Holy Family Cathedral Newsletter — November 2021

NOV 2021

In This Issue: 2 Stewardship The Church is More than a Building — It is Our Spiritual Home

3 Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Time

4 Marriage Mentors Ministry: Raising up Faithful Stewards of the Gift of Matrimony

6 The Importance of Loving God More Deeply at Mass

HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL

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MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

The St. Elizabeth Bakers: Sharing Treats and Talents with Parish and Community

Meet Deacon Larry

SCHNEIDER A Life of Joyfully Learning and Promoting the Faith

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he path to becoming a deacon in the Catholic Church requires commitment and a lot of studying and learning.

However, becoming a deacon wasn’t a big jump for Deacon Larry Schneider, who has his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. Learning is something he enjoys, having spent a lot of his life attaining knowledge.

Deacon Larry first became interested in the Catholic Church through apologetics. He and his wife, Dee, were Protestant and had attended churches of several denominations through the years. A retired American Airline pilot, Deacon Larry started to fly internationally and had a little more time to spare — so he took this time to study philosophy.

“I found the arguments against the Catholic faith were really bad,” he says. “I often found myself arguing the Catholic side of arguments.”

So, he decided he better look more into the faith. Deacon Larry, Dee, and their son, Scott, entered the Catholic Church in 2005 at St. Therese Catholic Church in Collinsville.

“I love showing people who think you can’t be reasonable

Deacon Larry Schneider and his wife, Dee

and believe in God, that yes you can,” Deacon Larry says. “I am always interested in defending the faith.”

The Catholic faith answered a lot of theological questions that Deacon Larry had when he was Protestant. He went on to study for the diaconate and was ordained in 2014.

Following ordination in 2014, Dcn. Larry was assigned to St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Owasso, Oklahoma where he served until he was assigned to Holy Family Cathedral in August.

Since his retirement from the airline about four years ago, Deacon Larry has kept himself busy with deacon duties and studying philosophy, science, and other topics. He also continues his study of apologetics, always interested in arguments to defend the church.

Deacon Larry also obtained a master’s degree in theology, continued on back cover

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HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL STEWARDSHIP The Church is More than a Building — It is Our Spiritual Home

W

here do you go to church? We’ve all answered that question hundreds of times before. But have you ever stopped to think about what it truly means?

“I go to our parish,” is the usual response, and rightly so, because we do “go to” the church to celebrate Mass together.

But as Catholics and as stewards of God’s gifts, the Church is much more than a building within which we worship. The Church, as we understand it, is the universal body of believers, the society that Christ established to help us grow in holiness, to bring us closer to Him through the giving of our time, talent, and treasure, and to lead the world to the truth.

Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He commissioned the disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19-20). That is the Church’s mission in the world today — to make disciples of all nations, to bring all men to Christ.

Our parish plays a key part in that. As members of our parish, we are local representatives of the universal Church.

Together, as members of this parish family, we work to carry out the Church’s mission on a local level. We worship the Lord at Mass, offering Him our praise and thanksgiving, and then we go forth on a mission to make disciples — to encourage our fellow parishioners in their lives of faith and to bring unbelievers into knowledge of the truth.

In addition to being a “local representation of the universal

Church,” the parish is much like a family. We are communal beings, and we are created to live with others. So, as Catholics, we are members of the Church and, on a more immediate level, of the parish. As such, we gather together for the Eucharistic meal and we grow in faith together throughout the week, supporting one another through our participation in many parish ministries, through prayer, and through the friendships that many of us share.

In a letter written to parish priests throughout the nation, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explained the important place of the parish in the lives of Catholic faithful: “The parish is a privileged place to announce the Word of God. It includes a variety of forms and each of the faithful is called to take an active part, especially with the witness of a Christian life and the explicit proclamation of the Gospel to non-believers to lead them to the faith, or to believers to instruct them, confirm them and encourage them to a more fervent life.”

So, we ought to feel truly blessed to be a part of this parish family. We ought to make a conscious effort to be actively involved, to build relationships with our fellow parishioners, and to celebrate the Mass together as often as possible — most especially every Sunday. We are then bound to grow closer to others, to grow deeper in faith and closer to Christ.

