June 2017 - Vol.52 No.6

Our Lady of Fatima message still relevant

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VOL. 52 NO. 6 Publisher Bishop Michael Mulvey, STL DD

30

The Our Lady of Fatima float made by Helpers of God’s Precious Infants won the most prestigious award at the The Buc Days Illuminated Night Parade on May 6. This was one of several events held in the Diocese of Corpus Christi to commemorate the centennial of Our Lady’s apparition in Portugal to three young children.

COVER

Donna Fiarkoski for South Texas Catholic

Editor Alfredo E. Cárdenas ACardenas@diocesecc.org Theological Consultant Ben Nguyen, JD/JCL. BNguyen@diocesecc.org Editorial Staff Mary E. Cottingham MCottingham@diocesecc.org Adel Rivera ARivera@diocesecc.org Madelyn Calvert MCalvert@diocesecc.org Correspondents Luisa Buttler, Rebecca Esparza, Jessica Morrison, Luisa Scolari, Beth Wilson, Dayna Mazzei Worchel

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Don Downey lends a hand and farewell to parishioner Cecil Lira after 24 Father Mass celebrating the 70th Anniversary of St. Theresa of the Little Flower in Corpus Christi.

INSIDE 4 VIEWPOINTS Happy Father’s Day

CATÓLICA 16 VIDA Caminando en la fe evangelizando

VOCATIONS 8 Wait and see

EDUCATION 18 CATHOLIC The Class of 2017

NATIONAL NEWS NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE 26 13 Stories Bishop Louis Kihneman III assumes of suffering and need are never ending

NEWS BRIEFS 15 Official Assignments

leadership of Diocese of Biloxi

FAITH 32 OUR Restoration of the diaconate as a permanent order in the Church

June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 3

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Happy Father’s Day Most Reverend Michael Mulvey is bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Bishop Michael Mulvey South Texas Catholic

L

ast month I wrote an article about my own mother in honor of Mother’s Day. It is only fair that I offer some reflections about my father in honor of Father’s Day. I return to the wall in my room with the family pictures on it. There is a photo of my father with his brother sharing a tricycle. What is interesting about the frame that houses it is that there are two pictures, one of my father and his brother and one of my older brother and me. By coincidence more than 20 years later, my brother and I are also sharing a “vehicle”, but it was my walking stroller. And there is no doubt that all four of us are related!

My father and his brother were very close in age and very close friends. I believe that he brought that value into our family—brothers can remain friends for life. Sharing a ride on a wobbly tricycle in the 1920s or a walking stroller in the 1950s may seem to be a trivial matter, but when we learn to share things early in life, we acquire a value for family life that is indispensable for creating and fostering lifelong friendships.

Dad was a loving husband and fun to be around. He often came home from work and sang a few verses of “Margie”, my mother’s name, while she was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Although smiling at his “nonsense” she just continued with her work.

It was obligatory that we all came to the table for dinner in the evenings. There were no excuses. It was in that hour or so that we shared things with mom and dad and they shared with us. One night—I do not remember what my siblings and I were doing right or wrong—we were given a lecture about being a member of the family and how we had jobs that contributed to the family. My dad concluded his remarks with these words, “And remember, you are guests in this house. ” I never remember seeing my father speechless, but he was that night when one of my younger brothers responded, “Then

4 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

why don’t you treat us like guests.” Yes, dad was speechless, but he could not help but break a smile.

Another moment at the dinner table that was memorable was when my oldest brother and I were in high school and had to go to a Friday night football game. No doubt in a hurry to be there on time, we were running toward the door when dad stopped us and “invited” us to sit down to dinner (it was a rule). Amidst all the complaining and arguing, he told us we had to eat something. We did, and quickly; then we were dismissed early. What seemed to be illogical was in reality developing us as members of a family. The table was our “classroom” where we learned to value each other and that all activities were secondary to being together as a family. Sharing a meal together was the apex of the day.

As we got older mom and dad invested in a piece of property in Dime Box, Texas. My dad had a theory that since we were living in the big city of Houston that we needed to experience what small town life was about and we needed to know the value of “hard work”. So, almost every Friday and weeks during the summer months, we loaded up and made the two hour trip from the big city to the very small town. My sister and brothers and I still share great memories from those days, but as I look back now, I believe that my father wanted to share with us those activities that he himself loved. He had a way to make what he enjoyed something we could share as a family. What he loved doing we learned to love too because we did it as a family.

One of the pivotal moments in my relationship with my dad was when I was about to leave for the seminary in Rome. My dad reminded me often during my early years that he was my “formation director”, but now I was off to the seminary to be formed as a priest. He was very proud of my decision, but he was nervous that I was going so far away, never having been in a seminary before. Neither had I been that far

Bishop Mulvey’s father, Daniel H. Mulvey, Jr. from home before. One day we were in the car and he turned to me and said:, “If it doesn’t work out, come home, there will be no questions asked.” That was a great gift to me. I knew he supported me and I knew that whatever happened he would be there for me. After I was ordained a priest, he would proudly say, “He may have received theology in Rome, but he received his ‘philosophy’ at home.”

I thank God for my father. And I thank God for fathers

throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi. You have given life to your children. I pray that you will continue to give of yourself to them in service as their “formation director”.

Children need good and dedicated fathers to form them in strong family values. May this Father’s Day be a time in which the love and commitment you have made to your children return to you a thousand times over.

HAP PY FAT HE R ’S DAY!

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

• Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission Edroy holds first Communion • Father Villarreal confirmed as Parochial Administrator at St. Philip the Apostle Parish • New altar servers began service at Sacred Heart in Mathis • Live Stations-of-the-Cross at Our Lady of Perpetual Help • Religious sisters, youth celebrate National Catholic Sisters Week in Alice parish • Live presentation of St. Francis coming to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles on April 2

• Office of Worship Announces: Cathedral TV MASS Festival of Choirs 2017 • Bishops want just and comprehensive immigration • Bishop celebrates St. Florian Mass for firefighters • Steve Wozniak enthralls crowd at annual Spohn Lyceum event • May is Elder Abuse Prevention Month in Texas, says DFPS • Catholic Daughters celebrate 100 years of service in Texas

• St. John Paul II track and field will get new look, new name • Senior Signs Letter of Intent for University Cross Country Team • IWA Scholarship donors and recipients honored at Recognition Luncheon • Sacred Heart students use the STREAM discipline to attack real world problems • Central Catholic Elementary celebrates Earth Day • IWA Students place at TAPPS State Academic and Speech Competition June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 5

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“He may have received theology in Rome, but he received his ‘philosophy’ at home.”

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Carl Anderson is CEO of the Knights of Columbus.

After year of declaring ISIS genocidal, why are its victims still waiting for aid?

Carl Anderson

O Contributor

n March 17, 2016, then-Secretary of State John F. Kerry announced to the world that the Islamic State was committing genocide against Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. It was an important statement, because it was only the second time our government had declared genocide in an ongoing situation—the first was Darfur, where some estimate that more than 300,000 people have been killed to date.

Congress, too, spoke. The House passed a resolution March 14 that the Islamic State was committing genocide against religious and ethnic minorities, including Christians and Yazidis, by a vote of 393 to 0. The Senate unanimously followed suit later last year.

The Rev. Douglas Bazi, then stationed in Irbil in Kurdistan, ran a refugee center for Christians displaced from the Nineveh Plain. He knew well the kidnapping, torture and confiscation they had endured, because he himself had been captured and tortured in Baghdad in 2009 by a different group of extremists. Sitting with me in the gallery of Congress as the bipartisan genocide resolution passed, he said using the right vocabulary was the “first right step.” But, he added, it needed to be followed up with the right action.

One year after our country used the right word, he and the other Iraqi Christians are still waiting for the next step: meaningful action.

Despite the genocide designation, our government spent the rest of 2016 operating on a business-as-usual basis. The largest displaced Christian community in Iraq—in Irbil—received no U.S. government or U.N. aid before the genocide designation. And they have received none 6 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

since.

On a visit to Iraq last spring, one of our executives spoke to Yazidis who said they had been similarly overlooked.

Both the U.N. and the senior U.S. government officials there told our representative that this was the case because they prioritized individual needs, not group needs. When pressed, they admitted that they did not take into account the needs of communities—even if they had suffered genocide. This means that, when being considered for aid or resettlement, those who are the targets of genocide do not have their status as communities marked for extermination taken into account.

Unfortunately, ignoring the identity of these targeted groups plays into the hands of genocidal regimes. Such an attitude could well be a death sentence for these minority communities.

What the Islamic State could not accomplish, misguided aid policies just might: eliminating entire ethnic and religious minority groups from their historic homes.

The region’s Christians seem to be reaching a tipping point. Estimates vary, but the Christian population of Iraq has fallen from more than 1 million to less than 250,000 in recent years due in large part to the onslaught of the Islamic State. Syria’s Christian population has fallen precipitously as well. For these historic religious communities, extinction is a real possibility.

Dating back to World War I, the United States has rightly extended a helping hand to threatened groups. Armenian and other Middle Eastern Christians targeted by the Ottoman Empire received tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid from the U.S. government and the American people, and Jewish survivors of the

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Holocaust received priority in resettlement. More recently, America has helped survivors of the Darfur genocide in the aftermath of their ordeal. The U.S. government has put more than $7 billion into Sudan since 2003, and USAID alone has provided more than $2.7 billion in humanitarian assistance for Darfur in that time frame, according to the organization Genocide Watch.

But in Iraq, many genocide survivors are still waiting for help. The tens of thousands of displaced Christians in lrbil, and Yazidis that Christians are caring for there, have received no U.S. government assistance—despite being direct targets of the Islamic State’s genocide.

