July 2020 - Vol. 55. No. 7

SERVING THE CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI

South Texas

Catholic

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ON THE

VOL. 55 NO. 7 Publisher Bishop Michael Mulvey, STL DD

COVER

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Deacon David Brokke processes out of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit on April 13, 2019 after he is ordained a transitional deacon.

Tim Fuller | for South Texas Catholic

Director of Communications Julie Stark jstark@diocesecc.org

Theological Consultant Ben Nguyen, JD/JCL. BNguyen@diocesecc.org Communications Specialist Elizabeth Morales Correspondents Jesse De Leon and Rebecca Esparza

16 Gloria Romero | For STC

Managing Editor Mary Cottingham MCottingham@diocesecc.org

Translator/Correspondent Gloria Romero

Manage Subscriptions If you or someone you know would like to receive the South Texas Catholic Contact us at (361) 882-6191 555 N Carancahua St, Ste 750 Corpus Christi TX 78401-0824 stc@diocesecc.org

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Calendar Items

Submit your announcements by using our online form, e-mail, mail or drop it off at the Chancery office. Only announcements for the month of publication will be included in the print edition, if space permits. All other calendar items will appear on the magazine or diocesan websites.

The South Texas Catholic is not liable or in any way responsible for the content of any advertisement appearing within these pages. All claims, offers guarantees, statements, etc. made by advertisers are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Deceptive or misleading advertising is never knowingly accepted. Complaints regarding advertising should be made directly to the advertiser or to the Better Business Bureau.

(USPSN 540-860) Published quarterly, beginning August 2020, by the Diocese of Corpus Christi for $25 per year. Periodical postage paid in Corpus Christi, Texas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to South Texas Catholic, 555 N Carancahua St, Ste 750, Corpus Christi, TX 78401-0824.

Keep up with the faith at www.SouthTexasCatholic.com

Kathryn Gulding and five of her eight children sit quietly during an adoration hour at the Feast of Corpus Christi. Her other three are singing with their dad in the choir loft. Find out more about this remarkable family on page 16.

FROM THE BISHOP 4 MESSAGE Bishop Michael Mulvey announces the South Texas Catholic will now be quarterly periodical beginning in August.

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VOCATIONS Seminarians’ summer assignment involves outreach

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 13 Planning for a safe return to school

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NEWS BRIEFS Feast day proved solemn, powerful

NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE 21 Blessing and dedication of Shalom Place NEWS 25 NATIONAL ‘Soft despotism’ of anti-Catholicism on the rise, USCCB religious liberty chair warns

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VATICAN NEWS Pope Francis urges Catholic media to help young tell good from evil M AY T H E Y A L L B E O N E | J U LY 2 0 2 0 | S O U T H T E X A S C AT H O L I C

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MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP

Dear sisters and brothers,

I

want to let you know that starting August 2020, the South Texas Catholic will begin publishing as a quarterly magazine with Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer issues. Each edition will focus on a theme.

This new format will offer a strong emphasis on evangelization to lead the reader to an encounter with Christ and a clear understanding of the Gospel and our Catholic faith.

The Fall issue will focus on Fighting Racism, based on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) 2018 pastoral letter against racism, “Open Wide Our Hearts, the Enduring Call to Love.” It will feature other articles ranging from the dignity of the human person to holy friendships.

Other standard features that will be a part of this quarterly magazine are Jesus Said – a look at readings from the Gospel and explanations; Catholic Schools, Prayer, Being A Witness to Love – focused on marriage; and Spread the Light – accompanying young people on their journey of faith; and Vocations.

Another feature will bring important news from the Diocese and from around the world, including news and events of the Holy Father.

The South Texas Catholic website (www.southtexascatholic.com) will now exclusively feature Diocesan up-to-date news and events. You will also be able to view and read the quarterly issues and archived issues of the South Texas Catholic online. It is my sincere hope that this new quarterly publication schedule will be well received by all our readers and that the South Texas Catholic website will assist you to be in tune with the life of the Church.

May God bless and give you peace, +Most Rev. Michael Mulvey, STL, DD Bishop of Corpus Christi

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MENSAJE DEL OBISPO

Queridas hermanas y hermanos:

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uiero hacerles saber que a partir de agosto del 2020; el South Texas Catholic iniciará su publicación como revista cuatro veces al año con ediciones de otoño, invierno, primavera y verano. Cada publicación tendrá un tema central. Este nuevo formato busca enfatizar en la evangelización, con la intención de conducir al lector a un encuentro con Cristo y a una comprensión clara del Evangelio y de nuestra fe católica.

La edición de otoño se centrará en combatir el racismo, con base en la emisión de la carta pastoral de 2018, de la Conferencia de los Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB) en contra del racismo, “Abre nuestros corazones, a perseverar en el amor”. También presentará artículos con temas comunes a la revista, que van desde la dignidad de la persona humana hasta las amistades sagradas.

Algunos de los temas regulares que formarán parte de esta revista trimestral son: Jesús dijo - un vistazo a las lecturas del Evangelio y a sus explicaciones; las Escuelas Católicas, la Oración, Ser Testigo del Amor - enfocado en el matrimonio; y difundir la Luz - acompañando a los jóvenes en su viaje de fe; y Vocaciones. Otros artículos traerán noticias importantes referentes a la Diócesis y a todo el mundo, incluyendo noticias y eventos sobre el Santo Padre.

El sitio de internet del South Texas Catholic (www.southtexascatholic.com) ahora presentará exclusivamente noticias y eventos diocesanos actualizados. También podrá ver y leer los números trimestrales y los números archivados del South Texas Catholic.

Espero sinceramente que este nuevo calendario de publicaciones trimestrales sea bien recibido por todos nuestros lectores y que el sitio web del South Texas Catholic, les ayude a estar en sintonía con la vida de la Iglesia.

Que Dios le bendiga y le de paz +Reverendísimo Michael Mulvey, STL, DD Obispo de Corpus Christi

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Mission and family inspires De

By Jesse De Leon

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Correspondent

or Deacon David Brokke, SOLT family has always been an integral part of his life. The youngest of four children, the Baltimore, Maryland native, grew up in a home filled with love and packed with a nonstop flurry of activity that comes from having three older siblings. Symbolically, it was also in this setting that seeds of spiritual growth were calling him to a vocation to the priesthood.

As Deacon Brokke looks to his upcoming ordination, he takes a little time to reflect on how family, faith, and an extraordinary sense of community, led him to the sacrament of Holy Orders.

“My dad asked me how I felt about the priesthood early on,” Brokke recalls, adding, “I admit I felt I heard saintly whispers, but as you can imagine, I was still unsure about it.”

Undeterred, Brokke became involved in various church activities, which led him to search for a deeper understanding of his faith. In high school, he traveled to Jamaica as a missionary, a decision that he said had a profound effect on his spiritual journey.

“Through that experience of talking to the people I met about Christ and what he meant to me, I realized that I did have a desire to teach others about Jesus and the Church,” Brokke said.

That trip as a missionary set the stage for his future, and he was eager to continue to travel and work with different people in various parts of the world.

As he logged more miles and embraced different cultures, he made another important discovery when he volunteered for the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) mission in Belize.

For three years, he taught high

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school religion at the SOLT mission.

During that time, Brokke became acutely aware of the inner workings of the Holy Spirit and discovered he was being used by God to make a difference in the lives of the people he encountered on his journeys.

“Through teaching the kids about Christ and seeing them receive the sacraments of confession and Communion, I felt like these were my happiest moments,” he said. “I felt like the Lord was knocking on the door of my heart, calling me to become a priest.”

Deacon Brokke admits he initially did not know how to respond to what the Lord was asking of him.

He always believed in God, but as he prayed about his decision, his reflection led him to the profound discovery that God has a personal love for each one of us. That revelation made him fall in love with his faith even more deeply.