Then, together as a parish family, we are bound to proclaim the Gospel to others, inviting them to a life of discipleship, thereby, building the kingdom of God.

As members of our parish, we are local representatives of the universal Church. Together, as members of this parish family, we work to carry out the Church’s mission on a local level.

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NOV 2021

A Letter from Our Rector

Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Time

Dear Parishioners,

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he next several weeks are certainly a busy time for us as Catholics, good stewards, good citizens, and faithful members of the Church and our parish. There are celebrations and commemorations both inside and outside the Church that are momentous in terms of faith, citizenship, and living as people of thanksgiving and gratitude.

We celebrate Veterans Day to honor and thank all those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces in one capacity or another. Indicative of the importance of this day, every year at 11 a.m. Eastern, the President of the United States lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

We all understand that Americans celebrate a day of Thanksgiving on Nov. 25. What more can we say about this? It is a day that was based in faith from its very beginnings, and it is an indication of how much we have to thank God for in terms of the gifts we have received — our lives, our families, our Church, our Lord and Savior — everything we are and everything we have.

No sooner are Thanksgiving Day celebrations concluded, than we begin that glorious season called Advent on Sunday, Nov. 28. This prepares us for and leads to Christmas. Indeed, this is both a busy and extraordinary time of year! There is,

of course, much more on which we could focus and about which we could think, meditate and pray, but that is more than enough for us to consider and absorb.

From a stewardship perspective, I would like you to not only participate and focus on all the particular things that are about to happen but also on one of our special gifts — the gift of time. The gift of time, which we all receive from God in equal amount, is precious because it is a non-renewable resource. Although some of our time is committed because of family responsibilities, work responsibilities, or simply personal needs, we have an element of freewill with how we spend a certain amount of it. We need to spend some of that time in prayer, in thanksgiving, in worship, and in works of mercy and ministry. Our time is perhaps more precious than any material gifts we receive from the Lord. How are we doing with that gift?

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Very Rev. Gary D. Kastl Rector

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HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL

Marriage Mentors Ministry: Raising up A

Alondra and Phillip Griffith on their wedding day, July 31, 2021

s members of Holy Family Cathedral, we are truly blessed to belong to a parish that realizes the profound value of the Christian family, which is the basic cell of all of society, and the building block upon which Mother Church rests. This past January, our rector Fr. Kastl initiated a beautiful ministry to provide support for the Sacrament of Matrimony — the Marriage Mentors Ministry.

“Marriage is the biggest commitment most people will make in a lifetime,” Deacon J. Thomas says. “Holy Family Cathedral feels strongly that we have a duty to assist young couples to be well prepared to live out the commitment to the marital promises they are planning to make. Marriage Mentors are seasoned married couples who offer formation from their lived experience of the sacrament. Not only does this provide the engaged couple with formation that is rooted in reality, but it also allows for true community and care to emerge.”

Fr. Kastl founded Marriage Mentors when he sensed that there was a need for uniformity and depth to our parish’s marriage preparation program, which previously only included an Engaged Encounter retreat, a Natural Family Planning course, the FOCCUS Inventory, and meetings with our parish priest.

Marriage Mentors meet with engaged parishioners preparing for marriage at least five times prior to their wedding. They help the couples come to a deeper appreciation of God, of themselves, and of their fiancé through topic-driven conversations. It is currently being coordinated by Deacon J. Thomas, who also serves as a continued on page 5

“We hope and pray that the ministry demonstrates our support and love for the young people of the parish as they enter into marriage. We want to build community across generations.

We pray we help the couple begin their marriage on a solid foundation of truth and honesty that translates to a long and happy marriage rooted in the Catholic faith. The family is the domestic church and the building block of society. We must do everything we can as Catholics to strengthen and support Catholic marriage and the family.” — Deacon J. Thomas

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NOV 2021

p Faithful Stewards of the Gift of M atrimony mentor couple with his wife, Kelsie, our Faith Formation Coordinator.

