The next issue of The Mirror will be Feb. 22, 2019.Experiencing delayed USPS delivery? Sign up to receive the diocesan newspaper via Email in digital format: Contact Angie Toben at (417) 866-0841, or Email: atoben@dioscg.org.

The Hierarchical Constitution of the ChurchThe Lay Faithful934By virtue of their kingly mission, lay people have the power to uproot the rule of sin within them-selves and in the world, by their self-denial and holiness of life (cf. “Lu-men Gentium, 36).

The Catechism in brief

INSIDE

Catholic Schools Week 2019, pp. 8-9

Spotlight on our Catholic Schools, pp. 12-13

The Mirr rVol. LIV, No. 21 DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD—CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI February 8, 2019

One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, Sharing Jesus

Our Pro-Life FutureA plan for building on anti-abortion successesBy Rachel MacNair

A few years back, I saw an anchor on network news observe that the average age of abortion doctors was above 60, and

there weren’t many such doctors left. Then I saw something I was entirely unaccustomed to seeing on network news: a story about “Project Rachel,” and how it was helping post-abortion men and women. There was also a remark about how sonogram pictures of the fetus were a new technology influencing opinion. Then they showed a picture of such a sonogram. This was unprecedented.

It is quite clear that the behav-ior surrounding abortion is changing. Abortions used to be readily available in hospitals and doctor’s offices, but now they have become concentrated in clinics specially designed for just that purpose. And the number of clin-ics is going down dramatically. There were about 2,200 at their height in the 1990s; now there are fewer than 500.

The number of abortions has been going down dramatically, too. From 1973, the year of nationwide legaliza-tion in the US, the number rose each year until about 1981. It remained fairly steady for many years, then start-ed to decline from a peak of around 1.4 million, reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to about 652,000 in 2014—a 46.6 percent drop.

The rate of abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age has also de-creased. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a partner of Planned Parent-hood, the rate peaked at 29.3 per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44 in 1981, but by 2014 it was down to 14.6 abortions per 1,000 women—a drop by almost half. The ratio of abor-tions to live births has followed the same pattern.

Furthermore, the number of women having abortions for the first time has fallen even more dramatically. The proportion of women getting a repeat abortion has been steadily rising. At last report, it was around 45 percent of the total.

It’s those repeats that are keeping

the numbers up as high as they are. Women who have one or more repeat abortions add to the number of abor-tions, but not to the number of women who have had an abortion. Without those first-timers, from where are the repeaters of tomorrow going to come? Having a first one is a prerequisite to having a second one. The pool from which the repeaters emerge is drying up.

All repeaters will reach menopause eventually. As the repeaters drop by attrition, the downturn is likely to be-come all the more dramatic. The condi-tions for an acceleration of decline are all in place. Some women will become sterile before reaching menopause

Also, quite a few will become pro-lifers. The most worrisome population

See Pro-Life / 6

MARCH FOR LIFE—Bishop Edward M. Rice posed for an elongated “selfie” with parishioners of St. Ambrose Parish, Chaffee, MO, at the 2019 March for Life in Washington, DC. (The Mirror)

SOCIAL CHANGE—A pro-life demonstrator in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC, represents the continued diminishing support for abortion, which includes misgivings about its brutality, medical professionals withdrawing their support, and the general public moving with the larger trend toward the pro-life stance. With fewer women having abortions and other trends in the pro-life movement, the time is ripe for legislative action to follow what author Rachel MacNair calls, “cognitive consonance” and the radiance of moral truth to speed up the process of an abortion-free future. (Shutterstock)

2 The Mirror February 8, 2019COLUMN

COME, AND YOU WILL SEEBp. Edward M. Rice

An update on the external review of our clergy files

DioSCG @DioSCGDuring Catholic Schools Week, Bishop Edward Rice was the special guest Jan. 31

on “The St. Joseph Catholic Academy Hour.” The radio show airs on the last Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. on Springfield’s KWTO Radio 93.3 FM and 560 AM. In the studio were Bishop Rice; KWTO radio personality Larry Freund; Bonnie Johnson, SJCA principal; and Leaster Gibson, SJCA alumnus and supporter. (The Mirror)

The prayer at left was sent to me anonymously. As soon as I read it, I felt something raw and honest about it.

It acknowledges the failure of the Bishops in dealing with child sexual abuse and yet it ends on a high note by praying for holiness. The recent prayer retreat of the US Bishops in Chicago had a simi-lar effect. I recall two moments during the week there when I felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of our failure in protecting chil-dren. The first moment was simply seeing all the bishops gathered in chapel. We were in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and I just felt the weight of it all,

bringing me to tears. The other moment was at Holy Mass, after Communion, when we sang the refrain from the song, “O, I need You, O, I need You.” I felt as if it were a call to refocus on that one thing, the “pearl of great price”: Jesus, Our Good Shepherd, with-out whom we are nothing, and without whom we can do noth-ing.

As the diocese continues to prepare a report of the findings from our external review of our clergy files, a list of 13 credibly accused diocesan priests can be found on our diocesan Website. Presently, we continue to investi-gate the files of the religious orders who served in the dioceses as well. Once that research is complete and we’ve heard back from the various religious orders, we will have a full and public report of the findings of our external review. I appreciate your patience concern-ing this most important work.

Letter to young clergyI recently wrote a letter to our

young clergy, those ordained less than five years, and to our semi-narians, those young men who are discerning a vocation to the priest-hood, asking if they had ever experienced sexual harassment. At this point, no harassment has been reported. In fact, I would like to quote from a letter written back to me by one of our seminarians:

“In the time that I have been involved in discernment … I have interacted with many of the priests of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and have seen many men who, although very differ-ent from me and from one another, all seek to serve the Lord in their own way. In a particular way I have benefited from the fatherly guidance and concern with which Fr. Patrick Nwokoye ministers to the students of CCM in Cape Girardeau, I have experienced the dedication to the youth of Fr. Mark Binder in founding Camp Re-NEW-all, which had an impact on my own discern-ment. I have seen the examples of suffering and commitment of Fr. Glenn Eftink and Fr. Jim Unterreiner. I have witnessed the dedication to the hospitalized and visiting the sick of Fr. Francisco Gordillo when he was in Cape Girardeau. I have witnessed the love Fr. J. Friedel has for the people

entrusted to his care. I’ve experienced the joy of Fr. William Hennecke.

“I admire the brilliance the Fr. Allan Saunders and Msgr. Ed Eftink, my high school pastor. I have ob-served the availability of retired Fr. Norm Varone and the late Msgr. Bill Stanton. I admired the pastoral vision of Fr. Dave Hulshof and very much appreciate the words of encourage-ment that come each time I see Fr. John Braun. I have benefited from the hospitality and generosity of Fr. Tom Kiefer, Fr. Mike McDevitt, and Msgr. Tom Reidy, our vicar general, along with the willingness and kind-ness of Fr. Shoby. The dedication to the schools of Fr. Lewis Hejna and Fr. John Harth is something I hope to imitate. Fr. Scott Sunnenberg’s love for the priesthood and dedication in promoting vocations is inspiring. Fr. Joe Weidenbenner’s fraternal de-meanor is always a welcome experi-ence along with Fr. Randy Tochtrop’s sense of humor. Fr. Alexander Nwag-we’s love for Scripture is uplifting. The all-around sanctity of Fr. David Coon is to be imitated. Recently, my family and I have experienced the availability and pastoral heart of Fr. Rick Jones. And of course two of my heroes, Msgr. Rich Rowling and Msgr. Ray Orf, who have been models of

priesthood for me for quite some time.

“It is with these men—with whom I do not and will not always agree, but who have nevertheless fol-lowed the call of our Lord to follow him and have been Christ for me at some point my life— and with you, our faithful father who bears the burden of the diocese on your shoulders, that I know the Lord is calling me to join in fraternity. I look forward to the good work of the ministry of the word, of the altar, and of charity, and this brings joy and peace to my heart.”

A number of our seminarians have taken the time to write to me, expressing their admira-tion for our priests, even

in the midst of the embarrassing scandal. And, while I have re-ceived a number of letters of sup-port as well as those of criticism, all I can say is that I’m doing my best, and that I remain commit-ted to healing, accountability, and transparency. Your prayers are ap-preciated. I continue to hold each one of you in prayer, which re-mains a gift to me as your bishop. ©TM

Once research is complete, we will have a full and public report of the findings of our external review.

