Spring 2022 - Vol. 57 No. 1 by South Texas Catholic

SERVING THE CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI

South Texas

Catholic

The Word is Alive! TEX ASCATHOLIC .COM • SPRING 2022 TH W W W . S O UW E ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST | SPRING 2022 | SOUTH TEX AS

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WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

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Keep up with the faith at

southtexascatholic.com VOL. 57 NO. 1

Publisher Bishop Michael Mulvey, STL DD Director of Communications Julie Stark jstark@diocesecc.org Managing Editor Mary Cottingham

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mcottingham@diocesecc.org

Theological Consultant Ben Nguyen, MTS, JCL/JD, D.Min (ABD) bnguyen@diocesecc.org Communications Specialist Elizabeth Morales and Adel Sauceda emorales@diocesecc.org asauceda@diocesecc.org Broadcast Technical Director Richard Luna rluna@diocesecc.org

Correspondents Rebecca Esparza Translator/Correspondent Gloria Romero Contributors: Thank you! Father Brady Williams, SOLT Cecilia Gutierrez Venable Manage Subscriptions If you or someone you know would like to receive the South Texas Catholic Contact us at (361) 882-6191 555 N Carancahua St, Ste 750 Corpus Christi TX 78401-0824 stc@diocesecc.org or to subscribe, unsubscribe or submit a change of address go online at: southtexascatholic.com/subscribe

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Did you know the Diocese of Corpus Christi is establishing a local Catholic TV station to broadcast local programs for faith development and local news of the Church in our community? Gifts to the Bishop’s Stewardship Appeal are helping make it possible! If you haven’t made a gift yet, there is still time! Visit diocesecc.org/bsa-give to make your gift today.

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4 | BISHOP’S MESSAGE: Bishop

Mulvey explains how Jesus is present in the Word of God.

23 | MARRIAGE: After 65 years of

marriage, Delbert and Hedy Hooper say the secret of a successful marriage is staying close to the Church.

8 | JESUS SAYS: Father Brady

Williams, SOLT, touches on one of the fundamental paradoxes of Christianity.

28 | MUSIC MINISTRY: Music

Director Steve Cortinas follows God’s call and the teachings of the Church to serve in music ministry.

12 | WOMAN OF STRENGTH:

Mother Margaret Mary Healey Murphy, founder of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate was led by the Holy Spirit in south Texas.

29 | VOCATIONS: Father Patrick Higgins shares about his vocation as a pastor of Our Lady of Assumption Parish.

15 | CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: Chris

Bryan says the motto at St. Pius X Catholic School is — show Jesus to others through our words and actions.

18 | EUCARISTÍA Y LA PALABRA: Obispo prepara corazones y mentes para el Congreso Eucarístico 2022.

22 | SPREADING THE LIGHT:

Avery Rodriguez, a recent graduate from TAMUCC shares her faith through art.

31 | IN MEMORIAM: Msgr. John

Killeen, a much loved priest, died in Ireland on Feb. 11.

33 | WORLD NEWS: Catholic

doctor lost everything in Nagasaki bombing —except faith, hope, and love.

34 | A WORD: Pope Francis begins new catechesis series on old age.

COVER ILLUSTRATION DEPOSIT PHOTOS

Resurrection light in empty tomb at sunrise. WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

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BISHOP’S MESSAGE Eucharist and the Word

‘The Word is living’ Most Reverend Wm. Michael Mulvey, STL, DD discusses how —Jesus is present in the Word of God.

BY JULIE STARK

South Texas Catholic

ishop Mulvey, you have just completed the second talk on the Eucharist in preparation for the Eucharistic Congress that will take place in June of this year. The address you gave was on The Eucharist and the Word. Please discuss with us the scripture passages that tell us that Jesus is the Word, such as, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). How is Jesus present in his Word? This is an important topic, not only for me but for all of us to understand that Jesus is truly present in His Word. He is what God has pronounced for us. In the prologue of the Gospel of John, he speaks of Jesus as the preexisting and Incarnate Word. This existence of God in the Word has always been 4

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the faith of the Church. Dei Verbum, in the Second Vatican Council, begins with the fact that God is present in his Word. Jesus is present in His Word because the Word of God creates. When God spoke, creation happened. “Let there be light,” and there was (Gn 1:3). Therefore, we have always seen that the power of God, the presence of God, is in His Word, especially the Word Incarnate in Jesus Christ. St. Augustine was asked if God, Jesus, was more present in his Word or in the Eucharist, and he said he is present in both. As Catholics, we profess that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, body, blood, soul, and divinity. It is the center of our faith. Therefore, we ensure and are extremely careful that not a particle of the host drops to the ground because every particle is a part of the whole host, who is Jesus. Saint Augustine also said that not one

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word of God should escape us, nor be ignored by us because in every word is the presence of God. This has been the faith of the Church for centuries. The revitalization of this understanding is especially critical now, in our present time. We are in the midst of Lent, and soon it will be Easter. In the Scripture passage where the disciples are on the road to Emmaus after just witnessing the death of Jesus, they meet a man walking the same way they are going. After talking to them and explaining the Scriptures, they invited him to stay with them because the hour was getting late, and they really did not want to be parted from him. As they sit down to eat, these disciples recognize that it is Jesus, and then Jesus disappears from their midst.

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

MARY COTTINGHAM | STC

Bishop Mulvey speaks with members of Connect, the youth group from Holy Family, at the second of three talks, Eucharist and the Word, at St. Joseph Parish Hall in Alice, Jan. 29.

Here is where I want to focus. They say to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:13-32). Do these words uttered by Jesus’ disciples speak to us of the power of God’s word? The disciples on the road to Emmaus experienced Jesus himself – in person. Their hearts were burning because the words he spoke to them were himself, his presence. As he explained the scriptures from the Old Testament, he was explaining himself. And the words burned because it’s an encounter with Jesus. Every time we read the Word of God, every time we pray over the Word of God, every time we listen on Sundays to the Word of God proclaimed, we are listening to Jesus. At the moment when we hear the powerful Word of God, we should ask for that grace of

faith; then, those words will burn in us as well. They will burn because they will change us, awaken us to something new. Therefore, we must strive to listen to and understand what God is saying to us. Invite the Holy Spirit to help us listen and guide the way to our understanding. The Power of God’s Word is that it is He who is speaking to us. This is our Faith. By listening and being open, God speaks first in us so that we can then talk to Him. It is something we must practice. How important is it for all Catholics to be familiar with scripture? Every Christian must encounter Jesus in the Scriptures and spend time with Him. A beautiful part of our faith has always been the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. And it is fitting that we should give time to that. We need to provide the

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same kind of time to the presence of Jesus in the Scriptures. If we can pray and understand even one sentence of scripture and allow Jesus to burn inside of us, we come to a greater love for the Scriptures, which is a path that each one of us needs to renew. We may not understand how Jesus is present in the written word of God, but he is. Learning to meditate in humility and silence on a single passage or sentence can open a conversation with God and can make a change in us. It is a matter of faith that we see Jesus present in the Eucharist, in the bread and the wine consecrated into His body and blood. That is an act of faith. And we give ourselves to that. We take time with that. In the same way, it is important to give time to scripture, to Jesus’ presence in his Word, the living Word, which the Church has affirmed for centuries –from the very beginning.

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MENSAJE DEL OBISPO La Eucaristía y La Palabra

‘La Palabra esta Viva’ Reverendísimo. Wm. Michael Mulvey, STL, DD discusiones acerca de cómo —Jesús está presente en la Palabra de Dios.

BY JULIE STARK

South Texas Catholic

l Obispo Mulvey, terminó r e c i e n te m e n te la segunda charla sobre la Eucaristía, en preparación para el Congreso Eucarístico, que tendrá lugar en junio de este año. El tema de su presentación fue sobre La Eucaristía y la Palabra. Obispo Mulvey, por favor discuta con nosotros los pasajes de las Escrituras que nos hablan de que Jesús es el Verbo, tales como, “En el principio era el Verbo y el Verbo estaba con Dios, y el Verbo era Dios” (Juan 1:1). ¿Cómo está Jesús presente en su Palabra? Este es un tema importante, no solo para mí sino para que todos entendamos que Jesús está verdaderamente presente en Su Palabra. Él es lo que Dios ha pronunciado para nosotros. En el prólogo del Evangelio de Juan, él habla de Jesús, como del Verbo preexistente y Encarnado. Esta 6

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existencia de Dios en la Palabra ha sido siempre la fe de la Iglesia. “Dei Verbum”, en el Concilio Vaticano II, parte del hecho de que Dios está presente en Su Palabra, es que Jesús también está presente en Su Palabra porque la Palabra de Dios crea. Cuando Dios habló, sucedió la creación. “Hágase la luz”, y la luz se hizo (Gn 1,3). Por eso, siempre hemos visto que el poder de Dios, la presencia de Dios, está en Su Palabra, especialmente la Palabra Encarnada en Jesucristo. A San Agustín se le preguntó si Dios, Jesús, estaba más presente en su Palabra o en la Eucaristía, y contestó, que está presente en ambas. Como católicos, profesamos que Jesús está presente en la Eucaristía, en cuerpo, sangre, alma y divinidad. Es el centro de nuestra fe. Por lo tanto, nos aseguramos y tenemos sumo cuidado de que ninguna partícula de la hostia caiga al suelo porque cada partícula es parte de toda la hostia, que es Jesús. San Agustín también

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decía que ninguna palabra de Dios se nos debe escapar, ni ser ignorada por nosotros porque en cada palabra está la presencia de Dios. Esta ha sido la fe de la Iglesia durante siglos. La revitalización de esta comprensión es especialmente crítica ahora, en nuestro tiempo presente. Estamos en medio de la Cuaresma, y pronto será Pascua. En el pasaje de las Escrituras donde los discípulos van camino a Emaús, después de haber sido testigos de la muerte de Jesús, se encuentran con un hombre que camina por el mismo camino y que va a donde ellos van. Después de hablar con ellos y explicarles las Escrituras, los discípulos lo invitaron a quedarse con ellos porque ya era tarde y realmente no querían separarse de él. Mientras se sientan a comer, estos discípulos reconocen que es Jesús, y Jesús desaparece

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MENSAJE DEL OBISPO La Eucaristía y La Palabra

de entre ellos. Aquí es donde quiero centrarme. Se dicen unos a otros: “¿No ardía el corazón dentro de nosotros mientras nos hablaba en el camino y nos abría las Escrituras?” (Lc 24,13-32). ¿Estas palabras pronunciadas por los discípulos de Jesús nos hablan del poder de la palabra de Dios? Los discípulos en el camino a Emaús experimentaron a Jesús, a El mismo en persona. Sus corazones ardían porque las palabras que les hablaba eran El mismo, estaba presente. Mientras les explicaba las escrituras del Antiguo Testamento, les explicaba sobre El mismo. Y las palabras les quemaban porque era un encuentro con Jesús. Cada vez que leemos la Palabra de Dios, cada vez que oramos sobre la Palabra de Dios, cada vez que escuchamos los domingos la Palabra de Dios proclamada, estamos escuchando a Jesús. En el momento en que escuchamos la poderosa Palabra de Dios, debemos pedir esa

gracia de la fe; entonces, esas palabras también arderán en nosotros. Arderán porque nos cambiarán, nos despertarán a algo nuevo. Por lo tanto, debemos esforzarnos por escuchar y comprender lo que Dios nos está diciendo. Invitemos al Espíritu Santo a que nos guie y nos ayude a escuchar para alcanzar un entendimiento. El Poder de la Palabra de Dios, radica en que es Él quien nos está hablando. Esta es nuestra Fe. Al escuchar y estar abiertos, Dios nos habla primero dentro de nosotros, para que luego podamos hablar con Él. Esto es algo que debemos practicar. ¿Cuán importante es para todos los católicos estar familiarizados con las Escrituras? Todo cristiano debe encontrar a Jesús en las Escrituras y pasar tiempo con El. Una parte hermosa de nuestra fe siempre ha sido la presencia de Jesús en la Eucaristía. Y es apropiado que le demos tiempo a eso. También necesitamos proporcionar ese mismo

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tipo de tiempo a la presencia de Jesús en las Escrituras. Si podemos orar y entender aunque sea una frase de las Escrituras y permitir que Jesús arda dentro de nosotros, llegamos a un mayor amor por las Escrituras, lo cual es un camino que cada uno de nosotros necesita renovar. Puede que no entendamos cómo Jesús está presente en la palabra escrita de Dios, pero lo está. Aprender a meditar en humildad y silencio sobre un solo pasaje u oración puede abrir una conversación con Dios y puede hacer un cambio en nosotros. Es cuestión de fe que veamos a Jesús presente en la Eucaristía, en el pan y el vino consagrados, convertidos en Su cuerpo y sangre. Eso es un acto de fe. Y nos entregamos a ello. Nos damos tiempo con ello. De la misma manera, es importante dedicar tiempo a la Escritura, a la presencia de Jesús en su Palabra, esa Palabra viviente, de la cual la Iglesia ha afirmado está Viva, durante siglos, desde el mero principio.

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JESUS SAYS

Explaining the Gospel message

‘No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord’ (Jn 10:18)

FATHER BRADY WILLIAMS, SOLT Contributor

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o one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” From a certain perspective, it would seem that Jesus’ crucifixion and death was an appalling tragedy, one that perhaps could even have been avoided. Yet, several times during His public ministry, Jesus indicated that His passion and death were something He freely embraced. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “By embracing in His human heart the Father’s love for men, Jesus ‘loved them to the end,’ for ‘greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ In suffering and death His humanity became the free and perfect instrument of His divine love which desires the salvation of men. Indeed, out of love for his Father and for men, whom the Father wants to save, Jesus freely accepted his Passion and death” (609). The words and actions of Jesus touch on one of the fundamental paradoxes of Christianity: If you lay down your life freely for the sake of Christ, you will find the way to true life. Our free will is a gift by which we lay down our

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lives freely, dying to ourselves in order to live more fully for Christ. Contemporary society tries to convince us that the only way to achieve happiness is to live for yourself (think of Frank Sinatra’s I Did it My Way). The passage from self-determination to a life of self-emptying is a long journey, progressing daily through self-renunciation. In addition, an important key is to do this with tremendous humility. The Apostle Peter became all too familiar with a kind of selfreliant version of laying down his life: “I will lay down my life for you!” he boldly told Jesus at the Last Supper, only to suffer the humiliation of denying him three times. Yes, we are called to lay down our lives for Christ, and it is only with His grace that we can succeed at doing this more perfectly each day. Jesus goes on to say, “I have power to lay it down and power to take it up again.” Actually, only God himself could claim to do this and, in fact, accomplish it. By His death and resurrection, He has power over death. We have the ability to lay down our life for Christ – and indeed we must if we want a share in His inheritance – but we simply do not have the “power to take it up again.” This is something only

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God can do. Jesus does this for us first in our baptism: “If, then, we have died with Christ [in baptism], we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rm 6:8). Then, when He calls us to pass from this life to eternal life, the Risen One will raise us up. Interestingly, Jesus speaks the powerful words we have been reflecting on in the context of the Good Shepherd discourse (John 10) that: “I am the good shepherd … and I lay down my life for my sheep … I lay it down freely … I have power to lay it down, and have power to take it up again.” The link between these is masterfully represented in the earliest Christian art found in the catacombs (~350 AD), where Christ is depicted as a shepherd with the sheep on his shoulder. He is the shepherd who not only accompanies them “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Ps 23:4) but also, in fact, ‘takes them up’ on his shoulders and leads them over the waters of death, since He has power to raise them up. Certainly, the early Christians found in this image both inspiration and hope. That same faith and hope has carried on even to our day, for Psalm 23 is by far the most widely proclaimed Psalm at Christian funerals. Furthermore, we pray

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JESUS SAYS

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Explaining the Gospel message

in the funeral intercessions: “In baptism (name) received the light of Christ. Scatter the darkness now and lead him/her over the waters of death.”

About the Author

Father Brady Williams is a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT). He completed his theological studies at the Pontif ical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

During this holy season of Lent and Easter, let us be reminded that Jesus freely gave His life for us and took it up again so that we could know how to lay down

our life for Him and so raise us up in Him through baptism. He is the Good Shepherd who will lead us over the waters of death and carry us to our eternal home.

in Rome in 2003 and was ordained to the priesthood in Corpus Christi in 2004. In 2008 he completed his Licentiate degree in liturgical theology at the Pontif ical Atheneum Sant’Anselmo in Rome and was

appointed as the Rector of the SOLT House of Studies (2008 – 2012). Currently, Father Williams serves as the SOLT General Secretary and as the Novice Servant.

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

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JESUS DICE

Explicando el mensaje del evangelio

‘Nadie me quita la vida, sino que yo mismo la doy, por mi propia voluntad’ (Jn 10,18)

POR EL PADRE BRADY WILLAMS, SOLT

“

Contribuyente

adie me quita la vida, sino que yo mismo la doy por mi propia voluntad”. Desde cierta perspectiva, parecería que la crucif ixión y muerte de Jesús fue una tragedia espantosa, que tal vez podría haberse evitado. Sin embargo, varias veces durante Su ministerio público, Jesús indicó que Su pasión y muerte eran algo que Él aceptaría libremente. El Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica afirma: “Al abrazar en Su corazón humano el amor del Padre por la humanidad, hace que Jesús les ame hasta el extremo”, porque “nadie tiene mayor amor que aquel que entrega su vida por sus amigos”. Por Su sufrimiento y muerte, Su humanidad se convirtió en el instrumento libre y perfecto del amor divino, que desea la salvación de los hombres. En efecto, por amor a su Padre y a la humanidad, a quien el Padre quiere salvar, Jesús aceptó libremente su pasión y muerte» (609). Las palabras y acciones de Jesús tocan una de las paradojas fundamentales del cristianismo: si entregas tu vida libremente por Cristo, encontrarás el camino

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hacia la verdadera vida. Nuestro libre albedrío es un don por el cual damos nuestra vida libremente, muriendo a nosotros mismos para vivir más plenamente para Cristo. La sociedad contemporánea trata de convencernos de que la única forma de alcanzar la felicidad es viviendo para uno mismo (piense en: I Did it My Way de Frank Sinatra). El paso de la autodeterminación a una vida de auto-vacio es un largo camino, que va progresando diariamente a través de la renuncia a si mismo. Una clave importante en el proceso de la renuncia, es hacerla con tremenda humildad. El apóstol Pedro se familiarizó demasiado con una especie de versión autosuficiente de dar su vida: “¡Yo daré mi vida por ti!” se lo dijo audazmente a Jesús en la Última Cena, solo para sufrir la humillación de negarlo tres veces. Sí, estamos llamados a dar nuestra vida por Cristo, y sólo con su gracia podemos lograr hacerlo cada día con mayor perfección. Jesús continúa diciendo: “Tengo el poder para dejarla y el poder para recobrarla”. En realidad, solo Dios mismo podría pretender hacer esto y de hecho, lograrlo. Por Su muerte y resurrección, Él tiene poder sobre la muerte. Tenemos la capacidad

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de dar nuestra vida por Cristo, y de hecho, debemos hacerlo si queremos compartir su herencia, pero simplemente no tenemos el poder para recobrarla, esto es algo que solo Dios puede hacer. Jesús hace esto por nosotros primero en nuestro bautismo: “Si, pues, hemos muerto con Cristo [en el bautismo], creemos que también viviremos con él” (Rm 6, 8). Entonces, cuando nos llame a pasar de esta vida a la vida eterna, el Resucitado nos resucitará. Curiosamente, Jesús pronuncia las poderosas palabras sobre las que hemos estado reflexionando en el contexto del discurso del Buen Pastor (Jn 10) que: “Yo soy el buen pastor… y doy mi vida por mis ovejas… La doy gratuitamente… Yo pongo mi vida para volver a tomarla”. El vínculo entre ambos está magistralmente representado en el arte cristiano más primitivo hallado en las catacumbas (~350 d. C.), donde se representa a Cristo como un pastor con las ovejas al hombro. Es el pastor que no sólo las acompaña “a través del valle de sombra y muerte” (Sal 23, 4), sino que, de hecho, las toma sobre sus hombros y las conduce sobre las aguas de la muerte, ya que tiene poder para levántarlas. Los primeros cristianos debieron encontrar en esta imagen tanta

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JESUS DICE

inspiración como esperanza. Esa misma fe y esperanza se han mantenido hasta nuestros días, porque el Salmo 23 es, con mucho, el salmo más proclamado en los funerales cristianos. Además, rezamos en las intercesiones fúnebres: “En el bautismo, (nombre) recibió la luz de Cristo. Esparce la oscuridad ahora y condúcelo sobre las aguas de la muerte”. Durante este tiempo santo de Cuaresma y Pascua, recordemos que Jesús libremente dio su vida por nosotros y la retomó para que supiéramos dar nuestra vida por Él y así resucitarnos en Él a través del Bautismo. Él es el Buen Pastor que nos conducirá sobre las aguas de la muerte y nos llevará a nuestro hogar eterno.

Sobre el Autor

El padre Brady Williams es miembro de la Sociedad de Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad (SOLT). Completó sus estudios teológicos en la Universidad Pontificia de Santo Tomás de Aquino (Angelicum) en Roma en 2003 y fue ordenado sacerdote en Corpus Christi en 2004. En 2008 completó su licenciatura en

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Explicando el mensaje del evangelio

teología litúrgica en el Pontificio Atheneum Sant’Anselmo. en Roma y fue nombrado Rector de la Casa de Estudios SOLT (2008 - 2012). Entre las muchas oportunidades para el ministerio sacerdotal, el padre Williams fue capellán asistente en el campus de Roma de la Universidad de Dallas (20062011) y ministró a los enfermos

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y moribundos como capellán de hospital en el Hospital Henry Ford en Detroit, MI (2012). Fue asignado como Pastor de la Parroquia y Escuela Most Holy Trinity en Phoenix, AZ en 2012 - 2013. Actualmente, el Padre Williams se desempeña como Secretario General SOLT y como Siervo Novicio.

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WOMAN OF STRENGTH

Mother Margaret Mary Healey Murphy

Led by the Holy Spirit BY CECILIA GUTIERREZ VENABLE

Contributor

n the 1800s, when women were considered second-class citizens, Mother Margaret Mary Healey Murphy was a dynamic woman. She followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit and did not let minor setbacks keep her from aiding the poor, neglected and sick. She lived through famine, prejudice, hurricanes, plagues and war. If not for her strength and fortitude to overcome these obstacles, she would not have persevered. Her unwavering faith in the Holy Spirit, helped her set up hospitals, minister to the sick, aid the hurt and abandoned during war, build the first Catholic School for African Americans in San Antonio and founded the first Congregation of Sisters organized in Texas to work with the poor. Mother Margaret was born Margaret Mary Healy to Jane Murphy Healy and Richard Healy on May 4, 1833, in Cahersiveen, County Kerry, Ireland. Her mother died during the birth of her fourth child, another sibling. During the Great Famine, Margaret Mary watched her family, and the rest of Ireland struggle to keep food on the table. As the situation worsened, her family emigrated to America. The voyage took a toll on her father, Richard Healy, who died after they arrived in the New World. Margaret Mary, her brothers, aunts and uncles made their way from Virginia to New Orleans, Louisiana and then to Matamoros, Tamaulipas in Mexico, where they opened “The Healy Hotel.” While working at the hotel, she met and married the editor of the Gazette, John Bernard Murphy. She was just sixteen. Margaret Mary and her family then moved to San Patricio, Texas. Her husband traveled for business, and in his absence, Margaret Mary provided spiritual guidance to the local people and likely helped her sisterin-law teach school. When yellow fever first hit the area, Margaret Mary jumped on her horse and rode 30 miles

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to Corpus Christi for medicine. Although Margaret Mary was young, her experiences forced her into adulthood. After three years of marriage, she purchased 100 acres in “Nuecestown” (historically about thirteen miles northwest of Corpus Christi in Nueces County.) While this type of acquisition is not surprising today, in the 1850s, wives would usually lose control over their wealth and ability to conduct business when they married. On the other hand, Margaret Mary operated as a feme sole —A status that allowed a woman to make legal contracts and sign legal documents in her name. She could also own property and dispose of it. With the Civil War brewing, Margaret Mary moved to Corpus Christi and stayed. She helped her neighbors with chores and cooked meals for those in need. After the war, Margaret Mary volunteered within the church. After another bout of yellow fever hit, she worked alongside Father John Gonnard, pastor of St. Patrick Church, who later died from the illness. Margaret Mary’s patient, Mrs. Delaney, also died, but not before entrusting her daughter, Minnie, to her care. The Murphys adopted Minnie and, in 1869, sent her to New York to a school run by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, which was also where Margaret Mary’s sister, Jeannie, taught as Sister Mary Angela. The Murphys secured a loan for the sisters, and they opened a school in Waco in 1873. Margaret Mary later adopted her goddaughter Lizzie, who recently lost her mother. They sent Lizzie to Waco with the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur. After both girls graduated, they entered the congregation of the Incarnate Word Sisters. Margaret Mary instilled a strong Catholic faith in the girls, and they embraced religious life. In 1875, Margaret Mary opened a hospital to help

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WOMAN OF STRENGTH

Mother Margaret Mary Healey Murphy

the poor. She also started a St. Vincent de Paul Society. In 1880, her husband assumed the position as mayor of Corpus Christi, but he died at the end of his second term. She grieved his loss, but within a week her sorrow was compounded by the death of both of her aunts. Margaret Mary now assumed the responsibility of their business interests. She purchased her brother-in-law Patrick Murphy’s ranch at Mt. Echo. Later she opened another hospital in Corpus Christ. It was known as “Mrs. Murphy’s hospital for the poor.” After her hospital was up and running, she was asked to open a school for African Americans in Temple. She used her own finances to rent a home for a school, but unfortunately, after several months, she left Temple because her endeavor failed. Margaret Mary then moved to San Antonio and observed how African Americans had to sit at the back of the church and wait to receive Communion. At Mass on Pentecost Sunday at St. Mary Church, Father John Maloney stressed the need for schools and churches for African Americans in San Antonio. She considered his request but feared her efforts would be rejected as they had been in Temple. As Margaret Mary left the church, however, she saw an African American child who grabbed her skirt and looked into her eyes. She took it as a sign from the Holy Spirit and made up her mind to work the rest of her life helping African American children. She started building the first African American Catholic School and church in San Antonio. St. Peter Claver Mission and it opened in September of 1888. Throughout the construction phase and for the first several years of the existence of St. Peter Claver, Murphy suffered great indignities and persecution from those opposed to her efforts on behalf of “those” people. She battled daily storms

Mother Margaret Mary’s gravestone at Holy Cross Cemetery in Corpus Christi.