Allowing these current genocide survivors to suffer for the past two years has been a gross injustice and a blight on America’s foreign policy record. Overlooking these people after a declaration of genocide is unconscionable, and in fact, it is de facto discrimination against the Islamic State’s most vulnerable victims.

Since the 2016 election, Iraqi Christian leaders have reported that they perceive a new openness to helping them among American officials. This is commendable.

Now, openness should become concrete action.

Just less than a year ago, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump said: “We left Christians subject to intense persecution and even genocide.” He added: “We have done nothing to help the Christians in the Middle East. Nothing. And we should always be ashamed for that lack of action.” He was right that our country should be ashamed of how little it has done. And while

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his administration inherited this problem, now it is in a position to fix it. The Trump administration should right the wrongs these shattered communities have endured through our country’s inaction by immediately taking three helpful steps.

First, ensure that no community that suffered genocide is overlooked by—or excluded from—U.S. government aid programs. At a minimum, we should do here what we did for Darfur through USAID. Second, the United States must demand that the United Nations also assist all communities that suffer genocide by including them in humanitarian and reconstruction aid. And finally, we should continue to work with the international community to defeat the Islamic State and bring the perpetrators of this genocide to justice.

Congress should also act by swiftly passing H.R. 390—the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act—co-sponsored by Reps. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.) and Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.). This bill would help ensure that much-needed aid reaches these decimated communities. Under this legislation, the U.S. government would be required to direct some aid to entities specifically assisting displaced people from communities of religious and ethnic minorities targeted for genocide.

The new administration should begin to right this wrong and chart a different course. It can quickly end this de facto discrimination, and in so doing, help save ancient ethnic and religious communities that could otherwise cease to exist.

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

“...if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them…(Acts 5:38-39)” Father Joseph Lopez Contributor

I

n the first chapter of John’s Gospel, we read about Jesus inviting two of his disciples to “Come and see.” St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, when asked by people how they could help her, often responded, “Come and see.” This phrase is used commonly now to refer to an immersion experience of discernment, whether it is a short visit or an extended period of active discernment.

But are you familiar with the “Wait and see” experience? It means to take the next step, then wait for God to lead you further.

Obviously, if you are committed to a diligent discernment, you are living a moral life, making sure you are applying yourself to prayer and study of the faith, being active in some sort of apostolate and meeting regularly with a competent spiritual director, if possible. For some, God makes his will known through these things alone.

But, sometimes they do not result in a clear answer, and you may be left with the same—or even more—uncertainty about where God is calling you to go with your life. In this case, God may be prompting you to take another step and “jump into the water.”

Take Albert, for example. A couple of years ago, he realized that God seemed to be calling him to discern the priesthood. He became more active in his parish, began reading about the faith, praying everyday and focusing his life on discerning his vocation very strongly. For a year, he has been in contact with the vocation director. However, God has not given him a clear indication of what to do next. His spiritual director encouraged him to apply for seminary, and then “wait to see” what direction God gives 8 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

him.

God does not always give an obvious answer.

He may want you to show him you are willing to trust by handing over your insecurities and delving into a more radical discernment. Taking a leap and doing a “Come and See” in the form of active formation—for example a house of studies program, seminary or postulancy— shows God that you are really willing to take the next step, and are ready to openly listen to his prompting.

Once you take this leap, it is crucial to be prepared to “Wait and see” what God wants to do with you next. If you are faithfully living the “Come and see”, He will show you whether it is his will that you continue; and if it is not his will, he will show you the path that he wants you to take next.

Often, when you are doing what God wants, he remains quiet about it. It is easy in this situation to assume that, if God is not blasting the trumpets and saying “you’re doing great, continue on this path,” he’s indicating a change of direction. But the important principle of the “Wait and see” is that, unless you are given a clear indication to change direction, you should continue what you are doing.

What is nice about this approach is that you do not have to worry about discovering or making a decision regarding your vocation.

God does the work, either directly in your heart. Sometimes it will be painfully obvious that you do not fit in the formation program, or maybe your formation director says it is just not a good fit for you. There is no need for fretting over “figuring it out.” You just have to be faithful and patient until he speaks clearly.

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Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament were honored at a school wide Mass at Incarnate Word Academy. The sisters celebrated their jubilees of religious profession. They were, from left, Sister Judith Marie Saenz, 50 years, Sister Juliane Kuntscher, 60 years and Sister Annette Wagner, 50 years. Also pictured at right, is Sister Eileen Doherty, from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, 40 years. Look for her story in the July issue.

Incarnate Word sisters celebrate jubilees Sister Michelle Marie Kuntscher, IWBS

T Contributor

hree Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament were honored by Bishop Michael Mulvey and the Diocese of Corpus Christi in February at the annual Consecrated Life Day at Corpus Christi Cathedral; by Incarnate Word Academy at the 2017 Gala in March; and in a school wide Mass at Incarnate Word Academy, where all three served on the teaching staff. The congregation will celebrate the sisters’ jubilee with a Mass of Thanksgiving on Saturday, June 24, at 10:30 a.m.

at St. Philip the Apostle Church. Completing 60 years of consecrated life, Sister Mary Juliane Kuntscher celebrates her jubilee of religious profession this year with golden jubilarians Sister Judith Marie Saenz and Sister Annette Wagner.

Sister Mary Juliane Kuntscher

Sister Juliane was born Rosalie Marie Kuntscher on Jan. 12, 1937 in Vattmann, Texas, the second of 10 children of Frank and Margaret Kuntscher. She received the sacraments of initiation at Our Lady of Consolation Church. Sisters of the Incarnate June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 9

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Word and Blessed Sacrament taught her and her siblings through eighth grade in the parish school. After attending Riviera High School for three years, she transferred to Incarnate Word Academy and was valedictoSister Juliane rian of the first class to Kuntscher graduate from the new Academy on Alameda Street, which was dedicated in February 1955.

Despite previous plans to enter Dougherty Nursing School, during the IWA Senior retreat, Sister Juliane received the call to become a sister with those who had taught her during most of her schooling. After graduation, she entered the congregation on Aug. 14, 1955. She professed first vows June 3, 1957, and perpetual vows Aug. 14, 1960.

Sister Juliane earned a bachelor’s degree from Webster College in Webster Groves, Missouri, and a master’s degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, attending the latter institution on a National Science Foundation grant.

Her ministry in parish and congregational schools included teaching at Cathedral, Sacred Heart, St. Patrick and Christ the King elementary schools in Corpus Christi; St. Gertrude in Kingsville; Incarnate Word Academy and Archbishop Oscar Romero School in Corpus Christi; and Villa Maria High School and Incarnate Word Academy in Brownsville.

She was also involved in CCD ministry in Corpus Christi, Violet, Brownsville, Port Isabel and Beeville; summer programs including “Foresight” for youth in the Diocese of Brownsville; Bible study programs in Door County, Wisconsin; and the migrant program in Renville, Olivia and Redwood Falls, Minnesota.

In the Diocese of Brownsville, Sister Juliane was an active member and served as representative on the Sisters’ Council for a time. In Corpus Christi, she has served as Secretary of the Sisters’ Council and was a Eucharistic Minister. In her service to the congregation, Sister Juliane served as director of postulants and novices, sister-in-charge of the convent in Brownsville and councilor and secretary of Incarnate Word Convents in Corpus Christi and Brownsville. She has 10 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

served as delegate to the General Chapters, and has served on many committees and commissions of the congregation.

Sister Juliane served as Secretary General of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament from June 2008 to June 2016. After completing that ministry, she assumed internal duties at the mother house. Prayer, support and communication with family members, elders and homebound persons are an important part of her ministry as an Incarnate Word sister.

“I enjoy the privilege of being a sister of the Incarnate Word, and I thank God for the opportunity to reach out to people in different walks of life,” Sister Juliane said.

She was privileged to serve the homeless of the South Texas area in her time at the Mother Teresa Shelter from 2003-07. “The people who come to the Mother Teresa Shelter are appreciative of the help and concern shown for them and for the acknowledgment of their individual dignity as persons loved by God,” she said. “When I see any of them about town, they are so happy to see someone who had known them at the Shelter.”

In Houston, at Casa de Esperanza, Sister Juliane cared for children at risk who ranged from infants to six-year-olds. “These children are in such need of a secure place in which they can receive the basic needs of nurturing and nourishment within a peaceful and non-threatening environment,” she said. “It was such a blessing to help them overcome distrust and fear and to see them grow in confidence and wonder.”

In her many experiences during her religious life, friends have come into her life, some for a short time, and others for longer periods, even for a lifetime. “I thank God for my parents and family members, and for significant friends to travel the same path with me here on earth,” she said. “My participation in daily Mass as a prayer intercessor for the Church, community members, family and friends and for the many needs of our world is a blessed way for me to respond to God’s call and the gift of friendship.”

Sister Judith Marie Saenz

Sister Judith Marie Saenz entered the congregation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in August 1964, professed first vows in June 1967 and made final profession on June 31, 1971. Born Nov. 22, 1941 in Rio Grande

City, Texas to Vicente and Hortensia Gamez Saenz, Sister Judith Marie was christened Francisca Delia Saenz. She graduated from San Isidro High School and continued her education at Texas A&I University, Sister Judith Kingsville.

Marie Saenz Counting her parents as her greatest role models of faith, she wanted to be a sister from her early years, but it was not until she graduated from A&I University with a bachelor’s degree in home economics education and began teaching at Coakley Junior High in Harlingen, Texas, that her pastor, Father Charles Brower, OMI, introduced her to the Incarnate Word Sisters living and teaching in Brownsville.