Almighty God, O mercifully hear our cry in this hour of grave crisis.

Awaken Your anointed Bishops. Give them the courage to shine the light of truth in the dark places, that evil will be driven from the priesthood.

Cleanse the sanctuary of wolves.Rescue us from false shepherds who

covered-up sexual predation of seminarians.

Bring justice to all victims.Then, guide our wise shepherds

as they restore trust in our ministers.

We pray for our own obedience and fidelity to Your Church and may this crisis bring us into a full reconciliation and a lasting holiness.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Blessed Mother, Pray for us. St. Michael, defend us.

February 8, 2019 The Mirror 3

VEN Y VERÁS

Obispo Edward M. Rice

Una actualización sobre la revisión externa de nuestros archivos del clero

Bishop Rice’sPublic calendar

Sun., Feb. 10 Retreat Master, Diocese ofFri., Feb. 15 Wichita Priests RetreatSat., Feb. 16 Mass at Catholic Men’s12 p.m. Retreat, Our Lady of the

Lake, Branson;5 p.m. Sacrament of Confirmation,

St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield

Sun., Feb. 17 Diocesan3:30 p.m. Development Fund (DDF)

Regional Meeting for Region 5, Sacred Heart Parish, Willow Springs

Mon., Feb. 18 Mass at Mary, Cause of6 a.m. Our Joy Convent; Clergy Gathering, University

Plaza Hotel, SpringfieldWed., Feb. 20 Thomas More Parent7 p.m. Group, Springfield Catholic

High School Thu., Feb. 21 Kenrick Glennon Board of

Trustees Meeting, St. Louis;7 p.m. Sacrament of Confirmation

at Holy Redeemer Parish, St. Louis

Fri., Feb. 22 Diocesan Youth LeadersSat., Feb. 23 Conference, The Landing,

Van Buren, MOSat., Feb. 23 Sacrament of Confirmation,5 p.m. St. Joseph Parish, Advance, MOSun., Feb. 24 Voice for Life Awards, 10:30 a.m. St. Mary of the Annunciation

Cathedral, Cape Girardeau;3 p.m. DDF Regional Meeting for

Regions 6-9, Sacred Heart Parish, Poplar Bluff;

Knights of Columbus Religious Appreciation Dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Scott City;

7:30 p.m. DDF Regional Meeting for Regions 6-9, St. Vincent Parish, Cape Girardeau

Mon., Feb. 25 Clergy Gathering, Cape Girardeau

Tue., Feb. 26 Mass of Healing Burdens6:30 p.m. of Pain, St. Ann Church,

Carthage, MO

February prayer intention:As we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Feb. 11, also the World Day of the Sick, let us pray for those who are ill, asking her intercession!

COLUMNA

Dios Todopoderoso, escucha misericordiosa-mente nuestro clamor en esta hora de crisis grave.

Despierta a tus Obispos ungidos. Dales el valor para que hagan brillar la luz de la verdad en los lugares oscuros, que el mal sea expulsado del sacerdocio.

Limpia el santuario de los lobos.Rescátanos de los falsos pastores que en-

cubrieron la depredación sexual de los seminaristas.

Haz justicia a todas las víctimas.Guía a nuestros sabios pastores mientras

restauran la confianza en nuestros ministros.

Oramos por nuestra propia obediencia y fidelidad a tu Iglesia y que esta crisis nos lleve a una plena reconciliación y a una santidad duradera.

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.

Madre bendita, ruega por nosotros. San Miguel, defiéndenos.

La oración de arriba me fue enviada anónimamente. Tan pronto como la leí, sentí algo crudo y honesto al respecto. Reconoce el fracaso de los

obispos en el tratamiento del abuso sexual de menores y, sin embargo, termina con una nota alta al orar por la santidad. El reciente retiro de oración de los Obispos de los Estados Unidos en Chicago tuvo un efecto similar. Recuerdo dos momentos de la semana en que me sentí abrumado por la magnitud de nuestro fracaso en la pro-tección de la infancia. El primer momento fue simplemente ver a todos los obispos reunidos en la capilla. Estábamos en Adoración ante el Santísimo Sacramento y sentí el peso de todo esto, haciéndome llorar. El otro momento fue en la Santa Misa, después de la Comunión, cuando cantamos el estribillo del canto: “Oh, te necesito, oh, te necesito”. Sentí como si fuera una llamada a volver a centrarme en esa única cosa, la “perla de gran valor”:

Jesús, nuestro Buen Pastor, sin el cual no somos nada, y sin el cual no podemos hacer nada.

Mientras la diócesis continúa pre-parando un informe de los hallazgos de nuestra revisión externa de los archivos de nuestro clero, se puede encontrar en nuestro sitio web diocesano una lista de 13 sacerdotes diocesanos acusados creíble-mente. Actualmente, continu-amos investigando los archivos de las órdenes religiosas que sirvieron también en la diócesis. Una vez que se haya completa-do esa investigación y hayamos recibido noticias de las diversas órdenes religiosas, tendremos un informe público y completo de los resultados de nuestra revisión externa. Agradezco su paciencia con respecto a este trabajo tan importante.

Carta al clero jovenRecientemente escribí una

carta a nuestro clero joven, a los que fueron ordenados desde hace menos de cinco años, y a nuestros seminaristas, a los jóvenes que es-tán discerniendo una vocación al sacerdo-cio, preguntándoles si alguna vez habían experimentado un acoso sexual. En este momento, no se ha informado de ningún caso de acoso. De hecho, me gustaría citar una carta que me escribió uno de nuestros seminaristas:

“En el tiempo que he estado involu-crado en el discernimiento... he interactuado con muchos de los sacerdotes de la Diócesis de Springfield Cape Girardeau, y he visto a muchos hombres que, aunque muy diferentes de mí y de los demás, todos buscan servir al Señor a su manera. De una manera particular me he beneficiado de la guía paternal y la preocupación con la que el Padre Patrick Nwo-koye sirve a los estudiantes de CCM en Cape

Girardeau, he experimentado la dedicación a la juventud del Padre Mark Binder al fundar el Campamento Re-NEW-all, lo cual tuvo un impacto en mi propio discernimiento. He visto los ejemplos de sufrimiento y compromiso del P. Glenn Eftink y del P. Jim Unterreiner. He sido testigo de la dedicación a los hospital-

izados y las visitas a los enfermos del P. Francisco Gordillo cuando estaba en Cape Girardeau. He sido testigo del amor que el P. J. Friedel tiene por las personas confiadas a su cuidado. He experimentado la alegría del P. William Hennecke. Admiro la brillantez del P. Allan Saunders y Mons. Ed Eftink, mi párroco cuando estaba en escuela secundaria. He observado la dis-ponibilidad del P. Norm Varone, ya jubilado, y del difunto Mons. Bill Stanton. Admiré la visión pas-toral del P. Dave Hulshof y aprecio mucho las palabras de aliento que me llegan cada vez que veo al P. John Braun. Me he beneficiado de la hospitalidad y generosidad del P. Tom Kiefer, del P. Mike McDe-vitt y de Mons. Tom Reidy, nuestro vicario general, junto con la

disponibilidad y amabilidad del P. Shoby. La dedicación a las escuelas del P. Lewis Hejna y del P. John Harth es algo que espero imitar. El amor del Padre Scott Sunnenberg por el sacer-docio y su dedicación a la promoción vocacio-nal es inspirador. El comportamiento fraternal del Padre Joe Weidenbenner es siempre una experiencia bienvenida junto con el sentido del humor del Padre Randy Tochtrop. El amor del Padre Alexander Nwagwe por las Escrituras es edificante. Hay que imitar la santidad total del P. David Coon. Recientemente, mi familia y yo hemos experimentado la disponibilidad y el corazón pastoral del P. Rick Jones. Y, por supuesto, dos de mis héroes, Mons. Rich Rowl-ing y Mons. Ray Orf, que han sido modelos de sacerdocio para mí durante bastante tiempo.

