: _______________________________Email: _________________________________________ Parish: _______________________________________________________________________________ Established in 1901

Make checks payable to St. Maryʼs Seminary Trust Fund.

Mail to Archdiocese of Galveston – Houston, P. O. Box 4817, Houston, Texas 77210-4817

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

texas catholic herald

THE FIRST WORD FORMING MEN FOR GOD ‘WITH GREAT CARE AND FIDELITY’

IN BRIEF

Café Catholica Lite returns Sept. 24

HOUSTON — The next Café Catholica Lite will be held online on Sept. 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The featured speaker, Dr. Stuart Squires, is from the University of St. Thomas Center for Faith and Culture. His topic will be “How Catholics Should Vote.” The Café Catholica program seeks to help young adults ages 18 to 39 encounter Christ and His Church. All young adults are invited to join Café Catholica Lite throughout the year.

For more contact the Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry at www.archgh.org/cafecatholica or yacm@archgh.org or 713-741-8778. To register, visit https://bit.ly/CafeLiteSeptember. †

DSF annual appeal to support Archdiocesan ministries continues

PHOTO BY MARLON BARAO/ST. MARY’S SEMINARY

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo presides over the Installation Mass of Father Eurel Manzano as the 17th rector of St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston Sept. 13. Cardinal DiNardo also welcomed six men studying at St. Mary’s Seminary who professed their intention to join the priesthood.

Hallowed seminary forms Church’s future priests SEMINARY, from page 1 attend.

Father Manzano’s lineage of rector leadership goes back to 1901, when the seminary was first transferred and established in La Porte from its origin at the University of St. Mary on Galveston Island in 1856. The seminary then relocated to its current home off Memorial Drive in 1954.

In his homily, Cardinal DiNardo said, according to the new program of priestly formation recently adopted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a seminary’s rector is a priest “distinguished by prudence, wisdom and balance” and someone “seen as the spiritual father of the entire seminary community.”

The rector also sets the seminary’s tone, “which must be characterized by trust and mutual respect with fraternal charity,” he said.

As rector, Father Manzano is charged with “overseeing the

academic, spiritual, pastoral and human formation” of seminarians attending St. Mary’s from several different dioceses.

Cardinal DiNardo also said the rector must bring harmony to discord, “towards an ultimate unity and harmony with the Lord, Jesus Christ.”

And as these seminarians grow and learn of the history and teachings of the Church, Cardinal DiNardo exhorted Father Manzano “to gently and beautifully ... correct them, and to give them a deep sense of joy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Quoting Pope Francis, Cardinal DiNardo encouraged Father Manzano to walk closely with his seminarians and community, getting to know their character, strengths and weaknesses, always lifting them up in correction, never pushing them down.

“We want our seminarians to experience the depth of the joy of the Gospel,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “Yes, they need to know the

ST. MARY’S SEMINARY

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Cross, they need to know the cost of discipleship, that’s extremely important, but if they’re going to be a good shepherd, they need to have the joy of the Gospel in their heart.”

To Father Manzano, who previously served as Cardinal DiNardo’s priest secretary before leading St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land, Cardinal DiNardo said: “This is the first day of many good days. I hope all good days. ...

If you have a bad day, don’t worry, many good days will follow.”

In a message to his parents in the Philippines, who were unable to attend the Mass but watched via livestream, Father Manzano thanked them for “all of the beautiful things you’ve done in my life, especially teaching me the Rosary.”

“We turn to Our Lady asking for her continued intercession on this, her seminary,” Father Manzano said, “and we pray that what God has already begun as a good work may continue to be brought to fulfillment.”

For more information on St. Mary’s Seminary, visit www. smseminary.org. † — James Ramos

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HOUSTON — This year the theme of the annual Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) appeal is “Bring Your Greatest Gifts to The Lord.”

The annual campaign to support more than 60 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 all ministries supported can be found at www.archgh.org/ dsf. The Archdiocese counts on DSF funds to help meet the needs of people struggling throughout our region.

To make a pledge online, visit www.archgh.org/dsf.

For more, call 713-652-4417. †

Webinar rescheduled to help renters facing eviction due to pandemic

HOUSTON — A free Spanish webinar with information for families and individuals who are facing the threat of eviction has been rescheduled for Sept. 24 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The “Know Your Rights – Tenant Challenges Webinar” aims to help renters understand the eviction process, learn more about the CARES Act, and offer resources and additional information that may help.

Co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the webinars will be hosted online. For further information on how to join the Spanish webinar, visit CatholicCharities.org/tenants. †

Catholic Charities food pantries continue help during pandemic

HOUSTON — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston continues to serve people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic through all of its programs. Food pantries are open for drive-through food distribution at three locations: Guadalupe Center in Houston; Mamie George Community Center in Richmond; Beacon of Hope Center in Galveston.

The Mamie George Community Center is a super distribution site in coordination with the Houston Food Bank. Distribution is every other Saturday, Sept. 26, and Oct. 10 and 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For hours and other information, call the COVID Assistance Line at 713-874-6521. †

Annual Red Mass for legal professions set for Oct. 29

HOUSTON — The 2020 Red Mass for members of the legal professions is set for Thursday, Oct. 29 at 6:15 p.m. at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in Houston.

Due to COVID-19, the Mass will be livestreamed at www.archgh.org for those unable to attend in person. In addition, there will be no dinner event following the Mass this year.

For more information about the 2020 Red Mass, call 713-652-4426. †

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4 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

LOCAL

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

VIRTUAL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION Holy Name Catholic Church celebrates its 100th anniversary with virtual Masses. ▪ PAGE 19

A chalice between them

BY LISA MAY/OFFICE OF ARCHIVES

HOUSTON — The chalice and paten Daniel Cardinal DiNardo used in celebrating the Mass for Father Eurel Manzano’s installation as rector at St. Mary’s Seminary on Sept. 13 belonged to Bishop Jean Marie Odin, who served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Galveston from 1847 to 1861. Bishop Odin received the chalice from Blessed Pius IX in 1851, according to the inscription on its base.

A second inscription noted that it was originally a gift BISHOP JEAN that same year from the Marchese di Vulci, perhaps MARIE ODIN intended for a mission diocese, as Galveston then was. Another inscription, this one from 1880, indicated that the chalice was given to the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in Galveston, perhaps by their founder, the second bishop of Galveston, Bishop Claude M. Dubuis.

The chalice was then later returned to the Chancery and is now in the Archives for the Archdiocese, one of only a few artifacts from Bishop Odin’s tenure. †

At far left, a detailed shot of the at least 169-year-old chalice. Center, a close up shot shows an handmade cherub angel. Below, an inscription on the base of the chalice shows: “EPISC. GALVESTON 1851,” in addition to other detailed artwork.

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LOCAL

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

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Volunteers: We felt Mary’s presence in Louisiana LAURA, from page 1 breaking down in tears. She didn’t know what to do except pray and grieve with him for the loss of his home, his family’s way of life now shattered by Laura, and his sense of normalcy already splintered by a pandemic.

“It was heart breaking to see these people’s homes just blown wide open by the wind. They had lost everything,” Gobea said.

A fellow SJV parishioner with family in Lake Charles helped coordinate food supply deliveries that trip. For the next two weeks, parishioners would make the journey to help with clean up efforts, food and supplies in Cameron, Dequincy and several other cities along the way, helping wherever needed.

Among the diverse crews, some of whom came from SJV’s Spanish-speaking community, several parishioners knew a hurricane’s wrath firsthand, having seen four feet of water in their own homes. Though his home was spared any flooding, Gobea himself had to be rescued by boat from his home as waters rose.

Contacts learned of a young family in Sulphur in need of baby supplies after losing everything, and parishioners back in Houston rallied to gather everything the family might need to get by for the next few weeks.

“It’s really heartbreaking to see the national coverage of the storm die down,” Gobea said. More than 44,000 homes remained without power Sept. 15, three weeks after the storm.

In Cameron, a small community less than a mile from the Gulf of Mexico where a Category 4 Laura made landfall, Gobea and the crew put their two chainsaws to good use in helping a widow clear debris from her property. Though much catastrophic damage surrounded the home, she survived with little roof damage and a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary still standing despite the 150 mph wind gusts and storm surge.

Less than 10 miles down the road in Creole, also right on the Gulf, Gobea saw complete destruction. A nine-foot storm surge spread from Creole to Cameron, wiping out dozens of homes and structures. Thirty-nine parishes and seven missions in the Lake Charles diocese that saw damage, at least six saw catastrophic damage, including Sacred Heart parish in Creole.

“It was completely wiped out, and there was nothing we could do because there were no more homes left to repair,” he said.

The Lake Charles community has ties to SJV, especially in its popular ACTS community. A crew of teens from Lake Charles helped commission the youth version of the retreat and community at the Houston parish several years ago, so it only made sense for Gobea and his fellow ACTS retreat participants to help their brothers and sisters after Laura.

Throughout his time in Louisiana, Gobea found a resilient spirit in the people he encountered. He also saw dozens of handmade wooden crosses with the message “ALL IS WELL,” a citywide effort to share a message of hope during the onset of the pandemic in the spring. But these crosses still stood tall next to fallen trees and battered homes.

Another icon of Louisiana is the everpopular statue of the Blessed Mother

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID GOBEA

(At left) David Gobea (second from right, bottom row) traveled with St. John Vianney Catholic Church parishioners to Cameron, Louisiana, to assist with Hurricane Laura relief efforts. Immediately after the storm, Gobea and other parishioners would travel from west Houston to Louisiana to bring supplies, food and relief work to the people of southwest Louisiana. (At right) Sacred Heart parish in Creole saw catastrophic damage from wind and storm surge.

HEALING AFTER LAURA

in front of many Catholic homes in Cajun country.

“We felt the presence of Mary in Louisiana,” Gobea said. In Creole, where they found Sacred Heart parish destroyed, a statue of Our Lady, just like the hundreds across the region, still remained upright just like

the crosses.

On a trip back home to Houston, Gobea’s crew made an unscheduled pitstop in Fannett, Texas, near Beaumont.

There, where three years ago Hurricane Harvey had wrecked the little community with three to four feet of rain, David Wedlake found a Miraculous Medal on the ground.

“She’s everywhere,” he said. “She’s following us.”

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is still coordinating with their sister agencies in southeast Texas and Louisiana. Catholic Charities

“It was completely wiped out, and there was nothing we could do because there were no more homes left to repair.”

DAVID GOBEA

ON THE DESTRUCTION HE SAW ON LOUISIANA’S GULF COAST AFTER HURRICANE LAURA

in Houston continued to accept donations of water that would be sent to Louisiana. Water can be donated at the Catholic Charities warehouse, located at 1000 S. Loop West, Ste. 150 in Houston, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday.

For assistance, volunteer and donation information, call 713-526-4611.

No stranger to storm relief, a large network of Knights of Columbus of Galveston-Houston brought supplies to Lake Charles in coordination with Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana (CCSL) the day after the storm hit. Over the next week, thousands of supplies, including water, food, gas, construction and cleaning goods, were brought to the southeast Texas and Lake Charles-area to help with recovery and

relief work.

Members of the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary from across the Gulf Coast traveled to Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Sept. 12 to deliver supplies to relief efforts. Schools also helped with relief efforts, like St. John XXIII College

Preparatory in Katy, which hosted a gift card drive to benefit Laura recovery.

