South Texas Catholic - February 2016

2  South Texas Catholic | February 2016

ON THE

VOL. 51 NO. 2 Publisher Most Rev. Wm. Michael Mulvey, STL DD

COVER

Editor Alfredo E. Cárdenas ACardenas@diocesecc.org

18

Two articles show how we can we get closer to God during and after Lent. First by being happy during Lent and the second by trying the 'thou shalts' for Lent and beyond.

Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic

Theological Consultant Ben Nguyen, JD/JCL. Editorial Staff Mary E. Cottingham MCottingham@diocesecc.org Adel Rivera ARivera@diocesecc.org Madelyn Calvert MCalvert@diocesecc.org Correspondents Rebecca Esparza, Luisa Scolari, If you or someone you know would like to receive the South Texas Catholic call us at (361) 882-6191 Office Address: 620 Lipan Corpus Christi TX 78401-2434 E-MAIL: stc@diocesecc.org www.southtexascatholic.com FAX: (361) 693-6701

27 Leticia Hernandez and Joshua Cavazos, parishioners at St. Anthony Church in Robstown, volunteer at the Social Services program packing bread products for those in need. This is one of two programs the parish operates to help the poor.

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If you wish to read our Spanish language articles in English visit our Web site southtexascatholic.com and use the Google language translator.

Si desea leer nuestros artículos escritos en Inglés en español, visite nuestro sitio web southtexascatholic.com y utilice el traductor de idiomas Google.

INSIDE

4 VIEWPOINTS In the family we have identity,

CATÓLICA 30 UnVIDAcatólico bueno se va a santificar y

6 Missionaries of the

NEWS 35 NATIONAL Mary’s intercession credited for

we have value

VOCATIONS

New Evangelization

un católico santo llega al cielo

saving Missouri farmland from floods

10 Mercy, family highlights annual

38 VATICAN Pope knows ‘welcoming the stranger’

BRIEFS 23 ElNEWS Paso diocese, city plan

OUR FAITH 41 Works of mercy are concrete ways

NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

Ministry Conference

papal celebration at Sun Bowl

is controversial

to put faith into practice

Keep up with the Faith at www.SouthTexasCatholic.com

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 3

†† VIEWPOINTS

In the family we have identity, we have value Most Reverend Michael Mulvey is bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Bishop Michael Mulvey South Texas Catholic

T

he Holy Father, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has called for an Extraordinary Year of Mercy. It is extraordinary because it is out of sync with the normal 25-five year intervals for holy years, but also because of the EXTRA-ordinary theme of Mercy. We hear the word mercy in the first part of our Liturgy repeated many, many times. "Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy." "May almighty God have mercy on us."

Mercy is at the very heart of who God is, and therefore at the very heart of who we are, created in his image and likeness. God is love. God is mercy. None of us can fully comprehend mercy in this life. We will understand when we meet mercy—God—face-to-face.

Pope Francis reminds us that Jesus Christ is the face of the father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith.

In a special way these words of the Holy Father bring us to another dimension of our understanding of faith.

As we live this year, it is important for all of us to repeat to ourselves, “Jesus

4 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

Christ is Mercy.” And that is the great discovery of the Christian faith. And it is the great source of living as Jesus. We oftentimes hear the phrase, “What would Jesus do (WWJD)?” But there is a bigger question. There is a bigger context for this Year of Mercy and that is, “What does Jesus want of you and me?”

We can respond to a situation like Jesus (WWJD), but we then move on to something else. This is not who we are. This does not define us.

In that framework we could be part-time Christians. What does Jesus want of his Body?

What does he want of me, of us? That is the real question.

He wants us to show mercy as he has shown mercy. That is what he wants from each one of us.

The Christian life is often described as a pilgrimage with Jesus. There is no better place for this pilgrimage to be lived out than in the family. The tragedy of our society today is the disintegration of the family. When the family disintegrates, love disintegrates. When the family disintegrates and mercy diminishes the impact on society and social behavior is tragic. And, so during this year it should be our strong desire as a Church to rebuild

the family through mercy.

A few weeks ago, a man was found dead on the street near Sacred Heart Church in Corpus Christi. He was described in the media as a "vagrant," as homeless. Listen to the words: homeless, vagrant. Without family we could say. We found out later that he was a regular visitor at Mother Teresa Shelter.

Sister Rose, who oversees the Mother Teresa Shelter, told me his name was Chris, and that he came everyday to Mother Teresa for breakfast and lunch. He often spent all day there. He was a strong presence, helpful, quiet, kind and studious. A vagrant?

Homeless? Or Chris?

During a prayer service on the afternoon of his death the residents spoke of him and how important he was to them. They had hoped he would be able to overcome his situation and make something of his life. There, in that community, he was not a vagrant. He was not homeless. He was Chris. He was the face of Christ.

Why does that experience help us reflect on the family and mercy: because, in the family we are not nameless. In the family we have an identity. In the family we have value and we are

†† VIEWPOINTS

❝In the family we are loved. In the family we find

mercy…In the family we experience and practice Jesus Christ, the face of God’s mercy.❞ –Bishop Michael Mulvey

affirmed. In the family we discover our potential, we know who we are and what God wants us to be. In the family we have dignity. In the family we are loved. In the family we find mercy. In the family we express

mercy. In the family we experience Jesus Christ, the face of God’s mercy.

And so the question, “What would Jesus do?” is short term.

What does Jesus want is what

frames our life. He wants us to put God first in our life, to decrease our ego in order to increase the life of grace in us.

God is everything. His mercy is rich in Jesus Christ.

Headlines from southtexascatholic.com ✝ Bookmark our Web site to keep up to date on all the happenings in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

• Women complete ACTS retreat at St. Patrick Parish in Corpus Christi • Taft parish reenacts apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe • Kingsville Catholics celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe • Sinton sportscaster found his voice in church

• Bishop will speak at YWCA Racial Justice Forum • Diocese will take up collection to help Dallas storm victims • Bishop opens Holy Door to the Year of Mercy • Sisters of the Incarnate Word elect new leadership

• Paradise Island Gala slated for Feb. 27, American Bank Center • Catholic schoolteachers participate in Diocesan In-service Day • Students sing for Pope Francis • High School students collected and delivered gifts for foster children February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 5

†† VOCATIONS

Father Joseph Lopez, JCL, is Vocations Director for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Missionaries of the New Evangelization Father Joseph Lopez, JCL

G Contributor

od is calling you to be a missionary.

He is calling you to leave behind what may be familiar to you and boldly proclaim the Gospel to everyone you meet.

But he may be calling you to do this without going anywhere!

This is because every Catholic is called to bring the Gospel to the people in his life.

To emphasize this universal missionary call, St. John Paul II encouraged the entire Church to be part of the “New Evangelization.” But what does this mean, exactly?

The New Evangelization has two main aspects. The first is inspiring “cultural Christians” to rediscover the faith and live it more fully. The second aspect is telling people about Jesus who may never have heard his name.

Let's look at the first aspect—reaching out to fallen-away Christians. The truth is, a large percentage of baptized Christians do not really know Christ. Jesus is practically a myth even to some who have received the grace of the sacraments.

Here is a real-life example of the New Evangelization in action. Recently, 31 seminarians from a seminary in the Eastern

6 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

U.S. decided they would travel to a secular college to spread the Gospel. In the middle of the university lawn, with permission of the college, they erected a white canvas tent.

Inside, they set up a simple chapel with a small tabernacle.

While some seminarians prayed before the Blessed Sacrament, the others went out two-bytwo to speak with students.

They were non-confrontational, loving and simply tried to start conversations about Jesus and the Church.

The results were amazing.

Over a period of three days the seminarians spoke to more than 500 students, 70 of who expressed interest in joining Bible studies held by the campus ministry.

“We talked to one guy who told us about how his father was an atheist and his mother had stopped attending church.

You could see in his eyes that just hearing the name of Jesus, hearing that God loved him, was very powerful,” one seminarian said.

While the seminarians mainly encountered people who were raised as Christians, a surprising number were non-believers.

This brings up the second aspect of the New Evangelization—reaching out to those who have never heard the Gospel. The Holy Father has asked us to recover the missionary

zeal of the first apostles—to travel the world to proclaim Christ.

How does this impact you? It depends on your call and your vocation. As a layperson working in the world, you are called to witness to those closest to you—your family, friends and co-workers.

But if you are called to the priesthood, you will enter into a more profound missionary life. As Pope John Paul II said, it is an “absolute necessity that the new evangelization have priests as its initial new evangelizers.”

But right now, today, one thing is certain: you will bring Christ to others to the degree that you love him yourself, that you live your faith with enthusiasm and love.

"I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church's energies to a new evangelization and to the mission. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples (Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, no. 3). " You can read more about the New Evangelization in Cardinal Timothy Dolan's "Raising Up Priests for the New Millennium," and Capuchin Friar Archbishop Charles Chaput's "We Are Called to Win the World for Christ."

Sister Michelle Marie Kuntscher, IWBS Contributor

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ister Annette Wagner was elected superior general of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in Corpus Christi and will begin her four-year term after installation on Friday, June 10. Also elected to the congregation’s leadership team for the term 201620 are Sister Maria Irma Gonzalez, councilor and assistant general, and councilors Sister Colette Brehony, Sister Barbara Netek and Sister Marilyn

Grace Springs.

The election was held in a process of communal discernment facilitated by Sister Barbara Valuckas, SSND, on Dec. 19-21, 2015. On Saturday, Dec. 19, Bishop Michael Mulvey celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit with the sisters, and spoke to them about the chapter being a call to communion, a call to the beauty of life together, a witness and sign of who God is and a witness to the Trinitarian life of God.

The IWBS new leadership team is, from left, Sister Marilyn Grace Springs, Sister Colette Brehony, Sister Annette Wagner, Superior General Elect; Sister Maria Irma Gonzalez, Assistant General and Sister Barbara Marie Netek.

Contributed photo

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 7

†† VOCATIONS

Sisters of the Incarnate Word elect new leadership

†† VOCATIONS

“We are called to be a sign to a divided nation that oneness is possible, communion is possible,” he said. "Giving and receiving are the dynamics of Trinitarian life. We all embrace the decision made in discernment, and the Holy Spirit continues to move with us after the elections.”

Each day of the Chapter of Elections began with faith sharing and celebration of the Eucharist. After Mass and lunch on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015 the discernment process for the election of the superior general was completed and balloting took place. When the results of the balloting were announced, Sister Annette accepted the community’s call to serve. A ritual of blessing and greeting by each of the sisters followed in the Motherhouse chapel. The communal discernment process then continued in the election of the four councilors.

Sister Michelle Marie Kuntscher, the current superior general, presided over the election of the incoming superior general and councilors. The community, in prayer for the newly elected leadership team, asked God’s blessing upon them as they witnessed to the presence of the Incarnate Word, in and through their congregation, in the Church and in the world.

Sister Annette currently serves in RCIA and in adult faith formation at St. Pius X Parish in Corpus Christi. She completed terms as director of the Office for Consecrated Life in Corpus Christi under Bishop Edmond Carmody and Bishop Mulvey. She is a contributor to the South Texas Catholic and the religion column for the Brownsville Herald. She has been a presenter for workshops, conferences and retreats for faculty and parish groups. She was a 8 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

founding teacher and the director of the Pastoral Institute for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

For more than 30 years, Sister Annette taught in Catholic schools in Brownsville and Corpus Christi. Her ministry within the congregation includes initial and on-going formation, communications, associate director, member of the general council and presenter at international and national Incarnate Word reunions and formation symposiums.

Sister Maria Irma, elected as assistant general, currently serves as director of the Incarnate Word Academy and Villa Maria Language Institute in Brownsville. A former superior general–she served in that office from 2000-2008–she currently serves on the general council of the congregation and will begin her second term in June.

She has been a teacher and administrator in Catholic schools in Corpus Christi and Brownsville, served as trustee of Guadalupe Regional Middle School and is on the board of directors for Juan Diego Academy. She serves on the International Reconfiguration Committee, which includes sisters from six Incarnate Word congregations from the U.S. and Mexico who facilitate meetings of the groups seeking union.