Recalling an experience with Jesus in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, he remembers that he was filled with such peace, love and joy that he thought, “how can I not want to share him with others?”

Brokke entered the seminary in 2012 in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Once he began his studies, he heard another call, connecting him to one of his early experiences as a missionary with his newfound vocation.

He felt like the Lord was calling him back to mission work, and he joined the SOLTs in 2013, made First Profession in 2014, and began attending Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He graduated last April of 2019.

Deacon Brokke has been serving as director of religious education, assistant youth minister, and assistant RCIA coordinator, as well as deacon for St. Joseph Parish in Corpus Christi since August of 2019. He is

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In the forefront, Deacon David Brokke prays during his diaconate ordination at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit on April 13, 2019.

happily anticipating his ordination and upcoming assignment in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

In reflecting on his experiences

Tim Fuller | for South Texas Catholic

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acon Brokke to answer the call

and the people he met over the years, Deacon Brokke said he is incredibly thankful for his dad Vernon, mom Gwendolyn, sisters Emily, Alison, and

brother Vernon and their continued love and support. “When I told them that I wanted to be a priest, my family was happy, shocked, but not at all

surprised,” he said.

Deacon Brokke will be ordained a priest on July 18 at 9 a.m. in Corpus Christi Cathedral.

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† VOCATIONS

Seminarians’ summer assignment involves outreach

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South Texas Catholic

ight seminarians from the Diocese of Corpus Christi are living out their pastoral summer assignments by accompanying parish youth ministers, volunteers, and teens in growing a personal relationship with Christ. The assignment includes hands-on small group ministry to teens.

Bishop Michael Mulvey sent Michael Golla seminarians (two-by-two) to serve four local parishes, some on the periphery of the diocese, based on the example set

by Jesus with his apostles. The seminarians, youth ministers, and volunteers have been implementing a diocesan program, “Evangelizing Young People, Formation & Practicum for Seminarians” initiated by the diocese and crafted by former Youth Director Zachary Everett.

During these ten weeks, Luis Lozano, Jr. which began June 1 and will end July 31, the eight seminarians meet with youth ministers and volunteers every Wednesday using GoToMeeting. They are presented with a topic and participate in open dialogue. They are essentially running a small group in relational ministry.

The seminarians and parishes participating in this diocesan program are: Michael Golla and Raymond Pendleton assigned to Father Paul Hesse at St. Pius X Ruben Riojas Parish; Luis Lozano, Jr. and Jim Craig assigned to Father Bill Marquis at Our Lady of Refuge Parish in Refugio; Ruben Riojas and Matthew Perales assigned to Father Chris Becerra at St. Joseph Parish in Alice; and Carlos De La Rosa and Javier Palacios, Jr. assigned to Father Raju Thottankara at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Calallen.

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The first topic for discussion was: “The importance of prayer.

Praying with and for your teens,” presented by St. Philip the Apostle Youth Minister Mary Maldonado. Maldonado defined prayer as “a response to the Holy Spirit prompting.

I keep it very simple,” she said.

Giving her testimony, she spoke on the different ways she learned to pray and her own experience with different prayer groups.

Raymond Pendleton “Any good formation must include prayer,” Everett added.

The second topic, “How to conduct a small group,” presented by Birgit Oberhofer, campus youth minister from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, offered many insights and related her experiences working in small groups. Her talk included the origin of small group ministry based on Christian theology, psychological benefits of small groups in relaJim Craig tional ministry, and Pope Francis’ call in “Joy of the Gospel,” to accompany people, become close, and offer friendship.

The third topic, “Who are we called to minister to and what is their lived reality?” was presented by Everett. His talk described generational differences in today’s youth versus that of his generation, the millennials. One example includes the rise of ‘nones’ – those who consider themselves unaffiliated Matthew Peralas with any religion. “Youth ministry is hard; it’s difficult; it is challenging. We have to push each other out of our comfort zone,” he said. “We need to meet them [youth] where they’re at.”

In addition to these topics, future summer topics for small group ministry formation include: “How to proclaim the Gospel

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GoTo Meeting discussion ‘How to conduct a small group’ on June 17.

to teens and adults;” “The art of not answering questions;” “Common difficulties for small groups;” “Integrating service and community into your small group;” and “Beyond small groups.”

Also, in the adult small group formation, each seminarian, accompanied by an adult volunteer, is responsible for conducting his own small group of four to six high school teens. Part of their Carlos De La Rosa ministry is to help recruit, train and mentor these adult leaders from the parish, who will hopefully continue this small-group youth ministry after the men have returned to seminary.

Each parish will choose the curriculum they prefer (i.e., Life teen, Focus, ALPHA, etc.). With the help of the volunteer adults,

they will prepare the sessions, including questions, for the teens.

Depending on the situation of the pandemic and the comfort level of the parents and pastor, each group may decide to meet either in person or virtually – it’s up to the parish.

Besides the youth ministry practicum, the eight seminarians also participate in weekly on-line formation in the areas Javier Palacios of evangelization and discipleship. The seminarians meet virtually with Vocation Director Bob Cummings using Sherry Weddell’s “Forming Intentional Disciples.” Topics include “How to Evangelize” and “How to help people have a relationship with Christ.”

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La tarea de verano para los seminaristas, implica obtener un alcance formativo para jóvenes y adultos South Texas Catholic

“Y convocó a sus doce discípulos y comenzó a enviarlos de dos en dos, dándoles autoridad para expulsar a los espíritus malignos” (Mk 6: 7).

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cho seminaristas de la Diócesis de Corpus Christi viven sus tareas pastorales de verano acompañando a los ministros de la juventud, a voluntarios y adolescentes parroquiales para crecer en una relación personal con Cristo. La asignación incluye un ministerio práctico para grupos pequeños de adolescentes.

El obispo Michael Mulvey envió a los seminaristas (de dos en dos) para servir a cuatro parroquias de la localidad, algunas de ellas, en la periferia de la diócesis, de acuerdo al modelo dado por Jesús con sus apóstoles. Los seminaristas, los ministros de jóvenes y los voluntarios han estado implementando un programa diocesano, “Evangelizando a la Juventud: Formación y Práctica para los Seminaristas”, iniciado por la diócesis y elaborado por el ex director juvenil Zachery Everette.

Durante estas diez semanas, que comenzaron el 1 de junio y finalizarán el 31 de julio, los ocho seminaristas se reúnen con ministros de la juventud y voluntarios, todos los miércoles usando el programa virtual - GoToMeeting -. Se les presenta un tema y participan en un diálogo abierto. Básicamente están dirigiendo un pequeño grupo relacionado con el ministerio.

Los seminaristas y las parroquias que participan en este programa diocesano son: Michael Golla y Raymond Pendleton asignados al Padre Paul Hesse en la Parroquia de St. Pius X; Luis Lozano, Jr. y Jim Craig asignados al Padre Bill Marquis en la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Refugio en Refugio; Ruben Riojas y Matthew Perales asignados al Padre Chris Becerra en la Parroquia de St. Joseph en Alice; y Carlos De La Rosa y Javier Palacios, Jr. asignados al Padre Raju Thottankara en la Parroquia de San Pedro Apóstol en Calallen.

El primer tema de discusión fue: “La importancia de la oración. Orar con y por sus adolescentes”, presentada por la Ministro de la Juventud de San Felipe Apóstol Mary Maldonado. Maldonado definió la oración como “una respuesta al impulso del Espíritu Santo. Lo mantengo muy simple ”, dijo.

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Al dar su testimonio, habló sobre las diferentes formas en que aprendió a orar y a su propia experiencia con diferentes grupos de oración. “Cualquier buena formación debe incluir la oración”, agregó Everette.

