south texas catholic - july 2015

LIVING THE

JOYOF THE

GOSPEL

WWW.SOUTHTEXASCATHOLIC.COM

JULY 2015

2 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 3

Publisher Most Rev. Wm.

Michael Mulvey, STL DD

Editor Alfredo E. Cárdenas

[email protected]

Theological Consultant Father Joseph Lopez, JCL

Associate Editor Mary E. Cottingham

[email protected]

Administrative Assistant Adel Rivera

[email protected]

Correspondents Rebecca Esparza, Luisa Scolari,

Dayna Mazzei Worchel

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VOL. 50 NO. 7

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Si desea leer nuestros artículos escritos en Inglés en español, visite nuestro sitio web southtexascatholic.com y utilice el traductor de idiomas Google.

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43

INSIDEVIEWPOINTS

VOCATIONS

4

7New SOLT priests will serve in Belize, Mexico

NEWS BRIEFS37

34

Bishop calls for prayer, penance and fasting on Fortnight for Freedom

Marriage: Strengthened, not redefined

NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE12Support still needed for ‘abortion-minded’ women

NATIONAL NEWS

CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Bishops say care for poor must be top concern

Local school named for Blessed Oscar Romero was trailblazer

39

Bishop Michael Mulvey answers a reporter’s

question at a press conference held in St. Joseph Hall of Corpus Christi Cathedral on June 18 on the pope’s new encyclical Laudato Si.

VIDA CATOLICA OUR FAITH31 46Con Permiso encabeza la programación en español de KLUX

Eucharistic prayer is the heart of the Mass

26ON THE

COVERBishop Michael Mulvey bestowed the Evangelii Gaudium award to 65 people from throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi who exhibit the “Joy of the Gospel” in their service to the Church and to

others. Among them was Ethel Dulak, who recently retired as a chancery employee who helped parishes establish stewardship programs..

Alfredo E. Cárdenas, South Texas Catholic


Marriage: Strengthened, not redefinedBishop Michael MulveySouth Texas Catholic

Perhaps one of the most prevalent attacks on marriage and family life in our society today is the attempt at redefining marriage to include the so-called same-

sex “marriage.” In our own country, as well as in many places in the world, intense political pressure from var-ious interest groups has lobbied for enshrining in law alternative definitions of marriage that go against God’s design for husband and wife.

At no time in recent history has it been more important than now to protect the dignity and truth about marriage and the family. In our time, marriage needs to be strengthened, not redefined.

Marriage is a beautiful gift. It is what we call a “natural institution,” that is, we can under-stand it simply by observing what it is: a union of one man and one woman in equal comple-mentarity, in a permanent loving relationship. The profound wonder of this natural struc-ture, which we as people of faith believe to be designed by God, is most especially seen in the sexual complementarity of husband and wife that in its nature brings forth new human life.

So important is this truth that our Lord Jesus Christ chose to elevate the natural institution of marriage to the level of a Sacrament. Between the baptized, marriage–aside from being the basic and most important unit of society–becomes also a true channel of God’s grace, sanctifying the husband and wife and strength-ening them for the important vocation to which he has called them.

Marriage then, is the bedrock of the family and the family, in turn, is the foundation of society. While marriage is indeed an intimate union between a man and a woman, it is a rela-tionship that has profound public importance to society as well.

From families come the future members of society. The family, built on marriage, is a stable school of love in which human persons learn to live in relationship with each other, to be formed in kindness and self-sacrifice, and to learn that love is not just living as one pleases but rather choosing the good of the other in truth.

As history has shown time and again, strong families create strong societies. When the truth about marriage is respected, the common good is served. Contrarily, where it is lost, the society, especially its children, suffer great harm. Pope St. John Paul II profoundly reminded us, “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”

It is important to remember that the truth about marriage is based on nature and cannot be redefined by popular vote, politicians, judges

Most Reverend Michael Mulvey is bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

VIEWPOINTS✝


or even by the Church. Rather, the role of legitimate authority, whether civil or ecclesiastical, is to recognize, strengthen and, most importantly, protect the reality about marriage.

For this reason, any attempt to redefine marriage as being something other than a permanent relationship between one man and one woman is an attack on the very foundation of society. It dangerously shifts the real-ity of marriage from one of natural sexual complementarity to simply a relationship based on the desire of “consenting adults.”

Redefining marriage in law to include also same-sex couples changes marriage itself and violates its true nature and meaning. It teaches that maleness and femaleness are some-how inconsequential to marriage and can be interchangeable. This simply is not marriage and it affects all in

society.The Church’s defense of marriage

is not based on bigotry or unjust discrimination. When then-Car-dinal Jorge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) and the Argentine bishops were accused of bigotry for defend-ing the nature of marriage as being between one man and one woman, they responded, “the recognition of a real difference is not discrimina-tion…nature does not discriminate when it makes us a man or a woman. Our Civil Code does not discriminate when it demands the requirement of being a man and a woman to contract marriage; it only recognizes a natural reality.”

Our Catholic faith teaches us that all persons are created by God and have an inviolable dignity worthy of respect and love. There is no room for unjust discrimination of any

person, including those who experience same-sex attraction.

Vitally important is our pas-toral outreach to these persons and their families so that they too can embrace the love of God and the truth of the Gospel. In fact, it is from our love for society and for all persons in it, including those with same-sex attractions and their families that we seek to uphold in charity and compassion the truth about marriage.

Regardless of any decision by the state or national legislators, or by the Supreme Court, the truth about the dignity of the human person, about man and woman, and about marriage and the family will always remain. Let us not be afraid to talk about it. Let us strengthen it. Let us, with the greatest charity and compassion, bear witness to it.

Headlines from southtexascatholic.com

• St. Anthony CCD class receives first Communion

• St. Joseph in Alice celebrates Baccalaureate Mass

• Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrates Baccalaureate Mass

• Alice Deanery honors High School Class of 2015

• Msgr. Celestine Murray celebrates 60 years as a priest

• Bishop calls for prayer, penance and fasting on Fortnight for Freedom

• Youth ministers take on priests in 3-on-3-basketball challenge

• Gwozdz elected President of the Federation of Pueri Cantores

• Knights of Columbus in Rockport award $1,000 scholarships to graduates

• Saint Leo University awards degrees in Corpus Christi

• Graduation Ceremony held at Most Precious Blood for BGMP School

• IWA President and CEO leaves to join Cristo Rey Tampa High School

✝ Bookmark our Web site to keep up to date on all the happenings in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

✝ VIEW

POIN

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Father Joseph Lopez, JCL, is Vocations Director for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

St. Monica: Patient in prayer and quick on her feetFather Joseph Lopez, JCLContributor

St. Monica is known the world over for her patience and persistence in prayer for the conversion of her son, Augustine. That—along with the graceful way

she endured the abuse of her pagan husband—is why she is the patron saint of patience.

But Monica was also quick to speak her mind and to take action.

Once, Monica had a vision, causing her to confront Augustine. A figure told her, “Your son is with you.” Monica told Augustine about the vision, and his response was that they could easily be together, just as soon as she gave up her faith. Her quick-witted response: “He did not say I was with you, he said that you were with me.”

Augustine never forgot those words, though he still was not baptized for another nine years following the conversation.

Even Monica’s local bishop, who counseled her to patiently continue her fasting, praying and weeping, finally relented, saying, “Go now, I beg you; it

is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish.”

So she followed her son across the Mediterranean and back, and everyone knows the ending to the story—Augus-

tine was baptized, ordained and canonized, and remains one of the great theologians in all of Church history.

Because of the patience of St. Monica, we have been blessed with one of the greatest bish-ops and theologians of the Church, St. Augustine.

As Monica reached the end of her life, she said to Augustine,

“I do not know what there is left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled. All I wished for was that I might see you a Catholic and a child

of heaven. God granted me even more than this in making you despise earthly felicity and consecrate yourself to his service.”

Monica had her priorities in order. Of course, she prayed without ceasing. But she knew when to

take action. Make prayer a priority, but like Monica, never be afraid to take action when helping young men and women hear God’s call.

(Excerpts from St. Monica’s life taken from “Lives of Saints”, published by John J. Crawley & Co., Inc.)

❝He did not say I was

with you, he said that

you were with me.❞~St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine of Hippo

✝ VOCATIONS

6 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | JUNE 2015


Bishop Michael Mulvey ordained two SOLT deacons to the priesthood. From left, are SOLT priests Beau Schweitzer and Jeremy Davis.

Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic

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New SOLT priests will serve in Belize, MexicoMary CottinghamSouth Texas Catholic

Bishop Michael Mulvey ordained two priests from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity on June 6 in Corpus Christi Cathedral. The new priests are, Father Jeremy Davis,

SOLT and Father Beau Schweitzer, SOLT.“Your attitude must be that of Christ. Never let people

put you on a pedestal, a pedestal of pride. Never think that you are indispensable. We are servants, not saviors. There is a time for business, prayer and meditation and there is

a time for rest,” Bishop Mulvey told the new priests.In his homily, Bishop Mulvey said he could hear the joy

and excitement in people gathering for the ordination. “I would like to focus that joy and excitement in Jesus


To see more photos of this event go to:SouthTexasCatholic.com

SERVING THE CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI

CatholicSouth Texas

www.SouthTexasCatholic.com/news/ordination

Above, Bishop Mulvey anoints the hands of Father Beau Schweitzer, SOLT with holy oil. At right, Bishop Mulvey lays hands on Father Jeremy Davis, SOLT.


✝ VOCATIONS

Christ. We are reminded by St. Thomas Aquinas that Jesus is the true priest. Your priesthood is to share in his life mission, salvation and redemp-tion. Give yourself to him as a priest through the covenant. Seek his mind, heart and words,” the bishop said.

The SOLT order was founded in 1958 by Father James Flanagan in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, N.M. Currently, they have missions in 12 countries where they serve in areas of deepest apostolic need through eccle-sial family teams.

Father Schweitzer was assigned to the SOLT mission in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize. The mission in Benque

consists of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, including a number of mission churches attached to it, St. John Paul II Junior College and Mount Carmel elementary and high schools.

Father Davis was assigned to Colon, México to serve at the mission of Santa María del Mexicano where the SOLTs run a school for orphaned and

disadvantaged children and a house for the disadvantaged elderly.

“We are very grateful to the Most Holy Trinity and our Blessed Mother Mary for the priestly vocations of these two fine men who are greatly appreciated by the entire commu-nity,” Father Peter Marsalek, General Priest Servant of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, said.

The ordination, said Father Mar-salek, marks not only the end of their formal formation to the priesthood, but even more importantly, the beginning of a new journey to serve the people of God in the ministerial priesthood of Jesus Christ.

“We would like to extend our gratitude as well to his Excellency Bishop Mulvey for his shepherding of our community and his guidance in the formation of Father Beau and Father Jeremy.”

Many members of the SOLT com-munity, friends and family attended the ordination, a culmination of a seven-year formation process.

Father Jeremy Davis, SOLT will serve in Colon, México.

Father Beau Schweitzer, SOLT was assigned to the SOLT mission in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize.


✝ VOCATIONS

Sister Annette Wagner, IWBS is Director of the Office of Consecrated Life for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Celebrating Consecrated Life:

SHARING THE GIFTSister Annette Wagner, IWBSContributor

Historically, within the canonical (legal) struc-ture of the Church, congregations of men were referred to as the “first order.” Congregations of

women were designated as the “second order.” Around the 13th century, the Holy Spirit–as always throughout the events of human history–provided for the needs of the times. A “third order” came into existence.