Sister Marilyn, also a current member of the general council, is the principal of Incarnate Word Academy in Brownsville. She has been a teacher at various levels since 1981 and IWA principal since 2005. She is a Girl Scout leader of Rio Grande Valley, a board member for Guadalupe Regional Middle School, serves on the chapter planning committee, and is a member of the National Black Catholic Sisters.

†† VOCATIONS

Sister Annette is congratulated by Sister Esther Dunegan. Sisters sing in procession as they wait to greet Sister Annette.

Sister Anne Brigid for South Texas Catholic

One-Day Seminar with Julie & Greg Alexander

Saturday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

St. Pius X Church • 5620 Gollihar Road Cost: $45 per couple Topics include: Communication, Forgiveness and Spiritual Growth

The Diocese of Corpus Christi

Office of Family Life invites all couples celebrating their 25th or 50th Wedding Anniversary to attend the

Celebrated by Bishop Michael Mulvey

Sister Barbara Marie, elected councilor, is currently director of religious education, coordinator of the Acts of Charity, and coordinator for Safe Environment at St. Pius X parish in Corpus Christi. She has served as teacher and principal in Catholic schools in Brownsville and Corpus Christi, directed Camp Corpus Christi for 10 years, was director of Catholic Charities and is a Safe Environment trainer for the Diocese of Corpus Christi. For many years she chaired the Council for Institutes of Consecrated Life in the diocese, and has conducted retreats for adults and children for various parishes. Her congregational ministry includes co-director of Incarnate Word Associates, on-going formation, peace and justice and serving on the general council.

Sister Colette currently serves as sister-in-charge at the Incarnate Word Motherhouse. She has served on the chapter planning committee and the commissions of justice and peace, education and apostolate and on-going formation. She was a teacher and principal in Catholic elementary and middle schools in Brownsville, Corpus Christi and Laredo dioceses; director of religious education, general councilor on the congregation’s leadership team, member of the council of religious in the Laredo area; and mediator for the Nueces County Dispute Resolution Center. Sister’s Colette's committee and board experiences include IWA Foundation vice-president, parish council and finance council in Corpus Christi Cathedral, Christ the King and Blessed Sacrament parishes and a member of the Texas Catholic Conference, the National Catholic Education Association, Pax Christi and the Association for Supervision for Curriculum Development.

Sunday, Feb. 14 at 9:30 a.m.

Corpus Christi Cathedral 505 N. Upper Broadway

Certificate Ceremony and light refreshments to follow in St. Joseph’s Hall

Office of Family Life

How can you be involved? strengthen your Marriage • Marriage Enrichment with Beloved • Covenant of Love Date Nights

explore natural family planning grow as a parent- Teaching the Way of Love Become a Marriage Disciple Support Engaged Couples

For more information or to register: Call (361) 882-6191, ext. 687 or email: hgarcia@diocesecc.org February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 9

✝ NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

Mercy, family highlight annu

Bishop Michael Mulvey delivers homily at annual Ministry Conference.

He reminded the faithful that in the family they experience God's mercy and love.

Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic

Alfredo E. Cardenas South Texas Catholic

T

he one liners came out with machine gun rapidity, but the point was clear: discipline done by loving parents in a loving family does not lead to dysfunctional adults. Ray Guarendi, Ph.D. told parents at the Selena Auditorium on Saturday, Jan. 9, that most of what they hear about child rearing from experts—with letters after their names—is “nonsense”; it is psychological theory based on surveys and not on studies.

10 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

Guarendi, a psychologist and father of 10 adopted children, was a keynote speaker at the Diocese of Corpus Christi’s annual ministry conference with the theme of “Family & Mercy, United by Love.” Guarendi shared keynote duty with Jackie Francois, a singer/songwriter and worship leader.

Rather than rely on experts, Guarendi told the some 750 attendees that disciplinary tactics such as spanking and “time out” was their choice. That is what he found when he interviewed parents

†† NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

ual Ministry Conference from all over the country for his book “Back to the Family.” He found some 70 percent of parents used spanking in some form in some occasions.

The experts that advised “never tell your toddler no”, “do not send a teenager to his room” and "spanking is evil" were wrong, Guarendi said.

“Say what you have to say and back it up,” Guarendi said. “Don’t send mixed messages. If you spank, don’t spank in anger. Don’t spank when you’re frustrated, when you’ve had enough.

Do not create fear.”

Guarendi closed his remarks by addressing another subject that is prevalent in today’s Catholic families—children who leave the faith after they leave home. He told his audience that Jesus was God, he did not sin, he performed miracles and had a perfect understanding of human kind.

Still, Jesus was not able to get every human being to convert to Christianity. “You are not the Christ man, so don’t beat yourself up over this,” he said.

Francois told her audience she was “so afraid to say I was Catholic because I did not know my faith.” She was afraid people would make fun of her or ask her questions about the Church she would not be able to answer. But the Church wants her members to ask the hard questions about its teachings, whether it is abortion, same sex marriage or contraception, she said. After more than 2,000 years, the Church is comfortable in its teachings.

She was raised Catholic, but like many Catholic families it was a cursory faith; the family prayed before meals, attended Mass on Sundays and prayed before going to sleep and that was the

Some 750 Catholics from throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi attended annual Ministry Conference.

Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 11

✝ NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

Catechists commissioned, vocation essay winne ▼ Those commissioned by Therese Recinella, with the Office Religious Education were Maria Lourdes Pierce, Norma C. Salas, Christina Villegas, Barbara Diane MacDonald, Pamela Cristal Martinez, Encarnación Gamboa, Antonia L. Gomez, Rose Mary Samaniego, Mary Esther Tobias, Sonya Gomez Hartnett, Yda Natalia Alemán, Davina B. Covarrubias, Rosario Saenz, Linda A. Beardsley, Tammy Marie Fontánez, Shanna Seree Larsen, Carolyn Poshé and Trav Collins McNiff.

Receiving a re-commissioning certificate were Divina Valdez LeGrange, Sister Elizabeth Close, IWBS, Yvette Rangel, Sister Eileen Mary Doherty, IWBS, Sofia Carreon, Michelle Garcia, Sister Emiliana Mary Mampallil, SSA, Gloria Ramirez, Sister Guadalupe Gayos de Vela, OP, Gloria Jane Scott, Gracie Cantu, Ester G. Garcia, Maria H. Álvarez, Sister Patricia Ann Burns, SOLT, Susan K. Buquet, Evelyn May Burton, Elsa Marie Elizondo, Mary Christina Bryan, Melba O. Ramos and Michele Didear Stovall.

Catechists represented both Catholic school educators and directors of religious education.

12 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

❝ The more I learned about what the Church taught, the more I thought wow! This is so beautiful. The Church wants me to love. The Church wants me to be holy and special.❞ – Jackie Francois extent of their faith.

One summer after high school graduation she attended a week long retreat and was changed forever; she was truly hooked on Jesus and his Church. The transformation was brought about by three things; first she began to attend daily Mass; second she met teenagers that, unlike her up to that time, were on fire for their faith; and third, she heard the Church’s teaching on contraception, and while as an 18-year-old it made her uncomfortable she realized she needed to be 100 percent Catholic and that the Catholic Church had the “fullness of truth.”

She began to read apologetic writers

and Church documents. “The more I learned about the Catholic Church, the more I fell in love with Jesus Christ,” Francois said. “The more I learned about what the Church taught, the more I thought wow! This is so beautiful. The Church wants me to love. The Church wants me to be holy and special.”

“God is calling us to be great,” she said.

“Every little act of love can help us become saints.” She said, “you must trust God” even if “you fear losing everything” for following his teachings and commandments.

Bishop Michael Mulvey opened the conference with the celebration of Mass.

In his homily the bishop reflected on the

†† NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

ers recognized ▼ themes of the conference, the family and mercy.

“I have to admit that this is a day I always look forward to. To be immersed in the joy of so many people in the diocese and so many wonderful speakers from around the country, so it’s a great day for us to be together and celebrate the body of Christ,” Bishop Mulvey said.

Pope Francis, the bishop said, called for a Year of Mercy so that the faithful could engage in the “EXTRA-ordinary” nature of mercy. “Pope Francis says that Jesus Christ is the face of the father’s mercy.

These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith. In a special way these words of the Holy Father bring us to another dimension of our understanding of faith,” Bishop Mulvey said.

The bishop shared with the participants at Mass, the story of the a man that had been found dead near Sacred Heart Church in Corpus Christi and quickly labeled by the media as nameless, homeless individual. He, of course had a name— Chris. His friends at the Mother Teresa Shelter knew his name; they knew him as a person with aspirations and hopes.

They knew him as one who showed his joy and life and was always at the ready to help others.

“It is important because in the family we are not nameless,” the bishop said, as he turned to the second theme of the conference. “In the family we have an identity. In the family we have value and we are affirmed. In the family we discover our potential, we know who we are and what God wants us to be. In the family we have dignity. In the family we are loved.

In the family we find mercy. In the family we experience and practice Jesus Christ, the face of God’s mercy.”

In addition to Guarendi and Francois, seven other nationally known speakers presented workshops on various topics. Janet E. Smith Ph.D., spoke on “Loving the Elderly”; Father Isaac Orozco presented on “Building a Culture of Vocations in the Parish”; Bobby Angel spoke of the “Face of Mercy”; Matthew Fraud’s focus was on “Porn: Seven Myths Exposed”; Rene Gonzalez talked what it means to recognize Jesus in oneself; and Tom McCabe’s talk covered “Better Homes & Pardons-The Raw Power of Forgiveness to Transform Family”.

Jesse Romero led two Spanish workshops on “Los Cuatro Pilares del Matrimonio Católico” and “Como Ser un Buen Católico”.

Some 100 people attended the Spanish

Vocation director Father Joseph Lopez presented vocations essay winners to Bishop Mulvey. Winners were, 11-year-old Ayden Luke Vela, a 5th Grade student at St. Joseph Catholic School in Alice; Itza Valdez, 13, a 7th grader at Incarnate Word Academy Middle Level; and St. John Paul II High School senior Jacob Zamarron, 18.

tract and an equal number attended the Youth track, said Jaime Reyna who coordinated the speakers for the conference.

Overall, 850 participants took part.

“Every comment we heard was that the speakers were fantastic,” Reyna said.

To see more photos of this event

SouthTexasCatholic.com South Texas

Catholic

SERVING THE CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI

southtexascatholic.com/news/MC2016 February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 13

✝ NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

Emmanuel and Blessed Sacra Cathedral serve the people of Alfredo E. Cardenas South Texas Catholic

L

ike many cathedrals and basilicas throughout the world, the Corpus Christi Cathedral has smaller chapels within its walls. In the case of the Corpus Christi Cathedral, one chapel is located in the basement floor of the Cathedral and is a place for daily celebration of the Mass. A second chapel, located in a special place added to the main cathedral, is available only for quiet meditation and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Both were added to the Cathedral in the 1980s.

The Emmanuel Chapel was dedicated on Nov. 21, 1985 by Bishop Rene Gracida and retired Bishop Thomas J. Drury. While the chapel’s main function is for daily Mass at 7 a.m. and 12:05 p.m., Monday – Friday, it has other uses and an interesting history.

In the early days of the Cathedral, it

Entrance to the Emmanuel Chapel at the Corpus Christi Cathedral on Lipan Street. The chapel houses 24 crypts for past, present and future bishops, as well as unique art and architecture that has been featured in magazines. The chapel is used for daily Masses and for special occasions, such as retreats.

Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic

14 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

†† NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

ament chapels at f God in different ways was called the “Crypt Chapel” because it served as a vault with 24 crypts to house the remains of bishops of the diocese. To date, the remains of four bishops—Paul Nussbaum, Emmanuel B. Ledvina, Mariano S. Garriga and Thomas J. Drury—are in the crypts located at the rear of the chapel.

While Bishop Gracida was able to secure an initial $200,000 grant from the Kenedy Foundation, the Cathedral parish community secured donations and raised the remaining funds needed for the altar, one statue, the tabernacle, two doors, the retablo altarpiece, pews, a Ruggles pipe organ and other smaller items.

