This week’s issue covers the Dec. 8 celebration of the 150th anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne. Bishop Rhoades was the celebrant at a Mass that evening. The TV Mass will be changing channels in January. Celebrations of Our Lady of Guadalupe took place across the diocese. Bishop Rhoades shares his Christmas message in his column. Father Dave Ruppert’s hobby of model trains is featured.
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Bishop Kevin C. Rhaodes, Father Constantino Rocha and Father Paul Bueter pray before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the end of the Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and Diocesan Shrine in Warsaw on Dec. 11.
By Jodi Magallanes and Kay Cozad
WARSAW — On the eve of her feast day, Our Lady of Guadalupe gained a new caretaker for her shrine. Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades installed Father Constantino Rocha as the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and Diocesan Shrine in Warsaw on Saturday, Dec. 11. Father Paul Bueter, Father Fernando Jimenez and Father Rocha concelebrated the 3 p.m. Spanish-language Mass.
Father Rocha told the worshippers that Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day has coincided with other milestones in his life, but that this was the first time his installation as a “párroco” fell so close to the date.
Immediately following his ordination in Mexico City a number of years ago, Father Rocha celebrated his very first Mass in her basilica during her feast.
In 2000 he accepted an invitation from Bishop John M. D’Arcy to come to the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, and arrived at his assigned parish, St. John the Evangelist in Goshen, just a few days before numerous activities in honor of her feast day were to be celebrated.
“I see it as a son before his mother,” Father Rocha said. “During important moments, there she is. There has to be something to that.”
A traditional Mexican mariachi band accompanied a “pianito,” or small platform, which several men carried on their shoulders as they walked from State Road 15 up Gilliam Drive and into the shrine to initiate the Mass. The platform supported a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and vases full of red and yellow roses. The men who carry it are called “Guadalupanos” and spend much of the year planning the celebration.
Although Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared to be the patron saint of all of the Americas by Pope John Paul II in 1999, she is particularly and widely adored by Mexicans. She appeared to an indigenous Mexican, Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin in 1531 on a hill on the north side of present-day Mexico City and sent him to his bishop with a request that a church be built for her. When the bishop doubted, she appeared three more times and told Juan Diego to collect roses that she would grow for him and take them to the bishop as her sign.
Despite the fact that roses were out of season at the time, the flowers did grow and Juan Diego collected them in his cloak and took them to Bishop Zumarraga. When he presented them to the bishop, it was discovered that her image had been imprinted on his cloak as well. The cloak now hangs in her basilica in Mexico City.
Bishop Rhoades reminded the congregation of the message of welcome and comfort she gave to the indigenous Mexican population that had been recently conquered.
“Mary says to us, ‘Am I not here, who is your mother? Aren’t you under my protection? Are you not within my fold?’”
Mary is truly our mother, the mother of us all, Bishop Rhoades said.
“We’re here today to express our love for our mother Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe and to praise and worship God together with her in this Holy Mass.
“You can’t proclaim Jesus Christ as true God and true man without talking about the Virgin Mary, His mother. You can’t confess faith in the Incarnation without proclaiming that the Son of God was conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit and that He was born of the holy Virgin Mary, like we say in the Creed,” he added. “Below her shadow, we follow Christ. Below her shadow, we experience His love.”
Bishop Rhoades was ordained a bishop on Dec. 9, the day recognized as her first of the four appearances to Juan Diego. He said that her words have always given him peace and strength at the beginning of each day.
Sister Joan Hastreiter, parish assistant, noted that this is the first time that the shrine has had a pastor of the same nationality as the Our Lady of Guadalupe appearances.
Before Father Rocha’s arrival, Father Paul Bueter served the Our Lady of Guadalupe community for 22 years. Following Father Bueter’s retirement, Father J. Steele, Father Eloy Jimenez Zuniga, Father Fernando Jimenez and Father Phil DeVolder ministered to the community of about 220 families.
Many of the worshippers said they had come from Goshen to support Father Rocha in his new assignment.
“We came to accompany him,” said Fernando Vela and his wife, Ieny. “Actually, it’s really to deliver him, in a way. Being that he’s a Mexican, it’s great to have him in her shrine. His service to the diocese will continue,” said Vela.
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St. Patrick, Fort Wayne
Elsewhere in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend another colorful celebration took place as well. At St. Patrick Parish in Fort Wayne Bishop Rhoades concelebrated a Spanish-language Mass for a standing room only Hispanic congregation along with St. Patrick Pastor Andrew Thu Pham, and parochial vicars Fathers Chau Pham and Thomas Ascheman, all priests of the Society of the Divine Word, on Sunday Dec. 12.