“Fr. Kastl understands how important preparation is to the discernment of marriage and how valuable a solid foundation rooted in the Church is needed in our society today,” Deacon J. Thomas says. “In a sense, by offering this ministry, we are being stewards of the Sacrament of Matrimony. Mentoring engaged couples is a gift of our time.”

By meeting with the couples, the mentors help them comprehend God’s design for marriage and family life.

“The first meeting is a dinner in our home with our family,” Deacon J. Thomas says. “We want them to see us in our natural environment with our children and get a sense of where we are coming from. After that, the meetings vary in format, and each mentor couple does what works best for them. We want couples to understand what God intends for marriage — that its ultimate end is to help each other grow in holiness and become saints in heaven while showing the world the love of Christ.”

As stewards of this beautiful grace-filled sacrament, the mentors help establish a firm foundation for family life in our parish community.

“We hope and pray that the ministry demonstrates our support and love for the young people of the parish as they enter into marriage,” Deacon J. Thomas says. “We want to build community across generations. We pray we help the couple begin their marriage on a solid foundation of truth and honesty that translates to a long and happy marriage rooted in the Catholic faith. The family is the domestic church and the building block of society. We must do everything we can as Catholics to strengthen and support Catholic marriage and the family.”

Ultimately, those who help make this ministry a success find themselves abundantly blessed in return.

“Over the last 22 years of our marriage, we have seen that during the times we are volunteering to help with a marriage program, we witness our own marriage improve and grow the most,” Deacon J. Thomas says. “Personally, the mentoring program is a great blessing to us and our children.

Our children not only see how important marriage is to us and the Church, but they also see how serious the process of discernment and preparation should be taken.”

Alondra and Phillip Griffith (center) with their Marriage Mentors, Erik and Meghan Grayless

Couples who are interested in helping out as Marriage Mentors may contact Fr. Kastl through the parish office at 918-582-6247 or frkastl@tulsacathedral.com.

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The Importance of Loving God

More Deeply at Mass

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hen young people see a person that intrigues them, that attraction becomes the topic of conversation at every opportunity. This attraction alters behavior so that we become enthralled with the other and desire to share our enthusiasm.

Imagine if we were more enthralled with the presence of Christ in our lives.

Imagine if we fully recognized that Christ is truly present to us in His precious Body and Blood, and present as well in the proclamation of His Word and in the gathering of our community, praying and singing (see Sacrosanctum Concilium [Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy], para. 14). Recognizing the living Christ in all these ways would awaken in us the desire to be with the One who is the object of our most fundamental, pure, and holy attraction to our merciful, loving, and gracious Savior.

If we were to recognize the presence of Christ in these beautiful ways, wouldn’t our desire to be more completely in His presence increase? Surely our desire to be better stewards of our time with the Lord would grow. Our attention to the readings and other prayers of the Mass would bring about within us deeper communion with the One who suffered and died for us. If I recognized that God is the answer to all my pangs of hunger, that Christ is my way to the Father, and that the Holy Spirit works to convert my heart and soul every day, would I not seek to fill that hunger at the banquet of the Lamb?

While active participation in Sunday Mass is an obligation for Catholics, we also will do well to see the lovely, motherly care the Church shows us in

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establishing that requirement. The Code of Canon Law states clearly in paragraph 1247, “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.” Sometimes, we might hear that as an overbearing rule.

But it might more correctly be understood as our Mother, the Church, helping us learn what is best for us. At Mass, we hear the living Word of God proclaimed.

He speaks to us. We receive as hungry, needy sinners, the precious Body and Blood of Christ. We encounter Christ’s living presence in our brothers and sisters worshiping God with us. If we truly understood that amazing truth, then how might it affect our lives? How might it affect our relationships? How might it impact our decision to bring our children along to Mass? How might it awaken within us a deeper attraction, fascination, desire for the Lord?

Generally, when we find ourselves fascinated with someone, we do not decide to spend as little time as possible with them. We do not ration our time with them. We want to spend time with them, to see them, to listen to them, to get to know them, to develop a healthy, loving relationship with them.

Considering our reliance on the Lord of life and love, our fascination with His mercy, His goodness, His willingness to call us to Himself, maybe we should ask ourselves about what happens in us at Mass. As I prepare to come to Church, do I find my mind turning to a receptive welcome of the Lord, just as I’ll be welcomed at the door of Church? Have I dressed for the important weekly (or daily) moment of meeting my King? Do I expect some profound wisdom from God in the readings? Am I open to correction, to challenge, to affirmation in the readings of God’s Word? Do I intently pray along with the priest presider throughout the Mass? Do I make an offering of my life, along with the bread and wine? Do I genuinely hunger for the Body and Blood of Christ? And do I long for that blessing that sends me on my way with the mission to build the Kingdom?

Instead of worrying about what “counts” when it comes to Sunday Mass, maybe we should work hard at fostering our love for the Eucharist, our desire for eternal life, our attraction to the Master who calls us into a life of active discipleship. Instead of a merely heavy-handed requirement, maybe we can see more clearly that being at Mass together helps nourish us for a whole week of building God’s Kingdom. Coming with those expectations, desires, and hopes, leaving early when unnecessary would disappear as a temptation instantly. Coming late because other things have taken priority would not typically happen, other obligations notwithstanding. Christ desires our company at Mass, from beginning to end. Let’s draw near to Him.

NOV 2021

The St. Elizabeth Bakers: Sharing Treats and Talents with Parish and Community

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f you have a passion and love for baking, there is an exciting ministry for you here at Holy Family Cathedral.

St. Elizabeth Bakers, founded with the Stewardship Renewal in 2020, was established to provide baked goods for different events at the church. Some of these events have included Fr. Carvajal’s farewell reception, providing treats at the ministry fair, and desserts at adult faith formation events including Wednesdays at the Cathedral.

Parishioners make the cookies or bars at home and bring them to the church for the events. This ministry has also been hosting baking events in the parish kitchen.

“With the Elevate Renovation, the kitchen is much more functional and we received an industrial mixer as well,” says Kathleen Hobbs, head of this ministry within the parish. “We can use the ovens and equipment. We have even used separate mixers to accommodate allergies and food sensitivities.”

The baking events have seen as many as 15 people attending and helping. So far, two of the bake-offs have occurred on weeknights and one on the weekend. The idea of offering different days and times is to keep things flexible so more people can join in.

“I think it would be great if we had more people attend,” Kathleen says. “Even if you can’t make it to every event, just dropping in for a bit can lessen the workload for everyone.”

Being involved in a ministry like this is a great way to provide for the church in a simple manner. The fellowship is an important aspect of this group.

“It is great to see the different roles that the volunteers take on to accomplish our goals,” Kathleen says. “It is wonderful to see them step in and see how they help and get things done. We have a wonderful time while we do it too.

We have great conversations as a group and with each other.

It is a feeling of family to share that time in the kitchen and

create those memories with the other members of the parish in service of others.”

In addition to building community and friendships, being involved in this ministry is a service to the parish, allowing parishioners to use their talents and do something they enjoy while also serving Christ.

“It is truly about the hospitality,” Kathleen says. “You can really engage someone with delicious food that is provided in a communal environment. It helps to make our parish all the more welcoming.”

If you would like to join St. Elizabeth Bakers, please contact Kathleen Hobbs at jkhobbs21@gmail.com.

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PO Box 3204 • Tulsa, OK 74101-3204 (918) 582-6247 • tulsacathedral.com

Deacon Larry Schneider with a concentration in bioethics, in conjunction with the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

“I am fond of teaching, and I like the teaching opportunities being a deacon gives me,” he says. “But my favorite is Baptisms.

It’s wonderful, bringing new people into the life of Christ, especially little babies.”

As Deacon Larry becomes more acquainted with the Cathedral, he looks forward to meeting more parishioners. He has felt very welcome by all parishioners, priests, and the other deacons. He looks forward to helping with Becoming Catholic (RCIA) and the Wednesdays at the Cathedral program.

“I love being able to serve,” Deacon Larry says. “I am not an extroverted person. This enables me to come out of my shell more than I otherwise would.”

continued from front cover

“I love showing people who think you can’t be reasonable and believe in God, that yes you can. I am always interested in defending the faith.”

— Deacon Larry Schneider