“Es con estos hombres —con los que no siempre estoy de acuerdo y no siempre lo estaré, pero que sin embargo han seguido el llamado de nuestro Señor a seguirlo y han sido Cristo para mí en algún momento de mi vida— y con usted, nuestro padre fiel que lleva la carga de la diócesis sobre sus hom-bros, que sé que el Señor me está llamando a unirme en fraternidad Espero con interés la buena obra del ministerio de la palabra, del altar y de la caridad, y esto trae alegría y paz a mi corazón”.

Algunos de nuestros seminaristas se han tomado el tiempo de escribirme, expresando su admiración por nuestros sacerdotes, incluso en medio del vergonzo-so escándalo. Y, aunque he recibido varias cartas de apoyo y de crítica, todo lo que puedo decir es que estoy haciendo todo lo que puedo y que sigo comprometido con la sanación, la rendición de cuentas y la transparencia. Agradezco sus oraciones. Sigo manteniendo a cada uno de ustedes en la oración, que sigue siendo un regalo para mí como su obispo. ©TM

Habrá un informe completo y público de los resultados de la revisión externa de nuestros archivos del clero.

Please join Bishop Edward M. Rice as he offers a

Mass of Healing for the Church in Southern Missouri as the faith-ful come together in Healing Broken Hearts, Bur-

dens of Pain, and Promises of Grace

Tue., Feb. 26, at 6:30 p.m.St. Ann Church, Carthage, MO

Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1-800-392-3738 or 844-CAN-TELLAdult Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1-800-392-0210

Para Reportar abuso, llame a la línea de abuso infantil de Missouri: 1-800-392-3738 or 844-CAN-TELL

Línea Directa de Abuso y Negligencia para Adultos : 1-800-392-0210To report abuse by a Church representative also contact any of the following:

William Holtmeyer, Jr., MS, NCC, LPC, CEAPDirector of Child and Youth Protection

billholtmeyer@dioscg.org, (417) 866-0841

Judy St. John, LPC, NCCVictim Assistance Coordinator

vac1@dioscg.org, (573) 587-3139or see www.dioscg.org, look for “TIPS” link

4 The Mirror February 8, 2019

The Mirror: Newspaper of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau USPS Publication 117-330 Publisher: The Most Rev. Edward Rice Editor: Leslie A. EidsonProduction: Glenn Eckl Circulation/Advertising: Angie Toben, atoben@dioscg.org

Published every other week at 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. Address all communications to 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143; Telephone (417) 866-0841; Email atoben@dioscg.org

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Mirror, 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. When giving change of address, state both old and new address, also old and new parish.Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, MO, and additional mailing offices. Vol. LIV No. 21 Feb. 8, 2019 Single copy price, $0.50 Subscription: $14 per year.

Digital subscriptions available as an option to USPS delivery with paid subscription. For more information, contact atoben@dioscg.org.Copyright © 2019, The Mirror, CNA, USCCB, The Vatican, as noted. The Mirror OnLine: www.dioscg.org

“Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau” @DioSCG

ADULT FAITH

The spiritual exercise of dropping your daily netsBy Elizabeth Kelly

My house is a spectacular mess. I keep waiting for someone from the gov-ernment to show up in a

Hazmat suit and give me a citation for violations against human health and public safety before hauling me away to pig-pen prison. This is not what I would hope for, of course. It’s just an unusually busy season with many unusual demands—moving parents into assisted living in an-other state, working, managing a few of my own health issues, scheduling a minor surgery, and the like. Filling out insurance forms has become a part-time job.

Try as I may to keep my head above the mayhem, I am failing, and the only thing God seems to be interested in telling me is this: be grateful and pray without ceasing. He doesn’t seem all that concerned about the cleanliness of my house, whether or not my Christmas cards arrived on time (or at all), or wheth-er or not I’ve cooked dinner from scratch or purchased it at the local supermarket deli. (The clerks there now know me by name.)

Which brings me to the Spiritu-al Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, that rigorous, silent 30-day retreat praying through the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Christ in four or five hours of meditation a day. When you do a 30-day retreat, your usual duties are suspended. They have to be. For example, for the duration of the retreat, a priest is not required to prepare homilies, visit the sick, baptize babies, or hear confessions. He puts down these nor-mal duties in order to enter into the work of the retreat in a more focused kind of way. The retreat becomes his work.

Just so, there can be other

natural occasions in life where we put down our usual re-sponsibilities to meet new demands, to take up with greater concentration some other duties as our work, our prayer. The dis-ciples put down their daily tasks—fishing, for exam-ple—to travel with Jesus, to be trained up in his minis-try. They relied on, among others, some of the women who traveled with them for food and other provisions. Those women who traveled with Jesus were relieved of their normal responsibili-ties in order to take up this new mis-sion. It became their work.

My point is: illness or caring for someone who is ill and the mayhem that unleashes is a spiritual exercise. It may in fact be the spiritual work that God is calling you to for the time being. But rest assured it is no less effec-tive than if you were to do the Exercises of St. Ignatius. The burden of illness is a training ground for grow-ing in virtue and learning how to pray without ceas-ing. It is the equivalent of dropping your nets to fol-low Christ into this experi-ence of illness and discov-

ering how to love him and serve him in a new and deeply fulfilling way.

I don’t like that my house is a wreck and that I’m behind on paper-work, preparing my taxes, and even tak-ing care of myself. It overwhelms me at times. But I drop my daily net and follow Jesus into this new work in confidence and joy because he is right there ahead of me, leading me through it. Where else would I rather be?

Lord, your love compels me, just like the disciples, to drop everything and follow you, wher-ever you may lead. Strengthen me for the work ahead and in the knowledge that I only ever want to be where you are. ©CNA

Elizabeth Kelly is an award-winning speaker and the author of six books, includ-ing including Jesus Approaches: What Contem-porary Women Can Learn about Healing, Freedom

and Joy from the Women of the New Testament. She is trained as a spiritual director in the Ignatian exercises and leads retreats with a particular focus on helping women to flourish in their faith. She teaches in Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas (MN). Her Website is: www.LizK.org.

SPIRITUAL EXERCISE—As the Church celebrates the World Day of the Sick on Feb. 11 and ap-proaches the beginning of Lent on March 6, author Elizabeth Kelly reminds us that the burden of illness (and caregiving) is a training ground for growing in virtue and learning how to pray without ceasing. (Getty)

Illness or caring for someone who is ill and the mayhem that unleashes is a spiritual exercise.

Kelly

February 8, 2019 The Mirror 5

AnnouncementsParishes and organizations are invited to submit notices of future events

to be printed in the Announcements. They will be printed on a space-available basis. There is no fee.

Leopold—St. John Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) will host its annual Rummage Sale, Tue.-Wed., April 2-3, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thu., April 4, 7 a.m.-noon, in the Knights of Columbus Hall. Proceeds will support activities of the PCCW. For more information, contact Geri Geringer, (573) 208-6445.

New Hamburg—St. Lawrence Parish will host a Spring Dinner & Country Store in its parish center on Sun., March 3, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Menu includes fried chicken, dressing, chicken & dumplings, buttered potatoes, white beans, slaw, corn, drink, and dessert. Adults: $10, children (ages 6-12): $5, (under age 5): free; carry-outs available. For more information, contact the parish at (573) 545-3317.

Springfield—Beginning Experience of Springfield will offer a six (6) week “COPING with life alone” class on Thursday evenings beginning Thu., Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 2200 W. Republic Rd. Cost: $20. Scholarships are available (no one is exclud-ed because of inability to donate). These classes are designed to help individuals work through the trauma of losing a spouse through death, divorce,

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ScheduleSafe environment in-service opportunities will be held at the following locations:Mon., Feb. 11 6-9 p.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Vincent de Paul, Cape GirardeauThu., Feb. 21 6-9 p.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sacred Heart, VeronaSat., Feb. 23 9 a.m.-12-noon . . . . . . . . St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Springfield Fri., March 1 9 a.m.-12-noon.. . . . . . . . The Catholic Center (Pallotti Center), SpringfieldThu., March 7 12:30-3:30 p.m.. . . . . . . . The Catholic Center (Pallotti Center), Springfield Thu., March 7 6-9 p.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sacred Heart, Poplar Bluff Sat., March 9 9 a.m.-12-noon.. . . . . . . . St. Vincent de Paul, Cape Girardeau Sun., March 10 1-4 p.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Our Lady of the Lake, Branson Sun., March 24 6-9 p.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, SpringfieldPre-registration is necessary; go to www.virtus.org and click on “registration” on the left or call your parish/school office for assistance; or call Rosie Francka at The Catholic Center, (417) 866-0841; or Email her at rfrancka@dioscg.org. Participants must be present for the entire training. Training sessions are for adults only. Schedules may be found on the diocesan events calendar at www.dioscg.org, or at www.virtus.org.

or separation. COPING is Christian-based and open to all faiths. For more information, call Diane, (870) 688-8829; Donna, (417) 528-1085; or Mary Alice, (417) 838-4651.

