St. Benedict Cathedral Newsletter — April 2022

St. Benedict

Cathedral

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Save the Date for Our Upcoming Spring Masquerade

F

Annual Event Takes a New Shape

or those of us who enjoy being around friends and socializing, the pandemic has certainly taken its toll. There have been very few in-person events, and opportunities for socialization have occurred through a screen. But we have a chance to put that all aside and gather on Saturday, April 23, for the St. Benedict Cathedral School Spring Masquerade fundraiser.

The annual Mardi Gras event held in February has been replaced by the Spring Masquerade, at least for this year.

Angie Wellmeier is coordinating the event, and she could not be more excited. While this will be her first time attending the event, she has event planning and fundraising experience. The annual gathering was pushed back a few months in hopes there would be less spread of COVID-19.

“We hope that we can provide a nice setting for a night of socializing and fun to help bring members of our parish together as a whole while also raising money for our school,” Angie says. “We hope to provide a fun, relaxed atmosphere for our parish members to reconnect, all while having a nice dinner and engaging in games, activities, and fellowship.”

St. Benedict Cathedral supports the school to help lower tuition costs, and money is also raised throughout the year to cut tuition costs further.

Tuition and the parish subsidy by themselves do not cover all the costs. So, the Spring Masquerade is a way for people to support the school.

continued on back cover

Inside APRIL 2022

2 Divine Mercy Sunday and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy 3 All Things and All People Are Made New 4 Habitat for Humanity: Supporting the Common Good of All 6 The Building and Grounds Committee: Good Stewards of Our Property and Resources

Divine Mercy Sunday and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

I

n the 1930s, Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a Sister of Our Lady of Mercy, received a message from the Lord that she was to live her life as a model of Christ’s merciful love and spread Christ’s mercy throughout the world. She proceeded to offer up all of her personal sufferings in atonement for the sins of others. She kept a diary in which she wrote of God’s mercy, as well as about her special devotion to Mary Immaculate and to the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, which gave her strength. Sr. Faustina’s diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, serves as the handbook for the devotion to the Divine Mercy. In it, we read of the message of mercy that she received from Christ.

On April 30, 2000, Sr. Faustina Kowalska was canonized by Pope John Paul II. Then, on May 23, 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship decreed that “throughout the world, the second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that humankind will experience in the years to come.”

On Divine Mercy Sunday — occurring this year on April 24 — all parishioners are encouraged to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, always remembering and practicing the essential “ABCs” of Divine Mercy: • • •

Ask for mercy Be merciful to others Completely trust in Jesus

How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet “Chaplet” simply refers to the prayers counted on a rosary.

The Lord said to St. Faustina, “You will recite this chaplet on the beads of the Rosary in the following Manner:” Begin with: One Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostle’s Creed On the “Our Father” beads, say: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

On the “Hail Mary” beads, say: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

In conclusion, three times recite these words: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

“I want the whole world to know my infinite mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in my mercy.” — DIARY, 687 2

A Letter From Our Cathedral Rector

All Things and All People Are Made New My Fellow Parishioners:

W

e associate the Easter season with springtime — a time of new life and new beginnings — and Holy Scripture addresses this idea of newness many times. The Lord declares, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).

This idea of being “new” is important to us as Catholics, and it is important to our parish. We need to strive to do this on a regular basis — even on a daily basis. Think of the fact that all was once new.

Regardless of how you view the development of this earth and those of us who occupy it, all was once new.

During this Easter season, we need to retain that idea of being “new.” And being “new” means conversion, and often we are reminded that conversion is at the heart of a life of stewardship.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, “The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life” (654).

In other words, Christ’s Resurrection is the source of our new life — our own future resurrection. St. Paul wrote about it to the Romans (Rom 6:5) — “For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.”

Hope for a new life beginning now and extending on into heaven is the result of Jesus’ Resurrection. What greater grounds for thanksgiving can there be than this Easter hope?

We should sing with joy about God’s promise to us, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5).

St. Paul also wrote (Col 3:1-2), “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.”

Jesus’ Resurrection and His promise of a new life for us means that we need to live in conformity with our status as adopted children of God. How do we show our joy and our gratitude to God for this amazing gift He has given us?

We join in worship and praise God by word and song. We share the Good News of Jesus’ victory over death with our family, friends, and neighbors.

And we offer back to the Lord a portion of the time, talent, and treasure He has entrusted to us.

Yes, the Easter message that we share in the benefits of Christ’s Resurrection indeed makes all things new — the ultimate foundation for all Christian stewardship.

The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Peace,

Very Rev. Godfrey Mullen, OSB Cathedral Rector

3

HABITAT FOR HUMANIT Y : Supp I

n the Gospels, we learn much about the roots of our Catholic social teaching directly from Jesus. He frequently taught the importance of helping the poor and treating everyone with the dignity that is given to them by God. We are called to seek the common good and well-being of all. We are also called to be missionaries in our communities and bring Christ to others outside the walls of our homes and church, providing a living example of what a good Christian life looks like by loving and serving others.

One such program that combines these two important aspects of our faith — the Catholic social teaching of supporting the common good of all, and living a life of stewardship and witness to our faith — is Habitat for Humanity.

Longtime parishioner Steve Titzer is very involved in the Evansville chapter of Habitat

for Humanity — he served as a board member for 28 years and has been a part of the finance committee as well.

“As a CPA (certified public accountant), I was involved in many nonprofits over the years,” Steve says. “Of all of those, Habitat for Humanity stuck with me because of the value that it brings to the community. I have seen firsthand how this program affects the lives of those that it benefits.”