Throughout the history of consecrated life, each religious congregation has been rec-ognized as offering a unique spiritual gift to enrich the life of the entire Church, the Body of Christ alive in the world today. Traditionally, that gift has been offered by men and women committed to its expression through the vows of poverty, celibate chastity and obedience, and encircled by a community of others living that same dynamic.

The third order offered lay men and women, committed to protecting and participating in the good works of a particular religious congregation, a way to do so without becoming vowed members living within religious communities. So began the continuing move-ment of lay persons “living in the world” while following the ideals and spirit of a particular religious congregation.

Today, especially in North America, that relationship with

vowed members of a religious congregation has taken on a fresh face. Single and married men and women are hearing the call to become “associates” of religious congregations. Enjoying this non-canonical relationship, within their own life situation, they offer the gift of a congregation’s charism to the world.

In some cases, associates assist in the work of the reli-gious congregation; in many other cases, they move into


✝ VOCATIONS

areas of human endeavor beyond the direct reach of the vowed members. Their main focus is to participate in the spiritual gifts of a congregation’s charism so they can share it with those they encounter—in the home, work places, parish and civic communities.

How does this association with reli-gious congregations affect those in this relationship? Here are the words of some Associates themselves.

“When I was first invited I really didn’t have a clue as to what to expect…I find myself being more spir-itual thanks to the people I have met as an associate.”

“Since I was in the convent for 19 happy years, being an associate now continues my connection and associ-ation with the wonderful sisters. We continue to carry on the charism of

the community by bringing Christ to others, to our family and our neighbor-hoods in different ways. This is done through our prayer life, our monthly meetings at the convent when we study different aspects of our Catholic faith from various books and from visits with the sisters. I am grateful to God for having called me to the convent the first time and now to continue his work as an associate.”

“As an associate, I have come to know an amazing group of women of faith. Through their example they have taught me, inspired me, challenged me, led me to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ…”

“When I was first invited to be an…associate, I wondered why me? I have come to realize it is all a part of God’s loving plan for me.”

“Throughout the time of my discern-ment on becoming an associate I didn’t really understand how deep a change it would make in my life…since then the fellowship with the sisters and other associates and the reading/retreats etc. and prayer have helped me to truly understand and recognize what it truly means to bring the Incarnate Word to the people he puts in my path.”

St. Peter advises, “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace (1 Pt 4:10).” In the asso-ciates, consecrated religious have found others who seek to participate in the spiritual treasures of their charisms. Through the associates these special gifts are carried further into a world that so hungers for the Good News of God’s unconditional love.

“Behold, I Make All Things New!”

–Rev. 21:5

Catholic Charismatic Renewal ConferenceOF THE DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI

SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 24, 2015

At St. Patrick Catholic Church3350 SOUTH ALAMEDA STREET, CORPUS CHRISTI , TEXAS 78411

Celebration of Holy MassBishop Michael Mulvey and

Bishop Emeritus Sam Jacobs, Houma-Thibodaux, LA

For more information call CCR at (361) 850-3281

July 25, 2015

Polka Band Schedule:BATTLE DANCE 12– 6 p.m.

RED RAVENS & MAJEKS

Doors open at 11:00 a.m.

admission...$8

Moravian Hall5601 Kostoryz Rd. Corpus Christi, TX

For more information contact Sam Morris at 361-215-9163Sponsored by: Czech Heritage Society of South Texas

Refreshments and meals available for purchase

RAFFLE & Kolaches


✝ VOCATIONS

Sister Isabel struggled leaving her mother, now dedicated to spiritual motherMary CottinghamSouth Texas Catholic

One of the hardest decisions that Sister Isabel López, PCI had to make was to leave her mother and become a

Pax Christi Sister. She felt called to be a Pax Christi Sister when she and a friend went to a mission to visit and pray with the sisters near her home in Veracruz.

Sister Isabel was 24-years-old when she informed her mother of her deci-sion. Her mother cried and asked her not to leave her. She and her mother were very close, so the decision to leave was not an easy one.

“I told God to give me a sign and he made me strong to decide,” Sister Isabel said.

Born in Veracruz, México to Juana and Francisco López, Sister Isabel was the third of four children. When she was a little girl she saw a group of nuns and knew she wanted to be one.

The first few years were hard. She missed her family and every time she went to visit them her mother was very sad.

Sister Isabel went through forma-tion in Queretaro, México, where she received a degree in social work. From Queretaro she was assigned to a mis-sion in Guanajuato, México. Twenty years ago, the mission—which was sit-uated in the mountains—did not offer much in the way of transportation,

so the sisters traveled on horseback or rode on the back of a donkey to evangelize.

She went through her novitiate in Corpus Christi and made First Profes-sion on June 4, 1990 in Corpus Christi. She studied English at Del Mar College and spent her summers in Puerto Rico learning theology.

For six years she was assigned to Front Royal, Virginia, preparing Spanish-speakers to receiving the sac-raments. The following two years she was assigned to Michoacán, México.

She has traveled to Europe with Mother Teresa Santoyo, founder of the Pax Christi Institute, and went on pilgrimages to Greece and Rome.

For the past few years Sister Isabel has been the primary caregiver and companion to Mother Teresa, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s sev-eral years ago.

She and Mother Teresa have become very close. “She is a beautiful person, a peaceful person. She was always

there for us. She gave all her life for us. Mother always told us, ‘to see God in all of us and in all people’,” Sister Isabel said.

“Sister Isabel is devoted to Mother Teresa Santoyo and cares for her 24-hours a day in the Motherhouse,” Mother Maria Elva Reyes, Superior General of the Pax Christi Sisters said.

It was not until 2013, while visiting her family on vacation, that Sister Isa-bel’s mother was finally able to let her go and give her the blessing she had longed for.

Sister Isabel said that her mother gave her a “strong hug” and said, “I pray for you to continue doing what you’re doing.” Her mother passed away a couple of months later.

Sister Isabel will celebrate 25 years of consecrated life at the Pax Christi Chapel on July 19 at 10 a.m. with a Mass and reception.

Sister Isabel López, PCI


Support still needed for ‘abortion-minded’ womenAlfredo E. CárdenasSouth Texas Catholic

Opponents of abortion in the Diocese of Corpus Christi cel-ebrated the first anniversary of the closing of the Coastal Birth Control Center in June. While numbers are hard to

come by, anecdotal data suggests that many babies have been spared from abortion and given the opportunity for a full life.

The number of abortions locally within the last year is not available, but the number of abortions has seen a dramatic drop in recent years. A report by the Associated Press indi-cates that abortions are down 12 percent nationwide since 2010, and in Texas they have fallen 18 percent.

In the area served by the Diocese of Corpus Christi, the drop in abor-tions is twice the state rate and three times the national downturn. In the 12-counties served by the Diocese of Corpus Christi, abortions numbered 1,737 in 2010 and were down to 1,103 in 2013. That is a 36.5 per-cent drop or 634 fewer abortions. This time frame, however, is prior to the closing of the abortion clinic in 2014. Figures for 2014-15 are not yet available.

At the time of the closing of the abortion clinic, Dr. Eduardo Aquino the abortion doctor said he was clos-ing the facility due to state imposed restrictions on abortions. Aquino said at that time his Corpus Christi clinic would require $1.5 million in upgrades to meet state standards. The

precipitous drop in abortions in the area served by his clinic may well have also contributed to his decision.

“The Monday morning after the abortion clinic closed we got a call from someone who had an appoint-ment at the abortion clinic and it was closed. She came in to see us

and ended up keeping her baby,” Jana Pinson, executive director for the Corpus Christi Pregnancy Center, said.

The number of “abortion-minded” clients the Pregnancy Center served the year before the clinic’s closure was 25; the year after the number climbed

Source: Texas Department of State Health Services, 2010-13

County 2010 2013 Percent Change

Aransas 54 29 -46.3%

Bee 44 49 11.4%

Brooks 25 14 -44.0%

Duval 33 24 -27.3%

Jim Wells 101 91 -9.9%

Kenedy 1 3 200.0%

Kleberg 100 63 -37.0%

Live Oak 19 14 -26.3%

McMullen 3 1 -66.7%

Nueces 1,227 740 -39.7%

Refugio 8 5 -37.5%

San Patricio 122 70 -42.6%

Total 1,737 1,103 -36.5%

✝ NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE


County 2010 2013 Percent Change

Aransas 54 29 -46.3%

Bee 44 49 11.4%

Brooks 25 14 -44.0%

Duval 33 24 -27.3%

Jim Wells 101 91 -9.9%

Kenedy 1 3 200.0%

Kleberg 100 63 -37.0%

Live Oak 19 14 -26.3%

McMullen 3 1 -66.7%

Nueces 1,227 740 -39.7%

Refugio 8 5 -37.5%

San Patricio 122 70 -42.6%

Total 1,737 1,103 -36.5%

to 62, a 163 percent increase. Forty of those clients chose not to have an abortion, 13 went ahead with the abortion and nine did not report their status.

Abortion-minded women are those who have made an appointment for an abortion, plan to have an abortion or are being pushed by someone to have an abortion. They would most likely go straight to the abortion clinic, if it were still open, Pinson said.

The year before the clinic’s closure, the Pregnancy Center performed 228 sonograms. Of this number, 19 were sonograms done for abortion-minded clients. The year after the clinic closed the number of sonograms doubled to 447 with 50 of those being for abortion-minded clients. The total number of sonograms increased by 96 percent and the number of sonograms for abortion minded clients shot up 163 percent.

Pinson said that 87-91 percent of the women having a sonogram choose life. “Our goal is to have everyone we work with have a sonogram,” Pinson said.

The sonograms were also helped by bill-boards sponsored by the Corpus Christi Hope

House. On average the pregnancy center gets 40 calls monthly on the “green phone” dedicated to the telephone number on the bill-boards. The first month the billboards went up “four babies were saved,” Pinson said.

“One girl was on her way to San Antonio to get an abortion and saw the ‘billboard girl.’ When she arrived at the abortion clinic she had a horrible experience and came back home,” Pinson said.

The numbers of women going to San Anto-nio or elsewhere to get an abortion are not available. The Texas Department of Health tracks abortions on a two-year delay, so fig-ures may not be available for another two years.

Number of live births were also unavail-able. Local maternity wards did not provide numbers for deliveries during this time period.

The number of newborn adoptions is also unavailable. Many of these adoptions are private adoptions and confidential so the numbers are hard to come by.

Still the anecdotal data and recent trends are compelling.

Ruth Alarcon with the Refuge of Hope

Pregnancy Center staff, from left, Becky Price, chairman of the board; Jerin Garza, receptionist; Patti Babin, board consultant; Esmie Fisher, nurse manager; Kathy Weirich, administrative assistant; Anita Miotti, client services director; and Jana Pinson, executive director.

Contributed photo

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said her agency has also seen an uptick in calls since closing of the clinic. Many of the calls are coming from the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo where clinics have also closed. The first priority is to get abortion-minded clients to get a sonogram.

“We tell them they should find out how far along they are and if the baby is viable,” Alarcon said. “Lots of them are open to a sonogram.”

Kathy Huffmeyer with Birthright also said they have seen an increase in calls. They see about 75-80 clients monthly, which is more than the year before.

“We had one ready to go to San Antonio but decided to have the baby,” Huffmeyer said. “We moved to help her with anything. We get involved in their lives.”

Corpus Christi Hope House also gets involved in the lives of women who decide to keep their babies. They are having a record number of

clients this year, executive director Raymond Reeves said. The organization announced plans to add to their existing facilities. The planned St. Gianna Molla Home will increase their capacity to shelter women, children and babies by 30 percent.

