Columnists

  • St. Paul sacrifices to preach the Gospel

    Where is Lystra, where they thought St. Paul was a god?
    The town of Lystra lies in central Turkey. This is where St. Paul and St. Barnabas fled to from Iconium where the Gentiles and Jews were trying to kill them. At Lystra there was a man lame from birth who never walked. St. Paul called out to him “Stand up. On your feet.” Suddenly the man jumped up and walked around. When the crowds saw this miracle, they thought St. Paul and St. Barnabas were gods in the form of men. They called Barnabas Zeus or Jupiter and Paul Hermes or Mercury. Even the local priest of the god Zeus, whose temple stood just outside the town, brought oxen and garlands to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas.
    Paul and Barnabas then shouted “We are only men. We want to bring you the good news about the living God.”

    M. Pennock mentions that the first-century Roman poet Ovid speaks of a legendary visit of the gods Zeus and Hermes to Lystra. The gods came disguised and asked for lodging, but everyone refused. Then they found a tiny hut where the elderly peasants fed them. The gods then punished the unfriendly locals, but transformed the hut of the peasants into a magnificent temple. Maybe the people knew this legend and that is why they thought Paul and Barnabas were gods.

    Then some Jews from Antioch in Pisidia and Iconium came to Lystra and strongly criticized St. Paul’s preaching about Jesus. These Jews may have come to Lystra to purchase grain, since this town was famous for its grain crops. The Jews won over the crowd who stoned Paul and dragged him out of Lystra, leaving him for dead. But Paul rose up well and headed for the town of Derbe the next day.

    Scholars are not sure of the exact location of Lystra. A. Edmonds says some suggest the village of Gilistra, 35 kilometers southwest of Iconium, where St. Paul had previously been. Others propose the village of Ilistra, further south. About 6 B.C. the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus put soldiers in Lystra to protect the people against the tribes and bandits from the Taurus Mountains to the south. St. Paul says he had been beset with danger from robbers.

    After St. Paul left Derbe, he returned to Lystra, even though it was dangerous, to encourage the disciples there and to install presbyters who would perform liturgical rites, such as the Holy Eucharist. Later on, during his second missionary journey, St. Paul again returned to Lystra, where he met a young disciple named Timothy. Timothy became a close friend of St. Paul and was made the bishop of Ephesus in Turkey, the fourth largest city of the Roman Empire at this time. St. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, contained in the New Testament, where he shows the sacrament of Holy Orders via the imposition of hands.

    Posted on July 27, 2010, to:

  • Learning to make things happen

    I really, really want a set of encyclopedias! I thought this over and over as we were about to embark on homeschooling. It was the beginning of summer and we’d start homeschooling in the fall. I was trying to pull everything together. This was in the mid-1990s, before Internet, and I desperately and specifically wanted a World Book Encyclopedia set for my five children, aged 7 and under.

    When I checked out the prices on a new set I was flabbergasted. The regular edition (maroon cover) exceeded $600. The deluxe hunter green with gold binding was more than $800. That was at least eight weeks worth of groceries. There was no way we could afford that!

    Shortly afterwards, I was at a dinner party with some colleagues of my husband and their wives. I began chatting with Norma, a school teacher. I was lamenting the cost of the reference books and she gave me an idea.

    “You know, I earned a set way back when,” she shared. “I don’t know if World Book still does it that way, but if you sold a certain number of sets you used to be able to earn one for yourself. I might still have the phone number somewhere of a district representative.”

    That’s all I needed to hear. The next day Norma provided me with the number, and I found out that yes indeed the program was still in place. My mother volunteered to watch my little ones while I signed on to go door to door.

    I got a selling kit, and familiarized myself with the product. I came up with a note card system to keep track of people I contacted, new leads and potential buyers. I padded out in the morning, waving goodbye to my little ones, which I hated to do. I forced myself to leave them playing with Grandma, telling myself it was hopefully just for a few weeks in the summer and reminding myself that this time with Grandma was quality time. Mom encouraged me each step of the way.
    At the end of four weeks, I received a phone call.

    “Theresa, you are the top salesperson in the district for July. You have earned the hunter green, gold bound set of encyclopedias, a little cash bonus and a halogen light as a prize.” It was the voice of the World Book district manager, the lady in charge. She paused and then asked me, “Would you consider continuing to sell for us?”

    “Oh thank you!” I exclaimed, imagining the beautiful hard bound set on our den shelves. I could hardly contain my excitement. And then I quickly added, “No thank you!” to the thought of continuing to sell. I am positive I sounded too enthusiastic about that. I couldn’t turn in my sales material fast enough.