El segundo tema fue, “Cómo conducir un grupo pequeño”, presentado por Birgit Oberhofer, ministro de la juventud en el campus de la Universidad de Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, ofreció muchas ideas inspiradoras, relacionadas a sus experiencias de trabajo con grupos pequeños. Su charla incluyó el origen del ministerio de grupos pequeños basado en la teología cristiana, los beneficios psicológicos de los grupos pequeños en el ministerio relacional y el llamado del Papa Francisco en “Alegría del Evangelio”, para acompañar a las personas, acercarse a ellas y ofrecerles amistad.

El tercer tema fue, “¿A quienes estamos llamando a administrar el ministerio y cuál es su realidad de vida?” fue presentado por Everette. Su charla describió las diferencias generacionales en la juventud de hoy frente a las de su generación, los milenios.

Un ejemplo incluye el surgimiento de los “nos”, aquellos que se consideran no afiliados a ninguna religión. “El ministerio juvenil es un ministerio difícil; representa un desafío. Tenemos que empujarnos unos a otros fuera de nuestra zona de confort”, dijo. “Necesitamos reunirnos con ellos [con los jóvenes] en los sitios donde ellos están”.

Además de estos temas, los futuros temas de verano para la formación del ministerio en grupos pequeños incluyen: “Cómo proclamar el Evangelio a adolescentes y adultos”; “El arte de no responder preguntas”; “Dificultades comunes para grupos pequeños”; “Integrar servicio y comunidad en su pequeño grupo”; y “Más allá de los grupos pequeños”.

Además, en la formación de grupos pequeños para adultos, cada seminarista, acompañado por un adulto voluntario, es responsable de dirigir su propio grupo pequeño de cuatro a seis adolescentes de -high school-. Parte de su ministerio es ayudar a reclutar, entrenar y guiar a estos líderes adultos de la

† VOCACIÓNES

parroquia, quienes que con suerte, continuarán con éste ministerio juvenil en grupos pequeños, después de que los hombres hayan regresado al seminario.

Cada parroquia elegirá el plan de estudios que prefiera (por ejemplo: Life teen, Focus, ALPHA, etc.). Con la ayuda de los adultos voluntarios, prepararán las sesiones, incluyendo preguntas para los adolescentes.

Dependiendo de la situación de la pandemia y del nivel de comodidad de los padres y del pastor, cada grupo puede decidir

Ayudenos a Prevenir el Abuso Financiero

Obispo Michael Mulvey y el personal de la Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia se comprometen a ayudar en el proceso de curación de las víctimas y sobrevivientes de abuso.

Si usted o alguien que usted conoce está en necesidad de estos servicios, llame a Stephanie Bonilla, Directora de la Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia: (361) 882-6191 para asistencia inmediata.

reunirse en persona o virtualmente, eso dependerá de la parroquia.

Además de la práctica del ministerio juvenil, los ocho seminaristas también participan en la formación -en línea- que se lleva acabo semanalmente, en las áreas de evangelización y discipulado. Los seminaristas se reúnen virtualmente con el Director de Vocaciones Bob Cummings utilizando el método “Formando Discípulos Intencionales” de Sherry Weddell. Los temas incluyen “Cómo evangelizar” y “Cómo ayudar a las personas a tener una relación con Cristo”.

La Diócesis de Corpus Christi por medio de la recomendación del Concilio Diocesano de Finanzas y el Concilio Presbiteral han llevado su dedicación mas allá para la buena administración y responsabilidad nanciera en nombre de donantes generosos al instituir un “hotline” para reportar el abuso nanciero.

Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia

La Diócesis de Corpus Christi ha seleccionado un tercer partido independiente, La Red, para proporcionarle a usted con una manera para reportar anónima y condencialmente el abuso nanciero e fraude. Los empleados, los parroquianos, los voluntarios, los vendedores, y otros partidos interesados estan impulsados para reportar las preocupaciones que tengan respeto a la conducta de påca ética nanciera dentro de la Diócese de Corpus Christi.

Todas las investigaciones serán tradas inmediatamente y discretamente.

Personas que llamen tienen el derecho de mantenerse anónimas.

Llamada 1-877-571-9748

“Con Permiso” Programa de Radio en Español

en KLUX 89.5 HD-1 y “Listen Live” en KLUX.org Domingos a las 7:30 a.m.

All Services FREE: • Pregnancy Test • Limited Ultrasound • Baby Supplies • Parenting Classes • Adoption Information • Abortion Recovery Classes

Corpus Christi

Pregnancy

Resource Center

4730 Everhart Rd

con el P. José Salazar, Jaime Reyna y Gloria Romero

361.991.2008 www.ccpregnancy.org

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†CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Contributed Photo

Kindergartner Ayla Rey opens the door to her Montessori classroom at Sacred Heart Catholic School before the pandemic. She will begin the new school year as a first grader.

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† CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Planning for a safe return to school Co-written by Rosemary Henry, Ph.D. and April Esparza RN BSN

T Contributors

he ground beneath each of us trembles and crumbles under the immense weight of uncertainty and fear as well as universal suffering. The pandemic explodes with a toll of epic proportions. Even amidst the shaking ground, these ongoing health and safety struggles must be met with openness to new possibilities and ways of thinking. We must stand firm and all rise together to meet the COVID-19 challenges with mind, body and spirit.

Our loving Lord never abandons. He blesses us with courage, perseverance, fortitude and vision.

Planning for the reunification of our students and teachers in our Catholic schools is key. Sound and effective planning for resuming instruction in August must safeguard our children’s safety, health, and well-being. They must be entrusted to our care and protect faculty/staff members in our school communities. Our robust academic programs, rooted in Gospel values, must challenge and inspire our students to learn, serve, and succeed.

The Return to School Parent Survey has equipped the Office of Catholic Schools (OCS) with valuable insight and actionable feedback. We are pleased with an outstanding 1,140 responses received. We humbly thank you for your time and transparency as you shared your thoughts, concerns and ideas. We are honored by your words of appreciation and your trust in our Catholic school’s system to move forward with the best educational experience for your child/children.

Some key conclusions that can be drawn from the survey results are as follows: Each student’s health and safety are essential, and we must consider the

broad sense of health, which includes social-emotional well-being and meeting the developmental needs of children.

Each student is gifted with a unique set of learning skills, and some will thrive in non-traditional learning models, and others may struggle.

There is a resounding fear from many families to return to in-person instruction during this pandemic. Each family is uniquely experiencing this situation with varied resources, support systems and work flexibility. Options for vulnerable students and students with vulnerable family members must be included.

Teachers, students and parents all experienced distance learning for the first time this spring. Teachers were challenged with providing high-quality education that you and your child are accustomed to in the classroom, with entirely new methods and tools. Distance learning strategies must be improved upon, communication must be constant and clear, and we must attain high standards for distance learning.

The Office of Catholic Schools is dedicated to providing intensive professional development to support teachers and to enrich their skills to achieve excellence in distance learning.

Each school is building upon the Spring 2020 distance learning experience with clear vision and goals for improvement.

Also, based on the survey results, the OCS has designed a “Framework for Daily Instruction” that will be provided to all schools. Our priorities include a focus in three key areas: A robust academic program centered in Christ and rooted in Gospel values; an integrated educational partnership between students, school faculty/staff and parents; and the implementation of evidence-based health measures that support the safety and well-being of all

Dr. Henry is Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

students and staff.

The Framework addresses educational best practices and provides for a vast array of paradigms to address parent concerns. Options for five days a week person-to-person, as well as a hybrid model of in-person and distance learning, will be provided. A separate option of distance learning will be provided for those families that desire this model.

Middle and high schools may offer a rotating Monday-Wednesday and Tuesday-Thursday model with Friday serving as a day for student support, teacher planning, assessment and professional development.