For the latest information on Archdiocesan-led Hurricane Laura relief efforts and other resources to help recovery, visit www.archgh.org/ laurarecovery. †

As COVID-19 continues to spread, the future has never felt so unpredictable. During this time of great uncertainty we’ve been comforted, encouraged, and humbled by the outpouring of generosity and support from our community.

Remarkable people and community groups have stepped up to support our senior care community with donations of hand-sewn masks, monetary gifts, and more.

Thank You for helping us meet our mission of “Caring for Our Elders with the Compassion of Christ,” so that we can continue to provide the highest level of spiritual and medical care to our most vulnerable population.

If you‘d like to join our group of extraordinary patrons, we ask that you please consider making a donation to St. Dominic Village. You can also help advocate for us by sharing our mission with a family member or friend, or even making a quick mention on your social media.

Thank you for being part of our St. Dominic Village family.

Stay safe and well,

Amy Shields, CEO Please mail your checks to: c/o Development 2401 Holcombe Blvd.

Houston, TX 77021 or donate online at stdominicvillage.org/donate

6 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD LOCAL

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Thousands evicted in Houston area before eviction moratorium, rental assistance

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — According to community leaders, about 10,000 renters have been evicted from March through August in the Houston area before the recent eviction moratorium was put into place by the Center for Disease Control to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The CDC ordered a national eviction moratorium, halting evictions effective Sept. 4 through the end of 2020 as COVID-19 continues to cause health and economic hardships. But residents will still be under obligation to pay rent, so those eligible need to apply to Houston’s $60 million rental assistance program allocated through the City of Houston and Harris County, said The Metropolitan Organization (TMO) members, a nonprofit of church groups.

“Evictions put us all at risk,” said TMO’s Bob Fleming. “People who are evicted move in with other people and compound liability to COVID-19 by creating more density.”

Landlords and renters can apply for financial relief through the Houstonbased nonprofit, BakerRipley, and deadlines have been removed. Officials said they plan to accept applicants until all of the funds have been distributed.

“None of us are alone despite the chaos surrounding us. We are all connected to each other.”

SISTER MAUREEN O’CONNELL, OP

DIRECTOR, ARCHDIOCESAN SECRETARIAT FOR SOCIAL CONCERNS

Each individual tenant may be eligible to receive up to $2,112.

According to officials, more than 8,000 landlords have already signed on, and more than 30,000 tenants have applied.

Baptist Rev. Jaqueline Hailey, as part of a TMO press conference, said, “The CDC order creates a welcomed pause in evictions in this area, but it is only a halfmeasure because all rents and late fees will continue to pile up and be due when the moratorium expires on December 31.”

To help navigate what can be complicated procedures, the Archdiocese and the Houston Volunteer Lawyers joined Catholic Charities and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in hosting a tenants’ “Know Your Rights: Navigating Tenant

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RESOURCES Several organizations are offering rental and eviction case assistance:

Catholic Charities www.catholiccharities.org Houston Volunteer Lawyers www.makejusticehappen.org www.texaslawhelp.org Society of St. Vincent de Paul www.svdphouston.org BakerRipley www.bakerripley.org Challenges during the Pandemic” free webinar Sept. 8 in English. Another such webinar is scheduled in Spanish Sept. 24.

Catholic Charities CEO and President Cynthia Colbert opened the webinar with a prayer saying, “Give us open hearts to serve our brothers and sisters.” Sister Maureen O’Connell, director of the Secretariat for Social Concerns, said, “This pandemic has taken a serious toll on families.”

Part of the webinar, Houston Volunteer Lawyers representative Maricarmen Dollar said she and other lawyers in that office are working on eviction cases and are available at makejusticehappen. org or at 713-228-0735. Another website is texaslawhelp.org. She explained the multiple steps of the eviction process through a Justice of the Peace trial and possible appeal.

“The moratorium is supposed to stop evictions, but rent is still owed. So we urge those who qualify to apply for financial assistance,” she said.

To qualify, a renter must make less than $99,000 annually; show loss of income, hours or layoffs because of the pandemic; show renter is making timely partial payments if possible; show if evicted, renter would be homeless or have to move into a shelter or with others.

Then the renter signs the declaration

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Home Office: San Antonio, Texas

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Hundreds of billions of dollars are at stake every year for the next 10 years.

The results of the 2020 Census inform funding and planning for new clinics, school lunch programs, emergency services, and more. So make sure you count everyone living in your home as of April 1, 2020.

For more information, visit 2020CENSUS.GOV/count

and gives a copy to the landlord with a witness present and keeps a copy as well.

According to news reports, many renters end up self-evicting and moving out because of the fear of constable deputies with court orders banging on their doors and putting any possessions out on the street. Webinar presenters cautioned renters NOT to self-evict without first making an effort to resolve the situation.

Angela Orea, a volunteer with the Society of Vincent de Paul at Holy Ghost Catholic Church and at St. Thomas More, has been interviewing by phone those facing eviction and looking for help.

“They are not only immigrants but all sorts of people. Dads are crying over the phone about their kids. You have to listen to them because they are hurting,” she said.

Ann Schorno, SVDP executive director, said the organization and its Catholic Church partners have helped more than 149,907 individuals served in the community through drive-through food fairs, provided $2 million in financial assistance, and provided 4,524 home visits held virtually to see what assistance clients needed, according to its COVID-19 Assistance Community Impact Report from March through August.

“It is a true struggle for so many families in our community. We are all working together to provide the resources, both informational such as the eviction webinar and financial, to help the families move to a sustainable position for the future,” Schorno said.

Catholic Charities has also assisted about 169,000 individuals with food assistance from March through Sept. 5.

The Catholic Church’s social services branch also answered 15,540 hotline calls during that time, with 70% concerning rent, 23% food, and nine percent needing assistance with utilities.

Sister O’Connell, offering words of encouragement during the webinar, said, “None of us are alone despite the chaos surrounding us. We are all connected to each other.” †

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

texas catholic herald

7

Texas Southern Newman Center offers students solace, community following summer of change

BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — The experience of moving into a dorm to start the fall college semester is unique. The atmosphere can buzz with the excitement of a new semester, the anxiety of classes, new or different friends balanced with the optimism of new growth and education.

Watching caravans of new or returning students pass by his office at the Texas Southern University (TSU) Newman Center, located at 3535 Wheeler Ave. in the heart of the Third Ward, Doris Barrow could only hope to help as students returned to campus Sept. 10 to 13.

Usually, he helps students move-in alongside other Catholic student leaders from the Catholic Students Organization, helping with directions, carrying belongings or anything else that can help ease the transition to a new semester.

With new university-instituted COVID-19 rules, which include restricted visitor access to campus and a modified 13-week semester that started Aug. 19 entirely online and will conclude before the Thanksgiving holiday, this semester will be anything but typical.

For now, as campus minister and leader of the TSU Catholic Newman Center, Barrow can only throw open the doors to the center as a place of solace and community after a summer of fastpaced change and unrest.

With the deaths of Houstonians George Floyd and Vanessa Guillén, civil unrest marked by protests and public calls for change has altered the country’s racial justice landscape.

At one of two historically Black colleges and universities in the Archdiocese — the other is Prairie View A&M University — Barrow helps lead a unique ministry within the Catholic Church: offering spiritual care, working with nearby clergy, and ensuring the academic success of Catholics attending the school, especially African-American and the university’s growing Latino population.

Because of the pandemic, the center started ministry off virtually, hosting Scripture study and fellowship nights online in September. Just weeks after Floyd’s death in May, Barrow started hosting a virtual Rosary every Tuesday at 12 p.m. to seek the Blessed Mother’s intercession to Jesus to end the sin of racism.

Barrow said the effort has been “beautiful,” and has been received well by the wider Catholic community. A similar Rosary held in the Archdiocese of New Orleans inspired Barrow to start the devotion here in Houston.

With the new semester now in full swing, the Newman Center’s Chapel remains open during the day to students wanting quiet time for personal prayer, Barrow said. The Newman Center’s library was also open for students looking for other places to attend virtual classes or a space to study.

STUDENTS RAISE CALLS FOR CHANGE

As a campus minister, Barrow keeps a close eye on his student community at the Newman Center and at TSU. Following Floyd’s death and the ensuing nationwide unrest, he noticed the students reacting in different ways, some subtle, others more obvious, which

“What is God’s role or plan in this? How is God going to help rectify this? What is God doing about this?”

DORIS BARROW

CAMPUS MINISTER TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY CATHOLIC NEWMAN CENTER

concerned Barrow. In the summer, after a semester turned virtual nearly overnight, the student community had to wrestle with the repercussions of the pandemic, and the stark realities of racism made so apparent all around them, he said.

With the world at their fingertips, including content like the video of Floyd’s arrest, or Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting in Georgia that was also filmed, Barrow began seeing “elements of psychological trauma” in the students. As the videos grew more viral, his students saw the content played “over and over” again.

In his Black male students, reactions were diverse. Cynics said “nothing will change,” others chose avoidance and decided not to deal with the issues or only express anger and hopelessness.

But those who were hopeful, Barrow said, helped prompt questioning and conversation.

But he heard one singular thread: “What is God’s role or plan in this? How is God going to help rectify this? What is God doing about this?”

Barrow said the students told him that Floyd’s death, as well as the pandemic, had caused them to pray more.

“It’s led to more prayer,” he said.

“What’s going to come out of this?

Hopefully, a calling to more prayer.”

That prayer also leads to action, he said. He noticed the Latino students, many who are first- or second-generation American citizens, immediately raised their voice for change and brought up related immigration issues.

“A number of those students are Dreamers,” Barrow said, referring to recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

“Their experience of racism is different. I try to give a voice to the varied experiences, and all require a unique approach.”

Barrow recognizes how the painful experiences of racism are different, and that informs his ministry. A growing nationwide effort to find new ways to minister with topics like racism lets Barrow guide the students to explore Church teachings on racism and how to live them out.

“My goal is to accompany them and work through these things instead of telling them what to do and how to do it,” he said.

Barrow credited fellow Catholic leaders who linked arms to offer racismrelated ministries and discussions.

Barrow lauded fellow campus ministers and student communities in the Archdiocese “who wanted to walk with the TSU community and neighbors.”

THURSDAY’S THE DAY

Though virtual events are typical these

days, Barrow said they lack the organic elements that happen at in-person events.

The Newman Center is committed to offering community-based ministry to share “deeper experiences.”

He said they look forward to the day when they can fill the Newman Center with students like they used to.

But for now, outside of Sunday Mass, Thursdays become a day of activity: With the help of nearby clergy, the Newman Center offers Eucharistic Adoration at 12 p.m., mid-day online prayers at 3 p.m. and virtual Scripture studies at 7 p.m.

Two other spiritual hubs, a nearby parish within walking distance and the Catholic Newman Center at the University of Houston just five minutes away provide other opportunities like daily Mass.

SERVICE LEADS STUDENT COMMUNITIES

As students enter pre-professional programs, like the law or pharmacy school, Barrow said their availability lessens, but they still desire to embrace their Catholic faith.

A number of students from the TSU College of Pharmacy held a summer drive to benefit San José Clinic, located at 2615 Fannin St. in Houston.