Like many older buildings, the basement of the Cathedral was, as the Corpus Christi Caller reporter described it, “…a dank dark place dominated by concrete pilings” that supported the main cathedral. Noted Corpus Christi architect James Rome and artist Michael Tracy of San Ygnacio collaborated

Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the Corpus Christi Cathedral fulfilled a long held desire of Bishop Rene Gracida to provide a quiet space in the Cathedral for Eucharistic Adoration, free from the distractions. It is not designed for celebration of Mass, which are held at the Emmanuel Chapel and the Cathedral proper.

Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 15

✝ NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

Inside the Emmanuel Chapel are 24 crypts designed to hold the remains of the bishops of the diocese.

Pictured above is the crypts of Bishops Paul Nussbaum and Emmanuel B. Ledvina. to convert the space, not only to a place for worship, but also into an artistic creation featured in art magazines.

Tracy used a Spanish Colonial Primitive style in his designs of pews, which were hand carved in Mexico, the retablo and the tabernacle. Tracey named the retablo “Retablo de la paz sagrada.” He found a wooden crucifix for the chapel that dates to 18th century Mexico and a painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe from the 19th century.

Michael Manjarris of Corpus Christi created the Lipan Street entry features, a terra cotta base relief of St. Jude. Donald M. Olszewski, also of Corpus Christi, designed the stained glass window over the Lipan Street doors.

“It has been a personal joy to work on the Emmanuel Chapel. I believe it’s some of my finest work and I really love the way it is and feels. It is my hope that you are happy with its final result,” Tracey said in a letter to Bishop Gracida.

The Emmanuel Chapel has two entrances, one on the Lipan Street side and the other on the side of the Cathedral parking lot. This second entrance has provisions for handicap access.

Three years later, in 1988, Bishop Gracida—with Rome again serving as architect—began working on a second chapel; this time in the main sanctuary.

The work involved moving the Blessed Sacrament from the apse to a new location on the Lipan Street side of the Cathedral,

19th century painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe adorns the Emmanuel Chapel.

requiring an addition to the original structure.

According to the “Corpus Christi Cathedral History and Tour Guide,” the …reredos and tabernacle from the Cathedral's sanctuary were relocated in tact to the apse with a large iron reja enclosing the area. The white marble backing the tabernacle was originally incorporated in the design of the Cathedral.”

The idea did not meet with universal approval. Many parishioners wrote letters of protest to Bishop Gracida and the local newspaper.

“I know that if Bishop (Emmanuel) Ledvina had sufficient funds he would have included these in the scope of the work when the Cathedral was built,”

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†† NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

Ruggle pipe organ in Emmanuel Chapel was purchased with contributions from Cathedral parish.

Bishop Gracida wrote to parishioners.

“With your help, and hopefully the help of many others, we will be able to finish the noble work which he so bravely undertook, not without some opposition from individuals lacking in vision of the future, who opposed his plan to build our beautiful cathedral…we have made every effort to maintain the integrity of the beautiful work he accomplished. Nothing will be lost that he built and furnished for our cathedral.”

Bishop Gracida pointed out that the document Eucharisticum Mysterium, published in May 1967 by the Sacred Congregation of Rites provides instruction on Eucharistic worship required that “The place in a church…where the Blessed

Artist Michael Tracy used a Spanish Colonial Primitive style in his designs of pews, the retablo and the tabernacle.

Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle should be truly prominent. It ought to be suitable for private prayer so that the faithful may easily and fruitfully, by private devotion also, continue to honor our Lord in this sacrament” and recommended that, “…the tabernacle be placed in a chapel distinct from the middle or central part of the church, above all in those churches where marriages and funerals take place frequently and in places which are much visited for their artistic or historical treasures.” He pointed out that the General Instruction of the Roman Missal concurred, pointing out that “the Most Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, conspicuous, worthily

decorated, and suitable for prayer…” such as “in some chapel suitable for the private adoration and prayer of the faithful and organically connected to the church and readily noticeable by the Christian faithful.”

It was with all this in mind, the bishop said, that he directed the construction of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the Corpus Christi Cathedral. Moreover, it fulfilled a long held desire of the bishop to provide a quiet space in the Cathedral for Eucharistic Adoration, free from the distractions in the nave of the Cathedral.

This chapel, with pews that can accommodate 18-24 worshipers, was not intended to celebrate the Liturgy, that is reserved for the Emmanuel Chapel.

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.

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February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 17

✝ NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

How can we get closer to G Being happy during Lent Liz Quirin

W Catholic News Service

e may be skipping or schlepping our way to Easter on our Lenten journeys, and I pose this question: "Are you happy?"

You must have heard Pharrell Williams' song, "Happy." Some of the lyrics include: "Because I'm happy / Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof / Because I'm happy / Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth."

On a side note, the highly successful song reached No. 1 in the United States and the United Kingdom. You just cannot help smiling as you listen to the music or watch the video.

The only sour note sounded in Iran when young people were arrested after they released a video dancing to the "Happy" music.

But, here, as all over the world, Christians are living their Lent in many and certainly various ways.

My colleague gave up coffee for Lent, and for a while, even if he had not eventually told us, we could tell something was different, and not necessarily better.

He confessed to headaches and trouble staying alert even though he is only 31 years old. We are tasked with following the three pillars of Lent—prayer, fasting and almsgiving—but we all interpret our Lenten 18 South SouthTexas TexasCatholic Catholic || February February2016 2016 18

observances differently, like my colleague and the coffee.

Others might increase their spiritual reading or attend liturgies more often. We have a Wednesday evening Mass followed by a soup supper and conversation with our pastor. It is amazing how thrilling it is to see a church almost filled on a weeknight, with people who really want to be there.

Other parishes promote Catholic Relief Services' Rice Bowl, celebrating 40 years in 2015.

For me, all of these ways to "celebrate" Lent point in a positive direction. Remember what St. Matthew said, "When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you may not appear to be fasting (Mt 6:17-18)."

In other words, be happy, be positive, especially during Lent. It is a special time, a time of grace when we can look at our lives and select something that we want to change and work on that. Too often, we go around in our proverbial sackcloth and ashes, looking for sympathy, pity or some other reinforcement for "poor me."

Most of us, in comparison to people in many other parts of the world, are not poor. Maybe we do not see ourselves as wealthy, but maybe we do not know enough about others to be a good judge of our wealth.

Here is an example: I met a mother in the western highlands of Honduras who rents a room for herself and two small children. She picks coffee in season and tries to find other work at other times of the year. In this one room, she has an oversized cot for herself, her 5-yearold son and her toddler daughter.

She has no bathroom or cooking facilities in this room and shares a commode with at least 30 other people who also rent a room in this complex. Look around your home.

Still feel poor?

As we journey through Lent, we need to think about what St. Matthew said and appreciate this time set aside for reflection, seeing the joy we have in our lives, knowing that we have so much to offer, so much to give to others, whether they live next door, down the street or oceans away.

We need to realize life is about relationships, good ones that fulfill us and give us purpose, and teach us to treat each other and everyone we meet with dignity and respect since that is the way we want to be treated.

When we connect to others in that way, we find our Lent filled with uplifting possibilities and we can look forward to true Easter joy. We can "clap along" because we know that "happiness is the Truth."

†† NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

God during and after Lent?

Try the 'thou shalts' Tom Sheridan

R

Catholic News Service

ules are important. And rules often begin with one word: "don't."

I was an only child.

Which, in an odd sort of way, meant that rules were very important. In a house with an only child, if a rule is broken and something is damaged or misplaced, he (or she) did it. No siblings to blame. Maybe a dog, if you are lucky.

Generally, I was not.

A guy like me—an "only"—heard "don't" a lot.

Religion, generally—and Catholicism specifically—is too often defined by its negatives: Do not do this! Do not do that! Yes, the root of religion's long list of "thou shalt nots" begins—but hardly ends—with the 10 Commandments.

Rules with lots of "don'ts." It is a criticism of religion that seems to be growing in our increasingly it's-allabout-me society.

The rules and those "thou shalt nots" get a lot of play during Lent, especially with its custom of sacrifice and "giving up" things. Good traditions, certainly, but neither should we forget the "thou shalts."

Just as the "don'ts" in life are important, our humanity—and our faith—can be framed and enriched by the "dos." We just have to look for the opportunities.

We live in a world of seemingly

perpetual war. Yes, violence is sometimes—reluctantly—crucial to stem aggression, especially against innocents. War, Pope Francis reminded us last year, "is madness ... a madness which humanity has not yet learned its lesson!" For Catholics, it may be difficult but faithful to proclaim peace in the public square and at the neighborhood barbeque and to encourage political leaders to seek it.

We live in a world imbued with hate. Race, ethnicity, religion, even gender. Sure, Catholic social teaching (and good manners) tells us not to hate. And maybe we do not. But what can we do—actually do—to demonstrate that? It takes courage to challenge a friend who emails a joke laced with bias or, worse, veiled hate.

We live in a world struggling with poverty and human need. By all means, pray for the poor, but also donate a little to their comfort and if possible spend a few hours in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.

We live in a world of inequality and greed, where economic and financial structures too often favor those who already have much. Make your voices heard to echo the call of faith. "Money is the devil's dung," the pope said, quoting St. Francis of Assisi. "When money becomes an idol, it dictates people's choices."

We live in a world that too often forgets to recognize the need for

the common good. We see it when people fail to understand how their action—or lack of action—affects others. It can be as ordinary as driving courteously in the parking lot after Mass.

We live in a world full of injustice.

Bringing justice to the world is a daunting task, but start in your family or on your block.

The world is a harsh place; it needs a little tenderness. Sacrifice does not just mean giving up, it means giving, whether it is a bit of compassion to a hurting friend or a kind word to a stranger.

Decades later, an only child's concept of rules remains strong in me. It is not always easy to turn "thou shalt not" inside out. But when I do, I recognize that the "thou shalts" are much more rewarding and bring me closer to God.

Lent and Holy Week Schedule

For information on Lenten activities in parishes throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi go to

diocesecc.org/2016HolyWeek

February February2016 2016| | South SouthTexas TexasCatholic Catholic 19 19

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Bishop Michael Mulvey and the staff of the Office for Safe Environment and Child and Family Resources are committed to assisting in the healing process for victims and survivors of abuse.

If you or someone you know is in need of such services, call Stephanie Bonilla, Director of the Office for Safe Environment and Child and Family Resources at: (361) 693-6686 (office) or (361) 658-8652 (cell) for immediate assistance.

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Bishop Mark J. Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso and El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser announced plans for a “Two Nations, One Faith” celebration at Sun Bowl Stadium at the University of Texas at El Paso on Feb. 17 in honor of Pope Francis’ visit to El Paso's sister-city, Juarez, Mexico.

“In spite of the borders and boundaries that exist, we see ourselves as one great Catholic community, and we are immensely grateful and honored that our universal pastor, Pope Francis, has chosen to come to our area,” Bishop Seitz said. “We celebrate this great day for our brothers and sisters in Juarez.”

Pope Francis has chosen Juarez as the last city on his fiveday Mexico tour. The Juarez visit will include a trip to a local prison, a visit with Juarez maquila workers and business leaders and conclude with an open air Mass where an expected crowd of 220,000 people will celebrate.

El Pasoans and out-of-town visitors who do not have tickets to the Papal Mass in Juarez can celebrate at Sun Bowl Stadium with a real-time broadcast of the Mass. The “Two Nations, One Faith” celebration will include national and local entertainers to be announced at a later date as well as religious and cultural

elements.

Tickets for the Sun Bowl celebration will be $15 for the general public. It is important to note that the Sun Bowl celebration is not a Mass and Communion will not be offered.

For more information on ticketing, please contact the UTEP Ticket Center at (915) 747-5234.

Bishop Seitz and Mayor Leeser also announced the launch of a new Web site for the event; twonationsonefaith.com will house all information regarding the El Paso events. The city and the diocese will also use the hashtag #2nations1faith as a hub for information on social media.