On June 20 pro-life supporters held a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Joseph Church in Corpus Christi to thank God for the closing of the clinic and to remember pro-life activists who did not live to see the clinic closed.

Prayer and spiritual support are part of the care that abortion-minded women need, Pinson said.

“They need to think about this not only physically but emotionally and spiritually,” Pinson said. “They should seek advice from their parish priest.”

For those who do choose abortion, the Pregnancy Center invites them to continue as clients so they can help them with post abor-tion recovery.

Jana Pinson, executive director of Corpus Christi Pregnancy Center

www.diocesecc.org/youthwww.facebook.com/youthministrycc

LEAH DARROW is a speaker who

challenges her international

audiences to live their lives in

accordance with the Gospel of

Jesus Christ. She speaks on

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For more information call the Office of Pastoral Parish Services at

(361) 882-6191

High SchoolSeptember 13

AMERICAN BANK CENTER1901 N. Shoreline Blvd.

Corpus Christi, Tx 78401

Learn more about the Middle School Youth Spectacular in the next edition

of the South Texas Catholic.




Alfredo E. CárdenasSouth Texas Catholic

Msgr. Morgan Rowsome, who served for nearly 20 years as pastor at St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles parish in Corpus Christi,

died in a car accident on May 22. He was laid to rest in his native Ireland.

Msgr. Rowsome was not alone during his last minutes on earth. Two passers-by–one a Protestant pastor–stopped to render aide and prayed the Our Father and other Psalms with Msgr. Rowsome before he was airlifted to University Medical Center in San Antonio where hospital staff pronounced him dead.

“Prayer was with him even at the end of his life,” Bishop Michael Mulvey said.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Msgr. Rowsome, 72, fell asleep, veered off the shoulder on Interstate 37 and struck a guardrail near the town of Campbellton. He was returning home to San Antonio from a visit to Corpus Christi.

After his 2013 retirement, Msgr. Rowsome moved to San Antonio to live with his sister and brother-in-law, Gilbert and Catherine Lopez. In retirement, he volunteered to celebrate Mass at various San Antonio parishes including St. Mark the Evangelist where his funeral services were held on May 26.

May, the month dedicated to the Blessed Mother of Jesus, was an important milestone for Msgr. Row-some, who was born on May 5, 1943, was ordained on May 31, 1970 and departed his earthly live on May 22.

Msgr. Rowsome wrote in a May 1, 2014 column for the South Texas Catholic, that his parents “like most young people of that time, never attended high school, but they had more wisdom than many who had degrees and diplomas…They knew the word of God well and were able to apply the lessons…to everyday life.”

From this loving home he was raised to love and to serve God. As a child he was often affected with rheumatic fever and doctors told him he would never become a priest. After a pilgrim-age to Lourdes he entered the seminary in 1964. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Corpus Christi six years later in St. Peter’s College in Wexford, Ireland.

He crossed the Atlantic that summer and in July 1970 he received his first assignment as associate pastor at

Most Precious Blood parish in Corpus Christi. After a year he was made asso-ciate pastor at St. Pius X parish and a year after that at Christ the King.

His birthday on Cinco de Mayo took on special significance when in October 1976 he was named associate pastor at San Luis Rey parish in the border city of Laredo, then still part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi. After a year at San Luis Rey, Msgr. Row-some was named priest-in-charge of San Martin de Porres where he became the founding pastor two years later when it was elevated to a parish.

He remained at San Martin de Porres 13 years before returning to Corpus Christi in 1993 where he took charge of St. John of the Cross in Orange Grove. The following year, he drove 24 miles up FM 624 to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles where he served until his retirement in 2013.

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI ele-vated Father Morgan to the rank of monsignor, naming him Prelate of Honor. While at St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles he served as Dean of the

In Memoriam

Msgr. Morgan RowsomeMay 5, 1943 – May 22, 2015


❝We will miss his jolly laugh, his beautiful smile, his great humor and his many jokes.❞

–Bishop Michael Mulvey


Five Points Deanery and served as a member of the Presbyteral Council, the Priests’ Personnel Board and the Diocesan Finance Council.

“Msgr. Rowsome was a joyful, caring servant of the Lord and within the fraternity of priests he was a wel-comed brother. Monsignor had a great impact on many lives during his years of priestly ministry in both the Dio-ceses of Corpus Christi and Laredo and was an inspiration to many vocations to the priesthood,” Bishop Mulvey said.

At a Memorial Mass celebrated at the Corpus Christi Cathedral on May 30, Bishop Mulvey said Msgr. Row-some had given 45 years of his life to “dedicated witness and dedicated ser-vice” to Jesus Christ. “Msgr. Morgan lived for Christ,” Bishop Mulvey said.

Bishop Mulvey went on to say that Msgr. Rowsome knew the people his parish served; he was “a good shep-herd.” He shared with his parishioners the “joy” of the sacraments–at the baptismal fount, the first communion rail, at confirmations, weddings and

in inspiring vocations. “We will miss his jolly laugh, his

beautiful smile, his great humor and his many jokes,” Bishop Mulvey said.

After retirement, Msgr. Rowsome published two books. In his first book entitled “Laughing Louder, Living Longer” he shared many of the jokes that had become his trademark at the end of each Mass. In his second book, “Hands Are for Loving, Healing and Helping” he paid tribute to his par-ents and the lessons of love they had instilled in him.

January 9, 2016

Annual Ministry Conference for the whole family & Mini-Youth Spectacular

Learn more in the next edition of the South Texas Catholic. For more information call the Office of Pastoral Parish Services at (361) 882-6191

American Bank CenterFirst Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ray GuarendiDr. Ray Guarendi is a father of 10, clinical psychologist, author, public speaker and radio host. His radio shows “On Call™ with Dr. Ray and Friends” and “The Doctor Is In” can be heard weekdays. Please see our radio affiliate listings (Ave Maria Radio, EWTN radio & Relevant radio) for a station in your area. You can also listen live online or on Sirius satellite radio, channel 160. Dr. Ray’s experience includes school districts, Head Start programs, mental health centers, substance abuse programs, inpatient psychiatric centers, juvenile courts, and a private practice.



New Catholic Daughters regent makes membership growth top priorityAlfredo E. CárdenasSouth Texas Catholic

On Friday, June 12, Eve Treviño of Corpus Christi became the leader of the state’s 16,000-member strong Catholic Daughters of the Americas. The

official “change of power” took place at a state execu-tive committee meeting held at Treviño’s home parish of Most Precious Blood.

Father Bob Dunn, pastor at Most Precious Blood, was also installed as state chaplain for the group. The two will serve for the next two years, when the Catholic Daughters will hold

their centennial state convention in Corpus Christi in 2017.

The Sunday following Treviño’s formal installation, Catholic Daughters from

New Catholic Daughters of the Americas state officers for the next biennium include, from left, State Treasurer Terri Beltran, El Campo; Second Vice-Regent Melodie Brunt, Texarkana; State Chaplain Father Bob Dunn, Corpus Christi; State Regent Eve Treviño, Corpus Christi; First Vice Regent Rosie Stockwell, Edinburg; and State Secretary Rebecca Brown, Angleton.

Mellie Smithwick, for South Texas Catholic



throughout the state attended a Eucharistic celebration at Most Pre-cious Blood in honor of Treviño, which was followed by a reception for the new leadership. Other new state officers include first vice-recent Rosie Stockwell of Edinburg; second vice-regent Melodie Brunt from Tex-arkana; state secretary Becky Brown from Angleton; and state treasurer Terri Beltran of El Campo.

“I am really looking forward to the next two years. I am deeply honored to be elected to lead this wonderful organization,” Treviño said. “I can assure that I will work hard, especially in the area of membership growth.”

Faced with an aging membership, a high priority for Treviño and her lead-ership team is to continue to develop new courts and recruit new members. In this effort they will seek to work with the Knights of Columbus in new court development and they will pro-mote programs centered on the youth and women’s health.

Among activities Treviño plans to use to increase membership are to offer courts incentives for increasing membership; recognize members with the St. Bernadine of Siena Award for Court Development; encourage courts to promote activities that involve the family and the youth; encourage

membership contests; provide support for courts that are struggling; provide thorough instructions and continued support for new courts; provide lead-ership and officer training workshops to develop future leaders; and utilize the media to spread the good works of the organization.

“For the success of the member-ship drive, go to Mass regularly. Make that a priority,” Father Dunn told CDA members gathered at the Msgr. Thompson Hall at Most Pre-cious Blood. “I am going to pray for the success of your drive, because you need young people, we do, we do.”

Father Dunn told the CDA mem-bers that he keeps his appointment letter under the corporal on the altar to remind him to pray for the Catholic Daughters at every Mass.

Treviño said the organization needs to redouble their efforts at organiz-ing Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas courts. A new JCDA court will be installed at St. Paul the

Apostle in Corpus Christi on June 28 and another one in Corsicana on July 26. Three more are “brewing,” Tre-viño said.

The JCDA is for girls six through 18; with the juniorettes for girls 6-11 and juniors 12-18.

There are also seven Catholic Daughters of the Americas Campus Courts in Texas, including Baylor Uni-versity, Incarnate Word University, St. Mary’s University, St. Thomas Univer-sity, Stephen F. Austin University, the University of Texas and the Univer-sity of North Texas. Campus Courts serve as a bridge from junior courts to senior courts. A JCDA can join the Catholic Daughters at age 18.

“These are our future Catholic Daughters,” Treviño said.

Treviño said Texas is the only state that holds a state convention for Junior Catholic Daughters and one is planned for Corpus Christi on June 26-28 with more than 400 girls sched-uled to attend.

Eve Treviño presents Father Bob Dunn with his “book of duties” as state chaplain for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. The duties were more than what Father Dunn was expecting.

Mellie Smithwick for South Texas Catholic

JULY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 19 JULY 2015 | SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 19


Another project, planned for Sept. 19, is the ground-breaking for the group’s seventh Habitat for Humanity home for a needy family. The home will be built in Corpus Christi where their first Habitat for Humanity project took place in 2004 under Treviño’s leadership, who at that time served as state CDA Habitat for Humanity chairman.

John E. Carberry and fellow Knights of Columbus founded the National order of Daughters of Isabella in Utica, New York in 1903 as a charitable, benevolent and patriotic sorority for Catholic ladies. The name was changed to Catholic Daughters of the Americas in 1921. The first Texas court was founded in Austin in 1909. A state CDA organization did not come about until Jan. 25,

1917 with 12 courts represented, including Corpus Christi #246, which was founded on Aug. 23, 1914.

Treviño is the second person from Corpus Christi elected state regent. The first was Alice Van Cleve, elected state regent in 1919; Van Cleve served for only one year as she tragically lost her life in the 1919 hurricane that struck the city.

“The position of state regent is a tremendous responsi-bility but it is a very humbling and very rewarding one. We are doing God’s work and God inspires us, helps us and guides us,” Treviño said.

For more information about the Catholic Daughters of the Americas visit their Web site at texascda.org.

Corpus Christi Council Member Colleen McIntyre, a parishioner at St. Andrew by the Sea, presents Eve Treviño with a congratulatory proclamation from Mayor Nelda Martinez.

Mellie Smithwick for South Texas Catholic

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✝ PARISH LIFE


Hundreds of faithful Catholics filled Broadway, Lipan and other nearby streets on July 17, 1940 waiting for the doors to open at their new Cathe-

dral. It was a clear day with a few clouds in the sky. Minutes before 10 a.m. the bells in the two towers that shot up 97 and 125 feet into the sky began ringing and a large procession of priests led by Bishop Mariano S. Gar-riga, co-adjutor of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, began to make their way into the newly completed sanctuary.