San José Clinic, a 98-year-old health

COMBATTING RACISM Visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/RACISM for more resources, including a message from Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, prayer guides and petitions. clinic for the underserved in the Houston metropolitan area, received more than $1,800 worth of monetary donations and pharmacy supplies.

“These blood pressure monitors and bilingual pillboxes will be a tremendous asset to our patient care team as we continue to provide optimal care for the underserved,” said Dr. Adlia Ebeid, directory of pharmacy and clinical services.

This kind of action inspires Barrow to encourage the Catholic student community at TSU to engage in service.

Though the pandemic complicates public service projects, before COVID-19, Barrow and Catholic student leaders led efforts to support Magnificat Houses’s Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen near Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston.

To learn more about the TSU Newman Center, visit www.tsunewmancenter.com or call 713-747-7595. †

URGENT NEED FOR CORONAVIRUS RELIEF

Help Houston area families in crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic With your help, Catholic Charities will be able to provide food, emergency financial assistance and the administrative support needed to help those impacted by the virus. Your gift to the Pandemic Response Fund will give us the flexibility to meet whatever needs arise from this crisis. Please give today.

Make a gift to the Pandemic Response Fund at

CatholicCharities.org/coronavirusrelief 2900 Louisiana Street • Houston, Texas 77006

8 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD LOCAL

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Pastoral plan calls for renewed action to combat racism, sex abuse Plan lays out objectives, actions for parishes

Lately though, Aldridge has been encouraged by the steps the Church is taking to address systemic racism and its openness to new initiatives. A member of St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Spring, Aldridge has been participating

BY ANNETTE BAIRD in its community conversations about Herald Correspondent race, started last October and born out HOUSTON — Gloria Aldridge is of “Open Wide Our Hearts,” the U.S. no stranger to being at the wrong end Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2018 of racism and prejudice. pastoral letter against The retired attorney, who racism.

Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan is African American, has It was in this climate that suffered indignities and Aldridge brought the idea of slights great and small a 21-day challenge for racial throughout her life. equity to St. Ignatius after She grew up attending learning about America Holy Cross Church in and Moore’s 21-day Racial Austin, a church her mother Equity Challenge her helped get off the ground as brother’s church in Detroit an alternative to attending a was doing. segregated church.

St. Ignatius church As a high school leaders incorporated student, Aldridge said readings from the Gospel she wasn’t allowed to and launched its own “Open www.archgh.org/pastoralplan attend a Daughters of the Wide Our Hearts” 21-day Confederacy sponsored Challenge online earlier dance because of her color. At law school, this summer. The challenge incorporates Aldridge was questioned whether she personal prayer, reflection and learning belonged in the law journal office. to challenge racism and prejudice.

“It’s something you live with, and it “We see this as a vital pro-life issue, doesn’t go away — these memories are and just as we are committed to other there, and my church was not willing to pro-life issues and activities, we give that see me as God sees me,” Aldridge said. same energy and the same emphasis to

IN BRIEF Though it was overshadowed by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic when it was released earlier this year, the Archdiocesan Plan 2020 is starting to be embraced by parishes across the Archdiocese.

The culmination of a year’s work by a council of 26 people from 13 parishes across the Archdiocese, the plan identifies racism and sexual abuse as the two major challenges that parishes face today and provides a blueprint for action and a family perspective and its implications for ministry. St. Ignatius of Loyola in Spring is one such parish to take action when it launched the “Open Wide Our Hearts” 21-day Challenge against racism and prejudice. To find out more about APP 2020, visit www.archgh/pastoralplan. To find out more St. Ignatius of Loyola’s 21-day challenge, visit https://ignatiusloyola.org/21days. this work,” said Amy Auzenne, pastoral associate for evangelization and formation, who helped put the challenge together.

The 21-day challenge is just one of many tangible things that parishes across the Archdiocese can do to overcome racism, one of the two major pastoral concerns at the heart of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan 2020. Overcoming sexual abuse is the other major concern.

“We found after a series of conversations that these elements were roadblocks, not that the Sacraments are not important, but in addition to that,” said Ricardo Medina, director of the Archdiocese’s Family Life Ministry.

“These two elements require special attention.”

Medina was one of three facilitators who led a diverse group of people from 13 parishes to explore the issues and challenges that parishes face and to advance solutions that parishes may want to work on. After many conversations over several months on topics from immigration to the Sacraments, the group found that the two main concerns were sexual abuse and racism.

Finalized in March, the plan promotes respect and inclusion. It lays out the objectives and the actions that parishes, and especially families, can take to overcome both sexual abuse and racism.

“We found out we didn’t want to keep diagnosing a problem that we know that is there,” Medina said. “Beyond racism, we want inclusion. Beyond abuse, we want respect.”

In the ongoing effort to overcome sexual abuse, Medina said parents should be talking to their children about their bodies and about who is allowed to touch them and who makes them feel uncomfortable. He said parishes should expand Safe Environment training and not just limit it to an activity or a facility.

Also, they must make it a priority to support the victims.

“Parishes and families need to be courageous and prepared,” Medina said.

“It’s also about combatting a wider culture of pornography, constant sexual stimulation and objectifying the other.”

As for the challenge to overcome racism, Medina said families and parishes should be having conversations about racism. He said parishes need to be intentional about providing opportunities to be involved, and about eliminating obstacles and restrictions.

“The plan is an initiative to try to help our Church heal,” Medina said. “We need to keep working on this for the next several years, for sure.”

For more information on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan, visit www. archgh.org/pastoralplan. †

HOW ABOUT A TRIP TO ROME?

But it’s an virtual trip. While we can’t go right now, The Texas Catholic Herald curated a ‘Diversions’ website online with links to FREE digital offerings, including digital pilgrimages, online video tours, puzzles and links to religious exhibits. Sites include St. Mary’s Seminary Chapel, the Vatican, the Holy Land and other religious places. Puzzles feature beautiful images of St. Peter's Basilica, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston, and religious art from around the Archdiocese. The content can be played on computer and mobile devices.

Take a trip with us at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/DIVERSIONS

LOCAL 5

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

loCal

Texas catholic herald

texas catholic herald

9

Pro-Life Ministry brings Christ’s hope, healing f trafficking, advocates say during times of uncertainty, unrest in brief

BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent

Ending the scourge of human trafficking

HOUSTON — To build a culture that cherishes and protects human dignity in every season of life, especially when threatened during these times of uncertainty and unrest, the Church spares no effort.

The Office of Pro-Life Activities (PLA) focuses on those with suffering souls to fill them with the hope and healing only found in Christ.

“As Catholics, we are called to be aware of all threats to life and dignity whenever and wherever they occur,” said Julie Fritsch, director of PLA. “We are further called to respond to those threats, especially when they involve photo by jo aNN ZuñIGa/herald the most vulnerable, with the truth and ding a campaign to provide patient care for human trafficking compassion of Christ.” rea pathways for advocacy-based trauma-Informed healthFritsch said the mission of theCollege PLA I st. luke’s health, the collaborative includes baylor important nowtraining thanstaff ever r Change is and more San Jose Clinic that are how to to promote a culture of life at all stages and circumstances, including at the local level.

The office provides retreats, educational der in human trafficking. Most of the San José programming, and diocesan and statewide e are Clinic patients are women 18 years and prayer and advocacy opportunities to el that over with the average being a 47-yearfulfill its mission of protecting human s well old Spanish-speaking Hispanic female, dignity in every season of life. ble. they said.

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HOUSTON — The University of St. Thomas and CHI St. Luke’s Health will host an educational seminar called: “Houston, We Have a Problem: The Scourge of Human Trafficking.” The event will be held at University of St. Thomas – Jones Hall, located at 3910 Yoakum Blvd. in Houston, on Jan. 23 at 1 p.m.

Speakers will include two former human trafficking victims. †

In 2018, the clinic served 3,762 uninsured patients in 30,548 visits to provide quality health care to the uninsured while relying on 914 volunteer medical and dental PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF PRO-LIFE ACTIVITIES providers, Sanders said.

TheAs Office of Pro-Life Activities coordinates several part of grant funds, the clinic will be events, including prayer and advocacy opportunities like the March of the Surviving Youth, when hundreds of attendeeds gather to advocate and raise awarehiring a bilingual licensed professional ness for life. Usually held in October, the event was postponed until March 2021. counselor or perhaps work with Catholic Charities to provide counseling to human involves several healing ministries causing severe and long-term emotional, trafficking survivors, she said. for those suffering trauma. Some of psychological, and spiritual trauma, Other events for Human Trafficking those include Jerome’s Hope, which Project Rachel provides a network of Awareness month include members of supports families that have experienced services to support the needs of those the collaborative speaking at college a miscarriage, infant loss or prenatal seeking healing. campuses, including the University of diagnosis, and Project Rachel, which The team includes trained clergy, Houston main campus on Jan. 17 and the provides healing after abortion. mental health professionals and University of St. Thomas on Jan. 23. † Fritsch said because the experience laypersons available to offer support.

– By Jo Ann Zuñiga of an abortion can be devastating, Erika has received help from and has volunteered with Project Rachel since 2019.

She believes the ministry’s loving support network helped her find the pathway toward healing her soul.

“I’ve been helping in the ministry for one and a half years, and for me, it has been a blessing because I have continued to heal my wounds,” Erika said. “At every weekend retreat, I’ve had the opportunity to see how Jesus pours out His grace for each retreatant, changing their somber look into a light of Christ. I could feel how Jesus has led me toward the light with His forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.”

Despite restrictions from COVID-19 mandates in effect since March, Fritsch believes PLA’s healing ministries have been successful in reaching the women and families they serve.

However, the Gabriel Project, which assists women experiencing difficult circumstances during pregnancy, has experienced challenges at the parish level.

“The Gabriel Project ministry has been substantially impacted by the pandemic as many more families have found themselves in need of assistance; at the same time, donations have decreased at

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The Office of Pro-Life Activities is supported by the Diocesan Services Fund. The 2020 DSF theme draws from an important meaning of the Catholic faith: “Bring Your Greatest Gift to the Lord.”

DSF operates in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston each year to help the Church carry out the ministries of teaching and sanctifying. Of the 60-plus programs under its umbrella, DSF brings the needed financial resources to carry out these ministries. the parish level,” said Fritsch.

Even though connections are harder to maintain because of the pandemic, Fritsch said volunteers at the parish and Archdiocesan level still work to meet the needs of pregnant and parenting mothers and families.

The pandemic’s effects have minimally impacted the planning this summer of a major PLA initiative for parishes within the Archdiocese — the national “Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service” campaign. Organized by the United States Conference of Bishops (USCCB), the initiative invites parishes to examine how they are already assisting pregnant moms, families with young infants, and families with growing children, and to consider how they might expand or build upon these ministries to reach more individuals.

Fritsch said mandates may have restricted some of the planning meetings, but the initiative is going strong.

“Although captioned ‘a Year of Service,’ I believe the initiative is better described as a ‘year of preparation’ or a ‘year of planning,’” said Fritsch. “The Walking with Moms program offers parishes an opportunity to thoroughly plan in 20202021 initiatives to be implemented in 2021 and beyond.”