This “Framework for Daily Instruction” is one component of a comprehensive guidance document, “Charting Our Future Through COVID-19,” provided by the Office of Catholic schools.

This document will be made available to all schools to assist in planning for the 2020-2021 school year. And it will be posted on our website in the coming days as a resource for parents.

We anxiously await the return of our students’ beautiful shining smiles and the joy of children learning, laughing, talking and praying together in our classrooms again. We ask for the intercession of our Blessed Mother, and we pray that each of us may be the light of Christ and see the light of Christ in others this day as we step boldly into the future.

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Help Us Prevent Financial Abuse The Diocese of Corpus Christi at the recommendation of the Diocesan Financial Council and Presbyteral Council have furthered their commitment to good stewardship and nancial accountability on behalf of generous donors by instituting a nancial abuse hotline.

The Diocese of Corpus Christi has selected an independent third party, The Network, to provide you with a new way to anonymously and condently report nancial abuse and fraud. Employees, parishioners, volunteers, vendors and other interested parties will be encouraged to report concerns they have regarding nancial misconduct within the Diocese of Corpus Christi. All inquiries will be treated promptly and discreetly. Callers will have the right to remain anonymous.

Call 1-877-571-9748

Open 7 Days A Week Prizes now up to $750 Sponsored by:

Lost Pet Hotline, Peewee’s Pet Adoption World & Sanctuary, Inc., & Dobie Haven, Inc. Big Brothers, Big Sisters

9840 B Leopard Street, Corpus Christi (between Rand Morgan & McKenzie)

(361) 241-8153

We can do all things through Him who strengthens us.

We will get through this together.

learn about online retreats

ourladyofcorpuschristi.org

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Gloria Romero | For STC

† NEWS BRIEFS

Bishop Michael Mulvey presides over the Chrism Mass at the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Feast day proved solemn, powerful South Texas Catholic

“Jesus is alive! He promises to be with us to the end of age.”

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he 2020 Feast of Corpus Christi, which culminated with the Chrism Mass beautifully symbolized the importance of celebrating the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and the naming of our city and diocese – even during a pandemic.

While practicing social distancing, Catholics came together to celebrate the feast day with a bilingual Mass, followed by adoration every hour, led by a dean from each deanery who offered prayers and reflections. Some of the priests invited choir groups from their own parishes and provided angelic music throughout the day, which created an ambiance of inner reflection. The event concluded with the Chrism Mass presided over by Bishop Michael Mulvey and concelebrated with Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody and priests from the diocese.

Makeshift confessionals were set up in the church courtyard, far enough apart so confessions could only be heard by the priest assigned to that booth. For those who preferred, the celebration could be viewed live on the Diocese of Corpus Christi YouTube, Vimeo, website, or GoCCN.org.

~ Bishop Michael Mulvey

On the days preceding the feast day, Msgr. Michael Howell guided viewers on a virtual historical tour of the Corpus Christi Cathedral via social media.

Earlier in the week, the city issued a proclamation signed by the city’s mayor, Joe McComb, recognizing the Feast of Corpus Christi on June 11 as a celebration of the Roman Catholic Church and the Diocese of Corpus Christi, honoring the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and the discovery of the city itself by explorer Álvarez de Pineda in 1519.

This event sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Ministry, could not have been possible without dedicated volunteers throughout the diocese.

The day’s festivities may not have included a sizeable prayerful procession down the streets of the inner city and a communal gathering of large groups of people for food and drink. It did, however, stress the importance of honoring God’s greatest gift to us – His Son in the Holy Eucharist.

See more photos of this event at SouthTexasCatholic.com/news/2020FOCC M AY T H E Y A L L B E O N E | J U LY 2 0 2 0 | S O U T H T E X A S C AT H O L I C

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Dad says, ‘having a baby is like winning the lottery’

National Parent’s Day is July 26

By Mary Cottingham

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South Texas Catholic

The Gulding family spend a lot of time together. Pictured on the Corpus Christi Bayfront in the back row, from left, are Madeleine and Teresa. In the middle row, from left, are Gianna, Anna, Kathryn, Steven, Matthew, and Miriam. In the front row, from left are Bridget and Joseph.

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Patricia Roeser | For STC

he Gulding family live out their Catholic faith every day.

Steven and Kathryn Gulding are the parents of eight children, with the eldest being 19 and the youngest three.

“When we were engaged, we never put a number on how many kids we wanted,” Kathryn said.

Something as reverent as praying the rosary together may look a bit messy to an outsider, but the Gulding family gets it done every day. They meet in the prayer room, which also serves as their living room. Anna, their five-year-old, plays quietly with her saint dolls, another daughter will sew, and the three-year-old may appear as a Star Wars character armed with his Nerf gun. “We often take longer than we should, because there are a lot of interruptions or someone’s in the bathroom and needs their bottom wiped – we just keep going,” Kathryn said matter of factly. “It’s not pretty.”

Honoring the saints is another big deal in this family. All the Gulding children are named after saints (even their middle names.) They are Teresa (19), Madeleine (18), Gianna (15), Miriam (12), Bridget (10), Joseph (8), Anna (5), and Matthew (3). In addition to celebrating their birthdays, baptism, and confirmation days, the family celebrates their namesake’s feast day, “Anna loves the saint dolls, and she lives the saints’ stories through these dolls,” Kathryn said. “Sometimes she’ll play ‘family’ or have a confirmation, where she lines them up in a row like they’re being confirmed, and she does this quietly while we’re praying the rosary and sometimes not so quiet because the three-year-old wants his saint.”

And they know what it means when they pray the rosary. Anna explained to her Aunt that when they pray the rosary, “Mary takes all their prayers to Jesus.”

They also pray before meals. “When Maddy (Madeleine) was five, she made up a prayer for the souls in purgatory. ‘May the souls in purgatory be blessed into Heaven and talk to Holy Jesus and the saints,’” Steven recalls his daughter’s prayer.

Besides saying their prayers and honoring saints, the family attends Mass as often as they can. Kathryn and the kids go to Mass at least twice

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Teresa Gulding | For STC

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a week. All eight of their children are homeschooled, “so it’s different than your traditional school kids -– we might stay up late watching a movie, then get up a little bit later, so we don’t usually make 8 a.m. Mass,” Kathryn said.

While Kathryn and the children start their day around 9 a.m., Steven gets up earlier to begin his workday as a chemistry professor at Del Mar. When he can, he attends an 8 a.m. Mass during the workweek.

Homeschooling has been a real gift, whatever the sacrifice.

“I like my kids. I like hanging out with them,” Kathryn said.

They have four Chromebooks and two desktops. The older ones subscribe to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. She teaches the younger ones and encourages the older ones to work independently. “They work independently with my oversight,” she said.

Another gift of homeschooling is the kids have a relationship with each other. “Our children can socialize vertically,” Steven said, adding, “they can relate to any age group.”

The Gulding children are involved in their community. Each family member competes in the 4-H Club, and the kids love playing basketball with the Coastal Christian Homeschool Badgers. They are involved locally with the Sewing Guild, and “they can easily converse with older women,” Kathryn said.

Their daily religious education classes are also online. They use the Baltimore Catechism. According to Steven, who teaches religious education to middle school students from St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Parish once a week, they learn more about the sacraments and their prayers than taking classes once a week.

“They’re reading scripture every day, and our oldest two children have read the entire Bible. I’ve never done that,” he said. “I think that’s a real blessing for our family. Part of their educational experience has been able to read it, think about it and pray about it. You know, it’s not just something to check off,” he said.

They live in a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home (about a 2400 square foot home), and they have always made use of the space. The breakfast nook is a sewing space, and there is a hodgepodge place for a playroom. They have a prayer room, which is also is their living room with a huge crucifix on the wall, and all six girls are in the master bedroom.