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WOMAN OF STRENGTH

Mother Margaret Mary Healey Murphy of criticism and prejudice, and her opponents incessantly tried to arouse discord. She sought advice from the Bishop of San Antonio, Bishop John C. Neraz, who encouraged her to start a religious congregation in order to stabilize the work. She accepted his advice and on June 6, 1892, she and three other women became novices with the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, where her blood sister was a member. One year later, on Friday, June 9, 1893, Mother Margaret Mary Healy Murphy, Sister Mary Joseph McNally, Sister Mary Aloysius McMullen and Sister Mary Alphonsus Cronyn made their first vows in the convent of Our Lady of Light on Nolan Street, in the presence of Bishop Neraz. Thus, the congregation, Sisters of the Holy Ghost and Mary Immaculate came into being. Under Bishop Neraz, Margaret Mary founded the Sisters of the Holy Ghost and Mary Immaculate (later the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate). In 1893 she had a difficult time staffing the school. Under circumstances such as these, maintaining a steady teaching staff in her school became impossible. She returned to Ireland four times to bring women to join her community. At the time of her death in 1907, Mother Margaret had assigned 15 sisters in missions in Oaxaca and Laredo. The order flourishes to this day, with missionsLive in the United Listen States and Africa. Her school ison nowany the Healy-Murphy internet Center, an alternative high school in San Antonio. browser at life to Mother Margaret Mary dedicated her religious helping the poor and African Americans. klux.orgShe overcame many obstacles and her legacy lives on today. The Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate have begun the process of seeking her canonization. SUNDAY MORNING PROGRAMMING She is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Corpus Christi.

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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Faith • Knowledge • Service

Chris Bryan, who celebrates her 36th year as an educator at St. Pius X Catholic School, reviews parts of a book the class is studying with students Mireya Lopez, Camille Peters, Scarlet Pruett and Aubrianna Santos. REBECCA ESPARZA | FOR STC

Teaching with heart BY REBECCA ESPARZA

Correspondent

or Chris Bryan, St. Pius X Catholic School is more than just a place of employment. The school is home, and she is among family. “Our motto here is to ‘Show Jesus to others through our words and actions,’ and that is something the children do all day long,” Bryan said. “Whatever subject we are learning about, we bring Jesus into it somehow. We look at every subject through a religious lens, which makes teaching here —the best job ever.” When COVID-19 caused schools across the country to pivot online in the blink of an eye, the school needed a

third-grade teacher immediately. That’s when principal Beth Hinojosa asked Bryan if she would mind moving from first grade to third grade. “Our principal Beth called and asked if I would take over the third-grade class. She knew my focus had been early childhood education for a long time, so she was a bit surprised I didn’t hesitate to say yes. It was simple: we are family, and we do all we can to help. Besides, God seems to always put you where you are meant to be,” she said. An educator at St. Pius since 1986, Bryan had started teaching in the Ohio-Kentucky area previously, first at a Catholic school but then took a long-term substitute job

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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Faith • Knowledge • Service

“We look at every subject through a religious lens, which makes teaching here —the best job ever.”

—Chris Bryan, St. Pius X Catholic School teacher

at a public school. She attended Catholic schools throughout her childhood and high school years. Even though her parents had no way to pay for a Catholic school education, a generous, anonymous parishioner paid for her education. After graduating college, she decided she would give back to Catholic schools as an instructor one day. Born and raised in a small town in Ohio, her boyfriend during college was transferred to Corpus Christi, and she thought the relationship was simply not meant to be. Later, she ran into his parents back home and told them, “Tell Steve I said hi!” A few minutes later, her future husband called her, asking her to visit him in Corpus Christi. “It was freezing cold in Ohio the day I left for Corpus Christi, so much so, they had to de-ice our plane several times,” she recalled. “When I landed in Corpus Christi, it was 72 degrees, and we went for a walk on the beach. I knew in an instant I wanted to call this place home.” She and her husband Steve have been married 35 years this year. “When I moved from Ohio to Corpus Christi, I didn’t

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even look at public schools for employment. I came straight to St. Pius and was hired immediately,” she recalled. The couple has three children, a daughter and two sons who all attended St. Pius. She also has a grandson currently attending St. Pius. “I love education and can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said. “To see those little ‘light bulbs’ turn on above their heads when the kids grasp something is the best feeling in the world.” Her master’s degree in early childhood has served her well when engaging the students while also learning something new, despite many obstacles educators must encounter, especially in today’s pandemic environment. Beth Hinojosa, principal at St. Pius X Catholic School, recalls the time she asked Bryan to teach third grade. “Chris had been teaching Early Childhood Education for 31 years and three years in first grade. She is now in her second year of third grade and rocking every minute of it,” Hinojosa marveled. “Every time I walk into her third-grade classroom, I don’t want to leave. She is a bright light and shines for all. She is dedicated and loves her students fiercely. We are fortunate to have Chris at

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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Faith • Knowledge • Service

St. Pius X Catholic School. She is the kind of teacher you never forget.” “I think education should be fun, and we now know children learn better if they immerse themselves into their studies,” she explained. “For example, right now, my kids are not only reading Mr. Popper’s Penguins, but they are also learning about Antarctica, creating artwork about penguins and doing presentations on their research.” Bryan said she wants her students to embrace the topics they love because she often feels like it just takes one instance for children to become disinterested in a subject they could have truly excelled in. She sees this as a tragic missed opportunity at potential greatness. “All of our teachers at St. Pius are Google Certified Educators, Level 1. I love to use technology in my classroom every day. The kids have their own computers, and if we had to go virtual again, for whatever reason, we could do it with a moment’s notice,” she noted. Bryan said she realizes working alongside the parents of her students is a necessity, and she feels blessed to

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work with some amazing parents. “As educators, we realize parents are a child’s first teachers: they teach their children to walk, talk, etc. We just continue the process. It takes involvement from everyone when educating our children: from the school, educators, parents, and the children themselves. We all need to give 100% to help our kids get the most out of each day at school.” Bryan feels a special connection to her schoolchildren; it’s a bond that never leaves her heart, no matter how long ago a child was in her classroom. “I love my kids. I’ve had three biological children, but I’ve had lots and lots of school children over the years that I love as if they were my own family. One year a child in my preschool class had a familiar last name, so I asked grandma if he was related to a former student. He was the son of a former student, who was also in one of my preschool classes,” she said with a gregarious laugh. “I said: ‘Ohhhh, I’m getting old!’ But I sure do love all my babies!”

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CONGRESO EUCARISTICO 2022 Charla II: La Eucaristía y la Palabra

El Obispo prepara corazon para el Congreso Eucaríst

POR GLORIA ROMERO Corresponsal

rofundizar en la presencia real de Jesús entre nosotros a través de la Eucaristίa y la Palabra fue la tarea propuesta por el Obispo Michael Mulvey durante la segunda de tres platicas, que anteceden al Congreso Eucaristico 2022 . El evento que reunió a más de 150 personas se llevó a cabo el 29 de Enero en la parroquia de San José en Alice. Una Misa al principiar la sesión, estableció el tono de la reunión. Durante la predicación el Obispo Mulvey habló sobre la presencia real de Dios en las Sagradas Escrituras. En las narraciones, cuando Dios habla, nos está hablando en el presente, Sus mensajes nos conducen a reconocer la verdad en nosotros mismos; como lo hizo el rey David, al reconocer que había pecado. En el Nuevo Testamento a través de los Evangelistas; “Jesús siempre está presente en los momentos de necesidad”. Dijo el Obispo Mulvey, añadiendo como ejemplo claro, la presencia real de Jesús entre sus discípulos de acuerdo a la narración de San Marcos (4:35-41) “La persona de Jesús entiende a la persona de sus discípulos en el miedo que sienten ante la tormenta que sacudía la barca en la que iban. El encuentro con Jesús es una realidad, cuando les habla y les pregunta – “¿Por qué son tan miedosos? ¿Cómo es que no tienen fe? Ellos temían y se decían unos a otros: ¿Quién es, entonces Este, que aun el viento y el mar le obedecen?’- Asί Jesús es real y está presente en Su persona y en la verdad del Evangelio”. Después de la Misa, los asistentes pasaron al salón parroquial donde el Obispo Mulvey dio la bienvenida a la concurrencia reconociendo a un grupo de 20 jóvenes procedentes de la parroquia de La Sagrada Familia, en Corpus Christi y a varios candidatos al Diaconado con sus esposas. En su presentación sobre el tema del evento; La Eucaristía y la Palabra, el Obispo Mulvey, dijo que el propósito de la sesión era alcanzar una comprensión y una apreciación sobre la Palabra de Dios y la Eucaristía. 18