PLA is one of 60 ministries supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF). To help support the mission of the PLA by contributing to the 2020 DSF campaign, visit www.archgh.org/dsf. †

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10 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

Camp Kappe

School of Environmental Education Plantersville, TX Instructor/Summer Programming Team Member Summary: The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is seeking eligible candidates for the position of Instructor/Summer Programming Team Member, School of Environmental Education (S.E.E.) at Camp Kappe Retreat Facility in Plantersville, Texas. This position reports directly to the S.E.E. Director and provides instructional leadership and learning activities in environmental and conservation education; assists with the pre and postsession planning; assists in the planning and activities of in-session training programs; uses effective assessment devices for all students and works with visiting staff, parents and chaperones. With the Executive Director of Camp Kappe, S.E.E. Director and staff, plan and initiate a summer enrichment camp experience for middle school children (Grades 5-8).

Education/experience requirements Qualified candidates must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. The possession of Texas State education certification is a plus. If the degree is not in education, the candidate must have at least 12 hours of education credits. The ideal candidate should also have a minor in one or more of the following: Biology, Life Science, Environmental Education, Natural Resources, Wild Life Management, Forestry, or outdoor education experience. Consideration will be given to candidates with background in a regular classroom, outdoor education, and camp experience as well as course work or experience in child development, learning theory, environmental education and individualized instruction.

Please note that classroom instruction and activities are primarily outdoors in a various weather conditions and include hiking and other outdoor recreational activities.

Suitable candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to Human Resources at resume@archgh.org with Instructor/Summer Programming Team Member in the subject line.

Director of Educational Technology and Data The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is seeking a full-time Director of Educational Technology and Data to support the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) and the Archdiocesan Catholic schools in the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational products to facilitate learning and effective operations, including through the use of learning management systems and student information systems. The Director of Educational Technology and Data will also support the communications efforts of the CSO through the management of the CSO’s website and social media platforms. Demonstrating an understanding of the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools, the Director of Educational Technology and Data will create, use, and manage technological processes and resources to help improve the academic excellence and operational vitality of our schools while supporting the work of the CSO. General Requirements: Suitable candidates must be active Roman Catholics in full communion with the Catholic Church; an energetic advocate for the ministry of Catholic education, and faithful disciples of Catholic philosophy, values, and teachings.

Education/Certification/Experience: Masters’ Degree in Educational Technology or a related field from an accredited institution of higher learning. Minimum of five years’ experience in elementary, middle and/or high schools and experience collaborating with schools and working to integrate technology into the academic curriculum.

Special Knowledge/Skills: • Working knowledge of student information systems, computer-based software related to education, web page creation, development, and maintenance, photo and video creation, editing, and publication, technical support, and learning management systems.

• Awareness of/commitment to Catholic traditions of education, service and social justice.

• Possesses the credibility to lead and represent a Catholic organization with integrity and to work harmoniously with diverse learning communities.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

OBITUARIES Raymond John Simper

CONROE — Raymond John Simper, father of Debra Haney, superintendent of Catholic Schools, died Aug. 28. He was 75 years old.

Funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 3 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe.

Interment is in Cashner Funeral Home & Garden Park Cemetery in Conroe. †

José Vázquez Ocón

MONTERREY, Mexico — José Vázquez Ocón, father of José Dionicio Vázquez, program coordinator of the Office of Hispanic Ministry, died Aug. 24. †

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

Oct. 1, 1853 Mr. Jean Pierre Bajard Oct. 1, 1853 Rev. Jean-Marie Baudrand, OMI Oct. 1, 1981 Bishop Wendelin J. Nold, STD Oct. 2, 2014 Rev. Edward W. Abell Oct. 3, 2012 Rev. Christopher A. Billac, SJ Oct. 5, 1866 Rev. Jean Bigat Oct. 5, 1962 Rev. Max E. Budnik Oct. 5, 1970 Rev. John J. Brady, MS Oct. 9, 1993 Bishop Bernard J. Ganter, DD Oct. 10, 1972 Msgr. Joseph C. Kunc Oct. 10, 1993 Rev. Cornelius Ryan, OMI Oct. 12, 1847 Rev. Bartholomew Rollando,CM Oct. 12, 1993 Msgr. John C. Perusina Oct. 14, 1928 Rev. A. DeSimone Oct. 14, 1996 Rev. Ernest Perhach Oct. 15, 1884 Rev. Claude Martinierre Oct. 15, 2001 Rev. George S. Silvester, CSB Oct. 15, 2009 Rev. Jose Maria Fernandez Oct. 16, 1967 Rev. Leslie J. Vasek, CSB Oct. 16, 1983 Rev. Eugene Lynch, MS Oct. 16, 2002 Rev. A.J. Chandonnet, CSSR Oct. 16, 2007 Rev. Alcuin E. Greenburg

Oct. 17, 1953 Rev. Michael Leahy Oct. 17, 2014 Rev. Peter Thien Hoang, OP Oct. 19, 1903 Rev. Odilo Schorer Oct. 19, 1966 Rev. George Black Oct. 19, 1969 Rev. John F. Collins, CSB Oct. 19, 1969 Rev. Dennis Kennedy Oct. 20, 2003 Msgr. Frank A. Lagana Oct. 20, 2004 Rev. Joseph T, O’Malley Oct. 21, 1929 Rev. Emile L.J. Fluery Oct. 21, 2004 Msgr. Sylvester J. Fuchs Oct. 24, 1867 Rev. Alex Renoux Oct. 24, 1896 Rev. Joseph N. Jacquet Oct. 25, 2005 Msgr. George V. Rhein Oct. 25, 2009 Rev. John Chinh Chan Tran Oct. 26, 1970 Rev. Wilfrid J. Murphy, CSB Oct. 27, 1853 Rev. Edward Hug Oct. 27, 1953 Rev. J.P. Dillon, CSB Oct. 30, 1888 Rev. Francis Derue Oct. 30, 1946 Rev. Alfred G. Grattan Oct. 30, 1977 Rev. Anselm Townsend, OP Oct. 30, 1988 Rev. Joseph R. Plummer Oct. 30, 1990 Rev. Ludon Angelle

Fulshear parishioners adopt Lake Charles parish for Laura relief efforts

FULSHEAR — After seeing the widespread catastrophic damage in Louisiana from Hurricane Laura, parishioners at St. Faustina Catholic Church in Fulshear chose to expand their parish family by adopting St. Margaret Catholic Church in Lake Charles as a sister parish to help the Louisiana parish recover from the storm.

On Sept. 12, St. Faustina parishioners visited Lake Charles to assist St. Margaret parishioners with their rebuilding and recovery efforts. In 2016, before the St. Faustina parish even had a building to its name, the Fulshear community rallied to support local flood victims after the ‘Tax Day’ flood in April 2016.

In addition to continued prayers, Fulshear parishioners held a special collection, in coordination with Father Nathan Long, pastor at St. Margaret, to provide financial assistance to the Lake Charles parish.

“We have decided to adopt St. Margaret’s and accompany them in their rebuilding and relief efforts,” parish officials said in a Facebook post.

The Louisiana parish saw extensive damage. The parish’s family center was heavily damaged, and its rectory was considered unlivable, pushing Father Long out of his home. Several classrooms in its parochial school were also destroyed.

For more information, visit www.saintfaustinachurch.com/hurricane-laura-relief. †

LOCAL CATHOLIC NEWS.

WHERE YOU WANT IT. WHEN YOU WANT IT.

• Knowledgeable of current and emerging trends in the field of education.

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills including the proven ability to engage with and inspire a wide range of stakeholders.

• Possesses critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Suitable applicants should send resume and salary requirement to The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to: resume@archgh.org with CSO Director of Educational Technology and Data in the subject line.

Catholic Schools Office

Catholic Schools Office | Chancery at St. Dominic Center 2403 Holcombe Blvd. | Houston, Texas 77021

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/DIGITALEDITIONS

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Texas catholic herald

11

EDUCATION

Ewa Thompson celebrates John Paul II’s legacy with charitable gift to new UST institute HOUSTON — The St. John Paul II gift helps enable The St. John Paul II Institute at the University of St. Thomas Institute to bring to life the many gifts of (UST) offers the only program in the this great pope,” UST President Richard nation that focuses on the Polish saint in Ludwick said. “Her commitment to, and the context of Polish history and culture. passion for, the richness of Polish society With Dr. Ewa Thompson’s philanthropic and its lasting contribution to our world is gift of approximately $200,000, the remarkable and will continue to inspire.” institute will expand its offerings.

Ludwick, who grew up with St. John Thompson, who is professor emeritus Paul II as pope and developed a genuine of Slavic Studies at Rice University, and passion for the saint, said he would like to her late husband James (a make the UST a hub for Polish mathematics professor), who Studies in Houston. served as a faculty couple at “The full richness of his Rice for 40 years, had plans life and works will require to leave a piece of property on significant further study and the Blanco river in Wimberley, inquiry,” he said. “This institute Texas, to the institute in their will advance that work. Integral will, but Thompson recently to fully appreciating the man decided to offer the financial and his enduring contributions, support. is what and how Karol Josef To Thompson, the St. John Wojtyla was formed. Namely, Paul II Institute presented an we must understand the entirety DR. EWA opportunity to give new life of more than one millennium THOMPSON to the Slavic studies work of the Polish, Christian she loved her entire career experience.”

— especially the exploration of Polish Dr. John Hittinger, who led the history and culture. installment of the institute, said, “The “The legacy of John Paul II is not just donation by Dr. Thompson is a great step a legacy of another pope. There have forward for the new institute. As we are been quite a few popes, but not every just finishing our first year of operation, pope leaves behind the stream of wisdom we need to move forward with the support that John Paul II has left,” she said. “By of the community to achieve our goals of studying his features of civility, spiritual becoming an outstanding testament to the and physical, and his ability to relate to study of St. John Paul II in the context of the individual, we can bring back these Polish history and culture.” qualities for all.”

He said graduate students can Their charitable gift, known as the comprehensively study the thought Ewa and James Thompson Endowed of John Paul II, including all of his 14 Fund, enhances the institute’s efforts to encyclicals. The program is presented facilitate the understanding of the life online for professionals and includes a and work of St. Pope John Paul II in the capstone course. context of Polish influences.

“Dr. Thompson’s donation sets up an “Professor Ewa Thompson’s generous endowment so that we can launch the

Polish studies component of our institute and expand our study abroad program in Poland when it is safe to travel,” Hittinger said. “Dr. Thompson is one of the top scholars of Slavic studies in the United States, and she has contributed much over the past 40 years to the exploration, especially of Polish culture and history.

This endowment will honor her work and bring the thought of St. John Paul II to many students in Houston and the nation.”

For more about the St. John Paul II Institute at the University of St. Thomas, visit www.stthom.edu. † CNS PHOTO

A recent $200,000 gift by Dr. Ewa Thompson to the University of St. Thomas St. John Paul II Institute recognizes the gifts of the Polish pontiff and saint. Known as a globetrotter who made 104 trips outside Italy, St. John Paul II served as pope from 1978 to 2005 and was canonized

by Pope Francis on April 27, 2014.

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston | 1700 San Jacinto | Houston, TX 77002

Associate Director of Development Summary: The Associate Director will work closely with the Development Director and other staff to support the overall fundraising efforts and events of the Archdiocese. The primary responsibility of this position is the creation and management of a dynamic Annual Appeal (Diocesan Services Fund), and cultivation of long-lasting relationships with major donors, supporters, lay leaders, priests and prospects to ensure the financial stability of the local church. Responsible for timely and accurate reporting, constituent stewardship, and prospect analysis necessary to plan and implement donor engagement in the Archdiocese. Responsible for creation of donor impact articles and overall campaign marketing. Also participates in visioning and goal setting for the Development Department.