A group of flag-bearing parishioners and a special young adult dance troop, adorned in rich native costumes, performed a lively dance procession that followed the celebrants to the altar. The performance was accompanied by the parish’s spirited band and choir.
The congregation, young and old alike, listened attentively as Bishop Rhoades celebrated the Mass, including his homily, in Spanish.
A second dance performance and a solemn play depicting Juan Diego’s meeting with Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531 brought the celebration Mass to a close with cheers and shouts of praise. A grand fiesta, featuring authentic Mexican fare, was held at the parish hall following Mass.
This realistic scene created by Father David Ruppert is enhanced by sounds of train whistles and track noises, taking viewers on imaginary trips anywhere, depending on the individual. Father Ruppert began his train collection in his seminary days. It continues to give him enjoyment, and his nieces and nephews are thrilled when they visit Uncle Dave and share the magic made by toy trains.
By Mark Weber
FORT WAYNE — It was the perfect gift for Junior. It might bruise the budget a little, but as dad explained to mom, “we can go light on his birthday … and don’t worry about the girls. We can give them clothes for the dolls they got last year. Let’s get it for him, honey. A boy can enjoy a Lionel train for years … and I can help him set it up!”
It made Dad feel so good that he told the guys at work about it, describing each car, including the caboose, in detail. “I’m starting him out with a freight and maybe a Pennsy passenger for his birthday. We can run them side by side.”
In the early 1900s, Joshua Lionel Cowen built the first electric train, not as a toy, but as a display prop to call attention to other merchandise in a New York toy shop window. Resembling a box on wheels, the first Lionel chugged around amidst other toys, bearing the words “Electric Express,” and became a hot item; one that dreams are made of.
Lionel electric trains reached their highest popularity in the late 1930s when advertised in the Sunday comics. A unique item was a handcar operated by Mickey and Minnie Mouse. In 1957, a pink and blue pastel model for girls derailed somewhere in the desert and was never seen again.
Airplanes, racing cars, various dolls and television reduced the interest in electric trains, but unlike planes or space capsules, trains have a mystique perpetuated by the whistle in the night or the wanderlust itch felt when watching passenger cars roll by.
Father David Ruppert, pastor of St. Therese Parish, Fort Wayne, is in rhythm with the clickity clack of train tracks. His mother tells him that as an infant, if he was fretful in the back seat of the family car, and if the car was waiting for a train to pass by, baby David settled right down.
Trains continue to soothe Father Ruppert, because he is at the throttle, so to speak, controlling two trains of his own. They roll side by side or back off to a siding near a neat village with paved streets and roads winding past a Pizza Hut, Burger King, a theater, homes, an apartment building and a church.
This appealing village on the Rock Island line has cars, school busses, semi trucks and flashing railroad signals.
The fire trucks and police cars have flashing light bars with separate switches.
Some model train enthusiasts find enjoyment in building the tunnels, crafting miniature trees and creating different levels for their trains to travel on, thus creating a larger village or landscape, which eventually calls for more track and new cars.
For Father Ruppert, however, the challenge of hooking up the tiny hair like wires to the light bars of the police cars and fire trucks, school busses and railroad crossing signals to separate commands, gives him quiet satisfaction.
Trains have a fascinating aura that produces songs, poems and dreams of far away places, and model trains have their own magic. For Father Dave Ruppert, his trains provide enjoyment of the setup, and can also haul away stress cargo … a few moments of switching, backing and sending signals can clear his mind and place him back on track as a pastor of a large thriving parish.
Pictured is Bishop Kevin Rhoades with children and visitors to St. Casimir Church in South Bend at their annual Mikolaj or St. Nicholas celebration.
By Lisa Kochanowski
SOUTH BEND — About 100 people of all ages turned out for a special Polish dinner feast known as Mikolaj. After dinner, guests were treated to some traditional Polish carols (with English translations) and then a visit from St. Nicholas, otherwise known as Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades.
“Mikolaj has been celebrated in Polish homes for years,” said organizer and St. Casimir parishioner Ann Sommers. “On St. Nick’s eve, children put out their shoes or stockings and the next morning they will find an apple, orange or some candy. I usually got an apple and chocolate. I carried on the tradition with our children. They still get an ornament for St. Nicholas Day.”
According to Sommers, the late Father Joseph Fey began a parish-wide celebration in 1989. It only lasted a year or two, but when the church celebrated its centennial in 1997-98, the church committee brought the tradition back.
“That year, we sponsored an event a month for the entire centennial year and Mikolaj was December’s event,” noted Sommers. “Mikolaj started out as a parish function, but now more than half are people from other parishes that have heard about it, came and now come back year after year. One year we even had some teenagers that came to eat with us before they went to their high school winter formal! We average about 110-120 people.”
