St. Benedict Cathedral Newsletter — May 2022

St. Benedict

Cathedral

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Inside

The Adopt-a-Spot Ministry

MAY 2022

Keeping Our Parish Grounds Beautiful and Inviting

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ne thing is for sure — we have a lot of beautiful outside space here at St. Benedict Cathedral. Just take a walk around the grounds, and you will see many beautiful areas with shrubs and flowers.

Importantly, it’s all maintained by volunteers from St. Benedict Cathedral, none of whom are looking for any recognition for their work.

Dennis Lamey and Gene Schmidt coordinate the Adopt-a-Spot Ministry.

Volunteers have chosen one of 15 spots that they maintain. Some volunteers work together or even as a family on their spot. The spots are all over, from the Parish Center and the Rectory to the St. Benedict Cathedral (From left) Gene Schmidt and School and around the cathedral.

Dennis Lamey coordinate the Volunteers are responsible for keeping Adopt-a-Spot Ministry. the area looking nice with mulch, flowers, and plants. Some even maintain their site through the winter. This ministry is a way for those who love landscaping and gardening to use their gifts at the cathedral.

“This is a fulfilling ministry to be part of,” Dennis says. “You can actually see the direct results of your work.”

Dennis and Gene love that people can do their work on their schedules.

That’s a convenient option for those who are busy. For instance, Gene is an adult server and will often do his work after he serves at morning Mass. This ministry is perfect for those who work full time but want to help. continued on page 2

3 The Month of Mary: A Time for Celebration and Joy 4

Children’s Liturgy of the Word Accompanying Our Young Parishioners on the Journey to Christ

6 The College/MilitaryConnect Ministry A New Ministry to Keep in Touch with Young Adult Catholics 7 The Faith Journey of St. Philip Neri Patron Saint of Holy Fun with Young Adult Catholics

The Adopt-a-Spot Ministry Spots aren’t published anywhere, so volunteers do this work quietly without fanfare or recognition. That makes this ministry even more beautiful.

“We do get some nice comments from people,” Gene says. “We try to pass that along to the volunteers and let them know their efforts are appreciated.”

The Adopt-a-Spot Ministry started when Chris Matzen had to step down from working on landscaping. Kelley Knies, the parish administrative assistant, called to see if Dennis and Gene would like to take over. The two men walked around with a map and divided up the grounds. Eventually, they would like to add more spots managed by more volunteers. The group doesn’t meet, but Dennis and Gene hope to add an appreciation event in the future.

“This is a good ministry for those who don’t want to take a lot of credit but do something in the background that is still important,” Dennis says. “You can be with nature and be closer to God.” Both Dennis and Gene enjoy yard work. As neighbors, they can keep tabs on each other and their yards. Dennis grew up attending the cathedral and even helped with some landscaping as a young man. He’s also a Pastoral Council member, an usher, and an adult server.

Before the pandemic, he visited the sick in area hospitals and care facilities.

The Adopt-a-Spot Ministry also saves money for the cathedral because the landscaping doesn’t need to be hired out.

“It’s important to share your talents,” Gene says. “This gives the person a good feeling when you are helping out.”

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This ministry is a way for those who love landscaping and gardening to use their gifts at the cathedral.

If you would like to learn more about the Adopt-a-Spot Ministry, or to discuss covering a spot, please call Dennis Lamey at 812-204-7704 or Gene Schmidt at 812-459-5685.

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Just take a walk around the grounds, and you will see many beautiful areas with shrubs and flowers. Importantly, it’s all maintained by volunteers from St. Benedict Cathedral.

A Letter From Our Cathedral Rector

The Month of Mary:

A Time for Celebration and Joy My Fellow Parishioners:

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n the Catholic Church, we designate a particular devotion for each month — and May is when we honor our Blessed Mother Mary. Thus, this is a good time for us to think about and concentrate on our devotion to the Mother of God. Perhaps we can add a few more Marian prayers to our daily routine. Praying the Rosary might be even more important. Of course, that assumes that daily prayer is part of our daily routine — which it should be.

Our Blessed Mother is important to our faith and our Church.

Her willingness to serve in a way that allowed the Lord to take human form made our salvation a possibility. Because of her complete trust in God, she lived her life free from sin, and after her life, she was assumed into heaven by the power of God and crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

She is, of course, not divine. We worship only our Lord Jesus Christ, but we honor Mary as a saint, and also in many other ways. We honor God when we remember the role of Mary in our salvation. Devotion to Mary always leads to Jesus Christ Himself.

Mary was joyous when she said “yes” to God. That is the kind of joy we need to seek — and we, too, must say “yes” to the Lord. Let us be grateful to Mary for bringing us her Son. This is why we crown her on our Catholic version of Mother’s Day. Through Mary, we are given an invitation into the Catholic fold. Her feminine presence and the safety of her motherhood may help us grow.