Diocese school superintendent Rose Henry, Ph.D. addresses diocesan in-service training session.

Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic

Catholic schoolteachers participate in Diocesan In-service Day training Some 350 teachers, staff and faculty from 15 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Corpus Christi attended the 2016 Diocesan In-service Day on Jan. 4 at St. John Paul II and Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory schools. The groups were divided by: grade levels, Math and non-Math teachers and all content area teachers.

Therese Recinella, Director of Catechesis for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, presented "Praying Scripture with Children." The sessions encouraged educators to explore their relationship with Jesus through the Gospel and put students not only in touch, but also, in communion

(in intimacy) with Jesus Christ. Teachers were encouraged to sing, tell stories, share ideas and create their own reflections and guided meditations for their students.

Other topics covered included “Problem Solving using more of the Singapore Math Method”, “The Barriers to Student Success”, “Problem Solving and Algebra I Readiness” and the “IOWA Assessment Data Review, Curricular Alignment and Goal Setting for Student Progress.”

The In-service Day concluded with Mass celebrated by Father Patrick Higgins, Chaplain at St. John Paul II High School and Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School.

Council of Catholic Women leadership development slated for Feb. 6 The Corpus Christi Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will host the National Council of Catholic Women Leadership Training Development Program on Feb. 6, at St Gertrude Parish Hall, located at 1120 South Eighth Street in Kingsville.

The program is custom-designed from wide variety of subjects that will improve personal skills in many areas including: • understanding the need and the techniques to create a strong foundation for organizations; • learning or enhancing leadership skills; • improving skills to gain and retain membership; • cultivating a level of communication that truly reaches your intended audience; and • recognizing knowledge as the key to unlocking personal and leadership development.

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 23

†† NEWS BRIEFS

El Paso diocese, city plan papal celebration at Sun Bowl

2 0 1 6 C A T H O L I C ✝ SNEWS T EFROM WTHE A DIOCESE RDSHIP APPEAL

DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI My brothers and sisters in Christ, We have relied on the support of you and others in our Diocese to help us reach beyond the front doors of our local churches to serve Catholics and others in 12 counties spread over 10,000 square miles in South Texas.

With an effort as large as this we cannot do it alone. We need the help of all to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ, many of whom we may never have the opportunity to know.

With your help we can serve: • the hungry, homelesss, imprisoned, and marginalized through Catholic Charities, Mother Teresa Shelter, and prison ministries; • families through counseling, marriage preparation programs and education; • our youth, young adults, and college students; • seminarians education and formation; • parish staff, ministry leaders, and clergy administering the day to day operations of our Church; and • families needing tuition assistance in Catholic schools.

Together our support for this appeal will serve as a witness of the church’s mission to “Go and Make Disciples.” Thank you in advance, may God bless you and your family. May our diocese continue to grow as a home and school of communion.

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Rev. Wm. Michael Mulvey, STL, DD Bishop of Corpus Christi

Coming to your parish Feb. 6 & 7 For more information or questions please contact The Office of Parish Stewardship & Development at cdeleon@diocesecc.org or (361) 693-6643

24 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

Our Commitment to you...

†† NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

T

he Diocese of Corpus Christi serves the spiritual and physical needs of our parishes and community through more than 30 ministries.

We appreciate your generosity in sharing your blessings, so we are committed to you to be a good steward of the gifts you entrust to us.

for supporting the Catholic Stewardship Appeal “Be merciful, just as your father is merciful.” Luke 6:36 Social Services & Outreach • Office of Life, Justice & Human Dignity • Family Life • Catholic Charities & Mother Teresa Shelter • Child & Youth Protection • Counseling Program • Emergency Aid • Housing Counseling • Immigration Program • Prison Ministry • Persons with Disabilities • Representative Payee Program • Rural Outreach

Youth & Young Adult Ministry • Cardinal Newman Center A&M Corpus Christi • St. Thomas Aquinas Kingsville • Youth Ministry • Young Adult/Campus Ministry Vocations & Seminary Support • Seminary Tuition and Support • Vocations Office • Consecrated Life Catholic Schools • Department of Schools • Tuition Assistance Communications Media • South Texas Catholic

• Catholic Communications Network • Cathedral TV Mass • KLUX Radio Parish Services • Tribunal & Canonical Affairs • Cemetery Management • Department of Records • Parish Stewardship • Evangelization & Catechesis Support to our Clergy • Vicar for Priests • Priests Support • Deacon Formation • Permanent Diaconate Support • Office of Worship

W

ith your help, the Diocese of Corpus Christi can support more than 400,000 Catholics in South Texas with Corporal & Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Our Goal $1.2 Million

Diocese of Corpus Christi Office of Parish Stewardship and Development P.O. Box 2620, Corpus Christi, TX 78403 • (361) 882-6191 www.diocesecc.org or email cdeleon@diocesecc.org February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 25

†† PARISH LIFE

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†† PARISH LIFE

St. Anthony bands together to care for those in need David Jimenez, disabled Robstown resident, receives a bag of groceries for his family from Elisa Cavazos, coordinator at St. Anthony's Social Services.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

Rebecca Esparza Correspondent

W

hen David Jimenez injured his back three years ago, his life changed in an instant.

“I’m disabled now and unable to work,” the Robstown native said. “Things have been extremely tough for me and my family since, but

I thank God for St. Anthony’s Social Services.

They have been a lifesaver for us.”

Thanks to generous support from St. Anthony’s Parish in Robstown, as well as the support of the entire community, St. Anthony’s Social Services and St. Anthony’s Thrift Shop, located next door, serve those in need of a helping hand.

“Social Services is a beautiful ministry that February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 27

†† PARISH LIFE

Mary Garza, manager of the St. Anthony Thrift Store, shows a toy to Max Martinez, who came to the store with his neighbor, Bertha Solis.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

respects and values the dignity of each person,” said Elisa Cavazos, St. Anthony’s Social Services Coordinator. “We serve the baby in the womb, pregnant women, the disabled, the elderly, homeless and families in need by providing food, water and clothing, with love and compassion.”

Cavazos said 90-150 bags of food are given to the homeless every month. Each bag contains staples, including items like soup in a cup, breakfast cereal bars, pudding, bottled water and juice. Additionally, approximately 150 families are assisted with groceries each month.

Not only does Social Services provide food, they also give financial assistance.

“We do assist with utility bills, if we are able to at that time and we also refer our clients to other organizations, such as Catholic Charities and Hope House,” Cavazos said. “We are here to listen with compassion, as our clients share their struggles and pain. We are here to bring the love and hope of Jesus Christ. We even pray together.”

According to Cavazos, the homeless population in Robstown is on the increase, so their outreach to the homeless is not limited to bags of food. Social Services feed the homeless breakfast tacos every Tuesday. Every third Thursday they provide a warm meal for the hungry. But she insists they could not do it all alone. She said the

28 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

support they receive from St. Anthony’s Parish, as well as the entire community is remarkable.

“The homeless tell me how much they enjoy having fellowship with our beautiful Pastor Father Tony Blount. Our priests, brothers, religious, parish and surrounding parishes have a big heart for the homeless. The blessings are countless,” she said, with tears in her eyes.

The Food Bank of Corpus Christi is a "wonderful partner" in the combat against hunger, she said. And when individuals or families come in with a unique need, she has friends and colleagues in the community that can help fulfill a special request within hours. For Cavazos, it is all about a community that cares and comes through for its own.

“We served 450 plates at the annual Thanksgiving luncheon for the elderly and last year provided a Christmas meal for those in need.

Additionally, each homeless client received a Christmas gift from our angel tree,” she said.

The community support has inspired a wave of giving throughout the community. St. Anthony's School and Little Flower held a food drive and collected more than 2,000 food items for the food pantry recently.

“Children at St. Anthony's School, St. John's Home School and Lotspeich Elementary are being taught at a very young age the Works of

†† PARISH LIFE

Mercy. St. Anthony School is holding a diaper drive for Hope House and Social Services. Local parishes, schools, businesses and even Robstown first responders all work together as a team to keep Social Services running efficiently. This is how we are able to provide our services to those in need, not only in Robstown, but surrounding rural areas, as well,” Cavazos said.

St. Anthony’s Thrift Store, located next door to St. Anthony’s Social Services in the heart of downtown Robstown, also serves the entire community. Families can find low-cost clothing or household items in the store.

Bertha Solis visited the store recently with a neighbor’s young son, Max. “I come in from Bishop all the time. I love finding good deals on clothing. You just can’t beat their prices anywhere else,” said Solis, a parishioner at St. James in Bishop.

St. Anthony’s Thrift Store Manager Mary Garza has managed day-to-day operations since 2003. Items in the store are all donations and any profits are sent next door to Social Services.

“We provide a loving and caring service to those who need a helping hand. We clothe the homeless, as well as families who need assistance.

We also provide all our patrons with the knowledge that God is love. He is always by your side

with open arms,” she said.

Both St. Anthony’s Social Services and St. Anthony’s Thrift Store could use monetary donations, as well as volunteers.

“If people want to help, they can always send monetary donations to St. Anthony’s parish office. Also, for the homeless, we are in need of soup in a cup, breakfast bars, sausages, crackers, snacks, bottled water, razors, toothpaste, tooth brushes and deodorant,” St. Anthony’s Social Services’ Cavazos said. “For families, we need canned goods, oatmeal, boxed cereal, pasta, coffee, meats and poultry. We also encourage schools, churches and businesses to hold food drives to assist us.”

Working at Social Services is more than a just a job for Cavazos; it is a calling. And it is a calling that has impacted her life in a profound way.

“Jesus Christ and Blessed Mother have called me to work here at Social Services. Prayer is important throughout the day so we can see Jesus Christ in the face of each beautiful person that walks in the door. The homeless have hearts filled with gratitude to Jesus for blessing them through this ministry. When they tell us ‘God Bless You’ those words penetrate the soul.

Everything we do is always for God's Glory,” Cavazos said.

Roberto Rodriguez picks up a bag of essentials from St. Anthony's Social Services Coordinator Elisa Cavazos.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 29

†† VIDA CATÓLICA

Un católico bueno se y un católico santo lle Luisa Scolari Corresponsal

H

ay muchos católicos, pero dentro de los católicos hay católicos malos y católicos buenos, dijo Jesse Romero en su discurso "Cómo ser un buen católico, 12 Principios" que presento en la conferencia anual de ministerios de la diócesis de Corpus Christi. Como católicos estamos llamados a la santidad, y para lograrla hay varios pasos para llegar al cielo, Romero dijo.

Un católico bueno se va a santificar y un católico santo llega al cielo. Pero no llega de malo a santo ni al cielo. Hay pasos que uno tiene que tomar: vas de malo a bueno, de vicio a virtud, de virtud a santidad y de santidad al cielo.

Romero proclamo que hay muchos católicos tibios y sin compromiso que desconocen su fe, que conocen "de Jesús pero no a Jesús", y en esto hay una diferencia enorme. Debemos de tener la meta fija y concreta de ir al cielo, el dijo.

El primer principio de un buen católico es que debe examinar su conciencia cada noche. “Si nos examináramos a nosotros mismos, no seríamos condenados. Pero el Señor nos juzga y nos corrige para que no seamos condenados con el mundo (1 Corintios 11:31-32).” Y en Lamentaciones 3:40 la Biblia nos dice, “Examinemos a fondo nuestra conducta y volvamos al Señor!”

Repasa tu día y las cosas buenas propone hacerlas mañana y las incorrectas propone no cometerlas mañana. Arrepiéntete ante Dios rezando cualquier oración de contrición; es muy tarde arrepentirte ya muerto, por eso debe uno de arrepentirse cuando está vivo.

El segundo punto dicta que un buen católico asiste a misa cada semana y en los días santos de obligación. Si no asistes a la misa dominical es un pecado grave, es pecado mortal ya que estás desobedeciendo el tercer mandamiento. Si mueres en pecado mortal estás excluido del cielo. Las estadísticas dicen que en los Estados Unidos el 80 porciento de los católicos no asisten a misa el domingo, consideran mas importante el partido de Fútbol, la barbacoa o carne asada, el paseo o simple descansar.