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“El Papa Benedicto XVI, nos ofrece un claro entendimiento de lo que es ser Cristiano, y lo primero es creer en el Amor de Dios. Dios nos ama”. “El cristiano puede expresar abiertamente su encuentro personal con Jesús, lo que le da una visión clara para tomar decisiones en una dirección, realizando tener un encuentro con una persona y en esa persona a Jesucristo”. Dijo el Obispo Mulvey y en síntesis, utilizó algunos ejemplos de parábolas y encuentros relatados en los Evangelios, a través de los cuales, marcó la importancia del “Encuentro con Jesucristo para vivir dίa con dίa el amor cristiano que transforma y nos lleva a ser lo que es la voluntad de Dios”. “En Su Palabra descubrimos continuamente lo que es la voluntad de Dios. En la Eucaristía anticipamos ese deseo por encontrarnos con Jesús para cambiar. El Espíritu Santo nos transforma. La fe y la esperanza nos conducen” Dijo el Obispo Mulvey y continuó; -Hoy no hablamos de teología o devociones, hoy se trata de la transformación espiritual que experimentamos ante el encuentro con Jesús en la Palabra y en el Sacramento-. -¿Quién es Jesús para mί? Me pregunto un joven, un día, a lo que respondί con prontitud, es mi amigo, porque el mismo Jesús lo dijo; “Soy tu amigo”-. La amistad va ligada al escrutinio de las acciones, obras y palabras que nos revelan la naturaleza de una verdadera amistad que se pone a prueba en situaciones extremas, es en esas situaciones en donde se pone de manifiesto el amor, la fe y la confianza que se tiene en esa persona. Si ponemos todas esas condiciones en la Eucaristía, Jesús nos muestra con sus acciones y sus palabras, Su amor, su fe y confianza en la humanidad. Es decir; pasó la prueba. No hay muestra de amor más grande, que aquella del que da la vida por su amigo, esa es la prueba de una gran amistad. Encontramos todo esto en la liturgia de la Iglesia. La Eucaristía es la máxima expresión de entrega de si mismo, es Jesús dando su vida, por ti y por mί. En el orden de la Misa, está la Palabra, Dios está

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CONGRESO EUCARISTICO 2022

Charla II: La Eucaristía y la Palabra

MARY COTTINGHAM | STC

nes y mentes tico 2022

Participantes de la Charla II: La Eucaristía y la Palabra, divididos en pequeños grupos de discusión sobre la importancia de encontrar a Jesús en la Palabra.

hablándonos en cada segmento de la celebración Eucarística, a través de ella nos transformamos en entrega a otros en comunión. Las personas a nuestro derredor no son enemigos, nos une el amor y es de amor de lo que Dios habla. Cada vez que practicamos el darnos a otros, actuamos en amor.

La Palabra, es ese poder de Dios que comunica en el hoy, que El está presente y es real; Su cuerpo y Su sangre en el Sacramento de la Eucaristía, es el acto de amor más grande en el cual nos invita a compartir Su sacrificio. La Palabra entra por nuestros oídos y llega a nuestros corazones para transformarnos, redimirnos

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CONGRESO EUCARISTICO 2022 Charla II: La Eucaristía y la Palabra y reconciliarnos. Al concluir su charla el Obispo Mulvey animó a los asistentes a discutir sus puntos de vista sobre una serie de preguntas dejándolos primero con una cita de San Agustin. “Díganme hermanos, ¿Qué creen que tenga más valor? ¿La Palabra de Dios o el Cuerpo de Cristo? Si quieres responder con la verdad, tienes que estar de acuerdo en que la palabra de Dios no es menos que el Cuerpo de Cristo. Si como cuando se les está dando el Cuerpo de Cristo, debemos tener mucho cuidado en que ninguna partίcula caiga al piso. Igualmente, debemos cuidar que la Palabra de Dios sea dada sin dejarla resbalar de nuestros corazones; bien sea, porque estamos hablando o pensando en algo más”. Antes de entrar en el tema de las preguntas y discusiones, se repartieron cuatro páginas en donde quedaban de manifiesto los antecedentes Bíblicos de los textos litúrgicos contenidos en la Misa Católica y otras liturgias Cristianas. Por ejemplo; La señal de la Cruz: “En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo”. (Mateo; 28:19, Juan 14:13-14; Hechos 2:21) y así cada segmento de la Misa. Las Palabras de Jesús al instituir la Eucaristía, se encuentran en los Evangelios de San Marcos 14:22-24; San Mateo: 26:26; San Lucas 22:19; y en Corintios I, 11:24. Las siguientes preguntas se pusieron a discusión de los participantes divididos en diferentes mesas compuestas de 8 ó 10 personas. 1. ¿Has aprendido algo nuevo?, ¿De qué manera podríamos asegurarnos que la Palabra de Dios, no se escape de nuestros corazones? 2. ¿Cómo se manifiesta el amor de Dios en nuestros corazones, palabras, obras y acciones? 3. ¿De qué manera se puede pasar tiempo, cada día con la Palabra de Dios? Estas y otras preguntas más, fueron discutidas y examinadas alcanzando respuestas muy inspiradas, que preparan la mente y el corazón de los asistentes para llevar a cabo un Congreso Eucarístico muy fructuoso. La tercera charla preliminar, está programada para el 26 de Marzo, en la Parroquia de “Our Lady of Victory” en Beeville. 20

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MARY COTTINGHAM | STC

Bishop prepa for the 2022 E

BY GLORIA ROMERO

Correspondent

eepening the real presence of Jesus among us through the Eucharist and the Word was the task proposed by Bishop Michael Mulvey during the second of three talks, in preparation for the June 24-25 Eucharistic Congress 2022. Bishop Michael Mulvey delivered the second of three talks, Eucharist and the Word, to 150 participants at St. Joseph Parish Hall in Alice, Jan. 29. Preceding Talk II, Bishop Mulvey celebrated Mass which

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EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS 2022 Talk II: The Eucharist and the Word

res hearts and minds ucharistic Congress

Participants from Talk II: Eucharist and the Word divide in small group discussions on the importance of encountering Jesus in the Word.

set the tone for the presentation. During his homily, Bishop Mulvey spoke on the real presence of God in holy Scriptures, saying when God speaks, He is speaking to us in the present. His messages lead us to recognize the truth in ourselves. He used the day’s readings from the Second Book of Samuel and the Gospel reading from Mark. He said, “Whether it’s the way David handled his life and his untruths, or the way the disciples responded in the boat

with fear. Jesus is always there. And that’s the truth of our life.” “Truth is a person. And if there’s any wake-up call for the Church today or any wake-up call for us as disciples of Jesus is that the truth is a person. And the more we know the person, the more truth reigns in our lives,” Bishop Mulvey said. “The more that truth reigns in our lives, the more we understand who we are and who God has created us to be.” He said, “Jesus is the reality today. The Gospel is not something I read and forget—it’s real to me—very real. My purpose is to put the Word of God and the Eucharist as complimentary invitations —realities to encounter the person of Jesus Christ. The person of Jesus in the boat with the waves and the danger—that’s real. The Eucharist —is the greatest act of love,” he added. “In the Vatican document Dei Verbum 21. The Church has always venerated the divine scriptures just as it benefits from the body of the Lord. since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God’s Word and of Christ’s body,” Bishop Mulvey said. “We venerate both.” The talk included a handout of Bible references of liturgical texts and rites adhered to during the celebration of Mass and other Christian liturgies. Attendees included 20 youth from “Connect” Holy Family Parish, Corpus Christi, deacon candidates and their wives, parishioners from throughout the diocese, and two youth visiting from San Antonio and Houston. After the talk, attendees divided up in small group discussions on questions relating to the talk: How could we make sure that the Word of God does not slip out of our hearts? How is God’s love manifested in our hearts by words, deeds and actions? How can you spend time each day with the Word of God? The third Preliminary Talk will be on Mar. 26 at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Beeville

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SPREADING THE LIGHT Holy friendships

South Texas Catholic

very Rodriguez, a recent graduate from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC), shares her faith through her art. Late last year, she displayed 21 porcelain vases of Mary and Jesus as part of her Bachelor of Fine Arts art show at the Jeff Bell Library. All the vases were either red and white or blue and white. The artist wrote that the three colors represent sacrifice, purity, and grace for her. She said that seven of the vases portray the sorrow and pain Mary had to endure by continuing to love her son up to His end on earth. The other 14 refer to the approximate age Mary conceived Jesus. Rodriguez is a native Texan who was born and raised in Bandera. She is a self-described “cradle Catholic,” but later in her senior year in high school and early into college, she encountered Jesus and discovered her faith. She had been very involved with the Newman Catholic Student Center at TAMUCC since her first year in 2017. “It was there where I gained faith-filled friendships that led me to dive deeper into my faith,” she said. “I attended the islander awakening retreat, and it is a retreat I will never forget,” she said. “It lit a fire in my heart that burns for the Holy Spirit. And that fire continues to burn because of the source and summit of my faith, is the Eucharist.” “I came to know Jesus personally through the Sacraments, especially through the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I began attending events hosted by the Newman Center and the Islander Catholic Organization, and I came to realize how important it was to have a community as I never really had that growing up,” she said. “I realized that these were my people and the ones who would lead me to grow stronger in my faith.” 22

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CONTRIUBTED PHOTO

Spreading the Light Avery Rodriguez is now a teachers assistant at a private Catholic school in Fredericksburg. She also teaches an elective sculpture class for middle-schoolers.