“I was attracted to their spirit of simplicity, joy and hospitality,” she said. “I felt those qualities must come from a deep prayer life and union with God.” After entering the convent, Sister Judith Marie taught in Catholic schools in Brownsville and Corpus Christi, and continued her education, earning a master’s in religious education from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. While taking classes at St. Mary’s, she participated in a six-weeks study tour of the Holy Land, an experience which has enriched her religious education classes through the years.

During her years with the community, in addition to her teaching, she has been involved in formation ministry, retreat and vocation ministry, congregational chapters, Diocesan Council of Consecrated Life, adult education classes through the St. Mary’s University Extension Program, liturgy classes for the Diocese of Corpus Christi Permanent Diaconate Program and liturgical planning for school and congregational celebrations. She has been a presenter for various diocesan and parish conferences and in-services.

Her love of interior decorating and liturgical décor has been expressed in her years of service as sacristan of the Mother house chapel, and continues in her preparation and decoration of convent and school areas for festive occasions.

Her summer ministry included summer school classes, religion camp in San Juan, Texas, Mexico Exchange Program,

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bilingual incarnational spirituality retreats in the U.S., Mexico and Central America and participation in the writing of the new Constitution for Incarnate Word congregations in the U.S. and Mexico seeking reunification.

Currently Sister Judith Marie teaches religion classes at Incarnate Word Academy, serves as chair of the Religious Studies Department and helps plan campus wide liturgy and student service projects. In her religion classes she teaches the life and spirituality of Venerable Jeanne de Matel, and shares the students’ creative projects on the foundress in school and convent displays.

Each year during teachers in-service, she works with other sisters to present a day of reflection for new employees to introduce them to the spirituality of the foundress and how it impacts Incarnate Word Academy.

She also uses quotes from the writings of Jeanne de Matel in seasonal bulletin boards at school.

In August 2016, Sister Judith Marie was appointed by the Leadership Team as congregational promoter of the Cause for Beatification of Jeanne Chezard de Matel, foundress of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. In this role she is charged with gathering and distributing information on the life and works of the foundress to make her better known.

In February, Sister Judith Marie assisted Sister Maria Carmen Aceituno, CVI, Assistant Postulator for the Cause of Jeanne Chezard de Matel, in documenting the case of Christabel Jeanne Camacho, the Corpus Christi child that Incarnate Word Sisters have been praying for throughout her mother’s pregnancy and following her birth.

The parents, Javier and Teresa Camacho, provided much of the documentation on how Christabel Jeanne has defied most of the diagnoses of children with Trisomy 13.

In their visit with Bishop Michael Mulvey, the possibility of this case being accepted as a miracle for beatification was discussed, and the next step will be a diocesan tribunal preparing the case for Rome.

In commenting on her work as Promoter of the Cause, Sister Judith Marie said, “This is a privileged time in our history, and I feel blessed to be able to work on the process.

Since our mother foundress was such a promoter of life, I am presently working on reprinting one of her prayers celebrating the dignity of life and imploring God’s special

care during difficult pregnancies. I am also working on a similar prayer for teenagers to use in deepening their awareness of the value of all life.”

Sister Annette Wagner

Sister Annette Wagner entered the congregation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in August 1964, professed first vows June 3, 1967 and made final profession on June 31, 1971.

She was born in Tulsa Oklahoma June 11, 1946 and became a Texan at age three when her parents, Karl and Mary Anne Wagner, moved their family of five to Corpus Christi.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame taught Sister Annette at Christ the King Elementary School before going on to Incarnate Word Academy, graduating in 1964. After graduation she entered the congregation and continued her education at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, earning a bachelor’s in English.

In her years of teaching, Sister Annette taught English, religion and physical education classes and coached sports. She taught at all levels in the Catholic schools in the dioceses of Browns- Sister Annette ville and Corpus Wagner Christi.

In addition to teaching, she continued her education, earning a master’s in theology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. She earned certification in pastoral counseling at Emmanuel College in Boston and certification in communications from the Institute in Effective Group Leadership.

While taking classes at St. Mary’s she participated in a six-weeks study tour of the Holy Land.

During a six-week writing fellowship, Sister Annette co-authored educational materials for junior high classes, adult workshops and resources for ministry. She has served many times as presenter for workshops, conferences and retreats for faculty and parish groups. She has also been a columnist for the South Texas Catholic and contributed articles for the Brownsville Herald. Sister Annette is currently completing the second year of a three-year program, St. Peter Upon the Waters, for spiritual direction certification.

In her years with the community, Sister Annette has been involved in formation ministry, heading the formation team, directing the congregational communications, serving as co-director of Incarnate Word Associates, planning and directing retreats, planning congregational chapters and serving on the General Leadership Team for five four-year terms.

She was active in the annual meetings of Incarnate Word congregations, attending and presenting conferences on various aspects of Incarnate Word spirituality and the charism of the order at international and national reunions. She was in the international group of sisters who met in several sessions to draft the Directory, a secondary document to the Constitution for the Incarnate Word congregations who are working toward reunification of the order.

Her ministry on the diocesan level includes the Pastoral Institute as founding teacher and then director for the program, founding co-director of the Alliance for Human Life and Director of the Office for Consecrated Life. She then moved to St. Pius X Parish, where she served as Director of RCIA and Adult Faith Formation, until she was elected Superior General in December 2015. She completed the year at St. Pius X and was installed as congregational leader in June 2016.

As congregational leader, she took on a major role in advancing the cause and the reunification process. In January, she met with Incarnate Word leadership teams from Mexico and the United States in Mexico City, where plans were made to further the cause of the foundress and the reunification of the order.

“We are working toward being united with the Incarnate Word through prayer, united by choice; united in love, following closely ‘the Incarnate Word who has called us in love, for love and to be love for others,’ as the draft Constitution for reunification states,” Sister Annette said. “When we commit to an incarnational presence in the world, we commit to a tone of non-violence in speech and action; to compassion and mercy as norms of behavior; to deep peace and joy based on the knowledge that ‘I am loved’; to a focus on acknowledging and nurturing the dignity and welfare of the other. Then we are following the Incarnate Word in the spirit of our foundress, Venerable Jeanne Chezard de Matel.”

June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 11

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

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

(361) 241-8153

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.

Office for Safe Environment and Child and Family Resources

Help Us Prevent Financial Abuse The Diocese of Corpus Christi at the recommendation of the Diocesan Finance Council and Presbyteral Council has furthered their commitment to good stewardship and financial accountability on behalf of generous donors by instituting a financial 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 confidentially report financial abuse and fraud. Employees, parishioners, volunteers, vendors and other interested parties are encouraged to report concerns they have regarding financial 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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Rebecca Esparza

E Correspondent

ighty-year-old Victoria Elizondo has lived a stormy life.

She had a strict upbringing and her mother left the family when Elizondo was just nine. At 17, her father married her off to a stranger in the military who took her from her home in Rosebud, Texas to a military base in Hawaii.

She gave birth to seven children before the physical and mental abuse from her husband became too severe. With seven children in tow, she finally left, moving to San Diego, California, where she worked two jobs to provide for her family.

“I went through hell and back raising my kids,” Elizondo said. “But God never left me. I never gave up and never looked back.”

Just a few short weeks ago, Elizondo— who now lives in a rural area of Riviera just outside of Kingsville—was living in a trailer home with no septic system. An employee at CHRISTUS Spohn Kleberg alerted Catholic Charities of her plight and thanks to a special anonymous donor, a septic tank was installed on her property.

Gessete Salcido, outreach coordinator in the Rural Outreach Department of Catholic Charities noted that this was a special circumstance and that every situation is unique.

“This particular situation alarmed us because she was using a bucket in the place of a bathroom. She also has an adult son with a disability living with her,” she said.

“We’ve never assisted a client with a septic system before, but in this situation, it was a health risk, especially considering her age.”

The Rural Outreach Department assists

Riviera resident Victoria Elizondo feeds her animals as Catholic Charities’ Gessete Salcido looks on. Salcido, who works for Rural Outreach Services, helped Elizondo acquire a septic tank with the help of a donor.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

clients in a the 12-county area within the Diocese of Corpus Christi with a variety of services, including help applying for governmental assistance and delivering food to families in crisis. Once they even hosted a cooking class. Salcido travels into rural areas throughout the diocese at least three to four times a week.

“It’s always different,” Salcido said. “No two days are ever the same. I love everything about my job. Everybody has a different story and it makes me feel good at the end of the day knowing I’m making a difference.”

She also attends health fairs and organizes speaking engagements to let the community know about the important work Catholic Charities does for all residents, especially in historically under served rural areas.

“I’ve assisted families in the colonias, especially after a heavy rain, when their houses flooded completely and they needed crucial assistance with replacing furniture or obtaining safe drinking water,” she said.

Kingsville resident Barbara Pate met with Salcido at St. Gertrude’s Church recently, accompanied by her four-month-old June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 13

†† NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

Stories of suffering and need are never ending

✝ NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

granddaughter. Salcido assisted Pate in completing an application for emergency food stamps for her family.

“I’m thankful for the assistance, although I’m sure we won’t need the help for long.

This is just a rough patch, but we’ll get through it,” Pate said.

Salcido said there was also an instance where she assisted a woman and her children apply for food stamps and Medicaid, because the husband was deported to Mexico.

The stories of suffering and need are never ending, but for Salcido, it is all in a day’s work.

“I helped a young woman in her early 20s who had just left an abusive relationship

from out-of-state. She had a nine-monthold child with her and both left home with only the clothes on their backs. We helped her with some emergency clothes, diapers, formula and other necessities for the baby.

I also helped her apply for Medicaid and Food Stamps,” Salcido said.

Meanwhile, Elizondo is thrilled with her new septic tank, which now allows her to use a restroom indoors, with a brand new toilet.

“Thank you, Jesus, thank you, Jesus!”