Springfield—The Followers of Francis Fraternity will meet, Sat., Feb. 23, beginning with lunch at noon (optional), then at 1 p.m. in the day chapel at Holy Trinity Parish. If you would like information about the Secular Franciscans or our fraternity, contact Farah Diel, Formation Director, (417) 268-5887, or Farahsrockpile@yahoo.com.

Springfield—The Council of Catholic Women at Holy Trinity Parish invites all women to join them Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m., as guest speaker Sr. Diane Frederick, OSF, shares her experiences of serving three years on the St. Labre Indian Mis-sion in Montana as the Crow Tribe sponsored a five-state regional Catholic Charismatic Confer-ence for an estimated 3,000 Native Americans. Come join us as Sr. Frederick recalls with love and gratitude “one of the most favorite and life-changing experiences” of her life. For more information, contact Rita McClernon at (417) 883-8948.

K232FF 94.3 FM Cape Girardeau

KHJM 89.1 FM Dexter & the Bootheel

KFSS 94.5 FM Joplin

KQOH 91.9 FM Springfield

Tune in to local Catholic Radio around the Diocese

Tune-in: Learn, Live, Grow, Be Inspired

6 The Mirror February 8, 2019

trend for the abortion business is that of their own clientele turning into their opposition.

The more people are aware of these trends, the more they will look for reasons why it would be so. People have a drive to have their thoughts match what’s going on. They don’t like cognitive dissonance, seeking instead cognitive conso-nance. If they see that their actions and the actions of those around them have changed, then they’re inclined to change their beliefs or attitudes to fit those actions. More-over, they look for reasons why the change happened, reasons that will preserve their self-esteem and explain why they didn’t have those same thoughts before.

Opinions changeThis dynamic was evident, for

example, after the bus boycott of 1955–1956 in Montgomery, AL, a protest that sought to desegregate the city buses. Businesspeople a decade after the campaign were found to be less racist. They accommodated their beliefs to new social realities. A cynic could say they were simply hypocriti-cal, rather than having had a change of heart. This underestimates the dynamic of cognitive consonance. Once behavior changed in Mont-gomery, so did racial attitudes. When people noticed they were acting in a new way, they accounted for it by adopting beliefs that were consistent with their behavior.

This is happening with respect to abortion and attitudes toward it. Consider the news anchor I men-tioned above, who presented ultra-sound technology as new. Pro-lifers know this is ridiculous. The human-ity of unborn children has been well

Our Pro-Life Future: A plan for building on anti-abortion successesFrom Page 1

known for many years, with actual photographs of them circulated widely. Life magazine published some in their April 30, 1965, issue, long be-fore the widespread use of the sono-gram. And post-abortion counseling has existed for a long time. But these were treated as new discoveries by those who wrote up that TV segment, and for a reason: to account for why beliefs were changing—and to do so without admitting that they should have been that way all along. “New discoveries” were used to account for why opinions change.

The need to protect our moral integrity is important. When the abortion juggernaut got going in the 1970s, many found it impossible to hear arguments against it without acknowledging that a great evil had befallen the country. That judgment is difficult for us to accept. Now, as social trends move toward abor-tion reduction, people can regard the adoption of a pro-life position as joining a positive trend, one that speaks well of America as a country.

Promising pro-life futureThe ways in which we are

motivated to be in sync with social changes mean that all kinds of pro-life arguments can gain new trac-tion today. Arguments many people couldn’t hear before, they can hear now. This will add further momen-tum toward the protection of the unborn. The future of the pro-life movement is promising.

We need to be attentive to this social dynamic. That means pro-lifers should start their remarks against abortion by observing this dramatic

decline in the number of women who have abortions. If we lead with this trend, we will find more ready ears for our reasoning. I have seen this happen while doing media interviews. I mention that dramatic decline and explain why the decline is likely to become more dramatic. In subtle ways, the interviewer’s attitude shifts. He or she seems a little more eager to hear my reasoning as to why this should be so. My reasoning, of course, eventually turns to what’s wrong with abortion.

The most persuasive reasons will be ones that are new, at least new to their specific audience. Most people need “new facts” and reasons to reassure themselves that they were not morally culpable for support-ing abortion in the past. These new reasons include:

• Post-abortion aftermath.

That women suffer distress after abortions has been well known in the pro-life movement for many years, but it may surprise people who thought the availability of abortion would help women. The testimony of women who regret terminating a pregnancy changes the narrative of what abortion does.

• Feminization of poverty.

The proportion of women among the poor in America was sup-posed to decrease once abortion was made readily available, as women wouldn’t be saddled with unwanted children they couldn’t afford. In-stead, the opposite happened: The proportion of poor people who are women has risen.

One cause is this: If men no longer think of their own actions as causing babies, and conclude that

POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II—Michelle and Sophie Priggel of Guardian An-gel Parish, Oran, posed at the Pope St. John Paul II Shrine in Wash-ington, DC, while on pilgrimage to the 2019 March for Life on Jan. 18, 2019. (The Mirror)

WITNESS—Anna Hennemann held a sign witnessing to the dignity of women while on the shoulders of Kadi Dohogne, both of St. Augustine Parish, Kelso, MO, during the annu-al March for Life in Washington, DC. (The Mirror)

STUDENTS FOR LIFE—Youth from Guardian Angel Catholic School, Oran, posed in from of the White House during their recent trip to our nation’s capi-tal for the annual March for Life. (The Mirror)

2019 MARCH FOR LIFE—Diocesan seminarian Alexander Sutachan, Sr. Gisela Pedraza, MC, of Sacred Heart Parish, Poplar Bluff, MO; Bp. Edward M. Rice, and Fr. Dominic Ibok, Parochial Administrator of Immaculate Con-ception Parish, New Madrid, and Sacred Heart Parish in Caruthersville, MO, posed for a photo during the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, in January. (The Mirror)

DIOCESAN NEWS

February 8, 2019 The Mirror 7

Our Pro-Life Future: A plan for building on anti-abortion successesit was the woman’s decision not to have an abortion that caused the baby to be born, they get self-righ-teous about not paying child support or otherwise being involved with the child. The fact that the man was indispensable in creating the child is beside the point; it was her decision, not his, that caused the child to be born.

• Child abuse.

It was assumed that child abuse stems from unwanted births, and that abortion would, there-fore, reduce its incidence. But child abuse rates skyrocketed after Roe v Wade. The Census Bureau (1990) reported 452,800 cases of abuse in 1973 and 2,959,100 in 1990. The rate per 1,000 people went from 2.16 in 1973 to 11.59 in 1990. After that, though, there was a downturn in child abuse reports—about the same time that the abortion rates started their decline. One possible explanation is that abortion has had a similar impact on people as other forms of violence: It desensitizes. If unborn children can be killed, pro-tection of children in general might diminish.

• Sex-selective abortions.

New technology can tell us the sex of an early-term fetus, allowing some to abort the “wrong” sex. In the US, this happens rarely, though many would be aghast at just one case. Around the world, it’s so com-mon that countries such as India and China have a male-female imbalance in the population as a whole. People who thought abortion was being legalized for hard cases are generally startled that it could be used in this way.

• Scandals in abortion clinics.

Getting rid of the “back-alley butchers” was supposed to be a major benefit of Roe v Wade. That was actu-ally my first thought when I heard the decision as a 14-year-old. But scandals—from bad medical condi-tions to sexual misconduct of abor-tion doctors—have arisen frequently.

• Trauma to abortion staff.

Symptoms of trauma have been found in the stories of abortion doc-tors and nurses in various places. Many testify that they’re aware that they are killing human beings.

