DAILY LOBO new mexico
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wednesday January 29, 2014
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Parishioners pray for Newman Center Vigil protests Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s plans to absorb Aquinas Newman Center by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno
The Rev. Richard Litzau said that a recent decision by the Santa Fe archbishop seeks to improve the parish at his expense. “The challenge is that the archbishop wants to increase the number of diocesan vocations,” he said. “So he decided to assign diocesan priests here. That’s what he’s done, and we have to move.” Litzau, an assistant pastor at UNM’s Aquinas Newman Center, conducted one of his last Masses in the parish Tuesday afternoon during a vigil at the center. Members of the University parish organized the event to “pray that the archbishop will hear us.” On Jan. 20, Santa Fe Archbishop Michael Sheehan announced the archdiocese’s takeover of the parish. The move will force five Dominican priests and brothers to move out of the center by July 1. Chuck Wellborn, a member of the center who helped to organize the event, said that although parish members respect Sheehan’s decision, they wanted to express their dissatisfaction with it. “We’re very unhappy that the archbishop has chosen to come in without any prior discussion with us, probably without any good understanding of what these priests who serve us are all about and what our community is like,” he said. “He has just chosen to say that he wants all of our staff to go away and to put in someone of his own choosing.” Wellborn, who has been a member of the Newman Center since 1959, said the takeover will crack a long-standing tradition. “The Dominicans have run this parish for the last 62 years,” he said. “These priests have been here anywhere from two to five years.”
Ardee Napolitano /Daily Lobo Corrales resident Janis Teal, along with other members of UNM’s Newman Center, holds a lit candle in a prayer vigil on Tuesday afternoon outside the center. About 200 people gathered to demand that Santa Fe Archbishop Michael Sheehan explain his decision which he announced on Jan. 20, that would result in the five Dominican priests leaving the parish. The archbishop’s decision will University because the Dominicans said. He said that at this moment, to dialogue with Archbishop also hurt community members who are experts in interacting with he demands that Sheehan explain Sheehan about his concerns and attend the parish, Wellborn said. students, faculty and staff himself to the center’s members. hopes for the parish so that we “We have four priests and a members. He said the center is one “All we want the archbishop to can develop a strategy to increase brother here and they’re going to of the few Dominican churches in do is to come and talk to us and to vocations without the removal be replaced by only two priests,” New Mexico. let him describe to us why he wants of the Dominicans.” The petition he said. “One of them just got or“Priests can be either just priests to make this change,” he said. “We already has 295 signatures by press dained in the summer. We’re losing of the archdiocese or priests of re- will do whatever he wants in terms time and needs 205 more to attain an awful lot in terms of experience ligious orders,” he said. “We don’t of a program or whatever. Just let us its goal. and knowledge.” have many churches in the state find his needs. We are willing to go But Litzau said he is pessimistic During the vigil, attendees held that are run by religious orders. This out of our way to satisfy his objec- that Sheehan will change his mind. lit candles outside the parish and is one of the most prominent, and it tives, but we want to keep our Do“I’m sad,” he said. “I’m going to delivered prayers, including The will just be like the other churches minican staff.” be assigned to another parish someLord’s Prayer. A Mass was then cel- if the archbishop cannot be conLast week, supporters of the where, and I’ll continue to serve ebrated in the Newman Center. vinced that this is a mistake.” Dominicans in the parish started God. That’s what priests do. They Wellborn said the Newman The parish will respect whatever an online petition at Change.org serve God and preach the Gospel. Center is beneficial for the the archbishop decides, Wellborn that aims to “ask for a meeting But part of my life is moving.”
Project helps to keep soldiers safe UNM alum helped create mannequins for testing by Travis Gonzales news@dailylobo.com @TravGonz08
MRIGlobal /Courtesy Photo An IPEMS robot is fully dressed in standard individual protection ensemble protective gear. For the first time, the military can conduct high-quality and reproducible tests of protective equipment without using a human subject. Photo courtesy of MRIGlobal.
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 118
issue 85
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Death penalty shortages
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A UNM alumnus has led a project to protect American soldiers. MRIGlobal recently announced the end of development for the Individual Protection Ensemble Mannequin System, headed by Mark Abashian, who obtained his M.S. in geochemistry from UNM. “The Individual Protection Ensemble Mannequin System was something that the Department of Defense needed,” Abashian said. Abashian works at MRIGlobal as
senior section manager for Energy, Environmental and Transportation Systems. The purpose of the IPEMS is to protect the war fighter from potentially dangerous chemicals and materials. “They (the Department of Defense) want the capability to be able to safely and scientifically test these individual protection ensembles, which is basically equipment that protects individuals from a harmful substance,” he said. Abashian stressed how MRIGlobal has been able to
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