The evening begins with a prayer followed by a traditional Polish meal of pierogi, noodles, roast beef, herring and breads.
“Last Saturday we worked from 7:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m. making 270 pierogi,” said Sommers. “It’s a lot of work but just as much fun.”
After the meal, parishioner and organist Christine Gerschoffer played the piano and sang the “kolendy” or Polish Christmas carols.
When it came time for the children to get a visit from St. Nick they received a surprise with the role of St. Nick being played by Bishop Rhoades. He gave the visitors gifts of fruit and candy and all the children received a St. Nick prayer card.
Once the present distribution ended, Bishop Rhoades had the chance to tell the guests a story about an experience he had that has made St. Nicholas a special person in his life.
While on travels overseas, Bishop Rhoades was riding on a train that took him by the place where St. Nicholas is buried. He felt an overwhelming need to visit the site and pray and asked his traveling companions to change their plans so they could go and pray at the site. The travelers agreed to the stop and the group went to pray at the site where St. Nick is laid to rest.
“When we got up the next day we read in the paper that the train we had been traveling on was bombed by terrorists and 80-some people died,” Bishop Rhoades said. “I’ve always said St. Nicholas saved my life.”
Bishop Rhoades also had the children read aloud the prayer card about St. Nicholas and discussed how St. Nicholas was a bishop, the purpose of his staff and how he is the patron saint of little children.
“Boys and girls remember, the original Santa Claus is a bishop,” laughed Bishop Rhoades.
It was a memorable evening for everyone who attended and the community sent Bishop Rhoades home with a gift of a compact disc of Polish Christmas carols.
“The goal of the program is to start the holiday season and rekindle some of those memories of Busia (grandmother) and Dzia Dzia’s (grandfather) house. It’s a very simple, very family-oriented event,” said Sommers. “I hope people leave with a happy heart and a full belly. This is definitely not commercial. It’s Polish customers, family and friends.”
The Marian High School Santa Worskshop participants are, in back left, Colleen Earley, Nicole Walter and Emily Madisgon. And in front, Megan Earley and Emily Heller. They are preparing the cookie decorating table as they await the residents at the Center for the Homeless.
MISHAWAKA — The Marian Art Club, under the leadership of Fine Arts Department Chairperson Kitty Gunty, sponsored their 15th annual Santa’s Workshop at the Center for the Homeless in South Bend on Dec. 9.
For the past 14 years, the art club has put together a Santa’s Workshop for the residents at the Center for the Homeless. Ten crafting tables were set up in the center’s dining area so that the residents could create Christmas treasures for themselves and gifts for their loved ones. This year’s crafts included decorating Christmas stockings, hats, picture frames, mirrors, glass bulbs and gingerbread cookies; making salt and clay ornaments and a variety of jewelry; face painting; drawing and coloring pictures; and having photos taken with Santa.
The ten crafting tables were staffed by Marian students, teachers and administrators. A record number of 75 Marian students took the time to attend this annual event. The job of the volunteers was to set up the tables and help any participants who needed assistance. Marian students also watched and entertained the babies and small children while their parents created Christmas decorations and gifts. They interacted with the residents by participating in the activities and crafts themselves. A new twist was added this year as the elementary school-age children asked if they could paint the faces of the high school students.
There was also a prize table that was popular because it attracted those who are not quite sure about joining in on the crafts. All of the prizes were donated and displayed by the Marian volunteers. The prizes were new or gently used items like toys, books, puzzles, stationary, games, crafts, religious items, tote bags, gloves, jewelry, winter hats and much more. It was especially heartwarming to help children choose gifts for their parents and parents choose gifts for their children and friends. Then the residents were encouraged to have the gifts wrapped by the Marian students. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus stopped by to talk with the children who were interested.
The residents thanked the Marian staff members for arranging this joyful event. One woman remarked that this was the best Christmas party ever.
Another said, “Marian is known as the school that puts on this event every year at Christmastime. All of my gifts for family and friends were made in this one evening.”
A gentleman commented that it was good to see the smiles on the faces of both children and adults who were definitely enjoying the fun. The little ones had to be reminded several times that it was time to go upstairs and go to bed.
Gunty noted, “The immense amount of time and energy that it takes to plan, purchase, package, set up and clean up is returned to the Marian community a hundredfold in the looks of satisfaction and delight on the faces of the guests as they complete their projects and choose their Christmas gifts for their families and loved ones.”
Mary Kate Kibbe remarked, “Many students contributed to Santa’s Workshop and it ended up being a great night. Our simple arts and crafts made the guests very happy and they loved the opportunity to be creative.”