Bishop Emmanuel Ledvina and Archbishop Joseph F. Rummel of New Orleans followed the priestly procession. The bishop blessed the structure and celebrated Mass while Archbishop Rummel delivered the homily. Masses were

held throughout the remainder of the day to accommodate all those who wanted the see the principal church in their diocese to which they had generously contributed.

“Death will, sooner or later, remove you and

Corpus Christi Cathedral continues to serve 75 years after its dedication

Bishop Ledvina and Bishop Garriga broke ground for the new cathedral On March 1, 1939.

Archival photo


✝ PAR

ISH LIFE

me from this earthly scene; but the church buildings will continue to stand serving each succeeding epis-copal administration and generation of people,” Bishop Ledvina said in an informative pamphlet he sent the faithful on March 6, 1938, a year before the diocese broke ground on the new structure. “We aim to build at this time for a future of many, many years.”

Seventy-five years later the cathedral Bishop Ledvina’s episcopal adminis-tration built continues to serve a new generation of Catholics. On July 17, 2015 the Diocese of Corpus Christi will mark the 75th anniversary of its Cathedral.

Bishop Ledvina did not aspire for extravagance. He wanted a practi-cal building, not too costly but built of material that would last to serve future generations and sturdy enough to withstand a hurricane. He projected

the cost to be about $250,000. When completed, the Cathedral–built of 171 tons of reinforced steel and 174 tons of structural steel by 100 per-cent union labor–could withstand 150-mile-per-hour winds. The final cost was $500,000, or $8.4 million in today’s currency.

The Corpus Christi Cathedral was the first church in Texas consecrated as a cathedral and the first cathedral in the world named after the Body of Christ.

It is customary, when a diocese is established the most significant church in the See City is designated as the cathedral. In Corpus Christi that was St. Patrick’s Church. But St. Patrick’s did not meet with the approbation of Bishop Ledvina who bemoaned that his diocese had “the poorest looking cathedral” and that “in the whole of the United States this is the only See City and diocese that

has only a little frame church for its cathedral.” Thanks to Bishop Ledvina’s vision, in time Corpus Christi had the first sanctuary in Texas built to house a cathedral.

The idea for a new cathedral had been around for some time. Bishop Ledvina said that during a visit to Rome, Pope Pius XI had commented the diocese had “a most beauti-ful name” and suggested that the Cathedral be named same as the diocese. Moreover, the bishop said, people–including parishioners and visitors–would often ask, “When will we get a new cathedral?”

Throughout 1938, the bishop con-tinued to appeal for funds to build a new cathedral, as he did not want to go into debt to build it. He insisted on a “pay-as-you-go” approach. The family of John Kenedy had donated the land and architectural plans were complete by July, but contributions

Architectural rendering of proposed Corpus Christ Cathedral.

Archival photo


✝ PARISH LIFE

were slow in coming.“To gratify the vanity of big talkers and

small givers is certainly not our intention,” the bishop wrote.

The need for a new cathedral took on added urgency on Nov. 28, 1938 when St. Patrick’s caught fire and was badly damaged.

Bishop Ledvina continued to keep the people informed with periodic pamphlets that included architectural renderings of the proposed cathedral. Architect C.L. Monnot used his design of the National Shrine of the Little Flower, built in San Antonio in 1931, as the model for the Corpus Christi Cathedral.

On March 1, 1939, Bishop Ledvina and Bishop Garriga broke ground for the new cathedral. Immediately after the blessing and ceremonial shoveling, San Antonio contractor Walsh and Burney moved in his steam shovel and began digging the foundation and basement.

By Christmas most of the structure was up but most of the money was gone. Bishop Ledvina had to go against his ini-tial instincts and borrowed $100,000 and alerted the faithful that another $100,000 would be needed to complete and furnish the inside of the cathedral. He prompted

parishioners to double their Sunday contri-butions so that they could make the annual payment of the cathedral debt.

One year after the groundbreaking, on March 1, 1940, the cathedral cornerstone was blessed. Sealed in the cornerstone was a papyrus document, copies of the Corpus Christi Caller and the Southern Messen-ger, and names of the church committee, local, state and national elected officials. Also placed in a copper box were silver coins of the Holy See, baring the image of Pope Pius XI who had died the year before.

Bishop Garriga announced that the church would be known as Corpus Christi Cathedral in keeping with a sug-gestion made by both Pope Pius XI and his successor Pope Pius XII, with whom the co-adjutor bishop had met the summer before. The St. Patrick name would be kept and given to the next parish that would be established.

On July 17, 1940, the Corpus Christi Cathedral was ready for occupancy. The Spanish mission style architecture stood out on the bluff overlooking Corpus Christi Bay. The church could sit 1,100 worshipers and the choir loft had room for 200. Twen-ty-four crypts were located in the basement for entombment of the diocese’s bishops.

Architect C.L. Monnot used his design of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower in San Antonio, at right, as the model for the Corpus Christi Cathedral. The Corpus Christi Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at left, is modeled after the Corpus Christi Cathedral.


Celebration for laying the cornerstone.

From the Doc McGregor Collection at the Corpus

Christi Museum of Science and History

It would be another 12 years before the loans Bishop Ledvina tried hard to avoid were paid off. On Sept. 19, 1952, after the Cathedral was debt-free, Bishop Garriga presided over the consecration of the Cathedral. Canon Law requires that the “solemnity of a church dedication is observed for eight days,” hence a week after the consecration, on Sept. 25, 1952, Car-dinal Samuel Stritch of Chicago celebrated

the first Pontifical Mass.

(Editor’s note: This is the first part in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Corpus Christi Cathedral. Next month we will look at the interior of the Cathe-dral, which Bishop Ledvina called “a study of the beauties of our Church in the dim religious light, the outlines of symmetry, harmony and regularity.”)

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✝ PARISH LIFE

Cathedral’s new sound system enhances Word of GodMary CottinghamSouth Texas Catholic

When Bishop Michael Mulvey noted, at a recent Mass in Corpus Christi Cathedral, that the Cathedral had a new and improved sound system, the congregation burst into

applause. In the back of the church, ushers acknowledged Willie Mellon’s design of the new sound system with a pat on the back.

“Ushers wanted to shake my hand and told me how great it was. One usher even told me that it was the first time he had heard a word in 70 years,” Mellon said.

From the moment he became rector of Corpus Christi Cathedral two years ago, parishioners have been gently reminding Father Hanh Van Pham they could not hear him. One parishioner even said he didn’t know he gave his homily in Vietnamese.

Father Pham decided to see if something could be done.

After he spoke with Bishop Mulvey, pastor of Corpus Christi Cathedral, he received permission to install a new sound system, but the question remained, how would they pay for it? The diocese could not afford it and Father Pham knew he could not afford it–unless he forked over a year’s salary, so he did the only thing he knew to do. He asked parishioners.

The parishioners’ response was overwhelming. They were desperate to hear the spoken Word of God; some parishioners gave beyond Father Pham’s expectations.

“For many years parishioners have complained that they can’t hear the spoken word,” Jim McCutchon, a cathedral lector who has been a parishioner off and on since he was married there in 1953. “The new sound system overcomes the echoes. I’m very happy.”

“I love it! We can now hear Father Pham’s jokes,” Vicki

Pannone, a cathedral parishioner said.“The new sound system is wonderful, fabulous,” said

cathedral usher Karlene Lewis. “At first it was a little strange to see the speakers, but now we have gotten used to it and the sound is so much better.”

Three months ago Father Pham called Mellon, who had previously installed the sound system at St. Philip The Apostle, where Father Pham had been pastor. Mellon has installed sound systems for Cole Park, the Jazz Festival, the symphony, churches and schools.

Mellon said working at various churches throughout the diocese helped him learn more about reverb, aesthet-ics and placement. Designing a sound system is not just putting speakers up; it is a lot more than that. Mellon is a component level repairman and has five years of calcu-lus under his belt and more than 40 years of experience designing sound systems.

The cathedral sound system was the most challenging job in his life. He started out with a blank piece of paper and by doing some calculations found the reverberations to be “atrocious.”

While testing for tone, he discovered that there was a 5-7 seconds of delay and “it should be two seconds or under and 2.5-4 seconds of delay for music. Reverb is fine for the choir, but it was making the spoken word “totally unintelligible,” he said.

The system is not perfect. The first columns are used for the ambo, so Mellon could not set up speakers for the front pews near the sanctuary. There is some dead space in the first front pews to the far left and far right. He

Father Hanh Van Pham, the rector of Corpus Christi Cathedral


Willie Mellon shows how the speakers had to be raised and tilted toward the people to be more effective.

Mary Cottingham,

South Texas Catholic

could have put speakers on both sides of the second columns, but he said it would look “too gaudy.” Loudspeakers should not be seen, he said.

At age 64, Mellon was quick to point out that he did not do it alone. Andrew Gon-zales was his “point man;” Chuck Ybarra his “muscle man;” and Jaime De La Rosa, who is small and can crawl around in the attic, was his “climber.”

“The speakers on the columns have a variable mount and they were designed to be much lower, but Father Pham thought someone might want to steal them, so we raised the speakers higher and tilted them at an angle toward people. They are stick-ing out, but you can’t see them when you walk in,” Mellon said.

Speakers were also set-up to the left and right of the choir loft, as well as one in the Narthex.

Cathedral music director Lee Gwozdz has heard very positive responses from people regarding the new sound system. “It has been a challenge in the past to hear the intelligibility of speech, as most cathe-drals were built to hear the choir from the choir loft. It’s an excellent system and even enhances the volume of the cantor.”

Parishioners agree.

❝The new sound system is wonderful, fabulous.❞

–Karlene Lewis


Bishop Mulvey presents the Evangelii Guadium award to Dulak for her work with parishes as a diocesan employee.

Photos by Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic


In his exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” Pope Francis said, “A true missionary, who never ceases to be a disciple, knows that Jesus walks

with him, speaks to him, breathes with him, works with him. He senses Jesus alive with him in the midst of the missionary enterprise.” Ethel Dulak knows well the meaning of the Holy Father’s words.

So do the other 65 recipients of the “Evan-gelii Gaudium” recognition bestowed on them by Bishop Michael Mulvey on the solemnity of Corpus Christi. This was the inaugural year for the awards, named for Pope Francis’ “Joy of the Gospel,” which are planned to be an annual observance during the celebration of the titular feast of the diocese.

“The award recognizes and acknowl-edges individuals and couples for their exemplification of Gospel values at their

local parish.” Bishop Mulvey said. Forty parishes in the diocese nominated

individuals or couples-volunteers or paid employees-for the award. Nominees were required to manifest the Word of God in action through service, be both humble and joyful and be in good standing with the Catholic Church.

“I thank you for taking up that chalice of suffering, the chalice of joy, the chalice of following Jesus Christ in respond-ing in your own ministry and life for

✝ PARISH LIFE

Diocese recognizes parishioners living the

‘Joy of the Gospel’

To see more photos of this event go to:SouthTexasCatholic.com


CatholicSouth Texas

www.SouthTexasCatholic.com/news/awards


✝ PARISH LIFE

responding to the Body and Blood of the Lord,” Bishop Mulvey said in his homily at the Mass honoring the recipients.

Dulak was Bishop Mulvey’s nom-inee for her work with parishes as a diocesan employee. “Thank you for the witness that you give in your parish as disciples of Jesus Christ,” Bishop Mulvey told her.

“I feel very humbled. It’s a great honor,” Dulak said. “I believe in parish work; it should be done unceasingly as you pray unceasingly. The church parking lot should be full and the church should be full.”

Dulak, a convert to the faith, came to work with the Diocese of Corpus Christi in January 2008 as the associate director of develop-ment. Her duties primarily involved assisting parishes with implementing

stewardship ministries. During her time with the diocese she assisted some 31 parishes in some manner.

“Pastors who were willing to let parishioners get involved in minis-try were the successful parishes,” she said.

Indeed a number of the recipients of the “Evangelii Gaudium” award were from parishes Dulak helped. Among them was Elda Olvera from Our Lady of Guadalupe in Alice. In 2013, Our Lady of Guadalupe received The International Cath-olic Stewardship Council’s Parish Stewardship Commitment Renewal award.

“Her way of walking with us through the whole process made it easier to prepare parishioners to accept the notion of stewardship,” Father Julian Cabrera of Our Lady of Guadalupe said of Dulak. “She came across as living out the call to evangelize. It was not theory to her, it was living her faith.”

Also recognized were Nick and Laly Cardenas from Our Lady of Victory in Beeville and Dennis and

Carol Mauer from St. George in George West, two other parishes that established successful stewardship programs with Dulak’s assistance.

Father George Johnson, pastor at St. George said Dulak, “played a great role in forming our steward-ship committee. She attended all its meetings, was always there when we needed her, she knew everyone on the committee by name.”

“A true commitment to her faith showed in all her actions,” Father Johnson said.

“In the Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis talks about going out...I saw her do it...when she got sick she didn’t let up until her health kept her from going out,” said Cande De Leon, director of Parish Stewardship for the Diocese of Corpus Christi. “She hurt because she could not do it; she didn’t complain once. It was beautiful. She lived it.”

Dulak was afflicted with cancer but remained engaged in her mis-sion while undergoing therapy. “She was relentless, she was inspiring,” De Leon said. It was not uncommon

Dennis and Carol Mauer, recipients from St. George Parish in George West.

Elda Olvera, recipient from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Alice was instrumental in the parish receiving a national award.


✝ PARISH LIFE

Nick and Laly Cardenas, recipients from Our Lady of Victory Parish in Beeville.

Lupita Gonzalez, a 92 year-old recipient from St. Joseph in Alice was the oldest recipient of the Evangelii Guadium award.

for her to work 50-60 hour weeks. “Not because she had to, because she wanted to.”

“That’s what it takes. She never complained,” De Leon said. “Every parish is unique, she would adapt–there was never a priest that didn’t want her help. We never got a com-plaint from any priest or parishioner. She helped the diocese look good.”

Due to her health, on March 2014 Dulak asked to be transferred to the Office of Life, Justice and Human Dignity and the Office of Family Life as their administrative assistant. “She brought a wealth of experience to the office which helped us a lot,” Deacon Stephen Nolte said. Dulak’s previ-ous stewardship work with parishes doing couples retreats and assisting with prison ministry was a “good fit” for her new assignment. Dulak retired on May 29, 2015, one week before her recognition.

Those recognized included Robert and Lydia Boemker, Christ the King; Debbie Shea, Corpus Christi Cathe-dral; Fern Carter, Holy Cross Church; Miguel and Michelle Aguas, Holy

Family; Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Gomez, Immaculate Conception, Gregory; Patrick Norrell, Most Precious Blood; David Sanchez, Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos, Madre de la Iglesia; Ronnie and Debbie Unter-brink, Our Lady of Consolation; Mary Pena, Our Lady of Good Counsel; Leo and Sylvia Villarreal, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Sarita; Elda Olvera, Our Lady of Guada-lupe, Alice; Carlene Read, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Portland; Gladys Knott, Our Lady of Refuge; Nick and Laly Cardenas, Our Lady of Victory; Gerad and Miriam Winkler, Our Lady Star of the Sea; John and Leola Wal-broehl, Sacred Heart, Mathis; Joe and Patricia Constante, Sacred Heart Mission, Pettus; Marleigh Martinez, Santa Rosa de Lima; Dr. Bill and Minnie Dennis, Ss. Cyril & Metho-dius; Joseph Alexander, St. Andrew by the Sea; Ted and Virginia Hernan-dez, St. Anthony, Robstown; Jerome and Johanna Kalinec, St. Elizabeth of Hungary; Belinda O. Rivera, St. Frances of Rome; Dennis and Carol Maurer, St. George; Steve and Kathryn

Gulding, St. Helena of the True Cross; Veronica Rocha, St. James, Refugio; Terrie and David Silva, St. John of the Cross; James Coburn, St. John the Baptist; Guadalupe “Lupita” Gonzalez, St. Joseph, Alice; Johnny and Ida Padilla, St. Joseph, Beeville; Robert and Gracie Mirabal, St. Joseph, Corpus Christi; Armando and Alma Lopes, St. Joseph Mission, San Jose; Maria P. Munoz, St. Joseph the Worker, Kingsville; Victor Montez, St. Martin of Tours; Jim and Linda West, St. Patrick, Corpus Christi; Deacon Francisco and Debbie Rodriguez, St. Paul the Apostle; Jo Ella Menn, St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles; Delia Garza, St. Philip the Apostle; Robert and Sue Becquet, St. Pius X, Corpus Christi; Abel and Elizabeth Perez, St. Pius X Mission, Sandia; and Alma Salazar, St. Theresa, Premont.


FAITH, LOVEEDUC ATI N

diocesecc.org/schoolfinder361-882-6191

July 20, 2015


Con Permiso encabeza la programación en español de KLUX

✝ VID

A CATÓ

LICA

Luisa ScolariCorresponsal

De sus principios la estación de radio KLUX a presen-tado programas en español. Todavía proporciona dos horas en domingo de programación para fieles

de habla español, con el programa “Con Permiso” como el programa estelar, ya que se a oído por la radio por 30 años.

KLUX surgió como una estación de radio bilingüe, que en un principio tenía segmentos de música en español y en inglés con reflexio-nes de cinco minutos en las dos idiomas. El padre Ángel Villalba, oblato de María Inmacu-lada, y auxiliado por la señora Gloria Romero en la producción, tenía varias capsulas. Una se llamada “Al habla con” en donde se daban breves biografías, se hablaba de temas de actualidad y se interrogaba a personajes para generar reflexión en los radioescuchas.

Otra cápsula se llamaba “Pregunta y contes-taremos” en la que la gente a través de cartas,

hacía llegar sus dudas y preguntas y el padre las respondía de una manera muy simple y amena. Otra cápsula era la de “Hablando de tú a tú” en donde se abordaban temas actua-les de conciencia. Y por ultimo la cápsula de “Con Permiso,” que es la única que perma-nece hasta la actualidad desde 1985 cuando se iniciaban sus trasmisiones.

El Padre Villalba fue una persona muy com-prometida en difundir la palabra de Cristo en español.

En 1996 hubo un cambio muy grande en el Centro de Comunicaciones de la Diócesis

“Con Permiso,” cuenta con la participación de Gloria Romero como productor y conductor del programa, el señor José Luis Sifuentes, la señora Consuelo Martínez y el padre Julian Cabrera, sirven como el equipo de colaboradores.

Luisa Scolari por South Texas Catholic


Si usted o alguien que usted conoce está en necesidad de estos servicios, llame a Stephanie Bonilla, Director de la Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia: (361) 693-6686 (oficina) ó (361) 658-8652 (celular) para asistencia inmediata.

Obispo Michael Mulvey y el personal de la Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia se comprometen a ayudar en el proceso de curación de las víctimas y sobrevivientes de abuso.

Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia

Ayudenos a Prevenir el Abuso Financiero

La Diócesis de Corpus Christi por medio de la recomendación del Concilio Diocesano de Finanzas y el Concilio Presbiteral han llevado su dedicación mas allá para la buena administración y responsabilidad nanciera en nombre de donantes generosos al instituir un “hotline” para reportar el abuso nanciero.

La Diócesis de Corpus Christi ha seleccionado un tercer partido independiente, La Red, para proporcionarle a usted con una manera para reportar anónima y con dencialmente el abuso nanciero e fraude. Los empleados, los parroquianos, los voluntarios, los vendedores, y otros partidos interesados estan impulsados para reportar las preocupaciones que tengan respeto a la conducta de påca ética nanciera dentro de la Diócese de Corpus Christi. Todas las investigaciones serán tradas inmediatamente y discretamente. Personas que llamen tienen el derecho de mantenerse anónimas.

Llamada 1-877-571-9748

✝ VIDA CATOLICA

Programa de Radio en Españolen KLUX 89.5 HD-1

y “Listen Live” en KLUX.orgDomingos a las 7:00 a.m.

con elP. Juan Fernando Gámez

P. José Naúl Ordóñez

de Corpus Christi cuando se cerró el centro de producción de televisión y ningún programa en español sobrevivió en la televisión.

La estación de radio KLUX, in embargo, sigue trasmitiendo por el 89.5 FM siendo la estación de radio más avanzada y mejor equipada de la ciudad. Pero con la variante que ahora sus trasmisiones principalmente son en inglés, que-dando solo un segmento de la programación en español trasmitido el domingo de 6 a 8 a.m.

La programación en español comienza a las seis por la mañana con “Jesús en mi Vida” con la hermana Ruth Reyes. A las 6:30 se reza el rosario en español con Javier Colmenero. A las siete de la mañana empieza el programa “Semillas de Esperanza” con los padres José Naul Ordonez y Juan Fernando Gamez.

Entre la compilación de estos tres segmentos esta el programa “Con Permiso” con el horario de 7:30 a 8 a.m. obteniendo el valoración más alto a través de los años.

El programa “Con Permiso” continúa con la participación de voluntarios siempre con la guía teológica de diferentes sacerdotes. Al inicio con el padre Villalba, después el padre Fernando Sánchez, seguido por el padre Henry Artun-duaga y actualmente el padre Julián Cabrera. El padre Cabrera, director de la oficina ministerio hispano de la diocesis, comenzó a colaborar con el programa este mes de Abril, cuando el padre Artunduaga se regresó a Colombia.

Desde sus inicios, el programa siempre ha seguido los mismos parámetros muy arraigados en las enseñanzas del catolicismo ya que por ser un programa producido por la Diócesis de Corpus Christi tiene un corte educativo reli-gioso que trata de educar sobre la fe católica.

Actualmente estamos brindando una cate-quesis preparatoria para el próximo Encuentro Mundial de la Familia que se llevará a cabo del 22 al 27 de Septiembre en Philadelphia, Romero dijo. El encuentro será precedido por el Papa

El padre Ángel Villalba, oblato de María Inmaculada, fue el pionero locutor español en la diócesis de Corpus Christi.


presenta

“Dia Familiar de Sanación”Octubre 10, 2015

RESERVE LA FECHA | SAVE THE DATE

La Oficina del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Corpus Christi

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Mas informacion in la publicacion de South Texas Catholic de Agosto

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Francisco y “debemos prepararnos para ser tierra fértil para que su palabra florezca en nuestros corazones.”

“La familia que vive la alegría de la fe y la comunica espontáneamente es sal de la tierra y luz del mundo, es levadura para toda la sociedad,” ella dijo.

Actualmente, el programa “Con Permiso,” cuenta con la participación de Romero como productor y conductor del programa, el padre Cabrera, el señor José Luis Sifuentes y la señora Consuelo Martínez sirven como parte de el equipo de colaboradores.

El equipo encabezado por Marty Wind, quien funge como vicepresidente ejecutivo y gerente general del Centro de Telecomunicaciones de la Diócesis y KLUX, cuenta con Richard Luna como director técnico del

equipo.El programa tiene mucha retroalimentación de la gente

que hace muchas preguntas que sirven como guía para el centro de producción que tiene como su misión comu-nicar en español, utilizando los medios electrónicos de comunicación, televisión y radio para este fin.

Padre Juan Fernando Gámez y José Naul Ordóñez son co-anfitrións del programa “Semillas de Esperanza.”

Mary Cottingham por South Texas Catholic


✝ CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Adel RiveraSouth Texas Catholic

Some thought this day would never arrive. Others hoped and some always knew it would. On May 23, the Catholic Church beatified Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez of El Salvador,

who was assassinated in 1980 while celebrating Mass, just a day after pleading and ordering soldiers to stop killing innocent civilians.

“I think it’s awesome that Archbishop Oscar Romero is becoming a saint because he embodied what I think a saint is, he spoke for those who would not have any kind of voice and he never waivered in his faith,” said Mari Valdez, who attended Archbishop Oscar Romero Middle School in Corpus Christi in 1993.

In 1986, a year after becoming a diocesan funded school, Bishop Rene H. Gracida renamed St. Joseph Junior High

School the Archbishop Oscar Romero Junior High. Not every one agreed with this name change; some considered the new name a bit odd. All other Catholic schools had “holy” names, such as Incarnate Word, Holy Family, Christ the King and Ss. Cyril & Methodius. It did not seem right for a Catholic school to be named after an ordinary person; just another priest killed during time of war.

In a prescient moment, Bishop Gracida saw something in this man that related to this school and the commu-nity it served. The small, accredited school was located on Corpus Christi’s Westside, and was considered the “poor kids” school. The students may have come from low-income homes, but they and their parents were good people, rich in heart, who helped their school and community build a strong and proud family atmosphere, much like Archbishop Romero had done in his native El Salvador.

“We, the student council that year, also with our 9th grade class of 1987, were the steering committee with our teachers, that discussed and debated and prayed then finally voted to rename the school Archbishop Oscar Romero,” said Jeannie Leos, student council president that year. Ramos posted her comment in a 2009 Facebook group page where former school students and staff still keep in touch. The page is named “St. Joseph Jr. High School SAINTS A.K.A. Archbishop Oscar Romero.”

“Tessa Marie Perez, Debbie Montez and I wrote a rap song about AOR and the changing of the name, and per-formed it at a surprise presentation for Sr. Barbara Netek at the end of that year,” Leos posted.

Local school named for Blessed Oscar Romero was trailblazer


✝ CATHO

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Archbishop Romero was known as a man who served the marginalized in society. This inspired the school. Ultimately, the school’s new name was accepted and embraced by students and the community alike; as the bishop had anticipated, it was a perfect fit.

Sister Barbara Netek, a sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, who was principal at St. Joseph Junior High School when it was renamed was happy for the name change. She had followed Archbishop Romero closely in the news when the war broke out in El Salvador and considered him to be in likeness with St. Francis and now to Pope Francis.

“They are religious men of justice and unafraid to speak the truth,” Sister Netek said. “They all spoke the Gospel and lived the Gospel, and that is what we taught the kids at Arch-bishop Oscar Romero; you must read the Gospel, speak the Gospel and live the Gospel. Archbishop Romero truly was a model for all people.”

Though the students and staff were proud of their new name, they did not change their mascot—the Saints. Sister Netek recalls students and staff jokingly saying at the time, “our mascot, the little guy with the halo over his head became known to us as Archbishop

Romero. He’s been a saint long before now, in my book.”

Beginning with the 1989-1990 school year, Archbishop Oscar Romero Junior High was thrust into the media spotlight, as it became the first Catholic school in Texas to start year-round classes. It adopted the slogan “The year round

school: where learning never stops.”Soon after the school board’s unan-

imous decision for the junior high’s calendar change, Holy Family Ele-mentary followed its lead. By 1995, 11 of the diocesan schools had moved to a year-round calendar.

In 1991, in response to the Corpus Christi Independent School District restructuring their schools, Arch-bishop Oscar Romero Junior High was granted permission from the Diocesan School Board to become AOR Middle School, serving grades six through eight, with special per-mission to maintain their ninth grade class for that year as well.

The school started a Fair Share Tuition Program in 1986; the first of it’s kind in the diocese. Through this

program there was no “set tuition” but instead each family was privately evaluated to deter-mine what they could contribute through money and service to the school. The Fair Share Tuition

Sister Barbara Netek, IWBS was principal of St. Joseph and Archbishop Oscar Romero Junior High Schools from 1978-1988.

Former ninth grade students from Archbishop Oscar Romero Junior High School prepare to take a field trip to San Antonio in 1987.

Contributed photo


✝ CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Program was designed with the understanding that anyone who wanted a Catholic education was deserving of one.

The school and its community greatly benefited from this program because it committed families to investing in their school. All parents became members of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and their services to help maintain the school ranged from helping in the school library to weekend bingo games or performing electrical work, carpentry or plumbing. It became a community that took care of itself but would not keep to itself.

Each year students reached out to the needy close to home and in places they had never visited. Funds were raised and divided among Catholic Charities, the needy in Mexico and the poor and homeless in the city. In 1986 students also adopted the Casa Oscar Romero in San Benito and all of their collections for food and clothing were sent to the people of the halfway house.

Through all the changes and growing pains, the students and faculty never lost pride in their school and their mission to be “strong Catholic leaders with spiritual global perspec-tives.” Students claimed trophies and recognition in National Junior Honor Society, essay contests, school choir and bas-ketball. On one occasion, they were recognized for saving two elderly men from a burning house behind the school.

“There was this overwhelming push from our teachers to really excel and do our best,” Tessa Marie Perez posted on Facebook.

In 1996, due to diocesan financial constraints, Bishop Gracida approved the new budget changes prepared by the diocesan budget committee to have Archbishop Oscar Romero Middle School merge with Corpus Christi Middle School, retaining the latter’s name. Eventually it morphed with Bishop Garriga Middle School.

In difficult times, Archbishop Romero “guided, defended and protected his flock, remaining loyal to the Gospel, in communion with the church,” Pope Francis said. His minis-try, the pope said, was distinguished for particular attention to the poorest and marginalized. And so did the school named for him in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Those who have Archbishop Romero “as a friend in faith, who invoke him in as protector and intercessor, who admire him, should find in him strength and energy to build the kingdom of God,” and should work for a more equitable and dignified social order, the pope said.(The Catholic News Service contributed to this article.)

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Bishop calls for prayer, penance and fasting on Fortnight for Freedom

Bishop Michael Mulvey called the faithful in the Diocese of Corpus Christi to commit them-selves to prayer and penance for the preservation of religious freedom during Fortnight for Freedom 2015, and on the two Fridays during the fortnight to voluntarily fast and abstain from meat. The bishop opened the Fortnight for Freedom 2015 with a Mass at the Corpus Christi Cathedral on June 22.

The Fortnight for Freedom is an annual observance by the Catho-lic Church in the United States to “celebrate the gift of freedom in

our country.” The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has again called for the annual observance of the Fortnight for Freedom, a period of two weeks, from June 21 to July 4.

Bishop Mulvey encouraged the faithful to take part in prayer ser-vices or adoration of the Blessed Sacrament that their parishes may be holding during the Fortnight for Freedom. He also invited them to attend a presentation on “Reli-gious Liberty & Human Dignity” hosted at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Parish in Corpus Christi on Wednesday, July 1, at 7 p.m.

Diocese sponsors adult faith formation summer camp

The Office of Religious Education of the Diocese of Corpus Christi will hold its 5th Annual St. Paul School of Catechesis Adult Faith Formation Summer Camp July 13-18. The core workshops include, prayer and spirituality, Catholic doctrine, Old and New Testament, evangelization and catechesis, liturgy and the sacraments and Catholic morality.

While the Adult Faith Formation Summer Camp is open to anyone wanting to learn more about their Catholic faith, some might want to achieve commissioning status. The program consists of eight workshops, six core workshops and two electives. Each workshop is 20 hours long.

For more information, email Nellie Serna at [email protected].

Lee Gwozdz elected president of the Federation of Pueri Cantores

The Board of Directors of the American Federation of Pueri Cantores recently announced the election of Lee Gwozdz as its president. He is a longstand-ing leader of AFPC and is the director of sacred music for the Diocese of Corpus Christi and the Cathedral music director.

“I’m really honored that my colleagues chose me to do this. They feel I represent the country in the area of youth choirs in the United States. It’s my goal to have dioceses across the United States be active in Pueri Can-tores,” Gwozdz said.

For more than 40 years of his ministry, Gwozdz has served as

a clinician and conductor for choirs of youth and teens in the Diocese of Corpus Christi and in more than 100 cities around the United States. Nationally known for his expertise and innovative approach with youth choirs, Gwozdz incorporates a relatable manner with meticu-lous musicianship to create a high impact offering of liturgi-cal music, said a news release from the AFPC.

He will be representing the United States at the meetings of the International Federation of Pueri Cantores. The next meet-ing will take place in Krakow, Poland in August.

In the stories “Sister Marian touched the lives of many children and their fam-ilies” and “Sister Patrice has a beautiful, thoughtful and kind spirit” that appeared in the June 2015 issue of the South Texas Catholic, the photos of two sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament were transposed. These are the correct photos of the two sisters with their cor-rect names.

Sister Marian Bradley

Sister Mary Patrice Floyd

Correction:


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Bishops say care for poor must be top concernCarol ZimmermannCatholic News Service

After a presentation about future priorities for the U.S. bishops at their spring general assembly in St. Louis, several bishops stepped up to microphone empha-

sizing that care for the poor has to be a top concern.“Don’t forget the poor,” Car-

dinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washing-ton, urged the bishops. “If we do all these wonderful things, and don’t obviously remember the poor, we’re losing the star

moment of this extraordinary Holy Father.”

He was not the only one to make this point and link it to the words and example of Pope Francis. Several bish-ops found fault with the draft

document outlining the prior-ities and strategic plans for the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops for 2017-2020, saying it did not put enough emphasis on helping those in need.

Some bishops said the draft

Bishops read material during the spring general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in St. Louis.

Lisa Johnston,

St. Louis Review


✝ NATIONAL NEWS

was too similar to previous USCCB priority statements. Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin of Indianapolis said it should reflect the “newness of Francis” and include language stressing a “preference for the marginalized.”

Bishop George L. Thomas of Helena, Montana, also said he was disappointed with the draft and urged fellow bishops to “throw our collective weight” into helping those in need. “There needs to be much greater visibility to the plight of the poor.”

The proposed draft of USCCB’s priorities and plans was presented to the bishops for a vote, and after the animated discussion, they OK’d the draft with a 165-14 vote–and three abstentions–so it could be reworked to incorporate the feedback.

Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seat-tle, USCCB secretary and chairman of the Committee on Priorities and Plans, along with Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans, USCCB secretary-elect, presented the draft document.

The list of USCCB priorities was developed from survey responses from U.S. bishops and the National Advisory

Council, a 48-member group that advises the bishops on various issues.

“This is only the beginning of our work,” Archbishop Sartain said, point-ing out that it involves the input of several bishops’ committees and that the final plan would not take effect until 18 months from now, but it will be voted on by the full body of bishops at the their general assembly in November.

The priorities listed in the draft are:❖ Family and marriage: Urging

Catholics to embrace the sac-rament marriage, providing formation for married couples and youths and reaching out to broken families.

❖ Evangelization: Going out into communities with the message of Gospel and bringing healing to those who have left the church or who do not attend.

❖ Religious freedom: Defending it in the public square, advocating for those who have been persecuted and building a support movement beyond the Catholic community.

❖ Human life and dignity: Reject-ing the “throwaway culture” of abortion and euthanasia and

emphasizing Catholic social teaching.

❖ Vocations and ongoing forma-tion: Helping dioceses develop a culture of vocations by providing ongoing formation and renewed awareness of prayer.

Each priority then has what is described as an “emphasis area” that gives more detailed explanations.

Chicago Archbishop Blase J. Cupich said the bishops should give equal priority to their efforts to reform U.S. immigration policy which has “an enormous impact on family life and marriage” and called it “stunning” that the draft document only used the word advocacy with religious freedom.

Archbishops Sartain and Aymond told reporters in an afternoon news conference that the discussion about changes needed in the draft document did not surprise them.

“Frankly the discussion today was precisely what I was expecting. It was extremely helpful to us,” said Arch-bishop Sartain.

He said revising the draft to “find the direct and precise ways to show the emphasis on the poor that Pope France has brought to us” will be easy to do, noting that several bishops came up to him after the discussion suggest-ing places where this wording could be inserted.

This will not be a change, he said, but “what we intended all along.”

Archbishop Aymond similarly noted that the bishops’ suggestions would be integrated into the list already made, and that for example, caring for the poor would not become a separate priority.

“After a while, if you have priority, after priority, after priority, nothing is a priority,” he said.

Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin of Indianapolis speaks during the spring general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in St. Louis.

Lisa Johnston, St. Louis Review



✝ NATIONAL NEWS

Catholics who have expressed an interest in running for the U.S. presidency include, clockwise, former Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush (subsequently declared his candidacy), New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal, Democratic Vice President Joe Biden, former Montana Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer and New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Not pictured is Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King and New York Republican Rep. Pete King.

Catholic News Service

Historic number of Catholics to seek U.S. presidency in 2016Chaz MuthCatholic News Service

The onetime stigma of being a Catholic for those seeking national office appears to have disappeared in the 2016 presidential elec-tion cycle since a record number of candidates have declared

their candidacy or expressed an interest in running for the highest office in the country.

Twelve Catholics have said they are interested in running, five of whom have already declared their candidacy. Two others are clearly making moves that indicate they will announce a bid soon.

Catholics who have declared their candidacy include former Florida

Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, former Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Pennsylvania Repub-lican Sen. Rick Santorum and former New York Republican Gov. George Pataki.

Catholics who have expressed an

interest in running include, New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, Lou-isiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal, Democratic Vice President Joe Biden, former Montana Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer, New York Dem-ocratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King and New

York Republican Rep. Pete King. Ohio Republican governor John Kasich, who is considering

entering the race, was born and raised Catholic but has since joined the Anglican Church.

Christie and Jindal, who have both said they will announce their intentions later this year, are making the necessary cam-paign trips to Iowa and New Hampshire to be competitive in the early caucuses and primaries.

A Biden candidacy seems unlikely at this point, but he has not ruled it out. Cuomo had been touted as a formidable contender for the Democratic primary before recent troubles in his administration made a bid more difficult. Though Schweitzer and the two Kings have not ruled out a run, it appears unlikely they will launch a campaign.

“There’s never been a (U.S. presidential) election with this

many Catholics running as this year,” Schneck said. “His-torically, there’s been a gradual increase in the number of Catholic candidates for the office, but 2016 is going to be a Catholic year.”

The political landscape has drastically changed since the U.S. Constitution was ratified 228 years ago and Catholics have assimilated in all aspects of American society. There was a time in the United States when a Catholic candidate for national office had a slim to no chance of winning the election based on his or her religion.

“What we started to see, beginning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are Catholic enclaves beginning to elect Catholics locally,” Schneck said. “So places like Boston and New York and so forth, where there were large Catholic pop-ulations concentrated, we started to see Catholic politicians gradually begin to move into the mainstream.”

The first U.S. Catholic presidential candidate was Demo-cratic New York Gov. Al Smith in 1928, and from historical perspective, the country was poised to elect a Democrat following eight years of Republican administrations.

“By all accounts, Smith lost because he was a Catholic,” Schneck said. “Smith was unable in a sense to cross denom-inational lines with political appeal. That continued up until the 1960s, and John Kennedy experienced tremendous back-lash against his Catholic faith in the 1960 campaign.”

President John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic to be elected. No other Catholic has won the presidency since.

“Kennedy in a sense also broke through, and so after Kennedy, somehow the drag of being Catholic that used to be on national candidates was no longer there,” Schneck said. “After Kennedy, a slew of Catholic candidates for the national stage started to step up.”

Catholic scholars often agree that the Kennedy presidency helped reduce Catholic discrimination nationally, allowing them to take a more active role in all aspects of American life.

Catholic social teaching may have induced the dissolution of the stronghold the Democrats once had with Catholic voters and politicians, Gray said.

“There are some teachings of the church that align with either party platform,” he said. “The church fits in neither party, therefore it is easy to be a Catholic Democrat or Cath-olic Republican.”

A call to service in Catholic social teaching also may have inspired such a large field of Catholic presidential candidates in this election cycle, Schneck said.

Catholics who have declared their candidacy for the U.S. presidency include, clockwise, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, former Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, and former New York Republican Gov. George Pataki.

Catholic News Service


✝ NATIONAL NEWS


Climate encyclical sends strong moral message to the worldBarbara J. Fraser | Alfredo E. CardenasCatholic News Service | South Texas Catholic

Pope Francis’ encyclical on ecology and climate sent a strong moral message–a message that could make some readers

uncomfortable, some observers say.“The pope wisely speaks of ‘inte-

gral ecology’, which links the care for others with care for God’s cre-ation,” Bishop Michael Mulvey of Corpus Christi said.

“Integral ecology involves two things: human ecology–protect-ing human life from conception to natural death and natural ecology–caring for the gifts of God’s creation

because it is the place where his family dwells.”

The encyclical, published June 18, is titled “Laudato Si: On the Care of Our Common Home,” which trans-lates “praised be,” the first words of St. Francis’ “Canticle of the Creatures.”

The encyclical is not a theologi-cal treatise or a technical document about environmental issues, but a pastoral call to change the way people

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Bishop Michael Mulvey holds press conference to discuss Pope Francis’ encyclical letter “Laudato Si, On Care of Our Common Home.” Ben Nguyen, canonical counsel and theological advisor to the bishop, provided reporters with background information on the encyclical.



use the planet’s resources so they are sufficient not only for current needs, but for future generations, observers say.

“It is important to note that the pope in this encyclical letter is speaking in his role as pastor of the universal Church, offering moral guidance and teaching” Bishop Mulvey said. “He is not making policy proposals but rather giving us well-grounded principles to be kept in mind as we work together in caring for each other and being good stewards of God’s creation.”

The pontiff probably foreshad-owed the encyclical during his first public Mass as pope on March 19, 2013, when he said in his homily, “Let us be protectors of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment.”

Although the document was published in the wake of a sem-inar on climate change in April at the Vatican, it is not limited to that issue and focuses on the rela-tionship between people and their environment.

A month after the encyclical’s publication, global representa-tives will meet at a conference on financing for development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In Sep-tember, the pope will address the United Nations at a session that is likely to see the approval of a new set of global development objectives, the Sustainable Devel-opment Goals, which include environmental criteria.

And in December, negotiators and world leaders will converge on Paris to finish hammering out

a treaty aimed at reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.

Some politicians have already questioned the pope’s credentials for wading into the issue of cli-mate change, but that is only one of several environmental prob-lems the pope addresses, Bishop Mulvey said.

Every pope, since Blessed Paul VI, has written and spoken on the Church’s teaching on ecology. Pope Francis has on a number of occasions in his brief papacy spoken on this issue on such topics as integral ecology, care of creation, climate change, the throw away culture and a call to build a culture of solidarity and encounter.

“It is my hope that this encyclical letter…can help us to acknowl-edge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face,” Pope Francis wrote in Laudato Si. “I urgently appeal, then for a new dialogue about how we are shap-ing the future of our planet.”

The Holy Father calls for an “honest debate” among experts at the same time respecting different views. He strongly urges to avoid extreme views, from either side of the climate change debate.

But, he said, “We need only to take a frank look at the facts to see that our common home is fall-ing into serious disrepair.”

“Each of us will be challenged as we read this and reflect on it,” Bishop Mulvey said, adding it is a very comprehensive document, touching many aspects of life. “This is not a letter to be read and set aside, it needs to be read and reread.”

✝ VATICAN

Laudato Si’,” the title Pope Fran-cis chose for his

encyclical on the environ-ment, comes from a hymn of praise by St. Francis of Assisi that emphasizes being in harmony with God, with other creatures and with other human beings, said the head of the Franciscan order.

Sitting under towering trees, surrounded by potted flowers and herbs in the garden of the Franciscan headquarters in Rome, Father Michael Perry, an American priest who is minister general of the Order of Friars Minor, sang the medieval Italian words “lau-dato si’” (praised be you) and recited the English translation of St. Francis’ “Canticle of the Creatures.”

The hymn praises God and the reflection of God’s glory in “Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon,” “Brother Fire” and “Sister Water,” and “our sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.”

The canticle is incomplete, though, without St. Francis’ praise of human beings “who give pardon,” bear infirmity and live in

“

Franciscan: Encyclical title affirms all creatures have common creatorCindy WoodenCatholic News Service

✝ VATICAN

U.S. Franciscan Father Michael Perry, minister general of the Order of Friars Minor.

Paul Haring, Catholic news Service

Franciscan: Encyclical title affirms all creatures have common creator

peace, Father Perry said. Also essential is St. Francis’ embrace of “Sister Bodily Death” as the portal to eternal life.

As airplanes flew overhead, birds chirped, butterflies flitted around the garden and the occasional ambulance siren sounded, the Franciscan minister general said St. Francis of Assisi, over the course of his life, came to recognize that “God was present everywhere and in everything.”

Once a person recognizes the “divine dignity” of every created being, Father Perry said, he or she recognizes a responsibility to “give glory to God by respecting and caring and promoting a sense of ‘being in this together,’ that life is one and each of us brings a special contribution.”

The interconnectedness of all crea-tures should help people to recognize that when they hoard riches and resources, they are harming their own brothers and sisters, especially the poor, he said.

St. Francis’ canticle “is not just a flowery song about how we should live with nature. It is challenging us to revise our entire way of living our lives” in accordance with Gospel

values, he said. “If someone is starv-ing somewhere in the world, we are responsible.”

The canticle is a call for people to rec-ognize that they are sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters to one another, he said, “part of one family that embraces all creation: trees, sun, rivers, wind, fire–all of these because they all give glory to God.”

While St. Francis’ praise of Brother Sun and Sister Moon has been roman-ticized in many ways, Father Perry said, the obligations it carries are very real-istic and concrete: to defend human dignity, especially the dignity of the poor; to promote dialogue and recon-ciliation to end war; to safeguard the earth and all living creatures; and to learn to live with just what one needs, not all that one wants.

By praising nature’s harmony with God, St. Francis’ canticle helps people understand what kinds of relation-ships they must have in order to live in peace and to give glory to God, he said. Stories about St. Francis, such as the one about him taming a wolf who was attacking the people of Gubbio, could really be stories about how “the population was really terrorizing itself” with family feuds, neighbors fighting and towns battling each other for control of territory and wealth, the Franciscan said.

As with the people of 13th-century Gubbio, so today with climate change and drought and more violent storms, Father Perry said, “Nature is barking, nature is chasing after us, telling us

we have got to wake up. It’s disturb-ing us; it is not disturbing in order to threaten our lives. It is telling us we are already a threat to ourselves. We’re a threat to the world. Nature is telling us, ‘Step back from the brink before it’s too late.’”

In the work of St. John Paul II, retired Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, he said, the Catholic Church presents a vision of “human ecology, social ecology and the natural ecology.”

Focusing on just one, Father Perry said, “can lead us to misrepresent what God wants.”

While the Judeo-Christian tradition says God chose to have a special rela-tionship with human beings, it does not mean human beings have a right to exploit and abuse other creatures or the natural environment, he said.

“What happens in exploitation with-out limitation is that not only is nature stripped of its dignity, which God gave it–we cannot deny that–but we are pro-gressively stripped of our own dignity” as those called to care for creation, he said.

The point is not “to shame” those who are destroying the earth or to dis-agree with the majority of scientists who say global warming is real and is a threat, Father Perry said. Rather, like St. Francis in warring Italian towns or in the midst of the Crusades, “Pope Francis is trying to be the bearer of that white flag” to promote dialogue and help everyone reclaim their dig-nity as God’s children called to care for creation.



The eucharistic prayer is the very heart of the Mass, the center

and summit of the entire celebration.

In the eucharistic prayer the Last Supper is recounted; the mystery of Christ’s passion, saving death, resurrection and ascension is recalled; the memorial sacrifice of his body and blood is offered to the Father; and the Holy Spirit is invoked to sanctify the gifts and transform those who partake of them into the body of Christ, uniting them with the whole Church of God, living and dead, into one com-munion of love, service and praise to the glory of the Father.

Dialogue/prefaceThe dialogue establishes–at the outset–that

the eucharistic prayer is prayed in the person of Christ the Lord, who is with the Church, and in the name of the gathered congregation and indeed of the whole Church in heaven and on earth.

All of us are invited to lift up our hearts: that is, to raise and place in God’s presence our entire being, thoughts, memories, emotions and expectations, in grateful attention and anticipa-tion. Lifting up our hearts means transcending the present difficulties and joining the heavenly liturgy, where all our troubles will vanish.

Sanctus acclamationSanctus is the Latin word for “holy.”

Knowing where the parts of the “holy” come from in Scripture help us reflect on what is going on during that moment.

The phrase “Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory” relate the worship of God in heaven (Is 6:3; Rv 4:8). The phrase “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna to God in the highest” relates to the worship of God on earth–Jesus the Son of God entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, where he celebrated the Last Supper, was crucified, died and rose again from the dead (Mk 11:9-10).

Here we are on earth joining the worship of God in heaven and celebrating that he has chosen to become one of us. This is a song of great praise to God, both for what he has done and is about to do during Mass.

KneelingAt the end of the “Holy, Holy” we kneel. The

posture of kneeling during prayer communi-cates adoration, something that is given to God alone; repentance for anything that we allow to take our focus off God; and submission to the will of God.

EpiclesisEpiclesis is a Greek word that means to

“invoke upon.” The priest as the person of Christ asks God the father to send his Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord.

There is a second part to the epiclesis that invokes the Spirit again, asking that all who share in the body and blood of Christ may be

✝ OUR FAITH

Sister Guadalupe Maria Cervantes, PCIis a member of the Pax Christi Institute.

Eucharistic prayer is the heart of the MassSister Guadalupe Maria Cervantes, PCIContributor


brought together in unity to themselves become one body, one spirit in Christ. We should not let the richness of this action pass us by–that by receiving the body and blood of Christ we become part of the one body of Christ.

Institution narrative and consecrationThe consecration is the moment when the bread and

wine become the body and blood of Christ. The priest takes the bread into his hands, repeats what Jesus did and said: “This is my body which is given for you.” The priest, after the elevation of the bread, places it back on the altar and genuflects in adoration of the Lord now present in the sacred species.

He then takes the cup and says the words of institution, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Then he elevates the chalice, and sets it down on the altar and genuflects in adoration.

How should we, the congregation, respond to this great-est miracle that is taking place before our very eyes? We should acknowledge the Lord’s presence at that sacred moment and when the host is raised, we should contem-plate the Lord and then make a simple act of faith silently, in imitation of St. Thomas, “My Lord and My God!”

We will notice the priest genuflecting after he lifts up both the bread and wine. This is our signal to bow sol-emnly in act of adoration to our Lord who is now entirely present in each of the species and in each of their parts. Christ is thus really and mysteriously made present.

We carry out this command of the Lord by celebrating the memorial of his sacrifice. In so doing, we offer to the Father what he has himself given us: the gifts of his creation, bread and wine, which have become the body and blood of Christ.

Memorial acclamation The offering of the bread and wine that become the

body and blood of Christ during the eucharistic prayer is a presentation of the one sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. By our participation we share in this sacrifice, which is not a “new” sacrifice but a sacrifice that Christ performed when he was both the priest and victim.

The memorial is a part of the eucharistic prayer that recalls to God the father the sacrifice of his son, Jesus, who has ransomed us, and his love for the Son and his love for us.

The mystery of faithThis acclamation proclaims belief in the resurrec-

tion of the Lord whose death we have just mystically witnessed. We acknowledged the reality of his death, but we also proclaimed our faith that he is alive and that he will come again.

IntercessionsThe Mass is celebrated in union with the whole Church,

all who have lived and died in Christ, both in heaven and on earth. There are two places at which the priest stops and allows us to silently include the names of those we wish to pray for personally. The first time occurs before the consecration and is for those who are living whom we wish to pray for. The second time occurs after the consecration and is for those have died whom we wish to remember in prayer.

DoxologyA doxology is a Greek word that means “a word of

praise.” In the Mass the doxology–usually sung by the priest–concludes the eucharistic prayer. The words, famil-iar to all of us are, “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, forever and ever. Amen.”

If we reflect upon our great need for a savior and what a great savior we have in Jesus who is now present in the bread and wine, we cannot help but be joyous and thankful as we sing our “amen” as a confirmation of all that the priest has proclaimed on our behalf.

✝ O

UR

FAITH

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Paul addresses his “Letter to Titus” to a co-worker. In the New Testament, there is only one letter to Titus who is charged with developing the Church

on the island of Crete, an island where Paul had never ministered. Titus’ ministry, then, is to a large extent, independent of that of Paul, although, of course, both are based on Scripture and Church teaching.

After addressing Titus in a long greeting, Paul begins to discuss his purpose in leaving Titus in charge in Crete. He says that Titus is to: “…set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town as I directed you on condition that a man be blameless, married only once, with believing children who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious (Ti 1:5-6).”

Paul then goes on to specify the qualities a bishop should have. He must be “blameless but not arrogant, nor irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain.” In contrast to these negative qualities, the bishop should be “hospitable, a lover of goodness, tem-perate, just, holy and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents (Ti 1:7-9).”

Paul goes on to say that these qualities are nec-essary because their opposites are upsetting many people in the very early Church. Nevertheless, where there is public wrongdoing and/or wrong beliefs, Titus must “admonish them sharply so that they may be sound in one faith (Ti 1:13).”

In Chapter 2, Paul then outlines the Christian behavior required of followers of Christ in every class–older men, older women, younger women, younger men, even slaves (Ti 2:1 – 10). The result of trying to live this Christian behavior will be

a transformation of our lives, Paul tells Titus.“For the grace of God has appeared, saving

all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly and devoutly in this age as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior, Jesus Christ (Ti 2:11-13).”

Paul then reminds Titus that Jesus gave him-self for us “to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own (Ti 2:14).”

In Chapter 3, Paul summarizes his earlier teach-ings and places them on a higher level when he says, “But when the kindness and generous love of God, our savior, appeared…not because of any righteous deed we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ, our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life (Ti 3:4-7).”

Paul concludes his letter to Titus with some words of advice, “…let our people too learn to devote themselves to good works, to supply urgent needs so that they may not be unpro-ductive…Greet those who love us in faith, (Ti 3:14-15).”

Paul clarifies for Titus, in a brief but important instruction, how to live the faith in practice.

✝ OUR FAITH

Sister Kathleen McDonagh, IWBS is a member of the order of the Incarnate Word and the Blessed Sacrament.

Paul’s letter to Titus Sister Kathleen McDonagh, IWBSContributor


To see more calendar events go to:SouthTexasCatholic.com

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GIFT & CRAFT BAZAAR

For Bazaar or Vendor Information contact Celia at [email protected] or call (361) 289-7092

✝ JULY CALENDAR

Talk on this year’s ‘Fortnight for Freedom, Freedom to Bear Witness’July 1 from 7-8 p.m. at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church (3210 South Padre Island Drive) in Corpus Christi.

St. Theresa Church presents Christmas in JulyJuly 11-12 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at St. Theresa Church (1302 Lantana St.) in Corpus Christi. Christmas in July is an annual gift and craft bazaar. All are welcome to attend. Vendors needed, limited availability. Contact Celia at [email protected] or call (361) 289-7092.

Baile Ranchero FundraiserJuly 11 from 6-8 p.m. at Ss. Cyril & Methodius (3210 South Padre Island Drive) in Corpus Christi. Dinner will be a combo brisket sandwich for $6. The dance is from 8-11 p.m. Cost is $5 per person. Music by Conjunto Los Primos. For more information contact Minnie Dennis at [email protected] or call (361) 658-4709.

5th Annual St. Paul School of Catechesis Adult Faith Formation Summer CampJuly 13-18 in Corpus Christi Cathedral Classrooms. Registration is $20 and will include meals. Those seeking credit for commissioning through the St. Paul School of

Catechesis must attend all days. Walk-in registrations will be accepted based on availability with a $15 late registration fee. For more information or to download registration form go to:

One Day RetreatJuly 18 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at Pax Christi Liturgical Retreat Center (4601 Calallen Drive) in Corpus Christi. To RSVP and obtain a registration form email Carolyn Pena at [email protected] or call (713) 204-6587.

TOUGH RetreatJuly 24-26 from Friday at 6 p.m. until Sunday at 5 p.m. at Pax Christi Liturgical Retreat Center (4601 Calallen Drive) in Corpus Christi. For $50 youth receive food, lodging, prayer, reconciliation, adoration, Mass, fellowship and the opportunity to reflect on God’s holiness for each one of us. No cell phones allowed. For more information and to register go to www.diocesecc.org/youth or call (361) 882-6191.

Our Lady of Consolation 6th Annual Rummage SaleJuly 25 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at Vattmann Hall (from Kingsville approximately 12 miles south on Highway 77, then travel five miles east on FM 628). The Women’s Club is accepting clean, unbroken, sellable items July 19-24. Community booths for

those wanting to sell their wares are available. It is not too late to request inside rental space with tables or space outside without. For more information call Teresa May at (361) 296-4642.

ExploreExplore will be held at Camp Zephyr from July 27-31. Explore is a summer experience for young men who want to understand their faith better, know themselves better and make new friends from all over the diocese. Explore is for young men who are enrolled in high school or who will be enrolling this fall, as well as recent high school graduates. For more information, call the Office of Vocations at (361) 334-278.

Women’s Ignatian Spiritual Exercises RetreatsJuly 30-Aug. 2 at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center (1200 Lantana). To register visit www.deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext. 321.

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July 2015 Issue

• Yearly Class Retreats

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• Serving those less fortunate

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