    I was so proud when the encyclopedias were delivered to our home. The kids and I tore open the box and sat on the sofa right then and there, smelling the pages and looking things up. When the halogen light appeared on my doorstep a few days later, I excitedly presented it to my husband.

    You might think this is a recollection about perseverance, of putting one’s mind to something and going out and getting it. Moms will do things they don’t particularly like to do if it means their families will benefit. That’s true. But this story is also about more than that. I pursued this idea on the suggestion of another. And, if you look back carefully you will see the words above, “mom volunteered,” “she encouraged.” It’s almost like a little afterthought to notice and acknowledge her involvement, but she was actually the adhesive for my whole encyclopedia-selling project. Like the stitching on a dress, her help was critical although perhaps not initially fully noticed. Without her participation, this simply would not have happened.

    As I look back carefully, I see the common thread of her gift of time sewn throughout my life, a phone call here to give encouragement — an offer there to help me catch up on laundry — a book found just for me that she thought was relevant. “Go take a walk. I’ll hold the baby.” “Go take a nap. I’ve got it covered.” Her handiwork is most noticed through the eyes of retrospection. And less so yet still there is the gentle prodding and help of others — a suggestion that inspires, an opportunity given. If the first lesson is “persevere,” the second lesson is certainly “appreciate the hand others give so you can succeed.” When we receive we can learn to provide, and that’s the best way to make things happen.

    Posted on July 27, 2010, to:

  • We are in the hands of God

    18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    Lk 12:13-21
    The first reading this weekend is from the Book of Ecclesiastes. The first verse states that the book is the work of Qoheleth, a son of King David, although no proper name is used. The book’s origins, despite this tradition, are puzzling.

    The name of this book comes from the Greek, and then the Latin. Furthermore, this book seems to show a Greek influence, and Greek culture did not influence the Jews until centuries after Solomon. However, its Hebrew is of a style used long after Solomon’s time.

    Many scholars today believe Ecclesiastes dates from only two or three centuries before Christ.

    A virtual trademark of this book is its condemnation of human vanity. This scorn of vanity is in this weekend’s reading.

    Vanity of course affronts God, the almighty and the perfect. It also displays the ignorance and illogic of humans, who see in human thought the greatest wisdom. This tendency leads them to regard material wealth as such a value. It also causes them to spurn, or to discount, God.

    For its second reading, the Church presents a passage from the Epistle to the Colossians. Continuing the general message of the first reading, this selection from Colossians calls upon Christians to focus on the things that truly matter, namely the things of God, counseling believers to rise upon temptations of this world, and it sees sin as in essence idolatry. 

    St. Luke’s Gospel furnishes the last reading. Jesus appears in this reading as a mediator, asked by “someone in the crowd” to resolve a dispute about inheritance. Readers of the Gospel are accustomed to such questions being put to the Lord. Did this person in the crowd, unnamed and unidentified in the Gospel, intend to trick Jesus? To put Jesus in an awkward position? To put Jesus in the middle of an argument?

    Of course, it is possible that the questioner’s intentions were not pure. However, to invite anyone to mediate a dispute was a compliment. Such questioning presupposed that the person being questioned, in fact, possessed knowledge. Furthermore, it presupposed that all sides would respect the integrity and wisdom of the mediator. Not surprisingly, outright strangers, whose credentials were unknown, were never invited to mediate between arguing parties. So, Jesus was in the midst of persons familiar with him, as a person and as a teacher.

    As would have been the etiquette of the time, Jesus hesitates before proceeding.

    Under Jewish custom, surviving children did not have to seek a clear division of a deceased parent’s belongings. So there must have been a problem. Rather than plunging into the argument, the Lord’s advised avoiding greed, insisting that material wealth has no true worth.

    The Lord then tells the parable, or story, of the landowner who had great good fortune. His harvest was great. He plans to store the harvest so as to provide for his easy living in years to come. Such reasoning is foolhardy, Jesus says. No human can truly control his or her future. It would be better to distribute the abundance among the needy.

    Reflection
    From the earliest times in the history of Revelation, the holy have dealt with the human tendency to measure all things, even life itself, in material terms. It was a tendency that with which the author of Ecclesiastes dealt. The Lord Jesus dealt with it.
    These readings do not call us to reckless waste and abandonment of good sense and responsibility. Rather, they remind us that we are in the hands of God. We ultimately control nothing about our future, save by our voluntary decision to be one with God in Christ. In this decision, we assure ourselves a place at heaven’s eternal banquet.