For most of us, this time of year is a month of growth in relation to nature. It is difficult not to have May as one of our favorite months for so many reasons. May is a beautiful time. We are called to make it even more beautiful, and we can do that as we serve and love one another.

I am deeply blessed to be your pastor. My priesthood has been a blessing and serving you all has made that blessing even more significant.

I pray for you daily. Please pray for me. God bless you and keep you always.

Peace,

Very Rev. Godfrey Mullen, OSB Cathedral Rector 3

CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD

Accompanying Our Y

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s Isaiah 54:13 says, “All your children shall be taught by the LORD; great shall be the peace of your children.”

Children’s Liturgy of the Word provides a wonderful way for our children to learn about the Lord. Held during 10:30 Sunday Mass, the ministry exists in order to give children in preschool through first grade the chance to encounter the Word of God in a way that speaks to them. It’s part of the parish’s commitment to serving our children by helping them grow in their relationship with the Lord.

“We are helping children to learn the Liturgy of the Word, giving them a chance to engage with one another, to grow in friendship, to learn to pray, and are preparing them to listen to God’s Word when they attend Mass,” says Joy Timmons, who has been involved in this ministry since 2018. “We want the program to be both fun and helpful, and through it to let them know that the Church will always be there for them, offering them grace and wisdom to help them along the way.”

During the program, the Liturgy of the Word is broken down into a simplified form for the children.

“It’s easier for them to learn in that way, and I enjoy experiencing it through their eyes and seeing how they respond,” Joy says.

Each week at Sunday Mass, children are called forward before the Gospel reading and then gather into two age groups in the parish office. They say a prayer and then go through an activity booklet that has the reading for the day, a coloring activity, and a homily. They return to their parents before Communion.

Volunteers rotate through a schedule for leading the activities.

“When you sign up, you are placed on a 4

Joy Timmons with her family

bi-monthly schedule where you are assigned to help every other month,” Joy says. “It’s good for children to hear the Word of the Lord from other people. Depending on where they go to school, perhaps they’ve heard it from a teacher, or once a week from a priest, but when they hear it from another adult it helps them to see that it’s the whole community of parishioners that care about them and their growth in the Church. It’s good for them to experience multiple people, not just the same people, sharing about the Word of God.”

Young Parishioners on the Journey to Christ Additionally, each teacher brings unique personal gifts to the ministry.

In Matthew 19:14, Jesus says, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Seeing how the children come to the Lord in prayer has brought Joy closer to the Lord herself.

“Being around younger hearts and minds is beautiful,” Joy says. “They’re closer to God. It’s beautiful to see kids talk about God and how they perceive God in their life. They are so truthful in their prayers — they are not trying to sway with their words.

“It’s affirming to see through younger eyes,” she adds. “They are grateful for little things — the things that are present every day, such as the flowers outside or their siblings and parents. They’re not thinking of tomorrow, but they’re fresh out of the day and are talking about their morning being so great.”

Joy has witnessed the lasting effect of teaching kids how to pray early and routinely in their lives. As Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train the young in the way they should go; even when

old, they will not swerve from it.” A mother of three, Joy is grateful to see that prayer has remained a bedrock for her eldest daughter, even though, at 20, she’s now out of the house.

“She prays in the morning, and when she gets in her car, and when she goes to bed,” Joy says. “We text each other prayer intentions and Scripture verses.”

Having encountered prayer so much at her school and church while growing up, Joy’s daughter has stayed close to God. In addition to helping little ones understand what’s happening at Mass, Children’s Liturgy of the Word also allows the adults they come with to be able to hear the Word of God and the homily uninterrupted.

This ministry is always looking for more volunteers, including young adults.

“Everybody has a fun take on the Word of God, and a different personality,” Joy says.

“Kids have a fun time being led by different adults. There’s not a lot of preparation required. You’ll receive the booklet with the readings to use and activities for the kids to work on.”

“We are helping children to learn the Liturgy of the Word, giving them a chance to engage with one another, to grow in friendship, to learn to pray, and are preparing them to listen to God’s Word when they attend Mass.” — J oy T immons If you would like to help out or find out more information about this ministry, please contact Joy Timmons at joylitatimmons@yahoo.com or 812-204-0718.

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The College/Military-Connect Ministry

A New Ministry to Keep in Touch with Young Adult Catholics

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e’re with you!

If there was one important message we would want anyone to know as they set out for college or military service, it’s that our parish community is with them in prayer, supporting them in their time away from home, walking with them in faith as we all seek to become stronger, holier, more devoted disciples of Jesus. Welcoming home these students and military personnel is always a great moment.

But how might we connect with them, especially during the trying times of finals or basic training?

At St. Ben’s, we’re launching a double approach to making a connection to the parish continue. If parents or high school seniors will notify the parish office of the place where they’ll be the following school year, we’ll help them 1) be connected to Catholic Campus Ministry on their new campus or with their military chaplain and 2) pair them with a parishioner who is willing to keep in touch and maybe even send a care package every now and then.