• The consistent life ethic.

My experience is that situating abortion (and euthanasia) among other issues of violence—war, the death penalty, poverty, racism—gives many people who oppose those other forms of violence a sense of permission to be pro-life when it’s otherwise outside their right-wing/left-wing comfort zone to do so. A strategy emphasizing the consistent ethic of life has had suc-cess in the past. Before Roe v Wade, there were three statewide referenda to legalize abortion. In 1970, legaliza-tion passed in Washington State, with 56 percent voting yes. But in 1972, in Michigan, Proposal B was defeated with 61 percent voting no, and in North Dakota, 77 percent voted no.

Linking pro-life issues & partnership

What explains the different out-comes? In “Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before Roe v. Wade,” Daniel K. Williams notes that the Michigan group “Voice of the Un-born” produced a campaign brochure

saying, “Michigan was the first state in America to outlaw the death penalty for criminals. Proposal B would legal-ize the death penalty for thousands of unborn babies.” Williams observes that in North Dakota, pro-life campaigner Al Fortman “enjoyed an excellent relationship with several of the state’s Catholic bishops and forged ties with some of the state’s Protestant ministers by linking the pro-life issue to other social justice causes, such as opposition to the Vietnam War, that interested mainline Protestant clergy.” Linking the pro-life cause to broader concerns about the weak and vulnerable can work.

The Supreme Court plays an obvious role in the future of abortion in the US. We need judges who are not in thrall to the reasoning that led to Roe and Casey. Those judicial appoint-ments might happen, and they might even lead to a reversal of Roe. But they

might not. We know that presi-dents who owed a major part of their election to hard-working pro-lifers have appointed judges who have upheld Roe. Su-preme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has written an excellent book on euthanasia, but he explicitly says his reasoning does not apply to fetuses, and reiter-ated this in his con-gressional confirma-tion testimony. He’s

also a strong believer in precedent. We can’t predict the legal future.

But we also can’t wait. My reason-ing applies to the present—and to the future, as well. We need to press the cause of life even if Roe is never over-turned, and also if it is. The overturn-ing of Roe will allow for more demo-cratic participation in the debate than judicial fiat does, but it doesn’t guar-antee a pro-life outcome. No matter what the Court decides, we will need to proceed outside the realm of legal briefs, making our case in the court of public opinion.

Politics is always risky. The case of Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, MO, provides an example. In the early 1980s, this public hospital had become a major abortion center. Having failed to convince its Board of Directors to stop performing abortions, pro-life groups asked the Missouri Assembly for legislation that would cut off a portion of Truman’s funding unless it stopped. Spokespeople for Truman announced that public funds weren’t used for abor-tions, but for the medical needs of poor patients. The press followed their lead and declared pro-lifers unfeeling and hostile to the poor. Pro-lifers countered

that it was the Truman staff’s stubborn-ness about performing abortions that would cause the cutoff of funding, but the press took Truman’s side. Pro-lifers withdrew.

Pro-life trendChange, however, did happen. Af-

ter a time, a new doctor was appointed to head the ob-gyn department. He had considerably less enthusiasm for abortion than had his predecessors. He made it clear to interns and residents that performing abortions wasn’t ex-pected of them. Numbers went down. Poor women were no longer talked into abortions they hadn’t thought of, and the piling up of abortion appoint-ments was stopped. Earlier, a woman could merely telephone to secure an appointment. After the change insti-tuted by the new head of ob-gyn, a woman who wanted an abortion was told to find a doctor to perform it, at which point the doctor was permitted to use the facilities. Under that arrange-ment, far fewer abortions took place. Abortion was not prohibited, but it was discouraged.

At that point, the law withdraw-ing public funding from medical facili-ties that provide abortions passed the Missouri legislature, which then wound its way through the courts as Webster v Reproductive Health Services. In 1989, when the Supreme Court decided that Missouri could in fact disallow abor-tions at hospitals that receive public funding, the spokespeople at Truman said that outcome was fine. The earlier resistance had evaporated. They had done so few abortions the previous year that it was a small matter to elimi-nate them entirely.

Politics, lobbying, and litiga-tion have their places, but the story in Missouri provides us a template for an abortion-free future. The Webster case is part of the larger story—diminished enthusiasm for abortion, misgivings about its brutality, medical profession-als withdrawing their support, and the general public moving with the larger trend toward the pro-life stance, all of which allow for legislative action. In this process, political action is most effective when it matches the situation on the ground. People need to be per-suaded; only then can law become an effective, even desired, instrument.

Every life lost to the abortion industry is a crime. But we must not allow ourselves to misread the pres-ent moment. The pro-life movement is in very good shape. The trends are all in the right direction, and the signs indicate they’ll continue in the right direction. If we recognize this, we can take full advantage of basic principles of the innate human desire for cogni-tive consonance—and the radiance of moral truth—in order to speed up the process. ©TM

Rachel MacNair is a peace psycholo-gist and active with the Consistent Life Network.

This article was reprinted with permission of First Things, www.firstthings.com. All rights reserved.

Social changes mean that all kinds of pro-life arguments can gain new traction today.

YOUTH GROUP—The youth group of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Cape Gi-rardeau, were among the many diocesan pilgrims to the national March for Life in Washington, DC. Other delegates came from Notre Dame Regional High School, Cape Girardeau. St. John Parish, Leopold, and St. Benedict Par-ish of Doniphan, to name a few. (Photo by Brian Ziegler/The Mirror)

DIOCESAN NEWS

8 The Mirror February 8, 2019CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2019

What’s your favorite movie? Immaculate Conception had one

101 DALMATIANS—Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Jackson, MO, celebrated a cartoon/favorite movie day on Jan. 29 during Catholic Schools Week. Principal Michele Campbell and faculty and staff dressed up in com-memoration of the movie classic “101 Dalmatians,” and we think they nailed it. (The Mirror)

Springfield

During the annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 27-Feb. 2) in the 23 diocesan elementary schools

and three high schools, Bp. Edward M. Rice was the principal celebrant with area clergy at three all-school Masses with students, parents, faculties, ad-ministrators, and staff. To follow, is his homily:

School liturgiesI want to begin by thanking all

of our Catholic school administrators, principals, staff, and teachers for your good work in the ministry of Catho-lic education. It takes a tremendous effort from so many people to provide Catholic education. In a special way, I thank our parents who sacrifice for the good of their children. Our Catholic schools collaborate with our parents in passing on the faith. Hopefully, the faith that is practiced at home and on Sunday is enhanced and encouraged in our Catholic schools throughout the week. And, to our students, I hope each one of you realizes the great sac-rifices that are made so that each one of you can receive a quality education and faith formation. You are the future Catholic doctors, Catholic lawyers, Catholic teachers, and Catholic archi-tects. This past Mon., Jan. 28, was the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, the patron of Catholic education. On Jan. 31, we mark the feast of St. John Bosco, who dedicated his life to the education and training of children. The work of Catholic education continues today.

A couple of weeks ago, I cel-ebrated Mass at one of our university Catholic Campus Ministries. After

Mass, I greeted people, saying, “hello” and “thanks for coming.” A young lady came up to me and shook my hand. As I said, “Thanks for coming,” she said, “I just came back.” I thought maybe she had been on vacation, so I said, “Where did you come back from?” She said she had been away from the Church for over two years. When she went off to college, away from home for the first time, she figured she would go it alone and stopped going to Mass. So after two and one-half years of go-ing it alone, she found that she was in a dark place and she realized that she needed to come back to Mass, back to the faith. She said that things were not going well and she decided to return to “her roots.” And so I said to her, “Wel-come home.”

Education & rootsI think we all realize the impor-

tance of a good solid education. Receiv-ing a well-rounded education is the best way to secure our future. A good education pulls one up out of poverty and keeps one out of poverty. A good education allows a person to have a bright future and our Catholic schools are known for providing a good educa-tion. But, as that young lady learned, having the tools to be successful in life and to have a good job in the future is not enough. We need roots.

What is the function of a root? A root keeps the plant stable and pro-vides nourishment. Without roots, the plant will die. Without a good root system there is no stability and the tree will fall. And I think that is what that young lady discovered. While she drifted for two and a half years, she was still rooted in Christ. St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians says that we are “rooted and grounded” in the love of Christ. It is Christ that we receive in the Eucharist that nourishes us. And it is Christ who grounds us, anchors us, who is our foundation so that the thoughts and words and the actions of Christ become my thoughts, my words, and my actions.