Habitat for Humanity uses a model that doesn’t simply gift a home to a family — they apply for the home and must meet the requirements. The families that live in these homes have a 25-year to 30-year no-interest mortgage. They commit to 300-plus hours of sweat equity working on their own homes, as well as other homes in the community. They attend classes for financial planning and maintaining a home.

Bruce Bryant presenting keys at a home dedication

Bruce Bryant

4

Nancy Traylor and Pat O’Daniel at the home dedication of KaMeka T.

Celebrating the home dedication for KaMeka T.

porting the Common Good of All “We see time and again how this provides a better family environment for the people who move into these homes,” Steve says. “Children’s grades improve along with the quality of life of the families. It is one of the most effective ways to break the cycle of generational poverty. I believe that this is truly where we need to make an impact.”

The Evansville chapter of Habitat for Humanity has built over 500 homes in the area.

Recently, they completed the St. Theresa Place, a 14-lot build site on the former site of the St. Theresa Parish and School. After the closing and tearing down of the church and school, it is a legacy of stewardship for the Catholic community of the area to have a neighborhood of homes for families in need of support. This supports the culture of life and respect for the dignity of all

our communities.

“There are many opportunities to volunteer within the organization,” Steve says. “You can help on the build sites. If you don’t know anything about construction, they will teach you. There are also many opportunities for volunteering with office work or clerical support.

Our volunteer coordinator can help someone find a way to be involved.”

Stewardship begins in the parish and extends beyond the church. Reaching out into our communities to volunteer and serve is what Jesus calls us to do.

“It is our obligation to serve all people no matter their faith or religion,” Steve says. “We have a responsibility to serve all and this is one way to seek them out in a manner that is wellaligned with our Catholic faith.”

Dan Diehl speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony

St. Benedict Cathedral School teachers celebrating the dedication of the home to Tara G. whose son, Eli, is a student at the school

If you would like more information on opportunities to be involved in Habitat for Humanity, please contact the parish office or visit Habitat for Humanity’s local website at evansvillehabitat.org.

5

THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE: G

W

Many of committee’s tasks involve attending to the physical needs of the cathedral, including developing maintenance procedures, establishing capital project and plant requirements, implementing projects, among many others.

6

hile sacramental life and ministry in the parish are of utmost priority here at St. Benedict Cathedral, the physical property and buildings must provide and support the mission of the parish. This is the philosophy of our Buildings and Grounds Committee — to be good stewards of the physical property and resources that allow the community of St. Benedict to promote the sacramental life and mission.

“I became involved with the Building and Grounds Committee shortly after my wife and I joined the parish,” says Andy Howard, Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee here at St. Benedict. “I had been the chair of building and grounds at our previous parish.”

For Andy, it’s essential to recognize and care for the physical needs of the cathedral.

“Our beautiful cathedral has been handed down to us from our previous generations,” he says. “It is our responsibility to hand it down to the next generation in better shape than when we were entrusted with it.”

The mission of the Building and Grounds Committee is to ensure the integrity and long-term viability of the physical properties of St. Benedict Cathedral and to accomplish various duties and responsibilities. Many of the committee’s tasks involve attending to the physical needs of the cathedral, including developing maintenance procedures, establishing capital project and plant requirements, implementing projects, among many others.

“It is important that people feel like they are in a special place when worshiping,” Andy says.

The committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month for an hour or less.

Sometimes members are required to give a bit more time during projects or other specific work-related activities. The only requirement for membership among the

Good Stewards of Our Property and Resources committee is a commitment to promoting the well-being of the physical plant and properties of St. Benedict Cathedral.

“We try to establish a five-year rolling budget on potential projects and prioritize based upon actual need and available funds — this is an ever-changing list,” Andy says.

“We are currently awaiting a new gymnasium roof, which has been delayed due to supply chain issues. We are also looking at some work on the exterior of the rectory. We recently replaced the HVAC on the second floor of the rectory and redid the cafeteria floor.”

“Our beautiful cathedral has been handed down to us from our previous generations. It is our responsibility to hand it down to the next generation in better shape than when we were entrusted with it.”

The Building and Grounds Committee works to support the parish mission and be good stewards of our physical facilities.

— ANDY HOWARD

The Building and Grounds Committee welcomes anyone who is interested in learning more about its work to contact the parish office at 812-425-3369.

7

1328 Lincoln Avenue | Evansville, IN 47714 (812) 425-3369 | www.saintbenedictcathedral.org

Save the Date for Our Upcoming Spring Masquerade continued from front cover

While Angie does not have children at St. Benedict Cathedral School, she sees this event as an excellent opportunity to use her skills to both support the school and the Cathedral parish.

“St. Benedict School is important to me because I see the hard work and effort that is put in each and every day by the teachers and staff to provide a high-quality education while also making it a fun learning environment for

the students,” she says. “I can’t think of too many things that are more important than educating our youth and shaping them to become compassionate human beings!”

Angie looks forward to helping make the Spring Masquerade a successful evening. She can’t wait to bring people back together to relax, have fun and socialize — all to support the work of St. Benedict Cathedral School. It’s all for the kids!

The Spring Masquerade will take in the Atrium at the Old National Bank downtown.

Tickets are $45. Dress is casual, and the event includes dinner, drinks, a live auction and games. As part of the night, money is always collected for a “Fund-a-Need” project at the school. For more information, please visit saintbenedictcathedral.org, or contact Angie Wellmeier in the Parish Office at 812-425-3369, ext. 2, or awellmeier@evdio.org.

LITURGY SCHEDULE

Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m. | Sunday: 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Daily Mass: Tuesday - Saturday 9:00 a.m.

Confessions: Tuesday through Friday 8:40 - 8:55 a.m., Saturday 9:30 - 10:00 a.m. & 3:30 - 4:00 p.m.