“I truly believe in the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, and my hope in my artwork is to show how important my faith is to me as a way to lead others to come to know Jesus for themselves,” Rodriguez said. “In this case, I have chosen to depict Mary as my main subject because by getting to know Mary and growing closer to her, it allows one to grow closer to her son. My hope through this body of work is to show that beautiful relationship that Mary and Jesus had so they could come to know the importance and the power of a mother’s love and relate it to their personal relationships in their life.” Rodriguez wrote that practicing her Catholic faith and time spent working in the studio allowed her to reflect and enjoy a meditative state of mind. Both have given her joy and satisfaction. “They have served as vessels of love, especially my faith. I have never felt more secure and ready to face the world until I decided to have faith and trust that things will work out,” she said. “This is the vessel of love I am referring to, much like the vessel of love Mary gave Jesus,” she said. “I have God to thank for always being the strongest influence in the work I produce. He is the one true artist, and I desire only to create work that glorifies Him and touches the hearts of those who view my work.”

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

MARRIAGE

ADEL SAUCEDA | STC

Witnessing God’s love to one another

Celebrating 65 years of marriage, Delbert and Hedy Hooper are being honored at the 2022 Silver and Gold Wedding Anniversary Mass with Bishop Michael Mulvey presiding.

Catholic couple recount a love —that wasn’t supposed to last BY REBECCA ESPARZA

H Correspondent

edy Hooper’s father wrote her future husband, Delbert Hooper, a letter asking him to forget about her adding: “It will never last.” This year, the couple will celebrate 65 years of marriage. She remembers the day she met Delbert like it was yesterday.

“I was basically chaperoned by my brother and his fiancée,” she laughed. “Delbert and I knew instantly we wanted to see each other again, but we had to do so in secret because my parents did not approve of my seeing an American soldier.” Hedy and her family were native Germans, and although Delbert was stationed there at the time, her

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MARRIAGE

Witnessing God’s love to one another

“As long as you keep God at the center of everything, He will see you through.”

—Hedy Hooper

parents knew the sometimes-transient life of a soldier meant marriage could be difficult. They eventually learned about the forbidden relationship and hired an English translator to write Delbert a letter telling him Hedy would no longer be able to see him. “Well, my family felt like we had so many differences, too many for a happy marriage, including the fact he was a Baptist, and I was Catholic,” Hedy explained. “They told my husband to stay away from me, that our relationship would not lead to anything. So, we split up for a little while during my last year of high school in Germany.” She recalls a trip to visit a Jesuit priest in her hometown of Bad-Nauheim, Germany, where the priest told her if she really loved Delbert, the only choice she had was to follow her heart. After a long talk with her parents, they finally approved and gave their blessing to be married. Meanwhile, Delbert Hooper kept busy learning more about the Catholic faith. “I truly loved what I was learning,” he said. “But Hedy’s father was concerned I was becoming a Catholic for the wrong reasons. I knew in my heart that was not true. We were meant to be married, and I knew it from the beginning.” After becoming Catholic, Delbert met with Hedy’s father to announce his intentions with an engagement ring he purchased at the Army Exchange in Germany. “I imagined myself proposing to Hedy in a romantic setting, but her father took the ring from me and announced he would hold it for me until I was ready to propose in front of the family’s shrine at their home. It was beautifully adorned with a crucifix and many

family photos. It ended up being perfect,” he recalled. The couple was married in the Catholic Church in Hedy’s hometown on Nov. 4, 1957. Delbert, 23, and Hedy, 20, moved to the United States shortly after, arriving in New York City, where Delbert was honorably discharged from the Army. They drove straight to Quanah, Texas, Delbert’s hometown, to start their lives together. After finishing college in Abilene several years later, Delbert received two teaching job offers: one in Alaska and the other in Corpus Christi. By 1960 the couple had three young sons: Benedict, Christopher and Phillip. Their second-born son is J.C. Hooper, Nueces County Sheriff. “I didn’t have enough money to move our young family to Alaska, so I decided on Corpus Christi,” he said. For anyone considering the sacrament of marriage, Hedy’s advice is simple: “Be ready for some good times and some rough times,” she quipped. “As long as you keep God at the center of everything, He will see you through.” Delbert added: “I advise young people getting married to stay involved with the Church. I believe many graces were extended to us over the years because we stayed active in the Church, teaching religious education and marriage preparation classes.” Parishioners at St. Pius X for the last 27 years, Delbert Hooper will never forget the marriage advice given to him by Hedy’s father on their wedding day 65 years ago: “Don’t forget God’s little Mother. We took that advice to heart throughout all our years together.”

El obispo Michael Mulvey y el personal de la Oficina del Medio Ambiente Seguridad y Recursos para Niños y Familias están comprometidos a ayudar a aquellos que han sufrido abusos de cualquier tipo. Para asistencia inmediata, apoyo e información de referencia, llame al Coordinador de Asistencia a Víctimas Stephanie Bonilla al (361) 693-6686. 24

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MUSIC MINISTRY Singing the Word

Sing praise to the Lord BY MARY COTTINGHAM

South Texas Catholic

teve Cortinas, director of music for St. Philip the Apostle Church, thinks that everybody should sing during the Mass. “In Psalm 100, it says to ‘make a joyful noise unto the Lord.’ It doesn’t say ‘sing with an angelic voice back to God.’ It’s like —when our babies are cooing and saying gaga —we, as parents just love that. That’s how God must be with us,” he explains. “So, whatever voice God gave us, that’s the voice He wants to hear —our praise back to Him.” Steve and his wife Armida have five children; the two eldest are in college, Katie at Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi and Noah at Del Mar College. Veronica attends St. John Paul II High School, Cecilia “Cici” attends Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory, and their youngest Teresa attends Most Precious Blood. Armida teaches elementary music education at two public schools and volunteers at St. John Paul II High School. Unfortunately, the Cortinas children aren’t musically inclined, but they do love to listen to music, especially music from the 1960s and 1970s, the music that Steve grew up loving. The children and Armida take turns running the Livestream and projector for all the Masses at St. Philip. Whenever Steve would play music during a church retreat, he would try to break down the emotional walls around people’s hearts by telling them: “To sing and give it all they got. If someone next to you can’t sing very well, then sing out of self-defense, and sing louder. It’s so funny because when you start hearing all these voices together, it just sounds beautiful,” he said. Steve has been playing, singing and listening to music as far back as he can remember. When he was a young boy, growing up in Taft, his skill as a percussionist began by beating on trash cans in front of his house. His two older brothers played the saxophone, his father sang to the radio, played the guitar and sang in a mariachi band. Music was just second nature to him. He remembers when he and his friends would sneak onto the church grounds at Immaculate Conception Parish to practice their music in the shade. One day,

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Father Gregory Boensch heard them playing and recruited them to play for their church choir. It wasn’t really a request at the time. The most significant influence in Steve’s life was his relationship with his older brother Alfredo, who was in many ways like an uncle to him. He paid for Steve’s music lessons and private tutors. His brother later became a famous bandmaster in the state of Texas. But Steve Cortinas didn’t have it easy. He has a history of working hard to live out his calling. He used his musical talents in his high school band while getting private lessons on the side. He put himself through college, working full time while attending The University of Texas on a music scholarship. When his grades began to suffer after his third year of college, he auditioned and was chosen to become a member of the U.S. Air Force Band. His first duty assignment was at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, where he played in the big band. He was surrounded by people who studied music at Juilliard School of Music, Eastman School of Music, the Curtis Institute of Music and the University of North Texas. “That whole experience was huge for my musical development,” he said. For nine years, he played music wherever they sent him. After touring the eastern states, he was then stationed in Germany. “Our priorities were to provide morale for the cities and towns that had Air Force bases on them and for any kind of charity. We would play for the March of Dimes, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society … doing free benefit concerts everywhere we went,” Steve explained. After finding out his dad had stage four cancer, he decided not to reenlist. He went back to his hometown to be with his father and other family members. His father, Selso, was well known to his fellow choir members from Immaculate Conception Church and towards the end of his life, the choir would come to their house and sing to him. “It made me see things differently,” Steve said. “I said I had come back home for my mom, my sister, and my dad, but instead they helped me figure life out,” Steve said, adding, “I got to be there at the end of my

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

MUSIC MINISTRY Singing the Word

“A liturgical service takes on a nobler aspect when the rites are celebrated with singing, the sacred ministers take part in them, and the faithful actively participate.”