Un buen católico se confiesa por lo menos una vez al año aunque se recomienda confesarse cada mes y en caso de tener pecado mortal.

Un católico bueno cree con todo su corazón que en cada tabernáculo de la iglesia católica reposa el cuerpo, sangre, alma y divinidad de Cristo, realmente presente en la Eucaristía. Cree 30 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

que Jesús esta en la hostia sagrada, y es por eso que tenemos un sagrario de oro.

Un buen católico no recibe la Santa Comunión estando en pecado mortal, porque si lo hace se convierte en un pecado mayor llamado sacrilegio. Por eso es importante hacer un buen examen

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va a santificar ega al cielo

Jesse Romero hace presentación sobre el tema de como ser in buen católico. Cerca de cien personas atendieron la platica en el American Bank Center.

Luisa Scolari para el South Texas Catholic

de conciencia y hacer una confesión con un sacerdote.

Un buen católico tiene que obedecer el gobierno espiritual de la Iglesia, inclusive a el papa, los obispos, sacerdotes, diáconos y religiosos. Dentro de la iglesia católica existe orden y una jerarquía.

La Biblia dice, “Acuérdense de quienes los dirigían, porque ellos les anunciaron la Palabra de Dios: consideren cómo terminó su vida e imiten su fe (Hebreos 13: 7)". Y también dice, “Obedezcan con docilidad a quienes los dirigen, porque ellos se desvelan por February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 31

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ustedes, como quien tiene que dar cuenta. Así ellos podrán cumplir su deber con alegría y no penosamente, lo cual no les reportaría a ustedes ningún provecho (Hebreos 13:17).”

Santo Tomás de Aquino dijo que el único momento en que un laico puede rehusar a obedecer al clero es cuando le pide que cometa pecado, igual que el hijo tiene el derecho de desobedecer a sus padres cuando le pidan que cometa pecado: padres que prostituyen a sus hijos, que ofrecen drogas y alcohol o los obligan a robar, mentir o delinquir pueden y deben ser desobedecidos por sus hijos.

Un buen católico debe respetar la vida en todos sus sentidos y en todas sus etapas.

Si la vocación de católicos es la del matrimonio, están llamados a la procreación y educación de sus niños para que lleguen al cielo. Deben inculcarles con la fe católica; bautizándolos, llevándolos a misa cada domingo, enseñándolos a orar desde pequeños, manteniendo los sacramentos, bendiciendo los alimentos, rezando cada noche y siguiendo las enseñanzas y doctrina de la iglesia católica.

Un buen católico tiene una devoción amorosa para la Virgen María. La Biblia nos dice, “Junto a la cruz de Jesús, estaba su madre…Al ver a la madre 32 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

y cerca de ella al discípulo a quien el amaba, Jesús le dijo: «Mujer, aquí tienes a tu hijo». Luego dijo al discípulo: «Aquí tienes a tu madre». Y desde aquel momento, el discípulo la recibió en su casa (Juan 19:25-27)." Entonces buenos católicos llevan a María como madre a sus casas.

Un buen católico reza el Rosario diariamente, es el arma más potente contra el diablo y el escudo del soldado ya que todos los demonios temen a María.

Un buen católico hace oración tres veces al día. La Biblia dice, “Cuando Daniel supo que el documento había sido firmado, entró en su casa.

Esta tenía en el piso superior unas ventanas que se abrían en dirección a Jerusalén, y tres veces por día, él se ponía de rodillas, invocando y alabando a su Dios, como lo había hecho antes (Daniel 6:11).”

Y, por fin, un buen católico apoya a la Iglesia católica con un espíritu generoso. La Biblia nos dice, “Glorifica al Señor con generosidad y no mezquines las primicias de tus manos. Da siempre con el rostro radiante y consagra el diezmo con alegría. Da al Altísimo según lo que él te dio, y con generosidad, conforme a tus recursos, porque el Señor sabe retribuir y te dará siete veces más (Eclesiástico 35:7-10).”

Elda Olvera (sentada), con Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Alice, asistió a la oficina de Ministerio Hispano en la mesa que proporcionó materiales catequéticos en español.

Luisa Scolari para el South Texas Catholic

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Matrimonio católico es libre, fiel, fecundo y permanente Luisa Scolari Corresponsal

D

entro del círculo de Conferencias Ministeriales ofrecidas por la Diócesis de Corpus Christi en enero, el señor Jesse Romero presento una disertación en español en titulada, "Los cuatro pilares del matrimonio católico." Romero dijo que los cuatro pilares son, ser libre, fiel, fecundo y permanente.

Estos cuatro pilares funcionan como las patas de una mesa, necesitan estar firmes y niveladas para que funcionen correctamente y no pueden faltar una porque se derrumba.

El matrimonio católico es libre porque los dos cónyuges deciden libremente solicitarlo sin que nadie los obligue.

El matrimonio católico exige fidelidad, ya que es la unión exclusiva entre dos personas, y excluye cualquier relación íntima con otra persona. Romero advirtió a los presente de el daño que actualmente está provocando la pornografía en el matrimonio, mencionando que las estadísticas marcan que un 60 porciento de los hombres en este país están adictos a la pornografía.

Esto ha provocado tanto daño en los matrimonios pues es la causa más común de la infidelidad, ya que deriva en otras acciones. Los medios de comunicación exaltan muchas tentaciones a los sentidos. Parejas deben tener mucho cuidado en los programas y películas que la pareja y los hijos ven. Pues sutilmente van creando ideas y “valores” en el observador. El sentido que el demonio ataca más fuerte son los ojos.

Romero le recuerdo a los participantes la hipérbola en donde Jesús dice, “Si tus ojos son motivo de pecado, sácatelos.” Lo que Jesús nos está diciendo es ten cuidado con lo que dejas entrar por tus ojos.

El tercer pilar, fecundo, indica la procreación y educación de los hijos. El Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica dice, “La fecundidad del amor conyugal no se reduce a la sola procreación de los hijos, sino que debe extenderse también a su educación moral y a su formación espiritual (# 2221).” Esto implica la responsabilidad moral que tienen los padres católicos de entregar a la sociedad unos buenos hijos con valores católicos.

Romero hizo una segunda presentación sobre el tema de como vivir un buen matrimonio católico.

Luisa Scolari para el South Texas Catholic

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 33

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Por su índole natural, la institución del matrimonio y el amor conyugal están ordenados por sí mismos a la procreación.

La exclusión intencional de los hijos contradice la verdadera naturaleza y propósito del matrimonio, Romero dijo. En éste punto el señor Romero comento que los matrimonios jóvenes no quieren compromisos ni responsabilidades, anteponiendo su bienestar físico y económico. La mujer no quiere perder la “belleza” de su cuerpo, y el hombre por su parte no quiere “gastarse” el dinero que tanto le ha costado en pañales, médicos, ropa y alimentos en niños.

Proponen que “necesitan” un mejor auto, e indisoluble (2364).” una casa mas amplia, se “merecen” unas “Lo que Dios unió, no lo separe el hombuenas vacaciones y así, van anteponiendo bre (Marcos 10,9).” “sus necesidades” antes que sacrificar nada por un hijo.

Emociones pasajeras o inclinaciones eróPara ver más fotos de este evento ticas, que se desaparecen rápidamente, no SouthTexasCatholic.com son lo que hace el matrimonio católico.

El matrimonio católico es permanente South Texas porque está unido por Dios con un lazo de amor que no puede ser roto. El Catecismo claramente nos dice, que “La alianza SERVING THE CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI contraída libremente por los esposos les southtexascatholic.com/news/Romero impone la obligación de mantenerla una 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, Director de la Oficina de un Ambiente Seguro y de Servicios para Niños y Familia: (361) 693-6686 (oficina) ó (361) 658-8652 (celular) para asistencia inmediata.

Catholic

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. con el P. Julian Cabrera y Gloria Romero

The Black and Indian Mission Collection (BIMC) exists to help diocesan communities to build the Church and preach the Gospel of Jesus among the African American, Native American and Alaska Native people of God. www.blackandindianmission.org/nationalcollection

Feb. 20-21 34 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

Jennifer Brinker

Catholic News Service

P

erhaps it was merely coincidence. Or perhaps not.

“I’d call it Providence,” said Vincentian Father Robert Brockland, who along with Amy Naeger, her brother Neal Gremaud, St. Louisan Bob Klump and Vincentian Father Walter Reisinger were at the center of this story in the last week of December and the first weekend of January.

None needs to be convinced of heavenly intervention, though the Army Corps of Engineers might need convincing after an unknown force or flawed human prediction kept the Mississippi River on its side of the levee and Bois Brule Bottom farmers dry in the flood straddling 2015 and 2016.

After heavy rains on Christmas weekend, the National Weather Service forecast the Mississippi River to crest at about 50 feet— the height of levee on the Missouri side of the river after being fortified with two feet of rock. A breach in the levee would have spelled disaster for acres of farmland and the few remaining who lived in the bottomland since the record flood of 1993, with a crest of 49.74 feet.

The actual crest Jan. 2, was 4 feet lower than predicted. An engineer told Gremaud that the Corps “didn’t understand it; the Mississippi did not act like it should have” with a crest of “only” 45.99 feet.

For the Vincentian priests, the siblings Gremaud and Klump, the reason was A statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is seen at Al's Place restaurant in McBride, Mo., Jan. 1. In the past, the statue was carried around levee walls when floods were expected.

Lisa Johnston, Catholic News Service

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 35

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Mary’s intercession credited for saving Missouri farmland from floods

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❝The farmers look to Our Lady of Perpetual Help for safety from accidents, for their farm equipment and financial interests. They are dedicated to Mary.❞ –Father Robert Brockland simple: the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

“I don’t think it’s any coincidence,” Naeger said Jan. 1 while sitting in her motherin-law’s restaurant—Al’s Place in McBride.

Gremaud got the prayer ball rolling Dec. 27, driving the northern portion of the 26-mile levee with Father Reisinger from nearby Perryville. They prayed and invoked the intercession of Mary, who was represented by a smartphone picture of a plaque that had been in Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Belgique and now resides in a shrine at the old church’s cemetery a third of mile away on a Missouri highway. They had wanted to bring the actual plaque, but to their dismay, it had been removed for safekeeping.

Independently, Naeger decided the levee needed to be blessed as well but that a statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help needed to come along. Why a statue?

“It just came to me,” she told the St. Louis Review, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

She enlisted the help of Father Brockland, who served as administrator of St. Joseph Mission in Highland for 16 years and now lives in St. Louis. The priest stopped at Catholic Gifts and Books in Chesterfield Dec. 29 to purchase the statue, which owner Mary Bachinski had ordered a few years ago merely because an Our Lady of Perpetual Help statue is rare.

“It’s always a plaque or a picture,” she said. “I put it in a corner and forgot about it.” Until Father Brockland called.

With statue in hand, he and Klump drove to Perry County, and Naeger met them at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, where the statue was blessed.

Then, with Naeger driving, Father Brockland riding shotgun and Klump in the backseat, they spent the next two-anda-half hours driving along the southern 36 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

portion of the levee, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the “Memorare.” They stopped every 10th of a mile for Father Brockland to bless the levee with holy water.

“We didn’t talk very much,” Father Brockland said. “We were all praying.”

The drive, at just 6 or 7 mph, was harrowing. Water was lapping up on the side of the levee, where a man was swept away in his truck when the levee broke while he patrolled in the flood of 1993. He survived two hours in flood water, but now Naeger, Father Brockland and Klump drove over the same spot.

“Around the bends, the water was really deep,” said Naeger, who juggled the steering wheel, the 12-inch statue and a rosary— three items in two hands.

“I was worried.” And overcome with emotion.

“When we started processing, it was... really overwhelming,” she said, choking up three days after the drive.

She chuckled about her next thought.

“This is the Blessed Mother of our Lord in a (Chevrolet) Tahoe,” she said, with a laugh. “She should be traveling in something more elaborate.”

But Naeger then felt a sense of calm.