Elizondo exclaimed. “God has been amazing to me and I’m so thankful for all of his blessings. I’ve had a hard life, but it’s been a blessing. I have no anger in my heart toward anyone, just thankfulness for the

blessings.”

Salcido added it warms her heart to see positive outcomes like the situation with the septic tank. She will continue checking on Elizondo, due to her advanced age and the rural area she lives in, which has limited access to the outside world.

“I meet clients like this everyday. It amazes me how Ms. Elizondo is not upset about all of the many hardships she has endured in life. It makes me more appreciative about what I have,” Salcido said.

“It makes me realize the little things in life that annoy me are just that…minor annoyances. There are people out there with a lot less, making due, making the best of it.”

Salcido helps Kingsville resident Barbara Pate through a ‘rough patch’.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

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14 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

Corpus Christi

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†† NEWS BRIEFS

Father Romeo Salinas

Father Peter Martinez

Father Philip Panackal

Father William Marquis

Father Piotr Koziel

Father Glen Mullan

Father Joseph Lopez

Father Alfredo Villarreal

Father Patrick Higgins

Father Paul Kottackal

Father Joseph Thang Nguyen

Father David Father Juan Fernando Gamez Bayardo

Father Joseph Vakayil

For the good of the people of God in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Bishop Michael Mulvey has made the following assignments: Father Romeo Salinas is appointed as Vocations Director for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, effective July 5.

Father Peter Martinez is released as pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Flour Bluff, in order to serve full-time as president of St. John Paul II High School and Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School, effective July 5. He will be in residence at St. Philip the Apostle in Corpus Christi.

Father Philip Panackal is appointed as pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle in Robstown, effective July 5.

Father William Marquis is appointed as pastor of Our Lady of Refuge in Refugio, effective July 5.

Father Piotr Koziel is appointed as pastor of Our Lady of

Father Balaswamy Pasala

Father Jairo Motta

Mount Carmel in Portland, effective July 5.

Father Glen Mullan is appointed as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sinton, effective immediately; Father Joseph Lopez is appointed as pastor of St. Gertrude Parish in Kingsville, and chaplain to the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center at Texas A&M Kingsville, effective July 5.

Father Balaswamy Pasala is appointed pastor of St. Francis de Paula in San Diego and St. Joseph Mission in Palito Blanco, effective July 5.

Father Alfredo Villarreal is appointed to continue as parochial administrator of St. Philip the Apostle in Corpus Christi, for a term of one-year ending on June 30, 2018.

Father Patrick Higgins is appointed as parochial administrator of Our Lady of the Assumption in Ingleside, effective July 5.

Father Paul Kottackal, while retaining his duties with prison ministry, is appointed as parochial administrator of St. James Parish in Beeville, effective July 5.

Father Joseph Thang Nguyen is appointed as parochial administrator of St. Paul the Apostle in Flour Bluff, effective July 5.

Father Juan Fernando Gamez is appointed as parochial administrator of St. Joseph in Kingsville, and is to provide priestly assistance at the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center at Texas A&M Kingsville, effective July 5.

Father David Bayardo is appointed as parochial vicar of Most Precious Blood Parish in Corpus Christi, effective July 5.

Father Joseph Vakayil is appointed as chaplain to Our Lady of Schoenstatt Center in Lamar, effective May 1.

Father Jairo Motta has been granted a six-months leave of absence for health reasons.

June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 15

†† VIDA CATÓLICA

El grupo Caminando en la Fe se reúnen cada martes a las 9:30 por la mañana en la parroquia St. Philip the Apostle. Los alumnos están teniendo un impacto positivo en sus parroquias y en otros ministerios a través de la diócesis.

Luisa Scolari para el South Texas Catholic

Caminando en la fe evangelizando “Vayan por todo el mundo y anuncien las buenas nuevas a toda criatura (Mk 16:15).”

Luisa Scolari

A Corresponsal

tendiendo al llamado de la Nueva Evangelización, a la que invita y hace el Papa Francisco un llamado muy especial, el grupo de estudio de Biblia y oración en español “Caminando en la Fe” de la parroquia de St. Philip the Apostle, está poniendo al servicio de la iglesia lo que aprenden.

El grupo fue formado por iniciativa y bajo la dirección de la señora Gaby Pinedo en septiembre 2002. Ella observó la necesidad de crear un grupo de estudio Bíblico en español cuando alguien le comentó sobre un grupo de la Biblia en ingles, “que bonito sería que tuvieran algo así 16 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

en español para poder asistir yo”.

Eso hizo que surgiera en la señora Pinedo una gran inquietud por comenzarlo ya que esa era un sentimiento que siempre había albergado. Esa ilusión la concreto poniendo en marcha el grupo “Caminando en la Fe” que hasta el día de hoy, después de casi 15 años, continúa impartiendo sus clases ininterrumpidamente (excepto en vacaciones de verano y Navidad) los días martes de 9:30-11:30 por la mañana en las instalaciones de la parroquia de St. Philip the Apostle.

El grupo acompaña en el crecimiento y conocimiento de la fe Católica a mujeres de diferentes parroquias de la diócesis, brindando el aprendizaje de la fe a través

de clases y talleres de estudios Bíblicos en español. El ambiente que se vive dentro del grupo es de una gran hermandad, ya que aunque el grupo alberga participantes no solo de diferentes parroquias, sino que también de diferentes nacionalidades se siente como si se perteneciera a una sola familia, la familia de Cristo.

El grupo ha sido un semillero que está dando frutos en el las diferentes parroquias de la diócesis, ya que lo que ahí aprenden las participantes lo ponen al servicio de la iglesia de Jesucristo. Comparten en sus parroquias el conocimiento y enseñanzas aprendidas para que más personas se beneficien, esparciendo la palabra del Señor, como Jesús mismo lo

De Our Lady of Perpetual Help viene Cecilia Ortiz, de Our Lady of Pilar Maurilia Martínez, de Holy Family Martha López y de Our Lady of Guadalupe Carmen García.

Estas personas llevan lo que aprenden en el grupo a sus propias parroquias, y también a otras parroquias, evangelizando como ministros de Comunión, visitando los hogares de ancianos, llevando la Eucaristía a domicilios, preparando otras mujeres para retiros como ACTS y en varias otras tareas espirituales.

Actualmente se está impartiendo el curso “Catolicismo” de Carl E. Olson, ya que es la base de la doctrina Católica para entender los principios y fundamentos, guiando con reflexiones de los padres de la iglesia como Santo Tomás y San Agustín, y meditaciones y pensamientos del Papa Benedicto, apoyándose siempre en la Biblia y el Catecismo Católico. El estudio incluye teología y filosofía Católica que es presentado en vídeos, grabados en los lugares que sucedieron los acontecimientos en la Biblia, y narrado por Obispo

Robert Barron.

El presente ciclo culminará el martes 30 de Mayo con la celebración de la Santa Misa y consagración a la Virgen María por la festividad de la visitación que se conmemora el 31 de mayo. El próximo ciclo comienza el día 5 de septiembre. Anualmente el grupo vive una peregrinación y retiro al Santuario de la Virgen de Schoenstatt en Lamar, Texas y una consagración a la Virgen como cierre de año.

El grupo cuenta con el apoyo y la guía espiritual de Sor Rosa Ortiz y tiene como director espiritual al Padre Julián Cabrera, quienes las asisten con la dirección necesaria para servir a la iglesia de una manera correcta y poder llevar a cabo la evangelización a la que Católicos están llamados.

Si te interesa participar y formar parte de este grupo, comuníquense a las oficinas de la parroquia de St. Philip the Apostle con la hermana Rosa en el (361) 991-5146 o simplemente asistían a la clase el martes a las 9:30 de la mañana.

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.

Programa de Radio en Español en KLUX 89.5 HD-1 y “Listen Live” en KLUX.org Domingos a las 7:00 a.m. con el P. Juan Fernando Gámez P. José Naúl Ordóñez

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.

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

Ayudenos a Prevenir el Abuso Financiero 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.

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 June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 17

†† VIDA CATÓLICA

pidió cuando dijo, “Vayan por todo el mundo y anuncien las buenas nuevas a toda criatura (Mk 16:15).”

Testimonio vivo de estos frutos son las hechos evangelísticos de miembros del grupo quien sirven y forman parte de grupos y ministerios en sus propia parroquias y en la diócesis en general.

Miembros del grupo pertenecen a ocho parroquias en Corpus Christi y sirven en otras parroquias de la ciudad.

Feligreses de St. Philip the Apostle incluyen Lupita Elswick, Carolina Garza, Margarita Gómez y Mary Maldonado.

Miembros de St. Pius X incluyen Luisa Angulo, Blanca Cummins, Laura Elena Martínez y Adelaida Mendoza. De la parroquia St. John the Baptist vienen Martha Garza, Celina Muraira, Magdalena Rodríguez y Olaya Solis.

Otros miembros del grupo pertenecen a la parroquia Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos, Madre de La Iglesia incluyendo a Enriqueta Fernández, Paty Fernández, Germania Hosking, Sandra Juárez, María López y Obdulia Vallejo.

The Class

Incarnate Word Academy valedictorian Michael Rock and salutatorian Sheridan Steen.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

Rebecca Esparza Correspondent

B

ishop Michael Mulvey celebrated the Baccalaureate Mass May 26 at 1 p.m. for graduating seniors from Incarnate Word Academy and their families. Later that day, at 7 p.m., he did the same for St. John Paul II High School graduating seniors and their families.

Featured speakers at Incarnate Word commencement ceremony were class salutatorian Sheridan Steen and valedictorian Michael Rock. Featured speakers at the St. John Paul II commencement ceremony were class salutatorian Camille McCutchon and valedictorian Erika Suniga.

learning as a young child. Michael has always been driven.”