    This lesson is that we should put first things first.       

    Posted on July 27, 2010, to:

  • Increase in vocations is a great blessing, offers hope

    Here we are at the end of the July. The summer is passing quickly. I hope that you have been having a good and refreshing summer. We have had some hot and humid days, not unlike what I experienced during the summer in Pennsylvania. Still, I enjoy the warmth of summer and especially the opportunity for outdoor activity and some sports.

    Seminarians
    Two weeks ago, I enjoyed a day with our seminarians at Holy Family Parish in South Bend. It was a good opportunity to share with them some thoughts on the call to priestly holiness and then to meet one-on-one with our young men in priestly formation. We finished the day with Mass and dinner, to which the parents of our seminarians were invited to participate. It was good to meet the parents and to thank them for their support of their sons’ vocations.

    I am very happy to announce that we have experienced a significant increase in applications to the seminary this year for our diocese. In addition to the 15 men currently in formation, I accepted 10 new seminarians who will begin their priestly formation next month. This increase is a great blessing and gives me much hope for the future of priestly vocations in our diocese. I thank all the faithful of our diocese for their prayers for this intention. I believe that the prayers of our people are the main reason we are seeing such an increase in number of seminarians. I also thank Msgr. Bernard Galic, the director of our Office of Vocations, and his staff for their dedicated work in support of this mission.

    Speaking of the promotion of priestly vocations, on July 21, I attended my first Andrew Dinner. Father Jacob Runyon, our associate director of vocations, led this evening event at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Fort Wayne. There were dozens of young men, mostly high school age, who attended the Andrew Dinner at the invitation of their pastors. These men were identified as having qualities that indicated a possible vocation to the priesthood. I was really impressed by the faith and joy of these young men and their openness to the possibility that God may be calling them to the priesthood. Several priests were also in attendance at the dinner. These dinners are named for the Apostle Andrew, who brought his brother Peter to Jesus.

    Our Franciscan Brothers Minor are also experiencing growth in numbers. When they came here to Indiana with me, there were eight brothers, including Father David Engo, the superior. They now have three additional young men who have recently become postulants.
    Please continue to pray for all our seminarians and those who are discerning the call to the priesthood.

    Institute for Catholic Liberal Education
    I was happy to celebrate Holy Mass on July 14 for a group of Catholic School teachers attending the academic retreat at Holy Cross College. This retreat was sponsored by the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education, an organization that leads Catholic educators to a clear understanding of the riches of Catholic education and helps them implement the Church’s vision in their schools. The theme of this year’s retreat was “Truth and Joy in the Catholic School.” It was good to meet teachers from Catholic schools around the country who are so strongly committed to the Catholic educational mission.

    Ordination of Bishop Timothy Doherty
    On July 15, I made my first visit to Lafayette to attend the episcopal ordination of the new bishop there, Bishop Timothy Doherty. Bishop Doherty was a priest in the Diocese of Rockford, Ill. It was a beautiful ordination liturgy. I extended to Bishop Doherty the prayerful best wishes of the faithful of our diocese. As you probably know, the territory of the Diocese of Lafayette was once part of the Diocese of Fort Wayne. The Diocese of Lafayette was established in 1944 when 24 largely rural counties of our diocese were separated to form the Lafayette diocese. This was during the time that Bishop John F. Noll was the bishop of our diocese. When it was created, the diocese of Lafayette was almost 10,000 square miles and had 30,000 Catholics. Ours was indeed “the mother diocese” of Lafayette, which has now welcomed its sixth bishop. May God bless Bishop Doherty as he begins his episcopal ministry!

    New pastor of St. Adalbert and St. Casimir Parishes
    On July 17, I celebrated Holy Mass at St. Adalbert Parish in South Bend and installed the new pastor of St. Adalbert and St. Casimir Parishes, Holy Cross Father Peter Pacini. It was a joyful occasion as the parishioners of both parishes warmly welcomed their new pastor. Speaking of “warm,” St. Adalbert’s is not air-conditioned so it was indeed a warm evening. It reminded me of the church where I was once pastor in Harrisburg, St. Francis of Assisi, which was also inner-city and did not have air-conditioning. In any event, we cooled off after Mass in the parish hall, where we enjoyed a delicious dinner together. It is beautiful to see the sharing of cultures, both Hispanic and Polish, at these parishes, both at the liturgy and at the dinner. May God bless Father Pacini as he begins his pastoral ministry at these historic South Bend parishes!