“After that, I wasn’t afraid anymore, because I knew she had taken care of everything,” she said.

Afterward, they stopped at Al’s Place, where Father Brockland enthroned the statue of Our Lady and recited the “Blessing of a Community Against Floods,” from the Roman Ritual, an official book of prayers and ceremonies used in administering the sacraments. His favorite part of the blessing is the final line: “And may the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, come upon these waters and keep them always under control.”

“The Blessed Mother is the intercessor for her Incarnate Son, Jesus,” Father Brockland

said. “She is mother most powerful, and she comes to intercede for us. Jesus cannot refuse his mother.”

The devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help dates back at least a century among the Catholic farming community in the Perryville area. After a flood in 1943, the Belgique church got the plaque and processed with it along the levee, praying for the Blessed Mother’s intercession.

With the one notable exception, the bottomland has remained dry since. The plaque was absent when the Flood of ‘93 covered farmland and destroyed homes and the old Blessed Nativity Church, which had been closed just the year prior. Gremaud now owns the parish property; he parks farm equipment in a shed where a rectory, a convent and a school stood beside and behind the church.

After closing, the church and its contents were auctioned, but in advance of the ‘93 flood, Gremaud learned the history of plaque, and he and others sought its return.

They barely had repurchased the plaque— the auctioneer found it for them—before the levee broke. After the flood, the shrine was built, and though the plaque was high and dry this time around, the Gremaud siblings and Vincentian priests were proactive in making sure Our Lady of Perpetual Help was on board to help them.

“The farmers look to Our Lady of Perpetual Help for safety from accidents, for their farm equipment and financial interests,” Father Brockland said. “They are dedicated to Mary.”

For good reason.

“We drove the levee all the way north and all the way south, and no one lost anything,” he said.

(Brinker and Luecking are staff reporters at the St. Louis Review, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.)

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Abortion numbers, rates both down Mark Pattison

Catholic News Service

B

oth the number of abortions and the rate of abortion is dropping, according to figures released in the third annual “State of Abortion in America” report issued by the National Right to Life Committee.

The number of abortions, which had peaked at about 1.6 million in 1989, is now down to 1 million, according to federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics quoted in the report, which was issued Jan. 14.

The abortion rate for all women of child-bearing age is now down to 210 abortions per 1,000 live births.

The number of abortions performed at Planned Parenthood clinics, though, is up 250 percent in the same time period, according to Carol Tobias, NRLC president. The rate, Tobias added, has remained “relatively steady the last three years,” although the numbers have dropped for other services Planned Parenthood provides at its clinics.

Tobias characterized Planned Parenthood’s revenues as “steady abortion income and a cool half-billion in income from state and federal governments.”

One of NRLC’s priorities is government defunding of Planned Parenthood. President Barack Obama vetoed a bill that would have eliminated Planned Parenthood’s eligibility to receive federal grants.

“This is the first time now that the Congress has actually approved legislation to defund Planned Parenthood,” said Douglas Johnson, NRLC’s legislative director. “The procedural pathway has been set. The only thing lacking now is a pro-life president.”

Johnson said the current Congress is “a pro-life Congress.” He cited 10 House rollcall votes and four Senate roll-call votes, all of which had garnered a majority of pro-life votes. He added none of the Senate votes met the threshold to override a presidential

Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody of Corp[us Christi celebrates a Mass for Life at the Corpus Christi Cathedral on Jan. 21. Bishop Michael Mulvey called the Mass but was unable to celebrate it because of a death in his family. Pictured with Bishop Carmody, from left, are Father Richard Gonzales, Father Gerry Shehan, SOLT and Deacon Michael Mantz.

Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

veto of the defunding measure.

That would apply to a scheduled Jan. 26 vote in the House to override Obama’s veto. “That veto is going to be sustained,” Johnson predicted.

The “State of Abortion” report noted that for 2012, the last year for which statistics are available, “more than one in five…abortions performed at eight weeks gestation or earlier were listed as ‘medical’ abortions by the CDC.” “Medical,” the report added, “is code for chemical,” frequently “morning-after” drugs.

In the 36 states that report the marital status of women undergoing abortions, “married women accounted for just 14.7 percent of abortions,” the report said, “with 85.3 percent of aborting women being unmarried.”

One exception to the 2012 statistical overview is the number of women dying

from a legal abortion, the last year for which statistics are available is 2011. That year, two women died, compared to 10 in 2010.

Since the 1973 Supreme Court decisions permitting abortion virtually on demand, 424 women have died in abortions, according to “The State of Abortion.”

The biggest toll, though, Tobias said, is the number of babies aborted, which she put at 58 million since the joint Roe v.

Wade and Doe v. Bolton rulings. In addition to the unborn children, Tobias cited “the lasting impact the abortion had on the mothers of these children.”

Even with lower rates, about 1 million abortions are still performed annually in the United States, Tobias said. That reflects a 4.2 percent drop from year-before levels.

“We know ultimately we will be successful,” she said. “The immutable truth: killing unborn children is wrong.”

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 37

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Politics of mercy

Refugees and migrants disembark from a ferry at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, Jan. 14. The ferry arrived carrying some 1,000 refugees and migrants who had landed the previous days on the Greek island of Lesbos, crossing from Turkey.

Orestis Panagiotou, Catholic News Service

Pope knows ‘welcoming the stranger’ is controversial Cindy Wooden

Catholic News Service

T

he Italian comedian talking about a new Pope Francis book was not joking when he said being a minister of God’s mercy can have social and political implications.

The corporal works of mercy of feeding the hungry and clothing the naked might not be controversial, but they are socially relevant actions. None of the corporal works, though, is as politically charged in the West today as “welcoming the stranger,” particularly if that stranger is a Muslim.

“We are called to serve Christ the crucified through every marginalized person,” Pope Francis said in the new book, “The Name of God Is Mercy.”

“We touch the flesh of Christ in he who is outcast, hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, ill, unemployed, persecuted, in search of refuge,” the pope said. “That is where we find 38 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

our God, that is where we touch our Lord.”

The U.N. Refugee Agency reported last June that at the end of 2014, the number of people forcibly displaced because of persecution, conflict and violence reached the highest number ever recorded; it had grown to “a staggering 59.5 million compared to 51.2 million a year earlier and 37.5 million a decade ago.” The U.N. estimated the number had surpassed 60 million by the end of 2015.

The chief cause of the increase was the conflict in Syria, a conflict that is ongoing and continues to send people fleeing.

In 2015, the U.N. reported, 244 million people, or 3.3 percent of the world’s population, lived outside their country of origin.

The plight of migrants and refugees has been at the heart of Pope Francis’ concern as pope. Soon after his election in 2013, he went to the Italian island of Lampedusa

to pray for migrants who had drowned attempting to reach Europe and to meet those who made it safely and those who have welcomed them.

Meeting Jan. 11 with ambassadors representing their nations at the Vatican, the pope made his concern for migrants and migration the key focus of his speech.

While acknowledging the social and political challenges that come with welcoming migrants, Pope Francis insisted on the human and religious obligation to care for those forced to flee in search of safety or a dignified life.

The pope’s concern for refugees is not just talk.

In September, the Vatican’s St. Anne parish welcomed a family of four from Damascus, Syria, providing an apartment, food and other assistance because under Italian law, asylum seekers are not allowed to work for

Gentle revolution: Pope wants Year of Mercy to tenderly transform world Carol Glatz

W

Catholic News Service

hen Pope Francis planned the Year of Mercy and the opening of the Holy Door, he did not mean to give the starting signal for a frenzied wave of pilgrims to Rome.

More than call to sign up for an Eternal City package tour, the pope is inviting people to strike out on a yearlong spiritual journey to recognize a loving God who’s already knocking on their door.

He says he wants the Year of Mercy to usher in a “revolution of tenderness.”

Once people realize “I’m wretched, but God loves me the way I am,” then “I, too, have to love others the same way,” the pope said in an interview published just a few days before the Dec. 8 start of the jubilee year.

Discovering God’s generous love kick-starts a virtuous circle, which “leads us to acting in a way that’s more tolerant, patient, tender” and just, he said.

Speaking with Credere, an Italian weekly magazine run by the Pauline Fathers, the pope gave an in-depth look at why he sees such an urgent need to highlight God’s mercy.

“The world needs to discover that God is father, that there is mercy, that cruelty is not the path, that condemnation is not the path,” he said. “Because the church herself sometimes follows a hard line, she falls into the temptation of following a hard line, into the temptation of underlining only moral norms, but so many people remain on the outside,” he said.

The pope said the thought of all those people—sinners, the doubtful, the wounded and disenfranchised—conjured up that iconic image of seeing the church “as a field hospital after the battle.”

“The wounded are to be treated, helped to heal, not subjected to cholesterol tests,” he said, meaning a too narrow scrutiny of minutiae delays staving off the broader disease of conflict and indifference. He once illustrated the same concept by painting a visual image of pastors who prefer to coif and comb the wool of the tiny flock in the pews rather than seek the sheep that are outside in danger or lost.

“I believe this is the time for mercy. We are all sinners, we all carry burdens within us. I felt Jesus wants to open the door of his heart,” he said in the magazine interview.

The opening of the holy doors in Rome and around the world will be a symbol of how Jesus is opening the door of his heart.

In fact, dioceses have been asked to designate and open their own “Door of Mercy” in a cathedral, an important church or sanctuary.

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 39

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the first six months they are in the country. The parish of St. Peter’s Basilica is hosting Eritrean refugees. A woman, whose husband is missing, gave birth to her fifth child shortly after arriving in Rome. She, the newborn and two of her other children are living in a Vatican apartment; she hopes soon to embrace her other two children, who are now in a refugee camp awaiting the completion of family reunification procedures. In the meantime, the woman is hosting another Eritrean woman and her child in the apartment.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican observer at U.N. agencies in Geneva, said the corporal work of mercy of welcoming strangers is “very political” and people’s fears are natural. “It’s something unavoidable that when you come into contact with the unknown, you are frightened.”

“When we are detached, when we don’t know them, we fear them and they fear us. The first reaction is suspicion,” he said. To overcome fear and fulfill the Christian obligation of welcome and care, “the first step is to get to know each other.”

Setting aside policies and procedures for determining how many refugees to accept, from where and how to vet them, Archbishop Tomasi said governments and politicians must pay greater attention to concrete steps for integrating newcomers. “That is what determines how people will react.”

“We must say to migrants, ‘You are in need. You are welcome here. We will give you housing, education, security. But there are values you must accept: the separation of religion and politics; respect and equality for women; respect for differences,’” he said.

In Europe and North America, integration is not adequately addressed, the archbishop said, “so it leaves room for misunderstanding, fear and is a way of justifying the rejection of persons who have a right to protection.”

Speaking to the diplomats at the Vatican, Pope Francis said an exaggerated concern for oneself leads to indifference toward others and, worse, to “fear and cynicism.”

But those forced to flee their homelands are the ones who have the most legitimate fears: Will they and their families survive? Which borders will be open to them? Will they be accepted? Will someone reach out a helping hand as they try to re-establish themselves?

Pope Francis insisted that people are the “paramount value to be cared for and respected.” A lack of concern for migrants, he said, stems from the same sense of self-preoccupation and fear of change that views some human beings as “’not yet useful’—like the unborn—or ‘no longer needed’—like the elderly.”

Welcoming the stranger is not always easy, the pope said.

“The massive number of arrivals on the shores of Europe,” for example, “appears to be overburdening the system of reception painstakingly building on the ashes of the Second World War.” In addition, large numbers of newcomers with a different culture and religious tradition leads to obvious questions about respecting differences while preserving a nation’s traditional cultural and religious values.

†† VATICAN

Pope Francis prays during his Aug. 26 general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Pope Francis says he wants the Year of Mercy to usher in a "revolution of tenderness."

Ettore Ferrari, Catholic News Service

The pope also will send out from Rome “missionaries of mercy”—priests mandated to the world’s peripheries to show patience and compassion in their ministry.

Such gestures suggest the pope still wants people to avoid the expense of travel—like his post-election suggestion to fans back home in Argentina to give to the poor the money they would have spent for a trip.