Essential duties and responsibilities: • Produces compelling appeal collateral materials and reports • Establishes print and electronic marketing plan for the campaign which include monthly newsletter, social media outreach and year-end giving blasts • Develops cultivation opportunities and tailored solicitation strategies for different segments of the donor base • Establishes strategies to engage major gifts ($5,000 and up), to renew current donors and re-engage donors lapsed for three or more years • Is a resource for parishes/ministries for campaigns, offertory and grant writing • Assists in prospect research/updates prospects in established and new campaigns • Special projects as needed and other duties as assigned by the director Required qualifications: • Undergraduate degree and 3-5 years of development/stewardship experience • Thorough knowledge of stewardship and fundraising principles and techniques, especially in relation to annual appeals and major gifts • Working knowledge of software including Microsoft Office and Adobe products such as InDesign • Strong interpersonal and exceptional communication and organizational skills, ability to prioritize as well as be able to multi-task and arrange ongoing projects • Occasional early morning/ evening/ weekend work required • Ability to lift/carry 25 pounds Additional preferred qualifications: • Familiarity and comfort with the mission of the Catholic Faith • Bilingual English/Spanish

To register, visit www.retreatcentercrc.org

Suitable candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to Human Resources at resume@archgh.org with Associate Director - Development in the subject line.

12 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

YOUTH TEENTALK

Teens in the Archdiocesan Youth Council share their own faith life experiences.

How can a trusted adult help accompany you in your faith life?

“It is always great to have an adult that I can trust, who can listen, and respond in a way that will get me on the path to truth.

My favorite metaphor of the Church is as a nurturing Mother. She is someone who is real, holding you, and guiding you to the truth.”

– Olivia, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church “I would like it if I had an adult role model who could teach me about my faith rather than impose on me principles I don’t understand without an explanation. I know the Church can help me find answers to the longings in my heart. It has already been the greatest source of hope, community and acceptance for me.”

– Franklin, St. Albert Trapani Catholic Church “In my faith life, I need trusted adults to always be supportive but also be able to answer my questions. Originally, our parents were the ones who taught us our faith. So, we must find answers from them or other adults we can learn from to stay close to God.” – Danika, St. John Vianney Catholic Church

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Creating a culture of accompaniment at the parish Whether it knows it or not, every parish is perceived by its parishioners and the surrounding community in a specific way. Sometimes this perception is good, and sometimes it is not. As a parishioner, if you had to describe your parish and its top characteristics, what would they be? Would non-parishioners or unengaged parishioners use the same language as you in describing the parish?

The parish’s values, expectations and practices make up its organizational culture — the essence of what the parish is.

Ideally, a parish’s culture should be rooted in our fundamental Christian culture, which the Directory for Catechesis states “is born from the awareness of the centrality of Jesus Christ and of his Gospel, which transforms the life of humanity” (102). If the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not one of the first things that comes to mind when people think about your parish, something might be wrong. Without question, the Sacraments are the primary way that people encounter the power of Christ.

However, the efficacy of the grace received through the Sacraments depends on the openness of the person

receiving them.

As disciples of Jesus Christ who have encountered His transforming Gospel, we have the great honor of accompanying others who have not yet come to by know Him or have fallen away from Christ through BRIAN HENRITZE the various trials and circumstances of life. This is a work that is required of all those who bear the mark of a disciple through their Baptism and Confirmation. As such, there are several steps your parish can work through to ensure that the parish culture focuses on accompaniment. These steps can be done by a small parish leadership team or as a whole community process.

†

Step One: Identify your parish’s core value. This may sound superfluous, but I assure you it is not. What you value determines how you act and how you communicate. If you are not sure what your parish values, examine your weekly announcements, bulletins and email blasts. What words, phrases, programs, See HENRITZE, next page

Sharing the Holy Mass & the Gospel Message online VISIT archgh.org/onlinemass to join our brothers and sisters in Christ for our extensive schedule of multiple online Masses, Prayer Guides, and other Spiritual resources.

SCAN HERE

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Texas catholic herald

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COLUMNIST USCCB pastoral documents are guideposts to eradicate racism Given the problematic racial climate in the United States and the Catholic Church, this is the time to turn to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) pastoral letter on racism, “Open Wide Our Hearts.”This pastoral document can serve as a guidepost on how we are all called to respond to the culture that has been gripped to the core by the sin of racism.

The USCCB published the pastoral letter in November 2018, close to 40 years after “Brothers and Sisters to Us: A Pastoral Letter on Racism in Our Day,” the bishops’ prior 1979 release of a pastoral statement on racism. Through both of these pastoral letters, the Catholic bishops have charged all the Catholic faithful to fight for racial justice and eradicate racism.

In “Open Wide Our Hearts,” the Catholic bishops’ goals are to underscore fundamental Church teachings on the dignity of the human person. The document outlines that all human beings are created in the image of God. Next, the document gives preeminence that the Gospel teaching of Jesus proclaims and inaugurates God’s reign of justice.

The pastoral letter goes on to express our unity in Christ, reminding us of our call to care for the poor and marginalized in our community.

In this pastoral letter, the Catholic bishops acknowledge the oppression experienced by African Americans and how that oppression takes away from the dignity in which God has given all

people. “Open Wide Our Hearts” emphasizes that racism is a failure of love as well as a failure to recognize the image of God in each and every person. The point of love is underscored by throughout the document.

The bishops write: “As FR. REGINALD Christians, we know it is SAMUELS our duty to love others.”

The document goes further to state: “The command of love requires us to make room for others in our hearts. It means that we are indeed our brother’s keeper.”

The bishop’s pastoral letter gives an overall picture of how we are called to view racism’s intricacies. First, the document takes into account the historical violence, not only in the African-American life but also in the Native-American and HispanicAmerican experience.

“Open Wide Our Hearts” challenges Catholics to view their own cultural values and norms that evaluate individuals according to skin color and heritage. Moreover, in this pastoral letter, the bishops acknowledge the Church’s own role and complicity in past failures and the lack of dealing with racial injustice over the centuries in the United States.

The fight for racial justice and the eradication of racism can only be

†

During these difficult and trying times, priests of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will be offering spiritual reflection videos on Scriptures of the day to help us stand firm in faith and hope.

New videos in English and Spanish will be posted on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Find the videos at www.archgh.org/messagesofhope, and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Audio of the reflections are also available on our podcast channel via your favorite podcast app.

“In our charge of eradicating racism and building racial justice, as Catholics, we all have to be diligent and not give up when statements of pain and hurt are expressed.” accomplished through prayer, acknowledgment and intentional actions. The Catholic bishops have given us all a way to move forward in our journey to peace. I pray that we can take the time to review the document “Open HENRITZE, from previous page or items are mentioned most often?

This is a time for honesty, and if you do not like what you see, then, as a community, identify what you do value and work from there. These values should be both relationally and mission-driven.

Step Two: Refocus Leadership.

What does leadership look like in your parish? There is no single leadership style that works for every person or organization. However, there are key principles that will help to create a culture of accompaniment. Begin by fostering a spirit of Synodality; this is a recognition that we are a community on a journey together, open to dialogue and attentive to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Leadership in an accompaniment community focuses less on the given authority of a position and more on the earned influence of persons in leadership roles.

Step Three: Critically Assess Your Parish. Using the core values identified, critically assess how effective your parish currently is at accompanying people in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Thinking critically does not mean thinking cynically. Ask what is working well and what needs improvement. Identify three to five strengths you can leverage and three to five areas that need change.

Step Four: Link Behaviors to Objectives. The behaviors of your parish are your values in action; they

Wide Our Hearts” and glean from this document a way in which we can move forward in our fight for justice and the end of racism. The document is available online at www.archgh.org/racism.

In our charge of eradicating racism and building racial justice, as Catholics, we all have to be diligent and not give up when statements of pain and hurt are expressed. The bishops write: “We cannot, therefore, look upon the progress against racism in recent decades and conclude that our current situation meets the standard of justice.

In fact, God demands what is right and just.” Recall that before his death, Christ prayed, “May they all be one” John 17:21).

Father Reginald Samuels is the Vicar for Catholics of African Descent in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. are what the uninitiated see, and determine whether they will want to interact with you. What behaviors can the parish and its various ministries undertake to ensure that everyone is working towards the mission of accompaniment?

Step Five: Constantly Ask and Listen. When one reads the Gospels, a clear image of Jesus begins to unfold.

Jesus is consistently asking people questions and listening to their responses. If your parish seeks to have a culture of accompaniment, then you must unceasingly practice the sacred art of listening. Ask yourself if you are on the right track and if you are truly focusing on the values of your parish.

Ask parishioners and non-parishioners what they are looking for and what they need. Listen to what people are saying and to what they are not saying.

Finally, listen to the Holy Spirit, who will guide you into all truth.

Before we as a Church can authentically accompany others, we must first experience what it means to be accompanied. Fortunately, God Himself has first accompanied us. In the person of Jesus Christ, God has walked with us, listened to us, shared in our hopes and joys, and experienced our sorrows. To accompany us, Christ went all the way to the cross. In order to accompany our brothers and sisters, how far are we willing to go? †

Brian Henritze is an associate director with the Archdiocesan Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization.

SUNDAY MASS READINGS SEPT. 13

First Reading: Sir 27:30-28:9

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:1-4, 9-12

Second Reading: Rom 14:7-9

Gospel: Mt 18:21-35

SEPT. 20

First Reading: Is 55:6-9

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18

Second Reading: Phi 1:20-24, 27

Gospel: Mt 20:1-16

14 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

WORLD

Catholic social teaching has values the world needs, Dominican says ROME (CNS) — Individual rights and freedom are essential for human flourishing, but human happiness depends a lot on relationships — kinship and friendship, but also the broader common good, said Dominican Sister Helen Alford.

The 2007-2008 global financial crisis, the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic — “these are some of the results of a too individualistic mindset,” said the British Dominican, vice rector of Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas.

Pope Francis named Sister Alford a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in early September.

“We could think of some societies even today that don’t give people enough individual freedom, and that’s a problem,” she said. “But we can also have too much of it in the sense that it leads to breakdown, (a) breakdown of communities, breakdown of relationships.”

When the individual becomes the source and summit of life in society, “people feel they can’t speak to each other,” she said. “If you think about some of the political situations that we’re dealing with today where people feel they have absolutely nothing in common with each other and that the political divide between them is so profound that they can’t talk to each other, they can’t even work together in government.”

When politics means governing is simply about “blocking the other side,” she said, “this is something that we can all see isn’t helping us.”

After working in the industry and

earning her Ph.D. in engineering management from Cambridge University, Sister Alford entered the Dominicans and studied theology. She teaches Catholic social doctrine, business ethics and corporate responsibility as well as working with major corporations in London through a project called “A Blueprint for Better Business.”

The pontifical academy she is joining brings together social scientists — mainly scholars in the fields of economics, sociology, law and political science — to study questions of interest to the Vatican as it develops and promotes the application of Catholic social teaching.

Sister Alford said St. John Paul II, who established the academy in 1994, “was really important in terms of relaunching the whole idea of Catholic social thought,” which teaches that the Gospel has clear and concrete principles for living together in a way that recognizes the God-given human dignity of each person and promotes societal living that is good, just and peaceful.

She said St. John Paul’s “relaunching” was necessary after the Second Vatican Council when some experts thought Catholic social thought was “sort of bourgeois, middle class, not really Gospel-oriented.”

And, in fact, the council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World does not use the term “Catholic social doctrine,” she said.

Instead, it refers to “the signs of the times” and interpreting them in the light of the Gospel — precisely what Catholic social teaching does.

Particularly with this encyclical

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston St. Dominic Chancery | 2403 Holcombe Blvd. | Houston, Texas 77021

Associate Director of Innovation, Office of Family Life Ministry Summary: The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is seeking eligible candidates for the position of Associate Director of Innovation at the Office of Family Life Ministry. This position reports to the Family Life Ministry Director. It leads the ongoing transformation of the Family Life Ministry Office to pastorally address the underserved family needs and aspirations of our families, through a renewed network of collaborators and technological resources.

The position has to provide outstanding results in 1) identifying and prioritizing family needs, 2) defining initiatives and integrating sustainable programs to address them, and 3) networking with current Church leaders for successful implementation at our offices, parishes, and ministries. The Associate Director of Innovation also has a crucial role in the implementation of the online formation strategy of the Office.

Education/Experience Requirements: Master’s Degree in Family, Pastoral Ministry, Theology or equivalent. Proven track for innovation, collaborative leadership, and the teaching and service aspects of the Church.

Minimum of 3 years pastoral ministry and adult formation.

Bilingual, at least business fluent in English, and also Spanish, Vietnamese, or Igbo. This person must be a practicing Catholic in good standing.

Interested suitable candidates should submit a cover letter, salary requirement, and resume via email to resume@archgh.org.

Please indicate the job title on the subject line.

CNS PHOTO

Dominican Sister Helen Alford, vice rector of Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, gives an interview at the university Sept. 10, 2020. Sister Alford is the newest member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

on human labor — a document that captivated Sister Alford while working on her dissertation at Cambridge — St. John Paul put renewed attention on the social implications of professing

Christianity, she said. Retired Pope Benedict XVI added to the body of social encyclicals, and Pope Francis “speeded up” the ethical and theological reflection on what it means for the Church to minister in the world.

“In terms of actualization, in terms of showing that the Gospel is a liberating force in society, I think Catholic social thought is really, really impressive,” Sister Alford said.

And, because it is based on virtues, she said, Catholic social teaching naturally lends itself to interreligious dialogue and cooperation, building on common values.

That broad outreach is expected to be part of the social encyclical Pope Francis will sign in Assisi Oct. 3; the Vatican said it will be about “fraternity and social friendship.”

“We don’t want to throw individual freedom out — that’s good — but it needs to be put back into a bigger vision of a good human life,” Sister Alford said. If a person believes that doing something good for someone else always involves “a loss for me,” then “we’ve got a problem.”

Part of the task of Catholic social teaching, she said, is to help people realize that promoting the common good is not simply altruistic, but also is a matter of recognizing their own connections to others and nourishing their own need for relationships. †

IN BRIEF At Mexican camp near U.S. border, asylumseekers grow more desperate

MATAMOROS, Mexico (CNS) — When Sister Norma Pimentel used to query the needs of asylum-seekers in a tent camp along the Rio Grande in this Mexican border city, they asked for supplies such as utensils and blankets. Now when she speaks with them, they voice fears for their safety and ask about an exit.

“We’re moving to a more desperate situation: ‘Get me out of here, I’m afraid for my child,’” she said they tell her.

Residents of Dignity Village — populated by asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico as their cases proceed in U.S. courts, part of the Migrant Protection Protocols plan — have endured everything from cold snaps to hurricanes, from rats and snakes to vermin infestations, and from criminal gangs kidnapping them to the COVID-19 pandemic. But fear has gripped the camp in recent weeks as at least seven individuals have been found murdered with their bodies left along the river’s edge in an area where camp residents used to wash and bathe.

“It’s hard to know (what’s happening) because the authorities are not saying and they’re not identifying the person. They’re saying the (dead) person is from the city of Matamoros, but most of the people don’t believe that,” said Sister Norma, a member

of the Missionaries of Jesus and director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.

“It’s dangerous and everyone wants out.” †

Lack of money shouldn’t impede health care, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis said that when it comes to treating patients, especially women, doctors and medical institutions should place their care above financial gain.

“Financial concerns should not be allowed to dominate the field of health care to the point where such essential aspects as building relationships with patients are overlooked,” the pope said Sept. 11 during an audience at the Vatican with members of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society. “In this regard,” he said, “praise is due to the various nonprofit organizations that place patients at the center, assisting with their needs, responding to their legitimate questions and enabling those who, due to the fragility of their personal, economic and social condition, cannot make their voices heard.”

Founded in 1985, the International Gynecologic Cancer Society promotes research and education “to enhance the care of women with gynecologic cancer worldwide,” according to its website. The group was in Rome for its annual global meeting. †

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

texas catholic herald

15

STATE & NATION

At Mass for racial justice, healing, Catholics asked to see Jesus Christ in others ST. INIGOES, Md. (CNS) — Marking the Sept. 9 feast day of St. Peter Claver with a Mass at a historically Black Catholic church in southern Maryland, Washington Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory urged Catholics to recognize reflections of Christ in others, just as that saint saw Christ in the enslaved Africans he served.

“Is that not the challenge that we face today as Catholics caught up in this very volatile social moment?” Archbishop Gregory asked during the noon Mass at St. Peter Claver Church in St. Inigoes.

“Like Peter Claver, are we not called to see Christ in every face and to hear him in every voice,” he said, “no matter what race or ethnic backgrounds those faces and voices may represent?”

St. Peter Claver Church was established in the early 1900s after Black parishioners experienced racism from white Catholics at a nearby church.

The Mass was part of a nationwide Day of Fasting and Prayer called for by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to acknowledge the sin of racism and to seek racial justice and healing. The call came in the wake of altercations between white police officers and Black men over the past several months that have resulted in shooting deaths or injuries and have sparked protests -- and in some cases riots — in several cities.

In the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Sept. 9, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades addressed the topic of racism with a prayer service aimed at young people.

The service took place Sept. 9 at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne and was livestreamed to other Catholic schools in the diocese.

Prior to organizing it, Bishop Rhoades met with the diocesan Black Catholic Advisory Board to receive members’ insights concerning racial justice and the Church’s responsibility to combat racism. Deacon Mel Tardy, chairman of the board, joined Bishop Rhoades at the high school for the prayer.

The dignity of each human person was woven throughout the service. The chosen reading was from 1 Corinthians 12, which speaks of each member of the Church as part of the body of Christ, all

CNS PHOTO

Washington Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory speaks at St. Peter Claver Church in St. Inigoes, Md., during a Sept. 9, Mass marking a special day of prayer and fasting for racial justice and healing.

dependent on each other to make up the whole.

“In solidarity, we are called to share the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ who have been wounded by the evil of racism,” Bishop Rhoades said. “Their wounds are the wounds of the whole Church. If any member of the body of Christ is suffering, whether they’re white, Black or brown, we are all responsible for that member.”

MASSES ECHO CALLS FOR DIALOGUE

In the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, an evening Mass for racial justice was celebrated at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph to encourage “communication and dialogue within parish communities” throughout the diocese “as a response to racism.”

The main celebrant was Auxiliary Bishop Neil E. Tiedemann, the chair of the Brooklyn Diocesan Racism Commission. Concelebrants included Father Alonzo Cox, coordinator of the

IN BRIEF ‘Together Strong: Life Unites’ is theme of 2021 DC March for Life

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Sept. 10 announcement of the theme for the March for Life — “Together Strong: Life Unites” — made it clear the annual national event, in some form, will proceed next Jan. 29, 2021. But details of how the march, rally and pro-life conference, which together have drawn as many as 100,000 participants in past years, will cope with COVID-19 self-quarantine restrictions in the District of Columbia were not part of the announcement.

Asked on EWTN’s “Pro-Life Weekly” program that evening about whether people should start making plans, Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said: “Everybody has to make that decision on their own... considering their own situations.” She added, “But I certainly would be (making plans), and I obviously will be there this year. I think that standing for life and standing for inherent human dignity of every life from conception to natural death is all the more important this year when there is so much unrest, so much division in our country. We need to show that we are stronger together and that love and life unite us. They make us stronger.” Updates on the event will be available via the March for Life website, www.marchforlife.org. †

diocese’s African American Apostolate and pastor of Brooklyn’s St. Peter Claver Church.

In Maryland, Archbishop Gregory told the congregation in St. Inigoes: “As we raise these important questions in our lives at this moment in time, let us focus on the issues that really matter,” during his homily.

The day’s readings — in which the prophet Isaiah equates fasting with breaking the chains of the enslaved and Jesus tells His disciples that when they feed the hungry and visit the prisoner, they are ministering to him — are filled with “life-saving warnings” from God, the archbishop said.

Archbishop Gregory said Isaiah’s warning “is particularly appropriate for this moment in our nation’s struggle for racial harmony and justice because it focuses our attention on our own hearts and actions, rather than mere symbols, as important as symbols may be. The Gospel message from Matthew encourages us to see with the eyes of Christ and to be saved.”

The archbishop said the call to see Christ in others is the same warning found in the Gospel of Matthew, “as we confront and pledge ourselves to overcome any racist attitudes within our own hearts and lives. Matthew had Jesus

offering to His disciples and pointedly, therefore, to all of us, of the dangers of hatred, neglect and hard-heartedness for others.”

It was a doorman at a Jesuit university in Mallorca, Spain, Archbishop Gregory told congregants, who taught St. Peter Claver how to see with the eyes of Christ. The wisdom and humility of the porter, St. Alphonso Rodriguez, changed the path of Claver’s life forever, he said.

St. Peter Claver was born into a privileged family in 15th-century Catalonia, a region in Spain, and many assumed he was intended for great things in the Church. When he met Rodriguez, however, the young Jesuit’s vision of the world changed completely, and he was prompted to volunteer to minister to Africans in slavery.

St. Peter Claver ministered to Africans when the boats carrying them arrived in Cartagena, Colombia, and followed them to the plantations where they would be forced to work.

“Peter Claver was a missionary with a dynamic mission,” Archbishop Gregory said. “It seems to me that it was such a clear focus that allowed Peter to rush to the harbor of Cartagena to greet thousands upon thousands of people, not as human cargo, but as brothers and sisters.” †

Director, Office of Young Adult Ministry, Pastoral Juvenil, & Campus Ministry The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, led by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, is a multicultural Church with active members from every continent of the world. We pray and celebrate in over 14 languages in 146 parishes and we participate in activities of social justice, support the good works of persons in other countries, prepare our children and young people to be responsible members of the community — and we do all this in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Summary: The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is seeking eligible candidates for the position of Director, Office of Young Adult Ministry, Pastoral Juvenil and Campus Ministry. This position reports directly to the Secretariat Director for Pastoral and Educational Ministry and provides leadership in the on-going formation of Catholic young adults in their twenties and thirties, both single and married, in a diverse multilingual intercultural setting by providing training, support, and resources for those responsible for this ministry in parishes and in college/university campus ministry centers. Supervises, assists, and supports campus ministry directors. This position is responsible for developing and implementing a vision and long-range plan for young adult ministry on the Archdiocesan level, in the parishes and on college/university campuses. Along with facilitating Archdiocesan gatherings of young adults for continuing growth in faith, adult relationships, vocational discernment and other areas of need and interest through the activities of the appropriate leadership structures.

Education/Experience Requirements: Master’s Degree. Pastoral Theology or related field. Minimum of 4 years pastoral ministry to/with young adults. Supervisory experience as well as knowledge of parish and church structures. Campus ministry experience is desirable. Bilingual - English/Spanish is a plus. This person must be a practicing Catholic in good standing.

Interested qualified candidates should submit a cover letter with resume and salary requirements via email to resume@archgh.org Please indicate job title on subject line.

Young Adult and Campus Ministry | Chancery at St. Dominic Center 2403 Holcombe Blvd. | Houston, Texas 77021

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

16 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

MUNDO CATÓLICO

Papa Francisco: Economía debe priorizar personas, no ‘ídolos de finanzas’ CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) — Mientras que muchas personas en todo el mundo enfrentan incertidumbre económica debido a la pandemia, se necesita un cambio de paradigma que priorice el bien de muchos sobre el beneficio de unos pocos, comentó el papa Francisco.

Como concepto general, la economía debería convertirse en “la expresión de cuidado y preocupación que no excluye, sino que busca incluir, que no demanda, sino que busca sustentar y dar vida”, expuso el papa el 4 de septiembre en un mensaje a los participantes de un foro internacional patrocinado por La Casa Europea-Ambrosetti, un grupo de expertos económicos con sede en Roma.

La economía debe ser una expresión de “cuidado y preocupación que se niega a sacrificar la dignidad humana a los ídolos de las finanzas, que no genera violencia y desigualdad y que utiliza los recursos económicos no para dominar sino para servir”, dijo. “Las ganancias genuinas provienen de tesoros accesibles para todos”.

La Casa Europea-Ambrosetti celebró su foro anual del 4 al 6 de septiembre en la ciudad de Cernobbio, en el norte de Italia. Según su sitio web, el foro

reúne a autoridades gubernamentales, empresarios, académicos, y expertos “para discutir temas de actualidad de gran impacto para la economía mundial y la sociedad en su conjunto”.

En su mensaje, el papa explicó que los problemas que afronta el mundo “exigen esfuerzos extraordinarios para enfrentar los desafíos creados o agravados por la actual emergencia médica, económica, y social”.

La pandemia de COVID-19, escribió, “nos ha enseñado que ninguno de nosotros se salva solo”.

“Este giro de eventos nos ha obligado a reconocer que nos pertenecemos unos a otros, como hermanos y hermanas que viven en una casa común”, expresó el papa. “Al no mostrar solidaridad en la riqueza o compartiendo los recursos, hemos aprendido a experimentar la solidaridad en el sufrimiento”.

El papa indicó que la pandemia también ha obligado a la gente a “abstenerse de lo innecesario y concentrarse en lo esencial”, a discernir “lo que es duradero de lo fugaz y lo que es necesario de lo que no es”.

En este tiempo, continuó, la ciencia y la tecnología que si bien son necesarias, “han demostrado ser insuficientes” y “lo

EN BREVE Seminario informa sobre derechos, recursos para inquilinos HOUSTON — El seminario gratuito, “Conozca sus Derechos: Navegando los Desafíos del Inquilino Durante la Pandemia,” se llevará acabo el jueves 24 de septiembre a las 5 p.m.

Los feligreses que se enfrentan a la amenaza de desalojo debido a la pérdida de ingresos resultante de la pandemia COVID-19 son invitados a este seminario web sobre derechos de los inquilinos y recursos.

La sesión informativa está copatrocinada por la Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Houston Volunteer Lawyers y el Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Regístrese para el seminario web y obtenga más información visitando https:// catholiccharities.org/tenants/. †

Retiro ayuda a mujeres, hombres que sufren después del aborto provocado HOUSTON — La Oficina de Actividades Pro-Vida ofrecerá el retiro El Viñedo de Raquel para mujeres y hombres que sufren después del aborto provocado.

El retiro, cual será el fin de semana del 13 a 15 de noviembre, es parte del ministerio del Proyecto Raquel.

Todas las consultas e inscripciones son estrictamente confidenciales. Para registrarse o para más información, comuníquese con la Oficina de Actividades Pro-Vida al 713-4403443, o mande un mensaje electrónico a zgonzalez@archgh.org. † que ha resultado decisivo en cambio es la efusión de generosidad y coraje mostrada por tanta gente”.

“Esto debería impulsarnos a ir más allá del paradigma tecnocrático, entendido como una forma única o dominante de abordar los problemas. Ese paradigma, nacido de una mentalidad que buscaba el dominio del mundo natural, se basaba en la suposición errónea de que existe una cantidad infinita de energía y recursos disponibles que pueden ser renovados rápidamente y que los efectos negativos de la explotación del orden natural pueden ser absorbidos fácilmente”, expuso el papa.

El papa Francisco instó a los participantes del foro escuchar el llamado de Cristo “y discernir sabiamente los signos de los tiempos”, enfatizando la necesidad de la conversión ecológica y

la creatividad para enfrentar los desafíos de hoy.

La conversión ecológica, explicó, puede ayudar a hombres y mujeres a “reconectarse con el mundo que nos rodea” y a disminuir el “ritmo inhumano de consumo y producción”, mientras que la creatividad puede ayudar a inspirar “nuevas formas de perseguir el bien común”.

“Esa creatividad solo puede venir de nuestra disponibilidad para recibir el Espíritu Santo, que nos inspira a tomar decisiones nuevas, oportunas, y ciertamente audaces, como hombres y mujeres capaces de dar forma a ese desarrollo humano integral al que todos aspiramos”, comentó el papa Francisco.

Es “la creatividad del amor que puede devolverle sentido al presente, para abrirlo a un futuro mejor”, explicó. †

La cruz de Cristo no es decoración Durante estos tiempos difíciles, los sacerdotes de la Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston ofrecerán videos de reflexión espiritual sobre las Escrituras del día para ayudarnos a mantenernos firmes en la fe y la esperanza.

Los nuevos videos en inglés y español se publicarán los domingos, lunes, miércoles y viernes.

Encontrarán los videos en www.archgh.org/ messagesofhope, y en Facebook, Twitter y YouTube. El audio de los reflejos también estárá disponible en nuestro canal de podcast a través de su aplicación de podcast favorita.

FOTO DE CNS

La cruz de Cristo es un poderoso símbolo del amor de Dios por la humanidad y no una decoración o baratija, dijo el papa Francisco. Si bien los cristianos a menudo cuelgan un crucifijo en la pared o lo usan alrededor del cuello, debe usarse como una señal “de nuestro deseo de unirnos a Cristo” y no debe ser “reducida a un objeto supersticioso o joya ornamental”, dijo el papa el 30 de agosto durante su discurso dominical del Ángelus. “Cada vez que fijemos la mirada en la imagen de Cristo crucificado, pensemos que Él, como verdadero Siervo del Señor, ha cumplido su misión dando la vida, derramando su sangre para la remisión de los pecados”.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

texas catholic herald

17

La desesperación llega un campamento Mexicano cerca de la frontera MATAMOROS, México (CNS) — Cuando la hermana Norma Pimentel preguntaba a solicitantes de asilo en un campamento junto al Río Bravo en esta ciudad fronteriza mexicana que necesitaban, ellos solían pedir artículos como utensilios y cobijas. Ahora, cuando habla con ellos, expresan temor por su seguridad y preguntan cómo salir.

Afirma que están entrando a una situación más desesperante. “Sáquenme de aquí, tengo miedo por mi hijo”, es lo que le dicen.

A los residentes de Dignity Village --habitada por solicitantes de asilo que están esperando en México que sus casos avancen en las cortes de EE.UU. como parte del plan de Protocolos de Protección del Inmigrante-- les ha pasado de todo: desde olas de frío hasta huracanes, han visto ratas y serpientes, hasta infestaciones de bichos, y bandas criminales que los secuestran y ahora enfrentan la pandemia del COVID-19.

Pero el miedo se ha apoderado del campamento en las últimas semanas, cuando se ha encontrado por lo menos a siete personas asesinadas y sus cuerpos abandonados a lo largo de la orilla del río en un sector donde los residentes del campamento solían lavar y bañarse.

“Es difícil saber (lo que está pasando) porque las autoridades no están hablando y no están identificando al individuo.

Dicen que la persona (muerta) es de la ciudad de Matamoros, pero la mayoría de la gente no lo cree”, dijo la hermana Norma, de la congregación Misioneras de Jesús y directora de Caridades Católicas del Valle de Río Grande. “Es peligroso y todos quieren irse”.

A medida que el tiempo pasa, la desesperación se apodera de ellos, especialmente cuando los que ocupan las carpas temporales son maltratados por ciertos factores — como el huracán Hanna que los afectó en agosto, casi inundando el campamento — y la pandemia del COVID-19 que obliga a posponer sus audiencias en cortes de EE.UU. para un futuro inmediato.

“No hay nada en vista que pueda realmente ayudarlos a avanzar… Han soportado meses de dificultades y el COVID-19 no ayuda”, dijo la hermana Norma.

La población del campamento ha disminuido a menos de 1,000 residentes, aproximadamente un tercio de su máxima capacidad. Algunos regresaron a sus países de origen, mientras otros se han mudado a mejores alojamientos. Algunos solicitantes de asilo se están estableciendo en México y hacen el trámite para quedarse, aunque la hermana Norma dijo que muchos de ellos“no se ven a sí mismos

FOTO DE CNS

Una mujer migrante baña a su hijo fuera de su tienda de campaña en un campamento de migrantes en Matamoros, México, el 30 de abril. Personas buscando asilo en Estados Unidos continúan viviendo en el campamento pero muchos han dicho que tienen miedo de seguir allí por todos los percances y la amenaza de la violencia a manos de carteles que controlan la frontera.

ni prosperando ni viviendo con seguridad allí, así que México no se considera” como una opción.

Algunos de los que viven en el campamento también sienten la tentación de cruzar el Río Bravo hacia Estados Unidos --una propuesta arriesgada, según tres personas que trabajan con los inmigrantes. Explicaron que el río tiene fuertes y engañosas corrientes y el crimen organizado exige un pago a los que intentan cruzar.

“Tienes que pagarles $500 para hacer eso… No van a tratar de ayudarte a cruzar, simplemente están solo dándote permiso para cruzar”, dijo la hermana Norma. “Si ocurre que te envían de vuelta, estás en problemas, y ellos se aseguran de que sepas eso”.

Rodrigo Castro, un solicitante de asilo de Guatemala y líder en el campamento, fue encontrado muerto el 18 de agosto en el río. Inicialmente se creía que Castro se había ahogado mientras trataba de rescatar a alguien dentro del río, pero rumores de que lo asesinaron son comunes en el campamento. Una fuente que conoce a su familia afirma que fue un asesinato para “enviar un mensaje” a aquellos que cruzan el río sin pagar.

Se han encontrado por lo menos otras seis personas muertas en el sector, según tres fuentes consultadas por

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.