    St. Catherine of Siena Parish
    On July 18, I celebrated Holy Mass at St. Catherine of Siena Parish (St. Jude Church) in South Bend. Again, it was a beautiful liturgy and joyful celebration. Many thanks to Father John Delaney for his warm welcome and hospitality! After the Mass, I spent a couple hours at the parish festival, enjoying especially a delicious Polish dinner following Mass. I believe this is the newest parish in our diocese, having been established with the merger of the former St. Jude, Sacred Heart and St. Mary parishes on the south side of South Bend. We are looking at the possible purchase of land for a new church for St. Catherine of Siena Parish.

    Antioch youth Mass
    After most of the day at St. Catherine of Siena, I went in the evening to St. Bavo Church in Mishawaka. There the church was packed for a Mass I celebrated for the Antioch youth group. It was great to see so many young people in attendance and participating with such zeal for the faith. The music was very well-done and uplifting. Many of the young people had spent the weekend at a youth conference at Franciscan University in Steubenville. They came home renewed in their faith.
    After the Mass, I joined the young people for pizza in the parish school hall. I thank Father Barry England for his gracious hospitality. I am constantly edified by the enthusiasm for the faith of so many of our youth.

    Archbishop Sheen film
    On July 19, over 100 people joined me at the Allen County Public Library for an advance showing of a new documentary film on the life and legacy of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. The film was very well done and I recommend it to you. It will be shown at various parishes throughout our diocese. The cause for Archbishop Sheen’s beatification and canonization has begun. Archbishop Sheen led so many people to Christ. He touched the minds and hearts of millions of people. If it is the Lord’s will, may he one day be proclaimed a saint!

    Prayer service for ACE
    students at Notre Dame
    On another hot and humid evening, July 22, I celebrated a prayer service at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at Notre Dame for the students of the ACE (Alliance for Catholic Education) program being sent forth on mission to Catholic schools throughout our country. Many of the students’ parents were on retreat at Notre Dame for a few days as well and joined their children at the grotto service. I thank Father Tim Scully, CSC, and all who assist him in this program dedicated to the service of Catholic education in our country.

    ACE is a remarkable program. It places college graduates in under-resourced Catholic schools throughout the country. They prepare these teachers through an intensive two-year service experience that includes professional preparation and spiritual formation. ACE also has a Leadership Program that trains future Catholic school principals and administrators as well as an English as a New Language (ENL) Program. ACE is leading a movement to enrich and champion our Catholic schools.

    Immaculate Conception Parish, Auburn
    I continue to enjoy visiting parishes throughout our diocese. This past Saturday, I made my first visit to Auburn at the invitation of the pastor, Father Derrick Sneyd. I celebrated the Saturday Vigil Mass at Immaculate Conception Church and then enjoyed meeting parishioners at a reception afterwards. In my homily, I reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus teaching His disciples the “Our Father.”
    St. Thomas Aquinas says the following about the Our Father:

    The Lord’s Prayer is the most perfect of prayers. … In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them.

    Posted on July 27, 2010, to:

  • Eucharist helps us to be an evangelizing community

    Holy Cross Sisters
    Two weeks ago, I was honored to visit and celebrate Holy Mass for the Sisters of the Holy Cross at the Church of Our Lady of Loretto in South Bend. I had already visited the communities of the Holy Cross Brothers and Priests in recent months. I have enjoyed getting to know the Holy Cross family of sisters, brothers and priests.

    The Congregations of Holy Cross have played, and continue to play, an important role in our diocese. They were among the pioneers of the Catholic Church here in our diocese. The Holy Cross Sisters were certainly some of the pioneers of Catholic education here.

    When I celebrated Mass for the sisters and guests at the Loretto Chapel, I thanked all the Sisters of the Holy Cross for their example of consecrated life and generous service of Christ and His Church. After enjoying lunch with Sister Joan Marie Steadman, the congregational president, and the leadership team of the congregation, I was able to visit many of the infirm sisters who were unable to attend the Mass. It was very moving for me to meet these incredible women and to learn about their lives and apostolates. I even met some sisters who had taught in Catholic schools in Lancaster, Pa., in my former diocese. I met many sisters who had devoted their lives to serving in various foreign missions and others who served in our diocese and throughout the United States. I left with thanksgiving in my heart for the selfless devotion and example of holiness of these consecrated religious women.