Our Catholic schools should always provide the best education in all the disciplines. But every other school has the capacity to offer the best educa-tion as well. What makes our Catholic schools different? We are given the tools for future success but with a firm foundation, rooted in Christ. In the gospel, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” And He asks that same question to each of us. Our schools should be places where that question can be asked and freely answered. Our schools should be places where the administration and staff and faculty have answered the question for them-selves like Simon Peter did, “You are the Christ.” Our students are rooted in Christ and given a high-caliber educa-tion for successful futures. That is the best of what Catholic education has to offer. ©TM

Catholic Schools Week celebrated Jan. 27-Feb. 2Faculty mini-retreat closes CSWSpringfield

Married couple evangelists Tony and Lynn Melen-dez joined the faculty and staff of Immaculate

Conception Catholic School, in Springfield, for an afternoon mini-retreat which offered an uplifting time of reflection and celebration at the end of Catholic Schools Week.

The Melendezes are members of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Branson. Lynn also serves the Dio-cese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau as head of the Office of Evangeliza-tion, Catechesis, and Youth.

“We really just wanted to af-firm the wonderful staff and faculty

in the bigger picture of what they do from day-to-day,” Lynn said. “They are more than Math, Reading, or Sci-ence teachers. At a Catholic school, they have the opportunity to walk the journey of faith with these kids!”

The first part of the retreat focused on “Who are the people that have walked with us in life?” “Who recognized our gifts and encouraged us to use them?” “Who represented Christ and helped us to experience his love?” The second part of the retreat focused on “How am I open-ing myself daily to reaching others with the love of God?” “How do I intentionally seek the gifts in others and affirm them?” “How do I walk in faith with others?” ©TM

February 8, 2019 The Mirror 9CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2019

Bishop receives cards from Pre-K students

CARDS TO BISHOP—The preschool-kin-dergarten classes of Joplin Area Catholic Schools each wrote cards to Bp. Edward M. Rice during Catholic Schools Week, including this card from Adriana of St. Mary Catholic School, Joplin. Bishop enjoyed the many greetings and photos from Catholic Schools around the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. (The Mirror)

Hands held high in Joplin

PASTORS—Father Joseph Weidenbenner, pastor, St. Mary Church Joplin; Fr. J. Friedel, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, St. Ann Parish, Car-thage, and St. Mary Parish, Webb City; and Bp. Edward M. Rice showed some love for Catholic Schools with Mrs. Kim Hosp and her fourth grade students in St. Mary Catholic School in Joplin on Jan 28. (The Mirror)

PAJAMA DAY—St. Lawrence Catholic School in Monett, MO, celebrated Pajama Day on Jan. 28 during Catholic Schools Week, which also coincided with winter windchill advisories in much of southwest Missouri that week. (Submitted photos)

Comfy pajamas just the ticket in St. Lawrence School in Monett, MO

Catholic Schools Week celebrated Jan. 27-Feb. 2

FACULTY APPRECIATION & BOWLING—Faculty/Staff Appreciation was celebrated on Feb. 1 of Catholic Schools Week in Guardian Angel Catholic School, Oran. The students, enjoying a dress-down day, and were dis-missed at noon and went bowling at West Park Lanes in Cape Girardeau having been dismissed at noon. Kindergarteners Dylan Levan, Elaina Hahn, Liam LeGrand, and Sadler Mattingly enjoyed their time at the bowling alley. (The Mirror)

Bowling a ‘ball’ in Guardian Angel School

10 The Mirror February 8, 2019DIOCESAN NEWS

Springfield

Bishop Edward M. Rice gath-ered with the Assumption Vietnamese Catholic com-munity in Springfield on

Sun., Feb. 3, for a Mass and festivities surrounding the Lunar New Year. Father Mac T. Tran, CRM, serves as Chaplain and Minister to the Viet-namese at St. Agnes Cathedral Par-ish. Father Tran’s priestly assignment with the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, is possible with the gener-ous permission of the provincial of his religious order, The Very Rever-end John Paul Tai Van Tran, CRM, of the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, in Carthage, MO.

“Every year is a mystery to us as it unfolds. We have no idea what life will be like for the coming year but we know that with God on our side, we can face anything. It calls us to a radical focus and dependence upon God in daily life,” Bp. Rice said in his homily. “In all the various experiences of this world: for those who mourn, for those who hunger, for those who seek God and desire

CONGREGATION OF MARY, QUEEN—Celebrating the Lunar New Year on Feb. 3 with Bp. Edward M. Rice in St. Agnes Cathedral Parish, Springfield, were members of the Congregation of Mary, Queen, of Springfield: Sr. Ann Huong Duong, CMR, Sr. Faustina Tuyet Le, CMR, Sr. Martha Hang Nguyen, CMR, Sr. Ro-saline Tuyen Nguyen, CMR, and Sr. Jacinta Ngan Tran, CMR. (The Mirror)

YEAR OF THE PIG—Celebrating the Lunar New Year on Feb. 3 were Fr. Lewis Hejna, pastor, St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield; Fr. Joseph Stoverink, associate pastor; Bp. Ed-ward M. Rice; Fr. T. Mac Tran, CRM, Chaplain and Minister to Vietnam-ese; and Augustine Trung Nguyen, President of the Vietnamese Catholic Community’s Council. (The Mirror)

Vietnamese Catholic community celebrates

Lunar New Year

holiness and peace, there is this fun-damental reliance upon God. That is good to remember as we enter into a new year.”

St. Paul understood that reli-ance upon God, Bp. Rice reminded those gathered.

“In his letter to the Thessalo-nians St. Paul said, ‘Pray without ceasing,’” Bp. Rice said. “That is good advice. Saint Paul goes on to say that

we should ‘keep what is good’ and ‘refrain from every kind of evil.’”

“If you live such a life, a blame-less life,” Bp. Rice said, “and you will grow in holiness.”

“As you celebrate these first days of the New Year and spend time visiting family, friends, teach-ers, neighbors, and remember your ancestors, remember, too, to be a blessing to those you meet,” Bp. Rice said. ©TM

February 8, 2019 The Mirror 11

Student Council sponsors mitten tree in winter months

WARMS HEARTS LEAD TO WARM HANDS—The Student Council of Immaculate Concep-tion Catholic School, Springfield, recently sponsored a school-wide mitten tree to benefit “Sammy’s Window,” a local organization that provides for the needs of the community’s foster children. Pictured are the student council officers, which endeavor under the guidance of teachers Jenni-fer Nanneman and Jamie Davis. (The Mirror)

CCM Springfield holds 30th annual Jack Frost run

CATHOLIC CAMPUS MINIS-TRY—Despite the cold and snow, the 30th annual Jack Frost 5k run and 2.5k walk drew 150 run-ners in seven age brackets-each for men and women. The men’s brackets included an additional bracket for men ages 70-plus. The overall men’s winner was Todd Jones; the women’s over-all winner was Rosie Laughin. (The Mirror)

100 days of school at SJCA

KINDERGARTEN & FIRST GRADE—Many “tally marks” helped stu-dents in kindergarten and first grade celebrate 100 days of school in St. Joseph Catholic Academy (SJCA), Springfield: 100 stickers on their crowns, 100 Bingo daubers helped mark the number “100,” and at least 100 licks to get to the center of a lollipop. (Submitted photo)

DIOCESAN NEWS

RegistrationName: _______________________________Phone: _____________

Address: ________________________________________________

City: ________________________ State: _____ Zip:_____________

Region: _____ Parish: _____________________________________

Please select an option below and include a check for the amount indicated:(Read carefully)

___ Complete Assembly, $50 if mailed by March 26 (this includes going to the luncheon & Friday all day, including the evening banquet, and Saturday)

___ Complete Assembly, $55 if mailed AFTER March 26 (this includes going to the luncheon & Friday all day, including the evening banquet, and Saturday)

___ Attending Friday-morning/afternoon only, $30 (includes luncheon but NOT the banquet)

___ I am ONLY attending the Mass and Banquet on Friday evening, $30___ I am ONLY attending Saturday morning, $25___ I am a First-Time Attendee to the Spring Assembly

Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) 61st Annual Spring AssemblyAll are welcome! April 26—27, 2019

‘Give us this day our daily

bread’All women of the diocese are cordially invited to join us for

Mass at 5 p.m. onFri., April 26 in

St. Joseph Church,Springfield

Keynote speaker:Bishop-Emeritus John J. Leibrecht

Also, Be our guest at the DCCW

Banquet at the University Plaza HotelSpringfield at 6:30 p.m.