To help people at home feel “just like being there” in Rome, the Vatican television center will start broadcasting major papal events during the Holy Year in latest generation “Ultra HD 4K” resolution as well as HD, 3D and standard definition.

With the appropriate displays or TVs, people will be able to watch events with increased depth and detail. For the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica Dec. 8, 19 cameras were deployed to capture every angle, including a unique papal point of view.

The Vatican also planned to set up 4K screens in a prison in Milan, a hospital in Rome and possibly in the Holy Land so people who are physically confined could 40 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

feel part of the opening ceremony.

From the very start of his pontificate, Pope Francis has been showing what the way of mercy means.

The pope’s very first Angelus address and homily in 2013 centered on mercy, as he explained God always waits for that day of awakening and conversion, then forgives everything. The real problem is people—not God—who give up on forgiveness, he said.

But mercy changes everything, he said; it “makes the world a little less cold and more just.”

The pope’s own religious vocation is rooted in that concrete experience of mercy, when he—as a 17-year-old student—walked out of a confessional “different, changed.” It was the feast of St. Matthew, and like St. Matthew, he was overcome, feeling “God looked at me with mercy” and said, “Follow me.”

Realizing God knows he is a sinner, but embraces him anyway lies at the heart of Pope Francis’ ministry and his motto: “By showing mercy, by choosing,” based on “The Call of St. Matthew.”

He said in the magazine interview that one Friday of every month during the Year of Mercy “I will make a different gesture” that shows God’s mercy. He had asked the world’s young people to rediscover the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, like feeding the hungry and counsel the doubtful, and choose one to practice each month as they prepare for World Youth Day in July.

The Credere interview reveals that the pope has been championing a more merciful church for decades.

In a small group discussion during the 1994 ordinary Synod of Bishops on consecrated life and its role in the church and the world, then Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, said it was necessary “to institute a revolution of tenderness,” to which one synod father countered, “with reasonable explanations,” how “it wasn’t good to use this kind of language.”

But now two decades later as leader of the universal church, the opening of the Year of Mercy may be his moment to set that revolution into motion.

†† OUR FAITH

Father J. Patrick Serna is pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sinton.

Works of mercy are concrete ways to put faith into practice Father J. Patrick Serna Contributor

I

n this Year of Mercy, we continue to reflect on concrete ways to carry out and give works of mercy to those in need. The Year of Mercy is an invitation for each one of us to "put our faith into practice." God tells us, in the letter of Saint John, "…If anyone says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen (1 Jn 4:20)."

Catholics have always embraced a holistic approach to our faith in God, and for that reason we have never subscribed to the theory of "faith alone" for salvation.

God the Holy Spirit makes it very clear that our faith must be expressed in good works; lip service is not enough for salvation. "You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless (Jas 2:19-20)?"

This is where the works of mercy come in; they are concrete ways for us to put our faith into PRACTICE! Four of the seven corporal works of mercy are: to clothe the naked, to shelter the homeless, to feed the hungry and to give drink to the thirsty.

About 800 years ago, enemy

soldiers captured a wealthy young soldier who was known for being a rich and spoiled party animal. During one year of imprisonment under harsh conditions in an underground prison cell, this young man who was known for luxury and excess started to receive visions from God. These visions from God helped the captured prisoner during this time of loneliness, suffering and sickness, which resulted from malnutrition and poor living conditions.

God's visions let the young man know that he would find sweetness in doing holy things, even though these same holy things previously seemed obnoxious and repulsive to him. These visions brought the young man consolation, when he most needed to be consoled.

After being released from prison, the young man tried to give up his luxurious way of life, and he tried to give the works of mercy to those in need. One day, the new convert saw a poor person who was in need of clothes, he was hungry and he was thirsty. There was a problem though; this person had the much-feared disease called "leprosy." This leper was the embodiment of what Christian conscience is required to address…but leprosy was the one thing that this young man feared most.

Something both momentous and dreadful happened to this young Christian who was fighting an inner battle of "ought" versus "fear;" the leper, in physical need, emotional need and spiritual need, started to walk towards the young conflicted man. What was about to take place, in this precise encounter, would have a tremendous affect on the rest of the zealous convert's life.

In this moment of truth, the man of extremes jumped off his horse and ran directly to the leper. The young man not only hugged the poor man with leprosy, but he even kissed the contagious man! The zealous and generous messenger of God's love later told his friends that there was sweetness in his mouth, after giving the leper a kiss. The premonition given to him through visions, during his year of imprisonment, came to pass. This special man, who gave his life to the works of mercy, is widely known by all of us as St. Francis of Assisi.

Francis would later spend many years giving his time, love, energy and resources, to the poor lepers. Moreover, Francis lived with the lepers, and it was in this that he found great joy. What was once a great source of fear for Francis became a new source of love.

Francis encountered Jesus in

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 41

†† OUR FAITH

➤Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said that the poorest of the poor are not in the slums of India, but in wealthy countries like ours, where spiritual and emotional poverty are greater than anywhere else in the world. need, every time he served one of the poor and needy lepers.

After his first encounter with a poor leper, Francis sold his horse and then sold several bales of his father's cloth. Francis wished to give all the money to poor people and lepers, and he wanted his father to join in this worthy endeavor. The father of Francis demanded reimbursement for all this money that was "wasted," and he even resorted to legal action. Francis refused to recognize civil authority, so the father then took him to meet with the local bishop, face to face.

The local bishop scolded Francis for selling some of his father's property,

and demanded that it be returned.

Francis stood before the bishop and promised to restore the money to his father, and he even said that he would give back to his father the very clothes that he was wearing. In that moment, Francis took off all of his clothes, all except for his hair shirt. Francis threw these clothes in a heap on the floor, and then he threw his money on top of those clothes. Francis walked away from there more than half naked into the cold, with bare feet on the snow.

This single man, who fell passionately in love with God and the people of God, changed the world and reformed the Church not so

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much because of what he believed, but because of how he put what he believed into practice. St. Francis of Assisi dedicated his life to showing his love for God by performing the works of mercy on the children of God, especially on those who were poor and sick with leprosy.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said that the poorest of the poor are not in the slums of India, but in wealthy countries like ours, where spiritual and emotional poverty are greater than anywhere else in the world. We are invited and expected to demonstrate our love for God, by performing these works of mercy.

Becoming

Missionary

Disciples A Weekly Retreat from The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity

Begins February 18

th

At Christ the King Parish in Corpus Christi

Featuring reflections by:

Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10 RESTORE THE CHURCH

BUILD THE FUTURE Copyright © 2015, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Photo credit: © 123RF.

42 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

60200216

Sr. Miriam James Heidland, Fr. Peter Marsalek, Fr. Dan Estes, Fr. James Kelleher, & more

For information call (361) 883-2821 www.SOLT.net

†† OUR FAITH

Making a pilgrimage during the Year of Mercy Sister Lou Ella Hickman is a sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament.

Sister Lou Ella Hickman, IWBS

J

Contributor

esus said, “Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

During this Jubilee Year of Mercy, Catholics the world over have been given the graced opportunity to do just that. One of the ways we can take advantage of this year is to take part in a pilgrimage. Some people may be able to travel to various sacred sites such as the Holy Land or to Rome. However, others may not be able to. Below are some suggestions for making a local pilgrimage.

Prayer groups, families, adult faith formation classes, RCIA programs as well as individuals could plan one or more visits to the six Holy Door sites in our diocese, which include St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Alice; St. Joseph in Beeville; Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Corpus Christi; St. Joseph in Kingsville; Chapel at Our Lady of Schoenstatt in Lamar; and the Corpus Christi Cathedral.

Families on vacation next summer can create their own pilgrimage by researching online the places they plan to visit. For example, every cathedral in Texas has a Holy Door and can be used to earn an indulgence. Cathedrals can be found in Brownsville, Laredo, Victoria, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Galveston, Beaumont, Tyler, Dallas, Fort

Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock, El Paso and San Angelo. Other basilicas, such as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower and San Jose Mission are also pilgrimage sites. There are many others; consider “Catholic Pilgrimage Sites” as a good starting point on the Web. If you or your group intends to participate in a pilgrimage, consider including the corporal works of mercy such as donating food to the Food Bank or blood to the Blood Bank.

While these works of mercy are appreciated anytime, the summer months tend to be lean ones for many agencies.

Pilgrimages have a long, honored tradition in the Church and you will be sharing in that tradition. Your experience will be greatly enriched if you do some background reading on its history. Consider going to confession and Mass as a group or make a Holy Hour together first. Decide if you want to visit just one door, begin and end at the same door or begin at one door then drive to another.

Also consider including stops along the way. One year I taught a morality class for adults. On the last day of class, we made a rosary pilgrimage to different places in Corpus Christi. At each stop I lead the group in praying a decade of

the rosary. The group could make “a stations of the cross” pilgrimage, that is, stopping to pray at such places as a funeral home (Jesus dies on the cross) or a cemetery (Jesus is laid in the tomb). A rosary pilgrimage could include stopping at a hospital (Jesus cures the sick). For those who would prefer the traditional mysteries of the rosary, these can be prayed instead. We are Catholic therefore we celebrate. Bring the pilgrimage to a fitting close with a potluck supper or eating out.

Families can make a mini pilgrimage if travel is not possible.

Families can create their own Holy Door to honor the fact they are the “domestic church.”

Stations can be set up throughout the house or in a room.

These could be teachable moments in helping children learn their prayers. If your parish has been designated a Holy Door site, photograph the door and hang the picture in a place of honor in your home. This, too, can be part of your indoor pilgrimage.

Teachers can also create a classroom pilgrimage by using the above ideas. Both families and teachers can use the various parts of their church. For example, stop at the baptismal font and pray for: the newly baptized, those who have left the Church, and those who

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 43

†† OUR FAITH

❝ I often share with people that Jesus wants to give his mercy to those

who are in the most need of it. Prayers during a stop at the altar might be said for an increase of priestly vocations and for married couples. ❞ –Sister Lou Ella Hickman, IWBS have lost their faith. A stop at the confessional could include prayers for reconciliation and those preparing for First Communion. The chaplet of Divine Mercy could be prayed at this “station.”

I often share with people that Jesus wants to give his mercy to those who are in the most need of it. Prayers during a stop at the altar might be said for an increase of priestly vocations and for married couples. Finally, if the oils for the sick are prominently

displayed, pray for those whose names appear in the bulletin. A picture of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s in the classroom could be a starting point of this mini-pilgrimage.

If the group wants to be more engaged with the event, they can duplicate what the medieval pilgrims wore. This includes a staff, a hat and clothing. Pictures of these items can be found online.

Martin Sheen, himself a devout Catholic, stars in the 2010 movie

entitled The Way. He plays Tom, the main character who must travel to France to claim the body of his son who died while walking the Way of St. James. Tom decides to finish the pilgrimage for his son and in so doing discovers more than he expected.

Before or after the pilgrimage, the group could watch and then discuss the movie. If pot luck is planned, discussion took take place at the meal.

In conclusion, however you travel during this year, “Vaya con Dios.”