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Catholic News Service, aunque no se tiene la certeza si estaban viviendo en el campamento.

María, una residente del campamento oriunda de El Salvador, quien habló bajo un seudónimo para proteger su identidad, describió una situación desesperada en el campamento que está incitando a la gente a correr riesgos en el río.

Una persona que ayuda en el campamento dijo que se han estado curando a la gente que ha sufrido golpizas fuertes propinadas por el crimen organizado. A las golpizas les llaman “tablazos”, en las cuales se usa un palo de madera para azotar a la persona.

El control que mantienen elementos del crimen organizado sobre la transmigración a través del estado de Tamaulipas lleva varios años, según personas de la iglesia que trabajan con migrantes. Ellos alertaron que los Protocolos de Protección del Migrante, dados a conocer a inicios de 2019 e implementados posteriormente en Tamaulipas, enviarían a los solicitantes

de asilo de vuelta a peligrosas ciudades fronterizas.

La experiencia violenta dentro del campamento aumentó la vulnerabilidad de los migrantes --dijo el padre Francisco Gallardo, quien dirige los ministerios del migrante en la Diócesis de Matamoros.

“Eso daba pie a fortalecer a los grupos criminales para la cuestión económica porque al quedarse un migrante varado en México lo que están buscando es que los crucen los coyotes y les están cobrando mucho dinero”, dijo el padre Gallardo. “Y eso fortalece la economía de grupos criminales ... hay más muertes, más situaciones de vulnerabilidad y más desaparecidos”.

Mientras tanto, el padre Gallardo sigue celebrando misa en el campamento y brindando atención espiritual. Su equipo también trabaja procesando las solicitudes de los residentes del campamento de establecerse en México o retornar a sus países de origen.

La hermana Norma a menudo coordina con los funcionarios de inmigración de México, haciéndoles llegar las solicitudes de los residentes para su consideración.

También escucha las peticiones, como las súplicas de un grupo de mujeres embarazadas, quienes dudaban si los funcionarios de EE.UU. les otorgarían audiencia. †

18 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

WITHIN THE ARTS EVERYTHING IS AWESOME

Washington man designs Lego basilica replica WASHINGTON (CNS) — For John Davisson, the past few months of the pandemic in Washington gave him more time to return to a hobby that began during his childhood: making Lego designs.

He started with a few pre-made kits but decided to dip into his own creations — first, a replication of his home. Then, a model of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Davisson and his wife, Amanda Erickson, live near the basilica, so the building has a special place in Davisson’s life.

“I’ve always thought it was a really remarkable building,” he said. “When you come over the horizon of a hill in D.C., you see the basilica. Especially at night, it’s a really cool sight.”

Fascinated with the building, Davisson said the idea to replicate the Basilica with Legos quickly came to fruition when he realized what an interesting project it would be.

“There’s so much detail in the building; it’s such a remarkable structure,” he told the Catholic Standard, archdiocesan newspaper of Washington.

In April, Davisson took several pictures of the exterior of the basilica and used a 3-D tour on the basilica’s website to plan as much detail as possible. He used a Lego design software program, Studio, which includes a “full catalog of all the bricks and all of the colors that Lego has ever produced and you can use that as you would architectural design software to come up with the designs

CNS PHOTO

John Davisson poses for a photo with a Lego replica of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

and order the pieces,” he said.

“I had done this with our house and really enjoyed the process of designing and building the model,” Davisson said.

Designing the basilica took about one month on the computer program, Davisson said. Figuring out the scale

ST. MARY BASILICA RENOVATION CONTINUES

of the replica and choosing what pieces Lego has made in the past that were available — were just some of the challenges that he said he faced, including making sure that the model would be stable.

The Lego creation is modular, so the

MOVIE RATINGS By Catholic News Service A-II – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS • Fatima (PG-13) • The Personal History of David Copperfield (PG) • The Secret Garden (PG)

A-III – ADULTS • • • • • • •

PHOTO BY CATHERINE VIOLA/HERALD

A window at St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston undergoes renovation on August 6, 2020.

St. Mary has endured many storms since 1847. The interior of the church was renovated after Hurricane Ike in 2008 and reopened in 2014. The current project addresses needed exterior and structural repairs and restoration of the St. Mary, Star of the Sea statue. Additional repairs involving the Cathedral Basilica have been identified and will be completed pending funding.

To donate, visit www.archgh.org/restorestmary or call 713-652-4418.

roof can be removed to view an interior replication.

“You can separate it into individual segments,” Davisson said. “Part of the challenge was making sure that would all work out.”

The dome of the basilica presented challenges in itself as well, mostly because of its shape in contrast with the average Lego shape.

“The dome was especially hard because Lego is mostly a rectangular medium, and when you’re building an odd shape, that presents a lot of challenges,” he said. “That took several days of work off and on.”

But even though the dome was one of the most difficult parts, Davisson said it ended up being one of his favorites.

“The dome was really complicated,” he said. “The rose windows in particular also took quite a while to puzzle through and were delicate to assemble because they use strange connections to position Lego pieces in a radial fashion, but I think they came out really well, and they look really good in the final project.”

Davisson, who is a full-time attorney, said that he welcomed the project as a good creative outlet during a time when the social aspect of life was much quieter.

“I recommend Lego design to anyone looking for a hobby these days,” he said.

“I enjoy the fact that it is a medium that has rules and limitations, and you have to work within those rules and limitations, but also within that universe, there are endless creative possibilities.” †

Bill & Ted Face the Music (PG-13) Boys State (PG-13) Chemical Hearts (R) Made In Italy (R) Mulan (PG-13) Tenet (PG-13) The 24th (NR)

• The Grizzlies (R) • The Secret: Dare to Dream (PG) • Words on Bathroom Walls (PG-13)

L – LIMITED ADULT AUDIENCE • Get Duked! (R) • The Burnt Orange Heresy (R) • Us (R)

O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE

• The Broken Hearts Gallery (PG-13) • The New Mutants (PG-13) • Summerland (PG)

PASTORAL SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE 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.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

texas catholic herald

MILESTONES

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Do you have a photo you’d like to share? To submit a photo of a place, group or event that you would like to see in the Herald, email it to tch@archgh.org

Holy Name parish celebrates 100-year legacy in Northside HOUSTON — Holy Name Catholic Church celebrated its 100th anniversary Sunday, Sept. 13.

With anniversary Masses throughout the day in both English and Spanish, Father Anil Thomas, pastor of the church, invited members of the community to join virtually as Masses were livestreamed on the Holy Name Facebook page and YouTube channel. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrated the 4 p.m. Mass, with with Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz and retired Auxiliary Bishop Vincent M. Rizzotto concelebrating.

Father Thomas said that with pandemic measures are in place, the church could not celebrate Mass at full capacity.

Through streaming, they were still able to connect with the parish community, former parishioners, students and other friends of Holy Name for the pivotal day.

“We are still a community of faith, regardless of the unforeseen circumstances in which we are living now,” Father Thomas said.

Holy Name Church, founded in 1920, is still a community predominantly made up of first-generation immigrants and has seen many changes throughout its history, Father Thomas said.

“In recent years, we have seen a geographical change to a residential community that originally was made of

German-American and Italian-American immigrants,” he said. “Revitalization is transforming this area that has been a predominantly Hispanic area into a very diverse and intercultural community. It’s a small parish, but former and current parishioners and their families remain engaged in our church because we embody the spirit of community.”

Currently, the parish serves over 450 families from across the Houston area. Amid the pandemic, many of the centennial planned events and festivities were canceled or postponed to ensure the parish community’s safety and welfare, including the centennial gala, which has been delayed until late 2021.

Francisco and Martha Rodriguez, lifelong members of more than 64 years, said, “The parish is like our second home.

We brought up our children here; we grew spiritually here. We served in so many different ministries and supported its activities we could and still do.”

Freddy and Juanita Sandoval have been members of Holy Name for more than 24 years.

“The community has helped us strengthen our family relationship,” Juanita said. Her husband added, “I feel that God placed us here and that we have received more than what we can give. This community makes us feel welcomed.” †

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLY NAME CATHOLIC CHURCH

Holy Name Catholic Church in Houston celebrated its 100th anniversary Sept. 13, with virtual anniversary Masses throughout the day in both English and Spanish. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrated the 4 p.m.

Mass, with Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz and retired Auxiliary Bishop Vincent M. Rizzotto.

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE Editor’s Note: As ministry events return, contact the event organizers for the latest updates and information. View additional listings online at www.archgh.org/ata.

SEPT. 24

CAFÉ CATHOLICA LITE, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. held online. Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry hosts Stuart Squires from the University of St. Thomas Center for Faith and Culture discussing: “How Catholics Should Vote.” Open to all young adults. Register online: www.bit. ly/CafeLiteSeptember. www.archgh.org/ cafecatholica; yacm@archgh.org; 713-7418778.

NOW – SEPT. 26

2020 PARISH ONLINE AUCTION, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. Items available for online bidding until 7 p.m. on Sept. 26.

All proceeds benefit St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Website to bid: https://one.bidpal.net/ seascatholicchurch

SEPT. 27

BARBECUE BAZAAR & ONLINE AUCTION, 10:30 a.m. at Sealy Columbus Club Hall (1310 US 90, Sealy). Immaculate Conception parish bazaar includes drive-thru barbecue sale and digital auction. $10 barbecue plates include half barbecued chicken and pork sausage and sides.

Digital raffle will be drawn on Facebook Live at

The newborn baby?

Of course she counts.

(Congrats, by the way!)

From 1 day old to over 100 years old, everyone counts on your census form.

For more information, visit:

2020CENSUS.GOV D-PO-YC-EN-032

2:30 p.m. on Sept. 27. Raffle tickets: 979-8853868; www.icc-sealy.org.

OCT. 5 – OCT. 21

ONLINE BIOETHICS COURSE, 7 to 8 p.m. Office of Pro-Life Activities hosts a series of six online bioethics classes in collaboration with Christ the Redeemer parish on Monday and Wednesday evenings, Oct. 5 to Oct. 21.

Topics include contraception and sterilization, assisted reproductive technologies, ethics of prenatal testing, surrogacy agreements and more. $25. Register: http://cvent.me/4BlPXe. Registration closes at 12 p.m. on Oct. 5. 713440-3443.

OCT. 10

RACISM SEMINAR, 1 to 3 p.m. The Dominican Sisters of Houston host an online seminar: “The Structure of Racism” with Dr. Craig Oettinger that explores the psychological and structural causes and consequences of prejudice, discrimination and ensuing change.

RSVP: croeger@domhou.org; 713.440.3714.

Preregistration required to receive web link to online platform. _____

VIEW MORE LISTINGS ONLINE AT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE Email event details to TCH@ARCHGH.ORG for possible inclusion in the Around the Archdiocese section. There is no charge for listings but space is limited. Visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA for more information on how to submit events.

20 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Thank you for continuing to SUPPORT YOUR PARISH

Come Holy Spirit!

As Catholics, we believe that all we have is a gift from God. Our response in faith is to offer these gifts back to God in gratitude. With gifts of prayer, we pray for our nation, Church and our parishes. With gifts of treasure, we support our parishes even when we cannot be there in person.

Make a gift to your parish online at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/PARISHOFFERTORY.

www.archgh.org/parishoffertory