“Honestly, it doesn’t feel crowded, and it often feels like I have to count everybody here just because it doesn’t feel like it. I think it’s a lot easier than having four because you have the older kids help, Kathryn said. “It’s not something I expect of them – they just jump in and help.”

Stephen and Kathryn met at the Newman Center at the University of California in Santa Barbara. It was there that Steven began his formation and, in turn, influenced Kathryn.

They began praying the rosary, going to Mass and confession

regularly.

At the beginning of their marriage, Natural Family Planning classes gave Steven and Kathryn a real awareness of a woman’s body and a suitable method to avoid having children. Ultimately it provided them an excellent plan for having them.

Now, when they apply what they learned, it’s always in their minds, and they are open to having more children.

“Stephen says having a baby is like winning a lottery,” Kathryn said, adding, “These kids are a gift, and each one of them has their own personality, and you can see the different gifts that God has given them. Those gifts are just multiplying in our family. We have a photographer, a cook, people who can sew. They’re going to have their own business one day because they’re totally capable of it.”

Also, having a big family has many pluses – especially as the younger ones move into that older age bracket. The house gets cleaned in an hour. They all tend to take on different responsibilities and specialties. “Our third oldest (Gianna) is really strong at cooking and can step in and just make dinner. She has a passion for it. It’s not a chore,” Kathryn explains. “One of her biggest struggles is not to make it so spicy. Sometimes she will tone down on the spices because not everybody in the family likes it spicy. If she doesn’t, though – there’s always sour cream,” she chuckled.

The older children sing with their father in the choir. Sometimes, they make their own jeans and shirts, because they don’t like what’s in the store.

“Maddie and I made an apron as a birthday present for a five-year-old girl, and it was fun to work with her on a project,” Kathryn said. “We sewed over two hundred masks for the hospitals and staff. “It’s been interesting – I started teaching one of the children to sew, then they kept passing it down to the next kid. I became their support.” Instead of doing most of the sewing, she would find them unique fabrics and patterns.

She became their quality control.

During the first wave of Covid-19, the mandated stay at home order was not that difficult for the Guldings, but the family did have to make some changes. Steven had to teach his college students from home, so they had one less computer to work on, and they watched a YouTube video of their pastor Father Richard Libby celebrating Mass. Although barefooted, the children would dress up for Mass, “which was totally up to them,” recalls Kathryn. They also participated in the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the virtual holy hour.

Their extracurricular activities were canceled, and they were unable to compete in the 4-H Club State Championships in the food and nutrition, photography, clothing and textiles categories. Still, one of the hardest things for Gianna was having her confirmation day delayed and then being confirmed in the parish instead of the cathedral by Bishop Michael Mulvey.

Matthew Gulding helps mom, Kathryn, cut up vegetables for their dinner.

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Gianna was later confirmed on Pentecost Sunday by Father Libby, her parish priest and her sister Maddie (Madeleine) as her sponsor.

During their first nine years of marriage, the couple lived in Tucson, Arizona, where Kathryn worked as a Blind Rehabilitation Specialist with veterans. Steven was a stay-at-home dad. “We fell outside the norm in many areas like for childbirth – we went with midwives. God would tend to put these people in our path, and we would talk to them at just the right time, and it would lead us in a certain direction. It’s not something that we sought out early on.

“I think a lot of everything we’ve done, started when we got married: praying together, having a foundation of trusting God, and never being afraid to have another kid,” Steven said.

“And as our family has grown, with prayer as the foundation, we receive the sacraments, and all the gifts the Catholic Church has to give us. They’re just phenomenal.

When you become aware of that, it’s just mind-blowing how much God has done to help us. We want to take those gifts, receive them, and allow them to help us. And fortunately, in different challenging situations, God provides opportunities that we didn’t seek out with intention.

“Our children will have challenges in the world, and we try to pray and trust that they have a strong enough faith, and regardless of what happens, pleasant or painful, God is with us through it all and will give us the grace to respond to whatever situations come up,” Steven said.

“We have been very blessed with family support. We do not lack food, clothing or shelter, and we have each other.”

Kathryn Culding | For STC

From left, Steven, Madeleine, Gianna and Teresa Gulding sing the Star Spangled Banner on a zoom call for the Nueces County Junior Livestock Show Scholarship Ceremony.

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Bishop Michael Mulvey blesses the exterior of Shalom Place at the Spirit Center. See more photos of this event on SouthTexasCatholic.com/news/ShalomPlace.

Blessing and dedication of Shalom Place South Texas Catholic

“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10).

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ishop Michael Mulvey blessed the newest addition to the Spirit Center, Shalom Place, on June 6. He also offered a prayer of dedication and protection against the coronavirus to all future visitors.

Shalom Place – a quiet space for prayer and reflection, is the final structure of the Spirit Center, at least in the foreseeable future.

It honors the dream of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament (IWBS), who established the Fannie Bluntzer Nason Renewal Center (FBNRC), also named the Spirit Center, as a Catholic retreat center open to people of other faith.

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Mary Cottingham | STC

Spirit Center board Vice President Tom Becquet, at left, begins the blessing and dedication ceremony of Shalom Place. Also in attendance are Sister Annette Wagner, IWBS, Bishop Michael Mulvey, and Ricardo Guzman project representative for the Spirit Center board.

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of Shalom Place. While the term “shalom,” is often translated as “peace” in the west, the true meaning somehow was lost in translation. It means “the state or condition of experiencing what is needed to live a fully human life,” Sister Annette said. “A life that is not wanting in any of those elements we consider essential to complete the development of one’s personal potential and therefore the richness of community life.

“For the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, these essentials include a rich and invigorating relationship with the source of all that is good, the source of all life,” she said.

The inside doors of Shalom Place were repurposed from the old Incarnate Word Convent.

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Mary Cottingham | STC

the doors of the newest structure. Once inside the foyer, attendees saw a piece of nostalgia as the inside doors were repurposed from the former Incarnate Word Convent Chapel on Alameda Street.

Speakers included Spirit Center board Vice President Tom Becquet of FBNRC, Sister Annette Wagner, Sister Michelle Marie Kuntscher, Ricardo Guzman project representative for the FBNRC board, and Craig Baldree, president and general contractor of Progressive Structures, Inc. Baldree was charged with building all of the structures at the Spirit Center.

“On May 3, 2016, the groundbreaking took place,” Becquet said. “Bishop Mulvey blessed the land, we placed our shovels in the dirt and made it ready for Progressive Structures, Inc. to move in the machinery and work crews to do God’s work. The wilderness was tamed.

On Aug. 13, 2017, Bishop Mulvey dedicated this building, the Robert and Nell Klepac Activity Center, and the dormitory building as a retreat center for youth and adults of South Texas.”

Sister Annette explained the naming

“With the dedication of Shalom Place, the Spirit Center now offers two significant settings for an encounter with God, who is love: In the many opportunities to experience the beauty and variety of our fellow creatures

† NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

community over the years that was never limited by creed, race or nationality. She thanked neighbors John Lloyd Bluntzer and his son, Eric Bluntzer, who continue to help make improvements and lease part of the property for cattle.

The Spirit Center offers a facility with a fully equipped kitchen, an activity center, a covered pavilion, and dorms that sleep up to 96 people with separate showers and bathroom facilities.

The trees and plants that are native to the property make it an ideal place to become one with nature.

With the help of future donors, the Spirit Center will continue to develop nature trails, meditation areas, prayer groves, Stations of the Cross, a rosary path, star gazing and campfire arena, and playing fields for outdoor games and sports. These features offer youth opportunities to connect with God and one another in the great outdoors. For more information or to donate, go to bluntzerspiritcenter.org.

(The Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament contributed to this story.)