February Liturgical Calendar 1 | MON | WEEKDAY | GREEN | 2 SM 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13/MK 5:1-20 (323) 2 | TUE | THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD | WHITE | FEAST | MAL 3:1-4/HEB 2:14-18/LK 2:22-40 OR 2:22-32 (524) PSS PROP 3 | WED | WEEKDAY | GREEN/RED/ WHITE [SAINT BLAISE, BISHOP AND MARTYR; SAINT ANSGAR, BISHOP] 2 SM 24:2, 9-17/MK 6:1-6 (325) 4 | THU | WEEKDAY | GREEN | 1 KGS 2:1-4, 10-12/MK 6:7-13 (326) 5 | FRI | SAINT AGATHA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR | RED | MEMORIAL | SIR 47:2-11/MK 6:14-29 (327) 6 | SAT | SAINT PAUL MIKI AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS | RED | MEMORIAL | 1 KGS 3:4-13/MK 6:3034 (328) 7 | SUN | FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME | GREEN IS 6:1-2A, 3-8/1 COR 15:1-11 OR 15:3-8, 11/LK 5:1-11 (75) PSS I 8 | MON | WEEKDAY | GREEN/

WHITE/WHITE [SAINT JEROME EMILIANI; SAINT JOSEPHINE BAKHITA, VIRGIN] 1 KGS 8:1-7, 9-13/ MK 6:53-56 (329)

25:31-46 (224)

9 | TUE | WEEKDAY | GREEN | 1 KGS 8:22-23, 27-30/MK 7:1-13 (330)

17 | WED | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET [THE SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS OF THE SERVITE ORDER] JON 3:1-10/LK 11:29-32 (226)

10 | WED | ASH WEDNESDAY | VIOLET | JL 2:12-18/2 COR 5:20—6:2/ MT 6:1-6, 16-18 (219) PSS IV 11 | THU | THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY | VIOLET [OUR LADY OF LOURDES] DT 30:15-20/LK 9:22-25 (220) 12 | FRI | FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY | VIOLET IS 58:1-9A/MT 9:14-15 (221) 13 | SAT | SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY | VIOLET IS 58:9B-14/ LK 5:27-32 (222) 14 | SUN | FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT | VIOLET DT 26:4-10/ROM 10:8-13/LK 4:1-13 (24) PSS I 15 | MON | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET | LV 19:1-2, 11-18/MT

44 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

16 | TUE | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET | IS 55:10-11/MT 6:7-15 (225)

18 | THU | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET | EST C:12, 14-16, 23-25/MT 7:7-12 (227) 19 | FRI | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET | EZ 18:21-28/MT 5:20-26 (228) 20 | SAT | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET | DT 26:16-19/MT 5:43-48 (229) 21 | SUN | SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT | VIOLET GN 15:5-12, 17-18/ PHIL 3:17—4:1 OR 3:20—4:1/LK 9:28B-36 (27) PSS II 22 | MON | THE CHAIR OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE | WHITE | FEAST | 1 PT 5:1-4/MT 16:13-19 (535) PSS PROP

23 | TUE | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET [SAINT POLYCARP, BISHOP AND MARTYR] IS 1:10, 16-20/MT 23:1-12 (231) 24 | WED | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET | JER 18:18-20/MT 20:17-28 (232) 25 | THU | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET | JER 17:5-10/LK 16:19-31 (233) 26 | FRI | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET | GN 37:3-4, 12-13A, 17B-28A/ MT 21:33-43, 45-46 (234) 27 | SAT | LENTEN WEEKDAY | VIOLET | MI 7:14-15, 18-20/LK 15:1-3, 11-32 (235) 28 | SUN | THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT | VIOLET EX 3:1-8A, 13-15/1 COR 10:1-6, 10-12/LK 13:1-9 (30), OR, FOR YEAR A, EX 17:3-7/ | ROM 5:1-2, 5-8/ JN 4:5-42 OR 4:5-15, 19B-26, 39A, 40-42 (28) PSS III 29 | MON | LENTEN WEEKDAY5 | VIOLET | 2 KGS 5:1-15AB/LK 4:24-30 (237)

Feb. 2 from 4-6:30 p.m. at St. Patrick School (3340 S. Alameda) in Corpus Christi. If you are unable to come on this day, call the school office to schedule a tour at (361) 852-1211.

101 Open House 3 Word at IWA-Elementary

Feb. 3 at 5-6:30 p.m. at IWA-Elementary Level (450 Chamberlain St.) Word 101 Open House is an introduction to Incarnate Word Academy and its programs. For more information go to: iwacc.org.

3

3

St. John Paul II High School Open House

Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at St. John Paul II High School Cafetorium (3036 Saratoga Blvd.) The Open House is an invitation to future and current high school students and their parents to attend a brief orientation and tour of the campus.

Word 101 Open House at IWA-Middle Level

Feb. 3 at 6:30-8:30 p.m. at IWA (2920 Alameda) in the Angel Avenue Student Center. Word 101 Open House is an introduction to Incarnate Word Academy and its programs. For more information go to: iwacc.org

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Word 101 Open House at IWA-High School Level

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9

10

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Feb. 4 at 6-8 p.m. at IWA (2920 Alameda) in the Angel Avenue Student Center. Word 101 Open House is an introduction to Incarnate Word Academy and its programs. For more information go to: iwacc.org.

5

NCCW Leadership Training Development Program

The Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will be hosting a workshop on Feb. 5 at Texas A&M University Kingsville (955 University Blvd) from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Feb. 6 from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at St. Gertrude Church (1120 South

11

11 St. John of the Cross Fish Fry Feb. 12 from 4-7:30 p.m. at the Catholic Center (200 S. Metz St.) in Orange Grove. Donations are $8 a plate. For presale tickets call the church office at (361) 387-2795. Dine in or take out.

Desserts available for sale.

Fish Fry at St. Thomas 12 Preparing for Lenten Retreat the Apostle Church Sacred Heart Parish will prepare for Lenten Retreat on Feb. 6 from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the school cafeteria at Central Catholic (1217 Lipan St.) Registration at 8:30 a.m. For more information go to sacredheartcorpus.org.

Mardi Gras with the Canadian Brass

Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the 2015-2016 Cathedral Concert Series now in it's 32nd season.

For VIP memberships for priority reserved seating and for more information call (361) 888-7444.

Fish Fry at OLPH

Feb. 10 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and every Friday till March 18 from 4-7 p.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (5830 Williams Drive) in Corpus Christi. For more information call (361) 991-7891 or go to: olphcctx.org

Fish Fry at Our Lady of the Rosary Church

Feb. 10 from 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. at Our Lady of the Rosary Church (1123 Main Dr.) in Corpus Christi. There will also be Fish Fries on Feb. 19, March 4 and 18 from 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. only. Free delivery on 10 or more plates. Take Exit 7 (Tuloso/Suntide Rd.) from I-37 to Leopard. For more information call (361) 241-2004 between the hours of 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Monday–Friday.

Men's Retreat at OLCC

Feb. 11-14 at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center (1200 Lantana). Register at deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext. 321.

Feb. 12, 19, 26 and March 4 from 5-8:30 p.m. The meal will consist of fried fish, French fries, green beans, coleslaw, and tea for $8 a plate. Desserts will be available for purchase.

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Saint Andrew by the Sea Fish Fry

Beginning Feb. 12 and continuing every Friday of Lent from 5-8 p.m. at St. Andrew's by the Sea Family Life Center. The Knights of Columbus hosted meal of fried fish, French fries, green beans, Cole slaw and tea for a donation of $8. Desserts will be available for purchase. Call (361) 949-7193 for more information.

Marriage 13 Diocesan Preparation

Feb. 13-14 beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday at Pax Christi Liturgical Retreat Center. Cost is $275 per couple. Includes overnight accommodations, all meals and materials.

Registrations are due one week prior to the seminar. Preregistration required. No late registrations or onsite payments will be accepted. Call (361) 882-6191 for more information. To register online go to: diocesecc.org/marriageprep.

Elizabeth School's 14 St.Casino Night

Feb. 13 from 6-11:59 p.m. at VFW Hall (2300 N. Texas Blvd.) in Alice. Dinner, music, raffles and gaming. For information call (361) 664-6271, ext. 30 or email sesprincipal@hotmail.com.

February 2016 | South Texas Catholic 45

†† FEBRUARY CALENDAR

2

Eighth Street) in Kingsville.

The workshop is open to all women. For more information contact Martha Orem at (361) 664-6417 or (361) 701-7486; marthaorem@gmail.com or to register for St. Gertrude: diocesecc.org/events/gkdccw or for Texas A&M Kingsville: diocesecc.org/events/ukdccw.

Open House at St. Patrick School

†† FEBRUARY CALENDAR

and Golden 19 Silver Wedding Anniversary Mass Celebration

Feb. 14 at 9:30 a.m. at Corpus Christi Cathedral. Bishop Michael Mulvey will celebrate a Mass for couples commemorating 25 or 50 years of sacramental marriage. Certificate reception and light refreshments to follow in St. Joseph’s Hall. For information and registration call (361) 882-6191, ext. 687.

19 Healing Retreat at OLCC

Feb. 19-21 at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center (1200 Lantana St.) Begins Friday at 5 p.m. and finishes Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Weekend consists of a series of talks on healing, periods of silent reflection and concludes with a healing service. Register deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext 321.

19 Retrouvaille Program

The next course in San Antonio begins on Feb. 19. For questions about the specifics of the program in San Antonio, call (210) 848-3278. For more information or to register, go to: retrouvaille.org.

Covenant of Love with 19 AMary Information Classes

Every third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m-8 p.m. at Schoenstatt Movement Center (4343 Gaines Street) in Corpus Christi. For more information call the office at (361) 992-9841 or email: schcc@sbcglobal.net.

Your Marriage” 20 “Enjoy One-Day Seminar

The Office of Family Life is sponsoring a marriage enrichment seminar with Julie and Greg Alexander on Feb. 20 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Pius X Church. Cost is $45 per couple.

Topics include: communication, forgiveness and spiritual growth.

Call (361) 882-6191, ext. 687 for information and registration.

46 South Texas Catholic | February 2016

in Truth at 20 Grounded Cafe Veritas-OLCC

Every third Saturday from 7-10 p.m. Beginning with an hour of Adoration with Praise and Worship in the OLCC Perpetual Adoration Chapel, followed by music and fellowship in the newly renovated Cafe Veritas (attached to Our Lady of Corpus Christi's Bookstore). This month's musician is TJ Tomazin. Come for prayer, fun and fellowship.

Call (361) 289-0807 for more information.

and Gold Gala for St. 20 Black John Paul II High School

Starts at 5:30 p.m. with auction viewing and cocktails at the American Bank Center. Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. This event will include a live and silent auction as well dancing and music provided by "Five Card Draw".

27 Natural Family Planning

Feb. 27 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at 1426 Baldwin in Corpus Christi. Natural Family Planning allows couples to plan pregnancies while following the teachings of the Church and respecting the gift of their married love. Registration is $125, which includes a three-hour introductory class, materials, and unlimited follow-up as needed. Payable by check or money order made out to Family Life. Please do not mail cash.

Reservations are not confirmed until payment is received. To learn more or register online: diocesecc.org/nfp.

27 Polka Fest

22 Lenten Mission at OLPH

Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. at Sokol Hall (5502 Kostoryz) in Corpus Christi. Czech fun, food and dancing. Music by The Majeks, Red Ravens and Czechaholics.

Admission is $10. No BYOB. There will be a Country Store, raffle, kolaches and silent auction.

For more information go to www.chssouthtexas.org.

Heart Bus trip to 27 Sacred Oblates in San Antonio

Lent and Holy Week Schedule

Feb. 22-24 at 7 p.m. in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church (5830 Williams Drive) in Corpus Christi.

Everyone is invited to attend.

The mission is presented by Redemptorist Missionary Father Vic Karls. For more information call (361) 991-7891 or go to olphcctx.org.

Feb. 27 bus trip to see the Oblates in San Antonio. $15 a person and $25 per couple. For more information: sacredheartcorpus.org

For information on Lenten activities in parishes throughout the diocese go to diocesecc.org/2016HolyWeek

27 IWA Paradise Island Gala

Feb. 27 from 6 p.m.-12 a.m. at the American Bank Center.

There will be a dinner, silent and live auction, elite bid board auction, children's art auction, spirit auction and a car raffle. For more information, visit www.iwacc.org/gala.

For sponsorship and event information, call Amy Canterbury at (361) 883-8229, ext. 104 or email: canterburya@iwacc.org.

To see more calendar events go to:

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February 2016 Issue SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC P.O. Box 2620 Corpus Christi, TX 78403 (361) 882-6191

ASH WEDNESDAY 2016 YEAR OF MERCY “Behold, now is a very acceptable time; Behold, now is the day of salvation.”

- 2 Corinthians 6:2

540 Hiawatha Street Corpus Christi, TX Ash Wednesday Schedule Masses: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m.

Confession: Before and during each Mass

For more Information call 882-1951