Our goal is to help these young people know that St. Ben’s cares, that they have a rightful place in our parish even when they’re away, and to support them with our prayers. In other words, just because they’re away from home doesn’t mean they’re completely missing from the community.

Catholics may believe that this sort of social engagement isn’t part of our life. But Jesus didn’t simply go to the mountain to pray. He walked into the lives of others, many times others he’d never met, and he always brings them the joy of new life. This willingness to correspond, in some ways, is not much different than our Hallmark Ministry, wherein we seek to stay connected with parishioners who can’t make their way to church regularly. And the purpose is the same: to remain

in touch, to continue the relationship of faithful support, to support those who are in need.

The College/Military-Connect Ministry welcomes parishioners who are willing to correspond with our young brothers and sisters to use their talents to continue building the holy web of contact that is so important. If you’re a parishioner who has the time and interest in carrying out this ministry, you can contact the parish office at 812-425-3369 or cathedral@evdio.org to sign up. You may also go to the parish website (www.saintbenedictcathedral. org) and click on “ministries” and then College/ Military-Connect to sign up.

If you are a high school senior in our parish or a parent of a current college student or military personnel, please also contact the parish office or use the website above to engage a young person in the benefits of this ministry.

Relationships sit at the heart of any group, family, or organization. Our parish is no different. We can work together to represent the parish to these young people away from home in a supportive way.

If there was one important message we would want anyone to know as they set out for college or military service, it’s that our parish community is with them in prayer, supporting them in their time away from home, walking with them in faith as we all seek to become stronger, holier, more devoted disciples of Jesus.

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The Faith Journey of St. Philip Neri Patron Saint of Holy Fun

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an a saint have fun on the way to attaining holiness? Many would say that St. Philip Neri definitely fits that bill.

Born in 1515 in Florence, Italy, St. Philip Neri showed his fun side from the time he was a boy. One such incident almost cost him his life. Seeing a donkey loaded with fruit for market, the impulsive and spontaneous little boy jumped on the donkey’s back. Surprised, the donkey lost his footing, and along with the fruit and young Philip, tumbled into a cellar. Miraculously, Philip was unhurt.

Philip’s father struggled financially, so 18-year-old Philip was sent to work with an older cousin who was a successful businessman. During this time, Philip found a favorite place to pray in a spot upon a mountain that had been turned into a chapel.

During these hours of prayer, Philip is said to have decided to leave worldly success behind and dedicate his life to God. Eventually, Philip went to Rome. In 1548, Philip formed a confraternity with other laymen to minister to pilgrims who came to Rome without food or shelter. The spiritual director of the confraternity convinced Philip he could do even more work as a priest. After receiving instruction from this priest, Philip was ordained in 1551.

As a young priest, Philip learned to love to hear confessions. Young men especially found in him the wisdom and direction they needed to grow spiritually.

But Philip began to realize these young men needed something more than absolution — they needed guidance.

So, Philip began to ask the young men to come by in the early afternoon when they would discuss spiritual readings, and then stay for prayer in the evening.

Philip understood it wasn’t enough to tell young people not to do something — you had to give them something to do in its place. So, at Carnival time, when the worst excesses were encouraged, Philip organized a pilgrimage to the Seven Churches with a picnic, accompanied by instrumental music for the midday break. After walking 12 miles in one day, everyone was too tired to be tempted!

Philip was known to be spontaneous and unpredictable, charming and humorous. He seemed to sense the different ways to bring people to God. One man came to the Oratory just to make fun of it. Philip wouldn’t let the others throw him out or speak against him. He told them to be patient, and eventually the man became a Dominican. On the other hand, when he met a condemned man who refused to listen to any pleas for repentance, Philip didn’t try gentle words.

Instead, Philip grabbed the man by the collar and threw him to the ground. The move shocked the criminal into repentance and he made a full confession. continued on back cover

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

The Faith Journey of St. Philip Neri Humility was the most important virtue he tried to teach others, as he continually worked to learn it himself. Some of his lessons in humility seem cruel, but they were tinged with humor — like practical jokes — and were related with gratitude by the people they helped. His lessons always seemed to be tailored directly to what the person needed.

Philip did not escape this spiritual mortification himself. As with others, his own humbling held humor. There are stories of him wearing ridiculous clothes or walking around

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with half his beard shaved off. The greater his reputation for holiness, the sillier he wanted to seem.

But Philip was very serious about prayer. He was so easily carried away that he refused to preach in public and could not celebrate Mass with others around. But when asked how to pray, his answer was, “Be humble and obedient and the Holy Spirit will teach you.”

Philip died in 1595 after a long illness. His feast day is on May 26, just in time to kick off the season of summertime fun.

PRAYER TO ST. PHILIP NERI: St. Philip Neri, we take ourselves far too seriously most of the time.

Help us to add humor to our perspective — remembering always that humor is a gift from God. Amen.

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.