Mary Cottingham | STC

throughout the center’s walkways, and in the peaceful setting of this new building. ‘I have come that they may have life and have it to the full’ (Jn 10:10),” Sister Annette said, adding, “with this promise, the Incarnate Word offers the full significance of shalom to all those who desire it. May this setting be a meeting place for shalom, the fullness of life for all who enter here.”

Sister Michelle Marie spoke of the pioneering spirit of the Bluntzer family, who settled in South Texas in 1849 and their continued contributions to the

Shalom Place is set apart from the Activity Center to allow for quiet reflection and prayer for all faith groups to enjoy. Shalom Place is dedicated to the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament.

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Analysis: What’s next for the Supreme Court and abortion?

By Michelle La Rosa

M Catholic News Agency

Ohio’s ban on aborting babies with Down syndrome

Several states have recently enacted laws banning abortion on the grounds of sex, race, or disability of the baby. Last year, the Supreme Court avoided ruling on the issue, which was among the provisions of a challenged Indiana law. The court upheld a regulation requiring aborted babies to be aborted or cremated, but declined to make a decision on the remainder of the law, saying the topic had not yet received adequate consideration at the appellate level.

Further appellate court consideration of such laws could come out of Ohio, where a 2017 law banning abortions based on a Down syndrome diagnosis is currently being challenged.

The law was quickly blocked from taking effect, and a panel of judges from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction in October 2019. In a rare move, however, the full appellate court then agreed to rehear the case. Arguments were heard in March, and a ruling has not yet been issued.

Attorneys defending the Ohio law say it operates within the framework established by Roe v. Wade and subsequent cases, because the state has a compelling interest in protecting the Down syndrome population from discrimination and elimination. Those challenging the law disagree. The losing party will likely appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, setting up a chance for the high court to rule on the issue of “eugenic abortions.”

Texas’ law prohibiting D&E abortions

A few states have also banned Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) abortions, sometimes known as “dismemberment abortion,” a method of abortion which is most commonly performed in the second trimester.

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In November 2017, a federal district court blocked a Texas ban on D&E abortions, saying it was unconstitutional because it placed an “undue burden” on a woman’s “right to an abortion.” Texas appealed, and the case went before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In May 2019, the appeals court announced that it would not issue a decision in the case until the Supreme Court had ruled in June Medical Services. With that ruling now delivered, the Fifth Circuit can move forward with a decision in the Texas case, considering whether the logic of Monday’s ruling is applicable to the D&E ban.

Heartbeat abortion bans

The Supreme Court has declined several times in the last five years to hear cases involving laws which ban abortion after a baby’s heartbeat is detectable – often around six weeks into pregnancy. But if the court were to consider one of these laws, which a handful of states passed last year, it could be among the most significant rulings handed down in this generation.

While pro-life laws are often crafted to fit within the structure of state regulatory authority established by Roe v. Wade and other decisions, heartbeat bans openly defy Roe v. Wade, meaning a court challenge to one of these laws could set the stage for Roe itself to be reconsidered. Supporters of these laws are hopeful that one will arrive before a favorable Supreme Court, which will use the opportunity to overturn the 1973 case that established a nationwide “right to abortion.”

While stricter bills offer greater protection for unborn babies, they are also more difficult to defend in court. When Mississippi recently saw both a 15-week ban and a six-week ban struck down, the state’s attorney general said she wants to focus on appealing the 15-week ban, which may have a higher chance of success than the six-week ban.

B Christopher | Shutterstock

onday’s ruling in June Medical Services v. Russo came as a major letdown for the pro-life movement in the U.S., dashing hopes that the Supreme Court would use the opportunity to strike at the foundation of legalized abortion in the country.

But the Louisiana law being questioned in the June Medical Services case was just one of several hundred abortion restrictions that have been passed at the state level in recent years.

Numerous other state laws are working their way through the court system, and any one of them could arrive at the Supreme Court in the coming months, paving the way for another major ruling.

Here are three cases for pro-life observers to watch:

Ana Rodriguez-Soto | Archdiocese of Miami

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Archbishop Thomas Wenski speaks at a press conference.

‘Soft despotism’ of antiCatholicism on the rise, USCCB religious liberty chair warns

By Matt Hadro

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Catholic News Agency

he new leader of the U.S. Catholic bishops on religious liberty has warned of a “soft despotism” of religious intolerance in the U.S. Archbishop Thomas Wenski told CNA that “new Jacobins” are driving Catholics from the public square for their beliefs.

“We’re not second-class citizens because we are people of faith,” said Wenski, Archbishop of Miami and head of the U.S. bishops’ religious freedom committee, in an interview with CNA on Tuesday.

The archbishop said a new wave of religious intolerance is forcing believers and belief out of public life.

Wenski pointed to laws forbidding public funding of religious schools—overruled by the Supreme Court this week—but also in the HHS contraceptive mandate case of the Little Sisters of the Poor, and 21 year-old Jack Denton, who was removed from

his student government position at Florida State University for defending Church teaching.

Hostility to public Catholicism is “treating us as somehow less worthy of full participation in the benefits of American life,” he said.

Wenski is the new acting chairman of the U.S. bishops’ religious freedom committee, taking office this month after the former chair Bishop George Murry, S.J. of Youngstown died on June 5 after a relapse of leukemia.

The archbishop spoke with CNA this week after the Supreme Court decided in favor of religious schools in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that Montana’s state constitution discriminated against religious schools in barring their access to a taxpayer-funded scholarship program.

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that the U.S. constitution “condemns discrimination against religious schools and the families whose children attend them.”

“The Supreme Court got it right” on religious schools, Wenski told CNA on Tuesday, but “a lot of people were not happy with the decision [Monday] on the abortion issue,” he said of the court’s ruling in June Medical Services, LLC v. Russo that struck down Louisiana’s safety regulations of abortion clinics.

Montana’s no-aid clause at the heart of the Supreme Court case, which forbids public funding of “sectarian” causes or religious institutions, was initially passed as a Blaine Amendment in the state’s 1889 constitution and was included again in its 1972 constitution.

Blaine Amendments were commonly enacted by states in the late 19th-century, with 37 states adopting such provisions. Archbishop Wenski said that they were anti-Catholic in nature, as they meant to block public funding of Catholic parochial schools that the largely-Protestant public school system received.

“France doesn’t have any problem supporting parents who send their children to Catholic schools,” Wenski said. “The same is true of Canada, Australia, et cetera.”

“Such laws have never really been neutral, as they pretend to be,” he said.

Another recent example of “soft despotism” in American life Wenski highlighted is the case of Jack Denton, former president of the Florida State University student senate and a rising senior at the school.

Denton expressed concerns about some policy positions of the groups BlackLivesMatter.com, the ACLU, and Reclaim the Block in a messaging forum of the university’s Catholic student union.

He noted that the BlackLivesMatter.com “fosters ‘a queer-affirming network’ and defends transgenderism,” while the ACLU “defends laws protecting abortion facilities.” Reclaim the Block, Denton said, “claims less police will make our communities safer” and supports budget cuts to police departments. These positions, he said, are “things that are explicitly anti-Catholic.”

Another member of the forum sent screenshots of Denton’s statements to members of the student senate, who ultimately voted to remove him as head after a Change.org petition received thousands of signatures calling for his removal, accusing him of making “transphobic and racist remarks.”

Denton said he did not make the statements in his official capacity as student senate president and he was simply posting “defenses of, basically, Catholic moral teachings,” Wenski said, yet “that was a step too far for many of these new Jacobins we see around.”

Such events are “becoming more common than remarkable, unfortunately,” the archbishop said, noting that Catholics are increasingly becoming ostracized, ridiculed, or even denied jobs because of their religious beliefs.

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he hopes that Tuesday’s decision in Espinoza will bode well for the Sisters.

Both cases, he said, “really deal with the freedom to serve” and the freedom of Catholics to live out their faith in the public square.

As the new chair of the religious freedom committee, Archbishop Wenski said his most pressing issue is simply figuring out how to operate the committee in spite of the “handicaps” of the new coronavirus pandemic.

One positive note, he said, was the “tremendous assistance to parishes and schools across the country” from loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), an emergency loan program set up by Congress in March to keep small businesses and non-profits afloat during the pandemic. According to CBS News, by early May around 9,000 Catholic parishes received funding under the first two rounds of PPP loans, to help keep employees on payroll.

Religious freedom in foreign countries is also under threat, Wenski said, from a “hard despotism” in regions such as the Middle East and China, where Christians are imprisoned, tortured, and killed for their faith.

Meanwhile, some Christian churches have been locked in court battles with state and local governments over restrictions on public gatherings during the new coronavirus pandemic.

The Justice Department has said that restrictions on churches must be temporary and not single out religion for stricter limits than other gatherings such as protests or commerce.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio justified his encouragement of mass protests against racism despite public health warnings on mass gatherings, saying that the protests “grappling” with America’s history of racism “is not the same question as the understandably aggrieved store owner or the devout religious person who wants to go back to services.”

“As Catholics, we understand the common good,” Wenski told CNA, noting that bishops suspended public Masses during the pandemic because it was understood as “a real public health threat.”

However, he said, governments cannot target religious groups unfairly, allowing mass protests or other gatherings while putting strict limits on public Masses.

“When you see that disparate treatment, then you have to ask whether that is because of some religious animus, and that’s where we have to be very careful,” he said.

Wenski brings prior experience with the conference to his new role, having served as the chair of the bishops’ domestic justice and human development committee from 2013 to 2016, and head of the international justice and peace committee from 2005 to 2008.

Both he and Murry ran for the position of religious liberty chair of the conference in November of 2019, to fill the vacancy left by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville who had resigned from the position because of his bladder cancer condition.

Wenski and Murry received the same number of votes from the conference and Murry was selected as the religious liberty head because of his seniority, being two years older than Wenski.

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Pope Francis urges Catholic media to help young tell good from evil

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he world needs media that can help young people to distinguish between good and evil, presenting the facts in a “clear and unbiased” way, Pope Francis said Tuesday.

In a June 30 message to members of the Catholic Press Association, the pope appealed to Catholic journalists to help break down barriers of misunderstanding between people.

“We need media capable of building bridges, defending life and breaking down the walls, visible and invisible, that prevent sincere dialogue and truthful communication between individuals and communities,” he wrote.

“We need media that can help people, especially the young, to distinguish good from evil, to develop sound judgments based on a clear and unbiased presentation of the facts, and to understand the importance of working for justice, social concord and respect for our common home.”

He continued: “We need men and women of conviction who protect communication from all that would distort it or bend it to other purposes.”

He wrote: “Because of the pandemic, all of us have come to appreciate this truth more fully. Indeed, the experience of these past months has shown how essential is the mission of the communications media for bringing people together, shortening distances, providing necessary information, and opening minds and hearts to truth.”

The pope said the same impulse inspired the creation of Catholic publications in the United States in the 19th century.

“It was precisely this realization that led to the establishment of the first Catholic newspapers in your country and the constant encouragement given them by the Church’s pastors,” he said.

“We see this in the case of the Charleston Catholic Miscellany, launched in 1822 by Bishop John England and followed by so many other newspapers and journals.”

“Today, as much as ever, our communities count on newspapers, radio, TV and social media to share, to communicate, to inform and to unite.”

“E pluribus unum – the ideal of unity amid diversity, reflected in the motto of the United States, must also inspire the service you offer to the common good. How urgently is this needed today, in an age marked by conflicts and polarization from which the Catholic community itself is not immune.”

Referring to St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, the pope urged Catholic journalists to be united.

“Media can be large or small, but in the Church these are not the categories that count. In the Church we have all been baptized in the one Spirit and made members of the one body,” he said.

Giulio Napolitano | Shutterstock

Catholic News Agency

Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square.

“As in every body, it is often the members who are smallest who, in the end, are those most necessary. So it is with the body of Christ. Each of us, wherever we find ourselves, is called to contribute, through our profession of truth in love, to the Church’s growth to full maturity in Christ.”

Pope Francis underlined that true communication requires more than mere professional competence.

“A true communicator dedicates himself or herself completely to the welfare of the others, at every level, from the life of each individual to the life of the entire human family,” he wrote.

“We cannot truly communicate unless we become personally involved, unless we can personally attest to the truth of the message we convey. All communication has its ultimate source in the life of the triune God, who shares with us the richness of his divine life and calls us in turn to communicate that treasure to others by our unity in the service of his truth.”

Noting that the Church had recently celebrated the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul, he concluded: “May the spirit of communion with the Bishop of Rome, which has always been a hallmark of the Catholic press in your countries, keep all of you united in faith and resistant to fleeting cultural fads that lack the fragrance of evangelical truth.”

“Let us continue to pray together for reconciliation and peace in our world.”

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† VATICAN

A call for humility and courage

By Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ

O

Catholic News Agency

n, June 27, many churches witnessed the ordinations of dozens of priests and deacons, in ceremonies that were far from typical. Even while some parts of the world “reopen” after the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, social distancing was required, and cameras provided live streaming so that family, friends and loved ones could participate by TV, tablet or smartphone.

On this occasion, I had the joy and honour of ordaining, in the Gesù Church in Rome, two Jesuit priests and eighteen deacons from all over the world—from Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Austria to Rwanda-Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, China, Bangladesh and India—wearing masks and connecting online with parents, relatives, friends and fellow Jesuits. Physical presence was not possible as Italy slowly recovers from this health crisis; the borders are still closed and travel restrictions are still in place.

The following reflections expand upon the homily I pronounced just before the ordination of these twenty candidates for the priesthood and the diaconate.

Breath of life

As a priest or deacon “to be”, you may feel a bit incomplete because you cannot share this very important moment with your loved ones. You might feel anxious, too: we’re living in the unknown and in unchartered territories for the Church, for all of us. And as you prepare yourself for ordination, you might ask: what does this mean for me, right now and right here?

Perhaps the answer can be found on Easter evening, when the apostles had locked themselves into the upper room for fear of what was happening “outside”.

(Even nowadays, our Church sometimes feels fearful and closed in on itself.) Suddenly Jesus becomes visible, audible, tangible among them. “Shalom!” is his first word, “Peace be with you!” He shows 28

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them his wounded hands and pierced side. These permanent signs of his Passion proclaim and prove God’s tenacious love. And then, amazingly, Jesus sends them out into the same world they were so afraid of.

How does he do this? With this tremendous gesture: he breathes on them.

Just like in the beginning: God breathed his breath of life into Adam. By breathing on his disciples and giving them his Spirit, Jesus lifts them to a new order. That is, he ordains them as heralds of the Gospel “to the ends of the earth”, as it says in the book of Acts.

You are about to receive this deep and generous and transforming breath of life, the Spirit of the Father and the Son. You will be able to say, repeating Isaiah, “the spirit of the Lord is upon me”, to heal and to comfort, to liberate and to reconcile, to raise up and make glad. And to be a herald of the Gospel, a minister of reconciliation and of liberation, in the world of today and tomorrow, where everything seems to be constantly and rapidly new.

With your ordination just moments away, let me remind you that we are all witnessing a bigger moment now, where the whole Church and your family and friends, are encouraging you to choose the uphill path of the “new” rather than the downhill path of the “safe”.

Renewal is nothing new

Our Church has a long history and, from the beginning, it has coped with new conditions, for instance through its Councils. Vatican II proclaimed that the Church must consciously embrace the world. We must discern and “scrutinize the signs of the times”. But while discernment is part of the Jesuit life, style and training, it is not exclusively Jesuit property, nor is it a prerogative of the ordained.

Why is this so? Because of baptism.

According to Vatican II, every member of the Church enjoys the dignity of having been baptized and therefore shares in

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the mission and ministry of the Church.

Ordained ministry does not exhaust or monopolize this ministry, for it is the Church as a whole that is “ministerial” and “missionary”. All its members share in that responsibility. This expands the role of the laity — a work in progress, according to many engaged Christians.

Today’s ministers are ordained to foster the active inclusion of God’s people in the life, mission and responsibilities of the Church.

Vatican II embraces the world as the privileged place of announcing the Good News. In doing so, it restores its priests to the world, inviting them to leave the comfort zones called “sacristies” where, like the disciples on the first Easter evening, they had been shut in for fear of what was happening “outside”. Now the world, with its problems and struggles, with its contradictions and its values, with its opportunities and obstacles, is essential to the service of those who will be ordained today.

The courage of witness

Do not expect a map of the unknown land ahead to which you are being sent. It is a daunting prospect to enter uncharted territories. As I said earlier, ministers of the Church need to have the courage of witness, to choose the uphill path of the “new” and not to take the downhill path of the “safe”. May you always have friends and family and companions in the Church to constantly ‘en-courage’ you, even if they can only be with you in spirit.

Keep in mind that discerning the meaning of Christ’s call to us today is a task of the whole Church, not of a chosen few. Don’t try to dominate or own this discernment; instead, accompany others and put yourselves at the service of the discernment of the whole Church.

In doing so, you will be participating in the synodal practice that is gradually growing in the Church. Let us try to walk together with ever greater enthusiasm. Your huge contribution depends on

Father Pierre Belanger, SJ and James Kulvi | For CNA

† VATICAN

Cardinal Michael Czerny June 27 with candidates for ordination.

looking honestly and listening sincerely, without thinking that you already have the best answer or all the answers. Try to draw on many people and listen to many voices. However small or large your network is, you will find that it requires both humility and courage to recognize that one cannot do everything on one’s own.

Don’t expect it to be easy, don’t expect it to be without controversy, don’t expect to be rewarded, don’t expect to be liked by others, don’t expect that the critics will acknowledge your difficult struggles, don’t expect quick success. But be confident that you won’t be alone if you let others walk with you.

This is something to pray for, today and always. Ask God to help us see the world as Jesus does, especially in this very difficult time.

The Covid-19 pandemic is showing us the complexity and contradictions of our social and economic systems, where

the gap between wealth and poverty is growing out of all proportion, and where so many feel abandoned and thrown away, excluded and unwanted.

Would Jesus not weep for the refugees and migrants who do not receive medical attention because they are “foreigners”, many of them crowded into irregular settlements, who have lost what little they already had and live today in despair?

Would Jesus not see the indigenous peoples who are discriminated against for food aid, the prisoners who have been abandoned to the mercies of the virus, and the more than 3 billion poor people worldwide?

I cannot imagine Jesus waiting in an upper room or a sacristy; he would urge us to join him in the margins of the margins, where the courage of life and hope is most needed.

May we enlighten the world with the truth of the Gospel, and propose effective

and genial solutions, not just to the present emergency, but to the enormous sufferings of God’s people and of our common home.

Pope Francis speaks often of joy: “The Joy of the Gospel” (Evangelii gaudium) and “Rejoice and be Glad” (Gaudete et exsultate) and “The Joy of Love” (Amoris laetitia). May you experience abundant grace, consolation and joy in carrying out the charge that you are about to accept in your ordination. Peace be with you!

Cardinal Michael Czerny, as a member of the Jesuit community, has worked in Canada, Latin America, Africa, and Rome, in the service of faith and the promotion of justice. Since 2017, he has been Under-Secretary of the Vatican’s Migrants and Refugees Section. In 2019 Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal. Card. Czerny is also a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

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July Liturgical Calendar 1 | Wed | Weekday | green/white [USA: Saint Junípero Serra, Priest] Am 5:1415, 21-24/Mt 8:28-34 (379) 2 | Thu | Weekday | green | Am 7:10-17/ Mt 9:1-8 (380) 3 | Fri | Saint Thomas, Apostle | red | Feast | Eph 2:19-22/Jn 20:24-29 (593) Pss Prop 4 | Sat | Weekday | green/white/ white [USA: Independence Day; BVM] Am 9:11-15/Mt 9:14-17 (382) or, for Independence Day, any readings from the Lectionary for Mass (vol. IV), the Mass “For the Country or a City,” nos.

882-886, or “For Peace and Justice,” nos. 887-891 5 | SUN | FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME | green Zec 9:9-10/ Rom 8:9, 11-13/Mt 11:25-30 (100) Pss II 6 | Mon | Weekday | green/red [Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr] Hos 2:16, 17b-18, 21-22/Mt 9:18-26 (383) 7 | Tue | Weekday | green | Hos 8:4-7, 11-13/Mt 9:32-38 (384) 8 | Wed | Weekday | green | Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12/Mt 10:1-7 (385) 9 | Thu | Weekday | green/red [Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs] Hos 11:1-4, 8e-9/Mt 10:7-15 (386) 10 | Fri | Weekday | green | Hos 14:2-10/ Mt 10:16-23 (387)

11 | Sat | Saint Benedict, Abbot | white | Memorial | Is 6:1-8/Mt 10:24-33 (388)

of the Church] Mi 7:14-15, 18-20/Mt 12:46-50 (396)

12 | SUN | FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME | green Is 55:10-11/ Rom 8:18-23/Mt 13:1-23 or 13:1-9 (103) Pss III

22 | Wed | Saint Mary Magdalene | white | Feast | Sg 3:1-4b or 2 Cor 5:1417/Jn 20:1-2, 11-18 (603) Pss Prop

13 | Mon | Weekday | green/white [Saint Henry] Is 1:10-17/Mt 10:34—11:1 (389)

23 | Thu | Weekday | green/white [Saint Bridget, Religious] Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13/ Mt 13:10-17 (398)

14 | Tue | USA: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin | white | Memorial | Is 7:1-9/Mt 11:20-24 (390)

24 | Fri | Weekday | green/white [Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest] Jer 3:14-17/Mt 13:18-23 (399)

15 | Wed | Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church | white | Memorial | Is 10:5-7, 13b-16/Mt 11:2527 (391)

25 | Sat | Saint James, Apostle | red | Feast | 2 Cor 4:7-15/Mt 20:20-28 (605) Pss Prop

16 | Thu | Weekday | green/white [Our Lady of Mount Carmel] Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19/Mt 11:28-30 (392)

26 | SUN | SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME | green 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12/Rom 8:28-30/Mt 13:44-52 or 13:44-46 (109) Pss I

17 | Fri | Weekday | green | Is 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8/Mt 12:1-8 (393)

27 | Mon | Weekday | green | Jer 13:1-11/ Mt 13:31-35 (401)

18 | Sat | Weekday | green/white/white [USA: Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest; BVM] Mi 2:1-5/Mt 12:14-21 (394)

28 | Tue | Weekday | green | Jer 14:1722/Mt 13:36-43 (402)

19 | SUN | SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME | green Wis 12:13, 16-19/Rom 8:26-27/Mt 13:24-43 or 13:24-30 (106) Pss IV 20 | Mon | Weekday | green/red [Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr] Mi 6:14, 6-8/Mt 12:38-42 (395) 21 | Tue | Weekday | green/white [Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor

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29 | Wed | Saint Martha | white | Memorial | Jer 15:10, 16-21 (403)/Jn 11:19-27 or Lk 10:38-42 (607) 30 | Thu | Weekday | green/white [Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church] Jer 18:1-6/Mt 13:47-53 (404) 31 | Fri | Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest | white | Memorial | Jer 26:1-9/Mt 13:54-58 (405)

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