MARY COTTINGHAM | STC

—Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy 113 father’s life, and he showed me how to die.” About two months later, Steve moved to Corpus Christi, and while attending Del Mar College, he began playing music in jazz and blues clubs. He also worked at a recording studio, where he met many famous local musicians. One musician found out he was Catholic and told him to bring his drums to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (OLPH). “That’s where I got a good education in music ministry –Learning that music enhances Liturgy,” Steve said. “I always had a strong Catholic faith, but it wasn’t until I attended ‘Alpha for Catholics’ at OLPH that music became more of an evangelizing tool.” Alpha for Catholics is an evangelization course and weekend retreat based on the Holy Spirit. It was introduced in the late 1990s. “We [music directors] all have that same mindset,” he said of the directors he networks with in the city. “God is telling us that we need to help.” For more than 25 years, Steve has been involved in music ministry in the diocese. He was music director twice at OLPH and once at Most Precious Blood. He taught guitar at St. John Paul II High School and volunteers for the Diocese of Corpus Christi for special events, like the Feast of Corpus Christi last year. Steve follows the three judgments presented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship: Liturgical, Pastoral and Musical. All three judgments must be considered together, and no individual judgment can be applied in isolation from the other two: three judgments, one decision. Steve uses Sing to the Lord to evaluate the parish’s current musical repertoire, to better understand his role in sung worship, to help prepare sacramental liturgies, and to help train other music ministers and choir members. Music Director Steve Cortinas introduces a blended repertoire at St. Philip the Apostle.

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MUSIC MINISTRY Singing the Word

Like many music directors in the diocese, Steve has had challenges since he was hired as music director at St. Philip the Apostle back in June of 2019. The first challenge was simple to overcome. He had inherited a different repertoire than he was accustomed. Choir members and parishioners were used to the older hymns, and the pastor at the time wanted all contemporary praise and worship music. They both agreed that they should have some of both or have a “blended repertoire,” he said. After serving just seven months at St. Philip, the pandemic hit the U.S., and all Masses went online. It

wasn’t until after the Masses began to reopen that a member in the choir got Covid, and both he and his wife became seriously ill from it. Even then, the music at St. Philip never stopped as the choir members from St. Philip who weren’t sick continued to show up to Mass and sing. “I love the whole gamut of Catholic Music,” Steve Cortinas said. “But we [music ministers] are servants. The Mass is not about us. We are the sprinkles on the cake. We’re not even the icing,” he explained. “We’re there to receive Jesus —it’s really not about the music, but if we can enhance it —praise and thanks to God.”

The Cortinas family take turns running the Livestream and projector for all the Masses at St. Philip, while there dad, Steve Cortinas directs the choir. Pictured below is the Cortinas family in the back row, from left, is Veronica, Katie and Noah. Pictured in the front row, from left, is Steve, Cici, Teresa and Armida.

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VOCATIONS

A Shepherds Story

‘Nothing is impossible for God’ BY MARY COTTINGHAM

s a young man discerning the priesthood, Patrick Higgins envisioned his priestly duties would entail celebrating daily Mass, praying the breviary, making pastoral visits, and celebrating Mass on the weekends. Little did he realize —there is a lot more to running a parish. Now, as shepherd of Our Lady of the Assumption parishioners for five years, Father Higgins says, “there are many things that go on in the background of running a parish,” especially one that has been put through the wringer as his parish has. About six weeks into his first role as shepherd, the Ingleside church was damaged by Hurricane Harvey. The church, which had already needed a facelift, now needed significant repairs. After what seemed a lifetime, the church roof was replaced, parishioners installed new air conditioning units, a new baptismal font (donation from a parishioner’s relative), and new pews (purchased by parishioners.) The much-needed facelift included repurposing the flooring and outside parking lot and interior painting. “You have to make decisions that affect the running of the parish, and you have to rely on God and the leadership of the diocese to help you do a good job,” he said. “I believe that by praying the Divine Mercy prayer, Jesus helps us through difficulties. He tells us that what is impossible for man is never impossible for God. One of my prayers was a request to the Lord that he would help us fix our church, and he did, through the leadership of Bishop Mulvey.” “We are a small parish, so to be able to achieve something that you thought you couldn’t achieve is certainly a great, great blessing,” he said.

MARY COTTINGHAM | STC

South Texas Catholic

Father Higgins pictured with the Divine Mercy statue outside Our Lady of Assumption Church in Ingleside says that one of the highlights of being the pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption is the welcome he received from the parish community and the feeling that he is a member of their family.”

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VOCATIONS

A Shepherds Story

TONY BERNAL | FOR STC

Parishioners at Our Lady of the Assumption Church raised funds to purchase new church pews. The also received a baptismal font from the daughter of deceased parishioners.

According to Ingleside’s Grand Knight Sonny Wright from the parish’s Knights of Columbus, “The church got stuck in the 1980s, and Father Patrick has made a lot of renovations, bringing it back up to a new look.” But he didn’t do it alone; there are 45 very active Knights who raise money by holding fish fries, chicken in a bag, and the KOC Bingo, which will hopefully begin again in late Spring. The Knights were also responsible for moving out the old pews. In many ways, Father Higgins, who hails from Galway, Ireland, has inserted himself into South

Texas culture. He sometimes dons a cowboy hat and ostrich skinned boots on special occasions like during the Blessing of the Animals or while attending a local festival in and around Ingleside. He loved the look of the Texas limestone, so he purchased the stone for the outdoor sign and church doors. “Father Higgins gets to know people in the community and surrounding areas,” Wright said. At last year’s Round Up in Ingleside that both men attended together, he was surprised that Father Higgins knew more people than he did. “I’m from

here,” he explained. “What I like most about Father Higgins is you don’t have to beat around the bush. If there’s an issue, he’s easy to talk to —super easy. You can go straight to him and tell him what the problem is and hash it out pretty quick,” Wright said. Eddie Polasek, another member of the Knights Columbus at Our Lady of Assumption, said, “when Father Higgins first came to their small church, “he went on a door-to-door campaign, inviting people (Catholics) to come to church. I thought that was pretty gung-ho.”

Bishop Michael Mulvey and the staff of the Office for Safe Environment and Child and Family Resources are committed to assisting those who have faced abuse of any kind. For immediate assistance, support and referral information, please call Victim Assistance Coordinator Stephanie Bonilla at (361) 693-6686.

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IN MEMORIAM Rest in Peace

“As a pastor, I’ve had to navigate through choppy waters sometimes. We’re not going to do things just for the sake of doing it. We have a vision, and we know how to get to the vision,” Father Higgins said. “I have had some opposition to change. People may not understand where you’re coming from. I’ve learned that I need to be compassionate, kind and try and explain to the parents and the students what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.” As their shepherd, Father Higgins also feels he needs to look out for his parishioners —especially when it comes to religious education. A few years ago, a questionnaire implemented by the diocesan Office of Catechesis compelled him to consult with the diocese on a new syllabus for the parish religious education program. The parish Knights of Columbus donated funds to purchase new catechism books, thus providing free Catholic education to all the students attending Continuing Catholic Education (CCE). Rosemary Morin, who has been the parish secretary for the past 21 says Father Higgins is a great motivator, and he gets things done. “Parishioners are ready to jump in and help. “It’s been a blessing to tell you the truth. He’s been a blessing here to our parish. Everybody’s really happy that he’s here, and we see all the improvements and parishioners are like –wow, this is amazing.”

Remembering Msgr. Killeen —an ordinary priest South Texas Catholic

Msgr. John Killeen was laid to rest in Ireland on Feb. 11. He was 90 years old. He was a much loved and respected priest throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Following his ordination in Dublin, Ireland, on June 16, 1957, he arrived in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. One of his highlights as a priest occurred some years ago when more than 1,000 parishioners from four parishes volunteered for Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Joseph Parish in Beeville. “I think it brought a lot of blessings to that parish,” he said. Upon his retirement in 2001, Msgr. Killeen was asked how he would like to be remembered, he replied, “as an ordinary priest that did his best for the people of South Texas for the past 44 years.” “I enjoyed every parish,” he said in an article printed on Aug. 3, 2001, in the South Texas Catholic. “All the parishes have been good to me. I want to thank them.” He served as assistant pastor at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Parish from 1957 to 1963, associate pastor of St. Peter Parish in Laredo from 1963 to 1965, associate pastor of St. John of the Cross Parish in Orange Grove from 1965 to 1966,

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associate pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Corpus Christi from 1966 to 1969, pastor of St. James Parish in Bishop from 1969 to 1973, pastor of St. Peter Parish in Corpus Christi from 1973 to 1981, pastor of Ss. Cyril & Methodius Parish from 1981 to 1983, and pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Beeville from 1983 to 1994. Msgr. Killeen, who had been dean of the Beeville Deanery since April of 1984, began serving at St. George Parish in George West in July of 1994. He was buried in the St. Ronan’s Church grounds in his native Taughmaconne, a small village in County Roscommon, Ireland on Feb. 13. Msgr. Killeen retired to Ireland in 2001 and lived in Ballinasloe. He f requently ministered in many of the parishes throughout the area and to many local religious communities,” the diocese said.

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WORLD NEWS

Highlights, Upcoming Events and Briefs

We are many parts of the Body of Christ SUPPORT THE CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES COLLECTION

HELP

esus

IN DISGUISE

SPRING 2022 COLLECTIONS —your support counts Catholic Relief Services: March 26-27

Your support for this collection gives aid to victims of persecution and natural disasters, provides legal services to poor immigrants, and advocates for the powerless. Through your generosity,

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six Catholic agencies help Jesus in the guise of the vulnerable refugee, the immigrant family, and the poor and marginalized. For more information go to usccb.org/catholic-relief.

Holy Land Collection: April 14-15

GOOD FRIDAY Support Christians in the Holy Land Pontifical Good Friday Collection

Supporting the Church in the Holy Land is an historic mission. Since the time of St. Paul, who urged his missionary Churches not to forget the needs of the Church in Jerusalem, Christians worldwide have understood the responsibility to support the land where Jesus walked. Last year’s collection supported 29 parishes, four homes for orphans, three academic institutions; helped keep schools open

for over 10,000 pre-K through grade 12 students; supported 120 men preparing to be priests or brothers; helped rehabilitate 80 homes for Christian families; and provided senior care facilities in Bethlehem and Nazareth; created 1,500 jobs in the Holy Land for Christians; and preserved 54 shrines connected with the life of Jesus and the prophets. For more information go to myfranciscan.org.

Catholic Home Missions Appeal April 23-24 Four out of ten dioceses in our country and its territories are considered home mission territories. This appeal helps our brothers and sisters here in the United States who do not have access to basic pastoral services like Mass, the sacraments, and religious education.

Through your support, the Catholic Home Missions Appeal helps these mission dioceses form vibrant faith communities and strengthens the Church at home. For more information go to usccb.org/home-missions.

We are humbled and grateful for those who continue to give during this time of uncertainty. Thank you! Because of you, we are better able to serve the needs of our brothers and sisters. We understand that some may not be able to give. However, if you are able and can continue to give to your parish, please also consider giving to these worthy causes. In the spirit of proper stewardship, the Diocese of Corpus Christi encourages the reporting of any financial abuse concerns or related issues. Report confidentially to: financialconcerns@diocesecc.org En el espíritu de una administración adecuada, la Diócesis de Corpus Christi alienta a informar cualquier inquietud de abuso financiero o problemas relacionados. Informe confidencialmente a: financialconcerns@diocesecc.org 32

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WORLD NEWS

Highlights, upcoming events and briefs

Catholic doctor lost everything in Nagasaki bombing — except faith, hope, and love

Catholic News Agency

r. Takashi Nagai’s work to help survivors of the Nagasaki atomic bombing and to console his devastated Japanese Catholic community is an unusual example of life-giving love and faith amid desolation and death, various speakers said at the New York Encounter on Sunday. “There was nothing, nothing anymore around him. He had completely lost everything,” Gabriele di Comite, president of the Rome-based Friends of Takahashi and Midori Nagai Association, said in a presentation at the New York Encounter. “He was living in a city which was completely destroyed. He had nothing anymore, he didn’t have a house anymore, and he was not able to leave his bed.” Nagai, a medical doctor who had converted from atheism to Catholicism, lost his wife Midori in the atomic blast from the Americans’ Aug. 9, 1945 attack on Nagasaki. The bomb fell on the heavily Catholic Urakami area, killing thousands of the city’s Catholics and tens of thousands of other Japanese civilians. Nagai labored to take care of survivors and to make sense of the destruction. Years later, he would become bedridden from a cancer that had developed in early 1945, months before the bombing. Despite his sufferings, he continued to live a life of joy, humility, and faith. “As soon as I wake up, the first

thought that occurs to me every morning is that I’m happy,” he said in his writings. “Beating within my chest is a child’s heart. The life of a new day awaits me.” Nagai chose to make the sacrifice “to let go (of) everything that dies and give his life only to what never dies,” di Comite commented. The doctor’s work as a writer helped tell the stories of survivors and sought to put the bombing in a spiritual context. His books and other writings became best sellers, and he dedicated the funds to reconstruction efforts. Nagai’s most famous work, “The Bells of Nagasaki,” was made into a film in 1951. He died on May 1, 1951, admired by the people of Nagasaki and by many leading personalities around the world as “the saint of Urakami.” “It’s really the power of one heart that converts, and shows the beauty of faith: how faith is able to restore hope and life in the worst possible condition that you could imagine,” di Comite said. “That is calling us together today.” “The transformation, the conversion of heart of one person, has been able to change an entire city,” he continued. “The strength that changes the world, in all the struggles that we are facing, is the power of faith, the conversion of our hearts in faith.” The presentation about Nagai took place on the final day of the New York Encounter, a three-day cultural event that includes panel discussion,

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Takashi Nagai | Public Domain

art exhibits, and musical and poetic performances. The event originated with members of the Catholic lay movement Communion and Liberation but it is not an official project of the movement. Also speaking was Dominic Higgins, director of the 2016 movie “All That Remains,” a biographical drama about the Japanese doctor. In Nagai’s life, Higgins said, he found “incredible stories to tell.” “Takashi spent his final years living in a small hole in the middle of the atomic wasteland, writing a great number of books and essays, much of it centered on the atomic bombing,” he said. Read full article at catholicnewsagency.com.

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A WORD

From our Holy Father

Pope Francis begins new catechesis series on old age

Catholic News Agency

ope Francis decried the excessive “exaltation of youth” on Wednesday as he began a new general audience series on

old age. Speaking at his live-streamed general audience on Feb. 23, the pope noted that as the average age of populations continued to rise, the “elderly are often seen as a burden.” “The dominant culture has as its sole model the young adult, i.e. a self-made individual who always remains young. But is it true that youth contains the full meaning of life, while old age simply represents its emptying and loss?” Pope Francis asked as he spoke in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. “The exaltation of youth as the only age worthy of embodying the human ideal, coupled with

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contempt for old age as frailty, decay, disability, has been the dominant image of 20th-century totalitarianism. Have we forgotten this?” he added. Pope Francis said that youth was beautiful, but cautioned that “eternal youth is a very dangerous illusion.” “Being old is just as important — and beautiful — is equally important as being young,” he said. “Let us remember this. The alliance between generations, which restores all ages of life to the human, is our lost gift and we have to get it back. It must be found in this culture of waste and in this culture of productivity.” The pope announced that his weekly catechesis at the Wednesday audience in the coming weeks would focus on seeking inspiration

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in the Word of God on the meaning and value of old age. Last week, he concluded his 12-week cycle of catechesis on St. Joseph. “Let us not forget that in both family and society, the elderly are like the roots of the tree: they have all the history there, and the young are like the flowers and the fruit,” he said. “Everything beautiful that a society has is related to the roots of the elderly. For this reason, in these catechesis, I would like the figure of the elderly person to come up, to understand well that the elderly person is not a waste material: he/ she is a blessing for society.” Pope Francis said that old age was a gift through which people can share from their maturity and wisdom with others. “The young must talk to the

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A WORD

From our Holy Father elderly, and the elderly to the young. And this bridge will be the transmission of wisdom in humanity,” he said. He expressed concern that young people today would miss out on important lessons, adding that the elderly had a responsibility to share their wisdom with younger generations.

“If grandparents fall back on their melancholies, young people will look even more to their smartphones,” he said. “The screen may stay on, but life will die out before its time. Isn’t the most serious backlash of the pandemic precisely in the loss of the young? The old have resources of life already lived that they can call upon

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at any moment. Will they stand by and watch young people lose their vision, or will they accompany them by warming their dreams?” According to the United Nations, the number of older persons is expected to double by 2050. The global population of people over the age of 60 is already more than twice as large today than it was in 1980.

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SPRING 2022 ISSUE South Texas Catholic 555 N Carancahua St, Ste 750 Corpus Christi, TX 78401-0824 (361) 882-6191

Spring 2022 - Vol. 57 No. 1

Articles inside

MUSIC MINISTRY: Music

EUCARISTÍA Y LA PALABRA

JESUS SAYS: Father Brady Williams, SOLT, touches on one of the fundamental paradoxes of Christianity.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: Chris