    Priest picnic gatherings
    One of the enjoyable traditions of our diocese is the summer gatherings of our priests, at both ends of the diocese. I enjoyed hosting a picnic at my residence at St. Mary’s in Fort Wayne and also joining the priests’ picnic at St. Pius X in Granger some weeks ago. As I have said many times, we have a great presbyterate here in our diocese. These opportunities for fellowship build our fraternity and provide an opportunity for relaxation and refreshment. Many of our seminarians also joined these gatherings. Please continue to support our priests and seminarians with your prayers.

    Vincent Village
    For months, I have heard so many positive things about Vincent Village in Fort Wayne. I was finally able to visit there on June 30. Located on the campus of the former St. Hyacinth Church, Vincent Village and two other organizations, Literacy Alliance and Park Center, are using diocesan property to serve the needs of the community.

    Vincent Village provides shelter, basic needs, supportive services and affordable housing for homeless families with children. Ann Helmke, the executive director, and members of the board of directors, gave me a tour of Vincent House, the former St. Hyacinth convent, which is the temporary shelter for homeless families. Then, we walked through the neighborhood, which has truly been revitalized by Vincent Village through the 32 homes that have been renovated and are now attractive affordable homes for families who are ready to leave the shelter. It is great to see that a poor inner-city neighborhood can indeed be revitalized when people join together and work together with such vision and commitment, motivated by faith. It was remarkable to see the transformation not only of buildings, but of peoples’ lives. Thanks to all who support Vincent Village!

    Let us always remember the words of Jesus: I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. — Mt 25: 25:35-36.

    Mass at St. Jude Church, Fort Wayne
    A few months ago, the faith-filled parishioners of St. Jude Parish in Fort Wayne who attend the daily 6:15 a.m. Mass invited me to celebrate this Mass for them sometime. I was privileged to do so on July 1, the feast of Blessed Junipero Serra. I expected to see a few dozen parishioners at that early Mass and was pleasantly surprised, and very edified, to see 150 people in attendance, including parishioners of all ages. I joked with the people that I had to set two alarm clocks so I would not oversleep and miss the Mass!

    I wish to thank Father Tom Shoemaker and Father Bob D’Souza who serve at St. Jude’s and also all who attended the Mass. I spoke in my homily about Father Serra, the holy Franciscan missionary of California. In my prayers, I also remembered the members of our Serra Clubs, who do so much to promote priestly and religious vocations, on the feast of their patron. I share with you the opening prayer of the Mass on that feast since Blessed Junipero Serra is an example for all of us of our missionary vocation:

    God most high, your servant Junipero Serra brought the gospel of Christ to the peoples of Mexico and California and firmly established the Church among them. By his intercession, and through the example of his evangelical zeal, inspire us to be faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

    Dedication of St. Anthony of Padua Church, Angola
    This past Saturday, I had the privilege of dedicating the new church and altar at St. Anthony Parish in Angola. This was my first visit to Angola. The new church is truly beautiful. It was interesting to see how the architects incorporated some of the items of the previous churches into the new church, including stained glass windows, the Stations of the Cross and other artwork. One item of particular interest is the center circle of the rose window over the main altar which shows a bouquet of lilies. This window had appeared over the main entrance of the original church. It had been removed years ago, stored in a garage, and forgotten. It was only rediscovered when the garage was being demolished. A parishioner found it in a pile of scrap. Now refurbished, it appears in the beautiful rose window above the main altar of the new church. Some parishioners commented about how appropriate this is since their patron, St. Anthony, is the patron saint of lost articles!

    The dedication Mass was beautiful. I was very impressed by the excellent music of the parish choir. Conventual Franciscan Friars, who have staffed the parish since 1931, continue to serve at St. Anthony’s. Several of the friars concelebrated the Dedication Mass, including the provincial, Father Jim Kent. I thank the devoted pastor of St. Anthony’s, Father Fred Pasche, and all the priests and parishioners of this vibrant parish community.

    During the liturgy, I reminded all that the most important reason why the new church was built, and the greatest act to be celebrated there, is the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Every time we attend Mass, we are strengthened by the Holy Eucharist to live our faith and to be witnesses of Christ’s love. The Eucharist is what builds up the parish and nourishes its members to love as Christ has loved us. The Eucharist helps us to be an evangelizing community, one that proclaims the truth of the Gospel in word and deed.
    Our diocese now has another new house of God, one that is now permanently designated for the worship of God. May the St. Anthony Parish community be a beacon of Christ’s love in Angola and the northeast region of our diocese!

    Posted on July 13, 2010, to: