More land brings more serenity to Cedarbrake

Transcripción

1 M A Y V O L U M E 3 0, N U M B E R 5 BY ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DIOCESE OF AUSTIN More land brings more serenity to Cedarbrake Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton has grown by 12 acres with the recent purchase of adjacent land that will provide for more quiet space for those seeking a spiritual sanctuary. There is a greater hunger for spirituality throughout the diocese, said Brian Egan, director of the retreat center. We have an obligation to feed that hunger. Beverly Collin, assistant retreat center director, said the additional land secures that space from outside development that would interfere with the serenity needed for retreats. Added to what is already here, it will ensure this remains a beautiful and prayerful place, she said. The land, purchased last fall, includes canyon views and an overlook above Miller Springs. Plans include adding benches at various scenic views. Cedarbrake is beautiful to begin with, Collin said. The existing access along the canyon will provide beautiful backdrops for what is already here. As Egan recently led a visitor BRIAN EGAN, the director of Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton, looks out on the 12 acres that Cedarbrake recently purchased. The land features trails and scenic views and will allow retreatants to experience peace in the quiet of nature. (Photo by Enedelia J. Obregón) on a tour of the land, butter ies uttered around the meadows of wild owers and in the distance was heard the rushing of the water from the springs as it made its way to Leon Creek. He noted that in the winter when the trees drop their leaves, visitors will be able to see into the canyon and glimpse the creek and waterfall. People love the beauty of nature, Egan said. It makes one more aware of God s creation. Three trails are being developed and have been named the Trails of the Good Shepherd and will have benches where people can sit and re ect. The trails contain three distinct paths, he said. The paths Mount Tabor, Santa Cruz and Psalm 23 are in the works to bring retreatants to different parts of the area. Mount Tabor is the mountaintop on which Jesus was trans gured. Santa Cruz means Holy Cross and along that path is a large metal cross with several benches where people can pray and re- ect. The Psalm 23 path was inspired by the verdant meadows on the property (In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me; he restores my soul). Egan said it is important for the faithful to have a quiet place to pray and get away from it all in order to be replenished. In Scripture we see that Jesus often got away by himself to pray for a while, probably staying overnight, Egan said. He said he has found most people like driving 90 minutes to two hours to feel they are leaving behind their daily routines. Cedarbrake is the only diocesan retreat center and it is geographically centered in the middle of the diocese, which ranges from West in the north, Brenham and College Station in the east, Mason to the west and San Marcos to the south and covers 25 counties. It s two hours maximum to drive here from anywhere in the diocese, Egan said. One idea that is being considered for the new land is a hermitage, but so are more lodges for weekend retreats. Whatever is done will be made after prayerful consideration. We ll let the Holy Spirit guide us on how best to use this land, he said. Part of the beauty of the additional property is that it sits behind the present section of Cedarbrake that is developed. This puts it further away from the hustle and bustle of Highway 317, which was a rural roadway when the retreat center See LAND on Page 3 Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, Texas MEDICAL ETHICS Expert in bioethics gives presentation in Corn Hill. Page 3 GRADUATION 2012 Supplement features senior classes from six Catholic high schools. Pages Austin Diocese 6225 Hwy. 290 East Austin, Texas BISHOP S INTERVIEW Bishop discusses his ad limina visit with Pope Benedict XVI. Page 19 ESPAÑOL Legión de María: A Jesús por medio de María Página 30

2 2 THE MISSION OF THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT As the of cial newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin, the CATHOLIC SPIRIT is dedicated to providing information, education and formation for the Catholic community of Central Texas. This mission calls for the newspaper: to provide readers with an understanding of our Catholic faith and traditions; to be a primary source of information on Catholic issues relevant to the community; to be a unifying element for faith communities, both rural and urban, throughout Central Texas; to show respect for and appreciation of all cultural groups and traditions; to emphasize topics af rming the Catholic community and life, while acknowledging the humanity of the community and examining, with courage, topics that challenge and encourage growth in the faith; to carry a commitment to social justice that will support the renewal of the church in Central Texas. 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We reserve the right to edit or withhold all letters. Please to catholic-spirit@austindiocese.org or mail to Editor, Catholic Spirit, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX VOICES CCCTX welcomes The Catholic Guy CATHOLIC SPIRIT CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS held its sixth annual Providing Help, Creating Hope luncheon April 13. The keynote speaker was Lino Rulli, the host of The Catholic Guy on SiriusXM radio. The 2012 recipient of the Sister Helen Brewer Social Justice Award was Mary Saniuk, a parishioner at St. John Neumann Parish in Austin, for her commitment to the Gabriel Project Life Center. The recipients of the 2012 Social Ministry Partner Award are the Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Diocesan Council of Austin and the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, who partnered with CCCTX and other organizations to assist the victims of the Central Texas wild res. Nearly 500 people attended the luncheon. (Photos courtesy Arlen Nydam) Weigel speaks at Pro-Life Gala in Austin HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Subscription rates are $12 for one year. To subscribe, send check payable to Catholic Spirit to CATHOLIC SPIRIT, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX Members of a parish in the Austin Diocese may receive the newspaper for a reduced rate. Contact your parish staff for more information. ADDRESS CHANGES OR DUPLICATE MAILINGS Send all address changes to CATHOLIC SPIRIT, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX Please include your parish s name and city. If receiving duplicate copies of the CATHOLIC SPIRIT, call (512) or catholic-spirit@austindiocese.org. STAFF Publisher: Most Rev. Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin Editor: Shelley Metcalf; (512) , shelley-metcalf@austindiocese.org Assistant Editor: Christian R. González; (512) , christian-gonzalez@austindiocese.org Advertising: Shelley Metcalf; (512) , shelley-metcalf@austindiocese.org Spanish translation: Beatriz Ferrer Welsh Columnists: Barbara Budde, Mary Lou Gibson, Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. and Melinda Rodriguez Correspondents: Jennifer Kodysz, Cristina Lopez, Amy Moraczewski, Enedelia Obregón, Michele Chan Santos, Mary P. Walker and Donna Poston Williams Catholic Spirit subscribes to Catholic News Service (CNS) and is a member of the Catholic Press Association. Copyright 2012 by the Austin Diocese. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any editorial content, photograph, art or design is prohibited without written permission of the publisher CATHOLIC SPIRIT (ISSN ) is published 11 times annually (monthly except one issue in July/August) by the Austin Diocese. Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, publisher, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, TX Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Catholic Spirit, 6225 Hwy. 290 E., Austin, Texas THE THIRD ANNUAL PRO-LIFE BENEFIT GALA was held April 14 and bene tted the diocesan Of ce of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living. George Weigel, a well-known theologian and author of Witness to Hope, a biography on Blessed John Paul II, was the keynote speaker. In the work of defending life, our goal must be to create an America in which every child is welcomed in life as well as protected in law, he said. We must change hearts and minds so that all may know the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. During the gala, Margarita Sanchez, the mother of three young children, was presented the St. Gianna Molla Scholarship to pursue higher education. Approximately 485 people attended the event. (Photos by Shelley Metcalf) EIM workshops in May The Ethics and Integrity in Ministry policies of the Austin Diocese were established in 2002 to educate Catholics on how to help prevent sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. According to the policies, all employees and those volunteers who minister to youth or vulnerable adults in the diocese are required to complete an Application for Ministry, which permits the diocese to run a criminal background check. Additionally, all new applicants are required to attend a three-hour EIM workshop for adults within 60 days of their EIM application submission. Every three years employees and volunteers must attend an EIM refresher course or the three-hour EIM workshop. Upcoming EIM workshops are listed below. Please call the location you would like to attend at the phone number listed so that enough materials are available. For more information regarding the diocesan EIM policies, visit or call (512) Three-hour courses May 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Mary Parish in Lampasas; (512) May 19 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Parish in San Marcos; (512) May 19 from 9 a.m. to noon at St. Joseph Parish in Bryan; (979) May 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Jerome Parish in Waco; (254) May 29 from 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin; (512) May 31 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at St. John Neumann Parish in Austin; (512) Refresher courses May 5 from 10:30 a.m. to noon Holy Trinity Parish at Llano; (325) May 12 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Parish in San Marcos; (512) May 21 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary Parish in Lampasas; (512) May 22 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Austin Parish in Austin; (512) May 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at St. Anthony Parish in Bryan; (979)

3 May 2012 BY MARY P. WALKER SENIOR CORRESPONDENT LAND Continued from Page 1 was opened in 1976 on 32 acres. The new addition brings the total acreage to 44. The new land also sits next to a park owned by the city but managed by the Corps of Engineers. The park includes Miller Springs. So there can be no development behind the newlyacquired land, Egan said. The purchase of the land was made possible through donations to the annual Catholic Services Appeal, which provides diocesan-wide support for social services, pastoral ministries, youth programs, vocations, family life, lay ministry, Catholic education and Christian formation. Egan said the CSA also subsidizes retreats in order to keep them affordable. We have one of the lowest costs for retreats in Texas, CENTRAL TEXAS 3 Bioethics expert urges discussion on end-of-life care Death is part of our lives, and we have to prepare, said Father Tad Pacholczyk, the director of education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center. On March 24, Father Pacholczyk presented Ethical Decision Making and Advanced Planning for End of Life Care to 75 priests, deacons and lay Catholics at Holy Trinity Parish in Corn Hill. The National Catholic Bioethics Center s mission is to defend the Catholic understanding of the dignity of human life regarding heath care and life sciences through research, education, consultation and publication. Before addressing complex end-of-life issues, Father Pacholczyk pointed out that our culture promotes the idea that our lives are our own. When health care decisions are made from that perspective, such things as euthanasia and withholding appropriate care can result. The Catholic understanding is that our lives are gifts from God, and we are stewards of that gift. Reading from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) document, Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, Father Pacholczyk emphasized that We have a duty to preserve our life and to use it for the glory of God, but the duty to preserve life is not absolute, for we may reject life-prolonging procedures that are insuf ciently bene cial or excessively burdensome. Father Pacholczyk explained that complex health problems can make it hard to determine what treatments are insufficiently bene cial or excessively burdensome. Most of us have two con icting fears: the fear that we will not get the health care resources we need, and the fear that too much medical technology will be used without a proportional bene t. When there are questions about the moral course of action for health-related decisions, Father Pacholczyk said, We have a dynamic decision process where every variable counts. This means that such decisions need to be made on a case-bycase basis. God calls us to use good, prudential judgment, and this judgment must encompass ethical principles that respect human life. Our faith teaches us that all people have value and are created in God s image, regardless of age, stage of development, infirmity or mental condition. Father Pacholczyk cautioned that some terminology depersonalizes the sick and injured, which makes it easier to discount their need for care. For example, the term quality of life implies that one can stand in judgment over the totality of another s life. He also expressed concern about referring to those with brain injuries as vegetables or in a vegetative state. Rather he suggests that a more accurate and respectful way is to describe their condition is a low level of responsiveness. In discussing the use of feeding tubes, Father Pacholczyk explained that providing food and water attends to the immediate needs of a person. Just as infants FATHER TAD PACHOLCZYK, the director of education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center, presented Catholic teaching on end-of-life care on March 24 at Holy Trinity Parish in Corn Hill. (Photo by Mary P. Walker) Egan said. Our bishops have always wanted to keep the costs down. The generosity of a Central Texas Catholic family that rst made the center possible, Egan noted. Irene and Judge Arthur O Connor donated the original tract of land for the center in One of their descendants still lives nearby, Egan said. It was Judge O Connor who suggested the name Cedarbrake a time-honored local name for the area to then-bishop Vincent M. Harris. A history of the center includes a note written in the 1850s that referred to the area as a deep ravine in the cedarbrake three miles north of Belton. The area was a notorious hiding place for young men attempting to avoid service in the Confederate Army. The Lodge was the first building constructed and was rst used for youth retreats in The chapel was built in 1981 and the library was added eight years later. In 1991 the rst three guest houses Columbus, St. Gertrude and St. Francis were completed. The Pavilion was built the same year for open-air events and cookouts. Five years later three guest houses were added along with the Irene and Arthur O Connor Conference Center with dining and of ce space. The chaplain s residence and guest house were completed the same year. For information on upcoming retreats at Cedarbrake call (254) or visit (click on Retreat Center ). and young children need help to be fed, those who are weak and vulnerable may need this help in a different way. The rst approximate understanding of a feeding tube is that of a long spoon. A feeding tube can be morally optional when it cannot be expected to prolong life or can cause problems that make it excessively burdensome. Father Pacholczyk used the example of Terri Schiavo to demonstrate an immoral withholding of appropriate, compassionate care through the removal of a feeding tube. Schiavo exhibited a low level of responsiveness, but was not terminally ill. She had received food and nutrition via a feeding tube for years. When her feeding tube was removed, she died 13 days later as a direct result of this action. To avoid situations where others may make heath care decisions on one s behalf that do not respect one s dignity, are not in line with Catholic moral values, or are not in one s best interest, Father Pacholczyk recommended having a trusted surrogate. Living wills and advanced directives can also be useful tools, but they have limitations, he said. Because we cannot predict the future, a living will cannot anticipate all of the possible decisions that may need to be made. Also a person s perspective can change in the midst of treatment, which may not re ect what was documented in a living will. Father Pacholczyk strongly recommended that families openly discuss issues of care among themselves and with their health care providers. Usually better decisions are made if information is shared. Father Pacholczyk reminded the attendees that perhaps the most important responsibility we have toward those whose lives on earth are nearing their end is to help them prepare for a good death. Elements of such a death are making peace with family and friends, making peace with God and receiving the sacrament of the sick, reasonably managing pain, dying in reasonable surroundings, and avoiding unduly burdensome treatments. He suggests that as ministers to the sick we remind family members, who may not practice the faith or may be focused on medical and care issues, to also tend to the spiritual needs of their loved ones who are sick and dying. Regarding pain and suffering that cannot be alleviated, Father Pacholczyk said, Suffering will almost always be part of our demise. When the sick and dying are able to accept their suffering and unite it to the suffering of Christ, he has witnessed a great emotional and spiritual transformation, that makes all the difference. Resources for making ethical decisions regarding health care The National Catholic Bioethics Center s website, has many resources to help answer ethical questions about particular heath care decisions. In addition, they offer a free consultative service for situations where the issues are complex and the moral course of action is not readily apparent from their published resources. Father Pacholczyk also said that a person who is familiar with the church s teachings on end-of-life care can be of great help to the sick, dying, chronically ill and their families. Father Pacholczyk writes a monthly column on bioethics, which beginning this month will be featured in the Catholic Spirit (see Page 22).

4 . 4 CENTRAL TEXAS BY MICHELE CHAN SANTOS CORRESPONDENT For Catholic women who are experiencing fertility problems or who have suffered through pregnancy loss, Sarah s Hope offers fellowship, prayer and support in a confidential environment. Sarah s Hope is a free spiritual support program that meets the first Wednesday of every month at the Vitae Clinic, 1600 W. 38th St., Suite 115, in Austin. Participants begin with a rosary at 6:45 p.m. followed by a meeting from 7 to 9. The group was founded in August 2011 by Jen Crowley, the director of young adults, communications and ministries at St. John Neumann Parish in Austin. At that time, my husband and I had been struggling to conceive for a year, Crowley said. I personally needed a support group of women with whom I could share my cross. She had found a great online community of Catholic women struggling with fertility problems, Crowley said, but there was nothing locally at that time where women facing these issues could meet in person. The co-founder of the group is Dr. Cari Henry, a family medicine physician. Dr. Henry decided to stay home with her children after her second child was born. She develops the curriculum for the support group. Erin Butler facilitates the group. She struggled with infertility for 14 years and is now the mother of two adopted sons. The meetings are con dential. We only share as much as you re comfortable with sharing, Crowley emphasized. You can come and listen or you can talk. Dr. Henry said because of their Catholic faith, many couples choose not to pursue certain medical infertility treatments, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or conceiving via sperm or egg donation, which are prohibited by Catholic teaching. For more information about church teaching on this issue, read Life-Giving Love in the Age of Technology, released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at upload/lifegiving-love-age-technology-2009.pdf. Sarah s Hope also organizes couples retreats (called Sarah s Hope and Abraham s Promise). The most recent one took place in April and another is planned for fall, Crowley said. Past discussions at the women s support group have included nding hope through prayer, nding love through marriage and nding fruitfulness through the Eucharist, Dr. Henry said. Women in the group have a diversity of experiences, from never having conceived, to having suffered miscarriage, to mothers who are experiencing secondary infertility (the struggle to have more than one child). It s common and understandable to experience anger and envy during these struggles, Crowley said. There s a lot of despair, she said. It s important to be able to commiserate with other women who will understand your situation. Learning a friend or relative is pregnant can be dif cult, as can invitations to baby showers. It can be a struggle to be excited for other people, Dr. Henry said. Sarah s Hope is not an of- cial ministry of the diocese, but they do work in collaboration with the diocesan Of ce of Pro-Life and Chaste Living. Marie Seale, the director of the Of- ce of Pro-Life and Chaste Living, is thankful for the service Sarah s Hope provides. Sarah s Hope CATHOLIC SPIRIT Program offers hope for those suffering infertility is providing a much-needed ministry. We re glad that they re here, she said. Sarah s Hope is named for Sarah in the book of Genesis, who gave birth to her son Isaac after many years of barrenness as a result of a divine promise. We exist to give people hope and to walk with them on their journey to fruitfulness, Crowley said. Anyone is invited to be a praying member of Sarah s Hope. You don t have to have struggled to conceive yourself; this part of Sarah s Hope is for people who have a heart for this struggle or who have loved ones who have suffered through it, Crowley said. Time involvement is only remembering the members of our ministry in prayer and adoring the Blessed Sacrament for one hour at a chapel near you during each of our biannual retreats. To learn more about Sarah s Hope either the meetings or becoming a praying member Sarahshopeaustin@gmail.com or contact Jen Crowley at (512) C EDARBRAKE R ETREAT C ENTER N. Hwy. 317, Belton, TX MAILING ADDRESS; P.O. Box 58, Belton, TX To register, please call (254) or us at cedarbrake@austindiocese.org For a full listing of our retreats go to: austindiocese.org/cedarbrakelog Looking Ahead for 2012 July Desert Solitude Pat Stankus August 8th Parish Staff Day August Finding the Sacred in Depression Sharon Highberger Love One Another As I Have Loved You, May 10, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Father Chris Downey, pastor at Holy Family Parish in Copperas Cove, will present this day based on the Lord s command. Father Downey will reflect on this great commandment and challenge us to look within to see how we witness these prophetic words. Mass and quiet time will be part of the day. Cost is $30 and includes lunch. Summer Silent Retreat, June 1-3 Cedarbrake is offering a weekend silent retreat. Spiritual Direction will be available if desired. The retreat begins on Friday evening with a light meal and concludes on Sunday morning with Mass. This is an opportunity to spend some quiet time with the Lord. The cost is $150. All rooms are private. Living Your Strengths; Discovering Your God Given Talents, June What are my strengths? What should I do next? Why do I love some things and avoid others? These are questions we ask ourselves all the time. This retreat will be based on the book, Living Your Strengths. You will identify your strengths and talents and learn ways to use and develop them. Bev Collin will facilitate this retreat. Cost is $170 for a double room and $200 for a private room. Commuter fee is $90. This includes the cost of the book, which is required. Reflections on Psalm 23, July 11 Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want We will examine this very popular Psalm based on several authors reflections as an invitation to trust, hope and believe that the Good Shepherd is with us and will indeed lead us to eternal life. The cost is $30 and includes lunch. Brian Egan will lead this day of reflection.

5 May 2012 BY CRISTINA M. LÓPEZ CORRESPONDENT To Jesus through Mary, the path of salvation which St. Louis Marie de Montfort so zealously preached and promoted in his time, was the impetus that led a man named Frank Duff to gather a group of lay people to pray and to discuss how best to serve God and bring the message of salvation to the world. That meeting on Sept. 7, 1921, in Dublin, unexpectedly launched an organization called the Legion of Mary whose reach now encompasses the entire world. Its mission is to assist parish priests in their apostolic work and to sanctify its members. We see ourselves as an extension of the pastor and helping him to do whatever works he feels needs to be done, said Steve Dickman, parishioner at St. Mary Cathedral and president of the Legion of Mary for the Austin Diocese. Msgr. Joseph Deane, spiritual director for the Legion of Mary, calls it an extraordinary organization. He remembers the legion s founder, Servant of God Frank Duff, addressing the seminarians in his native Ireland. He came to our seminary when I was in Dublin. We had a legion in the seminary because he wanted to influence priests to take it with them wherever they went. Msgr. Deane, whose father and sister were members, has worked with the organization since 1959 when he was spiritual director of the legion in his rst parish. The legionaries have been his hands and feet during much of his priesthood helping him with the many needs of the parish. (Lay people) can go to places where we can t go and they are public witnesses to the vitality of the Roman Catholic Church. They are the heart of the church; there are millions of them where there are only thousands of (priests), he said. There are two kinds of members: active and auxiliary members. Active members come to a weekly meeting, they pray the rosary, read a spiritual reading and listen to a spiritual talk from their spiritual director and that s how they re formed. They re spiritually fed and then they go out and do two hours of apostolic work, explained Lynda Villasana, parishioner at St. William Parish in Round Rock and secretary for the Legion of Mary for the Austin Diocese. The apostolic works include visiting the sick and elderly, praying the rosary at funerals, visiting the imprisoned and catechesis among other things. Auxiliary members are the praying force that strengthens the Legion of Mary members and their works. Both pray the main prayers of the Legion called the Tessera. Today there are some 3 million active members and 15 million auxiliary members throughout the world. Active members make up a praesidium within a parish, a local group of the Legion of Mary. Currently there are 22 praesidia within the diocese. The Concilium is the highest council of the Legion located in Dublin, Ireland. The Legion is modeled after an ancient Roman army and uses its terminology to describe its hierarchy. The Legion of Mary is an army to bring God to others through our Blessed Mother, Villasana said. Its foot soldiers are the men and women of the church, CENTRAL TEXAS 5 Legion seeks to be closer to Christ through Mary MEMBERS OF THE LEGION OF MARY collectively made or renewed their total consecration to Jesus through Mary on March 26 at St. William Parish in Round Rock. Several such Masses were held at parishes throughout the diocese, including St. Mary Cathedral in Austin, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Martindale and Santa Cruz Parish in Buda. The Legion of Mary was founded in Dublin in 1921 and continues to strive to bring people closer to Christ through Mary, the Blessed Mother of Christ. (Photo by Cristina M. López) Catholics in good standing who together work on their own sanctification through daily recitation of the rosary and total consecration to the Blessed Mother. On the Solemnity of the Annunciation on March 26, hundreds of people were consecrated to our Blessed Mother during Masses at four different parishes. At St. William Parish in Round Rock, Father Jonathan Raia said during his homily that consecration is like Mary s yes when God asked her to become the Mother of God. Brothers and Sisters, God s plan still depends on you and me, placing ourselves at the Lord s disposal. We very seldom have much more information than Mary did, he asks very simply for a yes, he said. That s what total consecration means, to place ourselves entirely at the Lord s disposal. She (Mary) will guide you; she will guide all of us to make of ourselves and to make of our lives a complete gift to the Father. Total consecration is promoted by the Legion of Mary; however, anyone can consecrate themselves to our Blessed Mother by following the spiritual exercises prescribed by St. Louis de Montfort. Patricia Peacher, member of the St. William Young Adult Legion of Mary, renewed her consecration at the Mass. She credits the legion with deepening her faith through prayer and by carrying out works of mercy. If you are seeking something in a practical way to help bring about the kingdom of God the Legion of Mary is The Legion of Mary is an army to bring God to others through our Blessed Mother. Lynda Villasana, secretary for the Legion of Mary really a helpful instrument to do that. It s also really great to be involved in a community and to build that bond with one another; it strengthens your faith to see those around you so spirit lled and faithful, she said. As an auxiliary member of the St. William Young Adult Legion of Mary, John Tovar prays for the members and, as his work schedule allows, participates in their meetings and activities. He said becoming a member has had a transformational effect on his life. I started praying the rosary in October 2009 at a time when I was unhappy with my job, my living arrangements, my health and realizing that I had no direction in my life, he said. Tovar attended a Legion of Mary re- treat where he felt transformed. Since then he s traded destructive habits for a deeper prayer life and found peace. Instead of hanging around bars, I go to the Adoration Chapel, he said. To commemorate the Legion s 90th anniversary celebrated last September Villasana said they are reaching out to parish priests to expand the Legion of Mary within the diocese. Already they are working to establish three to ve praesidia at different parishes and the campaign will actively continue for the next two years. At a minimum, four people are needed to start a praesidium. Msgr. Deane said the members are missionaries, bringing themselves and others closer to Jesus through Mary. Whether we know it or not, he said, Mary affects all of our lives. From the conception to the cross, Mary is totally immersed and associated (with Jesus). That s humanity s way to Christ, it s through his mother. And if people say why, well God decided this; it wasn t Mary s decision or our decision. In giving us Christ, he gave us everything and he gave us everything through Mary, Msgr. Deane said. For more information about the Legion of Mary or how to begin a praesidium in your parish please contact Steve Dickman at (512) or Lynda Villasana at (512) or visit

6 6 CENTRAL TEXAS BY AMY MORACZEWSKI CORRESPONDENT After 13 years of serving the Austin Diocese in various capacities, Jesuit Father Payne and his faithful pug, Dude, are packing up. Father Payne is returning to a more traditional Jesuit role as retreat director at Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Though excited to be reunited with his Jesuit brothers, he leaves Austin with mixed emotions, having built great relationships with many diocesan priests and lay people, he said. The Society of Jesus, more commonly known as the Jesuits, was founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 16th century Europe. Since that time, it has grown into the largest male religious order in the world. Best known for their work in education, the Jesuits also have a strong commitment to spiritual development and social justice. Father Payne entered the Jesuit novitiate directly from his Galveston high school. Early in his priesthood, he taught at Loyola University in New Orleans and Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. The young Jesuit then spent three years studying theology in Toronto before returning to his home state to complete his graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Though he loved the city back in the 1970s, he had little hope of ever returning to serve in a diocese with no Jesuit schools or retreat houses. However, over the years he repeatedly learned that, Life has a way of catching up with you. While on sabbatical at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, a former student serving on the board at St. Michael s Catholic Academy in Austin approached Father Payne for assistance reorienting the Catholic identity of the school. Initially he had doubts about devoting himself to a school unaffiliated with his or any other religious order, but after some re ection realized this may be the answer to his prayers. Priests and religious are constantly seeking lay people to take a more active role in ministry and here was a group doing just that. How could he refuse to help, he asked himself? Father Payne eventually agreed to the task and gained permission from his superiors to spend three years in Austin. However, three years turned into 13 when Bishop Gregory Aymond enlisted his old friend from the seminary in New Orleans to aid in the establishment of San Juan Diego Catholic High School in Austin. Based upon the Cristo Rey model, San Juan Diego provides a Catholic, college preparatory education in conjunction with a corporate work study program that helps supplement tuition costs. Currently Father Payne serves on the board of another high school founded on this same principle, Cristo Rey Jesuit in Houston, which opened in In addition to education, Jesuits have a legacy of spiritual formation and finding God in all things. Bishop Aymond observed this gift in Father Payne and named him Minister to Priests for the Diocese of Austin. In seeking spiritual guidance from priests, lay people may overlook the need for priests to receive on-going spiritual development of their own. This is where Father Payne comes in, simply being present to priests on their spiritual journeys, a job that is its own reward, he said. Not only do we try to serve others, but we encounter God in others, so in serving them they also serve us, Father Payne said. Soon he will return to serving the laity alongside his Jesuit brothers at Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House on Lake Dallas. After years of living independently, he admitted the return to life in community may require a period of adjustment. Father Payne grew to love opportunities to welcome guests into his home, the rst home he could ever call his own. He even learned to cook at age 60 so he could host dinner parties for friends and families in the diocese. An avid outdoorsman, Father Payne will miss the natural beauty of Austin and the surrounding Hill Country. After devoting much of his life to education, both studying and teaching, Father Payne said people may be surprised to learn that he is most comfortable outdoors. Prior to entering the priesthood, he never would have envisioned himself as an academic. I thought I would have a life of adventure and not be spending so much time in books, joked Father Payne. Fortunately, he found a way to combine both passions by creating what he dubbed the camping retreat while serving at Loyola University New Orleans and Spring Hill College. As much as his education was a tool for reaching people spiritually, simply taking the group out into nature had an even more profound effect. Students reluctant to forgo a weekend on campus for one at a secluded retreat house jumped at the opportunity to go camping with their friends. Father Payne appreciates the role of Pope John Paul II, when as a bishop during CATHOLIC SPIRIT Jesuit priest s Austin chapter draws to a close CCHD contest winners THE CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOP- MENT held a Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest earlier this year. The theme was Faith in Action! Uproot Poverty Together. Entries were submitted from across the Austin Diocese. The rst place winner for Collage Art was Francesca Modoff who submitted a collage with ways to uproot poverty titled Reach for the Stars. The rst place winner for Digital Media was Olivia Lynch who submitted a video entitled, If you teach a man to sh. In it, she explained the causes and solutions to poverty. Both students attend St. Gabriel s Catholic School in Austin. Both entries were sent to Washington to compete nationally with the rest of the art entries from dioceses across the U.S. The Austin Diocese was noti ed on April 18 that Modoff s collage received honorable mention in the national contest. (Photo by Shelley Metcalf) JESUIT FATHER JOHN PAYNE, who is almost always accompanied by his faithful companion, Dude, has worked in the Austin Diocese for 13 years. (Photo by Amy Moraczewski) the Second Vatican Council, he supported the approval of what is known as the Wanderer s Mass. This change enabled many students to encounter the Eucharist who otherwise may have gone without Christ s presence throughout the formative college years. It has also allowed Father Payne to celebrate the liturgy in national parks throughout the country, including Yosemite, Zion and the Great Smokey Mountains. Vacations always include some form of outdoor adventure. In his younger days, Father Payne enjoyed white water rafting, scuba diving and rappelling. These days he usually sticks to hiking and horseback riding. I m 73 and it s not what it was when I was 43, he said. Nevertheless, he continues to maintain an active lifestyle and is eager to conquer the new challenges that await him in the Diocese of Dallas. Among all he will miss about Austin is living so near his beloved Longhorns. As he said, if you grew up in Texas, football is the king of all sports. Fortunately he will be relocating just north of his other favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys. Although his time in Austin was a departure from the norm for a Jesuit priest, Father Payne never ceased pursuit of the Jesuit missions of educational and spiritual development. His counsel for Catholic schools and his spiritual counsel for those priests who lead the parishes across Central Texas will be felt for many years to come.

7 May 2012 Married couples invited to getaway Married couples who are looking for a getaway and time to reconnect with one another are invited to a Worldwide Marriage Encounter May at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. The weekend begins Friday at 7:30 p.m. and ends Sunday around 4 p.m. This is an opportunity for husbands and wives to escape the daily distractions of life and focus on each other. For more information or to apply to attend, contact Anh and Greg Thomas at (512) 677- WWME (9963) or wwmeaustin@gmail.com. Evening of prayer, forgiveness is May 25 Project Rachel of the Diocese of Austin and Austin Coalition for Life are sponsoring an Evening of Prayerful Remembrance and Intercession May 25 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at St. Louis Parish in Austin. As a community, everyone is touched by each child lost through abortion. Everyone is invited to pray and intercede on behalf of our community, seeking forgiveness and healing in God s merciful love. For more information, contact Rebecca Niemerg at (512) or project-rachel@austindiocese.org. Young adults invited to retreat June Young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 are invited to a retreat entitled Spe Salvi, Saved in Hope June at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. Sarah Hayes, campus minister at St. Mary Catholic Center in College Station, will lead participants as they re ect on the virtue of hope and the salvation gained from it. Registration for the weekend is $120 (before May 30) and includes T-shirt, accommodations and meals for the weekend. To register, go to under Youth, Young Adult & Campus Ministry and look for the link on the left. For more information, contact Adrian Sanchez at adriansanchez@austindiocese.org or (512) CENTRAL TEXAS 7 Retrouvaille focuses on struggling couples Retrouvaille is a program for married couples who feel bored, disillusioned, frustrated or angry in their marriage. This program has helped thousands of couples experiencing dif culties in their marriage. For con dential information about or to register for the next program beginning with a weekend on May 18-20, call , 2023@retrouvaille.org or visit Awaken Your Spirit retreat is June An Awaken Your Spirit retreat will be held June at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in. In response to Pope Benedict s announcement of the Year of Faith, this year s retreat is designed to open hearts to experience the richness of the Catholic faith in a new and deeper way. The weekend will include quiet prayer and re ection time, Mass, the sacrament of reconciliation, adoration and speakers including Father James Misko of Belton, Father Steve Sauser of P ugerville and Father John Kim of Austin. The cost is $75 for a double room and $95 for a single room. Checks should be made out to St. William Parish with a notation Awaken Your Spirit. Mail payments to 620 Round Rock West Dr., Round Rock TX (include name, address, and phone number along with payment). For more information, contact Lynda Villasana at secretary@legionofmaryaustin.org or call (512) Santa Cruz in Buda offers retreat for women The Altar Society of Santa Cruz Parish in Buda will present The Deepest Longings of Our Heart, a retreat for women, June 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Deane Hall at Santa Cruz in Buda. Dominican Sister Helen Raycraft will be the presenter. The cost is $20, which includes lunch, coffee and materials. For more information, contact Oralia Garza at (512) , oragarza@austin.rr.com. MEDICAL SERVICES DIRECTORY To advertise in the Catholic Spirit Medical Services Directory, call (512) , or catholic-spirit@austindiocese.org. FAMILY DENTISTRY family dentistry tim tischler, d.d.s Juniper Trace, Suite 201 Austin, TX phone (512) FAMILY PRACTICE William Stavinoha, M.D. Family Practice Board Certi ed Jollyville Road #102 Austin, TX (512) OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY The Vitae Clinic Jeremy Kalamarides, D.O. The Jefferson Building 1600 W. 38th St, Ste 115 Austin, TX The Vitae Clinic, Inc., provides wellness, prenatal, delivery and postnatal care for women, expectant mothers and babies in accord with the teachings of the Catholic Church in conformity with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare services. Oak Hill Eye Care Examination & Treatment of Eye Disease Lasik Surgery Contact Lenses & Optical Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. OPTOMETRY David W. Tybor, O.D. (512) W. William Cannon Bldg A, Suite 100, Austin EAR, NOSE AND THROAT Joseph M. C. Leary, M.D. Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology Pediatric and Adult Including Ear Diseases Sinus Surgery Thyroid and Neck Surgery 6811 Austin Center Blvd., Ste. 300 Austin, Texas (512) OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE The Center for Environmental Medicine & Occupational Health, PA* Anthony Hicks, M.D., MPH Occupational Injury Care 4100 Duval Road Preventive Medicine Bldg. 4, Suite 202 Environmental Toxicology Austin, Tx Second Opinion (512) phone Disability/Impairment Ratings (512) fax Independent Medical Examinations *Member Austin WorkCARE Associates ORTHODONTICS Braces for Children and Adults Michael Dillingham, D.D.S. 2 convenient locations in Austin Call (512) or (512) to schedule a complimentary consultation FAMILY & INTERNAL MEDICINE Dominion Family Healthcare Board certi ed in Family Medicine & Internal Medicine (512) Parmer Ln. W. Suite 102 Austin, TX THYROID & ENDOCRINOLOGY

8 8 CENTRAL TEXAS BY ENEDELIA J. OBREGÓN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT While many children look forward to summer so they can sleep late or go on vacation, there are some who don t look forward to those 10 weeks because it means not having enough to eat at home. To help ease the hunger, the Mobile Loaves and Fishes Ministry (ML&F) at St. Thomas More Parish in Austin started a summer lunch program two years ago. They began by making 200 sandwiches a week; last year they made 400 sandwiches a week. This year, the goal is 1,000 sandwiches a week. To nance those meals, ML&F is teaming up with St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar Park and St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Austin to host a family 5K run/walk and children s 1K run/walk on May 20 at Cedar Park High School. A lot of people want to do stuff to help with ML&F, said Matt Figlan, ministry director at St. Thomas More. But not everybody can go out on the truck. ML&F is the largest ministry in the parish with 1,400 in the database and 900 people on teams. The organization was founded in 1998 by St. John Neumann Parish in Austin to feed the homeless and poor and is recognized by its catering trucks with the shesand-loaves logo. Several parishes in Austin and churches from other denominations take food to various neighborhoods on a regular basis. Currently, 11 ML&F trucks are in use. I honestly believe that the call to feed my people is getting louder, Figlan said. People are banging on our doors wanting to do this, but few people want to give up their spot in the ministry. With the race/walk, there is no limit to the number of people who can help, he noted. God takes care of everything, Figlan said. The rst year we did this we didn t decide to do it until a week before school was out. We trust that God will provide. Katie Hagen, coordinator of the summer lunch program, said she got involved with the program after losing her job as a parent support specialist at Spicewood Elementary school due to budget cuts. There s a reason the Lord put me here, she said. Even at our school there are people in need. Most people, she said, don t realize that the need is everywhere. Help is needed in our back yard, Figlan said. In the Leander school district, 29 percent of the 32,000 students are on a free or reduced lunch program. About 30 percent of the 40,000 students in the Round Rock school district are in the federal program, which is for families who live in poverty. The parish boundaries cover parts of both school districts. Hagen said volunteers take sack lunches to apartment complex commons areas where the children then pick up their lunches. That also allows families and apartment management to get to know each other. This year, they will be going to neighborhoods as well. In some places there may be 10 and in another 30, she said. But just like the starfish in the ocean, if you save one it means everything to that one. As word gets out about the program, it is likely those numbers will keep growing because poverty among children is escalating. In early April, the Census Bureau released statistics showing the child poverty rate was sharply higher in Texas in percent, or 1.8 million children. Only California had more children in poverty, with 2 million. The federal government sets the poverty threshold at about $22,000 for a family of four. CATHOLIC SPIRIT 5K will bene t ML&F summer lunch program Though parishioners in the past have hosted neighborhood walks, this is the rst time that ML&F is organizing a large event, said Laura Nye, race coordinator. We wanted something that would be a family event and where people could have fun for a cause. We also wanted it to be an opportunity for fellowship and for families to meet other families. The race will begin and end at the Cedar Park High School track eld and will include family-friendly events and everyone is welcome, Nye said. A lot of people want to get involved but maybe are not Catholic or don t go to a church, she said. If we can get them involved maybe they can take (ML&F) to their church. There will also be a ML&F booth with information on the ministry and an opportunity for people to buy a brown grocery bag for $10 with a list of items needed for the ML&F pantry. For information and to register for the 5K run/walk, visit CALL OR US TODAY FOR OUR RATES. Shelley Metcalf, Editor (512) shelley-metcalf@austindiocese.org

9 May 2012 CENTRAL TEXAS 9 Catholic Services Appeal surpasses $5 million BY CATHOLIC SPIRIT STAFF The Catholic Services Appeal set another record this year by surpassing its original goal of $4.4 million. As of April 15, the annual appeal had raised more than $5 million in pledges and gifts from Catholics in Central Texas. To date, more than $3.6 million has been collected with the remaining portion to be collected through the rest of the summer. With the economy showing signs of life, the annual appeal has experienced almost a 20 percent increase in pledges and gifts over the last two years, said Scott Whitaker, diocesan director of Stewardship and Development. This is primarily due to the generous and faithful people of the Diocese of Austin and a commitment to stewardship as a way of life. Stewardship is not just another word for giving money; it s a way of life. Yes, to some degree it s about treasure, but it s also about time and talent. Stewardship is rst and foremost about recognizing that all our gifts are from God, he said. We are thankful for the many blessings we continue to receive from so many of the faithful in our diocese. Below is a list of Catholic Service Appeal totals by parish city. For more details about CSA visit Parish by city Goal Pledged Paid Gifts Parish by city Goal Pledged Paid Gifts Cristo Rey in Austin $30, $61, $19, Dolores in Austin $18, $17, $11, Holy Cross in Austin $11, $19, $10, Holy Vietnamese Martyrs in Austin $45, $63, $51, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin $15, $22, $13, Sacred Heart in Austin $50, $36, $23, San Francisco Javier in Austin $5, $8, $4, San Jose in Austin $50, $56, $26, Santa Barbara in Austin $5, $6, $2, St. Albert the Great in Austin $130, $107, $72, St. Andrew Kim in Austin $1, $ $ St. Austin in Austin $63, $71, $58, St. Catherine of Siena in Austin $145, $153, $118, St. Edward s University in Austin $2, $3, $2, St. Ignatius Martyr in Austin $80, $98, $68, St. John Neumann in Austin $208, $270, $223, St. Julia in Austin $15, $11, $5, St. Louis in Austin $135, $147, $107, St. Mary Cathedral in Austin $100, $119, $95, St. Paul in Austin $37, $48, $30, St. Peter the Apostle in Austin $28, $37, $25, St. Theresa in Austin $164, $180, $147, St. Thomas More in Austin $186, $196, $151, St. Vincent de Paul in Austin $87, $104, $75, University Catholic Center in Austin $4, $6, $5, Ascension in Bastrop $54, $54, $36, St. Joseph in Bellmead $25, $21, $17, Christ the King in Belton $38, $61, $40, Holy Cross in Bertram $4, $3, $3, St. Ferdinand in Blanco $10, $9, $7, St. Mary in Bremond $12, $14, $12, St. Mary in Brenham $47, $58, $49, Santa Teresa in Bryan $12, $11, $9, St. Anthony in Bryan $36, $49, $38, St. Joseph in Bryan $97, $109, $82, Santa Cruz in Buda $52, $70, $44, St. Michael in Burlington $1, $1, $1, Our Mother of Sorrows in Burnet $7, $9, $6, St. Mary in Caldwell $23, $24, $19, St. Monica in Cameron $7, $8, $6, St. Margaret Mary in Cedar Park $87, $98, $58, St. Stanislaus in Chappell Hill $5, $5, $4, St. Philip in China Spring $6, $5, $4, St. Mary in College Station $42, $45, $32, St. Thomas Aquinas in Coll. Station $85, $109, $82, Holy Family in Copperas Cove $42, $55, $39, Holy Trinity in Corn Hill $17, $18, $14, St. Joseph in Cyclone $7, $12, $12, St. Joseph in Dime Box $2, $3, $2, St. Martin de Porres in Drip.Springs $39, $41, $27, Sacred Heart in Elgin $23, $37, $17, St. Joseph in Elk $7, $6, $6, St. Mary in Ellinger/Hostyn Hill $9, $12, $12, St. John in Fayetteville $18, $24, $22, Santa Rosa in Florence $37, $35, $28, St. Francis of Assisi in Franklin $8, $10, $7, Holy Rosary in Frenstat $7, $7, $6, Our Lady of Lourdes in Gatesville $1, $3, $3, St. Helen in Georgetown $123, $147, $104, St. Margaret in Giddings $13, $17, $10, St. Peter in Goldthwaite $ $2, $1, Sts Cyril and Methodius in Granger $9, $9, $7, St. Thomas in Hamilton $2, $2, $2, St. Paul Ch. Hasang in Hkr. Heights $98, $137, $95, St. Mary in Hearne $5, $8, $7, St. Paul the Ap. in Horseshoe Bay $17, $15, $12, St. Patrick in Hutto $29, $22, $15, Good Shepherd in Johnson City $1, $2, $2, St. Joseph in Killeen $47, $52, $38, St. Charles Borromeo in Kingsland $15, $14, $12, St. Anthony Marie de Claret in Kyle $28, $34, $21, Sacred Heart in La Grange $21, $24, $21, St. Mary in Lago Vista $53, $67, $48, Emmaus in Lakeway $103, $134, $113, St. Mary in Lampasas $4, $10, $5, Holy Family in Lexington $4, $3, $2, Holy Trinity in Llano $7, $10, $8, St. Mary in Lockhart $35, $26, $13, Good Shepherd in Lometa $3, $8, $5, Sacred Heart in Lott $1, $1, $1, St. John in Luling $9, $11, $8, St. Joseph in Manor $6, $6, $4, Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Marak $3, $3, $3, St. John in Marble Falls $38, $36, $34, St. Joseph in Marlin $9, $6, $4, Immac. Heart of Mary in Martindale $8, $8, $4, St. Joseph in Mason $3, $6, $4, St. Eugene in McGregor $6, $6, $4, St. Mary in Mexia $8, $10, $9, Our Lady of San Juan in Moody $ $ $ St. Elizabeth in P ugerville $84, $112, $68, St. Mary in Pin Oak $5, $3, $2, St. Joseph in Rockdale $7, $15, $10, Sacred Heart in Rockne $18, $29, $22, St. Matthew in Rogers $3, $4, $3, St. Ann in Rosebud $2, $2, $2, St. John Vianney in Round Rock $46, $66, $44, St. William in Round Rock $205, $209, $145, St. Stephen in Salado $11, $11, $6, H.L. Grant Cath. Ctr. in San Marcos $17, $17, $11, St. John the Evang. in San Marcos $70, $102, $64, St. Mary in San Saba $3, $6, $3, St. Paul in Smithville $5, $5, $4, St. Ann in Somerville $7, $7, $6, Queen of Angels Chap. in Spicewood $3, $2, $1, San Juan Diego in Stoney Point $ $ $ St. Mary in String Prairie $7, $8, $6, Our Lady of the Lake in Sunrise Beach $1, $1, $1, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Taylor $4, $3, $3, St. Mary in Taylor $21, $19, $17, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Temple $13, $14, $10, St. Luke in Temple $91, $106, $78, St. Mary in Temple $60, $68, $48, St. Martin in Tours $16, $17, $16, St. Michael in Uhland $3, $3, $1, Sacred Heart in Waco $16, $15, $8, St. Francis in Waco $13, $11, $7, St. Jerome in Waco $48, $59, $45, St. John the Baptist in Waco $1, $2, $1, St. Louis in Waco $119, $123, $102, St. Mary in Waco $19, $20, $13, St. Peter Catholic Center in Waco $3, $3, $2, Blessed Virgin Mary in Washington $ $2, $2, Assumption in West $47, $45, $39, Visitation in Westphalia $6, $6, $6, St. Mary in Wimberley $20, $20, $12,

10 10 CENTRAL TEXAS CATHOLIC SPIRIT Central Texans reach out to help orphanage in India THE INDIA CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL TEXAS sponsored the construction of a dormitory at an orphanage in Dimapur, Nagaland in Northeast India. The orphanage is run by Father O.C. Abraham and the Sacred Heart Sisters and is home to 40 children between the ages of 4 and 11. The children attend Catholic schools and are taught to grow their own food. The India Catholic Association of Central Texas donated more than $16,000 for the dormitory, which will house young girls. The money was raised through the Taste of India fundraisers that are held annually. The 2012 Taste of India will be held Oct. 13 at St Thomas More Parish in Austin. For more information, austinica@gmail.com. (Photos courtesy Ramona Kar) Exquisite Bronzed Resins Incredible Value! Amazing Selection! Catholic Art & Gifts Everything you need for First Communion! 6113 Burnet Rd., Aus n TX M -F 9:30-5:30 Sat 9:30-4:30 zieglers.com Daily Mass Aboard Ship Travel with Fr. Rex Alaska Cruise & Canadian Rockies 15 Days Departs August 9 & Sept 6, 2012 from $1898* Visit the last of the wilderness-like areas in North America all from the comfort of your deluxe motor coach and 5-STAR cruise ship! Start in Calgary for your scenic six-day motor coach tour to Vancouver, B.C. You ll visit Calgary, Banff National Park, fabulous Lake Louise, take a SnoCoach ride over the Columbia Ice Fields, visit Jasper National Park and Jasper. Next travel over the continental divide onto the western slope of the Canadian Rockies following scenic route 5 on the Yellowhead South Highway to Kamloops, BC. Travel to Vancouver, B.C., where you ll board your 5-STAR cruise ship for your 7-day Holland America Line cruise. Travel through a wondrous maze of forested-island and glacier-carved fjords, past charming coastal villages, migrating whales and calving glaciers to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, and Ketchikan. Debark, travel to Seattle for a tour and night, and then fly home. *Price based on inside stateroom, price per person based on double occupancy. Outside and balcony cabins available at additional cost. Add $300 for August 9 departure. Includes Papal Audience & 7 Masses! Italy Pilgrimage 10 Days Departs September 10, 2012 from $2198* ROME VATICAN POMPEII PADRE PIO S COMPLEX LORETO ASSISI FLORENCE PISA ORVIETO Fully Escorted + Your YMT Chaplain, Fr. Rex Familar! Explore historic Rome. Start with an audience with Pope Benedict XVI (subject to his schedule) followed by a city tour of Rome including the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Colosseum. Your second visit to the Vatican includes a private Mass at St. Peter s Basilica, the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel. Tour the ruins at Pompeii with Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii. Continue to San Giovanni Rotondo with Mass at the tomb of St. Pio. Visit the Convent of Santa Maria Della Grazie and museum of St. Pio. Visit the Grotto of St. Michael in Monte Sant Angelo, Lanciano, San Francesco church, and celebrate a private Mass at the Sanctuario Della Santa Casa De Loreto (Basilica contains a stone hut-house where Mary lived). Your Catholic Pilgrimage continues to Assisi with a half day sightseeing tour including a visit to Santa Chiara Church, St. Mary of the Angels, and a private Mass at St. Francis Basilica, Assisi. Travel across the beautiful Tuscan countryside for a half-day guided tour of Florence with a visit and private Mass at one of the greatest Gothic buildings in Italy, The Duomo Di Orvieto, whose construction was completed in Depart for home Thursday, September 20, Includes 17 meals. Your chaplain is Father Rex Familiar, Parochial Vicar at St. John Vianney, in Orlando, Florida. This will be Fr. Rex s second YMT Pilgrimage. *Price per person, double occupancy. Single room with no roommate: add only $400. Airfare is extra. Travel with Fr. Tom s European Pilgrimage 12 Days Departs September 17, 2012 from $2898* ROME VATICAN PORTUGAL FATIMA - SPAIN - FRANCE LOURDES PARIS Fully Escorted + Your Chaplain Fr. Thomas Westhoven, SCJ Tour the Vatican including an audience (subject to his schedule) with Pope Benedict XVI! Tour Rome s religious highlights including St. Peter s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. See ancient Rome, the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore and more! Fly to Lisbon, Portugal; visit Lady of Fatima Church, celebrate private Masses at the Basilica of Fatima and Apariciones Chapel of Fatima; and tour the Batalha monastery. Travel to Salamanca, Spain; visit the Old Cathedral and New Cathedral; overnight in Valladolid, Spain. Visit Lourdes, France; celebrate Mass at the Grotto of Lourdes. Take the high-speed train to Paris for two nights. Wednesday s Paris highlight includes The Shrine of the Miraculous Medal with Mass at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Thursday s highlights include a full-day tour of Paris visiting the Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Basilica of the Sacred Heart and more! This is Fr. Tom s second time as chaplain on this same Pilgrimage (he went Sept. 12, 2011). He liked it so much - he s going back! Includes 8 masses; 10 Breakfasts & 10 Dinners. *Price per person, double occupancy, taxes included. Add only $700 for private room with no roommate. Airfare is extra. For details, itinerary, reservations & letter from YMT s chaplain with his phone number call 7 days a week:

11 May 2012 BY CHRISTOPHER S. PINEO CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE A national and international crowd of Catholic educators converged on Boston April 11 to kick off the National Catholic Educational Association 2012 Convention and Expo. According to organizers, more than 10,000 participants registered for the three-day event at the John B. Hynes Convention Center. The NCEA provided attendees more than 400 workshops on topics relevant to Catholic education, an exhibit hall showcasing 267 educationrelated venders, and a list of nationally recognized keynote speakers. Oblate Father Ronald Rolheiser, president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, gave the opening keynote address titled It s a Big Enough Church. He focused the talk on delivering a message of tolerance among the faithful, enemies and even political rivals. He addressed the danger of becoming bitter and responding to attacks with attacks, anger with anger, and intolerance with intolerance. There is just no virtue in that, you are simply giving back the energy received and we are hard-wired for that. We are not hard-wired for forgiveness, Father Rolheiser said. He said the faithful need to be in uenced by the writings of the Gospel, and particularly the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Father Rolheiser used the image of Jesus removing his outer garment as revealing his true self. He took off his outer garment and he was able to then reach across in ways we cannot reach across when we have our outer garments on. Ned Vanders, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Austin Diocese, attended the convention along with seven administrators and ve teachers from nine Catholic schools in the diocese. He enjoyed the conference tremendously. Father Rolheiser s keynote was so powerful and dynamic that participants were rushing to the press release of ce afterwards for recordings of his address, he said. After the keynote, Boston Cardinal Sean P. O Malley celebrated the convention s opening Mass in the nearly lled Veteran Memorial Auditorium, which seats 3,000. IN OUR WORLD Catholic educators gather for NCEA convention BY FRANCIS X. ROCCA CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE The Cuba that Pope Benedict XVI visited March is a country where the Catholic Church enjoys signi cantly more freedom and of cial recognition than it did when Blessed John Paul II made the rst papal visit to the island in Since that time, the communist regime has made Christmas a national holiday, and it now allows Communist Party members to identify themselves as practicing Catholics. In preparation for this year s 400th anniversary of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, the venerated statue was allowed to circulate on a pilgrimage throughout the country, an event that President Raul Castro said brought our people together, believers and nonbelievers. Such progress in religious freedom is what Cuban church leaders and Pope Benedict himself have said they hope to build on in the aftermath his visit. But in other dimensions of human rights, the reform record of the Cuban regime has been less encouraging. People should be able to express their opinions without fear and without punishment, said Msgr. Jose Felix Perez Riera, assistant secretary of the Cuban bishops conference. When somebody thinks or expresses a different idea, they accuse him of being paid by the United States, of being a traitor. Little (reforms), such as permitting someone to buy a cellular phone those don t seem signi cant to me. Pope Benedict, in his public statements during and just prior to his Cuba visit, af- rmed the value of freedom. The church is always on the side of freedom: freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, he told reporters March 23, in response to a question about Cuba. God not only respects human freedom: He almost seems to require it, the pope said in his homily during a Mass in Santiago de Cuba March 26. But addressing those frustrated by the pace of change in Cuba after half a century of communism, the pope said that the path of collaboration and constructive dialogue between church and regime there is long and demands patience. Msgr. Perez said Pope Benedict was not saying that Cubans should remain passive in the face of oppression. I think that when the Holy Father asks patience it does not mean inactivity... it does not mean crossing your arms and letting things happen without taking any responsibility, Msgr. Perez said. Perhaps he is thinking of the gradualness (that is) normal to human and social processes. Msgr. Perez is the pastor of Havana s Church of St. Rita of Cascia, where the Ladies in White Damas de Blanco attend Mass every Sunday, then march down the avenue in front, protesting human rights violations by the regime. The Ladies in White are relatives of Cubans who were imprisoned in 2003 for advocating free elections and other political reforms. The prisoners were released in 2011 under a deal brokered by Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino. Most of those former political prisoners Before beginning the Mass, the cardinal greeted the crowd with a message of support for the importance of the mission of Catholic education. We are so grateful to all of you for the goal that you have in Catholic education, one of the most important ministries of our church, the cardinal said. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta joined bishops and archbishops from all over New England, and the country on the altar with the cardinal. In his homily, the cardinal again touched on the mission of Catholic schools in the Catholic Church. Academic excellence is important, but we must be convinced that we have something greater to give our students. We can help them to rise and walk in newness of life, the cardinal said. The convention marked the sixth time that Boston hosted the NCEA convention since 1909; the city last hosted it The Boston Archdiocese ranks ninth among U.S. dioceses in enrollment of Catholic school students, with 122 schools serving 41,964 students. O Neill noted that the entire region of New England hosted the convention, which she said the Archdiocese of Boston could not have accomplished alone. We are especially proud to partner with our fellow New England dioceses, bishops and education colleagues to showcase for the country the exceptional and inspiring story of Catholic education in the United States, she said. The Catholic dioceses of New England including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont are co-hosted the convention with the Boston Archdiocese. Combined, those dioceses encompass more than 1,324 parishes serving more than 14 million people and they have 420 elementary and secondary schools enrolling 119,804 students. The annual convocation of the National Association of Parish Coordinators and Directors of Religious Education and the Catholic Library Association held convocations and conventions concurrently with the NCEA convention. Parish catechetical leaders and coordinators of religious education participated in liturgies, workshops, networking went into exile abroad. The Ladies have continued protesting on behalf of other prisoners of conscience who they say are still inside Cuban prisons. Members of the group are frequently arrested and released in less than 24 hours. They also have been attacked by what they say are governmentcontrolled mobs. For one of the Ladies, Alejandrina Garcia de la Rivas, 46, the pope s counsel is comprehensible yet hard to accept. As Catholics we understand the word patience... anger, impatience, desperation are sins, she said. But we are afraid. Garcia voiced gratitude for the welcome that Msgr. Perez offers the Ladies at his church and for the support they have received from other members of the Cuban hierarchy. Bishop Manuel de Cespedes Garcia-Menocal of Matanzas was still a parish priest when he ministered to Garcia s husband in prison and has remained a family friend, she said. She noted that Archbishop Dionisio Garcia Ibanez of Santiago de Cuba forcefully defended the Ladies from the threat of mob 11 and prayer with Bishop Richard J. Malone of Portland, Maine, and Joe Paprocki, consultant for faith formation for Loyola Press in Chicago, who gave opening and keynote addresses. One of the things NCEA does best is to convene people, to gather them together from all aspects of Catholic education to share ideas and to learn from each other. Our annual convention does just that and we are looking forward to this year s meeting, NCEA President Karen Ristau said. You can tell our members like Boston conventions because we keep coming back. In addition to the wonderful programs NCEA plans, Boston offers so many opportunities for our participants to gather and socialize informally after convention hours, she said. During the convention, it was announced that next year s convention will be held in Houston, which was good news for Vanders. The NCEA convention being held in the state of Texas for the very rst time will be a historic occasion, Vanders said. All Catholic schools in the Diocese of Austin will attend because it will be so close. Pope urges Cubans to be patient yet persistent violence earlier this year, and Garcia said she remains thankful for Cardinal Ortega s work to obtain the release of the group that included her husband. Garcia also said she appreciates the principles behind the bishops nonconfrontational strategy of dialogue with the regime. I think (the bishops) have the right idea, of reconciling all Cubans, of helping all Cubans without exception, even those who oppress us, she said. But they are also afraid; they are afraid because they, too, suffer, they are threatened. I think (the bishops) have a lot of good intentions: to reconcile all the Cuban people, to help us all, without exception, even those who oppress us, she said. But they are also afraid. They are afraid because they, too, suffer. The government threatens them. What the Ladies want, Garcia said, is for the Cuban bishops to insist that their dialogue with the regime also include representatives of the political opposition. In Garcia s view, such representation would mean real progress toward lasting political reform.

12 12 IN OUR WORLD Bishops write letters opposing budget cuts BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE Just in time for Mother s Day, U.S. Catholics parishes will be able to celebrate the new Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb. The Vatican has given its approval to publication in English and Spanish of the new rite, which was approved by the U.S. bishops in November The blessing will be printed in both languages in a combined booklet. I can think of no better day to announce this news than on the feast of the Annunciation, when we remember Mary s yes to God and the incarnation of The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has expressed its concerns over proposed cuts in federal programs serving the country s poorest and most vulnerable people in a series of letters to congressional leaders since April 4 as debate over the scal year 2013 budget begins. The letters from Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, urge Congress to draw a circle of protection around programs that serve the least among us. The letters were sent after the House of Representatives adopted on March 27 a $3.5 trillion budget resolution with a $600 billion deficit written by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. The plan calls for massive spending cuts in nonmilitary programs, turning Medicaid into a block grant program administered by the states, reshaping Medicare over the next decade, and simplifying the tax code by closing loopholes and lowering individual and corporate tax rates. A common message in the letters focuses on the necessity of shared sacri ce by all, including raising adequate revenues, the elimination of unnecessary military and other spending and fairly addressing long-term costs associated with health insurance and retirement costs. In a letter to the House Agriculture Committee, Bishop Blaire said the House-passed budget fails to meet these moral criteria. A summary of each letter follows. April 4 to the House Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies: As one of the largest private providers of housing services for poor and vulnerable people, the Catholic community sees a growing need for assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Cutting funds for housing programs could cause thousands of individuals and families to lose their housing and worsen the hardship of thousands more in need of affordable housing. The bishops urge the leaders to protect funding for housing for the elderly, people with disabilities, and people with AIDS; Veterans Affairs-supported housing; McKinney- Vento Homeless Assistance Act programs; Section 8 rental assistance; and other programs that ensure safe and affordable housing for vulnerable Americans. The bishops also repeated their concern about proposals to increase the minimum amount of rent that can be charged to families receiving housing assistance, saying very low-income families would be harmed, especially at a time when wages are stagnant and food and gas prices are rising. April 16 to the House Agriculture Committee: A letter signed by Bishop Blaire urged the committee to resist for moral and human reasons unacceptable cuts to hunger and nutrition programs. Acknowledging that the committee is under instruction to cut $33.2 billion from agricultural programs, the USCCB urged Congress to protect essential programs that serve poor and hungry people over subsidies that assist large and relatively well-off agricultural enterprises. The letter pointed particularly to proposed cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, and how such cuts will harm hungry children, poor families, vulnerable seniors and workers who cannot nd work. These cuts are unjusti ed and wrong. If cuts are necessary, the committee should rst look towards reducing and targeting commodity and subsidy programs that disproportionately go to large growers and agribusiness, Bishop Blaire wrote. April 16 to the Senate These cuts are unjusti ed and wrong. If cuts are necessary, the committee should rst look towards reducing and targeting commodity and subsidy programs that disproportionately go to large growers and agribusiness. Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif. Appropriations Subcommittee for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies: Support for 10 domestic and international food and nutrition programs that affect the lives of people worldwide was outlined in a two-page letter. Adequate nutrition is essential to protect human life and dignity. We urge support for just and suf cient funding for agriculture policies that serve hungry, poor and vulnerable people while promoting good stewardship of the land and natural resources, the bishops said. They opposed cuts in domestic programs such as the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program; the Emergency Food Assistance Program for food storage and distribution grants in local communities; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Commodity Supplemental Food Program serving low-income seniors, pregnant and breastfeeding women and infants and children; Conservation Stewardship Program that helps farmers conserve and care for farmland; and Value Added Producer Grants that help farmers and ranchers develop new farm and food-related businesses to increase rural economic opportunity. that child in her womb that saved the world, said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities. The blessing was prepared to support parents awaiting the birth of their child, to encourage parish prayers for and recognition of the gift of the child in the womb, and to foster respect for human life within society. It can be offered within the context of Mass as well as outside of Mass, and for an individual mother, a couple or a group of expectant parents. We wanted to make this announcement as soon as possible so that parishes might begin to look at how this blessing might be woven into the fabric of parish life, said Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans, chairman of the US- CCB Committee on Divine Worship. Eventually the new blessing will be included in the Book of Blessings when that text is revised. The Vatican approval, or recognitio, came from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. The blessing originated when then-bishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Knoxville, Tenn., (now archbishop of Louisville, Ky.) asked the pro-life committee to see if such a blessing existed. When none was found, the committee prepared a text and submitted it to the divine worship committee in March The blessing includes intercessions for our government and civic leaders that they may perform their duties with justice and compassion while respecting the gift of human life and for a safe and healthy pregnancy for all expectant mothers and for a safe delivery for their children. It also expresses concern for children who are unwanted, unloved, abandoned or abused, that the Lord will inspire his people to protect and care for them. CATHOLIC SPIRIT International programs cited as vital and undeserving of funding cuts include Title II Food Aid; the safe box provision to help chronically hungry communities build lasting agricultural capacity that minimizes the impact of severe weather and other catastrophes; and Local and Regional Procurement of food commodities to reduce food assistance costs and shorten delivery times. The bishops also called for increasing the amount of cash resources in the Title II program for nutrition education and other agricultural programs that increase the quality and amount of food that poor farmers produce. April 17 to the House Ways and Means Committee: Bishop Blaire renewed the USCCB s strong opposition to unfair proposals that would alter the child tax credit to exclude children of hard-working immigrant families. The bishops have been longtime supporters of the credit because of its pro-work and pro-family orientation and for being one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in our nation. In million people, including 1.3 million children, were kept out of poverty by the credit. Denying the credit to children of immigrants, the majority of whom are American citizens, would harm vulnerable children, increase poverty and would not advance the common good, the letter said. To exclude these children who are American citizens from the child tax credit is unjust and wrong. We urge you to actively and publicly oppose such measures. Vatican approves blessing for unborn children If used as a blessing outside Mass, the service includes introductory prayers, Scripture readings, intercessions, the actual blessing of the mother and child, and a concluding rite. May almighty God, who has created new life, now bless the child in your womb, the blessing says. The Lord has brought you the joy of motherhood: May he bless you with a safe and healthy pregnancy. You thank the Lord today for the gift of your child: May he bring you and your child one day to share in the unending joys of heaven. There are also optional prayers for fathers, for families and for the parish community.

13 May 2012 IN OUR WORLD Resist unjust laws, join in fortnight for freedom BY NANCY FRAZIER O BRIEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE American Catholics must resist unjust laws as a duty of citizenship and an obligation of faith, a committee of the U.S. bishops said in a new statement on religious liberty. Titled Our First, Most Cherished Liberty, the 12-page statement by the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty also calls for a fortnight for freedom from June 21, the vigil of the feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, to July 4, U.S. Independence Day. This special period of prayer, study, catechesis and public action would emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty, the committee said. Dioceses and parishes around the country could choose a date in that period for special events that would constitute a great national campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty. Made public April 12, the document was approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Administrative Committee during its March meeting for publication as a committee statement. The ad hoc committee opened its statement with several concrete examples of recent threats to religious liberty, saying that this is not a theological or legal dispute without real-world consequences. Cited rst was the Department of Health and Human Services mandate that most health plans must include contraception, sterilization and some abortioninducing drugs free of charge, even if the employer is morally opposed to such services. In an unprecedented way, the federal government will both force religious institutions to facilitate and fund a product contrary to their own moral teaching and purport to de ne which religious institutions are religious enough to merit protection of their religious liberty, the statement said. These features of the preventive services mandate amount to an unjust law. Among other examples of religious liberty under attack the bishops named: Immigration laws in Alabama and other states that forbid what the government deems harboring of undocumented immigrants and what the church deems Christian charity and pastoral care to those immigrants. An attempt by the Connecticut Legislature in 2009 to restructure Catholic parishes. Discrimination against Christian students on college campuses. Government actions in Boston, San Francisco, the District of Columbia and the state of Illinois that have driven local Catholic Charities out of the business of providing adoption or foster care services because the agencies would not place children with same-sex or unmarried heterosexual couples. A New York City rule that bars small church congregations from renting public schools on weekends for worship services, while allowing such rentals by nonreligious groups. Changes in federal contracts for human trafficking grants that require Catholic agencies to refer for contraceptive and abortion services in violation of Catholic teaching. The statement quotes the Founding Fathers and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to bolster its arguments. Rev. King, writing from jail in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963, described an unjust law as one that is out of harmony with the moral law, and said he agreed with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all. An unjust law cannot be obeyed, the bishops statement said. In the face of an unjust law, an accommodation is not to be sought, especially by resorting to equivocal words and deceptive practices. If we face today the prospect of unjust laws, then Catholics in America, in solidarity with our fellow citizens, must have the courage not to obey them, it added. No American desires this. No Catholic welcomes it. But if it should fall upon us, we must discharge it as a duty of citizenship and an obligation of faith. The bishops also distinguished between conscientious objection and an unjust law. Conscientious objection permits some relief to those who object to a just law for reasons of conscience conscription being the most wellknown example, the committee said. An unjust law is no law at all. It cannot be obeyed, and therefore one does not seek relief from it, but rather its repeal. The statement also raised the issue of religious freedom abroad and said the age of martyrdom has not passed. Assassinations, bombings of churches, torching of orphanages these are only the most violent attacks Christians have suffered because of their faith in Jesus Christ, the bishops said. It is our task to strengthen religious liberty at home,... so that we might defend it more vigorously abroad. The statement called on American foreign policy, as well as the vast international network of Catholic agencies to make the promotion of religious liberty an ongoing and 13 urgent priority. The bishops assigned special responsibility for advancing religious freedom to several groups: Those who hold public office must protect and defend those fundamental liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, regardless of their political party. Leaders of Catholic hospitals, universities and social service agencies who may be forced to choose between the good works we do by faith, and delity to that faith itself were encouraged to hold firm, to stand fast and to insist upon what belongs to you by right as Catholics and Americans. Priests must offer a catechesis on religious liberty suited to the souls in your care, a responsibility that is shared with writers, producers, artists, publishers, lmmakers and bloggers employing all the means of communications. In addition to the fortnight for freedom June 21 to July 4, the bishops designated the feast of Christ the King Nov. 25 this year as a day speci cally employed by bishops and priests to preach about religious liberty, both here and abroad. Our First, Most Cherished Liberty: A Statement on Religious Liberty is available at rstmost-cherished-liberty.cfm. Beck Funeral Home Family Owned and Operated Since 1983 Catholic Parishioner Funeral Services On-Site Crematory Pre-Arrangements 1700 East Whitestone Cedar Park / Leander Ranch Rd 620 Austin / Round Rock Please call for a free Pre-Arrangement Guide. Additional State information can be found at Markers 4765 Priem Ln P ugerville / Hutto

14 14 BY CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 85th birthday with guests who treated him to Bavarian oompah music and folk dancing in the apostolic palace. Bavarian bishops, ministerpresident of Bavaria Horst Seehofer, and a 150-person regional government delegation visited the pope April 16 in the Vatican s Clementine Hall. They were accompanied by a small Bavarian band, three female singers and 10 children who danced the skirt-swirling, shoe-stomping, thigh-slapping Schuhplattler before the pope. The pope s 88-year-old brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, also attended the festivities as well as representatives from the Lutheran Church and the Jewish community in Bavaria. The children, dressed in traditional costume, presented the pope with white owers and a maypole covered with colorful ribbons. They also recited a German birthday poem. The delegation presented the pope with gifts of a wooden cruci x sculpted by a wellknown 18th-century Bavarian woodcarver, Ignaz Gunther, and a large Easter basket lled with traditional cakes, dark bread, ham and painted eggs. In his address to the pope, Seehofer said Bavaria was still the most-catholic region in Germany and that it was still common to find the crucifix hung in public schools and small roadside shrines maintained throughout the area. You ve always stayed Bavarian and we re very grateful for that, he told the pope. In his address, Cardinal Marx thanked the pope for his delity to the faith, saying he was an important example to all bishops of loyalty and obedience. The pope, who smiled and clapped during the 40-minute event, thanked everyone present and noted how the different cities, people and ages represented there were a re ection of all the stages in my life. He said the music and instruments reminded him of his childhood. His father used to play the stringed zither, he said, and, as children, he and his siblings would sing God Greets You, which was sung at the Vatican event. This is the sound of my IN OUR WORLD youth, present and future, the pope told his guests. At the end of the celebration, everyone, including the pope, sang the Bavarian state anthem. Earlier in the day, the pope celebrated a private Mass in the Pauline Chapel with his Bavarian guests and Vatican of cials. In an impromptu homily, the pope said, I nd myself on the last stretch of my journey in life, and I don t know what is awaiting me. I know, however, that the light of God exists, that he is risen, that his light is stronger than any darkness and that God s goodness is stronger than any evil in this world, and this helps me go forward with certainty, he said. He thanked his deceased parents for his birth, which happened on Holy Saturday, and his baptism another life-giving event the same day, he said. The pope asked whether it was responsible or too unpredictable to simply bring forth new life. While life is a gift, it is surrounded by a larger question, he said. Life becomes a true gift if one can also make a promise, together with (life), that is stronger than any misfortune that can threaten us, that (life) be immersed in a strength that guarantees that it is good to be human, he said. That is why birth must be accompanied by rebirth, or baptism, he said, because it is also being welcomed into a community of faith in Christ that gives CATHOLIC SPIRIT Pope celebrates 85th birthday with Bavarians people the certainty and hope that it truly is good to exist and be alive. The Vatican set up a special address (auguri.benedettoxvi@vatican.va) so well-wishers could send a note marking the pope s birthday and the seventh anniversary of his election April 19. CHILDREN DRESSED in the traditional Bavarian garb greet Pope Benedict XVI with a bouquet of owers during the pontiff s 85th birthday celebrations in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican April 16. (CNS photo by L Osservatore Romano via Reuters)

15 May 2012 GRADUATION A letter from Dr. Ned Vanders, Superintendent of Catholic Schools Dear 2012 Graduates, Bishop Joe Vásquez joins me and the Catholic Schools Of ce in congratulating you on your graduation! The milestone day is upon us. In a few weeks, you will walk across the stage to be given a well-earned document your high school diploma, and more speci cally a Catholic high school diploma. The graduation ceremony is the beginning of a new chapter in your lives. It is our hope that in the years ahead, you will recall fond memories of your teachers, friends, and your days in high school. But most importantly, our desire, as educators and family, is that you leave with a strong foundation of the teachings of Jesus Christ and a the certainty that you will make a difference in the world. As you go forth into the next phase of life and beyond, we are con dent that you will come to realize the gift of your days spent at a Catholic high school and will come to a fuller appreciation with each passing year. We are most grateful to your parents and guardians for entrusting you to us and we pray that each of you are prepared with the faith and academic foundations to sustain you throughout your journey as you move forward to make your dreams reality. You will be greatly missed! May God bless each of you abundantly. Ned Vanders, Ed.D. Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Austin CONGRATULATIONS To the Class of 2012 Graduates of our six Catholic High Schools: Your achievement is a great milestone! Best wishes for the future and may God bless all your future endeavors.

16 16 GRADUATION 2012 St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin CATHOLIC SPIRIT Principal: Kevin Calkins Baccalaureate Mass: St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar Park on June 2 at 7 p.m. with Bishop Joe Vásquez Graduation: St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School on June 3 at 10 a.m. San Juan Diego Catholic High School in Austin Principal: Pam Jupe Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises: May 29 at 6 p.m. at San José Parish in Austin with Bishop Joe Vásquez Congratulations Class of 2012! May the Lord prepare for you a blessed future, guided by the Holy Spirit and strengthened in faith and love. Talk Radio for Catholic Life Prayer Line: Donor/Listener Line:

17 May 2012 GRADUATION 2012 St. Joseph Catholic High School in Bryan 17 Principal: Beatrice Janssen Baccalaureate Mass: May 20 at 11:30 a.m. at Christ the Good Shepherd Chapel in Bryan with Bishop Joe Vásquez Commencement: May 26 at 10 a.m. at Christ the Good Shepherd Chapel in Bryan Reicher Catholic High School in Waco Principal: Arlene Anderson Jones Baccalaureate Mass: May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Louis Parish in Waco with Bishop Joe Vásquez Commencement: May 19 at 2 p.m. in Waco Hall at Baylor University ENTER TODAY FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL TUITION FROM At Catholic school, children learn to shine with a light they carry with them into the world. We would like to help bring that light into your family. Visit the website below to enter to WIN the $1,000 scholarship for Catholic school tuition from Parker School Uniforms. If you are the lucky winner, you ll be able to give this great blessing to the student of your choice. Congratulations to the Class of 2012! 7756 Northcross Dr. #111 Austin, TX Enter today at

18 18 GRADUATION 2012 Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Temple CATHOLIC SPIRIT Principal: Chris Mosmeyer Baccalaureate Mass: May 26 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary Parish in Temple with Bishop Joe Vásquez Graduation: May 26 at 2 p.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic School St. Michael s Catholic Academy in Austin Principal: Sharon Scamardo, M.Ed. Baccalaureate Mass: June 1 at 7 p.m. at Emmaus Parish in Lakeway with Bishop Joe Vásquez Commencement: June 2, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Edward s University Recreation & Convocation Center in Austin Congratulations to the St. Michael s Catholic Academy Class of 2012! Tray Christian Absher-Carrillo Sarah Michelle Allen Andres Raul Alvarez Eri Ramiro Amezcua Cuellar Brianna Nicole Ball Seth Lawrence Blanke Luke Gordon Bohmfalk Amy Marie Breen Reyna Bea Buitron Vanessa Nicole Carrizales Martha Angelica Charur James Anthony Cimino Teresa Maria Cruz Alec Esteban Cudmore Caleb Jackson Dautel Joshua Pete Dautel Jordan Travis Demarest Cody Timothy Dowling Megan Marie Doyle Elizabeth Arista Durkin Chase Henderson Easley Jared Allen Eichler Aylin Elizabeth Eker Phillip Allen Flagg Anthony Jacob Flores William Perry Gigliotti Ryan Lee Griffith Clarencio Ignacio Guerrero Paul S Hamilton Seung Ju Han Ashley Michelle Hancock Stuart G Heinlein Daniel Joseph Henderson Joseph Gabriel Hernandez Theresa Clare Hodapp Sydney Paige Holmes Abigail Cristine Huffman Ashley Nicole Jones Jack Cullen Kiser Megan Elizabeth Lawyer Hyo Jung Lee Alec Smith Lewis Leopoldo Lopez Trevino Cella Ann Mahoney Connor Thomas Malone Meredith Amelia Mancill Marissa Anne Martin Zachary Aaron Mata Jacob Michael Maxin Lauren Lillian McCabe Founded 1984 St. Michael s Catholic Academy is a college-preparatory school founded by laity within the Diocese of Austin to serve a diverse student body. Combining academic excellence with faith formation and co-curricular learning opportunities, St. Michael s prepares the whole student for leadership, service and decisionmaking consistent with Catholic values Barton Creek Blvd. Austin, Texas Conor Elizabeth McClendon Zachary Clark McDonald Kerri Ann McGonigle Ryan Patrick McGonigle Christina M. Mendoza Derrick John Merkel Irene Florence Minderhoud Linsey Niccole Mirtsching Jeffrey North Mitchell Christa Rae Morales Sierra Ashley Mountain Joan Musiimenta Emma Souad Nicolas Ryan James Nolen Anderson Wöerheide Norton Helena Felour Nourzad Radica Vijay Patel Bryce Keaton Peters Alexandra Nicole Petrucci Martin Anthony Prado Timothy Daniel Reech John Andrew Rice Jorge Alejandro Rodriguez Solorzano Patrick Louis Roland Keaton J Ross Benjamin James Russell Allison Haley Saft Gabriela Salinas Christine Elizabeth Samarchi Kyle Aman Sarradet Caroline Joan Schneider Blake Ann Seeker Natali Nicole Sepulveda Taylor Ryan Sexton John Robert Shea Ellen Elizabeth Smith James John Snikeris Madison Marie Solano William Slaughter Stanka Clay Ross Stuart Hannah Kathryn Thompson Carlos Daniel Trejo Martinez Kylie Ann Valentine Dianna Michelle Verduzco Cameron William Waites Theodore Patrick Warhoe Kyle Orris Watson Caitlin Ann Whiteley Vincent D Whitenight Kasey Alexandra Zimmermann

19 May 2012 GOOD NEWS 19 Visiting with the Holy Father about Central Texas B ISHOP JOE S. VÁSQUEZ is the fth bishop of the Austin Diocese. He shepherds more than 500,000 Catholics in 25 Central Texas counties. Editor: Bishop, you just returned to Austin from your trip to Rome for the ad limina visit. What is an ad limina visit? Bishop Vásquez: Yes, I was in Rome for almost two weeks during the middle of March. The ad limina visit is a visit that all bishops make to Rome every ve to seven years. The trip has two primary purposes: to present to the Holy Father a state of the diocese report that gives him an understanding of the faith life in our diocese and to celebrate Mass at the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul. The term ad limina visit (the full term is ad limina apostolorum ) is taken from the Latin to the threshold of the apostles. This is a pilgrimage that is made by bishops to Rome to celebrate Mass at the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul. The ad limina visit expresses the unity between the bishop of a particular diocese with the Holy Father as the successor of Peter. It is also the opportunity for us as bishops to meet with the Holy Father and have a conversation with him about the diocese that we serve and the people we care for. Each bishop presents a quinquennial report, which is basically a state of the diocese. This report describes the different pastoral ministries and activities of the diocese: religious education programs, family life ministries, youth ministries, priestly formation, pro-life activities, social ministries, vocations and Catholic Charities it includes all the different of ces and functions of the diocese. Editor: How was your visit with the pope? Bishop Vásquez: The bishops of Region X of the U.S., which includes the metropolitan provinces of the Archdioceses of Galveston-Houston, San Antonio and Oklahoma City traveled together to Rome. The Diocese of Austin belongs to the metropolitan province of Galveston- Houston, and we met as a province with the Holy Father on March 16. The bishops of Austin, Beaumont, Victoria, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Tyler and Galveston-Houston met with the Holy Father at the same audience. During our visit, we were able to present a theme of importance in our own particular diocese to the Holy Father. I spoke to the Holy Father about our young people. I focused on the strong faith of our youth and of our expanding campus ministry programs. I also discussed the importance of vocations and I mentioned that in our region, and particularly in the Diocese of Austin, there is a BISHOP JOE VÁSQUEZ, center, concelebrates Mass with bishops from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas at the tomb of Blessed John Paul II in St. Peter s Basilica at the Vatican on March 20. (CNS photo by Paul Haring) POPE BENEDICT XVI met with bishops from Texas on their ad limina visits to the Vatican on March 16. (CNS photo by L Osservatore Romano) growing culture of vocations. I have witnessed a hunger in our young people. They are actively seeking God and they are striving to build a relationship with him. This is truly a beautiful thing to behold. The Holy Father was interested in this discussion and was very grateful to hear this news. As we concluded our time with the Holy Father, he communicated to us the importance of the New Evangelization. He encouraged us to present the Gospel message to be fresh and new for this day and this time. Through the New Evangelization, we are called to help people understand how Christ is speaking to them through the Gospel. Editor: The pope celebrated his 85th birthday on April 16. How did he seem as far as his health is concerned? Bishop Vásquez: Yes, Pope Benedict XVI is blessed to have celebrated his 85th birthday last month. I was amazed at how alert and attentive he was to each of us during our visit. The pope was very engaged and he commented on each of the bishops presentations. Being the pope at 85 years of age must be demanding and yet he nds strength from God that allows him to serve the universal church. When I spoke about young people, he said he was pleased to know that our youth are interested in seeking God and in nding God. Let us continue to ask God to watch over the Vicar of Christ and protect him and give him long life. Editor: What else did you do while in Rome? Bishop Vásquez: As I said before, the ad limina trip includes two primary things: the visit with the Holy Father and to celebrate Mass at the tombs of St. Peter and Paul. As bishops, we also visited different of ces and departments of the Roman Curia at the Vatican, known as dicasteries. We visited dicasteries such as the Congregation for the Bishops, Congregation for the Clergy and Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. We also met with various ponti cal commissions to dialogue about questions that we had or issues that they wanted to discuss. It was a very open gathering and through these meetings, we learned much about the faith in other parts of the world and the Vatican of ces learned more about the faith in our part of the world. We have to understand our church is global with many needs and challenges, and yet we form one body of Christ. Editor: As we move forward into the next ve years, what is your prayer for the Austin Diocese? Bishop Vásquez: My prayer is that the Austin Diocese will continue to build upon what God has already given us and we are grateful for his abundant blessings. As a diocese, we are very pro-life, and I pray we may continue to create a culture of life. I also pray that God will continue to bless our efforts to create a culture of vocations. May God strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ so that Central Texas may see the face of Christ more clearly in the eyes of our brothers and sisters. May we proclaim the New Evangelization throughout our diocese so that Christ and his message will be fresh and new and full of hope for our people.

20 20 GOOD NEWS CATHOLIC SPIRIT Ways to live out our Easter joy BY BARBARA BUDDE COLUMNIST The stores have put away their Easter bunnies and all the candy and baskets have been sold. However, we are still in the Easter season and will celebrate the great feast of Pentecost at the end of this month. During Lent we give things up or do extra kindness or spend more time in prayer; but what can we do or what should we be doing during this season? How has the spirit of the Risen Christ taken hold of us and transformed us? What new life is stirring in us and gives witness to others of the Good News of God s love and mercy? Here are a few ideas: Reach out to someone in your parish, at your work or in your neighborhood whom you don t particularly like and get to know them a bit better. Jesus ministry was all about reconciliation. There are those whom we will never like, but knowing more about them might help us to have greater compassion and more openness toward them. I am quite sure that it took some time for the disciples of Jesus to accept Matthew the tax collector (traitor and collaborator with the enemy) as an equal, yet they did. For Easter nd a way to be in community with a Matthew in your world. Read and study the U.S. bishops statement, Our First Most Cherished Liberty, on Religious Liberty at rstmost-cherished-liberty.cfm. In it they make clear that the church cannot and will not obey any unjust law. The bishops cite many examples including the HHS mandate and immigration laws in states like Alabama. Being an Easter people means proclaiming freedom from every form of injustice, including those passed by legislators or mandated by government structures. Practice Faithful Citizenship by participating in elections. Many cities and counties will be holding local elections this month and the state primary elections will be held on May 29. Inform yourself on the issues and vote for the candidates that will promote the values we know will build a just, loving and strong society. Many of our brothers and sisters nd it hard to live in Easter joy because of the circumstances of their lives. Practice solidarity by reaching out to someone who is in need. Contact a local nursing home to see if there are residents with no family nearby and begin to visit them. Commit to working in a local food pantry; join the Society of St. Vincent de Paul or the Ladies of Charity or a ministerial alliance that serves the poor. Contact your parish Gabriel Project and support someone with a crisis pregnancy. Become a mentor or tutor to a child. There are many ways to make a difference by giving the gift of presence. In his rst general audience of the Easter Season, Pope Benedict told pilgrims in St. Peter s Square, Peace was a gift, the gift the risen one made to his friends. At the same time it was a commission: the peace which Christ had bought with his blood was for them, but it was also for everyone else, and the disciples would have to carry it throughout the world. As his disciples today, we are commissioned to bring that peace to our world. What can you do to bring peace to your corner of the world? All of us feel anger, but we don t have to give into it, we don t have to speak violent or hurtful words and we should do everything possible to avoid violent actions. We have an opportunity during this holy Easter Season to model for the world what Easter joy, Easter peace and Easter reconciliation look like by the way we live and act toward one another. Let s relish the great gift of Christ s life that has been given to us, it is better than chocolate and better for us! BARBARA BUDDE is the diocesan director of social concerns. She can be reached at (512) or barbara-budde@ austindiocese.org. Make some space OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY CEMETERY & PRAYER GARDENS...and time for yourself. Franciscan sisters invite you to join other discerning women during Spring 2012 Retreats. Visit Years later, I still The World Needs You. God Calls You. We Invite You.