Please make checks payable to DCCW and mail check and completed registration form to: Nancy Slezak, 3660 S. Cox Ave. #1107, Springfield, MO 65807

Deadline for making Hotel Reservations is: March 26. Please call: University Plaza Hotel, 333 John Q. Hammons Pkwy, MO, 65806, (417) 864-7333

$99 room, plus tax includes breakfast (1 or 2 people per room) (3 or 4 people per room the rate is $106). Mention DCCW for these rates.

Cancellation Policy: There are no refunds. However, registration can be transferred to another person.

Immaculate Conception School

Jackson, MO

12 The Mirror February 8, 2019SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

By Tina Sides Jackson, MO

Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Jackson, MO, has a very rich history of serving its sur-rounding community and grow-

ing disciples in faith.“Immaculate Conception is a

fantastic place for children to learn and grow. We have a faculty that is dedicated to form our students in the faith as well as provide a rigor-ous educational program,” said Michele Campbell, principal. “We are committed to innovation, utiliz-ing instructional practices that fit the developmental needs of our students, and integrating technology into our curriculum.”

HistoryImmaculate Conception School

first began under the direction of Ursuline nuns in 1880 to 1913. From 1922 to 1927, a lay teacher taught in a one-room school. The school closed a second time and reopened in 1943 with the School Sisters of Notre Dame in a new school facility serving grades one through nine. By 1970, more space was required and saw the additions of four classrooms and a multipurpose room. Kindergarten was added to the curriculum in 1988. In the fall of 2002, the parish dedicated a new building with more classrooms. The school was severely damaged by

a tornado on May 6, 2003. It rebuilt and opened in its new facility on Aug. 15, 2004. The school presently serves grades Pre-K (3) through eight.

Alumni as facultyWe have six faculty members

that are former students of Immacu-late Conception School: Michele Campbell, principal; Nancy Seyer, 2nd grade teacher; Karen Engelen, 5th grade teacher; Alexis Burnett, Pre-K(4) teacher; Kathy Jansen, Pre-K(3) teacher; Lauren Wikel, 3rd grade teacher.

“I am very honored and proud to be the principal of the elementary school where I attended,” Campbell said. “Immaculate Conception has al-ways been a special place to me, and when I was hired to be the principal, I just felt like I had come home.”

See Spotlight / 13

Pastor: Fr. John Harth Principal: Michele Campbell

February 8, 2019 The Mirror 13SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

“I had such a great experience here at IC that I wanted to come back and be a part of creating that for other children,” Engelen said. “Many things have changed since I was a student, such as the building itself and technology, but the religious ex-periences are as rich and meaningful as they were when I attended.”

ServiceEach year during Christmas, the

school participates in the Toy Drive for both the Jackson Police Depart-ment and Catholic Charities.

“We not only collect gifts for area children, we are a collection hub for all the gifts,” Campbell said. “Grades 6-8 sort the gifts and help get them ready for distribution.”

Other service projects include sponsoring a student who lives in Haiti, canned food drives, and rais-ing funds for local Birthright, the American Heart Association, Hurri-cane Relief, Relay for Life, the annual

Diocesan Development Fund (DDF), and Bishop’s annual Lenten Youth Challenge, which last year built a Tiny House for the homeless in Eden Village, in Springfield.

“One of our most cherished projects is our Veterans Day Celebra-tion,” Campbell said. “We invite veterans from our families in the school and parish to come to Mass and then to a special program. We thank them for their service with a small breakfast, poetry, and music performances.”

ProgrammingThe school boasts a very suc-

cessful FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team under the leadership of math teacher Renee Deken. Judged on the their overall projects, their abilities to work together to solve problems, teams have participated in the state competition for robot design and performance for the past six years.

“We have a strong fine arts program that includes band, music, and art classes,” Campbell said. “We have yearly concerts and an end of

the year talent show.”Two highlights of the year are

the “Trashion (fashion) Show” and the “Art Show.” The Trashion show features the creative works of stu-dents in grades 7-8. Working in small groups, students design wearable art out of nontraditional materials that some might consider trash.

“Our Spring Art Show features work from each student in grades Pre-K-8, said Campbell. “We also have two music concerts each year: a Christmas concert and a spring concert. The music classes are based on the Orff Schuwerk process and the classroom has a complete set of Orff instruments.”

Students explore the elements of music through singing, playing Orff instruments, recorders, and movement. The classroom also has a complete set of authentic West Afri-can instruments from Ghana.

Each spring, Immaculate Con-ception students compete in the Sci-ence Fair at Southeast Missouri State University, in Cape Girardeau, his-torically having numerous winners in most every category, and including one state winner in 2017. Aaron Deken won the Most Outstanding Project and was awarded an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles to the Inter-national Science Fair.

“I received an outstanding education here at Immaculate Conception, and I truly believe we are even better now,” Campbell said. “We have a loving, family environment where the kids from preschool through 8th grades have opportuni-ties to interact.”

Beyond the basics“Our students

have many opportuni-ties to stay active and engaged at IC: We have boys and girls basketball

and volleyball, cheerleading, Stu-dents for Life Club, and Spanish Club,” Campbell said. “We offer Spanish classes for students in grades 3-8. Additionally, we host a yearly archery tournament where our club and other area schools compete.”

To grow its school community, Immaculate Conception school has “School Families.”

“Each School Family is com-prised of a cross-section of our stu-dents from grades pre-k-8,” Campbell said “We attend one Mass per month with our School Family, and we schedule a fun activity with them each quarter.”

A partial list of activities in-cludes making rosaries, a scavenger hunt, creating gifts for local veterans, and picking up trash at Jackson City Park.

“If you are thinking about en-rolling your child in Catholic school, come give us a try!” Campbell said. “We’d love to have you as a member of our school family! I invite any-one who has an interest to call and schedule a tour! ©TM

From Page 12

Pre-K through Eighth 189 students

14 The Mirror February 8, 2019DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING

ChaffeeSt. Ambrose Catholic School in Chaffee, MO, seeks two full-time class-room positions: 1) a full-time seventh/eighth grade classroom teacher (and would also teach fifth-eighth grade ELA, English Language Arts) and 2) a full-time third/fourth grade classroom teacher for the 2019-2020 school year. For questions and inquiries, please call Laura Enderle, principal, at (573) 887-6711 or (573) 318-8753. NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION: St. Ambrose Catholic School is an Equal Op-portunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law in the admission, access to, treatment, and employment in its programs, services, and activities.

JoplinJoplin Area Catholic Schools (St. Mary Catholic School, St. Peter Middle School, and McAuley Catholic High School), Joplin, MO, is looking for a school counselor to serve students K-12; Special Ed certification would be a plus. Catholic preferred. Send letter of interest to Tracey Welch at twelch@jacss.org.

KelsoSt. Augustine Catholic School in Kelso, MO, is seeking a full-time elementary teacher for the 2019-2020 school year. Applicants must be a practicing Catholic and must possess an appropriate certification and hold a bachelor’s degree. Previous teaching experience at the elementary level is preferred. All interested applicants should complete a teaching application found on www.dioscg.org under “Schools/Education” and the “Employment” tab. Applications can be submitted in person, through mail, or Online to Sarah Cato. Physical address: St. Augustine School, 231 S. Messmer St., Kelso, MO 63758. Mail to PO Box 97, Kelso, MO 63758. Email to scato@stakelso.eduk12.net. Questions can be directed to (573) 264-4644, ext 202.

Pierce CitySt. Mary Catholic School in Pierce City, MO, has an opening for a quali-fied kindergarten teacher for the 2019-2020 school year. Interested persons should contact Jason Kramer at (417) 476-2824, or send resume, cover letter, reference letters, copy of certification, and an application to Jason Kramer at St. Mary Catholic School, 202 Front St., Pierce City, MO 65723. An application can be found on the Diocese Website www.dioscg.org, under Ministries/Offices tab, go to the Schools/Education tab. Then download the application from the Employment tab.

SpringfieldSt. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Springfield, MO, is looking for a lower Elementary teacher. Early Childhood Major or Elementary Ed major. Active Catholic preferred.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School is also looking for two middle school teachers. Certification in Communication Arts or Math. Active Catholic preferred. Elementary education major who is strong in either field and willing to pursue Middle School certifications will be considered.

For any of these positions, please submit an application at scspk12.org, select the “About” tab, “Employment Opportunities.” Send any questions or additional information to chall@scspk12.org.

St. Agnes Catholic School in Springfield, MO, is accepting applications for a Preschool teacher. Active Catholic preferred. VIRTUS certifica-tion is required. Please submit an application at scspk12.org, select the “About” tab, “Employment Opportunities.” Send any questions or re-quests for additional information to lpaulsell@scspk12.org

Springfield Catholic High School is seeking applicants for a high school math teacher for the 2019-2020 school year. Applicants must have a current Secondary Teaching certificate with certification to teach 9-12 math. Applicants are preferred to be an active Catholics. Online applica-tions accepted at www.scspk12.org under the “About” tab, “Employment Opportunities.” For more information, please contact Jeanne Skahan, principal, at jskahan@scspk12.org, or call (417) 887-8817, ext 013.

Catholic school positions around the diocese

NDRHS named new Ambassador School by The Cardinal Newman SocietyCape Girardeau

Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau was recent-ly named as one of three national Catholic Honor Roll Schools invited to work more closely with the Cardinal Newman Society in a service and advisory capacity as the first group of

Catholic Education Honor Roll Ambassador Schools.“Congratulations to the administration,

teachers, staff, and student body of Notre Dame Regional High School for being selected in the first group of Catholic Education Honor Roll Am-bassador Schools for the Cardinal Newman Soci-ety,” said Dr. Gene Aug, interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools. “We are all so very proud of the school and all that your community of Faith do to further our Church.”

In addition to Notre Dame, the two other schools are Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee, NH, and St. Joseph Academy in San Marcos, CA.

Each school underwent additional evaluation which included submission of the most recent school accreditation report and phone interviews with key school personnel and board members. All three schools exhibit strengths in the area of Catholic identity, which they have agreed to share with others along with best practices in Catholic education.

Congratulations to our Notre Dame Bulldogs on this well-deserved recognition and distinction. ©TM

MARCH FOR LIFE—Students from Notre Dame Regional High School attended the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, along with Bp. Edward M. Rice. The Cape Girardeau high school was recently named as a Cardinal Newman Society Ambassador School, exhibiting strengths in Catholic identity and capable of sharing its best practices in regard to Catholic education. A Catholic Honor Roll School, Notre Dame is one of three Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. (Submitted photo/The Mirror)

Advertising

St. Joseph School in Lincoln, NE is seeking a LAY PRINCIPAL for the 2019-2020 school year. Candidate will be working closely with a School Sister of Christ the King Vice Principal. Send cover letter, resume, and references to Sr. Mary Cecilia via Email: Sr.Mary-Cecilia@cdolinc.net. Contact Sr. Mary Cecilia with requests for additional information.

Principal sought for Nebraska Catholic school

February 8, 2019 The Mirror 15DIOCESAN NEWS/LETTER TO EDITOR/ADVERTISING

Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral HomeLocally-owned & operated u Dedicated u Caring u Professional

Offices of the Catholic Cemeteries

Paul & Lynn WunderlichTom Smith • Kent Franklin • Maddy DavisBuddy Pilmore • Charlene Harris-Bengsch

Chuck Wooten • Harold Futrell500 E. Walnut - Springfield, MO (417) 862-4433

www.hhlohmeyer.com

It’s time to end the ‘public policy’ of legalized killing of our state’s residentsI’ve been prompted to write after

the recent celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Jan. 21, which was

observed only a few days after the annual pro-life march in Washing-ton, DC.

Dr. King’s actions and message continue to be examples of Catholic Social Justice Pro-life Teaching. He repeatedly emphasized that each per-son is created in the dignity of God’s image; is deserving of respect as a human being; and that all Christians

have the duty and responsibility to promote public policies that reflect these values.

Last December, our diocesan newspaper, The Mirror, published informative coverage of the Dec. 1, 2018, dedication of the Levi

LETTER TO EDITORFrom Our Readers

Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, Inc.Brentwood Chapel • University Chapel

Crematory • Columbarium

Licensed funeral directors of distinction:W. Bruce Howell

1947 E. SeminoleSpringfield MO 65804

(417) 886-9994 • fax (417) 886-9996, gormanscharpf@att.net

Heather K. Howell Robert J. Lohmeyer Angela N. CollinsHarley R. WilliamsAndy D. VowellBarbara A. Hinds

Locally owned and operated for over 50 years

Clint W. MeaseDon R. LohmeyerNichole E. BauerRussell C. AllenAvery A. WeeksDulci M. Lane

Harrington Lynching Memorial Monument in Kansas City. Nicholas Lund-Molfese, Director of Social Min-istry, represented our diocese at this dedication and Bp. James V. John-ston, current bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, proclaimed the Missouri Bishop’s statement on racism in conjunction with the November release of the US bishops’ own pastoral letter speaking out on the issue of racism, “Open Wide our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love.”

Dr. King remembered all too well the shameful history of lynching in our country. He publicly opposed capital punishment, realizing that this horrific practice was used to dehumanize and control people of color by way of a very public and merciless killing of a human person.

Although we no longer lynch people we fear and/or hate on our public squares, we continue to see the modern version of lynching—killing by lethal injection—in our society today. Many of the members of the Missouri General Assembly, as well as lawmakers in other US states (mainly in the South, where most public lynchings took place) have continued to block efforts to enact pro-life laws which would ban the

dehumanizing public policy of the death penalty.

Pope Francis has reaffirmed Church teaching on the dignity of and respect for every human life by his recent clarification that capital punishment is always inadmissible; that under no circumstances should the government of any country or state execute any person.

Now is the time for serious dia-logue with the members of the 100th Missouri General Assembly whom we have elected to serve as representa-tives of our interests and values. Why do so many still support the “public policy” of the legal killing of our own state residents?

Donna WalmsleySpringfield

Letters to the Editor may be sent to Editor, The Mirror, 601 S. Jefferson Ave., Springfield, MO 65806-3143, or via Email, leidson@dioscg.org. Letters will be verified so please provide your name, daytime phone number, or Email address. Preference is given to letters that are direct, concise, and no longer than 250 words. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor and subject to editing. Readers’ letters are limited to one per person in a 60-day period. u

Hoopsters & cheerleaders place First

BOYS BASKETBALL—The 8th grade boys basketball team of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School (SVDP), Cape Girardeau, placed First in the Notre Dame Regional High School North/South tournament. The SVDP cheerleaders also placed First. The boys also placed First in the A Team Parochial tournament and finished First place in the Catholic division of the league. Congratula-tions! (The Mirror)

16 The Mirror February 8, 2019CHILD & YOUTH PROTECTION

Any known or suspected abuse or neglect of children or adults should be immediately reported

to the appropriate legal authorities.

To report concerns or suspected abuse by diocesan personnel, also contact:

William Holtmeyer, Jr, MS, NCC, LPC, CEAP Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau

Director, Office of Child and Youth Protection childandyouthprotection@dioscg.org

(417) 866-0841TIPS Online reporting available at http://dioscg.org/

Your local Victim Assistance Corodinator is available to help you or anyone who has been abused or victimized by someone representing the Catholic Church. We will listen to your needs and

support you. We will help you make a formal complaint and arrange a personal meeting with the bishop, or his delegate, if desired. We encourage you to come forward and speak out.

To report abuse, call the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline:Para reportar abuse, llame a la linea directa de Abuso y Negligencia Infantil de Missouri:

1-800-392-3738 or 1-844-CAN-TELLMissouri Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1-800-392-0210

Bishop Edward M. RiceDiocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau

601 S Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806

Copyright © 2014, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washingtohn, DC. All rights reserved.