Rock has enjoyed STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs from an early age and attended a summer camp at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi that helped encourage his love of physics and calculus.

“I always try to do my best and remember to help those most vulnerable,” he said. “One of my favorite service projects has been the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House of Corpus Christi. They serve breakfast every third Sunday of the month to those living in shelters or anyone who would like a free hot breakfast.”

Michael Rock, Valedictorian, Incarnate Word Academy

Sheridan Steen, Salutatorian, Incarnate Word Academy

Eighteen-year-old Michael Rock loves everything about the outdoors: from sailing and scuba diving to kayaking and fishing.

He also obtained Eagle Scout rank in his sophomore year at IWA. “I’ve been around water all of my life, so it’s fitting I’ll be studying ocean engineering at the University of Rhode Island this fall,” he said. “They have an excellent program with robotics. I hope to complete an internship with a private defense contracting firm there.”

Someday, IWA’s valedictorian hopes to design nuclear submarines.

“As a child, he always had a room full of Legos,” said his mother, Kathy Rock. “We are so proud of him. He has worked very hard, especially considering he had some difficulties to overcome in

When Sheridan Steen was a child, she thought maybe she would like to be a doctor someday. “But when I realized I’m kind of squeamish around blood, I decided that would not be a good choice for me,” she said with a chuckle.

Steen was born and raised in the Virgin Islands but her family moved to Portland, Texas when she was in eighth grade.

“I’ve always been driven in school, but I realized early on that it is a fine balance between work and having fun. I always make time for fun, as well as work,” she said. “It’s all about a good balance.”

The 17-year-old salutatorian from IWA plans to attend Texas A&M University-College Station in the fall, with a major in

18 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

†† CATHOLIC EDUCATION

s of 2017

St. John Paul II High School valedictorian Erika Suniga (left) and salutatorian Camille McCutchon.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

psychology and minor in business. She hopes to one day obtain her doctorate and open up a private practice in psychology.

“I’m extremely grateful for all I’ve had, so I’d like to minister to third world countries,” Steen said. “I also love kids, so they would be my main focus.”

She has organized school projects like “Jeans for Jesus,” which collected jeans for homeless teenagers and will also serve as director for a retreat at her home parish over the summer, before she leaves for College Station.

“We feel truly blessed to have such an amazing daughter. The two most important things in Sheridan’s life are her faith and her school work. Her accomplishments have been a result of her strong drive to excel, hard work and dedication,” said her mother Michelle Steen.

Erika Suniga, Valedictorian, St. John Paul II High School Erika Suniga dreamed of becoming a ballerina, chef and professional dancer as a child. “And that was probably all in one year,” Suniga said with a laugh. The 17-year-old graduated at the top of her class at St. John Paul II High School. It took a life-changing illness to shift the direction of her future career.

“I was really sick for about six months during middle school and it opened my eyes to the life-saving work of medical professionals.

I’d like to become an emergency room doctor someday,” she said.

Suniga wants to travel the world, assisting third world countries as a doctor and eventually open an orphanage.

“My grandma was an orphan. Young minds are shaped so easily and sometimes these kids don’t know there are people out there that care for them. I want them to know about God and realize they are loved,” she said.

Her mother, Monika Suniga Graham, noted her daughter inspires those around her without even realizing it.

“She has the fortitude and courage to push through her fears and take a stand on what she believes,” Suniga Graham said. “She inspires me to dream more, learn more and become more. She is one of God’s many blessings and I thank God everyday for sharing her with me.”

The valedictorian for St. John Paul II will attend the University of Texas in Austin, majoring in biology.

Camille McCutchon, Salutatorian, St. John Paul II High School Camille McCutchon had been applying to various colleges since last fall. Each time she obtained a copy of her transcript, she would take a peek at her ranking. When she found out she was her school’s salutatorian this year, she was genuinely surprised.

“I was under the impression I was still third, so it was quite a June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 19

†† CATHOLIC EDUCATION

shock to learn I was now second,” she said. “I credit my parents for being so supportive. They are faith leaders in my life and I’m thankful for their encouragement.” McCutchon grew up with both parents in the medical field: both are anesthesiologists, although her mother put her career on hold years ago to raise her children.

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“Camille is blessed with many talents. I pray she continues to use them to bring glory to God,” her mother Sandra McCutchon said.

“I’m currently trying to decide what direction I’ll take. I’m seriously considering medical school and maybe a specialization in anesthesiology, like my parents. I thought about vet school, but

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Nicholas Alexander

Gabriella Alvarado

Jonathan Alvarado

Alyssa Ayarzagoitia

Andrew Ballien

Mauricio Banuelos

Victor Barajas

Conor Bryant

Nora Canales

Anna Cisneros

Gene Conklin

Lourdes Cortez

Brandon Deeb

Gabrielle Doucet

Caitlin Enright

Christian Garcia

Jose Garcia

Sarah Garcia

Zaire Gardner

Madeline Garza

Renata Garza

Julia Gonzales

Darryl Gonzalez

Elliott Gonzalez

Thomas Gonzalez

Natalie Gonzalez

Karley Hellums

Jeremiah Hernandez

Cristina Hinojosa

Ryan Jacinto

Juan Jimenez

Alexander Kimmel

Joshua Kostroun

20 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

†† CATHOLIC EDUCATION

I don’t think that’s really for me,” McCutchon said.

She plans on attending Texas A&M University-College Station, majoring in biology.

The 17-year-old salutatorian from St. John Paul II High School recalls a time as a child she wanted a career in a male-dominated

ns Candidates

profession just because she wanted to prove she could do it.

“I remember wanting to be a firefighter just to prove women could become firefighters, if they really wanted it,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve always had a part of me inside that wanted to prove something.”

Gillian Lira

David Lopez

Trinity Lozano

Isabella Martinez

Jesus Martinez

Viktoria Martinez

Camille McCutchon

Abigail Mondragon

Ngoc Nguyen

Daniel Nunez

Cristina Okoniewski

Stephen Perales

John Porche

Jennifer Raatz

Aaron Ramdawar

Robert Redix

Gabriel Reyes

Alex Rodriguez

Jacqueline Rodriguez

Miranda Rodriguez

Melissa Rosario

Hannah Ryan

Alyssa Saenz

Brianna Salazar

Eden Salinas

Christopher Sanchez

Marissa Soliz

Erika Suniga

Athena Tilley

Ryan Trevino

Robert Vargas

Ileana Villarreal

Jason Winters

Desirae Wright

Shelby Zapata

June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 21

Congratulatio S I N C E

1 8 7 1

Marco Aguas

Sydney Allison

Franceska Alvarado

Noah Alvarado

Margaret Bandas

Jessica Bang

David Barrera

Kassidee Beal

Allison Beltran

Aaron Benavides

Avina Bhakta

Jullian Brown

Mary Buhidar

Ronald Canales

Alexis Cervantes

Marykathryn Charles

Joseph Cook

Trevor Creamean

Hannah DeLeon

Jonathan DeLeon

Rioke Diejomaoh

Jacquelyn Douglas

Abigail Ehrman

Maximiliano Elizondo

Luz Fernandez

Nicole Flanigan

Emily Fleetwood

Abigail Floerke

Abigail Garcia

Noah Garcia

Milan Garza

Patrick George

Alexandra Gonzalez

Jacob Gonzalez

Hayley Guerra

Paris Hanna

Kesi Harris

Blake Herbst

Maggie Hoffman

Molly Hoffman

Nicholas Hoffman

Meredith Kirkland

22  South Texas Catholic | June 2017

ons Graduates Dominique Larioz

Nicholas Lee

Lupita Leon

Paige Lippincott

Caitlyn Martinez

Mary Matl

Olivia McClanahan

John McNiff

Jesus Mireles

Matthew Oliveira

Stephen Parlamas

Robert Patrick

Eileen Paulson

Delayna Ramirez

Joshua Ramirez

Julio Ramos

Victoria Rangel

Mikaela Rendon

Estefan Resendez

Michael Rock

Bradley Rossiter

Marcos Ruiz

Shelby Saenz

Jordan Salazar

Catherine Schultz

Michael Sifuentes

Stevan Silva

Ian Simmons

Jurnee Simpson

Julia Spencer

Gabriel Stacy

Sheridan Steen

Marcos Tapia

William Teichman

Bradley Thering

Madeline Thompson

Natalie Treviño

David Villarreal

Jackson Wallace

Claire Walsh

Michelle Watts

Elizabeth Webster

Christopher Yanez

William Yeager

Dalton Zawicky June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 23

†† PARISH LIFE

‘Everyone knows your Parish celebrates 70 years of service Jessica Morrison

F Contributor

ounded on April 13, 1947 by 50 families, St. Theresa Catholic Church in Corpus Christi recently celebrated its 70th year with great jubilation.

Comprised as a multi-generational parish with strong faith and family ties, St. Theresa is home to an array of heritages with many of the original family members still present. Although some descendants have relocated, the parish culture is rich in long-standing tradition and imitating Christ in serving others.

Bishop Emmanuel Ledvina began planning St. Theresa Parish in 1946 and drew up boundary lines and decided the Benedictines would staff it. St. Theresa was formally established as a parish in 1947. A

building program began in 1948, following the donation of 12-acres of land by the Dunn family. The parish first built a school, which also served as a temporary chapel.

Staffed by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, the school opened in September 1949 with 120 students but closed in 1992.

By February 1951, St. Theresa served a community of 723 people. In 1959, the present St. Theresa church and rectory were constructed under the direction of Bishop Mariano S. Garriga.

The 70th anniversary celebration commenced on Divine Mercy Sunday with Holy Mass, followed by a community meal, silent auction, raffle and salsa contest to help fund a church irrigation

system. Parishioner Veronica Munyon said that when she moved from the Midwest 20-years-ago, Corpus Christi was very warm-hearted and welcoming. With a degree in pastoral care, she affirmed that the loving, spirit-filled parish helped her to be able to maintain her vocation.

The St. Theresa parish has been home to 14 pastors over its 70-year-life, with the current being Father Don Downey. The pastor describes St. Theresa as “the greatest-the most generous, most loving, most willing to give, and that is tremendous.”

“The parishioners have great affection for the parish; this is their parish and they really want to serve and support, and that’s marvelous,” Father Downey said. “Our location between the freeway and industry, combined with younger residents who have moved away, gives us a small population.

However, the burbling of babies which can be heard at the 10 a.m. Mass on Sundays is an informal song and joy, a good thing that gives you hope. It’s an added dimension of God’s grace and blessing to us.”

Father Downey said the parish is trying to find new sources of income so that it can actually provide more services. “As with every other parish—big, small, rich, poor—that is the perpetual quest. We’d love for someone to come in and utilize the school building. We’re open to the idea, but

St. Theresa was built in 1959 by Bishop Mariano S. Garriga.

Archive photo 24 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

a lot of our growth requires the financial stabilities to support it, so we’re praying for that.”

In recent years, the St. Theresa parish has extended its welcoming spirit to the greater diocesan community by hosting new ventures including an annual “Women’s Conference” sponsored by Catholic Daughters Court #2433 and supported by Chaplain Deacon Stephen Nolte. Now in its third year with more than 100 annual registrants, the conference welcomes family and friends and includes guest speakers, raffle and door prizes, breakfast and lunch. In 2017, the conference explored “The Annunciation and Our Blessed Mother’s role in our lives past, present and future”. Women interested in attending may contact Irma

Rodriguez at (361) 774-6660.

Another apostolic initiative originating from parish members is the “Catholic Journey of Faith.” Now broadened to several churches in the diocese, the nine-week program consists of a Bible study course with discussion, praise, fellowship and worship allowing participants to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Each night includes a different topic and guest speaker. Light refreshments and childcare are usually provided, and there is no cost to attend.

For more information contact Dale Pittman at (361) 949-8332.

“This parish is deeply rooted with the people around here,” Father Downey said.

“Whether they have been here since its founding 70-years-ago or whether they

arrived last year, people who come to St. Theresa’s tend to love it and stay. I had a parishioner tell me it’s a bit like Cheers, ‘where everybody knows your name’.

When you aren’t here you’re missed, and when you are here you’re a blessing— that’s St. Theresa’s.”

In spite of its small size, the St. Theresa community beams with the Lord’s joy as its strength, hope and security.

Members of the founding families of St. Theresa—the Walsh, Cain, Dolan, Uehlinger, Golla, Kelly and Howell—join Father Don Downey at 70th anniversary celebration.

Jannell Majek-Ormand for South Texas Catholic

June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 25

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name’ at St. Theresa’s

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26 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

David Tisdale

F

Gulf Pine Catholic

or those in the capacity crowd attending the installation of Msgr. Louis Kihneman as the new bishop for the Diocese of Biloxi, the general sentiment was he is well worth the wait.

Bishop Kihneman, formerly the vicar general of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, was chosen late last year to replace Bishop Roger Morin, who had reached retirement age.

Until Bishop Kihneman could take over his new post, Bishop Morin served as apostolic administrator.

Originally scheduled for February, the ordination and installation Mass was postponed while then Bishop-elect Kihneman recovered from surgery for diverticulitis.

Bishop Morin welcomed his successor near the beginning of the Mass, telling Bishop-elect Kihneman he hoped the memory of the special moment the installation represented, the prayers for his success from all who were on hand and the celebration to follow would “be a source of support for you in the years ahead.”

Bishop-elect Kihneman’s brother, David Kihneman, proclaimed the first reading of the Mass, followed by Sister Dympna Clark with the second reading. Deacon Dick Henderson proclaimed the Gospel.

Prior to his reading of the Apostolic Letter authenticating the selection of Bishop-elect Kihneman by Pope Francis, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Christophe Pierre said, “Bishop-elect Kihneman, through the intercession of St. Joseph the Deacons hold the Book of Gospels over Bishop-elect Kihneman’s head as a sign of the power of God’s word over his people. The Book of the Gospels is held above his head until the prayer of consecration is completed.

G.M. Andrews for Gulf Pine Catholic

Worker and St. Martin de Porres, patron saints of the local church, may you be for the clergy and people being entrusted to your pastoral care and also for the community at large a father, a pastor and good shepherd, a brother who, in his faithful episcopal ministry, will continue to build up this portion of the Lord’s flock into a vibrant communion of charity.”

Metropolitan Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile, who served as second bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi, also welcomed Bishop-elect Kihneman with words of encouragement and support during his homily. In relating to the first reading of the installation Mass, which was from the First Book of Kings featuring Elijah on Mount Horeb and God’s exhorting Elijah to help turn his people’s hearts back to him, Archbishop Rodi gave Bishop-elect Kihneman a similar charge. “God sends you, my brother Louis. In this age where, as in the time of Elijah, many have turned from God, he sends you to renew the faith of the people,” Archbishop Rodi said. “Into an increasingly secular and disbelieving society, he sends you to shepherd his people as bishop of Biloxi.

“There will be joyful times as you serve as a bishop,” Archbishop Rodi said. “There will be grace-filled successes and uplifting moments. May you know many of these moments and may you savor them. But there will also be times when you, as did Elijah, may want to flee from your ministry and tell God this is too much. You, like the apostles in the Gospel of Luke just proclaimed, may want to stop fishing because of disappointing results.”

Archbishop Rodi continued, “In those times the message of God to you will be the same as the message to Elijah, ‘Go back!’

And the same as to the Apostles in today’s Gospel, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets again for a catch.’ Renew the faith

of your people.”

The homily was followed by the Promise of the Elect, in which Archbishop Rodi questioned Bishop-elect Kihneman in the presence of those in attendance about his resolve to uphold the faith and discharge his duties as head of the diocese. Archbishop Rodi then invited those assembled to stand and pray for the new bishop as he takes on the duty of providing for the needs of the church.

Later, the ordination included the ancient gesture of the laying on of hands by Archbishop Rodi, Bishop Morin, Corpus Christi Bishop Michael Mulvey, Archbishop Pierre and other bishops present, which expressed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the new bishop. The ritual was followed by the Prayer of Ordination, which featured the placement of the Book of Gospels over the bishop-elect’s head as a sign of the power of God’s word over us. This tradition dates back to the third century in the ordination of bishops.

Following the presentation of the Book of Gospels, ring, miter and crozier, Archbishops Rodi and Pierre led Bishop Kihneman to the cathedra, marking his official installation as Biloxi’s fourth bishop. Following Communion and a procession through the cathedral which gave Bishop Kihneman an opportunity to bless those in attendance, he gave concluding remarks. He gave thanks for the support of his family, friends and to God for getting him to Biloxi—as well as to the doctors and nurses who aided him in his recovery.

“It’s been quite a journey,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude for the hundreds of get-well cards sent to him by children from the diocese while he was in recovery. In thanking his late parents, he remarked humorously that his father was surely looking down and taking note of the June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 27

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Bishop Louis Kihneman III assumes leadership of Diocese of Biloxi

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Newly installed Bishop Kihneman celebrates his first Mass at his Cathedral and greets his flock.

G.M. Andrews for Gulf Pine Catholic

timing for the installation.

“I express much love and honor to Pope Francis,” Bishop Kihneman said, for choosing him to lead the diocese. “This is a tremendous honor, but also breathtaking at the same time. I thank the people of the Diocese

of Biloxi for praying for me, and I look forward to working with each of you. As I am called to be the bishop, the invitation for us is to take to heart the words of Jesus, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might, and love

your neighbor as yourself.’ We take that as our theme. We are in his image, we are the body of Christ. My brothers, and sisters, God loves you, I love you. As our Diocese of Corpus Christi paper said, ‘From Corpus Christi to Biloxi, with love’.”

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Pope Francis: Fatima reminds us to care for the faith of children Our Lady also honored in Diocese of Corpus Christi Catholic News Agency South Texas Catholic

P

ope Francis reflected on the May 13 canonization of the child visionaries St. Francisco and St. Jacinta Marto, saying that their faithfulness—despite their young age—reminds us to pay special attention to children in the ministry of the Church.

The message of Our Lady of Fatima was not forgotten in the Diocese of Corpus Christi with several events being observed throughout the diocese.

also wanted to propose to the whole Church to take care of children,” he said.

The holiness of these children is not a consequence of the apparitions they received, he said, but of the “fidelity and ardor with which they returned the privilege they received of being able to see the

Virgin Mary.”

“After the encounter with the ‘beautiful lady,’ as they called her, they frequently recited the rosary, they did penance and offered sacrifices for the end of the war and for the most needy souls of divine mercy.”

This is what made them saints, he said.

The Message

“In Fatima, the Virgin chose the innocent heart and the simplicity of little Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia, as guardians of her message. These children received it worthily, so to be recognized as reliable witnesses to the apparitions and to become models of Christian life.”

“With the canonization of Francisco and Jacinta, I wanted to propose to the whole Church their example of adherence to Christ and of evangelical witness, and I

Lúcia Santos, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, the three children whom the Virgin Mary revealed her famous “three secrets” in Fátima, Portugal in 1917. Jacinta and Francisco were canonized on May 13.

Joshua Benoliel http://www.santuario-fatima.pt June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 29

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On the day after the canonization, Pope Francis addressed some 25,000 people in St. Peter’s Square before praying the Regina Coeli.

In his greeting, he expressed his gratefulness to God for the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Fatima May 12-13 for the centenary of the apparitions, going “to the feet of the Virgin Mother as a pilgrim of hope and peace.”

He also thanked the bishops of Portugal, and in particular the Bishop of Leiria-Fátima, António Augusto dos Santos Marto, as well as the local authorities and everyone who helped to organize the visit.

“Last night I returned from the pilgrimage to Fatima,” he said, pausing to add a greeting to “the Madonna of Fatima!” followed by cheers from those present.

“In Fatima, I was immersed in the prayer of the holy faithful people, a prayer that flows there for a hundred years as a river, to beg Mary’s maternal protection on the whole world,” he said.

“From the very beginning, when in the Chapel of the Apparitions I stayed for a long time in silence, accompanied by the prayerful silence of all the pilgrims, a together and contemplative climate was created where the various moments of prayer took place,” the pope said.

And at the center of all of this, he said, was the Risen Lord present in the Eucharist.

Lindsay Gilbert portrayed Mary on the float while Damien, Emily and Kiera Bueno played the part of the three children of Fatima.

Donna Fiarkoski for South Texas Catholic 30 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

Even 100 years after the first appearance of Our Lady of Fatima there is still a great need for prayer and penance for the grace of conversion, Pope Francis said. “Let us be guided by the light coming from Fatima.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary is always our shelter, our consolation, and the way that leads us to Christ,” he said.

Remembered in Corpus Christi

The message took on special significance at The Buc Days Illuminated Night Parade in Corpus Christi on May 6 when a float depicting her apparition elicited reverence from members of the public observing the parade. As the float passed by, men took off their hats and put them over their hearts.

Other onlookers knelt, asked for prayers and were given rosary beads. Some parade goers, as young as four-years-old, knelt down with

their hands in prayer.

The Our Lady of Fatima float, built by volunteers with the pro-life group “Helpers of God’s Precious Infants” won the Sweepstakes Award, considered the most prestigious award at the parade. It was built to honor the 100th Anniversary of the appearance of the Virgin Mary to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917.

“Helpers of God’s Precious Infants” is committed to saving unborn children from abortion and sees Our Lady of Fatima’s appearance before children as a message about the value of every human life. The group meets every third Saturday at 8 a.m. at St. Joseph Parish in Corpus Christi for Mass, Rosary and Adoration.

About 30 youth and young adults, some from the Newman Center at Texas A&M

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University-Corpus Christi, helped build the float and walked behind the float during the parade, praying the rosary. The float took three weeks to build at Frank and Sharon Longoria’s house with a budget of $350. The Longorias belong to St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Parish and are members of Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.

Lindsay Gilbert portrayed Mary on the float while Damien, Emily and Kiera Bueno played the part of the three children of Fatima. The Longorias’ seven children worked alongside youth from different parishes to build the float.

“Some of our helpers did not know the story of Our Lady of Fatima, so it was a great opportunity to share our faith,” Sharon Longoria said. “Building the float was a labor of love. It was a beautiful way to minister to

our community.”

More than 250 of the faithful also filled the Our Lady of Corpus Christi Chapel to capacity as the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity observed the 100th anniversary of the apparition at Fatima with a procession and Mass on Saturday, May 13.

Under a clear Texas blue sky, a Pilgrim Virgin statue of Our Lady of Fatima led the faithful into the chapel while they sang Marian hymns to Our Lady. The procession circled St. Joseph’s fountain and then around the Chapel.

After re-entering the Chapel, Our Lady was crowned by two young girls, Alexandra and Mary Ann. Father Brady Williams, SOLT presided over the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Father James Kelleher, SOLT proclaimed the bread of

life discourse from the Gospel of John and gave a homily. Father Kelleher said that the message of Fatima has profoundly shaped history.

The Virgin Mary, he said, told the three little shepherds to pray the Rosary daily for World Peace. They faithfully fulfilled her request and at the last apparition on October 13, 1917, Our Lady said that World War I would now come to a quick end and it did in 1918.

Pope John Paul II invoked Our Lady after being shot in St. Peter’s Square in 1981.

“One hand fired the bullet and another guided it,” so that it was not fatal, he said. In 1984, the future St. John Paul II consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary—as requested by Our Lady of Fatima—and on Christmas Day 1991 the Soviet Union Fell.

Youth and adults from Sacred Heart in Odem, Immaculate Conception in Gregory, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Portland, St. Anthony in Robstown and Christ the King in Corpus Christi formed the living beads for the recitation of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.

Deacon Wayne Lickteig, SOLT read the scriptural meditations.

Our Lady of Fatima requested that the faithful “confess, receive Holy Communion, pray a Rosary and keep me company for a quarter of an hour meditation on the fifteen mysteries with the intention of offering me reparation” on first Saturday for five consecutive months.

Knights of Columbus help carry statute of Our Lady of Fatima as a large crowd of the faithful leave Our Lady of Corpus Christi after celebrating Mass in honor of the centennial of Our Lady’s appearance in Portugal to three young children, all of which have been canonized. See more photos at southtexascatholic. com/Fatima.

Ervey Martinez for South Texas Catholic June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 31

†† OUR FAITH

Deacon Michael Mantz is the Director for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Restoration of the diaconate as a permanent order in the Church Deacon Michael Mantz

T Contributor

he year 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the diaconate as a full and permanent order in the Universal Church. In 2018, the diaconate will observe 50 years in the United States. It is interesting to look at these two dates in conjunction with this restoration of the diaconate as a permanent Order in the Church.

First and foremost, this is not a history of the diaconate from the early Church and why the order faded to become only a transitional order that men received as part of their preparation for ordination to the sacred priesthood. That is not the purpose although that subject is quite interesting in and of itself. The purpose is to simply shed a little light on the order since the Second Vatican Council.

The permanent character of the order was restored by Vatican II when they called for the reestablishment of the ministry of the permanent deacon for the Universal Church.

The Council, in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium 29), laid out the foundational groundwork for the renewal of the sacred order of deacon as a full, viable and permanent order in the Church.

The following text from Vatican II became the foundational springboard for future documents on the diaconate. This was the Council’s principal statement on the diaconate: “At a lower level of the hierarchy are to be found deacons who receive the imposition of hands, not unto the priesthood, but into the ministry. For strengthened by sacramental grace they are dedicated to the people of God, in conjunction with the bishop and his body of priests, in service of the liturgy, of the Gospel and of works of charity. It pertains to the office of a deacon, in so far as it may be assigned to him by the competent authority, to administer Baptism solemnly, to be custodian and

32 South Texas Catholic | June 2017

distributor of the Eucharist, in the name of the Church, to assist at and to bless marriages, to bring Viaticum to the dying, to read the sacred scripture to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the people, to preside over the worship and the prayer of the faithful, to administer sacramentals and to officiate at funeral and burial services. Dedicated to works of charity and functions of administration, deacons should recall the admonition of St. Polycarp: ‘Let them be merciful and zealous, and let them walk according to the truth of the Lord, who became the servant of all’ (Lumen Gentium #29).”

Looking back 50 years, we can see how the restoration of the diaconate evolved, both worldwide and in the United States.

1967 - Universal Church

Pope Paul VI issued an apostolic letter on June 18, 1967 setting forth the general norms for restoring the permanent diaconate in the Latin Church as part of the permanent hierarchy of the orders. Very generally the document covered the following major areas; 1) it gave the task to various territorial conferences of bishops to decide, with the approval of the pope, whether and where it would be appropriate to appoint deacons for the care of souls and to build-up the Body of Christ; 2) the preparation of young candidates; 3) the preparation of older and married candidates; 4) proper support for deacons; 5) functions and duties of deacons; 6) spiritual life; and (7) deacons in religious orders.

The first conferences to request permission based on the pope’s apostolic letter were Germany, France, Italy, Brazil and Cameroon in 1967. The first diaconate ordinations took place in April 1968 in Cologne, Germany. Five men between the ages of 35-47, who had six to eight years of preparation and service, were ordained.

Germany had been the leader in promoting serious discussions about restoring the order

1968 - United States

May 1968 marks the time when the U.S. bishops voted to petition the Holy See for permission to begin a diaconate formation program in the United States. The Vatican approved the request in August 1968.

When the National Conference of Catholic Bishops asked for Pope Paul’s authorization they cited two major reasons: 1) to complete the hierarchy of orders and 2) to strengthen the diaconal ministries already at work in the Church with sacramental grace.

The U.S. bishops, at their annual meeting in November of that same year, set up a standing committee and established four main training centers, two national and two diocesan. The first permanent deacon to be ordained in the United States was Deacon Michael Cole of the Diocese of Rochester, New York. He was ordained by Bishop Fulton Sheen on June 1, 1969.

In 1970, two more deacons were ordained in the United States, one in Kansas City and one in Monterey, California.

By the end of the year there were 100 permanent deacons worldwide. Today we have 19,000 deacons in the United States and the number continues to climb. In 2018,

deacons in the United States will hold a Diaconate Congress celebrating the Golden Anniversary of the beginnings of the restoration of the Order of Deacon in the United States.

1977 - Diocese of Corpus Christi

In the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Bishop Thomas J. Drury ordained 12 men as the first permanent deacons in May 1977. These 12 men and their wives underwent an intensive two-year program in a special seminary convened for this purpose.

Currently, the Diocese of Corpus Christi has 98 Deacons; 72 active and 26 who are retired or inactive. The diocese has added 52 deacons since 2008. It has not quite been 10 years, but one can see that the number of permanent deacons has doubled in this short time frame. As of today, there are an additional 18 men completing the second year of their five year plan of formation.

The Order of Deacon in the Diocese of Corpus Christi is flourishing due to the support of the diocesan bishops and his priests. Bishop Rene Gracida was a strong supporter of the permanent diaconate. This trend continued with Bishop Edmond Carmody and now Bishop Michael Mulvey has infused his energy into the formation of candidates for the diaconate. He has really been “hands-on” in assisting with the formation of the candidates for the diaconate. Bishop Mulvey has personally devoted many hours of reviewing, screening, interviewing and getting to know the men and their wives and families, no small task considering the size of the diocese.

Liturgical Calendar

1 | Thu | Saint Justin, Martyr | red | Memorial | Acts 22:30; 23:6-11/Jn 17:20-26 (300) 2 | Fri | Easter Weekday | white/red [Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs] Acts 25:13b-21/Jn 21:15-19 (301) 3 | Sat | Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs | red | Memorial | Morning: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31/Jn 21:20-25 (302) 4 | SUN | PENTECOST SUNDAY | red | Solemnity | Vigil: Gn 11:1-9 or Ex 19:3-8a, 16-20b or Ez 37:1-14 or Jl 3:1-5/ Rom 8:22-27/Jn 7:37-39 (62), or, for the Extended Vigil, Gn 11:1-9/Ex 19:3-8a, 16-20b/Ez 37:1-14/Jl 3:1-5/Rom 8:2227/ Jn 7:37-39 (Lectionary for Mass Supplement, 62) Day: Acts 2:1-11/1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13/Jn 20:19-23 (63) Pss Prop 5 | Mon | Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Ninth Week in Ordinary Time) | red | Memorial | Tb 1:3; 2:1b-8/Mk 12:112 (353) Pss I 6 | Tue | Weekday | green/white [Saint Norbert, Bishop] Tb 2:9-14/Mk 12:13-17 (354)

7 | Wed | Weekday | green | Tb 3:1-11a, 16-17a/Mk 12:18-27 (355)

8 | Thu | Weekday | green | Tb 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a/Mk 12:28-34 (356) 9 | Fri | Weekday | green/white [Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church] Tb 11:5-17/Mk 12:35-37 (357) 10 | Sat | Weekday | green/white [BVM] Tb 12:1, 5-15, 20/Mk 12:38-44 (358) 11 | SUN | THE MOST HOLY TRINITY | white | Solemnity | Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9/2 Cor 13:11-13/Jn 3:16-18 (164) Pss Prop 12 | Mon | Weekday (Tenth Week in Ordinary Time) | green 2 Cor 1:1-7/Mt 5:1-12 (359) Pss II 13 | Tue | Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church | white | Memorial | 2 Cor 1:18-22/Mt 5:13-16 (360) 14 | Wed | Weekday | green | 2 Cor 3:411/Mt 5:17-19 (361) 15 | Thu | Weekday | green | 2 Cor 3:15—4:1, 3-6/Mt 5:20-26 (362) 16 | Fri | Weekday | green | 2 Cor 4:7-15/

Mt 5:27-32 (363)

17 | Sat | Weekday | green/white [BVM] 2 Cor 5:14-21/Mt 5:33-37 (364) 18 | SUN | THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST | white (Corpus Christi) Solemnity | Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a/1 Cor 10:16-17/Jn 6:51-58 (167) Pss Prop 19 | Mon | Weekday (Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time) | green/white [Saint Romuald, Abbot] 2 Cor 6:1-10/Mt 5:3842 (365) Pss III 20 | Tue | Weekday | green | 2 Cor 8:1-9/ Mt 5:43-48 (366) 21 | Wed | Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious | white | Memorial | 2 Cor 9:611/Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 (367) 22 | Thu | Weekday | green/white/red [Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop; Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs] 2 Cor 11:1-11/Mt 6:7-15 (368) 23 | Fri | THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS | white | Solemnity | Dt 7:611/1 Jn 4:7-16/Mt 11:25-30 (170) Pss Prop

24 | Sat | THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST | white | Solemnity | Is 49:1-6/Acts 13:22-26/Lk 1:57-66, 80 (587) Pss Prop 25 | SUN | TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME | green Jer 20:10-13/ Rom 5:12-15/Mt 10:26-33 (94) Pss IV 26 | Mon | Weekday | green | Gn 12:1-9/ Mt 7:1-5 (371) 27 | Tue | Weekday | green/white [Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church] Gn 13:2, 5-18/Mt 7:6, 12-14 (372) 28 | Wed | Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr | red | Memorial | Gn 15:1-12, 17-18/Mt 7:15-20 (373) 29 | Thu | SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES | red | Solemnity | Vigil: Acts 3:1-10/Gal 1:11-20/Jn 21:15-19 (590) Day: Acts 12:1-11/2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18/Mt 16:13-19 (591) Pss Prop 30 | Fri | Weekday | green/red [The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church] Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22/Mt 8:1-4 (375)

June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 33

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since the early 1960s. They were on the “cutting-edge” and led some of the major discussions at the Vatican II Council.

Later that year, in November 1968, nine more deacons were ordained in Rotenberg, Germany and three more the following month in Bamberg. There were also three African deacons ordained in December of that year in Cameroon.

†† JUNE CALENDAR

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Holy Hour followed by a Healing Mass

June 1 and every first Thursday of the month from 5-6:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Chapel Jesus Nazareno in Corpus Christi. Father Angel Montana invites everyone to Holy Hour followed by a Healing Mass.

Bible Study at St. Patrick Church

June 6 and every Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. at St. Patrick Church, Our Lady of Knock Hall (the corner of S. Alameda and Rossiter Street). For more information call the parish office at (361) 855-7391.

Women’s Spiritual Exercises Retreat

June 8-11. Begins Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Register at deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext. 321.

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16

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June 16-18 at Our Lady of Corpus Christi. Begins Friday at 5:30 p.m. and ends Sunday at 2 p.m. Weekend consists of a series of talks on healing, periods of silent reflection. Register deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext. 321.

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The Blessings of the Seven Altars

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Grounded in Truth

CDA Two-Day Rummage Sale

June 16-17 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Philip the Apostle Church (3513 Cimarron Rd.) in Corpus Christi. CDA Annual Rummage sale offers furniture, appliances, toys, clothing, housewares, sporting goods, books and a lot more.

Proceeds benefit scholarships for seniors. For more information contact Pat at (361) 244-8125 or email Patsyq59@yahoo.com.

Weekend Healing Retreat

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BBQ Fund raiser for Sacred Heart Parish

June 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Central Catholic School Cafeteria.

Chicken and sausage BBQ fund raiser for Sacred Heart Parish.

Plates for $7 donation with trimmings. Pick up or dine in. For more information call the parish office at (361) 883-6082. Buy your tickets early in our parish office.

June 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Corpus Christi Cathedral. Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima with the Cathedral Choirs and members from the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra. For more information call 888-7444.

Natural Family Planning (NFP)

Diocesan Marriage Preparation

June 10–11 at Pax Christi Liturgical Retreat Center. The Diocesan Marriage Preparation Program is a two-day overnight event for the engaged. For more information go to diocesecc.org/marriageprep.

Cathedral Festival Concert 2017 ‘Magnificat’

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(361) 289-9095, ext. 321.

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Celebration for Feast of the June 23 at 6 p.m. at Sacred Heart in Corpus Christi, beginning with Mass and followed by a reception.

There will also be a Grand Opening of the parish office.

Annual Chicken 25 CDA Fried Steak Dinner

June 25 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Theresa Parish Hall (1302 Lantana Street) in Corpus Christi. Meal will include chicken fried steak, gravy, green beans, mashed potato, bread, dessert and drink. Donation for the meal is $8. For more information or to purchase tickets call or text Irma Rodriguez at (361) 774-6660 or Maria Evans at (361) 249-2004.

26 EXPLORE 2017

June 26-30 at Camp Aranzazu in Rockport. Cost is $50. EXPLORE is a summer experience for young men who are enrolled in high school or who will be enrolling this fall, as well as recent high school graduates who want to understand their faith better, know themselves better, have fun and make new friends from all over the diocese. For more information contact the Vocation Office, Rachel Dimas at (361) 334-2781 or rdimas@diocesecc.org.

June 17 after 5 p.m. Mass at Sacred Heart in Corpus Christi. Have your altar ready in the grotto after Mass.

Grupo de Oración, Nocturnal Adoration, Unidos por El Espíritu, Choir/Divine Path, San Pablo Apostoles, Jesus Nuestro Salvador and las Guadalupanas.

Eight-Day Spiritual Exercises, Silent Retreat

June 20-27 at Our Lady of Corpus Christi. Guided through St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, enjoy plenty of quiet time with God, Mass each day, and a once a day individual conference with retreat master.

Register deepprayer.org or call

June 22-25. Begins on Thursday at 5:30 p.m and ends at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Register deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext. 321.

23 Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

June 17 at 1426 Baldwin Blvd in Corpus Christi. NFP allows couples to plan pregnancies while following the teachings of the Church and respecting the gift of their married love.

For more information go to diocesecc.org/nfp.

June 17. An hour of Adoration with praise and worship in the OLCC Perpetual Adoration Chapel 7-8 p.m, followed by music and fellowship in Cafe Veritas/ Bookstore from 8-9:30 p.m. All are welcome. Call (361) 289-0807 for more information.

Men’s Spiritual Exercises Retreat

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Marian Devotion Retreat

June 30-July 2 at Our Lady of Corpus Christi. Spend a quiet weekend with Mary. The retreat begins on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and ends Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Register deepprayer.org or call (361) 289-9095, ext. 321.

To see more calendar events go to:

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June 2017 | South Texas Catholic 35

9/1/16 2:53 PM

June 2017 Issue SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC 620 Lipan St. Corpus Christi, TX 78401-2434 (361) 882-6191